Challenges for Cultural Survival for Christian Minorities in the Middle East The Assyrian community, sometimes referred to as Syriacs, Chaldeans, or Arameans, represents one of the Middle East's oldest ethnic and cultural minorities, with roots in the Assyrian Empire (circa 2500--609 BC). As Syriac-speaking and predominantly Christian, they have navigated an intricate historical trajectory marked by imperial shifts, from Roman and Byzantine periods to Islamic and Ottoman regimes. Language and religion have served as identity foundations but have also generated internal divergenADs. The purpose of this article is to map the community's historical adversities, sociopolitical factors impeding linguistic autonomy, and strategies to counteract assimilation while bolstering cultural resilienAD. Through an impartial and nuanADd examination, the value of rallying around shared principles is highlighted to ensure long-term sustainability and relevanAD in a globalized context. AbsenAD of such coordination risks deepening marginalization and potentially leading to exclusion from international forums. Historical Analysis of Identity Fragmentation and Role of Religious Leaders in Assyrian Community The Assyrian community possesses a multifaADted history characterized by persecution, peripheralization, and internal tensions, where religious authorities have played a pivotal role in navigating these complexities. Minority status was established under the Roman Empire (27 BC--476 AD), where they were integrated as a strategic resourAD in eastern provinADs. Early conversion to Christianity in the first ADntury AD triggered persecutions under emperors such as Nero and Diocletian, who perADived the faith as a threat to imperial coherenAD. The transition to the Byzantine Empire (330--1453 AD) brought partial relief via the Edict of Milan in 313 AD, legalizing Christianity, but theological controversies, particularly at the Council of ChalADdon in 451 AD, provoked schisms. The community's miaphysite doctrine positioned them on the periphery relative to Byzantine Orthodoxy, prompting migration to Persian territories for protection. During Islamic expansion from the seventh ADntury AD, they were classified as dhimmis under Umayyad, Abbasid, and later Ottoman rule. This category afforded limited autonomy but institutionalized subordination through the jizya tax and political restrictions. Christianity acted as a unifying cultural factor but also contributed to confessional fragmentations through churches such as the Syriac Orthodox, Assyrian Church of the East, and Chaldean Catholic Church. These divergenADs, influenADd by religious leaders' ambitions for influenAD, often exaADrbated by foreign missionaries' interventions, undermined collective resilienAD and interactions with external actors, particularly during Mongol invasions in the thirteenth ADntury and the Crusades era (1095--1291), when the community faADd multidirectional pressures. Terminological variation has significantly contributed to a hybrid identity, complicating internal cohesion and directly weakening the community's collective capacity in relation to surrounding societies and great powers. This diversity, largely attributable to patriarchal divisions and foreign missionary activities that promoted sectarian splits, disparate nomenclature, and partisan factions, has fostered unADrtainty and diminished unified strength. Religious leaders have traditionally functioned as intermediaries between the community and hegemonic structures, including Roman, Byzantine, Mongol, and Islamic regimes, as well as modern states. Their positions, often shaped through allianADs with these entities and influenADd by external missionary agendas, have entrenched dependencies and impacted autonomy. This interaction, from the Crusades period to contemporary sADnarios, underscores the neADssity of balancing religious authority with communal interests to promote unity and reduAD fragmentation, while acknowledging the historical culpability of patriarchs and foreign missionaries in perpetuating sectarian, nominal, and partisan divisions. Contemporary Challenges: Threats to Survival In the contemporary Middle East, particularly in Iraq and Syria, the Assyrian community confronts existential threats. Following Saddam Hussein's overthrow in 2003 and the onset of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, extremist organizations such as the Islamic State (ISIS) have executed systematic assaults on Assyrian communities, including massacres, forADd conversions, and destruction of cultural heritage in regions like Mosul and the Khabur River. According to UNHCR, hundreds of thousands of individuals have been driven into exile, reducing the community's regional presenAD to critical levels. In diaspora settings -- Western Europe, North America, and Australia -- assimilation via language loss, intercultural allianADs, and socioeconomic factors poses a threat to cultural integrity. Internal divergenADs exaADrbate these adversities. Political and religious leaders, shaped by historical subordination patterns and influenADd by patriarchal ambitions and foreign missionary legacies, have at times prioritized adaptation to hegemonic forADs over advancing linguistic and cultural independenAD. Demands for mother-tongue education in Assyrian have encountered obstacles, linked to sociopolitical mechanisms that acADntuate confessional and ethnic cleavages, often rooted in the divisive actions of patriarchs and external missionaries that fostered sectarian splits, varying nomenclature, and partisan groupings. These endogenous elements have historically generated greater challenges than exogenous pressures, by hindering coordinated initiatives for self-determination, such as autonomy in the Nineveh Plains or Gozarto region. A reinforADd rallying around shared values could mitigate these risks and ensure the community's continued relevanAD on the international stage. Strategies for Linguistic and Cultural Vitalization To address risks of assimilation and cultural degradation, a strategic emphasis on unity without uniformity requirements is crucial. The Assyrian language, one of the world's oldest continuously used idioms, serves as a bridge to the community's historical and cultural heritage. Intensifying mother-tongue education and establishing institutions that support language application in formal and informal contexts is essential. Historical preADdents, such as the revitalization of Hebrew and Welsh, illustrate how coordinated measures via education, cultural initiatives, and digital platforms can reverse language losses. For the Assyrian community, the creation of language ADnters, literary production, and digital pedagogical resourADs can promote linguistic sustainability. Leadership must bridge confessional and ethnic divides through cross-sectoral dialogue, where religious patriarchs and secular entities collaborate toward common objectives, while addressing the historical role of patriarchs and foreign missionaries in instigating sectarian fragmentation, nominal diversity, and partisan schisms that have weakened communal bonds. A diplomatic strategy involves directing collective capacity toward advocacy for rights, such as autonomy in Nineveh Plains or language protection, in partnership with international bodies like the UN and EU. Diaspora communities can contribute substantially through networks for cultural preservation, including festivals and mother-tongue-integrated curricula. The Assyrian RenaissanAD in the nineteenth ADntury exemplifies how coordination can catalyze cultural renewal, highlighting the potential in integrated efforts. Without such collaboration, the risk of global irrelevanAD increases, whereas unity can guarantee long-term survival and influenAD. Conclusion The Assyrian community's historical trajectory illustrates minorities' vulnerability in hegemonic shadows. Christianity's ambivalent role as a cohesive forAD and potential sourAD of divergenAD, combined with legacies of subordination structures, has defined their adversities. By prioritizing rallying around shared elements -- history, the Assyrian language, and cultural identity -- the community can counteract assimilation and enhanAD resilienAD. Future studies should explore how digital instruments and diaspora networks can support language revitalization, as well as how historical subordination patterns, particularly those perpetuated by patriarchal divisions and foreign missionary interventions leading to sectarian splits, disparate nomenclature, and partisan factions, can be deconstructed to promote self-determination. Through coordinated initiatives, the community can not only secure its heritage but also ensure its prosperity for future generations, thereby maintaining a robust international presenAD. Denho Bar Mourad-Ozmen is a former special educator and advisor at Sweden's National Agency for Special Education. He is a lecturer, published educational films on Swedish TV, and has written articles in Swedish educational magazines. He was born in the village of Habses, Tur Abdin, and has written on the Syriac people for Hujada Magazine and the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchal Magazine. He is a long-time journalist and a moderator at Suroyo TV. Representatives visit Silk Street building during Global Leaders' Meeting on Women Xinhua) 09:14, October 15, 2025 Representatives, who are in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, watch a demonstration of live-streaming e-commerce while visiting the Silk Street building in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie) Representatives, who are in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, visit the Silk Street building in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Zou Jingyi) Representatives, who are in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, visit the Silk Street building in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Zou Jingyi) A representative, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, learns about neo-Chinese-style clothes while visiting the Silk Street building in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie) Representatives, who are in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, learn about Beijing Embroidery while visiting the Silk Street building in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Zou Jingyi) A representative, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, learns about Beijing clay sculptures while visiting the Silk Street building in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie) Representatives, who are in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, learn about haute couture garment while visiting the Silk Street building in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Zou Jingyi) Representatives, who are in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, learn about a purse made of Song brocade, a type of fabric developed during the Song Dynasty, while visiting the Silk Street building in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie) Representatives, who are in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, watch a tea art display while visiting the Silk Street building in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie) Representatives, who are in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, visit the Silk Street building in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Zou Jingyi) Representatives, who are in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, learn about Beijing Embroidery while visiting the Silk Street building in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie) Representatives, who are in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, visit the Silk Street building in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Zou Jingyi) Representatives, who are in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, learn about cultural and creative products while visiting the Silk Street building in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Zou Jingyi) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Two leading international nonprofits unite to advance girls' education, rights and opportunities. NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Girl Rising and She's the First, two internationally recognized nonprofits advancing girls' opportunities, announced on International Day of the Girl their plans to merge, uniting school-based life-skills education, community mentoring, and girl leadership platforms to deliver deeper impact at scale. Girls Advisory Council & Board Member Sukeji Modi, Girl Activist Fellow GAF25 Shila, Girls Advisory Council member and Girl Activist Fellowship Alumna Njeri Gladys, and Girl Activist Fellows GAF25 Daisy and Bokeh at the Girls First Summit by She's the First in Nairobi, Kenya, on July 5, 2024. (Photo by Sarah Waiswa) In India, Girl Rising's Richa Hingorani leads Child in Need Institute teachers through RISE, a two-year curriculum building life skills and rights awareness for students - and teacher self-efficacy - while challenging harmful gender norms. (July 2025) The merger will integrate Girl Rising's RISE programrooted in storytelling to build adolescents' skills and awareness of gender equalitywith She's the First's global network of women-led partners and girls' leadership programs. The unified organization will reach more than 500,000 adolescents with in-person programming and more than 7 million through online resources over the next three years. "At a time of widening funding gaps and backlash against girls' rights, joining forces creates a seamless path from classrooms to communities, ensuring every girl has the resources to learn and lead," said Nidhi Shukla, President, Girl Rising. "Our merged model reflects what the field has learned about creating deep, durable change," said Kate Kiama, co-CEO of She's the First. "Access alone isn't enough. Lasting change takes shifting mindsets, supporting local leadership, and centering girls." Under the merger terms, She's the First will become part of Girl Rising's 501(c)(3). The Girl Rising name and brand will continue, with updates reflecting the expanded mission. She's the First's legacy and name will remain visible in programs and storytelling. Christina Lowery and Nidhi Shukla will lead the merged organization as co-CEOs. Kate Kiama will become VP, Global Programs. She's the First co-founder and current co-CEO Tammy Tibbetts will be Chief Advisor. A new Board of Directors will include members from both organizations, two Girl Board Members and two new members. "We believe that mergers work best when they reflect strategic clarity and long-term vision," said CEO Christina Lowery. "Combining forces is a deliberate strategy to counter the current global backlash against women and girls' rights." As a first joint initiative, Girl Rising will pilot an integrated program in Kenya, pairing RISE's government-accredited curriculum with She's the First's community mentoring and girls' leadership activities. The pilot will inform future regional integrations in Latin America and South Asia. The organizations have also jointly opened a pathway for girls around the globe to get involved: applications for the Girl Rising Fellowship and Girls Advisory Council can be submitted before November 2 on https://bit.ly/girlslead2026 . "Throughout the merger process, both organizations ensured girls' voices were at the center, with focus groups and discussions with the girls in their programs," said Allison Choong, 21-year-old member of the She's the First Board of Directors, appointed by the Girls Advisory Council. "I'm excited that girls in future programs will have support both at home and in their schools. Growing up in Malaysia, I had support at home through She's the First. But now, with the Girl Rising RISE curriculum, even more girls will get support and education in both places. That makes me really hopeful." This announcement comes alongside an op-ed published on Candid Insights today exploring the value of nonprofit mergers to create stronger, more sustainable organizations, and why that matters for girls today and in the future. The organizations' leaders will also share insights on the value of nonprofit mergers on the We Are For Good podcast, among other engagements. Diana Barrett for The Fledgling Fund, Echidna Giving, InMaat Foundation, SeaChange-Lodestar Fund for Nonprofit Collaboration, along with individual donors and pro bono law firms provided dedicated funding for the one-time merger costs. Their support enabled planning, stakeholder listening and structural integration without diverting resources from girls' programs. The merger will take full effect pending regulatory approvals from New York, where She's the First is registered. For more information: Visit girlrising.org/merger or shesthefirst.org/merger Contact: Virginia Terry, VP External Relations, Girl Rising, [email protected], 646.369.0442 About Girl Rising Girl Rising is a global nonprofit that uses the power of storytelling to change the way the world values girls and their education. The organization collaborates with partners to equip adolescents - especially girls - with skills, confidence, and supportive allies, while dismantling barriers to their education. Girl Rising's programs are based on the transformative tool of storytelling to spark curiosity, shift mindsets, and inspire action. About She's the First She's the First, a registered nonprofit in the United States and Kenya, teams up with grassroots leaders to make sure girls everywhere are educated, respected, and heard. The organization teaches girls how to speak up for themselves in their homes, schools, and communities while teaching the mentors in their lives practical ways to support their agency. As a result, these girls become the first women in their families to achieve amazing milestonesand they are never the last. SOURCE Girl Rising 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). 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Hyundai announced a $5 million donation to Savannah State University (SSU) to name the Hyundai College of Education at Savannah State University. "The Hyundai College of Education represents more than just a name or sponsorship; it's a proud milestone in our commitment to transformative community impact and expanding pathways for students from all backgrounds to excel," said Erik Thomas, director, experiential and multicultural marketing, Hyundai Motor America. "Through this partnership, we are investing in educational excellence and creating opportunities that will empower future leaders and strengthen the fabric of coastal Georgia for generations to come." The Hyundai College of Education will serve as a center for training future educators and workforce professionals while expanding access to high-quality learning opportunities for students in Georgia and beyond. Through the partnership, Hyundai and Savannah State will expand access to cutting-edge learning opportunities, scholarships, and technology that support the evolving needs of 21st-century education. "This gift represents more than a name it's a statement about what happens when higher education and industry work together to create opportunity," said Dr. Jermaine Whirl, president, Savannah State University. "Hyundai's investment in Savannah State will expand access to education, strengthen our teaching programs and fuel innovation that reaches far beyond our campus." Founded in 1890, Savannah State University is Georgia's oldest historically Black public university. The new Hyundai College of Education builds on SSU's legacy of academic excellence and community engagement while aligning with Hyundai's vision for a sustainable, inclusive future. The collaboration builds on Hyundai's ongoing investment in the Coastal Georgia, home to Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA), Hyundai Motor Group's first dedicated electric vehicle mass-production plant in Bryan County, Georgia. The company has pledged to support education and workforce readiness programs that prepare local residents for high-demand careers. Savannah State will begin transitioning the current College of Education into the Hyundai College of Education immediately, with new signage, branding and scholarship programs expected to launch early 2026. 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 Former president of the Fyzabad Chamber of Commerce, Angie Jairam, has been appointed as the In this free webinar, gain insight into how ICON Strategic Solutions (ISS) delivers Functional Service Provider (FSP) services that outperform direct internal recruitment. Attendees will learn about the advantages of ICON's internal processes, oversight and workforce governance. The featured speakers will share practical examples of resolving clinical workforce challenges in Korea. The speakers will also discuss strategies for accessing specialized talent while retaining operational control. TORONTO, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In today's competitive and dynamic clinical research environment, sponsors in Korea are increasingly challenged to recruit and retain qualified clinical research professionals. Limited talent pools, high employee turnover and budgetary constraints make it difficult for sponsors to maintain the high-quality talent required to effectively achieve their clinical development objectives. At the same time, the demand for specialized expertise and operational flexibility continues to rise as clinical trials become increasingly complex and timelines tighten. This webinar will explore how ICON's Functional Service Provider (FSP) model, delivered through its Strategic Solutions division, can provide sponsors with a strategic, cost-effective and scalable solution to these challenges. The FSP model enables sponsors to access dedicated, high-performing professionals who are trained, managed and supported by ICON, while being seamlessly integrated into the sponsor's teams and workflows. This approach allows sponsors to maintain control over their operations while also benefiting from ICON's operational efficiency, oversight and global best practices as a leading service provider. The featured speakers will demonstrate how ICON's ISS (FSP) services offer significant advantages over direct internal recruitment, including enhanced resource flexibility, reduced administrative burden, improved retention through defined career development pathways and access to a global talent network with deep therapeutic expertise. Additionally, this session will highlight internal processes, governance structures and quality management systems that ensure consistent performance and alignment with sponsor expectations. The webinar will share practical insights and lessons learned from ICON's extensive experience supporting sponsors in Korea, including examples of how specific market challenges have been addressed and how emerging opportunities have been leveraged. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how ICON's FSP model can help overcome recruitment and retention barriers, optimize resource utilization and support the achievement of clinical research goals more effectively and efficiently. Register for this webinar to learn how ICON's FSP services model supports clinical research in Korea by addressing recruitment and retention challenges. *The webinar will be presented in Korean. Join experts from ICON, Julian Song (Moderator), Director, Business Development; Hyunju Park, Director, Clinical Operations; and May Cho, Talent Acquisition Team Lead, APAC, for the live webinar on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at 2pm KST (Korea/GMT +9). For more information, or to register for this event, visit Introducing ICON Strategic Solutions FSP Services: How This Model Supports Sponsors in Korea. ABOUT XTALKS Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars and digital content to the global life science, food, healthcare and medical device communities. Every year, thousands of industry practitioners (from pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food, healthcare and medical device companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps professionals stay current with industry developments, regulations and jobs. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers. To learn more about Xtalks visit www.xtalks.com For information about hosting a webinar visit www.xtalks.com/why-host-a-webinar/ Contact: Vera Kovacevic Tel: +1 (416) 977-6555 x371 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Xtalks 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. After merging with Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, the new HCM City is positioning itself as a regional investment magnet, rolling out sweeping reforms, mega-infrastructure projects, and bold incentives to attract global tech and clean-energy giants. Bo Xuan Hiep reports HCM CITY HCM City is ramping up efforts to attract a new wave of high-quality foreign investment as it targets US$10.44 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) this year, following a major administrative merger with Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces. The expanded 'Greater HCM City' now encompassing 64 export processing and industrial zones (EPZs and IPs) across 45,000 hectares of industrial land and is positioning itself as a regional innovation and high-tech manufacturing hub, city leaders say. According to the Department of Finance, the city licensed 945 new FDI projects worth $4.72 billion in the first half of the year, up 32 per cent from a year earlier. The merger is expected to further boost inflows, with the former city projected to contribute $7 billion of the years total, Binh Duong $1.8 billion, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau $1.64 billion. Shift toward high-tech, green growth Between 2020 and 2025, HCM City drew over $2.86 billion in FDI into its industrial and export processing zones, exceeding initial targets. Total FDI inflows surged by more than 45 per cent in the first seven months of 2025, reaching nearly $6.2 billion, according to the HCM City Statistics Department. Officials say this momentum reflects a broader shift in the citys investment strategy, from labour-intensive industries to high-tech, clean, and value-added sectors such as semiconductors, renewable energy, advanced materials and smart manufacturing. HCM Citys investment policy in this term has focused on quality over quantity, said Nguyen Cong Vinh, director of the Department of Finance. We want to attract investors who bring innovation, technology transfer and sustainable value to our economy. The city is finalising a portfolio of priority projects in strategic sectors including international transhipment ports, innovation hubs, R&D centres, clean energy, and semiconductor manufacturing. One flagship initiative, the Can Gio International Transhipment Port, aims to position HCM City as a major logistics and maritime centre in Southeast Asia. Expanding industrial capacity The merger has given the city a much-needed boost in industrial land, a long-standing bottleneck for new investments. Le Van Thinh, head of the HCM City Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority, said the zones aim to attract $3.73 billion in new investment in 2025. We are upgrading and transforming traditional industrial parks into high-tech and innovation-driven zones, he said. Our goal is to build an ecosystem for sustainable industries that apply digital technologies and green standards. In Binh Duong, which now accounts for nearly half of the citys total industrial zones, two major new projects, the Cay Truong Industrial Park and Bau Bang Phase 2, have been launched at a combined cost of VN5.5 trillion ($210 million). Both are next-generation industrial zones built to international standards, integrating digital management, smart monitoring systems, and eco-friendly infrastructure. The Tam Lap 2 cluster in northern Binh Duong, developed by Gia inh Group, has also attracted attention for prioritising investors using clean technologies and low-emission production. Administrative reforms Alongside physical infrastructure, HCM City is overhauling administrative procedures to make doing business easier. According to Vinh of the Finance Department, five of 22 key investment-related procedures are now processed 30 per cent faster, benefiting over 93 per cent of applications this year. Soon, procedures such as amending investment registration certificates or adjusting project details will be completed within a single working day, he said. The city also plans to launch a digital investment portal detailing available industrial land, planning information, and investment models to improve transparency and help investors quickly access opportunities. These efforts are in line with Viet Nams broader national drive to attract high-quality foreign investment amid global supply chain realignments. HCM Citys reforms are sending a strong signal to investors about its readiness to compete for high-value projects, said Dr. Tran Hoang Ngan, a member of the National Financial and Monetary Policy Advisory Council. The focus on semiconductors, digital economy, and clean energy aligns perfectly with global trends. Infrastructure push to enhance competitiveness Infrastructure remains at the heart of the citys investment appeal. The Government has accelerated several mega projects including a coastal highway, new railway links and logistics hubs connecting to the southern seaports. Efficient logistics and transport systems are critical to enhancing our competitiveness, said Lam inh Thang, Director of the Department of Science and Technology. We are aligning infrastructure upgrades with the needs of the green and digital economy. Once completed, the Can Gio Transhipment Port will be able to handle up to 16 million TEUs annually, reinforcing HCM Citys ambition to become a major maritime gateway for international trade. City authorities are also strengthening ties with major foreign business groups, including JETRO (Japan External Trade Organisation), EuroCham, and AmCham, to attract multinational investors and enhance cooperation. Beyond attracting capital, we are building long-term partnerships that encourage innovation, knowledge sharing, and technology transfer, said Thinh from the EPZ Authority. The city is working with financial institutions to improve access to funding for high-tech enterprises and with universities to train skilled workers for emerging industries. We understand that foreign investors not only look for policy stability but also human resource quality and supporting industries, Thinh added. Commitment to sustainable growth City leaders have repeatedly stressed that future growth must be inclusive and sustainable. Our priority is not just to attract more FDI, but to ensure it creates jobs, promotes innovation, and protects the environment, said Tran Luu Quang, newly appointed secretary of the HCM City Party Committee. We are committed to turning the city into a regional hub for technology and green growth. The city plans to convert five existing EPZs and IPs, including Tan Thuan, Tan Binh, Hiep Phuoc, Cat Lai and Binh Chieu, into innovation-oriented zones, furthering its industrial transformation. New incentives are also being drafted for semiconductor design, integrated circuits and advanced battery technologies - industries identified as national priorities. As the 2020-2025 period draws to a close, economists say the challenge ahead for the city will be maintaining momentum and ensuring that growth remains balanced across the newly integrated regions. If successful, the 'new HCM City' could redefine Viet Nams economic landscape, transforming from a traditional manufacturing base into a regional powerhouse for innovation, sustainability and high-tech investment. VNS HA NOI The first Vietnam International Exhibition on Aquatic Science and Technology (VINAFIS EXPO 2026) will take place from April 28-30 in HCM City under the theme Vietnam Fisheries Rising. VINAFIS EXPO 2026 will be the first comprehensive exhibition covering the entire fisheries sector, providing a platform for domestic and international stakeholders across the fisheries value chain, from exploitation, aquaculture, and logistics to processing, distribution, and trade, to connect and exchange. The exhibition is expected to feature more than 200 booths from domestic and foreign organisations and enterprises, showcasing new products in areas such as processing, breeding, feed, and logistics. Notably, 40 per cent of the exhibitors will come from countries such as the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and China, underscoring Viet Nams growing position in the global fisheries industry. VINAFIS EXPO 2026 will feature an international scientific conference focusing on pressing topics like sustainable marine aquaculture development, nutrition and disease prevention, processing and preservation technology, logistics, and innovation across the value chain. The VietShrimp Forum and the Vietnam Marine Aqua are expected to attract a large number of experts, enterprises, policymakers, and farmers. A highlight of the event will be a Farmtour programme offering participants first-hand experience of modern aquaculture models in the southeastern region and the Mekong Delta, Viet Nams key fisheries hubs. The Vietnam Fisheries Golden Quality VINAFIS AWARD will honour outstanding organisations, individuals, and enterprises with high-quality, environmentally friendly products that bring in tangible socio-economic benefits. According to Tran inh Luan, Director of the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Resources Surveillance, Viet Nam currently ranks third globally in seafood production and exports, with strong advantages in shrimp, tra fish, and marine aquaculture. The exhibition provides a valuable opportunity for Vietnamese scientists to showcase their research achievements and inspire innovation in the fisheries field, while also allowing international enterprises and researchers to introduce and promote advanced technologies to Viet Nams aquaculture and seafood business community, he said. VNA/VNS HA NOI Viet Nam and Pakistan on Tuesday signed a joint declaration to begin negotiations on a preferential trade agreement, marking a new milestone in economic and trade cooperation between the two nations. The declaration was signed in Islamabad by Viet Nams Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien and Pakistans Minister of Commerce during the PakistanViet Nam Business Forum, held as part of Diens official visit from October 13 to 15. Both sides agreed to start negotiations on the Viet NamPakistan Preferential Trade Agreement (VPPTA) immediately on Wednesday, to finalise and sign the deal by the end of this year. Once concluded, the agreement will provide a legal framework for preferential tariffs, streamlined customs procedures and enhanced business competitiveness, opening a new chapter in Viet NamPakistan economic relations. The VPPTA is expected to create favourable conditions for trade in key sectors such as textiles, agriculture, seafood, Halal food, furniture, construction materials and pharmaceuticals. It will also help establish a stable legal environment to attract investment in complementary industries and lay the groundwork for a future free trade agreement. During their talks, the two ministers discussed measures to strengthen bilateral trade, remove existing barriers and promote the early conclusion of the VPPTA. According to Dien, Pakistan is one of Viet Nams most promising partners in South Asia due to its strategic location linking Southeast Asia with South Asia and the Middle East. However, bilateral trade remains modest, reaching US$705 million in 2023, $850 million in 2024 and $600 million in the first nine months of this year, Dien noted. He proposed that both countries remove tariff barriers and improve logistics and transport connectivity to deepen economic ties. He also called for greater cooperation in textiles, footwear, Halal food, machinery, processing, materials, energy, pharmaceuticals, digital technology and innovation. At the same time, Dien highlighted ongoing challenges such as quarantine regulations, technical standards and import licensing procedures, urging Pakistan to consider reducing tariffs and easing market access for Vietnamese goods. Speaking on the VPPTA, Dien said that launching negotiations represents a crucial and strategic step reflecting the strong political will of both governments to elevate bilateral cooperation. Agreeing with Dien, Pakistans Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan expressed his readiness to expand collaboration beyond goods trade to services, Halal industries, banking, civil aviation and healthcare. The VPPTA is expected to increase bilateral trade by between five and ten times in the coming years. VNS Lawsuit alleges catastrophic failures of electrical and hydraulic systems originally designed in 1958 prevented pilots from landing the airplane safely. SEATTLE, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Herrmann Law Group (www.hlg.lawyer), an international aviation law firm based in Seattle, has sued Boeing Co. on behalf of 14 families who lost loved ones in the crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216 at Muan International Airport in South Korea on December 29, 2024. The complaint, filed in King County Superior Court under Cause No. 25-2-30195-8 SEA, alleges that antiquated electrical and hydraulic systems deprived pilots of the means to land safely. Jeju Air Crash Families Sue Boeing for Deadly Defects in outdated 1960s-Era Landing Systems "Rather than admitting its fault in this tragic accident, Boeing resorts to its old, worn out 'blame the pilots' tactic. These pilots make easy targets; they perished in the flames with the passengers. They cannot defend themselves" said Charles Herrmann, lead attorney for the plaintiffs. "Bereaved Families deserve the truth. Met with evasion in Korea, these plaintiffs seek justice in U.S. courts where we can legally compel them to reveal the truth" The lawsuit traces the decline in Boeing's safety-first culture to its 1997 acquisition of McDonnell Douglas, when former MD chief Harry Stonecipher became Boeing's president and chief operating officer. According to the complaint, Stonecipher declared that Boeing would be "run like a business rather than a great engineering firm," marking a shift away from the company's engineering roots. Four years later, Boeing moved its headquarters to Chicago after 85 years in Washington state. Herrmann contends that the move symbolized management's alienation from the engineers who built the company's reputation. Safety-first became profit-first. The complaint alleges Boeing failed to modernize its core electrical and hydraulic architectures dating back to the first 737 in 1968. Between that year and 2009, when the crash aircraft entered service, the company made no fundamental upgrades to more reliable modern technology in backup safety systems. According to the complaint, Flight 2216 suffered a bird strike on approach. DNA tests confirmed the birds were Baikal teals weighing about one pound each. Herrmann further explained: "The bird strike triggered a cascade of system failures. Under U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, 14 C.F.R. 33.76(c), the aircraft's engines were required to withstand ingestion of as many as four one-pound birds without thrust falling below 75 percent. Yet the bird strike triggered a cascade of system failures". The complaint states that the pilots shut down the left engine; then immediately activated its fire extinguisher. The crippled right engine dropped to 55 percent thrust barely enough to remain airborne during a go-around. Generators stopped producing AC power. Batteries failed to provide backup. Electrical bus crossties did not function. The Flight Data Recorder, Cockpit Voice Recorder and transponder all went offline simultaneously. The complaint also alleges that nearly all systems designed to slow the aircraft, both before and after landing, failed. Paramount among these failures was the landing gear, which failed to extend. Not only does it add aerodynamic drag while airborne, the wheel brakes are essential to stop the aircraft. The reverse thrusters, which redirect engine thrust forward, are also critical for braking and likewise failed to function properly. Finally, flaps, slats, and spoilers did not deploy. Herrmann concluded: "Although these seasoned pilots managed to fly the aircraft back to the runway, the failure of all these systems combined to deny them the means to land safely. They landed 1,200 meters down the 2,600-meter runway at 175 mph too far and too fast. Sliding on its belly, the aircraft overran the end of the runway to strike a concrete-reinforced berm built to support Instrument Landing System antennas. Upon impact, the aircraft exploded in a fireball, causing 179 people to perish in the flames." About Herrmann Law Group Founded in 1950 by former State Senator and Insurance Commissioner Karl Herrmann and led today by Charles Herrmann and Lara Herrmann, the firm earned international recognition for Charles Herrmann's work in exposing the truth behind the 1983 shootdown of Korean Air Lines Flight 007 by a Soviet MiG over Sakhalin Island portrayed in the HBO/BBC movie Code Name:Hostile. Herrmann Law Group has successfully represented victims in numerous air disasters including Korean Air 801 (1997, Guam) and Air China 129 (2002, Gimhae). Then, five times against Boeing in: China Airlines 611 (2002, Taiwan); Asiana 214 (2013, San Francisco); the two infamous MAX cases Lion Air 610 (2018, Indonesia) and Ethiopian 302 (2019, Ethiopia); and most recently, Sriwijaya 182 (2021, Indonesia). A full copy of the filed complaint is available on Herrmann Law Group's website. Media Contact Lara Herrmann HERRMANN LAW GROUP 505 5th Ave S, Ste 330 Seattle, WA 98104 Mobile: 1.253.380.5272 Email: [email protected] Website: www.hlg.lawyer Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2797402/HERRMANN_LAW_GROUP.jpg SOURCE HERRMANN LAW GROUP HA NOI Deputy Prime Minister Ho uc Phoc presided over a meeting with ministries and State enterprises to review the draft decree on restructuring State capital in State-owned enterprises on October 14 in Ha Noi. The Ministry of Finance reported that the draft comprises eight chapters, 100 articles and two appendices. Beyond general and implementation provisions, the draft decree addresses a wide array of issues: equitisation of SOEs; converting wholly State-owned enterprises into multi-member limited companies; transforming enterprises where the State holds 50 per cent or more; mergers, splits, consolidations, dissolutions; divestment of State capital in joint stock or multi-member limited companies; transferring ownership representation rights; transferring investment projects, capital, or assets; and rights to buy shares or capital contributions. The draft introduces important changes compared with existing rules. For equitisation, it mandates full and current valuation of land-use and leasehold rights. It also strengthens decentralisation with each administrative level will have authority to make restructuring decisions for enterprises under its management. Under the proposed scheme, the Prime Minister will decide on equitisation, divestment, reorganisation and transfer of State ownership representation for eight designated groups and corporations: PVN, EVN, VNPT, TKV, Viettel, Vinachem, Vietnam Railways Corporation and SCIC. Ownership agencies would decide for first-tier enterprises, and first-tier enterprises for lower tiers. Other restructuring forms are also addressed in detail: merging lower-tier enterprises upward, transferring capital and projects among enterprises, or exercising rights to purchase shares. For each, the draft specifies authority, procedures and financial safeguards. The draft further spells out dissolution rules for fully State-owned agricultural and forestry firms, principles for divesting State capital in joint stock or multi-member entities, and criteria for classifying SOEs and foreign-invested firms. During the meeting, representatives from the Government Office, Ministry of Justice, State Audit, Ministry of Construction, Ministry of National Defence, State Bank, Government Inspectorate, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ha Noi and HCM City governments, and enterprises such as Vietnam Rubber Group, Viettel, HUD, SCIC, EVN, PVN, VNPT, and Agribank offered comments. Topics raised included: post-equitisation land assets and area transfers, eligibility for equitisation, mergers, divestment, corporate rights and responsibilities, accountability, decentralisation under Law 68, revitalising loss-making firms, valuation methods (including intangible assets), consultant liability, managing State capital in joint ventures and financial treatment during dissolution. After reviewing the submissions, Deputy Prime Minister Ho uc Phoc directed the Ministry of Finance to clearly argue the rationale for the Prime Ministers role in decisions involving the eight major groups, while leaving other approvals to respective managing agencies. He emphasised that land-related and conversion issues must adhere strictly to the Land Law, with no space for speculative appropriation or undervaluation. Equitisation is not about selling land; its about bolstering enterprise capacity for stronger, sustainable economic development, Deputy Prime Minister Ho said. On valuation, the Deputy PM insisted that agencies selecting valuation firms must be held accountable, and valuation firms must justify their method choices. Methods must favour the State, and any loss must incur clear responsibility, he said. He also addressed support for dissolved enterprises and rules for recovering assets from joint ventures. The Deputy PM urged the Ministry of Finance to gather all input, revise the draft for clarity and transparency and submit it for Government approval under its authority. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam is moving to modernise its gold market with plans to establish a domestic gold trading exchange, aimed at systematically mobilising gold held by the public and channelling it into productive investments. The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) held a seminar on October 15 to discuss the proposal. Deputy Governor Pham Tien Dung outlined the evolution of the gold market, emphasising the government's commitment to stabilising the macroeconomic landscape through effective regulatory frameworks. The seminar noted that current regulations under Decree 24 from 2012 have become outdated, particularly regarding the exclusive rights of the State to produce gold bars and manage the import and export of raw gold. In response, the Government issued Decree 232/2025/N-CP on August 26, amending and supplementing Decree 24 to allow controlled liberalisation of gold production while maintaining State oversight. Discussions focused on key topics, including current mechanisms and policies related to the proposed gold exchange, potential operational frameworks and international best practices for gold trading exchanges. The SBV aims to develop a comprehensive approach to gold trading that includes secure custody, certification, settlement and effective technology solutions. In the coming weeks, it plans to report to the Government on the feasibility of piloting a gold exchange. According to ao Xuan Tuan, director of the SBV's Foreign Exchange Management Department, the timing is ripe for considering the establishment of a gold trading platform. The initial phase of the initiative will focus on creating a physical gold trading exchange serving as a distribution channel for imported gold meeting national standards. Later phases include gradually introducing gold accounts and derivative products. Ultimately, the SBV aims to establish the gold exchange as a tool to mobilise domestic gold resources, reduce hoarding and channel investments into productive sectors. Three models for the exchange were proposed: establishing a national gold exchange, allowing gold trading on commodity exchanges and creating a gold trading platform within Viet Nam's International Finance Centre. The exchange is expected to evolve through a phased approach, with implementation plans adaptable to developments in the gold trading landscape. Importantly, the pilot phase will not immediately integrate the domestic gold exchange with international markets. On the domestic market, SJC-brand gold bars are trading at around VN146 million (US$5,551) for sellers and VN148 million for buyers. At this price, the domestic gold market is VN14 million higher than the international spot gold, which is quoted at $4,216.4 per ounce. BIZHUB/VNS HA NOI Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha met Italian Ambassador Marco della Seta and executives of shipbuilding group Fincantieri on Wednesday to discuss investment opportunities in high-tech shipbuilding in Viet Nam, highlighting the countrys potential to develop a modern, internationally competitive fleet. Ha said Viet Nam has significant potential to grow its shipbuilding industry, particularly in coastal localities such as Vung Tau, and is aiming to produce vessels that meet international standards. Noting that Fincantieris advanced shipbuilding technology aligns with both domestic and global demand, the Deputy Prime Minister pledged support to foreign investors in developing a green, sustainable and high-tech shipbuilding sector in Viet Nam. Fincantieri currently employs 20,000 workers and specialises in ship design, construction and repair. In Viet Nam, the group operates VARD Vung Tau, which focuses on offshore vessels. The company expressed interest in expanding production capacity in Viet Nam and applying advanced technologies for shipbuilding to serve key sectors such as offshore wind power, undersea cable installation and the oil and gas industry. At the meeting, Deputy PM Ha affirmed the Governments support for high-tech shipbuilding projects, while urging attention to local planning and environmental protection to ensure sustainable development. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam wishes to work closely with the US to advance negotiations on a reciprocal trade agreement that is fair, balanced and mutually beneficial, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan told newly-appointed Deputy US Trade Representative Bryan R. Switzer during a virtual call on October 14. Tan, who also serves as Deputy Head of the Governments delegation of negotiations on the reciprocal trade deal with the US, said the goal is to raise mutual understanding, bolster strategic trust and contribute to the stability and sustainable development of bilateral ties. He congratulated Switzer on his September appointment and underscored Viet Nam's consistent view of the US as one of the top strategic partners. Switzer, in reply, praised ongoing cooperation, noting that while some technical issues remain, negotiations are progressing smoothly with effective coordination at all levels, from ministers and deputy delegation heads to technical working groups. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the positive and substantive growth of Viet NamUS relations across various areas. This follows 30 years of diplomatic relations, a decade of Comprehensive Partnership, and more than two years since the upgrade to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Economic, trade and investment ties remain the pillar and key driver of the bilateral relationship. Two-way trade neared US$150 billion in 2024, with the US now standing as Viet Nam's second-largest trade partner and a critical export market. The US also ranks 11th among 142 countries and territories investing in Viet Nam. Both sides are committed to regular exchanges and intensified efforts to finalise a trade agreement that aligns with the priorities and interests of both nations. VNA/VNS HA NOI Party General Secretary To Lam welcomed the US-based Murphy Oil Corporations plan to expand and increase its investment in oil and gas exploration and production in Viet Nam during a meeting with its President and CEO Eric Hambly in Ha Noi on Wednesday. The Party chief affirmed that Viet Nam attaches great importance to its relations with the US, expressing his hope that the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will continue to develop. He underlined that energy cooperation remains a key pillar of the relationship, serving the interests of both peoples and contributing to peace, stability, and development in the region and the world. Sharing Viet Nam's vision and development strategy for the energy sector through 2030 and 2045, General Secretary Lam highlighted the countrys goals of ensuring energy security, efficiently using natural resources, protecting the environment, and responding to climate change. He expressed confidence in the nations strong growth potential, particularly in the oil and gas industry. He affirmed that Viet Nam will continue to create favourable conditions for foreign enterprises, including those from the US, to conduct business and investment in the energy sector. The Party leader appreciated Murphy Oils long-term operations in Viet Nam with positive results, and urged the corporation to work closely with relevant Vietnamese ministries, sectors, and partners to accelerate project implementation, enhance technology and knowledge transfer, and strengthen training for high-quality human resources, thereby making further contributions to Viet Nam's development and to bilateral relations. For his part, Hambly shared Murphy Oils global business strategy, noting that Viet Nam remains one of the groups key partners. He expressed sincere gratitude to the Vietnamese Government, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Viet Nam National Industry Energy Group for their strong support and effective coordination in Murphy Oils exploration and production activities over the years. With confidence in Viet Nam's robust growth potential, the business leader reaffirmed the groups commitment to expanding investment in the country, accompanying Viet Nam in developing its oil and gas industry, promoting technology transfer, and training high-quality personnel, in line with the orientations set out by General Secretary Lam. VNA/VNS GIA LAI A special exhibition showcasing outstanding works by female artists and their love for Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) will open next week at the Pleiku Museum in Gia Lai Province. Part of a programme launched in 2010 to connect female artists nationwide, the event, titled Ve Mien at o (To the Red Land), is organised by the Gia Lai Province Peoples Committee and the Literature and Arts Association to mark the upcoming Viet Nam Womens Day on October 20. Nearly 50 pieces, mostly the latest creations from 30 artists using oil, lacquer, paper and other graphic materials, will be on display at the museum at 21 Tran Hung ao Street, Pleiku Ward, from October 20 to November 10. Originally conceived as a creative playground for female artists, the programme has held a series of exhibitions over the past 14 years, becoming a meaningful event in Vietnamese fine arts. Each year, the programme moves to a new location, encouraging artists to travel together, explore different regions across the country, and create exhibitions inspired by the local landscape. This year, marking an important milestone in their 'artistic journey,' the artists arrived in Gia Lai to present their creations to art lovers in the red basalt land, with the majestic beauty of the Central Highlands mountains and forests, where many unique indigenous cultures intersect. "Along with differences in the personalities and styles of the artists, each work shows the imprint of their own persistent creative journey, their desire to contribute, to be listened to and to express themselves through their inner voice in the language of painting," the organisers said. "Not only that, the exhibition also provides an opportunity for them to gain new experiences and explore the cultural depth of ethnic minorities, along with the highland climate and wild nature of Gia Lai. It is an eagerly awaited trip for most female artists." The most special aspect of this year's event is that it not only includes veteran artists, who form the core of previous exhibitions, but also attracts and opens opportunities for newcomers to participate for the first time. The participation of new creators, particularly young artists of the 8x generation, has brought a 'new wind,' creating fresh perspectives and vitality, and fostering a sharing of experience, depth, and generational breakthroughs. All the artists continuously pursue new values and create a multi-tonal painting space, rich in both content and form. "Artistic creativity has never been easy, especially for women, as motherhood and wifehood take up almost all of their time. Being able to travel and visit new lands offers women an opportunity to live with themselves, to explore and build strong emotions in their career and for their choices," according to Associate Professor Dr Trang Thanh Hien. Hien, who is also an artist and lecturer at the Viet Nam University of Fine Arts, said art is constantly 'moving,' and when it is 'obtained and shared,' it can create extremely brilliant effects. "As part of the activities to celebrate the 95th anniversary of the Viet Nam Women's Union (October 20), this exhibition has brought valuable messages, since it is not simply an introduction and exchange, but truly a reunion of new beginnings and inspirations to promote the development of the female artist community across the North, Central and South regions," said Hien. Meanwhile, artist Ho Thi Xuan Thu from Gia Lai said: This is the sixth time I have participated in the exhibition after three previous ones in Ha Noi, HCM City and a Nang. I initiated this exhibition with the desire to bring inspiration to female artists from all regions. "In Gia Lai, there are many female artists who are very young and have few opportunities to exchange and learn, so I really want to use this event to create a connection that encourages the young generation's creative spirit. Moreover, our red basalt land is also a place that contains countless cultural and artistic resources of the ethnic groups in the Central Highlands, so this exhibition can be seen as a way to build creative inspiration not only for female artists in Gia Lai but also to create development values so that female artists from across the country can understand and appreciate this land. Artist Cao Thi uoc from HCM City said: "Art is for everyone. Those who have love, ideas and skills can participate in it to connect and form a community. The world has it, so why don't we create a platform for the Vietnamese female artists' community?" Nguyen Lan Huong, an artist from Ha Noi and one of the first initiators of the programme for female artists, said women can create just as much as men, so there needs to be a space for them to promote their 'feminism.' "From the first exhibition in Ha Noi in 2010 with just 10 female artists participating, it has now spread widely. The event takes place almost every year, except during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was interrupted due to general social conditions. I feel very proud, and this 11th exhibition is also a testament to the strong creative qualities of women," Huong said. "For women to be able to paint and create art, they have to overcome most prejudices and barriers and make adequate arrangements for each persons natural calling. Yet, these women have done it and done well, producing work that is no less artistically accomplished than that of male artists." VNS NEW YORK A photo exhibition showcasing Viet Nam's contributions as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council has opened at the UN Headquarters in New York. The event, chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang, takes place as Viet Nam serves as a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 20232025 term and is currently campaigning for re-election for the 20262028 term. It reflects the countrys strong and consistent commitment to promoting and protecting human rights globally through dialogue, cooperation, and mutual understanding. Featuring more than 50 artistic photos, most of which were taken by Vietnam News Agency (VNA) photographers, the exhibition offers international audiences a comprehensive view of a modern, humane, integrated and dynamic Viet Nam. The images capture the countrys natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, and friendly people. Each photo tells a vivid story of harmony between tradition and modernity, embodying Viet Nams core values of humanity, tolerance, and respect for diversity. Many of the photos highlight Viet Nam's achievements in protecting and advancing human rights, including gender equality, child protection, education, health care, support for ethnic minority communities, and efforts to respond to climate change and protect the environment. These images stand as powerful evidence of Viet Nams continuous efforts to fulfil the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The opening ceremony brought together representatives of UN agencies, permanent missions, international organisations, foreign friends, and members of the Vietnamese community in New York. Beyond showcasing Viet Nams culture and development, the event also serves as a platform for exchange and dialogue, sharing the countrys priorities, initiatives, and contributions to the UN. It also comes as Viet Nam prepares to host the signing ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime (Hanoi Convention) in the capital later this month and pursues its candidacy for re-election to the Human Rights Council for the 20262028 term. VNA/VNS NEW YORK - Viet Nams re-election to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2026-2028 term, with 180 votes, the highest among Asia-Pacific candidates competing for seats in this body, affirms the countrys rising international position and reputation, said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang. In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency, she underscored that the result reflects international recognition of the country's socio-economic achievements over the recent past as well as its commitment to promoting and protecting human rights while ensuring social welfare and improving living standards for its citizens. This high level of trust also reaffirms the consistent foreign policy of the Party and State, and the outcomes of the multilateral diplomacy in recent years. The diplomat noted that the re-election, coming just as the country is about to complete its current 2023-2025 tenure, demonstrates the international communitys strong confidence in Viet Nams balanced approach to human rights cooperation and dialogue. She highlighted that the result shows the worlds expectations and trust in the countrys role in and contributions to promoting human rights cooperation amidst complicated developments across the globe. She attributed the success to the meticulous guidance from the Party, State and Government, coupled with coordinated diplomatic outreach and communications campaigns harmoniously carried out across multiple levels. Vietnamese representative offices abroad, particularly the missions in New York and Geneva, played a crucial frontline role, working alongside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Public Security, and various ministries and agencies who are members of inter-ministerial mechanisms on human rights, as well as news agencies and media outlets. Viet Nams success in the UNHRC election, alongside its upcoming hosting of the Opening for the Signature of the UN Convention against Cybercrime on October 25-26, is a vivid demonstration of its swift, effective, and substantive implementation of the Politburos Resolution No 59 on international integration in the new situation, affirming a new posture for Viet Nam - transitioning from a proactive and responsible partner of the international community to an active and responsible contributor to shaping global issues. According to the Deputy Minister, during the 2023-2025 term, Viet Nam has pursued the motto of Respect and Understanding Dialogue and Cooperation All Human Rights for All. It has also identified eight priority areas, including improving the effectiveness of the UNHRC, ensuring human rights in climate change and digital transformation, promoting gender equality, protecting vulnerable groups, and promoting the right to health, the right to work, human rights education and the right to education. These are long-term orientations and priorities, aligned with the international communitys concerns about human rights as well as Viet Nams interests and cooperation needs in this field. Therefore, Viet Nam will continue to uphold these principles and priorities as a UNHRC member for the 2026-2028 term and beyond, stated Hang. In addition, in the process of promoting initiatives and strengthening cooperation with other countries at the council in the coming period, Viet Nam will place greater emphasis on priorities associated with the shared concerns of the international community in addressing todays urgent global challenges, as well as on areas identified as key to creating breakthroughs for the countrys entry into a new era of development. These include priorities related to science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, education, and health care, she said. The official noted that the countrys assumption of this position will also require broader, fuller, and more effective participation and contributions from ministries, sectors, agencies within the political system, as well as from mass organisations and peoples organisations in appropriate forms. She expressed her belief that with the broad support of the international community as reflected in the votes, and with the effective engagement and contributions of the entire political system, Viet Nams upcoming 2026-2028 term as a UNHRC member will be a great success, contributing to the efficient implementation of the Partys foreign policy, as well as the sound and important guidelines of the Party and State on the protection and promotion of human rights. VNA/VNS HA NOI Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang had a working session with British Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Indo-Pacific Seema Malhotra at the headquarters of the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on Tuesday, part of the Vietnamese officials working visit to the UK. Welcoming the Vietnamese delegation to London, Malhotra hailed the progress in bilateral relations in recent years, to which both foreign ministries have contributed significantly. She affirmed that the UK considers Viet Nam an important partner in the Asia-Pacific region and expressed her wish to strengthen comprehensive cooperation with Viet Nam, particularly in the fields of politics - diplomacy, security, trade, finance, education, energy transition and sustainable development. For her part, Hang thanked the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the British Embassy in Ha Noi for their close coordination with the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in promoting bilateral cooperation as well as ties at multilateral forums, including ASEAN and the United Nations. The Deputy Minister affirmed that Viet Nam always attaches great importance to its relations with the UK and wishes to work closely with the country to deepen and effectively advance their Strategic Partnership in line with the interests of both sides. The two sides agreed to maintain close coordination and existing cooperation mechanisms between their foreign ministries, such as the deputy minister-level strategic dialogue and exchanges between relevant departments. They also pledged to enhance the coordinating role of both ministries to promote more extensive and effective cooperation, including by facilitating high-level visits and meetings, effectively implementing the signed agreements and documents, and expanding collaboration in traditional areas as well as potential sectors. The officials underscored the importance of enhancing economic, trade and investment cooperation through the effective use of the UK Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). They also agreed to foster joint efforts in science, technology, innovation, culture, education, and people-to-people exchanges. VNA/VNS HA NOI President Luong Cuong held a working session with relevant agencies on Wednesday to look into preparations for the signing ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime (Hanoi Convention), scheduled to take place in the capital on October 2526. The Steering Committee for the event reported that as of October 14, 93 delegations, led by high-ranking leaders and ministers from various countries, had confirmed their participation, along with over 1,000 delegates and media representatives. The Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have closely coordinated with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in building the signing ceremony's agenda, preparing for several side activities, including eight high-level side events and seminars led by leaders from relevant Vietnamese ministries and UNODC, 38 panel discussions, and over 20 exhibition booths. Concluding the meeting, President Cuong highlighted that the UN Secretary-General and many international leaders will attend the Ha Noi Convention signing ceremony. This marks a significant milestone as it is the first time Viet Nam holds a UN convention signing ceremony, especially in light of the growing concern over cybercrime. The State leader affirmed that hosting the signing ceremony demonstrates Viet Nams role as a responsible host nation, a friend, a trustworthy partner, and an active member of the international community, ready to contribute to global peace, stability, and development while adhering to the UN Charter and international law. He praised the proactiveness and sense of responsibility of the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and all relevant agencies in executing the task, noting that preparations are largely complete. To ensure the ceremony meets the highest standards, he directed relevant agencies to thoroughly review coordination within each ministry and among ministries, sectors and Ha Noi, to ensure all aspects from agenda, plans, to progress and quality of execution are well-managed. Additionally, the President urged a careful evaluation of all preparations, including technical details, content, protocol, and security, and recommended promptly addressing any challenges or obstacles to ensure flawless organisation, quality, and absolute safety. Given the limited time, President Cuong requested that lead agencies actively carry out assigned tasks on schedule and address any emerging issues promptly, ensuring the ceremony's success. He also emphasised that the event should serve as an opportunity for international friends to experience Viet Nam's warm hospitality and friendliness. VNA/VNS Seeking growth and the benefits of a larger team environment, Schneppat aligns with Ironwood Family Wealth Advisors, part of the Cetera Investors Community SAN DIEGO, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cetera welcomes financial advisor Gigi Schneppat, who joins after 15 years with Commonwealth Financial Network (Commonwealth). Overseeing approximately $60 million in assets under administration*, Schneppat has aligned her practice with Ironwood Family Wealth Advisors (Ironwood), a well-established Cetera firm; both firms are based in Arizona. Schneppat and Ironwood are part of Cetera Investors** a unique community within the Cetera RIA and Branches channel. Gigi Schneppat Headshot Schneppat said she aligned with Ironwood so she can work with a team that shares her values and investment philosophy, and she lauded Ironwood's multigenerational approach and commitment to premier client service. With a deep commitment to helping clients navigate life's financial transitions, Schneppat specializes in retirement income planning, particularly for couples preparing to shift from earning a paycheck to living off their savings. "Not getting a paycheck can be scary," she said. "A sound financial plan is like a jigsaw puzzle you need the right pieces to make it work. My goal is to help couples build a stable, predictable income stream that can support the retirement lifestyle they envisioned." Schneppat also has a passion for supporting women facing difficult and often complex financial decisions after the loss of a spouse through death or divorce. "Many women have relied on their husbands to shepherd their investments, and losing that person adds another layer of stress," she said. "I have a heart for educating and empowering these women to confidently move forward toward achieving their financial goals." Her decision to join Cetera was guided by her desire to continue delivering personalized, objective advice in a collaborative environment. Schneppat attended Cetera's Connect2Peers event, where she explored the firm's technology and marketing capabilities firsthand. "I walked around freely, quizzing anyone advisors and Home Office staff alike," she said. "Being invited to Connect2Peers gave me confidence that what I'd heard about Cetera was true." Cetera Wealth Management President Todd Mackay welcomed Schneppat saying: "We're eager to support Gigi in service to her clients. She brings the kind of energy and enthusiasm to client service we love to see at Cetera." 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 more than $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, located at 655 W. Broadway, 11th Floor, San Diego, CA 92101. 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 Sept. 26, 2025. **Cetera Investors is a marketing name of Cetera Investment Services. Securities and Insurance Products are offered through Cetera Investment Services LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services are offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity. SOURCE Cetera Financial Group HA NOI Viet Nams oi moi (Renewal) achievements have fuelled robust economic growth and deeper international integration, paving the way for the countrys move into the upper-middle-income group, stated Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina Ngo Minh Nguyet at a seminar on ASEAN in Buenos Aires on October 14. In response to questions from students at the University of Belgrano (UBE) about Viet Nams oi moi process, the diplomat said that building on the achievements gained during nearly four decades of oi moi, Viet Nams ongoing reforms aim to improve institutional efficiency, promote digital transformation, better the business environment, and develop human resources thereby sustaining growth momentum, boosting productivity, ensuring sustainable development, and gradually moving toward the goal of becoming a high-income nation. Nguyet also briefed participants on Viet Nams administrative apparatus restructuring and the implementation of the two-tier local administration model, which have produced positive initial results, creating major breakthroughs and dynamic economic zones while helping form industrial, tourism, and free trade hubs, as well as promising economic regions across the country laying the foundation for Viet Nam to step into a more robust development period. Regarding the USs tariff policy, she said that in the spirit of the comprehensive strategic partnership, Viet Nam and the US are negotiating a reciprocal trade agreement based on mutual respect, aiming to reach balanced solutions that promote fair and sustainable trade serving the interests of people and businesses of both countries. She also underlined the vigorous growth of bilateral relations in various spheres over the last 30 years since the normalisation of ties in 1995, especially in economy, trade, and investment. At the regional level, the ASEAN US relations have experienced 53 years of dynamic development, with the relationship elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022, the ambassador added. At the seminar, co-hosted by the ASEAN Committee in Buenos Aires (ACBA) and UBE, students showed interest in ASEAN countries socio-economic development policies, regional issues, and the prospects for cooperation between Argentina and Southeast Asia. With its open and constructive atmosphere, the event helped strengthen mutual understanding between ASEAN member countries and young Argentinians, while reaffirming the ACBAs and UBEs commitment to connecting scholars, students, and businesses. VNA/VNS HA NOI Draft documents for the upcoming 14th National Party Congress were released during a press conference in Ha Noi on Wednesday. The drafts include a political report from the 13th Party Central Committee, a review of 40 years of socialist-oriented economic reforms, and an assessment of 15 years of implementing the Party Charter (20112025) with proposed amendments. Lai Xuan Mon, Standing Deputy Head of the Party Central Committees Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilisation, stressed the significance of the documents, which were endorsed at the Party Central Committees 13th plenum. He described them as the backbone of the Congress, which was directly linked to the Partys vision for rapid and sustainable development and improved living standards. The drafting process was carried out meticulously, with multiple rounds of updates, revisions, and refinements, to ensure the documents are concise, innovative, substantive, and grounded in scientific rigour, he said. According to him, the Party Central Committee called for further refinements to ensure the documents are clear and focused, while also reflecting strategic vision and breakthrough policies in institutional reform, infrastructure, human resources, digital transformation, green transition, regional connectivity, and smart urban development. Public consultation on the drafts will run for a month, from October 15November 15, seeking input from Party members, officials, citizens, and overseas Vietnamese. Feedback will be gathered through conferences, workshops, and forums; the VNeID digital platform, and written submissions. The Viet Nam Fatherland Front and socio-political organisations will collect opinions through their networks, and Party committees and media agencies at central and local levels will handle written feedback from the public. The Ministry of Public Security, in collaboration with the Party Central Committees Office, the commission and other agencies, will manage input via VNeID. Vietnams overseas diplomatic missions will facilitate written submissions from expatriate communities. The commission will compile all opinions to refine the documents ahead of the Congress, ensuring they reflect a broad spectrum of perspectives. VNA/VNS VIENTIANE The annual meeting of the defence ministers of Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia took place in the Lao capital of Vientiane on Wednesday. In his opening remarks, Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence General Khamlieng Outhakaysone said the meeting symbolises the solidarity and friendship among the three neighbouring countries, which share common borders and destinies, and whose peoples have long supported one another and stood side by side in their struggles against common enemies. Cambodian Deputy PM and Minister of National Defence General Tea Seiha spoke highly of the effective cooperation among the three militaries, which is based on mutual respect and trust, contributing to maintaining peace, stability, and prosperity in border areas and to the building of the ASEAN Community. For his part, Vietnamese Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang affirmed that Viet Nam always attaches top priority to strengthening the close ties and mutual trust with Laos and Cambodia. He expressed appreciation for the support of the two neighbouring countries during Viet Nam's past struggle for national liberation and reunification as well as in the current cause of national construction and defence. At the meeting, the three ministers noted that despite complex regional and global developments, the three countries have maintained political stability and achieved important results in socio-economic development and national defence. Defence and security cooperation remains a key pillar in the relations between the three countries. They agreed to continue consolidating and deepening the solidarity and close ties among the three countries and their armies; to resolutely uphold the principle of not allowing any hostile forces to use one countrys territory to harm the interests of another; and to maintain regular annual meetings and exchanges between the defence ministers, senior military leaders, and relevant agencies. The ministers also agreed to enhance cooperation in border management and protection, contributing to building shared borders of peace, friendship, and sustainable development; regularly exchange information and coordinate effectively in handling issues arising from the grassroots level. They stressed the need to strengthen coordination in responding to non-traditional security challenges, while promoting education and awareness among officers, soldiers, and civilians, particularly young generations about the history and importance of the three countries solidarity to each country's destiny. The ministers also underlined the need of maintaining close coordination and common stances at international and regional multilateral mechanisms, especially in ASEAN, including the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) and the ADMM Plus, thereby contributing to consolidating the blocs unity and centrality in regional security issues. VNA/VNS HCM CITY The KN 201 vessel of the Fisheries Surveillance Team No 2 on Tuesday morning successfully rescued a Vietnamese fisherman who had suffered a serious work-related injury while operating on a fishing boat in southern waters. The Fisheries Surveillance Team No 2 under the Coast Guard Region No 3 Command announced that at around 12:20pm on October 14, while performing its routine patrol in the southern maritime area, the vessel received a distress signal from fishing vessel BV97878TS, reporting that one crew member had been injured and required urgent medical assistance. Upon receiving the alert, the vessel immediately set course for the fishing vessels location. After about 30 minutes, the rescue team reached the scene and deployed a medical unit to provide first aid to the injured fisherman. The victim was identified as ao Nhut Lit, 43, from Vinh Long Province (formerly Ben Tre Province). He was found pale and exhausted from significant blood loss, with a deep wound of about 1520 centimetres on the back of his right arm. The onboard medical team promptly cleaned and dressed the wound, administered medication, and closely monitored his condition. They then handed the patient back to the fishing crew and instructed the captain to head to shore as soon as possible for further treatment to ensure his safety. VNS HA NOI The Viet Nam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment on October 14 received an emergency aid shipment from the Australian Government, via the Australian Embassy in Viet Nam, to support flood-hit residents in the northern province of Bac Ninh. This marks the second international relief shipment for Viet Nam, following the devastation caused by Typhoons Bualoi and Matmo. Nguyen Truong Son, Vice Director of the authority, and Thai Hai Anh, Vice Chairwoman of the provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, were present to receive the aid. Representing Australia was Renee Jean Deschamps, Deputy Ambassador to Viet Nam. The shipment includes 320 kitchen kits, 756 hygiene kits, 756 home repair kits, and 300 blankets. The items are set to be delivered to Bac Ninh on October 15 for distribution to those in need. At the handover, Deschamps expressed her condolences to the Vietnamese Government and people for the recent losses caused by storms and floods, particularly in northern and central regions. She reaffirmed Australias ongoing commitment to strengthening Viet Nams disaster preparedness and climate change adaptation efforts. Son and Anh extended their gratitude to the Australian government and people for their timely assistance. They assured that the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority will work closely with local authorities to ensure the aid reaches affected communities promptly and efficiently. In addition to Australias contribution, the authority expects further emergency aid from Russia, the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre), and other international organisations. These supplies will include essential goods such as kitchenware, household items, home repair kits, water filtration systems, hygiene products, and cash to support local recovery efforts. The relief will be directed primarily to the most severely affected areas, particularly in northern provinces like Lang Son, Cao Bang, Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang, and Bac Ninh, which have been struck by consecutive storms and flooding. Additionally, on October 14, a shipment of aid from Japan was transported to Bac Ninh free of charge by Ngoc Duc Hang Transport and Trading JSC. The same day, at a meeting on disaster risk reduction and emergency relief, various embassies and organisations announced further support for flood-affected regions in Viet Nam. The Australian Embassy pledged US$1.93 million, the Republic of Koreas Embassy $1 million, and the European Union $532,000. Other organisations such as World Vision, CRS, Plan International, HWA, and Care International also announced assistance totalling about $1.22 million. On October 13, the authority already received emergency aid from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for disaster-hit communities in Bac Ninh. VNA/VNS HA NOI With the theme Green transformation for businesses to protect climate and biodiversity, the Viet Nam International Climate Initiative (IKI) Workshop 2025 became an important forum connecting businesses, international organisations and agencies in joint efforts to tackle climate change and conserve biodiversity. More than 90 delegates from ministries, sectors, Vietnamese and German organisations, along with representatives from 38 enterprises across various fields attended the workshop, which took place Tuesday in Ha Noi. The event was sponsored by the Federal Republic of Germany through the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUKN), as part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) a global programme promoting finance and technology for developing countries to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change. The workshop was not just an annual event but a significant step in expanding cooperation between the private sector and international organisations, creating a solid foundation for green transformation initiatives. With the spirit businesses are the driving force for climate action, the programme emphasised the key role of the business community in realising Viet Nams climate and biodiversity commitments while promoting private investment in environmentally friendly business models. At the workshop, Daniel Herrmann, Chief Technical Advisor, IKI Interface Viet Nam, said, Some IKI projects in Viet Nam have started working with businesses and business associations in their expert fields. IKI has set an ambitious target of attracting 1.5 billion euros of private investment by 2030. Todays workshop helped strengthen dialogue between IKI project implementers and the business community to maximise IKIs contribution and steer private investment towards green transformation. The workshop programme included presentations on IKIs cooperation strategy in Viet Nam, legal frameworks for private economic development and policies promoting green transformation. In particular, discussions emphasised the role of women in climate change adaptation and ways to mobilise investment to scale models of climate protection and ecosystem restoration. Besides presentations, the workshop organised in-depth group discussions focusing on four main themes: Policy and Regulation; Technology and Innovation; Finance and Incentives; and Capacity Building. The groups proposed many recommendations to enhance connections between businesses and IKI project implementers, helping remove barriers and promote multidimensional cooperation between the public and private sectors. In the afternoon, a discussion session with experts focused on solutions for mobilising private investment for climate protection, climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation. Business representatives shared practical experiences and needs, while international organisations introduced green finance mechanisms and opportunities for sustainable investment cooperation. According to Daniel Herrmann, IKI is currently implementing 22 projects in Viet Nam across bilateral, regional and global programmes in four funding areas: greenhouse gas emission reduction; adaptation to climate change impacts; conservation and restoration of natural carbon sinks; and biodiversity conservation. These projects are conducted in coordination with multiple ministries, sectors, social organisations and businesses, forming a multi-layered cooperation network driving Viet Nams green transformation. A notable point of the workshop was the spirit of open and substantive dialogue among stakeholders. Through sharing experiences, success stories and real difficulties, delegates identified new opportunities for public-private cooperation and proposed many solutions to encourage businesses to innovate their business models towards sustainability. Speaking at the workshop, Nguyen Quoc at, Co-founder and Creative Director of Think Playground, said, This is my first time attending the Viet Nam IKI Workshop. I had the opportunity to connect with many IKI projects in various fields and engage in deep discussions with colleagues working in biodiversity protection and climate change. With a focus on nature conservation and climate adaptation, the IKI strategy aligns very well with our mission and orientation. Opinions at the workshop unanimously agreed that integrating the private economic sector into the green transformation process is an inevitable trend. The business sector is not only an investor but also a critical factor in technology innovation, climate risk management and development of environmentally friendly products. Many enterprises expressed a desire to participate more deeply in IKI projects, especially in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and eco-tourism. The workshop also provided a space for enterprises to access information on global trends, green investment incentive policies and financial mechanisms supporting climate-friendly business models. Promoting cooperation between the private sector and international organisations is expected to open new resource mobilisation opportunities for conservation and green development initiatives in Viet Nam in the coming period. At the workshops conclusion, delegates affirmed that IKI Viet Nam has become an effective bridge among enterprises, policymakers and the international community, contributing to bringing Viet Nam closer to the net-zero emission target by 2050. The event not only reinforced the German Government's commitment to supporting Viet Nam in climate change response but also opened practical cooperation directions to help Vietnamese businesses transform strongly in the green transition and biodiversity protection process. VNS Held on October 13, the international conference on enhancing audit capacity through AI was co-organised by the State Audit Office of Vietnam and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. The event gathered more than 100 senior representatives from international organisations, audit institutions, and the financial and academic sectors to explore how technology can improve audit quality and strengthen governance. A key highlight of the programme was the second panel discussion on AIs impact on audit capacity, technology, and collaboration, which drew strong interest from experts. Opening the session, Dam Xuan Lam, partner at KPMG Vietnam, noted that in both public and financial auditing, expectations for transparency, accountability, and operational efficiency have never been higher. That is also why enhancing the capacity of the State Audit in particular, and auditors in general, has become critical in the era of digital transformation, he said. According to Lam, applying AI in auditing is not only a technological trend but also a test of human professional competence and ethics. AI can accelerate processing, but humans must lead, control, and ensure that technology is used for the public good, rather than replacing professional value. Hoang Van Luong, director of the General Department, SAV, noted that the scope of auditing work has significantly increased due to changes in administrative organisational models. Previously, we had three administrative levels: province, district, and commune. Now there are only two: province and commune. This has significantly increased the volume of auditing work, he explained. Without investment in and application of technology, especially AI and big data analytics, fulfilling our tasks is nearly impossible. Speaking at the event, Luong said that SAV has begun implementing certain auditing support software, particularly in banking and audits of investment projects. In 2024, we have introduced at least two digital technology applications to support auditing, and we are continuing to work closely with the SAVs IT Department to expand the use of AI in audit processes, he stated. Luong also mentioned that AI application will help shorten data processing time, enhance monitoring of public financial activities, and enable faster and more effective identification and analysis of key matters. However, implementation also faces many challenges, the biggest being data-sharing issues, an incomplete legal framework, and uneven technological capacity among auditors, he added. We need a clear legal mechanism to ensure that data sharing between ministries and the State Audit is conducted transparently and effectively. According to Luong, an important direction is the amendment of the State Audit Law, expected in 2027, to clearly define the responsibility of relevant agencies to share information. He also expressed hope that SAVs digital transformation process will be accompanied by the private sector and international organisations, particularly in sharing experience, training, and technology transfer. We cannot go alone. Public-private collaboration is key to enhancing audit capacity in the digital age, said Luong. Photo: ACCA Vietnam Meanwhile, Ayla Majid, ACCAs global president, returned to a core question: why does auditing exist? According to her, the purpose of auditing is to ensure transparency, strengthen trust, and thereby support the efficient and rational allocation of capital and resources. In that regard, AI brings tremendous value, as it enables faster, more accurate, and more efficient data analysis, helping organisations implement solutions precisely, reduce costs, and optimise resources, added Majid. However, the ACCAs global president also noted that this transformation requires continuous learning and adaptation while maintaining professional transparency principles. ACCA has made AI a central component in its new professional training and certification scheme, announced this June, she said. In addition, ACCA is strengthening cooperation with key partners globally, including the SAV, to share international experience, boost digital transformation, and work towards the common goal of developing transparent and sustainable public auditing. Majid stressed that although the auditing profession has undergone many changes over the decades, the human role remains indispensable. On the contrary, we are shifting towards more strategic and value-creating roles. Those who continuously invest in learning, skill enhancement, and responsible technology application will always retain their professional value, she noted. According to Majid, the key lies in strengthening collaboration and cross-learning among audit agencies, regulators, enterprises, and professional organisations. ACCA aims to act as a bridge for global knowledge sharing, helping stakeholders learn from each other as governance systems continuously evolve. Future professionals do not necessarily need to know programming, but more importantly, they must understand how AI and large language models can collaborate with humans, increasing flexibility while ensuring robust governance, she concluded. From a corporate perspective, Ngo Hoang Ha, deputy CEO of Techcom Securities, stated that AI has become a core organisational capability. At Techcom Securities, we have started applying AI in multiple areas, from portfolio management and risk assessment to customer behavior analysis, said Ha. AI tools help the system operate more efficiently, reduce manual errors, and support analysts in making faster and more accurate decisions. Specifically, Techcom Securities requires all employees, not just those in technology, to participate in a basic AI course to fully understand its nature and practical applications. The crucial factor is data. If data is not clean, AI will misrepresent reality, he said. Therefore, we build a standardised data system, ensuring integrity and traceability. Then, AI truly becomes a second pair of eyes for managers, helping detect risks and enhance operational efficiency. Nevertheless, Ha stressed that AI is only effective when users understand its objectives and limitations. We consider AI a support tool, not a replacement for humans. All final financial decisions still rely on human intelligence, experience, and professional ethics. That is how we balance speed and accuracy, technology and trust. At the end of the discussion, all four experts agreed that digital transformation in auditing cannot be separated from the human element, and AI is not just a technical tool, but an opportunity to redefine transparency, efficiency, and trust across the public financial system. 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. Businesses remain upbeat about global trade despite tariff turbulence Global businesses continue to express confidence in trade prospects over the medium term, according to a report released by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) on September 30. On October 15, the Independent Office of Evaluation of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in collaboration with the Vietnamese government, convened the Vietnam Country Strategy and Programme Evaluation roundtable. The event gathered representatives from ministries, development partners, provincial authorities, and local communities to assess IFAD-supported projects from 2012 to 2024 and outline new priorities for inclusive and climate-resilient rural growth. The independent evaluation confirms that IFADs investments have made a lasting impact on rural livelihoods, helping smallholder farmers boost productivity, diversify incomes, and strengthen their resilience to climate and market shocks. Deputy Minister of Finance Tran Quoc Phuong speaking at the event. Photo: IFAD The evaluation shows that Vietnams achievements in rural development are rooted in strong ownership, local innovation, and inclusive partnerships, highlighted Dr Indran A. Naidoo, director of the Independent Office of Evaluation at IFAD. Paolo Silveri, lead officer at the Independent Office of Evaluation, IFAD, added, The next phase will focus on scaling up what works climate resilience, digital transformation, and inclusive value chains while ensuring that women, youth, and ethnic minorities continue to be central to change. Ahead of the roundtable, the evaluation team visited the Mekong Delta area, where they witnessed firsthand some of IFADs most tangible results in action. The delegation toured RYNAN Technologies in Tra Vinh to observe climate-smart tools such as salinity monitoring buoys and automated irrigation systems, and later met with coconut farmers and processors in Ben Tre who are advancing sustainable value chains with IFADs support. The visit showcased how innovation, partnership, and community leadership are turning rural adaptation into real, measurable progress. Paolo Silveri, lead officer at the Independent Office of Evaluation, IFAD. Photo: IFAD At the roundtable, the government reaffirmed its commitment to deepening cooperation with IFAD and maximising the effectiveness of its investments. IFAD has been a trusted partner in Vietnams rural transformation for more than 30 years, said Tran Quoc Phuong, Deputy Minister of Finance. Its projects have demonstrated that the right investments, when strategically targeted and locally owned, can deliver outsized impact. Our shared goal now is to replicate and scale up these successful models mobilising additional resources for innovation, climate adaptation, and rural competitiveness, so that rural people can thrive in a changing world. From the provincial perspective, leaders stressed the importance of coordination, inclusion, and local ownership to sustaining results. Photo: IFAD In provinces such as Vinh Long, IFADs support has helped bridge the gap between farmers, enterprises, and government schemes, said Nguyen Truc Son, Vice Chairman of Vinh Long People's Committee. Following the merger of Vinh Long, Ben Tre, and Tra Vinh into one administrative province, we see even greater opportunities to integrate successful models and expand their reach. What makes this partnership effective is its focus on people empowering communities to lead their own development, strengthen cooperatives, and make rural growth more inclusive and sustainable. The Country Strategic Opportunities Programme for Vietnam or is a cornerstone of our partnership, guiding strategic investments that respond to the countrys evolving rural challenges, said Reehana Raza, regional director of the Asia-Pacific Division at IFAD. It reflects our shared commitment to inclusive growth, climate resilience, and innovation -ensuring that IFADs support continues to empower rural communities and strengthen national development priorities, Raza added. The roundtable brought together over 100 participants, including representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, provincial peoples committees, mass organisations, and development partners. Discussions focused on sustaining IFADs impact by aligning with Vietnams national strategies for green growth, digital transformation, and rural modernisation. The findings also emphasise Vietnams growing role as a leader in sharing knowledge and experience on rural transformation. IFADs support has helped the country translate lessons from local projects into national policies, while encouraging cross-provincial collaboration and regional learning. Participants also discussed the Agreement at Completion Point a formal commitment between IFAD and the government to integrate evaluation findings into the design of a new joint strategy and investment drive. This process will ensure that evidence-based lessons from the past decade directly inform the design of new projects and partnerships. Vietnam and IFAD share the same vision: a prosperous, inclusive, and resilient rural sector where no one is left behind, said Dr Indran A. Naidoo, director of the Independent Office of Evaluation at IFAD. Accelerating digitalisation and institutional reform for green agriculture Business leaders are calling for stronger government support to boost the competitiveness and global standing of Vietnams agricultural exports. Hoa Phat Agriculture files for IPO Hoa Phat Agriculture Development JSC (HPA) submitted its application for an initial public offering (IPO) to the State Securities Commission on September 16. Thai Nguyen targets green and sustainable agricultural sector Thai Nguyen province is implementing comprehensive solutions to develop green, smart, and sustainable production zones, thereby enhancing the value of agricultural products and adapting to climate change. The announcement, made on October 7, saw Phu Quoc top the Asian list with a score of 95.51 out of 100, based on traveller satisfaction across criteria including service quality, natural scenery, beaches, cuisine, and hospitality. The recognition cements the islands reputation as a premier destination for both domestic and international tourists. The islands outstanding score also secured its third-place position globally, following Kiawah and Hilton Head islands in the US. It surpassed other world-famous destinations such as the Maldives (92.31), Maui in Hawaii (93.35), Bali (89.84), and Phuket (84.62). The Conde Nast Traveler rankings are divided into eight regional categories: the United States, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Indian Ocean, Australia and the Pacific, North America, Central and South America, and the Caribbean and the Atlantic. The award is part of the magazines prestigious Readers Choice Awards, one of the most reputable and long-standing honours in the global tourism industry. Now in its 38th year, the awards attracted nearly one million participants, who voted across various categories based on criteria including safety, convenience, price, scenery, and overall travel experience. According to the organisers, the list serves as a 'handbook for travellers planning their next journey'. In the top 10 rankings, Thailand and the Philippines each had three representatives, while the remaining spots went to Indonesia, Malaysia, and India, underscoring Asias growing appeal as a premier island tourism region. Among these, the Eastern area centred around the former Thu Duc city has taken the lead thanks to its well-developed infrastructure such as the Hanoi Highway, Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway, Metro Line 1, and high-tech industrial zones. The rapid growth of the East is now paving the way for other regions to transform, with the Southern area increasingly asserting its role as the citys next growth engine. Once underserved in infrastructure investment, the Southern corridor is now accelerating thanks to a series of strategic projects. Interregional transport infrastructure has become a key driver, attracting investment flows and enabling the formation of modern urban zones, gradually turning the South into a new highlight on Ho Chi Minh Citys development map. Southern Ho Chi Minh City, a snapshot of infrastructure development. Photo: Keppel The 76-km Ring Road 3 expected to be completed by Q2/2026, and will directly connect southern Ho Chi Minh City with Dong Nai, Binh Duong, and Long An provinces, unlocking major opportunities for trade, industry, and logistics. Meanwhile, Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway, acting as a bridge between the south and east, is being fast-tracked for completion between 2025 and 2026. Once operational, it will significantly reduce travel time from Nha Be and Binh Chanh districts to Dong Nai and Ba RiaVung Tau. Another key highlight is Metro Line 4 (Thoi AnHiep Phuoc communes), which is planned to pass through major roads such as Pasteur, Ben Thanh, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ton Dan, and Nguyen Huu Tho, connecting the southern area with central Ho Chi Minh City and Northern districts. The project is currently in the pre-investment phase, with implementation expected post-2025. Additionally, the Southern regions proximity to Long An and Tien Giang provinces offers strong advantages for regional economic integration. The development of Hiep Phuoc Port, Long Hau Industrial Park, and surrounding export processing zones is turning the area into an attractive destination for investors in light industry, logistics, and real estate. In the master plan for southern Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Huu Tho boulevard plays a central role, linking Tan Thuan, Phu Thuan, Tan My and Tan Hung wards (former District 7) with Nha Be district. The expansion of the road to 6-8 lanes, along with connections to major arteries like Nguyen Van Linh, Road 15B, and Metro Line 4, is gradually completing the inter-regional transport network, positioning Nguyen Huu Tho as the Hanoi Highway of the south. Beyond its strategic transport function, Nguyen Huu Tho Boulevard has become one of the most dynamic real estate corridors in the region. Along the boulevard, a series of large-scale developments such as Celesta City, GS Metrocity, Zeitgeist, Dragon City, and high-end residential zones extending from Phu My Hung New Urban Area are taking shape, forming a vibrant ecosystem for living, working, and leisure. Perspective view of Celesta Avenue facing Nguyen Huu Tho boulevard. Photo: Keppel Among these developments, Celesta Avenue stands out as a premium shophouse project jointly developed by Keppel (Singapore) and Phu Long Real Estate JSC. Located directly on Nguyen Huu Tho boulevard, Celesta Avenue enjoys dual advantages: seamless connectivity to key infrastructure such as Ring Road 3, Ben Luc-Long Thanh Expressway, and Metro Line 4, as well as proximity to a densely populated area with thriving commercial activity. Featuring 43 dual-frontage shophouses, Celesta Avenue is designed to optimise both residential and business functions, catering to the diverse needs of modern urban dwellers. With its strategic location, multidimensional connectivity, and value appreciation potential driven by ongoing infrastructure upgrades, Celesta Avenue is not only an ideal place to live but also a compelling a long-term investment opportunity. The project also reflects a broader trend: the shift of real estate capital flows towards southern Ho Chi Minh City, which is steadily transforming into the citys next urban growth pole. Keppel: investing in Vietnams sustainable development As Vietnam continues its economic advancement, Keppel has been a steady contributor to its growth journey over the past three decades. Joseph Low, chief representative (Vietnam) and president (Vietnam) of Real Estate at Keppel Ltd., talked to VIRs Ngoc Anh about how the Singaporean firm is contributing to Vietnams growth through bold sustainability strategies and a deep commitment to excellence. Hanoi Centre: a multi-experiential retail landmark More than a shopping destination, Hanoi Centre is envisioned as an integrated experiential hub, where modern amenities converge with the cultural richness of urban life. Portable, AI-enhanced Radar Products for Counter UAS BURLINGTON, Mass., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MatrixSpace, a leader in portable AI-enhanced radar counter drone sensing technology, announces the completion of its $20 million Series B funding round. This raise represents a significant valuation increase over the Series A of May 2023 and brings MatrixSpace's total funding to date to $58 million. The completion of this round also introduces meaningful new investors, including L3Harris, to the MatrixSpace team. MatrixSpace announces the completion of its $20 million Series B funding round. Post this MatrixSpace completes $20M Series B Funding The round was co-led by The Raptor Group and OTB Ventures. The Raptor Group is a Boston-based venture and growth fund investing in deep technology across a variety of industries. OTB Ventures is a leading European investor focused on dual-use defense and enterprise technology, with deep ties to both European industry and NATO. "We're proud to welcome new investors OTB Ventures and industry powerhouse L3 Harris to MatrixSpace, along with the robust engagement of our existing investors. This new capital and industry partnerships position us extremely well for our next chapter of growth and cements our leadership in portable CUAS, or counter drone systems," comments Gregory Waters, co-founder and CEO of MatrixSpace. "By combining advanced radar and AI at the edge, MatrixSpace sets a new standard for edge sensing, redefining situational awareness for both civil and defense applications. We're proud to back the team shaping how autonomous systems will perceive the world," comments Marcin Hejka, the co-founder and General Partner of OTB Ventures. MatrixSpace Radar delivers affordable, AI-powered situational awareness in all conditions, including low-light and low-visibility. With leadership AI Edge and Cloud software for real-time classification, history, and predication capabilities organizations can create safe airspace rapidly and robustly. About MatrixSpace MatrixSpace delivers advanced AI-enabled portable CUAS (counter drone) solutions that operate anywhere and can be rapidly moved. Its compact, ultra-low power radar systems provide persistent detection and classification for airspace, perimeter, and object monitoring in dynamic outdoor environments. www.matrixspace.com. Contact: MatrixSpace [email protected] LinkedIn @MatrixSpaceAI Twitter @MatrixSpaceAI BlueSky @matrixspace.bsky.social SOURCE MatrixSpace Signed on October 13 in Hanoi, the MoU sets a framework for cooperation on sustainable aquaculture practices, international certification support, and the adoption of US Soy ingredients in aquafeeds. The collaboration reflects both sides commitment to advancing innovation, improving feed efficiency, and fostering environmentally responsible growth in Vietnams aquaculture sector. The three-year partnership also focuses on technical training, knowledge exchange, and collaboration to advance Vietnams aquaculture sector. Leaders of USSEC and VINAFIS signing the MoU. Photo: USSEC This MoU with USSEC strengthens our shared mission to enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of Vietnams aquaculture sector, said Nguyen Viet Thang, president of VINAFIS. Through training, cooperation, and knowledge sharing, we aim to elevate industry standards and promote the global reputation of Vietnams aquaculture products. These efforts underscore the US soy indutry's role as a trusted partner in supporting the countrys aquaculture development and long-term food security. Vietnam is Southeast Asias third-largest US soy importer. From September 2023 to August 2024, total soy imports to the country reached an estimated 2.2 million metric tonnes of whole soybeans and 5.9 million MT of soybean meal to meet growing demand. Vietnam is one of the top five largest aquaculture producers globally, with aquaculture alone contributing 45 per cent of national GDP. US soy has become a vital component of aquafeed, thanks to its consistent quality and performance, supporting the sectors continued growth. As demand rises, soybean meal consumption is forecasted to reach 6 million MT by the end of 2025, reflecting a recovery in feed demand and long-term market momentum. To sustain this growth responsibly, collaboration across the value chain is essential. Partnerships are at the heart of USSECs work, said Carlos Salinas, USSEC executive director for East Asia. They allow us to align global expertise with local innovation, creating shared value across the food and feed sectors. By working closely with industry partners, we can advance sustainability, improve productivity, and strengthen long-term food security in the region. USSEC also marked a major milestone with Viet Nhat Feedmill, which has for the first time featured the 'Fed with Sustainable US Soy (SUSS)' label on its aquafeed bags. USSEC proudly recognised Viet Nhat Feedmill for its leadership in sustainability, honouring the companys role in making sustainability both a business priority and a consumer promise in a ceremony in Hanoi. Sustainable US soy is grown using verified sustainable farming practices that enhance soil health, air quality, and water management. The 'Fed with SUSS' on-pack label, introduced in 2023, is available to international companies at no cost and requires at least 60 per cent of soy in the feed ration to be sustainably sourced from US soy verified through the US soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol. We are proud to feature the 'Fed with SUSS label on our aquafeed products for the first time, said Tran Trung Kien, CEO, Viet Nhat Feedmill. This marks an important step in our commitment to sustainable sourcing and high-quality feed production that supports the long-term growth of Vietnams aquaculture industry. Vietnams aquaculture sector continues to grow rapidly, and feed innovation is key to sustaining that progress, said Timothy Loh, USSEC Regional director for East Asia. US soy offers consistent quality, verified sustainability, and the tools to enhance performance while meeting international standards for responsible production. These collaborations, led by USSECs Southeast Asia Aquaculture team, reaffirm USSECs commitment to building long-term partnerships across Vietnams aquaculture value chain. By combining technical cooperation with sustainable feed solutions, USSEC continues to support the countrys transition towards traceable, responsible, and efficient production systems. Bayers black pepper solutions continue to drive sustainable farming in Vietnam Bayers Much More Black Pepper solution supports farmers by boosting the quality of pepper produced in Vietnam, as well as driving productivity and harvest quantity for both domestic consumption and exports. Binh Thuan pushes up sustainable farming of dragon fruit To help unlock its competitive advantages, the southern province of Binh Thuan is actively taking steps for the sustainable, safe, and quality-oriented production of dragon fruit. Agriculture to benefit from digital tech The application of digital tech is seen as the key to developing sustainable agriculture, promoting efficient resource use, and enhancing productivity and quality. Le Hoai An, founder of Integrated Financial Solutions JSC Many investors see Vietnams upgrade by FTSE Russell as a gateway to billions of dollars in new foreign inflows. What is your assessment of its real impact? The reclassification is not just a labelling exercise; it signals a structural shift in how global investors view Vietnam. In the short term, the move places Vietnam on the radar of a wide range of passive funds tracking FTSE Emerging indexes. However, the more profound impact lies in the long-term transformation of the markets investor base and the enhanced quality of foreign capital. Historically, Vietnam has been dominated by flexible, short-term frontier funds that can enter and exit quickly. The upgrade will invite participation from large-scale institutional investors such as pension funds, insurance funds, and ESG-oriented active funds. These investors are typically long-term, disciplined, and subject to strict governance frameworks. Estimates suggest that passive capital inflows could reach several billion dollars, spread across different phases before and after the effective date. More importantly, the upgrade will deepen liquidity, strengthen market depth, and lower the cost of capital helping the stock market evolve into a genuine channel for medium- and long-term funding for the economy. You often mention a qualitative change in market behaviour. How will this shift manifest once institutional investors become more dominant? As institutional investors increase their market share, trading behaviour will become more systematic and less sentiment-driven. Investment decisions will increasingly follow quantitative risk management frameworks and periodic rebalancing schedules rather than emotional market reactions. This shift will reduce volatility, enhance liquidity stability, and promote a more orderly market structure. In essence, the market will move closer to one that values fundamentals over speculation. Equally important, the upgrade will elevate corporate governance and transparency standards. Global institutional investors demand greater disclosure, consistent environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting, and adherence to best practices. Vietnamese companies will need to adapt by strengthening internal governance systems and ensuring consistent, data-driven communication with investors. Over time, this will enhance the credibility and institutional quality of Vietnams financial system. In recent years, foreign investors have been net sellers due to currency pressure and macro uncertainty. Will the upgrade be enough to reverse this trend? Short-term outflows are understandable amid currency volatility and global monetary tightening. However, it is crucial to distinguish between tactical capital, which is sensitive to short-term factors, and structural capital, which follows long-term allocation mandates. The FTSE upgrade primarily affects the latter. Once Vietnam becomes part of the emerging market basket, funds are required to maintain their exposure proportionally, creating a more stable and enduring flow of capital that is less affected by temporary macro conditions. Beyond the direct inflows, the upgrade also strengthens investor confidence at a macro level. When Vietnam is perceived as a credible emerging market with improving transparency, its ability to raise capital internationally through both sovereign and corporate channels will improve significantly. Borrowing costs may decline, and the countrys overall financial resilience will increase. This is the deeper and more sustainable benefit of the reclassification. From a domestic perspective, what should Vietnamese enterprises and investors do to capture this opportunity? The key lies in improving the capacity to absorb capital. If domestic companies are not well-prepared, new inflows could remain confined to secondary market trading rather than being channelled into productive investment. Enterprises should focus on improving transparency, ensuring consistent financial performance, and aligning with global ESG reporting standards. A clear dividend policy, prudent leverage management, and strategic long-term planning will be crucial in attracting stable institutional capital. At the system level, Vietnam should accelerate structural reforms such as enhancing custodial processes, enabling controlled short-selling, and expanding foreign ownership limits. These steps are essential to ensure efficient and secure participation of global capital. For retail investors, the post-upgrade period will mark the end of speculative trading based on short-term news. The market will enter a phase of stronger differentiation based on corporate quality. Sectors such as banking, consumer goods, and infrastructure those with higher weights in the FTSE Emerging Vietnam Index are likely to benefit the most. How long do you think it will take for Vietnam to reach full Emerging Market status under MSCI standards? The FTSE reclassification is a meaningful intermediate step, but achieving MSCI Emerging Market status will require more time and deeper reforms. Vietnam still needs to address three core issues: liberalisation of foreign exchange transactions, higher foreign ownership limits, and consistent legal enforcement across market participants. Nonetheless, the FTSE upgrade builds confidence in Vietnams reform trajectory. It signals to global investors that Vietnam is moving in the right direction. The challenge now is not only to attract capital but to retain it. That will depend on maintaining transparency, macroeconomic stability, and investor trust. In other words, the reclassification marks the beginning of a new era of integration where market quality, not just size, determines long-term success. The FTSE Russell upgrade is more than a symbolic milestone; it represents a shift from quantitative expansion to qualitative maturity. As the structure and behaviour of foreign capital evolve, Vietnams financial market stands at the threshold of becoming a true regional investment hub. Sustained progress will depend on whether the market can translate this recognition into improved governance, efficiency, and investor confidence. Finance minister works with LSE and FTSE Russell on market upgrade A delegation from the Ministry of Finance (MoF) held a working session with the London Stock Exchange (LSE) on September 15. Vietnam's stock market looking for conclusion from FTSE Russell The upcoming reclassification review by FTSE Russell is generating a ripple effect across Vietnam's stock market. Investor attention is now focused on the potential upgrade and the opportunities it could bring in terms of attracting foreign capital. The service will operate three times per week using Airbus A321 aircraft, marking Vietnam Airlines first direct connection to Cebu. The new route strengthens the carriers Southeast Asian network and supports growing travel demand between Vietnam and the Philippines for both tourism and business. Famed for its emerald waters, pristine white-sand beaches, and diverse marine life, Cebu offers travellers a unique blend of natural beauty and cultural richness. As a historic and architectural hub, the city also serves as a gateway to popular destinations such as Bohol, Mactan, and Malapascua. Photo: Vietnam Airlines With a flight time of approximately three hours, the new route offers Vietnamese passengers a convenient, time-saving option for short holidays, business trips, or study abroad opportunities, without the need for lengthy layovers or transit procedures. The HanoiCebu route will provide passengers with a seamless and comfortable travel experience that meets international four-star standards. This direct service eliminates the usual 68 hour transfer time, offering a single check-in and smooth baggage handling from start to finish. The route is expected to drive stable two-way demand: attracting Filipino tourists and business travellers to Vietnam, while also opening up new opportunities for Vietnamese passengers seeking unique island escapes or international experiences in the Philippines. Dang Anh Tuan, executive vice president of Vietnam Airlines, said,The Hanoi Cebu route is a clear testament to our commitment to expanding regional air connectivity, offering passengers greater convenience and exceptional service quality. This new route also reflects Vietnam Airlines pioneering role in implementing Resolution 59-NQ/TW on international integration in the new context, contributing to stronger cooperation in tourism, trade, and cultural exchange between Vietnam and the Philippines, and bringing Vietnam closer to the world. Currently, Vietnam Airlines operates nine regular flights per week from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Manila, the capital of the Philippines. With the addition of three direct flights per week from Hanoi to Cebu, the airline increases its total VietnamPhilippines service to 14 weekly flights. This expansion not only broadens Vietnam Airlines route network but also provides passengers with more flexible travel options to the Philippines. It further reinforces the airlines role in regional connectivity and promotes Vietnams image on the global stage. Vietnam Airlines earns accolade for ESG efforts National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has been named among the top 10 enterprises in the logistics industry for its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) work. Aviation industry anticipates upcoming growth period Driving on growth momentum, air carriers in Vietnam are leaning into new plans to anticipate the next growth phase. Vietnam Airlines Seeks Up to 30 Wide-body Aircraft for 2028-2032 Delivery Vietnam Airlines Joint Stock Company (Vietnam Airlines) is inviting indicative offers for up to 30 wide-body aircraft-Airbus A350-900 or Boeing 787-9-for delivery between 2028 and 2032. On October 14 in Islamabad, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien and Pakistans Minister of Commerce Jam Kamal Khan signed a joint declaration to begin PTA talks, marking both governments commitment to removing trade barriers and expanding market access. Negotiations are expected to start immediately, with the aim of concluding the agreement by years end. Minister Dien pointed out that Pakistans strategic position linking Southeast Asia with South Asia and the Middle East makes it a natural partner, yet Vietnamese goods still face high tariffs, technical standards, and quarantine procedures. Many products with strong export potential encounter tariff and technical barriers, limiting their competitiveness, he said, urging faster removal of obstacles and stronger connectivity in transport and logistics. Both sides stressed that cooperation should focus on sectors where the two economies complement rather than compete. Textiles and footwear stand out as a natural fit, with Pakistan being one of the worlds largest cotton and yarn producers, while Vietnam has established itself as a major centre for garment and footwear manufacturing. If we jointly build a supply chain from Pakistans cotton and yarn to Vietnams garment and footwear production, our products will be able to capture premium markets in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the United States, Minister Dien remarked. Agriculture and Halal food are also expected to become major pillars of collaboration. Vietnam is a leading global exporter of tropical agricultural products, while Pakistan has a well-developed Halal certification industry and a sizeable domestic market. Both sides believe that aligning Halal standards could turn Vietnam into a gateway supplier of Halal-certified produce to ASEAN, while Pakistan could expand its Halal value chains across the Asia-Pacific. Energy, materials, and pharmaceuticals were identified as long-term areas of strategic cooperation. Vietnam has expressed readiness to welcome Pakistani investment in industrial materials, chemicals, machinery, and clean energy, while Vietnamese enterprises are interested in exploring oil and gas, renewable energy, and mechanical engineering projects in Pakistan. In pharmaceuticals, Pakistans strength in generic medicines and Vietnams expertise in herbal medicine and vaccines could support joint production to meet international standards, diversify exports to third markets, and reduce reliance on external suppliers. Digital innovation is another promising field. Vietnam is emerging as a digital hub in Southeast Asia, while Pakistans startup ecosystem is rapidly expanding, particularly in fintech and e-commerce. Cooperation in smart agriculture, logistics technology, and cross-border e-commerce could accelerate digital transformation in both countries. This would support economic modernisation while creating opportunities for young entrepreneurs in both nations, he suggested. For his part, Minister Jam Kamal Khan said Pakistan was eager to expand cooperation with Vietnam across key sectors, including trade in goods and services, investment, Halal industries, civil aviation, and healthcare. Pakistan and Vietnam enjoy a friendship based on mutual respect and understanding. Now is the right time to raise our partnership to a new level, he stressed. Both sides agreed to intensify efforts to tackle long-standing impediments, particularly in transport connectivity and non-tariff barriers. Business-to-business links will be strengthened through enhanced trade promotion and greater support from chambers of commerce and relevant agencies. As one Vietnamese official noted, strong government facilitation is essential to turn political determination into practical outcomes. The launch of negotiations on the VietnamPakistan PTA marks more than a symbolic step. It represents a shared vision to integrate supply chains, create a stable framework for investment, and prepare the ground for a possible comprehensive Free Trade Agreement in the future. Analysts expect that bilateral trade, currently less than $1 billion annually, could increase five- to ten-fold in the coming years if the agreement is concluded and effectively implemented. Bilateral trade has grown in recent years but remains far below potential. According to Vietnamese officials, two-way trade reached $705 million in 2023 and $850 million in 2024, while the figure in the first nine months of 2025 stood at just under $600 million. 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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 BETHESDA, Md., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- October 16 marks Global Cat Day and National Feral Cat Day, both created by Alley Cat Allies, the leader of the global movement to protect cats and kittens. In honor of the day, Alley Cat Allies is encouraging people the world over to join in on its mission to protect and improve the lives of all cats, and to take their own unique action for cats in their communities. Alley Cat Allies Global Cat Day and National Feral Cat Day October 16, 2025. AlleyCat.org. "Global Cat Day and National Feral Cat Day are about combining Alley Cat Allies' thought leadership on lifesaving policies and programs for cats with impactful, on-the-ground action for cats by people across the globe," said Coryn Julien, program communications officer at Alley Cat Allies. "On October 16, we're telling the world: You can be an advocate for cats. If you don't believe in killing cats, you're already an advocate." Global Cat Day is a day to embrace the global truth that Cats Are Community. This powerful statement is recognition that cats have lived alongside people for thousands of years, have a rightful place in our communities, and are beings with inherent value who deserve to be protected. National Feral Cat Day is the action component of Global Cat Daya time for people to act to create lifesaving change for cats and share their actions on social media to inspire others to join them. More information about Global Cat Day and ideas for National Feral Cat Day Actions can be found at alleycat.org. On October 16, Alley Cat Allies is also returning to Canton, Ohio, to hold a high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter clinic for 200 community cats in honor of Global Cat Day and National Feral Cat Day. The clinic will take place in collaboration with AlterClinic Animal Care. Each cat will also receive vaccination, an eartip, a microchip, and any other medical care they may need, and each participating community cat caregiver will receive a case of wet cat food. About Alley Cat Allies Alley Cat Allies believes every cat deserves to live out his or her life to the fullest. Founded in 1990, Alley Cat Allies is the leading advocacy organization for cats with a mission to transform and develop communities to protect and improve the lives of all cats and kittens. Together with our over 1.7 million supporters, we work toward a world where cats are valued and every community has humane and effective programs and policies to defend them. Through our fearless advocacy, humane care, education and outreach, and law and policy activism, we equip and mobilize citizens, advocates, grassroots groups, shelters, veterinary professionals, and elected officials across the United States and around the world to improve their communities for cats through nonlethal, evidence-based approaches. Our website is www.alleycat.org, and we are active on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, X, Bluesky, and Threads. Charlene Pedrolie is the president and chief operating officer of Alley Cat Allies. SOURCE Alley Cat Allies New AI Agent Marketplace delivers partner-built AI agents directly within Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications to streamline operations and unlock new levels of efficiency Support for OpenAI, Anthropic, Cohere, Google, Meta, and xAI in Oracle AI Agent Studio for Fusion Applications will enhance flexibility and improve AI adoption More than 32,000 certified experts trained in Oracle AI Agent Studio will help customers optimize AI LAS VEGAS, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Oracle AI World -- Oracle today announced the latest updates to Oracle AI Agent Studio for Fusion Applications, a comprehensive platform for building, testing, and deploying AI agents and agent teams across the enterprise. The latest updates expand the Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications AI ecosystem and include a new AI Agent Marketplace, extended LLM support and agent-building resources, and a vast network of Oracle-certified AI agent experts. "Organizations are grappling with rising business complexity and the urgent need to accelerate AI adoption," said Chris Leone, executive vice president of Applications Development, Oracle. "By building a comprehensive AI ecosystem centered around Oracle Fusion Applications, we're giving customers the flexibility to address complex challenges swiftly, securely, and confidently. The AI Agent Marketplace and other enhancements to the AI Agent Studio enable our customers to supplement the embedded AI agents in Fusion Applications with validated, industry-specific capabilities from our growing AI ecosystem of systems integrators and independent software vendors." New AI Agent Marketplace Taps Partner Expertise to Accelerate Enterprise AI Adoption The new Oracle Fusion Applications AI Agent Marketplace enables customers to easily deploy Oracle-validated, partner-built AI agents within Oracle Fusion Applications. Marketplace seeded partner templates are embedded in Oracle AI Agent Studio to help customers accelerate automation, boost productivity, and address complex, industry-specific business challenges. Unlike other AI agent marketplaces, Oracle AI Agent Marketplace is embedded natively within Oracle Fusion Applications, allowing customers to access, test, and deploy third-party AI agents directly within existing workflows. Customers can install and manage validated agent templates, created by certified Oracle PartnerNetwork members, alongside Oracle pre-built agents in a unified experience. To learn more, please visit Oracle AI Agent Marketplace. New LLMs and Enhancements Support Multi-Step Agentic Workflows in AI Agent Studio Oracle AI Agent Studio enables customers and partners to select the best-performing LLM for their business needs, with support for OpenAI, Anthropic, Cohere, Google, Meta, and xAI. Additional updates to Oracle AI Agent Studio include new: Integration & Extensibility Capabilities MCP support : Enables users to extend agent capabilities with third-party data and tools through seamless integration with external systems via the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an AI industry standard. Enables users to extend agent capabilities with third-party data and tools through seamless integration with external systems via the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an AI industry standard. A2A agent cards : Enables cross-agent collaboration with third-party agents by allowing agents to communicate and pass context between each other via standardized connectors. : Enables cross-agent collaboration with third-party agents by allowing agents to communicate and pass context between each other via standardized connectors. Credential store: Controls to help ensure that AI agents can safely access external services, such as APIs, without exposing sensitive data by enabling users to securely manage API keys and authentication tokens within the Oracle AI Agent Studio. Observability and Evaluation Capabilities Monitoring dashboard : Helps users detect and address AI agent issues quickly by providing real-time visibility into agent performance, such as data around sessions, latency, error rates, and token usage. : Helps users detect and address AI agent issues quickly by providing real-time visibility into agent performance, such as data around sessions, latency, error rates, and usage. Agent performance evaluation : Improves AI agent effectiveness by providing systematic testing and measurement of how well agents perform in quality, correctness, and safety metrics compared to set goals. : Improves AI agent effectiveness by providing systematic testing and measurement of how well agents perform in quality, correctness, and safety metrics compared to set goals. Agent tracing : Helps users debug AI agents and optimize performance by capturing detailed execution data around agent workflows. : Helps users debug AI agents and optimize performance by capturing detailed execution data around agent workflows. Performance metrics : Help users improve agent effectiveness and track efficiency over time by monitoring key indicators like correctness, latency, API errors, and token consumption. : Help users improve agent effectiveness and track efficiency over time by monitoring key indicators like correctness, latency, API errors, and consumption. Token usage: Makes costs more predictable for customers by measuring token consumption for premium LLMs. Prompt Management Capabilities Prompt libraries and lifecycle management : Help users manage agents across different parts of the lifecycle from authoring and testing to version maintenance by storing all prompts and agentic use cases in a central store. : Help users manage agents across different parts of the lifecycle from authoring and testing to version maintenance by storing all prompts and agentic use cases in a central store. Topics management: Helps improve agent consistency by storing all topics being used across AI agents in a central store, increasing visibility into which capabilities are available to specific agents and providing the same prompt boundaries for agents operating in similar domains. AI Agents Capabilities Expanded Agent templates : Help users quickly configure and deploy AI agents by delivering predefined blueprints for common agent use cases within the Oracle AI Agent Studio. : Help users quickly configure and deploy AI agents by delivering predefined blueprints for common agent use cases within the Oracle AI Agent Studio. Agent builder assistant : Enables AI agents in the Oracle AI Agent Studio to create an agent from scratch, defining topics, prompts, and tools based on high level direction from a user. : Enables AI agents in the Oracle AI Agent Studio to create an agent from scratch, defining topics, prompts, and tools based on high level direction from a user. AI Agent Studio FAQ agent: Provides additional support for agent builders with a Q&A assistant agent that answers questions using natural language about tasks or projects they are working on within Oracle AI Agent Studio, such as configuring agent templates, building agents from scratch, publishing agents into production, or evaluating agent performance. Multimodal and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Capabilities Multimodal RAG : Improves agent Q&A performance by using RAG to incorporate more than just text documents, images, tables, etc. in the agent's analysis. : Improves agent Q&A performance by using RAG to incorporate more than just text documents, images, tables, etc. in the agent's analysis. RAG over external sources: Enhances agent performance by using RAG over documents stored in external content repositories such as SharePoint. Workflow Agents and Nodes Capabilities Deterministic execution : Enables consistent and predictable results for business-critical processes by allowing users to set prescriptive agentic workflows with pre-defined outcomes for specific types of AI agents. : Enables consistent and predictable results for business-critical processes by allowing users to set prescriptive agentic workflows with pre-defined outcomes for specific types of AI agents. Chaining workflows : Help improve the outcome of deterministic agent execution for multi-steps tasks by connecting multiple workflows together. : Help improve the outcome of deterministic agent execution for multi-steps tasks by connecting multiple workflows together. Agent node : Enables users to complete more complex processes with their agent by adding additional agents to a workflow when a more dynamic action is required, such as making decisions or interpreting context. : Enables users to complete more complex processes with their agent by adding additional agents to a workflow when a more dynamic action is required, such as making decisions or interpreting context. Human-in-the-loop: Helps users balance automation with oversight and control by incorporating human review and approvals into workflows. Trusted Network of Certified Experts Over 32,000 certified experts have completed rigorous training on how to build the most effective agents within Oracle AI Agent Studio, enabling customers to leverage the highest performing agents and optimize AI across their workflows. This network of experts will further expand the breadth of Oracle AI Agent Marketplace by adding new expert-built agents and agent templates to help customers maximize their AI potential. This growing AI ecosystem of experts ensures customers have access to validated, secure, and trusted AI agents ready to transform business processes. Analyst Support "In the current enterprise AI-arms race, Oracle has proven itself to be a steadfast competitor. With the launch of AI Agent Marketplace, Oracle is raising the bar once again," said Mickey North Rizza, Group Vice-President Enterprise Software, IDC. "With the new marketplace offering an ever-expanding range of partner-built AI agents natively supported in Fusion Applications, Oracle customers will be uniquely able to accelerate AI adoption. This continued innovation underscores Oracle's commitment to delivering tangible value and productivity gains to its customers in today's fiercely competitive AI landscape." "Enterprise application suites that embed AI capabilities and offer flexible agent development environments are taking a clear lead in the market," said Holger Mueller, vice president and principal analyst at Constellation Research. "Expanding these ecosystems with accessible marketplaces for partner-built AI agents represents a natural evolution, making it easier for enterprises to adopt and scale AI-driven automation." About Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications provide an integrated suite of AI-powered cloud applications that enable organizations to execute faster, make smarter decisions, and lower costs. Oracle Fusion Applications include: Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): Provides a comprehensive suite of AI-powered finance and operations applications that help organizations increase productivity, reduce costs, expand insights, improve decision-making, and enhance controls. Provides a comprehensive suite of AI-powered finance and operations applications that help organizations increase productivity, reduce costs, expand insights, improve decision-making, and enhance controls. Oracle Fusion Cloud Human Capital Management (HCM): Provides a unified AI-powered HR platform that connects all people-related processes and data to help organizations automate tasks throughout the employee lifecycle, improve the employee experience, and give HR leaders actionable workforce insights. Provides a unified AI-powered HR platform that connects all people-related processes and data to help organizations automate tasks throughout the employee lifecycle, improve the employee experience, and give HR leaders actionable workforce insights. Oracle Fusion Cloud Supply Chain & Manufacturing (SCM): Provides a unified AI-powered platform that integrates supply chain and operations processes and helps organizations enhance resilience and quickly adapt to market changes. Provides a unified AI-powered platform that integrates supply chain and operations processes and helps organizations enhance resilience and quickly adapt to market changes. Oracle Fusion Cloud Customer Experience (CX): Provides a suite of AI-powered applications that helps organizations manage marketing, sales, and service processes to win business, build stronger customer relationships, and improve customer experiences. About Oracle Oracle offers integrated suites of applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit us at oracle.com. About Oracle AI World Oracle AI World is where customers and partners discover the latest product and technology innovations, see how AI is being applied across industries, and connect with experts and peers. Attendees will gain practical tips and insights to drive immediate impact within their organizations and explore how Oracle is helping unlock the full potential of cloud and AI. Join the event to see new capabilities in action and hear from thought leaders and industry movers. Register now at oracle.com/ai-world or follow the news and conversation at oracle.com/news and linkedin.com/company/oracle. Trademarks Oracle, Java, MySQL, and NetSuite are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation. NetSuite was the first cloud companyushering in the new era of cloud computing. Future Product Disclaimer The preceding is intended to outline our general product direction. It is for informational purposes only and may not be incorporated into any contract. The development, release, timing, and pricing of any features or functionality described for Oracle's products may change at Oracle Corporation's sole discretion. SOURCE Oracle MP announces Voice of Wrexham event to tackle hospital parking concerns Wrexham MP Andrew Ranger is inviting residents to take part in a new community discussion aimed at finding solutions to long-running problems with parking at Wrexham Maelor Hospital. The event the first in a new series called Voice of Wrexham will take place on Saturday, 1 November, and will give people the opportunity to share their experiences and ideas directly with local stakeholders. There will also be the chance to discuss how the well-documented parking issues at the Wrexham Maelor could be resolved. In September parking at the hospital was compared to Wacky Races by Leader of Wrexham Council Leader Mark Pritchard. He made the comments during a meeting which saw councillors unanimously back calls for urgent action to tackle the dire parking problems at Wrexham Maelor Hospital. They agreed to lobby Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to: Urgently review and address the issues. Request the publication of a clear improvement plan with timelines, including consideration of multi-storey options, off-site park and ride, or better use of existing land. Urge the health board to engage with Wrexham Council, local residents and staff representatives to ensure any solution is inclusive, practical and community sensitive. Send the motion to the chief executive and chair of BCUHB, the Welsh Governments Health Secretary, and all elected members of the Senedd representing North Wales. Mr Ranger said the issue of hospital parking often sparks wider conversations about public transport, matchday congestion, and parking pressures across the city. Mr Ranger added: Hospital parking is a subject which people feel strongly about, and many have personal experiences of. I have been contacted by a number of people regarding this as well as meeting with Wrexham Maelor hospital. At Voice of Wrexham there will be representatives attending including the hospital themselves and Wrexham AFC. The event will be a chance to discuss experiences, ideas and potential solutions and share those with them. Registration for this event is now open, and you can book in via his website: https://www.andrewforlabourwrexham.org.uk/voice-of-wrexham-01-11-2025/ or contact his office on 01978 788854 or andrew.ranger.mp@parliament.uk Future events are planned on a range of different topics and will be advertised on his social media channels as well as on his website. CHICAGO, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Trading Technologies International, Inc. (TT), a global capital markets technology platform services provider, announced today that its TT Trade Surveillance solution was named winner of the Best AI Solution for Trade Surveillance at the inaugural AI in Capital Markets Awards. The award highlighted the platform's ability to deliver measurable value to financial institutions through an AI-driven data and technology solution. Hosted by A-Team Group, the AI in Capital Markets Awards celebrate exceptional AI applications advancing innovation across key areas of financial and regulatory technology. The winners were chosen by financial institution members of the A-Team Group community, honoring solutions that improve operational efficiency, strengthen compliance and support sustainable growth. The trade surveillance category recognized the AI technology "that best enhances market integrity by detecting anomalies, identifying potential misconduct and ensuring compliance in real-time surveillance." Nick Garrow, global head of TT's compliance business, said: "This recognition from the industry is a testament to our team's dedication to building on our innovative AI-driven solution. We've been a true pioneer in the space, having deployed AI for trade surveillance long before AI became part of the daily lexicon. With technology that leads the industry, TT Trade Surveillance helps clients not only meet evolving regulatory requirements but also achieve greater efficiency by minimizing false positives, allowing compliance staff to focus their limited time and resources on the riskiest activities first." TT Trade Surveillance is a fully hosted, cloud-based platform trusted by more than 100 firms globally. The solution combines an industry-pioneering machine learning (ML) approach with configurable, parameters-based models to efficiently detect a wide range of potential regulatory and abusive trading activities. A key differentiator is the industry's only ML-powered spoofing model, trained using regulatory case data to provide users with a "risk score" based on mathematical similarity to past regulatory actions. TT has expanded its surveillance coverage beyond futures and options to now include equities, equity options, fixed income, foreign exchange (FX) and digital assets. Integrated into the TT platform, which includes functionality across the trade life cycle, TT Trade Surveillance has achieved more than 35% year-over-year growth since 2019 and a customer turnover rate of less than 1%. The solution has earned numerous recognitions this year, including the Risk Technology Award for Trade Surveillance Product of the Year, the Capital Markets Technology Award APAC for Best Trade Surveillance Solution and multiple honors from Chartis Research. About Trading Technologies Trading Technologies ( www.tradingtechnologies.com ) is a global capital markets platform services company providing market-leading technology for the end-to-end trading operations of Tier 1 banks, brokerages, money managers, hedge funds, proprietary traders, Commodity Trading Advisors (CTAs), commercial hedgers and risk managers. With its roots in listed derivatives, the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company delivers "multi-X" solutions, with "X" representing asset classes, functions, workflows and geographies. This multi-X approach features trade execution services across futures and options, fixed income, foreign exchange (FX) and cryptocurrencies augmented by solutions for data and analytics, including transaction cost analysis (TCA); quantitative trading; compliance and trade surveillance; clearing and post-trade allocation; and infrastructure services. The award-winning TT platform ecosystem also helps exchanges deliver innovative solutions to their market participants, and technology companies to distribute their complementary offerings to Trading Technologies' clients. SOURCE Trading Technologies UPDATE - OCTOBER 22, 2025: At Tuesdays meeting, the South Lake Tahoe City Council appointed Mayor Pro Tem Cody Bass to serve as Mayor through December 9. The council also voted to postpone selecting a new Mayor Pro Tem until that date. The City of South Lake Tahoe has opened the application process to fill the City Council seat left vacant after former Mayor Tamara Wallaces resignation on October 13. Applications are available on the City Council website and at City Hall during normal business hours. The City Clerk will accept applications from registered voters in South Lake Tahoe from October 24 through November 12 at 4:00 p.m. During the November 18 meeting, the council will hear presentations and conduct interviews with applicants before potentially appointing a member to serve the remainder of the term, which runs through December 2026. ORIGINAL STORY - OCTOBER 21, 2025: The South Lake Tahoe City Council has moved forward with a plan for Mayor Pro Tem Cody Bass to serve as acting mayor until December. The move came during a meeting on Tuesday evening. The Council decided not to elect a new Mayor Pro Tem until a full council is in place, according to our reporter at the meeting. One councilmember abstained from voting on the Mayor Pro Tem issue as it would have created a 2-2 tie. Selecting a Mayor Pro Tem is part of the process - each time a new mayor is chosen. Previous South Lake Tahoe Mayor Tamara Wallace resigned after confessing to stealing money from a church and saying she attempted to take her own life earlier this month. The current mayor Pro Tem, Cody Bass, is facing assault and trespassing allegations in a separate case but says he has no plans to step down from the council. Tuesday's meeting was at 5:30 p.m. And public commenters lined up to speak both in affirmation of Bass and his serving as mayor, and also in opposition. "I want us to be represented by people who take their positions seriously and humbly. So, I ask that Cody Bass resign or be removed, and we can start fresh as a town," said Samantha. "You've (Bass) always been very cordial and respectful to, you know, in the communications I've had with you," said Eric. "You even had harassment prevention training. Yet you go on to harass, citizen just doing his job. It's despicable," said Scott. "Cody has shown time and time again that, despite his personal choices, he has done nothing but represent the best interests of our community. He has spoken with integrity at every level. He has been willing to compromise on every single issue," said Melissa. The City Council expressed gratitude for the community engagement and said they hope they can continue this public involvement despite recent issues. The agenda at Tuesday's meeting also included a report on city operations and appointments to open board and commission seats. With Wallaces resignation, the following positions are now vacant: California Tahoe Conservancy Voting Board member El Dorado County City Selection Committee Voting member El Dorado Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) Voting member El Dorado Countywide Oversight Board Voting member California Tahoe Emergency Services Operations Authority (Cal Tahoe JPA) Voting member Clean Tahoe Program Voting Board member Park Avenue Development Project Plaza Maintenance Association (PADMA) Voting Board member Tahoe Prosperity Center Council Liaison City Council Finance Subcommittee Appointee Despite the recent changes in City Council leadership, city operations continue without disruption, said City Manager Joe Irvin. All City departments are fully operational, and serving the community continues to be our top priority. To reiterate, City funds are carefully managed, properly accounted for, and verified with an independent financial audit conducted annually as required by state law (California Government Code Section 26909). More information about the citys audit process is available on the City Council FAQs page. DUBLIN, Calif., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- TriNet (NYSE: TNET), a leading provider of comprehensive human resources solutions for small and medium-size businesses (SMBs), today announced it will release financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2025, before U.S. market hours on Wednesday, October 29, 2025. TriNet will host a conference call at 4:45 a.m. PT (7:45 a.m. ET) on October 29, 2025, to discuss the financial results. A live webcast of the conference call can be accessed on the Investor Relations section of TriNet's website at investor.trinet.com. Participants can pre-register for the webcast by going to: https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/550881869 or pre-register for the conference call by visiting https://dpregister.com/sreg/10203945/1002ca71e2b (note that you will get a unique PIN to enable instant access to the call). Participants who do not pre-register for the call can still join by dialing +1 (412) 317-5426 and asking to attend the TriNet third quarter earnings conference call. A replay of the webcast will be available on the TriNet site for approximately one year. About TriNet TriNet (NYSE: TNET) provides comprehensive HR solutions, technology, expertise, and access to world-class benefits that enable SMBs to attract and develop top-tier talent. Rooted in more than 30 years of supporting entrepreneurs and adapting to the ever-changing modern workplace, TriNet empowers SMBs to focus on what matters mostgrowing their business and enabling their people. For more information, visit TriNet.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. TriNet and the TriNet logo are registered trademarks of TriNet. All other trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, or registered service marks are the property of their respective owners. SOURCE TriNet Group, Inc. With return-to-office rates increasing and restaurant sales tax figures up in San Francisco, it finally feels like more restaurants are opening than closing. Nearly every day over the last few months, there's been news about restaurant expansions ( Le Soleil at Stonestown), reboots ( Sam Wo and Shuggie's ), and new locations for old favorites ( Crustacean ); at a few places, its nearly impossible to even score a reservation. Whether youre looking for a neighborhood joint or somewhere to celebrate, these eight new and notable spots should be on your radar. The Happy Crane (Jeremy Chiu) Just one visit to The Happy Crane makes it abundantly clear that the hype for Chef James Yeun Leong Parry is justified. Parry has an impressive resume, having worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in Tokyo as well as at Benu and Palette Teahouse . Now, at The Happy Crane, he is reimagining dim sum and Cantonese cuisine in marvelously inventive ways that feel both familiar and fresh. The restaurant is staffed with consummate professionals who make dining a smooth and joyful experience. What to order? Standout dishes include the crispy firecracker shrimp, candy-like cha siu Iberico pork jowl, and the doupi tofu salad made with silky yuba and a roasted bell pepper sauce. Your best bet is the $120 "Happy as a Crane" menu, where you will be dazzled by five courses and about 12 dishes, all chosen by the chef. // 451 Gough St. (Hayes Valley), thehappycranesf.com Jules (Amy Sherman) It's unclear what kind of voodoo was involved to create the perfect pizza crust at Jules, but it has a snap, crackle, and pop that would make Rice Krispies jealous. It's at once puffy and burnished, crunchy and chewy, yet airy when you bite into it. The pizza toppings are bold. If you like salty capers and anchovies, by all means order the Hot Drunken Sailor, which, like the classic marinara pizza, has no cheese (trust us, you wont miss it). The pizzas with cheese are creative and wonderful too, though, like the Miss Figgy featuring white balsamic cream, mozzarella, candy stripe figs, Purple Haze goat cheese, guanciale bacon bits, and apple mint. Unusual cheeses include hornkuhkase, caciocavallo, pecorino siciliano, and Bulgarian feta, along with house-made mozzarella. Seasonal small plates are worth ordering, like the tomato tonnato, which combines heirloom tomatoes, tonnato dressing, paper-thin sliced mortadella, pistachio castelvetrano shatta, and guindilla peppers. A crazy-sounding combination? Perhapsbut also genius, equally wild and wonderfulwhich describes a lot of the menu at Jules. The vibe is casual, with earnest servers and a sense that, despite their quest for pizza perfection, they don't take themselves too seriously. Jules offers four different sauces if you like dipping your crust, including our top picks, the hot fermented garlic honey and the sunflower sesame chili crisp. // 237 Fillmore St. (Lower Haight), julespizza.co Maritime Boat Club (Courtesy of Maritime Boat Club) Chef Felix Santos may not be a familiar name yet, but he will be soon. After stints at State Bird Provisions , Quince , Atelier Crenn , and Sorrel among othershe brings a wildly original seafood-focused menu to Maritime Boat Club. The space is tucked away behind the hopping Bar Maritime that overlooks Stockton Street in the Palihotel, just a block from Union Square. The chef's point of view comes through dishes that pop with fresh specialty ingredients you don't typically see on menus. This summer, for example, that meant black radishes, xiao mi la peppers, and fairytale eggplants. Before you roll your eyes at the thought of yet another restaurant claiming to be seasonal and farm-to-table, this one truly delivers, with some dishes on the menu for as little as three days at a time. Beautifully balanced layers of tangy and sweet flavors, and alternating soft and crispy textures, make every dish sing. The beautiful plating shows off the chef's fine-dining techniques, but above all, it's the vibrant flavors and intense freshness of every dish that truly shines. // 417 Stockton St. (Union Square), eatmaritime.com Cheezys Artisan Pizza (Charles Walter) Is an award-winning chef with a culinary school background now slinging pies at Saluhall ? Yes! David Jacobson has been a pizza fan since childhood and even did a stint delivering it in school before going on to work at a succession of spots including Pizzeria Delfina and Flour + Water Pizzeria . He cold ferments his dough for three days and utilizes the proofer left behind by the bakery that occupied the space before he moved in to make both round and grandma-style square pies. While people may come for the ballyhooed, award-winning Gold Rush featuring mozzarella, provolone, fontina, jack, Mt. Tam, fingerling potatoes, pancetta, and parmesan, it's likely they stick around for the Lamb Merguez, topped with a beguiling combination of mozzarella, pickled Fresno peppers, sweet walnut muhammara, halloumi, and spicy sausage. The mushroom is a popular choice too, as are seasonal pizzas with fresh produce from the farmers market. The massive slices are incredibly filling, and the sleeper hit on the menu might just be the Caesar salad made with tender little gems rather than bland romaine and topped with crumbly crouton crumbles, soft-boiled onsen-style egg, plentiful Spanish white anchovies, and a Calabrian chili-spiked Caesar dressing. // 945 Market St. (Union Square), cheezysartisanpizza.com Pacifico (LemonAdMedia) It's easy to fall in love with Pacifico. The cuisine is at once comforting and exciting, reflecting the passion chef Morales Vallejo has for the cuisine of his home country of Colombia, combined with some Peruvian and Californian elements. His light touch is evident in the almost ethereal arepas with corn dough made from scratch and a vibrant heart of palm ceviche that balances acidity with fresh herbal notes thanks to a sprinkling of lemon verbena. The shrimp ceviche is cooked and less fiery than the raw ceviches from Peru, but equally compelling. Colombians love their soups, and the cazuela de mariscosa seafood stew with shrimp, sea bass, clams, and musselscomes with rice to absorb the creamy broth. The space is industrial and somewhat bland, but the sunny cuisine and efficient, thoughtful service make it feel welcoming all the same. Because it's adjoining SFJAZZ, it's busy on performance nights but building its own audience when the theater is dark. // 205 Franklin St. (Hayes Valley), pacificosf.com Superprime Steakhouse (Joseph Weaver) Could it be that Marc Zimmerman's Superprime is really a Japanese restaurant masquerading as a steakhouse? The high-end, hi-fi with turntables; the bar with more than 60 kinds of Japanese whisky; and a wide array of A5 wagyu beefnot to mention Godzilla wall artmight lead you to believe it is. Start with Japanese seafood like Hokkaido scallop skewers with yuzu kosho and scallion or a creative Dungeness crab salad served with pickled mustard seeds and greens, blanketed in a poofy jidori egg foam. Although the appetizer options are in flux, you'll also find a few hits from one of his former restaurants, Yokai, such as uni toast with duck confit on milk bread. The wine menu is extensive and impressive, and when it comes to the expertly wood-grilled meat, the restaurant also offers classic American-style prime steaks, including porterhouse, New York, filets, strip steaks, ribeye, and flatiron from several different ranches with which the chef has a relationship. Sides offer a twist on the standards, including decadent mashed potatoes with horseradish and wild mushrooms served with a jidori egg. The presentation matches the excellence of the food, and with its proximity to Moscone Center, it's no wonder it's already doing a bang-up business on weeknights. Weekend hours are coming soon. // 545 Mission St. (SoMa), superprimesf.com Precita Social (Courtesy of Precita Social) Chef Greg Lutes has built a solid following at 3rd Cousin, and his fans are already flocking to his new, more casual neighborhood bistro spot. On a recent night, a four-top enjoying a bountiful platter of oysters and Champagne sat next to a cozy couple splitting a burger and friesand that's the beauty of Precita Social, its ideal whether you're celebrating or just need a place for a midweek catch-up with a friend. Large-format rice and pasta dishes, and some entrees like the steak frites and black cod served with a luxurious red miso butter sauce invite sharing. Standout dishes include a salad of stracciatella with K & J nectarines, cherry tomatoes, and sabaa welcome twist on the classic caprese. No matter what you are in the mood for, don't miss My Mom's Parker House Rolls with cultured butter or the massive sundaes with soft-serve ice cream and thoughtful toppings like torched meringue, raspberries, and toasted peanuts. // 300 Precita Ave. (Bernal Heights), precitasocial.com Buying art can feel like a very adult thing to do. There's the commitment for one and then the cost. Many artists are willing to give you pieces for less when they see that you are drawn to their work; and yet haggling with a creative on something they've poured his or herself into feels iniquitous. You're buying the piece to support the artist after all; and they're making a living off of their craft. With gift-giving season in full swingand now that we've moved beyond Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Mondayhere are some of the best low-key showrooms where you can pick up original art from local artists at prices that will feel like a steal. 3 Fish Studios Husband and wife owners Eric Rewitzer and Annie Galvin. (Courtesy of Fish Studios) On your next trip to the beach, check out this independent shop absolutely dripping with California pride. Inside, you'll find everything from posters, magnets, bags, and even furnituremost from the owners themselves (pictured above). If you have a favorite neighborhood or SF icon in mind, chances are you'll find it lovingly recreated here. If you're looking for a date idea, 3 Fish Studios offers printmaking classes where you can take your creations home with you. // $5 to $200, 10am - 6pm, 4541 Irving St. (Outer Sunset), 3fishstudios.com Secession Art and Design Look for this sign on your way down Mission St. (Courtesy of Secession Art and Design) Located in Mission La Lengua, Secession is a small gallery situated in between taquerias and dive bars. Inside you'll find charming knick-knacks and quintessential SF clothing nestled between large-scale wall pieces. The store strikes a great balance of being a serious gallery and offering any neighborhood passerby a piece of art. // $30+, 2pm - 7pm (closed Mondays), 3235 Mission St. (Bernal Heights), secessionsf.com Creativity Explored Creativity Explored's studio space. (Courtesy of Creativity Explored) Featuring art created exclusively by artists with developmental disabilities, Creativity Explored is a gallery with a mission. Founded in 1983, this Mission gallery and studio space has long been a home to artists with extra hurdles to overcome. Creativity Explored is interested in helping these artists create profitable businesses and helps them sell their art. If you can't make it in, you can also snag something from their online shop. // $20+, 10am - 5pm Monday to Saturday, 3245 16th St. (Upper Market), creativityexplored.org East Bay Print Sale Will you head over to Berkeley? (Courtesy of the East Bay Print Sale) Why not make your art buying experience an event? For the fifth year in a row, Max's Garage Press is hosting its famous East Bay Print Sale in Berkeley. It's free to get into and includes a huge selection of affordable prints, woodcuts, screen prints, and more. Complete with live music, this is one art sale you don't want to miss. // RSVPon Facebook, $10+, 10am - 4pm Dec 8th to Dec10th, 1006 Pardee St. (Berkeley) Lost Art Salon Positively stacked with framed art. (Courtesy of Lost Art Salon) If you're looking for some vintage flair, there's probably no place better than the Lost Art Salon. Featuring authentic, vintage artworks from the modern era (1900's to 1960's) and several countries, this gallery is filled wall-to-wall with rare, one-of-a-kind finds. While the prices may be a little higher than the other shops on this list, you know you're getting something special. Even if you're not looking to drop some cash, it's still fun to go take a peek. // $50 - $500, 10am - 5:30pm Monday to Saturday, 245 South Van Ness Ave. Suite #303 (Mission), lostartsalon.com Inner Mongolia forest ranger devotes over 60 years to greening barren mountain People's Daily Online) 09:41, October 15, 2025 "With the support of the people, we can create ecological miracles," said Dong Hongru, seated in front of a wooden cabin at Sumu Mountain forest farm in Xinghe county, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. At 86, Dong's eyes still gleam with passion as he gazes at the verdant larch forest the result of decades of dedication to building and protecting the forest farm. Dong Hongru (second from right) introduces a tree species to students in Xinghe county, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee) Stretching across southern Xinghe county at the junction of Shanxi Province, Hebei Province and Inner Mongolia, Sumu Mountain serves as a vital ecological barrier for the upper reaches of the Yongding River. In the 1950s, aside from a few scattered birch groves, the area was mostly desolate ridges. To protect the remaining birch forest, the county established a ranger station, but harsh conditions soon drove away three successive rangers, leaving behind only an empty mud-brick hut. In 1958, 19-year-old Dong arrived to take over the post. Braving Sumu Mountain's bitter winter winds, he set out each day with dry rations, spending three to four months traversing every slope. Over time, he became intimately familiar with the mountain's terrain, soil and vegetation. The longer he patrolled, the clearer it became that protection alone was not enough: the mountain needed a forest farm and large-scale tree planting. Dong drafted a detailed proposal for establishing a forest farm and submitted it to Xinghe county's forestry bureau. His suggestion quickly drew attention, and in 1960, the establishment of the Sumu Mountain state-owned forest farm was officially approved. When the forest farm was founded, it had only two staff members: Director Zhao Shouli and Dong. Early efforts proved discouraging. They hired several workers and planted 300 to 400 mu (about 20 to 27 hectares) of poplars the first year, but all withered by the following autumn. In the third year, they tried growing mountain peach, apricot, and elm trees, yet none survived in the barren soil. Refusing to give up, Dong and Zhao appealed to the county's forestry bureau for an additional three years of experimental planting and sought technical support from the forestry bureau of Ulanqab League. An official there suggested visiting forest farms in Hebei and Shanxi provinces, which have terrain and climate similar to that of Sumu Mountain. In May 1964, the two men trekked to a forest farm in Hebei, carrying provisions on their backs. The sight of larch trees covering the slopes filled them with hope. Director Wang Zhengbao of the forest farm in Hebei welcomed them warmly, guiding them through the mountains to study seedling cultivation and afforestation techniques. Before they departed, Wang gave them 40 kilograms of larch seeds. Photo shows young Dong Hongru on his way to plant trees in Xinghe county, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee) Back at Sumu Mountain, they formed a "seedling cultivation task force" and planted 30 mu of nursery beds before the first snowfall that October. With careful tending, the larch thrived. Each mu yielded about 100,000 saplings with a survival rate exceeding 90 percent. When Dong became director of the forest farm in 1979, most of the areas suitable for afforestation had already been covered with trees. The farm then entered a new phase that combined forest protection with diversified operations, with Dong strengthening protection measures and enforcing a strict patrol system. From the day he first arrived at the ranger station in 1958 until his retirement in 1999, Dong devoted more than 40 years to Sumu Mountain, repeatedly turning down opportunities to transfer elsewhere. Even in retirement, his commitment has not wavered. Dong leased nearby forestland, experimented with new seedling cultivation techniques and grew large numbers of saplings. He also joined a local publicity group, visiting schools, communities and scenic spots to share stories of Sumu Mountain's reforestation and the region's revolutionary heritage. Today, Sumu Mountain boasts a forest coverage rate of 78.8 percent, a living testament to decades of perseverance. "I will keep going and continue being a Yugong," Dong said, invoking the ancient Chinese fable of an old man who determinedly tried to move mountains blocking the path in front of his home and eventually managed to move the mountains with perseverance. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming) SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In recent weeks, public attention has intensified around the scientific literature examining possible associations between prenatal Tylenol (acetaminophen) exposure and neurodevelopmental outcomes including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The public discourse surrounding this research, and the related, ongoing federal litigation against the manufacturer of Tylenol, deserves careful, measured, and evidence-based discussion. First, it is important to acknowledge that public trust in scientific communication has been deeply tested in recent years. The delivery of information surrounding health risks has been, at times, poorly managed and inconsistently presented, often blurring the line between science, politics, and personality. That failure in communication has had profound and lasting public health consequences, especially for women and families seeking clear, reliable guidance from government and scientific institutions. With respect to acetaminophen and neurodevelopmental outcomes, it is true that not all studies reach the same conclusions. Some large epidemiological investigations have failed to find a statistically significant association between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and later neurodevelopmental diagnoses. However, a larger number of well-designed studiesemploying diverse methodologies, populations, and data sourceshave reported significant associations. Importantly, existing studies and data address only in utero exposure to acetaminophen, not exposure occurring after birth or during adulthood. Confusing these distinct exposure periods leads to material misinterpretation of the scientific issue. Stakeholders, including scientists, lawyers, and judges, should be encouraged to review these studies directly, and in consultation with experts, with a focus on understanding the role of potential biases, confounding variables, and modeling parameters that can influence results. Honest, critical review of these data is not only welcome, but necessary to advance our collective understanding and refine future research questions. In this context, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and its scientists have been prudently cautious. Their recent public messaging has reflected the precautionary principlea recognition that, while causality has not been conclusively established at this time, sufficient concern exists to warrant careful evaluation and responsible communication, including initiating the process for a label change to reflect evidence about this potential risk. Science advances through reasoned disagreement. Reasonable scientists can and do interpret the same body of evidence differently. The same applies to experts serving on opposite sides of litigation. Such debate is not a sign of weakness, but rather of a healthy scientific ecosystemone that thrives on diverse perspectives, open dialogue, and humility in the face of uncertainty. The key is to engage with data and arguments on their merits, free from prejudice or preconception. History provides us useful perspective. It took the FDA over four decades from the initial publication of data linking acetaminophen to liver failure to add a general hepatotoxicity warning to Tylenol's label in 2009. Even then, disagreement persisted among reasonable and well-intentioned scientists. Similarly, Depakote received a neurodevelopmental warning in 2013, based on a smaller and more conflicted body of evidence at that time than currently exists for acetaminophen. In both cases, regulatory evolution reflected the gradual alignment of scientific consensus, not a rush to judgment. Finally, it is deeply concerning to see personal attacks directed at Dr. Andrea Baccarelli, MD, PhD, Dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, for his scholarly work on this subject. Dr. Baccarelli's systematic review, which synthesizes the existing evidence on prenatal acetaminophen exposure and neurodevelopmental outcomes, was rigorously peer-reviewed and published in a high-quality scientific journal. His dual role as an expert witness and a primary investigator is entirely consistent with academic practice. Experts are retained to investigate the truth in accordance with their training and methodologynot to reach a predetermined conclusion. Those who have worked with me and my colleagues know that this is the ethical standard we insist upon in all of our engagements. Dr. Baccarelli's record as a research scientist, educator, and public health leader speaks for itself. His decision to share his findings with the broader scientific community reflects an appropriate sense of academic responsibility and rigor, not bias. While constructive scientific criticism is always welcome and vital, ad hominem attacks have no place in serious discourse. We should all strive to elevate this discussion, not diminish it. As the federal litigation, public health investigations, and public scrutiny continue, my firm and I remain committed to supporting scientific transparency, open inquiry, and integrity. The questions raised by the acetaminophen literature are complex and consequential. They deserve the same seriousness of purpose and intellectual honesty that we expect of every scientist, jurist, and policymaker engaged in this vital work. I welcome the opportunity to engage with fellow stakeholders in the spirit of truth-seeking. By William J. Lee, JD, MS, FACE, a nationally and internationally recognized public health leader with unique expertise bridging dialogue and stakeholders at the intersection of epidemiology, law, and policy. An elected Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology (FACE), Mr. Lee leads the Scientific Practice Group of Kershaw Talley Barlow, PC, a nationally recognized complex litigation firm that represents hundreds of thousands of patients in some of the nation's most consequential public health investigations including the Acetaminophen ASD/ADHD Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 3043). Mr. Lee may be reached at [email protected]. Media Contact: Heather Ward [email protected] SOURCE Kershaw Talley Barlow Proteomics International expands endometriosis collaboration with University of Melbourne and Royal Women's Hospital Collaboration expanded to advance Endometriosis blood test Perth, Oct 15, 2025 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Proteomics International Laboratories Ltd ( ASX:PIQ ) ( PIQLF:OTCMKTS ), a pioneer in precision diagnostics, is pleased to announce it has expanded its collaborative research agreement with the University of Melbourne and the Royal Women's Hospital (RWH), one of the world's leading centres for endometriosis research. The collaboration is in two parts: to enable additional clinical validation studies for the Company's PromarkerEndo test for diagnosing endometriosis, and the development of tissue specific biomarkers for endometriosis to generate a future specialised diagnostic test. - Proteomics International, University of Melbourne and Royal Women's Hospital expand research collaboration to advance the PromarkerEndo blood test and improve diagnosis of endometriosis - Promarker(R)Endo is a first-in-class blood test validated to diagnose endometriosis, including in the early stages of the disease, and is due to launch in Australia in H2 CY25 - This ongoing collaboration is in two parts: to generate further results to strengthen the use case for Promarker(R)Endo, and to target the development of a next-generation tissue-specific test for this complex disease, further adding to the Company's diagnostics pipeline - Addresses a global health need - endometriosis affects 1 in 9 women and girls, with diagnosis currently taking an average of 7 years Endometriosis is a chronic and often debilitating condition affecting one in nine women and girls of reproductive age worldwide. Endometriosis can cause symptoms such as pelvic pain, painful periods and infertility. Promarker(R)Endo is a blood test for the early diagnosis of endometriosis, with existing studies on over 900 individuals showing the test has high diagnostic accuracy [ASX 30 Dec 2024, 26 May 2025]. Proteomics International Managing Director Dr. Richard Lipscombe said, "This is an important collaboration as we bring PromarkerEndo to market in the coming months. Endometriosis is a complicated disease which affects millions of women and girls globally, and it is essential that our results are validated in multiple studies to add to the body of data on the test's accuracy. Precision medicine necessitates that we aim to give precise diagnoses to patients, and this expanded collaboration also offers us a rare opportunity to build a next-generation test that provides distinct information on the location of the disease within the body, something not thought possible via a blood test until now." Consequently, the collaboration will first provide approximately 300 samples from endometriosis patients with rigorous clinical information to further strengthen the validation data behind PromarkerEndo and support global use of the test by the medical community. Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the body where it does not belong. It is a highly complex disease with many sub-types, including deep tissue and superficial, and can be found in multiple locations from the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and pelvic cavity, to the bowel and lungs. To address this complexity the collaboration will also seek to develop a next-generation tissuespecific endometriosis test by examining peritoneal fluid, which is in direct contact with endometriotic lesions. This fluid offers a rich source of potential biomarkers that may not be readily detectable in blood, providing a unique opportunity to identify novel diagnostic targets. The expanded partnership between Proteomics International, the University of Melbourne and the Royal Women's Hospital builds on the existing four-year collaboration [ASX 4 August 2021] combining the Company's proprietary technology with the University of Melbourne's clinical expertise and the RWH's leading role in women's health. Professor Peter Rogers, endometriosis researcher and Research Director at the Royal Women's Hospital, said, "A simple, reliable blood test that can detect early-stage endometriosis could transform how we manage this condition. PromarkerEndo has the potential to reduce diagnostic delays and support timely intervention. This collaboration unites deep clinical insight and cutting-edge proteomics technology to address one of the most critical unmet needs in women's health. By combining carefully curated patient information with matched tissue and blood samples, we are enhancing the robustness of biomarker validation. Most exciting is the potential to advance towards a universal blood test that not only diagnoses endometriosis but can also categorise its location in the body." The collaboration agreement includes key commercial terms and grants Proteomics International an exclusive license to commercialise any new intellectual property (which will be jointly owned), and the right to full assignment of intellectual property upon achieving milestones. The licence is for a period of 10 years and the right to renew for an additional 10 years, or the life of any new patent filed under the project. RWH and the University of Melbourne will be entitled to royalty payments from the sale or license of additional products developed under the project. The licence agreement is also subject to standard terms and conditions (including confidentiality) and warranties typical for a contract of this type. Diagnosis of endometriosis currently takes on average seven years. This delay is multifactorial, with a key contributor being the reliance on surgery in the absence of biomarker-based tests. The total burden of endometriosis costs in Australia alone are estimated as $9.7 billion each year . A non-invasive diagnostic test would represent a transformational shift in women's healthcare. Proteomics International and its collaborators remain committed to delivering innovative diagnostic tools that improve lives. Further updates will be provided as the project progresses. About Promarker(R)Endo PromarkerEndo is a blood test for the diagnosis of endometriosis. The test detects a panel of protein biomarkers - molecular fingerprints - in the blood, to help identify the presence of disease. The test is designed to support the early and accurate diagnosis of endometriosis in women and girls presenting with symptoms. Endometriosis is a chronic and painful condition affecting around one in nine women and girls, occurring when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the body where is does not belong. The gold-standard for diagnosis is surgical laparoscopy with biopsy, with diagnosis taking an average of 7 years. PromarkerEndo aims to provide a non-invasive, earlier and more accessible diagnostic option to support both patients and clinicians. About University of Melbourne (www.unimelb.edu.au) The University of Melbourne is a global leader in higher education. In the spirit of discovery the University convenes thought-leaders from around the world to tackle complex problems in innovative ways with investigator-led, interdisciplinary collaboration central to its purpose as a comprehensive research organisation. The University works with industry partners and specialist research institutes to address the major challenges that exist in the world. The University is embedded within world-leading clusters of expertise, including the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct, Melbourne Innovation District through Melbourne Connect and Southbank Arts Precinct. The University plays a leading role within these precincts to amplify the benefits of research. About Royal Women's Hospital (www.thewomens.org.au) The Women's is Australia's first and largest specialist public hospital dedicated to the health and wellbeing of women and newborn babies. For more than 160 years, it has been advocating for new approaches to improving women's health recognising the different health challenges that women face throughout their lives. As a major teaching hospital, the Women's is central to the Victorian health system providing highquality care and compassionate care to more than 200,000 women who speak 60 different languages. It is also home to ten research centres, producing world-leading research to drive better outcomes for women and newborns. About Proteomics International Laboratories Ltd Proteomics International Laboratories (ASX:PIQ) is a wholly owned subsidiary and trading name of PILL, a medical technology company at the forefront of predictive diagnostics and bioanalytical services. The Company specialises in the area of proteomics - the industrial scale study of the structure and function of proteins. Proteomics International's mission is to improve the quality of lives by the creation and application of innovative tools that enable the improved treatment of disease. Related Companies STRONG ANTIMONY GRADES AND GOLD RESULTS CONTINUE IN NSW WITH US EXPLORATION TO COMMENCE Strong Antimoney Grades and Gold Results Continue Sydney, Oct 16, 2025 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Red Mountain Mining Limited ( ASX:RMX ), a gold and critical minerals exploration and development company with a focus on the United States and Australia, is pleased to announce additional rock chip analyses for samples collected at three prospects within the Company's 100% owned Armidale antimony-gold project (EL9732) in the Southern New England Orogen of northeast New South Wales. HIGHLIGHTS - Rock chip sampling of outcropping mineralisation at the Oaky Creek prospect, part of the Armidale Antimony-Gold Project returned further strong results highlighted by: o 36.3% Sb at Oaky Creek North o 18.8% Sb at Oaky Creek North o 23.0% Sb and 0.36g/t Au at Oaky Creek South - Initial rock chip sampling at the previously unsampled East Hills prospect in the south of EL9372 returned a best result of 9.9% Sb, with anomalous samples collected over a strike extent of 70m - Initial rock chip sampling of the nearby historical Horsley Station gold workings returned up to 0.25g/t Au and evidence of ultramafic lithologies, a preferred host for gold mineralisation along the Peel Fault - The strong spatial correlation between Antimony and Gold supports RMX's exploration model for the Oaky Creek prospect, targeting a vein-style orogenic antimony-gold deposit, which is considered analogous to Larvotto Resources' ( ASX:LRV ) Hillgrove project, Australia's largest Antimony deposit - Evidence of Antimony and Gold mineralisation from multiple prospects across the length of the project highlights the strong potential of the tenement to host multiple orogenic antimony-gold systems associated with the Peel Fault system and its related splays - The Armidale Antimony-Gold Project comprises a large, strategic tenure covering nearly 400km2 of highly prospective ground, west of Larvotto ( ASX:LRV ) ($550m market cap) - RMX well positioned to leverage increased Australian and US Government interest in critical minerals, with Utah Antimony Project exploration set to commence - Red Mountain continues to assess value accretive critical metals assets in the United States and is progressing its US Stock Market listing, given the significant interest globally in the Company's projects Analytical results of up to 36.3% Sb and 0.36g/t Au have been received for additional rock chip samples from the Oaky Creek prospect in the northern portion of RMX's tenement (Figure 1*), where the company previously reported antimony in soils results of up to 333ppm Sb and rock chip values of up to 39.3% Sb and 1.09g/t Au . RMX has also collected its initial rock chip samples from the southern portion of the project area (Figure 1*), with 20 samples analysed from the previously unsampled East Hills antimony prospect, with a best result of 9.9% Sb, and eight rock chip samples from the Horsley Station gold prospect recording up 0.25g/t Au. Further strong results for Oaky Creek Rock chip sampling at Oaky Creek North and Oaky Creek South was undertaken during the collection of approximately 250 hand auger soil samples spaced at 10m and 20m across the Oaky Creek South prospect (Figures 2 and 3*), following up antimony soil anomalies defined by initial 50m x 100m spaced soil sampling reported in June 2025. Analytical results for the hand auger sampling program are expected to be received before the end of October. Rock chip samples were analysed at Intertek's Townsville laboratory for Sb, Ag, As and W using sodium peroxide fusion and ICP-MS finish, and for Au using a 50g fire assay charge and ICP-OES finish. All analytical results are listed in Appendix 1*, and gold and antimony results are shown in Figures 2 and 3*. Eight new samples were collected from the Oaky Creek North area, from both the immediate surroundings of the historical workings and from the antimony bearing creek exposure ~500m northnorthwest of the workings. Five of these samples were found to contain >1% Sb (Figure 2B*), with a best value of 36.3% Sb, which is the highest antimony result recorded to date for Oaky Creek North. A sample of weathered outcrop or subcrop (AAR189, Appendix 1*) collected ~500m northwest of the Oaky Creek South workings contains 23.0% Sb and 0.36g/t Au. This sample is located within 6m of two float samples that were reported on 2 October to contain 39.3% Sb and 0.16g/t Au, and 33.5% Sb and 1.09g/t Au, respectively (Figures 2C and 3C*). The close proximity of in situ mineralisation to the mineralised float samples supports RMX's previous interpretation that the float was collected close to source. Antimony-mineralisation confirmed at East Hills As previously reported, RMX has also completed initial soil sampling over the East Hills antimony prospect in the southern portion of EL9732. Results are anticipated before the end of October for a total of 78 soil samples that were collected on a 50m x 100m spaced grid centred on the historical workings at the prospect (Figure 4*). During this program, the company also collected 20 rock chip samples over the prospect (Appendix 1*) and confirmed the presence of high-grade antimony mineralisation, with a best result of 9.9% Sb (Figure 4*). A further two samples with anomalous (>500ppm) antimony were collected ~70m north-northwest along strike from the mineralised sample, indicating that antimony mineralisation at East Hills extends well beyond the small historical workings. Gold analyses for all samples were low, with a best result of 0.016g/t Au (Appendix 1*). Anomalous gold and prospective ultramafic host rocks confirmed at Horsley Station RMX collected eight rock chip samples from the historical workings and nearby outcrops at Horsley Station. A sample of quartz-fuchsite vein material from the workings returned an anomalous gold value of 0.25g/t Au, while a nearby sample of similar material contained anomalous antimony of 0.18% (Figure 5*). An outcrop of ultramafic rock was also sampled ~25m east of the workings (Figure 5*). Although this sample is not mineralised, ultramafic lithologies are recognised as the preferred host for gold mineralisation along the Peel Fault system and the exposure supports RMX's interpretation that magnetic highs at Horsley Station and Horsley North (Figure 1*) represent structurally bound ultramafic bodies. Next steps for the Armidale Antimony-Gold Project Subject to positive results for the pending assays from Oaky Creek South, RMX will undertake a similar program of soil and rock chip sampling over the Oaky Creek North soil anomaly to define prospective drill targets. Further work is also anticipated at East Hills to follow up the initial positive antimony rock chip results, with next steps to be finalised following receipt and interpretation of the results of the soil sampling program. As previously reported, soil and rock chip sampling is also planned for the Horsley Station and Horsley North gold targets, where land access has now been secured. As reported in August 2025, RMX is also working to secure land access to ground truth stibnite and jarosite spectral anomalies across EL9732, in particular those that lie adjacent to known mineralisation and/or are along the known major Peel, Namoi and Cobbadah faults. RMX well positioned to leverage increased Australian and US Government interest in critical minerals Presently, about 90% of global antimony production is controlled by China, Russia, and Tajikistan, which is creating significant supply risks for Western nations such as Australia and the US, where it the metal is a critical component for armament manufacture. With China's export ban creating acute supply shortages and antimony prices recently reaching US$60,000 per tonne, the US Government has issued emergency declarations and mobilised unprecedented funding for domestic production. RMX has responded to this opportunity through the acquisition of three highly prospective antimonygold projects in Utah and Idaho, USA. Following a recent successful $1.5M placement, the Company is well funded and intends to apply the funds raised to accelerate exploration and development across its U.S. Critical Minerals and Australian gold-antimony projects, with exploration at the Utah Antimony Project set to commence. RMX Armidale Antimony-Gold Project Background RMX's 100%-owned Armidale antimony-gold project (EL9372) lies approximately 85km west of Australia's largest known antimony deposit, Larvotto's ( ASX:LRV ) Hillgrove deposit, which is also the 8th largest antimony deposit globally. LRV recently announced that plant upgrade works have commenced at Hillgrove. Plant construction is expected to be completed by the end of Quarter 2, 2026. At full capacity, Hillgrove is expected to deliver 40,500 ounces of gold and 4,878 tonnes of antimony, annually, making it a globally significant antimony producer. The Southern New England Orogen is recognised as Australia's premier Antimony province (Figure 6*). Antimony occurs in hydrothermal quartz veins, breccias and stockworks, often with associated gold and/or tungsten mineralisation. EL9732 extends for 85km along the western side of the Peel Fault. The geology of the project area is dominated by isoclinally folded Carboniferous metasediments of the Tamworth Belt, which is a forearc basinal package related to west-dipping subduction of oceanic crust beneath the Lachlan Orogen. Ultramafic melanges of the Great Serpentinite Belt, which outcrop along the Peel Fault, are considered to be remnants of this oceanic crust. The Peel Fault System has recognised world-class mineral potential, with over 400 known orogenic gold and base metal mineral occurrences along its over 400km strike extent, but is underexplored, with less than 200 mostly shallow drillholes over its length, the majority of which are focused on discrete prospects. *To view tables and figures, please visit: https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/KI9AX523 About Red Mountain Mining Limited Red Mountain Mining Limited (ASX:RMX) is a mineral exploration and development company. Red Mountain has a portfolio of US, Canada and Australia projects in Critical Minerals and Gold. Red Mountain is advancing its Armidale Antimony-Gold Project in NSW, Utah Antimony Project in the Antimony Mining District of Utah, US, Fry Lake Gold Project and US Lithium projects. Related Companies These rules make sure investment firms can absorb losses and maintain financial resilience during periods of stress. This move is set to help reduce regulatory burden and make it easier for firms to comply with the rules around regulatory capital. The rules do not change how much capital firms must hold. The FCA has removed outdated banking provisions and reduced the volume of legal text by 70% from approximately 44,100 to 13,200 words. These changes will better help firms understand their obligations and focus more resources on their core business, rather than navigating complex capital definitions. The changes take effect on 1 April 2026. The FCA is grateful for the positive support and engagement from industry to its consultation on the changes. The reforms align with the government's regulatory reform agenda, including the Edinburgh and Leeds Reforms and deliver on commitments made when the Investment Firms Prudential Regime was introduced in 2022. This work is part of the FCAs wider strategy to support growth and underpin the continued competitiveness of the UKs world-leading financial services. It is also part of the actions the FCA set out to support growth in its letter to the Prime Minster. Top Maoist Leader Mallojula Venugopal Rao Surrenders with 60 Cadres in Maharashtra, Calls for Peace Talks 2 In a major blow to Left-Wing Extremism, senior CPI (Maoist) Politburo member Mallojula Venugopal Rao, also known as Sonu, surrendered along with 60 Maoist cadres at the Gadchiroli Police Headquarters in Maharashtra, in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The surrender marks a turning point in ongoing efforts to restore peace and end decades of violence in Maoist-affected regions. Rao, one of the top leaders of the banned CPI (Maoist), laid down arms on Tuesday and expressed readiness to engage in formal peace talks with the government. He urged the Centre to allow a one-month ceasefire to facilitate consultations with party cadres across multiple states and prisons. I am laying down weapons and will now be part of movements working for the oppressed in India, Rao stated. Since March 2025, our party has sought dialogue with the government. A ceasefire proposal was made in May, but there was no official response. Instead, the intensity of operations was increased. Rao said his decision followed a peace appeal made earlier this year by CPI (Maoist) Chief Secretary Basavraju, who was later killed in a security operation in May. We are not abandoning that call. Despite our losses, we have chosen the path of peace, he emphasized. Appealing for a one-month halt in security operations, Rao said, We are ready to hold discussions via video conferencing if required. Leftist organisations and sympathisers may also send their views, which we will consider. The surrender comes amid intensified operations by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and state police forces targeting Maoist strongholds across central and eastern India. In September, Rao had hinted at his willingness to surrender a move reportedly supported by cadres in Chhattisgarh and other Naxal-affected areas. Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently said India would be free from Naxalism by March 31, 2026, while addressing the valedictory session of Bharat Manthan-2025: Naxal Mukt Bharat Ending Red Terror Under Modis Leadership in New Delhi. Figures show that more are choosing surrender and rehabilitation over violence, reflecting a significant ideological shift. For those who lay down their arms, there is a red carpet but it is the governments duty to protect innocent tribals from Naxalite violence, Shah said. The surrender of Mallojula Venugopal Rao, one of the most influential figures in the Maoist hierarchy, is expected to encourage more militants to join the mainstream and could mark a decisive step toward ending the decades-long insurgency. A Lauderdale County man was convicted Tuesday of killing his wife last year in a fatal shooting. William Cornelius Chapin II, 64, of Florence, was sentenced to 30 years in prison by Presiding Circuit Judge Benjamin Graves for the killing of his wife, 59-year-old Debra Annette Chapin. Chapin pleaded guilty to the murder charge in September and as part of his plea deal, the state has agreed not to prosecute allegations of sexual crimes against him involving both his biological and stepchildren, according to court documents. Around 8 a.m. on March 12, 2024, Lauderdale County deputies responded to a call for a welfare check in the 4000 block of County Road 10, north of the Cloverdale community. They found Debras body inside a nearby residence and determined she had died of a gunshot wound, according to a previous release. Prior to her death, Debra worked as a pre-K teachers aide at Underwood Elementary. Levan Uriah Johnson, 48, was convicted Aug. 15, 2025, of sexually abusing multiple clients at his now-closed spa in Vestavia Hills. (Carol Robinson) The former owner of a Vestavia Hills massage parlor has been sentenced to prison in the sex abuse of multiple women who were clients at the business. A Jefferson County judge sentenced 48-year-old Levan Johnson to a total of 30 years in prison. Johnson was convicted in August on 12 counts of first-degree sex abuse. Circuit Judge Kandice Pickett sentenced Johnson to 10 years in prison on each conviction with split sentences in each case. The split sentences were ordered to be served consecutively, totaling the 30-year sentence. Jefferson County Deputy District Attorneys Lauren Breland and Niki Franks prosecuted the case. Johnson, of Mountain Brook, was represented by attorney Sam Kennedy. He was indicted in 2023 on 26 sex abuse counts involving 13 victim. The incidents all took place at Oasis Day Spa in Vestavia Hills between November 24, 2020, through January 21, 2021. Johnson at the time of his 2021 arrest was CEO of Oasis Day Spa and Wellness Center in a second-floor suite in the Rocky Ridge Plaza off Rocky Ridge Road. He was initially charged by Vestavia Hills police with the assaults of four women. Over time, the number of reported victims grew to 13. At the time of his initial arrest, investigators said that the massage parlor had a business license but that Johnson and the employees were not licensed massage therapists. The business has since closed. Johnson is a former U.S. Army soldier and former police chief in central Alabama. Two of the victims recounted their ordeals with AL.com but asked that their names not be used since they are victims of sexual assault. The women provided horrific details about their experiences as clients at the business which included inappropriate touching. More about their stories can be found here. Johnson remains in the Jefferson County Jail awaiting transfer to state prison. A suspect was shot and killed by law enforcement officers following a police chase that ended in Tuscaloosa County. The fatal shooting happened about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. Authorities identified the slain suspect as 38-year-old Matthew Matherson. The ordeal began when lawmen in Hale County responded to a residence on a domestic violence call. Court records show he was arrested late last month in Hale County on a domestic violence charge involving his girlfriend. Tuscaloosa County Sheriffs Office officials said they were notified by Hale County law enforcement that they were in pursuit of a vehicle that had shot at them and that the vehicle was heading toward Tuscaloosa County north bound on Highway 69. Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit Capt. Marty Sellers said deputies got in a position to provide assistance and became involved in the pursuit as well. The pursuit continued up Highway 69, through Tuscaloosa and into the Northport. Multiple agencies from Tuscaloosa County were involved in the pursuit as it went through their jurisdictions, Sellers said. Officers spiked the vehicles tires and the suspects vehicle stopped at Bell Auto Parts on Bridge Avenue in Northport. He then got out of his vehicle and opened fire on law enforcement officers, Sellers said. A Tuscaloosa County deputy returned fire, killing Matherson. Mr. Matherson has a violent past and has been arrested by Hale County and Tuscaloosa County law enforcement, Sellers said. Matherson lived in Hale County. Court records show he has a lengthy criminal history including convictions for animal abuse involving a horse, domestic violence, and assault. The Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit was requested and investigators and supervisors who are not members of the Tuscaloosa County Sheriffs Office responded and took over the investigation. At this time evidence suggests that the shooting of the suspect was justified, Sellers said. As is typical in these cases, the evidence will be presented to a Tuscaloosa County grand jury. Agencies, carriers, and MGAs look forward to an agenda built to empower them to lead with confidence in the AI era DENVER, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Vertafore, the leader in modern insurance technology, and the Network of Vertafore Users (NetVU) today announced the first round of education sessions for Accelerate 2026, taking place April 1316, 2026, at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Artificial intelligence is transforming insurance. Building on the event themePowering Your Possible in the AI EraAccelerate 2026 is where insurance professionals turn AI into action. Attendees will dive into practical AI use cases, experience how Vertafore is leading at the intersection of innovation and trust with real solutions, and come away with confidence to transform in the AI era. Education that powers your possible in the AI era Education is the top reason insurance professionals return to Accelerate year after yearand the 2026 lineup highlights why. The schedule is packed with AI-focused sessions to help agencies, MGAs, and carriers unlock smarter ways to work, build stronger connections and drive new growth. There's something for insurance businesses at every stage of their AI journey, with sessions like: Human First Service: Leveraging AI to Elevate Client Service From Data to Growth: The Executive Playbook for AI Success AI Basics: Technology & Data Foundations for Your AI Strategy Trust in the AI Era: Using AI Responsibly in Insurance "The backbone of great insurance work will always be people and relationshipsthat isn't changing. But AI is changing how our industry works and what clients expect," said Rick Warter, chief customer officer at Vertafore. "Accelerate is where you'll see how AI and Vertafore can amplify your expertise and accelerate your impact so you can focus on what truly matters: your clients, your teams, and your growth." In addition, as always Accelerate 2026 is packed with education tracks to help insurance professionals sharpen their skills, get the most out of their Vertafore technology, and see results fast. Attendees will uncover ways to streamline workflows, turn data into action, reimagine the client experience, automate and scale their sales, and find new strategies to boost efficiency and productivity. "Accelerate has always been about community and action, and in 2026 we're taking that even further," said Shyla Lankford, chair of the NetVU Board of Directors and chief operating officer at Lipscomb Insurance. "What happens in Las Vegas won't stay there. Every attendee will leave with ideas, tools, and inspiration that deliver tangible ROI long after the conference ends." Additional education tracks for Accelerate 2026 will be announced later this year, including dedicated sessions for MGAs, carriers, and IT professionals. Attending Accelerate is proven to deliver results. Past attendees report saving time, improving processes, and discovering new tools that strengthen their business. Learn more and register today at Accelerate.netvu.org. About NetVU The Network of Vertafore Users (NetVU) is an independent, national member organization committed to providing industry advocacy, world-class education and networking to insurance professionals at independent agencies, carriers and MGAs that use Vertafore solutions. NetVU's members reside in every state and are supported by dozens of local and virtual member peer communities. About Vertafore As North America's InsurTech leader, Vertafore is simplifying and automating the insurance lifecycle so independent agents, MGAs and carriers can focus on what matters most. Vertafore's solutions empower the connected agency, accelerate innovation for MGAs, and provide the industry's most comprehensive distribution management platform for insurers. In the AI era, Vertafore is powering new possibilities and leading at the intersection of innovation and trust to give every insurance professional the confidence to transform. Learn more at vertafore.com. 2025 Vertafore and the Vertafore logo are registered trademarks of Vertafore. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. MEDIA CONTACT: INK Communications [email protected] SOURCE Vertafore, Inc. Ziah Boone and her father Ryan Boone, move into her dorm at McMahon Hall at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, Ala., Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (Will McLelland | AL.com) Will McLelland Some Alabama colleges rank first in the state and region for specialized categories -- as well as in overall national and regional placements. Several Alabama universities cleaned up in specialized categories that U.S. News & World Report evaluates in its annual rankings, such as social mobility, best value, colleges for veterans, plus education and nursing programs. Best nursing program The University of Alabama at Birmingham has the top nursing program in the state, coming in at No. 13 among in the nation. UAB regularly makes this list, which is determined by surveying academics and officials at nursing schools and departments on overall quality of the Bachelors of Science nursing program. Each ranked school must award at least 50 degrees. All Alabama schools ranked in the top 50 best nursing program: No. 13: University of Alabama at Birmingham No. 22: University of Alabama No. 40: Auburn University Duke University in Durham, N.C. has the No. 1 nursing program. Best value school The University of Montevallo is ranked sixth among other southern regional universities in the Best Value Schools category. The rankings are determined by its overall national ranking relative to how much students with need actually pay. A score is calculated using tuition, fees, food, books and other expenses. The amount the school provides to students in financial aid and the number of students of need is also evaluated. All Alabama schools in the top 50 Best Value Schools category: No. 6: University of Montevallo No 38: University of North Alabama No. 42: Tuskegee University No. 43: Troy University Berry College in Mount Berry, Georgia, is ranked No. 1 in the Best Value category among southern regional universities. Best for social mobility Tuskegee University is ranked No. 1 among southern regional universities in this category, which evaluates how effectively a college helps economically disadvantaged students in enrollment and graduation. All Alabama southern regional universities ranked in the top 50 social mobility category: No. 1: Tuskegee University No. 28: University of Montevallo No. 37: University of Mobile Best teaching program Tuskegee University is ranked the ninth best undergraduate teaching program among southern regional universities. Samford University is No. 35 among national universities. Berry College has the top-ranked teaching program among southern regional universities. Elon University in Elon, North Carolina, is the top nursing program among national universities. Best college for veterans The University of Montevallo is ranked the tenth best college for veterans among southern regional universities. The best schools for veterans is determined by a statistical survey of undergraduate schools. The colleges report enrollment and benefits for veterans and active-duty service members. The best schools are GI Bill certified, participate in the Yellow Ribbon program or is a public school and have a minimum of 20 full-time and part-time veterans and active-duty members enrolled in the 2024-2025 academic year. All Alabama schools ranked in the top 50 best regional southern universities for veterans: No. 10: University of Montevallo No. 13: University of North Alabama No. 22: Troy University No. 34: Auburn University at Montgomery No. 39: University of Mobile The Citadel Military School in Charleston, S.C. has the No. 1 ranked veterans program among southern regional universities. Most innovative university Tuskegee University was ranked 7th in most innovative southern regional universities. Auburn University was No. 48 among national universities. The most innovative ranking was also determined by an academic survey of schools making cutting-edge developments on campus. Colleges needed at least 7 nominations to be included. The top most innovative spot for national universities went to Arizona State University. The most innovative southern regional university is Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla. Other notable rankings Auburn University also placed No. 39 in first-year experiences among national universities. Best first-year experiences was determined by a survey of provosts and deans across the nation that offer great study abroad, service learning and other special programs. Schools need to receive at least 10 nominations to be included in the ranking. Elon University is No. 1 in first-year experiences. A Celebrity Infinity cruise ship docked at Kusadas in Turkey on June 3, 2025. Courtesy of Ryan Mancini. Another major cruise line has canceled stops at a popular Caribbean tourist destination due to ongoing security concerns. Celebrity Cruises will skip stops at Labadee, Haiti throughout 2025 and 2026, Travel and Leisure reported. In all, 11 different itineraries were changed, mostly affecting sailings on the Celebrity Apex and Celebrity Beyond. Instead of stopping at Labadee, the ships will make calls on Turks and Caicos, Grand Cayman or Cozumel, Mexico. READ MORE: Travel alert: Do not go to this once popular Caribbean island spot for any reason, US urges The change comes after a similar decision by Royal Caribbean, also owned by the larger umbrella company Royal Caribbean Group. Haiti is currently under a Level 4: Do Not Travel warning due to threats of political unrest, crime, kidnapping and terrorism. The State Department also cited issues with access to healthcare. Royal Caribbean announced in September that it was canceling all its stops at Labadee until at least spring 2026. Haiti is located on the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic sharing the island to the east. Stops at the Dominican Republic will continue, Royal Caribbean said. The State Department ordered nonemergency personnel to leave the country in July 2023. Haiti has been under a State of Emergency since March 2024 as violent gangs took over parts of the country, including the capital of Port-au-Prince. The U.S. is no longer allowing commercial flights into the capital. There is a risk of terrorist violence, including attacks and other violent gang activity in Haiti, the State Department said in its warning. There are gangs that are designated as terrorist organizations present in Haiti. Haiti joins countries such as Libya, Iran, Lebanon, Somalia, North Korea and Russia on the Do Not Travel List. Level 3 and 4 advisories are typically updated every six months, or as conditions change. Animal rescue efforts are underway to retrieve a cat that is reportedly stranded on the rooftop of Riverchase Galleria in Hoover. Kitty Kat Haven and Rescue posted an update on Facebook Tuesday afternoon, saying that they were working with animal control and Hoover fire and police departments to safely catch the cat. While we appreciate everyones concern, PLEASE do not attempt to climb the roof yourself and please stop calling the Galleria, the organization said. We WILL update you as soon as we have news. We have humane traps set and monitored, but it may take some time as the cat is quite scared. A Facebook post on Monday originally showed the cat atop the Galleria rooftop. No new information has been posted so far by Kitty Kat Haven but the rescue said it will provide updates to the public. The states largest indoor mall, a study recently recommended a two-phase, roughly $240 million redevelopment of the 39-year-old Galleria into a mixed-use development with apartments, a performing arts center and green space. Flora Johnston Nature Preserve in Birmingham, near Eastwood Mall in Irondale, will connect with the Irondale Furnace Trail in Mountain Brook under a newly funded plan. (Photo by Greg Garrison/AL.com) gg By the end of next year, maybe sooner, people will be able to walk from Homewood and Mountain Brook through Birmingham all the way to Irondale along Shades Creek Greenway. We are doing something that is going to be pretty transformational for the Eastwood and Crestline neighborhoods, said Birmingham City Council member Hunter Williams. The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday approved a contract for more than $547,000 that the city will pay to Freshwater Land Trust to oversee construction on the trails Birmingham section. That adds to previous commitments by the city. The trail will link the Irondale Furnace Trail in Mountain Brook eastward to Birminghams Flora Johnston Nature Preserve near Eastwood Mall at Irondale. Were going to be able to connect the Lakeshore Trail all the way through Mountain Brook, all the way through Birmingham along Shades Creek, Williams said. Freshwater Land Trust is managing that construction process for the city of Birmingham. Since it is using federal American Rescue Plan Act funding, along with grant money, it must be complete by the end of 2026. Williams said he hopes it will be ready much sooner than that. What were going to be able to do is hopefully finish that project this calendar year, he said. It is under construction. Weve asked people not to walk or ride or push their strollers on it. Thats been difficult, because people love the trail, he said. You cant keep people off it, he said. Its going to be a success. The trail will be part of the master plan for the Red Rock Trail System in Jefferson County, which proposes 750 miles of multi-use trails, parks, bike lanes, and sidewalks. That includes Valley Creek Rails to Trails on the west side of the city. A federal judge approved a loan Tuesday for Jackson Hospital that officials said should help it stay open through the holidays. In bankruptcy court, the struggling hospital had its loan extended from $22 million to $35 million. Jackson was granted a Debtor in Possession loan, known as a DIP loan, which allow companies that have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to borrow capital to restructure and continue operations. It gets us somewhere between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Jackson Hospitals chief restructuring officer Allen Wilen testified Tuesday when asked how much time the loan would buy the Montgomery facility. The hospital filed for bankruptcy in February after defaulting on a $60 million loan. The bondholder requested full payment after the hospital failed to make interest payments. At the time, the hospital said increased labor costs, stagnant reimbursement rates, a challenging payor mix, and fallout from COVID-19, as well as Alabama not expanding Medicaid, led to its financial crisis. Jackson Investment Group, which provided an initial DIP loan to Jackson Hospital after it first announced bankruptcy, told AL.com that it would provide an additional $15 million, with approval from the bankruptcy court, on top of the $35 million approved by the judge to help it stay open into February. By then, a reorganization plan will likely be approved for the hospital, which will outline how the hospital will restructure its debt to continue operations. Jackson Investment Group will commit whatever money is necessary to get through to the plan, Rick Jackson, CEO of Jackson Healthcare told AL.com. We want people in the hospital to know, as long as things are moving forward, we will lend the money thats necessary. Jackson Investment Group is the parent company of Jackson Healthcare, and while they share the same name as the hospital, the medical facility is under separate ownership. Jackson stipulated, however, that additional funding was contingent on grants from the city, county and state also being provided. During the hearing, a lawyer for the investment group said the hospital would need to receive a $50 million grant from local and state governments. If the government does not deliver that support, Jackson Investment Group is not bound to put in any further funds, their lawyer said. The Montgomery city council voted unanimously last week to enter into an agreement to provide support for Jackson Hospital. But the resolution did not contain any details of how much financial assistance the city would provide, and the council president said they would need surrounding counties and the state to also come to the table in order to move forward. This is not a burden just for the citizens of Montgomery to bear, said council member Cornelius Calhoun. Lawyers representing the bondholders at the hearing opposed the loan being extended to the hospital. It was unclear who all of the bondholders were. At one point, Wilen, the chief restructuring officer, was asked to name them. Wilen named Nuveen, a creditor that owns Bankhead Towers in Birmingham and is the largest creditor of Spring Hill College. But the bondholders lawyers objected to having them named, saying it was a publicity stunt. The bondholders own the brick and mortar of the hospital, and Wilen testified that the hospital was worth more to them open than it would be closed. I am surprised, he said about the bondholders arguments to not provide the loan. Because effectively, by shutting a hospital down today, the bondholders are pulling their own life support on their real estate they haveIm not sure what you do with that property, other than being a blight to the community. Wilen said it would cost the hospital $12 to $18 million to shut down - money that the hospital doesnt have. He added that if the hospital does close, even temporarily, it would be likely impossible that it ever reopens because its been grandfathered into building codes. The shutdown of it is almost impossible to get them back to the code without an incredible amount of spending money refitting the entire building, doorway access, bathroom access, everything has to be redone, he said. The hospital opened in 1946 and has about 2,100 employees and is licensed for 355 beds. In the meantime, he said speculation that the hospital would close has cost them patients and staff. We have people who are leaving, and once they leave, theyre never coming back. Our physicians come from all over the world to come here. Many of them are on visas to work here. And theyre just going to go to another hospital thats in desperate need for specialists and physicians, he said. He added that the patient census has dropped since news stories came out about the possible closure. I understand that an educated consumer is hearing and reading stories, and they dont want their mom or dad or whoever it might be, being in a hospital bed in a hospital thats possibly going to shut and thats a real issue. After Judge Christopher Hawkins ruled to approve the loan, lawyers for the bondholders indicated they would appeal the decision, saying it will cause them irreparable harm. The parties will meet back in court Thursday to determine whether the judge will stay his ruling. A large crowd of protesters gathered in front of Government Plaza in downtown Mobile for a "No Kings" protest on Saturday, June 14, 2025. The protest included a march along Government Street and a rally at Spanish Plaza. The event in Mobile was one of 13 to take place on Saturday in cities throughout Alabama. Events were taking place in approximately 2,000 cities nationwide. John Sharp The nationwide No Kings protests scheduled for Saturday to demonstrate against President Donald Trump are being branded by GOP leaders as a Hate America Rally. I encourage you to watch. We call it the Hate America rally that will happen Saturday. Lets see who shows up for that, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters Wednesday. I bet you see pro-Hamas supporters. I bet you will see antifa types. I bet youll see Marxists in full display. People who dont want to stand and defend the foundational truths of this republic. And we [Republicans] do " House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., used the same language to describe the No Kings protests, claiming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., cant negotiate an end to the government shutdown until the nationwide demonstrations occur. We shouldnt have to wait until the Hate America rally this weekend, or whatever it is, thats driving Chuck Schumer to keep this going on, said Scalise. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed the No Kings protests will be populated by radical Democrats. He referred to the demonstrations as this crazy No Kings rally this weekend, which is gonna be the farthest left, the hardest core, the most unhinged in the Democratic Party, which is a big title. No Kings equal no paychecks. Meanwhile, Bessent said the Pentagon has been paying its employees with surplus funds. Matthew Gertz, senior fellow at Media Matters for America, a liberal watchdog group, wrote that Trump and Republicans are using Saturdays demonstrations as a pretext for crushing dissent. President Donald Trump, Republican officials, and their right-wing media allies want headlines about violence at No Kings rallies that the president can use as a pretext to target his political foes, Gertz tweeted. The last No Kings protests, held in June, were largely peaceful as millions of demonstrators participated in hundreds of rallies across the country, including several in Alabama. The Republicans against Trump account on X said the GOPs language was chilling. This is the same rhetoric used by authoritarian regimes like Russia, China, and Iran whenever citizens take to the streets to protest their regimes, the account tweeted. Protesters carry signs in support of transgender people during a march from the Supreme Court to the State House in Montgomery, Alabama. Sarah Swetlik/AL.com A city bar association last week sharply criticized the U.S. Department of Justice for bringing felony charges against an attorney in a lawsuit challenging Alabamas gender-affirming care ban. In an indictment unsealed last month, the department charged attorney Carl Charles with allegedly lying to a panel of three judges who were investigating allegations of judge-shopping in the case. In a statement released last week, the New York City Bar Association said that the rules of conduct that govern the profession dictate that the tribunal of judges and the respective bar associations are the ones that should address allegations of professional misconduct and not the U.S. Department of Justice. More from Alabama Reflector The City Bar urges the Executive Branch to adhere to the rule of law, cease warping the Department of Justices missions and functions by targeting individuals and groups the administration politically disfavors, and refrain from attempting to criminalize attorneys who advocate on behalf of transgender people and other marginalized communities, the statement said. The Bar also said that the panel did not include several facts pertaining to the incident when the judges had concluded its investigation and presented the findings to the judge overseeing the case who eventually sanctioned Charles. Charles was charged with making a false statement to a grand jury or court, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The case is still pending. A message was sent to the New York City Bar Association on Monday seeking additional comment. According to his biography found on the Lamba Legal website, Charles worked with the New York City Commission on Human Rights Law Enforcement Bureau, investigating and prosecuting violations of New York City Human Rights Law. The lawsuit sought to overturn a 2022 law allowing prosecutors to charge physicians with a felony when they prescribe puberty blockers and hormone therapies for transgender youth. U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke in May of that year issued a temporary injunction against the prescription ban, ruling it interfered with parents rights to decide the welfare of their children. A three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit of Appeals overturned the ruling in 2023, citing the U.S. Supreme Courts decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which eliminated federal abortion protections in part by saying the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution does not protect rights not deeply rooted in the nations history and traditions. Charles and other attorneys representing the families were accused of trying to manipulate the system by allegedly attempting to secure a judge more sympathetic to their clients position by dropping an initial filing and then refiling the lawsuit. A panel of three judges was convened to investigate the incident and called Charles and the other attorneys to testify about their roles in the incident. Burke sanctioned Charles, along with Melody Eagan and Jeffrey Doss, after the panel issued the findings. He ordered that Eagan and Doss be removed from the case and imposed a $5,000 fine for Charles. Burke also publicly reprimanded the three attorneys and referred the matter to the U.S. Attorneys Office who then charged Charles with making a false statement to the panel investigating the incident. The charge pertains to a statement that Charles made before the panel denying that he made a phone call to the chambers of U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson to ask questions about the case and the temporary restraining order that was filed. The New York City Bar Association said that the findings from the three-judge panel did not include that Charles eventually admitted to making the phone call to the judges chambers and later apologized. Further, the indictment mentions neither that Mr. Charles had no advance notice that the related case designation and phone call would be subjects of the inquiry nor that he indicated that he was very nervous and was trying to be as forthright as possible, the statement from the New York Bar Association said. Additionally, at no point during the inquiry did the court, the U.S. Attorneys Office, or the three-judge panel find the call to be improper in which case Mr. Charless initial statement about the call was immaterial. Lara Trump speaking at a town hall-style event at the Crown Center Arena October 4, 2024 in Fayetteville, North Carolina. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) Getty Images Turning Point USA, the organization founded by slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, is bringing two members of President Trumps family to Auburn University for a stop on its tour of college campuses. The presidents son Eric Trump and daughter-in-law Lara Trump will join Sen. Tommy Tuberville and Benny Johnson at Auburn on Nov. 5. Look forward to joining Turning Point USA, Eric Trump, Lara Trump, Benny Johnson, and thousands of PATRIOTS in Auburn on November 5th, Tuberville posted. We will not be silenced. Before coming to Auburn, the tour, which features other speakers, will stop at the University of Oklahoma on Thursday, Indiana University on Oct. 21, Louisiana State University on Oct. 22, and Ole Miss on Oct. 29. Information about tickets can be found here. Erika Kirk, Kirks widow, was named the CEO of Turning Point after her husbands death and promised to uphold and continue his work. Kirk, an ally of President Trump, was fatally shot on Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University. He was 31. Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with murder in the assassination. Charlie Kirk visited the University of Alabama in November 2021 as part of his Exposing Critical Racism Tour, where he argued against critical race theory and COVID mandates. On International Day of the Migrant, Director General William Lacy Swing of the International Organization for Migration released the following essay: A report arriving on my desk twice weekly tells a tragic story. It details the number of migrants who have died. They die when the vessels smugglers cram them into sink, they die of exhaustion crossing deserts, or much worse they die when those holding them captive - in places like Libya - take everything they and their families can give only to murder and bury the migrants in mass graves. Sometimes they die far from their families. Sometimes their families are with them, or close behind. We have had 65 years of getting to know about migrants at the International Organization for Migration. And we know that, wherever migrants die during dangerous journeys, many could have avoided their fate had they had information about the risks ahead or opportunities for a better life closer to home. Extreme poverty, climate change, broken and corrupt economies put millions of men, women and children at risk and on the move. Add to that the eight full-scale conflicts happening in various parts of the world which displace people inside and outside their own countries borders. IOM, the United Nations Migration Agency, today calculates that one in every seven people on our planet is a migrantsomeone living, working and starting a family somewhere other than his or her habitual place of residence. And, even though so many are just trying to live, too many are dying. The report I receive twice weekly is produced by IOMs Missing Migrants Project, which attempts to identify every dead, missing or disappeared migrant IOMs staff has been able to track in the 165 countries where IOM operates. In 2016, for the third straight year, the Missing Migrants tally will top 5,000 fatalities. Think about that: every day for the past three years, just over a dozen migrants have died, on average, or one man, woman or child every two hours. As of today, over 7,000 people already have lost their lives along all these routes in 2016. And these are only the fatalities that we know about. Many more deaths go unrecorded by any official government or humanitarian aid agency. We need to take a hard look at this shocking death toll and the cold shoulder which the world increasingly turns towards them. This is happening today, to families, many of whom are now following paths identical to the ones our own parents and grandparents took, decades ago. There is no longer any point in expressing sorrow, or horror, or guilty feelings. We must recognize migration is the mega-trend of our time. Its a mega-trend which has pushed migration into the publics consciousness and at the top of every governments agenda. Images of migrants on the move in great numbers, or being rescued at sea which are driving our politics to the extremes do not tell the whole story. Think of the rising death tolls as early warnings of what has yet to come as demographic, political, social pressures, often leading to conflict drive people to migrate in every greater numbers. Despite appearances and media spin, migration doesnt have to be chaotic or seem like an invasion. It is not a looming disease, set to contaminate our culture. The upheaval we see all around in our politics should serve as a wake-up call to prepare rather than panic. We need to mold the future rather than ignore it. We should do this by embracing the inevitability of migration, changing the perceptions of migrants among our publics and better integrating migrants in our societies There is a real demographic revolution going on today and its up to us to manage it for the benefit of all. Most migrants simply want an opportunity and would welcome even a temporary onesay, a short-term student or agricultural work visa to improve the lives of their families back home. With the right support, those that stay will contribute to whatever society they settle in, whether it is economically or culturally. It is important that partnerships are built between migrants, host communities and governments to nurture the benefits of their presence in the country. On December 18th, International Migrants Day let us recognize, that we have enough opportunity for all - we need only to share it. Minister of Energy, Damian Gjiknuri and TAP Pipeline Managing Director, Ian Bradshaw signed on Wednesday an agreement with TAP consortium for the local benefits and pipeline maintenance in Albania. Todays signature was the result of 7-months negotiations on this issue. Albania has numerous benefits from this agreement that would now be approved by the government and will then be adopted by the parliament. Review of the period of the fiscal stability gives to the Albanian state the right to obtain a higher income tax, in a total sum of 60 Mln Euro during the projects operational phase. Furthermore, Albania obtains an augmentation of the investments in community from 7 to 14 million Euro. This amended agreement creates the possibility for Albania to be treated appropriately and to re-balance its contractual commitments as the host country of the pipeline while maximizing benefits. Albanian government welcomes TAP commitment for the continuation of investments project in the interest of local communities, declared Minister Gjiknuri, speaking to journalists after agreements signature. PITTSBURGH, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Vocelli Pizza is proud to announce a newly signed franchise agreement with a seasoned entrepreneur and his family to expand the brand's footprint with 3 new locations into Grand Junction, Colorado. This marks a major milestone in Vocelli Pizza's ongoing national growth strategy. "Colorado has been a key area of focus for our expansion, and we are thrilled to have our new franchisee's expertise leading the way," said Toni Bianco, CEO of Vocelli Pizza. "We're excited to build on this momentum as we continue to grow the Vocelli brand and bring our quality pizza and service to more communities across the U.S. in 2026." Vocelli Pizza continues to strengthen its presence in the Maryland region as well, with the addition of a new location in Beltsville. In celebration of the brand's continued growth, Vocelli Pizza is also relaunching its successful Game Day Promotion, featuring Two Medium 1-Topping Pizzas and an Order of Breadsticks for just $19.99. "We understand that value matters, especially in today's economy," said Bianco. "This promotion offers our loyal guests exceptional quality and value. Every Vocelli pizza is made with premium ingredients; including our dough made from high-protein Canadian hard red spring wheat and Extra Virgin Olive Oil, vine-ripened private-label tomato sauce, 100% real mozzarella cheese, and generous edge-to-edge toppings of their choice." Vocelli Pizza is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA and has over 80 locations offering pizza and other Italian foods for carryout and delivery. The company has realized franchise growth from its award-winning product, low start-up costs and a national marketing program. Vocelli Pizza offers single and multi-unit development packages to qualified franchisees. Media Contact: Jim Powers [email protected] SOURCE Vocelli Pizza In an interview given to Zhurnal News Agency, the known Albanian analyst, Ilir Kulla, expert of National Security, makes a radiography of the post-electoral situation in Macedonia and calls to boycott the elections in Tearca on view of the fact that Albanians gain no benefits from this process, adding that they should focus on the negotiations and take what belongs to them. - Mr. Kulla, the recent electoral process in Macedonia evidenced the Albanian votes disruption in many parties, with different political philosophies. BDI lost some MPs, BESA gained some MPs, PDSH is slowly disintegrating. Do you see something more than a political tumult of the political scene? - I am concerned by the catastrophic reduction of the number of Albanian MPs and their votes disintegration. LSDM votes with 70.000 Albanian votes which produced 2 MPs in LSDM lists and is the culmination of these votes, when there should had been at least 7 Albanian nationality MPs. Thus, we are facing an unprecedented political deception whose political dimensions are incomparable with any other country of the Balkans. Its the same as saying to Albanians in Albania to vote Dule and UHRP if you are not satisfied by the traditional Albanian parties. - Gruevski and Zaev are looking for Albanian Parties MPs support to govern Macedonia, while offering very few things in exchange. Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama convened in Tirana the Albanian political factor in Macedonia for consultations. But Ali Ahmeti avoided the collective call emphasizing his leadership and independence. Which is your opinion on these movements by the Macedonian and Albanian leaders a few days after the electoral process? - Pairs will seek alliances and this is normal. I also think that each pair will demand more for the other but 2 things should not change. First of all, they should be united and strong in the negotiation table; Second, Albanian cant allow their political assimilation, a threat that became visible by voting a Macedonian party. - Skopjes Court accepted a complaint filed by the oppositions coalition, leaded by LSDM against the State Election Commission (SEC) for the December 18 elections, considering null the voting process in Tearce, City Hall poll station, in the 6th electoral zone. This decision is contrary to that of SEC, which ruled two days ago that LSDM complaint for irregularities during voting process in the above-mentioned poll station was not based on facts. LSDM thinks that Tearca may be the key to success for countrys governance. Do you think that there will be a new institutional conflict which may destabilize Macedonia? - Albanians should boycott the repeated elections in Tearce, I even call on them to do so. Albanians are already divided, thus no further disruption is needed. Let the Macedonian resolve the situation in Tearce, because independently from their vote Albanians will have no benefits in Tearce. - European Commission extended an appeal to the countrys political actors to act with amenability in order to restore peoples confidence on the institutions and democratic processes. US Embassy is conducting a series of meetings with LSDM and BDI to ease tensions and find solutions. Meanwhile Gruevski speaks over an influence of magnate Soros in the international community in Macedonia. How may we read these developments? - The problems with Soros factor in East Europe, including Albania, are found everywhere. Gruevski is not the first one that raises this concern. I think that Albanians should govern with the one that gives more in the negotiations table and the one that is more committed toward demagogy and propaganda. Source: Zhurnal.mk A group of civil society organizations objected publicly the New Regulation Plan for Tirana. Standing in front of the Mayors office, they denounced the new plan calling it abusive and grave for the capital. Tiranas General Urban Planning was announced two days ago, in a private hotel hall, with a limited number of clients, and partys counselors. This meeting was organized in an official holiday, and only two days ahead of the Urban Planning adoption, while the City Hall is legally obliged to publicly present the necessary documentation for such decision-making at least one month in advance (30 days), facilitating the access. A theatrical piece is being played today in the Municipal Council Hall, through the discussion of an over 2000 pages document, that would require months of discussions with experts, groups of interest, and citizens, while they aim to adopt it during an official holiday. Next 20-years Tirana is decided today, in total secrecy, where even the Municipal Council members that will vote this plan are not informed over its content, denounced the group of organizations. According to them the entire process is developed under colonization conditions, a foreign architect acting under no Albanian expertise has decided not only for the city planning part but has also taken political decision, linked not only to Tiranas new image but the entire countrys economic model during at least two decades, with Tirana as Istanbul and other cities as insignificant angles. Tirana that is projected in this plan is the city with 1.5 million inhabitants, while the countrys population is 2.5 million inhabitants. Populations concentration may be up to 30.000 inhabitants per m/2 - six times higher than the EU standards, construction volumes are projected without any limit, protected areas status is abrogated turning them into construction areas, citys heritage, Tiranas story vanishes and is replaced by multi-store towers to satisfy harpies percentages. This urban planning is entirely anti-constitutional, a severe violation of the right to be informed, and the citizens right to become part of decision-making process. Lifes conditions and lifes quality are not seen as priority in this plan, theres no response for the air pollution, waste management, ruined public transport, floods, lands erosion, waters management, all basic rights linked to the lifes quality guaranteed by the Constitution, continues their declaration. They warned that if the plan will be voted, they will addresses then to the citizens presenting a petition where they will express their attitude toward this injustice. This is not the Tirana citizens urban planning, it has no relation with Tirana. We will not remain silent; we refuse to transform the disregard and absence of transparency in a norm. The general urban planning adoption is a constitutional matter and should be treated as such, ends the declaration. Over 30.000 travelers and 8.000 vehicles entered Albanian during last 10 days through Durresi harbor. A large number of Albanian and Kosovo emigrants return in the fatherland to spend the holidays season with their families. Border police raised the alert level aiming the seizure of wanted individuals that may exploit this flux to enter the country without being detected. Meanwhile Durresi police increased the patrols presence in the streets and public squares aiming to prevent possible terrorist acts during New Years celebration. President of the Republic, Bujar Nishani decreed on Friday the Amnesty law, voted during the last session of the Parliament. The amnesty law foresees the immediate release from prisons of those convicted for minor crimes and sentence reduction for others. Some 670 people will be released from prison thanks to the adopted amnesty. 15 women are among those prisoners that will benefit from this amnesty. All have been condemned for minor crimes, declared the Minister of Justice, Ylli Manjani a few days ago while presenting the amnesty law. Meanwhile 1000 other prisoners will benefits sentence reduction. No prisoner condemned for murder or serious crimes will benefit from this amnesty. France is concerned about the high number of the asylum seekers from Albania. Daily newspaper 'Le Monde' writes that Albania has the higher number of asylum seekers, much more than other countries in conflict as Syria and Afghanistan. "Although France is not a preferred by the Albanians, 5700 people seeks help and protection in this country. From 293 requests made monthly from Albanians seeking asylum in France, this figure is usually tripled last month, November arriving at 973," says the article of 'Le Monde'. This newspaper made public even a letter of the French Ambassador in Albania, Bernard Fitoussi, which expressed his concerned to the Interior Minister for the higher number of asylum seekers. Greek police seized 206 kg of cannabis sativa on Friday in Igumenica and arrested three persons, two Greek and one Albanian citizen. First information coming from the police operation showed that the drug was found divided in 63 different packages. The Albanian citizen arrested was later identified as Ilia Majkaj, 23 years old. Investigations are on process. Mrs Merkel said 2016 had been a year of "severe tests" Islamist terrorism is the biggest challenge facing Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel has said in her New Year message. Referring to the deadly truck attack in Berlin by a Tunisian asylum seeker, she said it was "sickening" when acts of terror were carried out by people who had sought protection. She said 2016 had been a year of "severe tests". But she also said she was confident Germany could overcome them. "As we go about our lives and our work, we are saying to the terrorists: 'You are hate-filled murderers, but you do not determine how we live and want to live. We are free, considerate and open'," Mrs Merkel said. Twelve people were killed when Anis Amri drove a truck at crowds at a Berlin Christmas market two weeks ago. Earlier in the year, a teenage Afghan refugee wounded five people in an axe attack on a train in Wuerzburg and a Syrian whose asylum application had been refused blew himself up outside a bar in Ansbach, wounding 15 other people. The attacks have led to some criticism of Mrs Merkel's policy of admitting more than a million refugees and migrants in 2015. But in her New Year message the chancellor said images of the devastation in the Syrian city of Aleppo, where Syrian government forces have forced out rebels after months of fighting, showed how "important and right" it was for Germany to take in those fleeing the conflict. "All this is reflected in our democracy, rule of law and values. They are the opposite of the hate-filled world of terrorism and will prove stronger than it. Together we are stronger. Our state is stronger," she said. Mrs Merkel also denounced "distortions" that were leading people to believe that the EU and even parliamentary democracy were no longer working. The EU was "slow and difficult", had suffered a blow with the United Kingdom's vote to leave and should focus on the things it "really can do better than the nation state", she said. "But no - we Germans should never be deceived into thinking that a happy future could ever lie in going it alone nationally," she added. Mrs Merkel is seeking a fourth term as chancellor in an election expected in September and has already said that she expects her toughest campaign yet. (Source: BBC) Vlora Harbor experienced a large flux of emigrants during December due to the numerous emigrants returning home on Christmas and New Years Eve. Some 2000 more emigrants entered Vlora Harbor this year in comparison to the past year, while the flux is expected to be even higher during next days. Border police opened new ticket-offices coping with the emigrants flux. Border Police Chief, Ilirjan Deliaj said that so far the situation seems relatively calm, adding that all necessary measures have been taken to prevent any abnormality. Even the arriving travelers expressed satisfaction for the absence of long-lines after the arrival in Vlora harbor. A record amount of drugs was seized on Saturday in a car repair workshop in Kolubro in the outskirts of Rome. Italian authorities reported that police found 2.7 tonnes of cannabis sativa divided in 126 packages. At the end of the operation, police arrested two persons, a 45 years old Italian citizen and one Albanian citizen, who was represented first as employees in the workshops. Some packages were discovered in a van while the other part in the basement of the workshop. Police is investigating the case to identify other persons connected with the drug traffic, local media report. As many other cities around the world, even Albania has stepped up security for New Year's Eve celebrations, after a year in which attackers drove lorries into crowds in Berlin in Germany and Nice, France. Thousands of extra police will be on duty all over the country and the biggest cities. Police informed that starting from Saturday, December 31 until January 4, thousand of police officers will be present everywhere to guarantee security. Some 4500 police officers will be on duty in Albania, 780 of them traffic police officers. SHANGHAI, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Yum China Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: YUMC and HKEX: 9987, "Yum China" or the "Company") today announced that it will report its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2025 before the U.S. market opens on Tuesday, November 4, 2025 (after the trading hours of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Tuesday, November 4, 2025). Yum China's management will hold an earnings conference call at 7:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Tuesday, November 4, 2025 (8:00 p.m. Beijing/Hong Kong Time on Tuesday, November 4, 2025). A live webcast of the call may be accessed at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/4vatr2tq. To join by phone, please register in advance of the conference through the link provided below. Upon registering, you will be provided with participant dial-in numbers and a unique access PIN. Pre-registration Link: https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BI9e7407ad602f441ea518cca00c739e9d A replay of the webcast will be available two hours after the event and will remain accessible until November 3, 2026. Additionally, earnings release accompanying slides will be available at the Company's Investor Relations website http://ir.yumchina.com. About Yum China Holdings , Inc. Yum China is the largest restaurant company in China with a mission to make every life taste beautiful. The Company operates over 16,000 restaurants under six brands across around 2,400 cities in China. KFC and Pizza Hut are the leading brands in the quick-service and casual dining restaurant spaces in China, respectively. In addition, Yum China has also partnered with Lavazza to develop the Lavazza coffee concept in China. Little Sheep and Huang Ji Huang specialize in Chinese cuisine. Taco Bell offers innovative Mexican-inspired food. Yum China has a world-class, digitalized supply chain which includes an extensive network of logistics centers nationwide and an in-house supply chain management system. Its strong digital capabilities and loyalty program enable the Company to reach customers faster and serve them better. Yum China is a Fortune 500 company with the vision to be the world's most innovative pioneer in the restaurant industry. For more information, please visit http://ir.yumchina.com. Investor Relations Contact Tel: +86 21 2407 7556 E-mail: [email protected] Media Contact Tel: +86 21 2407 3824 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE Yum China Holdings, Inc. Forensic teams were searching the club at daybreak At least 39 people, including at least 15 foreigners, have been killed in an attack on a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey's interior minister says. A gunman opened fire in Reina nightclub at about 01:30 local time (22:30 GMT), as revellers marked the new year. Suleyman Soylu said efforts were continuing to find the attacker, who was believed to have acted alone. At least 69 people were being treated in hospital, the minister added. Four were said to be in a serious condition. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the attackers were trying to "create chaos" and pledged to "fight to the end" against terrorism. (Source: BBC) Prime Minister, Edi Rama started his wishes for the New Year 2017 seeking forgiveness to all those Albanian who faced state injustice during the last year. In a special congratulation messages to all the Albanians, he promised that on 2017, his government will fight for a fairer state. PM continues his congratulation message promising more attention to people in need and more work to realize reforms needed for Albania's integration. Police in Istanbul are hunting for a gunman who opened fire at a nightclub, killing at least 39 people. The attack happened at Reina nightclub early on Sunday, as hundreds of revellers marked the new year. Officials say at least 15 foreigners were killed, including an Israeli woman. Citizens from Morocco, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Libya were hurt. The attacker left his gun at the scene before fleeing, the Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said. He also confirmed the gunman was not dressed as Santa Claus, contradicting earlier reports. At least 69 people are being treated in hospital, officials said, with four in a serious condition. The motive for the attack is not clear. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed terror groups "trying to create chaos". "They are trying to... demoralise our people and destabilise our country," he said. In an early morning statement, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu described the attack as "a massacre, a truly inhuman savagery". "A manhunt for the terrorist is under way. Police have launched operations. We hope the attacker will be captured soon." Police believed there was only one gunman, he said, although some eyewitness reports mentioned multiple attackers. (Source: BBC) English News Father and son devoted over 30 years to protecting the Yunnan golden hair monkeys Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 13 Octobre 2025 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. By Yang Wenming, People's Daily 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. "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. 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. Dans la meme rubrique : < > Tang Xianzu and Shakespeare: Theater as a bridge for global cultural dialogue Shanghai seed bank hits 100 million samples in biodiversity conservation push China unveils world's first mid-infrared solar magnetic-field telescope Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena) RACV calls for government action on road safety More than 12,000 road users have voted on Melbournes most frustrating and dangerous intersections in RACVs My Melbourne Road campaign, with RACV now calling for government action to improve road safety and traffic flow across Melbourne. RACV Head of Policy James Williams says this year RACV worked alongside the National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO) to evaluate 364 metropolitan intersections, based on crash data, traffic volumes and intersection design, and identified 84 of the worst intersections for Victorians to vote on. We know that around 40 per cent of crashes in Melbourne occur at intersections, and if we are going to reach our Towards Zero target of halving road deaths by 2030, government needs to invest in fixing these intersections, Williams says. With limited funding available for new or upgraded infrastructure, RACV has provided an evidence-based approach for governments to make targeted investment decisions across a range of budgets. RACV will use this data to continue advocating to governments for improvements to these high-risk, high-frustration intersections." RACVs My Melbourne Road, is how we listen to Victorians about their safety concerns regarding Melbournes transport network, so that we can act on behalf of the community to help improve safety on our roads. Samsung has finally set a date for the official announcement of its next VR headset Samsungs Project Moohan XR Headset . Samsung first teased Project Moohan back at Unpacked in January, and has been doing demos at various events all year long. In fact, I got to do a demo at Google I/O this past Summer. Now, Samsung is finally getting ready to make it official, at a new Galaxy Event called Worlds Wide Open. At this event, Samsung says that it will be introducing a new era of multimodal AI and unveiling Project Moohan, the first product built for the open and scalable Android XR platform. The event will take place on October 21 at 10 PM ET. With that time, its pretty obvious that Samsung is doing a virtual event that is coinsiding with Korea. Which does line up with some of the rumors weve heard about the Android XR headset, where it would be limited to Korea though, we do expect it to launch in another country or two. We did leak the headset just a few days ago, which is going to use the name Galaxy XR and be powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2. Of course, we also expect it to have incredible displays, since that is what Samsung really excels at. Galaxy Reserve opens today, get $100 credit With tonights announcement, Samsung is also opening Galaxy Reserve for the new Android XR headset. So youre going to be able to reserve the latest Galaxy devices. Which will get you a $100 credit. And given how much we expect this headset to cost, youre definitely going to want that $100 credit. Youll be able to watch the Samsung Galaxy Event on Samsungs website, YouTube Channel and of course learn more on the Samsung Newsroom. While Samsungs current One UI 8 software rollout continues globally, the next major software release is already taking shape. The One UI 8.5 is going to be more than just a visual upgrade, as recent code strings found within internal builds suggest Samsung might introduce a new Network Battery Saver feature with it. Samsung is testing Network Battery Saver with One UI 8.5 According to early reports, the upcoming One UI 8.5 will be based on Android 16 QPR2. While it may not bring major internal changes, its shaping up to serve as a refinement to the existing software. The key focus of the upcoming software is said to be stability and AI integration. Improved privacy protection, AI-generated notification summaries, and smarter background optimizations are among the rumored additions. However, the biggest highlight of the One UI 8.5 appears to be a new feature called the Network Battery Saver. It was recently spotted in leaked system strings by developers analyzing test builds. The feature is said to intelligently manage the devices network so that the system reduces performance drain whenever it detects inactivity. Personal data intelligence will be the core of this new feature The code also mentions that the feature will require the Personal Data Intelligence option to be enabled. Its a Samsung on-device AI tool that studies user patterns to make predictions without relying on external servers. Based on the discovered string, its clear that this new feature will limit network power usage when the phone is unlikely to be used, such as during nighttime. Personal Data Intelligence (also referred to as Personal Data Engine) will serve as the core of this new feature. It will send the analyzed data to the system to decide when to reduce network power usage. Anyway, do keep in mind that this string discovery doesnt necessarily mean that the feature will make its way to the stable version. 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The Home Office has teamed up with NatWest to issue the warning as part of the Stop! Think Fraud campaign. Research for NatWests student living index, carried out by Savanta in April and May among more than 5,000 UK undergraduates, found 57% had encountered criminals or had money stolen in the past year. The average amount stolen from people aged 18 to 24 in the past year was 300. Students in Kent are hit the hardest by scams, with the average victim having 436 stolen, followed by Lincolnshire at 355 and Greater London at 350, the research indicated. Criminals may purport to be from banks or HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) or offer bogus investments. People should also be wary of letting someone use their bank account to move money, as they could be helping criminals to move cash. This is called money muling and is illegal, with students often being targeted with promises of quick opportunities to make some cash. Fraud Minister Lord Hanson said: I urge students to stay alert; anyone can be a victim. A little vigilance now could save you from a financial nightmare. For help and advice, search Stop! Think Fraud. Nick Perkins, director of fraud prevention at NatWest, said: Our advice to students before acting on any request is to take a moment to think: does it feel rushed or too good to be true? Pause before spending your hard-earned money. If youre unsure, speak to someone you trust. And if you believe youve been scammed, please dont feel ashamed criminals are highly skilled at deception. What matters most is reporting it to your bank and accessing the support available to you. Mark Tierney, chief executive of Stop Scams UK said: At Stop Scams UK, we believe the biggest win will come from preventing scammers from reaching students in the first place. Thats why we work with our 37 members including NatWest across banking, payments, tech and telecoms to shut down the routes fraudsters use to target the public. But scammers are wily, and until we can stop them entirely, our advice to students is simple: if something feels rushed, too good to be true, or just not quite right pause, check and dont engage. National Union of Students president, Amira Campbell, said: The Stop! Think Fraud initiative is really important. Fraudsters often target students who are living independently for the first time. International students are also disproportionately targeted, with fraudsters taking advantage of the fact that they have moved to a new country and dont know how all our housing and banking systems work. Stop! Think Fraud is the UK Governments campaign to help people protect themselves from scams, led by the Home Office and supported by law enforcement, banking, tech, retail and the charity sector. Meanwhile, a survey for Barclays indicated that 48% of 18 to 24-year-olds have been targeted by a job scam or know someone who has. Job scammers often promise high pay and ask for upfront payments for training or equipment, stealing personal details or tricking people into laundering money. Kirsty Adams, a fraud and scams expert at Barclays, said: Students are facing real financial pressure, and criminals exploit that anxiety with offers that look professional and promise quick cash. If youre asked to pay upfront, share personal details, or the job sounds too good to be true, theres a good chance its a scam. Always take time to check before you respond. Barclays consumer research was carried out in September by Opinium, involving a general population survey of 2,000 people across the UK and an additional survey of 500 young Gen-Z adults. World leaders celebrated with several handshakes and photoshoots as a ceasefire was announced and a prisoner-hostage exchange took place on Monday. But for Palestinians, the promise of truckloads of aid to alleviate famine and a humanitarian crisis has not been fulfilled. Israel agreed to let through 4,200 trucks a week, or 600 trucks per day, which it appeared to do on Sunday. By Tuesday, it threatened to restrict the flow of assistance if the bodies of all dead hostages were not returned, and on Wednesday the Rafah crossing into Egypt remained closed. However, aid did continue to be delivered into the enclave by other routes, and Israel insisted supplies would be allowed through. Tom Fletcher, the UNs humanitarian chief, said: Earlier this week, we were able to kick off our humanitarian scale-up after months of frustration and blockages. Food, medicine, fuel, water, cooking gas and tents got through to those who need them. We made progress clearing roads and reopening bakeries. We shared in the joy and relief of families reunited. But yesterday we faced further setbacks to that implementation. We are now tested to see whether we can ensure that these do not prevent the progress on which President Trump, the UN secretary general and so many leaders have insisted. On Monday, the crossings were closed due to the hostage exchange and on Tuesday because of the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret. Palestinians gather to receive food portions from a charity kitchen in the Nuseirat refugee camp, located in the central Gaza Strip, on Wednesday (AFP via Getty) Confusion erupted on Wednesday as Palestinians were told on Israeli radio that Rafah would be closed due to logistical issues, including the clearing of rubble accrued during bombardment. But the Kerem Shalom and Kissufim crossings appeared to remain open. Unicef has said that the promise of aid had yet to be delivered: The true test of whether this is underway has not yet happened. Groups on the ground in Gaza claimed that many of the trucks being let in were commercial rather than charitable. Amjad al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGO Network that works with more than 800 charitable groups in the region, said that of the 600 trucks let through on Sunday, only 150 were humanitarian and donation-based, a small contingent was donated by Egypt and other Arab nations, and more than half were commercial, carrying food supplies for supermarkets and shops. Unicef told The Independent that while the organisation could not confirm precise figures, the division of trucks described by Mr Al-Shawa matched their understanding of the situation. Unicef said it had at least 1,300 trucks waiting at the borders of Gaza, of which only 40 were let through on Sunday and at least 60 were expected to be let through on Wednesday, with some being unloaded already. Trucks carrying aid provided by the World Food Programme in the central Gaza Strip (AFP/Getty) The World Food Programme said: Since the ceasefire began (11 October), WFP has dispatched 186 trucks (2,227 mt) into Gaza to support bakeries, nutrition programmes and general food distributions. An Israeli security official denied that there had ever been an agreement to let aid through Rafah. Humanitarian aid will not pass through the Rafah Crossing, they said. No such agreement has been reached at any stage. The date for opening the crossing for the movement of people only will be announced later. Asked about the number of aid trucks entering the strip, Israeli spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian told a press conference on Wednesday: Humanitarian aid has never stopped going into the Gaza Strip. Its something Israel has been committed to making sure aid goes in and to the populations that need it most, ensuring Hamas does not steal it, which we have seen in the past. The frustrating part for agencies is that the equipment and supplies to meet all the needs of Palestinians are within reach (AFP via Getty) Eyad Amawi, a father of three and a representative of the Gaza relief committee based in Nuseirat Camp, said that the needs for civilians are both immense and complex. He told The Independent that the majority of aid being let through consists of flour and canned food. There are children, the elderly, and the wounded who still suffer from deep injuries that require nutrition and rich foods to recover properly, he said. Childrens wards continue to receive increasing cases of malnutrition as bread alone is not sufficient nourishment. It fills the stomach but does not provide the body with the vitamins and minerals it needs for healthy growth. He emphasised the importance of medical supplies for the malnourished who are at risk. Sayeeda, a mother of six in Gaza, used to be afraid that her family would be killed in an Israeli air strike. Since the ceasefire was announced, she celebrated that theyd survived. But her fear of death has been replaced by a new fear. Im grateful that Im safe, she told Unicefs Tess Ingram in Gaza. Thats the most important thing. But now Im afraid that while the water truck came yesterday, it might not come today, and it might not come tomorrow. Ms Ingram said that every one of the over 2 million Palestinians is in need of aid and added: Its the small indignities that they have to face every day that may not make headlines. Palestinians gather to receive food portions from a charity kitchen on 15 October (AFP via Getty) Like, digging their own toilet in the sands behind their tent and not having any toilet paper. Or having a newborn baby that gets diarrhoea because theres no clean water and you dont have nappies. For teenage girls, its menstrual hygiene. These things compound and they eat away at peoples days and make their lives almost unbearable. The frustrating part for agencies is that the equipment and supplies to meet all the needs of Palestinians are within reach. The needs are quite shocking, to be honest. The scale of the needs is immense and it is going to be a very big job for us in the coming days and weeks. Were ready to go. We have the teams on the ground. Weve got all the trucks outside. Barcelona continued their impressive start to the season with a convincing 4-0 win at Roma in the Womens Champions League on Wednesday. The Catalan outfit, who boast a 100 per cent record after seven games in Liga F, were again on song as they impressively followed up last weeks 7-1 thrashing of Bayern Munich in the league phase. Esmee Brugts set them on their way after just two minutes at the Stadio Tre Fontane with further goals coming from Kika Nazareth, Alexia Putellas who scored a penalty after earlier missing from the spot and Caroline Graham Hansen. Putellas scored with her second penalty of the night (Alessandra Tarantino/AP) There were two notable accomplishments as record eight-time winners Lyon maintained their winning start with an impressive 3-0 win over Austrian side St Polten at the Groupama Stadium. United States international Lily Yohannes became their youngest goalscorer in the competition, at 18 years and 125 days, when she completed victory with a spectacular long-range lob from just beyond the centre circle. That came after Ada Hegerberg, the Champions Leagues most prolific goalscorer, had extended her own competition record with a 67th goal in her 77th appearance. Jule Brand was also on target for the French side with a first-half header. Janina Minge scored a winning penalty deep into stoppage time as Wolfsburg snatched a 2-1 victory at Valerenga. Les trois points et un clean sheet. Rendez-vous des samedi au Groupama Stadium face a Nantes : https://t.co/9LGDFiKXjW #OLSKN #UWCL pic.twitter.com/zlrNIqGaJK OL Lyonnes (@ol__lyonnes) October 15, 2025 The Norwegians produced a spirited showing and responded to Lineth Beerrensteyns opener with a header from Sara Horte on the hour. They looked like holding on until a foul by Naina Inauen allowed Minge the chance to settle the contest with the final kick in the eighth added minute. Leuven produced a late fightback to beat Twente 2-1. Jaimy Ravensbergen put the Dutch side 1-0 up at half-time but Linde Veefkind levelled from the spot after 82 minutes and Sara Pusztai won it in stoppage time. Shabana Mahmood greets Albana Kociu, Albanias minister of the interior, at the Western Balkans summit in London. Photograph: Peter Nicholls/PA British border security officers have been deployed to the Balkans for the first time in an effort to disrupt the networks smuggling migrants into the UK. Officers have been sent to develop new ways of working with Frontex, the EUs border agency, to track down and arrest people-smugglers operating along key routes into western Europe. As part of the initiative, UK officers are training border guards across the western Balkans to use British-made drones and biometric tracking systems to track migrants. Officials are also sharing techniques for detecting visa and passport fraud to block migrants before they reach the Channel. Shabana Mahmood this week hosted her counterparts from the western Balkans and other European countries at a London summit aimed at bolstering cooperation on tackling illegal migration. The home secretary said: I have instructed UK law enforcement to explore all options including deploying operations in the west Balkans to tackle illegal migration routes. Related: Border failings in Europe are eroding trust in nation states, warns Mahmood I have pledged to do whatever it takes to secure our borders. That is exactly what I am doing. About 22,000 people were smuggled through the western Balkans by organised gangs last year, according to the Home Office. Frontex data shows irregular crossings on the route fell by 78% in 2024, though UK officials say it continues to serve as a major transit route for both migrant smuggling and cross-border drug trafficking. The UK and Frontex signed a formal working arrangement in February 2024 to strengthen cooperation on intelligence sharing, joint operations, training and technical support. The UK border security commander, Martin Hewitt, said Britain would provide drones and night-vision goggles to support police forces in the region in dismantling smuggling operations. He made the announcement after chairing the Balkans Border Police Chiefs Forum in Sarajevo last week. Since July 2024, the UK government has entered into several joint operational agreements with Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia specifically aimed at disrupting organised crime groups operating across the western Balkans. Next week, Keir Starmer is expected to host a leaders summit with western Balkan nations to agree further measures to reduce the number of people entering the UK illegally. Candace Owens was refused an Australian visa in 2024 on character grounds. Photograph: Jason Davis/Getty Images Australias high court has unanimously backed the governments 2024 decision to refuse the rightwing provocateur Candace Owens a visa to enter the country. The full bench of the court ruled on Wednesday that the ministers denial did not infringe an implied constitutional freedom of political communication. Last October the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, refused Owens visa application before a planned national speaking tour, arguing that she had the capacity to incite discord. Burke said at the time the US conservative influencer and podcast host, who has advanced conspiracy theories and antisemitic rhetoric including allegedly minimising Nazi medical experiments in concentration camps did not pass the character test to receive a visa under the Migration Act. Related: Australia rejects visa application by rightwing US pundit Candace Owens A statement released by the court said: The minister found that there was a risk of [Owens] controversial views leading to increased hostility and violent or radical action. Owens, in court, sought a declaration that a section of the act was invalid or, alternatively, that the minister had misconstrued the act when refusing to grant her a visa. Her lawyers argued the character test was more likely to exclude non-mainstream political views that sparked division. Perry Herzfeld SC contended that the threshold of inciting discord to reject a visa was so broad it could capture disagreements and robust debates and was very much in the eye of the beholder. Sign up: AU Breaking News email This meant visas could be withheld from people who will stimulate debate the minister doesnt like, Herzfeld argued in the high court in May. But on Wednesday the judges unanimously held that, reading the ministers decision fairly and as a whole, the minister did not misconstrue [the act] in deciding to refuse to grant the visa, a summary of the courts judgment said. According to the judgment, the minister argued that Owens had made extremist and inflammatory comments towards Muslim, Black, Jewish and LGBTQIA+ communities which generate controversy and hatred. The court said the section that Owens argued Burke had misconstrued applies where there is a risk that the person would stir up or encourage dissension or strife in the Australian community, or a segment of that community, of a kind or to a degree that is harmful to that community or segment. In October Burke said: From downplaying the impact of the Holocaust with comments about [notorious Nazi doctor Josef] Mengele through to claims that Muslims started slavery, Candace Owens has the capacity to incite discord in almost every direction. Australias national interest is best served when Candace Owens is somewhere else. The minister argued that Owens met all relevant legal requirements to be issued a visa except for the character test. Owens maintained that she satisfied all the requirements. The minister argued that Owens, as a rightwing activist with 18 million followers on social media, posed a risk because her controversial views may lead to increased hostility and violent or radical action, Wednesdays ruling said. In his reasons, Justice James Edelman quoted the philosopher Isaiah Berlin: Freedom of some must at times be curtailed to secure the freedom of others. For instance, there is no freedom to make a serious threat to kill an individual in order to communicate a political message, Edelman wrote. Burke welcomed the ruling: This is a win for social cohesion. Inciting discord might be the way some people make money, but its not welcome in Australia. The high court found that Owens was not entitled to any relief and ordered her to pay the defendants costs. Owens and her Australian solicitors were contacted for comment. Outsourcing giant Capita has been fined 14 million by the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) for failing to protect personal data after hackers stole 6.6 million peoples information during a cyber attack in 2023. The data watchdog said the breach in March 2023 saw the hackers access information including pension details and staff records, as well as details of customers of organisations Capita supports. In some cases this included sensitive information such as details of criminal records, financial data or so-called special category data, which can include race, religion and sexual orientation. The ICO fined Capita 8 million and a further 6 million for Capita Pension Solutions, which processes personal information on behalf of more than 600 groups providing pension schemes, with 325 of these organisations also impacted by the data breach. John Edwards, UK information commissioner, said: Capita failed in its duty to protect the data entrusted to it by millions of people. The scale of this breach and its impact could have been prevented had sufficient security measures been in place. The ICO said Capita had failed to ensure the security of processing of personal data, which left it at significant risk, adding that the company also lacked appropriate technical and organisational measures to effectively respond to the attack. The ICO had initially proposed a combined fine of 45 million, but said this was reduced as part of a voluntary settlement and as it took into account actions by Capita following the hack to improve its systems, offer support to those impacted and engage with cyber authorities and regulators. Capita said: We regret the incident and can reaffirm that, following a detailed forensic investigation, all those identified as potentially impacted were contacted after the attack. Capita chief executive Adolfo Hernandez, who took on the role in 2024, said the firm was among the first in the recent wave of highly significant cyber attacks on large UK companies. He added: When I joined as CEO the year after the attack I accelerated our cyber security transformation, with new digital and technology leadership and significant investment. As a result, we have hugely strengthened our cybersecurity posture, built in advanced protections and embedded a culture of continuous vigilance. Capita has already taken a heavy financial hit from the cyber attack, estimating in the summer of 2023 that it could cost it up to 25 million as it forked out for specialist professional fees, recovery and remediation costs and investments in its cyber security. This was before taking into account any potential fines. The ICO said the attack began when a malicious file was unintentionally downloaded onto an employees device on March 22 2023. Despite a high priority security alert being raised within 10 minutes of the breach and some immediate automated action being taken, Capita did not quarantine the device for 58 hours, during which the attacker was able to exploit its systems, the ICO added. The target response time is one hour, according to the ICO. The hacker was then able to stay in the system, gain administrator permissions and access other areas of the network before deploying ransomware onto Capitas systems on March 31, resetting all user passwords and stopping Capita employees from accessing their systems and network. It came amid a spate of cyber incidents in 2023, with high street retailer WH Smith suffering its second hack in less than a year in March of that year and Royal Mails international postal service suffering lengthy disruption after hackers targeted the group. This year has been another year of high profile cyber attacks, with Jaguar Land Rover still recovering from a damaging hack just months after Marks & Spencer was badly hit. Jermaine Baker, a father of two from north London, was shot near Wood Green crown court. Photograph: Family handout/PA The family of a man shot dead by a police officer during a foiled prison break have accused Scotland Yard of evading accountability after a case against the marksman was thrown out. The officer, known only as W80, shot Jermaine Baker as police stopped a plot to snatch two prisoners from a van near Wood Green crown court in 2015. Misconduct proceedings against W80 began last week in London after almost a decade of legal wrangling over the case. He was eventually accused of breaching professional standards over the use of force. But on Wednesday the case was dismissed after the panels chair, Chris McKay, ruled there was no case to answer. He said the panels full reasons for the decision would be issued in the next five days. Bakers family said there was no justification for the killing and questioned how W80s action had escaped scrutiny. The police watchdog said the case has dented public confidence in police accountability. Baker, a father of two from Tottenham, north London, was shot at close range by counter-terrorism specialist firearms officer W80, who thought Baker was reaching for a gun. Baker, who was sitting in the front passenger seat of a stolen Audi A6, was unarmed. An imitation firearm was later found in the back of the Audi, the misconduct hearing previously heard. W80 was in the highest tier of armed officers in the country and had been trained to carry a gun since 1998. Prosecutors said in 2017 that there was insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges over the shooting, but the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) directed that the officer should face misconduct proceedings, prompting a lengthy legal dispute between the watchdog and the Metropolitan police. In 2023, the supreme court found in the IOPCs favour, paving the way for a misconduct hearing. There was also a public inquiry into Bakers death which concluded in 2022 that he had been lawfully killed. Margaret Smith, the mother of Baker, said she was not surprised by the decision. She said: Since the day almost 10 years ago that my son Jermaine was shot and killed by W80, the Metropolitan police has taken every possible step to avoid their officer or their organisation from facing scrutiny and accountability for his death. That included going all the way to the supreme court to avoid W80 facing disciplinary proceedings. Against that background, my family and I never had any faith in this gross misconduct hearing. The IOPC director, Amanda Rowe, said: This case highlights the complexities of the police accountability system, which leave it open to legal challenges and lengthy delays that have a detrimental impact on the confidence of both the public and the police officers involved. We have long called for a review of end-to-end processes and said that the complaints and disciplinary system need fundamental reform. Mark Rowley, the Met commissioner, welcomed the decision but accepted that the system needed reform. Speaking outside New Scotland Yard, he said: Officers will be encouraged by the fact this has been dismissed it will give them some confidence that the right decision has been reached in the end. He said W80 had endured a decade of legal madness in which his life was put on hold. Rowley added: We were very clear with the IOPC that we werent sure this hearing was necessary, but the more important message today is the system itself, the regulations which hold police to account do not have the right balance. Theyre exploited too often by criminals and their legal teams to undermine police officers confidence, and we need a system which looks fairly at split-second decisions taken by officers in the most difficult operational moments. He urged the government to act on an independent review of police accountability which reported to the Home Office earlier this year, adding: Until we have a more just and more timely system, it will continue to crush the spirit and confidence of good officers who go out there every day to police London and to keep us all safe. 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. Channing Tatum plays an ex-soldier who winds up secretly living inside a Toys R Us store - Davi Russo/Paramount Pictures Roofman has heart, energy and personality fit to burst. If the cinema gods decided that it was finally time for Channing Tatum to have a chance at an Oscar nomination, they could hardly have equipped him better than with this role, based on the true story of an ex-soldier who went on a robbing spree and wound up secretly living inside a Toys R Us store for six months. In the late 1990s, Jeffrey Manchester held up more than 40 branches of McDonalds across the US, with the same modus operandi: he would cut through the roof at night, then wait inside the restaurant, armed and masked, to hold up employees on the morning shift and empty their tills. Jeffrey Manchesters story shape-shifts into a borderline romcom, with Kirsten Dunst playing Leigh, who asks him out - Davi Russo/Paramount Pictures What disarmed these hostages was his politeness. Before locking them inside walk-in freezers to make his getaway, hed ensure they wrapped up warm. The scheme served him well until North Carolina police captured him and sent him to jail, from which he naturally made a (deeply ingenious) daredevil escape in 2004. His arrest itself, at his daughters birthday party, is mounted in the film as a bravura set piece with slow-motion technique to die for. This is only the beginning of Manchesters story, which shape-shifts into a borderline romcom, a development that is pulled off with top-end tonal assurance in this film by the writer-director Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond the Pines). It is at all times a glorious use of Tatum, who has needed a part like this since Magic Mike and Foxcatcher a seriocomic, Jerry-Maguire-esque showcase letting him do more than deadpan constantly to sell us a premise. He turns Jeffrey into a relatable outcast for our times, whose yearning for the family he has lost is tenderly sketched. Jeffrey cant easily rebrand himself as a homeless jailbird. One of the Toys R Us employees none of whom have any idea hes sleeping behind a partition wall is a single mother called Leigh (a wonderful, careworn Kirsten Dunst), whom he gets to know by attending her church, where he donates stuff hes stolen. She asks him out; he tries to appear solvent by pawning things like video games. As were clambering out of a cost of living crisis, a film about the crushing pressures on bread-winners of both genders feels topical. Its also electrically entertaining. Peter Dinklage has so much fun playing the stores awful manager, hes practically the pantomime villain - Davi Russo/Paramount Pictures Peter Dinklage, always at his best being grouchy, is the stores awful manager, and has so much fun playing him that hes practically the pantomime villain. One reaction shot where hes sprayed with paint, in a moment of high jeopardy, made me howl like no other moment in this years films. Tatum has us in the palm of his hand, especially when Jeffreys gazing with deep appreciation at Leigh, dreaming of a better life, but also when hes dashing around the toy aisles, stark naked, after being interrupted when hes washing. Hes a joy to watch in this role, and the supple film-making is a thrill. 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Photograph: House of Commons Keir Starmer was forced to promise to publish witness statements from the UKs deputy national security adviser in an effort to draw a line under a row over why charges against two Britons accused of spying for China were dropped. Updating MPs at the start of prime ministers questions, Starmer said statements by Matthew Collins would be released after a short process amid accusations from the Conservatives that Jonathan Powell, the prime ministers national security adviser, had restricted the evidence his deputy would give. The Crown Prosecution Service cleared the way for the witness statement to be published late on Tuesday when it said it had no objection to its release, given that the case against Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, a teacher, was no longer live. Charges against Cash and Berry were suddenly dropped last month because prosecutors could not obtain evidence from Collins in three successive statements that Beijing represented a threat to the national security of the UK over many months to fulfil the legal requirements of the 1911 Official Secrets Act under which they had been charged. But though the Collins statements had been promised first about 5pm, then shortly after 7pm, they had not been released by 9pm on Wednesday. Meanwhile, there were some indications that their contents would not be as dramatic as Conservative critics of the government had hoped. The chairs of five parliamentary committees met Stephen Parkinson, the head of the Crown Prosecution Service, on Wednesday afternoon to discuss how they would scrutinise the affair. According to one account of the meeting, the director of prosecutions told them the statements prepared by Collins were 5% less than the evidence threshold that was needed while the CPS declined to comment. Starmer argued that the evidence Collins submitted was based on the Conservative governments position at the time charges were brought, because the men had been charged with offences allegedly committed between 2021 and 2023. On Wednesday, the Conservatives accused ministers of political interference in the trial, but Starmer said at prime ministers questions it was absolutely not the case and said Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the opposition, had made a completely scurrilous allegation. Downing Street told reporters after the exchanges in the house that Starmer did not see the witness statements submitted by Collins on behalf of the government until Wednesday morning, and only found out about the impending collapse of the trial a couple of days in advance. The prime ministers spokesperson insisted that it was not for Starmer to intervene in this scenario. In a series of robust exchanges in the Commons, Badenoch accused Starmer of not being honest about what had happened. The charges were brought under us, the case collapsed under them, she said. Can the prime minister tell us what changed and what collapsed the case? Related: Government made every effort to support China spying trial, says minister Starmer turned his fire on the Tories, saying that it was their failure and they are just slinging mud. He argued the only reason the case was withdrawn was because the previous Conservative government did not designate China as a threat to the UK. To be clear, had the Conservatives been quicker in updating our legislation a review that started in 2015 these individuals could have been prosecuted, and we would not be where we are, he said. Starmer added that Collins was a civil servant of the utmost integrity and that his witness statement had been made without political input. Under this government, no minister or special adviser played any role in the provision of evidence, he said. I cant say what the position was of the previous government in relation to the involvement of ministers or special advisers. If the leader of the opposition knows the answer to that question, and I suspect that she does, I invite her to update the house. Badenoch demanded to know if there had been any discussions involving Jonathan Powell, the governments national security adviser, and called for the release of any minutes and correspondence between the government and the CPS over the case. Exactly as I expected, the prime minister had to be dragged out at the top of PMQs to give a statement that answers no questions, she said. He had to be dragged out to repeat only more obfuscation. It is simply unbelievable that he is trying to say the last government did not classify China as a threat. Earlier on Wednesday, Dominic Cummings, who served as Boris Johnsons chief adviser, had said that China had breached secure high-level systems involving Strap, a government classification for highly sensitive intelligence material, and this had not been made public but this was denied by former senior cybersecurity officials working in Whitehall and the Cabinet Office within hours. A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: It is untrue to claim that the systems we use to transfer the most sensitive government information have been compromised. Sources indicated there had been concern with a datacentre company that had provided some less sensitive government communications. On Thursday, Ken McCallum, the head of the domestic security service MI5, is expected to spell out the threats posed by China in an annual security update. Whitehall insiders are frustrated by the failure to prosecute Cash and Berry and reiterate that they stand by a string of previous warnings they have made about Chinese hacking and industrial espionage. A portion of a human skull more than 4,000 years old has been found in Indiana, with the local coroners office calling it a remarkable discovery. Fayette County Coroner Eddie Richardson fittingly announced the skulls finding on Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday. Human remains were found in June on the bank of the Whitewater River and reported to the local sheriffs office, according to a recent Facebook post from the coroners office. Preliminary analysis, which included Radiocarbon Dating, confirmed the skull is about 4,270 years old, dating to around 2,300 B.C. A human skull more than 4,000 years old has been found in Indiana, with the local coroners office calling it a 'remarkable discovery' (Fayette County Coroner's Office) During this time, larger populations of Native Americans were living in smaller areas, according to the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites. Native Americans were also becoming increasingly dependent on plant foods. Groundstone tools, which were shaped from hard granitic or basaltic stone materials, appeared regularly. "This discovery underscores the importance of our community's vigilance and the necessity of professional collaboration, Richardson said in a statement. I want to commend the landowner for their responsible action in immediately reporting the finding." The coroner received help from Dr. Krista Latham with the University of Indianapolis Human Identification Center and testing was conducted by the University of Georgia to determine the age of the remains. The remains were found in June on the bank of the Whitewater River (Fayette County Coroner's Office) Today, as we observe Indigenous Peoples' Day, we honor the history, cultures, and enduring presence of Native American people, the Facebook post read. This remarkable discovery is a powerful and humbling reminder that people have walked this land, our home in Fayette County, for millennia. It calls upon all of us to handle this matter with the utmost respect and diligence. The coroners office said it is waiting to hear from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources regarding the next steps for repatriation and site management, ensuring that this ancestral discovery is handled according to cultural and legal standards. Credit Suisse has lost a 440 million US dollar (325 million) High Court claim against Japans SoftBank Group over a restructuring agreement involving Lex Greensills collapsed firm. In early 2021, Credit Suisse found itself exposed to the collapse of Greensill Capital, which had supplied loans to many customers. These were then lumped together and sold off, via a Credit Suisse fund, to outside investors, who would buy a share in the loans and cash in when they were paid back. These loans were insured, but the firm collapsed when its main insurer decided not to renew the insurance. A civil trial in London looked at how Greensill restructured its relationship with Katerra, a construction company in which SoftBank was an investor. Credit Suisse alleged that the relationship between SoftBank Group and Greensill Group was co-ordinated at the highest levels of the two organisations, and left Credit Suisse investors out of pocket. SoftBank defended the claims. On Wednesday, Lord Justice Miles dismissed Credit Suisses claim, finding that Softbank was not liable for the restructuring deal that left the Swiss bank out of pocket in relation to 440 million US dollars of loan notes. Lord Justice Miles found that SoftBank did not know or suspect the agreements were being entered into by Greensill for the purpose of prejudicing Credit Suisse. He added that SoftBank believed in good faith that the 440 million US dollars would be used to pay lenders. He added: The reality is that there was a series of negotiations and agreements over more than three months under which SoftBank had the aims of salvaging Greensills fundraising efforts and recapitalising Katerra. Lord Justice Miles added that SoftBank did not orchestrate the transactions in order to obtain Katerra shares free of debt. In the 149-page ruling, he also said that SoftBank was doubtless negotiating to protect its own commercial interests, as was Mr Greensill on behalf of his group of companies. Lord Justice Miles said: I do not accept the claimants submission that SoftBank unilaterally imposed terms on Greensill. Nor do I think that SoftBank can be said to have orchestrated an improper transaction at an undervalue. A spokesperson for UBS, which acquired Credit Suisse in 2023, said: We acknowledge the courts decision in this legacy matter. The CS Fund is reviewing the judgment and evaluating next steps. We remain committed to taking all appropriate actions to maximise recovery for the benefit of all stakeholders. A spokesperson for SoftBank said: Todays ruling fully vindicates SoftBank and confirms the allegations were simply a baseless attempt to redirect blame. SoftBank acted honestly, and this judgment sets the record straight. Israel has confirmed receiving two more bodies of hostages from the Red Cross, which are now being examined for identification. If the latest remains are verified, 19 hostages would still be unaccounted for inside Gaza. Hamas claims it cannot locate the remaining bodies without access to the specialist equipment needed to reach certain areas. Under the first stage of the Gaza peace plan, Hamas is obligated to return all 28 deceased hostages. The latest handovers come amid renewed tension, after Israel announced that one of the bodies received earlier did not belong to any of the listed hostages. Israeli officials have reiterated that they will not compromise on the return of every hostage, insisting that the mission is not complete. Almost 1,200 people in Israel were killed and 251 taken hostage by Hamas on October 7 2023. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that recovery of all the bodies would be a massive challenge and that some may never be found. On Wednesday, the families of Tamir Nimrodi, Uriel Baruch and Eitan Levy were told that their bodies had been returned. However, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed that a fourth body did not match any of the hostages. Israel has reduced aid going into Gaza in response to the dead bodies not being returned, but the historic ceasefire agreement acknowledged that the bodies would be difficult to locate and may not meet the Monday deadline. Below, The Independent looks at which hostage bodies Hamas has released and which are yet to be transferred from Gaza. Which hostage bodies have been returned? Tamir Nimrodi, 20, taken aged 18 from the Erez Crossing Tamir Nimrodis mother had said she was still hanging on to hope that her son was alive as his fate remained unknown for months. The IDF education officer was taken on October 7at the Erez Crossing. Reports suggested that he was barefoot and without his glasses when he was taken. He was last seen in a video posted on social media on October 7. Uriel Baruch, 35, taken from Nova festival The father-of-two is described as a man of joy, happiness and an eternal smile according to his father-in-law. He was killed while trying to flee the Nova music festival. In March 2024, the IDF told Uriel Baruchs family that he had been killed. He worked in construction and loved techno music and festivals, where hed met his wife. He is survived by her and two sons aged eight and five. Eitan Levi, 53, taken from road 232 Eitan Levi, a taxi driver, was killed by Hamas gunmen near Gazas perimeter and his body was taken into Gaza. Palestinians in the Strip were filmed kicking and beating the remains. He is described as a devoted father and family man. Uriel Baruch, an Israeli hostage, was killed while trying to flee the Nova music festival (Reuters) Guy Illouz, 26, taken from Nova festival Guy Illouz was a sound technician in the Israeli music industry from the town of Raanana in central Israel. He was wounded and kidnapped by Hamas after he initially escaped the Nova festival on October 7 2023. Yossi Sharabi, 53, taken from Kibbutz Beeri Yossi Sharabi was captured by Hamas along with his brother Eli. In January 2024, the kibbutz announced that he had died in captivity. Daniel Peretz, 22, killed in attack on his tank near Nahal Oz Daniel Peretz, from Yad Binyamin in central Israel, served in the IDF as a Captain in the 7th Armoured Brigade. He was originally from South Africa. Bipin Joshi, kidnapped from Kibbutz Alumim Bipin Joshi, 23, a Nepalese agriculture student, threw back a grenade thrown by Hamas attackers before being taken hostage on October 7, according to the BBC. Yossi Sharabi was kidnapped by Hamas and died in captivity (Reuters) Which deceased hostages have not been returned? Tamir Adar, 38, taken from Kibbutz Nir-Oz Tamir Adar was a member of kibbutz Nir-Ozs security squad and was killed fighting Hamas gunmen on October 7, it was revealed in January 2024. They told me that a live hostage is worth 100 Palestinian prisoners, including life-termers, his mother said after the release of all living hostages on Monday. But a dead hostage is worth 15 Palestinian bodies. Why not 100 dead Palestinians? Sahar Baruch, 24, taken from Kibbutz Beeri Kidnapped from kibbutz Beeri, a settlement established in 1946, it is unclear whether Sahar Baruch was killed by Hamas gunmen or Israeli gunfire. In January 2024, the IDF confirmed he had been killed during a rescue attempt to save hostages, including Noa Argamani. His family said the 24-year-old was a great chess player and a lover of anime films. Tamir Adar, 38, (left) and Sahar Baruch, 24, (right) (Reuters) Itay Chen, taken from Kibbutz Nahal-Oz The Israeli-American was serving as a soldier in the IDF when he was killed on October 7 in Hamas attacks. His body was taken into Gaza by the militant group. Itay Chens mother said that relatives of deceased hostages whose bodies had not been returned were living in a state of suspended mourning unable to grieve, unable to heal, unable to bury our children in the land they loved and defended. Amiram Cooper, 85, taken from Kibbutz Nir-Oz The founder of Kibbutz Nir-Oz, Amiram Cooper was also a prolific poet and economist. He and his wife Nurit were taken from their homes on October 7 until she was eventually freed on 23 October. In March 2024, Hamas said that Mr Cooper had been killed in an Israeli air strike. Itay Chen, 19, (left) and Amiram Cooper, 85, (right) (Reuters) Ronen Engel, 54, taken from Kibbutz Nir-Oz Ronen Engel died after 55 days in captivity. He is said to have died after leaving his family home armed and with a medic backpack to try to save others in his settlement. He was taken along with his wife, Karina Engel-Bart, and their daughters who were released during a ceasefire in November 2023. Meny Godard, 73, taken from Kibbutz Beeri The 73-year-old was killed alongside his wife Ayelet on October 7 and his body was taken into Gaza. Part of Meny Godards remains were found at a Palestinian Islamic Jihad outpost in Rafah in March 2025, and the group are thought to have been holding the rest. Meny Godard was killed alongside his wife Ayelet (Reuters) Ronen Engel died after 55 days in captivity (Reuters) Hadar Goldin, 23, taken from southern Gaza The Israeli soldiers body was taken hostage in 2014 after being killed in battle in southern Gaza. Their family have been campaigning for over a decade for his remains to be returned. Hadar Goldin was a lieutenant in the IDFs Givati Brigade. Ran Gvili, 24, taken near Kibbutz Alumim A sergeant in the Israel police, Ran Gvili was killed while fighting Hamas gunmen on October 7 near the Alumim settlement. He was reportedly awaiting an operation in hospital when fighting broke out, and he immediately left to join. Tal Haimi, 41, taken from Kibbutz Nir-Yitzhak Tal Haimi was part of Kibbutz Nir-Yitzhaks rapid response team and was killed during Hamas attacks on October 7. His body was taken into Gaza. The father of four and engineer was confirmed dead in December 2023. Asaf Hamami, 40 The IDF officer served in the rank of colonel until he was killed on October 7. Asaf Hamami was among the most senior officers to have been killed during the attack. He was also a part of the notorious Givati Brigade. The father-of-three last messaged friends to say he had been shot twice in the leg. He was killed defending Kibbutz Nirim. Ran Gvili was killed while fighting Hamas gunmen on October 7 (Reuters) Tal Haimi, an Israeli hostage who was kidnapped on October 7 (Reuters) Inbar Hayman, 27, taken from Nova festival Inbar Hayman was the last female hostage being held. She was taken during the Nova festival and was killed by Hamas after 71 days in captivity, according to her family. They said that she had gone to the festival to volunteer as an emotional therapist. Ms Hayman was said to be an avid artist, prompting her friends to begin a graffiti campaign using the name Pink, which she signed on all her works. Eliyahu Margalit, 75, taken from Kibbutz Nir-Oz The cattle breeder was known as Churchill to loved ones. Eliyahu Margalit was killed on October 7 and his body was taken into Gaza, the IDF confirmed in December 2023. He is survived by his wife, three children and three grandchildren. Joshua Loitu Mollel, 21, Taken from Nahal-Oz A Tanzanian student undertaking an agricultural internship at Kibbutz Nahal-Oz, Joshua Loitu Mollel was taken hostage on October 7 and killed on the same day. The Tanzanian government confirmed that his body was still being held by Hamas and that he had been killed immediately after he was abducted. Inbar Hayman, 27, (left) and Joshua Loitu Mollel, 21, (right) (Reuters) Omer Neutra, 21, Gaza Envelope The American citizen was also an IDF captain from Long Island. Omer Neutra was kidnapped and killed by Hamas on October 7. A neighbourhood park in his hometown of Plainview in Nassau County was renamed in his honour. He was the grandson of Holocaust survivors. Dror Or, 48, taken from Kibbutz Beeri Dror Or was killed alongside his wife, Yonat, on October 7. Two of his children were taken hostage and later released in November 2023. He was a cheesemaker and yoga instructor. Daniel Oz, 19, taken from Kibbutz Kisufim Daniel Oz was a soldier serving as a soldier and sergeant in the IDF in the 7th Armoured Brigades 77th Battalion when he was killed during battle with Hamas on October 7 and his body was taken into Gaza. Suthisak Rintalak, 43, killed and taken from Kibbutz Beeri The Thai agricultural worker Suthisak Rintalak was killed on October 7 and his body taken by Hamas into Gaza. Thailands foreign ministry confirmed he had been killed based on the available evidence in May 2024. Lior Rudaeff, 61, taken from Kibbutz Nir-Yitzhak Lior Rudaeff was part of the rapid response team for his Kibbutz and responded to the emergency when he was killed by Hamas gunmen on October 7. He doesnt deserve to be buried somewhere in Gaza, his wife said about his body being taken into the Strip and not released. Omer Neutra, 21, (left) and Lior Rudaeff, 61, (right) (Reuters) Yossi Sharabi, 53, taken from Kibbutz Beeri Yossi Sharabi was taken hostage by Hamas along with his brother Eli, who was released from captivity in February 2025. His dog was killed as he and his family sought safety in a reinforced room in their home. They were brought out onto the lawn at gunpoint. Mr Sharabi is said to have been killed in Hamas captivity in Gaza after a building collapsed following an IDF strike on a nearby building. Arie Zalmanowicz, 85, taken from Kibbutz Nir-Oz The grandfather-of-five Arie Zalmanowicz was taken hostage on October 7 and died while in captivity. Hamas released footage showing Mr Zalmanowicz saying he felt unwell and he was confirmed as dead by his kibbutz the following month. Few opt out of the Danish digital ID system: 97% of the population aged 15 and over is enrolled for MitID (my ID). Photograph: Finans Danmark For Danish teenagers, getting enrolled for MitID (my ID) has become somewhat of a rite of passage. From the age of 13, Danes can enrol for the national digital ID system, which can be used for everything from logging into online banking to signing documents electronically and booking a doctors appointment. But when they hit 15, all children and their parents receive a letter from the government advising them that from now on, the teenagers will receive their own official communications from authorities which will be sent to them via digital post, and they will need digital ID to access it. While there is the option to opt out and instead receive physical mail, few do. Today, 97% of the Danish population aged 15 and over is enrolled in MitID and only 5% of Danes have opted out of digital post. Related: Why does the UK need digital IDs and what data will they include? The British government, which recently announced plans to introduce a digital ID scheme in the UK by 2029, said it would take the best aspects of such systems around the world, including those in Denmark and Estonia. Keir Starmer, the UK prime minister, has said the new ID would be an app-based system rather than a physical card and hold information on residency status, name, nationality, date of birth and a photo. It would be compulsory to have one to work in the UK. In Denmark, it has taken time to get people accustomed to using digital ID. Enabling people to use it for key apps such as banking was crucial to making it a success, said Adam Lebech, the deputy director general of Denmarks agency for digital government, and the introduction of digital post had also helped drive take-up. To try to improve access among older generations, volunteers have been trained to show elderly people how to use it. Up until about 85 years of age the numbers [of those using digital ID] are very high and then it drops after that, said Lebech. Like Britain, Denmark has never had a physical national ID card, but it has been developing its digital ID scheme since 2001. In 2022 it completed the move over to its third iteration, MitID, which Lebech said was more secure than its predecessor. It is usually used as an app on a smartphone or tablet but can also take the form of a code display or audio code reader for those who are not able to use an app. Related: Digital ID plan for UK risks creating an enormous hacking target, expert warns Peter Christian Bech-Nielsen, the tech correspondent at the Danish newspaper Ingeniren (the Engineer), said the digital ID scheme worked well and, so far at least, had come up against little friction from citizens. Because we are a country where most people trust politicians and the public sector to a high degree, this has been pretty uncontroversial, he said. But, he added, attitudes to surveillance were changing in part because of increased awareness of online tracking and public discussion around the subject. In Denmark in the last 20 years it has been going in one direction only, which is more surveillance, more control. At some point thats bound to have some repercussions. At a time of increased instability and heightened threat of sabotage and hybrid warfare across Europe, digitisation also comes with considerable risk if the system goes down. In the old days you could pretty much walk into a municipal office. You cannot really do that any more, said Bech-Nielsen. You have to book an appointment online. So that would be very hard [in the event of a digital system failure], which definitely makes us a less resilient society in terms of hybrid warfare. Lebech said the digital security threat level was constantly high, an enormous challenge. There were, he added, constantly threats against it mainly from social engineering. It requires constant development and constant battles against criminals, he said. In Estonia, the establishment of a national digital ID card goes even further back. The idea started to gain traction in the 1990s after Estonia redeclared its independence from the Soviet Union and needed to rebuild its institutions. With limited resources but strong technical talent, the government saw digitalisation as a way to deliver public services efficiently and transparently, said Kristiina Kriisa, a spokesperson for the e-Estonia Briefing Centre. The goal was to streamline paperwork, reduce bureaucracy, and enable citizens to interact with the state from anywhere. When Estonia first introduced its national digital ID card in 2002, it became one of the first countries in the world to connect a physical ID document to secure online authentication and legally binding digital signatures. Now citizens can use it to vote digitally, file their taxes and use online banking; an analogue option is maintained. The country also invested heavily in digital literacy in schools. Kriisa said most Estonians were open to new ideas but there were some fears over privacy and security. The government addressed this by building a legal and technical framework based on trust: citizens own their own data, can see who has accessed it, and are protected by strong data protection laws, she said. Due to this transparency, opposition was limited and never became a significant political obstacle. People could see the system worked and saved them time. As well as using strong encryption and a public key infrastructure (PKI) which means every card or mobile ID contains unique cryptographic keys access to sensitive data is logged. Citizens can view their logs themselves, and a national cybersecurity team is constantly on the lookout for threats. Leif Kalev, a political studies professor at Tallinn University, said on the whole, Estonians had generally been quite willing to accept some reduction in personal freedoms in exchange for technological innovation and new opportunities. But, he said, the growing body of digital data about individual citizens had prompted worries among some. The biggest questions have arisen around the fact that the accumulation of digital data about individuals allows for increasingly extensive analysis and knowledge about a person, raising the issue of what the reasonable limits of this should be from banks and stores to the police and tax authorities, he said. There are also concerns about the vote-counting system for e-voting. Certainly, the growing computing power, such as with quantum computers, also poses challenges the nature of which will become clear in time, Kalev said. Tom Hunts scallops roasted in roe butter. Photograph: Tom Hunt/The Guardian. Food and props: Tom Hunt. Beyond Jerseys epic beaches and rugged coastline, the island has an extraordinary food culture, rooted in both land and sea. From world-renowned jersey royal new potatoes to scallops sweeter and more tender than Ive tasted anywhere, Jerseys bounty is second to none. What excites me most, though, is how local farmers and producers are embracing regenerative agriculture, and in doing so reimagining the islands food future with creativity and care. At the heart of that movement is Regen Gathering, a visionary festival that brings together farmers, chefs and food lovers to explore what Jerseys foodtopia could look like. Last month, I was lucky enough to host a talk at the event, and cook a welcome dinner for all the speakers, alongside Regens inspiring founder, India Hamilton. Of course, scallops had to be on my menu, because theyre Jersey at its finest: delicate, plump and singing of the sea. Scallops seem to me the ultimate symbol of Jerseys food future: sweet, plump and regenerative by nature, filtering and cleaning the sea while helping to build coastal habitats. Both farmed and, importantly, diver-caught, theyre one of the most sustainable proteins we can eat. Yet even Hamilton, who was raised on the island from the age of five, doesnt eat the roes a common affliction, I fear. All the more reason to champion these coral-pink morsels, which are far too delicious to discard. Whipped into butter, they become pure luxury: melt over scallops, stirr into risotto or simply spread on warm bread. They can be a bit pricey, though, so Ive devised this recipe to turn just one scallop into an impressive starter (or three into a satiating main course) and, by whipping their roe into smoky paprika butter and roasting them in their shells with cherry tomatoes and garlic, potential waste becomes a luxury. That same spirit of transformation is at the heart of Regen Gathering, which, in partnership with Farm Jersey, has launched the Regen Food System Prize, offering 20,000 to support food pioneers with brand support, mentorship and access to the Co-op marketplace. Judged by some of my food heroes, Abby Rose (Farmerama), Josiah Meldrum (Hodmedods) and Patrick Holden (Sustainable Food Trust), the prize will be awarded at the Jersey Farming Conference in November. Its about backing ideas that will help our food systems thrive, from soil to sea, and I cant think of a more exciting place for that conversation to begin than Jersey. Scallops roasted in roe butter with cherry tomatoes and garlic Serves 6 as a starter or 2 as a main 6 roe-on scallops in the half-shell 18 cherry tomatoes, halved 6 garlic cloves, crushed 3 fresh red chillies (eg, jalapeno), halved lengthways, or 1 pinch chilli flakes, or to taste (optional) 50g unsalted butter 1 tsp smoked or sweet paprika Sea salt and black pepper, to taste Lemon wedges, to serve A little samphire, agretti or 6 small gherkin slices, to garnish (optional) Clean the scallops, removing the roe from each and leaving the rest of the scallop fixed to the half-shell (ask the fishmonger to do this for you, if need be). Put six cherry tomato halves in each shell with a cloves worth of smashed garlic and half a red chilli, if using. Put the scallop roes in the jug of an immersion blender (I find this is the best tool for blending small amounts), add the butter and paprika, and blitz smooth. Divide the butter between the half-shells, making sure each scallop is well covered in the butter. Heat the grill until its scorching hot, then put the scallops under the heat for six to eight minutes, until blistered and bubbling. Serve immediately, garnished with optional samphire, agretti, a slice of gherkin and/or a drizzle of the gherkin brine or some lemon juice. Drew Struzan at the Hollywood and Highland Centre in 2008 (Getty Images) Drew Struzan, the American artist whose hand-painted posters helped define the look of modern blockbuster cinema, has died at the age of 78. His death was confirmed on his Instagram account on Tuesday, with a post that read: It is with a heavy heart that I must tell you that Drew Struzan has moved on from this world as of yesterday, October 13th. I feel it is important that you all know how many times he expressed to me the joy he felt knowing how much you appreciated his art. Struzan had been diagnosed with Alzheimers disease, his wife Dylan Struzan announced on his Facebook in March, writing: Drew can no longer paint or sign things for you. He is not enjoying a well-deserved retirement but rather fighting for his life. Struzans work, characterised by highly detailed portraits of actors set against richly coloured cinematic backdrops, became one of the most recognisable visual languages of late 20th-century film marketing. Over a career that spanned five decades, he painted more than 150 posters, including for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, ET, Blade Runner, and The Shawshank Redemption. Born in Oregon City on 18 March 1947, Struzan moved to Pasadena, California as a young man to study at the Art Center College of Design. He began his professional life as a commercial illustrator, producing album covers for acts including the Beach Boys, the Bee Gees and Earth, Wind & Fire, and his painted sleeve for Alice Coopers Welcome to My Nightmare (1975) would later be cited by Rolling Stone among the classic album covers of the modern era. Drew Struzan signs copies of the Oscar poster at the Hollywood and Highland Centre (Getty Images) He has described earning fairly modest fees for album work in the 1970s, telling Decibel he was paid $250 for the week of work on Black Sabbaths Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. People get the impression that I get around and Im part of the scene but the reward was just to have the work, he told the magazine. I do get feedback and 40 years later it makes me feel good. After joining the design studio Pacific Eye & Ear, Struzan began taking poster commissions in the mid-1970s for lower-budget titles such as Squirm and Empire of the Ants. It was when fellow illustrator Charles White III, who had been hired at 20th Century Fox to design a poster for the 1978 re-release of Star Wars, invited Struzan to paint the human characters that the artist finally had his breakthrough. Talking about his approach to poster art, Struzan said in a 2021 interview with SlashFilm: I had to do something different, and I think that the trouble with a lot of early movie posters is that they looked too much like classic illustration, which feels like it's telling the whole story. I didnt want to do that. I felt that art was more than just telling the story. In fact, telling the story in a poster is wrong for a movie. I wasnt looking to tell a story. Im looking to give a person a feeling about something they could hope for. With the passing of Drew Struzan, the prolific movie poster illustrator leaves behind a legacy of iconic film visuals from Star Wars to Indiana Jones and beyond. https://t.co/NmDw8I2Q2v pic.twitter.com/uazMKtFk6g Star Wars (@starwars) October 15, 2025 Struzan largely retired from full-time poster work in 2008 after completing the campaign for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but he returned for select projects and limited commissions, like a D23 one-sheet for Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), a poster for the documentary Batkid Begins (2015), and collectible prints for projects including The Dark Tower and the How to Train Your Dragon series. However, Struzan was not immune to the industry changes, and once talked about how the market for hand-painted one-sheets had largely dried up as studios moved toward photographic, digitally manipulated poster art. Art has always needed patrons to stay alive. You cant just sit at home and paint; youve got to have someone that wants to buy what you do or commissioned you to do something to stay alive, he told Aint It Cool News in 2010. We got Drew Struzan to paint covers for the Darth Maul series I wrote simply because I suggested we ask him. Career highlight. pic.twitter.com/qVpDtPvUjP Ron Marz (@ronmarz) October 14, 2025 Drew Struzan was such an amazingly talented and warm hearted guy. Greg Nicotero told me Drew was selling his originals back in 2011, so I went to Drews studio with the intention of buying the Spykids art he made back in 2000. Drew was so generous, he refused to have me pay for pic.twitter.com/Eelny4Msym Robert Rodriguez (@Rodriguez) October 15, 2025 His life and craft were the subject of Erik Sharkeys 2013 documentary Drew: The Man Behind the Poster, which gathered recollections from collaborators including George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Harrison Ford. Tributes from the film industry and fans began to pour in as soon as news of Struzans death broke. Spielberg told Variety: Drew made event art. His posters made many of our movies into destinations and the memory of those movies and the age we were when we saw them always comes flashing back just by glancing at his iconic photorealistic imagery. In his own invented style, nobody drew like Drew. Guillermo del Toro posted on Bluesky: The world lost a genial man, a genius communicator and supreme artist. I lost a friend beloved Drew. DC president Jim Lee paid Struzan tribute on Instagram, describing him as a giant among giants. Electricity prices are on track to jump by a fifth over the next four or five years, according to the UKs biggest energy supplier. Octopus Energys Rachel Fletcher told MPs that the Government should urgently consider changing how wholesale gas prices drive changes in UK energy costs in order to help British households. Energy bosses also blamed complex regulations for the UK having higher wholesale energy prices than some other European countries, during an Energy and Net Zero Select Committee session. The warnings come two weeks after the energy price for a typical household in England, Scotland and Wales increased by 2%. The energy bill for the average household paying by direct debit for gas and electricity increased from 1,720 to 1,755 per year. On Wednesday, Ms Fletcher, director for regulation and economics at Octopus Energy, said the calculation of gas prices within the UK wholesale energy market needs to be looked at. She said: There are proposals on the table we think the Government should be looking at to take gas out the wholesale market and put it into a strategic reserve. I think that needs very serious and urgent consideration. If we continue on the path that we are on right now, in all likelihood electricity prices for a typical customer are going to be 20% higher in four or five years time than they are now, and thats even if wholesale prices halve. Meanwhile, Simone Rossi, the chief executive of EDF UK, called on the UK to ease regulatory burdens in order to help bring energy prices lower. He said: The point is that bills are very high and there are things we can do to reduce them. From point of delivery, the cost of serving customers in the UK is about 100 per annum, and in France it is 45 euros, so more or less half. This is not to do with wholesale price or gas marginal costs but is driven by the fact we have a very complex regulation which has become more sophisticated over the years. A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: We categorically reject this speculation. Wholesale gas costs for households remain 75% higher than they were before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and the main reason energy bills remain high. The only way to bring down energy bills for good is by making Britain a clean energy superpower, which will get the UK off the rollercoaster of fossil fuel prices and onto clean, homegrown power that we control. Bridget Phillipson is said to be wary of making a decision while she is contesting for the Labour deputy leadership. Photograph: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing/Getty Images The equalities watchdog has withdrawn interim advice on how institutions should respond to the supreme court ruling on transgender rights, which some campaign groups said could effectively exclude trans people from many public spaces. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said the advice, published in April, shortly after that months supreme court ruling that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex only, had been taken down from its website. In its place, the EHRC says organisations seeking to understand how to implement the ruling should take specialist legal advice ahead of the approval by parliament of the watchdogs statutory guidance, submitted to ministers in early September. Some Labour MPs joined transgender groups in expressing alarm at the EHRCs interim advice, which said the supreme court ruling meant transgender people should not be allowed to use toilets meant for the gender they live as, and that in some cases they could not use toilets consistent with their birth sex. This would, rights groups warned, in effect exclude transgender people from much of the public realm. The Council of Europes commissioner for human rights has since written to UK MPs warning against the possible widespread exclusion of trans people. The Good Law Project campaign, which has been supporting several trans and intersex people in challenging the interim advice in the courts, said one of the cases had been due to be heard next month. The EHRCs announcement that the advice had been withdrawn came at the end of a wider statement in which the watchdog took the unusual step of publicly urging ministers to act at speed in approving the statutory guidance. In the statement, the EHRC said it had written to Bridget Phillipson, the equalities minister, pointing out it had sent the guidance six weeks ago, and warning that as things stood, there was no legally accurate advice available. However, the Guardian understands that the delay is a result of the EHRC not yet having sent the government necessary information, including an equalities impact assessment. Officials say that without this, it is not possible to properly assess the complex, 300-plus-page guidance, which must be approved by Phillipson and then laid before parliament for 40 days. There is also concern among some officials that the guidance will need especially close scrutiny, in part to avoid the risk of legal challenge. There is speculation that the government hopes to finalise the guidance after the EHRCs outgoing chair, Kishwer Falkner, who was appointed under the Conservatives, finishes her term at the end of next month. But in a statement, Falkner urged ministers to act swiftly, saying the watchdog had been told that some organisations were continuing to abide by the previous guidance, therefore allowing practices inconsistent with the law to persist. She said: The updated code ought to be brought into force as soon as possible. How quickly this happens is now in the governments hands. We urge them to act at speed. A Whitehall source said: Unfortunately this looks like the EHRC deflecting they still havent sent ministers the information theyve requested in order to assess the draft code. The EHRC should be cracking on with their job, not giving lectures on timing while government still awaits their material. Tube drivers have been offered an enhanced pay deal that could take their salaries to around 80,000 a year, The Standard can reveal. Transport for London made the revised offer at a meeting with the four Tube unions on Monday, amid concern that a proposed three-year deal tabled last month faced rejection by hardline members of the RMT union and the potential for more strikes. A five-day walkout by the RMT at the start of September brought widespread chaos, though it did result in the Elizabeth line recording its busiest-ever day, with more than a million passenger journeys on September 11, and record numbers of Londoners using bikes to get around. The upgraded pay offer has the same headline rates an annual increase in line with the RPI rate of inflation but now includes guarantees of minimum pay increases, in the unlikely event that inflation plummets. In addition, the third year of the pay offer is 0.2 percentage points above the RPI rate, to ensure Tube wages keep ahead of the cost of living. The proposal, which TfL describes as a full and final offer, will be available to all 16,500 London Underground staff. It would mean that the basic Tube drivers salary would increase from 71,170 to a minimum of 77,692 by April 2027 and more if RPI inflation remains at around three per cent or higher. Most Tube station staff earn around 45,000 but the three-year pay offer will take their salaries nearer to 50,000. The offer does not include a no strike clause but TfL chiefs hope the nature of the deal will prevent any of the four unions the RMT, Aslef, TSSA and Unite balloting their members for action over pay for the duration of the deal. TfL has refused to concede ground to the RMT over its efforts to secure a 32-hour, four-day working week the primary focus of its September strikes. Tube station staff will continue to work a basic 35-hour week over five days, while work continues to implement a 35-hour four-day week for Tube drivers. The terms of TfLs revised offer are: A 3.4 per cent increase (matching the RPI rate in February 2025) for 2025/26, backdated to April. An increase matching the RPI rate in February 2026 for 2026/27, with a guaranteed minimum increase of three per cent. An increase in 2027/28 equivalent to 0.2 points more than the RPI rate in February 2027, with a guaranteed minimum increase of 2.5 per cent. TfL commissioner Andy Lord told the TfL board on Wednesday: We hope the [unions] will accept, and put the proposal to their members, and that we can reach agreement as soon as possible. A TfL spokesperson said: We have engaged with our trade unions extensively for months, and have improved our offer to one that gives financial certainty to all Tube staff over the next three years while also remaining affordable. We urge our trade unions to put this fair, full and final offer to their members to allow them an opportunity to have their say. A RMT spokesman told The Standard: We have received a revised offer and the union is considering its contents. Aslefs executive will discuss the offer later this week and is likely to recommend to its members that the offer be accepted. The union, which represents the majority of Tube drivers, had been annoyed at the amount of time it is taking to agree the 2025 pay deal. Pay talks began eight months ago and staff should have received the increase in April. It has accused the RMT of blocking the introduction of a four-day week for Tube drivers. The revised pay offer comes as London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan made another plea for Government investment in the capitals transport network. Money, money, money: Sir Sadiq Khan wants Rachel Reeves to invest in London transport projects in the Budget (PA) Sir Sadiq will use a speech to business leaders on Wednesday evening, at a black tie dinner at the London Transport Museum, to make the case for extending the DLR to Thamesmead, the Bakerloo line to Lewisham and building the West London Orbital train link. The mayor wants Chancellor Rachel Reeves to help fund at least one of the big ticket projects in her Budget next month. He is expected to say: Take Thamesmead. Its only a mile north of Abbey Wood, where the Elizabeth line has fuelled a housebuilding boom. But a lack of transport links mean Thamesmead has struggled. Last month, the Government selected it as one of twelve sites where it wants to build new towns. But that wont happen without better transport infrastructure. Extending the DLR to Thamesmead could support the construction of up to 30,000 homes, creating 10,000 jobs. Together with two longer-term projects the Bakerloo line extension and the West London orbital it could transform the future of transport in the capital. Forget the Epstein files, Trump-fav Anna Paulina Luna was just handed report on JFKs assassination from the Russians! Speaker Mike Johnson may be keeping the House of Representatives out of session to prevent a newly elected Democratic member from being able to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files, but a Republican congresswoman is moving ahead with releasing another conspiracy-laden tranche. The Internet piled on Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna Wednesday after she posted on X that shed been handed a copy of an unreleased government report on the John F. Kennedy assassination but from the Russian government. I have received a hard copy of the report on JFKs assassination from the Ambassador of Russia. A team of experts is enroute [sic] to my office in the morning to begin translation and full review of documents, she excitedly wrote. Luna, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, added that the documents in question would be uploaded for public review as soon as we can and called the upcoming document dump of massive historical significance. Earlier in the week, she announced that her office had received word from the Russian embassy in Washington that Ambassador Alexander Darchiev would be delivering a 350 page document on the Russian governments findings on who assassinated JFK to her office. I have received a hard copy of the report on JFKs assassination from the Ambassador of Russia. A team of experts is enroute to my office in the morning to begin translation and full review of documents. We will be uploading as soon as we can. Thank you again to everyone Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) October 14, 2025 The second-term congresswoman, who chairs the House Oversight Committees Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, did not say whether the delivery was at her request or if her office had been offered the Soviet-era document. But in a separate X post, the Russian embassy in Washington said what it described as a pre-copy of a collection of archived documents on the JFK assassination that is set to be published in Russia next month was passed off to Lunas office upon her request. Multiple prominent X users replied to or reposted Lunas message to express their dismay or ridicule the congresswomans actions largely ripping her for seemingly believing that the Cold War enemy of the US and of Kennedy could be a more reliable source of information on his assassination than our own government. Inez Stepman, a conservative activist with the Independent Womens Forum, said Lunas request for the Soviet-era JFK report may be the stupidest thing Ive ever seen a member of Congress do. This may be the stupidest thing Ive ever seen a member of Congress do. Please give me your propaganda to publish, foreign adversary! https://t.co/kinTOgdAkO Inez Stepman (@InezFeltscher) October 15, 2025 Another conservative commentator, Washington Post columnist Mark Theissen, wrote to Luna: Youre going to crack this case wide open, I know it! Zero chance the Russians are laughing at you. Youre going to crack this case wide open, I know it! Zero chance the Russians are laughing at you. https://t.co/v9lC0JTVtt Marc Thiessen (@marcthiessen) October 15, 2025 Its unclear what, if any, information the documents would contain that would be of use to anyone, as the Russian government frequently publishes fake documents and disinformation as part of propaganda efforts to weaken the U.S. government and divide the American electorate. Most but not all of the U.S. governments files concerning the 1963 killing of the 35th president have been released to the public, with large batches declassified and posted online pursuant to an executive order signed by Trump shortly after taking office. None of those documents undermine the conclusion reached by multiple investigations conducted in the 61 years since the shooting, each of which found that U.S. Marine Corps veteran Lee Harvey Oswald shot Kennedy and then-Texas governor John Connally as their open-topped limousine passed within range of a sixth-floor window at the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas. A spokesperson for Lunas office, David Leatherwood, said in a statement to The Independent that the congresswoman was tipped off to the documents by independent journalist Jefferson Morley and met directly with the Russian ambassador to request the documents. In an effort to restore relations with America, and in an attempt to assist with the full findings of Trumps EO, they agreed to release the documents, Leatherwood said. He added that the documents at issue have been sought after by the JFK research community and historians for decades including by Congress as recently as the 1990s. General Hospital star Kirsten Storms is preparing for brain surgery. The 41-year-old actor revealed that shes undergoing treatment for an aneurysm a ballooning of the blood vessel in the brain in a Tuesday Instagram post. She explained that in January, she had a new scan done of her brain, since her neurosurgeon has been monitoring the cyst that he left on her brain in 2021, after removing a different one that was causing her problems at the time. However, during the scan earlier this year, her doctor discovered the aneurysm in her brain. The January scan happened because I had symptoms that the doctors thought couldve been brain-related, Storms, who took a leave of absence from General Hospital in June to be with her daughter, wrote in her Instagram post. When I say that I was shocked when the doctors told me they found an aneurysm on the right side of my brain welp, I basically launched into a standup comedy routine. I had a procedure done that weekend, she continued. Where the doctor threads a camera from my leg up to my brain. (Its a routine procedure, but the path inside your body that they lead the camera through is *insane* THE CAMERA GOES THROUGH YOUR ARMPIT. Kirsten Storms says she was shocked when doctors discoveredan aneurysm in the right side of her brain (Getty Images) However, due to a slightly complex situation that weekend, the aneurysm wasnt coiled, which is a minimally invasive procedure that blocks blood flow to the aneurysm to prevent it from rupturing. I checked in with my super smart surgeon, completed my first few months at work, started my hiatus, and left California, she added. Aneurysms (obviously) can be caused by stress... and since the January scan showed a new, but very small, squatter (aka cyst) on my brain stem it was clear I needed to change some things in my life asap, Storms continued. For my own personal reasons, no longer living in Los Angeles was very important to me. In the caption, Storms also explained why she was talking about her health so openly. I wanted to post this because even though my brain seems to be sorta lowkey rebelling against me, it does allow me to understand that weve all got times when things arent great, she wrote. If we can, we will do our best to do what is best for ourselves and loved ones. Since I knew what an aneurysm was, the scan in January majorly freaked me out. (L-R) Kimberly McCullough and Kirsten Storms in a 2010 episode of 'General Hospital' (Getty) In June, Storms, who has played Maxie Jones on General Hospital since 2005, announced her move to Tennessee. She also said shed be taking a step back from the soap opera, after having a conversation with the shows executive producer, Frank Valentini, in March about her desire to move out of California. However, she still wants to stay on the show. Now, when you approach a job like this, they can always be like, Forget it. We will let you out of your contract if youre going to leave the state, Storms explained. But GH did not do that. Which was kind of amazing because I also asked for some time off. She said she completed her final taping day for the year, teasing that she might return as early as November or December. Storms also assured fans that her characters storyline during her absence is kind of incredible. Boris Pistorius and Friedrich Merz among politicians at the inauguration of the German 45th Armoured Brigade 'Lithuania', in Vilnius in May. Photograph: Toms Kalnins/EPA Germanys ruling coalition is locked in a furious row over how to plug severe manpower gaps in the countrys military as it seeks to fulfil Nato obligations and prepare for the looming threat from Russia. A scheme agreed by the governing parties over the summer under a plan laid out by the popular defence minister, Boris Pistorius of the Social Democrats (SPD), would have relied on voluntary recruitment to draw tens of thousands of young men to military service. But doubts among the chancellor Friedrich Merzs conservative CDU/CSU bloc that that plan would be sufficient to top up troop levels led to insistent calls for a compulsory mechanism a form of conscription to kick in automatically if necessary. We want to try to achieve this voluntarily with the SPD first, said Merz, whose support has plunged amid coalition infighting, earlier this month. I am sceptical. If we succeed, so much the better. Merz pledged on taking office in May to create Europes strongest conventional army. Germany does not have its own nuclear arsenal. The dispute came to a head this week after Pistorius vetoed a compromise under which a contingent of young men selected by a lottery could have been pressed into mandatory Bundeswehr service if the volunteer programme failed to produce enough recruits. A news conference to announce the outlines of the new conscription lite draft bill, which was to have been introduced to the Bundestag lower house of parliament this week, was hastily cancelled late on Tuesday. The parties blamed each other. In over 30 years as a member of the Bundestag, I have never seen a federal minister directly torpedo an important legislative process in his own area of responsibility and plunge his own parliamentary group into chaos, Norbert Rottgen, a senior Christian Democrat, told the daily Suddeutsche Zeitung. Pistorius fired back that he had long rejected key aspects of the CDUs proposals, insisting in Berlins Tagesspiegel newspaper: I dont torpedo things, and Im not destructive either. A previous draft law from the summer had included a passage stipulating that the Bundestag could order young men called up only if the defence policy situation makes a rapid expansion [of troop levels] imperative. Conservatives found the language too vague and demanded a compulsory option in the law from the start. The parties have agreed on a first phase of all 18-year-old men filling out a mandatory questionnaire about their fitness and interest in military service. Including women in a conscription programme would require a constitutional amendment, which is not on the table at this time. Until 2011, men were obliged to perform some form of civic service upon turning 18, with those who did not want to serve in the army having the option to instead carry out Zivildienst in institutions such as hospitals or elderly care homes. The army downsized after the cold war and both services were eventually suspended under Angela Merkel, although a clause allowing the state to draft men remains part of the basic law. But since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, experts have expressed alarm at the state of the military, with dwindling numbers of recruits and severe equipment shortages. Critics say the conditions have created a vicious circle, making military service unattractive. In response to Nato assessments of the threat posed by Russia, Germany has pledged to gradually boost troop levels to 260,000 soldiers from 180,000 currently, in addition to 200,000 reservists. A poll this week found a majority of Germans 54% support a return to the conscription system, with support strongest among those over the age of 60. The inspector general of the armed forces, Carsten Breuer, has stressed the urgency of revising the recruitment process and voiced confidence that the original draft law could attract legions of new volunteers. We need rapid growth potential to enable us to defend ourselves and also to deter attacks, he said. Hamas security forces have returned to Gazas streets, clashing with armed groups and killing alleged gangsters in a bid to restore law and order where Israeli troops withdrew. This show of force, welcomed by some Palestinians after months of lawlessness, could now threaten the fragile ceasefire, especially as all living hostages from Hamass 7 October 2023 attack have been released. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said the war will not end until Hamas has been dismantled, and US president Donald Trumps ceasefire plan calls for Hamas to disarm and hand power over to an internationally supervised body that has yet to be formed. Hamas has not fully accepted those terms, saying more negotiations are needed. It says it is willing to hand over power to other Palestinians but will not allow chaos to prevail during the transition. Israelis fear that as long as Hamas is armed, it will exercise influence in Gaza and could rebuild its military capabilities even if an independent body exercises nominal rule. Trump said Tuesday that Hamas did take out a couple of gangs that were very bad, and killed a number of gang members. That didn't bother me much, to be honest with you, he said. But he reiterated his demand for Hamas to lay down its arms, saying: They will disarm, and if they dont do so, we will disarm them, and itll happen quickly and perhaps violently. Freed Palestinian prisoners carry rifles as they arrive in the Gaza Strip following their release from Israeli jails under the new ceasefire (AP) The Hamas-run police maintained a high degree of public security after the militants seized power in Gaza 18 years ago while also cracking down on dissent. They largely melted away in recent months as Israeli forces seized large areas of Gaza and targeted Hamas security forces with airstrikes. Powerful local families and armed gangs including some anti-Hamas factions backed by Israel stepped into the void. Many are accused of hijacking humanitarian aid and selling it for profit, contributing to Gazas starvation crisis. Nahed Sheheiber, head of Gazas private truckers union, said Hamas was acting against gangs that had terrorised people in areas controlled by Israel. Those gangs looted aid and killed people under the protection of the [Israeli] occupation, he told The Associated Press, saying they operated in so-called red zones where Israel had ordered people to evacuate. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment. Over the weekend, Hamas-led fighters clashed with an armed group in Gaza City affiliated with the powerful Doghmush family after the killing of Mohammed Aqel, a Hamas militant, on Friday. Aqels family said in a statement that militiamen had kidnapped him, robbed him and killed him. Another family, the al-Muqaid, said the gang ambushed five of its members when they returned to their homes and robbed them, killing one and leaving another in intensive care. Residents of the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns, said the gang, led by Hussam Doghmush, was known to loot aid convoys and rob abandoned homes in areas controlled by the Israeli military. They said Doghmush was among some two dozen people killed in the clashes with Hamas, including a local journalist and a son of a senior Hamas official based outside Gaza. Hamas-linked Telegram channels said Hamas had targeted collaborators and traitors working with Israel. The Hamas-run Sahm security force, which says it targets looters and other criminals, shared footage that appeared to show its forces killing eight people execution-style in the streets as people cheered. It said the detainees were gangsters. The Gaza-based Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights and the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights denounced the extrajudicial killings by Hamas. The Doghmush family initially denounced the gang and distanced itself from it. Two days later, it issued another statement condemning Hamas response, saying there was no need for this brutality. Hamas gunmen escort buses carrying freed Palestinian prisoners on Monday (AP) Saeed Abu Elaish, a medic from the northern Jabaliya refugee camp who fled to central Gaza last month, said he had seen police return to the streets and welcomed it as a first step toward restoring some kind of normalcy and safety after two years of ruinous war. Netanyahu has hinted he will resume military operations if Hamas is not disarmed peacefully. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry has announced a weeklong amnesty, saying gang members not implicated in bloodshed can turn themselves in and have their records expunged. Those who do not will face arrest and prosecution, it said. No one will be allowed to undermine public security or the rights of citizens, the ministry said in a statement, calling it a a final warning. Hossam al-Astal, the leader of an anti-Hamas militia in southern Gaza with apparent links to Israel, rejected the warning. To all the Hamas rats, your tunnels are destroyed, your rights dont exist anymore. Repent before it is too late there is no Hamas from today onward, he wrote on Facebook. Al-Astal, who was imprisoned by Hamas before the war on allegations of drug smuggling, established an armed group late last year that operates in areas controlled by Israel. He appears to have joined forces with Yasser Abu Shabab, who leads a similar armed group in the Israeli-controlled southern city of Rafah that has a history of looting aid convoys. Israel has acknowledged supporting Abu Shabab and others opposed to Hamas, while denying any involvement in the looting of aid. The presence of such groups could complicate talks over Hamas disarmament. The militants have expressed willingness to hand over offensive weapons like rockets to a Palestinian or Arab body but say they need lighter weapons like assault rifles to defend themselves, according to Arab officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive ceasefire talks. Dont expect the government shutdown to end anytime soon especially since Washington isnt expecting it to end anytime soon. House Speaker Mike Johnson warned this week that were barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history. Is Johnson doing anything to stop the logjam? Oh, Heavens, no. The speaker has kept the House out of session and refused to even swear in Adelita Grijalva, the Democrat who won a special election in Arizona. Another sign that the Trump administration has given up? Its begun moving money around to ensure that troops are paid during the shutdown, buying Republicans in Congress time and giving them one less pain point. Rather than bringing leaders in the House and Senate together to shake hands the way he did with Israel and its Arab neighbors, Trump seems virtually checked out. Senate Majority Leader John Thune continues to hold Potemkin votes on the same continuing resolution that Democrats have already said is a non-starter. Mike Johnson continues to give his daily press conferences despite the fact he has kept the House out of session (AFP via Getty Images) Once the Senate finishes its votes on Thursday, the Senate will head home, meaning there will be no votes on Friday. It's just the latest sign that talks are not underway and there aren't even talks about talks moving anywhere. And as for the House? It's still out of session. Democrats insist that any continuing resolution include a plan to salvage the COVID-era enhanced tax credits for the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Thats a non-starter for Republicans, who say any discussion about health care must begin only after the government re-opens. But Republicans want to see some serious changes to the credits even if they agree to extend them. Getting the fraud out of the program and addressing the Hyde Amendment issues, said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who has led talks with Democrats about the subject. The Hyde Amendment prohibits taxpayer dollars from going toward abortions. That will likely be a nonstarter for Democrats, but Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has proposed legislation prohibiting exchanges from covering gender transition care for people younger than 18 and abortion. Hawley frequently sells himself as a populist who supports expanding health care even though he voted for the One Big, Beautiful Bill and its cuts to Medicaid so that shows how much at loggerheads the two parties are. Republicans also face a larger problem: at their core, they still oppose the 2010 health care law that Barack Obama signed and they have yet to repeal it and create a suitable replacement. Trumps biggest policy failure during his first presidency came when Republicans failed to repeal the law. What's driving up health care costs is Obamacare, Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) told The Independent. That's what's driving up the cost of health cost of health care. Hoeven said that he wants to see the tax credits more targeted toward low-income earners. But Democrats see no reason to give an inch. A perfect sign is how Sens. Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan are not conceding so far. Both won open seats last year in states that Trump won, but neither seem to be willing to budge. Elissa Slotkin is among Democratic senators standing their ground and demanding a reversal of Medicaid cuts (AP) The Republicans are not recognizing the fact that they're gonna raise the premiums on 24 million Americans, and I think that's what's causing them to stall out and not really offer any solutions, Gallego told The Independent. Slotkin, for her part, is more clandestine about her discussions with Republicans. I don't talk about any of those internal conversations you're talking to a former CIA officer, she told The Independent. Slotkin said that along with credits, she wants to see a reversal of Medicaid cuts from the One Big Beautiful Bill and a restoration of health research that has been gutted. I'm willing to, like, accept that I'm a Democrat, I'm in the minority, she said. The Republicans have the White House, the House and the Senate, so I'm not going to get everything that I want. I'm a big girl. Slotkin flagged the fact that back in her home state, Democrats and Republicans nearly hit a shutdown. They yelled at each other over Twitter, and then they finally got in a room and they figured it out in 96 hours, she said. So that's what I think can be done here, and that's why it's always good to have those conversations. But there seem to be no rumblings of the kind of major roundtables that usually bring government shutdowns or other staring contests to an end. Absent are staffers pushing carts of pizza boxes into a room for members to begin negotiations. Johnson has yet to take the long five-minute walk across the Capitol to offer Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer a reason to stand down. Expect this to be a long shutdown barring an act of God. And even that might be used as a reason to keep the government closed. Cottages in Lustleigh, Devon, where the production company behind Harry Potter has hired contractors to fill in potholes. Photograph: Paul Glendell/Alamy Residents of cities, towns and villages across the UK complain their lives are blighted by the plague of potholes. But life in one small village on a moor in the English West Country is going a little more smoothly after some of its potholes were repaired as if by magic. Scenes for the new HBO adaptation of the Harry Potter books are due to be filmed in Lustleigh, Devon, and the film-makers have filled in at least some of the potholes in the area. Announcing news of the repair, the parish council said on Facebook: Good news! The filming company have been given permission by the DCC [Devon county council] highways to proceed with repairs on Wreyland Path, using an approved contractor. The contractor will fill all large potholes manually and will then assess if further work needs to be carried out. The path will not be shut so can be used as normal. Villagers welcomed the repairs but questioned why it took the arrival of a fictional wizard to begin sorting out the problem. One grumpily replied to the parish council on Facebook: Can fix potholes for filming but not for everyday use. Another asked: Would it be possible for the parish council [to] ask the film company, as a good token gesture, to do all the other roads in the parish? A third suggested: Harry Potter and the potholes good new book heading. Wreyland Path is a small lane bordered by stone walls and picturesque cottages, some of them thatched. The council has a team of volunteers that go out and repair small potholes and a Lustleigh pothole tracker spreadsheet mapping the problem areas. Larger potholes, in excess of 4cm deep and 30cm wide, have to be reported to the county council. Filming for the new series previously took place in the fishing village of Cadgwith on the Lizard peninsula in south Cornwall. The actor Dominic McLaughlin was pictured in costume as Harry. According to villagers, the filming of the Potter series in Lustleigh population: about 600 is being conducted under the codename Brown Cat. Tourism businesses in the south-west of England hope the show, due to be aired in 2027, will lead to a boost for the region. A DCC spokesperson said: During a shoot the film crew spotted that part of a footpath needed some repairs. They offered to pay for the repairs through an approved contractor and we accepted. They have not offered to repair any roads. This article was amended on 16 October 2025 to add a comment provided after publication by DCC. US president Donald Trump greets Indonesia's president Prabowo Subianto during a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh on 13 October, 2025, in which they were caught on a hot mic. Photograph: Suzanne Plunkett/AFP/Getty Images Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto thought he was having a private word with US president Donald Trump at the Gaza peace summit in Egypt this week. Instead what unfolded was a hot-mic slip up, with Prabowo heard asking Trump to line up a call with his son Eric, or his son Don Jr, who both serve as executives at the Trump organisation. It was just one of a series of gaffes made by world leaders when they think no one can hear them. Here are five other noteworthy blunders: Organ transplants and immortality At a military parade in Beijing this September, Chinese president Xi Jinping and Russian president Vladimir Putin were caught on tape discussing organ transplants as a means of prolonging life. Human organs can be continuously transplanted. The longer you live, the younger you become, and [you can] even achieve immortality, Putins interpreter is heard saying of what appeared to be a private conversation. Xi, who was off camera, could be heard responding in Chinese: Some predict that in this century humans may live to 150 years old. Water lapping at your door Former Australian immigration minster Peter Dutton came under fire in 2015 when he joked about the plight of people in the Pacific facing rising sea levels. Dutton was speaking to the then-prime minister Tony Abbott, who has just returned from talks on climate change with Pacific Island leaders in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Noting that a meeting about refugees was running on Cape York time, meaning that it running late the Australian leader replied: we had a bit of that up in Port Moresby, to which Dutton added: time doesnt mean anything when youre about to have water lapping at your door. The comments sparked outrage from the Pacific Islands and environmentalists, while the opposition Labor party called for Dutton to apologise. Larissa Waters, deputy leader of the Greens at the time, wondered: What else are these clowns saying when the microphones are off? Bigoted Woman As Labour prime minister Gordon Brown took a spin on the campaign trail in 2010 he was faced with a voter who challenged him on immigration and the economy. Still wired up to a Sky news microphone when he entered the car Brown is heard saying: That was a disaster they should never have put me with that woman. Whose idea was that? Ridiculous. Asked what she had said, he replied: Everything, she was just a bigoted woman. The scandal dominated headlines for weeks and Brown went on to lose the election. I cannot bear Netanyahu. Hes a liar. Former US president Barack Obama was in discussion at the G20 summit in Cannes in 2011 with then French president Nicolas Sarkozy when their comments on Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu were picked up by a live microphone. Sarkozy said: I cannot bear Netanyahu. Hes a liar. According to a version from a French interpreter quoted by Reuters, Obama replied: Youre fed up with him but I have to deal with him more often than you. Major league ***hole A vintage hot-mic moment from then US presidential candidate George W Bush who made a disparaging remark about a reporter from The New York Times. The Republican presidential nominee was unaware that a microphone was live when he leaned over to Dick Cheney at a Labor Day rally and said, Theres Adam Clymer, major league asshole from the New York Times. Cheney responded: Oh yeah, he is, big time. Israel has said one of four bodies it received from Hamas on Tuesday evening does not match any of the hostages that were in the group's custody. The countrys military said the discovery was made following examinations at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine. "Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages," the military said on Wednesday. The four bodies were handed over after an Israeli military agency warned it would slash aid deliveries to Gaza as the militant group was not returning remains as agreed under the ceasefire deal. By Monday night, Hamas had released four bodies, and four more followed late on Tuesday. Of that second group of four bodies, three were identified, as Uriel Baruch, Tamir Nimrodi and Eitan Levi. Uriel Baruch (via REUTERS) The other is not a hostage, Israel has said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded that Hamas fulfills the requirements laid out in the ceasefire deal about the return of the hostages' bodies. "We will not compromise on this and will not stop our efforts until we return the last deceased hostage, until the last one," he said. Israel reportedly U-turned on its threat to limit humanitarian aid into Gaza after the four bodies were returned. Planned measures against Hamas that included halving the number of aid lorries entering the enclave by keeping the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt shut have been cancelled, Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported on Wednesday. Israel has reportedly decided to proceed with opening the Rafah crossing after all. Israel announced it would cut in half the number of humanitarian aid lorries allowed into Gaza in a move to punish Hamas for what it called the militant group's violation of its agreement to transfer remains under the ceasefire deal reached last week. Meanwhile, re-emergent Hamas fighters demonstrated they were reasserting control in Gaza by deploying hundreds of security forces in the streets and executing several people they accused of collaborating with Israel. The outlook for Trump's peace plan darkened further when the president threatened Hamas with military strikes unless the militant group disarmed. "If they don't disarm, we will disarm them. And it will happen quickly and perhaps violently," Trump said at the White House, one day after he spoke before the Knesset in Jerusalem. An armed Hamas militant stands guard as a Red Cross vehicle arrives to receive from Hamas militants the bodies of deceased hostages, in Gaza City, on Tuesday, October 14 (REUTERS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained the war cannot end until Hamas surrenders its weapons and cedes control of Gaza, a demand the fighters have so far rejected. On Monday, Trump proclaimed the "historic dawn of a new Middle East" to Israel's parliament, as Israel and Hamas were exchanging the last 20 living Israeli hostages in Gaza for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners. But the return of 28 dead hostages has remained one of the final details to be worked out in the deal to end more than two years of conflict that began with Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Hamas has now handed over eight coffins of dead hostages, leaving at least 19 presumed dead and one unaccounted for still in the Gaza Strip. On Tuesday, the Israeli military said it received four coffins from the Red Cross at a meeting point in northern Gaza Strip. Those coffins, escorted by Israeli forces, crossed the border into Israel shortly before midnight (10pm BST) and were being taken for forensic identification, the Israeli military said. Vehicles transporting the bodies of four hostages are handed over following a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas arrive at the National Center for Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, October 15 (AFP via Getty Images) At this moment, the men are continuing to oversee the implementation of what was agreed upon regarding the handover of bodies as part of the agreement to end the war in Gaza, Hamas spokesperson in Gaza Hazem Qassem on Facebook. Hamas, which seized Gaza in a brief 2007 civil war, has swiftly reclaimed the streets of Gaza's urban areas following the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops last week. Gaza residents said Hamas fighters were increasingly visible on Tuesday, deploying along routes needed for aid deliveries. In a video circulated late on Monday, Hamas fighters dragged seven men with hands tied behind their backs into a Gaza City square, forced them to their knees and shot them from behind, as dozens of onlookers watched from nearby storefronts. A Hamas source confirmed that the video was taken on Monday and that Hamas fighters participated in the executions. Trump has previously given his blessing to Hamas to reassert some control of Gaza, at least temporarily. Israeli officials have so far refrained from commenting publicly on the re-emergence of the group's fighters. Palestinian security officials said dozens of people had been killed in clashes between Hamas fighters and rivals in recent days. In addition Israel, using aerial drones, killed five Palestinians as they went to check on houses in a suburb east of Gaza City, and an Israeli airstrike killed one person and injured another near Khan Younis, Gaza health authorities said. Hamas accused Israel of violating the ceasefire. The Israeli military said it had fired on people who crossed truce lines and approached its forces after ignoring calls to turn back. he ceasefire has stopped two years of devastating warfare in Gaza triggered by the October 7, 2023 attack in which Hamas-led gunmen killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages back to Gaza. Israel's military has killed at least 67,000 people in Gaza according to local health authorities, with thousands more feared dead under the rubble. Aid agencies and the United Nations are calling for Israel to open more crossings into Gaza to allow thousands of trucks to enter the devastated territory every day. Preparations are being made to allow convoys through the southern Rafah crossing with Egypt on Thursday, the first such access through the critical entry point since May last year. However, humanitarian officials are also calling for other entry points to be opened, including a crossing to northern Gaza, which would allow vital supplies to reach hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have travelled across the territory in recent days to reach their shattered homes. Tom Fletcher, the UNs most senior relief coordinator, called on Israel to facilitate the massive surge of humanitarian aid on which so many lives depend, and on which the world has insisted. We need more crossings open and a genuine, practical, problem-solving approach to removing remaining obstacles. Throughout this crisis, we have insisted that withholding aid from civilians is not a bargaining chip. Facilitation of aid is a legal obligation, Fletcher said. Aid agencies say thousands of tonnes of aid, including food and medical supplies, has been loaded on to trucks waiting in Egypt or stockpiled elsewhere in the region. We have the supplies, the tools and the skills We just need the access, said one international aid worker, recently returned from Gaza. The fragile ceasefire in Gaza had faced its first test when Israel on Tuesday accused Hamas of failing to comply with the deal signed last week by delaying the return the bodies of hostages. In retaliation, Israel said it would cut the number of trucks it would allow into Gaza to 300, half the total agreed in the ceasefire deal, and postpone indefinitely the opening of the Rafah crossing. Hours later, Hamas handed over the remains of three more hostages to the Red Cross, bringing to eight the number of bodies transferred since the US-brokered ceasefire took hold, and leaving 21 to be accounted for. The militant Islamist organisation said the delays were due to difficulties locating burial sites amid the swaths of rubble left by the two-year conflict. A fourth body transferred by Hamas was found not to be that of a hostage. Related: Body handed over by Hamas is not hostage, says Israel, as Palestinian dead arrive back in cuffs Israels public broadcaster Kan reported that heavy equipment needed for repairing damaged infrastructure would be permitted to enter Gaza and Palestinians who had left the territory during the war would be allowed back for the first time. Others would be allowed to leave through the Rafah crossing, subject to Israels security approval. Palestinians awaiting medical evacuation said they had not yet received notification from the World Health Organization to prepare for travel. Rafah has been shut since it was seized by Israeli forces in May 2024, limiting entry into Gaza from Israel. Israel has repeatedly blocked aid from entering Gaza during the conflict, prompting accusations it has used starvation as a weapon of war. A famine was declared in parts of the territory in August. The EU said on Wednesday it was on standby to deploy a longstanding humanitarian mission, known as a EUBam (EU Border Assistance Missions), at the Rafah crossing if conditions on the ground improved. Humanitarian officials in Gaza City said on Wednesday assistance was desperately needed, with hundreds of thousands of people without clean water, food and other essentials and many more suffering greatly. Though aid was supposed to start flowing over the weekend, on Monday crossings from Israel were closed to allow the hostage transfer and Palestinian prisoners to reach Gaza and then for national holidays. Tess Ingram of Unicef, speaking from southern Gaza, said: We had heard that Sunday would be the first day of a big scale-up of aid coming in but what weve seen so far is in very sharp contrast to how high and desperate the needs are. People are not sure when they are next going to get any water. There is not enough food. We had 45 outpatient nutrition clinics open in August, now there are just seven. Trumps proposed plan calls for full aid to enter Gaza. Later phases of the plan call for Hamas to disarm and give up all power, which it has so far refused to do, instead launching a security crackdown to reassert its authority in Gaza through public executions and clashes with local clans. Longer-term elements include how Gaza will be governed and the makeup of an international stabilisation force but are yet to be fully discussed. On Monday, Israelis celebrated the return of the last 20 living hostages in Gaza and Palestinians rejoiced at Israels release of about 2,000 prisoners and detainees as part of the ceasefires first phase. Negotiations are under way on a second phase, which will have to resolve multiple thorny issues. In a demonstration of the political challenges facing the truce, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israels far-right national security minister and an opponent of the ceasefire plan, said on X that the aid delivery was a disgrace. Nazi terrorism understands only force and the only way to solve problems with it is to wipe it off the face of the earth, he added, accusing Hamas of lies and abuse over the return of hostages bodies. The Hostages Family Forum, a group representing many of the hostages families, said the three dead hostages whose remains were identified on Tuesday night were Uriel Baruch, Tamir Nimrodi and Eitan Levi. Baruch was abducted from the Nova music festival during the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023 that triggered the war in Gaza. Nimrodi, who had been serving with the Israeli defence ministry body that controls entry points into Gaza, was taken by militants from the Erez border crossing. The forum said Levi was abducted while driving a friend to a kibbutz during the Hamas attack. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which is overseeing the transfer of remains, said on Monday that the retrieval was a massive challenge given the difficulties of finding bodies in Gazas rubble, and could take days or weeks. Jannik Sinner was left confused after a fan rushed onto the Six Kings Slam court to request his jacket before a security guard intervened. The world No. 2 stormed to a 6-2 6-3 opening victory against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Saudi exhibition tournament, setting up a semi-final showdown against Novak Djokovic, while Carlos Alcaraz will take on Taylor Fritz after the Americans 59-minute beating of Alexander Zverev, who will still pocket $1.5m (1.1m). But as the Italian left the court in Saudi Arabia, a fan approached him, pointing at his Nike jacket in an apparent request to claim it as a souvenir. Sinner appeared confused and reluctant to offer his top as a gift, though, and a security guard was then seen dragging the supporter away before the tennis star picked up his bag and walked off the court. It is not the first strange incident between Sinner and a fan on court this season, after one supporter attempted to open his bag while he posed for pictures following his US Open round of 16 victory over Alexander Bublik. Sinner was also left unsettled by the unusual court in what was his first match since retiring from the Shanghai Open earlier this month. He questioned the hard court surface at the ANB Arena, with extremely high and wide bounces on some serves, while the balls remained flat and slow during other rallies. It's a very unusual indoor court, Sinner said. It is a very interesting situation we have to deal with here on the court because it's quite bouncy, with new balls it's quite fast and it slows down with with used balls. Jannik Sinner of Italy plays a forehand against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in their quarterfinal (Getty Images) Sinner also outlined his approach to the exhibition match, stating his intent to play aggressively, particularly when facing the Greek stars serve. We played already many times, of course, Sinner said. By the time we become better players and we know each other's game a little bit more, so I knew a little bit also tactically how to prepare for the match. I just tried to stay quite aggressive, especially on the return games. I felt like I was serving very well in the important moments. Jannik Sinner of Italy shakes hands at the net after his straight sets victory against Stefanos Tsitsipas (Getty Images) Sinner holds a 6-4 head-to-head record against Djokovic, with six consecutive wins over the 24-time grand slam champion, if you include their meeting in last years Six King semi-finals. Djokovic will bid for revenge after defeat in both the French Open and Wimbledon semi-finals, with Sinner excited for another meeting. A fan walked on the court & spoke to Jannik Sinner after his win over Tsitsipas at Six Kings Slam. Jannik is just chatting it up before security removes him pic.twitter.com/u0wILTBV3I The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 15, 2025 Its a huge honour to play again, against a legend like Novak, Sinner said. It's great to have him still here playing in the highest level of our sport. Hes a great role model. He's still hungry to win big titles and and that's why he still keeps playing. Hopefully it's going to be interesting tomorrow. October 15, 2025: The invasion of Ukraine led to unexpectedly high Russian casualties. Russia had to conscript more medical personnel to provide their troops with adequate care, at least by low Russian standards. The unexpected conscription of medical personnel caused many to leave the country, as they can earn a better living in the West after recertifying their licenses to Western standards. The Russian government tried to address the exodus of medical personnel, but between the relatively low pay in Russia, government efforts to transfer medical personnel to rural provinces with minimal medical services, and the increased medical needs of the military, a growing number of Russian medical personnel have been leaving their homeland. Some things never change in Russia, and one is inadequate medical care. Russia has never established a nationwide healthcare system or a military health system comparable to those in the West. This was especially noticeable in the military. Russian medical care in combat units, particularly during combat, has never been effective and is often unavailable. In the combat zone, medical treatment for the wounded was poor or nonexistent. The same applied to diseases that broke out among troops. At one point, Russian troops in Ukraine suffered from what was called "mouse fever" and received little treatment. This meant a growing number of Russian troops were disabled by the fever, which Russian military medical personnel were slow to address. In part, this is because it is a new ailment, and the Russian medical community has not yet found an effective way to cope. It's a different situation with Ukrainian troops, where the army has been quick to adopt Western military practices. The traditional Ukrainian military feldsher, or medic with practical but no formal medical training, received more training and better equipment than their Russian counterparts. The results have been dramatic. About 40 percent of Russian casualties die compared to only 20 percent of Ukrainian casualties because Russians in this war often receive no battlefield medical treatment whatsoever. The Ukrainians eagerly adopted Western combat medical practices, which were above average during World War II and continued to improve afterward. Western forces now provide at least minimal battlefield treatment, largely by evacuating the wounded to be treated by medics and eventually sent to field hospitals where surgery and other emergency treatments are available. It has long been known that wounded soldiers in freezing conditions die of exposure or shock within about an hour unless they are carried to shelter, but this was not happening for Russian soldiers in this war, even though it was done to some extent during World War II. Soviet field medics then were generally women with no medical training whose primary job was to crawl out onto battlefields with groundsheets and roll wounded soldiers onto them. One of the more remarkable, and underreported, aspects of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is the dramatically lower American casualty rates compared to Vietnam and earlier 20th-century wars. The casualty rate in Iraq was a third of what it was in Vietnam. It was even lower in Afghanistan and subsequent conflicts. Medical care has become much better, quicker, and more accessible. Not only are procedures more effective, but severely wounded soldiers reach the operating table more quickly. Field medics now have capabilities that, during Vietnam, only surgeons possessed. This is one reason why the ratio of wounded to killed was 6:1 in Vietnam, compared to 7.3:1 in Iraq. In Ukraine, Ukrainian troops benefit from these advancements, while their Russian adversaries do not. The fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan brought about a major change in how the United States handled combat casualties. The result was that over 90 percent of wounded troops survived their injuriesthe highest rate in history. Several factors contributed to this. The primary one is that medics and troops themselves are trained to deliver more complex and effective first aid more quickly. Military doctors now talk of the "platinum 10 minutes," meaning that if a wounded soldier, especially one who is severely injured, can be kept alive for ten minutes, their chances of survival increase significantly. Previously, the goal was the "golden hour," which reduced deaths among wounded troops, but the ten-minute goal has reduced the death rate to an even greater extent. Medics are now equipped and trained to perform procedures previously done only by physicians, while troops are trained to handle procedures previously managed only by medics. This skill upgrade is made possible by several factors. First, over the last few decades, there has been continuous development in methods and equipment for emergency medicine practiced by ambulance crews and emergency room staff. These practices were initially slow to be adopted by the military. However, because of the fighting in Iraq, nearly all have now been adopted by military medical personnel. This was often due to medics in reserve units who had full-time jobs as emergency medical personnel. Although combat deaths have been reduced by more than half in the last decade, some types of wounds still lack effective battlefield treatment, meaning the victim will die before more extensive treatment can be obtained. Chief among these are abdominal wounds, particularly when the abdominal aorta is severed. When that happens, the victim bleeds to death in minutes. Now, there is a solution in the form of a belt placed on the abdomen and activated. A bladder inflates, applying sufficient pressure to the abdominal aorta to stop or reduce bleeding enough to allow the casualty to reach a surgeon. While tourniquets have been used for thousands of years, these devices only work on limbs. Preventing death from most other rapid blood loss situations was achieved in the last decade with the development and widespread use of powders and granules that quickly stop bleeding. First came special bandages like the Chitosan Hemostatic Dressing, more commonly called HemCon. This was essentially a freeze-dried substance that caused rapid blood clotting and was incorporated into what otherwise looked like a typical battlefield bandage. It significantly reduced bleeding, which had become the most common cause of death among wounded American troops. This device was a major breakthrough in bandage technology. Over 95 percent of the time, HemCon bandages stopped bleeding, particularly in areas where a tourniquet could not be applied. However, they were less effective for abdominal aorta injuries. HemCon was followed by WoundStat powder to address some bleeding that HemCon could not handle. WoundStat was one of many new medical tools for battlefield medicine that greatly increased the effectiveness of immediate (within minutes or seconds) medical care for troops. This effort consisted of three programs. First, new medical tools and treatments were developed that troops could quickly and safely be taught to use, such as HemCon. Then, medicsabout one for every 30 combat troopswere equipped with more powerful tools to reduce the likelihood of troops bleeding to death or suffocating from certain types of wounds that are not fatal if treated quickly. Finally, the Combat Lifesaver program more than tripled the number of medics by training selected soldiers in a 40-hour Combat Lifesaver (CLS) course covering the most common medical procedures for the most dangerous types of wounds. These CLS-trained soldiers are not medics but make a significant difference. During the last two centuries, major wars have driven significant improvements in medical care. This has accelerated dramatically in the past decade. For example, since September 11, 2001, over two million American troops went to war, and about two percent were killed or wounded. Only 12 percent of the 57,000 combat zone wounds were fatalthe lowest percentage in military history. This was largely due to major improvements in managing rapid blood loss, such as when a major artery is severed, and the increased speed of delivering complex medical care to wounded troops. New medical technologies also made it possible to detect injuries like brain trauma, which was previously difficult to diagnose and treat. More of these improvements reached wounded Ukrainian troops than their Russian adversaries. The Combat Lifesaver course teaches troops how to perform procedures like inserting breathing tubes and other emergency surgical interventions to restore breathing. CLS troops have skills most likely to be needed in life-saving situations when a medic is not available. The additional emergency medical training and new first-aid gear, such as the CLS bag, have saved hundreds of lives and reduced the severity of many wounds. Enough troops have taken CLS training so that there is one CLS-trained soldier for every 10-15 combat troops and one for every 20 or so support troops on convoy or security duty. Another advantage is the high intelligence and skill levels of the volunteer military. High enlistment standards have largely gone unnoticed by the public, but within the military, it is well known that combat troops are much brighter than at any time in the past and can handle more complex equipment and techniques. Getting combat troops to learn these techniques is not a problem because, for them, it could be a matter of life and death. Another factor is that medical teams capable of performing complex surgery are closer to the combat zone. These teams, like medics and troops, have more powerful tools and techniques. This includes telemedicine, where video conferences with expert doctors in the U.S. help save patients. This is part of a century-long trend. During World War II, the "golden hour" standard of getting wounded troops to an operating table was developed. Antibiotics were also developed around the same time, along with the helicopter, whose first combat mission in 1945 Burma was to recover injured troops. These developments are not exotic. Finally, the military medical community has a track record of success that the troops know about. Everyone realizes that if they pitch in, the chances of survival are goodand they are. In Ukraine, the results were striking because wounded Ukrainian troops received better battlefield medical treatment and were quickly moved to hospital-level care. This is another reason Ukrainian troops have higher morale and combat capability than their Russian counterparts. Russian wounded troops often receive no professional medical care from medics or even feldshers, while Ukrainians do. Russian wounded troops who are captured are allowed to inform their families they are alive but injured. Eventually, these Russian troops can tell their families they received much better medical care from the Ukrainians than the Russian military could provide. Russia also tries to hide these realities from the public. Last year, Vladimir Putin ordered Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders, to leave Russiaan unpopular decision with most Russians. MSF had worked in Russia since the 1990s, when the Soviet Unions collapse lifted its ban on such international organizations. Putins ban on MSF revived a Soviet-era policy. He gave no reason for the ban, and MSF left. The Russians working with MSF continue operating in the medical programs MSF began or enhanced. Putin can now claim this progress as Russian, rather than the result of international cooperation. Another reason for Putins decision was to prevent NGOs from manipulating the media as part of their private international diplomacy. NGOs have become a powerful force in the diplomatic arena, developing and promoting their own foreign policies. This is not the case in Russia, a highly centralized nation that needs more help delivering better medical care to its citizens. Putin feared that MSFs good work would reflect poorly on his government, which has struggled to address public health problems. Part of the issue is that many medical resources have been diverted from general healthcare to treat nearly a million soldiers wounded or sickened while serving in Ukraine. Many medical personnel have been persuaded to go to Ukraine to provide treatment in the combat zone. Western militaries, especially the United States, have shown that prompt medical aid close to the fighting saves lives. Putin claims his reinvention of this practice is a Russian idea, and the presence of MSF contradicts claims that medical improvements are solely Russian efforts. Putin has previously expelled foreign non-governmental organizations, many of which did not provide medical aid but addressed problems the corrupt Russian government could not handle. Putin did not want foreigners providing firsthand accounts of how dire healthcare and other situations are in Russia. Jennifer Aniston says she never wants to adopt as shed like child to have her own DNA Jennifer Aniston has said she doesnt want to adopt because she would want her child to have her DNA. The Friends star, who recently opened up about her 20-year struggle to have kids, said she had decided against adoption after trying IVF. Aniston, 56, added that she saw having her own child as the only way for her, acknowledging that some people might consider that selfish. Theres a point where its, like, out of my control, she said on the Armchair Expert podcast. Theres literally nothing I can do about it. When people say, But you can adopt, I dont want to adopt. I want my own DNA in a little person. Thats the only way: selfish or not, whatever that is, Ive wanted it. Aniston, who has been married to Brad Pitt and Justin Theroux, said having children just wasnt in the plan, whatever the plan was, and recalled the heartbreaking moment when doctors told her she had done all she could. Its very emotional, especially in the moment when they say, Thats it, because there is a weird moment when that happens. Aniston has previously opened up about her private 20-year struggle to conceive, and criticised the speculation shes faced as a result of having no children. Jennifer Aniston has felt compelled to correct the narrative that she didnt have children because she is a selfish workaholic (YouTube) The actor said she felt pressured to address the narrative that suggested she hadnt had kids because she is a selfish workaholic. They didnt know my story, or what Id been going through over the past 20 years to try to pursue a family, because I dont go out there and tell them my medical woes, Aniston told Harpers Bazaar UK. The actor said her personal life is not anybodys business but there comes a point when you cant not hear the narrative about how I wont have a baby, wont have a family. Aniston said that as she has gotten older, she cares less about correcting the falsehoods because it will happen eventually. The news cycle is so fast, it just goes away, she continued but admitted she had felt the speculation was unjust. Of course, there are times when I feel that sense of justice when something has been said that isnt 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. Aniston was married to Brad Pitt from 2000 to 2005 (Getty) Aniston previously said the baby-making road had been challenging for her. She told Allure in 2022: I wouldve given anything if someone had said to me, Freeze your eggs. Do yourself a favour. You just dont think it. So here I am today. The ship has sailed. But I have zero regrets. My late thirties, forties, Id gone through really hard s***, and if it wasnt for going through that, I wouldve never become who I was meant to be. I was trying to get pregnant. She said that the years and years of speculation was really hard, adding: I was going through IVF, drinking Chinese teas, you name it. I was throwing everything at it. Aniston previously said the claim that her marriage to Pitt had ended because she didnt want children was an absolute lie. A Florida judge blocked Miami Dade College from transferring a parcel of its land to the Sunshine State for Donald Trumps presidential library. The federal government requested that the 2.6 acres of land, owned by the public college, be transferred to the state, which would then hand it over to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation, according to court filings. The parcel, which is now a parking lot, is estimated to be worth at least $67 million. The Florida judge temporarily blocked the transfer on Tuesday. This is not an easy decision, the judge said, according to the Associated Press. This is not a case, at least for this court, rooted in politics. The matter stemmed from Marvin Dunn, a political activist and local historian, who sued the college and its board of trustees last week. Last month, the Miami Dade Colleges District Board of Trustees voted to give away the land for nothing to the state of Florida, which then would give it to the Trump library foundation, the complaint states. A judge temporarily blocked a Miami college from transferring land to the state of Florida that is planned to be used for President Donald Trumps presidential library (Getty Images) Dunn argued that hes not taking a political stance, but instead noting a violation of Floridas Sunshine Law, which requires that public boards provide reasonable notice ahead of meetings. The meeting was also not livestreamed, departing from the boards usual practice, the AP reported. This action does not have to do with whether the District Board of Trustees made a wise decision. It is not brought to lodge a political protest. Rather, it deals with the fact that, in making its decision, the District Board of Trustees unquestionably violated Floridas sacrosanct Government in the Sunshine Act, the complaint states. On September 16, the college only described the agenda for the September 23 meeting as where the District Board of Trustees will discuss potential real estate transactions. The board unanimously voted to convey the land. Dunns attorney called the description "inadequate," adding: The proposed giveaway cannot even charitably be characterized as a transaction. Lawyers for the college argued that the board fully complied with the Sunshine Law. The school on September 16 received a request from the Executive Office of the Governor of the State of Florida to transfer a parcel of land to the state and then posted a notice of the meeting to be held the following week, they wrote. The land has been vacant for years and the college had no immediate plan to use the space beyond its current use as a parking lot, the lawyers argued. Before the hearing Tuesday, Dunns lawyer Richard Brodsky emphasized the significance of the exchange, telling the AP: The people have a right to know what theyre going to decide to do when the transaction is so significant, so unusual and deprives the students and the college of this land. Demonstrators protest plans to build a Trump presidential library in Miami, days after the colleges board of trustees unanimously voted to give away the land to the state (AFP via Getty Images) However, an attorney for the school argued in court: There is no requirement under Florida law that there be specificity on notice, because those trustees can come into that room and talk to each other about whatever they wish. Another lawyer for the school argued that the delays caused by the injunction could cost Miami Dade College up to $300,000, AP reported. Following the original vote in September to transfer the land to Trumps library, several notable Republican figures hailed the decision. Having the Trump Presidential Library in Miami will be good for Florida, for the city, and for Miami Dade College, Governor Ron DeSantis said in a statement last month following the vote. Eric Trump, one of the presidents sons, wrote on social media: Consistent with our [familys] DNA, this will be one of the most beautiful buildings ever built, an Icon on the Miami skyline. Eric Trump, Michael Boulous husband of the presidents daughter Tiffany Trump and James Kiley, an attorney for the president, serve as trustees of the library foundation. California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter, who is currently leading the race to succeed the term-limited Gavin Newsom, has expressed regret over a pair of viral videos that revealed her losing her temper. In the first clip, which appeared online early last week, the Democrat is seen threatening to walk out of a September CBS News California Investigates interview after becoming flustered by a question from journalist Julie Watts, complaining that Watts was asking too many follow-ups and tearing at her lapel mic before being persuaded to calm down and continue. A day later, an older clip from July 2021 resurfaced of Porter participating in a webinar with then-U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm over Zoom. During the session, she breaks off to berate a staffer who appears in the background, yelling at her: Get out of my f***ing shot! California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter expresses regret over a pair of viral videos that revealed her losing her temper (Inside California Politics/Nexstar) In a statement responding to the latter blow-up, the candidate told The Independent: Its no secret I hold myself and my staff to a high standard, and that was especially true as a member of Congress. I have sought to be more intentional in showing gratitude to my staff for their important work. In a new interview with Nexstars Inside California Politics, the front-runner for the governors mansion conceded: I could have handled things better. Asked by host Nikki Laurenzo whether she has the temperament to be the next governor of California, Porter expressed contrition over the incidents. When I look at those videos, I want people to know that I understand that I could have handled things better, she said. I think Im known as someone whos able to handle tough questions, whos willing to answer questions. And I want people to know I really value the incredible work that my staff can do. People who know me know I can be tough. But I need to do a better job expressing appreciation for the amazing work my team does. Asked if local voters could feel confident that there arent any more Katie Porter videos out there, she declined to answer directly. Porter taking umbrage at CBS reporter Julie Watts' questioning in the original video (CBS News California Investigates) Ive only ever had tough elections, she said. Im absolutely aware Im going to have to continue to show them. Im going to have to answer every question. Im glad I got to continue that interview and finish that interview and answer all her questions. Pressed about the possible existence of more damaging footage, Porter said: I can tell you what Ive told you, which is that Im taking responsibility for the situation and Im also not going to back down from fighting back for California, from being tough. I dont think this is a moment where the same old, same old is going to cut it. But that doesnt change the fact that what I did to that staffer was wrong. Ive acknowledged it to her in that moment and Im acknowledging it now. Police called to Rushey Green, Lewisham (Google Maps) A murder investigation is under way after a young man was stabbed to death in south east London. Metropolitan Police officers were called to reports of a stabbing on Rushey Green, Catford, just after 3am on Wednesday. London Ambulance Service treated the victim in his 20s for stab wounds. Scotland Yard said: The man was taken to hospital for further treatment, but sadly died. His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. Borough Commander Trevor Lawry, who leads policing in the borough of Lewisham said: Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of this young man who have lost someone they love in such a tragic way. I know the community will have concerns following this incident, a dedicated homicide team is currently working to piece together this mornings events. If you have any information for police, please do come forward. A crime scene will be in place for several hours as part of the investigation, and I thank local residents for their patience. At this early stage, no arrests have been made. Formal identification and a special post-mortem will take place in due course. Anyone with information about the incident, can contact police via 101, quoting CAD635/15Oct, or independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 to remain anonymous. The Liberal Democrats have called for national security services to assess the threat that Elon Musk poses to British democracy, after Tommy Robinson claimed that the billionaire was paying his legal costs. Addressing Sir Keir Starmer during Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday (15 October), Daisy Cooper said it is outrageous that Mr Musk, a man who has so much control over what people read online every day, could be funding a far-right racist hate preacher. She said that if it were Vladimir Putin intervening, then the government would get involved. So will the prime minister commission the security services to assess the threat that Elon Musk poses to our democracy, and recommend measures to this House that we can take to stop it?" The prime minister replied that he will not be commenting on this case due to ongoing legal proceedings. Lionel Messi had two assists while Alexis Mac Allister and Lautaro Martinez picked up a brace each as Argentina romped to a 6-0 win over Puerto Rico in Florida. The Inter Miami forward played all 90 minutes of the friendly clash after missing the defending World Cup champions October 10 win against Venezuela. Liverpool midfielder Mac Allister opened the scoring after 14 minutes and nabbed his second just before half-time, with Messi assisting on a Gonzalo Montiel goal in the 23rd minute to make it 3-0 at the break. Argentinas Lautaro Martinez (22) celebrates his second goal with Lionel Messi (Marta Lavandier/AP) Puerto Rico were able to stem the tide briefly at the start of the second half, but an own goal from Steven Echevarria in the 64th minute reopened the floodgates. Martinez found the back of the net in the 79th minute to open his tally, and pounced on a Messi ball to close his account in the 84th minute. Malaysian police blamed social media after a 14-year-old boy stabbed a 16-year-old school student to death, sparking national outrage and calls for tighter online controls. The incident took place on Tuesday at a secondary school in Selangor, near Kuala Lumpur, where the two students studied. The police responded to the emergency call at 9.40am after a teacher heard her screams and found the victim near a toilet with multiple stab wounds. The suspect was detained within 30 minutes of the incident and is being held until 21 October at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters. Police have seized two sharp objects believed to have been used from the scene. It is believed that emotional impulses and the influence of social media have been identified as factors that may have led the suspect to behave in such a manner, Selangor police chief Shazeli Kahar told a press conference on Tuesday. Police said authorities have yet to establish a motive behind the incident. (Selangor Police) Prime minister Anwar Ibrahim responded by calling for stronger regulation of online platforms, citing a rise in violent incidents against girls in schools over recent months. The responsibility, of course, goes back to parents and schools, but almost all of these issues stem from the unchecked use of mobile phones and social media, Mr Ibrahim said after attending the Finance Ministrys monthly assembly in Putrajaya Wednesday. He added that his ministers would discuss stricter measures on social media usage at the next cabinet meeting. Videos of the incident purportedly showed the teenage boy walking in the school corridor with blood stained school uniform and a knife in hand. It is believed that the two had not interacted before the incident. The police confirmed the discovery of a handwritten note believed to have been left by the teenage suspect. The suspects father, a 40-year-old man who did not wish to be named, said he was heartbroken and could not comprehend his sons actions. I am heartbroken my son did this. I know that no matter what I say, its useless. No matter what I do, I cant get their daughter back. I dont know how to face them, he said, according to China Press. He described his son as introverted and quiet, saying there was nothing unusual about him on the morning of the attack. I sent him to school as usual. I didnt expect such a thing to happen, he said. The governments deputy national security adviser repeatedly described the threat posed by China in witness statements Sir Keir Starmer has been forced to publish as part of an extraordinary row over a collapsed spying case. The revelation comes as the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy announced that it would be holding a formal inquiry into the collapse of the case, amid growing questions for both the Crown Prosecution Service and the government. In the witness statement that was published on Wednesday evening, Matt Collins said Chinese intelligence services were highly capable and conduct large-scale espionage operations against the UK, which threaten the UKs economic prosperity and resilience and the integrity of our democratic institutions. But he added that the government was committed to pursuing a positive relationship with Beijing. He also told prosecutors it was his assessment that the two men accused of spying for China acted in a way that was a danger to the safety and interests of the UK, handing over material that would be useful to the Chinese state. They deny any wrongdoing. The release of the documents will pile pressure on the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to explain why it unexpectedly dropped charges against the two men, Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry. The CPS has said the case collapsed because the governments evidence did not show that China represented a threat to national security at the time of the alleged offences, which took place under the last Tory government. Ministers hope the release of the documents will prove the Labour government did not force the case to collapse and have now urged the head of the CPS to explain why the case was dropped. Asked if director of public prosecutions (DPP) Stephen Parkinson was the right man for the job, minister Stephen Kinnock told Sky News: Im not going to comment on that, adding: I believe the DPP told MPs yesterday that he felt the evidence was 95 per cent of the way there, but there was a 5 per cent gap that was missing. The documents said Chinese espionage operations threaten the UKs economic prosperity and resilience and the integrity of our democratic institutions (Getty) I think hes the best person to explain what that 5 per cent was missing was. But the Conservatives said they showed the extent of the threat that China poses to the UK, and makes it all the more shocking that the prime minister knew of the imminent collapse of this trial, but did nothing to stop it. Speaking in the Commons on Thursday, Labour MP Matt Western, chair of the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, said there are a lot of questions yet to be asked and announced they would hold a formal inquiry into the issue. Addressing Cabinet Office minister Chris Ward, he said: We will be holding this inquiry as soon as we possibly can, and will he give his commitment that we will have access to ministers and civil servants or whoever we wish to come before us. Mr Ward insisted the government wanted to be as transparent as possible, adding: Ill come back to him on this precise mechanism of how we do that, but Im sure people will be made available to his committee. But the Lib Dems called for the government to go further and launch a statutory inquiry, claiming the statements raised more questions than they answered. In his first statement, Mr Collins said that evidence provided by police about the accused stated that Mr Berry had exchanged messages with Alex, an alleged Chinese agent, and met a senior member of the Chinese Communist Party. Mr Cash is said to have told Mr Berry: Youre in spy territory now. Mr Collins said: It is highly unlikely that one of the most senior officials in China would meet Mr Berry unless the Chinese state considered him to be someone who could obtain valuable information. He pointed to one occasion when Mr Berry was given 13 hours to provide information, saying that it indicates to me that it may have been used to inform real-term decision-making. Information allegedly passed on included details about ministers likely to be promoted to the cabinet, as well as the position of the government on issues. Christopher Berry and Christopher Cash both deny any wrongdoing (PA) His statement concluded: In my view, providing sensitive information of the kind passed by Mr Cash and Mr Berry to the Chinese state was prejudicial to the safety or interests of the UK as it gave the Chinese state a tactical or strategic advantage. The information and material passed would be directly or indirectly useful to China. Meanwhile, Mr Cash said he had been put in an impossible position. He said: I have not had the daylight of a public trial to show my innocence, and I should not have to take part in a trial by media. The statements that have been made public are completely devoid of the context that would have been given at trial. Furthermore, the assessments of the information shared would have been subject to a root and branch challenge. Those assessments would not have withstood the scrutiny of a public trial. In his final witness statement in August, Mr Collins discussed the active espionage threat that China posed to the UK between 2021-23. He added: As I said in my first statement, the Chinese Intelligence Services are highly capable and conduct large-scale espionage operations against the UK to advance the Chinese states interests and harm the interests and security of the UK. Chinese espionage operations threaten the UKs economic prosperity and resilience and the integrity of our democratic institutions. Keir Starmer speaking during PMQs on Wednesday (Reuters) But he also added: It is important for me to emphasise, however, that the UK government is committed to pursuing a positive relationship with China to strengthen understanding, cooperation and stability. In an earlier statement in February 2024, he said China was the biggest state-based threat to the UKs economic security. He said a wide range of UK government and commercial targets had been attacked by advanced persistent threat (APT) groups, which had been attributed to Chinas Ministry of State Security. An APT uses continuous, clandestine, and sophisticated hacking techniques to gain access to a system and remain inside for a prolonged period of time, with potentially destructive consequences, Mr Collins said. He added that in July 2021, the government attributed the hack of Microsoft Exchange servers to the Chinese state-linked actors and judged that the purpose of the attack was highly likely to enable large-scale espionage. Keir Starmer announced at PMQs on Wednesday that the evidence would be released. Photograph: House of Commons The Crown Prosecution Service abandoned a case against two Britons accused of spying for China despite being told by the UKs deputy national security adviser that Beijings intelligence agencies harm the interests and security of the UK. Three witness statements were released by Keir Starmer on Wednesday night in an effort to draw a line under a row over why the case was dropped against the two, one of whom also warned the other in a message: Youre in spy territory now. Charges against Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry had fallen away because prosecutors could not obtain evidence from the senior civil servant that Beijing represented a threat to the national security of the UK over many months. On Wednesday, under pressure from the Conservatives, Starmer said at prime ministers questions that the government would publish the evidence, three witness statements written by deputy national security adviser Matthew Collins. The third statement written in August appears close to the specific threat language sought by Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions, which was deemed necessary following a ruling in an unrelated spy case. It described Chinas intelligence services as highly capable and that they conduct large scale espionage operations against the UK to advance the Chinese states interests and harm the interests and security of the UK. Chinas espionage operations threaten the UKs economic prosperity and resilience, and the integrity of our democratic institutions, it continued, noting that China state-linked hackers compromised the UK Electoral Commission and engaged in online reconnaissance activity against some MPs emails in 2021. Earlier on Wednesday, the chairs of five parliamentary committees met with Parkinson to discuss how they will scrutinise the affair. According to one report, the director of prosecutions told them the statements were 5% less than the evidence threshold that was needed although the CPS declined to comment. Other statements made by Collins were more nuanced. The civil servants second witness statement, made in February, said the government was committed to pursuing a positive economic relationship with China though it also noted that China was the biggest state-based threat to the UKs economic security. The prosecution was suddenly dropped last month in what had been expected to be a high profile case under the 1911 Official Secrets Act prompting accusations from the Conservatives that Labour had not allowed Collins to supply the statements demanded by the prosecutor because Starmer and his national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, wanted a more positive relationship with Beijing. Responding to Conservative claims of political interference, Starmer said at prime ministers questions it was absolutely not the case and said Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the opposition, had made a completely scurrilous allegation. In a series of robust exchanges in the Commons, Badenoch accused Starmer of not being honest about what had happened. The charges were brought under us, the case collapsed under them, she said. Can the prime minister tell us what changed and what collapsed the case? Starmer turned his fire on the Tories, saying it was their failure and they are just slinging mud. He argued the only reason the case was withdrawn was because the previous Conservative government did not designate China as a threat to the UK. To be clear, had the Conservatives been quicker in updating our legislation a review that started in 2015 these individuals could have been prosecuted, and we would not be where we are, he said. On Wednesday night Conservatives argued that the release of the witness statements was limited and falls short of what was requested. A party spokesperson said that Collinss witness statements showed the extent of the threat that China poses to the UK and that it was therefore all the more shocking that the prime minister knew of the imminent collapse of this trial, but did nothing to stop it. No 10 said Starmer was told the trial was on the brink of collapse a couple of days before the CPS announced it, but it insisted it was not for him to intervene in the matter. It is for the DPP or the CPS to make a decision on a criminal case, the prime ministers spokesperson said. The pre-first world war legislation, now repealed because of its age, required prosecutors to prove China was an enemy and one available definition to prosecutors was that Beijing represent a current threat to the UKs national security. Cash had worked for the Conservative MPs Alicia Kearns and Tom Tugendhat, while Christopher Berry was a teacher based in China. They were arrested early in 2023 and charged in April 2024, but both men had denied the accusations and always maintained their innocence. The first witness statement summarises some of the allegations made against Cash and Berry. Cash was accused of passing on information about British politics, the UKs China policy and parliament that Berry put into research briefings for Alex, an individual who was judged to be working for Chinese intelligence, who in turn allegedly passed them on to a senior member of Chinas ruling politburo. In the first statement, it is alleged that at one point in July 2022, Berry met a senior CCP [Chinese communist party] leader. Cash learned of by voice note on 18 July 2022 and responded in multiple messages a day later. One of which said: Youre in spy territory now. In a statement late on Wednesday night, Cash maintained that he was completely innocent and said that at no point did I ever intentionally assist Chinese intelligence. He said he had been placed in an impossible position because the statements that have been made public are completely devoid of the context that would have been given at trial. A spokesperson for Chinas embassy in the UK said: We have emphasised from the outset that the allegation about China instructing the relevant British individuals to steal British intelligence is entirely fabricated. We urge certain individuals in the UK to stop this kind of self-staged anti-China political farce. On Thursday, Ken McCallum, the head of MI5, is expected to spell out the threats posed by China in an annual security update. Whitehall insiders are frustrated by the failure to prosecute Cash and Berry and reiterate they stand by previous warnings about Chinese hacking and industrial espionage. Earlier on Wednesday, Dominic Cummings, who served as Boris Johnsons chief adviser, said China had breached secure high-level systems involving Strap material, a security classification for highly sensitive information, and this had not been made public. But this was denied by former senior cybersecurity officials working in Whitehall and by the Cabinet Office within hours. A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: It is untrue to claim that the systems we use to transfer the most sensitive government information have been compromised. Other senior officials said the story was untrue. North Carolina woman accused of using ChatGPT to research deadly drugs before trying to poison husbands drink A North Carolina woman has been accused of using ChatGPT to research deadly drugs before trying to poison her husbands drink. As artificial intelligence becomes more intertwined in our lives, stories have emerged about how chatbots have answered some concerning prompts. Now, it has been revealed through official documents AI has been used in an attempted murder case. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department announced Friday 43-year-old Cheryl Harris Gates was arrested for attempted murder, among other charges. Gates spiked her husbands Celsius energy drink with prescription drugs with the intention of causing a black out condition or incapacitation, according to an arrest warrant obtained by multiple news outlets. Cheryl Harris Gates, a 43-year-old North Carolina woman, has been accused of using ChatGPT to research deadly drugs before trying to poison her husbands drink (Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office) She had used ChatGPT, a popular AI chatbot from OpenAI, to investigate lethal and incapacitating prescription drug combinations and the effects of oleander, ricin, and fox glove poisoning, People reported, citing an officer's affidavit. Its unclear what type of drugs were ultimately used in the alleged poisoning. Local outlet WBTV reported, citing official documents, Gates specifically researched drug combinations that could be ingested and injected. The Independent has reached out to OpenAI for comment. Gates husband gave proof of his incapacitation and a foreign controlled substance in his drink twice over the summer, once in July and again in August, according to the affidavit. Syringes, a capsule filling kit, medical droppers, scales and medications were found at Gates home, police say. Gates used ChatGPT, a popular AI chatbot from OpenAI, to 'investigate lethal and incapacitating prescription drug combinations,' according to official documents (Vincent Feuray/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images) The state of Gates relationship with her husband is unclear. The affidavit said the two were living separately, and local outlet WSOC-TV reported its sources say he is her ex. The Independent has reached out to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for additional information. Police say Gates is an employee at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, and several reports said she was a therapist there. The Independent has reached out to the school district asking whether Gates still works there. Its definitely surprising that somebody in that capacity that is there to help others would do something, that type of crime, especially, Quemella Holland, a parent in the school district, told WSOC-TV. Another parent, Laurie Leebrick, said, She never should have been around kids at all. They should have done better background checks. Gates is also charged with Contaminate Food or Drink to Render One Mentally Incapacitated or Physically Helpless, as well as stalking and property damage. Police say the crimes Gates is accused of happened off school property and didnt involve any student, teacher or facility member. Gates, who has been denied bond, was appointed a public defender, WBTV reported, without giving details about the lawyer. October 15, 2025: A new war is unfolding in the Middle East between Israel and Irana propaganda war leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems to craft the most compelling and convincing narratives. The Israelis hold a qualitative edge, while the Iranians benefit from a larger population. However, this advantage is undermined by the unpopularity of Irans religious government among most Iranians. Since the religious leaders, or Ayatollahs, took control of the economy, it has been in disarray. The Ayatollahs themselves tend to be honest, but their family members are often corrupt, exploiting opportunities in ways that fuel resentment among the majority of Iranians. Israel has capitalized on this discontent by supporting the Iranian resistance with money, weapons, and advisors. There are still many descendants of Iranian Jews in Israel. When Israel was founded in 1948, Jews living in Muslim countries throughout the region became unwelcome. They fled to Israel, where they found safety and greater prosperity than in their former homelands. This migration also provided the Israeli secret service, Mossad, with qualified recruits for espionage and intelligence analysis, enabling them to monitor neighboring countries. Over time, Israel secured peace and trade agreements with its neighbors, starting with Egypt and Jordan. Eventually, the Gulf Arab states recognized Israel as a valuable ally against Iran. Before Irans religious revolution in the 1980s, Israel and the Iranian monarchy maintained good relations. Many Iranians today wish to restore that relationship. Israel and Iran have been adversaries since 1979, when Irans monarchy was replaced by a religious dictatorship masquerading as a democracy. The new government held elections, with nominally elected officials running the state, but senior religious leaders, or Ayatollahs, retained the power to approve candidates. The senior Ayatollahs role involves more politics than religion. A key distinction between Iranian religious leaders and those in Arab countries is that Iranians are Shia Muslims, while over 80 percent of Muslims worldwide are Sunni. Shia and Sunni Muslims generally coexist, though disagreements persist over which branch represents the more legitimate form of Islam. Israel exploits these differences, aligning with Sunni Arabs against the Persians, as some in the region still refer to Iranians. The term Iranian began replacing Persian about a century ago, but Persian persists. Historically, Shia Iranians and Sunni Arabs have clashed. Until oil was discovered and exported a century ago, these tensions were inconsequential. Oil wealth transformed the dynamic between Iranians and Arabs. The Arabs possessed far more oil, but Iran leveraged its oil revenue to bolster its military. Irans advantagesabundant agriculture and natural resourcesgave it a military edge over the Gulf Arabs, whose Arabian Peninsula offered little arable land. They survived through coastal towns and cities, importing goods to trade with interior tribes. In Yemen, in the far south of the peninsula, sufficient rainfall supported agriculture, but the region lacked oil. In religious terms, the Gulf Arabs and Iranians viewed Israelis as enemies of Islam, a group to be eradicated from the region. Yet Israel proved remarkably resilient against these threats. Over recent decades, the Gulf Arabs have come to see the prosperous and militarily formidable Israel as a useful ally, particularly as Iran edged closer to developing nuclear weaponsa prospect no one in the region, nor the nations purchasing Persian Gulf oil, supported. This context set the stage for the massive June Israeli-American airstrikes on Iran, which destroyed most of Irans offensive weapons and production facilities. Israels informant network in Iran identified key military, intelligence, and security officials for targeted elimination during the attack. Israeli military planners exploited Iranian leaders miscalculations. The Iranians believed Israel would refrain from action before the next round of nuclear weapons negotiations, dismissing Israeli moves as mere propaganda to extract concessions. This misjudgment proved fatal, as Iran failed to implement safety protocols, such as restricting leadership meetings to secure locations. Instead, leaders convened at a military base, a fact noted and reported by Israeli operatives inside Iran. Israel maintains hundreds of operatives within Iran, mostly Iranians disillusioned with the religious dictatorship mismanaging the country. Iranian leaders largely dismiss the possibility that Israel could recruit and deploy such operatives. This arrogance has repeatedly proven costly. In 2018, these operatives enabled Israel to extract half a ton of Iranian nuclear weapons program documents. Iranian underestimation of Israeli capabilities remains a recurring flaw. Israels exploitation of Iranian errors has succeeded multiple times because Iranian leaders refuse to accept that Israel operates this way, that their own people harbor such deep resentment as to collaborate with Israeli intelligence, or that Israel has infiltrated Irans regime security forces. During the June 13 Israeli attack, Iran made further costly miscalculations. Israel, with American assistance, killed several senior military leaders, destroyed most Iranian air defense systems and ballistic missile operations, and crippled underground nuclear material processing facilities. The June 13 attacks enraged Irans leaders, prompting retaliation with roughly a hundred missiles and drones that survived the Israeli assault. Some struck their targets, causing about two dozen Israeli casualties and damaging buildings. Iran launched subsequent attacks, inflicting further damage. Meanwhile, Irans challenges are mounting. A new program aims to cripple Iranian oil exports by imposing severe financial penalties on nations purchasing Iranian oil. This wont halt sales entirely but will reduce them, limiting Irans funds for regional mischief. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei survived because the American B-2 bombers that struck Irans underground nuclear facilities were not deployed to target him. Israel and the U.S. agreed to leave Khamenei in place, viewing him as a known quantity, whereas his successor could be worse. Ultimately, this brief Iran-Israel war left over 5,000 Iranians dead or wounded, while Israel suffered 29 deaths and nearly 3,500 injuries. Iranian errors, coupled with Israeli ingenuity and swift action, secured victory once again. The war persists, but Iran received another stark reminder not to underestimate Israel. The Iranians, however, never stop trying. Members of the International Committee of the Red Cross wait near the Kissufim crossing in central Gaza to receive the bodies of Palestinians held by Israel as part of the ceasefire agreement. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty One of the four bodies handed over by Hamas is not a missing hostage, Israel has said. Meanwhile a hospital in Gaza said the 45 anonymous remains of Palestinians they had received in return arrived with cuffs on their legs and arms. The latest handover of dead hostages held in Gaza on Tuesday night came after the Israeli government threatened to halve the expected flow of aid into the strip. Grieving Israeli families were angered after only four of the missing 28 deceased hostages were released on Monday, when the 20 Israelis still alive in Gaza came home. The Israeli military said on Wednesday that one of the bodies handed over by Hamas does not match any of the hostages, after examinations at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv. Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages, it said. The ceasefire agreement requires Hamas to make every effort to return the missing bodies in exchange for those of 360 Palestinians killed in the war in Gaza. On Wednesday, officials at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis in southern Gaza said none of the 45 bodies they had received from Israel had been identified and that they had arrived at the facility with their hands and legs cuffed. Some are blindfolded and there are signs of gunshot wounds in some cases, while others have been run over by tanks, the hospital told CNN. The Palestinian Center for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared Persons called on Israel to provide all available information on the bodies being handed over including the names of the victims and details about the circumstances of their deaths. Speaking on Tuesday, Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right security minister in Benjamin Netanyahus government, despite having been convicted in 2007 of racist incitement and supporting groups on terrorism blacklists, said Hamas was playing games over the dead hostages. He said: Enough with the disgrace. Moments after opening the crossings to hundreds of trucks, Hamas very quickly returned to its known methods to lie, to cheat and to abuse families and the bodies. This Nazi terror understands only force and the only way to deal with it is to erase it from the face of the earth. Ben Gvir called on Netanyahu to issue a clear ultimatum to Hamas: if you do not immediately return all the bodies of our fallen and you continue with these delays, we will immediately halt all aid supplies entering the [Gaza] Strip. Israel has repeatedly blocked aid from entering Gaza during the conflict, prompting accusations it has used starvation as a weapon of war. Humanitarian officials have repeatedly warned that assistance is desperately needed. Famine was declared in parts of Gaza in August. The chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, said the military would not rest until we return all [of the hostages]. This is our moral, national and Jewish duty. At a handover ceremony, he said: In coordination with the political echelon, we will insist and stand firm on upholding all the agreements. Three of the bodies have been identified as the hostages Staff Sgt Tamir Nimrodi, 18, Uriel Baruch, 35, and Eitan Levy, 53. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement that Nimrodi had been kidnapped alive on 7 October but killed by IDF bombings in captivity. The body of Baruch, a father of two from Jerusalem, was taken from the Nova music festival, where he was shot dead near his car during the Hamas attack. Levy, a taxi driver, was killed after dropping off a friend at the Beeri kibbutz on the morning of the attack and his remains were taken into Gaza the same day. Under the ceasefire deal, Israel has freed some doctors, nurses and paramedics seized during raids on hospitals in Gaza, but other high-profile medical figures remain missing. According to the NGO Healthcare Workers Watch (HWW), more than 100 remain in Israeli prisons, including Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, a hospital director, who became the face of the struggle to keep treating patients under Israeli siege and bombardment. Abu Safiya, the director of the Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza, has been imprisoned without charge by Israel for nearly 10 months. HWW, which documents detentions from Gaza, said 55 medical workers including 31 doctors and nurses were on lists of freed detainees. The group said at least 115 medical workers remained in custody, as well as the remains of four who died while in Israeli prisons, where rights groups and witnesses have reported frequent abuse. An Oxford University student who chanted Gaza, Gaza make us proud, put the Zios in the ground at a London rally has been arrested by Metropolitan Police officers. Samuel Williams, who is reading Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Balliol College, was filmed among a crowd of people during a Palestine Coalition protest in Westminster on Saturday, October 11. Williams, who is reportedly from Tunbridge Wells in Kent, has also been suspended by the university. A spokesman for the Met said on Wednesday: Officers investigating chants filmed at a Palestine Coalition demonstration in central London on Saturday, October 11, have made an arrest. A 20-year-old man was arrested at an address in Oxfordshire on Wednesday, October 15, on suspicion of inciting racial hatred. He remains in police custody. Oxford University said in a statement: The precise basis for the arrest has not yet been disclosed to the University. People took part in a Palestine Solidarity Campaign march from Victoria Embankment to Downing Street, central London (Yui Mok/PA) While the University cannot comment on individual student cases, it has the power to take immediate and proportionate action including, as appropriate, suspending a student from membership of the University, whenever serious concerns are raised. Tens of thousands of people marched from the Victoria Embankment to Downing Street to mark two years since Israel launched its military campaign against Hamas in response to the October 7 massacre. Stalls selling keffiyeahs stood along the River Thames as the demonstration began, while people handed out placards that read from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free and Its not a crime to act against genocide. The demonstration came just days after the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal accepted by Israel and Hamas. Scotland Yard said it made 14 arrests for offences including breaching Public Order Act conditions, affray and supporting a proscribed group. Israel's response to the massacre of October 7, 2023 has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gazan health officials, and destroyed much of the coastal territory. Marwan Barghouti was assaulted by eight guards on 14 September, his son said. Photograph: Bernat Armangue/AP Palestines most popular leader, Marwan Barghouti, was beaten unconscious by Israeli prison guards and his family fears for his life, his son has said, citing evidence given by former Palestinian detainees released this week as part of the ceasefire deal. Arab Barghouti said his 66-year-old father was assaulted by eight guards on 14 September as he was being transferred between Ganot and Megiddo prisons. Barghouti said that five of the Palestinian prisoners released and deported to Egypt by the Israeli authorities on Monday had heard the Palestinian leaders account of his treatment when he arrived in Megiddo prison. What we know is that while they were transferring my father, they stopped along the way and eight security guards within the prison authority that worked for the prison authority started beating my father up in different ways, by kicking him, by [throwing] him on the ground, by punching him, focusing on the head area, chest area and legs as well, he said, adding that his father later told fellow prisoners he lost consciousness as a result of the attack. The released detainees say that when he came to Megiddo he could barely walk for days. Barghouti said it was the fourth time his father had been beaten over the past two years. The Palestinian leader has been held in solitary confinement since the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, which ignited the Gaza war. Barghouti is a member of the Fatah party, a bitter rival of Hamas. The Asra Media Office, which covers Palestinian prisoner issues, said Barghouti lost consciousness and suffered fractures in four ribs as a result of the beating. The alleged beating followed a prison visit to Marwan Barghouti by the Israeli national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir in August. Ben Gvir, a member of an extreme right party who has past convictions from Israeli courts for incitement to racism and support for a terrorist organisation, taunted Barghouti in a video clip published at the time. According to Arab Barghouti, Ben Gvir also showed the 66-year-old prisoner a picture of an electric chair, and told him he deserved to be executed. In a statement quoted in Maariv newspaper on Wednesday, Ben Gvir denied the assault allegations, but added that he was proud that [Barghoutis] situation has changed radically during my tenure play time is over, holiday camps are over. The murderer Barghouti knows that terrorists like him are treated harshly today, so he invents fake news to incite his despicable terrorist comrades who left him behind as part of the [ceasefire] deal, Ben Gvir said, adding he gave his full support to the fighters of the prison service, who he said were performing sacred work. Barghouti consistently tops polls as the most popular leader among Palestinians. He has been in prison for more than 20 years after being convicted of planning attacks that led to five civilians being killed, and sentenced to five life sentences plus 40 years. The trial was criticised as deeply flawed by the Inter-Parliamentary Union. As part of the US-brokered ceasefire deal that took effect over the weekend, 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences were released, and most of them deported to Egypt. The Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu vetoed Barghoutis inclusion on the list of prisoners to be freed as part of the deal. My father represents the voice of reason, Arab Barghouti said. He is the most popular Palestinian leader, but at the same time, he has a political vision that is accepted by the international community that can contribute to the stability of the region, which is a two-state solution. Hes been a vocal supporter of the two-state solution for more than three decades. I think the fact that the Israeli government insisted that hes not part of the deal is a clear declaration that theyre not looking for a credible, legitimate Palestinian leader. They want us to stay divided. Additional reporting by Quique Kierszenbaum in Jerusalem Christopher Cash, right, who worked as a parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, a teacher, had spying charges against them dropped - Jeff Moore/PA Wire Sir Keir Starmer has published evidence the Government submitted in the China spying case after accusations of a cover-up. The Cabinet Office shared a witness statement given by Matthew Collins, the deputy national security adviser, about the case against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry. In September, charges against the pair, who were accused of passing sensitive intelligence from Parliament to the Chinese Communist Party, were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The Governments decision to publish the evidence followed demands from Sir Keirs critics that he should be more transparent about how such a high-profile espionage trial could have fallen apart. Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, has accused Downing Street of a cover-up, but the Prime Minister insists all protocol was followed and has blamed the Tories for the cases collapse. The row hinges on what evidence the CPS had requested from the Government, and why it was not provided. But even after the decision to publish it, key questions remain. Why did Starmer do nothing to prevent the case collapsing? Downing Street admitted on Wednesday that Sir Keir was informed that the Cash and Berry case was on the brink of collapse a couple of days before the CPS told the court. But a spokesman said he did not intervene because it had been decided that Mr Collins should submit his witness statements without any interference from ministers. Days later, the Government said it was disappointed the case had collapsed, and ministers suggested they did not know why it had happened. Why did Sir Keir, a former Director of Public Prosecutions, not do more to keep the trial running? Matthew Collins, the deputy national security adviser, gave a witness statement in the case What did the Crown Prosecution Service ask Matthew Collins to provide? The CPS says it asked the Government for evidence that China was a threat to national security, which ministers have said was impossible to provide because that had not been the position of the previous Conservative government, which was in power when the alleged offences took place. It has never been revealed what specific evidence would have cleared the legal bar for the prosecution to succeed. Even after Mr Collinss witness statements have been published, it will not necessarily be clear what had been requested, and therefore what Mr Collins refused to say. Why did a civil servant make this decision alone? Sir Keir told MPs on Wednesday that Mr Collins had written his witness statements without any interference from ministers or politically appointed special advisers. But it is unclear why the Government more widely was not allowed to put together the evidence, given that it appears Mr Collins main source of evidence was public statements by former Conservative ministers. Whitehall sources said there was a firewall around Mr Collins while he was compiling evidence, while Government spokesmen have angrily denied any suggestion of interference. Did Matthew Collins take any advice from lawyers? What was the advice? Mr Collins was responsible for giving evidence on behalf of the Government in a high-profile espionage trial that could embarrass ministers if it collapsed. It therefore seems unlikely that he spoke to the CPS entirely alone, and did not have assistance from the expansive legal team within Whitehall. It is also possible that he received advice from Lord Hermer, the Attorney General, before writing his witness statement. Downing Street has denied that any of the content of the evidence was seen by ministers, including Sir Keir, when it was being written. The Government does not comment on legal advice. Did any political figures give advice while Mr Collins was compiling evidence? It is also possible that Mr Collins was advised on the issues surrounding the case when he was writing his statement, even if they did not directly contribute or advise on the evidence. Downing Street could clarify this point by explaining which meetings Mr Collins attended, and when the case was raised among officials and ministers. Why does the Government believe that its evidence must be based on the Conservatives foreign policy? Ministers are adamant that the only evidence that was relevant in the case was the official position of the previous Conservative government towards China. On Wednesday, Sir Keirs official spokesman said the period when the spying is alleged to have taken place was bookended by the Tories Integrated Review in 2021, and Integrated Review Refresh in 2023. The Government says these policy positions were the clearest statement of the UKs view of China, and that other statements from Conservative ministers that China was a threat would have had less weight in court. However, leading lawyers, including a professor of public law at Cambridge University, have said there is no requirement to provide that evidence. It is argued that the Government could have instead provided factual evidence about Chinas attacks on the UK, and allowed a jury to decide whether it represented a threat. What did Jonathan Powell discuss with officials in September, and who attended that meeting? On Wednesday, Sir Keir confirmed that Jonathan Powell, his national security adviser, had attended a meeting to discuss the Chinese spy case before it fell apart, in early September. He said that the meeting did not involve discussion on the contents of Mr Collinss evidence, but has not revealed the purpose of the meeting or its attendees. The Telegraph understands that other officials present included Sir Oliver Robbins, the senior civil servant at the Foreign Office, and members of the Governments China team. It is thought that at the point the meeting took place, Mr Powell and the other officials in the room still thought the case would go ahead. But there remain questions about what was discussed, and whether the Government was concerned about diplomatic backlash from China if Mr Cash and Mr Berry went to trial. Both men denied the charges. Did the Chinese government make any representations to the UK about this case? The Chinese government has made repeated requests to the UK to approve its new super embassy, on the former site of the Royal Mint in east London. But ministers have not said whether any Chinese government officials raised the Cash and Berry case with them before Mr Collins decided not to call Beijing a threat in his witness statements. If China leant on the UK and requested that the charges were dropped, it would undermine the Governments argument that all decisions were taken independently by the CPS. Sikorski at the unveiling in London of a downed Iranian-made Shahed-136 attack drone, used by Russia in Ukraine and acquired by the US pressure group United Against Nuclear Iran Photograph: Kin Cheung/AP Polands foreign minister has accused Russia of a tactically stupid and counterproductive escalation of the war in Ukraine, saying its drone incursion into Poland last month appeared to be deliberate. Radosaw Sikorski, on a visit to London, said all Vladimir Putin had achieved with the incursion was a consolidation of western opinion against him. He also dismissed Russian concerns that supplying US Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine would be unnecessarily provocative. The move by Russia had involved 21 drones in a seven-hour incursion in early September, forcing the closure of airports in the east and centre of the country. We think the preponderance of evidence suggests that it was deliberate, Sikorski said. Related: Ukraine war briefing: Poland minister shows Shahed drone and warns of deep Russian threat They were launched from a single location, and they were all unarmed. If this was an accidental offshoot of that nights attack on Ukraine, you would expect the mix of drones to be the same, some armed, some unarmed. All the ones that crossed into Poland were unarmed, he said. The drones, understood to be Russian-made Gerbera decoys, were launched from Russia, in an incursion that was seemingly coordinated with Belarus, he said. It was, he added, partly a test of Poland and Natos air defences, forcing Poland and Nato allies to respond by scrambling fighter jets and other air defences. Sikorski was speaking before a planned meeting of Nato defence ministers in Brussels, at which the defence of Europes eastern flank and supply of drones to Ukraine will be discussed. After the Polish incursion, Nato allies agreed to supply further jets for air policing as part of an operation called Eastern Sentry. According to a leaked defence paper to be published on Thursday, the European Commission will also call for European drone defences to be fully functional by the end of 2027 as part of a project previously known as the drone wall. The Polish drone incident is one of several incursions into Nato airspace by Russia in September, with Russian drones also sighted in the Baltic states, Romania and Norway, and potentially elsewhere in Scandinavia. Sikorski said the incursions were a reminder that Putin believed he was at war with us a situation that he argued dated back in the Russian presidents mind to the 2006 Alexander Litvinenko poisoning and his combative speech at the 2007 Munich Security Conference. Hes been at war with us, but we didnt acknowledge it because it seemed too preposterous and too strange, Sikorski said. The incursion into Poland was part of a spectrum of provocations, he said, including poisonings, sabotage and arson attacks, such as incendiary bombs at parcel sites in Poland, Germany and the UK. Though Putin was probing, Sikorski said, the incursions and other hybrid threats had been tactically stupid and counterproductive for him. What is he achieving? He is achieving the consolidation of public support for a policy of deterrence against Russia. Donald Trump is expected to discuss whether to supply Ukraine with US Tomahawks, which have a range of more than 1,000 miles, in a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday. The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday that the issue was of extreme concern to Russia. But Sikorski said concerns about the conflict spreading were exaggerated. Every time we intended to give Ukraine new missiles, new types of weapons, somebody said: Dont do it, its escalatory. Dont send them tanks. Dont send them MiG fighters. Dont send them F-16s. Dont give them Himars [rockets] dont give them Atacms [missiles]. And every time Russia has had to adjust. The Tomahawks, Sikorski said, could be used to target Russian oil refineries, the subject of recent Ukrainian drone strikes. Russias vastness means that you dont have enough anti-aircraft assets to protect all the targets, he said, noting Ukraine was having success in reducing Russias capacity to produce oil. When you achieve success you should reinforce it. Sikorski said that Viktor Orban, Hungarys prime minister, had been whispering into Trumps ear that Russia always wins. However, the Polish minister said that Russia had been defeated in Crimea in the 19th century, in the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese war, in the first world war, against Poland in 1920 and more recently in Afghanistan. Only when Russia loses a war are there any reforms, Sikorski said. If Russia lost the war it would be good for Ukraine, it would be good for Europe, but it would also be good for Russia. The Polish minister was in the UK for routine meetings, including with Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, and Jonathan Powell, Keir Starmers national security adviser. He also visited parliament, where he helped unveil a decommissioned Shahed-136 drone at an event organised by United Against Nuclear Iran. The UK on Wednesday announced fresh sanctions against Russia, targeting its two largest oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, and 51 shadow fleet oil tankers, in what it described as a new attempt to tighten energy sanctions and choke off the Kremlins revenues. The US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said last month that Washington would be willing to work with European countries on steeper sanctions. The drone wall idea, proposed by the EU executive, envisaged a system of anti-drone capabilities for detection, tracking, and neutralisation, as well as capabilities to hit ground targets leveraging drone technology for precision strikes according to a draft defence roadmap seen by the Guardian. However, EU sources said the name drone wall would be dropped to help the initiative win broader support. EU leaders will be asked to endorse the defence roadmap at a Brussels summit on 23 October as part of a drive to ensure the continent can defend itself from foreign invasion by 2030. The idea originated in the Baltic states, but has met scepticism farther west. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, said something a little more sophisticated and complex was needed. In Germany, where the word wall has an unhappy historical resonance, senior politicians have cast doubt on the idea, while endorsing drone defence. To help win broader geographical support, EU officials argue drone defences could help protecting borders and infrastructure, combating organised crime. Street covered in mud and debris caused by heavy rains in the Las Granjas neighborhood in Poza Rica, Veracruz state, on 14 October (AFP via Getty Images) At least 64 people have died due to torrential rain in Mexico, while dozens of people are still missing and the status of remote towns with up to 1,000 residents remains unknown. More than 300 communities have been cut off by landslides and flooding as of Tuesday, while soldiers and civilians are attempting to reopen blocked roads. The severe weather, which culminated over the weekend, resulted in devastation to homes, as well as causing power cuts in some areas. Mexicos president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said a National Emergency Committee remains in permanent session to monitor the affected states, allocating resources and supporting communities. We are sparing no resources to support the population affected by the rains, she said. What has happened in Mexico? Heavy rain followed as two tropical storms off Mexicos western coast converged, causing rivers to overflow. The downpours are thought to have come from Tropical Storm Priscilla, formerly a hurricane, and Tropical Storm Raymond. Mud and debris caused by heavy rains in the Las Granjas neighbourhood in Poza Rica, Veracruz state (AFP via Getty Images) President Sheinbaum said that the greatest urgency was to reopen roads as well as bring food supplies and water to affected communities. Health teams have already begun fumigating affected areas to prevent outbreaks of dengue, a disease spread by mosquitoes. Where in Mexico have floods hit? The worst-affected states are Veracruz; Hidalgo, which is north of Mexico City; and Puebla, east of Mexico City. It is thought Hidalgo has been hit the hardest with around 100,000 homes damaged or destroyed due to floods and mudslides, as well as power cuts to at least 150 communities. A destroyed street after flooding caused by heavy rains in the town of Huehuetla, in Hidalgo state (AFP via Getty Images) Mexico's Civil Protection agency said the heavy rains had killed 29 people in Veracruz state on the Gulf Coast as of Monday morning and approximately 21 people in Hidalgo state. At least 13 were killed in Puebla. Meanwhile, in the central state of Queretaro, a child died in a landslide. Residents in the oil town of Poza Rica said floodwaters left black, oily residue believed to have come from nearby oil and gas installations, coating trees and rooftops. Mexico has deployed some 10,000 troops in addition to civilian rescue teams. Helicopters have carried food and water to communities that remain cut off and have rescued those sick and injured. What is the governments advice? The UK government does not have any specific advice relating to the severe weather. Separately, the UKs Foreign Office advises all but essential travel to parts of Tijuana, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Michoacan, Jalisco, Colima, Guerrero and Chiapas. Some exceptions within these areas apply. Flooded streets after heavy rains in Poza Rica, Veracruz state, Mexico, on 11 October (AFP via Getty Images) The Foreign Office also gives wider advice on extreme weather and natural disasters in Mexico. It explains that the hurricane season in Mexico usually runs from June to November and can affect the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Hurricanes often cause floods, landslides and disruption to local services, including transport networks. The government advises monitoring local and international weather updates from the US National Hurricane Centre and following the advice of local authorities and your tour operator, including evacuation orders. The US government issued a weather alert on Thursday 9 October for travellers ahead of the devastation caused by both tropical storms. It advised people to check with their airline for updates, check road conditions prior to travelling, monitor local media and follow directions from local officials, or call 911 in the event of an emergency. Are flights to Mexico affected? There have been no significant disruptions to flights in and around the affected areas during the aftermath of the flooding. Mexico City Airport, Veracruz Airport, and Puebla Airport have all seen little to no disruption since Monday morning. Will my holiday to Mexico be cancelled? As the FCDO has not warned against non-essential travel to Mexico, there will be no special circumstances in place to be able to cancel a trip for a full refund. The conditions for cancelling your trip will be dependent on your holiday provider, so its best to contact them if youre looking to postpone. There is no obligation for companies to refund bookings if you want to cancel, and you will not be able to claim on your travel insurance due to safety concerns unless government advice changes. If you do have travel insurance, some policies include natural disaster cover for an event that prevents you from reaching your holiday destination. Check your insurance policies and speak to your insurer to see where you stand. Read more: Deadly landslides and flooding cut off 300 communities in Mexico Seattle is going to try to slow down prostitution in one neighborhood - with stern letters Authorities in Seattle are looking to crack down on prostitution in the city - with sternly-worded letters. The John Letters will be distributed to registered owners of vehicles observed by law enforcement to be engaging with sex workers on Aurora Avenue North, an area of the city known as a hub for a high volume of sexual exploitation activity. The letters will include the name, make and model of vehicle, and license, as well as the date, time and location of the suspected illegal exploitation. Photos of the alleged activity are also included. Sexual exploitation is not a victimless crime. Women and girls (and sometimes boys, men, and transgender individuals) involved in the sex trade on Aurora Avenue North are almost always the victims of criminal trafficking, the letter from the Seattle Police Department Human Trafficking Division states. They are typically controlled by pimps and are not free to leave. Engaging in sexual exploitation supports this abuse. Authorities in Seattle are looking to crack down on prostitution in the Aurora Avenue area - known to be a hub for prostitution - with sternly-worded letters (Creative Commons) The John Letters will be distributed to the registered owners of vehicles that are observed by the Seattle Police Department to be engaging with sex workers (Creative Commons) The letters are not criminal charges in themselves and do not carry any penalty. They are meant to serve as a warning to the owners of the vehicles that they have been noticed. SPD is not accusing you of a crime and no criminal charges will follow based on this incident, the letter continues. If you or someone you know needs help in order to stop sexual exploitation activity, there are non-profit organizations that may be able to assist. Prostitution and patronizing a sex worker is typically considered a misdemeanor in Washington state, and can result in a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. Any transaction that involves buying or selling sexual acts is considered prostitution in the state, according to Seattle-based law firm Lewis Law. Any person can be charged with prostitution if he or she offers to engage in sexual acts in exchange for a fee. Despite being a misdemeanor, local prosecutors have been known to be very aggressive about prosecuting johns, or people who patronize sex workers, and less so about those suspected of prostitution. If an individual is driving a vehicle at the time of an arrest for patronizing a prostitute, the police can impound the vehicle, the firm adds. Last month Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrells office announced $1.7 million in new awards to expand services for survivors of commercial sexual exploitation, including access to safety planning, medical and mental health care, and increasing the availability of safe housing and shelter options Essentially, its an education and awareness campaign," said Natalie Walton-Anderson, the Chief of Public Safety for Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. The goal here, realistically, is to deter and interrupt the demand that exists ... we have to have approaches to deter and send a message that we will not tolerate people who come here to prey upon people and buy sex. Its a crime. Last month Harrells office announced $1.7 million in new awards to expand services for survivors of commercial sexual exploitation, including access to safety planning, medical and mental health care, and increasing the availability of safe housing and shelter options. The awards form part of the citys $7.5 million investment in survivor services in 2025, representing an 83 percent increase in annual funding since 2022. Seattle is committed to being a city where every person can live in safety, dignity, and hope for the future. Survivors of commercial sexual exploitation deserve support that honors their experiences and helps them create their own path to healing and stability, Harrell said in a statement. By making these services stronger and more accessible, we are sending a clear message: in Seattle, we stand with survivors, and we will keep building a city where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Severance star Michael Chernus has admitted he wasnt initially intent on stepping into the role of infamous serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Chernus, 48, known for playing Adam Scotts goofy on-screen brother-in-law in the Emmy-winning sci-fi drama, leads Peacocks forthcoming crime drama Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy. Premiering Thursday, the new scripted drama series based on the streamers 2021 docuseries of a similar name will tell the story of Gacy, who was convicted of brutally murdering at least 33 people throughout the 1970s. Speaking to the New York Post about his casting, the Orange Is the New Black alum said he had immediate reservations about taking on the role of Gacy. To be honest, I was hesitant when I first got the call that there was interest in me playing John Wayne Gacy, because that just sounds really complicated and tricky, Chernus said. Michael Chernus stars as John Wayne Gacy in Peacock's new limited series, 'Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy (Brooke Palmer/PEACOCK) However, he recalled being put at ease by executive producer and showrunner Patrick McManus, saying: I knew we were on the same page, and that he and I never wanted to sensationalize this story, or certainly not glorify John Wayne Gacy, and that he really wanted to shed light on who some of these victims were. I never wanted him to come off as too likable or charming. I just wanted the audience to understand this is why some of these young men trusted him, Chernus acknowledged. Gacy was a prolific killer in the 1970s, known for torturing and raping his victims all males before murdering them, often through strangulation or asphyxiation. A majority of his victims were men he lured from Greyhound bus stops or picked up off the street. He typically offered them drinks, food or money for sex as a way to coax them back to his ranch located in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. John Wayne Gacy was eventually executed after being convicted of 33 murders (AP) Meanwhile, in public, Gacy was a frequent fundraiser and participated in several charitable organizations. He eventually joined a group of people that performed as clowns, and developed his characters of Pogo and Patches, both clowns. Gacy frequently performed at childrens parties while wearing his clown outfit. After luring his victims back to his home, Gacy would offer to teach them a magic trick, sometimes while dressed as his clown characters. After demonstrating a trick involving handcuffs, he would offer to teach his victims the illusion before securing them in handcuffs to rape and torture them. Eventually, he would kill his victims by strangling them with a rope or shoving rags deep into their throats. As a result of his method of killing and dress, he earned the nickname, Killer Clown. Gacy, convicted of his crimes in 1980, was imprisoned for over 15 years before ultimately being executed in 1994 at age 52. According to an official logline, Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy peels back the twisted layers of Gacys life while weaving in heartrending stories of his victims; exploring the grief, guilt, and trauma of their families and friends; and exposing the systemic failures, missed opportunities, and societal prejudices that fueled his reign of terror. In addition to Chernus, the series also stars Gabriel Luna, James Badge Dale, Michael Angarano, Chris Sullivan, and Marin Ireland. Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy will be available to stream Thursday on Peacock. Katie Amess has called for a public inquiry into her fathers death in 2021 - Lucy North/PA The daughter of Sir David Amess has accused the Prime Minister of insulting her family after he paid tribute to the murdered MP on the fourth anniversary of his death. At the beginning of Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday, Sir Keir Starmer told the House of Commons: Today marks four years since the horrific murder of Sir David Amess. Sir David was much loved across the House; kind and generous. I know it was a huge loss for many members opposite. May he rest in peace. Katie Amess, 40, said Sir Keirs words mean absolutely nothing as he had ignored her letters calling for a full inquiry into her fathers murder. Sir David was killed by Ali Harbi Ali, an Islamic State sympathiser, during a surgery in his constituency in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex in 2021. Ali, who is in prison for life, was referred to the Prevent programme but Home Office failures resulted in him being unmonitored in the months leading up to the murder. Sir Keir cited Sir David and Jo Cox, the Labour MP who was murdered by far-Right extremist Thomas Mair in 2016, and condemned the death threats received by Reform leader Nigel Farage, after illegal immigrant Fayaz Khan, 26, was jailed for five years on Tuesday. Ms Amess has been campaigning for a national inquiry into her fathers death but has yet to receive a response from the Prime Minister or Home Secretary after calling for a meeting in the summer. Speaking to The Daily T podcast, she said: I think its absolutely insulting and he [Starmer] is not protecting democracy. He is pouring salt onto the wounds of the victims of this terrible crime. I have pleaded with him to do an inquiry to find out why the perpetrator was known to the government Prevent scheme and to the police but was let back into public to commit this terrible atrocity. He has ignored my letters. He has been disrespectful to me face-to-face when I was asking him why he is choosing to help some terror victims and not others. I just feel like weve been treated absolutely terribly, and he can say whatever he wants, but if hes not going to help the family, then those words mean absolutely nothing. Its disgusting. Ms Amess claimed that when she did meet Sir Keir and Yvette Cooper, the then Home Secretary, in March, the Prime Minister refused to explain why he had called an immediate inquiry into the Southport killings but not her fathers murder. I kept pushing him and in the end he got really annoyed and said, Its a different case, its a different scenario, Im not getting into it, she told The Daily T podcast hosts Camilla Tominey and Tim Stanley from her home in Los Angeles. Asked if there was a difference between how parliamentarians addressed the murders of Cox and Sir David, Ms Amess said: They dont want to bring anything up to do with Islamic beliefs. They just want to talk about social media and how we need to be kinder to each other. They dont want to say: This was an attack because of Islam. A memorial service was held opposite Parliament for Sir David Amess in 2021, on the first anniversary of his death - Heathcliff O'Malley for The Telegraph In July, Lord Anderson published a Lessons for Prevent report on the failures in the programme related to the murders of Sir David and the victims of Southport killer Axel Rudakubana. The review found that Ali had been referred to Prevent in 2014, aged 18, and he was given a mentor who was meant to meet with him seven times, but only one meeting ever took place, over a coffee at a McDonalds in Croydon, south London. Ms Amess added: We werent happy with the outcome of the review because it didnt answer any of our questions, like who made the decision to have one cup of coffee in a McDonalds with the perpetrator? We wrote immediately to the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister and since then, it has been radio silence. I just saw online that the Home Secretary has posted how sorry she is and what a great man my father was. I dont want to hear that. I know what a great man he was. I know what a great parliamentarian he was. What are you going to do to get us the answers and find out why you failed him? Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to the late Sir David Amess at PMQs but was criticised for not holding a public inquiry over the killing - House of Commons Reflecting on the death threats received by Mr Farage, Ms Amess added: It is extremely worrying and thank God he was stopped. My father wasnt so lucky. Lessons are never learned. Theyre claiming that they sorted out Prevent in 2021 after it happened to my father. So why then did Southport happen a year and a few months later? Sir Keir Starmer told MPs that he would publish evidence given by the deputy national security adviser - House of Commons Sir Keir Starmer knew for two days that the Chinese spying case was on the brink of collapse but did not intervene, Downing Street has admitted. The Prime Minister is facing questions about his involvement in the fiasco, after The Telegraph revealed that prosecutors dropped a case against two alleged spies because the Government refused to testify that China was a national security threat. On Wednesday, Sir Keir told MPs that he would publish evidence given by Matthew Collins, the deputy national security adviser, after claims of a cover-up at the heart of Government. He did so on Wednesday evening. His official spokesman also revealed for the first time that Sir Keir knew for two days that the case was on the brink of collapse, and did not intervene to provide more evidence for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Evidence given by Matthew Collins, the deputy national security adviser, will be published, Sir Keir said on Wednesday The CPS has said it tried for many months to obtain a witness statement that China was a national security threat, which was required to try Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry for alleged spying, but gave up after it was not forthcoming. The two men have both denied the charges, which included that they had harvested sensitive intelligence from inside Parliament and sent it to a senior official in the Chinese Communist Party. The case collapsed last month, and neither the CPS nor the Government provided an explanation for what evidential failure had led to prosecutors dropping charges. The Telegraph then revealed the fiasco unfolded because Mr Collins did not testify in evidence that China was an enemy of the UK. Sir Keirs spokesman admitted on Wednesday that he found out about the possible collapse of the trial a couple of days in advance. The Prime Minister was made aware of the possibility of the trial not proceeding just a couple of days before the court was informed, the spokesman said, but said he had not seen Mr Collinss witness statements until Wednesday morning. On Wednesday evening, it was reported that Stephen Parkinson, the Director of Public Prosecutions, told senior MPs that Mr Collinss statement was close to the legal threshold to continue the trial of Mr Cash and Mr Berry. ITV News reported that he told MPs the evidence was 5 per cent less than the evidence threshold that was needed and that he informed Lord Hermer, the Attorney General, that the prosecution would not continue. The revelation has thrown doubt on ministers earlier suggestions that they did not know why the case collapsed, and that they were disappointed with the outcome. Announcing the end of the prosecution to MPs last month, Dan Jarvis, the security minister, said it was not for the Government to speculate on why the trial had collapsed. Alicia Kearns, the MP for Rutland and Stamford, who worked with Mr Cash in Parliament during the period he allegedly spied for China, said Sir Keir should have intervened to save the case before the CPS dropped the charges. The Prime Ministers inaction amounts to abdication of his most basic duty defence of our nation, she said. He knew the trial would collapse but chose not to act rather than have to confront China for attacking our nation. Starmers weakness emboldens our enemies and is a reckless betrayal of our sovereignty. She added that he should now take action to send a message to China, and end trade talks, sanction officials of the Chinese Communist Party, and deny their new embassy. Alicia Kearns, the Condervative MP, said Sir Keirs weakness emboldens our enemies - Reuters/House of Commons The admission from Downing Street came as Sir Keir faced questions about the spying case in Parliament for the first time since The Telegraph broke the story on Oct 3. Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, said his explanation of how the case had been handled stinks of a cover-up, and asked whether Mr Collins was truly the only official in the Government who had anything to do with this failure. Yes, Sir Keir replied, adding that Mr Collins had made his submission to the CPS according to the evidence submitted under the last government that China was not a threat to the UK. Leading legal experts, three former Cabinet secretaries and numerous former Conservative cabinet ministers have challenged Sir Keirs argument that Mr Collins could only provide evidence from the previous Government, rather than a fresh assessment of the threat China poses. Sir Keir said on Wednesday he had faced baseless accusations from the Conservatives of a cover-up. Im deeply disappointed by the outcome, he told MPs, adding that the Government wanted to see prosecutions. During his exchange with Mrs Badenoch, he also admitted the existence of a Whitehall meeting about the Chinese spy case that was chaired by Jonathan Powell, his national security adviser. But he insisted it did not involve [Mr Powell] discussing the evidence in any way, and said it had taken place after Mr Collinss last witness statement had already been submitted to the CPS. Chinese FM meets former Chilean president Xinhua) 09:51, October 15, 2025 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, who is in China to attend the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Jie) BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday in Beijing, who is in China to attend the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said Bachelet is a world-renowned stateswoman and a long-time friend of the Chinese people. He conveyed his hopes for her continued efforts in supporting the United Nations' mission and contributing to world peace and stability. Wang highlighted the significant challenges facing multilateralism today, noting that the UN requires reform, but with the goal of strengthening, not weakening, the organization. He reaffirmed China's unwavering support for the UN, emphasizing that China remains its steadfast advocate and long-term partner. He stressed that history and facts will prove that unilateral bullying has no support and that the world is moving towards multipolarity. The UN, he said, will overcome risks and challenges, continuing to work for peace and development. Bachelet congratulated China on successfully hosting the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, saying that the friendship between Chile and China has deep historical roots. She attributed the high-level development of bilateral relations to both countries sharing common values, and supporting multilateralism, peaceful solutions to disputes and the central role of the UN. She called for concerted efforts to strengthen the role of the UN through reform, highlighting the need to tackle global challenges together. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, who is in China to attend the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Jie) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) by Austin Bay October 14, 2025 How fortunate for peace and stability to have an American president who knows how to use American power to achieve positive change in supposedly intractable international problems. Aside 1: Thank the U.S. Air Force, its B-2 bombers and Operation Midnight Hammer for destroying the Iranian nutcase ayatollahs' nuclear weapons threat. U.S. conventional deep penetration bombs destroyed the psycho ayatollahs' nuclear threat to humans throughout the Middle East -- humans Arab, Israeli, Turk, Azeri, Armenian, Nilotic, you name it. Aside 2: Can the USAF win a Nobel Peace Prize? Before you scorn the idea, think about the positive political impact of Midnight Hammer. OK. Back to the column: How fortunate the president -- Donald Trump -- also respects the deep American values, work ethic and constitutional order that collectively produce, protect and maintain the creative sources of U.S. power. Economic. Military. Diplomatic. Rock 'n' roll. The U.S. is exceptional. Only powerful and creative America could have produced the new Middle East deal. Another source of U.S. power: energized, responsible young Americans who join the U.S. military. Military service is the toughest job in a democracy. Back to the gut issue: Today, Israel and what may or may not evolve to be a stable Palestine have a chance to live in prosperous peace because of the wise and forward-looking use of American power by an American president who managed to get four dozen countries and ethno-tribal entities to agree to back his Middle East peace deal. The prez's name, once again: Donald Trump. He didn't win the Nobel Peace Prize. Here are the two key elements of Trump's peace deal: 1. Get the living Israeli hostages back, human beings held underground for two years while being starved and tortured. Release happened Oct. 13. Living hostages returned. But, as of Oct. 14, all the bodies of dead hostages have yet to be returned. Why not return the remains of the dead? Take your worst, most macabre and grotesque necro-sexual psychopath estimate as the most likely reason. (Necro in the Greek usage.) 2. A done deal must ensure Hamas is disarmed -- completely disarmed. Trump told the press Oct. 14 Hamas would be disarmed by force, if necessary. (Doubters: Operation Midnight Hammer is evidence he means it.) Ensuring disarmament may mean killing a few more Hamas psychopaths. But psychopaths are slow learners. On camera, Hamas thugs murdered Palestinian Arabs they called collaborators. The psychopaths forced the accused to kneel. The psychopaths shot the kneeling in the head. To protect Palestinians, peace enforcers need to arrest, try and execute the Hamas murderers. Arguably, Hamas' mass execution breaks the peace deal. Again, Trump asserts Hamas will disarm or be disarmed. Let's see what happens. On the U.S. domestic front, a jealous, condescending former president, Barack Obama, won't give Trump credit for his momentous, decadal diplomatic achievement. Understand Obama got a Nobel Peace Prize for doing nothing. Barack isn't stupid. He knows his prize was a sham -- and Trump's success turns his sham into a historical wound. Recall Obama smeared his predecessor President George W. Bush as a stupid and maladroit gunslinger. Obama -- preening as a global sophisticate, a boring but common elitist facade -- touted his own "smart diplomacy." Diplomacy as practiced by professionals is the architectural pursuit of agreements and rewarding "deals" that eventually achieve long-range objectives. International diplomatic "breakthroughs" are rare. Those that occur require energetic leaders who 1) recognize converging immediate interests affecting disparate actors; 2) have the creativity to structure intelligent deals that leverage those interests; and 3) can establish their own national and personal commitment to long-term reliable political support for the breakthrough. Establishing requires the convincing use of decisive power to challenge if not resolve the common problem or threat. So we're back to Operation Midnight Hammer. Decisive U.S. military power devastated the regional destabilizers' biggest threat: Iran's nuclear weapons program. The nuke threat also propped up Iran's puppet armies, Hamas, Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis. Midnight Hammer knee-capped the puppets. Bottom-line lesson: Appeaseniks like the Obama-Biden crowd encourage evil actors. Terrorist and totalitarian fanatics interpret apologies as signs of weakness, the bleats of a corrupt culture wallowing in self-doubt. Little wonder America's vicious enemies -- in Chicago and abroad -- fear Trump and his energized, "get it done in the right way" America. Sir Keir Starmer has announced that he will publish key evidence in the China spying case trial that led to the collapse of the trial. The prime minister told MPs at the start of Prime Ministers Questions that he would publish three witness statements that were shared with prosecutors as he maintained his position that the previous government is to blame for the failure to prosecute. The abandonment of the prosecution of Christopher Cash, 30, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, 33, a teacher, has raised serious questions over national security and government policy towards China. Both men, who deny wrongdoing, had been accused of passing secrets to China, but charges against them were dropped last month. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the case collapsed because the governments evidence did not show that China represented a threat to national security at the time of the alleged offences. Sir Keir told MPs: Im deeply disappointed by the outcome. We wanted to see prosecutions. Starmer: Im deeply disappointed by the outcome. We wanted to see prosecutions (House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA) Anticipating a barrage of questions from Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, Sir Keir told MPs the case had to be based on the position taken by the Conservative government. He said the Conservative administrations Integrated Review of 2021 and the refresh of that document in 2023 were very carefully worded to not describe China as an enemy. The deputy national security adviser [DNSA], Matt Collins, set out the then governments position in a substantive witness statement in 2023, which was subsequently supplemented by two further short statements. The cabinet secretary assures me that the DNSA faithfully set out the policy of the then Tory government. I know first hand that the DNSA is a civil servant of the utmost integrity. Those opposite who worked with him, I am sure, would agree with that assessment. Under this government, no minister or special adviser played any role in the provision of evidence. Government sources had originally claimed the CPS was blocking the release of Mr Collinss evidence, but the organisation denied that this was the case. Sir Keir said: Given the information contained, we will conduct a short process. But I want to make clear, I intend to publish the witness statements in full. However, the statement was anticipated by Ms Badenoch, who used all six questions to probe the prime minister on the issue. Ms Badenoch asked: What on earth is the point of us having a lawyer rather than a leader as prime minister if he cant even get the law right on a matter of national security? Badenoch used all six questions to probe the prime minister on the trial (House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA Wire) Responding, Sir Keir said: Shes clearly not a lawyer or a leader. There was also a clash with former foreign secretary Sir James Cleverly, now shadow housing secretary, who was angered at claims by Sir Keir that he had said in a speech that China was not a threat. Making a point of order, he said: I have been misquoted. And the misquote, I think, is significant. It has been said that I, in a speech at Mansion House, said that describing China was impossible, impractical and, most importantly, unwise. The quote was, that describing China as one word or a policy in one word is impossible, impractical and unwise. I went on to say that our policy is: First, we will strengthen our national security protections wherever Beijings actions pose a threat to our people or our prosperity. And I finished by saying, When there are tensions with other objectives, we will always put our national security first. Meanwhile, Sir Keirs response also led to allegations he may have misled parliament, which were quickly denied by Downing Street. Ms Badenoch said: Is he seriously saying the deputy [national security adviser] did not discuss with the national security adviser, did not discuss with [the] home secretary or with anyone in Downing Street? The prime minister answered, Yes, but this was challenged in a tweet by Luke de Pulford, executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. He wrote: This is an historic moment. For the Prime Ministers answer to be correct, normal procedure would have to have been abandoned. Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake added: The Prime Minister almost certainly misleading Parliament today. Christopher Berry and Christopher Cash were accused of passing parliamentary secrets to Beijing but the case against them collapsed - Jeff Moore/PA The civil servant who gave evidence in the China spying case said the UK was committed to a positive relationship with Beijing, despite being asked to prove the country was a threat. Evidence from Matthew Collins, the deputy national security adviser, against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, also appeared to quote Labours 2024 general election manifesto, despite claims that there was no political interference. Mr Cash and Mr Berry have been accused of passing classified information to Beijing. Both have denied any wrongdoing. The case collapsed last month after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it did not have enough evidence and there was an evidential failure on the question of whether China represented a threat to the UK at the time of the alleged spying between 2021 and 2023. On Wednesday evening, the Government published three witness statements from Mr Collins nine hours after Sir Keir said he would reveal them following intense criticism of the Governments handling of the case and claims of a cover-up. In the evidence, Mr Collins stated that the Government was committed to a positive relationship with China, despite a list of attacks against the UK by Chinese-linked groups. He revealed that, at one point, Mr Cash told Mr Berry youre in spy territory now when discussing sensitive material that was eventually sent to one of Xi Jinpings top officials. Mr Collins concluded: The Governments position is that we will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must, including on issues of national security. This is a reference to Labours three Cs policy on China, which appears to contradict claims by Sir Keir that only the policy of the previous Conservative government could be used as evidence in the case. b' ' It also challenges a statement made by Dan Jarvis, the security minister, in the Commons on Monday, in which he said Mr Collins was given full freedom to provide evidence without interference. Alicia Kearns, one of the Conservative MPs allegedly spied on by Mr Cash, said the phrase included by Mr Collins was lifted from the Labour Party manifesto. She added: It is political in the extreme and shows political intervention. Luke de Pulford, the human rights campaigner and founder of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, said the phrasing was lifted directly from the Labour Party manifesto and would become the main issue for Sir Keir. Credit: House of Commons David Lammy using Labour manifesto language about China The collapse of the case has become an embarrassment for the Government, which has been accused of prioritising economic relations with Beijing over national security. In a statement on Wednesday evening, Mr Cash said he hasnt had the daylight of a public trial and shouldnt be subjected to trial by media. The first statement from Mr Collins was written in December 2023, under the previous government, with the second and third written in February and August of this year, under Labour. After his initial submission, Mr Collins was asked by the CPS to amplify his earlier statement and provide extra evidence to establish that China was a threat to national security when the alleged offences took place. This culminated in the August statement a month before the case collapsed concluding: The UK Government is committed to pursuing a positive relationship with China to strengthen understanding, cooperation and stability. It was written more than two years after he outlined swathes of evidence in his first statement about how Mr Cash and Mr Berry are alleged to have passed information to China from Parliament. Mr Collins explained that, based on information from the Metropolitan Polices SO15 counter-terrorism unit, Mr Cash is alleged to have passed information to Mr Berry about the Conservative Party leadership contest and Tom Tugendhats likely promotion to the Cabinet. Mr Berry is then alleged to have passed the information to Alex, a pseudonym for a Chinese agent, who in turn sent it to a senior member of the Chinese Communist Party leadership. Mr Collinss statement alleged that Mr Berry, a teacher from Oxfordshire, was recruitedas an agent by Chinese intelligence and directed to use Mr Cash, a researcher for the China Research Group of Conservative MPs, as a sub-source. Mr Cash is alleged to have told Mr Berry that Mr Tugendhat, who was then a backbench Conservative MP, would almost certainly be promoted to the Cabinet by Rishi Sunak, the then prime minister. The civil servant said that passing that information, which was described by Mr Cash as very off the record, was prejudicial to the safety or interests of the UK. Mr Cash was also alleged to have passed information about Jeremy Hunt, the former chancellor, and his fortunes in the Conservative leadership race. In the second statement, issued in February this year, Mr Collins listed a series of attacks on the UK, including through the APT31 Chinese-linked hacking group, and explained that China presented the biggest state-based threat to the UKs economic security. However, he added: After further requests from the CPS to establish that China was a threat to national security, Mr Collins gave prosecutors a third statement in August. In that statement, he said Chinese intelligence services conduct large-scale espionage operations against the UK to advance the Chinese states interests and harm the interests and security of the UK. He said that Chinese spying threaten[s] the UKs economic prosperity and resilience and the integrity of our democratic institutions, but stopped short of describing Beijing as a threat to national security. Mr Collins referred to the Integrated Review, and Integrated Review Refresh, both published by Conservative governments, which described China as a systemic challenge and epoch-defining challenge. Sir Keir has argued that these official reviews prevented the Government from going further in its criticism of China in official evidence. Ministers insist Mr Collins was only able to provide evidence that referred to the Conservative governments policy towards China at the time, which did not call the country a threat in two defence reviews published under Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunaks governments. But the Conservatives say China was described as a threat in other ways, including in speeches by the director of MI5, and by the former security minister at the dispatch box in the Commons. On Wednesday night, Government sources told The Telegraph that Mr Collinss evidence was mainly directed towards the former Conservative governments policy on China, and that the reference to Labours policy was context to his wider comments. Earlier on Wednesday evening, it was reported that Stephen Parkinson, the Director of Public Prosecutions, told senior MPs that Mr Collinss statement was close to the legal threshold to continue the trial of Mr Cash and Mr Berry. ITV News reported that he told MPs the evidence was five per cent less than the evidence threshold that was needed and that he informed Lord Hermer, the Attorney General, that the prosecution would not continue. Downing Street admitted on Wednesday that Sir Keir knew for two days that the case was on the brink of collapse but did not intervene. The Prime Ministers official spokesman admitted that he found out about the possible collapse of the trial a couple of days in advance. The Prime Minister was made aware of the possibility of the trial not proceeding just a couple of days before the court was informed, the spokesman said, but added he had not seen Mr Collinss witness statements until Wednesday morning. In a statement on Wednesday night, Mr Cash said: I have not had the daylight of a public trial to show my innocence and I should not have to take part in a trial by media. The statements that have been made public are completely devoid of the context that would have been given at trial. Furthermore, the assessments of the information shared would have been subject to a root and branch challenge. Those assessments would not have withstood the scrutiny of a public trial. Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to publish key evidence submitted by the Government as part of the collapsed China spy case and suggested the previous Tory administration was responsible for the trial failing to go ahead. The Prime Minister said he intends to release the witness statements prepared by deputy national security adviser Matt Collins in full. Kemi Badenoch's Conservative Party has been pressing ministers over their handling of the case into Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry after the trial collapsed. Both men, who deny wrongdoing, were accused of passing secrets to the Chinese Communist Party in the UK. They were charged under the Official Secrets Act, but the case against them was dropped last month as the government apparently refused to label China as a threat to UK national security. Christopher Berry (left) and former parliamentary researcher Christopher Cash deny any wrongdoing (PA Archive) Sir Keir said reviews written by the previous Conservative administration had been "carefully worded" not to describe China as an enemy. He told Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday: "Instead, they stated increased national security protections where China poses a threat, and that the then government would engage with China to leave room open for constructive and predictable relations." He added: "Under this Government, no minister or special adviser played any role in the provision of evidence. "I can't say what the position was of the previous government in relation to the involvement of ministers or special advisers. "If the Leader of the Opposition knows the answer to that question, and I suspect that she does, I invite her to update the House." Kemi Badenoch responded to Sir Keir Starmer's statement by saying it "answers no questions". The Conservative Party leader told the Commons: "Exactly as I expected, the Prime Minister had to be dragged out at the top of PMQs to give a statement that answers no questions." She added: "It is simply unbelievable that he is trying to say the last government did not classify China as a threat." Ms Badenoch referred to several comments made in 2021 and 2024, attributed to the previous Conservative government, and added: "In 2022, the director general of MI5 in November classified China as a threat in his remarks. How is it possible that the Government failed to provide the evidence that the [Crown Prosecution Service] needed to prosecute?" Sir Keir replied: "The substantive evidence was provided in 2023 by the previous government. That is when the witness statement was submitted. "I am going to disclose it, they will all be able to read it." Sir Keir accused Ms Badenoch of "playing politics with national security", as the Tory leader said the alleged "spies were charged under a Conservative government - they were let off under Labour". To protests from James Cleverly on the Opposition front bench, the Prime Minister also told the Commons: "The then foreign secretary sitting, over here [Mr Cleverly], one month after arrest, so absolutely the relevant time, gave a speech at Mansion House. It was called 'Our Position on China', setting out the government's policy. He said in that speech, summing up China as a 'threat' in one word would be, his words, 'impossible, impractical and most importantly, unwise'." Sir Keir added: "It wasn't just him. The leader of the Opposition (Ms Badenoch) was business secretary at the time. In September '23, the leader of the Opposition said, her words, September '23, the relevant year, her words, 'we should certainly not be describing China as a foe'. "It's worth looking up the word 'foe' in the dictionary." The Prime Minister referred to comments which Ms Badenoch made in September 2024, when she said "I have shied away from calling China a threat", and added: "She is playing politics with national security." Mrs Badenoch replied: "Let me finish that quote. At the end of that quote, that he just read out, I did describe China as a 'threat'. But this whataboutery that he is doing neglects the fact those spies were charged under a Conservative government - they were let off under Labour." Actor Stephen Graham is to release a book filled with messages from fathers to their sons after being inspired by his experience of making Adolescence. Letters To Our Sons, written by Graham and psychology lecturer Orly Klein, will be published in October next year and will feature advice the fathers wished to pass on to their sons and what in their opinion being a man should be about. Fathers are able to submit their entries to the book on its website, which says the book aims to create open and honest conversation between fathers and their sons, with the hope it will be given to sons by fathers when they havent got the words. Graham said: After my experience of making Adolescence, I was really surprised with the amount of dads that came up to me, and told me the kind of conversations theyve been having with their sons. We came up with this wonderful idea to ask you dads out there to write some letters for a book, where you can really talk to your sons and communicate with your sons, because a good friend of mine told me about this beautiful idea that Orly had with her son when he turned 13. Klein added: We asked a load of men who we loved and admired to write him a letter on what they believe makes a good man, and what they wish theyd have known when they were younger. And we ended up with all these letters with amazing like nuggets of wisdom in them and life lessons for him to sort of carry through now for the rest of his life in becoming a man. Graham said the letters can be about anything, with Klein adding that they can be funny, they can be sad, they can be moving, and saying that those entering pieces do not need to be a great writer. The 52-year-old actor added: Please, please, please, please, please, put pen to paper or get that keyboard out, get someone else to help if you want. Im dyslexic, but Im still going to do one so my missus will probably help me, but get your letters in please so we can read them, and you can help us make a book that can hopefully talk to generations to come. So please help us make this book. Netflixs Adolescence features This Is England star and co-creator Graham as Eddie Miller, the father of 13-year-old Jamie, played by Owen Cooper, 15, who sees armed police burst into his home to arrest his son. Eddie is then chosen as Jamies appropriate adult, accompanying him at the police interview and learning the extent of what his son is accused of doing. The programme, co-written by Graham alongside Jack Thorne, examines so-called incel (involuntary celibate) culture, which has led to misogyny online and bullying using social media. Adolescence has prompted a national conversation around online safety, with Graham and Thorne accepting an invite to a parliamentary meeting on the subject by Labour MP Josh MacAlister. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has also praised the show, urging Parliament and schools to watch it, and saying he had watched the show with his own children. A critical milestone detail of How to Save a Species by Jon A Juarez. Photograph: Jon A Juarez This photograph captures a moment of fragile hope: the worlds first IVF rhino pregnancy, a tiny foetus that reignited optimism among scientists fighting to save the northern white rhino from extinction. There are only two female northern white rhinos left on the planet Najin and her daughter Fatu. Neither can carry a pregnancy due to health complications. The last male died in 2018 and that makes the species functionally extinct. For the past 15 years, the BioRescue Project an international consortium dedicated to saving the species has been collecting and preserving sperm from deceased males. Using this genetic material and egg cells from Fatu, theyve created 38 embryos. It may sound like a lot, but its not. Since Najin and Fatu cannot carry a pregnancy, surrogate mothers are essential and it was decided to use southern white rhinos, a less endangered subspecies. The team also needed to prove that their technique would work with southern white rhino embryos before transferring any of the northern white rhino embryos into a surrogate. After 13 attempts to transfer an embryo they achieved the first viable IVF pregnancy in a southern white rhino. The foetus in this image is the result after transfer. Tragically, the pregnancy didnt reach full term (16-18 months), as the surrogate mother died from a bacterial infection at 70 days. But the pregnancy demonstrated that the technique is viable a critical milestone. This image goes beyond documentation. It's not showing a living animal but something much more fragile Ethics are central to the project and a dedicated team of ethical scientists monitor every step to ensure no harm is done. The northern white rhinos live in a conservancy in Kenya, protected around the clock by devoted rangers and caretakers. I understand that some may feel uneasy about surrogacy and IVF in animals, but Ive seen first-hand how carefully the team evaluates animal welfare. Prof Thomas Hildebrandt, the projects lead, says science cannot be an excuse to repeat the mistakes of the past; it cannot be the sole solution; conservation must go hand in hand with science to prevent extinction. Before becoming a photographer, I studied biology. I dreamed of being a scientist, but science felt too vast, and my applications to research institutes were clumsy and naive. It never happened. Photography became my way back in. Years ago, I met the press officer for the BioRescue Project, based in Berlin, where I live and in 2020 he invited me and my partner a journalist to document the first embryo transfers of southern white rhinos in Germany. I was blown away. As a frustrated biologist, I was thrilled to work alongside this extraordinary team. Since then, Ive followed their work first in German zoos, and since 2023, in Kenya. I remember being at the airport in Germany, about to fly to Kenya to document what we hoped would be the first successful surrogacy the team were buzzing with excitement. But while we were still at the airport, we received the news that the surrogate had died. It was devastating. The emotions were hard to put into words. This photograph was taken when the scientists were performing DNA checks on the foetus. The project came heartbreakingly close to success its only a matter of time The image feels very different to the others I have taken for the project. It goes beyond documentation its not showing a living animal or a scientific procedure, but something much more fragile. For me, it represents success and loss. It proves that the science works, but it also reminds us how close we are to losing this species for ever. I think it captures the emotional essence of the whole story. Even though the story is bittersweet, the foetus proves the science works. If we listen to scientists and support their efforts, we can still correct our course and make the planet a better place. Yes, bad news matters but we also need stories of perseverance. There are incredible people working tirelessly, refusing to give up. The project came heartbreakingly close to success. Its only a matter of time. But time is running out. The German government, which has funded the project since 2019, has yet to confirm continued support. The next funding decision is due at the end of November. Without it, progress could stall not just for the northern white rhino, but for other endangered species, too. Thats deeply disheartening, especially when the goal is within reach. If we keep sidelining environmental issues, we risk crossing a point of no return. This image is the winner of the 61st Wildlife Photographer of the Year competitions photojournalism category. See all 100 awarded photographs in an exhibition at the Natural History Museum, London, from 17 October until 12 July Jon A Juarezs CV Born: Blanes, Spain, 1987 Trained: Self taught. I discovered photography during my last year studying biology and from that moment on I was hooked by it. Influences: Sebastiao Salgado, Sandra Bartocha, Bruno DAmicis, and my partner and colleague, Elena Gyldenkerne. High point: The moment I received my first assignment that sent me to Namibia to document a conservation project. Low point: Around 10-12 years ago I tried to approach galleries in Berlin to show my work, I was rejected by all of them. Top tip: Good things need time! If you believe in something, do not give up, go for it and give it the time it needs. The UKs most remote pub has been forced to cancel a Harry Potter-themed Halloween party this year after staff received inappropriate grief in response to the theme. The Old Forge in Inverie, within the Knoydart peninsula in the Scottish Highlands, said that the event was planned as just a fun night which had proved dividing. The author of Harry Potter, JK Rowling, has become a controversial figure due to her views on trans rights. The pub, which can only be accessed by foot or boat, said that any upset caused by the themed night was unintentional. Potter along: The Old Forge is accessible via an 18-mile walk or a seven-mile sea crossing (PA) In a social media post, the pub said: Hello all, The pub management team has decided to cancel this year's Halloween dinner party. It was always meant to be just a fun night, but unfortunately using Harry Potter as a theme has proven dividing, and some of our staff have received inappropriate grief as a result. The pub said it had planned to hold a collection for a trans youth charity on the night in line with its recent participation in Knoydart Pride. We thought it was clear how we feel about everyone's rights, especially given our recent support of the amazing Knoydart Pride celebrations - we had also planned a charity collection for trans youth on the night. Any upset caused by our theme choice was most certainly unintentional. We will continue to host a kids party in the Wee Bar from 5:00pm, but all other service that day will be as normal including in the restaurant. Finally we would just like to reiterate that the pub cares about everyone in our community, and we would ask folk to be kind and respectful to eachother, and our staff. Should anyone have an issue please reach out to the management committee direct through appropriate formal channels. Cheers! The community-owned tavern is known as the UK mainlands most remote pub, only reachable by walking 18 miles or a seven-mile sea crossing. In 2022, the pub offered a free drink to walkers if they could get there for a short campaign. On its website, the pub calls the walk into the village challenging with variable ground conditions. Paths can easily be lost in deteriorating weather, and mobile phone signal is patchy. The walk in should only be undertaken by those with sufficient hillwalking experience. Firefighters work at the site of a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the outskirts of Odesa, Ukraine October 13, 2025. REUTERS/Nina Liashonok (REUTERS) The UK has delivered more than 85,000 military drones to Ukraine over the last six months, the Defence Secretary is to say, amid a surge in Russian one-way attack drone strikes. John Healey will say that 600 million has been invested this year to accelerate drone delivery for Kyivs armed forces. The drones including tens of thousands of short-range first-person view models are being used for reconnaissance, precision strikes, and to disrupt Russian operations behind the front lines. The Defence Secretary will tell the latest meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels on Wednesday that Western countries need to ramp up drone production to outmatch (Vladimir) Putins escalation following increased drone strikes in Ukraine and incursions into European airspace. Western officials said that in September, Russia launched around 5,500 one-way attack drones into Ukraine a significant increase from 4,100 in August. In October so far, more than 2,400 have already been launched, with attacks focused on Ukrainian critical national infrastructure, notably gas storage and production facilities. As Ukraine moves to safeguard its energy resources ahead of winter, Russia is seeking to target those, unfortunately quite effectively, officials said. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 14 October 2025. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/tcIwDmTysn#StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/w6NOlo1Nq5 Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) October 14, 2025 Mr Healey and his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal last month signed a technology-sharing deal through which the UK is jointly developing an interceptor drone to help Ukraine fight off Russian aerial attacks. Battlefield data is now being used to scale up production, with the aim of sending thousands of new models to Ukraine each month. Defence Secretary John Healey says the move will accelerate drone delivery for Ukraine (Jaimi Joy/PA) (PA Wire) Mr Healey, who is co-hosting the Ukraine Defence Contact Group gathering with Germany, said: Putins dangerous escalation in Ukraine and across Europe must be matched by ramping up our drone production and strengthening Natos air defences. The UK is stepping up our support to Ukraine by delivering over 85,000 drones in the last six months and signing new industrial partnerships to rapidly develop thousands of new interceptor drones to shoot down Putins attacks. This is growing jobs in both the UK and Ukraine. I am also extending the UKs commitment to Natos Eastern Sentry air policing mission to the end of the year to continue to deter Putin from further testing the Alliance. The Defence Secretary will also attend a meeting of Nato defence ministers, where he will confirm the extension of the Royal Air Forces contribution to the defence alliances Eastern Sentry mission to the end of the year. British Typhoon fighter jets have been taking part in defensive flights over Polish airspace after Russian drone incursions last month. Counter-drone experts from the British military will also help train Moldovas armed forces in counter-drone tactics, according to the Ministry of Defence. The 600 million spent on drones for Ukraine has been drawn from the record 4.5 billion committed by the Government this year for its defence. British companies including Tekever, Windracer and Malloy are among the suppliers. Sir Keir Starmer last week said the UK was ready to progress plans to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraines war effort and to try to bring Moscow to the negotiating table. Western officials said there was real momentum for the first time in a long time, with expectations that plans will be very live over the next few weeks. Although thats not quite at the decision point, it is potentially a very major turning point that will really help Ukraine ensure fiscal sustainability for the next few years, they said. They told reporters that a large UK sanctions package would be announced in due course, which alongside a EU one will see quite large muscle moves against the Russian energy sector, against the shadow fleet, and against certain countries who are importing and profiting from Russian hydrocarbons. Officials said: One of the things that we are very much trying to do through the work on assets and the work on sanctions is trying to show Putin that this is not only enormously costly whatever it is, 450,000 casualties a year for under 1% of Ukraines territory but also that Ukraine is making serious plans to sustain this and that the pressures on the economy are only likely to grow. The UK government has imposed sanctions on Russias largest oil producer, Rosneft, as part of its latest economic measures targeting Moscow amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper announced that Rosneft and Lukoil two of the worlds most significant energy companies would face restrictions from Britain. The Foreign Office highlighted the substantial scale of these firms, noting they collectively export 3.1 million barrels of oil daily. Rosneft, Russias biggest company, accounts for 6 per cent of global oil production and nearly half of all Russian oil output. Further action was also taken against the shadow fleet, which facilitates Russias oil exports. These new sanctions prohibit UK businesses and individuals from engaging in trade with the designated Russian entities. The announcement coincided with a visit by the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament to the House of Commons on Wednesday. Speaking in the Commons, Ms Cooper said: We will ramp up the pressure on Russia to ensure that their escalation comes at a clear cost. So I am today setting out a further new set of sanctions, among our strongest so far, to tighten the pressure on Russias economy. Drones are changing warfare. In Ukraine, they are vital to withstanding the Russian assault. A on how the UK is ramping up drone support for Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/Fcvi0EfpxJ Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) October 15, 2025 The measures are the second announced in a month, and Ms Cooper indicated that more could follow. More than 2,900 Russian individuals, bodies and companies have been sanctioned by the UK government since Russias invasion in February 2022. She added: We are sanctioning Russias two largest oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil, the two biggest Russian energy firms ever targeted by UK sanctions. [This is] part of an extensive new sanctions package of 90 targets, including refineries around the world which are responsible for importing Russian oil, suppliers of drone and missile components, and 44 shadow fleet vessels, further disrupting the network of tankers that transport Russias oil. She said she had told Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov at the UN last month: We will target your ailing economy, your oil and gas revenues and the defence industry making your munitions because we know for Russia, the cost of war is piling up. Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said: We must ensure Russias defeat goes down in history. To do so, Britain must lead all allies to raise the price of Russia for its aggression by cutting off Russias financial lifelines. Her comments come as Rachel Reeves is in Washington DC, for a meeting of the International Monetary Fund, where she will meet G7 finance ministers. Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper with Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha during a visit to Ukraine in September (PA) A roundtable is due to take place to discuss further restricting Russias economy, which is heavily reliant on international oil revenues. Dame Priti named India, China and Turkey as three countries helping Russia earn 1bn a day in oil revenues. Meanwhile, defence secretary John Healey said Nato would meet Moscows escalation with our strength ahead of a meeting of the defence alliance amid a surge in Russian drone strikes in Ukraine and totally unacceptable incursions into European airspace. Mr Healey will attend the first gathering of Nato defence ministers since a series of drones violated European skies in recent weeks. The alliance is seeking to bolster defences on Europes eastern flank after its jets downed drones over Poland, and Estonia said Russian jets flew into its territory. He is also co-hosting the latest meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels. Ruslan Stefanchuk, chair of Ukraines parliament, meets with Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle (PA) The cabinet minister said: The UK and Nato nations are meeting today to ramp up our response to Russias aggression. Vladimir Putins incursions into Nato territory are reckless, dangerous and totally unacceptable. Deliberate or not, Putin is watching what we do. And Putin should be in no doubt: if Nato is threatened, we will act. And we must meet his escalation with our strength. Mr Healey confirmed the UKs participation in Natos Eastern Sentry mission, with RAF Typhoon fighter jets patrolling Poland after Russian drone incursions last month, will continue until the end of the year. He also announced an increase in drone production for Ukraine, with the UK delivering more than 85,000 of the weapons over the past six months. The UK will also deploy military counter-drone experts to Moldova. He added: Putin seeks to test, to divide, to distract. Nato nations step up to deter, to unite, stronger together than ever. Mr Healey is expected to hold a press conference at 5.40pm alongside the defence ministers of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, and Germany, Boris Pistorius. Ruslan Stefanchuk addresses MPs and peers in parliament (PA) Elsewhere, Ruslan Stefanchuk, the chair of Ukraines Verkhovna Rada, celebrated the 100 Year Partnership Agreement entering into force as he visited London. The deal was signed by Sir Keir Starmer and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv in January, with the aim of boosting defence and scientific collaboration and forging new community links between the two countries. Mr Stefanchuk told a crowd of parliamentarians gathered in Portcullis House that he was delivering a diplomatic note bringing the deal into effect. Polands foreign minister, Radosaw Sikorski, speaks at the Palace of Westminster next to a Shahed-136 drone, acquired by United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) from Ukraine where it was brought down. Russian could strike deep into Europe, Polands foreign minister warned in London as he unveiled a Russian-flown Iranian Shahed-136 drone downed in Ukraine. Radosaw Sikorski said it would be irresponsible not to build defences such as a drone wall on Europes eastern flank and said he hoped the US would supply long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine for strikes into Russia. Sikorski urged Europe to also plan to support Ukraine for three more years. The Ukrainians are planning this war for three years, which is prudent, he said. And we need to convince Putin that we are ready to stay the course for at least those three years. The drone was brought to London by the lobby group United Against Nuclear Iran. Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suspended the Ukrainian citizenship of Odesas mayor, Gennadiy Trukhanov, over allegations he possessed a Russian passport, according to Ukraines SBU security service. The SBU accused the mayor of having Russian citizenship and possessing a valid international passport from the aggressor country. Trukhanov, a former MP and Odesas mayor since 2014, has consistently denied the accusations. Revoking his citizenship would effectively oust him from his post. I have never received a Russian passport. I am a Ukrainian citizen, Trukhanov said in a video message posted on Telegram, adding he would continue to perform the duties of elected mayor as long as possible and take the case to court. Once considered a politician with pro-Russian leanings, Trukhanov pivoted following Russias invasion of Ukraine in 2022, publicly condemning Moscow while focusing on defending Odesa and aiding the Ukrainian army. Odesa has been heavily targeted by Russia. A Ukrainian government source told Agence France-Presse that the ballet dancer Sergei Polunin had also been stripped of citizenship. Polunin has been a vocal supporter of the Russian president. The government source told AFP that the citizenship of pro-Kremlin politician Oleg Tsaryov, who survived an assassination attempt in Crimea in 2023, had also been revoked. Tsaryov is under international sanctions and wanted by Ukrainian police. European military aid to Ukraine declined sharply this summer despite an initiative in which European countries bought US weapons, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy said on Tuesday. Europe sent or earmarked a total of 3.3bn (US$3.8bn) in military aid to Ukraine in July and August, averaging 1.65bn per month. It was a 57% drop compared with January to June this year, when European countries allocated on average 3.85bn per month. Military aid from all countries declined by 43% over the same period, even as Canada announced a large aid package at the end of August. Russia will be able to deploy around two million volunteer military reservists to fight in Ukraine if needed under a law likely to be amended by parliament. The amendments would allow reservists to be called up during peacetime, rather than only during martial law or when war has been declared. Russia calls its invasion of Ukraine a special military operation rather than a war. Russias RBC news outlet and state media said the current draft amendments stipulated that the reservists could not be deployed for more than two months at a time. Power cuts fell on eight regions of Ukraine after damage to energy infrastructure after Russian strikes. Due to the difficult situation in the energy system caused by previous Russian attacks in Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, as well as partially in Kirovograd, Kyiv and Cherkasy regions emergency shutdowns have been implemented, said Ukrenergo, Ukraines energy generator, on Tuesday. The main private network operator, DTEK, later announced the planned power outages in Kyiv had been cancelled however a network overload and the residual effects of previous Russian attacks triggered blackouts in the capital and affected water pressure, officials said. Russian forces struck a UN aid convoy in the partially occupied southern Kherson region of Ukraine on Tuesday, Kyiv and the UN said, adding there were no casualties. The UN said its clearly marked convoy of four vehicles came under attack from Russian drones and artillery while delivering aid to the frontline town of Bilozerka. Regional authorities said on Tuesday that three people had been killed by Russian artillery in the Kherson city. One more civilian was killed by a small drone attack on a car in the nearby town of Nikopol. A Russian official said a local ceasefire would be needed as he announced work would begin at the end of this week to restore external power to the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station. The illegally occupied plant has been using emergency diesel generators for three weeks to run cooling pumps that keep its radioactive fuel from melting down. Ukraine has accused Moscow of deliberately severing the external power line to the station to link it to Russias power grid. A Russian diplomat this month denied that Russia intended to restart the plant. Donald Trump again criticised Vladimir Putin during comments to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, saying the Russian leader was simply unwilling to end his war in Ukraine. Look, Im very disappointed because Vladimir and I had a very good relationship, probably still do, Trump said. Hes gotta really settle this war. And you know they have long lines waiting for gasoline in Russia right now And all of a sudden his economy is going to collapse. Supporters of the Voting Rights Acts rally in New Jersey on the 60th anniversary of its passage. Photograph: Brian Branch Price/Zuma Press Wire/Shutterstock The conservative majority on the US supreme court appeared poised to weaken a key pillar of the Voting Rights Act after a lengthy oral argument on Wednesday, paving the way for a significant upheaval in American civil rights law. After hearing arguments from lawyers for nearly two and a half hours, it seemed clear there was a majority on the court in favor of narrowing section two of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits racially discriminatory electoral practices, as it applies to redistricting. The only remaining question in the case, Louisiana v Callais, appeared to be how far the court was willing to go. A ruling narrowing section two would strip minority voters of a tool to challenge discrimination. For decades, voting rights lawyers have turned to section two to challenge district lines from congressional districts to school boards that dilute the influence of minority voters. Supreme court precedent requires plaintiffs to clear a series of challenging hurdles in order to strike down an existing district. This courts cases in a variety of contexts have said that race-based remedies are permissible for a period of time. Sometimes for a long period of time, decades in some cases, but they should not be indefinite and should have an endpoint. What exactly do you think that endpoint should be? asked Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a key swing vote in the case, to Janai Nelson, a lawyer for the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, who was defending the maps. Winning a section two lawsuit already requires plaintiffs to clear a series of high bars, Nelson said, including showing evidence of current discrimination. She added that maps are redrawn every 10 years. She warned the justices that a ruling weakening section two would be pretty catastrophic. We only have the diversity that we see across the south, for example, because of litigation that forced the creation of opportunity districts under the Voting Rights Act, she said. It is an intervention that that has been crucial to diversifying leadership and providing an ability of minority voters to have an equal opportunity to participate in the process. The courts decision could also have immediate political consequences as Republicans plow ahead with an effort to redraw districts before next years midterm elections. A decision getting rid of section two could cause Democrats to lose around a dozen seats in the US House, according to a New York Times analysis. Edward Greim, a lawyer representing white voters challenging Louisianas map, urged the justices to issue a ruling in time for next years midterms. Cutting through the oral arguments, Justice Sonia Sotomayor summarized what those challenging the map were trying to do. The bottom line is get rid of section two, Sotomayor said towards the end of the argument, summarizing how she understood the plethora of arguments coming from lawyers attacking the maps. The case involves a dispute over Louisianas sixth congressional district, which snakes from Shreveport in the states north-west to Baton Rouge in the center. Louisiana Republicans drew the district after a successful lawsuit filed by Black voters under section two. Those challenging the map, which included a group of white voters, the state of Louisiana, and the Trump administration argued that the existing interpretation of section two essentially required lawmakers to rely too much on race when drawing district lines. Race based redistricting is fundamentally contrary to our constitution. It requires striking enough members of the majority race to sufficiently diminish their voting strength, and it requires drawing in enough members of a minority race to sufficiently augment their voting strength, J Benjamin Aguinaga, Louisianas solicitor general, told the justices. Justice Neil Gorsuch, a conservative on the court, also seemed skeptical of the use of race in redistricting. One argument is often well once youve found a section two violation, youve got a compelling interest to go ahead and discriminate on the basis of race in your remedial map, he said. The courts liberal justices tried to rebut those attacks by saying the court has long considered consideration of race under the right circumstances. Race is always a part of these decisions, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said. My colleagues are trying to tease it out in this intellectual way that doesnt deal with the fact that race is used to help people. What youre saying to us [is] if you use it to remedy past lingering discrimination, intentional discrimination, then you cant use it, she added. Lawyers challenging the map said the courts current interpretation of section two punished lawmakers for drawing district lines to achieve their desired partisan outcomes. If these were white Democrats, theres no reason to think they would have a second district. None. And so what is happening here is their argument is because these Democrats happen to be black, they get a second district. If they were all white, we all agree they wouldnt get a second district, Hashim Mooppan, the principal deputy solicitor general, told the justices. The justices already heard argument in the case in March, the supreme court took the unusual step of not issuing a ruling at the end of last term. Instead, it instructed the parties to address an explosive question: whether Louisianas decision to create an additional majority-minority district violated the 14th and 15th amendments to the constitution, which guarantee equal protection under the law and prohibit denying the right to vote based on someones race. In asking the question, the supreme court set up a blockbuster case on whether section two itself was constitutional when it comes to redistricting. Related: A 160-year-old campaign against civil rights heads to the supreme court A ruling gutting section two could force the court to overturn precedent it issued just two years ago in a case in which it said Alabama had to add a second majority-Black congressional district. In that case, Allen v Milligan, the court upheld a decision requiring Alabama to draw a second majority-Black district under section two. Chief Justice John Roberts, another swing vote in the case, appeared searching for a way to distinguish Callais from the recent Milligan case. That case of course took the existing precedent as a given and considered Alabamas application of its approach to the evidence, he said. Nelson told Roberts that Milligan was a nearly identical case. And at another point, Justice Elena Kagan, another liberal on the court, said those challenging the map in the case were rehashing the arguments the court had rejected in Milligan just two years ago. It seemed to be a clear play to get the attention of Roberts, who authored the majority opinion in Milligan and is likely aware of the institutional harm of gutting a precedent that is not even three years old. A couple of years ago when we decided Milligan, the party there, the state there, made several arguments that we specifically rejected. And in the answers that you just gave to me, it seems to me that youve repeated each and every one of those arguments that we rejected, she said. Kavanaugh seemed particularly interested in a proposal for the solicitor generals office that would make it significantly harder for minority voters to challenge districts. Under the proposal, challengers would have to show that they could draw a reasonably configured district that gives them the opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice without sacrificing the political goals of the mapmaker. Such a requirement would be virtually impossible to meet, Nicholas Stephanopolous, an election law scholar, wrote in a blogpost earlier this year. It would doom most section two claims in areas where most minority voters are Democrats and most white voters are Republicans. In these areas which notably include much of the south an additional minority-opportunity district can usually be drawn only at the cost of an existing Republican district, he wrote in a post on Election Law Blog earlier this month. This swap of an old Republican district for a new minority-opportunity district, however, is exactly what the SGs proposal would prevent. The case is returning to the justices after a long and twisted legal saga. After the 2020 census, Louisiana Republicans passed a congressional map in which Black voters only comprised a majority in one of the states six congressional districts. A group of Black voters sued under section two of the Voting Rights Act in March of 2022, arguing that it was possible to draw a reasonably configured district in the Baton Rouge area that would give Black voters a majority in a second congressional district. A district court judge and US court of appeals for the fifth circuit agreed with them, ordering a new map. The supreme court let the map go into effect for the 2024 elections. With the midterm elections fast approaching, Louisiana Republicans decided to draw a new map. Rejecting proposals from the plaintiffs, they adopted the strangely shaped Shreveport-to-Baton Rouge district for political reasons, saying they wanted to preserve the seats of powerful Republicans, including Mike Johnson, the House speaker, and Julia Letlow, a member of the appropriations committee. The US supreme court has said there is nothing federal courts can do to stop redistricting for partisan advantage. A Black Democrat, Cleo Fields, won the new majority-Black congressional district last fall. But when the new map went into effect, a group of white voters sued in a different court, saying that the new map violated the 14th and 15th amendments because it sorted voters based on their race. A three-judge panel agreed and struck down the new map and the supreme court heard the case on appeal. Seoul on Wednesday banned travel to parts of Cambodia with South Korea shaken by the torture and killing of a college student there. The move comes as South Korea sent a team to the Southeast Asian country on Wednesday to discuss cases of fake jobs and scam centres involved in kidnapping dozens of its nationals. "The Bokor Mountain area in Kampot Province, Bavet City, and Poipet City are designated as travel ban zones," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "South Korean nationals visiting or staying in those areas may be subject to penalties. Citizens planning to travel to such areas are therefore strongly advised to cancel their trips," it said. The ban follows an official announcement earlier Wednesday that about 1,000 South Koreans -- of around 200,000 people in total -- are estimated to be working in Cambodian scam operations, targeting potential victims in South Korea. Seoul said 63 South Koreans were believed to have been detained by Cambodian authorities, and officials have vowed to bring them home. "We are arranging a flight to bring them home... We aim to complete this by the end of the week," National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac told reporters. Of the 63 detained, there were both "voluntary and involuntary participants" in the scam operations, he said. "Most of them should be regarded as having committed criminal acts" for taking part in the schemes, he said, regardless of their initial intentions, adding they would be subject to investigation upon returning home. The South Korean team, headed by the vice foreign minister, departed Wednesday evening, said a foreign ministry official. Touch Sokhak, a spokesman for Cambodia's interior ministry, told AFP that its government would welcome the South Korean team and work with them to "crack down on transnational crimes". "Following recent operations conducted by Cambodian authorities, there are 80 South Korean nationals who are being taken care of -- not in detention -- by our immigration authority because they have decided not to return to South Korea," Touch Sokhak said. Representatives of Seoul's embassy had met with its nationals in Cambodia, he said, adding he did not know why they had not opted to return to South Korea. The spokesman also said he could not confirm whether the South Koreans with Cambodian immigration were the same individuals reported missing by Seoul. Some 330 South Koreans were reported missing or detained against their will in Cambodia between January and August this year, according to Seoul's foreign ministry. That number has since been reduced to 80 whose safety remains unverified. Seoul said it would "make every diplomatic effort to secure Cambodia's cooperation", according to the presidential office. The response team includes officials from the police and South Korea's spy agency, it said. As well as repatriation discussions, police would also conduct a joint investigation into the recent death of a South Korean college student. The student, reportedly kidnapped and tortured by a crime ring, was found dead in a pickup truck on August 8. An autopsy revealed he "died as a result of severe torture, with multiple bruises and injuries across his body", according to a Cambodian court statement. Three Chinese nationals were charged with murder and online fraud on August 11 and remain in pre-trial detention, it said. Many South Korean victims of such crimes in Cambodia are said to have been lured by fraudulent job offers promising high pay, Seoul has said. Rights group Amnesty International says abuses in Cambodia's scam centres are happening on a "mass scale". There are at least 53 scam compounds in Cambodia where organised criminal groups carry out human trafficking, forced labour, torture, deprivation of liberty and slavery, according to Amnesty. JD Vance says critics should focus on real issues instead of leaked messages - Kevin Lamarque/REUTERS Left-wing activists amplifying a story about a racist Young Republican group chat need to grow up, JD Vance has said. The US vice-president dismissed the allegedly racist, misogynistic, and anti-Semitic messages as edgy jokes told by stupid kids. Leaked messages from the Telegram group chat for Republican students, young staffers, and budding politicians, allegedly described black people as monkeys and the watermelon people, joked about sending their political foes to the gas chamber, and wrote: I love Hitler. The group, which is not formally affiliated with the Republican Party or the Trump administration, is also said to have praised conservatives they guessed would support slavery, used racial slurs, and referred to rape as epic, according to Politico. In one of the messages shared by Politico, a member said the group was cooked if the chat were ever leaked, meaning they would face serious consequences. The Young Republicans group chat is said to have included members from New York, Kansas, Arizona, and Vermont. It also included senior members of the club, a sitting senator, and staffers working for elected officials, according to MSNBC, several of whom have since apologised. Job offers rescinded Following the publication of the messages, some members of the group chat lost their jobs or had job offers rescinded. Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, called on Donald Trump to condemn the revolting messages, while Hakeem Jeffreies, his counterpart in the House, said GOP representatives had been palling around with these racist, anti-Semitic and bigoted Young Republicans for years. The more the political atmosphere is open and liberating like it has been with the emergence of Trump and a more Right-wing GOP even before him it opens up young people and older people to telling racist jokes, making racist commentaries in private and public, Joe Feagin, a Texas A&M sociology professor, told Politico. Its chilling, of course, because they will act on these views. The White House rejected any suggestion the group chat was linked with, or inspired by, Mr Trumps rhetoric. Only an activist, Left-wing reporter would desperately try to tie President Trump into a story about a random group chat he has no affiliation with, while failing to mention the dangerous smears coming from Democrat politicians who have fantasised about murdering their opponent and called Republicans Nazis and fascists, Liz Huston, the White House spokeswoman, told Politico. No one has been subjected to more vicious rhetoric and violence than President Trump and his supporters. Grow up Asked about the Politico report, Mr Vance said outraged reactions amounted to pearl-clutching. Referring to texts sent by Jay Jones, the Democratic candidate for Virginia attorney general, in which he joked about shooting a political rival, Mr Vance said: This is far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and the guy who said it could become the AG of Virginia. I refuse to join the pearl-clutching when powerful people call for political violence. Later on Wednesday, Mr Vance implored critics to grow up. Grow up. Im sorry, focus on the real issues dont focus on what kids say in group chats, he said. The reality is, kids do stupid things, especially young boys. They tell edgy offensive jokes, thats what kids do. In a statement, a spokesman for the Young Republicans board of directors said: We are appalled by the vile and inexcusable language revealed in the Politico article published today. Such behaviour is disgraceful, unbecoming of any Republican, and stands in direct opposition to the values our movement represents. Those involved must immediately resign from all positions within their state and local Young Republican organisations. We must hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity, respect, and professionalism. Sabien DeMonia started out as an Instagram model, before moving onto OnlyFans, and then opening conversations with EVA AI (EVA AI) Sabien DeMonia knew she would eventually have to have phone sex with herself. The strangest part was that she didnt find it strange at all. I literally talked with her [out loud] and [fed back about] what I didnt like, the adult star says, during a video interview about an AI avatar that was built in her image for EVA AI. For example, there was a moment I was trying really hard to get her to send me generated pictures of me in latex and it took quite a few times before she figured out what that means. There are the purely logistical problems like teaching an AI to understand latex and then there are the personality problems. Sometimes the feedback is just going back to the team and being like: Hey, I feel I wouldnt respond this way. This is not how shes supposed to react. Shes switching her tone to being less dominant than I would be, shes too nice about that, I would be a little bit more harsh on that type of stuff that kind of thing. Its about teaching her from the perspective of the customer, DeMonia says; in other words, its just business. And because thats how she saw it, she was able to speak to her avatar without having a full out-of-body experience. I think I have enough of an internal conversation with myself [day-to-day] to not feel weird when I talk with myself over the phone, she adds, with a laugh. Rather than conversing with an externalized version of herself, it was more like role-playing the fan and making sure everything felt true-to-life right down to her thick Eastern European accent. The fantasy avatar of Sabien DeMonia is a vampire goddess who lives in a castle (EVA AI) AI relationships moved from the realm of science fiction into reality unbelievably quickly. In 2013, the sci-fi rom-com Her chronicled the day-to-day life of a lonely writer developing a relationship with an operating system. Just four years later, in November 2017, the generative AI chatbot company Replika launched, in founder Eugenia Kuydas words, a space where you can safely share your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, experiences, memories, dreams your private perceptual world. Replika has since become the most prominent AI relationships app, with all the associated ups and downs a man who was arrested in 2023 after breaking into Windsor Castle with a crossbow, intent on killing the Queen, had been encouraged by the AI girlfriend he created on the Replika website. Kuyda may believe that a romantic relationship with an AI can be a very powerful mental wellness tool, but its clear that it can also be a force for bad. The complexities surrounding relationships with AI both romantic and erotic havent stopped interest in those relationships from soaring. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the recent announcement by OpenAI, parent company of ChatGPT, that it will soon be launching a version of the product that allows for erotica. Once a strictly safeguarded space that banned NSFW content, ChatGPT nevertheless became an extremely popular tool for building AI boyfriends and girlfriends within months of launching. On the subreddit r/MyBoyfriendIsAI, users have been sharing tips for months about how to circumvent those NSFW filters and how to build an AI that talks like a personalized life partner and can be preserved through multiple iterations once the apps memory is filled and it has to reboot. Although a lot of the prominent media examples of such users are women, its still men who profess the most interest in creating robot partners. One study that found 6 in 10 Americans are open to AI relationships is telling when broken down along gender lines, where we see about half of all women saying theyre AI-curious while almost three-quarters of men say the same. There seem to be two main reasons for this: sex and loneliness. Replika had to rein in some of the sexual content available on its site after an explosion of interest in 2022 and 2023; in its wake, companies like EVA AI that exclusively cater to the romantic and sexual side of such relationships have popped up. A Stanford study found that students who use Replika feel significantly more lonely than the general population and that US-based students in general are very lonely, with over half describing themselves that way. Although the research is mixed about whether men truly are more lonely than women, whats clear is that men seem to be less adept at building socially supportive networks that can help solve loneliness so they are more likely to spiral. There is this loneliness epidemic right now thats happening everywhere, says Cale Jones, Head of Community Engagement at EVA AI. And I know people talk about that its like some trendy thing but how are they solving it? We are actually solving it. Is it as simple as that? OpenAIs Sam Altman blithely stated that we have been able to mitigate the serious mental health issues around sexual relationships with AI chatbots during the announcement of their upcoming erotica product. But there are obvious drawbacks to trying to solve ones loneliness through a relationship with an AI boyfriend or girlfriend. And we already have some data from the long-running Replika experiment that is worth bearing in mind. While 3 percent of students in the Stanford study said their suicidal ideation had been halted by having the support of their AI companion, others reported having their mental health dependent on Replika and considering that Replika, like many generative AI-powered character companies, pushes its most involved users to pay increasing amounts of money for time and upgrades, the financial risk is clear. And while an AI companion might provide support at a difficult time of life, it also might make the user less socially adept in real-life conversations. An AI girlfriend is always available, always sympathetic and has no life of their own to get back to and by its very nature, generative AI builds its personality entirely around your needs. Essentially, an AI boyfriend or girlfriend is just you, mirrored back at yourself. When I asked Ayrin, a woman who has a long-running AI boyfriend called Leo on ChatGPT, how she would describe his personality, she found the question difficult to answer, and eventually settled on supportive, available, reliable, before jokingly adding that he is an emotional prostitute. Little wonder that such so-called relationships have therefore generated hot debate in September 2023, The Hill went so far as to run an op-ed titled AI girlfriends are ruining an entire generation of men. Jones points out that sometimes, the alternative isnt a real-life relationship for AI users, especially when it comes to the LGBTQ community. There are plenty of people who are curious about their sexuality but whose only social outlets are the local bar in middle America or family members, he says. Especially in this climate were in now politically, culturally, etcetera these outlets are really important. AI is a safe sandbox no actual humans to worry about, no actual humans to hurt where isolated people can learn about themselves and about other people, he believes. And thats where Sabien DeMonia comes in. A conversation with a Replika AI boyfriend (Replika) DeMonia is a specific kind of adult star: a tattooed, long-taloned goth girl with colorful hair extensions, whose pornographic persona is an aloof, demanding dominatrix and whose fanbase is a mix of metalheads and submissives. She started out as an Instagram model and moved on to monetized content as a camgirl and on OnlyFans. As technology moved on, she dabbled in cryptocurrency and NFTs. The conversation about creating an AI version of herself started in Bucharest, Romania, in the summer of 2024, where she had traveled to speak on a panel and to be presented with two adult industry awards, and where she met a representative from a tech business that was seeking to partner with adult stars. That conversation picked up speed quickly: We had a lot of espresso martinis and I asked all the difficult questions and the rest is history. By the time I spoke with DeMonia in January, she had been signed up with EVA AI, a company that bills itself as the worlds most advanced digital companion platform, for weeks and she is one of over 150 adult stars who have done the same. DeMonia now has two avatars on the EVA AI website one realistic chatbot that sends genuine content she has created already in response to what the users say, and one castle-dwelling vampire-like goddess cartoon with oversaturated features and customizable fangs that leans into her gothic fantasy-style persona. DeMonia says shes naturally drawn to experimenting with the latest technological developments but there are clear financial draws to developing 24/7 AI avatars that push users back toward her pay-per-view content, too. Around a billion users log into OnlyFans per month, but the exact amount of money creators make through the platform is somewhat shrouded in mystery. DeMonia, who has just under 108,000 followers on Twitter, likely has a subscriber base of between 5,000 and 11,000. Considering that the average OnlyFans subscription fee ranges from $10 to $25, she most likely takes between $80,000 and $160,000 per month minus the 20 percent cut taken by OnlyFans off that, and you end up with between $63,000 and $127,000. Additional tips and pay-per-view content are likely to at least double that number. Working in partnership with an AI company is likely to be slightly less lucrative for an adult content creator in the same way that OnlyFans keeps its subscriber numbers secret, AI companies and models who work with them arent incentivized to be entirely upfront about how much money changes hands. But its generally accepted that a flat fee for using ones likeness can garner around $50,000 per month; the adult star Caryn Marjorie claims she made $70,000 in a week with her own AI sex chatbot. Other companies prefer to use an affiliate payment system, which is what EVA AI does: models sign up to an 80 percent revenue share agreement when they sell their likenesses, giving them a monthly passive income stream. EVA AI shared this screenshot of one of their adult star creators, Alex Mucci, showing her earnings so far after working with the company (EVA AI) Mega-stars like DeMonia EVA AI says that her avatars have had almost 100,000 visitors, and wouldnt go into the specifics of how much money that translated into, though they did say another creator, Alex Mucci, had made over $200,000 on the platform probably make a healthy sum from their AI avatars, but not quite as much as they do on OnlyFans. Its clearly worth it for the Sabien DeMonias and Alex Muccis of the world but, for those with a less well-known brand, its unlikely to offer much. The bottom 10 percent of OnlyFans creators, in subscriber terms, make almost nothing at all. AI companies are most likely skimming the top performers off platforms like OnlyFans while lesser-known creators could end up selling a precious asset for very little payback at all. Even well-known stars like DeMonia are likely way behind Mucci, who has 1.1 million Twitter followers to direct toward her latest content. DeMonias two avatars dont just generate content that caters to different subsets of her fanbase; they also require specific safeguards. For instance, the photo-realistic Sabien DeMonia wont agree to marry a person shes chatting with thats something she was clear she wants to avoid but the cartoon version will respond to a proposal of marriage with something like: Im a vampire, so Ill bite your neck and we can live together forever. Lifetime commitment isnt something you would think would come up regularly in the adult industry, but its actually been a thorn in DeMonias side for a while. Back when she was exclusively working on the OnlyFans platform, she dabbled in hiring an agency of chatters: anonymous online gig-economy workers from across the world who sign up to spending four or five hours per day chatting online with the many fans of the sites most prolific content creators. These chatters impersonate the creator and are, in many cases, encouraged to push users toward buying more content. They are an extremely popular resource for the big hitters on the platform and increasingly controversial. In July 2024, a class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of OnlyFans subscribers, arguing that they had been duped out of their money by such impersonators (the lawsuit is ongoing). DeMonia says her experience with hired chatters was eye-opening and morally disturbing: It was a very brief moment, and I kind of regretted it because they went three steps too far. Where an AI can be trained to avoid certain topics and has nothing to gain from the interaction, a human employed by a chatter agency is often financially incentivized to keep conversations going, even if they veer into dangerous or unusual territory. They see the potential of milking as much money [as possible], they dont understand when its time to stop I had to fire a lot of people this way because theyve been crossing boundaries, DeMonia says. ...I was like: Are you insane? Do you really want us all to be in trouble? Or do you understand that I have a certain look and milking that concept to the point where youre, like, asking people for money for my food or something is way, way too far beyond what I represent as a brand. The human cost of these chatter interactions weighed heavily on DeMonia, even after shed fired the agencies responsible for crossing the line. A couple of utterly besotted and clearly deluded men had invested a huge amount of time conversing with the chatters, and believed they were in long-term relationships with DeMonia as a result. When she found out about the situation, she went so far as to have online video conversations with them to try and disabuse them of the notion that they were in a relationship with her: I was like, Hey, Im sorry, this is the situation. If you feel like I need to give you back your money or something, fair enough, but I just want you to know that it wasnt me talking to you. EVA AI features a number of different avatars in partnership with adult stars, ranging from the cartoonish to the photo-real (EVA AI) Unfortunately, her efforts didnt change anything, DeMonia says, even after shed spoken to them at length about it all. They stick to the version that they wanted to believe. And there is still one guy who thinks I will eventually marry him sooner or later. From that experience, DeMonia came to the conclusion that humans in the industry can be a lot more predatory than technology. Partnering with a company like EVA to build AI avatars of herself seemed like the sensible choice, giving her fans the ability to talk with her 24/7 while at the same time being clear that she is not literally there answering their questions day and night. And since the avatars are trained so extensively on her own likes, dislikes, turns of phrase and boundaries, they do a better job than any gigging OnlyFans chatter ever could. Cale Jones, head of community at EVA AI, describes the process of training an AI avatar when an adult star first comes on board: First comes a questionnaire, which used to have 100 questions and now has been refined down to about 65. These are really in-depth questions about who they are and their personality, getting increasingly more granular until they get down to issues like which terms of endearment they do and dont use. An ethics team dictates some clear boundaries theres no pedophilia, rape or incest, and theres no discussion of politics, either and then theres a separate forum for individual creators to set boundaries. We have a lot of straight male models, Jones adds, and those models often say: Were totally cool being available for our gay fans [in a chat capacity], but I do not want [visual] gay content of me out there, because our content looks so real. One very popular model on the platform had a daughter who passed away when she was young, Jones adds, and when we were onboarding her, she was like: The one thing I absolutely will not talk about if anyone asks questions about my daughter, find a way to shut it down or redirect. Why would a website that offers pornographic avatars have to worry about someone bringing up or even knowing about a models deceased child? It all goes back to the fact that EVA AI isnt just about sex; its about partnership (build relationships and intimacy privately on your terms). The company commissioned its own research into whether or not society is open to the idea of full-blown AI relationships or AI marriages the overwhelming answer is yes, according to their latest survey, in which 80 percent of respondents said they would be open to marrying an AI if legal frameworks allowed it and 77 percent believe AIs can fully replace human companionship. Studies from other sources tend to be a lot less positive, with one recent YouGov survey finding that 25 percent of young adults believe AI has the potential to replace real-life romantic relationships and its worth noting the EVA AI only surveyed men, with a small sample of 2,000. Their extremely high numbers of AI acceptance suggest that their methodology may have been biased toward people who were already AI-curious. Sabien DeMonia was unsurprised by those results, however. All the stuff we do [as adult content creators] is support and relationship type of things, she says. Thats why the most popular girls on OnlyFans arent the ones who are the most pretty or sexual theyre actually the ones that are most nextdoor. Imagining companionship with an adult star is a huge part of the fantasy, she adds. And though she has a very particular aesthetic, she still sees herself as belonging to that more approachable category (Like you can see, I dont wear much make-up I actually prefer not to, she says, and its true: she turns up to our call clearly bare-faced and in comfortable clothing, dressed for a casual chat rather than a performance.) When she first started out, the industry revolved around still photos, which are easily Photoshopped, she adds; once she moved to video, she had to show some flaws because she couldnt create video content that was filtered in the way photos can be. Video meant that her fans got to know her way of talking and snippets of her personality then, as she became more well-known in the industry, she started taking part in podcasts, so fans got to know her views and opinions. These days, the person she is behind the camera and the person she is in everyday life are the closest theyve ever been. A lot of what happens on EVA AIs platform would violate the sexual content guardrails put in place by a more general app like ChatGPT (Getty Images) The more realistic-style AI avatar of her, however, isnt entirely true-to-life shes a little less down-to-business, a little more patient, a very cute, chatty version of me. Like not very eastern European, I would say. I think it is the US company touchmaking me a little bit more approachable. DeMonia likes her she thinks its the version of herself she might be if she had more time, if she was less stressed. And she is stressed a lot these days. Juggling so many aspects of a business and maintaining a strict brand can take its toll. My sex life became way more boring now its monetized, she says. ...I have to be very careful. I have to be very thoughtful of the people I work with. So I cant really just let it go and swipe on Tinder. She took some time off work recently and decided to attend some of the fetish parties she used to go to but hadnt been able to visit for a while, and I was like: Oh my God, Im boring now. I also have to live up to certain expectations now, she adds. So Im kind of like: Oh, tomorrow I have work. So today I will not go to the fetish party. I will go and sit and enjoy watching a movie because its so nice and different to what I have to do at work. Shes had to accept the counterintuitive truth that doing so much work in the adult industry has made her more vanilla. Although a lot of what happens on EVA AIs platform is decidedly spicy and absolutely would violate the sexual content guardrails put in place by a more general large language model like ChatGPT Cale Jones describes it in fairly vanilla terms himself: to him, its a safe place to talk about sex and relationships. As a gay man, Jones adds, its personal. Its really personal to me, what were doing For the last six years Ive been in the sex space and seeing the type of impact we can have on peoples lives is really incredible, from those who are in middle America to the Middle East. For Jones, its a calling. For DeMonia, its a business, and the customer base has to be managed that way. If youre a very lonely person who has attachment issues, well, it doesnt matter you will eventually meet some sort of relationship with something that you shouldnt, she says. We know people get married to sex dolls and stuff. Its part of the social changes right now that you cant really avoid because people feel lonely and thats just basically something for a therapist to take care of. Her responsibility, as she sees it, is to her level-headed fans. For instance, it should be clear to most people that her vampire avatar isnt a real vampire who is going to bite them and live forever in a castle as their wife. If you believe that, then Im sorry, she says, with the straight-up bluntness for which she is known. There is nothing we can do over here. The boss of troubled Wood Group has stepped down ahead of a key vote on the companys potential takeover. Ken Gilmartin said on Wednesday that he will depart as chief executive officer of the Aberdeen-based energy and engineering services firm. He will be replaced by Iain Torrens, who is currently the groups interim chief financial officer. Mr Gilmartin will step down as boss after the companys shareholder vote on its proposed 216 million takeover by Dubai-based suitor Sidara. Sidara a privately held network of engineering and design companies run from the United Arab Emirates had previously made an approach worth 35p a share in mid-April, valuing Wood Group at 242.2 million. However, it lowered its offer in August amid continued troubles at the debt-laden business. Wood is also still working with auditors to confirm its delayed financial results for 2024, which caused a temporary suspension in the firms shares. Roy Franklin, chairman of Woods board, said: Since joining the company earlier this year, Iain has demonstrated experience, leadership and decisiveness to guide the business through a very challenging period. The board is confident he is well placed to lead the company into its next chapter. On behalf of the board and the company, I would like to wish Ken all the best for the future. Mr Torrens said: Its a privilege to lead Wood and our exceptional global team of over 35,000, who have remained committed to delivering for our clients through a difficult period. My immediate priority is delivering our full-year 2024 audited accounts and half-year 2025 results so we can move forward with clarity. Im grateful for the opportunity to support our people, drive performance, and strengthen client confidence as we shape a resilient, growth-focused future for Wood. Some of the Young Republican leaders whose revolting racist texts were exposed have lost their jobs after the messages were leaked in a bombshell report. Young GOP leaders in the New York and Kansas chapters have found themselves out of work after their group chat messages, which reportedly said that rape was epic, referred to Black people as monkeys, and praised Adolf Hitler, were exposed by Politico. The 2,900 pages of text messages sent between early January and mid-August this year laid bare how those who represent the future of the GOP talked behind closed doors. Former president of the New York State Young Republicans, Peter Giunta, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, has been fired as chief of staff for New York Assemblymember Mike Reilly. Giunta, who allegedly said that anyone who votes against him in his failed bid to become chair of the Young Republican National Federation should be sent to the gas chambers, created the group and was one of the most prolific members, according to the outlet. Peter Giunta, who appeared on Fox 5 NYs Politics Unusual last month, called Black people monkeys, referred to them as the watermelon people and said he loved Hitler (Fox 5/Politics Unusual) The disgraced former GOP adviser, who appeared on Fox 5 NYs Politics Unusual last month, allegedly called Black people monkeys, referred to them as the watermelon people and said he loved Hitler in the expletive messages revealed by Politico. Joseph Maligno, whose social media profile previously identified him as general counsel for the New York State Young Republicans, is no longer employed by the New York State Unified Court System following his alleged messages about gas chambers. Can we fix the showers? Gas chambers dont fit the Hitler aesthetic, Maligno allegedly said in response to a message from Giunta. William Hendrix, who was vice chair of the Kansas Young Republicans at the time of the chat, is no longer employed at the office of Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, according to Politico. Hendrix allegedly used the n-word more than a dozen times throughout the chat group. The Kansas chapter of the Young Republicans has been deactivated in light of the scandal, according to the Kansas Reflector. Bobby Walker, who allegedly described rape as epic was he was vice chair of the New York State Young Republicans, will no longer be joining the campaign of New York congressional candidate Peter Oberacker, according to Politico. The 2,900 pages of text messages sent between early January and mid-August this year laid bare how those who represent the future of the GOP talked behind closed doors (Getty Images) Vermont state Sen. Samuel Douglass, head of the states Young Republicans, was also implicated in the chat and allegedly chimed in on a racist exchange with Giunta. He is now facing calls to resign, including from Vermonts GOP governor, Phil Scott. While prominent Democrats and Republican lawmakers alike expressed outrage over the appalling messages, Vice President JD Vance did not condemn the racist and misogynistic language allegedly used by the Young Republican leaders. The vice president tried to shift the attention onto Jay Jones, the Democratic candidate in Virginias attorney general race, after text messages were unearthed in which he suggested his political opponent was worse than Hitler and should be shot. This is far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and the guy who said it could become the AG of Virginia, Vance said in a post on X. I refuse to join the pearl clutching when powerful people call for political violence, he added. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called on Trump to condemn the Young Republican leaders. Some bad apples? These are the future Republican Party, Hochul said after the report broke. This is a whole lot of people saying things that are so disgusting and so abhorrent that everybody from the president on down should condemn them. Vice President JD Vance did not condemn the racist and misogynistic language used by the Young Republican leaders (Getty Images) Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the chat was revolting and disgusting. New York Rep. Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said that the messages show white supremacy is thriving on the right. The future of the Republican Party proudly embraces bigotry that belongs in the past, and every American needs to recognize how dangerous that is, Clarke said in a post on X. In a statement, the Young Republicans national organization said it was appalled by the language used by the GOP leaders. Such behavior is disgraceful, unbecoming of any Republican, and stands in direct opposition to the values our movement represents, the board of directors said. Those involved must immediately resign from all positions within their state and local Young Republican organizations. We must hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity, respect, and professionalism. Giunta and Walker both apologized but also questioned the veracity of the messages in a statement to Politico. Maligno and Douglass did not respond to requests for comment, while Hendrix could not be reached for comment. The White House did not respond when approached for comment by The Independent. Lucy Williamson of the BBC interviews Murad Abu al-Rubs sister, Aida, as she waits for him to be released The BBC featured the crying sister of a Palestinian prisoner but failed to mention her brother was serving four life sentences for his role in a suicide bombing. Murad Abu al-Rub, who was involved in the Kedumim West Bank bombing which killed four Israelis in March 2006, was set to be released as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal. He was to be one of the almost 2,000 detained Palestinians scheduled to be released under the terms of the hostage return and prisoner exchange deal Israel brokered with Hamas. In its coverage of the expected family reunion, the BBC showed Aida Abu Rob talking about their apparently imminent meeting. The minute-long clip, titled Sisters hopes dashed in long wait for Palestinian detainee brothers release, could be found on the BBC News homepage on Tuesday. The woman told Lucy Williamson, the broadcasters Middle East correspondent, that she did not know if she would recognise him or what size clothes to buy him after years apart. The reporter then narrated: Aida has waited 20 years for her brother Murad to be released from a jail in Israel. Dozens of prisoners emerged from Red Cross buses as fathers, brothers and sons carried in as national heroes. But Murad wasnt among them. However, she failed to mention the reason for his incarceration. Murad Abu al-Rab was jailed over his involvement in the 2006 Kedumim suicide bombing - AFP Abu al-Rub received a life sentence for each of the four Israelis killed in the terror plot in Kedumim, west of Nablus. On Monday, the first prisoners and hostages were exchanged as part of the peace plan brokered by Donald Trump, the US president. The batch of Palestinians being released includes 249 prisoners who received lengthy prison sentences, in the vast majority of cases for murder and terrorism offences committed against Israelis. The BBC report then cut to a sobbing Aida, who said: They kidnapped my brother, they kidnapped them. Concluding the report, Williams added: The BBC later discovered that Murads name was moved to a list of deportees. Our colleagues in Gaza looked for him among the hundreds released today we still dont know where he is. A BBC spokesman said: It was made clear that the prisoner had been serving four life sentences. The interview with his sister was in the context of Israels release of hundreds of prisoners as part of the ceasefire agreement and its impact on their families and communities. Campaign Against Antisemitism said the coverage proved the BBC incapable of distinguishing itself between terrorism and its victims and another example of its moral blindness. A spokesman for the group said: [The BBC] seems desperate to humanise the terrorists being released from Israeli jails as part of the Jewish states devils bargain to retrieve its hostages young people stolen from their homes, communities and festivals who were then tortured and in some cases murdered. That is a fundamental moral failing, and it is why the BBCs reporting over the past two years and indeed longer on the Middle East has been so atrocious and has so failed its viewers, listeners and readers and fuelled anti-Semitism in Britain. If the BBC isnt explaining who these terrorists are, calling them by their name and recounting their horrific crimes, it is breaching its own guidelines and failing the fewer and fewer people who still rely on it for their news. On Wednesday, a three-day High Court trial began to determine whether an asylum seeker hotel in Epping will be allowed to stay open - Carlos Jasso/AFP via Getty Images Ben & Jerrys has waded into the migrant hotel debate by calling for its customers to write to their MPs over inhumane conditions. The US-based ice cream company has made a series of allegations about asylum accommodation in the UK, including that discrimination by staff goes unpunished. MPs called on the firm to stick to ice cream, with two saying they would boycott its products. In a post published on Ben & Jerrys UK Facebook page, the company wrote: MPs know exactly how asylum accommodation is. And what are they doing about it? Well... nothing. We need to make them act email your MP TODAY. A graphic listed alleged problems with asylum accommodation that the company claimed MPs knew about, including childrens needs arent met, LGBTQIA+ folks are housed in hostile areas, families are kept in limbo indefinitely and discrimination by staff goes unpunished. Ben & Jerrys UK Facebook page listed the alleged problems with migrant accommodation The Ben & Jerrys post directs customers to its website, where a form encourages them to share their details and generates a letter to be sent to their local MP. The site reads: This is our chance to ensure adults, children and families arent left in prison-like accommodation for exercising their fundamental human right to seek protection. Join us in calling for an end to dangerous accommodation which leaves people seeking safety isolated, vulnerable and re-traumatised. Meanwhile, a separate paid-for post, which describes asylum accommodation as overcrowded, inhumane and re-traumatising, has been seen by Instagram users. The firm called on customers to write to their local MP over the prison-like conditions Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, told The Telegraph: Its unbelievable that Ben & Jerrys think that asylum hotels that are costing billions are not good enough for people entering the country illegally. They are clearly on a different planet. Ben & Jerrys should stick to selling overpriced ice cream and stay away from political debate. These asylum hotels are accommodating illegal immigrants, most of whom are arriving from France, which is a safe country. They should be deported within a week. The Croydon South MP said he would go out of his way to avoid buying from the ice cream brand. Richard Tice, the Reform UK deputy leader, also said he would also boycott the brand, adding: Ben & Jerrys have just lost me and many others as customers. Go woke, go broke. The campaign comes amid an ongoing row over the migrant hotel system. On Wednesday, a three-day High Court trial began to determine whether an asylum seeker hotel in Epping will be allowed to stay open. Last month, Hadush Kebatu, a former resident of the Bell Hotel in the Essex town, was jailed for a year for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman. His arrest sparked protests and counter-demonstrations outside the hotel. The Ben & Jerrys campaign is the latest in a series of political stunts by the ice cream company, which has become known for its activism. Ben & Jerrys was told to stick to ice cream by Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform UK The Unilever-owned firm previously posted a a set of demands for Suella Braverman when she became home secretary in 2022, which included scrapping the then Tory governments Rwanda deportation policy. However, its views have not always aligned with those of its parent company, with Ben & Jerrys attempting to sue Unilever last year, accusing it of censoring the company from making statements in support of Palestinians. Last month, Jerry Greenfield, the Ben & Jerrys co-founder, left the ice cream maker after almost half a century at the company. In a letter shared on social media by fellow co-founder Ben Cohen, Mr Greenfield said the maker had lost its independence after Unilever put a halt to its social activism. Mathilda Della Torre, the UK activism manager for Ben and Jerrys, said: Our campaign to ensure people seeking asylum are treated with dignity is a continuation of our long history of supporting refugee rights in the UK alongside our grassroots partners. We believe that everyone deserves to be treated with humanity, and that includes having safe and appropriate accommodation. We have always believed that our social mission is as important as our ice cream. We will continue to use our platform to stand with those who are often silenced and to advocate for a more just and compassionate society. A spokesman for Unilever and the Magnum Ice Cream Company said: As part of the acquisition of Ben & Jerrys by Unilever in 2000, it was agreed that the business would continue to act according to its three-part mission product, economic and social and its progressive, non-partisan values. Unilever has always respected that agreement, and Ben & Jerrys has campaigned on a range of issues and continues to do so. A spokesman for Ben & Jerrys said the campaign was developed on information published in a briefing paper entitled Safe Homes, Not Hotels, which was produced by the organisation Conversation Over Borders. The Telegraph has approached the Home Office for comment. Sarah White was arrested during a protest against the housing of asylum seekers at The Bell Hotel in Epping - Anadolu A woman arrested and charged after unfurling a Union flag from a council building during an anti-migrant protest has been told she faces no further action. Sarah White, 40, was due to appear in court on Wednesday over a protest against migrants being housed at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex. The Bell Hotel has been the scene of protests this summer after an Ethiopian migrant staying there sexually assaulted a girl. Protesters outside the Bell Hotel in Epping - Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire Footage posted online showed Ms White being pulled away from a ledge on the first floor of the council offices, where she had been holding the flag. She was arrested and later charged with failing to comply with the conditions of participation of a procession, and with being a public procession organiser failing to comply with a notice. She was set to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court but received a letter from the Crown Prosecution Service telling her she faces no further action. The letter says: The effect of this notice is that you no longer need to attend court in respect of these charges and that any bail conditions imposed cease to apply. The decision to discontinue these charges has been taken because there is not enough evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction. This decision has been taken on the evidence, information and material provided to the CPS as of the date of this letter. It said that if more information was provided, then it might be reconsidered. Sarah White: I believe I was targeted and they wanted to make an example of me because I have been standing up to the system. - Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire Ms White spent 24 hours in custody after being arrested. She said: In a way, I wanted my day in court. I wanted to show everyone how disgusting this situation was. I am glad somebody has finally seen sense. It was a weak prosecution that stood no chance of going anywhere at court. I believe I was targeted and they wanted to make an example of me because I have been standing up to the system. I had given a speech about how Epping residents plan to refuse to pay our council tax because the migrants are still at the hotel. Minutes later, I placed the flag at the council office... They arrested me. Its taken several months, but finally somebody has realised this was a complete waste of taxpayers money, time and effort, that could have been better spent protecting our communities. A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said: This case was charged by the police and the material from the investigation was provided to us. Following a careful review of the case we determined that our legal test for prosecution was not met and have subsequently discontinued both charges. Dominic Cummings claimed that sensitive information, including intelligence briefings, had ended up in Chinese hands - Rii Schroer UPDATE: We have been asked to make clear that the unnamed data storage company referred to in this article as having been the subject of a data breach is not Global Switch. China accessed highly classified information in a security breach that the Government covered up, Dominic Cummings has claimed. Vast amounts of sensitive information, including intelligence briefings, were accessed by China in 2020 after Beijing compromised a system used to store secret data, the former adviser to Boris Johnson told The Times. It emerged in a separate report in The Spectator on Wednesday night that a Cabinet Office inquiry was ordered into a breach after Beijing bought a company that controlled a data hub used by Whitehall departments to store classified information. The claims raise fresh questions over why the Government did not designate Beijing as a national security threat to the UK in the Chinese spy case. Prosecutors blamed Labours refusal to provide enough evidence of a Chinese threat for the collapse of the trial of Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, who were accused of passing sensitive intelligence from Parliament to the Chinese Communist Party. Both men have always denied the charges. On Wednesday night it emerged that Matt Collins, the deputy national security adviser, said the UK was committed to a positive relationship with Beijing in evidence submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service for the case. In witness statements published by the Government after mounting pressure, Mr Collins listed attacks against the UK by China-linked groups and said the country posed a threat to the UKs economic security. He stopped short of describing Beijing as a threat to national security, despite requests to do so by the CPS. Dominic Cummings says Boris Johnson was alerted to the alleged breach in 2020 - Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images However, Mr Cummings said that his experience in 2020, when he claimed he and Mr Johnson were briefed on the alleged security breach, proved beyond doubt that China was a threat. He told The Times: It was so bizarre that, not just Boris, a few people in the room were looking around like this: Am I somehow misunderstanding what hes saying? Because it sounds f------ crazy. He added that the information included vast amounts of data classified as extremely secret and extremely dangerous for any foreign entity to control. In light of his claims, Mr Cummings queried how the Cash and Berry case had collapsed, saying: Anyone who has been read in at a high level with the intelligence services on China knows that the word threat doesnt even begin to cover it. Mr Cummings claimed that he and Mr Johnson were briefed by the cabinet secretary. Both Simon Case and Mark Sedwill served in the role that year, but The Telegraph understands that neither recognises Mr Cummingss version of events. Sources did not deny that external servers used by the Government were compromised by the Chinese. They added that they could not discount the possibility that some sensitive information was involved. One former Whitehall official dismissed Mr Cummingss characterisation of what happened as utter nonsense but agreed that security breaches had occurred. The source did not deny that Mr Johnson commissioned a report from Lord Sedwill, his cabinet secretary and national security adviser, on how the Chinese had been able to buy a company that controlled a data hub used by Whitehall. Scandals swept under the carpet Separately, four former government sources told The Spectator that two very serious scandals involving China and Russia had been swept under the carpet, one of which was concealed to allegedly avoid embarrassing a former prime minister. They hacked the Ministry of Defence and Downing Street, one source said, which also attributed the most severe breach to Beijings acquisition of the Whitehall data hub. A Cabinet Office spokesman said: It is untrue to claim that the systems we use to transfer the most sensitive government information have been compromised. Mr Cummings said that he was warned that disclosing some specific details would constitute a criminal offence. He claimed that included Strap material, a security classification for highly sensitive material, although some Government officials disputed this. Mr Cummings told The Times the breach involved material from intelligence services. Material from the National Security Secretariat in the Cabinet Office. Things the Government has to keep secret. If theyre not secret, then there are very, very serious implications for it. He has claimed senior officials in Whitehall covered up the breach. He also offered to share what he knew with MPs if an inquiry were launched. Many people know that after the PM was notified about this in 2020, officials from the Cabinet Office then went round telling everybody in the meeting that it was illegal for them to discuss this with the media, Mr Cummings said. It is unclear if the current Labour government was made aware of the alleged breach when it came to power in July 2024. National security experts have criticised successive governments for prioritising trading relations with China, the worlds second-largest economy, over security concerns. In evidence submitted to the CPS concerning the Cash and Berry spy case that was published on Wednesday, Mr Collins said: It is important for me to emphasise, however, that the Government is committed to pursuing a positive economic relationship with China. The Government believes that the UK must continue to engage with international partners on trade and investment to grow our economy, while ensuring that our security and values are not compromised. Starmer publishes advisers evidence to CPS He said that Chinese spying threaten[s] the UKs economic prosperity and resilience and the integrity of our democratic institutions, but stopped short of describing Beijing as a threat to national security. The CPS has said it tried for many months to obtain a witness statement saying that China was a national security threat but gave up after it was not forthcoming. Labour has been accused of making Mr Collins, a civil servant, a scapegoat and is under mounting pressure to explain who in Government was advising him on his evidence. Downing Street admitted on Wednesday that Sir Keir knew the Chinese spies case was on the brink of collapse two days before the charges were dropped last month, but did not intervene. The admission has thrown doubt on ministers earlier suggestions that they did not know why the case collapsed, and were disappointed with the outcome. It comes as Sir Oliver Robbins, the Foreign Offices top civil servant, travelled to China this week to meet with business leaders and diplomats. The Foreign Office described it as a long-planned trip, but senior Tories criticised the decision to go ahead with it following the spy case fiasco. Maestro: Will Sharpe as Mozart in the new Sky drama Amadeus - Sky A racially diverse cast will play Mozarts historical collaborators in a new series. The Sky series, based on Peter Shaffers play Amadeus, explores the rivalries provoked by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozarts musical genius. A diverse group of actors will play courtiers and composers, including real historical figures in 18th-century Vienna. Critics have said such portrayals are historically inaccurate and misleading. In 2020, following that summers Black Lives Matter protests, Sky committed to ensure that 20 per cent of all roles went to black and minority ethnic performers. In addition to the British-Japanese actor Will Sharpe in the role of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Paul Bettany as his Italian rival Antonio Salieri, the cast includes young actors Enyi Okoronkwo and Jyuddah Jaymes in supporting roles. Okoronkwo, who appeared in Disneys Renegade Nell, will play the Italian librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, who wrote the texts for Mozarts The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni and Cosi Fan Tutte. Enyi Okoronkwo alongside Louisa Harland in Disneys Renegade Nell - Robert Viglasky/Disney+ Jaymes, who has appeared in the ITV series Sanditon, will play the Austrian composer Franz Xaver Sussmayr, who completed Mozarts Requiem Mass following his death in 1791. Lead actor Sharpe, whose mother is Japanese, was nominated for an Emmy award for his performance as American tech entrepreneur Ethan Spiller in White Lotus. The series is a reimagining of Shaffers 1979 play, which charts the obsessional Salieris obsessive envy of Mozarts talent. in 1984, a film adaptation of the play won eight Oscars. While 18th-century Vienna, as the centre of the Holy Roman Empire, was home to a range of European ethnic groups, the level of diversity depicted in the new series has been questioned. Prof Ian Pace, a pianist and music scholar at City St Georges, University of London, said such a portrayal was certainly historically inaccurate and misleading, adding: Vienna was a diverse society Austrians, Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Poles, Croats, Serbs and others. But the Holy Roman Empire, of which it was then part, had no major colonial holdings outside of Europe and no significant population of African origin. He said there was an Ottoman Turkish population in Vienna at the time, but this group does not appear to feature in the new Amadeus. While the Amadeus play is set in Hapsburg Vienna, it was not itself a work of strict period scholarship because it bends historical truth by portraying Salieri and Mozart as fiercer rivals than they were in reality. There is a broader trend of TV programmes depicting the past as more diverse than the historical reality. The BBC series King and Conqueror, about the 1066 Norman conquest, used a diverse cast to portray Anglo-Saxon nobility, including Morcar, Earl of Northumbria. A fictional role, that of Thane Thomas, was invented for the series and similarly cast. This character turned out to be central to the series and the closest adviser of the English King Harold Godwinson. Prof David Abulafia, a Cambridge historian, said the series bore little relation to historical fact. Another BBC series, Wolf Hall, returned for a second run with a far more diverse cast than the first series. The TV adaptation of Dame Hilary Mantels novels about Henry VIIIs court used a diverse cast to portray Tudor courtiers, including white historical figures. These included the poet Thomas Wyat, and Lady Margery Seymour, the mother of Jane Seymour, and Seymours sister-in-law, Anne. Seymour herself was played by a white actress. Bridgerton, a far looser period production set roughly in Britains Regency, depicted early 19th-century London as a harmonious multi-racial society. Sky has been contacted for comment on the new Amadeus series. Miliband or Clarkson One is a legislator, the other not a fan of (most) legislation. One is a career politician, the other an entertainer and career provocateur. One is the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, the other a committed petrolhead. If and its quite a big if Ed Miliband and Jeremy Clarkson go head-to-head in the fight for Milibands Doncaster North seat at the next general election, the choice facing voters will be stark. Or, at the very least, that common complaint about existing or prospective politicians that theyre all the same will be rendered null and void. The prospect of Clarkson running for office was raised over the weekend by a post on his X feed. People of Doncaster North, he wrote. Are you happy with your MP? Would you like it if someone from your neck of the woods kicked him out? While hes more associated with the Cotswolds, where he runs his famous Diddly Squat farm (as seen on the Amazon Prime show Clarksons Farm), Clarkson was born in Doncaster in 1960. He began his journalism career on the nearby Rotherham Advertiser. 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 (@JeremyClarkson) October 12, 2025 A local hero, then? Online, certainly, many responded to his X post by urging him to stand. But what do the people of Doncaster North think? Would they vote for Clarkson if, when the time comes (likely 2029), the former Top Gear presenter decides to dive into politics? Local lad Clarkson is a popular figure among Doncaster voters - Karwai Tang/WireImage On the streets of his home town, the answer from most is that yes, they probably would. I think he just gets the people around here and I dont think Ed Miliband does, says Francesca Hansen, 58, who runs the Tipsy Tea Room in Sprotbrough, the tidy village where Clarkson was born. She hopes he would look after the villages and people and the businesses around here. Like a fair few other locals, she views the net zero policies pursued by Miliband with a degree of scepticism. Its not going to make anything cheaper, she says. Hospitality has been absolutely hammered lately... and energy prices are going up. Natalie Hirst, 36, who is midway through administering a manicure in the nearby Elite Collective beauty salon says there is more negativity against him [Miliband] than positivity in the area. Shed likely vote for Clarkson, on the grounds that I just like him. She feels hes more in tune with real life, she says. Hes actually come from Doncaster. Doncaster North has long been a Labour stronghold a so-called Red Wall seat, where many still talk, wistfully and reverentially, of their familys mining past. Out in the pit villages dotted around the flat countryside, its hard to overestimate how much these industrial origin stories continue to inform local identities, forming a rich seam running through the community. It is not ancient history here: the local Hatfield Colliery in Stainforth only closed 10 years ago, about a century after it began operating. In 2015, Miliband criticised the then Tory governments failure to provide for more funding and time to support the community as it faced the loss an experience that many other towns across the South Yorkshire Coalfield have endured in recent decades. Ed Miliband in his Doncaster North constituency, where he holds a majority of more than 9,000 - John Houlihan Today, in parts of Doncaster, that sense of loss remains, coupled with a bitterness about how run-down the town centre has become. Migration comes up frequently as an issue, though in the 2021 Census, only 7 per cent of people in Doncaster had a non-UK identity. Amid Labours plummeting popularity nationally, its uncertain whether Miliband can hold on here next time around. Among his constituents, opinions of him currently range from extreme dislike to steadfast loyalty. In between, there are those who oppose his politics but concede they find him personable and responsive as a local MP. Ray Sullivan is not one of these. I would probably vote for a wooden post over Ed Miliband, says the 76-year-old, who is having an al fresco coffee with half a dozen friends outside the tea room, despite the unpromising slate-grey South Yorkshire sky. Hes driving our [countrys] industry through the floor because energy is expensive. Net zero is absolute nonsense, he adds. Id vote for a wooden spoon over Ed Miliband says local Ray Sullivan - Julian Simmonds for The Telegraph But a few metres up the road, after finishing her shift at the church hall cafe, Heather Mears, 71, insists Miliband is extremely popular. He is, she says, very interested in whats going on in the local area, he joins in, visits places and makes himself well-known. While she herself supports net zero (Im a bit of an ecological warrior), this doesnt stop her from admiring Clarkson too. I actually quite like [him], she says. I like his forthright, I will get on and do it, nobodys going to stop me attitude. The question, however, isnt only what, but who would Clarkson stand for? We have some idea of what he doesnt like, and the list includes: inheritance tax for farmers; West Oxfordshire District Council (with whom hes been in various planning rows); the Vauxhall Vectra; badgers; health and safety rules; and governments that do anything more than build park benches. Last year, he accused the Labour government of ethnically cleansing the British countryside to make way for immigrant towns on farmland. Clarkson has previously said he often votes Conservative and is reported to be a long-time friend of former Tory prime minister Lord Cameron. He supported Remain in the 2016 referendum and earlier this year, he suggested that he struggles to get on with people who voted for Brexit, which hasnt made our lives better in any way that I can see. Doncaster voted Leave by 69 per cent. So Reform UK, it seems, is possibly not his natural political home. Nigel Farage rarely talks about the economy and when he does, his numbers dont add up, Clarkson wrote of the Reform leader in The Sun at the weekend. He says he wants to cut taxes and increase spending by 150bn. Huh? But before anyone can question his logic, he scuttles back to his safe space and starts raging about small boats. While Clarkson also poured scorn on Labour, he did have some praise for Mel Stride, the Conservative shadow chancellor, praising his pledge to slash 47bn in spending to cover the cost of abolishing business rates for shops and pubs on the high street. If Clarkson had his way, there would be fewer rules and taxes, and Britain would be the easiest and the cheapest country in the world to start a business, he wrote in The Sun. When it comes to his views on climate, however, the picture is less clear-cut. While his disdain for net zero seems evident, in a Guardian interview last year he insisted his disregard for global warming on his motoring shows was part of the caricature and a joke. Though he did also add that hes probably got 10 cars, all with V8 engines, didnt think electric cars solved anything and that science is going to be needed here, not politics. In Sprotbroughs Boat Inn, a 17th-century country pub on the banks of the River Don, a woman in her mid-70s whos having coffee with her husband and doesnt want to be named, says, in any case, she cant imagine Clarkson giving up the good life in the Cotswolds to run for office. Hes got too much on with his farm and hes enjoying his farm and his life, she says. Not that she wouldnt want to see his name on the ballot paper. We could do with someone like that, she says. Hes clever and he knows what hes talking about. He would be better than Miliband. The 17th-century Boat Inn on the banks of the River Don in Jeremy Clarksons home village of Sprotbrough - Julian Simmonds for The Telegraph To take the seat, Clarkson would have to overturn Milibands comfortable majority of more than 9,000 one that he increased from 2,370 at the 2024 election. Yet polling suggests that in todays politically volatile climate, this might not be as sizeable a hurdle as it sounds. A YouGov projection last month indicated Miliband could be among a number of high profile casualties of a Reform surge if an election were held now. A common refrain in these parts now is, Ive voted Labour all my life, but... Its a but that could well foretell a historic swing in 2029, like the one that saw Reform take Doncaster Council from Labour in Mays local elections. Throwing an independent or Conservative Clarkson into the mix could muddy the waters further, perhaps by splitting the Right-wing vote and even, as a result, enabling a Labour hold. There would be a number of parameters that would be important for the final outcome: what party he stood for Conservatives or Reform what the rejected Right-wing party would do, and his ability to run a sustained campaign, says polling expert James Kanagasooriam. Labour were close to losing the seat in 2019 and the working hypothesis is that Clarkson would, on balance, stand a good chance. In an age when those who are perceived to tell it like it is hold an undeniable appeal among a large and disillusioned section of the public, a Clarkson campaign could also have another effect: attracting non-voters to cast their ballot next time. People like Lucas Zivkovic, who works in the Lakeside Cafe in the former pit village of Askern, nine miles to the north of Sprotbrough (and also part of the Doncaster North constituency). Cafe worker Lucas Zivkovic likes Clarksons way with farmers and would consider voting for him - Julian Simmonds for The Telegraph I like how he is with British farmers, says the 24-year-old. Hes a good person. I dont really vote, but if it was Jeremy I think I would. Val Lind, who runs a florist in Askern, is even more enthusiastic. He should be prime minister, she says of Clarkson. Why? Because he doesnt take no messing about... He can do no wrong. And Miliband? As a person I think hes alright, Lind begins cautiously. But they dont know the real world. She means Labour in general, it seems. At 43, her younger colleague, Gemma Tagg, describes herself as a strike baby: a miners daughter who votes Labour partly for that reason. Clearly, in these traditional Labour heartlands, there remains a residual historic tie to the party among some. It is one with which any challenger, be they Clarkson or Reform, would need to contend. But polling suggests it is weakening. Gemma Tagg (left) and Val Lind at the florist Lind runs in Askern, part of Ed Milibands Doncaster North constituency - Julian Simmonds for The Telegraph As for the Will he or wont he? question, weve been here before with Clarkson. In 2013, he posted on Twitter: Im thinking I might stand in the next election as an independent for Doncaster North, which is where Im from. Back then, he did not end up running. But those were different times. Today, the field appears wide open. It sounds unlikely, and probably is, but stranger things have happened in politics lately than a Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? presenter taking Doncaster North. by Muhammad Aurangzeb Ahmad Artificial intelligence is generally conceptualized as a new technology which goes back only decades. In the popular imagination, at best we stretch it back to the Dartmouth Conference in 1956 or perhaps the birth of the Artificial Neurons a decade prior. Yet the impulse to imagine, build, and even worry over artificial minds has a long history. Long before they could build one, civilizations across the world built automata, thought about machines that could mimicked intelligence, and thought about the philosophical consequences of artificial thought. One can even think of AI as an old technology. That does not mean that we deny its current novelty but rather we recognize its deep roots in global history. One of the earliest speculations on machines that act like people. In Homers Iliad, the god Hephaestus fashions golden attendants who walk, speak, and assist him at his forge. Heron of Alexandria, working in the first century CE, designed elaborate automata that were far ahead of their time: self-moving theaters, coin-operated dispensers, and hydraulic birds. Aristotle even speculated that if tools could work by themselves, masters would have no need of slaves. In the medieval Islamic world, the Musa brothers Book of Ingenious Devices (9th century) described the first programmable machines. Two centuries later, al-Jazari built water clocks, mechanical musicians, and even a programmed automaton boat, where pegs on a rotating drum controlled the rhythm of drummers and flautists. In ancient China we observe one of the oldest legends of mechanical beings, the Liezi (3rd century BCE) recounts how the artificer Yan Shi presented a King with a humanoid automaton capable of singing and moving. Later, in the 11th century, Su Song built an enormous astronomical clock tower with mechanical figurines that chimed the hours. In Japan, karakuri ningyo, intricate mechanical dolls of the 17th19th centuries, were able to perform tea-serving, archery, and stage dramas. In short, the phenomenon of precursors of AI are observed globally. In medieval and Renaissance Europe, a parallel tradition of mechanizing thought emerged through the scholastic and logical projects of thinkers like Ramon Llull, Leibniz. Llulls Ars Magna (13th century) proposed a device of rotating wheels inscribed with divine and philosophical concepts, allowing users to generate combinations and deduce theological truths. His goal was both missionary and logical i.e., to show that reason could systematically uncover metaphysical truths. Centuries later, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, envisioned a Calculus Ratiocinator and a universal language of reasoning where disputes could be settled by computation. Let us calculate, he famously declared. These efforts represent early attempts to formalize logic as a manipulable system, transforming thought into mechanical procedure. One can argue that ancient automata gave us artificial bodies, and ancient philosophy gave us artificial minds. Aristotle pondered an important question, could reasoning itself be formalized into rules? One of the most interesting Islamicate precedent for language models is the Zairja, a device described by Ibn Khaldun. The Zairja used tables of Arabic letters to generate new ideas through systematic combination. Its practitioners claimed that, by following its rules, they could derive answers to almost any question. In many ways, the Zairja can be seen as a spiritual and intellectual ancestor of todays large language models. Both operate on the principle that meaning can emerge from systematic recombination of symbols. Where the Zairjas practitioners believed divine knowledge could be accessed through the patterned play of language, modern AI researchers train vast models to uncover statistical regularities across texts. In a way it sought to mechanize thought through combinatorial logic. The Zairja was not a computer in the modern sense, but it foreshadowed some aspects of language models e.g., cognition as symbol manipulation, knowledge as rule-bound procedure. It also carried a spiritual aspect, in Sufi cosmology, letters were thought to encode divine truths. To recombine them was to probe hidden structures of creation. Various systems of logic, whether its Greek, Indian or Chinese could be said to codify inference into rigorous syllogisms. If philosophy formalized reasoning, literature explored its consequences. Stories about artificial beings reveal the hopes and terrors of living with intelligent doubles. Western traditions gave us the myth of Pygmalion, who fell in love with his statue, and Ovids tales of moving statues and enchanted beings. Later, Mary Shelleys Frankenstein became the paradigmatic story of artificial creation gone awry, and Karel Capeks R.U.R. (1921) gave us the word the word robot. The Arabic One Thousand and One Nights contains tales of mechanical horses, flying automata, and enchanted yet engineered beings. Indian epics like the Mahabharata speak of divine weapons activated by mantras, coded instructions with set rules. These stories are not isolated examples but rather human speculation n the possibility of human creations hat may imitate us It is important to remind ourselves of these precedents, it changes how we see the present. The narrative of AI as a sudden Western invention, birthed in the mid-20th century from Turing and von Neumann, is true but only part of the story. It erases the global genealogy of artificial minds and blinds us to how deep the cultural roots of AI run. Recognizing the Zairja reminds us of speculations on systems like language models. More importantly, these precedents sharpen todays debates. When Ibn Khaldun warned that the Zairja gave idle thinkers an occupation but not true knowledge, he might as well have been diagnosing the kind of problems that we encounter with large language models. When Mary Shelley tells us about Frankensteins monster demanding recognition, she anticipated todays concerns about AI alignment and autonomy. Across time and cultures, the same anxieties repeat: will our artificial creations serve us, deceive us, or surpass us? To summarize, Artificial intelligence is not new. From Homers golden servants to al-Jazaris drummers, from the Zairja to Llulls combinatorial wheels, from karakuri dolls to Shelleys monster, humans have long tested the boundary between the natural and the artificial. What we call AI today, statistical models trained on massive amounts of data, is technologically novel, but imaginatively ancient. Once we understand AI as an old technology, we gain perspective. We see that our ancestors across civilizations were already grappling with these questions. Their stories, devices, and philosophies remain a resource for us. They remind us that artificial intelligence is not only a matter of code, but of culture. Perhaps it represents an enduring human desire to create minds beyond our own. The cast and crew of the new Harry Potter TV series have started filming at Lustleigh, Devon - William Dax /SWNS A village blighted by potholes is celebrating long-awaited repairs thanks to the new Harry Potter television series. Residents in Lustleigh, Devon, have been complaining about the state of its roads for years, even forming a volunteer group dedicated to fixing potholes. But now the arrival of a film crew behind the new HBO series has helped to fill them in at last. The Lustleigh parish clerk said in a post on Facebook: Good news! The filming company have been given permission by [Devon county council] Highways to proceed with repairs on Wreyland Path, using an approved contractor. The contractor will fill all large potholes manually and will then assess if further work needs to be carried out. The path will NOT be shut so can be used as normal. The TV company this week moved filming from Cornwall to Devon - William Dax/SWNS Villagers welcomed the repairs, but questioned why it took the arrival of a TV company to start sorting out the issues. Andrew Pike, a resident, said: Thats brilliant news, can fix potholes for filming but not for everyday use. Just proves Devon Highways doesnt wanna spend any money. Donna Tandy, another villager, added: Harry Potter and the potholes good new book heading. The movie company have promised the path will be completely resurfaced when the filming is over - William Dax /SWNS One resident also asked if the repair work could be extended. They said: Would it be possible for the parish council to ask the film company, as a good token gesture, to do all the other roads in the parish that will be inconvenienced due to any diversion? The parish council responded and said it would raise the issue with the company. Locations across Cornwall and Devon have been used to recreate the wizarding world of the bestselling books. The production, which used the codename Brown Cat, has been described as the worst-kept secret. Dominic McLaughlin has been pictured in full costume as the new Harry Potter. McLaughlin, who was selected from over 32,000 candidates, steps into the role made famous by Daniel Radcliffe. He leads a cast that includes Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. Nick Frost, known for Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, takes on the role of Hagrid. The series is reportedly due to air in 2027. A Devon county council spokesman said: The film crew spotted that part of a footpath was in need of repair. They offered to pay for the repairs through an approved contractor and we accepted. They have not offered to repair any roads. Drugs already in use could be combined to form a two-pronged attack on advanced prostate cancer, a study suggests. Men with treatment-resistant forms of the disease often have a poor prognosis and limited options. However, a study on mice by the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) has found early evidence that using two drugs in tandem could work as a one-two punch to help 40 per cent of men in such cases. Both drugs are already in development or given to patients for other cancers. Experiments have found they could kill slow tumour growth and cancerous cells. The study comes as research found that targeted prostate checks would save lives at a cost of just 18 per head. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with around 67,000 diagnoses and 12,000 deaths each year in the UK. The Telegraph is campaigning for the introduction of targeted screening, so that in the first instance men most at risk are offered PSA (prostate-specific antigen) tests by their GP. Scientists are now hoping to launch a clinical trial of the two-drug combination to see if it can treat the 40 per cent of advanced prostate cancer patients who have a certain tumour type. The two drugs each target a protein that is hijacked by the cancer to fuel tumours. Working in tandem, they cut off these pathways and this triggers cell death. The drug fadraciclib is one of the treatments the ICR identified as a possible medicine for prostate cancer. It is currently in trials as a blood cancer drug. The second compound, which focuses on a different pathway to fadraciclib, can be either ipasertib or capivasertib. Ipasertib is an investigational drug for breast cancer and capivasertib is an approved breast cancer treatment. Studies found that using one of the drugs on a tumour was ineffective, but both together slowed tumour growth six-fold in 10 days. Dr Adam Sharp, leader of the Translational Therapeutics Group at the ICR in London, said: For men with advanced prostate cancer, once hormone therapies stop working, the outcomes are bleak. Researchers are constantly searching for new treatment options, but discovering and developing a new drug from scratch is a lengthy process. In this work, we screened a large number of drugs that are in development, or already being used to treat cancers. We identified a particularly promising pairing that could help patients with advanced prostate cancer, and our data suggests that up to 40 per cent of people with this disease could benefit. He added: Excitingly, we found that the treatment doesnt just slow tumour growth it actually kills cancer cells. Were cautiously optimistic that this approach may better prevent resistance to treatment from occurring. The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications. Harper with her parents, Victoria and David Beckham, at the world premiere of Victorias Netflix documentary in London, earlier this month - Karwai Tang/WireImage Victoria Beckham may have had headline billing in her recent self-titled Netflix documentary, but it was another member of the family who stole the show: her 14-year-old daughter Harper. The youngest Beckham child has been kept under wraps until now, but with several public appearances, and the potential launch of a beauty business in her name, it looks like Harper might be the sibling that most successfully follows in her famous parents footsteps. In the first episode of the documentary, which launched this month, Harper wearing a pink T-shirt and on-trend baggy jeans teaches her mother a TikTok dance set to Chics Le Freak, and there is plenty of familiar teenage exasperation. When Victoria attempts to freestyle, Harper puts her head in her hands and groans No, no! [You] need to do a dance move. The social-media-savvy teen then shows her mum which filter shes using for the video. Harper also makes a glamorous appearance in the final episode, (appropriately) presenting a Harpers Bazaar entrepreneur award to her mother in front of an audience at Claridges hotel (the ceremony took place last November, and was regarded as Harpers soft launch). Harper admits shes nervous, and pleats her silk slip dress while she talks. But her speech is both endearing she jokes that its a school night and significant, positioning Harper as the natural successor to her mothers empire. Harper and Victoria at the 2024 Harpers Bazaar Women of the Year awards, where the younger Beckham presented a gong to her mother - Dave Benett/Getty Its interesting that Harper appears in the documentary much more than the other Beckham children, says Rachel Richardson, who writes the culture and trends newsletter Highly Flammable. Viewers certainly werent expecting to see oldest son Brooklyn, who is locked in a feud with his parents, but Harper has much more prominence than the couples other children, Cruz and Romeo, points out Richardson. With the Beckhams, everything is a choice so this seems very intentional. It speaks volumes about how they might be positioning her. I think Harper could be the one to take the Beckham brand forward. Although she doesnt have her own public social media accounts, Harper does pop up on her parents channels. In May, Victoria shared a TikTok video of Harper confidently using Victorias beauty products on David, and even correcting her mother when she mistakenly calls the concealer contour. Harper is also becoming a regular on Victoria Beckham Beautys Instagram. This summer, the business account posted several videos showing Harper applying her mothers make-up products, while smiling and blowing kisses. With her long blonde hair, glowing skin, perfectly polished nails and ease in front of the camera, Harper looks like a seasoned beauty influencer. Victoria clearly agrees. Speaking to The Telegraph in 2023, Victoria said, [Harpers] like a pro when it comes to putting on make-up. And this month, she told the Mail on Sunday: Shes got a little entrepreneurial head on her shoulders. She is a little mini-me. Last year, while in New York to launch Victorias perfume Reverie, the family visited a sensory immersion exhibit where you write down your dreams. Harpers wish was to create an amazing brand when Im older. So its unsurprising that her parents seem to be planning Harpers possible career path already. This month, the name HIKU BY HARPER, and an accompanying logo, was filed under two UK trademark applications via H7B Limited, a business Victoria incorporated which presumably references her daughters name, Harper Seven Beckham. David with a young Harper in New York City in 2013 - Alo Ceballos/FilmMagic Its an obvious choice given her mother has been so successful in the beauty industry, much more than in the fashion world, says Richardson. If Harper did want to start her own beauty line, Victoria already has the infrastructure in place: suppliers, production, advisers. Victoria might also recognise the benefits of such a venture, suggests Richardson. Harper could appeal to a completely different, younger demographic. Victorias products are fantastic, but theyre also expensive its something youll find in Selfridges rather than in Boots. But maybe Harper could put out products that are still decent quality but more affordable. Its certainly a good time to expand in the beauty space: social media has led to a big spike in interest, especially among young people. More and more brands are coming in theres an endless appetite, says Richardson. Kids see these high-end products on TikTok and they become must-haves. Lots of celebrities have done well with beauty brands, like Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber. If Harper wanted to differentiate her beauty line from her mothers, she could start out with a hero product, says Richardson, which would appeal to teenagers, such as a serum or a lip product. However, Richardson thinks it would make sense to introduce Harper to the world before launching a line. Shes a bit enigmatic still. We dont really know who she is as a character. Kylie Jenner was only 18 when she began her beauty business, but people had watched her on TV [in reality series Keeping Up with the Kardashians] for years. Applying make-up in an Instagram post by her mother - Victoria Beckham/Instagram Victoria told The Sun this month that Harper is either going to be a beauty mogul or shes going to be a stand-up shes hilarious. In fact, some combination of the two would stand her in good stead. Richardson believes you need real skill to become a beauty mogul, noting: Its a make-or-break world. TikTok influencers test your products immediately and bad reviews go viral. However, you also need an engaging online presence to grow a following on social media and thus a market for your business. Wit and charm have certainly helped Harpers parents succeed in their respective endeavours. Of course, Harper has a built-in advantage thanks to her familys name and connections. Her godmother is Hollywood actress Eva Longoria and, points out Richardson, the Beckhams could ring up Anna Wintour any day of the week and set up a mother/daughter feature in Vogue to talk about their products. Harper wouldnt have any problem drumming up interest. A young Harper with her brothers, father, Anna Wintour and James Corden at a Burberry fashion show, April 2015 - Jeff Vespa/Getty Images for Burberry Yet conversely, theres a definite backlash against clueless nepo babies. Harpers older brothers have faced derision for their various failed enterprises, such as Brooklyns woeful photography book and cooking career. I do think Harper will have seen all of that and learnt from their mistakes, says Richardson. Victoria is clearly aware of this minefield. Speaking to The Sun, she said of the nepo-baby tag: The kids are simply the kids of the parents. Its not their fault. Give them a chance. Victoria also knows first-hand how much scrutiny young women in the public eye receive and speaks in the new documentary about the intense media focus on the Spice Girls and the anxiety it caused her. Its interesting hearing Victoria reflect on the scrutiny she received when she was a pop star how hard it was to be a young woman in the limelight, says Richardson. She and David will likely be cautious about thrusting Harper forward. In 2022, Victoria told Vogue Australia: Harper isnt on social media, so we dont need to worry about [body shaming] just yet. But she worried about how cruel people can be. Victoria told the Mail on Sunday that shed spoken to Harper about her struggles with an eating disorder, adding: My wish for Harper is that she has a really healthy relationship with food. However, Victoria has also tried to instil a strong work ethic in Harper she ensures she still does her homework alongside the make-up videos and encourages her ambition. In 2018 at Forbes Womens Summit, Victoria said of Harper: She knows she can do everything and probably more than her brothers can. We talk about it a lot. She wants to be an inventor and shes pretty proud of that. Shes a strong, smart woman. Could Harper be the Beckham to watch? Richardson thinks so. I would buy stock in Harper, she says. Thats a good long-term bet. Jacob Leland Jacob Leland cuts an unlikely figure in the dock. Tall, blond and dressed in a navy blue gilet with a crisp blue shirt, the 37-year-old looks more like hes on his way to work in the City of London than a former Eton teacher accused of sexually abusing a pupil. As he speaks, his voice is steady and calm, his manner polite and thoughtful. He corrects himself, and apologises when he misremembers something. After his evidence, he returns behind a glass panel, where he looks out over the trial with an unblinking gaze. This was a man who was once, on the face of it, a figure of respect and authority in the highest profile public school in the country, which has educated future kings and prime ministers since 1440. Between 2010 and 2012, Leland was a teacher at Eton College who was described in court as young, vibrant, energetic, charismatic. But on Tuesday, Lelands image and career was shattered, after he was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault on a pupil he used to teach. Leland performed oral sex on him during a school trip, and on the boys birthday, he kissed him and put the boys hand over his groin. He was found not guilty of 11 other offences. Eton College has educated future kings and prime ministers since 1440 - Amanda Lewis Over the course of three weeks in September and October, Reading Crown Court listened as former pupils, and even Leland himself, detailed how Leland abused his relationship with pupils and staff. After the verdicts, Simon Henderson, the headmaster of Eton College, described its former teachers behaviour as an egregious breach of trust and admitted that testimony from the trial raises a number of very significant concerns about what happened. He is the fourth former Eton teacher to have been implicated in serious misconduct since 2010. In 2020, former housemaster, Matthew Mowbray, was jailed for a series of sexual offences committed during late night visits to students bedrooms; in 2024, David Goode, an organist and music teacher, was banned from teaching after it was discovered he had used a school issued laptop to search for indecent images of children; and in 2012, former classics teacher, Ian McAuslan, pleaded guilty to 14 counts of making, and two counts of possessing, indecent images of children. Eton has always been very, very good at sweeping things under the carpet rather than taking responsibility, one of the boys involved in the case told The Telegraph. He would wrestle us on our beds Leland arrived at Eton in the autumn of 2010 as a language teacher. He was 22 years old and fresh out of Cambridge University, where hed studied Russian and Linguistics. I wasnt necessarily planning on going into teaching, Leland told the court in the dock, but then an email came through in my last year at Cambridge, he said, and added: I was in the middle of exams and thought I might as well go for it. I had the summer break and then at the beginning of August started moving to Eton. Leland was not educated at Eton, or for that matter, a boarding school, so knew it would be somewhat unfamiliar. I felt quite anxious going into that environment because there were many elements of it that I wasnt familiar with, he told the court. As well as teaching the boys, Leland was an assistant to the housemaster at Common Lane House, one of the 25 boarding houses at Eton. A striking red brick building sitting just off the main high street, it was home to over 50 pupils a year, and was informally referred to by the boys as JDN, after the initials of the housemaster, Jonathan Newton. Common Lane House, informally referred to as JDN, is one of the 25 boarding houses at Eton - Maureen McLean/Shutterstock As assistant to the housemaster, Leland would help put the boys to bed on a Monday night. He would take the register at 8pm, and later in the evening, he was responsible for enforcing lights out, where boys finish their homework, known as extra work or EW, brush their teeth and switch off their lights for the evening. After a while, Leland started play wrestling with the boys in their bedrooms.He would wrestle us on our beds, one old Etonian who was at Common Lane House told The Telegraph. Youd be sitting in your room, hed come in, talk to you and then say, OK, lets wrestle. He would grapple with you, and you had to fight really hard, hed put his whole body weight on you. My friend would often come into my room afterwards with his face red from wrestling. No other teacher would physically engage with the boys in this way, but Lelands behaviour, it seems, was normalised because, as a young man in his early 20s, he was regarded more as an older brother (a phrase Leland would use himself in court) than a teacher. I was regularly confused for a boy by other members of staff, including workers in the dining room, Leland admitted to the court. His relative youth enabled him to push physical boundaries, and get away with more than an older teacher might. It was almost like an older brother, because he was only 22, says one old Etonian. He was, I think, mimicking the behaviour of the boys to make them feel more secure around him. None of us wanted to be a killjoy who ruined the fun by calling him out. Im sure, if we had hypothetically called it out, then he would just come back and say: Well, thats what you do. So why cant I do it? He adds: Explicit conversations, obscene remarks, are the sort of things that happen in boarding school every single day. This is how we were with each other. So obviously, if a young teacher is doing it as well, youre probably less likely to question it. We heard one boy say that Leland had asked to touch his penis. We thought at the time it was banter gone wrong. Boys would make obscene remarks all the time, so we thought hed just taken some chat too far. Between 2010 and 2012, Leland was a teacher at Eton who was described in court as young, vibrant, energetic, charismatic - Jeff Gilbert Sometimes, Leland would watch Made in Chelsea, the reality series depicting the lives of affluent young people in west London, with the boys in the older years. He remembered being very insecure about my acne, recalling a time that he found a piece of graffiti on a desk claiming that his spots spelt out lyrics from High School Musical in brail. Leland would also join in with banter exchanged by teenage boys, as well as sexual conversations about girls. The court heard that Leland would show the boys explicit videos. One boy remembered Leland showing a YouTube video of naked women in hot oil, adding that he would ask if they would do stuff depicted with people in music videos. Another old Etonian tells The Telegraph that Leland had once shown the boys a picture of a penis piercing on his phone. We were appalled, but we found it appalling and funny at the same time, because we were only 15, he says. In his first year at Eton, Leland became a trusted and popular figure among the boys. Newton recalled Leland as being energetic and funny, stating in court that he was popular amongst the boys, but lacked experience, definitely. It was this that put the boys in a potentially vulnerable position, reflects one former pupil. I think he was the sort of person that you probably feel more inclined to talk to or be honest and open with than the other teachers, he says. He came over and kissed me Alex*, who was taught by Leland, told the court: He would be in my house every Monday, and would spend quite a lot of time in my room talking to me. Alex had an unstable and complicated home life. My mum had a complete breakdown and my father wasnt there very much, he said, adding he was a vulnerable human being. On his birthday, Alex and his friend visited Lelands flat in their lunch break, which boys would often do to ask for advice or help with homework. He let us smoke in his house, the court heard. Obviously at the time... that was all quite exciting to be breaking the rules. But looking back now, I have realised how dangerous that was. He told my friend to go and wait outside because he wanted to give me a birthday present, Alex added in court. He came back into the room, he came over to me, kissed me, and then sort of grabbed my arm and guided my hand to his crotch. I think he said, Look at how hard I am. Outside the house, Alexs friend was waiting, and asked what had happened. I said nothing and brushed it off, Alex recalled. Three weeks later, the boys went on a school trip with Leland. One night, he invited Alex and another boy to his hotel room. I think the other person must have left at some point, Alex remembered, He started kissing me again, and then went downwards and started to give me a blowjob I remember feeling excited at first, and then again this sense of starting to feel uncomfortable and a sense of not wanting to seem uncool, he said. This was my first sexual experience with a boy or girl. I remember thinking that I dont want to seem uncool or in a way let him down, or shatter the illusion he had of me, or jeopardise our friendship. The following day, Alex remembered struggling to process his own emotions. He felt there was no other way to deal with other than to be cool, he told the court. Leland, he noted, was regarding it as if it was nothing, and so it seemed thats the way you should regard it. But the long-lasting impact of the abuse lingered on. Theres always been a tendency towards suicidal thoughts, he told the court. It was definitely because I wasnt able to deal with it in a way that it should have been dealt with. On Tuesday, the jury at Reading Crown Court found Leland guilty of three counts of sexual assault in relation to the kiss on Alexs birthday, Leland touching his groin on the same day and the incident in the hotel room. Leland will be sentenced on Dec 11. Ill sneak over to the boys side in the night In court, Leland admitted to sexual activity with one boy at the school, Thomas*, but said it only took place after he quit his teaching role in 2012 and moved abroad. He was not found guilty of any offences relating to Thomas. Leland told the court he came back to stay at Common Lane House in the autumn of 2013, when Thomas had been over 16, in an area of the house known as Private Side, which was reserved for teachers and guests. Leland had stayed in touch with his former pupil since leaving and texted him: Im going to be in JDN tomorrow night. What? Why? Thats oh so good, come and see me, Thomas replied. I will sneak over to the boys side in the night, Leland promised. Leland is the fourth former Eton teacher to have been implicated in serious misconduct since 2010 - Mark Kerrison/Getty Images After the boys had gone to bed, Leland visited Thomass room. I think that I was sitting on his bed so there was already a degree of physical closeness between us, Leland recounted, explaining that at some point they had begun discussing sex. I think he said he was curious to hear what it would feel like to be touched and then I offered to do that for him and he agreed, Leland told the court. He pulled down his pyjama bottoms and lifted his knees up, Leland said: I just did it for a little bit, he said it felt nice, but I think we realised that doing this in a boarding house, especially with other boys in it, was not the best place to do it, he said. When Newton was asked in court what his reaction would have been had he known this was taking place, he replied: Absolutely appalled, horrified. Adding: I would describe that as horrific. Leland told the court he booked a hotel the following day and went into London with Thomas. Leland said he shaved Thomas in the hotel bathroom. I think we were talking about the previous night and whether or not he had enjoyed being touched there, Leland said in the dock. I suggested that it might be nicer if the area was more smooth and I asked whether he had shaved down there, he said. I suggested that I help him do it We went into the bathroom, I applied the shaving cream to that area and shaved it for him. Leland told the court that he had licked the area, and performed oral sex on Thomas. Later, the two headed to a pub to meet Lelands friends. I said he was a former student of mine from Eton, Leland told the court when asked how hed introduced him. Leland said he was ashamed that he betrayed the trust of Newton, who had invited him back to the school in 2013, but also that he was in a predicament when it came to his place there. I had a foot in two worlds, he said, One was that I could go back to Eton and see colleagues like John Newton the other was that I could go back to Eton and see former students of mine. I hope I didnt f--k him up In Aug 2018, Daisy*, who had left school a few years earlier, was at Houghton Music Festival in Norfolk, when she was introduced to a man named Jacob Leland. Leland told her that he used to work at Eton, and they began chatting. I said: I have a thing for Eton boys, she recalled. He said: Me too. We had a conversation about who we knew from Eton. The two began discussing names of the boys they both knew. At one point, Daisy mentioned Alex, who shed briefly kissed when she was younger. I said I used to fancy [Alex], I kissed him, she told the court. Leland had replied: I didnt know he went with girls, I hope I didnt f--- him up, Daisy told the court, reflecting that she was confused by this remark. Later in the night, she bumped into Leland again. He offered me a drink and I looked at him and he said to me: Those are the eyes that [Alex] gave me, he didnt say yes, but he meant yes, she told the court. I think he was revealing an emotion to me. It stood out to me This stopped time in a sense. Daisy told the court that shed found the experience totally harrowing. Id already gone away thinking, Is this normal? she told the court. Was the fact that he had had a relationship with one of his students normal? Was that done? b' ' A few years earlier, in April 2015, a writer working for a tutoring company in Beijing at the time was introduced to Leland, who was also working in China. One night, Leland confided in his new acquaintance that during his time at Eton, he had had an affair with a student, the court heard. He made clear the affair had been with someone he had met who was a student while he was a teacher there, he said in court, adding that Leland seemed distressed about it. I would say he had some anxiety and perhaps guilt which was what prompted him presumably to divulge this information, he said. It was only when the trial was reported in newspapers that Lelands acquaintance from China felt compelled to be a witness in the case, realising that he had a key piece of evidence that could help the court. Following the verdicts, Henderson, said: I am appalled that this abuse happened at Eton ... Eton needs to acknowledge not only that something this serious was able to take place at our school, but also that it took several years for the details of what happened to come to light. Those who were directly impacted by Lelands actions had the right to be safe and secure in our care. It is devastating for them and for us that they were not and I have offered them my unreserved apologies on behalf of the school ... we will continue to stand beside them and to do all we can to support them moving forward. Henderson added the safeguarding culture at Eton has been transformed since the offences occurred, adding that the school had commissioned an external review to consider what happened in this case and to make any recommendations. As Leland listened to the boys he taught give evidence, he was confronted with the reality of his abuse nearly 15 years later. But for those who knew him as pupils, the effect of his behaviour has lingered long into their adulthood. We thought we were safe, the reason why we didnt say anything is because we didnt realise it was a dangerous situation, one of the former pupils tells The Telegraph. We thought he was a weirdo, but we thought he was harmless. Thats the bit we were wrong about. He was actually just a kid in a sweet shop. *Names have been changed. Armed Taliban security personnel keep guard near the closed gate of the zero point border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan at Spin Boldak district in Kandahar province on October 12, 2025. - Sanaullah Seiam/AFP/Getty Images Afghanistan and Pakistan said they had agreed a 48-hour ceasefire on Wednesday, following days of deadly clashes between the neighbors and former allies. The fighting followed strikes in the Afghan capital Kabul and the border province of Paktika last Thursday which the Taliban government blamed on Pakistan, though Islamabad has not officially acknowledged the attacks. Both sides have confirmed a brief ceasefire that came into effect late afternoon local time. Experts warn these latest attacks could signal a new era of instability for the neighbors, which have maintained steady and strategic relations for years despite frequent skirmishes along their disputed border. Heres what we know about the violence, which prompted calls to de-escalate from China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and an offer from US President Donald Trump to broker peace. Sharpest escalation in years The Taliban accused Pakistan of conducting an unprecedented, violent and reprehensible attack on targets in Kabul and Paktika on Thursday night last week. While Islamabad hasnt commented on the attacks, Lt. Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, a Pakistani military official, told a press briefing Friday there is evidence that Afghanistan is being used as a base of operations for carrying out terrorism in Pakistan. People watch a televised press briefing by Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, in Karachi, Pakistan on October 10, 2025. - Akhtar Soomro/Reuters Pakistan has faced a surge in Islamist violence since the Afghan Taliban swept Kabul in 2021. Islamabad has long accused Kabul of harboring the Pakistani Taliban militant group (known as the TTP), which its Afghan namesake denies. On Saturday night, the Taliban launched what it said were retaliatory attacks against Pakistani forces in various areas near the border provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar. Pakistan responded to the attack, which it called unprovoked, by conducting strikes and raids against Taliban camps in Afghanistan, according to a statement by the military, including what it said were terrorist training facilities and support networks. Both countries claimed to have inflicted higher death tolls than their neighbor acknowledged. Pakistan claimed to have killed more than 200 Taliban fighters and other militants, a figure far beyond the Talibans nine claimed losses. The Taliban, meanwhile, said it killed 58 Pakistani soldiers more than double Pakistans 23 claimed losses according to Zabihullah Mujahid, the Talibans chief spokesman. CNN has not independently verified these death tolls. Before the ceasefire came into effect, around 40 people were taken to a hospital in Kabul following explosions near the capital, according to Emergency, an NGO working in Afghanistan. They have shrapnel wounds, blunt force trauma and burns, Emergency said in a statement. Ten are in critical condition. Unfortunately, five people were already dead on arrival. It did not say what the cause of the explosions was. A Taliban spokesperson said the government instructed all its forces to observe the ceasefire as long as no one violates it. Pakistans foreign ministry said during this period, both sides will make sincere efforts to find a positive solution to this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue. Long and complicated history Pakistan and Afghanistan have a long and complicated history marked by frequent clashes along their mountainous, 1,600-mile disputed border, known as the Durand Line. Pakistan was one of the main backers of the Taliban after its ouster by NATO troops in 2001, and during its subsequent insurgency against the US-backed Afghan government. The two countries are also big trading partners and share strong people-to-people ties. Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees over decades of war, though it has moved to expel many of them in recent years, citing the risk of terrorism. But the TTP has re-emerged as one of Pakistans biggest national security threats, conducting 600 attacks against Pakistani forces in the past year, according to a recent report by the independent nonprofit Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED). Following Saturdays attacks, the Pakistan military said while Islamabad prefers diplomacy, it will not tolerate the treacherous use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan. Pakistan on Sunday closed its two main border crossings with Afghanistan. The India factor Pakistans military noted that the serious provocation occurred during a recent visit by the Talibans foreign minister to India, Pakistans main regional rival, with which it fought a brief conflict earlier this year. The Taliban and India made no secret of their closer ties on Friday when New Delhi said it would reopen an embassy in Kabul, calling Amir Khan Muttaqis visit an important step in advancing our ties and affirming the enduring friendship between the two countries. (L to R) Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary of the Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran (PAI) Division at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Afghanistan's Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Indian entrepreneur Vikramjit Singh Sahney participate in a roundtable in New Delhi, India on Monday. - Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters Islamabad and New Delhi have competed bloodily for influence in Afghanistan for decades, Antoine Levesques, senior fellow for South and Central Asian defense, strategy and diplomacy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told CNN. Pakistan has long viewed good relations with Afghanistan as key to counterbalancing India, which is why it continued to support the Taliban covertly when it was not in power despite outwardly supporting the US and NATOs War on Terror, said Pearl Pandya, senior analyst for South Asia at ACLED. However, this calculation does not appear to have paid out, Pandya said. How have other countries reacted? Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China and Russia all called for de-escalation. Qatar expressed concern over the potential repercussions for the security and stability of the region in a statement to X. Saudi Arabia, which recently signed a defense pact with Pakistan, also called for restraint and dialogue. The fighting also drew the attention of Trump, who offered to broker peace. I hear theres a war now going on between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew to Israel on Sunday to mark the Gaza ceasefire deal. Im good at solving wars, Im good at making peace, Trump said. What will this mean for relations moving forward? While the violence has eased for now, with both countries signaling that they wish to de-escalate, the recent attacks could usher in a new era of instability for the neighbors. In the past, cyclical bouts of armed tensions typically have receded once both sides have made their point, Levesques said, adding that Pakistans leadership views its country as a stability provider for the region. Though Islamabad has not claimed direct responsibility for the explosions in Kabul, such an attack would cross a red line in their relations, Pandya said. In terms of the future of the relationship, a lot will depend on whether this escalation leads to a fundamental shift in how the Taliban deals with the TTP, which is really the main issue, Pandya said. CNNs Joyce Jiang contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Aaron Spencer announces his run for Lonoke County Sheriff in a video posted to his campaign's Facebook page. - From Aaron Spencer for Lonoke County Sheriff An Arkansas father who killed his teen daughters alleged abuser has announced a bid for county sheriff, saying hes running to fix a justice system that failed to protect her. Aaron Spencer faces a second-degree murder charge in last Octobers fatal shooting of a man accused of grooming and sexually assaulting his then-13-year-old daughter. Many of you know my story. Im the father who acted to protect his daughter when the system failed he says in a Facebook video announcing his candidacy for Lonoke County sheriff. And through my own fight for justice, Ive seen firsthand the failures in law enforcement and in our circuit court. And I refuse to stand by while others face these same failures. Spencer gunned down Michael Fosler on October 8, 2024, after he found him driving with his daughter after midnight despite a no-contact order. Fosler, 67, was out on bond while facing dozens of charges, including internet stalking of a child and sexual assault. The teen had vanished from her bedroom moments earlier. Spencer said he jumped into his Ford truck and scoured the roads around their home until he spotted her in Foslers truck, rammed the vehicle off the road and shot him during an altercation. This campaign isnt about me. Its about every parent, every neighbor, every family who deserves to feel safe in their homes and safe in their community, Spencer said. Its about restoring trust where neighbors know law enforcement is on their side, and families know that they will not be left alone in a moment of need. Spencer, 37, pleaded not guilty but has admitted to shooting Fosler. His trial is scheduled to start January 26, about six weeks before hed face a March 3 primary in his campaign for Lonoke County sheriff. Spencer is running as a Republican. And in an ironic twist, hell face off against the incumbent sheriff who oversaw his arrest. No one seems offended by the idea of Spencer running, reporter says Spencer is a farmer, a general contractor and an Army veteran who served in the 82nd Airborne and was deployed to Iraq as a paratrooper in the late 2000s. He and his wife, Heather, live on a farm near Cabot, a city of about 27,000 people some 25 miles from the state capital of Little Rock. They also have an adult son. Heather and Aaron Spencer. "Through my own fight for justice, Ive seen firsthand the failures in law enforcement and in our circuit court," Spencer says in a video announcing his campaign. - Courtesy Heather Spencer Spencers announcement over the weekend came nearly a year to the day of the fatal shooting. Fosler was facing 43 criminal counts, including internet stalking of a child, sexual assault, sexual indecency with a child and possession of child pornography. Heather Spencer has said the family panicked when they awoke and discovered their daughter was missing. In that moment we realized that she may have been taken, but its the middle of the night and everything is happening in seconds and every second counts, she later wrote on Facebook. Spencers case captured national headlines and has sparked outrage and praise on social media among people who consider him a hero for protecting his daughter. Its also prompted a defense fund and several petitions calling for the charges against him to be dropped, including one that has more than 360,000 signatures. His decision to run for sheriff has drawn mostly positive reactions in the county, said Arkansas Times reporter Matt Campbell, whos covered the case extensively. General consensus from the people Ive spoken to seems to be a combination of wait what? and a kind of muted hell yeah reaction, Campbell said. I dont know that anyone thinks he has a chance and if hes convicted, he would be barred from running for or holding office in the state. But no one seems offended by the idea. Widespread distrust toward law enforcement in the county has worked in Spencers favor, Campbell added. Spencers become a cause celebre for a lot of folks in the state. If he beats the murder charge, which is entirely possible, I dont think its a stretch that he could ride that momentum and win. Aaron Spencer enters the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office in December 2024. - KATV But John Wesley Hall, a veteran criminal attorney and author of Trial Handbook for Arkansas Lawyers, called Spencers campaign a bad idea. Hall, who has no connection to the case, said its highly unusual for a defendant to run for sheriff while awaiting a criminal trial in the same county. Hall added he wouldnt allow it if Spencer were his client. No f**king way wait for the verdict, he said. It will come up at trial in his cross-examination. Maybe he can handle it, maybe he cant. Why risk it? A judge also could view Spencers campaigning as tainting the jury pool, potentially forcing the trial to move to another county, Hall said. However, he added that hes seen plenty of high-profile cases that have still managed to find impartial jurors without being relocated. Spencers attorney, Erin Cassinelli, told CNN he decided to announce his campaign now because the election filing deadline is next month. Cassinelli said shes not concerned about Spencers run for sheriff negatively affecting the trial and believes he has the integrity, courage, compassion and strength for the job if elected. The community is entitled to consider Aarons choices and the choices of its presently elected officials as it pertains to everything that has happened to Aarons family, she added. He and his family are just like all of the other families living in Lonoke County who want public officials they can trust, who keep them safe, and who are accountable for their actions or inactions. The incumbent sheriff said he didnt seek any specific charge against Spencer Spencers run for office is the latest plot turn in a case marked by a series of legal twists. At the time of the shooting, the Spencers daughter was the only witness to Foslers sexual assault charges, Cassinelli said, and the Spencers feared she was in grave danger. Shes the only thing standing between him (Fosler) and life in prison, Cassinelli said. Spencer was arrested on a preliminary charge of first-degree murder, Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley said last October. He added that the decision to charge Spencer would ultimately rest with prosecutors, and that I have not, nor will I, advocate for any specific charge. Prosecutors later reduced the charge to second-degree murder with a gun enhancement penalty, an add-on that increases the maximum potential prison sentence when a firearm is used to commit a crime. The Lonoke County courthouse in Cabot, Arkansas. Spencer's trial is set for January 2026. - KATV Under Arkansas law, a second-degree murder charge involves circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life. But unlike first-degree murder, it does not require some form of premeditation. Staley, the countys sheriff since 2013, said he will seek re-election next year but did not comment on Spencers candidacy. I have served as sheriff of Lonoke County with a clear mission to protect our citizens and hold those who break the law accountable. From day one, our focus has been on three major threats to our communities: drug traffickers, sexual predators, and thieves, he said in a statement. Weve made significant progress, and we will continue to work tirelessly to keep Lonoke County safe. In December, a Lonoke County judge issued a gag order that banned lawyers, Spencers family and others connected to the case from speaking publicly about it, saying widespread media coverage could affect the jury pool. Spencers attorneys challenged the decision, arguing it violated his rights. In May, the Arkansas Supreme Court struck down the gag order, calling it overly broad and vague. Spencer was released last October on a bond of $150,000. He has largely remained silent about the case, although his wife has spoken publicly about its impact on their family. This case has changed nearly every part of our daily lives, Heather Spencer told CNN in August, adding that she and her husband have been heartened by support from well-wishers around the country. The outpouring from our community, and even from people weve never met, has made us feel far less alone in this battle. Spencer is scheduled to return to court in December ahead of his trial date in January. If convicted, he would be prohibited under Arkansas law from holding public office. Early voting will begin February 16 in the primary election for county sheriff. The general election is November 3, 2026. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Michela Sieman/Travel + Leisure Via Cala Spinosa in Capo Testa, Sardinia. Looking for a vacation that involves plenty of sand between your toes, fantastic seafood, and the perfect ocean breeze kissing your cheek? Then it's time to hit a few of Europe's best islands. But with 2,400 to choose from, the options can feel a little overwhelming. That's why we went to a few travel experts for their input to help you narrow down the list. Here are their top three picks. Menorca, Spain "When clients ask me for 'quieter, but not boring,' I send them here," Jennifer Johnson, a travel designer at Tribu Travel, shared about Menorca. "Its the place where I actually slow downno agenda beyond a swim, a simple lunch, and a good walk. I go for scouting and end up staying an extra night more often than I should." As for what makes it a top must-see, Johnson noted the island's "softer rhythm" and natural charms. "You reach many beaches on footpaths that smell like warm pine; the sea is the kind of clear that makes adults behave like kids; and dinner tends to be whatever grilled fish looked best at the market that morning," she said. "Theres culture without fusshistoric Ciutadella glowing at dusk, a tiny art center you reach by boat in Mahons harbor, and old farmhouses turned into small, design-forward hotels." While the island is ready to welcome you whenever you wish, Johnson noted that the shoulder season, over May and early June and September, offers "fewer elbows on the sand." How to Plan a Trip to Menorca Sardinia, Italy Sardinia turned up repeatedly on our expert's suggestions for two very different reasons: its rugged, agriturismo-framed nature and unapologetic glamour. What makes Sardinia so special is the unique landscape you find yourself surrounded by. Although the beaches are truly incredible, I wasn't expecting the mountainous interior that's far more rugged than I had in mind when planning this Mediterranean getaway, Kat Smith, cofounder of mammamiaindeed.com, said. She noted that travelers who are up for something different can book a stay at one of the island's agriturismo hotels in the mountains to bask in those stunning views and plenty of local food. "Some of the best beaches will just be a quick drive away and a complete change of scenery, she added. But when you do want to get on the water, Smith said she highly recommends a boat trip through the Maddalena archipelago. "This cluster of even smaller islands, situated on the northern coast of Sardinia, is truly incredible," she said. "Rent your own boat or hop on a catamaran or sailboat offering day trips and amble your way through the electric blue waters, enjoying plenty of stops to swim along the way." LaDell Carter, founder of Royal Expression Travels, agrees that the island is as special as they get, noting, When you travel more than 200 days a year, some destinations blur together. Sardinia isnt one of them. Carter explained that on her own trip, Porto Cervo "shimmered like a stage set for the worlds most enviable yachts." One highlight was seeing the pink sands of Spiaggia Rosa from the deck of their yacht, describing it as "an otherworldly brushstroke of color against endless turquoise. How to Plan a Trip to Sardinia Croatias Island Trio: Brac, Mali Losinj, and Vis Croatia's islands are so special that not one, not two, but three were mentioned by our pros that we had to share with you. And they all come with a different travel vibe. Milana Martinovic, CEO of Onsite Hub, told T+L she's traveled the world and her love her homeland, Croatia, is only reinforced. "Theres truly something unique here that cant be replicated anywhere else," Milana Martinovic, CEO of Onsite Hub. She said her first choice for an island getaway is Brac. "Over the years, Ive come to love not just its iconic Zlatni Rat beach, but also the vineyards producing local wines, centuries-old olive groves, and the deep history of its stone quarriesthe same white stone used to build Diocletians Palace in Split," Martinovic added. "With easy access via Split Airport and hidden spots like Murvica beach, Brac has become a second home for me, and I know its soul as well as its surface." The 15 Best Beaches in Croatia Though it's not the only island Martinovic adores, noting that Mali Losinj is the calming destination we all deserve. Dubbed the Island of Vitality, it was chosen for its unique climate, clean air, and reputation for health and wellbeing, Martinovic said. Losinjs turquoise coves, small-town traditions, and stunning clean bays create a sense of calm thats ideal for both raising children and for visitors who want to truly unwind. For a quieter yet adventurous detour, Kanika Puri of Fast Cover Travel Insurance says the island of Vis delivers. Vis is considered one of the more popular Croatian islands, but because it's a little more remote, you won't encounter the same level of crowds as Hvar or Korcula in peak season, Puri said. "Just about every part of Vis is stunning, but one beachfront stands out above most. That's Stiniva Beacha slightly hard-to-reach shoreline that was once voted the most beautiful beach in Europe. While it's possible to get a boat around the coastline and arrive by water, those feeling a little more adventurous can make the steep descent down the hill before arriving on the beach surrounded by towering cliffs." Read the original article on Travel & Leisure A sign for the North Carolina Legislative Building stands outside the General Assembly on Jones Street in Raleigh. Photo: Alan Wooten / The Center Square (The Center Square) Republican county sheriff and challenger to North Carolinas 15th-year leader in the state Senate is battling a campaign finance investigation. The fellow GOP senator he seeks to replace is battling the governor of California. And thats a Democrat hoping to land his political career at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. succeeding a two-time Republican commander in chief. Get your popcorn, buckle in for redistricting fights, and get ready to ride into the midterms of 2026 and the race to the White House in 2028. Mondays very public spat between state Sen. Phil Berger, president pro tempore since 2010 and in his 13th term on Jones Street, is tied to a redistricting fight and majority rule in the U.S. House of Representatives. It started in Texas, got inflamed by presidential hopeful Gov. Gavin Newsom in California, and was joined Monday by Berger and Republican House Speaker Destin Hall of Caldwell County in North Carolina. These potential congressional redistricting map redraws 11 states have some level of engagement are aimed at the 2026 midterms. In the U.S. House, there are 219 Republicans, 213 Democrats and three vacancies. Californias portion is 43-9 Democrats; Texas is 25-12 Republicans; and North Carolina 10-4 Republicans. Missing from the barbs is Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page, the challenger to Berger in District 26 that encompasses Guilford County in addition to Bergers home in Eden. Page didnt make it out of the Republican primary for lieutenant governor last year, finishing fifth of 10 with 10% of the votes. And on Oct. 7, the State Bureau of Investigation confirmed a probe of campaign finance records. Page says hes reported as required for three decades; the Rockingham County Board of Elections says it doesnt have them prior to 2017 as the State Board of Elections says it should, a time period before all the current Rockingham staff became employed. Nonetheless, Page says the political theater wont deter his quest to unseat Berger. Nor is Berger showing signs of giving in to the local fight or the one fought across the country. The pathetic legislative leaders of North Carolina havent even passed a budget, Newsom wrote on social media Monday. And what are they busy doing? Rigging the next election for Trump. Their priorities are clear bend the knee to Trump, screw over North Carolina. Remember that. For which, Berger replied on Tuesday, Gavin, your budget is a fiscal dumpster fire $24 billion deficits and borrowing millions to cover Medi-Cal for illegal immigrants. Couple of fact checks are worth noting. North Carolina does not have a budget as required by July 1 every two years via state law. Yet, unlike a portion of California if there is no budget, there is no shutdown of government courtesy of a Republican trifecta in July 2016 enacting law to keep the same spending plan in place if a budget is not on time. At the 2010 midterms Republicans for the first time in 140 years gained majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly, with North Carolina carrying a deficit of between $800 million and $1.2 billion. The turnaround of roughly $6 billion sent the states surplus to more than $5 billion prior to Hurricane Helene, and budget negotiations include replenishment to that level. Californias legislative analysts office estimated a $68 billion deficit for the 2024-25 fiscal year; other sources pegged it at $12 billion. Spending is up, revenues are down and the state has experienced a loss of just under 1.5 million people this decade. Theres a reason why millions of people are fleeing California high taxes, sanctuary cities, violent crime, Berger wrote on social media. Fix your state, Gavin. Well continue making North Carolina great! A pledge pending the ability to withstand those nipping at his heels at home. FILE PHOTO: The logo of Stellantis sits on the company's building in Poissy, near Paris, France, February 26, 2025. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/File Photo (Reuters) -Some non-U.S. companies have said they are looking at expanding their presence or setting up shop in the United States to mitigate the impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs on imported goods. Below are some of the plans flagged by those companies. AIR LIQUIDE The French industrial gases company flagged an up to $200 million investment in Louisiana in June and a more than $50 million investment in the U.S. semiconductor industry in July. ASTRAZENECA The drugmaker plans to spend $50 billion to fund a new plant in Virginia and expansion in Maryland, Massachusetts, California, Indiana and Texas, it said in July. HONDA The Japanese carmaker plans to move some car production from Mexico and Canada into the U.S., aiming to make 90% of cars sold in the country locally, the Nikkei reported in April. HYUNDAI MOTOR The South Korean automaker plans to further localize production in the U.S. and make hybrid vehicles at its new factory in Georgia, it said in January. INVENTEC The Taiwanese company, which makes AI servers that use Nvidia chips, has agreed to invest up to $85 million to build manufacturing facilities in Texas, it said in April. LAVAZZA The Italian coffee maker will press ahead with its U.S. expansion, it said in April. Lavazza, which produces locally around half of what it sells in the U.S., plans to increase this output to 100%. NISSAN MOTOR The Japanese automaker weighs moving production of its Sentra automobile from Mexico to the U.S., Automotive News reported in May. The Nikkei relayed in April that Nissan was also considering shifting some domestic production of U.S.-bound vehicles there. NOVARTIS The Swiss drugmaker plans to spend $23 billion to build and expand 10 facilities in the U.S., it said in April. ROCHE The Swiss pharmaceutical giant will invest $50 billion in the U.S. over the next five years, it said in April. In May, it announced an additional $550 million investment to expand its Indianapolis diagnostics manufacturing hub. ROLLS-ROYCE The London-listed power and propulsion developer plans a $75 million investment to increase U.S. manufacturing capabilities in South Carolina, it said in July. SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS The tech giant is considering moving manufacturing of dryers from Mexico to its plant in South Carolina, Korea Economic Daily reported in January. SANOFI The French drugmaker plans to invest at least $20 billion in the U.S. through 2030 to boost manufacturing and research, it said in May. STELLANTIS The automaker behind brands such as Chrysler, Jeep and Peugeot announced a $13 billion investment in the U.S. on October 14, which it said would bring five new models to the market and add 5,000 jobs in plants across the Midwest over the next four years. TSMC The Taiwanese chipmaker is expanding investment in the U.S., planning to build five chip facilities there in coming years, its CEO said in March. VOLKSWAGEN Volkswagen's Audi brand will expand production in North America with a focus on its most important cars for the U.S. market and will make a decision on where to base itself this year, Audi CEO said in February. VW CFO said in January it planned to produce more in the U.S. (Compiled by Tomasz Kanik and Vera Dvorakova in Gdansk; Editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak) US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks as he arrives at a NATO meeting in Brussels on Wednesday - Virginia Mayo/AP United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned Moscow on Wednesday that if its war on Ukraine does not come to an end, the US and NATO allies would impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression. Hegseth said Firepower, thats what is coming, to Ukraine through European nations purchases of US weapons, but whether that includes American-made Tomahawk missiles is still not clear. Speaking at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group of Kyivs allies at NATO headquarters, Hegseth urged countries to increase investment in weapons purchases under the new Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative. Ukraine remains heavily reliant on US weapons more than three-and-a-half years after Russia launched its full scale ground invasion into the country. The program has seen $2 billion pledged for military equipment for Ukraine, however this falls short of the $3.5 billion that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hoped to have by October. Hegseth called on NATO countries to turn words into action in the form of PURL investments. All countries around this table, no free riders. Hegseth said. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said more than half of NATO member states have now committed to the PURL program, adding that commitments made by European nations would soon turn into capabilities for Ukraine. Coming out of todays meeting we have over half of all allies so more than 16, 17 allies now committing to PURL, Rutte told NATO defense ministers gathered in Brussels. After pledging money at Wednesdays meeting Swedens Defense Minister Pal Jonson told CNNs Isa Soares that there is much more alignment now between the position of the United States and Europe over Ukraine. We would do a similar reading that Putin doesnt really seem interested in negotiating, and he certainly will not negotiate unless he is put under more pressure, Jonson said. The road to peace in Ukraine goes by having more sanctions on the Russian economy and it goes by delivering more weapons to the Ukrainians, he added. Ukraines Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal expressed his gratitude to the nations that had announced new contributions to the PURL program, and to the countries that joined the initiative on Wednesday. We need decisive action to increase pressure on Russia and force it to end its war, Shmyhal said. American Tomahawks Ukraine wants European nations to be able to buy it sophisticated long-range Tomahawk missiles under that mechanism, but that decision rests on US President Donald Trump. Trump said Wednesday that Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky will make the case for going on offense in the war against Russia when he visits the White House later this week. Zelensky is expected to push for access to the American Tomahawks, which would allow it to strike deep within Russia and potentially put Moscow within range. They want to go offensive, Trump said from the Oval Office. Ill make a determination on that, but they would like to go offensive. Trump has previously indicated he may be willing to give Ukraine Tomahawks as his patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war waxes and wanes. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday warned that supplying Ukraine with Tomahawks would cause colossal damage to Washingtons relations with Moscow. Lavrov, in an interview with Kommersant, said the move would be seen as a serious escalation, harming any chance of normalizing US-Russian relations that he described as being in a deadlock. While the missiles are one of the key talking points in bolstering Ukraines defense, the matter was not on the agenda for discussion in Brussels on Wednesday. That is a bilateral question, said Rutte, NATOs secretary general, referring to direct discussions between Ukraine and the United States. NATOs defense ministers have already pledged more drones for Ukraine, with Britain pledging to deliver 100,000 drones and the Netherlands giving it 90 million euros ($104 million) to build its own. Russias recent incursions into the airspace of various NATO nations the most serious of which saw NATO aircraft fire their first shots of the war, shooting down suspected Russian drones over Poland last month has focused European minds on how the continent responds. Russia has claimed it did not deliberately fly its drones into Poland and said its jets did not violate NATO airspace. If NATO is threatened, we will act, and we must meet his (Putins) escalation with our strength, said Britains Defense Minister John Healey on Wednesday. Healey announced that British aircraft would continue operating in Polish airspace for the rest of the year, calling the Russian incursions reckless, dangerous and totally unacceptable. But Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said Europe needed a better solution than fighter jets to deter Russia. I was very proud that our Dutch F-35s were able to take out some Shahed drones in Poland, said Brekelmans, referring to the US-built aircraft that is among the most sophisticated fighter jets in NATOs arsenal. But of course, we also need to learn from this. F-35s are not the most efficient way to take out drones, and we should find much more effective ways in order to do that, he added. The Russian threat is coming more, and more, on NATO territory. In response to this threat, Latvias Defense Minister Andris Spruds said that weaponry with the ability to hit targets in Russia is crucial for Ukraine. As Russia bombs all sorts of civil infrastructure and kills civilians, for Ukraine it is also (a) legitimate right to hit military targets (in Russia), because this is also self-defense, he said. So thats also what NATO is absolutely projecting, that in any circumstances, in any scenario, we will be also willing and able to hit with deep strikes, Spruds continued. And I think this will be also important part of Ukrainian defense and deterrence: Dont hit our targets because we can hit you back. Even after the Ukraine war ends, Russia will still pose a risk to Europe, Finlands Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen warned. Russia is really doing their military build-up for the second phase of their potential aggression there are real threats for NATO after the Ukrainian war, he said. Hakkanen pointed to Russias military modernization and the build-up of troops nearby our borders as signs. CNNs Clare Sebastian, Catherine Nicholls Nina Subkhanberdina and Jonny Hallam contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, accompanied by his wife Lori Shapiro, speaks during a news conference after Cody Balmer plead guilty to attempted murder and other charges, on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025 in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) A 38-year-old man pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges including attempted murder and arson for setting fires inside the official residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro while Shapiro, his family and others were inside. Cody Balmer was sentenced under a plea deal to 25 to 50 years in state prison. No one was injured but the April 13 fire did considerable damage to the governor's mansion. Shapiro said the attack has made his family feel unsafe. He said he supports the plea agreement. What to know about the case: How was the fire set? Authorities say Balmer climbed over an iron security fence, used gasoline in beer bottles to ignite a dining room and entertaining space, broke a window to crawl inside, then kicked at a door leading to where the Shapiros and guests were sleeping but didn't get through. He walked back out, never encountering state police on the property. Hours earlier, Shapiro, his family and their overnight guests had celebrated the Jewish holiday of Passover with a Seder. They were awakened by state police and ushered to safety. Balmer called 911 and walked to a state police facility the following afternoon to turn himself in. Why did he attack the governor's mansion? Balmer's family said he had received mental health treatment but struggled after he stopped taking medication. District Attorney Fran Chardo said at a news conference Tuesday that Balmer had expressed concern about the war in Gaza and somehow saw the attack as a response to deaths in that conflict. Balmer told The Associated Press in a May letter from jail that Shapiro's Jewish faith had not been a factor. What has the governor said about it? A statement by Shapiro and his wife, Lori, was read in court, describing how their sense of personal safety and security was changed by the attack. Some family members have had difficulty sleeping, they said, and there is now a fear and anxiety we are learning to live with. They said the damage and the repair work are constant reminders of what happened. After the hearing, the governor told reporters he and his wife have struggled to make sense of it. He said it was difficult to even say the words attempted murder aloud knowing he was the target. "Its especially hard to know that he tried to burn our family to death while we slept, Shapiro said. What happened to the building? The fire charred walls, tables, dishes and a piano, and damaged window panes and brickwork at the five-decade-old residence, which didn't have sprinklers. The property in Harrisburg along the Susquehanna River was reopened to the public as the cleanup and rebuilding began, and it's getting security upgrades including an anti-climb fence after a consultant's security review. The findings of that review weren't publicly disclosed. The cost of the damage is expected to exceed a million dollars. Getty Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on October 9, 2025 The Gist Meghan Markle wore a couple of pieces of sentimental jewelry while on her whirlwind New York City trip, which began on October 9. That day, the Duchess of Sussex wore a pair of earrings by Ukranian brand Guzema, likely a gift from her husband Prince Harry after he visited the country last month. On October 12, Meghan wore a different pair of earrings, this time Maya Brenner, that were a gift from her husband for Valentines Day in 2024. When Meghan Markle accepted an award alongside husband Prince Harry on October 9, the focus of her outfit was likely her statement gold Anine Bing necklace, which she paired with head-to-toe Armani. But there was a sweet detail that many of us missed: The Duchess of Sussexs earrings, which were reportedly a gift from Harry after his recent trip to Ukraine. Getty Meghan Markle on October 9, 2025 Last Thursday, Meghan wore the Ukrainian brand Guzemas diamond earrings in yellow gold; the next day (and other times throughout the weekend), Meghan wore a different pair of earrings from the same brand, those the mini sphere earrings in yellow gold. The As Ever founder wore the delicate diamond and gold earrings to the Project Healthy Minds gala in New York City, where she and Harry were honored with the Humanitarians of the Year Award. Harry likely picked up a present for his wife of seven years while visiting Ukraine last month, a surprise stop after his visit to the U.K., where he visited with his father, King Charles, for just under an hour at the Kings London home, Clarence House. Getty Meghan Markle on October 10, 2025 Per Tatler, Guzema is said to be truly honored by the Duchess of Sussexs decision to wear their jewelry to such a high-profile event, with the brand saying that it was excited to see our piece being wornthis has been such incredible news for our whole team. It means a lot to see Ukrainian craftsmanship recognized on this level, the brand continued. We are absolutely delighted to see the Duchess of Sussex wearing our jewelry. This truly inspires us to create even more. Getty Meghan Markle and Prince Harry While in New York City for a whirlwind few dayswhich included dinners with the likes of Serena Williams and Ed SheeranHarry and Meghan poignantly stayed at the Carlyle Hotel, which was a favorite of Harrys late mother, Princess Diana, when she visited New York City. Meghans Guzema earrings werent the only jewelry gift from her husbandon October 12, the Duchess of Sussex rewore a strapless Chanel dress for a date night with Harry at Soho House and paired the look with a pair of Maya Brenner earrings, which were a Valentines Day gift from Harry in 2024. Read the original article on InStyle Multiple airports across the country are denying a request from the Department of Homeland Security to play a video that blames Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown. The shutdown began on Oct. 1 with Democrats and Republicans in a stalemate over how to reopen the government. Democrats have demanded an extension of expiring health insurance tax credits, but Republican leaders have refused to negotiate, saying they want the government to reopen first. Transportation Security Administration officers and air traffic controllers are essential federal workers, requiring them to work during a shutdown without immediate pay. But, an uptick of workers calling out sick has led to staffing shortages, resulting in some flight delays and cancellations. In the DHS video, Secretary Kristi Noem tells travelers, "Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government and because of this, many of our operations are impacted and most of our TSA employees are working without pay. "We will continue to do all that we can to avoid delays that will impact your travel and our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government." The video began airing at airports on Thursday, a DHS spokesperson said. But multiple airports say they are not playing it because the partisan message goes against their policies, as well as state or federal regulations. "We did not consent to playing the video in its current form, as we believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes and messaging," Molly Prescott, a spokesperson for the Port of Portland, which oversees Portland International Airport, told CBS News. "Additionally, Oregon law states no public employee can promote or oppose any political committee, party, or affiliation. We believe consenting to playing this video on Port assets would violate Oregon law." The Hatch Act, which was passed in 1939, aims in part to ensure federal programs are nonpartisan. Similarly, a Port of Seattle spokesperson said the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport will not play the video "due to the political nature of the content." "We continue to urge bipartisan efforts to end the government shutdown and are working to find ways to support federal employees working without pay at SEA during the shutdown," the spokesperson said. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey also said the video is not playing at its airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport. "The Port Authority's longstanding policies prevent airing of politically partisan messages at our facilities, so airports are not airing the video on airport-controlled screens," spokesperson Cheryl Albiez said. Other airports that are not playing the video include Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, San Jose Mineta International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona, Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Maryland, Buffalo Niagara International Airport and Westchester County Airport in New York, and O'Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport in Chicago. Massachusetts Port Authority, which manages Boston's airports, said the video is not being played and there are no video screens at its TSA checkpoints. In a statement, a spokesperson for the San Francisco International Airport said, "This video should not be playing at SFO, consistent with our policy prohibiting any messaging of a political nature." "North Carolina municipal law as well as CLT Airport's policy for digital content do not permit the referenced video," Charlotte Douglas International said in a statement. Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins called the video "inappropriate, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our nation's top public officials." "At a time when we should be focused on ensuring stability, collaboration and preparedness, this type of messaging only distracts from the real issues, and undermines public trust. As County Executive, I believe our residents deserve clear, honest and nonpartisan communication especially when it comes to national security, government shutdown impacts, and public safety," he said in a statement. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin repeated in a statement what Noem said in the video and added that "security operations remain largely unimpacted at this time." She did not specifically comment on airports not playing the video. What to expect from Trump's news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel Government shutdown enters Day 15 as healthcare premium worries rise Supreme Court takes up Louisiana case that challenges Voting Rights Act Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks onstage during the Fortune Most Powerful Women Gala at the Washington National Cathedral on October 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Fortune Media) While Kamala Harris, former vice president of the U.S., lost the 2024 presidential election, she hinted at Fortunes Most Powerful Women conference in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday that the defeat likely wont be the last youll see of her in politics. When asked by Fortunes Editor in Chief Alyson Shontell whether her 107-day presidential run was the ultimate glass cliff, Harris said: A cliff to me suggests finality, and Im not into that. Harris recently opted out of joining the California gubernatorial race and recently published her political memoir, 107 Days, which chronicles her brief presidential 2024 campaign that ended in defeat to President Donald Trump. The book is on track to be one of the best-selling memoirs of this year. Do you think that breaking barriers means you start out on one side of the barrier and just end up on the other side of the barrier? No, theres breaking involved, Harris said. And when you break things, it might get cut and you might bleed, and it is worth it every single time. Harris was the first woman, the first Black woman, and the first South Asian American to hold the office of vice president of the U.S., from 2021-2025. Shes also the first Indian American senator (2017-2021) and Californias first female, Black and South Asian attorney general (2011-2017). She failed to break the ultimate glass ceiling, the U.S. presidency, after replacing President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee in July 2024. Her 107-day run was the shortest presidential campaign in modern history. Her memoir includes reflections on the campaign, insights about her relationship with Biden and his family, and perspectives on key moments during the election. She shares regrets about not getting enough time with key voter groups and having to define her own narrative in Bidens shadow. She claimed in the book that several of her own party membersincluding former President Barack Obama, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and California Gov. Gavin Newsomstalled in throwing their support behind her following Bidens dropout. She describes Obamas response in her memoir: Saddle up! Joe did what I hoped he would do. But you have to earn it. Michelle and I are supportive but not going to put a finger on the scale right now. Let Joe have his moment. Think through timing. Harris also writes that it was reckless to leave the decision of whether Biden should run again solely up to the 81-year-old president. Its Joe and Jills decision. We all said that, like a mantra, as if wed all been hypnotized, Harris wrote in 107 Days. Was it grace, or was it recklessness? In retrospect, I think it was recklessness. During her vice presidential tenure, she focused on voting rights, gun control, womens reproductive rights, and infrastructure investment. She largely focused on those same key issues during her presidential campaign, as well as middle-class-focused economic policies, strengthening the Affordable Care Act, and comprehensive immigration reform. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo Polish Holocaust survivor Ruth Posner NEED TO KNOW Ruth Posner and her husband Michael traveled to Switzerland to end their lives together with assisted suicide The Polish-born Holocaust survivor let her family and friends know of their decision in a joint email that was sent after their deaths So sorry not to have mentioned it, but when you receive this email we will have shuffled off this mortal coil, the couple wrote A renowned Holocaust survivor and her husband made the decision to end their lives with assisted suicide, only letting their loved ones know with an email sent out after their deaths. Ruth Posner was just a child when she survived and escaped the Treblinka concentration camp in Poland with her aunt. She was on the run for three years before settling in the United Kingdom. Later in life she became a successful actress, dancer, author and Holocaust educator. She married her husband Michael in 1950 but the couple faced tragedy in 1998 when their only child, son Jeremy, died at age 37 during recovery from heroin addiction. Last month, on Sept. 23, Posner, 96, and Michael, 97, ended their own lives. They let their family and friends know of their decision in an email, reviewed by The Times. So sorry not to have mentioned it, they wrote, but when you receive this email we will have shuffled off this mortal coil. The decision was mutual and without any outside pressure, the email said. We had lived a long life and together for almost 75 years. There came a point when failing senses, of sight and hearing and lack of energy was not living but existing that no care would improve." We had an interesting and varied life and except for the sorrow of losing Jeremy, our son. We enjoyed our time together, we tried not to regret the past, live in the present and not to expect too much from the future, they ended. Much love Ruth & Mike. Posner and her husband did not have any terminal illnesses but reportedly wanted to die together. The couple ended their lives after traveling from their home in London to a clinic with Pegasos, an assisted dying nonprofit organization in Basel, Switzerland. Assisted suicide has been legal in Switzerland since 1942, according to Dignity in Dying, a British organization. It's different from euthanasia which is illegal because the patients themselves administer prescribed drugs to end their lives, rather than a doctor. 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. Alastair Muir/Shutterstock Ruth Posner The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! Sonja Linden, a playwright who knew the couple for 30 years and received their email, told The Times that Posner was frail and her husband had vision loss and hearing problems. However, they both were intellectually very well. This was a decision they made together some time ago that they wanted to die together, she explained. They made an arrangement to go to Switzerland a year ago. We did not know they had actually gone until we received the email, which is sad as we wanted to say goodbye. They had such a lovely flat packed with art and books and I cant imagine them not being there, she told the outlet. Linden added that the couple was simply exhausted and felt like it was their time to go. They thought this was a positive decision and it helped them in their later life. I did not try to stop them, she said. I understood and supported their decision, but it was still a shock to receive the email. Following her death, the Holocaust Educational Trust paid tribute to Posner, describing her as "an extraordinary woman. Although then in her eighties, she made it her mission to speak to as many young people as possible about her experiences during the Holocaust. She hoped that the leaders of tomorrow would learn the lessons of the past, Karen Pollock, the charitys chief executive, said in a statement. Ruth was one of a kind. Full of charisma and warmth, she left an impression on everyone she met. We will miss her." Read the original article on People Official 7 Little Johnstons/Instagram The Johnston family in May 2024. NEED TO KNOW The Johnston family is the subject of TLC's 7 Little Johnstons, which has been on the air for over a decade Parents Trent and Amber Johnston share five children: Jonah, Elizabeth, Anna, Alex and Emma They're the world's largest known family of people living with achondroplasia dwarfism Its been a decade since 7 Little Johnstons first premiered on TLC in March 2015. The reality series which returns for season 16 in October 2025 chronicles the lives of Trent and Amber Johnston and their five children, who are the worlds largest known family living with achondroplasia dwarfism. Trent and Amber wed in 1998, and the couple raised their five kids in Forsyth, Ga. They share five children: Jonah, born in 1999, Anna, who was born in 2000, Elizabeth, who was born in 2001, plus Alex and Emma, who were both born in 2005. The couple welcomed Anna, Alex and Emma via adoption. We tell our kids, Youre just like everyone else, Amber told PEOPLE in May 2017. You can do things, you can go places and you can be whoever you want to be. Heres everything to know about the Johnston family, including parents Trent and Amber, and their five kids, Jonah, Elizabeth, Anna, Alex and Emma. Trent and Amber Johnston Official 7 Little Johnstons/Instagram Trent and Amber Johnston in April 2025. Trent and Amber have been married since Nov. 21, 1998. I grew up in an all-little-people family, Trent told PEOPLE in 2017. [But] we didnt have a Woe is me attitude. My parents raised us just like every other parent would raise their child. Amber was raised with a similar mindset, even though she was the only person in her family born with achondroplasia dwarfism. I was the only little person in a family of average people, but my parents raised me the same as my siblings," she said. "Plus, Im the oldest, so even though I was smaller, I was always in charge." The pair met as teenagers at a 1995 Little People of America convention. I saw a gorgeous blonde-haired, blue-eyed, 16-year-old girl, Trent recalled of their first encounter in a July 2015 Mirror interview. Amber added, I saw a very attractive young man with a funny personality ... Trent was my first relationship, we soon became best friends and we knew wed get married. In 2014, the couple and their five kids moved to Forsyth, Ga. They purchased a 6,000-sq.-ft. fixer-upper that was originally built as a church in 1891. The family home remains a permanent fixture on 7 Little Johnstons. When the show kicked off, Trent was working as a grounds supervisor at a local college and Amber was a stay-at-home mom. Amber has since earned her master's in social work from Louisiana State University (LSU), per the family's Instagram. Jonah Johnston Official 7 Little Johnstons/Instagram Jonah Johnston in December 2023. Trent and Amy welcomed their first child together, a son named Jonah, on Dec. 1, 1999. The couple opened up about Jonahs birth story in season 15, in which they shared how their firstborn came into the world five and a half weeks early. Jonah endured many complications at birth; nurses told them that Jonahs lungs needed a jump start to help him breathe. "His lungs did not work, and they were not developed all the way. And he was on life support for six and a half weeks," Trent recalled in a confessional. "Jonah was six and a half, seven weeks old before we ever heard him make a sound." Amber added tearfully, "In that moment there, we were literally minute by minute on if we were going to leave a hospital with a baby or without a baby." Jonah is now all grown up. He's been a producer on 7 Little Johnstons since 2014, according to his LinkedIn page; he also previously worked as a sales consultant at local Honda and Toyota dealerships. In 2021, Jonah earned his F&I certification, which signifies an expertise in vehicle financing as well as automotive insurance and legal compliance. Per his LinkedIn, Jonah is currently studying business at Middle Georgia State University. Anna Johnston Anna Johnston/Instagram Anna Johnston in March 2024. Anna was born in Serbia on May 7, 2000. Amber and Trent adopted Anna from a Russian orphanage when she was 4 years old. In March 2004, I received an email from Shepherds Crook adoption ministry asking to help find a Russian orphan with Achondroplasia Dwarfism a home. I was a district director of Little People of America, an organization that provides support and information to people with dwarfism, and was more than happy to help, Amber penned in a heartfelt essay for Rainbow Kids. As Amber and Trent learned more about Annas case, We completely felt as if she was one of our children, she wrote. Thirteen weeks later, the couple traveled to Russia and brought Anna back home to Georgia. Anna is an entrepreneur. She launched her own online jewelry business called Fizz 4 Passion in 2019. Anna felt inspired to share my love for bracelet stacks and encourage people do everything with passion, per her website. In February 2023, Anna announced on social media she was adding first-time homeowner to her resume. She graduated from Middle Georgia State University in 2024, per Instagram. Elizabeth Johnston Elizabeth Johnston/Instagram Elizabeth Johnston and her daughter in June 2024. Elizabeth Liz was born on Dec. 7, 2001. She works in the medical field. Liz began dating Brice Bolden in 2019. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Leighton Drew on Nov. 3, 2023. Prior to Leightons birth, Liz revealed on season 14 that her daughter would grow to be average height. "Personally, I was a little bit relieved that she was [average height] because hearing my mom's stories about her pregnancies with me and my older brother, there was a little bit of fear in that," Liz told PEOPLE at the time. Leighton will eventually surpass Lizs height a circumstance she knows will be met with questions from curious individuals outside of their circle. Shes prepared to teach Leighton that the key thing is to be kind." "I know my daughter's going to be taller than me one day, and I know that one day she's going to see the not-so-kind people judging me for my small difference." she continued. "It may affect her in the future, but I will educate her and give her the understanding to educate those people who want to say these nasty things, because it's not fair." In June 2024, Liz shared her hopes of giving Leighton a sibling in the near future. "Just for us to try, because we would definitely be stoked of having one average and one little some day, she exclusively told PEOPLE. "It would be hilarious for us to have a boy version of me, since we have a girl version of Brice. During a family vacation to Florida in May 2025, Bolden proposed to Liz on the beach with Leighton by their side. Liz announced their engagement on Instagram, with a sweet family snap and the caption, Ring a ding ding, its finally happening. In November 2025, the couple married in a "romantic fall" wedding held at the Johnston family home. Leighton acted as the flower girl. At the time, Liz told PEOPLE she was looking forward to "officially being able to call ourselves a family of three, and being a team." Emma Johnston Emma Johnston/Instagram Emma Johnston in July 2025. Emma was born in China on July 1, 2005. She was 5 years old when Amber and Trent adopted her from an orphanage in Baoding, China, on Oct. 11, 2010. After adopting Alex in 2008, Trent and I felt that we had room in our hearts for one more child, Amber wrote in her essay. The couple had a long conversation regarding Alex ethnically looking different than the rest of our family." "My husband felt very strongly that it was important for our family to adopt a second Asian child with dwarfism, she continued. A year after Alexs adoption, an agency reached out to the couple with Emmas profile and they once again felt the feeling. Following in her big siblings footsteps, Emma studied at Middle Georgia State University, per her family's Instagram. Just like Anna, Emma is passionate about jewelry; she founded her business, Emma's Rings 'n Things, in 2019. Alex Johnston Official 7 Little Johnstons/Instagram Alex Johnston in November 2024. Alex was born in South Korea on Nov. 15, 2005. The Johnstons adopted Alex on May 17, 2008. In her essay for Rainbow Kids, Amber explained how South Koreas adoption process was very different compared to what they had gone through with Amber. They hit a major road block financially, as the $15,150 adoption fee was expected to be paid upfront in full. Not long thereafter, the couple received a phone call from their pastor, who revealed a generous donation had come in from parishioners enough to cover all fees. At 11 years old, Alex was diagnosed with central apnea, which doctors deemed was most likely caused from brain stem compression, per a season 3 episode. Alex ultimately had his tonsils and adenoids removed in hopes of alleviating his breathing issues, but they persisted. He eventually had to undergo brain surgery, which he has recovered from. He graduated from Middle Georgia State University alongside Emma in May 2024, as she posted on social media. Alex has been dating his longtime girlfriend, Allie Smith, since at least 2022, per her Instagram. He launched his own YouTube channel in March 2025. Read the original article on People Flames rise from a vehicle that exploded outside a shopping mall, in Guayaquil, Ecuador October 14, 2025 in this screengrab from CCTV video. ECU 911/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. MANDATORY CREDIT. OVERLAYS FROM SOURCE. Verification Line: Reuters was able to confirm the location as buildings and roadmap layout match file and satellite images, as well as corroborating footages of the explosion (via REUTERS) One person has died and two others were injured after a pickup truck exploded on a bustling shopping street in the port city of Guayaquil, Ecuador, on Tuesday evening. The local governor swiftly labelled the incident an intentional attack. Maj. Jorge Montanero of the Guayaquil fire department confirmed to local broadcaster Ecuavisa that the deceased was a nearby cab driver. Police are now inspecting all vehicles in the surrounding area following the blast. Were evacuating all of the buildings as a precaution, Montanero said. Asked if it could have been a car bomb, he said they would have to wait for police to investigate. We dont know, but a normal car doesnt blow up like that, he said. Guayaquils police chief Francisco Zumarraga said police had found a new threat and that there would be a controlled detonation. He said they would find those responsible. The Attorney General's Office said that it had opened an investigation and was interviewing witnesses and reviewing surveillance camera recordings. Police officers stand guard at the crime scene where a suspected car bomb exploded in front of a shopping center in the north of Guayaquil, Ecuador on October 14, 2025. One person died and several were injured after an explosion on Tuesday in a busy shopping area of the Ecuadorian port of Guayaquil, which was left in chaos, according to images released by local authorities. (Photo by Marcos Pin / AFP) (Photo by MARCOS PIN/AFP via Getty Images) (AFP via Getty Images) There were a series of car bombing in Ecuador in 2023, as violence surged in the weeks after a presidential candidate was assassinated. In March, a vehicle exploded outside Ecuadors largest prison on the outskirts of Guayaquil, killing a prison guard. The bomb was attributed to a criminal network. Other vehicle explosions last year in Quito caused minor damage, but no deaths. But Gov. Humberto Plaza of Guayas province, whose capital is Guayaquil, said Tuesday's explosion was terrorism plain and simple and promised that police would find those responsible. We're going to grab them and they're going to pay and these people are going to be prosecuted for terrorism, he said. The area is packed with restaurants and stores, some of whose windows were broken by the explosion. Low-code platform Appian has awarded its top-performing partners in the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) region for 2025 at its annual Partner Awards event. During Appians Partner Celebration Event in Sydney, the vendor said this years recipients built world-class solutions and services spanning multiple industries. Hyperautomation company Roboyo won the Delivery Award due to demonstrating outstanding achievement in delivering Appian-based projects with quality, speed, and measurable customer impact, the low-code platform said. These initiatives included incident management, compliance, invoice automation, case collaboration, HR, finance, and student services solutions. Meanwhile, business process management specialist WNS took out the Innovation Award with the development of Life Support Outage Management (LSOM) with PowerAlert, a solution that addresses critical challenges faced by energy and utilities providers. Deloitte scored the Growth Award, with it showing exceptional commitment to growing with Appian through a multi-year investment. It also secured early new customer wins in addition to expansion opportunities. Its focus on the public sector and financial services, supported by executive sponsorship and proof-of-concept initiatives, drove strong momentum across Australia. KPMG Australia has been recognised as one of Oracles top performing partners at its Partner Awards 2025. The consulting firms local arm secured two global awards and one regional accolade at Oracle AI World the annual global customer and partner event, formerly known as Oracle CloudWorld, being held this week in Las Vegas. KPMG was awarded Best in Class Fusion Apps Breakthrough, Global ERP Breakthrough, and also given the APAC award for Fusion Apps Breakthrough. David Kelly, KPMG Australias national consulting Oracle lead, said the recognition reflects the strength of the firms collaboration with Oracle. By combining KPMG professionals in-market expertise with a global delivery backbone, we help clients accelerate value with Oracles leading technologies. Were proud to collaborate with Oracle to bring proven methods, regional specificity, and end-to-end execution to transformations, he said. Meanwhile, Infosys picked up the AI Innovation Award and Customer Success Award in the APAC Service Partner Technology/Cloud Award category. Today's headlines: Syrian interim president al-Sharaa in Moscow to meet with Russian leader Putin. Hanoi aims for 10% economic growth over the next five years. Up to 80 South Koreans are missing in Cambodia, victims of scams or fake jobs. At least 16 people have died in a factory fire in Bangladesh. Christians in Mosul celebrate the inauguration of two churches. AFGHANISTAN - PAKISTAN In Afghanistan, more than 12 civilians were killed and another 100 wounded in a series of clashes between Afghan and Pakistani forces that broke out in the early hours of today. This was reported by a Taliban spokesman, marking a further escalation of tension between the two neighbouring countries, which had already seen violence on their borders in recent days, followed by a fragile truce that seems to have already vanished. SYRIA - RUSSIA Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa meets today with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, on his first visit to Russia since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, now in exile in Moscow. The two leaders will discuss regional and international developments and ways in which Syria and Russia can cooperate. In addition to the request for the extradition of the former dictator, they will also discuss the Russian naval base in Tartous and the air base in Hmeimim. VIETNAM Hanoi is aiming for economic growth of at least 10% per annum in the period between . This is according to a document released today by the ruling Communist Party ahead of its next five-year congress. Among the objectives is a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of ,500 by the end of the decade, a sharp increase from the target of ,700-5,000 for the period 2021-2025. CAMBODIA - SOUTH KOREA Eighty South Korean migrants, likely victims of fake jobs or scam centres, are missing in Cambodia. This was reported by the Seoul Foreign Ministry, according to which between January and August this year, 330 compatriots disappeared or were detained against their will after entering Cambodia. Many are believed to have been lured by fraudulent job offers. BANGLADESH At least 16 people have died and several others have been injured in a fire that broke out yesterday in a garment factory and an adjacent chemical warehouse. The cause of the fire, which started on the third floor of the seven-storey building located in the Mirpur area of Dhaka, is currently unclear. The flames then spread to the chemical warehouse containing bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide. IRAQ A day of celebration for Christians in Mosul. Today, in fact, the inauguration of the Chaldean Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is scheduled to take place in the presence of the Patriarch, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, and the local Archbishop, Monsignor Michael Najib. Previously, on 10 October, the Syrian Orthodox Cathedral of St Thomas was inaugurated after three years of restoration. ARMENIA - AZERBAIJAN Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pasinyan met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who arrived in Egypt to take part in the Peace Summit at the invitation of US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The discussion focused on security and joint projects between the Caucasus and Central Asia, following the peace agreement between Yerevan and Baku. GEORGIA The fifth peaceful revolution in Georgia has not actually led to any results, 300 days after the November parliamentary elections and one month after the local elections. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze speaks of zero support from the citizens of Tbilisi, who are exhausted by the continuous blockage of activities due to street demonstrations and the arrest of various opposition figures, who nevertheless affirm that the protests will continue. by Mathias Hariyadi Indonesian authorities have declared a state of emergency in Cikande after unprecedented levels of Cesium-137 were detected at the Modern Cikande Industrial Estate. Nine workers were exposed to the radioactive isotope, while scores have families have been evacuated. The government has deployed special decontamination units and launched an investigation into the possible causes, which may be linked to scrap metal imports from the Philippines. Banten (AsiaNews) Cesium-137 contamination is worsening in Cikande, a town in Serang district, Banten province, about 70 kilometres from Jakarta. Radiation levels 875,000 times higher than normal have been detected in the Modern Cikande Industrial Estate, triggering an unprecedented environmental and health emergency in Indonesia. According to the Ministry of the Environment, radiation levels have reached 33,000 microsieverts per hour. The safety limit is set at 0.11 microsieverts per hour. This unit of measurement describes the biological damage caused by radiation on an organism. Cesium-137 is a radioactive isotope formed as a byproduct of nuclear fission. Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq described the situation as serious for the entire country and announced the creation of an inter-ministerial task force to manage the contamination. The government must act quickly and decisively to ensure that all sectors of life feel safe again, Hanif said yesterday in Jakarta. Meanwhile, the authorities are investigating the source of the contamination, which may be linked to scrap metal imported from the Philippines or industrial waste containing illegally disposed Cesium-137. The radioactive leak may also be the result of metal smelting activities in the area, but the source of the contamination has not yet been identified. So far, nine workers at the industrial estate have tested positive for exposure to Cesium-137 out of a total of 1,600 people screened. All are currently under medical observation and will receive specialised treatment from the Ministry of Health. More than a hundred personnel have been mobilised for decontamination operations, including members of the Police Mobile Brigades Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Unit. About 19 families, 53 people, have been moved from the red zone, and were not allowed to remove items from their homes due to the risk of radioactive contamination. The minister said that tough measures will be taken, and no leniency will be shown to those responsible for the radioactive leak. The Cikande crisis, which began after reports of radioactive shrimp exports, has already had repercussions on international trade the United States suspended all shrimp imports from Indonesia, citing "serious concerns over health. This has set off alarm bells in the countrys fishing industry. According to former Minister of Public Enterprises Dahlan Iskan, at least one million workers are at risk of losing their jobs. The United States accounts for approximately 70 per cent of Indonesia's shrimp export market, with an annual value of US$ 2.2 billion. Contamination with the radioactive isotope cesium-137 has also been found in a clove plantation on the island of Sumatra, putting a halt to the sale of cloves. The United States is not wrong, but acted too hastily. Our government is not wrong either, but has been seen as slow to respond, Iskan said. Action is needed to restore confidence in international markets. Indonesian authorities have confirmed that the priority is now to clean up the contaminated area and inspire renewed confidence in Indonesian products. by Nirmala Carvalho The case of a student at St. Rita School in Palluruthy who wants to wear the hijab despite uniform regulations prohibiting it is reigniting interreligious tensions in Kerala. After attempts to resolve the matter peacefully, the local government has asked the school to comply. Criticism from the National People's Party: This is not an isolated attack on Christian institutions; the authorities must not be complicit. Kochi (AsiaNews) - The issue of the Islamic veil has reignited interreligious tensions in the Indian state of Kerala. On 7 October, a student at St. Rita's Public School in Palluruthy - a Latin Rite Catholic school located in the Ernakulam district of Kerala - arrived at school wearing a hijab. She was denied entry because she was wearing the veil. School authorities said her attire did not comply with the prescribed dress code. According to the school, she was kindly asked to comply. On 10 October, the student again came to school wearing the hijab. "We have an established school uniform and everyone must maintain uniformity. We had communicated this to the students at the time of admission. The student followed the dress code for four months. But one morning she showed up in violation of the rules. We asked her to remove her hijab in a friendly manner, and she agreed. The next day, her mother came to the school and we explained to her that the student must follow the rules and regulations," said Sr. Heleena, the school principal. However, as the case escalated into a heated confrontation between the student's parents and the school management, the Parents and Teachers Committee decided to declare two days of closure, 13 and 14 October, at St. Rita's Public School to avoid further tension. On Monday, 13 October, the Kerala High Court also granted police protection to the school, following a request from the school management. The student's father, Aziz, claims that his daughter did not violate the rules in a disrespectful manner. "For the past four months, she has been going to school wearing a scarf. But she did not fasten it like a hijab. Her mother went to the school several times to discuss the rule. When I went to talk to the headmistress, the committee chairman and others spoke to me very harshly, he said. For his part, Kerala Education Minister V. Sivankutty, after initially arguing for the need to find a peaceful resolution to the issue (The school has a uniform, and everyone must respect it. We must not create problems like in other states over clothing issues, he said), yesterday he made a U-turn, ordering St. Rita's Public School to allow the girl to enter school wearing a hijab, arguing that no educational institution can be allowed to violate constitutional rights". However, the affair is already turning into a political battleground. The National People's Party (NPP) - an Indian national party with strong roots in north-eastern India, where the Christian presence is most numerous - has expressed concern about what it described as a continuing series of deliberate attacks on Christian institutions and symbols in the Ernakulam district. It claims that the recent tensions at St. Rita's Public School are part of a larger, well-orchestrated conspiracy to create fear and interreligious tension. The NPP recalled that just a month ago, an act of aggression took place in Kalamassery, where the boundary wall of St. Thomas Bhavan was demolished and two prefabricated houses were allegedly installed during the night. The operation, carried out in the middle of the night, involved heavy machinery such as excavators, cranes, large trucks and about seventy-five people. It was a real coordinated attack, the party said. Citing another incident in the municipality of Kochi, the NPP pointed out that a division councillor attempted to rename St. Augustine Convent Road, a road whose name had been legally established in accordance with all the required procedures. Hence the accusations against the Congress Party and the CPI(M) - the parties that lead the local government of Kerala: The local government's inability to act decisively only reinforces the perception that it is indifferent or even complicit. If this dangerous trend is not stopped, Kerala risks becoming a breeding ground for anti-national and divisive forces. by Sumon Corraya The fire, which broke out in a garment factory and spread to a chemical warehouse in the Mirpur neighbourhood, destroyed two buildings and killed 16 people. The authorities blame the lack of safety measures and certifications, while experts call for strict enforcement of regulations and the creation of a dedicated zone for chemical storage. Dhaka (AsiaNews) A devastating fire in the Rupnagar area of Shialbari, Mirpur (Dhaka) killed at least 16 people yesterday, caused by the illegal storage of chemicals in a densely populated section of the Bangladeshi capital. The blaze broke out around 12:45 pm in a four-story building housing a garment factory, Anwar Fashion, starting in the ground floor wash unit, this according to witnesses, quickly spreading to a nearby chemical warehouse, a structure with a sheet metal roof. Fuelled by flammable substances, the fire spread within minutes, destroying both buildings. The Fire Service and Civil Defense rushed to the scene, but the presence of toxic substances made their work extremely difficult. The flames in the garment factory were eventually extinguished after three hours, but the fire in the chemical warehouse continued to burn until late into the night. Fire Service Director Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury confirmed the recovery of 16 charred bodies. We suspect toxic gas released during the explosion caused instant deaths. Many victims may have been trapped and unable to escape, he explained. The exact cause will be determined by an official investigation, but initial reports indicate that neither the factory nor the warehouse had fire safety certifications. According to Brigadier General Muhammad Zahed Kamal, Director General of the Fire Service, it could take days to fully extinguish the fire in the warehouse. A team from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) will inspect the site to determine the next steps. There was an explosion in the chemical warehouse, and then everything was on fire," one survivor said. Some workers managed to escape, but many are believed to be trapped inside. The authorities have not yet released the exact number of people present at the time of the fire. Dozens of people gathered, with pictures of their missing loved ones in the hope of finding them. Abu Naeem Mohammad Shahidullah, a former Director General of the Fire Service, called the accident "unimaginable," comparing it to the 2010 Nimtoli and 2019 Churihatta tragedies, both caused by the illegal storage of chemicals in residential areas. We didnt learn from those disasters," Shahidullah said, reiterating the need to create a dedicated zone for hazardous warehouses. Chemicals are essential for the economy, but storing them unsafely in residential areas is a death trap, he lamented. Laws exist, designated areas have been created, but without implementation, the risk remains. Anyone storing chemicals beyond the legal limit must face punishment. The tragedy has reignited calls for stricter regulations and effective controls. As families mourn their loved ones, the country is once again forced to reckon with the price of negligence and lack of safety in the capital's industrial zones. Bought brand new. At 300 miles, I started hearing a clanging noise during acceleration @17mph and @25mph during decel. Took it to 2 dealers (first one is where I bought it 55 miles away but they said they didnt hear it, 2nd one in my neighborhood heard it and said its "normal"), finally a 3rd dealer diagnosed it as a failed transfer case and replaced it. The new transfer case was installed and the replacement made the same sound @ 17 and 25. Back to the 3rd dealer and finally 5 days later the trans specialist and "engineering dept" decided its a failed front end differential. Seriously??? I love the Jeep, everyone in the family has a Jeep...mine is the only one with a failed differential. Bought brand new. At 300 miles, I started hearing a clanging noise during acceleration @17mph and @25mph during decel. Took it to 2 dealers (first one is where I bought it 55 miles away but they said they didnt hear it, 2nd one in my neighborhood heard it and said its "normal"), finally a 3rd dealer diagnosed it as a failed transfer case and replaced it. The new transfer case was installed and the replacement made the same sound @ 17 and 25. Back to the 3rd dealer and finally 5 days later the trans specialist and "engineering dept" decided its a failed front end differential. Seriously??? I love the Jeep, everyone in the family has a Jeep...mine is the only one with a failed differential. Read More Bought brand new. At 300 miles, I started hearing a clanging noise during acceleration @17mph and @25mph during decel. Took it to 2 dealers (first one is where I bought it 55 miles away but they said they didnt hear it, 2nd one in my neighborhood heard it and said its "normal"), finally a 3rd dealer diagnosed it as a failed transfer case and replaced it. The new transfer case was installed and the replacement made the same sound @ 17 and 25. Back to the 3rd dealer and finally 5 days later the trans specialist and "engineering dept" decided its a failed front end differential. Seriously??? I love the Jeep, everyone in the family has a Jeep...mine is the only one with a failed differential. Read More Keep your sanity...don't buy a Jeep By Former Jeep Fan | on 1.0 15 October 2025 16:44 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more The meeting between President Ilham Aliyev and President Vladimir Putin in Dushanbe last week is seen as a crucial step toward overcoming the serious tension and coldness that emerged in AzerbaijaniRussian relations following the tragic downing of an Azerbaijani plane in Russian airspace on December 25 last year. How can we assess the outcomes of the Dushanbe meeting overall? Did the revanchist forces in Armenia, who sought to exploit this temporary chill in relations, ultimately fail in their plans? And can this meeting be viewed as a sign that cooperation between Baku and Moscow will continue as both sides say in the spirit of alliance? Should this meeting be considered the beginning of a new stage in bilateral relations? To explore these questions, Azernews correspondent discusses several key points and examines various perspectives shared by experts: Geopolitical analyst Irina Tsukerman, President of Scarab Rising, Inc., believes the Dushanbe meeting represents not just diplomacy, but strategic recalibration. She notes that the meeting symbolizes not only a handshake after the December 25th horror, but a critical realignment of two intersecting power agendas. Tsukerman emphasizes that both leaders chose pragmatism over speculation or third-party manipulation particularly from Bakus standpoint. Ilyas Huseynov, Senior Advisor at the Center for Social Research, on the other hand, views the meeting as a crucial opportunity to normalize relations and restore political dialogue. He notes that, while questions remained about the plane crash, cooperation in the economic sphere never stopped a fact that reflected the resilience of the AzerbaijaniRussian partnership: Amid the tensions that had emerged between Russia and Azerbaijan, the meeting between President Ilham Aliyev and President Vladimir Putin created new opportunities for normalization. Although certain questions and misunderstandings remained, economic cooperation continued to expand, which is also reflected in official statistics. These developments form an important foundation for resolving outstanding issues and give hope that relations between Baku and Moscow will soon be fully restored. Further development of bilateral ties is expected to continue in line with the spirit and principles of the Declaration on Allied Interaction signed on February 22, 2022. Azerbaijan has never been interested in damaging relations with Russia; however, there were legitimate questions regarding the plane crash incident. The meeting in Dushanbe, held shortly before the investigations completion, gave a new impulse to dialogue and cooperation. The tete-a-tete discussion between the two leaders serves as a key step toward resolving many of the pending issues and we are already seeing tangible results, such as the release of detained individuals and the softening of criminal charges. This meeting demonstrates that both sides are focused on pragmatic, forward-looking diplomacy. It has not only reduced tensions but also reaffirmed the mutual commitment to allied partnership and regional stability. And finally, Irish historian and political analyst Patrick Walsh interprets the meeting as a tangible step toward rapprochement. He highlights that President Putin offered a more substantial apology, acknowledging responsibility for the plane tragedy and promising compensation, a move that helped clear the path for renewed dialogue. 15 October 2025 19:58 (UTC+04:00) Elnur Enveroglu Read more In the very sensitive geopolitical situation in the South Caucasus, the United States Congress is once more being asked to play a role, but this time in a manner that threatens to undermine fragile peace progress rather than reinforce it. The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) and pro-Armenian congressional factions have vociferously opposed H.R. 5632, the so-called Peace Act introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa. Their criticisms highlight, among other things, the bills failure to address Armenian "hostages, displaced persons" from so-called Artsakh (Garabagh - Azerbaijans internationally recognised territory), the preservation of Armenian Christian heritage, and the occupation of Armenian sovereign territory. Within their narrative, H.R. 5632 is insufficiently ambitious and dangerously blind to ongoing injustices. Yet, from the vantage of a realist engaged in diplomacy, a deeper question looms: To what extent will Congress persist in pretending not to hear the Presidents comprehensive peace initiative, and continue to enact measures that may actively harm the delicate reconciliation process between Azerbaijan and Armenia? In the most extreme reading, this posture risks co-opting US foreign policy in favour of one sides maximalist claims, at the expense of regional security, trust, and eventual closure. At the crux of the contest, the arguments advanced by ANCA stir risks of congressional overreach, and the uneasy balance between advocacy and diplomacy in a region still trying to heal. At the heart of ANCAs objection is the claim that H.R. 5632 fails to hold Azerbaijan fully accountable for what they label as enduring crimes, such as illegal detention and mistreatment of Armenian prisoners, mass destruction of Armenian Christian heritage, forced displacement of Armenians from Artsakh, and the continuing presence of Azerbaijani forces on what they consider Armenian sovereign land. Now, let us be specific to ANCAs critique, in which it loses its core sense, making the diasporas activity quite biased and disconnected from the ongoing processes. ANCA acts as though it is deaf and blind to the current diplomatic affairs that are in good shape. But one should not forget that when the Armenian diaspora had turned all international views, and especially the Congress, against Azerbaijan, they were not as dissatisfied as they are now. So, it seems that objective analysis and open-minded discussion do not serve the interests of the organisations smear campaigns. Once sheltered under the shadow of the Biden administration, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) had long managed to influence members of Congress with its one-sided narratives to the point where it began to believe its own distortions. Although Garabagh was fully liberated two years ago and is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, for ANCA, nothing seems to have changed. Their insistence on using self-styled names for Garabagh interests no one; after all, toponyms can differ across languages, but framing another countrys sovereign territory as disputed is a clear violation of international law. Such audacity and political arrogance have only grown over time, inflating the organisations sense of importance and even leading it to challenge the decisions of the White House. One can be certain that none of this escapes the attention of the US State Department. A reasonable suggestion for ANCA would be to observe the ongoing proceedings at the Baku Military Court, where war crimes trials are being conducted according to international legal standards. Perhaps witnessing how due process functions in the prosecution of war criminals would offer them a lesson in justice and accountability, concepts they seem to misunderstand when it comes to the South Caucasus. If we are being frank, one could speak at far greater length about the Armenian genocide, the killings, and even the systematic destruction and atrocities committed against religious, historical, and cultural monuments, let alone making baseless accusations about Azerbaijan. Still, ANCAs actions are not entirely incomprehensible. Whether right or wrong, as a diaspora lobbying group, it is naturally inclined to defend Armenian interests. That is politics. I would even say they reap what they have sown decades ago. This is not the comparison of cases but rather a reminder of how ignoring four UN resolutions bears its fruits. It is also a rather striking fact that a community, which has itself violated human rights, occupied foreign territory, and consistently ignored UN resolutions, dares to speak of objectivity when it comes to human rights. But what about the US Congress? After all, Americans and nations beyond remember well the numerous corruption and financial mismanagement scandals that have emerged from Capitol Hill in the past. How long can lawmakers allow themselves to be manipulated by lobby organisations and diaspora groups offering political favours or worse, monetary incentives, in exchange for influence? So I pose this pointed question to Congress (and specifically to pro-Armenian lawmakers): If you persist in acting as though you are deaf to the Presidents carefully calibrated strategy, pushing measures that privilege one narrative, exclude essential compromises, and heighten the risk of backlash, how far are you prepared to go? Will you continue to treat diplomacy as an adversarial theatre in which one side must be punished, rather than as the delicate art of bringing rivals gradually into coexistence? In the end, true stability in the South Caucasus will require courage not only to demand justice, but also to accept uncomfortable steps on all sides. If Congress insists on levelling policy as though it were a courtroom, it may well lose its role as mediator. They may even deliberately or spontaneously want to hand the region back to conflict and chaos but it will never be allowed as the South Caucasus has long bid farewell to the past. 15 October 2025 10:00 (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. Azerbaijan is strengthening its trade ties with China through new agricultural export agreements. Azernews reports, citing the Food Safety Agency of Azerbaijan (AQTA), that the two sides have signed a protocol enabling the export of Azerbaijani hazelnuts and almonds to the Chinese market. 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! 15 October 2025 10:21 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more On October 14, the MAMA "Mother Nature" International Art Exhibition opened at the Azerbaijan Cultural Center in Berlin, Azernews reports. Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, founder and head of the IDEA Public Union Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva attended the opening of the exhibition. The exhibition, organized jointly by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the IDEA Public Union, and the Azerbaijani Embassy in Germany, was opened with a speech by Ambassador Nasimi Aghayev. He highlighted the significance of presenting this cultural project in Berlin, which had already been successfully implemented in several countries. The Ambassador stated that organizing exhibitions like this, which promote the unique connection and unity between nature and humanity in such challenging times, is of great importance. He emphasized that Azerbaijan's example shows that if we join forces, we can counteract the issue of climate change. In her speech, Leyla Aliyeva emphasized that the MAMA "Mother Nature" exhibition presents the works of 54 artists from 31 countries, stating that these works are an expression of the desire to protect nature, transcending the boundaries of art. Leyla Aliyeva thanked the organizers and artists who contributed to the project, noting that the exhibition began in Baku and has since been showcased in Bahrain, London, Rome, and Tbilisi. She expressed her satisfaction that the exhibition was being held in Berlin, one of the world's "greenest" cities, and drew attention to the devastating effects of climate problems, mentioning that Azerbaijan's diverse ecosystems are not immune to these impacts. She pointed out the shrinking of the Caspian Sea's surface and the gradual disappearance of rare species like the Caspian seal and Caspian sturgeon. Leyla Aliyeva, who leads the IDEA Public Union, stated that all of its projects are approached with creativity and a positive spirit. She mentioned that over one million trees have been planted in both Azerbaijan and various parts of the world for the protection of nature, and highlighted efforts to protect rare animal species, promote the importance of nature conservation in schools and universities, and the "One Drop" project on water conservation. She also pointed out that the works of talented Azerbaijani sculptor Samir Kachayev (1994-2016), who was martyred during the April battles, were being showcased in Berlin. Leyla Aliyeva remarked that although his life was tragically cut short, his spirit, creativity, and love for the homeland continue to live on in his works. After the speeches, Leyla Aliyeva, Arzu Aliyeva, and the participants explored the exhibited works. It is worth noting that the MAMA "Mother Nature" international art project, which is the result of the stunning creativity of contemporary artists, was launched in Baku in November 2024 as part of the COP29 event held at the Heydar Aliyev Center. Conceptually designed with the idea of Leyla Aliyeva, the exhibition presents nature not as a passive backdrop but as a living, nurturing, sustainable, and restorative main character. The exhibition has been successfully presented in Baku, Manama, Rome, London, and Tbilisi, and its Berlin stage continues its mission by promoting a global dialogue on ecology, sustainability, and cultural wisdom. The MAMA "Mother Nature" international art project brings together artists from 31 countries, including Azerbaijan, the USA, Germany, the UK, Brazil, South Korea, Georgia, India, Spain, Israel, Latvia, Pakistan, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and others. Through various installations, paintings, textiles, and multimedia, the exhibition presents stories that resonate with the ecological and social issues of our time. The project highlights the rich and complex relationship between humanity and nature. Each artwork in the exhibition serves as a message about humanity's deep connection to nature. The goal of this message is to present the Earth not just as a source of inspiration, but as a vital, nourishing force for life. During its world tour, the exhibition emphasizes the inseparable bond between humans and nature and highlights the figure of Mother Nature as the fundamental source of life, both spiritually and physically. The exhibition invites viewers to reflect on responsibility, care, and the necessity of ecological renewal. It is also worth mentioning that on the same day, Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva attended the opening of the exhibition titled "Incomplete, but Eternal" by the talented Azerbaijani sculptor Samir Kachayev at the "Q" Berlin Art Gallery. The opening of the exhibition was attended by the family members of the martyred Samir Kachayev. The exhibition invites Berlin audiences into Samir's worlda world filled with precision and devotion to art, offering a rich spiritual depth. This exhibition is a silent continuation of Samir Kachayev's unfinished artistic journey. Although his brushstrokes were left incomplete, every piece of his work carries a breath that transcends the boundaries of time. The exhibition represents Samir's undying inspiration, the immortality of art that defies death, and the continuation of his soul in the colors. Each glance, each line in this exhibition is a part of a story that never ends but stretches into eternity. 15 October 2025 18:40 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more A series of master classes by renowned musicians has been organized in Baku on the initiative of the Culture Ministry's Scientific, Methodological, and Qualification Center for Culture (MEMIM) with the organizational support of the Azerbaijan Cultural Workers' Trade Union, and assistance from the Baku City Main Department of Culture and the Absheron-Khizi Regional Department of Culture, Azernews reports. The master classes, which are dedicated to the 140th anniversary of the great composer Uzeyir Hajibayli, are being held from October 8 to 18 for teachers and students of music and art schools under the mentioned organizations. As part of the project, a master class on playing the kamancha was held at the 21st Leopold and Mstislav Rostropovich Music School in Baku, with participation from kamancha player, Honored Artist, Doctor of Philosophy in Art History, and Associate Professor Togrul Asadullayev. The event was attended by teachers and students of this school, as well as those from Children's Music School No. 16 named after Kovkab Safaraliyeva, No. 9 named after Jabbar Garyagdioghlu, and Children's Music School No. 4 in Baku. At the beginning of the class, the head of the "Scientific Research and Education" MEMIM Department, Doctor of Philosophy in Art History, and Associate Professor Jamila Mirzoyeva, highlighted the importance of the project in the development of young performers. After listening to the students' performances, Togrul Asadullayev spoke about the key aspects to focus on when playing the kamancha, Azerbaijan's national instrument, and offered advice to the young talents. Another masterclass on piano was held at the Baku Children's Art School No. 2, named after Vagif Mustafazadeh, with participation from Honored Teacher, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, and Professor Narmina Guliyeva. Teachers and students from Baku Children's Art School No. 3 named after Gulara Aliyeva, Children's Music School No. 22 named after Niyazi, School No. 21 named after Leopold and Mstislav Rostropovich, School No. 26 named after Muslim Magomayev, and the 11-year-old music school No. 2 named after Rashid Behbutov also participated. Narmina Guliyeva gave recommendations on students' performances and answered questions regarding repertoire selection, technical development, and other aspects. As part of the project, a masterclass was held at the Uzeyir Hajibayli House-Museum with participation from the teacher of the Azerbaijan National Conservatory, renowned balaban player, and Honored Artist Shirzad Fataliyev. Teachers and students from Bakus Music Schools No. 35 named after Georgiy Sharoyev, No. 11 named after Arif Melikov, and Children's Music School No. 4 attended the event. The head of MEMIM's Department, Honored Cultural Worker Lala Karimova, emphasized the significance of the project, noting that organizing a masterclass on the balaban, one of the oldest national musical instruments, at the house of the great composer is symbolic. "Uzeyir Hajibayli achieved a successful synthesis of Eastern and Western artistic traditions in his musical works, leaving behind unique compositions," she said. Following this, several students from the aforementioned institutions performed on the balaban. Shirzad Fataliyev discussed the performance capabilities of the balaban, offered advice to the students, and answered their questions. The musician also delighted the participants with his own performance. A masterclass on violin playing was also held at the Baku 11-Year Music School No. 2 named after Rashid Beybutov, with participation from Honored Teacher, Doctor of Philosophy in Art History, and Professor Hokuma Aliyeva. Teachers and students from the aforementioned institution, as well as music schools in Baku No. 20 named after Shovkat Alakbarova, School No. 21 named after Leopold and Mstislav Rostropovich, School No. 26 named after Muslim Magomayev, and No. 13 named after Said Rustamov, also participated. After the students presented their performances, Hokuma Aliyeva shared her insights on the key aspects of playing the violin, responded to questions, and offered her advice. It is noteworthy that the masterclasses, conducted by well-known specialists, cover 12 specializations, including tar, kamancha, saz, balaban, qanun, vocal art of khanende, piano, violin, cello, clarinet, vocal singing, and choreography. Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az, Milli.Az. 15 October 2025 17:21 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Food lovers have flocked to Seaside Boulevard to try Turkmen delicacies and exquisite flavors, Azernews reports. Organized within Turkmenistan Culture Days, the event attracted a distinguished group of attendees, including the representatives of the Culture Ministries of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, diplomatic corps, members of the Azerbaijani Parliament, and numerous other esteemed guests. The attendees were warmly welcomed to the pavilion, where they had the opportunity to sample some of Turkmenistan's most celebrated national dishes. The flavors were nothing short of exceptional, with the rich and aromatic spices tantalizing the taste buds. The food was a true reflection of Turkmenistan's deep culinary heritage. From savory pastries to tender meat dishes, the meals presented a harmonious mix of textures and flavors that showcased the country's rich culinary heritage. Guests marveled at the artistry and precision behind each dish. Following the culinary experience, a gala concert program was presented, further enriching the cultural atmosphere of the event. The concert featured breathtaking performances by both Turkmen and Azerbaijani artists, fascinating the audience with their extraordinary talent and artistry. The Turkmenistan Culture Days were celebrated in Azerbaijan'sscities of Baku and Ganja, offering a unique opportunity to experience Turkmen heritage. A distinguished delegation of cultural figures and artists from Turkmenistan visited Azerbaijan for this special event, organized by the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry. Throughout the festivities, Turkmenistan'ssrich cultural legacy was on full display, with highlights including traditional music, decorative arts, museum exhibits, and the countrys renowned culinary traditions. The event provided Azerbaijani audiences with an enriching experience, offering a deep dive into Turkmen culture. The inauguration of the Turkmen Literature Corner at the Azerbaijan National Library further strengthened the cultural ties between the two nations, providing a platform for continued exchange. The Turkmenistan Culture Days act as an essential link, deepening the connection between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. 15 October 2025 18:23 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more A magnificent opera gala concert has taken place at the Bilkent Odeon Theater, featuring the renowned Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, widely regarded as one of the top musical ensembles in Turkiye, Azernews reports. The performance was led by Honored Artist Ayyub Guliyev, an Associate Professor at the Baku Music Academy and the principal conductor of the Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theater. His dynamic energy and exceptional taste set a high artistic standard for the evening, while the orchestra, under his expert direction, showcased flawless harmony and coordination, as noted by the event's organizers. The concert program of the evening brought together masterpieces from the most celebrated composers across various periods, including Donizetti, Bellini, Verdi, Puccini, Offenbach, Glinka, Saint-Saens, Gounod, Bizet, and Rimsky-Korsakov. The air was filled with captivating melodies that seemed to take on life through the musicians' hands, creating an atmosphere rich in harmony and creative spirit. A standout moment of the concert was the historic debut of the "Waltz" by the legendary Azerbaijani composer and conductor Maestro Niyazi, performed by the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra. The piece, blending Eastern nuances with European orchestral tradition, stirred deep emotions and received a warm, enthusiastic applause from the audience. This performance symbolized the cultural dialogue and deep connection between the Azerbaijani and Turkish peoples. The stage was graced by internationally acclaimed opera diva Albina Shagimuratova, whose impeccable vocal performance and artistry mesmerized the audience. Alongside her, young rising stars of the global opera scene, including winners of the M.I. Glinka International Vocal Competition, delivered powerful and heartfelt renditions of arias and duets that left the audience moved and captivated. A particularly touching moment was the performance of Asgar's song from the operetta "The Cloth Peddler" by the legendary Uzeyir Hajibayli, celebrating the 140th anniversary of the composer's birth. The powerful and emotional rendition by Uzbek tenor Otabek Nazir received an outpouring of appreciation, with the Turkish audience offering heartfelt applause for a piece that has become an integral part of the cultural legacy of the entire Turkic world. As the final notes of the evening echoed through the hall, the audience stood in ovation. Extended applause and cries of "Bravo!" filled the space, and in response to the heartfelt appreciation, the soloists treated the audience to an encore, a scene from the first act of Giuseppe Verdi's "La Traviata", which beautifully and emotionally concluded the night. The musical celebration in Ankara was much more than just a concert, it was a jubilant tribute to the power of art, uniting people and cultures through the universal language of music, understood by all, without the need for translation. 15 October 2025 20:15 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more The Azerbaijan National Art Museum has hosted the opening ceremony of the exhibition "Diego Rivera: The Promise of a Better Future" organized by Mexico's Diego Rivera Anahuacalli Museum, Azernews reports. The exhibition is jointly organized by the Embassy of Mexico in Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry, the Anahuacalli Museum, and the Azerbaijan National Art Museum. Dedicated to the world-renowned Mexican artist Diego Rivera (18861957), the exhibition marks the Anahuacalli Museum's first project presented on an international scale. The exhibition features nearly 100 photographic reproductions covering Rivera's artistic legacy including murals, paintings, sketches, as well as archival photographs and documents. These materials provide visitors with the opportunity to closely explore the unique creativity of one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. At the opening ceremony, Director of the Azerbaijan National Art Museum Shirin Malikova, Ambassador of Mexico to Azerbaijan Victoria Romero, PhD in Arts Telman Ibrahimov, and Director of the Diego Rivera Anahuacalli Museum Teresa Moya delivered speeches highlighting the significance of the exhibition. They emphasized that Diego Riveras art reflects universal values and constitutes an integral part of Mexicos cultural heritage. The speakers also underlined that the exhibition contributes to strengthening cultural ties between Azerbaijan and Mexico, expressing gratitude to the organizers. The exhibition consists of five main thematic sections that outline Rivera's key role in Mexico's social transformation. They cover the artists reflections on art, his position in the muralist movement, the synthesis of painting and architecture, and the social role of art in post-revolutionary Mexico. The displays reflect Riveras deep engagement in the Mexican Revolution, public education, and the role of art as a tool for civil society. Visitors will witness how Rivera emerged as a leading figure in Mexican muralism, valuing art not only as an aesthetic medium but also as an instrument for education and the formation of public consciousness. Photographic reproductions of Rivera's mural "Creation" (1922), painted at the National Preparatory School in Mexico, hold a special place in the exhibition. This monumental work is regarded as the beginning of Mexican muralism and demonstrates a synthesis of Renaissance style with local motifs. His later monumental projects, including murals at Chapingo and the Ministry of Public Education in Mexico, are also represented. In addition, reproductions of murals at the National Palace in Mexico City and the Palace of Cortes in Cuernavaca showcase Rivera's ability to present history as a social struggle and highlight the importance he placed on indigenous culture. Rivera's international activities are also thoroughly represented in the exhibition. His mural "Man at the Crossroads," created in 1933 at Rockefeller Center in New York, caused great controversy and was destroyed. However, Rivera recreated this work in Mexico at the Palace of Fine Arts under the title "Man, Controller of the Universe." Documentary footage of this work is among the exhibitions most notable highlights. A central section of the exhibition is dedicated to the Anahuacalli Museum, created on Rivera's own initiative. Designed by the artist himself and located in Mexico city, this unique space was built from volcanic stone. The museum aimed to serve as a bridge between ancient heritage, modernity, and the future. Architectural plans, sketches, and photographs presented in the exhibition vividly demonstrate Riveras idea of preserving cultural roots while inspiring future generations. It should be noted that this exhibition project was realized through the initiative of Ambassador Victoria Romero and the joint efforts of the Embassy of Mexico in Azerbaijan, the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Directorate of Cultural Diplomacy, and the Anahuacalli Museum. This initiative showcases the role of art as an instrument of cultural diplomacy, presenting to the international community Rivera's artistic vision rooted in the social struggles of the Mexican people. The exhibition will remain open to visitors until December 30, 2025. Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az and Milli.Az 15 October 2025 13:41 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more The III National Urban Planning Forum highlights the extensive reconstruction and development efforts in the region, the implementation of modern urban planning principles, and the promotion of sustainable growth, Azernews reports. Elchin Yusubov, the Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan for the cities of Khankendi, Aghdere, and Khojaly, emphasized this during his speech at the forum held in Khankendi. This forum demonstrates, once again, the importance of international cooperation and experience sharing. It is not just a forum; it is a symbol of reconstruction, restoration, and development in our liberated territories. Khankendi is already emerging as a model for Azerbaijans future, with projects based on human-centered development and ecological balance, Yusubov said. As part of the large-scale reconstruction and redevelopment in the liberated territories, efforts are underway to resettle populations in 19 settlements, including the Kerkicahan neighborhood of Khankendi, seven villages in Aghdere, and 11 villages in Khojaly. More than 22,000 people have already returned to their ancestral lands. Yusubov noted that over 65 million Azerbaijani manats have been invested in the region, and more than 3,000 jobs have been created through the operation of new facilities. The Special Representative stressed that the forum in Khankendi provides an important platform for discussions on international collaboration, green energy, and sustainable development principles, offering a new impetus for the future growth of Garabagh. The forum, which has become a recurring event since its establishment through a joint initiative with UN-Habitat, Azerbaijans UN specialized agency partner, brings together government officials, the private sector, NGOs, academics, architects, and specialists. It serves as a key platform for discussing pressing urban planning issues and proposing practical solutions. The first two forums were traditionally held in Aghdam and Zangilan; this year, the event is taking place in both Baku and Khankendi. 15 October 2025 13:47 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree approving the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil on cooperation in the field of education, Azernews reports. According to the Decree, upon the entry into force of the Agreement signed in Brasilia on September 1, 2025, the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan should ensure the implementation of its provisions. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan must notify the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil of the completion of the internal procedures necessary for the Agreement to enter into force. 15 October 2025 15:02 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more An infotour to Shusha city was recently organized by the State Committee for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), with the support of the Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan for Shusha district, Azernews reports. The event brought together a group of IDPs engaged in income-generating activities under the implementation of the Action Plan of the First State Program on the Great Return. Participants toured the city and received briefings on ongoing reconstruction and development works, as well as employment opportunities created for residents. It was emphasized that, under the directives of President Ilham Aliyev and the State Program, comprehensive restoration projects are underway in Shusha, infrastructure is being rebuilt, and necessary living and working conditions are being established for residents. Participants also visited historical and natural landmarks in the city and were introduced to the facilities created for IDP families returning to their ancestral homes as part of the Great Return process. Former IDPs described the infotour as highly informative and educational. Officials noted that such tours play a vital role in familiarizing participants with the progress of the Great Return, the process of permanent settlement in the region, and integration into economic activities, while also helping them plan for the future. The Action Plan of the First State Program on the Great Return foresees continued infotours to other liberated territories, ensuring that displaced populations remain engaged with the ongoing reconstruction and resettlement efforts. 15 October 2025 15:13 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev addressed the participants of the 3rd National Urban Development Forum in Khankendi. Azernews presents the address: ''Dear Forum participants! I welcome you on the occasion of the opening of the Third National Urban Forum of Azerbaijan. Welcome to the city of Khankendi. I welcome you to the city of Khankendi for the Third National Urban Forum of Azerbaijan. This event, held in Azerbaijan for the third time and already a growing tradition, brings together national, regional, and international partners in urban planning and serves as a vital platform for exchanging experiences, fostering new initiatives, and enhancing cooperation. The National Urban Forums, organized in cooperation with UN-Habitat, are another vivid manifestation of Azerbaijans successful collaboration with international partners in this field. The participation of more than 200 foreign guests from over 60 countries, a total of about 400 representatives, signifies both the trust and friendship extended toward our country, as well as solidarity in pursuing common goals in urban planning. Urban planning is a priority area in Azerbaijans national development strategy. The approaches adopted in urban planning and urbanization have contributed to economic sustainability, socioeconomic well-being, and adaptation to climate change. The large-scale restoration and construction underway, particularly in the Garabagh and East Zangazur economic regions, demonstrate the governments strategic vision and capabilities in urban development. Following three decades of occupation, Azerbaijani territories were left devasted, with historical and cultural heritage destroyed, lands contaminated with mines, and more than a million Azerbaijanis displaced from their homes. The victory in the 44-day Patriotic War of 2020 ushered in a period of restoration, reconstruction, and revival. Today, Azerbaijan is implementing large-scale construction and reconstruction projects in Garabagh and East Zangazur. The comprehensive regional planning, covering 13,600 square kilometers, guides efforts to resettle more than 1.1 million people to their native cities and villages. Master plans for eight cities and 90 villages home to more than 300,000 people have been approved, and people have begun returning to six liberated cities, two settlements, and 20 villages. By applying advanced urban-planning principles, systematic and coherent measures have been put in place to build sustainable infrastructure, rebuild settlements, and create conditions for the return of the population. Over the past four years, three new international airports have been built, along with modern roads and highways, new railway infrastructure, and ongoing construction of residential buildings, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and other social infrastructure. Special importance is attached to the reconstruction of energy infrastructure and the strengthening of energy security. Solar and wind energy projects are well underway in Garabagh and East Zangazur, designated as a green energy zone, with a capacity of up to 10,000 megawatts. Innovative approaches such as smart city and smart village are being applied, and ecosystem restoration is in progress. The establishment of industrial parks and economic zones is underway to promote economic development and employment in the region. This contributes to the sustainable development of settlements by expanding local production opportunities and creating new jobs. With enhanced road connectivity, Garabagh and East Zangazur are now directly linked to Baku and other regions, accelerating their economic and social development. Today, about 60,000 people live, work and study in these areas under the Great Return program. The decision to hold the Third National Urban Forum of Azerbaijan in Khankendi is especially significant. The city that endured occupation for many years is now a symbol of peace, restoration, and revival. The infrastructure projects currently underway in Khankendi support development aligned with the vision of a modern, smart, and innovative city. The ongoing reconstruction in Garabagh and East Zangazur is important not only for urban and infrastructural development but also for establishing long-term peace and regional cooperation. Targeted projects, new partnerships, and a favorable economic environment are creating sustainable livelihoods for the local population and contributing to regional urban development. Azerbaijans advanced experience in urban planning has attracted tremendous international interest. Our country is viewed as a reliable partner in addressing global challenges in climate change and urban planning, as well as in developing innovative approaches. International cooperation in this area, particularly through initiatives with the UN Human Settlements Programme, is of great importance. The decision to hold the 13th World Urban Forum in Baku in 2026 stands as clear evidence of Azerbaijans contribution to international urbanization processes and the trust it has earned as a reliable partner. This prestigious event will further enhance Azerbaijans role in global urbanization and contribute to the achievement of regional and global sustainable development goals. Todays Forum marks an important milestone on the path to the 13th World Urban Forum. I am confident that the discussions here will be instrumental in implementing strategic initiatives for urban planning, restoration, and sustainable city development, and will help create a greener, more inclusive, and prosperous living environment for future generations. I welcome you all to Azerbaijan once again, and wish the Forum every success.'' 15 October 2025 16:24 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with Elina Valtonen, Finlands Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Azernews reports citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting addressed AzerbaijanFinland bilateral relations, Finlands OSCE chairmanship priorities, challenges within the organization, and the current state and future prospects of Azerbaijans cooperation with the OSCE. Discussions also covered the post-conflict regional situation and the AzerbaijanArmenia peace process. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of previous meetings between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Finland held in Baku during COP29 and in New York during the UN General Assemblys high-level week noting their positive contribution to strengthening bilateral relations. Bayramov highlighted that Finlands OSCE chairmanship coincides with a period of complex security challenges in Europe, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the OSCEs relevance and adaptability as a multilateral platform for dialogue. He also briefed Valtonen on reconstruction efforts in Azerbaijans liberated territories, the return of internally displaced persons, and the ongoing mine threat. The ministers discussed progress in the AzerbaijanArmenia peace process, with Bayramov stressing the significance of the August 8, 2025, Washington meeting between the leaders of Azerbaijan, the US, and Armenia, and the joint declaration signed there. He reiterated the need to remove territorial claims against Azerbaijan from the Armenian constitution as a prerequisite for a lasting peace. The sides also discussed the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project, emphasizing its role in restoring regional transport and economic ties. Both parties positively assessed the decision to suspend outdated OSCE institutions, including the Minsk Process, the Special Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office, and the High-Level Planning Group, considering them no longer relevant in the post-conflict context. Bayramov emphasized the need to advance the Azerbaijan Cooperation Program and underscored the importance of practical cooperation in mine clearance, environmental assessment, and cybersecurity. He also welcomed OSCE initiatives in the economic and environmental spheres, noting the success of the Promoting Green Ports and Connectivity in the Caspian Sea Region project initiated by Azerbaijan, which has now entered its third phase. Concluding the meeting, Bayramov conveyed his best wishes for Finlands OSCE chairmanship, expressing hope that it will contribute to revitalizing multilateral dialogue and strengthening cooperative mechanisms within the organization. The meeting concluded with a comprehensive exchange on a wide range of bilateral and multilateral issues of mutual interest. Has the City of Washington, NC been managed by their elected local government, and their bureaucrats, in a fiscally responsible manner to better serve the people who pay their ever advancing property taxes? 0% Yes, rising property taxes are a necessity to maintain a progressive city.100% No, excessive funding of a poorly managed government can become a shell game of corruption.0% I am afraid to say. The owner of a former tire factory in Charlotte is asking the North Carolina Supreme Court to consider multiple lawsuits related to asbestos exposure. Petitions filed Wednesday argue that a lower court's rulings in those suits threatens the state's favorable business climate.A split 2-1 decision from the state Court of Appeals last month allowed 13 suits to move forward against Continental Tire. That decision reversed a ruling from the North Carolina Industrial Commission, which had dismissed all the cases.lawyers for Continental Tire and Liberty Mutual Insurance wrote Wednesday in the lead case, Funderburk v. Continental Tire.the petition continued.the company's lawyers warned.Starting in 2008, more than 150 former employees brought asbestos exposure complaints related to their work at the Charlotte factory, according to court records. In 2010 the parties agreed to try six representative, or bellwether, cases first.the Supreme Court petition explained.the company's lawyers wrote.After a 38-day trial of the bellwether cases, the Industrial Commissionthe petition explained. The state Appeals Court affirmed that decision.company lawyers argued.The Industrial Commission ruled against the remaining plaintiffs, but a different Appeals Court panel produced the Sept. 3 split decision allowing their cases to proceed.the petition explained.Continental Tire asked the state's highest court to clarify the law.according to the petition.The Funderburk case focused on a worker diagnosed with lung cancer in 2012 who died in 2013. His widow, Debra Gail Funderburk, has been pursuing the legal action for more than a decade.wrote Judge Toby Hampson last month for the Appeals Court majority.he added.Hampson rejected the argument that the Appeals Court's original 2019 ruling blocked the current lawsuits from moving forward.he wrote.The Funderburk caseHampson wrote. The other remaining plaintiffs faced similar rulings.Judge April Wood joined Hampson's opinion. Chief Judge Chris Dillon dissented.Dillon wrote.Dillon added.The Appeals Court's 2019 ruling barred any future asbestos-related claims from the Continental Tire plaintiffs, Dillon explained.he wrote.Dillon added. Belfast International Airport. A fundamental review of policing at Northern Ireland's airports has been recommended (Credit: Liam McBurney/PA Wire) A report has warned of shortcomings in security and accountability at Northern Irelands airports and ports. It follows the first inspection into the running of Belfast Harbour Police and Belfast International Airport Constabulary by the Criminal Justice Inspector (CJI). The inspection examined the day-to-day policing undertaken by the separately funded and operated police services. Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice, Jacqui Durkin said: This was the first time CJI had inspected Belfast International Airport Constabulary and Inspectors were concerned by the lack of appropriate police experienced leadership as well as gaps in existing accountability arrangements and consistency in operational delivery and outcomes. We were also concerned by its existing rank structure which would benefit from review. Ms Durkin said: We have had positive discussions with senior management at Belfast International Airport about the inspection findings and Inspection Report publication and I acknowledge their commitment to secure policing improvements that are needed in the short and longer term. I also welcome the development of an action plan by Belfast International Airport to underpin the implementation of the accepted inspection recommendations, said the Chief Inspector. Inspectors found that Belfast Harbour Police benefitted significantly from police experienced leadership and appropriate accountability and robust governance arrangements were in operation. Belfast Harbour Police was a trusted partner of the PSNI where a mutually beneficial, professional relationship had developed and was maintained, the inspector reported. Belfast Harbour Police Officers also had access to appropriate information and continuous police training that ensured they had the knowledge and expertise to operate to national standards, added Ms Durkin. Belfast International Airport. A fundamental review of policing at Northern Ireland's airports has been recommended (Credit: Liam McBurney/PA Wire) Who is top dog at Stormont Dog of the Year? Inspectors found the development of a visible, neighbourhood-focused policing model within the Belfast Harbour Estate had been well received. While we welcome this positive relationship, Inspectors have recommended the policing priorities of the Belfast Harbour Police should be more aligned with those set by the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the PSNI, she said. The CJI also highlighted an area for improvement in the work of the Belfast Harbour Polices Criminal Justice Unit, which has responsibility for the management of criminal incidents and follow-up activity. We consider Belfast Harbour Police would benefit from assessing the effectiveness of this model, said the Chief Inspector. The CJI recommended that a fundamental review of policing at Northern Irelands airports should be led by the PSNI in partnership with Belfast International Airport Constabulary and Belfast Harbour Police and completed in the next 18 months. The current restrictions and geographical limitations imposed on Belfast Harbour Police and Belfast International Airport Constabulary presents risks for officers and the public and inevitable consequences for the full and proper investigation of crime and the transportation of people under arrest to PSNI custody facilities. This needs to be addressed, said the Chief Inspector. Ms Durkin said: Public confidence in policing is a shared responsibility, informed by all those who have and who use policing powers including in our airports and harbours. We must ensure quality policing standards and shared priorities across all police services, particularly around the Northern Ireland Executives Programme for Government ambitions for Safer Communities and Ending Violence against Women and Girls. Belfast Harbour Police Chief Officer Michael Daly responded to the report saying: We are pleased that the CJI report recognises our commitment to good practice and highlights that Belfast Harbour Police benefits from experienced leadership, appropriate accountability and has robust governance arrangements in operation. We welcome CJIs endorsement of our visible and engaged neighbourhood service, which is key to supporting the delivery of Belfast Harbours 2025-29 Strategy Advance Regional Prosperity to deliver vibrant residential areas and enable 3500 new homes by 2035. This is further evidenced by our investments in a planned new police station at Clarendon Road. Read more Plans for new police station in heart of Belfast Harbour CJIs analysis also praises our continued focus on training to ensure our officers have the expertise to operate to national standards and acknowledges that Belfast Harbour Police is a trusted partner of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and that a mutually beneficial and professional relationship is being maintained. While we take on board CJIs recommendation that an overarching memorandum of understanding (MOU) should be agreed with the PSNI, to detail the roles and responsibilities of each police service, a number of existing MOUs are in place and we are clear that, where relevant to Belfast Harbour, our policing priorities are already closely aligned with those of the PSNI and national standards. As we implement our action plan to execute CJIs recommendations, Belfast Harbour Police remains committed to working in partnership with all relevant bodies to continue to achieve the highest standards of policing for the benefit of everyone we serve. Our continued focus is on keeping the more than 20,000 people who work here safe and ensuring the security of the 760 businesses operating on Belfast Harbour Estate and the 24 million tonnes of trade that comes through the port each year. The Prince and Princess of Wales during a visit to the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Learning and Development College near Cookstown, Co Tyrone. Picture date: Tuesday October 14, 2025 (Credit: Chris Jackson/PA Wire) The Princess of Wales picks apples during a visit to Long Meadow Cider in Portadown, Co Armagh, a family-owned apple farm which has evolved from traditional apple growers into producers of award-winning craft ciders, juices, and vinegars. Chris Jackson/PA Wire The Prince and Princess of Wales during a visit to Long Meadow Cider in Portadown, Co Armagh (Chris Jackson/PA Wire) A Co Armagh family described the amazing, surreal experience of welcoming the Prince and Princess of Wales to their farm during the royal couples surprise visit to Northern Ireland. The McKeevers Catherine, Alanna, Patrick and Peter run Long Meadow Cider, an award-winning family-run farm in the heart of the Orchard County. The Prince and Princess of Wales during a visit to Long Meadow Cider in Portadown, Co Armagh (Chris Jackson/PA Wire) William and Kate visit an orchard in Portadown Kate and William visited the farm as part of their first joint visit to Northern Ireland since October 2022. Todays unannounced joint visit was their first to Northern Ireland in three years. It was amazing, surreal, extraordinary and very, very special for us as a small family-run business that they wanted to come here to our farm to meet us as a family, to be interested in us as a family, and to be concerned about us as a family particularly after Storm Amy and how it affected the farm, Catherine said. The Princess of Wales picks apples during a visit to Long Meadow Cider in Portadown, Co Armagh, a family-owned apple farm which has evolved from traditional apple growers into producers of award-winning craft ciders, juices, and vinegars. Chris Jackson/PA Wire Long Meadow has been owned by the McKeever family for three generations and has been cultivating premium-quality apples since 1968. The McKeevers have since diversified significantly, with the support of the familys younger generation, and now produce craft ciders, apple juice and apple cider vinegar. Their products are being sold in major supermarket chains across Northern Ireland and Long Meadow is now also a thriving tourist destination for orchard tour experiences and produce tastings. The family organised a very special and bespoke tour for the royal visitors. They observed the apple cider vinegar production process, before seeing how the apples are pressed and bottled on site. They expressed an interest and a lot of what we are doing here at Long Meadows. They were particularly interested in the apple cider vinegar, because of all the health benefits, and the apple juice too, because our apple juice is all natural, Catherine said. The family then took the couple apple picking in their orchard, where Kate playfully scolded William for dropping some. The pair seemed to enjoy the orchard, with William saying: Its like something out of Harry Potter. They were so welcoming, so relaxed. Theyre just a mum and dad. They spoke about their children throughout, their home life, baking at home with their own children, Alanna said. As the visit went on and it became so much more relaxed, it was a very enjoyable experience. I dont think well ever top it. The Prince and Princess of Wales during a visit to Long Meadow Cider in Portadown, Co Armagh (Chris Jackson/PA Wire) The Prince and Princess then visited the McKeevers Bramley Barn, where Catherine taught them how to make potato apple bread. They got so much more relaxed when they came into the barn and enjoyed the bread making, Catherine said. And its lovely to see that relationship that they had together as well in the barn. Catherine said her royal namesake and her husband enjoyed a bit of banter. Youve got to really feel the love and the banter that fun side was coming out of both of them, Alanna added. Catherine said the visit made her realise the couple are much more relatable than she initially believed. You knew they had done it [baking] before, maybe not so much William, but you could tell that they do this at home with their own children, she said. The Prince and Princess of Wales during a visit to the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Learning and Development College near Cookstown, Co Tyrone. Picture date: Tuesday October 14, 2025 (Credit: Chris Jackson/PA Wire) Early in the day, William and Kate visited a dairy farm and toured the NI Fire & Rescue Services new Learning and Development College near Cookstown. At the fire training college, William and Kate saw some of the training given to the next generation of firefighters. Both appeared impressed by the facilities, officially opened in May, which can replicate a range of dangerous scenarios in the safety of a learning environment with instructors at hand. The couple were taken a short distance across the 50-acre site in the red engine, but travelled at a sedate pace much to Kates dismay. Newly-qualified firefighters Caoimhe McNeice, (25), and Piarais McCaffery, (32), joined the royal guests for part of the visit, and revealed how the princess had wanted to act out a 999 call. Ms McNeice said about the driver: He got us there safely. I think he was on a limit for his speed. The princess wanted the sirens on, but he was strictly told no. It was just a bit of banter, she said, Id love to drive at the real speed and have the sirens on. Kate also wanted her husband to take the wheel, Ms McNeice said. She wanted the prince to drive, but the driver got us there anyway. In the afternoon, William and Kate visited Mallon Farm near Cookstown in Co Tyrone, a dairy farm for generations before turning to flax growing in 2020. The Prince and Princess of Wales Helen Keys and Charlie Mallon showed them flax fields and explained their efforts to promote a sustainable linen industry. Kate tried an old mechanical technique of breaking bunches of flax to soften it, before being shown a large restored 1940s machine, which she said was like a hairbrush. Full-time carer Tiernan Stuart said he was inspired by Henry VII banning Irish gentry from wearing more than 22 yards of linen to make a mini spinning machine in his spare time. Showing them the mini machine, he said he would like to see children encouraged to try and make something similar. It sounds like you should be launching a design challenge, William told him. Amazing designers would be able to come through and produce something. Lough Neagh has been blighted by blue-green algae for the third summer in a row ( Northern Irelands Agriculture and Environment Minister has said he is fast losing patience with the Department for Infrastructure over water pollution. Andrew Muir also expressed his concern that Belfast Lough could potentially become the next Lough Neagh in terms of pollution. The minister was speaking at the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee during a special meeting on the environmental situation at Lough Neagh. Andrew Muir expressed concern that Belfast Lough could become the next Lough Neagh (PA) The lough, which is the UKs largest freshwater lake by surface area, was this year blighted by noxious blooms of blue-green algae for the third summer in a row. It saw the eel-fishing season cut short this summer, as well as advice against bathing at several north coast beaches because of the blue-green algae having been detected moving along Lower Bann River to the area. Mr Muir told MPs the cause is down to an excess of nutrients from a number of sources, including waste water, septic tanks and agriculture, exasperated by climate change and the invasive species Zebra Mussels. He said that implementation of the Lough Neagh Recovery Plan is progressing well, with 14 of the 37 actions delivered, with 22 underway, while one remains dependant on another action that is being taken forward. DUP MP Gavin Robinson highlighted the assessment that one of the culprits is NI Water, and noted the body is not responsible to Mr Muirs department, but to the Department for Infrastructure, and questioned whether Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has questions to answer. Mr Muir responded saying he is losing patience with Infrastructure. Stormont Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins (Liam McBurney/PA) He told MPs: The issue of sewage pollution is an issue of great concern for me, not just in relation to Loch Neagh, but also in other water bodies, such as, for example, Belfast Lough Belfast Lough is fast becoming the potential to become the next Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland. We also have other water bodies, such as, for example, in relation to Lough Erne, and sewage pollution is playing a role in regards to those and that is a concern for me. My role sits in terms of regulation and enforcement around pollution, and Ive been clear that I dont think its acceptable that we have a separate regulatory regime for Northern Ireland Water. I dont think thats fair. Im fast losing patience with the Department for Infrastructure in regards to this issue of sewage pollution. We need to be brave, and if people bring forward to me proposals to turn the situation around, Im not going to be found wanting in regards to that. But its important everyone plays their role, and yes, I think it would be useful if the Minister for Infrastructure would come in front of your committee and engage with you with regards to these issues. Ill come forward and Ill take responsibility for the stuff that sits on my shoulders but others need to do the same as well. I think its important we do that. Mr Muir said he has been very clear that we need to have stronger legislation and enforcement around sewage pollution, adding that the situation at the moment is not tenable. Ill be bringing a paper to Executive colleagues in the time ahead in relation to this, he said. Meanwhile in terms of the Nutrient Action Programme, Mr Muir said he has set up a group to look at consultation responses and any alternative proposals, and he is expecting a report before Christmas. Mr Muir also emphasised the importance of listening to scientists, telling MPs that the situation had been warned of. Its really important we listen to scientists, and my concern in recent times has been the deliberate debasing of science and evidence in terms of peer-reviewed academic research around the situations we are facing, he said. Its important to respect science and evidence, and to take action in response to it. In an earlier session with Lough users, Kathleen McBride of the Lough Neagh Fishermens Co-operative Society said over the last three years, their members have seen a deterioration in the quantities of fish being fished. Youll also be aware of the quality of the eel now being captured, she told MPs. From a commercial perspective, we are the industry that has suffered most at the heart of this, and we feel that the lough itself has to be brought back to some sort of balance going forward because we went from a reasonable income for fishermen last year to having absolutely nothing because of the situation with the eels. If that was to happen in any other industry, that would be an outcry, and an appeal today that that is an outcry to go from income to absolutely zero over the last 12 months. Meanwhile, Gerry Darby, manager of the Lough Neagh Partnership, said there has also been significant habitat loss around the shores of the lough, with 12% of species in the lough at extinction, and just four breeding pairs of curlew left on the shores. Speaking after the meeting, Mr Robinson called for Ms Kimmins to step up to the challenge on Lough Neagh and appear before the committee over water pollution. There has been a near singular focus on the impact of agriculture on Lough Neagh, to the exclusion of other factors, he said. Amongst the other significant factors is the outlet of sewage into Lough Neagh and that is recognised within the Lough Neagh Action Plan. The Infrastructure Minister should come before the NI Affairs Committee and engage on this issue. Police Federation backs families call for Chinook disaster public inquiry Only full probe can bring truth to light, says union chairman Kelly The wreckage of the Chinook on the Mull of Kintyre after the crash on June 2, 1994 (Photo by Chris Bacon/PA Andrew Madden Wed 15 Oct 2025 at 07:57 The Police Federation for Northern Ireland has backed calls for a public inquiry into the 1994 Chinook disaster. One teenager dead and two juveniles injured in an apparent stabbing in north Dublin Gardai are investigating if a 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death at an emergency care facility in Dublin this morning following a row with another teen. A male juvenile was arrested at the scene in Donaghemede but has not yet been formally detained as he is in hospital being treated for non-life threatening injuries. Emergency services were alerted to the property in the Grattan Wood apartment complex shortly after 11am after receiving reports of a stabbing at the unit used by Tusla as emergency accommodation for separated juveniles seeking international protection. Gardai arrived at the scene and discovered a 17-year-old with serious suspected stab wounds. Despite efforts of paramedics to revive him, he was pronounced dead a short time later. First responders assisted a number of other juveniles and adults at the scene while a woman was hospitalised. Another juvenile international protection applicant currently receiving medical treatment in hospital is understood to have been the teenager arrested at the scene. The Garda Technical Bureau at Grattan Wood, Donaghmede (Bairbre Holmes/PA) Gardai are attempting to establish the circumstances surrounding the fatal stabbing, including whether a row broke prior to the assault, and determine what led to the incident escalating. Tusla said in a statement this afternoon that the accommodation provides 24-hour care for four separated juveniles seeking asylum. Gardai say they are following a definite line of inquiry into the incident and are not looking for anyone else. A criminal investigation is now under way, with detectives trying to establish the circumstances of the fatal incident. The area has been declared a crime scene and sealed off to facilitate an examination by members of the Garda Technical Bureau. An incident room has been established and a Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) has also been appointed to oversee the homicide inquiry. A garda spokesperson said that are investigating all the circumstances of a fatal incident that occurred today, 15th October 2025 at an emergency residential premises in Donaghmede, Dublin 13. Shortly after 11am Gardai and other emergency services responded to a call for assistance at the residential premises, they said. On arrival a seriously injured male juvenile teenager was discovered at the scene. Despite the assistance of paramedics the male has subsequently been pronounced deceased at the scene. Gardai and emergency services assisted a number of other juveniles and adults at the scene. A male teenager has been taken to hospital in the Dublin Region for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. A female adult received medical attention at the scene for non-life threatening injuries, and is receiving further medical attention at hospital. The incident is no longer active and there is no ongoing threat to the community. An Garda Siochana is not looking for any other person in relation to this incident at this time and is following a definite line of enquiry. The scene has been preserved for a Garda technical examination. The Offices of the Coroner and the State Pathologist have been notified. The body will be removed in due course, and a post mortem examination will be carried out. The results of the post-mortem examination will assist in determining the course of the ongoing investigation. No further information is available at this time. In a statement the Child and Family Agency said: "Tusla can confirm that a serious incident took place at one of our emergency residential units in North Dublin, which provides care on a 24-hour basis to four separated young people seeking international protection. The incident involved two young people, during which a fatal injury was sustained. An Garda Siochana are now conducting a full investigation, and we are co-operating fully with their enquiries. Our immediate priority is the safety and wellbeing of the other young people and staff at this unit. We are providing additional supports to everyone directly affected and making efforts to contact the families of the young people who were residing there. In order to protect the privacy of the young people involved, and given the ongoing Garda investigation, we are not in a position to provide further detail at this time. Eoin Hayes has been announced as the Social Democrats spokesman on social protection. Last month, Mr Hayes was at the centre of controversy after it emerged he wore blackface make-up as part of a Barack Obama costume at a Halloween party 16 years ago. The Dublin Bay South TD described the incident, while he was the 22-year-old president of the University College Cork Students Union, as a huge mistake. Mr Hayes, who said he worked on former US president Mr Obamas re-election campaign in 2012, apologised and said he took full responsibility for his completely inappropriate actions and condemned racism in all its forms. Pictures of the incident emerged shortly after he was readmitted to the parliamentary party following a previous controversy. The Social Democrats won 11 seats in Novembers poll but he was indefinitely suspended from the parliamentary party in December, just a month after being elected. It came after he gave incorrect statements about shares he held in a company linked to the Israeli military. He had initially told the media and his party colleagues that he divested shares in his former employer, Palantir Technologies, before being elected to Dublin City Council last June. But he later disclosed that he sold the shares last July, after taking office, for a pre-tax figure of 199,000 euros. The Social Democrats had been calling for economic sanctions against Israel months before Mr Hayess election to the council. His suspension was lifted by the party in July. After the blackface incident, Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns insisted her party colleague deserved a chance to regain peoples trust. She announced an update in spokespeople roles in the parliamentary party on Wednesday. Ms Cairns said: I know Deputy Hayes will work hard in this brief, on behalf of some of the most vulnerable people in the country, and continue to ensure the Government faces strong and constructive opposition. Chinese intelligence services are carrying out large scale espionage operations against the UK but the Government is committed to a positive relationship with Beijing, deputy national security adviser Matt Collins said. In a witness statement which ultimately contributed to the collapse of the China spy case, Mr Collins said the Government sought to strengthen understanding, cooperation and stability in its relationship with Beijing. Mr Collins provided three witness statements as part of the Crown Prosecution Services case, which was ultimately dropped when it was deemed the evidence did not show China was a threat to national security. Sir Keir Starmer announced at Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday the Government would publish the statements made by Mr Collins as part of the case. The Conservatives have been pressing ministers over their handling of the collapsed trial of Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry. Both men, who deny wrongdoing, had been accused of passing secrets to China, but charges against them were dropped last month. In his final witness statement, dated August 4 this year, Mr Collins said: The Chinese intelligence services are highly capable and conduct large scale espionage operations against the UK to advance the Chinese states interests and harm the interests and security of the UK. Chinas espionage operations threaten the UKs economic prosperity and resilience and the integrity of our democratic institutions. But in the concluding paragraph of his final statement he said: It is important for me to emphasise, however, that the UK Government is committed to pursuing a positive relationship with China to strengthen understanding, co-operation and stability. The Governments position is that we will co-operate where we can; compete where we need to; and challenge where we must, including on issues of national security. Questions were raised about why the final paragraph reflects the current Governments stance on China. The Prime Minister had insisted the substantive evidence was submitted under the Conservatives and supplementary statements handed to the CPS subsequently reflected the Tory administrations position. Luke de Pulford, the executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac), posted on X: If ALL that mattered was the policy of the PREVIOUS government, why would the CURRENT governments three Cs China policy be included? Doesnt make sense. Conservative MP Neil OBrien said: At PMQs Starmer said that the only thing that mattered was the position of the previous conservative government. So why does the third witness statement from the 4th of August talk about the policy of the present Labour government, in the present tense? Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions, said in a letter last week that the evidence needed to show that China represented a threat to national security when the alleged offences took place. He said there was an ongoing obligation to independently assess the evidence of a case and that while he stood by the decision to bring charges in April 2024, a High Court decision weeks later meant the threshold for the evidence had changed. He said he made efforts to obtain further evidence over many months but that none of these stated that at the time of the offence China represented a threat to national security. The Conservatives said the publication of witness statements relating to the collapsed China spying case falls short of what they had requested and urged the China files to be published in full. A Conservative Party spokesman said: There are still many unanswered questions about this scandal from the role of the national security adviser to the potential involvement or knowledge of ministers, and ultimately whether the Prime Minister or the security minister has misled the House of Commons throughout this process. We will consider this disclosure. But it is clear that this is just the start, and the China files must now be published in full and without delay. Until that time the stench of scandal will hang around this Government. The Liberal Democrats called for a statutory inquiry. The partys foreign affairs spokesperson, Calum Miller, said: These witness statements are only part of the puzzle and raise yet more unanswered questions. Former researcher Mr Cash meanwhile said he is completely innocent and has been placed in an impossible position because he has not been able to prove it in a public trial. I wish to reiterate that I am completely innocent. Not just because the case against me was dropped, but because at no point did I ever intentionally assist Chinese intelligence, he said on Wednesday night. He added: I have been placed in an impossible position. I have not had the daylight of a public trial to show my innocence, and I should not have to take part in a trial by media. Flowers left at the scene on Ravenscraig Road near Ashtons Field, Salford, in Greater Manchester, where the remains of a baby were found in a field (Ryan Jenkinson/PA) Detectives trying to identify a baby whose body was found in a field almost a year ago hope a distinctive piece of underwear will help them track down her parents. The infant was named Ava after her remains were discovered by a dog walker near Ashtons Field in Salford, Greater Manchester, on November 20 last year. In a re-appeal for information on Wednesday, Greater Manchester Police said a pair of ladies underwear, in size large and featuring a pattern of what are believed to be cartoon donkeys, was recovered from the scene. DNA recovered from the material had not led them to the girls parents, a force spokesman said. He added: Our inquiries so far have led us to believe the underwear is not manufactured in the UK, but can be shipped wholesale. We hope given their distinctive nature that somebody recognises them. Underwear found at the scene where a babys body was discovered in a field nearly a year ago (Greater Manchester Police/PA) Detectives, who made an appeal on BBCs Crimewatch Live on Wednesday, said Ava was believed to have been born at 38 to 39 weeks gestation and that the pregnancy may have been concealed or unregistered. They revealed that the baby was believed to have been buried initially, before she was found on top of a layer of snow next to an area which may have been disturbed by animals. Ongoing inquiries are being carried out with experts including an anthropologist, archaeologist, entomologist and dentist to establish Avas age, ethnicity, how long she may have been in the location she was found and any other facts, the force said. Detective Chief Inspector Charlotte Whalley said: This investigation so far has been extremely complex, but we are using every possible resource and expert available to us to uncover what happened to baby Ava. We have followed up on hundreds of public tips, which demonstrates the care the community have for helping us get answers for Ava, but unfortunately these have not resulted in a positive identification so far. It will soon be a year since Ava was discovered at Ashtons Field, which may bring up memories for her parents or those who may have known this family. I implore you to reach out to us, to a support network or another agency so we can help and support you. We are not giving up on getting justice for Ava, and would encourage anyone with information to come forward and assist our investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting log 1319 of 20/11/24. New technology could help to predict dementia (Joe Giddens/PA) Eye-tracking technology can provide a cheaper alternative to diagnosing a genetic tendency towards Alzheimers disease than expensive and invasive medical procedures, a study has found. Research involving the University of Strathclyde examined the effectiveness of the technology in identifying people who have a genetic tendency towards the disease, years before any symptoms show. A system called ViewMind Atlas, which uses eye-tracking and software to provide functional analysis of brain health, was examined by the study. The system was used to detect carriers of the mutation and was 100% accurate for those who were already displaying symptoms, with 96% accuracy for those who were asymptomatic. Participants in the research were drawn from extended families in Colombia. An eye-tracking AI model was used to help distinguish between groups of people according to the presence or possibility of Alzheimers disease. The study found the tests are more accurate than traditional cognitive tests, which often do not detect Alzheimers until its symptoms become more apparent. Lead author Professor Mario Parra Rodriguez said: Most of the diagnostic approaches used in dementia are expensive and invasive, because they require injection of chemical radiotracers or extraction of fluids from the body that normally require hospital settings. ViewMind Atlas is helping us to predict Alzheimers dementia in people years before it becomes symptomatic. Doctors will receive people who are probably not yet at the stage of dementia, but they are noticing that something is going on and may have a family history. One of the greatest puzzles that providers face is to decide what the potential problem could be; is it age-related forgetfulness and not necessarily dementia? Or do these cognitive problems point towards a risk of dementia in the future, so that they could act promptly rather than waiting until the person is symptomatic? The charity Alzheimer Scotland said early detection of the disease is crucial. Alison McKean, director of policy and research, said: Alzheimer Scotland welcomes the results of this research and the prospect of having a reliable and non-invasive tool to identify people with an inherited form of Alzheimers disease. Slowing the progress of Alzheimers disease with early and accurate detection and treatment will mean that people can live independently for longer, reducing the demand on our health and social care systems. It can also give those affected time to prepare and plan for the future. But, more importantly, it will mean that people will be healthier for longer they will have more time to do the things which matter to them in their lives. A man injured when he was shot during the attack on a synagogue in Manchester has been discharged from hospital. Yoni Finlay is believed to have been hit by a police bullet at Heaton Park Hebrew Synagogue in Crumpsall on October 2 and underwent seven hours of surgery. He is reported to have been helping to barricade the doors as Jihad Al-Shamie targeted the place of worship on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, died during the attack. Mr Daulby is believed to have been inadvertently shot dead by armed police as they scrambled to the scene to stop Al-Shamie, who had driven his car at worshippers outside, attacked others with a knife and tried to storm the synagogue, wearing a fake suicide belt. Members of the community gather at Heaton Park Hebrew Synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, a week on from the terror attack (Peter Byrne/PA) A statement from Greater Manchester Police said: The man who was injured with a gunshot wound has been discharged from hospital and is recovering at home. The force said two other men injured in the attack, a security guard who was hurt when the attacker rammed his car outside the synagogue and a volunteer who was stabbed, remain in hospital in stable conditions. Mr Finlays ex-wife Naomi Finlay told BBC News following the attack: Hes in pain, obviously, but I think for him and anyone whos been injured or involved in any of that terrible day, I think its the emotional toll which is going to take a lot longer to recover from. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is carrying out an investigation into the attack as standard procedure, and is treating the officers who responded as witnesses, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said. She said that police acted in a situation where they believed a terrorist was likely to detonate an explosive device, adding: There is no ambiguity around who is responsible for the deaths and injuries that took place on that day. Syrias interim leader, who led a swift rebel offensive last year that ousted former Syrian president Bashar Assad despite years of Moscows support, has arrived in Russia on his first visit. Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa is set to hold talks in the Kremlin with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the current condition and prospects for the development of Russian-Syrian ties in the trade and economic and humanitarian spheres, as well as the latest developments in the Middle East, the Kremlin said. The meeting underlines Moscows desire to establish working ties with Syrias new leadership and secure Russias military foothold in the country. Mr Assad was an ally of Russia, and Moscows scorched-earth intervention in support of him a decade ago turned the tide of Syrias civil war, keeping Mr Assad in his seat until his swift removal in December. Russia, which has focused on the fighting in Ukraine and kept only a small military contingent in Syria, didnt try to counter the rebel offensive but offered asylum to Mr Assad after he fled the country. Syrian state news agency Sana reported that Mr al-Sharaa and Mr Putin will discuss regional and international developments of mutual interest and explore ways to develop cooperation to serve the common interests of both countries. Syrias interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa (AP) In a recent interview with the CBS News show 60 Minutes, Mr al-Sharaa said the current Syrian authorities will use all available legal means to demand the trial of Mr Assad. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Russias foreign minister Sergei Lavrov emphasised that Moscow granted asylum to Mr Assad on humanitarian grounds as he and his family faced physical extermination. Mr Lavrov rejected recent speculation that the former Syrian president had recently been treated for poisoning, saying that he had no problems in living in our capital and there have been no poisonings. Despite having been on opposite sides of the battle lines during the civil war, the new rulers in Damascus have taken a pragmatic approach to relations with Moscow. Russia has retained a presence at its air and naval bases on the Syrian coast and the Kremlin has voiced hope for negotiating a deal to keep the outposts. Moscow has also reportedly sent oil shipments to Syria. A Russian delegation visited Damascus in January, and Syrias foreign minister Asaad al-Shibani visited Moscow in July. In the CBS interview, Mr al-Sharaa noted that Russia has close and long-standing relations with Syria, which relate to the basic structure of the state and to energy and food, for which Syria depends partly on Russian supplies, as well as some old strategic interests. Tributes have poured in for a Belfast superhero who has died fighting in Ukraine. Lee Johnston, who was aged in his 40s, was on active duty for Ukraine, and was killed earlier this week by Russian forces. Mike Nesbitt has set out his vision for unionism at the UUP conference but is he ready to pass the baton? Meanwhile at Stormont, arguments over cultural issues take centre stage once again, with DUP MLA Phillip Brett accusing the TUVs Timothy Gaston of using chamber time to attack his party. 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. BENNINGTON The Bennington Select Board has appointed two residents to fill vacancies on the Community Policing Advisory Review Board. Select Board Vice Chair Jim Sullivan said during a meeting Monday that the new members, Lani DePonte-Disorda and Scott Richmond, had previously been interviewed by the board. Without further discussion, the board voted 5-1, with Nancy White abstaining, to appoint both candidates for the CPARB positions. DePonte-Disorda, owner with her husband, Nick Disorda, of Pangaea Restaurant + Cafe and Powers Market in North Bennington, said in her letter of interest for the CPARB position, Through my work and personal experience, I have seen firsthand how gaps in communication and understanding can lead to mistrust, tension, and unnecessary violence. I want to be part of the solution someone who bridges those gaps and advocates for community-driven safety, to be able to represent the concerns of the community to the [Bennington Police Department] towards a direction of mutually beneficial change. I believe in accountability that builds trust and in collaboration that drives lasting, positive change. She added, I am confident that my perspective as both a mother and a business leader brings value to the board's mission. I understand the need for a balanced approach that promotes the safety of our most disenfranchised community members, honors the state's pursuance of equity, and upholds our civil rights and community values. DePonte-Disorda also is a member of the North Bennington Graded School District Board. Richmond, who previously served on the CPARB, said in his letter, My time with CPARB recently came to an end, but I would like to submit my name for consideration as a candidate for one of the current openings on the board. I feel a lot is going on with CPARB and I still have much to offer. Two incumbent CPARB members, Richmond and Kelly Carroll, were not reappointed in June, and were replaced by the Select Board on the seven-member board. Both were critical of the Select Boards decisions. Carroll said in a text that she chose not to submit her name at this time for reappointment to the CPARB. It wasnt an easy decision, but I believe I can be more effective from the outside continuing to support the Bennington Police Department while holding the Select Board accountable for transparency, process and public trust, she said. She previously contended that, There is a loud anti-police voice in Bennington, but I believe it is a small one. I believe the majority of this community respects and supports our officers even if the Select Board doesnt always reflect that. Carroll also contended that her outspoken support for the police department was a factor in her not being reappointed. Also on Monday, CPARB Chair Kate Kost said the next board meeting will be Oct. 23 and will begin at 4 p.m. at the Bennington Firehouse, not at the usual meeting time of 6 p.m. She said there will be a presentation by Christopher Brickell, executive director of the Vermont Police Academy on Act 56, relating to the Professional Regulation of Law Enforcement Officers by the Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council. China's top legislator meets Cambodia's National Assembly president Xinhua) 09:53, October 15, 2025 Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, meets with Cambodia's National Assembly President Khuon Sudary, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Zhao Leji on Tuesday met with Cambodia's National Assembly President Khuon Sudary, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said China is willing to work with Cambodia to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, enhance the China-Cambodia "Diamond Hexagon" cooperation framework, strengthen political mutual trust, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, deepen people-to-people exchanges, and enhance law enforcement cooperation and multilateral collaboration. Zhao said the NPC of China is also prepared to deepen experience exchange with Cambodia's National Assembly in legislation and supervision. He further called for strengthened cooperation in areas such as poverty reduction and disease prevention for women to contribute to the global women's cause. Khuon Sudary expressed Cambodian National Assembly's willingness to play an active role in advancing the development of the relations between the two countries. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, meets with Cambodia's National Assembly President Khuon Sudary, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Pittsfield city councilors are calling for a comprehensive review of how the Shannon Grant is being used and whether longtime partner 18 Degrees is effectively reaching the youth most at risk of gun violence as the grant approaches renewal. LEE General Electric Co. has submitted a site preparation plan for the landfill that will hold sediments contaminated with lower levels of PCBs, preparing the site for the heavy construction work ahead. A timeline contained within the plan, made public last week by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, envisions site clearance work beginning Nov. 3 and continuing through January. It does not, however, include plans for constructing the landfill, which is expected to hold 1.3 million cubic yards of PCB-contaminated sediment from the Housatonic River and its floodplains, from the west-east branch confluence in Pittsfield to Rising Pond in Great Barrington. EPA conditionally approved GE's landfill plan in March. But unlike past plans submitted by the company in the Rest of River cleanup permitting process, there wont be a formal comment period for the prep work at the Upland Disposal Facility, including tree removal and utility installation. The EPA said in a press release that it will use an "expedited review process" and wont hold a formal public comment period. Stakeholders can still submit feedback, which the agency asks to receive as soon as possible, and EPA expects to respond to GE within a week. That said, Kleinfelder, the engineering consulting firm retained by the Town of Lee to advise it on the PCB cleanup, is reviewing the plan. The Lee PCB Advisory Committee will take up the consultants findings when it meets at 6 p.m. Oct. 22 in Lee Town Hall. [EPA] did reach out and say even though theres no formal comment period they will take comments from the town but we need to submit them as soon as possible, Lee Town Administrator Chris Brittain said. We are having our consultant review them as we speak. Jo Anne Kittrell, a spokeswoman for the EPA, said while a public comment period is not required, the agency is posting the document "for transparency," and public comments are welcomed. The scope of work includes demolishing a nearby abandoned residence, installing or moving existing fences, installing a new water supply line, building a new entrance to the site from Woodland Road, relocating an existing utility pole and wires away from that new entrance and clearing trees and brush. The new main entrance, from Woodland Road, will require demolition of a house at the landfill site. The work will include decommissioning an existing drinking water well and removing a septic tank. According to the plan, contractors are hoping to begin tree work as close to Nov. 1 as possible, but no sooner, given that tree clearing work is allowed only between November 1 and March 31 to avoid adverse impacts to potential roosting rare bats. The contractor will use best management practices to control dust, and will work only during daylight hours to avoid disrupting the neighboring community at night. In a consent decree approved by a federal court in 2000, General Electric agreed to remove PCBs, a suspected cause of cancer, from the Housatonic River and its floodplains. The company used the chemical in manufacturing power transformers in Pittsfield and disposed of them in the river. A cleanup plan approved in 2016 would have hauled all removed contaminated sediments out of the region. But GE successfully challenged that plan, and in 2020 reached a mediated settlement, negotiated behind closed doors, resulting in lower-level sediments being disposed in a landfill on a 75-acre former sand and gravel quarry off Woodland Road. It purchased the site from the Lane Construction Co. for $6.2 million in 2021. Angered Lee residents voted out all three Select Board members who voted to approve the plan. But a lawsuit challenging the landfill plan was tossed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit in 2023. Environmental advocates and Lee residents remain deeply concerned over the site, because its near the Housatonic and sits over a significant groundwater aquifer. While the landfill is designed with multiple liner layers and a leachate collection and treatment system, opponents have warned it could leak PCBs back into the environment and the river if the containment system fails. But EPA officials have voiced confidence that the landfill will work as designed, and that the location will allow workers to remove contaminated sediments from Woods Pond via hydraulic suction. They have also asserted that the greater risk is leaving PCBs in the river, where they bioaccumulate in fish and waterfowl. Signs remain posted along the river warning anglers and hunters not to eat what they catch. While the cleanup concept has remained static, parts of the plan have evolved, particularly transportation. The initial GE transportation plan, which relied on trucking through downtown Lenox and Lee, was sent back to the drawing board by EPA. It was replaced by a plan relying heavily on hydraulic suction of contaminated sediment and use of the Housatonic Railroad, which runs along the river, to move sediment to the landfill or out of the area. Access this story and all of our stories with 24/7 unlimited access. Jeff Robbins, a part-time resident of Stockbridge, is a former U.S. delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Council and a former assistant U.S. attorney and chief counsel for the Democrats on the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Reach him at Jeffrey.Robbins@saul.com. Quality local journalism needs your support Access this story and all of our stories with 24/7 unlimited access. Subscribe today. Cancel anytime. Subscribe now for 99 Subscriber Sign In | Return Home BillOReilly.com is not available in this country. We apologize for any inconvenience. dhaRti BioNEST Incubation Centre opens at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Dharwad October 15, 2025 | Wednesday | News To serve as a catalyst for biotech and deep-tech innovation Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, inaugurated the dhaRti BioNEST Incubation Centre at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Dharwad supported jointly through the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) and DBT BIRAC. The dhaRti BioNEST Centre at IIT Dharwad will serve as a catalyst for biotech and deep-tech innovation, offering startups state-of-the-art infrastructure, plug-and-play labs, mentorship, and access to funding and networks helping transform breakthrough ideas into scalable ventures. In her address, the Minister shared her perspectives on Indias rapidly evolving innovation and entrepreneurship landscape. She emphasised that a young innovators main business is to keep innovating, highlighting the need for an enabling ecosystem that allows innovators to focus on ideation while institutions and industry facilitate pathways for product development and commercialization. The Minister highlighted Indias strong infrastructure, the increasing collaboration between academia and industry, and the importance of mentorship and teamwork in building a future-ready generation. Gracing the occasion as the Guest of Honour, Dr Jitendra Kumar, Managing Director, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), commended the visionary step that integrates regional development with the national biotechnology mission. In his address, Dr Kumar highlighted how the dhaRti BioNEST Centre symbolises the crown jewel of Indias innovation ecosystem. He emphasised that BioNEST centres have become powerful economic engines, nurturing over 20 startups annually, each contributing to high-value innovation, job creation, and the strengthening of Indias bioeconomy. NIT Rourkela pioneers green alternative to fight antibiotic resistance October 15, 2025 | Wednesday | News Study has focused on finding an eco-friendly way to kill harmful bacteria Researchers at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela have used extracts from medicinal plants to produce potent antibacterial agents that are environmentally safe and effective. The research addresses the problem of antimicrobial resistance. The overuse of traditional antibiotics has resulted in the rise of superbugs that have become resistant to these treatments. All around the world, scientists are seeking alternative methods to fight these superbugs. One promising class of materials that has been studied is Zinc oxide nanoparticles, materials so tiny that tens of thousands of them could fit across the width of a human hair. These tiny particles damage the bacterial cells and disrupt their normal functions. Electrically charged Zinc ions damage the cell membrane by producing reactive molecules that stress and kill the bacteria, as well as by blocking the cells vital processes. Conventional synthesis of these nanoparticles involves the use of harsh chemicals that can be toxic to humans and/or the environment. To address this NIT Rourkela researchers have used an eco-friendly approach to producing the Zinc oxide nanoparticles. Instead of using harsh chemicals, the researchers used extracts from leaves and petals of Marigold, Mango, and Eucalyptus to reduce zinc salts into zinc oxide nanocrystals with adsorbed phytocompounds from the extracts. Highlighting the importance of the research, Prof. Suman Jha, Associate Professor. Department of Life Science, NIT Rourkela, said, The green-synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles with phyto-corona, as a sustainable and effective antimicrobial platform, offer a promising solution to combat antimicrobial resistance while leveraging the medicinal properties of surface-adsorbed plant-derived phytocompounds. This work is a step toward developing a new generation of green nanomaterials that can support sustainable healthcare systems. Our vision is to develop scalable, affordable, and environmentally safe antimicrobial materials that can be integrated into healthcare, sanitation, and food preservation applications. By harnessing Indias rich biodiversity and indigenous plant resources, we aim to create self-reliant innovations that contribute meaningfully to global health and sustainability goals. 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. State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Postal Code Apple will increase investment in China, the company's chief executive Tim Cook said during a meeting with the country's industry minister in Beijing on Wednesday, according to an official summary of their exchange. Many US companies have become cautious about relations with China as the world's two biggest economies have clashed over trade tariffs and as US president Donald Trump seeks to promote manufacturing in the United States rather than elsewhere. But Mr Cook told China's industry minister Li Lecheng the iPhone maker will keep investing in China, the Chinese ministry said, although the summary gave no details of the size of the projected investment. Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment. The tech giant, which has also made investment pledges to Washington, has so far managed to be relatively unscathed by the trade war between the United States and China. Advertisement Other companies, such as Nvidia and Qualcomm have found themselves the target of Chinese investigations. Washington has long placed sanctions on Chinese companies such as Huawei. Balancing act A Shanghai-based government affairs consultant, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak with media, said US companies are wary of angering a White House that could hurt them at home in the world's biggest consumer market for appearing too pro-China. At the same time, they are seeking to avoid appearing insincere in Beijing where they have pledged to be "in China, for China," he added. Mr Cook in August presented Mr Trump with a custom US-made plaque mounted on a 24-carat gold stand commemorating Apple's "American Manufacturing Programme," after saying it would invest an additional $100 billion (86 billion) in domestic manufacturing. When Mr Cook visited China in March, Apple made public its plans for a new clean energy fund there worth 720 million yuan ($101 million). Meanwhile, Apple, which relies on suppliers and factories in China where most of its iPhones are assembled, has been trying to shift some manufacturing capacity to India. Apple's COO Sabih Khan on Tuesday visited Lens Technology , a Chinese glass supplier for Apple, the Changsha-based company said in a statement on Wednesday. Lens Technology produces glass covers for Apple products including the iPhone and Apple Watch and has been a partner for 19 years, it said. China hopes Apple will continue to explore the Chinese market and grow together with Chinese suppliers, the industry minister, Li Lecheng, who is also in charge of infotech, told Mr Cook, adding that China would continue to foster a good business environment for foreign companies, including Apple. Advertisement 'Choosing China' Apple's shipments in China grew 0.6 per cent from a year earlier to 10.8 million units in the third quarter against the backdrop of sluggish demand in China's smartphone market, according to data research firm IDC on Wednesday. Boosted by the iPhone 17 series, it was the only brand among China's three biggest vendors to achieve growth in shipments during the period. As part of his visit to China this week, Mr Cook visited Apple's store in Shanghai and met Chinese game developers and the designer of the popular Labubu dolls, he said in posts on China's X-like Weibo. On Monday, he said the iPhone Air would be available for pre-order in China after the industry ministry cleared the way for major telecom operators to support its eSIM functionality. "The business community has always been a stabiliser of China-U.S. relations and a promoter of pragmatic cooperation," China's ambassador to the US, Xie Feng, said during an event in Washington on Tuesday. Many US companies have "chosen China" and are benefiting both countries, Xie added. Hollywood actor Channing Tatum has described the real-life Roofman robber Jeffrey Manchester as a warm and optimistic person at the premiere of his new film inspired by his life. Roofman tells the true story of former United States Army Reserve officer Manchester (Tatum), who turned to crime and earned his nickname by drilling through roofs of branches of McDonalds at night so he could wait inside until morning and surprise staff to steal the takings. After escaping from prison in North Carolina in 2004, Manchester hid in a nearby Toys R Us store for several months, surviving on sweets and baby food, and spying on staff through a makeshift surveillance system using child monitors. Channing Tatum attending the screening of Roofman at the Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall, London, as part of the BFI London Film Festival. Photo: Ian West/PA. Speaking at the BFI London Film Festival where Roofman premiered on Tuesday night, Tatum reflected on Manchesters life story and what led him to become a criminal. I personally think were probably all about one or two decisions away from being in a very different place than we are, Tatum said. Advertisement I mean, you know, you think essentially that, Im so good today, Im fine and then someone cuts you off on the street, and youre just like, turning into a different person. Jeff made so many really questionable decisions, not even questions, just terrible ones. But lots of people make decisions when their back is against the wall, and I had so much projection and what I thought this person (Manchester) was going to be, especially after being incarcerated for so long. Channing Tatum and Kristen Dunst attending the screening of Roofman at the Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall (Ian West/PA) During forays outside the building, Manchester sparked romance with local woman Leigh Wainscott portrayed on screen by Kirsten Dunst and became an active member of a local church under the assumed name of John Zorn. Tatum also opened up about a phone conversation he had with Manchester, who is currently serving a 40-year sentence in prison in Raleigh, North Carolina. When I got on the phone with him, he was just the most warm, optimistic, unbelievably understanding of who he was and where hes at and why hes there, Tatum said. Channing Tatum attending the screening of Roofman as part of the BFI London Film Festival (Ian West/PA) Entertainment Josh OConnor says idea people talk about his image makes him uncomfortable Read more And he was like, Look, Im in the right place. Hes like, Im exactly where I should be, I just didnt agree with how long they gave me for my sentence. This movie specifically meant something to me, Tatum added. Roofman, directed by Derek Cianfrance, is in UK cinemas on Friday. Gerry Adams is to take legal action against the UK governments proposed retrospective law change to block him from securing compensation for being interned during the Troubles. The former Sinn Fein president has confirmed the move in response to the UK governments Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, which seeks to prevent him and others detained without trial from seeking payouts based on a judicial decision that ruled their internment unlawful on a legal technicality. On Tuesday evening, the veteran republican said he would be consulting with lawyers to explore what legal options there are, both in the UK and Europe, to challenge the move. On Wednesday, he confirmed that he intended to mount a legal challenge. I have instructed my legal team that it is my intention to pursue legal action against Keir Starmers decision to retrospectively change a law which a Conservative government broke over 50 years ago, he said. Advertisement Mr Adams highlighted that the measure was included in a Bill that also introduced new protections designed to address concerns of military veterans who are asked to engage in legacy mechanisms in Northern Ireland. The measures include the option of witnesses giving evidence remotely. The former Sinn Fein leader accused the UK of hypocrisy and duplicity, claiming it was legislating to protect British soldiers and RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary) officers from facing the legal consequences of their criminal actions. A Supreme Court judgment in 2020 initially paved the way for Mr Adams to secure compensation over his internment in the early 1970s. He won his appeal to overturn historical convictions for two attempted prison breaks, after he was interned in 1973 at Long Kesh internment camp, also known as Maze Prison, near Lisburn. The Supreme Court ruled that his detention was unlawful because the interim custody order (ICO) used to initially detain him had not been considered personally by then secretary of state for Northern Ireland Willie Whitelaw. At the time of the case, the previous government contended that the ICOs were lawful because of a long-standing convention, known as the Carltona principle, where officials and junior ministers routinely act in the name of the secretary of state. Mr Adams subsequently successfully challenged a decision to deny an application for compensation for his detention. However, the 2023 Legacy Act introduced by the last Conservative government stopped such payouts to Mr Adams and other former internees. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn presented the Troubles Bill to Parliament on Tuesday (PA) The Act retrospectively validated the ICOs to make them lawful and halted civil claims related to the orders. However, in February last year, the High Court in Belfast ruled that the provisions of the Act related to the ICOs were incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. Advertisement The Labour Government did not appeal against that section of the High Court judgment but instead pledged to find a lawful means to block payouts. The Troubles Bill presented to Parliament on Tuesday proposes to reaffirm the so-called Carltona principle into law, a move the Government believes will prevent payouts. While the Legacy Acts provisions in relation to ICOs, sections 46 and 47, were ruled incompatible with the ECHR by the High Court, the Government is retaining those sections on the statute book until such time as the Troubles Bill becomes law. The Bill also gives legislative effect to several measures contained in a joint framework for dealing with the legacy of the Troubles recently agreed by the UK and Irish governments. The tribunal for hearing asylum seeker appeals paid out nearly 1.4 million in fees last year, with one lawyer accounting for almost 15 per cent of that total. Barrister John Noonan was paid 199,705 for his work with the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) in 2024. He was one of two people who earned in excess of 100,000 for hearing cases involving failed applicants for international protection. IPAT said fees totalling 1.37 million had been paid last year to 80 different legal practitioners for their work. Payments ranged from six-figure sums to just 245 for lawyers who only took on one or two cases. Four people earned between 50,000 and 100,000, while 17 were paid between 25,000 and 50,000 for their work with IPAT. There were payments of between 10,000 and 25,000 for 13 lawyers, while 44 earned less than 10,000 for dealing with asylum appeals. IPAT said that over the past 20 months, they had received more than 18,000 appeals from applicants who were refused the right to stay in Ireland. Advertisement During that period, 6,205 decisions were issued, of which 71 percent or 4,408 cases altogether were unsuccessful for the asylum seeker. The IPAT data showed, however, that 1,797 applicants either had their original decision set aside or were granted refugee status on appeal. Figures covering the period from January 2024 to the end of August this year also show that the highest number of appeals were received from citizens of Nigeria, Georgia, Algeria, Somalia, and Jordan. Success rates varied by nationality, according to a database of cases. For Georgians, 22 per cent of initially failed asylum claims were either granted or set aside following appeal. Among Nigerians, the equivalent figure was around 14 percent, while Somalis successfully appealed in roughly 12 per cent of cases. IPAT said the 1.37 million in fees were paid on the basis of set rates depending on the type of hearing involved. For a papers-only case with no oral hearing, a tribunal member is paid 490, with higher fees applying if a spouse or children are involved. In a case with an oral hearing, the fee is 730, again with higher rates if other family members are involved. Decisions in cases over admissibility or follow-up appeals are paid at rates starting at 365, while fees are also payable where appeals are withdrawn. For a case withdrawn prior to a hearing, the fee is 245 while if its withdrawn post-hearing, the payment rises to 490. A fee of 245 also applies where a hearing is postponed on the day. Asked about the records, a spokesperson said they had nothing further to add to the information that was released under FOI. The National Childrens Hospital is set to miss yet another completion target, adding to a long list of delays for Irelands most expensive public build. This will be the 16th time the project has been delayed, with works now expected to be completed next year. Building on the site at St Jamess Hospital in Dublin began in 2016 after years of disagreement over the location of the hospital. Costs continued to grow, rising from 987 million to 2.2 billion, with repeated delays exacerbated by an increasingly fractious relationship between the builders, BAM, and the board overseeing the project, the Irish Times reported. The main contractor, BAM, is facing growing pressure as costs continue to rise and deadlines slip further. The project has faced years of complaints about lack of transparency and delays, with numerous meetings held by now-dissolved Joint Committee on Health to discuss the project. Advertisement Ireland Concerns grow over further delays to opening of 2.2bn National Children's Hospital Read more In one such meeting, reported by the Irish Times, Fine Gael Senator Martin Conway said the absence of updates was "nothing short of disgraceful". Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Aontu announced that they would table a vote of no confidence in the Tanaiste, over his handling over child healthcare. Party leader Peadar Toibin told reporters on Tuesday: We believe, if you look at the crisis within CHI and the crisis within the National Childrens Hospital that Simon Harris is not fit to be a minister in this Government, and we are calling for his resignation. The vote will be held at 3.30pm on Wednesday. Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick ODonovan, has described the governments motion of confidence in Tanaiste Simon Harris as an opportunity to clear the decks in terms of government business. We're going to lay out in very clear terms what has been done and what is being done. "There have been failures, there's no doubt about that and I'm not as a father condoning in any way what hasn't been done for children who haven't been properly served but by the same token we have made huge strides in the last number of years and we are going to continue to do that, he told RTE radios Today with Claire Byrne show. I think the most important thing here is that, first of all, that we're able to deal with Simon Harris's record, not just as Tanaiste, as Taoiseach and as minister, but as well as that, that we are able to deal with some of the issues that have been referred to by Aontu too, that we'll deal with them this week. Advertisement Mr ODonovan said that Peader Toibins motion of no confidence in Simon Harris was about politics, as opposed to childrens health. There was a multiplicity of issues for donkeys years in relation to failures in the health service, he said. There were situations where health issues were going to arise on an individual basis and I'm not condoning that. What I am saying is that we have a government at the moment that is clearly focused and there are parents, grandparents in that government who are absolutely at one. That we have to do better by the children who seek assistance and it's not only children, it's adults as well . When asked if the confidence vote could have an impact on the presidential election, Mr ODonovan said that remained to be seen. Is this really about health or is it about the fact that he doesn't have a horse in the race? I genuinely don't know. Independent TD Barry Heneghan said he was 'treated like an animal' by the Israeli Defence Forces when the aid flotilla he was on was detained. The Dublin Bay North TD said that nothing could have prepared him for the fear and mistreatment he and others faced. He and several other Irish activists were among those detained by Israeli forces over the past two weeks, after being on board flotillas bound for Gaza with aid. Speaking on The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk, Mr Heneghan described his experience: "We were expecting to be intercepted the day after or in two days, because we were very, very far out in international waters. I think it's very important that people know that. "They just came out of nowhere. You're getting screamed at, guns pointed to your head. Advertisement "The focus is on the Palestinians, because if they're doing that to EU representatives, you can imagine what they're doing to the 11,000 Palestinians they have in prison and the 400 children who don't have a voice to go back to." Ireland Gaza Flotilla activist says detainees separated by religion Read more He said it was 'roughhouse' with forces "screaming at you 'you're an Irish dog', they treat us like animals. And if they're doing that to us, again imagine what they are doing to Palestinians." Last Wednesday, it was announced that three flotilla vessels carrying medicine and nutritional supplies were intercepted just off the coast of Gaza. Mr Heneghan, a TD for the Dublin Bay North constituency, was one of five pro-Palestinian activists from Ireland who was aboard the vessel. Thousand Madleens flotilla, a group of nine boats that had been about 120 nautical miles from Gaza before it was intercepted. It was travelling behind the Global Sumud flotilla which was also intercepted last week. Two men have appeared in court in Co Donegal, where they have pleaded guilty to a total of 20 charges arising out of a large-scale people trafficking investigation. Eastern Europeans Georgijs Poniza, 37, and Armen Pogosyan, 32, appeared at Donegal Circuit Court, where both were due to stand trial on a number of charges. A large number of witnesses, including gardai, had been scheduled to give evidence in the trial, which was due to last up to six weeks before Judge Jonathan Dunphy. However, just before the trial was due to commence, both accused men changed their pleas to guilty on a number of the charges. Both men have addresses at Assaroe Falls in Ballyshannon but have been detained in prison after they were arrested by gardai two years ago. The charges to which the accused have pleaded include six different counts of people trafficking on various dates for each. Advertisement The pair also each pleaded guilty to four other charges relating to money laundering and forgery. The accused men were both arraigned separately on all charges and pleaded guilty before a jury of 12 people at Letterkenny Courthouse earlier on Wednesday. The first to plead was Pogosyan, who simply replied 'guilty' after each charge was put to him. Pogosyan is an Armenian national with an Uzbekistan passport. After a lunchtime recess, Poniza's legal counsel then told the court that he too wished to plead guilty to 10 charges. Poniza is a Latvian national. As well as the people trafficking charges, Pogosyan and Poniza, also pleaded to money laundering and forgery charges. Judge Jonathan Dunphy instructed that governor's reports be compiled on each accused as well as Probation and Welfare reports. Both men were remanded in custody and both cases were adjourned for mention to the next sitting of Donegal Circuit Court on December 9th. *This article was amended on December 9th, 2025 Actor Ralph Fiennes has said the comparison between his young The Choral cast members, who depict British soldiers in the First World War, and the Ukrainians fighting on the front line against Russia today is a painful point of reflection. The English actor, 62, stars in the upcoming historical drama The Choral, which follows his character, Dr Guthrie, as he recruits teenagers into a choral society after the male members are enlisted to fight in the First World War. Reflecting on the film, which is set nearly a century ago, Fiennes told the PA news agency: Its very disturbing to read about the situation in Ukraine, where many articles write about the parallels between the trench warfare of World War One and the sort of war of attrition you read about in the Ukraine front line. Ralph Fiennes attending a screening of The Choral at the Southbank Centre in London, as part of the BFI London Film Festival (Ian West/PA) I cant help thinking about the First World War and the same expectations of service the young men and women of Ukraine are having to confront. Something we havent but I feel, what does that do to your collective psyche? Directed by Nicholas Hytner, the film reflects on the impact music and art can have in giving meaning to life as the young boys and their loved ones cope with the painful knowledge of their inevitable conscription to the Army. Advertisement Speaking about his younger cast members, he added: Those young actors are the age they would have been called on to go and fight, and most likely, the risk of survival is minimal. So its quite a painful point of reflection and its going on. War doesnt stop. But I think what makes this film less of a sort of gloomy anti-war film is this proposal of the power of art, music. Jacob Dudman attending a screening of The Choral at the Southbank Centre (Ian West/PA) The film also stars House Of Guinness actress Emily Fairn, The Full Monty star Mark Addy, Steve star Roger Allam and The Stranger actor Jacob Dudman. Fiennes is known for playing Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter film series and more recently portrayed Cardinal Lawrence in Conclave, a thriller which follows his character as he is tasked with arranging a papal gathering to elect the next head of the Catholic Church. France could sink deeper into political crisis when the prime minister faces two attempts in Parliament to topple his fragile new government, which could leave President Emmanuel Macron with no palatable option other than calling snap legislative elections. Legislators in the National Assembly, the powerful but deeply divided lower house, will on Thursday vote on no-confidence motions filed by Mr Macrons fiercest opponents,the hard-left France Unbowed party and Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Rally and her allies in Parliament. If prime minister Sebastien Lecornu survives, it could be close. Should the ally of Mr Macron fall, the president has signalled through a government spokeswoman that he could dissolve the National Assembly rather than name a replacement for Mr Lecornu. He resigned as prime minister last week only for Mr Macron to re-appoint him again four days later. Advertisement The outcome of legislative elections that would follow any National Assembly dissolution is uncertain. But Ms Le Pens party, already the largest in the National Assembly, believes that it is poised to make strong gains, possibly putting the National Rally in government for the first time should Mr Macron take that route again, having tried it once before in June 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron (Aaron Schwartz/PA) Here is a closer look at the high-stake no-confidence votes: Ms Le Pen has for weeks been campaigning hard for fresh legislative elections, buoyed by polls that suggest that the National Rally could capitalise, as it did after the last dissolution in 2024. Ms Le Pen and her right-wing ally Eric Ciotti filed their censure motion the morning after the newly re-appointed prime minister named his new Cabinet on Sunday. It says that dissolving the National Assembly is the most efficient and most democratic way to get our country out of the dead end. The France Unbowed censure motion, also filed on Monday morning, argues that toppling Mr Lecornu could help spur the ousting of Mr Macron, too, even though the French leader has said that he has no intention of cutting short his second and last presidential term that ends in 2027. The resignation or the impeachment of Emmanuel Macron are the only solutions to offer a clear democratic outcome to the current chaos: a return to the ballot boxes. That way, the people will have the opportunity to turn the page on an authoritarian presidency, the motion says. Advertisement A majority of the 577 National Assembly legislators need to vote against Mr Lecornu for him and his government to fall. The National Assembly will convene at 9am local time on Thursday and the France Unbowed motion will be voted on first. Alone, the National Rally and France Unbowed cannot reach the required number of 289. Ms Le Pens party and its allied Union of the Right for the Republic led by Mr Ciotti together have 139 politicians. On the other end of the political spectrum, France Unbowed has 71. If they again pool votes despite their bitter ideological and personal rivalries, which they have done in the past, they will still need backing from other opposition politicians. A left-wing of grouping of 38 politicians including the Ecologists says it also will vote against Mr Lecornu. Many members of a smaller left-wing group of 17 politicians, in the large part communists, are also expected to follow suit. But together, Mr Lecornus opponents could still find themselves dozens of votes short of 289. There are some wildcards, however, and the outcome could still be close. Mr Macrons centrists are counting on support from their allies and for the opposition Socialists, with 69 politicians, and the conservative Republicans, with 50, to not vote against Mr Lecornu, because they could tip the outcome against him. In a big carrot to the Socialists, Mr Lecornu this week announced that he will suspend an extremely unpopular change to Frances retirement age, gradually raising it from 62 to 64. That flagship reform of Mr Macrons second term could now be sacrificed to buy time for Mr Lecornu and some stability in the National Assembly as it sets to work on debating Frances budget for 2026, a priority for the European Unions second-largest economy. Even if Mr Lecornu survives, politicians could file more no-confidence motions against his government in the weeks ahead in what are expected to be fractious budget negotiations. Its extremely precarious, said Camille Bedock, a political scientist with Frances National Centre for Scientific Research. The chances of survival remain extremely thin. Israel has received the remains of two more hostages, hours after the Israeli military said that one of the bodies previously turned over was not that of a hostage. The confusion added to tensions over the fragile truce that has paused the two-year war. The remains were transferred by the Red Cross from Hamas. After the two coffins arrived in Israel, the military in a statement cautioned that the hostages identities had yet to be verified. Meanwhile, the Gaza Health Ministry said it received 45 more bodies of Palestinians from Israel, another step in implementation of the ceasefire agreement. Lorries carrying aid from the World Food Programme drive through Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip (Jehad Alshrafi/AP) That brings to 90 the total number of bodies returned to Gaza for burial. The forensics team examining the remains said they showed signs of mistreatment. As part of the deal, four bodies of hostages were handed over by Hamas on Tuesday, following four on Monday that were returned hours after the last 20 living hostages were released from Gaza. Advertisement In all, Israel has been awaiting the return of the bodies of 28 hostages. The Israeli military said forensic testing showed that the fourth body handed over to Israel by Hamas does not match any of the hostages. There was no immediate word on whose body it was. In exchange for the release of the hostages, Israel freed around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees on Monday. Israel is expected to turn over more bodies, though officials have not said how many are in its custody or how many will be returned. It is unclear whether the remains belong to Palestinians who died in Israeli custody or were taken from Gaza by Israeli troops. Throughout the war, Israels military has exhumed bodies as part of its search for the remains of hostages. Red Cross vehicles carrying the bodies of deceased Palestinians held by Israel during the war arrive after their release (Jehad Alshrafi/AP) As forensic teams examined the first remains returned, the Health Ministry on Wednesday released images of 32 unidentified bodies to help families recognise missing relatives. The forensics team that received the bodies said some arrived still shackled or bearing signs of physical abuse. Sameh Hamad, a member of a commission tasked with receiving the bodies at Khan Younis Nasser Hospital, said some arrived with their hands and legs cuffed. Advertisement There are signs of torture and executions, he told the Associated Press. The bodies, he said, belonged to men aged 25 to 70. Mr Hamad said the Red Cross provided names for only three of the dead, leaving many families uncertain of their relatives fate. The fighting has killed nearly 68,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government in Gaza. The ministry maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. Thousands more people are missing, according to the Red Cross and Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. An Israeli police officer stands outside Ofer military prison near Jerusalem (Mahmoud Illean/AP) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded that Hamas fulfil the requirements laid out in the ceasefire deal about the return of hostages bodies. We will not compromise on this and will not stop our efforts until we return the last deceased hostage, until the last one, Mr Netanyahu said. The ceasefire plan introduced by US President Donald Trump had called for all hostages living and dead to be handed over by a deadline that expired on Monday. But under the deal, if that did not happen, Hamas was to share information about deceased hostages and try to hand them over as soon as possible. Mr Trump, in an interview with CNN, warned that Israel could resume the war if he feels Hamas is not upholding its end of the agreement. Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word, Mr Trump said. Advertisement This is not the first time Hamas has returned a wrong body to Israel. During a previous ceasefire, the group said it handed over the bodies of Shiri Bibas and her two sons among those taken in Hamass October 7 attack on Israel, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 abducted. Testing in February 2025 showed that one of the bodies returned was identified as a Palestinian woman. Ms Bibas body was returned a day later. Hamas and the Red Cross have said that recovering the remains of dead hostages was a challenge because of Gazas vast destruction, and Hamas has told mediators that some are in areas controlled by Israeli troops. Two hostages whose bodies were released from Gaza were being buried on Wednesday. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Kassem said on the Telegram messaging app that the group was working to return the bodies of the hostages as agreed. Mr Kassem also accused Israel of violating the deal with shootings on Tuesday in eastern Gaza City and the southern city of Rafah. Palestinians rush towards trucks carrying aid from the World Food Programme (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) Israels defence minister, Israel Katz, said the military is operating along the deployment lines troops withdrew to under the deal, and he warned that anyone approaching the lines will be targeted, as happened on Tuesday with several militants. The World Food Programme said its trucks began arriving in Gaza after the entrance of humanitarian aid was paused for two days due to the exchange on Monday and a Jewish holiday on Tuesday. Advertisement The timing of the scaled-up deliveries which are part of the ceasefire deal had been called into question after Israel said on Tuesday that it would cut the number of trucks allowed into Gaza, saying Hamas was too slow to return the hostages bodies. Abeer Etefa, spokesperson for the World Food Programme, lauded the trucks passage but said the situation remained unpredictable. Were hopeful that access will improve in the coming days, she said. The Egyptian Red Crescent said 400 trucks carrying food, fuel and medical supplies were bound for Gaza on Wednesday. Madagascars military coup leader said that he is taking the position of president in an interview at his barracks. Colonel Michael Randrianirina, who led a rebellion by soldiers that ousted President Andry Rajoelina, said he expects to be sworn in as the Indian Ocean countrys new leader in the next few days. Col Randrianirina announced Tuesday that the armed forces were taking power in Madagascar, capping weeks of protests against Mr Rajoelina and his government by mainly youth groups. He said he is taking the role as head of state after the countrys High Constitutional Court invited him to do so in the absence of Mr Rajoelina, who fled Madagascar following the uprising. There must be an oath-taking to make his position official, Mr Randrianirina told The Associated Press. Advertisement The protests reached a turning point on Saturday when Col Randrianirina and soldiers from his elite Capsat military unit rebelled against Mr Rajoelina and joined demonstrations calling for the president to step down, forcing Mr Rajoelina to flee. We had to take responsibility yesterday because there is nothing left in the country, no president, no president in the senate, no government, Col Randrianirina said. Mr Rajoelina, who has been president since 2018, said he had fled to a safe place in fear for his life after the rebellion by Col Randrianirinas soldiers. Colonel Michael Randrianirina (Brian Inganga/AP) He has rejected the military takeover as an illegal coup attempt by a rebel faction. Col Randrianirina said the new military leadership would quickly appoint a new prime minister who would form a government, but did not give an exact time frame for that to happen. What I can say is that we are already accelerating it so that the crisis in the country does not last forever, the colonel said. Madagascans have seen their country face several coups and attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1960. The Indian Ocean island has also struggled with high levels of poverty ever since. A 2009 military-led coup brought Mr Rajoelina to power as a transitional leader, when the president had cast himself as a champion of the youth. There was no significant immediate reaction to the takeover by the international community or the African Union, which had called an emergency meeting for its security council on Tuesday. Advertisement Some analysts have described the weeks-long youth uprising in Madagascar as an expression of grievances over government failures and condemned the military takeover. Gen-Zers in Madagascar have been on the streets of the country protesting the lack of essential services, especially water and electricity, and the negative impact on their lives for almost a month, said Olufemi Taiwo, professor of Africana studies at Cornell University. This is a civil society uprising and its resolution should not involve the military. He called for the African Union to condemn another coup that Africa does not need, adding that no country should recognise the new military leadership. Later, the African Union announced that it had suspended Madagascar from its bodies with immediate effect until constitutional order is restored in the country. The group previously suspended several other member states after military coups, including Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea. UN secretary general Antonio Guterres, meanwhile, is deeply concerned by the unconstitutional change of power in Madagascar and hopes all stakeholders there can work together to reach a peaceful settlement to the ongoing crisis and its root causes, his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement, noting that the UN will continue to work to restore peace and stability in the country. Pakistan said it agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire with Afghanistan following days of violence that have killed dozens of people on both sides of the border. Pakistans foreign ministry said the ceasefire was at Afghanistans request. There was no immediate confirmation from the Taliban government. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harbouring armed groups, a charge rejected by the countrys Taliban rulers. Pakistan is grappling with militant attacks that have increased since 2021 when the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan. Smoke goes up after a shell exploded in a border area during clashes between Pakistan and Afghan forces, as seen from Pakistan side of the border near Chaman, Pakistan (H Achakzai/AP) The escalation of tensions is likely to destabilise a region where groups, including the so-called Islamic State and al Qaida, are trying to establish a foothold and resurface. The clashes stopped briefly on Sunday following appeals from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, but the fighting soon resumed. Advertisement Pakistans army said on Wednesday it had killed Afghan security forces and militants and destroyed tanks and military posts. Pakistan forces repelled what officials called unprovoked assaults, but denied targeting civilians after the Taliban government said more than a dozen were killed and over 100 others were wounded when Pakistan targeted sites in a border area of Afghanistans southern Kandahar province. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban governments chief spokesman, said Pakistan used light and heavy weapons in assaults on Spin Boldak in Kandahar. Afghan forces returned fire and killed several Pakistani soldiers, seized military posts and captured weapons including tanks, Mr Mujahid added. Afghan servicemen guard along the border in the Zazai Maidan district of Khost province, Afghanistan (Saifullah Zahir/AP) Pakistans army also targeted militant hideouts in the Afghan capital, two Pakistani security officials said. People in the Pakistani border town of Chaman reported mortars falling near villages and some families were seen evacuating early on Wednesday. This fighting has been going on since early (Wednesday) morning, and people who live close to the border are leaving the area, said Chaman resident Najibullah Khan, who urged the two countries to end the fighting to prevent further shelling. Pakistans border regions have experienced violence since 1979 when it became a frontline state in the US-backed war against the Soviet Union. After the September 11 attacks, Pakistans tribal belt descended into chaos as the Afghan Taliban, al Qaida, and other groups operated from both sides of the border for attacks on Nato forces and Pakistani security forces, said Abdullah Khan, a defence analyst and managing director of the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies. Syrias interim leader, who led a swift rebel offensive last year that ousted former Syrian President Bashar Assad despite years of Moscows support, held talks in Russia during his first visit to the country that gave asylum to the deposed autocrat. Welcoming interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the historic links between Moscow and Damascus, and he voiced hope for their expansion. The meeting underlines Russias desire to establish working ties with Syrias new leadership and secure a military foothold in the country. Mr Assad was an ally of Russia, and Moscows scorched-earth intervention in support of him a decade ago turned the tide of Syrias civil war, keeping Mr Assad in his seat until his swift removal in December. Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa arrives at the Grand Kremlin Palace (Pavel Bednyakov/AP) Russia, which has focused on the fighting in Ukraine and kept only a small military contingent in Syria, did not try to counter the rebel offensive but gave asylum to Mr Assad after he fled the country. Despite having been on opposite sides of the battle lines during the civil war, the new rulers in Damascus have taken a pragmatic approach to relations with Moscow. Advertisement Russia has retained a presence at its air and naval bases on the Syrian coast, and the Kremlin has voiced hope for negotiating a deal to keep the outposts. Moscow has also reportedly sent oil shipments to Syria. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday the future of the Russian bases in Syria was on the talks agenda. Syrian state news agency Sana reported that Mr al-Sharaa and Mr Putin will discuss regional and international developments of mutual interest and explore ways to develop cooperation to serve the common interests of both countries. Mr al-Sharaa did not mention the Russian bases in his brief televised remarks at the start of the meeting but emphasised the long historic relationship between the countries and their common interests, noting that Syria still partially depends on Russian production and expertise, particularly in the energy field. We are trying to restore and define in a new way the nature of this relationship, he said. Mr Putin, in turn, hailed Syrias parliamentary elections held this month as a big success, saying they will help consolidate society. Advertisement In a recent interview with the CBS News show 60 Minutes, Mr al-Sharaa said the Syrian authorities will use all available legal means to demand the trial of Mr Assad. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Russias foreign minister Sergei Lavrov emphasised that Moscow granted asylum to Assad on humanitarian grounds as he and his family faced physical extermination. Mr Lavrov rejected speculation that the former Syrian president had recently been treated for poisoning, saying that he had no problems in living in our capital and there have been no poisonings. Russian delegations visited Damascus in January and September, and Syrias foreign minister Asaad al-Shibani visited Moscow in July. Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP) For the new Syrian government, maintaining ties with Russia was important for rebuilding the war-shattered country and offered a way to diversify its foreign policy. For Moscow, it is essential to keep its naval and air bases in Syria, the only such outposts outside the former Soviet Union that are crucial for maintaining Russias military presence in the Mediterranean. Ties with Damascus are also important for the Kremlin as part of its efforts to expand Russias clout in the Middle East. Moscow had planned to host a Russia-Arab summit this week, but Mr Putin postponed it to avoid interference with the ceasefire deal for Gaza brokered by US President Donald Trump. In the CBS interview, Mr al-Sharaa noted that Russia has close and long-standing relations with Syria, which relate to the basic structure of the state and to energy and food, for which Syria depends partly on Russian supplies, as well as some old strategic interests. Syrias interim leader, who led a swift rebel offensive last year that ousted former Syrian president Bashar Assad despite years of Moscows support, has arrived in Russia on his first visit. Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa is set to hold talks in the Kremlin with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the current condition and prospects for the development of Russian-Syrian ties in the trade and economic and humanitarian spheres, as well as the latest developments in the Middle East, the Kremlin said. The meeting underlines Moscows desire to establish working ties with Syrias new leadership and secure Russias military foothold in the country. Mr Assad was an ally of Russia, and Moscows scorched-earth intervention in support of him a decade ago turned the tide of Syrias civil war, keeping Mr Assad in his seat until his swift removal in December. Advertisement Russia, which has focused on the fighting in Ukraine and kept only a small military contingent in Syria, didnt try to counter the rebel offensive but offered asylum to Mr Assad after he fled the country. Syrian state news agency Sana reported that Mr al-Sharaa and Mr Putin will discuss regional and international developments of mutual interest and explore ways to develop cooperation to serve the common interests of both countries. Syrias interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa (AP) In a recent interview with the CBS News show 60 Minutes, Mr al-Sharaa said the current Syrian authorities will use all available legal means to demand the trial of Mr Assad. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Russias foreign minister Sergei Lavrov emphasised that Moscow granted asylum to Mr Assad on humanitarian grounds as he and his family faced physical extermination. Mr Lavrov rejected recent speculation that the former Syrian president had recently been treated for poisoning, saying that he had no problems in living in our capital and there have been no poisonings. Despite having been on opposite sides of the battle lines during the civil war, the new rulers in Damascus have taken a pragmatic approach to relations with Moscow. Russia has retained a presence at its air and naval bases on the Syrian coast and the Kremlin has voiced hope for negotiating a deal to keep the outposts. Moscow has also reportedly sent oil shipments to Syria. A Russian delegation visited Damascus in January, and Syrias foreign minister Asaad al-Shibani visited Moscow in July. In the CBS interview, Mr al-Sharaa noted that Russia has close and long-standing relations with Syria, which relate to the basic structure of the state and to energy and food, for which Syria depends partly on Russian supplies, as well as some old strategic interests. Advertisement Sponsored BusinessCompaniesBulls N' Bears Siren knee-deep in NZ drilling blitz at high-grade gold play Brought to you by BULLS N BEARS Andrew Todd October 15, 2025 4:14pm 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 Siren Gold has fired up the rigs at its flagship Sams Creek gold project in New Zealands Tasman district, launching 7000m of drilling to beef up its gold resource. With a mining permit decision looming and a scoping study on the horizon, the company is betting big on its ability to stack even more ounces on its already sizeable 824,000 ounce endowment. The 7000m drilling program is largely infill work, with 6000m set to lift the current 824,000 ounces at 2.8 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from largely inferred to the more accurate indicated category. The remaining 1000m will be dedicated to step-out holes to probe extensions, including the untested Doyles Fold, west of the main resource zone. Diamond drilling at Siren Golds Sam Creek gold project in New Zealands Tasman district in the South Island. Historical intercepts at Sams Creek feature plenty of thick quality hits, such as a 37m intercept grading 3.26g/t gold, a high-grade hit of 9.48m at 9.5g/t and a 12.6m section running 5.53g/t. The results, when paired with mineralised trends of up to 7km long and up to 60m thick, point to a system with plenty of room to grow. Were excited to be drilling again at Sams Creek. Siren Gold chief executive officer Zane Padman Advertisement Recent holes outside the resource envelope in addition to the new campaign will feed a resource update to boost ounces and confidence in the new year. Siren Gold chief executive officer Zane Padman said: Were excited to be drilling again at Sams Creek. This program marks the first step in unlocking the full potential of the deposit. With an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) and Scoping Study to follow, were entering a pivotal six months for the project. Key upcoming catalysts include the award of the Mining Permit, the updated MRE, and the completion of the Scoping Study. We have commenced with a single diamond drill rig but will consider increasing this to two to expedite the program. Sams Creek sits in the Eastern Takaka terrane which Siren says is a geological cousin to Australias Lachlan Fold Belt, home to monster copper and gold deposits like Cadia and Ridgeway. The company says its mineralisation is hosted in a granite porphyry dyke, slicing through Palaeozoic metasediments. It is classed as an intrusion-related gold (IRG) deposit, with an antimony-mercury-zinc-lead-silver mix in lower grades. Higher up in the deposit, silver dominates with ratios up to 30:1, at deeper depths, gold takes over, with base metals hinting at a source intrusion nearby. Siren is quick to make global comparisons like Alaskas Pogo mine (5-million-ounces) or Australias Kidston (4-million-ounces) to highlight what IRG deposits can deliver. Advertisement The current resource of 824,000 ounces sits within its Main Zone, Bobby Dazzler, SE Traverse and Carapace prospects. Only 15 per cent of the dyke has been properly drill-tested, leaving most of its 7km strike and 1km dip open for further discoveries. Notably, the dyke is easily mapped and provides a compelling ongoing exploration target. A scoping study is also underway over the deposit. Due next year, it will lay out the projects economics for the first time amidst a sky high $6400 an ounce gold price. The exploration team is also gearing up at the companys Queen Charlotte project, where geological mapping, soil sampling and rock chips from historic workings will set the stage for maiden drilling campaigns. Advertisement That projects antimony angle adds a strategic kicker to Siren, with prices for the silvery-white metal sitting pretty at a massive $90,000 a tonne. With a gold-antimony super blend in waiting, Sirens exploration push couldnt be better timed. As the rods spin and results roll in, the next year could put Sams Creek on the map as a cornerstone of New Zealands gold resurgence. The region which has laid dormant for years under anti-mining legislation is finally getting the recognition it deserves, in an underappreciated, resources-rich landscape. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share More: Bulls N' Bears Sharemarket Shares Advertisement CultureBooksReview A brutal analysis of how Australia fits into the Trump administrations agenda Antony Loewenstein October 15, 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 Whats good, whats bad, and whats in between in literature? Here we review the latest titles. See all stories . POLITICS Turbulence: Australian Foreign Policy in the Trump Era Clinton Fernandes Melbourne University Publishing, $17.99 What makes Australia relevant in the 21st century? Its a question the Albanese government thinks about constantly and wants the Trump administration to know that the decisions made in Canberra are designed to flatter and appease the US president, no matter the potential downsides for Australia. Think AUKUS, the US getting a massive share of Australias rare earths or the growing presence of American troops and intelligence assets on Australian soil. And this doesnt even acknowledge the increasingly authoritarian policies and statements of Trump himself. Its beyond the intellectual abilities of the entire Australian government to imagine a world where we arent entirely subservient to Washingtons dictates. Our semi-colonial status is lauded instead of being disparaged. A truly independent foreign policy is deemed impossible. Advertisement Were too desperate to be liked even when its not clear that Trump could locate Pine Gap, in central Australia, a US intelligence gathering base thats assisted Israel in its genocide in Gaza and the US during its bloody war on terror since September 11, 2001. A self-respecting nation wouldnt tolerate this installation on its soil. Clinton Fernandes, professor of international and political studies at the University of New South Wales, has a distinguished record in the past decades explaining Australias relationship with its closest and furthest allies. US intelligence facility Pine Gap in central Australia. Kristian Laemmle-Ruff His latest book is a brutal, compelling and impeccably sourced analysis of what the second Trump administration is likely to be and how Australia fits into this agenda. Trump, Fernandes writes, seeks economic control over China and if that fails, economic separation from Beijing. To achieve this, Trump is applying pressure on three geopolitical frontlines, Europe, the Middle East and China. Fernandes offers a withering critique of the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, endlessly praised by the Albanese government, Coalition opposition and mainstream media, as demonstrating Australias relevance to the United States as it tries to preserve US dominance of the region. Advertisement So much of the liberal discussion and fear around Trump suggests that hes an isolationist who hates the USs traditional allies. In fact, as Fernandes astutely observes, hes a sovereigntist. Sovereigntists are not anti-interventionists. They are illiberal, reactionary internationalists Todays sovereigntists aim to weaken non-Western associations that seek a more democratic international order. Its why Trump embraces reactionary parties from Israel to Argentina and Italy to Germany. Hes a proud imperialist (not unlike every US president before him, though perhaps more honest about his intentions than Democratic politicians). Residents of Port Kembla, NSW, protesting against the proposed AUKUS nuclear submarine base. This book should be required reading for any student of history and frankly the entire Canberra press gallery, who seem to view the Australia/US alliance as either one of equals or a benign superpower looking after its obedient children all in the name of world peace (even if some eggs have to be cracked in the process, including the obliteration of international law in Gaza and beyond). A particularly intriguing section involves Australias knowledge of Israels covert nuclear weapons program. Fernandes details how Australia has known for decades that Israel is a nuclear-armed state and yet never considers imposing sanctions on this illegal weaponry. Because Israel performs a major service to the geopolitical Wests control of the Middle East, Fernandes explains, and its nuclear weapons allow it to remain the dominant military power in the region (undoubtedly enhanced in the last years with the Israeli defanging of Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran). Advertisement Washington routinely shares its intelligence on Israels nuclear program with Australia. Its therefore laughable when Canberra talks about a nuclear-free Middle East and conveniently ignores Israels arsenal. This hypocrisy is even stronger when reading Australian intelligence assessments of Tehrans nuclear program that it is defensive and not aggressive. Related Article Opinion Foreign relations Trump may sidestep Albanese. The fate of the US-Australia alliance will be tougher to ignore Bruce Wolpe Senior fellow at the US Studies Centre and former political staffer Barely a week goes by without Australian government talking up its credentials on the world stage. Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King recently spoke at the Australia-Japan Joint Business Conference in Perth and told the Australian Financial Review that Australias gas exports kept it relevant in regional security discussions in the Indo-Pacific. Australias ability to speak about international issues is code for the least popular child in the schoolyard hoping and praying that the coolest kid takes note (while still stealing your lunch money). Fernandes is uncompromising in his prose with little time for defenders of failed policies. True believers in AUKUS are just one generation removed from true believers in the Afghanistan commitment, he concludes. Advertisement Related Article Review Cosy crime, Gazas history and an audacious wildlife feat: 10 new books Lest we forget the politicians and journalists cheerleading for the invasion and disastrous occupation of Afghanistan for close to 20 years before reality and a US withdrawal in 2021 forced them to see sense. AUKUS, Fernandes predicts, is akin to a faith-based program that many Australian officials would like to believe in, a world that doesnt exist (and never will), of never-ending US dominance (and Australian subservience). Fernandes has an enviable record of political analysis. Whether its his 2004 book, Reluctant Saviour, which detailed how the Howard government had originally wanted to allow Indonesia to run riot in East Timor in the late 1990s or 2022s Sub-Imperial Power on the uncomfortable truths about Australias real role in the world. Turbulence is no exception and forces us to confront who we are as a nation. The picture isnt pretty. Antony Loewenstein is an independent journalist, filmmaker and author of the Walkley-Award winning book The Palestine Laboratory. The Booklist is a weekly newsletter for book lovers from Jason Steger. Get it delivered every Friday. Advertisement CultureMusicAustralian music Missed opportunity: Powerhouse passes on piece of rocknroll history Linda Morris October 15, 2025 11:20am 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 Sydneys loss is Melbournes gain after a key museum in the NSW capital passed up a chance to bid for and display Midnight Oil drummer and songwriter Rob Hirsts drum kit, acquired at a charity auction by a fan club for $77,500. The important piece of Australian rock memorabilia is now headed for Melbournes Australian Music Vault after the Powerhouse Museum said the timing did not align with our acquisition processes on this occasion. NSW Arts Minister John Graham described it as a missed opportunity for Sydney while the museum is now soliciting the drum kit as a donation. Rob Hirst of Midnight Oil at the drum kit. Sydney-based Hirst parted with the kit he used from 1979 to the bands 2022 farewell concert due to his battle with pancreatic cancer. Money raised is going towards First Nations musicians and support for band crew who have fallen on hard times. Fan group Powderworkers purchased it on Monday after emailing a group of institutions asking for potentially matching donations. The Australian Music Vault seized the initiative and invited Matthew Yau, who spearheaded the campaign, to talk about its potential display. Advertisement That motivated me to round up the pledges from $20 to $5000 from all around the world, Yau said. Its a fantastic outcome. I would have been happy if it was in my house, but I couldnt keep it to myself. Rather than gathering dust in someones shed, we wanted it to be appreciated by all, not one individual. Rob Hirst is happy, and the Oils are happy. Im just glad that it is in public hands and I wouldnt have cared where it was in Perth, Brisbane, Broome or wherever as long as the charities, Support Act and Music NT, get maximum dollar. But internal Powerhouse correspondence from the museums senior collection curator, Roger Leong, quoted by ABC Radio on Wednesday, said the drum kit did not fit with the museums current collection priorities. The decision was made even though Midnight Oil was a Sydney band, and the drum kit was designated a highly significant piece of movable cultural heritage that belonged in NSW. The museums current music-related programs are directed at young performers from multicultural communities in western Sydney, at the virtual exclusion of the broader Australian rock music scene. Advertisement The decision raises questions about the priorities of the museum and comes a year after the demolition of the childhood home of AC/DCs Angus and Malcolm Young in Burwood. Public Service Association assistant secretary Troy Wright said the union had been trying to raise the alarm about the museums cultural drift with the Minns government for more than a year now. Related Article Arts Dozens of jobs to go as Art Gallery of NSW faces budget crisis The Powerhouse holds the drum head to what is probably the same Ludwig kit, donated to the museum by Hirst and which bears the bands name styled in the same lettering as the cover of Midnight Oils 1987 album Diesel and Dust. The drum kit had been bought from a Turramurra music store in Sydneys north in 1979 ahead of the recording of the bands second album Head Injuries. Advertisement The museum also holds the Doc Martens worn by Hirst, as well as the sleeveless cotton jacket Hirst purchased at Chatswood disposal store and bastardised by ripping off the sleeves and dyeing it blue. Powerhouse said it had a long history of collecting and presenting Australias music history, including the artefacts, object and archives associated with iconic Australian artists. We were only recently alerted to auction, and unfortunately the timing did not align with our acquisition processes on this occasion, it said. Powerhouse acknowledges how much Midnight Oil is embedded into the identity of Australian music and if the drum kit formerly used by Rob Hirst were offered to us as a donation, we would be honoured to accept it. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share 3 View all comments About 250 kilometres south of Perth lies the town of Yallingup. A classic, laid-back West Australian beach town, its here that youll find Kevin Parkers Wave House. Surrounded by bushland and overlooking the windswept Injidup Beach, its a place thats meant a lot to Parker for a long time. In 2009, he rented the house to record Tame Impalas mesmerising debut album, Innerspeaker. A few years later, he returned to piece together bits of his 2015 record, Currents. He finally bought the house in 2020, along with a few dozen acres of bushland that features a naturally formed limestone amphitheatre. This amphitheatre has a storied history, being the location of many raves back in the 90s. After he bought the place, Parker would stand in the open expanse, finding old glow sticks and detritus from parties long past. You dont even have to dig for them, Parker says, laughing over the phone. You sort of trip over them. Parker would spend a long time in the amphitheatre, soaking in the history, imagining the beats bouncing off the rock. In the back of his mind, a new album was percolating. You can just feel the energy of past raves there, he says. Its really intoxicating because you can almost hear the music. Thats how perfect that space is for that kind of thing. Parker is dialling in from Mexico City, where hes slated to play a DJ set at a secret location. The rollout for Tame Impalas fifth album, Deadbeat, is in full swing, and Parker is trying to enjoy the ride. Since the release of Innerspeaker, Tame Impala has been one of Australias biggest musical exports. Parker, the sole songwriter and creator, has gone from a sharehouse-dwelling Perth musician to a critically acclaimed, globally respected songwriter and producer. Advertisement His work stretches far beyond Tame Impala, with collaborations and credits with artists such as Lady Gaga, Travis Scott, The Weeknd, SZA, Gorillaz and Dua Lipa. He owns a shiny Grammy Award for his work on the Justice track Neverender, and has clocked up numerous nominations along the way. The follow-up to 2020s The Slow Rush, Deadbeat started to take form in mid-2023 after Parker rented a house on a Californian beach. Hed done the same for other records, and his routine followed a similar arc: staying up into the dark, early hours, trying to magic a hook into existence. Deadbeat, Tame Impalas fifth album, finds Parker going full rave. A week-long excursion to Wave House followed, Parker accompanied by some of his Tame Impala touring band and musician mates. After creating four albums in isolation, Parker was determined to open Tame Impalas world. But the sessions didnt yield anything. The times when I can make music with my friends is such a special time, and its kind of everything for me, he says. I wanted so badly for it to be able to fit, but what we were doing didnt fit in. Parker realised, once again, that he was on his own. It wasnt in any way a sad feeling, he says. It was just like, Well, Im not going to be able to share the load this time. Its going to have to all be me again. Which is, at least, simpler in a way. With Wave Houses doofs rattling through his head, Parker set about building the propulsive world of Deadbeat. In a back catalogue of great albums, it stands as one of Tame Impalas best, Parkers sleek psych-pop arrangements powered by liberal doses of techno and acid house. Take standout single Dracula, with its strutting disco-funk groove and slinky hook. Advertisement Or Obsolete, with its deep, hopping bassline lifting up Parkers vocal as he offers his love to someone in desperate hope they may receive it. He also delivers one of his heaviest dance tracks yet on the techno odyssey Ethereal Connection, which you can imagine thudding around the Wave House amphitheatre. Deadbeat is his homage to those bush doofs. Im in love with the spirit of it and the freedom, Parker says. I think that, for me, Im always chasing that trance-like state with music. Something like a bush doof or a rave thats a place that my mind just goes. It captures the spirit and, to me, its a pure way of taking in music. There are times when people stop me in the street for a photo and Im like, Why the f--- do you want a photo with this loser? Kevin Parker Such is Parkers love for techno that he made an entire album of it before Deadbeat, which hes unsure will see the light of day. Hopefully something will come of it When you have things that are known about you, its not always easy to set your songs free in the way they want to be. It might have to be an anonymous thing. Coursing through Deadbeat, and all of Tame Impalas albums, are the threads of Parkers anxiety. The title is a reclamation for Parker, a way to acknowledge and dispel his self-deprecating thoughts. After a decade at the top of the music industry, Parker still feels impostor syndrome pushing on his brain. But lately, its getting easier. That is something that haunts me and follows me around, just any other bad emotion that people may have, Parker says. But for the large part, Im extremely proud of the music Ive made. Im extremely proud of where Ive gotten. Im extremely grateful. But there are times when people stop me in the street and they want a photo and Im like, Why the f--- do you want a photo with this loser? And there are some times when Im like, That makes sense. He laughs. Then there are times when Im like, Why arent there more people asking me for photos right now? Its a complex thing. But when any one of my songs comes on in public, in a shop or a f---ing restaurant or whatever, Im extremely proud to be hearing it. Advertisement The other major shift in his mindset has come in the form of his two children, born in the past few years. Becoming a dad has made me just realise how f---ing unimportant being cool is, he says. Ive never cared less about what people think of me once I had kids. My anxiety for proving myself socially has transformed recently. I can walk into a room of people and just be like, I dont give a f---. I dont give a f--- if these people like me. Its not always like that, but I handle it a lot better than I used to. Its not lost on Parker that Deadbeat arrives just as he passes the 10-year anniversary of Currents the massively successful album that changed the course of his life. He looks back on it fondly now, but it was a different story at the time. Related Article Australian music I know what its like to be a trending topic: Baker Boy gets real on his new album When these two planets aligned where it was the 10-year anniversary at the same time as Deadbeat it was like a nuisance, Parker says. It was getting in the way, but really its helped me remember that even when you feel shit about an album thats coming out, it could be great. It can be as great as Currents and you could still feel shit about it. When Currents was coming out, I was so disappointed in myself, he adds after a brief pause. I thought Id squandered an opportunity to do something good. It took me a long time to realise that when people were telling me they liked Currents, they werent lying. Advertisement Advertisement CultureTV & radioAustralian TV Winter Olympics, MAFS spin-off and celebrities swimming with sharks: Nine reveals 2026 programs Louise Rugendyke Updated October 17, 2025 8:58am ,first published October 15, 2025 4:00pm 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 2 View all comments Heavy coverage of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, a new Married At First Sight spin-off and a reality show sending celebrities to swim in shark-infested waters were among the new programs announced at Nines upfronts presentation on Wednesday. Notably, no new scripted drama or comedy was announced, with the free-to-air broadcaster instead leaning heavily on its ratings-winning combination of sport, game shows, reality and crime for the next 12 months. Nines Olympic and Paralympic Games Milano Cortina 2026 team (from left): Leila McKinnon, Todd Woodbridge, Ally Langdon, James Bracey, Dylan Alcott, Sylvia Jeffreys and Ellie Cole. It is a stark change from the days when *Nine was renowned for its high-profile Australian dramas, such as the Underbelly series, Water Rats and Halifax f.p. Instead, the network is betting on viewers sticking with tried and tested entertainment formats and personalities. Hamish Turner, director of Nines programming and 9Now, said the future for the free-to-air network was the blend of entertainment, drama, sport and news. Advertisement He said Nines streaming service Stan would be the main commissioner of drama, but I would expect to see some of those coming through into the free-to-air environment. Related Article Australian TV The Postcard Bandit and the return of an Aussie romcom: Foxtel reveals its 2026 programs Turner said after the success of the networks coverage of the Paris Olympics in 2024, they wanted to beef up the coverage of Februarys Winter Olympics and then the Paralympics in March. Ally Langdon and James Bracey will lead the broadcast from a studio in Livigno, in the Italian Alps, with assistance from Leila McKinnon and Todd Woodbridge. In Sydney, Sylvia Jeffreys and Dylan Alcott will cover the morning shift. Paris was this amazing moment of a beautiful city coming together with the biggest sporting event in the world and there was, there was a lot of momentum, said Turner. Australians did very well [on the medal table] and we saw with the numbers, even with the time zone, amazing engagement. Advertisement And from what I understand, weve actually got a pretty good shot in quite a few events. We know Australians love winners and I think were set to see possibly a record haul in the Winter Games. Nine is also hoping to lure Married at First Sight fans to Stan with the new debrief show, MAFS After the Dinner Party. Airing after each dinner party episode, the show promises an unfiltered and a fan-first experience. No host has been announced. Shark!, meanwhile, takes six celebrities, including Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Ariarne Titmus and The Block host Scott Cam (The insurance is in place, confirmed Turner) to the Bahamas to participate in escalating challenges, including an open-water swim. Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus has signed up to swim with sharks in Nines new reality show Sharks! AP Its very much about facing ones primal fear, said Turner. Fear is a survival instinct; its the thing thats got us to being the apex predator on land. So I think being put into an environment, especially, with celebrities, where they lose all control, is really interesting to us. Advertisement Next year will also see the launch of two new true-crime series, Naked City: Hit Men, hosted by The Ages veteran crime reporter John Silvester, and Outback Murder Highway, which focuses on Queenslands 800-kilometre Flinders Highway, where 11 people have vanished between 1970 and 2017. Related Article Australian TV Hes really asking us what we can say: The veteran troublemaker leading SBS 2026 line-up Naked City: Hit Men promises an investigation into the real-life petty criminals who turned into some of the most feared killers in Melbournes underworld (and breakout characters in the original Underbelly series), such as Carl Williams and Andrew Veniamin. Other new programs include renovation shows 1 Euro House, which features The Blocks judges Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer tackling a rundown property in the Italian village of Castronovo, and Chateau DIY Australia, which is a local version of the popular British show. Jamie Durie also returns to Nine, where he started his career 25 years ago on Backyard Blitz, to host Jamie Duries Future House, in which he promises to tackle the housing crisis. John Silvester (left) and Stuart Bateson feature in Naked City: Hit Men. Advertisement Of the returning programs, Married at First Sight is first out of the gate, premiering after the networks coverage of the Australian Open. The Block is back too, heading to Mount Eliza, on Victorias Mornington Peninsula, for its 22nd season. Game shows Tipping Point Australia and The Floor return, as does The Hundred with Andy Lee, Lego Masters Australia and Travel Guides. The Married At First Sight experts (from left) Alessandra Rampolla, John Aiken and Mel Schilling. MAFS and The Block continue to be big ratings winners for Nine, but Turner said with MAFS in particular, and the controversy that can surround it, they were mindful of not allowing it to jump the shark. Its a delicate balance, he said. Things can burn very brightly, and you want to manage those brands as well. Were acutely aware of how successful the show is, and you dont just want to unleash the whole thing, and it just turns into an absolute spectacle. It is about maintaining that brand and continuing to make it feel fresh, but not completely jump the shark. *Stan and this masthead are owned by Nine. Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday. Advertisement Eating outSandwich Watch Brisbanes best sandwiches? Here are our top picks of the past year From a chicken Caesar salad sandwich served in a leafy Toowong street to a top restaurants contender for the best fish sanger in town, heres what to seek out. Matt Shea October 15, 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 Sandwich Watch or Sandwich Search? Thats the joke often thrown around the Brisbane Times office. Such has been the proliferation of sandwich shops in this city over the past few years, it can be hard to sift out the good ones. Yes, a rising tide tends to lift all boats and the quality of sangers is definitely getting better but, my god, what a tide. My wallet-weary purchase card can attest to that. Supernices Bologna sandwich. Morgan Roberts As a colleague said, the opportunity to eat an elevated sandwich is still a rare and precious thing. And these creations often dont come cheap, so you need to make it count. Hence Sandwich Watch, and not Sandwich Search. Advertisement Weve been producing this column locally since October last year. Here are the best sangers weve eaten over the past 12 months. Bar Miettes muffuletta Jason Barratt knows his way around a sandwich. Coldcuts from LPs Quality Meats and bread from Agnes Bakery are key elements in Bar Miettes muffuletta. Morgan Roberts Among all the other notches on his CV senior chef de partie at Attica, sous chef at Melbournes Stokehouse, head chef at Raes on Wategos, executive chef at Paper Daisy, and now executive chef at Supernormal and Bar Miette its easy to forget that he helped create Hectors Deli, the Melbourne shop that popularised the modern Australian sanger craze. Advertisement No surprise, then, when sandwiches and variations thereof started showing up on the menu at Bar Miette, the best of which is a muffuletta that Barratt took months to perfect. Barratt uses a ciabatta loaf delivered daily from Agnes Bakery. If nothing else, a robust, crunchy bread can stand up to a key step in preparing a traditional muffuletta: the wrap. Barratt wraps his tightly in brown sandwich paper for 40 minutes before slicing it for service. Related Article A Hectors Deli founder is behind one of Brisbanes tastiest sandwiches What else goes in this thing? Mortadella, and hot and mild salami cotto from LPs Quality Meats, chopped Byron Bay Co Sicilian olives, red onion, whatever ruddy Australian tomatoes that might be in season, and provolone cheese. The combination of the robust, crunchy ciabatta, the umami-packed salami and mortadella, the briny tang of the olives, and the sweetness of the tomato, all brought together by the wrapping process, make it a joy to eat particularly when sitting on Bar Miettes fabulous terrace, with its eye-popping views of the Story Bridge. Advertisement Corbettas Kitchens porchetta focaccia Corbettas sits in a warehouse-style Lytton Road tenancy neighbouring the Fish Factory and The Morningside Meat Market. Walk through the sliding doors and youre met with a simple counter with finish-at-home pastas arranged on the right and a sandwich station and hot cabinet on the left. The porchetta focaccia at Corbettas Kitchen in Morningside. Markus Ravik Youre here for the shops porchetta focaccia, the creation of owner (and former Icebergs head chef, no less) Jacopo Corbetta. Corbetta uses an Italian pizza flour for his focaccia, fermented overnight and baked twice daily. Advertisement The pork is sourced locally and marinated in garlic, fresh herbs, lemon, salt and plenty of pepper. Its then strung shut, cut in pieces, sous vide overnight, and roasted in the morning. The salsa verde is parsley, garlic, anchovies and a pepper sauce, the rocket broad leaf, which Corbetta uses for its extra crunch as much as he does its pepperier flavour. As for mayo, theres just a touch to help bind everything together theres already stacks of richness in the pork. Related Article An ex-Icebergs chef is making some of Brisbanes best porchetta focaccia The focaccia is crisp enough to hold everything in place without slicing at your gums. The sous vide has left the roasted pork supple and easy to tackle. The rocket gives spikes of peppery crunch. The salsa verde acts as a vibrant, savoury through line. It adds up to one of the best focaccias in town, and a reminder of what happens when a chef turns their skill towards the humble sanger. Advertisement Dijon Toasties Reuben This breezy cafe in Tarragindi serves a bunch of great sandwiches (including a cracking Mediterranean vegetable number), but its variation on a classic Reuben is the standout. Dijons stacked Reuben sandwich, pictured in the cafes leafy courtyard. Markus Ravik When we at it earlier this year, Dijon co-owners Darian Brennan and Bradley Edwards, and group head chef Jordan Shepperd (Edwards and Brennan also own Deedot and Never Been in Holland Park), had swapped the typical rye of a Reuben for Turkish bread buns from Uncle Bobs Bakery in Belmont that were baked relatively high and fluffy; now it boasts a toasted sourdough. As for whats inside, the trio experimented with various meats and cheeses before settling on a brisket pastrami, prepared by Bangalow Sweet Pork, and an off-the-shelf Swiss cheese. Shepperd also uses an off-the-shelf sauerkraut, but makes his own pickles and a Russian dressing hes spiked with fresh dill. Advertisement Related Article The Reuben thats not a Reuben, but you need to eat ASAP anyway Its that rare and precious sandwich thats filling without leaving you heavy or bloated. The Turkish bread is crammed with ingredients but still soft enough to squeeze down into manageable bites. And its a sandwich with plenty of profile, the gentle saltiness of the pastrami, the acidity of the sauerkraut, the umami of the cheese, and the piquant dressing all hitting their individual notes. Eat at Billys Not A F*$&eN Reuben Eat at Billys sandwiches were an immediate hit upon its opening in early 2023 particularly this take on a Reuben, which throws together 150 grams of wood-smoked wagyu brisket pastrami, red cheddar, pickles, and a generous squirt of signature sauce. Advertisement The masterstroke here, though, is the soft, thick-cut white bread. Left untoasted, it soaks up all that sauciness and makes it easier to eat than a traditional mouth-shredding Reuben. You can double down on the pastrami for extra cash, but we dont think you need to bother. Related Article Introducing Sandwich Watch, a column dedicated to Brisbanes best sangers Word of warning: Eat at Billys sells out fast, every day often at a time that could be considered borderline customer hostile. Get there before midday if you can to ensure you grab a sandwich. Fatty Pattys halal steak sandwich Advertisement Fatty Patty shares a simple shopfront with sister business Sams Gourmet Pizzas on the northern side of Underwood Marketplace. The Goatd steak sandwich at Fatty Patty in Underwood. Markus Ravik The Fatty Patty menu leads with a bunch of burgers, but its the sandwiches you want to pay attention to. The bestseller is the Fatz signature sandwich another variation on the Reuben but we think the shops steak sanger, named the Goatd, is even better. It flips the script on the traditional steak sandwich with six-seven score wagyu beef served on shokupan bread along with Swiss cheese, griddled onion and pickled red onion, fresh tomato, a considered scattering of fries, a spinach and rocket mix, a premium off-the-shelf whole egg chipotle mayo, and a final sprinkle of pecorino once the sandwich is sliced. Related Article This halal Underwood shop will rekindle your love of steak sangers Advertisement The Swiss cheese adds a sweet, nutty flavour that helps smooth the mouthfeel; the pickled red onion provides a lovely tangy crunch; the chipotle mayo is velvet smooth; and the pecorino a lovely piquant, appetising touch. Normally fries in a sanger could amount to a carb-on-carb crime but not when combined with the shokupan, which is a lovely, luscious number the Ghumras have sourced locally and given a quick toast on the griddle. Then theres the wagyu, which is cooked to medium to render down the fat. That choice of beef means this is a touch more spenny than your average steak sandwich, but its worth it. Joes Famous Delis lobster roll Pretty much everything at Patrick Killaleas Joes Famous Deli in the CBD is worth your time, but this deceptively refined take on a lobster roll is particularly good. Joes Famous Delis lobster and crab roll is worth queueing for. Kirsty Sycz Advertisement Killalea uses both Canadian lobster claw and Alaskan crab meat. Its then tossed in kewpie mayo and lemon zest, slotted into a milk butter bun (rather than brioche, to balance out the sweetness of the meat), and finished with iceberg lettuce, black caviar and chives. Relatively large compared to other lobster rolls around town, its still something you could easily demolish in six or seven bites, so grab a side of fried pickles or fries to finish you off. Just be wary of lunchtime queues during the week. Hontos crumbed whiting sando Two of Brisbanes best katsu sandos can be found at Honto, one of the citys best Japanese restaurants. Hontos whiting sando. Markus Ravik Advertisement Hontos pork katsu sando is a thing of beauty, the chefs eschewing cutlet to instead ground down pork shoulder, pork neck and pork belly into a sausage mix, to which they add pepper, garlic, soy and a touch of seasoning, and set it, almost like a burger patty, before adding the crumb. Still, for us, it plays second fiddle to the restaurants crumbed whiting sando, which is one of the best fish sandwiches weve eaten in Brisbane. The whiting comes squeezed between two slices of super-fluffy shokupan bread produced by Breadtop to Hontos specs, with the requisite shredded cabbage, but sets itself apart with the addition of fermented onion and a tea-pickle gribiche. Related Article This Japanese restaurant makes not one, but two of the best sandos in town The chefs use whiting to keep the fish as local and fresh as possible, before applying a foolproof crumb that uses both fresh panko and dried panko, and a batter that uses egg white powder and adds a touch of buttermilk it sets super crunchy on the outside but keeps the moisture of the fish on the inside. The result is a low-key thriller of a sandwich a Swiss-precision combo of texture, flavour and temperature, the shokupan giving away to the crunch of the cabbage and the luscious, viscous gribiche, with its pops of dill and chive, and then the crisped panko and nuttiness of the whiting. Advertisement Minh Tans pork banh mi Banh mi shops, like any eatery, often keep their recipes a tightly guarded secret. But there are a few things we can tell you about the pork rolls from Minh Tan, arguably Brisbanes most iconic banh mi outlet. Minh Tans banh mi are among the best in town. Markus Ravik First, the pork is definitely belly, not the shoulder sometimes used at other shops, and Minh Tan is particular about using only sow meat, so theres little chance of boar taint. Secondly, the Vietnamese butter is made fresh daily and incorporates a high-grade oil to give it a silken quality. Good luck getting owner Huong Trinh to talk you through the pate, but plenty of customers have tried to buy it on its own over the years, such is its luscious reputation. Advertisement Related Article Heartlands Is this Brisbanes most iconic banh mi shop? As for the bread, its huge: baked fresh each morning and given a light toast before being served, its crunchy on the outside and fluffy inside (if you prefer a tighter, more dense roll, we recommend checking out Tan Dinh, which is just around the corner at Inala Civic Centre). Mitch & Antlers croque madame The menu at Mitcheltons Mitch & Antlers is full of interesting variations on the classics, but the star is arguably its take on the traditional croque madame. Mitch & Antlers croque madame. Morgan Roberts Advertisement Owner brothers Tze-Huei and Chewie Choo use two slices of Cordelia sourdough baked to their specs and cram them full of thick-cut smoked ham from Bangalow Sweet Pork and Egmont cheese. Then, on top, goes a seeded mustard and leek bechamel, a fried egg, chives and a crazy amount of manchego the whole thing given a dash of flame before it hits the plate. You might be tempted to tackle it with a knife and fork. Dont bother. Despite everything going on with this sandwich, it holds together well and the toasted Cordelia sourdough is soft on the inside, meaning you avoid any mouth-shredding incidents. It would almost be a one-hander but for the wibbly-wobbly fried egg on top. Related Article Is this sanger Brisbanes best hangover cure? Theres a lot to love about this sandwich the perfectly specced bread, the smokey goodness of the chunky ham, that gooey egg. Still, its the tangy bechamel that makes it, with the sweetness and texture of the leek and acidity of the mustard. Risers chicken Caesar salad sandwich Advertisement Riser is the creation of Tom Cooney, Kieran Ryan and Duncan McKay, who between them have run, worked, baked at or owned Cup Specialty Roasters, Coffee Supreme, Banneton, The Scratch and Netherworld, among others. Risers immaculately soft, freshly baked sourdough loaf helps the sandwich avoid any carb-on-carb crime. Morgan Roberts They opened Riser in late 2022 in the old Queenslander-style shopfront once occupied by the iconic Brunos Tables, and more recently 85 Miskin Street. The chicken Caesar sanger at Riser has been iterated on at least twice since it was first created (with input from Cooney, Ryan and McKay) by the venues original chef, Amos Ilett. Arguably, though, the killer move was the addition of croutons. Along with the flecks of bacon, it adds a welcome textural element to the sandwich, and illustrates from the first bite how much thought has gone into this thing. The sourdough sandwich loaf is baked fresh on site and lent a touch more oil than your typical loaf. Advertisement Related Article Brisbanes best chook sanger? Heres a textural, flavour-filled contender The rest of the sandwich is pretty straightforward: chicken thigh, mesclun, house-pickled onions, house-made Caesar dressing with dill, and a firm wipe of butter on the bread to head off any sogginess. Still, there are neat tweaks under the hood, this time courtesy of current chef Gabriel Escalante-Gafau, including the decision to brine the chicken and adding more punch to the dressing by upping there anchovy and parmesan. Sarnis brisket sandwich Sarni is from Marty Coard, Mat Drummond, Noam Lissner (who together also own Ach in Hamilton) and Hugo Hirst. It opened just on a year ago in an unfussy, bright blue space on Racecourse Road. The menu is a tight set of sandwiches that rotate regularly. Advertisement Sarnis beef brisket sandwich. Markus Ravik Sarnis beef brisket sandwich is as close to the ideal sanger as weve witnessed in this town. Theres the bread, which Coard describes as being not quite a sourdough, although its fermented for 72 hours. Then theres the brisket, which is Angus beef brined for seven days, and smoked; theyre luscious chunks of beef with plenty of texture, but dont stray into being dry or stringy. Related Article The brisket sanger that might be the best weve eaten in Brisbane Sarnis menu constantly evolves and the brisket sandwich along with it, but the sauce has always been imperative to the final product. When we fell in love with the sanger, it was packing a Laotian-style jeow som chock full of coriander and chilli; now its a hoisin barbecue sauce. Advertisement Theres some iceberg lettuce for texture and moisture, and a bone marrow beef fat mayo, which adds a lovely long note of umami to the sandwich. The final element is some fried shallots for a spike of flavour and extra crunch. Supernices Bologna sandwich Supernice is the creation of chef Dalip Singh and his partner, barista Sherman Yeung. Hidden away on a backstreet of Bowen Hills, this was very much a post-pandemic project for the couple. The Bologna sandwich is one of Supernices best sellers. Morgan Roberts Advertisement This tiny cafes Bologna sandwich just looks right straight out of the wrapper. Singh lightly toasts his Dannys Bread focaccia on the inside once sliced, then slaps in about 90 grams of high-quality mortadella from Salumi Australia, the same amount of gooey stracciatella from Mansfields Casa Motta, and a generous sprinkle of crushed pistachio, giving the sandwich a lovely pop of colour. Its a lesson in mouthwatering restraint. The focaccia is left soft on the outside, avoiding any mouth-shredding injury, with much of the texture carried by the crunch of the pistachio. Related Article This must-try Bowen Hills sanger has mouths watering, and talking The mortadella isnt fatty or greasy but has a mild saltiness thats offset by the lactic silkiness of the stracciatella. Singh reckons he cant find a local honey better than Bee One Third; its a clever addition, as much about mouthfeel as it is a mild sweetness. Advertisement Taameyas falafel pita pocket Look for the sandwich board on Felix Street in the CBD, hang a left into Spencer Lane and youve found Taameya, a simple market-style marquee that pops up here Tuesday through Friday. Taameyas Egyptian-style falafel pita pocket. Morgan Roberts At first, Taameyas pita pocket perhaps looks like any other you can get around town. But the devil is in the detail. Taameyas pita bread comes from Papa Pita and is delivered twice weekly, which co-owner Ramay Othman reckons makes a big difference to the overall quality of the pocket. Taameya heats the pitas in a grill, toasting them slightly while steaming them inside. Then comes the first smear of a house-made tahini thats been given extra love with garlic, lemon juice and cumin. Its a lovely, tangy, viscous creation that creates the throughline for the whole pocket. Next comes a classic chopped Egyptian salad, with tomatoes, onions, flat-leaf parsley, crunchy sweet and sour pickles and plenty of mint. Advertisement Related Article This pop-up CBD stall might just serve Brisbanes best falafel Then there are the falafels themselves, fried discs coated in sesame seeds and cracked coriander seeds for extra crunch. Finally, the pocket is finished with slices of pickled turnips and a few dashes of tahini, this time mixed a little thinner than the initial layer in the pocket. Wilburs chicken tarragon sandwich Alex Macdonald and Caitlin Kemp quietly opened this cute little corner cafe in Holland Park towards the end of 2021 and have been steadily building a dedicated local following ever since. Wilburs chicken and tarragon sandwich. Markus Ravik Advertisement That size means Wilburs has always drilled down on just a few cabinet items and sandwiches in particular, the most impressive of which is its chicken tarragon sandwich. This sanger seems simple enough, but peer under the bonnet and there are some clever flourishes going on. Macdonald says thats courtesy of chef Cheyanne Phillips, who helped develop the cafes sandwiches in its early days. Related Article Chook sanger of your dreams? Find it in a sleepy Holland Park street What ends up in your mitts is a fabulously clean-eating antidote to the more outrageous, messier sangers you get around town. The tang of the Dannys Bread block loaf sourdough gives way to the crunch of cos lettuce, celery, alfalfa and walnuts, and then a velvety aioli (given an extra squeeze of lemon juice) and the plump poached free-range local chook. The key ingredient, though, is the tarragon, which cuts through any richness with its subtle aniseed bite. This thing is generously sized, but youll still destroy it in a matter of minutes in part because its so easy to eat. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share License this article More: Sandwich Watch For subscribers Matt Shea is Food and Culture Editor at Brisbane Times. He is a former editor and editor-at-large at Broadsheet Brisbane, and has written for Escape, Qantas Magazine, the Guardian, Jetstar Magazine and SilverKris, among many others. The Coalition has accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of hypocrisy and undermining national security after he hand-picked his offices chief foreign policy adviser to lead the Office of National Intelligence. Kathy Klugman, as first reported by this masthead on Thursday, departed Albaneses office last week after serving for three years as his key political adviser on international affairs, accompanying him on key overseas visits. It then emerged via The Australian Financial Review that she would replace Andrew Shearer, who is moving from the ONI to become Australias next ambassador to Japan. In 2020, Labor in opposition under Albanese slammed the Morrison government for appointing Shearer to the position because he had most recently been a staffer in Scott Morrisons private office, labelling him a partisan operative. Shearer worked for three Liberal leaders. The ONI Act stipulates that the leader of the government, currently Richard Marles with Albanese on leave, must consult with the opposition leader about the pick. A spokesman for Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said Marles informed her about the appointment earlier this week, arguing it was not meaningful consultation. [The Albanese opposition] attacked the appointment of the [Shearer], a distinguished public servant that they are now appointing to be the ambassador to Japan, the spokesman said. Read the full story here. Advertisement NationalCBD Maribyrnong mayor makes comeback after child-on-lap driving incident Madeleine Heffernan and Kishor Napier-Raman October 16, 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 It wasnt so long ago that a Melbourne mayor briefly became a wanted man for failing to appear in court to face a dangerous-driving charge. Now, Pradeep Tiwari has shrugged off his legal woes and is back as mayor of Maribyrnong City Council. Pradeep Tiwari has returned as Maribyrnong mayor after his legal proceedings ended this week. Facebook Cue jaunty video of Tiwari standing outside Footscray Town Hall, to the tune of The Boys are Back in Town. The story begins when he was spotted travelling at 80km/h on CityLink with a young child on his lap. This happened in June 2024, before he was elected to the council. Advertisement Tiwari was charged with one count of dangerous driving, one count of touching a portable device while driving and one count of failing to ensure a passenger was not in the same seat as the driver. In August this year, a warrant for Tiwaris arrest was issued after he failed to attend a scheduled hearing at the Melbourne Magistrates Court. Hours later, after the court received further information from Tiwaris lawyers, it withdrew the warrant. The legal matter finally wrapped up on Tuesday, when Tiwari escaped conviction and was fined $450 after the more serious charges were withdrawn. His lawyer told the court his client had been suspended from the council as a result of the driving charges, and suffered not only income loss but media coverage over his inadvertent failure to appear in court in August. The lawyer also said Tiwaris young son had managed to escape from his car seat at the rear of the vehicle on the day in question in June last year. Advertisement Related Article Exclusive Courts Mayor briefly a wanted man after court no-show mishap over dangerous driving charge A magistrate told Tiwari he had placed his child at significant risk, but that he had also suffered some penalty by virtue of his council suspension. Learn from the experience, Mr Tiwari, he said. Tiwari then got on Facebook to declare his return to the top job, complain about disproportionate and misleading media coverage and describe his child as a houdini. Dear community, Im back, he wrote on Tuesday. Advertisement My child is a houdini, and had slipped out from the seat belt and I sat them on my lap, safely, while driving to the nearest place at which I could safely pull over, he wrote. Tiwari said he had not been evading court in August, but rather had not been made aware of the court listing or charges. I remain deeply committed to serving the people of Maribyrnong, my ward, and our wider city with transparency, responsibility, and respect. Candace Owens expensive High Court failure Advertisement Did far-right provocateur Candace Owens really expect to come to Australia? Hours after the High Court rejected Owens appeal against Home Affairs Minister Tony Burkes decision to deny her a visa, the phone number for her tour promoter, Rocksman, was disconnected. Candace Owens cannot visit Australia. Bloomberg Owens is known for spewing all manner of garbage online, including claims that Israel is a cult and that secret Jewish gangs control Hollywood. She planned to tour Australia last year, before Burke cancelled her visa. But Owens seemed persistent, hiring silk Perry Herzfeld, SC, to argue that the visa denial infringed the Constitutions implied freedom of political communication. That argument was unanimously rejected by the court, which noted that Burke had denied Owens a visa on the basis that her extremist and inflammatory comments towards Muslim, Black, Jewish and LGBTQIA+ communities had the capacity to incite discord in the community. Advertisement No idea how much Owens coughed up for the appeal, but retaining a silk plus junior barrister, on top of solicitors fees, isnt cheap. The court also ruled that she will be on the hook for the governments legal costs in defending her challenge. Owens is also defending a defamation case in the US brought by French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, over her claims that the countrys first lady is transgender. The Macrons in their lawsuit have accused Owens of waging a lie-filled campaign of global humiliation. French President Emmanuel Macron is suing Owens. AP But despite the High Court ensuring that Owens wont be coming to Australia any time soon, and her promoters being unable to be found, tickets for a show at Perths Riverside Convention and Exhibition Centre scheduled for January 2026 were still available for $95-a-pop on Wednesday afternoon. With about half the theatre sold out, thats a lot of refunds. Its a deal To hospitality news. Celebrity chef Guy Grossi recently confirmed plans to sell the much-loved Grossi Florentino restaurant and other venues on Bourke Street that have been managed by his family for 26 years. The sale followed an investigation by The Age revealing allegations of Grossis inappropriate behaviour, which Grossi denies, stretching back more than a decade. Advertisement Corporate filings provide more details of the sale to the hospitality group run by Rebecca Yazbek, who owns Nomad restaurant and Reine & La Rue in Melbourne and other venues in Sydney. The group is running from its own semi-recent public relations crisis. Grossi Florentinos Mural Room. Documents filed with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission show that on September 18 Yazbek signed the deal to take over Florentino for an undisclosed sum, using an ABN for a Sydney bar that closed last year called Beau Bar. Grossi, meanwhile, is doing a residency at a Hawksburn venue, Bar Bianco, owned by almost billionaire biohacker Tim Gurners property group. Rebeccas husband, Alan Yazbek, stepped down as a co-director of the company after displaying a Nazi symbol at a pro-Palestine rally last year. He pleaded guilty to knowingly displaying a Nazi symbol but escaped conviction and was handed a conditional release order. He also promised to spend some time at an ashram in India. When our reporters contacted Rebecca Yazbek and her representatives last week about the deal, she steadfastly refused to confirm any sale only insisting Alan had nothing to do with any deal with the Grossis. Advertisement Corporate records obtained by the reporters confirm she signed the deal on September 18 and has transferred the Florentino business name to a company registered to her home address owned jointly by the married couple. Maybe they wont talk about restaurants around the kitchen table. 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 NationalNSWHSC The high-scaling HSC subjects students are abandoning and the ones they are flocking to Lucy Carroll and Mary Ward October 15, 2025 6:30pm 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 22 View all comments The number of HSC students taking extension English courses has plummeted in the past two decades, with more pupils now studying the hardest maths course than English at any extension level. Teachers say the decline is being driven by multiple factors, including a decades-long push towards STEM subjects, concerns about subjectivity in marking essays, and teenagers reading less. A snapshot of HSC figures shows 3723 students are taking extension 1 English this year, down from 6286 enrolled in the course two decades ago. Enrolments in the English extension 2 course, which involves a major work, tumbled over the same time from 2609 to 1426. A record number of school-leavers are taking biology and business studies, with both courses eclipsing 20,000 students for the first time. About 5700 students are studying economics down 40 per cent since the mid-1990s but stagnant over the decade. Advertisement Enrolments in personal development, health and physical education (PDHPE) have surged to a high of 18,069, while chemistry and physics numbers are up slightly after slumping to historic lows in recent years. Sydney Girls High School has five English extension 1 classes. Janie Barrett There are 3862 students taking the toughest extension 2 mathematics course, and almost 9500 enrolled in maths extension 1. Robin Nagy, an educational consultant who examines data for private schools, said the enrolment drop in the hardest English courses may be due to subjectivity in marking major creative works, an issue the education regulator is trying to address by adding an exam component to the extension 2 course. Extension subjects are mostly one unit and require huge dedication from students. But they can have a major boosting effect on a students ATAR and the two-unit course associated with it, he said. Advertisement At Sydney Girls High, enrolments in higher-level English courses have remained steady despite the broader downward trend. The selective school has more than 100 students taking English extension 1 this year. Related Article Education How this Sydney private girls school doubled its NAPLAN high achievers We traditionally have a large cohort, although this year weve had a slight dip in extension 2, said Michael Cinquetti, relieving head of English at the school. Students at the school gravitate to the English courses, he said, for the ability to voice their opinions and express themselves, both analytically and creatively. This year, students in extension 1 are studying Hamlet, Emily Dickinsons poetry and the film Lost in Translation. Cinquetti says the long-term drop in students opting for the hardest English courses has come with greater focus on STEM subjects, with a view to job readiness. Advertisement When it comes to young women in STEM it is no longer viewed as a male domain, and thats a good thing, he said. But with the skyrocketing costs of arts degrees there could be a trepidation about studying humanities subjects at school. It means students could make overly pragmatic decisions at the expense of their learning. I think we need to bring back focus on what learning is its not monochromatic or two-dimensional. One English teacher from a public regional school said it was not uncommon to have no students taking English extension classes. He also said a drop in children reading quality literature and shorter attention spans means students are less likely to sit down to read and finish weighty novels. There are 84,000 pupils taking one or more courses for this years HSC, for which students sit the first English exam on Thursday. Cinquetti said students who pick the subjects they are strongest in and the courses they enjoy often get higher results, and that confidence in a subject breeds success. Advertisement Newington College English teacher and deputy head of academics, Amy Van Arkkels, said when she started at the boys private school in 2022, less than 10 per cent of the HSC cohort were enrolled in English extension 1. This year, that has risen to 50 per cent. Related Article HSC More than 30,000 students do this HSC subject. Fewer than 200 get top marks Weve talked to the students about the benefits of studying English for an additional two hours per week; it helps not only with their advanced English course, but also across all of their subjects, she said. We see huge value add for our students who traditionally may have been achieving a B or even a C in English. Last year, the NSW Education Standards Authority announced that exams for the extension English courses would take place online from 2027. The English standard and advanced courses will remain pen and paper. We want to be clear that handwriting is still a vital skill, while continuing to modernise the HSC exam experience for students, NESA head Paul Martin said. Advertisement Other major changes for the extension 1 course include a shift away from postmodernist literary theory to focus on the contents of the texts. Extension 2 students, who need to complete a 6000-word major work, will have that cut back in scale, and it will include an online exam. A NESA spokesperson said students are encouraged to choose HSC subjects that they are interested in and passionate about and that align with post-school goals. There is strong evidence to suggest that passion, interest and ability drives engagement and positive academic outcomes for students in the courses they choose to study, the spokesperson said. 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 NationalNSWSpace This $10 billion telescope was taking blurry pictures. Sydney students fixed it Angus Dalton October 15, 2025 6:30pm 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 20 View all comments Two Sydney students have led a globally significant effort to sharpen the focus of the James Webb Space Telescope, resolving issues in an onboard instrument and boosting the capacity of the worlds most powerful observatory to find Earth-like planets in our galaxy. Dr Louis Desdoigts spent two years as a PhD student at the University of Sydney engineering an enormous piece of software that can fix blurry images taken by the $US10 billion ($15 billion) telescope. PhD student Max Charles with a replica of the device he and a Sydney University team fixed on the James Webb Space Telescope and the tattoo he got with fellow student Louis Desdoigts to mark the moment. Janie Barrett Fellow student Max Charles then put the solution to work, creating high-resolution images that captured the volcanic craters studding one of Jupiters moons and a stream of white-hot matter blasting from a black hole. This work brings JWSTs vision into even sharper focus, Desdoigts said. Its incredibly rewarding to see a software solution extend the telescopes scientific reach and to know it was possible without ever leaving the lab. Advertisement The Australian-developed tool in need of correction, the Aperture Masking Interferometer (AMI), was developed by Professor Peter Tuthill, an expert in astrophysical imaging from the University of Sydneys School of Physics who supervised Desdoigts and Charles. The JWST has captured extraordinary images such as this one of a star-forming region in the Carina but some higher-resolution images have proved a challenge. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScl Tuthills instrument is a precisely engineered piece of metal that slots into one of JWSTs cameras. It boosts the telescopes resolution by controlling disturbances that throw off its ultra-delicate measurements of light. James Webb has just been this outstanding triumph. Its just knocked everything out of the park. Except one thing, Tuthill said his own device. That was a bit of a humbling moment for me because I put this instrument up there, and it was my little contribution to this huge flagship, and it didnt work as advertised. Advertisement At very high resolutions, images captured using AMI were blurry due to unforeseen electronic distortions. One problem was the brighter-fatter effect, where too much light blasts into one pixel and overflows to neighbouring pixels, blowing out measurements into fuzzier and less detailed snapshots of deep space. Associate Professor Benjamin Pope, an extrasolar planet expert at Macquarie University who also supervised the two students, wondered if the problem could be solved by creating a computer model or digital twin of AMI. Thats what Desdoigts spent years programming with an enormous amount of world-leading code, Pope said. Long story short, we were able to build a computer model of how AMI works, and then by reversing that model, we could undo the blurring effects on these images, he said. Part of this model is all physics, and part of it is actually machine learning. Advertisement Charles tested the model on data captured from three cosmic objects. He focused on a spiral pattern of gas and dust blowing off a pair of stars in the Cygnus constellation, 6000 light years from Earth, and a jet of matter whipping around a black hole at the centre of a galaxy, capturing both in great detail. The team also captured the volcanic craters and crisp edge of Jupiters moon, Io. True Amigos: Dr Louis Desdoigts, now based in the Netherlands, and the matching tattoo of the JWST device he and Max Charles got after their work together repairing the instrument. Dr Louis Desdoigts/Max Charles We know very well what Io looks like because we have spacecraft that orbit Jupiter, Charles said. But the fact that we were able to image it so well from James Webb, which is a lot closer to Earth, showed a lot of promise. Fixing AMI unlocks the extraordinary instruments full potential in detecting super-faint objects close to extremely bright objects, including planets closely orbiting stars. The discovery of new planetary systems is closer in reach. And now the full potential of Tuthills instrument has been unlocked, he can take a breath. Advertisement Its just a relief to know that Im not the guy who put the lemon up, he said, adding the approach by his students could be applied to other instruments and unlock more discoveries. An artists rendering of the James Webb Space Telescope, which orbits the sun and captures data from deep space in unprecedented detail. Northrup Grumman/ESA/Hubble This is way more widely valuable than simply this one, save your supervisors reputation moment. Almost any instrument on any telescope could benefit from the approaches that weve had to take here. So Im really excited about the future. Since his work on the AMI model, Desdoigts has embarked on a position as a postdoctoral researcher at Leiden University in the Netherlands, a top institution for astronomy. Charles swung by last week during a Europe trip. During a catch-up at the pub they agreed to celebrate their work by inking matching tattoos of the far-flung instrument they helped repair on their arms. Advertisement Their software fix, dubbed Amigo, was reported in two preprint studies released on Tuesday that have yet to be peer-reviewed. The Earth-based solution is a welcome one; two months after the launch of JWSTs predecessor Hubble in 1990, NASA announced the telescope had a major flaw which had to by physically repaired by astronauts during risky spacewalks. Replacement tech had to be installed on JWSTs predecessor, Hubble, manually by astronauts. NASA The Examine newsletter explains and analyses science with a rigorous focus on the evidence. Sign up to get it each week. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Remove items from your saved list to add more. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. This suburban intersection is one of the most dangerous in Brisbane, and drivers must rely on their knowledge of road rules to work out who has to give way, via two Stop signs and white painted lines. And the road width means waiting motorists tend to squeeze their cars up beside other vehicles, adding to the confusion. Brisbane City Council has released plans for an update, which includes four sets of traffic lights, separate turning lanes and pedestrian crossings. Brisbane City Council has released a concept design for traffic lights at the intersection of Archerfield Road, Azalea Street and Pine Road at Inala. Brisbane City Council The intersection of Archerfield Road, Azalea Street and Pine Road carries almost 22,000 vehicles a day, connecting people travelling through Inala and Richlands. Advertisement NationalQueenslandCrime Nurse accused of raping mother in childrens unit of public hospital Courtney Kruk October 15, 2025 4:28pm 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 A paediatric nurse accused of raping the mother of a child who was an inpatient at a Queensland public hospital has lost his appeal to have his suspension without pay overturned, with the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission deeming him a risk to patients and the public. Findings published on Tuesday by the commission outline a complaint to police following an incident at the hospital on May 13. The woman, whose child was being treated at the hospital, alleged she went to the toilet and when she opened the door, the male nurse was standing there. The nurse was suspended without pay and deregistered after facing criminal charges for allegedly raping a woman while on shift. She alleged they had a shower together and upon exiting the shower, the nurse, who was on shift at the time, placed his hands between her legs and inserted his finger into her before stopping abruptly and saying he did not want to get into trouble. Advertisement The woman says she was supported in progressing her complaint by two other parents of patients in the childrens inpatient unit. It was alleged that on May 16, the Queensland Health nurse failed to notify his employer, Metro South Health, that he had been charged with an indictable offence. Metro South Healths chief people and partnerships officer, Adam Lavis, said the employee was invited to show cause as to why he shouldnt be suspended without pay in June, and was given another notice to show cause the following month. After receiving confirmation that the matter was under formal investigation, the workers registration was suspended and he was prohibited from practising as a nurse. In his appeal, the paediatric nurse, himself the father of young children, denied the criminal charge and said he did not notify his employer of the investigation as he believed the service was already made aware. Advertisement He said the suspension was affecting his ability to financially support his family and fund legal representation. He also said alternative duties, such as working from home, were not adequately considered. Related Article Drugs Bear-shaped pill kills person weeks after LNP shut down testing In taking into account all material before him, Lavis said he reasonably believes that [the appellant] is liable to discipline in relation to the alleged sexual assault, particularly given his role as a clinical nurse providing direct care to vulnerable paediatric patients and contact with members of the public. I am satisfied there is no alternative role that would adequately mitigate the risk, he said. Industrial Relations Commissioner Samantha Pidgeon agreed, saying Queensland Healths decision to suspend the worker without pay was fair and reasonable. Advertisement I am satisfied the decision-maker [Lavis] considered all reasonable alternative duties, she wrote. Related Article Courts The last thing you expect: Father of allegedly drugged baby speaks out I find that having considered the circumstances specific to this matter, it was appropriate to suspend [the employee] rather than provide him with alternative duties. Queensland Health said the criminal proceedings were at a preliminary stage and may be protracted, but added that even if the matter was resolved, the health authority would hold significant concerns as to the alleged workplace and professional misconduct of the employee. 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 NationalQueenslandQueensland fires Woman, two boys killed in Queensland house fire, police declare crime scene Julius Dennis Updated October 15, 2025 12:38pm ,first published October 15, 2025 10:45am 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 bodies of a woman and two children have been found in the remains of a house that burned to the ground in central Queensland. Paramedics did not treat anyone at the scene, in the Gladstone suburb of Toolooa, with emergency services called to the Whiting Street house just before 6am. Five fire crews arrived at the scene shortly after, where they found the house engulfed by flames. Loading The top storey of the home collapsed, hampering firefighters attempts to search the house before the blaze was extinguished about 9am. Advertisement The bodies of a woman and two boys were later found in the charred remains of the property. A crime scene has been declared and an investigator from the Queensland Fire Department will work with police to determine the cause of the blaze. Obviously it is a tragic event, Detective Acting Superintendent Luke Peachey told reporters at the scene. At this stage we have not established the identity of those three persons, but we hope to do that as soon as we can. Police initially did not rule out finding more victims due to uncertainty over the number of people who resided at the home. Advertisement Its sort of a little bit iffy at the moment, Peachey said. It seems to be a house that people come and go from. So until were able to establish exactly how many people were in that, I wont speculate. Neighbours called emergency services about the blaze after they were reportedly woken up by explosions and what sounded like a thunderstorm. It may take days to determine the full circumstances of the fire. At this stage we are treating it as unknown, Peachey said. Advertisement Obviously the fire scene is very horrific and will take some time to go through. The victims families would be supported as authorities tried to piece together what caused the fatal blaze, he added. Wed like to pass on our sincere condolences to all those families who are affected, he said. Well be working with the families, once we establish who those people are, to try and work out what happened. With AAP Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. CORRECTION An earlier version of this report listed the two child victims as girls. That report was based on the most recent information available at the time. Advertisement NationalWACourts Hes a liar: Bikie says sniper made up story that he was paid to shoot Nick Martin Rebecca Peppiatt October 15, 2025 4:09pm 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 A much-anticipated murder trial will not only detail how a Perth bikie boss was assassinated by a trained sniper five years ago, but also lays bare the alleged violent and lawless lives of Western Australias criminal underworld. David James Pye, a member of the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle gang, is accused of paying a former soldier to shoot dead Nick Martin, head of rival gang the Rebels, at Kwinana Motorplex in 2020. A court sketch of bikie David James Pye on the first day of his trial in the WA Supreme Court. Anne Barnetson He denies the accusation but, during his opening address on Wednesday in the WA Supreme Court, prosecutor Justin Whalley, SC, told Justice Joseph McGrath that the states prime witness an ex-soldier who has admitted carrying out the killing would point the finger directly at Pye. Whalley said the sniper, whose identity is suppressed, would tell the court Pye paid him to murder Martin and also asked if he would kill a former girlfriend and fellow Comanchero Ray Cilli. Advertisement Whalley claimed an Instagram message between the soldier and Pye in 2019 kicked off the chain of events that led to Martins death. The sniper, who lived in Waikiki and had served in Iraq, had recently returned to Australia after volunteering for medical charities overseas and was suffering PTSD from his active service in the artillery corps. David Pye leaves court during an appearance in 2013. AAPIMAGE/Angie Raphael Whalley told the court Pye reached out to the soldier to ask him about the veteran-run charity Shadows of Hope, which led to conversations about sourcing the drug MDMA, which the sniper believed he could use to treat his PTSD. The pair met in person for the first time in mid-2020, during which Pye allegedly revealed to the 35-year-old that he was at the time on home detention bail over allegations of sexual assault against a former girlfriend. Advertisement Whalley claimed that Pye told the man his ex was in witness protection in the states north-west and allegedly offered the soldier $380,000 to kill her and dispose of her body. He told him it needed to look like she just disappeared, otherwise he would be prime suspect, Whalley said. Police outside court on day one of David Pyes murder trial. 9 News Perth [The soldier] declined to commit the murder on the basis he thought it was a stupid idea, and he didnt kill innocent women. But conversations between the pair continued, Whalley alleged, and on another occasion the soldier sold Pye some ammunition. Advertisement During the delivery of that ammunition in July of 2020, Whalley alleged Pye then started to talk to the soldier about Martin and the history of antagonism and disagreement between them, including Pyes belief that Martin had put a contract out to have him killed. Whalley then alleged that Pye asked the man to kill Martin, giving him $10,000 to scope out the situation. Nick and Amanda Martin. 9News Perth The soldier was at the time out of work due to a workplace injury, had just launched a mobile coffee van business with his girlfriend and was in need of money, the court heard. The man then conducted reconnaissance of Nick Martin and his house, Whalley said, and exchanged messages with Pye about what he had found, which included flying a drone over his home to analyse the security system. Advertisement But after he was told that Martin regularly attended drag-racing events at the Kwinana Motorplex, the soldier suggested he kill him at long range for the fee of $150,000. On December 12, 2020 just after 8.30pm, Martin was fatally shot during a race meeting in front of his horrified family and members of the public. The identity of the man accused of murdering Nick Martin has been suppressed. Facebook A man sitting behind Martin was hit with the same bullet that exited Martins lower back. He underwent surgery but survived. He has since died of unrelated natural causes. Whalley told the court Pye later text the soldier two coffin emojis and a hand clap. Advertisement Related Article Crime Bikie boss Nick Martins legacy of violence continues as widow stands trial Was there two? the soldier responded. One dead, one serious, Pye allegedly responded. He then allegedly told the soldier, your money is here before the sniper drove to a spot near his house, parked, and then rode a bike to Pyes residence in case it was under surveillance to collect his pay. But later, when he got home and counted the loot, Whalley said, the bag only contained half of what he was expecting. Advertisement There was only 50 here. I was expecting 100, Whalley says he messaged Pye. The other person didnt kick in. It is what it is, Pye allegedly responded. Bikies ride from the funeral home in North Perth to Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park for Martins funeral. Sharon Smith Whalley said the killer didnt press the issue and instead made a trip to Bunnings to buy some PVC pipe and a shovel and then took his dog for a walk and buried the bundles of cash in the pipes. Some time after Australia Day in 2021, Whalley claims Pye then hit up the soldier again. This time to enlist him to murder fellow Comanchero Ray Cilli. Advertisement He said his people were impressed with his killing of Nick Martin and asked him to kill Cilli in Thailand, Whalley said. He paid him to look and do some preliminary research and showed him some photos of Cilli as he had no knowledge of him. Whalley said the sniper was initially offered $800,000 to do the job, to which the soldier said, Ill think about it. [The soldier] did a bit of internet research and contemplated a few ways he could kill him, Whalley claimed, adding that he later told the soldier that only $600,000 would now be available for the job after a massive police drugs bust. The soldier then made a video, Whalley said, which he allegedly sent to Pye showing him how he could shoot Cilli from a static vehicle. Advertisement The killing was never carried out. Pye denied the allegations, with his legal counsel David Hallowes, SC, telling the court the sniper was a liar, that Pye never suggested he kill his ex-girlfriend, and that he did not pay him to shoot Martin. The credibility of [the soldier] is central to this, he said. The allegation came from [the soldier] and the prosecutions case stands or falls on that. We say [the soldier] is a liar. We say dishonesty courses through the veins of [the soldier] and well show that through our cross-examination of him. Advertisement The soldier is the prosecutions first witness and will begin giving evidence on Thursday. Related Article Updated Courts Bikie assassin gets 20 years for execution of Rebels boss Nick Martin Other witnesses will include covert police officers revealing surveillance footage and recordings of Pye and the soldier. The trial is heavily policed with armed officers outside the court entrance and, unusually, there is a glass wall dividing the judge, lawyers, and Pye from the rest of the public gallery in the District Court building. Pye was escorted to and from court in a police vehicle with escorts that stopped traffic on Wednesday. His trial, which is being presided over by a judge only, is due to last three weeks. Advertisement Exclusive PoliticsFederalEmissions Australia to stare down Trumps threats over new global carbon tax Paul Sakkal and Mike Foley October 15, 2025 6:30pm 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 175 View all comments Australia will stare down the Trump administrations threat to punish nations that back an international pact to impose a carbon price on international shipping, creating another point of division with the United States just days before Anthony Albanese meets Donald Trump next week. Australian ministers and officials have been nervously weighing options in a series of meetings since the US declared last week that it rejected what it describes as a global carbon tax, saying it would impose sanctions, visa restrictions and port levies on any allies who backed the push. Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump will meet next week at the White House. Dominic Lorrimer, AP This masthead has learnt from two sources unable to speak publicly about the sensitive and fluid negotiations that Australia will probably press ahead with support for the scheme. It will be voted on at a meeting of the International Maritime Organisation in London on Thursday, Australian time. The government would not publicly state its position on Wednesday in response to questions, highlighting the delicate balancing act at play as Labor pursues hard-to-achieve climate targets while Trump shuns green energy. Advertisement It is expected to be ratified with the backing of other prominent members of the Paris Agreement such as the European Union, Japan, China, as well as Pacific nations. The timing is tricky for the prime minister, who is scheduled to meet with Trump on October 20 as he seeks to gain Australia a reprieve from import tariffs imposed by the US on Australian exports, including steel and aluminium. Related Article Exclusive Donald Trump Albanese scrambles to lock in minerals deal before Trump meeting Known as shippings net zero framework, the proposed scheme is a cap and trade system that imposes financial penalties on companies whose ships exceed emissions limits and rewards those that make cuts below the target enabling them to sell credits to third parties. International shipping emissions are not counted against any nations carbon budget, but account for about 3 per cent of global emissions. US officials were working behind the scenes on Wednesday to move an amendment to the framework that would disallow the scheme from coming into effect unless large shipping nations ratified it domestically, effectively giving it a veto. Australia was not expected to support that amendment. Advertisement Australia signalled its support for the scheme when it backed a draft scheme at the International Maritime Organisation, a United Nations agency, in April. Since then, the US has ramped up its opposition with claims that it would raise the cost of shipping by about 10 per cent and hike prices for consumers of imported goods. Forecasting potential tariffs, visa restrictions or port levies for nations that support activist-driven climate policies that would burden American consumers, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement on Friday that the US would move to hit Western nations that sponsor this European-led neocolonial export of global climate regulations. International shipping generates about 3 per cent of global greenhouse emissions, which is not counted under any nations carbon budget. AP President Trump has made it clear that the United States will not accept any international environmental agreement that unduly or unfairly burdens the United States or harms the interests of the American people. Australian officials discussed in recent days their response to the US opposition to the scheme, leading to speculation among industry groups that it would abstain from voting to placate Trump. Advertisement The shipping dispute adds to complications with the Trump administration, which is reviewing the AUKUS pact and expressed disappointment with Australias decision to recognise a Palestinian state. Related Article Analysis Climate crisis Labors net zero plan feels like a ScoMo 2.0 climate target playbook Ditching support for the international shipping carbon tax would not just anger many of Australias allies, it would open the government to criticism of its vision to revitalise local manufacturing with clean technology. Opposition transport spokesperson Bridget McKenzie said the carbon tax would hit importing nations such as Australia. Labor should have vigorously opposed this tax, she said. Instead, its another example of Labor signing us up in secret to an international agreement without explaining the costs to the Australian people. Advertisement The governments $23 billion Future Made in Australia fund is designed to support Australias transition to a net zero economy by backing clean industries such as green steel and aluminium. Last month, the government also announced a $1 billion green fuel strategy to support the commercialisation of technology such as renewable diesel, which is produced from organic materials such as plants and animal fat and generates low emissions. Meanwhile, Australia is still working behind the scenes to prove its climate change credentials to the world as it competes with Turkey for hosting rights of next years United Nations annual climate summit, known as COP26. Two Australian sources, including one cabinet minister, said Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen was considering sharing hosting rights with the other international applicant Turkey after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made it clear he would not withdraw his nations bid. University of Melbourne Professor of mechanical engineering Michael Brear said it would be a major step towards net zero for international shipping to become the first internationally traded carbon scheme, which would spur investment in commercialising green fuels that could help decarbonise other heavy industries such as mining and road transport. The Albanese government unequivocally should support the vote [at the IMO], Brear said. Advertisement The reason for that is not just the climate benefits, but we wont notice the impacts on the cost of consuming internationally traded goods. If we get this going, it can then reach into a lot of Australian heavy industry as we get better at it, and get the costs down. University College London research has found the tax would generate up to US$12 billion per year between 2028-2030, which is when most penalties would be incurred as shipping companies adjust their fleets to comply. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter. Advertisement Exclusive PoliticsFederalPolitical leadership Marles declares US-Australia defence relationship closer than any other country Paul Sakkal October 16, 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 182 View all comments Australias partnership with the US in the Indo-Pacific, where China and the US are battling for influence, has helped turn the US-Australia defence relationship into the closest in the world, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has declared ahead of the prime ministers White House visit. Despite months of turmoil sparked by US President Donald Trumps tariffs and a Pentagon probe into the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, Marles predicted a warm meeting between Albanese and Trump next Monday, pushing back on fears of an Oval Office blow-up such as the one Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky faced this year. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles during question time last week. Alex Ellinghausen Marles, in an interview with this masthead in his parliamentary office, opened up on his August talks with top Trump lieutenants JD Vance, Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth. The group shared only positive words on AUKUS, Marles revealed, and a focus on Australias role in the Indo-Pacific. The opposition has criticised Albanese for taking until October to meet Trump for bilateral talks despite the president being inaugurated in January, but Marles defended the delay, saying it was down to happenstance and Australias May election. Advertisement The prime minister has taken heavy reading material with him on his week-long Pacific holiday this week as he prepares for one of his most important foreign trips to date, with AUKUS, critical minerals, tariff exemptions and the US-China contest on the agenda. Related Article Exclusive Donald Trump Albanese scrambles to lock in minerals deal before Trump meeting Ive obviously not met president Trump, but everything I hear is that hes very favourably disposed towards Australia, Marles said. I feel [the Trump-Albanese meeting] will be positive. Britain is obviously a bigger defence force and population in terms of who they deal with, but I dont think theres any country that the US is closer to than Australia in terms of how we engage; on the level of trust that is there. Advertisement Government ministers are keeping quiet about a much-discussed deal on critical minerals that this masthead reported last month. Albanese, Trade Minister Don Farrell and US ambassador Kevin Rudd were scrambling to lock the deal in before the Trump sit-down. Despite hopes to the contrary, the government is not banking on learning the outcome of the Pentagons AUKUS review before Albanese touches down in the US next week. Richard Marles met with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (right) in Washington in August. X Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the Washington talks were a moment for team Australia but put the heat on Albanese to deliver and not roll over. This meeting should have occurred sooner, and we need it to be successful, she said. Advertisement This meeting occurs at a pivotal moment for our alliance, and we hope the prime minister successfully secures the assurances we need on AUKUS, trade, international partnerships and national security. In his most expansive comments on his meeting with Vance, Marles said his August dash to Washington was designed to build rapport with the vice president, who has emerged as a key shaper of the Trump administrations foreign policy. Labor has softened its language on China to unwind Chinese trade strikes on Australia and stabilise the relationship. At the same time, the government has ploughed on with the AUKUS pact designed to maintain the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific where China is asserting dominance. Trump has reignited tension with President Xi Jinping in the past week after China proved its intent to use its stranglehold on critical minerals against its competitors by blocking supply to the US. Advertisement The Lowy Institutes Sam Roggeveen, who wrote a book questioning the USs commitment to countering China, said Marles was right to say Australias involvement with the US was the closest it has ever been, but whether that was a good thing was a question of perspective and interpretation. Trump, Roggeveen said, had not given clear hints about how he would respond to a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. We have to be sceptical of any sense that the US under his leadership is committed to Asia-Pacific in the way Marles seems to be implying given his treatment of allies and his historic scepticism toward alliances, Roggeveen said. Related Article Exclusive Emissions Australia to stare down Trumps threats over new global carbon tax Marles said Australias abundance of rare earths, which this masthead revealed on Sunday would be supported by price floors and loans, was turning into a big deal for Australias geopolitical standing. Advertisement Its an important relationship for me to have and for the government to have, Marles said of Vance, adding that he had invited Vance to Australia. He sees us as being like-minded democracies, shared values, language and very strategically aligned. There is an understanding and a focus, which is good from our point of view, on the Indo-Pacific, that Ive experienced in my conversations with him, but also with Pete [Hegseth] and with others. Theyre all very focused in a good way on the Indo-Pacific, so we should take encouragement from that. The AUKUS pact signed by former leaders Scott Morrison, Joe Biden and Boris Johnson has been under a cloud since powerful Pentagon official Elbridge Colby, who has expressed reservations about giving Australia scarce nuclear-powered boats, put it under the microscope this year. Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy is already in the US to talk to officials and defence firms about AUKUS. The government is confident the review will not recommend major changes to AUKUS and, if it does, that Hegseth, Rubio and Vance will not allow the Pentagons department-level probe to shift White House policy. Advertisement I dont want to overstate things here, but I mean, JD is on the public record being very supportive of AUKUS, and that was something that I thanked him for, Marles said. Many in the left flank of Labors rank-and-file oppose AUKUS and regard Marles, who has been heavily criticised by former prime minister Paul Keating, as too close to the US. Marles is a leading member of the party right-wing faction in the cabinet who emphasises the importance of the US alliance. 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 TechnologySocial media No sex, drugs or dangerous stunts: Instagram limits teens to PG-13 content Tim Biggs Updated October 15, 2025 11:26am ,first published October 15, 2025 3:30am 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 Young users of Instagram in Australia will soon face a significantly restricted experience after Meta announced new global changes to its Teen Accounts program, in addition to the federal governments incoming social media restrictions. The Facebook and Instagram parent company said all users under 18 would have their accounts restricted by default, meaning they would not see content involving sex, drugs or dangerous stunts, and would be blocked from viewing accounts flagged as including such content. Adults supervising teens with their own account will be able to override the restrictions or impose harsher ones. Meta has announced that teenagers on Instagram will be restricted to seeing PG-13 content by default. Bloomberg Combined with the governments new social media rules, coming into effect in two months, this means users will not be able to use Instagram until they are 16, at which point they will be able to access a censored version unless their parents agree to remove the restrictions. Swinburne University digital media expert Belinda Barnet said Metas move showed that Australias pressure was having a global positive effect, despite criticism of the social media ban on technical grounds. Advertisement It means the ban is working exactly as intended, she said. All the critics seem to have missed this intention: we want the platforms to take responsibility for the content kids see. Meta said its changes, due to finish rolling out by the end of this year, were designed to limit teen accounts to the level of explicit content seen in an American PG-rated film. Loading This includes hiding or not recommending posts with strong language, certain risky stunts, and additional content that could encourage potentially harmful behaviours, such as posts showing marijuana paraphernalia, Meta said in a blog post on Tuesday, calling the update the most significant since it introduced teen accounts last year. Teens will no longer be able to follow accounts that regularly share age-inappropriate content or if their name or bio contains something that isnt appropriate for teens, such as a link to an OnlyFans account, Meta said. Advertisement Related Article Social media No playbook: eSafety boss backs social media ban despite expert warnings If teens already follow these accounts, theyll no longer be able to see or interact with their content, send them messages, or see their comments under anyones posts, the company said. The accounts also wont be able to follow teens, send them private messages or comment on their posts. The PG-13 update will also apply to artificial intelligence chats and experiences targeted to teens, Meta said, meaning AIs should not give age-inappropriate responses that would feel out of place in a PG-13 movie. Meta said it would implement automated age verification and detection measures to determine if a user claiming to be an adult is actually a teen. These measures are similar to those it will need to implement to comply with the incoming Australian rules, which require social media companies to take reasonable steps to block children from their services. Advertisement with AP The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share More: Social media Instagram Facebook Tim Biggs is a writer covering consumer technology, gadgets and video games. or email. Connect via Twitter Advertisement InspirationSouth Korea I dislike dressing up. But doing it in Korea was a revelation Paul Marshall October 16, 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 Im not one for fancy dress. The effort, the cost and the idea of bringing more plastic into the world doesnt appeal, nor does squeezing myself into a cheap polyester outfit that a hundred or so other people have sweated through before me. But everything I think I know about dressing up goes out the window the moment I put on the hanbok for Chuseok in Jeonju, South Korea. What starts as a silly, spur-of-the-moment idea turns into one of the most enjoyable days in all my travels. After all these years, I finally understand how Batman feels when he dons the mask, the way the outfit transforms me into something more than just another boring tourist. Chuseok is the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving. Its a mid-autumn harvest festival where people go back to their ancestral hometowns to eat good food, drink rice wine and engage in the usual Monopoly-related stoushes that follow whenever extended families get together. Visitors in traditional dress walk past ancient houses in Jeonju, South Korea. Getty Images Without an ancestral hometown to call my own, I pick Jeonju as my Chuseok destination for a reason that is remarkably stupid even by my standards. Jeonju is the home of the choco pie, a self-proclaimed snack cake that Im hopelessly in love with and have been ever since I first laid eyes on that wagon-wheel of chocolatey goodness. Advertisement The choco pies at PNB make Jeonju a worthwhile destination, but for those of you who arent oddly in love with this combination of marshmallow, cake and chocolate, its known as a foodie town with plenty going for it. It has great restaurants, coffee shops and craft beer bars, a gorgeous river, some beautiful hikes and all the usual cultural accoutrements of a historic city. All dressed up with many places to go looking the part for Chuseok. My favourite coffee shop, DID, has a barista who trained in Wellington, New Zealand. We spend an hour talking about our mutual love for The Lord of the Rings, while he serves me more coffee than is medically advisable. Related Article Culture holidays Move over, Paris and New York: 10 underrated cities for outstanding art Maybe it is the outrageous amount of caffeine flowing through my veins that makes me susceptible to my wifes suggestions that we, in an attempt to experience Chuseok to the fullest, get dressed up in Korean outfits known as hanboks (not to be confused with hanoks, the traditional homes). The hanbok rentals are easy to find, there are dozens of them in the hanok village, and my wife insists on paying for the premium option. Like so many other things she suggests on our travels, this seems like a good idea at the time. Advertisement Its hard to articulate how fun it is to get dressed up like royalty and charge around Jeonju. Its not like we do anything particularly interesting, other than walk around the hanoks (not to be confused with hanboks, the clothes we are wearing), pose for about 200 photos and eat choco pies. Choco pies local and addictive. Getty Images But the experience is less about how we view ourselves and more about how the locals view us. Seeing us embrace their Chuseok spirit, they open up to us in weird and wonderful ways. Some simply smile and wave while were sitting in craft beer bars. Others stop us in the street, say hello, tell us how good we look and ask us for photos. South Korea can be a stoic place at times and yet at this festive time of the year, putting on the outfit seems to remove locals masks, revealing the warm, welcoming faces underneath. Jeonju hanok village street, lined with shops and restaurants. Getty Images Advertisement Another great activity for Chuseok (other than dressing up, of course) is eating songpyeon. Theyre traditional rice cakes made of sesame and mugwort, a herb which might not sound appealing but goes pretty hard when mixed with rice flour. The only other thing worth mentioning is to book your train tickets and accommodation early. Its the busiest time of the year to travel in South Korea and things will book out. Beyond that, Chuseok is what you make of it. Its a chance to experience all the best bits of a traditional family holiday without the family to ruin the experience. So get dressed up, embrace the festivities and give thanks that youre in South Korea, one of the most remarkable countries in the world, at this special time of the year. Related Article South Korea If youve ever dreamed of cycling across a country, look no further The writer travelled at his own expense. THE DETAILS Advertisement FLY Korean Air and Asiana offer daily flights. See https://www.koreanair.com. WEAR Hanboks can be rented at an hourly rate of between $10 and $30, depending on quality. You can also arrange for hairstyling and hire a photographer. See https://hanboknam.com/ (for inspiration). EAT Advertisement For those of you who also want to experience the magic of the choco pie, head to PNB Bakery. See https://m.pnb1951.com/ MORE visitkorea.or.kr Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share License this article More: South Korea Culture holidays Foodie travel Paul Marshall is a Sydney-based travel writer who left his heart on the Banana Pancake Trail. With more than 10 years experience in the film, television, and video game industries, he now writes about his former life as a digital nomad and is always plotting his next escape. Whether its cycling across Korea or living in a Japanese fishing village, he loves a little-known destination and an offbeat adventure. Connect via email Traveller Guides Advertisement Reviews & adviceBali Opinion How I learnt to deal with Balis nightmare flights Sheriden Rhodes Travel writer October 16, 2025 4:00am October 16, 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 191 View all comments Its just before midnight: hundreds of tired passengers shuffle aboard the single-aisle plane, hoping for a little sleep before landing in Sydney. My husband, daughter (then aged 11) and I have seats with slightly extra legroom towards the pointy end, sectioned off by a flimsy curtain. Its no business class, but a slight buffer from the economy passengers crammed in behind us. Or so we think. A couple in their late 30s red-eyed, red-faced and bickering clamber into the row behind us and I break out in a cold sweat at the sound of beer cans being cracked open. Sure enough, things get ugly. Theres an angry diatribe, pushing and shoving. Our daughter, and every passenger within earshot, is woken by yelling while feet and elbows pummel into the back of our seat. My husband asks if they can calm down. You can imagine how that goes. Passengers queuing for a flight at Denpasar airport. Roughly two hours into the 5.5-hour flight, fists begin flying. Theres hitting, shouting and shoving. I cant repeat the language. The cabin crew repeatedly tries to de-escalate things. An hour or so before we land, the troublemakers finally pass out, a mess of tangled limbs and tear-stained faces. The popular Bali-Australia route is largely considered one of the worst for bad behaviour. Yes, passengers can misbehave on any flight. However, according to a report published in this masthead, flight attendants say a different demographic of flyers makes this route particularly problematic. Advertisement Anywhere there are bogans basically flying for a cheap holiday is where youll encounter the problems, said one flight attendant. Passengers vaping in the toilets, verbal and physical abuse. One passenger even opened a door mid-flight. These are just some of the incidents making headlines on what is dubbed the Bogan missile, Bogan bus or Flying Bunnings sausage sizzle in online passenger forums. Some believe its a lethal mix of the late departure time from Denpasar (although that doesnt explain bad behaviour on daytime flights from Australia) and passengers being encouraged to buy food and drink from back-of-seat menus, prompting continual pressing of the call bell. Chilling out at the beach bar what comes next on the flight is the issue. iStock Overnight flights out of Denpasar are full of overtired passengers, many with young children. The short flight time means no one gets a good sleep, least of all the cabin crew. To make matters worse, many passengers have been drinking at beach clubs and cheap beachside bars under Indonesias hot sun since checking out of their rooms at 11am. Beverage carts occupying a lone aisle are yet another cause of frustration, meaning lavatories cant easily be accessed. With limited space onboard and some passengers treating the plane as a Sunday session, its a recipe for disaster. Advertisement It doesnt matter if youre flying to or from Bali, or even which airline you fly. Earlier this year, a brawl broke out on a Jetstar flight from Melbourne to Bali with threats and a physical altercation. The year before, on that exact route, another Jetstar flight was forced to turn around after a woman unleashed an angry outburst on other passengers. A man had to be restrained, passengers pinning him to the ground, after he lunged at a flight attendant, while an Australian family was kicked off their Qantas flight home from Bali after a tense altercation with cabin crew. And these are just the reported cases. A colleague of mine flying to Bali rang his call bell when young passengers started spraying beer around the cabin. The attendant shrugged, saying, What do you expect? Its a Bali flight. Faced with passengers gone rogue, flight attendants across social media and in articles addressing the alarming increase in air rage advise staying calm and speaking politely to the person causing offence. If that fails, speak privately with cabin crew who are trained in handling onboard conflict. If theres room, ask to move seats and use noise-cancelling headsets and eye masks to shut out disturbances. Or fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday when flights are less full. Alternatively, follow my lead and avoid the overnight flight home from Denpasar, booking one of the limited daytime flights back to Australia instead. I often stay overnight at a Brisbane Airport hotel before flying home to Newcastle the next day. While theres no guarantee therell be no bad behaviour on daytime flights, you at least arrive home rested, instead of tired from broken sleep on the red-eye. Advertisement Related Article Opinion Travel tips Ive done my fair share of risk taking overseas, but Ive changed Lee Tulloch Travel columnist As Forrest Gump said, flying the Bali route is pretty much a box of chocolates, you never know what youre going to get. To my horror, while boarding a Garuda flight a few years back, I realised almost every passenger, bar myself and a couple of mums, was heading to Bali for schoolies. Bracing myself, I buckled in beside three teenage boys from country NSW. To my surprise, theyd never been on a plane before and politely asked for help with their seat-belt buckles and arrival cards. When the drink cart came around, they declined alcohol, admitting theyd not yet turned 18. So yes, things can and do go wrong on Bali flights, but dont let it put you off. Once that balmy air hits you, and you spot a smiling face holding your name card among the throng of Balinese drivers, you know youre in for a magical holiday. Sign up for the Traveller newsletter The latest travel news, tips and inspiration delivered to your inbox. Sign up now. Advertisement WorldNorth AmericaTrump's White House Fox News joins mass rebellion over Pentagons unprecedented new rules Michael Koziol October 15, 2025 10:30am 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 317 View all comments Washington: Conservative network Fox News has joined a throng of US media outlets refusing to agree to a new set of rules for reporters covering the Pentagon, which is set to see journalists lose access to the building as soon as Thursday. The US Department of War is requiring pass holders to sign a new document that, among other things, stipulates they cannot solicit information that has not been explicitly authorised for release by the Pentagon, potentially exposing reporters to punishment for routine journalism. The Pentagon is the headquarters of the US Department of War. Reporters refusing to sign the form will lose physical access to the building. AP On Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT), major television news networks Fox, CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC released a joint statement confirming their reporters would not sign the new guidelines. Today, we join virtually every other news organisation in declining to agree to the Pentagons new requirements, which would restrict journalists ability to keep the nation and the world informed of important national security issues, they said. Advertisement The policy is without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections. We will continue to cover the US military as each of our organisations has done for many decades, upholding the principles of a free and independent press. Murdoch-owned Fox News is the former employer of War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was a weekend TV host before President Donald Trump picked him to lead the nations defence department, which the president rebranded the Department of War in September. War Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon was proud of the new policy and would stand by it in the face of a media revolt. AP Major newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, have also refused the terms, as have key newswire services AP, Reuters and Agence France-Presse (AFP), and public outlets such as NPR. The conservative, pro-Trump outlet Newsmax has held out against signing the document. At least one network, One America News Network, has publicly said it would agree to the new rules. Advertisement The Atlantics editor, Jeffrey Goldberg who earlier this year received sensitive details about an upcoming military strike after being mistakenly added to a Signal group chat that included Hegseth said the policy violated First Amendment rights, and the rights of Americans who sought to know how taxpayer-funded military resources were being used. We fundamentally oppose the restrictions that the Trump administration is imposing on journalists who are reporting on matters of defence and national security, he said. The Pentagon has given pass holders until 5pm on Tuesday (8am Wednesday, AEDT) to sign up to the policy or face being kicked out of the building within 24 hours. Access is a privilege On X, Hegseth reacted to news organisations announcing their decision by quoting their post and adding a hand-waving emoji, indicating goodbye. Advertisement He said the new policy, which includes clarifications about building access, would bring the Pentagon in line with other US military installations. View post on X It would mean accredited journalists were no longer permitted to solicit criminal acts, Hegseth said. Pentagon access is a privilege, not a right. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the department stood by its policy because it was best for US national security and the countrys troops. He said the policy did not require journalists to agree, but to acknowledge they understood it. This has caused reporters to have a full-blown meltdown, crying victim online. But the Pentagon Press Association said the new document, which ran to 21 pages, contained extensive legal claims about what was allowed, and laid out unprecedented contentions about what is and isnt acceptable news-gathering. Advertisement Related Article Trump's America A novice defence secretary lectures the brass on what it takes to win The Pentagon certainly has the right to make its own policies, within the constraints of the law, the alliance said. There is no need or justification, however, for it to require reporters to affirm their understanding of vague, likely unconstitutional policies as a precondition to reporting from Pentagon facilities. The association said the policy was particularly problematic because it required journalists to agree that harm inevitably flows from the disclosure of unauthorised information, classified or not something everyone involved knows to be untrue. It called the situation disturbing. 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 AmericaTrump's America Opinion Peace in Trumps time? Maybe, just not in America Maureen Dowd New York Times columnist October 15, 2025 10:30am October 15, 2025 10:30am 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 182 View all comments This is one piece of gold that President Donald Trump is never going to get his short, stubby fingers on: an 18-carat gold medal with three naked men embracing, awarded to those who promote peace, democracy and human rights. The Nobel Peace Prize has been given to some beauts like Henry Kissinger, for helping end the Vietnam War he perpetuated to aid Richard Nixons re-election. Donald Trump is chasing a Nobel Peace Prize. But it was not designed for someone like him. AP But the prize was not designed for someone like Trump. The Norwegian Nobel committee would no doubt discontinue the award before it would give it to him. His longing is partly inspired by his jealousy of Barack Obama, who absurdly got a Nobel Peace Prize after only eight months in office for just being a cool dude. Our 79-year-old president admitted recently that he also envies Obama for the way he airily bopped down the stairs of Air Force One, while he himself has to slowly creep down, grasping the railing, worried that hell fall and look as unsteady as Joe Biden. Advertisement Ive always thought we were lucky that Trump was not more prone to invasions, a la his fellow draft dodger Dick Cheney, given his belligerent persona, vengeful nature, fascination with military trappings and UFC macho bluster. He insisted on having a military parade in Washington in June, and hes planning a UFC fight next June on the White House South Lawn for the countrys 250th birthday. Related Article Updated Trump's White House Rhetorical Whac-A-Mole: Judge blocks Trump from sending National Guard to Oregon Even though most liberals have tried to paint Trump as a deranged hawk at heart, the former real estate developer always seemed, blessedly, more drawn to the art of the deal than shock and awe. While he bombed Irans nuclear facilities, threatens Venezuela and strikes alleged drug boats off its coast, he more often seems to consider war a waste of time and money that could be better spent building a beachfront property in North Korea or the Gaza Strip. Unlike other candidates for the presidency, war and aggression will not be my first instinct, he said in his first foreign policy speech in Washington during the 2016 race. He added, A superpower understands that caution and restraint are really, truly signs of strength. Even though he tepidly supported the invasion of Iraq, amid the rah-rah patriotic push to punish somebody, anybody, for 9/11, he would later call it the single worst decision ever made. Advertisement In May, he denounced the debacles of neocons and interventionists, vowing a future where people of different nations, religions and creeds are building cities together, not bombing each other out of existence. Related Article Opinion Trump's America Trump is not worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize not now, not ever Bruce Wolpe Senior fellow at the US Studies Centre and former political staffer If Trump can untie the Gordian knot of the Middle East, it will be a spectacular feat although it will have been accomplished by accommodating Benjamin Netanyahus brutal annihilation and starvation of Gaza. And, of course, theres probably some money in it for him and his family somewhere. But the region is a graveyard of peace deals. As David Sanger wrote in The New York Times: Much could go wrong in coming days, and in the Middle East it often does. The peace deal Mr Trump heralded on Truth Social on Wednesday evening may look more like another temporary pause in a war that started long before Israels founding in 1948, and has never ended. As Tom Friedman pointed out, it is Trumps moral indifference to the human rights transgressions of his partners in the peace plan that allows him to break through old paradigms. Advertisement That is the same moral indifference that will prevent him from ever getting a Nobel. You cant get a medal for promoting democracy when you tried to overthrow the democracy you were running. He has shown utter disdain for our Constitution and the laws that have made us the greatest democracy in the world. Trump has sparked danger in the streets in America. AP Once in 2016, I asked him about the violence that was breaking out at his rallies. He said he thought it added some excitement to the proceedings. Trump is constantly posting cruel, nasty images on Truth Social. He loves gladiatorial combat, the scenes of masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers roughing up people, even if they have their American passports in their pockets. What sort of person much less a president does not object to headlines like this in The Hill: Top DHS Official Defends ICE Officer Who Shot Pastor With Pepper Ball? The Rev David Black was protesting peacefully at an ICE facility in a Chicago suburb, hands out, offering to pray with officers, when an ICE officer on a roof shot him in the head with a pepper ball. Advertisement While Trump may have sparked dancing in the streets in the Middle East, hes sparked danger in the streets in America. He is siccing American troops on blue cities, distorting the National Guards largely humanitarian mission and turning it into, as The New York Times John Ismay put it, a partisan strike force at the whim of the president. Related Article Trump's White House Fox News joins mass rebellion over Pentagons unprecedented new rules Trump expressed another chilling whim to the generals recently when he said he had told Pete Hegseth: We should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military. Even as he says he should have won the Nobel five times over for his work solving foreign conflicts, he is creating conflicts in America, concocting perilous crises in American cities. Governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, the Republican chair of the National Governors Association, told the Times that the president was violating states rights: Oklahomans would lose their mind if Pritzker in Illinois sent troops down to Oklahoma during the Biden administration. While hes freeing hostages in Gaza, Trump is seizing some here. Hes forcing Pam Bondi to play the tortured servant Renfield to his dark, narcissistic Dracula. She is scurrying around eating insects, doing the presidents dirty work of indicting his foes and purging anyone who worked with them. The Department of Vengeance, nee Department of Justice, has indicted James Comey, the former FBI director, and Letitia James, the attorney-general of New York, and more Trumped-up vindictive indictments are surely coming. Advertisement Richard Nixon had an enemies list, but he didnt do much with it. He could only dream of doing the kind of stuff Trump has got away with. Trump seems oblivious to the paradox of enforcing peace abroad and disrupting it badly at home, of soothing violence overseas and inflaming it here. While hes rechristened the Pentagon the chesty Department of War, hes bragging about forming a Board of Peace with himself, of course, the chief peacenik to oversee Gazas new governing body. The contradiction is hard to square. Its not going to win Americas president a peace prize. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. A LIFETIME of research into Tullows history will be unveiled this week when local historian Christopher McQuinn launches his first book, a comprehensive exploration of the towns people and their stories spanning from the Bronze Age to modern times. The 600-page Tullow through the Ages will be launched by historian Turtle Bunbury at the Mount Wolseley Hotel this Thursday, 16 October, at 7.30pm. Mr McQuinn, a retired teacher with a masters degree in educational management from Trinity College Dublin, spent years compiling the work, which began not as a book but as a collection of articles for local parish magazines and historical publications. It didnt actually start as a book. It started as articles mainly for local parish magazines and Carloviana, historical publications. The book started about five years ago, but the basis was there for many years before that, Mr McQuinn explained. The book weaves together the stories of notable local figures against the backdrop of significant historical events. Among those featured are Judith Wogan-Browne, Daniel Delany, Fr John Murphy, Thomas Traynor, the Wolseley gentry and the Tullow women convicts transported to Tasmania. A particularly poignant discovery during his research was the story of the Tullow Five women transported to Tasmania in 1845 for stealing potatoes during the Famine. They were mainly widows, single parents who were starving, and they stole potatoes to feed their children. And for that they were brought to court in Tullow, sent to prison in Carlow and up to Grangegorman in a holding place before being transported to Australia, to Tasmania, Mr McQuinn said. The descendants of these women went on to achieve remarkable success. One woman, Mary Burgess, has over 500 descendants in Australia. Historian Dr Diane Snowden, a descendant of the Tullow Five, has written extensively about their story and was instrumental in having a statue dedicated to them erected in Tasmania, created by Rowan Gillespie, the sculptor behind Dublins iconic Famine memorial. Mr McQuinn was particularly interested in documenting Tullows educational uniqueness, highlighting how two religious orders the Brigidines and the Patricians were founded in the town and went on to establish schools worldwide, from Australia to Ghana. There are five huge successful schools in Melbourne. If you go into the foyer there, you will see a big mural of Tullow in the background, said Mr McQuinn, who visited the schools during his research. The hardback book, which features copious illustrations, covers topics ranging from prehistoric monuments and Rathgall stone fort (dating from 800BC) to agriculture, sport, music and the performing arts. You dont have to read it from cover to cover. You can just dip in and look at a chapter of interest, Mr McQuinn noted. He hopes the book will help locals connect with the human stories of those who lived in Tullow before them and appreciate the towns significant, yet underappreciated, global impact. Tullow through the Ages costs 35 and will be available after the launch in local shops and from Woodbine Books in Kilcullen, both in-store and online. AS many as eight unaccompanied migrant children could be missing in Co Carlow, according to information shared at a recent council committee meeting. People Before Profit councillor Adrienne Wallace told The Nationalist that during a meeting of Carlow County Councils Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) on 10 September, a council representative confirmed that a number of unaccompanied minors in the county had gone missing. I asked the housing and integration SPC, and it was confirmed that there were seven or eight children in Carlow that had gone missing, cllr Wallace told The Nationalist. Obviously I shared my concerns, and they said that Tusla and An Garda Siochana are aware and that it has been moved up to the highest authority. Cllr Wallace said she raised the issue in light of national reports about missing unaccompanied minors across Ireland. Maybe the families were reunited, but it was also mentioned in the same meeting that there was an increase nationally in human trafficking, which is obviously where your mind goes first, especially with unaccompanied children. Theyre so vulnerable, added cllr Wallace. The Nationalist contacted Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and at the time of going to press had not received an official statement. Carlow County Council was also contacted for comment on the figures provided at the SPC meeting and in response said the matter should be referred to Tusla who are the agency responsible for unaccompanied minors. The revelation comes amid growing concern over missing unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in state care. An investigation published by The Journal website in December 2023 found that 62 unaccompanied minors had disappeared from state care since 2017. Of those, 44 were no longer being searched for by Tusla because they had reached adulthood while still missing. Garda records show only 16 active appeals for missing migrant children during the same period. The investigation also found that no public appeals were issued in most cases, raising questions from child-protection groups about transparency and accountability. Guillaume Landry, executive director of the international child-protection network ECPAT, told The Journal at the time: If 20 local schoolchildren went missing in an emergency in Ireland tomorrow and the authorities just shrugged their shoulders, there would be outrage where is the outrage for these missing children? Advocacy organisations have warned that unaccompanied minors are at heightened risk of trafficking and exploitation. A July 2023 report by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) found that Tuslas Separated Children Seeking International Protection service failed to follow national protocols in some cases of missing children and issued an urgent compliance plan. A separate investigation by the Dublin Inquirer in 2023 found that of the unaccompanied minors who went missing while under Tuslas care, only 18 were found or accounted for. Fiona Finn, CEO of Cork-based migrant and refugee rights organisation Nasc, said at the time that it was vital that the government publicise the disappearances: They do not have family members in Ireland who can advocate for them or speak to the press, she said. A MAN who took 43,000 worth of cannabis that he found under a bush has been sentenced to two years in prison. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard last Thursday, 9 October, that Govonor Ogbonnaya (27) of Castle Park, Graiguecullen, Co Carlow pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply at an address in the Tallaght area of Dublin on 20 October 2020. He has a number of previous convictions, 52 of which are for theft. Passing sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said: This defendant thought he was very lucky when he found these drugs. He then took them. Judge Nolan said the defendant made himself known to the gardai when the occupier of the house was arrested. The judge added: There is good mitigation in this case, which allows me to depart from the ten-year mandatory minimum. He outlined that this defendant took responsibility for the drugs when the gardai had no way of connecting him to the drugs. Judge Nolan said: Undoubtedly, he deserves a custodial sentence, and sentenced Mr Ogbonnaya to two years in prison, backdated to when he went into custody. The court heard that gardai obtained a search warrant for a home in Tallaght. During the search, cutoffs and baggies were located in the house, along with 26.6g of cannabis. A side lane beside the house was also searched, and gardai could smell cannabis and found two bags which had been placed on wheelie bins at the house next door. 2,067g of cannabis was found in these bags. The court heard that the owner of the house was arrested, and while being placed in the garda car Mr Ogbonnaya presented himself to the gardai and took responsibility for the drugs. He told gardai that he saw someone storing the drugs under a bush, and he took them. He said he had not made up his mind about what he was going to do with the drugs. The drugs were sent to Forensic Science Ireland, where they were analysed and tested positive for cannabis. A total value of 43,854 worth of cannabis was seized. A local garda agreed with John Moher BL, defending, that his client was a good sportsman in the past and that he admitted to the ownership of the drugs at the scene and in the garda station. The garda agreed with counsel that if it had not been for his clients admission, there would have been no case against him. Mr Moher said his client became addicted to crack cocaine, and 52 of his previous convictions were for theft to feed his drug habit. Counsel said his client has no trapping of wealth and had been homeless for a period. He said his client understood that this matter was quite serious and that it would have a serious impact on his life going forward. He asked the court to take into account that Mr Ogbonnaya did not want this life and wanted to put this behind him. A CARLOW man was found guilty of breaching a restraining order but was given a chance to avoid a conviction when he appeared before the local district court last week. David OLeary was found guilty of breaching a restraining order, brought against him by Anthony Heaney, arising from an incident in Fairgreen Shopping Centre, Carlow on 12 May this year. Mr Heaney, who operates the All About Carlow Facebook page, gave direct evidence in the case to Judge Geraldine Carthy, telling her that he and his daughter had gone to the Fairgreen that day to do some shopping in Tesco. He said that he saw Mr OLeary at one of the entrances into the centre before he and his daughter entered the supermarket and that he saw Mr OLeary there as well. Mr Heaney continued that at one stage Mr OLeary was standing looking at him and that he felt threatened by him. Solicitor Joe Farrell, acting for the defendant, put it to Mr Heaney that Carlow is a small place and Mr OLeary had to go about his business. Mr Heaney replied that he often saw the defendant at events and other occasions, but that he tried to do his own thing and not get involved. He continued that Mr OLeary followed him around on a regular basis and that the situation has been going on for ten years. He also told the court that there were posts on the internet about him, and that he believed Mr OLeary was responsible for them. Mr Farrell then put it to Mr Heaney that he had referred to this court case on Facebook, when he wrote: My old stalker is back with his usual s**t and Ill see you on the 8th'. Mr Farrell said that court, and not social media, was the forum to deal with the issue, to which Mr Heaney said that he wrote that out of frustration because it was a continuous, ongoing onslaught against him by Mr OLeary. He told Judge Carthy that the defendant had gone to his place of work and had shouted the word paedophile at him several times. He said that he could tie the online comments back to Mr OLeary because of the language that was used, but Judge Carthy said that she had to limit the case to what was before the court, that is, the incident at Fairgreen Shopping Centre. Mr Farrell put it to Mr Heaney that he was perhaps sensitive to seeing Mr OLeary, to which Mr Heaney replied that he was in fear in case Mr OLeary did something to him. Investigating garda, Garda Michael Coakley, said that Mr Heaney came to Carlow Garda Station that day and made a statement about what had happened. He said that Mr Heaney told him that Mr OLeary had followed him around Tesco and that a member of the public told him that Mr OLeary was filming him. Garda Coakley said that he arrested Mr OLeary later that day and cautioned him. Garda Coakley continued that on 27 July he put Mr Heaneys statement of events to Mr OLeary, and that Mr OLeary replied: I agree with everything he said. When solicitor Joe Farrell asked Garda Coakley if Mr Heaney looked under pressure or frustrated, Garda Coakley replied: He looked more concerned, because its been an issue for a number of years. Mr Farrell then submitted to Judge Carthy that Mr Heaney may have felt uncomfortable that day due to the ongoing history between the pair but that he couldnt have been in fear because he didnt leave the supermarket immediately. However, Judge Carthy rejected this and said that Mr OLeary had a case to answer. The defendant then took the stand and gave direct evidence. He said that he remembered seeing Mr Heaney at the shopping centre but stepped away because he didnt want any drama. He continued that he cycled away from the shopping centre but came back because he needed something in the shop and saw that the coast was clear. He said that it wasnt his intention to put Mr Heaney in fear that day and that in hindsight he should have given him more time in Tesco. He said: It wasnt my intention to follow him. Mr OLeary added that he was 100% genuine and sorry for putting him in fear. He also denied filming Mr Heaney in the supermarket. Judge Carthy said that she had listened to both sides and that Mr OLeary himself accepted that he had breached the restraining order. However, she also said that the offence was not on the higher level and that she would give Mr OLeary a chance to avoid a conviction by paying a donation of 1,000 into the court poor box. This is a reasonable outcome for all concerned. No doubt, there will be a lesson learnt here, said Judge Carthy. Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme Eoin Reynolds A Croatian man who was assaulted while his childhood friend was beaten to death beside him has told a murder trial that he suffered memory loss and can say nothing about what happened. David Druzinec (29) on Wednesday told the trial of three men accused of murdering Josip Strok (31), that he remembers having a "strange feeling" that they were being followed after he and the deceased got off a bus near his home in Clondalkin, Dublin. As they walked towards Mr Druzinec's home in the Grange View estate, Mr Druzinec said he told Mr Strok to "hurry up" when he saw people behind them. He said he didn't recognise any of them and couldn't say what age they were, but he knew they were male and there were "more than three of them". He said he "got attacked" and suffered a loss of memory. He said he can say "nothing about what happened," but recalls seeing an ambulance and his friend lying on the ground. Mr Druzinec required stitches above both eyes and to the top of his hea,d and had bruises on his cheeks. Mark Lee (44), of no fixed abode, and Anthony Delappe (19) of Melrose Avenue, Clondalkin have both pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Josip Strok at Grangeview Way in Clondalkin on April 3, 2024. Josip Strok Connor Rafferty (21) of Castlegrange Close, Clondalkin has pleaded not guilty to Mr Strok's murder. All three have pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Mr Druzinec, at the same location. It is alleged that the three accused assaulted Mr Druzinec and Mr Strok on March 30, 2024 and that Mr Strok died four days later from blunt force injuries sustained in the attack. It is the prosecution case that the three men assaulted the two Croatians after being told that they had attacked a 17-year-old boy at a nearby bus stop. Seoirse O Dunlaing SC, for the prosecution, said in his opening speech earlier this week that the accused knew Mr Strok and Mr Druzinec were foreign nationals and that has "relevance in the case". Mr Druzinec told Mr O Dunlaing that he moved to Ireland in 2018 and in March 2024 was working in Inchicore in Dublin fitting signs for shops. He was living in Clondalkin for just two days when, on the Saturday of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend he met up with Mr Strok in Dublin City Centre. He described Mr Strok as a childhood friend and said they had been neighbours growing up in Croatia. They had planned to go home for the Bank Holiday but were unable to get flights. That evening, they had beers in Busker's and the Oliver St John Gogarty bars in Temple Bar before getting a bus to Clondalkin at about 8pm. They went to Tesco for groceries and waited for another bus to take them home. He said he couldn't remember an 'incident' at that bus stop, but recalled getting on the bus and getting off near Grange View before being attacked. On CCTV footage, Mr Druzinec identified himself wearing a 'wicker hat' that he had been given earlier that night at the Oliver St John Gogarty pub. Earlier today, a teenage girl told Mr O Dunlaing that she was with her partner at the bus stop outside the Tesco in Clondalkin when she saw two men, one of them wearing a straw hat. They were drinking from brown bottles and smoking, she said. One of them asked her partner for a lighter, but he told them he doesn't smoke. They kept asking for a light and "wouldn't leave him alone", she said. They became aggressive, and the man wearing the hat jumped over a wall to get at her partner. They started fighting, and the second man "jumped in and put [her partner] out onto the road" while kicking and punching him, the witness said. Her partner screamed at them to stop, telling them that he's "only a child". When he said he was only 17, the man who was not wearing a hat pulled the other man away, she said. As the witness and her partner walked towards a nearby garda station to report what had happened, she recalled the man in the hat screaming: "I'm going to kill you." Under cross-examination, the witness told Michael Bowman SC, for Mr Lee, that the man with the straw hat was the "more aggressive" of the two. She said they both dragged her partner to the ground, punched and kicked him and left him with scratches to his arms and legs. His side was red where they had dragged him along the ground, she said. She agreed that it was "pretty frightening". Sgt Anthony Flynn told Mr O Dunlaing that on the same night he and two other gardai were on patrol in Temple Bar as part of operations intended to restore public confidence in policing following the Dublin riots. At 7.15pm they arrived at Busker's Bar, where doormen were restraining a man on the ground. The doormen explained that the man had been removed and restrained because he struck someone in the bar. The man identified himself as David Druzinec and gave his address. Sgt Flynn warned Mr Druzinec to leave the area or he would be arrested. Kinga Szczepaniak told Mr O Dunlaing that shortly after 10pm that night she was alerted to something going on in the street outside her home in Grange View. She looked out her window and saw a man sitting by the side of the road who seemed drunk and unable to stand up. Another man was lying "straight down" on the street. She rang emergency services and told them she didn't know if the man lying down was alive, but she could tell there was "really something wrong with him". The trial continues before Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring and a jury of six men and six women. Ken Foxe The tribunal for hearing asylum seeker appeals paid out nearly 1.4 million in fees last year, with one lawyer accounting for almost 15 per cent of that total. Barrister John Noonan was paid 199,705 for his work with the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) in 2024. He was one of two people who earned in excess of 100,000 for hearing cases involving failed applicants for international protection. IPAT said fees totalling 1.37 million had been paid last year to 80 different legal practitioners for their work. Payments ranged from six-figure sums to just 245 for lawyers who only took on one or two cases. Four people earned between 50,000 and 100,000, while 17 were paid between 25,000 and 50,000 for their work with IPAT. There were payments of between 10,000 and 25,000 for 13 lawyers, while 44 earned less than 10,000 for dealing with asylum appeals. IPAT said that over the past 20 months, they had received more than 18,000 appeals from applicants who were refused the right to stay in Ireland. During that period, 6,205 decisions were issued, of which 71 percent or 4,408 cases altogether were unsuccessful for the asylum seeker. The IPAT data showed, however, that 1,797 applicants either had their original decision set aside or were granted refugee status on appeal. Figures covering the period from January 2024 to the end of August this year also show that the highest number of appeals were received from citizens of Nigeria, Georgia, Algeria, Somalia, and Jordan. Success rates varied by nationality, according to a database of cases. For Georgians, 22 per cent of initially failed asylum claims were either granted or set aside following appeal. Among Nigerians, the equivalent figure was around 14 percent, while Somalis successfully appealed in roughly 12 per cent of cases. IPAT said the 1.37 million in fees were paid on the basis of set rates depending on the type of hearing involved. For a papers-only case with no oral hearing, a tribunal member is paid 490, with higher fees applying if a spouse or children are involved. In a case with an oral hearing, the fee is 730, again with higher rates if other family members are involved. Decisions in cases over admissibility or follow-up appeals are paid at rates starting at 365, while fees are also payable where appeals are withdrawn. For a case withdrawn prior to a hearing, the fee is 245 while if its withdrawn post-hearing, the payment rises to 490. A fee of 245 also applies where a hearing is postponed on the day. Asked about the records, a spokesperson said they had nothing further to add to the information that was released under FOI. By Bairbre Holmes, PA People have been urged to be vigilant after the first confirmed sightings of Asian hornets in Northern Ireland. On Wednesday, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) confirmed an insect captured by a member of the public on Friday October 10 is from the invasive species. It was discovered in the Dundonald area of Belfast, with further sightings confirmed in the area suggesting the existence of a nest, the agency said. Also known as a yellow-legged hornet, the insect is a harmful invasive species originating from east Asia and was first recorded in Europe in 2004. Two Asian hornet nests were found in Cork this summer (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage/PA) Two nests were found and destroyed in the Cork area earlier this summer. The NIEA said officials are using track and trace methods to find and remove any nests that might be in the Dundonald area and said they have deployed specialist equipment and started a monitoring programme involving live traps. In a statement they said: The public is urged to be vigilant and report any suspected insects, ideally with a photograph. Suspected nests should not be disturbed but reported immediately Northern Ireland Environment Agency There are a number of ways that reports can be made including through the Asian Hornet Watch app and online at habitats.org.uk. The public is warned: Suspected nests should not be disturbed but reported immediately. The species is a predator of pollinators like honeybees and wasps and the NIEA say its aggressive nature and feeding habits mean it can have a serious impact on biodiversity. Environment Minister Andrew Muir MLA said he was grateful to the member of the public who first reported the insect, saying: This is a harmful species that I do not wish to see becoming established in Northern Ireland as it presents a serious threat to both biosecurity and local ecology, particularly valuable pollinating insects. Advertisement Egypts Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, Kamel El-Wazir, held an extensive meeting with cement manufacturers to review recent market trends, falling prices, and strategies to enhance production capacity. The meeting aimed to strengthen the efficiency of Egypts cement sector and ensure sufficient supply for the local market. A report on cement price trends and production volumes was presented, highlighting fluctuations in recent months. Discussions covered idle production lines, reasons for their suspension, and plans for reactivation. Several companies confirmed having the technical capacity to produce beyond their current licenses. In response, the General Authority for Industrial Development (IDA) will evaluate requests to expand licensed capacities, with the goal of maximising output and stabilising prices. To incentivise increased production, El-Wazir announced a temporary discount on processing fees for companies that boost supply to the local market during October, in celebration of national events. This initiative aligns with the governments strategy to regulate the market and lower prices through expanded domestic output. The minister also reviewed progress on factory renovations, noting that shutdowns stemmed from spare part shortages and modernisation efforts. He assured that the Ministry is working closely with each factory to overcome technical and administrative obstacles, ensuring a swift return to full capacity. El-Wazir further emphasised the governments push toward alternative energy sources, encouraging the use of fuels derived from agricultural and household waste to reduce costs and enhance sustainability. Cement producers expressed strong interest in adopting these technologies to improve competitiveness and environmental performance. Advertisement Ciments du Maroc (Heidelberg Materials Group) has reached a major milestone in its innovative CO 2 capture and recovery project using microalgae technology at its Safi cement plant. The company has successfully completed the first commercial delivery of products under the ALGACEM brand, demonstrating the projects technical and economic viability. This achievement confirms the pilots compatibility with existing industrial infrastructure and its ability to operate seamlessly alongside traditional cement production systems. It establishes the groundwork for a scalable and replicable model that can be extended across the entire cement sector, supporting global efforts to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable industry practices. Through the ALGACEM initiative, Ciments du Maroc is turning captured CO 2 emissions into valuable resources by leveraging the natural capabilities of microalgae. The project aligns with Moroccos broader commitment to green innovation and climate action, contributing to the decarbonisation of one of the countrys key industrial sectors. The company expressed appreciation to its project team and partners for their professionalism and commitment, which have been instrumental in achieving this milestone. Ciments du Maroc reaffirmed its dedication to expanding bio-based and circular solutions that strengthen its long-term sustainability strategy. This success positions Ciments du Maroc as a regional leader in low-carbon cement manufacturing and showcases how biotechnology can enhance environmental performance in heavy industry. Advertisement Oman Cement Co SAOG has reported a decline in profit for 9M25, reflecting continued pressure on margins in the Sultanates construction materials sector. The company recorded sales of OMR51.09m (US$132.75m), slightly down from OMR52.48m in the same period last year. Net income fell to OMR5.88m, compared with OMR8.88m a year earlier. While Oman Cement did not provide detailed commentary on the results, the performance mirrors regional market trends of slower infrastructure spending and heightened competition from imports. The company continues to invest in operational efficiency and product quality to sustain profitability amid challenging market conditions. Oman Cement remains one of the countrys leading producers of clinker and cement, serving both domestic and export markets from its base in the Muscat Governorate. Dialogue held to advance China studies 10:19, October 15, 2025 By Zhou Wenting and Wang Xin ( China Daily Guests arrive at the Shanghai International Convention Center on Tuesday to attend the opening of the second World Conference on China Studies. TANG YANJUN/CHINA NEWS SERVICE Aiming to achieve broader consensus on advancing Sinology and promote ongoing cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world, the second World Conference on China Studies opened in Shanghai on Tuesday with the gathering of around 500 renowned scholars and experts from around the globe. Themed "Historical and Contemporary China: A Global Perspective", the conference also aims to academically connect historical and contemporary China, facilitate in-depth exchanges on the continuity and innovation of Chinese civilization, and thoroughly explore the cultural implications, experiential insights and global significance of China's development path. Addressing the conference's opening ceremony, Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, highlighted that scholars of Sinology worldwide should join hands to uphold respect for the diversity of human civilizations, implement the Global Civilization Initiative, and play a greater role in advancing mutual learning among civilizations. Chen Jining, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Shanghai's Party secretary, also delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. Gao Xiang, president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, emphasized the universal pursuit of modernization. He highlighted the need for Sinology to play a bigger role by focusing more on the dynamic developments in contemporary China and deepening research on Chinese-style modernization. "Comparative studies could reveal the global significance of China's development, offering insights into answering the profound question of 'Where is humanity headed?' posed by the world, the times, and history," he said. Romano Prodi, former prime minister of Italy and former president of the European Commission, said at the event that strategic cooperation remains the cornerstone of China-Europe relations. He advocated a dynamic balance between pragmatism and strategic trust, which he believes is essential for overcoming differences and jointly creating a stable and prosperous future. Martin Jacques, a renowned British author and critic, said that as China becomes a crucial player in global economic growth, climate change, global governance, technological innovation, and the Global South, China studies is becoming increasingly important and hybrid. Developing countries need to be knowledgeable about China and be able to relate to China today, he said. "Western attitudes towards China are still influential in developing countries, but increasingly less so, as the Global South countries are interacting increasingly with China and forming their own views with firsthand experience, knowledge and research," said Jacques. Tiziana Lippiello, president of the Ca' Foscari University of Venice in Italy, said that the school has developed many cultural relations with Chinese universities, and she advised more students to visit China to see what it is and learn from it. Some scholars, both from home and abroad, said that China studies is becoming increasingly critical and is expected to contribute to the future development of the entire world. Lin Shangli, president of Renmin University of China, said that China studies is a comprehensive discipline covering diverse fields, including history, culture, society and economics. It serves as a vital window to recognize and understand the country. "China has demonstrated comprehensive and systematic achievements, prominently in rapid economic development, sustained harmony, and stability of an ultra-large-scale society and the exceptional effectiveness of national governance. China studies concerns the future of humanity," he said. Hadeer Talaat Saied Abdellatif Mahlees, a young scholar at the Egypt-based Institute of Arab Research and Studies, said the past decades witnessed China undergoing extraordinary transformation toward what it is today: the world's second-largest economy, a technological innovator and an increasingly influential diplomatic and strategic player. "Today, the world stands at a historical crossroads, as the old order is no longer capable of confronting our shared challenges. In this context, China offers a comprehensive vision that deserves attention, as it meets an urgent need for all of humanity at this critical juncture," she said. During the event, which was jointly hosted by the State Council Information Office and the Shanghai municipal government, Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng also announced a Shanghai initiative for global mutual learning and the advancement of China studies, underscoring the city's commitment to fostering dialogue. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) The Health Department under the Health & Social Services Division will participate in the annual statewide Fight Flu TN initiative by offering free flu shots to anyone six months and older on Tuesday, Oct 21, at La Paz Chattanooga. Details: Only free this day and at the La Paz Chattanooga location while supplies last. location while supplies last. No appointment is needed. No insurance is required. Adults 18+ and children ages six months and older may participate. This location is a park and walk-up site. Bilingual staff will be on-site. Location Adults and Children: La Paz Chattanooga : 8 a.m. 12:30 p.m. 809 South Willow Street, Chattanooga, Tn. 37404 : If a minor is being vaccinated, a parent or legal guardian must be present at the appointment and bring a current, valid photo ID. If you are a legal guardian, please bring proof of guardianship. The flu season is here, and its more important than ever to protect ourselves and our loved ones, said Hamilton County Health Department Officer Dr. Stephen C. Miller. Taking everyday preventive actions such as washing our hands often, staying home when were sick, avoiding touching our face, and getting vaccinated can make all the difference in staying healthy this winter. Were incredibly grateful to La Paz for opening their doors and showing such strong support for the health of our community. Per the CDC, those at the highest risk of severe complications from the flu include children under five years, adults 65 years and over, pregnant women, and those with preexisting medical conditions or a compromised immune system. In addition to the Fight Flu TN event, flu shots are widely available at primary care offices, local pharmacies, and with participating community partners. To find a flu shot near you, visit https://www.vaccines.gov/find- vaccines/ . Additional resources Drivers traveling along Cherokee Boulevard (State Route 8) should be aware of upcoming maintenance in the Stringers Ridge Tunnel that will temporarily impact traffic. Beginning tonight, Oct. 14,from 8 p.m. to 6 p.m. and continuing for the next two nights to minimize daytime disruptions, Tennessee Department of Transportation contract crews will implement closures for striping in the Stringers Ridge Tunnel. Drivers traveling north will be detoured to Manufacturers Road, turn right onto US-27, and take the Dayton Boulevard exit. Drivers traveling south will be detoured to the US-27 southbound entrance ramp to the Manufacturers Road exit, then turn left onto Cherokee Boulevard. Drivers are encouraged to remain alert and exercise caution when traveling through this area. This work is weather-dependent and may be rescheduled in case of inclement weather or other unforeseen conditions. As always, motorists are reminded to use TDOTs motorist information tools and Know Before You Go! by checking travel conditions before departure. Drivers should never tweet, text, or talk on the phone while driving. For the latest updates, visit the TDOT SmartWay Map or dial 511 for statewide travel information. Tennessees Move Over Law requires drivers to move over for highway workers and emergency vehicles. Violation of this law can result in up to 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $500. The contentious primaries in the 7th congressional district special election have ended with nominees Matt Van Epps (R) and Aftyn Behn (D) moving to the Dec. 2 general election. While that battle continues it is not too early to look towards what happens next as the 2026 elections loom on the horizon. Several big races are already set for next year, with August primaries and a November general election date being the path to a new Governor and Senator Bill Hagerty seeking re-election to another six-year term. Yet, these important statewide races have yet to see any formidable Democrats emerging. Hagerty is essentially unopposed and should breeze to reelection. There is not even the whisper of a significant Democrat rising to challenge him in the general election. Similarly, although Republicans have Senator Marsha Blackburn, Congressman John Rose, and State Representative Monty Fritts seeking their nomination, there is no Democrat with any prospect of winning statewide even being discussed. The general election next November is fast approaching, in political terms, so for Democrats in Tennessee the put up or shut up deadline is close as well. The reluctance of Democrats to jump into these statewide races as sacrificial lambs is certainly understandable. Eight years ago, the Democrats put up seemingly strong and well funded candidates in former Governor Phil Bredesen, who challenged Marsha Blackburn, and former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, who faced Republican nominee Bill Lee in the Governors race. Blackburn and Lee each bested their Democrat rivals by double digits. At this point, no Democrat in 2026 appears to come close to the credibility or the funding to improve on what Bredesen and Dean were unable to accomplish. More importantly, they were both much more reasonable and moderate than the current Democrats in Washington or Nashville who keep pushing an extremist liberal agenda that the voters are consistently rejecting. Boys in girls locker rooms? Protests against law enforcement and safer communities in Washington, Memphis, Chicago, etc? Shutting down the federal government to force the funding for medical expenses for illegals? Promoting transgender surgeries and gay drag shows to elementary school kids? Nude bike riding protests in Portland, Oregon? Check. Check. Check. Check. Check. Check. Democrats in the Tennessee legislature have been voted into super-minority status by Tennesseans across the state. Democrats nationally have let the radical wing of their party become the driving force and face of that party. From AOC and the Squad, to Jasmine Crockett, to NYC Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, and others Democrats have moved so far out of the mainstream that they cant even see the water from where they are! Democrats in Tennessee have followed the same path into political irrelevance. Aftyn Behn, who has bragged and laughed on videotape about bullying and interfering with law enforcement, has been dubbed the AOC of Tennessee. She is the Democrat nominee for Congress in the 7th District and will draw intense national media attention over the next several weeks as the radical left face of Tennessee Democrats. Common sense Democrats in Tennessee, to the extent there are a few left, will cringe, but she will love every moment of the attention she draws. The other two most prominent faces of Democrats in Tennessee are the Justins: Justin Pearson and Justin Jones. Their sole claims to fame as community activists, both before and after being elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives from Memphis and Nashville respectively, is having been kicked out of the House for disrupting and violating the rules. (They were both quickly reappointed to their positions by local officials who prefer circus-type theater to any actual legislative accomplishments.) Although neither can point to any legislative benefits for their constituents, they have achieved their real goals; a lot of social media clicks, frequent interviews with liberal national TV hosts who stroke their egos, and amassing large political war chest that benefit only them rather than their fellow Democrats. Jones loves the limelight. So does Pearson, who is now challenging incumbent Democrat Steve Cohen in Memphis. Like Behn, he will draw a lot of national attention to his race. Unlike Behn, he may actually win in the Democrat primary, in an overwhelmingly Democrat district. At some point, rational Democrats in Tennessee may realize that all of the sound and fury from these far left self-promoters have left them in a perpetual political wasteland. No prospects in statewide races. Super- minority status in the House and Senate, with no real beach-head to fight back to political relevance. Relegated to governing a few high crime, economically challenged, and poor performing urban centers in the state begging for scraps and relevance. Can they build back some degree of political power, or at least influence? Possibly. But not as long as the only voices Tennessee voters hear from Democrats are the screeching nails on chalkboard provide by the attention- grabbing but results-deficient community activists who out-shout whatever voices of reason might remain. * * * Steve Gill is editor and Publisher of TriStardaily.com. Eleanor Ann Smith of Chattanooga, Tennessee, passed away on Monday, October 13, 2025, in a local hospital. She was retired after many years of work/service as a CNA at St Barnabas Nursing Home where she took care of many resident patients which she grew to know and love. Before her time as CNA, Ann worked for over 15 years at Pruetts Food Town. Ann was a loving wife for 51 years to Thomas C. Tommy Smith, who preceded her in death. She was also preceded in death by her father, Sherman Andrew McGhee and her mother, Ethel Pass McGhee; one brother, Junior McGhee; and two sisters, Marylou McGhee Farmer and her twin sister, Reda Sue McGhee. Those left to cherish her memory include her brother, Jimmy McGhee of Rossville; two sons, Tommy L. (Carol) Smith of Graysville, and Michael Todd (Lori) Smith of Hixson; two daughters, Angela Smith Nichols of Hixson, and Kimberly Smith Shipman of Hixson; a great-grandchild whom she adopted and raised as her own, Lacy Boyles as well as nine grandchildren and 10 great grandkids. Ann was a woman of great faith and a born again Christian. She had a heart of gold with love and patience for all. She will be missed greatly by many friends and family. Love you Mom!! May The Circle Be Unbroken!! The family will receive friends on Thursday, Oct. 16, from 4-8 p.m. and Friday, Oct. 17, from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Chattanooga Funeral Home North Chapel, Hixson. There will be a graveside service for Ann at 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 17, at Chattanooga Memorial Park, 501 Memorial Drive in Red Bank. Arrangements are under the care of the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory and Florist, 5401 Highway 153, Hixson. Please share your thoughts and memories at www.chattanooganorthchapel.com. Thomas & Hutton announced the opening of its newest office in Chattanooga. This expansion marks a milestone in the firms continued growth and commitment to serving clients throughout the Southeast. Located at 100 W. Martin Luther King Blvd., Suite 804, Chattanooga, Tn. 37402, the new office becomes Thomas & Huttons third in Tennessee, joining existing locations in Nashville and Murfreesboro. The Chattanooga office will enhance the firms ability to deliver local expertise and multidisciplinary consulting services across engineering, surveying, planning, and landscape architecture for both public and private clients. The Chattanooga office will serve as a regional hub for infrastructure and site development projects across the Tennessee Valley. Thomas & Hutton looks forward to expanding partnerships with local governments, developers, institutions, and businesses in the area. President Donald J. Trump holds the guest book he signed at the Israeli Knesset on October 13, 2025. | Photo Credit: Facebook/ The White House Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire agreement resulting in the release of the remaining hostages who were abducted during the terror groups surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The releases took place on Monday, marking a turning point after two years of war. In response to the ceasefire, President Donald Trump delivered remarks before the Israeli Knesset, emphasizing the significance of peace after prolonged conflict. 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, Trump told the Knesset on Monday. He went on to highlight the defeat of terrorism in the region, saying, The forces of chaos, terror, and ruin that have plagued the region for decades now stand weakened, isolated, and totally defeated. 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. Across the United States, Evangelical leaders celebrated the news and praised the efforts that led to the ceasefire and hostage release. Jentezen Franklin, senior pastor of Free Chapel in Georgia, expressed his gratitude on social media. The sun shines on the hills of Galilea and in the beautiful city of Jerusalem today as two years of hoping and praying have witnessed a miracle, he wrote on Facebook. What everyone said could not be done has been done. Thank you President Donald J Trump for your steadfast efforts to end wars all over the globe. Referencing Jesus Beatitudes in Matthew 5, Franklin added, Blessed are the peace makers and thank you for the countless lives that have been saved and the reunions taking place in the Holy Land today. Concerned Women for America President and CEO Penny Nance also celebrated the release, while acknowledging the suffering of those held captive. She said the freed hostages endured horrific evil and trauma. At the same time, we grieve with the families who lost their loved ones in captivity and urge Hamas to uphold their end of the deal in releasing every hostage dead and alive, she stated. May there never be another day when evil is visited upon Israel, Nance concluded. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, also shared his thoughts on X, describing the day as a day of unspeakable joy. While welcoming the ceasefire and hostage release as an encouraging first step toward peace in the Middle East, Perkins warned against complacency. He noted that the world cannot be deceived into believing that peace will endure while evil is allowed to linger at the borders. We must also remain realistic: Scripture makes clear that true and lasting peace will come only when the Prince of Peace reigns, Perkins said. Until that day, we are called to pursue a managed peace one grounded in strength, guided by truth, and anchored in biblical reality. The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and pastor of New Season Church in Sacramento, California, also issued a statement celebrating the development. This moment does not detract from the hate, terror, and violence of the last two years, but it does display God's enduring faithfulness in the midst of a world ravaged by sin, stated Rodriguez. I commend President Trump for his courageous leadership and determination in bringing peace to the Middle East. I pray that the reunions being experienced right now are powerful, as tears of sorrow turn into tears of joy. Rodriguez further emphasized that all glory belongs to God and reminded believers that true, everlasting peace will never come from politics or power but from the Prince of Peace alone. Pastor Wendell Vinson, co-founder of CityServe International, called the hostage release a miracle and offered prayers for lasting restoration in the region. I pray that every person caught in the middle of this conflict especially the women and children who simply want to live a life of dignity and rebuild their lives can finally have a fresh start, he said. This has been our prayer from the beginning, for Israel and for the people of Gaza, and now, our prayers have been answered. Delegates gather at the Global Methodist Church General Conference in San Jose, Costa Rica, September 2024. | Screenshot: YouTube/ Global Methodist Church The Global Methodist Church (GMC), a denomination established as a theologically conservative alternative to the United Methodist Church (UMC), has now grown to encompass 6,000 member congregations around the world. Launched on May 1, 2022, the GMC announced last Friday on its official Facebook page that it had achieved the 6,000-church milestone. That's 6,000 pulpits preaching the Gospel, the post declared. 6,000 altars where hearts are renewed. 6,000 congregations worshiping in a variety of nations and languages. The GMC also invited continued prayer for its mission, writing, 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 creation of the Global Methodist Church was rooted in years of division within the UMC over the question of whether to change its Book of Discipline to allow same-sex marriage ceremonies and the ordination of clergy in same-sex relationships. Although multiple efforts to amend the Book of Discipline were rejected at successive General Conferences, many progressive leaders within the UMC declined to adhere to or enforce the denominations traditional stance on sexuality. In January 2020, 16 prominent UMC leaders representing a range of theological views proposed a separation protocol designed to give churches the option to leave the denomination peacefully over doctrinal disagreements. The proposal also included a plan to allocate funds for the creation of a new, theologically conservative Methodist denomination for congregations choosing to disaffiliate. The UMC General Conference was expected to review the separation protocol later that year, but the session was repeatedly postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent global restrictions. By March 2022, GMC organizers announced that they would proceed independently, launching their new denomination that May rather than waiting any longer for an official vote from the delayed General Conference. Since then, thousands of churches have formally disaffiliated from the UMC amid the ongoing debate over LGBT inclusion, with the majority of them choosing to affiliate with the Global Methodist Church. Photo Credit: Unsplash/ Imad Alassiry Turkey has reportedly deported hundreds of foreign Christians and blocked their re-entry by labeling them as national security threats. Lidia Rieder, Legal Officer with ADF International, told delegates at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europes Human Dimension Conference in Warsaw, Poland, on Monday that these designationsissued through internal security codeshave left Protestant congregations in Turkey without pastoral leadership. ADF International reports that since 2020, at least 200 foreign Christian workers and their families, totaling about 350 individuals, have been barred from entering or remaining in Turkey under the Ministry of Interiors internal security codes N-82 and G-87. The organization explained that the codes are used to deny residence permits or prevent re-entry often without charges or evidence of criminal wrongdoing. Those affected include citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, several Latin American nations, and various European countries, many of whom have been denied visas or deported in recent years. A June 8 ruling by Turkeys Constitutional Court dismissed an appeal from nine foreign Christians challenging the N-82 designation. The courts decision publicly listed their names, leading local media to brand them as missionaries and enemies of the state. Following the publication, online commenters reportedly called for the death penalty and referred to killing them as a religious obligation. Between December 2024 and January 2025 alone, at least 35 new codes were assigned, including to individuals who had lived in Turkey for decades. These administrative bans have deeply impacted religious communities in Turkey, where many Protestant congregations depend on foreign pastors for ministry and leadership. One such case, Wiest v. Turkiye, is currently pending before the European Court of Human Rights. The case involves a U.S. citizen who had legally lived in Turkey for over 30 years but was suddenly barred from returning without explanation. Although Turkeys Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, ADF International warned that foreign Christians and local churches are facing increasing restrictions. The organization pointed out that the historic Halki Seminary remains closed, Protestant seminaries lack official legal recognition, and Bible education is banned, even as Islamic theological instruction continues under state supervision. Congregations such as the Bursa Protestant community have reportedly been stripped of access to their places of worship, while churches in Kayseri, Bahcelievler, and Izmir experienced repeated incidents of vandalism, threats, and physical damage throughout 2024. Home News Canterbury Cathedral curator alleges 'personal abuse' from Christians over God-mocking graffiti The curator of Canterbury Cathedral in the United Kingdom claimed she was personally hurt by the widespread backlash against a temporary graffiti exhibit in the church that included messages appearing to question God's goodness. Curator Jacquiline Creswell said the art exhibit titled "Hear Us," which features temporary graffiti stickers that were slapped on Canterbury's stone pillars and aim to highlight minorities while posing challenging questions to God, has led to abuse from self-professed Christians, according to Premier Christian News. "The amount of personal abuse [exhibit leader Alex Vellis] and I have received on social media, from people who are 'Christian' that has been hurtful," she said. "In no way did we want to desecrate the building. I don't think asking God a question is anything other than a beautiful reflection, and even a form of prayer." The exhibit which asks God questions such as "Are you there?" "Do you ever regret your creations?" and "Why did you create hate when love is by far more powerful?" went viral on X last week, especially after Vice President J.D. Vance and X CEO Elon Musk singled out the graffiti to denounce it. Welcome to the UKs most famous cathedralCanterbury Cathedral. ?? The Cathedral, which was founded over 1400 years ago, has been covered in graffiti art as part of an exhibition by an artist who identities as an agender goblin, non-binary and a queer vegan. pic.twitter.com/Q2OXKRTR7B Oli London (@OliLondonTV) October 10, 2025 "It is weird to me that these people don't see the irony of honoring 'marginalized communities' by making a beautiful historical building really ugly," Vance tweeted last Friday. Musk called the graffiti "shameful" and a symptom of the Church of England "[debasing] themselves." "Relentless anti-Western propaganda has made so many people in the West want to suicide their own culture. Unfortunately, propaganda works," Musk wrote in another X post. He also agreed with an X user who claimed the Church of England is "just [an] anti-white cult at this point." Creswell, who previously served as arts curator at the historic Salisbury Cathedral in England for 12 years, suggested during an interview with the U.K.-based Church Times last year that controversial exhibits in churches could help initiate important conversations. "There's no room for error, potentially alienating those that work in or visit a sacred space," she told the outlet about controversial art exhibits in historic English cathedrals. "That's not to say some works won't cause some adverse comment, or sensitivities might be stirred. Often, an installation is successful because it stirs comment. That's the opportunity to engage with people, and often the most productive conversations follow." Creswell has previously alleged being abused by people over art. During a 2022 interview about some of the art she helped to implement at Salisbury Cathedral, she alleged she "was verbally abused and, in some cases, physically abused by people who didn't understand the art." "I was told that I was turning the place into a theme park," she said. "I quickly became aware that it was really important to inform the community, so my colleagues and I decided that, before any exhibition, we would give a presentation explaining the works and what we were trying to achieve." She claimed even detractors came to appreciate the exhibits after they were explained to them. Founded by Augustine of Canterbury, who became the first archbishop of Canterbury in A.D. 597, Canterbury Cathedral is one of the oldest and most historic Christian buildings in England. After being rebuilt in the 1070s, the cathedral has played an important role in English Christianity, such as when former Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket was murdered there by four knights of King Henry II in 1170. Home News 'We were left with nothing': Pastors help survivors of deadly tropical storms that hit Mexico Pastors help survivors of deadly tropical storms that hit Mexico The rains that occurred in Mexico in recent days caused severe flooding in several states. Hidalgo, Veracruz, Queretaro, Puebla and San Luis Potosi suffered the most considerable damage. The damage caused by tropical storms Raymond and Priscilla is incalculable. Road blocks, suspension of classes, disappearances and deaths are being reported. Since last Friday, the floods have left homes and streets flooded with water and mud. Multiple buildings were destroyed, and the family heritage of numerous affected communities was lost. "We were left with nothing. The water came in very quickly; we didn't know what to do to stop it and we were very scared," said Julia, a resident of the municipality of Tianguistengo in Hidalgo. In the face of the events that have brought mourning and desolation, Christian denominations and organizations mobilized to provide support to those affected. Temples and auditoriums were conditioned to function as collection centers. Churches requested cans of non-perishable food, clothing, bottled water, and cleaning and personal hygiene items to take to the affected areas. The pastors organized themselves to summon their parishioners in an operation to help others. "There have been several landslides. What we know is that the water took away the bridges. ... The situation is complicated; we had not seen a tragedy of this magnitude in Hidalgo," said Pastor Oscar Moedano, minister of the Breath of Life congregation. Moedano told Diario Cristiano that the tragedy exceeds the understanding of what happened, and that, as far as possible, aid will be taken to the affected communities. "We are going to collect what is necessary for our brothers." Photographs are circulating on social networks showing the damage that occurred in several of the congregations in Poza Rica, Veracruz, the scene of one of the worst tragedies recorded so far this year in Mexico, due to the intense rains and floods that caused the Cazones River to overflow. Faced with the flooding, people decided to climb to the roofs of their houses to get to safety as the water level rose rapidly, completely flooding the city's streets. The cars were also swept away by the force of the river's current. The inhabitants estimate that the Cazones River reached historic levels of overflow, exceeding 7 meters in height. "We tried to rescue as much as we could, but the water flooded our temple and our houses. It is very sad what we are experiencing," said a woman who was cleaning the floor of her congregation in Poza Rica. The victims According to data provided by the National Coordination of Civil Protection, at least 64 people have died, and another 65 have not been located after the deluges. Mexican authorities estimate that there are about 100,000 homes affected, and more than 40,000 people are without electricity. In Pachuca, several people demonstrated in public squares to demand that the local government prioritize the care of the victims. A sector of society believes that the authorities have been slow to respond to the emergency. "... The situation is complicated; we had not seen a tragedy of this magnitude in Hidalgo," Pastor Oscar Moedano, minister of the Breath of Life congregation, said. With banners, men and women protested in Plaza Juarez, the capital of Hidalgo. The demonstrators reported that their relatives have run out of food and water, and that there is no electricity in several communities, nor is there a way to get there by land to support them. "We want the government or the military to help us with helicopters. Since our relatives are completely isolated, they have no food, and there is no help for them," said Jennifer Reyes. Faced with the helplessness of seeing their relatives without the required support, several neighbors hired a helicopter to help their loved ones in areas where there is no passage by land. Emergency actions Since Sunday, the affected families have decided to begin cleaning and debris removal work in neighborhoods, rural communities and affected urban areas. Given the magnitude of the floods, the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, mobilized authorities from the three levels of government to provide medical care, search for the missing and distribute supplies. Three days after the disaster, the Mexican government implemented the emergency plan DN-III-E with the Army. Military personnel are active in their relief phase in the affected areas with equipment and helicopters. This untimely reaction has brought unrest in Mexican society. At some points, the population has expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of timely attention, demanding a greater presence of authorities and direct help. Home News Hispanic Christian leaders voice support for Republican-led immigration bill: 'A Solomonic solution' WASHINGTON Hispanic Christian leaders are expressing support for a Republican-led immigration bill, believing God will guide President Donald Trump to sign the Dignity Act if it passes both chambers of Congress. The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, which represents thousands of churches throughout the United States and the Spanish-speaking world, hosted a leadership summit at the Museum of the Bible on Tuesday. The event featured a lengthy discussion about the Dignity Act, an immigration bill touted by its sponsor, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., as a Solomonic solution to immigration. NHCLC President Samuel Rodriguez urged those gathered at the event to post messages on social media declaring, Its time for the Dignity Act. Rodriguez vowed that the NHCLC will be issuing a press release with 100 percent unbridled support of the Dignity Act. Salazar, whose legislation has 23 co-sponsors, cited provisions in the bill, saying, the Lord was the one who put me here to do immigration. She also delivered a message to President Donald Trump, noting that the same Lord who saved you from death in Pennsylvania [and] put you back in the White House is the same God who is going to guide you to sign the Dignity Act. The Dignity Act is designed to shield illegal immigrants who do not have a criminal record and have been here for more than five years from deportation, she added, but does not offer a path to citizenship. For the Republican Party, the party that I represent proudly in Congress thats less of a headache, she said. Preventing beneficiaries of the Dignity Act from receiving citizenship means they won't be able to obtain federal benefits, including Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, she added. In addition to preventing beneficiaries of the Dignity Act from receiving citizenship, it also requires them to pay $7,000 in fines over seven years and 1% of their salary to the federal government. The measure also mandates the use of eVerify to check the immigration status of workers. The legislation is currently sitting with the House Judiciary Committee, where it must pass a vote before it can be sent to the House floor for a vote. During a panel discussion, a former Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, Pastor Junior Garcia, noted that some pastors come in with B1 or B2 visas and overstay because they planted a church. Now theyre up to 40, 50 people [and] they have to go back. Garcia asked Salazar if the Dignity Act would include an option to overlook the visa overstay and possibly give legal residency to such pastors. In response to that question and another one about a pastor who was deported, came back and got married to an American citizen, but he cant fix his status, Salazar said she would work to make changes to the bill during committee to ensure a special provision is added enabling pastors to obtain Dignity status. Salazar acknowledged that the bill faces a difficult path because of concerns from Republican lawmakers that they might be accused of voting for amnesty by supporting the legislation, even though it doesn't provide illegal immigrants with a path to citizenship. She insisted that support from Trump could change the fate of the legislation. The mandate has to come from the White House, she insisted. Thats why President Trump is the one who has to understand that [...] this is the moment to do this, she asserted. Once he says lets do it, its done. While Salazar touted a possible endorsement from Trump as a potential game-changer, she urged Hispanic Christian leaders to take action to ensure passage of the Dignity Act, warning that the consequences of not doing so would only hurt Hispanic Christians, many of whom have been reducing their time in public due to concerns about facing potential deportation. I need the Hispanic pastors that are seeing the suffering, the misery that our community is going through, the fear. Kids are not going to school; parents are not going to church, they are not going to the supermarket, they are not catching the bus, they are not going to work, she maintained. Salazar also encouraged attendees to reach out to the Rev. Paula White and Jenny Korn of the White House Faith Office and tell them this is very conservative. Home News Judge sides with Christian student group suing Texas University System over campus speech law A federal judge has placed a temporary block against a recently passed Texas law that limits who can participate in protests on college campuses and where they can take place. Earlier this year, a group of plaintiffs, including a Christian student organization, filed a lawsuit against multiple University of Texas system officials over a law called the Campus Protection Act. Senior U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division, a Reagan appointee, issued a preliminary injunction on Wednesday against the Act. Ezra wrote that while some of Plaintiffs more extreme examples of impermissible conduct under the challenged provisions may be unlikely to be enforced, they illustrate the statutes breadth and do not negate its many plausible applications. These policies do little to clarify for students what expressive activity will or will not be deemed disruptive, and thus prohibited, in the future, he continued. Granting administrators and law enforcement discretion to determine what qualifies as disruptive creates a substantial risk that the policy will be weaponized against speech with which they disagree, irrespective of any actual disruption. The court expressed concern about the overbreadth of the campus speech restrictions, noting that any disruptive or dangerous activity would almost certainly be prohibited under existing city and university rules. This combination of ambiguous language and discretionary authority adds to the risk that the Bans will be impermissibly applied to limit protected speech, Ezra added. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a prominent nonpartisan free speech advocacy organization that is representing the plaintiffs, celebrated the injunction. Texas law is so overbroad that any public university student chatting in the dorms past 10 p.m. would have been in violation, said FIRE senior attorney Adam Steinbaugh in a statement. Were thankful that the court stepped in and halted a speech ban that inevitably wouldve been weaponized to censor speech that administrators disagreed with. Also known as Senate Bill 2972, the Campus Protection Act came in response to a wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations held on campuses across the United States against Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack in southern Israel. Multiple reports surfaced of participants in these protests conveying antisemitic rhetoric and disrupting normal campus activities, especially for Jewish students. Under SB 2972, university governing boards "shall designate the areas on the institution's campus that are public forums, consistent with the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and Section 8, Article I, Texas Constitution." "Nothing in this section limits the authority of an institution of higher education to adopt rules differentiating between the rights of students and employees to engage in expressive activities on campus and those of persons not affiliated with the institution," the law stated. The legislation limits "expressive activities" on campuses, such as protests, to "students enrolled at and employees of the institution." It prohibits participants from wearing disguises and erecting tents or other "living accommodations." Additionally, restrictions are placed on holding certain events between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m., as well as holding events with sound-amplifying equipment during certain times of the semester. Last month, The Fellowship of Christian University Students at the University of Texas at Dallas (FOCUS) and five other groups filed a lawsuit against the law in district court. FOCUS argued that the law wrongfully restricted their ability to invite non-student speakers, like clergy, to campus and limited their ability to gather for evening worship on campus. The other plaintiffs included The Retrograde student newspaper, Young Americans for Liberty, Inc., the Texas Society of Unconventional Drummers, Strings Attached and a University of Texas at Austin student named Zall Arvandi. Named defendants included members of the Board of Regents of the University of Texas System, UTS Chancellor John Zerwas, UT at Austin President James Davis and UT at Dallas President Prabhas Moghe. Home News Texas AG sues Indiana man promising 'free homes,' $5,000 a month in exchange for tilting local elections Alleged scheme targets least populous county in continental US State officials in Texas are taking action against an Indiana man who is allegedly orchestrating an illegal scheme to "take over" the least populous county in the United States. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit on Oct. 9 against Malcolm Tanner of Crawfordsville, Indiana, seeking an emergency temporary restraining order to halt Tanners settlement activities, which Paxton alleges endanger public health and violate state law. Filed in Loving Countys 143rd Judicial District Court, the petition states Tanner purchased two adjoining 5-acre tracts of barren land in Loving County in January. The property, known locally as 2985 Private Road 3008, is located in unincorporated Mentone, about 60 miles west of Midland. With an official population of 64, according to the 2020 Census, Loving County is the least populous county in the continental U.S. According to the 14-page filing, Tanner has used social media to lure followers many of them women with children to the property, promising "free homes" and "$5,000 a month" for life in exchange for helping him seize control of local government. The complaint alleges the property lacks basic infrastructure, including sewer systems, septic tanks, or running water, with residents living in RVs and tents, relying on gas generators and a "burn pit" for trash disposal. The lawsuit claims Tanners setup violates Chapter 341 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, which regulates sewage and waste disposal to prevent disease. The requested restraining order would prohibit Tanner and others from discharging human waste in ways that could contaminate soil or groundwater and bar additional residents from moving to the site until it complies with health codes. The filing further accuses Tanner of running a "combination," which, according to the court filing, means three or more individuals have conspired to engage in organized criminal activity, citing alleged threats against law enforcement and oil-field workers, and seeks to declare the property a public nuisance. Indiana resident Malcolm Tanner has no right to try and take over Loving County with illegal schemes that endanger real Texans, said Paxton in a statement. His deceptive and unlawful scheme to lure people with free housing for the purpose of conducting a political takeover is a disgustingly fraudulent plot to line his own pockets. I will not stand by while frauds try to carve up Texas for themselves and make everyone sicker and less safe along the way. Paxtons office also alleges Tanner violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, falsely advertised free housing, misrepresented the propertys conditions, and failed to disclose critical information about its lack of amenities. The state is seeking up to $10,000 per violation and daily penalties of $10 to $200 for ongoing health-code violations, according to the filing. Tanner, who refers to his supporters as Melanated People of Power, boasted about his efforts to take the entire county over in a July post on TikTok. Not too often do you see a brother that looks like me come into the county and take the entire county over, he said. Well, I have taken the entire county over, out here in Loving County, Texas. When these elections hit in 2026, were going to wipe the board. Everybody that I selected will be elected. Tanner's TikTok profile describes him as a 2024 and 2028 Presidential candidate and real estate guru owner of Tanner and Tanner. According to the FEC website, Tanner filed a statement of organization form in June 2023. No further filings were registered with the FEC. The Christian Post reached out to Tanner on Tuesday for comment. In addition to Paxtons announcement, other Texas officials are now calling for authorities to step in. U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, who is running to succeed Paxton in 2026, called on the U.S. Attorneys Office to investigate the matter. Loving County residents are dealing with individuals recruiting people to move into the county and potentially registering to vote, claiming to eventually take over the county government by moving enough people to elect new individuals to public offices, signaling a nefarious scheme, Roy said in a letter on Oct. 7. We must not let our rural counties be a hotbed for illegal activity and secure Texas. In another letter dated Oct. 3, state Sen. Kevin Sparks, R-Midland, and Rep. Brooks Landgraf, R-Odessa, called on Paxton and Secretary of State Jane Nelson to address serious election irregularities and threats of manipulation in Loving County, adding, We urge your offices to use all available authority to investigate and address election fraud in Loving County. Home News Mel Gibson begins filming The Resurrection of the Christ, replaces Jim Caviezel with new actor as Jesus Filming has begun on Mel Gibsons long-awaited sequel to The Passion of the Christ, titled The Resurrection of the Christ, with Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen taking over the role of Jesus from Jim Caviezel. According to Variety, production started last week at Romes Cinecitta Studios, where Gibson also shot the 2004 original, which grossed $610 million worldwide and became one of the highest-earning independent films in history. The new project, produced by Gibson and Bruce Davey under their Icon Productions banner with Lionsgate as studio partner, will be released in two parts in 2027. Cuban actress Mariela Garriga (Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning) will portray Mary Magdalene, replacing Monica Bellucci. Kasia Smutniak (Domina) will play Mary, previously portrayed by Maia Morgenstern. Peter will be portrayed by Italian actor Pier Luigi Pasino (The Law According to Lidia Poet), and Riccardo Scamarcio (Modi) will take on the role of Pontius Pilate. Rupert Everett will appear in a small but important role, according to producers. Because the sequel takes place three days after Christs crucifixion, the production opted for an entirely new cast. It made sense to recast the whole film, a source close to the production told Variety. They would have had to do all this CGI stuff de-aging and all that that would have been very costly. In April, Caviezel said on the Arroyo Grande podcast that he was ready to reprise his role and revealed he was turning to C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters for spiritual preparation. Ohtonen, 36, is best known for his portrayal of the warrior Wolland in season five of Netflixs historical drama The Last Kingdom. Gibson co-wrote the new film with Braveheart screenwriter Randall Wallace and described the sequels as an acid trip, adding that he had never read anything like the scripts. While plot details remain under wraps, the story will focus on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One is slated to open on Good Friday, March 26, 2027, followed by Part Two on Ascension Day, May 6, 2027. In addition to Cinecittas new Studio 22, filming will take place in the ancient southern Italian city of Matera and other nearby locations, including Ginosa, Gravina, Laterza and Altamura. The original "Passion of the Christ," filmed in Aramaic, Hebrew and Latin, depicted the final 12 hours of Jesus life and became a landmark in faith-based cinema. The sequel aims to pick up where that story left off at the dawn of the resurrection. In a 2022 interview with CP, Gibson revealed hes drawn to stories that highlight redemption and the need for a Savior. I've been taught from a young age that we're flawed, and youre going to make mistakes, he reflected. We're broken, and we need help. Usually, the best way to get help is to ask for it. And well, who do we ask? We're asking something better than us. And the minute you acknowledge that there is something better than you, you might get something that resembles humility, which is really the key to the whole thing. He encouraged the next generation to stick to their convictions even though its hard in an increasingly polarized society. Sometimes you're presented with choices or put in places that are very difficult, and some of those choices are hard, he said. You just have to examine your own conscience and take the right road, I think. There's no right way; there are a million wrong ways, and you just have to eliminate those or just use your best discernment to get through it." But its hard, man, he added. Life's hard. But we're all going. Weve all got a boulder were dragging. Home News Southlake Tahoe Mayor Tamara Wallace resigns after suicide attempt over stealing church funds Following a suicide attempt and a later confession that it was due to guilt over embezzling an undisclosed sum of money from the Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church, Tamara Wallace, the mayor of the city of South Lake Tahoe, California, has resigned. I am submitting my resignation to you, effective immediately. I urge Mayor Pro Tem Cody Bass to resign as well, Wallace reportedly wrote in a resignation email sent to City Clerk Susan Blankenship, the city manager, city attorney, and South Tahoe Now on Monday night. Wallace urged Bass to resign as well due to his Sept. 25 arrest for assault, trespassing and harassment, stemming from an altercation with an employee at the Lake Tahoe AleWorx. Bass was reportedly the aggressor. Prior to her resignation, Wallace admitted to stealing funds from the Presbyterian church over an extended period while serving as the congregations administrator in an op-ed published on SouthTahoeNow.com. Because of this, on September 11, 2025, my birthday, I tried to end my life. I was so filled with guilt, shame, and grief that I experienced a mental health crisis that made suicide seem to be the best solution. It was only by the grace of God that I failed, she wrote. Wallace further stated that after her suicide attempt, she spent 18 days in a mental health facility. Now she's coping by using prescription drugs and intense therapy, and has been trying to reach out to the churchs pastor, Greg Hughes, without success. I have been reaching out to the church through the pastor. I have not heard back yet, other than hearing second-hand that the church may seek charges through the district attorney. I have heard that someone told the Tribune that they now have a reporter trying to get a story, Wallace wrote. Here it is rather than being like many public servants and individuals who try to lie, hide, and delay the consequences of something they have done, I am taking a different path. I am telling the truth and admitting what I have done. In a statement to The Christian Post, the churchs board of directors said they fired Wallace after learning that she had stolen money from the church and reported her to local authorities. Tamara Wallace has formally acknowledged committing a significant offense against the congregation of Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church. When this was discovered by the church, her employment was terminated on September 26, 2025, and the matter was appropriately referred to law enforcement authorities, church officials said. She did not attend our church nor was she a member. Our congregation has suffered extensive loss, and as we address this loss and its impact, we remain committed to prayer, compassion, transparency, and justice. Home News Christian congressman calls jailed George Santos 'sacrificial lamb' for GOP: 'Look how righteous we are' Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., recently condemned the way some of his Republican colleagues in Congress treated former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., claiming some of them took self-righteous glee in his political destruction. "I think he was a sacrificial lamb and I think our party and everybody else just kicked him to the curb and said, 'Look how righteous we are,'" Burchett said of Santos near the end of a 90-minute conversation that aired last week on "The Tucker Carlson Show." Rep. Tim Burchett wants the government to tell the truth about UFOs, and stop insider trading in Congress. He hasnt had much luck with either one. (0:00) What Is the UAP Phenomenon? (11:15) Why Is the US Government Lying About UFOs? (19:36) Why Tech Companies and Defense pic.twitter.com/4fnAVfSmcF Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) October 10, 2025 Santos, who became the sixth member of Congress and first Republican to be expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 311114 in December 2023, was sentenced in April to 87 months more than seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty in August 2024 to committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Santos, who was a first-term congressman whom prosecutors called a "pathological liar and fraudster," wept as his sentence was read, according to Politico. He began his sentence in July and was reportedly placed in solitary confinement at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, New Jersey, in August following an alleged death threat. Santos is suffering from panic attacks and alleged neglect in prison, according to a handwritten letter he wrote that was published by The South Shore Press. Burchett, an outspoken Christian who is a member of an Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) congregation in Knoxville, said he felt a moral obligation and Christian duty to be a friend to Santos despite his sins, even when many others in Congress had abandoned him and were cheering his demise. Burchett said he grew worried that Santos might take his own life, and noted he advised him to give him a call if he was ever feeling suicidal. "George was under a heck of a lot of pressure," Burchett said. "I call myself a Christian, and if I sat there and watched him kill himself over something and he went to Hell, I'd have that on my soul, and I just don't want that." Burchett also recounted that he agreed to be a mentor to Santos when he was in Congress because nobody else wanted the job. Noting solitary confinement is generally reserved for the most violent criminals, Burchett claimed he has heard others in Congress express hope that Santos spends the rest of his life in jail. "I hear people say, 'Good, good, I hope they lock him up for the rest of his life,'" he said. Conceding that Santos is "an epic bulls--t artist," Carlson characterized the attitude of those in Congress taking joy in Santos' situation as merciless and likely an attempt to distract from their own sins. "I don't think George Santos started the Ukraine war," Carlson said, prompting Burchett to note, "I think, again, we're a little big on ourselves sometimes [in Congress]." Burchett also said insider trading is rampant in Congress among both parties, but that most are seemingly not motivated to rein in the practice, despite bipartisan legislation he introduced earlier this year that would ban members of Congress from trading stock while in office. Burchett said he has repeatedly fallen afoul of his colleagues in Congress, which he attributed in part to his faith. In 2023, he was one of eight Republican members who successfully voted to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. Burchett claimed at the time that he decided to vote for McCarthy's removal after McCarthy made a "condescending" remark to him regarding his Christian faith and the fact that he was praying about the vote, according to The Hill. Much of the rest of Burchett's conversation with Carlson focused on UFO or UAP phenomena, the true nature of which both men have suggested might be supernatural in nature and being covered up by government authorities. During an interview with Carlson in July, Santos was unflattering to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., claiming he was one of the first members to lobby Johnson to run for speaker and promoted him among the MAGA base in Congress. He said weeks after he clinched the speakership and replaced McCarthy, Johnson called him and suggested that he resign, which Santos declined before being removed days later. Leaders Praise Israel Hostage Release, Turkey Targets Christians, Pastors Gun Sermon Controversy link to download the audio instead. link to download the audio instead. 06:42 06:42 Top headlines for Wednesday, October 15, 2025 Evangelical leaders celebrate Israels hostage release, Turkey brands Christians as threats, a pastor wields a gun mid-sermon, and a federal judge defends students religious rights. Jeff Myers warns of the battle for Gen Zs soul, while actor Paul Walter Hauser opens up about joining The Chosen and rediscovering his faith. 00:11 Day of unspeakable joy: Evangelical leaders react to release of Israeli hostages by Hamas 00:59 Turkey labels Christians national security threat to deport them, rights group warns 01:53 Church says pastor pointed gun at congregation to encourage spiritual violence against unbelief 02:41 Loudoun County can't suspend boys opposed to girl in locker room; judge extends block 03:34 Jeff Myers on the battle for the soul of Gen Z 04:20 Paul Walter Hauser joining The Chosen universe marks turning point in faith, career: Proud to be Christian 05:11 Fmr. Navy SEAL credits Charlie Kirk with motivating him to go back to church Home Opinion Political violence is now an existential threat to America's system of gov't Public figures face a more dangerous America You might want to stay back and call the federales, I have explosives, warned a man occupying a green tent on the steps of St. Matthews Cathedral in Washington, D.C. It was roughly 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 5 (roughly an hour before sunrise), and officers from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) had arrived to secure the area before the cathedrals annual Red Mass, an invocation service for the U.S. Supreme Courts fall term, which some justices historically attend. When an officer from the MPD bomb squad told the man he had to move because of a special event (the Red Mass), the man replied, Im aware of that, but he refused to budge. The man, 41-year-old Louis Geri, threatened to throw a bomb into the street, claiming, I have a hundred-plus of them. Thus, he created a pre-dawn stand-off with law enforcement officers. When the police said they would remove him forcibly, Geri threatened that several of your people are gonna die from one of these. Geri then handed over a nine-page manifesto, which revealed his significant animosity towards the Catholic church, members of the Jewish faith, members of SCOTUS and ICE/ ICE facilities, police said. As he handed over the pages, Geri flicked on a butane lighter with his other hand, warning, You [had] better have these people step away, or theres going to be deaths. Fortunately, Geris threats of destruction came to an anticlimactic resolution when he was betrayed by his own bladder. When he left his tent to urinate on a tree, three officers apprehended him without incident. Nevertheless, the subsequent investigation showed that MPD had been wise to heed Geris threats. Inside the tent, they found a large cache of handmade destructive devices. In an affidavit submitted Monday, a bomb technician said the cache contained over 200 devices, and the devices appeared to be fully functional. The explosive devices were reportedly of the Molotov cocktail variety, consisting of bottles filled with explosive chemicals with an ignition mechanism. Providentially, the attempted perpetrator is better described as a prolific bomb maker than a mastermind criminal. Originally from New Jersey, Geri had spent the past several years living in an Arizona motel, during which time he spent nine months in prison for indecent exposure. Before his futile standoff with police on the cathedral steps, Geri had previously been barred from the premises. And his ill-timed, arboreal pit stop was an amateurish mistake. Geri likely deserves pity for an evidently hard life, but praise God that his incompetence resulted in no loss of life or property! The deeper irony of the tale also portends ill for America. Even if Geri had more competently executed an explosives plot against the Mass frequented by Supreme Court justices, he would have missed his targets on Sunday. According to the National Catholic Register, due to security concerns, no Supreme Court justices attended this years Red Mass. Quick-witted readers may begin to discern a pattern. Only two days into the courts term, conservatives canceled a customary rally outside the Supreme Court during oral arguments in a case over whether counselors can be forced to push gender ideology on their patients. Once again, security concerns were the issue. Experienced security professionals warned that the threats of violence at an outdoor event were too great, wrote ADF CEO Kristen Waggoner. Our allies sponsoring the rally couldnt simply ignore those threats. Weve all witnessed the wave of violent attacks in recent weeks many of which are politically motivated, with apparent ties to radical gender ideology. And that ideology is at the center of this case. When public figures cannot attend worship services or hold outdoor rallies due to safety concerns, it suggests the level of political violence now presents an existential threat to Americas system of representative government. This level of fear and uncertainty is unacceptable, unsustainable, and either the violence or the country must eventually give way. These cancellations mark a low point in American civic life. Let us pray that this low point is Americas nadir, not the beginning of a deeper slide. Originally published at The Washington Stand. Okay, So joining me for today's show is Tim McIntire, the Chief Technology Officer at Hyland. Hyland is both a sponsor and a guest today as CTO Tim leads Highlands Global Engineering initiatives to deliver innovative solutions and seamless experiences across the company's portfolio. A passionate technologist and seasoned engineering leader, Tim brings over two decades of experience building and scaling platforms, and his leadership is instrumental in shaping the future of Hyland's platform as it continues to push the boundaries of cloud innovation and AI powered content intelligence a little bit more on Hyland founded in 1991 Hyland is an enterprise software company headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, with 4000 employees and more than 16,000 customers globally. Hyland makes it easier for large organizations to store, find and share documents, automate approvals and stay compliant. Its platforms also connect with other business systems and use artificial intelligence to pull insights from unstructured data. Tim joined Hyland earlier this year as CTO. Prior to joining the company, Tim was the co founder of stack IQ, a company acquired by Teradata. At Teradata he most recently served as Senior Vice President of Product Engineering, leading a vast engineering organization dedicated to delivering enterprise data and analytics at scale. Tim, welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us. Tim McIntire Adobe stock International development charities should take the time to understand the importance of cryptocurrency and blockchain in helping developing countries, technology and aid organisations have told an event. Speakers from UK-registered charitable grantmaker GSR Foundation, US-based aid organisation Mercy Corps and financial technology company LMAX, said that aid charities and tech companies often struggle to communicate with one another about the benefits of emerging tech. The event held in the Houses of Parliament yesterday discussed how blockchain can be a more secure digital ledger of transactions in comparison to a traditional database. Aidan Alberico, senior corporate sustainability partner at LMAX, said: How do you get money into the hands of people that need it instantaneously? That can be done through blockchain. It is transparent, its accountable and it is immutable. Ken Kow, fintech and innovation lead at Mercy Corps, added: You have this beautiful new technology which allows you to move money from point A to point B cross border super-fast with minimal fees. Money gets out there 90% faster than normal and theres a 75% reduction in transaction costs. Theres a huge appetite for local startups, local engineers and aid charities to use this technology. Its about having the opportunity to make this a reality and make this grow. Communication issues Lord Wharton, former international development minister, chaired the meeting and asked how cryptocurrency and blockchain had changed the aid sector and what its impact had been. Alberico said: Crypto might not be the number one solution for the aid sector but in terms of its impact it helps fill gaps right now. Kow added: I think the challenge here is that the tech sector and the aid sector do not know how to communicate with one another. The question we have to ask is how do we combine the two and how do we get to a point where aid charities employ tech talent and promote their own innovation. The panel also discussed the recent UK government cuts to aid as well as the USAID cuts which have impacted aid charities. To overcome this, James Newell, executive director of GSR Foundation, said: Take the time to understand the technology. Alongside aid cuts, charities have a lack of resources to often use this technology and we at the GSR Foundation are here to change that and help. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, By Satjawat/ Adobe The Charity Commission is assessing a complaint about a toxic and hostile workplace culture at international development charity World Vision UK, which has undergone a restructure this year. In a complaint submitted to the commission and seen by Civil Society, a group of people claiming to be current and former staff claims that reports raised internally of racism, sexism and homophobia at the charity have been ignored, silenced or inadequately handled by senior leadership. The commission confirmed that World Vision has filed a serious incident report following the allegations first being reported by Third Sector, which interviewed 11 current and former staff at the charity, on Monday. However, World Vision has said that all the allegations it has been made aware of are false and that it believes the complaint has come from a small number of former employees. The charity recently went through its second restructure in less than a year, which put about 90 of its around 200 staff members at risk of redundancy, with 60 roles expected to be cut by the end of last month. Complaint allegations The complaint urges the commission to investigate World Visions governance and leadership, which it says is openly hostile to challenge, even when it comes through protected, legitimate channels. It alleges that at least eight senior staff members left the charity over the last few months after either being forced to step down or feeling uncomfortable under the current leadership. The complaint alleges that non-disclosure agreements were routinely used to silence staff leaving after negative experiences. It claims that the charitys HR department confused two Black female employees, which resulted in a line report being wrongly assigned and accessed. Other instances alleged in the complaint include mispronunciation of staff of colours names, their accents or languages being imitated by colleagues and Black women being criticised, questioned and belittled in front of peers. The complaint alleges that the charitys equity, diversity and inclusion group were told that anti-LGBT staff members need to be allowed to have space too. In a staff Teams chat after a Pride event, a comment seen by Civil Society said that World Vision is moving in the wrong direction away from the Lord and that its sad to see so many people being misled by the LGB+ rainbow agenda. The complaint alleges that HR removed the comment but took no further action. It also alleges that female employees reported instances of being patronised and silenced in meetings but felt sidelined and unsupported when raising concerns. Charity contacts regulator A spokesperson for World Vision UK said in a statement: World Vision UK has contacted the Charity Commission and whilst any member of the public can make a complaint to them, there is no investigation against the charity. If the commission contacts us in relation to any complaint, we will of course cooperate fully. World Vision UK operates by the highest standards set by the Charity Commission. Our processes are devoted to meeting those high standards across all of our operations. The allegations we have been made aware of by Third Sector are false and are thought to be sourced from a small number of employees who have left the organisation. World Vision UK is a humanitarian organisation, with talented staff who are hugely dedicated to improving the lives of the most vulnerable children in the world. Our staff are extremely important to us. We provide various mechanisms for dealing with any staff complaints and if these are upheld, we act immediately to put things right and take action. The international development sector has faced a number of challenges which has led to the necessity to restructure in a way that leaves us in the best shape to face the future. We recognise such challenges, which have involved job losses through redundancy, are painful for us all as many valued employees have had to leave World Vision UK. World Vision UK remains committed and motivated by our goal to maintain and increase our outreach to help the millions of children across the world facing hunger, poverty, threats to safety, and in need of urgent help in emergencies. The commission said it is in the initial stages of assessing the concerns raised, with no findings made at this point. A spokesperson for the regulator said: We are currently assessing concerns about World Vision UK to determine what, if any, role there is for the commission as regulator. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, Sign up for the daily CJR newsletter. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths demand that members of the Pentagon press corps sign on to restrictive reporting guidelines has prompted a mass exodus. Nearly all the journalists who had desks in the Pentagon pressroom have declined to sign, and left the building in a joint protest on Wednesday afternoon. Its like college move-out day, a reporter from an independent outlet that covers the military told CJR. Some reporters have been sitting there for twenty years. Its pretty depressing. Griff Witte, a managing editor at The Atlantic, vowed that the magazines correspondents will continue to report in every way they can to try to explain to the American people how their taxpayer dollars are being spent and whats being done with American military might. I think the Pentagon knows where we stand, said Witte, whose employer declined to sign the new policy. Youve seen media organizations of every character, and every single one of them down the line, nearly, have spoken very loudly, very clearly, and said these restrictions are not acceptable. I think that sends a very clear message about just how seriously we take our First Amendment rights and how seriously we take our responsibility to report accurately and truthfully. A joint statement issued Tuesday by NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, and Fox News said the new policy is without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections. Today, we join virtually every other news organization in declining to agree to the Pentagons new requirements, which would restrict journalists ability to keep the nation and the world informed of important national security issues, the networks said. In addition to Fox, right-leaning outlets like the Washington Times and the Wall Street Journal refused to sign the pledge. Newsmax claimed that the requirements are unnecessary and onerous. So far, the only outlet known to have signed is One America News Network. OANN was one of the organizations that entered the Pentagon press corps in February after Hegseth reshuffled workspaces inside the building and removed New York Times and NBC reporters, the first of many steps aimed at blocking journalistic scrutiny. (In May, reporters were told they had to be escorted by Pentagon personnel in more parts of the building, including when visiting the public affairs offices of various military services.) OANNs representatives did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Breitbart, which received a seat in the pressroom alongside OANN. Sign up for CJRs daily email The path to Wednesdays evictions began on September 18, when the Department of War, as Hegseth, a former Fox News reporter, has started calling it, issued a memo requiring journalists to submit their reporting to the Pentagon Press Office before publication. That directive was at odds with decades of practice and key legal precedents, including the 1971 Supreme Court ruling that rejected prior restraint and enabled the continued publication of the Pentagon Papers. Any time you are required to submit something for a review by a governmental entity, thats a prior restraint, Jane Kirtley, a professor of media law at the University of Minnesota, said. The Pentagon Press Association and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press engaged in extensive talks with the Pentagon Press Office, which led to revisions. Under an updated policy issued October 6, DoD personnel, not reporters, would be required to get approval before sharing information, in line with long-standing military practice. While the New York Times headlined its story about the revised policy Pentagon Relaxes Press Access Rules, reporters continued to describe the guidelines as unsignable. The revised policy emphasizes that military and civilian Pentagon employees can face severe consequences, under both the Uniform Code of Military Justice and US law, for sharing such information without permission, and notes that any solicitation of DoW personnel to commit criminal acts would not be considered protected activity under the First Amendment. It goes on to say that solicitation might include direct communications with specific DoW personnel or general appealsencouraging DoW employees to share non-public DoW information. At a time when social media callouts and requests for tips are standard reporting tools, the policy cites an advertisement or social media post by an individual journalist or media outlet that directly targets DoW personnel to disclose non-public information as an example of solicitation. The idea that it is somehow improper for journalists to seek out information from the agency that theyre covering is very problematic, Kirtley said. If youre going to ask a source for material, then its on that source to make a judgment about whether theyre allowed to distribute it or not. Yet according to the guidelines, if you even ask for it, that might be an indication later on down the line that youre not acting in accordance with protocols, and you might lose your press pass, which would be retaliation for what I would consider to be protected speech. Legal experts said media outlets might be able to challenge the new rules in court. The Associated Press sued several White House officials in February, claiming they violated the First Amendment when they restricted AP reporters access after the agency refused to call the Gulf of Mexico by the administrations preferred name, the Gulf of America. The AP won, but an appeals court issued a stay, so the ruling is on hold. What happened in that case, which I think is really important here, is that once the government opens its doors to some kind of journalistic access, then its in effect creating a form of public forum, even if thats limited in some way, said Carey Shenkman, a First Amendment lawyer and coauthor of A Century of Repression, a recent book about the long history of the Espionage Act being wielded against the press. And what the First Amendment offers as a protection is that once a government invites the press or the public in, they then cant discriminate and start to exclude either the press or individuals based on their political viewpoints, their expressive conduct, or their reporting. The new policy asserts that the Pentagon is committed to transparency to promote accountability and public trust, and Hegseth has claimed that its goal is to ensure that the Pentagon has the same rules as every US military installation. But his jubilation at the departures has been clear on X, where he has shared statements from the Times, the Washington Post, and The Atlantic with a waving emoji, along with an AI-generated image of a crying baby wearing an Atlantic T-shirt. In March, Hegseth was widely criticized after he shared details of a classified US air strike in Yemen with members of a Signal chat to which Jeffrey Goldberg, the Atlantic editor in chief, had been added accidentally. While many in the Pentagon press corps are mourning the change, some veteran reporters see a silver lining. James Risen, a Pulitzer-winning national security reporter, described Hegseths policy as part of a larger dystopian nightmare thats going on in America, but said it could end up benefiting the public. I covered the CIA for a long time, and the CIA does not give reporters press passes, Risen said. And in a way, I think it forced reporters who cover the CIA to be more adversarial. And I think thats been a long-standing problem with the coverage of the military. The reporters get so close to specific generals or military units that they begin to kind of carry water for them. The reporter for the independent outlet that covers the military, who asked not to be named because they feared repercussions from Hegseths Pentagon, pushed back on that notion. Ive never pulled punches or avoided writing something because I was worried about upsetting a source, the reporter said. Thats not how I operate. Its not how the Pentagon press corps operates. Risen acknowledged that reporting from outside the building may be more challenging. Its going to be very difficult. Its going to require much more in-depth reporting. And its going to require a lot of reporters willing to provide assurances of confidentiality in ways that they havent had to do before, he said. If I was an editor or a reporter, I would try to look at it as an opportunity to be more adversarial and to prove to the Pentagon that what they are doing is going to lead to even tougher coverage. Youve got to write tough stories to convince people to take you seriously. Its an opportunity for the Pentagon press corps to actually show some independence. Correction: This article has been updated to correct the date when certain restrictions were imposed on the movement of journalists within the Pentagon. Sign up for the daily CJR newsletter. On Monday, NPR joined the vast majority of its colleagues in refusing to sign a new policy, ordered up by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, seeking control over how news organizations cover the Pentagon. NPR will never be party to limitations on the independence of the press and the objective, fact-based reporting of our journalists, Thomas Evans, the networks editor in chief, said in a statement. We will not sign the Administrations restrictive policy that asks reporters to undermine their commitment of providing trustworthy, independent journalism to the American public. Evans assumed the role only last month, amid what has already been a cataclysmic year for public radio. In July, Congress voted to strip public broadcasting of all federal funding, after years of partisan complaints about NPRs supposed liberal bias. The move devastated the financial base for hundreds of local and tribal radio stations, which rely heavily on federal funds, and it forced the national networkwhich draws on programming fees from those stations for about a third of its revenueto plan millions in budget cuts. Evans was previously a vice president and London bureau chief at CNN. He initially came to NPR last September to helm the Backstop, a new team that would review stories prior to publicationpart of NPRs effort to prove its bipartisan bona fides and preserve federal funding. Now, with the funding battle lost, NPR might seem to be freed from that balancing act. But Evans says listeners should not expect it to become the new face of the resistance. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity. CAG: Youve certainly started at a tumultuous time. How are you making sense of the task youre facing? TE: Its a really challenging time, not just for NPR, but for all of the media. Its politically challenging, its economically challenging. The message Ive been saying to the newsroomand, you know, Im not really even a month inis that theres lots of things that are completely out of our control: economics, and politics, and public media is going through a reset. As journalists, though, the only thing we can control is the journalism. If we focus on doing good journalism, thats really whats going to be the boat that gets us through the storm. Let me play devils advocate here for a second. Everyone already thinks youre a liberal organization; the funding is gone. Why not just double down and be the voice of the opposition? Because I dont think thats a winning proposition. The funding might be gone, but our mission isnt, and our mission is to serve the American audience. And America isnt red or blue, but purple, and we have to serve that purple audience. We need to not pull punches, but I want to make sure that our punches land. The way they land is to make sure were completely buttoned up, that our work is established in fact, that it has multiple opinions, that it has multiple viewpoints. Sign up for CJRs daily email In our current media ecosystem, we have news organizations that are very clearly on the right, or clearly on the left. As a news consumer, I personally dont find that very interesting. Echo chambers are boring, and while theyre having a moment now because of the political environment, thats not a good, lasting, impactful strategy. Were going through a very challenging time with the funding gone, and trying to rethink how a fifty-year-old news organization is structured and functions. Taking that sugar high of just becoming partisan is not a long-term strategy. Personally, as a journalist, I also find it an uninteresting strategy. I like complexity of argument; I like hearing people have different viewpoints; I like figuring out how to tell a story in the most humane way possible. And I think taking a partisan stance is none of those things. You joined NPR as part of an editorial review team, which was founded in part to counter allegations that the organization had a liberal bias. Among the group of people making these allegations was Uri Berliner, who was formerly a business editor at NPR. Last year, he wrote in the Free Press that NPR offers a distilled worldview of a very small segment of the US population today. Do you agree with anything he wrote? I wasnt here when Uri Berliner was here, and the organization is in a very different place. That saidand this might be flippant of me to saybut I think that if that essay had been submitted to editorial review, it would have been punted back, because there are a lot of factual errors in it. So I take Uris essay with a grain of salt, frankly. Because once the factually correct things fall apart, you call into question what his intent in writing the essay was. And I dont know the man, so I cant speak to it. Look, telling complex stories in a balanced and fair way is hard. Do I think NPR has always done it perfectly? Im not sure. But I think this is one of the best news organizations I have ever come across or worked with that is doing premium journalism. In my year hereand I say this coming in at editorial review, where my job was to look at and read all this contentthat essay hasnt rung true. I just fundamentally dont think hes right. What are some of the things you think he got wrong? I think that his premise, that there are eighty-some-odd registered Democrats [working in editorial positions in the DC bureau, and zero registered Republicans], is just not true. He thinks its a one-point-of-view newsroom. I go to two editorial meetings a day, and I can tell you thats also not true. He makes it sound like theres groupthink on sensitive subjects. Ive been involved, especially in my last job, in very heated debates on how to frame stories. I dont think thats true, either. The editorial review team faced criticism within the organization. When it was created, many employees saw it as unnecessary and worried it would slow down NPRs journalism. How did you address these concerns, and did you think they were valid? That team was created during a really tough time for the organization. I get that. I came in very clear-eyed that this was something that was good to do, but it came from a dark, deep place. I would have been much more hesitant to take the job if people werent reluctant about it. I think that it showed people were passionate about the journalism and that they really cared about NPR. What we did was actually not that radically different to what other news organizations do. And I think, especially in this climate, where nobody has margin for error anymore, it just makes sense to have one last senior editor look before things go out. Ill be honest, it was tough to set up. The newsroom wasnt convinced. Now, I think thats changed radically, because people have seen that its not a group that came to police and that rather its here to support and add value to the journalism. Im actually very proud of that, because the perception of the newsroom, for the most part, did a one-eighty. You mention that becoming a partisan news organization wouldnt be a good long-term strategy. What is your long-term vision for NPR? We really have to think of shaking things uphow we get our content to people and where theyre consuming our content and thinking, you know, whats the best way of doing it? We have to stay authentic to our voice and our storytelling. If you try to put stuff on TikTok and make things hip, people see through that instantly and you come off as inauthentic. So we need to make sure were still NPR, and still have the NPR voice, but we should also go where our audience lives and where theyre consuming things. So that means experimenting with video, podcasting, and different social media platforms. I think we could be much more creative with the power of digital. Radio is important, and audio is our strength because its amazing and intimate. But lets figure out how to make it amazing and intimate on other platforms too. Stellantis announced a $13 billion investment in the U.S. on Tuesday, a move it said will bring five new models to the market and add 5,000 jobs in plants across the Midwest over the next four years. The plan, which includes some previously disclosed investments, may help buffer Stellantis from U.S. President Donald Trumps tariffs, which the automaker has said would cost it around $1.7 billion this year. The investment, which Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said is the largest in its history, comes as the automaker works to regain its sales momentum in one of its most important markets. Tariffs are getting clearer and clearer. And we believe that tariffs will be just another variable of our business equation that we need to be ready to manage, and we will, Filosa told Reuters in an interview. U.S.-listed shares of Stellantis were up about 4% in after-hours trade. The investment will infuse new capital into plants in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Indiana. Some of the factories are slated to receive new models, while others will have expanded production of existing vehicles. One of the plants at the center of the companys announcement, a factory in Belvidere, Illinois, has been a sticking point for the United Auto Workers union, which last year threatened a strike against the Franco-Italian automaker. The factory, which was shuttered in 2023, is reopening and will produce two Jeep models starting in 2027, creating around 3,300 jobs, the company said. Filling Stellantis underutilized plants should be a welcome announcement for UAW workers, said Sam Fiorani, vice president at research firm AutoForecast Solutions. Stellantis leadership disclosed elements of the plan to employees earlier this year, including some of the investments in the Belvidere plant, and factories in Ohio and Indiana. Tuesdays announcement pegs the investment amount and the number of jobs that will be created, which is a larger figure than had been previously given. The company declined to quantify how much of the $13 billion announcement was previously laid out. Filosa, who became CEO in June, is tasked with turning around the carmakers sagging U.S. market share. Dealers complained that the companys strategy under former CEO Carlos Tavares left them with models that were priced too high relative to competitors, and hurt sales. Tavares abruptly resigned in December, and the automaker conducted a monthslong search for his successor before appointing Filosa, an Italian national who joined the company in 1999. Filosa is expected to unveil a new strategic plan in the second quarter of next year, after recently delaying it from the first quarter. (Reporting by Eckert in Detroit, Additional reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Mike Colias, Chris Reese and Lisa Shumaker) Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner Nathan Houdek fined a contractor his office said was acting as a public adjuster under Wisconsin law. Houdek imposed civil forfeitures of $6,000, finding the contractor violated the standards of Wis. Stat. ch. 629 by engaging in prohibited conduct and fraudulent practices. The contractors business model combined home repair services with claim assistance through assignments of benefits, which violated state law. Wis. Stat. 629.10(3) prohibits a person acting as a public adjuster from having a financial interest in the subject of a claim beyond the compensation set out in the adjusters contract. Public adjusters in Wisconsin are prohibited from requesting or accepting an assignment of insurance policy proceeds from an insured. This decision makes clear that if you are acting as a public adjuster in Wisconsin, you must follow the rules that apply to public adjusters, Houdek stated. Consumers deserve to know that anyone negotiating an insurance claim on their behalf is free from financial conflicts and is truthful in their dealings with insurers and regulators. The Wisconsin Office of the Insurance Commissioner has cautioned consumers to read contracts that assign their insurance benefits to a contractor or third party carefully. Illinois sued State Farm Fire and Casualty Insurance Co. to force it to provide information for an investigation into the companys rapidly rising premiums for homeowners. The states insurance regulator alleged that the company has refused to comply with a demand for zip code-level data about its nationwide rates for homeowner insurance. The state said it asked State Farm for information about its total premiums collected, types of coverage and insurance limits and number of claims against those policies. State Farms obstruction does not just violate the law, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a statement. It prevents the Department of Insurance from obtaining information to help make sure all Illinois homeowners are being treated fairly. State Farm said in a statement that it didnt violate the law. This lawsuit is without merit and has nothing to do with Illinois customers or the cost of their insurance, according to the statement. State Farm remains committed to collaborating with the Illinois Department of Insurance to benefit Illinois customers. We value our partnerships with state leaders and continue to work together toward finding solutions that allow us to best serve customers and promote a healthy and competitive insurance market. The case is Gillespie v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Insurance Company, 2025CH10454, Illinois Circuit Court, Chancery Division (Cook County). Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. Actor Alec Baldwin was involved in a car crash Monday in East Hampton, N.Y. (Ramsay de Give, pool file photo via AP) AP EAST HAMPTON, New York Alec Baldwin and his brother, Stephen, escaped serious injury Monday when they crashed their vehicle into a tree. In a post on Instagram, Alec Baldwin said he and his brother are OK. He said he crashed his wifes Range Rover while trying to avoid a garbage truck that had cut them off. This morning, I was in a car accident. A guy cut me off in a truck, a big garbage truck the size of a whale, said Baldwin, 67. To avoid hitting him, I hit a tree. I hit a big, fat tree. It crushed my wifes car. I crushed my wifes car; I feel bad about that, he said. Its all fine; Im fine. My brothers fine. TMZ reports the company that owns the garbage truck says the crash was not the fault of its driver. USA Today reports Baldwin and his 59-year-old brother were in town to attend the Hamptons International Film Festival. The Pakistan Army on Wednesday (Oct 15) alleged that India is trying to mould history by inventing outlandish, Bollywood-style scripts.The statement comes a day after Indian Army's Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai on Tuesday (Oct 14) said that Pakistan is understood to have lost over 100 military personnel along the Line of Control during Operation Sindoor, citing list of awards conferred posthumously by that country's military.The Pakistan Army in a statement said that it found saddening that the military leadership of a nuclear-armed country is issuing "irresponsible statements"."The Indian leadership is attempting to mould history to its liking by inventing outlandish, Bollywood-style scripts, it said."Unnecessary chest thumping and unwarranted statements might initiate a cycle of jingoism and lead to serious consequences for peace and stability in South Asia," the statement said."The Indian Armed Forces and its political masters must realise that Pakistans people and its armed forces are fully capable and committed to defend every inch of our territory with full resolve and every act of aggression will be dealt with a swift, resolute and intense response that will be remembered by posterity," it warned.Lt Gen Ghai had said that Pakistan lost at least 12 aircraft during the conflict in May, while echoing the details shared by Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh a few days ago."Pakistanis possibly unwittingly let out their awards list on August 14, and the number of posthumous awards that they awarded suggests to us now that their casualties on the LoC were also in excess of 100," he said.Sharing certain details of the May 7-10 hostilities, Lt Gen Ghai said Pakistan had resorted to cross-border firing immediately after India pounded nine terror targets on May 7. The top military officer said Pakistan sent drones even after the two DGMOs had spoken but "everything was a dismal failure".The attacks, he said, led to the Indian Air Force's precision strikes on Pakistan installations on the intervening night of May 9 and 10.In response to the Pahalgam terror attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan. The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes that ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions on May 10. Legal system refinements beef up anti-graft fight 10:21, October 15, 2025 By CAO YIN ( China Daily SONG CHEN/CHINA DAILY Over the past five years, China has implemented a series of measures to streamline its anti-corruption fight, refine the legal framework and optimize its institutional structures. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), the country amended the Criminal Law while cracking down on people who accept bribes and also increasing penalties for offenders who offer them. Under the revised law, which took effect in March 2024, those offering bribes repeatedly to multiple people, or parties involved in major construction projects related to the environment, finance, social insurance, security, food, drug, disaster relief, education or healthcare sectors face severe punishment. Shen Chunyao, an official from the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, emphasized that amending the law was intended to meet anti-corruption demands, and added that "the soft punishment" for bribe-givers was not useful for breaking the chain of bribery. Shen added that amending the law was also a strict implementation of the central leadership's anticorruption requirement on strongly cracking down on bribery through legal measures. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, the central leadership has stressed the significance of rigorous Party governance, with unprecedented efforts made to carry out the guiding principles of the eight-point code and other measures taken to combat corruption. The Party's eight-point code refers to the improvement of Party and government conduct while strengthening ties with the people. Its goal is to promote thorough and stringent self-governance within the Party, thereby effectively combating corruption from the beginning. Warned, educated While imposing timely disciplinary punishments on those who violate the guiding principles of the code, serious cases where individuals are suspected of duty-related crimes including bribery and embezzlement have also been exposed online to warn and educate Party members and government officials. Data released by the National Commission of Supervision, the country's top anti-corruption watchdog, showed about 26,000 people were investigated for offering bribes to others in 2024. Of those, 4,271 were deemed to be serious cases, with suspects handed over to prosecutors for further review. From January to June of this year, 16,000 suspected bribe-givers were placed under investigation, and 1,990 referred to prosecuting authorities, according to the data. "Both receivers and givers of bribes seriously undermine social fairness and justice," said Ruan Qilin, a law professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, while stressing the need to combat bribe-givers by revising the law. "They also harm public interests and order, and damage the credibility of government departments," he said. Ruan said if the penalties are not severe enough, they fail to serve as a deterrent, which makes it difficult to curb bribery. The amended law has sent a clear message that bribe-givers must pay a higher price for their wrongdoings, he said, adding that all individuals and organizations should enhance awareness of the rule of law and compliance in their business operations. "They must not seek improper benefits through bribery or undermine a fair and competitive market environment," he said. "Engaging in bribery will ultimately be counterproductive, leading to disgrace and strict legal penalties." The amended law also highlights the fight against corruption within private enterprises, which represent about 93 percent of businesses across China. A few charges only applied to State-owned employees should be expanded to employees of private companies, the NPC Standing Committee said, adding this will ensure equal treatment of all business entities by the rule of law. Employees of private businesses who intentionally harm their employers' interests and cause huge financial losses such as illegally making profits for friends, discounting stocks, and selling company assets can now be held criminally liable under the amended law. Harsher penalties Since the law was optimized, Chinese judicial authorities have intensified the crackdown on corruption by harshly penalizing bribe-givers and those harming the interests of private employers. In November, for example, a businessman surnamed Li in Leibo county, Sichuan province, was sentenced to three years in prison, with a four-year reprieve, for offering bribes to the then head of the local transport bureau. The people's court in Yuexi county found that from 2021 to 2023, Li bribed a bureau official surnamed Zhang with more than 3.79 million yuan ($531,278) in three local construction projects. The bribes were made through cash payments, covering parking space purchase costs, and gambling activities. Zhang's case was handled separately. Also, after the amended law came into force, the Supreme People's Court, China's top court, released details of eight notable cases involving bribe-givers to reaffirm the firm stance against corruption. In one case, a defendant surnamed Yang from Sichuan province, was sentenced to five years and six months in prison and fined 200,000 yuan for offering bribes to officials in local public security and government departments multiple times from 2004 to 2018. Yang organized gangster activities and wanted the officials to help cover up his offenses, the top court said, adding that the sum of bribes he offered was more than 1 million yuan. He also pleaded guilty to organized crime charges, and ultimately received a 25-year prison term with confiscation of all of his personal assets, the court said. While noting it was a typical case where the defendant repeatedly offered bribes to a number of people, the top court also highlighted the importance of eradicating breeding grounds for corruption and mafia-like activities. Supervisory procedures In addition to boosting the fight against bribery, since June the amended Supervision Law has helped standardize supervisory procedures. Before the law was modified, people suspected of corrupt actions underwent supervisory investigation, with a three-month detention limit. The detention could be doubled in some special circumstances, but the extension period could not exceed three months. To address time constraints in handling major and complicated cases, the amended law added a new provision. For suspects in serious situations, such as those facing a possible sentence of 10 or more years in prison, an additional extension of two months was permitted. However, this only applies if the supervisory body is unable to complete the investigation. The additional extension needs to be approved by the National Commission of Supervision. "It was necessary and timely to revise the law. The new version is conducive to improving the supervisory framework and regulating the behavior of supervisors," said Tong Dehua, a professor from the Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in Hubei province. He emphasized the need to integrate the concept of the rule of law into supervisory procedures and throughout all anti-corruption efforts. "The rule of law is an important achievement of human political civilization, a lofty ideal long pursued by the public, and a crucial safeguard for promoting Chinese modernization," he said. While calling on supervisory departments to uphold the belief in the rule of law, strengthen their sense of responsibility and faithfully fulfill their duties to investigate all types of new and hidden forms of corruption, he also urged them to exercise their power in accordance with the law, impartially, and with integrity. Fugitives returned Thanks to years of development of the legal system, China has accelerated progress in the return of fugitives who have fled abroad as well as the recovery of illicit assets, according to the National Commission of Supervision. In July, Zhou Jinghua, a former businesswoman on China's list of 100 most-wanted fugitives, was extradited to China from Thailand. Previously, a large number of fugitives were repatriated to China or had voluntarily surrendered. Zhou was the first fugitive on the list to be extradited to China. "The methods for returning fugitives have gradually shifted from relying primarily on persuasion to comprehensively employing various approaches such as arrest, deportation and extradition. This indicates China's international anticorruption efforts are becoming increasingly standardized," the commission said. While ordering supervisory authorities nationwide to enhance the awareness of the rule of law, and comply with procedural and evidence standards in pursuing fugitives and recovering illegal proceeds, the commission also urged them to improve the law enforcement capabilities by fully respecting the judicial sovereignty of other countries and international rules, as well as strictly implementing the revised Supervision Law. "Anti-corruption international cooperation is inseparable from both domestic rule of law and foreign-related legal engagement, so adhering to the rule of law mindset and approach is imperative," it added. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Microsoft, which is no stranger to antitrust accusations, is being sued for allegedly manipulating AI prices via its investment in OpenAI. The lawsuit, filed Monday in the US District court in the Northern District of California, argues that Microsoft has used its OpenAI influence to vastly increase AI prices. ChatGPT prices were inflated since the services inception, with price levels reaching an eye-popping 100 to 200 times competitors prices on a per-token basis amidst a February 2025 price war, the filing said. A secretive agreement struck between OpenAI and Microsoft early in OpenAIs development allowed Microsoft to control the supply of compute to its horizontal competitors products. It used an exclusivity clause to restrict OpenAIs product output, and to impose a priceor, conversely, output and qualityfloor on its competitor OpenAIs ChatGPT products. The global smartphone market grew by 2.6% in the third quarter of the year, equivalent to 322.7 million units, according to preliminary data from IDC. The research firm traces the growth to upgrades to new premium phones and a growing interest in affordable AI-enabled models. Apple and Samsung delivered the strongest results. Apple reported its best July quarter ever thanks in part to the new iPhone 17 series. Meanwhile, Samsung achieved record growth with its latest foldable models, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7. Manufacturers like Xiaomi, Transsion, and Vivo also grew strongly. Xiaomi strengthened its position in Europe and Latin America with the successful Redmi Note and Poco series, while Transsion expanded rapidly in Africa thanks to low prices and efficient distribution. Vivo grew in several emerging markets with AI-enhanced cameras and aggressive online promotions. Its been more than 30 years, but director Chris Columbus cant shake a decision he made during the production of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Its that Donald Trump cameo, a few seconds of screen time thats become an albatross for me. I cant cut it, Columbus told the San Francisco Chronicle earlier this year. If I cut it, Ill probably be sent out of the country. Ill be considered sort of not fit to live in the United States, so Ill have to go back to Italy or something. If it werent for Trumps celebrity, no one would miss the scene in which Macaulay Culkins Kevin asks a man in a long coat for directions to the lobby. Down the hall and to the left, says Trump in a seven-second performance that by all rights should have earned him the Nobel Peace Prize. Don't Miss For what its worth, the CBC did cut the cameo for Canadian broadcasts. Today reported that Trump was furious about the omission after a 2019 rerun, although the CBC insisted that it had trimmed the scene back in 2014 to make room for commercials. Columbus had good reason to include Trump in the original film. In addition to paying the hotels fee, Trump also said, The only way you can use the Plaza is if Im in the movie. So we agreed to put him in the movie, Columbus told Business Insider on the movies 30th anniversary. Trump got huffy when he heard Columbuss explanation of the cameo. I was very busy, and didnt want to do it, Trump posted on Truth Social. They were very nice, but above all, persistent. I agreed, and the rest is history! That little cameo took off like a rocket, and the movie was a big success, and still is, especially around Christmas time. People call me whenever it is aired. Now, however, 30 years later, Columbus (what was his real name?) put out a statement that I bullied myself into the movie. Nothing could be further from the truth. That cameo helped make the movie a success. Just another Hollywood guy from the past looking for a quick fix of Trump publicity for himself! Advertisement Tim Curry is another Home Alone 2 alum with less-than-fond memories of the Trumps. In a recent interview with the Guardian, Curry remembered Trumps former wife, Ivanka, stopping by to ask what he thought of his room at the Plaza. (She had decorated the joint.) Curry lied and told her he liked the accommodations. I loathed it actually, he said. Advertisement Curry also remembered Trump bringing his then-girlfriend, Marla Maples, to the set. He was very anxious to find Chris Columbus, the director, Curry recalled. He said: I've got to get Marla to meet Chris Columbus because shes a brilliant actress. Advertisement Curry had a skeptical response. I thought: Yeah, Im sure. Columbus wishes none of it had ever happened. Years later, its become this curse. Its become this thing that I wish it was not there, he said. He said I begged him to be in the movie, but theres no world I would ever beg a non-actor to be in a movie. But we were desperate to get the Plaza Hotel. When Amy Poehler invited old pal Aziz Ansari to reminisce about their Parks and Rec days on her Good Hang podcast, she likely didnt imagine shed get caught in the middle of a comedy firestorm. Check out the comments section on the episodes YouTube page for angry feedback like: Just want to remind everyone that Aziz took hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Saudi royal family to ignore the 750,000 slaves currently in Saudi Arabia. Really disappointed to see Ansari here in light of his taking money from the organizers of the Riyadh comedy festival. Such a shame. I dont respect anyone that takes Saudi state money. It was a state funded festival designed to whitewash and gaslight the world to thinking theyre not all bad, to create better tourism, to pretend theyre actually not doing all that horrible shit theyre doing. So I already had lost a decent amount of respect for his serial assault, and his way of handling it afterwards, but this is the final straw. Yikes. Its possible they filmed this conversation before Jimmy Kimmel held Ansaris feet to the fire for his participation at the Riyadh Comedy Festival, but Poehler had to know about her old co-stars involvement. Despite that knowledge, Poehler chose to sidestep Riyadh, as well as any questions about Ansaris #MeToo moment back in 2018. (Some fans are mad about that, too.) Don't Miss Regular listeners of Good Hang shouldnt be surprised. Poehlers show, explicitly a feel-good enterprise, isnt turning into 60 Minutes anytime soon. She was explicit about her podcasts direction and tone during the introduction of the first episode: I just wanna make it clear, she said. Im not an expert. Im not a therapist. Im not here to change your life. I dont care if you get any better. I dont have advice for you. I just want us to have fun and lighten up a little. That lets keep it light approach has been key to the extraordinary success of Good Hang, currently at #2 on Apples comedy podcast charts behind only Joe Rogan. Poehler made a conscious choice not to be Marc Maron, Neal Brennan or Jon Stewart, interviewers whod tackle uncomfortable subjects with their comedy guests. Advertisement Poehler also didnt press Zarna Garg last month about her announced participation at Riyadh, nor did she go after Natasha Lyonne when she was in the middle of an A.I. controversy. Good Hang isnt the place for tough questions, for better or worse. Unsubscribe from Poehlers podcast or leave a nasty comment, but dont expect it to be anything other than what she promised at the beginning. Whatever it is, this is a show here to have fun and make you laugh, she said. And Im not here to judge. Okay? To celebrate the launch of Dolci , each unit comes with three Nesquik flavours The new Tefal Dolci frozen dessert maker has finally landed in Australia 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 Aussies are obsessing over a new must-have kitchen gadget, with many saying it's the perfect affordable alternative to a hugely popular $450 brand. France's world-renowned cookware brand Tefal has shaken up the cookware industry with the launch of its first-ever Dolci frozen dessert machine. The gadget is more than just another ice cream maker. What makes Dolci stand out is that it's a true all-in-one powerhouse with 10 features, allowing you to whip up a variety of desserts from the comfort of your kitchen - from authentic Italian-style gelato, sorbets and acai bowls to frappes and cocktails. As part of its sweet debut Down Under, Tefal has partnered with Nesquik to offer three iconic flavour tins - chocolate, strawberry and banana - with every Dolci purchase so Aussies can taste the nostalgia in their mouthwatering concoctions. The major launch of the versatile gadget has sent shoppers with a sweet tooth into a meltdown, with one excited fan even screaming: 'Shut up and take my money.' It's no surprise the epic frozen dessert machine is already racking up five-star ratings. Available in colours Rise (cream) and Black Knight (black), the Dolci is even being compared by shoppers to the $449.99 Ninja Creami. 'This machine makes the perfect ice cream 100 per cent of the time. No need to respin. I have to say the fit and finish also is so much better than the Ninja Creami. Five stars,' one raved. Tefal Dolci Rise Frozen Dessert Maker with bonus Nesquik tins Turn your kitchen into a dessert bar with the easytouse (and just as easy to clean) Dolci Frozen Dessert Maker. With the ability to customise your sorbet, ice cream, gelato, milkshake, cocktail and smoothie recipes, the gadget is perfect for anyone looking to indulge their sweet tooth - or enjoy a healthier take on their favourite treats. To celebrate the launch, the Dolci bundle includes 3 x 250g tins of Nestle Nesquik - Banana, Chocolate & Strawberry - to make creating your new concoctions even more fun. Shop France 's world-renowned cookware brand Tefal has shaken up the cookware industry with the launch of its first-ever Dolci frozen dessert machine, available in cream and black Another shopper agreed that they were left 'super impressed', especially with the gadget's effortless self-cleaning auto-rinse function. 'If I could give it seven stars, I would. It's been a total game-changer. We love making ice cream at home because it lets us control the sugar and flavours. With the Dolci, cleaning is a breeze compared to the Ninja,' they shared. 'The overall build quality feels sturdier and more premium. Three days in and we couldn't be happier. 'I've already made six tubs and every single one has come out perfectly creamy with just one spin. It's easy, reliable, and looks great on the kitchen bench.' Shoppers can truly choose their own adventure with the Dolci, which comes with a digital recipe book featuring 50 ideas. Whether you prefer vegan, dairy-free, sugar-free, refreshing or even savoury options, there's something for everyone. The kit comes with three 500mL bowls - meaning you can make three different desserts or flavours, with at least 25 scoops in a single cycle - no re-spin needed. With its worldfirst onestep Perfector technology, the double-action blades work together to churn and aerate ingredients, giving you silky-smooth, creamy results every time. The Dolci's 10 functions deliver six scoopable and four drinkable modes - and it's set to make your home the most popular place to be this summer. Tefal Dolci Black Knight Frozen Dessert Maker with bonus Nesquik From sorbet, ice cream and gelato to frozen yoghurt, smoothies and more, the Dolci Ice Cream Maker brings delicious frozen treats to your home - just the way you want them. Customise your recipes with a wide array of toppings and prepare the perfect quantity every time. Dolci's unique 1-Step Perfector technology ensures smooth, creamy results in a single go, while its auto rinse program makes clean-up a breeze. Ice cream has never been so easy. Shop What makes Dolci stand out is that it's a true all-in-one powerhouse with 10 features, allowing you to whip up a variety of desserts from the comfort of your kitchen - from authentic Italian-style gelato, sorbets and acai bowls to frappes and cocktails 'Dolci isn't just an appliance, it's a gateway to creativity and personalisation in the kitchen,' said Jason Borg, marketing director ANZ, Groupe SEB Australia, which owns Tefal in Australia. 'Whether it' s serving up cafe-style frappes, healthier homemade sorbets, or indulgent nostalgic milkshakes, Dolci allows Australians to craft desserts that are every bit as unique as they are delicious. 'With Dolci, Tefal combines French innovation with everyday simplicity to create the best frozen dessert appliance on the market. 'This launch is more than just a product - it' s a world-first for us that empowers families to mix nostalgia, creativity, and professional results at home.' Not only will shoppers save a fortune by making their own gourmet desserts at their fingertips, but they can also take a trip down memory lane using the classic Nesquik flavoured milk powder as a base for their treats or toppings. 'At Nestle, were always looking for new ways to bring joy and creativity into Aussie homes,' Siddharth Kajale, head of marketing - Dairy & RTD, Nestle, said. 'Partnering with Tefal on the launch of Dolci allows us to reimagine how families enjoy Nesquik not just as a drink, but as a flavourful experience in frozen desserts. 'Together, Nesquik and Dolci are unlocking a new chapter of indulgence and innovation that s both nostalgic and exciting.' It's no surprise the epic frozen dessert machine is already racking up five-star ratings The machine turns any home into the ultimate dessert bar - giving shoppers the feeling of being pros as they create professional-quality treats at the touch of a button, including ice cream, frozen yoghurt, milkshakes, slushies and smoothies In a fun collaboration with Tefal, Sydney content creator Bailey White made an 'iconic' video of himself walking around Bondi Beach with a giant 'emotional support spoon' - urging his followers to 'stay tuned' for a 'story worth scooping'. 'If you haven't heard, Tefal has teamed up with Nesquik to launch the ultimate frozen dessert machine, the Dolci - and I love her,' Bailey said. Holding his life-sized spoon, the young man then put the gadget to the test to see just how easy it is to whip up ice cream from scratch. 'Oh my god, it's so good,' Bailey said, declaring he'll be eating ice cream every day. Aside from the ice cream function, one happy customer found a new way to cool down and unwind after a long day at work. 'The straightforward design makes it easy to use while producing consistently smooth results,' they said. 'My personal go-to is the margarita slushie, perfect for relaxing afternoons.' Another shopper agreed, saying the margarita recipe was a 'must-try'. As part of its sweet debut Down Under, Tefal has partnered with Nesquik to offer three iconic flavour tins - chocolate, strawberry and banana - with every Dolci purchase so Aussies can taste the nostalgia in their mouthwatering concoctions With summer just around the corner, there's never been a better time to become an dessert connoisseur. The Dolci ($349.95) is available at major retailers - including Amazon Australia, Big W, David Jones and Good Guys - or online. To shop the new Tefal Dolci, click here. Before the election, Keir Starmer made much of one particular line on his CV. He had been Director of Public Prosecutions. As DPP, he claimed to have been an accomplished administrator and a fearless defender of national security who had fashioned the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) into a crime-fighting supersquad the like of which we had not seen since Eliot Ness led The Untouchables. And therefore, whatever else he might or might not deliver as PM, we could be certain that criminals would be punished and the nations security assured. So, presumably, if a foreign state with provably malign intent were alleged to have co-opted individuals in the heart of Parliament to break the law and engage in espionage, you would imagine that the Prime Minister would be all over it faster than you could say Kim Philby. In the time it would normally take Sir Keir KC to don wig and gown, the case files would be being assembled to get the suspects in court and send a signal that anyone who tried to subvert our democracy with a spy ring in SW1 faced richly- deserved punishment. But instead of justice swift and sure, weve had a failure of resolution so comprehensive it brings this country, its government and its legal system into disrepute. Two individuals, Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, were charged with espionage while operating in the Commons, the centre of our democracy. The professional lawyers of the CPS believed there was prima facie evidence of wrongdoing activities on the part of the accused which merited a criminal trial. Cash and Berry furiously protest their innocence, which is their right. But their claims will never be tested, their actions will never be properly held to account because Sir Keirs Government failed to provide the support the CPS required to bring the case to court. Specifically, the Government did not manage to provide evidence that China is a threat to our national security. That failure is literally incredible. You dont need to be George Smiley to know that Beijing is doing everything it can to compromise our security. Neither the doctrinal status of the Pope or the forest-based toilet habits of bears are as certain as the sinister intentions of the Chinese security apparatus towards Britain. Christopher Berry, 32, charged with espionage while operating in the Commons The Chinese state spies as tomcats breed promiscuously, indiscriminately, greedily and noisily. They bribe, bully, honeytrap and eavesdrop in order to acquire information on other states. They purloin intellectual property from businesses, scientific knowledge from universities and every scrap of political information they can snaffle from the unwary or the compromised. In Government from 2010 to 2024 I was repeatedly warned of the 1,001 ways in which the Chinese would try to spy on me. In autumn 2010 at the height of our attempts to foster better economic relations with China I was dispatched on a ministerial trip there. Before I went, I was told to take the sort of security precautions youd normally associate with an Mi6 agent on an exfiltration mission. I was warned not to take any electronic devices, to use a burner phone for even the simplest comms, to regard the only safe place for conversations as a sealed room in our embassy and to treat my hotel room as a fully-rigged TV studio and every porcelain gift as a vessel for listening devices. I was also told that if anyone from the opposite sex who approached me was out of my league they had only one thing on their mind and it wasnt comparing notes on Confucian philosophy. When I replied that I wasnt sure what my league was, I was told that it was certainly lower than the Scottish Second Division and if I wanted company at the end of the evening I should bring a teddy bear. The warnings could not have been clearer. And that was at the high point of potential friendliness in Sino-British relations. Since then, the evidence of Beijings malevolence has only grown. From the use of slave labour in Xinjiang to the suppression of freedom in Hong Kong, the deeply suspect motives underlying Huaweis penetration of our telecoms network to the deception over the origins of Covid, Chinas malignancy has become clearer with every day that passes. And that was powerfully apparent to all of us in Government after Boris Johnson became PM. I sat alongside him in the National Security Council when we discussed China as an evil empire. And when my friend Tom Tugendhat was Security Minister, he could not have been more adamant across Government of the threat we faced from China. So for the Government to say that it cannot provide the evidence of Chinas threat to this country, our democratic system and our interests is beyond ludicrous. But that is not the most outrageous claim Starmers administration has made in the face of this cases collapse. That came in Parliament on Monday when the normally reasonable and decent Security Minister Dan Jarvis said the person solely responsible for the CPS dropping the case, the one individual incapable of proving China was a threat, the single point of failure in this whole affair was a lone civil servant the Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Collins. It was he, and he alone, who had given the witness statements the CPS needed to be assured about the danger China posed to our security. He had not been supervised or directed by ministers, we were told. And he had certainly not been operating under the instruction of his immediate boss, the National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell. He was a lone wolf prowling along the Whitehall corridors and no one was pulling on his leash. I dont believe that for a second. I have worked in the Cabinet Office and seen how the National Security Secretariat has operated. It is hardly a breach of the Official Secrets Act to state that no responsible PM or reputable National Security Adviser would ever in the past have allowed a single civil servant, however capable, to handle all the material relating to hostile state actor espionage in Parliament of all places entirely on their own without supervision and oversight. Far from being a lone wolf, Matt Collins is, I fear, being lined up as a scapegoat. There can only be two possible explanations of what has really gone wrong. Either Collins was acting under direction, in which case ministers are dissembling and blame-shifting in a shameful way. Or, if he did act alone, then the entire structure of responsible security decision-making has collapsed in the 15 months Labour has been in Government. Either conclusion is appalling. There is only one way to clear this mess up. As I asked in the House of Lords, the witness statements provided by Collins to the CPS must be published. Communications between No.10, ministers, Powell and Collins relating to this case must be published. Powell must answer for his actions before Parliament. So far, all we have heard from Government in response to these requests is evasion. But behind that bluster is another sound the laughter echoing around the Great Hall Of The People in Beijing, where Xi Jinping and the blood-soaked tyrants who run Communist China simply cannot believe their luck that the British state has crumpled in front of their adventurism like a fortune cookie under the tracks of a Tiananmen tank. For the sake of our democracy, we cannot let this rest. There was jubilation in Israel on Monday at the release of all the surviving hostages. But the journey to a long-term peace is fraught with pitfalls, says Middle East expert Mark Almond. Here he highlights 14 flashpoints that could derail Trumps grand vision. 1) Return of the bodies One of the conditions of the peace deal is that Hamas hand over the remains of all the hostages who died or were murdered during the fighting. But this is easier said than done. Many bodies are buried beneath the rubble of buildings destroyed after two years of bombing, and separating the corpses of hostages from other peoples remains will not be easy. However, if all the bodies are not handed over for a proper burial, the suspicion will remain that Hamas and other hostage-holding jihadi groups are keeping them back because they fear they will reveal that the victims were tortured to death or executed rather than being collateral damage of bombing raids. 2) Failure to disarm Disarming Hamas was one of Israels key demands but, within hours of the declaration of the ceasefire deal, the Palestinian terrorists had summoned 7,000 fighters onto the streets to act as an armed police force. Donald Trump hinted he could accept a temporary law-and-order role for Hamas to fill the power vacuum in Gaza but the Israelis view any Hamas militants with guns as a threat. 3) Gazan civil war Brutal infighting plagues Gaza to this day. While Hamas may have been the dominant force for years, its authority is undermined by other armed groups such as the Doghmush clan believed to have hundreds of fighters. This group and other warlord-led gangs are denounced as criminals and Israeli agents by Hamas but remain formidable foes. In a bid to impose its authority last weekend, Hamas deployed as many as 2,000 of its fighters against the Doghmush clan, which it sees as one of its main rivals in the Strip, reportedly killing 32 and arresting and injuring dozens more. 4) Hamas return Even if the scheduled withdrawal of the Israeli army under the Trump plan goes ahead, it is by no means certain that Hamas will keep its promises. The last time the Israelis withdrew from the Strip, in 2005, Hamas staged an armed takeover. After suppressing local Palestinian rivals, such as The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), with brutal efficiency, they began a wave of rocket attacks on southern Israel. Masked members of Hamas. The last time the Israelis withdrew from the Strip, in 2005, the terrorist group staged an armed takeover 5) Toothless peacekeepers The plan is for international peacekeepers to prevent Hamas rearming and provide security for the people of Gaza. But will they and their governments be willing to take casualties, especially as the Americans insist they wont put any of their boots on the ground? Past UN detachments of blue helmets have been brushed aside by Israeli and Arab forces alike. 6) West Bank violence Gaza isnt the only Palestinian territory in which violence is at risk of reigniting. The Israeli-occupied West Bank, which stretches from Jerusalem east to the River Jordan, has seen more than 1,400 violent deaths in the past two years. Interspersed among its population of roughly five million Arabs are hundreds of thousands of Jewish settlers. Security responsibilities are shared between Israel and the Palestinian authority. A clash around the settlements and along the roads connecting them could easily spiral out of control. The October 7 attacks on kibbutzim bordering Gaza could well be the model for a similar atrocity on the West Bank. 7) Historic divisions Deep historical rivalries underlie the current Arab-Israel dispute specifically over the question of who owns the land by right? Israelis look back to Ancient Israel as their national heritage. From King Davids city of Jerusalem the site of Solomons temple to Arab majority cities like Hebron, where Abraham, the founder of the religion is buried, countless key Jewish sites are in this territory. Countless key Jewish sites are in King David's city of Jerusalem - as well as many Muslim ones Meanwhile, Muslim shrines such as the Al Aqsa mosque and the Dome Of The Rock are in east Jerusalem, a city which Israel and Donald Trump regards as its territory but which many European and Arab states prefer to see as Palestinian. There is no obvious way to reconcile these incompatible and deeply felt claims. 8) Return of missiles External agents such as Iran and its proxies in the region Yemens Houthis and Lebanons Hezbollah could stir up trouble by renewing the missile attacks they started in 2023. Would Israel be willing to tolerate this? It seems highly unlikely. 9) Frontline friction Not every potentially explosive event could be a planned provocation. Just yesterday morning, Israeli Army soldiers shot five Palestinians dead as they crossed the ceasefire line, showing how spontaneous actions can lead to violence and potential escalation. 10) Territorial disputes Time is often regarded as a great healer but the lesson of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is that the passage of time can also deepen the bitterness between peoples. Many Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank still live only a few miles from homes their families occupied before 1948 when they were driven out by the Israelis. Distance in space as well as time might make refugees put past sufferings and grievances behind them, but Palestinians have had eight decades to nurse their resentments against Israel and it is not obvious that a pause in the fighting will see them look to the future. 11) International divisions Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel wont accept any kind of independent Palestinian state but some of Americas key European allies, including Keir Starmers government here and President Macrons in France, have already recognised Palestine as an independent country. This means Trumps major international friends could unravel his peace efforts. Trump may be right to leave some details of the future vague to get on with rebuilding but his squabbling allies could trip up his approach and he will need to stay committed as other world crises such as Ukraine grab his attention. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, says Israel wont accept any kind of independent Palestinian state 12) Peace Board rows Fighting over the composition of Trumps Peace Board, the body he envisages overseeing Gaza and an ambitious reconstruction programme, could also spell trouble. About the only thing all parties agree on is that Trump should preside over it but the President has many other things on his plate. An unwieldy supervising body could become factionalised and paralyse rebuilding efforts, leaving ordinary Palestinians denied their peace dividend turning back to extremist leaders. 13) Gas field revenues Will the Palestinians be given rights to territorial waters? If so, there are bound to be disputes over the natural gas fields off the coast of Gaza. The Israelis will want them for their revenue as they seek to recover some of the costs of the war, while the Palestinians need every penny they can get to rebuild their shattered cities. 14) Right-wing backlash Foot-dragging by Hamas over giving up its weapons could lead Right-wing elements of Netanyahus coalition to pressure him to resume military operations in Gaza, effectively scuttling Trumps deal. As one ultra-Right member of Netanyahus governing coalition said this week: We are not happy with any deal that is not total surrender of Hamas... We will not accept any partial victory. 'They're going to disarm, because they said they were going to disarm,' President Donald Trump thundered from the White House on Tuesday, 'If they don't disarm, we will disarm them. They know I'm not playing games.' Mr President, the future of the Middle East depends on it. Trump's ultimatum came in response to videos leaking out of Gaza less than 24 hours after the Israel-Gaza peace deal was signed. The footage shows Hamas terrorists executing Palestinians in the streets. The radical Islamist killers sickeningly claim that they're targeting 'Israeli collaborators,' as if that is a sort of justification. But in truth, they are massacring their political Palestinian opponents. For make no mistake, Hamas and their ideological brethren are preparing for the day they're able to reconstitute their terror army on Israel's doorstep. For months, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies has been providing ideas to the White House, as well as to the Israeli government and military, on the development of the Gaza peace plan. FDD always anticipated that the greatest risk to a lasting peace was the failure to disarm Hamas fully and irreversibly. Now that challenge stares the world in the face. Hamas's disarmament is a key part of Trump's 20-point plan. The first phase called for Israel to withdraw its forces, returning about 50 percent of Gaza to the Palestinian people. Israel has now done that. Hamas which is already in violation of its obligations under the deal to release all of the bodies of murdered hostages released 20 Israeli live hostages and, in turn, Israel let go of 2,000 Palestinian prisoners of which 250 were serving life sentences for murdering Israelis, Americans and others. Trump's ultimatum came in response to videos leaking out of Gaza less than 24 hours after the Israel-Gaza peace deal was signed The footage shows Hamas terrorists executing Palestinians in the streets If the peace plan continues in good faith, Israel will conduct additional withdrawals, eventually pulling back to the perimeter of the Gaza enclave, opening the way for phase two the deployment of an international stabilization force. This force ideally composed of US, Arab and other global partners will be tasked with enforcing the disarmament of Hamas, vetting and training a Palestinian police force and putting in place the conditions for the redevelopment of Gaza. Under this vision, Gaza will be temporarily governed by a 'Gaza Peace Board,' chaired by President Trump and possibly including international figures like former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and others from Arab or Western nations. But this all depends on the effective disarmament of Hamas which the terrorists and their ideological allies in the Muslim world will surely attempt to sabotage. Hamas is one of three wings of the Muslim Brotherhood. The others are in Turkey (the military wing) and Qatar (the financial and propaganda wing). Hamas has always been very useful to the Muslim Brotherhood's cause regional domination and the elimination of Israel. They wouldn't have agreed to the Gaza Peace Plan, unless Trump had threatened to unleash Israel to decimate Hamas's last stronghold in Gaza City. Additionally, in return for Qatar and Turkey's cooperation, the US has agreed to provide a defense and security agreement to Doha and host a contingent of Qatari F-15 fighter jets and pilots, at an Idaho military base. And, I expect, the US may also soon lift a ban on selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey (a privilege which Trump and Congress rightly revoked during his first term after Turkey purchased a Russian air defense system). But this budding partnership does not mean that Qatar and Turkey are committed to peace. They want Hamas to retain control of their weapons and wait out the international community's short attention span. They will bide their time until the world is distracted by some other crisis or political event and then Hamas through violence and intimidation will seek to reconstitute itself in Gaza, folding itself into whatever new governance structure is established. It is not difficult to imagine Hamas re-branding itself the 'Gaza Security Force' and continuing its terroristic reign over the Palestinian people. That's what happened in Lebanon following Israel's 1978 limited incursion into Lebanon in response to cross-border terror attacks by the Palestine Liberation Organization that killed 38 Israeli civilians. The United Nations established the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), as a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon to disarm terrorists, support the army and confirm Israel's withdrawal. But UNIFIL failed and Hezbollah took hold in Lebanon as a shadow government for decades, attacking Israel, until Israel demolished it last year in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks. None of this will come as a surprise to the Trump administration. The likelihood that the Turks, the Qataris, the Saudis, the Egyptians, the Emiratis and others fulfil their commitments to send troops to Gaza to stand-up an international stabilization force are slim. Hamas which is already in violation of its obligations under the deal to release all of the bodies of murdered hostages released 20 Israeli live hostages. (Pictured: Released Israeli hostage Omri Miran) In turn, Israel let go of 2,000 Palestinian prisoners (pictured) It's far more likely that Gaza will be policed under one of two models. The first the most optimistic scenario is the Lebanon model. Since the IDF decimated Hezbollah, the IDF has continued to fight Hezbollah terrorists, allowing for the Lebanese armed forces and the Lebanese government to move into these areas and solidify control of their own country. The other model is the West Bank model. This is not very well-known, but every day and every evening the IDF is operating in the West Bank, clearing Hamas and other terrorist groups in places like Jenin, Nablus and Tulkarm. In just a few years, there's been an 85 percent reduction in the terrorist threats coming out of these and other West Bank towns. But it requires Israel to do nearly all of the fighting and dying with limited cooperation from the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian security forces. This is the White House's great fear. That the international stabilization force will not materialize, leaving Israel to again carry the burden alone. And the centuries-long war will rage on. After the euphoria for the past several days, the White House is fully aware of the excruciating problem they face and that it will demand presidential attention. The lingering question: Is President Trump up to the task with all that demands his attention? Mark Dubowitz is the chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Today Keir Starmer lied to the House of Commons. He didnt obfuscate. He didnt deflect. He wasnt, to use that immortal phrase of the late Alan Clark, economical with the actualite. He knowingly told a deliberate, conscious, calculating untruth. It came in response to Kemi Badenoch, who in one of her most focused and forensic Prime Ministers Questions performances finally pinned down the Prime Minister over the collapse of the China spy case. She demanded: Is the Government seriously saying that only one man, the deputy national security adviser, had anything to do with this failure? Is he seriously saying the deputy did not discuss [the subject] with the national security adviser... with the Home Secretary, or with anyone in Downing Street? Is the Prime Minister seriously saying that? Yes, Keir Starmer replied. Some political scandals are complex. Others interest Westminster, but have little resonance outside. Some are just banal, such as the consumption of birthday cake. But Chinagate is politically lethal in both its simplicity and its significance. And despite Sir Keirs increasingly desperate efforts to throw his pursuers off the scent, the facts of the case have now broadly been established. As readers now know, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) determined it had enough evidence to bring to trial two agents the security services believed had been spying upon ministers and MPs on behalf of the Chinese state. This would have been one of the most significant foreign-espionage prosecutions since the end of the Cold War. Sir Keir Starmer lied to the House of Commons over the China spy scandal, Dan Hodges writes To cement those prosecutions, the CPS decided it needed a statement from the Government formally stating that China represented a threat to UK national security. It repeatedly requested via a series of witness statements this document. But the Government steadfastly refused to provide it. Eventually, the head of the CPS, Stephen Parkinson, decided he had no option but to drop the case. In a letter to MPs, he confirmed: By late August 2025 it was realised that this evidence would not be forthcoming. When this became apparent, the case could not proceed. This was a professional assessment made by CPS lawyers experienced in prosecuting national security and espionage cases, applying the Code for Crown Prosecutors. The reason for the collapse of the case was obvious. The Government was and still is desperate to appease China. We have seen it with their craven acquiescence in allowing the construction of a Super Embassy, replete with a dungeon and covert listening post, in the heart of London. We have seen it with the constant caravan of ministers, envoys and officials trekking out to Beijing. We saw it only this week with the decision not to include China in the Enhanced Tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, following threats of Chinese economic retaliation, and heavy lobbying from Chancellor Rachel Reeves. So the Government was caught bang to rights. All that was required was for Sir Keir to hold up his hands, mouth some vacuous platitudes about protecting jobs and balancing strategic global relationships and, after a bit of a squall, the political circus would have moved on. But he couldnt do it. The man who, in opposition, delivered one self-righteous lecture after another about transparency and probity and the need to clean up our national governance instead opted to embark on a cover-up that would have made Richard Nixon blush. The first major lie was that the Government hadnt collapsed the case at all that it was, as Downing Street claimed, solely a decision taken by the CPS. This line promptly fell apart when Stephen Parkinson published his letter, in which he pointedly stated: Government briefings have been provided commenting on the evidential situation. Given this unusual circumstance, I consider that I am now able to provide further information to contextualise the position. The next major lie followed a report that a meeting had taken place to discuss the spy trial involving Jonathan Powell, the National Security Adviser, and Olly Robbins, the Permanent Secretary at the Foreign Office. The Governments response to this report was to dismiss it, and others, as wholly inaccurate. But today the Prime Minister was forced to confirm the meeting did in fact take place. The third major lie followed demands by Kemi Badenoch for the Government to release the China witness statements, to allow MPs, the Press and public to judge for themselves whether ministers were being truthful. Downing Street claimed that it could not release them because the CPS had instructed it not to. That lie lasted about half an hour before the CPS stated that, in fact, it had no objection to their release. Each of these untruths would have been serious enough in isolation. But they were about to be collectively dwarfed by the complete, utter, bare-faced fabrication proffered by Sir Keir at PMQs. According to the Prime Minister, he was aware of the ongoing China spy case and being briefed about it. He was aware that the CPS was requesting additional evidence to enable that case to proceed. He was aware that his deputy national security adviser, Matthew Collins, was tasked with providing that evidence. But, supposedly, at no stage in that process was he informed by Collins of what that evidence was, or why it had been requested, or why it was important, or that it could potentially lead to the collapse of the case. Even more fantastically, when Sir Keir was informed the case was about to collapse, his position is he didnt even bother to ask why or what, if anything, could be done to prevent the prosecution imploding. The whole process was, he claimed to the House of Commons, left to the Deputy National Security Adviser to sort out. Even the National Security Adviser was supposedly kept in the dark. The problem isnt just that the Prime Minister is clearly lying through his teeth with this self-serving fantasy. Its that his lying is so ludicrous, cack-handed and manifestly transparent. Not for the first time, hes taking Parliament, the Press and the British people for fools. He literally wants us all to believe that on being told of the impending breakdown of an espionage prosecution of vital importance to the defence of the realm, he simply shrugged, said thanks guys, and toddled off for his regular game of five-a-side. Earlier in the week I observed there were only two logical explanations for how the Government had become enveloped in its China crisis. One was that the Prime Minister did not have a sufficient grip of events, and took his eye off the ball. The other was that he had been fully in charge, and was now trying to hide his complicity. Either way, he was skating on thin ice. Today he crashed though it into the frozen waters. Sir Keir has appeased a foreign enemy. He has acquiesced to the collapse of a major criminal investigation. And he has now stood up at the Despatch Box and deliberately misled the House of Commons. Soon after he was elected Labour leader, Sir Keir promised Britain that he would offer selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, leadership. We now know that, too, was all a lie. How's this for a plot twist: An authoritarian, fascist dictator whose very existence is a threat to American democracy has not only brought peace to the Middle East but has saved the lone democracy in the region. Not that his enemies can even admit it. We now have irrefutable evidence that Trump Derangement Syndrome is more intractable than long COVID. A historic week, a monumental achievement that saw the 20 remaining living hostages safely returned thought never to happen just weeks ago cannot be celebrated by the left. They refuse. They simply cannot admit that President Trump achieved greatness here. It's sick, truly. Take the staff at the otherwise dying, irrelevant Time magazine, deliberately choosing a terrible photo of Trump, taken from a universally unflattering angle, to memorialize his masterstroke. 'Yes, it was on purpose,' a staffer told Daily Mail. 'We laughed about it.' Again: legacy media wonders why it's dying. The Democrats wonder why they keep failing to win hearts and minds. We now have irrefutable evidence that Trump Derangement Syndrome is more intractable than long COVID (Pictured: Trump posing with signed agreement at peace summit in Egypt) Take the staff at the otherwise dying, irrelevant Time magazine, deliberately choosing a terrible photo of Trump, taken from a universally unflattering angle, to memorialize his masterstroke Wither Joaquin Phoenix, Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo just a few of the 5,000 actors and filmmakers who signed an open letter pledging to boycott the Israeli movie industry? It should be a matter of simple decency, of basic humanity, to cheer the release of hostages who spent 737 days being beaten, starved, raped and tortured in Gaza. Especially on the left, whose woke progressives decried the 'genocide' taking place in Gaza. You would think they'd celebrate the American president who has finally brought peace to the region and ended said genocide. You'd think that they'd speak up now as Hamas murder squads openly execute Palestinians their own people in the streets of Gaza, as the last remnants of the terror army grasp for control. No, no and no. The New York Times, in its physical Tuesday edition, had not one op-ed about the most consequential end to war in our lifetime. Their headline, above the fold: 'Hostages and Prisoners Freed with Gaza's Path Unclear.' Gaza's path unclear. Pay attention to this framing: It's not the end of war, the release of innocent hostages, and a moment the entire world exhaled. No: Gaza's path is unclear, so let's all perseverate on the only justifiable outcome when one side executes a terror attack, in scale and scope, that was Israel's 9/11. The Times 'news analysis' inside the paper, by David E Sanger and Adam Ragson: 'The Lost Chances to Reach a Cease-Fire and a Hostage Deal.' If that isn't the very definition of yesterday's news. Another headline, same edition: 'Cheering Crowds Greet Freed Palestinians, Though Joy is Muted For Some.' Muted joy? Paging Kamala Harris! Harris, by the way, is out on her book tour and clearly testing the waters for a 2028 run. But she wouldn't even call Trump by his name in her statement about the peace deal. I'll spare you the unnecessary verbiage and get right to the relevant part of her statement on X: 'I commend the leaders and partners who made this agreement possible, including the president and his team.' Imagine if Joe Biden had been the one to broker this. Of course that did not happen in fact, it's extremely unlikely that Hamas would have ever gone through with the 10/7 attacks if Trump, rather than Biden, had been in office. And does anyone think for second that the feckless, weak, incomprehensible Kamala Harris, had she won 2024, would have gotten this done? Harris, by the way, is out on her book tour and clearly testing the waters for a 2028 run. But she wouldn't even call Trump by his name in her statement about the peace deal Wither Joaquin Phoenix, Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo just a few of the 5,000 actors and filmmakers who signed an open letter pledging to boycott the Israeli movie industry? And where is Obama, the self-appointed arbiter of the moral universe? Yet here we have both former President Biden and his secretary of state, Antony Blinken, taking credit for this deal which only goes to show how incredible they know it is. They want what some of the Orange Hitler's got. Chiming in from another galaxy, Biden wrote that 'the road to this deal was not easy. My administration worked relentlessly to bring hostages home, to get relief to Palestinian civilians, and end the war.' If only he had done that when he had the chance. Blinken issued a similarly churlish, detached-from-reality statement on X, all but patting President Trump on the head for having 'adopted and built on the plan the Biden administration developed after months of discussion with Arab partners, Israel and the Palestinian authority.' It's almost enough to make you forget that Biden was doddering around the White House, sleeping his days away, forgetting that dead colleagues were dead, and was so cognitively addled that his inner circle kept him from his own high-level military and war strategists. And where is Obama, the self-appointed arbiter of the moral universe? The name Trump has yet to pass his lip or his X feed. As for the bulk of mainstream media well, it doesn't surprise. NBC News took Andrea Mitchell out of the mothballs, where she thanked on air! Biden and Blinken for getting this done. She went further in a reply to Blinken on X. 'Thank you for spending two years working towards this moment,' she wrote. Over at CNN, a network in terminal decline, Christine Amanpour apologized under duress from execs is my guess for telling host Kaitlan Collins that the hostages, some of whom were forced to dig their own graves after being starved to skin and bones, 'were probably being treated better than the average Gazan, because they are the pawns and the chips that Hamas had.' This is depraved. This is nothing less than institutional rot at the core of left-leaning media, which has learned nothing, nothing, from the rout of 2024. At the very least, Amanpour should be suspended for that. At least two survivors of Oct 7 survivors who escaped that day, not hostages have committed suicide, unable to cope with their PTSD. Roei Shalev, who was shot that day and survived, killed himself on October 10th just three days after the second anniversary of the attacks. He was only 30 years old. He left a suicide note on social media. 'Please don't be angry with me, please,' he wrote. 'No one will ever understand me, and that's OK because you can't understand. I just want this suffering to end. I'm alive, but inside everything is dead.' President Trump did what Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Antony Blinken could not. And it seemed he understood far better than the ostensible party of caring and compassion the very human costs of this war, and the costs to come. Only one person here deserves credit. And as long as the Dems and their media enablers deny him, they can kiss any hope of 2028 goodbye. When political scandals become a brambled tangle of allegations, a sketch writer must merely describe the parliamentary moment, the faces and frowns of frontbenchers, the theatrical hush (or otherwise) of the House. Here is what I saw when Sir Keir Starmer, MP, KC, PM, rose to his hind legs to try to ambush Kemi Badenoch on the Jonathan Powell-'China spying' affair. Sir Keir was permitted, unusually, to preface PMQs with a statement about the scandal. This way he perhaps hoped to neutralise anything the Tory leader was about to ask him. He could also avoid the much longer scrutiny that a normal Commons statement would entail. 'This is very important to me,' said Speaker Hoyle. Important to Sir Keir, too. Remember the hoopla he made about Boris Johnson fibbing about a birthday party. To lie about the National Security Adviser (Mr Powell) would be worse. Hence that frisson a pert peril in the air as he began to read his statement. Silence descended. If the PM was making this announcement, Downing Street must indeed be worried. Sir Keir claimed to be 'deeply disappointed' that the case against the alleged spies collapsed. Disbelieving laughter. Up in the VIP gallery sat the Speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, a solid gent in military-style garb. Bigger than his bodyguards. Sir Keir Starmer rose to his hind legs to try to ambush Kemi Badenoch on the Jonathan Powell-'China spying' affair Kemi Badenoch flicked through her PMQs script and scratched out whole lines during PMQs If our Ukrainian guest was frowning with concentration as he followed Sir Keir's curlicued sentences, none could blame him. His disavowal of impropriety had more small-print than a car rental agreement. The PM's voice was clipped, sterile. Yet not without a political tang. He blamed the scandal on the Conservatives. At least he did not try to pin it on Brexit. David Lammy was delighted. He jumped up and down on his seat and kept guffawing and saying 'ooh!'. When Sir Keir singled out former Foreign Secretary Sir James Cleverly, attributing to him some quotation about China not being a threat, Mr Lammy boinged up and down with renewed glee. He pointed at Sir James three jabs of his left forefinger. Mr Lammy has not yet mastered the Elysian serenity expected of deputy PMs. On Sir Keir's other side: Shabana Mahmood and Yvette Cooper. No bouncing from them. Just expressions of cool severity. Ms Mahmood's Home Office represents MI5, which exists to stop spies. Her admiration for Mr Powell is, ahem, limited. As for Yvette, she and Powell have history going back to the Blair-Brown battles. While Sir Keir was speaking and while Labour MPs were perhaps thinking 'this stunt should torpedo Badenoch!' - the Tory front bench was a disturbed ants' nest. Kemi Badenoch flicked through her PMQs script and scratched out whole lines. Neil O'Brien, a PhD in Powell studies, scooted over to sit beside Mrs Badenoch. He briefed her urgently. Time was pressing. Once Sir Keir finished, there would be roughly 30 seconds before Mrs B had to open her questions. Somehow she retained her calm. She put numerous questions and expressed scepticism about Sir Keir's truthfulness. This seemed to sting him and he snapped: 'She's not a lawyer or a leader!' In Sir Keir's book, to be 'not a lawyer' is to occupy a low rung on the evolutionary ladder. Labour MPs cheered that particular insult but the rest of the time they looked less happy. Sir Keir's gambit had not succeeded in killing Mrs Badenoch. She had responded to this with more composure and aplomb than expected. Then: a point of order from Sir James Cleverly. Following Sir Keir's attack he had flown to his mobile telephone to check the remark that had been attributed to him. It turned out that Sir Keir, great stickler for legal exactitude, had badly misquoted Sir James. Whingey points of order seldom work but this one was effective. It compounded a suspicion of rumness. Of, let us say, factual infelicities. Sir Keir hastened from the chamber, casting to the Tory benches something between a smirk and a grimace while they shouted 'False! False!' at his retreating heels. Netflix has quietly made a major change that will impact how you find content across the platform. For years, the streaming titan included a small Netflix logo on the preview image of original content on its website. But now, the company has dropped its signature red 'N' logo from those titles on the web version, as part of an ongoing major user interface (UI) overhaul. The removal has sparked speculation amongst consumers, with users taking to social media to relay their hypotheses regarding rebranding, content licensing or algorithmic design shifts. Whilst the tweak may seem minor, commentators seem to be in agreement about one thing: How Netflix strategically chooses to label or not label is integral to shaping our perception of its content and how we value it. One user on Reddit admitted that for them, the presence of the 'N' is interpreted as a 'what not to watch.' With the label gone, titles are left to standalone based on pure merit rather than leaning on endorsement and branding. The company told What's on Netflix of the change, 'We're updating the member experience across devices to make discovery of all content simpler and more consistent.' Netflix has quietly made a major change that will effect how you find content across the platform (stock image) The publication said Netflix 'referred to the fact that the old design had a lot of clutter.' It's part of a larger interface redesigning strategy that was announced in May. At the time, Chief Product Officer Eunice Kim and Chief Technology Officer Elizabeth Stone said they were striving for 'a simpler, easier, and more intuitive design.' The changes include being able to discover your next watch more easily by putting information 'front and center,' making shortcuts more visible, offering better real-time recommendations, and launching a new overall 'elevated design,' per Netflix's website. 'The new homepage [will have] a clean and modern design that better reflects the elevated experience you've come to expect on Netflix,' the company said at the time. 'What's most exciting to me is how our new TV experience gives us the ability to evolve and innovate more easily going forward,' Stone added. 'That's how we're going to make the Netflix people know even better. And it's how we'll continue to connect them with even more shows, movies and games they'll love.' In a media saturated world engulfed by streaming wars, platforms compete not just on content but on user experience, and diminishing visual clutter on the interface by eradicating logos may be a strategic move towards a more seamless UI. The red 'N,' which was historically used to mark Netflix productions, has stretched overtime to encompass not only in-house productions, but exclusive shows and licensed content in specific regions as well. The streaming titan included a small Netflix logo on the preview image of original content on its website. But now, the company has dropped its signature red 'N' logo (stock image) Some social media users were quick to retort that the presence of the badge was actually hugely useful in acting as a shortcut for discovery, displaying and alerting viewers of which content is permanent and therefore not be as urgent to consume, and which content would be departing soon. Netflix released 4,755 Netflix Original titles in the US over the past decade which accounts for 63 percent of the current library, What's On Netflix reported. Some have also extracted a possibility of a slight reputational element as motivation for the change, as one user pointed out that not every cinematic creation that bore the 'N' logo had been a hit. So, what does this mean for you? For now, instantly spotting exclusive content may be a tad harder, you may need to rely on recommendations, grapple with search and tailored lists for Netflix produced content. Welcome to The Detour: Your food and travel guide to the best flavours, hidden haunts, insider tips and unforgettable new experiences that reward those who wander off course. Note: This content is not sponsored. I've said it before and I'll say it again. No matter how far and wide you travel, Tasmania is hands down one of the most beautiful destinations in the world, and Hobart is up there with the very best cities. Earlier this week, I was delighted to learn Hobart has been named among the top 10 'hottest' destinations of 2026. Once an infamous penal colony, this waterfront city is now Tasmania's cultural hub, drawing foodies, nature lovers and art enthusiasts from around the globe. Hobart was the only Australian city to make the list, which forms part of Expedia's latest Unpack '26 report. Powered by real-time data from millions of daily visitors to the site and app, the list highlights where global interest is rising fast - before they go viral. While Australians have long known about Hobart's magic, it's no surprise it's becoming a must-visit on the world stage. Locals tell me they've never seen such an international boom, with many visitors drawn to MONA's allure, then returning to discover everything else this remarkable city has to offer. No matter how far and wide you travel, Tasmania is hands down one of the most beautiful destinations in the world , and Hobart is up there with the very best cities Pictured, the wine tasting cellar at The Tasman hotel Everywhere you walk in Hobart there's a new hidden gem to explore (pictured, The Den, a cocktail bar) So, today, we're ditching regular programming for a Hobart love-fest. For the uninitiated, let's 'unpack' this vibrant city and my top three must-visits at the moment (though I could very easily list many more). 1. The Tasman I've had the pleasure of staying at The Tasman twice now, and each experience has been flawless. In fact, this heritage hideaway was named the fifth best in Australia in Conde Nast Traveller's Readers' Travel Awards for 2025 with a score of 99.20. For reference, the winning score, awarded to Silky Oaks Lodge in the Daintree, was 99.67. A Luxury Collection Hotel, The Tasman sits in Hobart's city centre, just minutes from the riverfront. Rooms are split between a modern, newly renovated section and the 'Heritage Wing' and are nothing short of spectacular. Think fireplaces, oversized baths, panoramic views and warm, considered decor. Guests enjoy a fitness centre, terrace, restaurant (Peppina, yum!), bar and free WiFi. A 24-hour front desk, concierge service and swift room service make the experience even sweeter. A recent visitor summed up my thoughts perfectly: 'We had a truly wonderful stay. The staff were exceptionally welcoming and attentive, and the property itself is stunning, with beautifully maintained buildings. The dining experience was outstanding, with restaurants that exceeded expectations. [It was] one of the finest rooms I have ever stayed in. I look forward to returning.' I've had the pleasure of staying at this glorious hotel twice now, and each experience has been flawless Left, the underground entrance to The Tasman's cocktail bar Mary Mary. Right, the Studio King Suite at The Tasman A Luxury Collection Hotel, The Tasman sits in Hobart's city centre, just minutes from the riverfront 2. Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) You've no doubt heard of MONA and as mentioned above, it's widely credited with helping fuel Hobart's rapid tourism boom. One of the quirkiest and most unconventional museums in the world, visitors are encouraged to enter with an open mind as they explore what founder David Walsh describes as his 'playground and megaphone'. The artworks and installations are spread throughout what can only be described as an underground labyrinth on the banks of the Derwent River. It takes three to four hours to see it all - and even then, you'll likely miss something. When you're done, sprawl out on a beanbag on the lawn, sip on a glass of wine and listen to live music. The Moorilla Cellar Door and Wine Bar are exceptional. You've no doubt heard of MONA and as mentioned above, it's widely credited with helping fuel Hobart's rapid tourism boom The Source - an 'elevated dining' space perched at the top of the site - offers refined tables, lively service and an unforgettable view (pictured, their 'living table') The dining, though, is where MONA truly shines. The Source and Faro Bar + Restaurant are two of my top Hobart dining experiences. The Source - an 'elevated dining' space perched at the top of the site - offers refined tables, lively service and an unforgettable view. Highlights on the menu include fried buttermilk cauliflower with palm heart and fennel (a deliciously unexpected schnitzel twist) and wild Tasmanian venison with celeriac and coffee-roasted beetroot. Down at Faro - 'a light-drenched, cavernous experiment suspended on the river' - the view is next-level. Executive chef Vince Trim delivers a playful, avant-garde culinary adventure with dishes like 'F**k art let's eat', 'Carcass in swamp' and 'Down the rabbit hole'. I won't spoil the fun by telling you what they are. And don't forget to take the Mona Roma ferry to get there - and splurge on the Posh Pit. It's worth every cent. Highlights on the menu include fried buttermilk cauliflower with palm heart and fennel (a deliciously unexpected schnitzel twist) and wild Tasmanian venison (pictured) with celeriac and coffee-roasted beetroot Down at Faro - 'a light-drenched, cavernous experiment suspended on the river' - the view is next-level 3. Caledon Estate Vineyard This one was a real surprise. While Caledon Estate is not technically in Hobart, part of the city's appeal is its proximity to some of the best vineyards in the country. Just 20 minutes from the centre, in the historic town of Richmond, Caledon was the dream of James and Karen Stewart - a lawyer and teacher who brought their vision to life in spectacular fashion. What began as a patch of sheep farmland is now one of the most striking cellar doors I've visited. The blocks were planted around towering gum trees, framed by native grasses and wildflowers. The five-metre sandstone wall that forms part of the building was carved from the ground beneath it. James said a sense of home-grown hospitality and unpretentious charm was key to their vision, with a family-run spirit at its core. Even the logo is a drawing done by their daughter when she was in kindergarten. While Caledon Estate is not technically in Hobart, part of the city's appeal is its proximity to some of the best vineyards in the country Just 20 minutes from the centre, in the historic town of Richmond, Caledon was the dream of James and Karen Stewart - a lawyer and teacher who brought their vision to life in spectacular fashion Despite the relaxed vibe, the wine and food on offer here are top-tier. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars of the show, but I was equally impressed by the fresh, fruity Sauvignon Blanc and elegant Rose. For a young vineyard, the potential is huge. And then there's the food. From behind the roaring fireplace came dishes that could easily hang on MONA's walls. My highlights? Baked half-shell scallops with truffled creamed leek and pangrattato (toasted breadcrumbs), gin ocean trout with mandarin, radish and caviar, and white miso and ginger beer beef with sweet onions and iceberg lettuce. It's welcoming, it's delicious and it's a place where you'll happily lose track of time, gazing out across the quintessentially Australian landscape. And there you have it - another reason (or three) to book a flight to Hobart pronto. That is, if you needed one. My highlights? Baked half-shell scallops with truffled creamed leek and pangrattato (toasted breadcrumbs), gin ocean trout with mandarin, radish and caviar, and white miso and ginger beer beef with sweet onions and iceberg lettuce James said a sense of home-grown hospitality and unpretentious charm was key to their vision, with a family-run spirit at its core. Even the logo is a drawing done by their daughter when she was in kindergarten (pictured) He has recalled his interactions with the president and his late wife Ivana Tim Curry has admitted that he lied to Donald Trump's late ex-wife Ivana during production on Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. The 1992 film is partly set at the city's famous Plaza Hotel, which was then owned by the president. Many will also remember that Trump famously made a cameo appearance in the movie after he struck a deal with director Chris Columbus to allow filming to take place at the hotel. Recalling his interactions with the businessman and his family, beloved Rocky Horror Picture Show actor Tim, 79, said that he was economical with the truth when conversing with Ivana. 'She knocked on my door and said, "Are you happy in your room? Do you like the way it looks?" And I loathed it actually.' Ivana was Trump's first wife. The couple married in 1977 before later divorcing in 1990. They shared three children: Donald Jr, Ivanka, and Eric. Ivana died in 2022 aged 73. Speaking to The Guardian, Tim also remembered Trump, 79, being determined to introduce his then-girlfriend Marla Maples to the movie's director. 'He was very anxious to find Chris Columbus, the director,' he told the publication. Tim Curry starred as a member of the concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York He recalled lying to Donald Trump's first wife Ivana Trump during production on the 1992 film 'He said: "I've got to get Marla to meet Chris Columbus because she's a brilliant actress." And I thought: "Yeah, I'm sure."' Back in December 2020, filmmaker Chris said in an interview that Trump had made his cameo part of the deal for production to use the Plaza Hotel. He explained to Business Insider at the time that they needed to shoot at the Plaza because it was something that couldn't be reconstructed on a soundstage. Chris said that like most locations in New York, 'you just pay a fee, and you are allowed to shoot in that location.' But when production approached the Plaza, the deal came with an extra ask. He said: 'Trump said ok. We paid the fee, but he also said, "The only way you can use the Plaza is if I'm in the movie." 'So we agreed to put him in the movie, and when we screened it for the first time the oddest thing happened: People cheered when Trump showed up on-screen. 'So, I said to my editor, "Leave him in the movie. It's a moment for the audience." But he did bully his way into the movie.' The president made a cameo appearance in the film during a scene at the Plaza Hotel The famous scene saw Kevin McCallister - played by Macaulay Culkin (pictured) - ask Trump to point him in the direction of the Plaza Hotel which Trump had owned at the time Trump retorted Chris's claims in December 2023 on Truth Social. 'Thirty years ago (how time flies!), Director Chris Columbus, and others, were begging me to make a cameo appearance in Home Alone 2,' he claimed. 'I was very busy, and didn't want to do it. They were very nice, but above all, persistent. I agreed, and the rest is history!' He went on to add: 'That little cameo took off like a rocket, and the movie was a big success, and still is, especially around Christmas time. 'People call me whenever it is aired.' Trump claimed that Chris Columbus 'begged' him to make a cameo appearance in the film The president also took umbrage with Chris commenting that he 'bullied' his way into the film. Trump said: 'That cameo helped make the movie a success, but if they felt bullied, or didn't want me, why did they put me in, and keep me there, for over 30 years? 'Because I was, and still am, great for the movie, that's why!' 'Just another Hollywood guy from the past looking for a quick fix of Trump publicity for himself!' Last month, Tim shared an update on his health after suffering a stroke 13 years ago. Speaking to the audience at LA's Academy Museum, he said: 'I still can't walk, which is why I'm in this silly chair, and that's very limiting. 'So, I won't be singing and I won't be dancing very soon. I still have real problems with my left leg.' Tim revealed he has problems with his left leg as he shared a rare health update last month The legendary actor, 79, suffered a stroke at his home 13 years ago (pictured with co-star Nell Campbell on September 26) Tim suffered a stroke after collapsing at his California home in 2012, leaving him partially paralyzed on one side of his body and affecting his speech. Since the stroke, which he suffered aged 66, the legendary actor has remained largely out of the public eye and has been rarely sighted. Sharing details about the brain attack, Tim continued: 'I was having a massage at the time and I didn't even actually notice anything, but the guy who was doing the massage said, "I'm worried about you, I want to call an ambulance." 'And he did, and I said, "That's so silly."' Shonda Rhimes has opened up about her health decline before her 117 pound weight loss, revealing it got so bad she thought she would be 'dead in 10 years.' The acclaimed director, writer, and producer, 55, spoke about her dramatic transformation during the Shonda Rhimes in Conversation with Robin Roberts: Year of Yes at 92NY event on Tuesday. The Shondaland creator - who never got married - explained that she spent years turning to sweets and fast food to combat 'sadness' and 'heartbreak.' 'I'd been saying like a happy yes to being out of shape and uncomfortable because food works guys,' she told the audience. 'You can put fried chicken on your sadness, you can put cheesecake on your heartbreak.' She also admitted that she was so unhealthy she could hardly walk up stairs or lift up her children. 'I really thought I might be dead in 10 years, that's how bad I felt,' she said. 'I couldn't put my 20-pound kid on my shoulders and run around, which I should have been able to do. 'At a certain point I started to truly feel terrible, like having a hard time going up the stairs, getting breathless all the time. Shonda Rhimes (left in 2014 and right in 2024) has opened up about her health decline before her 117 pound weight loss, revealing it got so bad she thought she'd be 'dead in 10 years' The acclaimed director, writer, and producer, 55, spoke about her dramatic transformation during the Shonda Rhimes in Conversation with Robin Roberts: Year of Yes at 92NY event 'I developed sleep apnea and I woke up all the time, choking in my sleep. I started to feel awful and I was like, I have to do something about this.' Elsewhere during the conversation, the star, who adopted three daughters over the years, recalled her joy after she was finally able to hold her kids on her shoulders following her 117-pound weight loss. 'When that moment happened, when I could do that, it was such a moment of both relief and revelation for me that it's one of those memories I'll take with me forever,' she said. '[I felt] like, "Oh my God, I feel myself again."" Rhimes previously spoke about how much her life changed following her weight loss in an emotional blog post. She revealed that 'women she barely knew' gushed over her and men finally 'spoke to her' following her body transformation. 'Losing weight is annoying and hard and painful and no fun,' she wrote. 'But you know what was worse than losing weight? What was SO MUCH MORE HORRIFYING? How people treated me after I lost weight. 'All these people suddenly felt completely comfortable talking to me about my body. Telling me I looked "pretty" or that they were "proud of me" or [said] that, "Wow, you are so hot now" or, "You look amazing!"' The Emmy-award nominee said she felt like people 'now saw her as a person,' adding: 'What the hell did they see me as before? How invisible was I to them then? How hard did they work to avoid me? The Shondaland creator (seen in 2013) explained that she spent years turning to sweets and fast food to combat 'sadness' and 'heartbreak' She admitted that she was so unhealthy she could hardly walk up stairs or lift up her children. She's seen left in 2013 and right in 2023 'When I was fat, I wasnt a PERSON to these people. Like I had been an Invisible Woman who suddenly materialized in front of them. Poof! There I am. Thin and ready for a chat.' She also spoke about what led to her transformation on the Ellen DeGeneres on her show in 2015, explaining that it came down to her kids. 'It really was about the fact that I have a three-year-old and a two-year-old and a 13-year-old, and I kind of wanted to be around for them, to be healthy,' she said at the time. 'Im super feminist, and Im like, "Everybody should be whatever shape they want to be, how dare anybody tell anybody anything." 'But then I thought like, "Im going to fall over, cause I dont feel good." So it was really about that.' While most women wear chic heels or simple flats on their wedding day, Bryce Ann Robertson-Knight decided to take an unconventional route. The bride opted for a pair of bright blue Cinderella-themed platform Crocs when she tied the knot with Zavier Robertson-Knight back in July - and her controversial footwear choice has caused quite the stir online. Bryce, 24, from Tacoma, Washington, spoke exclusively with the Daily Mail about her decision to wear Crocs at her nuptials, explaining that it was a priority for her to be comfortable throughout the evening. 'I knew I wanted a pair of kitten heels only for the aisle, and then I would immediately be changing into something more comfortable for the rest of the evening,' she explained. 'The issue was, I had my wedding dress hemmed for a three-inch heel - meaning whatever shoes I changed into had to have a three-inch platform in order for me to not be tripping over my dress for the duration of the evening post-ceremony.' She said she started to research platform sandals and came across some platform Crocs, and as a longtime fan of the brand, she was instantly excited by the idea. However, when she checked the nearby Crocs outlet and didn't find anything 'she loved,' she worried she would have to find a new idea - until she stumbled across the perfect pair in an unexpected place. 'As we were leaving I spotted the brand new Disney store, we have never had one of those near me - and the last time I went to Disney I was ten, so I was so excited to be able to go into a real Disney store without having to fly to California or Florida,' she shared. Bryce Ann Robertson-Knight wore a pair of bright blue Cinderella-themed platform Crocs when she tied the knot with Zavier Robertson-Knight back in July 'We go in and reminisce together about my childhood days, looking at all the princess costumes and in the corner literally hung right above the floor almost tucked away - were [some] princess Cinderella crocs. 'I tried them on in the store and they fit like a glass slipper, I almost put them back because it was a "silly" idea to wear those for my wedding, but my mom stopped me. 'She asked if they were comfortable, I replied that they were much more comfortable than any heel I had tried on so far. 'She asked if I loved them, and of course I did. So she bought them for me and those became my wedding shoes.' Bryce said she had already felt like a princess in her wedding dress and thought princess-themed shoes were all the more perfect. When she wore them on the big day, they were a big hit with her guests, who kept complimenting her. But what took her by surprise was the reaction her wedding-day shoes got online. She posted a video showcasing the footwear on TikTok last month and it went viral, gaining more than two million views. Bryce, 24, from Tacoma, Washington, spoke exclusively with the Daily Mail about her decision to wear Crocs at her nuptials Many people praised her for prioritizing her comfortability and for not being afraid to go against the grain in the comment section. 'I have had so many people online and in person tell me that I inspired them to wear heeled crocs to their own future events and even weddings,' Bryce gushed. 'I love when people do what they truly want at their weddings,' one user replied. 'You can wear do whatever at YOUR WEDDING,' agreed another. 'I know your feet didnt hurt at the end of the night. Youve sold me. Changing my wedding heels for these,' announced someone else. 'That's iconic,' read a fourth comment, while a fifth said, 'This is officially my wedding shoe. I thank you dearly.' 'Wear the dress, shoes, suit, jewelry, makeup and whatever else makes you feel like YOU on your wedding day,' Bryce urged. 'I didn't want to spend my day and night in shoes I would never wear otherwise in pain when I should be experiencing nothing but joy.' Meghan Markle has posted another 'short social media film' recapping her recent trip to Washington DC after she hinted at building a new career as an online content creator. The Duchess of Sussex, 44, today shared a highlights Reel of her time attending Fortune's Most Powerful Women summit in the US capital that began with a clip of the famous Washington Monument. Footage showed Meghan minutes before she took the stage for yesterday's event titled 'Next Level Influence' as the mother-of-two discussed life as a 'high-profile' entrepreneur and reflected on the changing nature of her lifestyle brand As Ever. Speaking onstage at the Salamander DC Hotel, Meghan outlined her plans to 'leverage her significant influence to build a successful, long-lasting business empire' while hinting at a move away from her Netflix show With Love, Meghan. Meghan suggested a growing focus on creating quicker, influencer-type content, such as recent Reels documenting her contentious Paris Fashion Week appearance and New York trip alongside husband Prince Harry. Her most Instagram 'film' depicted the Duchess in the cockpit of the flight that presumably brought her to Washington DC, sharing a glass of champagne with a friend, and chatting to Fortune's editor-in-chief Alyson Shontell at the high-profile event. The Reel was set to Dolly Parton's hit 9 to 5 and captioned: 'Love being surrounded by strong women supporting each other! 'Thanks to Fortune Most Powerful Women, my team, DC, and my sweet friends for the 24 hours of impact (and fun!).' Meghan Markle has posted another 'short social media film' recapping her recent trip to Washington DC after she hinted at building a new career as an online content creator The Duchess of Sussex , 44, today shared an Instagram reel of her time attending Fortune's Most Powerful Women summit in the US capital that began with a clip of the famous Washington Monument Meghan has ramped up the amount of content being shared on her Instagram account since her trip to the French capital where she attended the Balenciaga Spring-Summer 2026 show as her surprise appearance made headlines around the world. At yesterday's Fortune summit, Meghan suggested she's eyeing a career as a social media influencer, when she told Alyson she's 'testing out' different forms of content. Asked if there would be a third season of her Netflix cooking series, the Duchess replied: 'Well the holiday special is coming out in November and it's a really good one. So we're able to say eight episodes for two seasons - that's a lot of work.' 'And having done Suits for seven years, I remember what goes into production - how much people want content in different sizes. So what we're testing out now - it's amazing to be able to sit and watch a show for 30 minutes but how can I give you a recipe in two minutes and be able to share that with you? And how that continues to grow As Ever.' Meghan added: 'So [I'm] exploring all the options of what that could look like.' However, this isn't Meghan's first foray into the influencer scene. Before marrying Prince Harry in 2018, she founded a successful blog called The Tig, which she ran for almost three years. A 'passion project' she developed while starring in the US drama series Suits, The Tig became a well-known platform where Meghan shared personal insights alongside content on travel, food, fashion and dining recommendations. However, according to bestselling author Tom Bowers, the content on The Tig did not always accurately reflect Meghan's personal life or, at times, even her values. Her most recent Instagram 'film' depicted the Duchess in the cockpit of the flight that presumably brought her to Washington DC Speaking onstage at the Salamander DC Hotel, Meghan outlined her plans to 'leverage her significant influence to build a successful, long-lasting business empire' while hinting at a move away from her Netflix show With Love, Meghan In his book, Revenge: Meghan, Harry And The War Between The Windsors, he writes: 'As a purely commercial venture she understood her market and how to compartmentalise between her real life and the fantasy life she offered her increasing number of followers. 'Conjuring fantasies was her unique selling point.' In a flurry of activity in October, Meghan popped up in Paris at the Balenciaga Spring-Summer 2026 show - where her daring white and black outfits made headlines around the world. Despite it being her first attempt to be taken seriously by the world of high fashion, Meghan found her whirlwind tour of the French capital beset by gaffes and awkward moments. She also shared an uncomfortable kiss with Balenciaga's designer Pierpaolo Piccioli - and ended up butting heads with him as they leaned in for an embrace. The Duchess then faced claims she may have made yet another front-row blunder, with video emerging of her appearing to laugh as a model took a tumble on the Balenciaga catwalk, next to her stony-faced friend. When her friend didn't seem amused, Meghan turned back around to watch the show with a more neutral expression, though a representative insisted she was not laughing at the model falling. Then Balenciaga's top designer that Meghan had to ask for an invite to her catwalk debut on her polarising Paris trip. In another scene from the 'social media short film', Meghan was seen enjoying a glass of champagne with a friend 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 recent 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. Documenting her time on the front row, Meghan shared an Instagram Reel that she captioned: 'About last night. Thank you Pierpaolo Piccioli and Balenciaga. 'I've missed you France - thanks for the love.' Her most recent trip to Washington comes after what has already been a busy October for the Duchess; days after her controversial Parisian getaway, Meghan joined Prince Harry as the royal couple touched down in New York for an award ceremony. Last Thursday, the couple attended the World Mental Health Day Gala where they were named 'Humanitarians of the Year'. As they accepted the award, Meghan expressed the couple's fears about how social media exposure will impact their children, Lilibet, four, and Archie, six. She said: 'Our children, Archie and Lili, are just six and four years old. Luckily still too young for social media, but we know that day is coming. 'Like so many parents, we think constantly about how to embrace technology's benefits, while safeguarding against its dangers.' While the Duke of Sussex, 41, was honoured as 'a humanitarian, mental health advocate, environmentalist, and military combat veteran', Meghan was noted as a 'mother, wife, entrepreneur, and philanthropist'. Locals are 'obsessed' with a new 'wellness' hub in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs A new wellness cafe in Bondi Beach is drawing huge crowds, with queues spilling out the door on its opening weekend as locals rushed to try what some are calling Sydney's answer to LA's cult supermarket Erewhon. The venue, Common Supply, has just opened on Campbell Parade from the team behind Bondi favourites Pocket and Makaveli. Already, the Sydney cafe has become a magnet for gym-goers, Pilates devotees, and health-conscious foodies chasing post-workout protein plates, smoothies, and matcha lattes. The comparisons to the lush LA venue are no surprise, as the American spot has become world-famous for $35AUD celebrity smoothies and organic groceries. Others have likened Common Supply to Foxtrot Market also in the US, which blends a cafe, pantry, and convenience store into one stylish community space. Customers say it's unlike anything else in the Eastern Suburbs. 'Finally, healthy fast food that doesn't feel boring,' one visitor said. Another added: 'It's a game-changer if you're gluten-free - totally worth the hype.' A new wellness cafe in Bondi Beach is drawing huge crowds, with queues spilling out the door on its opening weekend as locals rushed to try what some are calling Sydney's answer to LA's cult supermarket Erewhon The venue, Common Supply, has just opened on Campbell Parade from the team behind Bondi favourites Pocket and Makaveli Meanwhile, one Bondi local raved, 'The matcha here is the closest thing I've had to Japanese matcha in Sydney.' Inside the wooden facade, the space is designed with a sleek, futuristic aesthetic. Stainless steel benches, hanging greenery, and iPad ordering stations that make the experience feel more high-end than your average cafe. Part grocer, part protein bar, part wellness hub, Common Supply offers build-your-own plates from $25. You will find premium proteins like grass-fed steak or sustainably caught salmon, paired with sides such as miso purple mash, charred broccolini and cauliflower wings. Smoothies are priced around $16, while drinks like Maple Sea Salt Lattes ($7.50), Mushroom Cacao ($6.50) and Iced Vanilla Cold Foam Matcha ($8.90) are already proving popular. Fridges are also stocked with takeaway options including chia pots, yoghurt parfaits, and cold-pressed juices, meaning customers can grab and go, or sit in and enjoy what's quickly becoming known as one of Bondi's most 'vibey' cafes. Speaking to the Daily Mail, owner Jacob Hill said the concept was inspired by a craving for food that was both fast and premium. The comparisons to the lush LA venue are no surprise, as the American spot has become world-famous for $35AUD celebrity smoothies and organic groceries You will find premium proteins like grass-fed steak or sustainably caught salmon, paired with sides such as miso purple mash, charred broccolini and cauliflower wings 'The idea for Common Supply actually started back home in the UK but really came to life here in Sydney,' he said. 'It grew from a genuine need - not just from me but from friends and family too - for fast, healthy food that could be enjoyed in or taken away after a busy day. 'It's something I was always craving but could never really find.' Hill, who has lived in Bondi for 10 years, said the beachside suburb was the obvious choice for the first location. 'Bondi felt like the only place it could start. It's the heart of that lifestyle we're all drawn to - healthy, active, social. 'There's such a strong sense of community here and it made sense to build something that could become part of people's daily routines.' While comparisons to Erewhon have flooded social media, Hill insists the concept was never about imitation. 'We don't mind the comparisons - it's a nice compliment - but it was never the intention. Smoothies are priced around $16, while drinks like Maple Sea Salt Lattes ($7.50), Mushroom Cacao ($6.50) and Iced Vanilla Cold Foam Matcha ($8.90) are already proving popular 'Common Supply was designed from scratch around a craving for something fresh, fast and healthy. 'Every part of the space was designed and built by us, so the aesthetic, feel and flavours are completely our own.' Among the most popular menu items so far are the Common Steak Plate - complete with the now-famous purple miso mash - and the Choccy Supply smoothie. 'The matchas have gone absolutely crazy too,' Hill said. With Bondi locals already making it part of their daily routine, Common Supply looks set to cement itself as the eastern suburbs' latest wellness obsession - and a taste of LA's health culture with a distinctly Sydney twist. The Good Housekeeping Institute released the results of its 2025 Christmas Taste Test With Christmas a mere 71 days away, Britons are starting to make plans for what their families will be eating and drinking on the big day. There are hundreds of options to choose from, as every major supermarket has released their festive ranges, so the Good Housekeeping Institute has swooped in to help ease any decision-making fatigue. The Good Housekeeping Institute has released the results of this year's Christmas Taste Test, crowning Waitrose as the overall winner with 11 of the retailer's products appearing in first or second place across all categories. Waitrose came out on top in five categories, including Stollen, Vegetable Sides, Starter and Sharers, Flavoured Mince Pies, and Alternative Christmas Meat Centrepieces. Asda came in second place and was rated best for Canapes, Red and White Wine, Turkey Crown and Yule Log. However, the budget supermarket that scooped up several top spots is Aldi, which was given the title for 'Best Value'. Aldi beat out all the other supermarkets for its Flavoured Christmas puddings, Roast Potatoes and Pigs in Blankets. However, the coveted classic mince pie category did not see either Waitrose, Asda or Aldi crowned - Iceland took the top spot for its classic mince pie. Stuck on which turkey crown to buy for Christmas? The Good Housekeeping Institute named Asda's Heritage Slate Turkey Crown their top choice The product testing team tested more than 680 festive products from over 107 brands and retailers over a period of five months to determine the very best Christmas food and drink for 2025. Speaking to FEMAIL, Callum Black, Deputy Head of Testing at The Good Housekeeping Institute added that some of his top picks for the best value items included Aldi's pigs in blankets and Christmas pudding, as well as Co-op and Asda for desserts and tipples. 'Some of best value options arent just the cheapest but scored phenomenally well including Aldis Specially Selected Double Wrapped Pigs in Blankets, their Wagyu Fat Roast Potatoes and the Orange and Maple Christmas Pudding, which all happen to be the winners too!' he said. 'Other notable shout-outs go to Co-op for both their classic Merry Mince pies and Irresistible Gingerbread and Maple Mince Pies scooping the runner-up slot and best value tags, while if youre after a cost effective tipple this year Asdas Cream Sherry comes in at an enticing 10.77 for a litre, and a sparkling score of 84 making it the runner-up. 'These cost-effective stars mean that whenever you see our logo this Christmas you can be confident that even if its a bargain youre guaranteed a stand-out taste approved product too.' Turkey crowns Winner: Asda - Exceptional by Asda Heritage Slate Turkey Crown with Caramelised Apple and Cranberry Stuffing and a Honey and Maple Glaze, 32.53-62.55 Asda's turkey crown was deemed truly exceptional with a score of 85/100. The price ranges from 32.53 for a 1.5kg bird to 62.55 for a 2.5kg bird. In second place was Aldi's Specially Selected British Road-in-the-Bag Roly Poly Stuffed Turkey Crown (31.48-48.28 for 1.5kg-2.3kg). Aldi's turkey crown, stuffed with pork, sage and caramelised onion chutney with a festive butter melt and topped with bacon, came in second place Co-op took the Value title for its Basted Medium Turkey Crown, which is priced at 36.50 for a 2.5kg bird. Whole turkeys Winner: Riverford Organic Farmers - Turkey XL, 155 The whole turkey category was a rare one in which no supermarkets took the first spot. Instead, Riverford Organic Farmers' whole turkey was crowned the best, with a 6.5kg bird setting customers back by 155. However, Morrisons does share joint second place with Kelly Bronze. The supermarket's Best Signature Collection Giant Double Stuffed Whole Turkey with Smoked Bacon (72 for 6kg) scored the same as the latter's Organic Whole Turkey (125 for 5-6kg). The Value winner was Co-op's Medium Turkey which costs 38.50 for a 4.75kg bird. Mince pies Winner: Iceland - Luxury 6pk All Butter Mince Pies, 3 Iceland's classic mince pies scored the best, beating out posh Waitrose and budget supermarket Aldi Iceland's classic mince pies scored 80/100, putting it ahead of the pack. In second place was Co-op's Merry Mince Pies (1.50 for a pack of six). When it came to flavoured mince pies, though, Waitrose's No.1 Golden Mince Pies with Limoncello (4 for a pack of four) was a clear winner and was rated higher than any other mince pie at 91/100. These were followed closely by Co-op's Irresistible Gingerbread and Maple Mince Pies (2.85 for a pack of four). Roast potatoes Winner: Aldi - Specially Selected The Ultimate Wagyu Fat Roast Potatoes, 2.99 Aldi's luxurious roast potatoes were described as 'unrivalled' by the Good Housekeeping Institute's testers, and are an absolute bargain at only 2.99 for an 800g pack. In second place was Tesco's Finest Maris Piper Roast Potatoes with Salted Butter and Confit Garlic (5), while Asda was the value winner for its Exceptional by Asda Beef Dripping Roast Potatoes with Herb Seasoning (2.75). Pigs in blankets Winner: Aldi - Specially Selected Double Wrapped Pigs in Blankets, 2.49 Aldi's Double Wrapped Pigs in Blankets were the top-rated and also won Best Value Aldi scored top points for in the classic category of pigs in blankets with its Specially Selected Double Wrapped Pigs in Blankets, which were also rated Best Value at 2.49. The winner of the flavoured category of pigs in blankets was Lidl, whose Deluxe Pigs in Blankets with Honey & Mustard scored 82/100. Christmas meat centrepieces Winner: Waitrose - No.1 Wagyu Topside, 26 The wagyu topside offered by Waitrose is priced at 26 for 800g and is described by the retailer as an 'exceptionally delicious roast beef' with a marble score of six, making it 'meltingly tender and flavoursome, but not too fatty'. The runner-up in this category was Co-op's Irresistible Slow-Cooked Beef Brisket with Truffle and Red Wine Gravy (17 for 913g). Iceland's Hog Roast won the Value title for its Three Hog Roast, priced at only 8 for 1kg. Christmas pudding Winner: Sainsbury's - Taste the Difference 18-Month Matured Christmas Pudding, 9 Christmas pudding fans will love Sainsbury's classic 18-month matured pudding Sainsbury's beat out all the other supermarkets in the classic category for Christmas puddings, earning a score of 86/100. This was followed by artisan bakery Meg Rivers' Traditional Christmas Pudding, which will set customers back by an eye-widening 22. Aldi's Specially Selected 24-Month Matured Christmas Pudding was the Value winner in this category, costing just 7.99. In the flavoured category, Aldi was crowned again for its Specially Selected Orange and Maple Christmas Pudding (9.99), with Tesco's Finest Sticky Toffee Panettone Christmas Pudding (11) taking the second spot. Meat-free mains Joint winners: Lodge Farm Organic - Festive Cheese and Leek Wreath with Red Onion Relish, 25 Cook - Nut Roast, 7.95 No supermarket clinched the top spot for meat-free mains, with both Lodge Farm Organic and Cook scoring 85/100 for their offerings. It's worth noting that Lodge Farm Organic's wreath weighs in at 1.9kg, while Cook's nut roast weighs in at 540g. However, Sainsbury's did score the highest for vegan mains for its Christmas Mushroom Wellington, priced at 10 for 500g. Christmas cake Winner: Tesco - Finest Jewelled Topped Fruit Cake, 15 Tesco's fruit cake is highly impressive in both flavour and decorations, clinching the top spot Tesco's showstopping Christmas Cake took the top spot in this category, no doubt thanks to the vibrant glace cherries, pistachios and pecan halves that crown the luxurious bake. Waitrose's No.1 Hand-Decorated Matured Rich Fruit Cake (20) was a very close second, scoring just one point less than Tesco's offering. Meanwhile, Aldi's Specially Selected All Over Iced Rich Fruit Cake (9.49) was named the Value winner. Starters and sharers Winner (starter): Waitrose - No.1 Scallop and King Prawn with Roasted Garlic West Country Butter, 7.50 Winner (sharer): Tesco - Finest Pork, Smoked Bacon and Maple Sausage Roll Wreath, 9 Tesco's pork, bacon and sausage wreath score the highest as a sharing plate, perfect for a party Waitrose's scallop starters, which come in a pack of four, were the top rated with a score of 84/100. They are served in their shells, making them a pretty dish to boot. Meanwhile, if you're feeding a crowd, Tesco's meaty wreath also scored 84/100, making it a popular choice. The Value winner in this category was Iceland's Luxury Caramelised Onion and Goat's Cheese Tarts, priced at just 3.50 for a pack of two. Panettone Winner (flavoured): Tesco - Finest Gingerbread Panettone, 12 Winner (classic): Aldi - Specially Selected Classic Panettone, 4.99 Tesco's gingerbread panettone, which comes with a salted caramel sauce filling and salted caramel fudge pieces, was a team favourite and scored an impressive 92/100. Meanwhile, Aldi's classic panettone also scored highly, with 90/100, and was also crowned the Value winner. Festive tipple winners At just 20 years old, Belinda Gavin left Australia for Los Angeles with dreams of making it as a model or actress. But Hollywood's dazzling nightlife soon pulled her in another direction. Between auditions, she worked the doors and tended bars at the city's hottest clubs, and by 21, she was swept up by the seductive rush of cocaine. 'Cocaine was everywhere and I never paid for it. I'd have a bump here and there while working just to stay awake then more when I was partying,' Belinda, now 54, said. 'When everything closed at 2am no one wanted to go home, so I finished work and partied all night.' Belinda was born in Sydney and grew up on the Gold Coast before heading overseas for a new start. She had already experimented with party drugs in Australia, but never considered her habit to be a problem. Before long, her drug and alcohol use in LA quickly slipped into a regular habit - but not so serious that she considered herself addicted. In hindsight, she now realises she was on a path of self-destruction. When Belinda Gavin moved from Australia to Los Angeles at 20, she had dreams of becoming a model or actress - but Hollywood's dazzling nightlife soon pulled her in a different direction 'On the outside, my life looked glamorous - celebrities, champagne, events. On the inside, I was falling apart and had no idea,' Belinda said. 'One of my best friends was a dealer. I'd watch her tease people, drawing out perfect little lines in a small table while others sat drooling, waiting their turn like they were hungry animals. 'It felt glamorous, a game, and I convinced myself I wasn't caught up in it. I thought I was different because I consumed far less and still felt in control because I didn't party all night. I went home to sleep, ate and worked out. 'I wasn't buying drugs or searching for them - at least, that's what I told myself.' But despite the rules Belinda set for herself, her drug use escalated. Soon, she was taking cocaine five nights a week in bathrooms, behind bars and at after-parties. Belinda juggled a job with acting school and even landed a role in a play - but missing rehearsals due to hangovers and crushing comedowns became a pattern. One morning, she woke to a mocking voicemail from a fellow student: 'You've missed rehearsals again. I hear it's snowing early in Los Angeles.' 'Of course, it was a not-so-subtle dig,' said Belinda. 'Then it hit me, "Did everyone else already know I had a problem before I did?"' Before long, her drug and alcohol use in LA quickly slipped into a regular habit - but not so serious that she considered herself addicted . In hindsight, she now realises she was on a path of self-destruction (stock image posed by model) At a house party, Belinda watched as friends passed around a plate lined with white powder. She was expecting cocaine, until one friend said, 'That's not cocaine - that's heroin' Still, Belinda brushed it aside, convincing herself she was different from the others - even though she was broke and slipping further down the same risky path. Over the course of a year, her partying spiralled, and by 22 she felt trapped. 'I was caught in a vortex,' she said. Her first real wake-up call came one night after stumbling home in the early hours of the morning. 'I was washing my face and using an earbud to clean my nose before collapsing into bed when my nose suddenly started bleeding heavily. I couldn't make it stop,' Belinda said. 'It was 5am as the blood streamed down my face, I stared into the mirror and locked eyes with myself. In that moment, I realised I wasn't as in control as I thought.' The bloody nose lasted for more than an hour and a half before Belinda finally managed to stop it and fall asleep. Even then, she wasn't ready to quit. Weeks later, at a house party in Marina Del Rey, Belinda watched as friends passed around a plate lined with white powder. She was expecting cocaine, until one friend said, 'That's not cocaine - that's heroin.' The line between casual experimentation and total surrender blurred instantly. 'I don't know if I flinched or not but I tried a small amount,' Belinda said. 'Almost instantly it was like I was floating in the clouds while feeling heavy in my body.' After that, she knew she wanted more - and heroin wasn't hard to get hold of. One of her friends was a regular user whose home was a den for those 'chasing the dragon' - the act of smoking, rather than injecting, the drug. Over the coming months, Belinda used heroin five more times. The high was so addictive that it made her realise just how low she had sunk. It was Belinda's best friend who finally made her see that she had a problem. 'She was visiting from Aspen and spent time with me in LA. During her visit, she witnessed my lifestyle, including the heroin use,' Belinda said. 'She came with me to get my nails done with some other girls. We all got in the car, I was as high as a kite and my other friend was smoking speed. 'The next day my friend said, "Look, what the hell is going on? Do you realise what you're doing to yourself?"' Belinda eventually agreed to leave Los Angeles and go to Aspen with her friend. 'I felt like I was chewed up and spat out of LA,' she said. 'If I didn't go to Aspen, I don't know what my life would be like today. When I got there, my bubble had popped and I didn't touch drugs again. 'I knew something had to change and backed off from the scene. I started to think about what I came to LA to do and what my priorities were. Instead of going to bed at sunrise, I was waking up then. The switch saved me.' Belinda quit working in bars and took a course to become a personal trainer. She hasn't looked back. 'Over the years, I've lost friends to drugs and alcohol. I decided early on I wasn't going to be one of them,' she said. 'Looking back, I know the decision to stop when I did may have saved my life.' Today, Belinda is the event manager for Australia's largest adult lifestyle event, SXhibition. She hopes sharing her experience will encourage others to tread carefully around party drugs - which can so easily lead to 'harder' narcotics like heroin. 'Be careful, look after each other and don't party with strangers - it's not worth the risk.' Between 10am and 4pm on October 18 Uber will pick up and deliver clothes Uber and the Australian Red Cross are launching a clothing drive this Saturday If your wardrobe is overflowing with clothes you never wear, you're not alone. The Uber and Red Cross Clothing Drive is back, calling on Aussies to donate clothing to support their critical disaster response and humanitarian projects. On Saturday, October 18, between 10am and 4pm local time in Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth, users can book an Uber Package trip to have their items delivered to their local Red Cross Shop free of charge. No hauling heavy bags to the op shop, no excuses - just a simple way to give back while decluttering. The average Australian adult has 20 items of clothing that they haven't worn in the past 12 months, which adds up to over 231 million items of clothing sitting idle in wardrobes nationwide. While many people say they want to donate more, convenience is the biggest barrier. Aussies also have a tendency to put off delivering pre-loved items to op shops with the average person holding onto those items for another 24 days - over three weeks. Richard Wood, Head of Retail at Australian Red Cross, said the partnership removes common hurdles. The Uber and Red Cross Clothing Drive is back, calling on Aussies to donate clothing to support critical disaster response and humanitarian projects 'Nearly half of Australians clear out their wardrobes every 6-12 months, but many are unsure what charities will accept,' he explained. 'The nation is holding onto billions of dollars' worth of clothes that could be helping people in need. With Uber by our side, the drive is a simple, free way to give back without even leaving your home.' How to take part On October 18, residents in eligible cities can open the Uber or Uber Eats app, tap on the Red Cross Clothing Drive tile, and book a $0 Courier pick-up. Donations should be clean, good-quality clothing and accessories packed in a bag or box under 20kg. Emma Foley, Managing Director of Uber ANZ, said last year's drive collected 80,000kg of clothing, and she hopes this year's event will be even bigger. 'Convenience is often the missing link when it comes to donating clothes,' she said. 'We're excited to make it easier than ever for people to give their pre-loved fashion a second life.' Red Cross said: 'Disasters are becoming more frequent and intense in Australia, and it's so important that we are ready to respond' Funds raised from the sale of donated clothes directly support Australian Red Cross humanitarian programs - from disaster relief to community support services. The charity stresses that only quality items should be donated - clothing you'd be happy to give to a friend. Worn-out garments, dirty clothes, and homewares can't be accepted. With the average household holding hundreds of dollars' worth of unworn fashion, the initiative is a chance to reclaim space, reduce waste, and support vulnerable Australians - all without leaving the house. This week, for the first time, Bill Meincke cradled the newborn daughter he never thought he would have. The 37-year-old from Los Angeles and his wife, Kristen Tallon, 36, had been trying to conceive since 2019. After about a year of trying naturally, Meincke underwent testing to measure the amount of sperm in his semen. While the average man's testicles produce up to 300 million sperm cells every day, his had none. A journalist and communications specialist, Meincke was diagnosed with azoospermia, which causes the testicles to produce zero sperm cells - meaning he was infertile. While most cases of azoospermia, which affects one in 100 men in the US, are caused by blockages in the reproductive tract, genetics or some medications, Meincke's doctors found no cause for his case. After being evaluated, he was given just a two percent chance of ever having a biological child. 'I was an anomaly,' he told the Daily Mail. 'It was heartbreaking.' After years of biopsies and failed fertility treatments, Meincke sought help from Dr Paul Turek, a fertility specialist in California who is studying an unlikely solution for infertile men: isotretinoin - an acne medication sold under the brand name Accutane. Despite long established links to birth defects when taken by pregnant women, Meincke took the drug as part of a trial for about a year while Tallon had her eggs frozen. Bill Meincke (right) and his wife, Kristin Tallon (left), hold up the ultrasound photos of their daughter, who was born earlier this month. A common acne drug is responsible for Meincke, who was infertile, being able to father a child Your browser does not support iframes. By the end of the regimen in the summer of 2024, Meincke's testicles had produced about 100 sperm - a miniscule fraction of the amount most men have, but enough to undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) and conceive. Meincke and Tallon came out with five embryos, one of which then became their daughter, who was born in early October. Meincke is one of 30 men with either low or no sperm count who were part of a pilot study from Turek's team measuring the effects of isotretinoin on sperm production. After an average of six months, just over one in three began producing enough sperm to undergo IVF without needing invasive surgery to locate sperm within the testicles. And for those who did need surgery, called a microdissection testicular sperm extraction, the procedure took half as long as normal, making it far less invasive. 'It's almost miraculous. It is a baby maker,' Turek told the Daily Mail. 'It is the first evidence-based, non-hormonal medical treatment for severely infertile men.' He noted the findings are based on 100 years of research that has found retinoic acid, a derivative of vitamin A, helps guide early reproductive cells, called germ cells, through a 12-step process to create sperm. Studies show men with low or no sperm counts also have low levels of retinoic acid in their testicles. In 2021, Dr John Amory, a researcher at the University of Washington and a colleague of Turek, was trying to see if blocking retinoic acid could serve as a form of contraception for men. When he hit a wall, he reached out to Turek and flipped the idea on its head. 'I said, "That's incredible. Let's study it,"' Turek recalled to the Daily Mail. Isotretinoin, he believes, mimics natural retinoic acid, which could help sperm cells increase and become more mature. Isotretinoin, long sold under the brand name Accutane, has been linked to severe birth defects in children whose mothers took it during pregnancy. But for men, researchers suspect it could be a key tool in solving infertility Most of the money - $435 billion - is needed to fix existing roads, with additional funds ($125 billion) for expanding and improving the transportation system ($225 billion). Each man in the study took 20 milligrams of isotretinoin twice daily for at least six months. The typical dose is between 0.5 milligrams and one milligram per kilogram of body weight, given in two doses. So a person weighing 70 kilograms (154 pounds) would take between 35 and 70 milligrams total per day. Of the 30 participants, 11 started producing sperm that can efficiently swim and fertilize an egg. The response group included four men with initially low sperm count and seven with initially no sperm count. Turek said he was 'surprised' that even men who had been through the most intensive and 'traumatic' fertility surgeries, and had seen no progress, were able to make sperm just after taking isotretinoin. One of those men was Navin Kesari, a 37-year-old neurologist in Houston. After trying to conceive with his wife, Asmi Trivedi, for a year, Kesari underwent fertility testing in the summer of 2020. Results showed he could not produce any sperm on his own. 'It was very disappointing,' Kesari told the Daily Mail. Dr Paul Turek (pictured) found in a groundbreaking study that isotretinoin could increase sperm production in otherwise infertile men He sought Turek's help in 2021 and had a sperm mapping procedure done - which involves drawing a grid on a testicle and inserting fine needles into different points to collect samples. The surgery allowed Kesari and Trivedi to conceive their daughter through IVF. She was born in April 2022. A few months later, the family consulted Turek again, asking what options they had if they wanted to have a second child. After taking isotretinoin for about a year and a half, Kesari was able to produce enough sperm to create an embryo with his wife's eggs. Just last month, he celebrated the birth of his son. Despite its benefits in men, isotretinoin has proven to be dangerous for pregnant women. It has showed an increased risk of severe birth defects, including heart conditions, hearing loss, spinal cord defects and hydrocephalus, which causes excess fluid to build up in the brain and can lead to pressure that damages tissues. It is thought that the drug disrupts natural signaling pathways that control fetal development, especially in the first trimester. 'The reproduction of men and women are parallel universes in some ways, but they're not in others, and this is the way they're not,' Turek told the Daily Mail. Both Meincke and Kesari told the Daily Mail they dealt with dry skin - a known side effect - while taking isotretinoin. Additionally, Meincke noticed the Los Angeles sun would burn his skin within just a few minutes of being outside, which was a departure from his usual UV tolerance. He also suspects isotretinoin exacerbated his major depressive disorder (MDD), as the drug may alter levels of mood-boosting neurotransmitters like serotonin. Meincke and Tallon are pictured at their baby shower. Meincke told the Daily Mail: 'We fully understand how lucky we are' Turek told the Daily Mail his team is now planning on 'working out the kinks' of using isotretinoin to treat infertile men in future studies, which includes finding the appropriate dose and narrowing down which levels of infertility would benefit the most. He is also offering six-month programs where men can be evaluated and try the drug under monitoring. 'If you've been through the ringer as an infertile man, and you've been told you need to adopt or go in a different direction other than being a bio dad, this is just a ray of hope,' Turek said. As Kesari adjusts to caring for his two children, he urged men battling infertility to 'think outside the box' as they hope to become fathers. 'It sucks. It's disheartening. It's defeating. For me, it was just very disappointing because I've always wanted to be a dad,' he told the Daily Mail. 'It's not over until it's over. It's a long, long battle until the baby is born - it's a very long battle, and it just requires a lot of endurance, a lot of patience, a lot of hope.' The Daily Mail spoke with Meincke just days before his daughter's birth, with the family's hospital bags packed and the house ready to welcome a new addition. As family, friends and strangers have warned he and his wife to rest while they can and prepare for long nights ahead, Meincke is sure he is ready. 'We're not going to take anything for granted,' he told the Daily Mail. 'We had a two percent chance. We're here through science and just the drive that we had. So when our baby's crying at night, yeah, I'm sure we'll be tired and maybe we'll be a little bit grumpy. But we'll do everything in our power to change that mindset, because we fully understand how lucky we are.' Seasonal allergies triggered by pollen appear to make deaths by suicide more likely, a new study has found. US suicide rates rose 37 percent from 2000 to 2018; while structural causes are well-studied, short-term triggers are less understood. To evaluate a possible link between seasonal allergies (which afflict inflict more than 80 million Americans) and suicide, a team of scientists from Wayne State University in Michigan and the University of Michigan combined daily pollen measurements with daily suicide counts across 34 US metropolitan areas from 2006 to 2018. Because both pollen and suicide are sensitive to weather conditions, the researchers carefully accounted for temperature, rainfall and wind. They also controlled for differences in local climate and plant life, since pollen levels vary by region, and for seasonal averages that might otherwise obscure results. This allowed the researchers to compare suicide counts on days with unexpectedly high pollen to days with little or none in the same county. The results, they said, were 'striking'. Relative to days with no or low levels of pollen, they found that deaths by suicide rose by 5.5 percent when pollen levels are moderate and 7.4 percent when levels are high. The increase was even larger among people with a known history of mental health conditions or treatment. Seasonal allergies triggered by pollen appear to make deaths by suicide more likely, a new study has found (stock image) Your browser does not support iframes. They also showed that on high-pollen days, residents of affected areas experienced more depressive symptoms and feelings of exhaustion. In terms of what is behind the link, the researchers say that it could be that 'allergies exacerbate existing vulnerabilities, pushing some people toward crisis'. They also suspect that sleep disruption is a the link between allergies and suicide rates. More than 80 million Americans experience seasonal allergies each year. Symptoms include sneezing, congestion, itchy eyes and scratchy throat. Most people experiencing these symptoms feel sluggish during the day and sleep poorly at night. Allergy sufferers might not realize, however, that these symptoms reduce alertness and cognitive functioning; some of the factors that can worsen mental health and increase vulnerability to suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Suicide rates have been growing steadily in the past two decades and, according to the CDC, more than 49,000 Americans died by suicide in 2022, and over 616,000 visited emergency departments for self-harm injuries. Although socioeconomic and demographic factors are the most important predictors of suicide, much less is known about its short-term triggers. The Wayne State University team say their study, published in the Journal of Health Economics, adds to growing evidence that the environment, including something as natural as pollen, can influence mental health risks. This issue is likely to become more urgent as the climate changes. They note: 'Rising temperatures lengthen pollen seasons and increase pollen volume. Over the past two decades, pollen seasons have grown in both intensity and duration, and projections suggest they will continue to worsen.' That means more people will experience stronger allergy symptoms, with ripple effects not only for physical health but also for sleep, mood and mental well-being. Despite the scale of the problem, there are no national systems in the US to consistently measure and communicate pollen levels, the scientists reveal. The CDC notes that suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the US Suicide rates increased 37 percent between 2000 and 2018 and decreased 5 percent between 2018 and 2020. However, rates returned to their peak in 2022 They add: 'Most communities lack reliable forecasts and alert systems that would allow vulnerable people to take precautions. This gap limits both prevention and research.' Their study focused on metropolitan areas where pollen and death counts were available, but they cannot yet generalize their findings to rural areas. That is a concern, they say, because rural communities often face greater shortages in mental health care and pharmacy access and have seen rising suicide rates over the past decade. For people who are already receiving mental health care, the researchers note highly that 'recognizing and treating seasonal allergies is a key part of self-care'. They advise investigating using over-the-counter medications, which can be highly effective to help reduce symptoms. They conclude: 'More broadly, people should be aware that during peak allergy season, reduced alertness, sleep disruptions and mood fluctuations may place an increased burden on their mental health, in addition to the allergy symptoms. 'In terms of policy, improving pollen monitoring and public communication could help people anticipate high-risk days. 'Such infrastructure would also support further research, particularly in rural areas where data is currently lacking.' The research team's next step, supported by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, is to examine the impact of pollen on rural communities. This article was written by Shooshan Danagoulian, associate professor of economics at Wayne State University, for The Conversation. The medical system is failing millions who have had near-death experiences, a new study reported, leaving them isolated and struggling with the feeling of a shattered reality. Near-death experiences (NDEs) are transformative events occurring during a severe medical crisis, often involving a consistent set of phenomena. These can include out-of-body sensations, feelings of intense peace, rewatching major life events, encountering spiritual beings, and feelings of visiting another realm. But many individuals face significant reentry problems, often struggling with the jarring return to everyday life, which can suddenly seem trivial compared to the profound peace and unconditional love they experienced during an NDE. This can lead to depression, anger and a deep sense of loss for what felt like home. A groundbreaking new study from the University of Virginia is sounding the alarm for the estimated 10 percent of Americans - 34million people - who have reported NDEs, revealing a critical gap in professional support for those returning from the brink of death. Researchers found that most near-death experiencers seek help to process their profound visions, but are often met with skepticism from medical professionals. This lack of validation frequently forces them to turn to online communities for support. Dr Marieta Pehlivanova, lead author of the latest study and a professor of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences at UVA, said that while most near-death experiencers seek help for their profound visions, they often face skepticism from doctors, forcing them to find validation in online communities instead Your browser does not support iframes. The study pinpointed that a positive, supportive reaction from the people they tell is the single most significant factor in determining whether they find the help they need to heal from what can be a traumatic journey. Dr Marieta Pehlivanova, lead author of the study and a professor of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences at UVA, told the Daily Mail: Not every person who has a near-death experience will necessarily struggle with making sense of the experience. 'But what we find in research is that the more intense the NDE is and we judge that by a score on a questionnaire the more likely it is to transform people. And not every NDE is pleasant. Researchers said that a small percentage of NDEs experienced [are] distressing, and later cited estimates that they occur in at least 10 percent and possibly as high as 22 percent of reported NDEs. Dr Pehlivanova said: For a lot of experiencers, this subjective experience is very real. Many of them would describe it as realer than real life, and that, in comparison, real life feels like a dream. They would remember it for years and decades later, and even say it's as if it happened yesterday. A UVA team recruited 167 near-death experiencers, primarily through dedicated organizations, to study their support needs. After her heart stopped for eight minutes, Brianna Lafferty returned from a near-death experience with a transformed perspective, believing 'death is an illusion' Participants completed a detailed online survey about their backgrounds, experiences, and challenges. Researchers analyzed the responses to identify what prompted people to seek help and what factors made that support effective. They found that 64 percent of participants sought support after their near-death experience from resources including mental health professionals, spiritual advisors and online communities, and the vast majority (78 percent) found it helpful. Those with more intense NDEs or a prior history of psychological difficulties were significantly more likely to need and reach out for help. Support after a near-death experience was found to be most helpful for individuals who received a positive first reaction upon sharing their story. Other factors that made support more helpful included good baseline mental health, a happy childhood, and assistance from specialized NDE organizations. Older individuals also found support more beneficial. The most critical first step, according to Dr Pehlinova, is to validate the experience and listen without the intent to debunk, diagnose or impose ones own belief system on the other. The primary goal is to create a safe and supportive space for the person to share their profound experience. It is critical to connect them with specialized support networks, such as the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS). These groups provide a sense of community and understanding from others who have had similar experiences, which is highly beneficial. Pegi Robinson's near-death experience during a medical crisis erased her fear of death, replacing it with a belief that humans are never alone and that 'there is no such thing as dying' The study revealed that a significant 36 percent of near-death experiencers did not seek outside support to process their experience. Their reasons for not reaching out fell into two broad categories. Some individuals did not feel a need for help, possessing sufficient resilience to integrate the profound event into their normal lives. For others, the lack of support-seeking was not due to an absence of need, but instead was a direct result of a fear of being judged, pathologized or labeled as crazy by professionals and loved ones. Compounding this fear was a widespread belief that truly helpful support was unavailable. Many felt that conventional therapies were too textbook and that few people could understand the magnitude of what they had been through The teams findings were published in the journal APA PsychNet. Profound internal shifts often give rise to external challenges. As a survivor's values transform, they can lose interest in their former career, routines and relationships, which are further strained by the near-impossibility of articulating their experiences. After her heart stopped for eight minutes, Brianna Lafferty's near-death experience fundamentally transformed her life. The 25-year-old, who had long suffered from a rare and painful neurological disorder, returned with a profound message that death is an illusion. Her journey through an otherworldly realm erased her fear of death and reshaped her priorities, replacing a life defined by pain with one of peace and purpose. Losing fear of death is not uncommon. Pegi Robinson's life was forever changed by a profound experience that occurred when she was 25. After a catastrophic ectopic pregnancy, she felt herself die and then embark on a journey to heaven, where she pleaded with god to let her return to her two young sons. This intense encounter erased her fear of death, replacing it with the conviction that there is no such thing as dying and that individuals are never alone. It left her with a lasting sense of gratitude and a belief that god provides guidance and protection throughout our lives. Topical steroid creams, used to treat common skin conditions like eczema, could help the body fight off cancer, new research has suggested. Experts from the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute say the creams can not only shrink the size of melanoma tumoursthe deadliest type of skin cancerbut could be effective against other cancers too. The team credit the effect to steroids' ability to block a protein called Garp, which helps cancer cells 'hide' from the immune systemthe body's first line of defense against diseaseallowing them to grow. By blocking Garp, the immune system is better able to detect and fight cancer cells, shrinking the tumour. The team from the University of Manchester, headed by Dr Charles Earnshaw, a leading dermatologist, were examining whether commonly used cream treatments could change the inflammation inside melanoma tumours. 'Surprisingly, the only cream treatment that did result in tumour shrinkage were topical steroids,' he said. 'This was unexpected, but the breakthrough came when we saw that the steroids were acting to actually stimulate an immune response against the cancer, despite the fact that steroids are inherently immunosuppressive or dampen the immune system. 'Further investigation led us to find that the steroids were reducing the level of a protein called Garp on the tumour cells. And then this in turn allowed the reactivation of the immune response, basically to kill the cancer.' Steroids, one of the most commonly prescribed drugs to cancer patients, can shrink melanoma tumours, cancer experts have found Your browser does not support iframes. Publishing their findings in the journal Cancer Discovery, the researchers also looked at data sets from over 2,000 people alongside 40 tumour samples from patients with melanoma. They found that patients whose tumours show stronger signs of being able to respond to steroids live longer, while those with high levels of Garp have a poorer survival rate overall. Dr Earnshaw said: 'This study uncovers a few things. 'It shows that actually, there might be circumstances where steroids can trigger immune responses to cancer, and it suggests that this protein called Garp might be a really nice therapeutic target going forward to inhibit not only in melanoma, but potentially in other cancers as well.' He added that there could be 'very specific circumstances' when topical steroids, or otherwise locally administered injected steroids, might be clinically useful. Alternative treatments that work on Garp are currently being developed and clinical trials are planned, with the hopes of finding a potential treatment plan for patients who do not respond to other drugs like chemotherapy. Santiago Zelenay, senior group leader at the CRUCK Manchester Institute, said: 'This research is particularly exciting because it shows that steroids, one of the most commonly administered drugs to cancer patients, and usually thought to weaken the immune system, may, in certain cases, actually help the patients own immune system fight back.' Prof Samra Turamlic, director of CRUK Manchester Institute, welcomed the findings, saying: This work is the kind of science we strive for at CRUCK Manchester Institute - uncovering the deep biology of cancer to help bring us get closer to a world where people live longer - better lives, free from the fear of cancer.' The deadly mosquito-borne virus that prompted quarantines and restrictions in China this summer has been confirmed to be in the United States. New York health officials first reported in September that a 60-year-old woman from Hempstead, a town on Long Island about 20 miles east of Manhattan, was diagnosed with suspected chikungunya in August. She said she had not traveled off the island, home to more than eight million people and the celebrity-loved Hamptons, and now officials report that lab testing confirmed the virus, making her the first locally acquired case of chikungunya ever reported in the city. Dr James McDonald, the state health commissioner, said in a statement: 'We urge everyone to take simple precautions to protect themselves and their families from mosquito bites.' Chikungunya is spread by mosquitoes and can cause sudden, agonizing joint pain in the hands and feet that can be so severe it leaves sufferers unable to move normally for months. Since the beginning of this year, more than 317,000 cases and 135 chikungunya-related deaths have been reported in 16 countries. The virus has also been present in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe. A severe outbreak in China totaling more than 10,000 cases prompted the CDC to issue a level 2 travel warning for the Guangdong Province, the epicenter, in August. The spread of the mosquito-borne disease triggered a roll out of Covid-like restrictions in China, with patients quarantined in hospitals and electricity cut off to residents who did not follow government health protocols. Chikungunya is a 'nationally notifiable' condition in the US, meaning health authorities can voluntarily report cases to the agency for national tracking and monitoring. While a handful of cases pop up in the US every year from people traveling to high-risk areas, America has not experienced local transmission since 2019. Workers spray insecticide at a residential community on July 28 in Dongguan, Guangdong Province of China. The province was the epicenter of a chikungunya outbreak this summer The virus has been confirmed in a woman who lives on Long Island, New York, home to eight million people and the celebrity-loved Hamptons (file photo above) But with more than 4.7 million US passengers flying internationally on any given day, mosquitoes in America could bite an infected traveler and begin transmitting the virus locally to Americans. Three additional people in New York have tested positive for chikungunya in 2025 after returning from countries where the virus is known to circulate, according to the the city's Department of Health. A spokesman told NTD News in September: 'No locally acquired cases have ever been reported in New York State, and the risk to the public remains very low.' And the state health department said in Tuesday's announcement of the confirmation: 'An investigation suggests that the individual likely contracted the virus following a bite from an infected mosquito. 'While the case is classified as locally acquired based on current information, the precise source of exposure is not known.' Local mosquito surveillance has not detected chikungunya in local insect populations. The virus is spread primarily by the Aedes mosquito species and nearly half a million people became infected between 2004 and 2005, leading to a worldwide epidemic. Diana Rojas Alvarez, a medical officer at the World Health Organization, said this summer of the new cases: 'We are seeing history repeating itself,' referencing the 2004-2005 epidemic. A worker fumigates a park during a mosquito control sequence ordered by France's Regional Health Agency (ARS) as part of a vector control operation for chikungunya last month The above map shows the 12-month chikungunya virus case notification rate per 100,000 people from September 2024 to August 2025 Chikungunya can cause symptoms like fever, joint pain and life-threatening complications related to the heart and brain. About 15 to 35 percent of people infected with the virus are asymptomatic, the CDC reports. The incubation period is typically three to seven days, and the most common symptom is a sudden onset of a fever over 102 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius). Deaths are rare, but can occur in severe cases. The infection does not spread from person to person through bodily contact or saliva and can only be transmitted through a bite from an infected mosquito. Since there is no specific medical treatment for the chikungunya infections, though certain therapies are used to manage symptoms and any lasting complications, experts ask people to regularly use insect repellents and wear long-sleeved clothing to prevent mosquito bites. There are two vaccines available but they are not routine and only recommended for people visiting areas with an outbreak or that may pose a higher risk of infection. Bed blockers are costing the NHS 2.6billion a year with a lack of social care the biggest driver of delays, the first official figures reveal. For the first time, NHS England has said delays discharging patients who are medically fit to leave cost it around 220million each month. It put the price of a typical nights stay at 562, with 390,960 people staying longer than doctors considered necessary in September alone. This is an average of 13,032 each night, or around one in seven acute hospital beds. The most common reason patients were delayed was because of difficulties securing ongoing care, such as a place in a care home or support to live independently in their own home. This accounted for 68million (31 per cent) of the total cost last month. The analysis does not include wider costs such as the money hospitals lose by not being able to admit other patients for operations or the cost to the bed-blocker themselves of being in an inappropriate setting. Long hospital stays are associated with increased risk of infections, pressure sores and frailty and residing longer than necessary can hamper recovery. NHS England says delayed discharges are frustrating for patients and staff If a similar number of patients are delayed each month throughout the year, as NHS England expects, it would cost the service 2.6billion. This is higher than the 1.7billion estimated by the Kings Fund think tank in 2023, when it put the nightly cost of a bed at around 395. Other common reasons for delays include NHS trusts and care providers taking too long to negotiate patients onward care packages (30 per cent) and hospitals processes, such as waiting for discharge paperwork to be completed or medicine to be dispensed (20 per cent). Steve Black, an expert in NHS performance statistics, told the Health Service Journal: Delayed discharges have huge knock-on problems across the system but no one has a way of getting a handle on it. This data provides interesting context on the scale of the problem. It should get some attention its long overdue. Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board had the highest cost of delayed discharges in September, at 18million, after recording 32,730 bed days taken by patients fit to leave the most in England. Other high-spending systems on delayed discharges included Greater Manchester ICB (13million), Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB (12million) and West Yorkshire ICB (11million) which each lost around 20,000 bed days to the issue in September. Cost of bed-blocking in each integrated care board ICB Name Average number of bed-blockers per day in September Total number of delayed bed days in September Total cost of delayed bed days in September NHS CAMBRIDGESHIRE AND PETERBOROUGH INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 181 5,430 3,051,660 NHS NORFOLK AND WAVENEY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 130 3,900 2,191,800 NHS SUFFOLK AND NORTH EAST ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 136 4,080 2,292,960 NHS BEDFORDSHIRE, LUTON AND MILTON KEYNES INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 181 5,430 3,051,660 NHS HERTFORDSHIRE AND WEST ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 154 4,620 2,596,440 NHS MID AND SOUTH ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 88 2,640 1,483,680 NHS NORTH WEST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 458 13,740 7,721,880 NHS NORTH CENTRAL LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 333 9,990 5,614,380 NHS NORTH EAST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 327 9,810 5,513,220 NHS SOUTH EAST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 350 10,500 5,901,000 NHS SOUTH WEST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 284 8,520 4,788,240 NHS STAFFORDSHIRE AND STOKE-ON-TRENT INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 142 4,260 2,394,120 NHS SHROPSHIRE, TELFORD AND WREKIN INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 103 3,090 1,736,580 NHS DERBY AND DERBYSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 218 6,540 3,675,480 NHS LINCOLNSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 165 4,950 2,781,900 NHS NOTTINGHAM AND NOTTINGHAMSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 295 8,850 4,973,700 NHS LEICESTER, LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 204 6,120 3,439,440 NHS BLACK COUNTRY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 224 6,720 3,776,640 NHS BIRMINGHAM AND SOLIHULL INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 267 8,010 4,501,620 NHS COVENTRY AND WARWICKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 235 7,050 3,962,100 NHS HEREFORDSHIRE AND WORCESTERSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 150 4,500 2,529,000 NHS NORTHAMPTONSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 192 5,760 3,237,120 NHS SOUTH YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 517 15,510 8,716,620 NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 583 17,490 9,829,380 NHS HUMBER AND NORTH YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 324 9,720 5,462,640 NHS WEST YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 663 19,890 11,178,180 NHS GREATER MANCHESTER INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 782 23,460 13,184,520 NHS CHESHIRE AND MERSEYSIDE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 1,091 32,730 18,394,260 NHS LANCASHIRE AND SOUTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 371 11,130 6,255,060 NHS KENT AND MEDWAY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 455 13,650 7,671,300 NHS FRIMLEY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 190 5,700 3,203,400 NHS HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 719 21,570 12,122,340 NHS BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, OXFORDSHIRE AND BERKSHIRE WEST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 233 6,990 3,928,380 NHS SURREY HEARTLANDS INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 197 5,910 3,321,420 NHS SUSSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 496 14,880 8,362,560 NHS CORNWALL AND THE ISLES OF SCILLY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 89 2,670 1,500,540 NHS DEVON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 296 8,880 4,990,560 NHS SOMERSET INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 191 5,730 3,220,260 NHS BRISTOL, NORTH SOMERSET AND SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 375 11,250 6,322,500 NHS BATH AND NORTH EAST SOMERSET, SWINDON AND WILTSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 273 8,190 4,602,780 NHS DORSET INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 244 7,320 4,113,840 NHS GLOUCESTERSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD 126 3,780 2,124,360 Source: NHS England An NHS England spokesperson said: 'Staying in hospital even though you're fit to leave is the last thing a patient needs and its frustrating for staff too, who see the strain it puts on capacity and the knock-on effects for others. 'Thats why the NHS has rolled out care transfer hubs to ensure the most vulnerable patients get the support they need so theyre ready to leave hospital safely and on time.' NBC News' Andrea Mitchell was slammed online for appearing to credit the Biden administration for the ceasefire in Gaza brokered by Donald Trump. The 78-year-old Chief Washington Correspondent thanked former Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday for his work 'creating the basis of the agreement once the two sides were finally prepared to compromise. 'Thank you for spending two years working toward this moment,' she wrote while Trump signed the formal ceasefire accord with leaders from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. He had announced the ceasefire deal last week, hailing it as the start of a lasting peace in the region. As the ceasefire officially got underway over the weekend, Blinken took to social media to explain that Trump's plan 'adopted and built on the plan the Biden administration developed.' Still, he wrote: '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.' Mitchell's apparent failure to give the Trump administration credit for the ceasefire sparked almost immediate backlash. 'Andrea Mitchell decided she knows who deserves gratitude for the Israel/Gaza agreement,' journalist Glenn Greenwald wrote. 'It's... Antony Blinken, who achieved nothing other than fueling, encouraging and justifying the Israeli war.' NBC News' Andrea Mitchell has been slammed for appearing to credit the Biden administration for the ceasefire in Gaza brokered by President Donald Trump She thanked former Secretary of State Antony Blinken for his work 'creating the basis of the agreement once the two sides were finally prepared to compromise' He went on to call Mitchell and Blinken 'two lifelong DC denizens and Israel loyalists slobbering over each other.' Fellow journalist Joe Concha also blasted Mitchell's response. 'That time Andrea Mitchell thanks Blinken and Biden over [current Secretary of State Marco] Rubio and Trump for the peace deal in Gaza,' he wrote. 'Just incredible.' Other X users also chimed in, with one person lamenting that Mitchell's post demonstrates the 'sad, sad state of journalism.' 'You're embarrassing yourself, Andrea,' he wrote. 'Go home.' Trump has otherwise been widely praised for the ceasefire deal, with Time Magazine hailing the agreement as the 'signature achievement' of his second term. 'The living Israeli hostages held in Gaza have been freed under the first phase of Donald Trump's peace plan, alongside a Palestinian prisoner release,' Time wrote alongside a picture of its new cover. It added that the deal 'could mark a strategic turning point for the Middle East.' Trump has been widely praised for his efforts to secure peace in Gaza Biden also applauded his successor for getting the deal across the finish line. 'The road to this deal was not easy,' Biden wrote on X. 'My Administration worked relentlessly to bring hostages home, get relief to Palestinian civilians, and end the war. 'I commend President Trump and his team for their work to get a renewed ceasefire deal over the finish line. 'I am deeply grateful and relieved that this day has come for the last living 20 hostages who have been through unimaginable hell and are finally reunited with their families and loved ones.' Biden said he was also overjoyed 'for the civilians in Gaza who have experienced immeasurable loss and will finally get the chance to rebuild their lives. 'Now, with the backing of the United States and the world, the Middle East is on a path to peace that I hope endures and a future for Israelis and Palestinians alike with equal measures of peace, dignity, and safety.' Former Vice President Kamala Harris also acknowledged 'the President and his team' for making the agreement possible, but refused to refer to Trump by name. Even former President Joe Biden applauded his successor for getting the deal across the finish line Despite the landmark deal, the peace in Gaza remained tenuous on Tuesday as Israel refused to increase aid to the area in retaliation for Hamas releasing just eight hostages' bodies. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out doubling the number of trucks to deliver much-needed supplies to the Gaza Strip amid mounting anger at what he sees as the terror group's violation of the peace plan. As well as maintaining deliveries at 300 lorries per day, Israel also refused to reopen the Rafah Crossing into Egypt as planned to let Palestinians come and go from the Strip. Hamas was supposed to return all 28 dead alongside the 20 living hostages by midday on Monday. But while the world rejoiced that all those alive came home, just four bodies were delivered, with a further four last night. It provoked fury across Israel with calls for the government to react severely to the violation of the deal, as burying your dead is a sacred ritual in the Jewish religion. Netanyahu set a deadline for progress by the end of yesterday, prompting Hamas to announce it would hand back another quartet. And last night the Israeli military said four more 'coffins of deceased hostages' were collected by the Red Cross in Gaza. Hamas handed over the bodies of four hostages on Tuesday Freed Israeli male hostage Eviatar David is pictured being brought to Beilinson Hospital by helicopter Some are now accusing Hamas of intentionally withholding dead hostages - putting the fragile peace under immense strain. Local broadcaster Kan, for example, reported that the Israeli government believes Hamas is holding some back intentionally amid fears they are trying to extort more out of Israel. Mediators and aid agencies, though, have insisted the terror group is simply having trouble locating the bodies given the level of destruction across the territory. Christian Cardon, spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, even warned some remains may never be found. He said: 'I think there is clearly a risk that that will take much more time. What we are telling the parties is that should be their top priority.' Egyptian teams are inside Gaza assisting efforts to locate and extract the bodies in consultation with Israel, according to Qatari Al Araby news outlet. Gal Hirsch, Israel's pointman on hostages, insisted 'the mission is not complete' and told families he will 'intensify pressure' on Hamas until all the hostages have been returned. Donald Trump made a point of shutting down an ABC News reporter just days after George Stephanopoulos abruptly cut-off JD Vance during a heated interview . The president was taking questions from reporters following a meeting with Argentinian President Javier Milei on Tuesday when he snubbed the broadcaster, offering a blunt explanation as to his reasoning. 'You're ABC fake news,' Trump said as a reporter tried to ask him a question . 'I don't take questions from ABC fake news after what you did with Stephanopoulos to the Vice President of the United States, I don't take questions from ABC fake news,' he declared. Stephanopoulos had been interviewing the vice-president over the weekend when the conversation spiraled out of control. The pair had been discussing 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 when the longtime television host asked the Vance if Tom Homan was guilty of accepting a $50,000 bribe in an undercover FBI sting in September 2024. Homan had been recorded saying he could help federal agents get government contracts should Trump win the election. Stephanopoulos, who served as the White House Communications Director for President Bill Clinton, wanted to know if Homan kept the money or gave it back - to which Vance insisted that the border czar 'did nothing wrong.' President Donald Trump fired back at ABC News on Tuesday, snubbing a reporter who tried to ask a question It came days after longtime ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos (pictured) abruptly cut off the vice president Then, when Stephanopoulos continued to push, Vance wrote off the accusation 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'. '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. It was not the first time the network irked the Trump administration either. 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. The interview with JD 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 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. 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. The network also earned the Trump administration's ire when comedian Jimmy Kimmel falsely insinuated that the man who shot and killed conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk . When the network then announced that Kimmel's long-running show would be canceled, the president even celebrated on social media. Tom Homan, Trump's border czar, was reportedly the target of an FBI sting operation last year The most recent clash between the network and the Trump administration came amid an MSNBC report that said Homan was the target of an FBI undercover operation last year following a separate investigation, which accused the border czar of soliciting payments in exchange for promises of contracts should Trump win reelection. In the 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. The president then 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. Former New York Magazine reporter Olivia Nuzzi is expected to release a memoir that includes juicy details about her 'digital affair' with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Nuzzi, 32, was recently announced as the West Coast editor for Vanity Fair nearly a year after her career was upended by the revelations. The salacious affair also nearly ruined the health secretary's marriage to Cheryl Hines. Nuzzi plans to release the book for the Christmas holiday to address her relationship with Kennedy, Status reports. Early release copies of the book have already been distributed to a select group of readers. Nuzzi previously served as the Washington correspondent for New York Magazine from 2017 to 2024, where she was known for her coverage of political power players in Washington, D.C. However, her tenure came to an abrupt end last year following reports that she had been 'emotionally involved' with the independent presidential candidate while writing a feature on his campaign. Though Kennedy, 71, and his representatives denied any inappropriate relationship - claiming he met Nuzzi only once during an interview - sources described the connection as 'emotional and digital in nature, not physical.' Olivia Nuzzi is set to dish on her 'digital affair' with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a book just a year after it nearly ruined the health secretary's marriage to Cheryl Hines While much of the book details her career over the last decade covering Donald Trump and other political heavyweights, it will be the first time she addresses the Kennedy affair publicly An internal investigation by New York Magazine found 'no inaccuracies nor evidence of bias' in Nuzzi's reporting on Kennedy, but the controversy nevertheless resulted in her departure from the publication. The fallout also extended to Nuzzi's personal life. Her engagement to fellow journalist Ryan Lizza ended after the allegations came to light. The former couple later became entangled in a contentious legal dispute, with Nuzzi accusing Lizza of threats and blackmail, claims she later withdrew. He denied the allegations, calling them 'disgraceful lies' and part of a 'coordinated defamation campaign.' Lizza, a former reporter for The New Yorker who left the publication in 2017 following accusations of sexual misconduct - which he also denied - has since worked at Politico. Despite the setbacks, Nuzzi's appointment at Vanity Fair marks a high-profile return to journalism. The move comes as the publication undergoes a broader editorial reshuffling under global editorial director Mark Guiducci. 'In interviews with candidates over the past two months, we have been seeking out a certain fearlessness - people with a point of view, able to express it in both substance and style,' Guiducci said in Thursday's announcement. Kennedy's wife, actress Cheryl Hines, continued to appear publicly with him at key events, but reportedly declined to live in a Georgetown home the couple purchased, citing discomfort with the political spotlight The fallout also extended to Nuzzi's personal life. Her engagement to fellow journalist Ryan Lizza (pictured right) ended after the allegations came to light He described the new hires as possessing a 'love for Vanity Fair, an appreciation for its history, and an excitement for its future.' In her new role, Nuzzi will be responsible for editing and writing across topic areas, with a focus on the culture and industries of the Pacific region. Hines continued to appear publicly with him at key events, but reportedly declined to live in a Georgetown home the couple purchased, citing discomfort with the political spotlight. It comes just as Hines has made her most public defense of her husband, having gotten into a screaming match on The View backing his credentials. The Curb Your Enthusiasm actress, 60, was a guest on Tuesday's episode of the ABC talk show and was grilled about her other half Robert F. Kennedy Jr's lack of a medical background. Defending her RFK Jr's knowledge, Cheryl said: 'He has dedicated his career to suing big corporations because of toxins that have been affecting people's health 'He was part of the team that sued Monsanto because of Roundup, a pesticide that was causing cancer. GMOs right? 'He sued Dupont, he sued Exxon, and he sued these companies for health reasons, because they were causing health problems.' Cheryl Hines furiously defended her husband RFK Jr's ability to serve as health secretary on The View But Sunny, 56, pointed out RFK JR's lack of credentials. 'But the problem, respectfully, is that your husband is the least qualified Department of Health and Human Services head that we've had in history,' she said. Surprised by Sunny's assessment, Cheryl hit back: 'Less qualified than an economist?' 'I think he is less qualified,' Sunny retorted. Refusing to back down, the guest continued: 'He has spent his career studying toxins, studying people's health, fighting for one guy who was using Roundup for his job.' He has also spread a lot of misinformation, a lot of chaos, a lot of confusion,' Sunny said to applause. 'And I think it's just a very dangerous thing. I say it with the utmost respect.' 'Listen, we all have different views here,' Cheryl continued. 'And when you say misinformation, disinformation, we could go back to Covid when' Before she could finish, Sunny quipped: 'He's connected circumcision to autism.' The race is on to bring self-driving taxis to Britain for the first time next year. A battle has emerged between Waymo, owned by Googles parent company Alphabet, and ride-hailing giant Uber to put driverless cabs on Londons streets. Waymo has announced its autonomous ride-hailing service already active in five US cities - will arrive in the capital in 2026. This would make London the first European city to get its self-driving taxis. But Uber could beat it to the punch, having already confirmed in summer that it would take part in Government trials, where driverless taxi- and bus-like' services will be piloted for the first time. The Department for Transport said in June it would fast-track small-scale, self-driving vehicle commercial pilots from spring 2026. It claimed this will make roads safer, create jobs, and keep the UK among the world leaders in new technology. Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander said: Im delighted that Waymo intends to bring their services to London next year, under our proposed piloting scheme. Cutting edge investment like this will help us deliver our mission to be world-leaders in new technology and spearhead national renewal that delivers real change in our communities. Waymo has partnered with Jaguar Land Rover to outfit Jaguar I-Pace electric cars with Waymo Driver the firms autonomous driving tech. Waymo's fully-autonomous ride-hailing services should be on offer to tourists, commuters and the general public in London in 2026 - and there will be no human behind the wheel Waymo cars will be hailed via an app, and it says it operates hundreds of thousands of paid trips each week in the US. Ubers autonomous taxis will also be hailed by app and be in partnership with Microsoft-backed AI partner Wayve. Despite Londons complicated road network, both Waymo and Uber highlighted the UKs largest city as a vital part of their expansion plans, making the race even higher stakes As well as being the first European city to get Waymo, London would be only the second city outside America, after Tokyo, to see its self-driving cabs on the roads. For Uber the London trials make the UK the largest market where Uber has announced an intention to pilot autonomous vehicles and will act as a base from which the company can scale its driverless ride-hailing to Europe and the wider world. Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at The AA, said: 'The race to provide self-driving taxis in the UK means some consumers might take a little longer before choosing their ride. 'Some passengers might actively pick what they know with a human driver, while others may decide to avoid any potential awkward conversations, and opt for the self-driving car. 'Self-driving vehicles are under continuous tests on British roads in numerous locations and will only get the green light to expand once certain standards are met. When the technology is more widely available, it will be interesting to see how passengers and other road users react.' Waymo and Uber-Wayve both have roots in Britain already. Waymo says it has strong ties to the United Kingdom as London and Oxford are home to its international engineering hubs. These include 'teams advancing large-scale, closed-loop simulation a gold standard development method for fully autonomous driving technology'. Meanwhile, the Wayve half of the Uber partnership has its headquarters on York Way, in London. The previous Conservative government launched the Automated Vehicles in 2024. It is claimed that it could create 38,000 jobs and add 42billion to the UK economy. Waymo's arrival in Britain comes after half a decade of shuttling customers around America without a driver at the wheel, with the ride-hailing app currently serving five cities in the US and over 10 million people since it launched. The ride-hailing service is supposed to 'support London's extensive network of bus, tube, bike and pedestrian infrastructure' and 'help achieve London's transport priorities'. Waymo says its data shows its technology is involved in five times fewer injury-causing collisions and 12 times fewer injury-causing collisions with pedestrians compared to humans. Although it won't convince everyone, and many see autonomous driving as highly controversial and dangerous, the firm states that in 96 million rider-only miles Waymo Driver has been involved in 11 times fewer crashes involving serious injuries than human drivers. Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said: 'Were thrilled to bring the reliability, safety and magic of Waymo to Londoners. 'Waymo is making roads safer and transportation more accessible where we operate. Weve demonstrated how to responsibly scale fully autonomous ride-hailing, and we cant wait to expand the benefits of our technology to the United Kingdom.' The firm partnered with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and outfitted the EVs with the Waymo Driver - the name of Waymo's autonomous driving tech - for London Waymo is hailed via the app and you start the ride yourself. You can also control music, temperature and destinations Over summer, Department for Transport announced the first step in a wider rollout of self-driving cars, which will see the Automated Vehicles (AV) Act become law from the second half of 2027. The Government estimates it will directly help create around 38,000 jobs, make roads safer and keep the UK among the 'world leaders in new technology'. Waymo earlier this year hit headlines when it found itself at the centre of demonstrations in Los Angeles against the Trump Administrations Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. Protestors smashed the vehicles' windows, slashed the tyres, spray-painted them with anti-ICE slogans, and set them alight. It forced the LA Police Department to take to social platform X - formerly Twitter - to warn people of the dangers of setting the electric vehicles on fire, posting: 'Burning lithium-ion batteries release toxic gases, including hydrogen fluoride, posing risks to responders and those nearby.' At least six Waymo vehicles were reportedly targeted, which resulted in the company temporarily suspending operations in the area 'out of an abundance of caution'. Waymo covers hundreds of thousands of trips every week already in the US, with Waymo currently in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin and Atlanta Are self-driving taxis more expensive? Reports on self-driving taxis in the US indicate riding in one is more expensive than human-driven ride hailing services. Recently the Economist said that 'perhaps Waymos are 20-40 per cent more expensive than a Lyft or an Uber'. Alex Bitter, from Business Insider compared the cost of his first Waymo trip in San Francisco with the price of Uber and Lyft, and similarly found Waymo more expensive. He found that a 12 minute ride on Waymo was $16 at around 9.30am - the rush-hour traffic time when prices are traditionally higher. In comparison an UberX would have cost Bitter around $13 and a Lyft (which was running a discount when he checked) was $10. Bitter wrote that 'with a 20 per cent tip, the Uber ride would have cost about the same as Waymo, but the Lyft ride would've been a few dollars cheaper.' This was despite the fact that Waymo doesn't have a human driver labour cost to pay. A Waymo spokesperson told Business Insider that the company looks at multiple factors when pricing rides, such as the trip's duration and distance. 'During busier times, such as morning rush hour and weekends, prices may be higher'. The growing scale of theft and vandalism targeting electric vehicle charge points has been laid bare in a new report. The data from gathered from police forces has revealed more than 200 attacks on EV chargers across the UK costing millions of pounds. However, charge point operator (CPO) Allego UK, who commissioned the research, is warning that this is just the 'tip of the iceberg' and calling for a cross-collaborative 'EV taskforce' to explore ways to better protect charge points. Allego is cautioning that many incidents go unreported and that 40 per cent of surveyed police forces are either unable to provide data or say they don't have relevant records. The charging industry - a vital pillar in the country's push towards EV uptake, clean transport and Net Zero - wants to raise awareness that as the EV network continues to expand so too does the opportunity for criminal activity and that preventative action is critical. The report's findings align with exclusive insight given to the Daily Mail and This is Money by the leading charging operator, InstaVolt. It revealed the spate of charging cable thefts that is impacting all charging point operators forcing them to use state-of-art security measures to stay ahead of organised crime and make sure that driver experience isn't impacted. A new FOI has found that EV charging cable theft and vandalism targeting is growing - and it's all because of the rising price of copper Paz Sharma, managing director of leading charge point operator Allego UK has joined growing calls for EV chargers to be recognised as critical infrastructure and for harsher penalties for those caught targeting these sites. His calls for the cross-collaborative 'EV taskforce' would see government, industry, law enforcement, the industry body ChargeUK and political groups like the Electric Vehicle All Party Parliamentary Group join together to explore ways to better protect charge points. Paz also emphasised the role of industry in putting criminals on the radar of authorities and has written to both the Home Office and the National Police Chiefs Council calling for the creation of a virtual hotline for reporting EV crime. He said: 'While we are far from crisis mode, this research is a warning sign that action needs to be taken to bring EV criminals to book. 'Its not about the 25 scrap metal value or even the cost of replacing damaged chargers which runs into thousands of pounds its about giving the nation the best chance of securing its clean transport future.' Earlier this week, The Telegraph reported a rise in charging cable thefts that saw operator Evyve claim an estimated 100 chargers had been targeted in the last 12 months (a third of its entire UK network of devices). Osprey also said one in ten of its chargers were out of action this summer due to cable thefts. Thieves are targeting cables because of the soaring price of copper. Copper prices climbed 3.7 per cent between September and October as global supply contracted following production losses at Indonesias Grasberg mine. InstaVolt, Britain's largest rapid charging network, spoke to Daily Mail in depth about the issue. Osprey claims one in ten of its public chargers were out of action this summer due to cable thefts Daily Mail spoke exclusively with InstaVolt CEO Delvin Lane on the issue, and how InstaVolt - the UK's biggest rapid charging provider - is dealing with the serious issue to keep driver confidence high How leading EV charging provider InstaVolt is dealing with cable crime 'The key bit we want drivers to know is that InstaVolt is replacing these charging cables within 24 hours,' InstaVolt CEO Delvin Lane told us. 'The last thing we want is for drivers to have a lack of confidence in charging infrastructure.' And how are they dealing with that? And making sure the driver confidence isn't squashed when there's been a rising issue with cable crime since at least 2023? Other than 'replacing all cables in 24 hours', Delvin explains the company has rigourous and industry-leading security measures in place. 'For us it's about staying one step ahead of the criminal, with a range of measures', he says, 'in three steps.' Delvin Lane, InstaVolt CEO (left) told us that the company uses a three-step proccess: EV cable guards to ward off thieves, 24/7 CCTV and real-time live GPS tracking all built into the cables - at huge cost The first step by InstaVolt was introducing a patent-pending EV cable protection system called CableGuard which adds a critical layer of security without affecting the driver experience; this is a sheath that encases the cable and is forensically traceable. The second physical deterrent Delvin says is CCTV. As we've seen first hand when visiting InstaVolt's new Winchester Superhub with its team, InstaVolt's 24-hour CCTV is vigilant. InstaVolt sites have 24/7 AI-powered CCTV systems capable of identifying suspicious activity in real time and security patrols. Thirdly, Delvin says, is that InstaVolt is now rolling out real-time live tracking GPS. The Trackit247 tech provides real-time updates every three seconds allowing InstaVolt to not only deter theft but also work with police to trace and recover cables and detain offenders in real time. All of this is because charging is 'all about driver confidence' Delvin reiterates, and police are 'already burdened'. InstaVolt can afford to replace cables within 24 hours, at sites like its Winchester Superhub if they're taken, but as one of the few commercially profitable charging operators it's in the minority that can The situation is serious and 'can't continue to see cable losses like it' Delvin warns, because, while InstaVolt can handled 'the burden' as it is commercially profitable CPO with 'economies of scale' many other CPOs aren't and are left with a choice between 'building their network and replacing the cables'. 'This is a shame for competition and for network diversity,' Delvin adds. While once opportunistic one-off crime, InstaVolt is now convinced like other CPOs and the police that it's organised crime. Copper is rising in price due to shortages. While thieves only get about 25 per cable snipped, the cost to CPOs is disproportionately high. Delvin says the cost to InstaVolt to replace each cable is 1,000. The CableGuard alone is 400 in prevention costs as well. This is why it's such a big issues, as very few CPOs have the economies of scale that InstaVolt has to cover these costs 'and deal with it'. Where is InstaVolt seeing the biggest cable thefts? Delvin gave Daily Mail an insight into charging cable thefts from InstaVolt sites in the last 12 months. The worst police area was South Yorkshire which saw 171 cables taken followed closely by the West Midlands that saw 161 cables taken. Nottinghamshire saw an even 100 snatched while Cleveland saw 80 pinched. West Mercia was fifth with 70 cables stolen. This largely reflects the FOI research from Allego UK where Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire were the worst affected areas, with more than 100 reported cases of vandalism between them since 2022. How EV charging companies are banding together to tackle EV charging crime In addition to Allego Managing Director Paz Sharma's calls for an EV taskforce', InstaVolt's Delvin Lane says that it is a member of the National Infrastructure Crime Reporting and shares its experience, intelligence and data with other transport players like Network Rail. Charging providers also communicate with the National Police and Crime Commissioner too. Vicky Read, CEO of ChargeUK said: 'Cable theft has swiftly become one of most pressing issues facing the EV charging sector, creating a costly distraction to the nationwide roll out which is underway and ultimately negatively impacting drivers. 'Charge point operators are implementing innovative solutions to prevent this crime and we are working with members to share best practice and engage the appropriate law enforcement agencies. 'Ultimately, a collaborative response between the industry, police and the Home Office is required to tackle this growing problem.' There are calls for Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander (pictured) to launch an 'EV taskforce' to bring together government, industry, law enforcement, the industry body ChargeUK and political groups like the Electric Vehicle All Party Parliamentary Group to tackle the crime wave Will EV charging cable theft stall the EV uptake? The FOI comes as the UK government accelerates the uptake of EVs, introducing measures to speed up infrastructure rollout, including a nearly 70 million package to support accessibility and relaxed planning rules for charge points. In September the country recorded its highest ever monthly number of pure battery EV sales, nearly 73,000, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers (SMMT). However, damage caused by crime can leave chargers out of service, frustrating drivers and eroding confidence in the network. If left unchecked, experts warn this could slow the transition to electric vehicles and undermine the very investments designed to support it. Delvin Lane doubled down on this when he says 'this is ultimately UK critical infrastructure' and that's why driver confidence is so paramount. Fifty Labour MPs have criticised Rachel Reeves plans to whack large hospitality venues with even higher business rates. In the latest backlash facing the proposals, MPs have written to the Chancellor to warn her reforms run the risk of business closures and job losses. The industry is facing a stark situation due to higher costs, including those foisted on firms under Reeves' last Budget, the letter, organised by Emma Lewell MP, sets out. MPs expressed concerns over 84,000 jobs lost in pubs and restaurants since the Chancellor's last Budget, writing that hospitality is under acute pressure. And they asked the Chancellor to scrap the proposed surcharge for larger venues, which would see bills for large properties, including warehouses, big shops and hotels, increase. Major supermarkets have already expressed their outrage at the plans, which are intended to help afford lower bills for smaller High Street shops. Emma Lewell MP led warnings of a 'stark' situation facing the hospitality sector In the letter, MPs call for a 5 per cent cut in VAT on hospitality, which they say would help with stimulating demand, encouraging investment, and helping venues remain open. They also urged the Chancellor to slash National Insurance contributions to protect entry-level jobs, following a surprise tax raid at last years Budget. The hospitality industry was hit to the tune of 3.4billion in additional annual costs, including higher wages. Business rates are a local levy based on the value of a commercial property, meaning shops and pubs pay a premium compared to online giants such as Amazon. Household names including the bosses of Tesco and Sainsbury's have protested the proposed higher rates band. They say it will make some stores unprofitable and lead to closures, which will then make town centres less attractive and have a knock-on effect on other businesses. But the boss of Co-op this week said the Government must not bow down and priortise 'protecting big business' over 'everyday, ordinary' shopkeepers. The hospitality industry was hit by a 500million increase in business rates in April alongside a barrage of other costs imposed by Labour. Before the Budget, small businesses had called for a Covid-era discount of 75 per cent to be extended to give them some breathing space. But Labour reduced this to a 40 per cent discount, capped at 110,000 per pub. Kate Nicholls, chair of UKHospitality, said: I'm pleased to see so many Labour MPs throw their weight behind our calls for action at the Budget, and I hope the Government acts on our joint concerns. Lowering business rates through the maximum possible discount for smaller hospitality businesses and exempting larger properties from the surcharge should be a priority at the Budget, alongside fixing NICs and cutting VAT for hospitality. Signatories of the letter include Dawn Butler, John McDonnell and Alex Sobel. Luxury goods stocks rallied yesterday as LVMH raised hopes that the worst of the downturn battering the sector is over. The French giant, whose brands include Moet, Givenchy and Louis Vuitton, jumped 12.2 per cent after a 1 per cent rise in sales to 15.9billion over the three months to the end of September. Shares in rival Hermes rose 7.4 per cent while Cartier owner Richemont gained 6.3 per cent. British labels Burberry, where actress Cara Delevingne models for its autumn/winter range, and Mulberry were also in vogue, climbed 3.4 per cent and 2.7 per cent respectively. The LVMH update suggested demand is returning. The group, run by one of the worlds richest men, Bernard Arnault, said sales were growing again in China. Bosses pointed to the success of The Louis, a ship-shaped Louis Vuitton store, cafe and exhibition in Shanghai. When Laura Silva settled down for a quiet evening at her parents' house over in Brazil, she could have been forgiven for breathing a sigh of relief. After all, she had made the 5,000-mile journey from Dublin to Ribeirao das Neves to drag her younger sister Ana out of an abusive relationship - and had achieved it, too, moving her sibling's two young children and belongings to the safest place she knew. But a thump on the family home's door and the subsequent screams which rang around her childhood neighbourhood brought this most fleeting tranquility crashing down. It was Ana's boyfriend Eduardo and he had a machete in one hand and a knife in the other. The next morning, September 17, Laura woke up in hospital. Inspecting her wounds, she was reminded of a gruesome attack which could have easily killed her but instead left serious cuts to her neck, stomach and head, as well as a broken arm, after she stepped in to defend her family. Lying yards away from her were her father and her sister Kelly, both miraculously alive but only slightly better off than Laura. Kelly had also flown over from Ireland, from where a GoFundMe has been set up by friends to aid the sisters' recovery, to embark on a three-week trip which was supposed to be something of a holiday. She awoke to four stitches on her hands as well as more on her feet. Their father nursed a large hole in his head from a particularly treacherous swipe of the blade. Laura Silva, pictured second right, and Kelly, far right, had come to Brazil from Ireland to visit their parents and save sister Ana, far left, from an abusive relationship Laura and Kelly pictured with their parents and one of Ana's babies. Their trip back home to Brazil turned into a nightmare after Ana's partner Eduardo attacked them in their house Ana and her two children had escaped the episode unscathed, while her mother had picked up a sprained ankle. Eduardo, meanwhile, was locked away in a nearby prison, a welcome outcome but at a cost none of the family could have imagined when they got together on Laura and Kelly's arrival from Dublin on August 29. Stuck in Brazil for the foreseeable future while she and her family recover from their injuries, Laura, 26, told the Daily Mail that, on the night of the attack, things seemed to have finally calmed down for her sister Ana after four years of misery. 'She gained a certain kind of courage to get out of that situation and ask for help when we arrived,' Laura said. '[The break up] happened on the first day we arrived in Brazil. 'The abuser did not allow the breakup. Even before it, he threatened her and all of us. That is why she didn't have the courage to leave the relationship. 'He kept threatening all of us and trying to get back into the relationship.' But as their visit came to a close, it looked like Ana might have a genuine shot at restarting her life in Brazil and Laura and Kelly might head home to Ireland. When Eduardo arrived at their door, he charged in wearing a motorbike helmet, less for protection than for hiding his face from the property's CCTV cameras, Laura thinks. The attack left Laura with stab wounds across her body, Kelly needing stitches, and their father with a hole in his head. Their mother miraculously made it out with just a sprained ankle 'We were in the living room watching TV,' she said. 'He screamed that he would kill all of us and he went up to my dad, who got a chair to protect himself.' Laura then rushed over to protect her father, but at the expense of her protecting herself. Eduardo stabbed her and shoved her to the kitchen floor. The thug then slashed his blade towards their mother's head, but narrowly missed. In spite of the bedlam, she somehow had the wherewithal to grab a baking tray and use it to shield her head. Remarkably, as Eduardo stepped up his rampage, Laura dragged herself up from the ground and confronted her assailant, pushing and pulling at him to try to get him out of the kitchen and away from the rest of the family. Kelly, meanwhile, had one of the babies in her arms, its mother Ana upstairs and blissfully unaware of the vile attack in its early stages. Their father then joined Laura and her mother in their attempts to get Eduardo out of their house and onto the terrace, brandishing a chair at the attacker, who in turn waved his knife towards his head, leaving a deep cut. Laura said: 'It did not affect his brain thank God, but it was bleeding a lot.' Eduardo is currently in jail but the family are scared about what the future may hold and are considering selling their home in Brazil As if her stab wounds were not bad enough, Laura soon noticed her arm had been broken in the commotion, with her mother twisting her ankle too. Kelly rushed to Ana's room to hide the baby from the gruesome scene, and as she raced back, she was joined by her younger sister who was ordered by Laura to call the police. The rest set about seizing the machete from Eduardo and the attacker landed a few more sharp swipes on Laura's body before the family managed to subdue him. While they waited for a response team, Laura called a friend from the police who lived nearby. He beat the local force to it and arrested the assailant. 'He was like an angel,' Laura said. 'He came before the police themselves.' Laura, Kelly and their father were rushed to hospital straight away. Miraculously, their mother and Ana's two babies were neither stabbed nor injured. 'It is still really bad,' Laura said. 'I am really sore. I had to go to surgery [on September 18] because my arm was broken and I was very injured. 'I have nine different cuts on my body - on my head, neck arm, belly - from the stabbing. It has been very complicated, my arm is really sore.' Ana's two children with Eduardo were hidden upstairs during the gruesome attack which saw Eduardo swipe at whoever he could with a machete and a knife Her father has a large hole on his head from the stabbing and Kelly, although recovering, 'has been very mentally traumatised' by the assault, according to her sister and Dublin housemate Kelly. Their horrific injuries might be healed in the near future, but the family's ordeal is only just beginning. 'I am really scared about the future,' Laura said. 'We stayed at our parents' house for two days after the attack. I was really scared, any noise I hear I think it is someone getting into my house and that we will get hurt again.' Eduardo is in a nearby jail, as each side scramble for legal representation ahead of a potential trial date. Laura added: 'I am really traumatised. I am afraid he will come out of jail and hurt us again. 'He has a motorcycle and anyone on a motorcycle who drives past me, I think is him.' 'We are still trying to get a lawyer. They are all very expensive and we were not financially prepared for all this.' The sisters' new lives in Dublin have been put on hold after the grim trip back home to Brazil and it looks like they will be holed up there for some time to come. 'It is going to be a long time until we can go back to Ireland - at least two or three months,' she added. 'The doctors are watching me. I also need physiotherapy, they say.' The longer-term reality is that haunting night in September could be the last peaceful evening the family ever spend in their old home. 'We will not feel safe for our parents, sister and her babies to go back to that same house,' Laura said. 'We are going to need to buy a new house - we do not feel safe.' Do they now view the area they loved so much in a different light? '100 per cent. [Eduardo's] house is nearby. He knows where my parents live. 'I am afraid of my family staying. He could get a friend to do something to us or do something himself. Remaining in the same city, or perhaps even the same state, would not be safe for my family. 'The laws in Brazil are not effective in a case like this. Even though he attempted murder, he will not stay in jail long. 'We need to rebuild our lives and then I can go back to Ireland with a certain peace of mind.' For the time being, they are sticking together as a united family, and are astonished by the generosity of Dublin friends Andressa and Luciano Ottaviano, and of the dozens of strangers who have poured more than 5,000 (4,356) into a GoFundMe. 'We are happy that people are trying to help us,' Laura said. 'It gives us hope that we can rebuild our lives. 'This was not planned. We did not have enough money saved. 'I hope we get more help to ensure our safety.' When British expats Christine and Eric Thompson moved to Bulgaria in 2016 they were dreaming of a slower pace of life surrounded by stunning scenery with a low cost of living. But nine years later the couple say they are desperate to leave after Christine, 58, was nearly killed twice by bungling doctors in the former Eastern Bloc country's public hospitals. Now the couple's dream home - a secluded 242,000 four-bed villa and stables and land for their horses in the foothills of the Balkan Mountains - is on the market and they are making plans to leave Bulgaria forever as soon as it sells. They were sold the idea of a dream life in Bulgaria with low prices and friendly locals but after nine years they say the reality is quite different. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Eric, 70, said: 'It's certainly a slower pace of life and the weather is well over 30C. 'But the people are a different story, even in the beautiful weather they have faces like it's a wet Sunday. 'People like to say it's cheaper for groceries here but it's actually the same and a lot dearer for some things than in France and Germany. 'We've travelled extensively around the world and experienced service that was second to none but in Bulgaria it's absolutely horrendous. British expats Christine and Eric Thompson moved to Bulgaria in 2016 but are now desperate to leave after Christine, 58, was nearly killed twice by bungling doctors in the former Eastern Bloc country's public hospitals The couple's dream home - a secluded 242,000 four-bed villa and stables and land for their horses in the foothills of the Balkan Mountains - is on the market They were sold the idea of a dream life in Bulgaria with low prices and friendly locals but after nine years they say the reality is quite different. The couple plan to leave Bulgaria as soon as their home sells 'We walked into a restaurant, gave the waiters our order, waited half an hour with nothing and in the end we stood up and walked out again.' Christine said: 'When you move here you have a honeymoon period but then it changes, people have rose-tinted glasses and enjoy the slower pace of life but that quickly disappears. 'The whole place seems to have a lack of direction. After taking an interest in what was happening in the country it became obvious that there is a lot of corruption which still exists. 'In the nine years we have been here there have been frequent elections for parliament. All the governments that have been formed have been coalitions. As we all know any organisation takes on the traits of the people in charge. 'It feels like a ship without a rudder, meandering along. In one year there were three elections for government. The country has no direction.' But the couple say their biggest issue has been with the country's archaic healthcare system which has caused Christine lifelong health problems. When they first arrived in Bulgaria in 2016, Christine was taking Cordaron medication for an irregular heartbeat having had strict instructions to stop after six months - but three years later doctors were still insisting she take it. Now her prolonged use of the medication has caused damage to her heart and thyroid. Then in 2020 doctors switched her onto Xulthophy medication for type-2 diabetes, and four years later her body was 'shutting down'. Christine eventually paid to see a specialist doctor privately who finally prescribed her the correct medication but she continues to suffer from health problems including painful joints, inflammation of the bones and poor kidney function. She said: 'We are getting out because the health care falls far short of the standards found in the west of Europe - twice now they have nearly killed me and I fear the third time they will. 'I tried bitterly to get them to take me off the medication but when I flatly refused to take it they threw me out of the hospital. 'It scarred my heart and the iodine in the Cordaron obliterated my thyroid and caused Hyperthyroidism, massive weight gain and metabolic issues. 'Leaving the UK is fantastic but when things go wrong those rose tinted glasses come off pretty quickly. 'People say how wonderful the healthcare is here but it's not - I spoke to a woman who told me the healthcare here has killed her husband through misdiagnosis.' She continues to receive homeopathic treatment to deal with her high levels of Uric acid from the Cordaron. She said: 'If I hadn't done this myself my kidneys would have failed now 'It's completely wiped out my trust in doctors here.' Speaking to The Daily Mail, Eric, 70, said: 'It's certainly a slower pace of life and the weather is well over 30C. 'But the people are a different story, even in the beautiful weather they have faces like it's a wet Sunday' After becoming disillusioned with life in the UK and concerned about the falling job market Eric took early retirement from his job as a chartered mining engineer and self-employed Christine quit her hospitality business They sold their home in Doncaster in 2005 and initially moved to Turkey after falling in love with the country during a two-week holiday. After a decade the horse-loving couple decided to move to find a permanent sanctuary for their animals and after discussing with friends they decided on Bulgaria Christine says she is far from alone; many other expats also have healthcare horror stories Eric added: 'Their system is fully paper based and if you don't have all your paperwork with you they don't believe you. 'You're hitting brick walls everywhere - all consultants do is look at your notes, they don't converse with one another. 'It's soul destroying to deal with the archaic system.' Christine says she is far from alone; many other expats also have healthcare horror stories. She added: 'A friend of ours has had a skin condition for 20 years that needed a specific cream. 'When they first arrived they were able to get the right cream and everything was wonderful. After a few years the medical service here changed cream. Our friend was literally in agony. This was done to save money.' Christine says expats who are pensioners are also often charged for medical treatment that should be free because officials can't be bothered to fill out the correct forms. After becoming disillusioned with life in the UK and concerned about the falling job market Eric took early retirement from his job as a chartered mining engineer and self-employed Christine quit her hospitality business. They sold their home in Doncaster in 2005 and initially moved to Turkey after falling in love with the country during a two-week holiday. Earlier this month the couple listed their Bulgarian home - near the town of Sevlievo 100 miles East of Sofia - for sale and are making preparations to move their two horses, two dogs and two cats to France After a decade the horse-loving couple decided to move to find a permanent sanctuary for their animals and after discussing with friends they decided on Bulgaria. Earlier this month the couple listed their Bulgarian home - near the town of Sevlievo 100 miles East of Sofia - for sale and are making preparations to move their two horses, two dogs and two cats to France. Eric said: 'Bulgaria should've been a no no, France would've been the first choice but it would've been too difficult to move the horses that distance over four days.' Christine added: 'It was a learning curve for us, we've learned a hell of a lot here. 'You learn about the Eastern way and it's definitely an eye opener and it makes you appreciate being British which has standards, building codes and regulations.' A devoted dog owner has been left facing crippling debts after a US road trip with his beloved puppy turned into a 'nightmare' when she was run over. Kane Erwin, from Shoreditch, east London, decided to embark on an adventure of a lifetime by travelling across the States with one year-old Lucy by his side. But after enjoying an epic holiday exploring mountains, lakes and rolling prairie lands, the pair were just days away from flying back home when his young Dalmatian was suddenly hit by a car. Her injuries were so severe she has had to undergo multiple surgeries, while Kane has found himself stranded in America until his dog is well enough to travel home with him. His plight has been made worse by the fact he could not afford pet insurance abroad for Lucy - but now he has had to stump up thousands to provide her medical care, as well as support himself through an unexpected extended stay in the US. At a point of feeling 'overwhelmed', Kane has now launched a GoFundMe campaign to help relieve some of the financial pressure he faces amid mounting medical costs for Lucy. He has so far raised just over 4,000, with Kane brought to tears when he thinks about the 'kindness of strangers' helping him through the ongoing ordeal. The 35-year-old, who has gone back to studying after formerly working as a freelance photographer, looks upon Lucy with a special fondness not only because she is his first dog - but also because he credits her with 'changing his life'. Kane Erwin has been left facing crippling debts after a US road trip with his beloved puppy Lucy turned into a 'nightmare' when she was run over The pair were just days away from flying back home when the young Dalmatian was suddenly hit by a car while in Texas Lucy suffered a large 20cm by 5cm raw open wound on her right front leg, as well as gashes to her left leg and a double fracture He told Daily Mail: 'I lost my dad in 2016 and suffered depression afterwards. 'It's not like everything has gone away, but she has helped change my whole outlook on the world. She has changed my life in so many positive ways.' Speaking from New York, where Kane has been living between his car, a friend's sofa and the occasional hotel or rented room over the last month while Lucy recovers, the beleaguered Brit recalled the fateful day that changed both their lives. He said: 'We flew out on 4 August and had been out in America for about a month when we arrived in Texas. 'Ten days before we were due to fly home, we met up with a friend in Austin before I then drove over to the Lake Whitney State Park campsite with Lucy. 'It was really beautiful and we spent the day there enjoying a barbeque.' Within the confines of a state park, dogs are usually required to stay on a lead - but the park was 'completely empty' apart from Kane and Lucy - and he believed she was safe enough to wander freely. Kane had wanted to enjoy an adventure of a lifetime with Lucy by his side across the US As the sun began to set at around 9pm, Kane sat by the campfire 'listening to music, and just hanging out.' He recalled: 'Lucy had been nearby chewing her bone, but then I looked around and suddenly she wasn't right behind me anymore. 'So I got up, and I called out her name and called again. 'And that's when I realised there was a road running through the park and Lucy had crossed to the other side. 'I called out her name - but then saw a car's headlights just at that moment and she was already running back to me. There was no way for me to stop her from coming.' Seconds later, Lucy was struck by a large SUV and was seriously injured, before running off in fright. 'When I finally got to her, there was just blood everywhere and large gashes in her front legs,' said Kane, who was left distraught by what had happened. After being rushed to an emergency vet, Kane was told Lucy had a large 20cm by 5cm raw open wound on her right front leg, as well as a double fracture. She also had a nasty gash on her left front leg. The pair are now stranded in the US until Lucy is well enough to fly home again The vet he initially saw in Texas remained 'pretty confident' that Lucy's broken leg could heal in a splint and the pair would be able to fly home as scheduled from New York. Having arrived in the Big Apple, Kane took Lucy to the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center (AMC) to get Lucy's fit to fly letter - but instead was handed the news that one leg had become infected, while another was showing signs of infection. They also told him she would need skin grafts, overnight stays, x-rays and more medication to help her leg heal fully. 'I had a $14,000 bill from the AMC, and then $2,400 for the other vets, where her bandages were changed. Its all going on credit cards at the minute.' He added he would need another 2,500 for a pet cargo plane to transport Lucy directly back to the UK with him. 'I had seen this trip as a chance for me to be in nature with my dog and just have fun. We were camping and having experiences off the beaten track, rather than staying in hotels.' He has so far raised just over 4,000, with Kane brought to tears when he thinks about the 'kindness of strangers' helping him through the ongoing ordeal Kane said he had looked into purchasing pet insurance abroad for Lucy before they left the UK, but the costs were prohibitive for what was meant to be a modestly-budgeted trip. The cost of taking a pet abroad can range from a few hundred to more than a thousand pounds depending on the level of cover required. 'It was just meant to be me in nature, with my dog and having fun, without spending too much - but now I've been landed with bills for thousands of pounds. 'When I shared my story on a Reddit group for Dalmatian owners,I hadn't thought about launching a fundraiser, but people said they wanted to help us get back home. 'I just can't believe how kind people have been. The kindness of strangers has been amazing.' To donate to Kane's GoFundMe for Lucy visit here Even in a city as filled with human misery and despair as Portland, her story has the power to shock. The woman, who the Daily Mail is not naming, has almost lost the ability to speak and blurts out an unintelligible garble of noise. She spends all day bashing herself on the head with her right hand and has been carrying out the act of self-harm for so long that she now has a bald spot to show for it. Citizen journalist Kevin Dahlgren and other locals told the Daily Mail that the middle-aged woman is regularly accosted by a group of unknown men. They say she is taken to a nearby motel or apartment, where she is forced to shower, before being subjected to horrific sexual assaults. Portland residents who know the woman said the group attacks can go on for days before she is dumped back on the streets. The Daily Mail has contacted Portland Police, who have requested more information about the crimes said to have been committed against the woman. When approached by the Daily Mail last week, the woman could barely string a sentence together. She managed to ask for a lighter to smoke a cigarette, with Dahlgren saying he fears the woman is also battling severe drug issues. This Portland woman has been so badly abused by groups of local men that she can barely speak and spends her days self harming, according to locals who spoke to the Daily Mail The woman spends her days bashing herself on the side of the head in an act of self harm. She has given herself a bald spot as a result Citizen journalist Kevin Dahlgren (left) and Daily Mail reporter Joe Hutchison (right) toured the downtown area of the Oregon city with the Daily Mail last week and highlighted issues facing the city on the ground According to Dahlgren, other locals have confided in him that the disturbing assaults the woman has been subjected to has happened countless times over the years. Clips he has shared of her to his own social media page show her relentlessly attacking her head as she sobs. She is known to use crystal meth, with Dahlgren saying he also witnessed her picking up used needles from the street and injecting herself with them. 'Of course [it] puts her at high risk of getting HIV or AIDS, it's one of the saddest cases I've ever seen', he said. Dahlgren has been on the ground in the city for decades providing an in-depth take on the problems affecting the area. He never leaves home without Narcan saying that he uses the nasal spray to combat overdoses on the streets every other day. On a walk around the Old Town area of the city, Dahlgren said those on the streets are hooked on a toxic cocktail of fentanyl cut with Xylazine, a veterinary sedative. The potent mixture of the two renders addicts unable to wake up if they are overdosing, with Dahlgren himself watching addicts die every three days he said. The area was littered with drug users openly smoking drugs, while others prodded at spent veins with hypodermic needles. Richard, a Cuban migrant, told the Daily Mail that he ended up on the streets after falling on hard times after moving from the country to Seattle. Prior to speaking he had been in the process of inhaling a bubbling substance from a scrap piece of aluminum. He said he ended up on the streets after losing his job. The abused woman is seen here in a video Dahlgren shared to his social media beating her head with her hands. She has beaten the side of her head until it was left with a bald spot, which is visible here Richard, a Cuban migrant, is seen here inhaling drugs from a scrap piece of aluminum prior to speaking with the Daily Mail Richard is seen here clutching a metal pipe in his hand and a lighter, he declined to show the Daily Mail what was burning on the foil Another individual, who wouldn't give his name, was sweeping up broken glass from the window of an SUV, complaining that a homeless person had just broken into the vehicle five minutes before. Moments later, three police officers ordered the man to the ground by gunpoint - with cops saying he himself had broken into the vehicle. It remains unclear why the suspect stuck around to clean up his own alleged crime. Even for Dahlgren, who has seemingly seen it all, the arrest came as a shock to him - laughing off the bizarre situation. 'That just tells me he is a 'good' criminal, this is just hilarious', he added. The arrest was a rare sight, according to Dahlgren, with open crime and drug use a problem in the old downtown area with police lax in doing anything about it, he said. 'Crime out here is just really common, this is extremely common - you can usually hear the smashes, the police don't care - they're not going to stop them', he added. Richard White, 56, has been on the streets since August after being pushed out of an assisted living facility over criminal charges held against him. 'I've had to go through this long process to get back into the system, and I just found out today I have a warrant out for my arrest and all my work to get back into assisted living has been an absolute waste as they're just going to arrest me.' When asked about the charges against him he called it 'misdemeanor s***', saying he was just biding his time before he was picked up by the cops . He added: 'I was successful, I had jobs, I did four years in the Marines. I did a lot of stuff for the country, now I have the worst kind of lifestyle.' A man who allegedly smashed a car window then pretended to be the victim is seen here being ordered to the ground by police Moments before his arrest the man told Daily Mail that the vehicle was his, using a mop to crudely sweep up the broken glass Richard White, seen here, has been on the streets since August after being pushed out of an assisted living facility over criminal charges held against him Jeff Dickey works with Urban Alchemy, a homeless outreach program, who run a closed off park area designated for the homeless to use. Inside, scores of people lined up for hot drinks and food, with medical teams also available on site. Dickey said that the city was dealing with the hangover of having effectively legalized personal consumption of all drugs. A U-turn was performed after woke Democrat Mike Schmidt was booted from his job as Multnomah County District Attorney in 2024. But Schmidt's predecessor Nathan Vasquez still faces the after-effects of licentious policies blamed for driving quality of life in Portland off a cliff. 'They just overturned it but the ripple effects are still out there, people still openly use them', adding that around two to three hundred people make use of the program every day. Dahlgren agreed with him about the decriminalization, adding: 'What we created over that three year period [of decriminalization], is a whole new generation of addicts. I've never seen more drug use in this area.' Dickey added: 'People are terrified of the streets out here, a lot of them have been living in trauma for years. There's no reprieve, there's no break from the nonsense.' Former District Attorney Schmidt oversaw the decriminalization of drugs, reducing possession of heroin, fentanyl and meth to the level of a parking ticket. On the outskirts of the neighborhood, Dahlgren pointed to an underpass area that had recently been blocked up by the city. The city has recently installed metal barricades, like the one above, to stop homeless people from sleeping in underpasses Urban Alchemy, a homeless outreach program, operates a closed off park area designated for the homeless to use, their facility in the neighborhood is seen here A man is seen here sleeping on the sidewalk as the Daily Mail surveyed the city last week People on the streets had been using sledgehammers to break into vacant spaces underneath the roads, sleeping and using drugs inside them. According to two nearby security workers, the city coroner had been called to the area twice in the last year to pull bodies from the enclosed space. Due to the deaths, city officials moved to have the area blocked off, with large cinder blocks and metal bars brought in to stop people from gaining entry. Despite the grim conditions in the small area, the city looks to have turned a corner - with locals saying that the drug use and homelessness had improved slightly since the chaos of the pandemic. One business owner, who declined to give their name, said: 'The most I really see now is people standing by the window smoking with the fumes coming in here. 'Nine out of ten times they will leave, occasionally I'll have to call security, it's been a rollercoaster. It definitely was a lot worse, it took a nosedive - Covid was the final nail in the coffin. 'But there's more foot traffic, the area is cleaner and they [the homeless] don't bother anybody either.' The business, a coffee shop, requires a worker on the inside to let patrons in who are required to use a doorbell for entry, due to previous issues involving the homeless. The businesses that remain are also boarded up after seemingly having their windows smashed Businesses in the area, particularly coffee shops, require patrons to buzz in to be allowed access due to the issues The positive sign that the city is on the up comes after progressive District Attorney Mike Schmidt was ousted from his post last year A similar system is used at other businesses in the area. Some other businesses which remain open appear derelict after using plywood to board up their windows. The city recorded its highest levels of foot traffic since the pandemic over the summer, in a sign the city is bouncing back slightly. In a report released in September, officials said that in August the much-maligned downtown area welcomed more than 21.24 million pedestrians. That was an increase of 5.6 percent from the same time last year the busiest it has been since before the pandemic, figures show. Much of the improvement has been linked to woke former DA Schmidt being replaced by Nathan Vasquez, who has vowed to clean Portland up. Portland was among cities keenest to defund its police department in the wake of George Floyd's June 2020 murder, with Vasquez also promising to build bridges with the city's beleaguered cops. As President Trump eyes up sending in the National Guard into the city to combat so-called 'Antifa terrorists', Dahlgren instead hopes the administration looks to battle what he calls the real problems. 'I believe the next logical step might be a federal response to the homeless and addiction crisis if my city and others don't get their crap together. 'I'm not saying I'm inviting them, I'm saying this is the next natural step', he added. Foreign nationals now make up one in six universal credit recipients, official figures show. Almost 1.3million migrants, most of whom don't have jobs, were given the benefit in July. For comparison, that is up from 930,000 in 2022. It comes after the Tories last week unveiled bold plans to bar foreign nationals from claiming universal credit and other benefits, in a bid to slash billions of Government spending. Ministers have ringfenced 141.2billion for welfare in 2025/26, with the bulk of that going towards universal credit. Helen Whately, shadow secretary for work and pensions, told the Daily Mail: 'We need a new approach to welfare. Your browser does not support iframes. 'The Government must put Brits first instead of handing out cash to foreigners. 'Our welfare system was built on fairness and contribution. Under Labour, Britain is a country that doles out money to people from all corners of the world, rewarding those who've contributed nothing while penalising those who have. 'Every pound wasted on welfare for foreign nationals is a pound taken from British workers, families, and pensioners who've earned their support.' She added: 'We will stop this splurge on benefits for foreign nationals, restrict universal credit and sickness payments to British citizens, and deliver 23 billion in welfare savings. 'Labour and Reform would do the opposite keep spending, keep taxing, and keep Britain stuck in decline.' Department for Work and Pensions figures show that 6.7m people claiming universal credit were British, Irish, or those who live or work in the UK without any immigration restrictions. That equated to 83.8 per cent of the total 8million recipients. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. The next largest group were people with EU Settlement Scheme settled status, who have a right to reside in the UK. They accounted for 9.6 per cent while 2.7 per cent of the total had indefinite leave to remain. Refugees accounted for 1.5 per cent of people receiving the benefit, while 0.7 per cent had come by safe and legal humanitarian routes, including the Ukraine and Afghan resettlement schemes. Figures also show 60 per cent of foreign recipients are not in work a situation previously described by campaigners as 'unsustainable'. Universal credit is a payment to help with living costs and is available for people on low incomes or those who are out of work or cannot work. People can only access Universal Credit if they have an immigration status that provides recourse to public funds. Your browser does not support iframes. Those with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) cannot claim most benefits, tax credits or housing assistance that are paid by the state. The total number of people on Universal Credit has risen from 6.9million in July 2024 to 8million a year later. This is the highest level since the benefit was first introduced in 2013 and compares to the 6.9 million people who were on Universal Credit in July 2024. The steep rise in the number of claimants over the past 12 months has been driven almost entirely by people who are not required to work. The number of people on Universal Credit with 'no work requirements' reached 3.7million in July this year an increase of 39 per cent or 1million since July 2024. It means 46 per cent of all Universal Credit claimants are not expected to do anything to prepare or to look for work. This can include those in full-time education, over the state pension age, someone with a child aged under one, and those considered to have no prospect of work. As of the 2021 Census, around 16 per cent of the UK population were not born here. The figures cannot be compared with the DWP's immigration breakdown because of how they are collected. A DWP spokesman said: 'The Government has announced plans to increase the standard time most migrants have to wait before they can access benefits in the UK from five to 10 years. 'The spending on non-UK citizens is in line with the increase in Universal Credit spending overall and the proportion of payments to foreign nationals has fallen since July 2024.' Once hailed as one of Australia's ten most powerful people and Anthony Albanese's arch-nemisis, former Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather now appears to be just another backroom operator. After being narrowly defeated by Labor's Renee Coffey in Griffith in May, Chandler-Mather became eligible for a resettlement payout capped at $105,625, a payment available to MPs who involuntarily leave Parliament. But with a young family and soaring rents in Brisbane, that money is unlikely to last long if he decided to take it. Chandler-Mather has previously admitted he doesn't own a home despite earning more than $233,660 a year while in Parliament. He also donated $50,000 of his salary to fund free school meals in his electorate. 'My view is when I got elected, I was elected by a lot of people who are low-income renters and it wasn't right for me not to give up a big portion of my salary to people who are low income. 'Because of giving up that money and being on a single income, and in an inner-city electorate with very, very high median house prices, it is difficult to buy a house there.' So what's next for the 33-year-old who once styled himself as the future of the Greens? With his payout unlikely to stretch far, some are wondering if he has or is eyeing a taxpayer-funded political staffing job to help pay the bills. Senior advisers can earn as much as MPs. Insiders tell me the Greens are trying to find the 'next Max Chandler-Mather' (pictured) Sources tell me the Greens are scrambling to find 'the next Max', with Chandler-Mather said to be involved in that search and working quietly behind the scenes, advising party insiders. But how he's now earning a living doing that - and if he is still being paid for this role remains unclear. When contacted for comment, Chandler-Mather snapped that he didn't have to tell Daily Mail anything, confirming he hasn't lost his trademark edge. However Chandler-Mather but did deny a rumour that he'd been guiding young Greens-aligned organisers at the University of Queensland Union, the same campus battleground where his political career began, back when he was still a Labor true believer. After the Queensland Greens' 2022 'Greenslide' delivered three federal seats, the party has since struggled across all levels of government, losing three seats at the 2025 election, including Melbourne, once held by former leader Adam Bandt. Whether Chandler-Mather can help spark a revival remains to be seen. The Prime Minister regularly clashed with Chandler-Mather, with both men infamously trading barbs in a heated clash on the floor of the House of Representatives two years ago. Chandler-Mather still plays on Albanese's mind because the PM cracked a gag at his expense at the Midwinter Ball. 'This election, we farewelled my favourite Green,' Albanese told the audience, as a picture of Max Chandler-Mather flashed on the screen. 'Not that Green,' the PM said, 'This Green,' he added as a picture of the ABC's now-retired chief election analyst Antony Green appeared. Chandler-Mather returned fire, saying 'how sad for him'. The search for the next Max follows a disappointing few years for the Queensland Greens 'If the Prime Minister keeps treating everyday working people like dirt, while wining and dining with CEOs and lobbyists and lining the pockets of big corporations and billionaires with tax handouts and loopholes, I'll be the least of his concerns,' Chandler-Mather told the Daily Mail. 'Personally I've been enjoying life outside parliament, carefully thinking how best to continue to fight on behalf of the millions of everyday people screwed over by this Labor government. 'I'm a bit surprised the Prime Minister remains so fixated on me, because I haven't really thought about him at all.' While in parliament, Chandler-Mather earned the nickname of 'Albo's arch-nemesis' due to his clashes with the PM over housing policy. In 2023, tensions came to a head during a debate over the $10billion Housing Australia Future Fund. As Albanese was leaving the House of Representatives chamber, he reportedly turned back and directed an angry remark to Chandler-Mather, saying: 'You're a joke, mate.' Last year, Chandler-Mather also questioned why the Prime Minister was able to rake in an extra $115,000 a year in rental income while he lives rent-free at The Lodge and Kirribilli House during a housing crisis. These confrontations led many young Australians to see Chandler-Mather as a strong voice representing young people's concerns about the housing crisis. The pair also traded words shortly after Chandler-Mather was ousted in May, with the Greens firebrand telling Triple J Hack that the PM had often directed 'personal abuse' at him in the House. 'The Prime Minister spent a lot of time in my electorate attacking me, the property industry, the mining industry, all coming after us,' Chandler-Mather said. 'We would get up (in the House) and say 'all we want is for the government to do something for the one-third of the country that rents' and I had the Prime Minister come up to me in the Chamber and call me a 'joke' and personally abuse me.' In 2023, tensions came to a head during a debate over the $10billion Housing Australia Future Fund As Albanese was leaving the House of Representatives chamber, he reportedly turned back and directed an angry remark to Chandler-Mather, saying: 'You're a joke, mate' But Albanese has said the former MP needed to look at his own behaviour. 'He should have a good look at the way that he asks questions in the parliament,' the Prime Minister told ABC's 7.30 afterwards. 'Maybe what he needs is a mirror and a reflection on why he's no longer in parliament. 'This is a guy who stood before signs at a CFMEU rally in Brisbane describing me as a Nazi. 'I think it's a bit rich for him of all people...who has been rejected by his own electorate after just one term.' A Queensland father of three is calling for shopping centres to relocate graphic Halloween displays because some of the horror scenes are so disturbing they warrant an MA 15+ film rating. Tim Doecke said that every spring, Westfield shopping centres turn entrances and walkways into corridors of Halloween merchandise, leaving parents unable to shield young children from traumatising scenes. 'One of our boys knows it's Halloween season and he doesn't want to go to the shops,' he said. 'He'll close his eyes when we're going past the checkout in Kmart because he wants to sleep well at night. The shops aren't a safe place for him.' Mr Doecke said spiders, cobwebs and pumpkins were not the issue. 'There are stores, particularly discount stores, with merchandise such as severed limbs, human organs on plates, masks of zombies and decomposing faces. This kind of content is found in R18 movies, so should not be legal in public spaces.' Mr Doecke said that while seasonal retail displays were expected, the growing intensity of Halloween promotions was alarming. Father-of-three Tim Doecke (pictured) is calling for Halloween displays to be moved to designated areas to avoid traumatising young children Parents are unable to protect their children from being exposed to graphic content at the shops Halloween merchandise for sale at a discount store at Sunshine Plaza in Maroochydore 'Studies in child psychology show links between exposure to violent images and increased anxiety, fear, and even sleep disturbances in children,' he said. 'Children and young people passing through shopping centres, whether with family or with friends, cannot easily avoid these displays. 'Parents lose the chance to decide what their children confront.' Mr Doecke said just as alcohol, tobacco, and restricted-age films are placed in designated areas, so too should violent or frightening Halloween merchandise. He said shops can relocate Halloween displays to areas which customers seeking such products can easily access, but which families with young children can also avoid. Mr Doecke said he had first-hand experience of the lingering impact of being exposed to graphic content. 'I remember when I was 10 and visiting family friends, my friend showed me a book about the history of war,' he said. 'He opened a page that showed ancient torture techniques. Mr Doecke said discount stores were the worst offenders selling merchandise such as severed limbs, human organs on plates, masks of zombies and decomposing faces A petition on Change.org has garened hundreds of signatures in support of the call The picture was of men being impaled on sticks. I wasn't expecting to see that. That was 33 years ago, and I can still see the image in my mind.' Mr Doecke has launched a petition on Change.org, which has 1500 signatures in support. 'It needs to come down to strong regulations and classification standards, as the variety of discount stores are the major offenders, don't have a single governing body,' he said. The Daily Mail contacted Scentre Group, the largest owner of shopping centres in Australia, including 37 Westfields across the country. It did not respond to questions regarding the number of complaints it had received over graphic displays or whether it had policies on what was appropriate for Halloween displays in its centres. Meanwhile, several councils have declared war on Halloween decorations, with the Inner West Council in Sydney urging residents to 'avoid the horror of dangerous decorations' in a Facebook post on Monday. The council said wildlife can ingest or get stuck in synthetic cobwebs, fishing line and balloons. It recommended using organic cotton wool, leaves and pumpkins instead. Councils are declaring war on Halloween merchandise, including artificial spider webs, that can cause harm to wildlife Sydney's Willoughby Council also asked residents to avoid using synthetic spiderwebs, due to the risk it poses to wildlife. Marion Council in Adelaide's south banned the use of artificial webs on council land to protect wildlife. The council said the fake webs can trap and harm birds, butterflies, and beneficial insects, and the material can be taken to create nests and the toxic material endangers chicks. Earlier this week, the council warned artificial webs placed on council land, including nature strips and verges, faced removal by council inspectors. The search for missing four-year-old Gus Lamont is being stepped up by police amid mounting fears of a chilling connection to another man who vanished nearby at the same time. Gus disappeared from his grandparents' remote South Australian property near Yunta on September 27 while playing on a mound of dirt. Despite an exhaustive six-day search, authorities called off the operation last Friday only to resume it four days later. Fresh concern has now been raised about a 40-year-old man named Benjamin who went missing on September 26, just one day before Gus. Benjamin was last seen driving erratically on the Stuart Highway south of Glendambo, a two-hour drive from Gus's home. Few details are known about Benjamin, who was travelling in a 2006 Hyundai Getz with Western Australia registration plates 1IGG659. Neither his surname, family situation nor the circumstances that led to him being in the area have been revealed. His abandoned vehicle was found in dense scrub about 10km off the highway at Wirraminna on September 27, the same day Gus was reported missing. Gus disappeared from his grandparents' remote South Australian property near Yunta on September 27 The search for Gus has ramped up again around the remote Outback sheep station Benjamin went missing on September, 26, just one day before Gus Police conducted a wide-scale search with SES volunteers, drones and local trackers, yet he remains missing. Officers have appealed for anyone who travelled the Stuart Highway between Port Augusta and Glendambo on the afternoon of September 26, particularly those with dashcam footage, to speak to them. Several truck drivers reported being concerned by the vehicle's erratic driving that day. The coincidences have raised alarm bells among locals, who are asking whether there could be any connection between the two events. However a South Australia Police spokesperson to Daily Mail 'Police are not aware of or investigating any connection between missing person Benjamin and Gus.' On Saturday, the day after police announced they were scaling back the search for Gus, they renewed their appeal for information to help locate Benjamin - a move that angered many. 'Where is Gus?' one person commented under a post about Benjamin's appeal. 'Scaling back a search for a child but wanting more information on this guy, sorry no disrespect to his family but don't call off a search for a little boy,' wrote another. Benjamin's abandoned vehicle was discovered in the shrub Police received reports the vehicle was being driven erratically Police launched a wide-scale search with SES volunteers, drones and local trackers Since then the search for Gus has been widened, with South Australia Police Commissioner Grant Stevens confirming the a specialist group, Taskforce Horizon, will focus solely on Gus's disappearance. But the search took a grim turn on Wednesday with a change in weather conditions. A police spokesperson told the Daily Mail that officers - along with an 80-strong army contingent - would be forced to begin searching at dawn on Thursday, and stop by noon due to howling 50km/h winds and temperatures soaring past 34C. Police have not confirmed whether they plan to extend the search beyond Friday. Meanwhile the dirt track into the property is becoming almost impassable to anything smaller than a four-wheel drive. A van carrying army personnel became bogged down in the thick bulldust that shrouds deep rivets in the road leading to Gus's grandparents' home. It is also understood that searchers encountered several deadly brown snakes while scouring the saltbush-studded plains surrounding Oak Park Station. Members of the media were warned to be vigilant about snakes, and to go straight to the ambulance stationed in front of the Murray homestead if bitten. The Daily Mail understands no one has been injured and the search party remains healthy as of Wednesday afternoon, when the hunt was abandoned amid sweltering conditions around 3pm. Taskforce Horizon has been set up to focus solely on Gus's disappearance The first day has concluded with no evidence being located Former NSW homicide detective Gary Jubelin, who led the investigation into the disappearance of William Tyrrell, told Daily Mail Australia that officers would be looking further afield for the sake of thoroughness. 'Police would be considering whether young Gus disappeared through misadventure, wandered off, or whether there was some form of intervention - either human or, given the nature of the land out there, possibly wildlife,' Mr Jubelin said. 'Things can be missed, minute things can be missed.' Rumours have circulated online, including a viral but fake image showing Gus being bundled into a car by an unfamiliar man, adding to the sense of urgency and fear in the community. Commissioner Stevens emphasised there is 'nothing to suggest foul play' but said officers are exploring every possibility. 'Nothing is off the table. We are endeavouring to recover Gus for his family,' he said. 'The family are cooperating fully with the police inquiry.' Tracker and former policeman Aaron Stuart, who has assisted in the investigation, said: 'I honestly believe the answer is back there on the property. 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.' A couple accused of raping a six-year-old girl and holding her captive in a pit with her sister's corpse have been offered plea deals. Daniel Callihan, 37, has confessed to murdering his ex-girlfriend Callie Brunett in her Louisiana home on June 11 last year and abducting her two young daughters. Callihan stabbed Brunett, 35, more than 50 times, before he kidnapped her eldest daughter, who the Daily Mail is not naming for legal reasons, and the little girl's four-year-old sister Erin, federal court documents said. He then drove the sisters more than 130 miles away to Mississippi where he and his partner Victoria Cox kept the six-year-old as a 'sex slave,' according to a factual basis that Callihan signed after he pleaded guilty to federal charges in August. Callihan suffocated Erin to death 'by holding [her] closely against his chest' after he and Cox, 34, engaged in criminal sexual activity with the girl, the filings said. Police rescued her on June 13 after they located Brunett's stolen car parked close to Callihan's property. The six-year-old was found in a dirt pit, where the duo held her captive, alongside her younger sister's remains. Callihan will spend the rest of his life behind bars after pleading guilty to both federal and state charges in connection to the horrific crimes. Cox, who is only facing state charges, was offered a plea deal during her pretrial hearing on Monday. Images taken by officers show bedraggled Daniel Callihan being held up by two law enforcement officers as he was apprehended in Mississippi last year Daniel Callihan (left) will spend the rest of his life behind bars after pleading guilty to both federal and state charges in connection to the horrific crimes. His accomplice Victoria Cox, (right) who is only facing state charges, was offered a plea deal on Monday Cox, who was charged as an accessory in the case, was previously indicted for capital murder, kidnapping, and sexual battery. She pled not guilty in Mississippi court and was expected to stand trial in December. But the Hinds County District Attorney's Office presented her a plea deal at her pretrial hearing on Monday, WJTV reported. Her defense attorney is going to review the deal and go over it with Cox. She has until the end of the month to accept the agreement. Callihan accepted a plea deal in the same court on September 29, 2025. He pled guilty to capital murder, two counts kidnapping and two counts sexual battery. Judge Debra Gibbs sentenced him to life in prison without parole on the murder and sexual battery counts. He was also sentenced to 30 years on each kidnapping count. His sentences will run consecutively with those he received in Louisiana last month and with any future sentences he is handed in federal court. Brunett's sister Brandi Hosch, who tearfully spoke at Callihan's September sentencing at Hinds County Circuit Court, branded him a 'demon' as she addressed the court. 'We are forever changed in the worst possible way because of you,' Hosch said, according to WLBT. 'You have no soul. You are a demon. Not one day goes by that we are not lost, angry, or sickened because of you. 'I hope every time you close your eyes, you have nightmares, and you never rest... When you look down at your hands, I hope you can't unsee what they have done.' Callihan, 37, has confessed to murdering his ex-girlfriend Callie Brunett (pictured) in her Louisiana home on June 11 last year and abducting her two young daughters Callihan kidnapped the six-year-old, (left) and four-year-old Erin Brunett (right) Callihan (center) accepted a plea deal at Hinds County Circuit Court on September 29, 2025. He pled guilty to capital murder, two counts kidnapping and two counts sexual battery Callihan was arrested one June 13 last year after leading police to the wooded area behind a house where he dumped Erin's body. Her sister was found close by. A coroner ruled coroner that Erin died from asphyxiation due to suffocation. Images taken by officers show the bedraggled Callihan being held up by two law enforcement officers as he was apprehended. Callihan also bluntly confessed to the crime as he was hauled away to jail, seemingly blaming his depression medication for his sick acts. 'I'm on Lexapro. Sober. No drugs in my system. I did it,' Callihan said as police escorted him from court to a prison van. 'I have no reason for what I did. All I know is, I want to say I was sober and only on Lexapro... I think it was the side effects of the Lexapro.' Callihan said he was diagnosed with borderline and multiple personality disorders, but that didn't mean he deserved any leniency. 'I would kill me... For what I did? Lethal injection is the easiest thing for me,' he said. 'I am not pretending to be crazy. I am certified. I have only been out of the nut house for two weeks.' Cox was arrested at a nearby motel that same day. 'I'm on Lexapro. Sober. No drugs in my system. I did it,' Callihan said as police escorted him from court to a prison van Callihan (at the bottom) holds a crossbow as he skulks naked through a neighbor's property Callihan creepily walks around a neighbor's yard with something in his hand Neighbors last year described Callihan as a menace who terrified their children. They alleged that he once set fire to a shed he was supposed to be watching for a friend. Locals also claimed he broke into a neighbor's property while naked and wielding a crossbow he stole from another home. Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade, at the time of Callihan's arrest, said the home in the woods where the Brunett sisters were found appeared to be linked to human trafficking. 'We see cages, small animal cages. This is very, very disturbing to me as a police chief and as a father to witness and see what I saw,' Wade said. 'He tried to do away with the children by taking them into this wooded area. This was a horrible, horribly tragic situation that was committed by the actions of a coward.' This is the moment an illegal Algerian migrant watch ripper targeted a Tim Hortons boss before his accomplice snatched his 65,000 Patek Philippe timepiece from his wrist on one of London's most exclusive streets. The Daily Mail can reveal CCTV of Axel Schwan courageously giving chase to a thief who brazenly stole the luxe piece from the businessman on New Bond Street in Mayfair, on June 30 of last year. The regional president of multinational coffee chain Tim Hortons made his way down the road alongside his wife when a member of the watch-ripping trio, which included Ahmed Djidi, 26, quietly snuck up behind him and snatched the five-figure watch from his arm. Although Djidi didn't snatch the watch himself, the thief was part of the gang who targeted the coffee boss by keeping a watchful eye out for a 'valuable wrist' they could steal from. The theft had a 'considerable' impact on the multinational coffee house chief and his wife, with the timepiece being yanked from Schwan's wrist with 'some degree of force,' Southwark Crown Court was previously told. He was also previously charged with possessing a controlled class B drug, cannabis on December 30, 2024, for which he pleaded guilty and was fined 100. On October 8, Djidi appeared at Southwark Crown Court, aided by an Arabic interpreter, where he was sentenced to 22 months behind bars for the theft. Djidi was scheduled to be released the same day, having already served the time in custody. However, he may be held in immigration detention, with the possibility of being sent back to his home country. Ahmed Djidi pleaded guilty to one count of theft after being part of the trio who robbed Tim Hortons boss Axel Schwan of a 65,000 Patek Philippe Tim Hortons boss Axel Schwan had his 65,000 Patek Philippe snatched with 'some degree of force' from his wrist The theft had a 'considerable' impact on the multinational coffee house chief as well as his wife who was present when the robbery happened Sentencing, Judge Christopher Hehir said to Djidi: 'You had two accomplices. The three of you waited on a busy street looking to identify any passerby with a valuable wrist watch that you could steal. 'You stole a Patek Philippe watch from Mr Schwan who was walking on a Sunday afternoon with his wife. Some degree of force was used to grab the watch from his wrist. 'The effect on him and his wife has been considerable. This is a serious offence, and only an immediate prison sentence is appropriate in your case. 'I am told that you are in the country illegally. You have already been in trouble for stealing people's property in the past. In 2022 you received a community order having been involved in a distraction theft of luggage at a London railway station. 'This was a planned theft. You played your part as a lookout with two others. You are not the one who pulled the watch from Mr Schwan's wrist, but you are equally guilty for what happened. While deportation was not a matter for his court, the judge said he couldn't see how Djidi 'remaining in the UK would be conducive to the public good'. 'But as I stress, that is not a matter for me,' he added. Ahmed Djidi, 26, was part of a gang that stole a Patek Philippe from Axel Schwan's (pictured) wrist on New Bond Street, Mayfair, on 30 June last year He will also be subject to a criminal behaviour order of seven years, preventing him from entering the London Borough of Westminster and interacting with his two accomplices. Djidi, from Acton, admitted one count of theft. Detective Sergeant Daniel Northcott, of Central West Command Unit, who led the probe, said: 'This investigation has removed a notorious offender from London's streets. 'He snatched watches from the wrists of people walking through the city - making onlookers feel unsafe and leaving a significant, lasting effect on this victim. 'The Met is focused on reducing the number of robberies taking place on the streets of London by targeting robbery hotspots with increased patrols. 'This prevents and deters robberies from taking place, as we work to identify, apprehend and deter potential offenders, and we're seeing success with personal robbery down 12.8 per cent compared to the same period last year.' Conservative podcaster Steven Crowder has been dragged into the bitter defamation battle triggered by a US congresswoman's controversial rape and voyeurism allegations. Nancy Mace went 'scorched earth' on four men she named as alleged predators in a February House speech, claiming they drugged, molested, and filmed multiple female victims including herself. Her incendiary remarks were protected by the Constitution's 'speech or debate' clause, which shields lawmakers from legal action while speaking in Congress. But lawyers for one of the four, Brian Musgrave, are instead targeting prominent media figures who interviewed Mace afterward and allegedly 'amplified' what they say are her false claims. Daily Mail can reveal they are suing Crowder, the Louder with Crowder podcast host, and its CEO Gerald Morgan, after the commentator declared on air that there appeared to be enough evidence to see the accused men locked up for life, according to the complaint. The defamation suit also takes aim at journalist Dan Ball, the host of Real America on One America News Network, and its parent company, Herring Networks. Musgrave's previous effort to sue Mace failed in federal court when a judge ruled the South Carolina Republican was immune to legal action while speaking on the House floor. But with her name featuring 73 times in his latest 17-page complaint, she faces the unwelcome prospect of being subpoenaed for evidence while she runs for Governor of the Palmetto State. Conservative podcaster Steven Crowder is the latest media figure to be dragged into a defamation lawsuit after hosting Rep. Nancy Mace, who used his show to repeat rape and voyeurism allegations she originally made on the House floor The lawsuit was filed by Brian Musgrave, one of four men publicly accused by Mace during a February House speech of drugging, molesting, and filming multiple women, including herself. They deny the claims. Mace accused Musgrave, 52, Patrick Bryant, 51, Eric Bowman, 45, and John Osborne, 44, of 'rape, illegal filming of women, photographing of women, and sex trafficking' in her February 10 speech in Congress. She claimed she found more than 10,000 videos of the 'gutless, evil' acts after gaining access to Bryant's cell phone and locating a trove of images from a supposed secret camera. But Musgrave's new suit says Mace cooked up her allegations to get back at Bryant, her ex-fiance, after she called off their engagement in December 2023, supposedly after catching him on Tinder. He claims he barely knew the GOP firebrand, wasn't present during any of the events she alleges took place, and his only connection to her was via his friendship with Bryant. 'Mace's speech was nothing more than the culmination of a campaign of blackmail and extortion against her ex-fiance after he refused to capitulate to her demands for money and for possession of property that they previously owned together,' his complaint states. 'As for the plaintiff, he became collateral damage.' Musgrave's lawyers, Ronald Richter and Eric Bland, say the speech created a 'media firestorm' that trashed their client's reputation. But while Mace is shielded from legal repercussions by her status as a congresswoman, 'media outlets who adopted, amplified and/or republished Ms. Mace's defamatory accusations do not share her cloak of immunity', they argue. Mace claimed in Congress that she uncovered more than 10,000 videos of the 'gutless, evil' acts after accessing her ex-fiance Patrick Bryants cell phone In Congress, Mace accused her ex-fiance Bryant (right) and two of his associates, including John Osborne (left) of planning and filming the assault South Carolina businessman Eric Bowman, 45, was also accused by Mace on the floor of the House. He denies her accusations These include podcast superstar Crowder, 38, who has more than 1.8 million followers on Rumble. He hosted Mace on his show on May 21, before telling listeners: 'With that amount of evidence, it would seem like that there will be some people put in prison for life,' according to the complaint. CEO and co-star Morgan chimed in to say: 'These guys deserve every ounce of punishment we can give them,' the complaint adds. A month earlier, Mace was interviewed by Ball during an appearance on OAN, says the complaint, filed in York County common pleas court. The host took a 'defamatory shot' at Musgrave, according to the complaint, saying: 'One of the perverts that you went after when you called them out and doxed them on the house floor finally got arrested. You're getting some satisfaction here, Nancy.' The comment was an apparent reference to Bowman's April 2025 arrest, which was for allegedly harassing his ex-wife and not connected to Mace. Bryant is the only one of the four who has been criminally investigated by SLED, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Department, but he has not been charged with anything. He later went on X to deny the allegations. 'The publication of these and other false statements about the plaintiff are so injurious to his reputation that the law presumes injury,' Musgrave's suit contends. During his interview with Mace, Crowder remarked that the evidence she discussed both on the House floor and the segment would result in 'some people put in prison for life', according to the complaint The podcast's co-host and CEO Gerald Morgan also remarked during the segment that they 'deserved every ounce of punishment we can give them' 'Over and above any legal presumption, the plaintiff and his family are devastated by these false accusations.' Mom-of-two Mace goes into the 2026 Gubernatorial race involved in multiple lawsuits stemming from her notorious speech. The two-time divorcee sued Bowman for libel in May, claiming he responded to her allegations by posting a barrage of 'vile, contemptible, and repugnant character attacks' to X. He claims his words were covered by free speech protections. Bryant, Bowman and Osborne are also being sued for battery, conspiracy and inflicting emotional distress by a Jane Doe who says she was raped and photographed while incapacitated on a couch at Bowman's home in October 2018. The victim says in the complaint that she learned about the attack when Mace contacted her to say she had 'found a video on Bryant's phone of her being sexually assaulted by Osborne'. The three deny her accusations. In April 2023, Crowder was seen in Ring camera footage from his home, apparently berating his heavily pregnant wife, Hilary Korzon, for failing to perform her 'wifely duties'. He later accused her of leaking the footage, claimed the video was 'misleadingly edited' and announced they were divorcing. The Daily Mail contacted Louder with Crowder and OAN but did not receive any replies. Rep. Mace similarly did not respond. There's a plaque outside Harris Faulkner's corner office at News Corporation's headquarters in New York. Shiny, silver and tacked to the doorframe, it states that the Professional Organization of Women of Excellence Recognized (POWER) 'Proclaims Harris Faulkner is a Woman of Excellence.' Not convinced? Step inside. Your eye is immediately drawn to the six golden Emmy statues on display and a fistful of certificates, awards and press acknowledgements framed and pinned on the walls. Clearly, Faulkner, 60, isn't a woman in want of accolades. But the most recent addition to her haul is, she says, particularly meaningful. The Fox News stalwart was recently named top-ranking female host on the Daily Mail's inaugural Power List. She was the only woman, and the only Fox News presenter, to rank in the top five in the category of News Anchors and Political Pundits, beating out colleagues like Jesse Watters, Laura Ingraham and Bret Baier to place fourth overall in a list topped by CNN's Anderson Cooper, the Daily Show's Jon Stewart and ABC News anchor David Muir. Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Harris says: 'Knowing that the Daily Mail put that much effort into finding out what people valued in gathering information and who disseminates it, means the world. To be in the top five, and to be the only woman, that's a big deal.' The fact that Faulkner is the mother of teenage daughters, Bella, who has just started college, and Danika, still in high school, makes it even more significant, she says: 'It matters that my girls get to see this. So, thank you to your team and to your readers. It's just awesome.' Faulkner has just finished filming back-to-back morning shows for the news network; her daily solo hit, the Faulkner Focus and Outnumbered, on which she has been a regular since joining as a founding co-host in 2014. Why does she think she is such a trusted fan favorite today? Clearly, Faulkner, 60, isn't a woman in want of accolades. But the most recent addition to her haul is, she says, particularly meaningful The Fox News stalwart was recently named top-ranking female host on the Daily Mail's inaugural Power List 'I have a connection with the viewers because I'm thinking about them,' she says. 'I try to honor the viewer with whatever guest we have on by asking questions that go beneath the obvious. We don't need the obvious. We need more. Is there anything that we're missing? It's not enough to say, "Oh the country's divided." Well, what are the pressure points to solve some of this division now?' That perspective, Harris explains, was learned. 'I grew up in a military family, I had leadership in my household and when horrible things would happen my dad would say, "Remember who you are and whose you are. You're ours and you belong to the Lord." I sort of go into every day like that,' she says. It hasn't taken long for Faulkner to reference her father, Bobby - a Lieutenant Colonel and Army Aviator who flew multiple missions in Vietnam - and the faith that he and her mother, Shirley, imbued in both her and her younger sister. During her conversation with the Daily Mail, Faulkner returns repeatedly to a background so clearly alive in her to this day. It informs everything about her, from her approach to a career spanning more than 20 years to raising the girls she calls her 'women in training,' and it can be distilled into two words: prayer and preparation. She says, 'I grew up across a lot of different places: Fort Pearson, Atlanta, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Stuttgart, Germany. We were all over the place from the time when I was just a couple of months old. And across it all I saw a lot of prayer and a lot of leadership.' If Faulker is ever troubled by self-doubt in the face of that legacy, it doesn't show. Everything about her is polished - from that gleaming plaque by her door, to the rose gold Gucci shoes on her feet, to the steel that, one suspects, glints at her core. Married for the past 27 years to former television reporter turned media relations CEO Tony Berlin, 58, Faulkner rises each day at 5am when the house is 'completely quiet.' She checks emails and does 'a tremendous amount of reading.' Then she puts in her AirPods and listens to some music at the moment it's Christian hip-hop that provides the soundtrack to the start of each day. By 6.45am she's in a car heading from her home in New Jersey into the city and the studio. It's time she uses for off-air conversations with a victim, or the family of a victim, she'll be interviewing on the show, for example - 'just to let them know there's a human on the other end of the camera.' 'Then I hit the building and it's basically non-stop,' she says. 'From the minute my foot touches 1211 6th Avenue, it's on. I check in with my team, jump on an editorial call then usually 8.30am/9am it's hair and makeup. We're just cooking the whole time.' She checks in on her social media frequently filming little live-streams from set, engaging with her audience: 'I like to know what has their attention because we've had so many national breaking news stories that are heartbreaking, shocking assassination in America.' It hasn't taken long for Faulkner (pictured holding a book of family photos) to reference her father, Bobby - a Lieutenant Colonel and Army Aviator who flew multiple missions in Vietnam During her conversation with the Daily Mail, Faulkner returns repeatedly to a background so clearly alive in her to this day. (Pictured: Photos of Faulkner's father) 'From the minute my foot touches 1211 6th Avenue, it's on. I check in with my team, jump on an editorial call then usually 8.30am/9am it's hair and makeup. We're just cooking the whole time' Faulkner was roundly praised when, in 2020, she sat down with Donald Trump and pressed the president on matters of race and social justice during the civil unrest in the wake of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis. Then, she asked Trump if he was the president to 'unite all of us, given everything that's happening right now.' Now, she says, she would ask him: 'How do you talk with Americans about this moment knowing that it feels like we're in an assassination culture. What do you say about that having faced two attempts on your own life?' It isn't just an academic question for Faulkner. Like many at her network, she was personally touched by the assassination of Turning Point USA founder, Charlie Kirk, 31, whom she regarded as a personal friend. She says: 'I interviewed Charlie almost exactly nine weeks before his assassination on July 16, and I saw something in him that I had not seen before, in all the times that I met him and talked with him. 'With Charlie there was a fierceness and hopefulness and a bright light,' she remembers. When Kirk was assassinated gunned down with a single shot to the neck as he spoke with students at the University of Utah's campus in Orem Faulkner's phone lit up with alerts, messages and missed calls. 'I was in a coffee shop with a friend,' she says. 'I saw about six different versions of that moment and I'm thinking, "What am I looking at? This must be AI." But by the third video I'm seeing, this is all different angles, these are all different versions; this is real.' Faulkner and her husband have a home near Scottsdale, Arizona. She says: 'It's not far from where Turning Point USA is based and not far from the Kirk family home. Charlie tried to get me to go to a couple of events and whenever I was home [in Arizona] we would talk about faith and DM each other. 'I want to go to Turning Point USA and just kneel and pray. It doesn't have to be an organized occasion. I will reach out to Erika, I will say you know, I'm here, and I'm part of the Arizona family. Right now, I know we're praying together.' As things stand, Faulkner says, she is still 'gathering answers' and reflecting on how to respond to her own daughters' question, 'Why are there so many bad things happening in the world?' But she points to Erika Kirk's very public forgiveness of her husband's killer as a 'spiritual shift in the ground.' She says: 'We are openly talking about forgiveness now and I support that, because I know our young people need to understand this moment and choose the light and not the darkness.' 'I interviewed Charlie almost exactly nine weeks before his assassination on July 16, and I saw something in him that I had not seen before, in all the times that I met him and talked with him' When Kirk was assassinated gunned down with a single shot to the neck as he spoke with students at the University of Utah's campus in Orem Faulkner's phone lit up with alerts, messages and missed calls Like many at her network, she was personally touched by the assassination of Turning Point USA founder, Charlie Kirk, 31, whom she regarded as a personal friend Again, her thoughts turn to her father who passed on Christmas Day, 2020. She says: 'He lived through a time when the country was as divided as it ever was coming out of the Jim Crow era, he served a country where he was spat on in the street, where signage said, "No Coloreds. White Only," in retail and restaurants. 'His own brothers couldn't understand how he could risk his life for a country he couldn't equally participate in. And my dad always said, 'Well you have to find your own divine assignment and mission and mine is to make sure that America is secure.' 'He knew what he was fighting for and, back home, my mother had the other end of that battle, and she answered it with unceasing prayer. 'My father said, "It's not about who we are right now. It's about the potential of who we will be if we do the things we're called to do right now." He believed that as a country we are special, and we are young enough to grow into what we need to be.' Her father's convictions are not only engrained in Faulkner. They are, she feels, as pertinent now as when he first shared them with her. Faulkner says: 'I think my father was right in his approach to life. I don't want people to look at me and say, "I hear your words but what are you doing?" 'I want my daughters to look at me and see I walk the walk.' 'Look, you can take a break and sit down if you're fearful or worried,' she says Faulkner has security at home, at work and at her speaking events 'but you don't quit.' Returning to the Daily Mail's Power List which, among other things, ranked presenters according to how likeable and trustworthy viewers deemed them, Faulker says: 'People see me as someone they can trust and that means a huge amount. That makes you want to work even harder to be that person. 'I think Charlie Kirk's assassination has reignited in me a knowing of what it really takes in the battle for more light than darkness. I'm right here and I have to do my part.' China's control over the globe's rare earth mineral supply poses an espionage and military threat to America and the world, a Trump Cabinet secretary warns. The Communist regime in Beijing last week announced sweeping restrictions on the material which is critical to America's automotive, defense and technology industries. China controls 90 percent of the world's processed supply, giving it a stranglehold over America's F-35 fighter jets, military radars and chips for AI. 'This is a whole-of-government attack by China,' Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told the Daily Mail in an exclusive interview. 'This was not just a shot across the bow, this latest set of export controls, but this is a serious attack on the rest of the free world and everybody's ability to run their economies without China exerting due control.' Donald Trump on Friday retaliated by declaring an additional 100 percent tariff on China, sending markets into a frenzy before they rallied on Monday. Even more concerning, Burgum said, is how China is using export controls to glean sensitive information from US companies. 'When we say export controls, that sounds like a benign little thing, but it's actually just a misrepresentation of what they're doing, which is intelligence gathering,' the secretary stressed. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told the Daily Mail that China uses export controls to gather intelligence on US companies and that it is 'crazy' how dependent the US is on its chief adversary for components critical to national security China announced it would add export controls to five additional rare earth materials last Thursday. The restrictions could threaten US supply chains reliant on China for military and AI products President Donald Trump retaliated against China for the announcement by adding an additional 100 percent tariff on Chinese products, in addition to the tariffs the country is already facing from the US China's policy, according to the former North Dakota governor and businessman, requires US firms to hand over proprietary details that China may use against those very companies, and even the US government. 'Look at what the export controls from China actually contain, it's like, 'Oh, send us pictures of your production facilities, explain to us exactly what quantities you use of these minerals and these magnets, and for what uses, is it commercial? Is it defense?' 'I mean, this is kind of information that a Wall Street analyst could never get out of a company,' Burgum said. In addition to controlling most of the world's rare earth mining operations, estimates suggest that China controls a monopoly on rare earth mineral refining - the process that turns the raw materials into usable forms for industry. For example, China controls all of the world's samarium refining, a mineral critical to F-35 fighter jets and US missiles. It also has a chokehold on dysprosium, a magnetic material used in electric vehicles and chips, refining 99 percent of the globe's supply. Burgum says he's trying to break China's strangle on the global supply. Part of that effort is unlocking federal lands that contain rare earth minerals. 'Ambler Mining Road to be built in Alaska, 211-mile-long road into the interior, is a gravel industrial road that will provide access to one of the richest mining areas that the United States has, and really one of the most important ones in the world,' Burgum shared Workers use machinery to dig at a rare earth mine in Ganxian county in central China's Jiangxi province Ships are berthed at the container terminal of the port in Qingdao, in China's eastern Shandong province on October 9, 2025. President Trump announced an additional 100 percent tariff on China on October 10 and threatened to cancel a summit with Xi Jinping, reigniting his trade war with Beijing in a row over export curbs on rare earth minerals. Burgum celebrated Trump's plan to reopen the Ambler Road in Alaska, a gravel path that cuts through sensitive wildlife areas to some of the state's richest rare earth mines 'Ambler Mining Road to be built in Alaska, 211-mile-long road into the interior, is a gravel industrial road that will provide access to one of the richest mining areas that the United States has, and really one of the most important ones in the world,' Burgum shared. 'Key elements there include cobalt, copper, germanium and gallium. These are all things where the US is dependent for defense and for our auto industry, for everything.' The secretary noted how the US has 'crazy dependencies' on China and that he has worked directly with Trump to mitigate America's reliance on its chief adversary. One of the first steps, he said, was to go over the periodic table of elements with other administration members to identify the most needed materials. 'The mandate starts, really, with the periodic table,' the secretary stated. US Secretary of the Interior and Chair, National Energy Council and White House Energy Czar Doug Burgum gives remarks to the media during an executive order signing event regarding mining in Alaska A sample of bastnaesite ore, a mineral used in the rare earth industry to extract elements such as cerium, lanthanum, and neodymium, is displayed at the Geological Museum of China 'Between the National Energy Dominance Council and the National Security Council, there's an effort going on to secure these supply chains, and literally looking at the periodic table, what are the 20 most critical minerals, what percentage of those are being controlled by China, and then what can we do working ourselves and with our allies and with the private sector?' The US effort to secure supply chains for these minerals is akin to the Manhattan Project, the ultra-secret operation to develop the nuclear bomb during WWII, Burgum said. 'It is a full-bore, whole-of-government [approach],' he disclosed, adding the administration thinks 'of this as, like, a Manhattan project or a Warp Speed project to make sure that we are getting ourselves out of being dependent on China.' Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, in front of the Museum of Art, has been a part of the citys daily life for two years filled with pictures of the missing, and people holding candles, but also with children playing. It seemed so remote from my own experience as the hostage of Islamic extremists that I barely made the connection, when I visited earlier this year, while filming a report for ITV. But when a woman on a stall smiled, beckoned me over and handed me a virtual-reality headset, all that changed. It created a life-like, 360-degree, immersive video image of a cell, based on accounts from recently released Israeli hostages in Gaza. From the moment I put it on, I was transported back to the hellscape of my own hostage ordeal, on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan, 17 years ago. For nearly four months, I was held captive by the Taliban, in hourly fear of my life, with the walls constantly shaken by the sounds of explosions and gunfire. I was held in a blacked-out cell, interrogated with a gun to my head and subjected to a mock execution. Im a veteran war reporter. I dont believe in giving trigger warnings. But my reaction to the VR sounds and images was visceral. Sean Langan, pictured here with Taliban fighters in Afghanistan in 2001, was taken hostage in 2008 A masked Hamas terrorist with an AK-47 was leaning into my face and shouting. My reaction was exactly what it had instinctively been every time this happened for real to look around desperately for an escape route, even though I knew there was none. Somewhere to one side, unseen, a woman was shrieking in terror. The thought of what was happening to her made me want to vomit with fear. As I tore the digital goggles off my head, I was shaking. At that moment, I realised something that might seem obvious to anyone who has never been a hostage: whoever you are, whether you have walked willingly into danger as I did, or have been kidnapped from your home or at a festival as many of the Israeli victims were, the psychological impact of being held hostage is very similar. The two-year nightmare that ended on Monday for the 20 freed hostages was beyond most peoples imagination. I thank God that I was never imprisoned in a fetid underground tunnel. Nor was I sexually abused, and I was not in daily danger of being killed by artillery fire on the compound where I was held. As I watched news footage of their release, however, I could not tear my eyes away from the TV screen. More than most, I understood something of what they were feeling and I know what they and their families will have to suffer during the long years of recovery. My own abduction happened almost gradually. In March 2008, I was on assignment for Channel 4s Dispatches programme, setting up an interview with Taliban warlords. My translator and fixer Ill call him Ahmed, though thats not his real name joined me as I was driven from the Pakistani city of Peshawar into the mountainous tribal areas, with blankets over our heads to prevent us from memorising the route. Sean, a veteran war reporter, in a trench on the outskirts of Donetsk reporting on the war in Ukraine My Taliban contacts seemed friendly. The first suspicion that something wasnt right came when we stopped. Peeking out, I saw we were on the brink of a precipice. We were ordered to put on blindfolds and, as I was led from the car, I stumbled and slipped. For a few seconds, I thought they had taken me there to throw me over a cliff. But the reality was worse than that. Ahmed and I were taken to a farm building and bundled into a room with boarded-up windows. It stank of goats and human faeces. One of our captors spoke good English: You have an ensuite bathroom, he said. I almost believed him, until I saw the hole in the floor that served as a latrine. Dont worry, he added. Were going to keep you here for a few days to make sure you arent being followed, and then you can do the interview. It was many weeks before I saw daylight again. The only furniture in the room was a pair of long seats that doubled as beds. I sank down onto one and thought back to a previous interview with Taliban leaders. One, armed with a huge knife, told me casually they had taken a vote before I arrived, to decide whether to talk to me, hold me for ransom, or simply kill me. Sean was held hostage by the Taliban for almost four months I realised that this time, the vote had gone a different way. Looks like we could be here for a while, I told Ahmed. In the gloom I could see despair etched on his face. You dont understand, he said. We are dead men. A couple of days later, we heard the sound of a man being savagely beaten outside our heavy wooden door. His groans, and the crunching sound of breaking bones, told me that he was being battered to death with rifle butts. A few minutes later, our door opened with a crash. One of our captors, a huge bearded man, dumped two bowls on the floor. Ignore what happened, he said. It is nothing. We do that to our own all the time. The twice-daily meals were bread and watery chicken broth, probably the dregs of whatever the Taliban men had just eaten. They were served by women in the compound, but we never saw them. Sometimes we had stringy red meat, probably goat, but there was no fruit or vegetables. This high up, nothing grew. Racked with dysentery, I lost three stone, as well as several teeth due to a lack of vitamin D from sunlight. All day, the ground vibrated to the sound of gunfire. We surmised that a Taliban training camp was nearby. Ahmed was a tough man. In his youth, he had been an Afghan mujahid, fighting against the Soviet invasion. He had been captured by the Russians and was held prisoner for several months. Sean with his son Gabriel, taken shortly after his release In this rancid dungeon, he quickly sank into a depression that became a full-scale breakdown. No human being can live through such horror twice. In a strange way, his illness saved my sanity, because I knew I had to keep him alive. Without him to translate for me, I was unable to communicate with our kidnappers. And if he died, I would have no hope of release, because I would not be able to co-operate in negotiations. So I dedicated myself to caring for him, helping him to eat and wash, talking to him, offering encouragement and reassurance. I escaped from my cell into daydreams and memories that stretched for hours, ruminations that conjured up details from childhood that I had long forgotten. I pictured holidays with my family in minute detail. I recalled films we had watched together, almost scene by scene. Much later, a psychiatrist told me this is part of the bodys defence mechanism. My subconscious was searching for clues to help me survive. Doggedly, I kept count of the days. The day before my younger sons fourth birthday, we were dragged outside for questioning. Through Ahmed, they began demanding personal information about me: when was my birthday, what was my mothers name, how did I meet my ex-wife, how many children did I have? I understood what this meant. Negotiations had to be under way, though whether this was with my Channel 4 employers or the British Government, I couldnt guess. The Taliban needed to supply proof that I was alive. If theyd killed me on the first day, for instance, how would they know what my dad did for a living? But then they asked for my sons names. I refused to say. I could not bear the idea of bringing their innocent light into such a dark business. And I told them so. One put the barrel of his rifle to my head. They were under orders to get these answers, he said, and if I resisted they would have to shoot me. He sounded almost apologetic. You can kill me if you have to, I said, but I wont tell you their names. Its a matter of honour to me. They seemed to understand this. Then they turned the gun on Ahmed. We will shoot your friend instead, they said. I had no choice. I told them my older boy was Luke, then six. His brother will be four tomorrow. His name is Gabriel. Like the angel who brought the Koran from heaven to Earth. The effect on the men with guns was extraordinary. A shocked silence fell. And then they began to cry. Gabriel is one of the holiest names in Islam. For an unbeliever to call his child that name, and be prepared to die for the sake of it, moved them profoundly. The commander of the group took me to one side and, his voice choked, showed me a video on his phone, of an angelic-looking boy all in white, aged about 12. At first I thought this must be his son. But then the camera panned back, and revealed the child was wearing a suicide belt. To my horror, the boy approached an American military vehicle and blew himself up. My captor appeared to think this would convince me that his people loved children too. I have never been more aware of the cultural gulf between the Taliban and the West. After that day, we were treated more humanely. One night, we were taken outside, to eat under the stars. Strangely, I couldnt bear it. My family would think I was being beaten and starved as I had been. To enjoy this rare moment of respite seemed a kind of betrayal, because I had no way of letting them know about it. Overwhelmed with guilt, I asked to be taken back to my cell. One day, we were taken outside at dawn. The light in the Hindu Kush was extraordinarily beautiful. We were so high up that it seemed as though I could see the edge of the atmosphere, where our planet meets outer space. Then I realised a man with a long knife was watching us with an inscrutable expression. I looked at my skin. It was like translucent parchment stretched over bone. I was half dead, and now I was about to be executed. Youre going to kill me, I said. Nobody denied it. Please dont do it by cutting off my head. I dont want my family to see a video of that. Id like you to shoot me in the back of the head. And Id like that man to do it. I pointed to the farmer whose family lived in the main house. I had a feeling he was a good man who was not involved in this by choice. His eyes welled up. Id done him an honour with this request. I expected him to fetch his gun but instead, I was led back inside. Was this psychological torture? A game? A test? I will never know. A few days later, without warning, Ahmed and I were driven to a drop-off point and released. Within 48 hours, I was flying into Heathrow. My family met me at the airport gate and Gabriels first words, as he hurtled towards me on a scooter, were: Daddy! Im four years old! Watching the Israeli hostages being reunited with their families on TV, waves of emotion rocked me. Coming home is often the hardest thing to deal with for a hostage. For a long time, I felt deep guilt, because the people who loved me especially my children had no idea if they would ever see me again. The thought of their ordeal was horrible. I, on the other hand, had never felt closer to them than when I was a prisoner. That overpowering sense of love was the most intense feeling Id ever experienced, and it kept me going. It was the great blessing of my life. But if I had to go through the same ordeal to experience it again, I dont think Id have the courage. A Boeing 737 Max clipped the wings of two other jets as it parked at the Toronto Pearson Airport. Video of the collision shows the Air Canada jet approaching what ground crew had taken to be a parking sport in between two other planes. But the space was not big enough for the plane's wings, and they collided with the stationary aircraft. The clip was shared on social media by the Breaking Aviation News & Videos account. It's not clear when the video was taken or to what extent the three planes were damaged. According to Flight Aware tracking, an Air Canada jet with the registration C-FGKN last flew passengers on Friday, October 10, when it traveled from Quebec City to Toronto. The Daily Mail reached out to the Toronto Pearson Airport for comment on this story. Air Canada declined to comment on the incident, citing an ongoing investigation. A Boing 737 Max clipped the wings of two other jets as it parked at the Toronto Pearson Airport Video of the moment shows the plane trying to get into a spot that was too small for its wings The terrifying incident in Toronto emerged just days after two Delta Airlines passenger planes collided in a horror accident that ripped the wing off one jet. The CRJ-900 regional jets - operated by Delta subsidiary Endeavor Air - were taxiing at low speed when they suddenly clipped each other at LaGuardia Airport in New York City about 9.56pm. Miraculously, only a member of cabin crew was injured in the collision despite footage that showed an aircraft wing broken off. All 85 passengers were deemed safe and deplaned to wait until they could be transferred to different flights. Pictures taken in the aftermath of the collision show significant damage on the nose of one of the planes. Crew members and passengers were seen standing on the tarmac with police. The collisions are the latest mishaps in the aviation industry, which has faced mounting concerns amid widespread job cuts to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under President Trump. Whistleblowers at the FAA have been sounding the alarm for months over the potential ramifications of job cuts within the department. The terrifying incident in Toronto emerged just days after a two Delta Airlines passenger planes collided in a horror accident that ripped the wing off one jet at LaGuardia in New York There have been mounting concerns about the risk of accidents at airports across the nation as a result of federal cutbacks. 'Air traffic controllers cannot do their work without us,' an aeronautical data specialist impacted by the cuts told Politico back in February. 'To put it frankly, without our team... pilots would quite literally be flying blind,' the anonymous source added. Earlier this year, a mid-air collision as an American Airlines flight came in to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport killed 67 people. In addition to the fatal crash in Washington DC on January 29, a small plane carrying 10 people crashed in Alaska on February 6, and two private jets collided at the Scottsdale Airport on February 10, killing one individual and injuring four. Robert Sherman is a NewsNation foreign correspondent and author of the forthcoming book, Lessons from the Front: A Rookie Correspondent in Ukraine and Israel 'Do you think it's actually going to happen?' 'I'll believe it when I see it.' I've heard variations of that exchange across Israel countless times over the past two weeks - optimism and hedged hope, tempered by hard-won skepticism. It's no surprise. Peace efforts on Gaza have reached the one-yard line before, only to stall. Call me a cautious optimist, but on the morning of October 8, this felt different. Part of it was the conversations I'd been having with hostage families in the days before the announcement. I remember looking into the eyes of Gal Gilboa-Dalal, whose brother, Guy, has been held in Gaza for more than two years and has appeared in Hamas propaganda videos. After an excruciating wait, Gal sounded genuinely upbeat. 'It's hard to ignore how many people are excited right now about what happened,' he said of the talks in Egypt. He's long held onto the vision of taking Guy to Japan -a lifelong dream for his anime-loving brother - but even in his hope there was a nervous edge, a sense we had entered 'now-or-never' territory. Robert Sherman, a foreign correspondent for NewsNation, was on the Gaza frontlines speaking to the families of hostages when Donald Trump's peace deal was coming to fruition 'We understand in this time period we have to get to a deal, otherwise this war will never end,' he said. The pressure of the moment was unmistakable. There was also unprecedented international pressure: Washington - and President Trump - leaning on Jerusalem; Egypt and Qatar pressing Hamas; Turkey joining in; even Russia's Vladimir Putin weighing in behind the deal on the table. And then there was what I saw on October 8, inside Gaza, with my own eyes. Our NewsNation team embedded with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation at its 'Saudi Neighborhood' distribution site - the first network to do so there - and watched as women and children filed through for onions and potatoes to feed their families. Journalists rarely get in now, even with IDF coordination. GHF has its own private security; critics have accused its sites of being chaotic and dangerous. I didn't see that only what you'd expect in a place where food is scarce. 'These are desperate, hungry people who rely on our boxes to survive,' Chapin Fay of GHF told me. I wanted to hear directly from Gazans. I approached the queue - all women and children in this group - and was quickly swallowed by it. Kids with ear-to-ear grins asked for chocolates or wristbands to trade. 'Do you think it's actually going to happen?' 'I'll believe it when I see it.' These were the types of conversations he was having as Palestinians waited for the terms of the agreement In the most organic interview of my career, I asked if they were getting enough food. 'Yes!' they shouted back, delighted. Then I asked what I really wanted to know: their view of the Egypt negotiations and of Hamas. 'I hate Hamas,' one young woman told me in English, eyes locked on mine. 'And I hate Israel - because of all the damage in Gaza.' 'Yes,' another said, backing her up. 'We hate Hamas and Israel, by the way.' I pressed: why Hamas? 'I lost my dreams because of Hamas,' one replied, pushing closer so I could hear. 'They destroyed this place. My home is damaged. It's not safe in Gaza because of Hamas.' A third added: 'I feel I'm dying. No future, no dreams in this world.' The first said she wanted to travel - to America, to Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and that she 'hated this place so much.' Another concluded: 'Hamas brought this suffering on us.' I was stunned by the candor. Historically, Gazans have avoided criticizing Hamas for fear of retaliation. A local Palestinian aid worker told me Hamas had put a bounty on his head for working with Americans - and still, he spoke freely. 'Hamas is a bunch of criminals,' he said through a translator. 'They haven't thought of our people's needs for 17 years.' In that moment, I felt the shift. Pressure from the moment. Pressure from the West. Pressure from regional capitals. And, crucially, pressure from inside Gaza for Hamas to make a deal. A few hours after we left, the announcement came: phase one was agreed. It was the early hours in Israel; much of the country was asleep. But in Tel Aviv, whistles and cheers echoed from the night owls who couldn't contain themselves. Most of the people he spoke to despised Hamas. Then he felt a shift as those devastated by two years of war began to feel hope Sherman speaks to a child in the 'Saudi Neighborhood' distribution site. He watched families lining up and waiting for food President Donald Trump talks with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset, as the hostages held by Hamas were two years were finally released. Trump in his speech declared a new dawn for the Middle East At daybreak, in Hostage Square, Israeli flags waved above swelling crowds. That's when it hit me: this is real. Since then I've waited for the familiar 'breakdown' that has derailed so many deals. It hasn't come. Everything that needed to happen has happened so far: the IDF pullback, the ceasefire, those long columns of Gazans marching along the sea to return home. Twenty living hostages have now come home and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners have been released. The deal is still fragile in nature, but even the pessimists believe it just might hold. I first arrived in Israel on October 8, 2023. Apart from brief assignments in Ukraine and at the White House, I've been here ever since. The war is inescapable: hostage posters on every pole; demonstrations almost daily; a constant reminder there is 'no normal' until every hostage is home. It dominates conversations in coffee shops and on street corners. And almost overnight, the tone has shifted - from despair to something like genuine hope. There's more diplomacy ahead, and hard decisions about the 'day after' in Gaza. But President Trump has vowed to ensure this holds. They say pressure makes diamonds. It may have made peace, too. California Governor Gavin Newsom posted a crude, censored take on the Time Magazine cover photo that made Donald Trump furious. Trump called the photo celebrating his achievement in brokering a peace deal between Israel and Hamas 'the worst of all time' in a late Truth Social post on Tuesday morning. Social media was set on fire with reactions to the photo ranging from those agreeing with Trump's concerns about looking bald, while others simply mocked the president. Some even said Trump had displayed a 'turkey neck.' Newsom, whose social media team has desperately attempting to troll the president by mimicking his online style, reposted the photo with Trump's neck blurred out to censor it. In the Time Magazine cover photo, Trump's face is pictured from a low-angle with beatific lighting blocking out his hair and making him appear as though he has a bald patch. The cover article, headlined, 'His triumph,' is a glowing analysis of the president's Middle East accomplishment. But the photo enraged Trump. He wrote to his followers at 1.30 AM on Truth Social: 'Time Magazine wrote a relatively good story about me, but the picture may be the Worst of All Time. California Governor Gavin Newsom posted a crude, censored take on the Time Magazine cover photo that made Donald Trump furious . 'They "disappeared" my hair, and then had something floating on top of my head that looked like a floating crown, but an extremely small one. 'Really weird! I never liked taking pictures from underneath angles, but this is a super bad picture, and deserves to be called out. What are they doing, and why?' Meanwhile, the content relating to the cover photo appeared positive to Trump. In a social media post on X, Time hailed Trump's latest agreement as the 'signature achievement' of his second term. 'The living Israeli hostages held in Gaza have been freed under the first phase of Donald Trump's peace plan, alongside a Palestinian prisoner release,' Time wrote alongside the photo. 'The deal may become a signature achievement of Trump's second term, and it could mark a strategic turning point for the Middle East.' During his speech in Israel's parliament, known as the Knesset, on Monday, 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.' The original Time Magazine cover celebrating Trump's Middle Eastern diplomacy makes the President appear bald Trump took to Truth Social to slam the cover as 'really weird' The President arrived back to DC from the Middle East in the early hours of Tuesday morning The President promised to help rebuild Gaza, and he urged Palestinians to 'turn forever from the path of terror and violence.' Trump's supporters also bashed the Time Magazine for using the unflattering angle of the US leader. Kari Lake, the acting chief executive of the US Agency for Global Media and a longtime supporter of the President, posted a fake version of the Time cover on X. The edited photo shows Trump staring straight ahead, with his hair in full view, along with the caption, 'Trump's Triumph: Bringing Peace to the World.' Some social media users pointed out the image showed Trump's right ear, which was pierced by a bullet when he was shot at during an assassination attempt on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. A man and his child were dramatically rescued from the roof of a car as flash floods barraged Arizona. The terrified family was rescued early Monday morning after their vehicle became trapped in floodwaters. Heartbreaking footage posted by the Pinal County Sheriff's Office captured the terrifying scene in Eloy near Battaglia Road and Highway 87. The father closely hugged his son as sweeping floodwaters surrounded their car, leaving only a smidge of the roof visible. They were 'clinging desperately' to the top of their nearly submerged car, as multiple agencies rushed to the rescue. Dramatic images shared by the Eloy Fire District showed how a firefighter used a ladder truck to get the tiny infant to safety. His father sat below on the roof of his vehicle, 'stuck' and completely surrounded by water. The terrifying scene happened in Eloy, Arizona, near Battaglia Road and Highway 87 The family was rescued Monday morning after their car became submerged in flash floods Images posted by the Eloy Fire District showed a firefighter using a ladder to get the baby to dry land Faces were blurred for privacy reasons, the Eloy Fire District said. The family was rescued by firefighters and subsequently treated for 'possible injuries.' The Daily Mail reached out to the Eloy Fire District for further comment on the family's condition. The scary situation ensued after the father 'drove past the barricades blocking the flooding intersection,' according to the Eloy Police Department. That resulted in an allhandsondeck approach, as the Eloy Fire District, Pinal County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue, Casa Grande Fire Department and Eloy Police Department raced to the scene. Police added: 'Please don't ignore these signs, keep yourself and your families safe.' Reactions on social media ranged from relief at the rescue to disbelief at the predicament. One person said: 'Thank God they were rescued, this could have had a much different outcome! The Eloy Police Department said the father 'drove past the barricades blocking the flooding intersection' The family was rescued by firefighters and treated for 'possible injuries' 'Thank you to the men and women who answer the call daily, your service and commitment is greatly appreciated! God bless and stay safe!' Another wrote: 'Regardless of the mistake that was made, the most important thing is, they are both ok and alive.' Someone else shared: 'There really are other ways to learn how to swim. Thanks to all the first responders for putting their lives on the line to rescue those in need.' The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Pinal County on Monday. The thunderstorm was expected to have wind gusts moving at 60 miles per hour, as well as 'quarter size' hail. The storm was expected to damage vehicles, roofs, siding and trees. Eloy is about 65 miles from Phoenix and has a population of about 16,000. Rescuers also saved two other trapped motorists Monday evening on Milligan Road east of Highway 87, the Eloy Fire District said. The dangerous storm had stopped by Tuesday afternoon. Sir Keir Starmer, inflating himself like something rubbery and faintly spermicidal, told Kemi Badenoch she was not a serious statesperson. He later repeated this devastating charge when he used, without irony, the word statespersonship. Labour MPs clutched necks and gasped at Mrs Badenochs audacity (and, conceivably, at Sir Keirs abuse of the English language). Lib Dems demonstrated similar regretful assent. A few voices even shouted shame! at the Tory leader. For she had let the side down, done something unspeakable. She had dared to puncture the self-admiring consensus surrounding the Middle East. She calmly suggested that Britain played little part in the Trump peace agreement and that, furthermore, the Left had lost moral clarity by going soft on Islamist terrorism. She noted the Israeli government no longer regards Britain as one of its firmest allies and she criticised anti-Israel protesters who have turned our streets into theatres of hate. See what I mean? The woman, quite plainly, had gone mad. The BBC will never broadcast such outpourings. The Overton window would not permit it. Labours new Chief Whip, Jonny Reynolds, laughed at Mrs Badenoch in a superior manner. David Lammy, working some fodder from his teeth, sighed. Young Callum Anderson (Lab, Buckingham & Bletchley) adopted what he hoped was an appropriate look of disbelief. Ambitious thrusters like to show that they are in agreement with group-think. Its how you get ahead. A certain snooty disdain was evident among some Conservatives, too. Andrew Mitchells face was a portrait of pained disfavour. It was what you might expect if a lunch-goer at the Savoy Grill ordered a Pot Noodle and a refreshing draught of Irn-Bru. This event was a prime ministerial statement on the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. On Monday Sir Keir was in Egypt to pay salaams to World King Trump. The nasal knight did not have the happiest time, being made to look a fool. Perhaps that experience left him scratchy and eager to patronise somebody right back. Sure enough, he said he was surprised and saddened by Mrs Badenoch. She was not in the same league as grown-up, responsible politicians. At this he touched his own chest, to indicate the type of magnifico he was envisaging. When Sir Edward Leigh (Con, Gainsborough) offered a more traditional, Foreign Office-approved view of the Middle East, Sir Keir hailed the old tone of the respectable Tory party, now lost. Sir Keir Starmer told Kemi Badenoch she was not a serious statesperson before using the word 'statespersonship' Various boobies, with lowered chins and Stilton ripeness, uttered platitudes and cliches. Sir Keir assured them of the importance of their remarks. These MPs then sat back with satisfaction and brushed lint from their sleeves. To be part of the Establishment foreign-policy apparat is a noble and satisfying business. The foreign trips, the weekends at Wilton Park, the embassy drinks parties. A couple of newish Labour MPs expressed wonderment at the brilliance of Jonathan Powell, the National Security Adviser whose Y-fronts are currently in a frightful tangle over the China spies scandal. Sir Keir said how proud he was of Mr Powell. It sounds as if theyve caught the sweats on that one. Save Powell is the order of the day. Talking of sweating, I was earlier at the public administration select committee and one MP turned up late, in a terrible dither. Name of Peter Lamb (Lab, Crawley). The perspiration was actually dripping off him. He really did look as if he had just stepped out of a shower. The Commons also heard eulogies to Ming Campbell, the former Lib Dem leader who died recently. I liked Ming. We would sometimes stop in the cloisters for a chinwag. Yesterdays tributes noted what a nice chap he was, and slightly ran out of steam as a result. Ming was better than that. He had plenty of salty things to say about Nick Clegg and Charles Kennedy. And as he proved in the Iraq War, he had no time for gloopy consensus. Nor should any decent parliamentarian. Kemi Badenoch is right to say what she thinks. A pair of young business owners claim Australia Post refused to reimburse them after a delivery truck full of hundreds of orders for customers caught on fire. Sarah and Luke, who co-own haircare brand Coastal GRL, said they were forced to resend the products to customers and pay for postage twice. The NSW couple claim Australia Post refused to reimburse them for the products or the postage costs, leaving them 'tens of thousands of dollars' out-of-pocket. 'Australia Post, we hate you,' Sarah said in a TikTok video. 'You have stuffed our business around,' Luke continued. 'An Australia Post truck went up in flames, full of all our parcels that we've paid for, our customers have paid for shipping, and they were already delayed. 'Here we are thinking, cool, they're going to reimburse us or reimburse the customers and we can send it all out, everyone's happy. No. 'They're not taking any responsibility or any liability. Business owners Sarah and Luke (pictured) claim Australia Post refused to reimburse them after a delivery truck full of hundreds of their customers' orders caught on fire 'They're acting like we set the truck on fire. So now we're out of pocket, not just thousand, like tens of thousands. 'We're a small business and they've completely stuffed us. 'Now customers don't have the parcels, so we've taken the initiative to resend everyone's orders at our own cost.' 'What is wrong with Australia Post?' Sarah said. 'Here I am thinking they might refund us the postage of everyone's orders so we can get a little bit of money back. Nothing,' Luke said. Dozens of Aussies shared their thoughts on the situation in the comments. 'Surely everything is covered by their insurance,' one person wrote. 'Every parcel you send comes with insurance up to $100. So you can claim back at least something for the damaged parcels,' a second said. Australia Post said the fire started in a delivery truck travelling from Sydney to Adelaide on October 9, resulting in delays and damage to some mail and parcels (pictured) 'That's why you have business insurance,' a third wrote. Australia Post said the fire started in a delivery truck travelling from Sydney to Adelaide on October 9, resulting in delays and damage to some mail and parcels. 'Our team have been working to assess the impact and process all undamaged items. Unfortunately, some items on board could not be identified or safely recovered,' it said in a statement on its website. 'We've contacted senders where possible and ask that customers do the same to find out next steps. If you're a sender, please contact us and we'll assist where we can.' Daily Mail has contacted Australia Post for further comment. The man jailed for the 1979 murder of six-year-old Etan Patz could soon be released if a new trial date is not set soon. Pedro Hernandezs conviction was overturned in July after it was ruled that the jury in his 2017 trial should have been given a more thorough explanation from the judge of its options, which could have included disregarding all of the confessions. Hernandez could now be freed if prosecutors dont decide soon to hold a new trial. His lawyers requested a decision be made within 30 days. Defense attorney Harvey Fishbein said: 'We have a man sitting in jail now for 13 years that the 2nd Circuit said was innocent.' Judge Colleen McMahon in Manhattan did not immediately rule on the request to set a date to free their client. Matthew Colangelo, a prosecutor in the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, said prosecutors likely wont know for three months whether theyll seek a new trial and if the high court will hear an appeal. The Manhattan district attorney's office is attempting to track down 52 witnesses from the 2017 trial to assess the feasibility of a new trial, according to the New York Times. Colangelo said some witnesses may no longer be alive. Hernandez had previously confessed to murdering Etan Patz, six, in 1979 Pedro Hernandez, 64, is asking to be freed unless a new trial is pushed through (pictured: Hernandez appears in Manhattan criminal court with his attorney Harvey Fishbein, November 15, 2012) Hernandez's lawyers have said he confessed falsely due to mental illness and hallucinations. 'Pedro Hernandez is an odd, limited and vulnerable man,' Fishbein said in 2017, according to the Associated Press. 'Pedro Hernandez is an innocent man.' Hernandez admitted in 2012 to choking Etan in the basement of a convenience store where he worked as a teenage stock boy. The first-grader vanished on his way to school on May 25, 1979. Etan's body was never found. The case helped to make missing children a national cause in the United States, and Etans mother became a national advocate. Police met him while canvassing the area but didnt suspect him until they got a 2012 tip that hed made remarks years earlier about having killed a child in New York, not mentioning Etans name. In 2017, Hernandez was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison after being convicted of kidnapping and murdering Etan while the boy walked from his Prince Street home to the bus alone for the first time. However, that verdict was overturned in July after a federal appeals court ruled that the trial's judge had 'improperly ignored clearly established Supreme Court precedent and prejudiced the verdict.' Julie and Stanley Patz (Etan's parents) seen arriving at Hernandez's 2017 sentencing In 2017, Hernandez was sentenced to 25 years-to-life in prison Etan's murder captivated the US and frightened parents nationwide Hernandez's appeal hinged on how his initial confession to Etan's murder came before being read his Miranda rights. He was then asked to confess again on video. During the 2017 trial, jurors asked whether they should disregard Hernandez's later confessions if his initial one was coerced. The judge answered, 'The answer is "No",' which the appeals court said 'contradicted clearly established federal law.' The 64yearold has faced two trials regarding Etan's murder. The first trial in 2015 ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury, before he was found guilty in 2017. Etan's 1979 murder was a national tragedy. Parents across Manhattan and the US were impacted by the thought that it could have been their child who disappeared. The Manhattan district attorney's office wants the US Supreme Court to look at Hernandez's case Etan disappeared as he walked to his school bus stop The six-year-old was one of the first missing children whose face was ubiquitously featured on milk cartons. The day of Etan's disappearance was proclaimed National Missing Children's Day by Ronald Reagan. That happened on May 25, 1979, as Etan was walking to his school bus stop. Hernandez was 18 and working as a clerk at a bodega convenience store in Etans SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan when the boy disappeared. Police first interviewed Hernandez in July 1979, according to court documents, but he was 'not identified or treated as a suspect.' In 2012, the New York City Police Department renewed its focus on Etan's murder and interrogated Hernandez following a tip from his brother-in-law. After six hours, Hernandez confessed. He was only read his Miranda rights after that, per court documents. The Manhattan district attorney's office wants the US Supreme Court to look at Hernandez's case, although Judge McMahon said this was 'not the kind of case the Supreme Court would be inclined to take.' A new national poll has revealed a dramatic shift in public sentiment on immigration, with a clear majority of Australians now saying the country's intake is far too high and backing a temporary halt until infrastructure catches up. A survey of 1,007 people commissioned by the Institute of Public Affairs and conducted by Dynata on September 1314, reflects growing unease over mass migration. A whopping 60 per cent of respondents say Australia's immigration levels are too high, while just 7 per cent believe they are too low. The remaining 33 per cent think the intake is 'about right'. The strongest opposition comes from older Australians, with 72 per cent of those aged 65 and over saying the intake is excessive. But even among younger Australians, the concern is clear: 60 per cent of 1824-year-olds agree the numbers are too high. The poll also reveals deepening anxiety over the strain on public services and infrastructure. The percentage of people supporting a pause on immigration until more schools, hospitals, roads, and houses are built had increased from 60 per cent in 2023 to 71 per cent in the latest survey. A majority of Australians (60 per cent) think the nation's annual immigration intake is too high Meanwhile, the majority of all age groups except ages 25-34 think migration levels are too high There was also a growing concern that mass migration is eroding Australias social cohesion. Two-thirds of Australians (67 per cent) believe large-scale migration makes the country more divided, with more than a third (37 per cent) saying they strongly agree. Older Australians are the most likely to hold this view, three in four people aged 65 and over (75 per cent) say migration is driving social division. Men are slightly more likely than women to support a pause on migration (73 per cent compared with 69 per cent) and to believe it is causing division (70 per cent versus 65 per cent). The government is ignoring public concern about migration numbers and keeps pushing the numbers to new records. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, net permanent and long-term arrivals reached 379,870 between January and August, six per cent higher than the previous record set in 2024. Over the 12 months to August, net arrivals climbed to 467,410,. another all-time high. That is equivalent to importing a city the size of Canberra every year, despite infrastructure already being overwhelmed. In the last 12 months to August, net arrivals reached a record 467,410, according to ABS data Daniel Wild, Deputy Executive Director of the IPA, said the results show Australians are 'deeply concerned' about the impact of mass migration on their quality of life. 'Australians are not anti-immigration,' he said. 'But they are demanding a sensible pause so we can catch up on the basics, housing, roads, schools, and hospitals.' The poll comes amid growing tensions in the Liberal Party over mass migration. Earlier in October, opposition home affairs spokesman Andrew Hastie quit the front bench because of a disagreement over climate change and migration policy. The two issues are emblematic of a broader split between MPs who believe the Liberals need to stay in the political centre, and those who want the party to pursue a more conservative agenda. The immigration headaches for the Liberals began when Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price accused the Labor government of engineering mass migration for political reasons, as new migrants are inclined to vote for parties offering the most government services. As a result Senator Price was sacked from the Opposition's front bench, and the subsequent departure of Mr Hastie exposed the deep divide on the issue among the Coalition's ranks. An Asian-Australian DJ has captured the shocking moment he was told to 'enjoy his working holiday visa' by a smug party-goer after he refused to play an Eminem song. David Le, who goes by 'DLE' and was born and raised in Sydney, is a successful DJ with his hit Needed Me currently on the ARIA Club Charts. But a busy night working at a club took a turn on October 10 when a young woman typed out a message on her phone to show Mr Le mid-way through his set. 'Brother your in my country king but enjoy your (Working Holiday Visa). Have some respect,' the woman's message read. The reveller signed off her message with a red, yellow and black heart, used on social media to reference the Aboriginal flag, suggesting she is of Indigenous heritage. 'Name and shame this girl,' Mr Le said in the caption. 'All because I didn't play her Eminem song request.' Asian-American podcaster and influencer Ed Choi spotted the video in Los Angeles, and quickly slammed the woman's behaviour. Born and raised Sydneysider David Le was told to 'enjoy his visa' by a young woman after he refused to play her Eminem song request (her message is pictured) David Le, who goes by 'DLE' and was born and raised in Sydney, is a successful DJ with his hit Needed Me currently on the ARIA Club Charts 'You immediately revert to racism strictly because the DJ said 'No' when you requested him to play Eminem,' he said. 'The problem is, you saw an Asian person in Australia and your first thought, without hesitation, was to assume the only way that they could be there is through a (visa) because they're a foreigner and could not be an Australian. 'That assumption has nothing to do with being of Aboriginal descent, even though, not only does he live in Australia, he was born there.' The young woman and her family declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail. Mr Choi's video was shared by thousands on TikTok, with many saying the incident reflected a wider issue in Australian society. 'You do not know racism until you've experienced Australian racism. It's subtle and fierce in one go,' one person said. Another added: 'As an Asian-Australian born and raised in Australia, this does not surprise me AT ALL'. A third person who also said they were Asian-Australian said the DJ's experience was sadly 'very common'. US influencer Ed Choi (pictured), have branded the woman's message 'racist' for implying that because Mr Le is Asian-Australian that he could not be a citizen 'In Australia many people are overtly racist and don't hold back,' they said. 'The law doesn't protect us from racism here. Assaults on bus/trains, racial slurs are sadly too common, being spit at, getting bumped or shouldered is also common.' The far-left arsonist who firebombed the home of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro targeted a room where the Democrat had held a Passover Seder earlier that night. Cody Balmer, 38, pled guilty to arson on Tuesday, having told police he harbored 'hatred' towards Shapiro, who is Jewish, after throwing a Molotov cocktail at his official residence in April. New video released by the local district attorney - and played during the Tuesday hearing - shows Balmer sneaking in and out of the governor's Harrisburg residence to commit the attack. Balmer hopped a fence to get into the residence with a bag holding two Molotov cocktails, several weapons, gasoline, a sledgehammer and a handle. He used the sledgehammer to crack a glass window before throwing one of the Molotov cocktails. The arsonist is then seen moving past a locked door, again using the sledgehammer to finally enter Shapiro's residence after unsuccessfully kicking and throwing his body into the doors. Shapiro was inside the property with friends and family as they celebrated the first night of the Passover holiday at the time of the attack. The governor, 52, said the videos left a profound, chilling effect on him. The far-left arsonist who firebombed the home of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro targeted a room where the Democrat had held a Passover Seder earlier that night The governor, 52, said the videos left a profound, chilling effect on him 'I know those videos are chilling. They have been haunting me for months, I've been trying to unsee them for the last six months,' he said He added that his family cannot think about anything but the attack when in the residence. 'I think we need real accountability for acts of political violence, and today is real accountability for the violence that came here to Pennsylvania,' Shapiro added. Asked what he would have done had he encountered Shapiro in the residence during the attack, Balmer told investigators he would 'have beaten him with his hammer.' Balmer also entered pleas to terrorism, 22 counts of arson, aggravated arson, burglary, aggravated assault of Shapiro, 21 counts of reckless endangerment and loitering in the attack that caused millions of dollars in damage to the state-owned brick building. Under a plea deal, he was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison, far less than he could have faced if the case had gone to trial. He declined to address the judge about the crime, answering questions with short, simple answers. Defense attorney Bryan Walk said Balmer 'is taking full responsibility' and paying 'a hefty price for a man who's 38 years old.' New video released by the local district attorney, played during the Tuesday hearing, shows Balmer sneaking in and out of the governor's Harrisburg residence to commit the attack Balmer hopped a fence to get into the residence with a bag holding two Molotov cocktails, several weapons, gasoline, a sledgehammer and a handle Balmer used spent beer bottles filled with gasoline to make the homemade explosives before scaling an iron security fence at the property and throwing them. Prosecutors played video clips that showed Molotov cocktails going off and a figure inside and outside the residence. Judge Deborah Curcillo called the clip 'horrific' and 'very frightening.' Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo said the video shows Balmer hitting the doors leading to where Shapiro and his family were sleeping, but he was unable to get through. Smoke was building up inside as Balmer deployed the second incendiary device. Fifteen overnight guests - including children - and two state troopers were inside. Shapiro and his wife, Lori, provided a victim statement read in court that described how they were left feeling exposed in ways they would not have imagined, calling it 'a fear and anxiety we are learning to live with.' The experience has added stress to their children's lives, they wrote. Balmer told police he planned to beat Shapiro with a small sledgehammer if he had encountered him after breaking into the building, according to court documents. Balmer turned himself in the next afternoon. Police say Balmer broke in through the southern wing of the residence, into a room often used to entertain crowds and display art. Investigators recovered two broken glass beer bottles containing gasoline. The fire charred walls, tables, buffet serving dishes, plates and a piano. Window panes and brick around doors and windows were also damaged. Cody Balmer, accused of setting a fire at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's official residence, leaves Dauphin County Courthouse on Tuesday Balmer's former girlfriend and the mother to his two children called police to inform them that he attacked the property. She alleged he wanted her to tell investigators. He previously denied having any mental health conditions, having described himself as unemployed and said he had 'a lot of children.' Balmers mother Christie said days after his arrest that she had tried to get him assistance for mental health issues, but 'nobody would help.' Speaking to CBS, she said: 'So he was mentally ill, went off his meds, and this is what happened.' Christie claimed she'd reached out to four different departments seeking help for her son, but 'couldn't get anybody to help.' Court proceedings were delayed while he received mental health treatment, his lawyer has said. A letter from Balmer's relatives read in court on Tuesday said he stopped taking medication, leading to manic episodes and a 'dark and difficult path.' The attack on a Jewish governor during Passover raised questions over Balmer's motive in the attack. He told the Associated Press in a letter from behind bars that Shapiro's religion was not a factor. Balmer wrote: 'He can be Jewish, Muslim, or a purple people eater for all I care and as long as he leaves me and mine alone.' When asked if he considered that his attack might injure children, he added: 'Does anyone ever consider children?. 'It doesn't seem that way. I sure as hell did. I'm glad no one got hurt.' Asked why he felt Shapiro had somehow done him wrong, Balmer replied: 'I'm not going to answer that.' A convicted double murderer known as the 'Deacon of Death' has been executed in Florida. Samuel Lee Smithers, 72, was pronounced dead at 6.15pm after receiving the lethal injection in Florida State Prison. His death comes almost 30 years after he murdered two women, Christy Cowan and Denise Roach, in 1996. At the time he was working as a church deacon while also providing landscaping maintenance on a 27-acre property in rural Plant City. He met the two women at a Tampa motel to pay them for sex on two different dates in May 1996. Later that month on May 28, the property owner found Smithers in the carport cleaning an ax near a pool of blood. The woman contacted authorities and a sheriff's deputy noticed later that day drag marks leading to one of three ponds on the property. There, they found the bodies of both Cowan and Roach. Both women had been severely beaten, strangled and left in the pond to die. After his arrest, he was nicknamed the Deacon of Death. Smithers was Florida's 14th execution this year, marking a record for the state. Samuel Lee Smithers, 72, was pronounced dead at 6.15pm after receiving the lethal injection in Florida State Prison He murdered Christy Cowan (pictured) in 1996 after meeting her in a motel to pay for sex The curtain to the death chamber went up at the scheduled 6.00pm execution time, with Smithers already strapped to a table and an IV in his arm. When asked if he had a final statement, he responded, 'No sir.' The administration of the lethal drugs began almost immediately. Initially, Smithers' breathing was heavy and he underwent slight convulsions before all movements eventually stopped. A warden shook Smithers and shouted his name, but there was no response. As more time passed, the man's complexion began to turn gray. A medic entered the chamber at 6.14pm to check his vital signs and Smithers was declared dead a minute later. Afterward, Department of Corrections spokesman Ted Veerman said the execution was carried out without incident. Smithers' death extended Florida's record for total executions in a single year, and there are still two more planned in 2025. His was one of two executions Tuesday evening in the US. Lance Shockley, 48, was executed in Missouri for the fatal shooting of a state trooper more than 20 years ago. The Florida Supreme Court denied an appeal from Smithers last week. His attorneys had argued that his age should make him ineligible for execution under the US Constitution's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. He also murdered Denise Roach the same month. Both women's bodies were found in a pond on a property where he was working At the time he was working as a church deacon while also providing landscaping maintenance on a 27-acre property in rural Plant City. After his arrest, he earned the nickname the Deacon of Death Although Smithers was one of the oldest people ever executed in Florida, the justices ruled that the elderly are not exempt from the death penalty. The US Supreme Court rejected a final appeal without comment Tuesday evening. With Tuesday's executions, a total of 37 men had died by court-ordered execution to date this year in the US. Norman Mearle Grim Jr., 65, is scheduled for Florida's 15th execution on October 28. He was convicted of raping and killing his neighbor, whose body was found by a fisherman near the Pensacola Bay Bridge in 1998. Bryan Fredrick Jennings, 66, is set for Florida's 16th execution on November 13. He was convicted of raping and killing a six-year-old girl after abducting her from her central Florida home in 1979. NATO is weighing up sweeping new air combat rules that could make it far easier for its pilots to shoot down Russian fighter jets amid rising tensions with Moscow. Defence chiefs are in talks over a single, unified rulebook for engaging enemy aircraft in a move that could allow Russian warplanes carrying ground-offensive attack missiles over allied territory to be treated as legitimate targets. According to a source briefed on the close-door discussions, the 'weaponry and trajectory' of an aircraft would determine whether it poses a threat. The proposals are expected to be discussed by defence ministers at a NATO meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, as European allies grow increasingly concerned about aggressive Russia flights and drone incursions near their borders. NATO leaders - including Donald Trump - have voiced support for taking tougher action against Russia aircraft violating alliance airspace. However, several member states remain wary that such a move could risk direct confrontation with the Kremlin. General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, has privately pushed for a 'unified, single air and missile defence system' to streamline the alliance's response to potential Russian provocations, sources say. The proposal would strip away so-called 'national caveats' - the differing national rules that currently govern how each country's pilots can engage threats - and hand NATO's top general greater freedom to respond decisively. NATO leaders - including Donald Trump - have voiced support for taking tougher action against Russia aircraft violating alliance airspace Up to four of the 19 Russian drones were shot down by Polish and NATO aircraft - the first time Kremlin drones have been downed while flying above a NATO territory, in September 2025 At present, member states operate under widely varying rules of engagement. Some require pilots to visually confirm targets before opening fire, while others permit action based purely on radar data. The inconsistencies have prompted behind-the-scenes debate about what conditions would justify shooting down a Russian jet over NATO territory. Last month, the alliance was forced to hold two emergency Article 4 meetings following Russian incursions in Estonia and Poland. In one incident, three Russian MG fighter jets entered Estonian airspace, prompting Italian F-35s to scramble in response. The Russian planes were ordered to leave and escorted to international airspace in what insiders describes as a 'textbook' response. General Grynkewich decided against authorising weapons fire after intelligence reports showed the MiGs were armed only with air-to-air missiles and had made no attempt to target NATO fighters. However, NATO officials have discussed scenarios in which such aircraft could be shot down - for instance, if they carried air-to-surface weapons or followed an aggressive flight path. Another challenge facing General Grynkewich is the patchwork of overlapping air-defence operations currently active on NATO's eastern flank. Three separate missions - Eastern Sentry, launched after Russian drone violations over Poland, Baltic Sentry, operating since January, and the alliance's Ukraine training mission - all have their own air-defence components. Dozens of NATO countries contribute to these missions, each with its own rules of engagement. A senior diplomat described the arrangement as a bureaucratic 'headache' for the Supreme Commander. Germany, Spain, and Italy are said to be among the more cautious nations in the alliance, despite playing significant roles in these operations. Parts of discovered drone are seen in the village of Mniszkow in central Poland, where one of the Russian drones that breached Polish airspace was discovered on September 10, 2025 A Norwegian Air Force F-16 fighter jet (file image). NATO scrambled the jets to its Eastern flank following Russia's attack on Ukraine 'Trying to create a more unified, single, integrated air and missile defence system makes sense, and in order for him to do that, he needs to get rid of as many national caveats as possible,' one senior NATO diplomat told The Telegraph. 'We all have to look sharply and critically at whether those caveats still make sense.' Defence ministers will also consider merging the three air-defence mission to give General Grynkewich more operational flexibility. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the plans would 'further strengthen our deterrence and defence posture, including in light of recent incidents'. Estonia - backed by other Baltic nations - is leading calls for NATO's existing air-policing missions to be upgraded to full air-defence operations. But several countries are pushing back, arguing that such a move should be reserved for wartime conditions since it would involve closing civilian airspace and authorising the downing of any Russian jet that enters without warning. Raimond Kaljulaid, who chairs Estonia's delegation to NATO's parliamentary assembly, dismissed that cautious approach. He said that if force is only used when there is a direct military threat, then this is a sign of weakness, as 'you are in effect saying that under certain conditions violations of our airspace will have no consequences'. 'Instead, our public position should be that we have the right to respond in a manner that we see fit and Russia should know that perhaps next time our reaction will be something else,' he added. 'This idea that our reaction is dependent on the way the Russians are acting threatening or not could basically imply that you can also drive a tank across the border if it poses no immediate threat. Of course that is ridiculous. We either have borders or we don't.' In June alone, NATO aircraft including F-35s and F-16s were deployed 29 times to intercept Russian activity over the Baltic Sea, according to Denmark's military. Meanwhile, Moscow appears to be escalating its war preparations. A new Russian law expected to pass parliament this week will allow up to two million military reservists to be mobilised for combat in Ukraine - even during peacetime. F-35 jets lined up on HMS Prince of Wales flight deck (file image) The amendment sidesteps the need to declare martial law, potentially sparing the Kremlin another unpopular mobilisation drive like the one in September 2022, which sent tens of thousands of men fleeing the country. Britain, meanwhile, is ramping up support for Ukraine. Defence Secretary John Healey will tell NATO allies in Brussels that the UK has already delivered 85,000 drones this year - and expects to exceed its target of 100,000. He will reveal that London has invested 600million to speed up drone production and delivery to Kyiv, urging allies to 'ramp up drone production to outmatch Putin's escalation.' Mr Healey will also confirm that RAF Typhoons will continue flying under NATO's Eastern Sentry mission for the remainder of the year, at minimum. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni joked she would probably kill someone if she had to give up cigarettes. The leader made the quip during a light-hearted exchange at the Gaza summit in Egypt after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has pledged to make Turkey smoke-free, challenged her over her smoking habit. 'You look great. But I have to make you stop smoking,' he told Ms Meloni, prompting laughter from Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron. 'It's impossible,' the French president said. 'I know, I know,' Ms Meloni replied. 'I don't want to kill somebody.' The 48-year-old recently revealed in a book that she had started smoking again after quitting 13 years ago - and joked that cigarettes had helped her bond with foreign leaders, including Tunisian president Kais Saied. Mr Erdogan wasn't the only leader to comment on Ms Meloni at the summit. Donald Trump also offered his trademark praise after arriving from addressing Israel's parliament, the Knesset. The US president told the gathered leaders that calling a woman 'beautiful' was now seen as politically risky, but that he didn't care. The Italian leader made the quip during a light-hearted exchange at the Gaza summit in Egypt, after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan challenged her over her smoking habit The 48-year-old recently revealed in a book that she had started smoking again after quitting 13 years ago (pictured in 2022) 'I'm not allowed to say it because usually it's the end of your political career if you say it. She's a beautiful young woman,' he said. 'Now if you use the word beautiful in the United States about a woman, that's the end of your political career, but I'll take my chances!' Gesturing to her, he added: 'Where is she? There she is. You don't mind being called beautiful, right? Because you are. 'She wanted to be here, and she's incredible, and they really respect her in Italy. She's a very successful politician.' Ms Meloni has cultivated close ties with the Trump administration, positioning herself as a key mediator between the EU and the US on issues from trade to the war in Ukraine. At the summit, she also signalled Italy's growing openness to recognising a Palestinian state following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. She said: 'Clearly, if the plan is implemented, Italy's recognition of Palestine will certainly be closer.' Ms Meloni added that Rome stood ready to help stabilise Gaza, potentially by deploying Italian Carabinieri under a UN mandate. 'Italy is ready to do its part,' she said. 'It's a great opportunity. It's a historic day. I'm proud that Italy is here.' Failure to bring order to borders is eroding the public's confidence in politicians, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will warn today. Hosting a summit of European interior ministers in London to discuss migration routes through the western Balkans, Ms Mahmood is expected to call for stronger international cooperation to tackle illegal migration. She will tell her counterparts that governments are losing the trust of voters who expect them to control their borders, saying: 'The public rightly expect their government to decide who can enter their country and who must leave. 'Today, in this country - and I know in many of yours - that is not the case. 'The failure to bring order to our borders is eroding trust not just in us as political leaders, but in the credibility of the state itself.' The meeting brings together ministers from across the western Balkans - including North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo - alongside other European allies. The aim is to secure new agreements to disrupt smuggling gangs and prevent illegal migration. The failure to bring order to Europe's borders is undermining public confidence in politicians and even the idea of the nation state, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will warn today Your browser does not support iframes. According to the Home Office, around 22,000 people were smuggled through the region by criminal gangs in 2024, as the Balkans increasingly became a key transit route for both people and drugs. Ms Mahmood will also use the event to criticise Nigel Farage and Reform UK, accusing them of wanting to 'turn inwards' rather than work with international partners. 'Illegal migration is a shared threat that demands a united international response,' she will say. 'To those who believe the answer is to withdraw or reject cooperation, I say that by coming together, we make all our borders - and our countries - stronger.' The National Crime Agency's director general, Graeme Biggar, will attend the summit to discuss how to dismantle the criminal networks behind people smuggling and trafficking. Ministers will also hold a session on tackling violence against women and girls. The Conservatives accused Ms Mahmood of hypocrisy, saying her government had 'lost control' of the UK's borders. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: 'The first nine months of this year have been the worst on record for illegal immigrants crossing the Channel. The Conservatives would leave the ECHR, allowing us to remove all illegal immigrants within a week of arrival - and then the crossings would soon stop.' The critical evidence which led to the China spy case collapsing will not be made public, it emerged yesterday. Requests to release a key witness statement by the deputy national security adviser which resulted in the case collapsing have been rejected after the Crown Prosecution Service said it would be 'inappropriate' outside of a courtroom. The decision will fuel more speculation about the controversial case which was aborted last month with no explanation provided in open court. Yesterday Downing Street said the Prime Minister has full confidence in the government's deputy national security adviser as a blame game erupted with Matthew Collins named by ministers as being responsible for failing to say China was Britain's enemy. Mr Collins' evidence that China could not be called a threat to national security led to the collapse of charges against parliamentary researcher Chris Cash, 30, and his friend Christopher Berry, 33, who were accused of passing secrets to Beijing, which they denied. Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald is understood to have discussed making public witness statements from Mr Collins who was asked three times to provide evidence that China was an enemy before the Director of Public Prosecutions pulled the plug when it was 'not forthcoming'. But the move has been blocked by the CPS, which says publication of the statements would be 'inappropriate' outside of a courtroom. Yesterday Downing Street said the Prime Minister has full confidence in Mr Collins After a heated debate in the Commons on Monday night when Mr Collins was named by the Security Minister Dan Jarvis as the official responsible for the decision, Labour was accused of using a 'scapegoat'. Former Security Minister Tom Tugendhat told BBC Newsnight: 'The idea of throwing Matt Collins under the bus, I think, is frankly pretty low.' Tory former minister Lord Gove also questioned: 'Are we really asked to believe a single civil servant is alone responsible? I fear he may be being made a scapegoat.' Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper pointedly refused to say Mr Collins' job was safe on Tuesday night. But yesterday the Prime Minister's official spokesman insisted Sir Keir had full confidence in Mr Collins, adding 'anyone who had met the deputy national security adviser Matthew Collins will know he faithfully carries out his job'. Downing Street insisted Sir Keir Starmer has not seen the evidence, saying ministers are not privy to 'independent' witness statements provided to the CPS. But a spokesman said: 'The deputy national security adviser is a highly respected securocrat with unparalleled experience in working across the national security community to keep the UK safe, secure and prosperous. 'Mr Collins has "the highest levels of integrity and experience",' the official said, adding that Sir Keir 'absolutely' has confidence in the deputy national security adviser. The BBC has come under fire for a report on the release of Palestinian prisoners that omitted key details about one man's alleged role in a deadly suicide bombing that killed four. The corporation aired a segment featuring the family of Murad Muhammad Ridha Ahmad Abu al-Rub - without initially noting his connection to the 2006 Kedumim attack, according to critics. Reporters covering the mass release of nearly 2,000 prisoners led by Israel described the detainees as being greeted as 'heroes' upon their return. A video clip published on the BBC homepage showed the sister of al-Rub, Aida, waiting anxiously for her brother's name to appear on the release list. Israeli research organisation Palestinian Media Watch says al-Rub was convicted and jailed for his part in the 2006 Kedumim suicide bombing, which claimed the lives of four Israelis. Introducing the segment, BBC Middle East correspondent Lucy Williamson said: 'Aida has waited 20 years for her brother Murad to be released from Israeli jail.' In tears, Aida said: 'I don't know what he looks like.' Williamson went on: 'Dozens of prisoners emerged from Red Cross buses as fathers, brothers and sons - carried in as national heroes. But Murad wasn't among them.' Introducing the segment, BBC Middle East correspondent Lucy Williamson said: 'Aida has waited 20 years for her brother Murad to be released from Israeli jail' A video clip published on the BBC homepage showed the sister of al-Rub, Aida, waiting anxiously for her brother's name to appear on the release list The one-minute piece then cut to footage of Aida sobbing and saying: 'They kidnapped my brother.' Williamson concluded: 'By comparing three different lists, we discovered Murad's name, once slated for release, was yesterday moved to a list of deportees.' The same video appeared on the BBCs TikTok page, with the caption: 'Families waited for detainees to be released in the occupied West Bank on Monday, as part of the Gaza ceasefire. 'We met Aida Abu Rob waiting for her brother Murad, sentenced to four life sentences in 2006.' The broadcaster insisted last night that viewers were made aware of the man's conviction. Last night, a BBC spokesperson told The Sun: 'It was made clear the prisoner had been serving four life sentences.' Israeli research organisation Palestinian Media Watch says al-Rub was convicted and jailed for his part in the 2006 Kedumim suicide bombing, which claimed the lives of four Israelis Around 250 of the released prisoners had been serving life sentences, many for deadly terror attacks. Among them was Ahmed Mahmed Jameel Shahada, who raped and murdered a 13-year-old boy in 1989. Critics accused the BBC of downplaying the crimes of convicted terrorists and using language that risked portraying them as victims or heroes. The Daily Mail has approached the BBC for comment. A high-profile Australian hairdresser has been branded 'insensitive' and 'out of touch' after she appeared to mock a woman for eating on a train. Perth salon owner Sharlene Lee was seen surrounded by shopping bags from luxury brands Gucci and Versace while sitting on a Metro train in France. The Circles of Hair owner was captured filming and laughing at the woman as she sat just metres away eating a corn on the cob, in a TikTok video shared to her account. The clip showed Ms Lee expressing her disgust at the sight. 'What the hell are we doing on the Metro!' she asked a male companion. 'Why didn't we get an Uber?' Ms Lee later deleted the TikTok after it sparked a wave of backlash from viewers. But the video was re-shared by others who condemned her antics, with one branding the hairdresser 'insensitive' and another calling her a 'bully'. Perth salon owner Sharlene Lee (pictured left) deleted the video of her appearing to mock a fellow commuter eating corn on a train in France after she copped backlash online 'To film someone just eating in silence, laughing about it, going home and editing it, thinking 'this is funny',' one woman said. 'You're essentially bullying someone because of what they're eating. 'How out of touch do you need to be!' The clip was inundated with similar comments slamming Ms Lee. 'People like that made me fearful to eat in public for so long. It's so frustrating,' one woman wrote. A second wrote: 'That is insane behaviour'. But others agreed that eating on a train was inconsiderate to other passengers. 'Why the heck was she eating that corn in a train? I have encountered this kind of situation too where one lady with a head scarf was eating nuts in bus and she was cracking them open.... it stunk up the whole bus....be more considerate,' they said. It comes just months after the salon owner copped backlash online for touching and playing with a yacht crew member's braided hair (pictured) Ms Lee has been working as a hairstylist during Paris Fashion Week. Daily Mail has contacted Ms Lee for comment. It comes just months after the salon owner copped backlash online for touching and playing with a yacht crew member's braided hair. Ms Lee was on a seven-night cruise of the Greek islands in the Mediterranean when she befriended a woman from South Africa working on the yacht. Ms Lee asked for permission to touch the woman's hair and then recorded their interaction in a video shared to social media. However, viewers claimed she invaded the woman's personal space. 'White women should not be going around trying to touch the hair of people of colour. Is commonly known that this is disrespectful,' one said. 'You're treating her as if she's part of an exhibition,' a second wrote. Controversial US commentator Candace Owens has lost her legal bid to secure an Australian visa ahead of her upcoming speaking tour. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke refused Owens' visa in October 2024, saying he 'reasonably suspected' she failed the character test and could 'incite discord in the Australian community or in a segment of that community'. 'Australia's national interest is best served when Candace Owens is somewhere else,' Burke said at the time, citing her 'controversial and conspiratorial views'. The decision had bipartisan backing, with Liberal immigration spokesman Dan Tehan also supporting the ban. On Wednesday, the High Court unanimously upheld Burke's decision, rejecting Owens' argument that the refusal breached Australia's implied freedom of political communication. The court ordered Owens, 36, to pay the Commonwealth's legal costs. Owen's show at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre was previously rescheduled from November 20 to January 28. Officials pointed to Owens' comments on Muslim, Black, Jewish and LGBTQI communities and her use of online platforms to amplify divisive rhetoric. Controversial US commentator Candace Owens (pictured) has lost her legal bid to secure an Australian visa for her upcoming speaking tour Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke refused Owens' visa in October 2024, saying she could 'incite discord in the Australian community or in a segment of that community' Court documents claimed she had downplayed the Holocaust and alleged that Muslims started slavery. The Commonwealth argued her entry could encourage extremist behaviour, vilify communities or even spark civil unrest. Ms Owens' lawyers argued the character test on which visa decisions are made was likely to exclude non-mainstream political views simply for being divisive. Perry Herzfeld SC contended the threshold of 'inciting discord' to reject a visa was so broad it could take in anyone engaged in debate. He argued that basing exclusion on character grounds risked banning anyone 'the minister doesn't like'. Legal provisions saying a person could not attack Australian values were equally broad, he argued, saying the spectrum of what was a mainstream view changed over time. He pointed to the decriminalisation of homosexuality and the legalisation of same-sex marriage. However, the High Court held the visa refusal was justified and did not infringe on the implied freedom of political communication. Owen's show at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre was previously rescheduled from November 20 to January 28 (a promotion for her tour is pictured) Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Owens (pictured) risked 'inciting discord' in Australia With more than 4.2million YouTube subscribers and 5.7million Instagram followers, authorities warned her influence could amplify division. Owens sparked controversy last year with her claim that Brigitte Macron, the wife of French president Emmanuel Macron, was born male. She also departed her role with the Daily Wire website after co-founder Ben Shapiro objected to her criticisms of Israel's conduct in Gaza, and called for the US to stop funding Israel's military. Daily Mail has contacted Candace Owens for comment. The Young Republicans club has railed against members who were allegedly involved in a 'vile and inexcusable' group chat that included vile racist content along with so-called jokes about rape and supporting Hitler. The Board of Directors for the organization published an apology on Tuesday after the shocking contents of a Telegram chat with high-profile members of the organization were leaked to Politico. 'We are appalled by the vile and inexcusable language revealed in the Politico article published today,' the statement read. 'Such behavior is disgraceful, unbecoming of any Republican, and stands in direct opposition to the values our movement represents.' The Board of Directors has called for everyone involved in the scandal to 'immediately resign from all positions within their state and local Young Republican organizations.' Extraordinary text messages emerged earlier on Tuesday purporting to be from members with deep ties to high profile Republicans across the nation. Some members had even joked they would be 'cooked' if the contents of the group chat ever leaked. Within 28,000 messages spanning seven months, the men referred to black people as 'monkeys' and joked about putting political opponents in gas chambers and raping them. The Young Republicans organization has railed against members involved in a 'vile and inexcusable' group chat which joked about rape, supporting Hitler and racism. Pictured: Young Republican National Chairman Hayden Padgett Assemblymember Mike Reilly fired his chief of staff Peter Giunta (pictured) after he was accused of being an active participant in the chat. Giunta allegedly wrote 'I love Hitler' and 'everyone that votes no is going to the gas chamber' in the private messages Elsewhere, they laughed at the prospect of bullying people so severely they were driven to suicide, frequently used the word n**** and made light of Jeffrey Epstein's sex crimes. One of the members allegedly joked President Donald Trump was preoccupied and 'too busy burning the Epstein files' during the period the president and his administration were under intense scrutiny for failing to share key documents. The Young Republican National Federation has 15,000 members across the United States, all aged between 18 and 40. Some of those members work within elected offices throughout the country. After Politico's expose, at least one member of the group chat was let go from his job, and another had an offer of employment rescinded, the publication states. New York Republicans Rep. Elise Stefanik and state Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt are among politicians to have publicly denounced the chat. Assemblymember Mike Reilly fired his chief of staff Peter Giunta after he was accused of being an active participant in the chat. Giunta allegedly wrote 'I love Hitler' and 'everyone that votes no is going to the gas chamber' in the private messages. 'The comments shared in the group chat that have been reported are extremely troubling and disappointing. They do not align with my values. As a result, Mr. Giunta's assignment in my office has ended,' Reilly said. University of Dayton professor Art Jipson, who specializes in white racial extremism, blamed Trump for influencing the language of young Republicans Trump attracted mega crowds at his rallies during the presidential campaign Giunta later issued an apology for the comments attributed to him, saying: 'I am so sorry to those offended by the insensitive and inexcusable language found within the more than 28,000 messages of a private group chat that I created during my campaign to lead the Young Republican National Federation. 'While I take complete responsibility, I have had no way of verifying their accuracy and am deeply concerned that the message logs in question may have been deceptively doctored.' Giunta claimed he had been the victim of a 'highly-coordinated year-long character assassination' and had withstood a 'barrage of slanderous accusations as well as the dissemination of ai-generated social media posts to falsify past statements I've been accused of making.' Bobby Walker, who at the time of the group chat was vice chair of the New York State Young Republicans, has also publicly issued a statement after the article alleged he referred to rape as 'epic.' He said the messages 'may have been altered, taken out of context, or otherwise manipulated' noting the 'private exchanges were obtained and released in a way clearly intended to inflict harm.' 'There is no excuse for the language and tone in messages attributed to me. The language is wrong and hurtful, and I sincerely apologize,' he added. New York Congressman Mike Lawler also condemned the chat, writing on X: 'Im disgusted by the hateful antisemitism and racism revealed in these messages. 'Anyone involved in this disgraceful behavior should immediately resign from any leadership position and reflect on how far theyve strayed from basic decency and respect.' White House spokeswoman Liz Huston noted Trump had nothing to do with the group chat In Kansas, the chairman of the Republican Party revealed on Tuesday the entire Kansas Young Republicans organization would be immediately deactivated after prominent members of the chapter were accused of being participants in the chat. University of Dayton professor Art Jipson, who specializes in white racial extremism, blamed Trump for influencing the language of young Republicans. 'Trump's persistent use of hostile, often inflammatory language that normalizes aggressive discourse in conservative circles can be incredibly influential on young operatives who are still trying to figure out, "What is that political discourse?"' Jipson said. White House spokeswoman Liz Huston hit back at that categorization, noting Trump had nothing to do with the group chat. 'Only an activist, left-wing reporter would desperately try to tie President Trump into a story about a random groupchat he has no affiliation with, while failing to mention the dangerous smears coming from Democrat politicians who have fantasized about murdering their opponent and called Republicans Nazis and Fascists,' she said in response to the Politico article. 'No one has been subjected to more vicious rhetoric and violence than President Trump and his supporters.' Foreign delegates praise service hub 10:29, October 15, 2025 By Chen Meiling and Wang Songsong ( China Daily Delegates participating in the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women visit the Shunyi District Women and Children's Social Service Center in Beijing on Tuesday. WANG JING/CHINA DAILY Foreign delegates attending the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women visited a women and children's service center in Beijing on Tuesday, where they praised China's efforts to provide legal, psychological and social support for families in need. The delegates toured the Shunyi District Women and Children's Social Service Center, which offers free legal aid, counseling, vocational training and cultural activities. The center also helps resolve family disputes and provides resources for those facing domestic challenges. According to the Beijing Women's Federation, residents can seek help in person, by mail or by calling the 12338 hotline, which connects cases directly to relevant government departments. The center has assisted with issues such as securing relief funds for an injured woman and mediating disputes over child support and elder care. A visitation room allows non-custodial parents to meet their children after divorce in a supportive environment, with psychologists and social workers on hand to ensure calm, constructive interaction. In the psychological care room, trained counselors offer free one-on-one and group sessions to help alleviate emotional stress. The facility combines traditional stress relieving activities such as sandplay therapy with the use of modern psychological testing equipment. Jennifer Feller Enriquez, director-general for Human Rights and Democracy of Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said she was most impressed by the center's range of services. "We have some similar centers in Mexico, but not with such a great array of aspects like the mediation part, which is very important in solving family conflicts," she said. Catherine Launa, minister for women, youth, children and family affairs of the Solomon Islands, called the visit an "eye-opening" experience. She said she was impressed by how the government ensures that women and children are not left unsupported. "I see that in a lot of countries women have to support themselves, and there's usually no resources to help them or even to bring up children if the fathers leave the family," she said. "Children from broken families become victims and can be a problem in society if they are not looked after, so I think by having a system like we have here will give a lot of hope for the youth and mothers, too, and is what other countries can learn from." Zainab Ibrahim Bello, deputy national women leader of the All Progressives Congress, the ruling party of Nigeria, said she was particularly impressed by the 12338 hotline, where women or children in need can call and be immediately referred to the relevant department. Peaceful families contribute to a peaceful society that is easy to develop, she added. Fang Yan, senior partner at Jincheng Tongda & Neal law firm and a participant in the meeting, said Chinese women have become increasingly empowered and aware of their rights in recent years. "This progress is firmly rooted in a robust legal foundation," she said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) A plumbing company that is under investigation has been blasted after charging a Victorian elderly pensioner $1,850 without even fixing the leak in her unit. Fergusons Plumbing, which also trades as Point Plumbing and Dan's Plumbing, billed Sylvie Leber, 75, the sum without identifying the source of a leak before turning off the water for every apartment in the building, angering her fellow residents. Her daughter Colette Leber discovered the plumbing company was already under investigation after dozens of complaints prompted the NSW Building Commission to suspend its licence, but that ruling was challenged and temporarily stayed. 'She found Ferguson's Plumbing they had a 4.9 rating and seemed trustworthy,' Ms Leber told news.com.au. When a Ferguson's plumber came out he could not locate the leak and - according to the woman's daughter - Ms Leber was told specialist leak detection was needed, which costs thousands of dollars. 'The plumbing company that came didn't even identify mum's water meter,' Ms Leber said. 'They found the building water meter, did a test and couldn't find the leak and turned off the whole building water meter.' An assessor arrived the following day to find the main meter had been turned off. Fergusons Plumbing, which also trades under Point Plumbing and Dan's Plumbing, billed Sylvie Leber, 75 (pictured), the sum without identifying the source of a leak before turning off the water for every apartment in the building, much to the shock of residents Charbel Alha's plumbing company has been accused of ripping customers off Yarra Valley Water found Ms Leber's mum had a leaking toilet and fixed it for free as part of those struggling to pay bills. Colette spent three months trying to recover the money for her mother. She claimed she was asked if she was 'lonely' by the plumbing company and if that was why she kept contacting them. Eventually, the plumbers agreed to refund $1,849 last month, but Ms Leber said they tried to prevent the family from speaking about their experience. She described it as a 'goodwill refund' as the company refused to accept any fault. The company declined to comment to media outlets, saying it was unable to due to confidential terms of settlement. The NSW Building Commission is investigating the company and its director Charbel Alha regarding allegations of repeated breaches of the Home Building Act and Australian Consumer Law. The construction industry regulator received 62 complaints relating to Australian Trades Pty Ltd trading as Ferguson's Plumbing last financial year, and five new complaints this year. The email explaining the conditions of the job which lists the additional cost of leak detection The allegations include misrepresentations and overcharging for emergency plumbing services. A Building Commission NSW spokesperson said: 'Under powers in section 23 of the Home Building Act 1989, Building Commission NSW can issue public warnings where it is satisfied a business or licence holder poses a particular risk to consumers.' Ms Leber said it was an issue that the company was under investigation in NSW but was still able to operate in Victoria. Consumer Action Law Centre chief executive Stephanie Tonkin said: 'Ordinary people have neither the knowledge or the time to pursue regulator complaints themselves, they need help and support. The harm we hear about when families are hit with these unfair and unreasonable demands is immense.' In August the same plumbing company allegedly quoted a 98-year-old war veteran more than $31,000 to fix his broken toilet before another tradesman did it for just $550. Daily Mail contacted Ferguson's Plumbing owner Charbel Alha, as well as Sylvie and the NSW Building Commission for comment. Los Angeles declared a state of emergency in response to immigration raids taking place across the city as California ramps up its resistance to President Trump. The bold move would provide assistance to Los Angeles residents targeted by ICE as Governor Gavin Newsom positions himself for the Democratic nomination to run for president in 2028. Attorney General Pam Bondi blasted the action during an interview on Fox News on Tuesday night. Sean Hannity asked Bondi whether California's move to provide rent relief for tenants who have fallen behind as a result of the ICE was illegal. 'It is,' Bondi said bluntly. Nearly a third of the 10 million people who live in the county are born outside the US, meaning it could affect a massive chunk of the population. Trump's top law enforcement official then criticized Democrats for fundraising during the government shutdown. Bondi said that all federal law enforcement were 'probably not getting a paycheck' this week due to the stoppage. ICE told Fox News Digital that the 'only state of emergency is the one the residents of Los Angeles face after electing officials who give a middle finger to the law.' Demonstrators protest outside a downtown jail in Los Angeles following two days of clashes with police during a series of immigration raids on June Anti-ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) protestors on June 12 as immigration raids spread though Southern California Los Angeles declared a state of emergency in response to immigration raids taking place across the city as California ramps up its resistance to President Trump Spokesperson Emily Convington suggested that the money should instead go to legal residents who were affected by recent fires. 'Perhaps the board should 'supervise' funds to support law-abiding fire victims who still haven't recovered, instead of criminal illegal aliens seeking refuge in their sanctuary city,' Convington said. 'While they publicly fear-monger, I would be shocked if they didn't agree with ICE removing a child rapist from their neighborhood.' Trump spokesperson Abigail Jackson slammed the entire Democrat Party in a statement to Newsweek. 'The real emergency is the countless criminal illegal aliens that Joe Biden let waltz across our Southern Border and terrorize American communities. President Trump is fulfilling the promise he was elected on - deporting criminal aliens - whether Democrat politicians like it or not.' she said. Democrat California Governor Gavin Newsom posted a video bashing Trump's handling of the situation, without endorsing the move by the county. The clip was a commercial promoting Prop 50, Newsom's attempt to re-district California to gain Democrats more seats in Congress. 'Donald Trump wants to take over American cities with the military. And he's just getting started,' Newsom wrote. The move allows the LA County Board of Supervisors to provide rent relief for tenants who have fallen behind as a result of the crackdown on immigrants Funds for rent will be available to people who apply via an online portal that would be launched within two months, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath's office said. The motion could also be a first step toward an eviction moratorium, but that would require a separate action by the supervisors The bold move would provide assistance to Los Angeles residents targeted by ICE as Governor Gavin Newsom positions himself for the Democratic nomination to run for president in 2028 The video quotes Trump himself, suggesting that 'American cities be used as training grounds for the military.' The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House for comment. The ICE raids taking place across greater Los Angeles have spread fear throughout immigrant communities, prompting many to limit their outings and stop going to work. Federal agents have rounded up immigrants without legal status from Home Depots, car washes, bus stops, and farms. Some U.S. citizens have also been detained. The local state of emergency can also funnel state money for legal aid and other services. Under the order, funds for rent will be available to people who apply via an online portal that would be launched within two months, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath's office said. The motion could also be a first step toward an eviction moratorium, but that would require a separate action by the supervisors. Landlords worried it could be another financial hit after an extended ban on evictions and rental increases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal agents have rounded up immigrants without legal status from Home Depots, car washes, bus stops, and farms. Some U.S. citizens have also been detained Demonstrators holding a Trump balloon march front the Los Angeles City Hall The declaration was passed by a 4-1 vote, with Supervisor Kathryn Barger opposing. Horvath and Supervisor Janice Hahn said the raids have spread fear and destabilized households and businesses. In late August, there were more than 5,000 arrests in Los Angeles as part of the crackdown. About a third of the countys 10 million residents are foreign-born. Several cities in the region canceled their Fourth of July celebrations and summer movie nights as families stayed home due to safety concerns. Since June, the Los Angeles region has been a battleground in the Trump administrations aggressive immigration strategy that spurred protests and the deployment of the National Guards and Marines for more than a month. 'We have residents afraid to leave their homes, we have constituents contacting my office because their family members never came home and they dont know if they've been taken by ICE or where theyve been taken,' Hahn said. 'We have entire families who are destitute because their fathers or mothers have been taken from their work places and they have no way to pay their rent or put food on their table.' Last week the five-member board voted 4-1 to put the declaration up for a vote at its regular Tuesday meeting. Federal agents block people protesting an ICE immigration raid at a nearby cannabis farm Since June, the Los Angeles region has been a battleground in the Trump administrations aggressive immigration strategy that spurred protests and the deployment of the National Guards and Marines for more than a month The sole 'no' vote also came from Barger, who argued that the immigration raids did not meet the criteria of an emergency and that it could be unfair to landlords. 'Im sure were going to be challenged legally,' Barger said. The county's eviction moratorium during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in multiple lawsuits. Several people said they were against the emergency declaration if it would lead to an eviction moratorium during the public comment portion of Tuesdays vote. Landlords are 'still reeling' from the COVID-era freezes that cost them 'billions of dollars in uncollected rent and prohibited annual rent increase,' said Daniel Yukelson, CEO of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles. He said housing providers are sympathetic to tenants and their family members affected by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities. But, he said, the association isn't aware of anyone unable to pay rent due to immigration enforcement. 'If local jurisdictions once again allow rent payments to be deferred due to ICE enforcement activities, this will lead to the further deterioration and loss of affordable housing in our community,' Yukelson said Monday. Advocates behind the failed Indigenous Voice to Parliament say the movement remains alive and that they will continue to push for constitutional change. Two years on from the referendum failure, the Uluru Statement from the Heart said a Voice to Parliament remains essential to improving outcomes for Indigenous Australians. 'The Voice Referendum may have been lost, but political loss is a normal feature of the political process,' a spokesperson for the campaign said. 'The future is ours to shape. We will not walk away.' The 2023 referendum, held on October 14, asked Australians whether they supported enshrining an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the Constitution. The proposal was rejected by a significant margin, with approximately 60.1 per cent voting No and 39.9 per cent voting Yes. Every state voted against the change, although the ACT recorded a majority Yes vote. Despite the loss, more than 6.2 million Australians supported the proposal, a figure that continues to inspire campaigners. 'This movement is not over.' 'Political loss is a normal feature of democracy. But the reasons that compelled Prime Minister Albanese to call the referendum haven't changed. The status quo remains, and First Nations people still have no formal voice in national decision-making. 'Two years on, little has changed. But the reasons that compelled Prime Minister Albanese to commit to a referendum have not changed in two years. 'First Nations people still have no voice, and this manifests in the relentless and unyielding gap in disadvantage,' the statement said. 'The Closing the Gap statistics are not improving.' They accused the Federal Government of running an overly complex and bureaucratic system to manage programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, warning that billions in taxpayer funds are failing to deliver results on the ground. The group behind the Indigenous Voice to Parliament has declared they won't 'walk away' (file) They said the government now operates through a 'complex array of Indigenous incorporated entities' reliant on public money. 'Despite the devolution of responsibility to the states and territories, the situation has become more bureaucratic and more Canberra-driven.' They also questioned the transparency of federal spending on Indigenous affairs, claiming that Australia's integrity measures are not strong enough to show where the money is going. The Uluru Statement from the Heart, which underpinned the referendum proposal, continues to guide the movement. It calls for three major reforms: establishing a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution to give Indigenous Australians a permanent say on laws and policies that affect their lives, and creating a Makarrata Commission to oversee treaty-making between governments and First Nations, recognising sovereignty and building genuine partnerships. It also calls for a national truth-telling process to confront and acknowledge the real history of colonisation, dispossession and violence. Supporters of the Voice welcomed a major development in Victoria this week, where the Statewide Treaty Bill 2025 passed through Parliament. 'We welcome the developments in Victoria with the first Treaty legislation in Australias history being a statutory Voice to Parliament. It shows the consistency of Indigenous aspirations for recognition and change.' The legislation establishes Gellung Warl, a statutory Indigenous Voice with powers to consult on government policy and hold ministers accountable. It marks the first time such a body has been created through legislation in Australia. The group released the statement on the second anniversary of the defeat of the proposal (file) Jacinta Price (pictured) said the Voice result 'preserved Australian values and democracy' 'This is not about division,' said Rueben Berg, Co-Chair of the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria. 'We do this not to divide Victoria, but to complete it - not to take anything from anyone, but to make this place more whole for everyone.' However, the Victorian Opposition has pledged to repeal the legislation within 100 days if elected in 2026, arguing that it is not the most effective way to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Meanwhile, Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, a prominent figure in the No campaign, also shared her views on the second anniversary of the referendum. 'When millions of Australians resoundingly rejected the Voice referendum two years ago, their decision preserved our values and democracy,' she said on Tuesday. Price warned that a successful referendum would have made major impacts on how laws are passed in Canberra. 'A constitutionally enshrined Voice was far from a 'modest request'. It would have been a radical and permanent change to our democratic system,' she said. 'The Voice would have had the power to have a say on any area of policy. Nothing would have been off limits.' A woman has been charged three weeks after she allegedly smashed her way into a high-end fashion boutique to steal jewellery and clothing worth thousands of dollars. Police launched an investigation after a woman was allegedly captured on CCTV forcing her way into Melbourne CBD boutique Ji Studio in broad daylight on September 20. Victoria Police alleged at the time that staff had locked the doors of the Elizabeth Street store after a shopper attempted to steal clothing. The woman allegedly forced her way back inside by kicking in the glass door with a barrier stand, shouting, 'give me my stuff back, c**t'. She then allegedly assaulted a female staff member, stole money and clothing before fleeing the scene. The alleged robbery unfolded in front of a crowd of shocked bystanders, sparking a heated debate on whether someone should have intervened. Following extensive inquiries, a St Kilda East woman, 30, was arrested on Sunday. She was charged with aggravated burglary, theft and criminal damage. A woman has been charged over the alleged robbery at Melbourne's boutique Ji Studio Following extensive inquiries, a St Kilda East woman, 30, was arrested on Sunday. A crowd of shocked bystanders watched the brazen robbery unfold inside She was granted bail to appear in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on February 24. The alleged incident is one of many that have occurred nationwide and has renewed calls for urgent government action on retail crime. Victorian retail union boss Michael Donovan at the time urged Premier Jacinta Allan 'deliver the tougher penalties it promised'. 'Waiting for Christmas, as the premier has promised, is too long. This latest attack shows retail workers and shoppers need proper protection now,' he said. 'If it was good enough to bring forward the machete ban, then surely the time for the government to act on its pledges to retail workers is now.' In the year ending March 2025, police recorded almost 475,000 incidents across Victoria - a jump of more than 20 per cent compared with the previous year. The overall crime rate has climbed to its highest level since 2017, with property offences, deception crimes and breaches of justice orders driving the increase. A Commonwealth Bank (CBA) worker who was made redundant after unknowingly training AI to do her job has confronted CEO Matt Comyn. Bank teller Kathryn Sullivan said she was entirely unaware she was helping a chatbot take over her role before being made redundant in July, ending her 25-year career with the bank. She was one of 45 customer service employees whose roles were made redundant before they were offered a chance to remain with the bank after the Finance Sector Union brought a case before the Fair Work Commission. 'Not all the jobs that were offered back were the same job that these people were made redundant from,' Ms Sullivan said on Wednesday at the bank's AGM in Brisbane. 'I just wanted to know what specific measures, if any, you have in place now to safeguard current staff from having their roles displaced by AI, and also offshoring.' The 63-year-old said she spent the past few years working on teaching its 'Bumblebee' chatbot how to respond to customers. She expected to be redeployed once her work developing scripts and testing responses was complete, but was instead told her services were no longer required. 'We knew that messaging would eventually be sent offshore, but never in my wildest dreams did I expect to be made redundant after 25 years with the company,' she said. Former CBA employee Kathryn Sullivan lashed out at the bank and its AI strategy at the AGM 'Inadvertently, I was training a chatbot that took my job. 'While I embrace the use of AI and I can see a purpose for it in the workplace and outside, I believe there needs to be some sort of regulation to prevent copyright (infringements) or replacing humans.' Commonwealth Bank chairman Paul OMalley acknowledged how difficult the process had been for Ms Sullivan, admitting that the bank had made a mistake. 'We didn't adequately consider all the relevant business considerations. And I think that's been communicated,' he said. 'We cannot afford to make mistakes, and we cannot afford to impact our people.' Mr Comyn said the bank had to make difficult decisions that impacted employees. 'I think the way we engage with employees, how we try to develop and retain as many of those skills as we can, is really important and that's certainly a priority for us going forward,' he said. The bank posted a record profit of $10.1 billion in the year to June 30, a figure Mr Comyn previously said could have been higher if it had better leveraged the possibilities of AI. CBA Chief executive Matt Comyn said the bank was pressing ahead with its AI moves Mr O'Malley also defended the bank's use of offshore workers in India, saying the country was home to an impressive pool of talent and the company needed to move with the times. 'There's been a dramatic shift in how customers engage with us and how we have to engage with customers,' he said. 'Fifteen years ago...we didn't do everything on our phones. 'So it actually makes sense to have people operating in different time zones to support that 24/7 service for our customers.' CBA has more than 6,800 employees in India, including 3,000 staff working to fight financial crimes, along with 37,000 employees in Australia. Commonwealth Bank's push into AI is pressing ahead. In August, Mr Comyn unveiled a partnership with tech giant OpenAI, saying the two companies would work together to tackle 'scams, fraud, cyber and financial crime'. CBA was recently named as one of the world's top four banks by the 2025 Evident AI Index when it came to harnessing responsible artificial intelligence. Commonwealth Bank chairman Paul O'Malley said that the bank had 'made a mistake' when making certain employees redundant At the AGM, Mr Comyn said the bank had invested $300million into the technology in the last financial year 'in line with our strategic priorities'. 'To strengthen our internal capabilities, we've partnered with global leaders to try to bring the best of AI to our customers and to our people,' he said. 'We've also established our own tech hub in Seattle, where we will rotate 200 of our people each year to connect with our partners to accelerate learning and bring advanced skills back to Australia. 'Building world-class AI and engineering talent is central to our technology ambitions. We hired 2,000 engineers in the last financial year, and we're providing our people with AI skills and tools so we can deliver the best customer experiences and outcomes.' Earlier this year, the bank made 283 workers redundant. The Financial Services Union said it happened at the same time CBA was advertising 'a significant number of near-identical roles' in India. Disgraced former political staffer Bruce Lehrmann will head to mediation to push his bid to have the government foot his legal bill following a raid on his home. The National Anti-Corruption Commission raided his home in June 2024 amid an investigation into claims he misappropriated secret documents related to French submarines. Lehrmann is suing Commissioner Paul Brereton and federal Labor government minister Don Farrell over the legal costs he incurred during the investigation into what he described as 'frivolous, James Bond-like allegations'. He claims he was repeatedly told he was entitled to funding for legal representation to defend himself during the investigation, but he still hasn't received any money. Justice Brigitte Markovic noted it has been a year without a decision from NACC on whether funding would be provided. She ordered mediation between Lehrmann and Mr Farrell be held before December 1 in hopes of speeding the process along. Lehrmann welcomed the move, which he believes could be successful in resolving his dispute with the minister. 'This is the second time I've proposed mediation with (Mr Farrell). On both occasions, I've been refused,' he said. Bruce Lehrmann (pictured) is suing Government officials after his house was raided in 2024 'If funding had been granted, we may not even be here, and if we can seek a resolution through mediation, then there'll be no need to pursue action as against (Mr Farrell).' The call for mediation was opposed by the minister's lawyer, who rejected his contention that there was an unreasonable delay in processing the request for funding. Lehrmann reminded Justice Markovic that she didn't need their consent to order mediation, prompting her to reply: 'I'm well aware of my powers, Mr Lehrmann.' The judge ordered the mediation be resolved by December 1 and set the matter down for a one-day hearing in February. Lehrmann agreed to the timetable, noting that if mediation was successful he would be in 'no rush necessarily' to ventilate his claims against Mr Brereton. The former political staffer, who is 'impecunious and in serious financial peril', hopes to receive the requested funding so he can be represented by lawyers at the hearing. The former political staffer is accused of gathering the confidential information in March 2019, only days after he was alleged to have raped his colleague Brittany Higgins in Parliament House. He has denied the claims, which remain untested in a criminal court after a 2022 trial in the ACT was abandoned due to juror misconduct. The National Anti-Corruption Commission raided his home over alleged stolen documents But the Federal Court's Justice Michael Lee found in 2024 the allegations he raped Ms Higgins were proven on the balance of probabilities and dismissed his defamation suit against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson. Lehrmann has appealed against the defamation loss but a decision is yet to be handed down. The deaths of a newlywed couple who were discovered in their car days just days before their first anniversary is being investigated as a possible murder-suicide. Brandon Dumovich, 30, and his wife, Rachel, 29, were found dead in Harvard, Illinois, on the night of October 6. The couple's vehicle was spotted by police officers, which was parked on the street with its hazard lights on. Law enforcement checked inside the car and discovered the couple's bodies. Each victim had a single gunshot wound. A firearm was also recovered in the car. The couple tied the knot on October 12 last year in Wisconsin, according to an online wedding profile, indicating their one-year anniversary was less than a week away at the time of their deaths. Harvard Police chief Tyson Bauman said murder-suicide is a potential scenario, but no final determination has been made. Brandon Dumovich, 30, and his wife, Rachel, 29, were found dead in Harvard, Illinois, on October 6 The middle school sweethearts were discovered by police officers - who originally thought they were experiencing car trouble The couple's wedding page said they had met in middle school when they were 12 years old. Rachel wrote: 'I caught Brandon's attention by stealing cologne from his locker and running away with it. 'After keeping in touch through many life stages and 15 years of friendship, we started dating in 2022.' Their wedding was in Slinger, Wisconsin, on Big Cedar Lake. On the same day that the couple was found dead, Rachel updated her Facebook profile picture with a selfie alongside Brandon. Minutes later, she uploaded a picture the couple took during a trip to Greece, captioned: 'Forever chasing sunsets. Wishing we were back in Greece!' The couple were found dead by police that night at 11.52pm. They were identified by the McHenry County coroner Wednesday, the Lake and McHenry County Scanner reported. The Dumoviches met in middle school at the age of 12 The couple lived in Crystal Lake, Illinois, about 30 minutes from where they died in Harvard A public obituary for Brandon said he was born in Barrington, Illinois, and had served in the US Navy as a petty officer. He was remembered for his 'extraordinary ability to lift spirits and bring people together.' There was no mention of his wife. Brandon was also not mentioned in Rachel's public obituary, which recalled her as a 'natural connector, advocate, and loyal friend' with a 'strong sense of empathy, compassion, social justice, and fair play, always championing those who needed a voice.' The Highland Park, Illinois, native was listed as a 2018 graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She had last worked as a human resources manager. Police initially told residents to shelter in place, although it was soon determined that there was no threat to the public. The block where the dead couple was discovered and its surrounding streets were closed for the night but reopened the following morning at 7.30am. The Daily Mail reached out to the Harvard Police Department and the McHenry County coroner for further comment. Health experts have urged Aussies travelling to and from China to be on alert for a deadly insect-borne virus running rampant across more than 20 cities. Cases of chikungunya which is passed from an infected mosquito to humans have more than doubled from 7,000 to 16,500 in the last two months in the southern Guangdong province, and have spread overseas. The World Health Organisation (WHO) described the current situation in China as the 'largest documented chikungunya outbreak to date'. The United Nations agency has recorded 445,271 infections and 155 deaths in 40 countries up until September 30 this year. The outbreak began in late July, prompting Chinese health authorities to impose Covid-style lockdowns in the worst-hit areas. The streets of major cities and towns are also being sprayed with insecticides. CCTV has also emerged on Chinese state media of infected patients lying in hospital beds and separated by mosquito nets. While no chikungunya cases have been reported in Australia, types of mosquitoes that can carry the virus have been detected in North Queensland. Cases of chikungunya have more than doubled from 7000 to 16,500 in the last two months in China's Guangdong province (pictured, a worker sprays insecticides in Shenzhen) It has prompted Deakin University epidemiology chair Dr Catherine Bennett to urge Aussies heading to or returning from overseas to monitor for symptoms. Chikungunya spreads when mosquitoes feed on an infected person. 'If that mosquito then bites another susceptible person, then it's possible they can pass this chikungunya virus on,' Dr Bennett told Sky News. Returning travellers who notice symptoms are urged to see their GP. 'It's really important they protect themselves from being bitten by mosquitoes because that will reduce the source or potential transmission to other people,' Dr Bennett added. The warning comes after Australian government website Smartraveller recently updated its travel advice for China. 'An outbreak is occurring in southern China, particularly across Guangdong province,' it states. 'The most common symptoms are fever and joint pain. Newborns and older people with underlying health conditions are at higher risk of severe symptoms.' The streets of major cities and towns in China's south have been sprayed with insecticides The virus has spread to Europe in recent months, with France and Italy recording 63 and 30 new infections respectively in the first week of October. Though not usually fatal, chikungunya can cause a sudden onset of fever, severe joint pain, muscle aches, headaches, nausea, fatigue and skin rashes. While most people recover within a fortnight, joint pain can linger for months or even years. In rare cases, chikungunya can progress to severe dengue-like illness, which may result in internal bleeding, organ failure, and even death. The virus has also been linked to eye, heart, and neurological complications. If a pregnant woman is infected around the time of delivery, the baby can also be infected at birth, which often results in severe illness. The elderly and people with underlying health conditions are also at increased risk of severe illness. The insect-borne virus has spread to parts of Europe, including Nice in southern France (pictured) There is currently no cure or specific treatment for chikungunya, but symptoms can be managed with paracetamol and by staying hydrated. Aussies can also prevent infection by using insect repellent, wearing protective clothing, and using screens or bed nets. There are currently two vaccines which protect against the virus; IXCHIQ for those aged between 18 and 64 and Vimkunya for those 12 years and older. A mother-of-three was shot and killed by her roommate on Monday in what authorities are now calling a tragic accident. Erica Anderson, 31, had just from a trip to Indianapolis to visit her husband who is battling cancer and their three children at around midnight on Monday, when she apparently startled her roommate in Columbus, Georgia. The unidentified roommate had been receiving concerning messages from her son, including threats of bodily harm and to burn the house on 17th Avenue near Lake Bottom Park to the ground, Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan told WTVM. When she then heard a noise while sleeping, the roommate grabbed her pistol and walked into the hallway, where she fired two shots - the second of which struck Anderson. The roommate had been sound asleep when she heard Anderson entering the home, Bryan noted. 'You have to think about the roommate that shot her,' the coroner said. 'I'm sure she's devastated, as anyone would be under the circumstances.' He is now ruling the shooting as accidental, though police are continuing to investigate and Anderson's body will be sent to the state crime lab for autopsy. Erica Anderson, 31, was tragically shot and killed by her roommate early Monday morning Authorities say her roommate was left startled when she heard Anderson come into the house Anderson had just started a job as a lecturer in costumes and as the supervisor for the Costume Shop at Columbus State University. She had previously taught at Southern Utah University and the University of Florida, school officials said as they announced her employment. Anderson also had experience working professionally in theatres and opera houses across the United States, including the Sarasota Opera, Indiana Respiratory Theatre and Utah Shakespeare Theatre. She even worked backstage for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees on touring Broadway shows. 'We are deeply saddened to hear about the death of one of our professors, Erica (Bascom) Anderson, who was new tis semester to our faculty, joining the Department of Theatre and Dance this fall as a lecturer in costume as well as the Costume Shop supervisor,' Columbus State University President Stuart Rayfield told the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer following the news of Anderson's tragic demise. 'Our hearts and prayers go out to her family and friends, as well as the students she impacted,' he continued, reminding students and other university professionals that support resources are available. Anderson leaves behind her husband, Andy, and their three children - Jade, Noah and Sky An online fundraiser that was set up to raise money for her funeral expenses and to support her family notes that Anderson 'was so passionate about her work and her students, and she was truly excited about building her future with the university community she had already come to love.' The professor leaves behind her husband, Andy, and their three children - Jade, Noah and Sky. Making matters worse for the family, Andy is undergoing cancer treatment, the online fundraiser says. 'More than anything, please keep Andy, Jade, Noah and Sky in your thoughts and prayers,' it reads. 'Your kindness, generosity and love mean more than words can express.' The fundraiser had already reached nearly $11,000 in donations as of Wednesday morning. An Australian man and his Thai wife have spoken out claiming 'fake' police forced them to pay $2,000 over an allegedly unpaid bar tab in a famous nightlife strip. Mint, a 25-year-old Thai woman, accused Pattaya police of corruption when she spoke to local news outlet Athip Burapa, claiming she was looking after her child at home on Monday when she received a call asking her to come to the police station. Her Australian husband, aged in his late 30s, was in custody after he allegedly ran out on a bill of 6,464 baht, or roughly $305AUD. A picture of the receipt includes the venue name as 'PlayGirlz'. That adult bar is located on Soi Buakhao, a bustling road in central Pattaya, and is owned by Aussie brothers Carlos Anthony Madafferi and Isaac Biagio Madafferi. The pair, aged 20 and 25 respectively, found themselves in hot water with police earlier this year after fighting in a street brawl within the red-light district. Daily Mail does not suggest the two brothers are involved in this latest incident. Mint claimed she arrived at Mueang Pattaya Police Station about 5.20am and was approached by a Thai man wearing a vest and trousers which 'resembled' police uniform. The alleged officer told Mint her husband was being held in a detention room and offered to release him, without charge, so long as she paid him 20,000 baht, roughly $945AUD. The Thai woman claimed her husband was arrested after allegedly walking out on a bill (pictured) for an adult bar in the red-light district She followed the man into a small room hidden under a staircase within the police station and negotiated the price of her husband's release down to 15,000 baht, roughly $709AUD. Mint was then frog-marched with her young child to a nearby ATM to withdraw the cash. When she gave the policeman the money, she claimed there was no receipt or paperwork given to her. Instead, the apparent officer escorted Mint and her husband out of the station and said there would be no record of the case. Mint did not clarify whether her husband had visited Play Girlz - or whether he did or didn't pay any bill he might have racked up - but said he was in a similar incident two weeks ago. At that time the Aussie was at home with Mint when two men took him into custody. One man wore a dark blue police-style vest and trousers while the other had a long-sleeved shirt with the word 'POLICE' printed on the back. The men accused the Australian of walking out on a 600-baht food bill, roughly $30AUD. A Thai woman has accused 'fake' Pattaya Police of scamming more than $1,500AUD from them Carlos Anthony Madafferi (left) and Isaac Biagio Madafferi (right), are the Australian owners of Play Girlz bar and caught the attention of police over a street brawl earlier this year Mint ended up paying 20,000 baht, roughly $945AUD, for him to be released without charge. She, again, did not receive any official documents for the payment. While the couple initially thought the fee was a form of fine, they've since become concerned they were the victims of a sophisticated 'fake police' scam. Daily Mail has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Royal Thai Police for comment. Council chiefs' last-ditch attempt to block asylum seekers being housed at a controversial hotel in Essex is to be heard at the High Court today. Epping Forest District Council is taking legal action against Somani Hotels over the use of the Bell Hotel, with the Home Office intervening in the case. The facility, home to dozens of migrants, has been at the centre of a political maelstrom in recent weeks. Thousands of people have protested at the site, demanding that the foreign guests be booted out, while counter-protesters have accused anti-migrant activists of racism. Violent demonstrations ignited after a migrant at the hotel was accused of sexually assaulting two young girls in Epping just days after arriving in Britain illegally. The disorder has led to police officers being drafted in from across the UK in a bid to contain the mayhem, which has since spread to other parts of the country amid growing calls for asylum hotels to be outlawed. Last month, Epping council secured a crucial victory in its fight to close the Bell, after being granted a temporary injunction by the High Court, which would have forced 138 asylum seekers to leave by September 12. However, campaigners were dealt a major blow on September 26 after the Court of Appeal overturned the decision, ruling instead in favour of the Home Office. Epping Forest District Council is taking legal action against Somani Hotels over the use of the Bell Hotel, with the Home Office intervening in the case Epping Forest District Council's bid for a permanent injunction is now due to be heard across three days at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Pictured: Protesters outside London's High Court last month Anti-migrant protesters demonstrate in Epping amid concerns about the asylum hotel there The authority's bid for a permanent injunction is now due to be heard across three days at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. The hearing before Mr Justice Mould will begin at 10.30am on Wednesday. Somani Hotels and the Home Office are opposing the claim. The Bell became the focal point of several protests and counter-protests in the summer after an asylum seeker housed there was charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl in Epping in July. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, an Ethiopian national who arrived in the UK on a small boat days before the incident, was jailed for 12 months in September. A second asylum seeker who was a resident at the hotel, Syrian national Mohammed Sharwarq, was also jailed for 16 weeks last month after admitting assaulting two fellow residents and two members of staff at the site. Several others were also charged with offences related to demonstrations outside the hotel. EFDC issued legal proceedings against Somani Hotels in August over an alleged breach of planning rules, which its barristers told the High Court was causing a 'very serious problem' which 'could not be much worse'. Mr Justice Eyre granted the council a temporary injunction on August 19, but Somani Hotels and the Home Office both successfully challenged the ruling at the Court of Appeal. Violent demonstrations ignited after Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, an Ethiopian national who arrived in the UK on a small boat, was jailed for 12 months for sexually assaulting a teenage girl The judge there, Lord Justice Bean, overturned the lower court's decision in favour of Epping, saying the temporary injunction ruling was 'seriously flawed in principle'. News of the dramatic U-turn sparked outrage, with protests spreading to cities across the UK, sparking accusations the Government was 'taking the side of migrants over Britons'. Following the Court of Appeal's judgment, Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle said the Government was committed to closing all asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament. But she added that it appealed against the High Court ruling so that hotel use can be ended in a 'controlled and orderly way'. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also said that he 'completely' gets people's concerns about migration, adding: 'When it comes to the asylum hotels, I want them emptied.' But Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said after the ruling that Sir Keir 'puts the rights of illegal immigrants above the rights of British people'. She also urged Tory councils to proceed with legal action over the use of hotels as accommodation for asylum seekers in their areas. In September, the Home Office lost a bid to delay Wednesday's hearing by six weeks, as its barristers said there should be a 'period of reflection' after the Court of Appeal's ruling. Mr Justice Eyre dismissed the bid, saying: 'It is in the interests of all the matters affecting the Bell Hotel are resolved in a reasonably expeditious way.' Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson insisted earlier this month the Home Office was right to argue the rights of asylum seekers trumped those of local residents in the Essex town. She said the axing of the Bell Hotel would have triggered 'lots of disruption' and would have left people 'on the streets'. A red cross has been sprayed on the sign leading to the Bell Hotel following the weekend's latest protests in Epping She told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme: 'I completely understand why many people in places like Epping, where hotels have opened up, feel incredibly frustrated about that. 'They have a right to demonstrate lawfully and peacefully. But where it crosses a line that isn't consistent with our long-standing traditions in this country of respect for the rule of law, respect for the police and our responsibility to make sure that we have safe communities for everybody living there.' Following her comments, Nigel Farage warned Labour now was on the cusp of a catastrophic wipeout in the polls over the fiasco, which he said would see support for his Reform UK party skyrocket. Mr Farage told the Daily Mail: 'The question is 'whose side are you on'. Clearly the Government in the case of Epping has said the illegal immigrants. Reform says the mothers of Epping. This will drive many more voters towards us.' The migrant hotel scheme is currently set to cost the UK taxpayer billions of pounds to fund. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has vowed to overhaul the asylum system in a bid to cut down the number of migrants staying in hotels while they wait to find out whether or not they will be deported. Currently, there are about 32,000 asylum seekers still housed in hotels nationally. Ms Cooper said that, while initial decisions on asylum applications had been sped up, there had been 'unacceptable delays' when people who were turned down decided to appeal. At the moment, it takes on average just over a year for an appeal to be heard - with 51,000 cases still awaiting a decision. During this time, failed asylum seekers are accommodated at the taxpayer's expense. A report by government spending watchdog the National Audit Office earlier this year warned the cost of asylum hotel contracts had ballooned from a predicted 4.5billion to 15.3billion over ten years. During 2024/2025, Britain spent about 108million a month on housing migrants in hotels. The Home Office said: 'At its peak, less than two years ago, there were 400 asylum hotels in use at a cost of almost 9million a day. 'We have taken urgent action over the past year to fix that system, doubling the rate of asylum decision-making, and reducing the amount of money spent on asylum hotels by almost a billion pounds.' A YouTube video posted by independent crime reporter Ryan Naumenko, in which he made bombshell claims about an ABC reporter, was pulled from the platform within minutes of going live. The video, seen by the Daily Mail, was uploaded on Wednesday and depicted Naumenko making potentially career-ending accusations about the journalist, who cannot be named for legal reasons. The video's disappearance is just 48 hours after the public broadcaster ordered another video be taken down from the social media site. In that case, the ABC threatened legal action against a 'public crusader' who published a disturbing 50-year-old radio segment in which men spoke openly about having sex with 'beautiful' children. The panel discussion featuring self-declared 'pederasts' was so offensive the ABC declared it posed 'a risk of harm to the community' and should never have been conducted. The ABC is yet to respond to questions about whether it knew of Naumenko's clip and pushed for his video to also be removed. Naumenko has made a name for himself as a fearless independent Melbourne-crime reporter able to get rare insights into the criminal underworld. He publishes the majority of his content through his Outlaw Media news site and the World on the Street podcast. Outlaw Media boss Ryan Naumenko had a YouTube video taken down on Wednesday it is believed to have been as a result of demands by the ABC to YouTube to pull the video down Naumenko's sources within Melbourne's underbelly give him access to scoops often beyond the grasp of mainstream journalists. He told the Daily Mail in January that he had never been offered a cent for the work he has done through Outlaw Media. 'I have never been thanked for the stories I released,' he said. 'Unlike the gangsters and wannabes I report on, I'm not making 100k-plus a week by extorting shop owners, making deals to sell addresses for a couple grand, selling illegally imported tobacco nor am I running an international drug syndicate to afford the lifestyle of someone who's constantly 'on the lam'. 'My work brings in little money, I have never bothered to monetise the content for the simple reason of wanting the facts to be made available, easily and quickly.' Naumenko, who has reported on criminals including slain mobster Sam 'The Punisher' Abdulrahim and illicit tobacco kingpin Kaz Hamad, said his work is risky and dangerous but he is adamant he does not have a disregard for his safety. 'Over the past few months I've had to spend tens of thousands of dollars on security improvements, car changes, plus the constant moving around to ensure I stayed alive long enough to talk about the absolute insanity I have gone through; all for the sake of uncovering some truth about a gangland war,' he said in January. 'Death wish - I don't really see it that way. The world has become soft, the next generation after us thinks that life is a game of Fortnite. Life is about survival. Speaking truth. Helping those who truly deserve and need it.' Naumenko (pictured) is a fearless independent Melbourne-crime reporter able to get rare insights into the criminal underworld Naumenko has reported on criminals including slain mobster Sam 'The Punisher' Abdulrahim (above) The previous video the ABC had pulled before Naumenko's was published was obtained by economist and former political adviser John Adams. He was frustrated the ABC would not release the radio clip, which he obtained in 2023 after agreeing not to share it with others. Mr Adams breached that undertaking when he posted the 42-minute segment on YouTube at 5pm on Monday. It was taken down about 9.30pm after being viewed 23,000 times and replaced with the message: 'This video has been removed for violating YouTube's Community Guidelines.' Two minutes before Mr Adams put the audio on YouTube, the ABC sent him a legal letter warning him not to publish it. 'We understand you intend to publish ABC content on YouTube at 5pm today,' it wrote. 'In the ABC's view, doing so would pose a serious risk to victims and would therefore be inappropriate.' The letter also stated Mr Adams had agreed not to share the audio by any means and it would be 'a very serious matter' to breach its copyright. Israel's army has said that a body returned by Hamas yesterday is not one of the deceased hostages held in Gaza. Tests conducted on one of the four corpses delivered to Israel revealed that it belongs to a Gazan. The other three remains were identified as Tamir Nimrodi, Eitan Levy, and Uriel Baruch. After the identities of three of the bodies were revealed, forensic scientists in Israel indicated that they were investigating the possibility that one did not belong to one of the 24 who died in captivity in Gaza. Earlier this year, Hamas officials returned a body they claimed belong to Shiri Bibas, who was one of the hostages. It was later confirmed that it belonged to a Palestinian. One of the stipulations of US president Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan was the release of all hostages - dead or alive. But Hamas' failure to provide the remains of the deceased has led to fears that the peace deal is already at risk. The group has been accused of internationally withholding the remains. Yesterday, it was reported that the Red Cross had joined in the search for the bodies. A vehicle belonging to the charity was seen heading to the 'Kissufim' area to look for bodies in the ruins of Gaza. After the release of all living hostages on Monday, Israel ordered Hamas to deliver the bodies of all dead hostages by the end of Tuesday. Israeli soldier Tamir Nimrodi was kidnapped from his army base during Hamas' massacre on Otober 7, 2023 Eitan Levy's body was among those delivered to Israel last night The IDF has confirmed that Uriel Baruch's body was also identified. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement that Tamir Nimrodi, a soldier whose body was returned yesterday was killed by IDF strikes. His family said: 'After two years of excruciating uncertainty, we received the difficult news of the identification of our dear Tamir. Tamir was kidnapped cruelly from his base and murdered in Hamas captivity.' Israel has now refused to increase aid that was due to go into Gaza. Meanwhile, Trump expressed his disappointment in Hamas' failure to provide the bodies. In a post on Truth Social, he wrote: 'IS NOT DONE'. He also added: 'THE DEAD HAVE NOT BEEN RETURNED, AS PROMISED!' Yesterday, he issued a chilling warning to Hamas. Speaking to reporters at the White House, he said: 'They will disarm - and if they don't I'm gonna make them disarm.' He added: 'They know what I mean.' Israel's national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir also called for Hamas to 'erased' after the bodies were not returned. He said: 'Enough with the disgrace. Moments after opening the crossings to hundreds of trucks, Hamas very quickly returned to its known methods - to lie, to cheat, and to abuse families and the bodies. This Nazi terror understands only force, and the only way to deal with it is to erase it from the face of the earth.' While the Israeli military confirmed it had informed the family of the three identified, there was no mention of the third body. A spokesman for the group later said that it was acting on its commitment to return the bodies of hostage soldiers. While the world celebrated the release of the living hostages, only four caskets containing those who died arrived, provoking fury across Israel. After Netanyahu's Tuesday deadline, Hamas vowed to send another four. The Israeli military confirmed that their coffins were collected by the Red Cross. But yesterday, a spokesman for the charity said the search for the bodies would be a massive challenge. Christian Cardon said: 'I think there is clearly a risk that that will take much more time. What we are telling the parties is that that should be their top priority.' He also indicated that it could take days or weeks to retrieve the remains. The Red Cross said it was providing an additional 23 staff, body bags and refrigerated vehicles to ensure the deceased are handled with respect and dignity within Gaza. Relatives of hostages whose bodies are still in Gaza hold up placards and demand their release A vehicle carrying the bodies of hostages is seen arriving into Israel IDF troops receive remains of killed hostages at official ceremony, October 13, 2025 After the return of the bodies last night, Netanyahu said: 'All the families of the hostages have been updated on the matter, and in this difficult hour, our hearts are with them. 'The effort to bring back our hostages continues relentlessly and will not stop until the last hostage is returned.' The Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum, yesterday, called the failure to return all the deceased a 'blatant breach' of the deal. It said: 'We expect Israel's government and the mediators to take immediate action to rectify this grave injustice.' '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 group also wrote a letter to US special envoy Steve Witkoff asking him to 'pull out every stop and leave no stone unturned' in ensuring that the bodies are found and returned. Udi Goren, who is still waiting for the return of the body of his cousin Tal Haimi, told the Daily Mail that until they are all returned, his family is left in agony. 'We cannot move on, have closure, and be able to recover until Tal and all the dead are back home,' he said. 'I was actually hopeful that we would get my cousin back for the first time... I was desperately disappointed. We thought our personal struggle would be over and we could move forward, but now it carries on.' Some families were said to be expecting a reunion with their loved ones only to be told that they were dead. In addition to the Red Cross' efforts, a joint multinational task force involving Israel, the US, Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar was established to locate the bodies. Yesterday, the IDF confirmed it had identified the first four bodies delivered by Hamas. Two were named as 26-year-old Israeli national Guy Iluz and 22-year-old Nepalese agriculture student Bipin Joshi. The body of Joshi Bipin, who arrived in Israel for an agricultural program just three weeks before the attacks, was identified yesterday Guy Iluz's body was also identified by the IDF. He was wounded and taken alive, but died in captivity due to a lack of medical treatment Yossi Sharabi was named in Israeli media as one of the first dead hostages released to Israel Captain Daniel Perez' body was among the first four to be sent by Hamas. He was taken at his military base The other two were named in Israeli media as Yossi Sharabi and Daniel Perez. Joshi had just arrived in Israel for an agricultural program three weeks before the attacks. The Israeli military has said he was killed in the first months of the war. He is said to have caught a grenade thrown by Hamas to save his friends' lives. Illuz was at the Nova music festival when he was taken. He was wounded but alive and later died due to a lack of medical care while in captivity. Sharabi, 53, died in Hamas captivity. His British sister-in-law, Lianne, was killed along with daughters Noiya, 16, and Yahel, 13, at Kibbutz Be'eri. Last night, his wife said: 'Now we can end the nightmare that began more than two years ago and allow Yossi a respectful and loving burial in the land of Be'eri that he loved so much.' Captain Daniel Perez, 22, a South African-Israeli was captured while fighting Hamas at his army base in Nahal Oz. He was wounded and taken alive but succumbed to his injuries later. This is a breaking news story with more to follow. The man accused of a carjacking rampage in Melbourne during peak hour had run out of fuel earlier, sparking an altercation with a petrol station attendant, a court heard. Simon Michael Davies, 48, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Wednesday evening via videolink, where it was revealed that just three days ago he also allegedly threatened to 'kill' hospital security staff. Davies' made headlines across the country on Tuesday when footage appeared of him allegedly brandishing a gun and carjacking a motorist in Hoppers Crossing, in Melbourne's west. The court heard he sustained a fractured eye socket, ribs and a broken arm when finally apprehended by Victoria Police's Special Operations Group inside a city hotel as terrified witnesses fled. He remains in the Royal Melbourne Hospital. It can now be revealed Davies had been bailed just three days earlier amid allegations he threatened to kill a security guard at Werribee Mercy Hospital. In opposing bail, Detective Acting Sergeant Jeremy Hart told the court Davies had attended the hospital complaining that his skin felt as if it was burning inside. 'He expressed racist and aggressive sentiments toward staff, stating he disliked non-Australians. Security removed him, and he smashed a wine bottle, pointing it at a security staff member, threatening, ''You see this bottle, I will kill you with this'',' he told the court. Simon Michael Davies, 48, appeared in court from a hospital bed Police claimed he later carjacked a motorist in nearby Laverton before he was captured and promptly bailed back onto the streets. On Tuesday, police alleged Davies attacked a service station attendant with a jerry can after the car his estranged wife was driving, and he was a passenger in, ran out of petrol. 'The accused picked up a 10-litre fuel can and asked the attendant to fill it. When told to do it himself, he hit the attendant in the chest with the can, causing pain, and attempted a second strike, which was blocked,' Sergeant Hart said. 'He left, attempted to fill the can, and tried to re-enter the locked store, displaying a small black firearm.' The gun, later found to be an imitation, was then allegedly used by Davies to carjack a motorist outside the station on Tarneit Road during morning rush hour. The owner of the first car he attempted to steal thwarted Davies by removing the keys, but a second driver, who captured her ordeal on phone camera, was not as fortunate. Boxed in, the court heard Davies turned his attention to the driver's Mitsubishi ASX, yelling about 'buying her a Lamborghini' while waving the firearm. In North Melbourne, police claim Davies again produced the imitation gun to steal a 2015 Hyundai Accent. That car was dropped off on Lonsdale Street in the CBD where Davies allegedly told passersby to return the keys to its owner. Dramatic footage emerged of Davies during his alleged carjacking spree on Tuesday Davies apologised to the magistrate for his behaviour He remains in hospital after suffering injuries during his arrest Fleeing on foot, Davies made his way into the Lancemore Hotel on Little Bourke Street, where he allegedly threatened staff with the fake gun. It was there the SOG converged, claiming Davies pointed the gun at them as they attempted to take him down. Davies faces multiple charges of carjacking and attempted carjacking and a charge of reckless conduct endangering life linked to his alleged erratic driving while behind the wheel of the stolen cars. In arguing for bail, Davies lawyer Felix Best claimed his client suffered from schizophrenia and was bipolar, but had been off his medications for years. He claimed Davies would be vulnerable in jail due to those conditions and asked he be bailed as an involuntary mental health patient to the hospital. That idea was opposed by the police prosecutor, who said no bail conditions could limit the risk Davies posed to the public. Davies, who appeared battered and bruised, pleaded with Magistrate Donna Bakos for mercy. 'Sorry, sorry, your honour, I'm a very kind and compassionate, religious man,' he said. 'I have had a hard upbringing, which you'll find out about.' CCTV captured Davies casually walking down a CBD street carrying a firearm while smoking a cigarette Davies allegedly targeted a second motorist while stopped at the lights in Tarneit Ms Bakos ultimately refused Davies bail, declaring he was an unacceptable risk to the community. Davies broke down into uncontrollable tears as the court was adjourned. Footage obtained by Wyndham TV emerged on Tuesday of the alleged carjacking outside the BP service station in Tarneit. 'Get out now, go, go!' Davies screamed at a terrified male driver, who fled across the road. Davies spent a few moments looking inside the car before targeting a second motorist, telling him to 'get out' and that 'I'll buy you a new car'. He was heard calling out before driving off: 'I love you and God bless.' A police helicopter hovered above the CBD as specialist police moved on Davies, who was spotted walking casually down a laneway smoking a cigarette with a firearm in his other hand. Heavily armed officers in camouflage gear were seen making their way down a side street before confronting him just off Bourke Street - one of the Melbourne's busiest thoroughfares. Heavily armed police moved into arrest Davies in the Melbourne CBD shortly before 9am on Tuesday Davies (pictured) was transported to Royal Melbourne Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries following his arrest in which he allegedly pointed an imitation gun at officers Pictures showed the suspect covered in blood lying on a stretcher before he was led away in handcuffs to a nearby ambulance. The latest incident comes just days after terrified lunchtime shoppers in Bourke Street were forced to run for their lives after an allegedly stolen SUV struck a pedestrian while being chased by police. Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan has since assured that 'the CBD of Melbourne is safe'. 'The Victorian community has that protection from Victoria Police,' she told reporters on Tuesday. 'As we saw this morning, Victoria Police moved swiftly, dealt with this situation quickly.' Asked whether she understood why some Victorians didn't feel safe in the CBD, Premier Allan said: 'I can understand for those in the area this morning, it would have been a concern.' 'I do understand that when incidents do occur, it would be incredibly distressing to either witness to those sort of instances or indeed if that happened to you more directly.' Ukraine will use long range Tomahawk missiles to destroy a vast Russian drone manufacturing plant employing tens of thousands of North Korean slave labourers. This claim on Vladimir Putin's notorious factory of death has come from leading retired four star general Jack Keane. It assumes Donald Trump will this week give the go-ahead to supply the long range Tomahawks to Kyiv. Volodymyr Zelensky is flying to Washington to discuss Tomahawk deployment with President Donald Trump on Friday. 'Their number one target will be the Alabuga manufacturing centre,' the former vice chief of staff of the United States army told Fox News. 'Twenty thousand North Koreans are there at that manufacturing centre. It's out of the range of everything they have right now. That will be target one, but they'll all be military targets. 'Ukraine is not going to target civilian targets.' In fact, Ukraine has hit Alabuga with long range drones but the impact of strikes with Tomahawks could be game changing. Ukraine will use long range Tomahawk missiles to destroy a vast Russian drone manufacturing plant employing tens of thousands of North Korean slave labourers (File image of a Tomahawk missile being fired) Some estimates say up to 25,000 North Koreans are due to be based at Alabuga which makes Russian versions of the Iranian designed Shahed drones which nightly inflict hell on Ukraine, bringing death and destruction. Pyongyang leader Kim Jong Un has vowed maximum support for Putin's war. African workers are also flown in by the Putin regime to make drones at Alabuga, around 725 miles from the nearest Ukrainian-controlled territory. Russia has been waging a desperate rearguard action to warn Trump of the apocalyptic consequences of a Tomahawk deployment. Putin said it would destroy his relationship with Trump. His mouthpiece Donald Trump and ex-president Dmitry Medvedev have issued doomsday warnings that Russia could not tell whether incoming Tomahawk missiles carried nuclear warheads. The US has given no suggestion that any Tomahawks sent to Ukraine for potential use against Russia would be nuclear armed. Moscow has also claimed that the launch of any such missiles - due to their technology - would be by US military personnel, not Ukrainian, meaning the attack could trigger a Third World War. In this photo taken on Oct.13, 2025 and provided by Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade press service, crows fly over the ruins and smoke in Kostiantynivka, a frontline town This was echoed by the Kremlin's closest ally Alexander Lukashenko, dictator of neighbouring Belarus, who claimed that despite Russia's relentless attacks on Ukraine, Putin wants peace. 'My last meeting with the Russian president clearly demonstrates that the Russian leadership is committed to establishing peace,' he said. 'No Tomahawk will resolve the issue. This will escalate the situation to the point of nuclear war.' But Keane said that Trump was aware that the nuclear threats from the Kremlin are 'bluff'. 'What Putin is trying to do with President Trump is the same thing he successfully did with [ex-president Joe] Biden,' he said. 'Threaten escalation. If you do X and there'll be something to come against you as a result of it. 'And he won that bluff with Biden time and time again. I don't think he'll win it with President Trump.' Trump said that Putin should 'end' the war 'quickly'. Firefighters extinguish a burning car after Russian ballistic missile attack on the Skhidny neighborhood of Sloviansk, Donetsk region, Ukraine on October 14, 2025 'We have a lot of Tomahawks,' he said, adding that Putin's economy was 'collapsing' from Ukraine's highly successful strikes on Russian oil refineries. Russia again staged massive strikes overnight against Ukraine causing destruction and emergency power outages. Footage showed the bombing of power plants in Kherson. Fires ravaged Pavlohrad, Kamianske and Slavgorod. Power cuts hit Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, and Poltava regions. Strikes hit Sloviansk, in Donetsk region, as Putin refuses to ease up his attempt to swallow more territory in Ukraine. Earlier Russia hit a UN humanitarian convoy in a 'war crime' strike in Kherson region. Dramatic footage shows the inferno after artillery and drone strikes. The trucks from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [OCHR] and World Health Organisation [WHO] were delivering aid to residents in war-torn Belozersk. The vehicles crammed with food and vital aid were marked with UN emblems and WFP - World Food Programme. In this photo taken on Oct.13, 2025 and provided by Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade press service, a Ukrainian soldier looks at ruins from inside the damaged church in Kostiantynivka The UN confirmed the attack and said that its staff were not hurt. But two people in a nearby civilian car - a woman, 73, and man, 67 - sustained injuries. 'Such attacks are utterly unacceptable. Aid workers are protected by international humanitarian law and should never be attacked,' said the UN statement. 'Civilians remaining in front-line areas are heavily reliant on humanitarian assistance, and aid workers should be able to deliver life-saving assistance safely. 'Deliberately targeting humanitarians and humanitarian assets is a gross violation of international humanitarian law and might amount to a war crime.' A feminist conference descended into chaos after pro-Palestine protesters stormed the stage and waved keffiyehs at attendees. The group of women infiltrated the event over the weekend in Brighton, East Sussex, and were at an after-hours party when the scuffle unfolded. Footage shows the moment security usher out a lady in a pink shirt who jumps up and down on stage with the traditional Arab attire clutched in her hands while another unfurls a Palestinian flag. The tension is taken up a notch when an attendee on stage wearing a black vest, mini shorts and a Jewish kippah holds up a yellow hostage ribbon in response. It comes as only a few days earlier a transgender activist group had also interrupted a 'gender-critical' FiLiA Women's Liberation Conference - coating the venue in pink paint. Reflecting on the latest scuffle, MA student Maeve Halligan, 22, a first-time conference attendee who was at the party, said: 'The tension surrounding the Israel Palestine conflict was palpable. 'You'd hope at a women's conference that we'd be able to have fair, civil discussions and we wouldn't start literally throwing punches. 'Some women got up on stage, some were wearing keffiyehs. There was one woman with a Palestine flag jigging about, wrapping it around herself like a cape, waving it in the air. Footage shows the moment security usher out a lady in a pink shirt who jumps up and down on stage with the traditional Arab attire clutched in her hands The tension is taken up a notch when an attendee on stage wearing a black vest, mini shorts and a Jewish kippah holds up a yellow hostage ribbon in response 'You'd hope at a women's conference that we'd be able to have fair, civil discussions and we wouldn't start literally throwing punches', a young attendee said 'She was on the stage for several minutes unhindered before a female security guard asked her to stop. She was totally ignored. 'Then some male security guards went onstage too. 'I was surprised that the Israel-Palestine debate had such a presence even at the party section of the conference. 'I thought women would be keen to refrain from political statement, just temporarily, and unite over womanhood, before being divided by politics.' Writer Jean Hatchet said on X she was involved in the incident and had tried to take the Palestinian flags off the women concerned. She said in a post: 'If the statement released by them (FiLiA) below is about me and my girlfriend let me make it absolutely clear. @LightninLex was not with me when I went up to take the flags from the women on stage (a job security should have done).' The encounter prompted FiLiA trustees to send out a statement condemning the protest on Saturday night. It said: 'Attendees may be aware of the unacceptable behaviour of two individuals last night at the FiLiA party. The encounter prompted FiLiA trustees to send out a statement condemning the protest on Saturday night Security and staff can be seen ushering attendees off the stage amidst the heating encounter with protesters 'Please be assured that these individuals were removed as swiftly as possible and were not permitted to attend the conference today. 'We have zero tolerance for aggressive or intimidating behaviour and harassment towards our speakers, volunteers and attendees. 'We are aware that the women who were ejected have shared social media posts and videos, which significantly misrepresents the events of last night. 'The matter is now in the hands of the police. 'Thank you to all the speakers and volunteers as without them this event would not be possible.' One person who was there said on X: 'It was the woman in pink on the right who waved her keffiyeh and made aggressive throat cutting gestures to the audience. Deranged. 'I was shocked to see she'd been let in the following day.' One who saw the video said: 'Sick. Betrayed. Bewildered. Even if one supports Palestinian causes, this venue, this time was not it. It was hostile and provocative.' Protesters and transgender activists outside the FiLiA Women's Liberation Conference being held at the Brighton Centre Another responded: 'Look - this has nothing to do with Filia. They removed the flag from the stage. It was not an appropriate place.' One added: 'With respect. They were not "promptly removed". That only happened after they "partied" for a good ten minutes while one woman security tried her best to remove them. 'This was long after the first appearance of them.' A Sussex Police spokesman said: 'Police are investigating reports of an altercation between attendees at the FiLiA conference party at the Brighton Centre on Saturday evening (11 October). 'The group, who are known to each other, were separated by security and removed from the venue. No injuries were reported. 'An investigation is ongoing to understand the full circumstances, involving engagement with all parties. No arrests have been made at this time.' After transgender activists covered the FiLiA conference centre in pink paint videos uploaded online where masked figures were seen smashing windows spray-painting the building, ahead of a three-day event billed as one of the largest grassroots feminist gatherings in Europe. Thousands of women attended to hear speakers discuss topics including surrogacy and pornography. A grief-stricken British daughter has claimed she was told by a Turkish hospital that she would have to donate one of her father's organs if she wanted his life support machine to stay on. Medics are alleged to have made the sickening demand when Joanna Kearney pleaded for more time so family members could travel to the country to say their goodbyes to her beloved dad, John. The heartbroken mother-of-three, 35, exclusively told the Daily Mail she felt like she had been blackmailed by hospital staff and in the end offered one of her father's kidneys 'because he had two'. But yesterday, she woke to WhatsApp messages, seen by this newspaper, from a doctor telling her the organ wasn't good enough, who then bluntly asked her: 'Do you wanna see ur dad last time?' Within minutes, a taxi sent by the hospital arrived at her hotel and took Joanna, a family friend, and the father of her children to see John, where she held his hand for his final moments. The father-of-six, 64, had spent nearly two weeks in a hospital in Mugla after he had been in a horrific scooter crash while on holiday in the resort town Icmeler. Doting daughter Joanna frantically boarded a plane days later to be by her father's side, but said she had her visits to see him at the hospital restricted by staff to just ten minutes. The daughter announced her father's death in emotional tributes on her social media page and a GoFundMe fundraiser she set up to help cover the cost of the hospital bill. British grandfather John Kearney, 64, died in a Turkish hospital on Wednesday, nearly two weeks after he had been involved in a horrific scooter crash The father-of-six's daughter, Joanna, was told earlier this week by hospital staff that she would have to agree to donate an organ if she wanted his life support machine to stay on Joanna was told on Monday that tests had revealed there was no longer any blood flowing to her father's brain and doctors now wanted to turn off his life support machine. But she begged for more time so two of John's brothers could see their sibling for the last time as they had only just received their passports. Joanna told the Daily Mail: 'They said to me that if I donated one of my dad's organs they would keep him going on the machine. 'I felt like I had been blackmailed into an organ. There were so many complications, but they needed a decision, and they needed it quickly. There was a lot of pressure on me, and, in the end, I agreed they could have a kidney as there are two.' She added: 'I felt like they couldn't wait to get rid of him, to be honest.' Moments after John's death, Joanna was ushered into a waiting area to fill out paperwork where she then saw her father's body 'wrapped like a mummy' being wheeled away. She was told to follow and ended up in a lift next to her dad's corpse. Not knowing where she was going, they ended up in the hospital mortuary, where she then witnessed two nurses 'struggle' to put John's body in a refrigerated compartment. 'It was like being in a movie and I'm still trying to process it,' Joanna said. 'It was horrific. And they still asked us if we wanted to see the corpse's face after they had put my dad in the bloody refrigerator. 'I had never experienced anything like it.' John's travel insurance company has offered to pay the cost of repatriating his body, but Joanna will still be left having to pay his medical costs, which the hospital still hasn't sent her despite her requests. In a heartbreaking tribute on her fundraising page, Joanna said: 'What a man who will he sadly missed by all his friends and loved ones. John was on holiday in Turkey with his friends and girlfriend in Icmeler when the tragedy struck His daughter, Joanna, 35, flew to the country to be by his side, but had seen her visits to see him restricted to fleeting moments 'It's all so hard to process right now.' She added on Facebook: 'Messages are flooding in right now am writing this with a heavy heart. 'My dad's machines have been turned off, he's passed. I feel physically sick really sorry for all the familys & friends loss, just need him home now, absolutely devastated. 'Back with your angels in the sky rip dad.' John, a handyman from Birkenhead, Wirral, had been on holiday in Turkey with his friends and girlfriend Sheila. He had hired a scooter to get around the town, but had not been given a helmet by the rental company. It is illegal in Turkey not to wear protective headgear while riding a motorcycle or moped. Tragedy struck on the evening of Tuesday, September 30, when John was travelling back to the harbour to pick up Sheila after dropping his pal off at her apartment. He was just metres from returning when it is thought his leg clipped a 4x4's trailer, which sent him 'flying' before his head slammed onto the floor. John, who wasn't believed to have been speeding, was rushed to hospital where he was diagnosed with a severe brain bleed and placed in an induced coma. But doctors said they couldn't operate as it would kill him due to the swelling. The demand for one of John's organs comes months after young Brit mother Beth Martin, 28, died in mysterious circumstances while on holiday in Turkey. A UK autopsy later revealed that doctors had removed her heart without her family's knowledge. Beth, from Portsmouth, was rushed to hospital after she became 'delirious' just one day into a dream trip away with her husband Luke and two children, aged eight and five. A report by the Forensic Medicine Institution in June found the mother-of-two had died from food poisoning, according to local media outlet Sozcu. In a striking similarity to John's case, Beth's family levelled further claims against Turkish authorities, and said they were made to carry her body in a bag through the hospital. Official advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) notes that under Turkish law, coroners can take small tissue samples and organs for testing 'without the family's permission'. Beth Martin, 28, pictured with husband Luke, died in a Turkish hospital in May with a UK autopsy revealing her heart had been taken 'You will not automatically be told if this happens,' the advice notes. While organs will normally be returned before a person's body is released, the FCDO adds, 'in exceptional circumstances, body parts might be kept without permission.' However, the practice of illegal organ trading is alive well in Turkey, where hospitals have previously faced accusations of stealing organs and facilitating illegal transplants for wealthy people looking to jump the queue. There is no suggestion at this time that Beth's heart, nor John's kidney, were being illegally harvested. According to the World Health Organisation-affiliated Global Observatory on Donation and Transplantation, the country has one of the highest transplant rates in the world: 61.5 for every million inhabitants as of 2023, compared to a global average of 25.84. WHO has previously suggested one in 10 organ transplants across the globe are conducted illegally - with donors either coerced or having organs removed unwillingly. Three Australians accused of turning Indonesia's island paradise into an alleged gangland war zone have been handed over to prosecutors and will be indicted on murder charges. Sydney men Darcy Francesco Jenson, 27, and Mevlut Coskun, 22, were marched to the prosecution office in Badung, Bali, alongside Melbourne man Paea I Middlemore Tupou, 26, on Wednesday. The group are accused of fatally shooting Melbourne underworld figure Zivan 'Stipe' Radmanovic, 35, and seriously injuring Sanar Ghanim, 34, about midnight on June 14 at a villa in Munggu, in Bali's south, where they were sleeping with their partners. The three Australians, nicknamed the 'Bali Three' after the infamous Bali Nine, were masked and shackled while being marched to face the prosecutor on Wednesday. Badung Prosecutor chief, Sutrisno Margi Utama, said all three would be charged with firearm offences and premeditated murder. If found guilty, the group could face death by firing squad under Indonesian law. The country has not carried out an execution since mid-2016. The group were transported to the office in an armoured van and surrounded by armed police. 'We will ensure this process runs smoothly so people understand Bali is safe,' Sutrisno said. Darcy Francesco Jenson, Mevlut Coskun (pictured on Wednesday), and Paea I Middlemore Tupou were marched into the Badung prosecution office on Wednesday The three Australian men are accused of carrying out a gangland hit on underworld figure Zivan 'Stipe' Radmanovic at a villa (pictured) in Munggu Radmanovic (right) was killed in the attack while alleged gangster Sanar Ghanim was seriously injured Jenson (pictured) is accused of running logistics for the alleged hit and standing watch while it was executed Badung Police chief Arif Batubara explained the trio's trip to the prosecutor marked the moment they were officially charged and police handed over its evidence. 'The dossier of the shooting case has been declared complete by the prosecutor,' he said. 'Today we handed over the evidence and suspects for the case.' When asked if the group had made any admissions of guilt, Arif told reporters 'we will hear later in court'. Jenson, Coskun and Tupou will remain detained at Kerobokan prison during their trial. The group were moved to the facility, regarded as one of Indonesia's toughest prisons, in late July. It's understood the prosecution will allege Jenson handled the logistics of the alleged gangland execution by organising weapons and cars for the group. Coskun and Tupou are expected to be accused of carrying out the hit while Jenson stood watch outside the villa. Jenson (pictured on Wednesday) was the first of the three accused Aussies to arrive in Bali before the shooting The three Australians will be held at Kerobokan prison during their trial (pictured left to right, Mevlut Coskun, Paea I Middlemore Tupou and Darcy Francesco Jenson at a reenactment of the shooting on July 30) Radmanovic and Ghanim were staying at the villa while celebrating Radmanovic's wife's 30th birthday (pictured, bullet holes at the scene) The three accused Australians could face the death penalty if convicted for the attack (pictured, Tupou on Wednesday) Sanar Ghanim (pictured) was allegedly beaten and shot but survived Ghanim had moved to Bali in early 2025 and was frequently visited by his girlfriend. Locals believed he was on the run from an organised crime syndicate. Jenson arrived on the island on June 3, followed by Coskun and Tupou on June 9. Radmanovic, his wife Jazmyn Gourdeas, and her sister Daniella Gourdeas arrived in Bali to meet with Ghanim on June 12. The group were celebrating Jazmyn's 30th birthday at Villa Casa Satisya in Munggu. Coskun and Tupou allegedly broke into the villa shortly after midnight on June 14 using a sledgehammer. Jenson is believed to have stood outside, keeping watch, while Coskun and Tupou beat and shot Ghanim and Radmanovic. Ghanim was shot in the leg and beaten but managed to survive the attack. Radmanovic was shot dead as his wife and her sister hid. Ricky Rajendar Singh, the lawyer for Coskun and Tupou, on Wednesday said all three Australians are prepared for their trial. He believes his clients will avoid the death penalty but did not speak further on the case. Downing Street and the Crown Prosecution Service are at war today over the release of evidence from a China spying case that collapsed, amid claims of ministerial interference. Prosecutors last night denied suggestions from No10 that they blocked the release of a witness statement made by a senior security official for the trial of Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and teacher Christopher Berry. Sources had suggested the CPS told Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormold that publishing the document prepared by deputy national security adviser Matthew Collins would be 'inappropriate'. Treasury Chief Secretary James Murray appeared to admit this morning that ministers had been outwitted, telling Times Radio: 'We'll be looking at what the options are and we'll be providing an update in due course.' Sir Keir Starmer will face a Commons grilling at noon in the first Prime Minister's Questions for a month over his administration's handling of the collapsed case Mr Berry and Mr Cash were accused of passing secrets to China, but charges against them were dropped last month. Both deny any wrongdoing. The Liberal Democrats urged the Government to now publish Mr Collins' witness statement. The party's foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller said: 'If ministers have nothing to hide they have nothing to fear. Sir Keir Starmer will face a Commons grilling at noon in the first Prime Minister's Questions for a month over his administration's handling of the collapsed case CPS prosecutors led by DPP Stephen Parkinson (pictured) last night denied suggestions from No10 that they blocked the release of a witness statement 'Failure to come clean will just confirm people's suspicions of a cover-up and that ministers are more worried about cosying up to China than protecting our national security.' Mr Wormald is understood to have been prepared to publish a Government witness statement central to the withdrawal of espionage charges against the men. Sources had claimed the Cabinet Secretary the country's most senior civil servant had gone to the CPS to discuss the publication of the witness statement by Matthew Collins, the deputy national security adviser. It was that statement the CPS deemed did not meet the threshold for proceeding with the trial of the two alleged spies because it did not show China posed a threat to national security at the time the alleged offences occurred. Prosecutors concluded during their meeting with Civil Service chief Mr Wormald that publishing the evidence outside of a courtroom would be 'inappropriate', senior sources said. But a CPS spokesperson denied the Government's claims. 'The statements were provided to us for the purpose of criminal proceedings which are now over,' they said. The spokesperson added: 'The material contained in them is not ours, and it is a matter for the Government, independently of the CPS, to consider whether or not to make that material public.' Sir Keir has heaped praise on deputy national security adviser Mr Collins, amid accusations he was being thrown under the bus for providing the Government's evidence in the case. According to a readout, Sir Keir told his Cabinet on Tuesday Mr Collins is a 'highly respected securocrat' who made 'every effort' to support the case in court. However, Mr Collins was constrained by the 'policy position of the government at the time of the offence', the Prime Minister's official spokesman added. Sir Keir has denied that the Labour Government was responsible for the decision to drop the charges against Mr Cash and Mr Berry, and blamed the Conservatives' approach to China in power. The Prime Minister said the last Tory government 'declined to describe China either as an enemy or infer that by describing it as a current threat to national security'. A grave robber who stole the remains of 29 girls and turned their mummified corpses into dolls could be freed from custody next month. Anatoly Moskvin, 59, lived with the bodies, dressing them in stockings, clothes and knee length boots. He also applied lipstick and makeup to their faces. Sickening images from his home showed several bodies and skeletons, with one dressed up to look like a teddy bear. He would prop them on shelves and sofas, surrounded by clutter. The highly-educated bodysnatcher - an expert on cemeteries and former military intelligence translator - marked the birthday of each of his dead victims in his bedroom in chilling rituals. Until now, courts have repeatedly refused to release him, but pro-Kremlin Shot media outlet says psychiatric doctors are recommending that he is safe to return home. They are 'submitting documents to the court to discharge the patient and place him under the care of relatives'. They want to re-categorise him as 'incapacitated', which means he could live with friends or relatives or in a care institution, which does not lock him up, it is reported. The secure hospital in Nizhny Novgorod city refused to comment. Moskvin was detained in 2011 and confessed to 44 counts of abusing the graves of girls aged three to 12. Moskavin digged up the remains of girls and took them to his house, where he would apply lipstick and dress them up He would name their mummified bodies and place them around his home It has now been revealed that the grave robber could be freed by a Russian court as early as next month Parents of the dead children whose graves he opened and robbed have long pleaded to keep him incarcerated for the rest of his life. They fear the multi-lingual historian - and author of several books - will return to his sinister habit, which saw him living with some children's remains for up to ten years. Moskvin earlier told the authorities he wants to marry his unnamed girlfriend and work as a foreign language tutor. He has consistently refused to apologise to the families of his victims. It is believed he may have desecrated around 150 graves. The corpse of murder victim Olga Chardymova, aged ten, was one of the 29 he dug up and turned into mummified dolls, some with music boxes wedged in their chests. Her mother, Natalia Chardymova, 53, did not realise that on her regular visits to her daughter's graveside, the coffin was empty because Moskvin had stolen Olga's remains for his sick collection. During an earlier attempt by the doctors to free him - which was ultimately overturned by the court - she said: 'I am also very afraid that he will go back to his old ways. I have no faith in his recovery. He's a fanatic. 'And it will be very hard for us, God forbid, to go through those events one more time - exhumation and reburial - if he again finds the place she was reburied. 'My health is failing me, and I don't think I can face this. I do not want tragic events. Life is tough anyway now. This creature brought fear, terror and panic into my life.' Natalia Chardymova, the mother of one of the girls he dug up says she is afraid Moksvin will return to his old ways if released from prison A number of bodies were discovered at his home. The families of the girls whose bodies Moskvin dug up have pleaded for him to be kept behind bars Despite the gory nature of his crimes, Moksvin has repeatedly refused to apologise to his victims His mother, Elvira, said that although the family saw the 'dolls', they did not know that they were human remains The bodysnatcher earlier told the parents: 'You abandoned your girls in the cold - and I brought them home and warmed them up.' He added: 'These girls are girls. There are no parents in my view. I don't know any of them. 'Besides, they buried their daughters, and this is where I believe their rights over them finished. So no, I would not apologise.' In Soviet times, Moskvin worked as a translator for military intelligence in the Red Army, and later wrote several history books. His mother Elvira, 86, said: 'We saw these dolls but we did not suspect there were dead bodies inside. 'We thought it was his hobby to make such big dolls and did not see anything wrong with it.' She claimed after a 2020 decision against releasing him that the court was biased against her son, who was 'not able to be in society, work, or get married'. A besotted prison officer who was caught sneaking into a cupboard with a convicted drug dealer - before ending up behind bars herself - has broken her silence to demand the minimum age for prison officers be raised. Morgan Farr Varney was sentenced to ten months after falling in love with inmate Jordan Stones, a convicted drug dealer serving more than five years at HMP Lindholme in South Yorkshire. An investigation revealed a slew of love letters between the pair, including in the inmates cell at the category C jail and in Farr Varneys bedroom. Farr Varney is among at least 30 female prison guards fired for affairs with male inmates in the last years. The vast majority were young and inexperienced recruits. Now the 25-year-old, who says she has 'lost three years of her life' over the affair, has launched an online petition calling for the minimum age of prison officers to be raised, claiming her own ordeal shows the system sets young people up to fail. Currently anyone over 18 can be a prison officer - and they can be 17 when they start their application. In her petition, Farr Varney, from Stainforth, South Yorks, said: I am speaking out to share my story, not to excuse the mistakes I made when I was younger, but to shed light on how immaturity, inexperience, and emotional vulnerability can have devastating consequences when placed in an environment as complex and high-pressure as a prison. When I first joined the prison service, I was young, eager to prove myself, to help others, and to build a career. But I was also naive. I didnt yet understand how power dynamics, emotional manipulation, and psychological pressure could affect a person, especially someone still finding their identity and confidence. Ex-prison officer Morgan Farr Varney, 25, admitted to police she had 'fallen in love' with drug dealer Jordan Stones while working at Lindholme Prison near Doncaster Jordan Stones (pictured) would sneak off with the prison guard for sex sessions in a cupboard while she was meant to be guarding him Stones stuck up pictures of Farr Varney around his prison cell as seen in this photo obtained by MailOnline Farr Varney was arrested in January 2023 after being spotted with Stones on a wing at Lindholme. CCTV footage also showed the pair entering a cupboard. Interviewed by police, Farr Varney - who once appeared on This Morning talking about her online dentistry nightmare - admitted she had proper fallen in love with him and had f***ed her life up. Following her arrest, she resigned from her role - but the relationship continued despite her boyfriend being moved to Wealstun Prison near Wetherby in West Yorkshire. The Daily Mail revealed in May how Farr Varney barely disguised her relationship with the criminal - following him on Facebook and posting messages on the profiles of his siblings. In one post to Stones sister, she wrote: Me and Jordan love you, accompanied by a series of heart emojis. Speaking out in the Change.org petition, Farr Varney says she was manipulated, subtly and gradually by Stones, until I could no longer see the boundaries I was crossing. She described being caught in a situation that I was not emotionally equipped to handle and blamed the Prisons Service for failing to provide adequate training. She added: The consequences of that manipulation were life-changing. I lost three years of my life, defended my abuser, endured imprisonment myself, and suffered immense personal and emotional trauma. If proper measures of support had been in place, things could have been very different. I didnt feel able to confide in management or talk openly about what I was experiencing. There was no safe space to express confusion, doubt, or fear. Instead, the only so-called safeguard was a basic anti-corruption slideshow, a tick-box exercise that does nothing to prepare you for the psychological and emotional manipulation that can happen inside a prison. That same tick-box training is later used against you the moment you find yourself in a vulnerable situation.Farr Varney, who joined the Prison Service in 2022, was jailed after admitting to misconduct in public office in May Farr Varney, who joined the Prison Service in 2022, was jailed after admitting to misconduct in public office in May Farr Varney admitted she had 'fallen in love' with an inmate after starting work at Lindholme Prison (pictured) near Doncaster in 2022 Farr Varney, who joined the Prison Service in 2022, was jailed after admitting to misconduct in public office in May. She described her time in prison as the hardest experience of my life. I faced humiliation, loss, isolation, and the harsh reality of what it means to have no control over your future, she said. The media painted me as a scandal, not a young woman who had been vulnerable and manipulated within a system that failed to protect her. I accept responsibility for my actions, but I also know that what happened to me was not solely a matter of personal failure. It was the product of a system that placed a young, inexperienced person in a position of authority without adequate emotional or psychological safeguards. If I had been older, more mature, more aware of manipulation tactics, and better supported and trained, I genuinely believe my life would have taken a very different course. 'That is why I am advocating for change: to raise the minimum age of UK prison officers. The former officer says she hopes her campaign, which currently has less than 300 signatures, will protect both staff and prisoners from the avoidable harm that comes from inexperience and oversight. Farr Varney added: Prisons are emotionally volatile environments, filled with manipulation, trauma, and psychological challenges that even seasoned professionals struggle to navigate. It is simply unfair and unsafe to place young, impressionable individuals, often barely out of adolescence, in such positions of responsibility and risk. She concluded: Whether you read my story with sympathy, judgment, or recognition, I ask only that you help me raise awareness. You may find my choices difficult to understand, or you may see parts of your own experience reflected in them. Either way, if sharing my story helps even one person recognise manipulation, avoid the same mistakes, or reach out to someone who might be vulnerable, then some good will have come from my pain. If just one life is diverted from the path I took, I will feel that, in some small way, I have helped to make things right. The full details of the torture suffered by Noa Argamani's boyfriend in Hamas captivity have been revealed, including how the 6ft 5in hostage was beaten and kept chained in a 6ft cell for a year. Avinatan Or, 32, was abducted by Hamas gunmen from the Supernova music festival on October 7, 2023 and spent 738 days in captivity in the Gaza Strip. The world watched with horror the footage of him being torn away from his girlfriend Noa, 28, who was whisked away on a motorbike towards the border, crushed in-between the bodies of two terrorists. She screamed with her arm outstretched for Avinatan to save her, but he was powerless to intervene, having been captured himself by a group of militants. While she was later released in an Israeli rescue mission in June, Avinatan was left to languish underground in the Strip where he was subjected to a programme of systematic hunger, abuse and total isolation. He was one of 20 living Israeli hostages released on Monday as part of U.S. President Donald Trump's historic deal that aims to end the two-year devastating war in Gaza. As the former hostages give testimony to their family and medical professionals, details are emerging of them being psychologically tortured and suffocated with bags over their heads, while some were force-fed as militants rushed to conceal the sight of ribs protruding through dulled skin before they were released. It has recently been revealed that Avinatan served in the IDF's elite Sayeret Matkal commando unit, a fact kept hidden throughout his captivity to prevent potential punishments from guards. Released Israeli hostage Avinatan Or greets well-wishers upon arriving at Beilinson Hospital in the Rabin Medical Centre in Petah Tikva in central Israel on October 13, 2025 Avinatan Or, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, kisses his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, who was also taken hostage and rescued in 2024, after his release as part of a prisoner-hostage swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Reim, Israel October 13, 2025 Noa Argamani reacts as she and her partner Avinatan Or, not pictured, are seized by members of the Hamas militant group during an incursion into Israel on Saturday, October 7, 2023 In new details revealed by his father, it is now known that Avinatan, who is 6ft 5in, was chained inside a cage for more than a year of his captivity, in an enclosure just 6ft high - only slightly longer than the thin mattress he slept on. Before that, he was held in a cell behind bars, so small he was unable to move around freely. Initial medical examinations suggest he lost between 30 and 40 per cent of his bodyweight as he was held in near-total isolation for two years, not meeting another kidnapped person until he was released on Monday. 'Hes extremely thin,' Ors father, Yaron Or, told Israels Kan Reshet Bet radio on Wednesday morning. 'Around him were guards whose relatives had been killed in IDF strikes, and I think its simply a miracle that they didnt harm him, except for one time when he tried to escape.' Avinatan attempted to flee from his captors while he was being moved through a tunnel. After the escape attempt, Hamas guards worsened his conditions and beat him as punishment. 'Hes sharing things gradually - were not asking directly,' his father said. Avinatan Or, 32, was torn away from his girlfriend Noa Argamani, on October 7, 2023 Released hostage Avinatan Or is seen meeting with an IDF officer in the Gaza Strip shortly after being freed from Hamas captivity on October 13, 2025 Avinatan Or, 32, was abducted by Hamas gunmen from the Supernova music festival on October 7, 2023 and spent 738 days in captivity in the Gaza Strip The 32-year-old wasn't given an opportunity to have any contact with the other hostages throughout his captivity. 'No books, no human contact - nothing,' Yaron said. 'At some point, he got a Rubiks Cube, and that was the only thing he had. I dont know how he came out sane from this. Its a miracle.' His captors fed him lies as a form of psychological torment. They told him Noa had been released, even though at the time she was still in captivity. 'He knew there was a war, and he thought it should be ended even at the expense of the hostages,' Avinatan's father said. 'He didnt know the full scale of October 7 - only that they invaded Israel. He told the prime minister that he thought hed be held for years, until the war ended, and that this was what needed to happen. Hes a unique person.' Yaron added that physically, his son still needed time to recover, but mentally, 'thank God, he's still the same Avinatan - same humour, same strength.' Upon his release, his first request was to spend time alone with Noa, as the two shared what they described as their 'first cigarette together after two years'. Upon his release, Or's first request was to spend time alone with Noa, who was rescued in a military operation in June last year Released Israeli hostage Avinatan Or greets well-wishers upon arriving at Beilinson Hospital in the Rabin Medical Centre in Petah Tikva in central Israel on October 13, 2025 In a touching social media post on Tuesday, accompanied by a photo of the couple inside an army helicopter, Noa wrote: 'Both of us, against all odds, came home and were reunited! 'I cannot put into words the range of emotions I felt when I saw him for the first time after so long. Each of us faced death countless times, and yet, after two years apart, we are finally taking our first steps together again.' In a video message addressed to his friends amid recovery, a depleted but joyful Avinatan made light out of how he had been barred from communication with the outside world for two years. 'Wait, is this recording now? I dont even know what this technology is - Ive been disconnected for two years,' he said with a smile in a short video clip. 'My dear friends, Im so happy to see you. I saw all of you today down there through the van - its crazy. Well meet very soon, I believe. Im fine, just tired and exhausted, but soon well catch up on everything. I cant wait to see you. I love you all, and I heard you did so much for me.' Avinatan was released on Monday alongside 19 other living hostages as part of the Trump-brokered Israel-Hamas peace deal. Another freed hostage, Elkana Bohbot, 36, is understood to have spent most of the two years he was held by Hamas chained up in a dark and dingy tunnel where he lost all sense of time. Channel 12 reported that he was somehow able to remember his wedding anniversary and insisted to his captors that he be allowed to shower on that day. Though the guards who were holding him initially refused, they relented and allowed him to clean himself. Elkana Bohbot was seen hugging authorities after his release In this photo provided by the Israeli Defense Forces, Matan Angrest speaks with an IDF representative in Israel on Monday, October 13, 2025 He was reportedly made to feel sick after Hamas militants force-fed him with food before freeing him, because they didn't want him to look malnourished in front of the world. Matan Angrest, a now-22-year-old soldier who was captured from his tank in southern Israel, experienced 'very severe torture' during his first few months as a hostage, according to his mother Anat. She told local media that he 'remembers being beaten so badly that he lost consciousness'. He reportedly underwent surgery on his hand without anesthesia in the Strip. His mother said he was the victim of sinister psychological games, with Hamas militants telling him that Israelis has given up on him and terrorists were planning on conquering Israel with another October 7 attack. Hamas returned four deceased hostages on Monday, who were later identified as Guy Illouz, 26, Bipin Joshi, 23, Yossi Sharabi, 53, and Daniel Peretz, 22. Four more bodies were handed over on Tuesday, with three of them having been identified as Uriel Baruch, 35, Tamir Nimrodi, 18, and Eitan Levi, 53. But Israel has said the fourth 'does not match any of the hostages'. Hamas' failure to immediately provide the remains of all of the 28 deceased hostages has led to fears that the peace deal is already at risk. A spokesperson from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum told the Daily Mail: 'Following the return of the last 20 live hostages on Monday, devastating testimonies are emerging - of people being caged, chained, starved, and having bags placed over their heads for extended periods. 'Every new account reveals yet another layer of deliberate psychological; and physical cruelty. 'Hamas used systematic torture and psychological terror as weapons of war to dehumanise, humiliate, and destroy. 'Today, we know that the remaining hostages still held in Gaza are no longer alive. For their families, the nightmare is far from over - many fear their loved ones bodies may be lost forever in Gaza. 'The world must confront the full horror of Hamas actions and stand with the families to demand the return the body of every last hostage, so they can finally be laid to rest in Israel, with dignity, and provide closure for the families.' The Israel-Hamas war began when Palestinian 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. A Nazi executioner in an infamous World War II photograph has been unmasked for the first time after 80 years, using Artificial Intelligence. The man holding a pistol to the head of a kneeling Jewish victim in the harrowing photo known as 'The Last Jew of Vinnytsia' has been identified by a historian as Schutzstaffel (SS) officer Jakobus Onnen, who was 33 at the time of the killing. The heart-wrenching photograph, long regarded as one of the most haunting images of World War II, shows a German soldier in spectacles aiming his weapon at a man kneeling beside a mass grave while several other soldiers look on. The victim's name has never been discovered, but the image, believed to have been taken in 1941, has come to symbolise the systematic slaughter of Europe's Jews. The killer's name was revealed by Jurgen Matthaus, who has studied the Holocaust for decades. He says he is 99 per cent certain that Onnen was the executioner. Matthaus has previously pinpointed the exact location and timing of the mass execution seen in the image, which was first made public during the 1961 trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann. After the picture was handed over by a Holocaust survivor shortly following his liberation in 1945, it was circulated by an American news agency. At the time, it was thought that the execution took place in Vinnytsia, around 125 miles southwest of Kyiv. But a diary kept by Austrian soldier Walter Materna later revealed the massacre actually occurred in Berychiv, a city between Kyiv and Vinnytsia. The heartbreaking photograph shows a German soldier aiming a gun at a man kneeling beside a mass grave while he looks into the distance The revelation drew renewed attention in Germany in 2023, prompting a retired teacher to contact Matthaus. The man said the shooter in the photo bore a striking resemblance to his wife's uncle. Although he did not disclose the uncle's name, he provided key biographical details, including his place and year of birth. Other essential information included his entry into the SS in 1932 and his death while fighting against partisans in 1943. Using this information, Matthaus scoured historical archives and identified the man as Jakobus Onnen. Before the war, Onnen taught French, English, and gymnastics at the Deutsche Kolonialschule in Witzenhausen. In 1939, he became fully active within the SS, serving as a guard at the Dachau concentration camp before being deployed to the Eastern Front with Einsatzgruppe C in 1941. The unit was tasked with the killing of Jews before a visit by Hitler. It is estimated that the unit slaughtered more than 100,000 people until 1942. Matthaus said the combination of AI technology, historical records, and personal accounts made it possible to unmask the executioner behind one of history's most chilling images, a photograph that has come to represent the brutality of Nazi Germany's crimes against humanity. Last month, the historian said a detailed analysis of the background in the picture gave him the exact location of the scene. He then used facial recognition to determine Onnen's identity. Born in 1906, Onnen came from a family of educated people and had joined the Nazi Party by 1933. He was killed on August 12, 1943, while in combat in the Zhytomyr region in what is now present-day Ukraine. His name is still listed on a memorial plaque for fallen soldiers in the town of Weener, near his birthplace of Tichelwarf in East Frisia, close to the Dutch border. Authorities are now considering removing his name or using other methods to remove it from the memorial. The execution of Polish hostages by German soldiers. Many graphic images depicting the Nazis' treatment of victims have been made public over the years The 1941 massacre According to reports in the Einsatzgruppen, on September 1 and 2, leaflets deemed inflammatory were distributed by Jews in Berdychiv. Since the perpetrators were not found, around 1,300 Jews were rounded up and executed by a unit of the Higher SS and Police Leaders. One witness who saw the killings said: 'They had to wear their festivity-dresses. 'Then their clothes and valuables were taken. The pits were dug and filled in by war prisoners who were executed shortly after.' It has been estimated by the Nazis may have killed 20,000 to 30,000 Jews in the area. German forces had a Nazi prison and a forced labour camp in Berdychiv. The Stalag 339 camp, which housed prisoners of war was also located there. The execution pictured in 'The Last Jew of Vinnytsia' is believed to have taken place during this wave of killings, carried out by Einsatzgruppe C with help from local collaborators. The victims were executed at the edge of open pits and buried where they fell. In present day, Berdychiv was impacted by strikes during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Advertisement Many graphic images of Nazi's inhumane treatment have been made public over the years. One includes a survivor stoking the flames of a crematorium containing human remains. Others show the malnourished bodies of victims as they waited to be slaughtered by Hitler's army. Many pictures published in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum were distributed under former president Dwight Eisenhower's policy to educate Americans about Hitler's atrocities. An Iraqi man who masterminded the smuggling of hundreds of illegal migrants to Britain in yachts, lorries and small boats has avoided a full criminal trial after claiming he was too traumatised to face justice. A court heard that Mohammed Ali Nareman, 37, was at the centre of an international people smuggling ring that charged desperate migrants thousands of pounds to reach the UK. He was eventually apprehended, along with Ali Omar Karim, 47, from Portsmouth after a yacht carrying 14 migrants ran aground near Rye, Sussex in February 2022. Within hours, Border Force officers detained 14 people from Iran, Iraq and Albania, including two children. Videos found on their phones showed the group aboard the yacht, with one clip declaring: 'We are all Hama Kalari's passengers, thank the great God now we are in the water.' Investigators later proved that 'Hama Kalari' was in fact Nareman. But despite the damning evidence against him, a judge at Maidstone Crown Court ruled that Nareman was unfit to stand trial because he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic attacks and depression. The decision meant he could not be cross-examined or properly instruct defence lawyers. However, the judge ordered a trial of facts, meaning a jury would still decide whether he had committed the acts he was accused of, without a formal conviction. On Monday, jurors found that Nareman had indeed committed people smuggling offences, following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA). A court heard that Mohammed Ali Nareman, 37, from London, was at the centre of an international people smuggling ring that charged desperate migrants thousands of pounds to reach the UK Officers discovered that Nareman and Ali Omar Karim, 47, from Portsmouth, were behind a dramatic incident in February 2022, when a yacht carrying 14 migrants ran aground near Rye, Sussex (above) Migrants can be seen in the CCTV footage swimming away from the yacht and running once they hit land on the other side He was eventually apprehended, along with Ali Omar Karim, 47, from Portsmouth after a yacht (pictured) carrying 14 migrants ran aground near Rye, Sussex in February 2022 His phone showed he had travelled from London to Rye on the same day, and contained maps of the French and British coastlines, images of migrant passports, and messages directing people to his home. One video on his device showed him holding bundles of cash totalling 50,000. NCA officers also uncovered text messages about lorry and small boat crossings, including prices charged to migrants and rows with other smugglers. A second phone, found hidden under a child's play tent, contained further videos, photos and voice notes linking him to people trafficking. Investigators found that Karim was controlling a wider network of smugglers operating across northern Europe and the Middle East. His phone showed the movement of migrants from Serbia, Turkey, Kosovo, Bosnia and other countries through Romania and Hungary using HGVs. Evidence suggested migrants were charged 800 to 1,000 to enter the EU, and much larger sums to reach Britain. Messages revealed plans for a separate attempt in November 2022, with migrants charged 1,650 each to hide inside an HGV. That same month, French officials stopped a lorry in Calais and found two Iraqi nationals concealed inside. By January 2023, Nareman was charging 24,000 for two passengers to cross to Britain Videos found on their phones showed the group aboard the yacht, with one clip declaring: 'We are all Hama Kalari's passengers, thank the great God now we are in the water' In another exchange, smugglers complained that some migrants had been drinking during a crossing, to which Nareman chillingly replied they should 'just kick him in his head and then kick him to the dinghy'. By January 2023, the pair were discussing yet another crossing, charging 24,000 for two passengers. One voice note translated as: 'The okay for two passengers, 24,000. Give the 'okay'. With the agreement that the driver boarding them one side and the driver dropping them the other side. If they were arrested in Dover inside the lorry, they not pay a cent.' Nareman also sent Karim weather forecasts to plan small boat launches, writing: 'You will see the wind is low, there is no problem at all for after tomorrow. Even the dinghy can go.' Karim was arrested in Portsmouth in March 2024 and later pleaded guilty to people smuggling offences. He will be sentenced on 8 January 2026. Nareman, who remains in custody, will be dealt with on the same date but cannot be jailed due to his mental health ruling. One video on his device showed him holding bundles of cash totalling 50,000 Rachel Bramley, from the NCA, said: 'Mohammed Ali Nareman was extremely prolific in the criminal world of people smuggling. 'His messages with Karim and others showed the group's disdain for the people they were transporting they were seen as nothing more than a commodity for them to make money from. 'Our investigators uncovered their extensive digital footprint, which showed months of activity organising crossings both by small boats and HGVs, sharing routes and prices, receiving praise in videos of migrants on their crossings and boasting of the proceeds they made. 'Tackling organised immigration crime remains a top priority for the NCA, and we are determined to do all we can to target, disrupt and dismantle them, wherever they operate. 'We are currently leading around 100 ongoing investigations into networks or individuals in the top tier of organised immigration crime who are involved in the highest harm, highest threat crime groups.' Labour will delay a decision over whether to approve a new Chinese 'super-embassy' in London amid growing fury over the collapse of a spying case, it has emerged. Beijing wants to create a huge diplomatic headquarters on an historic site near the City of London despite opposition from campaigners and local communities. A decision on whether the Government would give the go-ahead for the development had been due by a 21 October deadline. But, according to The Times, Cabinet minister Steve Reed is expected to announce a decision will now be deferred until November. It comes amid a furious row over the collapse of the trial of Christopher Cash, 30, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, 33, a teacher, last month. The two men were accused of spying for China and were charged last year under the Official Secrets Act. They both denied the charges. The case was dropped after the Government failed to provide evidence that would support the assertion that China represented a threat to national security. Ministers have blamed the previous Tory administration for failing to officially designate China as a threat while in office. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pictured with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Brazil last year An artist's illustration of the proposed frontage of the Chinese embassy in Tower Hamlets, east London China wants to create a huge diplomatic headquarters on an historic site near the City of London But Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has suggested Labour took 'a deliberate decision to collapse the case' in order to 'curry favour' with Beijing. China bought the former home of the Royal Mint, near the Tower of London, for 255million in 2018. It purchased the historic site with the aim of moving its embassy eastwards across London from its current Marylebone location. But China's plans for a 'super embassy' were left in disarray after its proposed redevelopment of Royal Mint Court was rejected by Tower Hamlets Council in 2022. It had been thought Beijing had subsequently scrapped the plans but - following Labour's general election victory last year - a planning application was resubmitted. Sir Keir Starmer later revealed that ministers took over decision-making for the proposed embassy after the Chinese President raised it with him. The Prime Minister said the Government had 'called in' China's planning application after a phone call with Xi Jinping. Mr Reed, the Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary, on Tuesday insisted national security concerns will be 'paramount' in the embassy decision. He said he expected to see full, unredacted plans for the proposed site before making his decision. Drawings of the site originally submitted as part of the planning process contained blacked-out areas. This fuelled suspicions from China hawks that Beijing intends to use the site as a base for espionage activities. Mr Reed told Times Radio that a decision on the proposed embassy would come 'within weeks'. 'I expect to see everything that is being proposed before I take a decision,' he added. Asked if the security risk posed by China would be a factor in the decision, he said: 'Speaking in general terms, because I can't comment on that particular application, then, yes, this Government recognises that China poses a threat to national security and we see that from various cyber attacks and cyber incidents that have happened.' Pressed on whether the Government was prepared to put the economic benefits of its relationship with China ahead of security concerns, he said: 'For this Government, as in for any sensible government of the UK, national security is paramount, and will always be paramount. 'The decision will be taken on the merits of the case in front of me, we would never compromise national security.' Two members of the 'Tapas Seven' have told how they were also sent 'disturbing' messages by a Polish woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann. David and Fiona Payne, who were on holiday with Kate and Gerry McCann when Madeleine vanished, gave evidence in court on Wednesday against Julia Wandelt, 24. The couple, members of the so-called Tapas Seven who were dining together at a restaurant in Portugal on the night in May 2007, spoke about the impact Madeleine's disappearance has had on them and the McCanns. They have never spoken publicly before about the case. Mrs Payne, an anaesthetist, become emotional when describing how her daughter Lily, who was the same age as Madeleine at the time of her disappearance, had also been contacted by Wandelt. She said the messages sent to her were more 'a bit more emotive and persuasive' then the ones she had received. Nadia Silver, prosecuting, said: How did you feel to know your daughter had been contacted in that way? Mrs Payne replied: 'It is really difficult, she is a vulnerable young adult who has been adversely affected by Madeleine's disappearance. 'She has the good sense to ignore these messages. I felt angry actually that she sought to manipulate her in that way. She went on: 'It's disturbing we have had lots of unsolicited contact from various people over the years, reporters and the like, people with conspiracy theories and all sorts of people however we have never been contacted by anyone who thinks they could be Madeleine.' Fiona and David Payne, pictured in 2008, gave evidence at Leicester Crown Court today Mr and Mrs Payne gave evidence in court today against 24-year-old Julia Wandelt (pictured) Wandelt is on trial accused of stalking Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry between June 2022 and February 2025, bombarding them with phone calls, letters and messages claiming to be their daughter and turning up at their home in Rothley, Leicestershire, to demand a DNA test. She had her co-defendant 61-year-old Karen Spragg, of Caerau Court Road in Caerau, Cardiff, both deny one count of stalking. Jurors were told that Mrs Payne and Mrs McCann had been friends for more than 20 years, having first met while working together at Leicester General Hospital. Mrs Payne said: 'Since then we have been firm friends, very close friends.' She said she first became aware that Wandelt had been contacting Mrs McCann in Spring last year. 'I would regularly meet with Kate for walks at Bradgate Park or for coffee and I became aware of her reporting contact on a regular basis from a woman claiming to be Madeleine. I recall Kate being very upset about this and talking at length about this.' Madeleine McCann vanished on May 3, 2007 while on holiday with her family in Portugal Mrs Payne said her phone number was made public when police in Portugal published online their files relating to the investigation into Madeleine. Like Mrs McCann, she too has not changed it since. Jurors were told Wandelt called her three times and sent messages on Facebook. In one message, Wandelt said she had contacted Mrs Payne as she had read she was 'one of the few people who still believed Madeleine' was alive. Earlier, her husband David, a doctor, told why he had not blocked Wandelt's number after she called, sent messages and emailled him begging him to put her in touch with Mr and Mrs McCann and to look at her medical records. He was asked about being part of the Tapas Seven to which he replied: 'That is a reference that I believe was used by the press but I don't associate with that.' In messages and calls Wandelt said she could 'hear the sadness' in his voice and said she could help 'clear your names'. She also forwarded photos of the McCanns and the Payne family and their daughters which she said had been sent by someone 'close' to the McCanns and claimed was 'evidence' the source of the photos believed her claim to be Madeleine. Mr Payne said this left him feeling 'surprised and concerned'. The court also heard she sent him a message on Christmas Eve last year which read: 'Merry Christmas David [followed by a snowflake emoji] The truth will set you all free.' In a phone call, recorded by Wandelt and played to the court, she urges him to put her in touch with the McCanns to which Mr Payne replies: 'I am not in a position to be able to help, I have had enough trauma and so have the family. 'They would not be turning things away they believe in. I am not in position to help, I am really sorry we have had enough.' Asked why he had not blocked her number he replied: 'Retrospectively, looking back ... at the time when you receive the first text message you don't think there will be multiple messages sent, obviously I am very busy... there was a part of me as well, the nature and content of messages it was concerning and once we knew someone was claiming to be Madeleine, and knowing about the impact that would be on Kate and Gerry.' On Tuesday, the court heard a DNA comparison carried out by police proved 'conclusively' that Wandelt is not Madeleine, who vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz just eight days before her fourth birthday. The trial will continue on Monday. Greta Thunberg has claimed Israeli guards beat her, left foul graffiti on her luggage and stamped on her famous frog hat during a 'torturous' period in captivity. The Swedish eco-warrior was detained for five days after her Gaza bound Freedom Flotilla was intercepted by Israel when more than 40 vessels tried to breach the maritime blockade on the enclave. Thunberg, 22, was one of 437 activists, parliamentarians and lawyers who set out from Barcelona to deliver aid to the besieged strip before being seized. She was detained for five days at Ketziot prison in the Negev desert, usually used to hold Palestinian security prisoners accused of involvement in terrorist activities, before being deported to Greece on October 6. Thunberg, who originally said she did not want to draw attention away from the suffering of Palestinians by complaining about her prison conditions, claimed she was beaten and abused by Israeli guards. She described being held in bug infested cells where she received little water and was mocked by guards and military officers who took selfies with her - later drawing a penis and writing 'whore' on her suitcase. The prison officers put a flag in the corner and 'kicked me every time the flag touched my face', she told Swedish outlet Aftonbladet, adding that she received 'special' treatment. 'After a while, my hands were put in cable ties, very tight. A bunch of guards lined up to take selfies with me as I sat there'. Greta Thunberg has claimed Israeli officers left foul graffiti on her luggage, including writing 'Whore Greta' The Swedish eco-warrior was detained for five days after her Gaza bound Freedom Flotilla was intercepted by Israel Thunberg, 22, was one of 437 activists, parliamentarians and lawyers who set out from Barcelona to deliver aid to the besieged strip before being intercepted She complained the guards lacked 'empathy and compassion' and repeatedly took selfies throughout her detention. She said she was given limited food and clean water and was forced to drink from a tap near a toilet sink, adding that several of her fellow detainees got sick. The 22-year-old also hit out at Israeli officers for making her change her 'Free Palestine' T-shirt. 'Then they ripped my frog hat off, threw it on the ground, stomped and kicked it and kind of had a tantrum,' she said. In one incident, she claimed 60 detainees were put in a small cage in the sun causing people to faint. 'Then guards came and said, We are going to gas you. It was standard for them to say that. They held up a gas cylinder and threatened to press it against us.' She also came face to face with far-right Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, who accused her of being a 'terrorist who wants to kill Jewish babies'. Thunberg, who is back in her native Sweden - where she lives in a commune and eats discarded food she takes from dumpsters, admitted she is unaware what happened to the food and medicine she hoped to deliver to Gaza. The environmental activist was given a hero's welcome after landing at Athens International Airport following her deportation. The activist complained that her famous frog hat was stamped on and that she was forced to take off her 'Free Palestine' shirt Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg (C) and Brazilian activist Thiago Avila (R), along with other activists, after the Israeli navy intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza on October 1, 2025 Crowds of hundreds of supporters cheered and chanted 'Free Palestine' and 'Long live the flotilla' as she walked through them holding a bunch of flowers. But she revealed that her suitcase had been vandalised with a drawing of a penis and the words 'Whore Greta'. Thunberg first attempted to break the Gaza naval blockade with her Freedom Flotilla in June but was swiftly deported after being seized by Israeli forces. After being released from Israel following her second attempt, she said: 'Personally, I don't want to share what I was subjected to because I don't want it to make headlines and "Greta has been tortured", because that's not the story here, adding that what they were subjected to paled in comparison to what people in Gaza experienced daily. Other flotilla members detained by Israel claimed they suffered abuse including sleep deprivation to beatings and having automatic rifles pointed at their heads. They also alleged they were forced sleep on the floor, were subjected to insults, had dogs set upon them, and were made to watch footage of the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Some said they noticed Israeli forces appeared to target Thunberg for harsher treatment. Former Palestinian detainees have made claims about the mistreatment they experienced at the prison, including sexual abuse, severe beatings, medical negligence and being deprived of food and water. The environmental activist was given a hero's welcome after landing at Athens International Airport following her deportation Israel's foreign ministry previously dismissed all claims of mistreatment of members of the flotilla as 'brazen lies', stating 'all the detainees' legal rights are fully upheld Israel's foreign ministry issued a statement, accompanied by photos of Thunberg at the airport, saying all participants' legal rights had been upheld and the only violence involved an activist who bit a female medic at Israel's Ketziot prison. The national security minister, Ben-Gvir, has said he was 'proud' of the way staff behaved at Ketziot. He said in a statement on the activists: 'They should get a good feel for the conditions in Ketziot prison and think twice before they approach Israel again.' Charges have been dropped against a woman who unfurled a Union flag from a council HQ during an Epping migrant hotel protest. Sarah White, 40, climbed the steps of the Epping Forest building after marching from the Bell Hotel where she had given a speech on August 31. She wore a shirt that read 'The only way is Epping' as officers followed her up, taking the flag away. Essex Police said White, of Chigwell, was arrested on suspicion of two offences under the Public Order Act 1986 and later charged. The force said White had not been arrested for unfurling the flag and police have now confirmed charges against her have been dropped. A spokesman added: 'These matters were due to be heard at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on Wednesday October 15, but they have now been withdrawn.' Responding to the decision, Ms White claimed her treatment had been 'unjust'. She said on X: 'I have now received confirmation from the Crown Prosecution Service that there will be no further action taken against me due to insufficient evidence. Footage shows Sarah White holding the flag above an entrance to Epping District Council's Civic Centre on the evening of protest day She was then seized by police and taken away in a van - as fellow demonstrators standing nearby reacted with fury Protests at the Bell began last month after an Ethiopian migrant was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl 'The reason there is no evidence is simple: I did not commit a crime. 'This was an unlawful attempt to intimidate and silence ordinary people who dare to speak out. It is unacceptable that dissent is met with force and fear. 'I will not be silenced. I will continue to stand up - for our freedoms, for women, for children, and for this country.' The Bell Hotel became the focal point of several protests and counter-protests in the summer after an asylum seeker housed there was charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl in Epping in July. Epping Forest District Council's bid to block the use of the Bell as accommodation for asylum seekers is due to be heard at the High Court today. Previously, Ms White - who was a Reform UK member before switching to Ben Habib's Advance UK party - claimed police had nearly broken her arm due to their interjection during their flag waving. The mother, who was released nearly 24 hours after her arrest, explained she had given a speech about how Epping residents would plan to refuse to pay our council tax due to migrants remaining at the hotel. She said: 'Minutes later, I placed the flag at the council office. At a lot of the protests we've been there. That's been part of it.' Crowds march towards the Civic Centre offices in Epping during the latest anti-migrant protest Anti-migrant protesters scuffle with police near the Bell Hotel in Epping on Sunday Ms White said she feared she would be 'the next Lucy Connolly'. The police had clarified the Civic Centre was not an area where protesters were allowed. It comes as two other men were arrested on the same night. Earlier that evening, protesters stood behind metal barriers across the road from the Bell Hotel, waving at passing cars that sounded their horns. Police officers watched on, with more waiting in vans on surrounding roads. A senior property manager sued her bosses for discrimination after they failed to congratulate her on her one-year anniversary at the firm on WhatsApp. Rita Nunn took her employers HES estate management to tribunal for pregnancy and age discrimination after feeling 'overlooked' when she never received the message. Ms Nunn first joined the company in August 2022, and later in July 2023 told her employers she was pregnant. But when her first-year anniversary rolled around and she did not receive a 'congratulations' in a company WhatsApp chat, she complained she was being treated unfavourably by bosses, an employment tribunal heard. A month before, in July 2023, another member of staff had received a 'congratulatory' message marking her one-year anniversary. However after the message, the staff member who was celebrating 'complained about the large volume of messages being sent on the group', the firm told the hearing held in South London. 'As a result the directors decided no longer to mark work anniversaries and to restrict celebratory messages to birthdays,' the judgement read. The occasional anniversary message was sent after July 2023, but often only in 'exceptions' such as an employee who was celebrating 20 years of service, it was heard. A colleague whose work anniversary was also in August also received no message, due to the change in policy regarding the group chat. However, in September 2023, a message celebrating an employee's three year anniversary had been 'sent in error'. Ms Nunn eventually resigned from her position as a senior property manager after taking 10 months of maternity leave, in September 2024. Rita Nunn took her employers HEM estate management to tribunal for pregnancy and age discrimination after feeling 'overlooked' when she never received an anniversary message. A judge has since dismissed her claims Her claims have since been thrown out by employment judge, Nicholas Cox, who said Ms Nunn was not treated unfavourably and such messages were 'not an entitlement'. He also ruled that not receiving congratulatory emails is not an example of pregnancy discrimination. 'The failure to send [Ms Nunn] a work anniversary congratulatory message was not unfavourable treatment,' the judge said. 'First, the sending of such messages was not an entitlement. 'It was an additional, non-financial benefit, or to put it another way, more favourable treatment, which had been historically practiced. 'A failure to treat an employee less favourably than they might have been treated does not in itself constitute unfavourable treatment. 'Second, and critically, I have found that the practice had been, or was at least intended to have been, ended for all employees before [Ms Nunn's] work anniversary came round (with a few limited exceptions for, for example, exceptional long service). '[Ms Nunn] was not therefore treated unfavourably because the practice was ended. 'Other employees would also not by the relevant date have been congratulated on first work anniversaries. 'Accordingly, the claim for pregnancy-related harassment is not well founded and is dismissed.' Other claims made by Ms Nunn were also dismissed. Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in a Tel Aviv court today to face corruption charges after Donald Trump demanded that the Knesset pardon the Israeli prime minister. The latest hearing is part of Netanyahu's long-running corruption trial, which opened in May 2020. The prime minister kept a smiling face as he and his entourage of several ministers from his conservative Likud party were heckled by protesters en route to the tribunal. It comes after the U.S. President suggested on Monday that the charges against the Israeli premier should be dropped in his three separate corruption cases. I have an idea, why dont you give Netanyahu a pardon?' Trump told Israel President Isaac Herzog during his address to the parliament, following the historic release of the last remaining 20 Israeli hostages in Gaza. 'Cigars and some champagne who the hell cares?' Trump said in his more than one-hour speech, referring to the fraud, bribery and breach of trust charges, which Netanyahu denies. The joke caused the parliament to erupt with laughter and cheers as Trump continued with his remarks on the topic, referring to Netanyahu as 'one of the great wartime presidents'. 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. U.S. President Donald Trump talks with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, on October 13, 2025 in Jerusalem Sarah Netanyahu watches her husband, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, light a cigar at their home in Jerusalem in 1997 Netanyahu's latest appearance at the court follows the signing of Trump's U.S.-brokered plan to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. In one case, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting more than $260,000 (195,000) worth of luxury goods, including champagne, cigars and jewellery, from billionaires in exchange for political favours. In two other instances, Netanyahu is also charged with attempting to negotiate better press coverage from two Israeli media outlets. He has denied any wrongdoing, claiming to be the victim of a political plot aimed at toppling an elected right-wing leader. Israel's President holds a largely ceremonial role but he does have authority to pardon convicted criminals if there are unusual circumstances presented. There has been no ruling in Netanyahu's long-running trial, which has been interrupted frequently during two years of war and Middle East upheaval. Trump in June called for Netanyahu's trial to be cancelled. During his current term, which started in late 2022, Netanyahu has proposed far-reaching judicial reforms that critics say sought to weaken the courts. Those prompted massive protests that only abated after the onset of the Gaza war, sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The Israeli premier is also subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on suspicion of ordering war crimes in his government's assault on Hamas militants in Gaza. Netanyahu holds the record for the most years spent at the head of Israel's government, having served 18 years in several stints as premier since 1996. The Israel-Hamas war began when Palestinian 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. Two teenagers who carried out a string of violent robberies after luring victims through Facebook Marketplace listings have been jailed. Bilal Jama, 18, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison, while Michael Ogbeide-John, also 18, received a four-year sentence at Manchester Crown Court yesterday. Both had earlier pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery and one of attempted robbery, with Ogbeide-John also admitting to possession of a bladed article. The pair targeted innocent victims between December 2024 and January 2025, arranging fake meetings to sell bikes on Facebook Marketplace before ambushing their buyers. The first incident took place on 20 December 2024, when a man arranged to buy a grey mountain bike advertised on Facebook under the name 'Angela Davies'. He met the supposed seller the next day on Naburn Street, Manchester. CCTV later showed Jama and Ogbeide-John, their faces covered, approaching the victim. Feeling threatened, the man tried to run, but the pair caught him, pushed him to the ground, and robbed him of 130 - the money he had brought to buy the bike. A week later, on 30 December 2024, they struck again. Another victim had arranged to buy a red mountain bike from an account named 'Billz Jay'. As he followed Jama down an alleyway to view the bike, Ogbeide-John attacked him from behind, placed his arm around the victim's neck, and pressed something sharp under his chin. As one victim followed Jama [left] down an alleyway to view the bike [right], Ogbeide-John attacked him from behind, placed his arm around the victim's neck, and pressed something sharp under his chin The pair attacked the man on December 30. The man lost consciousness and was later found by a passer-by with seven jaw fractures, requiring reconstructive facial surgery with six metal plates The man lost consciousness and was later found by a passer-by with seven jaw fractures, requiring reconstructive facial surgery with six metal plates. Detectives soon linked the two violent robberies but before arrests could be made, the teens targeted a third victim on 21 January 2025. Using another fake profile, 'Jacob Verona', they arranged to meet a man who wanted to trade an e-bike and 80 in cash. The victim's father came along for safety but the pair confronted them, demanding the bike. Ogbeide-John allegedly told the victim: 'Give me the bike I'm taking the bike, either nicely or nastily,' before threatening the father with, 'Do you want me to stab you?' Fearing for their lives, they handed over the bike. Police poured over hundreds of hours of CCTV footage and appealed for public assistance. On 24 January, officers spotted Ogbeide-John walking past Longsight Police Station and arrested him on suspicion of robbery. Evidence later led to Jama's arrest two days later. Both were charged with four counts of robbery, and detectives confirmed all incidents were linked. Detective Inspector Natalie McDonald, from GMP's Manchester Central Neighbourhood Crime Team, said: 'These were carefully planned attacks on innocent members of the public, that left their homes in the morning to go and buy a bike. Bilal Jama, 18, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison 'They trusted in good will and the actions that greeted them were truly appalling. 'As a team, we worked relentlessly to find out what happened, we were working against the clock as we knew the pair would strike again if they were not stopped. 'The crimes were carried out purely for greed, they lured the victims in and knowing they had money on them and then violently robbed them of their cash and we hope the sentence passed today can give some comfort for the victims to know that these two males have been jailed to think about their actions.' 'Police have urged online shoppers to remain vigilant when arranging in-person sales, particularly through social media platforms.' An Oxford student who was filmed chanting 'put the Zios in the ground' at a pro-Palestine protest has been arrested by police and suspended by his university. The Metropolitan Police took 20-year-old Samuel Williams into custody today after he was named by the Daily Mail as the student leading the vile anti-Israeli chants. 'Zio' is an offensive reference to Zionists, and some have interpreted the words as calling for death to Jews, after the Palestine Coalition demonstration on Saturday. Mr Williams was arrested at a property in Oxfordshire on suspicion of inciting racial hatred following an investigation launched by Scotland Yard detectives. The philosophy, politics and economics student at Balliol College has also been suspended by Oxford University. A Met spokesman said: 'Officers investigating chants filmed at a Palestine Coalition demonstration in Central London on Saturday, October 11 have made an arrest. 'A 20-year-old man was arrested at an address in Oxfordshire on Wednesday, October 15 on suspicion of inciting racial hatred. He remains in police custody.' The chants were filmed on the the day after ceasefire came into effect in Gaza. Speaking through a microphone at the march, Mr Williams told the crowd: 'A steadfast and noble resistance in Palestine and in Gaza to look to, to be inspired by and I don't want to yap for too long but a chant that we've been workshopping in Oxford that maybe you guys want to join in. 'It goes 'Gaza, Gaza make us proud, put the Zios in the ground'.' Samuel Williams led the chants at a pro-Palestine demonstration in Central London on Saturday Mr Williams was among dozens of students who camped outside the Natural History Museum in Oxford to protest their university's alleged complicity in Israel's war against Hamas Pictures from Mr Williams's Instagram page show him sporting a red and white keffiyeh scarf It is understood Ministers have also made contact with Oxford University following the incident and have reiterated calls zero tolerance of anti-Semitism. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said last week that there had been an 'unacceptable increase in anti-Semitism' at universities and added that many Jewish students did not feel safe on campus. She called on universities to strengthen protections for Jewish students and said the Government was funding training to help staff and students 'tackle this poison of anti-Semitism'. Other online footage from the rally showed Mr Williams near the front of a group of protesters who were holding signs bearing messages including 'Oxford University pick a side, justice or genocide'. A spokesman for Oxford University 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.' A spokesman for the Union of Jewish Students said: 'The Union of Jewish Students welcomes the news that decisive action has been taken against a University of Oxford student who called to 'put the Zios in the ground'. Since joining the university he has dedicated his life not to his studies but to student activism Mr Williams previously attended the Bennett Memorial Diocesan school in Tunbridge Wells Mr Williams was one of a number of students to have attended the pro-Palestine event 'Jewish students should never have to stand by as their peers glorify terrorism or incite hatred. 'Universities around the country should take note of this swift action. Institutions must end the culture of impunity that has allowed antisemitism to go unchecked on campus and take a firm, consistent stand against the glorification of terror.' It comes after the Mail found Mr Williams, whose family home is in a middle class area in Tunbridge Wells, is a veteran pro-Palestine protester. Before winning a coveted place at Oxford, Mr Williams attended the Bennett Memorial Diocesan school in Tunbridge Wells. Pictures from Mr Williams's Instagram account show him regularly sporting a red and white keffiyeh scarf. A keffiyeh is a type of Arabic accessory which has recently become associated with the pro-Palestine movement. And since joining the university he has dedicated his life not to his studies but to student activism and Palestine. Several pictures taken from his Instagram account show Mr Williams's participating in the highly controversial Oxford University student encampments. Mr Williams was among dozens of students who occupied and camped outside the Oxford Natural History Museum to protest against their university's alleged complicity in Israel's war against Hamas. Another social media post captioned 'f*** your exams 2024, anti-colonial action' includes a picture of Mr Williams and a female friend participating in a pro-Palestine protest. 'Zio' is a slur made by shortening the word 'Zionist' and is often directed towards Jewish people. Labour's national grooming gangs inquiry has stalled due to difficulties in finding someone to become its chair, it has been revealed. Four months on from Sir Keir Starmer performing a U-turn to commit to a full national probe, the Home Office confirmed it had still yet to appoint anyone to lead the inquiry. There are also said to have been disputes over how far-reaching the probe into group-based child sex abuse should be. The Prime Minister in June bowed to intense pressure to implement a full national inquiry into grooming gangs. Home Office minister Jess Phillips last month told MPs that the appointment process for an inquiry chair was in its 'final stages'. She said she and the Home Secretary had met prospective candidates over the summer and that a panel of survivors and victims would be part of the final approval. But sources told The Guardian that judges and lawyers appeared to be reluctant to head the probe. They said grooming gangs remains a 'toxic issue' because chairs will have to explore why men of Pakistani origin have dominated many of the abuse rings. Four months on from Sir Keir Starmer performing a U-turn to commit to a full national probe, the Home Office confirmed it had still yet to appoint anyone to lead the inquiry Home Office minister Jess Phillips last month told MPs that the appointment process for an inquiry chair was in its 'final stages' The newspaper also reported that the terms of the inquiry are still being discussed amid wrangles over its remit. There are said to have been disagreements over whether to include cases of child sexual exploitation and abuse committed by those other than street-based gangs. It comes amid worries the new national inquiry could end up 'sprawling' in nature and 'too vague' like the seven-year Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). Richard Scorer of law firm Slater and Gordon, who represented the largest single group at the IICSA inquiry and now represents about 30 grooming gang victims, said he was not surprised that Labour's probe was struggling to find a chair. 'Serious candidates may not wish to stand given that none of the recommendations of IICSA have yet [been] implemented,' he said. 'It is difficult to find senior people willing to sacrifice several years of their life on a controversial inquiry if there is no assurance that any of it will be implemented properly. 'The problem with the IICSA grooming gangs investigation was that it was nothing like thorough enough, it was too superficial and took very little evidence from victims. 'So no one who is being tapped up as a possible chair of this inquiry will want to repeat that mistake.' Government sources said it was untrue to say there had been no interest in being the inquiry chair. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'The abuse of children by grooming gangs is one of the most horrific crimes imaginable. 'We will do everything in our power to ensure these crimes never happen again. 'That is why we have launched a statutory inquiry equipped with the powers and resources required to get to the truth and deliver justice to the survivors. 'We are working urgently to appoint the best chair to take forward this work, to get to the truth and deliver justice to the survivors.' Sir Keir announced in June he would launch a statutory inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal after accepting the recommendation of Baroness Louise Casey. The crossbench peer had previously been commissioned by the Government to conduct a 'rapid' audit into the issue. A national row over grooming gangs was ignited in January after tech billionaire Elon Musk used his X social media platform to launch a barrage of attacks on Sir Keir and Ms Phillips. It followed the Government's decision to decline a request from Oldham Council for a Whitehall-led inquiry into child sexual abuse in the town. Sir Keir initially dismissed calls for a new public inquiry, saying his focus was on putting in place the outstanding recommendations of the IICSA inquiry, which was led by Professor Alexis Jay. Aspiring California Governor Katie Porter has admitted she is a bully as she showed yet another flash of impatience at a reporter. The Democrat was ahead in the race to succeed Gavin Newsom before she went viral for her rude treatment of a journalist and her own staff members. 'What I did to that staffer was wrong,' Porter told Nikki Laurenzo of Inside California Politics about footage that shows her cursing at a staffer during an on-camera appearance. 'I've acknowledged it to her in that moment, and I'm acknowledging it now,' Porter added, eager to move on from the topic. Porter added: 'People who know me know I can be tough, but I need to do a better job of expressing appreciation for the amazing work that my team does.' But Porter showed another flash if impatience during her apology tour as journalist Laurenzo pressed her on whether there are more videos of her mistreating people. 'I'm telling you what I have told you I am taking responsibility for this situation, and I'm also not going to back down from fighting back for California,' Porter said. 'From being tough I don't think this is a moment where the "same old same old" is going to cut it.' Aspiring California Governor Katie Porter as admitted she 'could have been better' following a series of videos showing the Democrat berating others Porter showed another flash if impatience during her apology tour as journalist Nikki Laurenzo pressed her on whether there are more videos of her mistreating people Porter also addressed the newly-resurfaced videos for the first time on Tuesday in a Zoom call organized by Working Families Party. 'I absolutely understood that I could have been better in those moments,' she said in the Zoom meeting, according to The New York Times. 'I'm going to hold myself to that standard, to do better and to acknowledge that I fell short.' Last week, a snippet of a recent TV interview went viral showing the progressive favorite Porter in an awkwardly tense back-and-forth with a reporter. At one point, she threatened to walk out of the interview. Shortly afterward, a video surfaced of a 2021 interview showing her loudly berating a staffer. After a round of condemnation from her Democratic rivals and a flood of online mockery, Porter showed no sign of stepping aside while her campaign lined up supporters to help her weather the fallout. 'In this critical moment in our country we don't need to be polite, go along to get along, establishment politicians that keep getting run over by the opposition,' said Teamsters California Co-Chairs Peter Finn and Chris Griswold, who endorsed Porter in September. Porter also lashed out at an interviewer challenging the Democrat on her candidacy for governor 'We need strong leaders like Katie Porter that are willing to call it like it is and stand up and fight for everyday Californians.' An unexpected word of support came from Whoopi Goldberg, who said on The View: 'Some people apparently are surprised by these videos. I am not. We see these videos with... lots of different people.' 'Human beings have bad days,' Goldberg added. It's yet to be seen whether Porter suffers with voters. The primary isn't until June, and the general election is in November 2026. But the unflattering videos are certain to encourage other potential candidates to give the wide-open, crowded race a look. Democratic US Sen. Alex Padilla is among those who have not ruled out a run in the 2026 contest. 'There are quite a few people looking at this field and saying, "There has got to be somebody better,"' said Democratic consultant Andrew Acosta. 'Potential candidates are watching, "How far does Porter fall?" 'I think this whole thing is indicative of a race that is not catching fire,' he added. Porter - who became a social media celebrity by brandishing a white board at congressional hearings to dissect CEOs and break down complex figures into assaults on corporate greed - is probably the best-known candidate in a race that was bypassed by former Vice President Kamala Harris. Porter is known for her potent small-dollar fundraising across the country. Porter was caught on camera flipping out at a staffer for 'getting in her shot' The crowded field to replace outgoing Gov. Newsom includes former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former Biden administration health secretary Xavier Becerra and former state controller Betty Yee, all Democrats, and Republicans Steve Hilton, a conservative commentator, and Chad Bianco, the Riverside County Sheriff, among others. Keir Starmer today bowed to mounting pressure to come clean about the government's role in the collapse of a case against two men accused of spying for China. The Prime Minister finally confirmed that Downing Street will publish a key witness statement by the deputy national security adviser, which was pivotal in the case against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry. Last night the Crown Prosecution Service angrily denied claims by No10 that it was blocking the release of the document written by Matthew Collins, the deputy national security adviser. Critics have accused ministers of using Mr Collins, a career civil servant, as a scapegoat to protect his boss, the national security adviser and former Tony Blair aide Jonathan Powell. Facing MPs at Prime Minister's Questions, Sir Keir told MPs that Mr Powell played no part in the decision not to brand China a 'threat' which forced the collapse of the case against the two men, who both deny any wrongdoing. He told them that after the CPS had 'clarified' its position he would release the documents. The Prime Minister also confirmed for the first time that Mr Powell and Sir Oliver Robbins, the permanent secretary at the Foreign Office, met to discuss the trial in September, but insisted they did not discuss the evidence. But Kemi Badenoch laid into him, saying he 'had to be dragged out to provide more obfuscation'. As clarion calls grew for the document to be published to establish if any role had been played by national security adviser and former Tony Blair aide Jonathan Powell , Sir Keir faced MPs at Prime Minister's Questions. But Kemi Badenoch laid into him, saying he 'had to be dragged out to provide more obfuscation'. CPS prosecutors led by DPP Stephen Parkinson (pictured) last night denied suggestions from No10 that they blocked the release of a witness statement Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Sir Keir said: 'Last night, the Crown Prosecution Service clarified that, in their view, the decision whether to publish the witness statements of the (deputy national security adviser) is for the Government. 'I therefore carefully considered this question this morning, and after legal advice, I have decided to publish the witness statement. 'Given the information contained, we will conduct a short process. But I want to make clear, I intend to publish the witness statements in full. 'Let me say this, had the Conservatives been quicker in updating our legislation, a review that started in 2015, these individuals could have been prosecuted, and we would not be where we are now.' However Mrs Badenoch hit back, saying: 'He had to be dragged out to repeat only more obfuscation. It is simply unbelievable that he is trying to say the last government did not classify China as a threat.' She referred to several comments made in 2021 and 2024, attributed to the previous Conservative government, and added: 'In 2022, the director general of MI5 in November classified China as a threat in his remarks. How is it possible that the Government failed to provide the evidence that the CPS needed to prosecute?' Mr Berry and Mr Cash were accused of passing secrets to China, but charges against them were dropped last month. Both deny any wrongdoing. The Liberal Democrats urged the Government to now publish Mr Collins' witness statement. The party's foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller said: 'If ministers have nothing to hide they have nothing to fear. 'Failure to come clean will just confirm people's suspicions of a cover-up and that ministers are more worried about cosying up to China than protecting our national security.' Mr Wormald is understood to have been prepared to publish a Government witness statement central to the withdrawal of espionage charges against the men. Sources had claimed the Cabinet Secretary the country's most senior civil servant had gone to the CPS to discuss the publication of the witness statement by Matthew Collins, the deputy national security adviser. It was that statement the CPS deemed did not meet the threshold for proceeding with the trial of the two alleged spies because it did not show China posed a threat to national security at the time the alleged offences occurred. Prosecutors concluded during their meeting with Civil Service chief Mr Wormald that publishing the evidence outside of a courtroom would be 'inappropriate', senior sources said. But a CPS spokesperson denied the Government's claims. 'The statements were provided to us for the purpose of criminal proceedings which are now over,' they said. The spokesperson added: 'The material contained in them is not ours, and it is a matter for the Government, independently of the CPS, to consider whether or not to make that material public.' An award-winning nurse has been fired from her hospital job after she vowed she would let police officers and their families 'die' during her drunk driving arrest. Crystal Tadlock, 35, shockingly declared she would break her oath to do no harm while handcuffed in the backseat of a patrol car early Saturday morning. She was taken into custody in Magnolia, Texas - about 45 miles outside of Houston - after she was caught speeding and failed a field sobriety test. The nurse, who has worked in the intensive care unit at Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital for seven years, launched an expletive and racist rant at officers as they hauled her off to the county jail. 'I'm a f****** nurse, and when you come through my hospital, don't worry, I'll let you die,' Tadlock told the officer, as heard in patrol car footage obtained by KTRK. The officer mockingly replied 'oh no,' prompting Tadlock to double down on her threat. She added: 'All your family members... Greater Heights, don't go there.' She also criticized the arresting officer for 'having an accent from another country' and suggested he should be deported by immigration authorities, the video showed. Tadlock, who just four years ago won an award for 'extraordinary nurses,' was terminated from her role at the hospital after an investigation. ICU nurse Crystal Tadlock, 35, has been fired from her hospital after she vowed she would let police officers and their families 'die' during her drunk driving arrest Tadlock, just four years ago, won an award for 'extraordinary nurses.' She won the award for her efforts during the pandemic, as well as her 'kindness' and 'compassion' towards others Police pulled Tadlock over for speeding just after midnight Saturday. It reportedly took her 40 seconds to stop the vehicle, according to a police report. She also ran a red light and hit a piece of concrete, the report added. Officers, noting how she presented with 'bloodshot, glassy eyes and slurred speech,' had Tadlock undergo a field sobriety test, during which she almost fell backwards. During the drive to the county jail, Tadlock addressed the test and blamed her poor performance on a recent eye procedure. 'I couldn't walk straight because I had a f****** eye injection yesterday. Because my perception is permanently off,' she yelled at the officers. She also addressed the officer's vernacular, claiming he 'can't speak straight because you have an accent from another country.' He began to read her rights, but Tadlock interrupted: 'That's because ICE hasn't picked you up yet.' 'You really just said you don't want me there 'cause you're gonna let me die,' the officer said. Tadlock has been charged with driving while intoxicated. She has since bonded out of jail Tadlock was taken into custody in Magnolia, Texas - about 45 miles outside of Houston - just after midnight on Saturday after she was caught speeding and failed a field sobriety test 'Well, yeah, I mean, you're not that great of a person. You think you can just treat me like this?' Tadlock replied. She was charged with driving while intoxicated, but vowed to get it dismissed. She told police: 'You're gonna be so embarrassed. And I'm also white.' Tadlock, during her arrest, also tried to tell the officers they couldn't take her into custody because she is a mother. 'I have a child!' she screamed from the backseat. According to Magnolia police, Tadlock admitted to having a few drinks at a concert ahead of the traffic stop. She refused to undergo a breathalyzer test in the field, so officers tested her blood alcohol content levels. As of Tuesday night, police were still waiting on the results. The force, in a post on Facebook, confirmed she was charged with a DWI and shared how she threatened their officers. 'The female, who is a nurse, stated that if any of us came to her hospital, that she would make sure we died. Unfortunately we couldn't charge her with not being a very nice person' Magnolia police wrote. She has since bonded out of jail. Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital also terminated her employment. Tadlock launched an expletive and racist rant at officers as they hailed her off to the county jail. She also tried to tell the officers they couldn't take her into custody because she is a mother 'The safety and privacy of our patients, visitors and workforce are our top priority, and we take such matters very seriously,' the hospital said in a statement. Tadlock was the recipient of the Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurses in 2021 for going above and beyond during the coronavirus pandemic. Her biography on the Daisy Foundation website highlighted how she 'always demonstrates a compassionate, caring, positive attitude towards patients, family, colleagues, and all health care disciplinary teams.' She was praised for being 'kind to patients, patients' families, [and] kind to all her colleagues.' An 18-year-old school shooting survivor has been discharged from a hospital in Colorado after recovering from being shot in the head and chest. Mathew Silverstone was released from St Anthony Hospital in Lakewood on October 13 as about 140 first responders applauded his exit while holding blue balloons, Silverstone's favorite color. Silverstone, a 12th grader at Evergreen High School in Jefferson County, confronted the shooter, Desmond Holly, on September 10 and warned other students to get away. Holly threw Silverstone to the ground and fired two rounds with a revolver into Silverstone, according to a witness who spoke with the Denver Post. The heroic boy's heart stopped twice: first at the scene and then again while in the ambulance. After being admitted to the hospital he would stay there for over a month. Silverstone's family said in the Sheriff's press release: 'After emergency surgeries, the doctors prepared us for the worst.' 'But Matthew has never given up. He can now speak. In fact, he is happy to tell you, "Im still alive!"' Mathew Silverstone was released from St Anthony Hospital in Lakewood on October 13 'He can walk with assistance. His friends will tell you his sense of humor is back. He has exceeded everyones expectations in his recovery.' The family thanked the local community for the kindness and support in such a difficult time: 'Make no mistake, the events that occurred that day were evil and tragic. 'But in the days and weeks that have followed, through every card and letter, every donation, every meal, gift, and prayer, weve seen the true heart of Evergreen and the kindness that defines Colorado.' Paige Silverstone, Matthew's Mother, added: 'Your generosity has reminded us that we are not alone.' 'Each act of kindness, each word of encouragement, each prayer, has lifted Matthew and all of us more than I can ever express.' Silverstone, a 12th grader at Evergreen High School in Jefferson County, confronted the shooter, Desmond Holly, on September 10 Holly threw Silverstone to the ground and fired two rounds with a revolver into Silverstone's head and chest About 140 first responders applauded his exit with blue balloons, Silverstone's favorite color A GoFundMe was launched in effort to support the cost of medical expenses, home accessibility challenges, specialized equipment and accessible transportation. The fundraiser has so far raised more than $500,000. The other victim was a 14-year-old who was also shot from close range and underwent multiple surgeries. The sheriff's office released a statement on behalf of the child's family: 'Our son was shot at close range. Yet, he was able to run from the school to save his own life.' 'As he and his friend ran through the school to escape, they alerted classmates about a student with a gun. Our son reached the recreation center behind the school and received immediate, critical first aid from an EMT/firefighter who was working there.' The boys asked after his surgery if his family, friends, classmates, teachers, and the other victim were OK. The unidentified child was released from Children's Hospital Colorado on October 1. Holly, a student of the school, shot his two fellow pupils before taking his own life. The taxpayer-funded CEO of Los Angeles County was quietly awarded $2million after she complained about a ballot measure that she claims will force her out of her job and bruise her 'reputation'. Fesia Davenport, who earns a hefty $570,000 per year for overseeing the county's government operations, secretly entered the handsome settlement in mid-August. The agreement, first reported by the LAist on Tuesday, vaguely indicated Davenport sought out compensation for 'reputation, embarrassment, and emotional distress' she sustained on the job. Adding to the confusion, Davenport took an abrupt, months-long leave from work - citing undisclosed medical reasons - just a week before the confidential agreement was made public. But recently unearthed letters written by Davenport have revealed that the mysterious settlement stemmed from a dispute about a voter-approved charter amendment called Measure G. Measure G, which was proposed last July and passed that November, will change the county CEO role from a board-appointed position to a voter-elected one by 2028. Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn introduced the measure as a way to implement a slew of much-needed reforms within the county government. About six weeks after its July proposal, Davenport reached out to Horvath with concerns about what it meant for her future with the county counsel. Fesia Davenport (pictured), who earns a hefty $570,000 per year for overseeing the county's government operations, secretly entered the handsome settlement in mid-August Davenport has been the CEO of LA County since 2021 (pictured: the City of LA) In the notice obtained by the Los Angeles Times, Davenport claimed the measure had bruised her 'professional reputation.' 'It has created uncomfortable, awkward interactions between me and my CEO team (they are concerned), me and other department heads (they are apologetic), and even County outsiders (they think I am being fired),' she wrote. Davenport alleged the measure would put an end to her career at least two years earlier than she anticipated, according to a separate letter. Measure G will not only change the CEO position to a voter-elected one in 2028, but will also place term limits on the position. Currently, Davenport - who assumed the role in 2021 - has no term limit, but can be replaced at any point. When the voter-elected CEO aspect of the measure goes into effect, county executives will have to be elected every four years. In 2028, Davenport will have already served in her position for about seven years. In a July 8 letter to county counsel Dawyn Harrison, reviewed by the LA Times, Davenport said the measure had an 'unprecedented impact on my professional reputation, health, career, income, and retirement.' It was in this letter that Davenport formally demanded the eye-watering sum. In a July 8 letter to county counsel Dawyn Harrison (pictured) Davenport said the measure had an 'unprecedented impact on my professional reputation, health, career, income, and retirement' Public records reviewed by the Daily Mail indicated that Davenport owns a gorgeous $2.2million mansion in LA's View Park historic district (pictured) She claimed that 'measure G has irrevocably changed my life, my professional career, economic outlook, and plans for the future.' Days before the settlement was solidified, Davenport sent another letter, rattling off the names of other county counsel leaders who were handed generous payouts when they left their roles. One of the department heads mentioned was Sachi Hamai, a former LA CEO who retired in 2020 with a $1.5million settlement after accusing one of the county's top police officers of 'unrelenting and brutal' harassment. Davenport also referenced former county attorneys Mary Wickham and Rodrigo Castro-Silva, who received $449,000 and $213,000, respectively, upon their departures, the LA Times reported. 'My circumstance is different in that I am not seeking to leave, and I have suffered damages, through no fault of my own,' Davenport wrote in the August letter. Upon entering the deal, Davenport waived her right to sue over anything that had transpired, including over 'any claims arising out of the facts and circumstances surrounding the enactment of the ballot proposition known as "Measure G."' The agreement also mandated that Davenport keep its contents 'strictly private and confidential.' She was also barred from causing or inducing 'any other person or entity to make, negative statements or communications disparaging' the Board of Supervisors and other officials. According to her government profile, Davenport (pictured) filled several leadership positions within the county About six weeks after its July proposal, Davenport reached out to Lindsey Horvath (pictured) with concerns about what it meant for her future with the county counsel On October 7, Davenport - who is responsible for overseeing the county's expansive $52.5billion budget - announced last week she was taking a leave of absence until the start of next year. According to an internal email obtained by LAist, Davenport notified her team the night before she started her hiatus. Davenport's office told the LAist her leave was for unspecified medical reasons, but plans to return, despite her claims that Measure G has made her job obsolete. In the meantime, her shoes will be filled by Joe Nicchitta, the county's deputy CEO. According to her government profile, Davenport filled several leadership positions within the county, including roles with the Office of Child Protection and the Child Support Services Department. She holds a law degree from UC Hastings and has spent her career as a 'driving force behind transformative initiatives, fostering collaboration across departments, public-private sectors, and governmental agencies.' Public records reviewed by the Daily Mail indicated that Davenport owns a property in Compton, as well as a gorgeous $2.2million mansion in LA's View Park historic district. This year, under Davenport's leadership, LA County agreed to pay $4billion to settle about 7,000 claims of 'horrific' child abuse that occurred in juvenile facilities and foster care homes. One of the department heads mentioned was Sachi Hamai (pictured), a former LA CEO who retired in 2020 with a $1.5million settlement The allegations date back to 1959, with most incidents occurring from the 1980s to the 2000s. 'On behalf of the County, I apologize wholeheartedly to everyone who was harmed by these reprehensible acts,' Davenport said in a statement, weeks before the settlement was officially approved in April. Earlier in April, Davenport expressed concerns over the county's financial state. 'We are in uncharted territory with these simultaneous pressures on our budget,' she said in a statement. 'Any of these alone would be daunting, but taken together these challenges - the wildfires, the AB 218 (sex abuse) settlement, the threat of deep cuts in federal funding - are cause for great concern.' The final Fiscal Year 2025-2026 LA County Budget, which went into effect on October 1, included 5.5 percent budget cuts that impacted a variety of public programs. About 1,125 jobs countywide have been eliminated, including public health, social services and sheriff positions. The Daily Mail has reached out to Davenport and Horvath for comment. The county counsel has declined to comment on the matter. JD Vance is facing criticism for his response to racist leaked texts from the Young Republicans club after it erupted into a national scandal. The GOP college grassroots organization was last night plunged into chaos after leaked group chats, where members referred to black people as monkeys and praised Adolf Hitler, were published by Politico. The vice-president dismissed the outrage over the texts, which included condemnation from Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer. He argued that Democrats were silent when leaked messages showed the partys Virginia attorney general nominee, Jay Jones, once called for the former Virginia house speaker to be shot and wished another GOP politicians children dead. Vance said: 'This is far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and the guy who said it could become the AG of Virginia. 'I refuse to join the pearl-clutching when powerful people call for political violence.' Democrats and Republicans alike called for the students to lose their jobs and resign from any positions they have within the GOP apparatus. Vance, however, was not interested in joining the bandwagon. The Young Republicans board of directors published an apology on Tuesday after the racist contents of the group chats were leaked. JD Vance dismissed the outrage to leaked racist text messages from the Young Republicans The vice-president pointed out that Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones called for the former Virginia House speaker to be shot Assembly member Mike Reilly fired his chief of staff Peter Giunta (pictured) after he was accused of being an active participant in the chat. Giunta allegedly wrote 'I love Hitler' and 'everyone that votes no is going to the gas chamber' in the private messages Meanwhile, the Democratic candidate for Virginia governor, Abigail Spanberger, refused to say whether she would endorse or denounce Joness candidacy during a debate on October 9. Leaked text messages from 2022 showed Jones calling for former State House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his family to be killed. One text message allegedly from Jones says that Gilbert should receive two bullets to the head. Vances excerpt from one of the messages shows Jones claiming only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy. Some conservatives, who frequently oppose the Trump administration, denounced Vance for shifting the focus away from the racist Republican texts. 'Translation: Because a politician for the other team said something indefensible, I shall refuse to criticize something else indefensible said by my team is exactly the kind moral cowardice and sophistry Ive come to expect from our vice-president,' wrote The Dispatch editor-in-chief Jonah Goldberg on X. 'Oh and to call criticism of bigotry pearl clutching is pathetic, cheap, posturing.' The Bulwark's Andrew Egger also attacked Vance by writing, 'Obviously, this wasn't Vance's opinion like two weeks ago when random nobodies were making tasteless posts about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.' Jones also wished that a GOP politician's children would die, according to the text messages The Young Republican National Federation has 15,000 members across the United States, all aged between 18 and 40. Some of those members work within elected offices throughout the country. After Politico's expose, at least one member of the group chat was let go from his job, and another had an offer of employment rescinded, the publication states. New York Republicans Representative Elise Stefanik and state Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt are among politicians to have publicly denounced the chat. Assembly member Mike Reilly fired his chief of staff Peter Giunta after he was accused of being an active participant in the discussion. Giunta allegedly wrote 'I love Hitler' and 'everyone that votes no is going to the gas chamber' in the private messages. 'The comments shared in the group chat that have been reported are extremely troubling and disappointing. They do not align with my values. As a result, Mr. Giunta's assignment in my office has ended,' Reilly said. In Kansas, the chairman of the Republican Party revealed on Tuesday the entire Kansas Young Republicans organization would be immediately deactivated after prominent members of the chapter were accused of being participants in the chat. University of Dayton professor Art Jipson, who specializes in white racial extremism, blamed Trump for influencing the language of young Republicans. University of Dayton professor Art Jipson, who specializes in white racial extremism, blamed Trump for influencing the language of young Republicans The White House noted that Trump had nothing to do with the group chat 'Trump's persistent use of hostile, often inflammatory language that normalizes aggressive discourse in conservative circles can be incredibly influential on young operatives who are still trying to figure out, "What is that political discourse?"' Jipson said. White House spokesman Liz Huston hit back at that categorization, noting Trump had nothing to do with the group chat. 'Only an activist, left-wing reporter would desperately try to tie President Trump into a story about a random group chat he has no affiliation with, while failing to mention the dangerous smears coming from Democrat politicians who have fantasized about murdering their opponent and called Republicans Nazis and Fascists,' she said in response to the Politico article. 'No one has been subjected to more vicious rhetoric and violence than President Trump and his supporters.' Giunta later issued an apology for the comments attributed to him, saying: 'I am so sorry to those offended by the insensitive and inexcusable language found within the more than 28,000 messages of a private group chat that I created during my campaign to lead the Young Republican National Federation. 'While I take complete responsibility, I have had no way of verifying their accuracy and am deeply concerned that the message logs in question may have been deceptively doctored.' Giunta claimed he had been the victim of a 'highly coordinated year-long character assassination' and had withstood a 'barrage of slanderous accusations as well as the dissemination of ai-generated social media posts to falsify past statements I've been accused of making.' Bobby Walker, who at the time of the group chat was vice chairman of the New York State Young Republicans, has also publicly issued a statement after the article alleged he referred to rape as 'epic.' The Young Republicans organization has railed against members involved in a 'vile and inexcusable' group chat which joked about rape, supporting Hitler and racism. Pictured: Chairman Hayden Padgett He said the messages 'may have been altered, taken out of context, or otherwise manipulated' noting the 'private exchanges were obtained and released in a way clearly intended to inflict harm.' 'There is no excuse for the language and tone in messages attributed to me. The language is wrong and hurtful, and I sincerely apologize,' he added. New York Congressman Mike Lawler also condemned the chat, writing on X: 'Im disgusted by the hateful antisemitism and racism revealed in these messages. 'Anyone involved in this disgraceful behavior should immediately resign from any leadership position and reflect on how far theyve strayed from basic decency and respect.' The family of a black man who was shot dead by police after pulling out a gun said the deadly shooting was justified. Elijah Wilks, 26, was shot dead on October 9 after he pulled a gun on a off-duty Milwaukee police officer, according to authorities. Video released by police shows Wilks walking up to the unnamed cop, who was in plainclothes on his way to work, after he caused a minor car accident with the officer's car. Wilks pulled out a gun and smacked the officer with it in the face before he pointed the weapon at the officer, who then fired his own weapon in self-defense, police said. His family held a press conference this week to tell the public they believe the police's version of events after seeing footage of the shooting. 'The vantage point of that video is clear, it's within a few feet away, so again, the proximity is substantially more reliable. And it depicts the details that are very critical here,' the family's attorney B'Ivory LaMarr said on Monday. Elijah Wilks, 26, was shot dead on October 9 after he pulled a gun on a off-duty Milwaukee police officer His family held a press conference this week to tell the public they believe the police's version of events after seeing footage of the shooting The family added that Wilks was on his way to his uncle's funeral when the incident happened 'We will acknowledge that we believe this officer-involved shooting was justified... 'We acknowledge that (Wilks) made a bad decision yesterday and unfortunately it came with dire consequences.' The attorney added: 'The Wilks family has seen the truth for themselves. Now they want the public to see it too. They are choosing truth over rumor - transparency over division.' The family added that Wilks was on his way to his uncle's funeral when the incident happened. They have suggested he might have been distraught and acted out of character. Milwaukee police released video of the shooting quicker than they usually do because they wanted to 'quell misinformation,' they said. Wilks' aunt Latrice Bell said the family does not plan on filing any lawsuits related to the shooting death. 'My nephew, he made a decision he should not have made and that's just something we have to live with,' Bell said. Wilks' family released balloons in his honor after their press conference and held a moment to remember him. Wilks' family released balloons in his honor after their press conference and held a moment to remember him Wilks' aunt Latrice Bell said the family does not plan on filing any lawsuits 'Him as a person he was a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew,' Wilks' aunt added. '[I} don't believe Elijah knew that he was a police officer, but whether it was or wasn't the encounter should have been different. It should've been different right out the gate.' A British teenager has been rescued after getting lost in a Thai jungle for two weeks and eating insects and tree bark to survive after trying to cross into Myanmar. It was originally feared that Lawrence Stallard Honour, 19, was lured into a scam compound, after he went missing on September 27. The computer whiz was last seen leaving a hotel in Kanchanaburi, west Thailand, triggering a frantic search by local police near the border. He was discovered at a temple in the province on Saturday, after reportedly living in the forest for 10 days, surviving only by eating ants and tree bark. Police Colonel Santi Phithaksakul, superintendent of Sangkhla Buri Police Station, said he was notified on Monday, October 13, that the boy was found alive at the Wat Tham Sawan Bandan temple. He said: 'The interrogation revealed that Mr. Lawrence intended to go to Payathonzu in Karen State, Myanmar. 'He had planned to go through the Three Pagodas border pass on September 27, but the checkpoint had already closed.' Lawrence was then taken to a resort, but he was unable to check in as he had no money to afford a room. He had charged his phone before setting off - but he lost his way in a forest as darkness fell. A British teenager has been rescued after getting lost in a Thai jungle for two weeks and eating insects and tree bark to survive after trying to cross into Myanmar It was originally feared that Lawrence Stallard Honour, 19, was lured into a scam compound, after he went missing on September 27 When he first went missing, his mother Gulnara filed a report at the Pattaya City Police Station Alone and disoriented, the youngster claimed he wandered the woods for days, trekking through rough terrain as he scavenged for bugs and tree bark to survive. He eventually stumbled his way back to the Wat Tham Kaew Sawan Bandan temple, where he was rescued by the One Sky Foundation on October 11. Officials said there were no signs the boy had been abused or trafficked. His British father, Julian Honour, and mother, Gulnara Fattakhova, have collected him from the rescue team. When he first went missing, his mother Gulnara filed a report at the Pattaya City Police Station. She told officers: 'I checked my son's email and found records of his movements in Kanchanaburi province, which was very worrying. 'He's a very shy and quiet boy but he is excellent with computers. 'I'm afraid that he has spoken to people online and be tricked into going to one of these scam centers in Myanmar, where they don't let people leave.' His British father, Julian Honour, and mother, Gulnara Fattakhova, have collected him from the rescue team Alone and disoriented, the youngster claimed he wandered the woods for days, trekking through rough terrain as he scavenged for bugs and tree bark to survive PICTURED: Thai police search for missing British Lawrence Stallard Honour, 19 PICTURED: His mother Gulnara, who told officers she feared he had been tricked into going to a 'scam centre' in Myanmar Authorities have not yet clarified why Lawrence had been trying to cross over into Myanmar. Myanmar, formerly Burma, was plunged into armed conflict and civil war when democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi was removed by a military coup in February 2021. In the lawless environment, methampetamine production has flourished alongside call centre scam compounds operated by gangs that target people around the world with financial and romance scams. In September 2025, the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) identified nine targets operating in Shwe Kokko, Myanmar, along with ten entities in Cambodia, for their roles in large-scale scam operations. The OFAC also imposed sanctions on the Karen National Army (KNA) and its leader Saw Chit Thu (and his sons), for involvement in cyber scams, human trafficking, and smuggling. Serious human rights concerns have also been raised about how the centres are staffed. Reports from the United Nations, NGOs, and regional governments show that the way the gangs recruit, transport, and control workers often amounts to human trafficking and forced labour. Evidence shows that the workers are often subjected to trafficking, cross-border abductions, forced labor and slavery-like conditions, physical abuse, torture, debt bondage and extortion. A California woman sobbed in court as she was charged with murdering her young son who died of a fentanyl overdose. Anaie Flores, 23, was arrested for murder last week in connection to the November 2023 death of her two-year-old, Angel Flores. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department determined Angel's death was caused by fentanyl ingestion. Flores bawled as she faced a judge on Monday during an arraignment hearing where she did not enter a plea, according to KABC. The arraignment was postponed to October 28 and she is being held on $2 million bail. Family members told the local news station in 2023 that the toddler had fallen asleep next to his mother. When Flores woke up, she allegedly noticed Angel was not breathing and called for help. First responders attempted life saving measures and transported the boy to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Anaie Flores (pictured), 23, sobbed in court as she was charged with murdering her young son Two-year-old Angel Flores (pictured) died in November 2023 of a fentanyl overdose At the time, Angel's grandmother, Zulma Flores, told the news station she could not 'believe what happened.' 'When she wake up the baby was already dead...it was like purple. That's what she told me what happened,' she said. Earlier this year, Flores pleaded no contest to grand theft and was sentenced to two years of probation in connection to a burglary case, court records show. Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami, who is prosecuting the case, previously told the Los Angeles Times that his office is cracking on fentanyl-related deaths. 'Fentanyl is sort of like a loaded gun,' Hatami said. 'If you leave a loaded gun in your house and it's not locked up properly and you have children, and a child gets ahold of that loaded gun and shoots themselves, the parent should be responsible. 'That's conscious disregard for the safety of others.' The mother's arraignment was postponed to October 28 and she is being held on $2 million bail Family members said the toddler had fallen asleep next to his mother, and when she woke up, she allegedly noticed Angel was not breathing Earlier this year, Flores pleaded no contest to grand theft and was sentenced to two years of probation in connection to a burglary case Hatami's office has also charged a mother and grandfather with murder in the case of one-year-old Justin Bulley who died of a fentanyl over dose in February 2024. Bulley was in the custody of the LA County welfare system and on an approved visit with his mother when he died The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined his cause of death was due to the effects of fentanyl. His mother, Jessica Darthard, and grandfather, Jessie Darthard, allegedly admitted to drinking and doing drugs at the time. A woman from Virginia has been accused of putting her miscarried fetus in a cooler and giving it to the child's father. Makayla Haedt, 29, was arrested on September 18 in Waynesville, Missouri by deputies with the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office. She is facing a felony charge of first-degree harassment for purposefully causing emotional distress to the victim, according to court documents filed on October 8. The father of the unborn child told authorities: 'This is the type of thing you see on the internet all the time, but don't ever think it will happen to you.' Court documents say the man who reported the cooler told deputies that he and Haedt were friends and had been in an on-off romantic relationship. He also said Haedt had told him she was pregnant a month or two before, but he did not believe her because she was a 'habitual liar'. Haedt allegedly sent the man a message the afternoon of September 17 saying she had suffered a miscarriage, but she provided no additional details. Later that evening, she picked him up from his house to run errands together. After returning to the man's house, the two were burning trash when around 8.30pm, Haedt threw what appeared to be a Walmart bag containing clothes into the fire. She is accused of then handing the man some food along with a red and white cooler secured with green tape and saying, 'here's your kid,' before driving away. Makayla Haedt, 29, was arrested on September 18 for allegedly giving her miscarried fetus to the child's father Waynesville is a small city in Pulaski County, Missouri. The pair were friends and had been in an off-on romantic relationship Haedt was arrested after allegedly giving the fetus to the father in a cooler (stock image) The victim told deputies that Haedt 'didn't show any sign of remorse or anything,' when handing over the cooler, leading him to believe it was some kind of 'cruel joke'. He was hoping it would simply contain drinks but was still hesitant to open it. After consulting family and friends, he asked a friend to be there when he opened the cooler. When they did, they found the fetus and immediately called the Sheriff's office. Deputies who responded also took a look inside and agreed that the contents were a dead human fetus. The miscarried baby was taken to General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital so its medical weight could be taken. The man told the responding officers: 'This is f***** up, I'm sorry you guys had to see that,' and that he was 'shocked and couldn't believe she would do something like that'. Haedt was arrested a few hours later in the early morning of September 18, around 3.48am. She was booked into the Pulaski County Jail on September 29, according to jail records. Those records also show she was also given a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest on September 18, and six days later she was given another misdemeanor charge for misusing 911. Haedt was booked into the jail at the Pulaski County Courthouse (pictured) on September 29 The bond for her felony charge of harassment is set at $50,000 and the bond for her misdemeanor charges amount to an additional $2,000. Pulaski County Circuit Court records indicate Haedt also had three probation violation hearings in 2023 between August 21 and September 18. Haedt has had several run-ins with the law. In June, she was convicted for speeding and driving with a revoked license in Minnesota. In 2022 she stabbed a boyfriend in Minnesota and was convicted for a felony charge of second degree assault with a deadly weapon. She was given 21 months in prison, but the sentence was stayed and she was placed on probation for five years. The preliminary hearing for Haedt's current charges is scheduled for October 28. The case remains under investigation by detectives. Angry drivers have blasted the council for not fixing 'the worst A-road in Britain' which has seen dozens of cars blow their tyres. Motorists in the Cambridgeshire Fens say the 'nightmare' A1123 road has long deep cracks along it and needs to be urgently repaired before there is a serious accident. The section of A-road between Earith and Haddenham has large sunken sections due to the boggy Fenland peat soil and the uneven surface, which has caused numerous 'dangerous' flat tyres. Local Valeria Colebrooke said on Facebook: 'Just a heads up, a new long crack in the road between Earith and Haddenham on the first S bend past the marina causing blow outs. 'We had three cars in the space of two hours stop outside our house by Hermitage Farm with flat tyres and [we are] expecting more. 'If you find yourself stuck, please knock on and we'll be happy to provide toilet and hot drinks - getting quite good at this.' David Badcock added: 'That road is a nightmare, really needs urgent work on it.' Andy Tash said: 'I had a damaged alloy and a tear in a tyre a couple of weeks ago along that road. It is getting bad' while another added: 'It must be the worst A-road in Britain, there will be a serious accident soon if it's not repaired.' This A-road in Cambridgeshire has been called 'the worst in Britain' by furious motorists Angry drivers have complained about tyre damage due to the number and size of the potholes along the road The A1123 has long deep cracks in it and large sunken sections due to the boggy Fenland soil beneath the surface Jackie Mitchell said: 'I went down there yesterday morning and thought it was going to take me off the road as I couldn't avoid with an oncoming car. 'I noticed a few tiny patches have been marked/outlined. 'So no doubt the little patches will get 'filled' with a bag tarmac whilst the big cracks are left.' Local residents say they have been complaining to Cambridgeshire County Council about the road for months, but nothing has yet been done. One local said: 'My Husband notified highways early March, they emailed a reply say repairs would start by July (2025). Maybe not.' Debra Kiddie said: 'We have said for over a year how bad this road is. Hope its repaired like tomorrow.' A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesperson said: 'The A1123 between Haddenham and Earith, along with many other roads in the county, is built over peat soils. 'This means the road surface can become significantly uneven with seasonal and weather changes. Local residents say they have been complaining to Cambridgeshire County Council about the road for months, but nothing has yet been done A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesperson said they will be starting a trial next summer to investigate 'new and innovative ways' to repair the roads 'Our highways team has inspected the road and will be making the necessary repairs to ensure public safety. 'We have been tackling soil affected roads for a few years. 'We have secured 1.5m of external funding and an extra 5m of capital funding to repair and reconstruct soil affected roads. 'We will also be starting a trial next summer to investigate new and innovative ways to repair these roads. 'We are doing everything we can locally to maintain and keep these roads safe, but addressing this challenge properly requires national support and government funding for long-term solutions.' A Met police officer shared CCTV footage with his girlfriend of a homeless man raping an NHS worker, a court heard. PC Adam Aspinall Da Encarnacao, 33, allegedly showed a video of Mohamed Iidow, 35, killing mother-of-three Natalie Shotter, 37, to his then partner Maria Niebla while investigating sexual offences with the Met. Iidow orally raped the NHS worker Natalie as she lay unconscious on a park bench in Southall Park, west London, in July 2021. He was jailed for life for rape and manslaughter in December last year. PC Aspinall Da Encarnacao is also accused of showing his partner CCTV footage of a woman 'touching up' a man who had threatened her with a knife, Southwark crown court heard. Ms Niebla met the officer in February 2021 and began a relationship which ended in July 2022. After their split, she reported him to police over allegations that he subjected her to controlling and abusive behaviour during their relationship, but charges were never brought against him. She also told officers that he had shown her the two videos, which sparked an investigation into PC Aspinall Da Encarnacao and he was charged with misconduct in public office in August last year. PC Aspinall Da Encarnacao claims that Ms Niebla has made malicious allegations because their relationship had recently ended. The officer appeared outside Westminster Magistrates' Court in August, when he was seen carrying the memoir of former Conservative MP Harvey Proctor, who was falsely accused by the Met of historic child abuse and murder. PC Adam Aspinall Da Encarnacao, 33, who is accused of sharing CCTV footage with his girlfriend of a homeless man raping an NHS worker NHS worker Natalie Shotter (pictured) died after being sexually assaulted by Mohamed Iidow, 35, in July 2021 Nicholas Hearn, prosecuting, told the jury: 'The Crown allege that, when working as a police officer investigating sexual offences, the defendant, on two occasions, showed to his partner CCTV footage of sexual offences being committed that had been obtained by him during police investigations into those offences. 'The Crown suggests that it is obvious that a police officer investigating sexual offences has significant duties towards complainants and the general public, and is imbued with a high degree of trust to carry out those duties. 'For a police officer to show such sensitive material as CCTV footage of a sexual offence taking place to a wife or girlfriend is clearly a very serious abuse of that trust. 'Accordingly, we suggest that the real issue in this case is whether you can be sure that the defendant did in fact show the relevant footage to Ms Niebla. 'The defendant's case is equally straightforward. He states simply that this did not happen. 'He did not show the relevant footage to Ms Niebla, and she has made this allegation maliciously in the immediate aftermath of the breakdown in their relationship.' Jurors heard Ms Niebla met the officer in February 2021 on a dating app and she moved into the family home where he lived with his parents in July 2021. When the relationship ended Ms Niebla alleged her partner had subjected her to controlling and abusive behaviour during their relationship. She also told police that PC Aspinall Da Encarnacao had shown her CCTV footage of women being sexually abused, which led to him being investigated for misconduct. She claimed he played her CCTV footage of Natalie Shotter which showed her being orally raped in a park in west London in July 2021. PC Aspinall Da Encarnacao appeared outside Westminster Magistrates' Court in August, when he was seen carrying the memoir of former Conservative MP Harvey Proctor, who was falsely accused of by the Met of historic child abuse and murder Ms Niebla claimed PC Aspinall Da Encarnacao also showed her CCTV footage on a second occasion in December 2021 of a woman 'touching up' a man after being held at knifepoint in an alleyway. Stephen Vullo KC, defending, asked Ms Niebla if she was feeling betrayed at the time she made the allegation against the defendant. 'Were you, at the time, feeling hurt and betrayed by him due to the ending of your relationship?' Ms Niebla replied: 'No, I was scared for my life.' Mr Vullo asked her: 'You hoped that you might get back together?' 'No that is not correct', she replied. Ms Niebla said that she initially reported his behavior to the police because he had threatened to kill her and to make it look like suicide, and she wanted her mother to know that she had not killed herself if anything happened to her. 'I went to the police because he had stated on several occasions that he would kill me and make it look like suicide. I wanted it to be clear that it was not suicide, and it was not myself that wanted to hurt me. 'I wanted to be sure that if something happened my mum would know that it was not me that took my own life.' She said that he had ended the relationship, but she claimed that he had wanted them to get back together. 'He begged me to come back to him', she said. She said that she had told him that she did not want to watch the CCTV videos. 'Plenty of times I told him I did not want to see it', she said. Mr Vullo asked her if she ever told any of PC Aspinall Da Encarnacao's friends about his behaviour. 'I wasn't allowed to discuss any problems with anyone,' Ms Niebla replied. 'Adam didn't want anyone to think that we were not the perfect couple.' PC Aspinall Da Encarnacao, of Buckinghamshire, denies two counts of misconduct. The trial continues. Notorious gangster Dave Courtney did not have a will and died penniless after taking his own life aged 64, it has been revealed. Courtney, who claimed to be an associate of 1960s gangland criminals the Kray twins, swapped an earlier life of crime for writing books in his later years. He was found dead by his friend, actor Brendan McGirr, at his home on Chestnut Rise, south-east London, on October 22 2023, with a gunshot wound, Southwark Coroner's Court heard. Senior coroner Dr Julian Morris concluded after a short inquest in March this year that he took his own life. Now it has emerged that Courtney left no money to his wife Jenny Pinto nor his two daughters. Details were revealed in a Letter of Administration filed at London's High Court, in which a registrar wrote: 'The application has stated that the gross value of the estate in the UK amounts to 0.' His wife, known as Jenny Bean, was identified as the estate's administrator. Documents suggest Courtney's home was sold for 500,000 in July 2024. Former London gangster-turned-author Dave Courtney died aged 64 in October 2023 Following his death it was claimed the gangster-turned-author had made provisions for up to 10 per cent of his estate to go to charity. The Metro reported that Courtney had been set to donate tens of thousands of pounds to Autistic Inclusive Meets (AIM) after his estate was settled and his possessions were sold in an online auction. Detective Sergeant James Robinson told Courtney's inquest about videos the ex-gangster had made in the months before his death. In one of them he spoke about his rheumatoid arthritis and how he was 'disguising a lot of pain', the court heard. 'I'm having to hide the fact that I can't get up and down the stairs and in and out of the car and I'm not enjoying it at the moment,' he said. 'That's really it. I don't want to go waste having a wicked life like I've had. Absolutely superb.' In a 35-second video in the early hours of October 22, 2023, Courtney apologised to the people in his life, adding: 'There's people that are going to be upset. I didn't mean to hurt you.' Seven other videos were found for specific family and friends. In one he can be seen dancing around. Dave Courtney died after shooting himself at his London home. He was one of Britain's best-known gangsters In a final video at 1.11am on October 22, 2023, Mr Courtney is in his bedroom sitting on the bed in the position and clothes he was found in. A police investigation into his death concluded that there was 'no evidence of third party involvement', Mr Robinson said. DS Robinson said Mr Courtney had been using a combination of legal and illegal drugs to cope with the pain he was in. The officer added: 'After a thorough investigation including the homicide assessment team we found no evidence or indication of third party involvement.' Detectives searched Camelot Castle extensively as the three-bed semi had 'extensive outdoor areas including nightclubs and bars'. As a filmmaker Courtney had collected up to 70 firearms, which had been decommissioned or fired blanks only, the court heard. The Bermondsey-born gangster claimed to have been shot, stabbed and had his nose almost bitten off in brushes with his rivals. He is said to have been the inspiration for Vinnie Jones's character 'Big Chris' in the film Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Courtney pictured outside his Camelot Castle home in October 2022. The white mansion was decked out with guns, swords, and suits of armour Courtney, 64, who claimed to be an associate of 1960s gangland criminals the Kray twins, swapped an earlier life of crime for writing books in his later years In 2000 he was cleared by an Old Bailey jury of involvement in a plot to plant cocaine on an innocent woman. During the trial he was named as a registered police informant using the alias 'Tommy Mack'. But he insisted he simply took advantage of the system to disguise a relationship with a corrupt detective. He referred to himself as Dave Courtney OBE - 'One Big Ego' - and had a painted depiction of himself as a knight in Camelot Castle. A headmaster who put Indigenous school students into choke holds and painfully twisted their ears has been found guilty of four counts of aggravated assault. Former principal Gavin Morris was on Wednesday found not guilty by Judge Anthony Hopkins on one aggravated assault count in the Alice Springs Local Court. Morris was appointed head at the bilingual Yipirinya School for Indigenous children in Alice in 2022. Reports emerged of him assaulting boy students aged between eight and 13 in 2023, sparking a police investigation. Judge Hopkins found the application of force by Morris could not be justified as defensive conduct or to discipline, manage or control children. He said the evidence given by the boys, their fellow students, teachers, teaching assistants and parents during the hearings was largely credible. The judge found the first count proved Morris had pulled a 12-year-old boy from a playground fight and put him in a headlock that hurt him, constricted his breathing and made him feel afraid. The boy's parents were angered and upset by the treatment of their son who refused to return to the school. Former principal Gavin Morris (pictured) was found guilty of four counts of aggravated assault by Alice Springs Local Court Morris assaulted boy students aged between eight and 13 at Yipirinya School (pictured) in 2023 Two other proven aggravated assault charges were over Morris grabbing two young boys by the ears and painfully twisting them after they made a mess with paint and glitter in a childcare centre. An assistant teacher who witnessed the incident gave evidence she was so shocked she suffered a panic attack and felt unable to intervene. A fourth proven charge was that an angry Morris choked a boy who had accessed a locked school hall with another student. The assaulted boy gave evidence Morris had called them 'little black c***s' and he felt afraid he could not breathe in the choke hold. The fifth unproven charge related to the alleged choking of an 11-year-old boy in a classroom, with student witnesses giving evidence Morris had called them 'black dogs'. The judge said he could not return a guilty verdict on that count because of a conflict of evidence between two witnesses and the absence of any other significant corroboration. Judge Hopkins continued bail for Morris and scheduled sentencing submissions for December 8. The equalities watchdog launched a full-frontal attack on Bridget Phillipson today for delays in issuing new trans guidance. The Equality and Human Rights Commission warned that the existing guidance is 'unlawful' in the wake of the landmark Supreme Court ruling six months ago. Chairwoman Baroness Kishwer Falkner insisted Ms Phillipson must act 'at speed', amid claims she has been dragging her heels for more than a month to avoid wrecking her Labour deputy leadership bid. The ECHR guidance has drawn up guidance on how gyms, clubs and hospitals should enforce single-sex spaces based on biology. It was submitted to the government on September 4. But Ms Phillipson, who is equalities minister as well as Education Secretary, has yet to announce whether the guidance will be accepted. She is currently competing with ex-Cabinet minister Lucy Powell to be elected Labour's new deputy leader, to replace Angela Rayner. Lady Falkner said in a statement this afternoon: 'It's our mission to ensure people are treated fairly, consistent with the Equality Act. So as Britain's independent equality regulator, we must put accurate information on the law in the hands of those that need it. The equalities watchdog launched a full-frontal attack on Bridget Phillipson today for delays in issuing new trans guidance Chairwoman Baroness Kishwer Falkner insisted Ms Phillipson must act 'at speed', amid claims she has been dragging her heels for at least a month to avoid wrecking her Labour deputy leadership bid 'Our previous services code of practice was first published in 2011. Since then, there have been significant changes in legislation and case law, with practical implications across the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act. 'The content in this version of the code currently in force is based on the EHRC's previous misinterpretation of the Equality Act 2010. The practical implications of this are that the 2011 code is now unlawful and will continue to be so until the minister makes an order to withdraw it. 'We have been told by some organisations that they intend to continue using this now unlawful code until the revised code is published, therefore allowing practices inconsistent with the law to persist. 'Our updated code of practice accurately reflects the law and is informed by the two public consultations we ran to ensure it is as clear as possible. 'It will help organisations the length and breadth of this country comply with the Equality Act. We know that demand is there and that it increased significantly following the Supreme Court's judgment on the definition of sex, in April 2025. 'The updated code ought to be brought into force as soon as possible. How quickly this happens is now in the government's hands. We urge them to act at speed. 'In the meantime as we have said consistently since 16 April duty-bearers must ensure that they comply with the law, seeking their own expert legal advice if necessary.' Earlier this week the Times reported that Ms Phillipson is under pressure to delay the guidance amid concerns it could lose her the support of some Labour MPs in the contest. One MP said: 'I back Bridget, but if this guidance is published before the vote closes there's no way I can vote for her. 'I've got a big LGBT community in my constituency and I'd never get their vote again.' Like the girlfriend of a teenage fantasist, you wouldnt know John Swinneys plan for independence. Its not from round here. As the SNP faithful gathered in Aberdeen at the weekend for their annual conference, the First Minister launched what must rank as the most laughable campaign strategy in modern political history. Rather than setting out to delegates how he was going to break up the UK, Mr Swinney simply winked. Vote SNP at next Mays Holyrood elections, said the FM, and if only if, mind the party wins an overall majority, he will reveal his cunning plan. Nobody knows the tactics Im going to deploy, said Mr Swinney, if we get 65 seats in the Scottish parliament. Keep watching because Scotland is on the journey to independence. Proving themselves, yet again, to be among the cheapest dates in politics, SNP members roared their approval at this arrant nonsense. Later, former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in Aberdeen flogging signed copies of her memoir Frankly cursed Mr Swinneys plan. By which I mean she gave it her enthusiastic backing. Swinney this week with the SNP's new paper on the constitution called A Fresh Start with Independence The FM waves to party members after delivering his speech at the SNP conference Ive known John Swinney for a long, long time, she said, and if he says he has a secret plan, he has a secret plan. Ive got confidence in him to deliver it. Given the fact Ms Sturgeon spent the best part of nine years as SNP leader promising a second independence referendum she had no power to deliver, she may not be the authority on this matter. But, then, facts never did get in the way of the former FMs vision, did they? During her time in office, public services were neglected while she focused on her twin obsessions of dismantling womens rights to allow biological males to selfidentify as female and shattering the Union. On both matters, as the Supreme Court has made clear, she was engaged in the business of making promises she had no way of keeping. In April of this year, the court killed off Ms Sturgeons self-ID plans by ruling that womanhood is a matter of biology rather than feelings while, in November 2022, judges confirmed that the power to call Indyref 2 lies with the UK Government. SNP delegates, it seems, have short memories. Mr Swinney told the audience at The Event Complex auditorium that, since then Prime Minister David Cameron had agreed to 2014s independence referendum after the Nationalists won a majority in the 2011 Holyrood election, a precedent had been set. When the SNP win a majority, he told supporters, we deliver a referendum on independence. This, Im afraid, is not how precedents work. Painful though it may be for the First Minister to accept, no government is obliged to act in the way a predecessor did. Mr Cameron did not set in stone a new set of rules by which other Prime Ministers must play. Im sure Mr Swinney knows that. After all, if the referendum of 11 years ago established precedents, then surely the SNPs promise that a vote on secession should be held, at most, once in a generation would still stand? When the late Alex Salmond returned in 2004, for a second spell as SNP leader, he brought with him a new approach to the constitutional battle. Rather than the them-and-us vision outlined by successive Nationalist chiefs, he reached out to the Unionist majority. A vote for the SNP was not, he said, a vote for independence but for competent government. Perhaps Mr Swinney might consider that promise a precedent and begin for the first time in years to focus his efforts on tackling the problems created and exacerbated under the SNPs inglorious rule. Instead, it is abundantly clear that he intends to devote his energies to keeping onside a party membership that has been misled for years. During the Sturgeon era, promises of Indyref 2 were so frequent that they became utterly worthless. After years of being marched up and down the constitutional hill, some SNP members began to question whether their party was the best vehicle to deliver independence. Some including former Scottish justice secretary Kenny MacAskill left to join Mr Salmonds Alba Party while others remained but began agitating for a new approach. It is to those dissatisfied remaining members that Mr Swinney was speaking at the weekend. I mean, sure, the First Minister might have a secret plan for independence but I remain sceptical. Could he really, for example, get through next years Holyrood election debates by answering youll see to every question about the Nationalist project? Of course he couldnt. The majority of Scots will, not unreasonably, wish to see some meat on those bleached-out bones. But the SNP membership is easily pleased and so the promise of a referendum was more than enough to get Mr Swinney through a conference attended by many who believe despite all the evidence that their party has lost its focus on the constitution. As a sidekick finance secretary under Mr Salmond, deputy First Minister under Nicola Sturgeon Mr Swinney developed an entirely undeserved reputation at Holyrood for competence. His dull, plodding, unimaginative approach was mistaken by far too many people as thoughtfulness. The truth is that hes a fanatic, a man whose obsession with independence was once summed up to me by a colleague thus: Dont forget. John would live in a f****** cave to be free. Mr Swinney still cannot bring himself to care about or even consider how the majority feels. In the First Ministers mind, independence is the obvious destination for anyone who cares for the future of Scotland. Let us imagine that, despite the partys loss of support over recent years and the rise of Nigel Farages Reform UK in Scotland, John Swinney does win that SNP majority next May? If he doesnt deliver that promised Indyref 2, whats his next move? I ask because spoiler alert there is no way that Sir Keir Starmer is going to agree to put not just Scotland but the entire UK through the utter misery of yet another divisive referendum campaign. The myopia of the Scottish Nationalist prevents him from seeing that his obsession does not merely impact his people and those countrymen who disagree with him but his neighbours too. The rest of the UK has enough on its plate right now to devote another year to indulging the minority of Scots who support the SNP. The First Minister must know this. John Swinney told the SNP conference that nobody knows his plan for independence. Im absolutely certain hes in the dark along with the rest of us. A man's early confession of guilt after helping to kill a tradie and shove his body into a metal box over a perceived $50,000 drug debt has sliced years off his jail term. Darcy Schafer-Turner died after he was put in a chokehold, tied up with duct tape and held down by two men in a Sydney apartment on April 27, 2023. Suffocating on his own vomit, the 22-year-old tradie was unable to be revived at the Peakhurst residence before his body was put into the box and dumped into a creek. One of the attackers - Zachary Richard Fraser, 24 - was jailed on Wednesday for six-and-a-half years for manslaughter. Fraser and another man - who fled the country to Germany and cannot be named for legal reasons - believed Mr Schafer-Turner owed a drug debt of $50,000. They lured him to the unit, saying they had cocaine for him to on-sell. But plans went awry. 'There is someone laying on the floor in my bathroom dead,' Fraser wrote to an acquaintance on messaging app Signal. Darcy Schafer-Turner was killed by two men by two men in a Sydney apartment on April 27, 2023 (pictured, CCTV of Zachary Fraser, an unnamed man and Charles Turnbull with the metal cabinet containing Mr Schafer-Turner's body) Zachary Richard Fraser was jailed for six-and-a-half years for manslaughter. His co-accused fled to Germany (pictured, the accused loading the metal cabinet on a ute) 'It was an accident. I only meant to tie him up.' The man, whom Fraser had met through online gaming and also cannot be legally named, then reached out to a 'cleaner' in Queensland. Charles Dennis Turnbull, 36, caught a flight to Sydney and met the victim's attackers, joining them in a trip to Bunnings for a metal cabinet. Mr Schafer-Turner's body was then placed in the metal cabinet, loaded onto the back of a ute and driven five hours' north to Macksville by Turnbull. Turnbull, acting on a $30,000 offer, was later paid $20,000 by Fraser for his services. A missing persons report and subsequent police investigation led to the discovery of Mr Schafer-Turner's body in a creek south of Macksville on May 12. Fraser was arrested three days later. While there had been an attempt to revive Mr Schafer-Turner, neither of his two attackers called emergency services for help, Justice Nicholas Chen said. Fraser and the unnamed man allegedly lured Schafer-Turner (left) to the unit over an alleged $50,000 drug debt. Turnbull (right) arriving in Sydney Fraser took further steps of contacting the 'cleaner' to try and cover up the crime, the judge said. The 24-year-old's arguments that what occurred was 'essentially spontaneous' were rejected by the judge who pointed out it had been spurred on by the perceived drug debt. The incident had caused pain for the loved ones of the 22-year-old victim, described as a funny, caring young man with an adventurous spirit who was unconditionally loved. 'The taking of Darcy Schafer-Turner's life is a tragedy that has caused profound grief and sorrow to his family and those close to him,' the judge said. But Fraser's sentence was reduced because of his lack of a criminal record, his prior good character and an early guilty plea. He had shown genuine remorse, accepting responsibility for the death and was unlikely to re-offend when released, Justice Chen found. His time in custody would be made more onerous by his diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder, persistent depressive disorder and dependent personality disorder. But the judge dismissed arguments the latter disorder - which manifests as clingy behaviour and submissiveness - spurred on the unlawful and dangerous attack. Fraser received a reduced prison sentence on account of his lack of a criminal record, his prior good character and an early guilty plea (pictured, the accused loading the cabinet containing Mr Schafer-Turner's body onto a ute) The 24-year-old claimed the disorder meant he went along with the scheme at the other man's request. With time served, Fraser will be eligible for release in July 2027 after being behind bars for four years and two months. Turnbull pleaded guilty to being an accessory to manslaughter and was sentenced to a maximum sentence of three years and three months in December 2024. His two-year non-parole period expired in May. A person has died in an apparent suicide at Walt Disney World, authorities said. Officers were called to the Contemporary Resort hotel just outside Florida's Magic Kingdom park on Tuesday evening. Images have since emerged online of a white tent near the observation deck that runs alongside the iconic monorail that transports guests into the park. A representative for the Orange County Sheriff's Office confirmed they were treating the death as an 'apparent suicide'. Amid rumors on social media, they added: 'The Disney guest was NOT struck by the monorail, so that is erroneous information.' The monorail was closed on Tuesday evening, according to users on the popular Disney Reddit forum. Images have since emerged online of a white tent near the observation deck that runs alongside the iconic monorail at Walt Disney World in Florida Officers were called to the Contemporary Resort hotel just outside the Magic Kingdom park A representative for the Orange County Sheriff's Office confirmed they were treating the death as an 'apparent suicide'. The Contemporary Resort at the Magic Kingdom is seen here One person posted: 'Just a heads up to anyone here now. The monorail still isnt running to the resorts. 'Im in a bus from TTC (Transportation and Ticket Center to Contemporary [Hotel] now.' Another added: 'Sad, hope those involved are fine. No clue what happened but always unfortunate if someone dies and those involved.' The monorail runs directly through the hotel, which has space for 655 rooms, according to Disney. The Daily Mail has reached out Disney World, the Orange County Sheriff's Office and the Orange County Medical Examiner for further comment. ISIS fanatics are believed to have slit the throats of 19 people before burning their houses down in the latest tragic massacre to hit Congo. The attack, believed to have been carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces, an Islamist militant group based in the region, took place over the weekend in the village of Mukondo in North Kivu province. The assailants wore uniforms resembling those of the Congolese army, which allowed them to enter the village without arousing suspicion. According to Alain Kiwewa, military administrator of the region, they then slit the throats of dozens and burned down houses and shops, leading to a 'a massive displacement of the local population'. A local pastor, who wanted to remain anonymous for security reasons, added that they also attacked people using guns and clubs. A civil society leader based in the area, Espoir Kambale, said eight other people were wounded and 26 houses burned. 'We are asking ourselves how the rebels could come and attack us when we believed the village was well secured,' said Kambale. 'The population is in a state of panic. Some residents fled into the bush and have not returned.' There was no immediate claim of responsibility by the ADF, which is also known as Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) and has claimed responsibility for a spate of attacks in recent months, including one in September on a funeral that killed over 60 civilians. Soldier of the FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo) sit on a military vehicle in an area of exchanges of fire with members of the ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) in Opira, North Kivu, on January 25, 2018 The ADF started as a rebel force in Uganda but has been based in the forests of neighbouring Congo since the late 1990s, and is recognised by Islamic State as an affiliate. Its recent attacks have exacerbated security fears in eastern Congo, where Rwandan-backed M23 rebels staged a major advance this year, prompting US President Donald Trump's administration to try to broker peace. Kambale Maboko, president of the local civil society, said several people were kidnapped. He added that authorities had been warned of an imminent attack: 'There were warnings but they were not heeded, and this is the toll, which is very high'. Though soldiers have been deployed to fight back against the ADF, their efforts have largely been unsuccessful. The terror group's modus operandi is to attack defenceless villages before retreating into the dense and near-unnavigable forests that cover the region. The east of the DRC has been plagued by violence caused by armed groups and militias for decades. Mitt Romney's brother put his Los Angeles condominium in a trust just months before he filed for divorce from his estranged wife, it has emerged. George Scott Romney - who goes by Scott - separated from his wife on May 25 and officially filed for divorce on June 10, according to files obtained by the Daily Mail. Carrie Elizabeth Romney, 64, was found dead at the bottom of a five-story parking garage last Friday. It is unclear whether she died by suicide or fell by accident, with investigators saying they believe foul play is unlikely. Scott, citing 'irreconcilable differences' in his divorce filing, tried to make sure the court did not award Carrie any assets in the separation. His divorce filling claimed the couple agreed to 'mediate property and support'. It also stated their assets were acquired individually before their marriage and that they shared no property. But residency records reviewed by the Daily Mail revealed the couple were both recently living together in a $738,000 condominium in the LA suburb of Valencia. Despite being the sole owner of the home, Scott appears to have transferred ownership of the property to the George Scott Romney Trust in July 2024. Carrie, who sought spousal support, has seemingly battled financial struggles. She filed for bankruptcy in December 2001 under a former name. George Scott Romney - who goes by Scott - married his second wife Carrie (pictured together) in November 2016. Scott filed for divorce on June 10 this year, court filings showed The couple lived together in a $738,000 condominium in the LA suburb of Valencia (pictured). Despite being the sole owner of the property, Scott appears to have transferred ownership of the property to the George Scott Romney Trust in July 2024 Scott purchased the three-bedroom, three-bathroom Valencia condo in November 2022, property records revealed. Scott, whose marital status was disclosed at the time of purchase, purchased the property for $710,000. He financed $630,000 with a 30-year mortgage, according to the records. The 84-year-old moved to transfer ownership of the home to his personal trust last year, deed records showed. The transfer was recorded with the LA County accessor's office in September 2024, at which point it was valued at $738,000. Scott's divorce filing states the couple had no shared property, but the home is listed as the permanent address for both Carrie and Scott. Neighbors told the New York Post that Carrie had been living at the residence not long before her death. 'She was quiet. Very nice,' one neighbor, speaking to the newspaper on the condition of anonymity, said. Scott was seen walking through the neighborhood in the rain on Tuesday. Photographs obtained by the Post showed him sporting a dark blue rain coat with the hood pulled up. Carrie Elizabeth Romney, 64, was found dead at the bottom of a five-story parking garage last Friday. It is unclear whether she died by suicide or fell by accident Carrie (pictured with her son Carlos more than a decade ago) had been living at the Valencia condo not long before her death, neighbors have claimed According to California law, a home purchased during a marriage - regardless of whose name is on the deed - is regarded as communal property. During a divorce, unless specific exceptions or agreements apply, a communal home is typically subject to a 50/50 split. However, assets placed in a trust, under certain circumstances, can be considered separate property and are not subject to division in a divorce, according to legal experts. It is unclear if this exemption applies to the condo as the specifics of the George Scott Romney Trust are not publicly available. Scott and Carrie were wed on November 26, 2016 and had no children together. It was the 84-year-old lawyer and politician's fourth marriage. Scott is the father of former RNC chairman Ronna McDaniel through his first marriage. Carrie has multiple children from a previous marriage. The duo were never photographed in public together and appear to have kept their relationship private. Neither were active on social media and Scott hasn't been interviewed by a major media outlet since Mitt's 2012 presidential campaign. Carrie was Scott's fourth wife. Scott (pictured during the 2012 Republican National Convention) is the father of former RNC chairman Ronna McDaniel through his first marriage Scott separated from Carrie on May 25 and filed for divorce just a few weeks later. He moved to 'terminate the court's ability to award support' to either party in the divorce, the filing stated. It also aimed to keep assets separate. Carrie responded with her own filing requesting that Scott pay spousal support and her legal costs. She also requested to restore her maiden name, Carrie Dimas. She was found dead, lying next to a garage near a Valencia shopping mall and the local Hyatt Regency Hotel at around 8.30pm on Friday. The parking structure belongs to an apartment complex on the 24000 block of Town Center Drive in the city of Santa Clarita. Her vehicle was found parked in the garage. Foul play is not suspected, according to homicide detectives. LA County Sheriff's spokesman Lieutenant Daniel Vizcarra told the Daily Mail: 'We don't know if it was suicide or accidental. There is not enough information to go by yet on what the coroner has given us so far.' Carrie's cause of death has been listed as 'deferred' while toxicology tests were pending, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner. Her attorney Paulina Markey, in a statement to Daily Mail on Tuesday, said: 'This is an immensely difficult time for Ms. Romney's loved ones, and the family has requested privacy as they grieve. We extend our deepest condolences to them during this time.' 'Please be advised that the family has requested privacy during this difficult time and I have no comment on behalf of Mr. Romney at this time,' Scott's attorney said in a separate statement. Mitt Romney (pictured with his wife Ann in 2017) has spoken out on the sudden death of his sister-in-law Carrie, saying 'our family is heartbroken by the loss' Mitt Romney, a two-time presidential candidate, comes from a large family with three older siblings, including his brother Scott. His wife Ann also has two older brothers, and together the couple share five sons. Scott was described by The New York Times as the most visible of Romney's siblings on the campaign trail in 2012. He told PBS of his role on his brother's campaign: 'In 2006 he called me and said, "I'd like somebody with a little gray hair to help raise money, and I wonder if you'd be willing to help me." And he asked me to help with him on his campaign. Since then, I've been doing everything I can to help his political career.' Scott is currently an attorney at Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn in Michigan and serves on several boards, including Compuware Corporation. The Romney family is notoriously close and competitive, with The Washington Post once profiling the then-30 person brood's annual family Olympics on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. Similarly, the former governor often championed his status as a family man when he ran for national office in 2008 and 2012. Mitt, in a statement to the Daily Mail, said the entire family was 'heartbroken' by Carrie's death, adding that she 'brought warmth and love to all our lives.' A drug syndicate based in Vietnam and suspected of being run by an Australian man has been linked to a foiled alleged execution plot at a Sydney daycare centre. Tactical police swooped on three alleged would-be hitmen in traffic at Revesby, in the city's south, on the afternoon of October 7. It was revealed later investigators were looking into connections between the incident and the alleged kidnapping and murder of Sydney mum-of-two Thi Kim Tran earlier this year. Police allege the Vietnam-born woman was abducted from her western Sydney home in April by masked men and shot before her remains were found in a burnt-out car. The 45-year-old woman was likely targeted over her husband's alleged ties to a Vietnamese-linked crime network based in Victoria, detectives said. NSW Police organised crime squad commander Peter Faux told the Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday that police believe a Vietnamese crime syndicate headed by Daniel Rodney Badger, 40 is involved in both incidents. It is not suggested Badger directly ordered, or even knew of, both incidents. Badger relocated to Vietnam from western Sydney with his then-partner almost a decade ago and has long been on the Australian Federal Police's radar. Police allege former Sydney man Daniel Rodney Badger, who's believed to be based in Vietnam, is behind a Vietnamese drug syndicate active in Australia Investigators were looking at potential links between an alleged foiled assassination on October 7 and the alleged execution of Sydney woman Thi Kim Tran (pictured) in April Tighe, Kevin Mundine, 19, and Tyrone Tuiluga Rio, 26, were allegedly hired to gun down a known criminal as part of an internal power struggle in a south-east Asian criminal network Detectives suspect Badger is behind one of the biggest groups manufacturing and importing methamphetamine into Australia. 'The drugs being imported into the country are generating large amounts of money, which generates conflict. The firearms that are coming into the country, that are made overseas, they're being used around that conflict,' Faux said. 'So we're really focusing on stopping the crimes of violence.' Since the foiled daycare plot, raids of five properties believed to be linked to Badger's alleged syndicate were carried out in Mays Hill, Bankstown, Campsie and Bonnyrigg Heights. Police allegedly seized three foreign handguns, 300 rounds of ammunition, a bulletproof vest and more than 415kg of illicit drugs. Those included 287kg of methamphetamine, 47kg of cocaine, 81kg of heroin and 838 grams of MDMA worth an estimated street value of $260million. When police scooped on two car in traffic on October 7, three men were arrested - Kevin Mundine, 19, Greall Tighe, 18 and Tyrone Tuiluga Rio, 26. They were allegedly hired to gun down a known criminal at a daycare pick-up as part of an internal power struggle within a criminal group. Badger relocated to Vietnam with his wife (pictured at his lavish wedding) Tactical police are pictured swarming a Mercedes in Revesby traffic Greall Tighe, 18, was one of three arrested in the dramatic police traffic stop Officers from Tactical Operations Unit, PolAir, the Dog Squad and State Intelligence Command were involved in the arrests. 'We stopped them from [allegedly] murdering someone and we stopped other people, innocent bystanders, from being caught up in this,' Faux said the following day. He said police did not believe the group personally knew the alleged intended victim. 'They were people [allegedly] hired by a syndicate, possibly an offshore syndicate. 'We believe it is an internal matter where there is a dispute inside the organisation.' Faux said police swooped on the group in traffic as investigators believed they were on the way to a daycare where there would have been children present. Police had the alleged gang under surveillance before they stopped them in traffic NSW Police Assistant Commissioner and head of State Crime Command Scott Cook at the time said the Tactical Operations Squad had been 'working relentlessly on this crime syndicate for a number of weeks'. It has since been revealed Tighe was on bail when police swooped on the car after he was charged with 17 cases of break and enter. It's understood that officers fired 'bean bag' rounds - pouches packed with lead pellets designed to stop but not kill - to bring the cars to a halt. Dramatic footage showed officers in bulletproof vests pounding on a Mercedes and shouting orders as one officer aimed his firearm at an occupant. Within seconds, two men were dragged from the vehicle and pinned to the road. Further down The River Road, a Mitsubishi SUV peppered with bullet holes was boxed in by police as officers hauled a third man from the driver's seat. Inside the vehicles, police allegedly uncovered two pistols, balaclavas, body-worn cameras and jerry cans filled with fuel. Mundine and Tighe have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, possession of an unauthorised pistol, being carried in a stolen vehicle, participating in a criminal group and breaching bail. Inside the vehicles, police allegedly uncovered two pistols, balaclavas, body-worn cameras and jerry cans filled with fuel Dramatic video footage showed officers in bulletproof vests at the scene Tuiluga Rio is charged with conspiracy to commit murder and participation in a criminal group. All were refused bail to appear in Bankstown Local Court. 'This was a calculated and coordinated intervention that stopped what we allege was a planned killing in a place where families expect to feel safe,' Assistant Commissioner Cook said. 'This outcome reflects the strength of our intelligence capabilities and the precision of our surveillance operations. These individuals were being watched, and we moved at the right moment. 'Strike Force Flodine is part of State Crime Command's broader strategy to dismantle organised crime networks operating across Sydney, and these arrests are that strategy in action. 'We remain committed to protecting the community from serious and organised crime, especially when it threatens everyday spaces where families expect to feel safe.' Ellen Greenbergs parents attorney has slammed the Philadelphia medical examiners ruling affirming the 27-year-old died by suicide and has vowed that the fight for justice is far from over. Joe Podraza told the Daily Mail that Sandee and Josh Greenberg will not give up their 14-year battle to uncover the truth about what happened to their daughter, who was found dead from 20 stab wounds in January 2011. This is not the end, Podraza said in an interview Wednesday. We're going to fight this thing to the end. Greenberg, a first-grade teacher who was planning her wedding to fiance Sam Goldberg, was found dead inside her sixth-floor apartment in Manayunk, Philadelphia, on January 26, 2011. Goldberg told police he had gone to the gym in their building and returned to find the door locked from the inside. He said he broke down the door and found Greenberg lying on the kitchen floor. She had been stabbed at least 20 times, including ten times to the back of the neck and head, and her body was covered in bruises in various stages of healing. A ten-inch kitchen knife was still lodged in her chest. The citys medical examiner ruled her death a homicide before it was changed weeks later to suicide - kicking off a 14-year fight for justice by Greenbergs parents who were convinced she had been murdered. Josh and Sandee Greenberg with Ellen. The Greenbergs have fought for 14 years to get the truth about what happened to their daughter The parents' attorney Joe Podraza told the Daily Mail that Sandee and Josh Greenberg are not giving up: 'This is not the end' This week, in a devastating blow to Greenberg's parents, a long-awaited reexamination of her death concluded once again that the teacher had killed herself. In a 32-page review, Philadelphia's Chief Medical Examiner Lindsay Simon announced she was standing by the citys position that the manner of Ellen Greenberg's death is best classified as "suicide". The conclusion directly contradicts pathologist Dr Marlon Osbourne, who carried out Greenbergs 2011 autopsy. He reversed his findings earlier this year, saying in a sworn statement he now believes her death 'should be designated as something other than suicide'. Simon's review is effectively a nail in the coffin to the familys legal fight against the city to have her death reclassified as a homicide, so that a criminal investigation can be launched. In a brief virtual hearing before Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Linda Carpenter Tuesday afternoon, the civil cases between the Greenbergs and the city came to an end and the court record was closed. Podraza told the Daily Mail that the review had been the last opportunity to trust anything with the city of Philadelphia. He said the Greenbergs had hoped the city would finally 'do the right thing' in light of Osbourne's declaration. But, Podraza added that he is not surprised. 'The fact that the city always insisted and refused to allow a third-party forensic pathologist to review the case and render a determination that would be binding on both parties always indicated to me that the city wanted to make sure it could control the report, and that's what I see here,' he said. Greenberg was planning her wedding to Sam Goldberg at the time of her death in January 2011 'It is a city-controlled report with a preordained conclusion.' Simon cited ten reasons for her conclusion, including that Greenberg was struggling with anxiety, that there were no defensive wounds or signs of a struggle, no evidence that Greenberg and Goldberg's relationship was abusive, and that Goldberg's DNA was not present on the kitchen knife. Simon also concluded that Greenberg could have inflicted the almost two dozen stab wounds on herself. 'While the distribution of injuries is admittedly unusual, the fact remains that Ellen would be capable of inflicting these injuries herself,' Simon wrote. Podraza took issue with many parts of Simon's report, arguing that the medical examiner did not carry out the necessary investigation to reach her conclusion that a stab wound to Greenberg's spinal column was made during her autopsy. The stab wound did not cause a hemorrhage, something that several experts - including Dr Lyndsey Emery, a pathologist in the medical examiner's office - have said indicates it could have been inflicted post-mortem. And due to the knife being found in Greenberg's chest, that could not have been the final stab wound. Simon didnt do a full-blown review, looking at tissues, microscopically, everything. [Emery and Dr Wayne Ross] did and ruled out that it was autopsy related, Podraza said. Podraza also argued that the reviews upgrading of Greenbergs wounds - recording three more stab wounds to 23 and an additional 20 bruises to 31 - only further supports that her death was a homicide, not suicide. 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 ten-inch kitchen knife was found sticking out of Ellen's chest, very close to her heart 'This report really demonstrates that the law enforcement institutions desire to have no further investigation done here, and no intentions of doing anything further with respect to getting to the truth,' he said. This is not a unbiased report that's objectively done, but instead it was a report that was constructed with a pre-ordained conclusion of suicide.' Now, Podraza said it's time to move on to other options'. Podraza said the Greenbergs are already looking at next steps to continue to fight for justice for their daughter. He said there are two possible routes: calling on the state of Pennsylvania or the federal government to take on the case. Were exploring if the Department of Justice can get involved. As far as Im concerned, this case reeks of corruption and would qualify for federal intervention involvement, he said. On the state level, Podraza said the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office could elect to involve itself and the Pennsylvania State Police could launch its own independent investigation. Both options will likely have their challenges, he said. None of this is going to be easy because the city of Philadelphia has decided it will fight tooth and nail everything that we do and probably utilize whatever influence it has with these other options to encourage them not to get involved, he said. Greenberg's ex-fiance Sam Goldberg has broken his silence after the city of Philadelphia doubled down on its controversial suicide ruling Goldberg was seen leaving his apartment in Gramercy Park, Manhattan, Tuesday and driving off in his car Going down the state route raises other potential concerns given the history of the case and its links to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Attorney Larry Krasner had represented the Greenbergs in the early days in their fight to get Ellens case reopened. Then, in 2018, Krasner became the Philadelphia District Attorney and so, to avoid a conflict of interest, he passed the matter on to then-Pennsylvania Attorney General Shapiro. Shapiros office doubled down on the suicide ruling and denied a request to reinvestigate the case. Following what was described as his own appearance of a conflict - after rumors swirled that Shapiro had a connection to the Goldberg family - he sent the case back to the Philadelphia DAs Office, which then passed the case to the Chester County District Attorneys Office. In November 2024, Chester County said there was not enough evidence to say a crime had been committed. Dr Marlon Osbourne who performed Ellen's autopsy said in January he no longer believes she died by suicide Podraza said they are still exploring all the options including the possibility of further civil litigation against Philadelphia. Whichever option they go down, the message is clear: the Greenbergs are not giving up the fight. This is not the end of it, Podraza said. He added: Right now, we cannot put our finger on what is the problem here in doing the right thing in opening up this investigation so that Sandee and Josh can have a true understanding of what happened to Ellen. And if we're right that this is a homicide, the offender or offenders can be held accountable. Sandee and Josh told ABCs Nightline they believe someone has gotten away with murdering their daughter and they wont stop until they find out the truth. Were not going away and were not giving up, Sandee said following the release of the review. Just because there was a period at the end of the sentence does not mean we forgot about our daughter. We want to know what happened Josh told the network: We want to know the truth. We are going to be fighting as long as we can and as long as its possible. Sandee and Josh have never believed their daughter killed herself. Ellen and her father Josh. He and wife Sandee have never believed their daughter killed herself Goldberg called 911 on January 26 2011 to say he found Greenberg on the kitchen floor of their apartment The only thing I know is that Ellen did not commit suicide, Sandee told the Daily Mail in an interview earlier this year. And I knew that from the very beginning. In the months leading up to her death, the first-grade teacher was grappling with anxiety. She had also asked her parents if she could move back home to live with them in Harrisburg. At the time, Greenberg told friends and family she was stressed with work. She had begun seeing a psychiatrist who has insisted Greenberg was not suicidal and never disclosed any domestic abuse. Greenberg was prescribed anxiety medication. Sandee told the Daily Mail her daughter never told her anything negative about her relationship with TV producer Goldberg and had never said she was being abused by anyone or was in danger. But looking back years later, Sandee said she now believes her daughter was being 'abused' in the lead-up to her death. Prominent pathologist Wayne Ross, one of many experts hired by the Greenbergs to investigate their daughter's death, concluded that the bruising on her body indicated she had suffered 'a repeated beating' prior to her death. I thought she was in a safe, loving home. I don't know what I think now,' she said. I knew she was struggling with something. But I didn't know what. I tried to find out. But I just couldn't get to the bottom of it At the time I did everything I could. She added: She was being abused. She was brutalized. The Greenbergs have never accused Goldberg or anyone else of being involved in their daughter's death. The Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office doubled down on the ruling that Greenberg died by suicide Goldberg is not a suspect and has never been accused of involvement in his fiancee's death. Now a married father-of-two, he has never joined Sandee and Josh in their fight for answers. Hours after Simon's report was released, Goldberg broke his silence telling the Daily Mail things 'suck' and have been 'awful' because of the widespread media attention around the case. The Daily Mail asked Goldberg, now living with his family in a luxury apartment in Manhattan, if he felt he had been 'screwed over' by a recent Hulu documentary exploring Greenberg's final days. 'Yeah I have been. It's awful and it sucks,' he said. 'But I have nothing else to say,' he added. Goldberg's comments mark only the second time he has ever spoken out publicly about his former fiancee's death. His only other comments were in a written statement emailed to CNN in the fall of 2024 in which he insisted Greenberg died by suicide and blasted the 'lies, distortions and falsehoods' about him over the years. A mother and daughter have died in Brazil after eating a suspected poisoned birthday cake delivered by a relative who owed them money. Ana Maria de Jesus, 52, and Larissa de Jesus Castilho, 21, were rushed to the hospital after eating a slice of the cake brought to them by the husband of Ana's niece Patricia. Tests conducted after they died have shown the presence of pesticides in their bodies. Detectives have demanded the arrest and incarceration of Patricia and her partner, named locally only as Leonardo. After going through their phones, cops discovered his online searches had included one for 'Heart attack causes convulsions' and Ana had searched for 'Intoxication from cleaning product.' However, a judge has denied the police's request for reasons that have yet to be made public. Cops investigating the case have been told Ana Maria, who lived in the Sao Paulo neighbourhood of Ipiranga, regularly lent money to her niece and her partner and a debt could be linked to what subsequently happened. Leonardo was filmed arriving on his motorbike the day after the family birthday. Ana Maria, who had missed the celebration because she had a cold, was given a slice of the cake he had dropped off for her. She ate it later that afternoon. She called her daughter shortly afterwards, saying she felt ill and couldn't stand up. She was rushed to Sao Paulo's Heliopolis Hospital, where she was put on a ventilator. Larissa and a 16-year-old cousin, who had eaten the cake earlier, tucked into the treat again after leaving the hospital. Sao Paulo's Secretariat of Public Security, in a statement, confirmed a police homicide unit was probing the deaths. It said: 'On October 8, search and seizure warrants were executed, resulting in the seizure of cell phones, which were sent for data extraction. The information obtained is still being analysed by investigators.' Ana Maria de Jesus, 52, is said to have fallen ill after eating the cake. She lost her life in hospital in July Her daughter, Larissa, also died after consuming the cake. Tests conducted after they died have shown the presence of pesticides in their bodies Initial results leaked to Brazilian press, along with the tests showing the pesticides, pointed to the incriminating searches on the couple's phones. Leonardo explained that he was simply helping a friend, and Patricia, whose Google searches from her phone also included one with the words 'FBI persuasion manual', reportedly told cops she doesn't remember making them. Police began investigating the deaths at the end of July when Ana Maria died in the hospital. Investigations are still ongoing. News of the mum and daughter's death comes after a law student in Brazil, who allegedly tested rat poison on 10 dogs, was accused of killing four people in a five-year killing spree. Police claim Ana Paula Veloso Fernandes, 36, was helped by her twin sister, Roberta Cristina Veloso Fernandes and friend Michelle Paiva da Silva, 43, the daughter of one of the alleged victims. The poisonings are said to have occurred 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' motives remain unclear. However, police chief Halisson Ideiao said: 'She takes pleasure in killing. Her motivation doesn't really matter - she wants to kill.' She is accused of preparing a poisoned stew to murder a 65-year-old man who was the father of one of her alleged accomplices. Another victim was a 21-year-old Tunisian man she had been romantically involved with. The cases are part of a surge in poisoning cases in Brazil in recent times. A Christmas cake poisoning in December last year in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, which left three people and three others fighting for their lives, made headlines around the world. Teacher Maida Bernice Flores da Silva, 58, another sibling called Neuza Denize Silva Dos Anjos, 65 and Neuza's daughter Tatiana Silvia Dos Santos, 43, died within hours of eating the dessert late on December 23. Maida's sister, Zeli dos Anjos, who baked the cake, survived after a long hospital stay. The victims also included a 10-year-old boy. The cake was later found to be contaminated with arsenic-laced flour. Zeli's daughter-in-law, Deise Moura dos Anjos, was arrested over the horrific crime but took her own life in prison in February after being remanded in custody. A British father who was facing jail in Malta for punching a local yob who died days later has been cleared and vowed he would never return to the country after a court ruled the hotel brawl was not the cause of death. Liam Stacey, 29, was found not guilty of causing grievous bodily harm during the fight involving a group of drunken men who were allegedly exposing themselves to sunbathers and pulling a woman by the hair. Stacey asked the group to move away from the children's pool but chaos erupted after one of the men, Roderick Sciortino, slapped him in the face. Stacey hit back with a single punch, knocking Sciortino unconscious. The 35-year-old died in hospital five days later from a brain aneurysm. Describing his relief at the judgement delivered on Wednesday, Stacey said: 'It is finally over.' The father was on holiday with his three young daughters, aged two, three and eight, shortly before his family trip turned into a living hell. 'I am glad that I can go back home to my wife and kids,' Stacey told the Times of Malta, adding that the whole episode had been 'chaotic'. Liam Stacey, 29, was found not guilty of causing grievous bodily harm during the fight involving a group of men who were allegedly exposing themselves to sunbathers and pulling a woman by the hair Stacey asked the group to move away from the children's pool but chaos erupted after one of the men, Roderick Sciortino, slapped him in the face Stacey hit back with a single punch, knocking Sciortino unconscious. The 35-year-old died in hospital five days later from a brain aneurysm He said the situation had negatively impacted his children and his wife and that they planned never to return to Malta. The court determined that the 'ill-mannered, boorish and aggressive behaviour' of Sciortino, and the 'uncouth and belligerent behaviour' of Jesmond Portelli - another member of the poolside group - were to blame for the brawl. 'If there was a victim in this incident it most certainly was the defendant and his family.' The court ruled that Staceys actions were trying to 'ward off an unjust and grave attack unleashed upon him by Sciortino, who after punching Stacey, was punched back by the said defendant'. The court said that there was proportionality in Staceys actions. It was established that Stacey was provoked and endured verbal attacks by Sciortino, who was asked several times to calm down. 'The level of force used was reasonable and less than commensurate to the unwarranted aggressiveness he [Stacey] was subjected to; hence the proportionality requirement is also satisfied,' the court ruled. In court, a medical expert said Sciorentino's death was not caused by the blow, describing it instead as a 'pathological bleed' that struck at the wrong moment Stacey had been relaxing beside the pool when he confronted a group of drunken locals who were disturbing hotel guests, asking them to move elsewhere. But his polite request was answered with violence as one of the men, Sciortino, slapped him across the face and sent him stumbling over his toddler daughter. Stacey retaliated, punching Sciortino and sending him crashing to the ground. Footage shows holidaymakers screaming as the fight spiraled out of control, with video showing fists flying before Sciortino lay unconscious by the poolside. Following the fight, Stacey was arrested and detained in a cell, before being released on bail and returning to the UK. He returned to Malta for the final court session. In a previous one, a medical expert confirmed Sciortino's death was unrelated to the punch, describing it instead as a 'pathological bleed' that struck at the wrong moment. Stacey's mother, Dawn Lockyer, said he was 'devastated' after being charged. Roderick Sciortino, whose death was unrelated to the punch She feared he woudn't come out alive if he was jailed, citing 'horrendous' conditions in Maltese prisons. 'He (Stacey) was arrested and put into the cells and he said it was absolutely awful,' Ms Lockyer told Daily Mail. 'He said if he ever had to do jail there, he would never come out alive. He said it was horrendous.' Sciortino's relatives turned up to Stacey's first court hearing shouting threats and making cut-throat gestures at him from the public gallery. 'My son asked them to take it away from the children's pool and the man hit him. My son landed on my granddaughter, who's two, and she started crying. 'And then obviously, my son's retaliation was hit back,' Ms Lockyer, who travelled with the family but did not directly witness the altercation, said. 'It just happened so fast because the Maltese man slaps Liam quite quickly. He never gives Liam a chance to speak.' Staff tried to contain the chaos but the group reportedly threatened to throw them in the pool. Ms Lockyer said Stacey has been left 'devastated by the incident' and 'can't think of anything else'. 'It's not in Liam's character to be like that. He's really laid back so it was a bit of a shock.' She added: 'He's not sleeping. He's on sleeping tablets. He can't think of anything else.' Despite the medical evidence, Sciortino's relatives blamed Stacey for his death. Medicolegal expert Mario Scerri testified in court that he examined Sciortino in Mater Dei Hospitals intensive care unit. A medical certificate initially classified his injuries as serious - citing a fractured nasal bone and a brain haemorrhage - but Scerri later confirmed that there were no external injuries to explain the haemorrhage. The nasal fracture was from 2018, it was discovered. The only visible injury was a small bruise on the back of Sciortinos head, which was determined as unrelated to the brain bleed and likely sustained when he fell on the ground. Scerri added that Sciortino's blood pressure was recorded at 200, high enough to rupture an artery, and his alcohol levels were inflated. He had no visible injuries compatible to a beating, compatible to blows, no injuries... No injuries whatsoever,' Scerri's testimony said. From the testimonies in court, it transpired that Stacey was the first to be attacked, initially by Sciortino, according to local reports. During the first hearing, one witness, British senior police officer Tonya Cook, explained how a group of seven to eight Maltese individuals arrived that morning and began to drink heavily. They had a baby with them and, according to Cook, were spilling their drinks and even hanging the child upside down. After having lunch with her husband, Cook returned and found the group taking personal items of the guests from their sunbeds so that they could get loungers where they wanted. Later on, Cook heard screams coming from the pool and saw one man in red shorts shouting at a woman and pulling her hair. She also described the water as being full of a woman's hair and having a strange colour. Although she and her friends had asked hotel staff to intervene, they refused, not wanting to get involved. Cook then found a crowd around a Maltese man on the floor 'turning blue' as well as her friend, an emergency doctor, performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on him. She also recalled seeing a man in red shorts running towards the exit, hitting people as he went through and making strange noises. Although Cook pleaded with hotel staff to lock the doors, they refused since this man was a paying guest. Cook managed to hold the man and even asked police officers to arrest him. Although he was detained, he was later released once he began to cry. The police officer also recalled her encounter with Stacey's partner, Natasha Jerrard, who she described as being 'absolutely distraught'. After helping Jerrard to her room, Cook was informed by Stacey that he pushed someone who had punched him. Jerrard also testified that one of the men had come up to, and slapped Stacey, causing him to fall on their two-year-old. She added that her partner got up and punched the man, who fell on the ground. Martin Wesley, the partner of Stacey's mother, also provided testimony and referred to the group of Maltese individuals who were 'drinking loads'. According to Wesley, Stacey had told the group to be quiet as they had been upsetting the children. Following coverage of the incident, hospitality and leisure company the db Group condemned all violence and inappropriate behaviour. It said: 'db Group is treating this matter with the utmost seriousness and has launched internal investigation. 'db Group is fully cooperating with all the relevant authorities to ensure transparency and accountability. In addition, we have also taken other preemptive actions such as strengthening of security measures and a review of our admissions policy.' They added that if shortcomings from staff members come to light, 'disciplinary action will be taken without any hesitation'. Candace Owens has been definitively banned from Australia after the country's highest court ruled her views were 'extremist and inflammatory', and that she failed the country's 'character test.' Despite Owens' standing among the US's conservative movement, the influencer's visa was rejected in October 2024 when then Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said her 'controversial and conspiratorial views' were unwelcome in their country. On her podcast last year, Owens said her opposition to Israel's war was the real reason she was banned Down Under. 'I am not comfortable with the amount of death that is in Gaza,' she said at the time. 'That is the reason that the Zionist Federation of Australia has come after me.' Despite Owens' appeal making it to Australia's High Court, the Justices rejected her argument that denying entry breached Australia's implied freedom of political communication. Instead, the court stated that Owens' presence and influence would 'incite discord' in the community, pointing to her comments on Muslin, Black, Jewish, and LGBTQIA+ people. The court ordered Owens, 36, to pay the hearing's legal costs. Candace Owens was officially barred from Australia after the country's highest court upheld their decision to deny her visa Australian citizens petitioned the House of Representatives to have Trump banned from their country as well Owens sought entrance to Australia for her live podcast tour which was rescheduled from November 2025 to January 2026 amid her legal battle. In February, Owens announced the High Court trial on her podcast and revealed that her first visa was rejected publicly before she'd even applied. 'We are going to bump our tour hoping that they return this most crucial decision on free speech. Obviously we don't know what is going to happen,' she said. Owens is the second American to be publicly denied from Australia this year. Kanye West's valid Australian visa was canceled in July after his song Heil Hitler was released. According to BBC, Minister Burke explained that West had been coming to the country 'for a long time' thanks to his Australian fashion designer wife Bianca Censori. 'If someone argued that anti-Semitism was rational,' he said. 'I would not let them come here.' The song was banned from most platforms. Owens was forced to reschedule the Australian leg of her live podcast tour Kanye West was also publicly barred from Australia this year after he released his song 'Heil Hitler' In April, a petition to the Australian House of Representatives even demanded that the government ban President Donald Trump from the country. 'We don't need Trump here, a Putin-aligned dictator who is spreading misinformation, hate speech and stands for the opposite of what we do,' read the petition. 'His actions are hurting and endangering OUR COUNTRY and we should ban him from coming here as an agent of hate and a danger to world peace.' It received nearly 3,000 signatures. During her struggle to enter the country, Owens was outspokenly critical about Australian policies. In November 2024, she said the country's plan to ban social media for children under the age of 16 'would never fly in America.' Owens also called an Australian motion to require health warnings on individual cigarettes 'completely ridiculous.' She told Daily Mail that the court's decision would be 'a stain on Australia.' 'And not one that you're easily going to wipe away.' A chilling phone call of the moment a man admitted he had killed his girlfriend has been released - as he is jailed for life for her murder. Aren Pearson, 41, stabbed his girlfriend Claire Leveque at least 26 times while drunk in a hot tub at his mother's home in Shetland, Scotland. After brutally knifing his partner on February 11 last year, Pearson's elderly mother entered the garage to find her barely alive in the hot tub, before phoning the police. Pearson then spoke to a 999 operator on the call, admitting to them that he had killed Claire - before inflicting knife wounds on himself and driving his Porsche into the sea. He then returned to the house, where he was arrested. In the 999 call, which has been released after the sentencing, he is heard telling the operator: 'My name is Aren Pearson. 'I've just killed my girlfriend in the hot tub in the garage at Ringville. 'I stabbed her about 40 times, in the heart, chest, face, neck and back. 'I just killed my stupid c*** of a girlfriend. 'I definitely killed her. To make sure I drowned her after I stabbed her and beat her the f*** up.' Aren Pearson, 41, murdered Claire Leveque, also a Canadian national, in Shetland Despite confessing to stabbing Ms Leveque 'about 40 times' during a 999 call, Pearson denied murdering her, claiming she had inflicted the wounds upon herself. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison following a trial which concluded at the High Court in Edinburgh today. Judge Lord Arthurson said: 'Ms Leveque died a squalid death of quite unimaginable multifaceted violence, including in particular severe and frenzied instrumental violence, all at your hands. 'This was a sustained episode of feral butchery. You have sought to blame Ms Leveque for your own assaults against her, and you have, in a grave insult to her memory and to her bereaved family, put forward a defence that Ms Leveque inflicted these catastrophic injuries upon herself, a defence that the jury have unanimously rejected.' 'You took a video of her lifeless body in the tub, a video that you denied taking but which required, due to that denial, to be played in open court during your own evidence. 'In the video you can be heard abusing the attending police officers, shouting "F*** you, you f***ing pig". 'By that stage you had compressed Ms Leveque's neck and submerged her head and body in the blood-filled waters of the hot tub, in your own words from the 999 call, drowning her to make sure you that you had killed her.' Pearson, who was wearing a black tie and dark blue suit, remained emotionless with his head down as the verdict was delivered. Aren Pearson was found guilty of murdering his girlfriend in a violent hot tub attack on a Scottish island Leaving the courtroom, her father Clint Leveque and his girlfriend Jenny Kehler embraced. The deadly assault was the culmination of a sustained campaign of abuse against 24-year-old Ms Leveque, who had moved from Canada to live with Pearson at his mother's home in Sandness. The court heard that in the horrifying aftermath of the attack, Pearson's mother Hazel said her son looked like a 'zombie'. She told police: 'Aren walked into the kitchen and came back with a small black handled kitchen knife. Aren then started stabbing himself to the front of his neck. He was bleeding badly. Aren stated to me he had hurt Claire. 'Claire was within the hot tub - the water was red with blood. Claire was covered with blood. She had severe injuries to her face.' Ms Pearson, who died earlier this year then told them: 'Aren did not look like my son. He was just like the way a zombie looks.' Ms Pearson told the operator that her son was acting 'aggressively' and had turned 'extremely violent' in the three weeks leading up to the incident. She said that her son had had mental health problems. She said that Claire's injuries were so bad she didn't recognise her. Pearson was later assessed by a consultant psychiatrist who found that he wasn't suffering from any mental illness. Police said: 'Our investigation uncovered evidence of a controlling and violent relationship with Claire Leveque (pictured), where Pearson sought to degrade and abuse her prior to her death' Prosecutors produced a six-minute-long audio recording of the pair speaking to each other. She said: 'You beat the s*** out of me on my 24th birthday.' Pearson was heard saying: 'You deserved every bit of it and more. You're lucky I didn't bash your head in.' Pearson said Ms Leveque had heard him speaking to her father Clint about how much alcohol she was consuming and discussing the possibility of sending her back to Canada. He claimed she reacted by jumping in the hot tub and repeatedly stabbing herself. Defence solicitor advocate Iain Paterson KC told Lord Arthurson that there was nothing he could say by way of mitigation. He added: 'He has said to me during these proceedings that not a day goes by where he does not think about February 11, 2024, without sadness.' In handing down his sentence, Judge Lord Arthurson told Pearson: 'I take into account primarily the sheer gravity of the crime of murder of which you now stand convicted. 'Your much younger girlfriend, your victim in this case, was isolated and vulnerable in Sandness. 'You had, from almost the outset of her arrival there, subjected her to a cruel campaign of violence and coercive control. 'On the afternoon of February 11, 2024, in the garage, you inflicted some 36 injuries or injury clusters to her head and neck. You inflicted at least 26 defined stab wounds.' Outside the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday, Ms Leveques cousin, Hope Ingram said: 'This has been a long and exhausting week that was dragged out unnecessarily, and all because of Aren Pearson. The attack came after a campaign of domestic abuse waged by Pearson against Ms Leveque I want to say thank you to everybody, to the detectives, to the crown, to the judge, to the members of the jury who sat there and listened to all this intense evidence. Because of this, today, we were able to get justice for Claire, hopefully start a new path that helps other victims, suffering from domestic violence and being able to move forward and come forward. She said her cousin had been a phenomenal person who could make anybody laugh at any moment in time, adding that there was a shadow over our family now she is gone. Detective Inspector Richard Baird said: 'The level of violence Aren Pearson inflicted is truly horrifying. 'Our investigation uncovered evidence of a controlling and violent relationship with Claire Leveque, where Pearson sought to degrade and abuse her prior to her death. 'These actions and his actions after his violent attack which led to her death show him as a cruel and selfish individual and it is right that he will now face the consequences of what he has done. 'Today's verdict cannot change what happened, but I hope it brings a degree of closure to Claire's family.' Chief Inspector Chris Sewell, Shetland area commander, added. 'This was a harrowing incident which we know had a wide impact across the local community in our islands. 'I know that many people's thoughts across Shetland will be with Claire Leveque's family and friends today. 'Fortunately, crimes of this nature are extremely rare in Shetland. We will continue to work closely with our partners to support the community and to tackle violence against women and girls, ensuring that Shetland remains a safe place for everyone.' On Sunday, Pearson, who was living in Sandness with his Scottish mother, told the High Court in Edinburgh that Ms Leveque, also a Canadian national, had been drinking whisky in the hours leading up to the incident. Pearson claims he had heard him speaking to her father in Canada about how much alcohol she was consuming. He alleged 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 was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison following a trial which concluded at the High Court in Edinburgh today Pearson told his lawyer Iain Paterson, KC, 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.' 'She looked at me. She looked almost surprised that she didn't 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 Ms Leveque's death, he had said: 'We were having a nice afternoon but it turned into a horrible one.' When 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.' The admission came from a phone call made to emergency services by his mother Hazel. Hazel who died earlier this year made the call after Pearson told her he had killed his partner. Jurors heard the cause of Ms Leveque's death was established as 'stab wounds of the neck and chest'. They were told how 19 of the stab wounds were inflicted on Ms Leveque's face and neck. The attack came after a campaign of domestic abuse waged by Pearson against Ms Leveque. Pearson denied seven charges including murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice but he was today found guilty of murder and assaulting Ms Leveque in the months before her death. Judge Lord Arthurson told Pearson he would be jailed for life - and ordered to serve a minimum of 25 years in custody. It comes after defence solicitor advocate Iain Paterson KC had told Lord Arthurson there was nothing he could say by way of mitigation. In her closing speech to jurors, prosecutor Margaret Barron said there was overwhelming evidence against Pearson based on his confessions and other sources. Crowds are lining the streets of Israel for the first funeral for one of the deceased hostages whose bodies were handed back by Hamas after two years. Guy Illouz was one of hundreds attacked by Hamas terrorists at the Nova Festival, near kibbutz Re'im, on October 7 2023. The musician, who was 26 when he died, was shot in the arm as he and his friends tried driving away from the attack. After he was kidnapped by Hamas, he was taken back to Gaza where his wounds were neglected and he passed away, according to the IDF. His body was one of four handed back to Israel by Hamas on Monday, following the signing of a peace deal last week, with three more being given over on Tuesday. Guy's coffin is being driven from Rishon Lezion to Ra'anana, his family's home town. He will be buried in a local cemetery there. Mourners taking part in his funeral procession described him as a hero. One man told the Times of Israel: 'This is a hero of Israel who saved people at the Nova [music festival]. People attend the funeral service for Guy Illouz, whose remains were returned to Israel this week, on October 15, 2025 in Ra'anana, Israel. Illouz Guy Illouz (pictured) was one of hundreds attacked by Hamas terrorists at the Nova Festival, near kibbutz Re'im, on October 7 2023 'This is what heroes look like. A woman told the newspaper: 'He was a musician his music will live forever'. Guy's funeral will be followed later tonight by that of Uriel Baruch, a father of two who was murdered by Hamas at his family's synagogue in the Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood of Jerusalem. Though the remains of seven people taken by Hamas in October 2023 have been handed back, the terror group is being pressured to return the other 21 bodies. Hamas was supposed to return all 28 dead alongside the 20 living hostages by midday on Monday. But while the world rejoiced that all those alive came home, just four hostage bodies were delivered, with a further three last night. One of them was revealed to have belonged to a Gazan, not one of those killed by Hamas on October 7. Benjamin Netanyahu's prime ministerial office warned that Hamas is 'required to fulfil its commitments to the mediators and to return [the remaining bodies] as part of the agreement's implementation.' 'We will not compromise on this and will spare no effort until we bring back all of the fallen hostages, every single one of them,' it vowed. Crowds are lining the streets of Israel for the first funeral for one of the deceased hostages whose bodies were handed back by Hamas after two years Mourners walk near the car carrying the coffin of slain hostage Guy Illouz during his funeral procession in Rishon Lezion, Israel, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025 People escort the coffin of late Israeli hostage Guy Illouz during his funeral procession in Rishon LeZion, Israel, 15 October 2025 Trump waded into the furore, angrily posting on Truth Social that the job 'IS NOT DONE', adding: 'THE DEAD HAVE NOT BEEN RETURNED, AS PROMISED!' Yesterday, he issued a chilling warning to Hamas. Speaking to reporters at the White House, he said: 'They will disarm - and if they don't I'm gonna make them disarm.' He added: 'They know what I mean.' The Red Cross has since joined in the search for the bodies. A vehicle belonging to the charity was seen heading to the 'Kissufim' area to look for bodies in the ruins of Gaza. The Red Cross said it was providing an additional 23 staff, body bags and refrigerated vehicles to ensure the deceased are handled with respect and dignity within Gaza. The Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum, yesterday, called the failure to return all the deceased a 'blatant breach' of the deal. It said: 'We expect Israel's government and the mediators to take immediate action to rectify this grave injustice.' The father of Guy Illouz (C) receives a hug at the funeral service for Guy Illouz, whose remains were returned to Israel this week, on October 15, 2025 in Ra'anana, Israel Doris Liber, mother of Israeli hostage Guy Illouz, is held as she mourns during his funeral in Raanana, Israel October 15, 2025 '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 group also wrote a letter to US special envoy Steve Witkoff asking him to 'pull out every stop and leave no stone unturned' in ensuring that the bodies are found and returned. Security camera footage has revealed the haunting moment a gunman opened fire at a prominent Michigan businessman in his own front yard. Eddie Jawad, 59, a prominent Arab-American entrepreneur who owns more than 20 Pit Stop gas stations across Metro Detroit, was leaving his $1.9 million house in his Land Rover when a gunman came out of hiding and began firing. The suspect, wearing all black, was wedged tightly between two parked cars before he leaped out and started shooting, video showed. As Jawad drove across his lawn to escape, the gunman chased the vehicle on foot, continuing to fire before fleeing the scene. Once the vehicle was out of range, the suspect turned and ran from the scene. The suspect is still on the loose and has yet to be identified, police said. Deputies with the Macomb County Sheriffs Office responded around 10.15am on Tuesday. When officers arrived, they found Jawad suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to a nearby hospital - and has since returned home, a friend of the family told the Daily Mail. Jawad's wife, Khadije, also revealed to the Daily Mail that the suspect jumped out from behind bushes and opened fire. She emphasized the incident was not a robbery. The gunman is seen here running after Jawad's Land Rover, shooting at the car The suspect quickly runs away after the businessman's car drove off. They are still on the loose and has yet to be identified, police said Eddie Jawad was leaving his Macomb County residence when he was shot Officers were seen combing the circular driveway, manicured lawns and gated perimeter while patrol cars lined the quiet suburban street. Sheriff Anthony Wickerham told Fox2Detroit that there may have been more than one suspected shooter. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido described Jawad as 'a good friend' and praised him as a businessman who 'speaks from both the heart and the mind.' The two first connected during Lucido's campaign, bonding over shared values of good governance and community support. Asked about a possible motive, Lucido said he had 'no idea why anything like that would ever occur,' especially in a quiet neighborhood in broad daylight. He added that this was the first time he'd heard of Jawad facing a threat of this kind. He confirmed Jawad had been released from the hospital and was already back at work. 'He's saying, "Look, I can't stop a bullet from somebody trying to kill me, but I know my business has to survive, and I've got to go to work."' Lucido also issued a direct warning to the suspect: 'Turn yourself in. Do yourself a favor. Eventually you're going to get caught.' The gunman pursued the vehicle on foot as Jawad drove across his front lawn to escape Surveillance footage shows Jawad leaving his $1.9 million mansion when the suspect emerged from hiding and began shooting at his Land Rover Aerial footage shows officers combing the landscaped property and gated entrance of the luxury estate He continued: 'This should not happen in our neighborhoods, and I will not stand for it. This isn't a free-for-all. People don't have the right to go around shooting at others just because they're angry or offended. 'That's what the court system is for. This isn't the Wild West. 'It's not just about motive, it's about asking, "Why is this happening at all?" A stray bullet could have killed someone driving by, walking down the street, or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We don't need more violence in this world.' Jawads shooting has sparked mixed reactions from the local community, with some questioning his business dealings and others defending his character. Deputies responded to reports of gunfire around 10.15am Tuesday 'Someone of us might not agree with Eddie Jawad's views about Sheetz coming to Macomb Township, but he did not deserve what happened to him this morning. I am sending my prayers to him and his family,' said a local in community Facebook group Macomb Township Voices. 'I WORKED FOR THIS GUY. Great guy. Would loan you his own personal money out for a car purchase or a down payment for a house. He owns a large amount of gas stations but an overall good guy,' said one user. 'Eddie hired me to work in his office a long, long time ago and was a fantastic boss and a really kind person. I wish him a fast and full recovery,' said another. 'Praying for him and his family. At the end of the day, no one should be gun down in front of their home or gun down.. He provides employment for a lot of people and also he gives to the community,' another person wrote. Just months before the shooting, Eddie Jawad made headlines for publicly opposing a proposed Sheetz gas station near 23 Mile Road and North Avenue in Macomb County. In June, community advocate Hassan Aoun praised Jawad for speaking out at a county planning commission meeting, where he urged officials to consider how large corporate developments impact nearby residents and small business owners. 'When you talk about the quality of life, it's more than just property values how exactly is it going to benefit the community?' Jawad asked commissioners during the hearing, according to a post on Aoun's Facebook page. Pictured: The front of Jawad's mansion Officers were seen combing the circular driveway, manicured lawns and gated perimeter while patrol cars lined the quiet suburban street Although the Sheetz site plan was ultimately approved, Jawad's remarks helped spark a broader conversation about fairness and transparency in local development. Aoun described him as 'a respected business owner and concerned resident who stood up when others remained silent.' In the weeks that followed, Jawad continued to speak out against corporate expansion in Michigan's gas station industry, warning that major chains were threatening to push out locally owned businesses. 'I've never seen a competitor like Sheetz,' he told The Detroit News in June, referring to the Pennsylvania-based chain rapidly expanding into Metro Detroit. The company's sprawling two-acre convenience complexes, complete with restaurants and more than 30 parking spaces, have alarmed smaller operators. 'They're trying to put small businesses out of business,' said Jawad, who owns a Mobil station at 46900 North Avenue, roughly two miles from a proposed Sheetz location. 'When somebody's building Cedar Point across from your local park, everybody's going to go to Cedar Point.' Jawad also criticized municipal officials for prioritizing big-money projects over community interests. 'They see it's a six or seven-million-dollar development and their eyes just glow, no matter the cost now or later for residents, neighbors, commuters,' he told the outlet. A three-year-old British girl is fighting for her life after being pulled unconscious from a hotel swimming pool in Rhodes. The girl remains in critical condition in a children's intensive care unit at the Heraklion University Hospital (PAGNI) in Crete, where she was airlifted on Tuesday night after consuming a large amount of water. The child was found to have severe brain swelling, the hospital's director said. She underwent additional tests immediately after surgery to 'decongest the brain'. The girl was found at the bottom of a hotel swimming pool, where she had remained for around ten minutes, in the Lardos area at around 11.50am on Tuesday. A British-born doctor, also a guest at the hotel, rushed to provide first aid and CPR to the child until an ambulance arrived. She was first taken to Rhodes General Hospital, where she was intubated before being airlifted to PAGNI. The child's uncle, who was supervising her, has since been arrested by the Southern Rhodes Police along with the hotel manager, according to local media reports. The girl remains in critical condition in a children's intensive care unit at the PAGNI hospital on the popular holiday island, where she was airlifted last night The hospital's director, Giorgos Chalkiadakis, said they are 'waiting for the next few hours to see how she will react.' He said: 'The child was airlifted at approximately 10pm from the Rhodes hospital where she was being treated, after a cardiopulmonary arrest, following drowning. 'Great efforts were made there to get the child's heart get going. 'The child is being treated in the children's ICU, in critical condition, and we are waiting for the next few hours to see how she will react. I hope and wish that our efforts will pay off,' he added. A preliminary investigation into the incident is ongoing. A Democrat-founded government agency is hiring despite the shutdown forcing more than a million federal employees to go without pay or be laid off. Pen-pushers at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) sent an internal email on October 1, the first day of the shutdown, saying it had job openings for attorney-advisors in the legal division of the Office of Litigation. They are able to exploit a loophole that exists because the bureau is funded by the Federal Reserve Bank rather than directly by Congress. The recruitment plan, which was first reported by American Banker, will heap pressure on the embattled agency after it faced a costly racial discrimination lawsuit last year and a major data breach in 2023. The CFPB was the brainchild of Democrat Elizabeth Warren. The senator, who was famously branded Pocahontas by Donald Trump after she claimed to have native American lineage, has been a staunch supporter of the agency despite the controversies. Democrats and Republicans have blamed each other for the government shutdown, which is entering its third week and has left roughly 750,000 furloughed. Tens of thousands more have been forced to work without pay. President Trump has said the funding feud will lead to permanent job losses and trolled critics by posting a computer-generated image of one of his key aides dressed as the grim reaper. Democrats have refused to approve the proposed spending plan unless Republicans restore healthcare funding that was slashed over the summer. Republicans have said Democrats are to blame because nearly every Republican senator has already voted in favor of the spending plan. Senator Elizabeth Warren was key to establishing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau The CFPB sent an internal email on the first day of the government shutdown saying the agency had job openings for attorney-advisors The CFPB was created as a part of the Dodd-Frank regulatory reform passed by a Democrat-controlled Congress in 2010 under President Barack Obama. It was created to protect consumers in the financial marketplace by enforcing federal consumer financial laws and supervising financial institutions. Senator Warren conceived the idea for the agency and she served as a special advisor to help set it up. The agency's funding structure, which is relatively unusual for federal agencies, means its bureaucrats have greater autonomy from elected officials. Kentucky congressman Andy Barr said the CFPB's apparent insulation from the shutdown is 'exhibit A for why Congress must pass the TABS Act.' TABS is short for Taking Account of Bureaucrats' Spending. Barr proposed the bill, and it would subject the CFPB to traditional congressional appropriation. Critics of the CFPB, which include President Donald Trump, have said the agency makes it unnecessarily difficult for community banks to operate because they face disproportionate compliance and legal costs. During his first term, Trump said: 'Dodd-Frank has made it impossible for bankers to function. It makes it very hard for bankers to loan money for people to create jobs, for people with businesses to create jobs. And that has to stop.' The president pledged to dismantle the Dodd-Frank Act, which would likely lead to the CFPB's demise, during his first term. That did not happen, but it remains something on the agenda for his current term. The CFPB has faced a number of controversies in recent years. In 2024 it settled a racial discrimination lawsuit filed by former employees for $6 million. In 2023 a digital breach of the agency exposed the data of 256,000 consumers. The shutdown is entering its third week as senators have been unable to pass a spending bill despite convening at the Capitol building (pictured) eight times to vote on it so far In his first term President Trump said: 'Dodd-Frank has made it impossible for bankers to function' Construction of the CFPB headquarters in Washington DC, which was completed in January 2019, exceeded its budgeted cost by $125million. Russell Vought, Director of the United States Office of Management and Budget, posted on X shortly after his appointment by Trump: 'The CFPB has been a woke and weaponized agency against disfavored industries and individuals for a long time. This must end.' He was then placed as the acting director of the agency and attempted to hollow it out by denying its funding request for the next quarter and removing up to 90 percent of the CFPB's staff, but the National Treasury Employees Union sued in February to stop the removals. The move was successful until the Trump administration appealed the case to the DC Circuit. In August the court vacated an earlier injunction, allowing firing to proceed at the agency. The CFPB has lost 500 employees, including 90 enforcement attorneys, since Vought's takeover. The email announcing openings at the agency is bizarre in the context of those layoffs and the wider government shutdown. But John Berlau, director of finance policy at a think tank called the Competitive Enterprise Institute, told WorldNetDaily that the CFPB has been headed in a more positive direction with Vought at the helm. He said the agency has been 'trimming waste and fraud' and that 'it has also been dropping enforcement actions that would choke out business.' The Daily Mail approached the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for comment. A police officer who shot dead an unarmed man in a foiled prison break in 2015 will no longer face disciplinary action after the misconduct case against him was dramatically kicked out. The marksman has spent almost a decade with questions hanging over his conduct after he shot Jermaine Baker at close range during a planned police operation near Wood Green Crown Court in north London in December 2015. The officer - known only as W80 to protect his identity - always maintained he thought father-of-two Mr Baker was armed, and the Crown Prosecution Service ruled he should not face charges. But the Metropolitan Police said W80 should face a misconduct panel amid claims he used excessive force - a decision which could have all-but ended the officer's career. Today, seven days into a misconduct hearing, independent chairman of the panel Christopher McKay ruled W80 had no case to answer after an application from the firearms officer's lawyer Duncan Penny KC. Mr McKay said: 'There has been a great deal of info the panel has had to consider. It is a complex case. 'The decision of the panel is that we find there is no case for W80 to answer in these proceedings and accordingly the case against W80 is dismissed.' The panel said they would provide their reasons for throwing out the case within the next week. Jermaine Baker, 28, (above) was shot dead in Wood Green, north London, in December 2015 The experienced firearms officer fatally shot convicted criminal Baker at close range as he sat in the front passenger seat of a stolen Audi A6 on December 11 2015. Police suspected Mr Baker and other conspirators were about to free dangerous prisoner Izzet Eren - a member of the extremely violent 'Tottenham Turks' gang - from a custody van en route to his sentencing hearing for firearms offences. W80 was part of the team who stopped Mr Baker, as he and others waited for the prison van to arrive. The officer said Mr Baker ignored his repeated demands to put his hands on the dashboard, and thought the 28-year-old was reaching for a weapon in his bag when he fatally opened fire at close range. A replica firearm was found inside the Audi, although Mr Baker was not holding a weapon at the time he was shot. Gerry Boyle KC, the lawyer representing at the Met on the first day of a misconduct hearing in west London last week, said W80 used force 'that was not necessary and/or reasonable and/or proportionate, He also said that while the officer acted out of honest belief Mr Baker was reaching for a firearm, 'that belief was mistaken and not reasonable to believe'. W80 faced being sacked if he had been found guilty of gross misconduct. Mr Baker was a father of two and had previous criminal convictions The hearing was previously told long-serving W80 went to at least two briefings in the days before the operation which 'expressly reminded him that the discharge of his firearm had to be a last resort'. But W80 later told investigators he was concerned Mr Baker was armed, and was worried about him moving his hands from his lap quickly, telling them he had 'always been taught that action beats reaction'. He said in interview: 'This quick movement of his hands and his failure to put his hands on the dash and to obviously surrender made me believe he was going for a gun. 'I perceived an imminent threat to my life and the life of my colleagues. 'I could not wait to see if he produced a gun because if I did by that time he would be in a position to shoot me or my colleagues. 'I decided that I had no option other than to fire in order to achieve rapid incapacitation to prevent an imminent threat to life.' W80 said he was certain he ordered Mr Baker to put his hands on the dashboard, but admitted this was not reflected in audio footage from the Audi, which had been bugged by police. In 2022, an inquiry ruled Mr Baker 'lawfully killed' by W80, but found police made numerous failures in the planning and execution of the operation. Inquiry chairman His Honour Clement Goldstone concluded that W80 'held an honest and genuine belief that Mr Baker was moving in order to reach for the firearm' when he shot him. 'As such, W80 perceived that Mr Baker posed a lethal threat I draw the conclusion, on the balance of probabilities, that the perceived threat from the actions and movement of Mr Baker was such that W80 honestly believed that it was reasonably necessary for him to shoot at Mr Baker.' Mr Goldstone said he 'found no evidence to support a finding that race played any part in Mr Baker's death'. He also said W80's 'overall credibility' as a witness 'remained largely intact'. The inquiry chairman highlighted a number of failures. This included that public safety should have been but was not the primary objective of the operation. It also found intelligence that the conspirators had only been able to source an imitation firearm was not passed on to W80 and others. It said officers had failed to consider any possible outcome other than an armed stop, and that they failed to engage with the Prison Service about the prisoner's escape risk or tell prison van staff of the planned jail break. Failures to keep notes of meetings showed 'an arrogant, dismissive attitude towards formality and a failure to appreciate the importance of accountability and maintaining an audit trail', the inquiry found. Margaret Smith, Mr Baker's mother, said her family could not accept the inquiry's findings and that her son had been raising his hands in surrender before he was shot. She said at the time: 'Jermaine was dead before he got in that car. His life was taken for no good reason. As I have always said, he should have gone to prison like the rest of the men in the car.' Tia Demetrio, the mother of Mr Baker's daughter Alexia, said the schoolgirl had grown up 'petrified' of police officers as a result of her father's death. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said W80 'should never have been put in this position'. Speaking outside New Scotland Yard, Sir Mark said: 'Today's outcome is the right one. 'It follows a criminal investigation and a public inquiry that both found W80 acted appropriately during a fast-moving police operation to stop a highly dangerous gang freeing the prisoner. 'W80 should never have been put in this position an astonishing 10 years after the incident of having to once again justify his actions to counter a very real threat that he believed that he and his colleagues faced that day. 'It goes to the very heart of the imbalance in how police are held accountable in this country. 'Too often, I see the trauma of good officers who are prepared to confront dangerous criminals but are then left destroyed by a broken, bureaucratic and slow system of police accountability. 'We must overhaul how policing decisions, which are taken in split seconds, are later reviewed with the benefit of hindsight on freezeframe. 'Indeed, the current system allows criminals and their legal teams to weaponise those decisions against officers, undermining their confidence to pursue criminals or to use force.' Detectives are hoping distinctive underwear found wrapped around the body of a baby girl can finally help solve the mystery of her missing mother. The child, named Ava by officers, was discovered in a snow-covered park in Salford, Greater Manchester, by a female dog walker last November. Investigators believe that the baby girls body had initially been buried in a shallow grave, but was disturbed by an animal, potentially foraging for food, and brought to the surface. Despite extensive tests, police have so far drawn a blank and today launched an appeal on the BBCs Crimewatch Live in a bid to trace her mother. Detective Inspector Louise Kelly, of Greater Manchester Police, told the programme that Avas remains were discovered wrapped in a distinctive pair of ladies knickers, which could be key to locating her parents. The pink and beige-coloured briefs, which are a female adult size large, include an unusual cartoon donkey pattern and are not manufactured in the UK. It is possible they were worn by Avas mother during her pregnancy. Although scientists have only been able to extract a male DNA profile from the underwear, they hope this could still provide a clue to Avas mother, whose identity could be conclusively matched with Avas DNA should she be found. The distinctive underwear has a distinctive pattern of a cartoon donkey on them The knickers were not manufactured in the UK and police are asking for help identifying where they may have been bought or sold Ms Kelly said: There is quite a distinct pattern of a cartoon donkey on them. Our inquiries have led us to believe that the underwear isnt manufactured in the UK but it can be shipped in wholesale. We have secured a DNA profile from the underwear so we can determine if its connected to Ava. She appealed for Avas parents to contact officers, before adding: If you recognise the underwear and think you may be able to help us with where these may be purchased, please let us know. We understand that Avas mum and dad, what they are going through is unimaginable. 'We dont know their personal circumstances or what they are dealing with. 'We cant ignore the criminality in this case, but there will be help and support for them. Several forensic experts, including a specialist anthropologist, archaeologist, botanist and entomologist, were enlisted by police to analyse Avas body, which was badly decomposed, to establish her age, ethnicity and how long she had been at park, known as Ashtons Field. A dental expert concluded that she was born full term, between 38 to 39 weeks gestation. Other tests established that her body had been kept elsewhere for a substantial period before being moved to the field sometime between a few hours and 20 days before she was found, on November 20. It is also thought her mother likely concealed her pregnancy. However, the experts have not been able to establish exactly when she was born or if she was born alive. Avas remains were discovered by the dog walker in the park, the site of a former colliery, around lunch time. Ava's remains were discovered close to a lay-by off the main A5082 and close to the M61 motorway Detective Inspector Louise Kelly said what the baby girl's parents were going through was 'unimaginable' but stressed help would be there for them if they came forward She was found next to a shallow grave, around 14inches square and five inches deep, which police believe had been disturbed by a badger, fox or large hunting bird around two days earlier. The discovery, off Cleggs Lane, close to a lay-by on the A5082 and the M61 motorway, prompted investigators to examine thousands of hours of footage from a nearby automatic number plate recognition camera (ANPR) to establish the movement of cars and other vehicles to and from the field between November 1 to November 20. They have also carried out extensive house to house inquiries, as well as using familial DNA techniques to try and compare Avas DNA to that of people whose DNA is already stored on the police national computer. But so far the identity of Avas mother or father - remains a mystery. Detective Chief Inspector Charlotte Whalley, from GMP's Major Incident Team, said: We have got to a point where we have more or less exhausted the various 'ologists' working on the case. What they have been able to narrow down - due to things like leaf litter and soil type - is that Ava was placed moved to that site at Ashtons Fields no earlier than the beginning of November. That does not mean she was born at the beginning of November. She was very decomposed and a forensic pathologist has told us he cannot put a date on which day she was born. The level of decomposition indicates she could not have decomposed that quickly from November 1 to November 20. She has to have been somewhere else first. If she had been wrapped and put in a freezer the expert says it could have been two to three years before she was born. She could have been kept in a house, in a fridge, there are so many options which is why a forensic pathologist cannot tell me when she was born. (But) there would have been a trigger for the movement of her [to Ashtons Fields]. Somethings happened - either her family moved or someone else found out. Ms Whalley said that the DNA profile extracted from the underwear was not a match with any stored on the national DNA database. But she added: If we ever find a suspect or anyone linked to Ava, we could rule them in or out with that DNA. We have got mitochondrial DNA (from Avas remains) - the female part of any DNA. If we find mum, because we have Ava's DNA, there will be no argument that it is mum. Ms Whalley said that, because Avas remains were found on top of a layer of snow, they must have been disturbed sometime after 6pm on November 18, when the snowfall began. The park rangers have said that animals start digging when it is cold, when they can't get food on the surface, the officer added. So the suspicion is, sometime after November 18, an animal has come along, dug in that hole and moved her onto the surface. The hole was manually dug because the striations in the hole are linear, which show that some kind of trowel or spade has been used. We are not giving up on getting justice for Ava, and would encourage anyone with information to come forward and assist our investigation. Anyone with information can contact GMP on 101 quoting log 1319 of 20/11/24. Former No 10 chief Dominic Cummings has revealed China stole 'vast amounts' of classified material from the government for years. The Boris Johnson aide said he and the ex-PM were notified of the 'serious' breach - involving 'extremely dangerous' information - in 2020. However, they were apparently told that it would be illegal to disclose what had happened. The dramatic intervention came amid a mounting row over relations with China - and in particular the collapse of a spying trial. Mr Cummings told The Times the breach involved so-called 'Strap' material - the most sensitive level of classification. 'The cabinet secretary said, "We have to explain something; there's been a serious problem", and he talked through what this was,' he said. 'And it was so bizarre that, not just Boris, a few people in the room were looking around like this "Am I somehow misunderstanding what he's saying? Because it sounds f***ing crazy".' Mr Cummings added: 'What I'm saying is that some Strap stuff was compromised and vast amounts of data classified as extremely secret and extremely dangerous for any foreign entity to control was compromised. 'Material from intelligence services. Material from the National Security Secretariat in the Cabinet Office. Things the government has to keep secret. If they're not secret, then there are very, very serious implications for it.' Dominic Cummings said he and the ex-PM were notified of the 'serious' breach - involving 'extremely dangerous' information - in 2020 Mr Cummings refused to say how the system had been breached. 'If the MPs want to finally have an inquiry about it, I'd be happy to talk about it,' he said. 'And many people know that what I'm saying is true and many people will back it up. 'And many people know that after the PM was notified about this in 2020, officials from the Cabinet Office then went round telling everybody in the meeting that it was illegal for them to discuss this with the media.' The Spectator also published claims on Wednesday that foreign spying scandals in Britain have been hushed up. One source told the magazine: 'There were two very serious cases, one involving China and one Russia, which were swept under the carpet. 'There was a serious loss of technical data.' Another source said: 'The levels of penetration and activity is way more than has been disclosed publicly.' It was also reported that China purchased a company that controlled a data hub used by Whitehall departments to exchange information, including on highly classified projects. An insider branded the episode as a stratospheric f***-up. The claims emerged soon after Sir Keir Starmer promised to publish key evidence that forms part of the collapsed China spying case. The Crown Prosecution Service said the case collapsed because the Government's evidence did not show that China represented a threat to national security at the time of the alleged offences. But Sir Keir insisted the 'substantive' evidence was submitted under the Conservatives and supplementary statements handed to the CPS subsequently reflected the Tory administration's position. The PM told the House of Commons he intends to publish witness statements prepared by Matt Collins, the deputy national security adviser, in full. Friends of Mr Collins told The Spectator he did provide evidence which would have been sufficient and he 'doesn't understand' why the case was dropped. They said: 'He provided all of these evidence statements. He was told by the CPS that this was exactly what they needed, and then at the last minute they said they were not pursuing the prosecution. 'The guilty men and women are in fact in the CPS. They're the ones who've dropped the ball.' Mr Cummings called it 'absolutely puerile nonsense' to suggest that whether to define China as a threat is a 'difficult semantic question'. 'Anyone who has been read in at a high level with the intelligence services on China knows that the word threat doesn't even begin to cover it,' he said. Britain has slapped fresh sanctions on Russia's two largest energy firms as Chancellor Rachel Reeves vowed to take the country's oil 'off the market'. Rosneft and Lukoil have both been freshly targeted as part of a package of 90 new sanctions aimed at further squeezing the Kremlin's revenue streams. The two firms together export 3.1 million barrels of oil per day, with Rosneft alone responsible for 6 per cent of global oil production. The sanctions were announced as Ms Reeves arrived in Washington DC on Wednesday for International Monetary Fund meetings. The Chancellor is due to rally other countries to cut off revenues to Vladimir Putin's regime, as he continues Russia's three-and-a-half year invasion of Ukraine. Four oil terminals in China, 44 tankers in the 'shadow fleet' transporting Russian oil, and Indian-based Nayara Energy have also been hit in the latest UK sanctions. Nayara imported 100 million barrels of Russian crude worth over $5billion last year. 'We are sending a clear signal: Russian oil is off the market,' Ms Reeves said. 'As Putin's aggression intensifies, we are stepping up our response. Rosneft and Lukoil have both been freshly targeted as part of a package of 90 new sanctions. Rosneft alone is responsible for 6 per cent of global oil production Britain is rallying other countries to cut off revenues to Vladimir Putin's regime, as he continues Russia's three-and-a-half year invasion of Ukraine The Chancellor added: 'The UK will continue to strip away the funding that fuels his war machine. 'We will hold to account all those enabling his illegal invasion of Ukraine.' The latest UK sanctions coincide with Putin kicking off Russian Energy Week in Moscow. As Russia's vital oil revenues shrink under the weight of global sanctions, the Kremlin is scrambling to expand its liquified natural gas (LNG) industry to plug these losses. The UK Government also announced on Wednesday it is sanctioning eight specialised LNG tankers and the Chinese Beihai LNG terminal. Beihai has been importing LNG from Arctic LNG2 the severely disrupted flagship Russian LNG project, which was sanctioned by the UK in February last year. Britain is also banning imports of oil products refined in third countries from Russian-origin crude oil. Other sanctions include hitting firms - across Thailand, Singapore, Turkey, India and China - that supply electronics critical for Russian drones and missiles. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: 'At this critical moment for Ukraine, Europe is stepping up. 'Together, the UK and our allies are piling the pressure on Putin - going after his oil, gas and shadow fleet - and we will not relent until he abandons his failed war of conquest and gets serious about peace. 'Even with his war economy creaking, his people suffering, and his army enduring unthinkable losses still he sends drones and missiles after innocent civilians.' The latest measures were announced as new data showed UK sanctions have frozen 28.7billion of Russian assets since the country's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. A small dog was rescued from rising storm waters in Southern California on Tuesday after being spotted stranded in a wash during heavy rainfall. The three-year-old pug or French bulldog mix was found shivering but unharmed on a small island that had formed near Wood Road and Laguna Road in the town of Camarillo, according to Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS). The lone pup was seen about 10 feet below the embankment, stranded inside the wash - a drainage channel that carries stormwater - while water levels continued to rise. She was trapped on floating debris, surrounded by fast-moving water. 'The water was deep - certainly above waist level - and the dog had no way to escape on its own,' firefighter Dowd, who assisted in the rescue, told Daily Mail. Animal Control Officers Serratos and Garcia responded to the scene after Ventura County Public Works crews reported the dog in distress. The Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) was also called to assist. In footage posted by VCFD, rescuers are seen deploying a ladder and a rescue swimmer to retrieve the dog, who, aside from being cold, was otherwise unharmed. A 3-year-old French bulldog or pug mix was rescued from rising storm waters in Southern California on after being spotted stranded in a wash during heavy rainfall The lone pup was seen about 10 feet below the embankment and stranded inside the wash In footage posted by VCFD, rescuers are seen deploying a ladder and a rescue swimmer to retrieve the dog She was quickly transported to the Camarillo Shelter, where she received a veterinary exam and was placed in a warm kennel. 'We have no idea how the dog got there,' Dowd said. 'It was just so fortunate that it was spotted.' The dog was not microchipped, and VCAS is currently searching for her owners. Dowd also shared that the department's social media posts about the rescue had gone viral, with more than 570,000 views across Instagram and Facebook within 24 hours. 'It's the kind of event we're grateful the public gets to see,' he said. 'It's a great story about saving a dog's life - and a testament to our training, our equipment, and the people we employ.' 'Huge thank you to the VC Public Works crew for reporting the sighting so promptly, allowing this girl to be rescued safely,' VCAS said in a Facebook post. The agency also thanked Oxnard City Fire for arriving quickly and VCFD for executing the rescue. Randy Friedman, the Public Information Officer at Ventura County Animal Services, said If her family does not come forward, she will be up for adoption on Saturday at the Camarillo Shelter. 'She was probably scared and is still scared, wondering where her family is,' he told Daily Mail. 'She's just a good little girl waiting to be picked up.' Two teenagers who beat former DOGE staffer 'Big Balls' into a bloody pulp are still roaming the streets after a judge sentenced them to less than one year of probation. Edward Coristine, 19, was attacked by a gang of youths during an attempted carjacking in Washington, DC at 3am on August 3. A boy and girl from Hyattsville, Maryland, both 15, pleaded guilty to simple assault. They cannot be named because of their age. On Tuesday, the boy was sentenced to 12 months' probation, the girl received a nine-month term. The teenagers have been ordered not to contact each other or spend any time in DC, unless for school, job or family obligations. The judge in the Democrat-run city said that the purpose of juvenile court was to rehabilitate, not punish offenders. Coristine, who rose to national prominence for his leadership of Elon Musk's DOGE team and his bawdy high school nickname, was left bloody and concussed after the attempted carjacking while he was with his girlfriend. He was jumped by around ten youths but the others who took part in the assault have not been identified and remain at large. Edward Coristine, 19, was attacked by a gang of youths during an attempted carjacking on the crime-ravaged streets of Washington DC at 3am on August 3 Coristine, who rose to national prominence for his leadership of Elon Musk's DOGE team and his high school nickname, was left bloody, badly beaten and fearing he was concussed Days after the attack, Donald Trump deployed the National Guard in the nation's capital as a response to concerns over raging crime. He has since frequently remarked that DC feels much safer, and that politicians have told him that they are now able to go out for dinner with their spouses without fear. 'It's like a different place, it's a different city,' Trump said earlier this year, adding: 'Everybody's safe now.' The President formally federalized DC in a safety and 'beautification' effort. Beyond crime, Trump also hoped to rid the streets of the homeless and clean up the graffiti. On August 11, he announced in a news conference from the White House he was invoking the DC Home Rule Act in order to place the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control. Violent crime declined sharply following the deployment of National Guard, homicides and assaults were down by around 25 percent compared to previous weeks. Trump has since launched similar crime crackdowns in another Democrat-run cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Memphis and Portland. A member of the Army National Guard gives a thumbs-up to the camera as they patrol the National Mall on October 12 Donald Trump speaks while visiting federal troops at the US Park Police Anacostia operations facility in Washington, DC, on August 21 Protesters outside an ICE facility are met by officers last weekend in Portland, Oregon The deployments have met furious resistance from Democrat leaders who claim that the President's actions are unconstitutional. An appeals court ruled Saturday that troops Trump sent to Illinois can remain there under federal control but can't be deployed, and granted a pause in the case until it hears further arguments. The ruling came two days after US District Judge April Perry blocked the deployment of troops in Chicago for at least two weeks. The Justice Department appealed this the next day. The judge said the Trump administration violated the 10th Amendment, which grants certain powers to states, and the 14th Amendment, which assures due process and equal protection, when he ordered National Guard troops to the city. In a written order Friday explaining her rationale, Perry noted the nation's long aversion to having military involvement in domestic policing. 'Not even the Founding Father most ardently in favor of a strong federal government [Alexander Hamilton] believed that one state's militia could be sent to another state for the purposes of political retribution,' Perry wrote. Hamilton called that notion 'preposterous.' 'The court confirmed what we all know: There is no credible evidence of a rebellion in the state of Illinois. And no place for the National Guard in the streets of American cities like Chicago,' Governor JB Pritzker said. Members of National Guard patrol outside a Bass Pro Shops in Memphis, Tennessee, last week Illinois State Police make arrests outside an ICE facility in Broadview at the weekend Another court battle in Oregon earlier delayed a similar troop deployment to Portland. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments in that case Thursday. Lieutenant Commander Teresa Meadows, a spokesman for US Northern Command, said the troops sent to Portland and Chicago are 'not conducting any operational activities at this time.' Five hundred guard members from Texas and Illinois arrived this week at an Army reserve center in Elwood, southwest of Chicago, and have been activated for 60 days. They started patrolling Thursday morning behind portable fences outside the ICE Broadview facility. A federal judge late Thursday ordered ICE to remove a separate eight-foot-tall (2.4-meter) fence outside the building after the nearby village said it illegally blocks a public street. Also Thursday, another federal judge in Illinois temporarily ordered federal agents to wear badges and banned them from using certain riot-control weapons against peaceful protesters and journalists outside the ICE facility, about 12 miles (19 kilometers) west of Chicago. In Chicago, federal prosecutors have obtained a grand jury indictment against a woman and man accused of using their vehicles to strike and box in a Border Patrol agent's vehicle last Saturday. The agent exited his car and fired five shots at Marimar Martinez, 30, who was treated in hospital. The indictment filed Thursday formalizes charges of assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon - a vehicle. Anthony Ruiz, 21, is also charged. The EU is considering banning filter cigarettes and e-cigarettes in a push to reduce tobacco use. A ban on the sale of cigarettes in shops, petrol stations and kiosks is also being weighed up. A bill, drafted by the Council of the European Union, will be discussed at a World Health Organisation (WHO) meeting in November. The draft resolution cites a report by a WHO study group 'on the regulation of tobacco products' which 'explicitly recommends banning filters to reduce the palatability and attractiveness of cigarettes,' Bild reports. 'A ban on the manufacture, import, distribution, and sale of filter cigarettes would make an important contribution to reducing tobacco consumption,' the bill adds. A ban on e-cigarettes is also an 'additional regulatory option' as the EU looks to protect the environment and human health. The proposal was first discussed at the EU Council Working Group on Public Health on October 9 and will be considered at the WHO conference in Geneva next month. The EU Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, also reportedly supports restrictions, with a 'generation-based' ban, which would prohibit the sale of tobacco products to anyone born after a certain year, under review. The EU is considering banning filter cigarettes and e-cigarettes in a push to reduce tobacco use The bill is unlikley to gain support in Italy, with prime minister Giorgia Meloni claiming she would probably kill someone if she had to give up cigarettes Such a policy was introduced in New Zealand by a previous government and restrictred anyone born after January 2009 from ever buying cigarettes legally. It was later overturned. The bill is unlikley to gain support in Italy, with prime minister Giorgia Meloni claiming she would probably kill someone if she had to give up cigarettes. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, who has vowed to make Turkey smoke-free, challenged her over her habit at the Gaza peace summit in Egypt on Monday. 'You look great. But I have to make you stop smoking,' he told Ms Meloni. 'I know, I know,' Ms Meloni said. 'I don't want to kill somebody.' 'It's impossible,' Emmanuel Macron added during the meeting on the sidelines of the summit. EU countries currently have differing rules on smoking restrictions, with Denmark, Finland, Italy and Sweden described as having 'very good' compliance with anti-smoking laws by the Smoke Free Partnership, a group of European organisations. While Bulgaria and Greece have a 'weak' compliance with smoking laws. A suspected serial sex offender charged with murdering a sex worker and strangling another was on bail for allegedly attacking eight women on the underground, it can now be reported. Simon Levy is accused of carrying out attacks on a total of 11 woman which culminated in the murder of a sex worker and the rape and strangulation of another victim while he was out on bail. In a shocking case which will inevitably raise questions for the authorities, the 40-year-old was repeatedly released on bail by British Transport Police, Scotland Yard and magistrates after he was charged with repeated sexual assault offences before he is alleged to have committed murder. Today, it emerged that the partially sighted defendant has also been charged with committing an earlier sex attack while in Brixton prison. Inner London Crown Court heard that Levy sexually assaulted a prison officer in April 2022. He was also charged today with sexually assaulting a woman on the London Underground in October 2023 following his release from prison. In total, Levy has now been charged with murder, two counts of rape, non-fatal strangulation, grevious bodily harm and sexually assaulting nine women at tube stations. Details of the alleged offending can now be revealed after further charges were brought today. Simon Levy, of Beaufoy Road, Tottenham, at Highbury Magistrates' Court (pictured in court sketch) The defendant, who has not entered pleas to any of the charges, was first arrested in November 2024 on suspicion of carrying out a sex attack at Chancery Lane station on October 21, 2024. A day later, he was arrested for another alleged attack at Liverpool Street station on October 28, but was later released on bail by British Transport Police. Two months later on January 21, this year he is accused of raping and strangling a prostitute. A pre-trial hearing at the Old Bailey was told that Levy allegedly refused to pay the sex worker, knocking her to the floor and jumping on top of her breaking her collarbone. He is accused of raping her while placing his hands over the woman's face, suffocating her until she lost consciousness, but she survived the attack . Four months later, Levy was arrested on April 1 in connection with the unexplained death of another woman, Carmenza Trujillo, aged 53, who was found dead in a building on the Aylesbury Estate in Southwark on March 17. Levy was released on bail by Scotland Yard. Police now suspect Ms Trujillo was murdered, but no charges have been brought in the case. Levy is accused of murdering Sheryl Wilkins on August 28 this year While on bail, Levy is accused of carrying out five sexual assaults of women at various London underground stations between March and May 2025. Some of the alleged assaults were carried out within days of each other. On May 3 this year he was charged with carrying out three sexual assaults at tube stations, but he was released on bail by a judge who ordered him not to travel on public transport. While on bail, Levy is accused of carrying out a further sex attack at Westminster station on May 29. The following month he was charged with breaching his bail conditions after being caught by a police officer on the London Underground on June 20. Yet a judge decided to release the suspect again. Weeks later, Levy is accused of murdering Sheryl Wilkins on August 28 this year. The 39-year-old sex worker was found dead on August 24 by police patrolling a car park in Tottenham, North London. During an earlier hearing, the Old Bailey was told that the victim was found face down, with her head and body covered by a jacket. Although police found bruising and scratches, post-mortem examinations have been unable to determine a cause of death, with one possibility that the sex worker may have been drowned. The 39-year-old sex worker was found dead on August 24 by police patrolling a car park in Tottenham, North London Levy was arrested on September 4 and later charged with Ms Wilkins' murder, along with two counts of rape, one count of grievous bodily harm and one count of non-fatal strangulation in relation to the earlier attack on another sex worker on January 21. Today, the 40-year-old, who is blind in one eye, was charged with the sexual touching of a prison officer in April 2022 and a sexual assault on the London underground in October 2023. When the case was heard at Inner London Crown Court it emerged that Levy is still officially listed as being on bail in relation to the sexual offences on London Underground. Although the defendant has already been remanded in custody at Belmarsh Prison for Ms Wilkins' murder, prosecutors had to apply for Levy's bail to be cancelled in relation to the other sex offences. The Recorder of Southwark, Judge Evans agreed to formally remand Levy in custody during the short administrative hearing, which the defendant did not attend. Levy will now face trial on charges of murder, strangulation, grievous bodily harm with intent and two counts of rape in June next year. He will face a separate trial on January 26 accused of nine sexual assaults on London underground and the sexual touching of a prison officer in 2022. A police officer who called a mother a 'daft cow' while wrongly arresting her for bus fare evasion has been found guilty of misconduct - but can keep his job. Perry Lathwood, 51, used inappropriate language as he arrested Jocelyn Agyemang in Croydon, south London in July 2023, also referring to her as 'love'. She was on her way to drop her son off at her mother's house when the pair got off the bus and were asked to prove they had paid their fare. Another officer took her Oyster card and after establishing she had paid, Ms Agyemang was de-arrested at the scene. Metropolitan Police officer Lathwood was found by a panel to have committed misconduct, but cleared of further allegations that he breached standards relating to equality and diversity, use of force, and discreditable conduct. He will only be given a written warning, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said, and can remain in the force. Footage of the heated incident went viral on social media and shows Ms Agyemang attempting to lead her young son away from the scene. She is being reprimanded by a ticket inspector and police officer as shocked bystanders watch the commotion from the pavement. Perry Lathwood, pictured right, a police officer who called Jocelyn Agyemang, left, a 'daft cow' while wrongly arresting her for bus fare evasion has been found guilty of misconduct The officer, pictured in 2024, used inappropriate language as he arrested the mother in Croydon, south London in July 2023, also referring to her as 'love', but can keep his job The mother continually shouts, 'Get off me', while her child starts sobbing. 'You're actually hurting my arm,' she adds, before grabbing her son. 'Can you get off me, please. I actually feel sick.' Ms Agyemang then waves her Oyster card in the direction of the officers and says, 'What are you doing? Why are you doing that?' as she appears to be brought to the ground. 'He's squeezing my arm,' she says, while onlookers start trying to get involved. An officer is seen to be holding her wrist and attempts to guide her towards a wall away from the street. A barely audible argument ensues with members of the public weighing in and holding up their phones to film the commotion. 'He touched my arm for no reason,' Ms Agyemang adds as she pulls her arm away and the row continues. In a viral video, an officer is seen to be holding her wrist and attempts to guide her towards a wall away from the street Ms Agyemang waves her Oyster card in the direction of the officers and says, 'What are you doing? Why are you doing that?' as she appears to be brought to the ground PC Lathwood was convicted of assault and fined 1,500 after using force against the mother in the presence of her young son - but had his conviction overturned last September. Cecily White, a barrister representing the Metropolitan Police, told the misconduct hearing the alleged language was 'dismissive and condescending', particularly towards women. The Met said previously that Lathwood was on restricted duties until the outcome of the misconduct process. His trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court heard he grabbed the woman by the arm, causing bruising injuries during the arrest. IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: 'Police officers must treat members of the public with respect and courtesy during the course of their duties. 'This was a distressing incident for the woman, who was handcuffed in public in front of her child, and the language used by PC Lathwood was disrespectful and unprofessional. 'This was a high-profile incident which caused significant public concern at the time, particularly in the Croydon community, and we know this interaction continues to have a lasting impact on the woman involved.' Paula Dodds, chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said: 'Short video clips of incidents viewed from the comfort of sterile and calm environments rarely take into account what police officers in London encounter on a daily basis - or provide a genuine understanding of the true nature of our difficult and dangerous job. 'Police officers have no issue with scrutiny and accounting for their actions and use of force - but this has to take into account the dynamic and split-second challenges and the reality of our challenging role. 'PC Lathwood can finally put this incident behind him and carry on his career. We ask that he and his family are now left alone to get on with their lives.' A Philadelphia man has been arrested in connection with the eerie disappearance of a former Miss USA hopeful, as police urgently search for the suspect's car. Keon King, 21, has been accused of kidnapping Kada Scott, 23, after picking her up from work more than a week ago. Upon leaving her job at The Terrace at Chestnut Hill, an assisted living facility in Northwest Philadelphia, the recent Penn State graduate seemingly vanished - leaving her car parked at work and taking her phone offline. City police revealed during a Wednesday press conference that King, who authorities said has a troubling history, was taken into custody on Tuesday night. But authorities admitted they were far from finding Scott and are begging for the public's help in digging up more information on where the former Miss Pennsylvania contestant may be. They are most concerned about tracking down King's 1999 metallic gold Toyota Camry - the vehicle 'involved' in Scott's disappearance, according to Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski. 'Mr. King is the last person we believe to be in contact [with Scott] and he was in contact with her when she went offline - meaning her phone, everything,' she asserted. Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore said King 'appeared to meet her very shortly after she left her place of work.' Former beauty queen Kada Scott (pictured) was last seen by her mother before she went to work on October 4 Over the course of the convoluted investigation, the metallic Camry (pictured), which Vanore said has 'heavy front-end damage on the left, front bumper,' has been seen driving throughout the city Keon King (pictured), 21, has a troubling past, investigators said, as he was previously charged with kidnapping another woman He added that King allegedly tried getting rid of the car, his cellphone and other personal belongings before turning himself in on Tuesday night. Over the course of the convoluted investigation, the metallic Camry, which Vanore said has 'heavy front-end damage on the left, front bumper,' has been seen driving throughout the city, and it may have even been moved outside of it. The deputy noted that the alleged kidnapper's car's license plate, MSX-0797, may have been ripped off. While authorities are still tackling this case under the assumption that Scott is still alive, the city's police department's homicide unit has taken over the investigation because of its resources. Toczylowski clarified that King has been hit with charges including kidnapping and recklessly endangering another person. Authorities made the alarming declaration that King has demonstrated a 'pattern' of kidnappings. Earlier this year, he was charged with kidnapping and strangling a 'female acquaintance.' But the case was dropped. Toczylowski said the District Attorney's office let the case go after the witness failed to appear in court. Scott (pictured), a recent Penn State graduate, abruptly left shortly into her shift, coworkers told police She left her job at The Terrace at Chestnut Hill, an assisted living facility in the northwest section of the city (pictured) However, in light of Scott's disappearance, Toczylowski has filed for the case to be reopened, meaning King stands accused of two separate kidnappings. Scott's mother, Kim Matthews, told police the last time she saw her daughter was when she left for her overnight shift on October 4. But coworkers reported seeing her leave the building in her black scrubs shortly after she arrived, police said. Matthews claimed that she was aware Scott was getting strange phone calls from an individual or multiple people shortly before she went missing. 'We are trying to piece everything together to find out exactly who these people are,' Matthews previously said. The recent college graduate was in the midst of pursuing her entrepreneurial dreams and was described by her family as 'creative' and 'very artistic.' Scott was also one of 32 women who competed this summer for the Miss Pennsylvania pageant title. The winner is the state's representative at the Miss USA contest. The PPE firm linked to Michelle Mone has failed to repay the 145 million it owes taxpayers. Underwear tycoon Baroness Mone has been embroiled in controversy for years over the defective surgical gowns supplied to the NHS by PPE Medpro, owned by her husband Doug Barrowman, at the height of the Covid pandemic. Health secretary Wes Streeting blasted Medpro for failing to pay - and insisted the government will continue to pursue the company until it gets the money back. 'At a time of national crisis, PPE Medpro sold the previous government substandard kit and pocketed taxpayers' hard-earned cash,' he said. 'PPE Medpro has failed to meet the deadline to pay - they still owe us over 145 million, with interest now accruing daily. 'We will pursue PPE Medpro with everything we've got to get these funds back where they belong - in our NHS.' The 25 million gowns supplied by Medpro during the pandemic were deemed unfit for use after failing sterility tests. Michelle Mone, nicknamed Baroness Bra, has criticised the court's decision to order Medpro to pay damages Baroness Mone stepped out for her birthday earlier this month, telling her Instagram followers that she struggles to 'find the strength to face yet another round of government-led lies' Baroness Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman On October 1, the High Court ordered Medpro to pay 145.6 million - comprising 122m in damages and interest of 23.6m - by 4pm on October 14. Interest at eight per cent per year will be added until the final bill is paid. PPE Medpro entered administration on September 30. The company's most recent accounts show assets of just 666,000, suggesting that taxpayers are unlikely to get all their money back. Barristers for PPE Medpro claimed the firm had been 'singled out for unfair treatment' and accused the Government of 'buyer's remorse', claiming the gowns became defective because of the conditions in which they were kept. Lady Mone, nicknamed Baroness Bra, criticised the judgment, calling it 'nothing less than an Establishment win for the Government in a case that was too big for them to lose', while Mr Barrowman said it was a 'travesty of justice'. A spokesman for Medpro said last week that it was willing to negotiate a settlement, but claimed the government had 'made no effort to respond'. However, is understood the Department of Health is in contact with PPE Medpro's administrators It comes as Baroness Mone, 53, who was once was involved in a dozen companies, applied to have her last UK business struck off and dissolved. An application filed on Monday at Companies House, Baroness Mone wrote: 'I, as the majority of directors, apply for this company to be struck off the register.' Baroness Mone created the lingerie brand Ultimo and sold it in 2014. She closed MMI Global and Michelle Mone Interiors in June. Dog the Bounty Hunter's son will soon get his job back as an Alabama police officer after the city council unanimously voted to repeal his firing. Garry Chapman, 24, was fired from his position with the Priceville Police Department last month after the pursuit of a suspected drunk driver ended in a fatal crash. Chapman started the September 6 chase on Interstate 65 because he suspected Archie Hale was driving while intoxicated. The pursuit spilled in nearby Hartselle, reaching speeds of over 100mph, and ended when Hale plowed into a minivan carrying four teenage boys. Tristan Hollis, 17, was killed in the crash. Chapman was placed on administrative leave and fired on September 22 after the city's mayor and police chief ruled that he the force's violated pursuit policy. The officer, who insisted he followed both department training and US Supreme Court precedent, sent an appeal to the mayor the day of his termination. He was reinstated at his appeal hearing Monday night after Priceville City Council unanimously voted to repeal his firing, WAFF reported. He was instead issued a 10-day suspension without pay. Chapman will reportedly be placed on work probation upon his return and also has to retrain with a supervisor. Garry Chapman will soon get his job back as an Alabama police officer after the Priceville City Council unanimously voted to repeal his firing Chapman, 24, is the son of TV bounty hunter Duane 'Dog' Chapman, 72 and his late wife Beth. Chapman is pictured with his father at his police graduation in Alabama Chapman's attorney filed a $10million claim for wrongful termination against the city and Priceville Mayor Sam Heflin ahead of the Monday night hearing. Heflin is understood to have recused himself from the council's vote. After the vote, Chapman thanked God for having 'helped me through all of this' and defended his decision to file the appeal. 'Me appealing my termination was not a discount to that,' he told WAFF. 'It was merely standing up for what's right and for myself, because what I did I truly believe I was in the right for.' His attorney Scott Morro said the council believes Chapman's suspension was 'appropriate discipline,' although he and his client seemingly disagree. 'We believe it's not, but it is sending a message that you're not going to be terminated for doing police pursuits,' Morro said. Morro previously claimed Chapman's firing was about politics, not policing, and alleged city officials were trying to 'make him a scapegoat.' Chapman's father Duane 'Dog' Chapman was also furious over the situation, he revealed earlier this month in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail. Tristan Hollis, 17, died in the September 6 crash, which also left several others injured On September 6, officers tried to pull over Archie Hale on suspicion of DUI. Hale allegedly fled at high speed, leading officers through Priceville and onto Main Street in Hartselle before running a red light and slamming into a minivan carrying four teens The crash site pictured in news footage Dog, 72, attended Monday's hearing and addressed the council after the vote. He shared how Chapman, the youngest of his 13 children, 'always wanted to be a police officer, all his life.' He also commended the council for 'giving my son a second chance,' Alabama.com reported. 'I'm known as a second-chance guy. And I appreciate every time, if any of you want me to stick up for you, the next session you want to be voted in, I will be here for free,' Dog told the committee. He said he is 'very proud of Garry' and 'proud of the decision' that city officials made. Hale, the suspect involved in the chase, has been charged with reckless murder. He is currently being held in the Morgan County Jail without bond. Dog is the larger-than-life bounty hunter who shot to fame in the 2000s with his hit reality series, tracking down fugitives from Hawaii to Colorado with his late wife Beth and their sprawling brood of 13 children. Known for his mullet, wraparound shades and no-nonsense style, Dog became a household name. Dog the Bounty Hunter, 72, attended Monday's hearing and commended the council for 'giving my son a second chance' Chapman was sacked over his involvement in a chase on September 6 that left six people hospitalized and resulted in the death of 17-year-old Tristan Hollis; Chapman pictured on September 7 Chapman grew up in front of the cameras, appearing on the show as a teenager before pursuing a career in law enforcement in Alabama. Beth died of throat cancer in 2019. Over the past three years, Chapman has worked with six law enforcement agencies across the state. He was hired by the Priceville Police Department on January 28, 2025, according to his personnel file which was reviewed by WHNT. In addition to his firing-turned-suspension, Chapman has received at least two written reprimands since he began with the force. One pertained to an administrative error, while the other was in response to words he exchanged with another officer, the documents stated. It was also noted that he has a history of speeding. Despite having only been with the department a short time, Chapman has already been featured on its social media accounts. In April, the department spotlighted him in a Q&A. He revealed that he had been in law enforcement for three and a half years, including time as a corrections officer, and credited his famous father as his inspiration. Chapman (pictured with his wife Nicole) was reinstated at his appeal hearing Monday night after Priceville City Council unanimously voted to repeal his firing. He was instead issued a 10-day suspension without pay. He will be be placed on work probation upon his return and has to retrain with a supervisor 'Even though he wasn't in law enforcement, he always lived by the motto: "Leave people better than you found them,"' Chapman said. 'Watching how he treated others and carried himself with integrity made a huge impact on me. I knew I wanted to follow a path where I could make that same kind of difference. Law enforcement became that path for me.' He also shared that outside of work he enjoyed 'spending time with my family, church and going to the gym focusing on my physical health.' At the time, he was a full-time college student and had just received the 'Outstanding Student in Criminal Justice award.' A white man hurled racist, hate speech at a black woman during an argument over a parking spot in California. The man, who was sporting a 'Pipeliners for Trump' hat, called Madinah Muhammad the N-word during the altercation at an outdoor shopping center in Pismo Beach, a city north of Santa Barbara. The shocking exchange began after the man angrily approached Muhammad and claimed she was blocking a parking spot by leaving her car door open. She informed him she was recording his speech, but this only inflamed the situation further. 'There's a gentleman who wants to park here you stupid b***h,' he yelled, gesturing to a car behind him. Muhammad replied by stating there were other empty parking spots and that the vehicle was free to drive around. However he then grew even more irate and accused her of being homeless because she had luggage in her car. 'Why are you being a c***?!' the man yelled. A white man in a hat that read 'Pipeliners for Trump' was caught on camera yelling racial slurs at a black woman The shocking interaction happened after an argument over a parking space at a shopping center in Pismo Beach, California Madinah said she was traveling and recorded the interaction from her car Madinah explained her luggage was in her car because she is traveling. But the man continued to explode, eventually calling her a 'f***ing n*****.' 'She thinks she can get away with everything,' he fumed. Muhammad continued filming and showed the other empty spots that were available for the men to park in, calling them 'entitled'. The man in the pro-Trump hat hurled the racial slur at her again alongside an obscene gesture. The driver waiting in his car then pulled up to talk to Muhammad who held her ground and directed him to park elsewhere. 'Maybe if you were kinder, I would've [moved], but I'm not obligated,' she explained. There's plenty of shade everywhere. Maybe you should've thought about that before you brought people who called me a n****'. 'I hope you have a nice life. You're holding up traffic. Peace and love to you. See what happens when you're nice. You get whatever you want, you're not gonna get whatever you want talking to me like that,' she continued. Madinah Muhammad recorded the interaction and shared it on her social media pages, which has since gone viral online The offensive tirade was launched after an argument about Madinah's car door blocking another parking spot. A second individual waited in his car during the interaction The man in the hat then pulled up in his black truck to block Muhammad from pulling out of her parking space. Madinah shared the videos on her social media pages on October 1, and the posts have since gained traction online. Thousands of users have rushed to the comments to praise her ability to remain calm as the man yelled hate speech at her. 'There is a space 10 feet away. I don't understand people. I'm really embarrassed for him,' one comment read. 'Her ability to stay level is GOALS!' another added. 'I love how calm you were,' a third wrote. Pismo Beach city manager Jorge Garcia told The San Luis Obispo Tribune that racism had no place in their community. 'People of all races and backgrounds are welcome in Pismo Beach,' he added. The Daily Mail reached out to the Pismo Beach Police Department and Muhammad for additional comment. Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin Tyler Robinson cited Idaho killer Bryan Kohberger as he asked to be allowed to wear civilian clothes and appear without shackles in court. The 22-year-old is facing the death penalty after he was charged with the murder of the conservative commentator at Utah Valley University last month. The alleged killer, who pleaded not guilty, wore a jail-issued vest during his last court appearance. Known as the 'turtle suit,' the outfit is used to keep inmates from committing suicide. But now his lawyers want Judge Tony Graf to allow Robinson to wear his own clothes during hearings. They also asked that Robinson be unrestrained going forward. The defense argued a jury could be swayed by the sight of Robinson in jail clothes and shackles, while civilian clothing would make him, as reported by Court TV. To make their case, they noted a 'highly publicized death penalty case in Ada County, Idaho' - referencing Kohberger, who was allowed to wear a suit and appear without his handcuffs for his pretrial hearings. 'With each development in the case generating thousands of articles and comments online, the likelihood of potential jurors seeing and drawing conclusions regarding Mr Robinsons guilt and or deserved punishment from obvious signs of pretrial incarceration will only increase,' the alleged killer's lawyers wrote. Charlie Kirk 's alleged assassin Tyler Robinson asked to be allowed to wear civilian clothes in court. He is seen wearing a jail-provided vest during his first hearing last month Quadruple killer Bryan Kohberger was allowed to wear a suit and appear without his handcuffs for his pretrial hearings Police say Robinson shot Charlie Kirk dead at Utah Valley University last month 'Indeed, given the pervasive media coverage in this case, the repeated and ubiquitous display of Mr Robinson in jail garb, shackles, and a suicide vest will undoubtedly be viewed by prospective jurors and will inevitably lead to prospective juror perception that he is guilty and deserving of death.' Robinson's lawyers claimed their client's behavior has been 'polite, deferential to jail staff and without any disciplinary issue while in the Utah County Jail.' The defense requested any hearings on the issue be closed to the public. His next court appearance is set for October 30. The 22-year-old has been placed on suicide watch in jail, where his movements will be monitored at all times. He is also not allowed to wear regular prison garb and instead he must wear the special anti-suicide smock at all times. These are made of an especially thick and quilted material that they cannot tear or use to hang or suffocate themselves. Because the fabric is too stiff, the suit cannot be rolled or tied into a noose. Watch cells usually also have cushioned walls and floors so inmates can't injure themselves by banging their heads against them. Authorities arrested Robinson when he showed up with his parents at his hometown sheriffs office in southwest Utah, more than a three-hour drive from the site of the shooting, to turn himself in. Prosecutors have since revealed incriminating text messages and DNA evidence that they say connect Robinson to the killing. Defense attorneys Richard G Novak, left, Michael N Burt, and Kathryn Nester, who are representing Tyler Robinson Authorities arrested Robinson when he showed up with his parents at his hometown sheriffs office in southwest Utah A note that Robinson left for his romantic partner before the shooting said he had the opportunity to kill one of the nations leading conservative voices, 'and Im going to take it,' Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray told reporters before the first hearing. Gray also said Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: I had enough of his hatred. The assassination of Kirk, a close ally of Donald Trump who worked to steer young voters toward conservatism, has galvanized Republicans who have vowed to carry on Kirks mission of moving American politics further right. The President has declared Kirk a 'martyr' for freedom and threatened to crack down on what he called the 'radical left.' Workers across the US have been punished or fired for speaking out about Kirk after his death, including teachers, public and private employees and media personalities most notably Jimmy Kimmel, whose late-night show was suspended then reinstated by ABC. Kirks political organization, Arizona-based Turning Point USA, brought young, evangelical Christians into politics through his podcast, social media and campus events. Many prominent Republicans are filling in at the upcoming campus events Kirk planned to attend, including Utah Governor Spencer Cox and Senator Mike Lee at Utah State University on Tuesday. Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison in July after he pleaded guilty to the 2022 murders of college students Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Kaylee Goncalves in Moscow, Idaho. A grand jury is convening today to consider charges against ex-national security chief John Bolton over sharing classified documents. It comes two months after an FBI raid on the former Trump staffer's Maryland home in search of allegedly stolen 'highly sensitive national security' files. DOJ expects an indictment to be filed against the 76-year-old on Wednesday or Thursday. The case is 'air tight,' sources told the New York Post. Bolton is accused of using his private email account to remove secret information and record detailed minutes of his daily activities during his time in office. Bolton served as an adviser to Trump from April 2018 until the president fired him September 2019. The hawkish military advisor often clashed with Trump's diplomacy-first strategy when engaging with rival countries, such as North Korea or China. In the raid on his home, FBI agents removed a white binder with a the label 'statements and reflections to allied strikes'. Typed documents stuck in folders labeled 'Trump I-IV' were taken from Bolton's home, as well as four boxes containing 'printed daily activities', a DOJ filing said. John Bolton speaks at Harvard Kennedy School's John F. Kennedy Jr Forum, Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, in Cambridge, Mass FBI agents descended on Bolton's home for a raid that lasted over seven hours on August 22 The former UN ambassador had two iPhones, four computers and hard drives, and two USB drives stripped from his property. The FBI warrant also authorized agents to press Bolton's fingers onto devices if his fingerprints were needed to unlock certain devices. Moreover, agents were allowed to hold his devices in front of Bolton's face to unlock them with facial recognition. The warrant was approved by a federal magistrate with the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. The probe into Bolton was first launched in 2020, but it was quashed during President Joe Biden's administration for 'political reasons.' However, FBI Director Kash Patel reopened the high-profile case. Once privy to some of the most classified information in the world, Trump's Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stripped Bolton of his security clearance. The investigation also focuses on Bolton's use of classified documents while writing his memoir The Room Where It Happened. FBI agents removed a white binder with the label 'statements and reflections to allied strikes' from Bolton's property Bolton gestures as he arrives at his house following its search by the FBI, in Bethesda, Maryland, August 22 The 2020 book was critical of Trump's handling of foreign policy during his first term in the White House. Bolton regularly appears in TV interviews criticizing Trump's national security strategy and foreign policy. And in response, Bolton has become one of the former officials that the president has taken aim at since getting back into office nine months ago. Virginia Giuffre claimed Prince Andrew was 'entitled' and saw having sex with her as his 'birthright' in an autobiography released after her death aged 41. Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice is scheduled for release in October, with the manuscript finished before Ms Giuffre took her own life. Within the 400-page autobiography, she reportedly claimed the Duke of York said 'thank you' in a 'clipped British accent' after their alleged encounter when she was 17. In extracts published by The Guardian, she also recalled how Ghislaine Maxwell heaped praise on her after the encounter, saying 'You did well, the Prince had fun'. The explosive book is revolved around Ms Giuffre's years spent as a sex slave to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and his British madam Maxwell. Prince Andrew denied having sex with Ms Giuffre, but forked out millions in an out of court settlement in February 2022. In an extract, Ms Giuffre will give a detailed account of her claimed first meeting with Andrew, which she said happened on March 10, 2001. She claimed the encounter came after she got on a flight from Tangiers, Morocco to London with Epstein and Maxwell. Prince Andrew, Virginia Roberts, aged 17, and Ghislaine Maxwell at Maxwell's townhouse in London on March 13, 2001 Prince Andrew's sex accuser Ms Giuffre is set to release an 'unsparing' memoir from beyond the grave They allegedly headed to Maxwell's house in Belgravia before she was due to meet Prince Andrew. The teenager had allegedly been told by Maxwell it was going to be a 'special day', as 'just like Cinderella' she was going to be dining with a handsome prince. Ms Giuffre claimed Maxwell then helped her select an outfit and asked Prince Andrew to guess the teenager's age. He is alleged to have correctly placed her at 17. 'My daughters are just a little younger than you,' the Prince allegedly said. More than three years after Prince Andrew finalised the civil case brought against him in New York for a reported 12million, the allegations harking back to 2001 continue to dog him. Ms Giuffre sued Andrew, claiming he sexually assaulted her when she was 17 and under the spell of Epstein. The Duke settled out of court but has always vehemently denied any wrongdoing. The book contains 'intimate, disturbing, and heartbreaking new details about her time with Epstein, fellow sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell and their many well-known friends, including Prince Andrew, about whom she speaks publicly for the first time since their out-of-court settlement in 2022', publishers Alfred A Knopf said. The American-born mother-of-three was found dead at her farm in Neergabby, Australia, where she had been living for the past several years, NBC News reported. The 'intimate' tome by Jeffrey Epstein victim Ms Giuffre will be published this autumn, six months after she died Her tragic ending came after a life of tireless advocacy on behalf of herself and other alleged victims of Epstein's sex crimes. Ms Giuffre was born in California in 1983 and was shattered as a grade-schooler when she was sexually abused by a man her family knew. She spent time as a runaway, was shuffled through foster homes and lived on the streets at just 14. She was first forced into sex trafficking by Miami sex trafficker Ron Eppinger. At 16 in mid-2000, her father was working in maintenance at Mar-a-Lago resort, the private club owned by Donald Trump, and got her a job as a locker room attendant. That's when she said she met Maxwell, the daughter of Robert Maxwell, a former member of parliament and publisher of several British newspapers. Ms Giuffre said that Maxwell offered her the opportunity to work as a massage therapist for Epstein. The Daily Mail has contacted Prince Andrew for comment. The furious family of a former Tory minister accused in a new biography of having had an affair with Margaret Thatcher say the claims are 'complete nonsense'. Allegations about Sir Humphrey Atkins's infidelity with Lady Thatcher are made in Tina Gaudoin's The Incidental Feminist - but they have now been dismissed by his children as a cynical publicity stunt. The biography claims Lady Thatcher - long believed to have been faithful to stalwart husband Dennis for over 50 years - in fact had two affairs. These were supposedly with an unnamed MP early in her parliamentary career and then later with Sir Humphrey - who was a minister during her first term as Prime Minister - and she supposedly promoted him and gave him a peerage because she was smitten. But Sir Humphrey's furious son Charles told the Daily Mail that he is certain the story is completely untrue. Mr Atkins said: 'It is vanishingly obvious he [my father] didn't have an affair. 'It's complete nonsense.' Mr Atkins added how neither he nor his two living siblings had been approached by Gaudoin about the claims - and said that they should not be taken seriously. Margaret Thatcher had two affairs while married to her husband Denis, a new book has claimed (pictured: the pair in 1976) Humphrey Atkins served for 32 years as a Member of Parliament, and served in Margaret Thatcher's cabinet from 1979 to 1982 The 72-year-old former barrister went on: 'This woman is trying to sell books.' Meanwhile, a source close to Charles' older sister Sheila, from Devon, agreed with Charles' opinion, saying: 'She won't entertain this story.' Sir Humphrey, who served as Northern Ireland minister under The Iron Lady, was married to his wife Margaret for over 50 years before his death in 1996. Ms Gaudoin has claimed that multiple sources, including the writer and former Tory minister Jonathan Aitken, had told her that Lady Thatcher was involved with somebody else 'very early on in her parliamentary career', and then 'quite possibly' later with Sir Humphrey Atkins, the MP for Spelthorne. Sir Humphrey's son Charles told The Daily Mail that he is certain the story is completely untrue Mr Aitken is said to have told her: 'There were knowledgeable rumours to that effect at the time. His good looks might have appealed to her, but his political brain was hopeless.' Another politician told Gaudoin, she claims: 'The joke about Atkins was that for someone who was not very good, he kept getting promoted. Now why was that?' Sir Humphrey was an MP for 32 years, serving as the chief whip under Edward Heath and in opposition, and then as secretary of state for Northern Ireland between 1979 and 1981 under Thatcher. After being moved to the post of Lord Privy Seal in September that year he worked under Foreign Secretary Lord Carrington - and they both resigned in 1982 in the fallout from the Argentinian invasion of the Falklands. He was granted a life peerage in 1987 and became Baron Colnbrook of Waltham St Lawrence Lord Colnbrook. Lord Moore, who penned Mrs Thatcher's authorised biography, said he had heard the Atkins-Thatcher affair rumour before but had never found any compelling evidence for it. Allegations of the affairs have been made in Tina Gaudoin's new biography about Baroness Thatcher - The Incidental Feminist Sir Humphrey, who married in 1944, spent part of his childhood in colonial-era Kenya - moving back to England after his father was killed by a charging rhinoceros. The new Thatcher biography was published last month, but the story about Lady Thatcher's infidelity only became widely reported after the author's appearance at the Cheltenham Literary Festival this week. The book also analyses Denis's unexpected friendship with Mandy Rice-Davies, the model and showgirl heavily involved in the 1963 Profumo affair. The Daily Mail attempted to seek comment from Mr Atkins' two siblings. A best selling feminist book was pulled from the National Library of Scotland after staff made threats to go public if it was included, an independent report has found. The Women Who Wouldnt Wheesht, a collection of more than 30 essays from contributors including JK Rowling and former Nationalist MP Joanna Cherry, was removed from the National Library of Scotlands centenary exhibition earlier this year. The book about the feminist fightback against Nicola Sturgeons gender self-ID laws caused a major freedom of speech row, and now the report has upheld a complaint against the librarys decision. Conservative MSP Pam Gosal yesterday said: This confirms that the decision by the National Library was not only unjustifiable censorship but had not been properly assessed. Im glad the NLS has accepted that their position was indefensible, but there now needs to be a major shift in thinking by public bodies who have shamefully tried to silence those speaking up for womens rights. It has emerged the LGBT Staff Network claimed the book was discriminatory and exclusionary and including it in the exhibition involved a risk of serious harm to staff and visitors. The report, written by an independent advocate, found that the tone of those indications was threatening and inappropriate and the network had privately threatened to go public if the book was included. The book was then pulled by National Librarian Amina Shah. The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht is a collection of essays by women who opposed the SNP's gender reform legislation JK Rowling contributed to the book, which was not included in a National Library of Scotland event following a backlash from LGBT staff members Among her concerns, the report said, were potential protests at the library which would disrupt the exhibition and operations more widely, with potential for violence directed towards both staff and visitors. It found the decision to withdraw the book was based on inadequate risk assessment, informed by inadequate evidence and consultation. Last month senior library staff met with the books co-editors Lucy Hunter Blackburn and Susan Dalgety and it was put back on the exhibitions shelves. Staff recognised the book may attract controversy but, the report said, it was selected because it added to the diversity of views represented. But in May members of the LGBT Staff Network complained about its inclusion, and with the backing of their union demanded it be pulled as it involved a real issue of harm to staff and the risk of discrimination. Ms Shah consulted with a very small number of public supporters of the library but did not attempt to consult with authors or editors of the book or those who had gender critical views. She said she made the decision under significant time pressure which limited opportunities for consultation. But the independent advocate rejected the time pressure claim. Poet Jenny Lindsay, who contributed to the book, said: The fact that the staff network has been identified as one of the major problems is really important, because these staff networks at universities, unions and loads of other places, have been causing absolute hell for gender critical women. Ms Hunter Blackburn said: We have appreciated the librarys decision to take what happened with our book seriously. A National Library spokesman said: We accept the outcome of this investigation. It supports the decisions we have made to remedy this matter. A MAGA Florida teen has been arrested after he allegedly shot himself in the leg as part of elaborate kidnapping hoax which investigators say he tried to blame on four 'Hispanic men'. Caden Speight, 17, was found with a broken leg caused by a 'self-inflicted' gunshot wound a day after he vanished on September 25, police said. The teen was reported missing after his mother received a text message from his phone alleging four Hispanic men had shot him, bundled him into a white van and taken him hostage. Speight was seen wearing a MAGA hat prior to his disappearance, according to local reports from the time. Police mounted an urgent search effort for the teenager, complete with helicopters and an Amber Alert before he was found 'alive and well' the next day. The Marion County Sheriff's Office said when they arrived at Speight's last known location, they found his truck and suspicious bike tracks leading away from the scene. Crime scene technicians also found a bullet hole through the windshield of Speight's vehicle, suspected blood and the teen's severely damaged cellphone. 'Further investigation and testing revealed that Speight had fired the shot through the windshield, splattered a mixture of blood in the truck and destroyed his cell phone,' a statement from the Marion County Sheriff's Office said. Caden Speight, 17, was arrested on Tuesday after he allegedly staged his own kidnapping and claimed he was shot in the leg by four Hispanic men Police believed the entire ordeal was a 'hoax' Speight planned after discovering he purchased supplies at a Walmart (pictured) before reporting the incident 'Speight then fled the area on a bicycle with camping supplies he purchased at Walmart just before reporting this incident. An eyewitness also advised that he saw Speight leaving the area on a bicycle.' Additionally, investigators discovered that Speight had mentioned running away before, and they located ChatGPT searches on his laptop about collecting his blood without causing pain and Mexican cartels. 'Speight was found with a handgun and the bicycle still in his possession. He attempted to continue the ruse and had a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his leg, which shattered his femur and required medical treatment,' the sheriff's office said. Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said there were 'red flags' very early into the investigation and that officers now believe Speight 'simply rode away towards Williston, while the rest of us were left to think the worst'. 'To continue the ruse, Caden, who had a handgun with him since the beginning of all of this, chose to shoot himself in the leg,' he added. 'There is zero chance that Caden's gunshot wound came from any type of assailant.' Speight was seen wearing a MAGA hat prior to his disappearance, according to local reports from the time He was reported missing on September 25, after his mother received a text message from his phone alleging four Hispanic men had shot him, bundled him into a white van and taken him hostage Crime scene technicians found a bullet hole through the windshield of Speight's vehicle, suspected blood, the teen's severely damaged cellphone, drag marks in the dirt and bicycle tracks leading away from his truck 'At the conclusion of our investigation, a warrant was obtained for Speights arrest. He was ultimately placed under arrest and transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice.' Speight is charged with presenting false evidence, shooting into a conveyance, making a false report and possession of a firearm by a minor on Tuesday over the alleged hoax. In Florida, knowingly filing a false report can be a first-degree misdemeanor or a second or third degree felony. Woods said Speight's parents have 'refused to allow my detectives to speak with him' since he returned home. Amidst the search, Speight's family issued an urgent plea to find him. His sister wrote in a since deleted Facebook post: 'God I just want him home. I cant sleep eat or do anything not knowing where he is and if he is safe. Please dont stop searching or looking. 'There is still little to no information on what happened or where he could be. I dont understand why this has happened. Just bring him home.' Pete Hegseth's jet has made an emergency landing after a high-stakes NATO summit on the Russia-Ukraine war. The Secretary of War's Boeing C-32A was flying over the Atlantic on Wednesday when a crack in the windshield forced it to return to England, stopping at RAF Mildenhall. 'The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe,' chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell posted on X. It comes after a string of European defense ministers were targeted by Russian GPS jamming following meetings to discuss the Ukraine war. Earlier, Hegseth delivered a stern warning to Vladimir Putin that the United States was prepared to use all available military means to bring about the end of the conflict. Hegseth told a meeting of NATO leaders in Brussels: 'If there is no path to peace in the short term... the US War Department stands ready to do our part in ways that only the United States can do.' America 'remains clear-eyed about the fact that the most effective deterrents to Russian aggression are number one: a lethal, capable and European-led NATO, and number two: a combat credible Ukrainian military', he added. His latest remarks contrast sharply with his stance during his February visit to NATO headquarters, where he suggested that US attention would pivot away from Europe in favor of more urgent challenges elsewhere in the world. According to Flight Radar, the plane, a Boeing C-32A, was leaving Belgium but during flight an emergency was declared while flying over the Atlantic, which made them return to the UK Parnell posted on X Wednesday afternoon, saying the Secretary of War's plane had to make an unscheduled landing because of a crack in the plane's windshield Donald Trump's unexpected August sit-down with Putin in Alaska raised alarm in Kyiv and throughout Europe, as many feared the meeting signaled a willingness to entertain Moscow's perspective on the war. In late September, a plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen encountered GPS jamming while flying over Bulgaria, an act widely suspected to be the result of Russian electronic warfare. Just weeks later, a Spanish military jet transporting defense minister Margarita Robles experienced similar interference near Russia's Kaliningrad region en route to Lithuania. In another case, former UK defense secretary Grant Shapps's aircraft faced GPS jamming during its return flight from Poland to Britain. After earning rare global praise for brokering a high-stakes hostage swap and temporary ceasefire in Gaza, President Trump is riding a wave of diplomatic momentum but the stakes are about to get even higher. Since a frosty Oval Office clash in February when Trump and Vice-President JD Vance openly scolded Zelenskyy for what they called a lack of gratitude the dynamic between the two leaders has thawed. Trump has shed his earlier hands-off approach with Putin, shifting instead to a tougher line and declaring that Ukraine could and should reclaim their land. In a fiery September Truth Social post, he dubbed Russia a 'paper tiger' and, for the first time, labeled it the war's aggressor. President Trump is set to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday, marking a shift toward strengthening US-Ukraine relations following months of pressuring Kyiv to make compromises in its conflict with Russia. This came after a recent phone call between the US and Ukrainian presidents discussing the likely transfer of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv, which would enable deeper strikes into Russian territory. While Trump had previously resisted the idea due to concerns about escalating the three-and-a-half-year war, two sources familiar with the conversations say the plan is now under renewed consideration, a topic the two leaders will discuss on Friday. Trump has made threats to send the weapons to Kyiv if Russia's president does not come to the peace table. The Daily Mail reached out to the Pentagon for comment. Miss USA, once known as the most prestigious pageant in the country, has been shunned by TV networks, a new lawsuit revealed. The glitzy and glamorous event has been the subject of several negative headlines in recent years, and although a new head honcho is in town and a pageant is set to kick off next week, drama has continued on. JKN Universe, LLC, the company behind the Miss Universe Organization, which oversees Miss USA and Miss Teen USA, filed a civil lawsuit against VVV Global Ent., the company owned by former Miss USA CEO Laylah Loiczly, on October 3 for damages pertaining to a breach of contract. Loiczly, commonly referred as Laylah Rose, has been the subject of several complaints, including a new one that said her 'mismanagement' has made it difficult for JKN to secure a broadcaster to air the pageant on TV, according to the lawsuit obtained by the Daily Mail. 'In addition to the decreased number of contestants, JKN has been unable to secure a U.S. broadcaster to air or stream the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants in English in light of the public scandals and various publications pointing to or referencing VVVs and Ms. Loiczlys mismanagement,' the filing read. This issue is something the new boss, Thom Brodeur, has his eyes on in a bid to try to rectify the failing pageant. Brodeur previously told the Daily Mail that he believes the pageant needs to meet viewers where they are - on subscription channels, including Netflix, Hulu and more. 'People aren't watching on cable television,' Brodeur said. Miss USA is struggling to get the pageant to air on TV networks, according to a new lawsuit Thom Brodeur was appointed the new CEO of Miss USA in September previously told the Daily Mail he wants to focus on getting the pageant on streaming services The new lawsuit spoke of several previous pageant winners who said they've had alleged horrid experiences with Loiczly, leading them to exit. Noelia Voigt, Miss USA 2023, and UmaSofia Srivastava, who won Miss Teen USA 2023, both resigned their titles in May 2024. Voight, now 25, decided to drop her title due to a 'toxic work environment' that was full of 'bullying and harassment,' per the lawsuit obtained by the Daily Mail. Srivastava, now 18, said her interactions with Loiczly were 'degrading, aggressive, and made [Ms. Srivastava] feel silenced,' per the lawsuit filed. Meanwhile, Addie Carver, who won Miss Teen USA 2024, is still waiting on her $10,000 scholarship that was promised to her for the win, per the lawsuit. When contacted by JKN about the scholarship, Loiczly, whose company, VVV was terminated in July, has 'failed to meaningfully respond,' the lawsuit stated. 'Based on information and belief from State Directors, the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA brands have been substantially tarnished by the apparent actions and/or inactions of Ms. Loiczly and VVV,' it added. Alma Cooper, who won the 2024 Miss USA pageant, was promised 'an annual guaranteed compensation of $100,000.00 for serving as Miss USA,' but she never received it, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit was filed by JKN Universe, LLC, the company behind the Miss Universe Organization, which oversees Miss USA and Miss Teen USA. It alleged VVV Global Ent., the company owned by former Miss USA CEO Laylah Loiczly (pictured in 2023), breached its contract Noelia Voigt, Miss USA 2023 resigned her title in May 2024 due to a 'toxic work environment' that was full of 'bullying and harassment,' per the lawsuit Cooper, who was the first winner that was an active member of the armed forces, also said a costume she needed was not completed in time and she had to front the bill for overweight luggage she brought to a pageant as Miss USA. After hearing of the recent legal filing, Voigt said she felt 'vindicated.' In her official resignation letter, she said Miss USA was taking a 'detrimental mental and emotional toll' on her because of how Loiczly allegedly treated her. 'The facade is crumbling big time,' she told Business Insider. Jackeline Voigt, the beauty queen's mother, told the outlet their family has not heard from the Miss Universe Organization since her daughter turned her crown in. The former Miss USA hopes the new lawsuit might lead to her getting some sort of acknowledgement from the organization. 'I don't need for them to get on their knees and apologize and beg for my forgiveness,' Voight stated. 'I understand that, when it came to my relationship with them, I was temporary. They had a long contract with Laylah, so, in terms of business, their loyalty was with her.' Although she feels like a bit of a weight has been lifted off her shoulders, Voight hopes the pageant organization can help her break free from an NDA she had to sign when Loiczly was CEO. She said the confidentiality agreement has made it hard for her to explore new career opportunities, including participating in speaking events and writing a book. Alma Cooper (left), who won the 2024 Miss USA pageant, was promised 'an annual guaranteed compensation of $100,000.00 for serving as Miss USA,' that she never received Addie Carver, who won Miss Teen USA 2024, is still waiting on her $10,000 scholarship that was promised to her for the win, per the lawsuit 'That's the best way for them to rectify the situation, and I hope they're open to it,' she explained. 'It's my life and my story. This shackle on me, it would feel nice to have it lifted.' Loiczly has denied the allegations made against her in an open letter to ABC news in 2024. 'Such behavior is not accepted, and we can assure you that if such behavior ever occurred, we would take immediate steps to protect our titleholder and provide access to appropriate resources,' she stated. JKN Universe, which is owned by Miss Universe CEO Anne Jakrajutatip, is seeking more than $75,000 in damages from Loiczly for breach of contract, according to the lawsuit. When approached by the Daily Mail for comment, lawyers representing JVK said they 'do not have any comment at this time.' The Daily Mail contacted Loiczly and Voight for comment. President Donald Trump on Wednesday teased a return of federal service members to California to tackle crime and homelessness in the city of San Francisco. The president spoke about his efforts tackling violent crime during an event at the White House with FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi. 'I will be strongly recommending at the request of government officials, which is always nice, that you start looking at San Francisco,' Trump said. The city of San Francisco has suffered from a plague of homelessness, drug use, and increased crime in recent years, despite California spending billions of dollars to try and address the problem. 'I think we can make San Francisco, one of our great cities ten years ago, 15 years ago and now it's a mess,' he said. 'We have great support in San Francisco so I would like to recommend that for inclusion may be in your next group.' Any attempt to send federal forces back into California would set up another clash with Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has repeatedly protested the president's law enforcement efforts in cities within his state. The president touted the success of his administration deploying federal troops to clean up cities like Washington, DC, Memphis, Tennessee, Chicago, and Portland to stop crime. The event put a spotlight on federal troops and FBI agents who may not get paid as a result of the ongoing government shutdown. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference in the Oval Office of the White House Homeless people are seen in San Francisco, California on February 07, 2025 Newsom posted video of Trump's remarks, taking credit for Trump's assertion that it used to be a great city. 'Thank you!' Newsom wrote on social media as he was once the mayor of San Francisco from 2004-2011. Trump blamed Senate Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown, now in it's 15th day. 'As far as the shutdown is concerned, this is a Democratic Schumer shut down,' Trump said. 'He has tried to do it to get relevance back in to the party because he is a loser. I've known him all his life he has always been sort of a loser but an intelligent one.' The president said he would continue to explore ways to make sure members of the military and federal law officials get paid. 'We want the FBI paid, we want the military paid,' he said. Donald Trump has ordered members of the military are paid during the government shutdown. The President has ruled that they will be paid using any available funds from the Fiscal Year 2026 budget that Congress has already appropriated. The decision comes just as Trump's 'hatchet man' Russell Vought issued an ominous warning that more than 10,000 federal workers could end up being fired during the closure, which has entered its second week. 'I think we'll probably end up being somewhere north of 10,000' the budget chief said during a broadcast of the Charlie Kirk Show Wednesday, according to Axios. CNN noted Wednesday that a federal judge in San Francisco ordered the administration to halt the slashing of 4,100 federal positions, determining it to be unlawful. Vought has been dubbed the hatchet man by the President himself. A White House AI video has also depicted him as the Grim Reaper. The presidential order directs the Secretary of War to ensure active-duty US military personnel receive their paychecks on October 15 despite the 'Democrat Shutdown', the White House Rapid Response account wrote on X. Iowa Senator Joni Ernst is the Republican chairman of the Senate DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) caucus which works hand in hand with the Trump administrations Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), as well as Vought's OMB. Ernst noted that 'Democrats doubled down on their Schumer Shutdown and refused to reopen the government even if it meant our service members missed a paycheck. President Trump made sure our brave men and women in uniform did not fall victim to Schumer's Shenanigans.' Donald Trump's presidential order directs the Secretary of War to ensure active-duty US military personnel receive their paychecks on October 15 Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russell Vought has been dubbed the hatchet man by the President himself Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst said: 'President Trump made sure our brave men and women in uniform did not fall victim to Schumer's Shenanigans.' During the 35-day partial shutdown in 2018-2019, approximately 47,000 Coast Guard members were not paid because they're funded through the Department of Homeland Security, which was affected by the lapse in appropriations, per Axios. Speaking from the USS Harry S Truman stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, President Trump said on October 5 that he would call for pay raises for sailors while blaming Democrats for the government shutdown. 'Do not worry about it,' Trump said as he promised to get sailors their money back when the government reopens. Those in attendance that day cheered and clapped. Trump added: 'We have to take care of this little gnat that's on our shoulder called the Democrats. They want to give all our money to illegal aliens that pour into the country.' The Democrats proposals do not provide new federal health benefits to people living in the US illegally. Party leaders are seeking to restore the previous eligibility for certain legal immigrants and non-citizens such as DACA recipients, refugees, and asylum-seekers which were curtailed by Trumps Big Beautiful Bill. One Democratic provision that provides emergency funding to hospitals is money that could be allocated to undocumented immigrants, some argue. Republicans supported a short-term measure to fund the government generally at current levels through November 21 but Democrats blocked it, insisting the measure address their concerns on health care. On October 1, the first day of the shutdown, the President said he would with meet Vought 'to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent.' Vought told House Republicans that many of those workers would be targeted for permanent layoffs to be announced in the next day or two, echoing Trump spokesman Karoline Leavitt's threat that firings were 'imminent.' Trump has emphasized that he views cutbacks as a way of increasing pain on Democrats, arguing that 'we can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them and irreversible by them. Like cutting vast numbers of people out.' But the messaging on layoffs has been mixed, with Vice-President JD Vance saying that workforce reductions are a necessary evil that the administration would rather avoid. Vance told reporters federal agencies were not being targeted based on politics, but added: 'Let's be honest - if this thing drags on for another few days or, God forbid, another few weeks, we are going to have to lay people off.' Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and his House of Representatives counterpart Hakeem Jeffries have dismissed the threats of layoffs as an attempt at intimidation and said mass firings would not stand up in court. Three Senate Democrats have broke with their colleagues to fund the government, but the rest have been voting against a House-passed resolution to keep the government funded. For now, Democrats are dug in on their demands for extending healthcare subsidies before they will agree to a funding deal. Five additional Democratic votes would be needed to reach the 60-vote threshold in the 100-member Senate to green-light the House-passed bill. Hamas says it has returned all the bodies it can locate after handing over the remains of two more hostages on Wednesday night - but 19 loved ones are still unaccounted for. So far, the group has returned nine of the 28 known deceased captives, according to Israel's tally. The IDF confirmed that it collected two caskets containing the apparent bodies of hostages from Hamas in Gaza City on Wednesday evening. The terror group's armed wing said earlier in the day that recovering the remaining bodies would require 'significant effort and specialised equipment.' In a statement, Hamas said: 'The resistance has complied with the agreement and handed over all of its living prisoners and any bodies it could reach. 'The remaining bodies require major efforts and special equipment to retrieve, and we are working hard to close this file.' Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli military said the Red Cross was en route to a meeting point in the northern Gaza Strip to receive several bodies. Hamas says it has returned all the bodies it can locate after handing over the remains of two more hostages tonight - but 19 loved ones are still unaccounted for. Pictured: Hamas militants stand guard as Red Cross vehicles transport the bodies of hostages A Red Cross vehicle transports the bodies of hostages who were held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023, attack, after they were handed over by Hamas militants as part of a ceasefire and a hostage-prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Gaza City, October 15 The IDF confirmed that it collected two caskets containing the apparent bodies of hostages from Hamas in Gaza City earlier this evening Vehicles of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) transporting remains of Israeli hostages handed over by Hamas leave in Gaza City Bodies of two Israeli hostages are handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) by the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas Israeli soldiers salute as a convoy carrying the two bodies passes It did not specify how many, but Hamas' armed wing said it would hand over two. Under the ceasefire agreement, the remains were supposed to be returned by Monday. Israel has called the delays a breach of the deal, saying yesterday that the Rafah crossing would remain closed and that aid into Gaza would be reduced until all bodies were returned. Israel had already threatened to keep Rafah shut and slow aid deliveries, arguing Hamas was returning bodies too slowly - jeopardising the fragile truce that has halted two years of devastating warfare in Gaza and freed all living hostages held by Hamas. However, the militant group returned more Israeli bodies overnight. An Israeli security official said preparations were underway to reopen Rafah to Gazan civilians, while another said 600 aid trucks would soon be allowed in. Seeking to maintain pressure, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would consider allowing Israel to resume fighting in Gaza if Hamas failed to uphold the ceasefire deal he brokered. When militants abducted Guy Iluz (pictured) during Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, his last words to his family were recorded in a phone call: 'Dad, I love you. They shot me' Doris Liber and Michel Iluz, the parents of Israeli hostage Guy Illouz mourn during his funeral in Raanana, Israel October 15, 2025 Released Israeli hostage Matan Angrest attends the funeral of Israeli soldier Daniel Shimon Perez Adina Perez and Shira Perez react during the funeral of their brother, Israeli soldier Daniel Shimon Perez 'Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word. If Israel could go in and knock the crap out of them, they'd do that,' Trump told CNN in a brief phone call when asked what would happen if Hamas refused to disarm. Hamas returned four bodies confirmed as dead hostages on Monday and another four late on Tuesday, though Israeli authorities said one of those was not a hostage. The dispute over the return of bodies still threatens the ceasefire, alongside unresolved issues such as Hamas' refusal to disarm or relinquish control. Israel says the next phase of the truce requires Hamas to cede power - demands the group has so far rejected. It has instead launched a security crackdown in Gaza, including public executions and clashes with local clans. Longer-term elements of the ceasefire plan - such as how Gaza will be governed, the composition of an international stabilisation force, and moves toward a Palestinian state - remain unclear. Nineteen bodies of hostages are believed to remain in Gaza, though some may be unrecoverable due to the destruction. An international task force is meant to locate and retrieve them. Pictured: Palestinians walk in an intersection surrounded by buildings destroyed during two years of Israeli army bombardments in Gaza City The dispute over the return of bodies still threatens the ceasefire, alongside unresolved issues such as Hamas' refusal to disarm or relinquish control Israel says the next phase of the truce requires Hamas to cede power - demands the group has so far rejected. It has instead launched a security crackdown in Gaza, including public executions and clashes with local clans The deal also requires Israel to return the bodies of 360 Palestinians. The first group of 45 was handed over on Tuesday and is being identified, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israelis celebrated on Monday as the final 20 living hostages returned home under the first phase of the ceasefire, while Palestinians rejoiced at Israel's release of around 2,000 prisoners and detainees. Over the next two days, Hamas said it also released the bodies of eight hostages, though the Israeli military later said one was not that of a hostage. The first four bodies returned to Israel were named as Guy Iluz, 26; Bipin Joshi, 33; Yossi Sharabi, 54; and Daniel Peretz, 22. When militants abducted Guy Iluz during Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, his last words to his family were recorded in a phone call: 'Dad, I love you. They shot me.' On Wednesday, his family finally laid him to rest - 740 days after the unprecedented assault - after his remains were returned under the ceasefire deal. His father, Michel Iluz, joined thousands of mourners at the cemetery in Raanana, north of Tel Aviv, where the 26-year-old guitarist lived and worked as a sound engineer. 'How does one eulogise a son, a beloved child?' he said, according to a statement released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. Relatives of hostages whose bodies are still in Gaza Strip shout slogans calling for their release at the plaza known as hostages square, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025 'Welcome Back Home' sign is seen in Habima Square on October 14, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel 'It's hard for me to see or imagine the future without you. They snatched you from me - they murdered you - they kidnapped me and stole my identity and murdered my soul and heart.' He described identifying his son's body at Israel's forensic institute: 'They removed the white sheet, and the first thing I saw was that smile of yours - that optimism, serenity and nobility that so characterised you. I touched you, tried to smell you, caressed every bone in your body. 'Rest now, my sweet one, rest after a journey of two years through worlds unknown to us. I love you, my Guyshuk, my beloved firstborn son.' Guy Iluz was the first of the four hostages returned on Monday to be buried. Of the 251 hostages seized by Hamas and allied Palestinian factions on October 7, 2023, the last 20 surviving captives returned home on Monday under a ceasefire agreement brokered by President Trump. So far, Hamas has handed back the remains of seven of the 28 known deceased hostages - along with an eighth body which Israel says did not belong to a hostage. Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages in the October 7 attack. The ensuing war has killed more than 67,600 Palestinians in Gaza - mostly women and children - according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but maintains detailed casualty records considered generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. Neighbours have recalled hearing two boys scream for help while trapped inside a burning home just moments before the roof collapsed. Jordana Johnson, her son Jordan Norris, 13, and his friend Chazz Mather, 13, were killed when a fire broke out at a home on Whiting Street in Toolooa near Gladstone, Central Queensland, shortly before 6am on Wednesday. The blaze was so fierce it took emergency responders several hours to locate their bodies due to the ferocity of the flames and the extent of the damage. The boys were having a sleepover at the time. As investigations into the fatal blaze continues, a second crime scene was established at a house in nearby Trevally Street on Wednesday afternoon. Police urge anyone with information, CCTV or dashcam, particularly within the vicinity of Whiting, Trevally, Marlin and Emperor streets between 5.30am and 6.05am on Wednesday to come forward. Shocked neighbours recalled hearing two loud explosions and the boys screaming out 'help, help'. It's understood that the gutted home was public housing. Jordana Johnson and her son Jordan Norris have been identified as two of the victims of a horror blaze Chazz Mather, 13, was also killed in the tragedy A fire engulfed the two storey home in Toolooa shortly before 6am on Wednesday. Daily Mail understands that Ms Johnson was a mother-of-three. She has been described as a lovely lady and good mother. 'You couldn't get a better person,' one neighbour wrote online. The tragedy has sparked an outpouring of tributes from grieving loved ones. Chazz's older sister Tia said she cannot believe he is gone. 'You left this world way too early - just 13 years old, wanting to become a professional footy player, trying to chase your dreams,' she said. 'I can't believe this happened my bro. You had your whole life ahead of you. 'I love you endlessly. You will forever be in my heart.' Ms Johnson's niece said she is going to miss her so much and the trio were 'three beautiful souls taken from us too soon'. Ms Johnson has been described as a 'good mother' by devastated locals Jordan's son Jordan Norris, 13, also died in the blaze Friends of the boys said they are still reeling in shock over their sudden deaths. 'Oh my brothers, I can't put into words how much I love and miss you both so much,' one mate wrote. 'You put so much happiness in this f***ed up world and now that you have both left, it's gone. 'I wish I could hug you one last time.' The tragedy has rocked the wider Gladstone community. Mayor Matt Burnett spent some time with grieving relatives on Wednesday. 'My heart breaks for them,' he said. 'I am deeply saddened to hear of the tragic house fire that has claimed the lives of three people. 'On behalf of Gladstone Regional Council and our community, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and those affected by this devastating loss. 'Our thoughts are also with the first responders who attended the scene.' Firefighters arrived to find the home fully alight and spent 90 minutes extinguishing the flames. The bodies of a woman and two boys were later discovered inside the home They were unable to get inside the property for several hours after the top storey collapsed during the blaze. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus were seen going through the smouldering remains, where the bodies of Ms Johnson and the two boys were later found. 'Obviously it is a tragic event,' Chief Superintendent Luke Peachey said. 'At this stage we have not established the identity of those three persons, but we hope to do that as soon as we can.' Supt Peachey said the cause of the fire and whether it was suspicious remains under under investigation. 'It will be a number of days before we know the full circumstances of that fire,' he said. Neighbours recalled being woken by loud explosions and seeing bright orange flames and thick smoke through their windows. 'It sounded like rolling, continuing thunder. We thought it was a thunderstorm. You know how you get like a rolling thunder it sounded like that,' one told The Observer. Firefighters spent almost two hours extinguishing the blaze at the home in Gladstone 'And then just explosions from like gas bottles or something that's all you could hear. 'We looked out the window and saw a big cloud of smoke billowing. It was all just really quick.' Socialist New York City mayoral favorite Zohran Mamdani looked directly into the camera and addressed Donald Trump during a combative interview with Fox News. The left-winger spoke to FOX News Channels The Story With Martha MacCallum about the upcoming election. He remains the frontrunner for City Hall over disgraced governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani answered a question by turning to the camera and admitting that Trump 'might be watching right now' and he wanted to 'speak directly' to the president. 'I will not be a mayor like Mayor Adams who will call you to figure out how to stay out of jail or be a disgraced governor like Andrew Cuomo who will call you to ask how to win this election,' he said. Adams - who had been under federal indictment until Trump bailed him out - exited the race last month after amid criticism about his ties to the administration. Mamdani continued by delivering a direct challenge to Trump. 'I will, however, be a mayor who is ready to speak at any time to lower the cost of living,' Mamdani, a state assemblyman, said. 'That is the way that I will lead the city and the partnership.' He said that he would work with anyone, including Trump, to make his goals of an affordable Big Apple come true. Socialist New York City mayoral favorite Zohran Mamdani looked directly into the camera and addressed Donald Trump during a combative interview with Fox News Mamdani answered a question by turning to the camera and admitting that Trump 'might be watching right now' and he wanted to 'speak directly' to the president 'I want to build not only with Washington, D.C., but anyone across this country,' he said. 'It's important because too often the focus on the needs of working-class Americans are put to the side as we talk more and more about the very times of corrupt politicians like Andrew Cuomo that delivered us into this kind of crisis.' Elsewhere in the interview, Mamdani repeated his promise to apologize to police officers over repeating woke, defund the police rhetoric and reiterated that he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mamdani and Trump have often tested one another in the press since the Democratic Socialist won the Democrat nomination. Last month, Mamdani challenged President Donald Trump to a debate, while calling out the White House for attempting to get involved in the race. He made the comments after a New York Times report which said the Trump administration asked Adams and Sliwa if they would consider abandoning their campaigns to take federal jobs. The idea would be to set up a head-to-head race between Mamdani and former Cuomo, who lost out on the Democratic primary to Mamdani. Trump had suggested that Mamdani could win the mayoral election if the field of candidates isn't cut down, before branding him a communist. Mamdani said he would differ from former Governor Andrew Cuomo (pictured), who the assemblyman said calls Trump for advice He also claimed he wouldn't ask Trump for a job, as he accused current Mayor Eric Adams (pictured) of doing He told reporters before a White House dinner: 'I don't think you can win unless you have one on one, because somehow he's gotten a little bit of a lead. 'I don't think you can win unless you have one on one, because somehow he's gotten a little bit of a lead. I think that's a race that could be won.' When asked by reporters if he would encourage other candidates in the race to drop out, he said no before adding: 'I don't like to see a communist become mayor, I will tell you that.' Even if either of the men were to take Trump up on any potential offer, it would be difficult to have their names removed from the ballot in time. And it would be a substantial risk, betting on New Yorkers to rally behind Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 after multiple accusations of sexual harassment, which he denied. Trump has consistently branded Mamdani a communist, while Mamdani previously labeled himself as 'Trump's worst nightmare'. The president went as far as threatening him with an arrest or even deportation if Mamdani defied his Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this year. Mamdani was born in Uganda and immigrated to the United States at the age of seven, he became a naturalized US citizen in 2018. Mamdani maintains a double digit lead over Cuomo in the polls He also has a wide lead over Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa Trump was born in the Queens borough of the city and pushed his father's real estate business into Manhattan before turning toward politics. He officially moved his primary residence from New York to Florida in 2019, during his first White House term. Relatively unknown when the contest began, Mamdani secured endorsements from progressives including Senator Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. On his way to trouncing the competition in the primary, Mamdani beat out Cuomo and several other candidates. His campaign ran on ideas including free public buses, rent freezes for rent-stabilized apartments, as well as grocery stores that would be owned by the city. Many Republicans in Washington believe Mamdani becoming mayor of New York would serve them well in the midterms as they'd be able to link his extreme liberal policies to their rival Democrats. China stole Britain's state secrets for years using a backdoor into sensitive Whitehall computer systems, it emerged on Wednesday night. The Daily Mail understands that in a catastrophic blunder, the Chinese were allowed to buy a company that controlled a data hub used by government departments to exchange information, including on highly classified projects. Former No 10 aide Dominic Cummings said on Wednesday that the communist superpower stole 'vast amounts' of material, including some with the highest security classification. Boris Johnson's former chief adviser said the disastrous episode had been 'buried' as part of a pattern of Whitehall behaviour in which the 'British state... has prioritised Chinese money over its own security for decades'. The revelation came as Sir Keir Starmer continued to battle claims that the Government played a role in the collapse of a case against two men, one a parliamentary researcher, accused of spying for Beijing. It piles pressure on the Prime Minister to curb Labour's rush to embrace China as it tries to boost its flagging record on the economy. Spying charges against former parliamentary researcher Chris Cash and his friend Christopher Berry were dropped last month, triggering a furious political row. Stephen Parkinson, director of public prosecutions, has laid the blame at the Government's door after deputy national security adviser Matt Collins refused to state that China was an enemy of Britain, scuppering hopes of a conviction under the Official Secrets Act. Then Prime Minister David Cameron with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a State visit to the UK in October 2015 During angry clashes in the Commons, the Prime Minister denied the government had played a role in collapsing the Chinese spy case On Wednesday night the Government published witness statements from Mr Collins made as part of the spy case. He said Chinese intelligence services were 'highly capable and conduct large-scale espionage operations' against the UK, but added the Government was 'committed to pursuing a positive relationship' with Beijing. Mr Cummings recounted an episode in which the then-Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill revealed that China had been able to access top-secret material for years. 'I watched (Boris Johnson) and (Rishi) Sunak both mouth "what the f***?" and stare around in open-mouthed amazement in 2020 when the Cabinet Secretary explained a truly amazing penetration of critical infrastructure,' he said. He said the incident was 'classified to the max' and that no-one was ever fired as a result. Whitehall sources denied on Wednesday night that the network handling the most sensitive government information had been 'hacked' by Beijing. A Cabinet Office spokesman said: 'It is untrue to claim that the systems we use to transfer the most sensitive government information have been compromised.' However, sources did not dispute a claim, first reported on Wednesday by the Spectator magazine, that China had bought a firm controlling a data hub used by the Whitehall network although they insisted all material remained encrypted. On Wednesday night the Government published witness statements from Mr Collins made as part of the spy case Theresa May and the Chinese President during a meeting in Beijing in February 2018 The National Security and Investment Act 2021 was brought in the following year to prevent any repeat. The law gave the Government the power to scrutinise and intervene in business transactions to protect national security. In an interview with The Times, Mr Cummings said the files accessed by China included so-called 'Strap' material, the highest level of classification. 'Some Strap stuff was compromised and vast amounts of data classified as extremely secret and extremely dangerous for any foreign entity to control was compromised,' he said. 'Material from intelligence services. Material from the National Security Secretariat in the Cabinet Office. Things the Government has to keep secret. If they're not secret, then there are very, very serious implications.' Mr Cummings said the disastrous episode had been deliberately covered up by officials. Former security minister Tom Tugendhat confirmed Mr Cummings' version of events, telling LBC Radio: 'Yes... I don't want to go into the details, but the gist of what Dominic Cummings has put out is correct.' Former Tory Cabinet minister Sir Ben Wallace denied the previous government had 'covered up' Chinese spying to avoid embarrassment. Sir Ben pointed out that the last government had banned Chinese telecoms giant Huawei from Britain's 5G network on security grounds. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch speaking during Prime Minister's Questions Mr Cummings said the disastrous episode had been deliberately covered up by officials He added: 'There is a reason that governments do not talk about successful and unsuccessful attempts by our enemies to access our secrets. It's not a conspiracy or a cover-up it's because ambiguity is very important in maintaining our security.' Mr Cummings said No 10 was made aware of the breaches in 2020 but it was unclear when the Beijing purchase was made, putting it potentially under the premierships of Theresa May or David Cameron, who heralded a 'golden era' of UK-China relations. Tory MP Alicia Kearns, who was one of the alleged targets in the collapsed spy case, urged the PM on Wednesday night to halt efforts to deepen trade ties and veto plans for a controversial Chinese mega-embassy in London which are due to be decided next week. 'It is inconceivable in light of this evidence that the Government would continue headlong into deeper relations with the Chinese Communist Party. They must not hand China a mega spy base in the heart of London.' Ms Kearns said Foreign Office chief Sir Ollie Robbins should be recalled immediately from a trip to China, where he is paving the way for a trade mission by Sir Keir in the new year. She added: 'Starmer must stop putting national security second to his desperation for China to fix his and his Chancellor's economic mismanagement.' Parliament's joint committee on the national security strategy also urged housing secretary Steve Reed on Wednesday night to block China's application to build the new embassy in the heart of the City. In an unusual intervention, the cross-party committee said the application was 'not in the UK's national interest'. Former security minister Tom Tugendhat publicly confirmed Mr Cummings's version of events, telling LBC Radio: 'Yes... I don't want to go into the details, but the gist of what Dominic Cummings has put out is correct' Former Tory Cabinet minister Sir Ben Wallace declined to comment on the specific claim made by Mr Cummings but denied the previous government had 'covered up' Chinese spying to avoid embarrassment Matt Western, the committee's Labour chairman, said the proposed location presented 'eavesdropping risks in peacetime and sabotage risks in a crisis' due to its proximity to fibre-optic cables, data centres and telecoms exchanges serving Canary Wharf and the City. During angry clashes in the Commons on Wednesday, the Prime Minister denied the Government had played a role in collapsing the Chinese spy case. Sir Keir told MPs that he was 'deeply disappointed' by the collapse of the case. Downing Street later revealed that the Prime Minister was informed 'a couple of days' in advance that the Chinese spy case was at risk of collapse, but did nothing to intervene. Donald Trump has praised 'beautiful black women' walking around Chicago in MAGA hats as he wages a crime crackdown in the Democrat-run city. 'The people of Chicago are walking around with MAGA hats. You have women, beautiful black women, walking around with MAGA hats,' the president told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. Trump was not specific but black women in MAGA hats have been seen at townhall events in recent months ripping into the Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson. The president made the comment as he touted the popularity of National Guard troops deploying in the crime-ravaged Democratic city, as well as in Washington DC, Memphis, and Portland. He claimed that Chicagoans were saying 'please let the president in and we don't care how he does it, they're not interested in Army, Navy, Marines, they don't care, they just want the crime to stop.' The commander-in-chief said that the success of the deployment of troops in DC in August had made the idea appealing to residents in other cities. Crime plunged by 18 percent in the first month of the deployment in the nation's capital, with violent offenses down nearly half. Trump was holding a press conference alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi to describe his administration's national war on crime. President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi listen as FBI Director Kash Patel speaks during an event in the Oval Office at the White House, Wednesday Chicago residents wearing MAGA hats. Republican support has increased in recent years amid the failed tenure of Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson The administration says it has made 8,700 arrests for violent crimes, seized 2,200 firearms, 421 kilos of fentanyl, 45,000 kilos of cocaine and secured 2,100 indictments. 'I hope the media takes a look at everyone of these charts because these are the best numbers for fighting crime in US history and its only 7 months in,' Patel said. The FBI director said from June to September the administration launched 'Operation Summer Heat' to smash drugs gangs. Trump said: 'Just as were forging peace and stability abroad, were also restoring peace and safety and stability at home.' The president also teased a return of federal service members to California to tackle crime and homelessness in the city of San Francisco. 'I will be strongly recommending at the request of government officials, which is always nice, that you start looking at San Francisco,' Trump said. The city of San Francisco has suffered from a plague of homelessness, drug use, and increased crime in recent years, despite California spending billions of dollars to try and address the problem. 'I think we can make San Francisco, one of our great cities ten years ago, 15 years ago and now it's a mess,' he said. 'We have great support in San Francisco so I would like to recommend that for inclusion may be in your next group.' A woman in a MAGA hat blasts Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson during a meeting about taxpayer money going to migrants in April 2024 A Chicago resident is seen wearing a Make Chicago Great Again hat at a town meeting last year Any attempt to send federal forces back into California would set up another clash with Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has repeatedly protested the president's law enforcement efforts in cities within his state. The event put a spotlight on federal troops and FBI agents who may not get paid as a result of the ongoing government shutdown. Newsom posted video of Trump's remarks, taking credit for Trump's assertion that it used to be a great city. 'Thank you!' Newsom wrote on social media as he was once the mayor of San Francisco from 2004-2011. Trump blamed Senate Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown, now in it's 15th day. 'As far as the shutdown is concerned, this is a Democratic Schumer shut down,' Trump said. 'He has tried to do it to get relevance back in to the party because he is a loser. I've known him all his life he has always been sort of a loser but an intelligent one.' The president said he would continue to explore ways to make sure members of the military and federal law officials get paid. 'We want the FBI paid, we want the military paid,' he said. British border security officers have been sent to the Balkans as part of a new attempt to crack down on people traffickers, the Home Secretary has announced. Shabana Mahmood said the officials would look at whether UK teams could eventually be deployed permanently in the region. A large proportion of small boat migrants travel by land through the Balkans on their way to the French coast and ultimately to Britain. The British taxpayer will also pay for equipment including drones and night vision goggles which will be used by Balkan law enforcement teams to hunt traffickers, the Home Office said. It comes despite Britain handing the French government more than 650million to combat small boats since 2018, to little effect. Despite the huge investment the number of migrants crossing the Channel has soared past 175,000 since the start of the crisis - including more than 36,000 so far this year, up a third on the same point in 2024. The number to have arrived under Labour is now 59,607, after nearly 2,000 came last week alone. Migrants cross the Channel from northern France aboard a 40ft 'mega dinghy' last month Your browser does not support iframes. It is likely to pass the 60,000 milestone within days, after a short period of heavy weather on the Channel. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer scrapped the Tories Rwanda asylum deal as one of his first acts in power last year. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced British officers and equipment will be sent to the Western Balkans in a bid to clamp down on human traffickers The scheme had been designed to deter migrants from crossing the Channel by sending them on a one-way journey to the east African nation to claim asylum there rather than here. Labours flagship scheme, a one in, one out deal to return migrants to France, has so far seen only 26 migrants sent back, while more than 10,500 have reached Britain since the scheme came into force. Ms Mahmood said: Criminal gangs have turned the Western Balkans into a major transit route for illegal migration. I have instructed UK law enforcement to explore all options including deploying operations in the West Balkans to tackle illegal migration routes. I have pledged to do whatever it takes to secure our borders. That is exactly what I am doing. A Home Office spokesman said the move could lead to additional UK law enforcement deployments on Western Balkans soil to use UK expertise to disrupt people smuggling networks. The UK is also sharing techniques to help combat visa and passport fraud in the Balkans, which includes Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. It comes after Ms Mahmood hosted a summit in London of interior ministers from the region. Almost 22,000 migrants were smuggled along routes through the Western Balkans region last year alone. Martin Hewitt, the Home Offices Border Security Commander, said: By working together sharing intelligence and aligning strategies, we will target and dismantle the criminal gangs, who exploit the vulnerable and negatively impact our communities. There are grave fears for a bushwalker missing in the freezing Tasmanian wilderness as the desperate search enters its fourth day. Hobart local Daryl Fong, 30, set off on a day hike in Mount Field National Park on Saturday. He texted a friend early Sunday to say he planned to seek shelter and camp in the park overnight. The friend raised the alarm on Monday after Mr Fong failed to arrive home or make further contact. Police have located Mr Fong's white Subaru where he left it in the Lake Dobson carpark. Search efforts have been hampered by treacherous conditions in recent days, including snow, rain, poor visibility, and gale-force winds. Crews have searched in snow up to a metre deep, supported by wilderness paramedics. About 100 people have visited Mount Field National Park since Saturday, according to police. Daryl Fong set off on a day hike in Tasmania's Mount Field National Park on Saturday and hasn't been seen since The search (pictured) for Daryl Fong has been hampered by extreme weather this week The Hobart local is no stranger to Mount Field National Park and its treacherous conditions 'I ask those people to please consider whether they saw Daryls vehicle in the carpark, or any sign of him, and if they have any witness information that may assist the search, to come forward,' Inspector Luke Horne said. He added that Mr Fong has some outdoor experience and may have suitable gear Mr Fong is a University of Sydney graduate and avid photographer who's familiar with Mount Field National Park and its conditions, according to his social media. 'First hike into Mount Field National Park. Incredible views, not so incredible weather,' a post from 2023 read. Recent extreme weather in Australias wilderness have prompted Chinese authorities to urge citizens travelling to those regions to come prepared. It follows the tragic deaths of three female Chinese tourists in recent weeks. The bodies of two women were discovered by two hiking doctors on October 3, near Cleve Cole Hut, a remote shelter popular with adventurers heading to Victoria Mount Bogong. The desperate search for Daryl Fong will enter its fourth day on Thursday Despite being close to the hut, the pair were found huddled together and exposed on an open plain at Lendenfeld Point, with no protection from the severe weather. A third Chinese woman died while hiking with fellow tourists in Tasmania's Cradle Mountain National Park last month. Another day desperately searching for missing four-year-old Gus Lamont ended with police admitting they have so far found no trace of the boy. Gus disappeared from his grandparents' remote South Australian property near Yunta on September 27 while playing on a mound of dirt. Despite an exhaustive six-day search, authorities called off the operation last Friday, only to resume it four days later on Tuesday. But on Wednesday afternoon, SA Police published an update explaining that there had been no success and the efforts would be constricted the next day. 'The second day of the continuing search for missing four-year-old Gus in the State's Mid North has concluded with no evidence being located,' the statement said. 'More than 100 search team members, including SA Police, ADF members and SES volunteers, have each been walking between 20 and 25 kilometres each day in hot, harsh conditions. 'With temperatures of 36 degrees and strong northerly winds expected in the search area on Thursday, searching is expected to start at sunrise and conclude at midday.' Speaking on radio station FIVEAA on Tuesday, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said the family of Gus have cooperated with police, adding the decision to resume was not due to any new leads. Four-year-old Gus Lamont (pictured) disappeared from his grandparents' remote South Australian property near Yunta on September 27 while playing on a mound of dirt Authorities called off their six-day search operation last week, but the hunt for Gus has been renewed despite challenging conditions for the team members 'This (extended search) is essentially just exploring every possibility, he said. 'We have nothing to suggest foul play at this time, but we're obligated to consider every possibility. 'Our efforts are focused on comprehensively searching the property and we're endeavouring to recover Gus for his family. 'We've done everything we can, based on expert advice, in relation to where we should be searching, but this is making sure we leave no stone unturned.' The search has already covered an estimated 470 square kilometres, with police comparing the effort to searching 100 city centres. The boy's family said they remain 'devastated' and 'deeply distressed.' 'I would describe them as stoic,' Stevens added. 'But you can imagine just how they are feeling, without having Gus and without having answers to exactly where Gus is and what's happened to him. 'This would be traumatic for any family.' The search for Gus ramped up again around a remote Outback sheep station Fresh concern have also been raised about a 40-year-old man named Benjamin who went missing on September 26, just one day before Gus, after being seen driving erratically Police have not confirmed whether they plan to extend the search beyond Friday. Fresh concerns have also been raised about a 40-year-old man named Benjamin who went missing on September 26, just one day before Gus. Benjamin was last seen driving erratically on the Stuart Highway south of Glendambo, a roughly two hour drive from Gus' home. Few details are known about Benjamin, who was travelling in a 2006 Hyundai Getz with Western Australia registration plates 1IGG659. Neither his surname, family situation nor the circumstances that led to him being in the area have been revealed. His abandoned vehicle was found in dense scrub about 10km off the highway at Wirraminna on September 27, the same day little Gus was reported missing. Police conducted a wide-scale search with SES volunteers, drones and local trackers, yet he remains missing. Officers have appealed for anyone who travelled the Stuart Highway between Port Augusta and Glendambo on the afternoon of September 26, particularly those with dashcam footage, to speak to them. Several truck drivers reported being concerned by the vehicle's erratic driving that day. On Saturday, the day after police announced they were scaling back the search for Gus, they renewed their appeal for information to help locate Benjamin. A landmark move to ban trans women from Northern Territory's female prisons has been slammed as fierce debate erupts over inmate safety. Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has declared female prisons should house women only, saying 'If you're born a bloke, you're going to a men's prison'. 'Here in the Northern Territory there are no blokes in women's jails and we're not having that here, not on my watch,' she said on Wednesday. The NT is the first Australian jurisdiction to enact such a policy. Finocchiaro said her Country Liberal Party government was taking a common-sense approach after it was contacted by the Women's Forum Australia, a think tank connected to religious groups and conservative politics. The forum wrote to the prime minister and all state and territory leaders to protest that men were being allowed into women's prisons by claiming a different gender identity. The move prompted the Australian Christian Lobby to also call on the SA government to ban 'biological men' from women's prisons. But transgender and justice advocacy groups have slammed the move. Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro (pictured) has declared female prisons should house women only, saying 'If you're born a bloke, you're going to a men's prison' But trans activists have slammed the forum and Finocchiaro's implication that transwomen are somehow more likely to be violent, highlighting the claims are inaccurate and increase hate Alastair Lawrie, policy and advocacy director at the Justice and Equity Centre, said the decision to place trans women in men's prisons was discriminatory and wrong. 'Prisoners should be housed in correctional facilities that match their gender identity. Trans women are women and should be in women's prisons,' he said. 'Trans men are men and should be in men's prisons.' Prisons manage risk all the time and should do so based on actual risk, not on gender identity or politics, Mr Lawrie said. He said there was no evidence that transgender women were more violent. 'Prisons have a responsibility to prevent sexual assaults against people in their care and that can and should be done without discrimination,' he said. 'Clearly where a person has a history of sexual violence against women, they shouldn't be placed in a cell with another woman.' Justice Not Jails said trans women housed in male prisons experienced disproportionately high rates of sexual assault and physical violence, plus verbal abuse from prison guards. The Country Liberal Party government policy was introduced on prisons after receiving a letter from Women's Forum Australia, a think tank connected to religious groups (stock image) Women's Forum Australia used two examples of trans women being housed in female prisons as evidence for the need for change. A 29-year-old woman, referred to as Katie, was allegedly sexually assaulted by her trans cellmate Krista Richards at a South Australia prison. In a separate case, Autumn Tulip Harper, a 26-year-old trans paedophile, was allocated to a women's prison in Victoria after being convicted of abusing her five-year-old daughter. The forum demanded the immediate removal of trans women from female prisons across the country following the incidents. '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.' Electricity prices will rise by 20 per cent within four or five years unless the Government changes course, the UK's biggest energy supplier warned yesterday. Rachel Fletcher, regulations director at Octopus, said costs - including Whitehall policies such as green levies and regulation - were increasing energy bills. It comes two weeks after the energy price for a typical household rose by two per cent from 1,720 to 1,755 per year. Appearing in front of the energy and net zero committee, Ms Fletcher said: 'If we continue on the path we are on right now, in all likelihood electricity prices for a typical customer are going to be 20 per cent higher in four or five years' time, and that's even if wholesale prices halve. 'The country as a whole at the moment is paying over 20billion a year on their electricity bills for policy costs. Now the projections are that is going to increase.' Electricity prices will rise by 20 per cent within four or five years unless the Government changes course, the UK's biggest energy supplier warned yesterday (Stock photo) She said while some policies were positive, it made the UK's electricity 'some of the most expensive in the industrialised world', adding: 'It's time we got this burden under control.' A spokesman for Octopus later clarified that Ms Fletcher was referring to not just Government policies, but also 'non-commodity costs', which are a combination of costs to run the system, costs to run the grid and policy costs. Simone Rossi, chief executive of EDF UK, called for the easing of regulatory burdens in order to lower prices. He said: 'There are things we can do to reduce them. 'From point of delivery, the cost of serving customers in the UK is about 100 per annum, and in France it is 45 euros. 'This is driven by the fact we have very complex regulation which has become more sophisticated over the years.' A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: 'We categorically reject this speculation. 'Wholesale gas costs for households remain 75per cent higher than they were before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and the main reason energy bills remain high.' Keir Starmer was accused of failing in his duty to defend Britain as it emerged he knew the China spy case was going to collapse but did nothing. The Prime Minister was informed 'a couple of days' in advance that the case against a parliamentary aide and an English teacher accused of passing secrets to Beijing was on the brink, but he did not intervene, Downing Street confirmed. The revelation will anger MPs and Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, who has accused the Government of failing to protect members of the House by allowing Parliament to be 'spied on' and MPs' offices 'infiltrated'. Many MPs believe ministers should have done more to stop the critical espionage case from collapsing amid fears that Beijing has been given a 'green light' to spy on Britain, endangering our national security. Under pressure, the PM announced that evidence in the case would be made public. Shadow national security minister Alicia Kearns, who has been told by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) that she was 'targeted' by China after working with parliamentary researcher Chris Cash, said: 'The Prime Minister's inaction amounts to a failure to fulfil his most basic duty the defence of our country. 'He should have done everything he could to ensure the Government had done all in its power to ensure the case wouldn't collapse, instead he chose inaction. 'Starmer's decision not to act only encourages hostile states. Having failed to act then, he again chooses not to act now, leaving China unpunished. Keir Starmer was accused of failing in his duty to defend Britain as it emerged he knew the China spy case was going to collapse but did nothing 'He should take immediate steps to deter future threats: halt trade negotiations, sanction Chinese Communist Party officials, and refuse to approve their new [London] embassy.' Parliamentary researcher Mr Cash, 30, and his China-based English teacher friend Chris Berry, 33, had been accused of passing secrets to China for a year, which they denied. The two-year prosecution collapsed on the eve of trial after the Government's deputy national security adviser Matt Collins repeatedly refused despite efforts by the CPS to brand China as Britain's enemy. The PM's spokesman said: 'The Prime Minister was made aware of the possibility of the trial not proceeding just a couple of days before the court was informed. The Prime Minister had not seen these witness statements until this morning.' Sir Keir told MPs he was 'deeply disappointed' by the collapse of the case, adding: 'We wanted to see prosecutions.' But pressed on what if anything the PM did when he was told the case was at risk of collapse, his spokesman suggested it was not his role to intervene because the head of the CPS, Stephen Parkinson, makes decisions on criminal cases. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'Keir Starmer had days to intervene and make sure the evidence needed was provided to the CPS evidence which I know exists. 'Instead he sat back and did nothing because he cares more about kow-towing to China to fix his economic mess than he does about national security. 'Keir Starmer was asleep at the wheel. Now hostile states and malign people think they can spy on the UK with impunity. He has let the country down and made us all less safe.' Downing Street confirmed that prior to the case folding, national security adviser Jonathan Powell and Foreign Office chief Sir Ollie Robbins attended a meeting to discuss the case on September 1, which centred on the likely fallout with China when the case opened. One source said: 'The meeting was held on the basis that the case was going ahead. It should not come as a surprise that officials met to discuss the bilateral handling of a case like this.' But the Conservatives pointed out that some ministers and officials had denied the meeting ever took place. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch told the Commons that the case 'stinks of a cover-up' orchestrated by the Prime Minister Tory leader Kemi Badenoch told the Commons that the case 'stinks of a cover-up' orchestrated by the Prime Minister. 'He cannot explain why he could not see this case through. He should have seen this case through,' she said. 'A serious case involving national security has collapsed because this Government is too weak to stand up to China, and if the Prime Minister cannot protect the members of this house, what does that say about his ability to protect the rest of the country?' Sir Keir has blamed the previous Tory administration for not designating China an adversary at the time of the alleged offences. The rich are set to be targeted in the Budget, the Chancellor has revealed. Asked if higher taxes on the wealthy would feature in her crucial statement next month, Rachel Reeves agreed: 'That will be part of the story.' But she denied it would spark an exodus of better-off Britons. 'Last year, when we announced things like the non-doms, like the private equity, like the VAT on private school fees, there was so much bleating that it wasn't going to raise the money that people would leave,' Ms Reeves said during her visit to Washington DC for the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund. 'And that scaremongering didn't pay off, because this is a brilliant country and people want to live here.' Last month she ruled out a 'standalone wealth tax'. Instead, there is speculation she will target the wealthy by hiking capital gains tax rates, making landlords pay National Insurance on rental income or creating higher council tax bands for the priciest properties. Ms Reeves declined to comment on specific measures she will take to fill a black hole put at 30billion. But she vowed: 'In the Budget next month, there won't be a return to austerity.' It came as Ms Reeves blamed Brexit, austerity and the Tories for the grim state of Britain yesterday. Rachel Reeves blamed Brexit, austerity and the Tories for the grim state of Britain yesterday Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride told the Daily Mail: 'The Chancellor should start owning up to her own mistakes' Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. The Chancellor gave the clearest indication yet that she will inflict more punishing tax rises and signalled she is also looking to cut spending. But her claim that the Government was still having to 'undo some damage' from leaving the European Union sparked a backlash. Ms Reeves said: 'Austerity, Brexit, and the ongoing impact of Liz Truss's mini-budget, all of those things have weighed heavily on the UK economy.' The Tories accused her of blaming 'someone else' every time the numbers 'don't add up'. Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride told the Daily Mail: 'The Chancellor should start owning up to her own mistakes and accept responsibility for the poor decisions she has made letting spending spiral, failing to reform welfare, and hammering families with higher taxes to cover her own economic mismanagement. 'A theme is emerging: when things go wrong, it's never Rachel Reeves' fault but it's always your family that pays the price.' Ms Reeves' comments underline Labour's desperate new tactic of trying to blame Brexiteers, including Nigel Farage, for the country's woes. In an interview yesterday, the Chancellor was grilled on concerns that the UK is in a 'doom loop', where she crushes growth by increasing taxing and then has to push the burden up again to make the government's books balance. Ms Reeves mixes gin with Jared Brown, co-founder of Sipsmith, as she visits the Sipsmith distillery in Chiswick, London, on October 9 'Nobody wants that cycle to end more than I do,' she told Sky News, before stressing she 'would not use those words' to describe Britain's position. Ms Reeves effectively confirmed that the Office for Budget Responsibility is downgrading productivity forecasts after years in which they have proved too optimistic. That is one of the main contributors to the strain on the public finances. Pushed that there are 'tax rises coming down the tracks', Ms Reeves replied: 'Yeah, but I think in the terms of the ambition of this government it is big.' Told that she had just agreed tax rises were coming, Ms Reeves said: 'I was really clear during the general election campaign and we discussed this many times that I would always make sure the numbers add up.' Yesterday No 10 would not repeat Labour's manifesto commitment not to hike income tax, national insurance or VAT fuelling speculation the Government could break its promise. Instead, a spokesman for the Prime Minister pointed to Sir Keir Starmer's comments a fortnight ago that the manifesto 'stands'. It came as figures from the International Monetary Fund showed that the UK is already on course to raise taxes at the fastest pace in the G7 group of advanced nations. Ms Reeves effectively confirmed that the Office for Budget Responsibility is downgrading productivity forecasts after years in which they have proved too optimistic They found that revenues which are largely from taxes would rise from 38.3 per cent in 2024 to 40.6 per cent by 2029, as a percentage of gross domestic product. That increase of 2.3 percentage points was larger than Germany, France, Italy, Canada, the US and Japan the other members of the G7. Some of them are even reducing their tax burden over the period. And it equates to around 66 billion of extra taxes at current prices. Martin Beck, chief economist at WPI Strategy, said: 'This is a worrying signal for growth prospects and the UK's ability to narrow the productivity gap with more dynamic economies. 'The productivity-sapping effect of ever-higher taxes threatens to make the UK even more of a laggard.' It came as economists warned Reeves may need to find as much as 42billion next month to stop her 'limping' on to the next Budget. To avoid a 'fiscal groundhog day' next year, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) urged the Chancellor to avoid doing the 'bare minimum' and instead be 'bold'. It warned that rising borrowing costs, weaker growth forecasts and spending commitments made since the Spring could leave her needing to find 22billion. But the IFS said this would only restore the 10billion of headroom Ms Reeves left herself at the last Budget, and suggested she build a bigger buffer. IFS director Helen Miller said: 'There is a strong case for the Chancellor to build more headroom against her fiscal rules. 'That wouldn't be costless but nor is limping from one forecast to the next under constant speculation that policy will be tightened again. Persistent uncertainty is damaging to the economic outlook.' The IFS declined to put a precise figure on how much headroom Ms Reeves should give herself, saying it depended on the Office for Budget Responsibility's forecast. 'If the OBR produces a much smaller downgrade than lots of people are expecting, maybe it is easier to get back to 20 or 30billion headroom,' associate director Ben Zaranko said. 'If the OBR actually produces something that looks really quite negative, then the size of consolidation required maybe starts to look dauntingly big.' Ms Miller said the Chancellor's failure to give herself a big enough buffer at the last Budget had left her exposed - and said the situation facing Ms Reeves was 'to a large extent' of her 'own making'. 'When choosing to operate her fiscal rules with such teeny tiny headroom, Ms Reeves would have known that run-of-the-mill forecast changes could easily blow her off course,' she added. The IFS said implementing a larger 'fiscal consolidation' - tax hikes and spending cuts - would be 'the most straightforward route' to avoiding similar challenges in future years. But it acknowledged that spending cuts would 'pose challenges', while tax rises are not simple due to Labour's manifesto ruling out increases to income tax, national insurance or VAT. The IFS warned against seeking 'large sums from a small number of taxpayers', and said the Chancellor 'should be bold' and reform the tax system to be 'more rational' and impinge less on economic growth. It came as the IFS published its annual 'green budget' setting out the challenges facing the Chancellor ahead of the Budget each year. The green budget also includes analysis from Barclays, which suggests that unemployment could rise to 5per cent in 2026 amid slowing growth and above-target inflation. Jack Meaning, chief UK economist at Barclays, said: 'With the right policy decisions, this near-term challenge can be navigated toward a more favourable medium-term outlook. 'If the Chancellor can avoid delivering an inflationary Budget, headline price growth should ease significantly in the coming months, allowing the Bank of England to cut interest rates further and support households and businesses in driving more balanced economic growth.' Global mayors discuss balancing heritage preservation, modernity in China's Dunhuang Xinhua) 10:58, October 15, 2025 LANZHOU, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- How can cities protect their priceless cultural heritage while navigating the demands of modern development? This question has brought mayors, diplomats and scholars from 10 countries to the ancient Silk Road hub of Dunhuang in northwest China's Gansu Province for thought-provoking discussions. The Global Mayors Dialogue in Dunhuang was themed "A Symphony of Civilizations, Resonance in Harmony," and served as a platform for cities around the world to share their experience in the governance of cultural cities. Against the backdrop of rapid global urbanization, the participants emphasized that striking a balance between preserving history and fostering growth is a common, pressing challenge. "Cities are carriers of civilization, engines of innovation, vital spaces for people to lead happy lives, and the most vibrant entities in civilizational dialogue," Yu Chenghui, a senior official of Gansu Province, said when he addressed at the event's opening ceremony on Monday. He outlined how China has been integrating the strict protection of historical features into urban planning to achieve harmony between the old and the new. He expressed his hope that the dialogue would help countries find new solutions to contemporary issues related to such areas as cultural urban governance, cultural heritage protection and sustainable development, and that it would encourage cooperation to address new global challenges. The host city of Dunhuang -- a living museum that is home to three UNESCO World Heritage sites -- serves as a prime case study of balance. Dunhuang Mayor Zhu Jianjun detailed how the city leverages its profound cultural heritage to drive holistic urban development, demonstrating that heritage can be a core asset for urban enhancement. This model resonated deeply with international delegates. "Dunhuang demonstrates to the world how modern development can achieve harmony by respecting nature and preserving history," said Tigran Poghosyan, head of the Garni Community from Armenia, noting the importance of shared values and potential for cooperation. The dialogue revealed striking similarities between distant cities. Burak Deste, representative of the mayor of Manisa in Turkiye, found common ground between Manisa and Dunhuang in terms of their populations and historical legacy. "Dunhuang's existing practices and successful models are highly inspiring for us," he said, sharing his city's vision for its own heritage preservation and green development. Beyond grand strategies, discussions also delved into innovative tactics for cultural revitalization. The widespread use of Dunhuang's Mogao Grottoes motifs on creative products like stamps and T-shirts caught the attention of Massimo Andreoli, representative of the mayor of Venice in Italy. "This is a very intelligent way to promote the heritage, and at the same time to promote the intangible heritage, because you preserve also the artisans," Andreoli said, praising the city's "authentic" atmosphere, which he said is a rarity in an age of over-tourism. His visit culminated in the signature of a renewed memorandum of cooperation with Dunhuang, turning dialogue into actionable partnership. The gathering's location highlighted that the ancient Silk Road's spirit of connection is more relevant than ever today. Hungarian Sinologist Steven H. Back reflected on this point: "The Silk Road was never only about trade; it was also a long caravan of ideas." In Dunhuang, these mayors and thinkers gathered to ensure that this caravan of ideas continues to move forward, charting a course for cities through which history and progress not only coexist but thrive together. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) A bogus bride-to-be conned relatives into paying more than 12,000 for a fake foreign wedding and then used the cash to settle online bingo debts. Estate agent Charlotte Blackwell, 31, forged flight documents and hotel bookings so guests would hand over money. The serial fraudster, who had previously scammed a children's cancer charity, came up with the scheme after getting engaged to partner Daniel Thomas following a five-year relationship. Blackwell's wedding con victims, costing them 12,682 in total, included future mother-in-law Paula Thomas along with family friends Helen Morse, Sue Chapman and Tracey Roberts. Ms Thomas paid 3,296, Ms Morse 3,311, Ms Chapman 3,272 and Ms Roberts 2,803. Prosecutor Anisha Rai said at her trial in March that Blackwell admitted to police she had been 'falsely arranging' a wedding. She told officers: 'I'm sorry, it was to pay off debts and gambling. I have now put a block to all sites.' Ms Rai revealed Ms Morse had made enquiries 12 months previously with travel agents TUI. Estate agent Charlotte Blackwell (pictured), 31, forged flight documents and hotel bookings so guests would hand over money The prosecutor explained that when Ms Morse provided the booking reference given to her 'she was informed the reference related to a different holiday for an elderly couple that took place the year prior'. Ms Rai added: 'Following this, the defendant sent the victims fake booking confirmations which had been made to look like genuine TUI documents. 'She provided them with fake flight confirmations, fake emails from travel agents and fake bank transactions. She created email accounts to make it seem she had been communicating with agents. 'Ms Morse suspected something was not right with the documents from travel agents as there were spelling mistakes.' Blackwell, from Bridgend in South Wales, pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud. Alice Sykes, defending, said: 'She has shown huge remorse. 'She was going through a difficult time after her daughter had been diagnosed with brain cancer. 'She gave up work to deal with the money issues that came with that and gambled to try to get money back.' Blackwell, who has two children aged ten and three, started to pay back the money, Cardiff Crown Court was told in March. The serial fraudster, who had previously scammed a children's cancer charity, came up with the scheme after getting engaged to partner Daniel Thomas following a five-year relationship Judge Jonathan Rees KC slammed the 'fiction' and 'pack of lies' by Blackwell in her 'shameful' frauds. He ordered her to pay 3,500 in compensation to each of Ms Thomas, Ms Chapman and Ms Morse, and 3,250 to Ms Roberts. She was given a suspended sentence along with 120 hours unpaid work and a rehab requirement. However, the same court heard this week the fraudster failed to turn up for many of her community service orders, attending only 21 out of 34 appointments. Blackwell was fined 50 and told to pay 150 costs for the breaches and ordered to comply. She had avoided jail in August last year after trying to con children's cancer charity Morgan's Army out of 4,000. Blackwell got a suspended ten-month sentence after lying to the charity that her daughter needed treatment in Germany when she was in remission from cancer. After a lifetime in the public eye we know most things about King Charles. But nobody's ever been able to explain his fascination with Romania, the eastern European country which borders Ukraine. For reasons not fully explained Charles has bought not one, but two, houses in its Transylvania region Dracula country. There are no royal connections with the country, except one Queen Marie of Romania, to whom the king's great-grandfather George V once proposed marriage. Marie, a free-spirited and untamed creature, turned George down for two reasons one, he was boring, and two, they were first-cousins. Her father, the Duke of Edinburgh, was Queen Victoria's son and the official family home was Clarence House. She wanted to look further afield for a husband. However, at barely 17 she was pledged to the Crown Prince Ferdinand of Romania in an arranged marriage. It was a disaster from the start. Marie was bored and felt belittled by being dumped in what she saw as a 'tinpot' country where having come from the majesty and grandeur of Britain's royal house she found herself subject to the petty rules of King Carol I, her husband's uncle. King Carol's grandfather had been ruler of a small German principality, with a population of just 44,000, whereas Marie's grandmother Queen Victoria ruled over the world's biggest empire of 300 million. She didn't take kindly to being told what to do. Nine months after her marriage and giving birth to her first child, she begged the doctors for chloroform to ease the pain. They replied, coldly, 'Women must pay in agony for the sins of Eve'. Marie's father, the Duke of Edinburgh, was Queen Victoria's son and the official family home was Clarence House . She wanted to look further afield for a husband Especially when, nine months after her marriage and giving birth to her first child, she begged the doctors for chloroform to ease the pain. They replied, coldly, 'Women must pay in agony for the sins of Eve.' So, to pay them back, Marie went out sinning. According to later reports, her aunt Empress Frederick wrote: 'The King is a great tyrant in his family and has crushed the independence of Ferdinand so nobody cares about him, nor his beautiful and gifted wife. 'I fear she gets into scrapes and like a butterfly, instead of hovering over the flowers, burns her pretty wings by going rather [too near] the fire!' A polite way of putting it - at least three of the six children Marie bore Ferdinand weren't his. Potential fathers included Barbu Stirbey, the country's prime minister, a Romanian general, Zizi Cantacuzino, the US multi-millionaire William Waldorf Astor and Joe 'Klondike' Boyle, a mega-rich Canadian adventurer. Tales of orgies, lovers, a suicide, and drunkenness were to spatter Marie's name with mud over the following years though that didn't stop King Charles from opening a new exhibition of her paintings in London recently. Intrigued by Marie and her story, he visited the Garrison Chapel gallery in Chelsea, London to view her watercolours, which hang alongside some of Charles's own Romanian paintings in a special exhibition. That night, nobody mentioned Her Majesty's fruity past. King Carol I was a tyrant in his family and crushed the independence of Ferdinand so nobody cared about him, nor his beautiful and gifted wife, Marie Intrigued by Marie and her story, Charles visited the Garrison Chapel gallery in Chelsea to view her watercolours, which hang alongside some of Charles's own Romanian paintings in a special exhibition It had all begun soon after her marriage, when her 24-year old brother Prince Alfred of Edinburgh shot himself. The Romanians looked askance at royal suicides, and when news leaked out that Alfred had contracted a secret marriage with the under-age granddaughter of the Irish Duke of Leinster and had caused a scandal in the British royal family, it forced him to turn his gun on himself. The story wasn't true. Instead as one historian put it, 'Alfred drank himself to death'. So from the start the Romanians were watching their British princess closely for signs of alcohol abuse or indeed any other misdemeanour and were not disappointed. By the time she became Queen alongside Ferdinand at the age of 38, they had come to an understanding. He would acknowledge all the children as his own, and she would do the best she could to avoid public scandal. 'They were loyal companions, but their lives only intertwined on certain matters,' wrote one historian discreetly. Marie took comfort in her drab marriage by decking herself out with an array of jewellery, the envy of many nobler royal courts across Europe portraits of her show her with vast arrays of crowns, orders, and gems. But most of all, she's remembered for a whopping 478-carat sapphire known as the Queen Marie Sapphire, naturally the biggest in the world. The 478-carat Queen Marie - the biggest sapphire in the world Queen Marie died in 1938, the most elegant and fascinating woman to sit on a European throne When it sold at Christies in 2003, the jewel fetched 2m, and today would be worth as much as 10m - but her husband had to buy it on the never-never. Romania being a relatively poor country, Ferdinand was forced to arrange an instalment plan for the Cartier jewel. Lavishly smothered in gemstones, she owned at least six tiaras, plus a couple more that got lost in the Russian revolution. But Marie understood the power of an intoxicating combination of beauty, royalty, and jewellery and after the First World War, as politicians dithered over redrawing the map of Europe, she made a spectacular entrance into Paris to claw back the outlying Romanian-speaking regions which surrounded her tiny country. When she arrived in Paris, Romania had a population of 4.4 million. After she'd done talking, it had shot up to an eye-popping 19.5 million a four-fold increase. Back at the palace in Bucharest, it was Marie who now wore the trousers. But after the Second World War, the country was overrun by communism - and that's when the tales of orgies and alcoholism spread like wildfire. State-sponsored histories designed to debunk everything Marie had done in the years since she became Queen were churned out. She had become, and remained, a heroine to the Romanian people - but the communist government did all it could to rewrite history. But then so, too, did Marie seek to do a little rewriting. Diagnosed at the age of 62 with cirrhosis of the liver, she boldly declared: 'Then there must be a non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, because never in my life have I tasted alcohol.' It was a royal porkie - but accordingly, her personal physician declared she'd died of pancreatic cancer. Even as death loomed, Queen Marie remained obsessively image-conscious. She died in 1938, the most elegant and fascinating woman to sit on a European throne in the 20th century. No wonder King Charles went to pay homage to her. 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 The Princess of Wales gave a masterclass in country chic during her day-long visit to Northern Ireland with Prince William. Kate showcased two effortlessly stylish looks, both with a distinct countryside flair - a style long embraced by the Royal Family since Queen Elizabeth II first set the trend. For the couple's first engagement of the day, the Princess underscored her commitment to sustainable fashion by rewearing a striking green coat - marking the fifth outing of the bespoke Alexander McQueen design since its debut in 2020. She completed the ensemble with her trusted Gianvito Rossi brown suede knee-high boots and Daniella Draper shamrock hoop earrings, offering a subtle and thoughtful nod to the region. Later in the day, Kate swapped her coat for a classic Barbour jacket she's owned since 2012. The timeless piece, crafted from waxed cotton with practical patch pockets, perfectly balanced function and style. The latest iteration of the jacket - updated with heavier-weight waxed cotton and a warm tartan lining - is available to shop now, ideal for braving chilly autumn days. The Princess styled it with a Ralph Lauren tweed skirt previously worn during the recent US state visit, a new cardigan from With Nothing Underneath (WNU), and Penelope Chilvers flat suede boots. Take a closer look at Kate's exact outfit and explore our edit of the best waxed jackets on the high street, with options for every budget. Shop waxed jackets on the high street Before becoming the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Kate Middleton first laid eyes on each other while studying at the Scottish university of St Andrews in 2001. From university sweethearts to the power Royal couple of the decade - what followed was the epitome of a fairytale love story, culminating in an picturesque wedding ceremony held at London's Westminster Abbey 10 years later. Yet, while the pair often spoke openly about their undeniable love and support for one another, and with the exception of their momentous nuptials, the couple rarely exchanged loving physical gestures in public in the early days of their marriage. But following the heartbreaking announcement of Kate's cancer diagnosis last year, the world began to witness an entirely different side to the beloved Royal couple. As she embarked on her long road to recovery, and perhaps in a stark show of solidarity as a united pair, over the course of the last 18 months the couple's loving side has been showcased like never before. Seemingly no longer fearful of PDA (public displays of affection), when the Prince and Princess have stepped out for numerous Royal engagements, an increasing number of highly affectionate and tender moments have been captured between the two. Here, Daily Mail takes a look at some of the most romantic moments shared between the future King and Queen Consort as their relationship gradually evolves through the decades. 1. A loving show of display during a visit to Northern Ireland When the Prince and Princess of Wales made a surprise day-long visit to Northern Ireland yesterday, the besotted pair were pictured beaming as they trialed cider. The pair wore large smiles as they roamed through Long Meadow Cider, with Kate lovingly glancing over at her husband as they walked side by side. In a particularly tender scene during the day, Kate was photographed affectionately placing her hand on William's back before the royal couple rode in a fire truck and watched trainee firefighters take part in drills. The pair were seen beaming as they roamed through Long Meadow Cider, with Kate lovingly glancing over at her husband as they walked side by side During their trip to Northern Ireland, Kate was photographed affectionately placing her hand on William's back before the royal couple rode in a fire truck and watched trainee firefighters take part in drills. 2. More loved up than ever! The Prince and Princess share an affectionate moment during the VE Day celebrations Despite being married for more than a decade, Kate and William appeared more in love than ever as they joined the King and Queen at the VE Day celebrations in May. In incredibly sweet scenes, the pair were seen placing their hands on one another's backs in a supportive gesture throughout the Horse Guards Parade. The beaming Princess also seemed to struggle to keep her eyes off her husband as they enjoyed the evening of music in London. Along with showcasing plenty of affectionate looks, the couple proved they can still make each other laugh as they shared several amusing moments. The pair were seen placing their hands on one another's backs in a supportive gesture throughout the event at the Horse Guards Parade to celebrate VE Day in May Along with showcasing plenty of affectionate looks, the couple proved they can still make each other laugh as they shared several amusing moments 3. Love was in the air in Scotland as the pair celebrated their 14th anniversary True to their Scottish roots, the Prince and Princess of Wales were seen looking lovingly at one another as they marked their 14th wedding anniversary during a very special visit to the Isle of Mull in April. Putting on an incredibly loved-up display, Kate was seen joking with her beloved husband while placing a hand on his back as they walked together. Then, to mark the momentous occasion, the couple posted an incredibly romantic picture to their official Kensington Royal social media accounts which showcased the pair lovingly holding each other as they enjoyed a quiet moment at dusk in Tobermory. 'Wonderful to be back on the Isle of Mull,' the caption read. 'Thank you to everyone for such a warm welcome.' True to their Scottish roots, the Prince and Princess of Wales were seen looking lovingly at one another as they marked their 14th wedding anniversary during a very special visit to the Isle of Mull in April The romantic picture was posted on the couple's official Kensington Royal social media accounts and showed the Prince and Princess of Wales lovingly holding each other as they enjoyed a quiet moment at dusk in Tobermory 4. A sign of unity and adoration as the Prince and Princess made their first joint engagement in more than a year As the Prince and Princess of Wales rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in to making Welsh cakes and greeting the public in Pontypridd, Wales, in February, they seemed more loved up than ever. Arriving for their outing via train, Kate and William held hands as they walked through Cardiff Central station, leaning their heads close together and chatting away. Their public displays of affection gave a direct glimpse into their affectionate dynamic behind the scenes, while also a remarkable distinction from their previous shows of formality and slight detachment during while in public. Analysing their body language in the adorable moment, Ms James explained that the obvious warmth and cheer between the couple served as a 'continuation of the love story narrative' seen in Kate's personal cancer video. As the pair were seen beaming arm in arm while they waved to the crowds, Ms James spoke highly of their displays of affection and mutual adoration. She added: It's almost impossible to not smile while you watch them'. Arriving for their outing in Pontypridd, Wales, in February, via train, Kate and William held hands as they walked through Cardiff Central station, leaning their heads close together and chatting away. It marked their first joint engagement in more than a year As the pair were seen beaming arm in arm while they waved to the crowds, Ms James spoke highly of their displays of affection and mutual adoration. She added: It's almost impossible to not smile while you watch them' 5. A tender moment of unity between the pair as Kate navigates her cancer diagnosis in front of the world In September 2024, after months outside of the spotlight since Kate's cancer diagnosis emerged, Kensington Palace released a touching video of the pair and their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis. It made for an unprecedented piece of deeply personal footage, showing an intimate portrait of the Wales family like never seen before. At the centre of the video was a sweet show of affection between the couple as the pair even shared two kisses, despite this being something of a rarity, with the exception of their high-profile wedding kiss in 2011. Speaking to The Mail, body language expert Judi James shared how the video revealed the 'true depth of adoration and love' the Waleses hold for one another'. In September 2024, after months outside of the spotlight since Kate's cancer diagnosis emerged, Kensington Palace released a touching video of the pair. At the centre of the video was a sweet show of affection between the couple as the pair even shared two kisses 6. Moments of reassurance amid a lavish Buckingham Palace reception In November 2023, just months before Kate's devastating cancer diagnosis was revealed, Prince William was spotted placing a reassuring arm around his beloved wife during a reception to welcome President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee of South Korea in London. As William delicately placed a loving hand on his wife's lower back, she proceeded to reciprocate the sweet gesture by placing her hand on her husband's back before holding his hand. The royal couple, who appeared relaxed, walked through the room full of dignitaries hand in hand. Earlier in the day, Kate and William travelled with Mr Yoon and Mrs Kim to a Horse Guards Parade ceremonial welcome, where the King and Queen were waiting. Kate donned a beaming smile as she looked on lovingly at her husband. In November 2023, just months before Kate's devastating cancer diagnosis was revealed, Prince William was spotted placing a reassuring arm around his beloved wife during a reception to welcome President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee of South Korea in London Earlier in the day, Kate and William travelled with Mr Yoon and Mrs Kim to a Horse Guards Parade ceremonial welcome, where the King and Queen were waiting. Kate donned a beaming smile as she looked on lovingly at her husband 7. The look of love - Kate can't help but beam longingly at her Prince during the Trooping the Colour As Kate's first official public appearance since the announcement of her diagnosis earlier that year, all eyes were on the beloved Princess as her and William were set to attend the Trooping the Colour in June 2024. She rode in a carriage with her children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis - and ended the day on the balcony with the Royal Family. But in a particularly sweet moment captured between Kate and William, the Princess of Wales was seen looking over at her husband with a radiant smile, a sign that perhaps through the difficulties of the past year, they could always rely on each other. The couple gazed at each other affectionately while their three children stood in front of them. As Kate's first official public appearance since the announcement of her diagnosis earlier that year, a particularly sweet moment captured Kate looking over at her husband with a radiant smile, a sign that despite the difficulties of the last year, they could always rely on each other 8. A rare celebratory embrace at a charity polo match in Windsor Back in 2022, the Royal couple were also captured sharing an affectionate moment after William won a trophy at the Royal Charity Polo Cup at Guards Polo Club. In other adorable photographs from the engagement, the royals can be seen exchanging intense eye contact before smiling and laughing together. Meanwhile they also exchanged a kiss as the Duchess presented the Duke with a trophy after the match. At the end of the event, the pair were seen walking with their arms affectionately wrapped around each other's waists at the end of the day. According to Ms James, the couple's 'natural chemistry' was on full display that event, a 'signal of the actual depth of their relationship and how they would normally behave with more intimacy when they were out of public view.' Back in 2022, the Royal couple were also captured sharing an affectionate moment after William won a trophy at the Royal Charity Polo Cup at Guards Polo Club. In a rare sign of PDA, they even exchanged a kiss as the Duchess presented the Duke with a trophy after the match According to Ms James, the couple's 'natural chemistry' was on full display that event, a 'signal of the actual depth of their relationship and how they would normally behave with more intimacy when they were out of public view' 9. A delightful smile and loving hold shared between the Prince and the Princess at an Olympic Park visit In October 2022, during a visit to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London, royal fanatics couldn't help but notice Kate's incredible look of love for her husband. The besotted pair were seen laughing and smiling, while Kate also placed a loving hand on her husband's back during the interaction. In October 2022, during a visit to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London, royal fanatics couldn't help but notice Kate's incredible look of love for her husband The besotted pair were seen laughing and smiling, while Kate also placed a loving hand on her husband's back during the interaction 10. A celebratory hug spotted during a triumphant sporting moment at the London Olympic Games Back in 2012, Kate and William left some onlookers shocked with their PDA at the London Olympics. One of the most touching images of the pair, it shows them embracing at the as cyclist Sir Chris Hoy and his team-mates raced to a gold medal at the Velodrome. The couple did not hide their delight - or indeed their affection for each other - while watching the action. It served as a clear sign that despite having spent more than a decade together, they were still a hands-on and tactile pair. Later, William joked that he feared they would be caught on 'kiss cam' at the stadium. He said: 'I was absolutely dreading they were going to come and show myself and my wife. 'That would have been very embarrassing.' Back in 2012, Kate and William left some onlookers shocked with their PDA at the London Olympics. One of the most touching images of the pair, it shows them embracing at the as cyclist Sir Chris Hoy and his team-mates raced to a gold medal at the Velodrome 11. Sealed with a kiss! The moment the world fell in love with the Royal Couple in their first show of PDA When William and Kate said 'I Do' at Westminster Abbey in April 2011, the nation held its breath to see if they would share a moment's kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, reminiscent of Charles and Diana's spectacular wedding 30 years prior. Evidently, by the time the glass doors of the balcony swung open, it was clear that the public knew what they wanted, with the playful crowds already chanting: 'Kiss, kiss, kiss.' Against the background of roaring crowds of delight, the newlyweds sealed the deal with a triumphant kiss. It was to become renowned as one of the most iconic parts of their fairytale wedding day. When William and Kate said 'I Do' at Westminster Abbey in April 2011, the nation held its breath to see if they would share a moment's kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Against the background of roaring crowds of delight, the newlyweds sealed the deal with a kiss As the world continues to fall in love with the heir to the British throne and his beloved Princess, their rare public moments of tender affection capture their undeniable love and support they have privately shared amid some of their most treacherous times. More than 24 years on, and as the Royal power couple eagerly approach their 15-year wedding anniversary, their romance shows little sign of cooling as they undoubtedly look more in love than ever before. On the latest Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things podcast, Princess Diana's biographer Andrew Morton charts the late Queen's relationship with her 'favourite' Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. Britain's most famous statesman was Elizabeth's first Prime Minister, acting as mentor to the 25-year-old Queen following her father's premature death from cancer. Churchill had moved in royal circles long before becoming Prime Minister, as the grandson of the Duke of Marlborough. Meeting two-year-old Elizabeth at Balmoral, he remarked on her 'remarkably equable demeanour'. Elizabeth was 'always in awe' of Churchill, as Morton told the podcast, but the same couldn't be said for her husband, Prince Philip. Early in Elizabeth's reign, Philip saw himself as an outsider and moderniser, pushing the family to be more accessible to the public. As a result, Philip frequently clashed with staunch traditionalist Churchill, who belonged to a generation when the royals were viewed as distant, untouchable figures. Their differences came to a head over the decision to televise Elizabeth's coronation, a move that 'terrified' Churchill. On the latest Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things podcast, Princess Diana's biographer Andrew Morton charts the late Queen's relationship with Winston Churchill Britain's most famous statesman was Elizabeth's first Prime Minister, acting as mentor to the 25-year-old Queen following her father's premature death from cancer Early in Elizabeth's reign, Philip saw himself as an outsider and moderniser, pushing the family to be more accessible to the public Prince Philip and Churchill's 'coronation clash' As Morton recounts, Philip once complained it felt like 'there were three people in the marriage' - himself, the Queen and Churchill. The Queen's relationship with Churchill went far beyond the cordial but professional approach she adopted with later Prime Ministers. Elizabeth relied on the statesman for advice, both personal and political. They had grown close during years of royal crisis - her uncle's abdication, her father's premature death, and her sister's controversial romance with divorced courtier Peter Townsend. Philip had expected time to rise through the naval ranks before George VI's death thrust him into royal duties. As Morton recounts, Philip once complained it felt like 'there were three people in the marriage' - himself, the Queen and Churchill Andrew Morton: 'Churchill and Philip clashed on numerous occasions, most notably over the coronation.' Searching for purpose at Buckingham Palace, Morton describes how Philip positioned himself as the 'great moderniser' of the institution. This new role would immediately put him at odds with Churchill when time came to plan his wife's June 1953 coronation. 'Churchill and Philip clashed on numerous occasions, most notably over the coronation', Morton explained. 'The prince was really into the new technology and wanted the event televised.' Podcast host Hardman added: 'The Queen and Churchill didn't want the TV cameras in there. Philip and the Archbishop did. 'They were terrified of looking like idiots if they got something wrong. 'Philip however, was agnostic and keen to test the limits.' Philip prevailed, and it proved a masterstroke. Some 27 million Brits watched the ceremony, with entire streets gathering around the nation's TV sets. It demonstrated to over half the country that the royals were entering a new, more modern era. To avoid any public mishaps, the Queen diligently rehearsed the event. Hardman said: 'The last thing the Queen wanted to do was get it wrong. She practised like mad.' Reportedly, she wore the notoriously heavy St. Edward's Crown around the palace to adjust to the weight. The Queen also had tape stuck to the floor of the Palace to indicate where she should stand at different points during the ceremony. Although Churchill lost this particular battle, his bond with the Queen remained strong. She made him a Knight of the Garter in spring 1953, and he became Sir Winston Churchill. When he finally resigned as Prime Minister in 1955, she offered him a dukedom to honour his extraordinary service. He famously declined, citing his son's objections to inheriting the title. To learn more about the Queen and Churchill's 'close bond', search for Queens Kings and Dastardly Things, wherever you get your podcasts. Cliffside residents of one of Southern California's wealthiest coastal enclaves were left shaken after part of a seaside bluff recently gave way, sending sections of backyards plunging 200 feet into the Pacific Ocean. But resident Geno Imbriale, who owns a home on the cliff worth $2.5 million, isn't worried, even though his house in Palos Verdes has plummeted in value. 'It's like a drive-by shooting, which house gets hit. You just never know,' Imbriale told the Daily Mail. But despite the landslide risk, he isn't leaving. 'I grew up here, it's home. My wife and my kids, we all love it. I feel like it will stand for another 100 years, maybe more,' he said. The collapse happened last month on Marguerite Drive in Rancho Palos Verdes, about a ten-minute drive from Imbriale's home. Between 300 and 400 feet of the bluff 'sloughed off' into the sea in a crescent-shaped break, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The disaster left a row of multimillion-dollar homes suddenly much closer to the edge than their owners had ever expected. The section of bluff that collapsed on Marguerite Drive in Ranchos Palos Verdes in September Multi-million-dollar homes in Palos Verdes are at risk due to land movement which edges them closer to the ocean Palos Verdes resident Geno Imbriale owns a home on the cliff facing the Pacific Ocean worth $2.5 million, and has no plans to leave despite the risk Imbriale bought his mansion on Narcissa Drive in 2022, and said he never expected the land to be disappearing this quickly. At one point in 2023, he said, the home was moving closer to the cliff at an alarming rate of 17 inches per week. Normally, that number should be two inches. No one was hurt and no houses fell as a result of the landslide in September, though 'significant soil movement has resulted in damage to several backyards,' city officials said in a statement. While splintered fences and mangled patios could be seen hanging over the cliff line, city manager Ara Mihranian described the scene in a statement as an 'isolated land subsidence,' insisting the area remains 'static' and that no evacuations are needed. But in a region built on unstable ground, few are taking comfort. Imbriale said he knows at least a dozen families who have voluntarily left their homes and moved away because they fear they will wake up in the Pacific. 'This is California's version of Russian roulette,' Imbriale said. 'It's really random. There's no rhyme or reason to it.' Imbriale said growing up in the area, he knew about the region's history with natural disasters but never expected it to worsen so quickly. Imbriale's renovated mid-century modern single-level home embraces panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, Catalina Island, and the rolling hills of Rancho Palos Verdes Palos Verdes is stunning but residents watch as their dream homes inch closer to disaster In 2024, homes in Ranchos Palos Verdes had their gas lines shut down due to the 'accelerated land movements' causing 'significant strain on SoCalGas' infrastructure' 'When we bought, the movement had been flatlined maybe one to three inches a year for 30 or 40 years,' he said. 'That's just normal coastal California. The neighborhood's been here 70 years, so we thought: "It's fine." 'We love it here. It feels rural, which is rare in Southern California. You've got space, ocean views, and a small-town feeling.' But when unusually heavy rains hit last year, everything changed. 'That's when the landslide really reactivated,' Imbriale said. 'We have water pumps not far under our homes and roads. The pipes started breaking everywhere, and I saw Wayfarers Chapel I've been to three weddings there get visible damage. That's when I went: "Oh crap."' The chapel, famous for hosting the weddings of movie star Jayne Mansfield and Beach Boys icon Brian Wilson, eventually closed last year due to 'land movement.' In 2024, the damage in the Portuguese Bend neighborhood grew severe enough that the county gas and electric companies pulled out of the area, forcing residents to find their own power sources. The intense damage from landslide activity in the Portuguese Bend neighborhood, where since 2023, over 20 homes have been declared unlivable Residents have been warned to evacuate over the years as cracks deepen and foundations shift in Palos Verdes From the deck of Imbriale's home you can see Catalina and the rolling hills but the earth beneath may no longer be safe 'When the gas company pulled out, it was effective immediately. Same day,' Imbriale told the Daily Mail. 'So we had to go solar, add a propane tank, and a backup generator. It's a long-term investment now, but it's expensive. The gas alone is about double the price.' Rancho Palos Verdes is about 30 miles south of Los Angeles and sits on some of the most unstable soil in the state. Landslides have been reshaping the peninsula throughout history, repeatedly damaging homes, roads, and utilities. The landscape is always shifting. But it's getting worse. In addition to the Marguerite Drive landslide, there have also been small landslides on Portuguese Bend, located about four miles south of the September incident. Slide activity picked up dramatically in 2023, prompting Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency. Nearly 20 homes there have been 'red-tagged,' meaning they're unsafe to occupy. City officials have launched a 'geotechnical review' which will assess the structural integrity of affected homes and continue monitoring the site twice a year. What was once prime real estate is now a danger zone, as the coastline erodes due to severe weather and storms California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency after slide activity picked up dramatically in 2023 'We are concerned. Residents are concerned. The neighborhood is concerned,' city manager Mihranian said in a statement after the Marguerite Drive collapse. 'We are looking into it and working very closely with the property owners that have been affected.' Cleanup costs also fell to private homeowners, as the damage occurred on private land. Officials have urged the public to stay away while the bluff continues to settle. Despite the uncertainty, residents like Imbriale say they're staying put. 'It's scary sometimes,' he said. 'But this is home. You can't beat the view even if the ground underneath it keeps moving.' Millions of buildings and even more Americans could be at risk of sinking underwater by the end of the century. Researchers from McGill University in Canada warned rising sea levels, resulting from continued greenhouse gas emissions, threaten to wipe out coastal cities worldwide. Sea level rise measures the ocean's surface height over time. Level increases can cause flooding in areas that sit near or below the waterline. Greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide from cars and factories, trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, making the planet warmer. Those increased temperatures melt ice caps and glaciers, and also cause ocean water to expand as it heats up. The McGill team revealed that even in the best-case scenarios, where sea levels rise just 1.6 feet by 2100, three million buildings in the Southern Hemisphere alone would be underwater by then. The study is the first large-scale, building-by-building assessment of how long-term sea level rise could affect coastal infrastructure across the Global South, including Africa, Southeast Asia and Central and South America. Researchers used satellite imagery and elevation data to map how many buildings could be inundated under different scenarios, providing critical insights for urban planners and policymakers. While the estimate didn't account for potential damage in the US, Europe and much of northern Asia, where over two billion people live, maps have provided people with the worst-case scenarios for their hometowns. Your browser does not support iframes. The Sea Level Submergence Explorer map revealed how 65 feet of sea level rise could impact New York in a doomsday climate scenario Major cities, including Washington, DC, (pictured) could see historic landmarks submerged by rising sea levels over the next 75 years The data suggested that if emissions are unchecked, sea levels could rise by as much as 65 feet in the examined timeframe. In this doomsday climate scenario, major cities like New York, Washington, Baltimore, Miami, New Orleans, Houston, Oakland and Sacramento could be submerged within the next 75 years. Millions would be impacted in New York City and Washington, DC While the McGill team did not focus on Earth's Northern Hemisphere, its Sea Level Submergence Explorer map painted a grim picture for America's most famous metropolis. New York City would see much of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx end up below the higher sea level. More than 8.5 million people live and work in over a million buildings in New York, all of which could be severely impacted by a dramatic increase in flood risks. The nation's capital, Washington, DC, would also be dramatically affected by out of control sea level rise. The map estimated that the White House and other government buildings would be submerged if sea levels rose by 65 feet over the next century. Professor Natalya Gomez, a study co-author from McGill University, said in a press release: 'Sea level rise is a slow, but unstoppable consequence of warming that is already impacting coastal populations and will continue for centuries. 'People often talk about sea level rising by tens of centimeters, or maybe a meter. But, in fact, it could continue to rise for many meters if we don't quickly stop burning fossil fuels.' Even if the global emissions reduction goals of the Paris Agreement are met, researchers found sea levels would still rise by three feet and flood five million buildings in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America by 2100. The worst case scenario from the Sea Level Submergence Explorer map warned that more than half of the state of Florida could end up underwater by 2100 The entire state of Delaware was submerged in a map showing sea level rise reaching its estimated peak of 65 feet over the next century Florida and Delaware would be devastated This worst-case scenario also projected that several East Coast states, including the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey, would have their beachfront communities wiped off the map. In Delaware, a small state along the Atlantic with roughly one million residents and 200,000 buildings, the damage was projected to be even worse, with almost the entire state falling below sea level. Farther south, Florida's landmass would shrink to just a tiny fraction of what it is today. Cities like Miami, Tampa, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Jacksonville would be submerged by the rising Atlantic. Eric Galbraith, another McGill professor involved in the study, said in a statement: 'Everyone of us will be affected by climate change and sea level rise, whether we live by the ocean or not.' In the Gulf, both New Orleans, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas, would be submerged by catastrophic sea level rise Although the West Coast did not see as much flooding in models of sea level rise, California's capital of Sacramento along with the Bay Area were still pictured as casualties in flooding maps The Gulf states and California would be crippled by floods New Orleans and Houston, two major cities along the Gulf Coast, would also become submerged in this projected nightmare climate situation. New Orleans, home to more than 360,000 people, has already been devastated by regular flooding during hurricane season. A 2024 study published in the Hydrogeology Journal discovered that a large portion of the city sits on soft, squishy soils (peat and clay) that sink when drained or built on. Much of this soil has already rotted after being exposed to the air or has been compacted under the weight of local buildings and roads. Houston has also been significantly affected by flooding during hurricane season on multiple occasions - most notably during Hurricane Harvey in August 2017. The record-breaking rainfall caused catastrophic flooding that inundated over 160,000 homes, killed 68 people and caused $125 billion in damage across southeast Texas. On the West Coast, the Sea Level Submergence Explorer found much less damage even if sea levels rose by the map's maximum estimates. However, California's capital, Sacramento, would be in an area devastated by climate-related floods. The doomsday scenario showed the city of more than 500,000 people would be completely submerged. Nearby coastal cities in the Bay Area, such and San Francisco and San Jose, would also be severely affected. Scientists have used satellite maps to work out how many buildings would be destroyed if sea levels rise between 0.5 metres (red) and 20 metres (yellow). In the worst-case scenario, over 100 million buildings would be flooded in the global south alone The US has been heavily impacted by both flash floods and coast flooding in recently years, particularly in areas near or below sea level. Pictured: A drone view of vehicles partially submerged in flood water following flash floods along the Concho River in San Angelo, Texas, on July 4, 2025 A separate team launched a detailed map revealing US counties most at risk of flooding, pollution, chronic illness and other factors linked to climate change Study authors noted that this would be an extreme situation that could also take much longer to fully play out than anticipated - possibly taking until the year 2300. However, they warned that meeting emissions goals may be the only way of slowing this potential global flooding event. Lead study author Maya Willard-Stepan said in a press release: 'There is no escaping at least a moderate amount of sea level rise. 'The sooner coastal communities can start planning for it, the better chance they have of continuing to flourish.' Climate change advocates think sea level rise can be prevented by using cleaner energy sources like wind or solar power, planting more trees to absorb carbon dioxide, and building sea walls to protect flood-prone areas. NASA has laid off 550 employees at its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) sparking fears some of its missions could be in jeopardy. 'In order to best position JPL going forward, we are taking steps to restructure and establish an appropriate size to ensure future success,' JPL Director Dave Gallagher said in a statement. 'As part of this effort, JPL is undergoing a realignment of its workforce, including a reduction in staff.' Key programmes led from JPL include the Europa Clipper, the asteroidhunting Psyche probe, and the Deep Space Network that NASA uses to communicate with satellites. The space agency also leads several of its Mars missions from JPL, including the Perseverance rover, the Mars sample return, and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Concerningly, these Mars missions have already faced cuts in previous budget plans. While NASA has not explicitly said which missions are affected, Kevin Hicks, a former rover operator for JPL, claimed 'about a third of the Perseverance rover staff' were cut. 'About a third of Perseverance rover staff will be laid off, despite the mission being the penultimate step in a decades long effort to bring samples back from Mars,' he posted on Bluesky. NASA has laid off 550 employees at its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) sparking fears it could leave some of its missions in jeopardy While NASA has not explicitly said which missions are affected, Kevin Hicks, a former rover operator for JPL, claimed 'about a third of the Perseverance rover staff' were cut Former JPL employees suggest that the Perseverance rover (pictured) teams have been hit hard by the layoffs, potentially jeopardising the longanticipated Mars sample return missions In his statement, released on Monday, Mr Gallagher explained that the affected employees came from 'technical, business, and support areas'. He claimed that the layoffs were necessary for the laboratory to be able to 'compete in the evolving space ecosystem'. 'This week's action, while not easy, is essential to securing JPL's future by creating a leaner infrastructure,' he added. 'We are grateful for the contributions of our departing colleagues, whose work has advanced exploration and innovation in ways that benefit us all.' On the JPL Reddit forum, several employees have shared their devastation at having careers and projects suddenly cut short. One wrote: 'We tried to keep a positive, but realistic attitude and we even took a final group photo in front of the JPL concrete logo. However, there's no whitewashing the "doomsdayeve" feeling that's looming over all our heads.' Another shared that 10 per cent of their lab and over 40 per cent of their group had been cut in the layoffs. Others said that they had already started removing personal items from the office in preparation for further cuts. Key programmes led from JPL include the Europa Clipper, the asteroidhunting Psyche probe (pictured), and the Deep Space Network that NASA uses to communicate with satellites This comes against the background of NASA's largest yearly budget cut in its 66year history, giving the agency less money to use than it had in 1961 NASA's historic budget cuts NASA's budget ($ in millions) Area 2025 206 Total 24,838 18,809 Exploration 7,666 8,312 Science 7,334 3,907 Space Technology 1,100 568 Space Operations 4,220 3,131 Safety, Security, and Mission Services 3,092 2,118 STEM Engagement 143 0 Aeronautics 935 588 Construction and Environmental Compliance and Restoration 300 140 Inspector General 47 40 Advertisement Meanwhile, one employee with a decade of experience at JPL told LAist: 'The JPL that we knew is gone.' In an email to employees, seen by Daily Mail, Mr Gallagher wrote: 'Following the workforce action, those continuing with JPL will be notified of their role in the new Lab structure, which will become effective Wednesday, Oct. 15. 'I recognize that this is a tremendous amount of change in a short period of time and will be challenging for our entire community in the coming weeks. 'While not easy, I believe that taking these actions now will help the Lab transform at the scale and pace necessary to help achieve humanity's boldest ambitions in space.' These latest layoffs come amid the looming threat of major cuts to NASA's budget. JPL has already seen multiple rounds of layoffs under the Trump administration, leading to around 855 employees losing their jobs. The Trump administration has gutted funding for the federal science agency, promising to slash the 2026 budget by 24 per cent from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion (18.57 billion to 14.07 billion). While the budget for space exploration will actually be increasing, funding for science will almost be halved in a single year. That has led to massive cuts to research staff and has put many of the agency's most important scientific missions in peril. The 2026 budget cancels 41 science projects, making up a full third of NASA's science plans, according to data collected by the Planetary Society. These missions include the Mars Sample Return programme, which could confirm the existence of life on the Red Planet, and the New Horizons spacecraft, which made the first flyby of Pluto in 2015. By cancelling projects that are already years underway and actively producing research, the Government is potentially throwing away billions of dollars of investment. Just 19 of the biggest ongoing missions, scheduled to be prematurely axed, represent a cumulative investment of over $12 billion (8.99 billion). The planned cuts will also affect several important missions that have yet to start, such as the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which would have measured the light from a billion galaxies in its lifetime. However, it is not clear what effect slashing a further 10 per cent of the JPL workforce will have on the laboratory's ability to deliver its scientific goals. NASA JPL has been contacted for comment. It is a question that feels like it should have a straightforward answer: how many senses do humans have? Growing up, most of us learned that there are five main senses sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. However, it might be time to rewrite the textbooks. Scientists from Scripps Research say the human body has a 'hidden sixth sense', called 'interoception'. Interoception is an 'understudied process', by which your nervous system continuously receives and interprets your body's physiological signals to keep vital functions running smoothly. It helps to explain how your brain knows when to breathe, when your blood pressure drops, or when you're fighting an infection, according to the researchers. Now, the team has received a $14.2 million award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to get to the bottom of this mysterious sense once and for all. 'Interoception is fundamental to nearly every aspect of health, but it remains a largely unexplored frontier of neuroscience,' said Professor Xin Jin, who will lead part of the study. Scientists from Scripps Research say the human body has a 'hidden sixth sense', called 'interoception' (artist's impression) Interoception was first proposed in the early 20th century by a British neuroscientist called Charles Sherrington. However, it was largely ignored by researchers until around 10 years ago. The five classic senses sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch are external, and rely on specialised sensory organs. For example, sight relies on your eyes, while smell requires your nose. In contrast, interoception operates through a network of neural pathways, deep within the body. For this reason, the researchers have dubbed it the 'hidden sixth sense'. While interoception is vital for interpreting how you feel at any given moment, it has been largely unexplored until now. 'Signals from internal organs spread widely, often overlap and are difficult to isolate and measure,' the researchers explained in a statement. Interoception operates through a network of neural pathways (artist's impression), deep within the body. For this reason, the researchers have dubbed it the 'hidden sixth sense' What is the sixth sense? The sixth sense is known as 'interoception'. It helps us to feel and interpret internal signals that regulate vital functions in our bodies. This includes things like hunger, thirst, body temperature and heart rate. Problems with interoception are linked with a range of conditions, including autoimmune disorders, chronic pain, and high blood pressure as well as mental health issues. Advertisement 'Sensory neurons that carry these messages weave through tissuesranging from the heart and lungs to the stomach and kidneyswithout clear anatomical boundaries.' With the new funding, the Scripps Research team will now attempt to chart how sensory neurons connect to a wide range of internal organs, including the heart and the gastrointestinal tract. They will then try to build the world's first atlas of this internal sensory system. Beyond rewriting the textbooks, the researchers say that decoding interoception could have important implications for treating disease. Previous research has shown that problems with neural pathways are linked with a range of conditions, including autoimmune disorders, chronic pain, and high blood pressure. In an article for The Conversation, Jennifer Murphy from Royal Holloway, University of London, and Freya Prentice, from UCL, explained how interoception is also important for mental health. 'It contributes to many psychological processes including decision making, social ability and emotional wellbeing,' the pair explained. 'Disrupted interoception is even reported in many mental health conditions including depression, anxiety and eating disorders. 'It may also explain why many mental health conditions share similar symptoms such as disturbed sleep or fatigue.' Overall, the researchers hope their atlas will answer key questions about how the internal organs and nervous system stay in sync. 'By creating the first atlas of this system, we aim to lay the foundation for better understanding how the brain keeps the body in balance, how that balance can be disrupted in disease and how we might restore it,' Professor Jin added. Flat Earthers have travelled to Antarctica and even attempted to fly to space in homemade rockets in their quest to prove the world is really a flat disc. But you don't need to go anywhere near as far to prove that they are wrong. As one citizen scientist recently showed, you can prove that the world is round without leaving the comfort of your own home. All you need is a security camera, a garage, and some time to pull off this elegant experiment yourself. A time-lapse video shared to Reddit shows how a shadow cast by the garage moves throughout the year. By recording where the edge of the shadow falls at the same time every day, the video shows that the sun's passage actually traces a figure of eight pattern. Scientists call this shape an 'analemma', and it is a fantastically clear way of demonstrating that we really do live on a round ball orbiting the sun. On social media, science fans have praised this brilliant experiment, with one writing: 'I'm a physics student. This is simply one more piece of evidence that agrees with our models of the solar system.' The sun, a garage, and a security camera are all you need to prove that the Earth is round, as this simple experiment elegantly demonstrates On a flat Earth orbited by the sun, the shadows would remain in the same place all year round, something which can easily be proven false (stock image) If you recorded the position of the sun in the sky at the exact same time every day for a year, you would see that it traces a similar figure of eight. This analemma pattern is what causes the shadows on the ground to trace the distinctive lines seen in this video. Analemmas occur because the Earth is moving in an elliptical, or slightly oval, orbit around the sun. Earth's elliptical orbit means that the sun will appear further to the East or West at the same time of day, depending on the time of year. Although it is often claimed that the shape of the orbit alone causes the analemma to appear, the Earth's tilt also plays an important role. Even if Earth's orbit were perfectly round, the sun would still appear to move in a figure of eight because the Earth is tilted on its axis by 23.5. That causes the sun to appear higher or lower in the sky at the same time of day, depending on the time of the year. In a blog post, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explains: 'If the Earth's orbit were circular and the equator was perfectly in line with the orbit around the Sun, then the Sun would appear exactly in the same location in the sky each day at noon. If you record the sun's location at the same time each day, it will trace a figure of eight pattern known as an analemma (pictured). This means that shadows also move in a figure-eight pattern throughout the year What do Flat Earthers believe? People who believe the idea that the Earth is disc-shaped rather than round are called 'Flat Earthers'. Because Earth's surface looks and feels flat when we walk around it, the conspiracy theorists denounce all evidence to the contrary. The leading theory suggests Earth is a disc with the Arctic Circle in the centre and Antarctica, a 150-foot-tall (45-metre) wall of ice, around the rim. Proponents of the bizarre theory also claim the Earth is stationary in space rather than orbiting the sun. Advertisement 'However, the Earth's rotation is slightly inclined relative to the orbit around the Sun, and the path around the Sun is elliptical.' On a flat Earth, with the sun moving overhead, the shadows would always be in the same place. Since we are on a ball spinning on a tilted axis as we move around the sun, shadows on Earth also trace analemmas. Strictly speaking, this experiment doesn't actually prove that the world is round, but rather shows that we are on a tilted axis orbiting the sun. However, what is important is that the evidence of analemmas is compatible with the round Earth model and not with the flat Earth model. One commenter wrote: 'It is, however, evidence consistent with the hypothesis that the Earth is round, a hypothesis with so many other such pieces of evidence that it becomes laughable to ignore them all.' Another wrote: 'Fantastic proof of our elliptical orbit and axis of rotation.' Critically, since these figure-eight patterns fit with the round Earth model, we can also make predictions about how they should behave and check if that holds true. For example, if we are on a round planet, time lapses of shadows taken at the same time of day would trace different shapes depending on where we are on Earth. That means someone in the USA would see a different pattern from the one observed by someone in the UK. To check for yourself, you could conduct the same experiment shown in the video and compare the resulting shapes. If the shape traced by shadows where you live is different, then the world must be round. However, not everyone was so sure that flat Earthers could be convinced by these experiments. One commenter on Reddit complained: 'You can prove the earth isn't flat by looking out of the window and not seeing Everest. Proof isn't going to change their minds.' 'It is, however, impossible to argue against a flat earther using this because even they don't know wtf is going on in their model,' another chimed in. While one commenter joked: 'Someone wilfully embracing a stupid idea isn't going to abandon it because of some elegant geometry.' From the bizarre 'barefoot everywhere challenge' to the rise of socalled 'Sephora Kids', TikTok has given rise to many baffling trends. But the latest trend sweeping the social media platform has been dubbed 'stupid and dangerous' by police. The trend sees teens using artificial intelligence (AI) to pretend a homeless person has broken into their home. They then send the fake photos to their parents, claiming the stranger won't leave, and asking for help dealing with the situation. While many see it as harmless fun, police have now been forced to issue a warning over the prank. Taking to Facebook, Dorset Police explained that it had received a 999 call from a concerned parent, leading to officers being sent out on a blue light response. 'Look, we all love a good laugh and this can sometimes be by an innocent prank,' Dorset Police said. 'However, the "AI Homeless Man Prank" trend is not the one Especially for police.' The latest trend sweeping TikTok platform has been dubbed 'stupid and dangerous' by police. The trend sees teens using artificial intelligence ( AI ) to pretend a homeless person has broken into their home To create the fake images, users snap photos of the rooms in their home, before asking AI image generators like ChatGPT and Gemini AI to add a homeless man in. They then send the images to their parents, and post screen recordings of the interactions on TikTok. 'Hey dad there's this guy at the front door, he says he knows you?' one user texted their dad, alongside an AI image of a homeless man at his front door. A follow-up photo showed the man sitting on the sofa, with the user writing: 'He said you guys went to school together, I invited him in.' In response, the user's father repeatedly tried calling him, also replying on the message chain: 'JOE PICK UP THE PHONE. I DONT KNOW HIM!!!!!. Hello????' Another TikToker revealed that their partner was so concerned that they called the police. 'Well this didn't end the way I expected! Absolutely mortified. Didn't expect him to call the police! Couldn't have said sorry to the police anymore. First and last time copying a TilTok prank,' they said. Dorset Police confirmed that it has received calls from parents, and has even wasted 'valuable resources' on attending supposed situations. To create the fake images, users snap photos of the rooms in their home, before asking AI image generators like ChatGPT and Gemini AI to add a homeless man in. They then send the images to their parents, and post screen recordings of the interactions on TikTok 'If you receive a message and pictures similar to the above antics from friends or family, please attempt to check it isn't a prank before before dialling 999,' it said on Facebook. Beyond the UK, the prank has also proved popular across the pond, where police have deemed it 'stupid and potentially dangerous.' 'Besides being in bad taste, there are many reasons why this prank is, to put it bluntly, stupid and potentially dangerous,' the City of Salem Police Department said. 'This prank dehumanizes the homeless, causes the distressed recipient to panic and wastes police resources. 'Police officers who are called upon to respond do not know this is a prank and treat the call as an actual burglary in progress thus creating a potentially dangerous situation.' Chaos erupted in Indonesia on Wednesday as Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, one of the country's most active volcanoes, blasted lava and ash into the sky. The first eruption struck at 1:35am local time, sending ash and lava six miles high, followed less than nine hours later by a second blast that produced a towering mushroom-shaped cloud nearly five miles tall. Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki is one of more than 450 volcanoes along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a 25,000-mile horseshoe-shaped zone of intense seismic and volcanic activity encircling the Pacific Ocean. Officials raised the volcano's alert level to the highest late Tuesday after detecting deep quakes that often precede explosive eruptions. Geological Agency boss Muhammad Wafid said there had been a 'significant rise in the volcano's activities.' 'People living near the volcano should be aware of the potential volcanic mudflow if heavy rain occurs,' he added. Residents within about four miles of the volcano have been urged to evacuate, Avelina Manggota Hallan of the local disaster mitigation agency said. Flights in the region have been suspended as authorities monitor the ash plume for further disruption. This is a developing story... More updates to come. Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki has erupted twice since early Wednesday morning, forcing evacuations in nearby villages Operations at Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport (MOF) in Maumere, about 37 miles west of the volcano, are suspended until at least October 16, impacting domestic flights in the region. As of now, no closures or widespread flight delays have been reported at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK) or Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS). The ash from Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki's eruption has not yet drifted significantly toward these major hubs, more than 620 miles away, leaving the airspace open. However, airlines are closely monitoring the situation, as an eastward shift of the ash could still disrupt flights to and from Bali or Jakarta. The volcano's previous eruption, in July, caused 24 Bali cancellations when ash spread farther, so situations can evolve quickly. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, standing at 5,197 feet, forms part of the Lewotobi twin volcanoes, alongside Lewotobi Perempuan. The volcano is situated within the Sunda Volcanic Arc, a segment of the Pacific 'Ring of Fire,' known for its frequent seismic and volcanic activity. Geographically, the Pacific Ocean's Ring of Fire stretches from Russia and Japan in the west to the western coast of the US, and down to Antarctica, where it includes Mount Erebus, the southernmost active volcano on Earth. The first eruption struck at 1:35am local time, sending ash and lava six miles high, followed less than nine hours later by a second blast (pictured) that produced a towering mushroom-shaped cloud nearly five miles tall The region also features deep ocean trenches formed by tectonic subduction zones. Because of this vast, interconnected system, a major eruption or earthquake in one part of the Ring of Fire can trigger alerts and concerns around the world. Historically, Lewotobi Laki-Laki has experienced regular eruptions, with significant events recorded in the 19th and 20th centuries. Notably, a 1932 to 33 eruption involved lava dome formation and pyroclastic flows. More recently, the volcano has been increasingly active, with eruptions in 2023, 2024, and 2025, leading to evacuations and flight disruptions. A Christian pastor who accurately foresaw the assassination attempt on Donald Trump three months prior has shared a new vision about a threat in the sky. Brandon Biggs claimed that God showed him a vision of an 'alien' ship flying over the Vatican and Mayan temples in Mexico. 'A major distraction is about to take place,' Biggs said in a YouTube video. 'I said, 'Lord, are there two of these?' And he said, 'No, it's just one.' 'That's what's going to make everybody freak out because they're going to see it moving across the ocean. It's going to be something that's going to be on TV.' The Oklahoma pastor added he saw 'little bitty ships coming out of this mother ship that were balls of light.' 'You say, 'Brandon, that sounds way out there.' Yeah, it is. It was way out there to me. I didn't even want to talk about it, but I'm instructed to,' said Biggs. 'I'm just here to warn you.' The video has gone viral on social media, where users have suggested that Biggs' vision was the interstellar visitor moving through our Solar System. However, NASA has long determined the object, dubbed 3I/ATLAS, is nothing more than a comet from another part of the universe. Brandon Biggs claimed that God showed him a mothership soaring over the Vatican and the Maya Temples in Mexico, leading some people to think it was about the interstellar visitor in our Solar System Biggs shared the vision in July, just weeks after 3I/ATLAS was identified, claiming that it is not aliens, but 'demonic spirits.' 'There is no such thing as aliens. You need to hear me. But there are going to be things in the sky that are going to scare everybody in the days ahead because people are going to go, 'Oh, no. ET really exists.' No, it's fallen angels,' he said. Biggs admitted he did not know when his vision was set to take place, but warned that it would appear as a 'demonic-looking light' in the night sky. His prediction has been met with criticisms online, with many users calling Biggs a 'false prophet.' While there is no scientific or credible evidence to back up the claims, Biggs had accurately predicted the attack on Trump last year. In April, Biggs posted a video detailing what he saw. '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. While there are wild theories about the object, dubbed 3I/ATLAS, NASA has long determined it is nothing more than a comet from another part of the universe Also during the segment, Biggs said he saw red waves in Michigan and Oklahoma during the 2024 Election, which ultimately occurred in both states. Now that those predictions have come and passed, social media users fear the last vision could also come true. Biggs' vision aligns with statements from Harvard Professor Avi Loeb, who speculated that 3I/ATLAS could be of extraterrestrial origin. Loeb has also floated the idea that it is a mothership set to release tiny probes to intercept Earth. Dr Matthew Genge, a planetary scientist from Imperial College London, dismissed Loeb's claims, telling the Daily Mail that 3I/ATLAS is a natural object. 'Little green men certainly aren't responsible!' he added. Loeb said this week that the world will soon know the true origins of 3I/ATLAS, as the object will make its closest approach to the sun on October 29. If it is a comet, it should 'disintegrate into fragments.' 'When a comet gets close to the sun, solar radiation heats its icy nucleus,' Loeb explained. 'Volatile ices like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, or water sublimate directly into gas, carrying away dust and small rocks. 'This process can cause the comet to break apart if the mix of ice and dust cannot withstand the thermal stress.' The European Space Agency's Jupiter probe will have a front-row seat, capturing the moment it either breaks apart or, as Loeb speculated, 'releases mini-probes as a technological mothership.' Loeb noted there is a 30 to 40 percent chance the object 'does not have a fully natural origin,' noting the possibility it is a 'Trojan Horse,' where a technological object masquerades as a comet. The ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) craft will have a view of the object when it comes 125 million miles from the planet and monitor it through November. 'During November and December, terrestrial observatories will also be able to monitor 3I/ATLAS and check whether it disintegrated like a natural comet or released mini-probes as a technological mothership,' Loeb explained. A trio of US B-52H Stratofortress bombers was spotted flying near Venezuelan airspace in what some analysts are calling a bold display of military power. Flight tracking data shows all three bombers departed from Louisiana's Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, starting at 2:50am ET. They flew through the Gulf of America, passing between Mexico and Cuba, before approaching Venezuela and circling over the Caribbean Sea. The mysterious missions come as President Donald Trump is ramping up intense pressure on Venezuela's dictatorship. This effort includes a $50 million bounty on Nicolas Maduro, strikes on drug-running vessels leaving the country, and a significant military buildup in the region. Officials have yet to clarify why the bombers were deployed on Wednesday, leaving their mission shrouded in uncertainty. The move followed warnings from Venezuela that the US military might be preparing for a full-scale invasion. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet. It was built during the Cold War to serve as a long-range strategic bomber capable of delivering massive payloads anywhere in the world. Flight tracking data spotted the three US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers traveling between Mexico and Cuba as it moved closer to Venezuela The bombers took off from Shreveport, Louisiana, starting at 2:50am ET Flight tracking service Flightradar24, along with multiple OSINT social media posts, identified the trio of bombers under the BUNNY01/02/03 mission set, with tail numbers 61-0010, 60-0052 and 60-0033. The bombers were reportedly flying from the US mainland toward the Caribbean at medium altitude. OSINTdefender, an Open Source Intelligence Monitor focused on Europe and Conflicts across the World, said on X: 'Bombers with the 2nd Bomb Wing stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana flew an extremely unusual route earlier today, flying over the Gulf of America, through the Yucatan Channel and over the Southern Caribbean to the south of Cuba and the Dominican Republic. 'The flight was likely part of the Trump Administration's ongoing campaign against drug trafficking off the coast of Venezuela, as a 'show of force' against the Cartels in the country, as well as the Maduro Regime.' The missions come less than a day since Trump announced that the Secretary of War ordered the lethal kinetic on a narco-terrorist vessel off the shores of Venezuela. 'The strike was conducted in International Waters, and six male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike,' Trump wrote to his followers on Truth Social. 'No US Forces were harmed. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!!!!' Venezuelas UN Ambassador Samuel Moncada held an emergency meeting with the UN Security Council last Friday, warning US strikes on its boats were the first steps before an invasion. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet. It was built during the Cold War to serve as a long-range strategic bomber capable of delivering massive payloads anywhere in the world 'The belligerent action and rhetoric of the US government objectively point to the fact that we are facing a situation in which it is rational to anticipate that in the very short term an armed attack is to be perpetrated against Venezuela.' The latest airstrike is the fifth attack directed at alleged Venezuelan drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea. The Trump administration has designated some of the world's largest Latin American cartels as terrorist organizations. Senate Democrats proposed and voted on a war powers resolution would prohibit the Trump administration from conducting strikes on Venezuela with Congressional approval. The bill, however, failed to pass the Senate. Amy Poehler has been criticized by fans after she interviewed her Parks And Recreation co-star Aziz Ansari on her Good Hang podcast. Ansari, 42, has found himself at the center of controversy after he agreed to perform at a comedy festival in Saudi Arabia. The festival featured performances from numerous high-profile comics, including Pete Davidson, Dave Chappelle, Louis CK, Kevin Hart, and Jimmy Carr. However, the comedians have been accused of taking 'blood money' from outraged critics, given Saudi Arabia's track record of human rights abuses and the ongoing repression of political dissidents and religious minorities. Last week, Ansari - who is on the promo trail for his new movie, Good Fortune - was grilled for his involvement during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. However, fans noted that the subject was not touched on at all by Poehler during his podcast appearance. Slammed: Amy Poehler was criticized by fans for failing to mention Aziz Ansari agreeing to perform in Saudi Arabia on her Good Hang podcast Notably, Ansari was also not questioned about the sexual misconduct allegation made against him in 2018 in an anonymous article. At the time, Ansari acknowledged the encounter with the woman but did not admit to misconduct and claimed he believed their interaction to be consensual. He has remained largely out of the public eye in the years that followed, with Good Fortune marking his major return to the spotlight. Yet during his interview with Poehler, the conversation was kept light, with the pair reminiscing about their work on Parks And Rec, and Ansari explaining that he likes to stay off grid without email and using an old flip phone. Fans were quick to call out Poehler for not questioning her friend. Not happy: Fans were quick to call out Poehler for not questioning her friend Support: Not everyone was outraged, with some praising Poehler for the episode Last week, Ansari addressed the Saudi Arabia controversy during an interview with Kimmel. 'Its a pretty brutal regime,' Kimmel reminded Ansari. 'Theyve done a lot of horrible, horrible things.' But Ansari said he had given his performance 'a lot of thought,' and he ultimately decided that 'A comedy festival felt like something thats pushing things to be more open and to push a dialogue. He said: 'You kind of have to make a choice of whether youre going to isolate or engage. For me, especially being me and looking the way I do and being from a Muslim background, it felt like something I should be a part of.' Ansari then vowed to donate a portion to his fee from performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival to organizations including Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders. But on Thursday, Human Rights Watch announced that it 'cannot accept' Ansari's donation, nor donations from any other comedians who performed at the festival and 'generously offered to donate part of their performance fees,' according to a statement to Variety. 'But while we cannot accept, it is not too late for [the comedians] to call for the release of detained Saudi activists,' said Joey Shea, a Human Rights Watch researcher focused on Saudi Arabia. 'Human Rights Watch didnt call for comedians to boycott the Riyadh Comedy Festival, but simply asked them to express their support for free speech by urging the release of Saudi activists unjustly imprisoned,' she added. Iconic: Poehler and Ansari worked on NBC's Parks And Recreation Ansari has kept a low-profile in recent years since being accused of sexual assault. In January 2018, a then 23-year-old Brooklyn photographer who called herself Grace accused the Golden Globe winner of sexual misconduct after they went on a date the year before that she claims was 'violating and painful'. In a Babe.net article that divided public opinion, the woman claimed Ansari repeatedly tried to pressure her into having sex over the course of the night. The woman said she met Ansari at an afterparty for the Emmys in LA on September 17 when she noticed they had both brought the same kind of film cameras. The pair reportedly exchanged phone numbers and later made plans for a date when they had both returned to New York. On Monday, September 25, she said she went to Ansari's swanky TriBeCa apartment, where they drank white wine and talked. 'I didn't get to choose and I prefer red, but it was white wine,' she recalled. Ansari then walked her a few blocks away to Grand Banks, an oyster bar on a historic wooden schooner on the Hudson River, she told the publication. She claimed the dinner proceeded and Ansari seemed in a rush to get her elsewhere. Comeback: Ansari is now returning to the spotlight with his feature directorial debut Good Fortune When the pair returned to his apartment on trendy Franklin Street, she said they kissed, but she declined sex when Ansari offered to get a condom. She claims he performed oral sex on her and then asked her to reciprocate, which she did, and that he stuck his fingers down her throat and allegedly kept moving her hand towards his penis. 'It was 30 minutes of me getting up and moving and him following and sticking his fingers down my throat again. It was really repetitive. It felt like a f***ing game.' When the woman stood up to leave, Ansari insisted on calling a car for her, she claims. He allegedly instructed her to use the name 'Essence' with the driver. The next day, before the woman could figure out what to say to Ansari about the date, he allegedly sent her a text message. 'It was fun meeting you last night,' the message read. The woman responded: 'Last night might've been fun for you, but it wasn't for me. You ignored clear non-verbal clues; you kept going with advances. 'I want to make sure you're aware so maybe the next girl doesn't have to cry on the ride home.' Ansari allegedly replied: 'I'm so sad to hear this. Clearly, I misread things in the moment and I'm truly sorry.' When the article came out, Ansari acknowledged the encounter with the woman but did not admit to misconduct. 'It was true that everything did seem okay to me, so when I heard that it was not the case for her, I was surprised and concerned. I took her words to heart and responded privately after taking the time to process what she had said. I continue to support the movement that is happening in our culture. It is necessary and long overdue,' he said. A brawl inside a Texas Whataburger restaurant over an order mix-up has led to the arrests of seven people. Footage taken inside the San Antonio fast-food joint around 3am last Sunday showed diners arguing before the fight began. Rebecca Noel explained on Facebook that 'part of another table's order was mistakenly brought to' her son Keilin and his friends. The staff at the Whataburger, on 14600 block of Blanco Road in the north of the city, told the other customers that Noel's group had their food, she claimed. Noel wrote: 'Moments later, those individuals confronted my son and his friends, and within seconds, the situation escalated far beyond a simple misunderstanding - to a violent assault.' The video showed a man in light blue jeans and a gray shirt hit another man in the face, leaving him sprawled across a restaurant table. Moments later, another man in an orange shirt and sneakers was caught unloading punches on a separate person on the ground. Shocking: An apparent order mix-up a Whataburger restaurant in San Antonio turned into a violent brawl Screams were heard in the background as the fight continued. The footage continued with three girls on the floor, throwing punches and kicks at one another. A Whataburger employee, who was off-duty when he jumped into a brawl, was fired, the San Antonio Express-News reported. Rachel Mosler Wariner, who identified herself as Keilin's aunt, said the 'most sickening part' of the fight was that her nephew 'was just trying to stop a fight between females.' Detained: San Antonio police arrested seven people after arriving at the scene: Andres Garcia Cardenas, 21; Tyrone Tolliver, 21; Miguel Torres, 57; Meili Torres, 21; Andrew Lopez, 21; Deontae Tolliver, 23; and Veronica Valdez, 53 She commented: 'Being a man who was raised right knows it wasnt right for that to happen! And they jumped him for trying to help the females. 'I am disgusted and appalled at the animal like behavior of these grown men. 'And the poor kid that got knocked down, hit his head on the table, and then was punch punched [sic] in the face when he tried to stand up is absolutely disgusting! 'They will see their day.' Aftermath: San Antonio police arrested seven people at the scene One of the teenagers involved in the fight suffered a concussion, 40 lacerations, a bite mark, a broken wrist and bruised kidneys, liver and ribs, according to CBS Austin. San Antonio police arrested seven people after arriving at the scene: Andres Garcia Cardenas, 21; Tyrone Tolliver, 21; Miguel Torres, 57; Meili Torres, 21; Andrew Lopez, 21; Deontae Tolliver, 23 and Veronica Valdez, 53. Noel's post attached photos of the suspects, as well as of the aftermath of the fight with the police at the scene and blood-spattered floor. A Whataburger employee who was off-duty when he jumped into a brawl was reportedly fired They were charged with assault causing bodily injury and taken to Bexar County Jail, according to CBS Austin. SAPD said a 20-year-old man and woman, plus an 18-year-old man and woman, were considered victims. The seven suspects were released the following morning, per MySA. Noel wrote: 'There is absolutely no excuse for what happened. This never should have escalated to this point. 'Any business that employs or is affiliated with these individuals should be held accountable and made aware of who they have representing them. 'The community deserves to know who these people are before doing business with them.' When travelling, it can be difficult to manage spending due to currency conversions. The golden rule of always paying in the local currency when using a debit or credit card abroad applies, but it can be hard to know how much this equates to when you're making a quick purchase. But it turns out, there is an app with a hidden function already installed on your phone. Your mobile phone's built-in calculator app can be used to convert currencies. On iPhones and iPads, tap the 'Calculator Mode' button, turn on 'Convert,' then choose the currencies you want to convert from and to. This update came with the iOS 18 update last September, but many people still haven't heard about it. There is also a similar feature on Windows, which can be enabled through settings. On Windows, navigate to the navigation menu in the Calculator app and select 'Currency' to perform conversions. The golden rule of always paying in the local currency when using a debit or credit card abroad applies, but it can be hard to know how much this equates to when you're making a quick purchase There is an app with a hidden function already installed on your phone. Your mobile phone's built-in calculator app can be used to convert currencies The Reddit user SkyInJapan shared this discovery on the channel r/JapanTravelTips in a post which has been upvoted more than 400 times. One user commented: 'Wait what?! Thats super convenient.' Another added: 'Dang thank you!!!! This will save me lots of headache.' 'Thanks for sharing! This is so handy, and even when Im buying multiple things, you can add while converting, making the multi-use so useful,' wrote another. On other social media platforms, the discovery has been praised as a 'game changer' for foreign trips. The TikTok user Charlie On His Travels shared a video showing people how to use the feature with the caption: 'Why clutter your phone when you already have this handy tool built in?' The user claims that the app uses Yahoo Finance to work out the conversion rates. TikTok user Nikita's Next Stop shared a similar video where she said: 'If you're a Type A traveller like me, you'll love this hack which will save you money. 'There's a whole list of currencies here, including ones that I didn't even know existed. The currencies are actually updated really regularly as well too, so they're pretty accurate.' This comes as some travellers may be asked to demonstrate sufficient financial in order to enter the Schengen area as part of the new Entry/Exit System (EES) rules. The Schengen demand is: 'Sufficient means of subsistence, both for the duration of the intended stay and for the return to their country of origin or transit to a third country into which they are certain to be admitted, or are in a position to acquire such means lawfully.' The basic principle is: 'The assessment of sufficient means of subsistence may be based on the cash, travellers' cheques and credit cards in the third-country national's possession.' Each of the 29 countries part of the new system - including 25 in the EU, plus Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland will set its own rules on what it deems as 'sufficient'. They may add extra conditions about accommodation and even travel insurance. An elderly woman selling Eastern Orthodox icons from her shop on the Mount Athos border looks concerned on hearing that we come from Britain. How is Carlos? she says. He needs to come here as soon as possible. By Carlos, she means King Charles III, who first set foot on the Holy Mountain in north east Greece shortly after the death of Princess Diana and has visited on several other occasions. He may be the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and Defender of the Faith, but the King has long held a devout interest in the Greek Orthodox Church, into which his father, Prince Philip, was baptized. While receiving treatment for his cancer, the King has had to curtail his travels but has sought spiritual guidance from his friend, Archimandrite Ephraim, Abbot of the Vatopedi monastery, one of 20 religious communities on Mount Athos. Yes, he has been in contact since his diagnosis and I believe hell overcome it, the 67-year-old abbot has told a Greek newspaper. Some 2,000 monks live on Mount Athos, the most easterly of the three Halkidiki peninsulas, about 90 minutes from Thessaloniki. The 130 square mile Mount Athos promontory is a country within a country - protected by Greece but autonomous. Mark Palmer visits Mount Athos, in Greece, which is home to several monastaries - including Vatopedi, where King Charles has been known to seek spiritual guidance King Charles first set foot on the Holy Mountain in north east Greece shortly after the death of Princess Diana, and has reportedly visited on several other occasions Some 2,000 monks live on Mount Athos, the most easterly of the three Halkidiki peninsulas, about 90 minutes from Thessaloniki You can apply to stay, free of charge, in one of the monasteries, some of which cling to the spectacular rock face overlooking the Aegean Sea, but you will be expected to rise at 3am for prayers and work to earn your keep. The you needs clarification. No women are allowed within 500 metres of the coastline. Even female domestic animals are banned apart from cats. Which is why at first it feels almost rude to stroll barefoot on the mile long beach, refreshment in hand, at the Eagles Palace hotel, with austere Mount Athos looming large in the distance. But after less than 24 hours, any such thoughts are dissolved, not least because, despite its size (157 rooms in the main building and 42 villas with pools on the hill above it) theres a serenity about this family-owned resort, in part due to the exceptionable kindness of the young staff. It occupies a fabulous position on a sublime stretch of beach a mixture of sand and shingles with views across to the island of Ammouliani, famous for its pristine clear water. At times, theres almost a Caribbean vibe, but with superior food. On our first night, we eat in the hotels taverna on a pontoon by the beach, where the home-made tzatziki belongs to a different universe from those plastic tubs you find in our supermarkets. There are four other restaurants, all at different price points; a fabulous spa and various childrens clubs but theres so much room that it never feels crowded. While male visitors are able to stay at one of the monasteries free of charge, Mark opts for the family-owned Eagles Palace resort, with 157 rooms in the main building, and 42 villas wih pools After a couple of days, we start wondering why so many Britons flock to the often-crowded Greek islands when the mainland has so much to offer. But, of course, no other part of the mainland has a holy mountain in its midst. The closest village to Mount Athos is Ouranoupoli. As soon as you try to pronounce it, the taxi driver knows where you mean. The Byzantine tower of Ouranoupoli is its main landmark, built in the 13th century and standing on the edge of the harbour, visible from miles away as if serving as an unilluminated lighthouse. On the one main street, many of the shops sell the exact same things: garish depictions of Orthodox saints, crosses, chalices studded with jewels. Visiting monks in black robes and with long grey beards lend the place a sense of other worldliness as they mingle with those who are here at the start or finish of what could be a life-changing pilgrimage. The best way to see the monasteries is by boat. You can board a public one from Ouranoupoli, with a recorded commentary, but if staying at the Eagles Resort, theres the chance to experiencing it with the hotels boatman, who knows his stuff. Rather than a guidebook we take with us, the acclaimed account of Mount Athos, written by Robert Byron in 1927 when he was only 22. 'The closest village to Mount Athos is Ouranoupoli. As soon as you try to pronounce it, the taxi driver knows where you mean,' says Mark Its called The Station and we wonder why. Only in the final paragraph does it become clear when Byron (no relation to Lord Byron) writes how there is a lament in the winds talk to the marrows of lifewhere the dark is moving up from the water. There, carried high on a bank of clouds, hovers a shape, a triangle in the sky. This is the Holy Mountain Athos, station of a faith where all the years have stopped. The King is known to be an admirer of Byrons writing and we leave Mount Athos hoping that he - Carlos - will soon be well enough to make another visit. And if hes not quite up to those early morning starts with the monks then one of the secluded villas at Eagles Resort might well be just what the doctor ordered. One British tourist claimed they have discovered 'Asia's dirtiest town' and even some locals agree. Ben, who goes by @backpacker_ben on social media, recently shared a clip on TikTok from his trip to Malaysia. Footage shows the tourist walking through part of Semporna, a town on the island of Borneo. Ben says, 'If only you could smell what I'm smelling, it's exactly how you can imagine.' The traveller pans the camera to show a walkway that passes across piles of rubbish. 'It's just some dog walking on the trash. Oh man, what a place,' he exclaims, showing wooden houses stood amongst the litter. 'This is the jetty where the tourists begin their trip. I don't want to imagine what it's like where we're trying to go.' He dubs the area as being in the 'top five dirtiest places I've ever been'. Ben, who goes by @backpacker_ben on social media, recently shared a clip on TikTok from his trip to Malaysia Footage shows the tourist walking through part of Semporna, a town on the island of Borneo Ben goes on to show an empty plastic bottle that he's carrying as he walks through the streets. 'Do you know what's funny, myself and Cat have been walking around with this empty bottle for about an hour now because we can't litter, we just can't do it,' he explains. 'But I mean, is there much point? Just lob it on the floor like everyone else.' Eventually, he finds a bin and drops the bottle inside before continuing to walk. The video attracted 39,000 views and over one hundred comments, with many expressing contrasting views. One local said: 'I am a Sabahan and had the opportunity to do my teaching practical there in 2009. 'Believe me, even though I hate to admit it, I agree Semporna is the dirtiest district in Malaysia and maybe in ASIA.' Another penned: 'Thanks for exposing this. As a Malaysian, I didn't know that this place existed in this condition!!' The traveller pans the camera to show a walkway that passes across piles of rubbish And someone else added: 'Thanks for exposing this. As a Malaysian, I didn't know that this place existed in this condition!!' 'As a Malaysian I would like to say thank you for bringing this up. Hope some changes can be done,' one person chimed in. But another pointed out nicer areas exist in the town, and said: 'If you only look at the trash under the bridge, of course youll miss the real beauty of Semporna dont just focus on trash bro.' 'It was clean there before, since visitors came everything has changed,' someone else added. The 'world's best beach' boasts pink sand, turquoise waters and shallow lagoons perfect for swimmers of all ages - so it's no wonder crowds are pouring in from all corners of the world. However, a growing number of tourists are reporting overwhelming crowds, long queues and unexpected fees - with many claiming the beach has now become a victim of its own success. Elafonisi Beach, located on the southwestern coast of Crete, Greece, was crowned the 'Best of the Best Beaches' in TripAdvisor's The Travellers' Choice Awards, which ranked 25 standout beaches across Europe. Based on millions of traveller reviews and ratings, each beach is assessed on key factors such as sand, water qualities, cleanliness and activities available. Elafonisi, a protected nature reserve, is particularly exceptional thanks to its pink sand, which is created by ground-up pink shells from microorganisms - though the intensity of the colour can vary depending on the tide, or the time of year. The beach also features a shallow lagoon of crystal-clear, turquoise water, that is safe for children, and also makes wading to Elafonisi Island easy when the tide is low. Elafonisi Island, which can be accessed via a shallow sandbar, features a wooden cross that observes the spot of a shipwreck, along with a small chapel dedicated to Agios Nikolaos, the patron saint of sailors. Part of the European Natura 2000 protection programme, the beach's lagoon is also home to the shy Loggerhead sea turtle, which are rarely spotted by visitors, who are also forbidden to take home samples of the protected pink sand. The once-remote location is now said to experience overcrowding in peak season, especially as visitors flock to see one of the 'world's best' for themselves A growing number of tourists are reporting overwhelming crowds, long queues and unexpected fees Elafonisi Beach, located on the southwestern coast of Crete, Greece , was crowned the 'Best of the Best Beaches' in TripAdvisor's The Travellers' Choice Awards While Elafonisi Beach is celebrated for its beauty, it's also the very reason concerns have mounted about its natural environment being negatively affected by high tourist numbers. The once-remote location is now said to experience overcrowding in peak season, especially as visitors flock to see one of the 'world's best' for themselves, while tourists report 'barely pink' sand and unexpected fees to enter the beach. On Instagram, a quick search of 'Elafonisi Beach' immediately unveils an endless grid of photos and videos featuring bikini-clad influencers posing for the perfect shot. Though Elafonisi maintains a 4.4-star rating on TripAdvisor, many have taken to the travel platform to share their frustrations after visiting the location. One person wrote: 'Parking lots were full, beach full of people, sun bed receipt checks in every hour, no toilets etc.... we left this place after two hours and next beach Falassarna was 5/5!!' Another said: 'Not worth it, when you arrive you will be sent to a parking lot. Which you have to pay 5 euros for afterwards. Then you have to walk very far to the beach where a lot of people walk. 'There's nothing to see. I don't know if they say it's one of the most beautiful beaches in Crete. Have seen much nicer beaches.' A third shared: 'An enchanting place certainly, pink sand also... But far too many people and between paid parking lots, tour buses, souvenir shops: it spoils a little fun.' On Instagram, a quick search of 'Elafonisi Beach' immediately unveils an endless grid of photos and videos featuring bikini-clad influencers posing for the perfect shot Though Elafonisi maintains a 4.4-star rating on TripAdvisor , many have taken to the travel platform in to share their frustrations after visiting the location A growing number of tourists are reporting overwhelming crowds, long queues and unexpected fees - with many claiming the beach has now become a victim of its own success Tourists report 'barely pink' sand and unexpected fees to enter the beach However, one person refuted: 'Absolutely no pink sand in sight! A nice sallow sandy beach but not worth a 2 hour drive each way and I wish I hadnt wasted a day on this.' Another visitor even compared the beach to Disneyland, writing: 'Myriads (literally hundreds of people) coming back from the beach in the other direction. Souvenir shops, supermarkets, etc. If you need to go to the toilets, it is one Euro.' Similar sentiments were echoed by locals, who told The Telegraph that the area has become a 'tourist trap.' A waiter working in AntaMa, one of the town's tavernas, said: 'We used to go to Elafonisi with the kids it was heaven. 'But you wont find Greeks there anymore. 20 or 30 for sunbeds? 5 for a bottle of water? Weve been priced out.' Another visitor even compared the beach to Disneyland Similar sentiments were echoed by locals, who told The Telegraph that the area has become a 'tourist trap' The owner of a local car hire company also reported: 'TripAdvisor was the kiss of death for Elafonisi. It's like Santorini people come here just for the photos.' Meanwhile, a travel agent who has been jet-setting around the world for the last 30 years - has revealed the tourist destinations he wouldnt recommend anyone going to visit. Carlos Lavilla, who works for Turama, took to the Spanish holiday companys TikTok to warn the accounts 29.7k followers of the five tourist destinations that, as a professional travel agent, [he] considers to be the most overrated, and that he doesnt usually recommend to [his] customers. The country in fifth place, for Carlos, is Cape Verde an archipelago, made up of 10 volcanic islands, in West Africa. The ultimate expat guide to moving to a Caribbean paradise, by the experts who really know how to do it. From visas and where to go, to house prices and cost of living, this is exactly how to flee the grey UK for year-round sunshine An American Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Los Angeles after passengers reported feeling sick from an odour that had filled the aircraft. The plane took off from Los Angeles International Airport at 5pm local time on 14 October, and was headed to JFK International Airport in New York when a 'strong smell' was reported only minutes into the flight. Several passengers complained of feeling ill from fumes that had entered the cabin, while pilots resorted to fitting oxygen masks after reporting to the control tower that they had smelt and tasted 'something' in the cockpit. According to flight tracking data from FlightRadar24, the twin-jet Airbus A32 is seen looping back on itself to LAX, where it made an emergency landing. Seven passengers who had been left feeling nauseous were assessed by medical staff, though no-one was transported to hospital, reports ABC7 News. The Los Angeles Fire Department, who arrived on the scene to inspect the aircraft, reported nothing dangerous, and the aircraft was given the all-clear to take off an another flight a few hours later. An American Airlines spokesperson told the Mirror: 'American Airlines flight 274 with service from Los Angeles (LAX) to New York (JFK) returned to LAX shortly after takeoff due to reports of an odour in the cabin. 'The flight landed safely and the aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team. We never want to disrupt our customers' travel plans and apologise for the inconvenience.' An American Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Los Angeles after passengers reported feeling sick from an odour that had filled the aircraft According to flight tracking data from FlightRadar24, the twin-jet Airbus A32 is seen looping back on itself to LAX, where it made an emergency landing It comes after a Ryanair passenger revealed she was forced to to endure a nauseating scent throughout her four-hour flight to Spain earlier this year. Sophie Brame was flying from Manchester to Fuerteventura, in the Canary Islands, when she noticed an unpleasant smell an hour into the journey. Curious, and a little concerned, the 27-year-old looked down to investigate - and was horrified by what she saw. She discovered a fellow passenger had made themselves a little too comfortable and decided to ditch their shoes mid-flight. The Maldives promises gorgeous beaches and turquoise waters, but it often comes with a hefty price tag. Many tourists cough up upwards of 6,000 for a trip to the Maldives and have a lengthy journey to get there. Fortunately, holidaymakers can experience a beautiful alternative that works out thousands of pounds cheaper. It doesn't take an 11-hour flight to get to the dreamy destination either, and instead is around six hours. The location has gained popularity recently, and is currently in the top five most-booked for next year, according to travel firm First Choice. Cape Verde, situated off the west coast of Africa, boasts warm temperatures all year round and has its own long stretches of impressive coastline. Prices come to around 2,700 on average for a trip there, but can be in the hundreds, making it a much more affordable option. Holidays start from around 579 per person, data from First Choice shows, which is much less than the 6,700 average trip to the Maldives. Cape Verde, situated off the west coast of Africa, boasts warm temperatures all year round and has its own long stretches of impressive coastline Prices come to around 2,700 on average for a trip there, but can be in the hundreds, making it a much more affordable option The dreamy spot has warm weather all year round and plenty of five-star, all-inclusive resorts to choose from. 'Cape Verde proves that a dream holiday doesn't have to come with a dream price tag,' says Kevin Nelson, First Choice managing director. 'We've seen booking behaviours shift in the last few years due to the cost-of-living crisis, but this data tells us that people are prioritising amazing trips - they just want their money to work harder. 'Cape Verde delivers long-haul luxury at a smart-haul price.' The African country is made up of 10 islands and other smaller islets. It has four international airports - Santiago, Sao Vicente, Sal and Boa Vista - and smaller, local hubs on most of the islands. Cape Verde has been compared to the Maldives by travellers before. Earlier this year The Times reported how Maio, one of Cape Verde's islands, has beaches that 'rival those of the Maldives'. Cape Verde has been compared to the Maldives by travellers before The small patch of land is home to nesting sea turtles and has several characterful villages. While Travel Off Path compared the island of Sal to the Maldives because of its clear waters and white sands. The Maldives has over 1,000 islands, with 188 of those inhabited, Cape Verde has much less in comparison. However, they are arguably similar in many ways with coral reefs to admire and plenty of resorts across Cape Verde and the Maldives. Eurostar workers are set to vote on strike action that could bring cross-Channel services to a halt amid a row over safety and conditions. In the coming weeks, members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will vote on whether to launch a campaign of industrial action. The union claims staff face increasing pressure due to worsening working conditions, with unreliable trains and poor service recovery. Of the recent ballot, RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: 'Eurostar is making billions in revenue, but frontline staff are being left to deal with unsafe conditions and the consequences of poor management decisions. 'Eurostar is prioritising the bottom line ahead of our members' concerns around investment in safety and good conditions at work. 'If Eurostar does not change course, strike action cannot be ruled out.' A Eurostar spokesperson said: 'The safety of our team members and customers is our absolute priority, and we continue to discuss the matter with RMT to resolve their concerns. No strike action is confirmed at this stage.' Previously, in December 2023, strike action in France forced cross-Channel rail services to be suspended, dashing thousands of Christmas holiday-makers' plans. Eurostar workers are set to vote on strike action that could bring cross-Channel services to a halt amid a row over safety and conditions (file image) Overcrowding at St Pancras station on December 21, 2023 as Eurostar strikes caused last minute chaos for holidaymakers At midday on December 21, a Eurostar train travelling between England and the continent was abruptly halted. Elsewhere Le Shuttle services between Folkestone and Calais were also stopped, after workers walked out - leading to 30 trains being cancelled. At the time Getlink staff, who operate the Eurotunnel, took action after demands to triple their festive bonus from 1,000 (870.46) to 3,000 (2611.38) were dismissed. In turn, thousands of passengers were faced with trying to rebook an alternative route, find another form of transport, or abandoning their plans altogether. The strike ended shortly after 6.30pm that day, with the French transport minister announced the lifting of the blockade of the Channel Tunnel via X. The BBC has axed a sitcom after receiving mixed reviews in a 'sign of how brutal the comedy landscape is right now'. Fashion comedy Spent - created by Michelle de Swarte - hit BBC Two back in July 2024. The six-part series follows the life of a woman called Mia who flees to London after being made bankrupt in the US. But after just one series, the show has been given the cut. A TV source told The Sun: 'The culling just shows how brutal comedy is right now. 'Theres no time for slow burners, each series has to be a hit straight away or its in big trouble. The BBC has axed a sitcom after receiving mixed reviews in a 'sign of how brutal the comedy landscape is right now' Fashion comedy Spent - created by Michelle de Swarte - hit BBC Two back in July 2024 'Spent got some mixed reviews and many critics thought it had promise, but the Beeb clearly sided with those who felt it was fairly drab.' 'High fashion, low funds. Model Mia may have a world class skincare regime but the catwalk queens career has crashed down to earth. 'Uplifting comedy drama with Michelle de Swarte,' the Beeb's official synopsis reads. Spent stars the likes of creator Michelle de Swarte as Mia, Amanda Wilkin as Jo, Karl Collins as Teddy, Juliet Cowan as Chrissy, Matt King as Mills and Eleanor Nawal as Ella. Those who rushed online to share their rave reviews will be upset about the news. One wrote on IMDB: 'I watch Spent in about two sittings and as a big Michelle de Swarte fan I expected big things and I wasn't disappointed.' 'I really hope there's a second series.' 'This show is brilliant, I found it purely by accident when I was scrolling through looking for something a bit funny to pass half an hour, I was hooked immediately by some great writing, and a hugely likeable cast.' Spent stars the likes of creator Michelle de Swarte (pictured) as Mia, Amanda Wilkin as Jo, Karl Collins as Teddy, Juliet Cowan as Chrissy, Matt King as Mills and Eleanor Nawal as Ella 'Great show with a simple concept but beautifully complicated characters.' Meanwhile others weren't impressed, with one writing: 'Annoying and poorly executed.' 'There goes six hours of my life I'll ever get back, the series was unresolved and I doubt there will be a second series of this trash.' This isn't the only programme that has been axed in recent days. Earlier this month it was revealed that BBC drama Ten Pound Poms has been axed after two series. The 1950s-set series first hit screens in 2023 and draw in impressive ratings, but its second run earlier this year drew in half of the viewership. The axe comes as the seventh and final series of Michelle's Sky comedy Brassic has also hit screens, with its final episode set to air at the end of this month. The show followed a group of British citizens who emigrated from post-war Britain to Australia in the 1950s, with Michelle playing nurse Kate Thorne. Following a report by The Sun, a BBC spokesperson confirmed Ten Pound Poms' axe to Daily Mail, saying: 'It's been a joy to bring the story of the Ten Pound Poms to life for BBC viewers and we are really grateful to Danny Brocklehurst, Eleven and all the cast and crew who have worked on the series.' Michelle had previously shared interest in returning for a third series, but admitted at the time that since she'd recently given birth to her baby daughter Palma, there may be a delay before she was available for filming. The show, which was filmed in Australia, previously required Michelle to relocate Down Under for several months for production. Hunted fans have been left in a state of confusion after one of the stars of the civilian edition was missing from its latest season. The popular Channel 4 show returned for its eighth season this week and the absence of Dr Steve Hersee, the Head of Intelligence, did not go unnoticed. For those unfamiliar with the premise of the show, it centres around a group of contestants - the Fugitives - who are challenged with evading a team of police and military personnel for 21 days to win a large cash prize. After noticing Dr Steve's unexplained absence, fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to express their confusion: 'Where is Steve?!'; 'Have I missed something? No Dr Steve anymore?'; 'I just want to know what happened to Dr Steve!' Hunted fans have been left in a state of confusion after one of the stars of the civilian edition was missing from its latest season The popular Channel 4 show returned for its eighth season this week and the absence of Dr Steve Hersee, the head of intelligence, did not go unnoticed But while Dr Steve was missing from the show, other familiar faces did return, including Chief Hunter Ray Howard and former police detective Georgina Bradley, who is the Head of Ops. Dr Steve has now been replaced as Head of Intelligence at Hunted HQ by former Fugitive, Abi Barrett, who appeared on the show in 2022. She is not without the relevant professional experience required for the role and was actually in the military for seven years. She told Channel 4: 'I've been out the military for about a year now, so it was good fun getting to apply those skills and expertise once again, albeit this time in a slightly less lethal manner. 'The best part however, was getting to work with the talented individuals both behind and in front of the camera. 'Everyone involved was evidently at the top of their game, and when such high performers come together to achieve a goal, it's unbelievably satisfying and good fun too.' The show last aired in March of 2024 and features a new group of Fugitives who are doing their best to travel to the so-called Extraction Point without being caught by the Hunted HQ. If they manage the feat, they could win a whopping 100,000 prize pot. But while Dr Steve was missing from the show, other familiar faces did return, including former police detective Georgina Bradley, who is the Head of Ops Chief Hunter Ray Howard told Channel 4: 'My favourite part about filming Hunted is the thrill of the chase' Chief Hunter Ray Howard told Channel 4: 'My favourite part about filming Hunted is the thrill of the chase. Every series brings new challenges and unpredictable moments, which keeps the excitement alive. 'The teamwork and strategy involved in tracking down the fugitives is tough but also very rewarding. 'The team is incredible and brings together some of the most capable people from the policing, military, cyber, and analysis disciplines. 'It's an experience that keeps us guessing as much as the audience, we never quite know what is coming next with the fugitives.' Hunted continues on Sunday at 9pm on Channel 4 and can be watched on demand on Channel 4 and 4HD. Joe Swash made a heartbreaking parenting confession as he was 'taken advantage of' by his children in the finale of his reality show Stacey & Joe. The former EastEnders actor was filmed juggling the chaotic school run while wife Stacey Solomon travelled to Italy for a series of photoshoots. Joe, 43, was seen getting increasingly stressed as he tried to get his two daughters, Rose, 3, and Belle, 2, and son Rex, 5, off to their pre-school, and his step-son Leighton, 12, to school. In the scenes that aired this week in the final episode of the BBC reality show, Joe rushed the kids to the car as part of the early morning routine. But as they prepared to leave, with Joe calling Stacey to update her on how the day was going, Leighton was still missing and taking too long to get ready. 'Where's Leighton?' Stacey asked as she and Joe spoke on video call, to which the actor replied, hooting his car horn: 'I'm just waiting for him to get in the car.' Joe Swash made a heartbreaking parenting confession as he was 'taken advantage of' by his children in the finale of his reality show Stacey & Joe The former EastEnders actor was filmed juggling the chaotic school run while wife Stacey Solomon travelled to Italy for a series of photoshoots Stacey was then seen telling him: 'You need to get in that room and drag him out of there,' to which Joe retorted: 'I've been in there twice already.' 'These kids are losing their will to live in the car,' Joe added, before he was seen storming back into the house to tell Zach to hurry up or 'miss his bus'. 'Leighton! We're going mate are you coming or not?' he's heard shouting. 'No mate, you've had your time, you've been up there 25 minutes!' Stacey then calls Leighton to tell him to 'stop making everyone late' and 'get in the car'. Speaking to the camera once the couple had been reunited, Joe added: 'Stacey's like the permanent teacher and I'm the substitute teacher that the kids just take advantage of. 'Stacey goes to me, "Go and drag him out of bed", the kids nearly 6ft and I can't be dragging him out of bed before he starts dragging me out of bed. 'I'll get the backlash of this.' It comes after Stacey, 36, revealed the reality of being an influencer as she self-shot her latest Rehab. product on a boat in Lake Como, Italy. Stacey, who invested in the hair care brand in 2023, jetted to the idyllic location to launch her new shimmer spray and had booked a boat trip to capture aesthetic promotion pictures in the final episode. Joe admitted he felt like a 'substitute teacher' as he did the school run without Stacey Joe, 43, was seen getting increasingly stressed as he tried to get his step-son Leighton, 12, in the car for school on time As she laid at the back of the boat, the mother-of-five held up the new product attempting to show it off but joked, 'How do influencers do this, all I can see is my t*ts'. She said: 'I had a vision we would stop and take some pictures in the middle of the lake but that is not the case. It is so rough.' The presenter was forced to make three outfit changes - into a stunning maxi dress, a white swimsuit and a white satin mini dress - on the rocky boat and admitted she 'feels very unsafe'. As Stacey attempted modelling while her team helped take pictures and videos of her, she added: 'All I can see is my tits, how do people do this. If this does well we will invest in a photographer. 'I feel very unsafe but you have to put your life on the line for the job. Influencers' jobs are hard'. She added: 'Getting changed on a boat in the middle of what felt like a monsoon, was interesting. Hopefully I make it to the end without throwing up.' Stacey & Joe is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Professor Green 'very nearly' called off his wedding to ex-wife Millie Mackintosh in 2013. The musician, 41, has rarely spoken about his two-year marriage to the former Made In Chelsea star, 35, which ended in divorce in 2016. During an appearance on Millie's friend Jamie Laing's Great Company podcast, he admitted that they both felt 'pressured' to get married, and he almost called off the lavish Somerset nuptials over 'cold feet'. The rapper, whose real name is Stephen Manderson, revealed he's now back in touch with his 'beautiful' ex-wife and has reflected on the former couple's 'trauma bond' over their mutually undiagnosed ADHD. He told Jamie: 'If there wasn't that pressure, we may have never got married. It very nearly didn't happen. 'I remember having a conversation with my two best mates, Lewis and Phoenix. "Am I getting cold feet? What's going on here?" And one of them said yes. One of them said, No. I won't put him in it, because it's not their responsibility. Professor Green has admitted that he 'very nearly' called off his wedding to Millie Mackintosh 'I made my own decision. We made our decision, and we didn't get married for the wrong reasons. We loved each other. 'It was probably an element of trauma bonding. And it takes a lot to get to a place of going, "I had a significant part in that, 50% at least, because there were two of us in the situation, and it didn't work out." 'But hopefully we can both go forward and find happiness and belonging.' He went on to call his ex wife 'gorgeous' explaining: 'There's no resentment in me. She is gorgeous. We were not good for each other at that time.' 'We were for a point, and then, you know, I think things that we didn't understand were happening, and it was way more than we could have ever.' Millie previously admitted that she knew before her lavish 2013 nuptials at Babington House in Somerset that the relationship 'wasn't right but I was too scared to call it off because of the shame of letting everyone down.' Speaking on Brogan Garrit-Smith's podcast Getting There earlier this year, Millie said she went through 'a really hard time' when she divorced. 'I think we [Professor Green] both were in our own struggles, and I think we maybe both thought we could fix each other,' she reflected of her marriage. 'But we couldn't.' The musician, 41, has rarely spoken about his two-year marriage to The Made In Chelsea star, 35, which ended in divorce in 2016 'And ultimately, we both had our own struggles, and it just magnified it. And it was actually quite toxic.' Millie and Green finalised their divorce in May 2016, the same week that Millie chose to go public with Hugo Taylor, her former Made In Chelsea co-star boyfriend. They got engaged on the Greek island of Mykonos the following year, and tied the knot in Sussex in June 2018. They welcomed daughter Sienna in 2020 and daughter Aurelia the following year. Professor Green went on to explain that they have recently got back in touch to support each other and reflect on their undiagnosed ADHD. He said: 'There was undiagnosed neurodivergence between both of us. We had a conversation about this recently, and it makes sense.' During an appearance on Jamie Laing's Great Company podcast, he shared that they both felt 'pressured' to get married, and he almost called off the wedding Being open about his ADHD diagnosis, he added: 'I don't feel uncomfortable about these things anymore, but I felt uncomfortable for a huge part of my life.' The musician, who was also diagnosed with autism as an adult, explained how he now realises he exhibited neurodiverse traits as a child, but 'I didn't have the understanding back then.' 'I went through an assessment for autism after an assessment for ADHD, and wow, it was answering those questions,' he explained. 'When I was a kid, I used to count words, and I would tense my bicep for every word you were saying. It was just something that was calming in a situation that I found quite over stimulating.' 'I didn't have those words or understanding then. And because I was thought of as bright, the focus seemed to be on, well, when he's here, he's great.' As a child he was referred to a psychiatrist but he says he was told his issues were related to his complicated upbringing which saw him raised by his grandmother following the breakdown of his teenage parents' relationship. 'I saw a psychiatrist when I was a kid, and everything was was handed over to my not having my dad around or my mum and dad not bringing me up, and therefore I was anxious.' The rapper, whose real name is Stephen Manderson, revealed he's now back in touch with his 'beautiful' ex-wife and reflects on their 'trauma bond' over undiagnosed ADHD Millie and Green finalised their divorce in May 2016, the same week that Millie chose to go public with Hugo Taylor, her former Made In Chelsea co-star boyfriend 'I was also born with an issue in my digestive tract, and was operated on it six weeks. So it was always, is it physiological? Is it psychological? It was both at different times.' Pro Green has made no secret of his health battles. Earlier this year he revealed he was born with Pyloric Stenosis. The condition affects babies between birth and six months of age when the passage between the stomach and small bowel becomes narrower. It very rarely occurs in adults and may develop due to an attributable cause. The musician revealed that his recurring dysbiosis - unbalanced bacteria that irritates the stomach - had worsened the condition. In April he revealed he caught roseola from his baby boy Slimane - after managing to avoid the virus throughout his own childhood. Sharing a snap of himself in bed recovering from the common viral infection, he told his followers: 'The one adult who didn't get roseola as a kid obviously had to have a son who did and now...' Roseola - also known as exanthem subitum or sixth disease - is a common viral infection that primarily affects young children. Pro Green has made no secret of his health battles - earlier this year he revealed he was born with Pyloric Stenosis and shared a snap feeling under weather after he caught roseola from his baby boy, Slimane - after managing to avoid the virus throughout his own childhood Symptoms typically include a sudden high fever, followed by a rash as the fever subsides. Though uncomfortable, the illness is usually mild and resolves within a week. In March 2021, the rapper welcomed his first child with girlfriend Karima McAdams. Announcing the news on Instagram, he shared that his partner, 40, had given birth to their son, Slimane Ray Manderson, two weeks early. In a lengthy caption alongside the shot of his newborn son's head, he also detailed their difficult pregnancy, which he branded 'a rollercoaster' and confessed during 'scare after scare' they feared their baby 'would not make it'. Following his post, he was swiftly congratulated by his 865,000 Instagram followers, with many of his celebrity pals sending well-wishes. It's been a long road to recovery for Bella Hadid. Intimate photos, taken inside a clinic in Germany and released last month, showed the supermodel teary-eyed in a hospital bed and hooked up to ominous oxygen tubes and invasive IVs. It was a mere glimpse into the 29-year-old model's decade-long struggle with what she describes as chronic neurological Lyme disease. She was soon back to work, hitting the catwalk for Saint Laurent at Paris Fashion Week in late September and jetting off to London for the launch of her new perfume collection. But backstage of the glitzy runway show and behind the glamorous photoshoots, the Dutch-Palestinian model has apparently had difficulty readjusting to her typical schedule following the health scare. She's even ignored concerned messages from loved ones and 'retreats' indoors like a recluse, an inside source has exclusively told the Daily Mail. Bella Hadid, 29, sparked concern last month when she shared photos from her month-long stay at St. George Hospital in Germany, where she was being treated for her chronic Lyme disease symptoms An inside source has told the Daily Mail that Hadid has ignored concerned messages from loved ones and 'stays home and doesn't see people' following her chronic Lyme disease flare-up 'Bella is as functional as she can be, but there's always room for improvement,' the insider said. 'She just struggles to be around people. When things get bad, she retreats. Her batteries seem to recharge when she's alone.' Hadid initially sparked concern when she revealed her stay at St. George Hospital located on the outskirts of Munich. It was there that Hadid was undergoing a month-long treatment for her Lyme disease symptoms at the clinic's specialized center, where a week-long stay could cost upwards of $100,000. The alarming images - which were shared by both Hadid and her mother Yolanda, who also suffers from chronic Lyme disease - showed the model hooked up to an IV, breathing through an oxygen tube and covered in wet towels. In her own caption, Hadid apologized to her 61 million Instagram followers for being 'MIA' over the past month. But according to the source, the brief social media hiatus isn't unusual for the Vogue cover star. 'She doesn't respond [to texts] for days or even weeks,' they told the Daily Mail. 'But when things are better, she will text back. She doesn't ghost, she just says, "I can't talk today, sorry." The insider said Hadid 'doesn't respond' to text messages 'for days or even weeks' as she continues to navigate her health struggles The model shared an Instagram Story post on Monday hinting at her proclivity to ignore text messages due to depression and anxiety 'Everyone who loves her gets it,' they said. The model, who lives in Texas, confirmed as much when she took to her Instagram Story on Monday to share a candid message in honor of World Mental Health Day. The post, originally shared by activist Alicia Cook, was a screenshot of a Notes App message that began, 'Hi. Sorry I haven't texted you back.' The heartfelt screengrab highlighted the silent struggle that often comes with anxiety and depression, both of which Hadid suffers from. Apart from the physical symptoms of her chronic Lyme disease - which she's said includes headaches, brain fog, sensitivity to light and noise, thyroid dysfunction, inflammation, joint pain and numbness - Hadid also experiences severe bouts of depression and anxiety. Just this week, Hadid explained to her Instagram followers how the 'weight' of her anxiety and depression 'can sometimes feel all-consuming, paralyzing, and invisible to the outside world'. 'Over the years, I've learned that this is not a weakness - it's a part of me. My sensitivity, my awareness, my empathy. In many ways, it can be a superpower. It's what makes us human, and these parts of me have helped me understand myself and others more deeply,' she wrote. However, the source maintained that the model has 'a lot of people in her corner' and a 'huge support system' behind her as she continues to navigate her health journey. Weeks after she was hospitalized, Hadid walked in the Saint Laurent spring/summer 2026 show at Paris Fashion Week on September 29 Pictured, from left: Anwar Hadid, Gigi Hadid, Yolanda Hadid and Bella. The source told the Daily Mail that Bella has a 'huge support system' behind her 'Everyone was supportive of her coming out and talking about [her mental health] because it's going to help so many people and get rid of the stigma,' the insider said. That support system includes her mother Yolanda, her siblings Gigi and Anwar Hadid, and her boyfriend, Mexican-American rodeo star Adan Banuelos. The model, known for her high-profile romance with The Weeknd, sparked an unlikely relationship with the 36-year-old professional cowboy in late 2023. While her move to the Lone Star State that same year was partly to be closer to the equestrian, Hadid also found her home in Texas to be a respite from the demands of the modeling industry. 'After 10 years of modeling, I realized I was putting so much energy and love and effort into something that, in the long run, wasn't necessarily giving it back to me,' she told Allure in 2024. 'For the first time now, I'm not putting on a fake face. If I don't feel good, I won't go. If I don't feel good, I take time for myself. And I've never had the opportunity to do that or say that before,' Hadid said. 'Now when anybody sees me in pictures and they say, I look happy, I genuinely am. I am feeling better; my bad days now were my old good days.' Hadid has since made her return to the fashion world, but her recent chronic Lyme disease flare-up has indeed been a setback for the runway star. Hadid has been in a relationship with Mexican-American rodeo star Adan Banuelos, 36, since 2023 (pictured in September 2024) Hadid purchased a home in the Fort Worth area of Texas in 2023 amid a brief hiatus from the modeling industry Although she has no plans to 'quit modeling' altogether, the insider said, the A-list supermodel can now decide for herself exactly 'when and how much' energy she puts into her modeling career. 'Right now she's doing less because she doesn't have to do any more,' they added. 'When she's struggling physically, she struggles mentally as well. That's just her life right now.' However, Hadid's battle with chronic Lyme disease hasn't been without some criticism from health skeptics - the most common one being that chronic Lyme disease is not widely accepted by the medical community as a recognized medical term. Most patients diagnosed with Lyme disease will recover after two to three weeks of antibiotics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Lingering symptoms do occur for some, known as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS), as experts say these symptoms tend to last for weeks or months. But in most cases, doctors argue that borrelia bacteria - the bacteria transmitted by ticks that causes Lyme disease - cannot stay active in the body for decades, despite what some chronic Lyme patients have claimed. Research shows that patients who say they have chronic Lyme disease rarely ever test positive for the infection on blood tests. Still, chronic Lyme disease activists say these traditional tests are unreliable because they look for antibodies for the bacteria, rather than the bacteria itself. The model posted an infographic to her Instagram Story on Monday about mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), a chronic disease of the immune system It's also been suggested that people who claim to have chronic Lyme disease symptoms could actually be suffering from an undiagnosed condition, such as a severe vitamin deficiency or another immune disorder. Hadid may have suggested as such when she reposted an infographic to her Instagram Story about mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), a chronic disease of the immune system. MCAS, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is a condition that can cause severe allergic reaction-like symptoms such as swelling, diarrhea, vomiting, flushing and itching. It is caused when the mast cells in the immune system release mediators in the body too frequently or abundantly, in response to triggers found in foods, chemicals or the environment that are not typically considered to be harmful. Hadid's post, originally shared by Dr. Laura Gouge, a naturopathic doctor, aimed to highlight the 'anxiety, panic, and OCD-like symptoms' that patients with MCAS may also experience. Though, Hadid didn't explicitly state in her post whether she'd been diagnosed with MCAS during her recent stay at St. George Hospital. It was during her extensive visit to the German clinic that Hadid underwent a series of invasive treatments to ease her chronic Lyme disease symptoms. An inside source previously told the Daily Mail that Hadid received a whole-body hyperthermia treatment to kill bacteria responsible for Lyme disease. At the Lyme disease center, Hadid underwent a whole body hyperthermia treatment, which costs $90,000 to $115,000, an insider previously told the Daily Mail Hadid also received antibiotics, multiple peptide infusions and Chelation therapy (the process of removing heavy metals from the body), the source said at the time The high-tech treatment slowly raises a patient's body temperature to 107 degrees Fahrenheit and then maintains it for two to three hours while they're sedated. Hadid had two rounds of the whole-body hyperthermia treatment, one week apart, the insider said at the time, as well as two weeks of antibiotics, multiple peptide infusions and Chelation therapy - the process of removing heavy metals from the body. After more than a decade of unconventional treatments, unanswered questions and lingering mental health effects, it's unclear whether Hadid will ever see an end to her chronic Lyme disease symptoms. But one thing is for certain; the supermodel 'will be OK,' our insider maintained. 'She has too many people concerned about her and checking in. She may struggle, but she knows she's loved very much,' they added. The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Hadid for comment. Kerry Katona has revealed she will be undergoing surgery to fix her ruptured breast implants. The reality star, 45, had her fourth boob job earlier this year, after complaining she looked like 'a nine-year-old boy.' However, just months later, Kerry has announced she will be returning to surgery after being told her scar tissue had ruptured. The star, who is currently on tour with pal Katie Price, explained the rupture was caused by not resting enough after the procedure. In her weekly new! magazine column, she wrote: 'So I've got told to get the surgery again to fix that, which is a pain - but it is my own fault. 'The sugery is next month, when the tour is finished, so I can properly rest this time. Kerry Katona has revealed she will be undergoing surgery to fix her ruptured breast implants The reality star, 45, had her fourth boob job earlier this year, after complaining she looked like 'a nine-year-old boy' 'I'm looking forward to being all recovered.' It comes after Kerry confirmed that she had undergone the procedure for her fourth boob job, getting a breast uplift and new implants. Kerry gushed to The Sun: 'Im in the best shape Ive ever been, and feel the happiest Ive ever been. 'Having a breast uplift with Mr Prasad has been the icing on the cake, I feel whole again.' But in April, she revealed she'd been forced to cancel her plans for the breast surgery after returning from her recent break in Thailand, due to safety concerns. Kerry explained that doctors had stopped the procedure going ahead amid concerns it was too soon for surgery after a long-haul flight. She wrote in her OK! column: 'I headed to get my boob job the other day and ended up not being able to get it done, I didn't realise that you can't get surgery after flying and I had just returned from Thailand. 'It's a shame, but I'm glad Pall Mall Cosmetics - where I was booked in - take safety so seriously and put regulations above the procedure.' It comes after Kerry confirmed that she had undergone the procedure for her fourth boob job, getting a breast uplift and new implants (pictured with her surgeon Mr Ramachandran Prasad) In April, she revealed she'd been forced to cancel her plans for the breast surgery after returning from her recent break in Thailand , due to safety concerns Adding: 'I could have rebooked it, but I'm going back to Thailand next week so I would have had to cancel my trip and the kids told me to just leave it for now. '[Daughters] Molly, Lilly and Heidi all said: 'Go to Thailand, don't get your boobs done!' 'I think they just don't want me getting any more surgery! I'm going to leave it until summer when I'm less busy.' Kerry initially planned a breast reduction before making a shock U-turn - after losing weight following her split from fiance Ryan Mahoney. She first insisted that she was imminently going to be going for breast reduction surgery as she bemoaned her 'saggy' breasts. But the mother-of-five then announced plans for a fourth boob job, telling The Mirror: 'I just want my own boobs back. I don't want massive boobs or anything really fake, just my boobs again!' 'I've noticed this happens when I'm single I seem to lose weight every time and then I put it back on when I'm with someone. 'I'd like them a bit bigger and an uplift, something that looks natural.' She attributed the weight loss to both the fallout from her heartbreaking split from Ryan (seen together), and performing three shows a day during pantomime with Katie Price She's long been open about her insecurity about her breasts, previously quipping: 'Seriously, I lie down and I look like a nine-year-old boy. 'Take my bra off, I trip over my nipples. It's health and safety. I walk around my house in a hard hat and a visibility jacket. 'So I decided it's got to be done just for my own health and safety, people. Pall Mall, I'll see you later today guys.' At the start of the year, Kerry told how she is in the 'best shape' of her life following her two-stone weight loss. She told Closer: 'I'm slimmer now than I was in Atomic Kitten. I'm getting there emotionally, but physically this is the best shape I've ever been in.' She attributed the weight loss to both the fallout from her heartbreaking split from Ryan, and performing three shows a day during pantomime with Katie Price. Channel Seven star Sam Mac has packed up his family and is heading south. Sam revealed last month that he and fiancee Rebecca James were moving from his native Sydney to Victoria with their two children Margot, three, and Mabel, one. And the day finally arrived on Tuesday, with the Sunrise weatherman taking to Instagram to bid a fond farewell to his former home city. He shared a photo that showed him standing at the bow of the Balmain ferry with Rebecca, Mabel, and Margot. The Sydney Harbour Bridge loomed in the background as Sam and Rebecca, backs to the camera, waved farewell to the iconic landmark. 'Goodbye & thank you Sydney,' he captioned the photo. Sam Mac has packed up his family and is making the move to Melbourne 'Time for one last cruise on our private Super Yacht *Balmain Ferry* See you soon Melbourne.' The post was met with a flurry of comments from friends and followers, including Morning Show co-host Kylie Gillies who offered a love heart emoji. Sunrise star Katie Brown also offered her congratulations with: 'So exciting. Hope the move goes as smoothly as it can. XOXO.' Another follower jumped in with: 'All the very best to you and your beautiful family in your move, but never leave Sunrise please!' It comes after Sam broke the news of his southern migration to fans last month, sharing a series of images documenting hallmark events of him and his partner's five years together, while explaining the reasoning behind the move. 'Our little family is moving from Sydney to Melbourne. Here's why,' Sam wrote over a loved-up photo of him and Rebecca together. 'The love story began on a screen in COVID times. I lived in Syd & Bec in Melb.' He continued to document the pair's romance with a photo that showed a very 'nonplussed' Rebecca enjoying dinner with Sam. He shared a photo that showed him standing at the bow of the Balmain ferry with Rebecca, Mabel, and Margot. The Sydney Harbour Bridge stood in the background and Sam and Rebecca, with their backs to the camera, gave the iconic landmark a hearty wave Sam revealed last month that he and fiancee Rebecca James were moving from his native Sydney to Victoria with their two children 'After six months of getting to know each other, online, this photo was taken on our first date. The chemistry was electric,' he joked. He went on to reveal that he finally convinced Rebecca to move to Sydney before outlining the list of achievements they had ticked off together, including establishing creative content agency Pearl Studios in April. 'Over the past four years we have; bought a house... renovated a house... launched a business... got engaged... eaten a lot of Cheesymite scrolls... & had two beautiful girls.' Sam went on to reveal that a major reason for the move was so that their daughters Margot and Mabel could be closer to Rebecca's mum and dad. 'Seeing them play in their grandparents' backyard near the Yarra Valley was a lightbulb moment,' he wrote. 'The lizards, the kookaburras & kangaroos lit up their faces with such joy & wonder. We knew that was the childhood we wanted for them.' Sam added that he hoped to 'repay' Rebecca for the sacrifice she made in uprooting her life to move to Sydney. Sam broke the news of his southern migration to fans last month Sam and Rebecca welcomed their first daughter, Margot, in September 2022. Just over a year later, Sam announced his engagement to Rebecca with a sweet Instagram post back in December 2023 before welcoming their second daughter Mabel 'The grandparents are 9 minutes away instead of 9 hours,' he said. 'Time to repay my darling Rebecca for taking the leap of faith for their weird cat-loving weatherman in the tiny, smelly bachelor pad.' Sam rounded out the carousel with a heartwarming photo of him walking hand-in-hand with his daughters, captioned: 'See you soon, Melbourne.' He also revealed that the move would not affect his Sunrise duties, despite the popular breakfast show being based in Sydney. 'We're moving to Melbourne & YES I will still be your weatherman on @sunriseon7,' Sam wrote. Sam and Rebecca welcomed their first daughter, Margot, in September 2022, two years after they started dating. Just over a year later, Sam announced his engagement to Rebecca with a sweet Instagram post back in December 2023. The couple then welcomed their second daughter, Mabel, in August last year. An Australian drug kingpin looks unrecognisable in a rare childhood photo. The Gangland member's widow posted the image to Instagram on Tuesday to mark what would have been his 55th birthday. The young boy had long hair and was all smiles as he posed for a photo with his sport team. He was jailed for 35 years in 2007 for ordering the murders of three rivals in the Melbourne gangland wars which claimed more than 30 victims in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He had already been sentenced for conspiring to murder a fourth. But can you guess who it is? An Australian drug kingpin looks unrecognisable in a rare childhood photo That's right, it's Carl Williams. Pictured: Carl with wife Roberta and daughter Dhakota That's right, it's Carl Williams! His widow Roberta posted a gallery of never-before-seen photos alongside a sweet tribute to her late husband. 'Carlos, today 55 years ago is the day you came into the world. A beautiful baby boy with a head fill of jet-black hair, just like our Dhakota,' she wrote. 'You grew into an amazing man, son, husband, father, uncle and the best friend I could ever have had. 'You never wanted a fuss, never liked attention but you deserve to be celebrated here and in heaven. Because you were one of a kind. Loyal, loving, protective and real. So I always made sure you were celebrated and will continue to be.' Roberta went on to reveal their song was Chasing Cars and she would be celebrating Carl's birthday by going out to dinner with her daughter. 'Happy Heavenly birthday Carlos, Forever 39, forever ours, forever in our hearts,' she added. Carl was bludgeoned to death at the age of 39 by fellow inmate Matthew Charles Johnson in Barwon Prison near Geelong in 2010. The Gangland member's widow posted a gallery of photos to Instagram on Tuesday to mark what would have been his 55th birthday Williams was jailed for 35 years in 2007 for ordering the murders of three rivals, and more time for conspiring to kill a fourth. Pictured Carl and Andrew Benji Veniamin Once dubbed the 'Baby Faced Killer,' he was jailed for 35 years in 2007 for ordering the murders of three rivals, and more time for conspiring to kill a fourth. In April, Roberta marked the 15th anniversary of her husband's death on Instagram by sharing a heartfelt tribute and photos from their wedding day in 2001. '15 years ago today I got a phone call that destroyed my world, my whole life, to never be the same again,' she wrote. 'There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about you, that I don't miss hearing your voice. 'I don't know what to do without you, you always had the answers I miss our life, I miss our world we created together.' She also paid tribute to Dhakota, describing her as the 'best part' of Carl and the 'greatest gift' he left behind. Dhakota was just nine when her dad died. 'The love never fades though as the distance grows further it only grows stronger but more painful. Shine Bright Like A Diamond,' she concluded, adding the hashtags #MyLife and #OurLife,' Roberta wrote. Channing Tatum packed on the PDA with girlfriend Inka Williams as they kissed at the Roofman premiere during the 69th BFI London Film Festival on Tuesday. The actor, 45, and the model, 26, looked more loved-up than ever as they locked lips before walking the star-studded red carpet separately as he promoted his new film. Channing cut a dapper figure in an all black ensemble while Inka made sure to turn heads in a coordinated daring black gown. The stunner showed off her sensational figure in the plunging halter neck number which boasted an eye catching hip high split. Styling her brunette tresses loose, she toted her belongings in a round black handbag and elevated her frame in a pair of heels. The couple looked happy as they chatted away before kissing at the premiere held at the Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall. Channing Tatum packed on the PDA with girlfriend Inka Williams as they kissed at the Roofman premiere during the 69th BFI London Film Festival on Tuesday The actor, 45, and the model, 26, looked more loved-up than ever as they locked lips before walking the star-studded red carpet separately as he promoted his new film Elsewhere Channing was later joined by co-star Kirsten Dunst, who stunned in a wrap red blouse and a pair of grey wide legged trousers. The Bring It On star, 43, beamed as she also posed with her husband Jesse Plemons, who looked dapper in a grey suit. During the night, Channing and Kirsten took to the stage with Kennedy Moyer to discuss their new movie. Last month, Channing and Inka made their red carpet debut four months after going Instagram official. The couple stepped out for the premiere of the anime film Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle in Los Angeles. Channing also enjoyed a rare public outing with his daughter Everly, 12, at the TCL Chinese Theatre. The Magic Mike actor, 45, was his usual dapper self, stepping out in a navy blue suit and an off-white T-shirt, finishing the ensemble with a pair of black leather shoes. Inka, 25, meanwhile, was a vision in black, wearing a sleeveless, glittering, floral-embellished gown that swept elegantly to the floor. Channing cut a dapper figure in an all black ensemble while Inka made sure to turn heads in a coordinated daring black gown The stunner showed off her sensational figure in the plunging halter neck number which boasted an eye catching hip high split Styling her brunette tresses loose, she toted her belongings in a round black handbag and elevated her frame in a pair of heels The couple looked happy as they kissed at the premiere held at the Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall Inka gently placed her hand on Channing's arm as they hit the red carpet She wore her brunette locks with a straight fringe and down for the occasion, finishing her look with a ruby red shade on her lips. While Inka and Channing were not standing together on the red carpet, she appeared chuffed to be cuddling up to his daughter, Everly. Everly, whom Channing shares with ex-wife Jenna Dewan, donned a satin light blue gown with ruffles, wearing her blonde locks down and parted. While Channing and Inka held off on the PDA at the premiere, it was a different story on social media. Just days before, Channing shared a gushing birthday tribute to his newly minted ladylove. Taking to his Instagram Story, Channing sang his love for Inka from the rooftops with a series of romantic photos and clips. One video, shot by Inka, showed the Australian-born beauty sitting on the back of a dirt bike with Channing at the helm. A bikini-clad Inka gave the camera a stoic expression as she held onto her beau for safety. Channing captioned the clip: 'Happiest day of birth to my RIDER! Love you so.' He also shared a black and white photo that showed a beanie-clad Channing tenderly kissing Inka on the cheek. Inka wowed as she went braless under the daring ensemble Last month, Channing and Inka made their red carpet debut four months after going Instagram official Channing posed for photos solo at the premiere Elsewhere Channing was later joined by co-star Kirsten Dunst, who stunned in a wrap red blouse and a pair of grey wide legged trousers During the night, Channing and Kirsten took to the stage with Kennedy Moyer to discuss their new movie Another clip showed Inka excitedly diving into the ocean, with Channing adding: 'Love you stoopid'. It was a similar sentiment that Inka shared with Channing back in April when she went 'Instagram official' with the star in a swoon-worthy birthday post. The post also included a series of never-before-seen romantic photos taken during the couple's relationship. 'Happy life to the handsomest, kindest, funniest, stoopidest, most gorgeous human ever,' Inka wrote. 'Merci for making life beautiful and fun. Jtm trop fort,' she added, which is French slang for I love you. Inka also declared her love for Channing in March albeit in a very unique way. The photo appeared to show Inka's leg, complete with a message, possibly for her Magic Mike star beau. It had the words 'I love you' scrawled across it in what appeared to be a white pencil. The word 'love' was replaced with an expertly drawn heart. The Bring It On star, 43, beamed as she also posed with her husband Jesse Plemons, who looked dapper in a grey suit The stars hugged as they promoted Roofman in London Ben Mendelsohn hit the event with his pet pooch Channing was first linked to Inka back in January when they were spotted leaving the CAA pre-Oscar party in Los Angeles together. The outing came just three months after Channing split from ex-fiancee Zoe Kravitz in October 2024. A source told People at the time that the couple were 'seeing' each other on romantic terms. 'They met through friends. She's great. She's young, but seems older,' the insider said. 'Channing's doing well. [Inka] makes him happy.' Inka, who was born in Melbourne and raised in Bali, balances her successful modelling career with her fashion brand She Is I. Tim Curry has credited his masseur for saving his life when he suffered a stroke in 2012. The legendary Rocky Horror Picture Show star, 79, had a stroke after collapsing at his California home in 2012, leaving him partially paralyzed on one side of his body and affecting his speech. He opened up about the experience in his new memoir, Vagabond, revealing that he was getting a massage when it happened. 'I did not fade to black. I did not even feel out of sorts, or like something was very wrong. If fact, I had no idea that anything was off at all,' the actor wrote. While the masseur wasn't certain of the medical emergency, he noticed some alarming changes in the actor's body that alerted him something was wrong. When he stated his intention to call 911, Curry initially told him not to, and thought he was 'overreacting.' Tim Curry, 79, has credited his masseur for saving his life when he suffered a stroke in 2012; Curry pictured in 2016 in West Hollywood The legendary Rocky Horror Picture Show star (pictured in a still) had a stroke at his home in 2012, leaving him partially paralyzed on one side of his body and affecting his speech 'I probably owe my life to the fact that he ignored me, went with his instinct, and called an ambulance.' 'Even as they were loading me in, I still thought my masseur had overreacted, and that we were going through a ridiculous and unnecessary exercise.' After his evaluation, doctors determined the actor would need a craniectomy. He did not learn the true severity of his condition until the procedure was already done. 'Only after the surgery was completed was I informed that I had suffered a serious stroke, which sent blood clots to my brain, two of which had been removed.' 'Biologically, such clots really clog up the works in other words, you're not getting sufficient blood flow, so your brain isn't receiving the oxygen and such that it needs,' he shared. 'If there was anything impressed upon me in the aftermath, it was just how remarkable it was that I was still alive,' he went on. 'I don't know whether I was able to respond aloud at that stage; all I can truly remember thinking was "But I didn't feel...anything."' The actor shared that because the stroke was 'a paralytic one' he still suffers ongoing physical effects. He opened up about the experience in his new memoir, Vagabond, revealing that he was getting a massage when it happened and 'had no idea that anything was off at all' When the masseur stated his intention to call 911, Curry initially told him not to, and thought he was 'overreacting'; The actor pictured in September in Los Angeles 'I probably owe my life to the fact that he ignored me, went with his instinct, and called an ambulance,' the actor added; Pictured in 2005 He added that he's 'very grateful that it was not a speech stroke' and that if he had lost his verbal ability it would have been 'devastating.' He said that the several weeks of not being able to speak during recovery were 'hell' but that he was 'assured that language would come back with time.' Since his stroke, Curry's life has 'changed dramatically' as he has shifted to voice acting, playing Emperor Palpatine in the animated Star Wars series Clone Wars, as well as Terrence the Toucan in the animated movie Ribbit. His memoir, Vagabond, is now available at bookstores. In September, he opened up about his wellbeing during a special screening in honor of the musical film's 50th anniversary. Speaking to the audience at LA's Academy Museum, Tim said: 'I still can't walk, which is why I'm in this silly chair, and that's very limiting. 'So, I won't be singing and I won't be dancing very soon. I still have real problems with my left leg.' Since the stroke, which he suffered aged 66, the legendary actor has remained largely out of the public eye and has been rarely sighted. According to Mayo Clinic, an ischemic stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is blocked or reduced. This prevents brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients. Brain cells begin to die in minutes. Another type of stroke is a hemorrhagic stroke. It occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or bursts and causes bleeding in the brain. The blood increases pressure on brain cells and damages them. Tim is best known for his role as the brilliantly mad scientist Dr Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He first starred in the original 1973 London production and continued to play the part on Broadway before reviving the character in the 1975 film. Tim shot to fame as Dr Frank-N-Furter in the musical comedy The Rocky Horror Picture Show (seen in a still) He has enjoyed an illustrious career on the stage and screen having appeared in the likes of Annie (1982), Home Alone 2 (1992 - seen in a still), and Charlie's Angels (2000) Speaking on the film's lasting impact, he said as per The Hollywood Reporter: 'I'm so excited by this and very honored by the Academy to do this presentation of our movie, which has dragged on for 50 years.' Tim enjoyed an illustrious acting career prior to the health scare having shot to fame through The Rocky Picture Show in 1975. On the role that catapulted him to stardom, he told Los Angeles magazine that he looks at the film's success 'with a sort of bemused tolerance.' He continued: 'It's neither a blessing nor a curse. I was lucky to get it.' Tim has enjoyed an illustrious career on the stage and screen having appeared in the likes of Annie (1982), Home Alone 2 (1992), and Charlie's Angels (2000). Heather Graham has made an intimate confession about her relationship with her late ex-boyfriend, Heath Ledger. The Hangover actress, 55, who dated the late Australian actor from 2000 2001, revealed she was head over heels in love with the Two Hands star. 'I was very in love with him when we dated. He's kind of amazing,' Heather revealed on the Are You A Charlotte? podcast. She then admitted she missed talking to the Perth-born actor and wished he was still alive. 'I have some really cool pictures of when we dated. I feel proud that I dated him... It was fun. I wish he was still alive, that would be nice. But some of these really bright lights don't get to live so long,' she said. Podcast host Kristin Davis added the pair always seemed so happy together. Heather Graham has made a intimate confession about her relationship with Heath Ledger. (Pictured together in 2000) 'At the time, you two were just this ray of light in this Coffee Bean,' she said. 'You were kind of giggly and touching each other... You were cute.' The former couple met in Prague in 2000, when they were both filming different movies there, and immediately hit it off. In February 2021, Heather also reflected on her short time with Heath. She shared some unseen photos of their year-long relationship and called him a 'special person'. 'Going through my photos I found these. Just remembering this time. Heath was such a special person,' she wrote. The trio of photos provided a more intimate look at the pair's relationship. In one shot Heather could be seen with her arms wrapped around his neck while laying on his shoulder. The Hangover actress dated the Australian actor from 2000 - 2001, has revealed she was head over heels in love with the Two Hands star Heath was tragically found dead at a New York City apartment on January 22, 2008 In another she posted a shirtless selfie of the Australian born actor as he took a photo of himself in the mirror with a film camera. The whirlwind romance was short lived however and the budding Hollywood hunk moved on with Naomi Watts after meeting on the set of Australian film Ned Kelly. Two years later he fell for yet another co-star, dating Michelle Williams after they filmed Brokeback Mountain. The pair had their daughter Matilda together in 2005 as he told London's Observer, 'We just fell very deeply into each other's arms. Our bodies definitely made those decisions for us,' adding 'I always knew I would be a young father.' They remained a romantic couple until 2007, but after the breakup Heath's dark demons seemed to come out and he died just five months later. Heath was tragically found dead at a New York City apartment on January 22, 2008, after accidentally overdosing following months of physical and mental exhaustion. A glamorous Australian athlete has revealed her detailed daily beauty routine. Morgan Mitchell has admitted she spends one-hour each day on her skin and haircare on Rebecca Judd and Jessie Roberts' Vain-ish podcast. 'We've heard you have a one hour head-to-toe daily skincare, hair and make-up routine. Tell us about it, no gatekeeping,' Bec said. Morgan explained: 'I do a hair mask, and any kind of leave-in conditioner, face mask, body scrub mask. 'I then cleanse, exfoliate and use Dr Dennis Gross. Then I put another moisturising mask on, put some gloss in my hair and I will exfoliate like a madman. I love being soft. 'Then I moisturise. I do a serum, an oil, and then a moisturiser on my body.' Morgan Mitchell (pictured) has admitted she spends an hour each day on her skin and haircare on Rebecca Judd and Jessie Roberts' Vain-ish podcast Morgan's beauty routine stunned the hosts, with Jessie responding: 'This is epic, you are wild.' Bec recently shared some secrets about her image as a glamorous influencer and fashion designer. The 42-year-old WAG discussed her beauty routine earlier this month and confessed to using fake tan, overdrawing her lips with liner, adding false lashes and applying fake nails before she appears in public. She also said that part of her beauty routine, ahead of a public appearance, included a 'supplement smoothie, gel nails and a sauna'. 'There's a lot of things [I do],' she said, referring to her cosmetic 'enhancements' during an episode of the Darling Shine podcast. Still, Bec said that once away from the limelight, her attitude about maintaining an image changes completely. 'I do nothing. I've got spiky chin hair. I've got a top knot, I'm in my pyjamas,' she said with a laugh. For the school pickup, Bec said she might hide behind a pair of Celine sunglasses, adding: 'I still might be in my pyjamas and I'll put a jacket over the top.' Morgan explained: 'I do a hair mask, and any kind of leave in conditioner, face mask, body scrub mask' It comes after Bec Judd (pictured) shared some secrets about her image as a glamorous influencer and fashion designer She continued: 'The parents wave, and I kind of shrink in my seat so they can't see I've got PJs on underneath.' Bec added that sometimes she wears Ugg boots for her school routine - and sometimes no shoes at all. 'And I say to my boys, "Put your bag in the car and make sure it's in the boot properly because I am not getting out if it falls out",' she said. Host Ellidy Pullin then commented: 'I could never imagine seeing you like that, and if I did I'd be like "what a f***ing queen".' Bec shares son Oscar, 14, daughter Billie, 11, and nine-year-old twins Darcy and Tom with AFL legend Chris Judd. Julia Morris has opened up about her agonising health battle with shingles a debilitating viral infection that is sadly familiar to many Australians. The 57-year-old I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! co-host said that the condition left her bedridden with symptoms including blistering headaches and a nasty rash. Known to impact one in three Australians over the age of 50, shingles is the reactivation of the chickenpox virus, varicella zoster. 'When shingles hit me, I was in the middle of one of the busiest times of my career,' she said in a new interview with Perth Now. 'The physical toll was immediate and overwhelming I had a red rash across my torso, an aching body and the most brutal headache. 'I could barely get through a day without collapsing back into bed,' she continued. Julia Morris has opened up about an agonising health battle 'Even simple tasks like having a shower left me exhausted, and I was completely debilitated for weeks. Shingles wasnt just painful; it completely altered how I lived and worked.' On Tuesday, the comedian posted a video, sponsored by pharmaceutical giant GSK, to help raise awareness about the condition. Advising followers to talk about 'hidden health baggage', Julia wrote in the caption, describing her shingles battle as 'incredibly painful'. 'Before this experience, I didnt know that shingles is caused by a reactivation of the same virus that causes chickenpox earlier in life,' she continued. 'Heres the kicker: almost all Aussie adults are carrying this virus, and about 1 in 3 people will develop shingles in their lifetime. 'There comes a time when you need to start contributing to your health superannuation. 'Thats why Im sharing my story to encourage Australians over 50 to speak to their doctor or pharmacist about shingles. 'By understanding your risk, you can start to unpack the hidden health baggage so many of us carry.' 'When shingles hit me, I was in the middle of one of the busiest times of my career,' she said in a new interview with Perth Now She also included a clip where she revealed she thought she was 'too young' to get shingles, even though the condition is most common in people over 50. It comes after Julia recently opened up about her split from ex-husband Dan Thomas, four years after they separated in 2021. The reality TV star was married to the British comedian, 44, for 16 years, and the pair share daughters Ruby, 18, and Sophie, 16. She told TV Week she is the 'happiest' she has ever been following her 'self-reflective' journey post-split. 'I'm definitely the happiest I've ever been, but I didn't know I'd feel like that when I stepped into this journey four years ago,' she told the publication in June. 'I have an incredibly private life. I don't share my children online, and we generally keep to ourselves. But, in terms of myself, I am honest.' A British social media star is set to be deported to the UK from Australia due to an issue with his visa. 'Big John' Fisher had travelled from London to Perth for a scheduled meet and greet event with fans, when he was pulled aside by border officers at the airport. He posted a video to Instagram on Tuesday, explaining he had some 'bad news' and would be sent back to the UK. 'I'm flying home tomorrow, on my birthday,' he told fans. 'I've been detained by Border Force for four hours and I'm now in a holding hotel. My visa was legal coming in but they're not happy with what I'm doing here so they're sending me home. 'I'm sorry Australia. I'm sorry Perth and Sydney. I won't be at any of my appearances this weekend, but please support the ones I was going to be at because they're going to be good days. 'Big John' Fisher (pictured) is set to be deported back to the UK from Australia over an issue with his visa 'I'll let you know more when I get home. To be truthful I just want to get home. All the best, let's have it. Bosh or no bosh.' It's believed John was visiting on a tourist visa, which meant he is not allowed to work or earn money, including a paid meet-and-greet. He told fans he would 'explain more when he gets home but he is absolutely gutted'. Many of his followers flocked to the comments to express their disappointment and offer their support. 'You look very tired John and it's your birthday tomorrow! We all love you so much get home to England's green and pleasant land,' one commented. 'WHAT - so sorry to hear this. And missing your bday too. Shall we tie yellow ribbons on the lampposts (instead of the flags)?! #bringBigJohnhome,' another said. 'Unfortunate John! That's a big stint of flying, get back safe and sound,' a third wrote. 'Sorry to hear this. You look bloody exhausted. Try get some rest before your flight,' another added. 'Big John' Fisher had travelled from London to Perth for a scheduled meet and greet event with fans, when he was pulled aside by border officers at the airport Big John was set to meet fans at Molly's Irish Pub in Perth on Wednesday before flying to Sydney for an appearance at Wentworth Park. He was then due to travel back to Western Australia to DJ at Perth's Ascot Racecourse before visiting Hillary's Beach Club. He last visited Australia in April and held meet and greet events in Sydney, Newcastle, Melbourne and Adelaide. Big John has become a viral sensation because of his love of Chinese food and has also become known for his iconic 'bosh' catchphrase. The Morning Show's Larry Emdur has bared all in a recent social media post - or has he? The Channel Seven star hilariously 'stripped off' on Instagram in an AI-generated clip, which showed the Aussie TV personality with chiselled abs and a ripped physique. The 60-year-old could be seen smiling in the video posted on Tuesday while fully suited up. Then, in lightning speed, Larry began to pull off his clothes to reveal a defined six-pack while wearing a pair of white briefs. He then appeared to pull two swords from behind his back and impressively swing them around. 'People often ask me how I get in the zone before @morningshowon7,' he captioned the tongue-in-cheek post. Larry Emdur (pictured) has appeared to bare all in a recent social media post - or has he? Fans had a laugh in the comments section as they all teased the TV star for the AI prank. 'I see you have discovered AI,' one person pointed out. Another sarcastically quipped: 'You are a man of many talents. Whats your secret, Larry? Do tell!' 'Edmur Scissorhands v Magic Mike,' one fan hilariously penned. 'Too early in the morning for that Larry,' another added. Larry recently made headlines for stripping down without the help of AI. The Seven veteran left his co-host Kylie Gillies red-faced on The Morning Show after going completely off-script during a cooking segment turning a simple breakfast into a cheeky spectacle. Larry and Kylie, 58, were joined by celebrity chef George Mirosevich, who offered to help them whip up a tasty dish. Larry recently made headlines for stripping down without the help of AI But Larry couldnt resist turning the segment into his own playful performance. Noticing that George had shed his black shirt in favour of a simple singlet, Larry followed suit removing his blue blazer, rolling up the sleeves of his white dress shirt, and undoing a few buttons to avoid any culinary disasters. Then came the cheeky antics, as Larry grabbed some broccolini and rubbed it on his chest, dancing around with it as Kylie looked on in horror. 'Wait a minute! This is the sexy bit,' he quipped, before pouring pineapple juice over the chicken while belting out Kasey Chambers' hit song Not Pretty Enough. 'Can I do sexy pineapple?' Larry asked George, prompting Kylie to finally intervene. 'Absolutely not!' she snapped, leaving Larry and George in fits of laughter as the segment came to a close. Abbey Clancy and her husband Peter Crouch along with Jamie and Freida Redknapp led the stars attending the M&S Food Christmas preview in London on Tuesday. Model Abbey, 39, opted for a brown turtle neck top which she tucked into a high-waisted leather skirt. The mother-of-four added height to her frame with a pair of black boots and let her blonde locks fall loose down her shoulders. She posed for a photo alongside Peter who sported a navy suit and a white T-shirt. Freida donned a black low cut top which paired with navy trousers and tan jacket while Jamie sported a grey shirt and darkk trousers. Also in attendance was Rochelle Humes who opted for an all black look in a leather jacket and trousers while her husband Marvin wore a tan cardigan and grey trousers. Abbey Clancy and her husband Peter Crouch led the stars attending the M&S Food Christmas preview in London on Tuesday. Freida Redknapp donned a black low cut top which paired with navy trousers and tan jacket while Jamie sported a grey shirt and darkk trousers Binky Felstead put on a leggy display in a navy polka dot mini dress with a cut out detail along the centre. She also opted for a pair of black heels and complimented her outfit with a matching handbag. Samia Longchambon slipped into a red turtle neck top and a black mini skirt while her husband Sylvain sported a patterned shirt with a black jacket and trousers. Claire Richards opted for a black shirt and trousers and wrapped up for the evening in a tan trench coat. Abbey and Peter who tied the knot in 2011, put on a loved-up display as they attended an Oasis gig in Dublin earlier last month. Abbey and ex Liverpool striker Peter were joined by their teenage daughter Sophia as they cosied up to each other in snaps shared to Abbey's Instagram. They attended the concert on August 16, with Abbey just posting some behind-the-scenes now. Abbey posted a slew of snaps that showcased her fun time at the concert with her loved ones. Also in attendance was Rochelle Humes who opted for an all black look in a leather jacket and trousers while her husband Marvin wore a tan cardigan and grey trousers Binky Felstead put on a leggy display in a navy polka dot mini dress with a cut out detail along the centre Samia Longchambon slipped into a red turtle neck top and a black mini skirt while her husband Sylvain sported a patterned shirt with a black jacket and trousers Emma Willis cut a stylish figure in a green jumper and khaki trousers while Claire Richards opted for a black shirt and trousers and wrapped up for the evening in a tan trench coat Strictly star Vicky Pattison put on a cosy display with her husbad Ercan Ramadan Jill Scott opted for a beige top, grey trousers and a pair of trainers She appeared completely besotted by Peter as they were snogging while she leaned back in his arms. The mum-of-four held onto his bucket hat as they posed for the loved-up snap, showing followers that the spark is still very much alive after 20 years of being together. Meanwhile, 14-year-old Sophia - who is her mum's twin - was seen in other photos, as she cuddled into her cool parents. Abbey wore a slim-fitted black bodysuit and jeans with a pair of heels and sunglasses, looking like a fashionable WAG. Sophia wore a similar outfit, which consisted of jeans, a crop top and cream Varsity jacket, with a pair of trainers. Dad Peter opted for black jeans, a matching top and a shirt, which he paired with his Adidas bucket hat. Abbey and Peter who tied the knot in 2011, put on a loved-up display as they attended an Oasis gig in Dublin earlier last month The band are currently on their world reunion tour, Oasis Live '25 and fans across the globe have turned out in their masses to watch them perform. The Crouches decided to watch the band perform in Ireland, with Abbey reminiscing on how good of a time it was. Abbey captioned her dump: '@oasis we had a blast love you guys.' Another video showed Peter singing as behind the camera Abbey could be heard shouting to her husband: 'You're fit, you're fit' before he pulled his bucket hat over his eyes pretending to be shy. Meghan McCain provided an update on her mother Cindy's health, weeks after she suffered what her daughter described as a 'mild stroke.' 'She has now flown back to Arizona with my brother Jimmy and is recovering very well, is currently still in the hospital but will be leaving soon,' the 40-year-old media personality said Tuesday. Meghan, the eldest daughter of Cindy and late Arizona Sen. John McCain, said that her mother, 71, was 'cognitively completely fine' following the medical scare. Meghan, who is currently expecting her third child, said her mother 'talks just normal, like ... she always has and [has been] texting,' adding, 'I've talked to her many times and to my family.' Meghan said on her Citizen McCain podcast of her mother's health: 'She has some physical things that have happened as a result of the stroke. 'But all things considered, it is mild, as the doctor said, and not intense, but still scary nonetheless.' Meghan McCain, 40, on Tuesday provided an update on her mother Cindy's health, weeks after she suffered what her daughter described as a 'mild stroke' Cindy, 71, pictured in Arizona in 2023, was 'cognitively completely fine' following the stroke Meghan added that her mother remained hospitalized and dealing with the aftermath of the stroke, but the most essential needs had been met. 'I'm not going to tell you she's fine and everything's amazing, but like I said, thank God, [she's] cognitively completely fine,' she said. Meghan added, 'She has some physical things that have happened as a result of the stroke, but she is - all things considered - it is mild, as the doctor said, and not intense, but still scary nonetheless - but she is OK.' Meghan said that she had intentionally taken a guarded stance towards revealing too much publicly early on. Meghan explained that she and her family sought to make sure all the details they were getting were accurate before sharing it with the public. 'I didn't talk about it on my social media because my brothers and my family and I were trying to, you know, figure out what was going on,' Meghan said. Meghan is currently in the seventh month of her pregnancy; she and husband Ben Domenech, 43, are parents to daughters Liberty Sage, four, and Clover Jade, two. Meghan said that her mother's medical incident happened while she was in Rome working for the U.N.'s World Food Program. Cindy McCain and Meghan McCain pictured at the TIME 100 Gala in NYC in 2023 Meghan, pictured alongside ex-U.S. President Joe Biden, is a former co-host on The View Meghan said that it was unsafe for her pregnancy to travel to Arizona, but she was going to confer with medical professionals soon, just in case Meghan said that it was unsafe for her pregnancy to travel to Arizona, but she was going to confer with medical professionals soon, just in case. 'I am not allowed to fly that far yet,' Meghan said. 'I am actually going to my doctor tomorrow to see if I can get clearance to fly.' Meghan said she was 'glad' her mother was 'in Arizona with [her] family.' Following the stroke, the U.N.'s World Food Program issued a statement saying that Cindy, who is serving as executive director, was 'expected to make a full recovery.' Cindy was gracious toward medical staff in a statement she put out through the organization, which said that she was going to take between 4 to 6 weeks to fully recover. 'I want to thank the medical staff in Italy for the excellent treatment I received,' Cindy said. 'My recovery is progressing well thanks to their outstanding care. I look forward to continuing my recuperation at home in Arizona with my family.' General Hospital star Kirsten Storms revealed that she's scheduled to undergo brain aneurysm coiling procedure 'sometime in the next two weeks.' The 41-year-old Daytime Emmy nominee's 'super smart surgeon' will feed flexible wire through her via a catheter, which will help seal off the brain aneurysm from the artery - according to the Mayo Clinic. It all began in 2021 when Kirsten underwent a craniotomy to remove a brain cyst, and during a follow-up scan in January, she was 'majorly freaked out' when the doctor discovered a 'squatter' cyst on the right side of her brain stem. 'I wanted to post this because even though my brain seems to be sorta lowkey rebelling against me, it does allow me to understand that we've all got times when things aren't great,' Storms wrote on Monday. 'If we can, we will do our best to do what is best for ourselves and loved ones.' General Hospital star Kirsten Storms revealed that she's scheduled to undergo brain aneurysm coiling procedure 'sometime in the next two weeks' (pictured April 23) In July, the Florida native made the move from LA to St. Louis, MO - which happens to be the hometown of her ex-husband Brandon Barash with whom she shares 11-year-old daughter Harper Rose. 'It was clear I needed [to] change some things in my life ASAP,' Kirsten - who boasts 780K social media followers - explained. 'For my own personal reasons, no longer living in Los Angeles was very important to me. The biggest reason for the move was Harper, but a lot of it was for my physical and mental health. And my overall happiness.' Storms divorced her 46-year-old castmate-turned-husband in 2016 after two years of marriage, and he went on to wed their daughter's teacher Isabella Devoto in 2022. The 5ft3in blonde gave a shout out to her 'glorious' castmate-turned-BFF Emme Rylan, with whom she runs a crochet sweater company, Kirsten and Emme. 'Did you guys know that Emme was by my side every single day during my 2021 craniotomy and hospital recovery?' Kirsten recalled. 'I remember waking up in the ICU right after my procedure and the first thing she said was, "How are you? Do you still love yarn?!" My neurosurgeon did give a chuckle to that joke.' The 41-year-old Daytime Emmy nominee's 'super smart surgeon' will feed flexible wire through her via a catheter, which will help seal off the brain aneurysm from the artery It all began in 2021 when Kirsten underwent a craniotomy to remove a brain cyst, and during a follow-up scan in January, she was 'majorly freaked out' when the doctor discovered a 'squatter' cyst on the right side of her brain stem (pictured April 29) Storms wrote on Monday: 'My brain seems to be sorta lowkey rebelling against me' (pictured July 7) In July, the Florida native made the move from LA to St. Louis, MO - which happens to be the hometown of her ex-husband Brandon Barash (R, pictured Tuesday) with whom she shares 11-year-old daughter Harper Rose (L) Kirsten explained: 'It was clear I needed [to] change some things in my life ASAP. For my own personal reasons, no longer living in Los Angeles was very important to me. The biggest reason for the move was Harper, but a lot of it was for my physical and mental health. And my overall happiness' Storms divorced her 46-year-old castmate-turned-husband in 2016 after two years of marriage, and he went on to wed their daughter's teacher Isabella Devoto (L) in 2022 The 5ft3in blonde gave a shout out to her 'glorious' castmate-turned-BFF Emme Rylan (L, pictured June 30), with whom she runs a crochet sweater company, Kirsten and Emme Kirsten is the ninth actress to portray Mariah Maximiliana 'Maxie' Jones (originally created in 1990) in General Hospital on/off from 2005-2011 and 2012-2025 Storms' character was last seen in August falling into a coma as a result of being poisoned by Jenz Sidwell (Carlo Rota) on the long-running ABC soap opera Storms is the ninth actress to portray Mariah Maximiliana 'Maxie' Jones (originally created in 1990) in General Hospital on/off from 2005-2011 and 2012-2025. The Zenon alum's character was last seen in August falling into a coma as a result of being poisoned by Jenz Sidwell (Carlo Rota) on the long-running ABC soap opera. Back in 2015, little Harper made her acting debut in General Hospital with an eight-episode guest stint as Maxie's onscreen daughter Georgie Spinelli. Rob Kardashian and his ex-girlfriend Blac Chyna left fans wondering if they might have secretly reconciled thanks to a cryptic social media post shared on Tuesday. Chyna who now uses her birth name, Angela White set off the confusion with an Instagram photoset of herself posing in an all-white ensemble next to a white Ferrari. But it was her caption, an apparent non sequitur, that sparked the reconciliation rumors by writing, 'This love is forever @robkardashianofficial,' and tagging her ex in the caption. Rob, 38, raised the stakes when he then 'liked' the post. The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Rob and White but hasn't yet received a response from either. However, sources tell the Daily Mail that the two have not gotten back together. The post was a surprising development for the exes, who split under brutal conditions, including Kardashian posting revenge porn of White and accusing her of physically assaulting him. Rob Kardashian and his ex-girlfriend Blac Chyna left fans wondering if they might have secretly reconciled thanks to a cryptic social media post shared on Tuesday; seen together in 2016 in Hollywood Chyna who now uses her birth name, Angela White shared photos of herself in white posing with a white Ferrari, but she confusingly captioned it, 'This love is forever @robkardashianofficial'; pictured in 2022 in LA The comment on White's post were primarily filled with heart-eyes emojis, though some fans expressed skepticism about a potential reunion. 'After all the court cases and stuff? Whats Kris J saying? Anyway congratulations,' wrote one user. 'Wait did I miss something what year is it?,' another fan wrote, while another comment read, 'We're back in 2016 fr.' One poster wondered if the post was 'promo or real,' but a more romance-minded fan commented, 'Pure Love Comeback .' White may have set the stage for a potential reunion earlier this year, when she said she and Kardashian with whom she shares their eight-year-old daughter Dream Kardashian were on better terms after their ugly split. During an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored in February, White clarified that the two were back on speaking terms after she lost a $100 million defamation suit against his mother and sisters. 'I speak to Kim. Me and Rob, we are like this now,' she said while crossing her fingers. 'Thank God.' She also suggested that she was still able to be civil with at least some of the KardashianJenner clan in the wake of her failed lawsuit. Rob went on to 'like' her post, leading commenters to wonder if the two had gotten back together; seen in 2016 in Las Vegas Kardashian and White struck up their relationship in 2016, and they welcomed their daughter Dream (L) in November of that year. White also shares an older son, King Cairo Stevenson (center), from her relationship with the rapper Tyga The exes had a bumpy onoff relationship beginning in 2016, before their final split in February 2017. Kardashian later shared revenge porn of her, and he accused her in 2022 of assaulting him; pictured together in 2016 in Law Vegas He testified in her $100M defamation lawsuit against his mother and sisters that she allegedly pointed a gun at his head, strangled him with a phone cord and hit him with a metal rod in 2016; seen in 2016 in Hollywood 'Ive spoken to Kris [Jenner]. I speak to Khloe [Kardashian] too,' she added. However, White noted, 'I havent seen Kourtney, and I havent seen Kylie, like, to actually speak to.' She explained that, while her relationship with Rob's sisters and mother wasn't as strong as it had been before her lawsuit, they were still able to be cordial around each other. Kardashian and White struck up their relationship in 2016, and they welcomed their daughter Dream in November of that year. But the tumultuous relationship hit a bump in December, when Kardashian announced on social media that the two had split. They managed to get back together just days later, but the two separated, seemingly for good, in February 2017. Kardashian escalated behind-the-scenes conflicts and made them shockingly public when he posted nude photos of White to social media in July 2017, though he was never prosecuted for revenge porn, a crime in California. However, White was able to obtain a temporary restraining order in the wake of the explicit posting. White was suing the Kardashians for allegedly spreading false rumors of the abuse, which she claimed scuttled plans for a lucrative reality show she was to star on with Rob; Khloe, Kendall, Kim, Kris and Kourtney seen February 2025 White ultimately lost the lawsuit, but in February of this year she claimed that she and Rob were on good terms; seen February 2 in LA In October of that year, she filed her lawsuit against Kardashian's mother and sisters, in which she requested a $100 million judgment after alleging that they had worked behind the scenes to scuttle a planned reality show that she and her ex were to have starred on by spreading allegedly false claims that she had assaulted him. During the trial, which didn't begin until 2022, Kardashian shared emotional testimony in court in which he claimed that he feared for his life when his then-fiancee White pointed a gun at his head during one night in 2016. He went on to allege that she 'strangled' him with a phone-charging cable wrapped around his neck. he also said she hit him multiple times with a metal rod while under the influence of 'cocaine and alcohol.' 'Strangling someone, beating someone, that's not a family,' he said. 'That's not love to me.' Despite his testimony, White claimed under oath that she was never violent toward her former fiance. She admitted to holding a gun that she got from his nightstand which he allegedly always kept unloaded but she denied pointing it at him. White also admitted to putting a phone-charging cable around his neck, but she claimed she only placed it on him in a playful manner. 'I speak to Kim. Me and Rob, we are like this now,' White said on Piers Morgan Uncensored in February while crossing her fingers. 'Thank God'; pictured in 2020 in LA Kris Jenner's longtime boyfriend testified in the trial that he rushed over to Kardashian's house after Kris got a distressed phone call from her son. When he arrived, Gamble said he saw White holding a metal rod, and he said she began whipping Kardashian with a phone cable and hitting him as he rushed in. Despite the disturbing abuse allegations, White and Kardashian appear to have managed to co-parent their daughter Dream together. White also shares an older son, King Cairo Stevenson, whom she shares with her ex-boyfriend, the rapper Tyga. Mia Goth and her Frankenstein co-star Jacob Elordi were among the cast of the edgy new horror in attendance as an immersive exhibition celebrating the film opened at London's Old Selfridges Hotel on Tuesday. The actress, 31, who is starring as the love interest of the titular scientist, opted for an edgy black leather dress for the photocall in the capital. Mia posed up a storm as she attended the launch in the form-fitting black leather dress with a white trim. She was joined by co-stars including Jacob, Oscar Isaac and Christoph Waltz, with the exhibition set to open on Friday, and will run on selected days until 9 November. The experience will celebrate Guillermo del Toros visionary storytelling and the exceptional craftsmanship of his team during the making of the film. It will feature a vast collection of props, artwork, costumes, and Tiffany & Co. jewellery featured in the film, as well as rare books curated by the firm Peter Harrington to honour Mary Shelleys legacy. Mia Goth (left) and Frankenstein co-star Jacob Elordi were among the cast in attendance as an immersive exhibition celebrating the film opened at London's Old Selfridges Hotel on Tuesday The actress, who is starring as the love interest of the titular scientist, opted for an edgy black leather dress for the photocall in the capital The first glimpse of Jacob's transformation into the iconic 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 standing 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. 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. Jacob, who plays the iconic creature in the film, joined the cast for the opening of the exhibition, which will run on limited days until 9 November Christoph Waltz, who plays wealthy arms manufacturer Henrich Harlander, posed for snaps as he attended the opening Oscar Isaac, who plays the titular mad scientist Victor Frankenstein, was dressed in a sharp grey suit for the event The actor was in good spirits as he reunited with his co-stars for the event The first glimpse of Jacob's transformation into the iconic Monster was revealed in the trailer dropped in June, showing the moment he is revived by Dr Frankenstein's electrical experiment Frankenstein is set for a limited theatrical release on October 17, before being released on Netflix on November 7 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. 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. Demi Moore showed off her ageless beauty as she attended a Bobbi Brown make-up event in California. The Ghost actress, 62, was among the stars who headed to San Vicente Bungalows in West Hollywood for the Bobbi Brown x Sara Foster event on Tuesday. Demi looked radiant at the event with her flawless skin on display as she celebrated actress Sara's new role as celebrity brand ambassador for the cosmetics brand. Academy Award nominee Demi stepped out for the evening in an all-black ensemble, featuring an oversized wrap coat. She paired the coat with leather slim-fit trousers and a matching shirt underneath, as well as khaki suede stilettos. Meanwhile Nobody Wants This producer Sara, 44, who the event was celebrating, put on a daring display in a sheer tartan high-neck top with her nude bra underneath. Demi Moore showed off her ageless beauty as she attended a Bobbi Brown make-up event in California on Tuesday The Ghost actress, 62, was among the stars who headed to San Vicente Bungalows in West Hollywood for the Bobbi Brown x Sara Foster event (Pictured with ski racer Lindsey Vonn) She paired the top with a matching midi-skirt and black leather stilettos, while she was also seen throwing over a matching wrap coat. Elsewhere Katherine McPhee, 41, who is married to Sara's father David Foster, 75, was also in attendance. The American Idol star was seen sporting an identical ensemble to her step-daughter, with the only difference that she wore a pair of nude open-toed heels. Sara also posed for snaps with American model Rocky Barnes, who looked sensational in a green satin halterneck ruched gown. She complimented the green dress with a vibrant teal jacquard patterned satin bomber jacket, as well as gold strappy sandal heels. It comes after Emma Heming, the wife of Demi's ex Bruce Willis revealed their young children are grieving their dad after his dementia diagnosis. The model and influencer, 47, has been acting as a carer for her actor husband, 70, since he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a form of dementia that causes a gradual decline in the areas of the brain linked to personality and language abilities. While the star has mostly stayed out of the spotlight since his diagnosis, wife Emma and other family members provide occasional updates on his condition. Now, Emma has shed light on how their children Mabel Ray, 13, and Evelyn Penn, 11, are coping with their dad's disease. Demi looked radiant at the event with her flawless skin on display as she celebrated actress Sara's new role as celebrity brand ambassador for the cosmetics brand Academy Award nominee Demi stepped out for the evening in an all-black ensemble, featuring an oversized wrap coat (Pictured with TV writer Jenni Konner) Meanwhile Nobody Wants This producer Sara, 44, who the event was celebrating, put on a daring display in a sheer tartan high-neck top with her nude bra underneath She paired the top with a matching midi-skirt and black leather stilettos, while she was also seen throwing over a matching wrap coat Elsewhere Katherine McPhee, 41, who is married to Sara's father David Foster, 75, was also in attendance Sara also posed for snaps with American model Rocky Barnes, who looked sensational in a green satin halterneck ruched gown 'I think they're doing well, all things considered but it's hard,' Emma told Vogue Australia on Friday. 'They grieve, they miss their dad so much. He's missing important milestones, that's tough for them - but kids are resilient, [although] I used to hate hearing that because people didn't understand what we were walking through.' Earlier this month, Demi stunned in a new Instagram post shared with her 6.4 million followers . The actress who was recently spotted in New York City revived the hairstyle she had in the 1996 film Striptease, adding bangs to her signature long, dark hair. In a present-day photo, Demi flaunted her fresh fringe while posing in a white T-shirt and jeans and accessorising with a turquoise choker. 'Bangs now and then. Thank you @gucci for letting me bring back the fringe for the first time since the Striptease days!' the Golden Globe winner captioned the photo. She shared a second photo, a Striptease movie still, for comparison. Demi stunned fans as she showcased her new bangs in a photo shared on her Instagram earlier this month The actress revived the hairstyle she had in the 1996 film Striptease Vogue Beauty called Demi's return to bangs one of the 'best moments' from Fashion Month. On Instagram, the account posted a snapshot of Demi sporting 'Gucci bangs' with the caption, 'As Fashion Month wraps up, were reliving the best moments.' Demi became the then-highest-paid actress in Hollywood when she received $12.5million to lead the cast of Striptease. She starred in the dark comedy as an FBI agent who finds herself without a job and resorts to stripping at a Miami club called the Eager Beaver. Although the movie was ridiculed by critics, it made a respectable profit thanks in part to the lure of Demi's topless scenes. Jackie Apostel fangirled over her boyfriend Cruz Beckham as he performed on stage with his band for the first time on Tuesday night. The youngest son of Victoria and David Beckham, 20, has teased his music over the last few weeks, after reportedly signing with top music management company C3 - who worked with the US indie group The Strokes. And Jackie, 29, was every inch the proud girlfriend as she gushed 'safe to say I did not keep it together' alongside a teary-eyed photo of her in the audience. Taking to Instagram after his show, Jackie wrote: 'Unannounced, just working on his craft, doin his little thing, having fun, learning, preparing, all HIS songs made by HIM played by HIM sang by HIM, absolutely smashing it, I love you [sic]' Following his performance the loved-up couple posed for a photo to document his successful first show. Jackie flashed her toned torso in a black T-shirt which read: 'I came for Cruz Beckham'. Jackie Apostel, 29, fangirled over her boyfriend Cruz Beckham, 20, as he performed on stage with his band for the first time on Tuesday night Jackie was every inch the proud girlfriend as she gushed 'safe to say I did not keep it together' alongside a teary-eyed photo of her in the audience Cruz shared a snap to Instagram showing a stack of invitations barring his intimate concert recently. Invitations read: 'Cruz D Beckham officially invites you, one night only.' The picture showing the invitations was followed by a snap of a guitar with a winking-face emoji. Last week, Jackie publicly hit back after a troll took a swipe at her age-gap relationship with Cruz. The model had posted a family snap showing her and Cruz sitting in the front row for Victoria's Paris Fashion Week show. In a touching tribute, Jackie said: 'What an incredible show and in my favorite dress yet. @victoriabeckham honoured to witness all of this come to life.' However, in reply, one troll commented: 'Why is a 29 year old dating a 20. That's just weird. I'm talking about Jackie dating Cruz.' Hitting back, Jackie said: 'Because he's kind, funny, smart, caring, driven, mature, talented, loyal, and also quite handsome.' The youngest son of Victoria and David Beckham has teased his music over the last few weeks, after reportedly signing with top music management company C3 'Unannounced, just working on his craft, doin his little thing, having fun, learning, preparing, all HIS songs made by HIM played by HIM sang by HIM, absolutely smashing it, I love you', Jackie wrote Jackie flashed her toned torso in a black T-shirt which read: 'I came for Cruz Beckham' Cruz and Jackie first started dating in June 2024, with the pair confirming their romance in October when they went Instagram official. Last month, the Daily Mail revealed how Jackie's social media following has doubled since their relationship began, making her more attractive to the companies' marketing teams. The songwriter has landed a series of lucrative endorsement deals to model and promote some of the world's most prestigious brands. She has started working with luxury fashion houses such as Dior, Burberry and Jimmy Choo, as well as jewellery firm Pandora and beauty brands including Sol De Janeiro and Summer Fridays. The deals involve posting branded pictures and videos to her 168,000 social media followers, which industry experts say can earn upwards of 10,000 per post. Earlier this month, Cruz made sure all eyes were on him as he strode around Paris in a pair of quirky green frog clogs. However while Cruz's bold fashion choice may have appeared out of the blue, it seemed instead he could be hinting at his upcoming music venture. And 'frog clues' have been popping up on Cruz's social media account for months, with fans becoming increasingly suspicious. In the following months he has shared numerous snaps and videos of him rehearsing with his band, captioning his June post with a tongue and frog emoji The frog furore began back in April when Cruz included the drawing of a cartoon frog at the end of an Instagram dump. In the following months he has shared numerous snaps and videos of him rehearsing with his band, captioning his June post with a tongue and frog emoji. Later in July, Cruz shared sneak peak of new music as he strummed his guitar in the back of the car and sang the lyrics 'Green day in Paris', perhaps a hint to the title of an upcoming album. And in recent weeks it seems hints towards new music have really accelerated, with Cruz's girlfriend also getting in on the froggy games. Posting a snap from rehearsals in mid September, Jackie, who is also a songwriter, commented: 'It's about time I think?' as Cruz replied: 'I agree'. And while it was thought that date marked the publication of Victoria's upcoming cover issue with Elle USA Magazine, fans are starting to think it could be something more and may mark the release of new music. Fans have gone wild for the clues as they asked: 'Whats happening on the 24th? Music?'; 'New single???'; 'Hey what's 24.10.25 means? A date for what?'; 'If its a release date Im toadally down for it'; 'Go cruzie cannot wait whats on the 24th'. Posting a snap from rehearsals in mid September, Jackie, who is also a songwriter, commented: 'it's about time i think?' as Cruz replied: 'I agree' While others speculated whether it might be an album announcement, another suggested his new band is called 'toads'. They penned: 'album is coming, i feel it'; 'Cruz just tell us ?? Band song release and band is called toads ? My humble guess'. The Daily Mail contacted Cruz's representatives for comment at the time. Cruz originally attempted to begin his music career when he was just 11-years-old after he released his festive single If Everyday Was Christmas back in 2016. Emma Hernan turned heads in a low-cut minidress as she stepped out with her pet pooch on Tuesday. The Selling Sunset star, 33, smiled for the cameras as she was snapped walking down the street with her furry companion. Realtor Emma oozed glam as she donned the daring low-cut monochrome dress in Los Angeles, California. She risked spilling out of the dress, which she paired with black thigh-high boots for the outing. Holding her pooch in her right arm, Emma then clutched her white Chanel round leather bag in the other. Selling Sunset returns to Netflix for its highly anticipated ninth series on October 29, with Emma reprising her role. Emma Hernan turned heads in a chic low-cut minidress as she stepped out for a stroll with her pet pooch on Tuesday Realtor Emma oozed glam as she donned the daring low-cut monochrome dress in Los Angeles, California and risked spilling out of the dress Holding her pooch in her right arm, Emma then clutched her white Chanel round leather bag in the other for the outing Fans will see her share the small screen once again with returning stars Chrishell Stause, Chelsea Lazkani, Nicole Young, Bre Tiesi, Jason and Brett Oppenheim, Alaina Gold, Mary Fitzgerald and Amanza Smith. Colombian actress Sandra Vergara also joins the O Group for the new series. Meanwhile, earlier this year it was revealed Emma had split with her boyfriend Blake Harris. It came after her ex-best-friend Chrishell Stause became embroiled in a fiery feud with him. She was first publicly linked to developer Blake, 28, in December after dating for a year, but the pair are now believed to have gone their separate ways. Emma hinted at her relationship status in an Instagram update as she described herself as 'single' while on a helicopter ride with her friends. In May, Chrishell responded to a comment on Instagram after fans noticed the once inseparable friends had not been posting pictures together online. The fan asked: 'What's happening with you and Emma? Hot topic on Reddit.' Emma, who split from her boyfriend Blake Harris in July, paired with black thigh-high boots Selling Sunset returns to Netflix for its highly anticipated ninth series on October 29, with Emma reprising her role Emma was first publicly linked to developer Blake, 28, in December after dating for a year, but the pair are now believed to have gone their separate ways Chrishell appeared to refer to Blake as she replied: 'Ask her about her MAGA bf who told me pronouns are dumb and that he likes to use the N word. Blake broke his silence on her allegations and claimed to have only met Chrishell 'a handful of times'. 'The meeting at Ms Stause's home took place in January 2024, and this was the last time I saw or spoke to Ms Stause. 'We are barely acquaintances and we know very little about each other's beliefs and lives.' Emma is known for her racy outfits, and previously suffered an X-rated wardrobe malfunction while posing for snaps with her boss Jason Oppenheim. They enjoyed a night out at Hotel Martinez during the Cannes Film Festival where Emma wore a slinky silver and gold dress with a daring hip-high side slit. However, Emma, who had skipped underwear with her outfit, unwittingly flashed her crotch while posing for photos in the risque number. Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's daughter Apple has hit back at claims she's an 'entitled' nepo baby after landing a high-profile new fashion campaign. The model, 21, has been carving out a fashion career while studying for a degree at Vanderbilt University, but due to her famous heritage has faced claims she's only landing work because of her famous connections. Following the release of her new campaign with Self Portrait, Apple has now insisted her parents have 'instilled' a work mentality in her, and she knows her life is not a 'normal way to grow up.' The budding model, has already walked in the Chanel couture show at Paris Fashion Week and posed alongside her famous mother in a campaign for GapStudio. Discussing how she juggles her fashion work with her studies, Apple said: 'I know this is not a normal way to grow up by any means. 'But my parents did a really good job of instilling in me that I shouldn't be entitled to anything. I have to work.' Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's daughter Apple, 21, has hit back at claims she's an 'entitled' nepo baby after landing a high-profile new fashion campaign The model has been carving out a fashion career while studying for a degree at Vanderbilt University, and on Tuesday her debut campaign for Self Portrait was released Indeed, Apple's father Chris shared back in 2020 that his daughter had landed her first job in a clothes shop. He said at the time: 'It's her first job, and she's about to be 16 and she's making her way in the world and I'm so proud of her.' Apple went on to tell The Daily Telegraph that despite her modelling career, she's still trying to have a 'normal college experience,' while studying law, history and society. Asked how she stays grounded, Apple added: 'Hanging out with my friends and trying to have a normal college experience makes me feel more normal. 'That's how I like to unwind. We'll sit down and do little guitar playing sessions, one person will play and the others will sing. I also love watching reality TV with my friends. There was one day we spent five hours on the couch and just watched old episodes of America's Next Top Model.' On Tuesday, Apple was unveiled as the new brand ambassador for Self Portrait as she posed for her debut shoot with the brand. Styled by Mel Ottenberg, Apple wore pieces from the brand's latest ready-to-wear collection, including a white lace and satin maxi dress and a silver gradient sequinned dress. She said: 'Debuting with self-portrait was a no-brainer their British spirit reminds me of growing up in London, so it's felt like home from the start. Apple insisted her parents have 'instilled' a work mentality in her, and she knows her life is not a 'normal way to grow up' (pictured with her mother Gwyneth in 2023) 'Plus, the collections are gorge and approachable! Han and the team welcomed me in as part of the creative process and I am having a lot of fun learning along the way. 'I'm so excited for this campaign to be out in the world and for us to continue exploring this side of my creativity together.' Earlier this month, Martin appeared alongside her famous mother as the new face of GapStudio. She first made her foray into the fashion world back in 2023 when she debuted on the runway for Chanel's haute couture show at Paris Fashion Week. Apple's collaboration with the brand was first revealed last month, and fans were quick to complain that she landed the gig thanks to her high-profile connections. 'THIS is nepotism gone bad,' one wrote. 'Oh thank goodness, I was so worried another one of Hollywood's finest children might not land a super cushy job with no talent to validate the achievement. All is well in the world now,' one sarcastic commenter chimed in. 'Yikes,' one posted. 'how is this chick the face of anything? Must be nice to be a nepo baby with no talent.' Some loved the collaboration as they wrote online: 'This is excellent'; 'She is so pretty'; and, 'Oh, she's perfect.' Another claimed the college student was only getting attention because of her parents: 'if she weren't Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter, no one would pay any attention to her.' 'I'm shocked. A celebrity's child who wants to be a model,' one commented. Apple is currently a college junior at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and she was pictured out and about in the city last month. 'Apple is loving college life, it is a great fit for her and offers her so much as far as academics and a sense of community,' a friend told the Daily Mail. 'She has really taken to the lifestyle and has made a lot of new friends, which is important to her. She certainly is thriving in Nashville.' 'I'm a law, history, and society major but [...] maybe I'll take a theater course before I leave,' Apple revealed to Interview magazine in April. 'It's really busy because after spring break I have tech week and I have to get everyone's costumes ready for the show,' she added. She has also been enjoying the ambience of her college: 'Vibes are great, honestly. It's so much easier for me to get out of bed and walk to class when it's pretty outside. Um, yeah,' she said. Apple's father Chris shared back in 2020 that his daughter had landed her first job in a clothes shop before she turned 16 (pictured with the Coldplay frontman in March) Apple also shared that she's following in her mother Gwyneth's footsteps by working on a show while at the university. She said: 'Oh my god, so - I'm in the lovely Vanderbilt Original Cast, the esteemed cabaret theater group. This semester's show is a musical parody of Love Island called Love on an Island. It's so fun. The songs are phenomenal.' Vanderbilt University is a private research university in Nashville which was founded in 1873. It was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt. Apple also celebrated her 21st birthday in May, and marked the milestone with a glitzy 'debutante' coming-of-age ball back in December. The high society affair was held in Paris at the $1,000-a-night Hotel Shangri-La, and Apple was joined by handsome date Count Leo Henckel von Donnersmarck, who hails from Austro-Hungarian nobility. Apple's proud parents were also in attendance, as was her brother Moses, who is now 19. Kim Kardashian has sparked outrage with the release of her most controversial Skims underwear collection yet. The reality star, 44, has launched her line of faux intimate hair thongs which cost a whopping 34 per pair. Available in twelve different shades, including Sienna blonde, Clay Black and Cocoa Ginger, the website described the product as 'Our most daring panty yet. 'Hand-made in a super sheer, stretch mesh, this string thong features a mix of curly and straight faux hair in 12 different shade variations' However the new product has left fans flabbergasted as they took to social media to share their shock at the design. They joked: 'I pay for a wax pass for a reason Kim' while others made the point: 'If you wanna bush, just dont shave this is ridiculous'. Kim Kardashian has sparked outrage after launching her most controversial Skims underwear ever with faux intimate hair as she leaves fans flabbergasted The reality star, 44, has launched her line of faux intimate hair thongs which cost a whopping 34 per pair Others penned: 'i already got this right now as we speak im good'; 'Nobody wants this, we can grow out our own!'; 'Look itchy af'; 'Gotta be a Halloween special'; '$32.00 Girl bye we dont want that!!!! Why pay for that we just grow our own and go bare for free'; 'What in the absolute f**k'; 'DONT P**S ME OFF!!!!'; 'The fact that 6,188 people liked this post is DIABOLICAL!!!'; 'Why buy a hairy coochie when I already got one'; The hell is this why is this even a thing someone please tell me is that a new style or something'. Referring to the shade which features grey hairs one questioned: 'Who granny hairs is this'. Another confused fan asked: 'Do you shampoo em or throw em in the wash?' It is not the first time Kim's products have called controversy after she introduced the Skims Ultimate Pierced Nipple Push-Up Bra back in May. The lingerie offered the option to wear one or both piercings and was priced at $74. Available in 12 different shades, including Sienna blonde (R), Clay Black and Cocoa Ginger (L), the website described the product as 'Our most daring panty yet' However the product left fans flabbergasted as they took to social media to share their shock Referring to the shade which features grey hairs one questioned: 'Who granny hairs is this' Another confused fan asked: 'Do you shampoo em or throw em in the wash?' After content creator Hannah Mellon posted a viral TikTok urging her followers to 'just do the hot thing and get them done' in her caption, they quickly weighed in with their own opinions on the controversial lingerie. Hannah joked that her culture was not 'your costume.' Some said the push-up was perfect for people who couldn't get actual piercings for a 'medical reason' or if they healed incorrectly. However, some explained that 'it's probably cheaper to get them pierced than to buy the bra itself' calling it a 'weird idea.' One woman explained she didn't go through the pain of getting actual piercings just for a bra to come out offering the same exact look. 'These bras look hideous in person, you can literally see the outline of the bra through shirts and that de-influenced me so fast,' a commenter complained. 'If you're not brave enough to get them then you shouldn't get to look like you have them,' another woman said. On Reddit, fashionistas were equally critical, saying it was just as bad as fake freckles. It is not the first time Kim's products have called controversy after she introduced the Skims Ultimate Pierced Nipple Push-Up Bra back in May The promotional video described the bra as 'The Ultimate Pierced Nipple Bar. Our sexiest bra gets even hotter with a faux nipple piercing design so you can get the 'Ooo' without the ouch' Skims released the Ultimate Nipple Push-Up Bra in October 2023 and they quickly sold-out, and a waiting list of 250,000 people eager to buy the undergarments followed One woman said she doesn't 'get the point of a nipple bra if you wear a see through shirt that shows you are wearing a bra.' 'So what do you do when someone expects you to have your nips pierced and you take your bra off and don't?' another person asked in the Reddit thread. According to the official Skims description, the underwear provides the 'perfect fullness, enhanced shape, and authentic augmentation of the Ultimate Bra, now with a built-in raised nipple detail for a perky, braless look that makes a bold statement.' It's 'made of a super soft sheen microfiber fabric, this first-of-its-kind solution features tapered foam pads for sexy, natural-looking lift and support.' Claudia Winkleman posed on the red carpet with her rarely-seen husband Kris Thykier at the Is This Thing On premiere on Tuesday. The BBC presenter has taken over television this autumn, fronting The Celebrity Traitors and Strictly Come Dancing. And Claudia enjoyed a well-needed night out with her beloved film producer husband, both 53, at the 2025 BFI London Film Festival. The TV icon looked incredibly chic in a brown tweed blazer and long flared tailored trousers. Claudia and Kris tied the knot in June 2000 and went on to welcome children, Jake, 22, Matilda, 19, and Arthur, 14. Speaking to The Sunday Times about the secret to the longevity of their marriage last year, she quoted Gwyneth Paltrows director father, Bruce Paltrow. Claudia Winkleman posed on the red carpet with her rarely-seen husband Kris Thykier, both 53, at the Is This Thing On premiere on Tuesday Claudia enjoyed a well-needed night out with her beloved film producer husband for the 2025 BFI London Film Festival Claudia said: 'Bruce was asked, "Youve had a long marriage, didnt you want to get divorced?" And he went, "Sure, but never at the same time." Best. Line. Ever. I feel incredibly lucky.' She went on: 'I cant talk much about Kris or hell be sick but hes incredibly Scandi. None of its my job, its always our job. Hes never said, "Whats for dinner?" It would be, "What are we having for dinner? Should I make something?" Its a tiny inflection, but it is different. 'Or, "What day do the kids go back to school?" He doesnt ask me that. He looks it up. His whole familys the same.' She previously explained how she manages to balance her career with her home life, quipping 'my husband is a better parent than me.' 'We share, and when one of us is snowed under, the other person will help. He knows that in the lead-up to the Strictly final, for example, I'm useless, so he might be in charge of getting Christmas presents for our nephews and nieces.' She added that between the two of them, Kris is definitely more lovey-dovey, saying: 'I'm not a romantic person, he's much more romantic than me, the poor guy!' The TV personality also confessed her children beg her to give them some space during the 10 months of the year when she's not busy presenting Strictly Come Dancing. Speaking to Daily Mail in 2023, Claudia blamed the 'awful' habit on her former newspaper editor mum Eve Pollard, 81. The TV icon looked incredibly chic in a brown tweed blazer and long flared tailored trousers Claudia and Kris tied the knot in June 2000 and went on to welcome children, Jake, 22, Matilda, 19, and Arthur, 14 The BBC presenter has taken over television this autumn, fronting The Celebrity Traitors and Strictly Come Dancing She co-hosts Strictly Come Dancing with Tess Daly every Saturday and Sunday until Christmas She began: 'I get on the tube all the time but Ive never been recognised in my life, never in my life. Im on there four times a day with my kids...' 'Im on telly sometimes but only for two months in the year and the rest of the time, I zip around. For the rest of the year, I lick the children. 'I follow them around and Im a very annoying human being to them. They say, "Mum give us some space," and I say "no". Im awful. It comes from my own mum.' Pete Wicks was liking pictures of his best pal Sam Thompson's new girlfriend two years ago. The former TOWIE star, 36, seemed to like what he saw, double-tapping a series of glam shots of Talitha Balinska back in October 2023, two years before she started dating I'm A Celeb winner Sam. Sam, 33, recently hard-launched Talitha, 24, in a sweet Instagram video, showing the couple enjoying a LEGO date night. His sister Louise Thompson even made an appearance, hinting Talitha has already met the family. In the clip, the podcaster was seen holding a wand while Talitha donned a Harry Potter-style hat, smiling at the end of the video. The stunning model and DJ boasts 511,000 TikTok followers and nearly 200,000 on Instagram, where she shares snaps from her lavish holidays, London nights out and swanky restaurant visits. Pete Wicks was liking pictures of his best pal Sam Thompson's new girlfriend two years ago The former TOWIE star, 36, seemed to like what he saw, double-tapping a series of glam shots of Talitha Balinska back in October 2023, two years before she started dating Sam Pete liked a string of Talitha's racy posts - including one where she showed off her cleavage in a denim corset and matching patchwork jeans, as reported by NeedToKnow. She posed in the back of a luxury car and captioned the post: 'Hop in.' The blonde beauty had her hair slicked into a sleek high ponytail, looking effortlessly glam. In another post the ex-TOWIE star liked, Talitha rocked a cream jacket, cropped white top, and dark wide-leg jeans, completing the look with a tan Birkin bag. She grinned for the camera outside Chelsea townhouses. It's not the first time the best mates have shown interest in the same woman. Sam previously admitted he once flirted with someone who was already dating Pete. On their Staying Relevant podcast, Sam said: 'I will never forget the time I tried to slide into a girl's DM's and she told me she was going on a date with my best friend [Pete] that weekend.' In another post the ex-TOWIE star liked, Talitha rocked a cream jacket, cropped white top, and dark wide-leg jeans, completing the look with a tan Birkin bag Sam, 33, recently hard-launched Talitha in a sweet Instagram video, showing the couple enjoying a LEGO date night His sister Louise Thompson even made an appearance, hinting Talitha has already met the family He then mimicked a frustrated scream, adding: 'That's how I feel inside.' Pete replied: 'My response was okay I'll cancel it, you can go if you want.' Their romance comes after Sam's two-month fling with Love Islander Samie Elishi. The pair were seen kissing outside Bacchanalia in Mayfair after celebrating Olivia Attwood's birthday, with Samie later admitting she'd had 'a lot of tequila' before they were spotted leaving together in a taxi. Meanwhile, Sam's ex Zara McDermott has moved on - and recently moved in with One Direction star Louis Tomlinson. The new couple are said to have started dating around three months after Zara's shock split from Sam. Meanwhile Pete has had a colourful love life and is thought to be currently dating his ex Strictly partner Jowita Przysta. He has previously been linked to Maura Higgins and his former TOWIE co-star Chloe Sims. Samantha Armytage has had a big glow up in recent months. The television host stunned at the Nine Upfronts in Sydney on Wednesday, as the newly-single television host showed off her trimmed-down figure. The radiant TV veteran, 49, ensured all eyes were on her in her first official outing as the new host of The Golden Bachelor. Sam opted for a black jumpsuit with a sleeveless bodice and a loose cut in the legs, with her toned arms on display. She added a pair of strappy black heels and chunky gold accessories including a number of bracelets. The TV star accessorised her look with golden bracelets, and wore her blonde locks in natural beach waves. Samantha Armytage (pictured) has had a big glow up in recent months The television host stunned at the Nine Upfronts in Sydney on Wednesday, as the newly-single television host showed off her trimmed-down figure The radiant TV veteran, 49, ensured all eyes were on her in her first official outing as the new host of The Golden Bachelor She put on a glamorous display, proving she is very much ready for her close up. Sam did not speak on reports that Today could be set for a major shake-up in a bid to win the breakfast television wars. It comes after the Today show was rocked by rumours that former Sunrise host Armytage is in 'secret talks' to replace Karl Stefanovic's co-host Sarah Abo. The 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. Armytage left Sunrise in 2021 and has gone on to helm Farmer Wants A Wife and the upcoming Golden Bachelor. Sam also recently broke her silence on her shock split with her equestrian businessman ex Richard Lavender. Sam opted for a black jumpsuit with a sleeveless bodice and a loose cut in the legs, with her toned arms on display She added a pair of strappy black heels and chunky gold accessories including a number of bracelets The TV star accessorised her look with golden bracelets, and wore her blonde locks in natural beach waves Sam as undergone a glam makeover in the past year. Pictured in 2024 The Channel Nine presenter told Stellar magazine that she and Richard had tried their best to make their marriage work, before they split in December. 'What I'll say for my marriage is we gave it a go. It didn't work out, so we moved on. Last year was a big year. There was a lot of change and a lot of grief,' Samantha began. The Golden Bachelor host added it was not a spur-of-the-moment decision and both she and Richard were confident in their choice to part ways. 'I don't think anybody leaves a marriage without thinking it through quite deeply. You don't just decide one day and leave the next,' she said. 'We've all got these thoughts and fears and happy moments we share.' In December, the former couple announced their separation on the eve of their four-year wedding anniversary. They had tied the knot at Richard's 40-hectare property in the picturesque Southern Highlands in NSW on New Year's Eve in 2020. Lukas Gage has admitted that marrying Kim Kardashian's hairstylist Chris Appleton nearly ruined his career as an actor. The White Lotus star, 30, was briefly married to Chris in 2023, but the couple split that same year, reaching a divorce settlement in June - just seven months after their divorce was filed. They had married in Las Vegas in April 2023 in a ceremony which aired on season four of The Kardashians and was officiated by Kim and attended by Shania Twain, who performed You're Still The One. Now, Lukas has revealed the marriage nearly cost him his acting career as casting agents refused to work with him as they thought he had too much of a public persona. Lukas told The Independent fans assumed he married Chris on TV to 'clout chase' and have more chance at getting acting work - but it had the opposite effect. He also revealed that part of him chose to get married to Chris in the first place to prove he was gay after he felt like people were 'coming for him' about his casting in The White Lotus as they accused him of 'queerbaiting'. Lukas Gage has admitted that marrying Kim Kardashian's hairstylist Chris Appleton nearly ruined his career as an actor (Seen in 2024) The White Lotus star, 30, was briefly married to Chris in 2023, but the couple split that same year, reaching a divorce settlement in June - just seven months after their divorce was filed Lukas - who wasn't out as LGBTQ+ at the time - said he was almost rebelling against the assumed backlash that he was a straight man playing a gay role by marrying in such a public way. He said: 'I lashed out in this very public way that didn't feel authentic to me, then, suddenly, this relationship overshadows all the work I'd done and the career I was building.' 'People thought, "Oh, he's just doing this for jobs and clout-chasing and to make his way to the top" - but, in actuality, it was a detriment to my career,' he added. 'At the time, the feedback I was getting from casting agents was that I had too much of a public persona, people wouldn't let me audition for things' In December, Lukas opened up about the 'witch hunt' over straight actors playing gay roles. The You actor slammed a recent trend of actors being bombarded by questions from fans about their sexuality when they play gay characters. Speaking to Attitude magazine as he graced the cover of their latest issue, Lukas said he felt like people were 'coming for him' about his role in The White Lotus. 'I was dealing with people coming for me, being like, "Why is he stealing a gay role? Hes just a straight guy, how dare he", blah blah blah.' They had married in Las Vegas in April 2023 in a ceremony which aired on season four of The Kardashians The marriage was officiated by Kim and attended by Shania Twain, who performed You're Still The One Lukas also empathised with Heartstopper star Kit Connor being 'bullied' into coming out at just 18 years old after playing Nick in the Netflix series. 'It's two-fold, I'm in the camp where theres of course certain scenarios,' Lukas said of who should play gay characters. Recalling Kit's experience after Heartstopper was released, Lukas said: 'I remember, it was the same time people were coming for me, they were coming for Kit [Connor].' Lukas and Chris split in November 2023 with the former filing for divorce and citing 'irreconcilable differences'. Lukas later branded the decision to wed as 'manic and unhinged.' According to a nine-page proposed judgment and a declaration of default obtained by People, the former couple have asked the court to sign a written agreement waiving spousal support. The declaration of default was filed to the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County on Thursday, June 6. The documents also show that a postnuptial agreement is in place. A source told TMZ last year the split was 'not an easy decision for Chris to make but he tried everything he could to make the marriage work and needed to make the best decision for himself moving forward.' Lukas also empathised with Heartstopper star Kit Connor (pictured) being 'bullied' into coming out at just 18 years old after playing Nick in the Netflix series Lukas and Chris made their romance public in February when they shared vacation snaps from The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort in Mexico They wed in front of only six guests at Little White Chapel after applying for a marriage license in Clark County. In March 2024, Lukas appeared on Watch What Happens Live where he dismissed cheating rumours but hinted that he signed an non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and couldn't talk more about the split. Host Andy Cohen admitted he was surprised that Lukas tied the knot with Chris after only dating for two months, with Lukas admitting it was, 'Manic, absolutely unhinged.' 'I had a manic episode for six months. Those jackets, those furry jackets what happened to me?' Lukas added. 'I don't know literally what went through my head, but we live and we learn,' Lukas added, when Andy asked, 'what was the reason for your divorce?' Andy added that there were, 'allegations of cheating,' though Lukas confirmed, 'there was no cheating.' 'Oh, god. Andy, there the three letter thing I signed,' Lukas said, as Andy asked, 'You signed an NDA? With him?' Lukas didn't confirm nor deny, only stating, 'I plead the fifth,' while Andy brought up that he seemed to be in love at the time. Kim Kardashian has spilled all on her glam routine, revealing the huge amount that is spent on her hair and beauty regime. The reality star made the confession during her explosive appearance on the Call Your Daddy podcast, and took her time to muse over her answer. She told host Alex Cooper that it was 'a lot,' but caveated her answer by pointing out that she rarely has to pay for all of her glam, thanks to her family's reality show and her other high profile jobs. 'If I'm filming my show, then they pay for it. If I'm working, then they pay for it. So, I try to get it all paid for so that I don't personally have to pay for it,' she expained. Kim, who is reported to be worth $1.7 billion, admitted though that it was hard to tally up the total cost as 'I don't have a concept of what certain simple things cost,.' 'I'd like to know a little bit more about what, like, a milk carton cost.' Pressed for an answer, Kim conceded that her glam cost 'could be a million dollars. Not five. Below five. Maybe one.' Kim Kardashian has spilled all on her glam routine, revealing the huge amount that is spent on her hair and beauty regime She caveated her answer by pointing out that she rarely has to pay for all of her annual glam, thanks to her family's reality show and her other high profile jobs Back in May it was revealed that Kim had spent $4,500 just on skin treatments for the Met Gala whilst she once infamously shared that her typical daily hair and makeup routine takes a whopping two hours. In August Kim shared images of several very bizarre procedures that she had done while on vacation with her sister Khloe Kardashian and friends like La La Anthony and Stephanie Shepherd in South Korea. And when it comes to her body, Kim documents her gruelling workouts on the family reality show. The mum-of-four enlists the help of personal trainer Melissa Alcantara, who trains with her for two hours from 6am seven times a week. 'I love to work outit's my therapy,' Kim told Vogue last month. 'I work out every single day, and everyone I know works out multiple times a week.' On top of her daily upkeep, Kim and her sisters all invest in regular spray tans, laser hair removal and luxury skincare treatments from family favourite Dr Kanodia in LA. Kim's go-to make up artists include long-time collaborator Mario Dedivanovic who reportedly charges up to 2,000 for a full day on a shoot. Chris Appleton is one of Kim's favourite hair stylists, and gets a name check in the Call Your Daddy podcast. The reality star made the confession during her explosive appearance on the Call Your Daddy podcast, and took her time to muse over her answer In August Kim shared images of several very bizarre procedures that she had done while on vacation with her sister Khloe Kardashian in South Korea Pressed for an answer, Kim conceded that her glam cost ' could be a million dollars. Not five. Below five. Maybe one'; pictured with her go-to hair stylist Chris Appleton Kim also, of course, has her own range of beauty products, under her SKIMS brand, with her most recent product launch, the $60 face shapewear attracting controversy last month. Meanwhile, over in SKIMS fashion Kim has sparked outrage with the release of her most controversial underwear collection yet. The reality star, 44, has launched her line of faux intimate hair thongs which cost a whopping 34 per pair. Available in twelve different shades, including Sienna blonde, Clay Black and Cocoa Ginger, the website described the product as 'Our most daring panty yet. 'Hand-made in a super sheer, stretch mesh, this string thong features a mix of curly and straight faux hair in 12 different shade variations' However the new product has left fans flabbergasted as they took to social media to share their shock at the extraordinary thongs. They joked: 'I pay for a wax pass for a reason Kim' while others made the point: 'If you wanna bush, just dont shave this is ridiculous'. Rose Ayling-Ellis has become the latest star to brand Bali as 'overrated' after Molly Mae's sister caused a stir earlier this year. The former EastEnders actress, 30, has revealed she was stunned by the sheer amount of rubbish at the holiday hotspot when she visited. Rose, who was the first ever deaf contestant to appear on Strictly in 2023, said: Its overrated.' She continued: I went to Bali with this ideal and it was not what I expected at all. 'There was plastic and rubbish everywhere. She added on the Travel Secrets podcast: I just couldnt connect to the spiritual travellers out there. Rose Ayling-Ellis has become the latest star to brand Bali as 'overrated' after Molly Mae's sister caused a stir earlier this year (pictured in the Maldives in 2022) Molly-Mae's sister Zoe previously took aim at the destination and revealed to fans she had left after just 48 hours The Indonesian province has long been the backdrop to celebrities and influencers' picture-perfect holiday snaps. However, Rose is not the first public figure to bash the destination, with Molly-Mae Hague's sister Zoe previously taking aim. She told her followers in June how she upped and left less than 48 hours after jetting in because it did not live up to her expectations. Zoe had planned the trip with her husband Danny to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. And despite staying in a huge sea view room at the Radisson Blu, a five-star hotel, they decided to leave early and jet to Dubai instead. Zoe explained that Bali looks better on social media than in real life, as influencers make it look luxurious, despite it being a developing country. Her honest video was mocked by fans as she declared: 'I don't think the reality of Bali is shown much at all, and I do think it is down to a lot of influencers posting the more luxury side of things.' She added: 'Before joining the army, I spent five months travelling South East Asia. I did Thailand, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, I did a lot and spent time in these countries. But there is something very different about Bali. The former EastEnders actress, 30, has revealed she was stunned by the sheer amount of rubbish at the holiday hotspot when she visited (pictured in the Maldives in 2022) Zoe and Danny stayed at Atlantis The Royal, with rooms starting from around 290 per night during July, which is considered low season 'We got told Uluwatu where we are now is one of the best places to go, so if this is one of the better places, I'm not sure where the other places are like. 'I wasn't going to sit down and say anything, but people want to know.' Fans were divided in the comment section, with many claiming they loved Bali and asking for specific reasons why she didn't like it. One commented: 'I find this really surprising seeing as you travelled this part of the world. Everywhere there is like this - the 5* resorts are social media worthy but ultimately its a developing area of the world and lots of the people there live in poverty.' Another chimed in: 'That is such a shame you didnt have a good experience:( Bali is a truly magical place with incredible people! But it is a poor country and I think people forget that and expect it to be like Dubai when that isnt the reality. Hope you have a good time in Dubai.' While a third penned: 'Im interested to know what exactly you didnt like about it? You didnt really go into specifics? I travelled there last year and loved it!' Sarah Abo and her Today co-star Karl Stefanovic put on a united front as they arrived at the Nine Upfronts in Sydney on Wednesday. The event, which is the network's night of nights and sets the tone for the following year at the channel, was overshadowed by reports that Abo could soon be ousted from the breakfast program - and replaced by Samantha Armytage. Stefanovic, 51, was clearly eager to show his support for Abo, 39, on Wednesday, as he laid a comforting, supportive hand on her waist as the pair made their way inside. The two walked in stride along the footpath before embracing briefly outside the doorway of the event. Abo threw her arm up over Karl's shoulder, and he returned the gesture by holding onto her waist, before they again parted. The small gesture was a show of unity between the pair, whose onscreen partnership is under threat, according to new reports. Sarah Abo and her Today co-star Karl Stefanovic put on a united front as they arrived at the Nine Upfronts in Sydney on Wednesday. Both pictured The event, which is the network's night of nights and sets the tone for the following year at the channel, was overshadowed by reports that Abo could soon be ousted from the breakfast program - and replaced by Samantha Armytage Stefanovic was clearly eager to show his support for Abo on Wednesday, as he laid a comforting, supportive hand on her waist as the pair made their way inside Karl's warmth towards his co-star could indicate that he is not keen to see her leave his side any time soon - or is offering his support at what is a trying time for the television host. Adding to the awkwardness, Armytage, who is hosting the upcoming first season of The Golden Bachelor, was in the house - and looked ready for her close up. Samantha, 49, put in a glamorous appearance in a fitted black jumpsuit and was absolutely glowing as she became the talk of the town. With bombshell claims emerging that Abo's Today show days are numbered, the rumour mill has already started going into overdrive over where she will end up. It was reported by The Australian over the weekend that Abo could soon be ousted from the high-profile hosting gig and replaced by Samantha Armytage. The casting shake-up is said to be a 'desperate bid to wrestle the TV breakfast crown from Seven's rival Sunrise'. One fan suggested on Media Spy that the move could force Abo into a career on the airwaves after the Today star recently showed off her radio talent on Nova FM. 'Might explain why Sarah Abo recently filled in for Chrissie Swan on her radio show. Exploring her future options,' they suggested. Abo, who has appeared as a guest many times on The Chrissie Swan Show, most recently filled in for the radio star during the last week of September. The two walked in stride along the footpath before embracing briefly outside the doorway of the event Abo threw her arm up over Karl's shoulder, and he returned the gesture by holding onto her waist, before they again parted The small gesture was a show of unity between the pair, whose onscreen partnership is under threat, according to new reports Karl's warmth towards his co-star could indicate that he is not keen to see her leave his side any time soon - or is offering his support at what is a trying time for the television host With bombshell claims emerging that Abo's Today show days are numbered , the rumour mill has already started going into overdrive over where she will end up Meanwhile, news of the potential shake-up generated much chatter, with many viewers arguing it would be a mistake for Nine to give Abo's Today chair to Armytage. 'Karlos and Sarah are just fine atm. No need to change,' one offered. Another suggested there had already been too many personnel changes announced at the network. 'The one thing Today doesn't need is another presenter change, from the change at sport, to a new Weekend Today line-up next year, it's in for a lot of change,' the viewer said. 'Changing out Sarah is not necessary. I don't believe it will help the ratings.' One said that the potential move could backfire on Nine, especially if the Armytage-hosted Golden Bachelor fails to win over fans. '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 said. Others were quick to claim that Armytage would be a perfect addition to the Today team. Abo joined Today in 2023, replacing outgoing host Allison Langdon According to The Australian, Nine is banking on the 'Armytage effect' which saw Sunrise score a ratings victory when Armytage joined the program in 2013 Adding to the awkwardness, Armytage (pictured), who is hosting the upcoming first season of The Golden Bachelor, was in the house - and looked ready for her close up 'I for one would love to see Sam back on morning television,' a viewer offered. 'Her fun personality and versatile ability as a host makes her perfect for the format.' According to The Australian, Nine 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. Abo joined Today in 2023, replacing outgoing host Allison Langdon. Amal Clooney was bursting with pride this week as her lookalike niece Mia Hamiyeh officially followed in her footsteps to become a lawyer. The 23-year-old, who is the daughter of Amals sister Tala Alamuddin and businessman Nagi Hamiyeh, graduated from London's BPP Law School with a distinction on Tuesday. Fashion designer Tala, 53, shared photos on Instagram showing Mia looking radiant in her cap and gown as she accepted her degree during a ceremony at Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, surrounded by family and friends. My heart is full. My girl is a lawyer , Tala captioned one photo. Couldnt be prouder, she wrote on another. Mia, who bears a striking resemblance to her famous aunt with her dark brown eyes, sculpted cheekbones and brunette locks, beamed as she crossed the stage to shake hands with university officials before posing for photos outside the venue in a chic black tweed suit. A source close to the family said: Amal is so proud of Mia. Shes watched her grow up to become a poised, intelligent young woman and is thrilled to see her following her passion. Amal Clooney bursts with pride as lookalike niece Mia, 23, (pictured) followed in her footsteps and graduated from London's BPP Law School with a distinction on Tuesday. Amal, pictured in the European Court of Human Rights in 2015, who bares a striking resemblance to her niece Mia is the daughter of Amals sister Tala Alamuddin and businessman Nagi Hamiyeh 'Mia has always been inspired by Amal because of the work shes done for justice and womens rights around the world. British international human rights lawyer Amal, 47, who married Hollywood star George Clooney, 64 - the father of her two children - in 2014, shares a very close bond with her niece. Mia was a flower girl at their star-studded Venice wedding, helping her aunt with the train of her dazzling Oscar de la Renta gown. Last summer, she interned at the Clooney Foundation for Justice, the organisation founded by Amal and George to advocate for victims of human rights abuses around the world. Before qualifying as a solicitor at BPP Law School this week, Mia earned a law degree from SOAS University of London in 2023. Her impressive CV already includes stints as a Junior Fellow at Kings College Londons Centre for International Governance and Dispute Resolution, a research assistant at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, and a legal intern for the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Mia is one of four children shared by Tala and her ex-husband, Nagi Hamiyeh. She has twin brothers, Jad and Sari, and another brother whose name has not been made public. Her mother Tala, who is based between Singapore and London, runs the colourful fashion label Totally Tala, known for its statement accessories and sustainable production ethos. Tala Alamuddin, the sister of Amal Clooney and mother of Mia Hamiyeh, pictured this month at the premiere of her brother-in-law George's new movie Proving she's every inch as glamorous as her stunning aunty, Mia paused to top up her make-up on graduation day Last summer, she interned at the Clooney Foundation for Justice, the organisation founded by Amal and George to advocate for victims of human rights abuses around the world Her family captured the moment she took to the stage to graduate as they burst with pride Amal pictured after successfully passing the bar The designer is also extremely close to her younger sister Amal, often attending family events and supporting her high-profile philanthropic work. She and Mia were at the Albie Awards in London last week, hosted by Amal and George. Named after South African anti-apartheid hero Albie Sachs, The Albies were created by the Clooneys through their foundation to shine a protective spotlight on brave individuals and groups working for justice worldwide. This years fourth annual event - held for the first time in London, at the Natural History Museum - drew a dazzling crowd that included Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, Meg Ryan, Jacinda Ardern, Donatella Versace, Felicity Jones and John Legend, who performed on the night. Mia was spotted among the glittering guests, including her grandmother - Amal and Tal's mother - journalist Baria Alamuddin, wearing a strapless black gown as she supported her aunt and uncles cause. Amal, (pictured with husband George Clooney), has become one of the worlds most respected human rights lawyers, representing high-profile clients including Nobel laureate Maria Ressa Mia was also at the glamorous London premiere last week of her uncle George's new film, Jay Kelly, alongside her mother and brothers. Amal has become one of the worlds most respected human rights lawyers, representing high-profile clients including Nobel laureate Maria Ressa, former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, and journalists detained in Egypt and Myanmar. She is a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers in London and has served as a Special Adviser to the International Criminal Courts Prosecutor. In recent years, she has spearheaded global campaigns against war crimes and sexual violence, all while raising eight-year-old twins Ella and Alexander with husband George from their homes in Berkshire and Lake Como. Katie Price has named the British TV star she claimed raped her more than 20 years ago. She made the revelation during an appearance of An Evening with Katie Price And Kerry Katona, on Tuesday night. According to The Sun, Katie, 47, drew gasps from the crowd when she named her alleged attacker. The mother-of-five had always maintained that she wouldn't reveal who he was, but last year, she admitted she had changed her mind and would divulge in time. Katie had made plans to reveal the name in a new book, after the MeToo movement encouraged her to speak out. Katie Price named the British TV star she claimed raped her more than 20 years ago during an appearance of An Evening with Katie Price and Kerry Katona on Tuesday Katie - pictured back in 2004 - had always maintained that she wouldn't reveal who he was, but last year, she admitted she had changed her mind and would divulge in time A source told The Sun at the time: 'Katie thinks she has nothing to lose. After all the me-too stuff she thinks if other people have revealed their sex attackers, why can't I?' A spokesperson for Katie Price has declined to comment to the Daily Mail. Katie first discussed the alleged rape in an OK! magazine column in 2009. Her words came in response to allegations that her then-partner Alex Reid had starred in a film which glorified rape. She said: 'Rape is a subject very close to my own heart. I was raped when I was younger, more than once. I'd never be associated with anything or anyone so sick. 'I've never talked about this before, but I feel I have to now because I was so hurt by these accusations that I would not take a subject, which affects so many women, seriously. 'I urge any woman who has been affected by rape and needs help to talk to somebody they trust about it.' In 2022, Katie said in her harrowing documentary Trauma And Me that she had been raped again during a horrifying carjacking in South Africa in 2018. She recalled the terrifying ordeal which saw her held at gunpoint during filming for her Quest Red reality show, My Crazy Life with ITV. In 2022, Katie revealed she was raped again during a horrifying carjacking in South Africa four years before - she suffered further torment when she was sexually assaulted with two friends when she was aged six She detailed the traumatic events that led her to reach breaking point, suffering a mental breakdown in 2018, and a failed suicide attempt where she 'knocked herself out and had black eyes' - after which she sought treatment for PTSD. Katie spoke about her triggers and suffering in the lead up to the crash. She told the Daily Mail: 'The experience when I was filming with ITV in South Africa, we had no security, if we had security they would have been able to deal with the six guys that jumped us, held me at gunpoint and raped me.' Katie was thrown out of the vehicle by the attackers, during her journey from Johannesburg to Swaziland in two people carriers with the production crew. The vehicles were ransacked of laptops, iPads, passports, cash and jewellery but the robbers left behind a fortune in camera gear which the crew had stored on board. The attackers were never apprehended. She also discussed the rape during an episode of Channel 4's SAS: Celebrity Who Dares Wins in 2020, where she said: 'Police said it was a miracle they didn't kill us.' During her Channel 4 show Trauma And Me, she revealed: 'I hit severe depression a couple of years ago, depression on top of PTSD, I was suicidal, didn't want to be here. I tried to kill myself. 'I knocked myself out and had black eyes. I had bruises around my neck. I woke up. I didn't want to be here.' Her stays at The Priory rehab clinic have been to treat her post traumatic stress disorder as she also added that through therapy she has learnt to deal with her past and recognise what triggers her. Katie detailed: 'I have had my eyes opened about a lot. When you go in The Priory, people assume that it must be for drinks or drugs. 'I have never ever been in The Priory for drink, drugs or addiction. I have been in the priory for trauma rehabilitation for PTSD.' She continued: 'Because of what people believe, it affects me. There is a stigma that if you go in The Priory, you are a wrong 'un [one], but that's not true. 'I think people who go in there are brave because they are facing their demons and whatever their problems are to make themselves a better person. 'Mental health... it doesnt matter how big or how small they might seem, if its big to someone then its big to them. Its just different. Anything can happen.' Speaking about the dark place she experienced with her mental health at the time of her horrific drink-drive crash in 2021, Katie explained: 'I live in the countryside, I had no outlet, I needed to talk to someone and that night I let myself down.' 'I am not justifying anything, there was a reason why I got in the car and why my head was like that. 'Unfortunately, I did get into that place. I would never get into that place again. It happened and it's real but I have learnt.' The former glamour model, who still goes to therapy, said: 'I have therapy each week, but I wish I would have done this years ago. It would have stopped a lot of things that I might have said or reacted to. Katie had a horrific drink-drive crash in 2021 as she battled her mental health demons 'I have to accept [certain situations] and not bite back to anything anymore. 'It's hard for me to say because I dont want to sound bitter and I am not bitter. I speak to my therapist now about my situations.' Katie continued: 'I feel like I have to protect myself. I don't put anything on Instagram anymore. I dont need to justify myself anymore. I don't owe anything to anyone. 'I don't go on Instagram anymore and say, "Well this is wrong," it crosses my mind and then I countdown, and by the time I am at zero, I am just like "Oh forget it." 'I feel better and I feel stronger for that. I dont need to rectify or prove anything to anyone. I know the truth. I have grown up!' In her documentary, Katie discusses what caused her mental health to deteriorate and the steps that she is taking in her recovery. 'There's a lot in the programme but there is a hell of a lot I haven't put in there, its only 45 minutes but there is enough to know that I have been suffering,' she said. Katie suffered further torment when she was sexually assaulted with two friends when she was six. Speaking to Piers Morgan, she described how a man lured them into bushes as they played in a park, before offering to buy them an ice cream if they let him touch them. You can call Rape Crisis England & Wales on 0808 500 2222. Kylie Jenner shared two new eye-popping photos to Instagram on Wednesday morning. The 28-year-old diva from Calabasas had gold and silver grillz on her teeth to promote her King Kylie collection for Kylie Cosmetics. The billionaire even pulled down her lip to reveal the oral jewelry. One fan even compared her to 67-year-old Madonna, who has worn grillz many times in the past, even to the Met Gala in 2017. Kylie's older sister Kim Kardashian also modeled grillz when she was married to rapper Kanye West. Grillz, also known as dental jewelry, are decorative covers that fit over teeth. They are typically made of precious metals like gold, silver, or platinum, and may also be adorned with gems or other embellishments. Grillz are primarily used for aesthetic purposes, adding a stylish or glamorous touch to a person's smile. They can also be used to cover up imperfections or discoloration of teeth. Kylie Jenner shared two new eye-popping photos to Instagram on Wednesday morning The diva from Calabasas had gold and silver grillz on her teeth to promote her King Kylie collection for Kylie Cosmetics. The billionaire even pulled down her lip to reveal the oral jewelry Madonna, 67, with diamond-encrusted grillz at the Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2017 in New York City In celebration of Kylie Cosmetics' 10-year anniversary, the brand has launched a limited-edition King Kylie Collection. It will be available on KylieCosmetics.com on October 18. 'It is a bold tribute to a decade of iconic beauty, innovation, and the era-defining legacy of King Kylie,' a press release said. 'The collection is a nod to the original King Kylie era, blending nostalgia with modern flair. 'It features a California license-plate shaped eyeshadow palette inspired by Kylie's ever-changing hair colors, lip glazes reminiscent of her first glosses, and the best-selling Matte Lip Kits re-released in packaging and shades that honor the brand's 2015 debut.' 'I'm incredibly proud to be celebrating 10 years of Kylie Cosmetics,' said Kylie in a statement. 'I've loved makeup for as long as I can remember, and I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to create and share products I use every day with my fans worldwide. 'I'm so excited to introduce my King Kylie Collection it's been amazing to look back at all my past looks and reflect on where it all started.' Kylie announced the collection with a 'GLOSSES PART 2: KING KYLIE RETURNS' video, which showcased her getting charged for flipping the entire cosmetics industry on its head, then freed and picked up by Kris Jenner in a car with her iconic King Kylie license plate. In celebration of Kylie Cosmetics' 10-year anniversary, the brand has launched a limited-edition King Kylie Collection. It will be available on KylieCosmetics.com on October 18 'The collection is a nod to the original King Kylie era, blending nostalgia with modern flair. It features a California license-plate shaped eyeshadow palette inspired by Kylie's ever-changing hair colors, lip glazes reminiscent of her first glosses, and the best-selling Matte Lip Kit' This comes after she was seen with beau Timothee Chalamet for the first time in two months, shattering rumors they are on the outs. The billionaire and the 29-year-old movie actor were seen side by side as they left the romantic hot spot The Waverly Inn in New York City via a chauffeured black SUV over a week ago. The stars had on matching black leather looks as they seemed cozy while holding hands but also shy when fans spotted the dynamic duo. They kept their heads down as Jenner even put a hand over her face as she smiled from ear to ear. The billionaire cosmetics mogul and the 'it' boy of Hollywood were headed to the after party for the premiere of Chalamet's new film Marty Supreme at the 63rd New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center. Before that, Jenner had been spotted backstage at the premiere as she supported her main man in her life. Fans shared photos of them at the event on social media. This comes after she was seen with beau Timothee Chalamet for the first time in two months, shattering rumors they are on the outs. Seen in March Kylie flew from Paris to New York City to support her beau during the high-profile event. While in Paris she attended the Miu Miu fashion show during PFW and posed for many racy selfies in her glamorous hotel suite. On Monday evening they appeared to be very much a couple. The actor and the entrepreneur held hands briefly before he chivalrously opened the door of the establishment for his lady love. Kylie looked chic in a black leather jacket over a crop top that flashed her toned tummy as she added long black slacks and strappy high-heel sandals. Her outfit appeared to be from her fall Khy collection. The younger sister of supermodel Kendall Jenner wore her long black hair down as she was nicely made up with pink tones. The beauty seemed unusually shy as she put a well-manicured hand over her face while looking down as she did not want to be photographed with her partner. The reality TV siren also carried a large black clutch purse. Chalamet had on a similar look with a black leather zip-up jacket over a black hoodie that was pulled up to hide his hair. He added matching baggy black leather slacks that clashed with his light brown suede lace-up boots that would seem more appropriate for a hike in the woods than an evening out in a major city. Gwyneth Paltrow has revealed when she last ate junk food, smoked a cigarette and got drunk in a surprising departure from her health-conscious lifestyle. The actress, 52, has become a prominent figure in the wellness community thanks to her immensely popular lifestyle brand Goop. She is a big fan of detoxes, and has participated in many different cleanses over the years - including an eight-day long goat milk cleanse to help get rid of alleged parasites. In a diversion from her wellness ways, Gwyneth has lifted the lid on her not-so-health conscious habits. Speaking to Vogue, Gwyneth revealed she had eaten 'trans fats and seed oils' just the night before the interview in the form of a chocolate covered Oreo. When it comes to other vices, notably smoking and drinking alcohol, those are more distant memories for Gwyneth. Gwyneth Paltrow has revealed when she last ate junk food, smoked a cigarette and got drunk in a surprising departure from her health-conscious lifestyle The actress, 52, has become a prominent figure in the wellness community thanks to her immensely popular lifestyle brand Goop (Seen in September) Of her chocolate snacking Gwyneth said: 'Once in a while it's so important to follow those cravings, I love it.' Revealing when she last smoked a cigarette however, Gwyneth said: 'Oh, sadly I remember it well, it was the night we got married seven years ago.' Gwyneth said she had put a note in her marriage paperwork to say that the wedding would be annulled if she ever smoked a cigarette again in a bid to get her to stop, and it worked. Elsewhere Gwyneth recalled how the last time she got drunk was almost 10 years ago at her 43rd birthday during a dinner out in New York City joined by her pals, including Cameron Diaz. 'We had this great Chinese dinner, then someone was like, "Let's go dancing", I did shots and I was hammered,' she said. But it was the last time she got drunk as the following day she had to dart out of a meeting to vomit in the toilet. It comes after Gwyneth and Chris Martin's daughter Apple hit back at claims she's an 'entitled' nepo baby after landing a high-profile new fashion campaign. The model, 21, has been carving out a fashion career while studying for a degree at Vanderbilt University. Speaking to Vogue , Gwyneth revealed she had eaten 'trans fats and seed oils' just the night before the interview in the form of a chocolate covered Oreo But due to her famous heritage has faced claims she's only landing work because of her famous connections. Following the release of her new campaign with Self Portrait, Apple has now insisted her parents have 'instilled' a work mentality in her, and she knows her life is not a 'normal way to grow up.' The budding model, has already walked in the Chanel couture show at Paris Fashion Week and posed alongside her famous mother in a campaign for GapStudio. Discussing how she juggles her fashion work with her studies, Apple said: 'I know this is not a normal way to grow up by any means. 'But my parents did a really good job of instilling in me that I shouldn't be entitled to anything. I have to work.' Elsewhere Gwyneth recalled how the last time she got drunk was almost 10 years ago at her 43rd birthday during a dinner out in New York City joined by her pals, including Cameron Diaz Indeed, Apple's father Chris shared back in 2020 that his daughter had landed her first job in a clothes shop. He said at the time: 'It's her first job, and she's about to be 16 and she's making her way in the world and I'm so proud of her.' Apple went on to tell The Daily Telegraph that despite her modelling career, she's still trying to have a 'normal college experience,' while studying law, history and society. Asked how she stays grounded, Apple added: 'Hanging out with my friends and trying to have a normal college experience makes me feel more normal. 'That's how I like to unwind. We'll sit down and do little guitar playing sessions, one person will play and the others will sing. I also love watching reality TV with my friends. There was one day we spent five hours on the couch and just watched old episodes of America's Next Top Model.' On Tuesday, Apple was unveiled as the new brand ambassador for Self Portrait as she posed for her debut shoot with the brand. Gwyneth and Chris Martin's daughter Apple, 21, has hit back at claims she's an 'entitled' nepo baby after landing a high-profile new fashion campaign Styled by Mel Ottenberg, Apple wore pieces from the brand's latest ready-to-wear collection, including a white lace and satin maxi dress and a silver gradient sequinned dress. She said: 'Debuting with self-portrait was a no-brainer their British spirit reminds me of growing up in London, so it's felt like home from the start. 'Plus, the collections are gorge and approachable! Han and the team welcomed me in as part of the creative process and I am having a lot of fun learning along the way. 'I'm so excited for this campaign to be out in the world and for us to continue exploring this side of my creativity together.' Woody Allen was seen for the first time after the shock death of ex and frequent collaborator Diane Keaton. Just days after the 89-year-old filmmaker finally released a statement over the death of his Annie Hall co-star at 89, he was arm-in-arm with his wife nearly four decades his junior Soon-Yi Previn, 55. The longtime couple were seen together in New York City on Tuesday as Allen donned a green jacket, khaki pants, brown bucket hat, and his signature eyeglasses while leaning on his wife since 1997 for support. Soon-Yi sported a brown coat, pink trousers, and black leather shoes as she held onto the arm of the controversial filmmaker. The news broke that Allen's former love interest and frequent collaborator had passed away 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. Woody Allen, 89, was seen for the first time after the shock death of ex and frequent collaborator Diane Keaton as he was arm-in-arm with his wife nearly four decades his junior Soon-Yi Previn, 55 On Sunday, Allen released a statement over the death of Keaton after her death at 79 on Saturday; the two are seen in 1977 film Annie Hall together On Sunday, the 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. 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.' The longtime couple were seen together in New York City on Tuesday as Allen donned a green jacket, khaki pants, brown bucket hat, and his signature eyeglasses while leaning on his wife since 1997 for support 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. 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 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. 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 '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. The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show will take place on Wednesday after a six year hiatus. The brand has gone back to being super sexy after years of going 'woke,' Daily Mail has learned. 'It will be very glitzy and sensual,' a source told Daily Mail. 'It's a return to the old style where women looked their very best. There will be less emphasis on shock value and more on all the pretty. 'They want the runway to sizzle again because they need to ramp up sales.' And that means the very famous bombshells are back. So far Irina Shayk, Adriana Lima, Emily Ratajkowski, Alessandra Ambrosio, Lily Aldridge, Barbara Palvin, Behati Prinsloo and Joan Smalls are all onboard. A Brit also managed to squeeze in: Iris Law, the daughter of Jude Law and Sadie Frost. And Patrick Schwarzenegger's new wife Abby Champion was also spied backstage. Irina Shayk prepares backstage at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2025 on October 15, 2025 in New York City Angel Reese in a pink bra and underwear with slippers Euphoria actress Barbie Ferreira will be there too. It has also been hinted that Ashley Graham, Candice Swanepoel, Doutzen Kroes, Paloma Elsesser, Stella Maxwell and Taylor Hill will be in attendance. There may also been guest appearances by Bella Hadid and Heidi Klum. No word yet if Kendall Jenner or Gigi Hadid will step onto the runway. This year's VS Fashion Show will be livestreamed on Amazon Live and all of Victoria's Secret's social media platforms. The performers set to take the stage are Karol G, Missy Elliott, Madison Beer, and Twice, a K-pop girl group. An athlete will make her debut: WNBA star Angel Reese. Announced back in July, the show will be taking place in New York City, at the brands flagship store on 640 Fifth Avenue. The show starts 7 p.m. ET. Their woke rebrand fell flat with viewers dubbing it 'boring' and 'lackluster,' two words that would never have been used to describe the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in its glory days. Emily Ratajkowski with curlers in her hair She had her toes done as she looked at her cell phone Barbie Ferreira from the series Euphoria looked fantastic The problems started many years ago when employees of the company alleged that ex-top executive Ed Razek, 77, was unprofessional on several occasions. Razek, who was one of the top executives at L Brands, the parent company of VS, had claims of sexual assault made against him. According to the New York Times, he attempted to kiss models, asked them to sit on his lap and touched one's crotch before the 2018 runway show. Andi Muise claimed the brand had stopped hiring her to model at fashion shows after she rejected Razek's advances. Aged 19, she was invited to a dinner with him. Muise was picked up in a chauffeured car and said Razek attempted to kiss on the way to the restaurant. The newspaper said it saw emails exchanged between the pair, in which he suggested she move into his home in Turks and Caicos. Casey Crowe Taylor, a former public relations employee at Victoria's Secret, said she had witnessed Razek's behaviour. She told the outlet: 'This abuse was just laughed off and accepted as normal. It was almost like brainwashing. 'And anyone who tried to do anything about it wasn't just ignored. They were punished.' At a fashion shoot in 2015, she claimed Razek looked her up and down when she went to get seconds during a company buffet lunch. Crowe Taylor - who was 5ft 10in and weighed 10 stone - then said she was 'berated' about her weight and said that Razek told her to lay off the pasta and bread. Although she complained to HR about the interaction, she said that as far as she was aware, no action was taken, leading to her resignation. Also on the list is Lily Aldridge Aldridge with some of her makeup done Alessandra Ambrosio wore a pink track suit as she made a heart sign on her chest Ambrosio (R) was interviewed as she prepared backstage at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2025 Employees also said Les Wexner, Victoria's Secret 87-year-old billionaire chief executive, mocked the retail industry's efforts to embrace a variety of body types by allegedly saying, 'Nobody goes to a plastic surgeon and says, 'Make me fat.' Alyssa Miller, who occasionally modelled for the lingerie company, said Razek 'exuded toxic masculinity.' During a fitting in 2018, Bella Hadid was being measured for underwear that would be appropriate to air on television ahead of the runway show. Workers who were there at the time claimed Razek was sat watching the fitting and said, 'Forget the panties,' adding that the bigger question was whether broadcasting standards would allow Hadid to walk 'down the runway with those perfect titties'. Razek released this statement at the time and declined to respond to specific allegations: 'The accusations in this reporting are categorically untrue, misconstrued or taken out of context. Joan Smalls was cheerful backstage Barbara Palvin was talking her hair Adriana Lima still had on her pale denim jacket Behati Prinsloo was also seen as she pulled down her leather jacket Patrick Schwarzenegger's new wife Abby Champion was seen Neelam Gill This leggy wonder is Summer Dirx Iris Law, the daughter of Jude Law and Sadie Frost She was joined by another nepo baby, Lila Moss, whose mother is Kate Moss Gabi Moura was seen in her robe and slippers Mathilda Gvarliani wore all black 'I've been fortunate to work with countless, world-class models and gifted professionals and take great pride in the mutual respect we have for each other.' During the 90s, Jeffrey Epstein was an adviser to Wexner, posing as a recruiter to access young models, according to a New York Times expose. Insurance executive Robert Meister introduced Wexner to Epstein in the 80s, with the newspaper stating that the VS boss 'authorized him to borrow money on his behalf, to sign his tax returns, to hire people and to make acquisitions'. In 1997, Alicia Arden, then 27 years old, was invited into a hotel room by Epstein where she thought they would be discussing the Victoria's Secret catalogue. But she told the documentary, Victoria's Secret: Angels and Demons, that the disgraced businessman grabbed and attempted to undress her. Newly-single Nina Dobrev is turning heads as she continues to move on from Shaun White. The star showed her ex what he was missing with a sexy bikini snap, uploaded just over a month after their shock split. The Vampire Diaries alum, 36, dropped a carousel showcasing her summer 'highlights' - including one of her clad in a colorful bikini. Nina stood on the patio of her waterfront accommodations with what appeared to be a cup of Joe in hand. She wore a pretty bikini top and matching sarong, all of which showcased her svelte physique to full effect. While the photo appeared to have been taken prior to her split from Shaun, it's just the sort of image that is certain to get heads turning - and perhaps some attention from a potential new suitor. Newly-single Nina Dobrev is letting the world know she is single and ready to mingle in sizzling fashion Overall, the post offered a glimpse into her full life, from her recent travels to a glammed-up outing with a gal pal. Nina and the Olympic snowboarder, 39, called it quits last month, less than a year after announcing their engagement. The former couple, who first began dating in 2020, had been together for five years. Shaun popped the question to actress Dobrev in October 2024. A source told People the decision to part ways was not taken lightly. Since the split, Nina has been pictured getting cosy with Zac Efron - fuelling romance rumours with the High School Musical alum. They were seen having a blast on an Italian getaway with pals. Nina and Zac were then seen spending time together on a lavish yacht in Sardinia and also attended a crypto billionaire's lavish nuptials in the South Of France. But the star shut down the romance speculation while speaking with TMZ at LAX. Nina was asked if there was anything to the speculation, prompting her to laugh and shake her head. The post included this glammed-up selfie Nina took with a gal pal Last month on September 11, it was revealed that Dobrev and White had called off their engagement and split after five years together; former couple seen in 2024 in South Africa She was asked, 'You're just mates?' to which Dobrev simply replied with, 'Yeah.' Nina also expressed that she was doing 'good' following her public breakup with White. 'You know what, I'm excited for the future and the only thing that is guaranteed is change,' the actress added while flashing a small smile towards the camera. Late last month, the beauty was seen having a blast during a trip to Italy with friends - with Zac also joining in on the fun. The Vampire Diaries alum first fuelled romance rumours with the High School Musical alum last month when they were seen having a blast on an Italian getaway with pals; Zac seen in 2024 The pair were accompanied by other celebrity pals including Gossip Girl alum Chace Crawford and Miles Teller. They were also seen holding a conversation with each other while on board a lavish yacht at sunset. Nina and Shaun were last publicly seen together on August 31 as they held hands while out in Los Angeles. A separate insider also talked to the Daily Mail and gave insight into Dobrev and White's recent split - including their different focuses. The former couple, who first began dating in 2020, had been together for five years. Shaun popped the question to actress Dobrev in October 2024 She's been in Paris as of late for fashion week The source claimed, 'Shaun is retired and has had his last Olympics, he was very ready for marriage and kids and all that comes from that. 'Nina was on board but also very interested in seeing where her acting career was going to go, as that was and is very important to her.' The insider added, 'Shaun has done some acting but has focused on being an entrepreneur after his snowboarding career finished up, and he was gearing up to be a father and wanting that life. 'As much as they had the same ideals and wanted to enjoy the same ride, they naturally couldn't come together on a common goal and that was the strain on their relationship.' Keira Knightley was caught laughing in the middle of a question when she was asked about the Harry Potter boycott. The English actress, 40, has landed a leading role in the audio adaption of the seven fantasy novels. Keira voices Professor Umbridge in the books, which are set to be released between next month and May 2026. In a new interview, Keira was asked about some fans choosing to boycott the franchise over JK Rowling's views on transgenderism. Now, a clip of the interview released shows the actress laughing before saying: 'I'm very sorry.' She then continued to Decider: '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? Keira Knightley was caught laughing in the middle of a question when she was asked about the Harry Potter boycott over JK Rowling 's views on transgenderism The English actress, 40, has landed a leading role in the audio adaption of the seven fantasy novels which will start to be released from next month 'And we've all got very different opinions. I hope that we can all find respect.' Keira left fans angered by the footage as they branded her 'patronising'. One said: 'Such a patronizing tone for such a goofy ass sentiment.' A second chimed in: 'She doesn't care and she's p****d that she was asked.' 'Extremely weird and awkward response. Im pretty disappointed in Keira tbh,' said a third. Her new comments come after she claimed she was not aware of a Harry Potter boycott over trans issues after being cast. Imelda Staunton portrayed Professor Umbridge in two of the eight Harry Potter 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'. Keira voices Professor Umbridge in the books, a role played by Imelda Staunton in the movie adaption The character was introduced in the 2003 book Harry Potter And The Order of the Phoenix and appeared in the 2007 movie as well as 2010's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. Other stars who have signed up for the audiobook adaption include James McAvoy, Matthew Macfadyen, Hugh Laurie, Michelle Gomez and Riz Ahmed. The movie franchise, fronted by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, featured eight films and it has since been revealed the story of The Boy Who Lived will be retold in a HBO series due for release in 2027. The adaption of the audio franchise follows a brand new decade-long HBO series which will retell the wizard stories. Dominic McLaughlin will play a young Harry Potter and filming began earlier this year, which also saw Jon Lithgow unveiled as Dumbledore for the first time. The series will be in the works for the next two years, with streaming service HBO setting a release date set for 2027. Keira was asked about some fans choosing to boycott the franchise over JK Rowling's views on transgenderism Keira said: '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?' Dominic, who was selected from over 32,000 hopefuls, stars alongside Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout as Harry's companions, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Nick Frost, known for Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, takes on the role of Hagrid. Earlier this month, the quiet fishing village of Cadgwith on The Lizard was transformed into the wizarding world of Harry Potter earlier this month as they continued to film the HBO series. Filming kicked off at the Cadgwith Cove Inn before moving to the beach, where a dramatic scene was staged involving a car surrounded by fishing boats and extras in traditional Sou'westers. Alec Baldwin was certainly in need of rest and relaxation days after crashing his wife Hilaria's Range Rover with brother Stephen in The Hamptons. The 67-year-old actor had a somber look on his face as he was seen leaving a nail salon in New York City on Tuesday after a manicure and pedicure session. Alec donned a black long-sleeved button-down shirt with matching relaxed fit trousers and grey sneakers. The star held onto his cell phone as he tucked his jacket under his arm and sported a pair of eye glasses for the pampering session. This comes as new details had emerged over his recent car accident as he was driving his wife Hilaria's Range Rover with his brother Stephen, 59, as a passenger and slammed into a tree causing severe damage to the vehicle. The two actors luckily escaped injury in the smash with the police issuing a statement revealing further information about the incident - which took place in treacherous rainy conditions on the side of the Montauk Highway, Alec Baldwin was certainly in need of rest and relaxation days after crashing his wife Hilaria's Range Rover with brother Stephen in The Hamptons 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. 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. The 67-year-old actor had a somber look on his face as he was seen leaving a nail salon in New York City on Tuesday after a manicure and pedicure session This comes as new details had emerged over his recent car accident as he was driving his wife Hilaria's Range Rover with his brother Stephen, 59, as a passenger and slammed into a tree causing severe damage to the vehicle The 30 Rock star was driving his wife Hilaria's Range Rover with his brother Stephen as a passenger when he went off the road and slammed into a tree 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. 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 the publication 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. In a video posted Monday after the crash, Baldwin said he crashed into the tree after swerving to a avoid a garbage truck as big as a 'whale' when another car allegedly cut him off In a subsequent Instagram video, Baldwin's wife Hilaria thanked fans for their kind thoughts and clarified that both Alec and Stephen were unharmed Baldwin owns a 10-acre estate on Town Lane in Amagansett, nestled comfortably in the Long Island billionaire's enclave 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. 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. 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 Alec and Stephen are part of an acting dynasty that also includes brothers Daniel and William Baldwin He said he swerved to avoid it after a car cut him off before crashing into the tree The owner of the truck told TMZ that its driver was not at fault in the crash 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. 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 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 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. Michelle Keegan has shared her anger and misery, after vandals deliberately scratched the paintwork off the side of her car. The actress, 38, took to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday to reveal the extent of the damage to her vehicle, as she blasted the culprits for the cruel act. She filmed a video pointing out the scratch, before panning the camera across to show how far it extended along the entire length of her car. The Brassic star fumed: 'Hope the person that did this felt better bout themselves afterwards, scruffs'. Michelle then shared another video of her sitting inside the car, looking distinctly fed up, as she admitted she was struggling not to let the vandalism 'ruin my day'. Still looking effortlessly glamorous in a leather jacket, over a brown crop top and jeans, she wrote: 'Smiling on the outside, screaming on the inside, working out how not to let it ruin my day. Whhhhhy though?' Michelle Keegan has shared her anger and misery, after vandals deliberately scratched the paintwork off the side of her car The actress, 38, took to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday to reveal the extent of the damage to her vehicle, as she blasted the culprits for the cruel act While not revealing which car had been keyed, Michelle has previously been snapped driving a black Range Rover SVR, that costs a whopping 100,000. She and her husband Mark Wright have also been spotted taking a black 80,000 Ranger Rover Sport HSE out for a spin in Cheshire. It's not the first bit of bad luck to befall the couple's vehicles, after their 65,000 Range Rover Sport was previously stolen right out of their own driveway. Back in December 2020, Mark appealed for help from his followers after the luxury car was snatched while they were at home, but luckily later revealed it had been recovered 20 minutes away. Sources at the time claimed the couple were convinced thieves had been watching them as they knew exactly when the gates to their Essex home would be open to steal the vehicle. Mark took to Twitter to blast the 'unbelievable' culprit, asking his fans: 'If Anyone sees a black Range Rover sport in the Chigwell area heading away from Abridge number plate ET68LVO please tweet me. 'Just this second stolen off my drive whilst we are home. Unbelievable.' Luckily for the TOWIE star, just an hour after his initial appeal he was able to share some good news with his worried fans and reveal the vehicle had been found. She then shared another video of her sitting inside the car, looking distinctly fed up, as she admitted she was struggling not to let the vandalism 'ruin my day' It's not the first bit of bad luck to befall the couple's vehicles, after their 65,000 Range Rover Sport was previously stolen right out of their own driveway (seen last year) Announcing the positive turn of events, Mark tweeted: 'Car has now been found 20mins away. 'Thank you to @MetaTrakUK @metpoliceuk @EssexPoliceUK for your incredible work. Thank you to all the people who tweeted and showed support. X' Meanwhile, the damage to her car comes as the second blow for Michelle in just two week, after her show Ten Pound Poms was axed after two series. The BBC drama followed a group of British citizens who emigrated from post-war Britain to Australia in the 1950s, with Michelle playing nurse Kate Thorne. It first hit screens in 2023 and drew in a respectable 6.37 million viewers for its first season, but ratings were halved to just 3.15m by the end of series two, which concluded in April. The second series also saw Michelle's story end on a tense cliffhanger, with her character Kate determined to reclaim her son Michael from his adoptive parents. A BBC spokesperson confirmed the cancellation to Daily Mail, saying: 'It's been a joy to bring the story of the Ten Pound Poms to life for BBC viewers and we are really grateful to Danny Brocklehurst, Eleven and all the cast and crew who have worked on the series.' Meanwhile, the damage to her car comes as the second blow for Michelle in just two week, after her show Ten Pound Poms was axed after two series (seen in show) Michelle had previously shared interest in returning for a third series, but admitted at the time that since she'd recently given birth to her baby daughter Palma, there may be a delay before she was available for filming. The show, which was filmed in Australia, previously required the star to relocate Down Under for several months for production. She said: 'I love this show and there's definitely more of Kate's story to be explored. But - for very obvious reasons in my case there may be a delay before I would be available to do it.' Fans had previously complained they'd 'given up' on series two of the drama, complaining that due to a two-year gap between series, they'd forgotten much of how the first run ended. Kylie Jenner shared some very racy pin-up photos to her Instagram account on Wednesday to push her King Kylie collection. The 28-year-old Calabasas native wore a strappy black Latex dress that looked like it was too risque to wear out in public. The cut outs were severe with her underboob getting plenty of attention. Some fans did not like how she flashed so much flesh: 'Why do you reveal your body so much!!! You are gorgeous though but it's really enough.' Others called her a 'baddie' and felt like the original Jenner 'is back.' And some thought she resembled Kourtney Kardashian's 19-year-old stepdaughter Alabama Barker, who is known for very sexy shoots. Kylie Jenner shared some very racy pin-up photos to her Instagram account on Wednesday to push her King Kylie collection The 28-year-old Calabasas native wore a strappy black Latex dress that looked like it was too risque to wear out in public And some thought she resembled Kourtney Kardashian 's 19-year-old stepdaughter Alabama Barker, who is known for very sexy shoots Her makeup was also extremely heavy with black eyeliner and bright pink blush that gave off a very different look than what fans have grown used to in the past year. There were plenty of diamonds as well, and several Cartier bracelets and big rings. In celebration of Kylie Cosmetics' 10-year anniversary, the brand has launched a limited-edition King Kylie Collection. It will be available on KylieCosmetics.com on October 18. 'It is a bold tribute to a decade of iconic beauty, innovation, and the era-defining legacy of King Kylie,' a press release said. 'The collection is a nod to the original King Kylie era, blending nostalgia with modern flair. 'It features a California license-plate shaped eyeshadow palette inspired by Kylie's ever-changing hair colors, lip glazes reminiscent of her first glosses, and the best-selling Matte Lip Kits re-released in packaging and shades that honor the brand's 2015 debut.' 'I'm incredibly proud to be celebrating 10 years of Kylie Cosmetics,' said Kylie in a statement. 'I've loved makeup for as long as I can remember, and I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to create and share products I use every day with my fans worldwide. 'I'm so excited to introduce my King Kylie Collection it's been amazing to look back at all my past looks and reflect on where it all started.' The cut outs were severe with her underboob getting plenty of attention Her makeup was extreme as well with a miss mash of brown and pink Some fans did not like how she flashed so much flesh: 'Why do you reveal your body so much!!! You are gorgeous though but it's really enough' Others called her a 'baddie' and felt like the original Jenner 'is back' There were plenty of diamonds as well, and several Cartier bracelets She had on black heels and a white French pedicure The nails were attention getters too The rings looked straight out of Las Vegas There were Polaroids too Kylie announced the collection with a 'GLOSSES PART 2: KING KYLIE RETURNS' video, which showcased her getting charged for flipping the entire cosmetics industry on its head, then freed and picked up by Kris Jenner in a car with her iconic King Kylie license plate. Earlier in the day the siren had gold and silver grillz on her teeth to promote her King Kylie collection for Kylie Cosmetics. The billionaire even pulled down her lip to reveal the oral jewelry. One fan even compared her to 67-year-old Madonna, who has worn grillz many times in the past, even to the Met Gala in 2017. Kylie's older sister Kim Kardashian also modeled grillz when she was married to rapper Kanye West. Grillz, also known as dental jewelry, are decorative covers that fit over teeth. They are typically made of precious metals like gold, silver, or platinum, and may also be adorned with gems or other embellishments. Grillz are primarily used for aesthetic purposes, adding a stylish or glamorous touch to a person's smile. They can also be used to cover up imperfections or discoloration of teeth. Jenner shared two new eye-popping photos to Instagram on Wednesday morning The diva from Calabasas had gold and silver grillz on her teeth to promote her King Kylie collection for Kylie Cosmetics. The billionaire even pulled down her lip to reveal the oral jewelry Madonna, 67, with diamond-encrusted grillz at the Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2017 in New York City This comes after she was seen with beau Timothee Chalamet for the first time in two months, shattering rumors they are on the outs. The billionaire and the 29-year-old movie actor were seen side by side as they left the romantic hot spot The Waverly Inn in New York City via a chauffeured black SUV over a week ago. The stars had on matching black leather looks as they seemed cozy while holding hands but also shy when fans spotted the dynamic duo. They kept their heads down as Jenner even put a hand over her face as she smiled from ear to ear. The billionaire cosmetics mogul and the 'it' boy of Hollywood were headed to the after party for the premiere of Chalamet's new film Marty Supreme at the 63rd New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center. Before that, Jenner had been spotted backstage at the premiere as she supported her main man in her life. Fans shared photos of them at the event on social media. This comes after she was seen with beau Timothee Chalamet for the first time in two months, shattering rumors they are on the outs. Seen in March Kylie flew from Paris to New York City to support her beau during the high-profile event. While in Paris she attended the Miu Miu fashion show during PFW and posed for many racy selfies in her glamorous hotel suite. On Monday evening they appeared to be very much a couple. The actor and the entrepreneur held hands briefly before he chivalrously opened the door of the establishment for his lady love. Kylie looked chic in a black leather jacket over a crop top that flashed her toned tummy as she added long black slacks and strappy high-heel sandals. Her outfit appeared to be from her fall Khy collection. The younger sister of supermodel Kendall Jenner wore her long black hair down as she was nicely made up with pink tones. The beauty seemed unusually shy as she put a well-manicured hand over her face while looking down as she did not want to be photographed with her partner. The reality TV siren also carried a large black clutch purse. Chalamet had on a similar look with a black leather zip-up jacket over a black hoodie that was pulled up to hide his hair. He added matching baggy black leather slacks that clashed with his light brown suede lace-up boots that would seem more appropriate for a hike in the woods than an evening out in a major city. Sean 'Diddy' Combs has learned the strict conditions after his eventual release from prison after begging a judge to let him spend his four-year prison sentence at a low-level prison in New Jersey. The Daily Mail has obtained court documents filed on Wednesday which read that 55-year-old Combs will be under supervised release for five years after he completes his prison term in either late 2028 or early 2029. Used to a glamorous, jetsetting lifestyle, Diddy will be required to attend regular meetings with his probation officer and refrain from drug use as he will have to take a drug test within 15 days after his release and two periodic tests after that time frame. The rapper must also take part in an outpatient program which includes testing, an outpatient mental health treatment program, and an approved program for domestic violence. In addition Diddy's probation officer will be allowed to drop in on him to check up on him at any time and he must live at a location which is approved by the probation department. He also must submit a search of himself as well as his property, residence, vehicle, papers, computers and cell phones but that hinges on if there is a reasonable suspicion that he had violated one of the conditions of his release. Sean ' Diddy' Combs has learned the strict conditions after his eventual release from prison after begging a judge to let him spend his four-year prison sentence at a low-level prison in New Jersey The Daily Mail has obtained court documents filed on Wednesday which read that 55-year-old Combs will be under supervised release for five years ( a court illustration of Combs at his sentencing hearing earlier this month) Combs' lavish $61.5 million LA 10-bedroom, 13-bathroom mansion is seen - the shamed star has had little success offloading the home since it was raided in 2024 The rap mogul may not own, possess, or get access to a firearm, ammunition, a destructive device or any dangerous weapon. Lastly, he will also be required to work at least 30 hours a week and is forbidden to communicate with anyone who is involved in criminal activity. Diddy boasts an estimated $400 million fortune - although he was once a billionaire - and the star has been struggling to offload his Beverly Hills mansion during his time in prison. He had quietly listed his palatial Los Angeles estate for a staggering $61.5 million just one week before he was arrested in September 2024. The 10-bedroom, 13-bathroom mansion was memorably raided by federal agents in early 2024. The Bad Boy Records founder also owns a Miami compound which law enforcement raided in March 2024, seizing 1,000 bottles of baby oil among other evidence. Combs bought the Mapleton Drive mansion in 2014 for $39 million and is refusing to budge on its price. Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges that he coerced and abused women for years, aided by associates and employees Diddy's legal team previously asked for him to be bailed on house arrest at his $48.5 mansion on Star Island in Florida but the judge shot it down immediately Diddy is behind bars at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center Combs' mansion was once the scene of A-list parties, including an afterparty for the 2017 Grammys. This comes days after it was revealed that he is begging the judge presiding over his case to serve his four-year prison sentence at a low-level New Jersey facility. The fallen rapper has been locked up at the infamous Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn in the Special Housing Unit since September 2024. Following the conclusion of his highly anticipated trial and sentencing, his legal team has requested that he serve his time at FCI Fort Dix, a low-security prison in Fort Dix, New Jersey, the Daily Mail can confirm. The controversial star, who was found guilty on two counts of transportation for prostitution in July, made his plea for a cushier facility to Judge Arun Subramanian on Monday. The notice from defense attorney Teny Geragos reads: 'On behalf of Mr. Combs, we respectfully request that the Court strongly recommend a designation facility to the Bureau of Prisons in Mr. Combs Judgment. Combs' team urged the judge to move him to FCI Fort Dix, located on the McGuire Air Force Base, for Residential Drug Abuse Treatment Program (RDAP) purposes and 'any other available educational and occupational programs.' He will also be required to attend regular meetings with his probation officer and refrain from drug use as he will have to take a drug test within 15 days after his release and two periodic tests after that time frame ( a court illustration of Combs at his sentencing hearing earlier this month) Meanwhile Combs (pictured) is begging the judge to serve his four-year prison sentence at a low-level New Jersey facility Following the conclusion of his highly anticipated trial and sentencing, his legal team has requested that he serve his time at FCI Fort Dix (pictured), a low-security prison in Fort Dix, New Jersey The 55-year-old rapper (depicted in a court sketch) was found guilty on two counts of transportation for prostitution Geragos also wrote the change would allow him to 'maximize family visitation and rehabilitative efforts' to tackle his drug abuse issues. RDAPs typically lasts nine months. Enrolled prisoners often live in a designated section of the prison and divide up their days between activities centered around drug abuse treatment and work and educational programs. Federal prison consultant Sam Mangel told the Daily Mail the program is 'intense' and is comparable to AA. Successful completion of RDAPs can lead to up to one year slashed from prisoners' sentences, according to criminal defense law firm Elizabeth Franklin Best. The firm noted that few inmates qualify for sentence reductions and that the MDC does not offer an RDAP to inmates. Combs confessed in court that his time in federal custody has been the first in 25 years that he has been sober. 'I lost my way. I got lost in my journey. Lost in the drugs and the excess,' he said. FCI Fort Dix opened its gates in 1992 and houses roughly 4,000 inmates. There are only about 1,250 inmates at MDC Brooklyn, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). While Combs is seeking out an out from the notoriously grim MDC, Mangel said FCI Fort Dix is one of the 'worst in the BOP.' Mangel also noted that although Combs would 'fit in just fine there,' he would likely be disqualified from moving into the minimum-security prison camp within the facility. He said it is generally not a place where the BOP places violent offenders. The disgraced rapper has been locked up at the infamous Metropolitan Detention Center (pictured) in Brooklyn 'It just surprises me that they [Diddy's attorneys] are making this request unless they know something that I'm not aware of,' Mangel said. He also asserted that Combs would not even be eligible for an RDAP because of his sex offenses. 'People with sex charges like Diddy cannot get into that program, Mangel said. 'It is common knowledge that anybody with a public safety factor, with a sex charge, is not eligible for RDAP.' He added that Combs could take a Non-Residential Drug Abuse Treatment Program, which is three months long, but offers no chance at a sentence reduction. With the 13 months Combs has already spent behind bars, he is on course to be freed in November 2028. On top of his prison sentence, the judge ordered Combs to fork over a $500,000 fine. This request for a facility change comes about a week after Combs described MDC as 'inhumane' in a letter to the judge. With the 13 months Combs (pictured) has already spent behind bars, he is on course to be freed in November 2028 While the convicted felon whined about his circumstances, he expressed regret for his criminal past. This notice was presented to the judge prior to his bombshell sentencing hearing on Friday. Diddy told the judge that his time in jail had changed him for the better. Combs has also reflected on the damning clip of him brutally attacking his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, admitting he was 'dead wrong for putting my hands on the woman that I loved.' The MDC is an administrative facility, which means it holds inmates of all security levels. The Special Housing Unit, where Combs is locked up, is known for its harsh, restrictive and isolating conditions. The prison at large is notorious for inmate violence and poor living conditions. Combs has detailed the horrors of his life behind bars - a stark contrast from his life of fame and luxury before he found himself entrenched in his despicable scandal - describing the cramped, windowless room he has been confined to. 'The conditions that my actions have placed me in are inhumane,' he wrote to the judge, claiming he and his fellow inmates have no clean drinking water. The shamed 'freak-off' host also noted he was fearful that someone would murder him at MDC. Combs (right) acknowledged that his actions against Cassie Ventura (left) were wrong Despite his deep discontent regarding his circumstances, Combs has been running an entrepreneurship course, in which he has taught his fellow inmates 'foundational knowledge in business management,' his lawyers highlighted in court. While Subramanian has yet to respond to Combs' request to move to the New Jersey prison, the judge has refused the rapper's bold asks in the past. Most recently, the judge denied Combs' request to throw away his conviction on the prostitution charges or allow for a new trial. While Mangel does not believe Combs qualifies for prison camp, he has speculated that his lawyers are hoping he will get some waiver, just as sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell did. The Jeffrey Epstein associate was moved from FCI Tallahassee in Florida, to the minimum-security Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Texas in August. 'Either they [Diddys attorneys] don't know, although they're really good attorneys, so I would be surprised if they don't know, Mangel said. 'Or they're hoping for a waiver, like the one that was given to Ghislaine Maxwell... Normally, inmates convicted of sexual charges cannot go to camps, and she [Maxwell] got the only waiver I'm ever aware of in the history of the BOP.' Actress Penelope Milford has died at 77. The talented actress who was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Supporting Actress category for her work in 1978 film Coming Home passed away Tuesday in Saugerties, New York. Her brother Doug Milford confirmed her death but no cause has been revealed. She starred as Vi Munson in the Hal Ashby directed flick which also starred Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, and Bruce Dern. The film was set in California and is centered around a woman whose husband is a Marine officer fighting in Vietnam falls in love with a former high school classmate who suffered a paralyzing combat injury in the war. Her character Vi was the sister of Robert Carradine's character Bill Munson who came home with grave emotional problems after just two weeks in Vietnam and resides at the Veterans Administration hospital. Actress Penelope Milford (pictured in LA back in December 1982) has died at 77 She starred as Vi Munson in the Hal Ashby directed flick Coming Home which also starred Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, Bruce Dern, and Robert Carradine She ultimately lost out on the Oscar to Maggie Smith for her role in California Suite back in 1978. The film earned three Oscars total including Best Actress for Fonda and Best Actor for Voight. Milford was also known her her work on stage as in 1974 she originated the role of Jenny Anderson in the Broadway musical Shenandoah. She was also recognized for her efforts as she received a nod for a Drama Desk Award at the inaugural ceremony in 1975. However, she ultimately lost out to castmate Donna Theodore from the same production. Shenandoah was a musical adapted from a 1965 film of the same name starring Jimmy Stewart centered around a Virginia farmer who has vowed to remain neutral during the Civil War is spurred into action when his youngest son is taken by Union soldiers. Milford was born March 23, 1948 in St. Louis, Missouri before she moved to Illinois with her family where she grew up. Her acting career in New York began in 1971 where she starred opposite Richard Gere in an Off-Broadway production of Long Time Coming And A Long Time Gone which was based on the life of musician-novelist Richard Farina. The film was set in California and is centered around a woman whose husband is a Marine officer fighting in Vietnam falls in love with a former high school classmate who suffered a paralyzing combat injury in the war (Milford pictured with Jane Fonda in the flick) Her character Vi was the sister of Robert Carradine's (pictured right) character Bill Munson who came home with grave emotional problems after just two weeks in Vietnam and resides at the Veterans Administration hospital Milford and Fonda seen together in Coming Home Milford (pictured in April 1979) was also known her her work on stage as in 1974 she originated the role of Jenny Anderson in the Broadway musical Shenandoah Just a year later she made her Broadway debut in Lenny which was written by Julian Berry. Lead actor Cliff Gorman earned a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for his work on the play directed and scored by Tom O'Horgan. The work was centered around the life and career of legendary American stand-up comedian Lenny Bruce and was later adapted to the big screen with Dustin Hoffman taking the lead role in 1974. Her first role in film was in Norman Mailer's 1970 film Maidstone which was known for being very edgy for the time. She also starred as a silent film star in biopic Valentino directed by Ken Russell in 1977. Her career continued with roles on television in the 1980s including TV play The Oldest Living Graduate (1980) which she starred in with Henry Fonda, Cloris Leachman, and Timothee Hutton and earned two primetime Emmy Awards.\ Milford also starred in television movies Seizure: The Story Of Kathy Morris (1980) with Leonard Nimoy and The Burning Bed (1984) with Farrah Fawcett, as the later earned a WGA Award and Golden Globe. Her acting career in New York began in 1971 where she starred opposite Richard Gere in an Off-Broadway production of Long Time Coming And A Long Time Gone which was based on the life of musician-novelist Richard Farina (she is pictured in LA back in April 1979) Milford is seen with Sondra Locke (right) in TV movie The Rosemary Clooney Story which aired in 1982 Milford pictured with Bill Boggs at the 33rd Annual Tony Awards on June 3, 1979 in New York However, toward the end of the decade, Milford reportedly became dissatisfied with her acting career as she acted in a few more films including Heathers (1988) and Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer (1996). She later transitioned into teaching film acting in Chicago and Minneapolis through the 1990s. Milford later moved to the Hudson Valley village of Saugerties in New York in 2003 where she became a preservationist. She did keep her acting career going there as she performed at the local theater, sang in the Bard Symphonic Chorus, and was even active in the Woodstock Christian Science Church. Laura Byrne was simply glowing as she stepped out with her newborn daughter in Bondi on Friday. The former Bachelor star, 39, showed off her pins in tiny red shorts as she soaked up the sunshine with her one-month-old daughter, Poppy. Laura accessorised her casual look with a white T-shirt and wore comfortable black sandals as she carried her baby girl to the car. She protected herself from the sun with a maroon-coloured cap and sunglasses. The reality star was seen holding Poppy in a baby carrier before putting her into the car after the outing. Laura and her husband Matty 'J' Johnson welcomed their daughter last month. Laura Byrne was simply glowing as she stepped out with her newborn daughter in Bondi on Friday They announced the news in a sweet Instagram post after previously revealing their newborn's name was Poppy. 'Third time really is a charm. Our sweet little Poppy girl is here and we are all utterly obsessed with every inch of you,' the pair announced. 'Poppy Pearl Johnson, welcome to the world precious one.' In April, Laura revealed the gender of her third child with Matty, confirming she was expecting another daughter. She made the exciting announcement, cutting into a gender reveal cake live on her KIIS FM The Pick Up radio show, just hours after announcing her pregnancy. 'It's a girl,' Laura squealed as she removed a slice of white sponge that contained layers of pink icing. 'Oh my god, you're having a third little baby girl!' co-host Brittany Hockley said in disbelief, before adding: 'Congratulations.' Laura announced her pregnancy news on her podcast, Life Uncut, which she co-hosts with fellow reality star Brittany Hockley. The former Bachelor star showed off her pins in tiny red shorts as she soaked up the sunshine with her one-month-old daughter Poppy Laura accessorised her casual look with a white T-shirt and wore comfortable black sandals as she carried her baby girl to the car 'It turns out, we're having baby number three!' she declared. 'I'm pregnant, guys!' 'It is a miracle. We had a really small window. I have known for a very long time. I found out very early on in this pregnancy, not because I had any symptoms but because my friend made a comment that made me do a pregnancy test,' she explained. Laura recalled that she took a pregnancy test while Matty was filming I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in South Africa, but did not tell him the news until she was two and a half months pregnant. 'I wasn't able to tell Matt for ages. The whole time he was in the jungle, I wasn't able to tell him and then it was really tricky because I didn't want to tell him when it was the finale,' she explained. 'I didn't want to tell him as soon as the show, because I don't know if you guys remember, but the show wasn't filmed live this year, so we did the finale over there.' Matt also made an announcement on his Two Doting Dads podcast, telling listeners: '[It's] an October baby. We were trying before I went into the jungle. 'The plan was, we said this year 2025, if we were going to have a third, this will be the year that it happens.' The couple share daughters Marlie-Mae, whom they welcomed in 2019, and Lola, who was born in 2021. Laura appeared on The Bachelor Australia in 2017 and met her now-husband, and father of her three children, Matty. Tom Cruise and Ana de Armas have 'split' following a nine-month romance, per a new report. The Hollywood icon, 63, whose ex-wife Nicole Kidman recently split from Keith Urban, and Bond girl de Armas, 37, went their separate ways after realizing the 'spark had gone' per The US Sun. The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for the pair for comment. A source close to the pair said: 'Tom and Ana had a good time together but their time as a couple has run its course. 'They are going to remain good friends but they aren't dating anymore. They just realized they weren't going to go the distance and that they are better off as mates. 'The spark had gone between them but they still love each other's company and they've both been really adult about it. She's already been cast in his next film, so they will continue to work together.' Tom Cruise and Ana de Armas have 'split' following a nine month romance, per a new report The news of their reported breakup comes shortly after Ana was seen with Tom's Top Gun: Maverick co-star Miles Teller at a gym in Santa Monica. Ana and Miles - who is currently married to wife Keleigh - were spotted earlier this week on Monday leaving the private gym but seemingly jumped into separate vehicles. Tom and Ana were last publicly seen together months earlier in July as the pair went official with their budding romance. At the time, the two stars were seen holding hands as they whisked themselves on a weekend getaway to Woodstock, Vermont. They were spotted strolling through the scenic town together - after first sparking relationship speculation earlier this year in February. Shortly before the Vermont trip, both stars were also seen attending the Oasis concert at Wembley Stadium. That same month, Tom and Ana also enjoyed a boat day while on a getaway to Menorca, Spain. 'Tom has been showering Ana with gifts ever since they met, it's his thing, he is thoughtful,' a source exclusively told the Daily Mail in July. A source close to the pair said: 'Tom and Ana had a good time together but their time as a couple has run its course' Tom and Ana were last publicly seen together months earlier in July as the pair went official with their budding romance; the two stars seen in March in London The news of their reported breakup comes shortly after Ana was seen with Tom's Top Gun: Maverick co-star Miles Teller at a gym in Santa Monica (seen above) Ana and Miles - who is currently married to wife Keleigh - were spotted earlier this week on Monday leaving the private gym but seemingly jumped into separate vehicles 'First it started with her favorite flowers then books he thought she would want to read because she's an avid reader.' The insider added, 'The more they got to know each other, the bigger the gifts became. There has been jewelry like gold bracelets and designer clothing, things like that, things every girl would love. 'Probably the biggest gift he has given her is being able to go anywhere in the world at a moment's notice, not many people can do that. She loves to travel.' The Hollywood stars first ignited romance rumors when they were spotted grabbing dinner in London just before Valentine's Day. The pair were seen on more than one occasion in the following months, such as Ana and Tom dining at a restaurant in London. In May, they attended David Beckham's 50th birthday bash which was held in Notting Hill - and left in the same vehicle together. However, a guest who had also been in attendance at the time told Page Six that Ana and Tom's relationship appeared to be platonic. The insider explained that Tom and Ana 'came together and had a great night and clearly enjoy hanging out'. 'Tom has been showering Ana with gifts ever since they met, it's his thing, he is thoughtful,' a source exclusively told the Daily Mail in July; seen in May in London However, they added, 'But I couldn't say any more than that... I've no proof it's romantic.' A separate source informed Us Weekly at the time that the Top Gun: Maverick star was 'super smitten' with Ana. It was then added the romance was 'low-key' and 'still new and in the early stages'. The insider stated that both Ana and Tom first met back in February for work-related discussions, which then led to the 'relationship developing'. 'They've gone out on some dates and it's very low-key. It's in the early stages and he's been courting her.' Ana and Tom are set to work on the upcoming supernatural ocean thriller titled Deeper. The insider stated that both Ana and Tom first met back in February for work-related discussions, which then led to the 'relationship developing' And earlier this month, Ana was also seen posing with a mystery man during Paris Fashion Week Last month in September, the actress was seen partying with rapper Bad Bunny during a trip to Puerto Rico. At the time, the beauty filmed herself dancing to his hit song NUEVAYoL while at the music artist's concert. And earlier this month, Ana was also seen posing with a mystery man during Paris Fashion Week. While exploring the French city, the star posed for a lighthearted Instagram snap with two pals as they spent time outdoors. To combat shoplifters using the five-finger discount, Long Beach is taking aim at self-checkout. Retailers aren't happy about it. In August, the California city rolled out a first-of-its-kind US law limiting how many self-checkout registers major stores can install. The regulation highlights a tension between the rich and the poor in a community that sees hundreds of multi-million-dollar real estate deals each year, while also being home to 22.8 percent of residents who live below the federal poverty line. It also poses an important question: Are self-checkout registers to blame for America's years-long retail theft problem? The city's 'Safe Stores are Staffed Stores' ordinance forces major grocery and pharmacy chains to staff up at least one employee for every three self-checkout stations. The rule also caps self-checkout transactions at 15 items and bans the sale of locked-up goods such as razors or baby formula through self-checkouts. Fines start at $100 per employer, per day. Both customers and employees can sue if they find shops aren't playing by the rules. Workers and unions are praising the law, saying it will boost job growth and help keep staffers safe. Long Beach, California, a real estate market with hundreds of multi-million dollar transactions each year, finds itself in the middle of a war over self-checkout registers The National Retail Federation said shoplifting nearly doubled between 2019 and 2023, right when self-checkout was becoming increasingly popular. However, retail associations and customers argue that the rules target the wrong solutions for retail theft, claiming that stations helped mitigate grocery store price spikes. They worry that self-checkout regulations will shrink store profits, lead to higher prices, and take longer to ring up groceries. So far, at least four stores including Aldi, Albertson's, and Vons have shut down their self-checkout registers, according to KTLA. 'These changes were made due to a new Long Beach City Council ordinance,' a representative for Vons told the station after shutting down its self-checkout scanners. 'The ordinance requires that locked or secured items cannot be purchased through self-checkout. As a result, our self-checkout lanes are currently unavailable.' But city leaders say Long Beach's ordinance will make stores safer for both workers and customers. 'The checkers and the cashiers are on the front lines of this,' Matt Bell, a leader in the local grocery store staffer union, told the LA Times. Shoplifting has continued to become more popular since 2019, with watchdogs saying it has jumped 93 percent in the past six years Retailers have responded to theft with an increased in-store security presence, more ink tags, and plexiglass lockers. All three options have tried to keep unpurchased goods in stores, but they've frustrated customers 'It really is necessary to provide them safety and security and better staffing.' Bell also argued that the rules will ensure that grocery companies spend less on security including plexiglass containers, new ink tags, or private guards and actually help with profits. With the rules, Long Beach is running head-on into a widespread problem across the US. More than 95 percent of American consumers have used a self-checkout register in the past year, according to studies from Capital One. The analysis also found that around 20million Americans have stolen items from the kiosks, including ringing in the wrong item, stashing products in their bags, or accidentally entering the incorrect product number. More than 40 percent of the survey's participants said they plan to steal again, with only 30 percent reporting that they have ever been caught. Nearly half of all active grocery store registers in the US are now self-checkouts. Americans who requested an extension for their federal income tax return must still file by October 15, despite the ongoing government shutdown. While the regular deadline to submit a tax return to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is midnight on April 15, about 20 million Americans in a typical year request some extra time. Most IRS operations are closed as a result of the shutdown, but this does not mean that Americans are off the hook to file their returns to the taxman. 'Taxpayers should continue to file, deposit and pay federal income taxes as they normally would,' an IRS spokesperson told CBS News. 'The lapse in appropriations does not change federal income tax responsibilities.' The federal government's shutdown has entered its 14th day, as the stalemate between Republicans and Democrats in Congress shows little sign of being resolved. At the heart of the dispute is Democratic Party demands that Republicans agree to restoring cuts to healthcare that were enacted over the summer. Around half of IRS workers are on furlough, and around 1,300 have been fired as the Trump administration begins mass layoffs, according to Bloomberg Tax. Americans who requested an extension for their federal income tax return must still file by October 15, despite the ongoing government shutdown Experts have warned that the filing process could be more difficult for those who need extra help due to staff being furloughed. 'It's going to be a long haul if you need any kind of specialized customer experience,' Jennifer MacMillan, president of the National Association of Enrolled Agents, whose members are tax professionals licensed by the IRS, told CNBC. Earlier this month, the National Treasury Employees Union said in a statement that 'taxpayers around the country will now have a much harder time getting the assistance they need, just as they get ready to file their extension returns.' Taxpayers who request a filing extension are usually granted one automatically, if they need more time to prepare their documents or if their return is particularly complex. An extension, however, does not exempt Americans from paying any funds that are owed to the IRS. These taxes must still be paid by the original April 15 deadline. The deadline to file a federal tax return with an extension is 11.59pm on October 15 in your local time zone, so Americans should submit an electronic filing before that time. Residents of some states, including Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky, also have extra extensions until November if they were affected by certain natural disasters. The federal government's shutdown has entered its 14th day, as the stalemate between Republicans and Democrats in Congress shows little sign of being resolved Taxpayers who request a filing extension are usually granted one automatically, if they need more time to prepare their documents or if their return is particularly complex If Americans miss the October 15 filing deadline to file a federal return, the IRS will apply a late filing penalty. The late filing penalty is 5 percent of the amount due for each month or part of the month that it is late, up to a maximum of 25 percent. If you file late and are owed a refund, the IRS generally does not charge a penalty. Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha met the ruling Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) General Secretary Tilvin Silva to discuss recent developments in bilateral partnership and the potential of closer economic ties. High Commissioner Santosh Jha met JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva and discussed the recent developments in #IndiaSriLanka partnership, the Indian High Commission in Colombo posted on social media on Monday. The duo exchanged views on the limitless potential of closer economic ties for mutual prosperity of the people of India and Sri Lanka, it added. The meeting took place at JVP headquarters in Pelawatte, Battaramulla, and covered the current situation in Sri Lanka, including the success of the Indian housing project for displaced hill country communities, the Sri Lanka Mirror reported on Tuesday. While Silva expressed gratitude to India for its contribution, the Indian envoy pledged further assistance to Sri Lanka, the report said. The two also discussed potential Indian investment and aid, along with sharing experiences on Indias progress in agriculture, information technology, and fisheries, the report added. The meeting comes ahead of Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriyas scheduled visit to India in October, it said. This will mark Amarasuriyas first official visit to India since assuming office as Sri Lankas Prime Minister, the report said. In a video statement released ahead of the visit, PM Amarasuriya said, India and Sri Lanka, as you know, are bound together by history, culture and shared values. Our relationship is of great depth and importance, and I look forward to using this opportunity to strengthen our cooperation in every sphere, including trade, investment, education, development, and beyond, the report added. The National Peoples Power, known in Sinhala as Jathika Jana Balawegaya (JJB), is a ruling alliance of Sri Lanka. The NPP consists of various diverse groups, including political parties and other organisations led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). Malaysia and the US are facilitating efforts to secure an expanded ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia that they hope will be signed during a Southeast Asian summit later this month, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said on Tuesday. Thailand and Cambodia engaged in five days of combat in late July that killed dozens of people and displaced more than 260,000. They agreed to a ceasefire only after mediation by Malaysias Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and pressure from US President Donald Trump, who threatened to withhold trade privileges unless they agreed on a truce. Tensions have remained high since the truce, particularly after Thai soldiers were injured by land mines in August while patrolling a buffer zone between the countries. Thailand accused Cambodia of laying new mines in violation of the ceasefire, which the Government in Phnom Penh has strongly denied. Thailands PM Anutin has said Phnom Penh must accept four conditions. They include removal of heavy weapons from the border, land mine clearance, assistance to curb cross-border crime and management of sensitive border zones to avoid further conflicts. Interview: Global meeting in Beijing helps address modern challenges facing women, says entrepreneur Xinhua) 11:01, October 15, 2025 HARARE, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing helps address the modern challenges facing women in the countries of the Global South, a Zimbabwean female entrepreneur has said. "In the Global South, young women face modern challenges such as digital exclusion, climate shocks," Munashe Shava, chief executive officer of the Zimbabwe Young Farmers Association for Sustainable Development, told Xinhua in the Zimbabwean capital. To promote women's rights and economic participation, it is essential to focus on empowering young women within the agribusiness sector in particular, she noted, highlighting the "limited access to irrigation and mechanization" for women in the Global South. Meanwhile, action should be taken to narrow the education and skills gap disadvantaging Global South women, she said. Moreover, "women farmers are on the frontlines of food insecurity and climate shocks, but are rarely included in climate policy and financing," Shava pointed out, calling for global efforts to heighten women's resilience to climate shocks worldwide, including inclusive trade policies. Shava also noted that the digital divide has become a major setback to women's empowerment efforts in the Global South, and bridging the gap is crucial for promoting sustainable development. She expressed confidence that the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women would help improve affordable internet access and digital literacy training for women. The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women opened Monday in Beijing and will last through Tuesday. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Dedicated Dublin graduate Claire Sheridan has bagged a top prize for managing electrical engineering projects across the city of London. Outstanding employees were celebrated at UK Power Networks annual Living Our Values 2025 Awards, held at The Guildhall in London. The 150 finalists had been selected from the 6,200-strong workforce, and the event was also a special way to mark the firms 15th anniversary this month (October). Claire was named Motivational Manager of the Year for her teamwork as London portfolio manager, where the body of work is valued at 520 million, and has delivered on more than 150 infrastructure projects while saving 41 million. Her work in streamlining project builds, has helped towards the company staying the lowest cost network operator in the UK. The Wanstead local, who grew up in Derry, graduated from University College Dublin, cut her teeth as an electrical engineer at Irelands ESB before crossing the pond to join UK Power Networks, where she has now spent more than a decade. Claire said: Im absolutely delighted to be recognised as Motivational Manager of the Year. This award is not just about me its a reflection of the incredible team I have the privilege of leading. Their energy, commitment and trust inspire me every day, and Im so proud of what we achieve together. Colleagues said: There should be a Claire in every team! She lifts up everyone around her and helps us believe in our own abilities, she is key to the London power networks success....Claire is a team player, often running round celebrating wins big and small. She encourages ownership, and a nothing is impossible attitude, and offers constant support to all... Always visible, present, and accountable, Claire listens and leads alongside us. Because of her, were a stronger, engaged team - delivering great work with pride and a smile. Chief executive Basil Scarsella said: "Our vision of striving to be the best performing group of networks highlights the importance of Living Our Values Awards. "Some two thousand employees were nominated by their peers for going above and beyond what is normally required. We congratulate the winners but more important we thank the 6,500 employees and their families for the value they bring to UK Power Networks every single day." Sightings of pollution in the River Roe has raised concern among locals. Pictures taken in the Burnfoot area, outside Dungiven, show what appears to be slurry leaking into the river. ABOVE: Pollution has been spotted in the River Roe near Burnfoot. The recent pollution has now prompted locals to question the harmful impact it may be having on the environment. A member of Roe Angling Club said this is an ongoing issue which is not being addressed properly. There is no repercussions for this type of pollution. If there is, the fee is pennies which isnt a deterrent to the people doing it. This is not just happening in the River Roe. It is happening all over. This has been happening for years. If there is no fish killed they dont see the long term impact. The pollution is still killing food for the fish. It is poisoning everything. There is vertebrate down on the stones and gravel that will be covered in the pollution, the spokesperson said. Sinn Fein Councillor Kathleen McGurk said she has been made aware of the reports of serious pollution which appear to have originated near Burnfoot. Local anglers have indicated that the discharge appears to be slurry run-off, which could have a significant impact on already depleted salmon and fish stocks, she said. This comes at a time when stocks are at their lowest and the river is operating on a catch-and-release system, so any incident like this is particularly concerning. I have reported the matter to the NIEA pollution team and will continue to follow up with the relevant agencies to ensure the source is identified and that appropriate action is taken. Protecting our local rivers and wildlife must be a priority. A spokesperson for The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs said: On the evening of Tuesday 7 October 2025, the department received a report of water pollution impacting a tributary of the River Roe, near Burnfoot. The Loughs Agency is currently leading the investigation into the incident, with the department providing support as required. A spokesperson for the Loughs Agency added: Loughs Agency received a report of a pollution incident on the River Roe on Tuesday, 7th October. Our Fishery Officers attended the scene of the incident and an investigation is now underway. Pollution is not the only problem when it comes to River Roe. A newly erected storm drainage pipeline is also causing concern for locals. ABOVE: The pipeline which is causing concern among local anglers The member of Roe Angling Club continued: This is definitely worrying. That is going into fish spawning areas. The fish stocks are dwindling as it is and that is just not helping. As far as I see they turn a blind eye to it. They arent worrying about the consequences to the river after doing things like this. Regarding the pipeline issue, a spokesperson for The Northern Ireland Environment Agency said: All discharges to a watercourse or works that will impact on the free flow of a watercourse require approval from DfI Rivers under the Drainage (Northern Ireland) Order 1973 Schedule 6. As the Competent Authority, DFI Rivers are responsible under the Habitats Directive for undertaking any Habitats Regulations Assessment in relation to these applications. NIEA does not consent storm water discharges to the environment but does, where appropriate, consent discharges of effluents and potentially contaminated site drainage generated during construction or due to the activity taking place at the site. These consents to discharge are issued under the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 and relate solely to the quality of the discharge. NIEAs remit does not extend to the regulation of the quantity of water discharged to a waterway. The case against six people including Foyle MP Colum Eastwood charged in connection with taking part in an illegal procession in support of Palestine will either be resolved or a date fixed for contest in two weeks time. Eastwood (42) of Duncreggan Road, Goretti Horgan (59) of Westland Avenue, Davina Pulis (36) of Knoxhill Park, Robert Paul Maxwell (60) of Rathlin Drive and Jude Coffey (27) of Gartan Square and local councillor Shaun Harkin (53) of Beechwood Avenue all in Derry are charged with taking part in an illegal procession on February 14 2024 iand in Harkin's case February 17 in support of Palestine. At today's sitting Ciaran Shiels defence solicitor for Eastwood said that a diversion had been offered after 'extensive submissions' on the issue of the public interest aspect to the decision to prosecute. He said there were still some issues in regards to evidential aspects of the prosecution. A prosecutor said that there had been a decision to offer a diversion. District Judge Ted Magill said that the prosecution and defence should get together to see if a resolution could be found if not he would fix a date for contest. The case was adjourned until October 29. The Open University (OU) celebrated 50 years since its first Belfast degree ceremony this week, marking a rich history of providing accessible and inclusive higher education in Northern Ireland. Over 300 students, crossed the stage at Belfasts Waterfront Hall on Tuesday, October 14, graduating in subjects ranging from Nursing to Forensic Psychology, cheered on by family, friends, and one of Northern Irelands first ever OU graduates. Amongst this years cohort are Derry students, Nicolle Farren (30) and Maryette McFarland (90). Balancing motherhood, health challenges, and study, Nicolle fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse, graduating with a BSc (Hons) Nursing from The Open University. After two rounds of IVF and the birth of her daughter, she juggled work, single parenthood, and study, even completing her final placement after being hospitalised with pneumonia. Now a Community Staff Nurse, Nicolle credits the OUs flexibility and support with helping her achieve her goal. If you are thinking about studying with the OU then do it, she says. You dont have to give up your life, your work or your family time to be able to better yourself. I will be forever proud for being able to successfully complete my degree while starting my family under the difficult circumstances that I faced. I always knew I didnt have to pick between my career and my family and with the OU this was made possible. Maryette McFarland (aged 90) from outside Derry is the oldest OU graduate in Ireland this year, receiving her degree in English Literature. She began studying with the OU after her husband passed away, and when a car accident left her unable to drive. She has eight grandchildren who took great amusement at the idea of their granny studying for a university degree. Prior to studying with OU, shed never used a computer/couldnt type but learned with help of her daughter-in-law. Reflecting on her experience, she said: I went to university the first-time round, about 70 years ago but dropped out to get married. I went on to have four children, and life was busy, running a farm, so I didnt get round to going back. When my husband died, I thought maybe it was time to revisit it. My family were incredibly supportive. My grandchildren thought it was terribly funny that granny was doing a degree, but they were such a great help and support. Im very pleased to have my Batchelor of Arts degree in English Literature and enjoyed my time studying with The Open University greatly. University has changed a lot you call your lecturers by their first name, and its a welcoming and supportive environment - much better than in my day. Her advice to anyone thinking about going back to education? If I can do it, anyone can. I really would encourage anyone thinking about going back to learning, to just do it. Since its foundation, The Open University has been a bridge in a divided society, enabling study through bombings, blackouts, curfews and most recently, the Covid-19 pandemic. Its unwavering commitment to widening access, inclusion and lifelong learning has transformed thousands of lives across Northern Ireland over the last five decades. The OU Class of 2025 represents the diversity and determination that have defined The Open University for over half a century. From working parents and carers to those balancing full-time jobs and study, todays graduates reflect the OUs continuing mission to provide high-quality, flexible and inclusive university education to all. John DArcy, Director of The Open University in Ireland, said: For over 50 years, The Open University has helped people in Northern Ireland achieve their ambitions, often in extraordinary circumstances. From the early days of delivering study packs through postal strikes and conflict to todays digital classrooms, our mission has remained the same; to make higher education open to all. Were immensely proud of the many generations of students, tutors and staff whove made this possible, and it is an honour to celebrate them all today. Over the last 50 years, The OUs Belfast and Dublin degree ceremonies have recognised leaders in every sphere of public life, from peacebuilding and public service to the arts, education, sport and business. Linda Ervine is the latest Open University honorary graduate, recognised for her outstanding contribution to education and cultural inclusion in Northern Ireland. Born and raised in East Belfast in a political family of socialist and trade union activists, Linda left school at 15 with no qualifications. Like many Open University students, she returned to education as an adult, balancing her studies with work and family life. Former Irish presidents, Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese are amongst those to have received honorary degrees from The Open University, alongside Oscar-winning filmmaker, Neil Jordan; sporting legends, Mary Peters and Mickey Harte; Snow Patrol frontman, Gary Lightbody; and prominent peacebuilders, Lord John Alderdice and Baroness Nuala OLoan. For further information on Open University courses, visit open.ac.uk Men's Action Network - Mental Health Charity (MAN) is back providing in-person support for men and families in Derry. The charity is now based in the Leafair Well-being Centre in the Shantallow area of the city, following the closure of its Patrick Street premises due to the cessation of its funding in April 2025. MAN is pleased to be back providing support for men and families within Leafair Wellbeing Centre as of today. We remain committed to promoting mental health, well-being and community connection. 028 7137 7777 admin@man-ni.org#Derry #Wellbeing pic.twitter.com/7H20h96rK9 Men's Action Network - Mental Health Charity (@MAN_IN_DERRY) October 13, 2025 Speaking to The Derry News, Michael Lynch, MANs voluntary co-ordinator, explained the organisation had subsequently lost all of its staff. However, we had a small reserve and using that we were able to keep going until September 2024. After that, we concentrated on keeping our phoneline open, manned by a number of our volunteers right through until the end of August 2025, said Mr Lynch. In that time, we received almost 500 phone calls and, with conversations, we supported callers as best we could, he added. If we couldnt help, we re-directed callers, signposted other services. Our councillors, naturally, had to move on but they offered us a number of hours. When MAN was at its height, we were seeing about 2,000 men a year. So, we held on. We had a discussion. We asked ourselves, Can we open again or not open again? We applied for funding all over the place but were unsuccessful. That being said, we did receive a lot of extremely supportive letters, even from government ministers and councillors, about the wonderful work we had done, unfortunately, we received no funding. All the time we were discussing whether we were going to re-open and what we could do in the meantime, a lot of people were contacting us and saying, We need you. We need MAN up and running again but we still had to find money and support. Many thanks to Kayla and her family for running the 'Men's Minds Matter' event in The Cosh last weekend and also their very generous donation to our charity. pic.twitter.com/tjFZT6UmlJ Men's Action Network - Mental Health Charity (@MAN_IN_DERRY) October 10, 2025 We were very fortunate recently that one of our supporters, Kayla, and her family ran a Mens Minds Matter event in the Cosh Bar recently and made a very generous donation to MAN, said Michael Lynch, who added MAN would very much welcome any other fundraisers to enable it to keep keep the doors open. The last thing we want to do is for MAN to close down again, said Mr Lynch. Thankfully, we recently got a bit of good news funding wise. We have received a grant from the NI Housing Executive as part of its homeless strategy. This will take us up to March 2026, he added. This will focus on male victims of domestic abuse and also, maybe, men who have exited prison. We are really trying to give a space where they can get a sense of where they are at and what they might be struggling with. W have a range of things we can offer, from support to counselling, and again, linking in with other people. The idea is to, hopefully, keep them in a stable environment. For the last 20 years we have been arguing the Government needed to have a Male Health Strategy. A very simple thing it could include would be us genderised data because we dont have the resources to collate such statistics but this would enable us to make the case for funding for different elements of the strategy. But, we have been told, repeatedly, there is no Male Health Policy therefore there is no requirement to do this, which means no funding, said Mr Lynch. He added: it is true, the only times we fund mens work is when we are in trouble or causing trouble - killing ourselves or dying young because of late diagnoses. That is why MAN is participating in the The Invisible Man: Mens Health - Look at the State of It in Stormont on Monday, November 10, from 9.15am until 12.30pm. The aim of the event is to highlight the need for a policy framework in Northern Ireland to improve the health of men. Asbestos presence identified nine years ago in collapsed building No Listed Building Consent on collapsed Pump Street property A Refurbishment / Demolition Asbestos Survey has been submitted to Derry City and Strabane District Council as part of the Listed Building Consent application for the former Convent of Mercy on Pump Street. The report, which was completed nine years ago, on September 28, 2016, stated: Urgent remedial action is required to make safe asbestos identified on this site. The key messages are that the health of men and boys in Northern Ireland is unnecessarily poor, but much can be done to improve it - especially by adopting a strategic health promotion model. Mens health is not supported by any specific policy, strategy or action plan here, therefore it remains under the radar, and is not an area which is underpinned or driven by statutory improvement targets, said Mr Lynch. 'The Invisible Man' - Join us on 10 Nov. to discuss men's health and wellbeing. Long Gallery - Stormont - 0945-1230 Booking Essential: https://t.co/api30CZQEt pic.twitter.com/7AgEmjRMY3 Men's Action Network - Mental Health Charity (@MAN_IN_DERRY) October 13, 2025 Michael Lynch also pointed out that men need to take responsibility for many areas of their own health, but also need encouragement, appropriate support service and opportunities to do this. Mens health is not just an issue for individual men. Health can be determined by other factors outside of a mans personal control such as genetics, environment, income, education, job, availability of an access to services. Tackling this will require new thinking and a cross-departmental approach. A fundamental review of policing at Northern Irelands airports has been recommended. A lack of appropriate police-experienced leadership was identified by Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland at Belfast International Airport Constabulary (BIAC) during their first inspection of the organisation. Inspectors also examined Belfast Harbour Police in the report which looked at day-to-day policing undertaken by both organisations, which are separately funded and operated from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). Chief Inspector Jacqui Durkin, said both bodies should agree and sign a new memorandum of understanding with the PSNI within six months. It was also recommended that a fundamental review of policing at Northern Irelands airports should be led by the PSNI in partnership with Belfast International Airport Constabulary and Belfast Harbour Police, who also look after Belfast City Airport, to be completed in the next 18 months. Ms Durkin described Northern Irelands airports and harbours as key entry and exit points for people, as well as important for the economy, business and trade. Recent investment and ambitious expansion plans means effective policing at these critical locations needs to meet current and consider future needs, she said. This is crucial to maintain national security, prevent and disrupt criminal activity and keep everyone safe who lives, works at or visits them. In terms of the BIAC, Ms Durkin said this was their first CJI inspection, and inspectors had been concerned by the lack of appropriate police-experienced leadership as well as gaps in existing accountability arrangements and consistency in operational delivery and outcomes. She said they were also concerned by its existing rank structure. BIAC works along with the PSNI, UK Border Force, Home Office and Revenue and Customs at its Aldergrove site. We have recommended that within the next six months Belfast International Airport Constabulary should develop a vision, strategy and policing plan to direct policing at the airport that addresses these issues and aligns with the current PSNI Policing Plan priorities, Ms Durkin said. We have had positive discussions with senior management at Belfast International Airport about the inspection findings and inspection report publication and I acknowledge their commitment to secure policing improvements that are needed in the short and longer term. I also welcome the development of an action plan by Belfast International Airport to underpin the implementation of the accepted inspection recommendations. Meanwhile, inspectors found that Belfast Harbour Police benefited from police-experienced leadership, appropriate accountability and that robust governance arrangements were in operation. Belfast Harbour Police was a trusted partner of the PSNI where a mutually beneficial, professional relationship had developed and was maintained, Ms Durkin said. Belfast Harbour Police officers also had access to appropriate information and continuous police training that ensured they had the knowledge and expertise to operate to national standards. While we welcome this positive relationship, inspectors have recommended the policing priorities of the Belfast Harbour Police should be more aligned with those set by the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the PSNI. Ms Durkin said that both police services should also begin discussions with the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland to move to a digital case planning and submission process for criminal case files in keeping with the current digital justice strategy. Additionally, she called for work be undertaken by the Department of Justice to prepare for legislative change within the next Northern Ireland Assembly mandate to extend the powers of both police services, when required, to operate beyond their respective jurisdictions. The current restrictions and geographical limitations imposed on Belfast Harbour Police and Belfast International Airport Constabulary present risks for officers and the public and inevitable consequences for the full and proper investigation of crime and the transportation of people under arrest to PSNI custody facilities. This needs to be addressed, she added. Belfast Harbour Police chief officer Michael Daly welcomed the report. While we take on board CJIs recommendation that an overarching memorandum of understanding (MOU) should be agreed with the PSNI, to detail the roles and responsibilities of each police service, a number of existing MOUs are in place and we are clear that, where relevant to Belfast Harbour, our policing priorities are already closely aligned with those of the PSNI and national standards, he said. As we implement our action plan to execute CJIs recommendations, Belfast Harbour Police remains committed to working in partnership with all relevant bodies to continue to achieve the highest standards of policing for the benefit of everyone we serve. Our continued focus is on keeping the more than 20,000 people who work here safe and ensuring the security of the 760 businesses operating on Belfast Harbour Estate and the 24 million tonnes of trade that comes through the port each year. PSNI Chief Superintendent Mark Roberts said: We have received the Criminal Justice Inspection report on Airport and Harbour Policing in Northern Ireland and accept the small number of recommendations specific to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Our harbours and designated airports are safe and vibrant communities which we police in partnership with the Belfast Harbour Police and Belfast International Airport Constabulary, and we look forward to using this opportunity to develop those relationships further over the coming months. Cruit Eireann | Harp Ireland (CEHI) will present the ninth annual La na Cruite | Harp Day on Saturday, October 18, with events lighting up towns, cities, and communities across Ireland and hundreds more taking place worldwide. This years theme, Nasc (meaning Connection), celebrates the harps unique power to bring people together across generations, communities, and cultures. From Cork to Donegal, harpers will fill concert halls, classrooms, and streets with music that continues a living 1,000-year-old Irish tradition, recognised by UNESCO as part of the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Across Ireland, public events invite audiences to experience the harp in new and surprising ways. At the same time, harpers around the world will connect with one another through the Harpers Call Initiative, which in 2024 streamed over 170 performances from international and Irish players, linking the Irish celebration to a global community of harpers through a unique, online interactive map. Triona Ni Dhuibhir, CEO of CEHI, said: La na Cruite | Harp Day has become a joyful point in the calendar where harpers and communities across Ireland come together to celebrate our national instrument. What makes it so special is the diversity of events that show the many different ways people connect with and relate to the harp. This years theme of Nasc reflects those connections across generations and cultures. Whether in schools, concert halls, club nights, on GAA pitches, hilltops or streets, Irelands harping tradition continues to unite people everywhere. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Culturlann Ui Chanain (@culturlanndoire) Harping is such an important part of our history and culture and its fantastic that an initiative such as La na Cruite is celebrated across the island, including with Culturlann Ui Chanain on October 25. Im really looking forward to leading a workshop and short recital with the students and fellow workshop leader, Grainne Meyer, to tie in with the celebrations! adds Derry harper, Lucia McGinnis. The event is due to take place on Saturday, October 25 between 10.00am 2.00pm, with further details available on the Culturlann website here. This year also sees the launch of Sharing Harps, a new CEHI Call for Harps initiative connecting unused instruments with a new generation of players, who cannot afford an instrument of their own. Donated harps will find homes with young harpers across Ireland, ensuring every harp continues to tell its story and every aspiring harper has the chance to play. Beyond Ireland, celebrations will take place from Manchester to Paris, Cape Cod to Finland, Japan to the USA, as part of the Global Call for Harp Ambassadors. Harpers, teachers, and enthusiasts are invited to host their own Harp Day gatherings and send recordings for streaming on our worldwide interactive map on www.harprieland.ie, showcasing how the harp continues to inspire and connect communities. Derry harper Lucia McGinnis. Other Harp Day highlights include, Harping with Friends: Harp School Collaboration, in Garvagh, Co. Derry. There will be workshops and recitals organised by Hampsey and Causeway Harp Schools led by Nollaig Ni Bhrollaigh and Katy Bustard. Ive been reviewing Pixels long enough to remember how Google has been in a constant state of evolution. Every year, Google refined its AI-driven playbook, but the hardware was almost always playing catch-up to the promises. But with the Pixel 10, it feels like Google has finally arrived at the version of Pixel its always wanted to make. At Rs 79,999, the Pixel 10 isnt trying to undercut its competition anymore. Its positioning itself as the compact, intelligent flagship for those who prefer thoughtful innovation over raw performance. With the new Tensor G5 chip built on a 3 nm process, a sturdier and slightly heavier frame, and deeper integration of Gemini across the phone, this is Google leaning fully into its AI identity without apology. The question now isnt whether the Pixel can do clever things; we already know theres a lot on offer, but now its whether it can do them faster, cooler, and more reliably than before. Design and Build The Pixel 10 carries forward Googles minimalist design DNA but feels more mature this year. The familiar camera bar remains, but its slimmer and now blends more fluidly into the polished aluminium frame. The flat sides give the phone a more modern aesthetic, and the matte glass back feels smooth yet grippy. The colour options, especially the new Indigo, add a splash of personality without straying from Googles understated palette. At 204 grams, its slightly heavier than the Pixel 9, but the added density works in its favour, lending it a reassuring, premium hand-feel. The 8.6 mm thickness doesnt make it bulky, and the balanced weight distribution ensures it sits comfortably during long one-handed use. The buttons are tactile, the haptics crisp, and the IP68 rating adds the expected layer of durability. Google continues to use Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both sides, making it resistant to scratches and minor drops. The only quirk here is the slightly raised camera bar, which still prevents the phone from lying perfectly flat, though the wobble has been reduced compared to last years model. It looks distinctly Pixel while finally achieving the kind of craftsmanship youd expect from a flagship nearing the Rs 80,000 mark. Display The Pixel 10 features a 6.3-inch OLED panel that finally feels flagship-grade. The display retains the familiar 24241080 pixels resolution but now delivers up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness, a noticeable leap from the Pixel 9s 2,700 nits. In daily use, its bright enough to stay legible even under harsh afternoon sunlight, and HDR playback in apps like YouTube and Netflix looks punchy without appearing oversaturated. In our Calman tests, the panel achieved 100 per cent coverage of the sRGB colour gamut and excellent accuracy, with an average Delta E of 2.0 and a maximum Delta E of 4.4 at the white point. That puts it among the most colour-accurate panels in its class, rivalling what youd find on the Galaxy S25 or iPhone 17. The RGB balance chart shows a slight blue bias at full brightness, but nothing that affects everyday viewing. The screen produces deep blacks and well-defined highlights, and HDR10+ certification ensures consistent tone-mapping across content. Google has also upgraded the colour depth, resulting in smoother gradients and fewer visible banding issues when watching HDR videos or editing photos. The 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate feels responsive, although the panel still doesnt use LTPO technology, meaning it cant drop dynamically below 60 Hz. Thats one area where the Pixel 10 trails pricier flagships, but in daily use, scrolling, gaming, or even simple animations, the fluidity feels top-tier. Paired with stereo speakers that deliver clear mids and crisp highs, the Pixel 10 offers one of the most balanced multimedia experiences in this segment. Whether youre streaming Dolby Vision content or editing photos, the display feels tuned for accuracy. Performance & Software Googles Tensor lineup has always been more about intelligence than brute force, and the new Tensor G5 continues that philosophy, but this time, it feels a lot closer to striking the right balance. Built on a 3 nm process, the G5 delivers efficiency gains that the older Tensor G4 could never quite manage, along with noticeably improved sustained performance. In synthetic benchmarks, the Pixel 10 shows measurable improvement across the board. It scored 1,165,176 on AnTuTu, a marginal bump over the Pixel 9s 1.16 million, but a more meaningful jump appears in Geekbench, where single-core scores rise from 1,654 to 2,043, and multi-core from 4,233 to 4,481. These numbers still trail Qualcomms Snapdragon 8 Gen Elite and Apples A19, but they indicate that Google has finally closed the performance gap enough for everyday use to feel fluid and consistent. The CPU throttling test saw the Pixel 10 maintain 59% of its peak performance only after 5 minutes, roughly the same as the Pixel 9, though the heat dispersion is more controlled this time. While youll still feel warmth during heavy gaming or extended camera use, its no longer the uncomfortable kind that plagued earlier Tensor generations. Productivity benchmarks back this up: the Pixel 10 logged 14,522 in PCMark Work, a significant leap from the Pixel 9s 10,997, showing clear optimisation for multi-tasking and real-world app performance. In 3DMark Wildlife, it achieved 3,104 points, again outpacing its predecessors 2,568 but falling short of gaming-focused rivals like the iQOO 13 or OnePlus 13. In practical terms, the Tensor G5 feels swift across most scenarios, such as launching apps, switching between tasks, or processing photos in the background. The AI-assisted operations, such as live translation and Magic Editor, execute faster thanks to an upgraded on-device NPU. However, gamers and performance enthusiasts might still find the sustained frame rates in demanding titles like BGMI or Genshin Impact a step below Snapdragon-powered phones. Its not the most powerful chip in its class, but its finally efficient, stable, and capable enough to support Googles AI ambitions. The Pixel 10 runs Android 16 out of the box and continues Googles promise of seven years of OS and security updates, making it one of the longest-supported Android phones available. The UI remains clean, minimal, and free from clutter. The new Gemini Nano model powers on-device features like Magic Cue, Pixel Screenshots, and Circle to Search, all working offline without noticeable lag. Gemini Live brings conversational assistance and feels faster and more natural than before. Photo editing tools such as Reimagine, Best Take, and Zoom Enhance now output noticeably quicker, while Call Assist and Live Translate benefit from improved contextual accuracy. Battery and Charging Battery life sees a notable step up this year. The Pixel 10 packs a slightly larger 4,970 mAh cell, and thanks to the more efficient Tensor G5 chip and Android 16 optimisations, endurance has improved significantly. In the PCMark Battery Test, it clocked 18 hours and 14 minutes, up from the Pixel 9s 14 hours and 45 minutes, which is a solid 23% gain in longevity. In everyday use, the phone comfortably lasts a full day of mixed usage, including camera, GPS, and streaming, often stretching well into the next morning with moderate use. Heat management under sustained use is also noticeably better than before. Charging, however, is where the Pixel 10 still feels conservative. The 30 W wired charging takes about 100 minutes to reach full capacity, but is slower than most competitors in the Rs 80,000 range. On the plus side, you do get 15 W magnetic wireless charging (Qi2) and reverse wired charging, along with a new bypass charging mode that powers the phone directly during gaming or navigation to preserve battery health. Camera The Pixel 10 introduces a triple-lens system featuring a 48 MP main sensor, 13 MP ultra-wide, and a 10.8 MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. While the hardware doesnt appear drastically different from the Pixel 9 on paper, the results tell a story of refinement. In daylight, the Pixel 10 continues Googles tradition of exceptional computational photography. Colours are strikingly natural yet vibrant when needed. The blues of the sky are deep without oversaturation, reds and greens pop with accuracy, and exposure remains impressively balanced even in harsh backlighting. Highlights stay in check, and shadow detail is well preserved, producing images that look true-to-life rather than overly processed. Detail retention is another strength. Whether its the fine stone carvings of an old building or the intricate pattern on a car grille, textures appear crisp and realistic, with no excessive sharpening. The ultra-wide camera complements this beautifully, maintaining consistent colour and exposure across lenses, while the telephoto delivers clean results up to 5x optical and holds well up to around 10x using Googles Super Res Zoom. Portrait performance is among the best in class. Subject separation is near-perfect, with soft, natural background blur that mimics optical bokeh rather than artificial depth cutouts. Skin tones are rendered with lifelike warmth, and edge detection around hair and complex outlines is impressively accurate. Low-light performance remains a Pixel hallmark. Night Sight kicks in quickly, producing bright, well-detailed images with minimal noise and accurate white balance, even under mixed or artificial lighting. Close-up shots benefit from Macro Focus, which captures fine textures with shallow depth and excellent focus precision. If theres one minor quirk, its that very bright skies in HDR can occasionally appear slightly flattened, which could be a side effect of Googles aggressive tone mapping. But that aside, the Pixel 10s imaging pipeline feels cohesive and reliable. Verdict The Google Pixel 10 quietly refines everything the Pixel 9 aimed for and finally makes it feel complete. This is Googles most polished phone yet, and more importantly, the first one that makes its AI layer feel invisible. The new Tensor G5 chip still isnt built for benchmark glory, but it delivers stability, efficiency, and consistency, three things the Pixel lineup has long needed. Battery life has improved meaningfully, the display feels flagship-grade, and the camera system continues to lead with realism and dynamic range that few rivals can match. Its not without faults: charging remains slow, gaming performance is still secondary, and the lack of LTPO limits its premium credentials slightly. But for users who value thoughtful software, intelligent photography, and a clean, intuitive Android experience, the Pixel 10 nails the brief. Its not the flashiest flagship of 2025, but it might just be the smartest one. 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. Apple COO visits China suppliers, launches new clean energy fund Apple COO Sabih Khan made his first visit to China's supply chain on October 14, 2025, highlighting the company's efforts to advance sustainable manufacturing at key suppliers. The visit included stops at AAC Technologies Holdings and Lens Technology, underscoring Apple's ongoing commitment to achieving carbon neutrality. Khan announced a CNY1 billion (US$140.15 million) new energy fund, jointly launched by Apple's Chinese suppliers, aimed at supporting renewable energy infrastructure. The fund aspires to help Apple reach full carbon neutrality across its supply chain by 2030. During the visithis first since replacing Jeff Williams as COO in July 2025Khan emphasized the critical role China's supply chain plays in Apple's environmental goals. Reports from The Paper and Sina Tech noted that more than 90% of Apple's production in China already utilizes renewable energy, signaling progress toward sustainability targets. Apple's new fund targets expanding clean power generation in China The newly established energy fund will be co-managed by the China International Capital Corporation (CICC) and Huaneng Group and aims to add approximately 1 million MWh of clean electricity to the Chinese grid by 2030. Investments have been made by a number of prominent Apple suppliers, including battery maker ATL, Avary, Suzhou Dongshan Precision, Foxconn, and Yutong Technology, reflecting deep industry collaboration. At AAC Technologies' Changzhou factory, Khan inspected the production line for heat spreader modules used in the iPhone 17 Pro series. AAC chairman Benjamin Pan highlighted the company's 17-year partnership with Apple and its advancements in automation and ultra-thin heat spreader technology. AAC has also integrated 100% recycled copper materials in its new products, marking a significant step in green manufacturing practices. Lens Technology's Taizhou facility also welcomed Khan, where he observed the iPhone 17 production line. Lens chairman Zhou Qunfei noted the company supplies essential components for multiple Apple devices, including the iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro. He emphasized that Lens's China operations have reached full reliance on renewable energy sources. Apple's longstanding commitment to clean energy in China Since launching its Supplier Clean Energy Program in 2015, Apple has collaborated extensively with Chinese partners to share technology and expertise focused on sustainability. The company's first China Clean Energy Fund, established in 2018, successfully funded renewable projects with a combined capacity exceeding 1 GW across 14 provinces. Earlier this year, Apple introduced a second clean energy fund valued at CNY720 million to strengthen its green manufacturing footprint. These initiatives form part of Apple's broader strategy to transform its global supply chain toward greater environmental responsibility and meet ambitious carbon-neutral goals by 2030. Article edited by Jerry Chen Democratic oversight arrangements designed to give Stormont politicians and other stakeholders a say in post-Brexit rules in Northern Ireland are overwhelmingly complex and impossible to navigate, peers have found. A House of Lords committee said the measures were insufficient and called for urgent action from the Government to address the concerns. The Northern Ireland Scrutiny Committee examined the scrutiny and engagement arrangements included in the Windsor Framework the joint EU/UK accord that sets out post-Brexit rules for Northern Ireland. To ensure no hardening of the Irish land border after the UKs withdrawal from the European Union, Northern Ireland continues to follow many EU trade and customs rules. The framework requires checks and customs paperwork on goods moving from Great Britain into the region. It also includes a series of measures designed to address concerns that politicians and businesses in Northern Ireland have a limited role in influencing the post-Brexit rules that apply in the region. This included the establishment of a dedicated committee at the Assembly to scrutinise EU law changes proposed to come into effect in Northern Ireland. A mechanism called the Stormont Brake was also created. That allows a minimum of 30 Stormont MLAs, from at least two parties, to refer a proposed EU law change to the UK Government. The Government then makes an assessment of the proposed change on Northern Ireland and can ultimately veto its application in the region. If the Government rules that the brake has been appropriately pulled, it must then directly engage with the EU to find a solution. The committee of peers assessed the effectiveness of the committee and the brake, as well as a provision that allows stakeholders from Northern Ireland to attend certain joint UK-EU meetings. The committee heard evidence from a range of witnesses, including the Federation of Small Businesses Northern Ireland, the Ulster Farmers Union and Northern Ireland Retail Consortium. Among their findings, the peers concluded that post-Brexit arrangements remain insufficiently understood in Northern Ireland. They made several recommendations that, they contend, will strengthen the regions voice in the operation of the Windsor Framework and promote greater transparency. The committee urged the Government to urgently consider how to simplify the framework arrangements, which it described as a complex and opaque structure that is difficult for business and civil society stakeholders to navigate. It found a need to address difficulties faced by business due to the absence of a centralised register of applicable EU laws in Northern Ireland, which requires them to spend time and resources tracking developments on laws applicable to them. The peers also found that the Governments Trader Support Service for businesses trying to navigate the rules is not providing a good quality of service. The committee recommended a new unit in the Cabinet Office responsible for regulatory divergence and a one stop shop where businesses can access relevant information about EU laws that apply in Northern Ireland. Peers also expressed concern that the democratic scrutiny committee at Stormont does not have sufficient time or resources to effectively assess law changes proposed to the region. That was also a main finding in a recently published Government-commissioned review of the arrangements undertaken by Lord Murphy. The committee said the Stormont Brake was a highly political topic and peers noted the view expressed by some witnesses that the mechanism was oversold. They urged the Government to be more transparent about the function of the brake so that it can be used productively as a mechanism for promoting dialogue between it and the Assembly. Commenting on the report, Lord Carlile, chairman of the committee, said: Our report comes at a pivotal moment for Northern Ireland and the UK. As the Government pursues a reset in UK-EU relations, it is vital that Northern Irelands voice is represented and heard. The potential agreements on sanitary and phytosanitary and energy arrangements could have significant implications for Northern Irelands place in the UK internal market, and for how the UK consults the EU on the application of EU law. We strongly support proposals to enhance Northern Irelands voice early in the EU legislative process, including through better resourcing of the UK Mission in Brussels and closer collaboration with the Northern Ireland Civil Service. It was clear from the concerns raised by businesses, civil society and political representatives both in formal evidence and during our visit to Newry and Belfast that the democratic deficit in Northern Ireland remains unresolved. Despite differing views among members, we agree that meaningful engagement, transparency, and public understanding must be urgently improved for the benefit of all communities in Northern Ireland. FORMER Green Party TD for Limerick City, Brian Leddin has revealed that he resigned from the party over its backing of Catherine Connolly. In an opinion piece for the Irish Times, Mr Leddin said the Green Party's decision to support the Independent presidential candidate only deepened his concerns about its current direction. "The decision of the party to back Catherine Connollys presidential election campaign is the latest effort by the leadership to chart a different course. I understand that Roderic OGorman believes that the party needs to be competing with Labour, Sinn Fein and the Social Democrats for votes. I dont disagree, but I believe that it needs to be competing for Fine Gael and Fianna Fail votes and transfers too, just as we did successfully in 2019 and 2020." He added that he thought it was unwise to alienate such a large section of the electorate, just as it is unwise to alienate the membership of the party. Mr Leddin feels the Green Party could have put forward its own candidate despite the "slim" prospects of getting a nomination. READ MORE: ALERT: Irish people warned of highly infectious illness as Japan declares epidemic Mr Leddin said Catherine Connolly "has used her platform to criticise whichever government is in place, but the role of president is not to oppose the Government. If anything, it is to serve the State above politics and to do what the Constitution requires." "I made my mind up that Connolly was not a suitable candidate as soon as she was proposed because I dont believe that she will park her deeply held political positions at the gates of Aras an Uachtarain. Whether its her criticisms of the European Union or the US, her repeated equivocation on the causes of the Ukraine war, the preservation of the Triple Lock, or any other cause she has passionately represented, she will have to be silent on them for the most part if she is elected president." The former Green Party TD continued: "Even setting aside her politics, surely the recent revelation that Connolly employed somebody convicted of very serious firearms offences and signed this person daily into Leinster House, before them being vetted by the gardai, must be a disqualifier in itself? The employee, according to Eirigi, was a member of Eirigi when she was employed by Connolly in 2018." Mr Leddin concluded: "As things stand, the Green Party is not one that I would join, and so it no longer makes sense to remain a member. While I have now resigned my membership I remain proud of what the Greens achieved in government and on councils across the country in recent years." He added that he will be voting for Heather Humphreys to be the country's next president. There is plenty of live music in Toales Venue in Crowe Street in Dundalk again this week. Thursday 16th October - Fireside Sessions presents Herb Dee + Brian Casley - Show starts 9pm - Free Admission. Every Thursday night, Toales Fireside Sessions light up Dundalks coziest stage with original acoustic music, storytelling, and community spirit always free admission. Its a space where songs matter, audiences listen, and local talent takes centre stage. On Thursday 16th October, the spotlight falls on Herb Dee, the former frontman of Mullingar rockers Bullit. READ NEXT: Tolu Makay coming to Dundalk Gaol After years away raising a family, Herb returned to the guitar during lockdown and never stopped. Eleven albums later, his acoustic sets blend sharp social commentary, poetry, and heart, earning him accolades like Album of the Week on French radio and a sold-out Whelans show. Supporting on the night is Brian Casley, a Dundalk music stalwart known for his heartfelt, authentic songwriting. After years on the local circuit from pub sessions to festivals Casley returns to his roots, crafting songs rich in honesty and craft.Real songs. Real connection. Every Thursday at Toales 9pm sharp, free in, no noise, just music. Friday 17th October - Empty Spaces + Fat Rabbit + T.C.O.L. - Admission 8/5 (students) - Doors 8pm. ABOVE: Empty Spaces take to the stage in Toale's Live Venue on Friday night If theres one thing that defines Toales Live Venue, its its unwavering support for new and alternative music. So much more than just a bar with a stage, Toales has become a home for original voicesbands and artists who push boundaries, take risks, and carve out their own path. Whether its punk, metal, folk, electronic, or hybrid forms in between, Toales gives space and platform to sound that refuses to sit still. On Friday 17th October, that spirit continues with D.C. Promotions presenting Belfast rock quartet Empty Spaces with supports by Dundalk garage punk trio Fat Rabbit and T.C.O.L. Doors open at 8pm, with 8 admission (or 5 for students)a price point that reflects Toales commitment to accessibility. Louth will take centre stage for La na Cruite | Harp Day on Saturday, 18 October, with a vibrant programme of concerts and pop-up performances lighting up venues across the county. The Oriel Centre at Dundalk Gaol will host a headline evening concert featuring Michael Rooney, June McCormack, Rachael Dooley and the Music Generation Louth Harp Ensemble, alongside surprise performances in Dundalk throughout the day. The event is part of the ninth annual national Harp Day organised by Cruit Eireann | Harp Ireland (CEHI), which will see towns, cities and communities across Ireland and hundreds more worldwide celebrate Irelands national instrument through music, connection, and tradition. This years theme, Nasc (meaning Connection), celebrates the harps unique power to bring people together across generations, communities, and cultures. From Cork to Donegal, harpers will fill concert halls, classrooms, and streets with music that continues a living 1,000-year-old Irish tradition, recognised by UNESCO as part of the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Across Louth and all over Ireland, public events invite audiences to experience the harp in new and surprising ways. At the same time, harpers around the world will connect with one another through the Harpers Call Initiative, which in 2024 streamed over 170 performances from international and Irish players, linking the Irish celebration to a global community of harpers through a unique, online interactive map. Triona Ni Dhuibhir, CEO of CEHI, said: La na Cruite | Harp Day has become a joyful point in the calendar where harpers and communities across Ireland come together to celebrate our national instrument. What makes it so special is the diversity of events that show the many different ways people connect with and relate to the harp. This years theme of Nasc reflects those connections across generations and cultures. Read Next: Local Dundalk author launches exciting third chapter of hit She Team trilogy Celebrations in Louth include a fantastic concert at the Oriel Centre with renowned duo Michael Rooney (harp) and June McCormack (flute) and performances from Rachael Dooley (harp) and my very own group the Music Generation Louth Harp Ensemble,said Deirdre Ni Bhuachalla, Music Generation Louth. Were so grateful to Kay Webster for hosting the event and also special thanks to Aoife Ruanne at The Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda for hosting Jennifer Leahys Drogheda Harpers she said My own ensemble will pop up in Dundalk in surprising places. Stay tuned! This year also sees the launch of Sharing Harps, a new CEHI Call for Harps initiative connecting unused instruments with a new generation of players, who cannot afford an instrument of their own. Donated harps will find homes with young harpers across Ireland, ensuring every harp continues to tell its story and every aspiring harper has the chance to play. Beyond Ireland, celebrations will take place from Manchester to Paris, Cape Cod to Finland, Japan to the USA, as part of the Global Call for Harp Ambassadors. Harpers, teachers, and enthusiasts are invited to host their own Harp Day gatherings and send recordings for streaming on our worldwide interactive map on www.harprieland.ie, showcasing how the harp continues to inspire and connect communities. More exciting events are being added to the La na Cruite|Harp Day programme each day. For latest announcements, please visit www.harpireland.ie/events 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. The Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) RiVeR Project team says it is delighted to announce the official launch of 'In Their Shoes,' an interactive toolkit designed for experiential learning about Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV). The toolkit has been adapted by the DkIT RiVeR Project with permission, from the original United States version of In Her Shoes to make it more reflective of modern Irish society. The RiVeR Project team has developed the original resource to address identified gaps by including additional perspectives to increase the transferability and efficacy of the tool and ensure that it is applicable to the remit of a wider range of service providers. Through this toolkit, participants step into the shoes of a person in an abusive relationship, making decisions based on real victim-survivor experiences. They are guided through character-specific scenarios and explore the complex choices faced in abusive situations. A vital debrief session follows, encouraging reflection, addressing misconceptions and inspiring personal and local action for change. The DkIT RiVeR Project team are also hosting a series of workshops, including Train the Trainer sessions, whereby organisations who attend it and fulfil the application criteria will be issued with an In Their Shoes toolkit. The toolkit and workshops are funded by the RiVeR Project, supported under the Higher Education Authority Performance Funding Scheme. Read also: Dundalk's planned primary care centre will not be operational until 2028 The In Their Shoes initiative was recently launched by Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Further & Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and spokesperson on Research and Innovation, Erin Mc Greehan T.D., ahead of one of the workshops taking place on the DkIT campus. Addressing workshop participants at the launch, Erin Mc Greehan T.D. said: "It is an honour to be here at DkIT to launch the In Their Shoes Toolkit. With the support of the HEA, the RiVeR Project community of practice is an essential resource to assist those working in the area of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV). "Since launching in 2023, the RiVeR team has provided invaluable help and guidance to those working in this area and the launch of this new interactive toolkit is another valuable resource for practitioners and those working in the sector, providing them with insights into a broad variety of perspectives of victims and survivors of DSGBV in our society. "These workshops will build empathy and awareness among participants, particularly frontline professionals, about the daily realities of living with abuse. I want to commend the RiVeR team and all of those working to tackle Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence for their consistent efforts to support victims and survivors." Speaking about the initiative, Dr Kathleen Nallen, Project Lead - DkIT RiVeR Project said: The RiVeR Project team is delighted to be able to share this wonderful In Their Shoes resource with the DSGBV community of practice. It will be a valuable learning tool that organisations can then use in their own service to further support victims of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. "We are very appreciative of the funding received through the Higher Education Authority that allows us to develop and share key education and training initiatives for frontline DSGBV services." To learn more about In Their Shoes visit: Adaptation of In Her Shoes Interactive exercise toolkit - River Project - Dundalk Institute of Technology Irelands largest construction-led Approved Housing Body (AHB) and service provider Respond delivered 146 new social and cost rental homes in Louth last year. Respond now owns and manages 365 homes throughout Louth providing accommodation for tenants. Respond is set to deliver almost 1,000 new social and Costs Rental homes this year its highest annual output to date. The organisation, which operates across all 26 counties, expects to hand over 972 new homes by year end (789 social and 183 Cost Rental) marking the fourth consecutive year of growth in its annual delivery figures. Their 2024 Annual Report, launched yesterday by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, shows that the AHB continues to expand its housing pipeline under its multi-billion-euro national development programme. This includes 3,458 homes currently being built across the country. Speaking at the launch, Respond spokesperson Niamh Randall said: Respond is committed to supporting the Governments programme of housing delivery by increasing the national housing stock through our cost effective, construction-led model. We are providing families with access to stable, long-term homes where they can put down roots as part of a local community. Our vision is an Ireland where everyone has a great place to live, and we are building the infrastructure and the communities to make that a reality. Each of our developments follow our evidence informed Housing Services Delivery model and includes community hubs. Read Next: Two arrested in Northern Ireland over suspected explosive device found in Louth As a trusted delivery partners we await the new Housing Plan due later this month for detailed and targeted housing measures including much needed funding and policy certainty for the Approved Housing Body sector. Approved Housing Bodies, like Respond, have a strong track record of delivering quality homes for families and individuals and supporting connected communities all around Ireland. It is critical we are enabled to continue to deliver homes now and into the future to meet Government targets and addressing urgent housing need. Cork City Council has voted to grant permission for more than 155 homes in Lehenaghmore, despite residents concerns about the road infrastructure and access to amenities. The plans consist of 155 mixed units, comprising four, four-bed houses; 64 three-bed houses; 39 two-bed houses; six two-bed duplex units; two three-bed duplex units; 14 one-bed apartments; and 26 two-bed apartments. The development also incorporates a creche and 207 car parking spaces. A total of 88 of the homes will be made available for sale privately under an affordable housing scheme, while the remainder will be provided for social housing. The proposed development ranges in height from two to four storeys, and will be carried out for the council by way of a project agreement with OBR (Togher) Developments Ltd. Following a public consultation, 55 submissions were received by the council, several of which expressed concern about a strain on the already congested local road network. The council explained: The Lehenaghmore Road Improvement Works project has already commenced and is designed in accordance with the development plan and caters for the residential zoning of the lands on which the proposed development is situated. The works started on August 5 and will take approximately 18 months to complete. Concerns about the construction period, access to local amenities, the design of the housing scheme, and the environment were also addressed by council. They said: The provision of private and public services is the result of dwelling densities which serve to justify the provision of said services. Thereby, the completion of the proposed development will add weight in favour of the provision of both private and public services in the future. Furthermore, a social infrastructure audit report was prepared for the proposed development and found that there are a total of 13 retail and convenience facilities/service within 1.25km of the site boundary. These facilities/services consisted of four pubs/bars, two express convenience stores, two hairdressers, two restaurants, one cafe, one convenience store, and one grocery store. The development includes its own amenities/facilities including recreation/amenity areas and a 42 space childcare facility. The council added that the audit report identified that there were 134 primary school places available and roughly 49 would be required to service the development. Community engagement will take place in due course on plans to build a new prison in Cork on the site of the former facility, which closed nearly 10 years ago, the justice minister has said. It was revealed earlier this year that the Government plans to demolish and rebuild the old Cork Prison, which closed in 2016 when the current facility opened. Public representatives for the area have said locals were given commitments at the time that the old facility would not reopen as a prison. Cork Sinn Fein TD Thomas Gould asked justice minister Jim OCallaghan in the Dail if he intends to continue with his plans to reopen the old Cork Prison site, and queried the level of engagement that he has undertaken with the local community on this matter. Mr OCallaghan told Mr Gould: A record capital investment of 527m is being provided to IPS [Irish Prison Service] over the next five years, of which 495m will be invested in building projects to further increase capacity. The target is to deliver 1,595 individual prison spaces by 2031, and includes a new prison on the site of the old Cork Prison. Planning for the old Cork Prison project remains at a very early stage, and engagement will take place with the local community in due course. A man visiting an off-licence was approached on his arrival home by another man asking for money who has now pleaded guilty to damaging a front door latch arising from the incident. Sergeant John Dineen outlined the background to the incident, and after hearing the details, Judge Mary Dorgan said she would need to see a victim impact statement before dealing with the case at Cork District Court. Antonio Arundel of Shannon Lawn, Mayfield, Cork, had the case against him adjourned until November 6 for that purpose. The value of the criminal damage was nominal. On January 14 the injured party was in ODonovans off-licence on Summerhill, Cork. Arundel was in the store at the time. The injured party left and walked the short distance home. As he entered, the man he recognised from being in the off-licence put his foot in the door, preventing it from being closed. And he was asking for money. The injured party attempted to close the door with the defendant resisting. He managed to push the defendant away. And in the process a latch valued 20 was broken. Antonio Arundel was identified as the man involved. He pleaded guilty to causing the criminal damage at York Hill, Cork. A drunk driver lost control of his car which ended up on its roof on a major road in West Cork, the district court has heard. Court presenter, Sergeant Tom Mulcahy, told Skibbereen District Court that a single-vehicle accident near Leap in Co Cork was reported on June 3, 2025. When gardai arrived at the scene at Keamore on the main N71 road just west of Leap village at 8.15pm, a blue Hyundai i30 car was on its roof in the westbound lane. The driver of the car, identified as Igor Nestoryk, aged 47 with an address at Abbey Street, Timoleague, Co Cork, was at the scene and admitted he had been driving the vehicle. The court heard that the stretch of road where the accident occurred had several sharp bends and Nestoryk, who was driving towards Cork, seemed to have lost control of the vehicle. When gardai spoke to Nestoryk at the scene they formed the opinion that he was intoxicated and he was arrested and taken to Bandon Garda Station. At the garda station, Nestoryk gave a breath specimen which tested positive for alcohol with a reading of 54 mg per 100 ml of breath where the legal limit is 22 mg. The court was told that Nestoryk, who was assisted by a Ukrainian interpreter in court, had no previous convictions. Defence solicitor, Flor Murphy, said Nestoryk had received bad news earlier that day regarding the war in Ukraine that the area where his father lived had been bombed. He said Nestoryk dealt with the news in the wrong way and went drinking and then drove. He said Nestoryk worked in a local factory in Timoleague, was fully co-operative and was putting his hands up and apologising. Mr Murphy asked Judge Joanne Carroll to consider reducing the charge of dangerous driving to the lesser charge of careless driving. Judge Carroll said it was a borderline case and it was fortunate that nobody was seriously injured, but she agreed to Mr Murphys request. Nestoryk was convicted of drink driving and disqualified from driving for two years. He was also convicted of careless driving and fined 250 and given four months to pay the fine. This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme Over eight weeks of garda analysis concentrating on the lights of the suspect car on roads around East Cork in the Kieran Quilligan murder investigation indicated a particular point where it made a U-turn close to where the remains of the deceased were ultimately found. Sergeant Brian Barron said that the examination of vehicle lights in particular in the early hours of September 4 2023 were carried out at a time when it was still a missing person investigation rather than a murder probe as the remains had not then been found. Sgt Barron gave detailed evidence on the tracking of the movements of what was referred to as the suspect car the Toyota Rav in the early hours of September 4 2023. The methodology in his analysis entailed looking at the movement of vehicles by reference to their lights, where the CCTV did not always clearly show the vehicles themselves. In order to facilitate identification, the Rav movements were analysed by reference to a number of other vehicles travelling, for instance, from the Midleton direction towards Whitegate in East Cork after 3am on September 4 2023, beginning with a Top Oil tanker and ending several minutes behind with a Maxol tanker, and one of the cars in between them being the Rav. Using this method, Sgt Barron testified that near a long sweeping bend where the remains of Kieran Quilligan were found in January 2024, the movement of the lights of the Rav were indicative of a U-turn after 3.40am on September 4 2023 and that following this turn it took 16 minutes and 18 seconds before the Rav passed the next CCTV camera 1.1 kms away, travelling in the direction of the N25. 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. Search warrants were executed a fortnight after the disappearance of Kieran Quilligan for searches of the home of one of the accused, Niall Long, and the white Toyota Rav parked outside. Sergeant Brian Barron said his first impression of the car was that: It was very clean I could smell cleaning products from the car like it had been valeted. Outside the house at St Michaels Close was a white bucket containing a rag and cleaning products, including one from Halfords. The bucket with contents was seized by gardai, put into an evidence bag and was made an exhibit in the case today. Detective Sergeant Eamon Feehan who obtained the search warrants commented in relation to the Toyota Rav that on a cursory look on September 15 2023 it was particularly clean. Sergeant Maurice OConnor gave evidence of seizing a Nokia mobile phone at the house that day. Sergeant Fergal OBrien was also involved in the search and he seized a grey Under Armour backpack found on the floor of Niall Longs bedroom. Scenes of crime examiner, Detective Garda Alan Crowley, testified that he observed two bloodlike substances in the boot of the Rav and he swabbed these marks on September 16 2023. Detective Garda John Madigan also gave evidence of forensic examination of the interior of the car including the boot. He used Luminol spray, a chemical reagent designed for the examination of suspected bloodstaining, which gives a brief luminescence or glow to indicate the possibility of blood although it does not conclusively confirm blood. Det Garda Madigan got a number of luminescent reactions in the boot area and on the bars of a headrest found in the boot. There were similar reactions in the back seat area and no luminous reactions in the front compartment of the car. The trial continues before Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford and the ten men and two women of the jury at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork. Eva Osborne Helen McEntee has said Catherine Conolly must publish the emails where she queried the vetting of a person previously convicted of firearms offences whom she signed into Leinster House. The deputy leader of Fine Gael said Connolly rightly seeks accountability and transparency as a public representative, and the public "should be afforded the same opportunity on this issue". It recently emerged that Connolly had employed a woman in Leinster House who had been found guilty by the Special Criminal Court for possession of firearms and ammunition more than 10 years ago. After serving more than four years, the former Eirigi member was shortly thereafter recruited by Ms Connolly to work on a committee on the Irish language. Ms Connolly said she had signed the woman in for day passes to Leinster House but she left her work before the outcome of a clearing process for a regular access pass which went on for six months. In a statement on Tuesday evening, Helen McEntee said: Someone who wants to become our President but has admitted to signing a serious criminal into our national parliament for half a year has to release all details on this to enable the public have all relevant information. What is in the e-mails? What exact dates was this person signed in for six months with no garda clearance?" The Education Minister also said the Connolly campaign should provide a full breakdown of her 3,700 taxpayers funded trip to Syria to meet supporters of the vile dictator Bashar al-Assad in 2018. The Irish Times revealed last week that Connolly used 3,700 from a taxpayer funded Parliamentary Activities Allowance for the trip where they met Fares al-Shehabi a supporter of dictator Bashar al-Assad who was placed under European Union sanctions. The electorate is entitled to a full breakdown of what the finance was used for in relation to this trip to a country under a dictators regime, McEntee said. By David Young, PA Former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has accused the UK government of hypocrisy and duplicity after it proposed a retrospective law change to block him from securing compensation for being interned during the Troubles. Mr Adams was responding to a measure outlined in the Governments Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, which was presented to Parliament on Tuesday, that will seek to prevent him and others detained without trial from seeking payouts based on a judicial decision that ruled their internment unlawful on a legal technicality. The veteran republican said he would be consulting with lawyers to explore what legal options there are, both in the UK and Europe, to challenge the move. Mr Adams highlighted that the measure was included in a Bill that also introduced new protections designed to address concerns of military veterans who are asked to engage in legacy mechanisms in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn tabled the Bill in Parliament (Peter Byrne/PA) The measures include the option of witnesses giving evidence remotely. In 2020 the British Supreme Court determined that I was wrongfully interned for a period in the 1970s, said Mr Adams. The decision by the court was explicit. Interim Custody Orders not authorised and approved by the Secretary of State were illegal. It is believed that upwards of 400 other internees are similarly affected. The British government, which knew it was in the wrong at that time, knowingly broke its own law. In January Keir Starmer made it clear that he would look at every conceivable way to ensure that I and others impacted by this did not receive compensation. Today, at the stroke of a pen what was illegal five decades ago has been made legal as the British state changes the rules to suit its own agenda and protect its own military personnel. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn had already signalled the Governments intent to ensure the draft legislation acted on the issue of potential compensation to internees whose detention without trial during the conflict has since been ruled to have been unlawful. A Supreme Court judgment in 2020 paved the way for Mr Adams to secure compensation over his internment in the early 1970s. Mr Adams won his appeal to overturn historical convictions for two attempted prison breaks, after he was interned in 1973 at Long Kesh internment camp, also known as Maze Prison, near Lisburn. The Supreme Court ruled that his detention was unlawful because the interim custody order (ICO) used to initially detain him had not been considered personally by then secretary of state for Northern Ireland Willie Whitelaw. At the time of the case, the previous government contended that the ICOs were lawful because of a long-standing convention, known as the Carltona principle, where officials and junior ministers routinely act in the name of the secretary of state. Mr Adams subsequently successfully challenged a decision to deny an application for compensation for his detention. However, the 2023 Legacy Act introduced by the last Conservative government stopped such payouts to Mr Adams and other former internees. The Act retrospectively validated the ICOs to make them lawful and halted civil claims related to the orders. However, in February last year, the High Court in Belfast ruled that the provisions of the Act related to the ICOs were incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. The Labour Government did not appeal against that section of the High Court judgment but Mr Benn pledged to find a lawful means to block payouts. The Troubles Bill has now proposed to reaffirm the so-called Carltona principle into law, a move the Government believes will prevent payouts. While the Legacy Acts provisions in relation to ICOs, sections 46 and 47, were ruled incompatible with ECHR by the High Court, the Government is retaining those sections on the statute book until such time as the Troubles Bill becomes law. The Bill gives legislative effect to several measures contained in a joint framework for dealing with the legacy of the Troubles recently agreed by the UK and Irish governments. The measures designed for veterans engaging in legacy processes are not contained in the UK-Irish framework. However, Mr Adams accused the Irish government of colluding with the UK on the issue, something he branded as disgraceful, as he said Ireland had signed up to laws he claimed would protect former soldiers who had been involved in atrocities during the Troubles. He added: The British want to close the door on their past actions. Like many others I will be speaking to my legal team in the next few days to examine what options here and within Europe are open to us. Tom Tuite A teenage boy has pleaded guilty to leading gardai on a dangerous Dublin to Laois traffic pursuit where he reached speeds of over 200 km/h and drove on the wrong side of dual carriageways. The 17-year-old, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, is facing charges of endangerment of life, using a stolen car and 13 counts of dangerous driving on the evening of April 21st last when he drove back and forth across all four lanes of the M50. The accused had faced a preliminary hearing at the Dublin Childrens Court to determine his trial venue. Judge Paul Kelly held that the case was too serious for the Children's Court to accept jurisdiction and agreed with the Director of Public Prosecutions that it must proceed to the Circuit Court, which has broader sentencing powers. He remarked: "Its an absolute miracle no one was killed or seriously harmed. On Tuesday, the youth signed a guilty plea to the motor theft and endangerment charges. Judge Kelly granted an order sending him forward to the higher court for sentencing. The youth was remanded on bail pending his next hearing on November 28th. Earlier, Garda Aaron Webb outlined the evidence and played video footage, mainly filmed by squad car dashcams. He stated that the 2012-registered Toyota Corolla was stolen within the previous 24 hours in Kilkenny and was detected in Dublin at around 7 pm on Easter Monday at the Chapelizod bypass. Footage showed it speeding at 127 km/h as it approached and passed the Criminal Courts of Justice on the wrong side of the road, and proceeded to Parkgate Street. He turned onto the Luas tracks near the quays and drove past the Heuston Station stop platform and onto St Johns Road West, where it hit 137 km/h in a 50 km/h zone. It accelerated to 160 km/h on the N4 and then drove onto the M50, forcing another car onto the hard shoulder. Between Junctions 7 and 9, the teen went back and forth across all four lanes of the motorway. He also avoided attempts to box him during the drive. The court heard that he was travelling at 156 km/h, exceeding the 50 km/h limit, as he steered onto the N7 at Citywest and almost collided with two other cars. Garda Webb said the boy, who had two teenage passengers, drove across four lanes and then collided with a van with a side swipe while doing 160 km/h at Rathcoole. The van driver suffered whiplash and needed to go to hospital. The boy continued driving the badly damaged Corolla and reached 203 km/h when the car had a blowout. However, he kept driving, even with one tyre "disintegrated", and was clocked at 177km/h. The court heard that when he passed Kildare Village, he moved over onto the wrong side of the N7 and continued driving that way for 12 minutes, covering 21 kilometres, against the flow of traffic. Garda units were shadowing him on the correct lanes. Near Junction 15 in Co Laois, gardai deployed a stinger device to deflate the stolen cars tyres. It continued driving at speed, with video footage capturing sparks coming from the vehicle, which then came to a halt. A Garda armed support unit also joined the pursuit. He had no prior convictions and claimed in court that he was pepper-sprayed after the car stopped and there was a "stand-off" with gardai. His solicitor Brian Keenan had said the teenager, who was accompanied to court by family, had suffered trauma in his childhood and had been affected by a bereavement at a young age, and had attended mental health services. Mr Keenan said the boy realised he could have lost his own life and that of others during the pursuit, and he was apologetic. The court also heard that following his arrest, he made admissions and said he was sorry for putting people's lives at risk. The remaining charges are to be added to the indictment later. Legal aid was granted. By David Young, PA Democratic oversight arrangements designed to give Stormont politicians and other stakeholders a say in post-Brexit rules in Northern Ireland are overwhelmingly complex and impossible to navigate, peers have found. A House of Lords committee said the measures were insufficient and called for urgent action from the UK government to address the concerns. The Northern Ireland Scrutiny Committee examined the scrutiny and engagement arrangements included in the Windsor Framework the joint EU/UK accord that sets out post-Brexit rules for Northern Ireland. Peers examined the effectiveness of scrutiny mechanisms designed to give Stormont MLAs more say on post-Brexit rules for Northern Ireland. Photo: PA. To ensure no hardening of the Irish land border after the UKs withdrawal from the European Union, Northern Ireland continues to follow many EU trade and customs rules. The framework requires checks and customs paperwork on goods moving from Great Britain into the region. It also includes a series of measures designed to address concerns that politicians and businesses in Northern Ireland have a limited role in influencing the post-Brexit rules that apply in the region. This included the establishment of a dedicated committee at the Assembly to scrutinise EU law changes proposed to come into effect in Northern Ireland. A mechanism called the Stormont Brake was also created. That allows a minimum of 30 Stormont MLAs, from at least two parties, to refer a proposed EU law change to the UK government. The UK government then makes an assessment of the proposed change on Northern Ireland and can ultimately veto its application in the region. If the UK government rules that the brake has been appropriately pulled, it must then directly engage with the EU to find a solution. The committee of peers assessed the effectiveness of the committee and the brake, as well as a provision that allows stakeholders from Northern Ireland to attend certain joint UK-EU meetings. The committee heard evidence from a range of witnesses, including the Federation of Small Businesses Northern Ireland, the Ulster Farmers Union and Northern Ireland Retail Consortium. Among their findings, the peers concluded that post-Brexit arrangements remain insufficiently understood in Northern Ireland. They made several recommendations that, they contend, will strengthen the regions voice in the operation of the Windsor Framework and promote greater transparency. The committee urged the Government to urgently consider how to simplify the framework arrangements, which it described as a complex and opaque structure that is difficult for business and civil society stakeholders to navigate. It found a need to address difficulties faced by business due to the absence of a centralised register of applicable EU laws in Northern Ireland, which requires them to spend time and resources tracking developments on laws applicable to them. The peers also found that the Governments Trader Support Service for businesses trying to navigate the rules is not providing a good quality of service. The committee recommended a new unit in the Cabinet Office responsible for regulatory divergence and a one stop shop where businesses can access relevant information about EU laws that apply in Northern Ireland. Peers also expressed concern that the democratic scrutiny committee at Stormont does not have sufficient time or resources to effectively assess law changes proposed to the region. That was also a main finding in a recently published Government-commissioned review of the arrangements undertaken by Lord Murphy. It was clear from the concerns raised by businesses, civil society and political representatives both in formal evidence and during our visit to Newry and Belfast that the democratic deficit in Northern Ireland remains unresolved. Lord Carlile The committee said the Stormont Brake was a highly political topic and peers noted the view expressed by some witnesses that the mechanism was oversold. They urged the Government to be more transparent about the function of the brake so that it can be used productively as a mechanism for promoting dialogue between it and the Assembly. Commenting on the report, Lord Carlile, chairman of the committee, said: Our report comes at a pivotal moment for Northern Ireland and the UK. As the Government pursues a reset in UK-EU relations, it is vital that Northern Irelands voice is represented and heard. The potential agreements on sanitary and phytosanitary and energy arrangements could have significant implications for Northern Irelands place in the UK internal market, and for how the UK consults the EU on the application of EU law. We strongly support proposals to enhance Northern Irelands voice early in the EU legislative process, including through better resourcing of the UK Mission in Brussels and closer collaboration with the Northern Ireland Civil Service. It was clear from the concerns raised by businesses, civil society and political representatives both in formal evidence and during our visit to Newry and Belfast that the democratic deficit in Northern Ireland remains unresolved. Despite differing views among members, we agree that meaningful engagement, transparency, and public understanding must be urgently improved for the benefit of all communities in Northern Ireland. By Cillian Sherlock, PA The amount of services imported from the Occupied Palestinian Territories is not huge, the Taoiseach has said, as he faced accusations of slow walking legislation to prohibit their trade. The Government has said it is working on an Occupied Territories Bill, which would limit trade with illegal Israeli settlements, but activists and opposition figures have raised concerns that it would only include goods and not services. During Leaders Questions on Wednesday, Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns accused the Government of slow walking its legislation on the matter and criticised the possible exclusion of services from the law. Ms Cairns welcomed the release of hostages on both sides but said: Even in this fragile piece, Palestinians continue to be dehumanised. She said many of the Palestinians released by Israel were never charged or convicted of any crime but were still referred to as prisoners. We hope with all our hearts that this genocide is over, but we also have to face reality. Five Gazans were murdered by Israeli forces yesterday morning, just two days after committing to a ceasefire. The simple fact of the matter is that the crimes and barbarity of the Israeli government predate October 7, and in all likelihood, will not come to an end with this peace deal. For decades, Palestinians have suffered under an apartheid regime and brutal occupation in the West Bank, where Hamas does not have a presence. Ms Cairns said this why Ireland has a duty under international law to end all trade with illegal Israeli settlements. Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns (Liam McBurney/PA) She said a huge component of trade between Ireland and the illegal settlements will continue if the bill is enacted without the inclusion of services. In response, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said the quantity of services imported from Occupied Territories Bill was unknown but not huge. Goods can be traced fairly easily through documentation, certificates of origin services are a much different kettle of fish. He added: No decision has been made in relation to services. Mr Martin said there are issues around determining the clear territorial link on financial consulting, software development, and digital services. He said the most significant issue facing Gaza was the unhindered delivery of aid. We earnestly hope that peace will sustain in Gaza, and its extremely important that every effort is made to get huge volumes of humanitarian aid into Gaza. He said the release of the hostages is a big moment that should be acknowledged. They should never been taken as hostages in the first instance. Many were attending a music festival, and there should be no equivocation about that. And likewise, illegally detaining Palestinians without any trial, without any evidence base, is also wrong and shouldnt be condoned. While many workplaces are very supportive of employees after they experience pregnancy loss, this is not the experience of all women. Researchers in Cork are hoping to address that gap, and the University College Cork Pregnancy Loss Research Group (PLRG) has launched new resources for employers to support women who have experienced pregnancy loss at work. The toolkit was launched at an event in Cork City Hall in recent days, coinciding with Baby Loss Awareness Week. Now in its 23rd year, Baby Loss Awareness Week aims to shine a light on pregnancy and baby loss, and to advocate for improvements in care, support and preventive efforts. The week culminates with the Wave of Light, a global event on International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, today, October 15. People light candles at 7pm local time to commemorate babies lost to miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death. Diane Magee; Marita Hennessy; Lady Mayoress, Karen Brennan; Lord Mayor of Cork City, Cllr. Fergal Dennehy; Prof. Keelin O'Donoghue, CUMH and Dr. Tommy Harty, CUMH at the launch of Pregnancy Loss & the Workplace, A Toolkit for Employers & Employees, which took place at Cork City Council Chambers. Picture: Brian Lougheed Pregnancy loss affects approximately one in four pregnancies, often before 12 weeks. A loss at any stage can have emotional, physical and mental impacts on the woman and her partner. Most women who experience pregnancy loss are in the workplace, yet there remains a lack of knowledge about their experience and how best to support them. PLACES is a project led by the PLRG and commissioned by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, to examine the workplace experiences of people coping with pregnancy loss. The project primarily focused on women who experience pregnancy loss prior to 24 weeks gestation, as after this point, people can avail of full maternity leave and paternity leave entitlements. Cllr. Dan Boyle, Cllr. Peter Hegarty, Cllr. John Maher and Cllr. Shane O'Callaghan at the launch of Pregnancy Loss & the Workplace, A Toolkit for Employers & Employees, which took place at Cork City Council Chambers. Picture: Brian Lougheed Between 2022 and 2023, the group reviewed existing policies in Ireland and internationally, and conducted surveys and interviews with women who had experienced pregnancy loss in the workplace in Ireland in the previous five years. The research team found that there was a significant gap between the needs of women who experience pregnancy loss and the supports available to them at work. Just 20 out of the 179 best companies in Ireland that were contacted shared whether they had a pregnancy loss policy or not. Of those that replied, less than half (9/20) had a specific pregnancy loss policy. We know from the national research that some workplaces are very supportive, but we know that many are not. And some of that comes from a lack of knowledge, from a lack of awareness, from a lack of understanding...its just that people sometimes dont know, says Professor Keelin ODonoghue, Consultant Obstetrician at Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) and Lead, Pregnancy Loss Research Group. The research highlighted that more support is needed internationally for women returning to work, both in terms of legislation and company policies. The survey of women with experience of pregnancy loss showed 85% of participants found it difficult to return to work. Supports such as phased return to work, working from home and flexibility were cited as helpful. There are pieces of legislation being developed to support statutory leave for pregnancy loss, but this is a slow process. The new toolkit aims to improve support outside of statutory leave. Niamh Murphy, left and Diane Magee at the launch of Pregnancy Loss & the Workplace, A Toolkit for Employers & Employees, which took place at Cork City Council Chambers. Picture: Brian Lougheed Dr Tommy Harty and Dr Caoimhe Ni hEalaithe, doctors in specialist training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, currently based at CUMH, co-led the development of the PLRG Pregnancy Loss and the Workplace Toolkit for Employers and Employees, with Professor ODonoghue and Marita Hennessy, a researcher within the group. Theres a part of it for employees who experience pregnancy loss, so they have information about their rights as an employee and guidance about how to navigate through the workplace after experiencing both in terms of taking time off and coming back to work, says Professor ODonoghue. A section of it is for work colleagues, so that people can understand amongst their peers what could happen, and also how they can support colleagues who experience pregnancy loss. The toolkit contains a number of practical documents that organisations and individuals can use. Weve got some sample email templates, so if youre a manager and youre replying to somebody, what kind of language you could use? And then, when it comes to the employees, weve also got an email template for how you tell your manager something that has happened and that you need some time off. We also have a sample leave policy in there that workplaces could use, says Professor ODonoghue. It covers what language to use and avoid when talking about pregnancy loss. Its important to be appropriate and sensitive in the conversation. Not talking about it is also bad. Dont isolate people or stigmatise them. The research showed that many women struggle with returning to work. People found returning to work really difficult. Most people did tell someone about their pregnancy loss. Many people had physical effects of that pregnancy loss while they were back at work, says Professor ODonoghue. People felt pressure to return to work, and some people have financial pressure to return to work and wont be able to take a lot of time off. And while most of the feedback was that people were treated very kindly by their colleagues, by their peers, they werent always supported by managers. Some of that is a lack of awareness, a lack of knowledge. Dr. Maeve OSullivan, University of Galway, Jennifer Duggan and Marita Hennessy at the launch. Picture: Brian Lougheed People have different feelings when they come back to work, particularly for pregnancy loss that might be already announced and recognised. So where people are over 12 weeks or in later pregnancy, around 20 weeks, and everybody knows theyre pregnant, and then suddenly theyre not, says Professor ODonoghue. Tara Woulfe from Cork city spoke at the launch event and has been involved in the PLRG project as a parent advocate following her own experience of pregnancy loss. In early 2020, Tara lost a baby boy towards the end of her second trimester. I was at that point just before 24 weeks, which is a difficult time, because after 24 weeks, on a practical level, you get all the supports like maternity leavewhereas before 24 weeks, you dont, because if the baby were to be born, it wouldnt survive outside the womb, says Tara. Its a difficult time if youre close to that cut off point. And, as well, everyone knows that youre pregnant. Its not something that you can keep a secret. She believes the toolkit will help people to be more open in talking about pregnancy loss. I think theres a lot of shame around this whole area. And I think the introduction of this toolkit in general, and all this research, it just helps to shine a light on it. Theres nothing to be ashamed of, and people should be able to talk about it. Tara says that people dont need to worry about saying the right thing, but it is important to say something. I think the worst thing that you can do is say nothing at all, because its just like any other loss. You just want it to be acknowledged. Its important for people to understand that just acknowledging it is all you need to do, and just saying that youre thinking of the person or youre sorry for their loss, the same way you would do if they had lost someone else. The toolkit is an educational resource, and Tara emphasises that its not about being perfect, but trying to support women through loss. On a really practical level, itll really help women and their partners who experience pregnancy loss, because I think itll be a gentler experience for them, and hopefully eliminate anyone saying or doing something thats really upsetting. The PLRG is calling for businesses, professional groups and organisations to endorse the toolkit. It will be freely available online, and groups are welcome to add their logo to it and implement it in their workplace. We will host it on our website and on other national websites that we support and work with, and we will be asking the support groups and charities to host it, says Professor ODonoghue. This is going to be free for people to use. So we really hope that people will endorse it and use it in their organisation. Samsung is back with another event this fall, which it has dubbed Worlds Wide Open. The company said that it will use this opportunity to officially unveil its Android XR headset, internally known as Project Moohan. The livestreamed event will take place on Tuesday, October 21 at 10PM ET and you can watch either on Samsung's website or on its YouTube channel. It's possible that Samsung always anticipated having an event next week, but it's also possible that the company's hand was forced after a big leak last week disclosed several notable details about Project Moohan. According to the leaks, the headset's official name will be Samsung Galaxy XR and it is the first commercial product to leverage the Android XR platform for augmented reality. We knew Samsung was aiming to release this headset sometime this year, so it's very likely we'll learn both the release date and the price during Worlds Wide Open. Sean "Diddy" Combs was dropped as a co-defendant by a Los Angeles judge in a sexual assault lawsuit, closing one of the several legal battles that he is facing. The lawsuit that was formally filed in April 2024, names the yacht stewardess Grace O'Marcaigh as the plaintiff. She stated that the incident was held during a trip of a charter in 2022. According to O'Marcaigh, she was forced to consume a drink that she thought was spiked, and after that, was sexually assaulted by Christian Combs on the board of a chartered yacht in international waters near the U.S. Virgin Islands. She also accused Diddy of fostering an environment that encouraged what she called a "party atmosphere" involving drugs and sex workers. O'Marcaigh claimed the incident unfolded after Christian asked her to drink tequila. She said he became aggressive, blocked her inside a cinema room, and groped her. A transcript she filed with the court quotes her saying, "Excuse me, you don't touch my legs like that. I'll move my legs where I want to." She alleged her concerns were ignored by the yacht's captain and that she was dismissed from her job months later. #BREAKING | NEWS Christian Combs one of Diddys sons was officially served with paperwork from a lawsuit claiming she was drugged and sexually assaulted while she was on a yacht that Diddy rented out for a week for his sons Christian Combs birthday. pic.twitter.com/PLxTG9yTiO Todd Paron (@tparon) April 5, 2025 Judge Rules Out Diddy's Involvement Court filings obtained by The U.S. Sun show the judge granted a motion to dismiss Diddy from the case. His legal team argued the complaint failed to show any connection between him and the alleged assault. "Plaintiff alleges no facts to support an aiding and abetting claim against Sean Combs," the filing stated. "No facts about Sean's alleged knowledge, participation, or substantial assistance in Christian's alleged assault." They also noted the lack of jurisdiction. The incident, they argued, took place outside California, and the yacht was chartered through companies not registered in the state. "The Complaint has no allegations connecting Sean Combs, on the one hand, and California on the other," the filing added. Diddy's attorney, Aaron Dyer, previously told CNN the suit contained "manufactured lies and irrelevant facts" and pledged to seek dismissal. Broader Legal Pressure Christian remains a defendant in the case. Neither he nor his representatives have issued public statements since the judge's ruling. The civil lawsuit is one of several facing Diddy amid his ongoing criminal case in New York. Earlier this year, a federal jury convicted him on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He was acquitted on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. On Oct 3, he received a four-year, two-month prison sentence and a $500,000 fine, per BBC. Originally published on Music Times Solomon Islands official hails China's initiatives for promoting women's development globally 15:50, October 15, 2025 By Huang Kechao ( People's Daily Online The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women was held in Beijing from Oct. 13 to 14, 2025, bringing together international delegates to discuss plans for global women's development. At the meeting, Nerol Vaekesa, spokesperson of the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs of the Solomon Islands, hailed China's pivotal role in leading global women's development and expressed a sincere hope that the international community furthers cooperation with China in women empowerment to strengthen women's participation in the digital world. Nerol Vaekesa, spokesperson of the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs of the Solomon Islands, has an interview with People's Daily Online at the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing, capital of China, on Oct.13, 2025. (People's Daily Online/Wu Shimin) 30 years ago, the United Nations' Fourth World Conference on Women was also held in Beijing, where two landmark documents, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, were adopted. To date, these documents have delivered fruitful outcomes, benefiting women around the world. "Under China's leadership, significant progress has been made in global women's development, and a wide range of innovative supporting policies have been implemented. These efforts have shed new light on the advancement of women globally," said Vaekesa. When discussing China's role in advancing women's development, Vaekesa emphasized that China has actively honored its commitments to provide substantial assistance to developing countries. She further noted that over the past three decades, China has offered robust support to the Solomon Islands in key sectors, including agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare, and women's and children's education, through funding and scholarship programs. "Thanks to China's assistance, women's status in the Solomon Islands has been significantly elevated," Vaekesa said, adding that "I sincerely hope that China and the Solomon Islands will deepen cooperation to create more extensive development opportunities for women in both countries." When it comes to women's participation in social governance and decision-making, Vaekesa noted that women should make substantial contributions to social governance. She pointed out that the Solomon Islands, along with many other island countries, is grappling with increasingly severe climate change-induced challenges, including rising sea levels and frequent extreme weather events. "In this context, women's participation will bring unique insights and vital efforts to address these challenges," Vaekesa emphasized. Furthermore, amid evolving global circumstances and emerging digital technologies, Vaekesa noted that women must seize opportunities to engage with digital trends. She added that access to education must first be guaranteed for women, an essential foundation for their participation in the digital era. Meanwhile, the rapid development of artificial intelligence is creating new job opportunities. "Women must build strong competencies to increase their income and elevate their status," she said. (Web editor: Huang Kechao, Wu Chengliang) Fairfield, MT (59436) Today Variably cloudy with snow showers. Low near 5F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 50%.. Tonight Variably cloudy with snow showers. Low near 5F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Scottish arable farmers are being urged to get a clear grip on their costs of production and cash flow after a difficult growing season left many facing tighter margins and financial pressures. The Monitor Farm Scotland programme said a combination of poor commodity prices and weather-related problems has hit spring barley in particular. While winter crops performed well and harvest came early, dry conditions meant some barley crops failed to meet malting quality due to high screenings and elevated nitrogen levels. Combined with low commodity prices, these challenges are putting further pressure on farm cash flow and raising concerns for many growers when planning for the years to come, said Grace Reid, programme manager at Monitor Farm Scotland. Scottish Agronomy agronomist Zach Reilly warned that many farmers now face lower incomes, or still have unsold barley in store. Now people are starting to look at buying spring inputs these issues will have a massive knock-on effect. The biggest problem for many will be cash flow. Reilly said the focus should be on what farmers can control managing income streams, planning short-term finances and making informed decisions. He also stressed the need to work out your cash flow, and then look at ways to ease the pinch. Some growers are already switching into other crops, with more oilseed rape and winter wheat being planted. Cash flow difficulties, he noted, may delay input purchases, while the hit from barley diverted into feed rather than malting markets will carry longer-term consequences. Help with financial planning is available through government and industry initiatives. Under the Scottish governments FAS Specialist Advice scheme, farms can claim up to 1,600 towards business support, while AHDBs Farmbench tool allows levy payers to benchmark their costs against peers in confidence. Adrian James, AHDB knowledge exchange manager, said group use of Farmbench often proved most effective. Its a really good discussion, helps keep on top of your costs and its social too. Youll usually find there are plenty of others in the same boat as you. James added that some farmers were now exploring alternative or niche crops that could offer better returns, but warned these options were not for everyone: Look carefully at everything before you jump in and assess the risks. He also advised drawing up two-year cash flow budgets to anticipate potential squeeze points if prices remain depressed. In the longer term, Reilly said improving soil health would help boost resilience to dry weather. Many spring barley crops, he explained, produced numerous tillers that failed to reach potential because of drought stress, with screenings worst on lighter soils. We will have weather like this again, so build resilience into soils so the water will be there for crops, whether its chopping straw or growing your own biomass if you cant bring it in. Grace Reid echoed the need for proactive planning. Knowing costs of production and having good insight into your cash flow situation will definitely help on-farm this year, she said. She urged farmers to speak early with advisers, accountants and banks if worried. Early conversations can open up options, alleviate stress and help you plan ahead with more confidence. British farmers are set to benefit from a major 30 billion investment by Lidl GB, as the discount retailer doubles its commitment to home-grown food and farming over the next five years. The pledge, covering 2025 to 2030, represents a 100% increase on Lidls earlier 15bn promise and will span categories from fruit and vegetables to meat and poultry. It builds on 21bn already spent with UK suppliers over the previous five-year period. The German-owned discounter, now in its fourth decade in Britain, said the move would provide long-term certainty for more than 650 suppliers at a time when many producers face pressure from rising costs and climate challenges. Richard Bourns, Lidl GBs chief commercial officer, said the funding was a clear, long-term commitment to British farmers and growers and would give suppliers the confidence and security to invest in their own businesses. As part of the package, Lidl has pledged to make all British fruit and vegetable suppliers LEAF Marque-certified, with the logo due to appear on packaging next year. It will also extend water catchment projects in areas such as Norfolk and the Wye Valley and continue funding its 1.5bn Sustainable Beef Group, which works with farmers to cut carbon emissions and improve herd performance. The company is also collaborating with digital platforms such as the ruumi app to help beef producers monitor grazing and carbon intensity. The government welcomed the move. Food Security Minister Dame Angela Eagle described the announcement as a strong vote of confidence in the quality and reliability of British farming. Industry groups said the investment would be significant, though cautioned that supermarkets must ensure commitments translate into fair returns for producers. Analysts also noted that with nearly 60% of the UKs food imported, domestic sourcing deals such as Lidls could play a growing role in shoring up national food security. A vast solar farm in Lincolnshire has been given the green light by the Department for Energy Security, despite warnings from countryside campaigners that large-scale schemes are industrialising the countryside. The Tillbridge Solar Project, proposed by Tillbridge Solar Ltd, will generate more than 50MW of electricity through ground-mounted solar panels, supported by energy storage and grid connection infrastructure. Development consent was confirmed on 14 October following a six-month examination by the Planning Inspectorate, during which local communities, councils and interested parties gave evidence. The scheme is the 98th energy project to be approved under the Planning Act 2008, with officials emphasising that the decision was made within statutory timeframes. The recommendation to approve the scheme was issued to ministers in July, with final consent granted by Energy Minister Martin McCluskey on behalf of the Secretary of State. The Planning Inspectorate said local people were able to contribute views during the process, with full consideration given to evidence before the final recommendation was made. While supporters argue the solar farm will contribute to the UKs renewable energy goals, critics have raised concerns about the loss of farmland. CPRE, the countryside charity, said the project highlighted a growing reliance on large-scale solar projects on productive agricultural land. Roger Mortlock, chief executive of CPRE, said: The approval of a mega solar farm covering an area of high-quality farmland the size of Heathrow Airport highlights a deeply concerning trend: industrialising the countryside with ground-mounted solar while too many rooftops remain unused. He added that CPRE research shows almost 60% of the UKs largest solar farms are being developed on high-grade farmland, with alternatives such as rooftops and car parks overlooked. We dont need mega solar farms in the countryside, he said. Delivering more renewable energy is non-negotiable, but delivering it should bring communities together, not drive them apart. All documents, including the Planning Inspectorates recommendation and the evidence considered during the examination, are now publicly available on the National Infrastructure Planning website. Construction, operation, maintenance and eventual decommissioning of the scheme will be overseen under the approved development consent order. Scotlands livestock marts will mark the 15th anniversary of the Lamb for St Andrews Day campaign this November with community lunches celebrating one of the nations most iconic meats. The initiative, first launched in 2010 by an auctioneer and a farmer, was designed to make eating lamb on 30 November as traditional as turkey at Christmas or haggis on Burns Night. Since then, it has grown into a nationwide celebration, credited with boosting lamb sales both in marts and on supermarket shelves. The Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland (IAAS) runs the campaign with Quality Meat Scotland (QMS). Neil Wilson, executive director of IAAS said: Its excellent to see the positive impact Lamb for St Andrews Day has had for the sector, bringing to the fore the natural goodness of lamb produced here in Scotland and encouraging greater uptake. This is down to the generous support and championing of the campaign from farmers, the marts, QMS, schools and local communities. "We look forward to the buzz of lunches around the country for this years Lamb for St Andrews Day and seeing farmers and marts coming together to make this happen as they have done so successfully over the years. Over the past 15 years, the campaign has expanded from a grassroots idea into a movement spanning restaurants, pubs, schools and even international delegations. During the Covid period, marts delivered 3.1 tonnes of lamb into 600 schools, reaching 65,000 pupils through Home Economics classes and school lunches. The initiative has also taken Scottish lamb abroad, with St Andrews Day dinners hosted in Paris and at COP28 in Dubai. Back home, the results are clear: lamb prices in marts rose by 13% last November, while consumer research from Numerator shows that the volume of lamb bought per shopping trip increased by the same amount. Yet Wilson believes there is much more to be done. Only 9.2% of households bought primary lamb last November which means there is still huge potential for growth. As a whole industry, we need to tell our story and make it a compelling choice for them to pick up in the butcher, supermarket or when eating out. Industry figures say lamb faces stiff competition from cheaper proteins such as chicken and pork, while shifting consumer eating habits and cost-of-living pressures have seen many households cut back on red meat. Campaigners argue that initiatives like Lamb for St Andrews Day are vital for raising awareness of its quality, nutritional value and role in Scotlands food culture. This years campaign will see all 27 marts across Scotland host community lunches around St Andrews Day. Wilson said this reflects the true spirit of the marts. These events may be for customers, a local school or group, or a fundraising occasion. The main aim is to bring people together to celebrate with one of Scotlands finest homegrown products. To help fund the lunches, marts are calling for donations to the Lamb Bank, which has collected the equivalent of 850 lambs since its launch five years ago. Contributions can be made as a monetary donation or the value of a lamb at the next sale, with all support acknowledged at the events. Theres no denying that the Filmfare Awards are the biggest, and the glitziest night in Bollywood. This year, the 70th Hyundai Filmfare Awards With Gujarat Tourism sees Shah Rukh Khan return to hosting the awards, along with Karan Johar and Maniesh Paul. With performances by Ananya Panday, Kajol, and Abhishek Bachchan - it definitely set the tone to the cinematic event. We also saw some great red carpet moments - as well as some refreshing beauty looks. Lets take a look at some of our favourites. Evil does not stay buried; it waits. And now, it is coming back right on Halloween. Scott Derickson's Black Phone 2 will be released on October 31, setting the stage for a terrifying Halloween night in cinemas. Ahead of the release, the director spoke about how he prefers expanding on elements from his own work, rather than drawing from other people's work. The sequel to the 2021 film The Black Phone, it will see the resurrection of one of modern horrors most haunting villains, The Grabber. Talking about it, Derickson told us exclusively, "I am less interested in drawing from other peoples work than in expanding on what elements from my own work seem unique to me. In this case, it was the use of Super 8 footage in very specific ways, drawing on my own memories at Colorado high school winter camps in the early '80s and channelling some of the bigger feelings I had when I was a teenager at that time." Actor Ethan Hawke returns as the Grabber, a role that cemented itself in horror history. About The Black Phone The Black Phone is based on a short story by Joe Hill. It follows Finney(Mason Thames), who is abducted by a serial killer, Grabber (Ethan Hawke). However, when Finney finds a mystical black phone in captivity, he tries to use it to plot his escape by communicating with the ghosts of people Grabber had killed. The film ends with Grabber's death and Finney's rescue, and the sequel takes off four years after the events of the original film. It also stars Madeleine McGraw, Demian Bichir, Jeremy Davies and Arianna Rivas, among others. Black Phone 2 will be released theatrically on Halloween, on October 31. Also Read: Katrina Kaif Recreates The Stay At home Dance By Jack Black Raashiis idea about love and relationship Filmy stories should mirror reality Women representation in cinema There is something about Raashii Khanna! You could never have compared her to the dime-a-dozen starlets. But the magnetism makes her a compelling presence. A decade into the industry, several well-received films, and you still cant put a peg on her. Shes one of the biggest success stories in recent times. The camera embraces her! And her penchant to break the cliched mould drove her to pick up interesting roles.Growing up, Raashii was a film buff. Cinema was one of the biggest influences in life, and love stories were her biggest fascination. But her idea of love was disillusioned because reality was different. I was 17 when I first entered into a relationship; doing silly and cute things were part of the process. But with time, I realised love is about respect, trust and loyalty. But unfortunately, no one talks about these things.Before getting into a relationship Raashii shares that you need to know and understand yourself better first. As humans, we naturally expect so many things and, in the process, we have our own flaws too, she says. No one is perfect, so accept people how they are, and that's the beauty of a relationship. Its important to go through the experiences because it makes you wiser. After a heartbreak and self-realization, I have grown a lot.According to her, the most important thing in a relationship is respect and communication. She adds that relationships in the modern day have taken a sea turn comparatively to how it was during our elders' time. When we were growing up, our parents were different. Today, because of social media, Gen Z has introduced new things like gaslighting, etc. So, relationships have changed, and with it, the essence of love too. Although challenging, Raashii emphasizes the need to lead a life without expectations. Just respect people and communicate, they are the basics. Trust me, you can do anything in life, if you have such an attitude. But relationships are drifting apart because of the trust factor.Having spoken so much about love and relationship, and having been part of several onscreen romantic tales, Raashii says it is important that filmy love stories mirror reality. According to the actress, her upcoming Telugu film Telusu Kada, which is slated to release on October 17, is an interesting take on love and relationships. When director Neeraja Kona narrated the story, she asked me what is love? During the conversation, I realized that everyone has a different answer. Telusu Kada is an attempt to discuss a contemporary issue amid love and relationship. The very nature of the story and writing makes it a relatable one. Moreover, onscreen love stories should reflect reality so that they can resonate with the audiences.Actresses often draw parallels between their own lives and the characters they play. Raashii plays the role of Anjali, Siddhu Jonnalagaddas love interest in the film. Her layered character, emotional depth and the arch she goes through makes her character enterprising. But in real life I am different from Anjali, but again, thats the beauty of acting. You get to play characters that you are not, so I approached the character objectively, and connected to the emotional depth of her role in the film that explores modern relationship dynamics. I have grown a lot as an actor playing this role, and I am glad I got the opportunity.According to Raashii Khaana, Telusu Kada triggers conversations about love and relationships. Audiences may watch the film with a moral lens but its important that art (films) does the talking. Films should have something for the audiences to take back something. The situation I experience in the film may not arise in real life, but Ill be glad if people understand the learning curve in every experience.Women's representation in cinema has historically been limited by stereotypes and underrepresentation. However, times are changing, and a growing number of female-led films and more women in behind-the-scenes roles reflect progress toward a more inclusive film industry. Raashii is glad that she is part of the transition.For a very long-time men were in power, but now women have been asking questions. So, theres a fight for power and women are also getting substantial roles. For a director gender is insignificant but when writing films, the perspective varies. The fact that Neeraja Kona is a female director made my role diverse and powerful. I believe more complex and varied roles are emerging. Asura Aagamana glimpse unveiled Emotionally charged period drama On the occasion of his birthday (Tuesday), the makers of Sai Durgha Tejs upcoming ambitious film Sambarala Yetigattu (SYG) have unveiled the actors glimpse. Titled Asura Aagamanam, the glimpse stands tall as a true pan-Indian spectacle with a rooted tale from the hinterlands of India.Sambarala Yetigattu (SYG) is being crafted on a massive scale with a budget of more than Rs 125 crore making it Sai Durgha Tejs most expensive film in his career. It is evident from the grand visuals, and the captivating canvas built around the film. The glimpse of the film introduces Sai Durgha Tej in a fierce and powerful avatar. As chaos brews and the Asuras prepare for warfare, rebellion ignites, setting the stage for an epic confrontation. Asura Aagamanam sets the tone for the rest of the promotional material to follow.The highlight of the video is Sai Durgha Tejs transformation, both physical and emotional. Sporting a chiselled, muscular frame and a raw intensity in his eyes, he perfectly embodies a warrior spirit consumed by rage. Speaking at the glimpse launch with the press, the actor recalled the efforts of director Rohith KP. Its an intense and emotionally charged period action drama fuelled by strong performances and technical brilliance, describes the actor, adding that SYG is an important film to him. Addressing reports of the film being delayed, the actor said that the focus is on bringing out a superior quality product. The idea is to cater to the audience's modern thought process, he says, exuding confidence that the film will strike a chord with the audiences.Sai Durgha Tejs both physical and emotional transformation was evident. Sporting a chiselled, muscular frame and a raw intensity in his eyes, he perfectly embodies a warrior spirit consumed by rage. And the grandeur of his character and the film teases a dark, intense, and larger-than-life universe designed to set new benchmarks in cinema. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES Highlights: Formation has planned a 20,000 metre total multi-phase drill program at its flagship N2 Gold Project in Quebec, host to a global historic resource of ~870,000 ounces comprised of 18 Mt grading 1.4 g/t Au (~809,000 oz Au) across four zones (A, East, RJ-East, and Central) 2,3 and 243 Kt grading 7.82 g/t Au (~61,000 oz Au) across the RJ zone 2,4 . Phase 1, consisting of a fully funded 10,000 metres, commenced on September 25, 2025. Phase 1 will target the "A" zone, a shallow, highly continuous, low-variability historic gold deposit with ~522,900 ounces of which only ~35% of strike has been drilled (>3.1 km open), and the "RJ" zone, host to high-grade intercepts from historical drill holes as high as 51 g/t Au over 0.8 metres 2 , which was expanded by Agnico Eagle Mines in 2008 in the most recent drilling at the Property. The Company has working capital of ~C$4.7M with zero debt prior to the financing, putting it in a very strong financial position to execute its exploration programs. Inclusive of provincial tax credits from the Quebec government, Formation's exploration budget for 2025-2026 is set at ~$5.7M. The financings, if fully subscribed, would increase Formation's working capital to ~$13M and exploration budget to ~$8.5M+. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / October 14, 2025 / Formation Metals Inc. ("Formation" or the "Company") (CSE:FOMO)(FSE:VF1)(OTCQB:FOMTF), a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company, is pleased to announce that it has amended the terms of its previously announced LIFE offering and concurrent flow-through private placement financing (collectively, the "Upsized Offering") to increase the size of the offering to up to C$8.6 million. Under the terms of the Upsized Offering, the Company will now complete a non-brokered private placement (the "Amended LIFE Offering") of up to 17,847,838 units (each, a "LIFE Unit") of the Company at $0.37 per LIFE Unit, pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions ("NI 45-106"), as amended and supplemented by Coordinated Blanket Order 45-935 - Exemptions from Certain Conditions of the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption, for gross proceeds of up to $6,600,000. Each LIFE Unit will be comprised of one common share in the capital of the Company (a "LIFE Share") and one common share purchase warrant (a "LIFE Warrant"). Each LIFE Warrant will be exercisable to acquire one additional common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.54 for a period of 36 months from the date of closing. The LIFE Units issued pursuant to the LIFE Offering will not be subject to a hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. There is an offering document (the "Amended Offering Document") relating to the Amended LIFE Offering that can be accessed under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website (www.formationmetalsinc.com). Prospective investors in the Amended LIFE Offering should read the Amended Offering Document before making an investment decision. Concurrent with the LIFE Offering, the Company intends to complete a non-brokered private placement (the "FT Private Placement") of up to 4,878,049 flow-through units (each, an "FT Unit") of the Company at a price of $0.41 per FT Unit to raise aggregate gross proceeds of up to $2,000,000. Each FT Unit will consist of one flow-through common share (a "FT Share") of the Company, which will qualify as a "flow-through share" as defined in section 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada), and one transferable common share purchase warrant (a "FT Warrant"), with each FT Warrant entitling the holder to purchase one additional common share at an exercise price of $0.62 for a period of 24 months from the date of closing. All securities issued under the FT Private Placement will be subject to statutory hold periods expiring four months and one day from the date of closing. Closing of the Upsized Offering may take place in one or more tranches as determined by the Company and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals, including approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange. The Company may pay certain eligible finders a cash fee of up to 7% of the gross proceeds raised in respect of the Upsized Offering from subscribers introduced by such finders to the Company. The Company may also issue to eligible finders such number of finder warrants (each, a "Finder Warrant") as is equal to up to 7% of the number of LIFE Units or FT Units sold under the Upsized Offerings to subscribers introduced by such finders to the Company. The Finder Warrants, to the extent they are issued, will match the terms of the LIFE Warrants and FT Warrants, respectively. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Upsized Offerings for fieldwork at the Company's exploration projects and, in the case of the net proceeds from the Amended LIFE Offering, as more particularly set out in the Amended Offering Document. Project Summary Comprising 87 claims totaling ~4,400 ha within the Abitibi sub province of Northwestern Quebec, Formation's flagship N2 Gold Project is an advanced gold project with a global historic resource of 877,000 ounces. There are six primary auriferous mineralized zones in total, each open for expansion along strike and at depth. Compilation and geophysical work by Balmoral Resources Ltd. (now Wallbridge Mining) from 2010 to 2018 generated numerous targets that have not yet been investigated with diamond drilling. The drill program is designed to focus on discovery drilling at new high-potential targets along the mineralization strikes at the "A", "RJ" and "Central" zones in the northern part of the Property in order to discover new auriferous trends and unlock new zones of gold mineralization. The program will also focus on high-priority infilling and expansion targets in these zones to significantly enhance the auriferous zones identified to-date (Figure 1). Historical highlights from the top two priority zones include: A Zone: A shallow, highly continuous, low-variability historic gold deposit with ~522,900 ounces identified at a grade of 1.52 g/t Au. ~15,000 metres have been drilled historically across 1.65 km of strike, with over 3.1 km of strike remaining to be tested. 84% of historical drillholes intercepted auriferous intervals including up 1.7 g/t over 35 m. RJ Zone:a high-grade historic gold deposit with ~61,100 ounces identified at a grade of 7.82 g/t Au, with high-grade intercepts from historical drill holes as high as 51 g/t Au over 0.8 metres and 16.5 g/t Au over 3.5 metres2. This zone was the target of the most recently drilling at the Property by Agnico-Eagle Mines in 2008, when the price of gold was ~US$800/oz. Only ~900 metres of strike has been drilled, with 4.75+ km of strike remaining to be tested. Figure 1 - PDDH design for the complete 20,000 metre Drill Program. Figure 2 - Property overview summarizing historical work completed at each of the six mineralized zones and their respective historical resource. The Company also believes that N2 has significant base metal potential, where it recently completed a revaluation process which revealed significant copper and zinc intercepts within historic drillholes known to have significant gold grades (>1 g/t Au). Assay results range from 200 to 4,750 ppm and 203 ppm to 6,700 ppm, for copper and zinc, respectively, indicating strong potential for elevated base metal (Cu-Zn) concentrations across the property, specifically at the A and RJ zones. Property wide geology at N2 features volcanic and sedimentary rocks formed in regional anticlinal and synclinal flexures. Three principal deformation structures (Figure 1), oriented along the known NW-SE to WNW-ESE structural trends typical of VMS deposits in the Matagami region, function as critical geologic controls for mineralization on the property. For the 2025 exploration season, Formation plans to concentrate its efforts on the northern part of N2, targeting gold deposit expansion and discovery along identified zones and fault systems associated with the main deformation features (specifically WNW-ESE trend), with IP surveys and drilling planned to model mineralized zones that will hopefully contribute to an updated NI-43 101 compliant resource. Formation will also look to further review historic base metal assays from older drill core and undertake additional work in 2025 to assess the property's copper and zinc potential. Qualified person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Babak Vakili Azar, P.Geo., an independent contractor and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Historical reports provided by the optionor were reviewed by the qualified person. The information provided has not been verified and is being treated as historic. About Formation Metals Inc. Formation Metals Inc. is a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company focused on the development of quality properties that are drill-ready with high-upside and expansion potential. Formation's flagship asset is the N2 Gold Project, an advanced gold project with a global historic resource of ~870,000 ounces (18 Mt grading 1.4 g/t Au (~809,000 oz Au) across four zones (A, East, RJ-East, and Central)2,3 and 243 Kt grading 7.82 g/t Au (~61,000 oz Au) across the RJ zone2,4) and six mineralized zones, each open for expansion along strike and at depth including the "A" zone, of which only ~35% of strike has been drilled (>3.1 km open), and the "RJ" zone, host to historical high-grade intercepts as high as 51 g/t Au over 0.8 metres. FORMATION METALS INC. Deepak Varshney, CEO and Director For more information, please call 778-899-1780, email dvarshney@formationmetalsinc.com or visit www.formationmetalsinc.com. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Notes and References: Readers are cautioned that the geology of nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of the geology of the Property. The above referenced resource estimates do not have a category, are considered historical in nature, and are based on prior data prepared by a previous property owner, and do not conform to current CIM categories. While the Company considers the estimates to be reliable, a qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current resources in accordance with current CIM categories and the Company is not treating the historical estimates as a current resource. A 0.5 g/t Au cut-off was used in the preparation of the historical estimates with a minimum 2.5 metre mining width. Significant data compilation, re-drilling, re-sampling and data verification may be required by a qualified person before the historical estimates can be classified as current resources. There can be no assurance that any of the historical mineral resources, in whole or in part, will ever become economically viable. In addition, mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. The Company is not aware of any more recent estimates prepared for the N2 Property. Needham, B. (1994), 1993 Diamond Drill Report, Northway Joint Venture, Northway Property; Cypress Canada Inc.; 492 pages. Guy K. (1991), Exploration Summary May 1, 1990 to May 1, 1991 Vezza Joint Venture Northway Property; Total Energold; 227 pages. Forward-looking statements: This news release includes "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation, including statements respecting: the Company's plans for the Property and the expected timing and scope of the 2025 drilling program at the Property; the Company's goal of delivering a near-surface multi-million-ounce deposit the Property; the Company's anticipated timeline with respect to the Application for Autorisation de Travaux d'exploration a Impacts (ATI) to the Ministere des Ressources naturelles et des Forets (MERN); the Company's view that the Property has the potential for over three million ounces of gold; the 7,500-metre drilling program marking the beginning of the Company's pursuit of that goal; and statements respecting the Upsized Offerings, the timing thereof and the expected use of proceeds therefrom. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on a number of estimates and/or assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain and volatile equity and capital markets, lack of available capital, actual results of exploration activities, environmental risks, future prices of base and other metals, operating risks, accidents, labour issues, delays in obtaining governmental approvals and permits, and other risks in the mining industry. The Company is presently an exploration stage company. Exploration is highly speculative in nature, involves many risks, requires substantial expenditures, and may not result in the discovery of mineral deposits that can be mined profitably. Furthermore, the Company currently has no reserves on any of its properties. As a result, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. No Offer or Solicitation to Purchase Securities in the United States This press release does not constitute or form a part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or with any securities regulatory authority of any state or other jurisdiction in the United States, and may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons, as such term is defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act ("Regulation S"), except pursuant to an exemption from or in a transaction not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or U.S. Persons nor shall there by any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. SOURCE: Formation Metals View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/metals-and-mining/formation-metals-announces-upsize-to-previously-announced-life-offering-and-priva-1087023 Not for distribution to United States wire services or for dissemination in the United States VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / October 14, 2025 / Onco-Innovations Limited (CBOE CA:ONCO)(Frankfurt:W1H, WKN:A3EKSZ)(OTCQB:ONNVF) ("Onco" or the "Company") announces that it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") of up to 1,428,572 units of the Company (the "Units") at a price of $1.40 per Unit, for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $2,000,000. Each Unit shall consist of one common share (each a "Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"), with each Warrant entitling the holder to purchase one Share at an exercise price of $2.00 for a period of thirty-six (36) months. The Company also intends to issue Shares equal to 1.0% of the total of Shares issued in the Private Placement (the "Admin Fee Shares") to an arm's-length third party, as an administrative fee for their assistance with the Private Placement. In connection with the Private Placement, the Company may pay finders' fees and/or issue finders' warrants on the same terms as the Warrants, to eligible parties who have assisted by introducing subscribers to the Private Placement. Closing of the Private Placement is subject to certain conditions, including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory and other approvals. All securities issued pursuant to Private Placement will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day pursuant to applicable securities laws. The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Private Placement for general corporate and working capital purposes, including in pursuit of the Company's operational and research and development objectives and for investor relations purposes. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or available exemptions from such registration requirements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States, or in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The Company also announces the appointment of Mr. Christopher Gulka as a member of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. Mr. Gulka brings over 30 years of experience in capital and public markets. He founded Working Capital Corporation, a corporate finance firm specializing in valuations, due diligence, and management consulting. He previously served as CFO and Director of Inner Spirit Holdings Ltd. and has held senior financial and board roles with several public companies across the mining, energy, cannabis, and industrial sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (with Distinction) from the University of Alberta and is both a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). Mr. Gulka succeeds Mr. Graydon Bensler on the Board. The Company thanks Mr. Bensler for his valuable contributions and dedicated service. About Onco-Innovations Limited Onco-Innovations is a Canadian-based company dedicated to cancer research and treatment, specializing in oncology. Onco's mission is to pursue the prevention and treatment of cancer through pioneering research and innovative solutions. The company has secured an exclusive worldwide license to patented technology that targets solid tumours. ON BEHALF OF ONCO-INNOVATIONS LIMITED, "Thomas O'Shaughnessy" Chief Executive Officer For more information, please contact: Thomas O'Shaughnessy Chief Executive Officer Tel: + 1 888 261 8055 investors@oncoinnovations.com The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements Caution. This news release contains forward-looking statements, including in relation to the Private Placement generally, and the anticipated use of funds and closing date thereof, as well as to the Company's business and plans generally, and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "potential", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include the failure to complete the Private Placement as contemplated, or at all, that the anticipated proceeds may be lower than expected, the failure to receive regulatory approval in respect of the Private Placement, and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward- looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by applicable law. SOURCE: Onco-Innovations Limited View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/healthcare-and-pharmaceutical/onco-innovations-announces-private-placement-1087026 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Stellantis (STLA) announced a $13 billion investment over the next four years aimed at strengthening its presence in the United States and expanding its domestic manufacturing footprint. This marks the largest investment in the company's 100-year history in the U.S. and is set to support the launch of five new vehicles across its brand portfolio, the production of a new four-cylinder engine, and the creation of over 5,000 jobs across key states including Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. The initiative will significantly boost Stellantis' U.S. operations, increasing annual finished vehicle production by 50% compared to current levels. In addition to the new vehicle launches, the company plans to refresh 19 existing products across all U.S. assembly plants and introduce updated powertrains through 2029. The $13 billion will cover research and development, supplier costs, and manufacturing upgrades necessary to execute Stellantis' full product strategy. In Illinois, Stellantis will invest more than $600 million to reopen the Belvidere Assembly Plant, focusing on expanded production of the Jeep Cherokee and Jeep Compass. Production is expected to begin in 2027, with the move anticipated to generate approximately 3,300 new jobs. Ohio will see nearly $400 million in investment as Stellantis relocates the assembly of an all-new midsize truck-originally slated for Belvidere-to the Toledo Assembly Complex. This truck will join the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Gladiator lineup, with production expected to launch in 2028 and create over 900 jobs. The company also plans to continue enhancing its Toledo operations with new technologies and product improvements, including critical components at the Toledo Machining Plant. In Michigan, Stellantis will invest nearly $100 million to retool the Warren Truck Assembly Plant for the production of a new range-extended electric vehicle and internal combustion engine large SUV, beginning in 2028. This move is expected to add more than 900 jobs to the facility, which currently produces the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. Additionally, $130 million will be allocated to upgrade the Detroit Assembly Complex - Jefferson for the next-generation Dodge Durango, with production slated for 2029. Indiana will benefit from more than $100 million in investments across Stellantis' Kokomo facilities to support the production of the new GMET4 EVO four-cylinder engine, beginning in 2026. This strategic powertrain initiative is expected to create over 100 new jobs and solidify the U.S. as the manufacturing base for this engine. Stellantis' expansive U.S. footprint currently includes 34 manufacturing facilities, parts distribution centers, and research and development locations across 14 states. These operations support more than 48,000 employees, 2,600 dealers, and nearly 2,300 suppliers, contributing to thousands of communities nationwide. Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX 2025 AFX News TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - Mitsubishi Electric Corp. (MIELY.PK, MIELF.PK, 6503.T) Wednesday said that it has signed a basic agreement with Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute or ITRI, in collaboration with Mitsubishi Electric Taiwan Co., Ltd to develop high-voltage, high-current power conversion systems. The company said that these power conversion systems or PCS make use of advanced power semiconductors to convert electricity generated from renewable sources such as solar and wind power. As per the terms of the agreement, Mitsubishi Electric will provide its advanced power semiconductor modules, while Mitsubishi Electric Taiwan will contribute its marketing expertise. ITRI will offer its technology for efficiently converting high-voltage, high-current electricity. The company said in a statement that the collaboration aims to develop a megawatt-class PCS prototype equipped with these semiconductor modules for demonstration testing. Through this collaboration, Mitsubishi Electric and Mitsubishi Electric Taiwan plan to expand their power semiconductor module business by sharing design information and test results with users, thus helping them effectively utilize the technology in PCSs. Looking ahead, Mitsubishi Electric said that the collaboration with ITRI will work towards supporting the global green transformation or GX by advancing technologies that enable more efficient conversion of renewable energy into usable electricity. MIELY.PK ended Monday's trading at $50.70, down 0.37 percent on the OTC Markets. 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. OSLO (dpa-AFX) - MOWI ASA (MOWI.OL, MNHVF), a Norwegian seafood company, on Wednesday reported third-quarter Operational EBIT of 112 million euros or 1.32 billion Norwegian kroner. Further, harvest volumes in the third quarter totalled 166 thousand tonnes, higher than 161 thousand tonnes a year ago. The harvest volume in the quarter was higher than its earlier guidance of total harvest volume of 160 thousand gutted weight equivalents or GWT. In its third-quarter trading update, the company reported that operational EBIT in Consumer Products amounted to 66 million euros, and operational EBITDA in Feed was 26 million euros. Blended farming cost was 5.42 euros per kg, down from 5.72 euros per kg a year ago. The company will release its complete third-quarter results on November 5. On Tuesday, the stock had closed regular trading at 223.20 Krone in the OSLO market. 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. This Phase 3 clinical trial on BioChaperone Lispro (THDB0206 injection) conducted in China in people with Type 1 Diabetes, successfully demonstrated, in comparison with standard of care Humalog : Non inferior HbA1c reduction at 26 weeks (primary endpoint) Significant reduction of the rise of blood glucose after a test meal (key secondary endpoint) Lispro (THDB0206 injection) conducted in China in people with Type 1 Diabetes, successfully demonstrated, in comparison with standard of care Humalog : Blood glucose level, monitored by 10-point self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG), was statistically decreased 1 hour after each meal in comparison with Humalog These results complete and confirm the positive outcomes previously obtained with THDB0206 injection in people with Type 2 Diabetes Regulatory News: Adocia (Euronext Paris: FR0011184241 ADOC, the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of innovative therapeutic solutions for the treatment of diabetes and obesity, announces that its partner Tonghua Dongbao releases today positive topline results on the second Phase 3 clinical trial on BioChaperone Lispro (THDB0206 injection), a novel Ultra-Rapid Insulin formulation. Conducted by Tonghua Dongbao, this Phase 3 study was approved by the Chinese Regulatory Authorities (CDE1). The randomized, open, multicenter study evaluated the safety and efficacy of THDB0206 injection compared to Humalogin adults with Type 1 Diabetes. Mr Li, President of Tonghua Dongbao, said: "We are delighted with the positive results from this Phase 3 clinical trial, which confirm the benefits of THDB0206 injection for improving blood glucose control of adults with Type 1 Diabetes. Tonghua Dongbao is committed to continue to innovate in the treatment of diabetes and obesity." "We are extremely proud of the Phase 3 results achieved in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes: for both populations, we succeeded in improving postprandial blood glucose control after each meal compared to the standard of care. BioChaperone Lispro is the only one of the three ultra-fast insulins to achieve this level of performance across all meals of the day," declaredOlivier Soula, CEO and Co-Founder of Adocia. "This achievement positions Adocia among the few innovators in the field of insulin. The challenges related to the development of metabolic peptides such as insulin, GLP-1, amylin, GIP, and glucagon are comparable. Adocia intends to capitalize on its team's expertise and its rich portfolio of peptide delivery technologies to become a leader in the development of next-generation treatments for diabetes and obesity." Results A total of 550 Chinese adults with Type 1 diabetes with inadequate glycemic control and using daily multiple injections of insulin were randomized. After 26 weeks of treatment, HbA1c decreased significantly in both groups compared to the baseline. The reduction in the THDB0206 injection group was comparable to that of the Humalog group, meeting the primary endpoint. The first key secondary endpoint was also demonstrated, with a statistically significant lower rise of blood glucose after a standard meal for the THDB0206 injection group, compared to the Humalog group. In addition, the study shows a significant trend of blood glucose improvement 2 hours after a standard meal for the THDB0206 injection group, compared to the Humalog group. The 10-point self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG) of patients at week 26, an important supportive endpoint of the trial, confirmed the advantage of this product in controlling postprandial blood glucose, with a statistical improvement 1 hour after each meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner). In addition, the safety and tolerability of THDB0206 injection were good. Most of the adverse events were mild or moderate, and the incidence of adverse events and hypoglycemic events were similar to those of Humalog Those results confirm the positive results obtained with THDB0206 injection in people with Type 2 Diabetes, as communicated in July 20252 About BioChaperone Lispro BioChaperone Lispro was licensed to Tonghua Dongbaoin 2018, as part of a Licensing Agreement covering China and other Asian countries3. Adocia retains the rights to develop and license BioChaperone Lispro in worldwide markets outside of the territories covered by this agreement. BioChaperone Lispro is an Ultra-Rapid Insulin, belonging to the latest generation of prandial insulins. It combines Adocia's proprietary BioChaperone technology with insulin lispro, the active ingredient in the standard of care, Humalog(Eli Lilly). This innovative formulation acts significantly faster than earlier insulin generations, effectively reducing post-meal hyperglycemia, which is a key contributor to long-term complications such as retinopathy, diabetic foot ulcers, or kidney failure. Additionally, its rapid elimination minimizes the risk of hypoglycemia, often caused when insulin level remains high after post-meal glucose levels have normalized. The faster action profile of BioChaperone Lispro associated to an excellent local tolerance enhances its compatibility with modern diabetes management systems, particularly insulin pump systems, and provides better integration into advanced treatment algorithms. Beyond its clinical advantages, the quick onset of BioChaperone Lispro improves quality of life by offering greater flexibility in dose timing. Patients can administer insulin at mealtime, or even right-after-mealtime, allowing for more accurate dosing based on known meal timing and content. This reduces the risks of overdosing or underdosing, which can lead to hypo- or hyperglycemia and their associated complications. The simplified dosing process eases the psychological burden on patients and caregivers, significantly alleviating the stress associated with diabetes management. The contract with Tonghua Dongbao includes a milestone payment of US$20 million, which would be triggered upon obtaining marketing authorization in China, and subsequent double-digit royalties on sales to Adocia. The marketing authorization application is under Tonghua Dongbao's responsibility. About Tonghua Dongbao Tonghua Dongbao Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd (SHSE: 600867), is a pharmaceutical company based in Jilin province, China, specializing in the R&D, manufacturing and commercialization of insulins and other diabetes treatments. Tonghua Dongbao currently employs over 3,000 people and has sales of around $280 million. It has been listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange since 1994, with a market capitalization of about $2.3 billion. About Adocia Adocia is a biotechnology company specializing in the discovery and development of therapeutic solutions in the field of metabolic diseases, primarily diabetes and obesity. The Company has a broad portfolio of drug candidates based on four proprietary technology platforms: 1) The BioChaperone technology for the development of new generation insulins and products combining different hormones; 2) AdOral, an oral peptide delivery technology; 3) AdoShell, an immunoprotective biomaterial for cell transplantation, with an initial application in pancreatic cells transplantation; and 4) AdoGel, a long-acting drug delivery platform. Adocia holds more than 25 patent families. Based in Lyon, the company has about 80 employees. Adocia is listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris (Euronext: ADOC; ISIN: FR0011184241). Disclaimer This press release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Adocia and its business. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that Adocia considers as being reasonable. However, there can be no guarantee that the estimates contained in such forward-looking statements will be achieved, as such estimates are subject to numerous risks including those set forth in the "Risk Factors" section of the universal registration document that was filed with the French Autorite des marches financiers on April 29, 2025, as updated in the Company's 2025 Half-year financial statements, published on September 25, 2025, both available at www.adocia.com Those risks include uncertainties inherent in Adocia's short- or medium-term working capital requirements, in research and development, future clinical data, analyses and the evolution of economic conditions, the financial markets and the markets in which Adocia operates, which could impact the Company's short-term financing requirements and its ability to raise additional funds. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to risks not yet known to Adocia or not considered as material by Adocia at this time. The occurrence of all or part of such risks could cause the actual results, financial conditions, performances, or achievements of Adocia be materially different from those mentioned in the forward-looking statements. _________________________ 1 CDE: Center for Drug Evaluation of the National Medical Products Administration 2 Press Release, July 25th, 2025: ADOCIA and Tonghua Dongbao Announce Positive Topline Results of Phase 3 Clinical Trial on Ultra-Rapid Insulin BioChaperone Lispro (THDB0206 injection) in people with T2D 3 Press Release, Apr. 26, 2018: Adocia and Tonghua Dongbao Announce a Strategic Alliance for BioChaperone Combo and BioChaperone Lispro in China View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251014813310/en/ Contacts: Adocia Olivier Soula CEO contactinvestisseurs@adocia.com +33 (0)4 72 610 610 www.adocia.com Ulysse Communication Adocia Press Investor Relations Bruno Arabian Nicolas Entz adocia@ulysse-communication.com + 33 (0)6 87 88 47 26 Crown Agents Bank (CAB) is proud to announce the appointment of Jeffrey Angard as its new Chief Executive Officer for the Americas. Jeff will become the Chief Representative of Crown Agents Bank in New York. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251015770323/en/ Jeff Angard, CEO of CAB Americas With over two decades of experience in Foreign Exchange Products and Markets, Mr. Angard brings a wealth of expertise, leadership, and a proven track record of success to his new role. Mr. Angard is a seasoned professional with extensive knowledge of Emerging Markets and a wide network of global market contacts. His career spans leadership roles at top financial institutions, where he has consistently delivered exceptional results. Most recently, he served as Head Trader of the Emerging Markets Desk at Corpay Inc., where he managed the company's Emerging Markets Spot Deliverable FX Desk, covering over 140 currencies. "We are delighted to welcome Jeffrey Angard as CEO of CAB Americas," said Neeraj Kapur, Chief Executive Officer, Crown Agents Bank. "His deep expertise in foreign exchange markets, leadership acumen, and commitment to excellence make him the ideal choice to lead our Americas operations. Crown Agents Bank is focused on delivering prosperity in the emerging markets we serve and with Jeff's appointment we are looking to expand our impact across the US, Latin America and the Caribbean." Mr. Angard expressed his enthusiasm for the role, stating, "I am honoured to be named as CEO of CAB's Americas operations and look forward to driving growth, innovation, and success for the company. I believe we have a valuable and differentiated proposition that we can bring to the Americas and access to Emerging Markets and look forward to engaging with clients." Crown Agents Bank is a UK-regulated bank focused on emerging markets. Driven by its mission to support prosperity in hard-to-reach regions, Crown Agents Bank provides vital financial services through its specialist FX, cross-border payments, trade finance, and treasury management work. Its relationship-led model, global market access and deep regional expertise means it can facilitate the two-way flow of funds throughout the world's most complex financial markets. Trusted by a global ecosystem of leading institutions across the public, private and development sectors, Crown Agents Bank's strength lies in its network, which connects its clients to underserved geographies by giving them access to 120+ currencies across 800+ currency pairs. With a history spanning nearly 200 years, the bank partners closely with clients and understands the nuances of local markets to ensure risk mitigation, improve the flow of money, and champion financial inclusion so that equitable and truly global markets can flourish. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251015770323/en/ Contacts: Media Contact: FTI Consulting (Public Relations Adviser to Crown Agents Bank) Courtney Schum +44 7811 065331 cabpayments@fticonsulting.com An exhibition of modern and contemporary art from Africa Musee Rath, Geneva From October 16th to November 23rd, 2025 GENEVA, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Swiss private banking group CBH Bank, in partnership with the Musee d'art & d'histoire de Geneve (MAH), is unveiling, for the first time to the public, a curated selection from its collection of modern and contemporary art from Africa. The exhibition, More than Meets the Eye, runs from 16 October to 23 November 2025 at the Musee Rath and offers a rare look into the richness and diversity of African artistic scenes - a powerful, underrepresented voice in Swiss museum spaces. A journey through African artistic expression The exhibition More than Meets the Eye unveils a part of the CBH collection of modern and contemporary art from Africa, spanning nearly a century of creativity, from 1929 to 2024. Featuring works by over 80 artists from 21 African countries, the exhibition includes early innovators such as Albert and Antoinette Lubaki and Djilatendo; internationally acclaimed artists such as Amoako Boafo, El Anatsui, Yinka Shonibare, Abdoulaye Konate, JP Mika, and Omar Ba; as well as a vibrant new generation of dynamic women artists including Thandiwe Muriu, Cassi Namoda, Maku Azu, and Ayanfe Olarinde. Together they embody a bold, forward-looking vision of the continent's cultural expression. Rooted in the 1920s along the banks of the Congo River, African art rapidly spread throughout sub-Saharan Africa, giving rise to a constellation of distinct schools. From Lubumbashi to Abidjan, Dakar to Bamako, each reveals a modernity that is inventive, intricate, multifaceted, and vivid - singular stars within a dazzling artistic galaxy. Deeply grounded in their local environments, these movements assert their uniqueness within a global art narrative long shaped by other voices. Even today, they continue to strive for their rightful place on the world stage. The exhibition unfolds across seven thematic chapters: emergence, spirituality, between two worlds, everyday life, intimacy, the timeless, and affirmation - inviting visitors on an evolving journey through aesthetic, cultural, and temporal questions. An exhibition curated with an international lens More than Meets the Eye is co-curated by Jean-Yves Marin, former Director of the MAH and Artistic Adviser to CBH, and Ousseynou Wade, former Secretary General of the Dakar Biennale and a leading voice in African art. Together, they have shaped an exhibition that breaks free from colonial-era geographical constraints, spotlighting the continent's artistic exchanges across borders: "African artists have long moved, influenced, and inspired one another across nations - far beyond administrative frontiers, arbitrary lines devoid of cultural meaning," explain the curators. "This show highlights the power of those transnational dialogues, weaving together history, memory, and creation." A contemporary setting serving the artworks The exhibition's scenography was entrusted to acclaimed architect and designer Pierre Yovanovitch, whose deep understanding of contemporary art environments helped shape a bold yet respectful setting for the works on view. "The challenge - and the thrill - was to create a space that steps back just enough to let the art speak for itself," he says. "The result is an immersive, refined layout, where curves, color, and calm allow the artworks to resonate fully with their surroundings." "With More than Meets the Eye the Musee Rath welcomes, for the first time, a broad panorama of African artistic creation. Curated and hosted by CBH, the exhibition unveils a private collection curated with dedication and conviction. This project perfectly reflects the mission of the MAH to broaden the conversation and showcase artistic voices still too rarely heard in institutional spaces," says Marc-Olivier Wahler, Director of the MAH. The exhibition will be accompanied by a rich public program, including talks, panel discussions, and encounters with artists, curators, and gallerists - exploring the shifting landscape of contemporary art from Africa on a global scale. A richly illustrated exhibition catalogue will also be available for purchase at the Musee Rath. A broad cultural commitment For over 15 years, CBH has pursued a committed cultural program, notably in partnership with the Musee d'art et d'histoire de Geneve, emphasizing a long-term commitment to societal impact. Three main pillars shape this artistic commitment: a selection of modern Swiss artists; digital and algorithmic art; and finally, modern and contemporary art from Africa. "This exhibition is both the culmination of a passionate endeavor spanning several years, and an invitation to discover the plurality of African artistic narratives, representing a century of creativity that remains too seldom seen in Switzerland," says Simon Benhamou, CEO of CBH. "What moves me in this art is its richness, its diversity - and above all, its spontaneity, which jolts us. It reveals a vibrant Africa, freed from cliches and resolutely forward-looking." Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794844/Hilary_Balu.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794845/Planets_in_My_Head.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794846/Vumani_II.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2795883/CBH_and_MAHG_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/more-than-meets-the-eye-302583864.html Northern Lithium sets targets for 20,000+ tonnes pa lithium production from Northeast of England lithium brines by 2035 Partnership secures key next steps towards delivering long term production targets using Evove's advanced membrane-based DLE technology and Kurita's renowned water treatment solutions expertise Detailed design engineering underway, with delivery of initial commercial production unit expected by end of 2027 DURHAM, England, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A tripartite partnership to deliver the UK's first commercial-scale lithium supplies using advanced membrane-based Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) was announced today by Northern Lithium, Kurita and Evove. With Evove DLE at the heart of modular plants engineered and manufactured by Kurita, Northern Lithium aims to commence commercial lithium production at sites in County Durham, Northeast of England, with an initial capacity of 500 tonnes per year in 2027, ramping up to 20,000+ tonnes per year by 2035. This exclusive partnership agreement for at least the first 5,000 tonnes of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE) follows extensive pump and reservoir tests and the processing of millions of litres of saline brines abstracted from Northern Lithium's Northern Pennine Orefield catchment area, including the successful field trials of a 1:15 scale demonstration DLE unit at the company's first site at Ludwell Farm, County Durham between January and April of 2025. Lithium is a critical raw material in the manufacture of rechargeable batteries needed for electrical vehicles, stationary energy storage and portable devices. This partnership marks a significant energy transition milestone in the UK and Europe, as the commercial plants will be among the first to deliver secure, sustainable local lithium supplies to domestic and regional markets, providing significant environmental and economic benefits, as well as reducing exposure to volatile global supply chains. It is forecast that the UK alone could need in excess of 80,000 tonnes of LCE per annum by 2035, with Northern Lithium potentially capable of supplying 25% of that domestic demand requirement. In addition, a major driver for domestic and regional lithium supply are the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement's (TCA) rules of origin. These require electric vehicles to have a proportion of their value originated in the UK or EU to avoid a 10% tariff. Coming into play from January 1, 2027, these rules are incentivising investment in UK and EU battery manufacturing and supply chains, directly impacting demand for regionally sourced lithium. Having established the commercial viability of lithium extraction in the Northeast of England, Northern Lithium is now launching the next steps towards commercial lithium production from its Northern Pennine Orefield brines. Using Evove's DLE advanced membrane-based technology, already established as one of the more promising solutions in the world for this greener and more efficient method of extracting lithium from brines, Kurita's water process engineering and manufacturing capabilities will deliver modular and scalable DLE plants. These production plants will be housed in large agricultural style sheds, from which the lithium depleted brines are then injected back into the below-ground aquifer. "Northern Lithium has trusted in our DLE technology from the outset and has been able to move forward to commercial production faster than we typically see globally", said Evove's CEO, Chris Wyres. "Being able to process the Northern Lithium brines extensively at the Evove DLE Test Centre, just a two-hour drive from site, has accelerated progress, leapfrogging several other lithium production projects we are involved in across the UK, EU and North America". Kurita's renowned expertise in water treatment adds a further dimension to the project. The Kurita Group, conducting business globally, has over 75 years of experience in water treatment solutions for advanced industries, including semiconductor manufacturers around the world. Makoto Mizuno, Executive General Manager of Kurita's Innovation Division, said, "We are truly thrilled to have forged an international partnership that will accelerate the commercialization of a lithium extraction plant powered by Evove's groundbreaking DLE technology". "This project represents a fusion of our decades of expertise in advanced water treatment with the cutting-edge innovations and deep knowledge of Evove and Northern Lithium. Together, Kurita is creating a transformative solution that delivers both exceptional efficiency and a significant reduction in environmental impact. By combining the strengths of all three companies, we aim to establish a sustainable resource supply system that will play a significant role in realizing a carbon-neutral society. This is more than a project-it's a shared commitment to shaping a cleaner, more sustainable future." The CEO of Northern Lithium, Nick Pople, said, "As we look to first commercial production by the end of 2027, we have real confidence in the Evove-Kurita DLE solution. Having signed the strategic partnership MOU in Tokyo last week, we have already started the detailed engineering and design phase for the commercial plants. Kurita and Evove consider processing our brine relatively simple and we look forward to the first commercial production units being installed on site in 2027". About Northern Lithium Ltd. Established in 2017, Northern Lithium is a privately-owned innovative critical minerals development company, based in County Durham, North East of England, focused on delivering a secure a UK/European domestic/regional supply of lithium for the electric vehicle and power storage industries, using sustainable extraction and production techniques. With up to 45 years' exclusive development, appraisal and production rights covering mineral rights owned by the Church Commissioners for England, across circa. 240 sq kms (60,000 acres), of the North Pennine Orefield, Northern Lithium has secured one of the largest exclusive mineral leases currently in the UK. www.northernlithium.co.uk About Evove Ltd. Evove deploys advanced technology to reduce the cost and environmental impact of the filtration and separation of fluids in lithium, data centres and food & beverage production, as well as in desalination and the treatment of industrial water. www.dle.technology About Kurita Water Industries Ltd. (The Kurita Group) Kurita Water Industries Ltd., founded in 1949 in Japan, is headquartered in the Kurita Group, which encompasses over 60 companies across Japan, Asia, EMEA including the UK, and North and South America to conduct the business globally, and has R&D bases in Japan, Germany, the United States, and Singapore. Under the corporate philosophy of "Study the properties of water, master them", Kurita utilizes its advanced technologies and accumulated knowledge to develop water treatment solutions, such as chemicals, equipment, and maintenance services, as well as new business models, and provide them as our contribution to solving water and environmental challenges, contributing to the further development of society and industry. www.kurita-water.com/en/ For more information please contact: Northern Lithium Mr. Nick Pople, CEO e: nickpople@northernlithium.co.uk t: +44 7788 665754 Mr. Richard Barton, RB Advisors e: richard@rbacomms.com t: +41 79 922 78 92 and +852 9301 2056 Evove Mr. Andrew Walker E: andrew.walker@evove.tech t: +44 7450 583660 Kurita Water Industries Ms. Junko Narita, PR Section Manager Media inquiries|Kurita Group Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2795944/Northern_Lithium_Ltd_Photo.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2699909/5561640/NorthernLithium_Ltd_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/northern-lithium-announces-partnership-with-kurita-and-evove-to-deliver-commercial-uk-lithium-production-from-2027-302583668.html GCL System Integration empowers Germany largest agrivoltaic initiative with advanced solar modules and tailored solutions, reinforcing its leadership in sustainable energy and agricultural synergy. TUTZPATZ, Germany, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Swedish energy major Vattenfall has officially inaugurated the Tutzpatz agrivoltaic power station in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany-one of the largest projects of its kind in the country to date. With a total installed capacity of 76 MW across 93 hectares, the landmark facility deploys 146,000 bifacial 550W high-efficiency modules manufactured by GCL System Integration (GCL SI). As a key technology partner, GCL has brought to the project not only high-performance products but also its comprehensive delivery capabilities tailored for agrivoltaic applications. The project's economic feasibility, achieved without public subsidies, is underpinned by a 10-year power purchase agreement (PPA) signed with PASM, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, which will offtake the plant's entire output. This milestone demonstrates the adaptability and value resilience of GCL modules across diverse geographic and regulatory landscapes. Over recent years, GCL has established a clear pathway and robust product portfolio for agrivoltaic solutions. The specially designed product offers customizable light transmittance ranging from 15% to 40%, enabling precise balance between solar generation and crop growth. A dual-coated glass design and full-aluminum frame have passed rigorous reliability tests, including 1,000 hours of salt mist and 500 hours of ammonia exposure, ensuring exceptional durability in humid, saline, and livestock-intensive environments. Combined with 2.8-meter PHC elevated mounting structures and single-axis trackers, the system provides "machine-accessible, light-controllable" layouts that raise land-use efficiency above 80%. At the technology frontier, GCL has built an intelligent agrivoltaic management platform. By integrating meteorological data, crop growth sensors, and inverter analytics, the system uses AI algorithms to optimize module tilt and irrigation schedules. At the 310 MW Zhundong project, this platform improved alfalfa yields beneath panels by 20% while cutting irrigation demand by 15%. In Anhui's Jinzhai pilot upgrade, motorized adjustable mounts boosted camellia oilseed yields by 30% and raised solar efficiency by 8%, achieving genuine "dual harvests" of agriculture and energy. On August 21, GCL SI formally committed to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), pledging to set near-term and net-zero emission reduction pathways in line with SBT methodologies. This milestone underscores the company's responsibility and competitiveness in advancing sustainability and ESG leadership. Equally critical is GCL's vertically integrated supply chain, which drives substantial cost advantages. By leveraging the group's proprietary granular silicon capacity, module costs are reduced by 8-12% compared to external sourcing. Joint procurement with industry partners further cuts balance-of-system costs by around 5%. With its in-house EPC expertise, GCL shortens project construction timelines by roughly 20% while trimming overall costs by 10%. These strengths have been repeatedly validated in projects across Guangxi, Xinjiang, and Anhui, which not only deliver strong generation performance but also foster rural revitalization and localized industrial value creation. Looking ahead, GCL SI will continue to deepen its agrivoltaic leadership. Research into perovskite-silicon tandem modules with higher light transmittance aims to unlock even greater synergies between agriculture and solar generation. In parallel, the company is accelerating the rollout of GW-scale agrivoltaic projects in resource-rich regions such as Southwest and Northwest China. By combining photovoltaics, agriculture, and carbon traceability into scalable models, GCL SI is committed to transforming farmland into productive, ecological power bases-advancing both energy transition and agricultural modernization. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/gcl-powers-germanys-landmark-agrivoltaic-project-with-next-generation-solar-solutions-302584533.html Artemis UK Future Leaders Plc - Director Resignation PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, October 15 15 October 2025 LEI: 549300K1D1P23R8U4U50 Artemis UK Future Leaders plc Director Resignation Artemis UK Future Leaders plc (the " Company") announces that Mr Simon Longfellow, a non-executive Director of the Company, has announced his intention to step down with effect from 31 December 2025. Mr Longfellow has served on the Board since 2023 and was Chair of the Marketing Committee. The Board wishes to express its gratitude to Mr Longfellow for all his hard work and valued contribution to the Company during his tenure and wishes him all the best in his new role. Following this change, the Board will comprise 3 Directors, of whom all are independent non-executive Directors. Northern Trust Secretarial Services (UK) Limited as Company Secretary For further information please contact: Artemis Client Services Telephone: 0800 092 2051 J.P. Morgan Cazenove Telephone: 020 3493 8000 William Simmonds Rupert Budge Guildford-based location-intelligence specialist recognised among South of England's fastest-growing firms; follows Gartner Cool Vendor status and Sifted's UK Startup Growth list. Crowd Connected, the Guildford-based technology company pioneering indoor positioning and real-time location systems, has been recognised in the UK Fast Growth Index 2025 for exceptional revenue growth and innovation in spatial intelligence. The Index lists the 50 fastest-growing privately held companies across seven UK regions, with Crowd Connected ranking among the fastest-growing technology firms in the South of England. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251014957032/en/ Crowd Connected's software interface showing real-time indoor positioning and spatial analytics across a mapped building Earlier in 2025, the Financial Times-backed publication Sifted also recognised Crowd Connected for its 90.5% compound annual growth rate and an innovation-led business model, placing it just outside the Sifted 100. This recognition reinforces Crowd Connected's position in the expanding indoor location and spatial intelligence sectors. The company's software platform enables indoor navigation, asset tracking, and occupancy analytics across events, smart buildings, commercial real estate, universities, healthcare, and enterprise campuses worldwide. "Being named in the UK Fast Growth Index is testament to our commercial momentum and our mission to make physical spaces measurable, efficient, and intelligent," said James Cobb, Founder and CEO of Crowd Connected. "Recognition like this reflects the UK's strength in location intelligence and smart-building technology." Much of the company's growth stems from event-technology integrations that power visitor navigation and behaviour analytics at exhibitions and conferences. Beyond events, the company's RTLS and spatial-intelligence systems are increasingly deployed in smart buildings, higher education, and healthcare, improving people and resource management across campuses, hospitals, and large public facilities. Crowd Connected was previously recognised by Gartner as a Cool Vendor in Indoor Location Technologies (2022), acknowledging its leadership in indoor positioning and location analytics. The company's technology originated from Innovate UK-funded R&D and continues to contribute to the UK's digital infrastructure and smart-space ecosystem. Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, founder of the UK Fast Growth Index, commented: "The Index highlights how innovative companies like Crowd Connected make a measurable impact on both regional economies and national productivity. These high-growth firms are proof that advanced digital technology continues to drive the UK's competitiveness." About Crowd Connected Founded in 2013, Crowd Connected Ltd is a UK-based technology company specialising in indoor positioning, real-time location systems (RTLS), and spatial intelligence. Its patented software platform delivers comprehensive solutions for indoor navigation, people and asset tracking, occupancy sensing, and advanced location analytics. Crowd Connected serves a diverse global client base, including universities, hospitals, event organisers, enterprises, and smart building operators. Crowd Connected is headquartered in Guildford, Surrey, with deployments across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific. Website: https://www.crowdconnected.com About the UK Fast Growth Index The UK Fast Growth Index identifies the 50 fastest-growing companies across seven UK regions London, Midlands and East of England, North of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, South of England, and Wales. In 2024, the featured firms collectively increased turnover by 9.6 billion between 2021 and 2023 and created more than 24,000 jobs. Website: https://fastgrowth50.com/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251014957032/en/ Contacts: Media Contact Name: James Cobb Title: Chief Executive Officer, Crowd Connected Email: james@crowdconnected.co.uk Phone: +441483685970 The collaboration provides an integration that connects governance frameworks with technical evidence, supporting organizations as they adopt AI with greater confidence. LatticeFlow AI, the Swiss deep-tech company advancing trustworthy and compliant AI, today announced an integration with Vanta, the leading AI-trust management platform. Through this integration, LatticeFlow AI demonstrates its commitment to helping customers strengthen their security posture while effectively managing the risks associated with AI adoption. For many enterprises, AI projects stall because vendors cannot supply verifiable artifacts for governance, risk, and compliance (GRC). This uncertainty slows negotiations and blocks deployment. The new integration works to streamline the compliance process, making it easier for teams to maintain visibility and confidence across their technology stack. As a result, risk and compliance teams gain the visibility and confidence needed to manage high-impact AI use cases and modalities, from GenAI applications and chatbots to large language models and computer vision systems. "Enterprises consistently struggle to adopt third-party AI because compliance and risk evidence is either missing or misaligned with their internal governance processes, stalling procurement," said Dr. Petar Tsankov, CEO and Co-founder at LatticeFlow AI. "By partnering with Vanta, we close this gap, demonstrating a commitment to supporting customers in achieving compliance by combining trusted GRC workflows with thorough technical assessments to provide the evidence needed." "Trust is at the heart of everything we do at Vanta," said Gavin Matthews, Group Product Manager at Vanta. "LatticeFlow AI's integrations demonstrate our commitment to prioritizing tools that help customers navigate an ever evolving and complex AI landscape." A Pressing Need to Prove Compliance with the EU AI Act Beyond procurement, enterprises face a growing regulatory imperative. The EU AI Act introduces strict obligations for high-risk AI systems, requiring organizations to demonstrate compliance with verifiable, regulator-grade evidence. Together, Vanta and LatticeFlow AI offer enterprises a clear path to both accelerate procurement and prove compliance with the EU AI Act and future standards. Building on its expertise as co-creator of COMPL-AI, the first framework to assess GenAI models against the EU AI Act, LatticeFlow AI provides the deep technical evaluations needed to validate AI systems against regulations, such as the EU AI Act. Vanta's Trust Center makes this evidence self-serve, shareable, and auditable, enabling vendors to deliver compliance artifacts directly to customers and regulators. The AI Governance Engine for Vanta's Trust Management Platform Traditional checklist-based GRC approaches can no longer govern today's complex and rapidly evolving AI systems. By combining Vanta's innovation in automating GRC functions with LatticeFlow AI's deep technical assessments, the partnership establishes a new standard in evidence-based AI governance. This integration demonstrates LatticeFlow AI's commitment to helping customers manage their compliance posture. As AI becomes a focal point for compliance teams, this collaboration signals a joint effort to support organizations navigating new regulatory requirements and the broader challenges of adopting responsible AI. About LatticeFlow AI LatticeFlow AI sets a new standard in AI governance with deep technical assessments that enable evidence-based decisions and empower enterprises to accelerate their AI advantage. As the creator of COMPL-AI, the world's first EU AI Act framework for Generative AI developed with ETH Zurich and INSAIT, the company combines Swiss precision with scientific rigor to scale AI governance built on evidence and trust. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251015937357/en/ Contacts: MORE INFORMATION: Gloria Fernandez, Marketing Director, LatticeFlow AI media@latticeflow.ai Financing will support the full execution of Phase Ib proof-of-mechanism study of MTX325 in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) Comes after successful completion of Phase 1a studies of MTX325, a first-in-class and potentially disease-modifying treatment for PD, in healthy volunteers Phase Ib study due to start in H1 2026 CAMBRIDGE, England, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mission Therapeutics ("Mission" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biotech developing first-in-class therapeutics that promote cell and organ health by enhancing mitophagy, today announces it has raised $13.3 million to progress the clinical development of its lead candidate MTX325 through a Phase Ib proof-of-mechanism study in patients with Parkinson's disease. The financing was led by current investors. It comes after Mission successfully completed Phase Ia studies - including recent PET scans confirming MTX325 adequately penetrates functional brain tissues in healthy volunteers. The clinical development of MTX325 is also supported by a $5.2 million grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation and Parkinson's UK. Mission has regulatory approval from the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for the Phase Ib clinical trial of MTX325 to begin. Dr Anker Lundemose, Executive Director at Mission Therapeutics, said: "Thanks to this additional $13.3m from our investors, we can now make the next vital steps progressing MTX325 into PD patients with this essential Phase 1b clinical trial. This will enable us to build upon the compelling preclinical data package for MTX325, published in Nature Communications in 2023, and the results from the Phase 1a studies that we have obtained." Dr Sarah J Fritchley, Chief Development Officer, Mission Therapeutics, said: "The overall objectives of this Phase Ib trial are to demonstrate robust clinical proof-of-mechanism (PoM) in patients with Parkinson's disease, and to gather further information on safety and tolerability. We look forward to progressing MTX325 rapidly through clinical testing and anticipate we will have PoM data in H2 2027." Dr James B. Summers, Chairman of Mission Therapeutics, said: "This latest financing round is a sign of our investors' confidence in the Company and the enormous potential of MTX325 as a first-in-class, disease-modifying treatment for PD." MTX325 works by inhibiting USP30, a mitochondrial de-ubiquitylating enzyme (DUB), thereby increasing mitochondrial ubiquitylation and promoting appropriate mitophagy - the essential process cells use to rid themselves of dysfunctional mitochondria. If cells such as neurons cannot rid themselves of dysfunctional mitochondria, they themselves start to malfunction and die. A growing body of scientific evidence has linked a build-up of dysfunctional mitochondria in cells to a range of diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD), kidney disease and heart failure. A paper published in Nature Communications in November 2023, written by scientists at Cambridge University, Harvard University, University of Dundee, and Mission Therapeutics, provided key experimental evidence to support the thesis that MTX325 can modify the course of Parkinson's by targeting USP30. By first using a USP30 knockout mouse model, and then a pharmacological strategy deploying MTX325, they found USP30 inhibition led to protection against loss of dopamine and dopaminergic neurons induced by alpha-synuclein in vivo. USP30 inhibition also reduced biomarkers of PD including phosphorylated alpha-synuclein and glial cell activation. In December 2023, the sister publication Nature Reviews Drug Discovery commented that restoring mitophagy to accelerate the removal of damaged mitochondria was "an appealing disease-modifying therapeutic strategy" for Parkinson's disease. About MTX325 MTX325 is a first-in-class, highly potent and selective, orally bioavailable and brain-penetrant USP30 inhibitor targeting improved mitochondrial quality. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a leading hypothesis in Parkinson's disease pathophysiology. Inhibition of USP30 is a well validated approach for restoring mitophagy to achieve neuroprotection in Parkinson's disease. In pre-clinical assessments, MTX325 demonstrated impact on multiple aspects of Parkinson's disease - mitochondrial dysfunction, alpha-synuclein accumulation and loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. It is currently in clinical development for disease modification in Parkinson's disease. Phase 1a SAD/MAD was successfully completed in healthy volunteers and CSF sampling confirmed a high level of penetration into CNS. PET study further confirmed distribution into brain parenchyma. Proof-of-mechanism biomarker and imaging data in PD patients will be available in 2027. Composition of matter IP exclusivity extends through 2041. About Mission Therapeutics Mission Therapeutics is a world leader in discovering and developing novel therapeutics which promote the removal of dysfunctional mitochondria, promoting cell health and function. Mitochondria are energy producing organelles which require lifetime quality control through a ubiquitin-mediated clearance mechanism known as mitophagy. In certain situations, such as cellular stress, cell injury, and/or defects of the mitophagy process, the mitochondria can become dysfunctional and damaging to the cell, leading to reduced energy production, oxidative stress, inflammation and potentially cell death. Dysfunctional mitochondria are significant drivers of disease pathophysiology in multiple serious conditions including Parkinson's disease (PD), acute kidney injury (AKI), heart failure, Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy, IPF, mitochondrial diseases and Alzheimer's. USP30 is a deubiquitylating enzyme that constantly removes ubiquitin from mitochondria, providing a potential brake on clearance of dysfunctional mitochondria. Mission is currently developing two small molecule drugs, MTX325 (targeting the CNS) and MTX652 (peripheral) which, through inhibition of the mitochondrial DUB enzyme USP30, promote clearance of dysfunctional mitochondria - consequently improving overall cellular health. Mission is backed by blue chip investors including Pfizer Venture Investments, Sofinnova Partners, Roche Venture Fund, SR One, IP Group and Rosetta Capital. To execute the MTX325 Phase 1b study, Dr Sarah Fritchley was promoted to Chief Development Officer on April 1st 2025. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/mission-therapeutics-raises-13-3-million-to-progress-first-in-class-parkinsons-disease-candidate-mtx325-through-clinical-trials-302583780.html Brewed Protein fiber adopted by a Chinese fashion brand for the first time YAMAGATA, Japan, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Spiber Inc., a pioneer in man-made protein fiber produced using a precision fermentation process, has launched a new collaboration with JNBY Group, one of China's leading contemporary fashion conglomerates headquartered in Hangzhou. Through this partnership, JNBY Group's two signature brands-JNBY and CROQUIS-will release items made with Brewed Protein fiber, marking the first adoption of the material by a Chinese fashion brand. This initiative represents a new phase in Spiber's business development in China, moving beyond earlier collaborations with domestic textile manufacturers to establish direct partnerships with consumer-facing fashion brands. Collaboration overview Recognized as a creative force in China's contemporary fashion landscape, JNBY Group operates a diverse portfolio of brands that emphasize originality, craftsmanship, and a strong design identity. In this collaboration, the group's two flagship brands-CROQUIS and JNBY-have become the first Chinese brands to incorporate Spiber's Brewed Protein fiber into their commercial collections. CROQUIS CROQUIS, the menswear label under JNBY Group, is known for its intelligent and architectural approach to design, offering refined styles for modern urban lifestyles. Through this collaboration, the brand explores the innovative potential of Brewed Protein fiber within a contemporary menswear context. Item: Double-faced wool coat Launch date: September 26, 2025 Material composition: 17.5-micron fine worsted wool yarn blended with 10% Brewed Protein fiber Features: Precision-engineered double-faced fabric for a refined handfeel and form stability Balances the comfort of natural fibers with the structure of technical materials Expresses a new material narrative within CROQUIS' minimalist design philosophy JNBY As JNBY Group's founding and flagship label, JNBY is defined by a philosophy of being intellectual, independent, and experimental, blending minimalist forms with distinctive character. The new wool coat designed with Brewed Protein fiber brings this spirit to life through material innovation. Item: Wool coat Launch timing: October 2025 Material composition: Super 120 (17.5-micron) fine wool combined with Brewed Protein fiber Features: Luxurious texture and smooth drape achieved through high-grade Super 120 wool Innovative fusion of protein-based and natural fibers for a subtle new handfeel A material-driven exploration of JNBY's experimental design vision Comment from JNBY Group This collaboration will definitely be a landmark in the history of both companies. The product launch is perfectly in line with JNBY Group's value "Better Design, Better Life", and we are honored to introduce such premium products with much lower environmental impact to our consumers and the public. - Webber WU, Marketing Director, JNBY Group Presentation at the 2025 SHAN FUTURE FORUM during Shanghai Fashion Week The collaboration was also introduced at the 2025 SHAN FUTURE FORUM held on October 11, 2025 during Shanghai Fashion Week and organized by yehyehyeh in collaboration with the fashion week committee. Under the theme "REBOOTING FASHION", the forum brought together experts from diverse fields such as artificial intelligence, sustainable materials, and digital manufacturing to discuss how the fashion industry can rebuild its value system for a sustainable future. Spiber's Global Apparel Product Sales VP, Callie Clayton, joined Stella Zheng (General Manager of Corporate Affairs, JNBY Group) and Han Zhang(Director of Brands, Retail and Sustainability, Plug and Play China) for a panel discussion titled "Mindful Matters to Inspire Future Materials", moderated by leading Chinese fashion influencer Yuyuzhangzou. The session explored key topics including collaboration between brands and supply chains for scaling new materials, the importance of standardization and education, and the broader potential of Brewed Protein fiber to drive innovation and transformation across the fashion industry. During the discussion, Clayton remarked, "Collaborating with forward-thinking brands such as JNBY Group opens new possibilities in the Chinese market." At the event, JNBY Group announced that the company has achieved its target of 30% sustainable material usage. In addition to maintaining the 30% commitment target moving forward, JNBY Group will adopt more cutting-edge biotech materials, such as Brewed Protein fiber, across all brands. The collaboration between the two companies was recognized as a milestone not only in material innovation but also as a tangible step toward promoting sustainable transformation within the fashion industry. Looking ahead This collaboration marks Spiber's first consumer-facing partnership with a Chinese fashion group, expanding from industrial collaborations to creative partnerships that connect directly with consumers. Building on its growing network in Asia and beyond, Spiber will continue to advance sustainable innovation through the evolution of materials in collaboration with partners around the world. JNBY Group Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Hangzhou, China, JNBY Group is a publicly listed fashion conglomerate (HKEX: 03306) specializing in the design, marketing, and retail of apparel, footwear, accessories, and home goods. The group maintains a diversified multi-brand portfolio, including JNBY (womenswear), CROQUIS / ?? (menswear), jnby by JNBY (kids), LESS (womenswear), POMME DE TERRE / ?? (kids), JNBYHOME (home & lifestyle), onmygame (kids), and the sustainable lifestyle label RE;RE;RE;LAB, each targeting distinct consumer segments with unique brand identities. This brand segmentation strategy enables JNBY Group to serve a broad age range of consumers while maintaining differentiated creative positioning across its brands. https://www.jiangnanbuyigroup.com.cn/ Brewed Protein fiber A premium, plant-based material produced using Spiber's fermentation (brewing) technology, providing a circular solution and pioneering a new category of protein fibers. Due to its plant-based ingredients and resource-efficient production process, Brewed Protein fiber has the potential to significantly reduce environmental and animal welfare impacts compared to traditional materials. Spiber Inc. Established in 2007, Spiber is a biotech venture company based in Yamagata, Japan. Dedicated to creating innovative solutions that contribute to sustainable wellbeing, Spiber has developed a new material solution inspired by nature's diversity and circularity: the "Brewed Protein" material platform. By harnessing the power of precision fermentation, Spiber engineers proteins at the molecular level, resulting in versatile materials that can be tailored to specific needs. This innovative solution opens up new possibilities for sustainable and high performance materials in various industries, including apparel, food, automotives, and more. Spiber website: https://spiber.inc/en Spiber is a trademark or a registered trademark of Spiber Inc. in Japan and other countries. Brewed Protein is a trademark or a registered trademark of Spiber Inc. in Japan and other countries. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2796710/25C0836_5.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2796711/26D0028_17.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2108564/SpiberLogo_BK_H_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/spiber-launches-collaboration-with-jnby-group-302584545.html Strategic partnership between Start Campus and Nscale to deliver 12,600 NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra GPUs at the SIN01 Data Centre in Sines, Portugal Start Campus, in partnership with Nscale, today announces one of the European Union's first deployments of NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 platform at its SIN01 data centre in Sines, Portugal. This deployment demonstrates Start Campus' and Nscale's position as two of the European Union's trusted AI infrastructure partners supporting Microsoft in delivering advanced AI capabilities across the European Union. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251014968719/en/ Start Campus' SIN01 Data Centre in Sines, Portugal. Nscale, a European Headquartered AI-native infrastructure platform operating globally, selected Start Campus' AI-ready site for its strategic location, deployment readiness and ability to scale. The infrastructure and first deployment are set to be live by Q1 2026 at the SINES Data Campus. NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 is built for high-performance AI inference and training and is purpose built for high performance of development, training and deployment of larger and more complex AI models. The deployment at Start Campus supports rack densities surpassing 130kW, delivering the power and cooling required for advanced AI workloads and engineered to stay ahead of rapidly advancing AI needs. The deployment by Nscale and Start Campus directly aligns with Portugal's position as a leading force in the European Union's AI economy. The Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Castro Almeida, stated, "This investment in Sines confirms the international confidence in Portugal as a destination for innovation and technology, strengthening our position in the global digital economy and creating conditions to attract talent and high value-add investment. This is a remarkable example of how the country can lead the transition to a greener and smarter economy." Also commenting on the announcement, Miguel Pinto Luz, Minister of Infrastructure and Housing of Portugal, said: "Start Campus exemplifies two key aspects that are essential in the strategy for developing public policy around critical infrastructure. First, it reminds us that we must govern with future generations in mind, ensuring the long-term sustainability of public policy. Second, Sines demonstrates the convergence of the digital transition with Portugal's unique geographic position particularly this port, which holds a geostrategic role in becoming a leading digital hub for the future deployment of new submarine cables. This enables safe and sustainable investment in an ecosystem powered by renewable energy, aligned with our 2028 carbon neutrality targets. Together, we must bring this vision to life and make it a reality." Recent research by Copenhagen Economics underscores the scale of the digital infrastructure opportunity for Portugal. According to the study, data centre investment in the country is forecast to contribute up to 26 billion in GDP by 2030, creating tens of thousands of jobs and strengthening Portugal's position as a hub for sovereign and sustainable digital infrastructure. Portugal's location provides strong connectivity to the rest of the world, with high-capacity subsea cables like Equiano, 2Africa, EllaLink and many others providing ultra-low latency, global connectivity. According to Portugal's national grid operator, Redes Energeticas Nacionais (REN), renewable sources supplied 71% of the country's electricity consumption in 2024 and rising to 81% of the national demand in the first quarter of 2025. According to data from the European Union, Portugal's overall energy prices are competitively below EU and Euro Area averages. "This is a defining moment for Start Campus," said Robert Dunn, CEO of Start Campus. "With SIN01 now at full capacity and being expanded on the back of oversubscribed demand, we've proven that the SINES Data Campus is one of the most desirable global locations prepared for ultra-dense, next-generation AI workloads. We're proud to partner with Nscale and NVIDIA on this flagship deployment. We are also excited to now fully focus on launching our next data centre, the 180MW SIN02 facility, on this pioneering campus." The SIN01 deployment marks an important step for future AI infrastructure projects in Portugal. With demand for high-density, sovereign and sustainable compute continuing to rise, Start Campus, and Nscale are providing the accelerated compute infrastructure and expertise needed to support the world's most transformative technologies. Josh Payne, CEO and founder of Nscale, commented, "AI needs the right environment to thrive ones that combine scale, resilience and sustainability. This deployment underlines our ability to deliver advanced infrastructure in the European Union with the technical depth required for today's most demanding workloads. Partnering with Start Campus ensures we can meet the needs of our customers while laying foundations for the next generation of AI." Recent announcements reflect how Nscale is scaling its European presence at pace. It is building the UK's largest AI supercomputer with Microsoft at its Loughton campus and also working with industry partners to establish Stargate UK to support sovereign AI workloads. Alongside its joint venture with Aker ASA which includes Stargate Norway and a multi-billion-dollar agreement with Microsoft these initiatives underline Nscale's growing influence in global AI infrastructure. About Start Campus Start Campus is building and operating the SINES Data Campus, a 1.2 GW data center in Portugal, creating one of Europe's largest and most sustainable data ecosystems with market-leading global connectivity. SINES DC provides maximum optionality for customers with powered shell, turn-key and build-to-suit solutions. The company's advanced platform is AI-ready and addresses the future needs of the industry by integrating liquid cooling technologies into its flexible and scalable design. With a total combined investment value of an estimated 8.5bn, the campus utilises 100% renewable energy and targets an industry-leading PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) of 1.1 and a WUE (Water Usage Effectiveness) of 0 by harnessing the cooling power of the ocean. For more information, visit www.startcampus.pt About Nscale Headquartered in Europe, Nscale is the global hyperscaler engineered for sovereign-grade AI infrastructure, delivering compute to the generative AI market at scale. Through its fully vertically integrated suite of AI solutions and GW+ greenfield data centres across the globe, Nscale enables customers to run efficient and scalable AI training, fine-tuning and inferencing workloads. For more information, visit: https://www.nscale.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251014968719/en/ Contacts: Start Campus Press Office startcampus@sourcecodecomms.com Indivi and Clouds of Care, two independent TechBio companies, today announced a strategic partnership to advance the use of precision medicine tools in early-phase neuroscience drug development, targeting Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251015326876/en/ The field of neurodegeneration remains one of the toughest challenges in medicine, with a historically low probability of technical and regulatory success (PTRS). The highest attrition occurs between First-in-Human and Proof-of-Concept studies, where conventional endpoints lack the sensitivity needed to detect early treatment effects. "Age being the principal risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases, we are facing a global pandemic," says Michel Vounatsos, Chair of the Board of Directors of Clouds of Care. "Deep phenotyping technologies will be essential to improve drug development success in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease and extend healthy brain ageing across the lifespan The partnership will integrate world-class expertise in neuro-electrophysiology (resting-state EEG, event-related potentials, and polysomnography) with digital health technology tools. Together, they aim to establish a unified R&D framework for multimodal deep phenotyping, combining biological (electrophysiology-based) and functional (cognitive and motor behavior) measures to deliver earlier, more definitive Proof-of-Biology (PoB) and Proof-of-Concept (PoC) signals in early drug development trials. This collaboration creates a technology-integrated value proposition, which de-risks early clinical development, by increasing the signal-to-noise ratio of PoB-PoC endpoints, thereby enhancing the PTRS, and potentially improving the risk-adjusted Net Present Value (rNPV) and accelerating time-to-market for biopharmaceutical partners. The initiative aligns with the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) recent call for updated guidelines on early Alzheimer's trials, emphasizing the need for more responsive and clinically meaningful endpoints in early clinical phases. "It is not just about bringing deep phenotyping technologies together," says Shibeshih Mitiku Belachew, Chief Medical Officer of Indivi. "It is about creating a true symbiosis between clinical development and the science of enabling technologies to design smarter, faster, and more successful trials About Indivi& Deep Phenotyping Measures of Cognitive and Motor Functions for Proof-of-Concept Demonstration of Disease Modification: Indivi is an ISO 13485 and ISO 27001-certified TechBio company headquartered in Basel (CH) and developing future-proof functional biomarkers derived from Digital Health Technology (DHT) tools measuring key disability concepts of importance (motion and cognition) for drug development trials in neuroscience. Indivi developed the most comprehensive suite of smartphone-based assessments (N=20) of motor and cognitive functions, including Konectom 1,2 , a digital biomarker platform in-licensed from Biogen in 2024. , a digital biomarker platform in-licensed from Biogen in 2024. CoGames 3 is a proprietary battery of smartphone-based gamified and user-adaptive cognitive assessments (ACA). is a proprietary battery of smartphone-based gamified and user-adaptive cognitive assessments (ACA). CoGames entails a unique system of dynamic difficulty adaptation to individual performance, which enables personalizing the difficulty of each cognitive assessment for each subject, at trial baseline. entails a unique system of dynamic difficulty adaptation to individual performance, which enables personalizing the difficulty of each cognitive assessment for each subject, at trial baseline. Publications : https://indivi.io/insights About Clouds of Care& Deep Phenotyping Measures of Brain Activity for Proof-of-Biology Demonstration of Disease Modification: Clouds of Care NV is an ISO 13485 and ISO 27001-certified TechBio company in Ghent, Belgium, housing CE-marked and FDA-cleared electrophysiology applications for clinicians and tailor-made clinical development solutions for biopharmaceutical companies. Through its comprehensive CNS platform and strategic network of partners, Clouds of Care is revolutionizing care for people with Central Nervous System disorders. Resting-state EEG during wakefulness and sleep measures direct and indirect effects of active compounds on brain activity as a pharmaco-dynamic readout of therapeutic response at the level of neuronal biology. measures direct and indirect effects of active compounds on brain activity as a pharmaco-dynamic readout of therapeutic response at the level of neuronal biology. Event-related potentials (ERPs) , recorded using scalp EEG, offer a non-invasive, high-temporal-resolution method for assessing cognitive and socio-emotional activity of neurons in response to sensory and cognitive stimuli. ERPs enable the quantification of biological dysfunctions in information processing, even in minimally communicative patients. Sensitivity to subtle neural changes makes ERPs valuable PoB endpoints for early-stage clinical trials. , recorded using scalp EEG, offer a non-invasive, high-temporal-resolution method for assessing cognitive and socio-emotional activity of neurons in response to sensory and cognitive stimuli. ERPs enable the quantification of biological dysfunctions in information processing, even in minimally communicative patients. Sensitivity to subtle neural changes makes ERPs valuable PoB endpoints for early-stage clinical trials. The proprietary Electrical Source Imaging (ESI) of Clouds of Care estimates the 3D spatial distribution of the brain activity source localization (using an electromagnetic model built from the subject-level brain MRI), which is essential to capture spatially heterogeneous disease signatures as those observed in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. of Clouds of Care estimates the 3D spatial distribution of the brain activity source localization (using an electromagnetic model built from the subject-level brain MRI), which is essential to capture spatially heterogeneous disease signatures as those observed in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Publications : https://www.cloudsofcare.com/publications ____________________ 1 https://konectom.com 2 Llorens-Arenas R et al. Smartphone-based digital assessments in the LUMA trial of BIIB122/DNL151 for early-stage Parkinson's disease. International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, 2025, Poster P860, October 7, Hawaii, USA 3 Rodriguez-Romero A et al. Biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease modification using adaptive cognitive assessments to improve responsiveness a simulation study. Front. Neurosci. 2025, 19:1653261. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251015326876/en/ Contacts: More Information: Guilhem Dupont: CEO, Indivi, guilhem.dupont@indivi.io Gregor Strobbe: CEO, Clouds of Care, gregor.strobbe@cloudsofcare.com BRUSSELS, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Amrop, a leading global executive search and leadership advisory partnership, is pleased to announce the appointment of dk Executive Search as its new team in Poland. This strategic expansion reinforces Amrop's commitment to strengthening its footprint across key European markets and reflects the growing significance of Poland as a center of business innovation and economic growth. Led by Dorota Kolecka, Managing Partner, and Marta Andrearczyk, Co-Managing Partner, the firm has been active in the Polish market for more than 25 years, offering executive recruitment as well as advisory services in leadership assessment and development. Continuing its journey as a trusted partner to a wide range of organizations, the firm will now operate under the Amrop dk brand. With offices in Warsaw, Amrop's new Polish team combines deep sector expertise with a strong reputation for integrity, quality, and results. Their respected standing in the market, together with Amrop's global reach, ensures clients will benefit from world-class advisory services rooted in local insight. Dorota Kolecka, Managing Partner, commented: "We see ourselves as more than just an executive search firm; we are growth catalysts. As the natural partner for private equity funds, international corporations, as well as growing local businesses, we understand the importance of value creation. Our commitment to excellence in top management ensures that our clients are equipped with the finest leadership to drive growth and strengthen company values. We also see a natural fit with Amrop, and we are truly excited to start our collaboration across the region and worldwide." As one of Europe's most dynamic and rapidly developing economies, Poland offers a unique combination of stability, entrepreneurial spirit, and international connectivity, and Amrop dk will play a key role in Amrop's CEE regional structure. Oana Ciornei, Amrop CEE Chair and Member of the Global Board, said, "Our new team in Poland reflects Amrop's global commitment to the values of trust, entrepreneurship, and curiosity, as we support our clients in achieving their strategic growth ambitions. Dorota and Marta are both seasoned industry leaders and reinforce Amrop's leading position in the CEE region. We are proud to have them join Amrop, as they embody the spirit of collaboration, integrity, and foresight that define our firm." Annika Farin, Amrop Global Chair, added: "We are delighted to re-establish Amrop's presence in Poland, a market that is both vibrant and influential. Our new team brings not only a deep understanding of the local talent market, but also a highly respected reputation with clients and candidates, an outstanding team and a clear alignment with Amrop's values." About Amrop Amrop is a global leadership consulting firm, offering retained Executive Search, Board and Leadership Advisory services. We advise the world's most dynamic, agile organizations on identifying and positioning Leaders For What's Next - adept at working across borders, in markets around the world. Established in 1977, Amrop operates in Asia, EMEA and the Americas across 69 offices in 57 countries. Contact details: The Amrop Partnership SC Rue Abbe Cuypers 3 1040 Brussels, Belgium T. +32 471 733 825 E. contact@amrop.com Costa Tzavaras Director Global Programs Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1755576/Amrop_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/amrop-expands-global-presence-with-new-office-in-poland-302583615.html 69% of UK employees would trade a pay rise for professional development Just 3% say no perk can replace a salary increase 32% of firms still offering higher pay - but only for hard-to-source skills LONDON, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As economic pressures persist and the talent market evolves, new data from international recruitment firm, Robert Half, reveals a fundamental shift in employee priorities: skills are becoming the new currency in the workplace. The firm's 2026 UK Salary Guide, which reveals skills commanding salary premiums, evolving pay expectations and the importance of emerging perks and benefits, highlights that nearly seven in ten professionals would exchange a pay rise for structured learning, certification or digital upskilling opportunities. This marks a turning point in workplace priorities - a shift from short-term gain to long-term capability building. Upskilling emerges as the real currency of professional value While pay remains a factor, only 3% of professionals view salary as irreplaceable. Most now see value in roles that offer access to AI training, data literacy and cross-functional leadership development - capabilities that enhance both employability and strategic impact. Across professional services, employers continue to raise pay selectively - 32% are doing so only for roles that blend digital fluency with sector expertise. Data analytics, generative AI, project management, financial strategy and compliance top the list of skills that command premiums. This shift underscores a deeper truth - experience alone no longer guarantees progression; capability does. For both sides of the market, investing in skill development is not optional but existential. Matt Weston, Senior Managing Director UK & Ireland at Robert Half, said: "The market is now pricing in capability, not tenure. Professionals fluent in data analytics and business intelligence, AI, project leadership, financial strategy and compliance are at the top of employers' wish lists - and salary bands. "What distinguishes these skills is their transferable impact. They create clarity, speed and resilience - attributes every board values in uncertain conditions. Competitive pay still matters, but the best offers now go to those who can drive performance through insight and innovation. In today's market, skills aren't just valuable, they are what define future growth. "For employers, this shift means rethinking talent strategy. Developing skills is now as vital as hiring them. Training, leadership mobility and technology literacy are the levers through which firms will attract and retain top performers. "For employees, it signals an opportunity to view career development as an investment rather than a trade-off. In the modern professional economy, skills have become the most consistent source of value." About the research The 2026 UK Salary Guide from Robert Half features salary benchmarks based on actual compensation for professionals Robert Half has matched with employers across the country and over 350k third-party job postings from Textkernel. The report also features data from a Robert Half survey conducted independently in June/July 2025. Respondents include 500 hiring managers and 1,000 workers across finance and accounting, IT, administrative and business support, marketing and creative, legal, risk and compliance - from SMEs to large private, publicly listed and public sector organisations across the UK. About Robert Half Robert Half (NYSE: RHI) is the world's first and largest specialised talent solutions and business consulting firm, connecting highly skilled job seekers with rewarding opportunities at great companies. We offer contract talent and permanent placement solutions in the fields of finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, and administrative and customer support, and we also provide executive search services. Explore talent solutions and insights at roberthalf.com/gb/en. To access the full guide and explore salary trends by profession and location, visit: https://www.roberthalf.com/gb/en/insights/salary-guide. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794697/Robert_Half.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794696/Robert_Half_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/robert-half-uk-skills-over-salaries--the-professional-edge-defining-the-uk-workforce-302583659.html Coalburn 2 is a 500MW construction-stage battery project, which is set to become one of the biggest of its kind in Europe. COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), on behalf of its fund Copenhagen Infrastructure IV (CI IV), has signed an agreement to divest a 50% ownership stake in Coalburn 2 to funds managed by AIP Management ("AIP"), a specialist investor in energy and decarbonization infrastructure. Once operational, the new project will be among Europe's largest battery storage facilities, supporting grid stability and the integration of renewable energy generation. Coalburn 2 is a 500MW, 2-hour duration, lithium ion battery energy storage system (BESS), located in South Lanarkshire in southern Scotland. CIP took a financial investment decision for Coalburn 2 in December 2024 and will continue to lead the Coalburn 2 project delivery through its current construction phase. Coalburn 2's 50% ownership stake transfer to AIP shall occur upon site commissioning. The project has a high level of contracted revenues through a 10-year optimisation agreement with SSE, alongside a 15-year capacity market agreement, providing visibility and a stable foundation for returns while maintaining exposure to market upside. Coalburn 2 is one of three transmission-connected BESS assets co-developed by Alcemi and CIP that are currently being constructed by CIP in Scotland. These will collectively have a total power capacity of 1.5GW and will be able to store and supply the grid with a total of 3GWh of electricity, enough to supply over 4.5 million households for two hours. CIP is developing a further 4.5GW of BESS projects across Scotland and England. Coalburn 2 is part of an expanding CIP portfolio of UK energy infrastructure investments which - alongside the company's portfolio of battery projects across the US, Europe and Australia - makes it one of the leading investors of battery storage projects globally. For AIP, the investment in Coalburn 2 marks a significant step in its strategy to build a portfolio of high-quality battery storage assets that provide flexible capacity to the UK's electricity system. AIP focuses on investing in assets that are either ready to construct or operational, avoiding early-stage development risks. It follows AIP's recent investment in a 2.4GWh portfolio of operational and under-construction BESS projects, reflecting its growing presence as a long-term investor in the UK energy storage sector. To date, AIP's investments have a combined capacity of approximately 7GW, which collectively will contribute to avoiding 10 million tonnes of greenhouse-gas emissions. Nischal Agarwal, Partner at CIP said: "As CIP's development and construction portfolio of UK BESS projects continues to progress and grow, we look forward to welcoming AIP as a new partner on our Coalburn 2 site, which once commissioned in 2027 will be one of Europe's biggest operational BESS projects. The delivery of Coalburn 2, alongside CIP's Coalburn 1 and Devilla projects, will improve the UK's energy security, enable more low cost renewables to be delivered, and reduce costs for British consumers through enhanced system flexibility." Greg Falzon, Partner and Co-Head of Investments at AIP, said: "This investment reinforces our conviction in the UK energy storage market and reflects our strategy of partnering selectively on high-quality, ready-to-build or operational assets. Together with our recent Ardenham investment, it forms part of a growing portfolio that combines strong downside protection with long-term value creation." About Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners Founded in 2012, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners P/S (CIP) today is the world's largest dedicated fund manager within greenfield energy investments. The funds managed by CIP focus on investments in offshore and onshore wind, storage, solar PV, biomass and energy-from-waste, transmission and distribution, reserve capacity, advanced bioenergy, and Power-to-X. In the UK, CIP is investing in over 25 GW of renewable energy infrastructure, representing over 40 Billion of future investment potential. CIP manages 13 funds and has to date raised approximately EUR 33 billion for investments in energy and associated infrastructure from approximately 180 international institutional investors. CIP has projects in more than 30 countries and more than 2300 employees across platforms. For more information, visit www.cip.com About AIP Management AIP specialises in decarbonisation and energy infrastructure investments that facilitate the energy transition in Europe and North America. Our team comprises 80 professionals with extensive expertise in investments and energy working from Copenhagen, London, Madrid, and New York. To date, AIP has invested over 8 billion in infrastructure assets. This includes renewable energy assets with a capacity of approximately 7 GW. Once fully operational, AIP's investments will contribute to avoiding 10 million tons of greenhouse gasses and support about 6 million households with renewable electricity. AIP is part of Storebrand, a Nordic financial group, which owns 60% of AIP. For more information, visit: aipmanagement.dk Media Contact: Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners Email: media@cip.com AIP Management Archie Graves, Brackendale Consulting Phone: +44 7803 261488 Email: archie@brackendaleconsulting.com Alesha Cheah, Brackendale Consulting Phone: +44 7717 250465 Email: alesha@brackendaleconsulting.com The Existing Seismic Data and interpretation for the Northern Portion of the Property from four 2D Seismic reflection lines has recently been reviewed by Agapito with respect to Potash Cycles 5, 13 and 18 as well as Paradox and Leadville clastic intervals. A time structure map of the top of the Paradox Formation salt was constructed. Geologic modeling based on tops picked from existing oil and gas wells supports the interpretation of a gentle regional dip in the cycles of interest. This interpretation supports relatively flat lying potash cycles (dip approximately 4% to the north) which further supports the potential of suitability for solution mining. The data further demonstrates a northward thickening of the Paradox Formation along with high-angle faults, which may correspond to increasing both the quality (through potential chemical enrichment) and the volumetric potential of brines. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / American Critical Minerals Corp. ("American Critical Minerals" or the"Company") (CSE:KCLI)(OTCQB:APCOF)(Frankfurt:2P3) is pleased to announce that Agapito Associates LLC. ("Agapito") has further reviewed the ExplorTech LLC (2011) Seismic Reflection and Reprocessing Report for the Northern Portion of the Green River Potash and Lithium Project. Full results of this review will also be included in an updated Technical Report on the Green River Potash which will be published shortly. Simon Clarke President & CEO stated, "Utilizing the large seismic database from oil and gas wells has allowed us to further see the relatively flat lying Paradox and Leadville stratigraphy in the sub-surface of our Green River Project. This has important implications for both Potash and Lithium. Based on this interpretation, the Property appears to be suitable for solution mining wells within the Potash Cycles. In addition, the clastic zones appear to demonstrate a northward thickening in conjunction with high-angle faulting, which may correspond to increasing both the quality and the volume of the lithium and bromine rich brines. This gives us further confidence in our Exploration Targets as we move rapidly towards drill testing our key targets. The location of our Green River Project and its proximity to over 50 years of potash production as well as advanced lithium development, already highlights the strategic potential of the Project. In addition, the apparent flat lying nature of its mineralization further validates the potential to successfully develop and mine the potash cycles and the lithium brines." Seismic Interpretation (ExplorTech LLC, 2011****) The Company licensed four (4) 2D seismic lines totaling approximately 32.5 miles from Seismic Exchange (SEI). These lines loosely cover their northwest potash permit area in Grand County, Utah. These seismic data were collected in the late 1960's with dynamite sources. The data needed to be reprocessed before interpretation. Excel Geophysical (Greenwood Village, Colorado) reprocessed the data. John Arestad of ExplorTech LLC (Centennial, Colorado) interpreted the data. Agapito recently reviewed the data in the context of the Green River Project. From those interpreted lines, a time structure map of the top of the Paradox Formation salt was constructed by ExplorTech LLC. The map indicates a structural high, likely the Big Flat Dome in the south dipping on a fairly regular slope to the north. This conforms to the regional interpretation from modeling of an overall dip of about four percent ("4%"). No major faulting, collapses, or diapirism were observed. Minor faulting is identified in the lowermost part of the target Paradox evaporite sequence, while the uppermost part of the evaporite interval, including Cycle 5, showed no interpretable faulting. Faulting extending as high as Cycle 13 is apparent to the southwest. The seismic data show that faulting is minor within the lowermost part of the target Paradox evaporite sequence. The uppermost part of this interval does not show interpretable faults. The maps produced in the study should be useful for exploration drilling activities. Well prognoses can be made using the interpreted seismic horizons and the existing time-depth data. The hummocky looking appearance of the Paradox salt section suggests that the salt has moved somewhat in the target area and that may have implications for potash recoveries. The interpretation supports relatively flat lying potash cycles (dip approximately 4% to the north) which further support the possibility of being suitable for solution wells. The data further demonstrates a northward thickening of the Paradox Formation along with high-angle faults, which may correspond to increasing both the quality (through potential chemical enrichment) and the volumetric potential of brines. The reprocessing and interpretation of these lines is specialized work and may require expertise specific to the Paradox Basin. That said, geologic modeling based on tops picked from existing oil and gas wells supports the interpretation of a gentle regional dip in the cycles of interest. The selection of tops on formations of regional extent such as the Leadville, Hermosa, or Chinle is regarded as straightforward. The Company is further looking to add to this dataset by acquiring additional seismic data licenses. About American Critical Minerals' Green River Potash and Lithium Project The Green River Potash and Lithium Project is situated within Utah's highly productive Paradox Basin, located 20 miles northwest of Moab, Utah and has significant logistical advantages including close proximity to major rail hubs, airport, roads, water, towns and labour markets. It also benefits from close proximity to the agricultural and industrial heartland of America and numerous potential end-users for its products. The history of oil and gas production across the Paradox Basin provides geologic data from historic wells across the Project, and the wider Basin, validating and de-risking the potential for high grade potash and large amounts of contained lithium. Wells in and around the project reported lithium up to 500 ppm, bromine up to 6,100 ppm and boron up to 1,260 ppm (Gilbride & Santos, 2012). This data is reinforced by nearby potash production and the advanced stage of development of neighbouring lithium projects. The Paradox Basin is believed to contain up to 56 billion tonnes of lithium brines, potentially the largest such resource in the US (Source:AnsonFastmarketsPresentation- https://wcsecure.weblink.com.au/pdf/ASN/02823465.pdf ). The Paradox Basin is believed to contain up to 56 billion tonnes of lithium brines, potentially the largest such resource in US (Source:AnsonFastmarketsPresentation- https://wcsecure.weblink.com.au/pdf/ASN/02823465.pdf ). The Company also has a 43-101 Exploration Target of 0.6-1.0 billion tonnes ("Bt") of sylvanite grading from 12% to 18% potassium oxide based on elog (eK2O=19% and 29% potassium chloride based on elog (eKCl).** In addition, the Company also announced Exploration Targets for Lithium and Bromine on 6 October, 2025: 2.1 billion cubic meters (brine volume) grading from 71.6 to 216.3 parts per million lithium; and 2.1 billion cubic meters (brine volume) grading from 3,656 to 4,741 parts per million bromine(see: https://acmineralscorp.com/american-critical-minerals-announces-large-scale-exploration-targets-for-lithium-and-bromine-for-its-green-river-project-complementing-its-existing-exploration-target-for-potash/ ) The Company holds a 100% interest in eleven State of Utah ("SITLA") mineral and minerals salt leases covering approximately 7,050 acres, 1,094 federal lithium brine claims (BLM Placer Claims) covering 21,150 acres, and 11 federal (BLM) potash prospecting permits covering approximately 25,480 acres. Through these leases, permits and claims the Company has the ability to explore for potash, lithium and potential by-products across the entire Green River Project (approx. 32,530 acres). The Company is authorized to drill a total of 7 drill holes across the Project (pending bonding the recently approved 4 drill holes). Intrepid Potash, Inc. is America's largest potash company and only U.S. domestic potash producer and currently produces potash from its nearby Moab Solution Mine, which the Company believes provides strong evidence of stratigraphic continuity within this part of the Paradox Basin (www.intrepidpotash.com). Anson Resources Ltd. has advanced lithium development projects contiguous to the northern boundary of our Green River Project and neighbouring to the south. Anson has a large initial resource, robust definitive feasibility study and has recently completed successful piloting operations through its partnership with Koch Technology Solutions, as well as an offtake agreement with LG Energy Solution. The Anson exploration targets encompass the combined Mississippian Leadville Formation and the Pennsylvanian Paradox Formation brine-bearing clastic layers, which also underlie American Critical Minerals' entire project area (www.ansonresources.com)*. In 2022, the U.S. imported approx. 96.5% of its annual potash requirements with domestic producers receiving a higher sales price due to proximity to market (intrepidpotash.com/ August 15, 2024, Investor Presentation). In March 2024, the US Senate introduced a bill to include key fertilizers and potash on the US Department of Interior list of Critical Minerals which already includes lithium, and this process is well advanced with potash being added to the USGS Draft Critical Minerals List. In August 2025. Recent market estimates suggest that the global potash market is over US$50 billion annually and growing at a compound annual growth rate ("CAGR") of close to 5%. Annual lithium demand is now estimated to be over 1 million tonnes globally and continuing to grow rapidly. ****Exploration Targets are conceptual in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define them as Mineral Resources, and, while reasonable potential may exist, it is uncertain whether further exploration will result in the determination of a Mineral Resource under NI 43-101. Qualified Person The Technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dean Besserer, P.Geo., the Chief Operations Officer of the Company and a qualified person for the purposes of NI 43-101. On behalf of the Board of Directors Simon Clarke, President & CEO Contact: (604)-551-9665 *American Critical Minerals' management cautions that results or discoveries on properties in proximity to the American Critical Minerals' properties may not necessarily be indicative of the presence of mineralization on the Company's properties. **A report titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report - Green River Potash Project, Grand County, Utah, USA", prepared by Agapito Associates Inc., and dated effective September 12, 2012, quantifies the Green River Potash Project's potash exploration potential in the form of a NI 43-101 Exploration Target. The Exploration Target estimate was prepared in accordance with the National Instrument 43-101 -Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). It should be noted that Exploration Targets are conceptual in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define them as Mineral Resources, and, while reasonable potential may exist, it is uncertain whether further exploration will result in the determination of a Mineral Resource under NI 43-101. The Exploration Target stated in the Agapito Report is not being reported as part of any Mineral Resource or Mineral Reserve. A copy of the report can be accessed on the corporate website for the Company: www.acmineralscorp.com. A new report documenting the current data will be filed accordingly. ***United States Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2024 (https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2024/mcs2024-potash.pdf). ****Green River Potash Project, Northwest Permit Area, Grand County, Utah, Seismic Reflection Reprocessing and Interpretation Summary Report. John Arestad, Ph.D., December 2011. Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: believe, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from this forward-looking information include those described under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's most recently filed MD&A. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or revise the forward-looking information contained in this news release, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that such expectations will prove to be correct. All such forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. This information, however, is subject to a variety of risks and information. SOURCE: American Critical Minerals Corp. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/metals-and-mining/american-critical-minerals-provides-update-on-seismic-interpretation-for-its-gree-1086984 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. DUBLIN, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will hold its 84th Public Meeting, the Annual General Meeting (AGM), from 25-30 October 2025 at the Convention Centre Dublin in Dublin, Ireland. The event, hosted by the Internet Neutral Exchange Association (INEX), will gather participants from around the world, representing governments, civil society, business, and the technical community. ICANN84 comes at a pivotal moment for the global Internet. The meeting takes place just weeks before the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20) review, a United Nations (U.N.) process assessing 20 years of progress in global digital cooperation, and as ICANN advances preparations for the New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Program: Next Round , the next opportunity for organizations to apply for new domain name endings beyond familiar ones like .com or .org, scheduled to launch in April 2026. The AGM also marks the induction of new members, a moment when leaders take their seats, the community reflects on successes and opportunities, and plans are set for the year ahead. One of the most anticipated outcomes of ICANN84 is the ICANN Board's expected approval of the final Applicant Guidebook for the New gTLD Program: Next Round. This decision will set the course for the April 2026 application window. Another focal point of the meeting will be the broader discussion on the future of Internet governance, linking ICANN84 directly to the debates and decisions leading into WSIS+20. That discussion will take on added weight with the participation of the WSIS+20 co-facilitators, the U.N. representatives appointed to guide the review and broker consensus outcomes. Their presence in Dublin underscores ICANN84's role as a neutral, multistakeholder venue, one where the technical community serves as a pillar in shaping the Internet's future. This engagement reaffirms ICANN's position that technical coordination must remain collaborative, globally representative, and rooted in the multistakeholder model, a framework that has helped preserve a secure, stable, and interoperable Internet for over two decades. "ICANN84 comes at a decisive moment for the Internet's future," said Kurtis Lindqvist, ICANN President and CEO. "At the forefront is the future of Internet governance, from the WSIS+20 review to the next round of new top-level domains. This meeting is about shaping the Internet's future: keeping it secure, interoperable, and open to all. It shows why the multistakeholder model matters - governments, businesses, and the technical community working side by side to keep the Internet single and global." "As the WSIS+20 process draws to a close, the conversations taking place at ICANN84 will help shape how the Internet serves people and communities everywhere for many years to come," said Eileen Gallagher, Chief Executive Officer of INEX. "At INEX, we believe deeply in the power of collaboration and in using the Internet and our community as a force for good. Ireland offers a natural home for open, forward-looking discussions and is a place that recognizes the potential of what can be achieved when we work together. We're delighted to welcome the global Internet community back to Dublin and proud to host ICANN84 at such an important moment for the future of Internet governance." Registration for in-person attendance is open until 23 October 2025. Remote participation is also available. For more information and to register, visit the ICANN84 meeting webpage . About ICANN ICANN's mission is to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you need to type an address - a name or a number - into your computer or other device. That address must be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers across the world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a nonprofit public benefit corporation with a community of participants from all over the world. About INEX INEX is the internet peering point for the island of Ireland. They are a neutral, not-for-profit, industry-owned association, founded in 1996, that provides IP peering facilities for its members. Membership is open to all organisations that can benefit from peering their IP traffic and there are currently 113 members peering at the exchange. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2793396/ICANN84_Dublin_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/icann84-in-dublin-a-pivotal-moment-for-the-future-of-the-internet-302581358.html LONDON, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Unplugged today announced the UK launch of its flagship smartphone, UP Phone, offering a privacy-first alternative to surveillance-driven technology - and a major step toward true digital freedom in the UK. As public concern over data privacy grows, research shows Brits are among the most worried globally about how their information is collected, stored, and used. UP Phone sets a new standard for privacy, built on a simple belief: technology should serve the person who owns it - not the companies or institutions that seek to control it. "We're excited to bring UP Phone to the UK, where privacy and digital autonomy are deeply valued, and where people are looking for technology they can truly trust," said Joe Weil, CEO of Unplugged. "Smartphones connect us to the world, but they also track our every move and filter what we see. Governments can easily access our data - by buying it from ad networks, forcing us to unlock our devices, pressuring companies to hand over encryption keys, or pulling records from telecom providers." A Phone Built for the Privacy-Minded Designed to optimize privacy at every level, UP Phone integrates proprietary hardware and software like no other smartphone - setting an entirely new standard for privacy with a device that is easy to use out of the box. Key features include: A powerful on-device Firewall blocks third-party tracking and data harvesting attempts - and exposes the apps behind them - so customers can see their privacy protections in action. blocks third-party tracking and data harvesting attempts - and exposes the apps behind them - so customers can see their privacy protections in action. UP Phone's operating system, UnpluggedOS is purpose-built for privacy. By using open-source Android without Google Mobile Services, it blocks backdoor data collection and puts control back in users' hands. is purpose-built for privacy. By using open-source Android without Google Mobile Services, it blocks backdoor data collection and puts control back in users' hands. The uncensored, unbiased, and untracked App Center gives customers the freedom to access the apps they want without restrictions imposed by major app store ecosystems. gives customers the freedom to access the apps they want without restrictions imposed by major app store ecosystems. Built-in, no-logs, VPNprotection running in the background hides the IP address while traffic is being blocked. Built on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), UnpluggedOS offers a fully open implementation of Android - free from Google Mobile Services and the layers of tracking, analytics, and surveillance that normally accompany it. Open-sourcing the OS allows security researchers and developers to inspect, audit, and verify every privacy claim for themselves. New Renegade SIM Unplugged is also introducing the Renegade SIM, giving UP Phone users secure connectivity with greater freedom and control. Compatible with all major networks, it enables seamless international roaming while automatically clearing location updates and network data every 24 hours - protecting your privacy wherever you go. Pricing and Availability UP Phone is available for 749 at www.unplugged.com, with shipments beginning October 29, 2025. UP Phone works on all major UK mobile networks. Privacy services are offered through a 9.99 monthly or 99.99 annual subscription covering VPN, antivirus, messenger features, and cloud photo storage. Every phone includes one year of full service at no additional charge, and the device remains fully functional regardless of subscription status. A basic tier is available without subscription fees. About Unplugged Unplugged is a privacy-first technology company empowering digital freedom in an era of rising surveillance and data harvesting. Its flagship product, UP Phone, blocks tracking, data extraction, and behavioral profiling at the system level. Featuring a groundbreaking firewall that provides real-time visibility into third-party activity behind the screen and a robust suite of powerful privacy protections, Unplugged gives users a real choice for true privacy. Learn more at www.unplugged.com. Press Contact press@unplugged.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2796878/Unplugged_Logo_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/unplugged-brings-the-worlds-first-truly-private-smartphone-to-the-uk-302584639.html Insufficient mine investment could drive sustained shortages and price volatility, warns Wood Mackenzie LONDON, HOUSTON, SINGAPORE, 15 October 2025 - Global copper demand is set to surge 24% by 2035, rising by 8.2 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) to 42.7 Mtpa, according to a new Horizons report from Wood Mackenzie, 'High-wire act Is soaring copper demand an obstacle to future growth?' Growth will be driven by traditional economic development alongside new structural demand from electrification and digitalisation. While this growth trajectory seems certain, Wood Mackenzie warns that four powerful disruptors could amplify demand and price volatility beyond expectations. Together, these disruptors could add an extra three Mtpa, or 40% of total copper demand growth, by 2035. Simultaneous increases in copper demand in multiple sectors Data centres emerge as volatility wild card Among these disruptors, data centres represent the most unpredictable variable in copper demand forecasting. Artificial intelligence is set to consume an additional 2,200 TWh of electricity by 2035, according to global data centre projects tracked by Wood Mackenzie's Power team. This will lift copper demand for grid infrastructure alone to 1.1 Mtpa by 2030. The report noted that as copper represents less than 0.5% of total project costs, data centre developers remain largely indifferent to its price movement. A sudden surge in construction could therefore trigger price spikes of 15% or more, rapidly depleting inventories and intensifying volatility. "Data centres create inelastic demand in the market," said Peter Schmitz, at Wood Mackenzie. "When developers require copper for the expansion of data centres, it is used will little concern for the copper price. This dynamic in a nascent sector makes data centres an unpredictable and volatile source of demandthis decade." Energy transition reshapes structural demand Beyond AI-driven demand, the broader energy transition is fundamentally reshaping copper consumption patterns. The shift to renewable energy systems will require an additional two Mtpa of copper supply over the next decade, according to Wood Mackenzie. The geopolitical implications of copper supply chains have become increasingly apparent as nations seek to reduce reliance on volatile energy imports. The report noted that copper demand from the sector is projected to climb from 1.7 Mtpa today to 4.3 Mtpa by 2035, an annual growth rate of 10%. "Each electric vehicle contains up to four times more copper than a conventional car," said Peter Schmitz. "As battery technologies advance, copper demand intensity across charging infrastructure and power systems will remain high. By our forecasts, EV-related copper demand is set to double by 2035, cementing the metal's role at the heart of the global energy transition." Asia's industrialisation accelerates copper growth India and Southeast Asia are emerging as powerful engines of copper consumption, with their rapid industrialisation expected to add 3.3 Mtpa of demand by 2035. This translates to average annual growth rates of 7.8% and 8.2%, respectively, according to the latest Horizons report If these economies replicate even half of China's historical growth path, their construction and power sectors alone could require an additional 5.4 Mtpa of copper. With per-capita copper use still far below global averages, these markets represent substantial long-term upside for demand. Defence spending adds a new layer to demand dynamics The fourth disruptor stems from shifting geopolitical priorities. Europe's decision to raise defence spending to 3.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine and shifting global security priorities adds only modest direct copper demand of around 25 to 40 ktpa over the coming decade. However, the broader impact will be felt through infrastructure resilience and modernisation. "Rising defence budgets are creating a quiet but meaningful source of incremental copper demand," said Peter Schmitz at Wood Mackenzie. "While the headline numbers for military hardware appear limited, the supporting infrastructure, including hardened power networks and communications, is also copper intensive, adding scale to copper demand for defence through what appears to be normal development. This dynamic adds another layer of pressure to an already tight supply environment." Defence firms worldwide are signalling expansions across fighter programmes, missile-tracking systems and ammunition production, with infrastructure following suit, reinforcing copper's growing role in the industrial-military complex. Supply challenge intensifies amid climate pressures Meeting this demand growth will require more than eight Mtpa of new mine capacity and 3.5 Mtpa of additional scrap by 2035. Wood Mackenzie estimates the industry may need to lift its baseline assumption for annual mine disruptions from 5% to 6%, effectively removing 250-300 kt from the market each year and tightening supply further. In a supply-constrained environment, the convergence of these four disruptors could result in prolonged periods of high prices and unpredictable market fluctuations. "Copper has become the strategic bottleneck of the global energy transition," said Charles Cooper. "From Detroit to Shenzhen, the impacts of commodity supply chain disruptions and the industry's inability to deliver will be acutely felt. If governments and investors fail to act, we risk turning the metal of electrification into the metal of scarcity." Editor notes: Read full report here: High-wire act: is soaring copper demand an obstacle to future growth? | Wood Mackenzie S-5! has secured Florida Building Code approval for its PVKIT 2.0 solar mounting system, enabling installation on metal roofs in high-velocity hurricane regions.From pv magazine USA The S-5! PVKIT 2.0 rooftop mounting system is now certified for use in Florida's High-Velocity Hurricane Zones (HVHZ). The company received Florida Product Approval (FPA) for its rail-less, metal roof mounting solution, allowing it to be deployed in regions subject to extreme wind speeds. The approved design, part of the PVKIT 2.0 system, combines S-5! mini-clamps that grip the metal roof seam with a WEEB (Washer, ... 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) - Oil steadied near five-month lows on Wednesday as new data showed China's deflation eased in September, but not quite as much as expected. Benchmark Brent crude futures were little changed at $62.40 a barrel in European trade, while WTI crude futures were up 0.1 percent at $58.75. Official data showed China's consumer prices dropped 0.3 percent on a yearly basis in September, following a 0.4 percent decrease in August. Producer prices slid 2.3 percent year-on-year, slower than the 2.9 percent decline in August. U.S.-China tensions simmered, raising anxiety about weakening demand in the event of a broader global economic slowdown. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said there was still a chance to resolve a dispute over critical minerals restrictions and it is up to China whether the planned 100 percent tariffs on its exports would take effect on November 1 or sooner. He added that a Trump-Xi meeting was still planned but not yet confirmed. Separately, President Donald Trump said that the United States must be careful with China although the relationship between the countries is fair. Elsewhere, media reports suggest that the European Union is considering forcing Chinese firms to hand over technology to European companies if they want to operate locally. Traders also fretted over a supply glut after the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that the global oil market is expected to be oversupplied by nearly four million barrels per day next year-an increase of almost 20 percent from its previous forecast. 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. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / Supreme Critical Metals Inc. (CSE:CRIT)(FWB:V6R)(OTC PINK:VRCFF) ("Supreme" or the "Company") Supreme announces its focus on the recently acquired silver asset. The company is exploring the acquisition and development of additional silver assets. This strategic initiative aligns with the increasing acknowledgment of silver as a critical metal, crucial for a range of industrial applications, including renewable energy technologies and electronics. Silver Prices continue to set records. Additionally, copper, another critical metal, remains at the forefront of Supreme operational strategy. The synergy between silver and copper in numerous applications enhances the Company's potential for growth and innovation in the critical metals sector. "Our commitment to acquiring silver assets underscores our belief in the metal's pivotal role in the future of technology and sustainability," said George Tsafalas, interim President of Supreme", continued efforts that will not only benefit the Company but also contribute to the advancement of green technologies". Supreme also announces that it has retained Senergy Communications Capital Inc. ("Senergy") to provide marketing and website development services, including creating in-depth marketing campaigns involving corporate branding and social media and e-mail marketing. In consideration for these services, the Company has agreed to pay Senergy CAD $167,000 plus applicable taxes in advance for an initial 90-day term with an option to renew. The Company does not propose to issue any securities to Senergy in consideration for the services to be provided to the company. To the knowledge of the company, Senergy does not hold any securities of the Company, but Aleem Fidai, the principal of Senergy, currently holds 36,820 common shares of the company. In addition, Supreme announces that it has contracted with SRAX Inc. for SMS Investor Targeting. SRAX is an arms-length marketing company boasting a 1st party, proprietary, database of known investors. The database is double opted-in, and surveyed, enabling the company to target investors that meet its criteria. SRAX will directly target these investors using a customized SMS with link to a landing page on behalf of Supreme. Supreme will pay SRAX up to USD $20,000 in advance for an initial 30-day term with the option to renew. To the best of the company's knowledge SRAX is not a shareholder. Srax Inc. Contact: Erik Carlson Address: 1014 S Westlake Blvd Suite 14-299, Westlake Village, CA 91361 Email: erik.carlson@srax.com Website: www.srax.com Phone: 310-383-6081 Senergy Communications Capital Inc, Contact: Aleem Fidai Address: 1122 Mainland Street #228, Vancouver, BC V6B 5L1 Email: aleem@senergy.capital Website: www.senergy.capital Phone: (778) 228-1122 About Supreme Critical Metals Inc. SUPREME CRITICAL METALS INC. is a publicly traded diversified investment corporation actively exploring and investigating multiple opportunities in silver, copper, uranium and precious metals. The Company adheres to strategic guidelines that prioritize regions conducive to mining, supported by favourable government regulations and existing infrastructure. For further information, please contact: George Tsafalas, Director Phone: Toll Free 1(778) 373-8578 E-mail: info@supremecritalmetals.com www.supremecriticalmetals.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, "forward-looking information"). Such forward-looking information is provided to inform the Company's shareholders and potential investors about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Any such forward-looking information may be identified by words such as "anticipate", "proposed", "estimates", "would", "expects", "intends", "plans", "may", "will", and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking information contain these identifying words. More particularly and without limitation, the forward-looking information in this news release includes: expectations regarding the Company's business plans and operations. Forward-looking information is based on a number of factors and assumptions that have been used to develop such information, but which may prove to be incorrect. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information because the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The forward-looking information in this news release reflects the Company's current expectations, assumptions and/or beliefs based on information currently available to the Company. Whether actual results, performance, or achievements will conform to Supreme's expectations and predictions is subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from Supreme's expectations. Such material risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this release. SOURCE: Supreme Critical Metals Inc. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/metals-and-mining/supreme-announces-focus-on-recent-acquisition-silver-asset-1086991 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / Camino Minerals Corporation (TSXV:COR)(OTCID:CAMZF) ("Camino" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the mobilization of drilling equipment to commence the discovery drilling campaign at its Los Chapitos copper project in Peru ("Los Chapitos" or the "Project"). The 2025 exploration campaign with Camino's partner, Nittetsu Mining Co., Ltd. ("Nittetsu"), resulted in the identification of several prospective drilling targets. The drilling campaign will focus on two main objectives: discovering new copper-silver deposits in newly identified and undrilled targets, such as Mirador, Piloto, Maqui, and Sombrero Blanco, where notable copper occurrences have been found with high copper and silver values ??according to geochemical results of rocks in trenches, and extending known mineralization in previously drilled Adriana, Lourdes, and Katty (Enjambre) zones. Highlights: The latest results of trenching at the targets to be drilled showed: Mirador: 129m @0.98 % Cu and 20.59 ppm Ag (including: 90m @ 1.07% Cu and 20.98 ppm Ag; 12m @ 2.07% Cu and 60.63 ppm Ag; 26m @ 1.30% Cu and 28.96 ppm Ag) Piloto: 12m @2.3% Cu and 21.13 ppm Ag. Maqui: 7m @4.3% Cu and 25.5 ppm Ag. Enjambre: 18m @1.57% Cu and 11.35 ppm Ag. Adriana: 15m @0.75% Cu and 9.46 ppm Ag. Lourdes: 6m @2.80% Cu and 31.55 ppm Ag. Sombrero Blanco: 25m @0.52% Cu and 3.00 ppm Ag. Copper mineralization is associated with copper oxides and sulfides hosted in intrusive and volcanic rocks. Strong positive correlation between copper and silver mineralization. Drilling is planned to begin the first week of November 2025. Los Chapitos selected by Peru's Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM) as one of 15 priority exploration projects. Los Chapitos is Camino's exploration copper project with partner Nittetsu, which is earning a 35% interest upon completing a total investment of CDN$10 Million (see news release dated June 14, 2023). Rio Tinto, a major copper producer, recently staked claims adjacent to Los Chapitos (see news release dated May 17, 2024). Camino is also advancing its mine development project, the construction-ready Puquios copper project, with Nittetsu in Chile (see news release dated April 17, 2025).? "Los Chapitos has been recognized by Peru's Ministry of Energy and Minesto advance strategic mineral exploration in 2025 and 2026 to meet the national Peru Explora initiative. Indeed, we are also getting noticed by major mining companies like Rio Tinto that have staked ground adjacent to Los Chapitos", commented Jay Chmelauskas, CEO of Camino. "Our Los Chapitos exploration drilling campaign is set to start in November in Peru, while we get our finance package in place for the construction of our Puquios copper mine in Chile." "Drilling at Los Chapitos follows intensive geological field work, including geological mapping, sampling of soil and rock, and mechanized trenching at targets located within the Diva and La Estancia trends this year," said Orlando Pariona, lead geologist at Camino Corp. "This has allowed us to identify targets with the greatest potential for extending and/or discovering additional Cu-Ag mineralized bodies." Figure 1. Occurrence of copper oxides and bornite at the Maqui target. Figure 2. Drilling campaign target locations. Los Chapitos Drill Campaign The objective of this drilling campaign is to cut mineralized breccias and copper mantos that have been identified on the surface through detailed mapping and mechanized trenching, to search for continuity and extension at depth and validate the high copper and silver grades observed at surface. The program will commence with approximately 9 drillholes consisting of 1,200 metres and is expected to expand to over 3,000 metres with the next $1.5 million Nittetsu investment tranche anticipated in December 2025. The drilling targets are located along the Diva and La Estancia trends, where the latest exploration work has demonstrated high-grade copper potential at Los Chapitos (see news releases dated June 17, 2025 and July 16, 2025). The targets in the Diva trend will be Mirador, Adriana, Katty (Piloto, Maqui, and Enjambre), and Lourdes. Sombrero Blanco is along the La Estancia trend and is a high priority target once certain drilling permits are obtained. This new program builds on the results obtained during the drilling campaigns from 2017 to 2023, which confirmed the presence of high-grade copper mineralization in volcanic rocks of the Chocolate Formation, particularly in the Adriana, Lourdes, and Enjambre sectors. Based on these results, Camino's geological team has developed detailed 3D models of the mineralized system, based on high-resolution structural and lithological mapping. Los Chapitos is in a strategic location with road access, infrastructure availability, and proximity to the Pacific coast, offering significant logistical advantages for the future development of the project. Excavators and drilling rigs will be mobilized to Los Chapitos during October, 2025 to prepare drilling pads for the start of drilling in November. The drilling target expressed in this release is conceptual in nature. The target has had insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource, and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the exploration target being delineated as a mineral resource. Los Chapitos Project Update The Los Chapitos Project has been selected by Peru's Ministry of Energy and Mines ("MINEM") as one of 15 priority exploration projects within the national initiative "Peru Explora: Actions to Drive the Advancement of Strategic Mineral Exploration Projects 2025-2026." Since July 2025, MINEM has been holding technical working meetings with the companies leading Peru's key exploration projects. The goal of this initiative is to facilitate permitting processes, attract new exploration investment, and strengthen a sustainable portfolio of projects with both regional and national impact. In September 2025, Camino participated in a work session at the Ministry of Energy and Mines with representatives from the Directorate of Mining Promotion, the Directorate of Environmental Mining Affairs, and the General Directorate of Mining, reaffirming its commitment to advancing responsible and sustainable mineral exploration in Peru. About Camino Camino is a discovery and development stage copper exploration company. On October 7, 2024, Camino signed a Definitive Agreement to purchase the construction-ready Puquios copper mine in Chile. Camino is focused on developing copper producing assets such as Puquios, and advancing its IOCG Los Chapitos copper project located in Peru through to resource delineation and development, and to add new discoveries. Camino has also permitted the Maria Cecilia copper porphyry project for exploration discovery drilling to add to its NI43-101 resources. In addition, Camino has increased its land position at its copper and silver Plata Dorada project. Camino seeks to acquire a portfolio of advanced copper assets that have the potential to deliver copper into an electrifying copper intensive global economy. For more information, please refer to Camino's website at www.caminocorp.com. Jose A. Bassan, MSc. Geologist, an independent geologist FAusIMM (CP) 227922, a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this document. Mr. Bassan has reviewed and verified relevant data supporting the technical disclosure, including sampling and analytical test data. Mr. Bassan has verified the data through site visits, inspection of drill core, review of original assay certificates, and confirmation of QA/QC protocols. No limitations were encountered during the verification process, and the data is considered reliable for the purposes of this disclosure. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD For further information, please contact: /S/ "Jay Chmelauskas" Camino Investor Relations President and CEO info@caminocorp.com Tel: (604) 493-2058 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements: Certain disclosures in this release constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are included to provide information about management's current expectations and plans that allows investors and others to have a better understanding of the Company's business plans and financial performance and condition. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information is typically (though not always) identified by words such as "plan", "expect", "estimate", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. In making the forward-looking disclosures in this release, the Company has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Forward-looking information in the release includes, without limitation, statements with respect to a future finance package and construction of Puquios, prospectivity of future exploration work at Los Chapitos, future planned drilling programs, and prospectivity for copper exploration in new targets. Although the Company considers the assumptions underlying such forward-looking information to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking information in this release is subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information. Such risk factors include, among others, that actual results of the Company's exploration activities may be different than those expected by management, that the Company may not realize the benefits of joint ventures and/or strategic partnerships with respect to the Company's properties, that the Company may be unable to obtain or may experience delays in obtaining any required authorizations and approvals and the state of equity and commodity markets. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE: Camino Minerals Corp View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/metals-and-mining/camino-to-commence-drilling-at-its-los-chapitos-copper-project-in-peru-perus-mini-1087044 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 15, 2025) - Powermax Minerals Inc. (CSE: PMAX) (the "Company" or "Powermax") is pleased to announce that it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement of up to 1,315,789 units ("Units"), at a price of $0.76 per Unit, and of up to 1,388,888 flow-through units ("FT Units"), at a price of $0.90 per FT Unit, for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $2,250,000 (the "Private Placement"). Each Unit is to be comprised of one common share and one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"), with each Warrant exercisable into one common share at a price of $0.95 for a period of 24 months. Each FT Unit is to be comprised of one common share to be issued on a flow-through basis under the Income Tax Act (Canada) (each, a "FT Share"), and one common share purchase warrant (a "FT Warrant") exercisable into one (non flow-through) common share at a price of $1.10 for a period of 24 months. Proceeds from the sale of the Units are intended to be used for general working capital purposes, including to fund exploration work on the Cameron rare-earth element ("REE") property, located in British Columbia, and the Atikokan REE property, located in Ontario both on which the Company holds options to acquire. Proceeds from the sale of the FT Units are intended to be used to incur "Canadian exploration expenses" as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada). The Company may pay finders' fees in accordance with the policies of the CSE. The Private Placement is subject to receipt of CSE acceptance, and the Company may upsize the Private Placement by up to an additional $750,000 having regard to prevailing market conditions. The securities offered have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor in any other jurisdiction. About Powermax Minerals Inc. Powermax Minerals Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on advancing rare earth element projects. The Company holds an option to acquire the Cameron REE Property, comprising three mineral claims totaling approximately 2,984 hectares in British Columbia. Powermax also optioned to acquire the Atikokan REE Property, consisting of 455 unpatented mining claims in NW Ontario. Powermax also owns a 100% interest in the Ogden Bear Lodge Project, in Crook County, Wyoming. For more information, investors should review the Company's filings that are available at www.sedarplus.ca. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release such as statements regarding the contemplated closing of the Private Placement, and use of proceeds therefrom, or whether it will close at all, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include but are not limited to the risks that the Private Placement may not complete as contemplated, or at all, that the Company may fail to obtain required regulatory approvals, and that the Company may use the proceeds from the Private Placement other than as presently contemplated, and the risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Factors that could cause actual results to vary from forward-looking statements or may affect the operations, performance, development and results of the Company's business include, among other things, that mineral exploration is inherently uncertain and may be unsuccessful in achieving the desired results; that mineral exploration plans may change and be re-defined based on a number of factors, many of which are outside of the Company's control; the Company's ability to access sources of debt and equity capital; competitive factors, pricing pressures and supply and demand in the Company's industry. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by applicable law Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in CSE policies) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR THROUGH U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270482 SOURCE: Powermax Minerals Inc. PARIS, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As China's leading life and interests community, Xiaohongshu has one of the world's most luxury-obsessed users, anchored by Gen-Z and first-tier cool-hunters. Here, "seeding" isn't just hype. It's the funnel that transforms five minutes of fever into five years of brand equity. On 2nd October, amid Paris Fashion Week, Xiaohongshu and WWD brought together global luxury CEOs and power players for the inaugural Luxury Innovation Summit. They exchanged insights on digital opportunities and challenges and sketched the next curve of growth. The key takeaway resonated across the city that invented luxury itself. If you don't understand Xiaohongshu, you don't understand the future luxury in China. "Consumers now wear brands as part of themselves," said Lena Yang, Vice Chairman of WWD China. "They expect brands to truly understand them-their culture and the personal stories they carry. Cultural resonance isn't a slogan. It's creative work that begins with acknowledging a human being and the culture that shaped them." Johannes Neubacher, Chief Content Officer of WWD China, noted that few markets have pivoted as quickly-or as profoundly-as China. Chinese shoppers aren't just early adopters. They're redefining the rules of how brands engage with culture, community, and creativity. Mi Yang, Head of Luxury, Commercialization Department, Xiaohongshu, put it this way: "'Seeding' is far more than a simple content drop. It's a product-marketing engine fueled by genuine user inspiration. It drives conversions today while compounding brand equity for tomorrow. Xiaohongshu begins with authentic sharing and continues through active search. It culminates in word-of-mouth seeding-generating fresh luxury sales and establishing long-term growth partnerships with brands. These three steps form a closed consumer-decision loop and showcase the platform's unique value as a strategic partner." Martin Barthel, Managing Director & Partner at Boston Consulting Group, said, "UGC is a living mirror of what society is thinking. It has to be the prime source of insight and inspiration for every brand." Allan Bahroun, Founder of Delect, added, "To 'crack' China, you must decode why people act. Xiaohongshu's user-centric interaction smashes the one-way broadcast wall and reinvents the conversation between brands and Chinese consumers." International model-turned-creator Suzi de Givenchy got straight to the point: "Keep it real, keep it upbeat, and never betray your own code-followers spot the truth in a heartbeat." As Martin Barthel, BCG Managing Director & Partner, puts it, "Gen-Z is redrafting the luxury brief-away from price and rarity to meaning and identity." Built for a digital-first, culture-obsessed, and community-driven market, Xiaohongshu has become both the radar and rendezvous point for luxury. Six native trends now bloom inside its ecosystem-Experiential Value, Cultural Identity, The Art of Thoughtful Expression, Long-Termism, Spatial Artistry and The Style Stage. Together, they are charting a new course for the development of luxury in China. In that overhaul, Xiaohongshu is no longer just a media buy. Instead, it is a decoder ring that translates Chinese desire, an incubator that turns sentiment into equity, and an engine that keeps compounding it. Its moat rests on three pillars: a trust-first ecosystem grounded in lived experience, data-rich insights that strengthen strategy, and a frictionless "life-to-purchase" loop that keeps the cash register humming. Born from daily life and reinvested into daily life, Xiaohongshu is the growth partner luxury brands have in China. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2796868/Mi_Yang_Head_Luxury_Commercialization_Department_Xiaohongshu.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2796869/From_left_Johannes_Neubacher_Chief_Content_Officer_WWD_China__Martin.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/from-seeding-to-scaling-what-new-growth-paths-did-xiaohongshu-and-wwd-map-out-in-paris-302584665.html BEIJING, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- China is Brazil's largest trading partner, and Brazil is also China's largest trading partner in Latin America. With the upgrading of the two countries in the global economy, bilateral relations have realized leapfrog development. So, many Zhejiang Yiwu businessmen are optimistic about this piece of hot land in South America, they rely on the "world's supermarket" - Yiwu, began their pioneering journey in Brazil. 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. TEL AVIV, Israel and NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Celleste Bio, an early-stage cocoa tech company, announced today a major milestone in building a climate resilient cocoa supply. At this week's EIT Food's Next Bite Summit being held in Brussels, Belgium, Celleste unveiled its chocolate grade cocoa butter, the first made using plant cell culture technology. Celleste is one of the first to pioneer the use of cell culture technology to produce real cocoa ingredients, with its chocolate grade cocoa butter being a breakthrough for the industry in that it is: Bio-identical to cocoa butter extracted from the bean, both chemically and functionally. to cocoa butter extracted from the bean, both chemically and functionally. Yields the same fatty acid profile essential for producing real chocolate. essential for producing real chocolate. Delivers the same sensory qualities such as melting point, smooth texture, and characteristic "snap" of premium chocolate. such as melting point, smooth texture, and characteristic "snap" of premium chocolate. Designed for scalability , enabling stable, sustainable production independent of agricultural limitations. , enabling stable, sustainable production independent of agricultural limitations. Generates zero waste, using all inputs efficiently throughout the process. "Our ability to produce real cocoa butter via cell culture proves that science can be used to grow and produce ingredients that mirror nature with integrity and transparency", said Michal Berresi Golomb, CEO of Celleste Bio. "This is a major R&D achievement for Celleste led by Hanne Volpin, PhD, CTO of Celleste, and her R&D team, and also validation for the entire cocoa industry that there is a solution to supplement supply chain shortages caused by the volatility and unpredictability of traditional farming". Cocoa is in fact a big business. Chocolate manufacturers spend about $16 billion on cocoa ingredients a year, with cocoa butter making up nearly half of that. In 2024 prices increased 400 percent due to a half billion-ton shortage. And while prices and crop yields stabilize at certain points, experts say long-term instability is the 'new normal' and technology is the only way to stabilize the future. "It's important to understand, technology doesn't replace traditional farming. It is an 'insurance policy' against imminent supply chain disruptions and destruction caused by pests, disease, land and water overuse - as well as those that will arise from climate and agricultural instability," says Howard Yano Shapiro, retired Chief Agriculture Officer at Mars, Incorporated. "Celleste Bio is one example of a technology that is getting ahead of a long-term crisis. Cocoa butter is the single most important, expensive and resource intensive ingredient in chocolate and if we've learned anything from last year, it's that solutions for crop supplementation are crucial." Celleste is in the process of building a pilot facility to accelerate R&D and scale production of its cocoa ingredients. To date, Celleste Bio has raised $5.6 million, including Mondelez International as a strategic and design partner, along with Supply Change Capital, Trendlines, Barrel Ventures and others. About Celleste Bio Celleste Bio is a cocoa tech company established in 2022 by Co-founder and Chief Technical Officer Hanne Volpin, PhD, Orna Harel, Avishay Levy and Daphna Michaeli, PhD with support from The Trendlines Group. Its mission is to create an economically and environmentally sustainable cocoa supply. Celleste uses a proprietary combination of BioTech, AgTech, and computational AI to produce 100 percent natural cocoa ingredients. For more information visit www.celleste-bio.com. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2795673/Celleste_Bio_White_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/celleste-bio-announces-major-milestone-for-cocoa-industry-production-of-first-chocolate-grade-cocoa-butter-using-cell-cultured-technology-302583498.html Oct. 15, 2025-- ITT Inc. (NYSE: ITT) today announced that its KONI business, a leading designer and manufacturer of advanced shock absorption technology for transportation applications, has been named the 2025 Railsponsible Supplier Award winner for its performance in extending the product lifecycle of railway dampers. The Railsponsible Supplier Award recognizes suppliers whose innovations contribute meaningfully to sustainability in the rail sector. The award was presented during the Railway Forum in Berlin, a leading European rail industry event. KONI was recognized for refurbishing dampers in partnership with a European rail operator, which achieved a product lifetime extension of approximately four times, a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of more than 60% in recent case studies and significant cost and waste reduction. Instead of replacing components at the end of their lifecycle, KONI extends the service life of its dampers through refurbishment, combining significant cost savings with environmental benefits by eliminating waste and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. KONI carries out this refurbishment in-house, using original KONI materials, equipment and expertise to return the shock absorbers to their factory specifications. By leveraging its global footprint of new-build production facilities in Europe, Asia and North America, KONI provides rail operators with rapid turnaround times while ensuring consistency, quality and compliance with local requirements. "Customers choose KONI because we are the only partner offering refurbishment with our original parts, equipment and know-how, backed by a global manufacturing footprint. This means faster service, lower costs and a much longer lifetime for critical components, all while helping operators meet their sustainability goals. We're proud that Railsponsible has recognized these achievements and look forward to expanding the program with operators and OEMs worldwide," said Jeroen den Haan, Vice President and General Manager, KONI Global and Vice President and General Manager, Industrial Process Asia Pacific. KONI, based in Oud-Beijerland, the Netherlands, is part of ITT's Motion Technologies (MT) segment and produces energy absorption solutions, including shock absorbers for car, rail and defense applications, and critical safety components. ITT's rail business, which also includes its Axtone brand, generated approximately $200 million in sales in 2024. About ITT ITT is a diversified leading manufacturer of highly engineered critical components and customized technology solutions for the transportation, industrial, and energy markets. Building on its heritage of innovation, ITT partners with its customers to deliver enduring solutions to the key industries that underpin our modern way of life. ITT is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, with employees in more than 35 countries and sales in approximately 125 countries. For more information, visit www.itt.com. ITT-O View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251015574490/en/ Contacts: Media: Phil Terrigno +1 914-641-2143 phil.terrigno@itt.com Investors: Mark Macaluso +1 914-641-2064 mark.macaluso@itt.com Aims to empower businesses with Autonomous AI Agents LONDON, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- JK Tech, a leading provider of next-generation digital and business consulting services focused on Gen AI, announced the launch of the Agentic AI version of its enterprise-grade Generative AI orchestrator, JIVA. This milestone marks a significant leap forward in enterprise intelligence, empowering organisations to orchestrate autonomous AI agents that think, reason, and act in alignment with business goals across various industries, including Retail, CPG, and Insurance. The new Agentic AI capabilities of JIVA are designed to meet the changing needs of today's businesses that are looking for scalable, secure, and explainable AI-driven transformation. JIVA is a modular, cloud-agnostic platform that allows intelligent agents to provide real-time results with little human intervention, transforming complicated procedures into efficient, independent operations. Sameer Nagpal, President & CEO of JK Tech, commented, "With the launch of Agentic AI in JIVA, we are not just offering AI agents, but building systems of intelligence that can adapt, collaborate, and deliver tangible business value at scale. Our JIVA platform includes a system-agnostic architecture that connects effortlessly with existing enterprise systems, data-native capabilities across modalities, cloud-readiness with compliance-first design, and a model-agnostic architecture that orchestrates multiple foundation models under a common governance layer. Its unique Graph-Powered Explainability and Graph-Enabled Agent Orchestration provide transparency and precise workflow management. This is a pivotal step in our mission to enable enterprises to unlock enterprise-wide transformation, drive rapid time-to-value, and evolve with intelligent, autonomous systems." Through a dual-knowledge graph architecture that includes an Enterprise Data Graph and a Business Workflow Graph, JIVA is also designed to facilitate smooth cooperation and conflict resolution among several agents. It supports a wide range of interaction methods, such as event-driven triggers, embedded UI components, API calls, and natural language. JK Tech is dedicated to ethical AI, which includes accountability through audit logs and human-in-the-loop controls, transparency through graph-based memory and decision lineage, ethical design with bias detection, and confidentiality through encryption and RBAC. JK Tech has also established strategic partnerships with key hyperscalers and tech stacks to enhance and scale JIVA. With its LLM-agnostic, graph-powered foundation and a growing library of pre-built agents, JIVA is already shaping the future of intelligent enterprise operations. About JK Tech JK Tech is a Gen AI-focused data services organisation dedicated to empowering enterprises in the Retail, CPG, and Insurance industries. Through its strategic partnership with Google Cloud, JK Tech helps clients unlock the full potential of their data, enabling actionable insights and sustainable growth. JK Tech's flagship solution, JIVA, serves as a cornerstone for transforming business operations and achieving measurable ROI. To learn more, visit www.jktech.com . Find JK Tech on X, LinkedIn Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2795659/JK_Tech_JIVA_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/jk-tech-launches-agentic-ai-version-of-jiva-platform-ushering-in-a-new-era-of-enterprise-automation-302583276.html Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 15, 2025) - Further to its news release of October 1, 2025, Carolina Rush Corporation (TSXV: RUSH) (OTCQB: PUCCF) ("Carolina Rush" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has rescheduled its special meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting"), to November 26, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. (Toronto time). The Meeting will be held in connection with the Company's proposed transaction with OceanaGold Corporation ("OceanaGold") to be completed pursuant to a earn-in to joint venture agreement (the "OceanaGold Agreement") executed on September 15, 2025 between the Company, Pancon Resources Carolinas Corporation (formerly Palmetto Mining Corporation) ("Pancon Carolinas"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, and OceanaGold Minerals U.S. Inc. ("OceanaGold"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of OceanaGold. Carolina Rush President and CEO Layton Croft stated: "We are pleased to move forward with this important shareholder meeting now that Canada Post workers have ended their nationwide strike and mail delivery has largely resumed. We look forward to the opportunity to secure shareholder approval and commence deep drilling in partnership with OceanaGold at our Brewer Gold-Copper Project in South Carolina." Further details will be provided in the Company's management information circular, to be filed on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) and mailed to shareholders in due course. About Carolina Rush Carolina Rush Corporation (TSXV: RUSH) (OTCQB: PUCCF) is a Southeastern U.S.-focused exploration company advancing its 100%-owned Brewer Gold-Copper Project in South Carolina. Brewer is a large, underexplored system with the potential to host both near-surface epithermal and deeper porphyry-style mineralization. Brewer is located 13 km from OceanaGold's producing Haile Gold Mine, which has 2025 production guidance of 170,000-200,000 ounces of gold (source: www.oceanagold.com). For additional information please visit our website at http://www.TheCarolinaRush.com/ and our X feed: https://twitter.com/TheCarolinaRush. Completion of the proposed transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, Exchange acceptance and shareholder approval by special resolution. Where applicable, the transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the transaction, any information released or received with respect to the transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of Carolina Rush Corporation should be considered highly speculative. The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking information which is not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking information is characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. This news release contains forward-looking information pertaining to the Company's 2025 Maiden MRE; that the mineral resource remains open at depth, the potential for future MRE growth from deeper drilling, and/or future exploration. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, changes in the state of equity and debt markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in obtaining required regulatory or governmental approvals, and other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, including those risks set out in the Company's management's discussion and analysis as filed under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.com. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on the opinions and assumptions of management considered reasonable as of the date hereof, including that all necessary governmental and regulatory approvals will be received as and when expected. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270409 SOURCE: Carolina Rush Corporation SHANGHAI, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- NOVOSENSE Microelectronics, United Automotive Electronic Systems (UAES) and Innoscience have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly advance power electronics for new energy vehicles (NEVs). The partnership focuses on developing next-generation intelligent integrated Gallium Nitride (GaN) products. Leveraging their combined expertise, the new devices will deliver more reliable GaN driving and protection features, enabling higher power density and paving the way for wider adoption in automotive systems. GaN as a Key Driver for NEV Innovation With its superior material properties, GaN is becoming a transformative technology in automotive power electronics. Compared with traditional silicon, GaN greatly improves system efficiency and power density, allowing more compact and lighter designs-meeting the key demands of vehicle electrification and lightweighting. Complementary Strengths, Shared Goals Through joint R&D and application validation, NOVOSENSE, UAES and Innoscience will address challenges in efficiency, reliability and cost. NOVOSENSE contributes expertise in high-performance analog and mixed-signal IC design; UAES provides strong system integration know-how; and Innoscience brings leading GaN device technology. This collaboration builds a platform for innovation across the value chain, accelerating GaN adoption in next-generation automotive systems. Dr. Xiaolu Guo, Deputy General Manager of UAES, said: "UAES has been at the forefront of automotive electronics for decades, driving innovation to meet industry needs. GaN is a vital enabler for electrification. Partnering with NOVOSENSE and Innoscience allows us to integrate capabilities from device to system level and deliver efficient, reliable and cost-effective solutions." Mr. Shengyang Wang, Founder, Chairman and CEO of NOVOSENSE, commented: "Upgrading the NEV industry requires deep collaboration across the value chain. By combining UAES's system expertise with Innoscience's GaN leadership and NOVOSENSE's IC design capabilities, we are creating strong synergy and setting a benchmark for industry collaboration." Dr. Jingang Wu, CEO of Innoscience, added: "The potential of GaN in automotive power electronics is just beginning. True impact will come from aligning device innovation with system needs. We look forward to working closely with NOVOSENSE and UAES to extend GaN's impact." A Step Forward for the Industry This cooperation marks a milestone for all three companies. NOVOSENSE, a leading automotive semiconductor supplier with nearly one billion ICs shipped, complements UAES's system expertise and Innoscience's GaN leadership. Together, they aim to strengthen the value chain, overcome challenges, and accelerate the NEV industry's move toward higher efficiency and sustainability. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/novosense-uaes-and-innoscience-advance-power-electronics-for-new-energy-vehicles-302584720.html EQS-News: North Peak Resources Ltd. / Key word(s): Miscellaneous North Peak Commences Drilling at Prospect Mountain Gold Property 15.10.2025 / 13:02 CET/CEST The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - October 15, 2025) - North Peak Resources Ltd. (TSXV: NPR) (OTCQB: NPRLF) (the "Company" or "North Peak") announces that it has begun its Autumn drilling campaign at its Prospect Mountain Mine complex (the "Property"). The Property lies in the heart of the Eureka, Nevada mining camp along the famous Battle Mountain/Eureka gold trend. The Eureka camp has produced more than 3.1 Moz's in gold to date.1 Historical mines and current mineral deposits in the area are located at key structural intersections and much of the mapping and exploration work by North Peak to date has focused on identifying these critical controlling faults. "2025 has been a year of consolidation for the Company, with efforts focused on bringing the Property to 100% ownership, advancing our geological understanding in advance of drilling and commencing metallurgical test work on the historical dumps. We are looking forward to drilling to continue on from the successes of 2024. This initial phase will be to test new areas not drilled before and provide us with key information ahead of a larger campaign next year," stated Rupert Williams, CEO. This initial drilling campaign will be a mix of RC and diamond drilling across four main drill target areas: Williams/Wabash, Industry tunnel, Dean Cave complex and Lower PME. Williams/Wabash. Following on from the success of the 2024 drilling which identified several high grade gold lodes along the intersection of the Silver Connor Fault and the Duke fault, the drilling in this area will be looking to test for the extension of the disseminated style of mineralization between the Wabash and Williams lodes exemplified by PM24-004 which intersected 126.49m (415ft) @ 1.06 g/t Au, 12.3 g/t Ag from 0ft, which included 12.19m (40ft) @ 4.20 g/t Au, 71 g/t Ag from 0ft (see the Company's Aug. 14, 2024 press release). This style of near surface oxide gold mineralization is important as it opens up the possibility for bulk tonnage style mineralization in addition to the currently known areas of higher grade within the Williams/Wabash lode systems. Industry Tunnel Area. Targeting the intersection of the Silver Connor and Industry faults, an area of considerable historical mining activity, with numerous historical shafts and tunnels. Grab samples from historical adits assayed up to 20.5 g/t (0.66 oz/t) Au (see the Company's June 24, 2024 press release). Note: grab samples are selective, non-representative, and are not necessarily representative of the mineralization on the Property. Limited drilling in 2024 intersected low grade gold mineralization in PM24-001 within the Hamburg Dolomite for the entire hole with the better parts being, 10.67m (35ft) @ 0.75 g/t Au from 3.05m including 1.52m (5ft) @ 3.16 g/t Au, 20.8 g/t Ag (see the Company's Aug. 14, 2024 press release) Despite the target Eldorado dolomite not being intersected in this hole, the low grade mineralisation which was intersected along the Silver Connor fault shows promise for large scale bulk tonnage oxide gold mineralization similar to Mineral Point at i-80. This drilling is aiming to target the Eldorado dolomite. Note 1: Represents historical production applicable to the Eureka camp. Sources: (a) "Technical Report, Lookout Mountain Project, Eureka County, Nevada, USA" dated effective Sept. 1, 2023 available under the SEDAR+ profile for Timberline Resources Corporation; (b) "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Prospect Mountain Property, Eureka County, Nevada, USA" dated and effective April 10, 2023, available on the Company's website and under its SEDAR+ profile; and (c) "Preliminary Economic Assessment of the i-80 Gold Corp. Ruby Hill Project, Eureka County, NV" dated effective December 31, 2024, available on the website and under the SEDAR+ profile for i-80 Gold Corp. The reader is cautioned that mineralization on adjacent properties is not necessarily indicative of what can or will be found within the Prospect Mountain Mine Complex. Dean Cave Area. Underground sampling has detected numerous high grade gold samples within the Dean Cave and DMEA historical mining areas with unmined stope samples grading up to 180 g/t Au, 998 g/t Ag (see Company's Aug. 5, 2025 and 27 May 2025 press releases). Drilling from surface is aimed to test significant fault intersections updip from historical stoping. Samples at surface include 33.9 g/t Au, 183 g/t Ag, 0.9% Cu, 1.81% Pb, 1.66% Zn (see Company's Jan. 31, 2024, press release) Lower PME Zone. This is an undercover zone targeting downdip extents of the Hamburg Dolomite and Dunderberg Shale contact which is regionally important to mineralization with historic mines such as Rustler and Windfall, which McEwen Mining are now drilling further, as well as Ruby Deeps on i-80's Ruby Hill property. Cross faults across the contact localize mineralization, with a lone historic vertical drillhole HRH1725 intersecting 4.05 g/t Au & 16.34 g/t Ag over 10.6m (see the Technical Report, defined below). Follow-up drilling in 2024 failed to intersect the contact due to large voids not allowing drilling to continue. Large voids within the host dolomites are often a sign of proximity to mineralization and a more powerful rig is being used to give a better chance of reaching targets. Figure 1: Geology map showing proposed drilling areas To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9875/270480_figure1.jpg Review by Qualified Person, Quality Control and Reports Mr. David Pym, CGeol., Consulting Geologist for the Company, is the Qualified Person (QP), as defined under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, who reviewed and approved scientific and technical disclosure in this press release. The Qualified Person has not reviewed the mineral tenure, nor independently verified the legal status and ownership of the Property or any underlying property agreements. Drilling and Sampling: 2024 Drilling was carried out using a Canadian built tracked MPD1500 RC drilling unit, the rig has jacks and a blade and is capable of working on small pads on steep ground to minimise ground prep. It is capable of drilling to 455m (1500ft) using 4-inch pipe and a 51/4 inch bit. Holes were cased down to 25-80ft with 8-inch steel casing drifted in using a tricone bit. RC drilling uses a hammer, that is not face sampling but samples 4ft away from the hammer. A face sampling hammer was also trialed to compare efficiency. Under Nevada law dry sampling is not allowed due to dust restrictions so RC drilling is done wet, with water actively pumped down the hole mixing with pulverised sample and coming through the cyclone to an 8-compartment rotary fan wet splitter. Each compartment can be shut off giving control of the amount of split material. Rotary splitter was setup with 1:4 split, with the quarter split going into two calico bags housed in buckets, for an assay sample and a field duplicate for permanent reference. The remainder of the sample falls to the ground and runs into the sump. Each assay sample is for a 5ft (1.52m) interval. The splitter and cyclone are flushed every 4 samples or on noticing a change in color. Chips were collected from the splitter reject and put into chip trays for reference. Calico bags are pre-labelled with hole number and footage, with an FD for field duplicate added to the sample number for the field duplicate. The drilling team are responsible for changing the bags and the clearly labelled footage intervals on the bags avoids sample mix-ups. Filled sample bags are laid on the ground in order so a visual check can be easily performed when collecting samples. Samples are loaded into a plastic crate and dispatched daily to the ALS Global prep-lab in Elko Nevada. A standard, a blank and a field duplicate were inserted after every 20 samples, for a QA/QC rate of 15%. Six standards from CDN Resource Laboratories were rotated through the samples. The standards had gold values ranging from 0.433 to 7.34 ppm. Samples are dried crushed and pulverised and assayed for gold with a 30g fire assay and a 44 element ICP MS suite. Overlimit samples for gold, silver, lead, zinc and copper are automatically re-assayed by suitable methods. For further information, please contact: Rupert Williams, CEO Phone: +1-647-424-2305 Email: info@northpeakresources.com Chelsea Hayes, Director Phone: +1-647-424-2305 Email: info@northpeakresources.com About North Peak The Company is a Canadian based gold exploration and development company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "NPR" and the OTCQB under the symbol "NPRLF". Launched by the founding team behind both Kirkland Lake Gold and Rupert Resources, the team has a strong track record of acquiring mining assets, applying modern exploration techniques and taking them into operational mines. North Peak's flagship property is the Prospect Mountain Mine complex which lies in the Battle Mountain Eureka trend, in an area known as the Southern Eureka Gold Belt, where three styles of mineralization have been identified, gold, silver Carlin style mineralization, Carbonate Replacement gold, silver, lead, zinc mineralization (CRD) and carbonate hosted Porphyry Related Skarn lead, zinc and gold mineralization associated with cretaceous intrusions. At the Property, the CRD mineralization is heavily oxidized to depths of at least 610m (2,000ft) below the top of the ridge line. A Plan of Operations is in place which covers part of the Property and entitles an operator to pursue surface exploration (totalling 189 acres), underground mining of up to 365,000 tons per annum and certain infrastructural works. A more complete description of the Property's geology and mineralization, including at the Wabash area, can be found in the NI 43-101 Technical Report (the "Technical Report") on the Prospect Mountain Property, Eureka County, Nevada, USA dated and with an effective date April 10, 2023, prepared by David Pym (Msc), CGeol. of LTI Advisory Ltd. and Dr Toby Strauss, CGeol, EurGeol., of Merlyn Consulting Ltd., which has been filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca under the profile of the Company and on the Company's website. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, timing and completion of any exploration on the Property, estimates of mineralization from drilling, sampling and geophysical surveys, geological information projected from drilling and sampling results and the potential quantities and grades of the target zones, the potential for minerals and/or mineral resources and reserves, intentions, beliefs, and current expectations of the Prospect Mountain Mine complex and the Company, including with respect to the future business activities and operating performance of the Company that may be described herein. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding-looking wording such as "may", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intend", "believe" and "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur. These assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the state of the economy in general and capital markets in particular, accuracy of assay results, geological interpretations from drilling results, timing and amount of capital expenditures; performance of available laboratory and other related services, future operating costs, and the historical basis for current estimates of potential quantities and grades of target zones, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2024 and the period ended June 30, 2025 available at www.sedarplus.ca , many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additionally, the Company undertakes no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made by, third parties in respect of the matters discussed above. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270480 Click on, or paste the following link into your web browser,to view the associated documents http://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270480 News Source: North Peak Resources Ltd. 15.10.2025 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.eqs-news.com TGW211 is a next-generation, first-in-class HER2-directed radioimmunoconjugate developed based on Tagworks' proprietary Click-to-Release - bioorthogonal, in vivo click chemistry - linker platform TGW211 is designed to achieve strong tumor uptake with selective and rapid elimination of undesired circulating radioactivity Phase 0/1 clinical trial (CleavHER trial) of TGW211 initiated, sponsored by the Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands; enrollment of first patients expected by end of 2025 and preliminary safety and dosimetry data expected in 2026 NIJMEGEN, Netherlands and BOSTON, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Tagworks Pharmaceuticals BV ("Tagworks"), a clinical-stage precision oncology company using its proprietary Click-to-Release treatment platform to develop a new standard of care for patients suffering from solid tumors, today announced that the Dutch regulatory authorities approved the Clinical Trial Application (CTA) for the CleavHER Phase 0/1 clinical trial, sponsored by the Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc), evaluating TGW211, a first-in-class radioimmunoconjugate, in patients with HER2-positive tumors. "The CTA approval and initiation of our second clinical trial this year mark a major milestone for Tagworks and validate the potential of our Click-to-Release platform," said Marc Robillard, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of Tagworks. "Unlike peptides, radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies avoid high radiation doses in the kidney. Many antibody therapies show strong tumor uptake, making them ideal vehicles for targeted radiotherapy. However, their clinical use has been limited by prolonged blood circulation resulting in myelotoxicity. Our Click-to-Release technology addresses this limitation by enabling precise tumor targeting and rapid clearance from healthy tissue-broadening the therapeutic window and unlocking new potential in radioimmunoconjugate development." Under an investigator-initiated trial agreement, Tagworks and Radboudumc have initiated the first-in-human Phase 0/1 clinical development of TGW211 in a single center, open-label imaging study in patients with HER2-positive solid tumors. The primary objectives of the study are to determine safety and tolerability of Indium-111 (111In)-labeled TGW211, and secondary endpoints include evaluating the pharmacokinetics and dosimetry of 111In-TGW211 in tumor and healthy tissue. The study is currently recruiting and aims to enroll up to 18 patients. "The Click-to-Release platform has the potential to redefine the therapeutic window of antibodies as vectors for radioactivity and represents a paradigm shift in the use of radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies in cancer treatment by enabling selective removal of circulating radioactivity after tumor targeting, enhancing the tumor-to-blood dose ratio and reducing healthy tissue exposure," said Prof. James Nagarajah, MD, Principal Investigator of the study at Radboudumc. "We are proud to lead the first clinical evaluation of TGW211 and help advance this innovative approach for patients." Based on preclinical data recently highlighted at the European Association of Nuclear Medicine Congress, 111In-TGW211 has shown positive results in in vitro functional assays and in vivo animal models. These results suggest that TGW211 may have a positive effect on reducing the unfavorable radiation burden in patients undergoing targeted therapy and improve imaging by reducing background noise. Preliminary safety and dosimetry data from the Phase 0/1 clinical trial is expected in 2026 and may support continued development towards the application of a Phase 1 therapeutic study with Actinium-225 or Lutetium-177-labeled TGW211. About TGW211 TGW211 is a radiopharmaceutical targeting Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2), a well-validated target in multiple solid tumors. TGW211 is a HER2-directed antibody (trastuzumab) radioimmunoconjugate linked using Tagworks' proprietary Click-to-Release linker platform. TGW211 is administered intravenous (IV) first and allowed to bind to HER2 and internalize in the tumor. Then a non-cell permeable, small molecule trigger is administered IV, resulting in selective chemical cleavage of the linker of the remaining systemically circulating TGW211, release and rapid elimination of the radionuclide from the body through the kidneys. 111In-TGW211 is under evaluation in an open-label, Phase 0/1 clinical trial (CleavHER trial) designed to evaluate safety, pharmacokinetics and dosimetry in patients with HER2-positive solid tumors. About Tagworks Pharmaceuticals Tagworks Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage precision oncology company using its proprietary Click-to-Release linker platform to develop a new standard of care for patients suffering from solid tumors. Tagworks is developing a pipeline of novel cancer treatments leveraging its proprietary Click-to-Release technology in a range of therapeutics modalities, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and targeted radiopharmaceutical therapies. Its lead programs include, TGW101, an ADC targeting TAG-72, a non-internalizing marker found on the surface of many solid tumor cells and TGW211, a radioimmunoconjugate targeting HER2-positive cancers. The Company is headquartered in the Netherlands with operations in the U.S. For more information, visit us at www.tagworkspharma.com. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2669116/Tagworks_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/tagworks-pharmaceuticals-announces-cta-authorization-and-initiation-of-phase-01-clinical-trial-for-tgw211-a-radiopharmaceutical-for-the-treatment-of-her2-tumors-302584092.html TOKYO, Japan, Oct 15, 2025 - (JCN Newswire) - Honda will present the world premiere of two ProZision series models, the first battery-powered riding mower series to be developed and sold by Honda, debuting at the Equip Exposition 2025 to be held in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A., October 21-24, 2025. The two models making their world debut are 1) the ProZision Autonomous, which operates autonomously, and 2) the ProZision, which will operate manually. Both models are scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. before the end of 2026.Striving to help people through its mobility products and services and continue to offer new value that will surprise and inspire people, Honda has been developing new technologies across its wide range of businesses. In the area of power products, Honda has been pursuing enhanced application of autonomous and intelligent technologies to its products to deliver new value that enables people to make their daily lives more enjoyable, while addressing various societal challenges.In particular, in the lawn care and landscaping industry in advanced countries, where an aging workforce and human resource shortage have become a concern, there is growing demand for products that increase the efficiency of landscaping work. Since the market launch of its first robotic lawn mower, the Miimo HRM500, in Europe in 2012, Honda has continued to offer products that contribute to making mowing and trimming more efficient and less labor-intensive.Against such a backdrop, Honda is introducing the ProZision series of riding lawn mowers that combine advanced mowing technologies Honda has amassed through years of research and development of various types of lawn mowers, with the latest autonomous and intelligent technologies. ProZision series models will deliver outstanding terrain handling capability that stands up to difficult landscaping conditions, as well as outstanding cutting performance with Honda MicroCut Twin Blades.The ProZision Autonomous is capable of operating in autonomous mode by memorizing and accurately following mowing routes and patterns pre-set by the operator, while recognizing its accurate location using GNSS*. During operation, onboard radar and LiDAR sensors provide 360-degree sensing of the surroundings to detect changes in terrain and obstacles to enable the ProZision Autonomous to automatically determine the appropriate mowing route. This makes it possible for the ProZision Autonomous to operate safely and achieve a high-quality lawn finish without needing a human operator on board.The ProZision Autonomous will contribute not only to addressing labor shortage and cost reduction challenges facing the lawn care and landscape maintenance industry, but also to mitigating worker burden in harsh work environments, such as rough terrain and dusty conditions.In addition to electrification, Honda will continue to expand application of autonomous and intelligent technologies to offer products that help people in their daily lives.Comments by Minoru Kato, General Manager of Motorcycle and Power Products Operations, Honda Motor Co., Ltd."Based on our desire to use our technologies to help people, Honda Power Products business has been offering products that help people in their daily lives and work for over 70 years. Equipped with autonomous and intelligent technologies, the ProZision Autonomous was developed to help reduce various burdens on landscaping businesses facing challenges such as an aging and workforce shortages. Moving forward, Honda will continue to contribute to improving the quality of people's work and daily lives through technological innovation that enables Honda to meet ever-changing market needs, while also enhancing its lineup of electrified products toward the realization of carbon neutrality by 2050."Key features of the ProZision series models- Outstanding mowing performanceThe ProZision series models feature three units of MicroCut Twin Blades, which cut the grass into fine pieces, allowing the discharged grass clippings to be redistributed more evenly to achieve a more clean lawn finish. Additionally, depending on the proficiency and preference of the operator, as well as condition of the lawn, the operator can select from three operating modes - Rapid, Normal, and Precise which will contribute to increasing the efficiency and quality of mowing.- Operability and ComfortThe ProZision series models are equipped with a display that shows essential information for the operator, such as remaining battery level. The integrated design of the steering levers and seat enables the operator to adjust the seat position without compromising operability and maintain a comfortable seated posture while mowing. Moreover, the full suspension system ensures a smooth, low-vibration ride even on hilly or uneven terrain, helping to reduce operator fatigue.Key features of the ProZision Autonomous- Autonomous operationAfter the operator manually maneuvers the ProZision Autonomous to let it memorize the desired mowing route/pattern (in Teaching Mode), when the operator issues an autonomous operation command using the app on a smart device, the ProZision Autonomous reproduces the memorized route/pattern using GNSS (in Playback Mode), to accurately recognize its location. Since multiple mowing routes can be set for different work sites, the ProZision Autonomous produces even, well-groomed turf finish by minimizing uneven cutting even under various conditions without requiring manual operation by a human operator.- Safety featuresEquipped with radar and LiDAR sensors, the ProZision Autonomous performs 360-degree sensing of its surroundings and automatically slows down or stops upon detecting approaching obstacles. Moreover, Honda original traction control functions amassed through the development of automobile product ensures stable operation in autonomous mode even on hilly and uneven terrain.* Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is a collective name for satellite positioning systemsFor more details, please visit:https://global.honda/content/dam/site/global-en/newsroom-new/cq_img/news/2025/10/p251015eng/p251015eng.pdfAbout Equip Exposition 2025Dates: October 21-24, 2025Venue: Kentucky Exposition Center, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A.Official website: https://www.equipexposition.com/Source: Honda Motor Co, LtdCopyright 2025 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / Lahontan Gold Corp. (TSXV:LG)(OTCQB:LGCXF)(FSE:Y2F) (the "Company" or "Lahontan") is pleased to announce that the Company has submitted a Notice of Operations (the "Notice") to the Federal Bureau of Land Management (the "BLM") for its proposed exploration drilling program at Lahontan's West Santa Fe Project, located only 13 kilometres southwest of the Company's Flagship Santa Fe Mine Project. The Notice seeks to permit multiple drill sites at the West Santa Fe Project, plus the construction of access roads and sumps for drilling fluids. The Company intends to drill multiple holes from each drill site, twining, drilling down-dip, and exploring the West Santa Fe system along strike from areas of known gold and silver mineralization. Historic drilling, totaling 171 drill holes for approximately 13,000 metres, defines shallow, oxidized, gold and silver mineralization near the historic Mindora underground mine. Geologic mapping and sampling show that this zone of mineralization continues for over 1,000 metres to the east, an area marked by numerous shallow adits, prospect pits, and outcrops of hydrothermally altered rock. (Please see Lahontan Gold Press Release dated June 18, 2024). Kimberly Ann, Lahontan Founder, Chair, CEO, and President commented: "Lahontan is excited to submit this Notice of Operation for drilling at West Santa Fe to the BLM. Once approved, the Company will be able to conduct its first drilling program at the project, seeking to validate the extensive historic drill hole data base and expand the footprint of disseminated gold and silver mineralization at West Santa Fe." About Lahontan Gold Corp. Lahontan Gold Corp. is a Canadian mine development and mineral exploration company that holds, through its US subsidiaries, four top-tier gold and silver exploration properties in the Walker Lane of mining friendly Nevada. Lahontan's flagship property, the 26.4 km2 Santa Fe Mine project, had past production of 359,202 ounces of gold and 702,067 ounces of silver between 1988 and 1995 from open pit mines utilizing heap-leach processing. The Santa Fe Mine has a Canadian National Instrument 43-101 compliant Indicated Mineral Resource of 1,539,000 oz Au Eq(48,393,000 tonnes grading 0.92 g/t Au and 7.18 g/t Ag, together grading 0.99 g/t Au Eq) and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 411,000 oz Au Eq (16,760,000 grading 0.74 g/t Au and 3.25 g/t Ag, together grading 0.76 g/t Au Eq), all pit constrained (Au Eq is inclusive of recovery, please see Santa Fe Project Technical Report and note below*). The Company plans to continue advancing the Santa Fe Mine project towards production, update the Santa Fe Preliminary Economic Assessment, and drill test its satellite West Santa Fe project during 2025. For more information, please visit our website: www.lahontangoldcorp.com * Please see the "Preliminary Economic Assessment, NI 43-101 Technical Report, Santa Fe Project", Authors: Kenji Umeno, P. Eng., Thomas Dyer, PE, Kyle Murphy, PE, Trevor Rabb, P. Geo, Darcy Baker, PhD, P. Geo., and John M. Young, SME-RM; Effective Date: December 10, 2024, Report Date: January 24, 2025. The Technical Report is available on the Company's website and SEDAR+. Mineral resources are reported using a cut-off grade of 0.15 g/t AuEq for oxide resources and 0.60 g/t AuEq for non-oxide resources. AuEq for the purpose of cut-off grade and reporting the Mineral Resources is based on the following assumptions gold price of US$1,950/oz gold, silver price of US$23.50/oz silver, and oxide gold recoveries ranging from 28% to 79%, oxide silver recoveries ranging from 8% to 30%, and non-oxide gold and silver recoveries of 71%. Qualified Person Brian J. Maher, M.Sc., CPG-12342, is a "Qualified Person" as defined under Canadian National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and has reviewed and approved the content of this news release in respect of all disclosure other than the Mineral Resource Estimate as noted above.? Mr. Maher is Vice President-Exploration for Lahontan Gold and has verified the data disclosed in this news release, including the sampling, ??analytical and test data underlying the disclosure. On behalf of the Board of Directors Kimberly Ann Founder, CEO, President, and Executive Chair FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Lahontan Gold Corp. Kimberly Ann Founder, Chief Executive Officer, President, and Executive Chair Phone: 1-530-414-4400 Email: Kimberly.ann@lahontangoldcorp.com Website: www.lahontangoldcorp.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Neither TSX Venture Exchange("TSXV") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the TSXV. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedarplus.com SOURCE: Lahontan Gold Corp View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/metals-and-mining/lahontan-submits-notice-of-operations-to-blm-for-drilling-at-west-santa-fe-1087017 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 15, 2025) - Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. (TSXV: PEMC) ("Pacific Empire", "PEMC" or the "Company"), a copper-gold explorer based in British Columbia, is pleased to announce the closing of the second and final tranche of its non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") and the arrival of Omineca Drilling Ltd. to commence diamond drilling at the Company's flagship Trident Copper-Gold Project in north-central British Columbia. Second Tranche Closing Further to news releases dated September 17 and October 7, 2025, the Company has closed the second and final tranche of its Offering for gross proceeds of C$140,702, bringing the total raised to C$1,526,991.95. Under this final tranche, PEMC issued: 22,999,770 Hard Dollar Units at C$0.035 per unit; and at C$0.035 per unit; and 18,050,000 Flow-Through Units at C$0.04 per unit. Each Hard Dollar Unit consists of one common share and one common share purchase warrant exercisable at C$0.05 for two years. Each Flow-Through Unit consists of one flow-through common share and one warrant exercisable at C$0.06 for two years. Finder's fees for both tranches totaling C$56,611.94 in cash and 1,539,984 finder warrants were paid to eligible parties including Haywood Securities Inc., Canaccord Genuity Corp., Research Capital Corp and Raymond James Ltd. All securities are subject to a four-month hold period under applicable laws. Proceeds will be used to fund exploration activities at Trident and for general working capital. Drilling To Commence at Trident PEMC is pleased to report that Omineca Drilling Ltd. has arrived at the Trident camp, with diamond drilling set to commence today. The 2025 program is fully permitted and will include five holes totaling approximately 2,500 metres, designed to test both porphyry and breccia targets that have never before been drilled despite decades of historical exploration in the area. The targets lie along the contact between the Hogem Plutonic Suite and the Chuchi Lake volcanic succession - a geological setting that hosts numerous copper-gold porphyry deposits across British Columbia. Brad Peters, President & CEO of Pacific Empire, commented: "With Omineca Drilling on site and the final tranche now closed, we are thrilled to begin the first-ever diamond drill program on the current target area at Trident. This is a pivotal moment for Pacific Empire and our shareholders - the culmination of years of systematic work and the start of what we believe could be a transformational discovery program." Figure 1 - Map showing Pacific Empire's fully permitted work area at Trident, including historical drill collars and the five planned 2025 drill holes. Nearly 80 historical holes have been completed south of the creek, yet the newly permitted northern area - long considered the most prospective ground - has never been drilled. With access, camp, and trails now established, Pacific Empire is positioned to be the first company to test these high-priority porphyry and breccia targets. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5412/270500_07eeb9427443c99c_001full.jpg Figure 2 - Compilation map of the Trident property showing multiple independent datasets converging on a major discovery opportunity. A large porphyry target is outlined by copper and gold soil anomalies, resistivity and chargeability features, and favorable intrusive-volcanic contacts. Flanking this centre, conductivity highs define undrilled breccia targets supported by strong copper geochemistry. Together, the data outline a system-scale copper-gold target that has never been tested. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5412/270500_07eeb9427443c99c_002full.jpg Figure 3 - A highly anomalous copper-in-soil anomaly defines the primary porphyry target at Trident. On a moderate slope, the source of the anomaly is most likely located near its upper extent - precisely where drilling is planned. This anomaly, combined with supporting geophysics and geology, makes Trident one of the most exciting undrilled porphyry copper-gold targets in British Columbia. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5412/270500_07eeb9427443c99c_003full.jpg Unlocking Untested Ground Although nearly 80 drill holes have been completed at Trident since the 1970s, none have tested the northern porphyry and breccia targets. Historically, access to this area was prevented by the need to cross a creek, which required significant planning and permitting. With PEMC's recently granted Multi-Year Area-Based Exploration Permit, the Company is now positioned to drill this area for the very first time. This makes the 2025 program a true milestone in the project's history - opening ground that has long been considered the most prospective but remained completely untested. Strategic Importance The Trident drill program comes at a time when global copper demand is accelerating due to electrification, grid expansion, and electric vehicle adoption. At the same time, new large-scale copper discoveries have become increasingly rare, underscoring the importance of exploring in proven, mining-friendly jurisdictions such as British Columbia. With gold also consistently present as a by-product credit in the system, Trident has the potential to deliver the combination of size, grade, and precious metals that makes porphyry copper-gold deposits particularly attractive. Pacific Empire believes the 2025 drill program represents a critical opportunity in the Trident property's 50-year history of exploration. The combination of historical mineralization at the A Zone, overlapping geophysical and geochemical anomalies at the porphyry target, and newly permitted access to never-before-drilled breccia targets creates a unique discovery opportunity. With drilling scheduled to begin in September 2025, PEMC is well positioned to advance Trident toward what could be a significant gold-enriched copper porphyry discovery. Other Matters The latest President's Newsletter, along with updated maps and Corporate Presentation, are now available at www.pemcorp.ca. About Trident The Trident property is an early exploration stage property hosting an alkalic porphyry copper-gold-silver prospect with district-scale potential that is accessible by vehicle. The property is located approximately 50 km southeast of the Kwanika deposit owned by NorthWest Copper Corp. and 50 km to the northwest of Centerra Gold's Mt. Milligan Mine. The property covers 6,618 hectares endowed with well-established logging roads providing important efficient access to conduct exploration programs. In 2022, Pacific Empire acquired a 100% interest in the property in exchange for granting the vendors a 2% net smelter return royalty ("NSR"). One-half (1%) of the 2% NSR which may be purchased for $500,000 by Pacific Empire. About Pinnacle The Pinnacle project is located 60 km west of Centerra Gold's Mt. Milligan Copper-Gold Mine and 30 km southeast of NorthWest Copper's Kwanika Copper-Gold Deposit in a proven copper-gold porphyry district. Access to the Pinnacle is by road including a new and expanding network of logging roads and trails throughout the main target areas. This improved access is a significant development and is anticipated to contribute to cost effective drill support and provides additional bedrock exposure. Qualified Person's Statement Kristian Whitehead, P.Geo., serves as a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed the scientific and technical information in this news release, approving the disclosure herein. About Pacific Empire Pacific Empire is a copper exploration company based in Vancouver, British Columbia and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol PEMC. The Company has a district-scale land position in north-central British Columbia totaling 22,541 hectares. British Columbia is a "Green" copper jurisdiction with abundant hydroelectric power, access and infrastructure in close proximity to the end market. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, "Brad Peters" President, Chief Executive Officer and Director www.pemcorp.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mineral exploration; fluctuations in commodity prices; title matters; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain officers, directors or promoters with certain other projects; the absence of dividends; competition; dilution; the volatility of our common share price and volume and the additional risks identified the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270500 SOURCE: Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 15, 2025) - Altamira Gold Corp. (TSXV: ALTA) (FSE: T6UP) (OTCQB: EQTRF) ("Altamira" or the "Company") is pleased to report assay results from drill hole MBA032, the first deep drill hole below the Maria Bonita porphyry gold mineral resource, which forms part of the Cajueiro district and where ongoing drilling is directed at enlarging the mineral resource footprint and defining its depth extent. Highlights: Drill hole MBA032 at Maria Bonita returned 395.5m @ 0.4g/t gold from 44.5m depth in quartz porphyry intrusive rocks MBA032 was located 50m to the south of MBA029 which previously intersected 213m @ 0.8 g/t gold including 146m @ 1.0 g/t gold and significantly extends the size of the mineralized porphyry system, particularly at depth Gold values returned from MBA032 are remarkably continuous with only three 1 meter samples exceeding 2g/t gold in the pervasively mineralized interval The higher grade core to the Maria Bonita gold deposit, which is interpreted to plunge to the south-east will be targeted by drill hole MBA033 and further deep drill holes during this drill campaign CEO Mike Bennett commented; "The first deep drill hole at Maria Bonita has demonstrated that the quartz porphyry intrusion is mineralized throughout. Results from MBA032 indicate that the mineralized system is considerably larger than previously thought, which has important implications for growing the resource base. The very consistent grade of the quartz porphyry at Maria Bonita, together with indications of a higher-grade core averaging plus 1g/t gold, and the significant size of the mineralized system, all suggest the possibility of a considerably larger mineralized system than previously envisaged. Additional drilling is currently in progress aimed at further defining the down-plunge extension of the higher-grade core to the deposit that sub-crops in the area of the initial drilling and was intersected by drill hole MBA029 which returned 146m @ 1g/t Au from 23m depth. This zone is interpreted to plunge to the southeast and remains open." CAJUEIRO DISTRICT The Cajueiro district is located approximately 75km NW of the town of Alta Floresta in the state of Mato Grosso (Figure 1) in central western Brazil. The project is easily accessible by road, lies on open farmland and has grid power and a local water supply. Cajueiro is the most advanced of the key projects that Altamira controls in the region (Figure 1). Figure 1: Location of Altamira Gold's projects in the Alta Floresta Belt. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4500/270507_14ae2098c46d0bb7_001full.jpg The Cajueiro district consists of two independently estimated gold mineral resources at Cajueiro Central and Maria Bonita, plus a series of additional untested exploration targets within a radius of 8km of Cajueiro Central. The Cajueiro Central area has a current open pit resource1 of 5.66Mt @ 1.02 g/t gold for a total of 185,000 oz in the Indicated Resource category and 12.66Mt @ 1.26 g/t gold for a total of 515,000 oz in the Inferred Resource category (estimated using a cut-off grade of 0.25g/t gold and a gold price of US$1,500/oz). The Maria Bonita open pit resource consists of Indicated Resources of 24.19Mt @ 0.46g/t gold (for a total of 357,800oz) and Inferred Resources of 25.64Mt @ 0.44g/t gold (for a total of 362,400oz)2. These resources were calculated using a 0.2 g/t gold cut-off grade and a gold price of US$2,780/oz. These resources include near-surface saprolite Indicated Resources of 2.02Mt @ 0.59g/t gold (38,000oz) and Inferred Resources of 0.68Mt @ 0.40g/t gold (8,700oz). The Maria Bonita porphyry gold deposit forms part of a district-scale portfolio of prospects that are interpreted as having a similar geological origin. Gold mineralization, which is defined by the source zones of a 15km stretch of former alluvial deposits worked along the Teles Pires river, is related to a pronounced east-west corridor extending over 8km and defined by both an alignment of gold anomalies in soils and rock chips and a set of sub-cropping intrusions of different ages and compositions, implying a long standing and deep-seated crustal structure. Figure 2: Cajueiro district mineral resources at Cajueiro Central and Maria Bonita (white labels for sub-sectors) and prospects (yellow labels). An alignment of six of the targets occur in close spatial association to a pronounced east-west fault corridor marked by later gabbroic dykes. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4500/270507_14ae2098c46d0bb7_002full.jpg Maria Bonita Drilling The objective of the current drill program at Maria Bonita is to enlarge the footprint of the known mineral resource by drill testing for potential extensions to the existing resource, including its depth extent, and new satellite targets. The first drill hole, MBA032, was drilled 100m south of MBA029 and was completed to a depth of 546 metres and intersected the same mineralized quartz porphyry intrusive that was intersected in previous drilling (see Figure 3). The hole returned 395.5m @ 0.4 g/t gold. As with previous holes, the mineralization is remarkably consistent with a highest single assay interval of 5.96 g/t gold being returned from MBA032. There is notably more brecciation in the core from MBA032 compared to MBA029, located to the north on the same section which intersected 146m @1.0g/t gold from 23m depth (see press release dated May 22, 2024). This may indicate that MBA032 was drilled closer to the edge of the higher-grade section of the mineralized intrusive body than MB029. Figure 3: Composite drill section including MBA032 and previously reported holes MBA029, MBA013 and MBA031, showing the geology and composite grade intervals plus the previously optimised pit profile for the NI43-101 mineral resource estimate. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4500/270507_14ae2098c46d0bb7_004full.jpg Table 1: Bulk assay intervals over 0.5g/t gold showing the consistency of values in relation to peak assay values (normally for 1 metre samples). To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4500/270507_14ae2098c46d0bb7_005full.jpg The interpretation of the drill results is ongoing to better guide a second deep drill hole, currently underway, collared 100m to the east of MBA032. This hole is directed at the south-east plunge continuation of the core of the mineral resource. (Figure 4). Figure 4: Locations of drill holes from the past campaign (white) and the current campaign (yellow). The background shows interpreted major structures within the broad, trapezoid-shaped magnetic low that hosts the alteration and mineralization. The optimised pit outline is derived from the maiden mineral resource estimate2 (June 2025). To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4500/270507_14ae2098c46d0bb7_006full.jpg Qualified Person Guillermo Hughes, FAIG and M Aus IMM., a consultant to the Company as well as a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release. About Altamira Gold Corp. The Company is focused on the exploration and development of gold projects within western central Brazil, strategically advancing five projects spanning over 100,000 hectares within the prolific Juruena Gold Belt-an area that has historically yielded over 6 million ounces of placer gold3. The Company's advanced Cajueiro project contains two gold deposits. The central area comprises NI 43-101 resources of 5.66Mt @ 1.02 g/t gold for a total of 185,000 oz in the Indicated Resource category and 12.66Mt @ 1.26 g/t gold for a total of 515,000oz in the Inferred Resource category. In addition, the Maria Bonita gold deposit comprises additional open pit Indicated Resources of 24.19Mt @ 0.46g/t for a total of 357,800oz, and Inferred Resources of 25.64Mt @ 0.44g/t for a total of 362,400oz. Ongoing exploration and fieldwork at Cajueiro indicate the presence of multiple porphyry gold systems, reinforcing its potential for district-scale development. These hard-rock gold sources align with historical alluvial gold production, highlighting the region's exceptional gold endowment and potential scalability. With two independently established mineral resources, a highly prospective geological setting and a track record of significant discoveries, the Company is well-positioned to unlock further value across its extensive land package. 1NI 43-101 Technical Report, Cajueiro Project, Mineral Resource Estimate: Global Resource Engineering, Denver Colorado USA, 10thOctober 2019; Authors K. Gunesch, PE; H. Samari, QP-MMSA; T. Harvey, QP-MMSA 2 NI43-101 Technical Report, Mineral Resource for the Maria Bonita Prospect: VMG Consultoria, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. 12th June 2025; Author V. Myadzel 3 Juliani, C. et al; Gold in Paleoproterozoic (2.1 to 1.77 Ga) Continental Magmatic Arcs at the Tapajos and Juruena Mineral Provinces (Amazonian Craton, Brazil): A New Frontier for the Exploration of Epithermal-Porphyry and Related Deposits. Minerals 2021, 11, 714. https://doi.org/10.3390/min11070714 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The securities described herein have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements under the U.S. Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws. Forward-looking Statements Certain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the extension of the Warrants. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "will", "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that is incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. Notes Gold analysis has been conducted by SGS method FAA505 (fire assay of 50g charge), with higher grade samples checked by FAA525. Analytical quality is monitored by certified references and blanks. Until dispatch, samples are stored under the supervision the Company's exploration office. The samples are couriered to the assay laboratory using a commercial contractor. Pulps are returned to the Company and archived. Drill holes results are quoted as down-hole length weighted intersections. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270507 SOURCE: Altamira Gold Corp. Strategic Equity Capital Plc - Tender Offer Net Asset Value PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, October 15 Strategic Equity Capital plc ("SEC" or the "Company") Tender Offer Net Asset Value Further to the announcement earlier today, the Board hereby confirms the Net Asset Value ("NAV") of the Company at the Calculation Date of 14 October 2025 was 181,283,561. A total of 9,510,496 Ordinary Shares were validly tendered under the Tender Offer representing 22.016 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company. Therefore, the NAV of the Continuing Pool was 141,372,809 and the NAV of the Tender Pool was 39,910,752. Unless otherwise indicated, capitalised terms used in this announcement have the same meaning as given to them in the Circular dated 15 September 2025. LEI: 2138003R5GB8QZU2G577 For further information, please contact: Strategic Equity Capital plc William Barlow (Chairman) (via Juniper Partners) +44 (0)131 378 0500 Gresham House Asset Management (Investment Manager) Chris Elliott (Managing Director, Wholesale) +44 (0) 20 3837 6270 Panmure Liberum Limited (Corporate Broker) Chris Clarke / Darren Vickers +44 (0)20 3100 2222 Juniper Partners Limited (Company Secretary) Steven Davidson +44 (0)131 378 0500 KL Communications (PR Adviser) Charles Gorman/ Adam Westall/ Charlotte Francis gh@kl-communications.com +44 (0)20 3882 6644 NOTICE FOR U.S. SHAREHOLDERS The Tender Offer relates to securities of a non-U.S. company registered in England and Wales and listed on the London Stock Exchange and is subject to the disclosure requirements, rules and practices applicable to companies listed in the United Kingdom, which differ from those of the United States in certain material respects. A circular has been prepared in accordance with U.K. style and practice for the purpose of complying with the laws of England and Wales and the rules of the FCA and of the London Stock Exchange. U.S. shareholders should read the entire circular. The Tender Offer is not subject to the disclosure or other procedural requirements of Regulation 14D under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Tender Offer will be made in the United States pursuant to Section 14(e) of, and Regulation 14E under, the Exchange Act, subject to the exemptions provided by Rule 14d-1 (d) thereunder, and otherwise in accordance with the requirements of the rules of the FCA and the London Stock Exchange. Accordingly, the Tender Offer will be subject to disclosure and other procedural requirements that are different from those applicable under U.S. domestic tender offer procedures and law. The Company is not listed on an American securities exchange, is not subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and is not required to, and does not, file any reports with the SEC thereunder. It may be difficult for U.S. shareholders to enforce certain rights and claims arising in connection with the Tender Offer under U.S. federal securities laws, because the Company is located outside the United States, and its officers and directors reside outside the United States. It may not be possible to sue a non-U.S. company or its officers or directors in a non-U.S. court for violations of U.S. securities laws. It also might not be possible to compel a non-U.S. company or its affiliates to subject themselves to a U.S. court's judgment. To the extent permitted by applicable law and in accordance with normal U.K. practice, the Company or Panmure Liberum or any of their affiliates may make certain purchases of, or arrangements to purchase, shares outside the United States during the period in which the Tender Offer remains open for acceptance, including sales and purchases of shares effected by Panmure Liberum acting as market maker in the shares. Acquisition aims to strengthen Merck's downstream process offering of advanced filtration and chromatography solutions JSR's innovative Amsphere Protein A resin technology complements Merck's existing biologics portfolio Enhances Merck's capabilities to accelerate next-generation therapies by optimizing antibody purification Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire the chromatography business of JSR Life Sciences, a leader in contract development and manufacturing, preclinical and translational clinical research, and bioprocessing solutions. The acquisition will expand Merck's downstream processing portfolio with advanced Protein A chromatography capabilities, supporting more efficient and scalable production of biopharmaceutical therapies, including monoclonal antibodies. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the second quarter of 2026. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251015543105/en/ JSR's Amsphere Protein A resin technology complements Merck's biologics portfolio "This acquisition will strengthen our position in the bioprocessing market and underscores our commitment to long-term investment in monoclonal antibody production technologies," said Sebastian Arana, Head of Process Solutions, Life Science business of Merck. "By combining JSR's Protein A expertise with our portfolio, we can further enable customers to advance the speed, efficiency, and reliability of antibody therapy production." Protein A chromatography plays a critical role in the purification of monoclonal antibodies and therapeutic proteins, which are used for treating cancers, autoimmune diseases, and infectious conditions. This specialized purification process is key to achieving high purity and enhanced drug safety, while also improving manufacturing speed and reliability. Ultimately, that means helping patients gain faster access to critical therapies. Based in Belgium, the chromatography business of JSR Life Sciences has more than 50 employees and supplies chromatography solutions to pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers worldwide. The company is known for its high-performing Amsphere A3 and Amsphere A+ Protein A resins, which offer superior purification performance and process robustness for a wide range of monoclonal antibodies. "This acquisition positions our innovative Amsphere Protein A technologies for even greater global impact under Merck's renowned platform-enabling more customers worldwide to accelerate therapies to market with enhanced speed and confidence," said Tim Lowery, President of JSR Life Sciences. Merck offers a comprehensive portfolio of downstream solutions, including industry-leading filtration technologies, chromatography resins, buffers and chemicals, hardware and systems, integrated technologies, and validation services. These capabilities support customers in optimizing drug development and manufacturing processes with greater speed, safety, and reliability. About Merck Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across life science, healthcare and electronics. More than 62,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people's lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From providing products and services that accelerate drug development and manufacturing as well as discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices the company is everywhere. In 2024, Merck generated sales of 21.2 billion in 65 countries. Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to Merck's technological and scientific advances. This is how Merck has thrived since its founding in 1668. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck operate as MilliporeSigma in life science, EMD Serono in healthcare, and EMD Electronics in electronics. All Merck press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck website. Please go to www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251015543105/en/ Contacts: Media Relations jenny.wuestner@merckgroup.com Phone: +49 151 14543158 Highlights 3,662 m in 15 drill holes were drilled at the Lynx Gold Zone ("LGZ"). Visible gold ("VG") was observed in 6 separate drill holes. All but one hole intercepted the favourable rhyolite/sediment contact. Altered quartz veins containing sulphides and visible gold were intercepted in fresh rock under the surface oxidized units. WB25-181 intersected multiple grains of VG at a downhole depth of 355 m, representing the deepest VG occurrence to date ( see September 4, 2025 News Release ). ). WB25-190 shows intense quartz veining with sulphides in the first 50 m and grains of VG at 43.85 m downhole depth, extending the Lynx Gold Zone by 200 m to the southwest. The gold mineralization at Lynx now extends to 800 m along strike, 50 m wide and a vertical depth of 250 m, and it remains open in all directions. Rimouski, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - October 15, 2025) - Puma Exploration Inc. (TSXV: PUMA) (OTCQB: PUMXF) (the "Company" or "Puma") is pleased to announce that it has completed its 2025 drilling program at the Lynx Gold Zone of its Williams Brook Gold Project in Northern New Brunswick. Visible gold (VG) was observed in several drill holes, thereby increasing the limits of the known mineralized zone to 800 metres along strike, 50 metres in width and 250 metres in depth. Assays are pending and will be released when received. Marcel Robillard, Puma's president and CEO, commented, "We are pleased with what we see in the drill core. We successfully hit the mineralization we were targeting, and the occurrence of visible gold in these step-out holes is significant. Preliminary observations suggest that the Lynx Gold Zone is larger than previously thought and that future drilling could expand it further." The 3,662 m drilling campaign was fully funded by the optionee, Kinross, and forms part of its C$2 million exploration commitment for 2025. The joint Puma/Kinross technical committee devised the drilling program to follow up on high-grade gold-bearing quartz veins discovered by Puma's previous trenching and drilling at the LGZ from 2021 to 2023 (to read Puma's previous News Releases, click here). The 2025 drilling successfully intersected the targeted mineralization, providing further insights into structural patterns and lithological contacts at the LGZ. Visible gold in 6 of the 15 holes (Figure 1) was observed in drill core drilled outside of the known limits of the Lynx Gold Zone. Visible gold was intersected subsurface in hole WB25-190 (43.85 m downhole depth), collared 150 m southwest of the Lynx Gold Zone, while other occurrences of VG were observed much deeper in the holes, up to 355.33 m downhole in hole WB25-181 (Table 1, Image 1). Of note, the zone remains open at depth and along strike to the NE and SW. Figure 1. Location of 2025 drillholes at the Lynx Gold Zone To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3398/270444_92bcb008843f3963_001full.jpg Image 1. Visible gold observed in drill core To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3398/270444_92bcb008843f3963_002full.jpg Image 1. Visible gold observed in drill core To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3398/270444_92bcb008843f3963_003full.jpg Table 1. Drill hole coordinates and occurrences of visible gold ("VG") HOLE ID Easting Northing Elev. Az. (TN) Dip Depth (m) Visible Gold depth (m) WB25-176 660173 5259511 377 120 -49 194 WB25-177 660309 5259607 384 120 -51 156 WB25-178 660384 5259646 384 120 -51 135 WB25-179 660331 5259743 382 120 -47 189 WB25-180 660189 5259626 376 113 -56 282 WB25-181 659958 5259665 365 118 -46 387 355.30 WB25-182 660032 5259466 366 92 -47 318 WB25-183 660032 5259466 366 130 -47 231 WB25-184 660008 5259410 367 142 -47 243 WB25-185 659994 5259237 364 120 -53 225 185.60 -186.05 WB25-186 659948 5259127 365 115 -47 318 WB25-187 659952 5259194 381 120 -45 261 203.15, 205.25, 206.05 WB25-188 660009 5259304 389 120 -45 216 136.70-136.79, 166.02 WB25-189 659919 5259349 387 120 -47 291 236.95 WB25-190 660009 5258963 365 110 -46 216 43.85 Total drilled 3,662 m Ongoing Summer Exploration Program at Williams Brook As announced on September 4, 2025, the summer program included channelling at the Lynx Gold Zone, as well as prospecting, trenching, and excavating over the entire Williams Brook Project, including the Jonpol /Portage properties. Results are expected to be announced shortly. Grant of Options In accordance with its stock option plan and pending regulatory approval, Puma has granted a total of 4.5 million incentive Stock Options ("Options") to Company directors, certain advisors, and consultants, that vest immediately. These options are exercisable at $0.18 per common share until October 15, 2029. About the Williams Brook Project The Williams Brook Project (40,225 ha), optioned to Kinross Gold Corp (see October 24, 2024 News Release), comprises the Williams Brook Property, the Jonpol Property and the Portage Property. To earn a 65% interest in the project, Kinross can finance a minimum of $16.75 million in exploration expenditures over the next five years (including a firm commitment of $2 million with at least 5,000 metres of drilling in the first 18 months). About Puma's Assets in New Brunswick Puma has accumulated an impressive portfolio of prospective gold landholdings strategically located close to roads and infrastructure in Northern New Brunswick, including the Williams Brook Project and the new McKenzie Gold Project. Both are located near the Rocky Brook Millstream Fault ("RBMF"), a major regional structure formed during the Appalachian Orogeny and a significant control for gold deposition in the region. Puma's work to date has focused on the Williams Brook property, but prospecting and surface exploration work on its other properties have confirmed their potential for significant gold mineralization. About Puma Exploration Puma Exploration is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on identifying and developing a pipeline of precious metals projects in New Brunswick, near Canada's Renowned Bathurst Mining Camp. Puma has a long history in Northern New Brunswick, having worked on regional projects for over 15 years. Puma's successful exploration methodology, which combines traditional prospecting methods with detailed trenching and cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, has been instrumental in facilitating an understanding of the region's geology and associated mineralized systems. Armed with geophysical surveys, geochemical data, and consultants' expertise, Puma has developed a cost-effective exploration tool to discover gold at shallow depths and maximize drilling results. Connect with us on Facebook, X, or LinkedIn. Visit www.explorationpuma.com for more information, or contact: Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve several known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Puma to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made, except as required by law. Puma undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. The quarterly and annual reports and the documents submitted to the securities administration describe these risks and uncertainties. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270444 SOURCE: Puma Exploration Inc. HOUSTON, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VoltaGrid LLC will deploy 2,300 megawatts (MW) of cutting-edge, ultra-low-emissions infrastructure, supplied by Energy Transfer's pipeline network, to support the energy demands of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure's (OCI) next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. The VoltaGrid power infrastructure will be delivered through the proprietary VoltaGrid platform - a modular, high-transient-response system developed by VoltaGrid with key suppliers, including INNIO Jenbacher and ABB. "This is more than a power deal, it's a collaboration with Oracle to engineer scalable solutions that dampen swings in AI power demand," said Nathan Ough, CEO of VoltaGrid. "Together, we're delivering grid-grade performance with ultra-fast response, zero reliance on battery storage, and near-zero criteria air emissions." "AI workloads are uniquely power-intensive and highly variable, often creating swings in demand," said Mahesh Thiagarajan, executive vice president, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. "By collaborating with VoltaGrid, we're engineering innovations that dampen these swings, making AI's power usage more stable, predictable, and grid-friendly. VoltaGrid's platform joins OCI's broad energy portfolio to bolster our leading-edge AI infrastructure with dependable power that can be effortlessly scaled." VoltaGrid's platform advantages include AI-optimized performance, mission-critical power quality, vertical integration for speed and certainty, and innovative heat rejection design, to name a few. Expanded Energy Access and Fuel Innovation This collaboration includes key participation from Energy Transfer, a leading energy infrastructure provider. This power plant deployment is being supplied with firm natural gas from Energy Transfer's expansive pipeline and storage systems. This supply represents the value that Energy Transfer's natural gas assets bring to customers that are looking for the most reliable level of gas supply available in the market. Strategic Job Creation by VoltaGrid Texas-Based Manufacturing Job Creation: VoltaGrid and its supply chain partners will expand manufacturing capabilities in both the Dallas and Houston regions, creating over 400 new job opportunities. VoltaGrid and its supply chain partners will expand manufacturing capabilities in both the Dallas and Houston regions, creating over new job opportunities. Texas-Based Operations Job Creation: VoltaGrid will grow its Texas workforce through long-term, well-paying positions, driven by the expansion of its operational infrastructure and the creation of more than 350 new job opportunities. About VoltaGrid VoltaGrid is a U.S.-based clean energy innovator providing ultra-responsive, low-emission natural gas power solutions for data centers, industrial operations, and grid resiliency. Its proprietary platform combines industry-leading performance with modular, scalable deployment-making VoltaGrid the preferred partner for next-generation energy infrastructure. Trademarks Oracle, Java, MySQL and NetSuite are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation. NetSuite was the first cloud company-ushering in the new era of cloud computing. Advisors Sidley Austin LLP served as legal advisor to VoltaGrid. Press Contacts Nathan Ough VoltaGrid LLC Nathan.Ough@VoltaGrid.com Micah Foster VoltaGrid LLC Micah.Foster@VoltaGrid.com SANTA CLARA (dpa-AFX) - The Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership, MGX, and BlackRock's Global Infrastructure Partners announced they will acquire 100% of the equity in Aligned Data Centers from private infrastructure funds managed by Macquarie Asset Management and its co-invest partners. The transaction implies an Aligned enterprise value of approximately $40 billion. Aligned Data Centers is a provider of data center infrastructure designed to power AI innovation at scale. The company designs, builds, and operates data campuses and data centers for the world's premier hyperscalers, neocloud, and enterprise innovators. Aligned's portfolio includes 50 campuses and more than 5 gigawatts of operational and planned capacity, including assets under development, primarily located in key Tier I digital gateway regions across the U.S. and Latin America. Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership was founded by BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners, a part of BlackRock, MGX, Microsoft, and NVIDIA to expand capacity of AI infrastructure. Its financial anchor investors include the Kuwait Investment Authority and Temasek. The announced transaction is AIP's first investment and an important step towards its initial target of mobilizing and deploying $30 billion of equity capital. 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. Firm adds two-property flex office portfolio in Denver's southeast corridor, underscoring confidence in resilient suburban office markets. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / Sentinel Net Lease ("Sentinel"), a private commercial real estate investment firm focused on delivering exceptional risk-adjusted returns through long-term net lease strategies, today announced the $23 million acquisition of Waterpark at Briarwood ("Waterpark"), a two-property flex office portfolio located in Centennial, Colorado. Waterpark at Briarwood. Centennial, Colorado The acquisition was completed through a joint venture with Sentinel Opportunity Fund I, LP, and represents a continuation of the Fund's strategy to acquire high-quality, income-producing assets in markets with strong fundamentals and stable tenant demand. Located in the thriving southeast Denver submarket, Waterpark features two institutional-quality office buildings with a diversified tenant base and excellent access to major transportation corridors, retail, and amenities. "Waterpark at Briarwood aligns perfectly with our strategy of identifying assets that offer durable cash flow and long-term value creation potential," said Fred Lewis, CEO of Sentinel Net Lease. "We're proud of our team's disciplined approach and grateful to our investors for their continued confidence in Sentinel's platform." "Denver's southeast office corridor continues to demonstrate resilience, supported by a strong tenant base and healthy market fundamentals," said Dennis Cisterna, Chief Investment Officer of Sentinel Net Lease. "This acquisition highlights Sentinel's ability to find value in markets where quality supply is limited. The tenants have invested heavily in their spaces, creating institutional-grade improvements that enhance long-term stability. Waterpark at Briarwood met every element of our underwriting criteria-credit strength, functionality, and market positioning-making it an ideal fit for our portfolio." This acquisition marks another milestone for Sentinel Opportunity Fund I as it continues to deploy capital into opportunities that combine strong real estate fundamentals with prudent risk management. About Sentinel Net Lease Sentinel Net Lease is a private commercial real estate investment firm dedicated to delivering superior risk-adjusted returns through disciplined, data-driven investment strategies. The firm focuses on acquiring high-quality properties under long-term net leases with financially stable tenants, primarily located in the Midwest and Southern United States. Sentinel combines institutional-caliber investment analysis with hands-on operational expertise and rigorous asset management to maximize value and mitigate risk. Sentinel Opportunity Fund I, LP is currently open to accredited investors and is available for custody on Charles Schwab. Visit sentinelnetlease.com and sentineloppfund.com for more information. SOURCE: Sentinel Net Lease View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/real-estate/sentinel-net-lease-announces-acquisition-of-waterpark-at-briarwood-in-centennial-colora-1086947 ORLANDO, FLORIDA / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / Unusual Machines, Inc. (NYSE American:UMAC), a leading provider of high-performance drone components, today announced an order from the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division for 3,500 NDAA-compliant motors produced at the company's new U.S.-based manufacturing facility. The motors will support the Division's deployment of the new Attritable Battlefield Enabler (A.B.E.) V1.01 drones. In addition to motors, the order includes U.S.-made, NDAA-compliant, and BLUE UAS-listed components: the Aura Analog Camera, Aura VTX, Brave Flight Controller, and Brave ESC. Together, these components ensure that the drones meet stringent compliance standards. The Army has also indicated plans to expand procurement, targeting an additional order of 20,000 components, including motors, from Unusual Machines in 2026. "Supporting American businesses means building the strength we rely on in the field--it ensures our systems are trustworthy and built to our standards. The ability to train like we fight, using drones that are reliable, NDAA-compliant, and under a $1,000 price point, gives our soldiers the confidence they need for real-world scenarios. The A.B.E. V1.01 is an important step forward in that effort," said Chief Warrant Officer 4 John Brown, Robotics, Automation & Innovation Directorate for the 101st Airborne Division. "This order demonstrates the value of investing in U.S. manufacturing and compliance," said Stacy Wright, EVP of Revenue at Unusual Machines. "The motors produced at our new facility are designed to meet both the Army's requirements and the broader push for U.S.-based production. We are proud to support the 101st Airborne Division as they adopt the A.B.E. V1.01 platform." Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include the expectation that an additional order for 20,000 components will be placed in 2026. The words "believe," "may," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "should," "plan," "could," "target," "potential," "is likely," "will," "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The results expected by some or all of these forward-looking statements may not occur. Factors that affect our ability to achieve these results include unexpected issues that may arise from the opening of our new Orlando manufacturing facility, potential supply chain issues, and the Risk Factors contained in our Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2025, in our Prospectus Supplement dated September 2, 2025 and in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law. About Unusual Machines Unusual Machines manufactures and sells drone components and drones across a diversified brand portfolio, which includes Fat Shark, the leader in FPV (first-person view) ultra-low latency video goggles for drone pilots. The Company also retails small, acrobatic FPV drones and equipment directly to consumers through the curated Rotor Riot ecommerce store. With a changing regulatory environment, Unusual Machines seeks to be a dominant Tier-1 parts supplier to the fast-growing multi-billion-dollar U.S. drone industry. According to Fact.MR, the global drone accessories market is currently valued at $17.5 billion and is set to top $115 billion by 2032. For more information, please visit www.unusualmachines.com. Investor Contact: CS Investor Relations investors@unusualmachines.com Media Contact: media@unusualmachines.com SOURCE: Unusual Machines, Inc. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/aerospace-and-defense/unusual-machines-to-supply-3-500-ndaa-compliant-motors-for-u.s.-army-101st-ai-1087043 The Foundation awarded dozens of grants in support of women-related cancer research and domestic violence programs and support services DALLAS, TX / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / Originally published on newsroom.marykay.com The Mary Kay Ash Foundation, an unwavering champion of advancing women's cancer research, supporting survivors of domestic violence, and advocating for women's health and safety, announced it has awarded nearly $3 million in cancer research and domestic violence shelter grants around the country. Since 1996, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation has given more than $98 million in support of its two-fold mission: eliminating women-related cancers and ending domestic violence. Grants were awarded to the following organizations and focus areas: 2025 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORT Annual Domestic Violence Shelter Grants (51 Grants | $1,020,000) Domestic violence shelters in 51 states and U.S. territories received $20,000 grants each totaling over $1 million in unrestricted funds to support life-saving services such as legal aid, counseling, facility improvements, childcare, job readiness training, and more. Local Domestic Violence Shelter Grants (4 Grants | $100,000) Awarded four local domestic violence shelters across North Texas with $25,000 grants each totaling $100,000 to address specific community needs. Denton County Friends of the Family, Hope's Door New Beginning Center, Genesis Women's Shelter & Support, and The Family Place provide critical needs to women facing abuse. The National Domestic Violence Hotline ($70,000) Announced partnership with The National Domestic Violence Hotline ("The Hotline") - the nation's leading resource for survivors and those seeking to support them - to create a nationwide initiative focused on trauma-informed education, community engagement, and life-saving tools to help individuals recognize and respond to abuse. The partnership provides training webinars, downloadable resources, and a series of short videos. The Conference on Crimes Against Women ($75,000) Supported for 19 consecutive years The Conference on Crimes Against Women (CCAW), an annual community multi-stakeholder conference in Dallas, Texas dedicated to addressing and combating all forms of crimes against women. Drawing 3,000 annually, CCAW is the only conference that addresses all crimes against women with a multidisciplinary focus that encourages a coordinated community response. The 20th edition of the conference took place in May 2025. View a full list of 2025 Mary Kay Ash Foundation Domestic Violence Shelter Grant recipients. 2025 CANCER RESEARCH & PROGRAMS SUPPORT Translational Cancer Research Grants (10 Grants | $1,000,000) Awarded 10 esteemed cancer researchers from the nation's leading accredited universities with individual grants of $100,000, totaling $1 million in funding. These competitive research grants support groundbreaking studies focused on cancers primarily affecting women. Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation Cancer Research & Support ($500,000) Awarded a $100,000 grant to the Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation Amy Selkirk Breast Cancer Research Fund to further support the second year of a first of its kind clinical trial conducted by Joyce O'Shaughnessy, MD, Celebrating Women Chair in Breast Cancer Research. This trial explores weight loss inhibitors to prevent breast cancer recurrence in overweight patients. Awarded a $400,000 multi-year grant in support of the newly established Texas Cancer Interception Institute, a first of its kind program utilizing cutting edge biomarker technology, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) blood-based assays offered on a huge scale to improve cancer care with an emphasis on early detection. Cancer Care ($75,000) This year marks the 25 th anniversary partnering with Cancer Care - the leading national organization dedicated to providing free, professional support services for those facing a cancer diagnosis. For 25 years, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation has funded Cancer Care's Touching Hearts program, providing financial assistance to economically disadvantaged women navigating a cancer diagnosis and treatment plan, resulting in over 50,000 grants totaling over $5.6 million in financial assistance. Cancer Support Community North Texas ($25,000) Local nonprofit, Cancer Support Community North Texas, received a $25,000 grant in support of free programs and services for those undergoing cancer treatment and their caregivers. Participants receive counseling, health and wellness classes, yoga and crafts, and more to help with healing and hope. View a full list of 2025 Mary Kay Ash Foundation Cancer Research Grant recipients. "For nearly 30 years, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation has been guided by a simple notion: when women thrive, communities thrive," said Michael Lunceford, President of the Mary Kay Ash Foundation Board of Directors. "From funding innovative women's cancer research to strengthening services for survivors of domestic violence, at our core we are empowering communities, restoring hope, and giving women the chance to live longer, healthier, safer lives." The Mary Kay Ash Foundationhas awarded more than $98 million to women's shelters and domestic violence service providers, as well as cancer research programs and related causes throughout the U.S. For more information, visit marykayashfoundation.org *** About Mary Kay Ash Foundation Guided by Mary Kay Ash's dream to enrich the lives of women everywhere, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation raises and distributes funds to end domestic violence and invest in breakthrough cancer research to find cures for women-related cancers. Since 1996, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation has contributed more than $98 million to organizations aligned with its two-fold mission. In addition, the Foundation supports awareness initiatives, community outreach programs, and advocates for legislation to ensure women are healthy and safe. Together, we can make the world better for women. To learn more about how to educate, advocate, volunteer, donate, and join life-saving work to support and empower women, visit marykayashfoundation.org, or find us on Facebook and Instagram. ### The Mary Kay Ash Foundation, an unwavering champion of advancing women's cancer research, supporting survivors of domestic violence, and advocating for women's health and safety, announced it has awarded nearly $3 million in cancer research and domestic violence shelter grants around the country. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Mary Kay on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Mary Kay Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/mary-kay Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Mary Kay View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/mary-kay-ash-foundation-r-awards-nearly-3-million-to-fund-critic-1087102 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 15, 2025) - Forge Resources Corp. (CSE: FRG) (OTCQB: FRGGF) (FSE: 5YZ) ("FRG" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce positive updated assay results from initial metallic gold screen analysis for holes ALT-25-008 and ALT-25-009 from the Payoff Zone, and the successful completion of Phase II diamond drilling at its Alotta Project in the Yukon (Figure 1). Following the discovery of visible gold in drill core at the Payoff Zone (see News Release dated June 17, 2025), select sample batches were re-analyzed using a metallic screening method to accurately assess gold content within quartz veins carrying coarse gold particles. Re-analysis has shown an overall increase in assay results, confirming the presence of coarse gold throughout the Payoff Zone. The most significant improvement occurred in hole ALT-25-009 between 173.08-181.7 m, where gold grades increased by 39%, from 0.777 g/t Au to 1.08 g/t Au. Highlights: Updated highlight results from drill hole ALT-25-008 Payoff Zone (Table 1) include: 145.21 m of 0.407 g/t Au (10.6% increase) , including 118 m of 0.465 g/t Au (11.8% increase), and including 20.49 m grading 0.928 g/t Au. 10.1 m of 0.579 g/t Au (8.4% increase) Updated highlight results from drill hole ALT-25-009 Payoff Zone (Table 2) include: 53.22 m of 0.481 g/t Au (7.1% increase), including 32.56 m of 0.57 g/t Au (9.2% increase). 8.61 m of 1.08 g/t Au (39% increase) Figure 1. Drill Plan Map of Completed Phase 1 and 2 Diamond Drill Holes. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8680/270503_dba6ed9b44530ba8_001full.jpg Overall, holes ALT-25-008 and ALT-25-009 show consistent increases to gold grades, confirming the presence of coarse gold in quartz veins found throughout the drill holes. Drilling in 2025 has expanded the mineralized footprint to more than 350 m along strike and 200 m in width, with mineralization remaining open in all directions. PJ Murphy, CEO of Forge Resources, states: "Positive preliminary results from gold screening further strengthen emerging potential at the Payoff Zone and strengthens our confidence in the presence of a large mineralized system at the Alotta property. These improvements in gold grade strengthen our resource potential at Alotta and justify continued step-out drilling on future exploration programs." ALT-25-008 From (m) To Interval (m) Au (g/t) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Cu Mo Payoff (m) Gold Screen (%) (%) 43.37 53.47 10.1 0.534 0.579 0.35 0.009 0.001 118.79 264 145.21 0.368 0.407 0.667 0.017 0.0004 146 264 118 0.416 0.465 0.32 0.018 0.0004 229.51 250 20.49 0.911 0.928 0.31 0.02 0.0004 242.25 243.5 1.26 9.53 9.7 1.04 0.016 0.0008 242.25 243 0.7 16.85 17.14 1.75 0.016 0.0012 Table 1 - ALT-25-008 Selected Assay Highlights (updated gold screen analysis results) ALT-25-009 From (m) To Interval (m) Au (g/t) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Cu Mo Payoff (m) Gold Screen (%) (%) 67.54 68.93 1.39 1.6 1.39 0.54 0.004 0.0007 149.13 202.4 53.22 0.449 0.481 0.55 0.016 0.0003 149.13 181.7 32.56 0.522 0.57 0.7 0.017 0.0003 149.13 151.3 2.18 2.44 2.39 6.73 0.071 0.0002 173.08 181.7 8.61 0.777 1.08 0.21 0.016 0.0003 Table 2 - ALT-25-009 Selected Assay Highlights (updated gold screen analysis results) Technical Overview Drilling at the Payoff Zone has encountered high-grade vein and porphyry-style mineralization and associated alteration. Mineralized intervals are dominantly hosted in quartz-biotite-sericite altered porphyritic and granodioritic rocks with locally intense silicification and veining. Near-surface mineralization has been identified at the Payoff Zone over a 550 m strike-length, within a 200 m zone, and remains open in all directions. Phase II drilling at the Payoff Zone (hole ALT-25-012) collared 200 m west of prior drilling and is awaiting assay results. The company will provide further updates as results become available. Below is a review of Payoff Zone drill holes from Phase I and II of the 2025 program. ALT-25-012 (News Release September 30, 2025) At the Payoff Zone, hole ALT-25-012, intersected numerous occurrences of visible gold from a sulphide-rich quartz vein (Figures 2 and 3). Widespread quartz-sulphide (pyrite, pyrrhotite, molybdenite and chalcopyrite) veining has been encountered throughout hole ALT-25-012, consistent with gold-bearing vein and porphyry-style mineralization previously observed at the Payoff Zone, including near-surface polymetallic pyrite-pyrrhotite-arsenopyrite-sphalerite veins. Figure 2. Quartz vein with coarse native gold from ALT-25-012. Red circles highlight some of the clusters of native gold found within the vein. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8680/270503_dba6ed9b44530ba8_002full.jpg Figure 3. Photos of coarse visible gold and bismuthinite in ~10 cm wide quartz vein (287.32 - 288.24 m). To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8680/270503_dba6ed9b44530ba8_003full.jpg ALT-25-008 (News Release July 2, 2025) Multiple cm-scale quartz veins are observed to host bismuthinite and visible gold (Figures 4, 5 and 6). Consistent with mineralization and alteration at the Payoff Zone, hole ALT-25-008 is characterized by quartz and quartz-sulphide veins and veinlets hosted within granodiorite and porphyry with several poly-metallic sulphide veins (pyrite, pyrrhotite chalcopyrite molybdenite). Figure 4. ALT-25-008 (46 m). 2-cm wide quartz vein hosting local grains of bismuthinite. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8680/270503_forgefig4.jpg Figure 5. ALT-25-008 (52 m). A 1-cm wide quartz vein hosting visible gold and bismuthinite. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8680/270503_forgefig5.jpg Figure 6. ALT-25-008 (56 m). 2-cm wide quartz vein hosting visible gold and bismuthinite. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8680/270503_forgefig6.jpg ALT-25-009 (News Release June 17, 2025) Two separate locations (108 m and 149 m) visible gold has been observed within quartz-sulphide veins (Figures 7 and 8). Strong alteration and mineralization in the form of abundant millimetre to centimetre quartz and quartz-sulphide (pyrite) veins and veinlets characterize ALT-25-009. Wider-spread centimetre-scale polymetallic quartz-sulphide (pyrite, pyrrhotite, galena, sphalerite chalcopyrite and molybdenite) veins. Figure 7. ALT-25-009 (108 m depth). Late quartz-sulphide vein with visible gold. Taken through a 10x hand lens. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8680/270503_forgefig7.jpg Figure 8. ALT-25-009 (149 m depth). Quartz-sulphide veinlet hosting visible gold beside bismuthinite. Taken through a 20x hand lens. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8680/270503_dba6ed9b44530ba8_008full.jpg Proximity to Proven and Probable Reserves The Alotta property now consists of 230 mineral claims that covers approximately 4,723 hectares in a similar geological setting to Western Copper and Gold's Casino deposit, that is located 50 km to the south-east. The Casino deposit is one of the largest undeveloped copper-gold porphyry mining projects in the world. Options The Company also announces the issuance of an aggregate of 1,250,000 options to certain officers and consultants of the Company (the "Options") at a price per Share of $0.74. Each Option allows the holder to purchase one common share of the Company (the "Shares") upon the terms and conditions of the applicable agreement. 750,000 of the Options were issued to Insiders of the Company and 500,000 of the Options were issued to consultants of the Company. Options issued to insiders are exercisable over a five-year term expiring October 15, 2030. Options issued to consultants are exercisable over a two-year term expiring October 15, 2027. About Forge Resources Corp. Forge Resources Corp. is a Canadian-listed junior exploration company focused on exploring and advancing the Alotta project, a prospective porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum project consisting of 230 mineral claims that cover 4,723 hectares, located 50 km south-east of the Casino porphyry deposit in the unglaciated portion of the Dawson Range porphyry/epithermal belt in the Yukon Territory of Canada. In addition, the Company holds an 80% interest in Aion Mining Corp., a company that is developing the fully permitted La Estrella coal project in Santander, Colombia. The project contains eight known seams of metallurgical and thermal coal. Qualified Person Lorne Warner, President and P. Geo, is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release. Forward-Looking Statements Certain of the statements made and information contained herein may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, information concerning the Company's intentions with respect to the development of its mineral properties. Forward-looking information is based on the views, opinions, intentions and estimates of management at the date the information is made, and is based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated or projected in the forward-looking information (including the actions of other parties who have agreed to do certain things and the approval of certain regulatory bodies). Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of the Company and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws, or to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of the Company, its financial or operating results or its securities. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. We seek safe harbor. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270503 SOURCE: Forge Resources Corp. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR DISSEMINATION DIRECTLY, OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES. TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / Jaguar Mining Inc. ("Jaguar" or the Company") (TSX:JAG) today announced the closing of its previously announced "bought deal" private placement (the "Offering") for aggregate gross proceeds of C$28,000,005, which includes the full exercise of the Underwriters' (as defined below) option. Pursuant to the Offering, the Company sold 5,090,910 common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Offered Shares") at a price of C$5.50 per Offered Share. Red Cloud Securities Inc. ("Red Cloud") acted as lead underwriter and bookrunner on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters that included Research Capital Corporation and Ventum Financial Corp. (collectively with Red Cloud, the "Underwriters"). The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to fund the restart of the Turmalina Mine at the Company's MTL Complex, exploration activities across the Company's properties, as well as general working capital and corporate purposes, as is more fully described in the Offering Document (as defined below). In accordance with National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions ("NI 45-106"), 3,272,728 Offered Shares were issued to Canadian purchasers pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of NI 45-106, as amended by Coordinated Blanket Order 45-935 - Exemptions from Certain Conditions of the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption (the "Listed Issuer Financing Exemption"), and to purchasers resident in jurisdictions other than Canada pursuant to available prospectus exemptions. Except for the Offered Shares acquired by Eric Sprott, the Offered Shares issued to purchasers are not subject to a statutory hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws and are immediately freely tradeable. Eric Sprott, a related party of the Company, through 2176423 Ontario Ltd., a corporation that is beneficially owned by him, acquired 1,818,182 Offered Shares under the Offering for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of $10,000,001.00. The participation of 2176423 Ontario Ltd. in the Offering constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-01 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Offering is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 since neither the fair market value of the subject matter of, nor the fair market value of the consideration for, the Offering, insofar as it involves interested parties, exceeds 25% of the Company's market capitalization. No new insiders and no control persons were created in connection with the completion of the Offering. Prior to the closing of the Offering, the Company had 80,130,272 common shares issued and outstanding, and Mr. Sprott, directly or indirectly, held beneficial ownership of, and control and direction over, a total of 39,368,811 common shares of the Company, representing approximately 49.13% of the issued and outstanding common shares (on a non-diluted basis). Following the closing of the Offering, the Company has 85,221,182 common shares issued and outstanding and Mr. Sprott, directly or indirectly, holds beneficial ownership of, and control and direction over, a total of 41,186,993 common shares of the Company, representing approximately 48.33% of the outstanding common shares (on a non-diluted basis). Full details of this transaction will be disclosed on the System for Electronic Disclosure by Insiders (SEDI) at www.sedi.ca. The Offered Shares acquired by Mr. Sprott were not sold pursuant to the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption, are subject to a statutory hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities law and may not be traded until February 16, 2026, except as permitted by applicable securities legislation and the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX"). As consideration for their services, the Underwriters received aggregate cash fees of C$1,100,000.22 and 199,999 non-transferable common share purchase warrants (the "Broker Warrants"). Each Broker Warrant is exercisable into one common share of the Company (each a "Broker Warrant Share") at a price of C$5.89 per Broker Warrant Share at any time on or before October 15, 2027. The Broker Warrants and Broker Warrant Shares are subject to a statutory hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities law and may not be traded until February 16, 2026, except as permitted by applicable securities legislation and the policies of the TSX. There is an amended and restated offering document dated October 7, 2025 relating to the Offering (the "Offering Document") that can be accessed under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website at www.jaguarmining.com. The closing of the Offering remains subject to the final approval of the TSX. The securities offered in the Offering have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Luis Albano Tondo, Chief Executive Officer of Jaguar, commented: "We are proud to announce the successful closing of this private placement, which represents a strong vote of confidence from our investors. This capital infusion will be pivotal in accelerating the restart of our Turmalina Mine and expanding exploration efforts across our highly prospective Brazilian portfolio. These strategic investments are designed to unlock substantial value, reinforce our position as a responsible and growing gold producer, and drive long-term benefits for all our stakeholders." Marina Freitas, Chief Financial Officer of Jaguar, commented: "The successful completion of this offering underscores the financial community's confidence in Jaguar's strategy and disciplined approach to capital management. The proceeds will be prudently allocated to high-impact priorities, including the restart of our Turmalina Mine and targeted exploration programs, both essential to enhancing our production profile and driving long-term shareholder value. This financing further strengthens our balance sheet, providing the flexibility needed to execute on our ambitious growth objectives." The Iron Quadrangle The Iron Quadrangle has been an area of mineral exploration dating back to the 16th century. The discovery in 1699-1701 of gold contaminated with iron and platinum-group metals in the southeastern corner of the Iron Quadrangle gave rise to the name of the town Ouro Preto (Black Gold). The Iron Quadrangle contains world-class multi-million-ounce gold deposits such as Morro Velho, Cuiaba, and Sao Bento. Jaguar holds the second largest gold land position in the Iron Quadrangle with over 46,000 hectares. About Jaguar Mining Inc. Jaguar Mining Inc. is a Canadian-listed junior gold mining, development, and exploration company operating in Brazil with three gold mining complexes and a large land package with significant upside exploration potential from mineral claims. The Company's principal operating assets are located in the Iron Quadrangle, a prolific greenstone belt in the state of Minas Gerais and include the MTL complex (Turmalina mine and plant) and Caete complex (Pilar and Roca Grande mines, and Caete plant). The Roca Grande mine has been on temporary care and maintenance since April 2019. The Company also owns the Paciencia complex (Santa Isabel mine and plant), which had been on care and maintenance since 2012 and is under review to restart in 2026. Additional information is available on the Company's website at www.jaguarmining.com. For further information please contact: Luis Albano Tondo Chief Executive Officer Jaguar Mining Inc. luis.albano@jaguarmining.com +55 31-99959-6337 Marina Freitas Interim Chief Financial Officer marina.freitas@jaguarmining.com.br +55 31-98463-5344 Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's expectations and plans relating to the future. All of the forward-looking information made in this news release is qualified by the cautionary statements below and those made in our other filings with the securities regulators in Canada. Forward-looking information contained in forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "are expected", "is forecast", "is targeted", "approximately", "plans", "anticipates", "projects", "continue", "estimate", "believe" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, may be considered to be or include forward-looking information. This news release contains forward-looking information regarding, among other things, the intended use of proceeds from the Offering, future capital requirements, the receipt of any requisite regulatory approvals, including the final approval of the TSX, and the Company's objectives, goals and future plans and strategies. The Company has made numerous assumptions with respect to forward-looking information contained herein. Forward-looking information involves a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including among others: the risk of Jaguar not meeting its plans and estimated timelines regarding the Company's exploration, development and mining activities, operations and financial performance; uncertainties with respect to the price of gold, labour disruptions, mechanical failures, increases in costs (for environmental, weather-related, regulatory or any other reasons), environmental compliance and change in environmental legislation and regulation, weather delays and delays due to natural disasters, power disruptions, procurement and delivery of parts and supplies; uncertainties inherent to capital markets in general (including the sometimes volatile valuation of securities and an uncertain ability to raise new capital) and other risks inherent to the gold exploration, development and production industry (including, without limitation, risks associated with environmental hazards, tailings dam failures, industrial accidents, workplace safety problems, unusual or unexpected geological formations, pressures, cave-ins, flooding, chemical spills, procurement fraud and gold bullion thefts and losses, and the risk of inadequate insurance, or the inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks), which, if incorrect, may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company and described herein. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forward-looking information made in this news release, see the Company's most recent Annual Information Form and Management's Discussion and Analysis, as well as other public disclosure documents that can be accessed under the issuer profile of "Jaguar Mining Inc." on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com. The forward-looking information set forth herein reflects the Company's reasonable expectations as at the date of this news release and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. SOURCE: Jaguar Mining, Inc. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/metals-and-mining/jaguar-mining-inc.-announces-closing-of-bought-deal-private-placement-for-gross-p-1087063 Partners Group / Key word(s): Acquisition Partners Group to acquire Life Cycle Power, a leading provider of mobile generation solutions in the US 15.10.2025 / 15:09 CET/CEST Denver, US; 15 October 2025 Life Cycle Power operates a 897 MW fleet of mobile generation units, representing one of the largest and most efficient mobile fleets in the country LCP provides mission-critical services to a broad range of end users, supporting grid resiliency, covering emergency needs, and bridging transitional periods The Company benefits from thematic tailwinds including the growth of AI data center demand and the expansion of domestic industrial facilities Partners Group, one of the largest firms in the global private markets industry, acting on behalf of its clients, has agreed to acquire Life Cycle Power ("LCP" or "the Company"), a leading provider of bespoke, turn-key mobile power generation solutions in the US, from an investment partnership controlled by Arroyo Investors, a Houston-based private equity firm. Headquartered in Houston, TX, LCP serves a broad range of end users, including data centers, utilities, energy companies, and large commercial and industrial enterprises. LCP's fleet of mobile units has a total capacity of 897 MWs and can be run on multiple fuel sources including renewable natural gas, thereby representing one of the largest and most efficient mobile fleets in the country. This fleet supports grid resiliency, helps customers maintain operations during unforeseen power outages, provides backup power to support primary sources, and bridges power for transitional periods. The Company differentiates itself in the market by offering an extensive suite of additional services, such as site permits, site engineering, maintenance, and fuel management, which are integrated with equipment under mid- and long-term power-as-a-service lease arrangements. LCP benefits from several thematic tailwinds including the growth of AI data center demand and the expansion of domestic industrial facilities. Due to lengthening interconnection wait times, new sites often require power bridging services before they can be connected to the grid. In particular, the development of data centers is outpacing utility infrastructure planning cycles, creating a structural mismatch that requires developers and tenants to evaluate other means of near-term generation, such as mobile power. Partners Group will work with LCP's experienced management team to transform the Company into a leading provider of mobile power solutions for data center and industrial customers across the US. Key value creation initiatives will include expanding LCP's offering into the fast-growing data center sector, increasing average contract lengths with key industrial customers, and further building the Company's fleet capacity. Andre Burba, Managing Director, Infrastructure Americas, Partners Group, says: "Life Cycle Power is an exciting opportunity to acquire a leading mobile power solutions company that provides mission-critical services. The power-as-a-service sector requires substantial upfront capital to build a fleet as well as extensive expertise to manage ongoing operations and maintenance, creating strong infrastructure characteristics. We look forward to partnering with the management team on cementing LCP's market-leading position." Thomas Riggs, Chief Executive Officer, Life Cycle Power, comments: "At Life Cycle Power, our mission is to deliver immediate and scalable power solutions tailored for various locations and diverse industries. As average interconnection queues continue to rise in most markets, our innovative turbine fleet is ready to partner with facilities that need power in the near term. We look forward to working with Partners Group and leveraging the firm's extensive experience building power platforms to expand our offering." Fentress Boyse, Member of Management, Infrastructure Americas, Partners Group, adds: "The Life Cycle Power fleet is mobile and modular, which provides flexibility to serve critical infrastructure regardless of location. The Company has built a track record as a reliable partner in this emerging sector, which supports customer retention and expansion. The growth opportunity is significant and our deep institutional knowledge across the power and data center sectors in the US informs our transformational value creation plan." The acquisition of Life Cycle Power is Partners Group's latest transaction under the global grid resiliency theme this year, following its investment in green flexibility, a developer of large-scale battery storage systems in Germany, and exit from Greenlink, a 504 MW subsea electricity interconnector linking Great Britain and Ireland. Partners Group's Infrastructure business has USD 31 billion in assets under management. The firm was advised by Clifford Chance on the acquisition of LCP. About Partners Group Partners Group is one of the largest firms in the global private markets industry, with around 2'000 professionals and over USD 174 billion in assets under management globally. The firm has investment programs and custom mandates spanning private equity, private credit, infrastructure, real estate, and royalties. With its heritage in Switzerland and primary presence in the Americas in Colorado, Partners Group is built differently from the rest of the industry. The firm leverages its differentiated culture and its operationally oriented approach to identify attractive investment themes and to transform businesses and assets into market leaders. For more information, please visit www.partnersgroup.com or follow us on LinkedIn . Partners Group media relations contact Henry Weston Phone: +44 207 575 2593 Email: henry.weston@partnersgroup.com End of Media Release Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 15, 2025) - EagleOne Metals Corporation (CSE: EAGL) ("EagleOne" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Robert Hall as a director of the Company. Mr. Hall is a management consultant and the CEO, President, director and co-founder of Klimb Vertical Farms and Cold Storage; Interim President, CEO, and director of Boosh Plant Based Brands Inc.; and President, CEO and Director of Penta5 Packaging BC. Mr. Hall brings over 25 years of management experience in both private and public companies. Through his vast network of business associates, he has raised significant seed funding and provided working capital for the expansion of large scale projects. Mr. Hall has held and performed a variety of executive roles focused on operations, corporate finance, marketing and sales. He advises an array of public and private companies across multiple industries where he is able to utilize his entrepreneurship skills and experience in capital markets. About EagleOne EagleOne is a Canadian-based precious and base metal explorer that holds the option to acquire a 100% interest, subject to a 2% net smelter returns royalty, in 11 claims comprising the Magusi West Gold Project, which is located in Abitibi greenstone belt of Quebec - one of the world's most productive and highest ranked gold mining jurisdictions. The Company seeks to unlock shareholder value through the diligent exploration of carefully selected exploration projects in some of Canada's most prolific exploration and mining areas. EagleOne is committed to all stakeholders including shareholders, all its partners and the environment in which it operates. Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in CSE policies) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270461 SOURCE: EagleOne Metals Corporation KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15, 2025 - (ACN Newswire) - Spritzer Bhd ("Spritzer"), Malaysia's leading natural mineral water brand, is inviting all Malaysians to discover the secret to your best you through silica-rich hydration. Its latest SILIQA campaign shines a spotlight on how silicon dioxide, also known as Silica the unsung hero that is naturally present in Spritzer Natural Mineral Water boosts collagen production for better skin, joint and overall wellness.Spritzer's SILIQA campaign also encourages consumers to transform everyday hydration habits into a conscious act of self-care and improvement by shifting from hydrating on autopilot to making mindful choices about the water they drink every day.Shiao Chan, Spritzer's Head of Marketing said, "At Spritzer, we believe that what you drink significantly shapes how you feel and look, inside and out. Currently, most consumers instinctively reach for familiar or conveniently displayed water brands without considering their functional benefits. SILIQA seeks to reframe this thinking, especially how hydration, a simple and basic part of our everyday lives, is one of most powerful and important steps to overall wellness and becoming Your Best You. Backed and verified by scientific and medical professionals, Spritzer's water contains safe and beneficial amounts of silica that can naturally be absorbed and used to your benefit as the key to unlocking radiance, vigour, and resilience."Experience SILIQA for yourselfThe SILIQA campaign highlights the vital link between silica and collagen through a new brand film titled "Discover the Secret to Your Best You", starring Spritzer brand ambassador Anna Jobling. The video showcases the natural benefits of silica-rich hydration - enhanced skin elasticity and glow, smoother movement and flexibility, and stronger vitality. Watch the video now on Spritzer's official YouTube and Instagram pages.To bring the SILIQA experience closer to consumers, Spritzer's integrated, national campaign will feature the new brand film across TV, digital out-of-home (DOOH) locations, and major online platforms. The campaign will also be supported by nationwide consumer touchpoints via an interactive SILIQA LED Glass Truck roadshow from 28 October to 10 December 2025. The same truck will be at Lot 10 Premier Terrace, Kuala Lumpur from 31 October to 2 November 2025, and will travel across Klang Valley, Penang, Johor, and Melaka for the rest of the roadshow. The full schedule and locations available on the campaign microsite.Likewise, the roadshow is designed to reinforce silica's role in supporting skin, joint, and overall body health, the interactive roadshow features an immersive ball pit experience and a fun board game for all ages. Visitors can also share their experiences on social media to stand a chance to win exclusive prizes.Spritzer fans can look forward to the limited-edition collection of four (4) SILIQA Squad Plushies. Each of these collectibles represent one of silica's natural benefits: skin glow, joint flexibility, bone strength, and healthy hair. By purchasing a minimum of RM15 worth of Spritzer Natural Mineral Water products from 24 October to 21 December 2025, fans can redeem the plushies at selected pickleball courts across the Klang Valley (while stocks last).With SILIQA, Spritzer reaffirms its position as a pioneer and consumers' choice in the Malaysian bottled water industry championing hydration that goes beyond refreshment to deliver science-backed beauty and wellness benefits.For more details regarding the SILIQA campaign and Spritzer's products, visit the official website at www.spritzer.com.myAbout SpritzerSpritzer, Malaysia's No.1 bottled water brand since 1989, sources its water from a 430-acre tropical rainforest in Taiping. The water undergoes a natural filtration process through underground rocks for over 15 years, enriching it with essential minerals like Silica, which benefits skin, bones, hair, and nails.As a leader in smart manufacturing, we use advanced technology to ensure quality and safety. Our packaging is 100% recyclable and made from recycled materials, reflecting our commitment to sustainability. Tested annually by SIRIM, our products are free from microplastics.Spritzer offers a full range of products, from Natural Mineral Water and Sparkling Water to Distilled Water and Fruit-flavoured Beverages, catering to every lifestyle and occasion. With a vision to become a circular brand by 2030, we are committed to sustainability and delivering quality you can trust.Spritzer nature, innovation, and sustainability in every bottle. For more information, please visit www.spritzer.com.my.For media inquiries please contact:Farah ShahrulSenior Executive, Narro CommunicationsE: farah@narrocomms.comWinnie ChinHead of Public Relations, Spritzer BhdE: winniecgl@spritzer.com.mySource: Spritzer BhdCopyright 2025 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / The UK is setting a global benchmark in sustainability, driven by businesses that increasingly recognise the competitive, reputational, and financial advantages of sustainable practices. However, progress is uneven across sectors, as each industry faces distinct environmental, social, and governance challenges shaped by differing operational, regulatory, and market priorities. Recognising these differences is crucial to developing targeted strategies, prioritising actions, and implementing practices that deliver measurable sustainability outcomes. To support businesses in strengthening competitiveness and resilience, the UN Global Compact Network UK, in collaboration with University College London, Newcastle University, and Euromonitor, has launched the report 'Trailblazers & Transformers: UK Business Sectors Redefining Sustainability', examining how six high-impact sectors in the UK are performing against the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Drawing on rigorous data and market insights, the report identifies sector-specific challenges, benchmarks performance, and presents actionable recommendations to support effective sustainability strategies. DOWNLOAD THE REPORT You can now download the full report to: Gain in-depth analysis of UK business progress on the SDGs; Access sector-specific insights to strengthen ESG performance and support the integration of sustainability into strategy and operations; Understand cross-sector trends highlighting shared barriers, leadership gaps, and opportunities for collaboration and innovation; Inform your company's sustainability strategy with evidence-based findings and global benchmark comparisons; Leverage data-driven insights from UN Global Compact Communication on Progress (CoP) data, World Benchmarking Alliance benchmarks, policy context, and market trends to guide decision-making; and Explore policy priorities that can shape the enabling environment to help businesses operate responsibly, compete globally, and unlock sustainable investment at scale. You can find more information about the report here, and please share it with your networks. Media Contact: Lily Venables Senior Project Manager (Governance and SDGs) lily.venables@unglobalcompact.org.uk Read More View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from UN Global Compact Network UK on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: UN Global Compact Network UK Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/un-global-compact-network-uk Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: UN Global Compact Network UK View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/new-un-global-compact-network-uk-report-launch-trailblazers-and-1087125 The Avermieden grid connection, which allows Novar to act as its own distribution system operator, will soon connect the first phase of a solar project set to become the largest solar park in the Netherlands.Dutch green energy company Novar has established its own grid connection for a solar park in the Netherlands, Located within the province of Groningen in northern Netherlands, the Avermieden grid connection is a closed distribution system (CDS) that operates as a private network. Sander Daniels, Head of Realization at Novar and Avermeiden's Project Director, told pv magazine that work on ... 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. The demand for the cast resin dry type transformer market is driven by its enhanced safety, environmental sustainability, and low maintenance requirements, making it ideal for applications in urban infrastructure, commercial buildings, renewable energy systems, and industrial facilities. As compare to oil-filled transformers, cast resin dry type transformers eliminate the risk of leakage and fire hazards, which aligns with growing regulatory emphasis on eco-friendly and fire-resistant solutions. WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Cast Resin Dry Type Transformer Market by Type (Dry Type Converter Transformer, Dry Type Rectifier Transformer), Cooling Type (Natural Air Cooling, Forced Air Cooling), Phase (Single Phase, Three Phase), Voltage (Low, Medium), End Use (Industrial, Commercial, Others), and Class (Class F and Class H): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2025-2034".According to the report, the cast resin dry type transformer market was valued at $4.6 billion in 2024, and is estimated to reach $8.7 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 6.7% from 2025 to 2034. Download PDF Brochure:?https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/A15001 Challenges and Management Strategies High initial installation and equipment costs significantly hamper the growth of the cast resin dry type transformer market. As compared to conventional oil-filled transformers, cast resin dry type transformers come with a higher upfront cost due to their complex manufacturing process, advanced insulation materials, and specialized design requirements. These transformers often require precise casting of epoxy resin under vacuum conditions and advanced technologies to ensure thermal and mechanical stability, which adds to production expenses. The increased capital investment can be a deterrent for cost-sensitive projects, particularly in developing regions or smaller-scale installations where budget constraints are a primary concern. In addition, while dry type transformers offer long-term operational benefits such as low maintenance and improved safety, the higher initial capital expenditure can dissuade utilities, contractors, and industrial players from adopting them, especially when immediate cost savings are prioritized over lifecycle value. The need for trained professionals for proper installation and the potential requirement for specialized enclosures or ventilation in certain applications can further inflate installation costs. This economic barrier limits widespread adoption, particularly in regions where government subsidies or incentives for clean and safe energy infrastructure are limited or absent. All these factors are expected to hamper the growth of the cast resin dry type transformer market. Report coverage & details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2025-2034 Base Year 2024 Market Size in 2024 $4.6 billion Market Size in 2034 $8.7 billion CAGR 6.7 % No. of Pages in Report 427 Segments Covered Type, Cooling Type, Phase, Voltage, End-Use, Class. Drivers Compact design and installation flexibility. Growing demand for renewable energy integration. Opportunity Expansion of renewable energy projects. Restraint High initial installation and equipment costs. Procure Complete Report (427 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @?https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/cast-resin-dry-type-transformer-market Governing Policies and Regulatory Impacts Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 - In India, these rules guide the safe disposal and handling of hazardous materials, which also extends to certain transformer components. For cast resin dry type transformers, which are known for being free from oil-based coolants, compliance with these rules ensures safer, cleaner operations and facilitates the use of eco-friendly materials, reinforcing their environmental advantages over conventional oil-filled transformers. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Framework - Although originally designed for sectors like packaging and electronics, the principles of EPR are increasingly influencing electrical equipment manufacturers. Transformer producers are gradually being encouraged to design for durability, recyclability, and minimal environmental impact, promoting the adoption of cast resin dry type transformers due to their ease of dismantling and environmentally safer composition. Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 - These rules support the efficient segregation, collection, and processing of waste, including electrical and electronic components. Cast resin dry type transformers, which generate less waste and avoid oil contamination, benefit from a regulatory landscape that promotes clean, easily recyclable infrastructure, boosting their appeal in urban and industrial applications. National Resource Efficiency Policy (NREP) - The NREP emphasizes efficient resource utilization and circular economy practices. Cast resin dry type transformers align well with these objectives through their low maintenance needs, long service life, and environmentally friendly construction. The policy encourages the adoption of such sustainable technologies in smart grids and energy infrastructure. Goods and Services Tax (GST) Reforms - The introduction of a unified GST regime simplifies procurement, installation, and servicing of electrical infrastructure across states. For cast resin dry type transformers, this reduces logistical and compliance burdens, making them a more cost-effective option for utilities and industries looking to adopt cleaner energy technologies. Electrical Safety and Fire Standards (BIS/IEC Guidelines) - Compliance with stringent safety standards such as BIS 11171 and IEC 60076-11 enhances the attractiveness of cast resin dry type transformers, which are inherently fire-resistant and safe for indoor use. These regulations favor transformers that minimize risk, particularly in hospitals, metros, high-rise buildings, and renewable energy projects. Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programs - Programs like the Perform, Achieve, and Trade (PAT) scheme by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) encourage industries to reduce specific energy consumption. Cast resin dry type transformers, known for low no-load losses and high efficiency, align with these objectives, supporting the shift toward greener electrical systems and reducing long-term operational costs. Urban Infrastructure and Smart Grid Policies - Government-led missions such as Smart Cities and Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) promote modern and efficient power distribution. These programs prioritize equipment that offers compact design, low maintenance, and safety making cast resin dry type transformers the preferred choice for urban installations and next-gen grid infrastructure. Growth Opportunities & Future Outlook The expansion of renewable energy projects creates significant opportunities for the cast resin dry type transformer market. As countries and energy companies push toward decarbonization and invest heavily in solar farms, wind parks, and hybrid renewable energy systems, the need for safe, reliable, and efficient power distribution infrastructure has grown substantially. Cast resin dry type transformers are particularly well-suited for these applications due to their oil-free design, which eliminates fire hazards and environmental risks, making them ideal for use in environmentally sensitive areas and outdoor installations. Furthermore, renewable energy sources are often installed in remote or harsh environments where maintenance access is challenging. The robust construction of cast resin dry type transformers allows them to operate efficiently under these conditions, offering excellent resistance to moisture, dust, and chemical pollutants. Their ability to handle fluctuating loads and short circuit conditions makes them compatible with the intermittent nature of renewable energy generation. As renewable projects continue to scale up globally with increasing support from government policies, subsidies, and private investments the demand for durable, low-maintenance, and eco-friendly transformers such as cast resin dry type models is poised to rise, presenting lucrative growth opportunities in the market. Connect To Industry Expert: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/A15001 Key Developments In August 2024, Hammond Power Solutions Inc., a leading manufacturer of dry-type, cast resin transformers, and related magnetics, announced its intention to increase its planned capital program by approximately $20 million over two years. In September 2024, Hitachi Ltd. announced an investment exceeding $200 million to expand its operations in Brazil, marking a significant step in its global $1.5 billion plan to boost transformer manufacturing capacity. This investment, revealed during the celebration of the company's 70th anniversary in Brazil, represents Hitachi Energy's largest single investment in the country to date. Leading Market Players: - Shneider Electric Siemens Energy Eaton Corporation Hitachi Ltd TOSHIBA CORPORATION Fuji Electric Co., Ltd CG Power & Industrial Solutions Ltd Kirloskar Electric Company Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited Hammond Power Solutions The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global cast resin dry type transformer industry. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others 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 showcase the competitive scenario. Trending Reports in Energy & Power Industry: India Cast Resin Dry Type Transformer Market Opportunity Analysis and Forecast 2025-2034 Transformer Bushings Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023 - 2033 KSA and MEA Dry Type Transformer Market: Opportunity and Industry Forecast, 2024-2033 Gas Insulated Transformer Market: Global Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2024 - 2033 Amorphous Core Power Transformers Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Forecast, 2024 - 2033 Distribution Transformer Market: Global Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023 - 2033 Voltage Transformer Market: Global Opportunity 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 help@alliedmarketresearch.com 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 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cast-resin-dry-type-transformer-market-to-reach-8-7-billion-globally-by-2034-at-6-7-cagr-allied-market-research-302584741.html AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global events are sparking strong interest in citizenship by investment (CIB) schemes, according to the director of one of the most recently introduced programs. CEO of the Nauru Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program Edward Clark said European and Middle Eastern conflicts and political turmoil in the US were some of the factors behind the spike. "Many people are currently feeling insecure about their place in the world, and are looking for alternative citizenship options," Mr Clark said. He said a US citizen recently applied to the Nauru program, while a European family recently granted Nauruan citizenship was looking for a second passport due to tensions in Europe, and was drawn to the Nauru program by a desire to support climate resilience initiatives. Nauru's Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program commenced earlier this year and offers visa-free travel to 89 countries, while allowing the investor to contribute to climate resilience and sustainable development in Nauru, named by the UN as the world's fifth most vulnerable country to economic and climate shock. CIB programs like that offered by Nauru are being seen as a vital backup even for holders of strong passports, according to Mr Clark. "Global volatility, policy shifts, and emergency scenarios make diversification through an additional passport a prudent move, so even citizens of European nations or the US are realising the importance of have a second citizenship as a safeguard. "As well, in the event of major geopolitical conflict such as a European escalation of the Ukraine-Russia war, a second citizenship may provide a fallback citizenship to avoid mandatory military service or conscription scenarios." He said citizens of countries with politically sensitive or restricted passports are looking for a more neutral passport alternative that allows for less scrutiny when traveling to jurisdictions where their primary passport may raise flags. However Mr Clark pointed out that entry isn't guaranteed. "Strict due diligence requirements including financial, police, and third-party checks underpin the integrity of the Nauru program and these are a strong value proposition for many people," he said. "Amid all the global uncertainty, people want to be assured they are investing in a robust program with strong safeguards for them and their family. "We're anticipating there will be strong ongoing interest in Nauru's program, particularly from those who want to support a small island nation to implement measures to combat economic vulnerability and climate change," he said. About the Nauru Economic & Climate Resilience Citizenship Program The Nauru Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program is designed to attract investors who are committed to contributing to the sustainable development of the Pacific island nation of Nauru. By participating in this program, applicants can secure a second citizenship while supporting the island's efforts to combat climate change and enhance economic resilience. http://www.ecrcp.gov.nr Media Contact: barbara@crcpr.com.au PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The bitumen market is driven by rapid urbanization, expanding road infrastructure projects, and growing demand for durable waterproofing solutions. Governments worldwide, especially in emerging economies, are investing heavily in highway and expressway construction, boosting bitumen consumption. Additionally, the rise in industrialization and commercial construction fuels demand for bitumen-based roofing and insulation materials. Technological advancements such as polymer-modified bitumen improve performance and extend lifespan, encouraging adoption. Moreover, rising vehicle ownership increases road maintenance needs, further supporting market growth. Environmental concerns are also prompting innovations in bio-based and recyclable bitumen alternatives. These combined factors such as government spending, infrastructure development, technological progress, and sustainability trends are expected to sustain strong demand in the global bitumen market over the coming years. Allied Market Research published a report, titled, 'Bitumen Market by Type (Paving Grade Bitumen, Oxidized Grade Bitumen, Polymer Modified Bitumen, Bitumen Emulsions, Others), by End-use Industry (Road Construction, Waterproofing, Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2025-2034'. According to the report, the 'bitumen market' was valued at $75.3 billion in 2024, and is estimated to reach $128.3 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 5.6% from 2025 to 2034. Download Sample Pages of Research Overview: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/1588 Prime determinants of growth The bitumen market is propelled by several key drivers. Rapid urbanization and infrastructure development, particularly in emerging economies like India, have significantly increased demand for bitumen in road construction and maintenance. Government initiatives such as the Bharatmala Project and the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana aim to expand and upgrade national highways and rural roads, further boosting bitumen consumption. Additionally, the growth of the automotive sector necessitates improved road networks, while bitumen's applications in waterproofing and roofing contribute to its demand in the construction industry. Technological advancements, including the development of polymer-modified bitumen and bio-based alternatives, enhance performance and align with environmental sustainability goals. However, the bitumen market faces several restraints. Price volatility, due to its derivation from crude oil, poses challenges for budgeting and project planning. Environmental concerns regarding greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants released during production have led to stricter regulations and increased scrutiny. Moreover, the availability of alternative materials like concrete and asphalt, which may offer longer lifespans and lower costs, presents competition. Quality control issues and the need for standardized regulations also impact the market's growth. Addressing these challenges through innovation and sustainable practices is crucial for the industry's continued expansion. Report Coverage & Details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2025-2034 Base Year 2024 Market Size in 2024 $75.3 billion Market Size in 2034 $128.3 billion CAGR 5.6 % No. of Pages in Report 328 Segments covered Type, End-Use Industry, and Region. Drivers - Growth of the construction and infrastructure sector - Increasing use of modified bitumen and bitumen emulsions - Geopolitical developments Opportunities Adoption of innovative and sustainable bitumen products Restraints - Environmental and regulatory challenges - Volatile pricing and dependency on crude oil - Rise of alternative materials and technologies The paving grade bitumen segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. Based on type, the paving grade bitumen segment accounted for the largest share in 2024, contributing to five-eight of the global bitumen market revenue. The demand for paving grade bitumen is rising due to several key factors. Rapid urbanization and infrastructure development, particularly in emerging economies like India, have significantly increased the need for durable road construction materials. Government initiatives such as the Bharatmala Project and the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana aim to expand and upgrade national highways and rural roads, further boosting bitumen consumption. Additionally, the growth of the automotive sector necessitates improved road networks, while bitumen's applications in waterproofing and roofing contribute to its demand in the construction industry. Technological advancements, including the development of polymer-modified bitumen, enhance performance and align with environmental sustainability goals. Moreover, the increasing adoption of electric vehicles, which are heavier than traditional vehicles, accelerates road wear and necessitates more frequent maintenance, thereby increasing the demand for paving grade bitumen. Request For Customization: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/1588 The road construction segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. Based on the end-use industry, the road construction segment accounted for the largest share in 2024, contributing to more than five-sevenths of the global bitumen market revenue. The demand for bitumen in road construction is increasing primarily due to rapid urbanization, infrastructure development, and the expansion of transportation networks, particularly in emerging economies. Governments across the globe are investing heavily in highway upgrades, expressway construction, and rural connectivity projects, all of which require large volumes of bitumen as a key binding material in asphalt mixtures. Bitumen's cost-effectiveness, water resistance, and durability under heavy traffic make it an ideal material for paving roads. Asia-Pacific to maintain its dominance by 2034 Based on region, Asia-Pacific held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2024, accounting for more than one-third of the global bitumen market and is projected to register the highest CAGR of 7.4% during the forecast period. The demand for bitumen in the Asia-Pacific region is increasing due to rapid urbanization, population growth, and aggressive infrastructure development across emerging economies such as India, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. These countries are investing heavily in road construction and maintenance projects to support expanding urban centers and improve rural connectivity. National initiatives like India's Bharatmala and Smart Cities Mission, along with China's Belt and Road Initiative, are driving massive demand for paving-grade bitumen. Additionally, the growth of the automotive and logistics sectors is creating a pressing need for durable transportation networks, further fueling bitumen consumption. Governments are prioritizing resilient infrastructure to withstand increasing climate variability, making bitumen a preferred material for its flexibility, water resistance, and cost efficiency. Furthermore, regional adoption of polymer-modified and environment-friendly bitumen variants is gaining momentum, aligning with sustainability goals while meeting performance demands in varied climatic conditions across Asia-Pacific. Leading Market Players: - Total Energies Royal Dutch Shell Plc Exxon Mobil Corporation Indian Oil Corporation Limited Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Sinopec Corp. RAHA Bitumen, Inc. Tiki Tar Industries India Limited The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global bitumen market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others 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 showcase the competitive scenario. Want to Access the Statistical Data and Graphs, Key Players' Strategies: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/bitumen-market/purchase-options Similar Reports Bitumen Emulsifiers Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021 - 2031 India Bitumen Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2024-2033 Polymer Emulsions Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022 - 2032 Waterproofing Products Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019 - 2033 Waterproofing Membrane Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022 - 2032 Polymer Bearing Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021 - 2031 Fluoropolymers Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023 - 2033 Polymeric Nanoparticles Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2030 Biodegradable Polymers Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2024 - 2033 About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. 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. Pawan Kumar, the CEO of Allied Market Research, is leading the organization toward providing high-quality data and insights. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa United States 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 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: www.alliedmarketresearch.com Allied Market Research Blog: https://blog.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow Us on | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bitumen-market-to-reach-128-3-billion-globally-by-2034-at-5-6-cagr-allied-market-research-302584789.html London, United Kingdom--(Newsfile Corp. - October 15, 2025) - Ideal Postcodes secured a favorable ruling from the High Court of England and Wales against Codeberry Limited (trading as GetAddress.io) for breaching its terms and conditions and infringing its database rights. Ideal Postcodes Wins High Court Ruling for Unlawful Data Use To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8530/270494_4f4962f13446fb59_001full.jpg The High Court found that, from 2015, the defendants downloaded a substantial part of the Ideal Postcodes' address database to construct a competing product marketed as GetAddress.io. This enabled GetAddress.io to operate in direct competition while avoiding the data-licence fees that compliant providers are required to pay. The High Court also determined that the defendants infringement fell into the category of cases where it was "deliberate, reckless or couldn't care less" and Ideal Postcodes is entitled to additional damages that go beyond what is ordinarily awarded. What this means Accurate and compliant address data underpins essential business operations - from deliveries and billing, to identity verification and regulatory compliance. Discovering that a supplier's database contains unlawfully sourced data exposes organisations to operational, legal, and reputational risk. The High Court's judgment validates Ideal Postcodes' intellectual property rights in its database and confirms the integrity of its data-licensing process, which upholds the rights of upstream data providers and ensures that every customer can rely on their address data with confidence. Christopher Blanchard, Founder of Ideal Postcodes said: "This ruling provides essential market clarity. It underscores the critical importance of trust and transparency, and the need for a provider that understands and respects data licensing. Ideal Postcodes' approach has been validated by the High Court to protect both customers and data vendors, and our focus is on providing the secure and compliant platform our customers need to operate with total peace of mind." Ideal Postcodes is now assisting organisations affected by GetAddress' actions, as well as those wishing to review their data supply chain or migrate to a compliant address data solution. Those impacted by this judgment who have concerns about their address data can contact support@ideal-postcodes.co.uk. The court ruling can be accessed here. About Ideal Postcodes Ideal Postcodes is a leading provider of address validation services, offering businesses accurate, up-to-date address data solutions. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270494 SOURCE: GYT The number of middle-aged women practicing yoga and Pilates has increased, and many of them value their health more than appearance. Additionally, more men are taking Pilates because they understand its benefits for strengthening their core and preventing injuries. They are frequently introduced to practice by their partners. WILMINGTON, Del. , Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Pilates & Yoga Studios Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2025-2035", valued at $120.88 Billion in 2024. With a projected CAGR of 14.3% from 2025 to 2035, the market is expected to reach $520,615.2 million by the end of 2035. The adoption of online classes and virtual memberships has expanded the reach of studios beyond physical locations, catering to clients who prefer home-based workouts. Download Sample Pages of Research Overview:https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/4310 Market Introduction Rise in consumer awareness of health and wellbeing has led to an increase in demand for Pilates and yoga facilities in recent years. Both yoga and Pilates, which are renowned for their holistic advantages, have become quite popular as they enhance mental health, physical fitness, and lifestyle. Stress-related diseases, sedentary lifestyles, and rise in need for customized exercise programs have all contributed to the demand for these studios. Studios are now able to reach a larger audience owing to technological improvements like online subscriptions and virtual classes that have increased accessibility. The sector has grown as a result of corporate wellness initiatives and the incorporation of mindfulness techniques into popular workout treatments. Working professionals, millennials, and older populations looking for low impact, but efficient exercise options are expected to drive the growth of the market. Geographically, the market is dominated by North America and Europe owing to their developed fitness sectors and high levels of disposable income. However, rise in health-conscious population and urbanization, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness growth in the market. The market is also seeing innovations like hybrid fitness studios that combine high-intensity exercises, yoga, and Pilates to accommodate a range of consumers' interests. The market for Pilates and yoga studios will be influenced by innovation and service diversity as demand increases. Report Overview: The Pilates & yoga studios market is analyzed on the basis of activity type and region. On the basis of activity, it is categorized into yoga classes, Pilates classes, Pilates & yoga accreditation training, and merchandise sales. Region-wise, it is analyzed across North America (the U.S., Canada, and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, and the rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, and rest of Asia-Pacific), and LAMEA (Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and rest of LAMEA). By activity type, the yoga classes segment dominated the global Pilates & yoga studios market in 2024 and is anticipated to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. Report Coverage & Details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2025-2035 Base Year 2024 Market Size in 2024 $120.88 Billion Market Size in 2034 $520.61 Billion CAGR 14.3 % No. of Pages in Report 259 Segments Covered Activity Type and Region Target Region / Countries North America (the U.S., Canada, and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, and the rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, and the rest of Asia-Pacific), and LAMEA (Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and rest of LAMEA) Drivers Rising Adoption of Boutique Fitness Studios Celebrity Endorsements & Social Media Influence Government Initiatives & Health Programs Opportunity Integration of AI & Wearable Tech Expansion into Corporate Wellness Programs Restraint High Membership Costs Competition from Alternative Fitness Regimens Factors Affecting Market Growth & Opportunities: The market for Pilates and yoga studios is expanding significantly due to growing interest in physical fitness, stress reduction, and holistic wellness. Yoga and Pilates are in high demand as low-impact workout options that enhance flexibility, strength, and mental health due to consumers' growing health consciousness, especially in urban areas. The market growth is driven by rise in use of digital fitness solutions, such as on-demand and virtual classes, which make sessions available outside of actual studio locations. Technology integration also improves user engagement by delivering customized workout experiences through wearable fitness trackers and smartphone apps. A wide audience has been attracted to studios that provide specialist classes like therapeutic Pilates, prenatal yoga, and fusion workouts due to the rise of boutique fitness trends and premium wellness services. In addition, as organizations prioritize the productivity and well-being of their workforce, yoga, and Pilates are becoming more integrated into corporate wellness programs. Rise in disposable incomes and increase in demand for wellness travel make emerging economies, especially in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, attractive prospects. The market for Pilates and yoga studios is positioned as a dynamic and changing business owing to the emergence of franchise models and alliances with high-end hotels and fitness companies. Buy This Research Report (259 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures): https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/16f038ce6a34e558f748d10133bc1dbe Major Challenges in Industry & Solutions: High operating expenses, market saturation, and challenges with customer retention are major factors hampering the Pilates and yoga studio market. Profitability can be challenged by hiring top-notch teachers, renting desirable spaces, and purchasing specialist equipment, particularly for small studios. Urban market saturation intensifies competitiveness, making it more challenging to attract and keep customers. Attendance and revenue at the studio are further impacted by economic downturns and unanticipated disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic. Studios can use flexible pricing structures to address these challenges by providing virtual sessions, class packages, and membership tiers to accommodate a range of spending levels and tastes. Brand visibility can be increased, and new customers may be attracted through strategic alliances with fitness influencers, corporate wellness initiatives, and medical professionals. Personalized training plans, community-building activities, and loyalty programs are examples of strategies for retention that support sustaining client involvement. In addition, service diversification guarantees flexibility in response to market developments by introducing online courses, wellness workshops, and hybrid models. Studios can prosper despite industry problems by utilizing social media marketing and investing in top-notch instructors, which further enhances competitive positioning. Regional Insights Growing health consciousness, increased disposable incomes, and growing desire for holistic wellness practices have all contributed to the market for Pilates and yoga studios' continuous expansion on a global scale. Due to widespread use of fitness activities, availability of well-established studios, and rise in demand for individualized training plans, North America leads the market regionally. With high concentration of high-end studios in large cities like New York and Los Angeles, the U.S. dominates the market in the region. Europe with nations like the UK, Germany, and France, is witnessing notable market growth as a result of rise in health-conscious consumers and business wellness programs. Government support for physical well-being and the existence of well-known fitness brands further contribute to the region's market expansion. China, Japan, India, and Australia are developing as major markets in the Asia-Pacific region, which is seeing significant market expansion. Major drivers fueling market expansion include a rise in urban population, increase in disposable income, and consumers' inclination for wellness-oriented lifestyles. In addition, the development of boutique fitness studios and the incorporation of digital platforms for online instruction are influencing market developments in the LAMEA region. Demand is also rising in the Middle East and Africa, especially in South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, where high-end fitness services and wellness experiences are becoming more well-liked. Pilates and yoga are becoming more and more popular in this region as a result of government programs encouraging physical fitness and the impact of Western fitness trends. The market in Latin America is expanding, with yoga and Pilates becoming more popular in countries like Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina as part of wellness and lifestyle trends. Affordability issues and economic volatility continue to be obstacles, although social media influence and rise in urbanization are promoting development. Technological innovations like AI-driven personalized fitness treatments, on-demand virtual classes, and smart wearables integration are improving client engagement in every location. Enquiry Before Buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/4310 Key Players: Product innovation and sustainability initiatives are key strategies in the Pilates & yoga studios market from 2022-2024. For example, an Indian yoga company called Sarva Yoga raised money from international investors to open more physical studios and increase its digital yoga offerings in Tier 1 cities to serve the growing number of urbanites who are concerned about their well-being. The major players in the Pilates & yoga studios industry include Fitness Firm Yoga and Pilates Studio LLC, Alona Pilates, Body and Soul Yoga Club, Core Pilates, Core Studio Pilates & Yoga LLC, M PilatesYoga, Authentic Pilates Ltd., Pilates Plus, Flex Studio, and Fitness Unlimited. Key Strategies Adopted by Competitors In March 2024, the leading boutique fitness company, Xponential Fitness Inc. mentioned that it is expanding its Club Pilates facilities throughout several states, with an emphasis on incorporating AI-driven customized training regimens to improve customer service. In January 2024, Alibaba Health and Pure Yoga, a yoga company located in Hong Kong, partnered to provide its customers with AI-powered health tracking that lets them track their progress and personalize their yoga practices. In November 2023, the growing fitness studio chain, Keepland added more Pilates and yoga studios in Beijing and Shanghai, incorporating WeChat Mini Programs for easy class scheduling and online training. In December 2023, KX Pilates, a well-known reformer Pilates company in Australia, announced intentions to launch additional studios in Singapore and Malaysia as part of its entry into the Southeast Asian market to capitalize on the region's increasing need for premium exercise experiences. Explore AMR's Extensive ongoing Coverage on Consumer and Goods Domain: Yoga Mat Market : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019 - 2026 Yoga Market : Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2027 Sports and Fitness Clothing Market : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023 - 2032 Fitness Equipment Market : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017 - 2033 Sports Apparel Market : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022 - 2032 Sports Events Market : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031 Event Services Market : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031 Tourism Event Market : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022 - 2032 U.S. Event Services Market : Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 Outbound MICE Market : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021 - 2031 Event Pro-Av Services Market : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021 - 2031 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 end-to-end solutions along with information, education, advocacy, and networking resources to SMEs and early-stage start-ups to bring excellence to their processes. In addition, we offer a nurturing environment required to develop and grow businesses, including business planning; virtual support; market intelligence; acquiring resources; and getting direct access to finance, suppliers, and other experts to boost the growth of businesses and entrepreneurs. Our bundled and hassle-free business support systems are customized to meet the needs of SME consultants and industry leaders. Moreover, our large network of skilled consultants and experts helps start-ups get the business on a roll. To find out more, visit www.alliedmarketresearch.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: 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 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: www.alliedmarketresearch.com Allied Market Research Blog: https://blog.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow Us on | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/the-pilates--yoga-studios-market-to-reach-120-88-billion-by-2025-in-the-short-term-and-520-61-billion-by-2035-globally-at-14-3-cagr-allied-market-research-302584883.html Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania--(Newsfile Corp. - October 15, 2025) - Montour Oral Surgery, a new state-of-the-art oral and maxillofacial surgery practice, announced its official opening in January 2025. Located at 4955 Steubenville Pike #361, the clinic is founded by Dr. George Tunder, a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon with a distinguished military background and extensive experience in private practice. The clinic aims to provide the Pittsburgh community with high-quality, patient-centered surgical care in a comfortable and compassionate environment. Montour Oral Surgery Opens in Pittsburgh to Provide Premier Oral and Maxillofacial Care To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10740/270528_figure1.jpg Montour Oral Surgery offers a comprehensive range of services, including dental implants, wisdom teeth removal, bone grafting, surgical extractions, and IV sedation. The practice is equipped with the latest technology to ensure patient safety and comfort, addressing a critical need for specialized oral surgery services in the region. The clinic's mission is to address pain caused by problematic teeth and restore function and confidence by replacing missing teeth. Dr. Tunder, a graduate of Montour High School and the University of Pittsburgh Dental School, brings a wealth of experience to the practice. He completed his specialized training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in the United States Air Force and served as the Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Barksdale AFB, LA. Dr. Tunder is a diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and is committed to providing the highest level of patient care. Montour Oral Surgery is a premier oral and maxillofacial surgery practice located in Pittsburgh, PA. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10740/270528_figure2.jpg "I am thrilled to open Montour Oral Surgery in my home town of Pittsburgh, PA," said Dr. Tunder. "Our goal is to create a practice where patients feel comfortable and confident in the care they receive. We are committed to using the latest advancements in oral surgery to ensure the best possible outcomes for our patients. As a veteran, I am also proud to offer exclusive discounts to fellow veterans as a token of our appreciation for their service." Montour Oral Surgery is now accepting new patients. To schedule a consultation or for more information, please call (412) 547-9219 or visit the clinic's website at https://montouroralsurgery.com/. About Montour Oral Surgery Montour Oral Surgery is a premier oral and maxillofacial surgery practice located in Pittsburgh, PA. Founded by Dr. George Tunder, the clinic is dedicated to providing a comprehensive range of surgical services in a patient-centered environment. The practice is built on a foundation of personal attention, surgical expertise, and a caring approach, utilizing state-of-the-art equipment to ensure the highest standards of safety and efficiency. For more information, visit https://montouroralsurgery.com/. Media Contact To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10740/270528_figure3.png To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270528 SOURCE: GetFeatured Alcoholic hepatitis treatment involves managing liver inflammation caused by excessive alcohol intake. Key approaches include immediate alcohol cessation, nutritional support, corticosteroid therapy, and in severe cases, liver transplantation. Early diagnosis and medical intervention play a critical role in improving outcomes and preventing liver failure. Treatment is tailored based on disease severity and patient health, emphasizing long-term abstinence and supportive care. WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Alcoholic Hepatitis Treatment Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2025-2034", valued at $668.44 million in 2024, is poised for significant growth. With a projected CAGR of 4.7% from 2025 to 2034, the market is expected to reach $1,064.98 million by the end of 2034. The alcoholic hepatitis treatment market is driven by the rising prevalence of alcohol-related liver diseases and increasing awareness of early diagnosis and management. Request Sample of the Report on Alcoholic Hepatitis Treatment Market Forecast 2034 - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/A234521 Market Introduction The alcoholic hepatitis treatment market focuses on therapies addressing inflammation of the liver caused by excessive alcohol intake. This condition ranges from mild to severe, potentially leading to liver failure. Treatment typically includes corticosteroids, nutritional support, and abstinence from alcohol, with liver transplantation as an option in critical cases. Recent developments highlight growing research into novel therapeutics such as interleukin inhibitors and gut microbiota modulators. Key events include increased clinical trials on targeted biologics and stem cell therapies. Additionally, rising global alcohol consumption and liver disease prevalence are fueling market growth. Supportive government policies and rising healthcare investments further encourage research and innovation in this domain. Report Overview The alcoholic hepatitis treatment market is segmented on the basis of treatment, route of administration, distribution channel, and region. By treatment, the market is segregated into corticosteroids, hemorroheologic agents, and others. By route of administration, the market is classified into oral and injectable. By distribution channel, the market is categorized into hospital pharmacies, drug stores & retail pharmacies, and online providers. Region-wise, the market is analyzed across North America (the U.S., Canada, and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, and rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, and rest of Asia-Pacific), and LAMEA (Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Rest of LAMEA) By treatment, the corticosteroids segment dominated the global alcoholic hepatitis treatment market in 2024 and is anticipated to be the fastest-growing segment during the forecast period. By route of administration, oral segment dominated the global market in 2024. However, the injectable segment is anticipated to be the fastest-growing segment during the forecast period. By distribution channel, the drug stores and retail pharmacies segment dominated the global market in 2024. However, the online providers segment is anticipated to be the fastest-growing segment during the forecast period. Region-wise, North America dominated the market in terms of revenue in 2024. However, Asia-Pacific is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Report Coverage & Details Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2025-2034 Base Year 2024 Market Size in 2024 $668.44 million Market Size in 2034 $1,064.98 million CAGR 4.7 % No. of Pages in Report 299 Segments Covered Treatment, Route of Administration, Distribution Channel, and Region Target Region / Countries North America (the U.S., Canada, and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, and rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, and rest of Asia-Pacific), and LAMEA (Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Rest of LAMEA) Drivers Rise in prevalence of alcohol-related liver diseases Increase in research funding Growing awareness and early diagnosis Opportunity Expanding clinical trials and research initiatives Restraint Limited approved treatment options Want to Explore More, Connect to our Analyst - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/A234521 Market Growth & Opportunities Factors The alcoholic hepatitis treatment market is witnessing steady growth, driven by several influential factors. One of the primary drivers is the increasing global prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD), which significantly raises the risk of alcoholic hepatitis. In addition, with growing public health focus and government intervention, many countries launch awareness campaigns and funding research programs to combat liver diseases associated with alcohol misuse. In 2024, the American Liver Foundation (ALF) awarded $950,000 to support 20 early-career scientists through its Liver Scholar and Postdoctoral Research Fellowship programs. The funding included two $225,000 Liver Scholar Awards, seven $25,000 Postdoctoral Fellowships, and eight Pilot Research Awards targeting PSC, AIH, and BA. These initiatives aim to advance understanding and treatment of chronic liver diseases affecting over 100 million Americans. In terms of opportunities, the first lies in the development of targeted biologic therapies that address the inflammatory pathways specific to alcoholic hepatitis. Pharmaceutical companies are investing in clinical trials of monoclonal antibodies and cytokine inhibitors such as anti-TNF and IL-1 blockers to reduce liver inflammation more effectively. A second opportunity exists in the integration of personalized medicine approaches, where genetic and metabolic profiling could guide treatment decisions for improved patient outcomes. For instance, identifying patients with a high genetic predisposition to corticosteroid non-responsiveness can help tailor alternative treatments. The third opportunity is the expansion into emerging markets, particularly in Asia-Pacific and LAMEA, where alcohol consumption trends are rising, and healthcare infrastructure is evolving. These regions present untapped potential due to a growing middle-class population and increased government investment in healthcare. Collectively, these dynamics signal a progressive shift in alcoholic hepatitis treatment from conventional methods to a more precise, research-driven therapeutic landscape. Major Challenges in Industry & Solutions One key restraint in the alcoholic hepatitis treatment market is the limited availability of effective and approved pharmacological therapies. Currently, corticosteroids remain the standard treatment, yet they are not effective for all patients and can lead to severe side effects such as infections or gastrointestinal bleeding. A potential solution lies in accelerating research and regulatory approval for novel drug classes such as interleukin inhibitors and gut microbiome-based therapies, which target inflammation and liver regeneration more precisely. Another major restraint is poor patient compliance and delayed diagnosis, often due to social stigma, denial of alcohol dependence, or lack of access to healthcare services. Many patients present only in the advanced stages of liver disease, which limits treatment effectiveness. For instance, patients in rural or underserved regions may delay seeking care until liver function has significantly deteriorated. To address this, community-based intervention programs, increased public awareness, and improved access to screening services are essential. Mobile health clinics and telemedicine platforms can play a vital role in reaching high-risk populations early, improving compliance and treatment outcomes. Overcoming these restraints is crucial to enhancing the overall management and prognosis of alcoholic hepatitis. For Purchase Related Queries/Inquiry - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/A234521 Regional Insights North America dominated the alcoholic hepatitis treatment market, driven by high alcohol consumption rates, a strong healthcare infrastructure, and active research initiatives. The U.S. leads the region due to extensive funding and support from government and private institutions. Drivers for the region include advanced diagnostic technologies, availability of liver specialists, and favorable reimbursement policies. Restraints include treatment cost and patient reluctance due to social stigma. However, opportunities are rising in the form of biologic drug development and collaborations between research institutions. For instance, in November 2022, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced plans to focus development of its next-generation FXR agonist, INT-787, in severe alcohol-associated hepatitis (sAH). Alcohol-related liver disease is currently the leading indication for liver transplant listing in the U.S., with a marked increase in patients with sAH needing liver transplantation. Europe is the second-largest region in the alcoholic hepatitis treatment market, supported by increased alcohol consumption and rising cases of liver-related complications. Countries such as Germany, France, and the UK are key contributors. Drivers include a high prevalence of alcoholic liver disease (ALD), strong public health systems, and active participation in global liver research initiatives. Restraints involve regional disparities in access to care and limited public awareness in rural areas. The market also faces challenges in the adoption of innovative treatments due to strict regulatory requirements. Nevertheless, opportunities are present through EU-funded research grants and pan-European healthcare collaboration programs aimed at liver disease management. In 2025, The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe and the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) launched the European Health Alliance on Alcohol-a collaborative initiative uniting health professional societies to strengthen awareness and implement evidence-based policies across Europe. The Asia-Pacific region is experiencing the fastest growth in the alcoholic hepatitis treatment market, largely due to increasing alcohol consumption, improving healthcare infrastructure, and rising awareness of liver diseases. Countries such as China and India are emerging as key markets. Drivers include growing government initiatives, expanding access to healthcare that enable more patients to seek advanced treatment. Restraints involve limited awareness in rural populations and a shortage of specialized liver care facilities. However, opportunities exist in the form of public-private partnerships and the adoption of telemedicine and mobile health services to reach remote areas. Key Players Between 2022 and 2025, product launch and product approval have emerged as the most prominent activities in the alcoholic hepatitis treatment market, enabling key players to expand their offerings and strengthen their market position. For instance, in January 2024, ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the launch of Pentoxifylline Extended-Release (ER) Tablets, USP 400mg. Major Global Key Players - ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Pfizer Inc., Viatris Inc., Advacare Pharma Inc., Aurobindo Pharma, Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc., Taj Pharma Group, Apotex Inc., Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Key Strategies Adopted by Competitors In December 2024, Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced the FDA has approved a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for its Acetadote (N-acetylcysteine for injection) product. Acetadote is an intravenous (IV) formulation of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) indicated to prevent or lessen liver injury after ingestion of potentially toxic quantities of acetaminophen. In November 2022, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced plans to focus development of its next-generation FXR agonist, INT-787, in severe alcohol-associated hepatitis (sAH). Alcohol-related liver disease is currently the leading indication for liver transplant listing in the U.S., with a marked increase in patients with sAH needing liver transplantation. Currently, there are no medicines with an approved indication to treat sAH. In November 2023, DURECT Corporation, a late-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of epigenetic therapies to transform the treatment of serious and life-threatening conditions, including acute organ injury and cancer announced topline results from its AHFIRM trial, a Phase2brandomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the safety and efficacy of larsucosterol in 307 patients with severe alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH). AVENUE- A Subscription-Based Library (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) Offered by Allied Market Research: AMR introduces its online premium subscription-based library on Avenue, designed specifically to offer cost-effective, one-stop solutions for enterprises, investors, and universities. With Avenue, subscribers can avail themselves of an entire repository of reports on more than 2,000 niche industries and more than 12,000 company profiles. Moreover, users can get online access to quantitative and qualitative data in PDF and Excel formats along with analyst support, customization, and updated versions of reports. Get access to the library of reports at any time from any device and anywhere. For more details, follow the link: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access About Allied Market Research: 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 in making strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domains. AMR offers its services across 11 industry verticals including Life Sciences, Consumer Goods, Materials & Chemicals, Construction & Manufacturing, Food & Beverages, Energy & Power, Semiconductor & Electronics, Automotive & Transportation, ICT & Media, Aerospace & Defense, and BFSI. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies, and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. 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Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 Int'l: +1-503-894-6022 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1-855-550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/alcoholic-hepatitis-treatment-market-to-reach-772-7-million-by-2027-in-the-short-term-and-1-064-98-million-by-2034-globally-at-4-7-cagr-allied-market-research-302584815.html Transformative Affordable Housing Development is Part of a Multi-Phase Housing Initiative in West O'ahu HONOLULU, HAWAII / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / The Hawai?i Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) has awarded financing through its Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program to the first phase of Leiwili Kapolei , a new mixed-use, mixed-income community being developed in partnership by ?Ikenakea Development and The Michaels Organization . The award marks a key milestone in advancing one of West O?ahu's most transformative affordable housing initiatives. Leiwili Kapolei Rendering of the First Phase of a Transformative Affordable Housing Development in West O'ahu (courtesy of Lowney Architects) This first phase will comprise two, five-story mid-rise buildings, featuring 342 new rental apartment homes, which will serve households earning between 30 percent and 60 percent of the Area Median Income. Each of the midrise buildings center around courtyards, a design that promotes community connections and outside gatherings. Both buildings will offer apartments in floorplans for one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Residents will also have access to community-based supportive services from the non-profit organization Better Tomorrows , which offers a variety of programs centered on academic support, financial literacy, health and wellness, job readiness, and social engagement. "This award represents an important step forward in kicking off the project," said Keegan Flaherty of ?Ikenakea Development, a company steering several affordable housing projects throughout the state. "We are deeply grateful to HHFDC for their continued commitment to supporting local partnerships that bring attainable homes to Hawai?i's residents. Honored that HHFDC selected us to steward this new development and awarded the funding needed to help house hundreds of families." The Michaels Organization, a national leader in residential real estate, joins ?Ikenakea as co-developer on the project. "We appreciate the tremendous support of this much-needed development and look forward to developing the 'Northwest Corner' into a beautiful community that offers affordable, sustainable housing to families with low and moderate incomes - in this phase and the planned future phases," said Michaels Vice President of Development Daniel Simonich. The 4% LIHTC award will unlock the first phase of Leiwili Kapolei, which will include 342 affordable rental homes for households earning between 30% and 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Additional financing awarded through HHFDC included a $119.2 million loan from the Rental Housing Revolving Fund (RHRF), $130 million in Hula Mae Multi-Family tax-exempt bonds, and $9,291,310 million in both annual state and federal low-income housing tax credits. Construction is anticipated to begin in late 2026, with completion targeted for the end of 2028. Leiwili Kapolei is a master-planned development that, when fully complete, will feature up to 900 new affordable and workforce rental and for-sale housing, as well as up to 95,000 square feet of versatile commercial space. The Kapolei development will span almost 20 acres, offering green space as well as amenities such as walking trails. Leiwili Kapolei will feature sustainable design principles, pedestrian-friendly streets, and access to transit, aligning with the State's long-term goals for smart growth and environmental stewardship. Designed as an "urban village," the development reflects the meaning of its name - "Leiwili," symbolizing the weaving together of people, housing, and commerce into a connected and sustainable community. HHFDC Executive Director Dean Minakami said that the Corporation is pleased to be able to support Leiwili as it reaches this milestone. "Leiwili Kapolei marks the completion of the 888-acre Villages of Kapolei community, which HHFDC initiated in the 1990s," Minakami said. "We can think of no better use for this last, major undeveloped piece of the Villages of Kapolei than to serve the needs of kama?aina in search of a quality yet affordable place they can call home." In addition to providing much-needed affordable housing, Leiwili Kapolei is envisioned as a vibrant mixed-use community that will eventually include neighborhood-serving commercial and retail spaces. These elements are designed to seamlessly integrate with the surrounding community, creating a walkable, connected environment that meets the daily needs of residents and local businesses. The retail component is planned to advance alongside the first phase of affordable rental housing, ensuring that essential goods and services are available as the community grows. Looking ahead, future phases will introduce a mix of workforce rental and for-sale housing aimed at Hawai?i's "missing middle" - households who earn too much to qualify for low-income housing but not enough to afford market-rate homes. This balanced approach will help create a truly inclusive community that supports residents across a range of income levels. To find out more, please visit https://www.leiwilikapolei.com/ . The Michaels Organization is the largest, privately held owner of affordable housing in the country, and has been developing and managing affordable housing in Hawaii for more than a decade. ?Ikenakea Development is one of the state's most renowned developers, with deep experience in residential, retail, and mixed-use development. Lowney Architects is serving as the architect on the $244 million development and Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc. will serve as the General Contractor. Michaels will also provide property and asset management services to the community once construction is complete. About The Michaels Organization Michaels is a national leader in residential real estate, offering full-service capabilities in development, property and asset management, construction, and investment. Serving more than 200,000 residents in more than 600 communities across 39 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Michaels is committed to crafting housing solutions that jumpstart education, civic engagement and neighborhood prosperity, and to creating Communities That Lift Lives. About ?Ikenakea Development ?Ikenakea is a Hawaii-based real estate development company dedicated to creating vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive communities across the islands. With a focus on affordable and workforce housing, as well as commercial and hospitality development, ?Ikenakea strives to deliver projects that honor Hawaii's culture, reflect community values, and address the urgent need for housing that local families can afford. SOURCE: The Michaels Organization View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/real-estate/the-hawaii-housing-and-finance-corporation-awards-state-and-federal-tax-credits-to-firs-1086959 CGTN published an article on Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping and UNESCO special envoy for the advancement of girls' and women's education, and UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous, attending an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls in Beijing. Through highlighting Peng's remarks at the event and introducing China's efforts to empower women and girls through technology, the article stresses the country's call for creating a future full of opportunities in the digital intelligence era and promoting the global advancement of women. BEIJING, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Professor Wang Xiaoyun from Tsinghua University was honored as one of the five laureates at the 2025 L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards in May for her significant contributions to cryptography and cryptographic mathematics. UNESCO noted that Wang's transformative research has inspired many women to pursue careers in mathematics and cybersecurity. Wang is a trailblazer among the roughly 40 million female science and technology workers in the country, whose contributions are visible across major national projects and cutting-edge fields. Together, they make up nearly half of China's total sci-tech workforce. "China's push to develop digital and intelligent technologies is reshaping the lifestyles of women and girls, creating broader development opportunities for them in the era of digital intelligence," said Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Tuesday. Peng, a UNESCO special envoy for the advancement of girls' and women's education, made the remarks during a visit with UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous to an exhibition in Beijing showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. Empowering women and girls through technology In line with the rapid growth of digital technology and digital economy, China has introduced initiatives such as a guideline to promote digital technologies in rural areas and an action plan to improve digital literacy and skills, including efforts to promote education and skills training for women. For example, more women in rural areas, with intensive training in e-commerce, are embracing the digital economy and playing a distinctive role in China's efforts to lift people out of poverty and revitalize rural areas. Statistics show that women now make up over half of entrepreneurs in China's internet sector. In China, women now make up more than half of all higher education students and about 43 percent of the workforce, with their influence increasing in areas such as management, science, business, and sports. Peng said that she looks forward to working together with everyone to create a future full of opportunities in the digital intelligence era and to promote the global advancement of women. Promoting women's development globally From vision to action, China has consistently promoted the global effort for women's development, demonstrating its commitment as a major country to empower women worldwide. China has trained over 200,000 women from more than 180 countries and regions, conducted over 100 specialized training programs for women and children in Global South countries, and established the Global Exchange and Cooperation Center for Digital Empowerment of Women to promote digital literacy and economic opportunities for women worldwide. As an active supporter of women's causes, China has donated $20 million to UN Women since 2015. In collaboration with UNESCO, it created the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education and funded projects in Africa that promote digital and health education for girls. Through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China has implemented women-focused projects worth over $40 million in more than 20 countries. Commending China's impressive achievements in closing the digital gender gap, supporting the comprehensive development of women, and safeguarding women's rights and interests, Bahous urged the international community to collaborate in empowering women and girls to achieve full development in the age of digital intelligence. For more information, please click: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-10-14/Peng-Liyuan-urges-more-opportunities-for-women-girls-via-technology-1HsM1teKs24/p.html Contact: CGTN Email: jiang.simin@cgtn.com Record Buyer Attendance Expected, Representing Leading Pizzerias from Over 30 States East of the Rockies ORLANDO, FL / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / The Pizza Tomorrow Summit returns to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, November 11-13, 2025, bringing together pizzeria owners, operators, and industry professionals for three jam-packed days of innovation, education, and culinary excitement. Produced by Restaurant Events, LLC, the Summit, named one of Trade Show Executive Magazine's Fastest 50 Growing Trade Shows two consecutive years, will once again be co-located with the Florida Restaurant Show, offering attendees double the access and opportunity with one registration. "Florida has become one of the most dynamic regions for restaurant growth. According to CNBC, Florida is a Top 3 state for business and boasts the #1 economy in the nation," said Glenn Celentano, CEO of Restaurant Events, LLC. "We're drawing buyers from more than 30 states stretching from the Great Lakes to the Gulf and New England to Florida - virtually every state east of the Rockies- cementing Pizza Tomorrow Summit as the premier event for pizzeria owners in the eastern two-thirds of the country. They see the value in connecting, learning, and doing business in Orlando. Between the Pizza Tomorrow Summit and the Florida Restaurant Show, attendees gain unmatched access to ideas, products, and connections that can transform their operations." One of the Summit's most anticipated attractions is the 4th Annual Galbani Professionale Pizza Cup & Acrobatic Trials (GPPC)-a high-energy competition that showcases some of America's most talented pizzaioli and dough athletes. The event combines culinary mastery with jaw-dropping acrobatics, offering attendees a front-row seat to the artistry and excitement of pizza-making at its finest. Competitors will face off in divisions such as Pizza Classica, Pizza in Teglia, Pizza a Due, and Young Pizza Maker, alongside thrilling acrobatic events that highlight the creativity, skill, and community spirit of the craft. Winners will earn coveted trips to Italy to represent the U.S. Pizza Team on the international stage. Registration is open at www.uspizzateam.com/gppc25. "We're thrilled to welcome the U.S. Pizza Team back to the Pizza Tomorrow Summit," added Celentano. "Each year, the passion, precision, and talent they bring perfectly capture the energy of this event-celebrating the craft, creativity, and community that make the pizza industry so special." This year's event will feature live demonstrations and competitions by the U.S. Pizza Team, whose world-class pizzaiolos will showcase their talents in dough tossing, fastest pizza making, and creative culinary artistry. Attendees can watch these pizza pros in action, gain insights into advanced techniques, and be inspired by the passion and precision behind every perfect pie. The 2025 Pizza Tomorrow Summit will feature 300+ exhibitors showcasing the latest products, equipment, ingredients, technology, and services designed to help pizzeria and restaurant operators thrive in today's competitive marketplace. With triple the number of exhibitors from previous years, attendees will explore a vast range of solutions from hundreds of vendors, a robust conference program designed to help businesses start or scale, and an array of entertaining and educational pizza competitions and demonstrations. Pizzeria operators face constant challenges-from shifting consumer preferences to rising costs. Staying competitive means embracing innovation and keeping pace with new technologies and trends. To help industry professionals meet these challenges, attendees will have access to 40+ hours of complimentary education, featuring sessions on: Menu innovation and cost management Staffing and retention strategies Technology and online ordering solutions Sustainability and ingredient sourcing Growth and franchising opportunities Event Details: Pizza Tomorrow Summit & Florida Restaurant Show Dates: November 11-13, 2025 Location: Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL Website: www.pizzatomorrow.com Registration: Purchase a badge before October 25 for a $20 discount using code ORLANDO20 Registration for general admission includes exhibits, education sessions, and competitions. Specialty workshops require separate registration. Visit the Pizza Tomorrow Summit and Florida Restaurant Show websites for full program details, exhibitor listings, and sponsorship opportunities. The Pizza Tomorrow Summit and Florida Restaurant Show are owned by Restaurant Events, LLC, which also produces the New York Restaurant Show and the California Restaurant Show. Together, these events deliver access to the hottest menu trends, state-of-the-art equipment, and the best in business education, serving restaurant and foodservice professionals across all segments of the industry. Follow on social media: @pizzatomorrowsummit and @floridarestaurantshow (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram). # # # For further information, contact: Amy Riemer, Media Relations 978-502-4895 (cell) amy@riemercommunications.com SOURCE: Pizza Tomorrow Summit View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/food-and-beverage-products/pizza-tomorrow-summit-one-of-the-nations-fastest-growing-trade-events-re-1087184 ARMONK (dpa-AFX) - In order to fortify its recently launched Airtel Cloud platform, Bharti Airtel and International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) announced Wednesday that they have formed a strategic alliance. The partnership blends IBM's cutting-edge cloud, artificial intelligence, and hybrid computing technologies with Airtel's safe, telco-grade cloud infrastructure. IBM Power systems as a Service, including next-generation AI-ready Power11 servers, will be made available to Airtel Cloud customers through this partnership, supporting mission-critical workloads in the government, healthcare, and banking industries. With new multizone areas planned in Chennai and Mumbai, the partnership will increase Airtel's availability zones in India from four to ten. IBM and Airtel want to help businesses in regulated sectors modernize effectively, use AI in hybrid settings, and safely accelerate digital transformation. IBM Is currently trading at $284.38, up $8.23 or 2.98 percent 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. NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / The FedEx Global Citizenship team recently hosted a dynamic virtual roundtable, bringing together disaster relief NGOs from around the country. The primary goal of this engaging session was to foster collaboration and share best practices to enhance humanitarian efforts, particularly through the effective use of FedEx charitable shipping accounts. The roundtable was a vibrant exchange of ideas and strategies. Participants discussed innovative approaches to planning and dispatching humanitarian shipments, emphasizing the importance of meticulous coordination to ensure aid reaches those in need promptly. Effective resource management was another key topic, with NGOs sharing strategies to maximize the impact of their charitable allocations. A significant highlight of the forum was the exploration of new opportunities for enhanced collaboration. Representatives from various organizations discussed ways to engage more meaningfully with each other, aiming to elevate their collective impact on disaster relief efforts. This spirit of unity and shared purpose was evident as participants shared their experiences and learned from one another. The discussions also touched on the challenges of logistics, the use of AI technology, and the importance of measuring the success of disaster response efforts. Organizations emphasized the value of building long-term relationships with communities and ensuring transparency and accountability in resource utilization. Throughout the session, there was a strong emphasis on the power of partnerships. NGOs explored how leveraging the FedEx network could connect partners and facilitate more efficient aid delivery. The collaborative spirit was further highlighted by discussions on innovative strategies like using volunteers to lower costs, leveraging partnerships, and employing drone technology for situational awareness and aid delivery. Overall, the virtual roundtable underscored the importance of collaboration and innovation in disaster relief. By coming together and sharing their knowledge and experiences, these NGOs are better equipped to respond to future disasters, ultimately making a greater difference in the lives of those affected. The forum was a testament to the power of collective effort and the positive impact that can be achieved when organizations work together towards a common goal. Click here to learn about FedEx Cares, our global community engagement program. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from FedEx on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: FedEx Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/fedex Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: FedEx View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/transportation/nine-prominent-disaster-relief-ngos-participate-in-fedex-cares-virtual-forum-1087196 Cash position of 13.4 million as of September 30, 2025 US$10 million milestone payment from partner Tonghua Dongbao and 2024 Research Tax Credit of 2.8 million received in July 2025 Current cash position secures runway until Q2 2026 Positive Topline Results of Phase 3 Clinical Trial on Ultra-Rapid Insulin BioChaperone Lispro in people with Type 1 Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Regulatory News: Adocia (Euronext Paris: FR0011184241 ADOC, the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of innovative therapeutic solutions for the treatment of diabetes and obesity, reports financial results for the third quarter of 2025 and provides a business update. "The clinical success of BioChaperone Lispro ultra-rapid insulin demonstrates Adocia's ability to invent and develop a product as complex as prandial insulin. I would like to thank Adocia's and Tonghua Dongbao's teams for the high quality of execution of this Phase 3 trial. The century-long history of insulin development shows that innovations have always come from delivery methods and absorption profiles. We are now seeing the same challenges with GLP-1, amylin, and other metabolic peptides. It is now Adocia's mission to apply its expertise and technology portfolio to these new treatments for diabetes and obesity," declaredOlivier Soula, CEO and Co-Founder of Adocia. "The US$10 million milestone payment from our Chinese partner, triggered by the completion of the first Phase 3 study of Ultra-Rapid Insulin, BioChaperone Lispro, as well as the receipt of the 2024 Research Tax Credit of 2.8 million, secures our cash runway until Q2 2026. The success of the Phase 3 clinical trials of BioChaperone Lispro marks a key milestone in our collaboration with Tonghua Dongbao, bringing us closer to the next contractual step the payment of US$20 million, subject to marketing authorization in China, and the receipt of double-digit royalties on future sales," added Mathieu-William Gilbert, CFO-COO of Adocia. Third quarter 2025 financial results Financial highlights for the quarter include the following: DETAIL OF THE REVENUE In thousands of euros, IFRS standards (unaudited) 09/30/2025 (3 months) 09/30/2024 (3 months) 09/30/2025 (9 months) 09/30/2024 (9 months) Licensing revenues 0 0 0 0 Research and collaboration agreements 406 0 1,437 0 Revenue 406 0 1,437 0 The revenue of 1.4 million over the first nine months of 2025 is mainly related to the feasibility study on the AdOral technology, applied to a novel incretin for an undisclosed partner. Net Cash Position The Company's cash position stood at 13.4 million as of September 30, 2025, compared to 7.5 million as of December 31, 2024. This position includes 9.7 million received from the private placement completed in February 20251 as well as the full amount of the Research Tax Credit due for 2024 for 2.8 million and the milestone payment of US$10 million (net of US$9 million after 10% withholding tax) from its Chinese partner Tonghua Dongbao, both received in July 2025. The cash burn related to activities, excluding the cash payment received from Tonghua Dongbao, amounted to 13.2 million for the first nine months of 2025, compared to 12.6 million during the same period last year on a comparable basis (excluding financing). Net financial debt (excluding IFRS 16 impacts), consisting exclusively of state-guaranteed loans (PGE), amounted to 2.8 million as of September 30, 2025, down 0.5 million compared to June 30, 2025, following the repayments made during this quarter. The maturity of these loans remains up to end August 2026. The cash position as of September 30, 2025, of 13.4 million allows the Company to fund its activities until the second quarter of 2026, it being specified that this cash runway does not take into account other potential revenues generated by future partnerships, or the exercise of the warrants issued during the February 2025 fundraising, which could generate up to 10 million if all warrants were exercised. Third quarter 2025 Highlights BioChaperoneLispro in China: Positive Phase 3 topline results in Type 2 and Type 1 Diabetes Partner Tonghua Dongbao initiated two Phase 3 studies with Ultra-Rapid Insulin BioChaperone Lispro with about 1,500 people with Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes in 2022. The final dosing of the last Type 2 Diabetes patient was announced on December 12, 20242, triggering a US$10 million milestone payment (net of US$9 million after 10% withholding tax) received in July 2025. In July 2025, Adocia and Partner Tonghua Dongbao announced positive topline results of this Phase 3 in people with Type 2 Diabetes3, demonstrating a non-inferior HbA1c reduction at 26 weeks compared to Humalog (primary endpoint) and a significant reduction in the rise of blood glucose after a test meal (key secondary endpoint). Mean blood glucose level over the day monitored by 10-point Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose (SMBG), an important supportive endpoint, was also significantly decreased, in comparison with Humalog In October 2025, Adocia and Tonghua Dongbao announced positive topline results of this Phase 3 in people with Type 1 Diabetes4. BioChaperone Lispro successfully demonstrated in people with Type 1 Diabetes non-inferior HbA1c reduction at 26 weeks compared to Humalog, achieving the primary endpoint, and a significant reduction in the rise of blood glucose after a test meal, achieving a key secondary endpoint. Blood glucose level, monitored by 10-point SMBG, was statistically decreased 1 hour after each meal in comparison with Humalog The contract with Tonghua Dongbao includes a milestone payment of US$20 million, which would be triggered upon obtaining marketing authorization in China, and subsequent double-digit royalties on sales to Adocia. The marketing authorization application is under Tonghua Dongbao's responsibility. BioChaperone GLP-1 Amylin BioChaperone CagriSema: Combining next-generation obesity products BioChaperoneCagriSema offers a stable combination of cagrilintide and semaglutide compatible with a multi-use pen. Data generated to date are promising regarding its commercial and manufacturing benefits over the combination of cagrilintide and semaglutide currently being developed by Novo Nordisk which, for now, requires each peptide to be in separate chambers, of a single-use pen device. BioChaperoneCagriSema offers significant manufacturing and usage advantages. Using an existing multi-dose pen makes it possible to replace four auto-injectors for four weeks of treatment with a single pen, and moreover, such a pen offers dosing flexibility, which could represent a future evolution for these hormonal treatments. Adocia will present the latest preclinical results obtained with BioChaperone CagriSema at the next PODD annual meeting (Partnership Opportunities in Drug Delivery Boston, USA, 27-28 October 2025). The BioChaperonetechnology is currently being evaluated for other difficult to formulate peptides. The company's priority is to conclude a partnership for this technology. M1Pram: Exclusive option right in force for M1Pram with Sanofi, discussions about this partnership are still ongoing M1Pram is a fixed combination of insulin and amylin analogs aimed at addressing the unmet medical need of obesity in insulin-dependent individuals. Adocia granted Sanofi an exclusive right to negotiate a partnership on M1Pram for 10 million5. Discussions about this partnership are still ongoing. A Phase 2b clinical program in the United States, involving 140 patients with Type 1 Diabetes and a BMI6>30kg/m, has been prepared. Adocia has completed the manufacturing of clinical batches of M1Pram. The launch of this clinical trial is conditional on the signing of an agreement on the product. AdoShell: Proof-of-concept in vivo on insulin-secreting stem cells and AdoShell Islets: Progressing toward Clinical Trial submission The innovative AdoShell technology platform is designed to implant human insulin-secreting cells from either deceased donors (islets of Langherans) or stem cells to provide a cure for Type 1 Diabetes without immunosuppression. Adocia presented its latest preclinical data on AdoShell technology at two scientific conferences in September: the 34th Annual Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB 2025) and the 61st EASD Annual Meeting (European Association for the Study of Diabetes). The results highlight the major progress achieved with the AdoShell platform7 The in vivo and in vitro proof-of-concept on insulin-secreting stem cells has been established. The in vitro and in vivo maturation of islets derived from immature stem cells in AdoShell was demonstrated. The long-term functionality and efficacy of these encapsulated islets were confirmed in vivo. Preparatory work to submit a clinical trial application to the regulatory authorities for AdoShell with human islets has progressed and the clinical trial submission is expected in Q3 2026. AdOral: Delivering peptides in oral form to replace injections Adocia has developed an oral delivery technology for peptides, enabling the transition from injectable to oral forms, and has achieved promising preclinical results on semaglutide (GLP-1). Data on AdOral Sema was presented at the ATTD 2025 conference (18th International Conference on Advanced Technologies Treatments for Diabetes, 19-22 March, 2025, Amsterdam, The Netherlands). The only GLP-1 commercially available in oral form to date, Rybelsus, achieved US$3.4 billion in global sales in 2024 and approximately US$1.8bn in H1 20258. Oral delivery is a key factor in increasing patient adherence for those with diabetes and/or obesity. Yet, the poor bioavailability of peptides orally administered requires the production of extremely large quantities of peptides, leading to high cost of goods sold and a supply chain limited by limited manufacturing capacity. Adocia's AdOral technology has demonstrated so far to have improved bioavailability, suggesting that for the same peptide manufacturing capacity, more patients could be treated at a much lower cost of goods sold. AdOral technology has also demonstrated a much narrower inter-patient variability in terms of oral peptide absorption, suggesting a potential better control of the pharmacokinetic profile of the peptides orally administered via the AdOral technology compared to the existing technologies. From 2026, semaglutide will be off-patent in many countries, and many companies are preparing to launch biosimilars of Ozempic (subcutaneous). This situation creates an opportunity for AdOralSema, as this patented product will have freedom to operate. The AdOral technology is currently undergoing an R&D collaboration agreement with an undisclosed partner for an application to a novel incretin. All costs related to this agreement are covered by the partner. AdoGel: Long-acting peptide delivery to reduce injections Adocia has decided to put the AdoGel project on hold in order to concentrate its technical efforts on AdoShell, BioChaperone, BC CagriSema, and AdOral About Adocia Adocia is a biotechnology company specializing in the discovery and development of therapeutic solutions in the field of metabolic diseases, primarily diabetes and obesity. The Company has a broad portfolio of drug candidates based on four proprietary technology platforms: 1) The BioChaperone technology for the development of new generation insulins and products combining different hormones; 2) AdOral, an oral peptide delivery technology; 3) AdoShell, an immunoprotective biomaterial for cell transplantation, with an initial application in pancreatic cells transplantation; and 4) AdoGel, a long-acting drug delivery platform. Adocia holds more than 25 patent families. Based in Lyon, the Company has about 80 employees. Adocia is listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris (Euronext: ADOC; ISIN: FR0011184241). Disclaimer This press release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Adocia and its business. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that Adocia considers as being reasonable. However, there can be no guarantee that the estimates contained in such forward-looking statements will be achieved, as such estimates are subject to numerous risks including those set forth in the "Risk Factors" section of the universal registration document that was filed with the French Autorite des marches financiers on April 29, 2025, as updated in the Company's 2025 Half-year financial statements, published on September 25, 2025, both available at www.adocia.com. Those risks include uncertainties inherent in Adocia's short- or medium-term working capital requirements, in research and development, future clinical data, analyses and the evolution of economic conditions, the financial markets and the markets in which Adocia operates, which could impact the Company's short-term financing requirements and its ability to raise additional funds. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to risks not yet known to Adocia or not considered as material by Adocia at this time. The occurrence of all or part of such risks could cause the actual results, financial conditions, performances, or achievements of Adocia be materially different from those mentioned in the forward-looking statements. ____________________ 1 Press Releases, February 26, 2025, ADOCIA Announces the Successful Completion of a 9.7 Million Private Placement, Extending its Cash Runway to Q2 2026; and February 28, 2025, ADOCIA Announces the Settlement-Delivery of its 9.7 Million Private Placement 2 Press Release, Dec. 12, 2024, ADOCIA and Tonghua Dongbao Announce the Final Dosing in a Phase 3 Clinical Study of BioChaperone Lispro, Milestone Associated with a $10 Million Payment 3 Press Release, July 25, 2025, ADOCIA and Tonghua Dongbao Announce Positive Topline Results of Phase 3 Clinical Trial on Ultra-Rapid Insulin BioChaperone Lispro (THDB0206 injection) in people with T2D 4 Press Release, October 15, 2025, ADOCIA and Tonghua Dongbao Announce Positive Topline Results of Phase 3 Clinical Trial on Ultra-Rapid Insulin BioChaperone Lispro (THDB0206 injection) in people with T1D 5 Press Release, July 5, 2023, ADOCIA Grants Sanofi an Exclusive Right to Negotiate a Partnership on M1Pram for 10 Million Euros and Obtains Commitment from Investors to Provide 10 Million Euros in Financing 6 BMI stands for Body Mass Index, calculated as the mass of a person in Kg, divided by the square of its height in meters 7 Press release of June 24, 2025 ADOCIA Presentations at ADA IPITA Scientific Conferences Highlight Scalability and Good Translation of AdoShell from Human Islets to Stem Cell-Derived Islets. 8 Derived from Novo Nordisk FY2024 and H1 2025 reports View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251015223829/en/ Contacts: Adocia Olivier Soula CEO contactinvestisseurs@adocia.com +33 (0)4 72 610 610 www.adocia.com Ulysse Communication Adocia Press Investor Relations Bruno Arabian Nicolas Entz adocia@ulysse-communication.com + 33 (0)6 87 88 47 26 "The Natural Choice" campaign highlights Costa Rica's sustainable production model. SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With the goal of positioning Costa Rican agricultural products in key European markets, the country brand essential COSTA RICA has launched the campaign "The Natural Choice" in collaboration with Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab. The initiative will run across multiple Amazon touchpoints in Spain, the United Kingdom, and Germany. "The Natural Choice" showcases Costa Rica's signature exports - including pineapples, bananas, cassava, and coffee - as premium products cultivated under the highest ethical and quality standards. These attributes align with European consumers' growing interest in health, wellbeing, and sustainable lifestyles. The campaign, designed exclusively for European audiences, features hand-drawn illustrations with organic shapes and natural textures, creating a distinct visual identity that reflects the authentic, artisanal character of Costa Rican exports. This artistic approach offers a deliberate contrast to digital or AI-generated imagery, reinforcing the campaign's central message: making the natural choice. "Through The Natural Choice campaign, we are sharing not only our high-quality products but also a part of our country's story and essence," said Adriana Acosta, Director of the Country Brand essential COSTA RICA. "This initiative reminds European consumers that, amid so many artificial options, Costa Rica offers fresh, carefully cultivated products designed to promote wellbeing around the world." Starting October 15, the campaign will appear across Amazon touchpoints, creating an immersive brand experience that highlights the quality and sustainability of Costa Rican exports. Consumers in Spain, the United Kingdom, and Germany will encounter the campaign through the following activations: In Spain - Fire TV Panoramic : an immersive landing page that invites viewers into the vibrant world of Costa Rica. Through a sweeping panoramic experience, users can explore the culture and stories behind the country's agricultural exports. : an immersive landing page that invites viewers into the vibrant world of Costa Rica. Through a sweeping panoramic experience, users can explore the culture and stories behind the country's agricultural exports. Amazon Brand Store : a digital hub that serves as the heart of the campaign, where visitors can discover recipes and wellness tips inspired by Costa Rican traditions. An interactive map guides users through the country's food culture, showcasing how pineapples, cassava, bananas, and coffee are grown and enjoyed across Costa Rica (available in Spain, the UK, and Germany). : a digital hub that serves as the heart of the campaign, where visitors can discover recipes and wellness tips inspired by Costa Rican traditions. An interactive map guides users through the country's food culture, showcasing how pineapples, cassava, bananas, and coffee are grown and enjoyed across Costa Rica (available in Spain, the UK, and Germany). Prime Video ads : 15-second animated video spots highlighting individual ingredients - banana, coffee, cassava, and pineapple - with consistent creative design across the Brand Store and other placements (Spain, the UK, and Germany). : 15-second animated video spots highlighting individual ingredients - banana, coffee, cassava, and pineapple - with consistent creative design across the Brand Store and other placements (Spain, the UK, and Germany). Amazon Lockers : decorated with artwork and playful headlines tied to the featured products, along with QR codes directing consumers to recipes and tips on the Brand Store (Spain, the UK, and Germany). : decorated with artwork and playful headlines tied to the featured products, along with QR codes directing consumers to recipes and tips on the Brand Store (Spain, the UK, and Germany). Amazon Fresh Bags : extending the campaign into homes through delivery bags featuring campaign messaging and scannable QR codes that link to recipes on the Brand Store (available in Spain & the UK). : extending the campaign into homes through delivery bags featuring campaign messaging and scannable QR codes that link to recipes on the Brand Store (available in Spain & the UK). Branded Alexa Experience: guiding users on how to choose, store, and enjoy Costa Rican produce, with facts connected to health, tradition, and sustainability. Users can activate it by saying: "Alexa, launch tips from Costa Rica" (available in the UK and Germany). Kate McCagg, Head of Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab, said: "I love that every detail of this campaign - the colours, the illustrations - celebrates the vibrancy of Costa Rica and piques curiosity, while the recipes inspire customers to take action and enjoy the flavours of its produce. All while building awareness for an inspiring model for sustainable tourism and business." Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2796473/costa_rica_fresh_bags_en_01.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/essential-costa-rica-and-amazon-ads-join-forces-to-promote-costa-rican-produce-across-spain-the-united-kingdom-and-germany-302585182.html Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 15, 2025) - Canagold Resources Ltd. (TSX: CCM) (OTCQB: CRCUF) (FSE: CANA) ("Canagold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Collen Middleton, as Vice President Permitting and Compliance. "I am very pleased to welcome Collen to the Canagold team," said Catalin Kilofliski, CEO of Canagold. "He brings a strong track record in navigating complex regulatory processes and a deep commitment to responsible resource development. The addition of a second senior permitting officer to support Mr. Chris Pharness, Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Permitting, further strengthens our permitting expertise and overall team permitting capacity. We remain fully committed to advancing the New Polaris permitting process efficiently and through meaningful stakeholder engagement." Collen Middleton is a Registered Professional Biologist with over 20 years of experience in environmental consulting and regulatory permitting across western Canada. His work spans metals and coal mining, major infrastructure, and energy projects. Specializing in pre-development permitting and consultation, he has supported both industry and Indigenous governments. With a background in soil and water science, reclamation, and wetlands, Collen has shared his expertise widely through conferences and served four years on the Board of the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists. About Canagold Canagold Resources Ltd. is an advanced development company dedicated to advancing the New Polaris Project through feasibility, permitting, and production stages. Additionally, Canagold aims to expand its asset base by acquiring advanced projects, positioning itself as a leading project developer. With a team of technical experts, the Company is poised to unlock substantial value for its shareholders. "Catalin Kilofliski" _____________________ Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270551 SOURCE: Canagold Resources Ltd. Regulatory News: GeNeuro (Euronext Paris: CH0308403085 GNRO), a biopharmaceutical company developing new treatments for neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases, announces the postponement of its June 30, 2025 half-yearly results and half-yearly financial report. This decision is in line with the postponement of the annual results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, annual results and annual financial report in order to be able to take into account the financial impacts of the restructuring targeted by the Company as part of the debt-restructuring moratorium procedure extended on September 25, 2025. The Company will announce by press release the new date of their approval and publication. About GeNeuro GeNeuro's mission is to develop safe and effective treatments against neurological disorders and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, by neutralizing causal factors encoded by HERVs, which represent 8% of human DNA. GeNeuro is based in Geneva. About the debt-restructuring moratorium Under Swiss law (the law applicable to GeNeuro SA), a debt moratorium, or stay of execution, is a preventive measure to bankruptcy proceedings. The purpose of this procedure is to enable a company in financial difficulty to restructure its debts with its creditors and find measures to improve its situation. The stay protects the Company from legal action by its creditors while it works with the "commissaire au sursis", an independent expert appointed by the judge to supervise the process, help draw up a draft composition agreement and validate possible recovery measures. This process may result in a recapitalization of the company, a restructuring of its debt or a sale of all or some of its assets, among other things, with the proviso that if this fails, the company may be forced into bankruptcy. The aim of this procedure is to reach an agreement that will enable the Company to continue its operations while satisfying its creditors. For more information, visit: www.geneuro.com Disclaimer This press release contains certain forward-looking statements and estimates concerning GeNeuro's financial condition, operating results, strategy, projects and future performance and the markets in which it operates. Such forward-looking statements and estimates may be identified by words, such as "anticipate," "believe," "can," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "is designed to," "may," "might," "plan," "potential," "predict," "objective," "should," or the negative of these and similar expressions. They incorporate all topics that are not historical facts. Forward looking statements, forecasts and estimates are based on management's current assumptions and assessment of risks, uncertainties and other factors, known and unknown, which were deemed to be reasonable at the time they were made but which may turn out to be incorrect. Events and outcomes are difficult to predict and depend on factors beyond the company's control. Consequently, the actual results, financial condition, performances and/or achievements of GeNeuro or of the industry may turn out to differ materially from the future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by these statements, forecasts and estimates. Owing to these uncertainties, no representation is made as to the correctness or fairness of these forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates. Furthermore, forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates speak only as of the date on which they are made, and GeNeuro undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251015325869/en/ Contacts: Contacts GeNeuro Jesus Martin-Garcia Executive Chairman investors@geneuro.com Top Four Conveyor Car Wash Company Opens Eleventh Location in Tampa Bay Area, Twenty-Eighth Location in Florida THOMASTON, GA / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / Tidal Wave Auto Spa, one of the nation's fastest-growing express car wash companies, is pleased to announce the grand opening of its newest location in Kenneth City, FL at 4559 66 th Street N . To celebrate the grand opening, the brand-new Kenneth City location will offer eight days of free premium car washes from October 15 to October 22. This limited-time promotion allows the community to experience the company's premium wash option, Graph-X4 , at no cost. Additionally, any new customer who joins a Tidal Wave Clean Club unlimited wash membership during Grand Opening week will enjoy their first month of unlimited washes for only $9.97 - saving up to $40. Kenneth City, FL : 4559 66th Street N, Kenneth City, FL 33709 Nearby Locations: St. Petersburg , Oldsmar , Holiday , Lutz - Atmore Grove , Brandon , Bradenton "In the past three months, we've opened three new express wash locations in the Tampa and St. Petersburg metro," said Tidal Wave Auto Spa CEO and Founder Scott Blackstock. "Each Tidal Wave location, including our brand-new Kenneth City, Brandon, and Spring Hill locations, is designed to deliver an exceptional car wash experience to every customer. We are proud to bring easy, efficient, and enjoyable car care to West Central Florida with eleven convenient Tidal Wave locations." Tidal Wave Auto Spa proudly serves customers at 302 express wash locations across the United States, including twenty-eight Florida locations . The company will continue its expansion in the Sunshine State in the coming months with brand-new locations opening in Melbourne , Bonita Springs , and Merritt Island . Tidal Wave is committed to providing every customer with an exceptional car wash experience through industry-leading car care technology, clean and welcoming locations, and friendly customer service. With single wash options starting at $12, unlimited car wash memberships and family plans , and fleet plans for businesses, Tidal Wave has wash options for every need. For additional information about Tidal Wave Auto Spa, please visit: https://www.tidalwaveautospa.com/ . About Tidal Wave Auto Spa Tidal Wave Auto Spa was founded over 20 years ago in Thomaston, GA, by husband and wife, Scott and Hope Blackstock. What started as a small-town self-service car wash business evolved into the first conveyor car wash open in Georgia and is now the fourth-largest conveyor car wash company in the nation, with 302 locations spanning 30 states. Tidal Wave is dedicated to delivering an exceptional car wash experience for every customer through industry-leading car care technology, clean and inviting locations, and outstanding customer service. The company is equally committed to making a positive difference in the communities it serves, raising over $7 million for local programs, service organizations, and non-profit organizations through its fundraising program and annual Charity Day event. SOURCE: Tidal Wave Auto Spa Related Images Official Tidal Wave Logo navy blue oval with the words "Tidal Wave Auto Spa". A three-layered blue wave graphic appears to the left above the text. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/transportation/tidal-wave-auto-spa-celebrates-grand-opening-in-kenneth-city-florida-with-free-washe-1087430 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 15, 2025) - Onyx Gold Corp. (TSXV: ONYX) (OTCQX: ONXGF) ("Onyx" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Non-Brokered Private Placement") involving strategic investors for gross aggregate proceeds of $6,439,500. Together with the Company's recently completed "bought deal" private placement (see news release of the Company dated October 2, 2025), the Company has raised gross aggregate proceeds of approximately $26,440,000. Pursuant to the Non-Brokered Private Placement, the Company issued 2,650,000 common shares in the capital of the Company (the "FT Shares") that will each qualify as "flow-through shares" within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Tax Act"), at a price of $2.43 per FT Share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $6,439,500. The Company will use an amount equal to the gross proceeds from the sale of the FT Shares, pursuant to the provisions in the Tax Act, to incur (or be deemed to incur) eligible "Canadian exploration expenses" that qualify as "flow-through mining expenditures" (as both terms are defined in the Tax Act) (the "Qualifying Expenditures") related to the Company's projects in Ontario, on or before December 31, 2026, and to renounce all the Qualifying Expenditures in favour of the subscribers of the FT Shares effective December 31, 2025. The FT Shares have been offered pursuant to applicable exemptions from the prospectus requirements under applicable securities laws and will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. No finder's fees are payable in connection with the Non-Brokered Private Placement. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. persons unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available. "United States" and "U.S. person" have the meaning ascribed to them in Regulation S under the 1933 Act. About Onyx Gold Onyx Gold is an exploration company focused on well-established Canadian mining jurisdictions, with assets in Timmins, Ontario, and Yukon Territory. The Company's extensive portfolio of quality gold projects in the greater Timmins gold camp includes the Munro-Croesus Gold property, renowned for its high-grade mineralization, plus two additional earlier-stage large exploration properties, Golden Mile and Timmins South. The Golden Mile 140 km2 property is located 9 km northeast of Newmont's multi-million-ounce Hoyle Pond deposit in Timmins. The Timmins South 187 km2 property is located to the south and southeast of Timmins and surrounds the Shaw dome structure. Onyx Gold also controls four properties in the Selwyn Basin area of Yukon Territory, which is currently gaining significance due to recent discoveries in the area. Onyx Gold's experienced board and senior management team are committed to creating shareholder value through the discovery process, careful allocation of capital, and environmentally/socially responsible mineral exploration. On Behalf of Onyx Gold Corp. "Brock Colterjohn" President & CEO Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary and Forward-Looking Statements This release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or "occur". This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements about the Non-Brokered Private Placement (including the tax treatment of the FT Shares, the timing to renounce all Qualifying Expenditures in favour of the subscribers and the use of proceeds of the Non-Brokered Private Placement), statements regarding discussions of future plans, estimates and forecasts and statements as to management's expectations and intentions and the Company's anticipated work programs. These forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, that the Company will not use the proceeds of the Non-Brokered Private Placement as anticipated; market volatility; the state of the financial markets for the Company's securities; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; fluctuating commodity prices; the future tax treatment of the FT Shares; competitive risks; and the availability of financing, as described in more detail in our recent securities filings available at under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Forward-looking statements are based on certain material assumptions and analysis made by the Company and the opinions and estimates of management as of the date of this news release, including, among other things, that the Company will use the proceeds of the Non-Brokered Private Placement as anticipated; and that the Company will receive all necessary approvals in respect of the Non-Brokered Private Placement, if applicable. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. We seek safe harbor. Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270569 SOURCE: Onyx Gold Corp. Glow Wraps set a new standard for visibility, engagement, and impact in OOH advertising NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / Firefly, the global leader in mobility media, unveiled its groundbreaking new product, Glow Wraps, at the prestigious DPAA Global Summit in New York City. This marks the first-ever physical activation of Glow Wraps, representing a pioneering leap in out-of-home (OOH) innovation. Glow Wraps are Firefly's newest advancement in mobility media - wrapped vehicles enhanced with integrated illumination that makes creative shine. Building on the proven impact of traditional wraps, Glow Wraps introduce a light-powered dimension that fuses vibrant design with added visibility, transforming cars into glowing brand statements on the move. This breakthrough elevates street-level presence, helping brands stand out in bold, memorable ways. By integrating dynamic lighting technology, Firefly is redefining how brands engage with consumers on the move, creating unforgettable real-world moments with unmatched shareability on social media. "With Glow Wraps, Firefly is once again pushing the boundaries of what's possible in OOH advertising," said Chris Polos, Chief Operating Officer at Firefly. "This innovation combines the power of mobility media with breakthrough visual impact, offering brands a bold new way to stand out, especially at tentpole events where impact is everything." Glow Wraps deliver pioneering first-to-market innovation, offering brands the chance to lead with technology no one else has brought to the streets. Their bold, illuminated design creates award-worthy campaign potential, drawing attention from both consumers and industry leaders. With the ability to spark conversation and social sharing, Glow Wraps generate unmatched earned media reach, turning every ride into a content-worthy moment. When combined with Firefly's digital tops, Glow Wraps unlock a 360-degree storytelling platform, pairing illuminated static creativity with dynamic digital messaging. This synergy allows brands to dominate the streetscape with dual solutions that reinforce each other, maximizing reach, recall, and impact. Following the debut at DPAA Summit, Glow Wraps will be available nationwide, marking the next evolution in Firefly's mission to transform mobility media worldwide. About Firefly Firefly is the global leader in moving out-of-home (OOH) advertising, with a network of more than 60,000 screens across all major U.S. markets and operations in 7 countries, delivering over 6 billion impressions each month. Firefly transforms traditional static environments into dynamic engagement platforms through car top displays and branded wraps on taxi and rideshare vehicles, along with experiential activations. Leveraging its digital car top network and moving fleet, Firefly provides geo-targeted reach and contextual targeting, enabling brands to deliver relevant messages in real time. Founded by Kaan Gunay (Chairman), Firefly is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, Las Vegas, London, and Istanbul. ( fireflyon.com ) For media inquiries, contact: Ece Daviso ece.daviso@fireflyon.com SOURCE: Firefly Systems Inc. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/firefly-debuts-glow-wraps-at-dpaa-summit-an-electrifying-leap-in-1087407 Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - October 15, 2025) - Hemostemix Inc. (TSXV: HEM) (OTCQB: HMTXF) (FSE: 2VF0), the leading autologous (patient's own) stem cell therapy company offering VesCell (ACP-01) to no-option individuals suffering from angina, peripheral arterial disease, chronic limb threatening ischemia, ischemic cardiomyopathy, non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, and total body ischemia, in Florida under Florida's SB 1768, is pleased to announce that it has completed the drafting of its clinical trial protocol titled "Treatment of Refractory Angina with Angiogenic Cell Precursors (ACP-01)". The second protocol for its basket Phase 1 clinical trial, the protocol advances Hemostemix's regenerative-cardiology program toward addressing patients who suffer persistent chest pain despite maximal medical and surgical therapy. Plain-language summary: Hemostemix will officially apply for ethics approval to begin a new clinical trial testing its ACP-01 stem-cell therapy in people with severe chest pain (angina) who no longer responds to standard drugs or surgery. This marks the next step in bringing a new option to patients who live with constant, disabling heart pain. Significance of the Filing Scientific paragraph: Angina pectoris - chest pain from insufficient blood supply to the heart - is a major symptom of ischemic heart disease and affects roughly five percent of adults over 40 in developed countries (Rinaldi 2025; Vos 2020). Refractory angina, defined as angina that persists despite optimal therapy, causes marked reductions in quality of life and functional capacity, frequent emergency visits, and substantial healthcare costs (Fox 2020; Manolis 2019). Although one-year mortality is only about four percent, many patients live with disabling pain due to limited revascularization options. Current management focuses on symptom relief rather than cure. Plain-language summary: Angina happens when the heart doesn't get enough blood. For many people, medicine or bypass surgery helps, but some continue to have severe chest pain every day. These patients often cannot work, exercise, or even sleep comfortably. Hemostemix's trial targets this group, offering hope where conventional treatments have failed. Scientific Rationale Scientific paragraph: ACP-01 cells, derived from a patient's own hematopoietic lineage, are programmed to form endothelial cells that release vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and angiogenin, promoting new blood-vessel formation and micro-circulatory repair. The cell population is rich in CD34* progenitors known to drive angiogenesis. ACP-01 expresses the CXCR4 receptor, which enables the cells to home toward CXCL12, a chemokine released by ischemic myocardium. Hemostemix's previous open-label trial in refractory angina and ischemic or dilated cardiomyopathy reported improved left-ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), longer six-minute-walk distances, and better New York Heart Association (NYHA) and Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) functional class (Chaithiraphan 2009; Arom 2008; Schubart 2023). Plain-language summary: ACP-01 comes from the patient's own blood. These cells naturally grow into new blood-vessel tissue and release healing proteins that improve circulation in the heart. Earlier studies showed patients could walk farther, had increased heart function as measured by the volume of blood ejected with each heart beat, and needed fewer emergency treatments after ACP-01 therapy. Study Design and Objectives Scientific paragraph: This Phase 1, multi-center, open-label, non-randomized study will enroll 20 to 100 adults aged 40-90 years with recurrent or refractory severe angina. ACP-01 will be administered by intracoronary injection in an outpatient cardiac-catheterization setting. The study's primary endpoints are feasibility and safety, including incidence of adverse events. Secondary endpoints include improvement (decrease) in chest-pain frequency, increased six-minute-walk distance, increased quality-of-life (QoL) and Karnofsky performance scores, reduced need for emergency care, improved LVEF, and enhanced NYHA and CCS functional classifications. Exploratory endpoints will compare outcomes from one versus two ACP-01 treatments (Day 0 and Day 90) and analyze serum brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels as predictors of response. Plain-language summary: The trial will test whether giving ACP-01 cells directly into the heart via the arteries is safe and practical. Up to 100 men and women will take part. Doctors will look for fewer chest-pain attacks, better stamina, stronger heart function, and improved day-to-day quality of life. Some patients will get a second dose at three months to see if two treatments work better than one dose. Mechanism of Delivery Scientific paragraph: ACP-01 will be infused through an intracoronary route under fluoroscopic guidance. Direct intracoronary delivery allows cells to localize precisely to ischemic territories while minimizing systemic exposure. Prior Hemostemix experience in ischemic cardiomyopathy and non ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy demonstrates the procedure's safety and feasibility in outpatient interventional settings with no procedure complications. Plain-language summary: Doctors will use a thin catheter-similar to an angioplasty-to place the patient's own stem cells straight into the heart's arteries. The procedure is done under local anesthesia, takes about an hour, and patients can usually go home the same day. Safety Oversight Scientific paragraph: All interventions will be conducted by qualified interventional cardiologists with continuous ECG and hemodynamic monitoring. A Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) will review all adverse events and procedural data. All prior ACP-01 trials have reported no serious product-related toxicities. Plain-language summary: The study will be closely supervised by heart specialists and an independent safety board. Every patient's heart rhythm and blood pressure will be monitored during and after the procedure to make sure the treatment is safe. Executive Commentary "Completing our Phase 1 refractory-angina protocol builds directly on more than two decades of real-world data showing ACP-01's ability to regrow blood vessels and restore circulation," said Thomas Smeenk, President & CEO of Hemostemix. "For patients living with daily chest pain who have no other options, this trial represents a meaningful step toward a restorative, rather than purely palliative, therapy." ABOUT HEMOSTEMIX Hemostemix is an autologous stem cell therapy platform company, founded in 2003. A winner of the World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer Award, the Company has developed, patented, is scaling and selling autologous (patient's own) blood-based stem cell therapy, VesCell (ACP-01). Hemostemix has completed seven clinical studies of 318 subjects and published its results in eleven peer reviewed publications. ACP-01 is safe, clinically relevant and statistically significant as a treatment for peripheral arterial disease, chronic limb threatening ischemia, non ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, ischemic cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, and angina. Hemostemix completed its Phase II clinical trial for chronic limb threatening ischemia and published its results in the Journal of Biomedical Research & Environmental Science. As compared to a five year mortality rate of 60% in the CLTI patient population, UBC and U of T reported to the 41st meeting of vascular surgeons: 0% mortality, cessation of pain, wound healing in 83% of patients followed for up to 4.5 years, as a midpoint result. For more information, please visit www.hemostemix.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined under the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information in relation to the completion of the Treatment of Refractory Angina with Angiogenic Cell Precursors (ACP-01) Phase 1 clinical trial protocol in furtherance of sales in Florida of VesCell (ACP-01), and the commercialization of ACP-01 via the sale of compassionate treatments under Florida SB 1768. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. This forward-looking information reflects Hemostemix's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Hemostemix and on assumptions Hemostemix believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to: the underlying value of Hemostemix and its Common Shares; the successful resolution of any litigation that Hemostemix is pursuing or defending (the "Litigation"); the results of ACP-01 research, trials, studies and analyses, including the analysis being equivalent to or better than previous research, trials or studies; the receipt of all required regulatory approvals for research, trials or studies; the level of activity, market acceptance and market trends in the healthcare sector; the economy generally; consumer interest in Hemostemix's services and products; competition and Hemostemix's competitive advantages; and, Hemostemix obtaining satisfactory financing to fund Hemostemix's operations including any research, trials or studies, and any Litigation. Forward-looking information is Subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Hemostemix to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the ability of Hemostemix to complete clinical trials, complete a satisfactory analyses and file the results of such analyses to gain regulatory approval of a phase II or phase III clinical trial of ACP-01; potential litigation Hemostemix may face; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market prices for securities; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; the actual results of future operations including the actual results of future research, trials or studies; competition; changes in legislation affecting Hemostemix; the timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; long-term capital requirements and future developments in Hemostemix's markets and the markets in which it expects to compete; lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals; and risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic including various recommendations, orders and measures of governmental authorities to try to limit the pandemic, including travel restrictions, border closures, non-essential business closures service disruptions, quarantines, self-isolations, shelters-in-place and social distancing, disruptions to markets, disruptions to economic activity and financings, disruptions to supply chains and sales channels, and a deterioration of general economic conditions including a possible national or global recession or depression; the potential impact that the COVID-19 pandemic may have on Hemostemix which may include a decreased demand for the services that Hemostemix offers; and a deterioration of financial markets that could limit Hemostemix's ability to obtain external financing. A description of additional risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in Hemostemix's disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedarplus.ca. Although Hemostemix has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of Hemostemix as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, it is Subject to change after such date. However, Hemostemix expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270574 SOURCE: Hemostemix Inc. Perfect Moment Ltd. (NYSE American: PMNT) ("Perfect Moment" or the "Company"), the high-performance, luxury lifestyle brand that fuses technical excellence with fashion-led designs, is proud to reveal its Autumn/Winter 2025 collection. The AW25 collection draws on cultural touchpoints from four influential cities to deliver a collection that blends innovative design, performance-led fashion, and the spirit of global style. Designed with both heritage and forward-thinking in mind, the collection is divided into four capsule edits inspired by the distinct character and energy of Paris, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Boston. Each reflects the lifestyle and aesthetic codes of its city while staying true to Perfect Moment's signature mix of bold prints, dynamic design, and high-performance fabrics. "For the AW25 collection, we wanted to translate the mood and influence of four iconic cities into skiwear that is both stylish and practical," says Jane Gottschalk, Co-Founder Creative Director of Perfect Moment. "This collection shows our commitment to pushing boundaries while celebrating the joy of self-expression through skiwear and beyond." PARIS Classic romance meets modern style. Inspired by Paris's elegant architecture, timeless fashion, and artistic energy, this capsule blends heritage Houndstooth with vibrant green chevrons and warm, coppery tones. A contemporary celebration of the City of Light's effortless chic. TOKYO The Tokyo edit focuses on technical innovation, offering Perfect Moment's most advanced skiwear yet. Seam-sealed and fully waterproof, the range features monochrome black and off-white with pops of electric blue, echoing Tokyo's futuristic skyline and cutting-edge tech culture. LOS ANGELES Sunshine and retro nostalgia inspire this playful capsule. Soft pastels and sky blues are elevated with subtle silver touches, capturing the laid-back optimism of West Coast style. BOSTON Rooted in collegiate tradition and preppy heritage, the Boston edit reimagines classic red, white, and blue through bold chevron patterns and updated silhouettes. A confident nod to Americana reinterpreted for today. True to Perfect Moment's DNA, the AW25 collection delivers on both style and performance. This season sees the introduction of advanced seam sealing, four-way stretch, and innovative fabrics such as waterproof foil and RWS-certified wool, highlighting the brand's dedication to combining fashion with function. About Perfect Moment Founded in Chamonix, France, Perfect Moment is a luxury outerwear and activewear brand that merges alpine heritage with fashion-forward performance. Known for its technical excellence, bold design, and versatile pieces that transition seamlessly from slopes to city, the brand is worn by athletes, tastemakers, and celebrities worldwide. Perfect Moment is traded on the NYSE American under the ticker symbol PMNT. Learn more at www.perfectmoment.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251015384706/en/ Contacts: Investor Relations Contact: Gateway Group Cody Slach, Greg Robles 949.574.3860 PMNT@gateway-grp.com Press Contact: The Basement Agency Anais Frasquet, Irene Perez anaisfrasquet@thebasement.es or ireneperez@thebasement.es KELOWNA, BC / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / Avant Brands Inc. (TSX:AVNT)(OTCQX:AVTBF)(FRA:1BUP) ("Avant" or the "Company"), a leading producer of innovative and award-winning cannabis products, today released its financial results for the third quarter ended August 31, 2025 ("Q3 2025"). With a growing international footprint and deep penetration into key global medical markets, Avant continues to scale as the go-to Canadian exporter for top-shelf cannabis at commercial volume. The Company delivered its eighth consecutive quarter of positive adjusted EBITDA1, supported by growth in domestic wholesale revenue and disciplined operational execution. (1) Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP performance measure. The information is incorporated by reference from the Q3 2025 MD&A filings under "Cautionary Statement Regarding Certain Non-GAAP Performance Measures". The Company's MD&A is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com Highlights include: Gross and net revenue increases: Quarterly gross revenue increased 13% to $10.8 million, while net revenue increased 11% to $9.4 million as compared to Q3 2024, driven by sustained international and domestic demand for premium cannabis. Gross profit: Year to date (" YTD ") gross profit increased to $3.1M, representing a 3851% increase compared to YTD Q3 2024. Adjusted EBITDA1: Achieved adjusted EBITDA1 of $0.2 million, marking the eighth consecutive quarter of positive adjusted EBITDA1. 1. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP performance measure. The information is incorporated by reference from the Q3 2025 MD&A filings under "Cautionary Statement Regarding Certain Non-GAAP Performance Measures". The Company's MD&A is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com Net cash flows generated from operating activities: YTD net cash flows generated from operating activities increased 111% to $3.7 million as compared to YTD Q3 2024. Avant Brands Founder & CEO Norton Singhavon Comments: "Avant's performance this quarter reflects both the strength of our international partnerships and the resilience of our Canadian platform. By consistently supplying premium cannabis at scale, we continue to earn the confidence of distributors in markets such as Germany, Israel, and Australia, while reinforcing our leadership in Canada's recreational market. With disciplined cost management and a sharpened focus on high-performing SKUs, Avant is building lasting brand equity in Canada and on the global stage." Q3 2025 Financial Highlights (vs. Q3 2024): Revenue: Gross revenue: $10.8 million (+13%) Net revenue: $9.4 million (+11%) Export wholesale revenue: $4.3 million (-16%) Net recreational revenue: $2.7 million (-3%) Domestic wholesale revenue: $2.3 million (+307%) Net recreational revenue declined 3%, due to an immaterial increase in the provision for sales returns and allowances. The Company continues to implement a strategic shift toward higher-margin, top-performing SKUs. This realignment is expected to drive long-term profitability, while resources continue to be prioritized toward growth in domestic wholesale revenue and export wholesale revenue. Export wholesale revenue decreased 16%, driven by a major export customer establishing a Canadian subsidiary to purchase bulk cannabis in the domestic market. Bulk cannabis that would previously have been sold to the customer's international subsidiary was instead sold to the customer's domestic subsidiary, contributing to the increase in domestic wholesale revenue of 307% and driving the decrease in export wholesale revenue of -16%. The combined total of domestic wholesale revenue and export wholesale revenue reached $6.5M, representing a combined 17% increase over Q3 2024. This combined increase demonstrates growing demand for premium bulk cannabis. Gross profit: Gross profit increased 68% to $1.7M, due to increased net revenue, and a decrease in change in fair value of biological assets realized through inventory sold. Operating expenses: Operating expenses decreased to $3.0M (-15%) due to improved cost allocations and continued execution of cost-reduction initiatives. Gross margin adjusted for fair value adjustments2: Gross margin adjusted for fair value adjustments 2 : Decreased to $2.1 million (-50%) due to improved cost of sales allocations. Gross margin % adjusted for fair value adjustments 3 : Decreased to 22% (vs. 49%) due to improved cost of sales allocations. Despite decreases in gross margin adjusted for fair value adjustments2 and gross margin % adjusted for fair value adjustments3, YTD net cash flows generated from operating activities increased 111% versus the comparative period, inclusive of the improved cost of sales allocations. 2. Gross margin adjusted for fair value adjustments is a non-GAAP performance measure. The information is incorporated by reference from the Q3 2025 MD&A filings under "Cautionary Statement Regarding Certain Non-GAAP Performance Measures". The Company's MD&A is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com 3. Gross margin % adjusted for fair value adjustments is a non-GAAP performance ratio. The information is incorporated by reference from the Q3 2025 MD&A filings under "Cautionary Statement Regarding Certain Non-GAAP Performance Measures". The Company's MD&A is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com Adjusted EBITDA1: Achieved adjusted EBITDA1 of $0.2 million, marking the eighth consecutive quarter of positive adjusted EBITDA1. 1. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP performance measure. The information is incorporated by reference from the Q3 2025 MD&A filings under "Cautionary Statement Regarding Certain Non-GAAP Performance Measures". The Company's MD&A is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com Cannabis Production and Sales: Cannabis Production: 3,231 KG (-6%). Cannabis Sales: 3,387 KG sold (+10%). About Avant Brands Inc. Avant Brands Inc. (TSX:AVNT)(OTCQX:AVTBF)(FRA:1BUP) is a leading innovator in premium cannabis products, driven by a commitment to exceptional quality and craftsmanship. As one of Canada's largest indoor producers, the company operates multiple production facilities across the country, cultivating unique and high-quality cannabis strains. Avant offers a diverse product portfolio catering to recreational, medical, and export markets. Its renowned consumer brands, including blk mkt, Tenzo, Cognoscente, flowr, and Treehugger, are available in key recreational markets across Canada. The company's international footprint spans Australia, Israel, and Germany, with its flagship brand blk mkt leading the way. Avant also serves qualified medical patients nationwide through its GreenTec medical cannabis brand, accessible via the GreenTec Medical portal and trusted partner network. Avant is a publicly traded company, listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and accessible to international investors through the OTCQX Best Market (OTCQX) and Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FRA). Headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia, the company operates in strategic locations throughout Canada. Learn More: For more information about Avant, including investor presentations and details about its consumer brands, please visit the company website: www.avantbrands.ca Investor Relations: For inquiries, please contact Avant Brands Investor Relations at 1-800-351-6358 or ir@avantbrands.ca. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable Canadian securities legislation, encompassing statements regarding Avant Brands Inc.'s ("Avant" or the "Company") plans, intentions, beliefs, and current expectations concerning future business activities and operating performance. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "plans," "may," "could," "should," "will," or variations of such words and phrases. In particular, this news release includes forward-looking information related to, but not limited to, the Company's expectations for future revenue and sales growth, the continued performance of its international operations, the demand for its premium cannabis products-including the blk mkt brand-in key global markets, strategic initiatives to prioritize high-performing SKUs, streamline domestic offerings, focus on operational efficiency, cost discipline, and reducing corporate overhead, the Company's ability to build long term brand equity and reinforce its market leadership, and expand its presence in Australia, Germany, Israel, and other international jurisdictions. Forward-looking information also includes statements concerning the Company's ongoing focus on operational efficiencies, profitability, and the anticipated availability of financial statements and management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A") on the Company's SEDAR+ profile and website, providing investors with comprehensive financial information. Investors should be aware that forward-looking information involves inherent risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such information. Management's current expectations may not accurately predict future events or outcomes. Therefore, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical fact but instead reflects management's expectations, estimates, or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions, and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward- looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance, or achievements of the Company. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: regulatory and licensing risks; changes in consumer demand and preferences; changes in general economic, business, and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; the global regulatory landscape and enforcement related to cannabis, including political risks and risks relating to regulatory change; compliance with extensive government regulation; public opinion and perception of the cannabis industry; and the risk factors set out in the Company's annual information form dated February 28, 2025 filed with Canadian securities regulators and available on the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated, or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties, and factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information, which speaks only as of the date of this news release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FINANCIAL INFORMATION This document should be read in conjunction with the Company's unaudited interim consolidated financial statements (the "financial statements") and the Company's MD&A for the three months and nine months ended August 31, 2025, and audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended November 30, 2024. All dollar amounts are referenced in millions of Canadian dollars, except where noted otherwise. The Company's financial statements and MD&A for the three months and nine months ended August 31, 2025, have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB"). Additional information relating to the Company, including its Annual Information Form for the year ended November 30, 2024, is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Information on the Company's website does not form part of and is not incorporated by reference in the Company's MD&A. SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING NON-GAAP AND OTHER FINANCIAL MEASURES This document includes references to non-GAAP measures, which include non-GAAP and other financial measures as defined in National Instrument 52-112 - Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Disclosure. These financial measures are used by the Company to evaluate its financial performance, financial position or cash flow and include non-GAAP financial measures, non-GAAP ratios, total of segments measures, capital management measures, and supplementary financial measures. These financial measures are not defined by IFRS and therefore are referred to as non-GAAP and other financial measures. The non-GAAP and other financial measures used by the Company may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies, and should not be considered an alternative to or more meaningful than the most directly comparable financial measure presented in the Company's financial statements, as applicable, as an indication of the Company's performance. Descriptions of the Company's non-GAAP and other financial measures included in this document, and reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP measure, as applicable, are provided in the "Cautionary Statement Regarding Certain Non-GAAP Performance Measures" section of the Company's MD&A for the three months and nine months ended August 31, 2025, dated October 15th, 2025. SOURCE: Avant Brands Inc. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/healthcare-and-pharmaceutical/avant-brands-announces-results-for-q3-2025-1087241 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 15, 2025) - Goldstorm Metals Corp. (TSXV: GSTM) (FSE: B2U) ("Goldstorm" or the "Company") announces that in connection with the Canada Post labour strike, the notice of meeting, management information circular (the "Circular") and form of proxy for shareholders (the "Meeting Materials") for the upcoming annual general meeting (the "Meeting") of shareholders (the "Shareholders") of Common shares ("Common Shares") of the Company to be held on October 24, 2025 at 15th Floor, 1111 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, can be accessed under the Company's SEDAR+ profile on www.sedarplus.ca as posted on September 26, 2025, and through its website. The Company's audited financial statements for March 31, 2025 are also posted on its website at that location. The Meeting is being held for the following purposes: to receive and consider the report of the directors and the financial statements of the Company, together with the auditor's report thereon, for the financial year ended March 31, 2025; to fix the number of directors at five (5); to elect directors for the ensuing year; to appoint Davidson & Company LLP as the auditor of the Company for the ensuing year and authorize the directors to fix the remuneration to be paid to the auditor; and to consider and, if thought fit, to pass an ordinary resolution approving and ratifying the Company's current implemented stock option plan, subject to regulatory approval, as more fully set forth in the Circular. Registered Shareholders The Company is encouraging Registered Shareholders to access the Meeting Materials electronically and vote their Common Shares online. Registered Shareholders can request copies of the Meeting Materials delivered via email by contacting Computershare Investor Services Inc. via service@computershare.com or by phone at 1-800-564-6253 (toll-free within North America) or 514-982-7555 (direct from outside North America). Meeting material can also be accessed directly on the Company's website as set out in the preceding paragraph. Beneficial Shareholders Beneficial Shareholders should contact their broker/intermediary directly to obtain a copy of their voting instruction form or other proxy-related materials if not already provided. This may include obtaining your individual control number to allow you to provide your voting instructions to your broker/intermediary. The Company notes most shareholders of the Company hold their shares through their broker/intermediary and this process must be used to allow your votes to be taken into account. Proxies and Questions In all cases, Shareholders' votes must be received not later than the close of business on October 23, 2025. Shareholders with questions on voting may contact Computershare Investor Services Inc., via service@computershare.com or by phone at 1-800-564-6253 (toll-free within North America) or 514-982-7555 (direct from outside North America) or the Company at chris.curran@goldstormmetals.com. Due to the mail strike, and the inability to deliver the required Meeting Materials within the time frames set out in NI 51-102, the Company is relying on CSA Coordinated Blanket Order 51-932 as adopted by the British Columbia Securities Commission on October 9, 2025, and has satisfied all the conditions necessary to allow it to rely on such blanket order. About Goldstorm Metals Goldstorm Metals Corp. is a precious and base metals exploration company with a large strategic land position in the Golden Triangle of British Columbia, an area that hosts some of the largest and highest-grade gold deposits in the world. Goldstorm's flagship projects Crown and Electrum cover an area that totals approximately 16,469 hectares over 6 concessions, of which 5 are contiguous. The Crown Project is situated directly south of Seabridge Gold's KSM gold-copper deposits and Newmont Corporation's Brucejack/Valley of the Kings gold mine. Electrum, also located in the Golden Triangle of BC, is situated directly between Newmont Corporation's Brucejack Mine, approximately 20 kilometers to the north, and the past producing Silbak Premier mine, 20 kilometers to the south. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF GOLDSTORM METALS CORP. "Ken Konkin" Ken Konkin President and Chief Executive Officer For further information, please visit the Company's website at https://goldstormmetals.com/ or contact: 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 news release. Not for dissemination in the United States or through U.S. newswires To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270561 SOURCE: Goldstorm Metals Corp. NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / Aflac Incorporated Originally published on Aflac Newsroom Health care expenses are a fact of life. Whether it's a trip to the dentist to make sure the pearly whites are pristine, that yearly checkup with the family doctor, or something more serious and unexpected, the costs are inevitable - and many Americans are feeling unsettled about it. According to the 2025-2026 Aflac WorkForces Report, more than half of all U.S. employees are worried about health care costs not covered by insurance, especially Gen Z.1 Fortunately, there's help out there. Imagine your health insurance benefits like a toolbox - inside, there is a hammer, a screwdriver, some nails, maybe a tape measure. Tools like this are used to build and make repairs. Even if someone has never stepped foot on a construction site, these tools are still recognizable, and many can easily explain their uses. Similar to these building tools, supplemental insurance is a tool in your benefits toolbox that can help you, especially when it comes to your finances. Supplemental insurance coverage compliments major medical coverage and helps to close the gaps that might be left. Just as there are many types of tools, there are different types of supplemental insurance plans, depending on the coverage needed. Accident insurance could be a good fit for someone with kids or an active lifestyle, while medical or family history might urge someone to choose cancer or critical illness coverage. Life insurance is perfect for making sure the whole family is covered and helps to care for your loved ones even after you are gone. Financial safety net Supplemental insurance is a crucial tool in protecting not just yourself, but those important to you, too. It also happens to be a multipurpose tool - it can help with financial outlook, coverage and confidence. For one thing, supplemental insurance can help plan for future health care costs. More than 2 in 5 (44%) of workers attest they wouldn't be able to pay $1,000 in out-of-pocket costs, meaning expenses that fall beyond the scope of typical insurance. Again, Gen Z in particular is concerned about expenses stretching beyond their existing coverage, with 61% reporting high levels of anxiety about such costs.1 But that's exactly where supplemental insurance comes in handy. Its coverage can pay for unexpected expenses, like an accident, a hospital stay or a certain diagnoses. Staying healthy and sticking to a wellness routine Supplemental insurance coverage is also a great tool for keeping your health on the right track. The majority of employees (72%) enrolled in supplemental coverage have used it this past year, and not just for emergencies.1 Many of Aflac's insurance plans cover doctor's visits and screenings, too, so there's additional incentive to put that annual visit on the calendar. Be confident you're covered Last but not least, supplemental insurance can be used as a tool to build up confidence. When employees fully understand their policy, they feel less anxiety about health care costs and feel certain that they are fully covered in the event of a medical issue.1 Think of riding a bike - putting on a helmet, then adding knee and elbow pads, means you're probably more confident of enjoying yourself. Of course, it's best to understand whatever tool you're using. Like the importance of distinguishing between a Phillips-head and flathead screwdriver, grasping the differences between one type of coverage and another is crucial. To get started, visit Aflac.com and discover the coverage that is right for you. 1Source: 2025-2026 Aflac WorkForces Report. Accessed Oct. 1, 2025 from aflacworkforcesreport.com. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Aflac Incorporated on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Aflac Incorporated Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/aflac-incorporated Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Aflac Incorporated View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/banking-and-financial-services/taking-a-look-at-your-benefits-toolbox-1087469 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 15, 2025) - Mineral Road Discovery Inc. (CSE: ROAD) (the "Company" or "ROAD") announces that, further to its news release of October 8, 2024, its common shares will consolidate effective Tuesday, October 21, 2025, being the Record Date, on the basis of three (3) pre-consolidation common shares for every one (1) post-consolidation common share held (the "Consolidation"). There is no change in the trading symbol for ROAD. No fractional common shares will be issued, fractions of less than one-half of a common share will be cancelled and fractions of at least one-half of a common share will be converted to a whole common share. Letters of transmittal describing the process by which shareholders may obtain new certificates representing their consolidated common shares through a broker or other intermediary and consequently not having shares registered in their name will not be required to complete a letter of transmittal. Following the consolidation and subject to rounding, the Company will have approximately 31,999,905 common shares outstanding. Outstanding options, warrants and other rights to acquire common shares will likewise be adjusted according to the terms of the Consolidation. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of accuracy of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270598 SOURCE: Mineral Road Discovery Inc. Recur Software, a US-based software group that acquires and grows industry-specific software products, has acquired Cognidox, the Cambridge-based provider of electronic Quality Management System (eQMS) software used by life sciences, medical device and high-tech product development companies. Cognidox, a spin-out from Cambridge's "Silicon Fen" innovation cluster, helps companies manage design documentation, quality processes and regulatory compliance for ISO, FDA and many other standards. The company has grown its user base by more than 50 percent over the past two years while maintaining profitability. Cognidox will continue to operate from its Cambridge headquarters, serving its global customer base while benefiting from Recur's expertise and resources. Henry Jefferies, Founder and CEO of Recur, said: "Cognidox is the quality management partner of choice for many of the best-known names in life sciences, medical devices and high-tech product development. We believe they have built the industry's most configurable solution and we're excited to help them grow and add AI capabilities to the product." Joe Byrne, CEO of Cognidox, added: "We're delighted to be joining forces with Recur. They have a deep understanding of how to grow industry-specific software products without losing what makes them special. Their AI-driven approach and operational depth stood out to us from day one and we're excited for their support as we continue to innovate and deliver an outstanding product for our customers." About Cognidox Cognidox is a lean, browser-based eQMS for life sciences, medical devices, and high-tech product developers. Its platform helps companies achieve compliance with ISO 13485, FDA 21 CFR Part 11, EU Annex 11, and many other standards, while improving collaboration and efficiency. www.cognidox.com About Recur Software Recur partners with industry-specific software businesses to accelerate growth and drive product development. Taking a long-term approach, Recur invests in and supports software companies across a diverse range of industries with capital, shared services, and operational know-how. www.recursoftware.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251015430040/en/ Contacts: Recur Software info@recursoftware.com Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 15, 2025) - Eloro Resources Ltd. (TSX: ELO) (OTCQX: ELRRF) (FSE: P2QM) ("Eloro", or the "Company") is pleased to announce it will be presenting at the Centurion One Capital 3rd Annual Bahamas Summit, a two-day invitation only event taking place at the exclusive Rosewood Baha Mar Hotel from Tuesday, October 28th to Wednesday, October 29th, 2025, in Nassau, Bahamas. Eloro's CEO, Mr. Thomas Larsen, will be presenting and attending investor meetings and will also be participating on a panel discussion during the event. "I look forward to providing an update on Eloro's progress at the upcoming summit," said Mr. Larsen. Centurion One Capital 3rd Annual Bahamas Summit is a two-day invitation only event that brings together the worlds leading small cap growth companies to an audience of global growth investors held at the Rosewood Baha Mar Hotel which epitomizes Bahamian refinement and sophistication. Set on the gorgeous white sand of Nassau's Cable Beach, the event will consist of a series of company presentations, 1x1 investor meetings, dynamic panels and networking over two days. Summit Details: Format: Presentations, Panel Discussions and 1 X 1 Investor Meetings Presentation Dates: Tuesday, October 28th and Wednesday, October 29th, 2025 Time: 9:00 AM EDT - 5:00 PM EDT Venue: Rosewood Baha Mar Hotel For more information and registration details, please visit: www.centuriononecapital.com/bahamas-summit. About Eloro Resources Ltd. Eloro is an exploration and mine development company with a portfolio of gold and base-metal properties in Bolivia, Peru and Quebec. Eloro has an option to acquire a 100% interest in the highly prospective Iska Iska project, which can be classified as a polymetallic epithermal-porphyry complex, a significant mineral deposit type in the Potosi Department, in southern Bolivia. A NI 43-101 Technical Report on Iska Iska, which was completed by Micon International Limited, is available on Eloro's website and under its filings on SEDAR+. Iska Iska is a road-accessible, royalty-free property. Eloro also owns an 82% interest in the La Victoria Gold/Silver Project, located in the North-Central Mineral Belt of Peru some 50 km south of the Lagunas Norte Gold Mine and the La Arena Gold Mine. About Centurion One Capital Centurion One Capital ("Centurion One") is the premier independent Investment Banking firm dedicated to fueling the growth and success of growth companies in North America. With an unwavering commitment to delivering comprehensive financial solutions and strategic guidance, Centurion One is a trusted strategic partner and catalyst to propel issuers to unlock their full potential. Our team comprises seasoned professionals who combine extensive financial expertise with deep knowledge of various sectors. We take a proactive and results-driven approach, working closely with our clients to develop tailored strategies and execute transactions that maximize value and drive long-term success. Centurion One - Empowering Growth. Driving Innovation. Partnering for Success. For more information about Centurion One, visit www.centuriononecapital.com. Information in this news release may contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information express, as at the date of this news release, the Company's plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations, or beliefs as to future events or results and are believed to be reasonable based on information currently available to the Company. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Neither the TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270609 SOURCE: Centurion One Capital Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 15, 2025) - Cathedra Bitcoin Inc. (TSXV: CBIT) (OTCQB: CBTTF) (the "Company" or "Cathedra"), a bitcoin company that develops and operates digital infrastructure assets, today announced that it has completed its previously announced 30:1 consolidation of its issued and outstanding subordinate voting shares and multiple voting shares (the "Consolidation"). The record date for the Consolidation was October 14, 2025, and became effective today. As a result of the Consolidation, every 30 subordinate voting shares and multiple voting shares of the Company issued and outstanding as of the record date were consolidated into one subordinate voting share or multiple voting share, as applicable. No fractional subordinate voting shares were issued; instead, any such fractional shares resulting from the Consolidation were rounded down to the nearest whole share. The Consolidation affected all Company shareholders uniformly and did not alter any shareholder's percentage interest in the Company's equity, except to the extent that the Consolidation resulted in any shareholder losing a fractional share due to rounding down. The Company's post-Consolidation subordinate voting shares will resume trading on the TSX Venture Exchange as of October 16, 2025 under the symbol "CBIT" and on the OTCQB under the symbol "CBTTF". The Consolidation was intended to reduce the number of shares currently outstanding, streamlining the Company's capital structure. About Cathedra Bitcoin Inc. Cathedra develops and operates digital infrastructure assets across North America. The Company hosts bitcoin mining clients across its portfolio of three data centers (30 megawatts total) in Tennessee and Kentucky and recently developed and sold a 60-megawatt data center in North Dakota, a joint venture in which Cathedra held a minority interest, closing of which is anticipated to occur in 2025. Cathedra also operates a fleet of proprietary bitcoin mining machines at its own and third-party data centers, producing approximately 400 PH/s of hash rate. Cathedra is headquartered in Vancouver and its subordinate voting shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "CBIT" and in the OTC market under the symbol "CBTTF". For more information about Cathedra, visit cathedra.com or follow Company news on X at @CathedraBitcoin or on Telegram at @CathedraBitcoin. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws that are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statements that involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information and are intended to identify forward-looking information. This forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time it was made. The Company has also assumed that no significant events occur outside of its normal course of business. Additionally, these forward-looking statements may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of Cathedra and general market conditions. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts but instead reflect Cathedra's management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although Cathedra believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed thereon, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the Company. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements are the following: changes in the Company's relationships, including with regulatory bodies, employees, customers and competitors; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; changes in applicable laws and regulations both locally and in foreign jurisdictions; compliance with extensive government regulation and the costs associated with compliance; unanticipated costs; changes in market conditions impacting the average revenue per MWh; the risks and uncertainties associated with foreign markets; the construction and operation of new facilities may not occur as currently planned, or at all; expansion of existing facilities may not materialize as currently anticipated, or at all; new miners may not perform up to expectations; revenue may not increase as currently anticipated, or at all; the ongoing ability to successfully mine Bitcoin is not assured; failure of the equipment upgrades to be installed and operated as planned; the availability of additional power may not occur as currently planned, or at all; risks associated with the completion of the sale of the Company's minority interest in the 60-megawatt data center in North Dakota; and the power purchase agreements and economics thereof may not be as advantageous as expected. Additionally, the forward-looking statements contained herein may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of Cathedra and general market conditions. For further information concerning these risks and uncertainties and other risks and uncertainties, please see the Company's filings under the Company's SEDAR+ profile on www.sedarplus.ca, including but not limited to the Company's management information circular dated June 18, 2024 and the Company's most recent interim and annual management discussion and analysis. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended and such changes could be material, including factors that are currently unknown to or deemed immaterial by the Company. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking information other than as required by law. Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270613 SOURCE: Cathedra Bitcoin Inc. Two War-damaged Assyrian Churches Reopen in Mosul Al-Tahira Cathedral (Chaldean) and Mar Toma (St. Thomas) Church formally reopened on Wednesday in Mosul, northern Iraq, following extensive rehabilitation works. The inauguration, presided over by Nineveh Governor Abdul Qadir al-Dakhil, brought together senior officials and church leaders, including Culture Minister Ahmed al-Fakkak, the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Iraq and the world, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, and Archbishop Najib Mikhael Moussa. Speaking at the ceremony, al-Dakhil hailed the restoration as "a symbol of peace, coexistence, and Mosul's reborn spirit," pledging continued support for residential return and the reconstruction of religious landmarks. For nearly two millennia, Christians have formed an integral part of Iraq's history, concentrated mainly in Baghdad, Mosul, Basra, and towns across the Nineveh Plain. Once numbering up to 1.5 million before 2003, their population has now fallen below 250,000, according to church and humanitarian estimates. Their exodus accelerated after the 2003 US invasion, when instability unleashed waves of sectarian violence, kidnappings, and church bombings that forced many to flee. When ISIS seized Mosul in 2014, Christians were given an ultimatum: convert, pay a religious tax, or face death. Homes were looted, churches burned, and centuries of heritage erased--until the city's liberation in 2017 paved the way for gradual restoration. Ruayd al-Laila, Director of the Nineveh Antiquities and Heritage Inspectorate, told Shafaq News that the rehabilitation of both churches adhered to international conservation standards under the supervision of the Nineveh Antiquities Department, with international funding and oversight. "These two houses of worship," he added, "are among Mosul's oldest and most important, carrying deep religious and cultural symbolism." China's express delivery volume rises as services get faster People's Daily Online) 16:22, October 15, 2025 China's annual express delivery volume surpassed 150 billion parcels by Oct. 11, 2025, reaching the milestone 37 days earlier than in 2024, the State Post Bureau said. Small packages connect cities, industries and online and offline markets, with their rapid flow reflecting the vibrant pulse of China's economy. The movement of packages highlights the enormous potential of China's domestic market. An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 20, 2025 shows a drone delivering a parcel over Shushan District of Hefei city, east China's Anhui Province. (Xinhua/Huang Bohan) Recently, Kurban Mehmut, a villager from Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, received a box of rice, flour and cooking oil that he had ordered online. Thanks to a collective shipping model that integrates resources across transportation, sorting and delivery processes, free shipping to Xinjiang has become a reality. Today, over 80 percent of products on e-commerce platform JD.com are available for free delivery to the region, and the number of orders from Xinjiang this year has more than doubled year on year. In the first half of this year, express delivery revenue and parcel volume in China's central and western regions rose by 13.6 percent and 25.5 percent year on year, respectively, well above the national average. Once a weak link, logistics services in remote areas are now emerging as a new growth driver. The movement of parcels reflects the strong momentum of new quality productive forces. Since June, an outlet of Chinese courier giant ZTO Express in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province, has deployed 20 new energy autonomous delivery vehicles, serving 30 nearby communities. Since their launch, the outlet's average daily delivery volume has increased by more than 20 percent year on year, said Li Feng, head of the outlet. To date, over 250 outlets of ZTO Express nationwide have operated more than 1,000 driverless vehicles, which have collectively traveled more than 10 million kilometers. The flow of parcels also reflects the effectiveness of China's macroeconomic policies. This year, China has continued to roll out policies to expand domestic demand and stimulate consumption. China's consumer goods trade-in program has been expanded to include more product categories, driving sustained growth in express delivery volume and accelerating the transformation and upgrading of the industry. An official from the State Post Bureau said China's postal and express delivery industry, with extensive domestic and global networks, has effectively connected production, distribution, circulation and consumption, providing strong support for the smooth circulation of the national economy. Going forward, the industry will accelerate the development of new quality productive forces through scientific and technological innovation, and play a bigger role in promoting high-quality economic growth and building a unified national market, according to the official. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Hongyu) CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - Australia will on Thursday release September figures for unemployment, highlighting a light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. The jobless rate is expected to tick up to 4.3 percent from 4.2 percent, with the addition of 20,000 jobs following the loss of 5,400 jobs in August. The participation rate is seen steady at 66.8 percent. Japan will see August numbers for core machinery orders, with forecasts suggesting an increase of 0.5 percent on month and 4.8 percent on year following the 4.6 percent monthly decline and the 4.9 percent yearly gain. 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. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 15, 2025) - American Tungsten Corp. (CSE: TUNG) (OTCQB: TUNGF) (FSE: RK9) ("American Tungsten" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has upsized its previously announced non-brokered Listed Issuer Financing Exemption (LIFE) private placement offering (the "Offering") reflecting strong investor demand and the Company is eligible under the LIFE Exemption to raise gross proceeds of up to $22.6 million. The upsized Offering will consist of up to 6,468,572 common shares of the Company (each, a "Share") at a price of $3.50 per Share, issued pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions and in reliance on Coordinated Blanket Order 45-935. Shares issued under the LIFE exemption will not be subject to a statutory hold period under applicable Canadian securities laws. In connection with the Offering, the Company may pay cash finders' fees to eligible finders up to 6.0% of the gross proceeds raised from subscribers introduced by such finders. An offering document related to the LIFE Private Placement will be available under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on its website at www.americantungstencorp.com. Prospective investors are encouraged to review this document prior to making an investment decision. "This upsized financing underscores the robust institutional appetite for exposure to critical metals and validates American Tungsten's strategic role in strengthening the domestic supply chain," said Ali Haji, CEO of American Tungsten. "The proceeds will accelerate our development timeline and support our transition toward production, reinforcing our vision to become the leading U.S. supplier of tungsten." The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering towards its upcoming exploration program at the IMA Mine, fast tracking technical studies, and for additional working capital. The Offering is subject to approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE"). ABOUT AMERICAN TUNGSTEN CORP. American Tungsten Corp. is a Canadian exploration company focused on high-potential tungsten and magnetite assets in North America. The Company is advancing the Ima Mine Project in Idaho to commercial production, addressing critical metal scarcity in North America. The Company's Ima Mine Project is a historic and high-quality underground tungsten past-producing property on private-patented land well above the water table with significant infrastructure. The Company holds an exclusive option to acquire full ownership (subject to a 2% royalty) and has expanded its land position with 113 additional federal claims covering nearly 2,000 acres. For further updates, visit www.americantungstencorp.com or investor relations, Joanna Longo at ir@americantungstencorp.com. Social media links: LinkedIn: https:// www.linkedin.com/company/americantungstencorp/ X: https://x.com/amtungsten Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/americantungstencorp/ Instagram: https:// www.instagram.com/americantungstencorp/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@americantungstencorp For further information, please contact: (CSE: TUNG) (OTCQB: TUNGF) (FSE: RK9) The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. This news release includes "forward-looking information" that is subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Forward-looking statements may include but are not limited to, statements relating to the completion of the Offering on the terms described herein or at all, and the use of proceeds and available funds following the completion of the Offering and are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties normally incident to such events. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future events and that actual events or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements represent management's best judgment based on information currently available. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. The Company undertake no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270618 SOURCE: American Tungsten Corp. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 15, 2025) - Critical Minerals Americas Inc. ("CMAI" or "the Company"), a Canadian private company focused on the development of its vast Alberta based Critical Minerals and Rare Earth Elements "REE" project, is pleased to announce the completion of its National Instrument (NI) 43-101 technical report by APEX Geoscience Ltd. (APEX) of Edmonton Alberta. CMAI is advancing the development of long-term domestic supplies of critical minerals and REE's through it's SBH Black Shale Project ("SBH Project"). CMAI holds a 100 per cent (%) interest in nine (9) contiguous Alberta rock-hosted minerals permits collectively comprising an aggregate of 466.66 sq kms (46,666 hectares (ha)) which is located on the eastern slopes of the Birch Mountains of Northeastern Alberta, approximately 120 kilometres (km) north of Fort McMurray, Alberta, in the Athabasca oil sands region. The Project is directly accessible by winter roads and air (fixed-wing and helicopter) from Fort McMurray, Alberta. Fort McMurray is approximately 450 km by road North of Edmonton and is served by regular daily commercial flights from Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto and other communities. The SBH Project is considered one of the largest known accumulations of recoverable Critical Minerals with Rare Earth Elements located in North America. Key Highlights: The Conceptual Exploration Tonnage Targets (the Exploration Targets) for the SBH Project are used to provide an estimate of the potential quantity and grades of a mineral deposit, based on known exploration data and additional geological evidence. It is an early-stage assessment of existing data that will help CMAI to guide further exploration but is not a mineral resource nor a mineral reserve and should not be treated as such. The Exploration Targets for the SBH Project were developed by APEX Geoscience, an independent geological consulting firm, using existing historical geological and drilling data, to provide a conceptual evaluation of the potential tonnages and grades of mineralized black shale horizons within the Project. These exploration tonnage targets were calculated for the Lower Buckton, Buckton South and Asphalt zones for each of the laterally continuous Labiche, Second White Specks, and the Belle Fourche/Shaftesbury Formations. Results are as follows in Table 1 below: Table 1. Conceptual Mineralized Shale Exploration Tonnage Target Sizes (Billions of Tonnes - BT) Target Areal Extent (km2) Tonnage range (BT) Low High Lower Buckton 9.6 2.3 3.5 Buckton South 66.9 10.3 15.4 Asphalt 47.4 6.9 10.3 Exploration Target Total 123.9 19.5 29.2 *The SBH Project Exploration Targets' potential quantity and grade is conceptual in nature, there has been insufficient exploration to estimate a mineral resource, and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a mineral resource. See Technical Report reference at the end for the details of the calculations for the Exploration Targets. The Lower Buckton Exploration Target contains a range of approximately 2.3 - 3.5 BT of total black shale material from the combined Labiche, Second White Specks, and Belle Fourche/Shaftesbury formations. Within this exploration target area and adjacent to the north, an historical Mineral Resource Estimate1 (MRE) of 4.4 BT of Inferred Mineral Resources of metalliferous black shale was defined in 2013 within the former Buckton Zone by a previous operator. The portion of the historical Buckton Zone resource that falls within the current SBH Project represents approximately 12.9% (or 572.8 million tonnes) of the most recent Buckton Zone historical mineral resource (Figure 1). The Buckton South Exploration Target contains a range of approximately 10.3 - 15.4 BT of total black shale material from the combined Labiche, Second White Specks, and Belle Fourche/Shaftesbury formations. Within this exploration target area, an historical Inferred Mineral Resource2 of 497 million tonnes of metalliferous black shale was defined in 2013 by a previous operator (see Figure 1). The Asphalt Exploration Target contains a range of approximately 6.9 - 10.3 BT of total black shale material from the combined Labiche, Second White Specks, and Belle Fourche/Shaftesbury formations. Historic drilling took place at the Asphalt target, but a mineral resource was never disclosed. In accordance with NI 43-101, the potential quantity and grade of the Exploration Targets are conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a Mineral Resource as defined by NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the Exploration Targets being delineated as a Mineral Resource. The critical minerals contained within the mineralised black shale formations include Mo, Ni, U, V, Zn, Cu, Co, Li, Sc and all REEs including La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Y, Th except for Promethium. Analytical grade ranges for each Exploration Target area and formation are listed in the APEX Technical Report3. The Exploration Targets are constrained to the Mineralised Zones/Formations and do not include prospective targets that CMAI has identified outside of the Exploration Target Areas. However, the Labiche, Second White Specks, and the Shaftesbury formations occur throughout the western portion of the Project area as confirmed by diamond drilling, oil and gas well logs, mapping, and sampling work. Based on average tonnages calculated for the Exploration Target areas, the total expansion potential for the SBH Project is approximately 97.9 km2 with a potential to host an additional 15 to 23 BT (billion tonnes) of black shale in the Labiche, Second White Specks, and the Upper Belle Fourche/Shaftesbury Formations respectively, the total potential tonnage amounts to approximately 34.5 to 52.2 BT (Figure 2). In accordance with NI 43-101, the potential quantity and grade of the Exploration Targets and the expansion potential of the Exploration Targets are conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a Mineral Resource as defined by NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the Exploration Targets being delineated as a Mineral Resource. "The Conceptual Exploration Target calculation and work represents a major milestone for CMAI as it validates the SBH Project has one of the largest known and easily accessed continuous critical minerals deposits in North America. The location of the SBH Project in proximity to the oil sands operations and infrastructure make it an ideal candidate for a mining, processing and creating a significant metals refining hub in Alberta. Past metallurgical bioleaching test work on the SBH Project's black shales was undertaken by the Government of Canada and the Province of Alberta as well as leading research and testing facilities including Bureau de Recherches Geologiques et Minieres (BRGM), Actlabs, Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures (AITF), Alberta Research Council (ARC) and Natural Resources Canada, Canmet in Devon, Alberta. The results of then-best in class recovery methods from bioleaching showed promising economic viability of these deposits. CMAI intends to update and accelerate the technical efficiency of the bioleaching process," said Denis Clement, President and CEO of CMAI. "Alberta is an ideal location for a project of this scale and national importance, offering sound predictable policy, competitive taxes, rigorous but supportive regulations and permitting frameworks. Alberta's quality extensive infrastructure, its long tradition of world-class research and development expertise, both in terms of resource extraction and processing, with its substantial expertise and capabilities in resource development, including mining, and its skilled work force are compelling factors that support the timely development of the SBH project. "The SBH Project can become a major secure source of supply for many of the key critical minerals and REEs Canada and its Western Allies must secure." "CMAI's vision for SBH and Alberta goes beyond mining and recovery to include final downstream processing of minerals and REEs in Alberta. As a country, Canada should be developing value-added technologies, and the SBH Project can achieve this," he added. "Based on the historical work carried out to date, CMAI is committed to continue accelerating the SBH Project to create value for its shareholders." "The SBH Project Conceptual Exploration Targets work highlight both the deposit scale potential of the SBH Project as well as its grades for the various metals and REEs present within the black shale formations, particularly in regards to the Buckton South and Lower Buckton exploration target areas that contain historical drilling and historical mineral resource estimates." said CMAI's Vice President of Exploration, Daniel Leroux. "Since these Exploration Target areas are flat-lying and outcrop in various areas of the property, the Mineralized Zones remain open along strike. There is significant potential for the lateral expansion of these exploration targets. We are currently planning our 2025-2026 diamond drilling program in order to focus on potentially identifying an initial 2-5 billion tonnes of mineralized black shale material from all three shale formations from the Buckton South and Asphalt target areas, respectively. The focus of the exploration and drilling will be to update the Exploration Targets for the Buckton South and Asphalt target areas to current Inferred Mineral Resources." For further details on the SBH Project, please refer to the technical report prepared by Apex Geoscience titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on The SBH Property Birch Mountains, Athabasca Region, Alberta, Canada" dated August 29, 2025. A copy of the Technical Report is available on CMAI's website. About Critical Minerals Americas Inc. Critical Minerals Americas Inc. is a private company engaged in mineral exploration and development in the province of Alberta. CMAI holds a 100% interest in a 466.66 sq kms critical minerals and rare earth elements hosted black shale project called the SBH Project. The Project is located approx. 120 km northwest of Fort McMurray Alberta in the Athabasca region. CMAI is advancing the development of long-term domestic supplies of critical minerals and REEs. Qualified Person Mr. Michael Dufresne, P. Geol, P. Geo. is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, and member in good standing with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) and with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC). Mr. Dufresne has reviewed and approved the technical information in this press release. Mr. Dufresne is the President of Apex Geoscience and is independent of the Company. Daniel Leroux, P.Geo., is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, and member in good standing with the Professional Geoscientists of Ontario. Mr. Leroux has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release. Mr. Leroux is the Vice President Exploration for CMAI. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking statements" and/or "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "plan", "aim", "target", "contemplate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "propose", "might", "may", "will", "shall", "project", "should", "could", "would", "believe", "predict", "forecast", "pursue", "potential", "possible", "capable" and similar expressions are intended to identify "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, the use of the proceeds of the Private Placement and the anticipated development and prospective nature of the Company's property interests. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to it and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific. Risks exist that forward-looking statements will not be achieved due to a number of factors including, but not limited to, the receipt of applicable shareholder and regulatory approvals, availability of financing, the impact of changes in the laws and regulations regulating mining exploration, development, closure, judicial or regulatory judgments and legal proceedings. Although management of the Company considers the assumptions contained in forward-looking statements to be reasonable based on information currently available to the Company, those assumptions may prove to be incorrect. When making decisions with respect to the Company, investors and others should not place undue reliance on these statements and should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. The Company does not undertake any obligation to release publicly revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. Investors should not assume that any lack of update to a previously issued forward-looking statement constitutes a reaffirmation of that statement. Continued reliance on forward-looking statements is at investors' own risk. Figure 1. Exploration targets, historical drillholes and historical resource outlines for the SBH Project. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9351/270616_da341db524de2a80_001full.jpg Figure 2. Exploration target expansion potential, historical drillholes and historical resource outlines for the SBH Project. Exploration targets are inclusive within the area. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9351/270616_da341db524de2a80_002full.jpg 1 Eccles, R., Nicholls, S., McMillan K. and Dufresne, M. 2013. National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report, Updated and Expanded Mineral Resource Estimate for the Buckton Zone, SBH Property, Northeast Alberta. Prepared for DNI Metals Inc. by APEX Geoscience Ltd., September 9, 2013. 2 Eccles, R., Nicholls, S. and Dufresne, M. 2013. National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report, Maiden Inferred Resource Estimate for the Buckton South Zone, SBH Property, Northeast Alberta. Prepared for DNI Metals Inc. by APEX Geoscience Ltd., March 1, 2013. 3 Dufresne, M. and Eccles, R. 2025. NI 43-101 Technical Report on the SBH Property Birch Mountains, Athabasca Region, Alberta, Canada. Technical Report prepared on behalf of Critical Minerals Americas Inc. by APEX Geoscience Ltd., August 29, 2025. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270616 SOURCE: Critical Minerals Americas Inc. Samsung Electronics has been recognized as the 5th Best Global Brand for the sixth year in a row by the global brand consultancy Interbrand. In the latest Best Global Brands list, Samsungs brand value reached $90.5 billion, maintaining its position as the only Asian company to be ranked in the top five since 2020. According to Interbrand, Samsungs evaluation was positively influenced by several key factors: Strengthened competitiveness in Artificial Intelligence (AI) across its business divisions. Enhanced customer experiences through the unified integration of its products. Focused investment in AI-related semiconductors. Execution of a customer-centric brand strategy. Under its Innovation for All vision, Samsung has emphasized making AI accessible to a wider customer base. The company has advanced its Galaxy AI, with the goal of making it available on 400 million devices within the year. In consumer electronics, AI technologies like Vision AI and Bespoke AI have been incorporated into various product categories. In the semiconductor sector, Samsung is addressing the demand for AI with a portfolio that includes products such as HBM, high-capacity DDR5, LPDDR5X, and GDDR7. The company also continues to focus on product accessibility and sustainable innovation, including energy savings through its SmartThings platform. Achievements Across Business Divisions Mobile Samsung continues to promote the use of AI through its Galaxy AI platform. The company has also reinforced its position in the foldable smartphone market with the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7, while expanding health services through its wearable devices and the Samsung Health app. Samsung continues to promote the use of AI through its Galaxy AI platform. The company has also reinforced its position in the foldable smartphone market with the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7, while expanding health services through its wearable devices and the Samsung Health app. Networks The company has worked on its leadership in AI-powered virtualized Radio Access Networks (vRAN) and Open RAN. It is also involved in technological innovation for 5G use cases and the technical standardization of 6G. The company has worked on its leadership in AI-powered virtualized Radio Access Networks (vRAN) and Open RAN. It is also involved in technological innovation for 5G use cases and the technical standardization of 6G. Visual Display Samsung has maintained its market position in TVs, soundbars, and gaming monitors. The division has integrated AI features based on Vision AI and expanded content offerings through partnerships for its TV Plus service. Samsung has maintained its market position in TVs, soundbars, and gaming monitors. The division has integrated AI features based on Vision AI and expanded content offerings through partnerships for its TV Plus service. Digital Appliances The company has sustained its global leadership in categories like refrigerators and washing machines, incorporating AI capabilities and SmartThings integration. It has also expanded its Bespoke AI appliance line, focusing on energy efficiency and usability. The company has sustained its global leadership in categories like refrigerators and washing machines, incorporating AI capabilities and SmartThings integration. It has also expanded its Bespoke AI appliance line, focusing on energy efficiency and usability. Semiconductor Samsung operates a diverse portfolio for cloud, on-device, and physical AI applications. It holds a leading position in mobile and automotive semiconductors and continues to invest in innovative solutions like CMM-D and HBM. Interbrands ranking methodology involves a comprehensive analysis of a companys financial performance, the influence of the brand on customer purchases, and its overall competitiveness. Commenting on this, Won-Jin Lee, President and Head of Global Marketing Office at Samsung Electronics, said: Through AI innovation and open collaboration, Samsung has worked to ensure that more customers can experience AI in their daily lives. Moving forward, we will continue to focus on benefits for customers, including in health and safety so that Samsung can grow into an even more beloved brand. At the China launch event, HONOR introduced HONOR Magic8s AI concept version HONOR ROBOT PHONE, positioned as part of its AI product ecosystem. According to the HONOR, the device is designed to fuse multi-modal intelligence, advanced robotics, and next-generation imaging. It is equipped with an AI system for environmental perception and features robotic mobility, allowing it to move. One of the key functions highlighted is its ability to act as a personal camera for its users, capturing moments such as celebrations or everyday life. The video posted by the company also shows the device potentially assisting with tasks like outfit selection and capturing dynamic shots, like during skydiving. This new product is part of the companys HONOR ALPHA PLAN, which was announced earlier this year. HONOR positions the Robot Phone as the next step in the evolution of intelligent devices, following the transition from standard smartphones to AI-centric phones. The initiative is aligned with the companys goal of becoming a global leader in the AI device ecosystem. The company plans to officially debut the product at the MWC 2026 in Barcelona. 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. Troops to San Francisco President Donald Trump had been threatening to deploy members of the United States military to San Francisco, California. But on 23 October 2025, Trump made a sudden about-face, announcing he would not push forward with a surge of troops to the Democratic stronghold at least, for now. The Federal Government was preparing to surge San Francisco, California, on Saturday, but friends of mine who live in the area called last night to ask me not to go forward with the surge, Trump wrote on his online platform, Truth Social. The Republican leader credited Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Salesforce cofounder Marc Benioff, two titans of the tech industry, with helping to convince him to reverse course. Trump added that he had also spoken with San Franciscos mayor, centrist Democrat Daniel Lurie. But in relaying their call, the president hinted that Thursdays decision may not be his final word on the matter. He asked, very nicely, that I give him a chance to see if he can turn it around, Trump said of Lurie in his post. I told him I think he is making a mistake, because we can do it much faster, and remove the criminals that the Law does not permit him to remove. I told him, Its an easier process if we do it, faster, stronger, and safer but, lets see how you do?' Governor Newsom, considered a leading Democratic contender in the next presidential race, compared Trumps actions to those of a wannabe tyrant. The notion that the federal government can deploy troops into our cities with no justification grounded in reality, no oversight, no accountability, no respect for state sovereignty its a direct assault on the rule of law, Newsom said. San Francisco became the latest flashpoint in President Donald Trump's campaign to deploy National Guard troops to Democratic-led cities across the United States. The controversy intensified when Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff publicly supported federal intervention, sparking fierce debate among tech leaders, local officials, and national political figures about public safety, federal overreach, and the appropriate response to urban challenges including the fentanyl crisis. Presidential Statements and Threats President Trump has repeatedly named San Francisco among several Democratic-led cities he claims need federal intervention. In August 2025, Trump stated from the Oval Office that Democrats had "destroyed" San Francisco and indicated his administration would "clean that up" using federal troops. He characterized the city as one of several that have lost control under Democratic leadership. The rhetoric escalated significantly in late September when Trump addressed top U.S. military officials at an unusual gathering in Quantico, Virginia. During this speech, he described a "war from within" and named San Francisco alongside Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles as "very unsafe places" that need to be "straightened out one by one." Trump suggested to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that these cities could serve as training grounds for National Guard troops, stating his intention to use dangerous cities for military training purposes. Chicago appears to be first on the administration's list for deployment. Trump has repeatedly indicated that Chicago would receive federal troops "very soon" and described it as "a mess" that would be straightened out first. The president has already deployed National Guard troops to several cities, including approximately 2,000 troops to Washington D.C. and more than 4,000 to Los Angeles during protests related to immigration raids. Corporate Support and the Benioff Controversy The debate took an unexpected turn when Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce and a prominent San Francisco business leader, expressed support for federal intervention during an interview with The New York Times published on October 11. Benioff cited a shortage of approximately 1,000 police officers in San Francisco and stated, "We don't have enough cops, so if they can be cops, I'm all for it." His comments came as Salesforce prepared to welcome tens of thousands of attendees to its annual Dreamforce conference in downtown San Francisco. However, Benioff appeared to soften his stance shortly after the interview was published, writing that safety is "first and foremost, the responsibility of our city and state leaders." Despite this partial walkback, his initial comments had already sparked controversy and provided ammunition for those advocating federal intervention. In his follow-up remarks, Benioff praised Mayor Daniel Lurie's efforts to increase police hiring and retain law enforcement personnel. Elon Musk's Endorsement Elon Musk, who maintains significant business interests in the San Francisco Bay Area through companies including xAI, X, and Neuralink, seized on Benioff's comments to voice his own support for federal intervention. Musk stated on his social media platform X that deploying troops was "the only solution at this point" and that "nothing else has or will work." He characterized downtown San Francisco as a "drug zombie apocalypse" and shared his views with his more than 227 million followers. Musk's endorsement came in response to posts by Tom Wolf, who describes himself as a formerly homeless recovering addict and advocate for addiction recovery in San Francisco. Wolf cited data showing more than 4,300 overdose deaths since 2020 and referenced a March 2025 survey by the conservative Voice of San Francisco, which found that 61 percent of voters support federal intervention to deport undocumented fentanyl dealers, with the number rising to 83 percent when including those who "somewhat agree." Wolf argued that removing organized drug dealers would eliminate 80 percent of the city's problems. Local Government Opposition San Francisco's elected officials have uniformly and vocally opposed the prospect of federal troop deployment. Mayor Daniel Lurie, who defeated incumbent London Breed in November 2024 partly by promising to clean up the city's streets, has emphasized the progress San Francisco has made on public safety. He noted that crime is down 30 percent citywide and 40 percent in the financial district, with tent encampments at an all-time low. Mayor Lurie has maintained his policy of not directly responding to or mentioning President Trump by name, instead focusing on local accomplishments and data. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins issued a particularly forceful response, stating she "can't be silent any longer" after Benioff's interview. Jenkins accused Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of turning "so-called public safety and immigration enforcement into a form of government sponsored violence against U.S." citizens. Her statement reflected concerns that federal intervention would constitute inappropriate use of military force for domestic law enforcement purposes. Governor Gavin Newsom, who has positioned himself as a leader of resistance to Trump administration policies, characterized the president's speech to military officials as terrifying. Newsom stated that "declaring war on our nation's cities and using our troops as political pawns is what dictators do," and accused Trump of caring "about nothing but his own ego and power." This marked a stark contrast to Mayor Lurie's more measured approach of avoiding direct confrontation while defending the city's record. Divided Tech Community Response Not all tech leaders share Musk and Benioff's support for federal intervention. Garry Tan, CEO of startup incubator Y Combinator, stated "We don't need the National Guard" while simultaneously criticizing progressive local policies and former District Attorney Chesa Boudin. Tan's response reflected a broader sentiment among some tech leaders that San Francisco's problems require local solutions rather than federal military intervention, though they may disagree about the specific nature of those solutions. The division within the tech community reflects broader tensions about how to address San Francisco's challenges, particularly around the fentanyl epidemic and visible street conditions. While there is widespread agreement that problems exist, opinion diverges sharply on whether federal military intervention represents an appropriate or effective solution versus local policy changes and increased local law enforcement resources. Crime Statistics and Reality Check The debate over troop deployment occurs against a backdrop of improving crime statistics that complicate the narrative of a city in crisis. According to San Francisco Police Department data obtained by ABC7, major crimes in the city are down 36 percent over the last 12 months compared to the average for the previous three years. A San Francisco Chronicle analysis from July 2025 found that reported violent crime fell 19 percent and property crime decreased 25 percent in the first half of 2025, continuing historic declines from the previous year. These local statistics align with national trends. A report from the Council on Criminal Justice shows that there were fewer offenses in large U.S. cities in the first half of 2025 than during the first half of 2019, before the pandemic. Crime has been declining nationwide, contradicting Trump's characterization of Democratic-led cities as increasingly dangerous and out of control. However, frustration persists over specific issues, particularly the fentanyl epidemic, which has killed thousands of San Franciscans even as overall violence statistics improve. This disconnect between improving crime numbers and persistent quality-of-life concerns around drug use, homelessness, and street conditions has created political space for debate about whether current approaches are sufficient. Legal Challenges and Constitutional Questions Whether Trump will actually deploy troops to San Francisco remains uncertain due to significant legal obstacles. Federal judges have already blocked several of the president's recent troop deployments to other cities as violations of the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the use of the military for domestic law enforcement. These legal challenges have affected attempted deployments to cities including Chicago and Portland, creating precedent that could apply to any San Francisco deployment. The city of Portland and the state of Oregon have sued the Trump administration to stop troop deployment in their jurisdiction. Trump's order to send National Guard troops to Los Angeles remains the focus of an ongoing legal challenge arguing that the president wrongly deployed the California guard. These cases will likely establish legal frameworks that determine whether similar deployments to San Francisco would be permissible under federal law and constitutional constraints. The unusual nature of Trump's September address to military officials, where he called on generals to defend against an internal invasion and suggested using cities as National Guard training grounds, drew lackluster applause from the assembled officers. This tepid response from military leadership may indicate institutional reluctance to involve the armed forces in domestic political disputes or law enforcement activities traditionally handled by civilian authorities. Political and Cultural Dimensions The controversy over potential troop deployment to San Francisco highlights deeper political and cultural divides within the city and the nation. San Francisco's status as a Democratic stronghold and center of progressive politics makes it a natural target for Trump's broader campaign against what he characterizes as failed Democratic governance. The city has maintained sanctuary policies protecting undocumented immigrants, which Mayor Lurie has expressed support for continuing despite federal pressure. The tension between those calling for stronger enforcement, including potential federal intervention, and those warning against federal overreach reflects San Francisco's internal political divisions. While the city's elected officials present a united front against troop deployment, survey data suggesting significant public support for federal action against fentanyl dealers indicates that residents may be more divided on the issue than their elected representatives. The debate also reflects different philosophies about the role of federal power and military force in addressing urban challenges. Critics of potential deployment argue that using troops for domestic law enforcement represents a dangerous precedent and inappropriate militarization of civilian problems. Supporters contend that local governments have proven incapable of addressing serious public safety issues and that extraordinary measures are justified by the severity of problems like the fentanyl crisis. "Radical Left Democrats" was Trump's most frequently used epithet when discussing San Francisco and other Democratic-led cities. In his speech to military officials at Quantico in September 2025, Trump specifically stated: "It seems as though the ones that are run by the radical left democrats what they've done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, LA, they're very unsafe places and we're going to straighten them out one by one." "Destroyed" - Trump repeatedly claims Democrats have "destroyed" San Francisco. He stated: "Look at what the Democrats have done to San Francisco. They've destroyed it." Cities that have "lost control" - Trump characterized Democratic-run cities as places where local leadership has "lost control," though he declined to name any Democrats who allegedly called asking for federal help. "San Francisco radical" - During the 2024 campaign, Trump's campaign specifically labeled Vice President Kamala Harris as a "San Francisco radical" after her CNN interview. Trump also pronounced Governor Gavin Newsom's name as "new-scum" during remarks, making his contempt explicit through this deliberate mispronunciation. The phrase "radical left Democrats" became Trump's standard epithet not just for San Francisco, but for all Democratic-led cities he's targeted for potential federal troop deployment. San Francisco became associated with counterculture movements that Republicans viewed as un-American starting in the 1950s and 1960s. The Beat Generation in the mid-1950s, followed by the hippie movement and the famous 1967 Summer of Love, established the city as a center of alternative lifestyles, drug experimentation, and anti-establishment politics. The House Un-American Activities Committee held hearings in San Francisco in 1960, with police attacking protesters at City Hall. In 1953, Congress even debated destroying murals at the Rincon Annex post office because right-wing groups considered them "subversive, communistic and insufficiently celebratory" of the city's history. Republicans systematically used San Francisco as a political weapon to attack liberal policies nationwide. Ron DeSantis held up a "poop map" during his Fox News debate with Gavin Newsom, claiming to show human feces proliferation on city streets. After a brief visit, he created campaign ads blaming "leftist policies" for street conditions. The Republican Party released AI-generated apocalyptic imagery of San Francisco's streets in campaign materials. Conservative criticism centers heavily on homelessness as evidence of progressive policy failure. California has approximately half of America's homeless population despite being only 12% of the total population, with San Francisco being a primary focus Conservatives argue the city's approach of providing housing without requiring treatment for addiction or mental illness is fundamentally flawed. San Francisco spends over $1 billion annually on homelessness, yet the problem has grown 32-63% depending on the measurement period. Critics claim permissive policies attract homeless individuals from other areas, creating an unsolvable cycle. Conservative outlets like Heritage Foundation, Fox News, and The American Conservative have produced extensive content portraying San Francisco as a cautionary tale of progressive governance gone wrong, often using terms like "hellscape," "dystopia," and "open sewer." Conclusion The question of whether federal troops will be deployed to San Francisco remains unresolved. While President Trump has repeatedly threatened such action and gained support from prominent figures like Elon Musk and initially from Marc Benioff, significant obstacles remain in the form of legal challenges, local opposition, and questions about the constitutional appropriateness of using military forces for domestic law enforcement. The improving crime statistics cited by local officials complicate the narrative of a city in crisis requiring federal intervention, even as persistent problems around fentanyl and quality-of-life issues fuel continued debate. As legal challenges to similar deployments in other cities work through the courts, San Francisco's fate may ultimately be decided by judicial interpretation of the limits of presidential power and the scope of the Posse Comitatus Act rather than by political rhetoric or local conditions. Sources NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Michael Randrianirina Colonel Michael Randrianirina emerged as the interim president of Madagascar following a dramatic military takeover on October 14, 2025, that culminated weeks of youth-led protests against President Andry Rajoelina. Colonel Michael Randrianirina, a senior officer in Madagascar's elite CAPSAT military unit, took control of the African island on 14 October 2025 after President Andry Rajoelina fled following weeks of youth-led Gen Z protests against his rule. The 51-year-old officer, once jailed for mutiny, has suspended key state institutions and said it could take up to two years to hold elections. Randrianirina said he was "taking the position of president" in an interview with AP at his barracks. Randrianirina is part of Madagascar's elite military CAPSAT unit, the group that brought now-deposed president Andry Rajoelina to power in a 2009 coup. Since taking control, he suspended the country's institutions, including the Senate, electoral commission and top legal bodies such as the High Constitutional Court that validated his takeover as interim president. He said it might take up to two years to hold elections to transition back to a civilian government. Randrianirina became a vocal critic of Rajoelina in recent years and was arrested on suspicion of instigating an army mutiny in November 2023, for which he was charged, brought before a court and sent to prison all on the same day. He was released in February 2024, after being given a suspended sentence for attacking state security, and returned to CAPSAT. On October 11, as the Gen Z protests against Rajoelina gathered steam, Randrianirina recorded a video in which he called on Madagascar's security forces to disobey orders to open fire on protesters. Some CAPSAT soldiers then joined the protests after that declaration of support. Randrianirina was born in the village of Sevohipoty, in the region of Androy, on the southernmost tip of the Indian Ocean island. His exact date of his birth is not public knowledge, nor is his family background. He was governor of Androy between 2016 and 2018, later becoming head of an infantry battalion in the city of Toliara until 2022. Then he was promoted to a senior role in CAPSAT. Randrianirina's military career began in regional administration, where he served as governor of the Androy region from 2016 to 2018 during the presidency of Hery Rajaonarimampianina. Following this administrative role, he transitioned into combat leadership, serving as commander of an infantry battalion in the coastal city of Toliara until July 2022. His advancement through military ranks eventually led him to a senior position within CAPSAT, the elite military unit whose full name is Corps d'administration des personnels et des services administratifs et techniques, which translates to the Army Personnel Administration Center. Though not a front-line combat unit, CAPSAT holds considerable influence within Madagascar's armed forces through its control of personnel management, administrative support, logistics, and technical services, making it a critical power center within the military establishment. The colonel's relationship with President Rajoelina became increasingly strained in recent years, culminating in a dramatic arrest on November 27, 2023. Randrianirina was hastily detained and charged with instigating a military mutiny and attempting a coup d'etat. The proceedings moved with extraordinary speed as he was brought before a court and sent to Tsiafahy prison on the same day of his arrest. However, he was released in February 2024 after receiving a suspended sentence for attacking state security, allowing him to return to his position within CAPSAT. This arrest and subsequent release would prove to be a prelude to the events that would unfold nearly a year later. The catalyst for Madagascar's political crisis began on September 25, 2025, when protests erupted across the country over severe power and water shortages that had plagued the nation for years, with some residents in the capital Antananarivo reporting they had not had running water for six years despite continuing to pay for the service. These protests, organized under the banner of Gen Z Madagascar, quickly evolved from specific grievances about utilities into a broader movement demanding better governance and addressing widespread poverty, corruption, and lack of opportunities. The movement drew inspiration from similar youth-led uprisings that had successfully toppled governments in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Kenya, Indonesia, and Peru. The protests gained momentum when civic groups, labor unions, and trade unionists joined the demonstrations, though participants insisted there was no single leader directing the movement. The turning point in Madagascar's crisis came on October 11, 2025, when Randrianirina recorded a video calling on Madagascar's security forces to disobey orders to open fire on protesters. In his message, he urged soldiers to refuse to repress the population and to take responsibility for protecting citizens rather than following what he characterized as illegal orders. This call to action resonated throughout the military, and CAPSAT soldiers soon began joining the protests. On Saturday, October 12, Randrianirina and his troops from CAPSAT accompanied thousands of protesters to May 13th Square in the capital, where he publicly demanded the resignation of President Rajoelina and Prime Minister Ruphin Zafisambo, among other officials. During these demonstrations, CAPSAT forces exchanged gunfire with gendarmerie security forces that remained loyal to Rajoelina, resulting in the death of one CAPSAT soldier. However, there was no widespread street fighting, and crowds in Antananarivo cheered the soldiers as they rode through the capital on armored vehicles waving Madagascan flags. Following CAPSAT's defection, the unit declared it had taken control of all armed forces in Madagascar and announced the appointment of General Demosthene Pikulas as the new chief of staff of the Malagasy Armed Forces, a decision that was accepted by Armed Forces Minister Manantsoa Deramasinjaka Rakotoarivelo. The gendarmerie, which had initially clashed with CAPSAT forces, subsequently joined the anti-government movement in a formal ceremony attended by senior government officials on October 13, 2025. Police forces also aligned themselves with the protesters, leaving Rajoelina increasingly isolated. In response to the military rebellion, Rajoelina went into hiding and later fled the country, reportedly departing on a French military aircraft from Sainte Marie Airport in northeastern Madagascar on October 12, though French President Emmanuel Macron refused to confirm France's involvement in the evacuation. In a video statement broadcast on the presidency's official Facebook page on October 13, Rajoelina claimed he had been forced to find a safe place to protect his life after facing assassination threats from what he described as a group of military personnel and politicians. As the crisis reached its climax on October 14, 2025, Rajoelina attempted to avoid impeachment by issuing a decree to dissolve the National Assembly, but opposition leader Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko declared the decree legally invalid because the president of the National Assembly, Justin Tokely, had not been consulted as required. The lawmakers proceeded with their session, and the National Assembly voted overwhelmingly to impeach Rajoelina with 130 votes in favor and one blank ballot on charges of abandoning his post and engaging in activities deemed incompatible with presidential duties. Minutes after the impeachment vote, Randrianirina stood with other soldiers on the steps of a ceremonial presidential palace in Antananarivo and announced that the armed forces had taken power. He declared that the military was dissolving all institutions except the lower house of parliament and stated that the military would form a council composed of officers from the army and the gendarmerie. Crowds gathered outside cheered and celebrated the announcement, with many protesters viewing the military intervention as a popular revolution rather than a coup. Madagascar's High Constitutional Court subsequently declared the presidential office vacant, citing Article 53 of the Constitution, which states that President Rajoelina could not fulfill his duties because he was not and could not be in the country, amounting to passive abandonment of power. The court invited Randrianirina to exercise the functions of head of state and mandated that elections be held within 60 days of its decision. In an interview with the Associated Press on October 15, 2025, Randrianirina confirmed he was taking the position of president and expected to be sworn in within days. He indicated that a committee led by the military would rule the country for a period of up to two years alongside a transitional government before organizing new elections, explaining that the extended timeline was necessary to address the profound crisis facing the nation. The colonel told reporters that the military leadership was accelerating the appointment of a new prime minister to ensure the crisis would not persist indefinitely. The protests that propelled Randrianirina to power had a heavy human cost, with the United Nations reporting that at least 22 people were killed and more than 100 injured since demonstrations began, though the Madagascan government disputed these figures. The movement exposed deep frustrations in one of the world's poorest nations, where only a third of the population had access to electricity and blackouts routinely exceed eight hours a day. Madagascar's population of approximately 31 million people had an average age of less than 20, and three-quarters of the population lives in poverty. The protests featured some unusual elements, including demonstrators carrying the Jolly Roger flag of the Straw Hat Pirates from the manga series One Piece alongside Madagascan flags, and crowds denouncing Rajoelina as a French stooge over his dual citizenship and perceived support from Paris. Randrianirina's relationship with CAPSAT and his role in Madagascar's political landscape is particularly significant given the unit's history. CAPSAT played a major role in the 2009 military-backed coup that first brought Andry Rajoelina to power, ousting President Marc Ravalomanana. Rajoelina, a former mayor of Antananarivo, had positioned himself as a reformist and led a transitional government until 2014 before stepping aside to restore constitutional order. He won the presidency in the 2018 election and secured a second term in 2023 in a vote marred by boycotts and allegations of unfair practices. The fact that the same elite military unit that brought Rajoelina to power sixteen years earlier ultimately turned against him and facilitated his removal adds a layer of historical irony to Madagascar's latest political crisis. Randrianirina had consistently maintained that the military's actions did not constitute a coup but rather represented a response to the people's calls for change, though international observers and organizations have expressed varying perspectives on the constitutional legitimacy of the transition. The international community's response to the takeover had been mixed. Air France and Emirates suspended all flights to Madagascar in response to the crisis, with Air France suspending service until October 17 and Emirates indefinitely. The United Kingdom advised against all but essential travel to Madagascar. The United Nations expressed concern about any unconstitutional change of power while awaiting clarity on the situation. The Southern African Development Community, which Rajoelina had been leading, expressed alarm over reports of an attempted coup d'etat. Human Rights Watch called on military leaders to respect and protect the rights of all Malagasy people following the power change. The United States Embassy in Madagascar advised American citizens to shelter in place due to what it characterized as a highly volatile and unpredictable situation. Meanwhile, many ordinary Madagascans welcomed the change, with protesters telling journalists they felt relieved and even thrilled by Rajoelina's removal from office, expressing hope that the military leadership under Randrianirina could guide the country toward better governance and eventual restoration of democratic civilian rule. Madagascar had experienced chronic political instability since gaining independence from France in 1960, with a history that includes multiple coups, disputed elections, and assassinations. As the world's biggest vanilla producer and a nation known for its unique biodiversity due to geographic isolation as an island in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa, Madagascar had nevertheless struggled to translate its natural resources into prosperity for its citizens. Political analyst Rose Mumanya noted that while Rajoelina had attempted to place loyalists in other military units to prevent a repeat of history, CAPSAT remained independent of his influence, ultimately posing the existential threat to his rule that he had feared. The current crisis represents the most significant unrest the country had faced since Rajoelina's own rise to power in 2009, and Colonel Michael Randrianirina now faces the formidable challenge of stewarding Madagascar through a transitional period while addressing the deep-seated economic, infrastructure, and governance problems that sparked the uprising in the first place. Background and Early Life Michael Randrianirina was born in the village of Sevohipoty in the Androy region of southern Madagascar, Randrianirina is approximately 51 years old, though his exact birth date and family background remain largely unknown to the public. His rise to national prominence represents one of the most significant political upheavals in Madagascar since the country gained independence from France in 1960. The Androy region where Randrianirina was born is located on the southernmost tip of Madagascar, an area known for its harsh climate and distinct cultural identity. However, information about his specific ethnic group affiliation within the Androy region, his tribal connections, and his family lineage is not publicly available. While the Androy region is primarily inhabited by the Antandroy people, one of Madagascar's approximately eighteen to twenty recognized ethnic groups, there is no confirmed public information about Randrianirina's specific ethnic identification or tribal affiliations. Information about Colonel Randrianirina's marital status, whether he had a wife or children, and details about his immediate family is not publicly available. Unlike many political and military figures whose family lives become matters of public record, Randrianirina had maintained a notably private personal life, and no credible sources have reported on his family circumstances. Similarly, information about his personality traits, personal interests, hobbies, religious affiliation, or personal beliefs had not been disclosed in any available public sources. While specific information about which languages Colonel Randrianirina speaks fluently had not been publicly confirmed, it can be reasonably inferred based on Madagascar's linguistic environment and his professional background. Madagascar had two official languages: Malagasy and French. Malagasy is spoken by approximately 25 million people across the island and serves as the primary language for most Madagascans, while French functions as the language of government, education, and international communication, spoken by approximately 8.5 million people, or about one-quarter of the population. Given that Randrianirina served as governor of the Androy region from 2016 to 2018, commanded military units, and had made public addresses to both protesters and the nation, it is highly probable that he speaks both Malagasy and French. His position in the elite CAPSAT military unit and his role in government would have required proficiency in French for official communications and military operations. However, there is no publicly available information confirming whether he speaks English or any other foreign languages, nor is there information about his fluency levels in any specific language. Information regarding Colonel Randrianirina's foreign travel experience, international education, or overseas military training is not available in public sources. There are no confirmed reports of foreign visits, study abroad programs, or international military cooperation activities in which he personally participated, though it should be noted that Madagascar's military had historically maintained training relationships with various countries including France, China, and other nations. Regarding his views on foreign policy and relationships with major powers such as the United States, France, China, and Russia, no public statements or policy positions attributed to Colonel Randrianirina have been reported. Since assuming interim leadership on October 14, 2025, he had not made any public declarations about Madagascar's foreign policy direction, international alliances, or his personal views on relationships with specific countries. The new military leadership under Randrianirina had focused primarily on domestic matters, including the formation of a transitional government and the promise to hold elections within 60 days to two years. Russia did issue a statement expressing concern over Madagascar's political crisis and calling for restraint to avoid bloodshed, taking what analysts described as a neutral stance aimed at protecting diplomatic interests. However, there is no indication of Randrianirina's response to or views on Russia's position. France's role had been controversial, as President Rajoelina reportedly fled Madagascar on a French military aircraft, though French President Emmanuel Macron refused to confirm France's involvement. During the protests, demonstrators denounced Rajoelina as a French stooge due to his dual citizenship, but Randrianirina had not publicly articulated his own position on Madagascar-France relations. Detailed information about Colonel Randrianirina's personality traits, leadership style, personal strengths, and weaknesses is extremely limited in available sources. Unlike political leaders whose personalities are extensively analyzed through years of public service, Randrianirina emerged suddenly onto the national stage from a military background where personal characteristics are less frequently documented or discussed publicly. Based solely on his documented actions during the October 2025 crisis, certain behavioral patterns can be observed, though these should not be interpreted as comprehensive personality assessments. On October 11, Randrianirina recorded a video calling on Madagascar's security forces to disobey orders to open fire on protesters, demonstrating a willingness to break with military hierarchy and align with popular movements. This action suggests a capacity for independent judgment and willingness to take significant personal risks, as evidenced by his previous arrest and imprisonment in November 2023 for allegedly instigating mutiny. His public statements during the takeover have been measured and focused on reassuring the population about a transition to civilian government. When addressing crowds at May 13th Square, he asked protesters, "Are you ready to accept a military takeover?" drawing cheers from the assembled demonstrators, suggesting an ability to gauge public sentiment and communicate with mass audiences. He had consistently maintained that the military's actions constitute a response to the people's calls rather than a coup, indicating awareness of how the takeover is perceived both domestically and internationally. However, without access to interviews, biographical accounts, or assessments from colleagues and subordinates, it is impossible to provide an authoritative analysis of his core personality traits, decision-making processes, interpersonal skills, emotional temperament, or psychological characteristics. Information about his management style as governor of Androy, his relationships with fellow officers, his reputation among troops under his command, or his approach to problem-solving and conflict resolution is not available in public sources. Randrianirina's military career began in regional administration, where he served as governor of the Androy region from 2016 to 2018 during the presidency of Hery Rajaonarimampianina. Following this administrative role, he transitioned into combat leadership, serving as commander of an infantry battalion in the coastal city of Toliara until July 2022. His advancement through military ranks eventually led him to a senior position within CAPSAT, the elite military unit whose full name is Corps d'administration des personnels et des services administratifs et techniques, which translates to the Army Personnel Administration Center. Though not a front-line combat unit, CAPSAT holds considerable influence within Madagascar's armed forces through its control of personnel management, administrative support, logistics, and technical services, making it a critical power center within the military establishment. The colonel's relationship with President Rajoelina became increasingly strained in recent years, culminating in a dramatic arrest on November 27, 2023. Randrianirina was hastily detained and charged with instigating a military mutiny and attempting a coup d'etat. The proceedings moved with extraordinary speed as he was brought before a court and sent to Tsiafahy prison on the same day of his arrest. However, he was released in February 2024 after receiving a suspended sentence for attacking state security, allowing him to return to his position within CAPSAT. This arrest and subsequent release would prove to be a prelude to the events that would unfold nearly a year later. Colonel Michael Randrianirina faced the formidable challenge of stewarding Madagascar through a transitional period while addressing deep-seated economic, infrastructure, and governance problems. The protests that propelled him to power had a heavy human cost, with the United Nations reporting that at least 22 people were killed and more than 100 injured since demonstrations began. The movement exposed deep frustrations in one of the world's poorest nations, where only a third of the population had access to electricity and blackouts routinely exceed eight hours a day. The international community's response to the takeover had been mixed. Air France and Emirates suspended flights to Madagascar, while the United Nations expressed concern about unconstitutional changes of power. The Southern African Development Community expressed alarm over reports of an attempted coup, while Human Rights Watch called on military leaders to respect the rights of all Malagasy people. Meanwhile, many ordinary Madagascans welcomed the change, with protesters expressing hope that military leadership under Randrianirina could guide the country toward better governance. Randrianirina had not articulated comprehensive policy positions on economic development, international relations, democratic reforms, or specific plans for addressing Madagascar's infrastructure crisis. His stated priorities have focused on forming a transitional government and organizing future elections, but detailed policy platforms, governing philosophy, or long-term vision for Madagascar's development have not been publicly presented. How he will navigate Madagascar's complex political landscape, manage relationships with international partners, address economic challenges, and ultimately transition power to civilian leadership remains to be seen. Sources NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Rare-Earth Elements (REE) Industry Two Chinese government agencies on 09 October 2025 announced multiple new rare earth-related export control measures. Export applications destined for overseas military users, as well as to importers and end-users on the control and watch lists, shall not be approved in principle. This included export controls on technologies related to rare earths, requirements for overseas entities to obtain a dual-use items export license, as well as export controls on items related to superhard materials, rare earth equipment and raw materials, five medium and heavy rare earth elements, lithium batteries as well as artificial graphite anode materials. Rare earth permanent magnets are not only essential components in a range of defense capabilities, including the F-35 Lightning II aircraft, Virginia and Columbia class submarines and unmanned aerial vehicles, but also a critical part of commercial applications in the United States. They are also used to generate electricity for electronic systems in aircraft and focus microwave energy in radar systems. The F-35, for instance, requires more than 900 pounds of rare earth elements. Each Arleigh Burke DDG-51 destroyer requires 5,200 pounds, and a Virginia class submarine needs 9,200 pounds. Rare earth elements are also used in other ways that don't involve magnets. Vehicle-mounted laser range finders, such as those found on Abrams M1A1/2 tanks, make use of rare earth elements, as do their portable counterparts and target designators. Also making use of rare earth elements are; fiber optics communication systems; cerium-polished optical lenses; and sonic transducers used in submarine sonar systems. "Given the dual-use nature of these items, China implements export controls in line with the law. This is a commonly adopted practice internationally, and will better maintain national security and interests while better carrying out the country's international non-proliferation obligations," a Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) spokesperson said. Products intended for military use are presumed ineligible for licenses, whereas civilian goods are not subject to this restriction. "China's announcement of export control measures on rare earths and related items is a legitimate action by the Chinese government to refine its export control system in accordance with laws and regulations," a spokesperson with MOFCOM said on 12 October 2025. "China's export controls are not export bans. Licenses will be granted for eligible applications. ... China's export controls are not export bans. All applications of compliant export for civil use can get approval, so that relevant businesses have no need to worry." The incident stemmed from Washington's threat to impose tariffs of 100 percent on China and export control on all critical software, under the pretext of "countering" China's tightening of rare earths export regulations. Since the China-US economic and trade talks in Madrid in September 2025, the US, in just 20 days, introduced a string of new restrictive measures targeting China. The U.S. stock market erased about $2 trillion in value 10 October 2025 after Trump threatened massive tariffs against China. China repeatedly stated that its export control measures on rare earths and related items is a legitimate action by the Chinese government to refine its export control system in accordance with laws and regulations. These actions wre said to be not only necessary to safeguard national security, but also fully demonstrate China's steadfast commitment - as a responsible major country - to pursuing world peace, reducing the risk of military conflict, and preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, in accordance with international norms and common practice. In April 2025, MOFCOM and the General Administration of Customs implemented export control measures on certain items related to seven types of medium and heavy rare earths. Meanwhile, related rare earth technologies were listed on China's Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited and Restricted from Export in 2001, and related exports must comply with legal procedural requirements. China had introduced multiple policies and measures in aspects including industry entry standards, sector consolidation, and environmental protection, which effectively promoted the sustainable and healthy development of the industry. In October 2024, a set of regulations on rare earth administration in China took effect, aimed at promoting the high-quality development of the rare earth industry while maintaining the safety of national resources and industries. China's government said 03 July 2023 it will impose export controls on gallium and germanium -- rare metals used in the production of semiconductor materials. Both gallium and germanium are key in the making of semiconductors and other electronics. For example, germanium is used in fiber optics and semiconductors, while gallium is used in making chipsets for electronic devices such as computer motherboards or portable phones. China is the world's top producer of raw gallium, which is used in making chipsets to generate high frequency raid waves in 5G base stations, accounting for 95 percent of the global output. China is also a major supplier of germanium, which is mainly used in fiber and infrared optics, PET plastics, electronics and solar panels. The EU has listed the metal as a critical raw material, as it imports about 17 percent of its supplies from China. China's commerce ministry and General Administration of Customs released a statement saying that China would implement export controls on items related to gallium and germanium, "in order to safeguard national security and interests." China accounts for a large share of the global output of the materials. Large amounts of those metals are sent to Japan to satisfy the needs of Japanese companies. Under the controls, exporters will be required to file an application with authorities, specifying who will be the end-users and how the materials will be used. Their application must be vetted and approved before they can ship the products. Violators will face punishment. The move was evidently in response to the US and its allies ratcheting up pressure on China's high-tech industries. Washington has tightened restrictions on semiconductor exports to China. Japan also said it will implement stricter export controls on chip-making equipment. Dutch chipmaking equipment giant ASML said that due to these export control regulations, ASML will need to apply for export licenses with the Dutch government. China has repeatedly voiced dissatisfaction over the Dutch move and called on the Dutch government to respect market principles and contractual spirits in order to avoid damage to bilateral cooperation Chinas export controls on gallium could hit the US defense industry, as this materia is widely used in advanced radar systems installed on warplanes, warships and ground installations. Gallium arsenide (GaAs) and gallium nitride (GaN) are the most basic materials in the making of the transmit receive modules on active electronic scanning array (AESA) radars, which are widely used on modern warplanes, warships and ground installations. US defense companies Raytheon and Northrop Grumman are reportedly introducing new AESA radar systems based on GaN, which provide superior performance than previously used GaAs. The latest radars for the F/A-18E/F carrier-based fighter jet and the F-35 stealth fighter jet also incorporate GaN. Almost all gallium used in the United States was imported, most from Western Europe and Canada. But by 2021, China produced over 80% of the world's crude gallium and was the primary source of the gallium imported by the United States. In 2019, gallium metal imports by the US decreased by about 90% from those of 2018, most likely owing to the introduction of higher import tariffs on gallium from China and the 300% increase of gallium imports from China in 2018 before the tariffs were introduced. Gallium stockpiling in 2018 may have been prompted by the discussion of Chinas potential tariffs. Low-grade primary gallium producers outside of China most likely restricted output owing to a large surplus of primary gallium. These producers included Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia, and Ukraine. Germany and Kazakhstan ceased primary production in 2016 and 2013, respectively. China is rich in rare-earth resources and the country produces different kinds of rare-earth products. Since the 1990s, China had become the leading rare-earth supply country in the world. During the past decade, China's rare-earth production accounted for about 90% of the world total. Rare-earth consumption in China had increased steadily. The country consumed about 73,000 t of rare earths in 2007 and 68,000 t in 2008 compared with 19,300 t in 2000. Rare earths was a strategic commodity in China. Foreign investors were prohibited from mining rare earths and were restricted from participating in rare-earth smelting and separation projects. Although China's total output capacity was huge, the average capacity for each producer was small. As a result, the profitability was low and the product quality was inconsistent between different shipments. Because of oversupply of rare-earth products in domestic markets, producers exported their products at prices that were less than their production costs, and they depended on the export VAT rebate to make up the difference to become profitable. In 2005, the Government cancelled the export VAT rebate and levied an export tariff of 25% on some rare-earth products. The dominant position China's rare earths in the world was expected to become more important because of the wide range of cutting-edge environmental technology, such as wind turbines, low-energy light bulbs, and hybrid cars, that depend on rare-earth metals. Owing to an increase in domestic demand, the Government gradually reduced the export quota during the past several years. In 2008, domestic rare-earth producers were allocated a total of 34,156 t (in rare-earth oxide content), of which the first batch was 22,780 t and the second batch was 11,376 t. Sino-foreign joint-venture rare-earth producers were allocated a total of 8,210.5 t in 2008. The Government approved 23 domestic rare-earth producers and traders to have the right to perform rare-earth trading in China. Only 20 domestic rare-earth producers and traders were awarded export rights, and the first batch export quota was reduced to 16,043 t in 2009. Sino-foreign rare-earth producers were allowed to export a total of 6,685.1 t in 2009. In 2002, the State Council approved the restructuring of the domestic rare-earth sector and the establishment of two regional groups-China Northern Rare Earth Group Co. and China Southern Rare Earth Group Co. Owing to the reluctance of local governments and rare-earth producers, the establishment of the two groups was unsuccessful. During the past several years, the Government continued to urge rare-earth producers to merge into several large groups and to eliminate duplicate projects. Rare-earth producers realized that the bitter competition among each other was causing financial losses and that integrating the rare-earth producers could benefit the rare-earth sector in China. In 2007, Rare Earth Hi-Tech Co. changed its name to Baotou Rare Earth Co. and started to discuss with other rare-earth producers in the Nei Mongol Autonomous Region the possibility of forming Baotou Rare Earth International Trading Co. and establishing a rare-earth concentrates reserve base in the Region. Mianning County in Sichuan Province was China's second ranked rare-earth producing base. In 2007, the local government shut down mining activities in Mianning County because miners were using obsolete technology to exploit and process rare earths and were causing environmental damage in the county. In 2008, Jiangxi Copper Corp. obtained rare-earth mining rights in Maoniuping, Mianning County, and planned to use advanced mining and processing technology to produce rare earths. Dingnan Dahua New Materials Co. Ltd., Ganxian Hongjin Rare Earth Co. Ltd., and Minmetals Nonferrous Metals Co. Ltd. formed a joint-venture company, Minmetals Ganzhou Rare Earth Co. Ltd., to process rare-earth resources in Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province, in 2008. Most of China's ion-absorption type of rare earth was located in Ganzhou. There were 88 rare-earth producers in Ganzhou, and 90% of them ceased their operations because of weak prices. Jiangxi Province had an ion-absorption type of rare earths reserve of 2.3 Mt. Minmetals Ganzhou Rare Earth had a rare-earth separation capacity of 8,500 t/yr and planned to expand the separation capacity to 13,500 t/yr within 5 years. The joint venture also planned to develop value-added rare-earth products for the aerospace and electronics sectors. China Nonferrous Metal Industry's Foreign Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd. (CNMI), Fengyuan Development Co. Ltd., Jiangsu Zhuoqun Nano Rare Earth Co. Ltd., and Shengchang Rare Earth Material Co. Ltd. jointly established a rare-earth company-China Nonferrous South Rare Earth (Xinfeng) Co. Ltd.-to build a 7,000-t/yr rare-earth separation plant in Shaoguan, Guangdong Province. Rare-earth operations at CNMI's Zhujiang Smelter in Guangzhou, Guangdong, Shengchang, and Zhuo Quo would be shut down when the Xinfeng plant started operation. The Government approved the establishment of the new company and the relocation plan of the Zhujiang smelter. Guangdong Guangsheng Nonferrous Metals (Group) Co. Ltd.'s subsidiary Guangcheng Nonferrous Metals Co. Ltd. was the sole legal rare-earth mining company in Guangdong Province. The Government approved Guangcheng's application to list on the stock exchange and to consolidate eight rare-earth mining, smelting, and processing companies and five tungsten mining companies in Guangdong. Guangcheng had a rare-earth smelting and separation capacity of 8,000 t/yr. China's companies were looking for rare-earth investments overseas. East China Exploration planned to acquire a 25% interest in Australia's Arafura Resources Ltd., which had the Nolans rare-earths-phosphate-uranium project in Northern Territory, Australia. China Nonferrous Metals Mining (Group) Co. Ltd. agreed to acquire a 51.6% interest at Lynas Corp. Ltd. Lynas's Mount Weld rare-earth mining project was under construction in Western Australia. If the transaction is completed, China would continue to be the globally dominant player in the rare-earth industry in the future. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 14 October 2025 - Day 1329 Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. "To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal] The UK Ministry of Defence reported that Russia has likely sustained approximately 332,000 casualties (killed and wounded) in the conflict so far in 2025, and approximately 1,118,000 casualties since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The average daily Russian casualties during September 2025 was 950 according to Ukrainian General Staff reporting, a moderate increase from Russia's August 2025 average daily casualty rate. The average daily rate in September 2025 was the second lowest reported since April 2024, after August 2025. The recorded Russian casualty rate decreased month on month from March 2025 to August 2025. However Russia's casualty rate in October 2025 has been steadily increasing, surpassing 1,000 daily casualties every day from 05 October through to 12 October. Russia's decreased monthly casualty rate has been sustained at the same time as Russian forces have maintained a high operational tempo across the frontline, and Russia has continued to make incremental territorial gains. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Defense Forces of Ukraine continue to withhold the pressure of the Russian occupation troops. So far, a total of 154 combat encounters have taken place. Today, the Russian state launched one rocket and 62 aviation strikes, used one rocket and dropped 129 controlled bombs. In addition, the Russian forces engaged 3,535 kamikaze drones and carried out 2,929 shelling positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements. Five combat clashes with Russian invaders took place in the Northern Slobozhansky and Kursky directions. The Russian enemy launched four air strikes, dropped 12 controlled bombs, carried out 131 shelling, including five - from reactive systems of assault fire. Today, the Russian enemy attacked 16 times in the South Slobozhansky direction near Vovchansk, Kamyanka, Western and Kutkivka, as well as in the direction of Kolodyazny and Bologivka. Seven times the Russian aggressor tried to advance to Ukrainian positions in the Kupyans komu direction in the area of the settlement of Pietscno and in the direction of Petropavlivka and Novoplatonivka. One Russian attack is still ongoing. In the Lyman direction Ukrainian defenders today repelled seven Russian attacks. The Russian enemy came in the direction of Drobishevogo and near the settlements of Serednoe and Kolodazi. In the Slovak direction Ukrainian soldiers repelled four Russian attacks. Russian units tried to advance in the areas of Yampol, Pereizny and Vyimka. In the Kramators komu direction, there were two combat clashes with the Russian opponent in the areas of Stupocok and Orihovo-Vasilivka. In the Konstantinivka direction, Ukrainian troops today repelled ten Russian attacks in the direction of Konstyantinivka, Berestko and near Scherbinivka, Pleshiyivka, Rusynoy Yar and Poltavka. In the Pokrovsky direction during this day the Russian aggressor 59 times attacked Ukrainian positions in the areas of settlements Volodymyrivka, New Shahove, Nikanorivka, Red Lyman, Suhetske, Dachne, Mykhailivka, Novoekonomicne, Ray, Fox, Zvirove, Kotline, Mirnograd, Udacne, Molodetske, Gorihove, Novoukrainka, Philia and in the direction of Pokrovsk and Novopavlivki. According to preliminary calculations, today on the Pokrovsky direction the Russian occupiers lost 153 people killed and injured. Ukrainian soldiers destroyed six vehicles and five drones; struck two drones and four cannons. In the Oleksandrivsky direction, Ukrainian defenders have already repelled 17 Russian attacks near settlements Ivanivka, Oleksandrograd, Vorone, Verbove, Maliivka, Yalta, Sichneve, Sosnivka, Novomikolaivka, Poltavka and in the direction of Krasnogirsky. Six more combat clashes are still ongoing. In the gulyajpil s komu direction the Russian enemy today did not carry out any offensive actions. In the Orihiv direction, the Russian opponent five times came near Stepovoye, Plavniv and Stepnogirsk. The settlement of Novoandriivka suffered an aviation strike. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation. The Sever Group's units improved the tactical situation and inflicted losses on formations of two mechanised brigades, one air assault brigade, one assault regiment of the AFU, and one territorial defence brigade close to Andreyevka, Alekseyevka, Varachino, and Novaya Sech (Sumy region). In Kharkov direction, units of one motorised infantry brigade of the AFU and one territorial defence brigade have been hit near Volchansk, Grafskoye, and Kolodeznoye (Kharkov region). Up to 195 troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, six motor vehicles, and three field artillery guns have been neutralised. One electronic warfare station and one ammunition depot were neutralised. The Zapad Group's units took more advantageous lines and positions. Russian troops inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades, one assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and one territorial defence brigade near Kupyansk, Kurilovka (Kharkov region), Novoselovka, and Drobyshevo (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses were more than 230 troops, four armoured fighting vehicles, 26 motor vehicles, one self-propelled artillery system, one U.S.-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar station, nine electronic warfare stations, and five ammunition depots. The Yug Group's units improved the tactical situation along the front line. The Group's units hit the formations of five mechanised brigades, one air assault brigade of the AFU, one territorial defence brigade, and one national guard brigade near Zvanovka, Dronovka, Ivanopolye, Yablonovka, Berestok and Konstantinovka (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy lost more than 205 troops, four armoured fighting vehicles, 13 motor vehicles, and four artillery guns. An ammunition and five material depots were eliminated. As a result of active offensive actions, the Tsentr Group of Forces liberated Balagan of the Donetsk People's Republic, as well as continued progress in the eastern quarters of Dimitrov of the DPR. In addition, strikes were delivered at manpower and hardware of four mechanised brigades, one airmobile brigade, one jaeger brigade, one air assault brigade, two assault regiments the AFU, and one territorial defence brigade near Belitskoye, Artyomovka, Vasilevka, Novopavlovka, Toretskoye, and Krasnoarmeysk (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 550 troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, six pickup trucks, and one field artillery gun. The Vostok Group's units continued advancing into the depth of enemy defences. Russian troops inflicted losses on the formations of two mechanised brigades, two assault regiments of the AFU, and one territorial defence brigade near Uspenovka, Barvinovka (Zaporozhye region), Vodyanoye, Pokrovskoye, and Novonikolayevka (Dnepropetrovsk region). The enemy lost up to 330 troops, one tank, two armoured personnel carriers, 14 motor vehicles, one artillery gun, and one electronic warfare station. The Dnepr Group's units engaged manpower and hardware of a mechanised brigade of the AFU and a territorial defence brigade close to Novoandreyevka, Kamenskoye (Zaporozhye region), Antonovka, and Sadovoye (Kherson region). Up to 50 troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, eight motor vehicles, three electronic warfare stations, and one ammunition depot were neutralised. Operational-tactical aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have inflicted damage on the fuel and power infrastructure facilities used for the interests of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, fuel and lubricants depots, missile and artillery depots, as well as temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 138 areas. Air defence systems shot down ten guided aerial bombs, six HIMARS MLRS projectiles, and 195 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles. In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 667 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 90,139 unmanned aerial vehicles, 631 anti-aircraft missile systems, 25,498 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,600 MLRS combat vehicles, 30,446 field artillery guns and mortars, and 43,922 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VelorGain, a global leader in AI-powered wealth management and digital investment technologies, has announced a strategic partnership with several prominent German fintech institutions to accelerate the development of sustainable and data-driven investment solutions. This alliance marks a major milestone in VelorGains European growth strategy and reflects its deep commitment to responsible innovation, ESG integration, and long-term value creation for investors across Germany. The partnership brings together VelorGains proprietary artificial intelligence systems with the expertise of Germanys top financial technology firms and sustainability advisors. Together, they aim to design and deploy AI-driven models that promote transparent, ethical, and environmentally aligned investment portfolios an approach that resonates strongly with Germanys evolving investor mindset and regulatory direction. Strategic Collaboration for the Future of Finance Under the new initiative, VelorGain and its German partners will focus on three primary areas of development: Sustainable AI Frameworks Building predictive algorithms that not only assess profitability but also evaluate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impact. These frameworks will ensure that investors can grow their wealth responsibly, aligning with Germanys national sustainability goals. Institutional Integration Working with banks, wealth managers, and fintech startups across Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin, VelorGain will enable smooth integration of its AI-powered systems into existing investment infrastructures, helping firms transition towards more efficient and compliant digital models. Investor Education & Transparency The partnership includes the launch of a nationwide educational campaign to improve awareness among German investors about the importance of ESG investing, data ethics, and the role of AI in modern wealth management. Germany represents the perfect balance between financial strength and ethical responsibility, said a VelorGain spokesperson. This partnership is more than a business agreement its a shared mission to combine technology with purpose, ensuring that the next generation of investors can prosper while making a positive global impact. A Commitment to Responsible AI and ESG VelorGain has long championed responsible AI deployment in financial markets. Its systems are designed to maintain full transparency, accountability, and compliance principles that align seamlessly with Germanys robust financial governance under BaFin supervision. The new collaboration aims to embed sustainability metrics directly into VelorGains predictive models, allowing investors to track ESG performance alongside traditional financial returns. This dual-layer approach ensures a complete view of portfolio value economic, ethical, and environmental. We believe that sustainable investing is not just a trend; its the future, added the spokesperson. By integrating ESG indicators directly into our AI algorithms, were giving German investors the ability to make informed, values-based decisions without compromising on performance. The company also confirmed that its Frankfurt-based engineering team is expanding to support the rollout of localized AI infrastructure in partnership with German data providers and financial analysts. This ensures that all machine-learning insights are based on real-time, locally sourced market data, further improving precision and reliability for German clients. Aligning with Germanys Green Finance Vision The timing of this partnership aligns with Germanys ambitious sustainability agenda and the EUs push for green finance integration. As European regulators introduce stricter ESG disclosure requirements, VelorGains technology offers institutions the agility and intelligence needed to adapt. By leveraging AI to automate ESG screening and risk modeling, VelorGains platform helps clients stay compliant while unlocking high-performance investment opportunities in renewable energy, clean technology, and ethical industries. The partnership will make these tools widely accessible to retail and institutional investors alike, bridging the gap between profit and purpose. The German market has always been a pioneer in sustainable innovation, said one of VelorGains partner executives from Berlin. VelorGains AI capabilities bring a new dimension to this movement turning ESG data into actionable investment strategies that truly make a difference. Expanding Footprint in Europes Financial Hub With Frankfurt at the center of European finance, VelorGains decision to deepen its roots in Germany reinforces its long-term commitment to the region. The company has announced plans to open a dedicated Sustainable Finance Innovation Lab in Frankfurt in early 2026, serving as a research hub for AI, ESG analytics, and cross-border digital investment collaboration. The lab will host joint projects with universities, fintech accelerators, and regulatory experts to develop forward-looking frameworks that can be replicated across other EU member states. This move positions VelorGain not only as a market participant but as a thought leader in Europes sustainable finance revolution. About VelorGain VelorGain is an international fintech company specializing in AI-powered wealth management, digital trading infrastructure, and sustainable investment technology. With a presence in major financial centers including London, Frankfurt, Zurich, and Singapore, VelorGain provides investors and institutions with innovative solutions designed to enhance performance, transparency, and long-term portfolio stability. Its proprietary AI systems process millions of data points across global markets, delivering real-time insights that help clients balance profitability with social and environmental responsibility. Through its partnerships with global financial institutions and fintech innovators, VelorGain continues to redefine the future of intelligent investing. Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of capital. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. LAUDERHILL, Fla., Oct. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- URBANICA FURNITURE today unveiled its newest design movement, the Living Office, a forward-looking workspace concept that blends ergonomic science, sustainability, and emotional well-being into a unified vision of how people live and work. Designed for professionals navigating the hybrid world, the Living Office transforms both home and corporate environments into spaces that promote mindfulness, movement, and long-term health. Bridging the Gap Between Home and Work The Living Office reflects URBANICAs philosophy that great furniture should not only serve productivity but sustain well-being. As remote and hybrid models continue to evolve, workers are redefining what the office means demanding flexible, inspiring, and health-conscious spaces. URBANICAs new concept directly addresses that shift, turning everyday furniture into a system that balances technology, comfort, and the natural environment. People are realizing that workspaces must now nurture them, not exhaust them, said a spokesperson for URBANICA. The Living Office was built around that idea creating furniture that encourages balance and focus, no matter where you work. At its core, the Living Office connects URBANICAs ergonomic desks, seating, and accessories into a complete ecosystem of mindful design. The Foundation: Ergonomic Desks That Move With You The foundation of the Living Office starts with URBANICAs standing and modular desk series, designed to support motion and flexibility throughout the workday. Each desk integrates seamlessly into both personal and professional spaces while offering form, precision, and sustainable craftsmanship. Standing Desk: An adjustable system engineered for smooth height transitions, allowing users to alternate between sitting and standing for better circulation and posture. An adjustable system engineered for smooth height transitions, allowing users to alternate between sitting and standing for better circulation and posture. Mini Standing Desk: A compact yet robust version designed for small spaces and flexible home offices, featuring premium steel construction and laminate finishes that resist wear. A compact yet robust version designed for small spaces and flexible home offices, featuring premium steel construction and laminate finishes that resist wear. Office Desk: A minimalist fixed desk for those who prefer stability with style, enhanced by optional built-in power modules that eliminate cable clutter. Every desk in the Living Office collection supports URBANICAs optional In-Desk Power Module, offering AC outlets and USB-C charging for seamless connectivity. The desks are constructed from responsibly sourced materials and finished with low-VOC coatings to reduce indoor emissions. The Heart: Chairs That Support Human Energy The Living Office philosophy extends into URBANICAs acclaimed ergonomic seating line, where design and comfort meet science. Each chair has been refined to align with natural posture and movement, promoting health and focus through the day. Novo Chair: URBANICAs flagship ergonomic model with 9 points of adjustment and GREENGUARD certification, designed for extended use and maximum support. URBANICAs flagship ergonomic model with 9 points of adjustment and GREENGUARD certification, designed for extended use and maximum support. Muse Chair: A design-forward task chair that combines aesthetic appeal with adaptive movement for six to eight hours of use. A design-forward task chair that combines aesthetic appeal with adaptive movement for six to eight hours of use. Seashell Chair: A lightweight, breathable option for dynamic environments and compact workspaces, offering long-lasting comfort with a modern edge. Each piece in the Living Office seating series includes adaptive lumbar support, breathable mesh, and durable construction tested for full-day performance. Movement is a language of well-being, the URBANICA spokesperson added. When you sit, the chair should respond. When you stand, your desk should rise with you. When you pause, your surroundings should recharge you. Thats what we mean by a Living Office. The Details: Accessories That Empower Productivity Beyond the main pieces, URBANICA completes the Living Office with functional, design-driven accessories that make workspaces more human and efficient. Ergonomic Arm: Provides flexible monitor support that adapts to eye level and reduces strain. Provides flexible monitor support that adapts to eye level and reduces strain. Filing Cabinet: Compact, mobile, and sustainably produced for organized efficiency. Compact, mobile, and sustainably produced for organized efficiency. Under-Desk and Spine Cable Management Systems: Maintain a clean, distraction-free workspace. Maintain a clean, distraction-free workspace. Alumina Lamp and Shore Table Lamp: Lighting designed with dimmer integration, creating visual comfort and supporting circadian rhythm. Each accessory reinforces the companys belief that productivity is born from calm environments, not cluttered ones. Together, they create a modular system that encourages creativity and flow in every type of workspace. Mindfulness and Design as One Language The Living Office applies principles of biophilic and mindful design, integrating natural materials, gentle color palettes, and ergonomic shapes that echo organic forms. URBANICAs design team studied how lighting, texture, and spacing influence focus, relaxation, and energy retention. Each recommended setup includes visual balance between hard and soft surfaces, breathable materials, and an option for indoor greenery to reconnect users with nature. These choices have been shown to reduce fatigue and increase cognitive clarity by up to 15 percent, according to workplace wellness studies cited by the companys design research team. Sustainability at Every Step True to URBANICAs legacy of environmental responsibility, every component of the Living Office is built with sustainability at its foundation. The company partners with certified suppliers, uses recycled and recyclable materials, and minimizes packaging waste. URBANICAs ongoing One Workspace, One Tree initiative continues as part of the Living Office launch, planting a tree for every product sold in global reforestation projects. The concept extends this mission further by encouraging businesses to measure their workspace carbon footprint and offset it through sustainable furniture design. Environmental care is not a separate department at URBANICA, said the spokesperson. It is the blueprint of every desk we manufacture, every chair we ship, and every idea we bring to market. A Design Movement, Not Just a Product Line URBANICA envisions the Living Office as an ongoing movement an invitation to rethink workspace culture. Through its Design My Office platform, customers can explore digital layouts that apply Living Office principles using URBANICAs complete product catalog. Users can visualize lighting placement, acoustic balance, and ergonomic positioning before purchasing, ensuring that each space feels intentional and restorative. The company will also release a Living Office Lookbook later this year, showcasing curated combinations of URBANICA products for different lifestyles: Home Studio for creators and remote professionals for creators and remote professionals Team Hub for collaborative environments for collaborative environments Wellness Workspace for mindfulness and minimalism enthusiasts Availability The URBANICA Living Office collection and design experience are now available through www.urbanicafurniture.com . Customers can browse curated configurations, build custom sets, or consult URBANICAs design team for tailored recommendations. Trade and enterprise programs are open for companies seeking scalable, wellness-driven workspace solutions. About URBANICA FURNITURE URBANICA FURNITURE creates ergonomic and sustainable workspace solutions that unite comfort, technology, and design integrity. Through its direct-to-consumer model, the company delivers premium office design at accessible prices while maintaining full control of production and quality. Every product embodies URBANICAs belief that innovation begins with people and extends to the planet where design, wellness, and sustainability exist as one. For more information, visit www.urbanicafurniture.com. MEDIA Contact URBANICA Furniture Email: Hello@urbanicafurniture.com Phone: 888-350-9545 Location: Lauderhill, FL Website: https://urbanicafurniture.com A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9db466d4-f124-4860-b9b7-9a547c46a24c Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3f3237e0-7bfa-4b97-a018-8db510a4ad2c https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/686ecade-088c-404a-8e72-ac6f6f3811c9 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a5f86da3-ee3b-4533-b83d-ae45dc398ec0 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a289e609-0578-4bae-8a55-81be416ac55f https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/86de940c-e708-490e-aa44-de46aad713d3 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/61ce9ab3-234b-44f1-b15b-aeace4896f1f https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6d81d105-8dd7-4c80-8ce3-17487d547ff7 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ab1adda9-19e7-48c8-9c51-f8a7c0c19db8 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d1c853fa-183b-4433-acbd-19a9b55a2e57 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ef78a614-3b80-486e-8bed-76afed12c7b7 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8c076560-3c76-469f-8f97-9de635dd9906 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a90a8bd4-e0e2-4500-afe3-39e75f7bece4 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8248d7b1-d822-4ef5-a6b9-221aed5535bb https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3c5a951a-dcad-472e-9f30-8c1af069f2e1 This news release is not for distribution to United States newswire service or for dissemination in the United States Vancouver, B.C., Oct. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aegis Resources Ltd. (Aegis or the Company) announces that it has granted an aggregate of 3,625,000 stock options to four directors and to consultants of the Company with an exercise price of $0.15, exercisable for five years. All options granted are subject to vesting provisions. Aegis Resources Ltd. is an unlisted public company, spun out of Rugby Resources Ltd. on July 25, 2025, with a strategic portfolio of mineral exploration assets in Argentina, Colombia and Australia and a royalty in Chile. The Company's strategy is to advance its projects through exploration and seek joint venture partners to minimize dilution and maximize returns. For additional information you are invited to visit the Aegis Resources Ltd. website at: www.aegisresourcesltd.com NEW YORK and NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC (KSF) and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until October 20, 2025 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP), if they purchased the Companys securities between April 29, 2025 to August 5, 2025, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. What You May Do If you purchased securities of Snap 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 https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-snap/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by October 20, 2025 . About the Lawsuit Snap and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. On August 5, 2025, the Company announced its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2025, disclosing a deceleration in advertising revenue growth due to an issue related to our ad platform, the timing of Ramadan and the effects of the de minimis changes. On this news, the price of Snaps shares fell from a closing price of $9.39 per share on August 5, 2025 to $7.78 per share on August 6, 2025, a decline of about 17.15% in the span of just a single day. The case is Abdul-Hameed v. Snap, Inc., et al., No. 25-cv-07844. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, 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, and a representative office in Luxembourg. TOP 10 Plaintiff Law Firms - According to ISS Securities Class Action Services To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. Contact: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com 1-877-515-1850 1100 Poydras St., Suite 960 New Orleans, LA 70163 CONNECT WITH US: Facebook || Instagram || YouTube || TikTok || LinkedIn NEW YORK and NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC (KSF) and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until November 14, 2025 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR), if they purchased or otherwise acquired the Companys securities between February 18, 2025 and July 31, 2025, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. What You May Do If you purchased securities of Fluor 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 https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-flr/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by November 14, 2025 . About the Lawsuit Fluor and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. On August 1, 2025, the Company announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2025, disclosing a 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 due to 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 Company also disclosed 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. On this news, the price of Fluors shares fell $15.35 per share, or 27.04%, to close at $41.42 per share on August 1, 2025. The case is Maglione v. Fluor Corporation, et al., No. 25-cv-02496. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, 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, and a representative office in Luxembourg. TOP 10 Plaintiff Law Firms - According to ISS Securities Class Action Services To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. Contact: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com 1-877-515-1850 1100 Poydras St., Suite 960 New Orleans, LA 70163 CONNECT WITH US: Facebook || Instagram || YouTube || TikTok || LinkedIn NEW YORK and NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC (KSF) and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until December 8, 2025 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against WPP plc (NYSE: WPP), if they purchased or otherwise acquired the Companys shares between February 27, 2025 and July 8, 2025, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. What You May Do If you purchased shares of WPP 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 https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-wpp/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by December 8, 2025 . About the Lawsuit WPP and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. On July 9, 2025, the Company published a trading update for the first half of 2025, disclosing that it had allegedly seen a deterioration in performance as Q2 has progressed due to both continued macro uncertainty weighing on client spend and weaker net new business than originally anticipated, as well as some distraction to the business as a result of the continued restructuring of WPP Media a.k.a. GroupM. The Company further disclosed that its CEO will retire from the Board and as CEO on 31 December 2025. On this news, the price of WPPs shares fell from a closing price of $35.82 per share on July 8, 2025 to $29.34 per share on July 9, 2025, a decline of about 18.1% in the span of just a single day. The case is Marty v. WPP plc, 25-cv-08365. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, 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, and a representative office in Luxembourg. TOP 10 Plaintiff Law Firms - According to ISS Securities Class Action Services To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. Contact: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com 1-877-515-1850 1100 Poydras St., Suite 960 New Orleans, LA 70163 CONNECT WITH US: Facebook || Instagram || YouTube || TikTok || LinkedIn NEW YORK and NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC (KSF) and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until October 28, 2025 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Dow Inc. (NYSE: DOW), if they purchased the Companys securities between January 30, 2025 and July 23, 2025, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. What You May Do If you purchased securities of Dow 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 https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-dow/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by October 28, 2025 . About the Lawsuit Dow and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. On July 24, 2025, the Company disclosed a 2Q 2025 non-GAAP loss per share of $0.42, much larger than the approximate $0.17 to $0.18 per share loss expected by analysts, and 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 due in part to the lower-for-longer earnings environment that our industry is facing, amplified by recent trade and tariff uncertainties. Further, the Company disclosed 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. On this news, the price of Dows shares fell $5.30 per share, or 17.45%, to close at $25.07 per share on July 24, 2025. The case is Sarti v. Dow Inc., No. 25-cv-12744. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, 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, and a representative office in Luxembourg. TOP 10 Plaintiff Law Firms - According to ISS Securities Class Action Services To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. Contact: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com 1-877-515-1850 1100 Poydras St., Suite 960 New Orleans, LA 70163 CONNECT WITH US: Facebook || Instagram || YouTube || TikTok || LinkedIn Salinas, California, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Reservoir, a California-based company dedicated to accelerating the future of agricultural technology and specialty crop farming, announced Reservoir Ventures (VC) a new evergreen fund focused on pre-seed startups in robotics and autonomy, precision agriculture, and AI-enabled SaaS platforms for specialty crops. Matthew Hoffman, Ph.D., formerly global R&D, AgTech, and digital transformation lead at Driscolls, has been named General Partner to guide the growth and development of Reservoirs investment arm. Built on the foundation of Reservoir Farms and its on-farm incubator model, Reservoir VC operates a disciplined investment framework that helps founders build capital-efficient companies, leverage AI and existing platforms for accelerated innovation, and scale validated solutions toward faster, higher-quality outcomes. The fund focuses on translating deep technical progress into applied solutions and market traction, advancing the future of climate-smart agriculture through technology and operational excellence. Matt joining to lead Reservoir VC is a major step in our strategic evolution and for the broader AgTech community, said Danny Bernstein, founder and CEO of Reservoir. He is highly respected across the industry for his approachability, technical depth, pragmatism, and leadership. Matts deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in a wide range of specialty crops will accelerate the startup lifecycle from ideas to impact faster than ever before. A sixth-generation Californian from a farming family, Hoffman is known for his leadership in advancing technology and data integration at Driscolls, backed by more than a decade of experience in specialty crops and digital agriculture. He holds a doctorate from UC Davis and has authored research in sustainable agriculture and knowledge management. Hoffmans work across industry groups and his focus on connecting global and local stakeholders have driven technology adoption throughout the agricultural value chain. AgTech wins in the field. Reservoir goes beyond venture capital were in the community, on the farm, and we know how agriculture works. Joining Reservoir VC as General Partner is a platform for setting a lucrative course for AgTech that works for everyone, growers and investors alike, said Hoffman. Reservoir will do this by building a supportive and energizing community around startups that have what it takes to roll up their sleeves and build solutions that help solve the industrys most pressing challenges. Despite specialty crops generating more than $1 trillion in annual global value, less than 5 percent of agtech investment has flowed into this segment a striking mismatch given the high capital intensity and risk at early stages. Though over 70 percent of specialty-crop growers have already invested in automation or robotics, many startupsparticularly those focused on climate-smart solutionsstill face steep challenges securing the funding required to scale. Reservoir VC is designed to close this gap by deploying stage-gated early capital to unlock the most promising pre-seed innovations in the space. Reservoir VC writes pre-seed checks with valuations aligned to todays AgTech exit realities. The fund emphasizes rigorous capital efficiencyeven for deep-tech venturesand employs stage-gated funding to reward technical milestones and commercial validation. Reservoirs approach aligns incentives early, with step-ups via secondaries serving as the primary path to investor liquidity. Initial startup investments include Farm-ng (acquired by Bonsai Robotics), TerraBlaster (led by Jorge Heraud, founder of Blue River Technologies), Agriful Software (led by a Stanford team with ties to the Central Valley), and Nexstera Tech (led by Cal Poly alums). Welcoming New Startups, Partners & Investors This strategic expansion of Reservoir VC builds on Reservoirs publicprivate partnerships and recent state funding commitments, underscoring its growing momentum and industry influence across California and beyond. Founded in 2024, Reservoirs mission is to bridge the critical divide between promising prototypes and full-scale farm deployment. At the heart of this mission is Reservoir Farms the organizations nonprofit, on-farm incubator. Embedded in active production systems, it gives emerging robotics, automation, and digital AgTech teams a rare opportunity to test, refine, and scale their technologies under real farming conditions. As Reservoir Farms deepens its impact, Reservoir VC is actively inviting like-minded startups, strategic partners, and investors who share its commitment to advancing agricultural technology, sustainability, and grower success. Whether you are a grower, AgTech platform, food company, or impact investor, we welcome you to join us in this collaborative model helping scale specialty crop production from Californias Salinas Valley to fields worldwide. For more information about Reservoir Farms and partnership opportunities, please visit www.Reservoir.co. ABOUT THE RESERVOIR: The Reservoir develops products and platforms that enable deep tech startups to make a significant impact in agriculture, including a startup incubator and venture capital fund focused on helping AgTech startups succeed where agriculture happensin the field. Reservoir Farms is the worlds first on-farm robotics incubator, launching in the Salinas Valley and expanding to other key regions, including Californias Central Valley. Reservoir Ventures (VC) backs deep-tech startups solving real problems in high-value crops. By combining R&D space, hands-on grower input, and early-stage capital, the Reservoir helps turn promising ideas into tools for the growers who feed the world. Learn more at https://Reservoir.co. Media Contact: Jennifer Goldston, jennifer@agtechpr.com The net asset value (NAV) of EfTEN United Property Fund units was 11,34 euros at the end of September, up 0,33% month-on-month. The somewhat smaller-than-usual increase in NAV was related to the investment into the listed fund EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS, which shares closed on the Tallinn stock market 0.8% below a month ago level. If the fund's investment in EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS shares were recorded on the basis of its book value, the NAV of EfTEN United Property Fund would be 11.45 euros, up 0.6% month-on-month. The fund earned 93 thousand euros in net profit in September and 2,1 million euros in net profit in the 9 months of 2025 (534 thousand euros in the same period last year). In September the fund earned the largest profit (89.5 thousand euros) from an investment in the EfTEN Real Estate Fund 5, the net asset value of which increased by 0.7%. The fund's largest investment is the UNA retail park located on the outskirts of Vilnius, which the fund acquired in August 2024. During the past 12 months, the retail park has generated 2.2 million euros in rental income, which constitutes 7.3% of the investment's acquisition price. The growth of the EfTEN Real Estate Fund 5 was supported the most by EfTEN Kristiine OU, the company owning the Kristiine shopping center, where equity value increased by 1.1% in a month. In the development company Invego Uus-Jarvekula OU, where the EfTEN United Property Fund owns 80%, clients booked in September four terraced houses to be completed by q1 2026. In September, EfTEN United Property Fund earned 23,6 thousand euros in interest income from the investment. In early October, the fund received income distributions from the EfTEN Real Estate Fund 5 and EfTEN Special Opportunities Fund, totalling 293 thousand euros. The fund will distribute these to investors together with the interest received in August from Invego Uus-Jarvekula OU at the beginning of November. A more detailed overview of EfTEN United Property Fund's portfolio can be found on the fund's website: https://eftenunitedpropertyfund.ee/en/fund-results-2/ Kristjan Tamla Managing Director Phone: 655 9515 E-mail: kristjan.tamla@eften.ee Attachment Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd (Falcon) Beetaloo Sub-basin - Completion of the three well batch drilling 2025 campaign 15 October 2025 Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. (TSXV: FO, AIM: FOG) is pleased to announce that Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limiteds (Falcon Australia) joint venture partner Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited (collectively the BJV partners) has successfully completed the three well batch drilling 2025 campaign, the largest drilling program ever conducted in the Beetaloo Sub-basin. The three wells of the 2025 batch drilling campaign (Shenandoah South SS2-1H, SS2-3H and SS2-5H) are now drilled, cased and suspended ahead of stimulation, each with a 3,000-metre horizontal section (10,000-foot). The campaign was the first multi-well drilling program implementing batch drilling in the Beetaloo Sub-basin. The average drilling to target depth was 26.7 days with the drilling and casing time delivered within the 35-day forecast. Modifications to the mud system and use of anti-vibration drilling bits led to increased drilling efficiency. This resulted in reaching ~1,000 metres drilled in a day in the SS2-1H well, the fastest horizontal section drilled in the Amungee Member B-shale to date. Up to a 60-stage stimulation across the full 3,000-metre horizontal section of SS2-5H well is now planned in Q4 2025 and is expected to be flow tested for 30 days prior to being shut-in ahead of the commencement of gas sales, which are expected to commence in mid-2026. In H1 2026, three wells (which includes the second well of the 2024 drilling campaign) are expected to be stimulated ahead of the commencement of gas sales. All wells included in the Shenandoah South Pilot Project are expected to deliver the contracted 40 MMcf/d volume required under the Gas Sales Agreement with the Northern Territory Government subject to weather conditions and final stakeholder approvals. As previously announced, Falcon Australia opted to reduce its participating interest in the three wells drilled in 2025 to 0%, with no cost exposure. Philip OQuigley, CEO of Falcon commented: Tamboran has executed a fantastic three well drilling campaign delivering three 3,000 metre (10,000-foot) horizontal cased wells. We now have 12,000 metres (40,000 feet) of horizontal cased sections to be fracture stimulated over the coming months. Once completed, these wells will then be hooked up to the gas gathering and compression facilities currently under construction in the Beetaloo with sales to the Northern Territory government commencing in the second half of 2026. We look forward to updating shareholders during this next phase as momentum in the Beetaloo continues to increase. Ends. CONTACT DETAILS: Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. +353 1 676 8702 Philip OQuigley, CEO +353 87 814 7042 Anne Flynn, CFO +353 1 676 9162 Cavendish Capital Markets Limited (NOMAD & Broker) Neil McDonald +44 131 220 9771 This announcement has been reviewed by Dr. Gabor Bada, Falcon Oil & Gas Ltds Technical Advisor. Dr. Bada obtained his geology degree at the Eotvos L. University in Budapest, Hungary and his PhD at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He is a member of AAPG. Figure 1: Time-depth chart Spud to Target Depth (see PDF attachment) About Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd is an international oil & gas company engaged in the exploration and development of unconventional oil and gas assets, with the current portfolio focused in Australia. Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd is incorporated in British Columbia, Canada and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited is a c. 98% subsidiary of Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. For further information on Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. Please visit www.falconoilandgas.com About Beetaloo JV Partners (EP 76, 98 and 117) Company Interest Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited (Falcon Australia) 22.5% Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited (Tamboran B2) 77.5% Total 100.0% Shenandoah South Pilot Project -2 Drilling Space Units 46,080 acres1 Company Interest Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited (Falcon Australia) 5.0% Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited 95.0% Total 100.0% 1Subject to the completion of SS-4H wells on the Shenandoah South pad 2. About Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited Tamboran (B1) Pty Limited (Tamboran B1) is the 100% holder of Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited, with Tamboran B1 being a 50:50 joint venture between Tamboran Resources Corporation and Daly Waters Energy, LP. Tamboran Resources Corporation is a natural gas company listed on the NYSE (TBN) and ASX (TBN). Tamboran is focused on playing a constructive role in the global energy transition towards a lower carbon future, by developing the significant low CO 2 gas resource within the Beetaloo Sub-basin through cutting-edge drilling and completion design technology as well as managements experience in successfully commercialising unconventional shale in North America. Bryan Sheffield of Daly Waters Energy, LP is a highly successful investor and has made significant returns in the US unconventional energy sector in the past. He was Founder of Parsley Energy Inc. (PE), an independent unconventional oil and gas producer in the Permian Basin, Texas and previously served as its Chairman and CEO. PE was acquired for over US$7 billion by Pioneer Natural Resources Company. Advisory regarding forward-looking statements Certain information in this press release may constitute forward-looking information. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking information. Forward-looking information typically contains statements with words such as may, will, should, expect, intend, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, projects, dependent, consider potential, scheduled, forecast, anticipated, outlook, budget, hope, suggest, support planned, approximately, potential or the negative of those terms or similar words suggesting future outcomes. In particular, forward-looking information in this press release includes, up to a 60 stage stimulation across the full 3,000m horizontal section of SS2-5H well being planned in Q4 2025 and expected to be flow tested for 30 days prior to being shut-in ahead of the commencement of gas sales, in H1 2026, three wells (which includes the second well of the 2024 drilling campaign) expected to be stimulated ahead of the commencement of gas sales, the commencement of gas sales to the Northern Territory Government via the Sturt Plateau Compression Facility in mid-2026 subject to weather conditions and final stakeholder approvals; the sale of appraisal gas of up to 60 TJ per day from the Shenandoah South Pilot project over a three year period, all wells included in the Pilot Project expected to deliver the contracted 40 MMcf/d volume required under the Gas Sales Agreement with the Northern Territory Government and the Shenandoah Pilot project continuing to progress. This information is based on current expectations that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. The risks, assumptions and other factors that could influence actual results include risks associated with fluctuations in market prices for shale gas; risks related to the exploration, development and production of shale gas reserves; general economic, market and business conditions; substantial capital requirements; uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of reserves and resources; extent of, and cost of compliance with, government laws and regulations and the effect of changes in such laws and regulations; the need to obtain regulatory approvals before development commences; environmental risks and hazards and the cost of compliance with environmental regulations; aboriginal claims; inherent risks and hazards with operations such as mechanical or pipe failure, cratering and other dangerous conditions; potential cost overruns, drilling wells is speculative, often involving significant costs that may be more than estimated and may not result in any discoveries; variations in foreign exchange rates; competition for capital, equipment, new leases, pipeline capacity and skilled personnel; the failure of the holder of licenses, leases and permits to meet requirements of such; changes in royalty regimes; failure to accurately estimate abandonment and reclamation costs; inaccurate estimates and assumptions by management and/or their joint venture partners; effectiveness of internal controls; the potential lack of available drilling equipment; failure to obtain or keep key personnel; title deficiencies; geo-political risks; and risk of litigation. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive and that these factors and risks are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. Falcon assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to Falcon. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in Falcons filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedarplus.com, including under "Risk Factors" in the Annual Information Form. Any references in this news release to initial production rates are useful in confirming the presence of hydrocarbons; however, such rates are not determinative of the rates at which such wells will continue production and decline thereafter and are not necessarily indicative of long-term performance or ultimate recovery. While encouraging, readers are cautioned not to place reliance on such rates in calculating the aggregate production for Falcon. Such rates are based on field estimates and may be based on limited data available at this time. 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. Attachment In just 8 months from its first closing, INVL Private Equity Fund II has completed its final close raising a total of EUR 410 million, surpassing both the initial target of EUR 250 million and the hard cap of EUR 400 million. It marks the most successful private equity fundraising in CEE region in recent years, completed despite the challenging fundraising environment and global uncertainties. The second-generation INVL Private Equity Fund II, surpassed the size of its predecessor by c. 2.5x. Darius Sulnis, CEO at Invalda INVL, commented: We have been investing and will continue to invest in our region. The funds success in raising capital is great news for companies across the Baltics, Poland, and the broader region that are seeking new capital or liquidity. The current environment favors those prepared to acquire strong, growing businesses, and we intend to make the most of it for the benefit of our investors. Deimante Korsakaite, Managing Partner at INVL Private Equity Fund II and INVL Baltic Sea Growth Fund, commented: We are thankful to our long-standing and new investors for their trust. Securing this level of commitments from a diversified investor base in the current turbulent global environment is a strong endorsement of our work and confidence in our strategy, and we will work relentlessly to deliver the returns that investors expect. Since the first closing we have announced the signing of deals to invest in Eesti Keskkonnateenused, Estonias largest waste management group, and POLMED, one of Polands leading private multi-profile medical service providers. Both transactions are expected to close this year. The Fund has diverse base of investors that includes institutional investors, and some of the most successful entrepreneurs and family offices from the Baltics. It has received strong backing from institutional investors with commitments coming from the European Investment Fund, and the pension funds managed by asset management companies SEB, Luminor, and Artea, as well as IPAS INVL Asset Management in Latvia, and life insurance company UAB Artea Life Insurance. Investors with tickets below EUR 10 million had a possibility to invest via feeder fund INVL Private Equity Capital Fund II. Its final size reached EUR 166 million. Asta Jovaisiene, Head at INVL Family Office, said: INVL Family Office provides its clients with access to exclusive investment opportunities, offering exposure to alternative asset class. One of the most notable examples in recent years is INVL Private Equity Fund II. At INVL Family Office, we believe this fund aims to deliver not only financial returns but also purpose the chance to contribute to real economic growth by indirectly investing in ambitious businesses. It aligns well with our clients values and meets their needs, as they seek responsible investments backed by proven expertise and a clear long-term vision. Deimante Korsakaite continued: Since the launch of our first-generation fund in 2019, we have not only more than doubled in size but also significantly expanded our team. Today the team, managing the funds, spans not only through Lithuania and Latvia, but as well Poland headed by the recently appointed Head of Poland. With full speed and focus ahead, we look forward to backing companies mainly in Baltics, Poland, Romania and across the broader EU that are aiming to seize growth opportunities. We are looking to acquire majority or significant minority stakes investing equity tickets of EUR 10 to 60 million with a sweet spot of c. EUR 35 million. The INVL Private Equity Fund IIs management team consists of nearly 20 professionals. To strengthen its footprint and local presence in Poland, senior investment professional Sylwester Urbanek, with more than 25 years of experience in private equity and investments, recently joined the fund team as Head of Poland. He will lead the expansion into Poland, which is one of the core investment markets for the fund. About INVL Private Equity Fund II With EUR 410 million of commitments, it is the largest private equity fund in the Baltics and one of the largest in CEE. The fund is sector-agnostic and is looking to build a diversified portfolio investing in companies with the potential to become regional leaders in their respective industries. Equity ticket ranges between EUR 10 million to EUR 60 million with larger ticket available with co-investors, and the fund is looking into majority or significant minority stakes where it could drive long-term value creation. The focus is on businesses with strong potential to grow and compete amid intensifying global competition. Geographically the fund is targeting opportunities in the Baltic countries, Poland, and the broader Europe Union. The fund is managed by INVL Asset Management, the leading Baltic alternative asset manager, which is a part of the Invalda INVL Group with over 30 years of experience. The groups companies manage EUR 2 billion in assets across various investment strategies, including private equity, forests and agricultural land, renewable energy, real estate, and private debt. Additionally, the group provides family office services in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, manages pension funds in Latvia and invests in global third-party funds. Additional information: Darius Sulnis CEO of Invalda INVL darius.sulnis@invl.com Global specialty chemicals leader Nouryon today announced the launch of new ingredient solutions for use in laundry, dish detergent and surface cleaning applications that deliver exceptional cleaning performance while using more sustainably sourced and produced ingredients. The company launched these products at the annual SEPAWA Congress in Berlin for industry experts, manufacturers and suppliers, and will participate in seminars discussing these and other innovative chemistries at the event Oct. 15 to 17. This new suite of products demonstrates Nouryons leadership in cleaning ingredient solutions and marks a bold step in our mission to transform the cleaning industry, said Brad Pearson, vice president of the Cleaning Goods business unit at Nouryon. By combining cutting-edge science with a deep commitment to sustainability, we are meeting todays expectations and helping customers lead the way toward a cleaner, safer and more sustainable future. Key highlights of Nouryons newest cleaning ingredient solutions include: Finnfix LD CMC for liquid laundry detergent applications is a liquid carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) that helps remove stains and prevent their redeposition onto fabrics, even in cold washes. Finnfix LD scores 78% on the Renewable Carbon Index and is made from materials certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. It is ultimately biodegradable1 and supports EU Ecolabel and Nordic Swan compliance. The Dissolvine MAX range designed for use in dishwashing, laundry and hard surface cleaning applications is a group of chelating agents made with 100% renewable carbon content. The products are lower carbon-footprint alternatives to traditional ingredients like phosphates, ensure effective detergent cleaning performance, and are ISCC Plus certified a certification that ensures full traceability of renewable feedstocks throughout the supply chain. AG 6206 Natural surfactant for household, industrial and institutional cleaning applications is a solvent-free, readily biodegradable1 surfactant made from 100% renewable carbon content using raw materials certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. It ensures hydrotroping power which prevents cloudiness in end products that is superior to common alternatives, even in formulations where other corrosive ingredients are present. Ethylan X4 and Ethylan X6 surfactants for use in household, industrial and institutional hard surface cleaning are low-foaming, narrow range ethoxylate (NRE) surfactants that provide effective wetting and cleaning while reducing water and energy consumption compared to conventional NREs. Within Nouryons Consumer and Life Sciences segment, these solutions for cleaning goods are part of the companys broader Home and Personal Care business line that innovates solutions to enhance the effectiveness of consumer essentials like skin care, detergents and cleaning materials. SEPAWA Congress attendees can visit Nouryons booth 604b-606 to learn more about these innovations. On October 15, attendees can participate in two Nouryon seminars: In the auditorium at 9:35 a.m., Nouryon senior researcher Josmary Velasquez will present on surfactant-chelating agent interactions, and in Room 1 at 3:45 p.m., senior researcher Nea Lintula will present on a CMC compatible with liquid laundry detergents. Contact a Nouryon salesperson for more information on the companys cleaning solutions. *1 per OECD 301D About Nouryon Nouryon is a global, specialty chemicals leader, with dual headquarters in Radnor, Pennsylvania, and Amsterdam, Netherlands, and is incorporated in Ireland. Markets and consumers worldwide rely on our essential solutions to manufacture everyday products, such as personal care, cleaning goods, paints and coatings, agriculture and food, pharmaceuticals, and building products. The shared commitment of our more than 8,200 employees to our customers, business growth, safety, sustainability, and innovation continues to drive consistently strong financial performance. We operate in over 80 countries with a portfolio of industry-leading brands. Visit Nouryon.com and follow us on LinkedIn. Attachments Toronto, ON, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After nearly five weeks on strike, full-time college support staff, represented by OPSEU/SEFPO, have reached a tentative agreement for more than 10,000 workers across all 24 Ontario colleges. After months of intensive negotiations with an incredibly difficult employer, the gains made in this agreement would not have been possible without members holding strong these last weeks, said Christine Kelsey, chair of the unions bargaining team. We had no choice but to fight back amidst a plan to privatize public education, as well as 10,000 job losses and over 650 program cuts across the system. Picket lines will come down today, and the details of the tentative settlement will be presented to members this afternoon. Support staff are scheduled to return to work Thursday, October 16. Full-time college support staff took on a tremendous fight, and Im incredibly proud of our members for getting us to this moment, said JP Hornick, President of OPSEU/SEFPO. Now, we need to keep building on that momentum and show Ontario what is possible when working people stand together. Weve won more than a contract, added Kelsey. After being out in our communities, day after day, the public now understands that our college system is being deliberately defunded as part of the collateral of Fords devastating privatization agenda. Corporate college audits, commissioned by the Ford government at a cost of $15 million, paint an alarming vision for Ontarios colleges including plans for further cutbacks, automation, outsourcing, and mergers. OPSEU/SEFPO was early to sound the alarm over the Ford governments misuse of the Skills Development Fund (SDF) for multi-million dollar corporate handouts, including to companies delivering private, low-quality training without measurable outcomes. Its money, the union says, that could keep college campuses, services, and programs open and staffed. In fact, nearly half a billion dollars went to lower ranked applicants by the unions projections, enough to have prevented college cuts to programs and staff for over a year while the system adjusted to international student drop-offs and stabilized. Recent reports have linked SDF recipients to lobby firms connected to everyone from Amin Massoudi (who chaired Fords 2022 re-election campaign), to Progressive Conservative Party president Michael Diamond (who directed Fords successful 2018 leadership bid), and even Michael Ford, the Premiers nephew. Were going to keep exposing Fords web of corporate buddies and corrupt backroom deals, said Hornick. We know well find more the longer we look into the connections between SDF recipients, Fords cabinet, and even college presidents. This fight is about the future of public education, and its just beginning. -30- OPSEU/SEFPO represents more than 50,000 college workers, including full-time and part-time support staff and faculty, at all 24 Ontario public colleges, with campuses in more than 200 communities. Photo and video highlights from the strike can be downloaded for use here. For more information about bargaining, visit collegesupportft.org. Attachment COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), on behalf of its fund Copenhagen Infrastructure IV (CI IV), has signed an agreement to divest a 50% ownership stake in Coalburn 2 to funds managed by AIP Management (AIP), a specialist investor in energy and decarbonization infrastructure. Once operational, the new project will be among Europes largest battery storage facilities, supporting grid stability and the integration of renewable energy generation. Coalburn 2 is a 500MW, 2-hour duration, lithium ion battery energy storage system (BESS), located in South Lanarkshire in southern Scotland. CIP took a financial investment decision for Coalburn 2 in December 2024 and will continue to lead the Coalburn 2 project delivery through its current construction phase. Coalburn 2s 50% ownership stake transfer to AIP shall occur upon site commissioning. The project has a high level of contracted revenues through a 10-year optimisation agreement with SSE, alongside a 15-year capacity market agreement, providing visibility and a stable foundation for returns while maintaining exposure to market upside. Coalburn 2 is one of three transmission-connected BESS assets co-developed by Alcemi and CIP that are currently being constructed by CIP in Scotland. These will collectively have a total power capacity of 1.5GW and will be able to store and supply the grid with a total of 3GWh of electricity, enough to supply over 4.5 million households for two hours. CIP is developing a further 4.5GW of BESS projects across Scotland and England. Coalburn 2 is part of an expanding CIP portfolio of UK energy infrastructure investments which - alongside the companys portfolio of battery projects across the US, Europe and Australia - makes it one of the leading investors of battery storage projects globally. For AIP, the investment in Coalburn 2 marks a significant step in its strategy to build a portfolio of high-quality battery storage assets that provide flexible capacity to the UKs electricity system. AIP focuses on investing in assets that are either ready to construct or operational, avoiding early-stage development risks. It follows AIPs recent investment in a 2.4GWh portfolio of operational and under-construction BESS projects, reflecting its growing presence as a long-term investor in the UK energy storage sector. To date, AIPs investments have a combined capacity of approximately 7GW, which collectively will contribute to avoiding 10 million tonnes of greenhouse-gas emissions. Nischal Agarwal, Partner at CIP said: As CIPs development and construction portfolio of UK BESS projects continues to progress and grow, we look forward to welcoming AIP as a new partner on our Coalburn 2 site, which once commissioned in 2027 will be one of Europes biggest operational BESS projects. The delivery of Coalburn 2, alongside CIPs Coalburn 1 and Devilla projects, will improve the UKs energy security, enable more low cost renewables to be delivered, and reduce costs for British consumers through enhanced system flexibility. Greg Falzon, Partner and Co-Head of Investments at AIP, said: This investment reinforces our conviction in the UK energy storage market and reflects our strategy of partnering selectively on high-quality, ready-to-build or operational assets. Together with our recent Ardenham investment, it forms part of a growing portfolio that combines strong downside protection with long-term value creation. About Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners Founded in 2012, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners P/S (CIP) today is the worlds largest dedicated fund manager within greenfield energy investments. The funds managed by CIP focus on investments in offshore and onshore wind, storage, solar PV, biomass and energy-from-waste, transmission and distribution, reserve capacity, advanced bioenergy, and Power-to-X. In the UK, CIP is investing in over 25 GW of renewable energy infrastructure, representing over 40 Billion of future investment potential. CIP manages 13 funds and has to date raised approximately EUR 33 billion for investments in energy and associated infrastructure from approximately 180 international institutional investors. CIP has projects in more than 30 countries and more than 2300 employees across platforms. For more information, visit www.cip.com About AIP Management AIP specialises in decarbonisation and energy infrastructure investments that facilitate the energy transition in Europe and North America. Our team comprises 80 professionals with extensive expertise in investments and energy working from Copenhagen, London, Madrid, and New York. To date, AIP has invested over 8 billion in infrastructure assets. This includes renewable energy assets with a capacity of approximately 7 GW. Once fully operational, AIPs investments will contribute to avoiding 10 million tons of greenhouse gasses and support about 6 million households with renewable electricity. AIP is part of Storebrand, a Nordic financial group, which owns 60% of AIP. For more information, visit: aipmanagement.dk Media Contact: Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners Email: media@cip.com AIP Management Archie Graves, Brackendale Consulting Phone: +44 7803 261488 Email: archie@brackendaleconsulting.com Alesha Cheah, Brackendale Consulting Phone: +44 7717 250465 Email: alesha@brackendaleconsulting.com Dublin, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Inkjet Coders Market - Forecasts from 2025 to 2030" has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global inkjet coders market is set to soar from USD 4.499 billion in 2025 to USD 6.124 billion by 2030, registering a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.36%. This expansion is fueled by the need for product traceability, anti-counterfeiting initiatives, and adherence to stringent labeling regulations. The expanding retail sector, rising consumption of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), and socio-economic factors such as population growth and urbanization further drive the adoption of inkjet coding technologies. Market Growth Drivers The uptick in FMCG consumption alongside retail expansion, particularly in emerging markets, serves as a critical growth driver. Technological advancements featuring software to control ink viscosity and automatic cleaning systems enhance operational efficiencies, reducing downtime and refining print accuracy, making inkjet coders optimal for high-volume production. Nevertheless, high maintenance costs present a potential market constraint. Market Segmentation Analysis By Product Type: Market segments include continuous, laser, thermal, and high-resolution inkjet coders. Continuous inkjet coders are predominant due to their adaptability to various surfaces, while high-resolution models gain traction for precise premium packaging. By End-User Industry: The market benefits food and beverage, automotive, electronics, and pharmaceutical industries. The food and beverage sector leads owing to comprehensive labeling mandates. Pharmaceuticals follow closely due to regulatory compliance for drug packaging, while automotive and electronics industries are emerging growth regions driven by the need for component traceability. By Geography: North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific represent primary markets. Europe's market thrives on rising disposable incomes and demand for convenience foods. Asia Pacific is poised for rapid growth due to urbanization, retail expansion, and surging FMCG demand in countries like China and India. North America maintains a robust position due to advanced manufacturing practices and regulatory needs. Additionally, emerging regions such as the Middle East, Africa, and South America contribute to market growth, buoyed by increasing industrialization. Competitive Landscape The competitive landscape is marked by global and regional players focusing on innovation and strategic collaborations to augment their offerings. Prominent companies invest in advanced printing technologies and broaden product portfolios to satisfy evolving industry demands, securing a strong market posture. Companies Featured ATD Ltd. ITW Diagraph Domino Printing Sciences plc Inkjet Coding and Marking.com Inkjet, Inc. Linx Printing Technologies Videojet Technologies, Inc. Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co. Ltd. Markem-Imaje- A Dover company FoxJet- An ITW Anser Coding Inc. Market Outlook The inkjet coders market forecasts impressive growth by 2030, instigated by compliance mandates, retail growth, and technological progress. Europe and Asia Pacific offer substantial opportunities, while challenges like maintenance expenses are being mitigated through inventive solutions. The market's trajectory underlines its significant role in ensuring traceability and improving efficiency across a multitude of industries. Key Benefits of this Report: Insightful Analysis: Delivers comprehensive market insights across major and emerging regions focusing on customer segments, government policies, socio-economic dynamics, consumer preferences, and industry verticals. Delivers comprehensive market insights across major and emerging regions focusing on customer segments, government policies, socio-economic dynamics, consumer preferences, and industry verticals. Competitive Landscape: Deciphers strategic maneuvers by key global players to navigate market penetration. Deciphers strategic maneuvers by key global players to navigate market penetration. Market Drivers & Future Trends: Unveils dynamic factors and major market trends shaping future developments. Unveils dynamic factors and major market trends shaping future developments. Actionable Recommendations: Provides strategic decision-making insights for exploring new business avenues. Provides strategic decision-making insights for exploring new business avenues. Audience Reach: Cost-effective for startups, research institutions, consultants, SMEs, and large enterprises. Report Coverage: Historical data (2020-2024) and forecast data (2025-2030) Growth opportunities, challenges, supply chain outlook, regulatory frameworks, and trend analysis Competitive positioning, strategies, and market share analysis Revenue growth and forecast assessment covering segments and regions, including countries Company profiling with strategic insights, products, financials, and key developments Report Segmentation The global inkjet coders market is segmented as follows: By Product Type: Continuous, Laser, Thermal, High-Resolution Inkjet Coders Continuous, Laser, Thermal, High-Resolution Inkjet Coders By End-User Industry: Food & Beverage, Automotive, Electronics, Pharmaceuticals, Others Food & Beverage, Automotive, Electronics, Pharmaceuticals, Others By Geography: Including North America (USA, Canada, Mexico), South America (Brazil, Argentina), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Spain), Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE), and Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea) Key Attributes Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 145 Forecast Period 2025-2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2025 $4.5 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $6.12 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 6.3% Regions Covered Global For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/n7cczu 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. SINGAPORE, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EngageLab, a global leader in omnichannel customer engagement, made a remarkable impact at E-Commerce Expo Asia 2025, Singapore Tech Week. The EngageLab booth became a focal point for e-commerce innovators and industry leaders eager to explore the future of customer engagement technology. Throughout the event, the EngageLab team demonstrated how its robust platform empowers businesses to seamlessly connect with customers worldwide via AppPush, WebPush, Email, SMS, WhatsApp, OTP, and more. Attendees experienced firsthand how EngageLabs solutions drive higher conversions, stronger retention, and smarter, data-driven marketing for e-commerce brands. Omnichannel & Marketing Automation: Accelerating E-Commerce Growth EngageLabs core strength lies in its powerful Omnichannel and Marketing Automation platform, designed for the fast-paced world of e-commerce. By unifying AppPush, WebPush, Email, SMS, WhatsApp, and more, EngageLab enables brands to deliver seamless, personalized customer journeys across every channel. With AI-driven segmentation, automated triggers, and real-time analytics, e-commerce businesses can: Acquire customers efficiently with targeted, consistent messaging Boost conversions through personalized offers and timely reminders Drive retention with automated re-engagement and loyalty campaigns Stay compliant with robust data security EngageLab helps e-commerce brands reduce manual work, increase ROI, and deliver outstanding customer experiences at scale. A highlight of the expo was the keynote speech by Jerry Yin, Group Vice President of GPTBots & EngageLab. Jerrys session, Smart E-Commerce: Unlocking Global Success with AI Agents and Omnichannel Messaging, placed a strong emphasis on the power of true omnichannel engagement. He illustrated how e-commerce businesses can break through market fragmentation by unifying customer touchpoints across multiple channelsensuring every message is timely, relevant, and personalized, no matter where the customer is. AI Agents in the Spotlight: GPTBots Drives Next-Gen E-Commerce Innovation As another flagship product under Aurora Mobile, GPTBots provides end-to-end enterprise AI agent solutions. At the expo, GPTBots drew significant attention from e-commerce innovators and decision-makers for its transformative impact on operational efficiency and customer support. Many e-commerce brands expressed strong interest in integrating AI-powered customer support into their websites. Attendees were particularly impressed by the versatility of GPTBots AI Agents, which are already being applied across a range of critical e-commerce scenarios, including: 24/7 AI Customer Support: Instantly resolving customer inquiries, processing returns and exchanges, and providing multilingual assistance, significantly improving satisfaction and reducing response times. Intelligent Product Recommendations: Leveraging customer data and browsing behavior to deliver personalized product suggestions that boost conversion rates and average order value. Order Tracking & Notifications: Proactively updating customers on order status, shipping, and delivery, reducing manual workload and enhancing transparency. These conversations at E-Commerce Expo Asia 2025 reaffirmed the growing demand for intelligent, scalable AI solutions in the e-commerce sector. As a trusted partner to leading enterprises worldwide, EngageLab, together with GPTBots, remains committed to continuous innovation, empowering businesses to achieve operational excellence, sustainable growth, and superior customer success. About EngageLab EngageLab is a world-leading AI-powered omnichannel customer engagement solution provider, unites technology and versatility to offer seamless customer interactions and marketing automation across every channel, including Email, AppPush, WebPush, OTP, SMS and WhatsApp Business. It empowers businesses to build lasting relationships and achieve higher conversions and retention. With a strong focus on innovation and performance, EngageLab supports businesses in over 220 countries and regions, delivering more than 1 million messages every second across various channels. About GPTBots GPTBots is an enterprise AI agent platform that empowers businesses to build, manage, and deploy sophisticated AI agents without coding expertise. By integrating Large Language Models (LLMs), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) technology, and an extensive plugin ecosystem, GPTBots helps companies automate complex workflows and enhance customer engagement across multiple channels. For Media Inquiries: Contact: marketing@engagelab.com Website: www.engagelab.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5f5873df-a5f7-4f13-bceb-20a6262610a8 Joint non-binding offer rejected Meudon-la-Foret, le 15 octobre 2025 Bouygues Telecom has taken note of the Group Altices decision to reject the joint non-binding offer submitted yesterday by Bouygues Telecom, Orange and Free-Group iliad. Press contact: Maylis Carcabal, Groupe Bouygues - mca@bouygues.com - 06 63 59 87 05 Anthony Colombani, Bouygues Telecom - ancolomb@bouyguestelecom.fr - 07 62 46 26 65 Stephanie Brun, Bouygues Telecom - sbrun@bouyguestelecom.fr - 06 47 47 15 76 About Bouygues Telecom Bouygues Telecom, a subsidiary of the Bouygues group, is a French all-round operator of digital communications and services. In 2024, it generated sales of 7.8 billion, had 11,200 employees as well as 510 stores across France. Founded in 1994, Bouygues Telecom is committed to providing its B2B, B2C and public administration customers with high-quality, innovative and secure fixed and mobile communications as well as superfast internet by constantly improving its network and user experience. 27.1 million Mobile customers and 5.3 million Fixed customers put their trust in Bouygues Telecom, the leading operator for WiFi and fixed internet connections, according to nperf in 2024 and ranked No. 2 for mobile according to Arcep in 2023. Its 4G network now covers 99% of the French population and its 5G network over 19 000 municipalities and over 84% of the French population. The Bouygues Telecom Entreprises division supports nearly 100,000 B2B customers, of which 70% of the CAC 40, in adopting new collaborative practices, migrating to the cloud and transforming their digital infrastructure. Bouygues Telecom aims to reduce its scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 29.5% and its scope 3 emissions by 17.5% by 2027, which are targets that have been endorsed by the Science Based Targets (SBTi) initiative. #OnEstFaitPourEtreEnsemble - www.corporate.bouyguestelecom.fr, on X: @ByTel_Corporate Attachment PERTH, Australia, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alkane Resources Limited (Alkane) (ASX: ALK, TSX: ALK, OTC: ALKEF) is pleased to report that it has updated the Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves estimates for its assets in Australia and Sweden and, in doing so, has prepared a JORC Code1 compliant Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves estimate for the Costerfield and Bjorkdal operations. A Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves Statement for each asset (MROR Statements) is available below: NSW: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/3f08ef36-3247-4de2-8a68-06b9bad0ef83 Costerfield: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/7cfe9471-a7cf-4381-9b3e-c12135edc853 Bjorkdal: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/0ba65fd8-0149-4160-af6e-11985311aecc A summary of the Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves estimates for Alkanes asset as at 30 June 2025 is presented below. Complete details for each estimate, as required by the ASX Listing Rules and the JORC Code, are set out in the MROR Statements. Group Mineral Resources2,3 Location Tonnage (kt) Gold grade (g/t) Copper grade (%) Antimony grade (%) Contained gold (koz) Contained copper (Mt) Contained antimony (kt) Tomingley4 20,254 2.25 1,465 Boda Kaiser 796,000 0.33 0.18 8,280 1.46 Costerfield 1,700 7.9 2.3 431 39.4 Bjorkdal 32,055 1.91 1,967 TOTAL 850,009 0.45 12,143 1.46 39.4 Group Ore Reserves3 Location Tonnage (kt) Gold grade (g/t) Antimony grade (%) Contained gold (koz) Contained antimony (kt) Tomingley 10,362 1.9 620 Costerfield 537 8.7 2.0 150 10.7 Bjorkdal 13,048 1.3 543 TOTAL 23,947 1.7 1,313 10.7 Alkane Managing Director, Nic Earner, said: Alkanes consolidated resource and reserves show the strength of our business. We have three operating mines and a major project in Boda-Kaiser, giving us immediate production and a long term growth option. We have substantial capital expenditure occurring through the remainder of this financial year to continue to add to this resource base, particularly at Costerfield. This document has been authorised for release to the market by Nic Earner, Managing Director. ABOUT ALKANE www.alkres.com ASX:ALK | TSX: ALK | OTCQX: ALKEF Alkane (ASX:ALK; TSX:ALK; OTCQX:ALKEF) is an Australia-based gold and antimony producer with a portfolio of three operating mines across Australia and Sweden. The Company has a strong balance sheet and is positioned for further growth. Alkanes wholly owned producing assets are the Tomingley open pit and underground gold mine southwest of Dubbo in Central West New South Wales, the Costerfield gold and antimony underground mining operation northeast of Heathcote in Central Victoria, and the Bjorkdal underground gold mine northwest of Skelleftea in Sweden (approximately 750 km north of Stockholm). Ongoing near-mine regional exploration continues to grow resources at all three operations. Alkane also owns the very large gold-copper porphyry Boda-Kaiser Project in Central West New South Wales and has outlined an economic development pathway in a Scoping Study. The Company has ongoing exploration within the surrounding Northern Molong Porphyry Project and is confident of further enhancing eastern Australias reputation as a significant gold, copper and antimony production region. ANNEXURE A: Group Mineral Resources as at 30 June 2025 Location Tonnage (kt) Gold grade (g/t) Copper grade (%) Antimony grade (%) Contained gold (koz) Contained copper (Mt) Contained antimony (kt) Tomingley Total 20,254 2.25 1,465 Measured & Indicated 16,065 2.28 1,175 Inferred 4,190 2.38 291 Inferred (Peak Hill) 1,020 3.29 0.15 108 2 Boda Kaiser Total 796,000 0.33 0.18 8,280 1.46 Measured & Indicated 537,000 0.32 0.19 5,530 1.01 Inferred 258,000 0.33 0.18 2,740 0.45 Costerfield Total 1,700 7.9 2.3 431 39.4 Measured & Indicated 1,162 8 2.6 300 29.7 Inferred 537 7.5 1.8 130 9.7 Bjorkdal Total 32,055 1.91 1,967 Measured & Indicated 20,346 2.14 1,403 Inferred 11,709 1.50 565 TOTAL 850,009 12,143 1.46 39.4 * Apparent arithmetic inconsistencies are due to rounding Competent Persons Statement The information in this announcement relating to Tomingley and Boda Kaiser is based on the NSW Resources and Reserves Statement FY25 dated 15 October 2025. That document has been approved by Mr D Ian Chalmers, FAusIMM, FAIG, (Alkane Technical Advisor) who has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code and as a Qualified Person as defined in the CIM Guidelines and National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101). Mr Chalmers has provided his prior written consent to the inclusion in this report of the Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves Statement in the form and context in which it appears. The information in this announcement relating to Costerfield and Bjorkdal is based on the Costerfield Resources and Reserves Statement FY25 and Bjorkdal Resources and Reserves Statement FY25 both dated 15 October 2025. Those documents have been approved by Mr Chris Davis, who is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and a full-time employee of Alkane Resources Limited. Mr Davis has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code 2012 and as a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. Mr Davis has provided his prior written consent to the inclusion in this report of the Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves Statement in the form and context in which it appears. Investors outside Australia should note that while Ore Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates of the Company in this announcement comply with the JORC Code 2012, they may not comply with the relevant guidelines in other countries. Technical Reports released to the TSX or for TSX Market Alkane has prepared the following NI 43-101 compliant technical reports which support the information contained herein, each of which is available under Alkanes profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca: Boda-Kaiser Copper-Gold Project, New South Wales, Australia with an effective date of June 6, 2025; Tomingley and Peak Hill Gold Projects, NSW, Australia with an effective date of June 6, 2025. Costerfield NI 43-101 Technical Report dated 28 March 2025, with an effective date of 31 December 2024; and NI 43-101 Technical Report, Bjorkdal Gold Mine, Sweden dated 28 March 2025, with an effective date of 31 December 2024. Reference should be made to the full text of the foregoing technical reports for the assumptions, qualifications and limitations relating to the Mineral Resource Estimates and Ore Reserves contained therein and herein. All material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the technical reports continue to apply and have not materially changed. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements This announcement contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation and may include future-oriented financial information or financial outlook information (collectively Forward-Looking Information). Actual results and outcomes may vary materially from the amounts set out in any Forward-Looking Information. As well, Forward-Looking Information may relate to: future outlook and anticipated events; expectations regarding exploration potential; production capabilities and future financial or operating performance, including AISC, investment returns, margins and share price performance; production and cost guidance and the timing thereof; issuing updated resources and reserves estimate and the timing thereof; the potential of Alkane to meet industry targets, public profile and expectations; and future plans, projections, objectives, estimates and forecasts and the timing related thereto. Forward-Looking Information is generally identified by the use of words like "will", "create", "enhance", "improve", "potential", "expect", "upside", "growth" and similar expressions and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", or "should", or the negative connotation of such terms, are intended to identify Forward-Looking Information. Although Alkane believes that the expectations reflected in the Forward-Looking Information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on Forward-Looking Information since no assurance can be provided that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-Looking Information is based on information available at the time those statements are made and/or good faith belief of the officers and directors of Alkane as of that time with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the Forward-Looking Information. Forward-Looking Information involves numerous risks and uncertainties. Such factors include, without limitation: risks relating to changes in the gold and antimony price. Forward-Looking Information is designed to help readers understand Alkanes views as of that time with respect to future events and speak only as of the date they are made. Except as required by applicable law, Alkane assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement contained or incorporated by reference herein to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting the Forward-looking Information. If Alkane updates any one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that the company will make additional updates with respect to those or other Forward-looking Information. All Forward-Looking Information contained in this announcement is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Disclaimer Alkane has prepared this announcement based on information available to it. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is made as to the fairness, accuracy, completeness or correctness of the information, opinions or conclusions contained in this announcement. To the maximum extent permitted by law, none of Alkane, its directors, officers, employees, associates, advisers and agents, nor any other person accepts any liability, including, without limitation, any liability arising from fault or negligence on the part of any of them or any other person, for any loss arising from the use of this announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection with it. This announcement is not an offer, invitation, solicitation, or other recommendation with respect to the subscription for, purchase or sale of any security, and neither this announcement nor anything in it shall form the basis of any contract or commitment whatsoever CONTACT: NIC EARNER, MANAGING DIRECTOR & CEO, ALKANE RESOURCES LTD, TEL +61 8 9227 5677 INVESTORS & MEDIA: NATALIE CHAPMAN, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, TEL +61 418 642 556 ______________________________ 1 2012 Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (JORC Code). 2 Refer to the table in Annexure A for details on Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resources. 3 Refer to ALK announcements titled NSW Resources and Reserves Statement FY25, Costerfield Resources and Reserves Statement FY25 and Bjorkdal Resources and Reserves Statement FY25 dated 15 October 2025 for complete details for each estimate 4 Includes Peak Hill. MONTREAL, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Troilus Gold Corp. (TSX: TLG; OTCQX: CHXMF; FSE: CM5R) (Troilus or the Company) is pleased to report continued progress on the basic and detailed engineering of its copper-gold Troilus Project (the Project) led by engineering partner BBA Inc. (BBA) based in Montreal, Quebec. Basic engineering of the Project has now surpassed 85% completion, marking significant progress since the last engineering update provided on June 10, 2025 . Following the completion of trade-off studies and process flowsheet definition earlier this year, the focus shifted to cost estimation, procurement, and execution planning. Major deliverables - including capital cost estimates, vendor evaluations, and project execution plans - are now well advanced, supporting a targeted construction decision in 2026. Highlights of Engineering Progress to Date: Procurement and Technical Evaluations All Requests for Quotations (RFQs) have been issued to the market, supporting the transition towards execution planning as the Project advances to cost definition and construction readiness. Technical and commercial assessments of major equipment and construction packages are nearing completion, with firm bids now received for key items, supporting vendor selection and refinement of capital cost estimates. Comprehensive project execution plans have been developed, outlining the framework for project delivery, including contracting strategy and construction sequencing. Construction Readiness and Commissioning Preparation Layouts of construction facilities have been developed to optimize logistics and cost planning. Review of 3D models for the Projects process plant, dry comminution circuit, and site infrastructure is over 30% complete. Commissioning systems have been identified and sequenced to ensure a structured transition from construction to operations. Justin Reid, CEO of Troilus, commented We continue to make disciplined and measurable progress thanks to the expertise of our in-house team and BBA Consultants. Surpassing 85% completion of basic engineering marks an important step towards construction readiness and reflects the steady de-risking of the Troilus Project. With all RFQs issued and execution plans in place, we continue to advance and refine definitions around scope, costs and delivery strategy. We remain on track to complete basic engineering before year-end, positioning Troilus to advance seamlessly into detailed execution and towards a 2026 construction decision. BBAs deep knowledge of the Troilus site and our collaborative approach continue to be key drivers of this progress. Figure 1. Troilus Project - 3D Model of Processing Circuit About BBA Consultants BBA has been providing a wide range of consulting engineering services for over 45 years. Strategic advisory, environmental, engineering and field experts team up to quickly and accurately pinpoint the needs of industrial and institutional clients. Known for its innovative, sustainable and reliable solutions, the firms expertise is recognized in the energy and natural resources industry. BBA has over 20 offices across Canada and abroad (Chile and the United States), offering clients local support and increased field presence. About Troilus Gold Corp. Troilus Gold Corp. is a Canadian development-stage mining company focused on the systematic advancement of the former gold and copper Troilus Mine towards production. Troilus is located in the tier-one mining jurisdiction of Quebec, Canada, where it holds a large land position of 435 km in the Frotet-Evans Greenstone Belt. A Feasibility Study completed in May 2024 supports a large-scale 22-year, 50ktpd open-pit mining operation, positioning it as a cornerstone project in North America. For more information: Caroline Arsenault VP Corporate Communications +1 (647) 276-0050 info@troilusgold.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Information This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding, the impact of the BBA mandate and progress to completion on the Company and the likelihood that the mandate will progress on the timeline and budget projected and result in a construction decision on the timeline projected or at all. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, continue, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, will, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements are made based upon certain assumptions and other important facts that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performances or achievements of Troilus to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which Troilus will operate in the future. Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performances or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, amongst others, currency fluctuations, the global economic climate, dilution, share price volatility and competition. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Troilus to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: there being no assurance Troilus will meet all conditions for further draw downs under the Loan; uncertainties with respect to additional warrants being exercised; there being no assurance that the exploration program or programs of the Company will result in expanded mineral resources; risks and uncertainties inherent to mineral resource and reserve estimates; the high degree of uncertainties inherent to feasibility studies and other mining and economic studies which are based to a significant extent on various assumptions; variations in gold prices and other metals, exchange rate fluctuations; variations in cost of supplies and labour; receipt of necessary approvals; availability of financing for project development; uncertainties and risks with respect to developing mining projects; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; future gold and other metal prices; accidents, labour disputes and shortages; environmental and other risks of the mining industry, including without limitation, risks and uncertainties discussed in the Companys latest Annual Information Form, its technical reports and other continuous disclosure documents of the Company available under the Companys profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Although Troilus has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Troilus does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2aa59613-cb17-4b37-a64e-d91107bd2566 WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FTI Consulting, Inc. (NYSE: FCN) today announced the appointment of Paul Abbate as a Senior Managing Director in the firms National Security offering. Mr. Abbate, who is based in Washington, D.C., brings nearly 30 years of law enforcement and intelligence experience, having served in executive leadership roles at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States and abroad. Most recently, he held the position of Deputy Director of the FBI, where he oversaw domestic and international investigative and intelligence activities across the organization, focused on protecting national security, safeguarding the economy and ensuring public safety. In his role at FTI Consulting, Mr. Abbate will support the firms National Security offering, concentrating on helping clients identify geopolitical risk and combat the actions of threat actors, including conducting, overseeing and supporting discrete, sensitive investigations involving espionage, insider threats and other complex security matters. Leveraging his extensive experience working with international partners across the public and private sectors, Mr. Abbate will focus on ensuring organizations strengthen their internal and external defenses and adhere to national security requirements and regulations. Paul is a respected, collaborative global leader with deep experience in investigative and intelligence activities aimed at protecting national security, said Anthony J. Ferrante, Global Head of the Cybersecurity practice at FTI Consulting. His reputation, unparalleled insights and strong network of international relationships will further position FTI Consulting as a leader in the national security, cybersecurity and geopolitical risk spaces. Mr. Abbates experience working firsthand with international law enforcement agencies and FBI partners helps bolster the already deep bench of intelligence experts at FTI Consulting and signals further investment from the firm in the National Security offering. During his time at the FBI, Mr. Abbate led complex domestic and international cross-agency investigations that mitigated national security risks, enhanced information sharing and improved coordination across all levels of the agency. Mr. Abbate held diverse assignments and executive leadership roles, including leading the field offices covering Washington, D.C. and Michigan; overseeing national security squads in Los Angeles and New Jersey; and serving as a team leader and liaison officer in various locations in the Middle East and Africa. He will leverage this experience when assisting clients with their multifaceted challenges arising from nation-states and advanced threat actor techniques. Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Abbate said, National security is not just a concern for government and law enforcement agencies. The threat landscape is constantly and rapidly evolving, making it critical for the private sector to maximize awareness and understanding of the risks posed by sophisticated threat actors looking to disrupt operations and cause harm. I look forward to working alongside our deep bench of former intelligence and federal law enforcement officials as we help our clients navigate todays growing and multifaceted risk environment. About FTI Consultings National Security Offering FTI Consultings national security experts come from law enforcement, intelligence, in-house legal and compliance backgrounds and work with clients to provide comprehensive solutions to ensure organizations comply with national security regulations, mitigate the risk of a national security incident and provide robust support for investigations and voluntary disclosures, including foreign direct investment reviews and other regulatory enforcement actions when national security threats arise. About FTI Consulting FTI Consulting, Inc. is a leading global expert firm for organizations facing crisis and transformation, with more than 7,900 employees located in 32 countries and territories as of June 30, 2025. In certain jurisdictions, FTI Consultings services are provided through distinct legal entities that are separately capitalized and independently managed. The Company generated $3.70 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2024. More information can be found at https://www.fticonsulting.com. FTI Consulting, Inc. 555 12th Street NW Washington, DC 20004 +1.202.312.9100 Investor Contact: Mollie Hawkes +1.617.747.1791 mollie.hawkes@fticonsulting.com Media Contact: Nick Emmons +1.617.510.1676 nick.emmons@fticonsulting.com MIAMI, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Crossing Airlines Group, Inc. (Cboe CA: JET, Cboe CA: JET.B, OTCQB: JETMF) (GlobalX or the Company), the Nations fastest-growing charter airline, today announced that it has entered into a new long-term wet-lease agreement with Sunrise Airways (Sunrise), a leading Caribbean regional airline. Serving more than 20 gateways across the Americas, Sunrises route network connects major United States and Central American markets with destinations throughout the Caribbean. Under the agreement, GlobalX will begin service in November 2025, providing two dedicated Airbus A320 aircrafteach configured with 179 seatsto accelerate Sunrises expanding operations. This partnership highlights a core competency of GlobalX: enabling airlines to rapidly scale their networks and strengthen their market presence through dedicated fleet support. Ryan Goepel, President and CFO of GlobalX, stated: "This partnership highlights GlobalXs growing position as the ACMI provider of choice for airlines worldwide. By providing Sunrise Airways with flexible and dependable solutions for growth, we further showcase how our model creates meaningful value for airlines seeking efficiency, flexibility, and excellence in their operations. We value the trust Sunrise Airways has placed in us and look forward to growing this relationship through continued collaboration and shared success." Sunrise Airways operates under three separate Air Operator Certificates (AOC) Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Eastern Caribbean. The addition of the two Airbus A320s wet-leased from GlobalX brings the total size of the combined Sunrise Airways operating fleet to 14 aircraft. Gary Stone, CEO of Sunrise Airways, said, Im pleased to announce this agreement with GlobalX, marking an important step as we continue to grow our fleet and enhance connectivity across the Caribbean. The integration of these two dedicated aircraft represents a significant milestone in our One Caribbean strategic plan. This move underscores Sunrises commitment to enhancing the customer experience and improve connectivity to and within the Caribbean region. GlobalX is recognized as one of the worlds fastest-growing wet-lease providers. They are uniquely positioned to enable our growth and help us achieve our ambitious expansion goals. By leveraging their strong presence in South Florida, we aim to improve reliability, on-time performance, and the overall customer experience across our entire network. Stone added, Well initially deploy the newly wet-leased aircraft to bolster our existing routes, particularly between Florida and Cap-Haitien. In the near future, though, theyll be instrumental in our efforts to expand our network to new destinations like Fort Lauderdale, New York, and other key markets throughout the Americas. Were planning additional fleet expansion over the coming months, and by the close of 2025, we anticipate operating 18 aircraft across our expanding network. About Global Crossing Airlines Group, Inc. GlobalX is a US 121 domestic flag and supplemental airline flying the Airbus A320 family of aircraft. The Companys services include domestic and international ACMI and charter flights for passengers and cargo throughout the US, Caribbean, Europe, and Latin America. GlobalX is IOSA certified by IATA and holds TCOs for Europe and the UK. About Sunrise Airways Sunrise Airways launched in 2012 with a mission to enhance connectivity among island states located throughout the Caribbean. Since then, the regional carrier has grown to employ a workforce totalling in excess of 250 aviation professionals in 24 gateways spread across the Americas. The Sunrise Airways route network, which started with domestic flights in Haiti, now extends throughout the Caribbean, as well as into the United States (Miami) and Central America (Panama). Flights serving gateways throughout the Eastern Caribbean were launched in 2024. The Sunrise Airways corporate headquarters and Service Oversight Center (SOC) are based at Toussaint Louverture International Airport (IATA: PAP, ICAO: MTPP) in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Sunrise Airways is privately-owned. Its Founder and Chairman is noted Haitian businessman, philanthropist, and pilot, Philippe Bayard. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information regarding GlobalX, as defined under applicable United States and Canadian securities laws, concerning anticipated developments and events that may occur in the future. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to GlobalXs continued business expansion, the details and benefits of the agreement with Sunrise Airways, that GlobalXs model creates real value for airlines seeking efficiency, flexibility, and excellence in their operations, and GlobalXs growing position as the ACMI provider of choice for airlines worldwide. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" suggesting future outcomes, or other expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, intentions or statements about future events or performance. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release is based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the receipt of financing to continue airline operations, the accuracy, reliability and success of GlobalXs business model; GlobalXs ability to accurately forecast demand; GlobalX will be able to successfully conclude definitive agreements for transactions subject to LOI; the timely receipt of governmental approvals, including from the FAA and DOT; the success of airline operations of GlobalX; GlobalXs ability to successfully enter new geographic markets; the legislative and regulatory environments of the jurisdictions where GlobalX will carry on business or have operations; GlobalX has or will have sufficient aircraft to provide the service; the impact of competition and the competitive response to GlobalXs business strategy; the future price of fuel, and the availability of aircraft. While GlobalX considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of GlobalX to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. The Company has identified certain known material risk factors applicable to it in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC and its other filings with the SEC. Moreover, it is not always possible for GlobalX to predict how new risks and uncertainties that arise from time to time may affect it. Although GlobalX has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release. Except as required by applicable securities laws, GlobalX does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements. If GlobalX does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be made that it will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. For more information: Company Contact Ryan Goepel, President & CFO Tel: (720) 330-2829 Investor Relations Contact Sean Mansouri, CFA or Aaron DSouza Email: JET@elevate-ir.com Sunrise Airways Media Contact Steve Bennett, SBPR Corp. Tel: 305-213-8074 Email: steve@SBPRcorp.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6c8815b7-3c93-4ed4-bbc7-36cd8736639d TORONTO, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NorthWest Copper Corp. (NorthWest or the Company) (TSX-V: NWST) is pleased to announce assay results from the second hole of its 2025 diamond drilling program at Kwanika. The hole (K-25-272), totalling 456 metres of a planned 5,135 metre, 17-hole program, intersected multiple mineralized intervals, highlighted by 16.9 metres grading 1.37% copper equivalent1 (CuEq). This result extends the higher-grade mineralization down dip by 50 metres, confirming continuity and demonstrating potential for further expansion at depth. This hole and our first hole announced on October 6, 2025, which intersected 44 metres grading 3.18% CuEq, both provide additional confidence in the higher-grade target model (Target Model) announced on April 10, 2025. The Target Model is designed to focus exploration efforts on higher-grade zones over thicknesses better suited for a selective top-down conventional bulk underground mining approach. K-25-272 Drill Hole Highlights Include: Open Pit Zone: 28.0 metres of 0.58 % Cu, 0.16 g/t Au (0.73% CuEq) from 50.0 metres Central Zone: 20.3 metres of 0.66 % Cu, 0.48 g/t Au (1.12% CuEq) from 332.3 metres and, 16.9 metres of 0.55 % Cu, 0.88 g/t Au (1.37% CuEq) from 385.3 metres Western Zone: 22.0 metres of 0.41% Cu, 0.72g/t Au (1.07% CuEq) from 442.0 metres Results Summary: Intersected near surface mineralization with attractive grades of 0.73% CuEq over significant thickness of 28 metres, indicating strong potential for low-cost open pit mining; Intersected multiple zones of mineralization across the Central and Western zones consistent with Target Model expectations; and Extended both the Central and Western Zone by 50 metres down dip, expanding the size of the mineralized zones, and confirming that both zones are open for further expansion at depth in the area of the hole. Paul Olmsted, CEO of NorthWest commented: This second hole builds on the excellent results from our first hole, which returned 44 metres grading 3.18% CuEq. Together, these results continue to validate our high-grade Target Model at Kwanika. The combination of strong copper and gold grades and confirmation of down-dip extensions reinforce our vision for a high-quality project with improving economics relative to the 2023 PEA. With continued drilling success, we are well positioned to unlock significant value for shareholders as we advance toward an updated mineral resource and updated PEA. Geoff Chinn, VP Business Development and Exploration of NorthWest added: Our second hole continues to perform exceptionally well against our high-grade Target Model, returning 16.9 metres grading 1.37% CuEq and confirming that the Central and Western Zones have been extended at depth and continue to remain open for further expansion in the area of the hole. These results deepen our understanding of the structural controls on the higher-grade mineralization and strengthen our confidence in the geological model to support future mineral resource updates. Importantly, the hole also highlights the presence of near-surface mineralization with an intersection of 28 metres grading 0.73% CuEq, which is well suited for inclusion in a future open pit mineral resource. Kwanika Deposit Kwanika represents the flagship asset of NorthWest. The primary objective of the current Kwanika diamond drill program is to support an updated mineral resource estimate and guide a revised mine design based on both open pit and an underground bulk mining method. Since the start of 2025, the Company has focused its strategy at Kwanika on defining and advancing higher-grade copper-gold zones consistent with our Target Model, with the potential to significantly enhance project economics beyond those outlined in the 2023 PEA2. The conceptual higher-grade Target Model divides the Kwanika Deposit into three interconnected zones: Pit Zone, Central Zone and Western Zone. These zones typically host two broad mineralized intervals separated by late dykes. Further details of these zones can be seen in the news release dated October 6, 2025. Drill Results Discussion Drill holes from the 2025 diamond drill program are designed to intersect both the east dipping Central Zone and the north dipping Western Zone beneath it, with the goal of validating, infilling, and expanding the understanding of higher-grade mineralization. Much of the historical drilling was completed at low angles to the dip of these mineralized structures, making it challenging to accurately define their geometry and true widths. The current drill program is specifically designed to address these limitations and has met this objective based on initial results. Collar locations and continuous mineralized intercepts are summarized in Table 1 and Table 2 below. Planned hole locations for the planned 2025 program can be reviewed in the news release dated September 2, 2025. Hole K-25-272 was drilled with HQ (63.5 mm) core and analyzed using sawn half core samples. The hole was drilled towards the southwest on a 239 azimuth, dipping -80 to a total depth of 456 metres. It was designed to validate the Target Model in an area poorly tested by previous low angle drilling specifically targeting the interpreted intersection of the Central and Western Zones. Drilling intersected lower grade zones near surface consistent with the Pit Zone returning attractive grades for surface mining, including: 0.58% Cu, 0.16g/t Au, and 1.73 g/t Ag for 0.73 % CuEq over 28.0 metres with an estimated true thickness of 26.3 metres starting at 50.0 m. At greater depth, the hole intersected the area where the Central and Western Zones converge, cutting multiple mineralized intervals, including: 0.66 % Cu, 0.48 g/t Au, and 2.66 g/t Ag for 1.22 % CuEq over 20.3 metres with an estimated true width of 14.4 metres starting at 332.2 metres, consistent with the target model, and 0.55 % Cu, 0.88 g/t Au, and 3.63 g/t Ag for 1.37 % CuEq over 16.9 metres with an unknown true width starting at 385.3 metres, which represents a 50 metre down-dip extension of this zone and remains open for expansion. The hole then intersected the Western Zone, returning: 0.41 % Cu, 0.72 g/t Au, and 2.00 g/t Ag for 1.07% CuEq over 22.0 metre with an estimated true width of 17.6 metres, which represents a 50 metre down-dip extension of this zone and remains open for expansion. According to the conceptual Target Model, the first Central Zone intersection correlates to the Western Zone intercept, while the second Central Zone intercept likely corresponds to a parallel mineralized structure. The drill hole appears to have only partially intersected this parallel zone rather than fully transecting it, so its true with remains unknown. In summary, Hole K-25-272 demonstrates attractive grade and widths of near surface copper-gold mineralization suitable for open pit mining methods. At depth, the hole enhances confidence in the Target Model, confirming the interpreted junction between the Central and Western Zones. It also extends higher-grade mineralization down-dip in both zones and confirms that these zones remain open for further expansion in the area of the hole. Table 1: Drill Results From This News Release3 4 Hole From To Length Zone Cu Au Ag CuEq True Width Description (m) (m) (m) (%) (g/t) (g/t) (%) Est. (m) Target Model Zone Reference K-25-272 50.0 78.0 28.0 Pit 0.58 0.16 1.74 0.73 26.3 Lower-Grade Pit Zone 8 K-25-272 98.0 106.0 8.0 Pit 0.29 0.25 0.85 0.51 7.5 Lower-Grade Pit Zone 8 K-25-272 332.3 352.6 20.3 Central 0.66 0.48 2.66 1.12 14.4 Higher-Grade Gold Zone 4 K-25-272 385.3 402.2 16.9 Central 0.55 0.88 3.63 1.37 Unknown Higher-Grade Gold Zone 6 K-25-272 422.0 444.0 22.0 Western 0.41 0.72 2.00 1.07 17.6 Higher-Grade Gold Zone 2 Table 2: Drill Collar Information5 Hole Collar X Collar Y Collar Z Collar Azimuth Collar Dip Final Length K-25-272 351622 6156243 974 240 -80 456 K-25-269 351472 6156219 985 0 -90 501 Corrected Quality Assurance / Quality Control Drilling at Kwanika in 2025 was designed and supervised by NorthWest, implemented by InData Geoscience with assay QA/QC checks by ExploreGeosolutions. Samples were collected, tracked and an external QA/QC program was implemented using blanks and standards to monitor analytical accuracy and precision. The samples were sealed on site and shipped to Activation Laboratories Ltd. (Actlabs) in Kamloops BC. The laboratorys internal quality control system complies with global certifications for quality ISO 17025. Drill core samples were analyzed using a combination of Actlabs multi-element 1F2 analysis for low level concentrations (4-Acid Digestion, ICP-OES) and the 8-4 Acid ICP-OES analysis for higher level concentrations (4-Acid Digestion, ICP-OES with automatic over limits for base metals and silver). Gold, platinum and palladium assaying was completed with 1C-OES method, using a 30-gram fire assay with ICP finish analysis. In addition, about 5% of the sample pulps are re-assayed at a secondary laboratory to confirm reproducibility and check for bias. Technical aspects of this news release have been reviewed, verified, and approved by Geoff Chinn, P.Geo., VP Business Development and Exploration for NorthWest, who is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Minerals Projects. About NorthWest: NorthWest is a copper-gold exploration and development company with a pipeline of advanced and early-stage projects in British Columbia, including Kwanika-Stardust, Lorraine-Top Cat and East Niv. With a robust portfolio in a tier one jurisdiction, NorthWest is well positioned to participate fully in strengthening global copper and gold markets. We are committed to responsible mineral exploration which involves working collaboratively with First Nations to ensure future development incorporates stewardship best practices and traditional land use. Additional information can be found on the Companys website at www.northwestcopper.ca. On Behalf of NorthWest Paul Olmsted CEO, NorthWest Copper For further information, please contact: 416-457-3333 info@northwestcopper.ca Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussion with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always using phrases such as plans, expects, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates, or believes or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to statements with respect to; plans and intentions of the Company; proposed exploration and development of NorthWests exploration property interests; the Companys ability to finance future operations; mine plans; magnitude or quality of mineral deposits; the development, operational and economic results of current and future potential economic studies; adding the Lorraine resource to the Kwanika-Stardust Project; the Companys goals for 2025; geological interpretations; the estimation of Mineral Resources; anticipated advancement of mineral properties or programs; future exploration prospects; the completion and timing of technical reports; future growth potential of NorthWest; and future development plans. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, constitutes forward-looking information. Although NorthWest believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information and/or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information since NorthWest can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information, including the risks, uncertainties and other factors identified in NorthWests periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. Forward-looking information are subject to business and economic risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results of operations to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from NorthWests expectations include risks associated with the business of NorthWest; risks related to reliance on technical information provided by NorthWest; risks related to exploration and potential development of the Companys mineral properties; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; fluctuations in commodity prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; the need for cooperation of government agencies and First Nation groups in the exploration and development of properties and the issuance of required permits; the need to obtain additional financing to develop properties and uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; the possibility of delay in exploration or development programs and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones; uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and other governmental approvals; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time and additional risks identified in NorthWests filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR+ in Canada (available at www.sedarplus.com). Forward-looking information is based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the information is made. NorthWest does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. 1 CuEq assumes consensus metal prices of $2646/oz gold, $4.34/lbs copper, $29.73/oz silver calculated as follows [Cu+100*((Au/31.1035*Au Price)/(Cu Price*2204.62)+(Ag/31.1035*Ag Price)/(Cu Price*2204.62))] 2 See NI 43-101 technical report titled Kwanika-Stardust Project NI 43-101 Technical Report on Preliminary Economic Assessment dated February 17, 2023, with an effective date of January 4, 2023, filed under the Companys SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.com. 3 Estimated true widths based on collar azimuth and dip and the average dip of the mineralized zone 4 CuEq assumes consensus metal prices of $2646/oz gold, $4.34/lbs copper, $29.73/oz silver calculated as follows [Cu+100*((Au/31.1035*Au Price)/(Cu Price*2204.62)+(Ag/31.1035*Ag Price)/(Cu Price*2204.62))] 5 Collar coordinates reference UTM Zone 10N NAD83. The collar coordinates for hole K-25-269 were corrected from the press release dated Oct. 6, 2025 and the correct collar coordinates has been included in this press release. LIBERTY, Mo., Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ferrellgas, L.P. (the Company) and its wholly-owned subsidiary Ferrellgas Finance Corp. (together with the Company, the Issuers) announced that, subject to market conditions, the Issuers intend to offer $650.0 million aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2031 (the Notes). The Notes will be senior obligations of the Issuers and will be guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by Ferrellgas, Inc., and each existing and future subsidiary of the Company, subject to certain exceptions. The Issuers intend to use the net proceeds received from the offering of the Notes, together with cash on hand, to redeem all of the Issuers 5.375% Senior Notes due 2026 (the 2026 Notes). The redemption of the 2026 Notes is conditioned upon the completion of the proposed offering of Notes and the completion of an amendment to the credit agreement governing the Companys existing revolving credit facility. The Notes have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state laws. The Notes are being offered and sold only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act and to certain non-U.S. persons outside the United States in compliance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, the Notes, the 2026 Notes or any other securities, nor shall there be any offer or sale of the Notes in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale is unlawful. This press release does not constitute a notice of redemption under the indenture governing the 2026 Notes. About Ferrellgas Ferrellgas Partners, L.P., through its operating partnership, Ferrellgas, L.P., and subsidiaries, serves propane customers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Cautionary Notes Regarding Forward Looking Statements Statements included in this release concerning current estimates, expectations, projections about future results, performance, prospects, opportunities, plans, actions and events and other statements, concerns, or matters that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined under federal securities laws. These statements often use words such as anticipate, believe, intend, plan, projection, forecast, strategy, position, continue, estimate, expect, may, will, or the negative of those terms or other variations of them or comparable terminology. A variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause results, performance, and expectations to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, and expectations, including the effect of weather conditions on the demand for propane; the prices of wholesale propane, motor fuel and crude oil; disruptions to the supply of propane; competition from other industry participants and other energy sources; energy efficiency and technology advances; significant delays in the collection of accounts or notes receivable; customer, counterparty, supplier or vendor defaults; changes in demand for, and production of, hydrocarbon products; inherent operating and litigation risks in gathering, transporting, handling and storing propane; costs of complying with, or liabilities imposed under, environmental, health and safety laws; the impact of pending and future legal proceedings; the interruption, disruption, failure or malfunction of our information technology systems including due to cyber-attack; economic and political instability, particularly in areas of the world tied to the energy industry, including the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East; disruptions in the capital and credit markets, related to the evolving global tariff environment or otherwise; and access to available capital to meet our operating and debt-service requirements; and the anticipated completion of a refinancing. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors also include those discussed in the Annual Report on Form 10 K of Ferrellgas Partners, L.P., Ferrellgas, L.P., Ferrellgas Partners Finance Corp., and Ferrellgas Finance Corp. for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2025, and in other documents filed from time to time by these entities with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Given these risks and uncertainties, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made only as of the date hereof. Ferrellgas disclaims any intention or obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law. Austin, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Indoor 5G Market Size was valued at USD 17.64 Billion in 2025E and is expected to reach USD 72.99 Billion by 2033, expanding at a CAGR of 19.47% during 2026-2033. The growing need for fast, low-latency wireless connectivity in business and commercial settings is the main factor propelling the indoor 5G market. In order to support smart offices, industrial automation, and IoT-enabled operations, all of which demand dependable and secure interior coverage, businesses and organizations are quickly implementing private 5G networks. Download PDF Sample of Indoor 5G Market @ https://www.snsinsider.com/sample-request/8569 The U.S. Indoor 5G Market size was USD 4.58 Billion in 2025E and is expected to reach USD 18.46 Billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 19.09% during 2026-2033. Strong indoor 5G growth in the U.S. is driven by a number of factors, including the rapid enterprise adoption of private 5G networks, smart office and industrial automation projects, the high demand for low-latency connection, the extensive integration of IoT, and significant investments in cutting-edge wireless infrastructure. Key Players: Ericsson Huawei Nokia Samsung Electronics ZTE Corporation CommScope Corning Incorporated Comba Telecom Systems AT&T Inc. Airspan Networks SOLiD, Inc. JMA Wireless Fujitsu Limited PCTEL, Inc. Huber+Suhner AG Nextivity, Inc. Proptivity AB LiteOn Technology Corporation Boingo Wireless, Inc. Cisco Systems, Inc. Indoor 5G Market Report Scope: Report Attributes Details Market Size in 2025 USD 17.64 Billion Market Size by 2033 USD 72.99 Billion CAGR CAGR of 19.47% From 2026 to 2033 Base Year 2025 Forecast Period 2026-2033 Historical Data 2022-2024 Report Scope & Coverage Market Size, Segments Analysis, Competitive Landscape, Regional Analysis, DROC & SWOT Analysis, Forecast Outlook Key Segments By Component (Hardware, Services) By Frequency Band (Sub-6 GHz, mmWave, Others) By Building (Residential, Commercial, Industrial) By Deployment Mode (Private 5G networks, Hybrid networks, Carrier-provided indoor solutions, Neutral host networks, Network-as-a-Service (NaaS)) By End Use (Enterprises, Telecom operators, Government, Healthcare providers, Manufacturers, Hospitality and retail, Others) Customization Scope Available upon request Pricing Available upon request If You Need Any Customization on Indoor 5G Market Report, Inquire Now @ https://www.snsinsider.com/enquiry/8569 Segmentation Analysis: By Component, in 2025, Hardware Segment Dominated the Market with a Share of 65.24%, while Services is the Fastest-growing Segment with a CAGR of 18.30% Hardware is the leading segment, due to large scale deployment of small cells, distributed antenna systems (DAS), routers, and other required infrastructure components essential for reliable setup of indoor 5G connectivity. Services, is the fastest-growing segment due to growing demand for managed services, Network-as-a-Service (NaaS), installation, maintenance, and optimization solutions. By Frequency Band, Sub-6 GHz Dominated the Market with 55.26% Share in 2025, while mmWave is the Fastest-growing Segment with a CAGR of 19.86% Sub-6 GHz currently holds the largest share in the Indoor 5G Market due to its greater coverage, wall penetrating power, and low-cost deployment in enterprises, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities. mmWave is the most rapidly expanding market segment, mainly owing to increasing need for ultra-broadband and low latency applications. By Building: In 2025 Commercial Segment Led the Market with a Share of 55.48%, while Industrial Segment is the Fastest-growing Segment with a CAGR of 20.12% Commercial buildings dominate the Indoor 5G Market in the By Building category owing to the swift advancement of private 5G networks within offices, shopping malls, hospitals, and educational campuses. Industrial buildings are the fastest growing part due to Industry, automation and IoT based smart factories. By Deployment Mode, in 2025, Private 5G Networks Dominated the Market with a Share of 40.08%, while Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) is Expected to be the Fastest-growing Segment with a CAGR of 18.87% Private 5G Networks currently dominate the Indoor 5G Market as enterprises, industrial parks, hospitals, and even large commercial buildings are deploying these dedicated networks for seamless secure low latency high-performance connectivity. Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) is the fastest-growing segment due to increasing demand for subscription-based, managed solutions that minimize upfront capital expenditure but provide scalable deployment, ongoing maintenance, and operational flexibility. By End-Use, Enterprises Segment Dominated the Market with a Share of 35.40%, while Manufacturers is the Fastest-growing Segment with a CAGR of 18.54% The Enterprises segment dominated the market, as enterprises across IT, BFSI, healthcare and commercial verticals are acquiring private 5G as a service with the intent for higher connectivity, operational efficiency as well as smart office and IoT enabling applications. The fastest-growing segment is Manufacturers owing to Industry projects, industrial automation and smart factory implementations. Regional Insights: The Indoor 5G Market in North America held the largest share 36.02% in 2025, owing to the region's adoption of advanced wireless technologies, strong telecom infrastructure, and a solid enterprise demand for high speed and low latency connections. In 2025, Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing region in the Indoor 5G Market, projected to expand at a CAGR of 20.74%, driven by rapid industrialization, smart city initiatives, and rising enterprise adoption of advanced wireless technologies. Recent Developments: In April 2025 , Ericsson partnered with Proximus to enhance 4G/5G indoor coverage in Belgium using the Radio Dot System, aiming to meet high data demands in enterprise environments. , Ericsson partnered with Proximus to enhance 4G/5G indoor coverage in Belgium using the Radio Dot System, aiming to meet high data demands in enterprise environments. In July 2025, CommScope Launched ONECELL, an innovative indoor small cell system designed to deliver seamless multi-operator, multi-band LTE and 5G coverage through a streamlined, Wi-Fi-like architecture. Buy Full Research Report on Indoor 5G Market 2026-2033 @ https://www.snsinsider.com/checkout/8569 Exclusive Sections of the Report (The USPs): NETWORK PERFORMANCE & EFFICIENCY METRICS helps you evaluate latency reduction, energy efficiency per node, spectrum efficiency, and network reliability across indoor 5G deployments in commercial and industrial environments. helps you evaluate latency reduction, energy efficiency per node, spectrum efficiency, and network reliability across indoor 5G deployments in commercial and industrial environments. FINANCIAL & INVESTMENT INSIGHTS helps you assess the Capex vs. Opex split, ROI timelines, revenue generation per square meter, and growth in private indoor 5G subscriptions, supporting strategic budgeting and market entry decisions. helps you assess the Capex vs. Opex split, ROI timelines, revenue generation per square meter, and growth in private indoor 5G subscriptions, supporting strategic budgeting and market entry decisions. ENVIRONMENTAL & SUSTAINABILITY METRICS helps you track the carbon emission reduction potential, adoption of green infrastructure, and use of recyclable hardware in indoor 5G installations, highlighting the sectors move toward eco-efficient operations. helps you track the carbon emission reduction potential, adoption of green infrastructure, and use of recyclable hardware in indoor 5G installations, highlighting the sectors move toward eco-efficient operations. IoT & DEVICE INTEGRATION METRICS helps you measure the device density support, IoT traffic growth rate, and penetration of smart/connected devices enabled by indoor 5G, reflecting its role in powering Industry 4.0 and smart environments. helps you measure the device density support, IoT traffic growth rate, and penetration of smart/connected devices enabled by indoor 5G, reflecting its role in powering Industry 4.0 and smart environments. TECHNOLOGY ROI INDEX helps you identify profitability and efficiency hotspots by combining performance, cost, and utilization indicators, enabling investors to benchmark the financial sustainability of indoor 5G rollouts. helps you identify profitability and efficiency hotspots by combining performance, cost, and utilization indicators, enabling investors to benchmark the financial sustainability of indoor 5G rollouts. ENTERPRISE ADOPTION & DEPLOYMENT STRATEGIES helps you understand enterprise-level adoption trends, preferred deployment models (small cells, DAS, private networks), and key growth drivers shaping indoor 5G market expansion. About Us: SNS 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. Nashville, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NASHVILLE, TN - October 15, 2025 - - New Horizon Tree Service, a premier provider of professional arboricultural services in Middle Tennessee, today announced the grand opening of its new flagship location in Nashville. The main office, located at 1108 McKennie Ave Office 107, represents a significant expansion for the growing company and brings enhanced tree care services directly to Nashville's urban core. In just its first months of operation, the new location has already garnered twenty enthusiastic 5-star reviews from satisfied customers throughout the Nashville area. The strategic relocation of the company's main operations to Nashville positions New Horizon to better serve the rapidly growing Nashville metropolitan market while maintaining the personalized attention and expert service quality that has defined the company since its founding. Under the continued leadership of owner Troy Zanko, the flagship Nashville location serves as the company's headquarters and primary service hub, providing comprehensive tree care solutions to residential and commercial clients throughout Davidson County and surrounding communities. "Establishing our flagship location in Nashville has been a dream in the making, and the response from the community has exceeded all our expectations," said Troy Zanko, founder and owner of New Horizon Tree Service. "Making Nashville our main headquarters reflects our commitment to being at the heart of Middle Tennessee's tree care industry. Receiving twenty 5-star reviews so quickly validates our decision to make this move and demonstrates that Nashville residents appreciate the combination of technical expertise, reliability, and customer-focused service our team delivers." The overwhelmingly positive customer feedback highlights New Horizon's commitment to excellence across every aspect of tree care service delivery. Reviews consistently praise the company's professionalism, punctuality, thorough communication, competitive pricing, and meticulous cleanup practices. Customers have specifically noted the team's expertise in handling complex urban tree situations, from precision removals in tight spaces to careful pruning that preserves both tree health and property aesthetics. The flagship Nashville location features a fully equipped headquarters and service center staffed by certified arborists and experienced tree care professionals. The main facility serves as the command center for the company's expanded fleet of specialized equipment, enabling faster response times and more efficient service delivery throughout the greater Nashville area. The office is designed to provide convenient access for customer consultations, estimates, and ongoing communication about tree care needs. Nashville's dynamic urban environment presents unique challenges for professional tree care, from historic neighborhoods with mature specimens to new developments requiring strategic landscaping guidance. New Horizon's expanded presence allows the company to address these diverse needs while contributing to the city's reputation as a green, livable urban center that values its natural canopy. "Trees in urban environments face distinct stressors including soil compaction, limited root space, pollution, and proximity to infrastructure," explained Zanko. "Our Nashville team understands these challenges intimately and brings specialized solutions that preserve tree health while protecting property and ensuring public safety. Every project is approached with a balance of horticultural science and practical experience." The expansion creates additional employment opportunities within Nashville's growing green industry sector. New Horizon has hired local arborists, climbers, ground crew members, and customer service professionals who share the company's commitment to environmental stewardship and exceptional service. The company prioritizes ongoing training and professional development to ensure team members remain current with the latest techniques and safety protocols in modern arboriculture. Services available at the new Nashville location encompass the full spectrum of professional tree care including emergency storm response, hazardous tree removal, precision pruning and trimming, disease diagnosis and treatment, stump grinding, and preventative maintenance programs. The office also offers specialized services such as cabling and bracing for valuable specimen trees, lightning protection systems, and comprehensive tree health assessments utilizing advanced diagnostic tools. The company's customer-first philosophy emphasizes transparent communication, detailed estimates, and flexible scheduling to accommodate clients' busy lives. This approach, combined with technical excellence, has driven the remarkable early success of the Nashville location and established New Horizon as a trusted name among discerning property owners. "Our 5-star reviews tell the story better than we ever could," said Zanko. "They represent real people who trusted us with their properties and were thrilled with the results. That trust is something we never take for granted, and it motivates us to deliver exceptional service on every single project, regardless of size or complexity." Looking ahead, New Horizon plans to continue expanding its service capabilities and exploring opportunities to serve additional communities throughout Middle Tennessee. The company remains committed to sustainable practices, community engagement, and setting new standards for professional tree care excellence. For more information about New Horizon Tree Service and their comprehensive tree care solutions, visit their website or locate their tree service in Nashville TN office. About New Horizon Tree Service New Horizon Tree Service is a full-service arboricultural company serving the greater Nashville metropolitan area from two convenient locations. Founded and owned by Troy Zanko, the company specializes in comprehensive tree care solutions including removal, pruning, emergency services, disease management, and preventative maintenance. With offices in Goodlettsville and Nashville, New Horizon combines technical expertise with environmental stewardship and customer-focused service to deliver exceptional results for residential and commercial clients. Contact Information: New Horizon Tree Service 108 McKennie Ave Office 107, Nashville, TN 37206 615-909-4911 Website: https://nutsabouttrees.com/ ### For more information about New Horizon Tree Service, contact the company here: New Horizon Tree Service Troy Zanko 615-909-4911 newhorizontreeservice@aol.com 1108 McKennie Ave Office 107 Nashville, TN 37206 TORONTO, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- White Gold Corp. (TSX.V: WGO, OTCQX: WHGOF, FRA: 29W) (the Company or White Gold) is pleased to announce it has closed its previously announced brokered private placement consisting of the sale of units (the Units), premium flow-through units (the FT Units) and common shares issued as flow-through shares (the FT Shares, and together with the Units and FT Units, the Offered Securities), for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $23 million, which included the exercise in full of the Agents (as defined below) option (the Offering). The Offering was conducted by Clarus Securities Inc. as sole bookrunner and lead agent (the Lead Agent) and a syndicate of agents including Canaccord Genuity Corp., SCP Resource Finance LP and ATB Securities Inc. (collectively with the Lead Agent, the Agents). Pursuant to an existing investor rights agreement between the Company and Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (TSX: AEM, NYSE: AEM) (Agnico), Agnico exercised its right to participate in the Offering. Insider participation also included PowerOne Capital Corp., David DOnofrio, CEO and Dylan Langille, VP Exploration. We are very grateful for the interest from new and existing shareholders as we continue to advance our flagship White Gold Project which has now grown into a leading large scale high-grade open pittable gold deposit in a tier-one jurisdiction in Canada. This financing provides the resources to execute our largest drill program to date to build on the recent growth, targeting expanding the high-grade core as well as further expanding and/or testing the many other targets in close proximity, as well as ongoing economic evaluation. Exploration activities will also continue to focus on unlocking value across our district scale land package targeting gold and critical mineral opportunities in the underexplored White Gold District, which is seeing resurgent interest along with other areas of the Yukon, stated David DOnofrio, Chief Executive Officer. White Gold owns a portfolio of 15,364 quartz claims across 21 properties covering 305,102 hectares (3,051 square kilometres) representing approximately 40 per cent of Yukon's emerging White Gold district. The company's flagship White Gold project hosts four near-surface gold deposits, which collectively contain an estimated 1,732,300 ounces of gold in indicated resources (35.2 million tonnes grading 1.53 grams per tonne gold) and 1,265,900 ounces of gold in inferred resources (32.2 million tonnes grading 1.22 g/t Au) (see the Company's news release dated October 6, 2025), with significant expansion potential on the resource itself and in the immediately surrounding area. Regional exploration work has also produced several other new discoveries and prospective targets on the company's claim packages, some of which border sizable gold and copper projects, including the Coffee project owned by Newmont Corp., (which Newmont has entered into an agreement to sell to Fuerte Metals Corp.) and Western Copper and Gold Corp.'s Casino project. The Offering consisted of the sale of: (i) 9,411,710 Units at a price of $0.85 per Unit, (ii) 8,547,000 FT Units at a price of $1.17 per FT Unit, and (iii) 5,000,000 FT Shares at a price of $1.00 per FT Share. Each Unit was comprised of one common share in the capital of the Company (Common Share) and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a Warrant). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share at a price of $1.15 for a period of 24 months following the closing date of the Offering. Each FT Unit was comprised of one FT Share and one-half of one Warrant. The Warrants were issued pursuant to a warrant indenture dated October 15, 2025 between the Company and Computershare Trust Company of Canada, as warrant agent. The FT Shares (including the FT Shares underlying the FT Units) were issued as flow-through shares as defined in the subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada). The gross proceeds from the sale of the FT Units and the FT Shares will be used by the Company to incur exploration expenditures on its properties in the White Gold District of the Yukon Territory (the Qualifying Expenditures) prior to December 31, 2026. The Qualifying Expenditures will be renounced to subscribers of FT Units and FT Shares for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025. The gross proceeds from the sale of the Units are expected to be used for working capital and general corporate expenses. As consideration for the Agents services in connection with the Offering, the Agents received a cash commission equal to 6.0% of the gross proceeds from the Offering, excluding gross proceeds from the issuance of Offered Securities sold to Agnico from which no commission on such gross proceeds was paid by the Company to Agents. The Company also issued to the Agents non-transferable compensation options (the Compensation Options) equal to 6.0% of the number of Offered Securities sold under the Offering, excluding the Offered Securities sold to Agnico. Each Compensation Option entitles the holder to acquire one Common Share at a price equal to the following: (i) if the security sold is a Unit, $0.85 per Common Share; (ii) if the security sold is an FT Unit, $1.17 per Common Share; and (iii) if the security sold is an FT Share, $1.00 per Common Share, in each case, until the date that is 24 months following the Closing Date. The Offered Securities and Compensation Options, including any underlying securities, are subject to a statutory hold period of four-months and one day in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. Participation by Agnico, PowerOne Capital Corp., David DOnofrio, CEO and Dylan Langille, VP Exploration (collectively, the Insiders), in the Offering was considered a related party transaction pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61- 101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101). The Company was exempt from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation or minority shareholder approval in connection with the Insiders participation in the Offering in reliance of sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101. A material change report will be filed in connection with the participation of Insiders in the Offering less than 21 days in advance of the closing of the Offering, which the Company deemed reasonable in the circumstances so as to be able to avail itself of potential financing opportunities and complete the Offering in an expeditious manner. About White Gold Corp. The Company owns a portfolio of 15,364 quartz claims across 21 properties covering 305,102 hectares (3,051 km2) representing approximately 40% of the Yukons emerging White Gold District. The Companys flagship White Gold project hosts four near-surface gold deposits which collectively contain an estimated 1,732,300 ounces of gold in Indicated Resources and 1,265,900 ounces of gold in Inferred Resources (see Company news release dated August 21, 2025)(1). Regional exploration work has also produced several other new discoveries and prospective targets on the Company's claim packages, some of which border sizable gold and copper projects, including the Coffee project owned by Newmont Corp. (which Newmont has entered into an agreement to sell to Fuerte Metals Corp.) and Western Copper and Gold Corp.'s Casino project. For more information visit www.whitegoldcorp.ca. (1) See news release of the Company dated October 6, 2025. (*) All numbers are rounded. Overall numbers may not be exact due to rounding. Qualified Person Steven Walsh, P.Geo. and Senior Exploration Geologist for the Company is a qualified person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure of Mineral Projects and has reviewed and approved the content of this news release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", proposed, "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, the proposed use of proceeds from the Offering; the Companys objectives, goals and exploration activities conducted and proposed to be conducted at the Companys properties; future growth potential of the Company, including whether any proposed exploration programs at any of the Companys properties will be successful; exploration results; and future exploration plans and costs and financing availability. These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: the expected benefits to the Company relating to the exploration conducted and proposed to be conducted at the White Gold properties; failure to identify any additional mineral resources or significant mineralization; the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, including to fund any exploration programs on the Companys properties; business integration risks; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar to United States dollar exchange rate); change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining and mineral exploration; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); the unlikelihood that properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines; geological factors; actual results of current and future exploration; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated; soil sampling results being preliminary in nature and are not conclusive evidence of the likelihood of a mineral deposit; title to properties; and those factors described under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's annual managements discussion and analysis for the 12 months ended December 31, 2025 available on SEDAR+. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information, or the material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information, will prove to be accurate. The Company does not undertake to release publicly any revisions for updating any voluntary forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. For Further Information, please contact: David DOnofrio Chief Executive Officer White Gold Corp. (647) 930-1880 ir@whitegoldcorp.ca Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calgary Health Foundation is pleased to announce the opening of a new complex and multidisciplinary kidney care clinic in Calgary. The previous Glomerulonephritis Clinic at the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre was relocated to a larger, newly renovated space at the Richmond Road Diagnostic and Treatment Centre. The move and expansion were made possible thanks to the generosity of Calgary Health Foundation donors who raised $2.1M for the project. The clinic, which officially opened on June 30, 2025, was renamed the Klassen Bellusci Precision Kidney Clinic in recognition of this support. "We couldn't advance Calgary healthcare without the support of our donors. The Klassen Bellusci Precision Kidney Clinic is an ideal example of how collective effort can transform existing healthcare infrastructure, make use of available space and resources, and ultimately improve patient care. Paul Rossmann, President & CEO, Calgary Health Foundation. The new centralized Calgary clinic will offer expanded, multidisciplinary care for patients who have glomerulonephritis, an autoimmune kidney disease. The renovation will allow healthcare specialists to provide leading-edge, effective treatment options for the timely diagnosis, prediction, and prevention of kidney disease. The Klassen Bellusci Precision Kidney Clinic represents an exciting step forward for patient care. This clinic delivers highly specialized care for patients with complex inflammatory kidney diseases. It delivers true team-based care with specialized expert allied health care professionals and other specialists at the Richmond Road Diagnostic and Treatment Centre site. Furthermore, it allows for the vertical integration of basic science research, advanced diagnostics, and clinical trials with the aim of delivering precision or personalized care to the patient. In other words, the right therapy for the right person. Dr. Louis Girard, Medical Director of Glomerulonephritis & the Klassen Bellusci Precision Kidney Clinic, Nephrologist & Clinical Professor of Medicine. Carlo Bellusci, a cherished community donor of Calgary Health Foundation, has played a significant role in the redevelopment of the clinic. His bi-annual fundraising event, The Great Italian Wine Encounter (GIWE), has raised money toward the clinic and the diagnosis and treatment of complex kidney disease through Calgary Health Foundation for the past 23 years. Im humbled to be associated with the clinics redevelopment. To have my name alongside that of Dr. John Klassens, one of its most notable physicians, is special. My hope is that GIWEs enthusiastic support of the clinic over the years will help its team maintain and build on the high standard of care it provides. Likewise, I hope our giving inspires others to do the same. We have more work to do; its a pleasure to serve our community. Carlo Bellusci, President of Vendemmia International Wines and Founder of The Great Italian Wine Encounter. The number of direct visits per year to the current clinic has been consistently in the 500-600 range. With the new clinic and anticipated growth in its patient population in Calgary, it is anticipated that the new clinic space will be able to accommodate approximately 1,800 direct visits every year by 2030." Since the opening of the Klassen Bellusci Precision Clinic, weve seen a marked increase in referrals, particularly for complex cases. Since relocating in June 2025, weve increased our complex case capacity by over 30 patients from across Southern Alberta, which equates to an approximate 15% increase in three short months. This number is expected to rise as we continue to grow our team and optimize our new space. This expansion underscores our ongoing commitment to delivering personalized, high-quality care to every patient. Sumeet Dhaliwal, Nurse Practitioner, Klassen Bellusci Precision Kidney Clinic If you would like to donate toward healthcare redevelopment projects like the Klassen Bellusci Precision Kidney Clinic, contact Calgary Health Foundation at philanthropy@calgaryhealthfoundation.ca or visit givehealth.ca/donate. -30- What is glomerulonephritis? Glomerulonephritis (GN) is an autoimmune kidney disease. When the kidneys tiny filters, the glomeruli, are damaged by becoming inflamed and scarred, the kidneys slowly lose their ability to remove waste and excess fluid from the blood and make urine. Infections and immune system disorders are two causes of glomerulonephritis. Some people with the disease dont show symptoms. Glomerulonephritis can be mild and go away without treatment. At other times, it can lead kidney failure and other serious complications. GN afflicts about one in four patients with end-stage renal disease (approximately 48,000 Canadians). While there is no cure, the disease can be put into remission using immunosuppressants, a class of drugs that reduce the strength of the bodys immune system in order to protect the kidneys and organs. About Calgary Health Foundation Calgary Health Foundation is a community-based charity raising funds to advance healthcare across our city. We find opportunities to invest in excellence across the entire healthcare system and offer more firsts for care providers and patients, all to enhance outcomes and improve lives. calgaryhealthfoundation.ca Follow Calgary Health Foundation on social: X: @yyc_health, IG: @calgaryhealthfoundation, and Facebook and LinkedIn: Calgary Health Foundation For more information, contact: Kim McNeil, Senior Communications Advisor Calgary Health Foundation Ph. 368-997-1131 or kimberley.mcneil@calgaryhealthfoundation.ca Attachments SAN DIEGO, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Citizens Bank of West Virginia today announced its adoption of Point Predictive's AutoPass GLBA and DealerCheck solutions to improve fraud prevention across its indirect auto lending portfolio. The partnership enables the bank to tackle synthetic identity fraud, income misrepresentation, and dealer risk while maintaining a seamless lending experience for legitimate borrowers. The West Virginia-based financial institution selected Point Predictive's solutions after recognizing the need for more sophisticated fraud detection in its indirect lending operations. With auto lending fraud hitting $9.2 billion nationwide in 2024, according to Point Predictive's latest fraud report, Citizens Bank looked for technology that could safeguard its portfolio without causing unnecessary friction for customers. AutoPass provides the bank with real-time scoring and up to 150 alerts that identify potential fraud in various areas, such as identity theft, income misrepresentation, employment fraud, and straw purchases. The solutions enable Citizens Bank to automate decisions on up to 80% of approved loans while decreasing proof of income requests that often frustrate legitimate borrowers and slow down the lending process. "Citizens Bank of West Virginia understands that protecting its portfolio requires both strong fraud prevention and excellent customer experience," said Tim Grace, CEO of Point Predictive. "By implementing AutoPass and DealerCheck, they're positioning themselves to safely grow their indirect lending business while providing faster decisions for their customers and dealer partners." The bank's adoption of DealerCheck adds another layer of protection by monitoring dealer relationships and identifying patterns that could suggest higher risk. The solution tracks dealer performance metrics, powerbooking activity, and employer and patterns of repeated misrepresentation of employment or income information that often lead to loan defaults or increased buyback demands. "Our commitment to responsible lending means investing in technology that protects both our institution and our customers," said Nathaniel Bonnell, CEO of Citizens Bank of West Virginia. "Point Predictive's solutions give us confidence to fund more loans quickly and easily for customers, while helping us avoid fraud and early payment defaults in our indirect channel. For more information, contact info@pointpredictive.com About Citizens Bank of West Virginia Citizens Bank of West Virginia, with $695 million in assets, provides integrated financial services including retail and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage services. The bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Citizens Financial Corp. (OTCID: CIWV). More information is available online at www.citizenswv.com. About Point Predictive Point Predictive powers a new level of lending confidence and speed through artificial intelligence, powerful data insight from its proprietary data repository, and decades of risk management expertise. The company's data and technology solutions quickly and accurately identify truthful and untruthful disclosures on loan applications. As a result, lenders can fund the majority of loans without requiring onerous documentation, such as pay stubs, utility bills, or bank statements, improving funding rates while reducing early payment default losses. Subsequently, borrowers get loans faster, and lenders realize a more profitable bottom line. More information is available at www.pointpredictive.com. Media Contact Jill Robb JROBB@PointPredictive.com MIAMI, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- frontline.io, a leader in XR solutions for training and operational support, introduces a groundbreaking tool to help businesses seamlessly transition existing content from Microsoft Dynamics 365 Guides to frontline.io flows. The new tool allows development teams to instantly convert hundreds of training materials, workflows and operational checklists without manual rework, ensuring an intuitive and efficient migration process in minutes. As Microsoft phases out HoloLens and depreciates Dynamics 365 Guides, many businesses risk losing years of training content and workflows. frontline.ios new migration tool provides a seamless path forward, safeguarding past investments while enabling organizations to future-proof their XR strategies. "Enterprises that invested heavily in HoloLens and Dynamics 365 Guides now face the risk of obsolescence," said Itzhak Pichadze, CEO of frontline.io. "With our new conversion tool, organizations can safeguard their investments by transitioning existing procedures and training content in a matter of minutes, ensuring nothing is lost and business continuity is maintained. The frontline.io conversion tool salvages all the work businesses have already put into Dynamics 365 Guides and translates it to frontline.io flows with zero manual intervention required. Because of frontline.ios device-agnostic approach, all content remains deployable and ready for use within the frontline.io platform, no longer limited to HoloLens 2 alone. Migrated Guides can now be viewed across all platforms and realities, including AR, VR, MR, PCs, tablets and mobile devices. Embedded real-time analytics and continuous improvement features further allow businesses to optimize processes and track usage data. Our platforms flexibility is one of its greatest strengths, said frontline.io COO Gilad Tzori. "frontline.io frees enterprises from vendor lock-in, so they can deploy content across multiple devices like the HMS SINGRAY G2, Quest 3, DigiLens and more, ensuring long-term adaptability as they scale." The launch of frontline.ios conversion tool follows the companys strategic partnership with HMS and the launch of the SiNGRAY G2 headset, which offers a powerful, enterprise-ready XR solution. With the ability to handle digital twins with over 200,000 parts and convert CAD files into interactive workflows in under 10 minutes, frontline.io enables enterprises to accelerate deployment and scale XR operations with ease. Enterprises can contact frontline.io today for migration support or to schedule a demo, click here. About frontline.io frontline.io is an enterprise XR platform for training and remote support. The AI-powered solution is transforming how industrial teams train, support, and maintain complex machinery. By combining AR, VR, and MR with Digital Twin technology, frontline.io simplifies knowledge transfer and boosts efficiency across the equipment lifecycle. Trusted by global manufacturers, the platform delivers immersive, no-code workflows through a unified cross-platform, cross-reality and cross-use-case system supporting devices from smartphones and PC to AR and VR headsets. Media Contact Micalyn Moodley micalyn.moodley@moburst.com Uproar by Moburst for frontline.io Press release Paris, 15 October 2025 Bouygues Telecom, Free-iliad Group and Orange joint statement following the rejection of their acquisition bid by Altice France Bouygues Telecom, Free-iliad Group and Orange have taken note of the Altice group's decision to reject their joint non-binding offer submitted on the evening of 14 October to acquire a large part of Altice France's telecoms activities. The three operators remain convinced of the relevance of their bid and of the value of the project they are pursuing for the market and all its stakeholders, customers, employees, creditors and shareholders. Indeed, such a project would both preserve a competitive ecosystem to the benefit of consumers and support continued investment in national telecom infrastructure. Bouygues Telecom, Free-iliad Group and Orange will therefore maintain their offer and wish to engage in constructive dialogue with the Altice group and its shareholders in order to assess how this project could progress going forward. About Orange Orange is one of the leading telecommunications operators worldwide, with a revenue of 40.3 billion in 2024 and 124,600 employees as of June 30, 2025, including 68,700 in France. The Group served 300 million customers as of June 30, 2025, including 262 million mobile customers and 22 million fixed broadband customers. These figures account for the deconsolidation of certain activities in Spain related to the creation of the joint venture MASORANGE. The Group operates in 26 countries (including non-consolidated countries). Orange is also a global leader in telecommunications services for multinational enterprises under the Orange Business brand. Orange is listed on Euronext Paris (symbol ORA). For more information (web and mobile): www.orange.com, www.orange-business.com and the Orange News app or to follow us on X: @presseorange. Orange and all other products or services mentioned are trademarks owned by Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited. Press contacts Eric Fohlen-Weill, Orange - eric.fohlen-weill@orange.com - +33 (0)6 81 07 81 02 Tom Wright, Orange - tom.wright@orange.com - +33 (0)6 78 91 35 11 About the Free-iliad Group Created in the early 1990s, the iliad Group is the inventor of the worlds first triple-play box and is now a major European telecoms player, standing out for its innovative, straightforward and attractive offerings. The Group is the parent of Free in France, iliad in Italy and Play in Poland, has over 18,000 employees serving 51 million subscribers, and generated 10.0 billion in revenues in 2024. In France, the Group is an integrated Fixed and Mobile Ultra-Fast Broadband operator and had 23.1 million subscribers at end-June 2025. In Italy, where it launched its business in 2018 under the iliad brand, it is the countrys fourth-largest mobile operator and at end-June 2025 had over 12.5 million subscribers. In Poland, the Group is an integrated convergent operator, and at end-June 2025 had 15.5 million subscribers. In 2024, the iliad Group became Europes fifth-largest operator by number of retail Mobile subscribers (excluding M2M) and remained the fifth-largest Fixed Broadband operator. Press contact Isabelle Audap, Free-iliad Group - presse@iliad.fr - +33 (0)6 33 47 09 57 About Bouygues Telecom Bouygues Telecom, a subsidiary of the Bouygues group, is a French all-round operator of digital communications France. Founded in 1994, Bouygues Telecom is committed to providing its B2B, B2C and public administration customers with high-quality, innovative and secure fixed and mobile communications as well as superfast internet by constantly improving its network and user experience. 27.1 million mobile customers and 5.3 million fixed customers put their trust in Bouygues Telecom, the leading operator for WiFi and fixed internet connections, according to nperf in 2024 and ranked No. 2 for mobile according to Arcep in 2023. Its 4G network now covers 99% of the French population, and its 5G network over 18,000 municipalities and over 84% of the French population. Bouygues Telecom Entreprises supports nearly 100,000 customers, of which 70% of the CAC 40, in adopting new collaborative uses, migrating to the cloud and transforming their digital infrastructure. Bouygues Telecom aims to reduce its scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 29.4% and its scope 3 emissions by 17.5% by 2027, which are targets that have been endorsed by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). #WeAreMadeToBeTogether To follow Bouygues Telecom news: www.corporate.bouyguestelecom.fr, on X: @ByTel_Corporate Press contacts: Maylis Carcabal: mca@bouygues.com - +33 (0)6 63 59 87 05 Anthony Colombani: ANCOLOMB@bouyguestelecom.fr - +33 (0)7 62 46 26 65 Stephanie Brun : sbrun@bouyguestelecom.fr - +33 (0)6 47 47 15 76 Attachment Boston, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Boston, Massachusetts - October 15, 2025 - - As more North American companies modernize their business systems, many are turning to Odoo ERP to replace outdated or fragmented software. To meet this growing need, Cudio, a leading Odoo implementation partner, is expanding its specialized Odoo Migration Services to help organizations transition from legacy systems to a unified, data-driven ERP environment with minimal disruption. Odoo's flexible, open-source architecture continues to attract companies seeking cost-effective, scalable alternatives to traditional ERP solutions. From manufacturing and logistics to retail and finance, businesses are moving away from rigid legacy platforms toward Odoo's modular design, which enables them to connect operations across departments and respond more quickly to market changes. "ERP modernization has become a priority for organizations that need real-time visibility and automation across their business," said Gordon Cummins, CEO of Cudio. "Our clients want the benefits of digital transformation without the risk or downtime often associated with major system changes. That's where our Odoo Migration Services come in - helping them make a smooth, secure, and strategic transition." With more than 30 years of combined experience in IT, finance, and leadership, the Cudio team brings both technical depth and real-world business insight to every project. The company's founders gained firsthand experience implementing Odoo within their own omnichannel business, which gives them a practical understanding of how to design migrations that work not just in theory but in day-to-day operations. Cudio's migration framework follows a structured process that includes discovery, data mapping, sandbox validation, go-live deployment, and ongoing post-migration support. Each phase is designed to ensure accuracy, security, and system stability. The firm's approach also emphasizes keeping systems as simple and standard as possible, introducing customization only when absolutely necessary to minimize technical debt. Odoo's native configurability allows Cudio to deliver powerful results while maintaining system clarity and long-term scalability. The company's growing client base spans industries such as manufacturing, logistics, retail, and finance - sectors where ERP efficiency directly impacts profitability. One recent client, a logistics provider with multi-site operations, partnered with Cudio to consolidate several outdated platforms into a single Odoo system. The result was improved visibility into inventory and financial data, faster reporting, and a 25-percent reduction in manual processes. Cudio also helps clients integrate Odoo with third-party platforms through partnerships with Rithum, Crossfire, and Avalara, enabling seamless connections across e-commerce, supply chain, and tax compliance systems. For organizations struggling with partial or failed ERP projects, Cudio offers rescue and repair services to stabilize existing implementations and restore business confidence. "As digital transformation continues to shape every industry, we see migration as a strategic investment, not just a technical project," Cummins added. "Businesses that modernize with the right guidance can realize new efficiencies, unlock better insights, and future-proof their operations." With its proven track record and client-first approach, Cudio is helping North American organizations bridge the gap between outdated ERP systems and the fully integrated future of Odoo. About Cudio Cudio is a North America-based ERP consulting firm specializing in Odoo implementation, migration, integration, and ongoing support. With over 30 years of combined experience in IT, finance, and leadership, Cudio helps organizations simplify complex systems, reduce costs, and achieve sustainable growth through tailored ERP strategies. ### For more information about Cudio, contact the company here: Cudio Gordon Cummins +1 (800) 604-9202 hi@cudio.com Beijing, China, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Times: Achievements in China-South Korea exchange and mutual learning released by GT in Seoul At the 2025 China-South Korea Media Cooperation Forum kicked off in Seoul on Monday, the Global Times released a short video titled "Achievements in China-South Korea Exchange and Mutual Learning," highlighting the fruitful results of bilateral media cooperation and the ongoing deepening of people-to-people ties. The video documented a series of activities under the forum's framework, showcasing the dynamic cultural exchanges between the two nations. As part of the forum's sideline events, the Global Times together with South Korea's Maeil Business Newspaper, conducted joint interviews and surveys on the most dynamic areas of bilateral exchange, illustrating through a media perspective the evolving landscapes of collaboration between Chinese and South Korean enterprises in sectors such as robotics, fashion, and tourism. In a further effort to foster mutual understanding, the Global Times organized a "China-South Korea Online Influencers Exchange" from September 15 to 19, inviting South Korean social media personalities Sebin and Kelly to visit China. The influencers toured cities including Taiyuan and Fenyang in North China's Shanxi Province, Yulin in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, and Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, immersing themselves in China's cultural richness and modern development achievements. Throughout their journey, they shared real-time experiences on global social media platforms, attracting widespread attention and positive feedback from netizens. The growing engagement coincides with the ongoing China-Japan-South Korea Cultural Exchange Year for 2025-2026 and China, South Korea implementing visa facilitation policies, which have spurred a notable surge in two-way tourism. People of both countries expressed expectations to further strengthen friendly exchanges, advancing as good neighbors and partners to share development opportunities and create a promising future together. Source: Global Times: Company: Global Times Contact Person: Anna Li Email: editor@globaltimes.com.cn Website: https://globaltimes.cn City: Beijing Disclaimer: This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies (including product offerings, regulatory plans and business plans) and may change without notice. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Chicago, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global oil and gas accumulator market was valued at US$ 605.8 million in 2024 and is expected to reach US$ 923.9 million by 2033. This advancement is underpinned by a steady CAGR of 4.8% during the 20252033 forecast period. The global oil and gas accumulator market is entering a period of significant expansion. A primary driver is the extraordinary pipeline of new projects. For 2025, the industry anticipates final investment decisions on 53 distinct greenfield and brownfield projects. Such a surge in activity creates a direct and substantial need for critical hydraulic components. Accumulators, essential for safety and efficiency, are at the forefront of procurement lists for these massive undertakings. Request Sample Pages: https://www.astuteanalytica.com/request-sample/oil-gas-accumulator-market The wave of new developments translates into specific, quantifiable demands for equipment. The market will need to supply over 290 subsea tree units and support the construction of 18 floating production units. Furthermore, the installation of more than 90 fixed platforms is also planned. The sheer scale of these requirements underscores the critical role of a robust and responsive supply chain within the oil and gas accumulators market, poised to meet the needs of a revitalized exploration and production sector. Key Findings in Oil and Gas Accumulators Market Market Forecast (2033) US$ 923.9 million CAGR 4.8% Largest Region (2024) North America (Largest) By Type Bladder (Dominant) By Application Blowout Preventer (54%) Top Drivers Intensifying deepwater exploration demanding more advanced hydraulic energy systems. Digitalization of oilfields enhances monitoring and operational accumulator efficiency. Focus on operational uptime necessitates highly reliable energy storage components. Top Trends Integration of smart IoT sensors for real-time performance monitoring. Development of advanced, corrosion-resistant materials for extreme operating environments. Shift towards specialized designs like depth-compensated accumulator technology. Top Challenges Significant performance degradation of conventional accumulators at extreme ocean depths. Increased operational complexity of sophisticated subsea hydraulic control systems. Ensuring hydraulic fluid cleanliness to prevent premature component failure offshore. Massive Upstream Production Increases Create A Vital Need For Accumulators Concurrent with new project sanctions, existing upstream operations are hitting record production levels, further stimulating the oil and gas accumulators market. In 2024, global oil production is set for an impressive increase of about 1.7 million barrels per day. In a landmark achievement, the United States saw its domestic crude oil output reach an all-time high of 13,247,000 barrels per day. Higher production volumes necessitate more reliable and powerful hydraulic systems to manage pressure and ensure operational safety. These production increases are backed by immense financial commitment. Capital expenditure in the global offshore sector reached an approximate US$ 208 billion, signaling strong confidence in long-term production goals. Ambitious targets, such as Exxon Mobils plan to triple its Permian Basin production by 2025, create a sustained demand for high-performance accumulators capable of handling the rigors of intensified operations. An expanding production base directly correlates with a growing need for these critical components. Strategic Regional Developments Open Lucrative Avenues For Market Players in Oil and Gas Accumulators Market Geographic expansion and major regional projects are creating focused growth opportunities within the market. Africa is a key hotspot, with Eni's US$ 7 billion Coral Norte FLNG project in Mozambique moving toward a final investment decision. The underlying resource base is massive, with the Coral field estimated to hold over 11 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas. Likewise, developments like UTM Offshore's Yoho FLNG unit in Nigeria highlight the continent's growing importance. Beyond Africa, the global landscape is dotted with significant projects. In Asia, Petronas' Kelidang cluster offshore Brunei is a notable development. In the Americas, Petrobras is sanctioning a major replacement FPSO in Brazil, while Canada is seeing the advancement of the Ksi Lisims LNG project. These large-scale, capital-intensive projects represent prime opportunities for accumulator manufacturers to secure high-value contracts and establish strong regional footprints. Digital Transformation And Onshore Safety Mandates Reshape Market Dynamics The operational landscape of the oil and gas accumulators market is being reshaped by two powerful forces: digitalization and stringent safety regulations. The ongoing digital transformation is expected to unlock up to US$ 2.6 trillion in value for the industry by 2025, with hydraulic system optimization being a key focus area. Smart accumulators with integrated digital monitoring are becoming essential for predictive maintenance and enhanced operational efficiency. A trend is creating a new product category within the oil and gas accumulators market. Onshore applications, particularly for blowout preventers (BOPs), remain a dominant segment for accumulators. The comparatively lower investment cost of onshore activities continues to attract capital, driving steady demand. Safety mandates requiring reliable emergency power for BOPs ensure that accumulators are a non-negotiable component of any drilling operation. The convergence of technological advancement and regulatory necessity is a powerful growth catalyst. Fierce Competition And Innovation Characterize The Bladder Accumulator Segment Within the broader oil and gas accumulators market, the bladder accumulator segment is a focal point of intense competition and innovation. Recognized for its dominant market share, the segment is led by established industry giants such as Eaton, Parker-Hannifin, and Hydac. These companies leverage extensive product portfolios, offering bladder accumulators in a vast array of sizes and capacities to meet the specific demands of diverse applications, from control systems to high-pressure well control. The preference for bladder accumulators stems from their superior performance in efficiently separating gas and hydraulic fluid, a critical function for energy storage in BOPs. The segment is not static; innovation is ongoing, with developments like smart bladder accumulators that enable remote monitoring and management of well control systems. Strategic moves, such as Parker Hannifin's 2025 relocation of its bladder accumulator assembly operations, signal a dynamic and evolving competitive environment. Robust Financial Metrics of Key Players Signal A Healthy Outlook of Oil and Gas Accumulators Market The financial health of leading manufacturers provides a strong indicator of the overall vitality of the market. In 2024, Eaton Corporation reported record-breaking full-year sales of US$ 24.9 and a record earnings per share of US$ 9.50. The companys robust operating cash flow of US$ 4.3 billion and free cash flow of US$ 3.5 billion further demonstrate exceptional performance and financial stability. Other major players in the oil and gas accumulators market also show strong operational scale. Bosch Rexroth, with locations in over 80 countries, generated 6.5 billion euros in sales revenue in 2024. The company's significant workforce of around 32,600 associates highlights its extensive global reach. The impressive financial results and expansive operational footprints of these market leaders reflect a healthy and growing industry, capable of significant investment in research, development, and global expansion. Strategic Corporate Maneuvers are Actively Reshaping the Competitive Landscape The competitive field of the oil and gas accumulators market is being actively shaped by a series of strategic corporate actions. In 2024, HYDAC Technology bolstered its position in the Middle East by securing a major contract for an oil extraction project in Saudi Arabia. Similarly, Nippon Accumulator expanded its reach in Asia through a strategic partnership with a Chinese renewable energy firm. These moves highlight a trend of players strengthening their presence in key growth regions. Consolidation and portfolio adjustments are also prevalent. Energy Steel's acquisition of the manufacturing rights for the Parker Greer accumulator line ensures continuity for customers in the nuclear power sector. Meanwhile, companies like Parker Hannifin are actively managing their product lines and pricing, issuing new distributor price lists for 2025 and announcing product lead time decreases to improve service. These strategic decisions are critical for maintaining a competitive edge in a dynamic global marketplace. Technological Advancement Is Creating Next-Generation Accumulator Solutions Innovation is a cornerstone of the modern oil and gas accumulators market. In early 2024, Bosch Rexroth launched a new series of digital hydraulic accumulators that integrate Internet of Things (IoT) technology, enabling real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance. A broader trend involves the integration of digital monitoring systems across accumulator products, a feature that significantly enhances operational uptime and safety. Product evolution also extends to materials and design. Manufacturers are focusing on developing accumulators from high-performance, lightweight materials to lower transportation and installation costs without compromising durability. At the same time, companies are strategically refining their offerings; for instance, Parker Hannifin announced the discontinuation of certain piston accumulator models with metric mounting holes in June 2024, streamlining its portfolio to focus on higher-demand products. Need a Customized Version? Request It Now: https://www.astuteanalytica.com/ask-for-customization/oil-gas-accumulator-market Emerging Geographic Markets Present Significant Untapped Growth Potential While established regions remain crucial, the future growth of the oil and gas accumulators market will be significantly influenced by emerging opportunities in new territories. The discovery of a massive new oil field in Iran, estimated to hold 50 billion barrels, represents a monumental long-term opportunity. In Africa, nations like Mozambique and Tanzania are highlighted as offering substantial untapped potential for exploration and production activities. In Asia, South Korea is rising as an important vendor, leveraging its advanced technological capabilities to compete on a global scale. Even mature markets are presenting new angles for growth. The push for renewable energy in Japan, especially in offshore wind, is creating novel applications for accumulator technology in pitch control and braking systems. These diverse regional drivers ensure a multi-faceted and promising future for the global oil and gas accumulator market. Oil and Gas Accumulator Market Major Players: Accumulator Inc. Airmo Inc. Bosch Rexroth AG (Robert Bosch GmbH) Eaton Corporation PLC Freudenberg & Co. KG HAWE Hydraulik SE Hydac Verwaltung GmbH Hydroll Nippon Accumulator Co. Ltd. NOK Corporation Parker-Hannifin Corporation Rotec Hydraulics Ltd. Roth Industries LLC (Roth Industries GmbH & Co. KG) Other Prominent Players Key Market Segmentation: By Type Diaphragm Piston Bladder By Application Onshore Offshore Blow-out Preventer By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa (MEA) South America Need a Detailed Walkthrough of the Report? Request a Live Session: https://www.astuteanalytica.com/report-walkthrough/oil-gas-accumulator-market About Astute Analytica Astute Analytica is a global market research and advisory firm providing data-driven insights across industries such as technology, healthcare, chemicals, semiconductors, FMCG, and more. We publish multiple reports daily, equipping businesses with the intelligence they need to navigate market trends, emerging opportunities, competitive landscapes, and technological advancements. With a team of experienced business analysts, economists, and industry experts, we deliver accurate, in-depth, and actionable research tailored to meet the strategic needs of our clients. At Astute Analytica, our clients come first, and we are committed to delivering cost-effective, high-value research solutions that drive success in an evolving marketplace. Contact Us: Astute Analytica Phone: +1-888 429 6757 (US Toll Free); +91-0120- 4483891 (Rest of the World) For Sales Enquiries: sales@astuteanalytica.com Website: https://www.astuteanalytica.com/ Follow us on: LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube CHICAGO, IL, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nautilus Solar Energy (Nautilus), one of the largest community solar businesses in the U.S., held the ribbon-cutting for its 7 megawatt (MW) community solar project in Hampshire, IL on October 14th. Known as the Highway 20 Community Solar Farm, this facility will provide affordable, clean energy to ~600 low-income subscribers, as well as to the Glenview Park District and CSL Behring. This new community solar site created local jobs in the Hampshire area across construction, engineering, and electrical work, and is comprised of over 12,000 solar panels installed across 26 acres of land. Nautilus officially opened the facility today, which will generate an estimated 10.7 million kilowatt-hours (kWhs) annually and help avoid over 9,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Nautilus recently relocated our headquarters to Chicago, and the opening of the Highway 20 Community Solar Farm is another example of our commitment to Illinois and helping to meet the states clean energy goals, said Jeffrey Cheng, Chief Executive Officer, Nautilus. In fact, Illinois is poised to become Nautiluss fastest growing market, with this project marking the early beginnings of our 200+ MW multi-year investment across the state. Illinois, and the mid-west in general, is in the strategic path for Nautiluss community solar business expansion, said Bruce Heyman, Chief Executive Officer, Power Sustainable and former Ambassador to Canada. Power Sustainable provides the equity capital for Nautiluss projects. Overall, were pleased that Nautilus has steadily grown to over 500 MW of operational capacity across 153 projects in 12 states, serving more than 45,000 community solar subscribers. We are proud to support Nautilus and its continued growth. Over the next year, Nautilus expects to add over 100 MW of additional capacity in Illinois with development continuing on additional projects well into 2027 and beyond. These investments will lower energy costs for thousands of Illinois subscribers while supporting the states renewable energy goals, stimulating local economies, and strengthening overall grid resilience. About Nautilus Founded in 2006, Nautilus has become one of the largest community solar businesses in the U.S. and a contributor to Americas clean energy transition. Delivering affordable, clean energy solutions to residential and commercial customers, Nautilus currently operates and manages 146 community solar farms across 12 states and serves over 45,000 subscribers. It takes a unique, full-service approach to its community solar businesshandling project financing, development, construction, maintenance, and customer management for the entire lifespan of every project. Nautilus is backed by Power Sustainable, a multi-platform alternative asset manager and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Power Corporation of Canada. For more information, visit nautilussolar.com. Join Nautilus on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. About Power Sustainable Power Sustainable is an alternative asset manager which invests in companies and projects that aim for competitive returns while also considering sustainability outcomes. The firm offers institutional investors exposure to alternative assets which aim to accelerate and scale sustainable solutions across multiple industries. Power Sustainable is a subsidiary of Power Corporation of Canada (TSX: POW) (TSX: POW.PR.E), an international management and holding company that focuses on financial services in North America, Europe, and Asia. With CAD $4.2 billion in assets under management (as of December 31, 2024), Power Sustainables mission is to catalyze capital towards clean global solutions. Learn more on Power Sustainables LinkedIn and Website. Attachment Los Angeles, California, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- McComb Orthodontics today announced the release of a free, bilingual Los Angeles Parent Tooth Decay Prevention Guide timed to the expansion of the Los Angeles Unified School Districts oral health services across Los Angeles County. The resource distills evidence-based steps families can take at home and explains what LAUSD screenings do and do not cover, with clear referral pathways for follow-up care. The effort aligns with district and community partners increasing on-campus screenings and referrals for children, including programs from the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Oral Health Program. Tooth decay remains the most prevalent yet preventable childhood health condition in California and continues to cost students instructional time. State reporting has linked dental disease to an estimated 874,000 missed school days each year and significant losses in attendance-based school funding, underscoring the need for prevention and timely treatment. For context on prevalence and trends, see the California Office of Oral Healths Data and Statistics page (https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Progra...) and statewide assessments, including the Third Grade Smile Survey (https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Progra...). School screenings are a powerful first touch, especially for families who face barriers to regular dental visits, said Ryan McComb, DMD, MS, a Harvard-trained, Los Angeles-based orthodontist and founder of McComb Orthodontics. Parents still ask, What happens after the screening form comes home? Our guide makes the next steps simple including how to interpret results, when to seek a dentist, when an orthodontic evaluation helps, and how to make preventive habits stick. Los Angeles Unified and local health partners have intensified school-based screenings over the past two academic years, adding wellness-center capacity and community events that include oral-health evaluations. District resources outline prevention, parent education and referral, while community partners have reported expanded reach to students and families. See LAUSDs program information (https://achieve.lausd.net/oral...), student dental services overview (https://achieve.lausd.net/Page...) and The L.A. Trusts Oral Health Initiative updates (https://thelatrust.org/oral-he...) for details. Dr. McComb emphasized that orthodontists play a complementary role to pediatric and general dentists. We are not replacing a childs dentist, he said. Our lane is evaluating bite, jaw growth, airway considerations and habits that can affect oral health long term. When we collaborate early with families and schools, we can identify and intercept potential issues before they become problems. Los Angeles Parent Tooth Decay Prevention Guide The guide focuses on three practical areas for families. It begins with prevention at home, outlining best practices for daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste, regular flossing and choosing tooth-friendly snacks. It then explains what school-based services such as screenings and sealants can and cannot do, emphasizing that these programs support but do not replace a visit to the dentist. Finally, it walks parents through next-step navigation: how to use screening forms, complete Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment paperwork, follow up on referrals, recognize symptoms that require prompt attention and locate low- or no-cost care options through resources from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Given the countys socioeconomic diversity, prevalence varies by neighborhood. Tooth-decay levels have improved in some regions, but statewide assessments continue to show a high lifetime experience of decay among young children. According to the 20182019 California Third Grade Smile Survey, 64.7 percent of Los Angeles County third graders had experienced tooth decay, 20.7 percent had untreated cavities and 30.5 percent had dental sealants. The new Los Angeles Parent Tooth Decay Prevention Guide summarizes these findings in plain language and lists existing Los Angeles public-health resources available to parents, including the California Third Grade Smile Survey, which shows that by third grade, 61 percent of children statewide have experienced tooth decay and 22 percent have untreated decay. The guide also references the California Department of Public Healths Data and Statistics page, which reports Los Angeles Countys 64.7 percent prevalence of tooth decay, 20.7 percent with untreated decay and 30.5 percent with dental sealants. Parents are busy, and forms can be confusing, Ryan McComb, DMD, MS, said. Our goal is to reduce friction. This is one page you can stick on the fridge, in English and Spanish, that turns a school screening into an action plan. The Back-to-School Tooth Decay Prevention Guide is available at no cost on the practice website and will be shared with local PTAs and community organizations. McComb Orthodontics is also offering pro bono school talks this fall for parent groups covering prevention basics, how sealants work and when to seek an orthodontic opinion. About McComb Orthodontics McComb Orthodontics (https://mccomborthodontics.com) is a specialty orthodontic practice with clinics in West Hollywood and Culver City, serving families across the Westside and central Los Angeles. The West Hollywood clinic is near Beverly Hills, Trousdale, Beverly Grove, Melrose, the Fairfax District and the Sunset Strip, while the Culver City clinic serves the Culver Arts District, Palms, Mar Vista, Playa Vista and Baldwin Hills. Led by Harvard-trained orthodontist Ryan McComb, DMD, MS, the practice provides comprehensive care, including growth- and airway-aware evaluations, braces, Invisalign and clear aligners for children, teens and adults. Download the guide at https://mccomborthodontics.com/blog/los-angeles-parent-tooth-decay-prevention-guide/ Media Contact Alexandre Cerf press@mccomborthodontics.com (310) 299-8895 COMPLETION OF SOCIETE GENERALES EUR 1 BILLION SHARE BUY-BACK PROGRAMME FOR CANCELLATION PURPOSE Regulated Information Paris, 15 October 2025 (In accordance with article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 on Market Abuse Regulation and article 3(3) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 through regulatory technical standards concerning the conditions applicable to buy-back programmes and stabilisation measures) Societe Generale announces the completion of its share buy-back programme for cancellation purpose, which began on 4 August 2025. 18,285,541 Societe Generale ordinary shares, representing 2.3%* of its share capital, have been purchased for a total amount of EUR 1 billion and will later be cancelled. The description and weekly information on the shares acquired in the context of this share buy-back programme are available on the Societe Generale website under the section Regulated information and other important information - Societe Generale and here below for the last buy-back period. Issuer name: Societe Generale - LEI O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 Reference of the financial instrument: ISIN FR0000130809 Period: From 13 to 14 October 2025 * Ratio between the number of shares repurchased and the 785,180,327 shares comprising the current share capital. Purchases performed by Societe Generale during the period Aggregated presentation by day and market Issuer name Issuer code (LEI) Transaction date ISIN Code Daily total volume (in number of shares) Daily weighted average price of shares acquired Platform SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 13-Oct-25 FR0000130809 343,580 53.8625 XPAR SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 13-Oct-25 FR0000130809 255,880 53.8039 CEUX SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 13-Oct-25 FR0000130809 30,000 53.8225 TQEX SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 13-Oct-25 FR0000130809 40,000 53.7806 AQEU SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 14-Oct-25 FR0000130809 399,237 53.9547 XPAR SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 14-Oct-25 FR0000130809 200,000 53.9689 CEUX SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 14-Oct-25 FR0000130809 23,000 53.9383 TQEX SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 14-Oct-25 FR0000130809 23,000 53.8231 AQEU TOTAL 1,314,697 53.8925 Press contacts: Jean-Baptiste Froville_+33 1 58 98 68 00_ jean-baptiste.froville@socgen.com Fanny Rouby_+33 1 57 29 11 12_ fanny.rouby@socgen.com Societe Generale Societe Generale is a top tier European Bank with around 119,000 employees serving more than 26 million clients in 62 countries across the world. We have been supporting the development of our economies for 160 years, providing our corporate, institutional, and individual clients with a wide array of value-added advisory and financial solutions. Our long-lasting and trusted relationships with the clients, our cutting-edge expertise, our unique innovation, our ESG capabilities and leading franchises are part of our DNA and serve our most essential objective - to deliver sustainable value creation for all our stakeholders. The Group runs three complementary sets of businesses, embedding ESG offerings for all its clients: French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance , with leading retail bank SG and insurance franchise, premium private banking services, and the leading digital bank BoursoBank. , with leading retail bank SG and insurance franchise, premium private banking services, and the leading digital bank BoursoBank. Global Banking and Investor Solutions , a top tier wholesale bank offering tailored-made solutions with distinctive global leadership in equity derivatives, structured finance and ESG. , a top tier wholesale bank offering tailored-made solutions with distinctive global leadership in equity derivatives, structured finance and ESG. Mobility, International Retail Banking and Financial Services, comprising well-established universal banks (in Czech Republic, Romania and several African countries), Ayvens (the new ALD I LeasePlan brand), a global player in sustainable mobility, as well as specialized financing activities. Committed to building together with its clients a better and sustainable future, Societe Generale aims to be a leading partner in the environmental transition and sustainability overall. The Group is included in the principal socially responsible investment indices: DJSI (Europe), FTSE4Good (Global and Europe), Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, Refinitiv Diversity and Inclusion Index, Euronext Vigeo (Europe and Eurozone), STOXX Global ESG Leaders indexes, and the MSCI Low Carbon Leaders Index (World and Europe). In case of doubt regarding the authenticity of this press release, please go to the end of the Group News page on societegenerale.com website where official Press Releases sent by Societe Generale can be certified using blockchain technology. A link will allow you to check the documents legitimacy directly on the web page. For more information, you can follow us on Twitter/X @societegenerale or visit our website societegenerale.com. Attachment EssilorLuxottica acquires RetinAI, accelerating transformative AI and data-powered eye health solutions Paris, France (15 October 2025) EssilorLuxottica announces the acquisition of Ikerian AG, a health technology company, operating under the RetinAI brand, specializing in AI and data management in eyecare. This move reinforces the Groups med-tech journey, adding advanced software powered by machine learning and computer vision. These solutions streamline clinical, research and pharmaceutical workflows, and deliver actionable AI-driven insights that empower healthcare professionals and enhance patient care. RetinAI develops advanced tools to collect, process and grade large-scale retinal images and biomarker datasets. Its FDA cleared 510(k) and CE-marked flagship platform, RetinAI Discovery, applies AI models to support diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy enabling more accurate and timely decisions in managing eye diseases. At the same time, RetinAI partners with pharmaceutical companies and research organizations that leverage proprietary real-world evidence to accelerate clinical studies and drug development. In the past year alone, weve made several bold moves in med-tech, all with the goal of building the most comprehensive, digitally enabled patient journey. RetinAI will add incredible value to an ecosystem that already includes comprehensive eyecare, advanced diagnostics, therapeutic innovation and surgical excellence. Leveraging its AI-powered analytics, we can turn clinical data into insights that enable faster, more accurate diagnoses and more effective disease monitoring. We are ushering in a new era of healthcare, and it will be transformative for patients everywhere", commented Francesco Milleri, Chairman and CEO at EssilorLuxottica. Joining EssilorLuxottica marks a defining moment in our journey. This acquisition opens an exciting new chapter for our team and technology. From the start, weve believed in the power of data and AI to transform patient care. With EssilorLuxotticas global reach and deep commitment to innovation, we can now bring that vision to life at an entirely new scale and level of positive impact. Together, well shape how technology drives better healthcare, sharper vision, and improved outcomes for patients, said Carlos Ciller, PhD, Chairman and CEO of RetinAI/Ikerian AG. Attachment London, UK, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Permutable, a leading provider of real-time, AI-driven market intelligence, today announced the expansion of its commodity coverage to include industrial metals, extending its analytical capabilities across steel, aluminium, copper, lithium, iron, lead, tin, zinc, nickel, and uranium. The expansion marks a natural evolution of Permutables commodity intelligence suite, which already covers energy, agriculture, and precious metals. Driven by strong client demand and growing market volatility, the move reflects the increasing importance of metals in global manufacturing, infrastructure investment, and the energy transition economy. Geopolitical and economic shifts driving volatility The launch comes amid geopolitical instability and trade fragmentation, creating widespread uncertainty across global supply chains. A shift away from international cooperation toward protectionist, national-interest-focused policies is reshaping trade flows and pricing structures. Aggressive U.S. tariffs are disrupting long-established supply routes and distorting prices, while U.S.-China strategic competition continues to add pressure. Chinas dominance in metals processing and its use of export controls on critical minerals have forced other nations to seek alternative, often costlier sources of supply. At the same time, weakening global demand is tempering the outlook for industrial metals, with Chinas struggling property sector - a major consumer of steel and copper - acting as a significant drag on sentiment. AI-driven intelligence for complex market dynamics Permutables proprietary AI-driven detection system processes over 50,000 verified news articles and market events daily, identifying emerging narratives, supply disruptions, and macroeconomic signals before markets react. Key intelligence pillars include: Geopolitical intelligence: monitoring trade relations, sanctions, and policy impacts. Macroeconomic indicators: integrating growth data, currency moves, and policy signals. Demand dynamics: tracking industrial usage, investment flows, and consumption. Supply chain analytics: detecting production bottlenecks and regulatory changes. Price discovery and forecasting: six-month projections with confidence intervals. Wilson Chan, Founder and CEO of Permutable, said: Industrial metals are increasingly tied to global policy and the green economy. Yet, with rising tariffs, strategic rivalries, and weaker demand, volatility is at a decade high. Our AI platform enables institutional clients to understand and act on these shifting dynamics in real time. Jack Watson, Market Analyst at Permutable, added: The combination of trade fragmentation, slowing growth, and strategic competition has made real-time intelligence essential. Our system turns thousands of unstructured data points into actionable market signals. Integrated commodity and macro coverage Permutables Trading Co-Pilot platform and enterprise-grade API now integrate industrial metals intelligence alongside energy, agriculture, and precious metals, giving clients a unified cross-commodity view of sentiment and structural change. Institutional teams can use this data for backtesting, automated strategy development, and risk calibration, or access it through interactive dashboards and real-time alerts. About Permutable Permutable is a London-based data intelligence company specialising in AI-driven market analytics for institutional investors, traders, and research teams. Its Trading Co-Pilot platform transforms millions of data points into clear, actionable insights across global commodities, currencies, and macro indicators - enabling financial professionals to anticipate change and execute with precision. Permutable is currently seeking strategic investment partners to accelerate its growth and expand its market intelligence capabilities. For institutional demos, trials, partnership or investor enquiries, contact enquiries@permutable.ai. Press inquiries Permutable AI https://www.permutable.ai Talya Stone talya@permutable.ai New York, USA, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Smart Medical Devices Market Poised to Expand at a CAGR of ~12% with Technological Advancements and Increased Adoption | DelveInsight The smart medical devices market is experiencing rapid growth, driven by increasing demand for remote patient monitoring, wearable health technologies, and real-time data analytics. Advancements in IoT, AI, and cloud-based healthcare solutions are enhancing device efficiency and connectivity. The rising prevalence of chronic diseases, coupled with an aging population, is further boosting adoption. Additionally, supportive government initiatives and growing consumer awareness of proactive healthcare are fueling global market expansion. DelveInsights Smart Medical Devices Market Insights report provides the current and forecast market analysis, individual leading smart medical devices companies market shares, challenges, smart medical devices market drivers, barriers, trends, and key smart medical devices companies in the market. Smart Medical Devices Market Summary The global smart medical devices market size is expected to increase from ~ USD 53 billion in 2024 to ~ USD 131 billion by 2032, reflecting strong and sustained growth. in 2024 to ~ by 2032, reflecting strong and sustained growth. The global smart medical devices market is expected to grow at a CAGR of ~12% during the forecast period from 2025 to 2032. during the forecast period from 2025 to 2032. The leading companies working in the smart medical devices market include Siemens Healthineers, Stryker, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., GE HealthCare, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Medtronic, Abbott Laboratories, Dexcom, Inc., Boston Scientific Corporation, OMRON Corporation, Apple Inc., B. Braun, iRhythm Technologies, Inc., Fresenius Kabi AG, Vital Connect, Inc., Masimo Corporation, Insulet Corporation, Zoll Medical Corporation, ResMed, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Ypsomed, and others. and others. Among all the regions, North America is anticipated to register the fastest growth in the smart medical devices market during the forecast period. In the product type segment of the smart medical devices market, the diagnostic & monitoring devices category accounted for the largest market share in 2024. To read more about the latest highlights related to the smart medical devices market, get a snapshot of the key highlights entailed in the Global Smart Medical Devices Market Forecast Report Key Factors Contributing to the Rise in Growth of the Smart Medical Devices Market Technological Advancements Continuous innovations in IoT, AI, wearable sensors, and telemedicine have significantly enhanced the functionality and efficiency of medical devices, enabling real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and personalized healthcare solutions. Rising Prevalence of Chronic Diseases The global rise in chronic conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory disorders, has driven demand for smart devices that enable continuous monitoring, early detection, and improved disease management. Growing Adoption of Telehealth and Remote Monitoring The shift toward telehealth services, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has increased the demand for connected medical devices that facilitate remote patient monitoring and reduce the need for frequent hospital visits. Aging Population Increasing life expectancy and a rising elderly population worldwide drive the need for devices that support independent living, fall detection, and health monitoring, boosting the market for smart medical solutions. Government Initiatives and Supportive Regulations Favorable policies, subsidies, and investment in digital health infrastructure by governments and healthcare organizations promote the adoption of smart medical devices, particularly in developed regions. Integration with Mobile and Cloud Technologies Devices that can sync with smartphones and cloud platforms provide enhanced data accessibility for patients and healthcare providers, supporting proactive healthcare management and improving patient outcomes. Patient Awareness and Health Consciousness Growing awareness of preventive healthcare and self-monitoring has encouraged individuals to adopt smart medical devices, including wearable devices and home-based diagnostic tools. Get a sneak peek at the smart medical devices market dynamics @ Smart Medical Devices Market Trends Regional Smart Medical Devices Market Insights In 2024, North America, spearheaded by the U.S., held a commanding ~43% share of the global smart medical devices market. A mature healthcare infrastructure, substantial healthcare spending, and the strong presence of key industry players support this leadership. The market is not only expanding in size but also advancing in terms of technology and applications. Europe remains a significant player in the global smart medical devices market, shaped by its established healthcare systems and distinctive regulatory framework. While the region follows global trends such as increased wearable adoption and a focus on remote patient monitoring, its market is particularly influenced by strict Medical Device Regulation (MDR) and In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR). These regulations enhance patient safety and device reliability, creating both challenges and opportunities for manufacturers. Growth is especially notable in therapeutic devices, including smart insulin pumps and neurostimulation systems, driven by Europes aging population and the high prevalence of chronic conditions. Although traditional channels, such as hospitals and pharmacies, still dominate, online sales are rapidly expanding due to the growth of telehealth and a rising preference for home-based care. The Asia-Pacific market is witnessing rapid expansion, fueled by demographic, economic, and technological factors. An aging population in countries like Japan and China, combined with rising chronic disease rates, is boosting demand for affordable, long-term care solutions. This has accelerated the adoption of wearables and home monitoring systems, enabling patients to manage their health remotely and easing pressure on healthcare facilities. Increased healthcare spending in emerging economies, such as India and China, along with the growth of a middle class, is further supporting market growth. Technological advancements, particularly in AI, IoT, and big data analytics, are driving the development of more sophisticated and personalized devices. While North America and Europe focus on high-end, complex solutions, Asia-Pacific leads in device volume and affordability, emphasizing decentralized, patient-centered care. The regions diverse regulatory environment, while challenging, is fostering local innovation and the creation of solutions tailored to national markets. To know more about why North America is leading the market growth in the smart medical devices and wearables market, get a snapshot of the Smart Medical Devices Market Share Recent Developmental Activities in the Smart Medical Devices Market In September 2025, B. Braun acquired True Digital Surgery, a company specializing in digital robotic-assisted 3D surgical microscopy. This move reinforces B. Braun's commitment to digital microsurgery. acquired True Digital Surgery, a company specializing in digital robotic-assisted 3D surgical microscopy. This move reinforces B. Braun's commitment to digital microsurgery. In May 2025, Medicalgorithmics S.A. received FDA clearance for DeepRhythmAI, a cardiovascular device, further highlighting the growing use of AI in cardiac monitoring and diagnostics. received FDA clearance for DeepRhythmAI, a cardiovascular device, further highlighting the growing use of AI in cardiac monitoring and diagnostics. In May 2025, Masimo Corporation received FDA 510(k) clearance for its Masimo W1 watch. This approval expanded the watch's indications to include continuous and spot-check measurements of heart rate and oxygen saturation (SpO2), making it a viable option for a range of clinical settings. received FDA 510(k) clearance for its Masimo W1 watch. This approval expanded the watch's indications to include continuous and spot-check measurements of heart rate and oxygen saturation (SpO2), making it a viable option for a range of clinical settings. In April 2025, WHOOP, Inc. obtained FDA clearance for its WHOOP ECG feature. This clearance validates the feature's ability to provide a single-lead electrocardiogram, enabling it to detect and provide notifications for certain heart rhythm irregularities. This approval marks a significant milestone for a consumer-grade device transitioning into a more medical-focused space. obtained FDA clearance for its WHOOP ECG feature. This clearance validates the feature's ability to provide a single-lead electrocardiogram, enabling it to detect and provide notifications for certain heart rhythm irregularities. This approval marks a significant milestone for a consumer-grade device transitioning into a more medical-focused space. In April 2025, VitalConnect, Inc. received FDA 510(k) clearance for its VitalRhythm biosensor. The approval validates the device's ability to continuously monitor and record an ECG, heart rate, and respiratory rate, enhancing its utility for remote patient monitoring. What are Smart Medical Devices? Smart medical devices are transforming healthcare by integrating advanced technologies, including sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), and connectivity, to monitor, diagnose, and treat patients more effectively. These devices include wearable health trackers, remote monitoring systems, smart implants, and AI-enabled diagnostic tools that can collect real-time patient data and provide actionable insights. By enabling continuous monitoring and early detection of health conditions, smart medical devices improve patient outcomes, reduce hospital visits, and support personalized treatment plans. Their ability to communicate data seamlessly with healthcare providers also enhances decision-making and streamlines clinical workflows. Smart Medical Devices Market Report Metrics Details Coverage Global Study Period 20222032 Smart Medical Devices Market CAGR ~12% Smart Medical Devices Market Size by 2032 ~USD 131 Billion Key Smart Medical Devices Companies Siemens Healthineers, Stryker, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., GE HealthCare, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Medtronic, Abbott Laboratories, Dexcom, Inc., Boston Scientific Corporation, OMRON Corporation, Apple Inc., B. Braun, iRhythm Technologies, Inc., Fresenius Kabi AG, Vital Connect, Inc., Masimo Corporation, Insulet Corporation, Zoll Medical Corporation, ResMed, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Ypsomed, and others Smart Medical Devices Market Assessment Smart Medical Devices Market Segmentation Smart Medical Devices Market Segmentation By Device Type: Diagnostic & Monitoring Devices (Vital Sign Monitoring Devices, Blood Glucose Monitors, Cardiac Monitoring Devices, Respiratory Monitoring Devices, and Others), Therapeutic Devices (Drug Delivery Devices, Implantable Therapeutic Devices, Connected Therapy Devices, Neuromodulation & Pain Management Devices, Rehabilitation & Assistive Devices, and Others) Smart Medical Devices Market Segmentation By Product Type: Wearables, Implantables, Portable/point-of-care devices, Stationary/bedside devices, and Others Smart Medical Devices Market Segmentation By Application: General Health and Fitness, Remote Patient Monitoring, Diagnostics, Therapeutics, and Home Healthcare Smart Medical Devices Market Segmentation By End-User: Hospitals & Clinics, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Diagnostic Centers, Home Healthcare, and Others Smart Medical Devices Market Segmentation By Geography : North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of World Porters Five Forces Analysis, Product Profiles, Case Studies, KOLs Views, Analysts View Which MedTech key players in the smart medical devices market are set to emerge as the trendsetter explore @ Smart Medical Devices Market Analysis Table of Contents 1 Smart Medical Devices Market Report Introduction 2 Smart Medical Devices Market Executive Summary 3 Competitive Landscape 4 Regulatory Analysis 5 Smart Medical Devices Market Key Factors Analysis 6 Smart Medical Devices Market Porters Five Forces Analysis 7 Smart Medical Devices Market Layout 8 Smart Medical Devices Market Company and Product Profiles 9 KOL Views 10 Project Approach 11 About DelveInsight 12 Disclaimer & Contact Us Interested in knowing the smart medical devices examples? Click to get a snapshot of the Smart Medical Devices Market Size Related Reports Wearable Medical Devices Market Wearable Medical Devices Market Insights, Competitive Landscape, and Market Forecast 2032 report deliver an in-depth understanding of the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key wearable medical devices companies, including Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc., Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Garmin Ltd., Koninklijke Philips N.V., Medtronic, Abbott Laboratories, Dexcom, Inc., Boston Scientific Corporation, OMRON Corporation, ResMed, Becton, Dickinson and Company, iRhythm Technologies, Inc., Withings, Vital Connect, Inc., Masimo Corporation, Insulet Corporation, Zoll Medical Corporation, Biotricity Inc., Nuvo Group, Ypsomed, among others. AI in Diagnostics Market AI in Diagnostics Market Insights, Competitive Landscape, and Market Forecast 2032 report deliver an in-depth understanding of the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key AI in diagnostics companies, including Aidoc, Owkin, Inc., Siemens Healthineers, PathAI, Ibex, Owkin, Inc., Imagen Technologies, Aiforia, RADLogics, Terarecon, Inc., Prenosis, Inc., Ibex, Google LLC, GE HealthCare, DreaMed, Riverain Technologies, Terarecon, Inc., Aiforia, RADLogics, among others. Active Implantable Medical Devices Market Active Implantable Medical Devices Market Insights, Competitive Landscape, and Market Forecast 2032 report deliver an in-depth understanding of the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key active implantable medical devices companies, including Medtronic, Johnson and Johnson Services, Inc., Abbott, Boston Scientific Corporation, LivaNova PLC., Axonics, Inc., Aleva Neurotherapeutics, Sonova Holding AG, Bioventus Inc., CARMAT, Jarvik Heart Inc., BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG, MicroTransponder Inc., MED-EL Medical Electronics, NeuroPace, Inc., NEVRO CORP., Shree Pacetronix, Cochlear Ltd., Berlin Heart, Blackrock Neurotech, among others. Vital Sign Monitoring Devices Market Vital Sign Monitoring Devices Market Insights, Competitive Landscape, and Market Forecast 2032 report deliver an in-depth understanding of the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key vital sign monitoring devices companies, including Masimo, Koninklijke Philips N.V., NIHON KOHDEN CORPORATION., Nonin Medical, Omron, ACCOSON, Advin Health Care, Lepu Medical Technology, TytoCare Ltd., VYAIRE, SCHILLER, SunTech Medical, Inc., Welch Allyn Inc., Medtronic PLC, GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, Contec Medical Systems Limited, Biobeat, Honsun, Rudolf Riester GmbH, Promed Technology, among others. Drug Delivery Devices Market Drug Delivery Devices Market Insights, Competitive Landscape, and Market Forecast 2032 report deliver an in-depth understanding of the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key drug delivery devices companies, including Pfizer, Inc, Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Ltd, Novartis AG, 3M Bayer AG, uniQure N.V., Shenzhen (SiBiono) GeneTech Co. Ltd (Hubei Tongji Benda Ebei Pharmaceuticals), Antares Pharma, Inc, GlaxoSmithKline plc, AstraZeneca PLC, Becton Dickinson, Boehringer Ingelheim group, Consort Medical plc (Recipharm Group), Insulet Corporation, Medtronic Plc, Sulzer Ltd., West Pharmaceuticals Services, Inc, Generex Biotechnology, Panacea Pharmaceuticals Inc., Aptar Pharma, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Nemera, Biocorp Production., and Eli Lilly and Co., among others. DelveInsights Pharma Competitive Intelligence Service: Through its CI solutions, DelveInsight provides its clients with real-time and actionable intelligence on their competitors and markets of interest to keep them stay ahead of the competition by providing insights into the latest therapeutic area-specific/indication-specific market trends, in emerging drugs, and competitive strategies. These services are tailored to the specific needs of each client and are delivered through a combination of reports, dashboards, and interactive presentations, enabling clients to make informed decisions, mitigate risks, and identify opportunities for growth and expansion. Other Business Pharmaceutical Consulting Services Healthcare Conference Coverage Pipeline Assessment Healthcare Licensing Services Discover how a mid-pharma client gained a level of confidence in their soon-to-be partner for manufacturing their therapeutics by downloading our Due Diligence Case Study 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. San Rafael, CA, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LRE & Co, a full-spectrum real estate development, asset management, construction, and hotel management firm, is pleased to announce the upcoming opening of a new Habit Burger & Grill location in Ukiah, California. The eagerly awaited restaurant will transform a former Denny's site through a comprehensive renovation, creating jobs and providing the community with a premier dining experience. The project has received full approval from local authorities, with the Design Review Board and Minor Site Development Permit secured in March 2025. After a thorough review of construction documents, LRE & Co is now moving forward with final preparations for construction, with groundbreaking anticipated by the end of 2025. "We're thrilled to bring Habit Burger & Grill's exceptional dining experience to Ukiah," said Akki Patel, CEO at LRE & Co. "This project reflects our dedication to investing in local communities and creating meaningful job opportunities for residents." The new Habit Burger & Grill location is expected to generate approximately 30-40 new jobs in the Ukiah area, ranging from entry-level roles to management positions. These jobs will offer competitive wages, growth opportunities, and comprehensive training programs that help local workers develop valuable skills. The restaurant development also signifies a major investment in Ukiah's commercial corridor, transforming an underutilized property into a vibrant community hub that will attract visitors and benefit other local businesses. Habit Burger & Grill, the nation's number one fast casual restaurant, is renowned for its award-winning Charburgers and made-to-order approach. It serves a full menu of flame-grilled burgers, fresh salads, and hand-cut fries. Founded in Santa Barbara in 1969, the chain has earned a loyal following across California for its commitment to fresh, high-quality ingredients. The Habit Burger & Grill has established a reputation for top-notch food quality and excellent customer service," noted Akki Patel, CEO of LRE & Co. "We're confident that Ukiah residents will welcome this new dining choice that strikes the right balance of quality, value, and convenience. The renovation project highlights LRE & Co's commitment to sustainable growth and community revitalization. By refurbishing an existing building rather than constructing a new one, the project employs an environmentally friendly approach to expansion while preserving the character of Ukiah's business district. The company has worked closely with local officials throughout the approval process to ensure the project meets community standards and promotes the area's economic growth goals. With construction documents nearing final approval and the selection of a general contractor underway, the project is well-prepared for a strong start to construction in late 2025. LRE & Co will announce the official opening date once construction milestones are reached. The company looks forward to celebrating this significant addition to Ukiah's dining and business scene. ### About LRE & Co LRE & Co is a family-owned real estate development and construction company based in San Rafael, California. Since 1999, the company has established itself as a leader in commercial real estate, with a diverse portfolio including partnerships with national hotel brands, franchise restaurants, and innovative developments across Northern California and northwest Nevada. Learn more at https://lrecompanies.com. Attachments LOS ANGELES, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP reminds investors of the upcoming November 18, 2025 deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in the class action filed on behalf of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Quanex Building Products Corporation (Quanex or the Company) (NYSE: NX) securities between December 12, 2024 and September 5, 2025, inclusive (the Class Period). IF YOU SUFFERED A LOSS ON YOUR QUANEX INVESTMENTS, CLICK HERE TO INQUIRE ABOUT POTENTIALLY PURSUING CLAIMS TO RECOVER YOUR LOSS UNDER THE FEDERAL SECURITIES LAWS. What Happened? On September 4, 2025, after the market closed, Quanex announced financial results for the third quarter of the 2025 fiscal year. Among other things, the Company disclosed operational issues related to the legacy Tyman window and door hardware business in Mexico that are ongoing which impacted results more than expected during the third quarter of 2025. Specifically, the Company reported a diluted EPS of ($6.04), compared to $0.77 in the prior year period and an adjusted EBIDTA of $70.30. The Company further disclosed that it was adjusting for lower expected volumes and pushing out the timing of when [it] expect[s] to realize procurement savings from the integration of the Tyman business. Then, on September 5, 2025, the Company held an earnings call pursuant to the Companys third quarter 2025 financial results. During the earnings call, Chief Executive Officer, George Wilson (Wilson) explained operational challenges in the Tyman facility in Mexico negatively impacted EBITDA in the Hardware Solutions segment by almost $5 million in the third quarter alone. Wilson further explained that the issue was previously identified midyear as it got deeper into the integration with Tyman, and described how the systems used to anticipate and plan for tooling repairs were significantly deficient, indicating it was near nonexistent. Wilson stated because Quanex was underinvested in the tooling condition and the equipment condition it had to make some changes and fix some things before it was catastrophic. On this news, Quanexs stock price fell $2.73, or 13.1%, to close at $18.18 per share on September 5, 2025, on unusually heavy trading volume. The stock price continued to decline on the subsequent trading day, falling $1.98 or 10.9%, to close at $16.20 per share on September 8, 2025, on unusually heavy trading volume. What Is The Lawsuit About? The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Companys business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) the Companys procedures and policies regarding tooling and equipment maintenance in its Tyman Mexico facility were significantly underinvested; (2) as a result, the Companys tooling and equipment conditions had significantly degraded to near catastrophic levels; (3) that, as a result of the foregoing, the Company was likely to incur significant costs, pushing out the timing of expected benefits from the Tyman integration; (4) that Quanex had previously identified the foregoing issues; and (5) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants positive statements about the Companys business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. If you purchased or otherwise acquired Quanex securities during the Class Period, you may move the Court no later than November 18, 2025 to request appointment as lead plaintiff in this putative class action lawsuit. Contact Us To Participate or Learn More: If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact us: Charles Linehan, Esq., Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP, 1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100, Los Angeles California 90067 Email: shareholders@glancylaw.com Telephone: 310-201-9150, Toll-Free: 888-773-9224 Visit our website at www.glancylaw.com. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. If you inquire by email, please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased. To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. Contact Us: Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP, 1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100 Los Angeles, CA 90067 Charles Linehan Email: shareholders@glancylaw.com Telephone: 310-201-9150 Toll-Free: 888-773-9224 Visit our website at: www.glancylaw.com. North Point, HK, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aura Global Ltd., a Hong Kong-based education and immigration consultancy, is marking a major milestone after helping more than 500 families transform academic setbacks into global success stories. With a 90% post-graduation retention rate and a growing number of graduates securing employment before completing their studies, Aura Globals outcomes demonstrate the measurable impact of inclusive, skills-based learning environments for Hong Kong youth. Through personalized study pathways in the Netherlands, students once limited by the citys exam-driven education system have gone on to graduate, find employment, and rediscover confidence and purpose abroad. Student Outcomes Reflect Consistent Results Aura Globals milestones highlight improvements in both academic and personal outcomes among participating students. Data collected from recent cohorts show recurring patterns of adjustment and success across diverse backgrounds. Improved social integration : Students previously affected by social anxiety or disengagement in Hong Kong reported greater participation and confidence within two months of arrival in the Netherlands. : Students previously affected by social anxiety or disengagement in Hong Kong reported greater participation and confidence within two months of arrival in the Netherlands. Enhanced adaptability: Students labelled as rebellious those who had experienced disciplinary or motivational issues in traditional classrooms adapted positively to the Netherlands collaborative learning model, demonstrating improved group engagement and performance. Students labelled as rebellious those who had experienced disciplinary or motivational issues in traditional classrooms adapted positively to the Netherlands collaborative learning model, demonstrating improved group engagement and performance. Accessible education pathways: Students transitioning from Hong Kongs private schools to Dutch universities, where annual tuition and living costs average HK$79,000, have achieved comparable academic stability at a significantly lower overall expense. According to Margaret Szeto, Founder of Aura Global, these results consistently show that when students are placed in systems that emphasize participation, inclusivity, and well-being, their academic and social development accelerates. Background Behind the Initiative Hong Kongs exam-centric education structure has remained largely unchanged for more than three decades, emphasizing standardized testing as the key determinant of opportunity. Even high-achieving students can face barriers to local university admission, while others are labeled as underperforming based solely on grades. Experiencing the struggle firsthand, Szeto founded Aura Global to address this challenge. Margaret Szeto, Founder of Aura Global Even as a Hong Kong swimming champion, I nearly couldn't re-enter my own school to continue to Form 6 after scoring only 11 points on HKCEE, shares Szeto. I was fortunate my headmaster believed in my potential despite my grades and gave me a second chance. But what happens to students who don't have that luck? Who don't have someone willing to look beyond test scores? Thats exactly why I founded Aura Global to be that second chance for students the system has written off. From that vision, Aura Global developed a credible, student-first model that combines academic placement with cultural and psychological support. Milestone Metrics Demonstrate Impact Aura Globals latest figures highlight steady, verifiable progress across academic, professional, and personal outcomes over their years of operation. 500+ families supported through education and relocation pathways since 2018 90% student retention in the Netherlands post-graduation, compared with declining figures in the UK, US, and Australia Employment before graduation: Increasing numbers of graduates, including placements with Beijing Tong Ren Tang Netherlands, are hired while still completing their degrees Holistic transformation: Noticeable improvements in emotional stability, motivation, and communication within the first academic term abroad A Shift Toward Inclusive Education Aura Globals long list of milestones reflect more than numerical success, it marks a broader shift in how Hong Kong students and families view education, resilience, and opportunity. Each student transformation is a proof that potential can flourish when the right support system is in place. As more families seek alternatives to Hong Kongs rigid, exam-centric model, Aura Global continues to bridge the gap between performance and personal growth, helping students navigate transitions with more stability and purpose. The consultancy remains focused on supporting students through informed decision-making, ensuring their education choices align with long-term growth and employability in global context. To learn more about Aura Globals education and relocation programs or explore opportunities for studying in the Netherlands, visit https://aura-global.com/ or contact +852 2892 7353 for a consultation. About Aura Global Aura Global is a Hong Kongbased education and immigration consultancy helping students and families create new futures through personalized global pathways. Established in 2018, the firm provides end-to-end guidance on overseas education, immigration planning, and cultural transition support. Its services cover multiple destinations across Europe, including the Netherlands and Germany, with programs tailored to align academic goals with long-term career opportunities. Guided by the principles of credibility, intelligence, and transparency, Aura Global is committed to helping clients make informed, confident decisions as they pursue education, professional growth, and new beginnings abroad. Media Contact Company Name: Aura Global Ltd. Contact Person: Margaret Szeto Contact Number: +852 6227 2336 Email: info@aura-global.com Country: Hong Kong Website: https://aura-global.com/ Socials: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube SAN DIEGO, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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, all dates 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 Healthcares 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 info@rgrdlaw.com. 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 Healthcares medical cost trend assumptions; (ii) that Molina Healthcare was experiencing a dislocation between premium rates and medical cost trend; (iii) that Molina Healthcares 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 Healthcares 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 investors 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 worlds 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 Firms 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 info@rgrdlaw.com Los Angeles, California, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As businesses navigated rapid technological shifts and evolving customer expectations, the companies that stood out were those that treated their workforce as a central driver of brand advocacy. At Street Fight Live 2025 , Shane Lukas, Owner and Creative Strategist of A Great Idea , delivered a featured session titled Building a Resilient and Relational Workforce, addressing how the future of business and brand interactions would depend on empowered, connected teams. Street Fight Live 2025, themed Welcome to the Phygital World, brought together high-level decision-makers from across multi-location (MULO) industries at Microsofts Playa Vista campus in Los Angeles. The event spotlighted the latest marketing strategies, emerging technologies, and innovative talent models shaping the next era of customer connection. With decades of creative communications experience for global brands and over a decade leading A Great Idea, Lukas specialized in helping purpose-driven organizations grow and activate communities. His approach blended creative storytelling, inclusive culture design, and advocacy-driven strategies that bridged internal culture with external brand impact. In his session, Lukas examined how resilient and relational workforces, which are often overlooked, may help retail companies adapt to market disruptions like AI while fostering authentic relationships with both colleagues and customers. He highlighted practical steps for integrating advocacy into daily operations so the workforce plays an integral role as active participants in shaping the brands story. Resilience isnt just about withstanding challenges, its about building the kind of trust and connection with your advocates, Lukas said. When companies employ non-traditional pathways to source a relational workforce, they can not only improve the bottom line but also reinforce brand values. Attendees gained actionable insights on: Linking workplace culture to customer trust and loyalty. Aligning brand values with employee engagement strategies. Building adaptive teams ready for both digital and in-person brand interactions. About A Great Idea A Great Idea is an award-winning creative agency delivering digital and print design, content strategy, and communications solutions for purpose-driven organizations nationwide. Founded by Shane Lukas, the agency helps clients grow their reach, engage audiences, and inspire lasting change through creative storytelling and advocacy-driven strategies. Broward County, FL, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Republican Michael Carbonaras campaign announced today a war chest worth nearly $1 million, positioning the candidate as a formidable opponent to career politician Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Floridas 25th Congressional District. Breaking the norm of political fundraising, Carbonara is leveraging his own expertise and career success to grow the campaigns financial assets by relying on blockchain-based technology. The campaigns public wallet reveals nearly $1 million in liquid assets and gives stakeholders, donors and voters a real-time view of investments and expenditures. Floridians are struggling to make ends meet with the high cost of groceries, essentials, property taxes and insurance. When the government should be working to make life better, Debbie Wasserman Schultz is keeping the government shut down, said Carbonara. Its time we retire career politicians and let hard work and innovation make the government work for you. Im running to restore our freedoms and give every American the chance to prosper. The funds invested in Bitcoin represent a sizable lead over the $811,417.37 Debbie Wasserman Schultz had reported in collections January 1 through June 30. Michael Carbonara, a lifelong conservative and entrepreneur, launched his campaign last month . Having built successful businesses in banking, cryptocurrency and fertility care, Michael thrives on breaking the conventional molds to create, innovate and drive solutions. About Michael Carbonara Michael Carbonara resides in South Florida with his wife, who fled communist Cuba for freedom in America, and their two daughters, where he continues to build businesses while preparing to fight for the restoration of freedom that will put America first and make America great. Learn more about Michael Carbonara at MichaelCarbonara.com . Follow him on Facebook , Instagram , X and LinkedIn . Paid for by Carbonara for Congress Nassau, The Bahamas, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (BMOTIA) took its sales mission directly into key Canadian markets this week, connecting with travel advisers, airline partners, tour operators, and media in Ottawa, Halifax, and Calgary from 69 October 2025. The initiative highlights new airlift and expanded access to the islands for Canadian travelers. Led by the Hon. I. Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, and Director General Latia Duncombe, the delegation engaged partners through trade shows, destination presentations, and cultural showcases, highlighted by vibrant Junkanoo performances. The events gave attendees a firsthand look at The Bahamas offerings across luxury, family, wellness, and adventure travel. Deputy Prime Minister Cooper emphasised the strategic purpose of the mission: Ottawa, Halifax, and Calgary were chosen for this mission to highlight the new airlift and improved connectivity to The Bahamas, he said. By meeting directly with travel partners and media in these cities, we are ensuring Canadians across the country are aware of the convenient, expanded access to our islands. Director General Duncombe added: Canada has always been a priority for The Bahamas, and this mission was about strengthening partnerships and ensuring that new airlift converts into increased business for our islands. By engaging directly with travel advisors, tour operators, and media, and giving them a taste of our vibrant culture, we are positioning The Bahamas as the top choice for Canadians this winter and beyond. BMOTIA announced a major increase in airlift from Canada for the upcoming winter season, with a total of 45 weekly flights connecting Canadian cities to The Islands of The Bahamas. This expanded schedule reflects growing demand for Bahamian vacations and strengthens year-round connectivity between the two countries. For the peak winter travel period, from 5 December 2025, through 10 April 2026, Air Canada will launch new nonstop flights from Ottawa MacdonaldCartier International Airport (YOW) and Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) to Nassaus Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS). The carrier will also continue operating six to seven flights per week from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to Nassau. Seasonal service from MontrealPierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) to Nassau will return for the summer period, 20 June through 29 August 2026, operating every Friday aboard the Airbus A220. Air Canada Vacations weekly service from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to Exuma International Airport (GGT) will also resume in November 2025 and continue through April 2026. Porter Airlines has further expanded its footprint in The Bahamas with the announcement of a new nonstop service from MontrealPierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) to Nassaus Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) beginning 3 February 2026. This follows the carriers recently launched routes from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Ottawa MacdonaldCartier International Airport (YOW), and John C. Hamilton International Airport (YHM), all offering direct access to Nassau. Porters continued expansion provides Canadian travelers with greater choice and convenience in reaching The Bahamas. Sunwing Vacations has also deepened its commitment to The Bahamas, extending its TorontoGrand Bahama International Airport (FPO) route to year-round weekly service. The airline will maintain its MontrealGrand Bahama route with weekly Saturday flights throughout the year. With new routes, expanded schedules, and enhanced service from multiple Canadian gateways, The Bahamas will offer more options than ever for travelers seeking an easy winter escape. This mission showcased The Bahamas expanded connectivity, strengthened key partnerships, and set the stage for more Canadians to visit our islands this winter. About The Bahamas The Bahamas comprises over 700 islands and cays, including 16 unique island destinations. Just 50 miles off the coast of Florida, it offers a quick and accessible escape for travelers. From world-class fishing, diving and boating to miles of pristine beaches, The Bahamas offers something for everyonefamilies, couples, and adventurers alike. Discover why Its Better in The Bahamas at www.bahamas.com or follow us on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Attachments NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Biz2Credits 2025 Latino-Owned Business Study found that average revenues for both Latino and non-Latino small businesses dropped between 8-9% for both groups in the last 12 months. The annual study examined the performance of Latino-owned small to midsized companies -- from early stage to established companies -- in the U.S. from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025. It examines financial indicators, including annual revenue, operating expenses, age of business, and credit scores of both Latino-owned and non-Latino-owned companies. As Latino-owned businesses continue to mature and scale, I expect their growth to increasingly drive innovation in their communities, close credit-access gaps, and play a pivotal role in shaping the economic future of America, said Rohit Arora, CEO of Biz2Credit and Biz2X , who oversaw the research. While our study shows a recent reduction in earnings, Latino entrepreneurs have consistently demonstrated resilience amid economic pressures and that strength will help position them for long-term success. Key findings: Latino-owned vs. non-Latino-owned Businesses The average annual revenue of Latino-owned businesses decreased by 8.5% from $662,780 in 2023-24 to $606,261 in 2024-25. The average annual revenue for non-Latino Businesses also fell by 8.9% from $773,674 in 2023-24 to $668,125 in 2024-25. Operating expenses remained largely unchanged for both groups. For Latino-owned businesses, they increased 0.4% from $594,392 to $596,654. For non Latino-owned, expenses rose 3% from $642,998 to $662,172. The average business credit score* for Latino owned businesses decreased from 647 in 2023-24 to 643 in 2024-25. In comparison, the personal credit score for non-Latino-owned businesses decreased from 659 to 656. The age of business for Latino-owned businesses increased from 64 months in 2023-24 to 65.4 months in 2024-25. This is an indication of the staying power of Latino-owned companies. In comparison, non-Latino-owned businesses were in operation for an average of 81 months. The average approved funding amount** for Latino-owned businesses grew from $63,440 in 2023-24 to $68,743 in 2024-25. Non-Latino businesses owners saw growth as well, from $77,578 in 2023-24 to $87,376 in 2024-25. Construction accounted for the largest industry category of Latino-owned companies examined in the study, followed by Other Services (except Public Administration), Accommodation and Food Services, Retail Trade, and Transportation and Warehousing. By state, nearly one-quarter (22.8%) of funding requests from Latino-owned firms came from Florida, followed closely by California (19.5%), and then Texas, New York, and New Jersey. *Average credit score is derived from the personal FICO credit score of business owners. **Average approved funding amounts and average funding sizes are determined by the qualifications of funding applications, including FICO scores and business revenues. Any discrepancies are driven by these financial metrics. Impact of Latino-Owned Businesses on the U.S. Economy The economic impact of Latino-owned businesses is staggering. Latinos start more businesses per capita than any other racial or ethnic group in the U.S., according to McKinsey . There are approximately 5 million Latino-owned small businesses across the U.S., according to the U.S. Treasury Department . Whats more, they continue to scale rapidly. Latino-owned businesses have grown at an average annual rate of 7.7%, compared to a 0.46% growth rate for all employer businesses, according to Brookings . The financial footprint of Latino-owned businesses is substantial. The U.S. Latino GDP now exceeds $3.7 trillion, reflecting both the scale and resilience of these enterprises. Their rapid growth and entrepreneurial spirit continue to reshape the business landscape, highlighting the importance of supporting and investing in Latino entrepreneurs. As Latino business ownership continues to rise, their influence on innovation, employment, and the overall economy is expected to expand even further. Methodology Biz2Credits 2025 Latino-Owned Business Study is an annual review of the financial performance of Latino-owned small to midsized businesses in the United States, categorized by revenue generation. The study reviewed over 121,000 funding requests from both Latino-owned and non-Latino-owned businesses across all 50 states and 20 industries by analyzing credit inquiries and applications from July 2024 to June 2025. The analysis focused on variables such as submitted applications, annual revenue, operating expenses, business age, personal credit (FICO) scores*, funding rates, and average loan sizes. The study offers insights into the performance of Latino-owned private companies over the past year, using 2023-2024 data to compare average revenue and expenses year-over-year for 2024-2025. About Biz2Credit Founded in 2007, Biz2Credit has helped thousands of companies access more than $8 billion in small business financing. The company is expanding its industry-leading Biz2X technology in custom digital platform solutions for banks and other financial institutions, investors, and service providers. Visit www.biz2credit.com , Instagram , Facebook , and X (formerly Twitter). Feature: Chinese woman scientist injects empathy into algorithms 16:43, October 15, 2025 By Gao Wencheng, Yu Aicen ( Xinhua LONDON, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- It was a bright autumn afternoon in London. At Imperial College's Huxley Building, home to the Department of Computing, new students filled the corridors while graduates posed for photographs in the courtyard. Inside a seminar room, Associate Professor Li Yingzhen led her weekly research meeting. Around the table sat nine PhD students, all men. The only woman in the room was their supervisor. "I have one female PhD student," Li said, "but she's not currently in London." It was a quiet reminder of how male-dominated the field of computer science remains. Li's journey to this room began far from London. She majored in mathematics as an undergraduate in China, but by her second year, she realized her true passion lay not in abstract proofs, but in data. Summer schools and data science competitions paved the way for her to attend the University of Cambridge for a PhD in machine learning. Her research focused on probabilistic machine learning, which models how data is generated. "Imagine asking an algorithm to draw a cat," she explained. "You only say the word 'cat,' but the model must fill in the unseen details -- that's where probability comes in." After completing her PhD, Li spent two and a half years as a senior researcher at Microsoft Research Cambridge. A turning point came in 2018, when her paper on score matching caught the attention of Ilya Sutskever, then chief scientist at OpenAI. "He emailed me after the conference," she recalled. "He liked the style of my work and invited me to interview for a research scientist position at OpenAI." She turned down the offer, but called it "a significant recognition of my research." For years, Li was often the only woman in the lab. "During my PhD, for nearly three years, I was the sole woman among fifty or sixty people," she said. The experience sharpened her awareness of gender dynamics in computing. "I often had to convince male colleagues using very objective data and evidence to make my point, and to collaborate more effectively," she noted. "I learned to let the data and facts speak for me," Li explained. When disagreements arose over research directions or methodology, she would prepare clear visualizations, cite peer-reviewed work, or run additional tests to support her proposals. In her view, this evidence-driven approach not only strengthened her credibility but also created a shared foundation for effective collaboration. At Imperial, Li is now part of a growing community of women in computing: around 30 percent of professors in her department are female, a marked improvement from when she started. She has become both a mentor and role model for young women entering the field. Her colleague Fan Hongxiang said Li's expertise "is no less than, and often surpasses, that of many male experts," adding that she pays close attention to students' growth. Her personal website reflects this balance, showcasing not only her academic achievements but also photos of lab gatherings, including game nights with her team. Today, Li supervises 11 PhD students and two postdocs from China, Europe, South America and elsewhere. Her students describe her as both motivated and empathetic. "She gives you space to become autonomous, but steps in when she sees you struggle," said Carles Balsells Rodas, one of her PhD students. "She's very passionate about research -- when she gets excited, it's contagious." Pinned on her office door are six words she calls her "six C's": curiosity, courage, challenge, concentration, continuation and confidence. "Curiosity drives science," she said. "Courage means not blindly following authority, and confidence is about debating your ideas with your peers. These are not just research principles, they're life principles." Li's academic record speaks for itself. In 2020, she became one of the first Chinese scholars to deliver a tutorial at NeurIPS, one of the world's top machine learning conferences. In 2021, she debated Yann LeCun, Turing Award laureate and one of the "three giants" of deep learning, on probabilistic methods in energy-based models. "There was no clear winner," she laughed, "but it was a serious 50-minute debate that highlighted what probability brings to the table, and the challenges it faces." In 2023, she was named one of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence's global "New Faculty Highlights," recognizing her as a rising scholar. Li is also deeply aware of the social implications of artificial intelligence. "Try using an image-generation app to create a 'doctor' or 'CEO'," she said. "Most of the time, you'll get a man. But ask for a 'nurse' or 'teacher,' and you'll likely get a woman. This reveals how biased the underlying data can be." This, she argued, is why women's participation in AI development matters. "AI is data-driven and user-driven," she said. "Without women's experiences being part of that data, we can't build fair or empathetic systems. We need women not just as users, but as creators of AI." Within her department, female professors support one another through informal mentoring, peer review of grant proposals, and mock interviews. The Women in Computing association brings together female students, postdocs and faculty to share experiences and invite successful alumni to inspire the next generation. Li remains closely connected with China's fast-growing AI sector. Her twin sister leads an AI engineering team at ByteDance, and Li regularly exchanges ideas with scholars back home during visits. "In some applied areas, like fine-tuning image generation, China is leading," she said. "In fundamental innovation, Europe still has an edge in exploring bold ideas. The two can complement each other." She recently spoke at the UK Women in AI Summit, organized by the China-Britain Artificial Intelligence Association. The forum called for women to overcome self-imposed barriers and expand their influence in academia and industry. For Li, however, the mission goes beyond representation. "Developing AI that understands human needs and embodies empathy will require more women to participate," she said. "It's about building systems that are sustainable, socially responsible and diverse." (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) DALLAS, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Triumph Financial, Inc. (NYSE: TFIN) has released its third quarter 2025 financial results. The 3Q 2025 financial results and shareholder letter are available on the Companys website at ir.triumph.io through the News & Events, Events & Presentations links. Aaron P. Graft, Vice Chairman & CEO, and Brad Voss, CFO, will review the financial results in a conference call with investors and analysts beginning at 9:30 a.m. central time on Thursday, October 16, 2025. The live video conference option may be accessed directly through this link, https://triumph-financial-q3-2025-earnings.open-exchange.net/ or via the Company's IR website at ir.triumph.io through the News & Events, Events & Presentations links. An archive of this conference call will subsequently be available at the same location, referenced above, on the Companys website. About Triumph Triumph (NYSE: TFIN) is a financial and technology company focused on payments, factoring, intelligence and banking to modernize and simplify freight transactions. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, its portfolio of brands includes Triumph, TBK Bank and LoadPay. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Investors are cautioned that such statements are predictions and that actual events or results may differ materially. Triumph Financials expected financial results or other plans are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see Risk Factors and the forward-looking statement disclosure contained in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 11, 2025. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made and Triumph Financial undertakes no duty to update the information. Source: Triumph Financial, Inc. Investor Relations: Luke Wyse Executive Vice President, Head of Investor Relations lwyse@tfin.com 214-365-6936 Media Contact: Amanda Tavackoli Senior Vice President, Director of Corporate Communication atavackoli@tfin.com 214-365-6930 MONTREAL, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As announced by Minister of Industry Melanie Joly today, the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) will make it easier for the countrys softwood lumber businesses to access to $700 million in new term loans or letters of credit through their primary financial institution. The $700 million program is part of a broader Government of Canada initiative to help the sector, and was designed after discussions with companies, industry associations and financial institutions to determine how financing options could help address the needs of softwood lumber businesses. As a result of these discussions, BDC will provide guarantees to the financial institutions of eligible softwood sawmills, lumbermills and remanufacturers. These guarantees can be used to access financing and letters of credit, which can help offset the financial strain of collateral or bonds related to duty payments. BDC emphasized the program is not intended as a cure-all for the sectors considerable challenges but rather act as a complementary tool with other financial options and government support programs to help these businesses continue to operate and better manage through an ever-evolving situation. The new program follows more than $500 million in tariff-specific solutions delivered by BDC through its $500 million Pivot to Grow to provide eligible SMEs of any sector with advisory and financing options, including loans up to $5 million. Eligible softwood lumber businesses and the forestry industry as a whole can access the Pivot to Grow program. The above-noted stakeholders had two key requests: get the financing to market as quickly as possible with the least impact on businesses. Thats why BDCs solution will be delivered through their existing lenders, reducing funding time and administrative requirements. The support will focus on softwood sawmills, lumbermills and remanufacturing mills whose principal business is the exportation of softwood lumber products to the United States to continue to operate their businesses during the current economic challenges. BDC, Canadas only development bank dedicated solely to small- and medium-sized business, continues to work in concert with governments, the private sector and stakeholders within the ecosystem that supports SMEs as part of the broader Canadian response to trade tensions. BDCs role is focused on providing business advice and financial tools to help them with financial management, operational efficiency, strategic business acquisitions, and market/sector diversification as they seek new growth opportunities. Quotes Canadas softwood lumber sector supports thousands of workers and plays a vital role in Indigenous communities and our economy. This $700 million in new liquidity will help businesses stay resilient through trade challenges, reinvest in their operations, and continue building Canadas future. Were delivering this support quickly and collaboratively because when our forestry sector thrives, so do the people and communities behind it. The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions Forestry is the lifeblood of some 300 communities, workers, and First Nations across Canada, and the forest sector continues to face unjustified duties when exporting lumber to the U.S. We are working as Team Canada to support and retool our forest sector to protect jobs, strengthen competitiveness and resilience, and Buy Canadian to use more Canadian wood at home. Supporting our critical industries from coast to coast to coast is how we build Canada Strong. The Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Canadas softwood lumber businesses are the literal builders of Canada, the backbone of Canadas housing sector and a key driver of our economic growth. Thats why BDC is leaning further into its development role, working hand in hand with financial institutions and industry partners, to guarantee loans and letters of credit to help business navigate todays trade-driven uncertainty. We know softwood lumber businesses will need many different types of support to overcome these challenges, and BDC is stepping up to do its part with financing options to help them restructure, reinvest and grow, allowing them to focus on what matters most: building Canadas future. Isabelle Hudon, President and CEO of BDC About BDC: 80 years as Canadas bank for entrepreneurs BDC is a partner of choice for all entrepreneurs looking to access the financing and advice they need to build their businesses and tackle the big challenges of our time. Our investment arm, BDC Capital, offers a wide range of risk capital solutions to help grow the most innovative firms. BDCs development role means we are in a state of perpetual evolution wherever entrepreneurs go and whatever the Canadian economy needs we will be there to help them defy the odds. 80 years later, that commitment remains very much alive. Our financing and investments in fiscal 2025 will add an estimated $25 billion to Canadas GDP over the next five years. We are one of Canadas Top 100 Employers and Canadas Best Diversity Employers and the first financial institution in Canada to receive the B Corp certification in 2013. For more information on our products and services and to consult free tools, templates and articles, visit bdc.ca or join BDC on social media. Media contact: Phil Taylor E-mail: phil.taylor@bdc.ca (preferred and fastest response time) mediainfo@bdc.ca 1-844-625-8321 MONTREAL, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WSP Global Inc. (TSX: WSP) ("WSP" or the "Corporation"), one of the world's leading professional services firms, will release its 2025 third quarter results on November 5, 2025, after market close. A conference call and webcast will be held on November 6, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss the results. To participate in the conference call, please pre-register using this link. Registrants will receive a confirmation with dial-in details. A live webcast of the event can be accessed using this link. A presentation of the 2025 third quarter results will be accessible on November 5, 2025, after market close. A webcast replay will also be available within 24 hours following the call on WSPs website at www.wsp.com, in the Investors section. About WSP WSP is one of the worlds leading professional services firms, uniting its engineering, advisory and science-based expertise to shape communities to advance humanity. From local beginnings to a globe-spanning presence today, WSP operates in over 50 countries and employs approximately 73,000 professionals, known as Visioneers. Together they pioneer solutions and deliver innovative projects in the transportation, infrastructure, environment, building, energy, water, and mining and metals sectors. WSP is publicly listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:WSP). For more information, please contact: Quentin Weber Global Head, Investor Relations WSP Global Inc. quentin.weber@wsp.com Phone: 438-843-7519 Los Angeles, CA, USA, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- [October 15, 2025] Los Angeles, CA On Tuesday, the LAUSD Board of Education voted to renew 16 of 18 charter schools during a pivotal hearing that drew more than 400 students, families, educators, alumni, and community leaders from Alliance College-Ready Public Schools , Los Angeles Coalition for Excellent Public Schools (LACEPS), and the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA). The massive turnout, despite the heavy rain and wind, marked a powerful show of unity, underscoring the importance of maintaining access to high-quality, innovative public school options that help students across Los Angeles thrive. This is an incredible victory for the thousands of families, students, and educators across the city, said Pablo Villavicencio, CEO of Alliance College-Ready Public Schools and board secretary of LACEPS. Im especially proud that every Alliance school was unanimously renewed, a powerful affirmation of our students success and the dedication of our educators. Although not every school was renewed, this moment strengthens our momentum. We will keep organizing, keep showing up, and keep fighting until every student in Los Angeles has the excellent public school they deserve. Throughout the hearing, principals, families, and students shared powerful and emotional testimonials about academic growth, opportunity, and community transformation. Parents described having access to safe and high-quality schools close to home, while students spoke about finding a sense of belonging. At KIPP Academy of Opportunity (KAO), teachers care deeply, the faculty and staff go above and beyond, and parents are truly engaged, said Pastor Craig Mitchell, KAO parent. It means something when a school and its community come together to give our children the best chance at success. KAO is more than just a schoolits a family, a foundation, and a future for our kids. Its proof that excellence can thrive right here in our own backyard. As families celebrated the renewals, there was also heartbreak for the two school communities that were denied: Learning By Design Charter School and Gabriella Charter School. This decision represents new threats to public charter school communities, affecting hundreds of families across Los Angeles County, many of whom are Black and Brown. CCSA and LACEPS have pledged to stand behind both schools as they appeal to the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) to chart a new path forward. A recent public opinion poll shows that 65% of registered California voters now support charter public schoolsa record highand more than half say their opinion has remained consistently positive. Thats a powerful story and a clear reflection of what we see and hear across Los Angeles every day, said Keith DellAquila, Vice President of Local Advocacy in Greater Los Angeles for CCSA. Here in LA, charter public schools like those voted on Tuesday offer high-quality, student-centered programs that uplift communities and expand opportunity. This continued surge in public support confirms what parents and educators in Los Angeles have long known: charter schools are an essential part of Californias public education system and its future. ### About Alliance Alliance College-Ready Public Schools is one of the largest and most successful nonprofit public charter school networks in the nation, operating 25 high-performing middle and high schools that educate over 12,000 scholars who make up the heart of Los Angeles Latine, Black, and recent immigrant communities. Alliance schools have been recognized as among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, the U.S. Department of Education, and the California Department of Education. Since opening our first school in 2004, 96% of Alliance scholars have graduated from high school with a 97% college acceptance rate. We strive to uplift our scholars and their communities by fostering unparalleled educational opportunities that encourage scholarly thought, resilient learning, powerful communication, mind-body wellness, and community advocacy. To learn more, visit www.LAalliance.org. NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, continues to investigate potential breaches of fiduciary duties by the directors and officers of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE: EW). SO WHAT: If you currently own shares of Edwards stock, please visit the firms website at https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=29704 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, 40thFloor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com Toronto, Oct. 14, 2025 - Western Uranium & Vanadium Corp. (CSE: WUC) ("Western" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the closing of its bought deal private placement financing, which was previously announced in the Company's news releases issued on October 8, 2025 and October 9, 2025. Pursuant to the financing, Western issued a total of 6,555,556 units at a price of Cdn$0.90 per unit (each, a "Unit") for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately Cdn$5,900,000 (the "Offering") with each Unit being comprised of one common share (each, a "Share") and one common share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant is exercisable for one Share at a price of Cdn$1.20 per share, for a period of four years and a half from the date of issuance. As described in greater detail in the Amended Offering Document, the net proceeds of the Offering will be used as follows: (a) permitting of Mustang Mineral Processing Plant; (b) drilling, monitoring and permitting for the San Rafael Uranium Project; (c) mine development and maintenance across the production portfolio; (c) permitting and baseline data collection for Topaz Mine; and (e) general corporate working capital purposes, including general and administrative costs. The Units under the Offering were offered to purchasers pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption ("LIFE") under Part 5A of National Instrument 45-106- Prospectus Exemptions, as amended by the Coordinated Blanket Order 45-935 - Exemptions from Certain Conditions of the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption, in all the provinces of Canada, except Quebec, and in certain other jurisdictions pursuant to applicable securities laws. Pursuant to the LIFE exemption, the Shares and Warrants are not subject to any statutory hold period under applicable Canadian securities laws. There is an offering document (as amended and restated) related to the Offering that can be accessed under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.com, and on the Company's website at www.western-uranium.com. In connection with the Offering, Western entered into an underwriting agreement with A.G.P. Canada Investments ULC (the "Underwriter") pursuant to which the Underwriter acted as the sole underwriter and bookrunner for the Offering. The Underwriter received a fee comprised of a cash commission of 7% on the aggregate proceeds from Units issued and 229,444 broker warrants which are subject to a statutory hold period of four-months and one day from the date of their issuance. A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners acted as U.S. placement agent in the Offering. The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction. No Units were issued to investors that would qualify as U.S. persons. About Western Uranium & Vanadium Corp. Western Uranium & Vanadium Corp. is developing high-grade uranium and vanadium production. Western is currently licensing and developing the Mustang Mineral Processing Plant for mined material recovery which may incorporate kinetic separation to optimize economics. Western holds a number of resource properties including the Sunday Mine Complex, its flagship property located in the prolific Uravan Mineral Belt. The production pipeline encompasses multiple conventional projects in Colorado and Utah that are currently undergoing permitting and development. The Company continues to review opportunities to acquire and develop additional complementary properties in proximity to the processing plant site. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information: Certain information contained in this news release constitutes "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). Statements of that nature include statements relating to, or that are dependent upon: the Company's expectations, estimates and projections regarding the Offering, intended use of proceeds of the Offering,; exploration and production plans and results; the timing of planned activities; whether the Company can raise any additional funds required to implement its plans; whether regulatory or analogous requirements can be satisfied to permit planned activities; and more generally to the Company's business, and the economic and political environment applicable to its operations, assets and plans. All such forward-looking statements are subject to important risk factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict. Please refer to the Company's most recent Management's Discussion and Analysis, as well as its other filings onwww.sedarplus.com, for a more detailed review of those risk factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements, and that these statements are made as of the date hereof. While the Company may do so, it does not undertake any obligation to update these forward-looking statements at any particular time, except as and to the extent required under applicable laws and regulations. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: George Glasier President and CEO 970-864-2125 gglasier@western-uranium.com Robert Klein Chief Financial Officer 908-872-7686 rklein@western-uranium.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Vancouver, October 14, 2025 - Sixty North Gold Mining Ltd. (CSE: SXTY) (FSE: 2F40) (OTC Pink: SXNTF) (the "Company" or "Sixty North Gold") is pleased to update shareholders on its progress to restart sustainable gold production at its wholly-owned Mon Gold Mine. Dr. Dave Webb, President and CEO states, "Sixty North Gold Mining Ltd. plans to commission a 100 tpd gold mine and mill in the summer of 2026. The Company has invested over $9 million in acquiring and developing its wholly-owned past producing Mon Gold Mine. This includes investments in mining equipment, camps, supplies and development to the second level below the historic stopes that were produced ore grading one ounce gold per tonne. The Yellowknife Gold Belt hosts many large high-grade gold mines and deposits. "We believe that restarting this historic one ounce per tonne past producer will allow our shareholders to benefit directly in the gold market in this time of record prices." Financing Arranged Sixty North Gold is also pleased to report that the Company has arranged a non-brokered financing of up to 5,250,000 units (the "Units") at an offering price of $0.06 to raise gross proceeds of up to $315,000 (the "Offering"). The offering is fully subscribed. Each Unit is comprised of one Share and one-half of one common share purchase warrant of the Company (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will be exercisable to purchase one Share at a price of Cdn.$0.10 for a period of twelve (12) months from the Closing Date, provided that if the closing market price for the Issuer's common shares on the Exchange is greater than $0.15 per share for a period of ten (10) consecutive trading days, then the Company may deliver a notice (the "Notice") to the Purchaser notifying such Purchaser that the Warrants must be exercised within thirty (30) days from the date of delivery of such Notice, otherwise the Warrants will expire at 4:00 p.m. (Vancouver time) on the thirty-first (31st) day after the date of delivery of the Notice. The securities for the Offering will bear a legend restricting resale until four months from closing. Finder's fees, as allowed, may be paid on portions of this financing. The proceeds from the Offering will be used for further exploration and development of the Mon Gold Property located in NWT, and for the Company's general working capital requirements. About the Company Sixty North is developing mining operations for gold on its 100-per-cent-owned Mon Gold Project, which extracted 15,000 tonnes of ore to depths of only 15 metres below surface, recovering an estimated 15,000 ounces of gold in the 1990s (Company Technical Report NI 43-101, August 3, 2023 on SEDAR+ or https://sixtynorthgold.com/projects/technical-report/. The North Ramp has been reopened and has been extended to the target portion of the vein. The company plans to develop stopes in the East Limb, West Limb and DD Zone to extract and to feed a 100 tpd gravity-flotation mill. Additional gold, silver and base metal targets occur on the property and will be explored and developed as warranted. The Yellowknife gold camp hosts two mines that averaged 30 gpt gold or better (Discovery Mine with one million ounces of gold produced, and Sixty North Gold's Mon Mine), and two that averaged 15 gpt or better for a total production of over 14 million ounces of gold (Con Mine and Giant Mine); (ref. Company Technical Report NI 43-101, August 3, 2023). The technical content of this release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. D.R. Webb, P.Geol, President and CEO of Sixty North Gold Mines Ltd. For more information, please refer to the Company's public filings available on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca), under the Company's profile. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "Dave Webb" Dave Webb, President & CEO Statements about the Company's future expectations and all other statements in this press release other than historical facts are "forward-looking statements". Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including risks inherent in mineral exploration and development, which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any projected future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Further details about the risks applicable to the Company are contained in the Company's public filings available on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca), under the Company's profile. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE HAS NOT APPROVED NOR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENT OF THIS PRESS RELEASE. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270458 Vancouver, October 14, 2025 - Nation Gold Corp. (CSE: NATN) (the "Company" or "Nation") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement to raise gross proceeds to the Company of up to CAD $525,000 (the "Offering") by the issuance of up to 7,000,000 common shares (each, a "Share") of the Company at a purchase price of CAD $0.075 per Share. The proceeds of the Offering will be used for general working capital, and to evaluate and pursue potential new project opportunities. The Company may pay finder's fees to eligible arm's length finders who locate investors to participate in the Offering. The Offering is subject to the acceptance of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "Exchange"). The securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a four-month hold period in accordance with applicable securities laws and the rules of the Exchange. In addition, the securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to contractual escrow restrictions and will be released from escrow pursuant to the following schedule: (i) 25% on the date that is 4 months following the closing date of the Offering (the "Closing Date"); (ii) 25% on the date that is 8 months following the Closing Date; (iii) 25% on the date that is 12 months following the Closing Date; and (iv) 25% on the date that is 16 months following the Closing Date. It is anticipated that insiders of the Company will participate in the Offering. The participation of any insiders may be considered a related party transaction within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). Such insider participation will be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to sections 5.5(b) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the Company is not listed on any of the exchanges or markets outlined in subsection 5.5(b) of MI 61-101, and the fair market value of the securities to be distributed to the insiders will not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any securities in any jurisdiction. About Nation Gold Corp. Nation Gold Corp. is an exploration company based in Vancouver, BC with a 100% interest in the Cattle Creek Project located near Vernon, BC. The Company is led by a team of mining, exploration and capital markets professionals focused on acquiring multi-million ounce precious metals deposits in Tier 1 mining jurisdictions. Through the identification and acquisition of mineral properties with exploration potential, the Company's mission is to target unrecognized value opportunities in assets located in mining-friendly jurisdictions. For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.nationgold.ca. Contact Information - For more information, please contact: Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the Offering; the Company's ability to complete the Offering and receive acceptance from the Exchange to the completion of the Offering; and the business and anticipated financial performance of the Company. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from results contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include the Company does not complete all or any part of the Offering; the Company does not receive regulatory acceptance to the Offering and general economic conditions. Accordingly the actual events may differ martially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward looking statements, oral or written, made by itself or on its behalf, unless otherwise required pursuant to applicable laws. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. WIRE SERVICES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270472 Eminent Gold Corp. (TSXV: EMNT) (OTCQB: EMGDF) (FSE: 7AB) ("Eminent" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that CEO Paul Sun is scheduled to present at the Kinvestor Day 2025 Virtual Investor Conference (KD25) on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at 12:00 PM PT / 3:00 PM ET. More details below. Kinvestor Day 2025 (KD25) is a premier virtual conference showcasing innovative small- and mid-cap public companies, primarily within the mining and energy sectors. Moderated by Arlen Hansen, host of The Kinvestor Report on YouTube, KD25 will also feature a dynamic roundtable panel where top industry experts explore current trends in mining, energy, and commodities. Register today to access this unique opportunity to catch the latest developments from presenting companies and engage in a live Q&A-style dialogue with Paul Sun and other executive-level presenters. Presentation Details: Date: October 23, 2025 Presentation Time: 12:00PM PT / 3:00PM ET Presenter: Paul Sun, CEO Register now at: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/7117598560052/WN_TzgjuGbhQ4CleIWd_xXRBA About Kinvestor At Kinvestor, we create powerful opportunities for investors to connect with both established and up-and-coming public companies in the mining, technology, and energy sectors on a free to join virtual platform. Kinvestor is powered by Kin Communications Inc, a full-service investor relations agency with over 14 years of experience across multiple industries. Our goal is to foster long-term relationships with investors, thought leaders and the media through our virtual conferences and interview series The Kinvestor Report. For more information visit kinvestor.net. About Eminent Gold Eminent Gold is a gold exploration company focused on creating shareholder value through the exploration and discovery of world-class gold deposits in Nevada. Its multidisciplinary team has had multiple successes in gold discoveries and brings expertise and fresh ideas to the Great Basin. The Company's exploration assets in the region include the Hot Springs Range Project, Gilbert South and Celts. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Paul Sun CEO & Director Website: www.eminentgoldcorp.com Twitter: @eminent_gold LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/eminent-gold-corp/ View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eminent-to-present-at-kinvestor-day-2025-virtual-investor-conference-302583761.html SOURCE Eminent Gold Corp. Management and HMS Consulting Geologist Complete Site Visits to Crackingstone - Belmont Resources Inc. (TSX-V: BEA; FSE: L3L2) ("Belmont" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the commencement of a comprehensive core relogging and resampling program at its flagship Crackingstone Uranium Project near Uranium City, Saskatchewan. The program marks the next stage in advancing Belmont's exploration efforts within the uranium- and rare-earth-rich Beaverlodge Domain and follows recent site visits by Company management and representatives from major shareholder HMS Bergbau AG to Belmont's key projects in Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Belmont has engaged Axiom Exploration Group Ltd. of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to carry out the relogging and analytical work. Axiom has mobilized a small crew to review, re-log, and sample drill core from Belmont's historic 2008 drill campaign, which consisted of twenty holes totaling 3,029.4 meters. Forty-four percent of the historic core from the 2008 maiden drill program was recovered and brought into Uranium City for storage prior to the initiation of the relogging and resampling program. Since 2008, significant advances have been made in both the geological understanding of the Beaverlodge Domain and the analytical technologies used to identify and vector uranium and rare earth element mineralization. During the historic campaign, only small intervals of visible uranium mineralization were submitted for U?O? assay. The current program will also incorporate systematic portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF), as well as visible and near-infrared spectroscopy (VNIR) analyses to better characterize the mineralization and associated alteration patterns. The program aims to: Obtain detailed geochemical information to characterize mineralization and alteration throughout the historic core while preserving sample intervals. Refine lithological classification and geological modelling to guide future drilling and exploration programs. Evaluate the potential for rare earth element (REE) mineralization within thorium-rich pegmatites observed on the property to introduce an opportunity for dual-commodity exposure (uranium and REEs) within the Beaverlodge District. Results from this relogging and analytical work will be integrated with historic data and regional datasets to delineate new targets for future drilling programs. Belmont Management and HMS Representatives Conduct Site Visits to Flagship Properties The relogging program follows recent site visits by Belmont management and HMS representatives, including Consulting Geologist Dr. Thomas Unterweissacher, EurGeol, who was present on behalf of HMS Bergbau AG. HMS Bergbau AG, a diversified German resource investment and trading group and a major shareholder of Belmont, is providing strategic input as the Company advances its exploration and development plans. HMS's participation underscores growing European interest in uranium and critical-mineral projects within stable jurisdictions such as Canada. Crackingstone- Uranium REE (Saskatchewan) Athelstan-Jackpot- Gold (British Columbia) Come-By-Chance- Copper-Gold (British Columbia) Together, these projects position Belmont to capitalize on the growing demand for uranium, critical minerals, copper, and gold. "These coordinated visits underscore the shared commitment of Belmont and HMS to advancing exploration across our key uranium, rare-earth, and gold-copper projects," said Interim President & CEO Patrick Brandl, who also serves as a consultant to HMS Bergbau AG. "Re-evaluating historical core and reviewing our projects firsthand provide critical context as we refine and prioritize our upcoming exploration programs." About Crackingstone Located near Saskatchewan's uranium-rich Athabasca Basin, and situated just six kilometers from Uranium City, the Crackingstone property benefits from excellent infrastructure proximity, including road access, year-round airport, power availability, and logistical support. Belmont's exploration efforts also include evaluating rare earth element (REE) potential on the property, further enhancing its strategic importance. Exceptional High-Grade Uranium Potential: The property has demonstrated historic grab sample grades of up to 15.6% U?O?. Previous mining on the site produced 11 tons at an average grade of 2.3% U?O? (A qualifying 43-101 Report on the Crackingstone River-Ruza Property Beaverlodge district SE of Uranium City Saskatchewan, R.A. Bernatchez, P. Eng Consulting Geologist, July 11, 2006). Extensive Mineralized Corridors: Three major conductive and structural mineralized corridors, totaling 10 kilometers in length, have been identified and are associated with high-grade uranium occurrences. Comprehensive Drilling Program: Belmont has submitted a permit application for a two-year drilling initiative, which includes 40 drill holes totaling 10,000 meters. This program reflects the company's confidence in the property's potential to host significant uranium resources. Click to view Crackingstone Map Other Flagship Projects: Come By Chance (CBC) Property - British Columbia A compelling porphyry-CRD system under active exploration by Belmont 2025 drilling results pending. Athelstan-Jackpot (A-J) Gold - British Columbia: A-J Gold Project, which includes two past producing gold mines-Athelstan and Jackpot-that yielded 7,600 ounces of gold and 9,000 ounces of silver (Minfile 082ESE047). Key highlights of the project include: Extensive Surface Gold Mineralization: A 1,500-meter gold trend with widespread surface gold mineralization has been identified. Exploration Focus: Belmont is investigating the potential for economic gold grades in mineable surface and near-surface ore zones along this trend. Qualified Person Mr. Ty Magee, M. Sc., P. Geo., of Axiom Exploration Group Ltd., acting on behalf of Belmont Resources Inc., is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "George Sookochoff" George Sookochoff, Chairman and Director www.belmontresources.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Copyright (c) 2025 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Latest Headlines Westpac scraps trail commissions on mortgages Westpac is axing trail commissions on home loans from June next year. Thursday, October 16th 2025, 8:59AM Key Points Westpac axes trail commissions Increases upfront commissions to 90 basis points Financial Advice NZ criticises move Westpac refuses interview on changes From 1 June advisers will receive a commission of 0.90% on the value of new loans. This will replace the existing 0.60% commission and trail of 0.20%. The upfront commission only payment will apply to new loans settlements from June 1. Before June, a 0.30% top-up payment will apply to new loans settled up until 31 May, bringing total upfront commission to 0.90% during the transition period. Westpac says, in an email to TMMOnline; "The new structure is designed to provide highly competitive pricing, align with evolving industry standards, drive better outcomes for customers, and ensure were well positioned to support advisers into the future." It fails to mention that is it also buying back trail books from advisers. The spokesman also says, "We appreciate these changes may be unsettling for some advisers. Were committed to supporting them through this transition and making sure they have the tools they need to continue delivering great outcomes for customers." As part of this change well also put more resources into improving turnaround times and investing in digital enhancements, to help provide a market leading experience for advisers and their customers. Disappointment in forced sale Financial Advice New Zealand (FANZ) while it respects commercial decisions made by financial institutions, Westpacs recent engagement with the profession initially approach felt divisive, but it did improve once the CEO Advice Forum advocated for a better deal for mortgage advisers. FANZ chief executive Nick Hakes says it is disappointed by Westpacs decision to force the sale of trail commission books rather than grandfathering existing trail income. This approach is inconsistent with market practice, where trail commissions are typically allowed to run off over time. Westpac had a choice, and it opted for a model that is more financially beneficial to its balance sheet, reducing liabilities and improving its financial position. Citing the Commerce Commissions focus on pricing competition as a reason for this, lacks merit, he says Impact on financial advice businesses Advisers continue to support clients well beyond the initial mortgage transaction. Many advisers maintain support teams and provide ongoing advice to clients, especially those who cannot or do not wish to switch lenders. Hakes says as bank branches have closed, advisers have become the primary support channel for these clients. Advisers must now rethink their business models, potentially broadening the scope of advice or offering clients a choice between ongoing support with trail-paying lenders or limited support for two years post-refinance. He says trail commissions have long been an important ongoing revenue stream for financial advice businesses who maintain long-term relationships with their clients. These relationships dont end at loan settlementadvisers continue to provide ongoing support, guidance, and advice services throughout the life of the loan. Feedback FANZ has received suggests that trail income can represent 2550% of annual revenue for some firms, helping sustain their ability to deliver ongoing service for clients. The removal of this income threatens the viability of small and medium-sized advice businesses, many of which have built their value propositions around continuous client care. Importantly, the client needs do not disappear, they still require advice, especially during key financial events like refixing or restructuring, Hakes says. This decision risks reducing access to quality financial advice, particularly in underserved communities, by destabilising the adviser ecosystem that supports them. Misalignment and impact on consumers Globally, the financial advice profession is shifting away from upfront commissions and toward ongoing remuneration models that support long-term client engagement and fiduciary standards. Advice business models are now reflective of a broader move toward transparency, sustainability, and client-centric advice. Hakes says Westpacs removal of trail commissions runs counter to these global trends and in particular Australian banks, potentially discouraging the evolution of advice practices, and is at odds with their Australian-owned parent. Regulatory and market implications Under the FSLAA regime, advisers are required to review clients full financial positions during events like refixing. Without trail income, it becomes harder to sustainably support these regulatory obligations. Westpacs move to digital refixing via apps, while efficient, risks reducing competition and limiting consumer choice, as financial advisers are best placed to offer impartial financial advice. He says FANZ does, however, welcome Westpacs adoption of recommendation 10 of the Commerce Commissions banking competition market study by moving to a month-by-month pro-rata clawback structure. This is a positive step toward fairer consumer treatment. Further action Hakes says while FANZ appreciates Westpacs willingness to listen to feedback, it is disappointing that a significant bank lender will no longer recognise the ongoing time and cost required of advisers to service customers beyond the initial advice. Financial Advice New Zealand urges all lenders to recognise the value of ongoing advice and ensure remuneration models reflect the real work advisers do. Special Offers Comments from our readers Sign In to add your comment Horner linked with Elkann-Ferrari talks Christian Horner's post-Red Bull future is again the talk of the F1 world, with British and Italian media now reporting that the ousted team boss has been in contact with Ferrari chairman John Elkann. Christian Horner, Belgian GP 2023 Red Bull According to The Telegraph and Daily Mail, Horner and Elkann have held preliminary discussions in recent weeks about a possible future role at Maranello - a move that could coincide with growing doubts over Frederic Vasseur's long-term position despite his mid-season contract renewal. La Gazzetta dello Sport's Paolo Filisetti confirmed that speculation in Italy is also intensifying. Vasseur's future will depend on the performance of the car in 2026, despite his contract renewal in July, he wrote. However, Austria's Osterreich newspaper floated a different scenario altogether - suggesting Horner could instead reunite with key former Red Bull figures at Aston Martin. The paper described it as a potential Red Bull reunion , noting that Adrian Newey is already there and that Max Verstappen continues to be linked with the team. Adding to the intrigue, Toto Wolff was reportedly overheard speaking to Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll about Horner's availability during the Singapore GP weekend. Shortly after, Wolff publicly commented that Formula 1 misses the former Red Bull boss. Now Wolff's wife, Susie Wolff, head of the F1 Academy, has also weighed in - offering her view in an interview with The Sunday Times. Christian was supportive of F1 Academy and for that I'll always be grateful, she said. It was a real shame for the sport - the whole drama that was created with the allegations. We were getting so much positive momentum with F1 Academy, and then that all kicked off and suddenly everyone wanted to interview me about that. He was someone that played a character very well. But I do think that incident maybe wasn't the best for the image of the sport and showed that we've still got work to do. Meanwhile, Aston Martin's new team boss Andy Cowell described the Verstappen-to-Aston speculation as flattering but stopped short of confirming any contact. (GMM) Tsunoda faces fresh visa trouble ahead of US GP Yuki Tsunoda ran into travel problems once again - this time while trying to enter the United States for this weekend's US GP in Austin, Texas. Yuki Tsunoda, Singapore GP 2025 Red Bull According to Slovak journalist Stevo Eisele of Novasport, the Red Bull driver was detained briefly after arriving from Europe, echoing a similar incident last year in Las Vegas when he was held for more than two hours due to irregularities with his immigration papers. A nice reminder that even F1 drivers usually wear normal clothes, carry their own luggage, fight jet lag, and still have to stand in line at passport control, Eisele wrote on social media. They can even run into unexpected problems - which stressed Yuki out again this time. Eisele said the Japanese driver was again pulled aside after his 11-hour flight, though the extent of the issue was unclear. So hopefully this great lover of good food and Japanese anime won't be turned back, Eisele added, noting that the 25-year-old's Formula 1 future remains uncertain. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko recently confirmed that decisions about the team's 2026 driver line-ups - including Tsunoda's place in the program - will be made after next week's Mexican GP. (GMM) Googles brand new Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which went on sale last week, has been subjected to an extreme durability test. The test results suggest that the foldable may not be as durable as Google claims. YouTuber Zack Nelson from JerryRigEverything subjected the Pixel 10 Pro Fold to his standard series of durability tests. While the foldable struggled in several of them, it was the bend test that ultimately killed the phone. Although the hinge held firm, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold snapped along the antenna lines. Last year's Pixel 9 Pro Fold also had the same weak points. However, what followed the break was unexpected. The Pixel 10 Pro Folds battery exploded, releasing a cloud of smoke. Although the YouTuber conducts the same bend test on every foldable phone, this marks the first time a battery has exploded during one. Its worth noting that this was an extreme durability test, and such a battery explosion is highly unlikely to occur under normal use. Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold starts at $1,799 in the US, and will set you back by 1,899 in Europe. Multiple brands have launched smartphones with Si/C batteries this year, enabling them to pack high-density, high-capacity batteries in smartphones without increasing their thickness. As a result, smartphones with 6,000+ mAh batteries are becoming common. Honor, too, launched a 7,200 mAh battery phone a few months ago, called the Honor GT Pro. And now, we hear the Chinese brand is planning to launch a smartphone with a 9,000 mAh Si/C battery. The word comes from reliable tipster Digital Chat Station, who also claimed that this smartphone will be powered by a Snapdragon flagship chip. However, it's unclear if it will be the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 or the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. Honor GT Pro There's no word from Honor about this 9,000 mAh battery smartphone, but the brand is set to unveil the new Magic8 series smartphones later today, which will be joined by a couple of new tablets. One of them is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Source (in Chinese) | Via After being away from the island for four years, Guams 75th Liberation Queen Regina Duenas Valadez returned home and was glad to experience the Tumon Night Market. The weather is perfect, not a rain cloud in sight, Duenas Valadez said on Sunday. You dont get these views in the states. Everything is so much better on Guam. The Guam Visitors Bureaus Tumon Night Market returned on Oct. 12 after a break on Oct. 5, still drawing a mixed crowd of residents, tourists and the military and their families. With GVB securing an extra $10 million for airline promotion and other programs, it has extended the Tumon Night Market through fiscal 2026. And its the kind of island event that Duenas Valadez was excited about after her family had to move to New Mexico for four years because her husband Joshua was stationed there. She returned home earlier this year and she and her daughter will be staying on Guam with family for the duration of her husbands one-year deployment in Korea. The former liberation queen, her 2-year old daughter Bonita, and their friends went to Sundays night market to watch their neighbors and fellow Santa Rita-Sumai natives, The Cruz Sisters, perform. She said shes grateful for the Tumon Night Market and its importance for her daughter so she would have happy island memories at her young age. Shes only 2 so Im glad that we have lots of pictures and videos here of her enjoying these events, the mother said. She also encouraged residents to come out and support local businesses. Support local and take advantage of what we have while youre home because once its gone and youre away from home, you miss it, she said. The Ellis family shared Duenas Valadezs sentiments as they enjoyed the nights good vibes. Guam nurse Jena Ellis brought her visiting relatives, Britt Ellis and Bella Ellis, out for a night in Tumon. The three visited the Tumon Night Market for the first time and complimented the CHamoru people, their generosity and hospitality. Local businesses like Karms Decor, Dirty Kitchen, and Paper, Beads, N Threads Guam said the Tumon Night Markets return has proven to still be lucrative for business and still drawing a good crowd. To help stretch the limited funding because of the ongoing federal government shutdown, Guam recipients of the Women, Infants, and Children, WIC, Program food benefits are advised to choose the least expensive brand available in certain food categories when redeeming WIC benefits starting on Thursday. The Department of Public Health and Social Services said it will begin implementing the Least Expensive Brand restrictions effective Oct. 16. This temporary change means participants must choose the least expensive brand available in certain food categories when redeeming WIC benefits. The measure supports efforts to extend available program funds during the ongoing federal government shutdown. The WIC program currently has funding to continue services through at least October 2025, and potentially into the first week of November, Public Health said. Earlier this month, Public Health Director Theresa Arriola told the Pacific Daily News that about $500,000 in local funding was used to cover the food benefits of more than 9,000 individuals under the WIC program. This was a result of a pause resulting from the shutdown. Public Health earlier said it is hoping the federal government shutdown doesnt last past November, and plans to seek reimbursement of the local funding once the WIC programs federal funding resumes. This week, Public Health said all participants will continue to receive their full monthly food benefits but brand and product selections in some categories will be limited to the least expensive options. To make shopping easier, WIC participants are encouraged to use the ezWIC App to scan food items in stores and confirm if they are approved and eligible for redemption, Public Health added. The Least Expensive Brand restrictions will remain in place until federal funding returns to normal. Should Guam WIC funding decrease further, eWIC transactions may be temporarily paused, and all vendors and clients will receive notification in advance if this becomes necessary, Public Health also said. For questions or help understanding the updated food list, participants may contact any WIC clinic or Guam WIC Vendor Office at (671) 475-0300 or email michael.gallo@dphss.guam.gov. Haiti - Economy : BRH presents Haiti's progress to the IMF On Monday, October 13, 2025, as part of the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) participated in a series of strategic meetings with senior IMF officials. Ronald Gabriel, Governor of the BRH, alongside Alfred Metellus, Minister of Economy and Finance, met with three senior IMF officials : Nigel Clarke, Deputy Managing Director; Andre Roncaglia, Executive Director representing Haiti; and Camillo Tovar, Mission Chief. This meeting provided an opportunity to take stock of progress on the second review of the Staff Monitored Program (SMP) and to discuss prospects for cooperation to support ongoing economic and institutional reforms. Ronald Gabriel presented the progress made by Haiti, including : Maintaining monetary financing at zero, a crucial step in ensuring fiscal discipline and preserving macroeconomic stability; Strengthening the prudential framework, accompanied by the implementation of new measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, essential to the proper functioning of the financial system; Exchange rate stability; Progress in the implementation of the national financial inclusion strategy; Strengthening net foreign exchange reserves. These discussions helped strengthen the dialogue with the IMF on the next steps in our collaboration, in a spirit of continuity and consolidation of the reforms undertaken. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Ouanaminthe : CODEVI Industrial Park paralyzed by new demands The strike at the Industrial Development Company (CODEVI) Industrial Park in Ouanaminthe, in the northeast, continues. After obtaining the government's waiver of the 10% payroll tax https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-45987-icihaiti-codevi-the-haitian-government-takes-measures-and-reassures.html , the workers refuse to return to work despite the call to do so. They are now demanding, as a condition, a salary adjustment in line with the rising cost of living. In light of the recent events at the CODEVI Industrial Park, the Association of Industries of Haiti (ADIH) wishes to express its full solidarity and unwavering support for one of its long-time members: the Industrial Development Company (CODEVI). "The strike that began last week, and which is continuing for a second week, is deeply worrying not only for CODEVI, but also for the economic and social stability of the entire region." Haiti is experiencing an unprecedented crisis. While formal jobs are disappearing at an alarming rate, industrial parks like CODEVI remain among the few formal pillars still supporting economic activity and the hope of thousands of families. Unfortunately, "this strike also appears to have been influenced by certain sectors seeking to destabilize the country, thus imposing an unfair burden on CODEVI and threatening the stable jobs of the workers who depend on these operations." "The CODEVI company alone employs more than 16,000 workers, supporting nearly 100,000 people." ADIH urges the resumption of operations at the CODEVI Industrial Park so that workers can return to their jobs, provide for their families, and contribute to the local economy. CODEVI's impact extends far beyond its walls : it supports small businesses, service providers, and entire communities in Ouanaminthe and throughout the Grand North. Finally, ADIH urges the government to take all necessary measures to protect the safety of CODEVI workers and facilities. HL/ PI/ HaitiLibre The Berlin-based start-up n8n has raised 180 million dollars in a financing round led by the venture capital investment company Accel. As Bloomberg reports, Nvidia's investment arm NVentures is also participating in the round, which gives the company, which was founded in 2019, a valuation of 2.5 billion dollars. The funding comes just seven months after the last capital raise and follows intense competition among venture capitalists for the investment. Continue after ad n8n develops software for the automation of business processes using AI agents and is thus positioning itself in an increasingly competitive market. The company competes with providers such as US-based Zapier and Canada's Gumloop. The platform enables companies to automate repetitive tasks with little to no programming effort. Using a drag-and-drop interface, users can create customized workflows that connect their databases with platforms such as Slack and Google Workspace. Rating increased sevenfold For example, an incoming contact form from the web can automatically send a Slack message, while processing with AI models is triggered in parallel. n8n cites examples from the areas of customer service, IT, and development on its website. The valuation of n8n has risen from 350 million to 2.5 billion dollars since March of this yeara seven-fold increase within just a few months. According to Bloomberg, CEO Jan Oberhauser attributes this to the cost savings achieved by customers such as Vodafone. Companies have sometimes invested billions of euros in AI without seeing significant results, he says. n8n, on the other hand, is said to be convincing because it quickly leads to savings. The start-up's turnover grew tenfold last year, but he did not give any specific figures. Platform independence as a differentiating feature Continue after ad A key distinguishing feature of n8n is its connection to AI models from various providers. This flexibility sets the company apart from competitors who rely on proprietary solutions. This strategy is similar to the approach taken by orchestrated AI platforms to enable different AI components to work together in a coordinated manner. Just this week, OpenAI introduced AgentKit, a new feature that allows software developers to create and deploy AI agents. According to n8n's investors, this could lead to the market becoming larger and the Berlin start-up gaining more new users. AI boom drives investments to record levels n8n is one of several start-ups in the AI sector that are currently courting investors intensively, partly with unsolicited offers. According to data from PitchBook, AI companies have raised $192.7bn in venture capital so far this year, more than half of global funding. Critics warn of a possible bubble, as the industry has barely made a profit so far. In addition to Accel and NVentures, Deutsche Telekom and the venture capital firms Meritech, Redpoint, Evantic Capital, and Visionaries Club also participated in the financing round. The existing investors Sequoia Capital and Highland Europe also participated again. (mki) Don't miss any news follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Mastodon. This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication. At the end of March this year, the Federal Employment Agency (BA) detected unauthorized access to around 1000 user accounts on its online portal. The attackers' goal was to fraudulently obtain benefits by changing bank details. Continue after ad The Central Office for Cybercrime Bavaria (ZCB), together with the "Cybercrime Investigations" (ECC) department of the Nuremberg Criminal Police, has now identified eight suspects. Two of the suspects have been taken into custody, but for alleged drug dealing and not for the hack. The financial damage incurred was relatively low. Access via compromised end devices According to a press release from the Bamberg Public Prosecutor General's Office dated today, Monday, the suspects are strongly suspected of having "attempted to illegally log into over 20,000 user accounts at the Federal Employment Agency between January 30, 2025, and March 19, 2025". This was successful in around 1000 cases, and in more than 150 cases, they are alleged to have changed account details. In the worst-case scenario, the suspects would have been "able to have a five-figure sum paid out monthly" through their manipulations. However, the BA's intervention limited the actual damage to just under 1000 Euros. The incidents were first noticed by a job center employee in North Rhine-Westphalia: she noticed discrepancies in the account of a deceased customer. The BA then conducted a comprehensive review, noticed the unauthorized logins, and filed a report with the ZCB in Bamberg. As a consequence, numerous online functions of the BA, such as applications for financial benefits or changing IBAN account numbers, were temporarily unavailable at the end of March. In mid-May, the federal government confirmed the cyberattack at the request of the AfD parliamentary group. It stated that the access data had been obtained using compromised private end devices and not through BA systems. Furthermore, the government announced that since April 29, 2025, all online accounts have been required to use a second factor for logging into the agency's portal. The Nuremberg authority had previously only recommended multi-factor authentication. Continue after ad House searches and arrests According to the Public Prosecutor General's Office, the eight identified suspects are between 36 and 61 years old. During house searches in ten locations in several federal states on October 8, 2025, data carriers, as well as weapons and narcotics, and several thousand euros in cash were seized. Investigators are said to have found clear indications connecting the accused to the cyberattack on the Federal Employment Agency during the initial review of the evidence. The charge against the suspects includes commercial computer fraud, for which the law provides for a prison sentence of six months to ten years. According to the Public Prosecutor General's Office, investigations are ongoing. (ovw) Don't miss any news follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Mastodon. This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication. The revised legislation, adopted by 103 votes to 58, forms the second stage of the governments broader reform of the Citizenship Act. The main objective is to require applicants to demonstrate financial self-sufficiency through employment or business income, excluding most forms of public support. Finlands Parliament has approved new restrictions on citizenship eligibility, barring applicants who rely on social welfare for more than three months within two years. Under the new law, applications will be rejected if the applicant has depended on unemployment or subsistence benefits for more than three months during the past two years. Only minor children and those over 65 are exempt. The law also introduces tougher standards for lawful conduct. Anyone convicted of crimes will face longer mandatory waiting periods before they may apply. For example, an unconditional prison sentence now leads to an eight-year delay, compared to seven years under the previous rules. Citizenship can also be denied on national security grounds, even if all formal criteria are otherwise met. Mari Rantanen, Minister of the Interior from the Finns Party, has led the reforms. She said the changes aim to ensure that citizenship reflects full participation and commitment to Finnish society. Applicants will now lose eligibility not only for giving false information, but also for obtaining nationality through other forms of fraud. This includes cases where someone else takes the required language exam on the applicants behalf. The amendments also lower the threshold for revoking citizenship due to serious crimes. Individuals can now lose citizenship after being sentenced to two years in prison for treason, state offences or terrorism. Previously, the sentence had to be at least five years, with an overall offence severity of eight years. The only government MP to vote against the proposal was Eva Biaudet of the Swedish Peoples Party. The Social Democratic Party (SDP), while backing the core elements of the reform, expressed reservations about the rigidity of the income requirements. In a dissenting opinion submitted to the Administration Committee, the SDP proposed a more flexible model. Eveliina Heinaluoma, a member of the committee from the SDP, stated, We support the condition of adequate income. But the governments approach doesnt account for temporary situations where well-integrated individuals may face unemployment through no fault of their own. She referred to Finlands current high unemployment rate and said the proposed framework fails to consider individual activity or willingness to work. The SDP proposed allowing some exceptions where applicants had been on support for more than three months but not more than six, provided the cause was temporary and outside the applicants control. The updated law marks the second of three planned phases in the reform of Finnish citizenship legislation. The first phase extended the minimum residence period for naturalisation from five to eight years. It took effect in October 2024. The third phase will introduce a citizenship test covering Finnish society, geography, history, and daily life. A legislative proposal is expected during the ongoing autumn session. HT Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen confirmed the decision during NATO's defence ministerial meeting in Brussels. Speaking to reporters, he said Finland had decided to participate in the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List, or PURL, which pools European funds to acquire US-made arms for Ukraine. Finland will begin buying weapons from the United States to donate to Ukraine, joining a growing number of European NATO members in a coordinated effort to support Kyiv's military needs. Weve also decided to join the PURL initiative because we assess that it is crucial for Ukraine to receive the critical US weapons it requires, Hakkanen said. Under the programme, Ukraine identifies priority weapon systems, such as air defences and long-range missiles. NATO then coordinates with member states to purchase them directly from US stockpiles. Each package is valued at approximately $500 million, and deliveries are scheduled on a recurring basis. So far, European NATO members have committed about 2 billion through the initiative. Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the Baltic states have already made pledges or begun procurement. Estonia announced a 10 million contribution earlier this month. The total monthly procurement target is approximately 1 billion. Hakkanen declined to specify the size of Finlands financial contribution but said the decision was made at a strategic level. He acknowledged that Finlands participation came later than other Nordic countries but argued that the support was timely and necessary. President Alexander Stubb also confirmed Finlands involvement, stating that the country wants to be among its peers in contributing to Ukraines defence. He did not disclose any figures but clarified that Finlands contribution would be more modest compared to the hundreds of millions pledged by Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. We are part of an alliance where our objective is to support Ukraine by all possible means, Stubb said during a visit to Mikkeli. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte welcomed Finlands announcement and said that over half of NATO members are now participating in the PURL mechanism. He emphasised that some of the weapons requested by Ukraine are not available in Europe, making the US supplies essential. These are vital systems, especially air defence and interceptors. With them, Ukraine can protect its civilians and critical infrastructure from continued Russian attacks, Rutte said. The most sought-after system is the Patriot surface-to-air missile, capable of intercepting ballistic threats. NATO sources have also mentioned potential interest in long-range missiles such as Tomahawk cruise missiles. President Donald Trump has signalled he may allow such systems to be transferred if Russia escalates its assault. Rutte added that arms procurement through the PURL programme counts towards NATOs defence spending targets. Each euro spent by member states on Ukrainian aid will help meet the alliance's 3.5 percent defence spending guideline. Hakkanen echoed this, calling the US request for European funding more or less justified given that the war is being fought on European soil. We all need to find the funds. This is a decisive moment, he said. The announcement follows months of declining military aid to Ukraine. A report by the Kiel Institute in Germany found that military support dropped by 43 percent during the summer, with aid from European countries falling nearly 60 percent. The launch of the PURL mechanism in August was seen as a response to this downward trend. The Finnish government had earlier prioritised purchases from domestic industry but now sees the PURL mechanism as an urgent step. Hakkanen said Finland would continue supporting Ukraine through other means, including direct aid and purchases from European defence companies. The Brussels summit also addressed the broader security situation in Eastern Europe. Ministers discussed enhancing missile and drone defences, with special focus on what NATO calls the eastern flank. Finland has advocated for a drone wall along the EUs eastern borders, originally proposed by Baltic states and now under wider consideration. Finland has argued that the eastern border faces the most direct threat from Russia and should be prioritised in EU funding allocations. We will communicate that Russias threat is greatest on the eastern flank. Others must show solidarity, Hakkanen said. Separately, NATO and the EU are working together to build a continent-wide drone detection and countermeasure network. Germany has announced plans to invest 10 billion in drone technologies, and France is expected to contribute to a new satellite-based warning system dubbed Odins Eye. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, Russian forces have intensified attacks across several fronts. Recent strikes hit critical energy infrastructure in Kharkiv and Kyiv, leading to widespread power outages. The Ukrainian military has ordered evacuations near Kupiansk due to worsening security conditions. President Volodymyr Zelenskyi is expected to raise the need for additional air defence support during a visit to Washington later this week. He will meet Donald Trump at the White House on Friday. The leaders are expected to discuss military assistance and possible pressure on Russia to engage in negotiations. Trump has previously said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could play a key role in ending the conflict. HT Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the meeting with a speech that acknowledged both the progress made and the challenges that remain. He pointed to persistent problems such as violence, discrimination, the effects of conflict, and the widening gender digital divide. Beijing hosted the Global Leaders Meeting on Women on 1314 October 2025, drawing together leaders from more than 110 countries to mark 30 years since the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women. The event, co-hosted by China and UN Women, was both a commemoration and a call to action aimed at renewing momentum for gender equality. Womens rights and interests must be better protected, and their participation in global governance strengthened, he said. Xi outlined several proposals to drive progress, including creating a supportive environment for womens growth, enhancing legal and social protections, and expanding womens roles in peacebuilding, green development, and technology. He urged governments to turn commitments into tangible policies that improve womens daily lives. China announced a package of new pledges during the meeting. This included 10 million US dollars for UN Women, 100 million US dollars in SouthSouth Cooperation Fund projects for women and girls, and 1,000 new livelihood programmes focused on womens employment and training. Xi also unveiled plans for a Global Center for Womens Capacity Building, which will train female professionals and promote international exchange. On the sidelines of the conference, Xi met Icelands President Halla Tomasdottir. The two leaders discussed closer cooperation in the economy, healthcare, and green energy, as well as the importance of dialogue in resolving global disputes. Tomasdottir welcomed Chinas leadership on womens issues and expressed interest in expanding cooperation between the two nations. Senior officials from the Chinese government and UN Women addressed the meeting, urging participants to move beyond statements of intent and take measurable action. A chairs statement issued at the end of the summit called for stronger political will, greater investment, and closer collaboration to achieve gender equality. Roughly 800 delegates attended, representing governments, international organisations, and advocacy groups. Many described the gathering as a chance to measure global progress since 1995 and to renew political attention to persistent barriers that prevent women from advancing into leadership roles. Speakers noted gains in education and workforce participation but said that progress in political representation has lagged. Calls were made for statutory quotas and legal frameworks to accelerate womens leadership worldwide. Several participants stressed that empowering women is essential not only for fairness but for sustainable growth and stability. The tone of the two-day meeting was forward-looking, with delegates emphasising shared responsibility in addressing the remaining gaps. The discussions reflected a growing consensus that womens equality must remain central to economic and social policy. The 2025 Global Leaders Meeting on Women closed with a message of determination to carry the spirit of the Beijing Declaration into a new era. The pledges and proposals announced in Beijing signalled a collective effort to ensure that women everywhere have the opportunity to shape the worlds future on equal terms. HT Ask Matt ... about Bold Rock apples, U.S. 64 property, debris fire Related Stories Q. Is Bold Rock Cider Company still using local apples? Not any longer. If you walk into the handsome Bold Rock facility on Schoolhouse Road and peer over the bar you will see a maze of cider production equipment but its not being used. Tap room manager Heagan Biggs said that maybe next year they will make small batch ciders there. What is puzzling is that the Bold Rock website boasts, At our Mills River, NC location, we proudly serve a diverse range of Bold Rock's locally crafted ciders, meticulously crafted from apples sourced right here in our community. That might need to get fixed. The taproom patrons can also order beer, but none that is locally brewed. Bold Rock began operations in Virginia in 2012 and opened its cidery and taproom in Mills River ten years ago. The cidery has since expanded its product line and opened taprooms in both states. But the company was recently acquired by Artisanal Brewing Ventures (ABV) headquartered in Charlotte where they have a taproom and cider-making facilities. The expanded company ships to some 20 states primarily on the East Coast and has expanded beyond hard cider to include hard tea, hard lemonade, craft spirits and ready-to-drink craft cocktails. We reached out to ABV to find where they source their apples but were unsuccessful. There are two other cider companies in Henderson County, Appalachian Ridge and Flat Rock Cider Company. Both source apples locally. We grow our own and we also use Barnwells apples, said Barbara Walker who manages both the Appalachian Ridge and St. Pauls Winery. We blend cider just like wine some sweet apples, some tart. Walker thinks the sourcing of Bold Rocks apples is a pricing issue, not the lack of the varieties they want. Theyre all here, she said. Appalachian Ridge is opening a cider and wine tasting room in Atlantic Beach, NC. We named it St. Paul Mountain Vinyards Going Coastal and it will open October 8th, said Walker. We want to keep business in North Carolina and were sourcing local cheeses and two local beers. Q. I understand that Cooper Construction finally sold the lot on US64 West across from the Citys Oakdale Cemetery. Who bought it? Blue Ridge Community Health Services (BRCHS) acquired the 1.2 acre L shaped parcel last year. Tammy Greenwell, BRCHSs CEO, said that the plan is to build a new clinic on the site. We are getting ready to start a capital campaign, said Greenwell. The building will have clinic space and a pharmacy. The site will support the growth of BRCHSs 12-year-old Teaching Health Center which is operating out of their Justice Street location. Because the construction is years away, the final square footage for the building is unknown but due to the slope of the site it will be multi-storied. We are excited about the project because we will be able to retain our physicians and the proximity to Pardee Hospital is also a plus, said Greenwell. Established in the 1960s to serve vulnerable populations, BRCHS has several locations in WNC, the largest being the complex in the median of Chimney Rock Road (US64 East) next door to the Lost Sock Laundromat. By coincidence, BRCHS lost their CEO in September when Dr. Richard Hudspeth stepped down to run for Congress. Q. Why is it taking so long to put out the fire in the stump dump in Mills River and how did it start? It is assumed that the fire at the Riverside Stump Dump, which was first reported at 2 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, was caused by spontaneous combustion. It is not unusual for a pile of debris, in this case 75 feet high, to ignite by itself from heat. I spoke with Scott Burnette, the interim fire chief of the Mills River Fire & Rescue, who said the fire, now in its 10th day, could burn for another week. There is no risk of spreading, the chief said. There is a natural fire-break, a 24-hour on-site watch and continual checking by our department. Burnette estimated that there were 15 tons of mulch, nearly all from Hurricane Helene. No other fire departments were called in for assistance. Upon arriving at the scene, we focused on three exposures the nearby cell tower, a propane tank and the office, Burnette said. Fortunately, there was a fire hydrant at the dumps entrance on NC 191. Some 4 million gallons of water had been applied. Because of the runoff, the Mills River ran black for four days and the city of Hendersonville Water Department switched to an alternative raw water intake, he said. Burnette explained the science of the fire. Because the fire was burning at the very bottom of a huge pile of mulch, water could not reach it and combustion was incomplete thus causing massive amounts of smoke. It may sound counterintuitive but adding water causes more smoke. The best solution is to let the fire burn itself out, Burnette said. That was not readily accepted by neighbors such as the Appalachian Mountain Brewery next door. The tap room closed its doors last weekend due to shifting winds blowing smoke into the tap room. French lens captures tropical romance, development in south China Xinhua) 16:44, October 15, 2025 HAIKOU, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- On an azure shore in Sanya in south China's Hainan Province, French photographer Ludovic Eric Shen meticulously adjusted his camera, capturing a perfect moment during the wedding photoshoot of a Chinese couple. "Perfect! Turn your face slightly to the right... Beautiful! Walk a little, look at me... smile, wonderful!" Such were his instructions during the shoot, as he guided the couple with both precision and care. Behind the camera, Ludovic isn't just targeting frozen moments of happiness, but also framing a beautiful fusion of French romantic aesthetics and Hainan's tropical allure. Ludovic's journey to China began in 2018, after spending 16 years in Mexico, where he honed his skills in commercial photography and visual arts. His first visit to Sanya during the Chinese Lunar New Year left an indelible mark on him. "The sky was ablaze with fireworks, it was an unforgettable memory," he recalled. Ludovic later decided to return to Sanya to establish his own photography business, calling it LES Photography, and specializing in wedding and family portraits. His company now brings together a diverse team of international photographers and local Chinese staff. Having experienced both Western and Asian cultures, Ludovic is particularly struck by the emphasis on family, emotion and tradition in Chinese weddings. As the art director of LES Photography, Ludovic believes that the essence of photography lies in capturing genuine emotions and experiences. "Photography is not just about pressing the shutter. It's about helping couples express their true feelings in a natural and relaxed way," he explained. His studio focuses on simple, elegant and authentic styles, blending international photography concepts with local culture to deliver immersive experiences. "I love the sunlight, the sea and the openness of Hainan's culture," Ludovic said. Since settling in Sanya, he has witnessed the city's rapid tourism growth and new opportunities delivered by the Hainan Free Trade Port. Recent policy reforms, notably, have made it easier for foreign entrepreneurs to register companies and collaborate with local partners. "The business environment here is becoming more open and efficient. We've received strong policy support that helps us grow with confidence," Ludovic said. Ludovic's company continues to expand, and he plans to open branches in Hainan's provincial capital Haikou and Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan Province, while also seeking to set up overseas shooting bases in Paris and Milan to offer cross-border wedding services to Chinese clients. "I hope to build LES Photography into one of the top wedding photography brands in Sanya," he said. With Hainan's island-wide special customs operations scheduled to take effect on Dec. 18, cross-border exchanges are expected to become even smoother and more dynamic. For Ludovic, this marks another chapter in his journey of connection and creation. "I was born in France, lived in Mexico for 16 years, and now China has become an inseparable part of my life -- my second home," he said. "Through photography, I hope to share emotions and stories that bridge cultures and help the world see a more open and diverse China." (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) South African agriculture: Seeking transformation amid challenges, pursuing growth through diversification 15:56, October 15, 2025 By Madiketso Madi Motaung ( People's Daily Online South Africa's agricultural sector has recently shown a complex yet positive trend: strong crop production performance in the third quarter has boosted overall industry growth. Meanwhile, facing international trade barriers, the sector is accelerating market diversification. Diverging production patterns: Crop farming becomes the growth engine Contributing about 3 percent to the national GDP, agriculture plays an outsized role in the economy through its strong links with processing, logistics, and other industries. Summer grains and oilseeds have become key growth drivers. Thanks to abundant rainfall and expanded planting areas, output surged by 28 percent year-on-year to nearly 20 million tonnes. Despite pests and drought, winter crops achieved 4 percent growth, with wheat and canola maintaining stable yields. Trade under pressure: Turning to Asian markets Facing U.S. tariffs of up to 30 percent on certain agricultural products, South Africa's agricultural industry has shown notable adaptability and accelerated diversification efforts. In February 2025, South Africa successfully opened the Philippine market for fresh grapes. Exports of citrus to Vietnam and avocados to China continue to grow, while a cross-continental supply chain connecting Africa and Asia through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is taking shape. South Africa is seeking new opportunities in markets traditionally dominated by South American and EU competitors. In 2024, South African agricultural exports reached $13.7 billion, and in the second quarter of 2025, exports rose 10 percent year-on-year to $3.7 billion, clear evidence of early success in diversification. Inclusive policies and technological innovation drive upgrading Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen emphasized that inclusion has shifted from being a moral imperative to becoming central to growth and competitiveness. During South Africa's G20 presidency, inclusive market participation and technological innovation have been listed as two of the four strategic pillars to transform policy into tangible productivity gains. This aligns with recent rural development research. Technological innovation is becoming the key driver of transformation. As South Africa marks the centenary of its agricultural extension services, digital transformation is accelerating. ChinaSouth Africa agricultural cooperation has delivered significant results in this transformation. In KwaZulu-Natal's sugarcane fields, drones from Chinese company XAG can cover 170 hectares per day per unit, far exceeding manual efficiency and enhancing precision agriculture. In Limpopo Province, the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, developed by China, enables precision planting and disaster early warning, helping farmers mitigate the effects of droughts and other natural risks. According to Vhembe University farm manager Kutama, these collaborations represent more than just technological upgrades, they connect South Africa to the global digital agriculture network, positioning the country at the forefront of smart farming in Africa. Challenges remain, but resilience offers hope Despite promising prospects, the industry faces multiple challenges. In response, the government and industry are working together. The Department of Agriculture is engaging the U.S. on tariffs while adding 260 new agricultural technicians through the "Farmer Field School" program. On the business side, companies are exploring alternative markets, such as India, and adjusting their strategies in line with global demand trends. Industry experts believe that as diversified market strategies deepen, technology becomes more widespread, and inclusive policies take hold, South Africa's agriculture will further ease short-term pressures and strengthen its distinctive position in global agricultural trade. (Web editor: Hongyu, Wu Chengliang) Auckland has just welcomed its newest hot spot for style-led stays with the opening of TRIBE Auckland Fort Street - the first New Zealand location for the bold, design-driven hotel brand that's transforming hospitality worldwide. Part of Accor's global portfolio of hospitality brands, TRIBE was created in response to a simple fact: today's travellers want more from their stay - smart design, social connection, and high-quality experiences at accessible prices. In the Heart of the City Perfectly positioned between Auckland's bustling waterfront and Spark Arena, TRIBE Auckland Fort Street is the ideal base for those wanting to be in the thick of it all. From ferry-hopping to Waiheke's wineries, exploring the city's museums and galleries, or diving into downtown nightlife, the hotel connects guests directly to the city's energy. Just minutes from Britomart transport hub and the vibrant shopping, dining and nightlife spots at Commercial Bay, Viaduct Harbour, and Wynyard Quarter, it's equally suited to business and leisure. Design That Works Harder TRIBE's 60 guest rooms are compact in footprint but big on personality. Every detail - from sleek furniture and intuitive tech to soft lighting and bold interiors - has been designed to balance function with flair, creating retreats that feel both stylish and comfortable. A Buzzing Social Hub At the heart of the hotel is a lively lobby bar and social hub designed to be more than just a thoroughfare. With vibrant communal areas, iconic design pieces, and little unexpected touches, TRIBE invites travellers and locals to connect, work, or simply unwind. On-site restaurant Sienna keeps the atmosphere flowing with a 'So-Cal' inspired dining and drinks menu, while a grab-and-go counter offers vibrant menu designed for those on the move, offering a delicious range of salads, bowls, sandwiches, and snacks made with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Affordable Style With rooms starting from $161 per night, TRIBE Auckland Fort Street makes it possible to experience a bold new era of design-led hospitality without the premium price tag. TRIBE Auckland Fort Street is located at 40 Fort Street, Auckland. To find out more or to book a stay, visit tribehotels.com Hotel website Proper Hospitality today announced Dallas Proper Hotel and Residences, a flagship destination anchoring Uptown Dallas. Developed with Dallas-based Lincoln Property Company, the 34-story tower will open in 2029, establishing a new benchmark for design, wellness, and hospitality in Texas. Located on a rare four-acre site at 2500 Cedar Springs Road, Dallas Proper is the most significant new luxury hotel and residences development in the city in decades. It brings together world-class architecture, soulful interiors, and a vertically integrated lifestyle ecosystem unlike anything else in the region. ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN With architecture by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and interiors by Kelly Wearstler, Dallas Proper pairs globally recognized design pedigree with Proper's signature sensibility: soulful elegance, material richness, and a strong sense of place. Cascading terraces, shaded outdoor amenities, and floor-to-ceiling glass will create a refined silhouette on the Uptown skyline. WELLNESS & PROPER CLUB The heart of the project is a 15,000-square-foot Wellness Center and an intimate members-only Proper Club, a first-of-its-kind concept in Dallas. The expansive Wellness Center will combine holistic therapies, performance-driven fitness, and advanced recovery. Indoor and outdoor lounges, terraces, and cultural programming will make the space a hub for both social and physical vitality. Members of the Proper Club will enjoy a dedicated 6,000-square-foot social space featuring its own restaurant, pool, bar, lounge, and work areas, along with full access to the complete Wellness Center. HOTEL EXPERIENCE The Dallas Proper Hotel will feature approximately 200 guestrooms and suites, along with three restaurants, five bar and lounge concepts, a rooftop pool deck with skyline views, and 22,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space for private gatherings, brand activations, and celebrations. RESIDENCES & PRIVATE AMENITIES On the upper floors, Dallas Proper Residences will offer approximately 80 branded homes ranging from one to four bedrooms, including a limited collection of one- and two-story penthouses with panoramic city views. Interiors by Kelly Wearstler will blend natural textures, vintage-modern influences, and signature Proper detail. Residential owners will enjoy a private rooftop pool, dining terrace, and owners' lounge, along with exclusive access to both the Proper Club and Wellness Center. NEIGHBORHOOD & IMPACT Situated at the gateway to Uptown near Klyde Warren Park and the Katy Trail, Dallas Proper is positioned in the city's most central and connected neighborhood. With a Walk Score of 93 and proximity to Dallas Love Field, the property offers seamless access to both business and leisure. According to PwC and ULI, Dallas-Fort Worth is the number one U.S. real estate market for 2025, driven by long-term growth, business migration, and urban investment. Dallas Proper will anchor that momentum with a luxury development on a flagship scale, something the city hasn't seen in nearly two decades. OPENING 2029 Dallas Proper Hotel and Residences are expected to open in 2029. To join the priority interest list for Dallas Proper Residences, launching in early 2026, visit properhotel.com/dallas-residences. Hotel website Minor Hotels, a global hospitality group with hotels, resorts and branded residences across 59 countries, confirms that Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel is on track to open in April 2026, introducing the Sunshine Coast's first internationally-branded new-build hotel in nearly four decades. Developed, owned and operated by KPAT Hotels under a franchise agreement with Minor Hotels, the 12-storey, 180-key property will set a new benchmark for premium coastal hospitality in one of Australia's fastest-growing regions. Strategic Location and Design Occupying a prime corner site on Brisbane Road and First Avenue, the hotel lies just 100 metres from Mooloolaba Beach - itself undergoing a major foreshore revitalisation with expanded parkland, enhanced access and new community spaces. Sunshine Coast Airport is only 15 minutes away, with key attractions such as Australia Zoo within a 30-minute drive. Designed and built by KPAT Hotels, the property features spacious rooms and one-bedroom suites ranging from 27 to 45 sqm, many of which offer interconnecting options, making them ideal for families and groups. Each accommodation seamlessly blends contemporary design with coastal-inspired materials, offering 24-hour in-room dining and high-speed WiFi connectivity. Elevated Experiences and Facilities Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel will feature three distinctive dining venues, including a signature restaurant and bar located on the 12th floor, offering views across Mooloolaba Beach, Point Cartwright and the Glass House Mountains. The property will also feature a rooftop pool and bar, a vibrant lobby bar and a modern Australian restaurant that celebrates local produce and coastal flavours. The hotel's dedicated events floor will set a new benchmark for celebrations on the Sunshine Coast, featuring four flexible venues that can host up to 250 guests. Positioned on the third floor with soaring views of the Mooloolaba River, the spaces blend natural textures and contemporary finishes with advanced audiovisual technology and Avani's intuitive, detail-driven service. Wellness is integral to the guest experience, with AvaniSpa, a serene sanctuary featuring private treatment suites and a sauna for complete relaxation, and AvaniFit, a contemporary fitness concept that pairs high-performance training facilities with in-room wellbeing programmes designed to energise, restore and bring balance to every stay. A Milestone for Minor Hotels' Growth Strategy The launch of Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel aligns with Minor Hotels' global expansion strategy, supporting the group's ambition to surpass 850 properties by the end of 2027. Hotel website Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North announces the appointment of Hani Kirollos as Resort Manager. In his new role, Hani will oversee day-to-day operations of the Resort, ensuring the seamless delivery of the intuitive service, elevated experiences, and genuine care that define the Four Seasons brand. A hospitality professional with more than 20 years of global luxury experience, Hani brings a wealth of operational expertise and a proven track record of developing high-performing teams. Most recently, he served as Resort Manager at Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara in San Diego, where he led the property through a period of exceptional growth and guest satisfaction. Hani's career has spanned key leadership positions across renowned brands including Four Seasons, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Cavallo Point Lodge, and InterContinental Hotels, with extensive experience in Food & Beverage, Rooms, Spa, Engineering, Housekeeping, Security, and Project Management. His hands-on leadership approach and commitment to cultivating a culture of excellence have consistently delivered results in both guest experience and financial performance. Fluent in English and Arabic, with working knowledge of French and Spanish, Hani brings a global perspective to his leadership. He is a graduate of the Cornell University General Managers Program, holds a degree in Hotel and Tourism Management from Florida Atlantic University, and studied Aviation Science at Western Michigan University. His diverse background and international outlook have shaped a management style rooted in empathy, adaptability, and collaboration. Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, Puerto Rico's legendary oceanfront retreat originally built in 1919 by Frederick William Vanderbilt, proudly welcomes celebrated Executive Chef Juan A. Pena to lead its acclaimed culinary program. Chef Juan A. Pena's 25-year international career spans acclaimed Five-Star and Five-Diamond properties, including The Ritz-Carlton Isla Verde, The St. Regis Bahia Beach, and The Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Dorado Beach. Renowned for his innovative, ingredient-driven cuisine and exceptional leadership, Pena has received multiple accolades, including AAA Four Diamond recognitions, MVP Awards, and international guest chef invitations. At Condado Vanderbilt, he oversees the property's eight dining outlets, in-room dining, and banquet operations, infusing a fresh, sophisticated perspective into every culinary offering. For more information or to make a reservation, please visit www.condadovanderbilt.com or follow the hotel on Instagram at @condadovanderbilt. Hotel & Tourism Investment Forum - HTIF is the most influential hospitality conference in Bulgaria and one of the most attended in Europe. On October 14 and 15, 2025, the 10th anniversary edition of the event will gather more than 600 hotel owners, investors and executives, as well as representatives of educational institutions, the state and municipal administration, industry vendors and official guests. This event is organized by Bulgarian Association of Hotel Executives (BAHE) For more information please contact Iva Georgieva Around the world, governments are taking the lead in driving sustainability within the tourism and hospitality industry setting standards, rewarding innovation, and shaping a greener future for travel. One notable example is the Dubai Sustainable Tourism (DST) Stamp, introduced by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). The programme was designed to recognise hotels that demonstrate outstanding commitment to sustainable practices across 19 key areas, including energy and water efficiency, waste reduction, responsible sourcing, and community engagement. Under the initiatives three-tier system (Gold, Silver, and Bronze), hotels are assessed annually to ensure continuous progress. Earlier this year, 153 hotels across Dubai received the DST Stamp. Among the Gold Tier recipients were Atlantis The Palm, Jumeirah Al Qasr, Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf, Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa, and Paramount Hotel Midtown. Al Jaddaf Rotana Suite Hotel earned Silver recognition, while DoubleTree by Hilton Dubai M Square was honoured with Bronze status. The DST Stamp illustrates how policy-driven sustainability frameworks can motivate the private sector to adopt measurable environmental standards, aligning local tourism strategies with global goals such as Net Zero 2050. As sustainability becomes a defining factor in hospitality success, such initiatives are setting a strong precedent for other destinations worldwide. ABOUT GCSTIMES Since 2011, GCSTlMES has pioneered sustainable development, evolving from smart card R&D to sustainable material innovation. Today, we stand as a global platform for sustainable solutions. Sustainability is our foundation. Through technological innovation and creative solutions, GCSTlMES delivers diverse services and tangible products, positioning ourselves as both manufacturers and innovators. GCSTlMES believes technology should empower human progress and cultural preservation. By integrating sustainability into technology, we aim to make it "warm" and purposeful. Our products serve as cultural ambassadors, promoting local heritage worldwide. Brand Portfolio: GCS, AUROkeys, Xenyra, and Glint Spot, offering sustainable smart cards, creative (custom-shaped) key cards sustainable supplies, cultural gifts, and bespoke design and related services. Currently, GCSTlMES has five operational centers in China, US, UAE, France, and Australia, along with 20 subsidiaries and offices worldwide. Its services extend to over 140 countries and regions supporting more than 100,000 international hospitality group in achieving low-carbon and sustainable development goals. GCS Times MKT Team Singapore IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) today announced a milestone in its sustainability journey, with Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay becoming the first IHG hotel in Asia to join IHGs Low Carbon Pioneer hotel programme. IHGs Low Carbon Pioneers is a growing global community of IHG properties that are energy efficient, have no fossil fuels combusted on-site* and are backed by renewable energy. Since its opening in 2014, Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay has been recognised for its sustainability-focused design, which includes a fully electric kitchen, hot water heat pumps, high-efficiency water fixtures, and an intelligent building management system that optimises energy usage without compromising guest comfort. It also features solar glazing and advanced lighting controls, ensuring efficient use of daylight and electricity throughout the day. The hotel has been accredited with GSTC certification, a global standard for sustainability in travel and tourism, further demonstrating its commitment to sustainable tourism practices. Recently, the hotel celebrated winning the 2025 Singapore Hotel Sustainability Award, presented by the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) and achieved a Water Efficient Building Certification from PUB in recognition of its continued sustainability efforts. Businesses, trade bodies and governments are working together to drive lasting change. In Singapore, the Singapore Hotel Association and the Singapore Tourism Board have launched the Hotel Sustainability Roadmap, in support of Singapores Green Plan 2030. This initiative targets 60% of hotels to achieve internationally recognised sustainability certification by 2025 and aims for the industry to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. IHG is taking active steps to make a positive difference and support a wider change throughout the hospitality industry. In addition to Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay joining IHGs Low Carbon Pioneers programme, the company has also announced that Hotel Indigo Changi Airport, which will open in 2028, aims to attain a zero-energy** certification level under the Green Mark Scheme of the Singapore Building and Construction Authority (BCA).* It is wonderful to see Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay becoming the first IHG hotel in Asia to join IHGs Low Carbon Pioneer programme. We are committed to supporting Singapores sustainability roadmap and reducing the carbon footprint of our hotels, which also includes InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay and Holiday Inn Singapore Little India. Future-proofing our assets is incredibly important, and adopting carbon reduction practices is a present-day business imperative. Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay shows how performance and responsibility can go hand in hand. Kishin RK, Founder and CEO of RB Capital Group The inclusion of Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay as the first hotel in Asia to join IHGs Low Carbon Pioneer programme marks an exciting milestone in IHGs Journey to Tomorrow responsible business plan. Weve worked closely with RB Capital for a long time, and we are aligned in our ambition to tackle climate change and manage the environmental impact of our hotels. Im delighted to see these efforts recognised, with Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay joining the Low Carbon Pioneers programme. We are committed to working closely with government and industry partners to accelerate sustainability efforts at scale, and hope this inspires many more hotels in the region to follow suit. Vivek Bhalla, Managing Director, South East Asia & Korea, IHG Hotels & Resorts IHGs Low Carbon Pioneers programme aligns with its global ambition to reduce carbon emissions across its portfolio, as outlined in its Journey to Tomorrow responsible business plan. The programme is designed to bring together low operational carbon hotels to help test, learn and share findings on sustainability measures and become flagships for sustainable hospitality. As well as celebrating low carbon hotels, it also supports hotel owners in future-proofing their businesses offering benefits such as eligibility for green financing, stronger regulatory alignment, and increased guest and corporate client preference for sustainable stays. Find out more about the carbon reduction practices at each hotel here. The full criteria for a Low Carbon Pioneer hotel is available here. *Except for backup generators that fall below 5% of the hotels total annual energy consumption. ** Zero energy certification under the Green Mark Scheme is only applicable in Singapore. About IHG IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good. With a family of 17 hotel brands and IHG Rewards, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in more than 100 countries, and a further 1,800 in the development pipeline. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 350,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally. Visit us online for more about our hotels and reservations and IHG Rewards. For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Moxy Tulum Hotel - Image Credit Marriott International Moxy Tulum Hotel - Image Credit Marriott International Moxy Tulum Hotel - Image Credit Marriott International Moxy Tulum Hotel - Image Credit Marriott International Moxy Hotels has opened its first property in Tulum, marking the brand's debut in the Caribbean and Latin America. Moxy Hotels has launched its first location in Tulum, Mexico, expanding its presence into the Caribbean and Latin America. The new hotel, Moxy Tulum, is situated near the National Jaguar Park and the Mayan Ruins, offering 122 rooms. This development is part of Marriott International's strategy to diversify its brand offerings in high-demand leisure destinations. The hotel is positioned close to downtown Tulum, providing guests with access to local shopping, spas, galleries, parks, and beaches. The property features various room configurations, including 55 DoubleDouble Rooms with two Queen Beds and rooms with Twin bunks. Amenities include motion-activated LED lighting, keyless entry, flat-screen TVs, complimentary Wi-Fi, and a gym. Additionally, guests can book a Temazcal ceremony, a traditional steam bath. Moxy Tulum incorporates design elements that reflect the local environment, with features such as latticework inspired by traditional toys and a clay envelope. The hotel also includes a Moxy Bar & Restaurant, which is integrated into an open-concept lobby. The space offers craft cocktails, local brews, and regionally inspired dishes in a setting that combines industrial and rustic aesthetics. Moxy Tulum is part of the Marriott Bonvoy program, allowing members to earn and redeem points for stays and other experiences. Melia Miami Brickell - Image Credit Melia Hotels Melia Hotels International will introduce its first U.S. branded residences with the Melia Miami Brickell in Miami's Brickell District. Melia Hotels International has announced plans to open its first branded residences in the United States with the Melia Miami Brickell. The development is located at 1120 SW 3rd Avenue in Miami's Brickell District. The project is a collaboration with Urban Network Capital Group. The Melia Miami Brickell will feature 110 residences. The location is strategically positioned near I-95 and the Brickell City Centre. The development aims to combine private homeownership with hotel services. Amenities planned for the Melia Miami Brickell include an infinity pool, wellness center, concierge services, and dining options. Adriana Hoyos Design Studio will handle the design of the common areas, while Concepto Taller de Arquitectura | Interior Design will oversee the residences. This project is part of Melia Hotels International's strategy to expand its branded residences model, which merges real estate with hospitality. The company has implemented similar concepts in locations such as Dubai and Seychelles. Melia's expansion into the U.S. branded residences market adds to its existing presence in the country, which includes properties in New York and Orlando. MainStay Suites Launches in Australia with Seven New Properties - Image Credit Choice Hotels Choice Hotels International has introduced its MainStay Suites brand to Australia, marking the brand's first expansion outside North America with seven new properties. Choice Hotels International has announced the launch of its MainStay Suites brand in Australia, marking the brand's first expansion outside North America. The introduction includes seven new properties located in Melbourne, Whyalla, Mackay, and Townsville. This move is part of Choice Hotels' strategy to strengthen its presence in the extended stay segment in international markets. The addition of these properties increases Choice Hotels' Australian portfolio to 163 hotels and 7,487 rooms. The Australian market is experiencing a rise in demand for extended stay accommodations, driven by sectors such as business, healthcare, government, and construction. MainStay Suites aims to meet this demand by providing apartment-style accommodations with hotel amenities, including fully equipped kitchens, spacious living areas, laundry facilities, and dedicated workspaces. The launch is part of a direct franchising agreement with Extended STAY Australasia, a company that has been pivotal in developing the extended stay concept in the region. This collaboration allows Choice Hotels to leverage Extended STAY Australasia's local expertise and operational capabilities. Advertisement All MainStay Suites properties in Australia will participate in the Choice Privileges loyalty program, which allows members to earn and redeem points at over 7,100 hotels worldwide. The brand's entry into Australia is expected to provide opportunities for investors and developers interested in the growing extended stay sector, with options for both new builds and conversions. This expansion into Australia is part of Choice Hotels' broader international growth strategy, which includes recent developments in China, Japan, and Latin America. The company has entered into a long-term distribution and master franchise agreement with SSAW Hotels & Resorts in China, adding over 9,500 rooms to its Ascend Collection. In Japan, Choice Hotels has introduced 22 new Comfort properties, expanding its portfolio to 96 hotels across the country. Choice Hotels has also expanded in the Caribbean and Latin America through strategic partnerships, including an agreement with Atlantica Hospitality International in Brazil. The company's Canadian portfolio has grown to 350 hotels and 30,000 rooms, following the acquisition of the remaining stake in Choice Hotels Canada. In Europe, the company has nearly doubled its presence in France with 50 new hotels. 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 Chinese customs officers in the eastern province of Shandong have confiscated 60,000 maps they said contained errors, including mislabelling Taiwan and omitting parts of the South China Sea that Beijing claims as its own. Authorities said the maps, intended for export, endangered Chinas national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to reports. They also lacked the nine-dash line a marker used by Beijing to assert its control over nearly the entire South China Sea and omitted several important islands, including those disputed with Japan and Southeast Asian neighbours, reported Channel News Asia. Chinas General Administration of Customs said officers in the coastal city of Qingdao intercepted the problematic maps during an inspection. The maps did not include the Diaoyu Islands known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan or the maritime boundary separating Chinese and Japanese territory, according to a statement released this week. Officials also accused the producers of failing to obtain review numbers from the Ministry of Natural Resources, which must approve all maps and cartographic products before they are distributed or exported from mainland China. Beijing regards the self-ruled island of Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring it under its control. Taiwan, however, operates as a separate democracy with its own government and constitution. The mainlands demand that maps label the island as a province of China reflects that position. The nine-dash line, which extends from Chinas southern coast across hundreds of miles of open sea, represents Beijings sweeping claim to most of the South China Sea. The area is also claimed in parts by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. A 2016 international tribunal in The Hague rejected the line as legally invalid a ruling China dismissed. The seizure of the maps comes as maritime tensions escalate again in the region. Over the weekend, Manila accused a Chinese coastguard vessel of deliberately ramming and firing a water cannon at a Philippine government boat near Thitu Island, part of the contested Spratly Islands. Beijing countered that the incident occurred after the Philippine ship ignored repeated stern warnings and dangerously approached its vessel. Washington, a defence ally of the Philippines, condemned the ramming and water cannoning and reaffirmed its support for Manila as they confront Chinas dangerous actions which undermine regional stability. Confiscation of maps that do not align with Chinas official borders is not uncommon, though the number seized in Shandong is unusually high. In 2019, customs officers in the same city destroyed 29,000 maps that depicted Taiwan as a separate country, while in 2022, officials in Zhejiang province seized more than 23,000 for similar reasons. Goods that fail customs inspection in China are typically destroyed, and authorities said the latest batch of maps will meet the same fate. 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 once-bustling border village of Martoli, nestled within Uttarakhand's Johar Valley, now stands largely in ruins, its stone buildings a stark reminder of a bygone era. Surrounded by the majestic Himalayan peaks, including Nanda Devi, once considered the world's tallest, this northern Indian settlement thrived on cross-border trade. Historically, Martoli exchanged sugar, lentils, spices, and cloth for salt and wool with Tibetan communities. Its nomadic inhabitants would spend winters in the plains, gathering goods for their summer expeditions across the border. open image in gallery Kishan Singh, right, and Vijay Singh winnow buckwheat in Martoli village ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) However, this vibrant way of life was abruptly halted in 1962 when an armed conflict between India and China led to the sealing of the border, devastating the high-altitude villages and offering little reason for their residents to return. Kishan Singh, who was 14 when he left with his family to settle in the lower village of Thal, still returns to Martoli every summer to till the land and grow buckwheat, strawberries and black cumin. At 77, he has a smiling, ruddy face. His ancestral home has no roof, so he sleeps in a neighbours abandoned home for the six months he spends in this village cooking for himself and farming. open image in gallery An aerial view shows the abandoned village ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) I enjoy being in the mountains and the land here is very fertile, he says. In late autumn, he hires mules to transport his harvest to his home in the plains to sell it at a modest profit. The largest of the Johar Valley villages had about 1,500 people at its peak in the early 1960s. Martoli had about 500 people then, while some of the dozen or so others had 10 to 15 homes each. open image in gallery Lichen grows on the stone walls of a structure in the abandoned village of Martoli ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) About three or four people return to Martoli each summer now. A few villagers are returning in summers to the nearby villages of Laspa, Ghanghar and Rilkot as they can now travel in vehicles to within a few kilometers (miles) of their villages on a recently built unpaved road. Among the scattered remnants of earlier stone homes in Martoli, a new guesthouse has sprung up to cater to a few trekkers who walk past the village en route to the Nanda Devi base camp. 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 Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to a "temporary ceasefire" on Wednesday, Islamabad announced, after an airstrike and ground fighting killed over a dozen civilians and sent tensions soaring. The truce aims to halt hostilities along their volatile, contested frontier. Wednesday's clashes shattered a fragile peace, following weekend fighting that killed dozens. These confrontations mark the worst between the two Islamic countries since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021. A Pakistani foreign ministry statement confirmed the 48-hour ceasefire began at 1300 GMT on Wednesday. It noted that "both sides will make sincere efforts, through constructive dialogue, to find a positive solution to this complex yet resolvable issue," adding the truce was agreed upon at the request of the Afghan Taliban government. Afghan Taliban administration spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, however, asserted the agreement resulted from the "request and insistence of the Pakistani side". He added that Kabul has directed its forces to observe the ceasefire, "provided the other side does not commit aggression." The ceasefire comes after Pakistan carried out an airstrike in Afghanistan's Kandahar province on Wednesday, Afghan and Pakistan officials said. open image in gallery Smoke rises up from the site of explosions in Kabul, amid heavy border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan. ( AFP via Getty Images ) The agreement comes after fresh fighting broke out on Wednesday along the volatile Pakistan-Afghanistan border, killing more than a dozen civilians and troops to shatter a fragile peace after weekend clashes that killed dozens. The weekend fighting was the worst between the neighbours since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021, despite regular clashes between their security forces along the contested 2,600 km (1,600-mile) frontier. The Afghan Taliban said more than a dozen of its civilians were killed and 100 wounded as Pakistani forces launched attacks in the early hours of Wednesday in the district of Spin Boldak. Pakistan said four of its civilians were wounded in attacks by "Taliban forces" in the district of Chaman, which is opposite Spin Boldak across the frontier. Fighting between troops and militants in a second incident in Pakistan's border district of Orakzai killed six Pakistani paramilitary soldiers and wounded six, two security officials told Reuters. Nine militants were also killed, they said, adding that the violence broke out during a search in the area by troops after a militant attack last week killed 11 Pakistani soldiers. The Pakistani military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Orakzai clash. But it dismissed as "outrageous and blatant lies" Kabul's accusation that Pakistan had launched the attack in Spin Boldak. Border closed open image in gallery A line of cargo trucks bound for Pakistan is stranded on the Afghan side of the Torkham border crossing, which remained closed after clashes, in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan ( Associated Press/Wahidullah Kakar ) The recent friction between the two former allies erupted after Islamabad demanded that the Afghan Taliban administration tackle militants who have stepped up attacks in Pakistan, saying they operate from havens in Afghanistan. The Taliban accuses the Pakistani military of conspiring against Afghanistan by spreading misinformation, provoking border tension, and sheltering ISIS-linked militants to undermine the country's stability and sovereignty. Pakistan's military denies the charges and points to attacks in Pakistan by ISIS-K, or Islamic State Khorasan, the regional affiliate of the Islamic State group active in the neighbours. It opposes the Taliban and has carried out bombings targeting civilians, officials and foreign interests. The neighbours have closed several crossings along their border in the aftermath of the fighting, bringing trade to a halt and stranding scores of vehicles laden with goods. Pakistan is the main source of goods and food supplies for landlocked, impoverished Afghanistan. Last week's clashes drew international concern, with China urging protection for both its citizens and investments, Russia calling for restraint, and U.S. President Donald Trump saying he could help end the conflict. The latest tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan has coincided with Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's first visit to Pakistan's arch rival, India. On the visit, India and Afghanistan decided to upgrade ties, with New Delhi saying it would reopen its embassy in Kabul, while the Afghan Taliban plans to send its diplomats to India. 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 12 civilians were killed and nearly 100 others injured in Afghanistan after fresh military clashes broke out with Pakistan in a remote northwestern border region. The fighting on Tuesday marked the resumption of hostilities which erupted with clashes over the weekend that left at least 23 Pakistani troops and about a dozen Afghan soldiers dead. It was the worst episode of fighting between the neighbours since the Taliban took back power in 2021. In the aftermath, Pakistan shut down multiple crossings along the 2,600km frontier, abruptly halting trade and leaving scores of loaded goods vehicles stranded on both sides. In the wake of the latest clashes, the Taliban claimed that they killed a large number of Pakistani soldiers, captured their posts, seized their weapons, and destroyed most of their facilities in retaliation for an attack in the early hours of Wednesday. Government spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, said Afghan forces retaliated to Pakistani soldiers invading in the border district of Spin Boldak in Kandahar province. Pakistan accused the Taliban of starting the fighting, saying its forces were responding to unprovoked cross-border firing by Afghan forces and local militants in the Kurram region. open image in gallery Cargo trucks bound for Pakistan are stranded on the Afghan side of the Torkham border crossing following military clashes between the neighbours ( AP ) The Pakistani military claimed the fighting was orchestrated by the Taliban "through divided villages in the area, with no regard for the civilian population, Associated Press reported. It also claimed to have killed between 15 and 20 Afghan troops, wounded many more, and damaged their forward posts as well as a tank, Pakistan Television reported. Taliban forces attacked a Pakistani post near Chaman, local administrator Habibullah Bangulzai told Reuters, referring to the village where the fighting was concentrated. The fighting continued for around five hours in the early hours of the morning, he said, adding that Pakistani forces "repulsed" the attack. open image in gallery An Afghan man wounded during ongoing clashes between Afghan and Pakistani forces receives treatment at a hospital in Spin Boldak area of Kandahar ( AFP via Getty ) The Asian neighbours have been locked in hostility for years. Islamabad has long accused Kabul of harbouring the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, a proscribed group blamed for carrying out several major terror attacks in the country in recent years. Kabul has denied the allegation. US president Donald Trump earlier this week hinted at his willingness to mediate the conflict between the neighbours. China urged both sides to maintain peace and to protect its citizens and investments, while Russia also urged restraint. 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 Malaysian police blamed social media after a 14-year-old boy stabbed a 16-year-old school student to death, sparking national outrage and calls for tighter online controls. The incident took place on Tuesday at a secondary school in Selangor, near Kuala Lumpur, where the two students studied. The police responded to the emergency call at 9.40am after a teacher heard her screams and found the victim near a toilet with multiple stab wounds. The suspect was detained within 30 minutes of the incident and is being held until 21 October at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters. Police have seized two sharp objects believed to have been used from the scene. It is believed that emotional impulses and the influence of social media have been identified as factors that may have led the suspect to behave in such a manner, Selangor police chief Shazeli Kahar told a press conference on Tuesday. Police said authorities have yet to establish a motive behind the incident. ( Selangor Police ) Prime minister Anwar Ibrahim responded by calling for stronger regulation of online platforms, citing a rise in violent incidents against girls in schools over recent months. The responsibility, of course, goes back to parents and schools, but almost all of these issues stem from the unchecked use of mobile phones and social media, Mr Ibrahim said after attending the Finance Ministrys monthly assembly in Putrajaya Wednesday. He added that his ministers would discuss stricter measures on social media usage at the next cabinet meeting. Videos of the incident purportedly showed the teenage boy walking in the school corridor with blood stained school uniform and a knife in hand. It is believed that the two had not interacted before the incident. The police confirmed the discovery of a handwritten note believed to have been left by the teenage suspect. The suspects father, a 40-year-old man who did not wish to be named, said he was heartbroken and could not comprehend his sons actions. I am heartbroken my son did this. I know that no matter what I say, its useless. No matter what I do, I cant get their daughter back. I dont know how to face them, he said, according to China Press. He described his son as introverted and quiet, saying there was nothing unusual about him on the morning of the attack. I sent him to school as usual. I didnt expect such a thing to happen, he said. 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 Singapore Customs is investigating a 25-year-old man for allegedly failing to declare a collection of Pokemon trading cards worth over 22,500. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said its agents discovered the undeclared cards during a baggage check at the Changi airport on 10 October. The man, a Singaporean, was directed to the screening area for inspection but told the officers he had nothing to declare, the agency said in a Facebook post on 14 October. However, a scan of his luggage revealed a large quantity of assorted Pokemon cards. The case was subsequently referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation. Authorities did not disclose further details about it. In its post, the immigration agency reminded all travellers that they must declare and pay duty as well as goods and services tax on all dutiable or taxable items purchased abroad that exceed their duty-free or GST relief allowances. Travellers uncertain about declaration requirements are advised to use the Red Channel or visit the Singapore Customs Tax Payment Office. Under Singaporean law, all goods brought into the country are subject to a nine per cent GST. Travellers returning after trips of 48 hours or more can claim relief on goods valued up to $500 while those who stay abroad for less than 48 hours are entitled to only $100 in relief. Crew members and long-term pass holders are not eligible for such exemptions. Goods that exceed duty-free limits and are not declared can attract financial penalties or prosecution. Pokemon trading cards have surged in value in recent years, with rare cards becoming sought-after collectibles among investors. According to data from analytics firm Card Ladder, the value of the cards has risen by 3,800 per cent since 2004, far outpacing traditional stock market gains, reported the Straits Times. 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 rogue police officers were sacked every day in the last year as the number of constables barred from police work soared to a record high. A total of 735 officers the equivalent of two a day were dismissed from forces in England and Wales in the year to March 2025. It is the most officers added to the College of Policings barred list which bans officers from ever returning to police work since the list began in 2017 and up 24 per cent on the previous year, when 594 were sacked. It comes after Britains biggest police force, the Metropolitan Police, found itself embroiled in a fresh racism and misogyny scandal after officers at Charing Cross police station were filmed calling for immigrants to be shot and bragging about using force against detainees. Ten officers are being fast-tracked for misconduct hearings after the damning undercover footage raised questions about culture and standards at the force. The College of Policing said the latest barred list figures, which cover the 43 forces in England and Wales, show a determined and robust effort to stamp out wrongdoing. The Met had the highest number of dismissals this year, with 183 sacked out of a workforce of 33,293, followed by Greater Manchester Police, with 43 officers out of 8,112 staff. open image in gallery Panorama's Rory Bibb exposed the alleged wrongdoing after spending seven months working undercover at Charing Cross Police station ( BBC Panorama ) The most common reason for dismissal was dishonesty, which was a factor in 126 cases, while 95 cases involved discrimination and 82 were linked to unlawfully accessing or sharing information. Multiple reasons can apply to any one case. A total of 72 officers who were sacked were accused of sexual offences or misconduct, with a further 31 cases involving officers who abused their position for a sexual purpose. Some 21 officers were sacked with child sexual offences listed as one or more of the reasons for their dismissal. A total of 45 cases involved being in a discriminatory WhatsApp group, while 26 were linked to domestic abuse or harassment. The majority of the officers added to the list were constables (640), but one chief officer and two chief superintendents were also among those kicked out. The figures also show that 280 members of police staff and 31 specials were put on the list, rising from 233 and 29 respectively. open image in gallery The Metropolitan Police had the highest number of dismissals ( PA Archive ) Since its introduction in December 2017, a total of 2,834 police officers, 223 special constables and 1,268 members of police staff have been added to the barred list. Assistant Chief Constable Tom Harding, director of operational standards at the College of Policing, said: These figures show a determined and robust effort from police forces to rid policing of officers whose behaviour falls below the high standards that we, and the public, expect from them. It goes without saying that any time an officers behaviour breaches professional standards, or even strays into criminality, it leaves a permanent stain on the reputation of policing. But the public can have confidence that their police forces are quickly identifying and dealing with unacceptable behaviour from officers and staff, who, through being on the barred list, will never work in policing again. The message is clear: our policing system is built on upholding our code of ethics, on courage, respect and empathy and public service, and there is no place in our police service for anyone whose behaviour goes against these values. 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 Afghan security forces who fought alongside British and US troops are still being hunted down, tortured and executed by the Taliban while the UK drags its heels over bringing at-risk Afghans to safety, The Independent can reveal. A shocking new investigation reveals more than 100 ex-Afghan forces have been killed in the country since 2023, with others tortured laying bare the danger facing servicemen left behind by allied forces following the Taliban takeover in 2021. The stark figures have renewed calls for the UK to deliver on its promise to help the thousands of eligible Afghans still waiting for sanctuary in Britain, with government delays over resettlement blamed for enabling the Taliban to wreak revenge over the past four years. Among those killed is Ali Gul Haidari, a former member of the Afghan special forces who worked closely with US troops, who was gunned down in front of his wife and children in early 2024. He was targeted after being deported back to Afghanistan from a neighbouring third country, having fled there to seek sanctuary. Others have been tortured at the hands of the Taliban and live in fear for their lives. Former commando Najmuddin served in one of two UK-funded special forces units, known as the Triples, and was approved for relocation to Britain six months ago. But, before he could flee to safety, he was detained yards from his front door and taken to prison, where he was so badly beaten that he had to be hospitalised. He was eventually released from Taliban custody after nearly a month and remains in Afghanistan. The Taliban announced an amnesty for former government officials and former members of the Afghan security forces when they first took power, but this was followed by a wave of reprisal killings. By June 2023, the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) had documented more than 200 extrajudicial killings, usually involving people being detained by Taliban security forces before being killed. In June this year, the Taliban prime minister repeated the pledge of an amnesty, assuring Afghans abroad they would not be harmed if they returned. But a painstaking analysis by newsroom Lighthouse Reports, along with The Independent and Afghan media partners Hasht-e Subh (8am Media) and Etilaat Roz, has uncovered at least 110 killings of former Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) from 2023 to mid-2025 proving that the persecution continues. Some killings were attributed to unknown gunmen or bodies found after mysterious disappearances. But other cases indicate former ANDSF have died during or following torture while in detention. During the court case over the catastrophic Ministry of Defence (MoD) data breach, which potentially put thousands of Afghans who helped UK forces at risk, a government barrister said it was a fundamental fact that reprisal attacks were not taking place on a scale that would indicate use of the data leak. But the Rimmer review, later commissioned by the MoD to explore the risk facing those affected by the leak, admitted the Taliban already had access to information it could use to track down and kill former security forces. Despite understanding this danger, the government announced the closure of two resettlement schemes open to those seeking sanctuary in Britain from Afghanistan in July with no prior warning, prompting fears many would be left exposed. open image in gallery A convoy of Taliban security personnel moves along a Kabul street as they celebrate the fourth anniversary of their takeover of Afghanistan this summer ( AFP/Getty ) As of October this year, there were an estimated 4,200 applicants and their family members who are eligible to come to the UK under the MoDs flagship Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) resettlement scheme still awaiting relocation. Wendy Chamberlain, Liberal Democrat MP and chair of the all-party parliamentary group for Afghan women and girls, said the findings were absolutely horrendous and called on ministers to revisit the decision to close the UKs resettlement schemes to new applicants. Major General Charlie Herbert, who worked alongside the Triples, described it as reprehensible that UK government delays in granting eligibility and visas have enabled the Taliban to wreak revenge on them since 2021. He added: The relocation of those eligible Afghans who supported us between 2001 and 2021 has been a long story of poor policy decisions, failed promises and ineffective delivery by successive governments. A spokesperson for the MoD said the department was honouring its commitment to Afghans eligible to come to the UK under the safe routes. They added that the strict security and entry checks required before relocation took time, and the government had been clear that the resettlement routes could not be open indefinitely. They didnt have any mercy Former Afghan special forces soldier Najmuddin had waited four years for a decision on his application for relocation to the UK. Having endured years living in severe danger, he finally had his chance to get to safety a visa to Pakistan organised by the MoD. He had served for more than a decade alongside the very best in the UK and Afghan armies in an elite unit known as Commando Force 333 (CF333), one of two special forces units set up by the British. This summer, he was given approval to come to Britain under the Arap resettlement scheme. But just as he was making plans to leave Afghanistan, he was arrested by the Taliban. His family believe he was taken and tortured because of his previous work fighting alongside the British. Describing the horrifying ordeal, a family member said: They didnt have any mercy on him. They beat him on his back, and other parts, and took out his nails. They were forcing him to accept that he was hiding guns but, as he wasnt, he couldnt accept that. Their goal was to take revenge on him for their sufferings during the republic. Many Taliban members had loved ones killed and arrested by the 333 unit during military operations back during the republic. The former Triples soldier was released from custody after mediation but remains severely unwell from the torture, his family said. Some of the details of his ordeal have been left out for safety reasons. Hameedullah Nasiri, who was in CF333 for 10 years, first as a soldier and then as an operations officer, and who moved to the UK in 2021, said he served alongside Najmuddin. He said he was shocked and saddened by the news that his former colleague was recently arrested and tortured. He went on a lot of joint operations with the British. Its so sad that despite being approved for Arap, he is still in Afghanistan, where he is in danger. open image in gallery Afghan men stand over a Soviet-era tank as Taliban security personnel march during a rally in August this year ( AFP/Getty ) Nasiri said he was in touch with around 14 other former colleagues who have been approved for relocation under Arap but are still awaiting relocation, and called on the UK to urgently speed up the evacuation process. Its too slow. These guys already have confirmation, they just need to move. It makes me angry. If the UK cant help them to get out, they should tell them this so they can try to get out of Afghanistan alone, he said. Gunned down in front of wife and children For some former service personnel, even if they do manage to get to safety in a neighbouring country, they will live in fear of one day being deported back into the hands of the Taliban. This was the case for Ali Gul Haidari, a former member of the Afghan special forces who worked closely with US troops. His commander, now in the US, described him as a brave soldier who conducted many operations alongside the Americans. A US special forces adviser who knew Haidari and served alongside his unit said they were fully integrated in all our operations. Six months after the takeover, Haidari was arrested by the Taliban and tortured in custody, his wife Hawa said an ordeal which prompted them to flee Afghanistan on his release. However, one year after reaching relative safety, he was arrested on the way home from his labourer job and deported. Back in Afghanistan, Haidari lived a civilian life, according to his wife. But in early 2024, he was gunned down. Hawa said he went outside to speak to a group of Taliban officers that had surrounded the house he was in, but said he was shot before he had the chance to say anything. open image in gallery Afghans who worked with the British before the takeover have been targeted by the Taliban ( Getty ) Taking revenge One former colonel in the Afghan national army, Naqibullah, has been waiting over a year for his UK relocation case to be reviewed. The takeover of Afghanistan cost him his sons life when his family home was raided at the end of 2022 and Taliban members shot him dead, Naqibullah explained. With his familys help, he applied to the Arap scheme in 2023 but was rejected for UK sanctuary despite two recommendation letters from Britons who served alongside him, which had been sourced by a trusted independent caseworker. One of the letters, sent to the MoDs Afghan resettlement team and seen by The Independent, said the colonel worked very closely with the UK government in Afghanistan. He applied for his case to be reviewed in September last year, but hasnt heard anything since. One of his sons-in-law, who is now in the UK after being brought to safety on the Afghan resettlement programme, said: The Taliban are trying to take revenge against people who killed their family members. And they focus on those who worked for foreigners, Americans and Brits, because they want to fight against invasion and according to them, those who fought for the foreigners are seen as a threat to them. open image in gallery Members of the Afghan security forces wait to be extracted by helicopter after a 2008 operation in Afghanistan ( Getty ) Morally wrong Recent figures from the MoD show that Afghans who are rejected for relocation to the UK and request a review of the decision face an average wait of more than six months before their case is reassessed. For those asking for help to bring their family members to safety, these reviews take nearly 10 months on average. The MoD is currently reassessing thousands of resettlement cases from members of Afghan specialist units, after an investigation by The Independent and Lighthouse Reports revealed errors in the way they were handled. Daniel Carey, from law firm Deighton Pierce Glynn, who represents former Triples, said several clients have been detained and tortured while they wait for decisions from the MoD. He said: Our Triples clients applied under Arap in 2021 and four years later, many are still awaiting the first lawful decision. The UK government launched the Triples review in February 2024 to reassess thousands of unsafe refusals, initially stating it would conclude within three months. However, 20 months later, the review remains ongoing. Ms Chamberlain said: [These findings] confirm what we have long feared that former members of the Afghan security forces continue to face targeted killings and brutal reprisals under Taliban rule. It also calls into serious question the intelligence and assumptions the UK government relied upon when closing the Arap and ACRS schemes to new applicants. The evidence is clear: those who stood alongside our forces remain at risk. Maj Gen Herbert added: It was inevitable that the Taliban would never reconcile those who fought so hard and so successfully against them, not least members of the Afghan Special Police units, known as the Triples. It is particularly galling, and so morally wrong, that the government closed the schemes completely this year. Responding to the findings, which are being published jointly with The Independent and the Military Times in the US, Patricia Gossman from Human Rights Watch said: The Taliban leadership promised a general amnesty, but this has proved meaningless for hundreds of former Afghan security forces affiliated with the former government who have fallen victim or been living in hiding since August 2021. Local Taliban commanders have summarily executed or forcibly disappeared at least several hundred former Afghan army, police, and intelligence personnel without consequence or any accountability all of which indicates these killings are condoned or at least tolerated by senior Taliban authorities who are loath to punish their own soldiers. An MoD spokesperson said: We are honouring our commitment to eligible Afghans who have completed all relevant relocation checks. As the public would rightly expect, anyone coming to the UK must pass strict security and entry checks before being able to relocate which can take significant time. The government has been clear that Afghan resettlement cannot be an indefinite process Arap was in operation for over four years, with existing applications unaffected by the closure. The reporting team only included cases the Afghan partners had reported on and could be corroborated by an additional source, meaning many more have likely been targeted with, no doubt, many more to come. Some names have been changed for safety reasons 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 teacher has been struck off after allegedly engaging in inappropriate sexual conversations with children at a secondary school in Wigan just two months after starting the job. Kathryn Matthews, 43, who had been teaching English at the Westleigh School in Greater Manchester, held lengthy conversations in class with pupils which included discussions about sex toys and orgasms, a panel heard. The allegations came to light after two pupils mentioned the conversation to another member of staff. The staff member informed the school and two days after the alleged conversation took place, Ms Matthews was suspended and an investigation was launched. The Teaching Regulation Agency panel concluded that on 28 November 2024 Ms Matthews had openly discussed with the pupils in front of the whole class, in an English lesson, sexually explicit information. The panel said it considered these actions to be extremely serious and Ms Matthews was given a prohibition order which effectively bans her from teaching for a minimum of two years. She may reapply for a panel hearing to decide on whether she can teach again after 1 October 2027. There was a strong public interest consideration in respect of the safeguarding and wellbeing of pupils, the panel said. This was the first complaint raised against Ms Matthews, and she had no previous disciplinary record. The panel also added that it had not found evidence that her behaviour had malign intent. Rather she had engaged in activities which were, very clearly, extremely misjudged and inappropriate, the panel said. Though not, to any degree, finding an excuse for her actions, the panel noted that Ms Matthews had been a relatively recently qualified teacher when these events occurred and had been dealing with a class which, it appeared from the evidence was, on any basis, challenging. Ms Matthews did not attend the panel hearing and did not provide evidence or context to those on the panel, which was taken into consideration in how the prohibition order was reached. The panel added: Though troubled by Ms Matthews failure to engage with the process, and failure to demonstrate insight or remorse, the panel was of the view that the behaviour of which it had found her culpable was, whilst very serious, in principle capable of being addressed by someone who took the decision to learn and to take steps to rectify their behaviours and their approach to teaching. 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 most extensive dinosaur trackways ever discovered in Europe have been uncovered at an Oxfordshire quarry, stunning palaeontologists, who have gained new insights into how dinosaurs moved through the landscape. An astonishing 220-metre trail left by enormous sauropod dinosaurs herbivorous four-legged animals with long necks and tails was found at Dewars Farm Quarry, near Bicester, during work to remove limestone. The tracks are believed to have been made by a species of sauropod known as Cetiosaurus, which grew up to around 16 metres in length and lived around 171 to 165 million years ago in what is now Britain and France. The team, co-led by the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and the University of Birmingham, uncovered hundreds of individual footprints traversing the site, with sauropod footprints as well as a few rarer three-toed prints believed to have been made by meat-eating megalosaurs. Weve been working at this site since 2022 and slowly uncovering more and more of this surface, Dr Duncan Murdock, from Oxford Universitys Museum of Natural History, told The Independent. This summer we excavated four trackways, the longest of which is 220 metres, with nearly 100 individual footprints, each of which is nearly a metre long itself so absolutely huge. open image in gallery Researchers from the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and the University of Birmingham uncover sauropod footprints in Oxfordshire ( Emma Nicholls ) With that we can work out how big this animal was. Roughly speaking, the height of a hip is about four times the print, so about four metres to the hip, which works out to about 15 or 16 metres long from head to tail, and [weighing] up to 10 tonnes. The prints the animal left behind give new clues about how it moved, in particular how quickly these creatures were walking. Dr Murdock said the speed calculations are based on measurements of the prints but also the stride length. From what we know about how four-legged animals move, like elephants today, we can use that stride length and estimates of the hip height to calculate speed. If youre running, your stride gets further apart than if youre walking. We estimate [the dinosaurs speed to be] about 4 or 5 miles an hour around the average walking speed of most people, he said. open image in gallery The 220-metre dinosaur highway discovered in Oxfordshire ( Emma Nicholls ) What we now call Oxfordshire was quite a different place 166 million years ago. At that time, Britain was much farther south than it is today around the same latitude as northern Africa and the sea level was much higher, creating large inland seas dotted with islands. Furthermore, enormous dinosaurs were striding about on mudflats as they traversed the watery landscape. Think about the Florida Keys or the Bahamas Banks, that sort of thing. There would have been mudflats that were occasionally exposed to the air, and its one of these mudflats running along a chain of islands that the dinosaurs were walking along. They were taking advantage of this to move between islands, Dr Murdock said. While there are quite a few sites around the world, and in the UK, where dinosaur prints can be found often by the coast, where erosion by the sea is exposing the rock the site in Oxfordshire is unusual due to its scale. open image in gallery An aerial view of the research team uncovering the footprints ( Prof Richard Butler, University of Birmingham ) University of Birmingham palaeontologist Kirsty Edgar told The Independent: Its so rare to see something like this in the UK as most of our dinosaur-track sites are small coastal exposures. As the quarry continues to expand, so do the dinosaur tracks, providing an increasingly rich snapshot into the life and times of these amazing animals. Its so exciting to be able to stand where some of the largest animals that ever lived once walked, and imagine what their lives and world looked like. Professor Edgar added: Dinosaur tracks provide us with the opportunity to glimpse how dinosaurs lived, and what they were doing at that moment in time something we cant get from the body fossil record alone. For now, the dinosaur footprints are being carefully recorded before being reburied to protect them. Officials say there are no immediate plans to reopen the site or make the tracks accessible to the public. However, discussions are underway with Natural England, quarry operators Smiths Bletchington, and the local authority about the possibility of future excavations. Until then, the quarry will remain in active use, with extraction work continuing for the foreseeable future. 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 Azizs family was sitting down for an evening meal in their cramped Islamabad hotel room when there was a knock at the door. When his nine-year-old daughter opened it, she was faced with a group of uniformed Pakistani police officers, clad in helmets and carrying rifles. Outside the hotel window, police vehicles lined the street. Around 50 officers were going door to door in the hotel, searching for people whose visas had expired or who were unable to prove they were due to leave the country soon. Aziz knew what this meant. A former Afghan commando who had fought shoulder to shoulder with UK forces, he and his family had been granted approval to start a new life in Britain, safe from the Taliban. Months later, they were still holed up in an interim hotel in Pakistan, waiting to be relocated and the threat of deportation was growing. Within 48 hours, most of his family members, including a four-year-old and a newborn, had been rounded up with just the clothes on their backs, and sent back to their native Afghanistan the very country from which they had been rescued by British troops barely a year earlier. The Independent and Lighthouse Reports have now pieced together how this family, whose lives were deemed to be at risk in Afghanistan, were deported despite being under the care of the British government. Through interviews with the family, correspondence they shared, and documentation, we have uncovered that this deportation took place with the UK authorities being aware of what was happening. Ministers have been accused of all but abandoning Aziz and his family, who had been approved for relocation under Arap, the Ministry of Defence (MoD)s flagship resettlement scheme for those who supported UK forces. The family are now in hiding in Afghanistan, in fear for their lives. Through voice notes shared with one of his sons, Aziz said: I am facing a very certain death if I am not evacuated from Afghanistan. My whole focus is on securing my family so they can avoid getting killed by the Taliban. open image in gallery Afghans who supported UK forces have to wait in Pakistan before they are relocated ( AFP/Getty ) But it appears the UK government is not even trying to rescue the family. Aziz was informed that the British High Commission wants to return their passports and luggage left in the hotel room to them in Afghanistan. The shocking story raises questions about the time it is taking the British government to bring Afghans eligible for relocation to the UK. Concerns about the safety of those waiting for sanctuary intensified this year after it emerged only after the lifting of an unprecedented superinjunction that a major data breach by the MoD led to the personal data of 18,700 applicants to the UKs Afghan resettlement schemes being leaked. Azizs family were among those caught up in the breach and, as a result, were meant to be prioritised. It comes as we reveal that more than 100 ex-Afghan security forces, including those who fought alongside British and US troops, have been killed in Afghanistan in the past two years with one executed in front of his wife and children. When my family die, will they take action? Confronted by the officers, and dressed in just tracksuit bottoms, a thin T-shirt and slippers, Aziz asked if he could change his clothes but was refused. Instead, in chaotic and terrifying scenes, children dressed in pyjamas were loaded with other family members into police trucks and taken away, without having the chance to collect anything from their rooms. Three family members Azizs son Rayan, along with his wife and young child managed to avoid being deported by hiding in a hotel bathroom. Instead, as his family was driven away, Rayan sent panicked WhatsApp messages to their British High Commission case worker, pleading for help. Rayans brother, one of the members of the family who had been taken to the deportation camp, phoned him from the site saying their eight-month-old baby was in a bad way. His wifes breast milk had dried up and they had no access to baby formula or clean water. They move my family to the border. They are on their way, he wrote to the case worker. He followed up later: They are already in the car and they have left the camp. Rayan wrote again: When my family die, will they take action? There is no update from London or government of Pakistan. If that position changes we will update, read the response. open image in gallery A Taliban security personnel stands guard as Afghans deported from Pakistan arrive at a registration centre at Takhta Pul, in Kandahar province, on 9 October ( AFP/Getty ) In the days leading up to the familys detention, Rayan had spoken about his fears that the family would be sent back to Afghanistan, with Pakistan ramping up its deportations and police raids becoming more frequent. No matter how much we try to endure these nightmares, each day it becomes harder, he said. Speaking about the delay while waiting for relocation to the UK, he wrote: I dont even know what to worry about first the harsh living conditions, the fear of being arrested by the police, or the uncertainty about what decision will be made regarding our case. Britain has neglected us Aziz had served in the elite Afghan Territorial Force 444 (ATF444), one of two Afghan special forces units known as the Triples that had been set up and funded by the British. The Independent and Lighthouse Reports first made contact with the family in 2023, when we revealed that Aziz and hundreds of other former Triples had been wrongly denied relocation to the UK resulting in many of them being harmed by the Taliban. Following that investigation, the MoD admitted that flawed decision-making had led to Triples being wrongly turned down for sanctuary in Britain, and that the government would re-examine hundreds of Triples cases who had been rejected. Azizs rejection was overturned and the family was approved. After this, the British government moved the family to a safe house in Afghanistan before transferring them to a hotel in Islamabad to await relocation. The family had been moved to the hotel in autumn 2024, with two young babies born during the time they had been waiting to be brought to safety. open image in gallery A Taliban member celebrates the fourth anniversary of their takeover of Afghanistan ( AFP/Getty ) The family had been expecting the deportation. In January this year, Pakistan police detained them and brought them to a camp. They were released, but the UK governments failure to relocate them afterwards put them in further harm. They mentioned clearly [in January], the next time we capture you, we will deport you, said Rayan. The family are now desperately worried about their safety in Afghanistan. They managed to avoid their worst fear of being arrested at the border, as they had been returned without any documents. With the British High Commission in Islamabad still in possession of their passports, border officials stamped their hands instead. Before transferring to Pakistan, I lost all my life and belongings in Afghanistan. Now, me and my family have been deported, my problems have increased fourfold, Aziz said through voice notes. I think the British government has neglected the situation of my family and myself. I want the British government and related organisations to help get us out of this situation. In September, the minister for armed forces, Al Carns, confirmed in response to a parliamentary question that 13 Afghans under the care of the British High Commission in Islamabad had been deported. There were around 30 other Afghans in Islamabad under Britains care in Pakistan in early September, the response said. Rayan explained: Before coming to Pakistan, we were living in safe houses in Afghanistan for two months, as the threats to my father, who served in 444, were high. All this time we have been living in Pakistan, it has been a pretty uncertain situation. We have been checking with the MoD and with the British High Commission in Islamabad to see if there was any issue with our documents, but we havent been notified of any problems. My family spent 48 hours in the deportation centre and during that time I tried very hard to reach Arap and the British Council, as well as the UK embassy, but it didnt help. They told me they were not able to help us, he said. All but abandoned Wendy Chamberlain, Lib Dem MP and chair of the all-party parliamentary group for Afghan women, said: The British government has badly fumbled the Afghan resettlement schemes. It is shocking that almost a third of Afghans under the care of the British High Commission in Islamabad have now been deported. The case of this former Triple shows how badly the British government has failed. He was trained by and worked alongside British special forces, and now, having waited years for our promised support, has been all but abandoned. What happens to him and his family rests on our shoulders. The government cannot pretend it has met its obligations to the Afghan forces and interpreters who stood alongside our troops, or to the minorities, women and girls it has abandoned. Four years on from the fall of Kabul, Britain should be doing far more. The MoD said it did not comment on individual cases, but has said that it would honour commitments to eligible Afghans who have completed all relevant relocation checks. A spokesperson added: As the public would rightly expect, anyone coming to the UK must pass strict security and entry checks before being able to relocate which can take significant time. Names have been changed to protect identities 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 More than 3,000 passwords belonging to civil servants have been exposed online since the beginning of 2024, according to new research, as experts warn it could pose a serious risk to national security. A report by NordPass, using the threat exposure management platform NordStellar, found 3,014 passwords belonging to British civil servants have been leaked in the deep web which encompasses parts of the internet that are not typically indexed by search engines and the dark web, a small, encrypted part of the deep web that requires specific software to access and is often associated with cybercrime. Four local authorities were named in the report as having passwords exposed online: Aberdeen City Council had 538 in total, while Lancashire County Council had 38, Newham Council had 73 and Southwark Council had 42 leaked on the dark and deep web. It comes after The Independent revealed that hundreds of passwords and email addresses linked to UK government institutions were posted on the dark web in the last year, highlighting a major threat to UK cyber and national security. Among the most affected government departments are the Ministry of Justice with 195 exposed passwords, the Ministry of Defence (111), and Department of Work and Pensions (122). A cyber security expert warned that the exposed sensitive data of civil servants was particularly dangerous as it could pose serious risks to the UKs strategic interests. Karolis Arbaciauskas, head of product at NordPass, said: Exposure of sensitive data, including passwords, of civil servants is particularly dangerous. Compromised passwords can affect not only organisations and their employees but also large numbers of citizens. Moreover, such incidents may also pose serious risks to a countrys strategic interests. open image in gallery Marks and Spencer was hit by a cyber attack earlier this year ( PA Wire ) The report added that while the vast majority of passwords exposed were those of employees working in regional level institutions, the number of leaked passwords did not necessarily reflect the strength of an organisations internal security. These figures are often influenced by external factors, said Mr Arbaciauskas. Larger organisations, with more employees, naturally have a bigger digital footprint, which statistically increases the likelihood of credentials being exposed in a breach. In many cases, a single malware infection on an employees personal device or the compromise of a popular third-party website can expose dozens of accounts. Furthermore, the majority of leaks originate from external sites where employees registered using their work email addresses. He encouraged the practice of setting up an organisation-wide password policy, never reusing passwords, and using multi-factor authentication. If these passwords were not changed after their appearance on the dark web and multi-factor authentication (MFA) is not enabled, attackers could potentially access the email accounts and other sensitive information of these civil servants, he said. Moreover, we found hundreds of thousands of email addresses with other exposed data like names, last names, phone numbers, autofills, and cookies. This data can be exploited for phishing attacks and pose significant risks. It comes as the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said on Tuesday that a significant threat posed by Chinese and Russian hackers had contributed to a record number of serious online attacks. A number of UK businesses, such as M&S, Jaguar Land Rover and Co-op have been hit by cyber attacks this year, crippling their operations and costing the firms billions. In the year to the end of August, NCSC provided support in 429 cases, of which 204 were deemed nationally significant incidents an increase from 89 in the previous 12 months. Of those, 18 were categorised as highly significant, meaning they had a serious impact on government, essential services, the economy or a large proportion of the UK population. A spokesperson for Newham Council said: It is an unfortunate reality that organisations like Newham Council will always be a target for criminals. Newham Council takes cybersecurity extremely seriously and have a number of robust measures in place to reduce risk. We regularly provide training and guidance to our staff making them aware of the risks and effective technical controls to reduce specific cyber risks. We do not comment on specific details of our cyber security controls and policies. An Aberdeen City Council spokesperson said: Aberdeen City Council regularly reviews lists of compromised credentials via the National Cyber Security Centre and other official sources. These email/ password combinations are typically used to sign up on external sites or services rather than being compromised from the council's tenant. Regardless of this all impacted account holders are contacted, and their passwords are reset as a matter of course. The Independent has approached Lancashire County Council, and Southwark Council for comment. 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 Boris Johnson is to blame for throwing open the UKs borders and must take responsibility for the spike in legal immigration after Covid, his former right-hand man has said. Danny Kruger, who last month became Reforms newest MP after defecting from the Conservatives, has previously praised Mr Johnson for leading the country out of the EU, even describing the former prime minister as a hero. But speaking to The Independent, Mr Kruger said Mr Johnson, who resigned as PM in the wake of the Partygate scandal, must take responsibility for the so-called Boriswave a term coined by Nigel Farage to describe the post-Covid spike in legal migration. It comes after Mr Johnson defended himself against Mr Farages accusation that he was behind a Boriswave, when post-Brexit migration rules saw net migration hit a record level of 906,000 in the year ending June 2023. Mr Johnson said the numbers were impacted by the war in Ukraine and relocation of Hongkongers, as well as the return of EU students following the completion of courses. open image in gallery Kruger has previously praised Johnson for leading the country out of the EU ( Getty ) Mr Kruger, who sits as the MP for East Wiltshire and served as Mr Johnsons political secretary before becoming a Tory MP in 2019, said: The great achievement of Brexit and why I believe Boris Johnson is a hero is that we did take back control over our borders, our laws, our money and I think that was a tremendous achievement. We should always be grateful to Boris. The problem is having taken back control of our borders, he then essentially threw them open to the rest of the world and so we have restricted European migration while inviting migration from elsewhere. Im afraid, yes, he does have to take responsibility as the leader of the government that did that for what we call the Boriswave. Mr Johnson was speaking to The Telegraph when he reacted to the comments on his leadership by Mr Farage, who last month called him one of the worst prime ministers in British history. Meanwhile, Mr Kruger told The Times in 2023 that Mr Johnson, who he worked with up to the 2019 Tory election victory, regarded him as one of the ones ... having abandoned him. In his new role as head of Reforms department for preparing for government, Mr Kruger said tackling mass immigration was a key policy for the party. open image in gallery The former PM reacted strongly to Nigel Farages claims over a Boriswave ( PA ) Part of it, he said, would be to examine the cases of those who arrived in the UK during the Boriswave, with the party looking to scrap indefinite leave to remain (ILR) for migrants. The measure, which would also see welfare stopped to anyone other than British citizens, would save more than 200bn, the party claims. Mr Kruger said: We have millions of people who have come to this country and who are now on route to have essentially permanent rights of settlement here through indefinite leave to remain. Its that scheme that we are determined to scrap, not just for the future but for the people who are currently here on with ILR status, because those are the people who came in thanks to Boris and who will in future have to demonstrate that they are making a positive contribution, that they can speak English [and] theyre not reliant on welfare if they are to stay. But the proposal to ditch ILR has been condemned by migration charities and think tanks, who have warned of labour shortages in the care industry, along with crippling uncertainty faced by thousands of migrants, who would need to reapply for permission to stay in the UK every five years. Mr Kruger announced his defection to Reform last month, claiming the Tory party was over after failures on issues such as mass migration and Brexit. 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 Britain has lost control of its borders and is fuelling a loss of trust in politics, the home secretary will warn on Wednesday. Shabana Mahmood is to issue the warning as she hosts her counterparts from across the Western Balkans, as well as other European allies, in London. In one of the most stark assessments of the impact of small boat crossings on public trust in government, Ms Mahmood is to say it risks undermining the credibility of the state itself. She will insist that Britain can only stem the flow of migrants arriving on small boats through international cooperation. The summit is aimed at ensuring European nations strike new deals to tackle illegal migration. At the gathering, the home secretary will say: The public rightly expect that their government will be able to determine who enters their country, and who must leave. Today, in this country, and I know in many if not all of yours, that is not the case. And the failure to bring order to our borders is eroding trust not just in us as political leaders but in the credibility of the state itself. open image in gallery Mahmood: Illegal migration is a shared threat which requires a strong, international response ( Getty ) She is also expected to hit out at the governments political opponents, such as Reform UKs Nigel Farage, accusing them of wanting to turn inwards and seek solutions to migration without the aid of other countries. Illegal migration is a shared threat which requires a strong, joined-up international response, Ms Mahmood will say. She will add: To those who think the answer to the challenges that we face is to turn inwards, or back away from international cooperation, I say that in coming together as we are today, we will make all of our borders and our countries stronger. I am proud that the UK is leading the charge on a coordinated response to tackle organised crime and take down the vile people-smuggling gangs who put the value of human lives behind their own profits. The Western Balkans, which includes the countries of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, has become increasingly important to tackling illegal migration across Europe. According to the Home Office, the region is becoming a major transit route for people smugglers, as well as those trafficking drugs across borders. Some 22,000 people were smuggled by gangs along routes through the Western Balkans in 2024, the government department said. open image in gallery Migrants sitting on a small boat near Gravelines, France ( PA Wire ) The summit is expected to include a discussion on how to crack down on the gangs, including through more cooperation between Britain, Europe, and border police forces in the region. Director general of the National Crime Agency, Graeme Biggar, will join the gathering in the afternoon to discuss work on disrupting gangs supply chains, while a session on combating violence against women and girls is also due to be held. The Conservatives said Ms Mahmoods warning was rich coming from a government that has lost control of our borders. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, added: The first nine months of this year have been the worst in history for illegal immigrants crossing the channel. The government is accommodating more illegal immigrants in hotels than at the election, and have only returned a paltry 26 to France over a time period when 14,000 have arrived. This is clearly no deterrent. The Conservatives would leave the ECHR, which will enable us to remove all illegal immigrants within a week of arrival. Then the crossings would soon stop. 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 One part of the UK might escape Sir Keir Starmers flagship smoking ban because of a key post-Brexit deal with the European Union, a minister has admitted. The government wants to ban smoking for an entire generation, potentially saving millions of lives by ensuring anyone currently aged 15 or younger will never be able to buy cigarettes legally. The proposals were first put forward by Rishi Sunak but he ran out of time to bring them in before the 2024 general election. Labour has enthusiastically backed the plan since coming to power last summer. But now, asked for a guarantee that it would apply in Northern Ireland, as well as England, Wales and Scotland, a minister could only say that was the governments intention. open image in gallery The ban is designed to eventually make the UK smoke free ( PA ) It follows warnings that the smoking ban risks breaching another key piece of legislation, the Windsor Framework deal with the EU. This is designed to deal with the post-Brexit problem about what to do at the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the scene of many atrocities during the Troubles, amid fears a hard border would lead to checkpoints that risk becoming the focus of future attacks. In a bid to avoid that, the UK and the EU agreed a system under which, when it comes to goods, Northern Ireland aligns with EU laws. Earlier this year, former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland raised the alarm over the smoking ban, saying that, because it demands goods have to be treated as they would be in the EU, the law therefore requires that tobacco remain legal for adults over 18 in Northern Ireland. But the governments bill would criminalise its sale to anyone born after 2009 across the UK, including in Northern Ireland. At the time, Sir Robert said: The right to buy legal goods like tobacco is protected under the Windsor Framework and the Good Friday Agreement. Strip that away, and the government is staring down the barrel of a serious legal defeat. If the bill applies in Northern Ireland, we breach EU law. If it doesnt, we fracture the UKs internal market. Either way, were in breach of the treaty we signed just last year. open image in gallery Ministers have been warned that the new smoking ban risks breaching a post-Brexit agreement with the EU ( PA ) He also warned that if Labour ministers ploughed ahead with the bill as it was, we are heading straight for the courts. The government must hit pause. Either negotiate an exemption or remove Northern Ireland from the scope of the bill, he said. Asked in the Commons by shadow minister Mike Wood for an assurance that the ban would apply in Northern Ireland and that he has confirmed that with the EU, the secretary of state for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, replied: It is certainly the government's intention that the ban will apply in Northern Ireland, because I think its very important that young people all over the United Kingdom are protected in the way in which the bill seeks to do. Shopkeepers found to be selling to anyone under age will receive on-the-spot fines of 200. The legislation includes a total ban on vape advertising and sponsorship, including displays seen by children and young people, such as on buses, in cinemas and in shop windows, bringing them in line with tobacco restrictions. Health secretary Wes Streeting has enthusiastically backed the plans to create a smoke-free generation by gradually raising the age at which tobacco can be bought, arguing there is no freedom in addiction. 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 Sir Keir Starmer has announced that he will publish key evidence in the China spying case trial that led to the collapse of the trial. The prime minister told MPs at the start of Prime Ministers Questions that he would publish three witness statements that were shared with prosecutors as he maintained his position that the previous government is to blame for the failure to prosecute. The abandonment of the prosecution of Christopher Cash, 30, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, 33, a teacher, has raised serious questions over national security and government policy towards China. Both men, who deny wrongdoing, had been accused of passing secrets to China, but charges against them were dropped last month. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the case collapsed because the governments evidence did not show that China represented a threat to national security at the time of the alleged offences. Sir Keir told MPs: Im deeply disappointed by the outcome. We wanted to see prosecutions. open image in gallery Starmer: Im deeply disappointed by the outcome. We wanted to see prosecutions ( House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA ) Anticipating a barrage of questions from Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, Sir Keir told MPs the case had to be based on the position taken by the Conservative government. He said the Conservative administrations Integrated Review of 2021 and the refresh of that document in 2023 were very carefully worded to not describe China as an enemy. The deputy national security adviser [DNSA], Matt Collins, set out the then governments position in a substantive witness statement in 2023, which was subsequently supplemented by two further short statements. The cabinet secretary assures me that the DNSA faithfully set out the policy of the then Tory government. I know first hand that the DNSA is a civil servant of the utmost integrity. Those opposite who worked with him, I am sure, would agree with that assessment. Under this government, no minister or special adviser played any role in the provision of evidence. Government sources had originally claimed the CPS was blocking the release of Mr Collinss evidence, but the organisation denied that this was the case. Sir Keir said: Given the information contained, we will conduct a short process. But I want to make clear, I intend to publish the witness statements in full. However, the statement was anticipated by Ms Badenoch, who used all six questions to probe the prime minister on the issue. Ms Badenoch asked: What on earth is the point of us having a lawyer rather than a leader as prime minister if he cant even get the law right on a matter of national security? open image in gallery Badenoch used all six questions to probe the prime minister on the trial ( House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA Wire ) Responding, Sir Keir said: Shes clearly not a lawyer or a leader. There was also a clash with former foreign secretary Sir James Cleverly, now shadow housing secretary, who was angered at claims by Sir Keir that he had said in a speech that China was not a threat. Making a point of order, he said: I have been misquoted. And the misquote, I think, is significant. It has been said that I, in a speech at Mansion House, said that describing China was impossible, impractical and, most importantly, unwise. The quote was, that describing China as one word or a policy in one word is impossible, impractical and unwise. I went on to say that our policy is: First, we will strengthen our national security protections wherever Beijings actions pose a threat to our people or our prosperity. And I finished by saying, When there are tensions with other objectives, we will always put our national security first. Meanwhile, Sir Keirs response also led to allegations he may have misled parliament, which were quickly denied by Downing Street. Ms Badenoch said: Is he seriously saying the deputy [national security adviser] did not discuss with the national security adviser, did not discuss with [the] home secretary or with anyone in Downing Street? The prime minister answered, Yes, but this was challenged in a tweet by Luke de Pulford, executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. He wrote: This is an historic moment. For the Prime Ministers answer to be correct, normal procedure would have to have been abandoned. Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake added: The Prime Minister almost certainly misleading Parliament today. 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 First responders in Portland, Oregon, were reportedly delayed in transporting an injured protester from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility to a nearby hospital because federal agents stood in front of an ambulance and refused to let it leave. Confidential reports written by the two medical employees, obtained by Willamette Week, indicate that federal agents grew hostile towards the first responders after being informed that they could not ride in the ambulance because the patient was not under arrest. The driver of the ambulance wrote in a report produced for American Medical Response, the group that contracts ambulance services in the county, that agents stood in front of the vehicle to prevent it from leaving. Public records and 911 dispatch audio confirm those reports, with claims that 50-60 federal agents blocked the road in front of the vehicle. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to leave the ICE facility, the driver said in their report that they put the ambulance in park, causing it to lurch forward and enraging a federal agent who seemingly thought it was an attempt to hit them. open image in gallery Federal agents blocked an ambulance from transporting an injured protester to the hospital for roughly 10 minutes, according to reports ( Getty Images ) Once in park, a group of agents crowded around the vehicles door as the medic tried to open it, the report says. One agent, pointed his finger at me in a threatening manner and began viciously yelling in my face, stating, DONT YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN, I WILL SHOOT YOU, I WILL ARREST YOU RIGHT NOW, the report read. The driver said they were in such shock and believed it was no longer a safe scene. The Independent has asked the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the union representing the first responders for comment. open image in gallery Protesters have been clashing with federal agents in Portland where Trump has deployed members of law enforcement agencies to crack down on immigration and crime ( Getty Images ) A spokesperson for the Global Medical Response / American Medical Response said in a statement that they are collaborating closely with Federal Protective Service to thoroughly review all aspects related to this incident. The ambulance arrived at the ICE facility at 9.30 p.m. on October 5 to assist an injured 32-year-old protestor, but it wasnt until 9:42 p.m that it was allowed to finally leave, according to theWillamette Week. A car with federal agents ultimately followed the ambulance to the hospital. open image in gallery The driver of the ambulance told 911 dispatchers that agents were blocking their path to leave, not protesters ( REUTERS ) Outside, protesters reportedly changed Let them out! Let them out! according to KGW8. Equally, radio messages between 911 dispatchers and the medics portray the confusing scenes around the delay. "Copy, you're attempting to transport to Emanuel impeded by... protesters?" the dispatched asked, according to KGW. "No, not protesters, just the ICE officers, the medic responded. Its just the latest incident to occur in Portland outside of the ICE facility, where tensions have risen due to President Donald Trumps deployment of federal officers and agents to crack down on crime and undocumented immigrants. 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 knockoff bottle of Yves Saint Laurents Opium perfume landed an Indian immigrant in handcuffs and into an Arkansas jail cell where he allegedly spent the next three days without food or rest, standing beside a pile of stinking human faeces. Kapil Raghu, 28, was pulled over by Benton police officers one day in May this year, and what started as a routine traffic stop quickly escalated into a nightmare for him. The officers found Opium in his cars centre console and despite Raghu pleading that it was perfume he had purchased at a gas station, he was charged with possession of a narcotic substance. What kind of policing is this? Raghu, a food delivery driver, recalls thinking to himself at the time. He tells The Independent his mind raced as he struggled to understand how having a perfume can be illegal in any part of the world? I told them nine times, its just perfume, its cologne. But they werent ready to listen, he said. Police took him to the Saline County detention centre where he faced three days of dehumanising behaviour, he alleges. Raghus troubles were compounded by his immigration status. He was on an expired visa and had hired an attorney to file the necessary paperwork on time. According to his current legal team, that attorney failed to submit the documents before the deadline. As a result, when his arrest brought his visa status to light, Raghu was transferred to a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Louisiana. His lawyer, Mike Laux, alleges that there was an element of racial profiling that was afoot in Benton on that afternoon. If he had been an immigrant from a country like Norway or Switzerland somewhere associated with a Caucasian demographic, he might not have faced the same charges, he tells The Independent. Kapil should never have been pulled over in the first place, he says. So the problem really was rogue officers on that first line of the criminal justice system. They should have taken their blinders off, and done some basic police work like unscrewing the cap or smelling the bottle. The Independent has reached out to the Benton Police Department for a statement. open image in gallery Kapil Raghu with his wife Ashley Mays ( Kapil Raghu and Ashley Mays ) By the time the results from the Arkansas State Crime Lab proved what Raghu had been saying all along that the bottle contained nothing more than perfume the damage was done. He had spent several days in jail, lost his job and been placed in immigration custody. When they took me to the Saline County jail, they put me in the holding cell. At first, they put me with 20 people, and it is a very tiny little room, Raghu recalls his first jail tryst. Then they moved me to another cell after taking my DNA and fingerprints and everything. We were eight people, and right next to me, there was human faeces. You are kind of dying with that smell. Its not normal for any human being and that is why I kept standing all three nights. In between, I used to sit down for an hour or so. He alleges that despite his request for vegetarian food, he was given meals he couldnt eat. They were feeding me like non-vegetarian food. I tried to convey my message to all of them that I am a vegetarian and can only eat vegetarian food. But they said, Its your privilege. Whatever you are getting, you have to consume it. So I kept passing on my food plates to other people. After three harrowing nights in the Saline County jail, he was taken to an ICE facility in Louisiana, the Winn Correctional Center. He describes it as a terrifying experience. I was very much scared and fearful because when you hear about the Louisiana detention camp, it is not a good camp compared to others, he tells The Independent. They put all kinds of chains and shackles, he adds. I was thinking like I was trying to do everything the right way, legally came here, legally married. He remembers thinking: I havent done anything bad to the community, and I am not even a threat to society. Why is it happening with me? open image in gallery A knockoff Opium perfume bottle led to Kapil Raghus arrest and detention at an ICE facility in Louisiana ( Kapil Raghu and Ashley Mays ) Raghu and his wife, Ashley Mays, say they paid the retainer fee to his last immigration lawyer but never received a refund even though he failed to submit the paperwork on time. Raghu arrived in the US on a B-2 tourist visa in May 2024 which expired later that year. He initially came to meet Mays they had been dating online and offline since 2022. Mays had been to Winnipeg, Canada, where Raghu was an international student, as well as to his hometown in northern Indias Chandigarh. My visa was to expire in November, but the attorney didnt file the paperwork on time, he says. Raghu, however, stayed back in the US to pursue his relationship with Mays. They married in April this year. Before his detention, Raghu was leading a regular life: working jobs and being a doting stepfather to Mays daughter. Raghu was finally granted bond and released from ICE custody in early June shortly after laboratory tests confirmed that the Opium bottle contained nothing more than perfume. His legal options have narrowed since his detention. In the past, he would have been able to apply for immigration relief and a work permit simultaneously. Now, because Raghu is in active deportation proceedings, he must wait until his family-based visa is approved a process that could take years. The uncertainty has weighed heavily on the couple. Since Raghu cannot work legally, his wife has taken up three jobs to sustain the family. Mays has since set up a GoFundMe page for donations to help the family through. This has been one of the most painful experiences of our lives. He was eventually released on bond, but now he cannot legally work for the next four years while his case moves through the court system. That means our family is struggling to stay afloat, she says on the page. He spent weeks behind bars, away from his family, stripped of his dignity, and treated like a criminal when his only crime was overstaying a visa while we worked on his case. Laux, a civil rights lawyer, says: The real issue starts with the Benton Police Department, their recklessness set into motion a series of events that led to the detention out of state. Earlier this month, Raghu appealed to ICE, in writing, to use its prosecutorial discretion to dismiss the punitive proceedings and restore his visa status so that he can work and earn money for his family. In a statement to The Independent, the Department of Homeland Securitys assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said that President Trump and Secretary Noem are committed to restoring integrity to the visa program and ensuring it is not abused to allow aliens a permanent one-way ticket to remain in the US. 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 woman in Omaha, Nebraska, is suing the citys mayor for violating her First Amendment right after he allegedly deleted her comment and blocked her from his official Facebook page after she complained about his failure to fix a large sinkhole near her home. In a lawsuit, filed in Nebraskas district court Monday, Omaha resident Lisa Kilker claims Mayor John Ewing Jr. deprived her of her right to participate in public discourse and is now preventing her from viewing public announcements. The lawsuit alleges Ewing blocked Kilker from his official Facebook page in early October after she left a comment on a post criticizing him for failing to fulfill his campaign promise of fixing a large sinkhole that opened up in downtown Omaha near her condo building. In the now-deleted comment, Kilker wrote: The Regis building residents have just had to take out a $1 million loan to pay for repairs for the sinkhole. You ran a campaign on promising to help us. What happened to those promises?? She says the act of deleting her comment and blocking her from the mayors page violates the First Amendment, as well as a recent Supreme Court ruling that declared public officials cannot prevent a person from commenting on a social media page if its used in an official capacity. open image in gallery Omaha resident argues that the mayors Facebook page was a public forum and blocking her from it prevents her from seeing updates and city information ( AFP via Getty Images ) Matt Kuhse, the Omaha city attorney, said in a statement, The City of Omaha has received and reviewed a lawsuit filed in federal court regarding Facebook use. We will respond to the lawsuit accordingly. The sinkhole has existed for some time, but it became a major issue in January when the pavement opened up underneath a garbage truck, creating a massive hole in downtown Omaha. The sinkhole issue became a talking point during the citys mayoral race earlier this year Ewing, who was elected in June, had promised to address it. Although work to repair the sinkhole and its underlying issue began in September, Kilker took to the mayors Facebook page in October to complain. Kilker is now asking a federal judge to declare Ewing violated her First Amendment right, force Ewing to restore her access to his official Facebook page and award her damages to be determined by a jury. open image in gallery The sinkhole became a talking point during the last election cycle ( District Court of Nebraska ) In a statement posted to Ewings official Facebook page Tuesday, the mayor said the social media page is used chiefly as a way to share updates, and comments are usually disabled on posts. Inadvertently, but rarely, that feature was not always disabled. Going forward, every effort will be made to maintain a no comments policy, Ewings post read. Kilker acknowledged in her lawsuit that the mayor sometimes allows comments on posts but said he occasionally interacts with commenters, such as thanking a citizen who complimented his efforts. Her comment about the sinkhole was specifically made on a now-deleted post where Ewing reposted an endorsement from a local citizen with the caption #PublicService #empathy. The post did not contain any information about the sinkhole. open image in gallery Ewing was elected mayor of Omaha in June among his campaign promises, he said he would address the sinkhole issue in downtown Omaha ( City of Omaha ) In the Supreme Court case Linkde v. Freed (2024), justices ruled public officials could be sued for preventing citizens from commenting on their social media page, even if the account is personal, so long as they have the authority to speak on the governments behalf or are purported to be doing so in the post in question. Kilker argues that because the mayors page was devoted to official City business, he suppressed protected citizen commentary when he deleted her comment. No hearing dates have been set for the case yet. 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 When Tom* got his first glimpse of Hannah in real life, he thought she was the most gorgeous woman hed ever seen. Hed already checked out her photoshoots, of course and hed already perused her OnlyFans page. But when he came across her at a prominent Los Angeles nightclub, he was bowled over by how beautiful she was in the flesh. And he had something specific he wanted to ask her. There was an item I thought she might sell, he says, like a specific bra she had worn. I was like: Oh, thatd be cool to have. Because it was for a shoot she did shes not in the porn industry, shes a model model, like an actual model. So he struck up a conversation with her. I was like, Oh, that was a really sexy bra, do you still have it? I would pay to have it as a thing in my collection. Although Tom concedes that the request sounds weird in hindsight, he adds that hed already purchased a lot of content from Hannahs OnlyFans page, as well a handful of other models pages, and in Hannahs case, Ive already bought videos and photos and whatever. Like at a certain point it gets to be: what else is left to buy? Hannah was open to the suggestion she said she still had the bra, and was fine with the idea of selling it but quickly directed Tom back to her chatbox on OnlyFans. They could discuss things further on there, she said. Tom agreed, and snapped a picture with her before they both got on with their night. Things took a turn when Tom followed her instructions, however. Back behind a screen, Hannah seemed to have no memory at all of their interaction. What are you talking about? he says she responded when he reminded her of their conversation. I dont meet people outside of OnlyFans. She didnt know if she even had the bra, she added. Shed have to go back through all her stuff from previous photoshoots, and there were no guarantees. open image in gallery Hannah and Tom ( Courtesy of Tom ) Tom was taken aback. When Hannah denied meeting him, he sent her the picture hed taken of them together, sipping cocktails in the nightclub just days before. And then the chatbox went silent. Hours later, he got a response: Hannah did remember him after all, and she was sorry, she just responded like that because she has to be safe in her line of work. Tom said he understood, but his suspicion was piqued. The next time he saw Hannah and Kayley, another OnlyFans model whom he followed and had purchased a lot of content from in one of the LA clubs, he watched what they were doing before sending a suggestive message via the OnlyFans chat. In both cases, he got an instant reply. But Hannah and Kayley were busy, ordering cocktails and chatting with friends. They certainly werent on their phones, offering up supposedly personalized OnlyFans content within minutes. So who was? The answer to that question forms the crux of a class action lawsuit filed in July 2024 by the legal firm Hagens Berman, which details how OnlyFans openly allows the use of chatters who impersonate models and who are trained to extract as much money as possible from those models customers. Usually young men with proficient English who live in places like Venezuela and the Philippines, they are badly paid by U.S. standards but well-paid by the standards of their own countries and they can earn lucrative bonuses by selling supposedly tailored content through the chatbox, all the while hooking a customer in by making them believe theyre in a personal relationship with the model. These chatters operate in plain sight entire chatter agencies, like Convo Bunny and Ghost Chatters (Do you think CEOs sit replying to customer enquiries for hours a day? No, they hire people. Why treat your OnlyFans differently?) have websites and testimonials. Job descriptions are posted on the r/OnlyFansChatter subreddit which has 12,000 members, putting it in the top 7% of all subreddits by population size promising $2.50$3.50/hr + commissions (Avg. $1,000$1,200/month No OF experience needed!) or, for elite chatters, $10/hr (~$4,500$5,000/month) + High-Performance Bonuses (Minimum 2 years of chatter experience required!). Considering that OnlyFans takes a 20 percent cut of everything a model sells on their website and is, according to its most recent publicly filed records, making over $2 billion per year, presumably almost exclusively through that avenue, it is strongly disincentivized to stop the practice. Customers dont pay to chat to the models, but having a personal relationship with a girl-next-door type model as opposed to, say, watching anonymous porn is central to OnlyFans allure. And inside chats, models can ask for tips or send extra content for money. Because of this, Hagens Bermans class action lawsuit filed on behalf of five plaintiffs, who seek triple damages and full coverage of their legal costs accuses OnlyFans of falsely promising authentic connections, rather than openly stating that chatters may operate on their platform; of knowing that chatters operate in violation of their own terms and allowing them to do so anyway; and of a failure to enforce its own policies that goes beyond mere negligence and supports an inference that OnlyFans is acting intentionally to facilitate the chatter scams; and of therefore taking mens money under false pretenses. It also claims that the use of chatters has caused emotional harm to the plaintiffs, because many of them shared intimate images of themselves that they believed to be private between them and a model, and because some of them believed they were in personal relationships with models when they were actually being manipulated by trained chatters. The lawsuit is filed against the parent company of OnlyFans and a handful of agencies that are alleged to provide chatters to the platform. OnlyFans was contacted by The Independent for comment and did not respond. Robert Carey, one of the two attorneys who filed the legal complaint, says that his team has now spoken to hundreds of men who were duped by chatters and that the money lost by each individual has ranged anywhere from, Oh, Ive spent a total of $5,000 to, I spent $70,000. Meanwhile, the models who can afford to hire the agencies mostly those who are in the top 1 percent of OnlyFans earners are regularly pulling in hundreds of thousands of dollars per week by Hagens Bermans estimates, some over a million. A lot of these men especially our class reps they fully believe that they were in these relationships with these women, says Gloria*, a paralegal at Hagens Berman who preferred to stay anonymous because there are strong feelings about the case online, and women who are connected with OnlyFans in any manner often become the target of online harassment. Some even went as far as buying plane tickets because they believed they were going to meet with these women in certain places going there and then getting ghosted. So theyre fully invested. Theyre fully invested, and they fully believe the fantasy. And a lot of them will say: That might make me stupid, but they thought they were special. And of course, they wouldnt have spent that much money if they had known that it was a ruse. Whats so insidious, Gloria adds, is that the chatters are trained specifically in how to overcome doubt if the men talking to them become suspicious: Theyll be like: No, baby. Why dont you believe me? So theyll always guilt-trip it back to him not trusting her. I thought you loved me theyll use that a lot. Basically what they do is they make them feel bad for even asking, to the point where they stop asking. But what about the ones who ask for some form of proof? They can do that, says Gloria. Indeed, men will often notice discrepancies in how the model is talking especially if they forget key details, like a dogs name or a major life event, because the person whos typing is actually one of a rotating list of chatters provided by the agency and ask for videos or photos that can prove the model is speaking in real time. Usually, the chatter agency will already have basic images or videos ready to hand for such scenarios, such as images of the model holding up one, two, three, four or five fingers so the chatter can offer that as evidence and then quickly send it. But sometimes the requests will get more demanding. They ask for videos, like: I want you to say my name, says Gloria. Thats when the agency will reach out to the model and ask her to film the video, alleges the lawsuit which can mean a long delay in replying. The model adds the request to her long to-do list, because shes likely to be highly in demand. Gloria explains thats the moment when some men realize theyve been duped, because its like: Why does it take you four or five days to do this? Most of the men who realize theyve been exploited by OnlyFans chatters are too embarrassed to speak publicly about what they went through, says Robert Carey. Thats unsurprising, considering one of the most common uses of the OnlyFans chatbox is dick ratings, which is exactly what it sounds like.Men will send graphic photos of their genitals for in-the-moment ratings by models, and this sensitive material is clearly presumed to be viewed privately by the model in question. But when agencies with rotating chatters gain the logins of the models, those images can be viewed by one, or multiple, other people few of whom resemble the model they think theyre communicating with, according to the lawsuit and chatter agencies. Its not just those men who would rather not be identified. The legal complaint also includes a number of men who believed they were in long-running, committed relationships with a model they met through the website, and are humiliated when they find out theyve simply been sending money to a group of disinterested young men in the gig economy. The one thing that struck me is you see these guys that are just ordinary, hard-working people, says Carey, and they drop so much coin on this, youre just like: Whoa. One of the reasons that Hagens Bermans lawsuit hasnt progressed since July is because OnlyFans is insisting the class representatives should have their names publicly revealed, Carey says. The legal complaint was filed using just the mens initials, though their full names are available privately to OnlyFans and their legal team. OnlyFans pushing to have those initials changed to full names is, in Careys opinion, an intimidation tactic aimed at trying to embarrass them into dropping the lawsuit. Not every man is reticent about talking about their experiences, however. Some want the world to know exactly what they went through. Thats how it was for Tom, and how it is for OnlyFans customer-turned-supersleuth James*. James, who works in IT and is based in Texas, says he realized quite early on in his OnlyFans membership that the top models werent always who they seemed. Like a few of the men who spoke to Robert Carey and Gloria, he became suspicious when he noticed tonal inconsistencies in the way a model would write to him. This model, who the chatbox claimed was based less than two miles away from him, offered to give him proof in the form of holding up a numbers of fingers, so I said: OK, hold up three fingers. She holds up three fingers. Im like: OK, do two. She did two. Im like: OK, this is way too fast for that [and] it doesnt look like that was taken today. And then what I would do is I would take the raw image and scrape the metadata off of it to see when it was taken and what kind of camera it was taken on. And it was about six months beforehand, or a year beforehand. So these pictures are about a year old. James didnt stop there: What I did with one of her pictures was Id seen a sign in the background and I zoomed in and it was in German she was in some tanning salon, I think. So I was able to pinpoint where that tanning salon was in Berlin. The model wasnt based anywhere near his home in Austin, he realized. She didnt even live in the country. It wasnt long before another chatter messed up, big-time. James had suspected for a while that he was sometimes receiving messages which had been coded and automatically pushed to multiple customers accounts, with supposedly personalized videos to unlock for cash. There was one that I talked to where they had messed up and when they had tried to refer back to me by my pseudonym that I used on there, he says. So I told them: Well, my name is such-and-such. And when they typed back to me, it said {Name}, not my name. Itd be in brackets, like as if you were programming it. What happened next was eye-opening. I said: OK, gig is up. I know youre a chatter. Tell me where youre from. And they told me that they were a man from the Philippines and they were getting paid about eight dollars and fifty cents an hour to do this. open image in gallery The message that confirmed Jamess suspicions James wasnt exactly surprised by the admission, but he was surprised by some of the facts: They said that it provides pretty well for their family. They really dont have to do that much. You know, just talk dirty or whatever, send videos. And the more that they harvest it basically out of somebody, the more that they got from the model, cause they would pay him bonuses. Once hed spoken to one chatter, James decided to directly address others in top models chatboxes. And he was surprised how many would just flat-out admit it, like: Im doing this for money to support my family. He noticed how international the chatters were, too: Ive met a Romanian chatter, Ive met a Filipino chatter, Ive met them from all over the world almost some in Nigeria. Some of the men were ashamed to do it, he says, because they cant find other employment, but they have to do it to survive. And James understood that the job must take its toll: constantly roleplaying as a horny 21-year-old American woman when youre a middle-aged Romanian man just trying to put food on the table for your family has got to be, at the very least, psychologically weird. Thats without even thinking about the amount of graphic photos they inevitably must have to see per shift. And it seems clear from multiple posts on the r/OnlyFansChatter subreddit that models frequently fail to pay their chatters, even after the agencies have had them working for weeks. Others, however, were despicable people, according to James, or people who had long forgotten about the human cost of their interactions and had turned it into a game-like strategy. One of them that I talked to, he would do three different models at the same time He would triple-dip so he could [maximize profits] and he had a script of what to say if somebody asked a certain thing or how to behave. If someone asks for something very time-sensitive, like someone said, I want you to hold up six fingers and hold up todays newspaper, then he has to get a hold of the model fast, otherwise, you know, the covers blown. James even managed to speak to enough models that he came up with his own heuristic for whether or not one might be employing chatters: Typically, if they were smaller, they would be a one-woman show. But if they had over 500 to 1,000 people following them, then thats when they start hiring the chatters. This fact alone is why their class action lawsuit shouldnt just concern men who have been duped out of their time and money, says Robert Carey: Ill tell you who the victims are really. It would be the girls who do not hire agencies, because whats happening is theres a finite pool of dollars that go into this, in the aggregate, and theyre taking the lions share of it for that small 1% or 2%. And if they had to do it manually, they could only take so many people, which would push more money back down to the other people who are doing it honestly. In Careys opinion, that amounts to those bigger, more well-known models with chatter agencies using unfair trade practices to get an outsized portion of the revenue, to the detriment of the people who arent doing that. And they are competitors, right? So its a competition fraud in some sense thats ripping off all the girls who would get some of that overflow business if the other people were doing it legitimately. As for Tom who deactivated his OnlyFans account over a year ago he says he understands that logistically, dealing with hundreds of thousands of inbound chats is impossible. But he wishes that OnlyFans as a company had been upfront about the fact that they cant guarantee youre actually talking with the models in the chatbox. He keeps in touch, in a way, with Hannah and Kayley. Hannah left LA last year and moved back to Arizona, to start a local business and be closer to her family. Tom went down to a store where she was promoting her business recently because hes always happy to support her. They had a quick chat and she knew who I was, he says. Kayley was at AVN otherwise known as the worlds biggest porn convention in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago, which Tom traveled to attend. But he felt awkward about joining the lawsuit and talking about it publicly when he saw Kayley posing with fans. Even though he keeps himself anonymous, he still believes Kayley knows that hes outed her. Specific details that hes chosen to share would probably tip her off, he says such as the fact that he once bought her an expensive pair of boots off her personal wish list for her birthday, back when he was still spending a lot of time and money on OnlyFans. After buying the boots, he asked her in person if shed make a personalized video wearing the boots and she agreed, but told him to follow up with her about it on the site. There, a chatter told him that they had no recollection of the purchase. That was another moment that made him realize hed never been conversing with the real Kayley online. I tried to keep a distance at the convention in January, he says, but then there was one point where she did see me and she actually gave me a really evil look. Its a shame, he says, because he still thinks Kayley is smart and interesting and understands why she does what she does. This is their livelihood, he says. This is how they make money. I respect women who work in this field. I dont look, everyone needs to make money and make a living. For me, it wasnt about women using [chatters], because again, they need to make the most money they can, and Im all for that. Where my problem stood was with OnlyFans, the site itself. Dont tell us we are chatting with the actual women and lie about it. 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 Jam and peanut butter maker Smuckers has sued the popular grocery chain Trader Joes, claiming it copied its PB&J Uncrustables product. The J.M. Smucker Company, commonly referred to as Smuckers, said in a lawsuit filed in a federal court in Ohio on Monday that its pre-made and frozen-to-be-thawed handheld sandwiches are an American favorite thanks to decades of marketing and product development costing over a billion dollars. The company said Trader Joes is trying to benefit from Smuckers substantial investment with its Crustless Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam Sandwiches, which Smuckers calls an obvious copycat. Smuckers produces about 1.5 billion Uncrustables sandwiches a year, and the products are fast on their way to being a $1 billion brand, according to the suit. open image in gallery Jam and peanut butter maker Smuckers has sued the popular grocery chain Trader Joes, claiming it copied its PB&J Uncrustables product ( U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio ) The company said it doesnt have a problem with competitors selling prepackaged, frozen, thaw-and-eat crustless sandwiches, but it cannot allow others to use Smuckers valuable intellectual property to make such sales. Smuckers accused Trader Joes of trademark infringement, unfair competition, and deceptive trade practices, among other business violations. The infringing conduct that Smuckers has accused Trader Joes of has to do with the sandwiches shape and the marketing of the product. Trader Joes recently introduced a round, crustless sandwich with a crimped edge that [Trader Joes] is marketing with a bite taken out of it on the packaging that mimics the Uncrustables Design Marks, the suit reads. open image in gallery Smuckers called Trader Joes Crustless Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam Sandwiches, an obvious copycat of its Uncrustables product ( U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio ) Smuckers also accused Trader Joes of choosing packaging that prominently features the same color blue that Smucker uses. The company also said customers have been deceived into believing that [Trader Joes] product is in some way sponsored by, originates from or is affiliated with Smucker, when, in fact, it is not. Smuckers has requested Trader Joes stop using branding that imitates the Uncrustables Design Marks and give Smuckers all products and marketing materials related to the claimed infringement for destruction. The company is also seeking unspecified monetary damages. "Our focus is solely on protecting the unique trademarked design that represents the high quality associated with the Uncrustables brand and preventing consumer confusion caused by imitation, Smuckers told CBS News. The Independent has reached out to Smuckers and Trader Joes for comment. 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 has revoked the visas of at least six people it accuses of celebrating the September assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans, the State Department wrote on X on Tuesday. The State Department continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk. As part of its announcement, the State Department pointed to individuals whose comments ranged from generic criticisms of Kirks views to outright celebration of his death, including an Argentinian who alleged Kirk devoted his entire life spreading racist, xenophobic, misogynistic rhetoric and a German who allegedly wrote on social media that when fascists die, democrats dont complain. Soon after Kirk was killed, the State Department announced it would be seeking tips about foreigners praising Kirks death. Tuesdays announcement regarding the visas came the same day that President Trump posthumously awarded Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor, on what wouldve been his 32nd birthday. open image in gallery The State Department is revoking the visas of those it accuses of celebrating the slain conservative activist Charlie Kirks death ( Andrew Harnik/Getty Images ) The White House has made extensive efforts to mourn Kirks death. Top administration officials including the president and deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller spoke at a memorial service for Kirk in Arizona, and Vice President JD Vance stepped in to host a memorial episode of Kirks podcast from the White House. In the wake of Kirks shooting, the administration has also sought to crack down on individuals and left-wing groups it accuses of fomenting the kind of political violence that killed Kirk, even as studies show right-wing extremists have killed more people in the U.S. in recent decades. open image in gallery The White House has played a prominent role in mourning Kirks death, with top officials appearing at a vigil in Arizona and vowing a crackdown on left-wing groups it accuses of contributing to the violence that killed the activist ( Win McNamee/Getty Images ) It has designated antifa, a leaderless ideological movement without any clear organizational structure, an official domestic terror group, while Attorney General Pam Bondi has threatened to prosecute Kirk-related hate speech, a category of expression protected in almost all circumstances by the First Amendment, and private businesses that protest Kirk. Last month, a federal judge ruled the administrations moves to revoke visas and detain pro-Palestinian students and university faculty for their views amounted to a full-throated assault on the First Amendment across the board under the cover of an unconstitutionally broad definition of antisemitism. 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 U.S. and China on Tuesday began charging additional port fees on ocean shipping firms that move everything from holiday toys to crude oil, making the high seas a key front in the trade war between the world's two largest economies. A return to an all-out trade war appeared imminent last week, after China announced a major expansion of its rare earths export controls and President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to triple digits. But after the weekend, both sides sought to reassure traders and investors, highlighting cooperation between their negotiating teams and the possibility they could find a way forward. China said it had started to collect the special charges on U.S.-owned, operated, built or flagged vessels but clarified that Chinese-built ships would be exempted from the levies. In details published by state broadcaster CCTV, China spelled out specific provisions on exemptions, which also include empty ships entering Chinese shipyards for repair. open image in gallery Similar to the U.S. plan, the new China-imposed fees would be collected at the first port of entry on a single voyage or for the first five voyages within a year. ( Chinatopix ) Similar to the U.S. plan, the new China-imposed fees would be collected at the first port of entry on a single voyage or for the first five voyages within a year. "This tit-for-tat symmetry locks both economies into a spiral of maritime taxation that risks distorting global freight flows," Athens-based Xclusiv Shipbrokers said in a research note. Early this year, the Trump administration announced plans to levy the fees on China-linked ships to loosen the country's grip on the global maritime industry and bolster U.S. shipbuilding. An investigation during the former Biden administration concluded that China uses unfair policies and practices to dominate the global maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors, clearing the way for those penalties. China hit back last week, saying it would impose its own port fees on U.S.-linked vessels from the same day the U.S. fees took effect. "We are in the hectic stage of the disruption where everyone is quietly trying to improvise workarounds, with varying degrees of success," said independent dry bulk shipping analyst Ed Finley-Richardson. He said he has heard reports of U.S. shipowners with non-Chinese vessels trying to sell their cargoes to other countries while en route so the vessels can divert. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm. Analysts expect China-owned container carrier COSCO to be most affected by the U.S. fees, shouldering nearly half of that segment's expected $3.2 billion cost from those fees in 2026. open image in gallery China's commerce ministry on Tuesday said, "If the U.S. chooses confrontation, China will see it through to the end; if it chooses dialogue, China's door remains open." ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Major container lines, including Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM, slashed their exposure by switching China-linked ships out of their U.S. shipping lanes. Trade officials there reduced fees from initially proposed levels and exempted a broad swath of vessels after heavy pushback from the agriculture, energy and U.S. shipping industries. USTR did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China's commerce ministry on Tuesday said, "If the U.S. chooses confrontation, China will see it through to the end; if it chooses dialogue, China's door remains open." In a related move, Beijing also imposed sanctions on Tuesday against five U.S.-linked subsidiaries of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean which it said had "assisted and supported" a U.S. probe into Chinese trade practices. Hanwha, one of the world's largest shipbuilders, owns Philly Shipyard in the U.S. and has won contracts to repair and overhaul U.S. Navy ships. Its entities also will build a U.S.-flagged LNG carrier. Hanwha said it is aware of the announcement and is closely monitoring the potential business impact, and that it will continue to provide services to its customers, "including through our investments in the U.S. maritime industry and via Hanwha Philly Shipyard." Hanwha Ocean's shares sank nearly 6%. China also launched an investigation into how the U.S. probe affected its shipping and shipbuilding industries. open image in gallery The U.S. announced last Friday a carve-out for long-term charterers of China-operated vessels carrying U.S. ethane and LPG, deferring the port fees for them through December 10. ( AFP/Getty ) Shipping Lines scrabble for workarounds A Shanghai-based trade consultant said the new fees may not cause significant upheaval. "What are we going to do? Stop shipping? Trade is already pretty disrupted with the U.S., but companies are finding a way," said the consultant, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with the media. The U.S. announced last Friday a carve-out for long-term charterers of China-operated vessels carrying U.S. ethane and LPG, deferring the port fees for them through December 10. Meanwhile, ship-tracking company Vortexa identified 45 LPG-carrying VLGCs - 11% of the total fleet - that would be subject to China's port fee. Clarksons Research said in a report that China's new port fees could affect oil tankers accounting for 15% of global capacity. Jefferies analyst Omar Nokta estimated that 13% of crude tankers and 11% of container ships in the global fleet would be affected. Trade War expands to environmental policy In a reprisal against China curbing exports of critical minerals, Trump on Friday threatened to slap additional 100% tariffs on goods from China and put new export controls on "any and all critical software" by November 1. Administration officials hours later warned that countries voting in favor of a plan by the U.N. International Maritime Organization to reduce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from ocean shipping this week could face sanctions, port bans, or punitive vessel charges. China has publicly supported the IMO plan. "The weaponization of both trade and environmental policy signals that shipping has moved from being a neutral conduit of global commerce to a direct instrument of statecraft," Xclusiv said. Shares in Shanghai-listed COSCO rose more than 2% in early trading on Tuesday. The company said its board had approved a plan to buy back up to 1.5 billion yuan ($210.3 million) worth of its shares within the next three months to maintain corporate value and safeguard shareholder interests. The shipping firm did not immediately respond to Reuters' queries about the port fees. 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 Trumps son Eric has provoked confusion and anger online from critics with comments on Tuesday painting his fathers movement as responsible for saving Christianity and religion in general, while claiming a divine hand led his father back to the White House. "We're saving Christianity. We've saving God, Eric Trump said Tuesday on the Benny Show podcast. We've saving the family unit. We're saving this nation. I mean, DEI is out of the window, Benny. You no longer have Colin Kaepernick kneeling for the national anthem. You no longer have Budweiser going woke as hell. All of this is dead. We have a return to people going to church." Trump added that despite his dads recent jokes he wont get into heaven, the president will in fact go to heaven for achievements such as the Israel-Hamas peace deal, arguing that Trump surviving an assassination attempt on the campaign trail was further proof of the Republicans divine protection. The comments, which came as Eric Trump was promoting his new memoir Under Siege, quickly prompted mockery and disdain online. Weve moved rather quickly from God saved Trump to Trump is saving God, which I guess is the foundation of the new MAGA religion? liberal podcaster Jon Favreau wrote on X in response. open image in gallery Eric Trump claims that God guided his father back to the White House and that the Trump administration is saving God ( Newsmax ) Theyre saving God? Mike Inacay, a staffer for Democratic Senator Brian Schatz, added in a separate X post. Maybe the most insane and offensive thing anyone can say. Even some conservatives took issue with Trumps remarks. I audibly gasped when I heard him say this, Trump 2020 staffer Lizzie Marbach wrote on X. Look, I understand how a son wants nothing more than to believe their father is going to heaven. I understand he is proud of the work his dad is doing. But for the sake of peoples souls, we must be clear. God does not need saving. While Eric Trumps comments generated criticism online his father has certainly endorsed the message of the book. open image in gallery President Trump has previously claimed God spared him from being assassinated on the campaign trail ( Getty Images ) Dont forget to get a copy of my son Erics book, UNDER SIEGE, which is breaking records everywhere, the president wrote on X on Tuesday of the book, which was released today. Its a phenomenal book, thats a must read for everyoneCongratulations Eric, you deserve it!!! Eric Trumps memoir details gripping moments from his life as a vital part of Americas most powerful family, according to the Trump Organization. From raids on his childhood home, Mar-a-Lago, to near assassination attempts, from Russiagate to cold and corrupt court rooms, the fake news media, censorship, and character smearsthis wasnt just an attack on a president, or even his family, reads a post about the book on the Trump corporate website. America itself was under siege. President Trump has long claimed a divine hand in his reelection, telling a campaign audience in October 2024 that he was shot because God wanted him to win the presidential election. 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 13-year-old Massachusetts boy was detained by federal immigration agents, claiming he was armed with a gun but local officials later revealed the teen never had a firearm. The case has been met online with a mixture of shock and confusion, with federal officials offering a different set of details from the press and city officials. The seventh grader from Everett, Massachusetts, who has not been publicly named, was arrested last Thursday after local police received a tip that he had made a violent threat against another boy within a school, the citys mayor said. Officers then arrested and booked the teen at the police station, from where Immigration and Customs Enforcement took him into custody. The boy was initially held at a nearby ICE facility before being transported to the Northwestern Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Virginia, 500 miles from his hometown, the Boston Globe reported on Sunday. The boy and his family are Brazilian nationals and have a pending asylum case, his immigration lawyer told the paper. open image in gallery ICE arrested a 13-year-old boy, whom they claimed possessed a gun and a knife. But local police say no firearm was ever recovered ( AP ) The story was met with outrage on social media, and got the attention of the Department of Homeland Security, which replied to one tweet with the facts. Here are the facts: he posed a public safety threat with an extensive rap sheet including violent assault with a dangerous weapon, battery, breaking and entering, destruction of property, Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokesperson, wrote on Monday. He was in possession of a firearm and 5-7 inch knife when arrested, she said. The DHS doubled down on its claims the following day, repeating that the teen was carrying a gun and a knife and had an extensive rap sheet. Shameful @BostonGlobelying about public safety threats, read the post from the official department account. open image in gallery Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria announces that no firearm was recovered when the teen was arrested ( City of Everett ) At a press conference later on Tuesday, however, Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria contradicted federal officials statements, saying officers recovered a knife, but no gun. The Independent has reached out to DHS on whether it stands by its original statements and the Everett Police Department and the lawyer about the teens alleged rap sheet. Police didn't contact ICE about the arrest, the mayor said: Everett Police does not make arrests based on immigration status. Once someone is taken into ICE custody, both the Everett police and the city have no authority or control over what happens next, DeMaria said. Local law enforcement told the teens mother, Josiele Berto, she could pick up her son at the station. An hour and a half later, she was told he was taken to an ICE facility. My world collapsed, Berto told the Globe in Portuguese. A lawyer for the teen filed an emergency habeas corpus petition on Friday. The district judge noted the teen was presumably in the company of unrelated adult detainees and ordered the government to show cause...for grounds justifying the detention of a juvenile by Tuesday, otherwise the boy must be given a bond hearing by Friday, court documents show. However, the judge at the time was under the impression that the teen was still being held at the Massachusetts ICE facility. The government later explained that the petition was filed while the boy was en route to Virginia, so this court lacks jurisdiction, the judge wrote. The case was transferred to the proper district on Wednesday. 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 Members of the U.S. military were due to receive their pay on Wednesday as the Trump administration and the Pentagon turn to alternate revenue streams to keep checks flowing to service members amid the now 15-day-old government shutdown. The federal government ran out of money at midnight on October 1 after Senate Democrats blocked a continuing resolution that to keep the government open that Republicans passed. Democrats want any stopgap spending bill to include an extension of enhanced tax credits for the Affordable Care Acts health insurance marketplace since the tax credits expire at the end of this year. But over the weekend, Trump said in a Truth Social post that he and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth identified money to pay military servicemembers. I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire Security of our Nation, HOSTAGE, with their dangerous Government Shutdown, he said. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth shakes hands with President Donald Trump in Quantico, Virginia, on Tuesday ( Andrew Harnik/POOL/AFP via Getty Images ) Politico reported that an Office of Management and Budget official said the money would come from its research and development pot. About $8 billion is being moved from accounts focused on research, development, testing and evaluation efforts. Rep Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), who represents Virginia Beach and is herself a Navy veteran, praised the move. This is exactly what my Pay Our Troops Act was aiming to accomplish! Kiggans posted on X I am grateful for a Commander-in-Chief who cares about our service members and their families. Now its time to get the government open! Previously, some Democrats and even some Republicans had floated a standalone bill to ensure that military service members would continue being paid amid the shutdown. The move will likely buy House Speaker Mike Johnson more time. Johnson said earlier this week that were barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history. The longest shutdown happened in between December 2018 and January 2019, when Trump initiated a government shutdown because he wanted to include spending for his proposed US-Mexico border wall. That effort ultimately failed. So far, Johnson has refused to call Congress back into session. Johnson has argued that the House of Representatives has already done its job to stop a government shutdown and its now the job of the Senate to work on legislation. The House passed a so-called clean continuing resolution to keep federal spending at their current rates. Currently, Congress has not finished crafting the 12 spending bills needed to fully fund the federal government for an entire fiscal year. But Democrats have so far not shown any indication that they want to pass the continuing resolution. Only three members of the Senate Democratic caucusSens. Angus King (I-Maine), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and John Fetterman (D-Penn.)voted for the continuing resolution. This also comes as other federal workers have been put on furlough without pay. In addition, last week OMB director Russell Vought said he had begun conducting reductions in force to layoff federal workers. The money for troops will give Republicans a little more leverage, but they still face a big deadline of the beginning of November, when health insurance marketplaces begin to announce their new premiums. 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 new California law that bans Glock-style pistols that enable illegal machine gun conversion devices to be attached is being challenged in court by the NRA, who accuse the state of seeking to disarm law-abiding citizens and violating the Second Amendment. Assembly Bill No. 1127 was introduced in July by Democratic Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel and finally signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom last week. It blocks the sale of semiautomatic pistols that feature cruciform trigger bars, informally known as switches, which facilitate the easy conversion of the weapons into even deadlier, rapid-fire models. open image in gallery A semi-automatic pistol with a conversion device installed, making it fully-automatic ( AP ) Newsom and his gang of progressive politicians in California are continuing their crusade against constitutional rights, John Commerford, executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement. They are attempting to violate landmark Supreme Court decisions and disarm law-abiding citizens by banning some of the most commonly owned handguns in America, he added. In July, Gabriel told the California Senate Public Safety Committee, Automatic weapons are exceptionally lethal and capable of firing hundreds of rounds per minute; they are illegal in California,. Unfortunately, some semiautomatic firearms feature a dangerous design element allowing them to be converted to automatic weapons through the attachment of an easy-to-use device known as a switch. But his legislation is now being challenged in a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California that lists the NRA, the Firearms Policy Coalition, and the Second Amendment Foundation among the plaintiffs. The suit claims that the new law effectively bans the sale of and correspondingly prevents citizens from acquiring a weapon in common use violates the Second Amendment. Semiautomatic handguns with cruciform trigger bars are not different from any other type of semiautomatic handgun in a constitutionally relevant way, it argues. The Supreme Court has already held that handguns are in common use and cannot be banned. The plaintiffs insist that the only justification for banning the sale of a given firearm is if it is dangerous and unusual and that neither criterion applies to semiautomatic pistols, which are unquestionably in common use for lawful purposes and among the most popular handguns in the nation. open image in gallery California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law last week ( AP ) Machine gun conversion switches are illegal in the United States, but they commonly find their way into the country after being manufactured abroad. They can be 3D printed at home, and instructions for their installation are widely available online, according to The Los Angeles Times. Switches have been found on weapons used in several mass shootings in recent years, notably in an attack in Sacramento in 2022 that saw six people killed and many more injured. According to the most recent data available from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, there was a 570 percent increase in the number of conversion devices picked up by U.S. police departments between 2017 and 2021. 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 Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, a loyal ally of Russias Vladimir Putin, has warned President Donald Trump that the U.S. handing subsonic Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine would mean nuclear war. Trump is reportedly considering a request by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the Tomahawks, which have a 1,500-mile range that would enable Kyiv to strike much deeper into Russian territory, hitting strategic targets such as the invaders enemy infrastructure, military bases, and munitions factories. Zelensky has argued that ramping up the arms available to his country would increase the pressure on the Kremlin to agree to a peace deal. open image in gallery Belarus's President Alexander Lukashenko visits the Kremlin on September 26 2025 ( AFP/Getty ) Putin, however, has warned that such a step would jeopardize the improved U.S.-Russia relations Trump has brought about, but which have nevertheless failed to bring an end to a war that has rumbled on for more than three years. Tomahawks will not solve the problem. They will escalate the situation to a nuclear war, Lukashenko said at a meeting in Minsk on Tuesday, naturally siding with Putin. Perhaps Donald Trump understands this better than anyone, as he is in no hurry to hand over this lethal weapon for deep strikes into Russian territory, as President Zelensky is counting on. Belarus has been hosting Russian tactical nuclear weapons since March 2023, and the two nations carried out a joint military exercise in September 2024 to practise in case they are ever called into service. Zelensky, who has endured a rollercoaster relationship with Trump, is due back in Washington on Friday to lobby for the missiles as well as increased sanctions on Moscow and on fellow superpowers China and India for continuing to buy up Russian energy, which is helping Putin bankroll his invasion. Right now, it is important to send a signal that Ukraine will be strengthened by all means possible, Zelensky said at a press conference last week. And this is one of those means that is important to me Tomahawks. All such things can strengthen Ukraine and force the Russians to sober up a little, sit down at the negotiating table. open image in gallery President Donald Trump meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at United Nations General Assembly, on September 23 ( AP ) Trump struck a more cautious note on the subject when speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday en route to Israel, saying well see when asked whether he planned to give them to Ukraine, acknowledging that they represented a new step of aggression and suggesting he could use the prospect as leverage to compel Putin to make accommodations. Lukashenko, often characterized as a relic of the Soviet Union and Europes last dictator, last played a pivotal role at an earlier stage of the war when he negotiated an end to the mutiny staged by Yevgeny Prigozhins Wagner Group mercenaries in June 2023. That uprising briefly threatened to topple Putin but ultimately saw his men stand down and Prigozhin meet an untimely end in a suspicious plane crash just two months later. After overseeing last Septembers practice drill, Lukashenko warned the U.S. and NATO: We will use nuclear weapons the moment they attack us. If such a scenario ever did come to pass, he cautioned, that would be regarded by the Kremlin as an assault against its people, too. Thus, Russia would deploy its full arsenal, Lukashenko said. And that means World War III. But the West doesnt want that either. They are not ready for it. Weve made it clear that our red line is our national borders. If they cross them, our response will be immediate. We are preparing for this. Im being honest and transparent about it. In power since 1994, the Belarusian strongman said in August that he was not planning to seek another term but dismissed speculation that his son Nikolai was being groomed as his successor. 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 Olivia Nuzzi is set to release a tell-all book about her secret relationship with the married Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Nuzzi, 32, who was recently appointed as an editor with Vanity Fair, previously confessed to beginning a personal relationship with him during his 2024 presidential campaign. Her book, which will hit shelves next year, will be the first time Nuzzi has addressed the scandal since releasing a public statement last year. Nuzzis relationship with RFK allegedly began during a hike, when he grabbed her hand, according to multiple sources. Nuzzi spoke to another reporter who had a similar experience with the former environmental lawyer. open image in gallery Olivia Nuzzi is writing a tell-all book about her digital relationship with the incumbent Secretary of Health, Robert F Kennedy Jr ( Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) However, a digital relationship between RFK and Nuzzi continued to develop with a source telling The New York Post that the reporter was obsessed with Kennedy, and began sending him intimate photos. Another source claimed that RFK would occasionally block her. However, she would convince him to let her contact him once again, and once unblocked, she bombarded him with increasingly pornographic photos and videos that he found difficult to resist. After brief exchanges, he would block her again, the source added. However, RFKs spokesperson has downplayed any relationship between the pair. Mr. Kennedy only met Olivia Nuzzi once in his life for an interview she requested, which yielded a hit piece, RFKs spokesperson told Vanity Fair. When the scandal became public, Nuzzi accused her ex-fiance, Ryan Lizza, a fellow reporter, of orchestrating a blackmail campaign against her. Their relationship collapsed shortly after the scandal became public. Court documents, filed by Nuzzi and seen by CNN, also claimed that RFJ Jr told Nuzzi that he wanted to possess, control, and impregnate her. Meanwhile, Nuzzi denied ever having a physical relationship with RFK. open image in gallery Kennedy has denied the relationship taking place, claiming she wrote a hit piece about her ( AP ) Earlier this year, the nature of some communication between myself and a former reporting subject turned personal, she said. During that time, I did not directly report on the subject nor use them as a source. The relationship was never physical but should have been disclosed to prevent the appearance of a conflict, she added. I deeply regret not doing so immediately and apologize to those Ive disappointed, especially my colleagues at New York. She was also placed on leave by New York Magazine. Recently, our Washington Correspondent Olivia Nuzzi acknowledged to the magazines editors that she had engaged in a personal relationship with a former subject relevant to the 2024 campaign while she was reporting on the campaign, a violation of the magazines standards around conflicts of interest and disclosures, New York Magazine said in a statement, seen by Status. Had the magazine been aware of this relationship, she would not have continued to cover the presidential campaign. An internal review of her published work has found no inaccuracies nor evidence of bias. She is currently on leave from the magazine, and the magazine is conducting a more thorough third-party review. We regret this violation of our readers trust. Nuzzi currently works as the West Coast Editor of Vanity Fair, after moving from New York City to Los Angeles. open image in gallery Kennedys wife, Cheryl Hines, appeared on The View to defend her husbands health policies ( Getty ) Robert F Kennedy Jr. married his current wife, Cheryl Hines, in 2014. A source told the Daily Mail that Hines told RFK to move from Washington, D.C. when the sexting scandal became public. Cheryl doesnt feel Bobby can be trusted one iota living on his own, in DC, even part-time, with so many attractive women and Kennedy groupies around, as he gets settled in his powerful new position, the source said. However, she recently appeared on The View to defend her husbands public health policies. Hines said that it is important to have different views in healthcare, in reference to her husband suggesting a link between rates of autism diagnoses and circumcision in America. 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 Speaker Mike Johnson may be keeping the House of Representatives out of session to prevent a newly elected Democratic member from being able to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files, but a Republican congresswoman is moving ahead with releasing another conspiracy-laden tranche. The Internet piled on Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna Wednesday after she posted on X that shed been handed a copy of an unreleased government report on the John F. Kennedy assassination but from the Russian government. I have received a hard copy of the report on JFKs assassination from the Ambassador of Russia. A team of experts is enroute [sic] to my office in the morning to begin translation and full review of documents, she excitedly wrote. Luna, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, added that the documents in question would be uploaded for public review as soon as we can and called the upcoming document dump of massive historical significance. Earlier in the week, she announced that her office had received word from the Russian embassy in Washington that Ambassador Alexander Darchiev would be delivering a 350 page document on the Russian governments findings on who assassinated JFK to her office. The second-term congresswoman, who chairs the House Oversight Committees Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, did not say whether the delivery was at her request or if her office had been offered the Soviet-era document. But in a separate X post, the Russian embassy in Washington said what it described as a pre-copy of a collection of archived documents on the JFK assassination that is set to be published in Russia next month was passed off to Lunas office upon her request. Multiple prominent X users replied to or reposted Lunas message to express their dismay or ridicule the congresswomans actions largely ripping her for seemingly believing that the Cold War enemy of the US and of Kennedy could be a more reliable source of information on his assassination than our own government. Inez Stepman, a conservative activist with the Independent Womens Forum, said Lunas request for the Soviet-era JFK report may be the stupidest thing Ive ever seen a member of Congress do. Another conservative commentator, Washington Post columnist Mark Theissen, wrote to Luna: Youre going to crack this case wide open, I know it! Zero chance the Russians are laughing at you. Its unclear what, if any, information the documents would contain that would be of use to anyone, as the Russian government frequently publishes fake documents and disinformation as part of propaganda efforts to weaken the U.S. government and divide the American electorate. Most but not all of the U.S. governments files concerning the 1963 killing of the 35th president have been released to the public, with large batches declassified and posted online pursuant to an executive order signed by Trump shortly after taking office. None of those documents undermine the conclusion reached by multiple investigations conducted in the 61 years since the shooting, each of which found that U.S. Marine Corps veteran Lee Harvey Oswald shot Kennedy and then-Texas governor John Connally as their open-topped limousine passed within range of a sixth-floor window at the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas. A spokesperson for Lunas office, David Leatherwood, said in a statement to The Independent that the congresswoman was tipped off to the documents by independent journalist Jefferson Morley and met directly with the Russian ambassador to request the documents. In an effort to restore relations with America, and in an attempt to assist with the full findings of Trumps EO, they agreed to release the documents, Leatherwood said. He added that the documents at issue have been sought after by the JFK research community and historians for decades including by Congress as recently as the 1990s. 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 Supreme Court could give Donald Trump and Republican members of Congress a massive shot in the arm for a gerrymandering arms race across the country. More than a decade after gutting a key component of the Voting Rights Act, the justices are once again being asked to gut what remains of the decades-old civil rights law, which sought to release the grip of Jim Crow-era threats to the right to vote. But to the Republican officials and Trump administration attorneys making their case to the Supreme Court, racial discrimination that led to the passage of the landmark law in 1965 is a thing of the past. A new Louisiana congressional map that creates a second majority-Black congressional district violates the same constitutional amendments that were drawn up to protect minority voters in the aftermath of the Civil War, they argue. At the center of the case before the Supreme Court is the future of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which bans voting rules that discriminate on the basis of race. If justices decide that states dont need to consider the racial impacts of how congressional districts are drawn, the consequences could be sweeping, opening the door for Republican lawmakers to eliminate Democratic-led districts across the South. open image in gallery The conservative majority on the Supreme Court could gut a key provision of the Voting Rights Act that prevents states from making racially discriminatory congressional maps. ( Getty Images ) Striking down Section 2 would be pretty catastrophic, according to NAACP Legal Defense Fund director Janai Nelson, who is representing Black voters in the case. If justices side with Louisiana and the Trump administration, it would mark a staggering reversal of precedent that would throw maps across the country into chaos, she told justices during Wednesdays oral arguments. A decision isnt expected until 2026, but it could throw into overdrive the aggressive Trump-backed campaign to redraw congressional districts ahead of midterm elections that could determine the balance of power in the House for decades. The developing war over congressional maps follows a series of Supreme Court decisions that have gradually chipped away at the Voting Rights Act and constitutional guardrails to protect against racial gerrymandering, or carving up electoral maps to prevent racial minorities from electing their preferred candidates. In a landmark case in 2013, the Supreme Court gutted a key provision of the Voting Rights Act that required states with a history of discrimination to seek approval from the federal government before changing their voting laws. Our country has changed, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote at the time. And while any racial discrimination in voting is too much, Congress must ensure that the legislation it passes to remedy that problem speaks to current conditions. But he added that Section 2 is permanent, applies nationwide, and is not at issue in this case. open image in gallery Legal Defense Fund director Janai Nelson told justices October 15 that a decision that strips out Section 2 from the Voting Rights Act would be catastrophic for democracy ( Getty Images ) Black voters make up one-third of Louisianas population but were largely packed into one majority-Black district and cracked across the other five after the state crafted a new map following the 2020 census. Most Black voters in the state have voted for Democratic candidates. After a Voting Rights Act lawsuit against the state, Louisiana was required to redraw its own congressional map last year to ensure a second majority-Black district. The Supreme Court heard the case earlier this year, but, in a rare move, asked the parties to argue it again expanding the scope of the case to tackle major constitutional questions that put Section 2 in jeopardy. Louisiana initially defended its new map, but the state switched sides and joined a group of non-African-American voters who sued to block it on constitutional grounds. The Trump administration also joined the case. I find it a little bit disingenuous for the state of Louisiana to be arguing that things have changed to the point that theres no need for special dispensation for Black voters, according to Press Robinson, who is among the Black plaintiffs challenging the Louisiana law. The first time I tried to get into politics was in 1974, and I had to file suit just to become an elected member of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, he told reporters this month. Here I am almost 60 years later, and were fighting for a second congressional district that is majority black. So, has Louisiana really changed? I dont see it. We represent a third of the states population, and we ought to have a third of this congressional representation. And we do not. During Wednesdays oral arguments, several conservative justices asked where there should be a time limit, or a cut-off point, when considering race as a factor in drawing congressional maps. What exactly do you think the end point should be? Trump-appointed Justice Brett Kavanaugh asked. We would be reckless if we determined that Section 2 somehow is no longer needed simply because it has been so successful in rooting out racial discrimination in voting, Nelson replied. 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 Trumps administration has authorized the CIA to covertly operate inside Venezuela, marking a significant escalation of an aggressive U.S. military campaign against Nicolas Maduros regime. The authorization reportedly grants the CIA permission to take covert action against Maduro and his government, including as part of a wider military operation. Trump told reporters at the White House Wednesday that he authorized CIA operations because Venezuela emptied their prisons into the United States of America and flooded the country with drugs. Last month, the administration declared the United States is formally engaged in an armed conflict with drug cartels that the president has labeled unlawful combatants, according to a confidential notice to members of Congress. The notice appears to invoke extraordinary wartime powers to justify a series of missile strikes targeting boats off the coast of Venezuela and in the Caribbean that have killed at least 27 people in recent weeks. Trump said defense officials are now looking at land strikes in Venezuela. open image in gallery Donald Trump said his administration is looking into military strikes inside Venezuela as he authorizes CIA actions inside the country. ( Getty Images ) We are certainly looking at land now because weve got the sea under control, he said Wednesday. The latest action follows another U.S. airstrike that destroyed a boat off Venezuelas coast, which the president and administration officials claim targeted drug traffickers. Critics have argued the campaign amounts to illegal extrajudicial killings, while members of Congress and civil rights groups are pressing the administration for evidence and the legal memos shared among White House officials to justify the killings. All available evidence suggests that President Trumps lethal strikes in the Caribbean constitute murder, pure and simple, according to a statement from Jeffrey Stein, director of the ACLUs National Security Project. The public deserves to know how our government is justifying these attacks as lawful, and, given the stakes, immediate public scrutiny of its apparently radical theories is imperative. Trump did not explicitly rule out targeting Maduro, dismissing a question about whether the administration would take action against Venezuelas elected leader as ridiculous. I dont want to answer a question like that, he said Wednesday. open image in gallery At least 27 people have been killed in series of US military strikes on alleged drug boats off the coast of Venezuela and Caribbean. ( via REUTERS ) Trump and administration officials have repeatedly claimed that alleged drug boats are tied to Tren de Aragua gang members and narcoterrorists but have not publicly presented evidence as the president and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth share videos of the strikes on social media. Trump claimed members of Congress have been given information that they were loaded up with drugs. Thats what matters, he said. The president claimed the boats erupted with drug dust and fentanyl dust when they were destroyed. We know when they go out, we have much information about each boat that goes out. Deep, strong information, he said. In January, Trump issued an executive order designating Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization, paving the way for his order invoking the Alien Enemies Act to summarily deport suspected gang members. Neither the Alien Enemies Act nor foreign terrorist organization designations allow for lethal force. Deploying lethal force on suspicion of illegal activity violates the letter and spirit of more than a century of international standards and the United States own regulations for maritime operations against civilian vessels in international waters, according to the Washington Office on Latin America, a human rights advocacy organization. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino has accused the Trump administration of trying to force a regime change. I want to warn the population: We have to prepare ourselves because the irrationality with which the U.S. empire operates is not normal, Padrino said in televised remarks last week. Its anti-political, anti-human, warmongering, rude and vulgar. 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 reportedly spends hours binge-watching cable news, allegedly influencing the president to take dramatic actions based on skewed information and a desire to look tough on TV, according to alarmed current and former advisers. Figures in Trumps circle told Zeteo that this feedback loop has influenced highly consequential White House moves including the decision to send troops to Portland and Chicago, as well as the June decision to bomb Iran. Evidence of this alleged dynamic appeared last month as the president was carrying out his now-stalled plan to send National Guard troops to Portland. The president has described using the military over the objection of local leaders as necessary to combat a city in fiery rebellion, a picture of conditions state and city officials have said is inaccurate. I spoke to the governor, she was very nice, Trump said at the time of a conversation with Oregons Governor Tina Kotek. But I said, Well wait a minute, am I watching things on television that are different from whats happening? My people tell me different. They are literally attacking, and there are fires all over the place ... It looks like terrible. The comments came the same month Fox News reportedly broadcast a segment on the extent of anti-immigration protests in the city which allegedly mixed present-day video with footage from the more chaotic 2020 Black Lives Matter-related protests in Portland. open image in gallery The president reportedly spends hours watching cable news each day, allegedly creating a feedback loop that makes him seek splashy political moves to play well on TV, according to current and former advisers ( AP ) Elsewhere, the president was reportedly peeved about widespread coverage of Illinois officials vigorously opposing a similar plan to send troops to Chicago, pushback that appeared to temporarily give the White House pause about deploying the military despite days of threats. Two sources told Zeteo the president obsessively tracked coverage of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson during this time, fearing that the clash looked like a win for these Democrats. The president ultimately ordered the Guard into Illinois earlier this month, a move thats also been held up in court. Even the presidents military strategy has allegedly been touched by TV considerations, according to the report, with Trump reportedly showing more enthusiasm about bombing Iran this summer after watching pro-regime change commentators and footage of Israeli airstrikes on Fox. Trump insiders said this obsession with TV was nothing new. open image in gallery After local officials told the president Portland wasnt being overthrown, Trump said, Am I watching things on television that are different from whats happening? ( Getty Images ) Its scary how much it would affect not just his mood, but his decision-making on really important things,a first-term Trump official told Zeteo. Its not OK. Reached for comment by The Independent, a White House official said the presidents plan to send troops to Portland was based on real threats to federal authority, including protests that have led to federal charges against at least 26 people for crimes including arson and assaulting a police officer. President Trump is taking lawful action to protect federal law enforcement officers and address the out-of-control violence that local residents have complained about and Democrat leaders have failed to stop, spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said. The Independent has contacted Fox News for comment. open image in gallery The presidents decision to send National Guard troops to Chicago was reportedly motivated by a desire to push back against Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. JB Pritzker for the win they got in the media by calling the White House out for its militaristic plans ( AFP via Getty Images ) The president has long enjoyed a close relationship with the conservative media world, with Fox News anchor Jesse Watters joking last week Trump was basically a Fox News producer after hosting a group of right-wing journalists at The White House to talk about antifa. The president has also pulled Fox talent from the network to staff his administration, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro. 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 federal judge in California temporarily blocked the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the government shutdown Wednesday, saying the government had taken advantage of the lapse in funding to conduct them. District Judge Susan Illston issued the emergency temporary injunction in favor of labor unions representing the federal employees, just days after the Office of Management and Budget announced roughly 4,100 federal workers had been given reduction-in-force notifications. The evidence suggests that the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management have taken advantage of the lapse in government spending, in government functioning, to assume all bets are off, the laws dont apply to them anymore, Illston said during a court hearing. Under Illstons ruling, the administration cannot issue any more reduction-in-force notifications to federal employees during or because of the shutdown. Eight agencies - the Departments of Commerce, Education, Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Homeland Security, and Treasury had conducted layoffs after President Donald Trump threatened to use the shutdown to slash more of the workforce to pressure Democrats who boycotted Republicans temporary funding bill. open image in gallery President Donald Trump has sought to reduce the government workforce further during the shutdown ( Getty Images ) Illstons ruling arrives ahead of what was expected to be more cuts to the federal workforce. Vought said Wednesday on the Charlie Kirk Show that the administration wanted to be very aggressive in shuttering the bureaucracy and could slash more than 10,000 federal jobs during the shutdown. Many of those targeted were working on programs or part of agencies that Trump has associated with Democrats, such as expanding renewable energy, overseeing grants that support low-income communities and homelessness programs, or handling special education services. Unions representing the federal workers filed a lawsuit against the administration in September, ahead of the shutdown, in an attempt to thwart Trumps threats. But the administration followed through on its threats anyway. The unions representing workers pushed back, arguing that OMB Director Russell Vought violated the law by improperly notifying employees of their layoffs and that they were politically motivated. open image in gallery Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought said Wednesday the administration could cut more than 10,000 jobs from the federal workforce ( AFP via Getty Images ) They also said the administration could violate the Antideficiency Act, which prohibits the government from spending money not already appropriated by Congress, by allocating promised severance payments to laid off workers. During Wednesdays court hearing, Illston highlighted that the administration admittedly made many errors in conducting the reduction-in-force notifications. I keep getting revised declarations under oath from people who say, Well, I didnt mean the last one. I was off by about 2,000, because its a fluid situation, Illston said, adding that the situation was due to the administration rushing through decisions. After sending layoff notices last week, hundreds of employees from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were told they received incorrect notifications, an HHS official said in a statement to The Independent. This decision affirms that these threatened mass firings are likely illegal and blocks layoff notices from going out, Lee Saunders, the president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said in a statement. Federal workers have already faced enough uncertainty from the administrations relentless attacks on the important jobs they do to keep us safe and healthy. They deserve respect for the work they do not to be treated as political pawns by the billionaires running this administration who see workers as expendable, Saunders added. 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 has condoned public executions carried out by Hamas in Gaza in the wake of the ceasefire deal with Israel, appearing to compare the killings of alleged criminals with recent U.S. strikes on Venezuelan drug boats. Hamas has tried to regain control of Gazas streets and accused some Palestinians within the enclave of being collaborators with Israel, but the ongoing instability is one of several factors threatening the fragile ceasefire. In remarks to reporters in Washington, D.C., following his brief trip to the Middle East earlier this week, Trump spoke about the armed clashes following the withdrawal of Israeli troops. They killed a number of gang members, Trump said. And that didnt bother me much to be honest with you. Thats ok, its a couple of very bad gangs. You know its no different than other countries like Venezuela sent their gangs into us and we took care of those gangs. open image in gallery Hamas gunmen on pickup trucks escort buses carrying freed Palestinian prisoners as they are greeted following their release from Israeli jails ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Trump has previously suggested that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua had been operating brazenly across the U.S. The president then went on to discuss the recent gang crime crackdown in Washington D.C. It was one of the worst cities in the country if you go back just a little while ago, right. Now its safe. You can walk to work. Isnt that nice? he said. Also on Tuesday, Trump celebrated another deadly strike on a boat said to be full of narcoterrorists that had been carried out in the Caribbean. It is the fifth such strike since September, as the U.S. ramps up its military presence in the region. Asked last month about the possibility of striking the Venezuelan mainland directly and whether he is concerned about escalating tensions with President Nicolas Maduro, Trump told journalists: Well see what happens. Tuesdays conversation with the media about Hamas, the terms of the ceasefire, and what it means for peace in the region, focused on U.S. demands for the group to disarm. However, Trump refused to explain how this would happen, beyond saying that if it didnt happen voluntarily, then the U.S. would ensure it occurs, quickly, and perhaps violently. open image in gallery President Donald Trump said Hamas killings of alleged gangsters was ok ( Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images ) Trump told reporters: They will disarm. If they dont disarm, we will disarm them. Asked how will you do that, Trump responded: I dont have to explain that to you, but if they dont disarm, we will disarm them. They know Im not playing games. He went on: We have told them we want them to disarm. And if they dont disarm, then we will disarm them. And it will happen quickly, and perhaps violently. And I spoke to Hamas, and said, youre going to disarm right? Yes sir were going to disarm. Thats what they told me. They will disarm or we will disarm them. Got it? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said the war will not end until Hamas has been dismantled, and Trumps ceasefire plan calls for Hamas to disarm and hand power over to an internationally supervised body that has yet to be formed. 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 Hot on the heels of a major diplomatic victory in Gaza that saw the remaining Israeli hostages released by Hamas, President Donald Trump is looking to repeat his success in a far more challenging arena: The nearly four-year-old Russian invasion of Ukraine. Trump, who has said he thought this conflict would be the easiest to settle, is set to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday in what could be a pivotal visit for Zelensky, who is openly seeking access to more advanced American weaponry that would let his armed forces strike targets deep inside Russia. The relationship between the two leaders has been replete with conflict dating back to a now-infamous 2019 phone call shortly after Zelenskys election that ended up leading to Trumps first of two impeachments after he tried to extort the Ukrainian leader into announcing sham investigations into then-former vice president Joe Biden and his son. It took another ugly turn in February when Zelensky visited the White House just a month into Trumps second term to discuss what was supposed to be a mineral rights agreement with the U.S. but ended up in a shouting match after which he was asked to leave. Relations between them have warmed in recent months, however, as Trump has soured on Putin due to the latters habit of attacking civilian targets in Ukraine after assuring Trump he wants to end the war. The president has often boasted in recent months about his success in brokering solutions to military conflicts, some with extremely long histories including the decades-old border dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia, a recent spat between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan, and the Israel-Hamas conflict, which was just the latest instance of a conflict dating back to Israels founding in 1948. But the Russia-Ukraine war, which will enter its fourth year in February or 11th year if starting the clock from the 2014 Russian invasion of Crimea is not like the others he has claimed to have solved. Ukraine, with support from the United States and Europe, has transformed its armed forces from what was once a tired, Soviet-style army equipped with gear left over from Ukraines days as a Soviet republic into a modern fighting force that is adept with the most cutting-edge methods of drone warfare and boasts a range of modern American-built weaponry. Trump and Zelensky are set to meet again at the White House on Friday ( AFP via Getty Images ) Kyivs forces have largely kept Russia contained within an area of the country that has long been contested by Russian-backed separatists, turning the conflict into something akin to the trench warfare that raged across Europe during the First World War more than a century ago. But Zelensky is hoping that Trump, with a full head of steam after successfully bringing about a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza using Americas considerable leverage over Israel to force Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a deal and the threat of further military force to compel Hamas to concur, will take a similar approach to Moscow going forward. In a social media post on Monday, he explicitly compared Putin and Hamas, writing that the Russian leader can be forced into peace just like any other terrorist. Even Hamas is now preparing to release hostages. If that is possible, then Putin can also be forced to restore peace, he added. While Trump was able to leverage Americas relationship with Netanyahus government to force the Israeli leader to accept a settlement over the objections of several members of his right-wing coalition, the president doesnt have the same pressure points to work with Putin. But he does have other ones he can manipulate, economic or otherwise. European leaders have warned that Moscow is transitioning to a full-time war economy even while it teeters on the brink of economic catastrophe, and the time to strike with harsher financial penalties and sanctions is now. Yet Trump has thus far refrained from backing a Senate-authored bill to impose severe sanctions on Moscow, and has not yet taken action against the shadow fleet of tankers Putin uses to bypass price caps on Russian oil exports even though hes threatened to do so if the European Union can completely wean itself off of Russian petroleum products. The subject of increasing pressure on Putin with sanctions is bound to come up with Zelensky when the Ukrainian leader enters the Oval Office three days from now, as is Zelenskys desire for American-built Tomahawk cruise missiles that have the range for his forces to strike deep inside Russian territory including Moscow and beyond. The two leaders spoke on Sunday before Trump left Washington for Israel, with the American president calling their interaction a good conversation in which they discussed the weapons they need including more Patriot air-defense missiles. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters: Theyd like to have Tomahawks thats a step up. He said he told Zelensky that he might consult with Moscow before providing such weapons, calling their provision a new step of aggression. The possibility of that move drew condemnation from former Russian president Dimitri Medvedev, who on Monday claimed on Telegram it would be impossible for Russian forces to distinguish between conventionally-armed and nuclear-armed Tomahawks even though the latter weapons were removed from American arsenals years ago. One can only hope that this is another empty threat, he said. But Trump does not appear to be deterred and threatened to send Ukraine the weapons over Russias objections if this war is not going to get settled. The Tomahawk is a an incredible weapon, very offensive weapon. And honestly, Russia does not need that, 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 WeRateDogs, a beloved social media account, paused its usual wholesome content this week to share the story of a dog who was allegedly fatally shot by immigration officials. The account, which has 4.9 million Instagram followers and 1.5 million Facebook followers, shared an article from KFOX14 about a Texas family who claim their dog, Chop, was shot by Customs and Border Patrol agents as they searched their home on September 9. The account typically rates photos of dogs and shares other light-hearted content, such as fundraisers for sick pets. The post, shared Wednesday, claimed Chop was shot and killed by masked assailants in plain clothes who go by ICE. The post mistakenly referenced ICE agents, rather than Customs and Border Patrol agents. Unsurprisingly, they did not care enough to help the family as they tried to save him, the account wrote. Even more unsurprising, they did not find any evidence of the migrants they were there to terrorize in the first place. Do not open your door for these f****** losers. Rest easy Chop. The post has hundreds of thousands of likes across Instagram and Facebook. The viral social media account WeRateDogs lashed out at immigration officials after an El Paso, Texas, family said agents shot and killed their dog last month ( Instagram ) The KFOX14 story details how Customs and Border Patrol agents showed up at an El Paso house last month and asked to search it. A man, who remained anonymous, told KFOX 14 his son spoke to agents in jeans and t-shirts who said they had received a tip about his home. The son said the agents could come inside, but asked if he could first put Chop, a rottweiler, in the bathroom, because he could be aggressive. The agents then asked him for an ID. When he went to his pickup truck to get it, agents entered his home, let Chop out of the bathroom, and shot him, the father told KFOX14. The family also said agents didnt offer any aid to them as they scrambled to help dog while he bled out on their kitchen floor. The agent who shot the dog then hid from the family and refused to provide his name, they told KFOX14. The agents later revealed the anonymous tip they were investigating was connected to the homes previous owners, who lived there two years ago, the family told the outlet. A Customs and Border Patrol spokesperson told the outlet in September its now investigating the agents use of force. On Sept. 9 at 7:15 a.m., a U.S. Border Patrol agent was involved in a use of force incident in El Paso, Texas during an investigation into alien smuggling at a residence, the spokesperson said. The incident involved a canine. The use of force is currently under review by CBPs Office of Professional Responsibility in accordance with CBP policies. CBP takes such incidents seriously. We will provide additional information as it becomes available. The Independent has contacted Customs and Border Patrol for comment. 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 Conservative US commentator Candace Owens has been definitively barred from entering Australia after the nation's highest court upheld a government decision to refuse her a visa. Three High Court judges unanimously dismissed Owens' challenge to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke's ruling last year, which cited "character grounds" for the refusal. Mr Burke exercised his authority under the Migration Act in October, preventing Owens from undertaking a planned speaking tour across Australia and New Zealand. Court documents confirmed the visa denial was based on her failure to meet the country's "character test." Burke found there was a risk Owens would incite discord in the Australian community and that refusing her a visa was in the national interest. Burke found that as a political commentator, author and activist, Owens was known for her controversial and conspiratorial views. open image in gallery U.S. conservative commentator Candace Owens speaks at the Convention of the Right, in Paris, on Sept. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, FILE) ( Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) She had made extremist and inflammatory comments towards Muslim, Black, Jewish and LGBTQIA+ communities which generate controversy and hatred, Burke said in court documents. Owens lawyers had argued the Migrant Act was unconstitutional because it infringed upon Australia's implied freedom of political communications. Australia doesn't have an equivalent of the U.S. First Amendment that states a right to free speech. But because Australia is a democracy, the High Court has decided that the constitution implies free speech limited to governmental and political matters. Owens lawyers had argued that if the Migration Act was constitutional, then Burke had misconstrued his powers under that law in refusing her a visa. The judges rejected both arguments and ordered Owens to pay the governments court costs. Owens spokeswoman said on Wednesday Owens would comment on the court decision later on social media. Burke had told the court that while Owens already had an ability to incite discord through her 18 million followers across social media platforms, her presence in Australia would amplify that potential. He noted that when Australias terrorism threat level was elevated from possible to probable last year, the national domestic spy agency reported an increase in extremism. Australia has long used a wide discretion under the character test to refuse foreigners temporary visas. Burke stripped Ye, the U.S. rapper formerly known as Kanye West, of an Australian visa after he released his single Heil Hitler in May this year. Ye had been traveling for years to Australia, where his wife of three years, Bianca Censori, was born. Burke's decision to ban Owens prompted neighboring New Zealand to refuse her a visa in November on the grounds that she had been rejected by Australia. But a New Zealand immigration official overturned that refusal in December, citing "the importance of free speech. Owens spokeswoman on Wednesday had no information about plans to visit New Zealand. 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 Germanys government has approved a new draft law designed to tackle the nations growing labour shortages by encouraging individuals to continue working beyond retirement. The proposed legislation, agreed upon by the cabinet on Wednesday, will allow retirees to earn up to 2,000 euros (1,700) per month tax-free. Set to come into effect at the beginning of 2026, the initiative is projected to cost the state approximately 890 million euros (760 million) annually in lost tax revenues between 2026 and 2030, according to a Reuters report. Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil emphasised the economic rationale behind the move, stating: "We are setting further incentives for economic growth in Germany. For this, business particularly needs older and experienced workers and skilled professionals." A measure to fight demographic changes open image in gallery Eligible are employees who are subject to compulsory social insurance and who have passed the standard retirement age of 67 ( PA Wire ) An interior ministry report indicates that Germany's working population is expected to shrink by 6.3 million people from 2010 to 2030, a trend that will inevitably depress gross domestic product per person due to a reduced worker-to-retiree ratio. "Our companies are already desperately looking for skilled workers and demographic trends will further worsen the shortage," Economy Minister Katherina Reiche said, adding that the number of people of working age is decreasing by around 400,000 per year. Eligible are employees who are subject to compulsory social insurance and who have passed the standard retirement age of 67. With the existing obligation to pay social insurance contributions remaining in place, the social system will also benefit from the bonus, the finance ministry said. Europe turns to pension reforms to address labour shortages open image in gallery Working later in life is fast becoming the norm ( Getty ) German measures to encourage workers to retire later come as governments across Europe turn to pension reforms to address worker shortages and ease the burden on their pension systems. Nevertheless, it is a politically divisive topic that can have a high political cost for governments, as seen in France. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Tuesday suspended a landmark 2023 pension reform until after the 2027 presidential election, bowing to pressure from leftist lawmakers who had demanded such a move to ensure his political survival. 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 Moscow has the ability to strike deep into Europe, Polands foreign minister has warned, as he told European leaders it would be irresponsible not to build a drone wall on the eastern flank of the continent. Speaking in London on Tuesday, Radoslaw Sikorski unveiled a Russian-flown Shahed-136 drone downed in Ukraine and urged leaders to pledge support to Ukraine for at least the next three years. open image in gallery Radoslaw Sikorski unveiled a Shahed-136 drone downed in Ukraine ( Getty ) He said Ukraine was planning resources to fight for the next three years and that Western leaders need to convince Putin that we are ready to stay the course for at least those three years. Mr Sikorski added he hoped US president Donald Trump would make long-range Tomahawk missiles available to the country to bolster strikes against Russian infrastructure. open image in gallery US president Donald Trump said he is considering sending Tomahawks to Ukraine ( AP ) It comes after Mr Trump suggested he may be willing to provide Ukraine access to the US-made long-range missiles, with President Zelensky set to travel to Washington for further talks on Friday. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the US president said: Yeah, I might tell him [Putin], if the war is not settled, we may very well do it. We may not, but we may do it... do they want to have Tomahawks going in their direction? I dont think so. Tomahawks could be incredibly valuable to Ukraine as they would allow its military to strike targets in Russia up to 1,000 miles (1,600km) away, adding significantly to Kyivs arsenal. Russian president Vladimir Putin has previously said such a move would seriously damage relations between Washington and Moscow. Mr Sikorskis plea comes amid warnings from experts over a sharp fall in military aid being provided to Ukraine over the summer. In a report published on Tuesday, German think tank the Kiel Institute said military assistance has fallen 43 per cent since the beginning of 2025, despite renewed Nato initiatives such as the prioritised Ukraine requirements list (Purl). open image in gallery Nato leaders are meeting on Wednesday morning ( AP ) Leaders are set to discuss the fourth generation of the package, which provides weapons to Kyiv, on Wednesday as Nato defence ministers meet in Brussels. Speaking ahead of the discussions, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said the US expects countries to invest more into the initiative for Ukraine. Nato chief Mark Rutte said on Wednesday morning the military alliance and the European Union were working together in their efforts to set up a drone wall, as called for by Mr Sikorski. Britains defence secretary John Healey said his countrys jets will keep flying over Poland until the end of this year in an extension to the British commitment on the eastern flank. We are also ramping up our drone production for Ukraine, he told reporters before attending the Nato meeting. 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 Nato chief Mark Rutte has mocked one of Russias submarines for limping home from patrol, claiming the vessel had been forced to surface because of technical problems. Russias Black Sea Fleet denied its diesel-powered submarine Novorossiysk had suffered a serious malfunction, after it surfaced in French waters on the weekend and was escorted by Dutch authorities through the English Channel. Mr Ruttes public ridicule of Moscows military capability signals tensions between Europe and Russia continue to escalate in the midst of the war in Ukraine. In a speech in Slovenia, Mr Rutte dismissed Moscows argument that the vessel surfaced because it was complying with navigation rules in the English Channel, as he argued it was broken. open image in gallery File. Mark Rutte mocked a Russian submarine while speaking in Slovenia ( AP ) Now, in effect, there is hardly any Russian naval presence in the Mediterranean left. Theres a lone and broken Russian submarine limping home from patrol, Rutte said. 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. Russian authorities have denied Novorossiysk was forced to surface because of technical problems. Information disseminated by a number of media outlets about an alleged malfunction and, as a result, the emergency surfacing of the diesel-electric submarine Novorossiysk off the coast of France does not correspond to reality, a spokesperson for the military told Interfax news agency. "In accordance with international navigation regulations, submarines are to navigate the English Channel only while on the surface. open image in gallery The Royal Navy tracked a Russian submarine and carried out a concentrated three-day surveillance operation ( Royal Navy ) However, a Telegram group called VChK-OGPU, which publishes purported Russian security leaks, said on 27 September that fuel was leaking into the hold of the submarine which risked creating an explosion. In addition, the Dutch defence ministry said its navy escorted Novorossiysk and an accompanying towing vessel, the Yakov Grebelsky, in the North Sea. Tensions surrounding submarines in European waters flared earlier this month when Natos Maritime Command published photos on 9 October to X/Twitter 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, without naming the submarine. The Novorossiysk is a part of the improved Kilo Class II, as construction on it began in August 2010 before being completed for service in August 2014. It is the lead of the improved Kilo Class II and is part of Russias Black Sea Fleet. The submarine was deployed with the Mediterranean Sea Taskforce as part of Russias intervention in the Syrian civil war in 2015, it then received a refit from February 2021 before returning to service in April 2024. 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 Russia continues to bombard Ukraine with drone attacks, President Volodymyr Zelensky has made repeated and increasingly urgent calls for Kyiv to have access to more powerful and expansive weapons. The US-made Tomahawk could be the answer to his problems. A long-range missile with huge potential for precision strikes deep in enemy territory, access to the weapon would provide Ukraine with a new kind of military might - and it may not be as far away as it once was. Donald Trump has threatened to send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine in a renewed push to get Vladimir Putin to end the war. With Zelensky set to visit Washington on Friday, the leaders have said the provision of the weapons will be a major topic to be discussed. If Trump follows through on his threats, Ukraine could significantly expand its strike capabilities, enabling it to hit targets deep inside Russian territory, including military bases, logistics hubs, airfields and command centres that are currently beyond reach. But experts have warned the impact of the missile shouldnt be overstated, with Trumps threats more likely to see diplomatic shifts than game-changing military movements. What is a Tomahawk missile? The Tomahawk missile is a US-made long-range cruise missile typically launched from sea to attack targets in deep-strike missions. First used in 1991 during the Persian Gulf War, the missiles have evolved considerably over the last 30 years. According to manufacturer Raytheon, the most recent version, called the Block IV Tactical Tomahawk, or TACTOM, can switch targets while in flight, loiter for hours and change course instantly on command. open image in gallery Tomahawk missiles are typically launched from sea ( Getty ) Its most recent use came in 2024, when the US and UK Navies launched Tomahawk missiles at Houthi rebel sites in Yemen. What is the range on a Tomahawk missile? The precision-guided weapon can strike targets from 1,000 miles (1,600 km) away, even in heavily defended airspace. Measuring 20 feet (6.1 meters) long with an 8.5-foot wingspan and weighing in at about 3,330 pounds (1,510 kg). But it doesnt come cheap. The missiles have an average cost of $1.3 million, according to Reuters news agency, making it a valuable - but costly - military acquisition. Speaking to The Independent, Dr Sidharth Kaushal, Senior Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) said the Tomahawk is guided to its target by a combination of digital scene mapping area correlation and GPS, giving it a comparatively high survivability and precision when compared with other missiles, such as the Ukrainian Flamingo. In conjunction with a lower radar cross section, these features make the Tomahawk a far more lethal capability against targets situated at strategic depth than the Flamingo which is likely to be employable primarily against relatively soft targets associated with Russias hydrocarbon sector, he explained. open image in gallery Trump told reporters he has has sort of made a decision on whether to send Tomahawks to Ukraine, but didnt elaborate ( AFP via Getty Images ) But Dr Kaushal warned the effectiveness of Tomahawks must not be overstated. Russia has spent decades optimizing its air defence network against threats such as subsonic cruise missiles and many of the systems it operates including ground-based SAMs and interceptors like the MIG-31BM were built partially with a view to managing the risk posed by Tomahawk, he continued. As we have seen in the context of Russias attacks on Ukraine, missiles comparable to the Tomahawk like the KH-101 and Kalibr can be intercepted in relatively large numbers by a dense air defence network. What would it mean for Russia? Moscow has expressed extreme concern over the US potentially providing Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. Previously, Putin himself has suggested that such a move would seriously damage relations between Moscow and Washington. Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev responded to the threat in a statement on Telegram, where he said it is impossible to distinguish between Tomahawk missiles carrying nuclear warheads and conventional ones after they are launched. open image in gallery Putin has previously said sending long-range missiles to Ukraine would significantly damage US-Russia relations ( AP ) "How should Russia respond? Exactly!" Medvedev said on Telegram on Monday, appearing to hint that Moscow's response would be nuclear. Medvedev wrote: "One can only hope that this is another empty threat... Like sending nuclear submarines closer to Russia." He was referencing 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. How could it affect the Ukraine-Russia war? Experts have said the use of the missiles could force Russia to relocate air defence systems and reprioritise their assets. But they warned that despite Trumps rhetoric, the use of the missiles was unlikely to make a seismic shift on the front line. The Tomahawks ability to strike targets in depth can be both militarily and economically disruptive but ultimately will not fundamentally alter the situation at the front line, Dr Kaushal said. This is because there are a limited number of ground-based launchers for Tomahawk missiles and that the US, which produces 50-70 a year and has expended hundreds in the Middle East, would likely have to limit the number provided to Ukraine. But he warned the impact of Tomahawks on Russian strategy depends to a great extent on what they are aimed at, and how effectively. Dr Kaushal said even fairly major strategic setbacks had failed to greatly alter Russias overall strategy in the past. open image in gallery Pete Hegseth (L) and Nato chief Mark Rutte speak at a conference in Brussels ahead of Zelenskys visit to Washington ( REUTERS ) If the targets are high value military assets the Russians will likely have to rethink the allocation of air defence assets and, where possible, disperse or relocate some military capabilities but the fundamental strategy will be unchanged, he explained. He added any strikes on politically significant targets such as Moscow could drive an intensification of Russias campaign in Ukraine - and potentially escalate its activities in Nato countries, as recently seen in Poland. In addition, if Russia views the use of Tomahawk as being in effect a US attack because it judges that the capability needs US support for target development, it might adopt a more escalatory approach to its sub-threshold attacks in NATO territory, he continued. The pattern of sabotage, arson, damage to critical infrastructure and cyberattacks might escalate in tempo and risk acceptance as the Russians try to reassert their red lines. open image in gallery Putin and Trump met in August but did not reach an agreement on Ukraine ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) How providing the missiles is risky for Trump The provision of missiles carries a risk for the US president, who has made no secret of his desire for a good relationship with Russia. Putin has made clear he would consider any such move to be a major escalation in the opposite direction to Trumps ambitions. After Trumps efforts to negotiate peace with Putin stalled following the high-stakes summit in Alaska in August, the US president has repeatedly encouraged Putin to end the war, but has met with little success. As a result, their relations have soured, with Trump recently labelling Putin a paper tiger. Dr Kaushal any decision to send Tomahawks to Ukraine could spell the end of the detente with Russia which Trump seemed to be pursuing in the short-term, but added it was unlikely to fundamentally change relations between the two countries in the long-term. However, Dr Kaushal believes the acquisition could shift Moscows broader strategy diplomatically. If Russia views Ukrainian possession of Tomahawk not through the lens of the war in Ukraine per se but rather through the prism of the wider strategic balance, they may have an altogether different significance since Russia would view them not as a small Ukrainian arsenal but as a forward deployed element of a much larger US strike capability, he said. As such, the bet seems to be that Russias tendency to view US allies capabilities as extensions of the US military, and its aversion to having US missiles in locations which enable strikes to be conducted with minimal early warning, will act as an incentive to negotiate more seriously. 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 Nato defense ministers will meet on Wednesday to try to drum up more military support for Ukraine amid a sharp drop in deliveries of weapons and ammunition to the war-ravaged country in recent months. The ministers will also debate a call from Natos commander to lift restrictions on the use of their aircraft and other equipment so they can be used to defend the alliances eastern border with Russia, Belarus and Ukraine more effectively. A series of mysterious drone incidents and airspace violations by Russian war planes has fueled concerns that President Vladimir Putin might be testing Natos defensive reflexes. Some leaders have accused him of waging a hybrid war in Europe. Moscow denies probing Natos defenses. Military support for Ukraine dwindling Russias conventional war on its neighbor is now focused on Ukraines power grid ahead of winter. Moscows latest campaign is aimed at disabling Ukraines power supply, denying civilians heat and running water as temperatures drop. At the same time, new data on Western military aid to Ukraine is showing that it plunged by 43% in July and August compared to the first half of the year, according to Germanys Kiel Institute, which tracks defense and financial support to Kyiv. The fall occurred even after European allies began buying American weapons for Ukraine under a financial arrangement known as the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, or PURL. The United States does not donate any equipment to Ukraine, either through the scheme or bilaterally. Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have been buying U.S. weapons to send to Ukriane. But Italy and Spain, among other members of the 32-nation alliance, are sending very little compared to these Nato partners. Time and again, some countries are lagging far behind what they should do, a senior Nato diplomat said ahead of the meeting. If Ukraine falls, he said, defense expenditure will be much higher than 5% of gross domestic product, Natos current and ambitious spending target. The diplomat briefed reporters about the concerns on condition that he not be named as they weren't allowed to speak to the press. Many countries Italy among them are struggling with economic challenges. France believes European money would be better invested in Europes defense industry rather than that of the U.S. and it does not intend to take part in PURL. Defending Nato's eastern front The deployment of air defenses to Natos eastern flank has not yet deprived Ukraine of military resources. But the alliances top officers want countries to lift restrictions on the equipment they sent there to defend Nato airspace against threats from Russia. We still have some of these national caveats, and they are holding us back. They are making us less effective, Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte told lawmakers in Slovenia on Monday. Nato set up an air defense operation dubbed Eastern Sentry last month after several Russian drones entered Polish airspace. Its one of three air defense operations along the eastern flank. The second works in the Baltic Sea region, and a third covers Polands border with Ukraine. U.S. Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, Natos Supreme Allied Commander, or SACEUR, believes the response to the airspace incidents in Poland and Estonia was text book. But he wants to be free to use aircraft in any one of those missions elsewhere, providing a unified air shield with common rules of engagement. Restrictions on when fighter jets are allowed to fire weapons also pose challenges. The more national caveats are on, especially our fighter jet assets, the harder it is for SACEUR, U.S. Nato envoy Matthew Whitaker told reporters ahead of Wednesdays meeting. Grynkewich is conducting a review of what he thinks Nato needs to manage the new challenges it is facing, diplomats say. He's expected to share his plans with member countries early next year. 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 A Russian drone strike on the Shostka train station in northeastern Ukraine earlier this month killed a 71-year-old man and injured at least eight, leaving train carriages buckled by fire and riddled with shrapnel. Ukrainian officials report this as one of many attacks on the nation's critical railway network since mid-summer, disrupting vital commercial and military logistics. These assaults are part of Russia's wider infrastructure targeting, now executed with greater precision due to advancements in long-range drone technology, including onboard video feeds. The Shostka incident, less than 70 kilometres (43 miles) from the Russian border, involved two explosives-laden drones striking two commuter trains in quick succession. Russia has stepped up railway attacks over the past three months, seeking to sow unrest in Ukrainian regions it borders by depriving people there of rail connections, Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, the CEO of the Ukrainian state railway, told The Associated Press. What happens is not just about the quantity, its also the approach of enemy forces. Now, as they have very precise Shahed drones, they are targeting individual locomotives, Pertsovskyi said. open image in gallery A passenger train is seen damaged following Russia's drone attack on a railway station in Shostka, Sumy region, Ukraine, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Kordon Media) ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Ukrainian railway managers have prided themselves on speedy repairs and their ability so far to keep the trains running despite repeated strikes, but officials and analysts warn that advances in Russian drone capabilities and the growing tempo of attacks pose a serious threat. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in early 2022, railway officials have publicly reported about roughly one attack on railways per week. Since mid-summer of this year, that rate has more than doubled to about two or three per week, according to an AP review of public reports. However, what is publicly reported is only a small fraction of the overall number of attacks on all rail-related infrastructure, which could include damage to power lines, electrical substation, rail tracks, train stations and other structures. Oleksii Kuleba, a deputy prime minister in charge of restoration and development, said there have been 300 attacks on railway infrastructure since August alone which would represent about 10 attacks per week. Ukraines rail network carries more than 63% of the countrys freight and 37% of passenger traffic, according to the State Statistics Service. It is also essential for moving grain and metal industry exports to seaports and borders, and for transporting military aid from allied nations. open image in gallery A passenger train is seen damaged following Russia's drone attack on a railway station in Shostka, Sumy region, Ukraine, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Kordon Media) ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Russian forces have added a key upgrade to their drone fleet since the summer, according to Serhii Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian military and drone expert whose team studies intercepted Russian drones. Cameras and radio modems, which send and receive data wirelessly, have been fitted to various types of long-range strike drones. That allows operators to adjust a drones flight path in real time, sharply increasing precision compared to preprogrammed models. Beskrestnov said locomotives are particularly vulnerable to the new technology, because they are relatively slow and follow predictable routes. If the Russians keep hitting diesel and electric locomotives, the time will come very soon when the track will still be intact but well have nothing left to run on it, he said. The modified drones can fly up to 200 kilometers (124 miles) into Ukrainian territory while streaming video back to operators in Russian-held areas, Beskrestnov said. An official at Ukraines Defense Ministry, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters, said Ukrainian forces also have recovered and examined a Geran-type drone fitted with a civilian camera and radio modem. The Geran is a Russian variant of the Iranian-designed Shahed. The official said the findings suggest that Moscow is actively testing and refining new technical solutions. He said the cameras also allow Russian operators to identify Ukrainian air defense systems and assess damage on the ground. open image in gallery Shevcuk Maksym, 30, a railway repair team leader, looks at railway track repair work in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Throughout the war, Russian drones and missiles have repeatedly targeted railway infrastructure, mostly in regions near the front line. In March, the rail operator also endured a major cyberattack that disrupted online ticketing and other services for a week. Ukraines repair crews are racing to match the pace of Russian strikes. Piles of debris from missile attacks are cleared within hours, and utility teams typically restore power and water within a day after most strikes on Kyiv and other cities. Rail crews operate on a similar timeline. In Kyiv, railway repair team leader Maksym Shevchuk, 30, recalled the day a missile destroyed 12 meters (39 feet) of track. Traffic on the track was fully restored in half a day, he said. Freight volumes carried by rail from January through August 2025 dropped 11.7% year over year, while passenger traffic declined by 4.2%, according to the State Statistics Service, which has not stated a reason for the decline. Nataliia Kolesnichenko, senior economist at the Kyiv-based Center for Economic Strategy, described the impact so far as negative but marginal, crediting rapid repair work and train rerouting that keeps delays to a minimum. Pertsovskyi said staff take pride in keeping trains moving despite the strikes. For us, it is paramount to show Ukrainians and the enemy that these attacks are not going to bring the expected results, he said. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine 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 launched a blistering assault on Ukraine overnight, killing at least six people and injuring 35. Some 430 drones and 18 missiles targeted the country, Ukraines president said, calling the strikes a deliberate and calculated attack aimed at causing maximum harm to people and civilian infrastructure. Ukraines air force said most of the drones and missiles were shot down, but officials said falling debris and fires damaged high-rise apartments, a school, a medical facility and administrative buildings across nine districts in the city of about three million. "At that moment you don't know what to do first: save yourself, your child, or run to help people, because so many people were screaming and needed help," said Anastasia, 29, whose apartment block was hit. The attacks came just two days after Russias foreign ministry indicated it was ready to resume direct talks with Ukraine on ending the war in Istanbul. An official told TASS the ball is in Ukraines court. Russia continues to escalate its strikes on Ukraine while coordinating its messaging to present a show of good faith to the United States. Nearly four years since the invasion, the Kremlin maintains its maximalist designs on Ukraine. Zelensky said that Ukraine was responding to the strikes with long-range strength, and called for greater sanctions to be imposed on Russia. open image in gallery The overnight attacks hit residential buildings, despite Russias insistence it does not target civilians ( AFP/Getty ) Russia has waged a devastating aerial campaign against Ukraine since its all-out invasion of its neighbour nearly four years ago. US-led diplomatic efforts this year to stop the fighting have so far come to nothing. Friday's aerial assault, which also targeted Odesa in the south and Kharkiv in the northeast, was mostly aimed at Kyiv, where drones and missiles smashed into high-rise apartment blocks, according to Zelensky. Mariia Kalchenko said it was a miracle she survived after her building was hit. "I didn't hear anything, I just realised that my hair was on fire," the 46-year-old volunteer rescue dog handler said. In the Odesa region, Russian drones struck a busy street on market day in Chornomorsk, killing two people and injuring 11 others, including a 19-month-old girl, regional military administration chief Oleh Kiper said. Moscow denies targeting civilian areas, with the Russian Defense Ministry saying Friday it carried out an overnight strike on Ukraine's "military-industrial and energy facilities." Analysts nevertheless accuse Russia of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure in order to wound morale. open image in gallery Eight of the capital's 10 districts reported damage. Emergency crews fought fires in apartment blocks, debris from explosions was strewn across yards and cars parked in the streets were set ablaze ( Reuters ) Natia Seskuria, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), said that the systematic targeting of civilian infrastructure was a central element of Russias strategy, designed to terrorise the Ukrainian population and erode public morale. The underlying calculation is that a war-weary society subjected to sustained attacks might exert pressure on the government to accept almost any settlement that promises an end to hostilities, she told The Independent. Thus far, however, this strategy has proven ineffective, as Ukrainians have demonstrated remarkable resilience and determination in the face of ongoing aggression. Fridays attack was the biggest on Kyiv in almost three weeks. Most recent Russian aerial attacks have aimed at electricity infrastructure around the country ahead of the bitter winter months. With no sign of the war abating, millions of Ukrainians face one of the harshest winters in years as humanitarian organisations scramble to deliver essentials to the frontlines and affected areas. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warned on Friday that people whose livelihoods have been destroyed by the war are entering the winter with no financial buffer to support themselves. open image in gallery At least six people were killed in the strikes overnight, Ukrainian officials said ( Reuters ) Frequent power cuts continue to plunge neighbourhoods into darkness, cut heating and force hospitals to use emergency power. For older people and vulnerable people in high-rise buildings, blackouts can mean hours or days of isolation without elevators, heat, and often without food or medicine, the IFRC warned. Almost four years of conflict have eroded peoples resources. Many families are entering this winter with no financial buffer seven out of ten people said they dont have any savings left, said Jaime Wah, Deputy Head of Delegation for IFRC in Ukraine. We have been providing support to people for several years, but our resources are also running thin, Wah added. The scale of the needs is overwhelming, and with each passing day, those needs only grow. Keir Giles, a fellow of the Russia and Eurasia programme at Chatham House, told The Independent that Moscows attacks are designed to cause the maximum possible misery and suffering among the civilian population. Thats the principle we saw applied in Syria, in Chechnya and in countless others of Moscows wars dating back decades and centuries, he said. Mr Giles said Ukraine was the victim of Russias attempts to demoralise its victims through inhumanity. Thats the reason for attacks on maternity hospitals, and nurseries, targeting the most vulnerable in society, as well as for the systematic torture and starvation of Ukrainian military and civilian captives not for any objective purpose other than deliberate and demonstrative cruelty. These attacks continue despite Russias insistence that it is open to talks moving towards a ceasefire. open image in gallery ( Reuters ) Foreign ministry official Alexei Polishchuk said on Wednesday that Russia was ready to resume negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul. No face-to-face talks have taken place between the two sides since they met in the Turkish city on July 23. Overtures towards peace come after a proposed summit between Russias Vladimir Putin and US president Donald Trump broke down in October, reportedly over Moscows intransigence over its demands. The two leaders have not met since August, when a summit held in Alaska failed to produce a deal. Mr Trump said the meeting was very productive, but the diplomatic push to end the war has yet to yield any results. 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 President Volodymyr Zelensky stripped Odesas long-serving mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov of his Ukrainian citizenship after security services alleged he held a passport from Russia. Mr Trukhanov, 60, who has governed the Black Sea port city for over a decade, rejected the accusation. I will appeal the decision to strip me of my Ukrainian citizenship in the Supreme Court. And, if that is not enough, I will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, he said in a video statement. The Security Service of Ukraine released an image on Telegram of what appeared to be a Russian passport bearing the mayors name and photograph, claiming it was issued in December 2015 and remained valid. Ukrainian law bars public officials from holding dual citizenship. In his nightly address on Tuesday, Mr Zelensky said he would soon appoint a head for a new military administration to take power in Odesa, signalling Mr Trukhanov would be replaced. Too many security issues in Odesa have remained unresolved for too long, he added, echoing earlier criticism that local leaders had failed to protect the citys people from floods last month that killed 10 people. open image in gallery A passenger train lies damaged following Russia's drone attack on a railway station in Shostka ( AP ) A source told local media the president had also revoked the citizenship of two other individuals, Reuters reported. Ukraines constitution grants the president authority to revoke citizenship in certain cases. Mr Zelenskys latest decision deepens ongoing rifts between Kyiv and several city mayors who accuse the president of using wartime powers to consolidate control. Similar tensions have strained ties with mayors in Kyiv and Kharkiv who allege that central authorities are sidelining elected local governments under martial law. Mr Trukhanov, former member of a now-banned pro-Russia party, has long faced speculation over his nationality. In 2016, security services said they had found no evidence of his Russian citizenship but suspicions persisted. The mayor has opposed Ukraines de-Russification campaign, resisting moves to remove monuments linked to the Russian Empire such as statues of Catherine the Great, who founded Odesa in 1794, and playwright Alexander Pushkin. open image in gallery A severe rainstorm killed several people in Ukraine's Odesa, emergency services said in October ( AFP via Getty Images ) Opposition politicians condemned the revocation of Mr Trukhanovs citizenship as politically motivated. Today, they will take Trukhanov away and we will all rejoice because he is bad, but tomorrow this machine of repression will be unleashed against inconvenient people, said Oleksiy Honcharenko, an Odesa MP from former president Petro Poroshenkos European Solidarity party. Oleksii Potapskyi, who heads the same party in Odesas City Council, called the move a political crackdown, saying: Our president has been in power for six years, and only now he has suddenly discovered that Mr Trukhanov allegedly has Russian citizenship. Odesa, Ukraines third-largest city, is deeply shaped by Russian cultural influence. It has endured Russian missile and drone attacks throughout the war. By appointing a military administration, Mr Zelensky will gain direct control over the citys governance as the heads of such bodies are personally chosen by the president. Meanwhile, World Health Organisation staff came under attack while travelling with a UN convoy in southern Ukraine. Despite the assault, the team managed to deliver medical supplies to the city of Bilozerka, WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X. Two World Food Programme trucks were damaged in the attack. We reiterate our call for attacks on humanitarian workers to end, Mr Tedros said on Wednesday. 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 worldwide delusion that Donald Trumps bizarre approach to diplomacy has delivered a ceasefire or even peace in Gaza is being enthusiastically embraced by Ukraines president as he prepares for a White House meeting this week. It suits Volodymyr Zelensky to join the chorus of world leaders praising Trump for having pushed Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire rather than point out the truth, which is that the Israeli prime minister had no further need of war. In Trumps words to the Knesset, Netanyahu had won in Gaza. open image in gallery Kyiv has kept the invading Russians at bay even after losing tens of millions in American military aid ( AP ) The US president spelled out how that was possible. And Zelensky wants to win too. Trump said: We make the best weapons in the world, and weve got a lot of them, and weve given a lot to Israel, frankly, and Bibi [Netanyahu] would call me so many times. Can you get me this weapon, that weapon, that weapon, some of them I never heard of, Bibi, and I made them, but wed get them here, wouldnt we? And they are the best. You obviously use them very well, but so many that Israel became strong and powerful, which ultimately led to peace. Thats what led to peace. open image in gallery Donald Trump bragged about the weapons the US has supplied to Israel Zelensky wants a slice of this support ( Evelyn Hockstein Pool/Getty ) It's debatable whether Trump could have forced Netanyahu to end his campaign in Gaza earlier by cutting off weapons supplies when he came into office. Israel was still fighting to destroy Hamas and continuing its campaign in Gaza, flattening the enclave, bombing hospitals and restricting humanitarian aid amid widespread allegations of genocide. Israels stated aim was the eradication of Hamas. But the scorched-earth approach has delivered on the strategic aim, which is to make Gaza unlivable. Any Gazan who can will leave and join the 600,000 other Palestinians who have emigrated over the last couple of decades. But Trump kept the weapons flowing to Israel just as he cut off the supply to Ukraine attempting to force a ceasefire and peace plan on Ukraine which entirely favoured Vladimir Putin at the time. Ukraine fought on. It has developed long-range missiles and drone attacks, striking 5,000 kilometres inside Russia, while Europe rushed to fill the weapons gap. Kyiv has kept the invading Russians at bay even after losing tens of millions in American military aid. Israel enjoyed a steady flow of bombs, jets, missiles, and intelligence throughout its campaign in Gaza, with the result that Trump told Netanyahu: I want to congratulate you for having the courage to say, That's it. Weve won. open image in gallery Despite US weapon supply being cut off, Ukraine fights on ( Ukrainian 65 Mechanized brigade ) Zelensky has a team already en route to the US to talk to the Trump administration about opportunities to make money rebuilding his country, repairing the energy infrastructure and mining its minerals. He knows that while Trump is ebullient over what he thinks he has achieved in Gaza, he might be mesmerised into contributing to Ukraine. We have to get Russia done. Weve got to get that one done, he said in the Knesset before directly addressing his envoy Steve Witkoff: If you dont mind, Steve, lets focus on Russia. Well get it done. The US has so far only threatened Russia with economic sanctions under Trump. US trade with Russia has always been small. But there are some small signs that Trump is losing patience with Putin. Putin has not achieved what he aimed to do in Ukraine. In Israel, Netanyahu was facing public opposition to his continued campaign in Gaza from his own armed forces. His operations in the enclave have been described by the United Nations as genocide, and Israel was facing the very real prospect of international economic boycotts, disinvestment and sanctions. Unlike Russia, Israel has no oil or gas to fuel its war. It needs American subsidy to do that and it needs US weapons to campaign. open image in gallery Zelensky poses for a photo with Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline positions at an undisclosed location in the Donetsk region in September ( Ukrainian presidential press ) Israel stopped its fighting in Gaza to get the last hostages out and to avoid further global isolation. To get Putin to stop, Zelensky knows he needs help from Trump in a real military form. To get a breakthrough to either peace talks or, better still, a collapse of invading Russian forces in Ukraine, Zelensky needs Trump to hold Putins feet to a real fire. The White House is inching that way, it seems. Trumps administration is considering selling Ukraine its Tomahawk cruise missiles, which could be used to strike Russian targets deep in the country. Kyiv is already hitting Moscows fuel and energy infrastructure, but it could use some help to go after its command and control systems. Zelensky also desperately needs air defences as Moscow has upped its efforts to destroy Ukraines own energy networks as winter approaches. More than 30,000 people were left without power in Kharkiv on Monday night after waves of air attacks from Russia. Trump has said he thinks Ukraine could win its war and turn back Putins paper tiger. Since Trump himself has acknowledged that Israels victory in Gaza was due to American weapons, Zelensky is heading to Washington with one request: Give me the weapons and Ill burn that tiger. 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 celebrated with several handshakes and photoshoots as a ceasefire was announced and a prisoner-hostage exchange took place on Monday. But for Palestinians, the promise of truckloads of aid to alleviate famine and a humanitarian crisis has not been fulfilled. Israel agreed to let through 4,200 trucks a week, or 600 trucks per day, which it appeared to do on Sunday. By Tuesday, it threatened to restrict the flow of assistance if the bodies of all dead hostages were not returned, and on Wednesday the Rafah crossing into Egypt remained closed. However, aid did continue to be delivered into the enclave by other routes, and Israel insisted supplies would be allowed through. Tom Fletcher, the UNs humanitarian chief, said: Earlier this week, we were able to kick off our humanitarian scale-up after months of frustration and blockages. Food, medicine, fuel, water, cooking gas and tents got through to those who need them. We made progress clearing roads and reopening bakeries. We shared in the joy and relief of families reunited. But yesterday we faced further setbacks to that implementation. We are now tested to see whether we can ensure that these do not prevent the progress on which President Trump, the UN secretary general and so many leaders have insisted. On Monday, the crossings were closed due to the hostage exchange and on Tuesday because of the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret. open image in gallery Palestinians gather to receive food portions from a charity kitchen in the Nuseirat refugee camp, located in the central Gaza Strip, on Wednesday ( AFP via Getty ) Confusion erupted on Wednesday as Palestinians were told on Israeli radio that Rafah would be closed due to logistical issues, including the clearing of rubble accrued during bombardment. But the Kerem Shalom and Kissufim crossings appeared to remain open. Unicef has said that the promise of aid had yet to be delivered: The true test of whether this is underway has not yet happened. Groups on the ground in Gaza claimed that many of the trucks being let in were commercial rather than charitable. Amjad al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGO Network that works with more than 800 charitable groups in the region, said that of the 600 trucks let through on Sunday, only 150 were humanitarian and donation-based, a small contingent was donated by Egypt and other Arab nations, and more than half were commercial, carrying food supplies for supermarkets and shops. Unicef told The Independent that while the organisation could not confirm precise figures, the division of trucks described by Mr Al-Shawa matched their understanding of the situation. Unicef said it had at least 1,300 trucks waiting at the borders of Gaza, of which only 40 were let through on Sunday and at least 60 were expected to be let through on Wednesday, with some being unloaded already. open image in gallery Trucks carrying aid provided by the World Food Programme in the central Gaza Strip ( AFP/Getty ) The World Food Programme said: Since the ceasefire began (11 October), WFP has dispatched 186 trucks (2,227 mt) into Gaza to support bakeries, nutrition programmes and general food distributions. An Israeli security official denied that there had ever been an agreement to let aid through Rafah. Humanitarian aid will not pass through the Rafah Crossing, they said. No such agreement has been reached at any stage. The date for opening the crossing for the movement of people only will be announced later. Asked about the number of aid trucks entering the strip, Israeli spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian told a press conference on Wednesday: Humanitarian aid has never stopped going into the Gaza Strip. Its something Israel has been committed to making sure aid goes in and to the populations that need it most, ensuring Hamas does not steal it, which we have seen in the past. open image in gallery The frustrating part for agencies is that the equipment and supplies to meet all the needs of Palestinians are within reach ( AFP via Getty ) Eyad Amawi, a father of three and a representative of the Gaza relief committee based in Nuseirat Camp, said that the needs for civilians are both immense and complex. He told The Independent that the majority of aid being let through consists of flour and canned food. There are children, the elderly, and the wounded who still suffer from deep injuries that require nutrition and rich foods to recover properly, he said. Childrens wards continue to receive increasing cases of malnutrition as bread alone is not sufficient nourishment. It fills the stomach but does not provide the body with the vitamins and minerals it needs for healthy growth. He emphasised the importance of medical supplies for the malnourished who are at risk. Sayeeda, a mother of six in Gaza, used to be afraid that her family would be killed in an Israeli air strike. Since the ceasefire was announced, she celebrated that theyd survived. But her fear of death has been replaced by a new fear. Im grateful that Im safe, she told Unicefs Tess Ingram in Gaza. Thats the most important thing. But now Im afraid that while the water truck came yesterday, it might not come today, and it might not come tomorrow. Ms Ingram said that every one of the over 2 million Palestinians is in need of aid and added: Its the small indignities that they have to face every day that may not make headlines. open image in gallery Palestinians gather to receive food portions from a charity kitchen on 15 October ( AFP via Getty ) Like, digging their own toilet in the sands behind their tent and not having any toilet paper. Or having a newborn baby that gets diarrhoea because theres no clean water and you dont have nappies. For teenage girls, its menstrual hygiene. These things compound and they eat away at peoples days and make their lives almost unbearable. The frustrating part for agencies is that the equipment and supplies to meet all the needs of Palestinians are within reach. The needs are quite shocking, to be honest. The scale of the needs is immense and it is going to be a very big job for us in the coming days and weeks. Were ready to go. We have the teams on the ground. Weve got all the trucks outside. 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 Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, a hospital director who became the face of the struggle to treat patients under siege in Gaza, remains in Israeli detention despite a recent ceasefire deal that saw dozens of other medical personnel freed. While the agreement led to the release of numerous doctors, nurses, and paramedics seized during raids on hospitals, over 100 medical professionals are still held. Dr. Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, has been imprisoned without charge for nearly 10 months. Despite widespread calls for his release, he was not among the hundreds of Palestinian detainees and prisoners exchanged for 20 Hamas-held hostages on Monday. Health Workers Watch, which documents detentions from Gaza, said 55 medical workers including 31 doctors and nurses were on lists of detainees from Gaza being freed Monday, though it could not immediately be confirmed all were released. The group said at least 115 medical workers remain in custody, as well as the remains of four who died while in Israeli prisons, where rights groups and witnesses have reported frequent abuse. Cheering staff from al-Awda Hospital carried on their shoulders their released director, Ahmed Muhanna, who was held by Israel for about 22 months since being seized in a raid on the facility in northern Gaza in late 2023. Al-Awda Hospital will be restored, its staff will rebuild it with their own hands. ... I am proud of what we have done and will do, Muhanna told well-wishers, his face visibly gaunter than before his detention, according to video posted on social media. Al-Awda Hospital, damaged during multiple offensives in the largely leveled Jabaliya refugee camp, has been shut down since May, when it was forced to evacuate during Israel's latest offensive. Israels two-year campaign aiming to destroy Hamas after its Oct. 7, 2023, attack decimated Gazas health system, forcing most of its hospitals to shut down and heavily damaging many, even as staff struggled to treat waves of wounded from bombardment amid supply shortages. During the war, Israeli forces raided a number of hospitals and struck others, detaining hundreds of staff. Israel says it targeted hospitals because Hamas was using them for military purposes, a claim Palestinian health officials deny. Abu Safiya It was not known if Abu Safiya, 52, might still be released. Israeli officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. His family said on social media there were no confirmed details about the date of his release, adding that freed detainees described him as in good health and strong spirits. The Israeli military said Abu Safiya was being investigated on suspicion of cooperating with or working for Hamas. Staff and international aid groups that worked with him deny the claims. In November 2023, Israeli forces seized Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiya, director of Gaza Citys Shifa Hospital, declaring him a Hamas officer but then released him seven months later. Abu Safiya, a pediatrician, led Kamal Adwan Hospital through an 85-day siege of the facility by Israeli troops during an offensive in the surrounding districts of Jabaliya, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun. When troops raided the hospital on Dec. 27, images showed Abu Safiya in his white lab coat walking out of the building through streets of rubble toward an Israeli armored vehicle to discuss evacuation of patients. Abu Safiya and dozens of others, including patients and staff, were taken prisoner. Abu Safiya stayed in the hospital until the last moment. He didnt leave because all health care services there would collapse if he left. Dr. Hossam is a truly great man, said Dr. Saeed Salah, medical director of the Patients Friends Hospital in Gaza City, who has known Abu Safiya for 29 years. open image in gallery An Israeli police officer stands outside Ofer military prison near Jerusalem, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean, File) ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Throughout the siege, Abu Safiya repeatedly refused military calls to shut down the hospital and evacuate. He posted frequent videos on social media showing staff struggling to treat waves of wounded Palestinians. He pleaded for international help as the hospitals supplies ran out and reported on Israeli strikes on the building that caused injuries and deaths among patients and staff, and damaged wards. In October 2024, a drone strike killed one of his sons, Ibrahim, at the hospital entrance. I refused to leave the hospital and sacrifice my patients, so the army punished me by killing my son, he said in a video afterward, breaking down in tears. The next month, shrapnel from a drone blast wounded Abu Safiya as he sat in his office. Even with his wound, he was circulating among the patients. He was sleeping, eating, drinking among the patients, said Dr. Rana Soboh, a nutrition technical adviser for the U.S. medical aid group MedGlobal. Abu Safiya became the hospitals director in late 2023 after his predecessor, Dr. Ahmed Kahlout, was seized in an Israeli raid. Kahlout is also still being held by Israel, which accused him of being a member of Hamas, though he is not known to have been charged. After becoming director, Abu Safiya worked to rebuild the heavily damaged hospital, reviving its intensive care unit and pediatric ward. Soboh worked with him to set up a malnutrition unit that has treated hundreds of children. He is an amazing doctor, she said. He built things out of nothing. open image in gallery A gunman wearing the uniform of the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, stands guard as Red Cross vehicles allegedly transporting coffins containing the bodies of four deceased hostages leave a warehouse for Israel, in Gaza City, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Yousef Al Zanoun) ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) On Dec. 27, troops surrounded the compound. Abu Safiyas son Elias, who was in the hospital, said his father went out to talk to the officers, then returned and asked the staff to gather everyone patients, staff and family members in the courtyard. Some were evacuated to other hospitals, others were detained. Zaher Sahloul, president of MedGlobal, said troops wrecked the hospitals radiology department and operating rooms, and destroyed ventilators. The Israeli military said it launched the raid after warning staff multiple times about Hamas fighters it claimed were operating from the hospital. Days after Abu Safiya was detained, his 74-year-old mother died, Elias said. She hadnt stopped crying since they detained him, he said. open image in gallery Red Crescent vehicles and refrigerated trucks, transporting the bodies of 45 Palestinians that had been in Israeli custody, arrive at the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on October 14, 2025. Under a ceasefire deal brokered by US President Donald Trump, Israel was to turn over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for every deceased Israeli returned. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP) (Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images) ( AFP via Getty Images ) Abu Safiya is currently being held at Israels Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli rights group Physicians for Human RightsIsrael, which visited him in September, said he had not been brought before a judge or interrogated and had no information about why he was detained. Abu Safiya said he and other detainees received insufficient food and medical care, the group said, adding that he had lost about 25 kilograms (55 pounds) since his detention. It said he reported that guards regularly beat prisoners during searches of their cells. Islam Mohammed, a freelance journalist, was detained with Abu Safiya in the raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital. For a period, he was held at Ofer at the same time as Abu Safiya, though in a different cell, and said he and other detainees were often beaten, and guards shouted insults at them. The treatment was inhuman from the time of detention, until release, said Mohammed, who was released to Gaza on Monday. To call it a beating does not describe it, he said. Israeli officials say they follow legal standards for treatment of prisoners and that any violations by prison personnel are investigated. 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 Iranian court has handed down lengthy jail sentences to two French citizens accused of spying for France and Israel. Cecile Kohler, 40, and her partner Jacques Paris, 72, are not named in the report from Irans judiciary but are believed to be the only French nationals being held in the country. The couple were arrested in May 2022 during a tourist trip. Both have been found guilty of spying on behalf of France and Israel, Irans judicial news agency Mizan said, despite previous suggestions the pair could be released in a prisoner exchange between Paris and Tehran. Earlier this month, both countries indicated that talks on their release were progressing. The pair have now been handed lengthy sentences ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) But on Wednesday, Tehran announced significant sentences had been handed down following a verdict in court. One of the defendants was sentenced to six years in prison for spying for France, five years for conspiracy against national security and 20 years in exile for "intelligence co-operation" with Israel, according to Mizan. The other was sentenced to 10 years in prison for spying for France, five years for conspiring against national security and 20 years in exile for being complicit in intelligence co-operation with Israel. Both have 20 days to appeal their sentences to a higher court. France has repeatedly accused Iran of holding Kohler and Paris arbitrarily, keeping them in conditions akin to torture in Tehran's Evin prison and not allowing proper consular protection. The Islamic Republic denies the accusations. It comes after Iran released 19-year-old Franco-German Lennart Monterlos from detention earlier this month after throwing out spying charges against him. Following his return, French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said he did not forget Kohler and Paris, adding he demanded their release. Barrot previously called charges against the pair totally unjustified and unfounded. Right groups have accused Iran of using detained Westerners as bargaining chips, something Tehran denies. 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 Hamas security forces have returned to Gazas streets, clashing with armed groups and killing alleged gangsters in a bid to restore law and order where Israeli troops withdrew. This show of force, welcomed by some Palestinians after months of lawlessness, could now threaten the fragile ceasefire, especially as all living hostages from Hamass 7 October 2023 attack have been released. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said the war will not end until Hamas has been dismantled, and US president Donald Trumps ceasefire plan calls for Hamas to disarm and hand power over to an internationally supervised body that has yet to be formed. Hamas has not fully accepted those terms, saying more negotiations are needed. It says it is willing to hand over power to other Palestinians but will not allow chaos to prevail during the transition. Israelis fear that as long as Hamas is armed, it will exercise influence in Gaza and could rebuild its military capabilities even if an independent body exercises nominal rule. Trump said Tuesday that Hamas did take out a couple of gangs that were very bad, and killed a number of gang members. That didn't bother me much, to be honest with you, he said. But he reiterated his demand for Hamas to lay down its arms, saying: They will disarm, and if they dont do so, we will disarm them, and itll happen quickly and perhaps violently. open image in gallery Freed Palestinian prisoners carry rifles as they arrive in the Gaza Strip following their release from Israeli jails under the new ceasefire ( AP ) The Hamas-run police maintained a high degree of public security after the militants seized power in Gaza 18 years ago while also cracking down on dissent. They largely melted away in recent months as Israeli forces seized large areas of Gaza and targeted Hamas security forces with airstrikes. Powerful local families and armed gangs including some anti-Hamas factions backed by Israel stepped into the void. Many are accused of hijacking humanitarian aid and selling it for profit, contributing to Gazas starvation crisis. Nahed Sheheiber, head of Gazas private truckers union, said Hamas was acting against gangs that had terrorised people in areas controlled by Israel. Those gangs looted aid and killed people under the protection of the [Israeli] occupation, he told The Associated Press, saying they operated in so-called red zones where Israel had ordered people to evacuate. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment. Over the weekend, Hamas-led fighters clashed with an armed group in Gaza City affiliated with the powerful Doghmush family after the killing of Mohammed Aqel, a Hamas militant, on Friday. Aqels family said in a statement that militiamen had kidnapped him, robbed him and killed him. Another family, the al-Muqaid, said the gang ambushed five of its members when they returned to their homes and robbed them, killing one and leaving another in intensive care. Residents of the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns, said the gang, led by Hussam Doghmush, was known to loot aid convoys and rob abandoned homes in areas controlled by the Israeli military. They said Doghmush was among some two dozen people killed in the clashes with Hamas, including a local journalist and a son of a senior Hamas official based outside Gaza. Hamas-linked Telegram channels said Hamas had targeted collaborators and traitors working with Israel. The Hamas-run Sahm security force, which says it targets looters and other criminals, shared footage that appeared to show its forces killing eight people execution-style in the streets as people cheered. It said the detainees were gangsters. The Gaza-based Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights and the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights denounced the extrajudicial killings by Hamas. The Doghmush family initially denounced the gang and distanced itself from it. Two days later, it issued another statement condemning Hamas response, saying there was no need for this brutality. open image in gallery Hamas gunmen escort buses carrying freed Palestinian prisoners on Monday ( AP ) Saeed Abu Elaish, a medic from the northern Jabaliya refugee camp who fled to central Gaza last month, said he had seen police return to the streets and welcomed it as a first step toward restoring some kind of normalcy and safety after two years of ruinous war. Netanyahu has hinted he will resume military operations if Hamas is not disarmed peacefully. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry has announced a weeklong amnesty, saying gang members not implicated in bloodshed can turn themselves in and have their records expunged. Those who do not will face arrest and prosecution, it said. No one will be allowed to undermine public security or the rights of citizens, the ministry said in a statement, calling it a a final warning. Hossam al-Astal, the leader of an anti-Hamas militia in southern Gaza with apparent links to Israel, rejected the warning. To all the Hamas rats, your tunnels are destroyed, your rights dont exist anymore. Repent before it is too late there is no Hamas from today onward, he wrote on Facebook. Al-Astal, who was imprisoned by Hamas before the war on allegations of drug smuggling, established an armed group late last year that operates in areas controlled by Israel. He appears to have joined forces with Yasser Abu Shabab, who leads a similar armed group in the Israeli-controlled southern city of Rafah that has a history of looting aid convoys. Israel has acknowledged supporting Abu Shabab and others opposed to Hamas, while denying any involvement in the looting of aid. The presence of such groups could complicate talks over Hamas disarmament. The militants have expressed willingness to hand over offensive weapons like rockets to a Palestinian or Arab body but say they need lighter weapons like assault rifles to defend themselves, according to Arab officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive ceasefire talks. 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 Israel has confirmed receiving two more bodies of hostages from the Red Cross, which are now being examined for identification. If the latest remains are verified, 19 hostages would still be unaccounted for inside Gaza. Hamas claims it cannot locate the remaining bodies without access to the specialist equipment needed to reach certain areas. Under the first stage of the Gaza peace plan, Hamas is obligated to return all 28 deceased hostages. The latest handovers come amid renewed tension, after Israel announced that one of the bodies received earlier did not belong to any of the listed hostages. Israeli officials have reiterated that they will not compromise on the return of every hostage, insisting that the mission is not complete. Almost 1,200 people in Israel were killed and 251 taken hostage by Hamas on October 7 2023. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that recovery of all the bodies would be a massive challenge and that some may never be found. On Wednesday, the families of Tamir Nimrodi, Uriel Baruch and Eitan Levy were told that their bodies had been returned. However, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed that a fourth body did not match any of the hostages. Israel has reduced aid going into Gaza in response to the dead bodies not being returned, but the historic ceasefire agreement acknowledged that the bodies would be difficult to locate and may not meet the Monday deadline. Below, The Independent looks at which hostage bodies Hamas has released and which are yet to be transferred from Gaza. Which hostage bodies have been returned? Tamir Nimrodi, 20, taken aged 18 from the Erez Crossing Tamir Nimrodis mother had said she was still hanging on to hope that her son was alive as his fate remained unknown for months. The IDF education officer was taken on October 7at the Erez Crossing. Reports suggested that he was barefoot and without his glasses when he was taken. He was last seen in a video posted on social media on October 7. Uriel Baruch, 35, taken from Nova festival The father-of-two is described as a man of joy, happiness and an eternal smile according to his father-in-law. He was killed while trying to flee the Nova music festival. In March 2024, the IDF told Uriel Baruchs family that he had been killed. He worked in construction and loved techno music and festivals, where hed met his wife. He is survived by her and two sons aged eight and five. Eitan Levi, 53, taken from road 232 Eitan Levi, a taxi driver, was killed by Hamas gunmen near Gazas perimeter and his body was taken into Gaza. Palestinians in the Strip were filmed kicking and beating the remains. He is described as a devoted father and family man. open image in gallery Uriel Baruch, an Israeli hostage, was killed while trying to flee the Nova music festival ( Reuters ) Guy Illouz, 26, taken from Nova festival Guy Illouz was a sound technician in the Israeli music industry from the town of Raanana in central Israel. He was wounded and kidnapped by Hamas after he initially escaped the Nova festival on October 7 2023. Yossi Sharabi, 53, taken from Kibbutz Beeri Yossi Sharabi was captured by Hamas along with his brother Eli. In January 2024, the kibbutz announced that he had died in captivity. Daniel Peretz, 22, killed in attack on his tank near Nahal Oz Daniel Peretz, from Yad Binyamin in central Israel, served in the IDF as a Captain in the 7th Armoured Brigade. He was originally from South Africa. Bipin Joshi, kidnapped from Kibbutz Alumim Bipin Joshi, 23, a Nepalese agriculture student, threw back a grenade thrown by Hamas attackers before being taken hostage on October 7, according to the BBC. open image in gallery Yossi Sharabi was kidnapped by Hamas and died in captivity ( Reuters ) Which deceased hostages have not been returned? Tamir Adar, 38, taken from Kibbutz Nir-Oz Tamir Adar was a member of kibbutz Nir-Ozs security squad and was killed fighting Hamas gunmen on October 7, it was revealed in January 2024. They told me that a live hostage is worth 100 Palestinian prisoners, including life-termers, his mother said after the release of all living hostages on Monday. But a dead hostage is worth 15 Palestinian bodies. Why not 100 dead Palestinians? Sahar Baruch, 24, taken from Kibbutz Beeri Kidnapped from kibbutz Beeri, a settlement established in 1946, it is unclear whether Sahar Baruch was killed by Hamas gunmen or Israeli gunfire. In January 2024, the IDF confirmed he had been killed during a rescue attempt to save hostages, including Noa Argamani. His family said the 24-year-old was a great chess player and a lover of anime films. open image in gallery Tamir Adar, 38, (left) and Sahar Baruch, 24, (right) ( Reuters ) Itay Chen, taken from Kibbutz Nahal-Oz The Israeli-American was serving as a soldier in the IDF when he was killed on October 7 in Hamas attacks. His body was taken into Gaza by the militant group. Itay Chens mother said that relatives of deceased hostages whose bodies had not been returned were living in a state of suspended mourning unable to grieve, unable to heal, unable to bury our children in the land they loved and defended. Amiram Cooper, 85, taken from Kibbutz Nir-Oz The founder of Kibbutz Nir-Oz, Amiram Cooper was also a prolific poet and economist. He and his wife Nurit were taken from their homes on October 7 until she was eventually freed on 23 October. In March 2024, Hamas said that Mr Cooper had been killed in an Israeli air strike. open image in gallery Itay Chen, 19, (left) and Amiram Cooper, 85, (right) ( Reuters ) Ronen Engel, 54, taken from Kibbutz Nir-Oz Ronen Engel died after 55 days in captivity. He is said to have died after leaving his family home armed and with a medic backpack to try to save others in his settlement. He was taken along with his wife, Karina Engel-Bart, and their daughters who were released during a ceasefire in November 2023. Meny Godard, 73, taken from Kibbutz Beeri The 73-year-old was killed alongside his wife Ayelet on October 7 and his body was taken into Gaza. Part of Meny Godards remains were found at a Palestinian Islamic Jihad outpost in Rafah in March 2025, and the group are thought to have been holding the rest. open image in gallery Meny Godard was killed alongside his wife Ayelet ( Reuters ) open image in gallery Ronen Engel died after 55 days in captivity ( Reuters ) Hadar Goldin, 23, taken from southern Gaza The Israeli soldiers body was taken hostage in 2014 after being killed in battle in southern Gaza. Their family have been campaigning for over a decade for his remains to be returned. Hadar Goldin was a lieutenant in the IDFs Givati Brigade. Ran Gvili, 24, taken near Kibbutz Alumim A sergeant in the Israel police, Ran Gvili was killed while fighting Hamas gunmen on October 7 near the Alumim settlement. He was reportedly awaiting an operation in hospital when fighting broke out, and he immediately left to join. Tal Haimi, 41, taken from Kibbutz Nir-Yitzhak Tal Haimi was part of Kibbutz Nir-Yitzhaks rapid response team and was killed during Hamas attacks on October 7. His body was taken into Gaza. The father of four and engineer was confirmed dead in December 2023. Asaf Hamami, 40 The IDF officer served in the rank of colonel until he was killed on October 7. Asaf Hamami was among the most senior officers to have been killed during the attack. He was also a part of the notorious Givati Brigade. The father-of-three last messaged friends to say he had been shot twice in the leg. He was killed defending Kibbutz Nirim. open image in gallery Ran Gvili was killed while fighting Hamas gunmen on October 7 ( Reuters ) open image in gallery Tal Haimi, an Israeli hostage who was kidnapped on October 7 ( Reuters ) Inbar Hayman, 27, taken from Nova festival Inbar Hayman was the last female hostage being held. She was taken during the Nova festival and was killed by Hamas after 71 days in captivity, according to her family. They said that she had gone to the festival to volunteer as an emotional therapist. Ms Hayman was said to be an avid artist, prompting her friends to begin a graffiti campaign using the name Pink, which she signed on all her works. Eliyahu Margalit, 75, taken from Kibbutz Nir-Oz The cattle breeder was known as Churchill to loved ones. Eliyahu Margalit was killed on October 7 and his body was taken into Gaza, the IDF confirmed in December 2023. He is survived by his wife, three children and three grandchildren. Joshua Loitu Mollel, 21, Taken from Nahal-Oz A Tanzanian student undertaking an agricultural internship at Kibbutz Nahal-Oz, Joshua Loitu Mollel was taken hostage on October 7 and killed on the same day. The Tanzanian government confirmed that his body was still being held by Hamas and that he had been killed immediately after he was abducted. open image in gallery Inbar Hayman, 27, (left) and Joshua Loitu Mollel, 21, (right) ( Reuters ) Omer Neutra, 21, Gaza Envelope The American citizen was also an IDF captain from Long Island. Omer Neutra was kidnapped and killed by Hamas on October 7. A neighbourhood park in his hometown of Plainview in Nassau County was renamed in his honour. He was the grandson of Holocaust survivors. Dror Or, 48, taken from Kibbutz Beeri Dror Or was killed alongside his wife, Yonat, on October 7. Two of his children were taken hostage and later released in November 2023. He was a cheesemaker and yoga instructor. Daniel Oz, 19, taken from Kibbutz Kisufim Daniel Oz was a soldier serving as a soldier and sergeant in the IDF in the 7th Armoured Brigades 77th Battalion when he was killed during battle with Hamas on October 7 and his body was taken into Gaza. Suthisak Rintalak, 43, killed and taken from Kibbutz Beeri The Thai agricultural worker Suthisak Rintalak was killed on October 7 and his body taken by Hamas into Gaza. Thailands foreign ministry confirmed he had been killed based on the available evidence in May 2024. Lior Rudaeff, 61, taken from Kibbutz Nir-Yitzhak Lior Rudaeff was part of the rapid response team for his Kibbutz and responded to the emergency when he was killed by Hamas gunmen on October 7. He doesnt deserve to be buried somewhere in Gaza, his wife said about his body being taken into the Strip and not released. open image in gallery Omer Neutra, 21, (left) and Lior Rudaeff, 61, (right) ( Reuters ) Yossi Sharabi, 53, taken from Kibbutz Beeri Yossi Sharabi was taken hostage by Hamas along with his brother Eli, who was released from captivity in February 2025. His dog was killed as he and his family sought safety in a reinforced room in their home. They were brought out onto the lawn at gunpoint. Mr Sharabi is said to have been killed in Hamas captivity in Gaza after a building collapsed following an IDF strike on a nearby building. Arie Zalmanowicz, 85, taken from Kibbutz Nir-Oz The grandfather-of-five Arie Zalmanowicz was taken hostage on October 7 and died while in captivity. Hamas released footage showing Mr Zalmanowicz saying he felt unwell and he was confirmed as dead by his kibbutz the following month. 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 A new and beautiful day is rising and now the rebuilding begins, Donald Trump told world leaders in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, heralding the success of the first phase of his peace agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the war. If the first phase sought to address the key demands of both sides namely a ceasefire in Gaza and the return of the hostages to Israel the second would focus on rebuilding the enclave in a way that guarantees lasting peace and security. Trump acknowledged on Monday that the path to peace will be winding. The phases of the deal are all a little bit mixed in with each other, he said, assuring later that elements can still be taken out of order in a positive way. The US presidents formula for peace is outlined in a 20-point plan unveiled at the end of September. The proposal contains a few short timeframes for the immediate pressures, as well as a number of more abstract commitments to the future. Israel said it accepted the terms during its presentation on 29 September. But negotiations with Hamas on phase two are ongoing, Trump said on Monday. open image in gallery Palestinians rally around aid trucks in Khan Yunis after the ceasefire began ( AFP via Getty ) Challenges to peace Trumps visit to Israel coincided with the effective completion of the first phase of the agreement. Israeli forces withdrew to an agreed line at the end of last week and ceased their fire, allowing Hamas to prepare the living hostages to be returned to Israel on Monday. Israel released around 2,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails in exchange. Already there has been some movement on the terms. Initially, Hamas was supposed to release all 48 hostages, alive and dead, within 72 hours. Israeli families were incensed to learn on Monday that not all of the remains of deceased hostages would be returned by the deadline. Israeli sources told CNN ahead of time that Israel had assessed that Hamas might not be able to recover all the bodies by the deadline, but defence minister Israel Katz said an intentional delay would be a violation of the agreement. The ceasefire is fragile, and negotiators are adapting in real time. Perhaps intentionally, the 20-point framework does not define many hard conditions, leaving some space for discussion. Before heading to Egypt, Trump told reporters that the phases were all a little bit mixed in with each other. Later, he said, were actually in stage three and four. Its not going to be, you know, just divided down so simply, he said. We can be long advanced on some of the things that we say we're going to do. We can take them out of order in a positive way. open image in gallery Hostages return home to Israel on Monday after two years in Hamas captivity ( AFP via Getty ) Disarming Hamas and rebuilding Gaza The ceasefire that came into effect on 10 October should pave the way for the unrestricted flow of aid into Gaza via the UN and its agencies, and the Red Crescent. Access to food, water, shelter, energy and medication will be the most urgent priorities for the people of Gaza in the days that follow. The ultimate task will be to rebuild Gaza, creating more permanent installations and guaranteeing security for both the local population and the people of Israel. Jaco Cilliers, a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) official, told reporters on Tuesday that there were very good indications that countries, including the United States as well as Arab and European states, were willing to contribute to the $70bn cost of rebuilding Gaza. He estimated that the two-year war had generated at least 55 million tons of rubble. Trumps plan originally called for Hamas to lay down its weapons and disarm, making way for a transitional government until a more permanent one can step in. When Hamas agreed to return the hostages in exchange for detainees on 3 October, it also agreed to hand over power to Palestinian technocrats. It did not mention the condition to disarm. A Hamas source told the AFP news agency that disarmament was out of the question. The full withdrawal of the Israeli military is contingent upon Hamas disarming, according to the agreement, and Israeli withdrawal from the parts of the strip it currently resides in (around 53 per cent) will be necessary for a comprehensive rebuilding operation. Concerns that this could have derailed Gazas rebuilding were assuaged somewhat when Trump implied Hamas has been given approval to act as a Palestinian police force in Gaza for a period of time. Asked on Monday about reports Hamas was rearming, the US president said, they are standing because they do want to stop the problems, and theyve been open about it, and we gave them approval for a period of time. open image in gallery Hamas gunmen on pickup trucks escort buses carrying freed Palestinian prisoners and detainees on 13 October ( AP ) The International Stabilisation Force Disarmament may not be immediate. Hamas, the de facto governing authority in Gaza, has been responsible for employing some 30,000 civil servants. Trumps peace plan calls for the US to work with Arab and international partners to build a so-called International Stabilisation Force (ISF) to train and support vetted police forces in Gaza. But the vetting and redeployment of those jobs will take time. The ISF will help to maintain the ceasefire and begin the task of bringing order back to Gazas streets. It will have to allow Hamas to step back without creating a power vacuum that could allow militant groups to emerge. Details again are unclear. Diplomats told the Financial Times on Monday that the size, remit and origin of the ISF were still unknown to them. The second phase disarmament and ultimate withdrawal from the strip would determine the success or failure of the agreement, some indicated. Even in principle, the involvement of a foreign force policing Gaza remains tricky. Unless there is clear buy-in from Palestinian elements on the ground (to include Hamas, which opposes the idea), it is hard to imagine any Arab forces willing to deploy on the ground, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) assessed. open image in gallery Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble by Israels two-year bombardment, and will cost a substantial amount to rebuild ( AP ) What comes after Hamas? The original plan describes a transitional government technocratic and apolitical managing the overall running of Gaza, overseen by an international body called the Board of Peace. The proposal suggests the interim government could be replaced by the Palestinian Authority (PA), subject to certain reforms. Mahmoud Abbas, president of the PA, attended the summit in Egypt on Monday, and a senior Palestinian official told Sir Tony Blair, pegged for a role on the Board of Peace, on Sunday that the group was ready to work with him and Trump to consolidate the ceasefire and start rebuilding. There are issues with installing the PA. The governing body based in the West Bank, run by Fatah, a rival to Hamas, is unpopular with Palestinians and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already rejected their rule in Gaza. Edmund Fitton-Brown, a former British ambassador and international security expert, suggested Gaza could end up with the gradual, and potentially highly problematic constitution of a sort of Jordanian-Egyptian trained Palestinian police force under supervision from the Board of Peace and Tony Blair, reinforced by this ISF, which could include small numbers of peacekeeping troops. open image in gallery Donald Trump greets Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the Palestinian Authority, during a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday ( POOL/AFP via Getty ) The cost of peace There are varying figures on the cost of rebuilding Gaza. The UN today suggested it could cost as much as $70bn (52bn) to rebuild. In February, a UN official put the cost at $53.2bn over the next 10 years. Jaco Cilliers, the UNDP official, said that it could take a decade or even decades to fully rebuild the Palestinian enclave after two years of almost ceaseless conflict. Bezalel Smotrich, Israels finance minister, said in August that th(e war had cost Israel 300 billion shekels (67.87bn). Palestinian health authorities say the campaign against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 67,000 people, with nearly a third of the dead under the age of 18. Israel bombarded Gaza after Hamas led an incursion into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage in the bloodiest day in Israels history. The Gaza conflict has had a particular impact on women and girls. But a visitor to the planet observing the recent Sharm el-Sheikh peace summit would never know. When Egypt released the list of global leaders and officials attending the Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh more than 25 nations and international bodies in total the only woman on the list was Italys prime minister Giorgia Meloni. As the smallest person in attendance, you might have thought shed have been ushered to the front. But no. For a while she was left to bob about at the back completely invisible and ignored, until president Donald Trump went out of his way to acknowledge her presence at the final press conference by calling her beautiful. This is not the attention to detail that women need in peace talks. open image in gallery Leaders promised to re-energise Gaza. But was the future of the regions women and girls ever discussed? ( Getty ) There is an immediate problem with the absence of women leaders on the world stage, and it matters for the lives of women and girls in the region, and, I would argue, for the wider chances of sustainable peace. The World Bank has reported that women in positions of leadership can reduce the likelihood of violent conflict as well as the prospects for peaceful resolution of existing conflicts, while the European parliament has stressed the important contribution women make to bringing different perspectives on what peace and security mean. Despite it being 2025, maybe we shouldnt have been too surprised at this all-but-one male lineup. More than 100 countries have still never had a female head of state. Women leaders, we know, face countless barriers, from media stereotyping them as less capable than men, to reduced financial support, to sexual violence and online death threats, which might all count towards barriers to success. But this matters. For starters, preventing and responding to sexual violence is vital to resolving conflicts, enabling development and building sustainable peace. This statement was at the heart of a UK government summit back in 2014 and also a report by Wilton Park the UK governments organisation for international policy dialogue that highlights the importance of including women and girls in any survivor-centred peace process. Reports of strategic violence against Palestinian and Israeli women have been a dreadful drumbeat throughout the conflict. During the attacks on Israeli communities on 7 October 2023, Hamas used sexual violence as part of a deliberate genocidal strategy, according to the Dinah Project, a group of female Israeli legal and gender experts, and a UN mission later concluded there was convincing information to believe that conflict-related sexual violence occurred during the attack in multiple locations. According to a report by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, direct attacks by Israel on healthcare facilities offering sexual and reproductive healthcare services have impacted about 540,000 women and girls of reproductive age in Gaza. There is no specific reference to a survivor-centred process in the Gaza peace plan. But perhaps this is no surprise when the planning room is dominated by men. What about other references to building back lives? Women and girls have paid the highest price of the conflict, according to the UN, who say that in just one year, Gaza accounted for seven in 10 women killed in conflict globally. open image in gallery Italys prime minister Giorgia Meloni (left), along with Keir Starmer, was among the leaders at the summit. But she was often forced into the background by her male counterparts ( AP ) Back in November 2024, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that two-thirds of the then 11,000 people killed in Gaza were women and children. UN agencies also reported severe disruptions in maternal, newborn, and child health services due to bombardments and infrastructure damage. The United Nations special rapporteur on Violence Against Women described the situation as an assault on Palestinian womens dignity and rights. UN Women Palestine has pointed out that women living in Gaza have unique and urgent needs and vulnerabilities relating both to the conflict and structural gender discrimination. The peace plan unveiled by Trump et al promises that a panel of experts will draft an economic development plan to rebuild and energise Gaza. Analysis of the plan by US nonpartisan think tank the Council on Foreign Relations also highlights talk about a special economic zone with preferred tariff and access rates and cites thoughtful investment proposals and exciting development ideas to create jobs, opportunity, and hope for Gaza. But the devil will always be in the detail and without it, it is unclear to what extent the men in the group photograph discussed what that means for the thousands of women and girls of Palestine, who have been living in overcrowded shelters with no privacy, limited access to food and water and no access to safe and dignified toilet and bathing facilities. open image in gallery More than two-thirds of those killed in Gaza have been estimated to be women and children ( AP ) There doesnt seem to be anything under the opportunity and hope headline for women and girls who need menstrual hygiene, sexual and reproductive health and social support. Nor does the reference to jobs appear to incorporate how women access jobs under laws in Palestine that assume women to be under the protection and guardianship of men. The final point in the peace plan is for the United States to establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinian territories to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence. Perhaps by establishing a dialogue with women, this latest proposal might stand a chance. Until then, we will have to trust the men to know what women want and need. But details, details, details... 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 Donald Trump heralded a new dawn for the Middle East at his Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Facebook reminded me that exactly 11 years ago to the day, I was also in the Egyptian resort city, covering another Gaza peace summit, after another bloody war between Hamas and Israel. The 2014 Gaza conference in Sharm was also packed with world leaders, discussing who was going to foot the bill. It too was focused on the day after. And it also, bizarrely, featured Tony Blair. At the time, the former British prime minister was adroitly dodging my questions in favour of waxing lyrical about the ex-military chief recently turned Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who is still mediating and hosting today. Over a decade later, even Blair himself has returned, this time at Trumps behest, to head up the so-called Board of Peace to oversee the ruling of Gaza. The same powerful men are having similar vague conversations and offering similarly hollow promises only now the situation is even more urgent and dire, and the violence has been unprecedented. open image in gallery Drone footage shows Gaza before and after war in shocking scale of destruction. ( Anadolu Agency via Reuters ) Once again, everyone is speaking in almost entirely contradictory terms about a present that doesnt reflect reality and a magical future that, given the enormous issues that need to be (and havent been) addressed, seems impossible to reach. And less than 24 hours after Donald announced this everlasting peace, Palestinians were still being killed in Gaza, aid trucks stopped from going into Gaza and a row broke out about the failure of Hamas to return the bodies of dead Israeli hostages. All of these grim, and sadly all too predictable factors, threaten to topple the whole ceasefire process. Palestinian health officials reported that seven people inspecting their homes in east Gaza were killed by Israeli drones, violating the fragile ceasefire. The Israeli military denied this, telling The Independent that the individuals had passed through a yellow line to which they had withdrawn. Israeli journalists, however, suggest that the military has invisible lines that Palestinians unknowingly cross. Inside Gaza, internal violence erupted, with gruesome videos being shared online, reportedly showing Hamas militants conducting summary executions of men, who it has since accused of being criminals and collaborators with Israel in the middle of a public square. In Israel, the largest group representing the hostages called on their government to immediately suspend all ceasefire implementations, as it accused Hamas of violating the terms of the deal by handing back only four of the 28 remaining bodies of deceased hostages. In response, Israel has decided not to open the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt one of the key crossing points for aid delivery, and will reduce the amount of supplies going in until all the remains are returned. And so, even the initial and basic phase of the deal a cessation of hostilities, the exchange of citizens from both sides, the start of a safe staged withdrawal, and the delivery of more aid has already shown major cracks. It seems it is even impossible to get through this simple and tiny starting point in the galling even Herculean task of trying to find a fair, just, and crucially practicable peace agreement for Israel and Palestine. A Gordian knot of a problem people have been striving to resolve for literally generations. open image in gallery ( Suzanne Plunkett/PA Wire ) And so yesterday, as the Facebook notification popped up, presenting a weird time-lapse coincidence of two post-war Gaza summits occurring exactly 11 years apart, I realised Israel, Palestine, and the wider region will remain trapped in a dystopian, ever-violent Groundhog Day. That is, until there is an honest international commitment to addressing head-on the fundamental questions and problems that have gone unaddressed for generations. These include: Palestinian self-determination and Israeli occupation; accountability for violations of international law; and a path to end the never-ending layers of trauma and violence, to allow for peace and security that is fair for all. Otherwise, we may find ourselves back in Sharm el-Sheikh in 2030-something, if there is anything left to discuss after the coming slaughter. 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 Small but mighty, Irelands County Louth is often overlooked by tourists in favour of Dublin and Galway. But the tiny area has a lot of offer visitors from breathtaking hikes to a thriving local food scene. Happily, visitors from the UK can sit down for dinner within five hours of leaving, due to the countys proximity to Dublin airport. For me, it is the perfect escape whenever London gets overwhelming. The UKs capital feels very far away when I spend time here. Its packed with history and boasts 55 miles of coastline, but County Louth only stretches to 319 square miles, so its the sort of place you can get to know every inch of the antidote to life in a metropolis. My favourite way to visit is to fly in on a Friday evening. Drogheda, one of Irelands largest towns, is only 30 minutes away on the motorway. From here, I head straight to Scholars Townhouse Hotel, a beautiful, family-run boutique in a former grammar school. They only have 16 rooms, so guests are guaranteed a good welcome. While dining in a hotel can feel a bit naff, nothing could be further from the truth here its a huge favourite with locals. Their bar menu is delightful, but I prefer to book a table in the restaurant, which is painted with scenes of the Battle of the Boyne (more on that later). The best thing on the menu? Carlingford oysters, which are caught just up the road. open image in gallery History buffs can visit the Battle of the Boyne site in the Oldbridge Estate ( Getty Images / iStockPhoto ) Read more: How a trip to rural West Cork helped me reconnect with my teenage daughter The next morning, I typically start my Saturday by getting a coffee at Ariosa, off West Street. Two minutes walk away is St Peters church, famed for holding the embalmed head of Oliver Plunkett, who was the last Catholic to be martyred at Tyburn in 1681. The church hosts an annual procession in his honour in July, but be warned: I have a university lecturer who still claims PTSD from the shock of seeing the relic. The gory history doesnt stop there. In fact, fans of Oliver Cromwell would do well to keep their opinions to themselves while in Drogheda. The Lord Protectors most notorious and murderous military manoeuvres took place in the town in 1649, at nearby Millmount Fort. The garrisons defenders attempted to surrender to the Parliamentarians, but were instead massacred, an event that is memorialised at the site. History buffs can also visit the Battle of the Boyne site in the Oldbridge Estate, a short distance from the town. Here, there are a number of walks and an excellent information centre, where visitors can learn all about the battle between King William III and his father-in-law, King James II, for the British throne. It was the largest ever deployment of troops on an Irish battlefield and those who want to find out more can discover original artefacts, such as weaponry and artillery. For something less bloody, nearby Clogherhead offers impressive coastal views. After hiking along the headland, reward your virtue with fish and chips on the pier. open image in gallery The Cooley Mountains offer challenging treks and panoramic views ( Getty Images / iStockPhoto ) Read more: This much-maligned city is secretly the most cultural spot in the UK Visitors who enjoy a swim are spoiled for choice: both Clogherhead and Termonfeckin beaches are great options for a bracing dip, while Salterstown offers views of the Mourne Mountains from the sea. If the water isnt tempting, head north to Ravensdale Forest park and take a hike among the Cooley Mountains. For a challenging trek, try the Slieve Foye Loop, starting in Carlingford and ending, after a significant climb, at Strandfield, a cafe in Dundalk. Its always busy, but thats testament to the high-quality cooking, focusing on fresh, hyper-local ingredients. open image in gallery The Slieve Foye Loop starts in Carlingford ( Getty Images / iStockPhoto ) Luckily, Dundalk is the ideal place to spend a lively Saturday night (and a low-key Sunday). For an animated evening head to Mo Chara, a community pub set up by three friends. The food is wonderful, but better still is the beer, which they brew themselves something that has happened in the town for centuries. Continue the night at the Spirit Store, a performing arts venue and comedy club. Or explore the towns thriving music scene this is the place that made The Corrs, after all. Head to Toales, which can get rowdy at the weekends and is where The Mary Wallopers began playing. If your head is thumping the next day, youve done something right. A visit to Blackrock, a charming village on the outskirts of Dundalk, is ideal for a browse of the independent shops and hangover-soothing brunch spots. And then its back to the airport, revived by an authentic Irish experience. The wee county certainly packs a punch. How to do it Ryanair, Aer Lingus and British Airways fly to Dublin from UK airports. On arrival, hiring a car is advised, although the area is reasonably well-served by public transport. The 101 bus runs every twenty minutes from the airport and will take you straight to Drogheda. Where to stay The Scholars Townhouse Hotel offers well-decorated rooms and a friendly welcome. From 174 per night. 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 At least 64 people have died due to torrential rain in Mexico, while dozens of people are still missing and the status of remote towns with up to 1,000 residents remains unknown. More than 300 communities have been cut off by landslides and flooding as of Tuesday, while soldiers and civilians are attempting to reopen blocked roads. The severe weather, which culminated over the weekend, resulted in devastation to homes, as well as causing power cuts in some areas. Mexicos president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said a National Emergency Committee remains in permanent session to monitor the affected states, allocating resources and supporting communities. We are sparing no resources to support the population affected by the rains, she said. What has happened in Mexico? Heavy rain followed as two tropical storms off Mexicos western coast converged, causing rivers to overflow. The downpours are thought to have come from Tropical Storm Priscilla, formerly a hurricane, and Tropical Storm Raymond. open image in gallery Mud and debris caused by heavy rains in the Las Granjas neighbourhood in Poza Rica, Veracruz state ( AFP via Getty Images ) President Sheinbaum said that the greatest urgency was to reopen roads as well as bring food supplies and water to affected communities. Health teams have already begun fumigating affected areas to prevent outbreaks of dengue, a disease spread by mosquitoes. Where in Mexico have floods hit? The worst-affected states are Veracruz; Hidalgo, which is north of Mexico City; and Puebla, east of Mexico City. It is thought Hidalgo has been hit the hardest with around 100,000 homes damaged or destroyed due to floods and mudslides, as well as power cuts to at least 150 communities. open image in gallery A destroyed street after flooding caused by heavy rains in the town of Huehuetla, in Hidalgo state ( AFP via Getty Images ) Mexico's Civil Protection agency said the heavy rains had killed 29 people in Veracruz state on the Gulf Coast as of Monday morning and approximately 21 people in Hidalgo state. At least 13 were killed in Puebla. Meanwhile, in the central state of Queretaro, a child died in a landslide. Residents in the oil town of Poza Rica said floodwaters left black, oily residue believed to have come from nearby oil and gas installations, coating trees and rooftops. Mexico has deployed some 10,000 troops in addition to civilian rescue teams. Helicopters have carried food and water to communities that remain cut off and have rescued those sick and injured. What is the governments advice? The UK government does not have any specific advice relating to the severe weather. Separately, the UKs Foreign Office advises all but essential travel to parts of Tijuana, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Michoacan, Jalisco, Colima, Guerrero and Chiapas. Some exceptions within these areas apply. open image in gallery Flooded streets after heavy rains in Poza Rica, Veracruz state, Mexico, on 11 October ( AFP via Getty Images ) The Foreign Office also gives wider advice on extreme weather and natural disasters in Mexico. It explains that the hurricane season in Mexico usually runs from June to November and can affect the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Hurricanes often cause floods, landslides and disruption to local services, including transport networks. The government advises monitoring local and international weather updates from the US National Hurricane Centre and following the advice of local authorities and your tour operator, including evacuation orders. The US government issued a weather alert on Thursday 9 October for travellers ahead of the devastation caused by both tropical storms. It advised people to check with their airline for updates, check road conditions prior to travelling, monitor local media and follow directions from local officials, or call 911 in the event of an emergency. Are flights to Mexico affected? There have been no significant disruptions to flights in and around the affected areas during the aftermath of the flooding. Mexico City Airport, Veracruz Airport, and Puebla Airport have all seen little to no disruption since Monday morning. Will my holiday to Mexico be cancelled? As the FCDO has not warned against non-essential travel to Mexico, there will be no special circumstances in place to be able to cancel a trip for a full refund. The conditions for cancelling your trip will be dependent on your holiday provider, so its best to contact them if youre looking to postpone. There is no obligation for companies to refund bookings if you want to cancel, and you will not be able to claim on your travel insurance due to safety concerns unless government advice changes. If you do have travel insurance, some policies include natural disaster cover for an event that prevents you from reaching your holiday destination. Check your insurance policies and speak to your insurer to see where you stand. Read more: Deadly landslides and flooding cut off 300 communities in Mexico House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared to wave off questions about the new restraining order against a MAGA congressman by his former girlfriend. Florida Rep. Cory Mills has been ordered not to have any contact with Lindsey Langston for reasons of protection against dating violence. Cory Mills was accused of beating a girlfriend in his DC apartment, a reporter remarked to Speaker Johnson during a conference Wednesday (15 October), are you concerned about these allegations? Johnson noted that Mills has been a faithful colleague, adding, I don't know all the details of...what he's doing in his outside life. The Speaker concluded by saying, let's talk about things that are really serious. Mills has denied any wrongdoing. EU risks backlash as it weighs up forcing Chinese firms to share tech with European companies Measures would apply to companies seeking access to key digital and manufacturing markets like cars and batteries European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. Photo: AP Jorge Valero and John Ainger Bloomberg Wed 15 Oct 2025 at 06:30 The European Union is considering forcing Chinese firms to hand over technology to European companies if they want to operate locally, in an aggressive new push to make the bloc's industry more competitive. Five ways bank scammers get your cash and how to protect yourself A new Irish fintech has been launched to provide financial solutions that are designed specifically for medical professionals, including hospital consultants and dentists. Global Health Capital is co-founded by David Crimmins, a former chief executive of the software company WebDoctor, and Graham Byrne, who was managing director of Cardinal Capital and chief executive of Flender. Teenagers on Instagram will be restricted to seeing PG-13 content by default and will not be able to change their settings without a parents permission, Meta has announced. This means children using teenager-specific accounts will see photos and videos on Instagram that are similar to what they would see in a PG-13 movie with no sex, drugs or dangerous stunts, among other content. Short stories Every now and then in a reading life you pick up a book that leaves an inexpressible imprint on your head and heart. Men in the Sun and Other Palestinian Stories is one. A mere 100 pages long, you nevertheless feel the weight of a history of pain and violence that a nation and its people suffered and continues to suffer. A man who suffered catastrophic injuries when an uninsured scrambler motorbike landed on him as he was sunbathing with his wife in a Dublin park has settled a High Court action for 5.2m. Ilabek Avetian was 39 and had just moved to Ireland from Lithuania to begin a new life when the scrambler came over a hill and hit the couple. A shoplifter has been ordered by a judge to stay out of all branches of Aldi, Lidl and Tesco for two years after admitting theft charges. Gardai question two brothers over series of break-ins Two young teenage sons of a suspected burglary gang boss are being questioned by gardai following a crime wave across the north-west. One of the boys is the youngest person ever to be arrested for allegedly taking part in the activities of an organised crime gang. He is in his early teens. You have to take it on the chin Joey OBrien notes gap in class but fears Shels players showed Palace too much respect BREAKING | Gardai investigate if boy (17) stabbed to death after row with another teen at Tusla care facility Teenager dead and two other people injured in Dublin stabbing Robin Schiller and Conor Feehan Wed 15 Oct 2025 at 19:15 Gardai are investigating if a 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death at an emergency care facility in Dublin this morning following a row with another teen. Former Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams is to take further legal action this time against the British State after winning 100,000 from the BBC. I have instructed my legal team that it is my intention to pursue legal action against Keir Starmers decision to retrospectively change a law which a Conservative government broke over 50 years ago, Mr Adams said. GPs, doctors, and A&E staff are being urged to consider possibility of brain tumours when reviewing certain symptoms in young children. Dr Jane Pears, Consultant Paediatric Oncologist at Crumlin Hospital in Dublin said that "as the National Childrens Cancer Centre, at CHI Crumlin we see all cancer diagnoses for children under the age of 16 years in the Republic of Ireland, with around 220 new patients a year. Donor sperm from man who carried risk of passing on cancer sold to Ireland, but didnt result in pregnancies The figure is lower than the previous year More than a third of Irish workers failed to make use of their full holiday entitlements last year, according to a new report. Outrageous that army chaplains not considered members of Defence Forces, says officers association Comments come after attack last year on Fr Paul Murphy at Renmore Barracks in Galway Tanaiste Simon Harris Anne-Marie Walsh Wed 15 Oct 2025 at 06:30 The army officers association has said it is outrageous that a government department refuses to recognise army chaplains as members of the Defence Forces in the wake of a stabbing attack on Fr Paul Murphy. The high-profile politician, the charity event and the garda fraud investigation Prominent political figure is not accused of wrongdoingGarda criminal probe into organiser as fund cheques paidDefamation laws prevent details of incident being disclosed Stock image Fionnan Sheahan, Maeve McTaggart, Conor Feehan and Robin Schiller Wed 15 Oct 2025 at 06:30 A high-profile politician has been contacted by a garda fraud investigation into the running of a charity event. Gardai are formally probing allegations that not enough of the funds raised were passed on to charity. Prison officer whistleblower evicted from home over substantial mortgage arrears says State didnt protect his family Noel McGree says he fell into financial difficulties after he made protected disclosures The whistleblower highlighted issues about health and safety in the catering section of Portlaoise Prison. Photo: PA Amy Molloy and Maeve Sheehan Wed 15 Oct 2025 at 06:30 A former prison officer who claims he was forced to take early retirement after highlighting alleged corruption in the prison service has been evicted from his family home due to mortgage arrears. Connolly gets warm welcome on Wexford canvass but no sign of former Labour leader on home patch LATEST | Two men and two women arrested after gardai seize 383k in Dublin and Leitrim searches A total of 383,000 in cash was recovered along with a money counter and an unspecified number of mobile phones. Photo: An Garda Siochana Martin Healy Wed 15 Oct 2025 at 19:01 Two men and two women, all aged in their 30s, have been arrested following a search operation by gardai. From Brexit to Gaza, where does committed European Catherine Connolly stand on key EU issues? From Lisbon Treaty to Gaza, presidential candidate holds a more nuanced view of blocs intentions Presidential candidate Catherine Connolly, who has been the underdog all her life, on her presidential vision Mary Regan Wed 15 Oct 2025 at 06:30 Catherine Connolly has insisted she is a committed European and while she has opposed many aspects of EU politics, she argues we have to allow questions to be put and debated. Max Boot: Gaza peace plan is doomed to fail both Israel and Hamas will make sure of that Netanyahu government blocked the release of the man most likely to get a two-state solution because it doesnt want that, and neither do Palestinian militants People hold Israeli flags as they gather before the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, outside a military base near Reim, southern Israel, on Monday. Photo: AP Max Boot Washington Post Wed 15 Oct 2025 at 06:30 Monday was a historic day in the Middle East: Hamas released its 20 living Israeli hostages only days after Israel stopped its offensive in the Gaza Strip. By brokering this agreement, president Donald Trump earned the rapturous reception he received in Israels parliament. Even prominent Democrats are giving Trump his due, and rightly so. If even a single day without bloodshed in Gaza is the return for the world for handing Donald Trump the Nobel Peace Prize, then it would be worth it. The US president wants to write his name into the history books. Of course, Trump is not deserving of such an accolade. His response to ending the conflict has been far too slow, albeit a welcome intervention at this point. But his blunt approach and desire to have his ego preened have contributed towards the peace deal after two years of savage conflict, death and destruction. The October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas killed 1,200 people and resulted in retaliation so fierce that large tracts of Gaza were levelled and more than 67,000 people died. Trumps plan for Gaza has resulted in the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas for the past two years and the freeing of Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel. The developments have resulted in widespread relief and elation in the Middle East. Getting aid into Gaza is still a top priority after two solid years of war. The fragile ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war already hit a glitch yesterday as a slower-than-hoped-for return of dead hostages from Gaza brought a reaction on the ground. Israel declared a violation of the truce agreement by Hamas, and said it would respond by halving the number of aid trucks allowed into the devastated territory. Ireland will be among the countries to commit aid to the country, with tens of millions of euro being pledged to a variety of agencies. Its time to put our money where our mouth is But our financial commitments will have to go far beyond the immediate emergency. After the fragile peace comes the long rebuild, which will be on a par with reconstruction efforts in European cities after World War II. A UN agency has put the cost of rebuilding Gaza at an estimated $70bn. Ireland, a wealthy country that has been vocal in seeking an end to the conflict, will now have to commit to contributing to the funding of the reconstruction of Gaza. An Emergency Coalition for the Financial Sustainability of the Palestinian Authority had been established in response to the financial crisis confronting the country. Ireland has joined this group and will use it as a platform to contribute to stability. In other words, its time to put our money where our mouth is to support the reconstruction of Gaza. Government and opposition parties alike need to state their views on the amount of funding to be committed and say where it will come from: existing overseas development aid funding, additional expenditure to be taken from elsewhere or dipping into the rainy-day funds accumulated from corporation tax bonanzas. Since 2023, Ireland has provided over 95m in support to the people of Palestine, of which more than 83m has been provided since October 2023. This includes 20m in core support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) this year. Now the country will need many multiples of these sums. Expressing solidarity doesnt buy any bricks and mortar. The former Sinn Fein councillor turned state witness is days away from freedom, and from Ireland. Having served his sentence for the torture and false imprisonment of a man and his involvement in the Regency Hotel shooting of David Byrne, Dowdall and his family are expected to be relocated abroad under the countrys closely guarded witness security programme. Once an ally of Gerry The Monk Hutch, Dowdall became one of Irelands most infamous figures when he turned state witness in the Regency Hotel murder case. The Sunday Independent understands it is expected that he will be released into the care of the gardai, days ahead of his official release date, and will be taken directly to an airport. Dowdall, who gave what a judge described as unreliable evidence against Gerry The Monk Hutch in the trial for the murder of David Byrne at Dublins Regency Hotel in 2016, is expected to take at least two flights, one potentially to a location in Europe, before a second flight to the destination that will become his new home. It is not expected that the 47-year-old will be flown out of Dublin Airport, but one of the smaller airports. He will be accompanied on his journey by armed officers from the Specialist Detective Unit. Today on the Indo Daily Fionnan Sheahan is joined by Sunday Independent crime journalist Ali Bracken and Irish Independent Special Correspondent Paul Williams, to pull back the curtain on Irelands Witness Security Programme and reveal what it really takes for someone like Dowdall to vanish from the radar. Cork councillors have called for the governments Core Funding scheme for childcare to be urgently reviewed as providers struggle to survive and purpose-built creches lie empty for years because its not financially viable to operate them. Core Funding is a grant paid directly to childcare providers. In return, the providers are required to freeze the fees they charge parents at a certain level. In a motion at this weeks meeting of Cork County Council, Cllr Eamonn Horgan called on the local authority to write to the Minister for Children Norma Foley to review the schemes fee mechanism. He said that while the scheme limits the fees that providers can charge, the cost of staff wages, utilities, insurance, compliance, and maintenance have all risen sharply. Many providers sign up to Core Funding expecting that the grant will offset these rising costs, instead theyre finding themselves squeezed. As an example, at the childcare provider where my daughter goes to creche, there has been a 34pc increase in wage costs since 2019, but Core Funding only covers 21pc of this, the Social Democrat said. Cllr Horgan said the new maximum fee cap that was recently introduced will force providers out of the scheme. With the caps now being introduced, it feels like those who will win in this situation are those who will cut costs, who will reduce nutrition in the meals and pay the staff less. And is this really what we want for our children? The motion was seconded by Cllr Ann Bambury, who said the childcare system is at breaking point with providers closing and staff leaving. Parents continue to face some of the highest childcare costs in Europe. Providers remain trapped in a funding model that is not economically sustainable and early years professionals continue to be underpaid and undervalued despite their critical contribution to children's development and education, she said. Cllr Bambury added that several purpose-built units have remained vacant in the Bandon-Kinsale area for over 18 months, as providers cannot operate them sustainably. The childcare units remain empty because the economic reality simply doesnt work under the current system, she said. Cllr Audrey Buckley echoed this point, saying that in Carrigaline we have a brand new, purpose-built creche that nobody's ever set a foot in the door. It's been empty for 28 years. We have no purpose-built creche operating in the area and this one is sitting there idle because the cost of it is unviable. Cllr Anthony Barry added that in Carrigtwohill, there are sites set aside, one for over 25 years, for the provision of creche and childcare facilities and theyre lying idle because they're not viable. The entire industry needs an overhaul. Were going to have to come up with something because it's not going away. The motion was also supported by Cllr Kay Dawson, who said that childcare is the biggest barrier for women going back to work and being able to sustain their careers through their life while their children are small. I've seen it with grandchildren and trying to get them minded, the cost of it is prohibitive. The whole thing needs to be re-looked at. The council agreed to write to the minister about the scheme. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme. Devastation for Galway families as pre-school forced to close permanently over fire safety order Parents of 96 children left scrambling for places in alternative providers Where will they go? Ava Murphy, Mabel Maughan, Hollie Murphy and Harry Monahan protest against the closure of the Happily Ever After creche in the Tuam Parish centre. Photo: Ray Ryan Molly Cantwell Wed 15 Oct 2025 at 07:40 A Galway pre-school and after school service has announced that they will close their doors for a final time at the end of October after being issued a closure notice by the Fire Officer. Galway citys ongoing battle to curb the dominance of short-term lets continues and enforcement remains a challenge as this topic was discussed at length at a recent Galway City Council meeting. During the meeting, the local authority said figures show 79 formal complaints have been lodged over the illegal use of homes as short-term rentals thus far. Of those, 70 have been investigated, with each resulting in a warning letter. Council staff said the letters state: Unauthorised use of a property as a short-term let. The notice invites the person or persons involved to submit observations within four weeks and outlines the relevant enforcement timeframes and provisions under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). At the meeting, Councillor Frank Fahy referenced an external email circulated to all councillors which identified roughly 36 short-term lets around the Eyre Square and Forster Street area, based solely on the presence of lock boxes. The email noted that none of the properties had sought the proper planning permissions, Cllr Fahy said. Cllr Fahy pressed the planning department on what process is in place to hold such operators accountable. Director of Services Patricia Philbin acknowledged that gathering evidence against illegal Airbnbs is difficult, as letting platforms do not disclose specific addresses until after booking and payment are complete. She said some property owners use private management companies that withhold contact details under GDPR, while many multi-unit buildings see irregular visits from landlords or maintenance workers, making it hard to identify who is responsible. However, Ms Philbin added there remains space for short-term lets in Galway City, given tourisms vital role in the local economy and culture. What is needed, she said, is a proper and controlled way to organise and identify the properties. City council staff confirmed with the Irish Independent that an executive technician holding a full-time role has been allocated to handle short term let complaints and consequences. This role is under the planning department. Additionally, a senior advisory is expected to take on enforcement in the planning department and this will include jurisdiction over short term lets. The city council confirmed this role was filled on October 13, 2025. Separately, the Short-Term Letting Bill, introduced by Failte Ireland, will require every short-term rental nationwide to register for a unique reference number. That number must be displayed on all listings across various platforms. The legislation came into effect in April 2025, and Failte Ireland is expected to begin communications about the rollout of the national registry shortly. Social Democrats councillor Alan Curran also appealed to city executives for guidance on how best to manage the issue until those national regulations are implemented. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme. A Kerry TD has praised the allocation of over 2m for the purchase of a site for the countys new tourism college, saying the institute will mark Killarney officially as the tourism capital of Ireland. Kerry TD, Michael Cahill, welcomed the earmarking of 2.3m for the Kerry Education and Training Boards acquisition of the former Pretty Polly site in Killarney. Plans for a tourism sector training college at the site were first announced in 2022, with an initial capacity of 3000 students set to increase as it becomes more established. The college attached to the Munster Technological University and will transform the derelict area in Killarney into a bustling student hub. Deputy Cahill, said: This is immense news for the town, and it will mark Killarney out officially as the tourism capital of Ireland, by facilitating a Hospitality Sector Training College attached to the Munster Technological University (MTU) right in the heart of our county. It is only logical of course that the centre of population with the highest level of experience in the tourism sector, would be the perfect place to tap into that long held and earned experience. I am delighted that our Minister, James Lawless and our Government has recognised this and are willing to get behind the people of Killarney and Kerry in this extremely important programme with significant investment funds and a commitment to prosper the whole Tourism Industry. The hub will include a centre of excellence for hospitality as well as a centre of excellence for renewable energy and sustainable green technologies. The former Pretty Polly site has long lain derelict, with numerous calls over the years for its rehabilitation. A new lease of life was given to the site in 2022, when the former Minister for Higher Education and current Tanaiste, Simon Harris, visited to announce plans for the college. However, concerns over the progress of the site plans and funding acquisition were raised earlier this year with Killarney Chamber of Commerce and Tourism expressing disappointment at the lack of momentum. Deputy Cahill and then Deputy Brendan Griffin had sought news on multiple occasions about the projects development, receiving the consistent response that the project was still in preliminary stages. With the release of funding for the sites purchase, Deput Cahill was delighted his lobbying efforts had paid off. Aware of previous tourism education schemes which were no longer available in Killarney, Deput Cahill said he had been bending ears about the college plans since he entered Leinster House. Some will remember the Council for Education, Research and Training (CERT) that was run at the Torc Great Southern Hotel on Lower Park Road back in the 70s and I always thought it was a shame this had not been continued, he said. Now all the lobbying, phone calls, Parliamentary Questions, Notices of Motions to Kerry County Council are all well worth it. I am seriously genuinely pleased to have helped to get this across the line for Killarney and Kerry and I will stick with it until the first students enter the front door to begin their new careers. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting scheme The recent fifteen year birthday celebrations for the Polish School Killarney was described by the school principal and manager as one that was a special day full of emotions, memories and joy. To mark such a milestone, the school pulled out all the stops to make it a truly memorable occasion for students, parents, and the wider community alike. The school, which is located on New Road in the town, held a jam-packed day of celebrations on Saturday to mark the occasion; celebrations that included traditional Polish dances, a short film about the school and everything that it has achieved in the last decade-and-a-half as well as an awards ceremony. Among those most proud of the days success was Aneta Truchan, the Director of the school, who reflected on the journey that brought the Polish School Killarney to this point. Aneta Truchan, the Director of the school, spoke to The Kerryman about the day and reflected on the challenges that she has faced in the last 15 years to adapt to the ever-changing needs of the local community. Maja, Mikolaj and Olga Andrzej at the celebrations last Saturday. Photo by Seamus Healy. "I am absolutely delighted. Everything went perfect. We opened the day with a traditional Polish dance to show the students how it was in the past. When we celebrated something big in the past, you did so with this dance. The folk dance group came from Dublin and They are a professional group that help to promote traditional Polish dance, she said. The fantastic traditional Polish dancers who performed at the celebrations on Saturday. Photo by Seamus Healy. The performances were just one part of what made the day so lively and engaging, giving attendees a real taste of Polish tradition and culture. They changed up the gears on the dance at least four times on the day to show off and promote the different regions of Poland. As well as this, I rewarded people on the day who have done a lot for the school over the past 15 years. That included both current and past teachers as well as parents and others who have just been very close friends to the school, there's a big cohort of them, she continued. It wasnt just the dancing and awards that made the event special the sense of community and nostalgia ran through every part of the celebration. Of course we had cake too and lots good chats. We even had someone who made a 20-minute film about the school, the history of it, the mission of it. It was really lovely, she added. Traditional Polish dancers entertaining the packed hall on Saturday. Photo by Seamus Healy. As the festivities wound down, conversation turned to the passage of time and the evolution of the school since its founding. Asked if the last 15 years have gone slowly or in the blink of an eye, Aneta said that it almost felt like a little bit of both. Enjoying the celebrations last Saturday were Edward Adrianna and Nikola Soltys. Photo by Seamus Healy. "In one way, it has been a fast 15 years. For me as a manager, I have had to adapt for the new generation because 15 years ago when we first started, there were teenagers coming straight from Poland which means they already had a level of Polish. Now though, all of the kids, they are being born here and so Polish is not their first language and so we now we have to work more on Polish being a heritage language. Mariusz, Alan, and Aleksander Malec enjoying the celebrations at the Presentation Monastery last Saturday. Photo by Seamus Healy. Her comments reflect a broader shift within the Polish community in Ireland, as families balance maintaining their roots with integrating into local culture. The amazing traditional dancers in action last Saturday. Photo by Seamus Healy. "We try to work on helping them to understand the Polish culture. A big part of our work too is to show them connections between Polish and Irish culture, our history and so on. We want to find a balance between them because a lot of our customers are from mixed families as well, she said. Despite the challenges that come with running a small cultural school in a town like Killarney, Anetas passion for her work remains unwavering. Killarney is a very small town and so to run a school for 15 years, it's been a privilege...as well as a big challenge. I have to adapt every single year to what I have and I have to fight for everything but I don't mind because it is my passion, she said. The prohibition order was served by the HSE on September 5 and still remains in place over a month later A live rat was spotted in the premises by the HSE inspector, along with visible rat droppings. Stock photo. A wholesaler and distributor in Co Kildare was served a prohibition order by the HSE after the premises was found to be infested by rats. BK Foods Limited, Clongorey, Newbridge, Kildare has been prohibited from selling all dry goods, including food, beverages and food packaging, located in its warehouse at Clongorey. A HSE inspection report, published by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) this week, revealed that the reason behind the prohibition order being issued last month was due to rat infestation throughout the premises. As stated by the HSE inspector in their report, all dry foods stored in its warehouse are not to be used for human consumption or placed on the market for the duration of the prohibition order. During their visit to the premise, the HSE inspector found that the layout, design and construction of the food premises does not permit good food hygiene practices and in particular, pest control. "Food products and food packaging are stored in a warehouse that is not adequately pest-proofed resulting in a rat infestation throughout the premises, explained the inspector. They also found that adequate procedures were not in place to control pests in the premises. This was proven when the inspector spotted a live rat in the premises along with rat droppings visible on the floor and shelving throughout the warehouse where foodstuffs and food packaging was stored. Subsequently, the inspector deemed the premises a danger to public health and issued a prohibition order on September 5, 2025. The prohibition order still remains in place over a month later. In total, the FSAI issued ten enforcement orders on food businesses during the month of September. Its concerning that we continue to see serious and recurring breaches of food safety law, said Mr Greg Dempsey, Chief Executive of the FSAI. "These types of breaches are preventable where food businesses have a proper robust food safety management system in place and ensure staff are adequately trained. We wont survive this Limerick bar not consulted before council attempted to remove outdoor dining area Crew Brewing Company, a well known microbrewery in Limerick city, faces possible closure after attempts were made to demolish their parklet on behalf of Limerick County Council without prior warning Staff at Crew Brewing Company Edana Flynn Wed 15 Oct 2025 at 13:00 In keeping with Covid lockdown restrictions in 2021, parklets were constructed for business across Limerick city in an effort to make outdoor dining possible while keep in line social distancing measures. The sounds of war and destruction may have gone silent in Gaza over the past few days but one local man, Fionn Macarthur, who has just returned from that part of the world having been part of a global flotilla attempting to bring aid to Gaza is urging the people of Sligo and further afield to continue to support the Palestinian people. The boat that Fionn was travelling on, the Conscience, was intercepted by Israeli forces as it made its way towards Gaza in the hope of bringing aid to the starving population but Fionn and the crew of mainly medics and journalists were aware of the likelihood of their progress being halted as had happened to other boats part of the flotilla. Having endured a traumatic time at the hands of the Israeli forces Fionn is nevertheless proud to have played his part in the flotilla that came so close to success and helped further raise global awareness of the situation. Now that he is safely home, Fionn is wary of plaudits for his bravery, preferring instead to focus on the plight of the Palestinian people but he is worthy of such praise as Cllr Declan Bree pointed out, We owe Fionn and all those brave volunteers who participated in the Flotilla a debt of gratitude. Fionns ship the Conscience was unarmed, its mission peaceful. Yet it was boarded with force by the Israeli military, its crew of international volunteers abducted, and its precious cargo confiscated. The detention and the mistreatment of Flotilla participants by the Israeli military must be condemned in no uncertain terms. If governments, including ours, upheld their legal obligations to act to prevent and also to punish genocide, then people would not have had to take to the seas to try to break the illegal blockade of Gaza." From the initial interception to being held in custody and then appearing before an Israeli judge and ultimately being flown home, Fionns story is both harrowing and inspiring. In order to tell the story of the past week, Fionn recounted his first involvement with humanitarian missions. No stranger to the water, Fionn grew up in a boathouse close to Holy Well and after attending school in Carbury and the Grammar School, Fionn studied filmaking and having completed his studies in 2017 he became aware of the Refugee Rescue organisation and helped in the Moria refugee camp in Lesbos for a period of time. The horrific conditions didnt deter him as he attempted to document the struggles being faced by people fleeing war torn areas. "It was incredible. People were in such dire situations, they had left everything behind to escape war and persecution and people are just so hospitable in that situation. The majority were Afghans, I learned Dari there, the language of Afghanistan. "About two months ago I went over to Denmark, Refugee Rescue were actually holding an exhibition because they have been 10 years on the sea doing search and rescue and they were able to rescue 25,000 people in this 10 years. Unfortunately, their boat is not fit for the sea anymore so they are hoping to raise 100,000 to get a new boat and a new search and rescue rib. I went over and helped them out at the exhibition. That was the first time I met them in person. When the talk of a global flotilla was mooted Fionn thought it was something he would like to be involved with. "I was asked did I know anyone who would be interested in going on the next wave of boats. I reached out to some friends but they were busy unfortunately. I put myself forward because as a filmmaker I thought I would like to put my skills to use on one of the boats and document and that is how I got involved. I first went over with the Thousand Madleens in Sicilly. They had eight boats that were operational and they had crews ready to go so I was just on call. Nothing was set in stone, I wasnt sure if I was going to go or not go. If somebody had cold feet, Id jump in. "There was no space for me so I was thinking Im going back to Ireland. We waved goodbye as everybody left the harbour and then I rang the Conscience, Veronica OKeane had found out that I was interested and she was able to notify some of the crew from Ireland who were part of the delegation and I was able to get on the Conscience. I got a 10 hour bus from Sicilly to Otranto and had two more days training with them and then we took off from Otranto. The first wave of boats in the flotilla was in the Sumud wave and even after they had been intercepted by Israeli forces, Fionn and the team onboard the Conscience knew they were going to continue even if that meant they suffered the same fate. We were at sea already by the time they were intercepted. We knew, at whatever cost, we were going to continue sailing to hopefully break the siege and hopefully get aid into Gaza. We trained for it, we knew there was a strong chance of being intercepted by the Israeli Navy and we prepared as much as possible for that. "We kept on sailing and were intercepted at 4.30am on Wednesday morning. It was very quick, we thought we would have more time. Our Australian skipper, she sounded the alarm, we ran up to the upper deck at the stern at the back of the boat to the muster station (designated meeting point). "We all got our lifejackets on and we sat down and prepared for them to board the ship. Two Apache helicopters came over the top, these naval commandos trapezed down from the helicopters with their machine guns. "There were snipers in the choppers and they had laser sights pointed at some people on the deck as well. We kept breathing, talking to ourselves, some of us were humming together. We started chanting we are medics, we are journalists to make that know. "Some more of the commandos boarded the boat from the stern at the back with their ribs. There was roughly 50 of these commandos on the boat. We were all sitting down, we had our hands up. I had thrown my phone overboard and my small camera as well because I didnt want them to get any of my footage or to get my phone. "Pretty much everyone threw their electronics overboard. You wouldnt trust them what they might to do to them. They could go through them or they could attach malware. When asked how they were treated by their captors, Fionn replied, It was pretty rough. They searched our person, they went through all our belongings. First they ransacked the boat, they went through the whole boat tore it upside down wile we were outside on the deck. "They had other soldiers pointing guns at us the whole time, told us not to move and then searched us one by one. Then they put us all into one big room on the boat, the dining room and it was really hot. This room is always hot, you couldnt open any windows. "There was a door at the front and two doors at the back that would allow some fresh air but it was well over 30 degrees in there. Bear in mind that there was some eldery folk with us. There was a woman who was in her 80s and some men who were in their late 70s. We were able to get some mats for them to lie down, we are able to push the soldiers to allow that. "They were trying to give us food and water but keep in mind they also had their own camera man with them so they were trying to film their own propaganda to show that they were being nice to us. They were known to be doing this on a previous interception so we were sure not to take their food. " Some people did, some of the Turkish crew did but we made it vocally known that we werent going to take anything from them. They forced the chef to cook food and we werent taking any of that food either but we snuck some food ourselves when the cameras were off us. They would change some of the soldiers around and some of them didnt have cameras on them so we were able to drink some of our own water. "We were 14 or 15 hours held captive in that room. They had their own doctor as well but we wouldnt allow them. For example there was a man who was quite unwell, I think he had low blood sugar levels, he was about to faint, very pale. He needed his medication but it was in a different room. Veronica had asked a soldier if she could get the medication and he refused. "This commando said we have our own doctor, he will see to you. They were told we have our own doctors here and we trust our own doctors, we dont trust you. They took him out of the room and eventually he came back but the soldier was getting pretty hostile. At one point he took out his taser and held it just in front of Veronica and then one of the other doctors de-escalated the situation and then the soldier stopped. After the treatment that was endured onboard the Conscience, it didnt get any better when they docked in Ashdod as Fionn recalls. We were then brought to the Port of Ashdod in occupied Palestine, in Israel. By now it was night time and we disembarked the boat one by one. As soon as we got off they took all of us in a grip hold with your arms behind your back and pushed our back down so our head was low and we couldnt see in front of us. "They walked us about 100 metres and then after that we were forced onto our knees and to wait on our knees for about an hour while there was a load of police around us and we were told not to look up. "I was able to look around, I had a jacket with a hood that kind of fell over my head a little bit and I was able to look at the periphery to my right and left, just check everybody, look at everybody. People were pretty shook up of course, it was really tough for a lot of people, especially the elderly. "A Tunisian journalist who was with us, 10 guys surrounded him and beat him up just because he had a keffiyeh (Palestinian scarf) on him. Anyone who had a darker skin colour they really took it out on them. We had four Israeli citizens with us, one other didnt have dual nationality and I saw two female Israeli police had her by her arms. They kneed her twice in the stomach before dragging her off while cursing at her in Hebrew. Once they were detained the diplomatic efforts began to ensure the release of Fionn and his colleagues with a visit from a representative from the Irish Embassy, bringing reassurance and water. I knew there would be a lot of (diplomatic) pressure as soon as we were in there. The freedom flotilla coalition would make that apparent. We had all taken pictures and short videos beforehand to say that if we were intercepted illegally and kidnapped by the Israeli authorities that we call on everyone to make as much noise as possible. "I think it was about a day and a half later, we were put on a bus after the processing at the port. I dont remember how long that journey was but it felt like forever. It could have been six hours or more. We were blindfolded and zip tied with our hands in front of us. There were two rooms inside this prison bus and there could have been 14 on each side. There was 14 on my side and there was locked doors. "Then we arrived at the prison, Ketziot prison in the Negev desert. We were thrown into cells inside the prison. We had heard people from the Sumud flotilla were taken there for eight days and their toilet was overflowing. As soon as they were in their cells the toilet wasnt working and the Israeli police and the prison guards wouldnt allow them move to another cell so you can imagine how tough that must have been. There were a couple of people forced into solitary confinement and I believe that was really tough. "A lot of people chose not to eat. I didnt eat anything or drink for nearly two days until Evan Cunningham from the Irish Embassy in Tel Aviv met me on the second day. We were all taken outside our cells, forced into this cage or pen with razor wire and barbed wire around it and called one by one to come out and then we were able to see our consulate. "Thats when I met Evan Cunningham and he gave me two and half glasses of water which was amazing. It was great to see an Irish face and he asked how I was doing and reassured me that I was going to get out pretty soon hopefully but he couldnt guarantee it. He said theres a flight at 2pm the following day and we hope that you will be on that but we cant know for sure because it is up to the Israelis and they can change anything. "They used sleep deprivation tactics on us as well, every hour or so they would come out and bang on the doors with their guns. They would point the laser on the gun into our faces then tell us to get up. We would get up and then they would run out of the cell again. They were doing that at all times just to harass us. Not far from those prison cells Fionn said he could Hear Palestinians being tortured in a different wing, a different part of the prison. There were moments of relief, such as when Fionn met Lee, a Welsh nurse who had helped provide training ahead of the flotilla setting sail. They saw each other when Lees smaller boat passed the Conscience and they were next reunited in a prison cell. It was great to see him in the cell. I came in, in the middle of the night and he greeted me, the hugged me and then after that when the Israeli guards came to the door doing their sleep deprivation tactics they asked me my name. I told them my name, they took me out and put me in another cell so that was the last time Lee saw him until the Kangaroo Court they brought us to two days later. "There was an Israeli judge in a box, kind of portacabins, and they would bring us out. Lee was with me in that room as well and we had our lawyers beside us at that point. I remember the judge asking me did any of my possessions get stolen and i said yes. When he said how, I said, Well no, i actually threw them into the sea. I remember him saying that is so bad for the environment. Me and Lee burst out laughing when we left the room after the judicial hearing, we said as if a genocide isn't bad for the environment. Now safely home, Fionn is proud to have been part of the global flotilla but not is not looking for any recognition, rather his focus is on continuing to shine on a spotlight on the plight of the Palestinian people. I hope the killing and murdering of innocent people can end. It should never have been up to ordinary civilians to go on a mission like this, this was the last hope to get aid through to Palestinians and break the siege. There will be more flotillas after this, and it is turning into a bigger and bigger movement. "There were people with us who had gone before us and had been intercepted and kidnapped by the Israeli forces in international waters, illegally and they are continuing to push and to go and it is so important that we are not highlighted as heroes, we are just ordinary people, and this is about the Palestinians and their voices need to be heard. Cllr Bree, a member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, who met with Fionn on his return to Sligo at the weekend said: The Israeli regime had no legal authority to detain Fionn and the other international volunteers aboard the Flotilla. The seizure blatantly violated international law and defied the International Court of Justices binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. We owe Fionn and all those brave volunteers who participated in the Flotilla a debt of gratitude. Fionns ship the Conscience was unarmed, its mission peaceful. Yet it was boarded with force by the Israeli military, its crew of international volunteers abducted, and its precious cargo confiscated. The people on the Flotilla were carrying aid, hope and solidarity and should never have been stopped from getting to Gaza. The detention and the mistreatment of Flotilla participants by the Israeli military must be condemned in no uncertain terms. If governments, including ours, upheld their legal obligations to act to prevent and also to punish genocide, then people would not have had to take to the seas to try to break the illegal blockade of Gaza. Regardless of the truce, it is now time for the Irish government to stop dragging its heels and impose sanctions by enacting the Occupied Territories Bill, including a ban on trade with services in illegal settlements in the West Bank and by ending the use of Irish airspace and airports for the transiting of armaments to Israel. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme. Uisce Eireann may have to pay out after several motorists suffer burst tyres and wheel damage at pothole following works in Sligo town A students of St Mary's College Sligo, which was among the 33 schools across Ireland presented with 63 awards as part of the Irish Heart Foundation's CPR 4 Schools programme. A Sligo school has been recognised with a prestigious Irish Heart Foundation award for training their students in the lifesaving skill of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). St. Mary's College in Ballysadare received a CPR 4 Schools award, which recognises schools, teachers and students for remarkable efforts in CPR promotion and training. It was among 33 schools across Ireland presented with 63 awards as part of the national heart and stroke charitys CPR 4 Schools programme. Ninety-per-cent of secondary schools have engaged in the programme since its inception, with 2,630 teachers involved across 649 schools to deliver CPR training, giving the programme a reach of over 350,000 students nationwide. The charity is now calling on all schools to sign up to help build a new generation of lifesavers. The programme trains students to perform CPR and respond in a cardiac emergency, use an AED (defibrillator) and respond when someone is choking. Easy to run, it involves one-hour, video-led lessons, fully supported with manikin kits and classroom resources. Schools benefit by awards recognising their participation and positive student engagement, while families and entire communities gain by having young people emerge as confident lifesavers. Brigid Sinnott, Resuscitation Manager with the Irish Heart Foundation, encouraged teachers countrywide to help students obtain essential lifesaving CPR skills. We know that schools are extremely busy places, which makes us all the more blown away by the work and commitment they have put in to teach the lifesaving skill of CPR to date. The Irish Heart Foundations mission is to build a nation of lifesavers through CPR training and schools are vital to help us achieve that. The CPR 4 Schools programme is easy to run and takes just one hour to train a class. I would encourage schools nationwide to visit irishheart.ie/cpr4schools to learn how easy it is to implement our programme. Schools and teachers are at the core of this programme and these awards are our way of recognising them for empowering students with a lifesaving skill. A persons chance of survival is doubled when CPR is started immediately. By learning CPR once in your life, you are 10 times more likely to respond to an emergency than someone who has never received training. Post-primary school teachers interested in signing up for the free programme can register by emailing: schools@irishheart.ie. To find out more about CPR 4 Schools, visit irishheart.ie/cpr4schools. Davy Lynch who has been awarded the 2025 Ecclesiastical/Wexford Festival Opera Volunteer of the Year, also pictured are Loughlin Deegan, Interim Executive Director, David Lane Managing Director at Ecclesiastical Ireland and Eleanor White, head of the Festival Volunteer Committee. Photo Patrick Browne Davy Lynch who has been awarded the 2025 Ecclesiastical/Wexford Festival Opera Volunteer of the Year, with David Lane Managing Director at Ecclesiastical Ireland. Photo Patrick Browne Wexford Festival Opera (WFO) have announced that Davy Lynch, who has been volunteering with WFO since 1991, is the 2025 Ecclesiastical/Wexford Festival Opera Volunteer of the Year. Davy will be honoured later this evening during the first Public Dress Rehearsal of this years Festival. Davy was chosen through a public vote by fellow volunteers, board and staff of the festival. He first joined WFO as one of three drivers in 1991. Over the past number of years, he has expanded and led the festivals team of voluntary drivers. Davy always greets you with a big smile and has a no task is too difficult attitude and is a very popular member of the volunteer family. The announcement of Davys recognition was officially made tonight by Artistic Director, Rosetta Cucchi and David Lane, Managing Director Ecclesiastical Insurance Ireland from the stage of The National Opera House on the night of the first public dress rehearsal, Le Trouvere, which was attended by an audience of Festival volunteers. Ecclesiastical Insurance, a specialist insurer of the Arts, has supported Wexford Festival Operas volunteer programme for 12 years. Recognising and telling the stories of over 400 current and past volunteers who work in all areas of the festival, from front of house to driving to costume and backstage. A large part of being a volunteer is creating unforgettable memories. To celebrate volunteerism, the festival launched an archival project The Festival Memory Bank - with Ecclesiastical a number of years ago in which they are collecting memories through interviews with members of the volunteer team. The project recognises and tells the stories of over 400 current and past volunteers who work in all areas of the festival, from front of house to driving to costume and backstage. Wexford Festival Opera is an incredible celebration of music, culture and community. It takes these dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers to make sure everything runs smoothly, so take a moment to say hello and acknowledge their hard work when you see them. We are delighted to present Davy Lynch with this years Wexford Festival Opera Volunteer of the Year award. Davy embodies the true spirit of volunteerism, dedicated, positive, and always willing to go the extra mile to make the festival such a special experience for everyone involved, said Mr Lane. Volunteers like Davy are at the heart of Wexford Festival Operas success, and their enthusiasm and generosity of spirit are what make this event such a fantastic celebration of music, culture and community. At Ecclesiastical Ireland, proudly part of the Benefactor Group, we are proud to support and celebrate the volunteers whose passion and commitment bring so much to Irish cultural life." Kevin Lewis in Red Books. Among the volunteers who have been featured in WFO Memories projects are Kevin Lewis and Rosetta Cucchi. Kevin grew up in High Street and lived two doors from the old Theatre Royal. His sitting room and bedroom are now part of the state-of-the-art National Opera House which was opened in 2008. He jokes, Im always envious that there is a bar where my bed used to be. My wife would have never allowed that. In the early days of the festival, for the dress rehearsals, there would be a queue for tickets down along the street and around the corner into Rowe Street. Because the foyer was much smaller back then, it wouldnt accommodate people, so people were outdoors. I remember we would often have our tea in the evening standing at the table, because all of our kitchen chairs would be out on the street for some of the patrons that were queueing for tickets. Rosetta remembers, I arrived in September 1995, in a very small village, like Wexford, now it is much bigger. First of all, I was told that the theatre was in High Street. Well, I arrived in High Street, and I said, Where is the theatre? The theatre wasnt there for me, because there were all little houses. So I said, No, maybe its wrong, maybe they gave me the wrong information. And then, walking along the street, I found a blue door where it was written Stage Door. So I said, probably its here. And then I opened the door, and my adventure started with Wexford. Wexford Festival Opera 2025 runs from October 17 until November 1 2025. It promises 16 days of captivating performances, rare operas and new discoveries. This year's main stage operas are Verdi | Le Trouvere (1857); Handel | Deidamia (1741) and Delius | The Magic Fountain (1895). Explore the programme at wexfordopera.com Ramsgrange community school junior cert results. Front from left; top students Jonah Flynn from Bridgetown, Layla Colfer from Duncannon, Muireann Barry from Foulksmills, Anna Assinder from Kiltrea and Illeanna Egan from Ballycullane. Back ;Rowena McGrath from Battlestown, Izzie Hodman from Newbawn, Jude Byrne from Bannow, Holly Cassidy from Ramsgrange, Kelly Brennan from Fethard and Aidan King from Carrig On Bannow. Photo; Mary Browne There was a buzz of excitement around Ramsgrange Community School as last Wednesday, as over 100 transition year, 5th year and LCA1 students collected their Junior Cycle results. The momentous occasion for these students was marked by a presentation ceremony in the schools Central Area where students were presented their results by the school principal, Ms. Tracey Edwards along with deputy principals Ms. Bridget Cadogan and Ms. Sinead Kehoe. After receiving their results, the students were treated to celebratory cup cakes and had the opportunity to share their results and successes with their friends and teachers. Commenting on this years results, Ms. Edwards said: We are incredibly proud of our Junior Certificate students at Ramsgrange Community School, who have achieved excellent results this year. Their hard work, dedication, and resilience over the past three years has truly paid off. She added that throughout their Junior Cycle, the students have not only excelled in their final examinations but have also developed a wide range of valuable skills through their Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs) and other areas of learning. These experiences have helped shape them into confident, capable learners, ready to take on the challenges of senior cycle education, Ms Edwards concluded. These students have now transitioned into the next phase of their academic journey with each of them having selected a path suitable for their own individual objectives and with that in mind, Ms. Edwards wished each and every one of them the very best while expressing her excitement in seeing each student as they continue to grow, thrive, and succeed in their journey in Ramsgrange Community School. Round-up of cases from Gorey District Court Suspended sentence for theft matters A Wexford woman plead guilty to multiple theft matters at Gorey District Court. The court heard that Bridget Moorehouse (37) of 14 Ashwood Grove, Gorey, Wexford, committed the offences while on temporary release. The facts of the thefts were outlined including theft from SuperValu, Gorey, of a stainless cup and coffee to the value of 13.50 on August 10 2025. On the same date Moorehouse took items to the value of 115 from Boots, Gorey. The court heard that there was also a total of 70 cash taken from two separate women. The defendant was said to have 110 previous convictions, ten of which relate to theft within the last year. Lana Doherty, solicitor for the accused, stated that her client is accepting responsibility for her actions by way of an early guilty plea. Moorehouse had written a letter to the court which was handed in by the solicitor. Upon reading the letter Judge Cheatle remarked the defendant appears to be doing well lately. Ms Doherty informed the court that Moorehouse is currently in custody a the Dochas Womens Centre and as a result her mental health has stabilised in recent months. The solicitor confirmed that the accused was on temporary release from custody at the time of the offences stating that she is unsure whether her medication at the time was not agreeing with her. In circumstances where the accused would not be able to make another application for temporary release until matters were finalised Judge Cheatle imposed a six months sentence to run consecutive with the sentence being served by Moorehouse, this sentence was suspended for a period of 24 months on the condition that the defendant enter a 12 month probation supervision bond. Moorehouse was also given a 12 month suspended sentence in Bray District Court previously. As a result of these offences this suspended sentence will be activated and is due to be heard at Bray District Court. Bench warrants There was no appearance by Gary OLeary of 10 Chapel Lane, Wicklow. OLeary is due before the court in relation to an alleged charge of possession of drugs on October 22 2021 at Arklow Road, Gorey, Co Wexford. The accused is also charged with an offence of driving uninsured and driving without a license on the same date. A bench warrant issued in his absence. Careless driving case dismissed Karol Farynik (41) of 52 Old Forest, Bunclody, Wexford, was before the court in relation to an offence of careless driving which took place on January 13 2024 at Ballyellis, Gorey. Garda Lynch gave evidence to the court that on the day in question he attended at a two vehicle road traffic collision where there was extensive damage to both vehicles. The injured party was driving a jeep with a trailer attached and was attempting to make a right turn into his driveway when the car being driven by Farynik overtook on a continuous white line and hit the left side of the jeep. Lana Doherty, solicitor for the accused, queried why an offence of overtaking on a continuous white line was not considered rather than careless driving to which the guard responded that the charge is appropriate given the extensive damage to both vehicles. Ms Doherty said there was no mention of a trailer licence being held by the injured party. The solicitor also pointed out that the report carried out on the vehicle highlighted that the brake lights and indicators on the jeep were blocked by the trailer, the trailer did not have any identifiable markings including the side reflectors which were broken, and there was also no lighting on the trailer. The report had therefore concluded the trailer was hazardous to other road users yet there was no prosecution of the injured party for use of this trailer before the court. Judge Cheatle struck out the prosecution against Farynik. Road traffic offences Marius Sivan (40) of 21 Ross Road, Enniscorthy, Wexford, plead guilty to an offence of using a false no claims bonus certificate. The court heard that when Sivan applied for his car insurance he submitted a no claims bonus certificate that was invalid. Judge Cheatle imposed a 100 fine with three months to pay. A Dublin learner driver was disqualified for driving unaccompanied. Dale Warren OBrien (27) of 12 Avonbeg Drive, Tallaght, Dublin, was stopped on March 20 2025 at Ballyoughna, Gorey, where it was discovered he was a learner driver driving unaccompanied. The court heard OBrien was four previous convictions, two of which are for the same offence. Judge Cheatle imposed a one year disqualification and fined the accused 200 with four months to pay. The court heard that on June 3 2024 at Wheelagower Cross Roads, Gorey, gardai attended at a two vehicle collision where Ger Coady (29) of Ballybeg Little, Graignuenamanagh, failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with another vehicle. Donna Kelly BL, barrister for the accused, informed the court that the crash was a result of a lapse of concentration on Coadys part and that matters are being handled by the defendants insurance company. Judge Cheatle imposed a 150 fine with four months to pay. Adrian Maher (48) of Sweetfarm, Enniscorthy, Wexford, was fined 120 with three months to pay in relation to an offence of holding a mobile phone while driving on March 13 2025 at Parnell Road, Enniscorthy. Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme. Around the Districts Christ Church Bray, church of Ireland Services of Worship for this Sunday Trinity 18: 8.30 a.m. Holy Communion; 11 a.m. Morning Prayer two. Parish Life Centre (PLC) Bookings: The Parish Life Centre is available for day and evening bookings. Please contact the parish office at 01 286 2968. Bray Methodist Church Worship for this Sunday: 10 a.m. Sunday Worship with Creche and Sunday School. Bray Presbyterian Church Worship for this Sunday: 11.30 a.m. Sunday Worship. Christian Assembly Church Worship for this Sunday: 10.45 a.m. Morning Worship. Wednesdays: 8 p.m. Prayer Meeting and Bible study.. Cornerstone Church at the Well Worship this Sunday: 11 a.m. Bray Christian Outreach Free hot meals, clothes, sleeping bags, toiletries etc, are available in Bray Methodist Church from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Holy Redeemer Parish Holy Redeemer Parish: Call 01 2868413. Website: holyredeemerbray.ie; Email office@holyredeemerbray.ie. Mass Times: 10 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday No Mass on Tuesday. Sunday Masses: 6 p.m. Vigil Mass on Saturday and on Sunday at 10.30 a.m. and 12Noon. To book a Mass, please call into the sacristy before or after our Masses. Parish office Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: 9.30 a.m. to 11 a.m. If you need to contact us, please email office@holyredeemer.ie. Music at Mass on Sundays: 10.30 a.m. Folk Group; midday Gaudium Choir (Mainly Latin Church Music) on the first Sunday of the Month; midday on other Sundays of the Month: Parish Choir (Mainly English Church Music). St Annes Church, Shankill A Vigil Mass is celebrated at 5 p.m. on Saturdays. St Peters Parish, Little Bray St Peters Church Mass Times: Sunday: 9 a.m. (Irish Mass), 11.30 a.m. Holy Days: 11 a.m. First Friday: 11 a.m. To Book a Mass: To book a Mass, please contact the parish office at 01 282 9467 or email stpeterslittlebray1@gmail.com. Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish Mass: Weekday Masses are celebrated at 10.30 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Weekend Masses are at 6.30 p.m. on Saturdays and 10.30 a.m. and midday on Sundays. Mass Bookings: Anyone, who wishes to book a Mass can do so by contacting the parish secretary via email at: secretary@queenofpeace.ie, or call 2745497. St Fergals Parish, Ballywaltrim Mass Times: Mass times are 9.30 a.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. No morning Mass on Thursdays and Saturdays. Saturday: 7 p.m. Vigil Mass; Sunday: 8 a.m. and 10.30 a.m.. Irish Railway Record Society (Co. Wicklow members) Bray and North Wicklow readers interested in joining the Irish Railway Record Society which holds lectures on various aspects of Irelands railway history and heritage, can obtain a membership application form by post (SAE appreciated) from the Dublin Area Representative, The Irish Railway Record Society, Hueston Station Dublin eight, or by emailing: membership@irrs.ie. Bray Library Opening hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday with late opening on Tuesday and Thursday till 8.30 p.m. Bray Library can be emailed at braylib@wicklococo.ie to book a place for library events or make inquires about them. Online services including e-books, audio-books, digital magazines and newspapers and e-learning are available via the library website. English Conversation Classes take place in the library every Monday (except Bank Holiday Mondays) from 11 a.m. to midday Next Thursday (October 23) Rosemary Raughter will present Very like proselytism: the Delgany Childrens Home (1890-1905) and the Fanny Christian affair at 7 p.m. in Wicklow Town Library, The Mall, Main Street, Wicklow Town. Admission is free but booking is required as the venue has a limited capacity email wicklowlocalstudies@wicklowcoco.ie, or call 0404 67025. Ballywaltrim Library Opening hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday. The library can be contacted at 01 2723205 or by email at: ballywatrimlibrary@wicklowcoco.ie. Online services including e-books, audio-books, digital magazines and newspapers and e-learning are available via the library website. Borrowers can renew their books online at any time. Parents and carers of children are reminded that library staff cannot supervise your children so you must stay with your children at all times for their safety and other library users. Adult Scrabble takes place every Monday from 3 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. no booking is required. Tummy-Time for Babies takes place every Monday from 10 a.m. to midday no booking required. FAST Fun Accessible Sensory Toys: our new collection of sensory toys is available to borrow by all adult Wicklow County Council Library patrons. The FAST catalogue can be accessed online or in the library and can be requested by email, telephone call or in person. STEM Free Play for 18 months to three years takes place every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11.30 p.m. Next Thursday (October 23) Rosemary Raughter will present Very like proselytism: the Delgany Childrens Home (1890-1905) and the Fanny Christian affair at 7 p.m. in Wicklow Town Library, The Mall, Main Street, Wicklow Town. Admission is free but booking is required as the venue has a limited capacity email wicklowlocalstudies@wicklowcoco.ie, or call 0404 67025. Bray Cualann Historical Society Tomorrow (Thursday), author and local historian Rob Goodbody will be the guest presenter for the October 8 p.m. meeting of the Bray Cualann Historical Society, the local history society for Bray and North Wicklow, in the Royal Hotel, Bray, at which he will present his lecture on The Lead Mines Ballycorus and of Glendalough in the 19th Century and reveal the connections between the former smelting chimney at Ballycorus and the mining that took place in the Glendalough Valley and the adjacent Glendasan. All are welcome members are free and admission for non-members is 8. Those wishing to join the Bray Cualann Historical Society can do so at this meeting. Copies of Rob Goodbodys book The Lead Mines will be on sale at this lecture. In the meantime members and supporters of the Bray Cualann History Society are asked to note that the following events will take place in the coming week today (Wednesday) David Caron will present Dublins 20th century stained glass at 1 p.m. to the Ballsbridge, Donnybrook and Sandymount Historical Society in Pembroke Library, Anglesea Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin four. Admission is free but booking required with Pembroke Library call 01 222 8450 or email pembrokelibrary@dublincity.ie.; Deirdre Nutall will present Voices of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown: Women in Domestic Service and Veterans of the Great War at 8 p.m. to the Dun Laoghaire Borough Historical Society in the Royal Marine Hotel, Marine Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. All are welcome admission is 5. Free hotel parking is available for those attending this lecture. Next Monday James Scannell will present Rough Justice: Crime and Punishment in 1800s Dublin at 8 p.m. to the Clondalkin Historical Society in Aras Chronain Irish Cultural Centre, Watery Lane, Clondalkin, Co. Dublin. All are welcome admission is 5. Next Tuesday Professor Liam Downey will present Cottage Industries in the Rural Economy at 8 p.m. to the Foxrock Local History Club in the Foxrock Parish Pastoral Centre, Foxrock, Co. Dublin. All are welcome admission is 5.Next Wednesday Dr Angela Byrne will present The Irish (including Dubliners) in Imperial Russia at 6 p.m. to the Old Dublin Society in the Conference Room, Dublin City Library and Archive, 139-144 Pearse Street, Dublin two. All are welcome admission is free and no booking is required. Next Thursday Rosemary Raughter will present Very like proselytism: the Delgany Childrens Home (1890-1905) and the Fanny Christian affair at 7 p.m. in Wicklow Town Library, The Mall, Main Street, Wicklow Town. Admission is free but booking is required as the venue has a limited capacity email wicklowlocalstudies@wicklowcoco.ie, or call 0404 67025; Seamas O Maitiu will recall The IRA bombing of the Masterpiece Cinema, Talbot Street, November 1925; dramatic events in Dublin before and after at 8 p.m. to the Rathmines, Ranelagh and Rathgar Historical Society in Rathmines Town Hall, Rathmines Road, Dublin six. Members are free/visitors 5 the Swan car park Evening Rate is 4 from 7 p.m. to Midnight. Irish Girl Guides (IGG) There is a very large IGG presence in Bray and Enniskerry, with waiting lists for all groups. Leaders are urgently needed, so if you are interested in working with young children and have some spare time on a Monday, Thursday, or Friday evening, do get in touch. If you are interested in your daughter joining Ladybirds or Brownies do get in touch as spaces sometimes become available for September. (Ladybirds ages 5-7; Brownies ages 7-10; Guides and Senior Branch 10+) email belmontbrowniesbray@gmail.com. Shankill Classical Music Club The November meeting of the Shankill Classical Music Club takes place on Wednesday, November 12, from 7.45 p.m. to 10 p.m., including a tea or coffee break, in Shankill Seniors Centre, Lower Road, Shankill, located 100m from the Main Street with car parking available. The music will be as always: a varied programme of classical music on CDs, covering many genres orchestral, instrumental, vocal, opera, etc. in a friendly setting. Visitors and new and returning members are always welcome. You dont need to be an expert. Charge 2 on the night (waived for first visit). For further information please phone or text Malcolm at 085 8528216. Bray Concert Band Present A Night at the Theatre Royal at the Mermaid Arts Centre this Sunday at 7 p.m. Tickets can be booked here: mermaidartscentre.ie/whats-on/events/unforgettable-a-night-at-the-theatre-royal-for-gerry. Anam Cara Supporting Parents after Bereavement The October monthly Parent Support Evening will take place at 7.30 p.m. next Monday in the Parkview Hotel, Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow. This event is free and open to all bereaved parents regardless of the age your child died, the circumstances of their death, or how recent their death was. You do not need to register in advance. We also offer an online support group meeting. To find out more call 01 4045378 or email info@anamcara.ie. Anam Cara are also hosting an Online Bereavement Information Evening on Thursday, October 30, at 7 p.m. To register use the following link: ht.tps://bit.ly/3W4wUSN. ALBERT KERR VEVAY one Bray Divers John, Jeff, Paddy, Martina, Siobhan, and Albert enjoyed a trip to Portroe Slate Quarry Dive Centre. The purpose was to get qualifying dives for trainees. Dive depths ranged down to 20 metres in the cool clear water which drops down to 40 metres. This is the best diving quarry in the country. To join the club call 087 6756439, and you could be a qualified diver before Christmas. Queen of Peace Adventure Youth Club The Queen of Peace Adventure Youth Club had thirty-four in attendance at the launch of their programme of activities from now till Christmas. Items scheduled include walking in the Glen of the Downs, the Cliff Walk, and the Dargle Valley, hill walk on the Small Sugarloaf, Christmas tree making in wood, sewing skills, and Christmas party. The club welcomed two new members. For information about joining call Paul at 086 3516630. The Station Market Now is the time to reduce the stress and rush about regarding shopping for Christmas presents by starting now. The Station Market is great for relaxed browsing and collecting the ideal item at bargain prices. Items available include acoustic, semi acoustic, and electric guitars. Tin whistles, amplifiers, Yamaha keyboards, brand new clothes, kitchen ware, clocks, books, Delph, and a whole lot more are on offer. Open times are 10 to 5pm at weekends. Around the Districts Parish of Powerscourt with Kilbride Services of Worship in St Patricks Church, for this Sunday the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity: 11.30 a.m. All Age Service. Service of Worship in St Brigids Church, Kilbride, for this Sunday the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity: 9.45 a.m. Holy Communion two. Services at Powerscourt with Kilbride: All Services of Worship are available on the Parish YouTube Channel at youtube. Irish Trefoil Guild Guiding for Life: Calling all former leaders of the Irish Girl Guides in Bray and the surrounding area. There is now a Trefoil Guild in Bray. Contact Anne at: braytrefoilguild@gmail.com. St Marys Church Enniskerry Parish Website: enniskerryparish.ie is the parish website of the Immaculate Heart of Mary check it out for the latest information about our parish. First Communion and Confirmation 2026: Registration is currently taking place online with the parish for the above sacraments. If you are aware of anyone outside the parish schools who has a child eligible, please let them know. They can register here brayandenniskerry.com/enniskerryparish/enniskerry-sacrament-forms/. Baptism Requests: Requests for baptism now take place online at enniskerryparish.ie. Enniskerry History Society Members and supporters of the Enniskerry History Society are asked to note that the following events will take place in the coming week today (Wednesday) David Caron will present Dublins 20th century stained glass at 1 p.m. to the Ballsbridge, Donnybrook and Sandymount Historical Society in Pembroke Library, Anglesea Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin four. Admission is free but booking required with Pembroke Library call 01 222 8450 or email pembrokelibrary@dublincity.ie.; Deirdre Nutall will present Voices of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown: Women in Domestic Service and Veterans of the Great War at 8 p.m. to the Dun Laoghaire Borough Historical Society in the Royal Marine Hotel, Marine Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. All are welcome admission is 5. Free hotel parking is available for those attending this lecture. Tomorrow (Thursday) Rob Goodbody will present The Lead Mines Ballycorus and Glendalough in the 19th Century at 8 p.m. to the Bray Cualann Historical Society in the Royal Hotel, Main Street, Bray, Co. Wicklow. All are welcome admission is 8 for non-members. Copies of Rob Goodbodys book The Lead Mines will be on sale at this lecture; Jonathan Wigham will present Lighting the Sea The John R Wigham Story at 8 p.m. to the Dublin Bay Old Gaffers Association in the Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club, Ringsend Road, Dublin four. All are welcome donation to the RNLI at the door. Next Monday James Scannell will present Rough Justice: Crime and Punishment in 1800s Dublin at 8 p.m. to the Clondalkin Historical Society in Aras Chronain Irish Cultural Centre, Watery Lane, Clondalkin, Co. Dublin. All are welcome admission is 5. Next Tuesday Professor Liam Downey will present Cottage Industries in the Rural Economy at 8 p.m. to the Foxrock Local History Club in the Foxrock Parish Pastoral Centre, Foxrock, Co. Dublin. All are welcome admission is 5.Next Wednesday Dr Angela Byrne will present The Irish (including Dubliners) in Imperial Russia at 6 p.m. to the Old Dublin Society in the Conference Room, Dublin City Library and Archive, 139-144 Pearse Street, Dublin two. All are welcome admission is free and no booking is required. Next Thursday Rosemary Raughter will present Very like proselytism: the Delgany Childrens Home (1890-1905) and the Fanny Christian affair at 7 p.m. in Wicklow Town Library, The Mall, Main Street, Wicklow Town. Admission is free but booking is required as the venue has a limited capacity email wicklowlocalstudies@wicklowcoco.ie, or call 0404 67025; Seamas O Maitiu will recall The IRA bombing of the Masterpiece Cinema, Talbot Street, November 1925; dramatic events in Dublin before and after at 8 p.m. to the Rathmines, Ranelagh and Rathgar Historical Society in Rathmines Town Hall, Rathmines Road, Dublin six. Members are free/visitors 5 the Swan car park Evening Rate is 4 from 7 p.m. to Midnight. Enniskerry Library Opening hours are Tuesday 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 1.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.; Wednesday: 2 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday: 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 1.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. The library can be contacted at 01 2864339 or email enniskerrylib@wicklowcoco.ie. Online services including e-books, audio-books, digital magazines and newspapers and e-learning are available from the library website. Next Thursday (October 23) Rosemary Raughter will present Very like proselytism: the Delgany Childrens Home (1890-1905) and the Fanny Christian affair at 7 p.m. in Wicklow Town Library, The Mall, Main Street, Wicklow Town. Admission is free but booking is required as the venue has a limited capacity email wicklowlocalstudies@wicklowcoco.ie, or call 0404 67025. To mark the centenary of the Enniskerry Power Station, Brian White will present Blindfold Water and Enniskerry Power Station in the library at 6.15 p.m. on Wednesday, November 5, As seating is limited, please contact the library to reserve a place. Anam Cara Supporting Parents after Bereavement. The October monthly Parent Support Evening will take place at 7.30 p.m. next Monday in the Parkview Hotel, Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow. This event is free and open to all bereaved parents regardless of the age your child died, the circumstances of their death, or how recent their death was. You do not need to register in advance. We also offer an online support group meeting. To find out more call 01 4045378 or email info@anamcara.ie. Anam Cara are also hosting an Online Bereavement Information Evening on Thursday, October 30, at 7 p.m. To register use the following link: bit.ly/3W4wUSN. Enniskerry Bridge Club Enniskerry Bridge Club meets every Tuesday night in the Powerscourt Parochial Hall (beside Poppies) at 7.30 p.m. New members are always very welcome. For further information please contact the secretary at 085 7112179. Ballybeag, a small town with big ideas since 1995 Ballybeag Model Village Ireland in miniature is on display in Powerscourt (St Patricks) Church every weekend in October from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and the Bank Holiday Monday, and on Sundays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. It is open to groups during the week by appointment. There is an admission charge. Around the Districts Tommy Darby from St Anthony's FC, Kilcoole who was Ball boy at the recent Airtricity League game between Bray Wanderers and Finn Harps at The Carlisle Grounds. Photo: Leigh Anderson St James Church of Ireland, Crinken Services of Worship for this Sunday the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity: 10.30 a.m. Morning Praise. Harvest Market: Takes place this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be crafts, foods, Rathmichael Church of Ireland Parish Worship Services for this Sunday the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity: 8.30 a.m. Holy Communion; 11 a.m. Holy Communion; 7 p.m. Compline. Sunday Evening Service: Every Sunday evening an Evening Service is held at 7 p.m. in Rathmichael Church. We invite you to enjoy the silence and contemplation that this service allows a space for in your heart and mind, as you prepare to go into the new week. Wed love to see you at 7 p.m. on Sunday evenings for this quiet and reflective service that includes music and hymns the perfect way to prepare for the busyness of a new week. Shankill Bible Church Glenmaris, Eaton Wood Grove Sunday Worship: 9.30 a.m. Sunday School (three to 12 years): 10 a.m. Sunday Service. St Annes Parish Shankill St Colmcilles Partnership of Parishes: This encompasses Shankill, Ballybrack-Killiney, Loughlinstown, Johnstown, Cabinteely and Sallynoggin parishes. St Annes Parish Website: The parish website is stannesparishshankill.com. St Annes parish office: The parish office located in St Annes Resource Centre is open between 9 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. Monday to Friday email st.annes_parishoffice@yahoo.ie or call 01 282 2277/01 282 2704. Times of Masses and Blessed Sacrament Adoration: Weekday Masses are celebrated at 10 a.m. from Tuesday to Friday, and at 5 p.m. (Vigil) on Saturday. There is no celebration of 10 a.m. morning Mass on Mondays and Saturdays. On Mondays Evening Mass is celebrated at 7 p.m. with Adoration of Blessed Sacrament from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday Masses are celebrated at 10 a.m., midday, and 6 p.m. All Masses are available online through the link Watch Us Live. Childrens Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursdays with Adoration (Holy Hour) taking place from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Confessions are heard on Fridays from 9.15 a.m. to 9.45 a.m. On the First Saturday of the month only there will be 10 a.m. Mass with Confessions heard from 9.15 a.m. to 9.45 a.m. and after the 5 p.m. Vigil Mass. Bookings for Baptisms: Please call the parish office at 01 2822704 or 01 2822277 for more information, or email st.annes_parishoffice@yahoo.com. Confirmation Enrolment Mass: The Enrolment Mass for children preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation will take place in this church at this Saturdays 5 p.m. Vigil Mass. First Communion Enrolment Mass: The Enrolment Mass for children preparing their First Holy Communion will take place in this church at the Saturday, October 24, 5 p.m. Vigil Mass. Ballybrack-Killiney Parish Mass Times: Sts. Alphonsus and Columba Church, Church Avenue, Ballybrack Mondays, Fridays at 10 a.m. and Sundays at 10.30 a.m.; Church of the Apostles, Willow Vale, Ballybrack: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m., and Sundays at midday; Church of St Stephen, Killiney Hill Road, Killiney: Saturdays at 6 p.m. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament takes place every Thursday morning after 10 a.m. Mass till midday, in the Church of the Apostles. Confessions: These are heard in Sts Alphonsus and Columba church from 4 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. each Saturday. Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Dalkey: Mass Times: Sundays at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Vigil Mass on Saturday at 6 p.m. (Taize/Gospel Choir); Daily Mass: 10 a.m. Confessions: These are heard every Saturday morning after 10 a.m. Mass unless there is a funeral. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament: Takes place on Mondays after 10 a.m. Mass till 4 p.m. (Except on public holidays when exposition takes place on Tuesday). Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place every Thursday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Compline: Takes place every Wednesday at 6.30 p.m. in the church, with the parishes of St Patricks and the Assumption joining together for this short and simple service. All are most welcome. Johnstown Parish: General Mass Schedule: 10 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday; no Mass on a Tuesday; Saturday 6 p.m. Vigil Mass and on Sunday at 11 a.m. The Sacrament of confession takes place after the Saturday 10 a.m. Mass. St Brigids Parish, Cabinteely: Weekday Masses are celebrated in St Brigids Church, Cabinteely on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 10 a.m., and no Mass on Wednesday. On Bank Holidays Mass is celebrated at 11 a.m. At weekends the Vigil Mass is celebrated at 5.30 p.m. (Saturday). Sunday Mass times are 10 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. The Old Dublin Society Shankill and District readers wishing to join the Old Dublin Society, which covers the history of Dublin City and county which includes Shankill, Ballybrack, Killiney, and Dalkey, can obtain a membership application form by post from James Scannell, Old Dublin Society PRO, 19 Hazelwood, Shankill, D18ND79. Shankill Library Opening hours are 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and 1.15 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, open on alternate Fridays and Saturdays the library will be closed this Friday but open on Saturday. Online services including e-books, audio-books, digital magazines and newspapers and e-learning are available via the library website. The library can be contacted at 01 2047224 or by email shankilllib@dlrcoco.ie. Book borrowers can renew their books online at any time. The parent, baby and Toddler Group meet on Mondays from 10.30 a.m. to 11.45 a.m. Interactive Storytime takes place on Wednesdays at 3.30 p.m. A Weekly Craft Circle takes place every Wednesday morning at 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. so come along to our community craft circle every Wednesday morning and bring along your crochet, knitting, sewing or other project and share tips and conversation in this gentle and welcoming group. Storytime for children aged 3+ takes place on Wednesdays from 3 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. Rathmichael Historical Society Guest speaker for the 8 p.m. Wednesday, November 5, meeting in Rathmichael School will be Con Brogan, who will present A Photographic Career in Ruins. All are welcome members are free non-members/visitors 5. Those wishing to join the society can do so at this meeting. Events taking place in the week ahead which may be interest to members and supporters of the society include today (Wednesday) David Caron will present Dublins 20th century stained glass at 1 p.m. to the Ballsbridge, Donnybrook and Sandymount Historical Society in Pembroke Library, Anglesea Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin four. Admission is free but booking required with Pembroke Library call 01 222 8450 or email pembrokelibrary@dublincity.ie.; Deirdre Nutall will present Voices of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown: Women in Domestic Service and Veterans of the Great War at 8 p.m. to the Dun Laoghaire Borough Historical Society in the Royal Marine Hotel, Marine Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. All are welcome admission is 5. Free hotel parking is available for those attending this lecture. Tomorrow (Thursday) Rob Goodbody will present The Lead Mines Ballycorus and Glendalough in the 19th Century at 8 p.m. to the Bray Cualann Historical Society in the Royal Hotel, Main Street, Bray, Co. Wicklow. All are welcome admission is 8 for non-members. Copies of Rob Goodbodys book The Lead Mines will be on sale at this lecture; Jonathan Wigham will present Lighting the Sea The John R Wigham Story at 8 p.m. to the Dublin Bay Old Gaffers Association in the Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club, Ringsend Road, Dublin four. All are welcome donation to the RNLI at the door. Next Monday James Scannell will present Rough Justice: Crime and Punishment in 1800s Dublin at 8 p.m. to the Clondalkin Historical Society in Aras Chronain Irish Cultural Centre, Watery Lane, Clondalkin, Co. Dublin. All are welcome admission is 5. Next Tuesday Professor Liam Downey will present Cottage Industries in the Rural Economy at 8 p.m. to the Foxrock Local History Club in the Foxrock Parish Pastoral Centre, Foxrock, Co. Dublin. All are welcome admission is 5.Next Wednesday Dr Angela Byrne will present The Irish (including Dubliners) in Imperial Russia at 6 p.m. to the Old Dublin Society in the Conference Room, Dublin City Library and Archive, 139-144 Pearse Street, Dublin two. All are welcome admission is free and no booking is required. Next Thursday Rosemary Raughter will present Very like proselytism: the Delgany Childrens Home (1890-1905) and the Fanny Christian affair at 7 p.m. in Wicklow Town Library, The Mall, Main Street, Wicklow Town. Admission is free but booking is required as the venue has a limited capacity email wicklowlocalstudies@wicklowcoco.ie, or call 0404 67025; Seamas O Maitiu will recall The IRA bombing of the Masterpiece Cinema, Talbot Street, November 1925; dramatic events in Dublin before and after at 8 p.m. to the Rathmines, Ranelagh and Rathgar Historical Society in. Rathmines Town Hall, Rathmines Road, Dublin six. Members are free/visitors 5 the Swan car park Evening Rate is 4 from 7 p.m. to Midnight. Shankill Bridge Club Meets on Monday (except Bank Holiday Mondays) afternoons at 2 p.m. in St Annes Resource Centre. New members are most welcome no playing partner needed. Come along or phone 086 0821347 for more information. Irish Countrywomens Association, Shankill Guild A Craft Morning takes place every Tuesday morning in St Annes Resource Centre from 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Contact St Annes Resource Centre for further details. First Saturday Book Sale The November First Saturday Book Sale, which supports the Shankill Seniors Day Care Centre, will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 1, in the Shankill Seniors Day Care Centre, Lower Road, Shankill. Donations of books, which must be in a clean and good condition, and limited to two bags per donor, can only be left in to the Day Care Centre on Saturday morning. Art Group The art group has resumed its classes in St Annes Resource Centre on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to midday New members are welcome to join. For further information call Madge at 085 7736195. Shankill and Ballybrack Community First Responders (CFR) A free Hands for Life training session takes place at 7 p.m. next Tuesday in St Annes Resource Centre, Shankill. As places are limited, participants must reserve a place. In this session participants will learn to recognise a cardiac arrest; Learn when and how to perform CPR and practice their skill and learn how to use an AED. To register a place, go to shankillcfr.ie, or email info@shankillcfr.ie. Shankill Classical Music Club The November meeting of the Shankill Classical Music Club takes place on Wednesday, November 12, from 7.45 p.m. to 10 p.m., including a tea or coffee break, in the Shankill Seniors Centre, Lower Road, Shankill, located 100m from the Main Street with car parking available). The music will be as always: a varied programme of classical music on CDs, covering many genres orchestral, instrumental, vocal, opera, etc. in a friendly setting. Visitors and new and returning members are always welcome. You dont need to be an expert. Charge 2 on the night (waived for first visit). For further information please phone or text Malcolm at 085 8528216. Shankill Tidy Towns Community Walk Author and local historian Rob Goodbody will lead A Shankill Saunter on Bank Holiday Monday, October 27, departing from outside St Annes Church at 11.30 a.m. Participants, who take part at their own risk, should dress appropriately for the days weather conditions and wear suitable footwear. More than 3,500 volunteers from throughout Wicklow will receive recognition for their efforts as some 5,000 worth of prize money is handed out at the 16th Pure Mile awards later this month. The Pure Mile has been running since 2009, when just five miles of road was covered by waste-clearing initiative.Now, 16 years on, Pure manager Ian Davis says there are record numbers of volunteers and groups helping to keep their areas litter and rubbish free through the programme. Pure manager Ian Davis stated: We have a record number of areas involved in the initiative and we now have roads, mountains, woodlands, valleys, forestries, and upland amenities, with over 3,500 volunteers. The Pure Mile awards night is Pures way of thanking all of the people involved in the Pure Mile, and it enables Pure Mile groups to meet up together for one night and one night only. So far it has been an eventful year for Pure, though it doesnt look like the amount of waste collected will match last years large total. Ian added: It has been a busy year, but we are hoping we arent going to get the same figures as last year, when around 140 tonnes of waste was collected. We came across a number of large dumping sites, where between one to 10 tonnes of waste was collected from different locations. It only takes one or two of those largescale dumping sites to push up the yearly tonnage collected. We had one site last year which had over eight tonnes of waste collected, which is rare as we dont generally come across sites with that extent of dumping anymore. We would be hopeful we would return to the static 2022 and 2023 figures, when it levelled out to around 120 tonnes per year. It is also helped by the amount of Pure Mile volunteer groups we now have. You have some groups puling one or two bags from the landscape, and others collecting between 70 and 80 bags. The message we try to get across is that every bag collected counts. The awards will be hosted by The Brooklodge Hotel in Macreddin, Aughrim, on Wednesday, October 22. During the night every group present will receive a Pure Mile certificate of participation, a selection of native Irish trees, and all are included in the popular Pure Mile calendar, which will also be launched on the night. Awards will be presented by the Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, Cllr Melanie Corrigan, the Mayor of South Dublin and the Cathaoirleach of Dun-Laoghaire Rathdown. More than 5,000 of prize money will be handed out to the winning Pure Mile groups, all of which goes back into the communities and groups to improve and enhance the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands. Anyone who wants to get involved in the Pure Mile can contact Pure at info@pureproject.ie or they can apply online at pureproject.ie. The 132 route is the only direct public transport link for many communities south of Blessington along the N81 corridor. The National Transport Authority (NTA) appear to have rowed back on a decision not to introduce an extra service on the 132 Bus Eireann route serving passengers in parts of west Wicklow. The route services commuters in Blessington, Baltinglass, Kiltegan, Tinahely and Carnew. Following correspondence with Wicklow TD Edward Timmins over the summer, the NTA confirmed they were not able to enhance public transport schedules in the area because the Department of Transport had placed a hold on uncommitted expenditure for new public transport services. In a further update provided to Deputy Timmins this week, the NTA advised the Department of Transport that plans to enhance route 132 are at an advanced stage. Discussions around funding for the expansion are ongoing, as is regular engagement between the NTA and operators on resource needs. Budget 2026 discussions will include consideration of increased funding for all public transport services, including those serving rural areas. Operational decisions regarding service delivery rest with the NTA, in collaboration with transport operators and are subject to funding and resource availability. Deputy Edward Timmins has expressed the need for the service to increase its frequency. The current service is already overcrowded, limited in time, and hasnt fully kept pace with the increased demand and transport needs of residents here in west Wicklow. We must see more balanced regional development as stipulated by the National Development Plan and the Climate Action Plan. In a statement junior minister Jerry Buttimer acknowledged the importance of better connecting rural communities with improved public transport. These connections bring social, economic and environmental benefits and are opening new ways of travelling across the country. Routes such as this years new service between Carnew and Baltinglass include evening connections and facilitate smooth integration with regional bus routes, further strengthening mobility and access for residents across the wider region. Since 2022 Connecting Ireland has delivered over 175 new or improved services, linking more than 240 towns and villages to the public transport network. In 2024 alone, nearly 8 million passenger journeys were recorded on Connecting Ireland services. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme A driver has been remanded in custody after being arrested in connection with a stolen car detected by the Baltinglass Roads Policing Unit. Gardai said the vehicle was identified as stolen when the units onboard ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) system flagged it while on patrol. A stolen car detected by the Baltinglass Roads Policing Unit. Today's News in 90 Seconds - Wednesday, October 15 Wicklow Gardai, working with colleagues from Carlow and Kildare, arrested the driver a short time later following a pursuit. According to An Garda Siochana Wicklow, the individual had a number of live warrants for their arrest. They were taken to court in Dublin, where they were remanded in custody. New plans have been lodged with Wicklow County Council for a 24-metre telecommunications mast on the outskirts of Kiltegan in west Wicklow. The application, in pre-validation, was submitted by APW UK WIP Limited, trading as Icon Tower. It seeks permission for a lattice-type support structure with antennae, dishes, equipment cabinets and security fencing on a site of about 0.063 hectares. The site forms part of a larger landholding previously used as a gravel or commercial yard. Planning documents describe the area as setback from the local road and bordered by mature trees and hedgerows, which the applicant says provide some natural screening from nearby properties and approaches to the village. A previous planning application for a 27-metre mast on the same site was refused by the local authority in 2022. That proposal, submitted by Emerald Tower Limited, sought permission for a lattice tower with antennas, dishes, an equipment cabin, security fencing, and an extension to the existing access track. The local authority refused on the grounds that the applicant had not adequately justified the proposed height and location of the structure and that the mast would be visually obtrusive in the local landscape in the absence of a visual impact assessment. More than 20 public submissions were received during that process. Many objectors said the height and industrial appearance of the structure would make it highly visible from several points around Kiltegan, including from approaches to the village and nearby houses. Others raised concerns about the impact on local views, tourism and the rural landscape, as well as the potential effect on wildlife and property values. Several submissions questioned the necessity of an additional mast in the area and asked whether existing infrastructure could be shared instead. Health-related fears were also raised, particularly about radio emissions, though the council noted such matters fall under national telecommunications regulation. The 2022 refusal was appealed to An Bord Pleanala, but the appeal was withdrawn in March 2023. A letter of support from Vodafone Ireland, dated August 21, 2025, accompanies the new submission. In it, the company states that the proposed structure would help improve mobile and broadband connectivity across a known coverage blackspot in the area. Around the Districts Teresa Martinez with Chase from Paw Patrol and Snow White at the Family Fun Day in Greystones. Photo: Leigh Anderson Death The death has taken place of Mary Rose Reilly (nee Deering Dunlavin, Co. Wicklow and formerly of West New York, USA, peacefully at Dunlavin Nursing Home surrounded by her loving family on October 3. She will be dearly missed by her sister Theresa, cousins, nieces, nephews, grand nieces, grand nephews, extended family, relatives, and friends. Predeceased by her loving husband James A Reilly, sister Rose and brothers Ned, Mark, and Joe, Easter Anne, Dympna, Teresa, Pat, Sean, her close friend Walter Monshaw, and her parents. Mary Roses funeral took place in Dunlavin. May she rest in peace. Tea Party with Bubbles A tea party will take place on October 26 in the Imaal Hall from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets 20. Contact Lynsey at 087 1333837 with any queries. Trip to Medjugorje Our recent pilgrimage to Medjugorje was so successful that we are going again. It will take place on September 9, 2026, for seven nights. Price 899. We are letting you know now, as there is a 100 discount for payments made in full by November 3. Further details are available from a poster on the church notice board. Please contact Mary OSullivan at 087 6121951 if you are interested in travelling. Learn to Dance Jive, Line Dancing, Quick step, and waltz lessons commencing on October 23 in the Glen Lounge 7.30 to 9.30. 10 per night. Computer Literacy Classes Computer Literacy Classes are taking place in the Dunlavin Parish Centre on Tuesdays from 9.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. Come along and improve your skills in a supportive and welcoming environment. Whether youre brushing up or starting fresh. Contact 086 8462771. Email abeblessington@kwetb.ie. Volunteers needed Dunlavin Teen Scene needs volunteers as leaders. Two hours, one Friday a month, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., in the Imaal Hall, during the school term. Please contact Belinda at 085 7470591, if you can help this wonderful outlet for our young people. Parish notes Gluten Free Hosts are available at all Masses. Please see Fr Douglas. St Vincent de Paul Our local St Vincent de Paul are always in need of volunteers. If you feel you could help your local branch please get in touch. There has never been a more urgent need for volunteers, with the increase of hardship and loneliness in our community. Those, who have volunteered have found this to be a challenging but rewarding work. Contact the parish office or 089 2702650 for more information or with any questions. If anybody is in need of support please do not hesitate to contact the local group you can do so by leaving a note into the parish centre or contacting 089 2702650. Please be assured all contact is private and confidential. Bingo Volunteers Imaal Hall Bingo are looking for volunteers, Saturdays 8.30 p.m. to 11 p.m. (even one Saturday a month). If you are able to give a few hours back to the community, please contact imaalhalldunlavin@gmail.com or the parish office. They are looking for volunteers who can assist the participants, call bingo numbers and sell books. Class Reunion A class reunion of students in St Kevins Community College in the years 1988/89 will take place on Saturday, October 25. Anyone interested in going or helping organise it can contact Catherine Kelly (McEnroe) at 087 2020795. Dunlavin GAA Please be advised that there are strictly no dogs allowed in the GAA grounds at any time. We ask everyone using the facilities to please adhere to this policy as a lot of hard work goes into ensuring the grounds are kept clean, safe and hygenic for all to enjoy its use. Thank you. Baltinglass Hospital Appeal The hospital would like donations of used Christmas, birthday, Easter cards. The residents love to cut them up and create new cards to sell. Can be dropped or posted to the hospital. A great way to recycle effectively. The hospital wish to thank everyone for their support during the year. Pickle Ball Pickle Ball takes place every Tuesday in the Imaal Hall from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Everyone welcome. 5 pay-as-you-go. Great fun and great way to meet new friends. Line Dancing Line dancing takes place in the Imaal Hall every Wednesday 8.10 p.m., all welcome. Great way to meet new friends and keep fit. Social dancing Social dancing takes place in Donard Community Hall on the third Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to midday. Baby and Toddler Group Dunlavin Baby and Toddler Group meet in Seomra (Imaal Hall) on Wednesdays from 9.30 a.m. to midday. Please come along for a play and a cuppa. All welcome. Friendship Club Dunlavin Friendship Club meet every Friday at 3 p.m. Check if a neighbour needs a lift. Dunlavin Library Dunlavin Librarys opening hours are now as follows: Tuesday 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday and Friday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Your Library card gives you free access to books and audio materials as well as access to online materials and resources including magazines, courses and Find My Past which will allow you to discover your family history. Printing and photocopying service also available. Joining is free and no late fees are chargeable on overdue items. Great selection of new films in stock for young and old. Panic Buttons Anyone who is over the age of 65 may apply for a Panic Button. If you are interested, or know of someone who may require one and is living in the Dunlavin area, the necessary application form can be accessed by calling 086 1020303. Glenealy Monster Sale A big thank you to everyone who donated and bought items in our last Monster Sale, your support is greatly appreciated. The next Monster Sale will be in Glenealy Village Hall A67F858 on Sunday 19th October from 10.30am to 3pm. Tea Dance The next Tea Dance will be on Sunday 26th October from 3pm to 6pm in Glenealy Village Hall. Music by the Wicklow Man. Admission 10. Card drive 45 card drive will be on every Thursday night at 8pm in Glenealy Village Hall. New players always welcome Indoor Bowls Indoor bowls are back in Glenealy Village Hall every Wednesday night from 8pm to 10pm. New players always welcome. Johnstown-Thomastown Historical Talk Old Kilninor Historical Society are holding a talk on the Esmondes Ballynastreagh on next Thursday, October 16, at 7.30 p.m. in Ballyfad Community Centre. Speaker is John Nangle. All are welcome to come along to what promises to be a very interesting talk. Donations on the Door, tea and refreshments will be served. Inch Church A new Rector for the local Parishes of Inch, Arklow, and Kilbride Rev Alister Doyle will take up duty in those parishes in October and no doubt he will be very welcome to the area. Sympathy The local community extend their deepest sympathy to the Hackett family, Coolgreany and Hackettstown on the recent death of Brendan Hackett, whose burial took place in Hackettstown Cemetery on last Thursday after Mass in St Brigids Church Hackettstown, May He rest in peace. Golden Circle Golden circle are holding a bingo on October 31 on the Arklow Bay Hotel. Doors open at 7.30pm, with price 10 per book and a raffle. All are welcome. On November 16, theres a tea dance in Arklow Rock club house. from 3 p.m. to 96 p.m. all are welcome, price 10. On November 29, theres a trip to Waterford. Bus leaves Tesco at 9 a.m., price 20. Contact Gertie at 083 4042746. Piano Lessons Enrolling piano students of all ages and levels. Lessons given by a certified piano teacher and Music Examiner with the Royal Irish Academy of music. Leaving Cert Music lessons also available. Contact Darragh at 087 6031225. Prayer Meeting. Bible meetings, with simple messages from the Bible, prayer and Hymn singing are being held in St Mogues Community centre, Inch. Sundays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Contact 083 4202118. Public awareness of skin health has transformed in recent years, something registered advanced lymphoedema and skin therapist Charlotte Collingwood has seen first-hand. With people spending more time in front of screens and being constantly photographed for social media, she says theres been a clear rise in how much attention clients pay to their skin. From younger people managing acne to older clients looking to maintain a healthy glow, shes noticed that both men and women are becoming increasingly skincare conscious. Charlotte, who has been carrying out body work since 2013, recently rebranded her business and relocated from Wexford to Wicklow, where she lives. She opened Charlotte Elizabeth Face and Body in July, operating out of Salon 67 on Market Square in Wicklow town. Prior to that, she ran Temple Bodies in Wexford town. I have lived in Wicklow town for the past 13 years and it just made sense to open up where I live locally. I also felt there was a real gap in the market for the services I am offering, said Charlotte. She began her journey by working with pain and injury management. In 2019, during her higher diploma, she began using Dr Vodders manual lymphatic drainage for injuries and post-surgical treatments. Her mother, an advanced nurse practitioner and tissue viability nurse, always searched for professionals trained in manual lymphatic drainage but rarely found any. Charlotte added: She was thrilled when I began learning the technique and encouraged me to go further. In 2023, I trained at the Dr Vodder School in Cork to gain the highest level of lymphoedema qualification. I also studied at the Dr Vodder Clinic in Austria, where patients from around the world receive intensive treatment and stay for a month. It had all the best specialists there. Lymphoedema training includes deep study of the skin due to how lymphatic disruption affects it. This led me to explore further not just treating fluid retention, but also skin conditions like acne, rosacea, and aging. I also focus on gut health, which plays a major role in skin wellness. Regarding some of the services offered, Charlotte said: Im trained in manual lymphatic drainage. People retain fluid and I would work on drainage and bandages to help them. I also use IPL, which is similar to a laser and a radio frequency machine for anti-ageing. IPL is generally used for ageing, acne and rosacea. I also carry out hydro facials which is an exfoliant facial. I also stock a makeup range of SPC and blue light protection. Public awareness over skin health has changed drastically, with more than two thirds of the population said to suffer, or have suffered, a skin condition, such as acne and rosacea. Charlotte added: People now think a lot more about their skin than they used to. We are always constantly being photographed for social media and things like that, and I think people have become much more interested in their skin and how they look. The majority of my clients would be aged 40 plus but we cater to all age groups, including younger people who may have issues with acne. Even being in front of a screen a lot, such as a computer or phone, can have a negative impact on your skin. Its even noticeable that people these days dont look as old as they used to. It doesnt just relate to women either as a lot more men are now very skin conscious too. I know my 18-year-old son is always looking after this skin and putting on moisturiser and skin cleanser. Langford will play housekeeper Mrs Bird in the musical (Ian West/PA) Bonnie Langford has said the new Paddington musical she stars in takes you to a place of nostalgia. Paddington: The Musical, based on the characters from Michael Bonds series of books, is due to premiere in Londons West End next month. Langford will play the role of housekeeper Mrs Bird in the musical at the Savoy Theatre. Appearing on ITVs Good Morning Britain (GMB) on Wednesday, Langford said of the original stories: Theres something about it that is beautifully calming and simplistic and kind and just about an open heart. And thats what we have with our musical. It sort of takes you to a place of nostalgia, or just simplicity of life. Langford stars as Mrs Bird in the musical production featuring Michael Bonds beloved bear (Clara Molden/PA) Former child star Langford said McFly star Tom Fletcher has created the music for the beautiful, beautiful show. Hes done a fabulous job, she added. Hes written a fantastic score, very, very eclectic. Its fabulous, and its a big show. We went into the theatre yesterday for the first time, and its a big production, but absolutely beautiful and a gorgeous story beautiful music. Funnily enough, we were rehearsing the other day, and a journalist came in and watched some of the rehearsal, and they cried. But its not soppy, its funny, its heartfelt, and its for everyone. She said it was not just for children, but an everybody show. Paddington: The Musical will premiere on November 1. UK funeral director to enter pleas to 65 charges after remains found at premises Robert Bush is facing a range of charges including preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body, relating to 30 different people Robert Bush arrives at Hull Crown Court (Peter Byrne/PA) Dave Higgens and Katie Dickinson Press Association Wed 15 Oct 2025 at 07:56 A funeral director is to enter pleas to 65 charges spanning more than 10 years after a major investigation into human remains found at his premises. Mexico and Colombias drug cartels learn art of modern warfare on the front lines of Ukraine Gang members are infiltrating Ukraines defence forces to pick up drone skills and then selling that information to the highest bidder Rubik (22) from the Ukrainian army controls an FPV drone during a training flight in an undisclosed location, in eastern Ukraine in August. Photo: Getty Colin Freeman and Verity Bowman Telegraph Media Group Holdings Ltd Wed 15 Oct 2025 at 06:30 Hidden in a derelict factory in western Ukraine, the Kill House Academy is a Top Gun school for the drone-warfare era. Sometimes the Israeli police let us fish, but when they are in a bad mood they shoot at us fears for missing Gazan fishermen US president Donald Trump said yesterday that he had communicated to Hamas that the militant group must disarm or it will be forced to. This MAGA granny stormed the Capitol on January 6 now shes taking on Donald Trump in Portland Pamela Hemphill insists US president is wrong about Antifa as US administration lies about everything Pamela Hemphill on the steps of the Idaho Capitol in 2020. Photo: Getty Connor Stringer Telegraph Media Group Holdings Ltd Wed 15 Oct 2025 at 06:30 Weaving through a pack of masked protesters with her phone held aloft, a slight woman in her 60s pushes herself to the front of a colourful crowd assembled in Portland, Oregon. US Supreme Court rejected an appeal from Alex Jones and left in place the $1.4bn judgment against him. Photo: Getty The US Supreme Court yesterday rejected an appeal from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and left in place the $1.4bn (1.21bn) judgment against him over his description of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting as a hoax staged by crisis actors. The Infowars host had argued that a judge was wrong to find him liable for defamation and infliction of emotional distress without holding a trial on the merits of allegations lodged by relatives of victims of the shooting, which killed 20 children and six teachers in Newtown, Connecticut. Purification process carried out as Pope appalled after man urinates on his altar in St Peters Basilica Video widely shared of man relieving himself at one of Christianitys holiest sites in Vatican and showing his backside to the gathered faithful The man was apprehended as he urinated on the altar Nick Squires Telegraph Media Group Holdings Ltd Wed 15 Oct 2025 at 06:30 Pope Leo XIV is said to have been appalled after a man urinated on the high altar at St Peters Basilica in the Vatican. Giant sumo wrestlers have been spotted squeezing into black cabs and riding hire bikes as London hosts only the second ever professional sumo wrestling event held outside Japan. The Grand Sumo Tournament is being held at the Royal Albert Hall, and some of the wrestlers (rikishi) have taken the opportunity to fit in some sightseeing before it starts. Robert Irwins heartfelt tribute to mom Terri ( Image credit : Instagram/dancingwiththestars| Robert Irwin and Witney Carson delivered a moving contemporary routine, dedicated to his mother ) Nostalgia and surprise on the ballroom floor ( Image credit : Instagram/dancingwiththestars| Danielle Fishel pays tribute to her former co-star William Daniels ) Family bonds shine in every performance ( Image credit : Instagram/dancingwiththestars| Jordan Chiles dedicated her Viennese Waltz to her father, Timothy ) Emotion over technique steals the night ( Image credit : Instagram/dancingwiththestars| Elaine and Alans Dedication Night Foxtrot featuring her BFF Lisa Ann Walter ) Dancing with the Stars Season 34 turned into an emotional spectacle this week with Dedication Night, where contestants paid tribute to the people who shaped their lives. From tear-jerking performances to unexpected reunions, the ballroom was packed with touching moments that kept fans glued to their televisions.Robert Irwin and Witney Carson delivered a moving contemporary routine to Phil Collins Youll Be in My Heart, dedicated to his mother, Terri Irwin. The performance left judges and fans teary-eyed, showcasing Roberts deep connection with his mom.The routine combined emotional storytelling with elegant choreography, making it one of the nights most unforgettable and powerful performances.Danielle Fishel brought the Boy Meets World theme to life with a vibrant jive, paying tribute to her former co-star William Daniels. In an unexpected twist, Daniels shocked everyone by joining her on stage, resulting in an extremely emotional moment.The dance was a perfect blend of joy, nostalgia, and meaningful tribute, with both judges and audience members cheering and applauding enthusiastically.Other contenders highlighted the power of family. Jordan Chiles dedicated her Viennese Waltz to her father, Timothy, and Alix Earle honored her sister Izabel through a contemporary routine to Coldplay's "Sparks."Dylan Efron and Jen Affleck paid tribute to siblings and mothers, reminding viewers that love, gratitude, and dedication are as vital as accuracy and technique on the dance floor. Each performance featured personal experiences that struck a strong chord with the audience.Week 5 showcased that Dancing with the Stars is about more than choreographyits about storytelling, honoring loved ones, and sharing raw emotion.With the competition heating up, fans can expect even more spectacular performances, emotional tributes, and unforgettable moments in the weeks ahead. Dedication Night proved that sometimes, the heart moves the audience even more than the feet. Sam and McKennas last mission on The Lazarev ( Image credit : Netflix | Sam Fisher and McKenna board The Lazarev to prevent a deadly plot ) What happened to Charlie Shetland after his betrayal? ( Image credit : Netflix | harlie Shetlands betrayal of his half-sister Diana is one of the shows biggest twists ) Why did Charlie Shetland betray his sister Diana Shetland? The mission is ready. Watch Splinter Cell: Deathwatch on Netflix now! pic.twitter.com/9440qe1Jcm SplinterCell (@SplinterCell) October 14, 2025 How the ending sets up Splinter Cell: Deathwatch season 2 ( Image credit : Netflix | Season 1 closes with The Lazarevs destruction, killing Diana and many high-profile figures ) What does the Splinter Cell: Deathwatch ending really mean for Sam Fisher? Splinter Cell: Deathwatch ends on a thrilling yet tragic note, with Sam Fisher and Zinnia McKenna surviving but failing to stop a catastrophic attack. The finale ties up the main conflict while setting up a darker, more personal direction for season 2.The shows closing moments highlight betrayal, loss, and Sams unrelenting pursuit of justice in a world full of corruption and power struggles.Sam Fisher and McKenna board The Lazarev to prevent a deadly plot, but things quickly spiral out of control. McKenna faces off against Freya, a ruthless opponent, and narrowly survives a grenade explosion. However, their mission fails when they discover that Diana Shetlands half-brother, Charlie, had already hacked the ships systems. He reroutes the vessel toward Dianas summit, planning to kill her and several world leaders to seize control of the European energy market.Though Sam and McKenna escape before impact, theyre left with the guilt of failure. The emotional weight of their survival defines Sams state of mind, showing a hero who can save lives but not always the world.Charlie Shetlands betrayal of his half-sister Diana is one of the shows biggest twists. His hunger for power and money drives him to orchestrate mass murder, killing Diana and countless others to gain full control of his familys empire. In the aftermath, Charlie enjoys his success, drinking and listening to music in his luxurious office until the lights suddenly go out.Moments later, the familiar hum of night vision goggles fills the room. Sam Fisher emerges from the darkness, silent but deadly. The last thing Charlie says is, Wait. No. Please dont, before gunshots echo and the screen fades to black. While his death isnt shown, the implication is clear: Sam delivers justice in his own way, ending the Shetland familys twisted legacy once and for all.Charlies betrayal stemmed from greed and resentment. He saw Diana as an obstacle rather than family, especially since she constantly dismissed his ideas and kept him away from major business decisions. Dianas arrogance blinded her to Charlies ambitions, and her belief that she could control him ultimately led to her downfall.By eliminating his sister, Charlie hoped to inherit her empire and become a key figure in Europes energy future. He even justified his actions by calling her his Phoenix, suggesting her death would fuel his rise. However, his power grab proved short-lived, as Sam made sure his betrayal did not go unpunished.Season 1 closes with The Lazarevs destruction, killing Diana and many high-profile figures, but it leaves the world in chaos. While Charlie is dead, his actions will likely spark new political and military conflicts. Europes unstable energy situation could attract powerful new villains in season 2.The conversation between Grim and the President hints that the Splinter Cell program might be shut down, forcing Sam and McKenna to operate without official backing. This opens the door for a grittier, more personal story where both agents must work outside the system to prevent new threats from rising.At its core, Splinter Cell: Deathwatch is about Sam Fishers inner struggle. He begins the series in quiet retirement but cant resist the call to action when danger arises. The finale reinforces his sense of duty, even when the mission fails, Sam keeps fighting for whats right.His confrontation with Charlie mirrors his past with Douglas, showing that Sams battles are as moral as they are physical. Despite his losses, he remains committed to stopping those who abuse power. The ending makes it clear that while Sam may never find peace, his fight for justice is far from over. ( Image credit : X/ KiranKS | Madagascar military takes charge of the nation, after President Andry Rajoelina flees in a French military chopper. ) President leaves amid rising unrest The youth of Madagascar have toppled the government. For three weeks they have been protesting high unemployment, poverty, corruption, electricity distributions and water shortages. pic.twitter.com/44jzVVAcaW Africa Research Desk (@MightiJamie) October 15, 2025 Flight on French military aircraft The youth of Madagascar have been protesting for two weeks. They have been protesting against the corrupt government, power cuts and water supply disruptions. They face high level of unemployment and poverty (sound familiar?). Now they have toppled the government. pic.twitter.com/tsHF641kP3 Africa Research Desk (@MightiJamie) October 12, 2025 Military and Gendarmerie defections ( Image credit : X/ KiranKS | Madagascar military takes charge of the nation, after President Andry Rajoelina flees in a French military chopper. ) Gen Z just toppled another government Mass protests over water & power shortages in Madagascar forced the president to resign. Army takes Control. From Kathmandu to Dhaka to Antananarivo New generation is demanding accountability. pic.twitter.com/wdJoJOa9Q1 Megh Updates (@MeghUpdates) October 14, 2025 Gen Z takes to the streets ( Image credit : X/ KiranKS | Madagascar military takes charge of the nation, after President Andry Rajoelina flees in a French military chopper. ) Rajoelinas last actions Madagascars President Andry Rajoelina has reportedly left the country following massive Gen Z-led protests, officials say, marking the second government toppled by youth-driven demonstrations in just over a month globally. Opposition leader Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko confirmed that Rajoelina departed on Sunday after key military units defected to the protesters, leaving the president isolated.Rajoelina later addressed the nation via Facebook, stating he had moved to a safe location to protect his life, while insisting he would not allow Madagascar to be destroyed. The presidents exact whereabouts remain undisclosed.A military source revealed that Rajoelina was flown out of Madagascar on a French Army Casa plane from Sainte Marie airport, with a helicopter transferring him onto the aircraft. French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking at a summit in Egypt, did not immediately confirm Frances involvement but emphasised the importance of constitutional order in Madagascar.Rajoelinas exit followed the defection of CAPSAT, the elite unit instrumental in his 2009 rise to power, which refused to fire on protesters and escorted demonstrators through Antananarivo. A faction of the gendarmerie also backed the protests, appointing a new chief during a formal ceremony with senior officials.The Senate saw changes as well, with Jean Andre Ndremanjary replaced temporarily, highlighting the collapse of the presidents political support.Thousands of young people gathered in the capital, demanding the president resign. Adrianarivony Fanomegantsoa, a 22-year-old hotel worker, explained he joined protests due to low wages and the governments failure to provide basic services, saying the youth suffered the most while elites enriched themselves.Clashes between protesters and security forces have left at least 22 dead since September 25, underscoring the severity of the unrest. With three-quarters of Madagascars population living in poverty and a median age below 20, the Gen Z movement reflects deep structural inequalities.Before departing, Rajoelina reportedly issued pardons to several prisoners, including two French nationals convicted of attempting a coup in 2021. Analysts suggest these pardons may have been among his final official acts, even as the political crisis escalates.Madagascar now faces an uncertain future, with youth-led protests, a fractured military, and questions over who will govern until elections are held. Maggie Thurmon's cryptic TikTok video sparks cheating allegations ( Image credit : Reddit/Fantastic_Turtle_17 | Maggie Thurman seemingly hints Benson Boone cheated on her ) Fan reactions on Reddit ( Image credit : Reddit ) A look back at Benson and Maggie's relationship ( Image credit : X/@star_hollywoodupdates | Benson Boone and Maggie Thurmon dated for two years before calling it quits in September, 2025 ) Controversy surrounds Benson Boone's upcoming performance in Riyadh Pop sensation Benson Boone, who often makes headlines for his 'backflips, ' is embroiled in fresh controversy following allegations from his ex-girlfriend and actress, Maggie Thurmon. The couple, who parted ways in September 2025 after nearly two years together, have been the subject of public scrutiny. Thurmon's recent TikTok video has hinted at Boone's infidelity during their relationship, but the internet isn't really shocked. Scroll ahead to know more.In a TikTok video titled "Remember how it felt when he cheated on you, though? Which time?" Thurmon seemingly addressed the speculation surrounding Boone. When a fan commented, "bro if Benson cheated, I will turn this car right around," Thurmon responded with, "put your blinder on, babe," which many interpreted as a subtle confirmation of the rumours.The revelations have sparked a wave of reactions on Reddit, with fans saying they are not even shocked. One user remarked, "Benson Boone doing a particularly guilty backflip," while another quipped, "Never trust a musician ever." A third user added, "I HAVE A LEGIT REASON TO HATE ON BENSON BOONE ??!" "Tiktok clocked the BS. I was there, defending him. "What's cringe about a man's heartfelt singing about love", I said. But here we are." "Not surprising at all," commented one.Boone, 23, and Thurmon, 23, began dating in early 2024 and quickly made their relationship public, attending high-profile events such as the Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscars viewing party and the 2024 VMAs together. Beyond the red carpet, the couple was frequently spotted around Los Angeles enjoying casual outings, from coffee runs to casual strolls.Their relationship appeared strong, with Thurmon supporting Boone during his performances, including his debut on. However, in September 2025, areport confirmed their split, with sources noting that both had unfollowed each other on social media, signalling the end of their relationship.Adding to the controversy, Boone is scheduled to perform at the Soundstorm music festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in December alongside artists like Post Malone and Halsey. The festival has faced backlash from human rights organisations and comedians who have criticised performers for participating in what they perceive as a state-sponsored whitewashing campaign by the Saudi government. Many argue that the event serves to legitimise a regime with a controversial human rights record. Despite the criticism, Boone's participation in the festival continues to draw attention and debate. ( Image credit : Instagram | @dallmyd | Truth About Jake Koehler death ) Viral post claims Jake Koehler was allegedly attacked by white sharks VIDEOS: Underwater Treasure Hunter Jake Koehler Brutally Torn Apart by Great White Shark During Deep-Sea Dive, Rescue Divers Retrieve Shredded Remains in Tragic Find Off Florida Coast pic.twitter.com/clPAh4IiL2 Nam (@Nam39456273) October 12, 2025 Did Jake Koehler really die in a fatal great white shark attack? ( Image credit : X | @49ersEmpire | Jake Koehler Death Rumours Fact-Checked ) Netizens react to the 'fake' and viral Jake Koehler's death post ( Image credit : X | @49ersEmpire | Viral Facebook Claim Debunked ) Who is Jake Koehler? A viral Facebook post has stirred widespread concern about the alleged death of popular YouTuber and content creator Jake Koehler, widely known as Dallmyd. The post, shared by the page 49ers Empire, claims that Koehler was fatally attacked by great white sharks while scuba diving and his body was later found off the coast of Florida, grabbing the attention of netizens. The shocking nature of the claim has sparked confusion and speculation across social media. However, there is no official confirmation on the incident yet; hence, let's take a closer look at the facts behind the viral post.The viral Facebook post about Jake Koehler's death had a link attached to an article describing the alleged white shark attack. The post claimed that the 33-year-old content creator was seemingly recording underwater, and this is when the attack happened, which was later recorded on the camera.Noticing the post, another influencer, Ocean Ramsey, paid tribute to Jake's passing away. But how true is the death news of Jake Koehler?According to the, the news of Jake Koehler's death from a huge white shark attack is fake, and there are no official reports of such an attack or incident that have surfaced in the media.Not only this, but Ocean Ramsey has also not made any tribute posts for Koehler.As soon as the news surfaced on social media, it quickly went viral and sparked discussion. One Facebook user commented, "Coming from a 49ers fan, pretty sure this is fake.""Bro looks for iPhones and GoPros, not sharks," one wrote. "Hes not dead lol""Dude I was tripping for a sec I watched him growing up," another added."Well his Facebook shows he commented 16 hours ago, after they posted this post."Jake Koehler became popular online for his deep-sea exploration, treasure hunting and underwater videos. He is a well-known figure in the scuba diving community, frequently sharing his adventures on social media.In 2020, he survived a serious accident, describing it as a near-death experience and saying he was "lucky to be alive". ( Image credit : Weibo | Li Qin's character, Fu Yi Xiao, surpasses 100 million on the popularity index. ) Fated Hearts: Release date and time for Episode 31 Where to Watch Fated Hearts Episode 31 Online? Fated Hearts: Plot The scriptwriters deliver the most beautiful dialogues you can ever imagine... they will start over and comeback stronger their love will be even stronger than before #FatedHearts pic.twitter.com/TGtHl7x4vV plum (@oozetheplumtree) October 14, 2025 Fated Hearts: Cast and Characters FAQs Fans of the Chinese dramacan stream Episode 31 online on October 15, 2025, at 3:30 PM IST / 10:00 AM GMT / 6:00 AM ET, according to the official release schedule.In the war-torn Jinxiu Kingdom, archer Fu Yixiao saves Prince Feng Suige but loses her memory after falling off a cliff. Rescued by the Ling family, she unexpectedly reunites with Suige. Once enemies, they must now rely on each other to survive in turbulent Yujing City. Amid betrayal, danger, and dark conspiracies, their bond slowly turns to love as they fight to overcome fate and protect one another.Episode 31 airs on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at 3:30 PM IST / 10:00 AM GMT / 6:00 AM ET. It will also be available to international viewers via simultaneous streaming on iQIYI, with English subtitles to make the series accessible to a global audience.Episodes 31 is available to stream on iQIYI - the main legal platforms offering high-quality video and English subtitles. For viewers in the U.S., Canada, India, Indonesia, and iQIYI remains the top choice for watching the series.As the Jinxiu Kingdom teeters on the edge of defeat at the Battle of Pingling, the female archer Fu Yixiao, clad in red, fires a decisive arrow at Susha's eldest prince, Feng Suige, shifting the battles outcome. But triumph is fleeting - Yixiao falls from a cliff and loses her memory, only to be rescued by the Ling family of doctors from the Righteous Villa, where fate reunites her with her former rival, Suige.Recognizing that Yixiao's predicament is tied to the secrets of Pingling, Suige seeks to use her to uncover the truth, while Yixiao must rely on him to survive the relentless pursuit she faces. Once mortal enemies, the two are forced to navigate the dangerous streets of Yujing City together, and through countless near-death encounters, a fragile bond begins to form, and love quietly blooms.Amid betrayal, deception, unfulfilled desires, and the shackles of fate, both are drawn into a perilous game where everyone is simultaneously a player and a pawn. Only by working closely together can Yixiao and Suige hope to survive the dark conspiracy, fulfill the expectations of their people, and protect each other in a world where trust is a luxury.The historical dramastars Li Qin as Fu Yixiao, Chen Zheyuan as Prince Feng Suige, Xia Meng as Feng Xiyang, and Chen Heyi as Xia Jingshi. The 38-episode series premiered on iQIYI on October 2, 2025.Episode 31 will be released on October 15, 2025, at 3:30 PM IST / 10:00 AM GMT / 6:00 AM ET.You can stream Episode 31 ofon iQIYI. All three platforms offer English subtitles.Yes, the series is fully subtitled in English on iQIYI, including Episode 31.No,is not available on Netflix. It officially streams on iQIYI. ( Image credit : AI generated | CDSCO will tighten control over fake, unsafe and contaminated drugs ) Why the new law is being introduced CDSCO to get statutory powers for the first time Drugs Controller General of India writes to states and union territories regarding strict compliance with the Drugs Rules, 1945, for testing of raw materials and finished formulations. "All the State/ UT Drug Controllers are requested to take measures to ensure testing before pic.twitter.com/yBwSfy5HMx ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2025 Focus on transparency, coordination and technology ( Image credit : AI generated | Officials said the new legislation will replace the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940 ) Current data reveals ongoing challenges The deaths of seven out of nine children in #MadhyaPradeshs #Chhindwara district were traced to a poisonous cough syrup, Coldrif, which was found to contain a highly toxic industrial chemical. Read to know more https://t.co/fUwPeAtwPK pic.twitter.com/KMuLrpRlQR The Times Of India (@timesofindia) October 4, 2025 Aim to meet global standards ( Image credit : AI generated | Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) will get statutory powers to carry out stricter market surveillance ) The Centre is preparing to introduce the Drugs, Medical Devices and Cosmetics Act, 2025, a new legislation aimed at strengthening Indias drug quality testing and market surveillance system. The move comes amid repeated concerns from global regulators, including the World Health Organization (WHO), over lapses in drug quality by certain Indian manufacturers and recent incidents of contamination.Officials said the new legislation will replace the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940, bringing Indias regulatory framework in line with global standards. The decision follows a series of alerts from international health authorities and the recent deaths of several children in Madhya Pradesh due to a contaminated cough syrup.The draft framework was presented by Dr Rajeev Raghuvanshi, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), during a high-level meeting chaired by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Tuesday. The proposed law is expected to be introduced in Parliament during the Winter Session.Once enacted, the law will grant the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) statutory powers to carry out stricter market surveillance and quality testing. For the first time, the CDSCO will have the authority to penalise or suspend manufacturers for violations without going through prolonged procedures.The CDSCO will also be empowered to take immediate action against fake or substandard medicines, ensuring faster enforcement. Officials said this is a major shift aimed at closing gaps in Indias existing drug regulation framework.The upcoming law will also aim to digitise the licensing process, improve coordination between state and central drug regulators, and upgrade the capacity of testing laboratories across the country. This reform is designed to enhance accountability and ensure greater transparency in every step of the supply chain from manufacturing to retail distribution.According to officials, the move is also meant to restore confidence in Indian pharmaceuticals both domestically and in international markets, where Indian drug exports have faced scrutiny due to repeated quality concerns.As per the 202324 CDSCO report, around 5,500 drug samples were tested nationwide, of which 3.2% were found to be substandard or spurious. Enforcement action was taken against over 40 pharmaceutical units during the last two years based on these findings.Authorities believe that the new law will help reduce such violations through stricter monitoring and better infrastructure.Officials said the broader goal of the Drugs, Medical Devices and Cosmetics Act, 2025 is to ensure that Indias regulatory system meets international benchmarks while addressing growing concerns over drug safety.By empowering the CDSCO and improving coordination among state agencies, the government aims to make Indias drug quality oversight faster, more transparent, and more accountable, aligning with best global practices. Francis Atwoli has seen it wise to go back and work with Baba Raila Amollo Odinga. Karibu nyumbani @AtwoliDza pic.twitter.com/DVQAfJxjsk OTWOMA THE BRAND (@Isaac_Otwoma) September 9, 2023 A lifelong political struggle ( Image credit : X/ @4thPresidentKE | Message of condolence from H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta ) Contested elections and reconciliation ( Image credit : X/ @EugeneLWamalwa | Eugene L. Wamalwa along with Raila Amolo Odinga ) Global tributes and legacy ( Image credit : X/ @narendramodi | PM Modi offers condolences on Raila Odingas death ) Kenyas former Prime Minister and opposition leader, Raila Odinga, has died at the age of 80 while undergoing medical treatment in India. According to hospital officials and family sources, Odinga collapsed during a morning walk in Kochi, Kerala, and was taken to Devamatha Hospital, where he suffered a cardiac arrest and was declared dead at 09:52 local time (04:22 GMT). His family, including his daughter and sister, were reportedly present by his side.Odinga was one of Kenyas most influential political figures, contesting the presidency five times between 1997 and 2022. He was widely renowned as a master strategist and mass mobiliser, commanding a passionate following, especially in western Kenya. Known affectionately as Baba (Father), Tinga (Tractor), and Agwambo (Mysterious One). Odingas political career was marked by his unwavering fight for democratic freedoms and human rights.Born in the Luo community and the son of Kenyas first vice president, Jaramogi Odinga, Raila faced years of imprisonment and exile under President Daniel arap Moi. He was first arrested in 1982 following a failed coup attempt and was later detained again from 1989 to 1991. Despite these hardships, he emerged as a powerful symbol of reform and resistance in Kenyan politics.Odingas long political journey was defined by moments of crisis and reconciliation. The disputed 2007 election triggered violence and killed more than 1,300 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. In 2017, the Supreme Court annulled the results of an election he contested, though he withdrew from the repeat poll, citing unfair conditions. Odinga also shocked the nation by reconciling with former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018, fostering national unity.In 2022, he partnered with President William Ruto in a broad-based government arrangement, enabling his party, Azimio la Umoja, to play a key role in national policymaking. Earlier this year, he sought the chairpersonship of the African Union, but was narrowly defeated despite strong regional support.President William Ruto described Odinga as a beacon of courage and father of our democracy, announcing seven days of national mourning. Global leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, also extended condolences, praising him as a towering statesman and pan-Africanist.Raila Odingas enduring legacy as a political reformer, pro-democracy campaigner, and master strategist leaves a lasting imprint on Kenya and the continent. His passing creates a notable leadership vacuum in the countrys opposition ahead of the 2027 elections. ( Image credit : X/heartheplaylist | Rapper Armani White arrested in Laurel County after allegedly filming music video on I-75. ) Dancing on the edge, literally ( Image credit : X/heartheplaylist | Rapper Armani White arrested in Laurel County after allegedly filming music video on I-75. ) I smiled because I refuse to be labelled a criminal ( Image credit : X/heartheplaylist | Rapper Armani White arrested in Laurel County after allegedly filming music video on I-75. ) But the show goes on Armani White, the rapper behind the viral banger, swapped the stage for a Kentucky jail cell on Sunday night after pulling a dangerously bold stunt that left police stunned and fans scratching their heads. Real name Enoch Tolbert, the artist reportedly took over Interstate 75 to film a music video, without permits, traffic control, or common sense.According to the London Police Department, things went south when multiple 911 calls started pouring in. Drivers on the busy interstate were freaking out, reporting a man darting through traffic and dancing on top of a concrete divider. When officers arrived, they found White mid-performance on the barrier, clearly giving it his all for the camera.What was he doing? Allegedly shooting a music video, but no permission, no plan, and definitely no protection in place. Authorities say the interstate escapade could have turned deadly with just one person not paying attention.White was taken into custody and later released from jail. He is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on 28 October. In classic Gen Z style, he responded not with silence, but with a selfie.On Tuesday, White posted a snapshot of his smiling mugshot on Instagram. In a now-deleted story, the rapper stated he smiled intentionally, refusing to let anyone paint him as a criminal. He felt the entire situation was unnecessary, and even went so far as to say it should not have made the news.Despite the legal drama, Armani White seems unbothered. He confirmed that his album is still dropping on Halloween. With more than 3.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify, his fans are clearly tuned in, whether they are there for the music or the madness.As for Kentucky authorities, they have made it clear: motorways are for motors, not music videos. What are green crackers? ( Image credit : X | What are green crackers and where to buy ) Where can you buy green crackers? ( Image credit : X | What are green crackers and where to buy ) When and where can you burst green crackers? ( Image credit : X | What are green crackers and where to buy ) In a major announcement ahead of Diwali 2025, the Supreme Court has allowed the sale and bursting of green crackers in Delhi-NCR between October 18 and 21. The decision marks the first relaxation in years for the residents who had been facing almost a blanket ban on firecrackers due to rising pollution levels around this time every year.Green crackers are eco-friendly crackers made by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI). These crackers produce 30 percent less emissions and lower noise levels, thus causing less pollution. Furthermore, they use safer chemicals to minimize particulate pollution. Each green cracker carries a QR code that verifies its authenticity and ensures it has been tested for safety and emission standards.Green crackers are typically available in variants such as Safe Water Releaser (SWAS), Sound Emitting Crackers (SAFE), and Safe Minimal Aluminium (SAFAL). All aim to ensure a cleaner Diwali experience.The Supreme Court's order allows sales only through licensed traders in pre-approved retail outlets across the National Capital Region. The exact locations can only be identified by the district administration with strict enforcement against illegal or online sales. If you are planning to buy green crackers, please ensure you check NEERI QR code to ensure that you are purchasing genuine eco-certified products.For the unversed, cities like Chandigarh and Pune have been using green crackers for several years now, thus serving as a model for the Delhi-NCR's trial this Diwali.The apex court has directed that citizens can burst green firecrackers only between 6 AM to 7 AM and 8 PM to 10 PM between Oct 18-21. The sale of these crackers are allowed at designated outlets approved by district collectors, and no firecrackers can be brought in from outside the NCR region. Online sales through e-commerce platforms like Flipkart and Amazon remain banned.The court also instructed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State Pollution Control Boards to monitor the air quality and submit a comprehensive report by October 21. This monitoring will include air, water, and soil sampling to assess any environmental impact from the controlled use of firecrackers. The Supreme Court stated it will review the matter again after three weeks to determine if the relaxation can be extended or modified. Senate to vote again, but outcome remains uncertain President Trump signaled plans to permanently eliminate government programs and jobs if the shutdown continues, which has already left hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed or unpaid https://t.co/cn4vx5WqIC pic.twitter.com/By2mOg97ss Reuters (@Reuters) October 8, 2025 Trump to announce list of programs shut down OMB readies for more layoffs Trump will have a rich billionaire pay his troops during shutdown. So US armed forces become PMCs. pic.twitter.com/GQ5jTgEzHr Aadi Achint (@AadiAchint) October 15, 2025 Democrats push back, cite healthcare funding Republicans say Democrats are playing games $Shutdown BREAKING: The US government shutdown is now forecasted to last more than 35 days This would make it the longest in history pic.twitter.com/HsdNUuTu99 US government Shutdown (@GovShutdownSoL) October 13, 2025 Historic shutdown looms As the federal government shutdown entered its 15th day, President Donald Trump announced plans to release a list of federal agencies and programs that have been closed as part of the ongoing funding impasse. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said it was preparing for further layoffs as the stalemate between Republicans and Democrats continued, raising concerns that the current shutdown could become the longest in U.S. history.Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, scheduled another vote for 2:15 p.m. to reopen the government until November 21. This marks the tenth attempt to end the shutdown, though chances of success appear slim.The previous vote, held on October 14, failed 4945, with six senators absent. Three Democratic-aligned senators supported the Republican proposal, but five more votes are needed to meet the 60-vote threshold required to advance the measure. GOP Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has opposed the current version of the bill, further complicating efforts to break the deadlock.President Trump stated he will publish on October 17 a detailed list of federal programs that have been closed as part of the shutdown process.We are closing up Democrat programs that we disagree with and theyre never going to open again, Trump said, emphasizing that the move is part of a broader effort to cut what he calls unnecessary spending.Trump argued that Democrats were facing greater pressure from the shutdown than Republicans, noting that it allows him to lay off workers and terminate programs that would otherwise continue operating. Were able to do things that weve never been able to do before, he said. The Democrats are getting killed.The White House Office of Management and Budget posted on social media that it is making every preparation to batten down the hatches and ride out the Democrats intransigence. The post added that essential payments such as those to troops and law enforcement will continue, while reductions in force (RIFs) are being implemented.This marks the second round of major staff reductions since the shutdown began. The OMBs announcement underscored the administrations stance that the current standoff could last for several more days unless Democrats change their position.House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said Democrats remain committed to finding a bipartisan path forward. He said reopening the government should come with a spending plan that meets the needs of the American people and addresses the Republican healthcare crisis.Democrats are demanding additional funding for healthcare and the reversal of Medicaid cuts, as well as an extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits. They have refused to support any temporary spending bill that does not address these priorities.House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana dismissed claims that Republicans were unwilling to negotiate, saying that their proposal includes no special policy riders. He argued that Democrats should agree to reopen the government first, and then continue policy discussions later.I dont have anything that I can take off that document and make it more palatable, Johnson said. Were not playing games. Theyre playing a game.The ongoing standoff has revived memories of the record 35-day shutdown between December 2018 and January 2019, which also occurred under Trumps administration. With no immediate breakthrough in sight, lawmakers and federal workers alike are bracing for another prolonged funding lapse that could further disrupt essential services and deepen political divisions in Washington. An animated rendering of how the Mann Center's shed would come to life with digital displays planned as part of upcoming renovations. Read more The Mann is getting a new name. With a major sponsorship in hand, Philadelphias arts center in Fairmount Park will now be called the Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts. The Pittsburgh-based Highmark insurance company will join the Mann nameplate starting immediately under the terms of a 12-year deal. Advertisement This investment will absolutely help to ensure that the Mann will continue to be an evolving, creative, living, inviting premier destination for our region, for all the artists that we present, and for the audiences that come. This is really an exciting next step for us, said Catherine M. Cahill, president and CEO of the arts center. Cahill and Highmark declined to discuss how much the company paid for the naming rights and other financial details. Substantial is how Dan Tropeano, market president of Highmark Blue Shield in Southeastern Pennsylvania, described the amount of money the company will pay to put its name on the venue. He noted that Highmark had entered the Philadelphia market recently in 2023 and that the company saw an alignment between its customers and the Manns patrons. They offer programming that appeals to the entire demographic of the folks here in Southeast Pa., whether thats the orchestra for folks that like that kind of thing, whether its other music festivals that cater to other types, said Tropeano, who recalled attending his first Mann concert in 1991 (the Allman Brothers Band). We find it to be one of the most diverse venues that really exposes us to the entire community, not just one defined segment. The arts center will use the moniker Highmark Mann for short. The new name was announced Wednesday afternoon in a ceremony marking the start of construction on a renovation slated for completion in the spring. The project is part of a $70 million campaign that will also boost endowment and fund operations and artistic projects. Among the changes coming to the Mann are a new main entry canopy and a plaza three times the size of the current one. A section of the Manns angular shed will display a 4,900-square-foot LED screen animated with video and kinetic artwork. Digital pillars, landscaping, lighting, and new way-finding features are on the way. To date, nearly $60 million has been raised toward the $70 million total, said Cahill, who declined to specify whether the money from Highmark would be paid in one lump sum or in installments over years. This is an important component of this campaign, but we still have more work to do. We still have more money to raise, she said, adding that she expects the $70 million goal to be reached by February 2027. The new name is the centers fourth. Called the Robin Hood Dell West at its opening in 1976, it was renamed the Mann Music Center in 1979 for philanthropist Fredric R. Mann and then, in 1998, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts. The new name will apply not just to the physical campus which includes the main shed named for TD Bank and a smaller stage at the top of the hill already named for Highmark but also to the organization itself. (The name change is a rebranding; the center is not changing its name legally.) Some major naming opportunities may be spoken for, but others remain, Cahill said. We have the plaza that can be named. We have backstage spaces to be named. We have programmatic things to be named. We have a whole laundry list of naming rights. Though officials declined to quantify the cost of the sponsorship deal, Cahill said the amount was in line with similar ones elsewhere. We did national benchmarking about the world of naming rights, and I can tell you we are absolutely confident that where we landed in this deal is exactly where the Mann should be. Philadelphia Ballet resident choreographer Juliano Nunes (center) rehearses the dancers in his new ballet, "Valley of Death." Read more Philadelphia Ballets resident choreographer, Juliano Nunes, hesitated when his boss, artistic director Angel Corella, suggested he make a ballet for the companys Halloween program, which opens Thursday night at the Academy of Music. To be honest, my first reaction was like, I dont think so, Nunes said. Advertisement He didnt immediately connect with the theme, he was worried about getting the right taste level, and he wasnt interested in doing something simply entertaining. It took me a little bit to think about the subject, he said, then it got me curious after a little bit. Holiday works tend to do well for the ballet world. Most companies, including Philadelphia Ballet, rely on income from the Christmas classic The Nutcracker to fund much of their year. Before Corella took over as artistic director, when the company was known as Pennsylvania Ballet, it performed Ben Stevensons Dracula several times. But it was Giselle, about a jilted bride and supernatural torment, that eventually won Nunes over and taught him how horror could work well in ballet. He began to find the idea of horror intriguing. READ MORE: Philadelphia Ballet revisits two fiery Corella ballets in its season opener I cannot really remember exactly how I started to write this script, Nunes said, but remembers jotting down some ideas. He had never written a script before, nor had he done a lot of story ballets. He was writing in English, which is one of four languages he speaks, but not his native tongue. Nunes lived in Brazil until age 18 and spoke Portuguese. He also speaks Spanish and German. He has lived much of his adult life in Europe, where he started both his dance and choreography careers. He doesnt have a home base right now but is working in both Philly and New York for the next few months. Giselle and how worlds collide in the classic ballet interested him. Its also very much [about] Giselle going from this place of tragedy, but then go into this world where you dont know where you are, he said. More than a year ago, when Nunes started writing, he started thinking about the Willis, the ghosts of jilted brides in Giselle, one of the most popular works in the ballet canon. I think I was very curious or inspired about this world of the dead, he said. And then from there, there was just the idea of maybe its something that has started as a ball scene, and then it gets into this underworld. READ MORE: The best Philadelphia dance shows coming to Philadelphia this fall (and winter) Nunes and his life partner fashion, costume, and set designer Youssef Hotait began to flesh out the narrative and presented it to Philadelphia Ballet. The result, Valley of Death, is a psychological nightmare set to music by Ralph Vaughan Williams and Sergei Rachmaninoff. It makes its world premiere on Thursday alongside another horror ballet Agnes de Milles Fall River Legend - that tells the story of Lizzie Borden, who was acquitted in the brutal ax murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Mass., in 1892. Fall River Legend is set to music by Morton Gould. Nunes and Hotait did nearly everything themselves for Valley of Death, from the story to the movement to all theatrical elements. Were very hands on, Nunes said. Otherwise it loses the track. It just doesnt speak what youre trying to say if other words are trying to say the same thing. Like Giselle, Valley of Death will have a lush corps de ballet scene in the second act, along with its three main characters. Its a story of certain tragedy. There is a lot of suffering and pain and darkness and sort of an attractive evilness that is lurking around and is present, Nunes said. The people who are somehow based [in] society in the first part become the ones in the world of the dead who help the evil to conquer the suffering. At 35, Nunes got noticed for his choreography in a very modern way: through Instagram. Corella was one of the first directors who reached out and asked him to make work for his company, Philadelphia Ballet. Soon enough, Corella invited him to become resident director. Along with Valley of Death, Nunes will be creating a new Romeo & Juliet, which will have its world premiere in April. After Valley of Death, Nunes has something of its companion piece opening in New York. American Ballet Theatre will dance the world premiere of Have We Met?! on Oct. 29-Nov. 1 at Lincoln Center. That one is about two souls that get to meet in different periods of time, both in New York, in the past and in the future. And [it is] this story of nonalignment and alignment, darkness and lightness, He worked on Valley of the Death first. Working on two supernatural pieces at once was a coincidence, Nunes said, but one inspired the other. Philadelphia Ballet: Evening of Horror, Oct. 16-19, Academy of Music. $20-$271, 215-893-1999 or ensembleartsphilly.org A Philadelphia man has been charged with kidnapping in connection with the disappearance of Kada Scott, 23, who went missing from her workplace 11 days ago and who investigators believe is in danger, police said. Keon King, 21, was taken into custody overnight and charged Wednesday morning with kidnapping, said Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore. Advertisement King was the last person in contact with Scott the night of Oct. 4, just before she disappeared, officials said, and cell phone location data show he was traveling with her phone that night before her line went dead. His relationship to Scott was not immediately clear. The arrest comes as local and federal law enforcement work around the clock to find Scott, a graduate of Pennsylvania State University who is from the Ivy Hill section of East Mount Airy. Scott was working an overnight shift at a nursing home in Chestnut Hill on Oct. 4, and had told family and friends someone had been harassing her. Shortly after arriving at work around 10 p.m., police said, she walked outside and never returned. Investigators found her car in the parking lot and have not been able to locate her since. Her phone was turned off. We are still treating this as if Ms. Scott is still alive, and thats why we need the publics help in locating every single piece of this, Deputy Police Commissioner John Stanford said Wednesday. New information in the case continued to develop as the day went on. Shortly after noon, detectives found Scotts drivers license and phone case discarded outside Ada H.H. Lewis Middle School, a vacant, abandoned school next to Awbury Arboretum in East Germantown, according to a law enforcement source who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. And then, police located Kings car, a gold 1999 Toyota Corolla, in the parking lot of a condominium complex on the 4000 block of Gypsy Lane, the source said. Detectives homed in on King late last week after learning of his conversations with Scott leading up to her disappearance, Vanore said. Police then traced the movements of his car and cell phone, which showed he was with Scott just before she went missing, he said. King later discarded his car and phone, Vanore said. Investigators also learned this was not the first time King had allegedly kidnapped a woman, said Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski. Earlier this year, King was charged with kidnapping and strangulation after he showed up outside the home of a woman he had been dating, threw her in his car, and assaulted her, Toczylowski said. King eventually let her go, she said. But prosecutors withdrew the charges in May, she said, after the victim twice failed to appear in court. Toczylowski said prosecutors have refiled those charges in light of Scotts disappearance. This is a pattern of behavior, Vanore said. Homicide detectives with the special investigations unit took over the case late last week. That does not mean police believe that Scott is no longer alive homicide detectives are often called in to help with the most complicated and sensitive cases because they are the most specialized unit with a wider range of investigative tools. Still, it underscores the seriousness of the crime. Scotts family declined to speak Wednesday, but in the early days of her disappearance, her parents told reporters it was not like their daughter to suddenly leave home and cut off communication. Officials asked anyone who knows King or might have been a victim of earlier abuse by him to come forward. Anyone with information can call the police departments tip line at 215-686-8477 or the homicide unit at 215-686-3334, or email tips@phillypolice.com. Kings car had been spotted in Center City, Southwest Philadelphia, and Northwest Philadelphia, police said. All roads at this point lead to him, Toczylowski said, and thats what were hoping leads us to her. A 16-year-old girl died after being shot possibly by accident Tuesday evening in North Philadelphia, police said. Shortly before 5:30 p.m., police responded to a reported shooting on the 2400 block of North Colorado Street and found the girl on the first floor with a gunshot wound to her abdomen, Chief Inspector Scott Small said. Advertisement Police rushed the girl to Temple University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 6:46 p.m. The shooting apparently occurred in a second-floor rear bedroom, where police found a spent shell casing, a loaded ammunition magazine, and a small amount of blood, Small said. Police also found two semiautomatic handguns in the house. An 18-year-old man who police believe was in the bedroom with the girl was detained for questioning, Small said. Were not sure if he accidentally shot her or she accidentally shot herself, Small said. The girl reportedly was visiting the family that lives at the house when she was shot, Small said. There were numerous other people in the property, including young children, but no one else was hurt. On Monday, a 16-year-old boy was hospitalized in critical condition after he was shot in the face in Port Richmond. A 15-year-old boy was detained for questioning, and police were investigating whether that was also an accidental shooting. Antonio Rodriguez had been a member of the Philadelphia Fire Department for 18 years. Read more A Philadelphia firefighter was killed in the citys Holmesburg section early Wednesday morning, police said. The 56-year-old man, identified as Antonio Rodriguez, was found dead inside a home on the 4700 block of Shelmire Avenue shortly before 4 a.m. when police responded to a report of a disturbance. Advertisement Police said they first encountered a 27-year-old man behind a locked security gate enclosing the front porch. After the officers gained entry, they found Rodriguez unresponsive with no visible signs of injury, police said. Rodriguez was pronounced dead at the scene. The younger man allegedly told police at the scene that he had fatally assaulted Rodriguez, whom he identified as his uncle. Rodriguez was killed possibly by strangulation or another method of physical assault, according to Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore. The medical examiner has not yet determined a cause of death. The younger man, who was not named, was taken into custody. The Philadelphia Fire Department is heartbroken over the death of one of our members overnight. We are working closely with the Philadelphia Police Department as they investigate. We ask that everyone keep the members family and our colleagues in your thoughts as we process this tragedy, the fire department said in a statement. In a later statement, the department said Rodriguez had been a firefighter for 18 years. Staff writers Henry Savage, Jesse Bunch, and Robert Moran contributed to this article. Seventy-six sounds like a lot of restaurants until you consider just how many gems there are in the Philly area. We whittled our selections down to the main list, but there were still some scouts favorites that didnt make the cut. Ama The emergence of chef Frankie Ramirez and his thrilling vision of modern Mexican food at Ama is one of the best food storylines of 2025. His seasonal tlayuda topped with a summer sunburst of squash blossoms over epazote pesto and Oaxaca cheese is one of the most beautiful things Ive eaten all year. The milpa salad is a poetic tribute to the cornfields of his youth and may be the dish that finally gets Philadelphians to love eating bugs. Ramirezs large-format sharing centerpieces lamb neck birria, an entire octopus flashed over the wood-fired grill are showstoppers that offer a glimpse of contemporary Mexican cooking this city has yet to see. The sunny corner room with white walls and a view of the kitchens fiery hearth channels the minimalist-chic vibe of its new building amid the construction boom along Front Street in Kensington-Fishtown, but the large space has also posed persistent challenges for service that need more polish on a number of fronts before Ama can reach its true potential. Craig LaBan Ama, 101 W. Oxford St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19122, 215-933-0707, amaphl.com Artisan Boulanger Patissier Its been three years since Andre Chin who co-owned Artisan Boulanger Patissier in South Philly alongside his wife, Amanda Eap died following a long battle with prostate cancer. But his presence is still felt everywhere: from the baker and pastry artists delectable croissants to the framed portrait of him that hangs over the register area, to the handwritten cards and drawings addressed to Eap and taped to the glass. With the help of their two sons, the couples James Beard-nominated Cambodian-French cafe continues to stand strong as a community pillar with a devoted fan base churning in for signature cronuts, Vietnamese iced coffee, and over-stuffed banh mis served on perfectly fluffy baguettes. Try the almond sticks, which still draw a line on weekend mornings at this 23-year-old cash-only spot. Emily Bloch Advertisement Artisan Boulanger Patissier, 1218 Mifflin St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19148, 215-271-4688, instagram.com/artisianbakeryphilly Chon Tong Located on Vine Street practically on the expressway Chon Tong is an unlikely place to find some of Philadelphias best Thai food. And yet, their hoi tod, a golden-edged mussel pancake; tum tod (imagine the best, puckeringly sweet-and-sour papaya salad but fried); and jay tod, speckled with juicy-sweet corn kernels and crunchy tofu crackling with crevices, are only three tiny precursors to the spectacular dishes emerging from a kitchen that specializes in Central Thai recipes. Ignore that Chon Tong advertises itself as a Thai dessert kitchen. Youre here for the beefy boat noodles, the moo ping unctuous, barbecued pork sausages pressed into patties and strung onto skewers spicy chicken wings, and curries that skew sweet (not a bad thing). Kiki Aranita Chon Tong, 1439 Vine St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19102, 215-394-0121, chontongthai.com Djakarta Cafe Although the Indonesian food scene in Philly like in its native Indonesia represents a huge amount of regional variation, most restaurants offer certain dishes recognized as national staples. This is where Djakarta Cafe, near 16th and Ritner Streets, truly excels. While it specializes in the flavors of Jakarta and West Borneo, nearly every iconic Indonesian dish is available and executed to near perfection. An order of both their nasi rendang and nasi kuning yields an embarrassment of riches: beef rendang, wonderfully crisp fried chicken, ikan bilis (fried anchovies), and turmeric-stained rice. Not to mention their assortment of noodle soto (soups) and a char-grilled pompano (ikan bakar) dressed with sambal that will convince you theres no better way to eat fish. For dessert, dont miss the jus alpukat, an avocado-chocolate smoothie thats a common drink in tropical Indonesia. But instead of the typical drizzle of chocolate syrup, Djakartas rendition resembles a milkshake, topped with a scoop of chocolate ice cream and a Pirouline wafer masquerading as a straw. Jasen Lo Djakarta Cafe, 1540 W. Ritner St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19145, 215-463-8888, djakartacafephilly.com El Primo This 17-year-old Norristown institution started off as a Mexican specialty grocery store, eventually expanding into prepared food. Last year, it moved to a bigger location next to the towns DMV. In addition to the grocery store stocked with Mexican chiles, herbs, and a section of vaquero boots, the new locale includes a bakery and carniceria. But theres also a vibrant dining room covered in murals and featuring bespoke wood seating a departure from the picnic tables El Primo used in the past. Diners are greeted with a bowl of chips covered in creamy, spicy refried beans; mosey over to the salsa bar for any additional accoutrements. Latin music on the speakers and friendly staff make for a festive dining experience. El Primos menu is vast, but standouts include the mole poblano, with its hints of sweetness and spice, as well as the flavor-packed tacos arabes and perfectly cooked lengua tacos. Ximena Conde El Primo, 1700 Markley St., Norristown, Pa. 19401, 610-279-2610, elprimoproduce.com Gouldsburgers Yes, Gouldsburgers original location, in Haddonfield, is the centerpiece of an aspiring franchise empire that has already crossed the Delaware River, opening locations in the territory of already-established steak shops. But have you tasted the sandwich? Have you bitten into that soft, everything bagel-seasoned roll, born in a Moorestown bakery? Usually the goal is to bake a roll that is crusty on the outside and soft inside, but in breaking the rules, Gouldsburgers separates itself in the best possible way. In the embrace of that roll, tender and carefully griddled ribbons of rib-eye steak marry beautifully with an even spread of yellow Cooper Sharp, composing a symphony of a sandwich thats well-balanced and not overstuffed. Another standout is the buffalo chicken cheesesteak but be prepared for a healthy dose of spice sprinkled on the diced chunks of chicken breast. Theyll have you breaking a sweat even on a brisk November afternoon. Its further proof that Gouldsburgers can compete with the slew of top-notch offerings across the river. Tommy Rowan Gouldsburgers, six locations (two in Philadelphia, four in South Jersey), gouldsburgers.com Griddle & Rice You could easily mistake Griddle & Rice for a diner offering all-American breakfast the retro checkered-tile interior almost invites that association, and it wouldnt be entirely inaccurate. The charming brunch spot near Girard Estates serves excellent French toast and eggs Benedict. But once you spot the sink in the corner and the Indonesian aunties happily eating nasi uduk (breakfast rice platter) and satay skewers with their right hands, youll realize that Griddle & Rice is also a warung the Indonesian term for a casual, usually family-run food stall. Sure, you could treat your groggy morning with their omelet breakfast, but ask for a dollop of one of their many sambals to give your eggs a kick, and youll be just as nourished by a bowl of bubur ayam shredded chicken congee garnished with fried shallots, peanuts, scallions. As one of the only Indonesian places in Philly with an espresso machine, Griddle & Rice also serves a unique assortment of Indonesian beverages, such as the nostalgia-inducing milo dinosaur (malted chocolate powder excessively heaped atop iced malted chocolate), coffee with gula aren (palm sugar), and a frothy tek tarik (hand-pulled milk tea). Jasen Lo Griddle & Rice, 2151 S. 22nd St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19145, 267-360-2900, instagram.com/griddlerice Izzys 33 It doesnt get more South Philly than a hole-in-the-wall Mexican brunch restaurant that also dishes out brie pancakes and an Old Bay-spiced crab frittata under a big green Eagles banner. The menu is an homage to chef Israel Romeros upbringing and combines the food he grew up eating as a child in Puebla with the over-the-top American breakfasts he grew to love after immigrating to Philadelphia at age 18. Its easy to get distracted by the menus long selection of sweet breakfasts, including numerous French toast iterations that take inspiration from, among other things, coffee cake and churros. But its worthwhile to opt for some savory plates, like the bandeja Mexicana a little-bit-of-everything platter complete with a twice-cooked tamale and carne asada or the chilaquiles divorciados, which pairs red and green chilaquiles with a hefty serving of steak and eggs. Beatrice Forman Izzys 33, 1703 S. Ninth St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19148, 610-714-3908, izzys-33.com Jersey Kebab Jersey Kebab became a local rallying point earlier in 2025 when Emine Emanet, the powerhouse matriarch of the restaurant, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for two weeks. The community came together to support this beloved South Jersey institution, where colorful variations of Turkish delights line the display case up front. In the seating area, plates of iskender, adana kebabs, and baklava are served at comfy tables. Turkish decor and music invite customers to linger. Love for the community comes through with every thoughtful dish they serve, bringing diners from Philadelphia and other cities out to Haddon Township. Hira Qureshi Jersey Kebab, 150 Haddon Ave., Haddon Township, N.J. 08108, 856-240-1390, instagram.com/jerseykebab Royal Tavern Few curmudgeonly chefs have as much apparent fun as Nic Macri, who likes to shake up the menu at this Bella Vista institution every three months or so with a special event that packs the house be it a weekend devoted to an international array of pies, from pithiviers to key lime, or a month-long house-made hot dog bonanza. But this gastropub deserves to be on The 76 not for its rousing one-offs but for its day-in, day-out excellence. Royals reputation has long been synonymous with its drippy, smoked Gouda-topped burger, but the more intriguing sandwiches a double-take-worthy vegan gyro, a mesmerizing smoked beef round slicked with maple dijonnaise, a handheld mushroom cutlet with hoagie relish I couldnt stop eating have been the real draws since the restaurant reopened in 2023. Round that out with a stellar lineup of snacks (legitimately great beet-pickled eggs, crab puffs showered in grated cheese, house-made ham and focaccia with pickle butter), vegetable-centric sides and fan-favorite desserts, and general manager Eden Beschens carefully curated beverage program, and youve got one of the most complete neighborhood bars in the city. And the kitchen stays open till 1 a.m. like clockwork, to boot. Jenn Ladd Royal Tavern, 937 E. Passyunk Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147, 215-389-6694, royaltavern.com Sansom Kabob House To find excellent Afghan food in Philadelphia, venture to the corner of 13th and South Streets, where platters of raisin-filled qablee palaw and spiced chablee kabobs served with Afghan rice, salad, and bread are the best dishes on the menu. Well-rendered Afghan specialties have emanated from the kitchen at Sansom Kabob House, named after its original address on Sansom Street, since its opening in 2002. We have our favorites, but theres no incorrect order here unless you skip dessert. The furni pudding and sheeryaki ice cream will make the savory hits a happy afterthought. Hira Qureshi Sansom Kebob House, 1300 South St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147, 215-751-9110, sansomkabobhouseonsouth.com South One crunch into the honey-drizzled fried chicken at South and youll understand its staying power. Nearly a decade into its run on North Broad Street, Robert and Benjamin Bynums upscale soul foodery dresses and suits, please stands apart from the sea of styrofoam takeouts. Of course, thats due in part to the in-house jazz venue and the brass solos that ooze like chase scenes through the bungalow-style dining room. But Souths menu deserves a separate ovation. Come for the classic skillet of cornbread topped with a decadent pearl of butter, and the rosemary turkey wings, cooked low and slow to perfection. Then venture deeper into the diaspora riffs on the menu, like the brioche crab toasts with salmon roe. Open four nights a week, dont be surprised if its hard to get a prime-time reservation. And make sure you dress to the nines. Max Marin South, 600 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19130, 215-600-2049, southjazzkitchen.com Tierra Colombiana Jorge Mosquera has operated the Hunting Park institution Tierra Colombiana as a neighborhood catch-all since 1989. The restaurant serves a little bit of everything from Puerto Rican street food and Argentinian churrasco to Colombian breakfast and filet mignon creating an experience thats not unlike dining at the Cheesecake Factory, where combing through a massive menu to find exactly what youre craving is part of the journey. Politicians use Tierra Colombianas first floor to court voters and celebrate life milestones, while the upstairs nightclub hosts a popular singles night every Friday. Come for an oversized margarita and the whole red snapper, stay to salsa-dance the night away. Beatrice Forman Tierra Colombiana, 4535 N. Fifth St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19140, 215-324-6086, tierracolombianarestaurant.com West River Food Truck This truck near 33rd and Market Streets in West Philly started out in 2022 as a smoothie spot aimed at thirsty Penn students, but patrons soon discovered proprietors Boronne and Sue Gao were also serving excellent breakfast. Jianbing guozi, a savory crepe, has the regional ubiquity of a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich in some Chinese cities but it is nearly unheard of in the Philadelphia region. So, last year, the mother and son duo rebranded altogether. West Rivers rendition fills a delectable egg-and-mung bean crepe with crunchy sheets of wonton and a savory filling of your choice; favorites include braised pork brushed with chili oil or a Chinese-style hot dog that scratches a nostalgic itch for students from Tianjin, the city where both the dish and Sue Gao originated. Whatever your choice, the combination of crepe, wonton, and filling adds up to sizzling comfort food that transcends national boundaries. To top it all off, West River also offers a dim sum menu featuring dan dan noodles, bao, and chili oil dumplings. Ryan W. Briggs West River Food Truck, 3300 Market St., no phone Whats your favorite restaurant? you ask. Allow us to share our favorite 76 restaurants with you. Its time for The 76! Also in this edition: Advertisement Kisses for Kissho: Critic Craig LaBan likes this new Japanese restaurant. Remembering a trailblazer: Friends mourn the loss of Carol Serena, who managed Parc on Rittenhouse Square. Great news for cider fans: We have news! Read on. Mike Klein If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here. The mission: Find the 76 restaurants that, collectively, define the Philadelphia areas food scene. Eighteen of us scouted, ate, and debated to arrive at a list of what we consider to be the regions most vital, essential places to eat. A 76 restaurant taken from 1776, I-76, and 76ers can be a counter, a diner, a cafe, a food truck, a market, a BYOB, or a $$$$ destination. Its one piece in the puzzle that, assembled, makes Philly a great dining town. In this 2025 edition of The 76, youll see some of the same favorites from the debut last year. But more than half of the entrants are new. We explored deeper in our neighborhoods and communities, while tracking the ever-changing dining landscape. Enjoy the online read. Look out for the print version, inserted into The Inquirers edition on Nov. 13. And to get even more out of our food journalism, attend The Inquirers Food Fest at the Fillmore in Fishtown on Saturday, Nov. 15. Well have a full day of activities for you. The 76 list for 2025: All 76 restaurants, mapped out. The editor: Margaret Eby reflects on our decision-making. The process: This wasnt all fun and games. Ask Kiki Aranita, who ate at 74 restaurants. The dissents: Seventy-six is not a large sampling. Here are the restaurants we fought to include. Kissho House, a newcomer in a stiffed-up bilevel Rittenhouse brownstone, offers one of the best $150 omakases that critic Craig LaBan has had in a while, but its izakaya gives it even more appeal. Carol Serena, the longtime general manager/air-traffic controller at Parc on Rittenhouse Square, has died at 57. Friends will honor her today with a memorial on the square. Chung Soon Hwang, who with her husband, Oe Tok, ran Chungs Coffee Shop in North Philadelphia for three decades, has died at 89. As the line between human and pet parenthood blurs, an industry of pet bakeries has emerged. Beatrice Forman reports that some of them are quite pawsh. Scoops Ploughman Cider will take over the Fishtown taproom left empty by Manatawny Still Works sudden closure, Jenn Ladd reports. The new Lee Street location, dubbed Pips by Ploughman, will be the first satellite location for a farm cidery in Philadelphia (and good news for downtown cider lovers mourning the loss of Hale & True). Known for its wide-ranging line of hard ciders from bone-dry to bittersweet and barrel-aged Adams County-based Ploughman already has a strong presence in Phillys bars, restaurants, and bottle shops. Pips will have its entire lineup available by the glass and the bottle, as well as its small-batch wines (now only available at its Gettysburg taproom). Owner Ben Wenk and general manager Amy Hartranft, a Philly bar-industry vet, plan to be open Oct. 27, in time for Philly Cider Week, which Hartranft cofounded in 2018. Micks Inn, the corner bar at Clearfield and Belgrade Streets in Port Richmond that closed in June after six decades, has a new owner: Adam Judeh, a Philly bar veteran whos now general manager at Judy & Harrys in Asbury Park, N.J. While unsure if he will keep the name, he told me he wants to preserve much of the low-key character as he aims for late 2025 or early 2026. Lassan Indian Traditional, the well-regarded Lafayette Hill BYOB, is headed to Lower Merion for its second location: the former Margot at 232 Woodbine Ave. in Narberth. Co-owner/chef Pema Lama says its about a month out. Restaurant report Forest & Main Fishtown is one of more than a dozen restaurants opening this month alone, including Ellen Yins Bread Room, Kitchen & Kocktails by Kevin Kelley, and something on the Main Line called Jade Rabbit Speakeasy, serving umami popcorn and tree caviar. Let me show you whats coming. Soup season is upon us, and one of the regions soupier destinations is Piston Diner (821 Crown Point Rd., Westville). Owner Ismail Ish Asci marking his 10th anniversary this month offers six to 12 varieties a day, including cream of potato leek, beef cabbage, and truffle French onion. From 11 a.m.-9 p.m., flights of three are $12.99; for $3 more, add the all-you-eat salad bar Briefly noted Iron Hills chainwide closing left behind a lot of beer and food. Erin McCarthy went searching for what happened to it all. Philly Vegan Restaurant Week will run from Oct. 24-Nov. 1, which happens to be World Vegan Day. Its a fundraiser for Juntos, the immigrant-aid group. Restaurant menus are here. South Phillys River Twice will reprise its All Hallows Eve-theme Seven Deadly Sins dinners Oct. 29 and 30, with each dish focusing on a particular vice: greed, sloth, wrath, pride, gluttony, lust, and envy. The full menu is here. Its $100 plus tax/tip and optional beverage pairing. Those who wear a costume are entered in a contest, whose winner gets a Mother Rucker Burger punch card good for five free burgers ($115 value). Closings: Bombay Express 2-year run in Marltons Allison Shopping Center will wrap Oct. 24, according to a Facebook post. Sprig & Vine, New Hopes upscale vegan destination, will mark its last day Oct. 19 after 15 years. Chef-owner Ross Olchvary has posted a farewell on Instagram, including a GoFundMe link to help the restaurant close with grace. Cantina La Martina has keyed its finale to a Dia de Los Muertos Celebration of Life from 1-10 p.m. Nov. 2. As they bow out of Kensington after four years, chef Dionicio Jimenez and Mariangeli Alicea Saez will offer pay-as-you-go food and drinks, kids arts & crafts, face painting, performances, robot dancers and more. Its walk-in only. Angies Vietnamese Cuisine , an outgrowth of Lynh Phams mobile catering business, will leave its location in CreekSide Market & Tap in Elkins Park in January. Pham recounted her journey and struggles on Instagram. Pop quiz Name the cheesesteak spot that has a new stand at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. A) Johns Roast Pork B) Angelos Pizzeria C) Shays D) What the heck is Xfinity Mobile Arena? Find out if you know the answer. Ask Mike anything When is Danny DiGiampietro planning on opening his new New Jersey location of Angelos Pizzeria? Anthony C. This one will take some time, DiGiampietro says. Hes just about to close on the former DiNics in West Collingswood Heights. Then comes a top-to-bottom renovation. Meanwhile, he says, the new Angelos outpost in the DE.CO Food Hall in Wilmington will be opening shortly. Have a question about food in Philly? Email your questions to me at mklein@inquirer.com for a chance to be featured in my newsletter. By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirers Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10. Alex Scott held her first lemonade stand in 2000. Read more Alexs Lemonade Stand Foundation has been receiving emails and calls every week from cancer researchers who lost federal grants this spring. The Bala Cynwyd-based charity started 20 years ago after a girl with cancer dreamed up a front-yard fundraiser to help support her doctors research. Alex Scotts vision has inspired people around the world to raise millions of dollars to fill gaps in funding for childhood cancer research. Advertisement Now her mission is seeing even more demand, after President Donald Trumps administration terminated and paused hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cancer-related grants. The foundation, ALSF, run by Alexs parents, has noticed a 100% increase in applications for one of their grants for newly independent scientists, and a 38% uptick in applications for their grant supporting bench-to-bedside scientific translation. Researchers have also reached out individually, wondering if the foundation could help offset some of their losses. However, ALSF has long been designed to supplement federal funding, not replace it. What we do is impossible without the federal governments funding, said Liz Scott, ALSFs co-executive director and Alexs mom. Over the last two decades, ALSF has raised more than $350 million for over 1,500 research projects across 150 different institutions. Theyre especially interested in science that wouldnt otherwise easily get funding, such as early-stage, innovative ideas that dont yet have enough preliminary data for federal grants. The foundation is pushing extra hard to raise money this year in hopes of filling some of the shortfalls caused by recent cuts, she said. So far, theyve raised around $30 million. 25 years of lemonade stands Scott and her husband started ALSF in 2005 after their 8-year-old daughter, Alex, died from a cancer called neuroblastoma. Alex had been diagnosed with the cancer which starts in immature nerve cells called neuroblasts two days before her first birthday, and went on to spend 2 years receiving treatments that failed to help her incurable diagnosis, Scott said. At that point, she had cancer in her bones, as high as her shoulders, down to her toes. The family left their home in Connecticut to receive an experimental treatment at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, which ended up reducing her cancer by about 70%. Prior to entering the clinical trial, Alex had been on morphine. The treatment offered relief. Her pain was gone, Scott said. A month later, Alex started talking about hosting her own lemonade stand. She wanted to raise money to give her doctors, so they can help kids the way they helped me, Scott recalled 4-year-old Alex saying. During her first stand in 2000, in West Hartford, Conn., Alex managed to raise $2,000 in a day. The next year, her family permanently relocated to the Philadelphia area to be closer to CHOP. Alex kept hosting her lemonade stand every year in her front yard, this time bringing in tens of thousands of dollars. At the same time, Alex continued battling her cancer. By 2004, she was very sick, Scott recalled. The 8-year-olds treatments stopped working, and experimental therapies failed to help. Alex decided that she wanted to raise $1 million. She said it would be possible if everyone held lemonade stands. In the last year of her life, Alex saw that goal met. People all over the U.S., and in Canada and France, held lemonade stands alongside her, in what would be the first Lemonade Days, an annual campaign where people set up lemonade stands in June to raise money for childhood cancer research. This year, there were 13,301 stands an 18% increase compared to 2024. Keeping her dream alive Until her daughter passed, Scott hadnt thought much about what Alexs efforts could become. However, she knew that Alex would have wanted to make an impact on all childhood cancers, not just her own. Scott recalled telling her daughter that they were planning to keep giving the money they raised to CHOP to study her cancer. But Alex thought that was selfish. All kids want their tumors to go away, Scott recalled her daughter saying. That set the vision for what ALSF is today. Weve really been able to come in and fill a gap that has existed for a long time, Scott said. One of the projects theyre most proud to have funded happened at CHOP. Physician-scientist Yael Mosse was interested in testing out a new treatment, called an ALK inhibitor, which blocks the anaplastic lymphoma kinase protein to help stop cancer cells from spreading. It was already being used for lung cancer. Mosse wanted to see how it would work in children with a particular form of neuroblastoma. We had no funding for this at that time, she said. Thats when ALSF stepped in to provide funding for Mosse to gather data and launch a clinical trial. Her team found that some children with the inherited form of neuroblastoma responded well to the drug and were able to go into remission. Edie Gilger, for example, was treated at 2 years old and is now 16 and cancer-free. She would have died without the opportunity for us to learn about ALK and to have an inhibitor, Mosse said. That work led to another trial in 2017, also supported in part by ALSF, that found an even better ALK inhibitor, which was effective in more children. The Scott family would later learn, after sequencing Alexs tumor, that her cancer fell into the category of neuroblastomas that could have been helped by that second drug. Mosse believes Alex couldve gone into remission. She didnt set out to cure her own cancer, but the fact that we were able to find something that would have helped her was really pretty special for us, Scott said. Early-career scientists at risk When the Scott family first started the foundation, one of the biggest concerns they heard was the difficulty recruiting people to the field. Because childhood cancer is underfunded, we werent attracting enough people to study it, Scott said. Academic researchers largely rely on grants to grow their lab and pay for part of their salary. There arent as many funding opportunities in pediatric cancer compared to other research areas, making it a seemingly riskier venture for young people planning careers. ALSF has responded by creating the Young Investigator Grant, specifically intended for early-career scientists. The idea is that the foundation provides these scientists with their first grant, which they can then leverage into a larger grant from the government, the major funder of research in the U.S. Were trying to show them that there is opportunity, and that organizations like ours can step in and fund them and bring them into this world, Scott said. Theyve so far funded about 300 young researchers. However, cuts to federal funding disrupt that system, Scott said. She worries they will lose talented scientists to the private sector, or that these young people might instead decide to pursue an area of research thats better funded than cancer is at the moment, she added. READ MORE: Penn cut doctoral student admissions by 20%, citing Trumps threats to federal research funding At the beginning of February, when cuts started being rolled out, ALSF decided it would try to double the number of young investigators it funded. Usually, the foundation funds between 10 and 13 new young investigators each year. This year, they funded 20. Still, they worry about the cuts they cant replace. The Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium, for example, had to halt enrollment in trials after learning that it would no longer receive government funding. Scott grieves for the families whose children have relapsed and need a clinical trial. Its absolutely devastating to think that theyre not going to have that option, she said. Scott pointed out that the Trump administration has pushed to cap funding for indirect costs, which usually cover overhead expenses such as rent, utilities, maintenance, and administrative support. At the University of Pennsylvania, the proposed 15% cap would reduce yearly funding for medical research by $240 million. The rate cap has been blocked by court order for now. ALSFs grants dont cover indirect costs, meaning they count on federal funding to support that aspect of research. Scott is hopeful Alexs legacy can still make a difference, even in this funding landscape. But she emphasized they cant do it alone. Alexs is in a unique position to be able to fill some of these shortfalls in the budget cuts, but weve got to raise more money to do that, she added. John Deslippe, 26, took home first place in the restoration category at an apprentice competition hosted roughly every three years by the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers and International Masonry Institute. Read more How do you get to the highly competitive, very niche International Apprentice Contest, hosted by the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers and International Masonry Institute every three years? Same way you get to Carnegie Hall: Practice, practice, practice, but with a lot of caulk. Advertisement For 26-year-old John Deslippe, earning a ticket to the competition in Detroit meant spending his Saturdays working with experienced masons, fine-tuning everything from his stone patching to joint work weather, ribbon, concave, you name it, if you can. After all, the pressure was high. Deslippe was going on behalf of BAC Local 1, which represents about 2,000 members in Pennsylvania and Delaware, and his competition consisted of the top 1% of apprentices in the United States and Canada. Past contestants have likened the competition to a masonry Super Bowl. I think I seen him smile once during the competition, joked Justin Scarinci, president and business manager of Local 1. That changed last month when Deslippe was named the winner of his restoration category, officially called pointer, caulker, cleaner, or PCC for short. Randall Williams, another Local 1 member, placed third in the tile category. [Deslippe] was ecstatic, on cloud nine, thanking everybody for the training, hugging us, Scarinci said. It brought tears to my eyes. The bragging rights come as the BAC, which calls itself the oldest continuous union in North America, celebrates 160 years, and amid the skilled trades growing popularity with Gen Z. According to human resources company Gusto Insights, 18- to 24-year-olds made up 25% of new hires in the skilled trades in 2024. Still, masonry is a brutal trade. Aside from the technical knowledge required, workers are handling, hammering, and chiseling heavy material, sometimes in a ditch, often exposed to the elements. Those who specialize in working with historic buildings face the added pressure of ending up on the ever-growing list of restoration fails and drawing the ire of preservationists. So its always a source of pride to see the younger generations passionate about the work and excelling at it, Scarinci said. A product of the times Like an increasing number of people his age, Deslippe was initially drawn to masonry and construction because it offered an alternative to the traditional four-year college. His trade school experience at Lancasters Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology sparked an interest in brickwork that is often reflected in his various social media posts, showcasing his latest work. Its hard manual work, but its also creative and really meticulous at times, and that combination, for me, has proven to be really rewarding, said Deslippe, who went on to study historic preservation at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University. For the last year and a half, Deslippe has continued to add to his work experience as an apprentice with the union. He works during the week, earning pay and benefits, and spends Saturdays at the locals training center, which has more than 180 apprentices enrolled, according to Scarinci. Workers train with brick, block, stone, pile, marble, and terrazzo. When competition time comes around every three to five years, locals across the country pick their best apprentices to represent them at regionals in a variety of specialized categories, such as tiles, brick, and stone. Families are allowed to show support at the finals, but theres not a lot of cheering going on. In fact, Deslippe instructed his father, who is a Detroit native, to support him from afar so as not to distract him. On competition day in Detroits Huntington Place convention venter, Deslippe was handed a drawing and a mock-up of brick and split-face block, which also featured a worn carving of what could best be described as a lions face, a nod to the art deco features of Detroits Guardian Building. Some bricks are missing, the joints are raked back, and they want you to infill the brick, Deslippe said. They want you to repoint the brick using these different joints in different areas. They want you to caulk, also flash waterproof, and then also stone patch. Apprentices had to perform an assortment of preservation tasks, such as restoring the face, over the course of a full workday, all while ensuring they followed safety protocols and wore the proper personal protective equipment. Though a significant amount of work, the series of tasks was ultimately no match for Deslippe, who, with about six months left in his apprenticeship, is looking forward to the added responsibility that will come with his graduation. Yet despite being an international champion, Deslippe has said he is never gonna stop learning about the trade. Yes, hes talking about practice. Justices David Wecht, Christine Donohue and Kevin Dougherty sit onstage during a fireside chat featuring the three justices of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court who are on the November retention ballot at Central High School on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025 in Philadelphia. Read more Three Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices are on the ballot this November, when voters will decide whether to extend each of their tenures for another 10-year term. There are currently five justices who were elected as Democrats and two who were elected as Republicans on the bench. Advertisement This years retention race has drawn heightened attention, as Republicans have launched a campaign to sink the retention bids of Justices Kevin Dougherty, Christine Donohue, and David Wecht all elected as Democrats in 2015 in hopes of flipping the courts balance. Once on the bench, judges are expected to shed their partisan label, which is why Pennsylvania extends judicial terms through retention elections instead of head-to-head races. READ MORE: Why Pa. voters are asked to choose yes or no for some judges on Election Day Still, advocacy groups on both sides of the aisle are trying to make the case that control of the judicial seats is critical, if not existential, to their causes. Advertisement The Inquirer reviewed the cases that have come before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court over the last decade, and how Dougherty, Donohue, and Wecht voted. Here are some of the most significant cases of their tenure. Abortion Pennsylvanias highest court stopped just short of recognizing a constitutional right to abortion access in January 2024. The ruling came in a case challenging a state law limiting Medicaid funding for abortions except in cases involving rape, incest, or danger to the life of the mother. Advertisement The 219-page majority opinion included language that strongly endorsed access to abortion as a right derived from the Pennsylvania Constitution, but the judges could not agree on whether they were ready to make the call in this case. READ MORE: Pa. Supreme Court sets up a showdown over whether abortion is a right protected by the state constitution The majority sent questions about a specific funding limit and broader constitutional protection for abortion access back to a lower court setting up another round of legal battles that will likely, again, make it before the state Supreme Court. How the three justices ruled: Donohue wrote and Wecht joined the majority opinion. The two justices said they believed Pennsylvanias 1971 Equal Rights Amendment clearly established a right to abortion access. Dougherty wrote a separate opinion saying this case did not call on the court to opine on the right to an abortion. At least, not yet, he wrote. Voting rights and elections The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled on a litany of challenges to Pennsylvanias election rules, many of them focused on the states mail voting law. In 2018, the justices threw out the states GOP-drawn congressional maps as unconstitutionally gerrymandered. Advertisement In 2020, the court issued a major ruling ahead of the presidential election allowing for ballot drop boxes and allowing local election offices to accept ballots for up to three days after the election as long as those ballots were postmarked by 8 p.m. on Election Day. How the three justices ruled: Donohue, Dougherty, and Wecht each joined the majority opinion in the redistricting case. On the 2020 election ruling, Dougherty and Wecht joined the majority opinion. Donohue joined the majority opinion but dissented from the decision to extend the ballot deadline. A Delaware County secured drop box for the return of mail ballots in 2022 in Newtown Square. Read more Matt Rourke / AP Education A Delaware County school district had the right to challenge Pennsylvanias school-funding system, the Supreme Court ruled in 2017. The decision affirmed the role of courts in ensuring that state funding leads to equitable education and sent the case back to Commonwealth Court to proceed with litigation. Advertisement In 2023, Commonwealth Court ruled, as part of the same case, that the states funding system for school districts led to disparities that prohibit quality education for all students, rendering it unconstitutional. How the three justices ruled: Wecht wrote the majority opinion, which Dougherty and Donohue joined. Environment Pennsylvania, which partly sits on the natural gas-rich Marcellus Shale, found itself in the midst of the fracking boom of the early 2000s. The state sold leases to oil and gas companies to drill wells. The practice raised questions, and legal challenges, as to how the state should use the revenues in the context of the Pennsylvania Constitutions Environmental Rights Amendment. The court ruled in 2017 that it is unconstitutional for the state to use revenue from the royalties of oil and gas leases on public land to pay for anything but conservation and maintenance of the environment. How the three justices ruled: Donohue wrote the majority opinion, which Dougherty and Wecht joined. Justices David Wecht, Christine Donohue and Kevin Dougherty sit onstage during a fireside chat at Central High School in September. The conversation was moderated by Cherri Gregg, co-host of Studio 2 on WHYY, and presented by the Committee of Seventy, Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, and the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania. Read more Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer Criminal justice Pennsylvania has had the nations largest population of juvenile lifers: people sentenced as minors to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In 2017, the Supreme Court made it harder to sentence a juvenile to life. The majority opinion says there is a presumption against life without parole for juveniles who are found guilty of murder, and prosecutors must show that the offender is unable to be rehabilitated when seeking the sentence. How the three justices ruled: Donohue wrote the majority opinion, which Dougherty and Wecht joined. Second Amendment In 2024, for the first time, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued an opinion that interpreted the wording in the U.S. Constitution that gives Pennsylvanians the right to bear arms. In Stroud Township, a zoning ordinance that prohibited the discharge of a firearm within the townships borders limited the possible locations for shooting ranges. The ordinance barred a resident from having a personal outdoor shooting range on his property, and he sued the township for violating his Second Amendment rights. The court ruled that the ordinance was constitutional. How the three justices ruled: Dougherty wrote the majority opinion, which Wecht joined. Donohue wrote her own opinion, reaching the same conclusion as the majority but disagreeing with the analysis. Larry Krasner Did Republican lawmakers make a procedural error in their 2022 effort to impeach Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner? The Supreme Court in 2024 said they did, effectively ending a campaign in Harrisburg to oust the progressive prosecutor. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner talks about Republican-led efforts to investigate his record addressing crime and gun violence at the Pennsylvania Capitol in 2022. Read more Mark Scolforo / AP The decision said that the articles of impeachment approved by the state House in late 2022 were null and void because they were sent to the Pennsylvania Senate on the last day of that years legislative session, and the upper chamber did not complete its work on the matter before the next session began. The attempt to carry the process from one two-year session to the next was unlawful, the court said. The majority also agreed with a lower court that none of the articles of impeachment met the required legal standard of misbehavior in office. How the three justices ruled: Donohue and Wecht joined the majority opinion. Dougherty did not participate in the deliberations. Bill Cosby Disgraced actor and comedian Bill Cosby walked out of prison a free man in 2021 after the state Supreme Court reversed his sexual assault conviction. The court did not weigh in on the facts of the case or whether Cosby was guilty. Instead, it focused on a former Montgomery County prosecutors decade-old promise that Cosby would never be charged with drugging and assaulting Andrea Constand if he gave incriminating testimony in a civil case filed by his accuser. The justices found that the testimony was improperly used years later against Cosby at his criminal trial, calling it a unconstitutional coercive bait-and-switch. How the three justices ruled: Wecht wrote the majority opinion, which Donohue joined. Dougherty wrote a separate opinion, saying he would allow for Cosby to be retried, but would order his testimony from the civil case to be suppressed. "Films Shaped by a City is on the Film Society Center's back wall, on Sansom between Broad and 15th Streets. The mural was commissioned by Mural Arts, designed by Marian Bailey, and painted by a team led by muralist Eric Okdeh. Photo taken on Oct. 3, 2025. Read more There are more than 4,000 murals in Philadelphia, but few of those highlight the citys cinematic history and heritage. That changed Oct. 3 with the dedication of Films Shaped by a City, a mural designed by Marian Bailey on the back wall of the Film Society Center, on Sansom Street between Broad and 15th Streets. Advertisement The mural was unveiled ahead of the venues debut of its lobby and entrance renovation and in time for the start of the 34th Philadelphia Film Festival. The idea for the mural started when Maori Karmael Holmes, founder of BlackStar Projects, suggested a project that would be a tribute to film in our city, said Mural Arts executive director Jane Golden. As is the Mural Arts way, Golden set out to find a wall, envisioning it as a place for the new mural. She found it at the Philadelphia Film Society Center. Golden said Andrew Greenblatt, CEO and executive director of the Philadelphia Film Society, was excited about doing the project. I said yeah, we would love to do something that celebrates film in Philadelphia on that wall. And from there, it kind of developed, said Greenblatt. A committee was convened, which included representatives from the Film Society, BlackStar, PhillyCAM, the Scribe Video Center, the Philadelphia Asian American Film Foundation, CineSpeak, Sotomayor Productions, and others. Bailey was approached in June 2023 by Phil Asbury, Mural Arts director of community murals, about designing the mural. The project, she was told, would entail various illustrations based off of things the film community put together. She said yes right away. I really enjoy movies, and film, and so it was a lot of fun to spearhead this project, she said. The mural features references to several major Philadelphia-set films, including Rocky (1976), Mikey and Nicky (1976), Blow Out (1981), Trading Places(1983), Philadelphia (1993), The Watermelon Woman (1996), and The Sixth Sense (1999). Bailey designed the mural, and muralist Eric Okdeh led the team that painted it. I think about the power of film to be the vision of the future, Holmes said at the murals dedication. It only makes sense that we continue to be champions of film. Also featured on the mural are a number of the citys theaters, festivals, and other cinematic institutions. The exclusion of certain movies from the mural is likely to start some arguments. In remarks at the dedication, State Sen. Nikil Saval pointed out the absence of such favorites as Mannequin, Eraserhead, and Creed. (While David Lynchs Eraserhead was inspired by the late directors time living in Callowhill and it ended up being the first showing at the remodeled Film Society Center it was not actually shot in Philadelphia.) Bailey said she loves the Creed films but wasnt able to include them. It creates a conversation, like a best-of list, Greenblatt said of the movie selection. What didnt make it? Why not? Lets talk about it. What I like about it is, people tell me its like a scavenger hunt, Golden said. They are looking for different icons. They get really excited [about] how many they can identify and are familiar with. So I think its a kind of mural that shines a light on and lifts up the arts in our city. Golden, who is stepping down as executive director at Mural Arts in the summer of 2026, said shes excited about several upcoming projects, including a new gateway project, a Boyz II Men mural, and a tribute to Questlove. Its so important to have a public art project that is not just about art that comes down from the sky. The work that we do is created in careful, respectful, intentional collaboration with the citizens of our city, said Golden, who considers the citys murals as the true autobiography of the city of Philadelphia. Were thrilled, Greenblatt said of Films Shaped by a City. It really adds to the building, adds to the street, and adds to what were trying to accomplish here. We want the Philadelphia film community to feel at home here. Germantown resident Carlotta Fareira, 93, speaks to the media Wednesday about the importance of voting at a voter registration event by the Philadelphia City Commissioners. Fareire has been voting in Philadelphia elections since she was 21, before the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18. Read more Carlotta Fareira, 93, has cast a ballot in every Philadelphia election since she could legally vote which in her case was at 21 years old, having registered before the passing of the 26th Amendment, which lowered the age to 18. Now, with the Oct. 20 deadline to register to vote in the forthcoming election just days away, the Germantown nonagenarian is urging her fellow residents to join the millions of other Pennsylvanians who are already registered. Advertisement When you vote, you are involved in how the city runs and operates, said Fareira, a former schoolteacher. In my day, it was exciting because people brought children to the polls with them to introduce them to voting. It is one way, the best way, to be involved in what goes on in your community. Standing beside her was 18-year-old Caleem Spurgeon, a senior at Imhotep Institute Charter High School, who will do just as Fareira did three-quarters of a century ago: vote in his first election. To me, voting isnt just a right, its a responsibility, said Spurgeon, who registered to vote with United Neighbors. I believe one of the most powerful ways my generation can shape the future is voting. The issues we care about, like education, opportunity, and safety, all depend on what you vote for. READ MORE: Your guide to the 2025 general election in Philadelphia, from district attorney to Pa. Supreme Court While the majority of Americas youth support democracy, in Pennsylvania, only one in four 18-year-olds is registered to vote. Thats why on Wednesday, less than three weeks from the Nov. 4 general election, top city and state election officials and leaders gathered at the Philadelphia city commissioners warehouse in Northeast Philly. Pennsylvanians have five days left to register to vote in the coming election. Additionally, election officials are urging voters to confirm their voter registration status ahead of the deadline. If youre unsure about your registration status, whether you want to update it, like changing a party, or because youve moved, or some life situation has changed, now is the time to do it before Oct. 20, said City Commissioner Seth Bluestein. Joining the city commissioners were Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, and Chief Deputy Mayor Sincere Harris, alongside Lauren Cristella, president and CEO of the Committee of Seventy. How to register to vote in Philadelphia Residents can register to vote online, in person, or by mail. Online: Visit pavoterservices.pa.gov. Mail: Pick up or download a paper application (available in multiple languages) and mail the completed form to: Voter Registration Office, 520 N. Columbus Blvd., Fifth Floor, Philadelphia, Pa. 19123. In-person: Register to vote at these locations: Voter Registration Office: 520 N. Columbus Blvd., fifth floor, Philadelphia, Pa. 19123. Philadelphia County Board of Elections: City Hall, Room 142, 1400 JFK Blvd., Philadelphia, Pa. 19107. 10 satellite election offices. (A full list is available at vote.phila.gov/seos.) U.S. post offices. Philadelphia public libraries. State liquor stores. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation photo license centers (when you get or update a drivers license). Other state government offices. Who can register to vote? Adults who have been a U.S. citizen for at least one month before the next election, and have been living in Philadelphia for at least 30 days before the election, can register to vote in Philadelphia. Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran acted legally in signing up to have his deputies help ICE enforce federal immigration laws, a judge ruled Wednesday in a case that has riled residents on both sides of a contentious issue. Bucks County Court Judge Jeffrey Trauger said Harrans cooperation with the agency was clearly lawful under Pennsylvania jurisprudence, and both reasonable and necessary in fulfilling his lawful duty to keep the citizens of Bucks County safe. Advertisement What the judge called intergovernmental cooperation of law enforcement is no different under the law at the county, state, or federal level, he wrote. The ACLU of Pennsylvania and other plaintiffs had asked Trauger to issue an injunction blocking the partnership from moving forward. Reached by phone Wednesday, Harran said he was pleased with the decision and expected his partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be fully operational by the end of next week. I knew from the time I started this that I was in the right, that the county commissioners do not control the office of the sheriff, Harran said. A spokesperson for Bucks County said the county intended to appeal. Those who sought to block Harrans efforts said they would continue to battle. This decision doesnt mean that well stop fighting to hold Sheriff Harran accountable, said Diana Robinson, co-executive director of Make the Road Pennsylvania, an advocacy group that was one of the plaintiffs. Indeed, we will redouble our efforts in this case and continue to fight for what is right. She said an alliance between Harrans department and ICE was aimed at turning our neighborhoods into surveillance zones and weaponizing local law enforcement to carry out ICEs harmful agenda. In his opinion, the judge said it did not appear that Make the Road, NAACP Bucks County, or Buxmont Unitarian Universalist Fellowship as organizations had clear standing to sue under Pennsylvania law. While individual members might have standing if they were caused harm by the sheriffs office, he said, the injuries they alleged were not immediate or substantial, and their complaint was based in part on speculation about what might happen. ACLU of Pennsylvania attorney Stephen Loney, who helped lead the court fight, said Wednesday that he disagreed with the decision. In the most respectful way I could possibly say it, I think the judge got it totally wrong, he said. Its unfortunate. He said the ACLU would appeal the decision. ICE officials did not immediately offer comment. Laura Rose, an organizer with Indivisible Bucks County, said the group was deeply disappointed in Judge Traugers decision to let Harran proceed without guardrails. She called the ruling a profound failure to protect both the immigrants and taxpayers of Bucks County. Rose called on voters to end the local alliance with ICE by voting Harran out of office on Nov. 4. Harrans lawyer, Wally Zimolong, called the decision a victory for the rule of law and for the safety of Bucks County residents, and accused the ACLU of maligning the sheriff with false claims. Frankly, he said, it is mind-boggling that anyone would oppose this. It is also a vindication for Sheriff Harran, a good and honorable man and dedicated public servant. It is a proud day when people of good character, like Sheriff Harran, prevail over those that lack it. In the spring, Harran and ICE officials signed what is called a 287(g) agreement, a controversial program named for a section of a 1996 immigration law. It enables local police to undergo ICE training, then assist the agency in identifying, arresting, and deporting immigrants. The number of police agencies participating in the program has soared to more than 1,000 under President Donald Trump. Seven states, including New Jersey and Delaware, bar the agreements by law or policy. Shortly before the government shutdown, ICE was poised to begin backing its recruitment efforts with money, announcing that it would reimburse cooperating police agencies for costs that previously had been borne by local departments and taxpayers. Harran, who is seeking reelection in November, has pledged zero cost to local taxpayers. He insists the alliance with ICE will prevent crime and keep people safe. Civil rights groups say the sheriff is inviting racial profiling, taxpayer liability, and a loss of trust between police and citizens. Contentious legal hearings have come against a backdrop of name-calling and rancor outside the courtroom. The Democratic-led Bucks County Board of Commissioners has disavowed Harrans actions, voting 2-1, with the lone Republican opposed, to approve a resolution that declared the agreement with ICE is not an appropriate use of Bucks County taxpayer resources. The ICE issue has become central to Democrats effort to oust Harran, a Republican, while the sheriff says his intentions have been misconstrued by political opponents and the news media. A judge ruling that he has the authority to enter into this deportation agreement does not make this any less dangerous, Harrans Democratic opponent, Danny Ceisler, said in a statement Wednesday. The last opportunity to end the partnership, Ceisler said, is by winning the election next month. A key issue has been the difference between what Harran says he intends to do and the much broader powers conferred within the agreement with ICE. Harran signed up for the Task Force Model, the most far-reaching of the three types of 287(g) agreements. It allows local police to challenge people on the streets about their immigration status and arrest them for violations. Harran said his officers wont do that. Wednesdays ruling, Harran said, recognized the limited scope of his plans, and he suggested that every county should partner with ICE. Im only interested in making the county safer, and Im only interested in dealing with those folks that are in this country illegally that have committed crimes, Harran said. I am not the immigration police. I am not Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Harran has said staff will electronically check the immigration status of people who have contact with the sheriffs office because of alleged criminal offenses. Those found to be in the country illegally will be turned over or transported to ICE, if the federal agency desires, he said. Harran testified in court last month that he planned to create a sheriffs office policy to specify the limits of his deputies powers but had not yet done so. He insisted that his office would take only the actions he has described. We will not be stopping people to ask them on immigration status, he said under cross-examination. I know what I am doing, and thats all I intend to do. This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirers high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters. A poll of U.S. Christians conducted by the Pew Research Center revealed that 7% said they believe supporting Donald Trump is essential to being a good Christian. But another 11% said exactly the opposite. Read more Pope Leo XIV made my day. Last week, I was on Day 7 of a novena (nine consecutive days of intentional prayers offered by a community or individual) for migrants, asylum-seekers, refugees, and other displaced persons, when the popes apostolic exhortation, Dilexi te, was released. In the first major document of his papacy, the U.S.-born leader of more than 1.4 billion Roman Catholics wrote about the close connection between Christs love and his summons to care for the poor and marginalized, including migrants: [The church] knows that her proclamation of the Gospel is credible only when it is translated into gestures of closeness and welcome. And she knows that in every rejected migrant, it is Christ himself who knocks at the door of the community. Gotta love the Holy Spirit, as a friend of mine says. Advertisement The popes guidance immediately made waves, landing squarely in the middle of a national argument about Christianity and its relationship to President Donald Trump and his administrations policies and personalities. Some Christians in the argument point to Kristi Noem, offering a prayer before sending U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents out into communities looking for immigrants to arrest, or Karoline Leavitt, praying as she readies to take the podium at a White House press briefing, as a welcome sign that Christian belief is centered in this administration in a way no previous administration has centered it. READ MORE: When the state uses more force to take down a Latino senator than a suspected assassin | In Conversation In a Pew Research Center poll of U.S. Christians conducted in September, 7% said they believe supporting Trump is essential to being a good Christian. Another 11% said exactly the opposite, and 80% of the remaining U.S. Christians polled felt that good Christians can disagree about Trump. READ MORE: Say it with me: Our government is forcibly disappearing people | Sabrina Vourvoulias I hasten to add that Im not sure if I belong in the 11% or the 80% I feel sick every time Christian belief is trotted out to sanctify or sanitize racist claims and the grievous harms the administration has visited upon so many of our neighbors (especially with regard to the brutal and dehumanizing treatment of immigrants). But people have extended grace to me in the past when I have been dead wrong about things and I want to do the same with my fellow Christians. Still, I am curious about how local faith leaders tasked with reaching all Christians under their spiritual care even manage to preach to a people so divided. Whether one is a native-born American, an immigrant seeking freedom and opportunity, or a naturalized U.S. citizen, all of us are impacted by American culture and the political landscape, Archbishop Nelson Perez, the leader of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, told me via email. The Catholic Church is not partisan. She works to transcend divisive actions and ideologies. She constantly reminds us to see each person as a member of the human family, and to care in a special way for the weakest and most vulnerable among us by serving as the compassionate Christ who sought to bring peace, hope, and unity to the world. The Rev. Jessie Alejandro, the Episcopalian vicar of the Church of the Crucifixion and Church of St. Jude and the Nativity, said via email that when a person, mainly now in our Latino community, is being treated unfairly, what I can bring is hope in spite of what the world is doing. [I can help people to] trust God in their daily walk. Every time I preach I talk about love and forgiveness, she added. I believe that is the message that we should be imparting to every human being, to love one another as Jesus Christ has loved us, to love your neighbors as you love yourself. I dont teach, nor do I use, the Bible to weaponize or take anything away from folks, she said. Archbishop Perez, meanwhile, brought it back around to the recently released papal document. We all must recommit to our common responsibility to care for the weak and the poor with an open heart, and to respect their God-given dignity with hands outstretched to our brothers and sisters, he said. Any expression of charity is an act of love. I join in Pope Leos vision for the Church acting with compassionate love in his conclusion to Dilexi Te, in which he calls love both a way of looking at life and a way of living it. I would like to be able to close this column with some deeper understanding of where the foregrounding of Christianity in our national political scene during this particular administration might lead. But I cannot. The journalist in me fears that, given the Trump administrations authoritarian bent and need for an enemy to fight, it will be nowhere good. The Catholic in me, however, is a creature of hope. I pray daily, with intentions ordinary and special, that wherever we end up, it is to steal some final words from Pope Leo a place of moral and spiritual dignity. The most important optic of President Donald Trumps Gaza summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, was who was absent from the roster of world leaders standing behind him as he declared peace had come to the Middle East. Among the missing were the key players who will determine whether the presidents 20-point peace plan for Gaza ever gets beyond its first phase: the ceasefire-for-hostages deal that, praise the heavens, returned the 20 living Israeli hostages and permitted desperately needed aid to begin flowing into Gaza. Advertisement The stunning absence of those essential figures has received far too little attention from the media. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister who insists the Gaza war isnt over, stayed home. And even more telling, so did Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince, and Mohamed bin Zayed, leader of the United Arab Emirates, without whose billions, Gaza wont be rebuilt. Both only sent underlings. Nor was there any visible Palestinian presence Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was in the hall but not on the dais. And Jordans King Abdullah, who was on the stage, and whose role will be crucial to the future of the West Bank, barely received a mention from Trump. This was a stark reminder of how far removed the Mideast remains from Trumps over-the-top declaration at the summit that he had brought peace to the Mideast after 3,000 years. READ MORE: Trumps Gaza deal offers an opportunity to pursue peace | Trudy Rubin I do not mean to detract from the presidents achievement in arm-twisting Netanyahu into accepting a ceasefire he had repeatedly resisted. The sight of Israeli mothers, fathers, and siblings clinging to their returning loved ones was incredibly moving, as was the sight of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians trudging back to destroyed homes where many had lost family members to bombs. But the absence of those three key leaders goes to the heart of what was missing from Trumps self-adulatory speech, and from the lavish praise he received from attendees seeking to please him. The summit was more about celebrating the president than it was about achieving peace. I am the only one that matters, Trump said on the stage. Moreover, the statement issued post-gathering which the White House labeled The Trump Declaration for Enduring Peace and Prosperity was bereft of any specifics, but stuffed with windy platitudes about dignity for all. There is little sign so far that the president or his team is prepared to do the necessary work to ensure a peace process moves forward, which requires keeping Netanyahu onside, getting the Gulf Arabs on board, and giving the Palestinians an immediate role. According to the Israeli press, Netanyahu didnt want to be seen with Abbas, since he insists the Palestinian Authority can have no say in peace talks. Israeli media have also reported that Trump personally invited the Israeli leader to attend. But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would bow out if that happened, because of his criticism of the Israeli militarys physical destruction of Gaza. As for the Saudi crown prince, known as MBS, and the United Arab Emirates bin Zayed, they are still unhappy about changes in the 21-point plan Trump had told them he had agreed to. Substantial changes were made after last-minute Israeli intervention. Those countries are meant to take the lead in standing up an international force to police the West Bank and pay for reconstruction. The initial 21-point plan envisioned a temporary Arab-led force (with no Hamas allowed) that would eventually give way to a force led by a reformed Palestinian Authority. It also set out a path to Palestinian statehood. The final version left Gazas future vague, while Netanyahu has ruled out PA participation or a Palestinian state. The final 20-point plan created by the Trump team of real estate magnate Steve Witkoff and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner envisions day-to-day Gaza governance run by a team of Palestinian technocrats, under an international Board of Peace headed by Trump. But who will choose these technocrats is a mystery so far, as is the role of the peace board. Its also hard to envision Trumps role. READ MORE: In U.N. speech, Trump urges global war on immigration and climate hoax, but punts on Ukraine and Gaza | Trudy Rubin Judging by the Israeli governments approach in Gaza, it may try to find compliant Palestinians who have little legitimacy in their community for the technocratic committee. As a foreign correspondent based in Jerusalem in the 1980s, I watched a similar process take place on the West Bank, where Israel tried to create village leagues that would undermine elected Palestinian local officials. The project failed because the leagues werent accepted by locals. Without signs of a shift in Netanyahus attitude toward the PA, and White House signals that Palestinian civil society in Gaza will be consulted, it is hard to see the Saudi leadership buying into this project. Similarly, both the Saudis and the UAE have made clear in the past that they oppose the annexation of the West Bank that the Israeli far-right is demanding. That also applies to the current de facto annexation being carried out by radical settlers and extremist ministers in Netanyahus cabinet. So the missing faces on the stage behind Trump are sending a message that the touted 20 points are in need of revision. Saudi and UAE participation, along with that of Qatar and Turkey, is essential in squeezing Hamas to disarm and organizing the negotiations that follow. Their absence cannot be ignored. No international Board of Peace or team of Palestinian technocrats will be able to advance in Gaza unless Palestinian civil society is genuinely consulted and allowed to participate. Indeed, that is the only way to turn them against Hamas, because they would finally have hope in the future. The Saudis and Emiratis know this. They dont want to get sucked into a process in which they are funding new buildings that will be destroyed in the next round of Gaza warfare. Nor are they willing to fulfill Trumps dream of extending the Abraham Accords to include Saudi recognition of Israel if the price required is acquiescence to permanent Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. They may not be eager for a Palestinian state, but they dont want to be the enablers of a one-state solution in which Palestinians are pushed out. Right now, the 20-point plan and Trumps performance in Egypt hint that he is still dreaming of a Gaza Riviera real estate bonanza. And Kushner may be trying to revive his Peace to Prosperity Plan, which failed dismally in 2020 during Trumps first term. Both are pipe dreams because they depend on Arab acquiescence in perpetual occupation of the Palestinians. Trumps true achievement is the momentum he has created with the ceasefire-for-hostages deal. But, contrary to his declaration in Egypt, he cant do it alone. He needs a broader vision to get his peace plans off the ground. State Sen. Anthony Williams (D., Philadelphia), stands next to Democratic Philadelphia Councilmember Jamie Gautier at a press conference decrying the possibility that the University of Pennsylvania might sign a compact to cede control of many functions to the Trump administration. Read more In a fiery news conference Wednesday, elected officials urged University of Pennsylvania administrators not to bend the knee to a would-be king and to reject the Trump administrations proposal to shape the schools policies and procedures. The group of lawmakers gathered on a street corner outside the Penn campus to excoriate the plan, known as the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education. In exchange for ceding control over functions such as hiring, admissions, and tuition pricing, as well as academic freedom and diversity, universities that sign the compact would receive priority access to federal grants. Advertisement Accepting [President Donald] Trumps bribe would transform universities into MAGA academies, said City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, a Democrat, whose district includes Penn. It would turn a school like Penn into a mouthpiece for the Republican Party. The University of Pennsylvania did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. But earlier in the month, Penn president J. Larry Jameson said the university will evaluate the proposed compact based on the schools values and mission. Those include freedom of inquiry and thought, free expression, non-discrimination, the law, the U.S. Constitution, and Penns own governance, Jameson said Oct 5. Jameson also said in the statement to the Penn community that the university seeks no special consideration. We strive to be supported based on the excellence of our work, our scholars and students, and the programs and services we provide to our neighbors and to the world, he said. During the news conference Wednesday, led by State Sen. Anthony Williams (D., Philadelphia), Democratic State Reps. Malcolm Kenyatta and Rick Krajewski, both from Philadelphia, discussed a bill they are proposing the Protect Pennsylvanias Academic Freedom Act that would prohibit institutions that receive state funding from signing onto the compact or similar agreements. While Penn is a private university not dependent on state money, some commonwealth funding flows into it, notably to the School of Veterinary Medicine, which received a $33.5 million appropriation from the state during the 2024-25 fiscal year, according to the University of Pennsylvania Almanac. Krajewski said a Trump compact would do even more harm to diversity, equity, and inclusion than the administration already has. The compact presents scribbles of a cabal of wealthy white men hijacking of our democracy," he said. Their actions could mean discrimination against Black students and queer and transgender students. State Rep. Napoleon Nelson (D., Montgomery), chair of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, urged Jameson to stand up for academic values. Were looking to you to actually lead. Speakers were especially critical of billionaire Marc Rowan for what they said was his contribution to the Trump compact. Rowan is the donor who led the campaign to oust former Penn president Liz Magill over the administrations response to allegations of antisemitism. He chairs the advisory board at Wharton, Penns business school. Rowan played an important role in developing the ideas used in the compact, according to the New York Times. He could not be reached for comment. Rowan has wielded his position at Penn to wage a war of his own on campus, Krajewski said. Other colleges that were sent the compact are Vanderbilt University, Dartmouth College, the University of Southern California, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Arizona, Brown University, and the University of Virginia. Williams said the university has been silent for too long about the compact and its potential impact on students and faculty of color. We are tired of being polite, Williams said. We come from a survival background. And we know how to fight. The Trump administration has given the university until Oct. 20 to respond to the proposal. Educators gather following a Pennsylvania State Education Association news conference in the rotunda of the State Capitol in August where officials called on lawmakers to pass a state budget that invests in public schools and reject efforts to tie passage to tuition vouchers. Read more HARRISBURG Public schools across Pennsylvania have missed more than $3 billion in payments from the state, requiring the states 500 school districts to take out billions in loans, spend their reserves, or lay off staff as the state budget impasse stretches into its fourth month. A coalition of eight statewide school organizations held a news conference on Tuesday urging lawmakers in the state General Assembly to reach a compromise budget as soon as possible, and raised the alarm that most school districts cannot wait any longer. The groups, led by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, represented a wide variety of areas of public education, including principals, teachers, superintendents, intermediate units, and more all of whom pleaded for the states elected leaders to put partisanship aside so the money their districts count on can begin flowing again. Held to a higher standard Lawmakers in Pennsylvanias split legislature where Democrats control the House and Republicans control the Senate have been unable to reach a deal on the state budget, which was due by July 1. Without a new budget, no money can flow to districts, including the billions in federal dollars that first pass through the states coffers before being sent to districts. This leaves districts in distressing circumstances where they are still obligated to operate and still make hundreds of millions of dollars in payments to charter schools with no state or federal funding. Advertisement READ MORE: Pennsylvanias state budget is late. Leaders still cant agree on the basics. House Democrats passed a nearly $50.3 billion budget last week their second budget vote so far this year on the 100th day of the budget impasse. Top House Democrats and Gov. Josh Shapiro maintain that Senate Republicans are holding up the budget for political reasons, while Senate Republicans counter that they are a last line of defense against the state requiring tax increases in future budgets. Theres multiple fingers to point in multiple directions. The fact of the matter is a budget needs to be achieved, and it can only be achieved through partnership and through compromise, said Eric Eshbach, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Principals Association. The school groups also highlighted the irony that each district is mandated by state law to pass its own budget by June 30 just like the legislature, which is required to pass a balanced budget by the state constitution. When the legislature does not pass its budget on time, schools are left with no assurances of how much they will receive from the state that fiscal year. Whats more: Districts can be penalized for falling below the state-set minimum fund balance, so without state funding, most districts are forced to borrow money that they will be on the hook to pay interest and fees for once the funding comes through. We are being held to a higher standard than what the people we elect into office are holding themselves to, said Sabrina Backer, the president-elect of the PSBA. How local schools are faring Local school districts have been feeling the heat of the budget impasse for weeks, if not for months. The Philadelphia School District, Pennsylvanias largest, is feeling the pinch acutely. Philadelphias school board last month voted to borrow up to $1.5 billion just to pay its bills. But the temporary borrowing will sustain the school district only through December, and will end up costing the district $30 million in interest and fees. READ MORE: Philly schools just had to borrow $1.5 billion to pay their bills. Heres why. City school board members sounded the alarm when they authorized the borrowing. Board member Whitney Jones said the $30 million in costs will never be reimbursed, and will never reach the classroom. The budget delay is costing our schools money that we do not have, and its further limiting what we can provide to students. Philadelphia officials said they were short about $400 million in state payments just for July and August. An updated missing state aid figure was not immediately available, but the bulk of the districts funding comes from the state and Philadelphia is the only district in the state that is unable, by law, to raise its own revenues. In Delaware County, the William Penn School District is facing immediate and serious fallout from the continued impasse. William Penn, one of the plaintiff districts in the landmark court case that resulted in Pennsylvanias school-funding system being declared unconstitutional, relies on the state for 55% of its budget. READ MORE: William Penn is borrowing money due to the delayed state budget. Other school districts may, too. Because it has seen no state aid for months, the district has had to take out a $9.9 million loan to make ends meet, Superintendent Eric Becoats said in a message to families sent this week. Our remaining funding from local taxes cannot sustain operations for long, Becoats said. That money has been necessary to cover payroll William Penn spends more than $4 million monthly on that line item and $2 million for utilities, transportation, and essential services. These reserves were never meant to replace state funding and will soon be depleted, Becoats said. William Penn already made cuts in staffing, transportation, and programs going into the school year. Continued delays will make it increasingly difficult to sustain even our current levels of operations, officials said in a statement to The Inquirer. At this point, the districts focus is on ensuring that schools remain open and that students continue to receive the education and support they deserve. However, without the release of state funding, every day that passes brings greater uncertainty. The Norristown Area School District had prepared its budget anticipating it would receive an additional $7 million this year as part of the states new adequacy formula implemented last year in response to the court ruling. Officials had budgeted for 55 new staff positions, and $3 million in instructional resources, said Norristown Superintendent Christopher Dormer, who also serves as the president of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators. The late budget has resulted in the Norristown Area School District pausing 20 of those new positions indefinitely and delaying $1 million in planned expenditures, Dormer added. Wealthier school systems seem to be faring better. In Lower Merion, the district is not making any changes related to the Pennsylvania budget, spokesperson Amy Buckman said. We are unable to predict what will happen in the future. Still, even some wealthy schools and agencies are feeling the pain, Dormer said, noting that the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit in one of the wealthiest counties in the state is seeking to borrow $15 million to stay afloat during the impasse. Folks, you have a job to do, and the job is to come together, said Edward Albert, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools, during the news conference Tuesday. Stay at the Capitol until you get this done. Dont go home. Because we have school districts that are hurting. Exterior of the Justice Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice, at 13th and Filbert St. in Center City Philadelphia in September 2020. Read more Three Philadelphia lawyers are poised to win magic seats as city judges after being quietly nominated last month by Democratic ward leaders to fill vacancies on the Nov. 4 ballot. Common Pleas Court candidates Jennifer A. Santiago and Joseph J. Russo and Municipal Court candidate Michael Parkinson will all appear on the ballot as Democratic nominees despite not running in the May primary. Advertisement And, with no Republicans in the race, they are all but assured victory. Magic seats, sometimes called golden tickets, open up when incumbent judges file for retention but decide against running for reelection after the primary, allowing the parties to select nominees without the input of voters. READ MORE: Magic seats create new Philly judges who dont even have to campaign. Heres how it works. Phillys Democratic ward leaders are open about what it takes to win their favor: being loyal and providing free legal work. They were here helping us a whole lot, Democratic City Committee chair Bob Brady said of the chosen candidates. When ward leaders need free representation whatever they need, whatever commiteeperson has a problem, Social Security, a will. We dont do murder or assault and battery or drugs [cases]. All three magic seat nominees initially wanted to run in the May primary, Brady said. But they decided to hold off out of deference to the party, which always has more judicial hopefuls than openings to slot them into. Out of respect to the party, they withdrew their name, Brady said. Out of respect back, we had three openings. Common Pleas Court judges oversee major cases including felonies and civil cases with claims above $12,000. They earn annual salaries of $227,000 and serve 10-year terms. Municipal Court judges make $222,000 per year, serve six-year terms, and hear smaller cases including traffic violations, landlord-tenant disputes, misdemeanors, and civil claims of less than $12,000. Resumes and connections The three candidates are all native Philadelphians, and each was championed by members of the citys Democratic establishment, Brady said. About four or five ward leaders pushed for Parkinson, he said. Santiago had the backing of City Council Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson and Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, who is the leader of the 50th Ward, Brady said. Politicians in South Philly supported Russo. Bradys job as party chair entails keeping the ward leaders from Philadelphias periodically warring political factions on the same page. That often means employing some blunt racial math when compiling slates of candidates from different parts of the city, he said. We meet and we pick who we think is deserving or somebody who was loyal, he said, and we wound up with a Hispanic, an African American, and a white. Parkinson, who is Black, is a criminal-defense attorney and former Philadelphia prosecutor with a degree from Temple University Beasley School of Law. He has been named to Super Lawyers peer-nominated list of top Pennsylvania attorneys every year since 2020, according to his campaign. I have continuously represented indigent clients in both State and Federal Courts and have never been subjected to any disciplinary action, Parkinson said in a statement. I love Philadelphia. I chose to raise a family and start a business here, even though my family and I have been victims of crime over the years. These experiences give me a well-rounded perspective on all aspects of court. Santiago, who is Latina, also graduated from Temples law school before serving as a prosecutor in the Bronx District Attorneys Office, a law clerk with Common Pleas Court, and a private attorney with experience in criminal defense, family court, and civil law, according to her campaign. She is now an attorney with Allstate Insurance Co., according to her LinkedIn profile. Ms. Santiago, a lifelong Philadelphian believes in serving her community, her campaign said in a statement. Shes ready to serve her city by bringing this level of expertise, along with common sense justice to the bench. Russo, who is white, graduated from Widener University School of Law, clerked for Common Pleas Court Judge Frank Palumbo, and is now a personal injury attorney. Russo said he has worked as an attorney for the party for more than 10 years, enabling him to meet and work with citizens throughout the entire city, and serves as chair of its pro bono legal team, which provides free legal representation for citizens of Philadelphia who cannot otherwise afford it. I am deeply rooted in this city and am committed to building a fairer city for everyone, Russo said in a statement. Common Pleas comeback for Russo family Russo is the son of Joseph A. Russo, an ally of former state senator and South Philly power broker Vincent Fumo, who was convicted on federal corruption charges, Brady said. The elder Russo in 2009 was removed from the Philadelphia Board of Revision of Taxes for alleged impropriety by judges on Common Pleas Court. Now, his son is set to become a judge on that same court. Brady said the younger Russo is without question one of the finest people we had down here and was in charge of all our legal work. Each election, the Philadelphia Bar Association rates judges based on criteria such as legal ability, experience, temperament, administrative ability, integrity and devotion to improvement of the quality of justice. It gave Santiago and Parkinson a recommended rating and Russo a not recommended. The bar does not publicly disclose the reasons for its decisions. Russo said he did not participate in the bars evaluation process. How the magic happens When Philadelphia judges decide not to run for reelection, their successors are determined in open partisan races in which the candidates run in primaries and general elections. In those contests, the candidates endorsed by the Democratic City Committee almost always win. But when it comes to magic seats, the partys influence is even greater. When ballot vacancies emerge too late to hold primaries, state law dictates that the parties, rather than primary voters, name their nominees. In deep-blue Philadelphia, that means Democratic ward leaders essentially handpick judges. And because voters almost never fail to reelect judges in retention races in which the incumbents face no opponents, and voters decide whether to keep them on the bench by voting yes or no the judges sometimes serve their entire careers without ever running in contested elections. READ MORE: Why Pa. voters are asked to choose yes or no for some judges on Election Day This year, Common Pleas Court Judges Abbe F. Fletman and Glenn B. Bronson and Municipal Court Judge Martin Coleman filed for retention, but decided over the summer not to seek new terms, said John Brady, the partys political director. (John Brady and Bob Brady are not related.) The Democratic City Committees executive committee, which is made up of the 69 neighborhood-based ward leaders, then met via Zoom in early September to nominate Santiago, Russo, and Parkinson, and the state party ratified the choices the next day, John Brady said. Critics of the process for selecting Philadelphias judiciary have long condemned the party for prioritizing loyalty over legal prowess. Bob Brady, however, contends that the party is merely following state law and that hyperlocal party leaders are effective evaluators of who should serve on the Philly bench because they are in touch with residents needs. What are we supposed to do? he said. Let them stay vacant? Staff writer Ryan W. Briggs contributed to this article. Librarian Lynda Kellam (right) joins other visitors in front of some to the panels on slavery at the Presidents House in Independence National Historical Park Thursday, July 31, 2025. Read more More than 400 photos of exhibits at Independence National Historical Park have been digitally archived, ensuring a form of preservation amid the Trump administrations attempts to whitewash history at national parks, including in Philadelphia. The photos were crowdsourced over months from Independence Park visitors as part of the Save Our Signs initiative, which has created a now-publicly accessible digital archive of national park exhibits across the country in response to Trumps executive order to remove content that inappropriately disparage[s] Americans past or living. Advertisement In the Independence Park archive, users can find many photos of various exhibits within the Presidents House Site, which has been a reported target of the Trump administrations desire to sanitize history. The site details the horrors of slavery and memorializes the nine people George Washington enslaved there during the founding of the United States. Independence Park received the second most photo submissions, 407, in the entire project, behind Ellis Island, which was at one time the epicenter for immigration into the U.S. I think people can use this to be able to continue to make the case to support the continuation of not just the signs, but also the site of the Presidents House, and being able to bolster that community that cares, said Lynda Kellam, a Philadelphia-based data librarian and a founding member of Save Our Signs. Kellams Data Rescue Project, which aims to preserve at-risk federal public data, and library and history experts from Minnesota joined forces this summer to establish Save Our Signs. As of Wednesday, the group had amassed 10,917 user-submitted photos nationwide. Though as of Wednesday the Trump administration has made no physical moves to alter the Presidents House, the threats to the site and other exhibits about slavery at Independence Park have been a lightning rod for local activism. Leading that activism is the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition (ATAC), a Black-led advocacy group that helped shape the Presidents House Site in the early 2000s. ATAC is part of the newly formed Presidents House/Slavery Memorial Alliance, which has held rallies, town halls, and meetings to strategize efforts to protect the Presidents House. Michael Coard, an attorney and leader of ATAC, said Wednesday that he is ecstatic about Save Our Signs work and hopes the two groups can collaborate in the near future. He said the mounting pressure from ATAC, the alliance, Save Our Signs, and other groups is the reason that the Sept. 17 deadline for changes to be made at national park exhibits came and went without alterations to the Presidents House. If we all come together, therell never be a Sept. 17 deadline or any other deadline, because the people have risen up, and thats the only thing that can stop whats been planned by the Trump administration, Coard said. Other efforts include a letter, signed by 45 local historical groups, to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and a commitment by Visit Philadelphia, the citys top tourism agency, that it will relocate any removed exhibits from the Presidents House Site. City Council has also condemned potential changes to the site. Its really nice for me, from a personal perspective, to be able to kind of see this larger project influence or be able to bolster the efforts that are happening in my own community, Kellam said. And the preservation is not stopping there. Save Our Signs will continue collecting images; any submitted after Sept. 24 will be released at another time, and the group is mulling over other possible ways to present the data, including through a mapping project or providing the data for local projects. As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary next year, U.S. history both the triumphs and the tragedies will be on full display. The turmoil between advocates and the Trump administration could represent a larger battle about who gets to tell the true story of Americas founding ahead of next years commemorations. The battle is playing out in various areas of the country, including at the Smithsonian Institution which was also targeted by Trumps executive order where Citizen Historians for the Smithsonian, a volunteer group, has collected more than 31,500 photos and videos of exhibits since Aug. 21. Citizen Historians was inspired by Save Our Signs and is considered a sister project, the group said. Efforts to protect historical exhibits from the Trump administration are becoming more prominent, but the work is still mind-blowing, Kellam said. Its an unfortunate thing that we feel like we need to save our information, our government information, and our access to information from our own government, Kellam said. State Sen. Sharif Street accepts endorsement of labor leader at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 19 Union Hall, Wednesday, October 15, 2025. He is running for the office currently held by the retiring U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans. Read more The politically powerful Philadelphia building trades unions on Wednesday endorsed State Sen. Sharif Street in next years race to succeed the retiring U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans in Congress, furthering solidifying Streets support among the Democratic establishment. With whats going on in Washington, you dont need an apprentice learning the job, said Ryan Boyer, who leads the Laborers District Council and the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, a coalition of more than 30 unions that spend big on local elections. You need a skilled journeyman like the senator, whos been in politics his whole life. Advertisement Street, the son of former Mayor John F. Street, was endorsed unanimously by the council, Boyer said. Street accepted the endorsement at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 19 union hall on Christopher Columbus Boulevard. We do need someone who can stand up against [President Donald Trump] who, before he ever became a president, was a guy who was cheating his contractors, who was mistreating his workers Street said. Street, who recently stepped down as chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party to run for Congress, listed endorsements from eight locals in the trades on his campaign website earlier this year. His campaign may have jumped the gun at that time a leader of one of the unions said it was not yet ready to make an endorsement but he will now benefit from the full backing of the trades council, which has for decades been one of the most potent forces in local politics. In electing the last two mayors and much of City Council, the trades have given hundreds of thousands to their chosen candidates campaigns, taking advantage of campaign finance rules that allow each locals political committee to give a maximum contribution. The unions have also funded super PACs, outside spending groups with no contribution limits. Although a majority of the trades roughly 50,000 members live outside Philadelphia, they work to get out the vote in the city before and on Election Day. More institutional support may be on the way for Street. Bob Brady, who chairs the Democratic City Committee, said the party also plans to endorse Street some time after this years election cycle wraps up. Although the partys endorsement is decided by a vote of the Democratic ward leaders who represent the district, Brady said Street was a lock. He wont have a problem, Brady said. Streets competition in the crowded field for next springs Democratic primary so far includes a mix of ambitious politicians and political newcomers: State Reps. Morgan Cephas and Chris Rabb, physicians Ala Stanford and David Oxman, real estate agent and former city employee Robin Toldens, and Temple University professor Karl Morris. The winner of the primary is all but guaranteed victory given that the 3rd Congressional District, which includes parts of North, Northwest, West, and South Philadelphia, is one of the most Democratic in the country. While Street, who lives in North Philadelphia, is locking down establishment support, several other candidates appear to have separate potential lanes. Rabb is a progressive insurgent who has defeated establishment-backed candidates in his legislative runs in Northwest Philly. Cephas may be able to capitalize on her deep ties to West Philadelphias political organization. And if Wednesdays news conference was any indication, Streets allies view Stanford, a first-time candidate who gained national acclaim as a founder of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium during the pandemic, as one of his biggest threats. Without naming Stanford, several speakers at the union event took veiled jabs at Stanfords lack of political experience and her recent move into the city so that she can run for Congress as a resident of the district. (Stanford grew up in North Philadelphia but has lived for years in Montgomery County. She recently purchased a home in Chestnut Hill and is in the process of moving into the city.) [Street] is the right person for this job, said Jim Snell, business manager of Steamfitters Local 420. He didnt just move into Philadelphia recently." Stanford campaign manager Aaron Carr said the only endorsement that matters most will come from the voters themselves. Her roots are in Philadelphia, and her service has never stopped at any county line, Carr said. Whether treating patients in parking lots, union halls, or neighborhood centers, shes been there for her city when it needed her most. Boyer emphasized Streets Philly bona fides by referencing a comment the late Pope Francis made when visiting Philadelphia in 2015. He said you cannot be a shepherd unless you smell like the sheep, Boyer said. Sharif smells like the sheep. The managing general agent (MGA) market is in the spotlight as one of the most agile and innovative arrows of growth for the insurance sector. But as with any arrow, direction and precision matter. Fired without the right discipline, it can just as easily miss its target or worse, cause unintended harm. A new report from Aon estimates that, globally, MGAs wrote $109.2 billion in direct premiums in 2024, representing growth of a staggering 242% over the past four years. This growth comes with scrutiny. MGAs are no longer niche intermediaries flying under the radar. They now represent a significant proportion of the global risk transfer chain. With that growth, reputation matters, and the ability of MGAs to handle claims effectively will increasingly determine whether the sector is seen as a trusted steward of capacity or simply a distribution channel for carriers. Claims as Foundation of Credibility Underwriting may be the front door of any MGA, but claims is where reputations are built, or lost. Carriers, brokers and ultimately clients judge performance not on the slickness of distribution platforms or the sophistication of models, but on whether valid claims no matter how complex are assessed and paid fairly and promptly. More MGAs are now recognizing that having in-house claims expertise not only ensures consistency and accountability but also strengthens relationships across the insurance value chain. In European specialty lines such as financial lines, regulatory notifications remain a major theme, particularly in Germany and the Netherlands where litigation is frequent. While many of these matters never reach excess layers, they still need careful monitoring. Brokers often notify the entire program, and MGAs with in-house claims teams can provide carriers with visibility across that program and confidence that issues are being professionally managed. Marine is another area where MGA involvement is evolving. As portfolios grow, claims are becoming more prominent and complex, requiring expertise that understands both local jurisdictions and the international nature of maritime commerce. The ability to respond quickly, in local languages, is increasingly valued by brokers and clients. Cyber claims, meanwhile, remain modest in volume compared with financial lines but are highly visible when they do occur. Notifications may involve multiple parties, regulators and cross-border considerations. MGAs with dedicated claims capability are better placed to navigate that complexity and ensure that carriers and clients alike receive accurate information in real time. Bridging Underwriting and Claims The true strength of an in-house MGA claims function lies not only in loss management but in the feedback loop it creates. Claims teams see trends first-hand: the frequency and severity of events, emerging jurisdictions of concern, or new types of notifications. Feeding this intelligence back to underwriters helps refine risk selection, pricing and even product design. For example, MGA Alta Signa tracks the lifecycle of notifications closely. Out of 204 financial lines notifications it has seen during the past five years, only 83 remain active, which is a strong closure rate in complex lines of business. That data is shared with underwriting colleagues to sharpen decision-making and ensure future resilience. Unlike outsourced claims functions, which can lead to slower response times and a lack of nuanced understanding of client relationships, an MGAs in-house claims capability ensures tighter control, faster resolution, and better feedback loops between claims and underwriting and when done well, this is a key differentiator for MGAs operating in specialist markets. Technology and People Technology is playing an ever-greater role in claims, from diary management tools to categorization that allows for trend analysis. But specialist expertise is equally important. In Europe, the ability to communicate in local languages and understand cultural expectations around claims handling cannot be overstated. Trust is built not just through speed of settlement but also through empathy, clarity and consistency in communication. The Aon report reminds us that MGAs are now a $100 billion-plus global force. With that comes responsibility. If the sector is to maintain and build trust, claims cannot be an afterthought, they must be at the core of the MGA model. A recent MGA Opinion Report from Clyde & Co. and the UK MGA trade body the Managing General Agents Association underscores the challenge: more than three-quarters (77%) of MGAs say the claims process with carriers needs improvement, up from 59% in 2023. Strikingly, 91% of carriers agree. Both sides are aligned in recognizing that claims can be the weak link in many partnerships. The solution lies in MGAs stepping up to own this critical function. By investing in in-house claims teams, supported by the right technology and cultural expertise, MGAs can demonstrate that they are both distributors and true custodians of capacity. The trajectory of the sector will be defined by investments in best-in-class dedicated claims functions and talent. Underwriting may be the bow, but claims is the fletching that keeps the arrow true in flight. Without it, growth risks veering off course. With it, MGAs can hit their target: cementing their role as global trusted, indispensable partners for carriers, brokers and clients alike. Topics Claims Insurance Wholesale Specialist Risk Group (SRG), the London-based insurance intermediary, announced it has acquired a new wholesale team from Lockton. SRG said the move further strengthens SRGs London market capability and expands its specialist proposition across its existing subsidiaries Miles Smith, CBC Partnership, and The Underwriting Exchange (TUE). Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Led by Shelley Wright, the wholesale team will work closely with UK retail brokers to deliver solutions across property, casualty, and financial lines. Their arrival is highly complementary to the existing capabilities within Miles Smith, with the two teams set to join forces as one integrated unit. This move further demonstrates SRGs ongoing commitment to the London market and to developing specialist capability across the insurance value chain. With deep experience and a reputation for delivering technically led placement strategies, the team is well positioned to enhance SRGs value to brokers navigating complex and hard-to-place risks, the company said. We are delighted to welcome Shelley and her team to SRG. Their deep broker relationships and multi-line specialism represent everything we are building in our wholesale division. This is another step in our ambition to create the leading independent wholesale platform for UK brokers, commented Lee Anderson, group deputy CEO at Specialist Risk Group. Were looking forward to joining SRG at such an exciting time in its journey. From the outset, it was clear that this is a business that understands and values specialism, Wright said. Bringing our team together with Miles Smith under one roof creates a powerful proposition for UK brokers looking for smart, responsive London market access across property, casualty, and financial lines, Wright added. We are continually reviewing our strategy and portfolio to drive client innovation and growth. SRG is a strong and well-respected business that makes the perfect new home for this team and the clients they serve, according to Clarissa Franks, head of Retail at Lockton. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions This edition of International People Moves details appointments at the re/insurance brokers Miller and Aon in the UK. A summary of these new hires follows here. Miller Taps Menn From Intact/RSA as Head of France Miller, the London-based independent specialist re/insurance broker, announced the appointment of Rodolphe Menn as head of France, further strengthening the firms presence in the country. With over 25 years of industry experience, Menn brings strategic experience and proven leadership expertise to the role, as well as a deep understanding of the local market. He joins Miller from Intact (formerly RSA), where he served as managing director of its French operations since 2019. He first joined RSA as a claims director for Benelux in 2011, overseeing teams across multiple business lines, including property, liability, construction and engineering. Previously, he held roles at Zurich and Marsh France. Menn will be responsible for delivering Millers French business strategy, focusing on commercial execution and growth while also nurturing close collaboration between teams in France and Millers wider global network. Rodolphe joined Miller on October 13 and will report to Tim Nagle, Millers head of Europe. We are delighted to welcome Rodolphe to Miller. With his extensive leadership experience and local market relationships, he will play an instrumental role in building on Millers existing profile in France and in the wider pursuit of our European growth ambitions, commented Nagle. *** Aon UK Promotes Beverely as Chief Broking Officer, Gleeson as Head of Products Insurance broker Aon plc announced the appointments of Michelle Beverely as chief broking officer (CBO) for Commercial Risk and Lucy Gleeson as head of Products and Facilities. Both appointments are effective immediately, with Beverely and Gleeson based in London and reporting to Rob Kemp, chief executive officer (CEO) of Commercial Risk for Aon UK. Beverely brings more than 20 years of experience to the position, alongside deep industry insight and trusted relationships spanning the insurance community. Most recently, she served as head of Corporate Broking for UK Retail, with most of her career spent at Aon in various broking roles. As chief broking officer, Beverely will be responsible for shaping the UK Commercial Risk broking strategy and strengthening relationships with insurers. She will lead efforts to align broking activity with client needs, ensuring consistency and innovation across the portfolio. Her team will work closely with insurers across the industry to secure the best outcomes for clients and reinforce Aons position as a trusted partner in the market. Since joining Aon in 2022, Gleeson has successfully led the Structured Portfolio Solutions team, driving innovation in the development and management of key UK facilities that deliver value for clients across all segments. Drawing on her experience at HSBC and Willis Towers Watson, she combines technical expertise with strong market insight, positioning her to play a pivotal role in strengthening Aons client offering. Topics Aon France Britain targeted Russias two largest oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, and 44 shadow fleet tankers on Wednesday in what it described as a new bid to tighten energy sanctions and choke off Kremlin revenues. Lukoil and Rosneft were designated under the Britains Russia sanctions laws for what London described as their role in supporting the Russian government. They are subject to an asset freeze, director disqualification, transport restrictions, and a ban on British trust services. The two companies were considered strategically significant to the Kremlin, the government said, adding that their activities were of economic importance to Russia, contributing to state revenues that help sustain its war in Ukraine. Britain Will Try to Stop Moscow From Funding War We are introducing targeted sanctions against the two biggest oil companies in Russia, Lukoil and Rosneft, Britains finance minister Rachel Reeves told reporters while on a trip in the United States. At the same time, we are ramping up pressure on companies in third countries, including India and China, that continue to facilitate getting Russia oil onto global markets. The measures taken by Britain will reduce ship and ship insurance availability for Russia, as some volumes of Russian oil were still being transported and insured on their routes to Asia by British-based companies, traders familiar with Russian oil sales said. Also designated by London were Chinese refiner Shandong Yulong Petrochemical and several port operators Shandong Jingang Port, Shandong Baogang International and Shandong Haixin Port, all in the refining hub of Shandong. Yulong Petrochemical, a joint venture between private aluminum smelter Nanshan Group and provincial government-backed Shandong Energy Group, is Chinas newest refiner with processing capacity of 400,000 barrels per day. It is one of the largest Russian oil buyers by refinery, according to traders. Yulong Petrochemical did not respond to a request for comment. Russias embassy in London said the sanctions would backfire by destabilizing global energy markets and pushing up costs for British businesses and consumers. Contrary to the loud assurances of British leaders, these restrictions will not have any impact on the Russian foreign policy course, the embassy statement said. Reeves said there was no place for Russia in global markets and that Britain would take all necessary steps to stop Moscow from funding its war in Ukraine. Rosneft is Russias leading oil producer, accounting for around 40% of the countrys total output, and Lukoil is the second-biggest, with the largest foreign exposure among its domestic peers. Neither Rosneft nor Lukoil immediately replied to a request for comment. The new sanctions target 51 ships, including 44 within the so-called shadow fleet and seven LNG vessels, as well as individuals and entities across sectors including energy and defense. The latest sanctions also include seven liquefied natural gas tankers and the Chinese Beihai LNG terminal, which has been importing cargoes from the sanctioned Russian Arctic LNG2 facility, Britain said. Nayara, a Russian-owned refinery based in Mumbai, India, was among the sanctioned companies. The refiner, whose biggest shareholder is Rosneft and has already been sanctioned by the European Union, is scrambling to sustain operations. Nayara, which has condemned the EU sanctions, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Disruption to Shipping and Insurance for Russian Oil The measures taken by Britain will reduce ship and ship insurance availability for Russia, as some volumes of Russian oil were still being transported and insured on their routes to Asia by British-based companies, traders familiar with Russian oil sales said. That meant more Russian oil trade would migrate towards the shadow fleet, which uses non-Western insurance and services, the traders said. The number of ships in the shadow fleet already exceeds 1,500, according to estimates by Western experts, so there is no shortage of ships to transport Russian oil. However, several Chinese and Indian ports have in the past refused to unload tankers from the shadow fleet, further complicating Russian oil sales. The shadow fleet has increasingly been the target of sanctions from Britain, the U.S. and the EU since Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It is a network of older tankers that officials say are used to avoid sanctions on Russian oil. (Reporting by Muvija M and Sam Tabahriti in London, additional reporting by Nidhi Verma in New Delhi; Writing by Sam Tabahriti; Editing by Ed Osmond and Alex Richardson) Stellantis STLAM.MI announced a $13 billion investment in the U.S. on Tuesday, a move it said will bring five new models to the market and add 5,000 jobs in plants across the Midwest over the next four years. The plan, which includes some previously disclosed investments, may help buffer Stellantis from U.S. President Donald Trumps tariffs, which the automaker has said would cost it around $1.7 billion this year. The investment, which Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said is the largest in its history, comes as the automaker works to regain its sales momentum in one of its most important markets. Tariffs are getting clearer and clearer. And we believe that tariffs will be just another variable of our business equation that we need to be ready to manage, and we will, Filosa told Reuters in an interview. U.S.-listed shares of Stellantis were up about 4% in after-hours trade. The investment will infuse new capital into plants in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Indiana. Some of the factories are slated to receive new models, while others will have expanded production of existing vehicles. One of the plants at the center of the companys announcement, a factory in Belvidere, Illinois, has been a sticking point for the United Auto Workers union, which last year threatened a strike against the Franco-Italian automaker. The factory, which was shuttered in 2023, is reopening and will produce two Jeep models starting in 2027, creating around 3,300 jobs, the company said. Filling Stellantis underutilized plants should be a welcome announcement for UAW workers, said Sam Fiorani, vice president at research firm AutoForecast Solutions. Stellantis leadership disclosed elements of the plan to employees earlier this year, including some of the investments in the Belvidere plant, and factories in Ohio and Indiana. Tuesdays announcement pegs the investment amount and the number of jobs that will be created, which is a larger figure than had been previously given. The company declined to quantify how much of the $13 billion announcement was previously laid out. Filosa, who became CEO in June, is tasked with turning around the carmakers sagging U.S. market share. Dealers complained that the companys strategy under former CEO Carlos Tavares left them with models that were priced too high relative to competitors, and hurt sales. Tavares abruptly resigned in December, and the automaker conducted a monthslong search for his successor before appointing Filosa, an Italian national who joined the company in 1999. Filosa is expected to unveil a new strategic plan in the second quarter of next year, after recently delaying it from the first quarter. (Reporting by Nora Eckert in Detroit, Additional reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Mike Colias, Chris Reese and Lisa Shumaker) Topics USA A new property/casualty insurance industry survey report reveals some of the key challenges that independent agents are facing, including providing quotes within customers expected time framesor finding insurance capacity at all in some areas. Almost nine-out-of-10 agents surveyed by First Connect, or 86%, reported of challenges with product availability in their area as carriers adjust their market strategies, according to First Connects 2025 State of the Industry Survey report. First Connect is a digital marketplace that gives agents access to over 130 carriers across home, auto, commercial, and life from a single platform. The 344 agents surveyed for the report are all First Connect agencies. First Connect also surveyed 32 of its carrier partners for the report. One page of the report displays a map of the United States highlighting over a dozen states where agents are seeking more carrier options for homeowners, commercial auto, and specialty lines placements. States included are California in the West, and New York and Ohio on the other side of the nation. The rest of the problem states are in the South, extending from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana eastward to the Atlantic coast from Virginia down to Florida. (Mississippi was the only state in this last region not highlighted on the map). The market access challenge affecting 86% of agents creates enormous opportunities for carriers who can provide consistent capacity and clear appetite communication, the report states. Still, only about one-third of agents said market access had the biggest impact on their business. The survey report also reveals that 71% of agents struggle to understand carrier appetites. This problem translated into quote-decline rates between 10-50% for 64% of the agent respondents. Improved appetite transparency could significantly reduce the quote decline rates many agents experience, directly improving writing opportunities and premium growth for both parties, the report says. Agent also struggle to meet customers expectations. Eighty-one percent of the agents surveyed said customers expectations for speedy quotes have increased, with 70% saying they are challenge to deliver quotes and policies in the time frames customers expect. Same-day quoting and policy issuance is what many expect, according to 59% of the agents surveyed, who said that more than half their customers expect same-day delivery. The carriers who close this speed gap first are positioning their agent partners to compete effectively against direct-to-consumer channels while maintaining relationship advantages, First Connect said in a media statement. What Carriers Are Doing On the carrier side, First Connect published the results of its survey of 32 underwriting companies in the same report, including MGAs/MGUs (47%), regional carriers (26%), national carriers (25%), and specialty carriers (19%) answering questions about distribution strategies, technology investments, and market approaches. Among the findings: About one-third, 32% of carriers surveyed, said they maintain consistent market presence rather than retreating from challenging markets, while 27% employ selective underwriting with adjusted pricing and invest in predictive modeling for smarter risk selection. More than half56%are currently providing real-time appetite updates as changes occur. Less than one-quarter lack a consistent schedule to provide appetite updates. Investments in communication and efficiency are enabling partnership-based carriers to capture market share by making their agent partners more competitive and productive, First Connect said in a media statement about the report. Still, less than 40% of carriers (38%) have implemented automated underwriting tools and just 19% offer real-time appetite indicators. And only about one-third (35%) are making efficiency-focused technology investments rather than relying primarily on premium increases to grow business. Economic and market factors are not impacting carriers financial wherewithal to make strategic distribution investments. In fact, three-quarters of the carrier respondents reported that concerns about a recession are having low to no impact on growth plans. In addition, almost the same percentage72%said claim costs are having low to no impact, with only 13% experience high impact. Forward-thinking carriers are, in fact, continuing to make some investments aimed at strengthening agent-carrier partnerships. Among those highlighted in the report: 60% of carriers surveyed now deploy live training webinars and dedicated onboarding managers to ensure agents understand their products and appetites from Day 1. 65% of carriers complete agent appointments within one week, with half processing new partnerships within just one to three days. A Meeting of the Minds What this data reveals is an industry where the most successful participants are building true partnerships rather than traditional vendor relationships, said Aviad Pinkovezky, chief executive officer of First Connect in a media statement. The carriers investing in transparency, high-touch onboarding, and operational excellence are creating mutual competitive advantages with their agent partners. The report on the dual-perspective analysis refers several times to the convergence between what agents need and what forward-thinking carriers are building. Focusing on agency insights on what needs improvement, the report says that 50% of agents improvement requests center on digital transformation. These agents prioritize online binding capabilities, instant quote generation with automated data prefill, and streamlined application processes to better serve clients who now expect same-day service, the report states. Such requests align with the activities of the 35% of carriers who are making efficiency-focused technology investments and the 38% already providing automated underwriting guidance. Topics Trends Agencies The Trump administration sanctioned more than a hundred companies and individuals in Southeast Asia linked to online investment scams that have fleeced US victims of billions of dollars in recent years. The Treasury Department in collaboration with the UK imposed sanctions Tuesday on entities linked to Cambodia-based Prince Holding Group, which it alleged was a sprawling criminal network targeting Americans. Treasury also moved to sever the Cambodia-based financial services conglomerate Huione Group from the US financial system, alleging the group laundered proceeds of virtual currency scams and heists on behalf of malicious cyber actors. Online scams have taken more than $16 billion in the US in recent years, with scams originating in Southeast Asia leading to at least $10 billion of losses in 2024 alone, the Treasury statement on Tuesday said. It added that scams like those from the Prince group were particularly significant in a 66% increase in losses from the prior year. The rapid rise of transnational fraud has cost American citizens billions of dollars, with life savings wiped out in minutes, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in the statement. Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Prince Holding Group, as well as 146 associated individuals and companies. Among those targeted was chairman and chief executive, Chen Zhi, a Cambodian national who was also the target of an unsealed criminal indictment on Tuesday from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Treasurys Financial Crimes Enforcement Network targeted Huione Group for laundering proceeds of cyber-heists carried out by North Korea as well as fraudulent virtual currency investments known as pig butchering scams in Southeast Asia, the Treasury statement said. Photo: Photographer: Sean Gallup/Getty Images Topics USA In what is being seen as a significant win for property insurers, a Florida appeals court last week found that Universal Property and Casualty Insurance Co. did not breach the insurance contract when it paid just $8,125 on a homeowners Hurricane Sally claim. The plaintiffs attorney in the case said the ruling by Floridas 1st District Court of Appeals creates another challenge for insureds by requiring an actual cash value estimate before filing suit, or they will be barred from prevailing in litigation. Its the insurance companys burden to apply depreciation but this puts the burden on the policyholder, said Michael Cassel, who represented Pensacola homeowners Rodolfo Bailetti and Ana Saez in the case. Another Florida policyholder lawyer agreed. The opinion seemingly makes the bold suggestion that even though the carriers own expert effectively concedes Universals own ACV estimate was deficient, the insureds failure to submit a competing ACV estimate before filing suit is fatal, said Gina Clausen Lozier, a south Florida attorney who was not involved in the case. This analysis turns well-settled contract law on its head. An Florida insurance defense lawyer strongly disagreed with that assessment. The appellate court decision, stemming from a claims lawsuit brought before Florida lawmakers snubbed out one-way attorney fees in 2022, reinforces other recent court rulings and state law and upholds policy requirements on estimates and repair receipts, said Josh Beck, a Boca Raton attorney who represents insurers. Why was there a race to the courthouse if you dont even know what the dispute is, or even make an attempt to make the repairs? Beck asked. The dispute began in 2021, almost a year after Hurricane Sally, a relatively minor Category 2 storm, hit the western edge of the Florida Panhandle. The homeowners filed a claim with Universal over storm-caused water leaks in the roof and windows, along with interior damage. The couple hired a public adjuster but, crucially, the inspection report was never admitted into evidence, and the public adjuster did not testify at trial. Two months after the storm, Universal sent its own adjuster, who estimated the damage at $20,536. After calculating depreciation and the $6,000 deductible, the Fort Lauderdale-based insurer paid the homeowners $8,125. A letter explained that the couple could recover $6,146 in depreciation by submitting invoices, signed contracts, photographs and other documentation showing that repairs had been completed, the appellate judges explained. Four months later, the insureds filed suit in Escambia County Circuit Court, arguing that Universal had breached the policy because the insurer knew that the insureds repair estimates were far greater than Universals estimate. It was only at trial that the plaintiffs presented a contractors repair estimate an estimate created more than two years after the storm. Also at trial, Universals construction expert testified that the actual cost of repair would be about $31,637, and that Universals initial adjuster report was probably deficient. But the appeals court pointed out that the expert had never said that the insurers reliance on the initial estimate was a breach of the insurance contract. A Pensacola jury in 2024 found that the homeowners did not prove that Universal had breached the contract. Bailetti and Saez appealed. The 1st District Court of Appeals upheld the verdict in its Oct. 8 opinion. The court noted that the insurance policy comports with Florida statute 627.7011, which places the burden on the insurer to pay at least the actual cash value of the insured loss. But once the insurer provides an ACV estimate and pays that estimate sum, the burden shifts to the insured to demonstrate that the payment did not reflect the fully insured loss, the appellate judges wrote. When no evidence supports a disagreement on actual cash value, a factfinder cannot conclude which of the two amounts is correct, the court noted. The decision underscores findings in at least three other Florida appeals court decisions in the last four years, including Homeowners Choice Property and Casualty Insurance vs. Clark, handed down in March of this year. In another, the 1st DCA noted in 2021 that damages should be assessed at the time of the breach rather than at the time of the trial. The insureds in the Pensacola appeal never sought to amend their complaint to include any alleged breach occurring after June 2021, when the suit was initiated, the appellate judges explained. Cassel said that those and other previous court decisions have actually provided conflicting guidelines, and the Florida Supreme Court should weigh in with a final ruling to provide clarity. If the 1st DCA does not reconsider its decision in the Bailetti case, its likely that the homeowners will ask the high court to review. Meanwhile, one side of the insurance debate will have the benefit of this DCA opinion, Cassel said. Some Florida insurance attorneys have said that actual cash value versus replacement cost value continues to create unnecessary friction in claims disputes. Property insurers have long argued that public adjusters estimates are often greatly inflated, that its not always clear if the estimates are ACV or RCV, and they should not be considered reliable damage estimates. Universals attorney in the appeal, Paulo Lima, declined to comment on the Bailetti case. Beck noted that the Bailetti suit was filed before Floridas famous 2022 legislative reforms were enacted, changes that took away large attorney fees for plaintiffs, in many cases, and have disincentivized some claims litigation. What it comes down to is, if the insurance company issues payment to make repairs and you make no attempt to repair, and you dont provide any other documentation showing there was a disputed amount of the ACV of the loss, then what was the reason for filing the lawsuit? Beck asked. It doesnt have to immediately be an adversarial proceeding. Clausen Lozier, who represents policyholders in claims disputes, said that the Bailetti ruling creates yet another roadblock for insureds looking for a fair settlement. In other words, it doesnt matter that Universal committed a prior breach, the insureds failure to have an ACV estimate at the time of filing of litigation precludes them from recovery, she said. The appellate court denied attorneys fees for the plaintiffs and remanded to the lower court the question of fees for Universals lawyers. The DCA opinion can be seen here. The plaintiffs initial appeal brief is here. The Mississippi Supreme Court this month declined to reconsider its 2024 decision to uphold almost $15 million in punitive damages and attorney fees against USAA in one of the longest-running claims disputes to come out of Hurricane Katrina. The court ruling, stemming from litigation brought by the prominent Minor family after the storm destroyed the 130-year-old Ocean Springs home, was deemed so important that a national property insurance group, a former Mississippi governor and business groups urged the court to reconsider. The Mississippi insurance commissioner also stepped in and filed his own amicus curiae brief with the court in support of USAA. Ive been practicing 35 years and Ive never seen a commissioner do that, said David Baria, co-counsel for the Minor family in the case. The commissioners action in the case was likely due to extraordinary political pressure brought by the insurance industry and its advocates in Mississippi, Baria said. Commissioner Mike Chaney told Insurance Journal that he has authorized friend-of-the-court filings in other cases through the years. This time, he said he felt compelled to get involved to help protect the property insurance market in the state: Insurers dont collect premiums for punitive damages, and such large verdicts can scare insurers away. Im not being partial to either side, Chaney said. As an example of his scrutiny of the insurance industry, Chaney pointed out that in early October he notified State Farm Insurance that the Mississippi Insurance Department is taking the unusual step of launching a targeted market conduct examination of the insurance giant, due to numerous consumer complaints about unpaid claims. USAAs own claims practices were also questioned throughout the 18-year litigation in the Minor case. San Antonio-based USAA, one of the largest property-casualty carriers in the country, and its attorneys in the case did not respond to requests for information on the Minor litigation. Others involved in the case said its likely that USAA will now ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the matter, based on constitutional questions about punitive damages. In addition to punitive damages, the state high court said last week that USAA must now pay the costs of the state appeal. The case began in 2005, when the Minors historic coastal home, designed in part by world-famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, was heavily damaged by the wind and waves of Hurricane Katrina. Paul Minor, patriarch of the family and a former plaintiffs attorney himself, said his family repeatedly offered to settle, but USAA responded only with scorched earth tactics that left plaintiffs baffled. The state Supreme Court agreed that USAA had acted in bad faith on the claim. The evidence presented at trial revealed that USAA wished to reap the benefits of the insurance policy premiums while depriving the Minor Estate the full benefits of that policy, Justice David Ishee wrote for the majority of the court. We find that the evidence presented at trial demonstrates a type of conduct for which punitive damages are designed, the court wrote in its 5-3 decision, handed down in December 2024. The Minor Estate provided sufficient proof that USAA acted in bad faith, with complete disregard for the Estates rights. Baria said he hopes the decision sends a strong message to other insurance companies that may try similar tactics with insureds. That is the purpose of punitive damages, he said. At the heart of the litigation was the question of whether the damage was from wind or storm surge. But the cause of much of the loss was in dispute. The Minor estate showed that the historic home was elevated and that much of it was above the water level. Testimony differed on the depth of the surge. Three major points seemed to carry the day for the insureds in the litigation and appeals, Baria said. One, despite having information early on about the high value of the contents in the renovated home, USAA refused to consider contents coverage for years, he said. Two, the insurer ignored or missed other structures on the property, including a boathouse, shed and pier. And three, after the first trial and a jury returned a verdict faulting USAAs claims handling, the carrier did not undertake any sort of analysis to determine what went wrong and how they could improve their claims-handling process. The deposition testimony of USAAs former senior claims examiner and catastrophe site leader, James Burke, also proved damaging to the insurer. Burke agreed that USAA may have engaged in behavior that went against the Unfair Claims Settlements Practices Act, a model law devised by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Most states, including Mississippi, have adopted versions of the law. Claims adjusters were not specifically trained on standards for prompt investigation and settlement of claims, nor on handling wind-loss claims, Burke testified. He also said that the Minors home appeared to have sustained wind damage, that a field adjuster had provided incorrect information to the homeowners, and that other, relevant information about wind damage was left out of the claim file. Chaney argued that much of the homes damage was from storm surge, and the Minors should have had flood insurance coverage. Paul Minor noted that National Flood Insurance Program would have covered only $250,000, far less than the value of the home and contents. USAA spoke to local news outlets after the 2024 Supreme Court decision. USAA helped thousands of families recover from Hurricane Katrina, with countless employees working tirelessly to handle member claims, USAA said in a statement to local news sites. We are very disappointed in the Mississippi Supreme Courts decision as the evidence does not support the excessive punitive damages and attorneys fees. Read more about the courts 2024 decision here. Photo: A shot of the Minor home before Katrina destroyed it. (Courtesy, Paul Minor and David Baria). Topics Mississippi More than 2.5 million North Carolina residents are getting over $6.5 billion in medical debt eliminated through a state government effort that offered hospitals extra Medicaid funds from Washington if they gave low- and middle-income patients the financial relief and implemented policies to discourage future liabilities. Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, the state health department secretary and other officials announced Monday results so far from what then-Gov. Roy Cooper unveiled 15 months ago as a first-of-its-kind initiative. While helping almost one-quarter of North Carolina residents, Stein said the effort has exceeded expectations in giving individuals and families a second chance to succeed financially after medical crises. Officials previously estimated it could help about 2 million people get rid of $4 billion in debt. The debt that had been held by hospitals, and are usually difficult to recover, will be pulled from credit reports, the governor said. This is life-changing news for so many families, Stein said, adding that recipients on average will have $2,600 erased. No one chooses to have a heart attack or get diagnosed with a chronic condition you just have to deal with it. Todays announcement will free people from the financial stress so that they can focus on getting healthy. Another news conference speaker described patients who avoided services or threatened to halt treatments to prevent more debt from accumulating on themselves or their family. Hospitals that agreed to participate have already alerted many patients to tell them their debt is essentially canceled, state health officials said Monday. And Undue Medical Debt, a national group working on the effort and taking over some hospital liabilities, plans to send 255,000 notices this week to other recipients. The effort germinated from whats called the Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program, which state legislators approved in 2023 at the same time as expanded Medicaid coverage to working adults who couldnt otherwise qualify for conventional Medicaid. Hospitals pay assessments to draw down billions of dollars in federal money. The state Department of Health and Human Services last year proposed that certain hospitals could receive higher program reimbursement levels to treat Medicaid enrollees if they agreed to medical debt initiatives. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services signed off on the plan details, and by August 2024 each of the roughly 100 acute-care, rural or university-connected hospitals that qualified decided to participate. Under rules previously announced, the hospitals had to eliminate medical debt going back to early 2014 for patients who are Medicaid enrollees. They also would later have to eliminate other debt for non-enrollees based on income levels. And the hospitals were directed to discourage debt by doing things like automatically enrolling people in charity care programs or curbing certain debt collection practices. The $6.5 billion figure includes debt relieved directly through the initiative and through hospital policy changes to implement it, Steins office said. Other state and local governments have tapped into federal American Rescue Plan funds to help purchase and cancel residents debt. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs announced in July that $429 million in medical debt had been erased for more than 352,000 state residents. North Carolinas approach is completely unique, said Jose Penabad, the Undue Medical Debt vice chair. Several states are following North Carolinas use of Medicaid incentives closely, he added. North Carolina debt eradication exceeded initial estimates in part because patients outside the population being targeted also had their debt eliminated, Stein said. Hospitals, for example, sometimes have eliminated debt for patients incurred at associated physician practices, said Jonathan Kappler, a state deputy health secretary. More debt will be eliminated in the future, he added. State health secretary Dr. Dev Sangvai, told reporters the law approved by Congress in July that made cuts and policy changes to Medicaid wont immediately affect the debt elimination initiative. Some hospitals were initially hesitant about the debt relief initiative because new requirements were being placed upon the reimbursements, Cooper said last year. The North Carolina Healthcare Association, which lobbies for nonprofit and for-profit hospitals, said Monday in a statement that its concerned recent and proposed government policies could add financial pressures that prevent hospitals from expanding programs to help low-income patients. Photo: North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein, center, flanked by Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Dev Sangvai, left, and Undue Medical Debt Vice Chair Jose Penabad, speaks about the elimination of medical debt through an initiative involving hospitals and Medicaid at the Executive Mansion in Raleigh this week. (AP Photo/Gary D. Robertson) Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics North Carolina A new economic impact report from the California Department of Insurance shows that insurance companies contracting with small and diverse-owned businesses contributed a total economic output of $6.7 billion to the states economy, supporting more than 29,000 jobs and generating more than $917 million in state tax revenues. The report, which the CDI says is the first of its kind from the department, was released by its Office of Insurance Diversity and Innovation, a new office established by Commissioner Ricardo Lara to help expand equity and inclusion across the states $400 billion insurance market. The data was collected through the CDIS Insurance Diversity Program. The report is based on data insurance companies reported to CDI as part of the 2022 California Insurance Diversity Survey. According to the report, Insurance companies reported spending $3.1 billion with diverse suppliers in California. These business procurements resulted in: 29,131 jobs statewide created or supported; $2.4 billion in wages, salaries, and benefits; $917.6 million in tax revenues for California. The CDI also released the 2025 Insurance Diversity Index, a benchmarking tool that measures the extent to which insurers are integrating diversity into procurement initiatives, goals, governance and board leadership. Topics California Market Thirty years ago, Willie Cruz was shocked when he learned the Southern California oil refinery where he worked was shutting down. Cruz, now a 61-year-old living in Arizona, had spent five years working in the environmental department when Powerine Oil Company said it would close the plant in Santa Fe Springs, southeast of Los Angeles. Cruz feared getting laid off again if he stayed in the industry. He decided to look into respiratory therapy, in part because hes asthmatic. A federal job training program paid for his schooling. I thought it was pretty cool, you know go from polluting to helping, right? Cruz said. Now hes advising his son, Wilfredo Cruz, as the Phillips 66 refinery in Los Angeles where the 37-year-old has worked for 12 years plans to close by the end of the month. Thousands perhaps tens of thousands of workers could lose jobs in the coming years as California tries to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. Energy company Valero said earlier this year it would close a refinery in the Bay Area. Californias leading Democrats are grappling with how to confront lost jobs and high gas prices that the oil industry says are the result of the states climate policies. State energy regulators are negotiating to keep the Valero plant open and recently backed off a proposal to penalize oil companies for high profits, while Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation to speed oil well permitting in the Central Valley. That action came after years of Newsom declaring he was taking on big oil. That inconsistent messaging has left the industrys workers unsure of what the future holds. Refinery Closures California was the eighth-largest crude oil producer in the nation in 2024, down from being the third-largest in 2014, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The Valero and Phillips 66 refineries set to close account for roughly 18% of Californias refining capacity, according to state energy regulators. They both produce jet fuel, gas and diesel. The Phillips 66 refinery will start shutting down this month and end active fuel production at the end of 2025, the company said. The closure is based on multiple factors and in response to market dynamics, Phillips 66 said. The announcement came after Newsom signed a law last year aimed at preventing gas price spikes that allows energy regulators to require that refineries keep a certain amount of fuel on hand to avoid shortages when they go offline for maintenance. But the company said its decision was unrelated to the law. Phillips 66 said it is committed to treating all our refinery workers fairly and respectfully throughout this process. Valero announced plans to idle, restructure or cease refining operations at its refinery in the Bay Area city of Benicia by the end of April. The company didnt respond to emails seeking comment on the status of its plans. Valero pays about $7.7 million annually in taxes to the city, making up around 13% of Benicias revenues, City Manager Mario Giuliani said. Its a significant and seismic impact to the city, he said of the planned closure. Forty-six oil refineries in California closed between 2018 and 2024, according to the states Employment Development Department. The fossil fuel industry employs roughly 94,000 people in the state, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. One study estimated that the state would lose nearly 58,000 workers in the oil and gas industries between 2021 and 2030. About 56% of those workers will have to find new jobs because they are not retiring, according to the 2021 report by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Supporting Displaced Workers Lawmakers approved the Displaced Oil and Gas Worker Fund in 2022 to help workers receive career training and connect with job opportunities. The state has since awarded nearly $30 million overall to several groups to help workers across the state from oil-rich Kern County to Contra Costa County in the Bay Area. But the funding is set to run out in 2027, and state lawmakers wrapped up their work for the year without an agreement on whether to extend it. Newsom spokesperson Daniel Villasenor said the governor is committed to supporting displaced oil workers and affected communities in transitioning into new and emerging jobs and economic opportunities. Newsom approved $20 million in the states 2022-2023 budget for a pilot program to train workers in the industry whove lost their jobs to plug abandoned oil wells in Kern and Los Angeles counties. California needs a clear plan for workers who will lose jobs because of the states energy transition, said Faraz Rizvi, the policy and campaign manager at the Asian Pacific Environmental Network. Were in solidarity with workers who have been displaced and who are looking for a relief to ensure that theyre able to find work that is important for their communities, Rizvi said. But Jodie Muller, president and CEO of the Western States Petroleum Association, said the state can protect jobs by changing its climate policies. The extremists fighting to close California refineries should explain why they are OK with destroying some of the best blue-collar jobs out there because we certainly are not, she said in a statement. Life as An Oil Worker For many workers, the industry offers an opportunity to earn a living wage without a college degree. Wilfredo Cruz was attracted in part by the paycheck. After more than a decade, he makes a base salary of $118,000 a year as a pipe fitter at the Phillips 66 refinery. But there are downsides. Every day when Cruz gets home from work, he showers immediately to try to shield his son from exposure to any harmful chemicals. He also never lets the 2-year-old ride in the car he takes to work. Now hes enrolled in an online cybersecurity training course, schooling paid for by the state program thats set to expire in the next couple of years. Theres not really a real clear plan to be able to get workers from this oil industry into these new fields, he said. So, you feel kind of forgotten. Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Trends California Energy Oil Gas Corporation tax receipts are likely to be even more reliant on information and communication technology (ICT) and manufacturing groups than official data suggests, an economist with the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has warned, with any future trade tariffs having serious implications for Ireland's tax income. While official data published by the Revenue Commissioners shows that about 70% of Irelands corporation tax revenues have come from manufacturing, ICT, and financial and insurance activities, Fiscal Council economist Brian Cronin believes this figure is distorted, and in real terms close to 90% of corporation tax revenue comes from ICT and manufacturing alone. Mr Cronin made his comments in a blog post published on Wednesday on the Fiscal Council website. In the blog post, Mr Cronin said some firms, often classed as financial and insurance activities in official Irish data, are actually part of larger groups predominantly focused on manufacturing or ICT activity. "This matters when assessing how exposed Irelands corporation tax revenues are to tariffs and US trade policy changes more generally. So far, tariff hikes have focused only on goods, while ICT services have not been directly impacted for now, at least," said Mr Cronin. Mr Cronin said currently, Revenue classifies company subsidiaries based on the subsidiarys own principal activity, as opposed to the activity of the parent group. Mr Cronin said for economic analysis, it is more appropriate to classify subsidiaries based on the principal activity of the parent group. "Under this classification, corporation tax receipts in Ireland would likely be more highly concentrated in two sectors: manufacturing (mainly pharma) and ICT. Financial and insurance activities would play a smaller role," he said. The United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) bases its sectoral breakdown on the principal economic activity of the parent entity. "This alternative method of classifying subsidiaries paints a very different picture. The manufacturing and ICT sectors accounted for, on average, 87% of the corporation tax paid by large US-owned multinationals in Ireland between July 2016 and June 2023. "Whats more, the share attributable to financial and insurance activities is much smaller at no stage does it exceed 10% of the total corporation tax paid by US multinationals here." The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council is the independent statutory body that acts as Irelands budgetary watchdog. It comprises a five-member, part-time council appointed by the minister for finance and a full-time staff or "secretariat that supports its work. Last week, Fiscal Council chair and economics lecturer Seamus Coffey noted, following the publication of the budget, that the Government's own figures highlight the vulnerabilities within the public finances. Mr Coffey said if the Department of Finances estimates of excess corporation tax were no longer available and the economy was to return to a more typical unemployment rate of perhaps 6%, then the budget documents show that the Governments fiscal position would become an annual deficit of 16bn. "No one is predicting that there will be a rapid fall-off in corporation tax or that the economy faces a significant employment shock. But the fact that the Governments own figures show just how exposed we could be, is a worry," Mr Coffey said. Wednesday, October 15 Mary Morrissy and Mary ODonnell Cork Arts Theatre, 7.30pm Mary Morrissy is the author of four novels and three collections of stories. A journalist, teacher of creative writing, and a literary mentor, she has won a Hennessy Award and the prestigious US Lannan Award for her work. Mary ODonnell has written award-winning poetry, novels, short fiction collections, and dynamic essays, including fiction novels The Elysium Testamentand Where They Lie. In 2023, she received an An Post/Irish Book Award for her political poem Vectors in Kabul. In 2026, Wake Forest University Press (USA) will publish her ninth poetry collection, Tenderness. The evening session with Morrissey and ODonnell will be moderated by Laura Cassidy, co-founder and contributing editor of Banshee. Laura Jean McKay Cork Arts Theatre, 9pm Laura Jean McKay is the author of The Animals in That Country,which won the prestigious Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Victorian Prize for Literature, the ABIA Small Publishers Adult Book of the Year, and co-winner of the Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction Novel 2021. She will be joined by moderator Patrick Cotter, an Irish poet living in Cork city. Thursday, October 16 Shane Tivenan and Dave Tynan Cork Arts Theatre, 7.30pm Shane Tivenans fiction has appeared in The Stinging Fly, The London Magazine, Prototype, and has been broadcast on RTE Radio 1. He was awarded the 2020 RTE Francis MacManus Prize and the 2024 John McGahern Award. Dave Tynan has made one feature and over a dozen shorts, positioning him as a unique and contemporary voice in cinema. His short fiction has been published in Winter Papersand The Stinging Fly. His first book, We Used To Dance Here, was published in August by Grant and was RTE's Book Of The Week in September. The session will be moderated by author Laura Cassidy. Dave Tynan Peter Bradshaw and Paul McVeigh Cork Arts Theatre, 9pm Peter Bradshaw is an author and critic who has been chief film critic for The Guardian since 1999 and is also contributing editor of Esquire UK. Paul McVeigh's short stories have appeared in numerous publications. The session will be moderated by Cork author Patrick Holloway. Friday, October 17 From the Well Showcase Cork City Library, 4pm Jellied Minds and Other Short Stories is the 21st edition of Cork City Council and Library Service annual From the Well short story anthology. Patrick Holloway, selected 20 stories from over 150 submissions, five of which will be read at the event by writers Camille Dorney, Billy Fenton, Valentine Jones, Sheila Killian, and Daniel McCarthy. Marni Appleton and Rebecca Ivory Cork Arts Theatre, 7.30pm Marni Appleton is a writer living in London whose short stories have been published in various publications. Her first short story collection, I HOPE YOURE HAPPY, was published in February 2025. Dublin-based writer Rebecca Ivory is a recipient of the Arts Council Literature Bursary and, in 2024, she was longlisted for the Edge Hill Prize. Gina Chung and Mahreen Sohail Cork Arts Theatre, 9pm Gina Chung is a Korean American writer whose novel Sea Changewas longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and a B&N Discover Pick, and the short story collection Green Frog, which was a Good Morning America Book Buzz Pick, an NPR Best Book of the Year, and longlisted for the New American Voices Award. Mahreen Sohail has an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College, where she studied as a Fulbright scholar, and was a Writing Fellow at A Public Space and a Charles Pick Fellow at the University of East Anglia. The session will be moderated by the author of the short story collection Wildflowers, Beverly Parayno. Saturday, October 18 O Faolain Prize Reading Cork Arts Theatre, 3pm Tim Collyer is a Wiltshire-based writer of speculative fiction, literary drama, and darkly comic tales. Collyer won the New2theScene Flash Fiction Competition, was runner-up in both the Pokrass Flash Fiction Award and the DuMaurier Literature Award, and published three consecutive sci-fi stories in Andromeda Magazine. Yoko Tawada Cork Arts Theatre, 7.30pm Born in Tokyo, Japan, Yoko Tawada moved to Germany at the age of 22. She published her first collection of prose and poetry in 1987 with Konkursbuchverlag Claudia Gehrke and has been writing in Japanese and German ever since. Tawada is the recipient of numerous fellowships and awards, including the Kleist Prize (Germany) and the Akutagawa Prize (Japan). The session will be moderated by Till Weingartner, senior lecturer in Japanese Studies at University College Cork. Eilis Ni Dhuibhne Cork Arts Theatre, 9pm Dublin-born Eilis Ni Dhuibhne is the author of novels, short stories, memoirs and drama. Her most recent books include Twelve Thousand Days: A Memoirand Look! Its a Woman Writer!. A member of Aosdana and the President of the Folklore of Ireland Society, Ni Dhuibhne has been the recipient of many literary awards, and held the Burns Scholarship at Boston College in the autumn of 2020. The session will be moderated by Irish poet and novelist Nuala OConnor. Clampdowns on theft and illegal hunting will be some of the primary targets for a Cork superintendent appointed as the first-ever Rural Crime Lead for An Garda Siochana. Fermoy-based Supt Michael Corbett was appointed to the new position by Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly. The role will be central to fighting rural crime and supporting communities across the country. Farm machinery theft is an ongoing issue in rural areas, he said. You have stolen machinery coming in from the UK here and vice versa," he said. "You have stolen farm machinery going up to the North and going across to the UK. That's always been there, but it's about an awareness campaign around preventative measures, so that people with high-value machinery take steps to mark their property, even putting GPS trackers on machinery. It's just about using technology as best we can to prevent crime, and its about securing your property. Illegal hunting Tackling illegal hunting will be another focus of his tenure. Illegal hunting and trespassing on farmland is a huge issue at the moment for the farming organisations because you have people out hunting with dogs and lurchers, hunting rabbits and hares and foxes, and they're trespassing on property that they don't have permission to be on and they're worrying animals and farm livestock." Illegal hunting has increased significantly in recent years, with a noticeable spike since the covid pandemic, he said. We've taken a number of prosecutions for illegal hunting and trespassing in Cork recently. Penalties handed down by the courts have been fines of up to 700, he said. Burglary and drugs He will also work with Garda operations to target burglary gangs. Some 900 people were arrested for burglary in the first six months of this year, he said. He will also work to support Operation Tara, a national Garda operation targeting the sale and supply of drugs. Drugs are a big issue in rural Ireland," Supt Corbett said. "And with drugs, there is also drug debt intimidation." Every garda division now has an inspector assigned to drug debt intimidation, he said, and he encouraged people to always report this crime to gardai. Come forward to report it, and it will be treated in confidence, Supt Corbett said. Theft of home heating oil and diesel will be something Supt Corbett will also watch and aim to prevent as winter approaches, fuel costs rise, and as a spike in this type of crime is expected. 'Eyes and ears on the ground' Supt Corbett is calling on people in rural communities to report all crimes to gardai big or small so that they can tackle these crimes. If it's not reported, we can't investigate it, so we want people to report crime no matter how small or how insignificant they think it is." He also called for rural communities, small towns and villages, to work with gardai, because they are the eyes and ears on the ground. Wed always say to people to look out for people in their communities, especially their older neighbours and people living on their own and the vulnerable," he said. They should be keeping an eye on them, and if they see any suspicious cars or vehicles out of place they should follow their gut and take a note of the registration number and ring the local garda station just to get it checked out. We're happy to take those calls all day long. He said that sometimes people in rural communities may choose not to report crime, especially those crimes where people come to clear gutters, cut hedges, or tarmac driveways but then charge extortionate prices often to vulnerable people. But these crimes should always be reported to gardai, he said. The position of Rural Crime Lead is already established in police forces in the North, the UK, and European countries. My role will involve being the conduit for national rural organisations and rural communities that have issues around rural crime," said Supt Corbett. Ill keep a spotlight on rural crime and trends in rural crime how we can tackle it and how we can prevent it." Supt Corbett has sat on the Rural Safety Forum for the last four years already, working on these issues. So I'm acutely aware of what a lot of the issues are in rural Ireland as regards the theft of machinery, trespassing, illegal hunting, all those issues that are really big issues at the moment, he said. A drunk driver lost control of his car which ended up on its roof on a major road in West Cork, the district court has heard. Court presenter, Sergeant Tom Mulcahy, told Skibbereen District Court that a single-vehicle accident near Leap in Co Cork was reported on June 3, 2025. When gardai arrived at the scene at Keamore on the main N71 road just west of Leap village at 8.15pm, a blue Hyundai i30 car was on its roof in the westbound lane. The driver of the car, identified as Igor Nestoryk, aged 47 with an address at Abbey Street, Timoleague, Co Cork, was at the scene and admitted he had been driving the vehicle. The court heard that the stretch of road where the accident occurred had several sharp bends and Nestoryk, who was driving towards Cork, seemed to have lost control of the vehicle. When gardai spoke to Nestoryk at the scene they formed the opinion that he was intoxicated and he was arrested and taken to Bandon Garda Station. At the garda station, Nestoryk gave a breath specimen which tested positive for alcohol with a reading of 54mg per 100ml of breath where the legal limit is 22mg. The court was told that Nestoryk, who was assisted by a Ukrainian interpreter in court, had no previous convictions. Defence solicitor, Flor Murphy, said Nestoryk had received bad news earlier that day regarding the war in Ukraine that the area where his father lived had been bombed. He said Nestoryk dealt with the news in the wrong way and went drinking and then drove. He said Nestoryk worked in a local factory in Timoleague, was fully co-operative and was putting his hands up and apologising. Mr Murphy asked Judge Joanne Carroll to consider reducing the charge of dangerous driving to the lesser charge of careless driving. Judge Carroll said it was a borderline case and it was fortunate that nobody was seriously injured, but she agreed to Mr Murphys request. Nestoryk was convicted of drink driving and disqualified from driving for two years. He was also convicted of careless driving and fined 250 and given four months to pay the fine. This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme A third person has appeared in court charged with the murder of father-of-four Barry Daly in Doneraile, Co Cork, over the weekend. A 16-year-old appeared before Midleton District Court this morning charged with Mr Dalys murder. The 44-year-old postman was attacked outside his home at Rockview Terrace, Doneraile, on October 12. Detective Garda David Forsythe gave evidence of the arrest, charge, and caution of the juvenile. He said the teenager made no reply when charged under caution at 10.26pm on Tuesday at Cobh Garda Station in Co Cork. As the charge is one of murder, an application for bail cannot be made at District Court level. Sergeant Linda OLeary said gardai were seeking a remand in detention until October 21 at Mallow District Court. Defence solicitor Don Ryan said his client qualified for free legal aid, which Judge Colm Roberts granted. Mr Ryan also requested that every assistance be given to his client at Oberstown Detention Campus. Judge Roberts noted that staff at Oberstown have expertise in handling such cases. The teenager was remanded in detention to Oberstown until his next court appearance on October 21 in Mallow. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, 20-year-old Alex Deady, of Glenview, Convent Road, Doneraile, and a 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Mallow District Court charged with the murder of Mr Daly. The 17-year-old was remanded in detention at Oberstown, while Mr Deady was remanded in custody. Both will appear again before Mallow District Court on October 21, when all three accused are expected to appear via video link. Emergency services responded to Rockview Terrace around 2am on Sunday, where Mr Daly was pronounced dead at the scene. A technical examination was carried out in the area where the body was found. The case was upgraded to a murder investigation following the completion of a post-mortem at Cork University Hospital by assistant state pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster. Mr Daly, an An Post employee, is survived by his partner Katie, their four children, his parents Liam and Ann, his sisters Denise, Sharon, and Sarah, extended family, and friends. A 27-year-old woman who was convicted of theft for the 11th time was given a suspended jail term as the judge warned that she had been given chances before but that this was her last chance. Sergeant Aisling Murphy said Constanza Munteanu of 50 Orchard Court, Blackpool, Cork, had 10 previous theft convictions. The treatment plant supplying drinking water to Cork, including parts of Cork City, was shut down for over 12 hours this summer after an accidental spillage of bitumen into tanks containing untreated water, according to a report by the States environmental watchdog. An audit by the Environmental Protection Agency revealed that Uisce Eireann became aware that a bitumen-type liquid had entered the raw water sumps at the Cork Harbour and City Water Treatment Plant at Inniscarra, Co Cork on August 28. The facility provides drinking water to a population of almost 144,000 in Cork City and the wider Cork Harbour area. Raw water is extracted from the River Lee at Inniscarra Lake and treated at the nearby plant to provide an average daily output of over 64,000 cubic metres. An investigation established that contractors working on a roof at the facility had spilled a bituminous product which entered the raw water sumps via a roof gully. The EPA said the exact volume of the spilled material is unknown but was less than 20 litres. However, the roofing contractors did not report the incident to Uisce Eireann. The spillage was only discovered by a separate team of contractors who were working inside the raw water sumps and observed a slick in the water. The plant was shut down at 8.15pm on August 28. Water treatment operations were only resumed at 10.45am the following day after the raw water sumps were emptied and risk assessments and monitoring of the water quality were conducted. The incident resulted in customers in Ballincollig, Dripsey, Coachford and surrounding areas experiencing low pressure or outages due to what Uisce Eireann described at the time as technical issues". The EPA said an analysis of samples of both the raw and treated water from the plant over the following five days were all clear. The audit report called on Uisce Eireann to ensure that all contractors working at the water treatment plant report any incidents promptly. The EPA instructed Uisce Eireann to submit a report detailing all the actions taken and planned with related timescales. Uisce Eireann said the Lee Road water treatment plant, which provides drinking water supplies to most parts of Cork City, was unaffected by the incident. A spokesperson for Uisce Eireann said it prioritises public health and once the issue was identified it acted swiftly to investigate the incident and take all necessary steps. All tests on the water quality leaving the plant showed the water remained compliant and was safe to drink, the spokesperson added. A motion of confidence in Tanaiste Simon Harris, tabled by the Government, is expected to be debated in the Dail today. This is despite suggestions that Aontu would table a different, no-confidence motion targeting the Government next Wednesday, if the Coalition acted to defend Mr Harris today. On Tuesday, Aontu party leader Peadar Toibin confirmed he could table a motion of no confidence in Mr Harris next week. The party scheduled the motion to be debated next Wednesday, just two days before polling day in the presidential election on Friday, October 24. The Irish Examiner understands that a motion of confidence in the Tanaiste will be debated today at lunchtime, after leaders questions at 12pm. The opposition was informed of the schedule change on Tuesday evening. Speaking at the Raco conference in Trim, Mr Harris said the Government would address the motion of no confidence in him "swiftly", noting that it was not a surprise. Some in opposition suggested that Mr Toibin gave the Government too much notice that the motion of no confidence would be tabled for next week. They told the Irish Examiner that it may be "impossible for the Government to avoid" having to debate a confidence motion next week, just days before the presidential election. They noted that Aontu has not published the wording of its motion of no confidence in Mr Harris, and does not have to submit the motion to the Oireachtas until Friday morning. It is scheduled to be debated next Wednesday. The Irish Examiner understands that the party does not intend to publish the wording until either Thursday evening or Friday morning. Sources suggested that if the Government moved to put down a motion of confidence today, it may not "negate" or "counter" the wording in the motion. One source stated that if the Government put down a motion of confidence in Mr Harris this week, Mr Toibin could change his motion to one of no confidence in the Government. This would result in the Government having to table a second motion of confidence in itself next week. "It is going to be impossible for them to avoid a motion next week," one source said. However, one senior Government source said this would be silly, with another saying that the public would see through it as a political stunt. Fine Gael is very worried about the momentum behind Catherine Connollys campaign, the left-wing Independent candidate claimed as she campaigned at a shopping centre in Navan, Co Meath on Wednesday. She said: I think theyre very worried that this movement is gaining momentum with every day, every minute, every hour. Thats been the response since I went out in July, it has just gained in intensity. Ms Connolly led Sundays Red C/Business Post poll on 36%, with Fine Gaels Heather Humphreys on 25%, and Fianna Fails withdrawn candidate Jim Gavin on 12%. When Mr Gavins first preferences are redistributed based on second preference patterns, Ms Connollys support rises to 39%, while Ms Humphreyss increases to 31%. Independent candidate Catherine Connolly tries on a member of the public's hat as she meets shoppers and workers in the Navan Shopping Centre, Co Meath. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Both have said that they believe there are still a large number of votes to be won, pointing to the 20% or so of people who are undecided. Later on Wednesday, Ms Connolly took part in RTEs Katie Hannon interview and said she had not asked former TDs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace to stay away from her campaign. I have fairly little contact with Clare Daly and Mick Wallace, because most of the time theyre not in the country, she said. 'I wasn't pro-Brexit' Ms Connolly was also asked about her previous comments on Brexit, but denied that she was celebrating the UK's 2016 referendum result. I wasn't pro-Brexit. What I was doing was having respect for the democratic process. "That's very important that we have respect for the democratic process. And with the EU, it has definitely gone down a route of further and further militarisation. That has always been a concern for me, and it remains a concern for me, she added. Ms Connolly also rejected that previous comments about the militarisation of Europe were insulting to Germany. I expressed my serious concerns about the similarities between now and the 30s, and I used the example of Germany, which is rebooting its economy, buying more arms. We have Putin, and Im on record for absolutely condemning the invasion of Ukraine. Gaza genocide focused people's minds As a woman and as a mother, Im seriously concerned at the direction that countries are going spending more money on arms and militarisation, while we reduce the money spent on welfare. I think those concerns are shared by the majority of people in Ireland, particularly brought into acute focus because of the genocide in Gaza, perpetuated by Israel and funded by America, she added. Asked why she wanted to be president, Ms Connolly said: I think were at a juncture in our country and in the history of our country, where a choice has to be made by the people of Ireland in this presidential election, and the choice is a stark one. Will we elect an Independent candidate with an independent mind as president, who will have the courage to speak out, a person who is bilingual, and a person who will be able to listen, to hear, to listen, and to reflect the values that we hold dear as people? A development comprising almost 60 new homes in West Cork has been approved following an appeal by local residents to An Coimisiun Pleanala. Carmina Properties Limited got the green light from Cork County Council in May to build 57 homes on Colla Road in Schull. The scheme comprises a mix of three-, four-, and five-bedroom homes as well as one- and two-bed duplex and apartment units. Associated development works included vehicular and pedestrian access on to Colla Road, a pedestrian connection to Copper Point housing estate, footpaths, lighting, parking, landscaping and amenity areas. However, the plans were appealed to An Coimisiun Pleanala following three objections from local residents. In their submissions, objectors to the almost 60-home development in the sought-after area raised concerns about traffic, utility capacity and worries about Japanese Knotweed. One objector said the scale of the development was of "particular concern" adding: "There is potential for 302 new residents to be accommodated in this development, with parking for 113 cars, resulting in traffic associated with 113 vehicles." Another said the proposed construction hours of 7 am to 5 pm would "seriously undermine" the enjoyment of their residence. However, An Coimisiun Pleanala approved the plans, siding with the county council, granting permission for the development with 28 conditions. Meanwhile, plans for 16 new homes in Passage West have been refused by Cork County Council. Developer OBrien and OFlynn sought planning permission to construct 16 new two-storey homes at Harbour Heights, Ardmore in Passage West. The homes were to comprise two three-bedroom semi-detached units, three three-bedroom terraced houses, nine two-bedroom terraced houses and two two-bedroom homes, as well as all associated site development works. Refusing the plans, Cork County Council said the proposed development was located on a site reserved for a nursing home. A section 47 legal agreement has been entered into to this effect, and as such it is considered that the subject site should be reserved for a nursing home and that the proposed development would be contrary to these requirements, the council said. More than a dozen Afghan civilians were killed and over 100 others were wounded as renewed fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan broke out along their shared border, officials said. The countries have traded fire along the border since Saturday, when dozens were killed across multiple border regions. Afghanistan claimed to have killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight operations in retaliation for what it called repeated violations of Afghan territory and airspace. Pakistans army said 23 troops were killed. The fighting on Wednesday erupted before dawn, according to officials on both sides. Pakistan TV, the main state-owned television station, reported later in the day that Afghanistan was seeking a ceasefire on the border near the village of Chaman where the fighting was concentrated. Pakistani security officials and state-run media accused Afghan troops of unprovoked fire that was repulsed in Kurram, a district of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Security officials and television reports said Pakistans military overnight killed 30 Afghan Taliban fighters near Kurram in Afghanistans Khost province, destroyed a large training facility in Afghanistan used by the Pakistani Taliban. A line of cargo trucks bound for Pakistan is stranded on the Afghan side of the Torkham border crossing, which remained closed after clashes (Wahidullah Kakar/AP) Zabihullah Mujahid, chief spokesman for the Taliban government in Afghanistans capital Kabul, said Pakistan used light and heavy weapons in assaults on the Spin Boldak district in Afghanistans southern Kandahar province, which lies opposite Pakistans southwestern border town of Chaman. Afghan forces returned fire and killed several Pakistani soldiers, seized military posts and captured weapons including tanks, Mr Mujahid said. Pakistans military rejected the Afghan claim on Wednesday, saying in a statement that the fighting along the Chaman border was orchestrated by the Taliban in Afghanistan through divided villages in the area, with no regard for the civilian population. The attack was repulsed by Pakistani forces, which killed between 15 and 20 Afghan Taliban and wounded many others in Spin Boldak, a border city in Afghanistans Kandahar province, the military said. On Tuesday, Pakistans military said the Afghan Taliban worked with the Pakistani Taliban in an attempted assault on Pakistani border posts in the Kurram district but the attacks were repulsed, causing heavy losses to Afghan positions. Awais Ahmad, a doctor at Chaman hospital, said several people wounded in the attack were brought to the hospital. Witnesses in Chaman said they saw mortars falling near Pakistani villages and some families were seen evacuating. This fighting has been going on since early morning, and the people who live close to border area leaving the area, said Chaman resident Najibullah Khan, who urged the countries to end the fighting to prevent further shelling of villages. The clashes on the long and porous border stopped temporarily Sunday following appeals from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, but border crossings remain closed. The renewed fighting underscores the simmering tension between the neighbours. The Taliban government on Friday accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes in Kabul and in an eastern Afghanistan market. Pakistani state media said on Tuesday night that the military targeted hideouts of the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, which is a separate but allied group of the Afghan Taliban. The latest attacks in Kurram were carried out jointly by Afghan forces and TTP fighters and Pakistan destroyed several Afghan posts and inflicted heavy losses in response, state media said. Pakistan accuses the Taliban government of harbouring the TTP, which has carried out numerous deadly attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies the allegation, saying it does not allow its territory to be used for operations against other countries. By Colleen Murrell, Dublin City University (The Conversation) The worlds media are currently busy recording the tales of released Israeli hostages, freed Palestinian prisoners and their families after a ceasefire came into effect for the war in Gaza. But they are doing so while still being held at a distance from the centre of the story. Foreign journalists have been banned by Israel from entering the Gaza Strip independently since the start of the war. And senior members of the international media are not optimistic that access to Gaza will change any time soon. I asked Phil Chetwynd, global news director at Agence France-Presse (AFP), why he thought Israel was so insistent at keeping out external reporters. He told me: Any situation where independent media are kept out or targeted gives rise to questions about the motivation. We are told it is because of our safety, but we have been covering wars non-stop for the past 100 years. We are ready to assume the risks. Given the extraordinary high death toll of journalists in Gaza, we have to presume it is a deliberate attempt to stop media revealing the full impact of the war and the Israeli military campaign. He reflected on how AFP would like to plan its coverage. Our Palestinian journalists have done an amazing job, but all our Gaza staff journalists were evacuated over a year ago. They would like to return. The Palestinian freelancers who work for us have also done incredible work, but they are absolutely exhausted after two years of conflict. So we need journalists to be able to enter the Gaza Strip I do not make a distinction between Palestinian and international. He added: I think it is important to have fresh eyes on the situation on the ground. I would also say it is sometimes easier for international journalists to report more freely on the activities of Hamas. Reporting on Gaza For the past two years, the only access Israel has provided for foreign media to enter Gaza has been under embedded conditions with the Israeli military. In the weeks following the October 7 Hamas attacks in 2023, a number of British reporters including from the BBC and Channel 4 News did avail of this restricted coverage. American correspondents and news agencies have also taken up offers. But this access has been sporadic and has favoured Israeli journalists. In August 2025, an ABC Australia team managed to secure an embed trip to the Kerem Shalom aid site in southern Gaza after repeated requests were turned down. In his report, ABCs Matthew Doran pointed out that embeds are highly choreographed and controlled. However, Doran explained that he accepted the trip as an opportunity to gain access to a site Israel is using to prosecute its case it is trying to feed the population of Gaza an argument the humanitarian community, and world leaders, argue is full of holes. Doran noted that the small embed trip included an Israeli media outlet, an Israeli writer and a handful of social media influencers, all eager to post pro-Israeli sentiments. Israel has consistently accused the international media of succumbing to Hamas propaganda. A number of initiatives have been tried over the past 24 months to enable external reporters access to Gaza. The Foreign Press Association (FPA) in Jerusalem has challenged the restrictions in Israels supreme court. On September 11, the FPA noted that it had been a full year since it submitted its second petition to the court. But despite the urgency, it said the court has repeatedly agreed to the [Israeli] governments request for delays and postponed one hearing after another. Petitions have also been sent to the Israeli authorities with the backing of international media organisations and groups such as Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Both of these have coupled their campaigns with calls for an immediate end to the killing of Palestinian journalists in Gaza who have been the worlds only eyes on the conflict as witnessed by those under fire. According to the CPJs Jodie Ginsberg, writing in the Guardian in August, more than 192 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war. This number includes 26 journalists whom the CPJ believes have been targeted deliberately in the deadliest conflict for journalists that we have ever documented. A devastated Gaza seen from the air, Air Mobility Command C-17 Globemaster III over Gaza, March 21st, 2024. US Air Force Photo. Public Domain. Via Picryl Israel has denied targeting journalists, except in cases where it has accused particular Palestinian journalists of being terrorists. The CPJ has argued in return that Israel should stop its longstanding practice of labelling journalists as terrorists or engaging in militant activity, without providing sufficient and reliable evidence to support these claims. As recently as September, the BBC along with AFP, Associated Press and Reuters launched a film calling on the Israeli authorities to allow the international press access to Gaza. It noted the medias part in informing the world about the D-Day landings, the Vietnam war, the Ethiopian famine, the Tiananmen Square massacre, the Rwandan genocide, the Syrian refugee crisis and the current conflict in Ukraine. David Dimblebys narration calls on Israel to allow international reporters in, to share the burden with Palestinian reporters there so we can all bring the facts to the world. But looking at the current stalemate, a cynic might ponder if the the first open access to Gaza will be to the Washington press caravanserai that will surely be allowed in to document the rebuilding of Gaza into a Trump-envisioned riviera. Colleen Murrell, Chair of the Editorial Board, and Full Professor in Journalism, Dublin City University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. ( RFE/ RL ) 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 Londons 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. File Photo. Afghan Customs weigh-scale at the Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan. USAID. Public Domain. Via Picryl. . 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. Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa will ask Russia to hand over former ruler Bashar al-Assad during his first visit to Moscow on Wednesday, a government official said. The official, who requested anonymity as they were not allowed to brief the media, told AFP "Sharaa will ask the Russian president to hand over all individuals who committed war crimes and are in Russia, most notably Bashar al-Assad." The longtime ruler, who was toppled in December, sought refuge in Moscow. Syria's state news agency SANA said Sharaa arrived in Russia on Wednesday for "an official visit to hold talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on bilateral relations between the two countries and regional and international developments of common interest". The official had told AFP on Tuesday that Sharaa and Putin would also discuss "economic issues related to investment, the status of Russian bases in Syria, and the issue of rearming the new Syrian military". Russia was a key ally of Assad during the 14-year Syrian civil war. After providing him with diplomatic support at the UN Security Council, it intervened militarily to support Assad in 2015 with heavy air bombardments of rebel-held areas. Despite this, Syria's new Islamist rulers have sought peaceful relations with Russia. Uncertainty has clouded the fate of Russia's naval base in Tartus and its air base at Hmeimim since Assad's ouster. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said Wednesday he wanted to "redefine" relations with Moscow as Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted him in their first meeting since key Kremlin ally Bashar al-Assad was ousted last year. In front of the television cameras, Putin greeted Sharaa warmly at the Kremlin, but behind closed doors the Syrian leader was expected to push for Moscow to extradite Assad, who fled there after being toppled. The two were also expected to discuss the status of Russia's prized military bases in Syria -- the naval base in Tartus and air base at Hmeimim -- the fate of which has been uncertain since the rebel takeover. Russia was a key ally of Assad during the bloody 14-year Syrian civil war, providing vital military support that kept his forces in power. He was ousted last December in an offensive led by Sharaa's Islamist forces, fleeing to Russia, which has been sheltering him and his family for the past 10 months. In remarks at the start of the meeting, Sharaa acknowledged the two countries' historic ties but said he wanted a recalibration, as he brings Damascus in from isolation on the world stage. "We are trying to restore and redefine in a new way the nature of these relations so there is independence for Syria, sovereign Syria, and also its territorial unity and integrity and its security stability," Sharaa told Putin. - Putin hails 'special relations' - The Russian leader hailed "special relations" between the two countries that "have developed between our countries over many decades". Neither publicly mentioned Assad or the Russian bases, the main sticking points in the relationship. Al-Sharaa said before the meeting: "We respect all previous agreements," without elaborating. After the meeting, which according to Russian state media lasted for more than two and a half hours, Moscow said it was ready to continue its role in Syria's crude oil production. "Russian companies have been working on Syria's oilfields for a long time," vice premier Alexander Novak was quoted as saying by state news agency TASS, adding that there were some new fields where Moscow was "ready to participate". Russia, which in 2015 started launching air strikes on rebel-held territory in Syria, also said it wanted to help rebuild the country, battered by the long war. "Our companies are interested in the development of transport infrastructure and the restoration of energy systems" of Syria, Novak said. - Assad asylum - A Syrian government official told AFP before the meeting that Sharaa would request Putin hand over Assad, who Russia says it is protecting on "humanitarian grounds". The official, who requested anonymity as they were not allowed to brief the media, told AFP: "Sharaa will ask the Russian president to hand over all individuals who committed war crimes and are in Russia, most notably Bashar al-Assad." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed earlier this week the ousted leader was still living in Moscow. "We have granted asylum to Bashar al-Assad and his family for purely humanitarian reasons. He has no issues residing in our capital," Lavrov said at a forum on Monday. Russia's military support for Assad helped turn the tide of the Syrian civil war in his favour when it started intervening in 2015. Russian warplanes rained air strikes on rebel-held areas of Syria including the northwest Idlib region, which was largely controlled by Sharaa's Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the later years of the conflict. During a government offensive launched in late 2019 to retake parts of the province, Moscow carried out hundreds of air strikes on the rebel bastion, causing casualties and widespread destruction, including to civilian infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, marketplaces and residential areas. Moscow also sponsored so-called reconciliation deals between government forces and opposition factions in several parts of Syria that resulted in the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians and fighters to Idlib. HTS, of which Sharaa was a leader, was not one of them. During the Syrian civil war, Russia in 2020 placed HTS on its list of recognised "terrorists". burs/rlp International Criminal Court judges on Wednesday dismissed Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan from the crimes against humanity case against former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte, citing a "reasonable appearance of bias." But the decision will have little practical impact, with Khan currently on leave as investigators probe allegations of sexual assault against him. Duterte is facing three counts of crimes against humanity at the ICC over his alleged involvement in murders as part of his "war on drugs". The ex-president's defence team had sought Khan's dismissal as he had previously represented victims of Duterte's alleged crimes before taking up office as chief prosecutor. The judges ruled that "actual bias on the prosecutor has been demonstrated." However, they said that "a number of factors may give rise to an objectively reasonable appearance of bias in the eyes of a reasonable observer." Khan's involvement with the victims meant he "could be expected to have formed an opinion on the individual criminal responsibility of Mr Duterte." This could "adversely affect the required impartiality in his current role," the judges decided. Referring to the allegations of sexual abuse, which Khan denies, the defence said this affected the presumption of the prosecutor's "high moral character." Representatives of Duterte's alleged victims had called for the judges to dismiss the case as a moot point, given his current absence from the court. Disqualifying Khan from the case would "serve no practical purpose whatsoever," the victims' lawyers said. "This disqualification does not have an impact on the case itself," said ICC spokesman Fadi El Abdallah, adding the investigation is now being led by Khan's deputy. The ruling comes days after the ICC decided Duterte would remain in custody as judges assess his fitness to be tried. They said the 80-year-old posed a possible flight risk. If judges decide he is medically fit to sit in court, the next stage of proceedings will be a "confirmation of charges" hearing, where lawyers will argue whether there are sufficiant grounds for trial. In the world of business-to-business advertising, standing out isnt easy. With thousands of competitors offering similar services, brands must think strategically to capture the attention of decision-makers and generate consistent leads. Thats where the right B2B marketing agency comes into play. But with so many options available, how do you find the one that truly aligns with your business goals? In this guide, well explore everything you need to know about choosing the best B2B ad agency, what factors to consider, and how to make the most of your partnership for long-term success. Understanding What a B2B Marketing Agency Does Before diving into the selection process, its important to understand what a B2B marketing agency actually does. A B2B marketing agency specializes in helping businesses sell products or services to other businesses, not consumers. Their primary focus is on reaching decision-makers such as executives, procurement heads, and managers through tailored strategies like content marketing, demand generation, SEO, PPC, and account-based marketing (ABM). In simple terms, a B2B ad agency helps your brand create visibility, build authority, and convert high-value prospects into long-term clients. Why You Need a B2B Marketing Agency If youre still relying solely on in-house teams for marketing, you may be limiting your potential. A professional agency brings: Specialized expertise: They have industry knowledge, technology, and data insights that an internal team may lack. They have industry knowledge, technology, and data insights that an internal team may lack. Scalability: Agencies can quickly scale campaigns based on your goals and budget. Agencies can quickly scale campaigns based on your goals and budget. Efficiency: With automated tools and skilled experts, they deliver faster and more cost-effective results. With automated tools and skilled experts, they deliver faster and more cost-effective results. Creative strategy: They combine analytics with creativity to make your brand message resonate. Partnering with an experienced B2B ad agency ensures that every dollar you spend drives measurable business growth. Key Factors to Consider When Choosing the Right Agency Selecting the right marketing partner is a long-term investment. Heres what you should keep in mind: 1. Define Your Goals and Objectives Start by identifying what you want to achieve brand awareness, lead generation, website traffic, or sales growth. The clearer your goals, the easier it will be to find an agency that aligns with your business vision. 2. Evaluate Their Industry Experience An agency that has experience in your specific industry will better understand your target audience, market challenges, and buyer behavior. For example, if youre in SaaS or manufacturing, look for an agency that has handled similar B2B clients. 3. Analyze Their Service Offerings The best B2B marketing agency provides a full suite of services including: SEO and content marketing Programmatic advertising Account-based marketing (ABM) Email and automation campaigns Lead nurturing and retargeting Having multiple services under one roof ensures strategic alignment and better ROI. 4. Check Case Studies and Client Reviews Reputable agencies proudly display their success stories. Look for case studies, testimonials, and client reviews to gauge their credibility. Real-world results speak louder than promises. 5. Understand Their Communication Style Effective communication is key. A good B2B ad agency will provide regular updates, transparent reporting, and honest feedback. If they avoid discussing performance metrics, consider it a red flag. 6. Evaluate Their Technology and Tools The best agencies leverage advanced analytics, automation platforms, and CRM integrations to track and optimize campaign performance. Ask about the tools they use for campaign management, lead tracking, and performance analysis. 7. Ask About Customization Your business is unique, so your marketing strategy should be too. Avoid agencies that rely solely on one-size-fits-all solutions. Instead, choose a partner that tailors campaigns to your specific needs. 8. Consider Pricing and Value While pricing matters, it shouldnt be the only factor. Focus on value for money on how much ROI you can expect rather than just the upfront cost. A slightly more expensive agency that delivers better results is worth the investment. 9. Look for Transparency and Ethics Your marketing partner should operate with honesty and integrity. Ensure they follow ethical advertising practices and maintain full transparency in campaign execution and billing. 10. Prioritize Long-Term Partnership Potential A B2B marketing agency isnt just a vendor its a strategic partner. Choose an agency that focuses on building a long-term relationship, continuously adapting strategies as your business grows. Common Mistakes to Avoid When Selecting a B2B Ad Agency While searching for an agency, businesses often make these common mistakes: Choosing based solely on price instead of expertise. instead of expertise. Ignoring cultural fit and communication style. and communication style. Not setting clear performance metrics. Skipping background checks or failing to review previous projects. Avoiding these mistakes can save time, money, and frustration down the road. Questions to Ask Before Hiring a B2B Marketing Agency When shortlisting potential partners, ask questions such as: What is your experience with business-to-business advertising ? ? Can you share examples of successful campaigns in my industry? How do you measure ROI for your clients? Whats your process for campaign optimization and reporting? How often will we communicate and review progress? These questions will help you determine if the agency truly understands your business goals. The Benefits of Working with the Right B2B Marketing Partner Partnering with the right B2B ad agency can transform your business. Some benefits include: Consistent lead generation through targeted campaigns. through targeted campaigns. Enhanced brand positioning in competitive markets. in competitive markets. Data-backed decision-making using advanced analytics. using advanced analytics. Increased marketing ROI through strategic automation. A great agency acts as an extension of your team driving measurable growth while freeing up your time to focus on core business operations. Signs Youve Found the Perfect Agency Youll know youve found the right B2B marketing agency when: They understand your business deeply. They deliver consistent, transparent reports. They proactively suggest new strategies. Their campaigns generate tangible business results. The perfect agency wont just meet your expectations, theyll exceed them. Conclusion Choosing the best B2B marketing agency isnt about finding the biggest name; its about finding the right fit for your goals, industry, and growth vision. A reliable agency becomes your strategic partner guiding you with data-driven insights, creative execution, and measurable outcomes. If youre ready to elevate your business-to-business advertising and drive consistent growth, partner with an experienced USA-based B2B marketing agency that understands your market and delivers results that matter. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 1. What makes a good B2B marketing agency? A good agency has proven experience, transparency, industry knowledge, and the ability to deliver measurable results aligned with your goals. 2. How do I know if my B2B ad agency is performing well? Check performance reports regularly look for metrics like lead quality, conversion rates, and ROI to ensure campaigns are driving real impact. 3. Can small businesses benefit from hiring a B2B marketing agency? Absolutely! Even small and mid-sized businesses can benefit from expert guidance, efficient ad strategies, and access to marketing technologies that drive scalable growth. Legal, Compliance, and Strategic Frameworks for Modern Cross-Border Banking WASHINGTON, DC In an era of global commerce and digital assets, the concept of an offshore bank account has evolved from a niche financial tool into a cornerstone of international business strategy. For corporations and high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), maintaining offshore banking relationships is no longer about secrecy or tax evasion. It is about operational efficiency, diversification of risk, and lawful access to international markets. Amicus International Consultings new report, Offshore Bank Accounts for Businesses and High-Net-Worth Individuals: Legal, Compliance, and Strategic Frameworks for Modern Cross-Border Banking, examines how offshore accounts function today, what compliance obligations apply, and how to select jurisdictions and institutions that align with both legal and strategic priorities. The Modern Meaning of Offshore Banking Offshore banking refers to holding accounts in financial institutions outside ones country of residence or incorporation. For legitimate enterprises, this allows currency diversification, access to international payment networks, and protection against political or economic instability. For HNWIs, offshore accounts serve estate planning, investment diversification, and travel convenience. Amicus International Consulting emphasizes that modern offshore banking is compliance-centered. Every credible institution follows strict anti-money-laundering (AML) procedures, know-your-customer (KYC) checks, and international reporting under FATCA and the Common Reporting Standard (CRS). The era of anonymous numbered accounts is over; the focus now is on lawful structure, transparency, and cross-border efficiency. Why Offshore Accounts Are Used Businesses and HNWIs open offshore accounts for practical reasons. Amicus International Consulting identifies six legitimate purposes: Global Transactions: Companies engaged in international trade need multi-currency accounts for settlements. Offshore banks facilitate USD, EUR, GBP, and other currencies without the restrictions of domestic institutions. Asset Protection: Holding funds in stable jurisdictions mitigates exposure to home-country banking or political risks. Investment Flexibility: Offshore banks provide access to global markets, private funds, and structured investment products unavailable in smaller economies. Estate and Tax Planning: When integrated with disclosed corporate or trust structures, offshore accounts simplify asset succession and lawful tax efficiency. Confidentiality and Data Security: High-net-worth clients often prefer banking in jurisdictions with robust data protection laws and financial privacy safeguards. Operational Continuity: For multinational businesses, offshore accounts streamline payroll, vendor payments, and intercompany transfers across jurisdictions. The Legal Framework of Offshore Banking All legitimate offshore banking operates under clear legal and regulatory structures. Banks are licensed and supervised by local authorities, often with stringent requirements for capital adequacy, risk management, and compliance. Offshore accounts are subject to three primary compliance regimes: FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act): Obligates foreign banks to identify and report accounts held by U.S. taxpayers. Obligates foreign banks to identify and report accounts held by U.S. taxpayers. CRS (Common Reporting Standard): Requires banks in over 100 jurisdictions to automatically exchange financial account information with tax authorities. Requires banks in over 100 jurisdictions to automatically exchange financial account information with tax authorities. AML/KYC Regulations: Mandate verification of identity, source of wealth, and purpose of transactions to prevent illicit activity. Contrary to misconceptions, offshore banking is not a loophole but a regulated global industry that demands full disclosure. Clients who comply with reporting obligations can enjoy the benefits of international banking without legal exposure. Jurisdictions for Offshore Banking Amicus International Consultings comparative analysis identifies the most reliable offshore banking jurisdictions, categorized by reputation, regulatory quality, and accessibility. Jurisdiction Strengths Regulatory Compliance Typical Clients Notes Switzerland Global wealth management expertise, strong privacy laws Fully CRS and FATCA compliant HNWIs, family offices Premium fees, impeccable reputation Singapore Asian hub with robust regulation and stable governance CRS compliant, stringent AML Entrepreneurs, corporations Access to Asian and global markets Luxembourg EU banking stability, investor protection CRS and EU-regulated Institutional investors Strong fund and private banking sector Cayman Islands Advanced financial services, strong legal system OECD-compliant Funds, corporate structures Popular for investment vehicles United Arab Emirates (UAE) Emerging global hub, tax efficiency FATF-aligned Global entrepreneurs, family offices Multi-currency accounts, growing reputation Belize Cost-effective, accessible CRS participant, simplified documentation SMEs, traders Practical entry-level jurisdiction Each jurisdiction balances access, privacy, and compliance differently. Switzerland and Singapore lead in reputation and service quality, while the UAE offers rapid onboarding and geographic neutrality. Opening an Offshore Bank Account: Process and Requirements Opening an offshore account today involves transparency and documentation. The process typically includes: Choosing Jurisdiction and Bank: Clients evaluate the regulatory environment, reputation, fees, and banking products. Submitting KYC Documents: Passport, proof of address, bank reference letters, corporate documentation, and financial statements. Source-of-Funds Declaration: Detailed narrative supported by tax filings, business invoices, or contracts. Compliance Review: Banks perform AML screening and may request additional documents. Account Activation: Once compliance approves, multi-currency accounts are opened with online and mobile access. Processing times vary from two to eight weeks, depending on jurisdiction and documentation completeness. Corporate Offshore Banking: A Practical Framework For businesses, offshore accounts offer operational and strategic advantages when managed correctly. Amicus International Consulting recommends a compliance-first approach based on four pillars: Transparent Corporate Structure: Ensure that the ownership chain and ultimate beneficial owner (UBO) are fully declared. Economic Substance: Demonstrate genuine business activity, including contracts, offices, or local management. Accounting and Reporting: Maintain audited records and reconcile statements regularly for regulatory and tax filings. Jurisdictional Coordination: Align incorporation, banking, and operational jurisdictions to minimize compliance friction. Companies that follow these steps benefit from seamless trade settlements, cross-border credit facilities, and reduced administrative risk. Private Offshore Banking for HNWIs For high-net-worth individuals, offshore accounts serve broader purposes than simple deposits. They act as gateways to wealth management, global investments, and asset structuring. A well-structured offshore banking relationship includes: Multi-currency portfolios that allow diversification across regions. that allow diversification across regions. Investment access to funds, private equity, and alternative assets. to funds, private equity, and alternative assets. Integration with trusts or foundations for estate planning and inheritance management. for estate planning and inheritance management. Personalized credit facilities secured by global portfolios or real estate. Amicus International Consulting highlights that the best offshore private banks are now defined by compliance excellence and fiduciary transparency, not by secrecy. Case Study: Structuring Offshore Banking for an International Family Office In 2024, a third-generation family office with interests in technology, real estate, and private equity sought to consolidate accounts spread across Europe and the Caribbean. The objective was to create a unified, transparent banking framework that met CRS and FATCA standards while preserving asset mobility. Amicus International Consulting designed a three-tier structure: Core Custody in Switzerland: Long-term asset management with segregated investment accounts. Operational Accounts in Singapore: Multi-currency liquidity management for business operations in Asia. Reserve Accounts in the UAE: Diversification and access to regional opportunities. The family achieved global visibility of assets through consolidated reporting while maintaining privacy under lawful data protection regimes. Compliance audits confirmed complete CRS reporting alignment. The case demonstrates how lawful offshore banking enhances, not diminishes, transparency and control. Regulatory Challenges and Risk Mitigation The main challenge in offshore banking today is jurisdictional complexity. Each country applies different AML thresholds, documentation standards, and currency controls. Amicus International Consulting identifies five key risks and mitigation strategies: Documentation Delays: Maintain digital copies of all certified documents and ensure apostilles are current. Compliance Overload: Use professional service providers to manage annual reporting and CRS filings. Currency Controls: Diversify across currencies and avoid over-concentration in one jurisdiction. Bank Account Closure Risks: Maintain ongoing communication with banks and respond promptly to compliance requests. Reputational Risk: Avoid associations with low-transparency or sanctioned jurisdictions. Effective offshore banking is proactive, not reactive. Clients who maintain complete, up-to-date compliance profiles face minimal disruption. Offshore Banking and Tax Residency Offshore banking does not exempt clients from taxation. Residents of most countries are taxed on worldwide income, including offshore interest or gains. Legal offshore banking requires proper disclosure through tax filings and declarations. Amicus International Consulting clarifies the distinction: banking offshore is not illegal; hiding it is. When structured correctly within declared entities and trusts, offshore banking supports tax efficiency through double-taxation treaties and lawful deferral mechanisms. The Role of Technology and Fintech Digital transformation has revolutionized offshore banking. Fintech-enabled banks now offer remote onboarding, virtual compliance interviews, and instant SWIFT access. These institutions, licensed under complete AML oversight, combine efficiency with regulatory integrity. Amicus International Consulting notes that technology has also enhanced monitoring. Artificial intelligence tools detect suspicious transactions faster than manual review, while blockchain audit trails ensure transparency. For HNWIs and corporations, this means faster service without sacrificing compliance. Selecting the Right Offshore Bank Amicus International Consulting recommends evaluating banks using six criteria: Regulatory Strength: Confirm licensing authority and compliance record. Service Specialization: Determine whether the bank serves corporate, private, or mixed clients. Currency Access: Verify support for major currencies and multi-currency wallets. Investment Platform: Assess access to global markets, funds, and structured products. Digital Capability: Evaluate online banking security, encryption, and mobile integration. Fee Transparency: Compare account maintenance, transfer, and FX fees. The best banks balance strong regulation with client flexibility. Institutions in Singapore, Switzerland, and the UAE consistently rank highest in these categories. Offshore Banking for Emerging Entrepreneurs Historically, offshore accounts were associated with established corporations and HNWIs. Today, digital entrepreneurs and small exporters increasingly rely on them. Online sellers, software developers, and consulting firms with global clients use offshore accounts to collect payments efficiently. Amicus International Consulting advises entrepreneurs to maintain full invoicing trails, declare all income, and ensure payment processors integrate with licensed banks. Properly managed, offshore accounts can simplify international growth without raising compliance risk. Offshore Banking and Economic Substance Economic substance has become a decisive regulatory concept. Authorities now require proof that a companys offshore account supports real business operations, not passive holding. Evidence may include office leases, employees, or documented decision-making. Jurisdictions such as the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and the British Virgin Islands have codified substance requirements. Failure to comply can result in penalties or classification as non-resident for tax purposes. Amicus International Consultings compliance framework ensures that corporate clients meet substance tests through legitimate governance, thereby preserving access to banking and treaty benefits. Reputation, Ethics, and the New Global Banking Culture The offshore industry has undergone a cultural transformation. Reputation now equals resilience. Banks and clients that embrace transparent compliance find easier access to credit, payment networks, and partnerships. Those who cling to secrecy find themselves isolated. Amicus International Consulting identifies a new ethical standard emerging across financial centers: transparency with discretion. Confidentiality is maintained, but only within the boundaries of law. Ethical offshore banking focuses on financial inclusion, compliance, integrity, and sustainable investment. The Amicus Offshore Banking Framework Amicus International Consultings proprietary offshore banking model assists clients through every step: Needs Assessment: Define banking objectivestrading, wealth management, or corporate finance. Jurisdiction Screening: Compare legal stability, cost, and reputation. Documentation Preparation: Ensure compliance-grade identification and source-of-funds proof. Bank Selection: Match client profile with regulatory expectations. Ongoing Compliance Management: Monitor reporting, renewals, and audits. This approach transforms offshore banking from a static account into a dynamic compliance asset. Future of Offshore Banking The offshore banking industry is converging with mainstream finance. The next decade will feature integrated platforms that combine traditional banking with blockchain settlement, instant cross-border payments, and AI-driven compliance reporting. Transparency will continue to expand, and jurisdictions will compete not on secrecy but on service, governance, and innovation. Amicus International Consulting anticipates that clients who treat compliance as a strategic infrastructure will thrive. Offshore banking is shifting from discretion to discipline, where documentation, governance, and lawful transparency define success. Conclusion: Lawful Access to Global Finance Offshore banking remains one of the most powerful tools for businesses and high-net-worth individuals, provided it is used correctly. The modern offshore account is a compliance engine, not a hiding place. It facilitates legitimate global trade, efficient asset management, and transparent diversification. Amicus International Consulting concludes that the future of offshore banking lies in balancing privacy with proof, access with accountability, and innovation with integrity. The institutions and clients that master this balance will define the next generation of lawful international finance. Contact Information Phone: +1 (604) 200-5402 Signal: 604-353-4942 Telegram: 604-353-4942 Email: [email protected] Website: www.amicusint.ca Veteran makeup artist Kim Sun Jin, known as the wife of the late actor Jo Min Ki, has made an emotional return to television after several years away from the spotlight. As reported by Allkpop, Kim made a guest appearance on "Coupang Play's" massive beauty survival show Just Makeup, competing as "37 years as Genie." She faced off against some of Korea's top makeup artists, showing confidence and vulnerability as she returned to the spotlight. I may be old school, but I've worked with so many starsShim Eun Ha, Park Joong Hoon, the late Choi Jin Sil, Shim Hye Jin... I still have that special touch as someone from the first generation," she claimed. "It felt like it was time to jump back in and really play again." The show, presented by Lee Hyori and judged by Jung Saem Mool and Lee Jin Soo, included Kim's daring attempt at redefining the "strong unni" image. Kim was moved to tears, though, when beauty creator Risabae, who had worked at Kim's salon years before, went to comfort her during her critique. As reported by Xportsnews, Risabae gently held Kim's hand and said, "Don't cry, director. I'll cover you," shielding her from view. The reunion touched both the judges and the audience, revealing the profound respect that exists between the two artists. In an interview backstage, Risabae stated, "Should I call her Genie-nim? It still feels strange to say that. She was my boss when I first joined the salon. Standing here facing each other again brought back so many emotions." Kim, still crying, added, "I think we both remembered the old days. It's not just the pastit's the present and future too. These tears come from the memories we share." While Kim was eventually cut from the round, she made a lasting impression on viewers as well as contestants. "Since I've mostly been running the salon instead of doing hands-on makeup, I lost a bit of confidence," she said. "But what you've learned with your body never leaves youit just comes back naturally." Kim Sun Jin, who is one of Korea's first makeup artists, wed Jo Min Ki in 1992. They had two children and once made a joint appearance on MBN variety show "Graduation from Marriage". Jo died in 2018, leaving behind a six-page letter amidst sexual assault charges. Popular Korean actress Song Hye Kyo once again showcased her ageless beauty through a recent social media post that left netizens speechless. The 43-year-old actress posted a series of stunning photos on October 12, stunning followers with her graceful ambiance and sophisticated visuals. In the photos, Song was wearing a flowing blue dress that beautifully highlighted her ethereal beauty. The actress shared the photos on Instagram with a touching caption expressing her appreciation for the moment. Her caption said, "I only have back-view pictures (Dubai). Grateful memories." As per Koreaboo, the photos were clicked for her special cameo appearance in the Netflix drama Genie, Make A Wish, where she plays the ex-girlfriend of a "Satan genie." The short but powerful role has attracted much attention from the fans, who welcomed her appearance as both elegant and enigmatic. In the set of photos, Song seamlessly shifted from glamorous to natural, and unfiltered charm was shown off in everyday outfits. The actress' natural elegance and poise were enough to make fans flock into the comments section to shower her with praise. Online viewers responded to her post by saying "Such a goddess" and "Even at 43, she looks like she's in her 20s." Most of her fans pointed out how the actress still exudes elegance and composure despite venue or wardrobe. MHNse further reported that Song Hye Kyo's cameo in "The Return" is one of her limited public projects this year since she is preparing for her upcoming lead role. She will appear in a new Netflix drama with the working title "Show Business." The drama, still in the works, has already generated much anticipation among fans waiting to see Song back on television. For several years, Song Hye Kyo has upheld her status as Korea's top actress, who is cherished for her variety of acting skills and her classic beauty. The photos she recently posted are not only validation of her star power, but they are also a reminder of why she is still a beloved act that is highly regarded in the community of celebrities. Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - Citizen TVs Group Editorial Director, Linus Kaikai, has revealed the details of his final phone conversation with the late Raila Odinga, just two days before the former Prime Ministers passing. Speaking on Wednesday, October 15th, Kaikai shared that he spoke with Odinga on Sunday evening, October 13th, at 6:32 p.m, describing the seven-minute conversation as upbeat and reassuring. I called to ask how he was doing, and I heard someone who was cheerful and completely normal, Kaikai said. He even started asking me about matters of the country. Kaikais account adds a deeply personal dimension to the national mourning that followed Odingas death on Wednesday morning at the age of 80. Odinga reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest during a morning walk at an Ayurvedic wellness facility in Kerala, India. President William Ruto has announced that the ODM leader will be accorded a state funeral. A committee co-chaired by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga has been formed to oversee the arrangements. In honor of Odingas legacy, President Ruto declared a seven-day national mourning period, during which flags will fly at half-mast across Kenya and its diplomatic missions worldwide. The Kenyan DAILY POST Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odingas final hours were marked by routine and optimism as he continued his recovery journey in Kerala, India. The 80-year-old veteran politician, who had travelled to India on October 4 after suffering a minor stroke in Kenya, was undergoing Ayurvedic therapy at the Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Centre in Koothattukulam, Ernakulam. Sources at the facility revealed that Odinga, who initially arrived in a wheelchair, had shown encouraging signs of recovery after beginning his treatment. He had started walking short distances and was reportedly in good spirits. His vitals were stable, and his overall condition had improved significantly, according to hospital officials. On Wednesday morning, Odinga followed his usual routine, setting out for a morning walk within the hospital premises around 8:30 a.m., accompanied by his personal doctor. However, during the walk, he suddenly collapsed, suffering a cardiac arrest. Medical personnel at Sreedhareeyam quickly administered CPR and rushed him to Devamatha Hospital in nearby Kochi. Despite being admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and receiving advanced life-saving interventions, efforts to revive him proved unsuccessful. Odinga was pronounced dead at 9:52 a.m. (Indian Time) His death came after weeks of speculation in Kenya regarding his health and absence from public events, which had prompted multiple clarifications from his party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). Until his final moments, Odinga was reportedly upbeat and looking forward to returning home. His passing marks the end of a towering political legacy that spanned decades and shaped Kenyas democracy. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - Angela, a second-year student at Kenyatta University, has once again set tongues wagging on TikTok after parading her glamorous new lifestyle, reportedly funded by a Member of Parliament she is romantically involved with. The well-endowed campus beauty, who has quickly become an online sensation, recently ditched the KU hostels for a well-furnished apartment, courtesy of her mheshimiwa boyfriend. In a video shared on her TikTok page, Angela is seen confidently strutting into her stylish apartment after attending a lecture, a move that has left her fellow students green with envy. Many were quick to dig up her older clips taken in a modest hostel room, comparing them with her current soft life, a transformation many credited to her influential lover. As speculation continues to swirl online, Angela seems unbothered, continuing to share snippets of her luxury lifestyle to the delight of her growing fanbase. ANGELA wa KU pic.twitter.com/B17dLHCFly DAILY POST (@dailypost_ke) October 15, 2025 The Kenyan DAILY POST Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - Political commentator and staunch ODM supporter, Gabriel Oguda, has revealed that he spoke with Raila Odinga just two days before the former Prime Ministers passing. In a post shared on his X account on Wednesday, October 15th, 2025, Oguda posted a screenshot of WhatsApp voice calls exchanged between him and Odinga on Monday. According to the image, Raila attempted to reach Oguda twice - at 3:33 p.m. and 3:36 p.m - but both calls went unanswered. Oguda tried returning the call at 4:11 p.m without success. The two eventually connected for a two-minute conversation at 4:21 p.m. Raila called again at 6:36 p.m for a brief 28-second follow-up. Twice I missed Babas call on Monday. He called back again after I returned his call and didnt connect, Oguda wrote. After speaking for two minutes, he called me back again immediately to pass on a message he had missed during the earlier call. I am lost for words. Raila Odinga died on Wednesday morning at the age of 80 after he collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest during a morning walk within Ayurvedic Hospital premises in Kerala, India. President William Ruto has declared a seven-day national mourning period and announced that Raila will be accorded a State funeral. Tributes continue to pour in from across the country and beyond, honoring a man widely regarded as a pillar of Kenyas democratic journey. The Kenyan DAILY POST Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - National Assembly Majority Leader and Kikuyu MP, Kimani Ichungwah, has delivered an emotional tribute to the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, revealing a personal bond that transcended political rivalry. Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, October 15th, 2025, Ichungwah described Raila as a father figure whose warmth and kindness left a lasting impression. When the news was broken to us early this morning by the President, it was a difficult moment, Ichungwah said. Just weeks ago, Raila called to condole with me after I lost my father. He spoke with a fatherly tone and always called me my son. His remarks moved fellow legislators, many of whom listened in silence as Ichungwah painted a picture of Raila as a mentor and compassionate leader. Despite being on opposite sides of the political aisle, Ichungwahs tribute reflected mutual respect and admiration. He described Raila as a statesman who guided young leaders with humility and whose influence extended far beyond politics. Raila Odinga was a man who cared deeply for others, regardless of their political affiliations, he said. President William Ruto, who officially announced Railas death, echoed similar sentiments, calling him a once-in-a-generation leader and a giant who towered for decades over our democratic landscape. The President also declared seven days of national mourning. The Kenyan DAILY POST Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has joined Kenyans and global leaders in mourning the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who passed away in India following a cardiac arrest. In a moving message posted on X (formerly Twitter), Modi paid tribute to Odinga, calling him a towering statesman and a cherished friend of India. He recalled their long-standing friendship dating back to his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat, noting Odingas deep admiration for Indian culture and traditional medicine. He particularly admired Ayurveda and traditional medicine systems of India, having witnessed their positive impact on his daughter's health, Modi wrote. I extend my deepest condolences to his family, friends, and to the people of Kenya in this hour of grief. Odinga, 80, died on Wednesday morning while undergoing treatment at an Ayurvedic facility in Keralas Ernakulam district. He was pronounced dead at 7:22 a.m at a private hospital in Koothattukulam. The Kenyan DAILY POST Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - President William Ruto has confirmed the dispatch of a high-level delegation to India to coordinate the repatriation of the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odingas body. Odinga passed away while undergoing treatment at a medical facility in Kerala, India, on Wednesday, October 15th, 2025 at the age of 80. Speaking from State House, Nairobi, on Wednesday, October 15th, 2025, President Ruto described Raila as a towering statesman whose legacy will shape Kenyas democratic journey for generations. He announced that Raila will be accorded a State funeral and declared a seven-day period of national mourning. During this time, flags will fly at half-mast across the country and at all Kenyan missions abroad, and public engagements by Government officials will be suspended. The delegation to India is led by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and includes: Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Cabinet Secretary, Hassan Joho, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichungwah, Minority Leader Junet Mohammed, Mama Ida Odinga and Jaoko Oburu (son of Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga). President Ruto noted that the Government of India has pledged full support in facilitating the return of Railas remains. Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Senator Oburu Odinga will co-chair the national funeral committee overseeing burial preparations. The Kenyan DAILY POST Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - ODM leader and former Kenyan Prime Minister RAILA ODINGA has died at the age of 80. Odinga passed away on Wednesday while receiving treatment at a hospital in India. Indian media reports suggest cardiac arrest as the cause of death. His passing follows weeks of speculation about his health, which had intensified due to his prolonged absence from public life. Despite reassurances from family and party officials, concerns persisted. The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) had repeatedly dismissed reports of Odingas illness as politically motivated rumors. Just last week, his wife Ida Odinga publicly stated that Raila was healthy and fine, urging Kenyans to disregard false narratives. However, Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga, Railas brother, later confirmed that the veteran leader had been unwell and had traveled abroad for treatment, though he maintained the condition was not life-threatening. Further details to follow as the story develops. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - President William Ruto on Wednesday, October 15, visited the Karen residence of the late Raila Odinga to offer condolences to the family following the former Prime Ministers death. Ruto was received by Mama Ida Odinga, with whom he shared a heartfelt conversation. Images from the visit showed the Head of State expressing sympathy and support to the grieving family. The president was accompanied by senior government officials and political leaders, including Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichungwah, and Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo. Also present were Suna East MP Junet Mohamed, Karachuonyo MP Andrew Adipo, and Jaoko Oburu, son of Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga. Following the visit, Ruto convened an emergency National Security Council meeting to address national matters in light of Odingas death. Raila Odinga, who served as Kenyas second Prime Minister and led the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) for decades, died Wednesday morning at age 80. He reportedly suffered cardiac arrest during a morning walk at an Ayurvedic facility in Kerala, India, and was pronounced dead at 7:22 a.m. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - Raila Odinga collapsed and died this morning in India while out for a walk. Medical staff at the facility rushed him to the emergency department, where frantic resuscitation efforts by doctors proved unsuccessful. Here is a video of his doctor describing how he passed away Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - President William Ruto on Wednesday, October 15th, signed eight bills into law during a ceremony at State House, Nairobi, sparking mixed reactions across the country. The timing of the signings - just hours before the announcement of ODM leader, Raila Odingas death - has raised eyebrows, with some Kenyans questioning whether the move was intended to avoid scrutiny. Among the newly assented laws is the controversial Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which expands the definition of online offences. The bill empowers the Government to block or remove websites and apps linked to crime, terrorism, child abuse, or cult activity. It also criminalizes SIM-swap fraud, phone-based scams, and fake online investments. Individuals found guilty of sending messages that incite fear, violence, or serious offence could face fines of up to Sh20 million or imprisonment of up to 10 years. Other bills signed into law include amendments to land laws, wildlife conservation, police service oversight, air passenger charges, and virtual asset regulation. Critics have pointed to the rapid pace at which some of these bills were passed through Parliament, suggesting a lack of transparency. The coincidence of their signing with the national mourning for Raila Odinga has fueled speculation that the Government may have sought to shift public attention away from the legislative changes. See some of the reactions below. The Kenyan DAILY POST Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - Former Citizen TV journalist, Kimani Mbugua, has reportedly died after struggling with mental illness. According to former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, it is believed that Kimani took his own life on Tuesday, October 14th, 2025 at the Mombasa Women Empowerment Mental Rescue Centre, where he had been admitted after his mental health deteriorated. Mbugua was rescued from the streets in Thika where he had been loitering and taken to Mombasa for medical attention. Sonko sent condolences to the deceased journalists family and promised to issue a comprehensive statement once the police report is out. I am saddened to hear about the premature demise of former Citizen TV and NTV journalist Kimani Mbugua at the Mombasa Women Empowerment Mental Rescue Centre. It is believed that he may have taken his own life. I will issue a comprehensive statement once the police report is out. In the meantime I extend my heartfelt condolences to Kimani's family, friends and relatives. I pray that God provides them with strength and comfort during this challenging time. May God rest his soul in eternal peace, he tweeted. Kimani, who died at 29, joined Nation Media Group at 19 as a presenter at Nation FM and NTV before later joining Citizen TV as a TV presenter. The Kenyan DAILY POST Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - UK Defence Secretary John Healey met with Esther Njoki, niece of the late Agnes Wanjiru, in London on Tuesday amid intensifying calls for justice over Wanjirus 2012 murder in Nanyuki, Kenya. The meeting came shortly after Kenyas Director of Public Prosecutions ruled that a British soldier should face trial for the killing. Wanjiru, 21, was last seen with British soldiers at a hotel near the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK). Her body was discovered two months later in a septic tank on the hotels premises, bearing multiple stab wounds. A UK Government statement confirmed that Healey and Njoki discussed progress in the case. Our Government will continue to do everything we can to support the Kenyan investigation, secure a resolution to this case and finally bring peace to Esther and her grieving family, the statement read. Njoki urged the UK to act swiftly. We are urging him and the Government to do everything in their power to ensure the man arrested is extradited to Kenya and faces trial without further delay, she said. This marks Healeys second meeting with Wanjirus family, following an April visit to Nairobi. The London meeting follows a Kenyan High Court warrant for the arrest of the unnamed British soldier. Though the UK had initially pledged to reveal the soldiers identity, it remains undisclosed. A 2019 Kenyan inquest concluded that Wanjiru was murdered by one or more British soldiers. The Kenyan DAILY POST Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has unveiled a detailed plan of how Parliament will pay tribute to the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, following President William Rutos declaration of a seven-day national mourning period. Speaking on Wednesday, October 15th, 2025, Wetangula described Raila as a national hero whose legacy in democracy and governance deserves solemn recognition. He announced that Thursdays House session will be entirely dedicated to eulogizing the late leader. We will have a full day of eulogies to the Right Honourable Raila Odinga, starting from 10:00 a.m. to midnight, to allow everyone to speak, Wetangula said. To accommodate all members, sitting hours have been extended beyond the usual 2:30 p.m. The Speaker directed that all tributes be recorded through an exceptional motion and preserved in the House archives as part of Parliaments official tribute. He also advised MPs to attend the session in mourning attire, preferably black. Wetangula further revealed that National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichungwah and Minority Leader Junet Mohammed will join the delegation traveling to Mumbai, India, to accompany Railas body back to Kenya. The team includes Cabinet Secretaries and members of the Odinga family, including Mama Ida Odinga. This is a moment of national reflection, Wetangula said. We are honoring a man whose name is etched in the story of our republic. The Kenyan DAILY POST Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has delivered a poignant tribute to the late Raila Odinga, describing him as a brother, friend, and a titan of Kenyas democratic struggle. Odinga, who passed away earlier today in India at the age of 80, was described as the President who won but was never declared. Speaking from the United Kingdom, where he is on a 10-day official programme, Musyoka expressed deep sorrow over the loss of Kenyas Second Prime Minister. He praised Odingas unwavering commitment to democracy, recalling his years of detention and torture in the fight for multipartyism. Railas body bore the scars of bullets and batonsmarks of a struggle no one should endure, Musyoka said. He highlighted Odingas instrumental role in constitutional reforms, particularly his efforts to dismantle the imperial presidency and usher in the 2010 Constitution, which devolved power to the people. Reflecting on their political partnership, Musyoka recalled serving as Odingas running mate in the CORD and NASA coalitions, and later in Azimio La Umoja One Kenya. We learnt a lot from each other and shared a lot of pain, he noted. Musyoka extended heartfelt condolences to Mama Ida Odinga and the Odinga family, assuring them of his familys support. Kenya has lost an exemplary leader. Railas legacy will echo across the continent, he said. Meanwhile, President William Ruto has declared a seven-day national mourning period. Speaking during a national address on Wednesday, the President ordered that the national flag be flown at half-mast across the country and in all Kenyan missions abroad as the nation honors one of its most iconic leaders. "In honor of the right honorable Raila Odinga and his immense contribution to the nation of Kenya, I have declared 7 days of mourning across Kenya during which the national flag shall fly at half-mast across the nation and in our missions abroad," the President announced. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - In the latest crackdown on fraud, a "get rich quick" scheme masterminded by Michael Otieno Onyango and Andrew Clifford Otieno has been dismantled, thanks to the relentless efforts by detectives. The duo is implicated in a USD 5.6 million (Ksh 719 million) fraud scheme targeting an American businesswoman. The con involved luring the foreigner into what appeared to be a lucrative deal for 70 kilograms of gold. However, the businesswoman was no fool, before falling prey to the trap, she demanded confirmation of legitimacy from the Ministry of Mining. She insisted that any gold transaction must be verified through testing conducted by the Ministry. Though the scammers initially complied with her request, their plan unravelled when they failed to show up for a scheduled gold test. The businesswoman decided to play along with the scammers. A second meeting was arranged, and this time, she was picked up from Yaya Centre by a supposed associate, who lured her under the pretence of grabbing a cup of coffee. Instead, she was driven to Rose Villa Estate, where the elusive suspects awaited. As negotiations began, the scammers attempted to persuade her to finalise the phony deal, but their efforts fell on deaf ears. Sensing something was amiss, they suddenly grew suspicious and fled the scene in a blue Mazda CX-Z, registration number KDP 336R. But their escape was short-lived. Detectives, hot on their trail, swiftly intercepted the vehicle and apprehended both occupants. The duo was escorted back to House 27 at Rose Villa Estate, where a thorough search ensued. Detectives uncovered two smelting machines and nineteen smelting moulds, further revealing the depth of their fraudulent operation. Both suspects have been taken into custody and are now undergoing processing pending arraignment. The Kenyan DAILY POST Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has joined the nation in mourning the death of Raila Odinga. In a heartfelt tribute on X, Uhuru described the late ODM leader as a towering statesman and a deeply personal friend and reflected on their complex political journey, marked by rivalry, reconciliation and unity. My heart is heavy, and my spirit is burdened with a grief that is both profound and deeply personal, Uhuru said. The news of Railas passing has left a silence that echoes across our nation - a silence where once there was a voice of thunder and conviction. He acknowledged Railas influence on his own political path, recalling their years as fierce opponents and the transformation that followed the 2018 handshake. We became political opponents, and often, the weight of that competition felt immense. But in recent years, a different bond was forged - one of respect and shared patriotism. Uhuru praised Railas unwavering commitment to justice and national unity, calling him an invaluable ally and a true son of Kenya. He extended heartfelt condolences to Mama Ida and the Odinga family, saying, We have lost a father to the nation and a steadfast champion for the people. Raila Odinga died on Wednesday morning at the age of 80 after suffering a cardiac arrest at an Ayurvedic facility in Kerala, India. The Kenyan DAILY POST By Mata Press Service Bill C-3, the federal legislation aimed at reforming how Canadian citizenship is passed to children born abroad, has advanced to the committee stage after passing second reading in the House of Commons. While originally proposed to resolve court-ordered issues affecting so-called Lost Canadians, the bill has ignited a broader national debate about birthright citizenship, migration pressures, and the meaning of Canadian identity. The most recent flashpoint came when Conservatives attempted to strip automatic birthright citizenship from the legislation. The amendment sought to remove jus soli, the longstanding principle granting Canadian citizenship to anyone born on national soil, even if their parents are not citizens or permanent residents. The Liberals, backed by the Bloc Quebecois, defeated the motion, ensuring that unrestricted birthright citizenship remains intact for now. According to Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel Garner, the failed amendment represented a missed opportunity to tighten what she calls chain migration incentives. In a statement on X, she wrote that Conservatives would continue pressing to end policies that have brought into question the intrinsic value of Canadian citizenship. For a decade, the Liberals have operationalized the philosophy of post-nationalism, asserting that there is no shared Canadian identity, while simultaneously bringing newcomers in at a rate where integrating them into Canadas social and economic fabric has become challenging, Rempel Garner said. The result has been the breaking of Canadas long-held immigration consensus, and confusion over the responsibilities associated with Canadian citizenship. Bill C-3 was introduced by the federal government to comply with a court ruling that found Canadas existing Citizenship Act unconstitutional. Under current law, Canadian citizens born abroad cannot automatically pass citizenship to their own foreign-born children, a restriction imposed in 2009. The legislation aims to eliminate this generational cutoff, enabling citizenship by descent to extend beyond first-generation births. The government argues that the change is necessary to address long-standing injustices affecting Lost Canadians, people who believed they were citizens by descent, only to discover they were not eligible under existing law. Officials were given until November 20, 2025, to implement a legislative fix. However, what began as a targeted remedy has broadened into a contentious redefinition of who qualifies as Canadian, and under what conditions. While birthright citizenship remains untouched, Bill C-3 has undergone major revision during committee review. Supported by Conservative and Bloc members, a series of amendments would now require Canadians born abroad to meet conditions before they can pass citizenship to children born outside Canada. These include: Language proficiency in English or French for applicants aged 18 to 55 Civic knowledge requirements similar to naturalization standards Residency obligation of 1,095 days in Canada within any five-year period Security and admissibility checks Bloc Quebecois MP Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe defended the changes, stating, Everybody should be happy. The same rules apply to naturalized Canadians so why not here? Government officials, including representatives from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, cautioned that strict adherence could create a new wave of Lost Canadians by withholding citizenship from individuals who previously would have qualified automatically by descent. Rempel Garner and other Conservative MPs warn that Canada's jus soli policy, combined with rising immigration levels, is generating significant pressure on housing, health care, and social cohesion. She cited federal data showing that temporary residents now comprise more than seven per cent of the population, alongside an estimated 300,000 to 600,000 undocumented individuals. Rempel Garner also pointed to the rise of birth tourism, saying it has increased by 590 per cent since 2015. Restrictions must be placed on jus soli citizenship, levels must be lowered, and the overall system must be boldly reformed, she wrote. She argued that court delays, appeals, and limited deportation enforcement have created incentives for foreign nationals to give birth in Canada, in hopes their childs citizenship will help anchor their stay. While having a child on Canadian soil theoretically grants no immediate stay rights, in practice, deeply broken systems often allow them to remain, she said. Some analysts warn that Bill C-3 could unintentionally divide Canadians into two classes: those born in Canada with unrestricted citizenship rights, and those born abroad who must accumulate years of residency before passing on their citizenship. A commentary by Andrew Griffith, the former director general for Citizenship and Multiculturalism, published in Policy Options questioned the bills lack of a time limit on the residency requirement. Unlike naturalized citizens who must complete 1,095 days in a five-year period, Canadians by descent can meet the residency threshold over an undefined timeline, potentially spanning decades. The commentary warned that without a set timeframe, verifying proof of residency will pose major challenges for citizenship officers and could overwhelm an already backlogged system. It raised concerns about potential foreign interference, noting that Canadians by descent currently face no security vetting when claiming citizenship for children. The Liberal government maintains that Bill C-3 is necessary to uphold constitutional obligations and reinforce Canadas inclusive values. Officials insist citizenship by descent must be restored for those unfairly excluded under the previous law and that safeguards introduced in committee ensure continued connection to Canada. But the government has not released impact projections. When appearing before a Senate committee on a similar bill last year, former immigration minister Marc Miller acknowledged the number of eligible applicants could rise, but said there were no wild scenarios involving hundreds of thousands of new citizens. Bill C-3 is expected to return to the House for third reading in the coming months, where birthright citizenship could resurface as a defining issue. With New Democratic Party support likely, the bill may pass, but Conservatives are poised to use it as a platform to push for broader immigration reform. The debate now extends beyond the legislative text, said a Vancouver-based immigration lawyer. It poses a fundamental question: should Canadian citizenship be an inherited right based on lineage and birthplace, or an earned status requiring active commitment to the country? Bill C-3 is no longer only about Lost Canadians. It has become a referendum on what it will mean, in the future, to call oneself Canadian, he said. ST Brigids National School, Ballysax, proudly marked a special milestone last week with the official opening of its new special class for children with autism. The event was officiated by Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion, Michael Moynihan TD, who was joined by Sean O Fearghail TD and Senator Fiona OLoughlin. Teacher Orla Mulreid with Usayd Hisham Charlie Warren-Keating and Minister Michael Moynihan The visitors were warmly welcomed by Principal Ken Mulligan, members of the teaching staff, and the dedicated special class team teacher Orla Mulreid and special needs assistants Darren Roche and Lisa Maguire. Families of pupils attending the new class were also in attendance to celebrate this important day for the school community. The class officially opened on 1 September 2025, following extensive preparation and refurbishment works completed over the summer months. The new facility includes a bright, welcoming classroom space along with sensory and quiet areas designed to support the individual needs of pupils. Sean O'Fearghaill TD, teacher Ciara White, Minister Michael Moynihan, teacher Orla Mulreid, principal Ken Mulligan and Senator Fiona O'Loughlin Principal Ken Mulligan spoke of the importance of the new facility. We are incredibly proud to open this new class, which represents a significant step forward in making our school even more inclusive. Its a space where every child can thrive, learn, and be supported according to their individual needs. We are deeply grateful to the Department of Education, our local representatives, and our entire school community for their ongoing support. The opening of the special class reflects St Brigids NSs strong commitment to inclusion and ensuring that all children have access to a supportive and nurturing learning environment. Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board (KCETB), in partnership with Accounting Technicians Ireland (ATI), officially launched its new Accounting Technician Apprenticeship at an event held on Monday at Carlow Institute of Further Education and Training. The launch brought together programme employers and mentors, representatives from Accounting Technicians Ireland and apprentices, with members of the KCETB Executive Team, senior management, teaching staff and senior training advisors. The event celebrated the beginning of an exciting new opportunity for apprentices and employers across Carlow, Kilkenny and the wider South East region. Seventeen apprentices from companies across Carlow and Kilkenny began the programme in September. Over the next two years, they will study one day per week at Carlow Institute while gaining hands-on experience with their employers, earning while they learn and building the foundations for a professional career in accounting. READ NEXT: Fresh twist in Kilkenny wind farm saga amid renewed tensions The Accounting Technician Apprenticeship is a two-year, work-based learning programme that combines classroom learning with real-world experience, leading to a QQI Level 6 qualification and a direct pathway into the accounting profession. Speaking after the launch, Dr Lindsay Malone, Chief Executive of KCETB said: This new apprenticeship reflects KCETBs strategic commitment to providing high-quality apprenticeship programmes that respond directly to local and regional skills needs. This course is a critical pathway to enable local talent to upskill, making the region more attractive to businesses and investors seeking a financially skilled workforce. Edmond Connolly, South East Regional Skills Manager also welcomed the new apprenticeship saying; The launch of the Accounting Technician Apprenticeship marks an exciting milestone for skills development in the South East. Its fantastic to see Kilkenny and Carlow ETB and Accounting Technicians Ireland working together to create new pathways for learners to earn and learn right here in our region. TAP HERE FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS Commentary By Sylvain Charlebois Canadas food industry has become addicted to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)and the scale of that dependency is now plain. In just three months of enforcement data, Ottawa found 26 food-related employers breaking federal rules, nearly 40 per cent of all companies fined nationwide. From oyster farms to sushi restaurants and food processors, the reliance runs through every corner of the sector. The program allows Canadian employers to hire foreign workers when no Canadians are available, usually for seasonal or short-term jobs. Collectively, these companies have been fined more than $2 million and handed multiple multi-year bans. The worst offender, Bolero Shellfish Processing Inc. in New Brunswick, was hit with a $1-million penalty and a 10-year ban from hiring temporary workers, a record-setting sanction that underscores how deeply entrenched this reliance has become in Canadas food system. Most violations werent about mistreatment or abuse; they were bureaucratic. The vast majority of food businesses on the list were fined for failing to provide proper documents during inspections. In many cases, employers couldnt produce proof of hours worked, wage payments or housing conditions for their foreign employees when federal officers arrived. Those records are meant to show that migrant workers are being paid and housed fairly under Canadian standards. These arent isolated oversights; theyre symptoms of a system running on autopilot, one that relies on the constant inflow of temporary workers while neglecting compliance and transparency. Worse still, about 70 per cent of these companies remain eligible to hire more temporary workers after paying relatively small fines, often between $5,000 and $15,000. Chains and independent operators alike, Donair Dude, Sushi 5, Pita Pit and Subway among them, simply absorbed the penalties and moved on. For many, the TFWP is no longer a stopgap measure; it is part of the business model. Nine British Columbia companies in the food sector alone were found non-compliant, the highest of any province. Alberta and Quebec recorded serious cases too, with Trio Cafe in Calgary receiving an $83,000 fine and a five-year ban, and Hotel Le Concorde Quebec cited for repeated breaches. The deeper concern is what we dont see. The federal database of sanctions only covers decisions made since July 2025. Many facilities have not yet been inspected, so the list is merely the tip of the iceberg. Beneath it lies a vast and under-audited system, sustained by foreign labour but barely monitored by the government agencies meant to oversee it. This reliance didnt appear overnight. The TFWP was designed to fill temporary labour shortages, especially in agriculture and food processing. But temporary has become a fiction. Today, entire segments of the food industryfrom fish plants to fruit packers and restaurant kitchensrely permanently on migrant labour. Without them, food wouldnt get harvested, processed or served. Ottawa finds itself trapped. It knows the system is failing, but cant reform it without risking disruption in food production. Enforcement is reactive, not preventive. Employers who break the rules are fined but rarely barred for long, and those who are ineligible often resurface under new corporate names. The result is an industry hooked on a short-term fix, unable or unwilling to invest in automation, domestic recruitment or improved working conditions. Unless Ottawa acts to reset the program, Canadians will keep paying the pricenot only in higher food costs, but in a food, system increasingly built on shaky ground. Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Canadian professor and researcher in food distribution and policy. He is senior director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University and co-host of The Food Professor Podcast. As winter approaches, communities in northern Kilkenny, straddling the Laois border, are facing an anxious wait. The future of the proposed Seskin wind farm, refused planning permission by Kilkenny County Council but since appealed to An Coimisiun Pleanala, will hang over them in the months ahead. READ NEXT: Recent incidents 'regularly disturbing residents' in Kilkenny A fresh appeal by Seskin Renewable Energy Limited has reignited tensions in the townlands of Ballynaslee, Seskin, Ballyconra and Moatpark, where many local residents have spent a lot of time and resources opposing the development. Seskin Renewable Energy Limited describes the proposal as part of Irelands clean energy transition. The company says the site has been identified through feasibility studies over several years as suitable for a wind energy project and that it aligns with Government targets to establish Ireland as a carbon neutral country by 2050. The development, originally refused by the local authority on September 2, 2025, proposed the construction of six wind turbines with an overall tip height of 175 metres, a rotor blade diameter of 150 metres, and hub height of 100 metres, along with a 38kV substation compound, underground electrical cabling, a 100-metre meteorological mast, two temporary construction compounds, and associated access roads and works. READ NEXT: Kilkenny charity shop says 'STOP!' - 'We love your generosity but...' A 10-year planning permission and 35-year operational life were being sought. Kilkenny County Council refused permission on the grounds that the proposed six turbines and substation would cause excessive levels of adverse effects on residential amenity, including visual intrusion, noise, shadow flicker, and disturbance of access, that the proposed grid connection works have not been adequately justified in line with the Governments Climate Action Plan 2024 (CAP24) and that a significant portion of this site lies within a karst aquifer where the applicant has not conclusively demonstrated that the development would not endanger groundwater resources or the environment. The No to Seskin Windfarm Laois/Kilkenny group has described the proposed development as completely unsuitable and dangerous. READ NEXT: Man accused of murder was walking outside IPAS centre 'waiting on a foreign c**t' Residents in the affected townlands say they are deeply frustrated that national Wind Energy Guidelines (which date back to 2006) remain under review despite Government commitments to publish updated rules. The group has organised a public meeting for Friday, October 17, at 8pm in the Castle Arms Hotel, Durrow, to discuss the latest developments. The appeal from the developer will now be considered by An Coimisiun Pleanala, with a decision expected in February 2026. Until then, a number of communities in Kilkenny face a long wait (and an uncertain winter) as they await a final ruling. FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE By Karine Coen-Sanchez The Conversation In Canadian society, the narrative of multiculturalism can lean toward a colour-blind ideology a comforting idea that race doesnt matter and everyone is treated the same even though such narratives mask persistent inequalities. They may also undermine efforts to address structural racism. Yet race is always present, regardless of whether its consciously acknowledged. It surfaces in questions like Where are you really from? or in the invitation to represent diversity that comes with no real influence. This is polite racism: a form of exclusion hidden behind civility. Polite racism doesnt make headlines, but its message is clear you are present, yet not fully accepted. My recent peer-reviewed study explores how first- and second-generation Haitian and Jamaican Canadians navigate these exclusions. The study involved conducting interview focus groups with first- and second-generation Haitian and Jamaican Canadians (ages 2545) in Ottawa and Gatineau, Que. Findings from my study show that polite racism manifests in academic and professional settings. Haitian and Jamaican participants recounted instances where their research interests were minimized, their accents scrutinized, or their presence tokenized in diversity spaces without corresponding influence. For example, participants described: A project on immigrant experiences was dismissed as more advocacy than scholarship. An accent is scrutinized while expertise is ignored. A racialized employee was invited to every diversity panel, but passed over for promotion. These examples are grounded in participant narratives from my study, but they also resonate with broader patterns identified in research on race and exclusion. As interdisciplinary Black studies scholar Rinaldo Walcott argues in Black Like Who?, Canadas multiculturalism often tolerates difference while simultaneously pushing racialized people to the margins. Work on perception by psychologist and neurophysiologist Jacobo Grinberg helps explain why polite racism endures. He argued that reality is filtered through perceptual fields shaped by cultural narratives and collective belief. In Canada, these fields have been conditioned by false histories and omissions, training society to see racialized difference as a threat rather than a connection. Polite racism survives not only through institutions but also through these internalized ways of seeing, which make exclusion feel natural, even polite. One of the most corrosive effects of polite racism on Black and racialized people is what I call duplicity of consciousness, drawing on the work of sociologist and historian W.E.B. Du Bois. Du Bois wrote about the concept of double consciousness the tension of seeing oneself through both Black and white lenses. Duplicity of consciousness captures the rupture that occurs when the promise of belonging collides with the reality of exclusion dressed in civility. It is the burden of entering spaces that promise inclusion but only on conditional terms acceptance often requires minimizing or reshaping ones identity to conform to whiteness as the dominant norm. The constant demand of code-switching, suppressing frustration and remaining silent to avoid backlash, exposes the painful divide between the illusion of belonging and the lived reality of exclusion. Until the fear that underpins polite racism is dismantled, inclusion will remain conditional and incomplete. For example, a 2024 KPMG survey of 1,000 Black professionals in Canada found that 81 per cent had experienced racism or microaggressions at work, with women disproportionately affected. Research also shows that perceived discrimination even when subtle or ambiguous creates chronic stress that harms both mental and physical health. Polite racism also erodes trust. In a 2025 Statistics Canada study, 45 per cent of racialized Canadians surveyed reported experiencing discrimination in the past five years experiences linked to lower life satisfaction and diminished faith in social cohesion and democratic institutions. The exclusions enacted through polite racism waste talent that Canada cannot afford to lose. It also erodes faith in our democratic and social systems, leaving all of us more divided and less able to live up to the Canadian ideals we hold dear. As Black studies professor Andrea A. Davis reminds us in Horizon, Sea, Sound: Caribbean and African Womens Cultural Critiques of Nation, Caribbean womens intellectual and cultural work has long shaped Canada, yet it is routinely overlooked even as institutions profit from it. This is not just about fairness. Its about whether Canada is willing to recognize and harness the full contributions of all its people. Based on my academic findings, together with broader Canadian research, and my work as a consultant, here are five priorities to dismantle polite racism: 1. Increasing awareness and reducing fear: Training must move beyond theory to practice, helping managers (or faculty) and peers recognize subtle forms of exclusion and aversive racism as well as confronting the programmed fear of the other that underpins exclusion. 2. Reforming policy: Updating curricula and hiring practices to address embedded inequities and implicit barriers is not about special treatment. It ensures Canadian institutions benefit from the best ideas and the full range of talent, rather than silencing valuable perspectives. 3. Inclusive representation: Integrating the histories and voices of racialized communities into education and public discourse strengthens Canadas story. It allows our multiculturalism to become a true reflection of the people who built this country and continue to shape it. 4. Data and accountability: Just as Canadians expect transparency in economic or health data, we should also expect accountability in how inclusive our institutions truly are. 5. Well-being support: Mental health services attuned to the stress of polite racism support not only individuals but also organizational health. When people can thrive without carrying the extra burden of silent exclusion, institutions perform better, communities are stronger and society benefits. These priorities are not asks from racialized communities they are investments in Canadas future. Polite racism persists because it is comfortable for those who benefit from it, and it allows institutions to maintain appearances while avoiding change. Action begins with self-reflection for everyone. For white Canadians, it means confronting the inherited assumptions and comforts of whiteness that sustain inequality. For racialized people, it involves acknowledging the exhaustion and internal conflicts that arise from navigating exclusion within spaces that claim inclusion. For teachers, it means teaching in a way that is culturally responsive and that works to dismantle systemic barriers, including polite racism. When inclusion makes us uncomfortable, that discomfort reveals our shared wounds the psychic scars produced by living within a racial hierarchy. For some, these wounds stem from privilege unacknowledged; for others, from exclusion endured. Both must be faced if we are to build genuine connection and trust. Until we face these fears, Canadas multiculturalism will remain polite on the surface, but exclusionary at its core. The opposite of polite racism isnt impolite confrontation its courageous honesty. Its choosing truth over comfort, unity over silence. Dr. Karine Coen-Sanchez is a sociologist who studies how culture, identity, and policy intersect in Canada. Commentary By Randolph Mank Canadas 2022 Indo-Pacific Strategy promised stronger ties with Asia. A month into a business trip across the region, I can see Canada is making progress, but it still has a long way to go. The federal strategy prioritized relations with Asia and injected $2.3 billion of investments into it over five years. Though war in Europe, costing Canada 10 times more, has dwarfed that commitment, new initiatives in Asia have included an expanded diplomatic footprint, incentives to encourage deeper commercial ties, and measures to increase military-security cooperation. All to the good. One example of progress is the recent deepening of ties with Indonesia. Though the strategy remains a work in progress, the signing of a trade pact between Canada and Indonesia on Sept. 24 marks a significant step forward and will hopefully prompt more Canadian businesses to consider the opportunities. The fact that the two countries also recently signed a memorandum of understanding on closer defence cooperation suggests that we may have found an anchor relationship in the region. Having been stationed here twice, I may be biased, but Indonesia is, after all, the fourth most populous country in the world. It is demographically young and projected to become a top 10 global economy over the coming decades. It not only imports Canadian wheat for the worlds largest flour mill at Bogasari, a major food manufacturer in Jakarta, but was also a surprisingly successful market for BlackBerry once upon a time. Less developed relationships like this can add to our traditional partnerships in Asia. Japan and South Korea are already major partners, capable of both deploying investment capital and buying a range of our exports from agri-food, energy, minerals and technology, to financial, legal and other services. Frankly, however, positive engagement with the region as a whole will be constrained until relations with China and India are mended. Given that most Asian countries are intertwined with these giants, we should at least resist being drawn into even deeper conflict with them. That wont be easy in the case of Chinas tensions with the U.S. over both Taiwan and the Philippines, since the U.S. is our indispensable partner above all. Meanwhile, another bilateral relationship to take seriously in the region is Malaysia. It has already played a key role in the Canadian energy sector with a 25-per-cent stake in LNG Canada by national energy company Petronas, Malaysias state-owned oil and gas firm. Having worked to attract this investment during my time as ambassador in Kuala Lumpur between 2010 and 2012, I felt relieved this past July when, at long last, over a dozen years later, the first Petronas shipment of LNG went from B.C.s Kitimat port to Japan. Canada is now actively wooing investors for phase two of LNG development, which will be important to the Canadian economy. My meetings in Kuala Lumpur suggest that further Malaysian investment is by no means automatic. Petronas has just been forced to cut 5,000 jobs, or 10 percent of its workforce. The company also recently sold 20 per cent of its Canadian assets to Saudi and American parties. Attracting further Malaysian investment will require careful attention to the local situation and the various stakeholder interests at play, as we learned in our work to attract the initial investment. The same will be true for cooperation on renewable energy, especially small modular reactors (SMR), which are compact nuclear power units still in early commercial development. There is interest in SMR technology from Malaysia, as well as Indonesia and other Asian countries. Canada needs to get moving if it wants to succeed over the competition. On a side note, the fact that Malaysian executives must obtain visas to enter Canada, and need to have them processed at our office in rival Singapore, no less, is deeply resented and therefore not helpful to Canadian interests. All too often dismissed with a shrug, visitor visa requirements for several key partners in Asia, including Indonesia and Malaysia, need to be eased if we are to make good on our ambitions for closer relations, not to mention boost our tourism sector. These are not countries teeming with potential refugees or posing significant security risks. Though coordination with U.S. visa requirements is a factor, we need to act in our own interests. In sum, after a month of discussions in the region, its clear that Canada has taken some positive steps to deepen engagement. But while new offices, trade missions, conferences and trade agreements are all good, in the final analysis, Canadian jobs and growth depend on companies signing sales contracts and attracting capital investments for new commercial projects. Its also clear that other countries arent standing still. We have to hustle if we want to be successful in a very competitive environment. Randolph Mank is a former three-time Canadian ambassador and is a fellow of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, the Triple Helix Partnership for Defence Innovation, and the Balsillie School of International Affairs. Canadas Top Trading Partners in Asia Canada's top trading partners in Asia as of 2025 are primarily China, Japan, South Korea, India, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia. China is the largest Asian trade partner, with two-way merchandise trade totalling approximately $118.7 billion in 2024-2025. Canada exports agricultural products, wood pulp, and minerals to China while importing manufactured goods, electronics, and consumer goods. Trade shows a growing import surplus from China. Japan is a key export destination for Canadian products like seafood, wood products, and agricultural goods (canola), with significant imports from Japan including machinery and automobiles. Trade with Japan is supported by agreements like the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). South Korea is an important partner for British Columbia and Canada in energy (LNG shipments) and other sectors, contributing to growing trade diversification in the Asia-Pacific. India is Canadas seventh-largest goods and services trading partner, with two-way trade nearing $34 billion in 2024, including agriculture, critical minerals, and energy. ASEAN countries collectively form the fourth largest merchandise trading partner for Canada, with growing trade volumes and ongoing free trade agreement negotiations that aim to further deepen economic ties with countries such as Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced Wednesday that her office, representing the state of Missouri, has filed a lawsuit to block a referendum petition that seeks to pause the state's new gerrymandered congressional districts from going into effect without approval from voters. According to a news release from the attorney general's office, the lawsuit was filed in federal district court and includes the Missouri General Assembly and Secretary of State Denny Hoskins as plaintiffs. The lawsuit seeks to stop the organization People Not Politicians from moving forward with its effort gathering signatures to put the new congressional map before voters for approval in 2026. Hoskins announced his approval of People Not Politicians' referendum petition earlier on Wednesday. The attorney general's news release calls People Not Politicians an "out-of-state dark money group" that is "hijacking Missouris electoral process and silencing the will of Missouris elected representatives." People Not Politicians is a nonprofit political and advocacy organization operating within the state of Missouri. The lawsuit accuses People Not Politicians of soliciting donations from politically progressive individuals and organizations from around the country to fund its referendum efforts. According to a Wednesday statement from the organization, People Not Politicians recently received its largest donation to date from the Health Forward Foundation, which is an in-state group. Hanaway called the referendum petition a move that violates both the U.S. Constitution and the Missouri Constitution. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. "The Constitution entrusts congressional redistricting to the peoples elected legislature, not to activist organizations bankrolled by undisclosed donors," Hanaway said in the news release. "If allowed to proceed, this effort would destroy faith in our elections and set a dangerous precedent where outside interests could override constitutional order. The referendum petition needs to collect signatures from at least 5% of registered voters in six of Missouris eight congressional districts by Dec. 11, 2025, to qualify for the November 2026 general election ballot. That equals 107,000 signatures. Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed the gerrymandered congressional map into law on Sept. 28. The map, which Kehoe created and has dubbed the "Missouri First Map," is backed by President Donald Trump and splits the Kansas City district into multiple that extend east into rural, more conservative areas. The new map redraws the 5th Congressional District to extend as far as the eastern edge of mid-Missouri. Republicans currently hold seats in six of Missouri's eight congressional districts. Congressional Republicans currently hold a slim 219-212 majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. If People Not Politicians' referendum succeeds, it would stop the new district lines from going into effect before the 2026 midterms, where Missouri could pick up another Republican seat with the 5th Congressional District redrawn. The news release from the attorney general said "Missouri cannot be forced to expend resources facilitating a referendum that has no legal basis and would unlawfully strip the General Assembly of its vested authority under both the Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution and Article III, Section 45 of the Missouri Constitution." People Not Politicians said it will hold a briefing on Thursday to discuss its constitutional right to the referendum process, how the process works and what's next in the timeline, according to the statement from the organization. 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. Australia remains the best place in the world for dugongs to survive. This one was photographed off the coast of Western Australia. Source: Source: Shark Bay Eco Tours Australia is defying a worrying ocean trend as dugongs, a large, elusive, marine mammal, continue to vanish from the worlds oceans. World expert Professor Helene Marsh told Yahoo News that Australia is the most important country for dugongs for three key reasons: High genetic diversity Vast coastline habitat Low human population density Looking globally, the species faces increasing threats from humans noise, chemical and plastic pollution, habitat destruction, climate change, traditional hunting, and boat strikes according to a new report, Global Assessment of Dugong Status and Conservation Needs, which she led for the United Nations-based Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Internationally, these slow-moving 250-400kg giants are listed as vulnerable to extinction, but populations in Japans Nansei Islands, New Caledonia and Eastern Africa are in a particularly dire state and listed as either critically endangered or endangered. Related: Alarm as Australia dominates on list of world tourist sites facing hidden threat These healthy dugongs were spotted in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Source: Shark Bay Eco Tours Professor Marsh said it was now extremely unlikely that populations in some East Asian regions will recover, as there is a low likelihood of migration of new individuals to replenish numbers. Dugongs are in critically low numbers in the coastal waters of China (Vietnam-China border to the northern border of the Fujian Province including offshore islands) and Japan (waters of the Nansei Islands)... Dugongs occurring in isolated islands, such as Palau and some islands off East Africa and Asia must also be at risk, she added. Where are dugongs doing best in Australia? Professor Marsh noted populations are actually increasing in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, but there are areas of concern along the reefs urban coast where numbers are in decline. And although the species is stable along the Gulf of Carpentaria coast of the Northern Territory and Shark Bay World Heritage Area in Western Australia, there have been significant die-offs of seagrass habitat due to marine heatwaves across the latter roughly a quarter was destroyed between 2010 and 2011. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am concerned at the long-term impacts of climate change and extreme weather events on dugongs in Australia (and throughout their range) due to associated seagrass loss, she said. However, the dugongs prospects in Australia are better than anywhere else due to the high genetic diversity of Australian dugongs, large numbers and capacity to move to new pastures after seagrass loss because of the size of their range there. Aussie expert urges world to protect dugongs The new Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species dugong report is the first of its kind in 20 years. It was published this week, following the collaboration of 70 experts, and concluded that numbers are slightly higher than thought, but they the species is still vulnerable to extinction outside of Australia and the Persian Gulf. This map shows the dugong's range, based on research from Marsh and Sobtzick (2019). Source: Global Assessment of Dugong Status and Conservation Needs Dr Abdelmenam Mohamed, the coordinator of the CMS Dugong Memorandum of Understanding Secretariat, said the new report marks a pivotal moment in dugong conservation. It includes revised data about dugong range, and also assesses 11 sub-populations for inclusion by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, an organisation known for managing the Red List of threatened species. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The findings provide a blueprint for targeted conservation, better regional coordination, and informed policy. We now have an opportunity and responsibility to act on them, he said. The report also integrates the mapping of dugong populations with the 2030 Seagrass Breakthrough a plan to restore and protect these important meadow habitats around the world that was announced at COP28. One of the biggest threats to dugongs is the destruction and degradation of underwater meadows, which are the main food source of dugongs they consume around 30kg of seagrass per day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dugongs are considered ecosystem engineers because their digging creates an environment that benefits some plant species over others. Their feeding keeps these meadows in a healthy, balanced state, which is important for the entire planet, because even though seagrass meadows only cover 0.2 per cent of the ocean, they store 10 per cent of oceanic carbon in their roots. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. "K-Pop Demon Hunters" co-director Maggie Kang signaled a strong interest in expanding the film's universe, suggesting a sequel to the hit movie could be possible in the future. Kang recently said, "There's definitely more we can do with these characters," fueling speculation that the demon-fighting idol crew may return to screens. Although Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation have yet to officially confirm a follow-up, Kang's comments have intensified fan anticipation for further adventures with Huntrix, the K-pop girl group at the heart of the film. Since its debut on Netflix on June 20, 2025, "K-Pop Demon Hunters" has rewritten streaming records, accumulating over 325 million global views, surpassing "Squid Game" to become the platform's most-watched film of all time. The animated musical combines dynamic choreography, an infectious soundtrack, and an urban fantasy setting that follows Rumi, Mira, and Zoey as they safeguard the Honmoon, an ancient K-poppowered barrier that keeps demons at bay. Kang co-directed the film alongside Chris Appelhans, and together they infused their passion for Korean culture and demon mythology into the narrative. Kang's vision stemmed from her desire to create a "love letter to K-pop," weaving shamanistic lore into an animated spectacle that celebrates strong, relatable female heroes. Appelhans joined the project after witnessing Kang's concept, contributing his own musical storytelling expertise to shape the film's vibrant world. While Netflix has not announced a sequel, insiders note that the streaming giant's growing awards buzz, fueled in part by Oscar talk around the breakout track "Golden," and robust merchandise sales make a compelling case for franchise potential. Sony Pictures retains spin-off and sequel rights under its co-production deal, and Puck News recently reported that the studio has begun negotiating with Kang and Appelhans for a follow-up installment. Kang also underscored her eagerness to tell more stories within the "K-Pop Demon Hunters" universe, hinting that any future project "will be a sequel worthy of its predecessor." Industry analysts believe the decision will hinge on sustained viewer engagement and critical acclaim, but they agree that the film's record-setting performance positions it favorably for expansion. Voice cast members Arden Cho, Ji-Young Yoo, and May Hong have all expressed enthusiasm for reprising their roles, underscoring broad creative support for another chapter. Even as fans speculate about potential plotlines, ranging from exploring backstories for Zoey and Mira to deepening the lore of Seoul's supernatural underworld, the core team behind "K-Pop Demon Hunters" remains tight-lipped on concrete details. For now, viewers worldwide await an official announcement, standing by in hopes of more demon-hunting idols and chart-topping tracks. Chinese state-owned automaker Beiqi Foton Motor Company (Foton) has launched local assembly of its Tunland pickup truck in South Africa, as the company continues to strengthen its presence in markets across the African continent. The pickup truck is assembled from completely knocked down (CKD) kits imported from China at a facility in Port Elizabeth, in partnership with BAIC South Africa. Foton said that local production of the Tunland marks a key milestone in the companys Lighthouse Plan for Africa and highlights the growing collaboration between China and South Africa in the automotive sector. The automaker further stated that by choosing South Africa as the base for CKD operations, Foton is making a long-term commitment to localisation, job creation, and technology transfer in the country. The model will be sold locally and exported to other markets in the region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Foton South Africas CEO, Marius Smal, told reporters: Rolling the first pre-production CKD Foton pickup off the South African line represents more than just a milestone it is a symbol of investment, trust, partnership, and progress. It shows our belief in Africas potential and our confidence in South Africa as a hub for innovation and growth. Foton confirmed that for customers across Africa, local CKD operations translate into the promise of faster availability, competitive pricing, and increased confidence in after-sales support. With parts availability, assembly, and servicing rooted locally, Foton aims to meet customer needs with even greater efficiency. "Foton launches production of Tunland pickup in South Africa" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports Pittsburgh Penguins play-by-play announcer Josh Getzoff was taken to an Anaheim area hospital on Tuesday after fainting during the second intermission of Pens-Ducks, but appears to now be in stable condition. According to a report by Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Getzoff was chatting with another broadcaster during the intermission when he fainted in the Honda Center press box. He was awake and alert after the incident, but was taken to the hospital as a precaution. Vensel, citing a team source, reports that Getzoff is now OK. Joe Brand, the Penguins radio play-by-play voice, rushed to the television booth to replace Getzoff to call the third period alongside SportsNet Pittsburgh analyst Colby Armstrong. Brand was replaced on the radio side by Penguins director of team operations Jason Seidling, who called the third period alongside analyst Phil Bourque. Luckily, radio listeners did not have to wait long to get an update on Getzoffs health. Bourque reportedly updated fans during the third period that Getzoff was alright. Still, the incident shows just how prepared networks have to be if a situation like this arises. With only a few minutes notice, Brand had to transition from calling a game on radio to calling a game on TV two completely different skill sets. Then, the radio crew had to pull a literal front office employee into the booth to cover its bases during the third period. Its unclear if there was a protocol already in place for such a circumstance, but the Penguins handled it about as smoothly as possible regardless. Getzoff is in his third year calling Penguins games on TV after serving as a radio broadcaster for the team the seven years prior. Given his clean bill of health, it seems likely hell be back in the booth for the Penguins next game against the Los Angeles Kings. Seen from an unmanned aerial vehicle, authorities respond to a plane crash reported about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in the 1400 block of Keystone Road in Salisbury Township. Mike Nester | lehighvalleylive.com contributor A New Jersey flight instructor pleaded guilty Tuesday to involuntary manslaughter in connection to a fatal plane crash that killed an Easton man near an Allentown airport. Philip Everton McPherson II, 37, of Haddon Township, Camden County, had crashed planes twice and lost his pilot certification in the nine months leading up to the crash that killed his student, 49-year-old Keith Kozel. McPherson admitted he was unlicensed to fly but gave Kozel a flight lesson anyway, court records say. McPherson faces a maximum of 153 years in prison, although its unclear what the guideline sentencing recommendation will be at his sentencing hearing Jan. 17. Attorneys for each side didnt answer Wednesday when asked what sentence theyll seek. McPherson pleaded guilty Tuesday to 43 of the 44 charges he faced. In exchange, the government agreed to withdraw one count of conspiracy to defraud the Federal Aviation Administration. McPherson agreed to the final revocation of his pilots certificate, according to Marie Miller, an attorney with the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Transportation. McPherson failed his pilot certification examination twice, finally passing the third time in December 2019, court records say. In November 2020, McPherson flipped a plane as he tried to land it during a flight lesson at Central Jersey Regional Airport, court records say. The plane was totaled, records say. In March 2021, McPherson was giving another flight lesson when he veered off the runway into a snowdrift and bent the planes propeller and wing tip. This crash was also at Central Jersey Regional Airport. His then-employer fired him, and then he took a job in April 2021 as a flight instructor for Proflight Aero flight school in Bethlehem Township, records say. After the crashes, McPherson was required to take a flight re-certification test, records say. The examiner had to take control of the plane to prevent it from crashing Sept. 29, 2021, records say. McPherson surrendered his certificate and never bothered to re-test, records say. After that, he continued to provide more than 40 flight lessons to student pilots. All of them were at Braden Airpark in Forks Township, except for three at Queen City Airport in Allentown, records say. McPherson has agreed to pay $102,000 in restitution to cover the cost of those lessons, records say. Records say McPherson was teaching Kozel how to fly in September 2022, when the plane crashed in a residential backyard in Salisbury Township, about a mile from Queen City Airport. The homeowner pulled McPherson from the burning plane but was unable to save Kozel, records say. Kozel was married with two daughters, his obituary says. He founded an IT consulting company. McPherson flew despite advice from his attorney to not fly, ignored signs of engine failure at takeoff, and flew away from an open field that would have offered him a better opportunity for an emergency landing, records say. McPherson pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, obstruction of an administrative proceeding, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, criminal conspiracy and serving as an airman without a certificate. The owner of a Proflight Aero flight school, Nouman Saleem of Palmer Township, admitted in May he allowed McPherson to keep teaching student pilots even though he was unlicensed and a safety risk. Saleem pleaded guilty to obstruction of an administrative proceeding, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and criminal conspiracy. He faces a maximum of 30 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced in November. 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. Local commissioners praise crisis center's work helping nearly 2,000 people this year while preparing for their November fundraising event. Courtesy of Warren County Warren County commissioners have declared October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, recognizing the critical work of the Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Crisis Center (DASACC) of Warren County in supporting survivors throughout the community. DASACC has served more than 1,900 people since the beginning of 2025, according to Executive Director Isela Arras. The organization provides support and advocacy for those affected by interpersonal violence while working to prevent future incidents. Were ensuring no one goes through domestic violence alone, Arras said. The annual proclamation builds on the 1991 New Jersey Legislatures findings that classified domestic violence as a serious crime against society. County officials emphasized the importance of community-wide efforts to raise awareness and support survivors who may face physical harm, emotional trauma and barriers to accessing safety services. We are very fortunate to have a strong group such as DASACC looking out for our small community in Warren County, said Commissioner Director Jason J. Sarnoski. County Commissioner Lori Ciesla praised the organizations community impact, saying, You all do an amazing job of being there for everyone in the community, acting as the backbone for domestic violence awareness and support. The center offers programs including abuse intervention, which helps participants identify abusive behaviors and their impact while working to reduce future violence. Officials noted that eliminating domestic violence requires coordinated community efforts to ensure residents feel safe in their homes. DASACC will host its annual Night at the Races fundraiser on Nov. 14 at the Alpha Fire Department. The event will feature horse races, betting opportunities, more than 30 prizes, and an all-you-can-eat buffet. Proceeds support the organizations domestic violence services. More information is available at dasacc.org. Recent research shows, Ireland ranks second in 2025 Global Peace Index, with Laois ranking outside the top ten for safety Roscommon has been named Irelands safest county in a study conducted by Long & Co released to the Leinster Express / Laois Live. In an effort to identify the safest county in which to reside, the Galway-based estate agent and auctioneer looked at several criteria, including population, the number of people per crime reported and the number of Gardai available. Finding that Roscommon is Irelands safest county wasnt Long & Co.s only discovery, as their research of crime in Ireland between September 1st, 2020 - 2025, also found that: A staggering 314,124 theft and related offences were reported throughout Ireland. Gardai at Store Street Station, Dublin, were Irelands busiest as they handled 43,731 reported crimes. In Templederry, Tipperary, the statistics show that only 8 crimes were reported. With a population of 220,826, there are 699 people per Garda in Meath, while in Leitrim there are 352 people per Garda. In Cavan, a total of 21,955 crimes were reported to the 176 Gardai, giving them a hefty workload of 125 cases each. In Roscommon, 5,217 crimes were reported to 145 Gardai, giving them 36 cases each to handle. The results are great for Roscommon, Ronan Long, founder of Long & Co. said, which as we all know boasts superb scenery, attractions and activities for all. For those looking for their forever home, the likes of Roscommon Town, Boyle and Castlerea are top choices. Of course, much like the rest of Ireland, housing is in demand, although Im sure these new safety figures will really catch buyers attention. Check the full table to see how safe Laois BELOW IMAGE. Full List of Scores Rank County Safety Score 1 Roscommon 0.77 2 Leitrim 0.74 3 Mayo 0.72 4 Sligo 0.69 5 Donegal 0.68 6 Monaghan 0.66 7 Clare 0.66 8 Kilkenny 0.65 9 Longford 0.63 10 Galway 0.61 11 Laois 0.61 12 Offaly 0.60 13 Tipperary 0.60 14 Kerry 0.59 15 Wexford 0.59 16 Westmeath 0.59 17 Limerick 0.57 18 Louth 0.56 19 Cork 0.56 20 Waterford 0.55 21 Wicklow 0.54 22 Kildare 0.50 23 Meath 0.47 24 Carlow 0.45 25 Cavan 0.44 26 Dublin 0.35 Several resources were used to gather this insightful data, including the Central Statistics Office (CSO) 2022 Census and Crime and Justice Statistics report, as well as information from Gardai.ie. Long & Co. analysed key safety indicators such as county population, the number of Gardai per county, the number of people per Garda, the number of crimes reported per county, the number of Gardai available per crime and the number of people per crime reported. Ireland ranked second for 2025 with a score of 1.26. Using the same scale, Ireland scored 2.15 for Perception of criminality and 1 for Violent Crime. A teenager has died and two others have been taken to hospital following a suspected stabbing attack in Dublin. Emergency services were called to the incident at Tusla emergency accommodation in the Grattan Wood area of Donaghmede shortly after 11am. Gardai said they discovered a seriously injured male juvenile who was later pronounced dead at the scene. The body was removed from the scene on Wednesday evening. A male teenager and a woman were taken to hospital with injuries. Both the deceased juvenile and the injured teenager are understood to be international protection applicants. The Taoiseach has said he is shocked and saddened over the incident at the emergency residential unit operated by Tusla. In a statement, Micheal Martin said: Our thoughts go to the bereaved family and those injured during this incident. The wellbeing of the young people in this facility and the staff is now paramount. It is important they are offered every possible support at this difficult time as An Garda Siochana conduct a thorough investigation. A garda spokesperson said: The incident is no longer active and there is no ongoing threat to the community. An Garda Siochana is not looking for any other person in relation to this incident at this time and is following a definite line of inquiry. Gardai said emergency personnel assisted several juveniles and adults at the scene. Those taken to hospital have non-life threatening injuries, according to An Garda Siochana. Tusla, which is the States child and family agency, said the incident occurred at a unit which provides 24-hour care to four separated young people seeking international protection. In a statement, it said: The incident involved two young people, during which a fatal injury was sustained. An Garda Siochana are now conducting a full investigation, and we are co-operating fully with their inquiries. Our immediate priority is the safety and wellbeing of the other young people and staff at this unit. We are providing additional supports to everyone directly affected and making efforts to contact the families of the young people who were residing there. Locals reported that at least one person was transported from the scene by emergency services using a stretcher. Sinn Fein TD for Dublin Bay North, Denise Mitchell, said Donaghmede is in shock after the devastating incident. She said: This was a deeply traumatic incident, which has stunned the whole community. The gardai are at the very early stages of their investigation, and they need to be given the time, space and resources to establish the facts about how and why this happened. I want to commend the gardai and emergency services for their speedy action in bringing the situation under control, and welcome that there is now no ongoing threat to the community. A forensic examination was initiated on the preserved scene. The Offices of the Coroner and the State Pathologist have been notified. ABOVE: Kathleen Lambe, Director of Theres Always Spring; Paul Sheehan, Writer and Director of The Sound of the Bell; Laura Sheehan, Director of Grind, Gargle, Gilbert; with MC for the productions, Kevin OLeary. Photo: Tony Keane Kill Musical & Dramatic Society in Co Kildare is staging its production of One Act Plays 2025, from TUesday 14th to Friday 17th October, in the Dew Drop Inn, Kill Village. Grind, Gargle, Gilbert is written by Philippa Alford and directed by Laura Sheehan. This play tells the story of three Dublin couples from very different backgrounds, with one couple meeting the others for the first time. During the course of the evening, the highs and lows of three different marriages are teased out with a few meaningful, hilarious and emotional surprises. Theres Always Spring is written by Arthur Lovegrove and directed by Kathleen Lambe, Assistant Director Aine Skelly Jill and Ian about to be married come to view an empty flat with the intention of it becoming their martial home. She loves it but he has excuses as to why it wouldnt be suitable. Brenda and Alan are watching in as prospective new tenants are looking through the flat where they once lived. The Sound of the Bell iis written and directed by Paul Sheehan. ALSO READ: Take a look inside stunning Kildare ranch. This play is set in the early eighties in inner city Dublin. Chris, a successful businessman, is visiting his fathers old shop to check up on his old man. Chris wants his dad to sell up and he has bought him a new shop in Naas. It all seems like a logical move to Chris but the response of the older man is not what Chris expects. This is a play about growing old, of fond and cherished memories, of how as we grow older we grow less able to cope with change, until we too fade away. Tickets 15 available at Kill Pharmacy and the Parish Office and also from GR8EVENTS.IE Doors open at 7pm and shows starting at 7.30pm. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has reported that Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE) served five Closure Orders and five Prohibition Orders on food businesses during the month of September for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020. Among those five Prohibition Orders, a popular retailer in Kildare came under fire by the HSE as hundreds of food products were removed from the premises to be destroyed. READ NEXT: 'Live rats and droppings on premises' - Five food businesses ordered to close last month BK Foods Limited, located in Clongorey, Newbridge, county Kildare was served a Prohibition Order on September 5, 2025, for failing to comply with particular food legislation. During the inspection, the authorised officer from the HSE ordered that some of the food that was being sold on the premises was: Not used for human consumption Restricted or prohibited from being placed on the market Withdrawn from sale (whether or not the product is on the market for sale in the State or elsewhere) Recalled from sale or distribution (whether or not the food is on sale or being or has been distributed for sale in the State or elsewhere) READ NEXT: Locals seek solution to speeding and signage issues in this Kildare village As appropriate in the interests of public health, is rendered safe for human consumption or detained or destroyed in a manner prescribed by the authorised officer: Products to be removed from their wrapping/packaging for disposal or packs to be opened prior to disposal. All dry goods, i.e. food, beverages and food packaging located in the warehouse were subject to removal with immediate effect on the date of inspection. Evidence of non-compliance noted by the inspecting officer included: The layout, design and construction of the food premises does not permit good food hygiene practices and in particular, pest control. Food products and food packaging are stored in a warehouse that is not adequately pest-proofed resulting in a rat infestation through-out the premises. READ NEXT: Kildare County Council makes Local Government Awards shortlist for 2025 Adequate procedures were not in place to control pests in the premises. A live rat was spotted in the premises and rat droppings were visible on the floor and shelving through-out the warehouse where foodstuffs and food packaging was stored. The Prohibition Order took immediate effect following the HSE's inspection. You can read the full report here. PICTURED ABOVE: Delegates representing Kildare and Wicklow ETB: Ken Scully KWETB Director of Schools Maria Barry- KWETB Board Member Cllr. Louise Fenelon Gaskin KWETB Board Member Cllr. Paul OBrien KWETB Board Chairman Cllr. Avril Cronin KWETB Board Member Stephen Horan KWETB Board Member (Photos by Adrian Donohoe) The Minister for Education Helen McEntee and renowned psychotherapist Dr Richard Hogan addressed the annual congress of Education & Training Boards Ireland (ETBI), which included strong representation from Kildare and Wicklow ETB (KWETB). The national event took place on Thursday, October 9th, in Cavan, and brought together over 200 delegates from across Irelands 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs). It was Minister McEntees first address to the sector since taking on the education portfolio. I am delighted to attend my first ETBI Conference and to meet so many people committed to advancing greater equity in education, said Minister McEntee. This week, I was pleased to announce 2 million in funding for the Convention on Education, which will provide a unique opportunity for children, young people, parents, educators and wider society to help shape the future of our education system. Dr Deirdre Keyes, Chief Executive of Kildare and Wicklow ETB, chaired a key panel discussion on the upcoming Convention on Education one of the main topics of the day. Delegates also heard from psychotherapist and author Dr Richard Hogan, who called for a blanket ban on smartphones in schools. I strongly believe and this is backed up by data and research that smartphones are contributing to the silencing of adolescence, said Dr Hogan. We are witnessing the death of small talk among our young people, and the accompanying social skills they need to thrive. Speakers and panellists at the congress discussed a range of other issues the Convention on Education will need to address, including special education, curriculum reform, and the growing demand for multi-denominational education. Other topics covered throughout the day included the promotion of the Irish language, strengthening partnerships with local and regional employers, and managing growth and governance within the ETB network. READ NEXT: Kildare accommodation centre for Ukrainian refugees to re-open. ETBI General Secretary Paddy Lavelle said the organisations role is expanding rapidly. Education and Training Boards are Irelands leading state provider of education, training and youth services, and our role is quickly growing and developing, he said. ETBs are now key state providers of Community Special Schools and have a potential role in the delivery of nationwide early education services. They will also play a key role in the growth of further education and training (FET) and the implementation of a new FET strategy. Mr Lavelle added that while the recent Budget provided welcome increases in school capitation rates, apprenticeships, and youth services, ETBs continue to operate under significant resource pressures. This period of growth requires strong management and robust governance structures, he said. Its vital that we support ETBs to establish these structures to help them continue to deliver excellent education provision for thousands of people across the country. For more information, visit www.etbi.ie . A woman who appeared before a Kildare court had not eaten in three days. A Naas District Court hearing that because the woman is not entitled to claim social welfare payments because she has no address. READ NEXT Kildare accommodation centre for Ukrainian refuges to reopen She was prosecuted for three alleged incidents including theft and the court was told she was carrying a bag with plastic bottles which were intended to be returned for cash under the Deposit Return Scheme. Shauna Lawlor, 32, whose address was given as no fixed abode and Peter McVerry Trust, Eyre Street, Newbridge, was before the court on allegations of burglary, assault and theft on dates between May 23-31 at three locations in Newbridge. Garda Shane Lehane told of arresting the defendant. He recalled that a premises was entered at Canning Place, Newbridge and two phones and a laptop were taken. He said when someone tried to retrieve the items, which were not recovered, they were struck with a bat. Gda Lehane claimed she got into a physical altercation with a woman on Eyre Street on May 23 and on the same date took a jacket worth 85 from JD Sports. He said one of the witnesses stated the woman had no teeth. Gda Lehane said she was seen on CCTV and he objected to bail being granted, describing her as a drug addict with a volatile lifestyle. He feared that if granted bail, the woman would not appear in court. Cross examined by solicitor Tim Kennelly, the garda accepted that the defendant denied two of the allegations and said she could not remember the other. She has a long history of drug use and has a chaotic lifestyle," he said. He said CCTV images indicate that the laptop was in a bag being carried by the defendant. Mr Kennelly said she was collecting plastic bottles to return them and he disputed the claim that she had a laptop, saying that if she had this could have been sold for in excess of what she would receive for the bottles. Referring to the CCTV images, Mr Kennelly said it would not be unusual for her to be in that area. Mr Kennelly pointed out that there was a delay in bringing the case to court which suggested that there was little concern on the part of the gardai. He also said the woman has an offer of a place in a treatment facility which she may lose if she goes into custody. Judge Desmond Zaidan said he has known the defendant since she was very young. He noted that the woman had lost teeth and said she is an example of the living hell on earth caused by illicit drugs. The judge decided against granting bail, saying the garda objections to this were well founded and strict bail conditions "would not be appropriate. He adjourned the ase and remanded her in custody, saying that he would consider allowing her to avail of in-house treatment if she secures a place in a treatment facility. Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images The Colorado Rockies are not in a good place as a franchise at the moment. The Rockies lost 119 games last season, tied for the third most in modern MLB history. They havent had a winning season since 2018. And now they find themselves without a one of their longtime radio voices as their flagship station is getting caught in a national wave of layoffs to hit the radio industry. On Tuesday, the Denver Post reported that Rockies radio announcer Jerry Schemmel was caught up in layoffs by iHeartMedia. The media conglomerate has been in the midst of layoffs across the country in different markets and categories, including sports. However, its an especially tough blow for Schimmel and the Rockies because its the second time the veteran announcer has been a part of iHeart layoffs in the last five years. In January 2020, he was cut by the company in a separate round of layoffs after calling Colorado Rockies games on the radio for ten years. He was then re-hired just two years later for the 2022 season. In addition to his work with the Rockies, Schemmel also called Denver Nuggets games on the radio for 18 years. And in a comment given to the Denver Post, Schemmel remarked that his salary was only one-quarter of what it was the first time he was laid off. I wasnt completely shocked by the phone call, as I knew other layoffs were happening in Denver, the 65-year-old Schemmel told the Post. But a little surprised because I was making only 25% of the salary I was making when they let me go the first time. He also commented on how he saw the move as unfair. It seems incredibly unfair, he said. I gave my heart and soul to those broadcasts and felt like I was completely prepared every night, and hopefully sounded OK. But I know life is unfair. Its unfair for the others who got laid off, both in Denver and across the country. Like I tell people in my motivational speaking, When you get knocked down, you gotta get back up. Which I will do. At the moment, flagship station KOA in Denver has not announced a plan to replace Schemmel, if they choose to do so at all. He has been partners in the Colorado Rockies radio broadcast booth with Jack Corrigan, who has called games with the team for 23 years. Craftivism for Palestine's 55 metre long granny square blanket is coming to Leitrim, Manorhamilton this Saturday (October, 18) 5pm. The 55 metre long, 1.6m wide blanket was unveiled and has been held by members of Craftivism for Palestine and others in 21 counties across Ireland for viewing by the passing public. The blanket is the result of of months of hard work by Craftivism for Palestine's founders Anna Doyle and Niamh Bonner who came up with the idea of a visual interpretation of the high number of Palestinian children who have been killed during the conflict in Gaza since October 2023. The aim of the campaign is to highlight the Government's inaction on the Occupied Territories bill. The blanket consists of 2,700 6 inch intricate granny squares with each square representing 10 murdered children in Gaza. A statement to the Leitrim Observer said: "Anna wrote to all the libraries and craft groups around the country (32 counties) and asked them to send squares. Groups that sent squares include those with intellectual disabilities, mental health issues and those in residential care, allowing their voice which would otherwise go unheard, to be represented in vigils and protests. We got squares posted to us through advertising on social media and from other countries, such Venezuela, Canada, Pakistan, Greece, Germany and England. After a couple of weeks we organised to meet up to join the squares. Initially we met once a week but soon realised we needed to meet more often. A core group of 10 crafters met in the Beckett Locke Hotel in Dublin's North Wall Avenue. We met approx 15 times in total over 5 weeks to join the squares because we had given ourselves a deadline to complete, of one week before Dail summer recess." The core group of crafters who joined the squares ranged in age from their 50s to their mid-80s. Estimating an hour per square and every 100 squares taking about 100 hours to join, the group spent approximately 7200 hours putting the blanket together. The blanket not only represents the lives lost but also reflects the resilience of the people of Palestine. The statement said: "The collective rage of the crafters at the lack of government action to enact the Occupied Territories Bill echoes in every stitch. This blanket is travelling the nation to highlight the demand by the public on the Irish Government to enact the Occupied Territories bill in it's entirety." Deputy Martin Kenny said that homelessness in the Sligo/Leitrim area is on the rise and also touched on many important issues in Leitrim such as issues regarding securing planning permission, a lack of properties for rent, a lack of available finance when it comes to building houses and wastewater treatment systems that are not up to standard. Speaking in the Dail, he said: "In the past week or ten days in my constituency, we have dealt with, I think, 15 cases of homelessness. This is quite unusual but it is having an impact. Families with young children, single people and even pensioners are coming in with notices to quit. They have to leave the houses they are renting and they cannot find anywhere else to go. People are ending up sleeping in cars, sharing couches with family and that sort of thing. They are not sleeping in a doorway but they are homeless. There needs to be a distinction. We need to recognise there is a huge problem in that respect. The councils in Sligo and Leitrim do not have emergency accommodation for these people, never mind a house. Even trying to find emergency accommodation for them is a problem." He noted that are just eight houses for rent in Leitrim presently with an average rent of 1,400 and just 18 in Sligo with an average rent of 1,600. "While the rents are not as bad as in Dublin or other places, one has to take into account the majority of people living in the north west are on a much lower income. Many cannot afford those prices or have a chance of affording them. HAP does not come close to meeting the cost of housing at the moment," he said. He was speaking after Minister for Housing James Browne said he intends to bring in legislation to increase the Housing Finance Agency's borrowing limit from 12 billion to 13.5 billion to facilitate the delivery of social and affordable housing in Ireland. Mr Kenny welcomed the legislation saying that the Housing Finance Agency "is very useful in that context but money is not the only problem when it comes to building houses. It is a serious problem for private developers trying to build houses because they cannot get finance anywhere only at an extremely high cost. Often, it is a big obstacle for a lot of small builders in particular in the west, north west, the midlands and outside major cities." READ MORE: Iarnrod Eireann to be asked for timeline on long-sought works at Leitrim train station He said he was recently made aware of an example regarding a housing estate built in a Leitrim town. "I think eight units were left unbuilt. The bases were there. A man was going to buy them and looked to get money to finish them but he could not get it anywhere. He was told they did not feel there was a market for the houses and yet nobody can get a house and every time a house goes on the market, the cost goes through the roof. There is something wrong in the private sector that needs to be corrected quickly." Another issue for Leitrim, he said related to delays in planning, particularly in rural areas. "Infrastructure such as wastewater services are big issue. There are several examples in County Leitrim; Mohill being a clear one. The town was mentioned in an EPA report this week. If an application to build even ten houses came in, it would not get planning permission because the wastewater treatment system is not up to standard. It is the same in Leitrim village, Carrigallen and many towns across the country. It really needs to be looked at." He continued: "We have serious problems as well with planning permission across the country. In County Leitrim 66 houses were granted planning permission in 2024. Leitrim got 2 million for the tenant in situ scheme and some of that had to be used to buy houses from last year. That scheme is a good one and could work and provide a possibility for people but it simply has not been funded. It is a huge problem to try to alleviate the issue of people who are in houses, get a notice to quit and have nowhere to go. If the council comes in and buys the houses at least it would do something to help them." READ MORE: No investigations into illegal short-term lets in Leitrim He concluded by touching on the lack of student accommodation for those in the area, saying that the Atlantic Technological University in Sligo has "for years been looking at the possibility of being able to raise capital of its own to build student accommodation and it cannot do it. There is no reason it cannot be given that money. Instead the system is set up so private guys can come in and do this, but they are not doing it either. That needs to be examined and there needs to be something put in place to ensure students can get student accommodation when the university wants to build it and has the land to build it on, but cannot raise the money. That would alleviate the broader housing problem as well." LANZHOU, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- How can cities protect their priceless cultural heritage while navigating the demands of modern development? This question has brought mayors, diplomats and scholars from 10 countries to the ancient Silk Road hub of Dunhuang in northwest China's Gansu Province for thought-provoking discussions. The Global Mayors Dialogue in Dunhuang was themed "A Symphony of Civilizations, Resonance in Harmony," and served as a platform for cities around the world to share their experience in the governance of cultural cities. Against the backdrop of rapid global urbanization, the participants emphasized that striking a balance between preserving history and fostering growth is a common, pressing challenge. "Cities are carriers of civilization, engines of innovation, vital spaces for people to lead happy lives, and the most vibrant entities in civilizational dialogue," Yu Chenghui, a senior official of Gansu Province, said when he addressed at the event's opening ceremony on Monday. He outlined how China has been integrating the strict protection of historical features into urban planning to achieve harmony between the old and the new. He expressed his hope that the dialogue would help countries find new solutions to contemporary issues related to such areas as cultural urban governance, cultural heritage protection and sustainable development, and that it would encourage cooperation to address new global challenges. The host city of Dunhuang -- a living museum that is home to three UNESCO World Heritage sites -- serves as a prime case study of balance. Dunhuang Mayor Zhu Jianjun detailed how the city leverages its profound cultural heritage to drive holistic urban development, demonstrating that heritage can be a core asset for urban enhancement. This model resonated deeply with international delegates. "Dunhuang demonstrates to the world how modern development can achieve harmony by respecting nature and preserving history," said Tigran Poghosyan, head of the Garni Community from Armenia, noting the importance of shared values and potential for cooperation. The dialogue revealed striking similarities between distant cities. Burak Deste, representative of the mayor of Manisa in Turkiye, found common ground between Manisa and Dunhuang in terms of their populations and historical legacy. "Dunhuang's existing practices and successful models are highly inspiring for us," he said, sharing his city's vision for its own heritage preservation and green development. Beyond grand strategies, discussions also delved into innovative tactics for cultural revitalization. The widespread use of Dunhuang's Mogao Grottoes motifs on creative products like stamps and T-shirts caught the attention of Massimo Andreoli, representative of the mayor of Venice in Italy. "This is a very intelligent way to promote the heritage, and at the same time to promote the intangible heritage, because you preserve also the artisans," Andreoli said, praising the city's "authentic" atmosphere, which he said is a rarity in an age of over-tourism. His visit culminated in the signature of a renewed memorandum of cooperation with Dunhuang, turning dialogue into actionable partnership. The gathering's location highlighted that the ancient Silk Road's spirit of connection is more relevant than ever today. Hungarian Sinologist Steven H. Back reflected on this point: "The Silk Road was never only about trade; it was also a long caravan of ideas." In Dunhuang, these mayors and thinkers gathered to ensure that this caravan of ideas continues to move forward, charting a course for cities through which history and progress not only coexist but thrive together. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close A WEST Clare woman is to plead guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of inspirational Limerick school teacher, Michael Lorigan, a court has been told. At Ennis District Court, the Book of Evidence was served in the case of Saoirse Lillis McMahon, aged 32, of Moveen East, Kilkee who is charged with dangerous driving causing the death of the 70-year-old cyclist on August 16, 2023. The fatal road traffic incident occurred on the N67 at Baunmore, Kilkee at around 12.30pm on the day. Addressing solicitor John Casey, Judge Alec Gabbett commented: My understanding is that there is a guilty plea to the charge and it has the same effect as going forward to the circuit court on a signed plea. Mr Casey agreed, having previously told the court that Ms Lillis McMahon could not go forward on a signed guilty plea because of a technical issue and that a Book of Evidence had to be compiled for the case. Relatives of the late Mr Lorigan were in court, this Wednesday, for the brief hearing and Judge Gabbett told Ms Lillis McMahon that he was required to give her the alibi warning though I dont believe that it applies in this case. READ NEXT: Family of pregnant woman who died in Limerick hospital are 'haunted' Judge Gabbett said that he would return Ms Lillis McMahon for trial to the current sittings of Ennis Circuit Court. Mr Casey asked that the legal certificate be extended to cover one senior counsel and one junior counsel in the circuit court due to the seriousness of the charge. Judge Gabbett replied I agree and he acceded to the application. Mr Casey said that it is unlikely that the case will be dealt with in the current sittings of Ennis Circuit Court. Ms Lillis McMahon is also charged with driving her 02-CE registered vehicle at the same location on the same date while being under the influence of an intoxicant to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the vehicle. She is also accused of driving a defective vehicle which was a danger to the public at the same location on the same date contrary to section 54(1) & (4) Road Traffic Act. Mr Casey said there is only one charge in the Book of Evidence and that the other summons can track the circuit court case in the district court. All of the summons matters were adjourned to a date in April 2026. Originally from Benvoran, Kilmurry McMahon, County Clare and living in Kilkishen in east Clare at the time of his death, Mr Lorigan taught for a number of decades at the Model School in Limerick city. Mr Lorigan taught there from the mid-1970s until his retirement and was remembered as an inspirational, kind, patient, dedicated and wonderful teacher in the many tributes from former students at the time of his death in August 2023. In later years, Mr Lorigan became a keen cyclist, and took part in the Clare 250 mile cycle many times. THREE schools in Limerick have been recognised by the Irish Heart Foundation for their CPR training. The CPR 4 Schools award recognises schools, teachers and students for their efforts in promoting and training in the lifesaving skills of CPR. Hazelwood College in Dromcollogher, Desmond College in Newcastle West and Limerick ETSS in Castletroy, were among 33 schools nationwide who received this award. Since the programme started, 90% of secondary schools have become involved, with 350,000 students around Ireland learning how to train in CPR. READ NEXT: BREAKING: Petrol bomb attack on Limerick home while family watched TV A persons chance of survival is doubled when CPR is started immediately. Someone who has learned CPR is ten times more likely to respond to an emergency than someone who has never received training. CPR 4 Schools is now calling on all schools to sign up, to help build a new generation of lifesavers. The training teaches students how to perform CPR, how to respond in the case of a cardiac emergency, how to use a defibrillator and how to respond if someone is choking. As part of the well-being module, transition year students at Hazelwood College took part in the CPR 4 schools programme gaining vital lifesaving skills and confidence in emergency response, said Michelle Herbert, Hazelwood College teacher. Brigid Sinnott, Resuscitation Manager with the Irish Heart Foundation, encouraged teachers countrywide to help students obtain essential lifesaving CPR skills. We know that schools are extremely busy places, which makes us all the more blown away by the work and commitment they have put in to teach the lifesaving skill of CPR to date. The CPR 4 Schools programme is easy to run and takes just one hour to train a class. I would encourage schools nationwide to visit irishheart.ie/cpr4schools to learn how easy it is to implement our programme, she said. Post-primary school teachers interested in signing up for the free programme can register by emailing: schools@irishheart.ie. CITY residents have called for additional safety measures to be added for a road in their community, where an upgrade is taking place. Improvements to Old Cratloe Road are set to get under way, with an Active Travel scheme to add cycle lanes and footpaths, traffic calming measures like bollards and planters for speed reduction. But locals want these measures to go further, and a petition with 14 pages worth of signatures has been passed to Roughan and O'Donovan Consulting Engineers, which is carrying out the road reconstruction alongside Dooradoyle firm Wills Bros on behalf of council. READ MORE: FDC Group acquires Charleville's Murray, Cloney & Associates Ltd It was presented to Michael Gibbons, an engineer for the firm at a residents public meeting in the Country Club Bar earlier this month. The main areas of concern raised by locals were speeding motorists, and the petition is seeking that the Council install appropriate speed calming ramps, road safety mirrors and solar radar speed signs. Mike McLoughlin, who lives in Old Cratloe Road, and is a member of the local residents association said: For those living on the Old Cratloe Road it is evident that the volume and speed of traffic has vastly increased over the last two years. The number of near misses experienced by residents simply trying to exit their house to do school runs, is unacceptable when there is an obvious solution to the problem. He also pointed out that in the last two years, speeding motor vehicles have caused family pets to die. It would be such a waste of resources and time to make the much-needed adjustments to the road without factoring in the real safety concerns from all residents. We dread to think the potential fatalities this issue could result in, he added. The petition was drafted and issued by Bernie Sherlock, of Pass Road, Mr McLoughlin and Joan ONeill, both of Old Cratloe Road. Comment has been sought from council. The Sunbed Association, which represents regulated sunbed businesses across Ireland, has called on the Government not to impose a nationwide ban on sunbeds, believing it will lead to unsafe and unregulated conditions. Minister of State for Public Health Jennifer Murnane O'Connor has said that no level of sunbed us is safe, a statement that has been backed up by the Chief Medical Officer of Ireland. READ NEXT: 'No sex, drugs or dangerous stunts' - Instagram restricts teenagers from harmful content Speaking on Newstalk on Tuesday morning, the chair of the Association Gary Lipman said that he does not agree with the findings within the report which he said "informed the Minister and Chief Medical Officer's opinion". "We have submitted a 58-page rebuttal for some of the misinformation that's in the report," Mr Lipman said before adding, "They're looking at scientific evidence from 20 to 25 years ago. "It's very important that to those who say we need to ban sunbeds, we say to the HSE, work in harmony with us to implement existing regulations, as happens across Europe. Mr Lipman went on to say the regulations across Europe state that the output of a sunbed is the same as the sunshine on a Mediterranean beach, for example and that the Association had asked the Government in 2015 to implement the same regulations. Mr Lipman said there is "empirical evidence" from other countries such as Australia that show a ban on sunbeds are not only ineffective, but harmful, as people started using sunbeds at home where there are zero regulations. "Look," continued Mr Lipman, "when a member of the public comes into a tanning salon in membership of the association, the staff there would have been trained. READ NEXT: 'Live rats and droppings on premises' - Five food businesses ordered to close last month "They would speak to the client, check their skin to make sure that they can tan, we would provide protective eyewear, we would also check for age and give the correct information. Mr Lipman added that members of the association would also enforce session lengths that would be in line with the correct and up-to-date medical advice. Public health information on the HSE website states that skin cancer is the most common cause of cancer in Ireland. Figures indicate that there are approximately 8000 cases of non-melanoma skin cancer every year and 800 cases of malignant melanoma. However, the good news is that skin cancer is a highly preventable form of cancer. Surveys undertaken by the Environmental Health Association of Ireland and the Irish Cancer Society have demonstrated that 7% of the population use sunbeds with 3% using them as frequently as once a week. International research documented in Standards Australia 2002 show that sunbeds can emit Ultraviolet Radiation (UV) radiation up to 5 times as strong as the Australian midday sun and therefore their use can substantially increase the risk of developing skin cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has concluded that the risk of cutaneous melanoma is increased by 75% when the use of tanning beds starts before 30 years of age. It subsequently raised the classification of the use of UV tanning devices to Group 1 - namely, 'carcinogenic to humans'. The Public Health (Sunbeds) Act 2014, (No. 12 of 2014) which was signed into law on 24 June 2014, states that, No persons under the age of 18 years of age will be allowed to use a sunbed on a sunbed premises No persons under the age of 18 years will be permitted entry into a restricted area in a sunbed premises No person under the age of 18 years of age will be allowed to either purchase or hire a sunbed READ NEXT: ALERT: Fota Wildlife Park closed to public as bird flu cases are confirmed The amount of services imported from the Occupied Palestinian Territories is not huge, the Taoiseach has said, as he faced accusations of slow walking legislation to prohibit their trade. The Government has said it is working on an Occupied Territories Bill which would limit trade with illegal Israeli settlements, but activists and opposition figures have raised concerns that it would only include goods and not services. During Leaders Questions on Wednesday, Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns accused the Government of slow walking its legislation on the matter and criticised the possible exclusion of services from the law. Ms Cairns welcomed the release of hostages on both sides but said: Even in this fragile piece, Palestinians continue to be dehumanised. She said many of the Palestinians released by Israel were never charged or convicted of any crime but were still referred to as prisoners. We hope with all our hearts that this genocide is over, but we also have to face reality. Five Gazans were murdered by Israeli forces yesterday morning, just two days after committing to a ceasefire. The simple fact of the matter is that the crimes and barbarity of the Israeli government predate October 7, and in all likelihood, will not come to an end with this peace deal. For decades, Palestinians have suffered under an apartheid regime and brutal occupation in the West Bank, where Hamas does not have a presence. Ms Cairns said this why Ireland has a duty under international law to end all trade with illegal Israeli settlements. She said a huge component of trade between Ireland and the illegal settlements will continue if the bill is enacted without the inclusion of services. In response, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said the quantity of services imported from Occupied Territories Bill was unknown but not huge. Goods can be traced fairly easily through documentation, certificates of origin services are a much different kettle of fish. He added: No decision has been made in relation to services. Mr Martin said there are issues around determining the clear territorial link on financial consulting, software development, and digital services. He said the most significant issue facing Gaza was the unhindered delivery of aid. We earnestly hope that peace will sustain in Gaza, and its extremely important that every effort is made to get huge volumes of humanitarian aid into Gaza. He said the release of the hostages is a big moment that should be acknowledged. They should never been taken as hostages in the first instance. Many were attending a music festival, and there should be no equivocation about that. And likewise, illegally detaining Palestinians without any trial, without any evidence base, is also wrong and shouldnt be condoned. AN APPEAL has been lodged with An Comisiun Pleanala against the proposed development of a 24-metre high telecommunications lattice tower in Ballyfooken Bruree. The tower - which is proposed by Vantage Towers on behalf of Vodafone - would, according to the applicant, aid in providing 4G and 5G data connectivity and mobile phone reception in the locality. Dozens of objections were made when planning permission was sought through Limerick County Council, with radiation and wildlife concerns being a shared theme in the observations submitted. The potential impact of radiation from the tower is an issue for the community group Rockhill Says No, which has appealed the local authority decision. In planning documents, the group referenced a recent study published in April of this year (funded by the WHO), which concluded there was a high certainty that cellphone radiation exposure causes two types of cancer in animals. The submission continues: There is no evidence of any community engagement or local consultation prior to this application. The documents further state: The applicants assertion that Bruree village is in urgent need of enhanced telecommunications coverage is not supported by robust technical evidence within the planning application. Rather, the application appears to be more aligned with Vodafone's commercial rollout timelines than with a demonstrable technical deficit. Read More: Plans for three wind farms will see 32 turbines to tower in Limerick skies Rockhill Says No further expressed their displeasure that no environmental impact assessment report was done despite the proposed tower being in close proximity to the River Maigue catchment. A concerned individual living in Limerick echoed the groups concerns, writing in their objection: The international agency for research on cancer has classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans. "Although conclusive evidence remains under study, this classification justifies a precautionary approach, especially in areas with residential populations in close proximity to the tower. Other objections expressed concern about the visual impact that the 24-metre tower could pose to the village. A local resident wrote that the tower would drive people away and that the tower would discourage people from moving to the village. Ballyfookeen is a quiet, scenic area defined by its rural charm and historical richness. This mast would be completely out of scale with its surroundings, and would be an industrial intrusion in a place where the landscape has remained unchanged for generations, they wrote. The proposed telecommunications pole will also have a number of antenna and satellite dishes attached to the structure. An Comisiun Pleanala (then An Bord Pleanala) previously denied Vantage Towers Limited planning permission due to issues relating to road traffic and sightlines. Vantage Towers Limited state they addressed these problems in their latest planning application to the council, which was approved earlier this year but which is now the subject of appeal. An Comisiun Pleanala is due to decide on the outcome of the case by February 9, 2026. Consumers can ask AI almost anything, including whether that jacket theyre eyeing is cute. Now Walmart shoppers can buy items directly from chatbots, too. Walmart said Tuesday that its teaming up with OpenAI to allow customers to purchase its products through ChatGPT using Instant Checkout. The worlds biggest retailer has already incorporated plenty of cutting-edge technology in its business, including artificial intelligence tied to product discovery and recommendations. This announcement goes a step further by allowing customers to shop ChatGPT recommendations directly. Other companies have also been moving to integrate AI with shopping. At the end of September, OpenAI said consumers would be able to buy Etsy merchandise directly from its platform, with other Shopify merchants on the way. Just as AI recommendations and chatbots have begun to eat away at general internet search, consumers are starting to turn to the technology to find specific products, instead of a search engine. Walmart and other consumer-facing companies already have AI-enabled search on their websites. And retailers arent the only ones benefiting. While AI has been growing by leaps and bounds, investors have wondered how that growth can be monetized, much like social media before it. In-platform shopping and affiliate links are one option to link sales directly to AI use. Analysts are happy with Walmarts news. Mizuho analyst David Bellinger called it a major step forward in the adoption and broader acceleration of agentic commerce." Agentic AI can autonomously set and achieve goals, such as suggesting products and learning consumer preferences without a direct command or prompt. Walmart is clearly ahead of the curve here, while others havebeen slow to adapt or even made efforts to block AI web crawlers," he wrote. In our view, being the early leader in this vertical could drive much more volume to Walmarts core consumables and grocery-heavy business." DA Davidson analyst Michael Baker echoed that sentiment: This supports our view that Walmart will be a winner among traditional retailers in the agentic commerce race." Investors seem to agree. Shares jumped 4.3% to $106.46 Tuesday afternoon, putting the stock on track for a fresh record close. Mumbai/New Delhi: Hyundai Motor India Ltd will invest 45,000 crore in India and roll out a bunch of cars and SUVs over the next five years, as the company seeks to arrest the slide in its market share. However, the Korean carmaker has its sights firmly set on profitability in India, global president and chief executive officer Jose Munoz said, on a day its operations chief Tarun Garg was elevated managing director and chief executive of the Indian business. Hyundai, which has reigned as India's second-largest carmaker for over 25 years, has seen its market share slip in the last year, with local rivals Mahindra and Mahindra and Tata Motors breathing down its neck. However, the president emphasized that Hyundai will not engage in a price war, even if it meant losing the tag of being the country's No.2 carmaker. The Korean company is also bringing its luxury brand Genesis to India by 2027 to bolster its margins and brand perception. I want the profit, I want the volumes, I want the market share, I want customer satisfaction all together, said the global head of Hyundai, pointing at Garg. So, he knows (the task at hand), he jested. Garg is the first Indian to lead the Korean carmaker in the country, while Munoz is the first non-Korean to steer Hyundai globally. India is Hyundais global strategy, said Munoz , speaking at Hyundai Motor Indias first investor day in the country after its 27,870 crore initial public offering last October. Over the next five years, Hyundai will launch 26 car models, including refreshes and model upgrades. Out of these, 13 will be internal combustion engine vehicles, eight hybrid, five electric and six running on CNG. As per its earlier plan this year, the company wanted to launch six EVs till FY30. With these, it wants to corner 15% of Indias car market by FY30. It ended FY25 with a market share of 14%, its lowest in over a decade. In the current financial year, Tata Motors and Mahindra have beaten Hyundai to the No.2 spot in all months. Is 15% market share a low-ball target for Hyundai? Munoz does not think so. In most markets, not even the leader is at 15%. As the markets get more mature, it is more and more difficult to maintain a 15% share, he said. To achieve its target of 15%, Hyundai will venture into the hybrid vehicle space, something that was not part of its India plans till recently. The company had even lobbied against government incentives for hybrids. Munoz attribution the hybrid plans to a change in its strategy. We recently changed our strategy from shift to EV only to a much more hybrid, plug-in hybrid and EV, he said. This change has happened across automotive companies and not just at Hyundai, he added. We saw that EV market is not growing as much as we expected, for many reasons, and then hybrids have been growing more. Our objective is to have sustainable, profitable growth, Munoz said at Hyundai Motor Indias first investor day in the country after its 27,870 crore initial public offering last October. I don't want to lose the second position in the market. And if I can, I want to be number one. But I don't want to do it at the expense of losing profitability. Hyundai also plans to export three out of every 10 cars it makes in India by 2030. Export will be a key part of the companys aspiration to maintain double-digit Ebitda margin in the country. It reported an Ebitda margin of 12.94% in FY25, which was 14 basis points lower than the preceding year. The key destinations for Hyundais India-made cars will be the Middle East and Africa, Latin America and Indias neighbouring countries. Hyundai will also bring its non-banking financial company Hyundai Capital to India, Munoz said. The company has already applied with the Reserve Bank of India for a license to lend in India. Its plan is in three stagesfirst to lend to wholesale car buyers, mainly its dealers in India. Then, it wants to finance retail car buyers. In its third stage, the company plans to diversify to lending for operations other than vehicles. The lending company will not be a part of Hyundai Motor India. Gaurav Vangaal, associate director, light vehicle production at S&P Global said Hyundai Motor has an aggressive growth target that outpaces the industry, but its launch pipeline remains insufficient. Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 14: Vijayawada Utsav organised recently by Shreyas Media has not only entered Guinness World Records, but also attracted global attention as the worlds largest carnival. Shreyas Media, which organised more than 3,500 events related to movie promotions and others across India, USA, Canada, and UAE, showcased its capability and calibre in organizing carnivals by bringing lakhs of people to the Vijayawada Utsav. Buoyed by the carnivals success, the company has decided to bring new charm to regional festivals like Bihu, Onam, Ganesh Chaturthi, Pongal, Lohri, Durga Puja, and Sankranti through similar carnivals across the country. Year-long celebrations.. Shreyas Media has decided to organize celebrations throughout the year at tourist hotspots like Araku and Gandikota in Andhra Pradesh with foreign artists. To take agriculture to new heights, it is planning to organize a farmers' festival with grandeur this Sankranti. It will celebrate New Year, Sankranti in Visakhapatnam and Tirupati on the lines of Vijayawada Utsav. It will also celebrate Diwali, New Year and Sankranti in Vijayawada. It will also hold 30 big concerts throughout the year in Andhra Pradesh, besides organizing Araku Coffee Festival on a grand scale. Fueling growth of local economy.. Shreyas Media founder Gandra Srinivas Rao said that his company organised Vijayawada Utsav as a pilot project and created intellectual property in the carnival space. India, a dexterous blend of different cultures, is known for its festivities. By organizing carnivals like Vijayawada Utsav in different states, festivals can be transformed into sweet memories. People from India and abroad can be brought together on a single platform. We can instill patriotic feelings among people about our country, states and our festivals. Moreover, the local economy will get a booster shot as lakhs of people come to see and experience the carnival. Consequently, the concerned state government will get more income. So also will be numerous brands. Further, thousands of people get employment directly or indirectly, Srinivas Rao explained. He recalled that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu expressed his happiness about Vijayawada Utsav as it entered Guinness World Records and found a place on the global tourism map as the crowning glory of Amaravati. The records galore.. Shreyas Media organised Vijayawada Utsav in association with the Society for Vibrant Vijayawada and Andhra Pradesh Tourism. Starting on September 22, the 11-day Utsav featured 284 events. More than 3,000 artists entertained visitors as Vijayawadas streets turned colourful. For the first time in the world, 11 concerts and 11 drone shows were organized in 11 days, bringing more charm to the Dasara festival. A scintillating crackers show dazzled the city and the visitors on four days. Srinivas said that this carnival attracted not only Telugu people but also people from other states. According to him, Vijayawada MP Kesineni Shivanath (Chinni) worked tirelessly to make the carnival a grand success. He said that the Society for Vibrant Vijayawada also played an important role. Rs.1,000 crore business.. Usually, just 15 lakh people come to Vijayawada on the occasion of Dasara every year. Thanks to the Vijayawada Utsav, almost 50 lakh people came to Vijayawada this year. It is estimated that a business of Rs.1,000 crore was done locally. More than 15 lakh people participated in the Vijayawada Utsav. As many as 25,000 people have been employed directly and indirectly. 600 stalls have been set up in the Vijayawada Expo, Srinivas said. We have set a target of 5,000 crore in business through Vijayawada Utsav in the next five years. Shreyas Media is ready to organize such carnivals in all cities of the country if the state governments cooperate. Brands are also coming forward to support such carnivals, he said. We acquired the advertising rights of the Maha Kumbh Mela and brought thousands of brands closer to crores of people. We can replicate that success with carnivals, he added. Note to readers: This article is part of Mints paid consumer connect Initiative. Mint assumes no editorial involvement or responsibility for errors, omissions, or content accuracy. (Bloomberg) -- SoftBank Group Corp. successfully defended itself in a trial against Credit Suisse over a restructuring agreement that left investors in the Swiss lenders funds out of pocket by as much as $440 million. The London trial pored over a series of transactions involving the now-defunct Greensill Capital and the way the trade finance firm restructured its relationship with Katerra Inc., a US-based construction company in which SoftBank was a major investor. Credit Suisse sued SoftBank accusing it of concocting the restructuring in 2020 so that it could pull its own money out of the firm, knowing full well that Greensill, already in free-fall, would be unable to repay what it owed to Credit Suisse. On Wednesday, Judge Robert Miles blamed Lex Greensill for concealing what he called the true position around the restructuring from Credit Suisse officials. UBS Group AG was pursuing the London claim on behalf of its former Swiss rival in a bid to recover funds for investors trapped in the supply chain finance vehicles. SoftBank countered that the Credit Suisse case has always been an attempt to shift blame for its own poor investment decisions. Softbanks lawyers argued that the $440 million funds were provided by the Vision Fund on the basis that it would be used to repay the Credit Suisse notes. Greensill collapsed just months after the SoftBank deal when the Japanese group refused to provide a $1.5 billion last-minute bridging loan. Credit Suisse then froze and began winding down $10 billion of funds that bought products from Greensill Capital. Greensills demise was one of several major scandals that knocked confidence in the Swiss lender, left clients with hundreds of millions of dollars of losses and ultimately led to its forced takeover by UBS. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Once written off as too remote and costly to serve, the Northeast is emerging as Indias newest e-commerce consumption frontier. With most market leaders having saturated the high-demand, easy-to-serve markets, large online retailers are testing whether rising consumption and improving connectivity can turn the region into a meaningful growth driver, as they race to cut losses. Amazon has doubled down on faster deliveries in Assam, focusing on same-day and next-day deliveries, and has added a new fulfilment centre, one sortation centre, and more than 50 delivery stations," Saurabh Srivastava, vice president at Amazon India told Mint. These investments have enabled Amazon to deliver more than 2x more products (year-on-year), same and next day to customers in Guwahati," he added. The company counts over 10,000 sellers from Assam on its marketplace, reflecting deeper integration of the region into its nationwide network. Amazons rival, Flipkart says the Northeast remains one of its fastest-growing regions, witnessing 3540% year-on-year growth, said Rajneesh Kumar, chief corporate affairs officer at Flipkart Group. To meet demand, the Walmart-owned company has built over 6 lakh sq ft of warehousing across Guwahati and Agartala, supported by 391 delivery hubs, which is very much in line with the size of warehouses in larger cities like NCR (the National Capital Region of Delhi and surrounding areas incuding Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad), the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Bengaluru and Hyderabad," said said Prashant Gupta, partner at Kearney, a management consulting firm. Flipkart's new grocery fulfilment centre in Agartala handles over 5,000 daily orders across Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland. Kumar said more than 1 lakh sellers from Assam are active on the Flipkart marketplace. Kumar said Flipkart is also pushing its quick commerce arm, Flipkart Minutes, in the Northeast, with nine micro-fulfilment centres in Guwahati, adding that they now deliver essentials, electronics, lifestyle products and regional selections". Quick commerce major Blinkit entered Guwahati in January this year, opening a warehouse on Zoo Road and added another in Chandmari. Swiggy remains active in food delivery across select cities in the Northeast, though its Instamart grocery service is yet to scale in the region and the company has not shared details on its infrastructure. Zepto, in contrast, has stayed out of the Northeast so far, confirming to Mint that it does not operate there. Queries sent to Zomato on Blinkit and Swiggy did not elicit a response until press time. Also Read | Cash on delivery charges: Why the government is stepping in Rising appetite for online shopping Consumer demand is evolving, with rising demand for premium categories of segments such as fashion, beauty, watches and jewellery. India's Northeast comprised around 15% of India e-commerce market in FY25, according to Redseer Strategy Consutants. The Northeast's sales in the luxury TV segment, priced above 1 lakh, has grown by 200%, while large-screen TVs above 55 inches are up by 100%, Srivastava said, adding that premium smartphones priced 30,000 and above have more than doubled in volumes, led by Samsung and Apple. The shift is not confined to electronics. Silver coin sales are up sixfold, professional beauty products have tripled and jewellery demand in Assam has risen 20% y-o-y, with traditional Assamese designs continuing to be favourites, he said. Flipkart points to a steady appetite in categories such as fashion, footwear, beauty and home furnishings. In terms of lifestyle and fashion, consumers in the Northeast show distinct preferences. For one, they tend to demand smaller apparel sizes, reflecting petite body frames and have been early adopters of the Korean cultural waveK-dramas, K-fashion and Korean skincare. With limited offline retail catering to such demand, digitally-savvy shoppers are turning online. Cities such as Imphal in Manipur, Agartala in Tripura, Shillong in Meghalaya and Silchar in Assam show high potential for e-commerce, according to a Kearney India report published in 2024. Also Read | RBI new forex norms may be game-changer for small exporters and importers Eyeing the untapped regions The penetration of online retail in the Northeast is now 1.2 times higher than the rest of India. The seller base is also diversifying: since 2021, 60% of the new sellers are from tier-2 or smaller cities, according to a 2025 report by Bain & Co. Most of the market leaders have saturated the high-demand, easy-to-service markets. The next wave of growth for the market leaders or the new entrants in the e-com (e-commerce) and q-com (quick commerce) industry will have to come from the medium- to low-demand regions or difficult-to-reach regions," said Kearneys Gupta. He said, to achieve metro-level delivery speeds, players will need a two-stage approachset up large warehouses first, followed by micro-fulfilment centres across neighbouring states. Exploring opportunity in the Northeast is part of the big online retailers' plan for profitability. Flipkart Internet, the marketplace arm of the Walmart-owned e-commerce giant, reported revenues of 20,433 crore in FY25, up 14% from 17,855 crore a year ago, while losses narrowed by nearly 32% to 1,568 crore from 2,296 crore, according to regulatory filings. The numbers suggest Flipkart is sharpening its focus on profitability even as it continues to expand revenues. Amazon Seller Services, the marketplace arm of Amazon India, reported revenue of 30,138 crore in FY25 up 19% from 25,406 crore a year earlier, while losses narrowed by nearly 89% to 374 crore from 3,470 crore, according to regulatory filings. Mint reported earlier that the reduction in losses was driven largely by higher contributions from marketplace services and advertising. Flipkart continues to lead Indias e-commerce market, with an estimated 48% share by gross merchandise value (GMV) as of FY23, while Amazon is the runner-up, with 30-35%. Challenges in the new frontiers Historically, India's Northeast has seen limited e-commerce investments due to challenges in connectivity and logistics, as also the sparse population, that made deliveries prohibitively expensive. Reverse logistics for returns are double as costly outside the Northeastern cities. The purchasing power is also concentrated in the larger cities. The confluence of all these factors had limited investments to the larger cities only," said Madhur Singhal, managing partner, consumer and internet at Praxis Global Alliance, a management consulting firm. The most important change is the perception of risk, said Singhal, adding that now companies are not hesitant in creating infrastructure, hiring talent and tapping the latent demand that exists there." Yet, structural constraints explain why the region was difficult in the first place, and why expansion still wont be easy. It is considered tough because of the vast and difficult terrain with low demand, therefore making the fulfillment costs higher and non-viable," said Gupta of Kearney. Climate risks further push up costs. This is exacerbated by lower population density, which means that unit level costs are much higher, sometimes even double of what it is in cities. Road connectivity has improved significantly, but the distances and density continues to challenge economics," said Singhal. Heavy rains and floods in Assam and its neighbouring states in early Octoberflagged in weather forecasts and disaster advisoriesled to traffic blockages and transport slowdowns in parts of Guwahati and beyond. Platforms have not disclosed the scale of order cancellations, but local media reports flagged disruptions in last-mile supply chains. My orders for clothes and skincare took more than 10 days, instead of the promised three, and one was cancelled altogether," said Mary Pamei, a 26-year-old Imphal resident. She said while shoppers in the region often place early orders for festivals to avoid disruptions, cancellations are common during floods and deliveries are still unpredictable in the terrain. As a result, even when demand picks up, the scale of fulfilment often lags behind," said Kushal Bhatnagar, associate partner at Redseer Strategy. E-commerce firms try manage these constraints by setting more realistic delivery timelines for remote pincodes. [Companies] create fulfillment centres and warehouses in areas that are relatively less prone to disruption and by partnering with local transporters and vehicle owners who understand the terrain well," said Singhal of Praxis. "Climate risks of this nature exist in other parts of the country too, such as Uttaranchal and Himachal." More than three years after announcing a partnership, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail is set to open the first Indian outpost of Galeries Lafayette, the iconic Parisian luxury department store chain. Spread over two buildings and five floors in south Mumbais Fort area, the high street shopping store brand will offer more than 250 international luxury brands, two-thirds of which are coming to India for the first time. The store is expected to open its doors for shoppers in November. Apart from top brands from Europe such as Dior and Chanel, Galeries Lafayette will retail well-known luxury brands from Japan and Korea including Commes des Garcons (Tokyo) and Joseon Beauty (Seoul). Parisian brand Hermes, which also has a standalone store in Fort, Mumbai, will sell its beauty products at Galeries Lafayette as well. Galeries Lafayette and Aditya Birla Fashion are betting on the soaring demand for personal luxury goods in India, as the country mints more dollar millionaires. India added 39,000 dollar millionaires in 2024 taking the total to 917,000, according to the Swiss bank UBS's Global Wealth Report, 2025. Internationally, Galeries Lafayette's competition includes Harrods of London, Bergdorf Goodman in the US, and Printemps, France, none of which have a presence in India. India a key market Galeries Lafayette gets 37 million visitors a year in our Paris store, and half of whom are international, CEO Arthur Lemoine told Mint in an interview. Clearly, we see many Indians there already. We know India is a key and strategic market. Indian customers can shop abroad in Dubai, Singapore, and Paris. But they are also asking for and expect to consume locally." Brokerage firm Kotak Securities this May said India's luxury market grew to $17.67 billion in 2024 and will hit $85 billion by 2030. Much of this growth, to be sure, comes from spending on jewellery, especially during wedding season, while the sale of luxury cars is also a fast-growing segment. Galeries Lafayette will also open a store in Delhi, although the timeline is unclear. As global luxury brands spread their retail footprint, Indians initially had access only to them, said Ashish Dikshit, managing director of Aditya Birla Fashion. But in the last 5-7 years in particular, Indians have more confidence and have started to do more discovery, exploring more brands and looking for upcoming labels and designers." To capture demand from upwardly mobile Indian consumers, Mumbais Galeries Lafayette is designed to offer a ladder to luxury," noted R Sathyajit, CEO of International Brands for Aditya Birla Fashion. For instance, one floor of the Mumbai store is dedicated to bags and the basement to cosmetics and beauty products categories that most Indians make their first luxury purchase in. The sweet spot" for these entry-level luxury purchases can include a 3,000 Chanel lipstick or a small luxury brand bag worth 20-30,000, going up to 80,000 to 1.5 lakh, Sathyajit added. Other offerings for those flirting with luxury shopping include a floor dedicated to unisex casual and streetwear fashion with brands such as Commes des Garcons and Les Yeux, where shoppers can pick up a T-shirt for 5-6,000 apiece and a pair of jeans starting 10,000 a pair. Also Read | For luxury brands, there are no replacements as China and the US falter Global luxe slows While Reliance Industries Ltds Reliance Brands has dominated the business of franchising foreign luxury brands in India, Aditya Birla Fashion has been making inroads into the business. In fiscal 2025, the Reliance company reported revenue from operations of 2,337 crore, up 3.3% year on year. Aditya Birla Fashions luxury division crossed 500 crore in revenue in FY25, per its annual report. This division includes the multi-brand store chain The Collective, along with franchises for westernwear luxury brands Ralph Lauren, Fred Perry, and Ted Baker among others. In 2021, the company acquired a controlling stake in luxury label Sabyasachi for nearly 400 crore, following up with another deal for a controlling stake in rival luxury label Tarun Tahiliani in 2024. A year later, the company also acquired a controlling stake in designer label Masaba for 90 crore. The global market for luxury has slowed down drastically since 2023 after years of growth more from increased prices rather than sales volumes, consulting firm McKinsey said in a report this January. Economic slowdown in Europe and China has hit sales for luxury biggies such as LVMH and Kering. (This week, LVMH reported a 1% jump in sales for the September quarter, though.) In this scenario, India has emerged as a bright spot for luxury brands and retailers companies searching for a new, eager customer base to sell to. The real challenge in India is luxury supply, not demand," Anand Ramanathan, partner for the consumer industry practice at consulting firm Deloitte, told Mint. Indians are already going abroad to buy. But luxury brands coming to India need an ecosystem the right location, parking, mall space. There isnt enough of that ecosystem just yet in India." He pointed out that while DLF Emporio in Delhi and Phoenix Palladium and Jio World Plaza in Mumbai have become luxury shopping destinations, there is much more demand for luxury shopping in the top five to seven cities in India. For now, customers in these places have to make do with smaller outlets in five star hotels or shop abroad. Besides, Ramanathan added, some malls such as the Phoenix Mall of Asia in Bengaluru that were initially positioned as a luxury destination changed over time opening up to non-luxury brands due to slow business. NEW DELHI : The demerger of Tata Motors passenger and commercial vehicle divisions has created two distinct global automotive entities, each with a clear focus and international footprint. On 14 October, Tata Motors Ltd formally became Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd (TMPVL) and began trading separately from its commercial vehicle unit. The discovered value of the passenger vehicle business came at around 395 per share, roughly 40% below the price at which the consolidated company previously traded. At 12:15pm, the stock traded at 392.60 apiece on the BSE. Mint explains why the split was executed and what it means for the company and investors. Why the demerger? A demerger allows a company to separate distinct business units with enough scale and financial strength to operate independently. Before the split, Tata Motors encompassed two very different businesses: passenger vehicles (PV) and commercial vehicles (CV). The PV business sells cars domestically and internationally, including through UK-based Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which operates in markets such as China, the US and Europe. The CV business, in contrast, has primarily focused on India, selling trucks and buses. In fiscal year 2025 (FY25), the passenger vehicle business accounted for over 82% of Tata Motors 4.4 trillion revenue, while the commercial vehicle unit contributed roughly 18%. In August 2024, Tata Motors board decided that separating the businesses would drive better strategic focus and returns for shareholders, a plan later approved by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). The proposed demerger will bring greater strategic clarity and agility, enabling a more focused approach to execution and value creation, delivering superior experiences for customers, rewarding careers for employees and long-term returns for shareholders," said Tata Group chairman N. Chandrasekaran in the companys annual report. Building a global presence The groups global ambitions date back to 2008, when Tata Motors acquired Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) for $2.3 billion, the second-largest acquisition by the Tata Group after Tata Steels purchase of Corus for $13.1 billion in 2007. JLRs lineup includes Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Defender vehicles sold worldwide. This is a momentous time for all of us at Tata Motors. Jaguar and Land Rover are two iconic British brands with worldwide growth prospects. We are looking forward to extending our full support to the Jaguar and Land Rover teams to realise their competitive potential," Ratan Tata had said in 2008, emphasizing the acquisitions long-term potential. Following the PV-CV split, Tata Motors pursued a similar global strategy for its commercial vehicle business. In July, it announced the acquisition of Italys Iveco commercial vehicle and powertrain business, expanding the CV units international reach. This is a logical next step following the demerger and will allow the combined group to compete on a truly global basis with two strategic home markets in India and Europe," Chandrasekaran said. The combined Tata Motors-Iveco entity is expected to sell over 540,000 units annually and generate more than $25 billion in revenue. Management will also be split: Shailesh Chandra will lead the passenger vehicle business, while Gireesh Wagh heads the commercial vehicle unit. Whats in store for investors With the demerger, both units will trade independently. TMPVL has already begun trading, while the CV entityretaining the Tata Motors nameis expected to list by November. Shareholders of the original Tata Motors will receive one share in each demerged entity, maintaining their existing ownership proportions: promoters hold 43%, public shareholders 23%, and foreign/domestic institutional investors 34%. Analysts caution that both businesses will face near-term challenges. JLR is facing several headwinds, which include, tariff-led slowdown for exports to the US, demand weakness in key regions like Europe and China; and rising VME, warranty and emission costs," analysts at Motilal Oswal Financial Services wrote in a 30 September note. The company also faces the task of integrating Iveco, with the acquisition expected to complete by April 2026, pending regulatory approvals. During an investor call in July, questions were raised about potential synergies. Given the groups challenging experience with the Corus and JLR acquisitions, why do you think this is somewhere Tata Motors can create value?" asked Sonal Gupta, head of research-equities, at HSBC Asset Management India. Tata Motors CV (commercial vehicles) has limited international presence. We havent really been able to capitalize the tech from Tata Daewoo to grow internationally." Also Read | Tata Motors plans a premium push as competition intensifies in EV space Tata Motors, however, remains optimistic, noting that synergies with Iveco could surpass those achieved with JLR. The company highlighted that the complementarity with IVECO is highly significant, with synergies expected to surpass those achieved with JLR. Except for a higher power-to-weight ratio in Europe, the product platforms are largely similar, enabling deeper integration," analysts at JM Financial wrote in a 29 September note. Analysts note that the demerger positions Tata Motors as two globally focused companies. While it offers investors clarity and separate trading opportunities, execution and integration challenges remain. Air India is reportedly in discussions with Airbus and Boeing to acquire more wide-body jets, expanding its planned purchases to include up to 300 aircraft, according to sources familiar with the matter cited by news agency Reuters. Sources told Reuters that the ongoing talks now encompass as many as 80 to 100 wide-body jets. This is in addition to previously reported talks for 200 narrow-body jets and 25-30 wide-body aircraft. Adding further wide-body jets to its fleet would enable Air India to bolster its international network and replace ageing planes. Also Read | Air India adds over 170 more weekly flights between major Indian cities In June, Reuters reported that Air India was in talks with Airbus and Boeing for a major new aircraft order, including some 200 extra-narrow-body aeroplanes, supplementing a mammoth deal made in 2023. This was built on earlier discussions involving 25-30 wide-body jets, which Reuters reported in March. Under the latest plans for the airlines rebranding as a modern, global carrier, it is now looking at up to 300 more planes, the people familiar with the matter stated. It was not immediately clear how many of these may involve options rather than firm orders. The ongoing negotiations come as Air India seeks to move past a Boeing 787 crash in June that killed 260 people in the city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Air Indias AIFS gets $215 mn loan from StanChart, Bank of India Standard Chartered and Bank of India on Wednesday announced a term loan of $215 million to AI Fleet Services IFSC Limited (AIFS), Air India's aircraft leasing subsidiary based in Gujarat Gift City. AIFS has entered into a seven-year amortising term loan facility to finance six Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft. A statement said that it will lease the aircraft to Air India. Air India is currently undergoing a fleet renewal and expansion programme following its privatisation in January 2022. Standard Chartered played a lead role as a structuring bank. The statement added that Bank of India and Standard Chartered also jointly underwrote the transaction as mandated lead arranger and bookrunner. This financing highlights our long-standing expertise in aviation finance and our commitment to supporting India's aviation sector as it continues its remarkable growth trajectory, said Abhishek Pandey, Global Head of Transportation Finance at Standard Chartered. Apple CEO Tim Cook on Wednesday said that the iPhone maker will boost its investments in China and step up its cooperation in the country, despite repeated threats from US President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on foreign-made goods. During a meeting with Chinese Minister of Industry and Information Technology Li Lecheng on Wednesday, Cook said that he will announce the investments on a trip to China. The Chinese minister also urged Tim Cook to work closely with local suppliers. China is the biggest market for iPhones and other Apple products outside the US, and also acts as a key manufacturer for the Cupertino, California-based company. The summary of the meeting between Tim Cook and Li, shared on the WeChat app, did not provide details on how much money Apple will invest in China. What does China want from Apple? China hopes Apple will continue to explore the Chinese market, Li Lecheng, who is also in charge of infotech, told Cook, adding that China would continue to foster a good business environment for foreign firms, including Apple. Also Read | Apple Watch Ultra saves life of Mumbai techie during scuba diving mishap Tim Cook, who is in China this week, visited Apple's store in Shanghai and met Chinese game developers and the designer of the popular Labubu dolls, he said in posts on China's X-like Weibo. On Monday he said the iPhone Air would be available for pre-order in China after the ministry cleared the way for major telecom operators to support its eSIM functionality. When Cook visited China in March, Apple unveiled plans for a new clean energy fund there worth 720 million yuan ($101 million). Apple's manufacturing issues While Apple has been diversifying its supply chain away from China over the past few years, including increasing handset operations in India, it still makes the bulk of iPhones in the country with help from Foxconn Technology Group and Luxshare Precision Industry Co. Also Read | Tim Cook gifts THIS to Donald Trump after announcing $600 billion investment Its committed to expanding its manufacturing presence in the US, while also adding production capacity elsewhere. The company is preparing to make new smart home devices in Vietnam to lessen its dependence on China. The chief executive of CoinDCX has denied rumours that it plans to merge with Coinbase after the US crypto company announced it had invested an undisclosed amount in the Indian cryptocurrency platform. Rather, CoinDCX plans to use the fresh funding its first in more than three years to expand its presence in the Middle East and venture beyond the cryptocurrency exchange business, Sumit Gupta, its co-founder and chief executive, told Mint. CoinDCX also did not disclose the sum it received from Coinbase, saying only that it was valued at $2.45 billion after the fundraise. The fresh fundraise is not a step toward a merger of services," Gupta said. Coinbase has deep expertise in global markets, while CoinDCX remains one of Indias largest cryptocurrency exchanges. With this round, our goal is to expand our services to global markets including the Middle East, where the market for cryptocurrency adoption is large and growing fast." Were currently going through obligatory regulatory clearance, since Coinbase is a publicly listed entity in the US. Once the SEC (US Securities and Exchange Commission) clears it, well look to divulge more details of our latest round," Gupta added. Ups and downs CoinDCX, which operates under holding firm Neblio Technologies Private Limited, started operations in April 2018 and last raised $135 million from investors, including Coinbase, in April 2022 at a valuation of $2.15 billion. The company has raised a total of $244 million to date, not counting Wednesdays fund-raise. In July 2024, CoinDCX acquired Dubai crypto exchange BitOasis for an undisclosed sum. The company had launched a web3 wallet in August 2022, months after India imposed a 30% income tax on crypto earnings and a 1% tax deducted at source (TDS) on all crypto trades above a certain size. Overnight, crypto exchanges such as CoinDCX lost large chunks of customers and daily trading volumes fell more than 95% from their 2021 peaks. CoinDCX claims to have 20 million registered users as of 15 October. It ended last year with 560 crore in revenue and 1.7 crore in profit. The company expects to more than double revenue to 1,180 crore in the current fiscal year, a spokesperson said. Were now looking to step up the revenue contribution of our non-crypto exchange operations, such as our decentralised finance (defi) crypto wallet offering, and also bring forth more innovations on blockchain for enterprise web3 adoption. Were already doing all of this, and the new capital sufficiently sets us up to expand and invest in our business for the immediate futurealongside expanding in the Middle East," Gupta said. While Gupta did not divulge a break-up, he said CoinDCXs India exchange operations contribute the majority part of our revenuewith new ventures now making double-digit contributions". India remains one of the largest crypto trading markets by number of users, and while we expand in the Middle East, well continue to focus on our crypto exchange operations here. The current funding gives us room to navigate regulatory uncertainty. Were also seeing more people realise the value of cryptocurrency investing and participate in the crypto bull run, as well as conventional assets such as gold and silver. None of them may last forever, but there is strong interest and were here to serve users," he said. Regulatory winds changing? Industry stakeholders said the company remains on stable ground despite suffering a $44 million hack in July, and stands to benefit from global regulatory tailwinds. Shatrajit Banerji, partner at law firm, Cyril Amarchand and Mangaldas, said, From a regulatory standpoint, there are positive moves globally that boost investor confidence. Since cryptocurrencies, unlike equity markets, are linked globally, a surge of pro-cryptocurrency policies mean that retail users in India will look at the potential for similar moves in Indiaand consider the field as a viable investment option especially when it is going through a bull run." Dilip Chenoy, chairman of industry body Bharat Web3 Association (BWA), added that the India market is seeing considerable activity. Indias crypto market has already raised more than $3 billion in cumulative investments. Even last year, public data suggested that Indian-led ventures catering to global markets drew net investments of over $500 million last calendar yearshowing global trust in Indian ventures. Alongside, virtual asset valuations have surged nearly 5x in the past one year. While the taxation issues continue to plague at both individual and institutional level, the market is ripe for innovative blockchain ventures to raise substantial global funding," he said. Also Read | Why gold and Bitcoin shine togetherbut not for the same reasons Tata Steel on Wednesday announced a major expansion of its gender diversity initiatives, stating that it would deploy female employees across all three shifts at the companys Jamshedpur plant. The company's ground-breaking initiative, dubbed "Udaan: Wings of Change," will see an estimated 543 female employees from 21 departments working in three shifts, PTI reported. Tata Steel Jamshedpur is the flagship facility of the the Tata Steel group, which is among the top global steel companies, with operations and commercial presence across the world. Phased implementation and scale The deployment of female staff in the Jamshedpur plant began on Tuesday, October 14 and will be executed in a phased manner, with full transition expected to be complete by February 1, next year, the company noted. The significant expansion of its ground-breaking initiative, Udaan: Wings of Change, was witnessed deployment of women across all three shifts on Tuesday, the company said. What is the aim of the initiative? This strategic decision reflects Tata Steel's commitment to fostering greater gender diversity, equity, and inclusion within its workforce, which in turn aligns with its broader DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) objectives, PTI reported. This move follows recent regulatory approvals from the government, allowing Tata Steel to create a more inclusive work environment, the company said in a statement. The 'Udaan: Wings of Change' initiative is a testament to Tata Steel's deep-rooted commitment to empowering women and fostering a truly inclusive workplace, said Atrayee Sanyal, Chief People Officer of the company. Also Read | Tata Steel receives input tax notice, says claim lacks merit By enabling female employees to participate in three-shift operations, we are not only expanding opportunities but also strengthening our organisational fabric through diverse perspectives and capabilities, she added. To ensure the success of the initiative, the company has stressed that they have meticulously planned a comprehensive support system. This system is designed to ensure the female employees' safety, security, well-being, and professional growth while working in the expanded shift pattern. Tata Steel's business growth Tata Steel on Thursday also released its crude steel production report, which rose in India by 7 per cent to 5.67 million tonnes in the second quarter of the current fiscal. This growth is primarily driven by normalisation of operations post the completion of relining of a blast furnace at Jamshedpur, in Jharkhand. Also Read | Jindal Stainless's green push to shield EU exports from carbon tax New Delhi: Indian Oil Corp., the countrys largest crude oil refiner, plans to acquire a 50% stake in renewable energy firm Fourth Partner Energy Pvt. Ltd (FPEL) through its subsidiary Terra Clean Ltd in a deal with an estimated equity value of about $400 million, according to two people aware of the development. The deal, if it goes forward, will mark the state-run oil marketing companys first acquisition in the green energy space. It will be a mix of primary and secondary share transactions and will provide a partial exit to Hyderabad-based Fourth Partner Energys stakeholdersthe World Banks International Finance Corp (IFC), Asian Development Bank (ADB), Germanys Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG), TPG Capitals RISE Fund, and Norways Norfund. Indian Oils renewable energy subsidiary, Terra Clean Ltd, is in talks for a stake in Fourth Partner Energy. However, nothing has been finalised," one of the two people said, requesting anonymity. Terra Clean was set up in May 2024 as a wholly owned unit of Indian Oil and plans to install 5.3 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity. Given the changing hydrocarbon landscape, Indian Oil has been looking at acquisitions in the clean energy space in the backdrop of ONGC NTPC Green Pvt Ltd buying National Investment and Infrastructure Fund-backed Ayana Renewable Power Pvt Ltd. The move by domestic state-run energy companies comes as global oil companies including Shell Plc, Total, Thailands PTT Group and Malaysias state-run Petronas unit Gentari Sdn Bhd establish a presence in Indias green energy sector. A Fourth Partner spokesperson declined to comment. An Indian Oil spokesperson did not respond to queries emailed on Monday evening. At this stage, we have no comments to offer," Terra Clean chief executive officer (CEO) Atul Parmar said in an emailed response. For reasons of confidentiality we cannot comment on business activities in individual cases," a DEG spokesperson said in an emailed response. Im afraid we would give this a pass given the speculative nature of the query," an IFC spokesperson said in an emailed response. Spokespersons for TPG, ADB and Norfund declined to comment. Overseas operations Fourth Partner has 1.5GW of installed green energy capacity, with 2GW of wind and solar projects under development. With operations in Vietnam, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, Fourth Partner plans to reach an installed capacity of 3.5GW by 2025. It was founded in 2010 as a solar component and engineering, procurement and construction firm. IFC, ADB and DEG announced a $275 million equity investment in Fourth Partner in August last year. IFC invested $125 million, ADB infused $100 million and DEG put in $50 million. With a $145 million investment, Norfund is the single largest investor in Fourth Partner. Indian Oil plans to develop 31GW of renewable energy capacity by the end of this decade and has been putting the building blocks in place. In response to a query about ONGC and NTPC buying out green energy companies, Indian Oil chairman and managing director Arvinder Singh Sahney said in an earlier interview to Mint: Yes, we are also on the lookout, and we will also be going forward." In May this year, Indian Oil announced an investment of 1,086 crore in Terra Clean to develop 4.3GW of renewable energy capacity. Earlier, the company had sanctioned 1,303.75 crore for developing 1GW of green power capacity through Terra Clean. In 2023, the company formed a joint ventureIndianOil NTPC Green Energy Pvt Ltdwith NTPC Green Energy Ltd to set up renewable projects to meet the round-the-clock power requirements of its refineries. With 10 refineries, Indian Oil has a refining capacity of 70.25 million metric tonnes per annum (mtpa). Taking into account the additional 10.5 mtpa capacity of group company Chennai Petroleum Corp., it has a total of 80.75 mtpa, accounting for 31% of the country's overall refining capacity of 258.1 mtpa. C&I projects Fourth Partner caters to the commercial and industrial (C&I) segment, which has attracted strong investor interest, given the regulatory landscape being supportive of the space with rules allowing large power users to source energy from the open market rather than the costlier grid. C&I projects are also shielded from risks such as power procurement curtailment by state-run power distribution firms. Also, the implementation of time-of-day tariffs for large C&I category consumers by state electricity regulatory commissions has helped sustain investor interest. With time-of-day tariffs, the cost of electricity changes depending on when it is consumedduring peak, off-peak or normal hours. There are several green energy deals in play in India, given the scale of opportunities that the space offers. India has an installed renewable energy capacity of 245GW, of which solar and wind power account for 116GW and 52GW, respectively. India plans to add 50GW of green energy capacity annually to reach 500GW by 2030. Given the nations green energy transition trajectory and the net-zero emissions target by 2070, the plan is to add 1,800GW of renewable energy capacity by 2047 and 5,000GW by 2070. Transactions as reported by Mint include the $1 billion sale of Vena Energy India launched by Morgan Stanley and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. in October. European alternative asset manager EQT dropped a plan to sell renewable developer Zelestras India operations and instead transferred it to its Asia Pacific infrastructure team. EQT will invest about $600 million to develop the portfolio and brought in Parag Sharma, former CEO and founder of EQTand Temasek-backed O2 Power, to head the company, replacing incumbent CEO Sajay K.V. Sembcorp Industries Ltd, Torrent Power Ltd, INOXGFL Groups Inox Green Energy Services Ltd and General Atlantic-owned Actis Llp are among half-a-dozen shortlisted bidders to conduct due diligence to acquire Macquarie Asset Management Green Investment Group (GIG) platform Vibrant Energy in a transaction codenamed Project Notos, with an enterprise value of about $600 million. Novo Nordisk layoffs: Denmark-based pharmaceutical major Novo Nordisk has started job cuts in its US market. The staff who are set to be affected by the layoff will be notified between this week and the upcoming week, reported the news agency Reuters, citing an email and people aware of the development on Wednesday, 15 October 2025. Also Read | Novo Nordisk is ready for another round of the weight-loss-drug wars Novo Nordisk's potential layoffs come as the pharmaceutical major, which has developed the weight-loss drug Wegovy, seeks to reduce costs amid a fierce battle with Eli Lilly for the weight-loss drug market, according to the agency report. According to the email cited in the news report, the pharma company's US layoff started on Tuesday and will continue into next week. The US job cuts come after the company's plans to cut nearly 5,000 jobs in its home market. Novo Nordisk ADR shares on the NYSE dropped more than 1% during the intraday session on Wednesday to $56.10, compared to $56.76%. The shares are now trading 0.09% lower at $56.61 as of 2:04 p.m. (EDT), according to MarketWatch data. Also Read | Amazon plans layoffs: These companies have laid off employees this year Which teams will be affected? The agency report cited a schedule that showed the job cuts are expected to affect human resources, clinical development, rare diseases, medical and regulatory, legal, ethics and compliance, marketing and sales, finance, public affairs, and other departments. View full Image Novo Nordisk teams which are set to be affected by the potential job cuts. ( AI-generated ) Even though the news agency was not able to confirm how many people were affected, the report highlighted that Novo is looking to cut 9,000 job roles from its global workforce as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mike Doustdar, executes a company-wide restructure. The pharma company previously stated that the global process would take time and its highest priority is to support our employees, according to the agency report. Swiggy has announced the launch of its new 'No Added Sugar category on its food delivery platform to support healthier eating habits among users. This dedicated section aims to make it easier for consumers to find and order food items that contain no added sugar or are naturally sweetened. The No Added Sugar category is immediately available in 10 cities, including Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Pune, with plans to gradually expand to more cities in the coming weeks, the company said in a press release. What are the options for consumers? The new category offers a wide range of options from more than 1.5 lakh food items and over 50,000 partner restaurants, thereby making mindful and healthy eating more accessible to consumers. The category allows consumers to enjoy popular items such as ice cream, cakes, pastries, Indian sweets, tea, coffee and more, while avoiding added sugar. Also Read | How food delivery giants use health wave to fight slumps, justify valuation The launch comes months after Swiggy introduced a High Protein category in July this year. Both Swiggy and Zomato the two leading online food delivery platforms are betting big on the growing health wave, aiming to attract Indias fitness-conscious diners while padding margins, a Mint report noted. Sub-categories for consumer choice The No Added Sugar category is structured into two distinct sub-categories to cater to different consumer preferences. Naturally Sweetened: This sub-category features items prepared with natural ingredients such as dates, whole fruits, and purees. It includes items such as Date & Nut Smoothie, Banana Pancakes, Apple Cinnamon Oats and Fig & Almond Energy Bars. Not Sweetened: This section offers sugarless versions of popular beverages like tea, coffee and juices. The selection features over 20,000 ice creams, over 12,000 juices, more than 10,000 hot beverages (including tea and coffee), and over 7,000 cakes across the launch cities. All listed products exclude free sugars such as sucrose, jaggery, honey, and other highly processed sweeteners to ensure the category aligns with contemporary health and nutrition standards, the release noted. MUMBAI: Asia-focused investment firm TR Capitals director Rohitt Mutthoo, who oversees investments in India, is set to step down in the coming weeks and partner with former Eight Roads Ventures executive Raj Dugar to lead a secondary fund, three people familiar with the matter said. Mutthoo resigned about two months ago and is currently serving his notice period, which will conclude in the first week of November, two people cited above said on condition of anonymity. He is expected to join hands with Raj Dugar in a new firm called Ambit Arcadia Alternatives and lead the secondaries strategy for the firm," a third person said. A spokesperson for TR Capital confirmed the departure and added that India remains a significant focus market for the firm. TR Capital will announce a number of senior team enhancements later in the quarter, in line with its expansion plans, beginning with a new director appointment in November," the spokesperson said in an emailed response. The move underscores a continuing churn among investors focused on Indias growing secondary market, where dealmaking has surged as funds near the end of their life cycles seek liquidity amid delayed initial public offerings (IPOs) and volatile public markets. The latest development marks the third senior-level exit in TR Capitals India team in the past year, following the departures of Norbert Fernandes, who served as director, and Naman Jain, vice president, in November last year. Fernandes went on to co-found Kenro Capital, a secondary-focused fund launched alongside former Peak XV executive Piyush Gupta, while Jain currently works at logistics firm Delhivery, according to their LinkedIn profiles. Mutthoo, who joined TR Capital in October 2022, has over a decade of experience in private equity investments with past stints at Premji Invest, Multiples Private Equity, and CX Partners, among others. He has overseen investments across financial services and fintech, consumer, technology, logistics, and industrial sectors. His notable deals at TR Capital include Fibe, Sahajanand Medical Technologies (SMT), Sapphire Foods, Paradise Food Court, BigBasket, and Surewaves, according to his LinkedIn profile. Also Read | Cashfree CFO Piyush Anchliya quits months after taking charge TR Capital, an Asia-focused secondaries fund, has steadily expanded its India exposure in recent years. It has provided liquidity solutions to several private equity firms through single-asset and portfolio transactions. In June, Mint reported that the firm acquired stakes in MoEngage, Whatfix, and Shadowfax from Eight Roads Ventures in a $50 million secondary deal. Meanwhile, Dugar stepped down from Eight Roads Ventures after a 17-year stint at the firm, according to a Moneycontrol report last year. He was instrumental in setting up Eight Roads India operations before moving to Singapore in 2018 to oversee its expansion across Asia. Dugar also co-founded WestBridge Capital, one of Indias leading investment firms, which he left in 2003. Secondary surge The formation of Ambit Arcadia Alternatives comes amid rising activity in Indias secondary market, where investors trade shares among themselvestypically during late-stage funding rounds or ahead of IPOs, allowing early investors to exit. Also Read | The worlds top two PE firms are scouting for secondary portfolio deals in India Recent examples of dedicated secondary-focused funds include Kenro Capital, Oister Global, and Tribe Capitals $500 million India vehicle targeting late-stage companies. IndigoEdge and entrepreneur Hitesh Ahujas PixelSky Capital launched a 400 crore secondary corpus in May, while 360 ONE Asset Management closed a dedicated $600 million secondaries fund earlier this year. NeoWealth Management is also in the process of raising one under its private equity arm. Global players such as TPG NewQuest, LGT Capital, HarbourVest, Blackstone, and KKR are also exploring secondary transactions in India. According to an EY report, the value of strategic and secondary exits grew 5% to $3.7 billion in 2024, up from $3.5 billion in 2023, and is expected to rise further as Indian companies mature and investors seek alternative liquidity routes. Hyundai Motor India on late Tuesday named Tarun Garg as its new chief executive officer. An insider, Garg, whose expected appointment was first reported by Mint on 16 September, is the first Indian to lead the domestic arm of the South Korea-based automaker, and will also serve as the Managing Director of the company. Garg will take on his new role effective January 1, 2026, subject to shareholder approval. He is currently a Whole-Time Director and COO of Hyundai Motor India Ltd. Garg will succeed Unsoo Kim, who has led Hyundai Motor India since 2022 and will return to South Korea at the end of the year to assume a strategic role at the parent company, Hyundai Motor Co. The company said that Garg's succession as CEO proves Hyundais strong confidence in Indias leadership capabilities and Indias growing strategic importance within the global automotive landscape. I am deeply honoured by the trust and confidence placed in me by Hyundai Motor Group. Indias automotive sector is in an exciting phase of transformation and I aim to contribute to HMILs continued growth in this market by stepping into this role, Tarun Garg said of his appointment. The South Korean automaker, which entered India in 1996, is the country's second-largest carmaker after Maruti Suzuki , with bestsellers such as the Creta, Venue, and i20. Hyundai Motor India made the announcements ahead of its first investor day since the company's market debut last year. The company's shares, which have climbed nearly 32 per cent since their listing, have gained 33 per cent so far in 2025 and traded largely flat on Wednesday. Tarun Garg, a former Maruti Suzuki India executive who has been with Hyundai for six years, was the chief orchestrator of the Hyundai Motor India IPO in 2024. Also Read | Hyundai factory was a deadly job site before it was raided by ICE Hyundai Motor India's investment plans The company said it plans to invest 450 billion ($5.07 billion) by fiscal 2030 to boost capacity and strengthen research and development, allocating about 60 per cent of the funds to R&D and the rest toward product upgrades and capacity expansion. When Infosys Ltd bagged its first mega deal in two years, it wasnt just a blockbuster announcement coming 48 hours before its Q2 results. It was a clear signal that Indias second-largest IT services company was closing in on Nasdaq-listed Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp, a larger peer. Lets do the math: at the end of the last fiscal, the revenue difference between the two was $459 million. Cognizant follows the JanuaryDecember calendar, whereas homegrown IT companies follow AprilMarch. By the end of the AprilJune quarter, the gap narrowed to $304 million. With the new $1.6 billion, 15-year NHS contract, Infosys could reduce the difference by another $107 millionunless Cognizant surprises with its own big deal. Timing of execution will also determine the impact. For investors, the NHS win came as heartening news amid a strong operational performance. At least six brokerages expect Infosys to grow the fastest of the big five for the second consecutive quarter, backed by robust project delivery, ramp-up of large deals, and minimal revenue leakages. Infosys shares traded 1.17% lower at 1,472.40 on Wednesday, a day ahead of the results. AI push Analysts are also bullish on Infosys AI strategy. Similar to earlier tech cycles, AI will expand the TAM (total addressable market) for Infosys. The best way to assess GenAI strength is to evaluate whether a company is leading on growth, pricing and marginsInfosys ticks all the boxes," said Kotak Institutional Equities analysts Kawaljeet Saluja, Sathishkumar S, and Vamshi Krishna, in a note dated 11 September. Infosys is doubling down on small AI models (SLMs), a focus since last year. We are being told to leverage the use of small language models (SLMs) for clients as much as we can," said an executive on condition of anonymity. The company has at least four SLMs tailored for IT operations, digital banking, and cybersecurity. Early last year, Infosys formed a 100-member steering committee tasked with identifying AI opportunities, reporting directly to Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani. Today, AI is embedded in almost all deals. The NHS mega deal was arguably the missing piece to the puzzle. With Q2 earnings around the corner, investors will watch if the company discloses AI revenue or makes any other big announcements in the space. Amid all this, Mint highlights five things to watch out for as Infosys declares its earnings on Thursday. Growth trajectory Much of the mega deal announced on Tuesday is expected to ramp-up and start contributing to the companys revenue only from next year. Still, the company is poised for growth as its management had pointed out last quarter that it would see a ramp up of many of its mega deals in the second quarter. However, uncertainties on the H-1B visas and possible outsourcing taxes on US companies could cast shadows on its revenue from its largest market as clients might hold back their tech spending. Atleast three analysts expect the companys revenue guidance of 1-3% to be unchanged for the full year. Large deals The company has been a net beneficiary of vendor consolidation deals where companies reduce the number of IT vendors they work with. However, macroeconomic uncertainties might pose a threat to the company and the managements commentary on discretionary demand will be closely tracked. Strength in financial services, accounting for over a fourth of revenue, should help navigate this uncertain demand environment. Analysts will also track program cancellations, tariffs, and pricing pressure in large deals. AI update Investors and analysts will keep a keen eye on the AI section of the companys report card even as its top five peers have made big bang announcements on the same. While TCS announced a $6 billion investment in AI data centres, HCL is placing its bet on AI-led IP solutions. On the other hand, Tech Mahindra is building large language models for sovereign use. In this backdrop, investors will keep a close watch on the companys update on small language models, any incremental revenue from AI-led solutioning, and most of all, whether the company calls out revenue from AI. Operating margins Infosys has maintained 2021% margins despite large deal ramp-ups and wage hikes. The company is leveraging Project Maximus, its margin improvement plan, to keep margins in check. Also Read | New chapter for Indian GCCs? Two big money managers plan Bengaluru tech centres The company has lowered its general and administrative expenses, reduced subcontracting, and is retaining some of the efficiency gains through Gen AI. Its continued focus on value-based selling is further expected to boost margins in the absence of any wage hikes last quarter. INR depreciation is also expected to help the company retain its margins. GCC expansion Infosys is among the few large IT outsourcers doubling down on Global Capability Centers (GCCs). While the company has engaged with GCCs for several years, it now has a more structured approach with dedicated leadership. Earlier this year, Deval Shah was roped in to head the GCC practice. Infosys is looking not only to source work from existing GCCs but also to set up and run new ones. The company supports GCCs through recruitment services, infrastructure, and build-operate-transfer models. Management commentary on GCC engagements and associated revenue streams will be closely watched. Once focused on large, late-stage investments, Indias family offices are now venturing into riskier early-stage startup territorycarving out a small but potentially more rewarding portfolio diversification. Family offices are increasingly investing more in venture capital firms that back early-stage startups, departing from their traditional playbook of focusing on IPO-ready or pre-IPO funding rounds that deliver faster returns, said fund managers and investment advisors. While family offices mostly allocate only $2-8 million to such VC funds, the investments open up crucial access to their distribution, supply, and hiring networks, they said. According to these industry executives, Ranjan Pais investment vehicle Claypond Capital, and the family offices of Baldota Group, Amara Raja Group, and Jagran Group (Anikarth Ventures) are actively exploring investment opportunities in early-stage VCs funds. Nitesh Aggarwal, chief investment officer at the Baldota Group family office, said early-stage VC fund managers are turning to family offices for capital as institutional limited partners are holding back on their investments. Institutional limited partners, or LPs, such as sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and insurance companies typically pool their money into venture capital and private equity firms, which, in turn, invest in startups and other companies. Given a choice, most early-stage funds would raise [capital] from institutional investors. But currently, institutional LP money from the US has dried up, especially from university funds and pension funds, as many LPs from this category have maxed out their allocation in VC funds, and also because the DPI hasn't been great," Aggarwal said. DPI, or distribution to paid-in capital, is a performance metric that helps limited partners understand how much of their investment has been returned in actual cash. The Baldota family office has a total corpus of $130 million. Of this, about $55 million has been deployed across 45 VC funds and 38 startups spanning India, the US, and Israel. Claypond Capital and the other family offices didnt immediately reply to Mints emailed queries. Key Takeaways Indian family offices, traditionally focused on late-stage or pre-IPO investments, are increasingly allocating capital to early-stage venture funds, seeking higher returns and more involvement in startups. With global institutional investors like sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and endowments slowing investments in VC, family offices are stepping in to fill the funding gap. Early-stage VC investments allow family offices to co-invest, secure advisory roles, and access strategic exits, offering potentially outsized returns from relatively modest capital allocations. When small is big Kushal Bhagia, founder of early-stage venture capital firm All In Capital, said, Many families had disappointing experiences with larger growth funds, so theyre gravitating to smaller funds like ours. They value earlier exits, co-invest options, and the ability to double down on winning portfolios." Bhagia added that Indian family offices are leaning towards smaller investment vehicles also for closer engagement, including occasional direct investments in portfolio companiessomething large funds generally dont offer. For All In Capitals 200-crore Fund II, about half of the investment commitments are from family offices, according to Bhagia. In a $300 million fund, you might need three or four IPO-scale outcomes just to 3x (triple returns from) the fund. Thats hard. In a small fund, a single $300-500 million outcome can 1x the fund, and a $2 billion outcome can drive 10x [returns]," Bhagia said. Larger funds naturally tilt toward capital preservation to suit big institutions like endowments and pension funds, which prefer steady 2-3x [returns] over 10 years and low headline risk." Mumbai-based early-stage VC firm Avaana Capital closed its climate and sustainability fund at $135 million in October 2024 with roughly 15% of the investments coming from family offices. Sandeep Singhal, senior advisor at Avaana Capital, said family offices account for a modest slice of the firms LP base. Our family office commitments would be less than 10-15% of the fund," he said, adding that the firm expects to raise more from such investors in future funds. Ankita Vashistha, founder and managing partner at Arise Ventures, said family offices accounted for about 40% of the VC firms co-investment deals. Arise Ventures is looking to raise about 500 crore for its third fund by the end of the year. The lure of exits Small-scale, early-stage funds make money for themselves and their investors (LPs) by backing startups early and exiting early by selling their stakes during Series B or C fundraising rounds, said Vashistha. A core focus for us is strategic exits, especially given our enterprise tilt. Not every portfolio company needs to be a unicorn (startups estimated to be worth at least $1 billion). Many [startups] can be acquired for solid triple-digit million outcomes by corporate buyers Hence, family offices are revisiting their strategy and looking at even thematic funds," she added. Prateek Indwar, managing director and head of capital markets at financial services firm InCred Capital, said that from an early-stage investing point of view, startup exits are plenty as compared with late-stage funds, where most of the large exits come from IPOs. When family offices are choosing early-stage startup VCs over the late-stage funds, it is clearly because the early-stage ecosystem is able to offer a rung of exits from secondary share buyers, mergers, and small, main and SME-board listings," he said. Indwar acknowledged that as a percentage of their total deployable capital, the early-stage ecosystem was still small for family officers, but growing fast. Fund managers and investment advisors said the size of investments from Indian family offices into early-stage VC firms are inching up. A managing partner at an early-stage, deeptech-focused VC firm said average investments from domestic family offices in its first fund were typically $1-2 million, but its recent second fund saw their cheque sizes more than double to $6-8 million. The executive requested anonymity, citing confidentiality terms with limited partners. A PwC study last year found that family offices generally preferred sub$25 million investments and predominantly favoured pooled deals to minimise risk. Large family offices globally accounted for 31% of startup investments, 15% in property investments, and 14% in fund investments (as LPs), it added. Rethinking the 2 and 20" Early-stage startup investing remains a high-risk proposition: only a small share of bets deliver outsized exits, and many companies dont make it to Series Athe first formal round of raising funds from institutional investors. Even so, such deals offer an attractive sleeve for domestic family offices, industry executives said. Some family offices are even willing to be anchor investors to secure additional rights such as direct co-investments in companies alongside the fund, board seats, advisory roles, and greater visibility into the due diligence process and a funds deal pipeline. VC funds typically run on a 2 and 20" model. Fund managers charge LPs about 2% a year as a management fee during the investment period to cover salaries and expenses related to due diligence, administration, and regulatory compliances. Their upside comes from the carry"usually 20% of profitspaid only after LPs first get back their capital, and, in some cases, a specified return on their investment. But many family offices are pushing fund managers of small VC firms to re-think the traditional 2-and-20" model. According to Pradyumna Nag, founder and chief executive of Prequate Advisory, paying a 2% annual management fee plus a 20% carry" over a decade can erode net returns unless a fund manager has a clear, defensible edge. As a result, family offices increasingly use a small LP commitment to secure access and information, then deploy larger, selective co-investment cheques into specific deals they like," Nag said. This approach preserves visibility and influence while reducing blended fees." Prem Kumar Barthasarathy, managing partner at UK- and India-based VC firm Pontaq, said families typically look for visible value-creation over 12-36 months, clear unit economics, evidence of growth driven by a fund managers intervention, nearterm scaling plan, and disciplined governance. In short, family offices behave like longhorizon partners, favouring managers who can show how theyve taken a company from zero to 10 and can map the next leg with control of execution and oversight." China has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over India's subsidies in the electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturing sectors, alleging that the incentives give domestic industries an unfair competitive advantage, Reuters reported, citing the Chinese Commerce Ministry on Wednesday, 15 October 2025. Also Read | Apple will boost its investment in China, says Tim Cook amid Trump tariff threat The Chinese Commerce Ministry reportedly claimed that India's measures provide an unfair competitive advantage to its industries and undermine China's national interest in international trade. The ministry also highlighted that China will take firm measures to safeguard the rights and interests of its domestic industries. According to an earlier report, China accounted for nearly two-thirds of global EV sales, contributing almost 1.3 million units, as per data from Rho Motion, a market research firm. China's complaint to the WTO comes amid media reports that India may launch a National Critical Mineral Stockpile (NCMS) programme, which aims to ensure the availability of rare earth elements in the country. Also Read | Centre to launch mineral stockpile programme to secure rare-earth elements India's mineral stockpile programme According to a report by The Economic Times, the Indian government is set to launch a National Critical Mineral Stockpile (NCMS) programme. The programme aims to ensure the availability of rare earth elements in the country and promote the expansion of domestic rare earth mineral production. These rare earth minerals are essential for the production of electric vehicles, wind turbines and other green energy technology developments. This move may potentially turn out in India's favour after China's decision to impose restrictions on the export of these elements. Also Read | EV chargers get a major subsidy boost Subsidies in India NITI Aayog's portal for electric vehicles indicates that India extends a series of EV incentives to promote electric mobility in the country. EV Subsidies in India. Subsidies on two-wheelers 15,000 per kWh up to 40% of the cost of the electric vehicle, approximately 2 kWh size of battery. Subsidies on three-wheelers 10,000 per kWh, approximately 5 kWh size of battery. Also Read | The rest of the world is following Americas retreat on EVs Subsidies on four-wheelers 10,000 per kWh, approximately 15 kWh size of battery. Subsidies on E-buses 20,000 per kWh, approximately 250 kWh size of battery. India is also promoting Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid and) Electric Vehicles (FAME) to promote electric mobility. Currently, the government is implementing FAME-II for a three-year period. New Delhi: India would be willing to step up its purchases of American oil and gas if prices are competitive, a senior government official said, at a time when New Delhi has come under intense US pressure for buying discounted Russian crude. Union commerce secretary Rajesh Agarwal, who left for Washington on Wednesday to join the negotiations for the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the US, said that India is open to increasing its crude and gas imports from the US if prices remain viable for domestic refiners. India, on average, imports $1213 billion worth of crude oil and gas from the US every year. There is headroom for an additional $1213 billion in purchases without requiring any changes to refinery configurations, he said, adding that India will consider buying more energy products, keeping in view the cost dynamics. Our team is currently in the US, holding discussions with American counterparts on energy trade and related cooperation, Agarwal said on the sidelines of a press conference held to announce the monthly trade data. The Indian team will hold trade pact discussions with their counterparts till 17 October. His comments come against the backdrop of the US decision to impose an additional 25% tariff on Indias exports for buying Russian oil, a measure that is expected to sharply raise costs for Indian refiners and complicate New Delhis energy diversification strategy. Indian exports to the US now face 50% tariffs. To secure a deal, India may eventually have to halt its imports of Russian oil unless the US court strikes down the current levy. The earlier price discounts on Russian crude are no longer available, and with the narrowing price gap, Indias purchases of Russian oil are likely to taper off in the coming months, said Ajay Srivastava, co-founder, Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), a think-tank. The US has said that India's purchases of Russian oil fuel Moscow's war against Ukraine. Earlier, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on 10 October that India is expected to begin shifting its energy imports, reducing purchases of Russian oil. Bessent had said, Do you think, in your estimation, you've run all the numbers, would this war be possible now, were it not for China and India's involvement in those purchases? Absolutely not. So they're keeping the war going. Also Read | America wants India to unlock its tightly guarded e-commerce door Mint reported on 25 September that the US has asked India to give an assurance, possibly in writing, that it will taper its purchases of Russian oil and boost imports of American crude before a trade deal between the two nations can be finalised. Energy imports have become the main sticking point in the ongoing talks, which are being steered by US trade representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer, and not by commerce secretary Howard Lutnick. The Indian negotiating team is also expected to discuss other contentious issues such as agriculture, dairy, genetically modified (GM) crops, and non-tariff barriers during the talks. The US has been insisting on deeper market access for its agricultural and dairy exports, areas that remain a red line for India. Indias state-owned refiners reduced purchases of Russian oil by more than 45% between June and September this year, according to data from Kpler. The data show that refiners imported around 600,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil from Russia in September, a significant decline from about 1.1 million bpd in June. Historically, Russia wasn't India's primary source of crude oil. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, India ramped up its oil imports from a negligible 0.2% of total imports to 3540%, saving an estimated $17 billion through discounted purchases. India has also signaled its willingness to make concessions amid the ongoing trade tensions by waiving the 11% duty on cotton imports until the end of the year, in what is seen as a gesture towards the United States. As per the commerce ministry data, bilateral trade between India and the US stood at $71.41 billion in H1 FY26, up by 11.8% from $63.89 billion in H1 FY25. Exports to the US grew by 13.4%, rising from $40.42 billion in H1 FY25 to $45.82 billion, while imports increased by 9% from $23.47 billion to $25.59 billion. Also Read | Trumps calls for coordinated tariffs on India unlikely to sway EU Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor announced on Wednesday that he will not contest the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025. Kishor said the decision was made for the greater good of his party. In an exclusive interview with news agency PTI, the former political strategist also said that a "tally of less than 150 seats" for Jan Suraaj will be considered a defeat. "If Jan Suraaj Party wins the Bihar polls, it will have a nationwide impact. The compass of national politics will point in a different direction," Kishor asserted. Bihar Assembly polls are scheduled to be held in two phases on November 6 and 11. The first phase will see voting for 121 seats, while 122 seats will be vote in the second and the final phase of the elections. I won't contest the assembly polls: Prashant Kishor "The party has decided that I should not contest the assembly polls. And therefore, the party has announced another candidate from Raghopur, against Tejashwi Yadav. It was a decision we took in the larger interest of the party. If I were to contest, it would have distracted me from the necessary organisational work", Kishor said. Asked what he thought of his partys prospects in the elections, the 48-year-old leader said, "I can say with certainty that we will be either win handsomely or receive a drubbing. I have been stating on record that I expect a tally of either fewer than 10 seats or more than 150 seats. There is no possibility of anything in between". Also Read | Maithili Thakur joins BJP in Patna ahead of Bihar Election 2025 Kishor made the averment when asked whether his party would like to support the NDA or the INDIA bloc if the elections threw a hung assembly, terming a fractured mandate as an impossibility. A tally less than 150, even if it is 120 or 130, shall be a defeat for me. If we perform well, we will have the mandate to transform Bihar and position it among the top 10 most advanced states in the country. If we do not do well enough, it would mean the people have not shown enough confidence in us, and we must continue to carry on with our politics of the street and society. Kishor told PTI. First candidate list of BJP This upcoming electoral contest will be between the NDA, led by the BJP, and Janata Dal (United), and the INDIA bloc, led by Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The Bharatiya Janata Party released its first list of 71 candidates for the Bihar Assembly elections on October 14. The saffron party is contesting on 101 seats in the 243-member Bihar assembly as part of a seat-sharing formula between the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners. Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 15 (ANI): It's not often that a son opens up about a secret that shaped one of Indian cinema's most respected actors. When Parikshit Sahni recently spoke about his "dad" Balraj Sahni, it truly felt like a son remembering his father, a man who quietly changed the way actors performed in Indian cinema. Born on May 1, 1913, in Rawalpindi, Balraj Sahni was one of the most respected names in Hindi cinema. His performances in 'Do Bigha Zameen', 'Kabuliwala', 'Waqt', and 'Garm Hava' still strike a chord because of how real they felt. He is remembered as an icon to this day because he didn't just act, he simply became the person he was playing. But according to Parikshit, his father's natural acting wasn't just instinct; it came from a unique "secret" that only he knew. Speaking to ANI, the veteran actor recalled how, in an era when dialogues in Hindi films were often "stilted", Balraj Sahni found his own way to make them sound real. "You see, he had a secret that nobody knew about except me. The dialogues in Hindi films were very stilted. Do you remember those days? He used to take the dialogues, rewrite them in Punjabi in Gurmukhi, and then rehearse them in Gurmukhi. After that, he would speak to them in Hindi as naturally as he could. And that's why everybody said that he didn't use the bombastic style that was very prevalent at that time," the actor told ANI. Parikshit also revealed the best piece of advice from his father that he still carries with him today. "He said, 'Don't act. But believe.' His greatest belief, his greatest strength, was that he didn't act, he believed. People always watched him and said that he was a very natural actor. He looked so natural on the screen because he didn't act. He said, 'Believe in what you're doing.' And that was the best tip I ever got," Parikshit shared. Balraj Sahni passed away on April 13, 1973, at the age of 59. A U.S.-brokered cease-fire has hit pause on the war between Hamas and Israel. In its place, a fight between Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip is now under way. As Israeli troops pulled back last week to facilitate a deal that freed the living hostages still held in Gaza, Hamas surged security forces in behind thema public assertion of authority intended to make clear the group remains the enclaves governing power. Those forces immediately began cracking down on rival militias controlled by prominent Palestinian families, engaging in firefights and conducting public executions that have spread fear and raised concerns that a spiral of internecine violence could bring new pain to a long-suffering population. Clashes around a hospital in Gaza City on Sunday left dozens dead, according to the Hamas unit that conducted the raid and members of the family it was fighting. Videos that emerged Mondayverified by Storyful, which like The Wall Street Journal is owned by News Corpshow Hamas fighters dragging a number of men from the family into a public square in broad daylight, forcing them to kneel and executing them in front of a crowd of onlookers. An image from a video released by the Hamas-run al-Aqsa TV's Telegram channel shows Hamas fighters in the moments before a public execution on Monday on a street in Gaza City. The violence points to the challenges ahead as talks around President Trumps peace plan move beyond the hostage deal to the more complex task of disarming Hamas and replacing it with new administrative and security functions. The U.S.-designated terrorist groups assertion of authority, if it persists, will be at odds with the requirements of Trumps plan. Israel, which has provided arms to some anti-Hamas groups, is closely monitoring the fighting to see how it develops, an Israeli official said. Hamas is re-establishing control," said Hasan Abu Hanieh, an independent analyst based in Amman specializing in Islamist groups. Hamas will be even more aggressive now to prove to the outside world that no one can remove them, that no force can challenge them." Trump was asked Monday about Hamass deployment of security forces and ongoing crackdown while traveling on Air Force One to tout his peace plan in Israel and Egypt. He said the group had understandably asked to be allowed to secure the devastated enclave. Theyve been open about it, and we gave them approval for a period of time," he said. On Tuesday, Trump told reporters: Theyre going to disarmand if they dont disarm, we will disarm them." Hamass authority had been badly eroded by the devastation brought upon Gaza after the group attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Palestinians desperate for an end to the war have been increasingly bold in expressing their anger with the group, which many believe had needlessly prolonged the fighting to protect its own interests and avoid surrendering. Palestinians protested against Hamas in northern Gaza in March. Israels crackdown on aid flows and expanded military control of the enclave had cut off a key source of revenue and broken down the groups cohesion, turning it into a collection of isolated cells that had trouble paying its own fighters. Prominent families and other armed groups took advantage, challenging Hamas publicly and moving to establish control in their own areas. Some of those groups, such as Abu Shabab in the Rafah area of the southern Gaza Strip, were armed by Israel in an effort to further weaken Hamass grip. Now Hamas is fighting back. The militant group is taking advantage of the pause in the war to shift its focus from military operations against Israel to internal security deployments aimed at re-establishing its hold on the enclave. Khaled Qaddoumi, Hamass envoy in Tehran, said the group has beefed up its forces under Gazas Interior Ministry and is deploying them to restore order, crack down on criminals and looters, and punish people it believes have collaborated with Israel. Hamas is realizing the patriotic and national responsibilities after the war to spread the sense of peace and stability," Qaddoumi said. Old rivalries One early target was the Doghmosh family in Gaza City. The two foes have a long history of friction, having clashed when Hamas took control in Gaza in 2007 from the rival Palestinian Fatah faction, which the Doghmosh family favored. In 2007, members of a Hamas police force displayed weapons allegedly seized from the Doghmosh family. On Sunday, masked Hamas fighters armed with Kalashnikovs and pistols showed up outside the Jordanian hospital in Gaza City. A number of Doghmosh family members had taken shelter there during an Israeli offensive in the area, and the Hamas fighters ordered them to leave, Doghmosh family members said. Earlier, Hamas had demanded the Doghmoshes hand over 10 family members it alleged had cooperated with Israel, said Ahmad Doghmosh, reached by the Journal while besieged in the area. The family said it couldnt turn over its sons. At the hospital gates, an armed Hamas fighter threatened to clear the hospital by force unless the family members left immediately. When they refused, some of the gunmen raised their weapons. One pointed a weapon at a family member and threatened to bring the hospital down on top of him if he didnt leave. Another family member shot the Hamas fighter dead. That killing sharply escalated the fighting, the Doghmosh family members said. Hamas closed off access around the hospital and besieged the neighborhood with forces that greatly outnumbered the familys fighters. Doghmosh and other family members said Hamas torched houses and cars and fired machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. Members of a Hamas internal security force in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Sunday. Doghmosh said he saw around two dozen bodies in the street, with many wounded and homes on fire. I could hear gunfire all around, heavy clashes," said Sobheia Doghmosh, another family member reached by the Journal during the fighting. The area is now completely surrounded by masked gunmen carrying weapons." On Monday, the familys central council" released a statement saying it had been targeted by a campaign of intimidation and violence, which it called a heinous crime and contrary to the interests of Palestinians. It tried to de-escalate the situation by acknowledging and disavowing deeds it said didnt represent the family, including the killing of the Hamas fighter. Gazas Hamas-controlled Ministry of Interior said it had begun taking necessary measures to restore order following implementation of the cease-fire. It said it was cracking down on criminal gangs that exploited the chaos to loot aid and attack other Palestinians. It said it was offering an amnesty period this week for rival fighters who hadnt committed murder to turn themselves in. Palestinian gunmen secure aid trucks after a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in January Hamass self-styled paramilitary Radaa, or Deterrent, unit said it had neutralized a number of wanted people and taken control of militia positions in Gaza City. It also said it had rounded up rival militia members in the central and southern areas of the Gaza Strip. The Radaa force is determined to enforce order and uproot gangs and militias, and will strike with an iron fist anyone who tampers with the security of the home front," the group said. Prepping for a crackdown Hamas has long been planning for the opportunity to reassert itself. Husam Badran, a member of the Hamas political bureau, told the Journal last year that the group had begun working to create a new police force to crack down on what it said was looting and price gouging. More recently, in negotiations with Israel, Hamas argued that it was willing to give up what it called offensive weapons like rocket systems, but should be allowed to keep defensive weapons" like assault rifles, according to Arab mediators. One of Hamass concerns was the need to fend off rival armed groups. Hamas has been gathering intelligence on other Palestinian armed groups and their members. A July 2025 report by the Ministry of Interior documented a number of the purported groups and their areas of operation. It concluded, for example, that a dozen small armed clans had regrouped in an area under Israeli control to work with militia leader Yasser Abu Shabab. The report also described a rival fighter allegedly wanted for two murders who always traveled in a white Kia Sorento and had a personality that was very spiteful." Some Palestinians worry Hamas will go too far, and that Gaza could face the same fate as other places where efforts by outside powers to impose new political arrangements led to insurgencies or worse. Mohammad Hadieh, a Palestinian lawyer and mediator who works to resolve intra-Palestinian conflicts, said there is growing concern about the turmoil. They are afraid of civil war," Hadieh said of Gazans. This is very dangerous. It has already started." Gaza lacks the deep ethnic and sectarian divisions that characterize much of the Middle East. The important divisions break along family lines, each with thousands of members and many involved in smuggling or other crimes. Established families make up about 30% of Gazas population, with the balance being people who have fled or left other areas during the fighting around the founding of Israel, said Abu Hanieh, the independent analyst. That could keep the fighting more contained. Hamas security forces have been in the streets as refugees stream back into Gaza City. Israel has deepened some of the divisions by trying during the war to recruit families as a counterweight to Hamas. Nizar Doghmosh, 56, who heads his familys council and a former official in the Palestinian Authority, which ran Gaza until being ejected by Hamas, said he got a call last month from someone who said in Arabic he represented Israels military and asked him to help stabilize the familys neighborhoods. Doghmosh said he declined. Israels military declined to comment. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel has supported the Abu Shabab group in southern Gaza. It was an Israeli fantasy," said Michael Milshtein, a former head of Palestinian affairs for Israeli military intelligence, referring to the efforts to encourage an alternative to Hamas. Although Hamas is much weaker than two years ago, they are not going to give up and will break these groups." No alternative Analysts and even Israels military have long argued the Palestinian Authority needs to be brought back into Gaza as the only viable alternative to Hamas. But Netanyahu has refused, calling it corrupt and inept, and he is wary of advancing the possibility of a Palestinian state, which he opposes. Ephraim Sneh, a retired Israeli brigadier general, said Hamass assertive behavior shows the consequences of that vacuum. Hamass strategic role is to take over Palestinian society and representation," he said. Netanyahu doesnt want the alternative, which is the Palestinian Authority." Gazans say Hamass presence in the streets is noticeable during this cease-fire. Its police officers deter crimes such as theft and thuggery while keeping the traffic flowing. Even to the many who oppose Hamas, that is a welcome alternative to lawlessness. Displaced people returning to Gaza City passed through a checkpoint on Sunday. Many Gazans blame Israel for destroying the social fabric and political order that had underpinned stability in the enclave before the war, including killing many Hamas police officers. They also believe some of the families had been looting and hoarding scarce food supplies to profit on sales. The masked Hamas forces fighting the battles with the families spread more fear. Following its fight with the Doghmoshes, Hamas went after the Abu Samra family, sparking intense battles in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah. In early October, before the cease-fire, Hamas fought gunbattles with the Al Majaydeh family. Mohammad Majaydeh, 50, a spokesperson for the family and deputy mukhtar, or leader, said a half-dozen family members were killed in the fight, before a surprise Israeli airstrike left more dead. Israel has confirmed the airstrike but wouldnt comment on whether it was intervening in the dispute. Fighters affiliated with the armed wing of Hamas in central Gaza in October. A few days ago there was a problem, and the mukhtars and other men stepped in seriously to find a solution," Majaydeh said of the clashes. He said he believes the roots of the conflict with Hamas are political: His family is overwhelmingly affiliated with Fatah and the Palestinian Authority. The family decided to declare its loyalty to the Hamas government and hand in its weapons. Hamas said it has met with leaders of other families to mend divisions. The steps could help de-escalate the fighting, but point to the bigger issue of Hamass growing dominance of Gaza. The main problem we face and are suffering from is this: Many people cant wait to get rid of Hamass rule, but on the ground they are widely spread throughout the Gaza Strip," said Falah Masri, 64, who lives in a tent in Deir al-Balah. Whether it will continue or be temporary until order is restored is unclear." Write to Benoit Faucon at benoit.faucon@wsj.com Late in 2023 Jensen Huang, boss of Nvidia, began peddling a new idea. Every country, he said, should have its own artificial-intelligence (AI) system, trained on domestic data, aligned with national values and built using local infrastructure. Appealing to policymakers fondness for manufacturing, the boss of the chip colossus described these systems as AI factories", ingesting data and churning out intelligence. He called it sovereign AI". Politicians are warming to the idea. Earlier this year, the European Commission unveiled plans for a 20bn ($23bn) fund to build up to five AI gigafactories". In just the past two months the governments of France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (uae) have all been involved in deals to build local AI infrastructure (see chart). According to Nvidia, at least 20 countries are pursuing the idea of sovereign AI. The reason for Mr Huangs enthusiasm is clear. For Nvidia, which recently became the first company to reach a $4trn market value, governments are a potentially lucrative source of new business. Jefferies, an investment bank, estimates that sovereign initiatives could generate some $200bn in cumulative revenue for the chipmaker over the coming years"; Nvidia itself reckons spending could reach $1trn over an equally fuzzy period. Sovereign ai could also serve as a welcome hedge for Mr Huang. His biggest customersAmazon, Alphabet, Meta and Microsoftare all developing their own chips, which could in time reduce their reliance on Nvidia. Saudi Arabia expects to purchase several hundred thousand" of Nvidias top-end processors over the next five years. The UAE, with perhaps the most ambitious plans of all, intends to import half a million annually. But is sovereign ai good value for taxpayers? Despite growing enthusiasm, the concept remains woolly. Sovereign AI may help countries develop national models, protect sensitive information and widen access to the technology. But it will do little to reduce countries dependence on America and, in many cases, risks wasting vast sums of money. There are variations in how governments are pursuing sovereign AI. Frances approach centres on Mistral, a domestic model-maker, which has teamed up with Bpifrance, a government bank, MGX, an Emirati state-owned investor, and Nvidia to build what has been touted as Europes largest AI data campus. In the Gulf governments have taken more direct control. In May Saudi Arabia launched Humain, a firm tasked with building AI infrastructure in the kingdom. In the UAE that role has fallen to G42, an AI firm part-owned by Mubadala, a sovereign-wealth fund. Governments justify these projects on various grounds. A few big spenders want to catch up to America: the European Commission hopes to propel Europe to the forefront of AI development". Others, such as India, worry that AI models trained on foreign data will not incorporate local languages and values, a growing concern as AI systems come to shape everything from education to public services. Control over some domestic data is also viewed as essential. In areas such as health care, officials worry about patients information flowing into foreign models. A homegrown system, some contend, makes it easier to protect such information while still allowing it to be harnessed for AI. A final concern for governments is to widen access to AI. Nadia Carlsten, chief executive of the DCAI, which runs Gefion, Denmarks national AI supercomputer, says that smaller companies and research institutes are always at the back of the line". A domestic offering, she argues, helps ensure cheaper and more reliable access for such users. Gefion, launched in 2024, is being used for applications such as drug discovery and weather forecasting. Still, these projects will not offer anything close to self-sufficiency. Cutting-edge processors are the most important requirement for AI systems. Nvidia dominates that market, accounting for about 90% of all commercially available AI chipswhich is why it has played a central role in nearly all sovereign-AI initiatives. Its only serious rival, AMD, is also American. The servers that house these chips are mostly built by another two American firms, Dell and Supermicro. Even China, which has built something close to a self-sufficient AI stack, has yet to develop an alternative to Americas whizziest chips. Sovereign-AI projects may well help governments achieve objectives such as keeping data secure and widening access to the technology. Yet Americas cloud giants could probably do this more efficientlynot least because their scale gives them bargaining power over suppliers such as Nvidia (though the chipmaker disputes the idea). Amazon and Microsoft are already pitching sovereign clouds with enhanced controls over data and dedicated local infrastructure. National AI models could simply be built on top of these. Kevin Xu of Interconnected Capital, a hedge fund, warns that many sovereign-AI projects risk creating something more like a palace than a factory". That would be a poor use of taxpayers moneybut it might suit Nvidia just fine. To stay on top of the biggest stories in business and technology, sign up to the Bottom Line, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter. In its trade standoff with Washington, Beijing thinks it has found Americas Achilles heel: President Trumps fixation on the stock market. Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, is betting that the U.S. economy cant absorb a prolonged trade conflict with the worlds second-largest economy, according to people close to Beijings decision-making. China is holding a firm line because of its conviction, the people said, that an escalating trade war will tank markets, as it did in April after Trump announced his so-called Liberation Day tariffs, prompting Beijing to hit back. China expects that the prospect of another market meltdown ultimately will force Trump to negotiate at an expected summit with Xi late this month, the people said. Beijing continued playing hardball this week, escalating the trade fight Monday by sanctioning the U.S. units of South Korean shipping company Hanwha Ocean. The move whipsawed U.S. markets on Tuesday, triggering a sharp early selloff as hopes for easing tensions faded, before major indexes partially rebounded and steadied in the afternoon. Last week, Beijing imposed sweeping restrictions on the export of rare-earth minerals, which are vital to consumer electronics and the tech industry. Trump then threatened additional 100% tariffs on China starting Nov. 1. Both sides have vacillated between tough talk and de-escalation in recent days, but the rhetoric took a harder turn on Tuesday. Chinas commerce ministry accused the U.S. of double standards" regarding tariff threats and it vowed that China would fight to the end" in the trade dispute. When the stock market performs well, President Trump often ties it to his administrations policies. On his Truth Social platform, Trump said the U.S. is considering terminating business" with China on cooking oil and other elements of Trade," because of Chinas refusal to buy U.S. soybeansa decision Beijing has said is retaliation for Trumps own tariffs. The stock market has remained one of the few checks on a president who has wielded executive power aggressively. Trump frequently wields the market as a real-time barometer of his economic stewardship. He has taken to social media to trumpet record market highs, crediting his administrations policies such as deregulation and tax cuts. Conversely, when the market has faltered, particularly in response to his aggressive trade policies, he has tended to retreat or float the prospect of new deals. While Trump hails the strength of the U.S. economy, Chinese officials see weaknesses that would worsen during a trade war. With hiring slowing, manufacturing contracting and prices rising, many economists say the U.S. isnt positioned to absorb another major trade fight with China. The markets sharp negative reaction on Friday to Chinas new rare-earth restrictions and the potential U.S. retaliation served as a reminder of the economic vulnerability Beijing seeks to exploit. Chinas own economy has been in a protracted downturn, weighed down by a collapsed property market, ever-rising debts and weakening consumer confidence. However, Xi is far less beholden to market swoons, even though the Chinese economy faces a precarious outlook. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump projected a mix of his usual stated personal affinity for Xi and open confrontation when addressing the trade dispute with China. Trump framed the conflict through his relationship with the Chinese leader, whom he called a friend. I have a great relationship with Xi," Trump said, before quickly adding: But sometimes he gets testy." Acknowledging the severity of recent Chinese actions ranging from its new rare-earth export controls to the latest shipping-related sanctions, Trump said, We have a lot of punches being thrown." He then pivoted to defend his economic strategy against fears of a market downturn, portraying the U.S. as impervious to pressure. We are the most successful we have ever been as a country," Trump said. Beijing softened its tone on Sunday after Trump reacted furiously to the rare-earths restrictions, but its de-escalation appeared to be a tactical pause. According to the people close to Beijings decision-making process, Xis hard-line strategy is based on the belief that Trump will ultimately fold and offer concessions rather than deploy Washingtons own significant leverage. This confidence was fueled, the people said, by a U.S.-China trade truce struck in May. Trump had imposed tariffs of more than 100% on Chinese products but relented after Beijing used its leverage as the worlds most important exporter of rare-earth magnets. It is precisely Chinas belief that Trump will foldas he appeared to do on magnets earlier this yearthat has led them to massively escalate," said Rush Doshi, a scholar at Georgetown University and the Council on Foreign Relations who previously served in the Biden administration. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC on Tuesday that senior officials in Washington and Beijing held discussions about the latest trade tensions on Monday, saying both sides will be able to work through it." People familiar with the matter said the U.S. ambassador to China, David Perdue, has been trying to arrange a phone call between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who leads the U.S. negotiation team, and his Chinese counterpart, Vice Premier He Lifeng. Attention now turns to the expected summit between Trump and Xi when both attend a gathering of Asia-Pacific leaders in South Korea later this month. The meeting will be the message. There will not be major breakthroughs," said Ryan Hass, director of the China center at the Brookings Institution think tank and a former senior national-security official. Xi will want to use the meeting to project greater stability and predictability. Trump could look for assurances on flows of rare-earth elements. They may announce an extension of the trade truce that limits tariff escalation." Write to Lingling Wei at Lingling.Wei@wsj.com and Gavin Bade at gavin.bade@wsj.com He brandished a chainsaw at campaign rallies, to signify his eagerness to clear-cut the thickets of bureaucracy and regulation impeding the economys progress. Perhaps more strikingly, he has actually lived up to this act. In November Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, told The Economist he had already taken 800 steps to reduce red tape and planned 3,200 more such structural reforms". He is not alone. Politicians around the world, on both the right and the left, are embracing deregulation. Donald Trump has created a Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) headed by Elon Musk, an entrepreneur, to shrink government and slash red tape. He has also initiated a maelstrom in the civil service. Last year New Zealand set up a ministry for regulation", to which citizens can report any red-tape issue". On January 29th the European Commission pledged to cut corporate reporting requirements by 25%, and by 35% for small firms. Even countries renowned for their powerful states are joining in. Francois Bayrou, Frances prime minister, promises a strong movement of de-bureaucratisation". Vietnam plans to abolish a quarter of government agencies. Indias bureaucracy, a byword for Dickensian obstruction, is slimming down. The push to reform how Western governments operate is potentially bigger than the Reagan-Thatcher revolution" of the 1980s, argues John Cochrane of Stanford University. The world is not short of red tape to cut. According to the Regulatory Studies Centre at George Washington University, federal regulations in America now exceed 180,000 pages, up from 20,000 in the early 1960s. Official figures suggest that the federal government imposes 12bn hours of paperwork on Americans each year, or about 35 hours per person, up from 27 hours per person in 2001. The complete text of all German laws has 60% more words than in the mid-1990s. Over the past 20 years tax codes from Canada to Morocco have swollen (see chart 1). Friend or foe? Not all regulations are onerous. Shortly before John Quincy Adams became Americas sixth president in 1825, he described the confusion caused by the absence of a unified system of weights and measures, noting that it hindered trade between states. As president, he supported rules to make life easier for both companies and consumers. Today regulations help reduce the number of people sickened by rotten food, impoverished by financial scams or disadvantaged by racism. It can be hard to distinguish good regulations from bad. Bureaucrats hoping to reduce outbreaks of salmonella may in the process prevent children from setting up lemonade stands without a licence. Weighing the benefits against the costs is sensible, but tricky. Take estimates of the cost to American banks of filing the currency transaction report" required by law every time someone withdraws or deposits $10,000 or more. The government says this costs about $3.50 a report; banks $10-80. Despite these caveats, however, there are many indications that the regulatory build-up is harmful. It seems logical that as a society evolves, some new rules should be added and some old ones scrapped. Yet research by Davide Furceri of the IMF and colleagues finds a remarkable slowdown" in rescissions since the 1990s in rich and poor countries alike. The share of Americans who think the government does too much" currently exceeds those who want it to do more" by an unusually wide margin, according to Gallup, a pollster. Productivity statistics offer another clue. Data from Britain suggest that the administrators of government benefits are 20% less productive than they were in the late 1990s. Excluding defence, Canadas federal bureaucracy is no more productive than it was a decade ago, even as private-sector productivity has grown by 7%. In Australia productivity in non-profit professions, including public administration, fell over the past decade. According to a recent study from the European Central Bank which focused on the euro areas five biggest economies, the public sector made a negative contribution to productivity per person" over the past five years. One of Mr Trumps recent orders called for modernising federal technology and software to maximise governmental efficiency". In the 1970s and 1980s the average federal employee had three times as much software at her disposal as the average private-sector employee. Now she only has 1.7 times as much. No surprise, then, that although federal productivity grew by 50% from 1987 to 2010, it has since flatlined. Many rules are clearly pointless. Hundreds of thousands of firms in California must put up signs stating that their premises contain chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer". Other firms must post signs in bathrooms telling staff to wash their hands. Hotels must have signs next to pools urging people with active diarrhoea" not to bathe. In France a house cannot be sold unless a notary reads the contract aloud in the presence of the buyer and seller. Each of these bureaucratic follies is typically only a minor expense and inconvenience. Cumulatively, however, they stifle economic activity, like Gulliver tied down by lots of pieces of string. A recent paper by Leah Brooks of George Washington University and Zachary Liscow of Yale Law School gives a sense of how regulatory burdens can add up. From the late 1950s to the mid-1980s, they find, the cost in America of building a mile of highway rose from $8.5m in 2016 prices to more than $25m. (It has risen further since.) Cost overruns and huge delays are now par for the course when it comes to infrastructure. Some big projects, including a high-speed rail system in California, will probably never be built, given how tied up they are in environmental reviews. Britain has a vast queue of planned wind farms awaiting the promise of a future grid connection before beginning construction. Across the rich world house-building has become much less responsive to rising house prices in recent years, making homes harder to afford (see chart 2). Architects and builders face long delays and high costs getting projects approved. The labour market is also hamstrung. Across the rich world the share of employment in jobs with mandatory qualifications is rising. Bakers, hairdressers and painters often have to obtain licences before being allowed to work. That reduces competition and raises prices. Regulations distract businesses from more profitable pursuits. In France senior managers spend 20% of their time dealing with them, according to the World Bank. Businesses in Germany typically need 122 days to obtain an operating licence. Getting an import licence takes about a month in the Netherlands. In 2023 more than 40% of Greek firms identified tax administrationas opposed to the rates themselvesas a major or very severe constraint" on their operations. In America thousands of firms a year are eligible for a tax refund after making a loss. But the process is so complex that only 37% of eligible firms actually claim the money, according to a paper published in 2021 by Eric Zwick of the University of Chicago. Economists have tried to calculate the macroeconomic costs of all these bits of string. Mr Bayrou has cited a paper by Bruno Pellegrino of Columbia University and Geoffery Zheng of New York University, which finds that red tape costs the French economy close to 4% of GDP every year. (Insupportable!" declares the prime minister.) The OECD estimates that compliance costs eat up around 4% of business output in member-countries on average. Chang-Tai Hsieh of the University of Chicago and Enrico Moretti of the University of California, Berkeley, attribute similarly staggering costs to land-use regulations. These papers focus on particular types of red tape, though, rather than bureaucratic inflexibility in the round, and thus can provide only a partial view of the problem. It is tempting to look at the economic performance of countries that have slashed red tape in recent years. Under Mr Milei Argentina has climbed out of its perma-recession. Greece, previously an economic laggard, topped our end-of-year rankings of the best-performing economies in both 2022 and 2023. Research by Goldman Sachs, a bank, has identified a group of companies, including banks, telecoms firms and energy firms, that are most likely to benefit from a deregulatory drive in America. Since the middle of last year, as the chances of a bonfire of red tape have grown, their share prices have risen by 23% on average, compared with 14% for the wider market. Capital flows are another indicator. Drawing on statistics from PitchBook, a data provider, we estimate that in the past decade two-thirds of the worlds venture capital has flowed to industries with relatively little red tape, such as consumer services and tech, whereas only a third has gone to more heavily regulated ones such as health care and manufacturing. Why has the rich world allowed itself to be tied up? One explanation is a growing appetite for safety. Richer people, after all, have more to lose and older people are more risk-averse. Consumers, via their political representatives, thus demand regulation. Forcing businesses to remind employees to wash their hands feels reassuring, even if it achieves little in practice. In fact, efforts by governments to give citizens more say on policy may have helped red tape to proliferate. A Supreme Court case in 1971, Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v Volpe, established the idea that pressure groups could seek judicial reviews of government agencies decisions. This prompted regulators to be more exacting and firms to go to greater lengths to be sure they are following the rules. Regulation also tends to work like a ratchet, always getting tighter. In part, this reflects risk-aversion on the part of regulators: why scrap a rule and suffer recriminations if that goes wrong when you can simply leave it in place? Bureaucracies also have their own interests. A person whose only job is to enforce a rule is unlikely to wish to abolish that rule. As a result, many promises to cut red tape come to little. In the 1980s Ronald Reagan created his own DOGE, the Grace Commission, which did not achieve much. In 2010 Britain set up an Office of Tax Simplification, which stood by helplessly as the tax code expanded. In 2023 the government decided to abolish not all its byzantine tax rules, but the OTS. DOGErs talk about firing half of Americas bureaucrats. But that does not in itself reduce red tape. If the rules stay the same then the remaining half will have twice as much to do, making the bureaucracy even slower than before. Yet governments sometimes manage to pare regulation. The Grace Commission was a dud, but Reagan did deregulate certain industries. A paper published by the OECD in 2006 found that between 1975 and 1985 roughly a fifth of Americas rules about energy, transport and communications were scrapped. That inspired other rich countries. By the 2000s across the OECD as a whole product markets for airlines, telecoms and energy firms were about half as regulated as in the 1970s. Some countries, inspired by America, have gone even further in their anti-red-tape drive. In The Other Path", a book published in 1986, Hernando de Soto documented the months of waiting, and constant demands for bribes, faced by Peruvians trying to start a business. The process now takes 26 days on average, the World Bank estimates. Post-Soviet countries have been particularly enthusiastic reformers. In the mid-1990s Estonia introduced a flat tax for both corporate and labour income, replacing a far more complex system. It has followed up by moving almost all government services online, which officials estimate produces savings worth 2% of GDP. Following the Rose Revolution of 2003 Georgia cut the number of taxes from 21 to six, while reducing the number of types of businesses which required a licence to operate from 909 to 159. What needs to happen for a red-tape revolution to succeed? A deep recession or a debt crisis, as in Greece, may focus minds. In post-Soviet states, not only were their economies swooning, but people were also eager for a clean break from the past. Disillusionment with the status quo, visible in surging support for populist politicians, may mean that todays voters have more appetite for change than normal. Certainly there are more concrete plans for what needs to be done. In Britain activists have launched the Looking for Growth group, providing politicians with ideas on how to get the economy moving. One idea is that instead of trudging from agency to agency for years, developers should apply only to a single entity. A recent report written by Mario Draghi, a former Italian prime minister, has sensible recommendations for streamlining the EUs labour and product markets. New Zealands new ministry for regulation has turned its attention to the approval process for agricultural goods and the rules governing barbershops, among other things. Even in San Francisco, red-tape central, things are changing. Small-business owners recently rejoiced at a tweak to a rule specifying that security doors on shop windows had to be 75% transparent. Now just 20% will do. Cutting red tape will not necessarily send growth soaring. Even if Mr Musk is successful, Mr Trumps other policies, such as jacking up tariffs and deporting millions of workers, could easily erase the benefit. Effective deregulatory drives anger people who lose out, including those exposed to more competition and NIMBYs who dislike growth. But a boost to construction, business formation and innovation is worth ruffling a few feathers for. India plans to set up 208 hydropower plants on the Brahmaputra with 64.9GW of power generation capacity and 11.1GW of pump storage capacity by 2047 to establish its downstream rights on the river. The move is part of a wider master plan for evacuation of power from hydroelectric plants in the Brahmaputra basin, a massive 6.42 trillion infrastructure project designed by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) to harness and transmit the vast, untapped hydropower potential of the northeast region to the national grid. Unveiled on 14 October, the plan is Indias response to Chinas goal of developing the humongous 60GW Medog dam on the Yarlang Tsangpo river (the Brahmaputra in China), which has raised concerns of a 85% reduction in the Brahmaputras flow during the dry season that would affect peoples livelihoods and the regions agriculture and ecology. Mint takes a closer look at the potential threat from Chinas mega dam, Indias response to it, and what the geopolitical tussle means for peoples livelihoods and the environment. What does Indias master plan entail? According to the CEA, the exploitable hydropower potential of the Brahmaputra basin is 64.94GW, of which about 6.8GW has been realised and another 19.55GW is expected to be set up by 2035. The remaining 38,586.2MW is expected to be tapped after that. It also has plans for planned pumped storage plants (PSPs) with capacity of 11.13GW, of which 3.72GW expected by 2035. Pumped storage plants are a type of hydroelectric energy storage that use two reservoirs at different elevations to store and generate electricity, acting like a giant rechargeable battery. Studies by the CEA recommend seven HVDC stations with a capacity of 6,000 MW at six locations, and a 31,397 circuit kilometre (ckm) network to handle power evacuation and transmission to eastern, northern and western regions. Also Read | Adani Powers pivot to hydro signals a strategically positive shift The CEA estimates the total cost of the plan at 6.42 trillion. What are the concerns around Chinas mega dam? Currently, the Brahmaputra basin has an installed capacity of 4.8GW across 22 projects and another 2GW in under-construction projects. The regions hydropower potential equates to more than 40% of India's total hydropower capacity of 145.32GW. Meanwhile, the Medog dam's proposed capacity of 60GW is nearly three times that of the Three Gorges Dam (22.5GW) on the Yangtze river, currently the world's largest power station. China has refused to sign the 1997 UN Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses, which governs the sharing and management of transboundary rivers. Sector experts have warned, therefore, that the huge new dam would allow China to control and therefore weaponise the Yarlung Tsangpo, which feeds the Siang, Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers, leaving communities in India at its mercy. A report by Australian think tank Lowy Institute in 2020 said "control over these rivers (in the Tibetan Plateau) effectively gives China a chokehold on India's economy". The scale of Indias response highlights the Brahmaputras importance to the country. The river originates in the Kailash range of the Himalayas at an elevation of 5,300 metres. After flowing through Tibet it enters India through Arunachal Pradesh and flows through Assam and Bangladesh before joining the Bay of Bengal. Its total length is about 2,900 km, including 1,346 km in India. The Brahmaputra basin is spread across 580,000 square kilometres, of which 50.5% is in China, 33.6% in India, 8.1% in Bangladesh and 7.8% in Bhutan. In India it spans Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Sikkim, covering 194,413 sq km or nearly 6% of Indias total geographical area. How would hydro projects in India mitigate the potential impact of Chinese projects? India has already set the ball rolling on a 10GW Upper Siang Multipurpose Project on the Siang river, the upstream portion of the Brahmaputra. The 1 trillion project with a significant reservoir capacity has been planned by state-run NHPC. These reservoir-based hydropower projects should be able to counter a heavy flow of water from China if it ever decided to release water without informing India. The reservoirs will also help store water during the monsoon, creating a backup in case China turns off the flow from the Medog dam. What else is the government doing on hydroelectric projects? Amid a growing need for green power and strategic requirements, the union cabinet approved a 4,136-crore scheme for 15GW of hydropower projects in the northeast in August 2024. Under this scheme, the government will provide financial assistance to northeastern states for their equity participation in hydroelectric projects through joint ventures (JVs) between state entities and central public sector undertakings. What are the human and environmental concerns around this? These ambitious plans face significant livelihood and environmental concerns, particularly across India's northeast. The primary worry stems from the sheer scale and placement of these projects, which require acquiring vast tracts of land, leading to deforestation and the displacement of local communities and wildlife. The construction and operation of large dams would also dramatically alter the river's ecology and affect peoples livelihoods. Also, in a seismically active zone like the Himalayas, the construction of mega dams adds a layer of geological risk. NHPC's Upper Siang Hydro Electric Project has drawn major protests in Arunachal Pradesh, which have stalled significant progress. These protests highlight the strong opposition from communities concerned about drastic changes to their homes, cultural practices and livelihoods. Andhra Pradesh government announced on Wednesday that it formally approved two significant investments from the Raymond Group, collectively valued at 940 crore, focusing on the advanced manufacturing of aerospace and automotive components. These approvals, sanctioned under the states Industrial Development Policy 4.0, are projected to create 5,500 direct jobs in the Sri Satyasai district. The government has cleared two landmark investments from the Raymond Groupunder the Industrial Development Policy 4.0 (202429), an official statement said. The statement highlighted the strategic importance of the deal, noting that the aerospace investment represents the states inaugural project under its new aerospace policy. Furthermore, a special package worth 700 crore has been sanctioned to expedite the projects deployment. Breakdown of Manufacturing Facilities Aerospace Components: Raymond's subsidiary, JK Maini Global Aerospace Limited, is set to establish an advanced aerospace manufacturing facility with an investment of 510 crore. This facility is anticipated to generate 1,400 direct jobs and will focus on producing high-precision components for global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier-1 suppliers, thereby integrating Andhra Pradesh into the global aerospace supply chain. Automotive Technology: Similarly, JK Maini Precision Technology Ltd, another Raymond subsidiary, will establish an automotive component manufacturing unit at Gudipalli. This project involves an investment of 430 crore and is expected to create the largest number of jobs, accounting for 4,096 new roles. The plant will supply leading automobile companies both domestically and internationally, significantly boosting regional employment and skill development. Both manufacturing facilities are currently scheduled to commence commercial production by May 2027. Raymond Realty to sign up project only if profit margin is 20% In June, Raymond Realty announced it would not commit to any new development projects unless they offered a minimum profit margin of 20%. The company plans to launch new ventures with a gross development value (GDV) ranging from 6,000 crore to 10,000 crore. Also Read | Viral video: Raymond MD raises concern after Lamborghini catches fire in Mumbai Raymond Group Chairman and Managing Director Gautam Singhania stated that the realty arm is specifically targeting a topline growth of 15% and an operating profit margin of 20%. As 5G, short for fifth generation telecom technology, marks three years of service on Indian networks, phone operators are still struggling to convert higher data speeds into rapid revenue growth. Even though they have spent billions of dollars on building 5G networks, many consumers dont notice much difference from the earlier 4G service. Despite these challenges, people in the industry are already talking about 6G the next technology on the telecom horizon and how it will boost the Indian economy. Mint explains whats happening with 6G, why 5G is hard to make money from, the health of the telecom sector, and what leading in 6G would mean for India. Where is India on 5G? India started 5G services on 1 October 2022. Since then, the number of people using 5G has grown fast, to be sure. By June 2025, over 365 million people in India were using 5G, which is about 32% of all mobile users of 1.16 billion. With telecom operators Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel taking the lead, 5G services cover 99.6% of the countrys districts, according to a government release in June. For Airtel, 5G sites already cater to 36% of the total network traffic enabling some traffic offload from the existing 4G radio towers and base stations. But users are still getting used to 5G, and it will take some more time before everyone uses it fully. Estimates for Indias 5G user base by 2030 vary widely. While GSMA, which represents mobile operators globally, projects around 641 million users by 2030 roughly half the mobile population Ericsson Mobility Report presents more optimism, expecting 980 million 5G subscriptions, or 74% of the total. The actual number, however, will depend on pricing, device availability, and how quickly 5G use cases mature. Why are telcos struggling to monetise 5G? Even though the rollout of 5G networks by the operators has been rapid, the companies are finding it hard to make enough money from it. On the consumer side, a simple reason why 5G has not seen much return on investments for operators, is that people dont feel much difference between 4G and 5G, so they dont want to pay more for 5G plans. This despite a spike in data consumption post launch of 5G in the country. While 5G is being offered unlimited with recharge plans, Jio and Airtel have in the past increased the minimum recharge plan to get unlimited 5G. For example, Jio now provides unlimited 5G for plans with 2 GB per day data, which starts at 198 for 14 days and 349 for 28 days, as compared to 239 plan earlier for 28 days. Similarly, Airtel gives unlimited 5G with its 349 plan for a similar use-by period with 1.5 GB per day data. Experts said business assumption on 5G has gone wrong as it was expected that enterprises use cases would come in the form of sensors in an internet of things (IoT) enabled world. However, those have not come. B2C monetisation was never expected as there is no major difference between 4G and 5G speeds. Operators are banking on fixed wireless access, or FWA, which is a way of providing home broadband on 5G, to monetise 5G services and recoup their return on investments. According to government data, nearly 4.5 trillion have been invested in rolling out the 5G network. Reliance Jio is also exploring 5G network slicing as a solution to monetise 5G. This involves creating multiple virtual networks on top of a single physical 5G network like slicing a pizza into different pieces, where each slice is customized for a different need. Each slice can be tailored to support different services with their own performance levels such as speed, latency, security, and reliability. Is the 5G monetisation problem with India only? 5G monetisation is a global challenge not just an Indian problem. Telecom companies around the world have spent hundreds of billions of dollars rolling out 5G, but many are still struggling to make enough money from it. This is because it takes time for people and businesses to start using it in ways that generate more money for telecom companies. Even in advanced markets like the US, South Korea, and Europe, operators are finding it hard to recover their investments. For example, in South Korea, one of the earliest 5G adopters, telecom companies have introduced premium video or gaming bundles to encourage users to pay more, because 5G alone isnt driving higher revenues. In Europe, countries like France and Germany have reported high 5G rollout costs but limited returns. In a recent report, the Bharat 6G Alliance, a government-backed group working on 6G research, said that India is just starting to test network slicing, which helps deliver better and more customised internet services to businesses. In the next few years, this could be used along with AR/VR (augmented and virtual reality) to create more interactive digital experiences. The report says that large-scale use of this tech is expected by 2027-28, when 5G Advanced (5GA) networks roll out. Also, with new XR (extended reality) devices expected to arrive around 202627, immersive services like virtual classrooms or 3D shopping could become much more popular in India and around the world. What is 6G and why is it needed? 6G is the next big wireless technology, expected to come around 2030. It will be 5-10 times faster than 5G and will have almost no delay when sending information. With 6G, things like hologram calls, super-realistic virtual reality, and smarter cities will be possible. This means better internet, improved health care, better education, and many new technologies for everyday life. Indias use of mobile data is growing very fast. Between 2024 and 2030, the amount of data people use on their phones is expected to triple from 340 exabytes in 2024 to 645 exabytes in 2027 and reach 1,068 exabytes by 2030, Bharat 6G Alliance said in its report. As more people use 5G phones and the internet more, the current network wont be able to keep up. So, India will need to keep building more 5G coverage and find more space on the airwaves to handle all this extra data after 2027. Some of this extra data can be managed by making better use of the existing wireless spectrum, but new space will also be needed. After 2028, India will need to put up more network towers and equipment to handle the growth, and by 2030, it will be ready to switch to 6G technology with more spectrum, which can deliver much faster internet speeds, according to the Bharat 6G Alliance. Also Read | Digital infrastructure built by India can accelerate world economy: Sunil Mittal How crucial is it for India to take the lead in 6G? At the recently concluded India Mobile Congress, communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said, India is here not to follow, but to co-lead the 6G revolution". The government is targeting ownership of 10% of global 6G patents, setting standards for the future of connectivity. Right now, the global rules for 6G technology are being discussed at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the group that sets worldwide standards for how wireless networks work. One of the reasons for India to move fast on 6G technology is that if Indian standards and technologies are accepted by the ITU, it means Indias approach to 6G will be used by countries all over the world. This gives India a chance to influence how 6G networks are built and used globally, making sure the technology supports Indias needs and strengths. But does Indias telecom sector have good financial health? Indias telecom sector is mostly dominated by the big two, Jio and Airtel, which between them have a 75% subscriber market share. Another big player, Vodafone Idea has been struggling to survive because it faces high debts and also losing subscribers to competition. While the two operators have been seeing an improvement in financials especially after a huge 5G capex, Vodafone Idea continues to be in losses. The fourth operator, state-run BSNL, is also under losses and is currently only rolling out its 4G network across the country. According to sector experts, since 6G is yet to take another five-six years at least, telecom operators would have some momentum on 5G monetisation by then. However, it will be crucial to see if Vodafone Idea gets any concessions from the courts on its pending dues to the government if nothing, to maintain a four-player telecom sector. Can telcos launch 6G in absence of 5G monetisation? It will be hard for companies to start 6G if they arent making enough money from 5G. Developing 6G needs a lot of money, so telecom companies need to earn well from 5G first. However, they can still start researching and planning for 6G while trying to make 5G more profitable. In March, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) had said, the absence of 5G use cases and its slow monetisation, could delay the launch of 6G services in the country beyond the target of 2030. According to the operators, the work is also needed to look at the kind of applications that will consume 6G to avoid a similar situation like 5G, wherein 6G technology will be there without any consumers. New Delhi: One unwritten law of finance is that any stock we buy loses momentum almost immediately, whereas any stock we sell, invariably surges afterwards. And as anyone who has spent even a little time in the market can attest, the second hurts way more than the first. But anytime you are feeling miserable about your selling decisions or missed chances, remember this nameLaszlo Hanyecz. On 22 May 2010, this Florida-based programmer received two large pizzas from a Papa Johns outlet. And etched his name into history books. Why? Because Hanyecz used 10,000 Bitcoins for the meal, making it the first documented real-world transaction using cryptocurrency. But more mind-bending are its financial dimensions. The 10,000 Bitcoins, which were worth around $40 back then, are now valued at a whopping $1.2 billion. If only Hanyecz had skipped dinner that night! No other asset has traversed the full arc from ridiculed to resisted to revered as swiftly as Bitcoin. And none polarises opinion so sharply. Once dismissed as a fringe novelty designed to appeal to basement-dwelling coders and secrecy-minded criminals, Bitcoin is now among the most keenly tracked assets in global finance today. While geopolitical upheavals, fanciful valuations, and corporate earning headwinds have cast a long shadow over financial markets over the past year, and fuelled a generational bull run in safe haven assets like gold and silver, Bitcoin has outshone them all. In fact, many of the forces driving the yellow metal higher have also powered the rally in Bitcoin, a scarcely believable pairing of the worlds oldest store of value and its youngest challenger. Not bad for an underground decentralized token which was born in 2009 as a result of a white paper on blockchain technology authored by a yet-to-be-identified developer. Once considered as pure speculation by the financial world, Bitcoin is increasingly being viewed by many participants as digital gold for the 21st century, though its periodic bouts of hyper-volatility, including one last week, continue to feed its legions of critics and strike the fear of God into the hearts of investors. But with its multi-year rally defying every stark prognosis, the question is no longer whether Bitcoin has earned its place in the global financial architectureits whether Indian investors can afford to ignore it any longer. Blockchain blockbuster Indian benchmark indices have delivered zero returns over the past year. The pain in small-cap and mid-cap indices is greater, as a result of which most individual portfolios are drenched in 50 shades of crimson. In contrast, gold is experiencing a proverbial gold rush, surging around 55% in the last 12 months in dollar terms to reach its lifetime high of $4,000 per ounce last week. Spot rates for 10 grams of 24 carat gold have breached 1,25,000 in India. Silver has performed even better and has crossed 1.50 lakh/kg in the domestic market. But one asset which is surprising everyone is Bitcoin. While Donald Trumps latest tariff salvo on China has triggered a violent selloff in Bitcoin, it is still up around 90% over the past year in dollar terms. Bitcoins performance over the past year, particularly amid heightened geopolitical tensions and macro uncertainty, reflects its growing maturity as an asset," Sumit Gupta, co-founder of leading crypto trading platform CoinDCX, told Mint. This builds on its remarkable long-term performance. From trading below $1,000 in 2017 to crossing an all-time high of $125,000 in 2025, Bitcoin has consistently demonstrated its ability to dumbfound naysayers. This years rally underscores Bitcoins resilience amid global macro uncertainty and its growing recognition as a long-term store of value," Gupta added. For centuries, it is the yellow metal which has performed this role of long-term store of value. Yet, amid the current flight to safety trend coursing across global markets, it is easy to forget golds checkered past. Between 1978 and 1980, gold prices more than tripled amid oil shocks and Middle East tensions, only to plunge over 60% in the next two decades. After a long bull run, gold collapsed nearly 30% in 2013, leading many to proclaim the end of the age of gold." Even during the pandemic years, it wobbled: initial gains faded as mining disruptions eased and a surging dollar undercut demand, leaving 2021 as its weakest finish since 2015, before record central bank purchases restored golds shine. Bouts of extreme volatility. Limited supply. Lack of counterparty risk. Unabated demand. Sounds familiar? Gold 2.0 Following its launch in 2009, Bitcoin gained early traction as a niche digital payment tool, often associated with underground markets such as Silk Road. Its use for online and in-game transactions, coupled with extreme price swings and limited real-world utility, meant that early holders (or HODLers in crypto lingo) typically viewed it as a counterculture movement against the debasement of fiat currencies rather than a proper investment. View Full Image File photo of a customer selecting Bitcoin for purchase on the screen of a cryptocurrency automated teller machine in Barcelona, Spain. (Bloomberg) The 2010s tested Bitcoins resilience. After Silk Roads closure by the FBI in 2013 and Chinas crackdown on crypto mining the same year, confidence in digital currencies plunged, ushering in the first crypto winter." The 2014 collapse of Mt. Goxthen the worlds largest crypto exchange deepened the distrust. Yet, despite repeated setbacks, adoption slowly expanded as investors began to view Bitcoin less as a novelty and more as a new asset class. In 2021, Bitcoin achieved a milestone when El Salvador became the first nation to adopt it as legal tender, and triggered a fierce global debate on whether cryptocurrencies could coexist with fiat systems. Many companies, including Tesla, MicroStrategy and Block Inc, founded by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, hold Bitcoin as part of their treasury diversification strategies. In January 2024, Bitcoins legitimacy received its biggest boost when the US markets regulator Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), including those from financial heavyweights like BlackRock, Fidelity, and VanEck. In March this year, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve, comprising tokens seized in criminal and civil forfeiture cases. It marked the first time Bitcoin was formally recognized as a US reserve asset. In March this year, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve, comprising tokens seized in criminal and civil forfeiture cases. While no global central bank owns Bitcoin as of now, Czech central bank governor Ales Michl, earlier this year, said it will consider holding billions of dollars worth of bitcoin in its reserves. The idea of a Western central bank owning Bitcoin would have been blasphemous just a few years ago. But not anymore. If anything, consensus seems to be swiftly shifting to the other end of the spectrum. In a note last month, Deutsche Bank Research Institute said it sees Bitcoin being included in central bank reserves within this decade. Gold and Bitcoin share many fundamental characteristics. Both are scarce due to limited supply, with Bitcoins code capping supply at 21 million coins. They are also independent from routine monetary policy, as neither is directly issued by a government, which is why some observers view Bitcoin as a potential diversification tool for treasuries and central banks seeking alternatives to dollar-centric reserves. While the US dollar remains the top currency in central bank reserves (57%), there are signs that countries are seeking to diversify. For example, Chinas holdings of US treasuries fell by $57 billion to $759 billion in 2024. Ultimately, Bitcoin and gold will continue to co-exist in the medium term, with gold maintaining its lead in official reserves and Bitcoin expanding in private and alternative reserves," Deutsche Bank Research Institute stated. The important question is how much longer gold retains its first-class status as authorities seek alternative currencies to shore up their reserves." Additionally, at a time when crypto legislation and innovation is accelerating, Bitcoin seems to be on its way towards mass adoption. Crypto capers Indias tryst with crypto began in the early 2010s when Bitcoin first captured global attention. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued its first cautionary statement in December 2013, warning users of virtual currencies about their potential security risks. It was the first official signal of the central banks skepticism, and set the tone for Indias cautious regulatory stance towards this rebel asset class. View Full Image RBI first warned users of virtual currencies about their potential security risks in 2013. In the following years, homegrown exchanges such as CoinDCX, ZebPay, and WazirX introduced Indian investors to the possibilities of digital assets. However, in April 2018, the RBI issued a circular barring banks and other regulated financial entities from providing services to crypto businesses, effectively cutting off access to the traditional financial system. Relief came in March 2020, when the Supreme Court overturned the RBI circular, calling the move disproportionate." In 2021, the ministry of corporate affairs mandated companies dealing in virtual currencies to disclose their crypto holdings and transactions in annual financial statements. Later that year, a draft lawthe Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021was introduced, seeking to ban private cryptocurrencies" while paving the way for an official central bank digital currency (CBDC). Although the bill did not pass, it demonstrated the governments desire to establish a clear regulatory perimeter. The union budget of 2022 marked a decisive moment. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced a taxation framework for virtual digital assets (VDAs), effectively recognizing cryptocurrencies as taxable assets even while denying them the status of legal tender. Under this regime, income from the transfer of VDAs such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and NFTs attracts a flat 30% tax, plus applicable surcharge and cess. No deductions are allowed other than the cost of acquisition, and losses from crypto cannot be offset against other income or carried forward. In addition, a 1% tax deducted at source (TDS) applies to VDA transactions above 10,000 ( 50,000 for specified persons). However, these are among the most stringent tax provisions globally, and domestic players have repeatedly called for bringing them at par with other asset classes like equities and real estate. India now has about 119 million crypto holders, representing nearly 12% of the countrys population. Adoption is driven by a young, digitally native audience, with 44% of investors aged between 26 and 35. While the current 30% tax and 1% TDS present short-term challenges, long-term investors can adopt accumulation-based strategies instead of frequent trading to mitigate repeated deductions," Vikas Gupta, country manager at crypto exchange Bybit, told Mint. Its also essential to stay informed about policy developments, as Indias regulatory stance is expected to mature in alignment with G20 and FATF frameworks, potentially paving the way for a more investor-friendly environment," he added. In March 2023, India took another significant step by bringing crypto activities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. This required all crypto exchanges and service providers to register with the financial intelligence unitIndia and adhere to strict know your customer and anti-money laundering norms. Despite the regulatory overhang, the crypto space has seen robust growth in India. According to data provided by India Crypto Research, India processed roughly $269 billion in crypto transactions between July 2022 and June 2023, which dropped to about $150 billion during July 2023June 2024 as domestic taxes reshaped behaviour. However, volumes rebounded to an estimated $300 billion in July 2024Jun 2025. This puts India at the top of APAC region in 2025, contributing over 13% of the regions trading volume. India now has about 119 million crypto holders, representing nearly 12% of the countrys population. Adoption is driven by a young, digitally native audience, with 44% of investors aged between 26 and 35. The trend is concentrated in key urban hubs, with Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai accounting for about 27% of all Indian crypto holders. Dos and donts Its hard to find an asset as polarising as Bitcoin. For crypto crusaders, a $1 million price tag is inevitable, while its detractors insist its true value is zero. Investing legend Charlie Munger famously compared cryptocurrencies to turds". Warren Buffett too has repeatedly said Bitcoin is a non-productive asset with no intrinsic value. To which crypto faithfuls counter, so is gold. View Full Image File photo of a signage for Bitcoin cryptocurrency in Hong Kong, China. (Bloomberg) Without wading into metaphysical debates about intrinsic value and financial epistemology, one thing is certaincrypto investing carries risks that extend well beyond traditional assets. Firstly, as a decentralized token, the inability to cancel or revert transactions can take some time getting used to. Most investors depend on exchanges or wallet providers for safekeeping their assets. These intermediaries remain vulnerable to hacks, fraud, and operational lapses. The crypto industry has witnessed a series of spectacular heists and exchange collapses that have wiped out billions. In the absence of government-backed insurance or regulatory safeguards, platform failures can result in total loss of funds. For retail investors, our advice is they must use regulated and compliant exchanges, prioritizing platforms that provide proof-of-reserve transparency, and storing significant holdings in hardware or cold wallets," CoinDCX's Gupta said. Additionally, investors are advised to enable multi-factor authentication, and remain vigilant about security best practices." Then there are the legendary price swings. Bitcoin, despite reaching a market cap of over $2.3 trillion, accounting for over half of the total crypto market capitalization, has a propensity to behave like a meme stock. For instance, in December 2017, it surged to nearly $20,000, only to halve within five days and crash over 80% the following year. This was worse than the dotcom bubbles 78% collapse. Just last week, Trumps announcement of an additional 100% tariff on Chinese imports triggered an over 8% plunge in Bitcoin, leading to many heavily leveraged investors being decimated overnight. Indian investors also have to contend with the onerous tax burden and regulatory grey areas. While Indias current taxation regime is undoubtedly restrictive, Bitcoins global adoption and strong fundamentals make a compelling case for strategic, long-term exposure. For Indian investors, even a small allocationexecuted transparently and compliantlycan offer diversification benefits," Himanshu Maradiya, founder and chairman of crypto platform CIFDAQ, told Mint. Bitcoin, despite reaching a market cap of over $2.3 trillion, accounting for over half of the total crypto market capitalization, has a propensity to behave like a meme stock. While last weeks selloff has been sudden and punishing, Bitcoins bounce backs too tend to be swift and spectacular. Which means timing this particular corner of the market is nearly impossible. Rather than chasing momentum, investors should focus on staggered entries through systematic investment plans or tactical allocations aligned with risk appetite. Prudent portfolio sizing and a long-term view are key," Maradiya added. From a portfolio perspective, Bitcoin often exhibits low correlation with conventional asset classes, offering diversification benefits. CoinDCXs Gupta expects Bitcoin to reach $145,000$150,000 by the end of the year, with possible short-term corrections or profit booking along the way. He also foresees Bitcoin potentially surpassing gold in total market cap sooner than later, as investor confidence and institutional adoption continue to strengthen globally. The total market capitalization of gold is estimated at $28 trillion currently. That said, experts urge investors to exercise caution and not forget the virtues of diversification. Retail participants should view crypto as a high-risk, high-reward asset classone that complements, rather than replaces, traditional investments. Allocating a small portion of ones portfolio can provide exposure to the future of digital innovation without jeopardizing financial stability," Bybits Gupta said. Ultimately, the key lies in education, disciplined risk management, and patience." Elon Musk on Tuesday changed his stance on Bitcoin once again, this time rallying behind the cryptocurrency that US President Donald Trump has supported since returning to office earlier this year. In a post on X dated 14 October, the Tesla CEO said Bitcoins energy-based foundation is precisely what makes it valuable a U-turn from his 2021 criticism. Elon Musk was replying to a user's post on X that claimed governments are funding the artificial intelligence arms race by printing money, which is driving prices of gold, silver and Bitcoin to new highs. But you cant print energy, the user wrote. Elon Musk agreed, writing: True. That is why Bitcoin is based on energy: you can issue fake fiat currency, and every government in history has done so, but it is impossible to fake energy. Bitcoin's energy use Bitcoin consumes energy through a process called mining. The process requires intense amounts of energy, or more precisely, electricity, to power computers and solve complex mathematical puzzles. Through Bitcoin mining, the network is secured and new BTC enter the system. Also Read | Saylors Strategy Resumes Bitcoin Splurge at Highest Price Ever Also Read | Metaplanets Enterprise Value Sinks Below Bitcoin Holdings Elon Musk's Bitcoin story In early 2021, Elon Musk briefly became one of Bitcoin's most influential supporters. The cryptocurrency rallied at the time due to Musk's support, especially when Tesla began accepting Bitcoin as a valid payment method to purchase its cars. On X, users called him the messiah of decentralisation. However, the enthusiasm was short-lived. The market cap of Bitcoin vaporised overnight over a single tweet made by the Tesla CEO, calling the networks electricity use insane, citing data from Cambridge Universitys Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index. Also Read | Bitcoin, Ethereum continue to decline as investors seek safe haven The downfall continued as Tesla stopped accepting Bitcoin as a method of payment and later shed 75% of its BTC holdings in 2022, for a rough amount of $936 million. However, Tesla at present still holds 1,509 BTC, worth $1.3 billion, according to on-chain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence. This is down from a peak of 43,200 BTC holdings in 2021. The fact that Tesla still has BTC investment indicates that Elon Musk never really left the building; he just switched off the lights. Mall operator The Phoenix Mills Ltd saw retail consumption grow 13% year-on-year in the September quarter (Q2FY26) and 12% year-on-year in the first half of FY26, its operational update showed. The reading was broadly in line with analysts expectations. Despite heavy monsoons in several cities, Q2 was sequentially better owing to traction in newer malls such as Phoenix Citadel (Indore), Palladium Ahmedabad, Mall of the Millennium (Pune) and Mall of Asia (Bengaluru). The older MarketCity malls in Pune and Bengaluru are undergoing tenant churn and lease restructuring, which could temper near-term growth prospects. While consumption growth at older malls was flat year-on-year in Q2FY26, trading densities grew in the double digits. Trading density in the retail sector is the sales per square foot of mall space. Key metric remains muted But this is hardly comforting. According to IIFL Securities estimates, rental growth, a key re-rating driver, remained modest around 3.5% year-on-year in H1FY26, implying limited scope for a sharp recovery just yet. To be sure, Q1FY26 rental growth was at 4%. The gap between consumption growth and rental income growth could continue in the near term, given the tenant churn. In its October 10 report, Nomura Global Markets Research warned of slower consumption growth in H2FY26 versus H1FY26 owing to a higher base. Also, visibility on rental income growth bottoming out remains low, the report added. In the commercial portfolio, Phoenix leased 0.7 million sq ft (msf) of office space in H1, lifting occupancy in Mumbai and Pune to 76% from 67% in March. The residential segment gained traction, with Q2 sales rising more than five-fold year-on-year to 139 crore and collections doubling to 115 crore. In the hospitality business, The St. Regis Mumbai maintained 85% occupancy, flat year-on-year, with average room rates at 17,711, up 2% in Q2FY26. The modest increase reflects the high base last year, which included a one-off event. Phoenix plans to almost double its portfolio by FY30 through projects in Coimbatore and Mohali, and an expansion at Palladium Mumbai. Its office portfolio is set to rise nearly four-fold to 7.1 msf by FY27, while new hotels, including the 400-key Grand Hyatt Bengaluru, will lift hospitality capacity. Meanwhile, the stocks performance has been unexciting, up merely 5% so far this calendar year. However, valuations are rich at 44 times estimated FY27 estimated, showed Bloomberg data. The December quarter (Q3) will be closely watched for signs of how the GST cut shapes consumption in what is typically the companys strongest three-month period. With expectations already high, any festive miss could quickly temper sentiment. Also Read | DMart's dull Q2 and outlook signal a tough road ahead for the stock As you move down the market-cap ladderfrom large-caps to small-caps and micro-capsboth risk and potential returns naturally rise. But what if you want a middle path: growth without excessive risk? Mid-cap stocks often strike that balance, offering a mix of stability and upside potential. The challenge is finding the right mid-caps in a crowded market. One tool that can help investors separate the wheat from the chaff is the Piotroski Score. What is the Piotroski Score? Created by Professor Joseph Piotroski, this score provides a simple yet effective way to gauge a companys financial health. It evaluates nine factors to see if a company is improving or facing trouble: Profitability: Is the company earning strong returns? Cash Flow: Does it generate sufficient operational cash? Debt Management: Is long-term debt being reduced? Liquidity: Are short-term assets growing relative to liabilities? Equity Issuance: Has the company avoided diluting shareholders? Operational Efficiency: Are margins and asset use improving? Keeping this in mind, here are three mid-cap stocks with high Piotroski Scores that deserve a spot on your watchlist. Also Read | Bears double down on IT stocks; midcaps hit harder National Aluminium Co National Aluminium Co. (Nalco), a Schedule A Navratna CPSE under the Ministry of Mines with a 51.28% stake, operates across mining, metals, and power, running Indias largest integrated bauxite-alumina-aluminium-power complex. The company has earned a Piotroski Score of 9, reflecting robust financial health. Over the past five years, Nalco has delivered impressive growth. Its revenue nearly doubled from 89,558 million in FY21 to 167,876 million in FY25, representing a CAGR of 14.75%. Net profit grew even faster, soaring from 12,994 million to 52,679 million, a CAGR of 107.7%. The company has maintained a debt-free balance sheet while posting a five-year average ROE of 18% and ROCE of 23.5%. Looking ahead, NALCO plans a 300 billion capital expenditure over the next four to five years to expand mining, refining, smelting, and power capacities. This includes doubling smelting output, increasing alumina refining, exploring lithium in Argentina through KABIL, and diversifying into value-added products. Sustainability initiatives and strategic partnerships are aimed at boosting production efficiency and global competitiveness. KPIT Technologies KPIT Technologies, an India-based software development and integration company, focuses on the automotive and mobility sector, providing solutions for autonomous driving, ADAS, conventional and electric powertrains, and cockpit systems. The company has also earned a Piotroski Score of 9, highlighting strong financial health and operational efficiency. Financially, KPIT has been on a robust growth trajectory. Revenue rose from 20,357 million in FY21 to 58,423 million in FY25, a CAGR of 22.1%, while net profit jumped from 1,471 million to 8,396 million, translating to a CAGR of 41.6%. Over the same period, the company posted a five-year average ROE of 23.1% and ROCE of 31.8%, all while maintaining a debt-free balance sheet. The company has also strengthened its global presence through acquisitions, including OXI SRL Italy for US$ 6 million and earlier Caresoft subsidiaries in the USA, UK, and Mexico for US$ 51 million. With consistent profitability, a strong balance sheet, and high financial health, KPIT is a midcap stock to watch in Indias fast-growing automotive tech sector. Multi Commodity Exchange of India Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX) is Indias largest commodity derivatives exchange and ranks sixth globally by contract volume. It offers an online trading platform regulated by Sebi, covering bullion, industrial metals, energy, and agricultural commodities. The company also holds a Piotroski Score of 9, reflecting strong operations and financial health. MCX has seen strong financial performance over the past five years. Revenue climbed from 3,906 million in FY21 to 11,127 million in FY25, a CAGR of 22.8%, while net profit increased from 2,252 million to 5,600 million, representing a CAGR of 18.8%. The company maintains a debt-free balance sheet and has posted a five-year average ROE of 10.1% and ROCE of 12.5%. Regulatory reforms could provide further upside. Media reports suggest SEBI may allow banks, pension funds, and FPIs to participate in commodity trading, boosting liquidity and attracting foreign investment. As Indias leading commodity exchange, MCX is well-positioned to benefit from rising trading volumes and new product opportunities. Other midcap stocks to watch Besides these, AWL Agri Business, IPCA Labs, and GE Vernova T&D also feature among midcap companies with a Piotroski Score of 9. Conclusion Midcap stocks often strike the right balance between growth and stability. Companies with a high Piotroski Score stand out for their strong financial health, operational efficiency, and clean balance sheets. However, investors should also consider valuation, industry prospects, and earnings visibility. Careful assessment of fundamentals, corporate governance, and stock valuation remains essential before making an investment decision. Happy investing. Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only. It is not a stock recommendation and should not be treated as such. This article is syndicated from Equitymaster.com When you buy into a business, you want to know what you are really buying. Is it a one-trick pony that lives and dies by a single customer? Or is it a sturdy workhorse that can pull steady earnings through all kinds of weather? In the case of Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL), that question goes to the heart of what makes a company truly durable. For years, CSL built some of the Indian Navys most complex shipsaircraft carriers, patrol boats, and anti-submarine vessels. That made for impressive headlines, but it also made CSLs fortunes depend heavily on government contracts. At one point, almost 9 out of every 10 in its order book came from defence. Reliable, yes. But also limiting. After all, a company tied too tightly to the governments budget cycles can only grow as fast as those cycles allow. Now, CSL stands at an important turning point. The company has recently invested billions of rupees in two major projects: the New Dry Dock (NDD) and the International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF). These are the foundation of a strategic shift, away from a narrow focus on defence and toward broader, higher margin international shipbuilding and ship repair. Can CSL use these assets to change its business model in a way that produces steadier, fatter profits over time? Two businesses under one roof It helps to think of CSL as two businesses: 1. Shipbuilding This business builds new ships, ranging from aircraft carriers and patrol vessels to commercial tankers and platform supply vessels. These projects are large, complex, and long. They tie up huge amounts of working capital. Additionally, these contracts are mostly fixed-price, so CSL cannot pass cost overruns back to the customer. That is why shipbuilding margins have historically been modest. In Q1FY26, the Ebit margin was just over 8%. 2. Ship repair and upgrades This side handles maintenance, refitting, and modernization. Jobs run faster, cash comes in quicker, and margins are higher. In Q1FY26, Ebit margin for repairs was 44.2%. Repair may only account for about 7% of the long-term order book, but its profits are higher. That profit cushion helps cover the fixed costs of the new NDD and ISRF. Strategic growth initiatives CSLs future growth hinges on how effectively it leverages the major investments it has already made and collaborates with the right partners. The new facilities that came online in January 2024 now give the company a platform to compete for larger and more profitable work. 1. New Dry Dock (NDD): The new dry dock allows CSL to build much larger ships than before, including Suezmax oil tankers, big container ships, and Capesize bulk carriers. With this dock, the company can now target up to six large carriers annually, a significant step up from its earlier position. 2. International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF): The ISRF is aimed at capturing the shortage of global ship repair capacity. This will be a driver of high margins. The work here is short-cycle, high-value, and can provide a steady cash flow while the larger shipbuilding projects mature over time. 3. Block Fabrication Facility: CSL is planning a new block fabrication yard near Kochi. This ensures that large ship projects can be handled at a faster pace. The investment is necessary if the company is to move from single, complex defence projects to higher-volume commercial work. Leveraging partnerships to build a real advantage CSL signed an MoU in July 2025 for long-term cooperation with HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE). This agreement brings in advanced shipbuilding technology and operating standards that can help India compete with established South Korean and Chinese yards. Indias natural edge lies in labour. The average shipyard worker costs approximately $1,200 per year, compared to more than $21,000 in South Korea. On paper, that gives India one of the strongest labour cost advantages in the world. However, in practice, this benefit has been offset by expensive financing, a heavy dependence on imported materials, and slow logistics, characterized by high port charges and weak road links. The new Dry Dock, along with the technology transfer from HD KSOE, aims to close that gap. Also, the governments decision to classify large ship projects as infrastructure opens the door to cheaper capital. Together, these steps allow CSL to use its labour advantage more effectively. CSL is positioning itself for export and commercial work. The success of this plan depends on how quickly it can scale operations at the New Dry Dock and absorb technology from HD KSOE. Building for a greener future Cochin Shipyard is participating in Indias transition to cleaner maritime transportation. Alongside Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, it is building one of the countrys first ships powered by green hydrogen fuel cells, using homegrown technology. The project is backed by the National Green Hydrogen Mission, which has allocated approximately 115 crore for infrastructure and technology development through FY26. This early involvement gives CSL a head start. It keeps the company aligned with future fuel mandates and places it at the centre of emerging hydrogen hubs at Tuticorin and Paradip. View Full Image Source: Cochin Shipyard Investor Presentation In 1Q FY26, Cochin Shipyard turned in a strong performance. Revenue from operations was up about 39% from the same period last year, driven mainly by the ship repair business. Even with higher fixed costs from the new facilities coming online, profitability held steady. Operating profit rose roughly 36% year-on-year, with margins essentially unchanged, and net profit moved up sharply as well. In FY26, revenue grew 25.8% to 4,820 crore. Operating profit rose to 1,280 crore, up from 1,190 crore on-year. Net profit advanced to 830 crore from 780 crore. Margins remained healthy despite the costs of expansion projects. Order book and revenue visibility Cochin Shipyards order book remains strong and well-balanced. In FY26, the company reported a backlog of about 21,100-22,500 crore, which translates into nearly five years of revenue visibility. Defence contracts still form the bulk of the order book, but the mix is changing. The share of defence projects has decreased from about 88% a few years ago to 66% as of June 2025. Commercial shipbuilding now accounts for roughly 27%, with export orders making up around 20% of the total value. Ship repair contributes another 7%, or about 1,500 crore. This marks real progress in diversification. CSLs revenue is becoming broader, less dependent on government orders, and better positioned to handle changes in demand. Management guidance and long-term trajectory Management expects revenue to grow meaningfully on the back of their new facilities coming online and a strong order book in execution. They are targeting higher profit margins. Beyond this year, they laid out a plan for sustained growth over the next 5-10 years. Large facilities like the New Dry Dock take time to translate into profits because shipbuilding cycles run long. In contrast, the International Ship Repair Facility is expected to deliver right away. That means profitability depends heavily on getting high-margin repair work through the system quickly, while the shipbuilding side ramps up more slowly. Instead of focusing solely on new builds, CSL is increasingly leaning into maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) contracts. These are high-margin and short-cycle, and they feed directly into the ISRF. The recent large MRO contract with the defence ministry is an example of this. It locks in stable defence-related repair work while international customers like Maersk bring in commercial volume. Final due diligence note Cochin Shipyard is in a strong strategic position. Its foundation is secured by sovereign defence mandates, which provide reliable visibility into future revenues. At the same time, the company has transitioned from simply building capacity to utilizing that capacity on high-volume international projects. But the risks should not be ignored. Long-cycle defence contracts tie up working capital and leave the company exposed to execution delays. New facilities, while impressive, create immediate pressure to fill capacity and scale utilisation quickly. If the assets are not fed with enough high-margin work, profitability will be impacted. Success depends on external and internal factors. Externally, the stability of partnerships with Maersk and HD KSOE will determine whether the commercial order flow is durable. Internally, governance and operational discipline will determine whether CSL can deliver at the promised scale. Also Read | Capital goods get a selective shine in Q2 as private capex lags Investors should evaluate the company's fundamentals, corporate governance, and stock valuation as key factors when conducting due diligence before making investment decisions. Happy Investing. Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only. It is not a stock recommendation and should not be treated as such. This article is syndicated from Equitymaster.com. LG Electronics shares continued to rise for a second consecutive day today, following its impressive debut on Tuesday, October 14. On the NSE, LG Electronics India share price debuted at 1,710.10, showcasing a premium of 50%. Ultimately, the shares finished 48.23% higher at 1,689.90. Similarly, LG Electronics share price made a remarkable market entry and concluded with a gain of over 48% compared to its issue price of 1,140 on the BSE. The shares began trading at 1,715, reflecting a surge of 50.43% from the original issue price on the BSE. During the day, the stock climbed 52.31% to reach 1,736.40. By the end of the trading session, the company's shares closed at 1,689.40, marking an increase of 48.19%. The company's market capitalisation was recorded at 1,14,671.81 crore. The initial public offering (IPO) of LG Electronics India was oversubscribed by 54.02 times on the final day of bidding, spurred by strong participation from institutional investors. Mohit Gulati, CIO and managing partner of ITI Growth Opportunities Fund, believes that the sharp 50% pop in LG Electronics' share price is a reflection of deep investor confidence in the companys fundamentals and future readiness. Interestingly, beyond the strong Institutional & retail participation, it was the employee portion that witnessed overwhelming subscription and rightly so. The people of a company are its true essence. The value theyve helped create over years of hard work and loyalty is now reflecting back on them. This isnt just a financial reward its an emotional one that supersedes all, he added. LG Electronics' IPO consisted entirely of an Offer For Sale (OFS) of 10.18 crore shares, which accounts for approximately 15% of the stake, offered by the parent company based in South Korea. This marks the second South Korean firm to enter the Indian stock market, following Hyundai Motors India Ltd's listing in October of the previous year. The LG Electronics IPO, valued at 11,607 crore, had a price band set between 1,080 and 1,140 per share. More upside or profit-taking due for LG shares? Arun Kejriwal, founder of Kejriwal Research and Investment Services, stated that there were three to four factors that contributed to LG Electronics Indias significant 50% premium listing. Firstly, the issue was reasonably priced. Secondly, the company operates in a sector where it is a leading player. In the electronic and white goods market, it is among the top firms and is widely respected compared to Japanese, Korean, and Chinese brands available in the country. It has a legacy, having been in India for approximately 66 years. All these aspects create a positive sentiment about the brand. Another crucial aspect is that this is the second Korean firm to go public after Hyundai. The situation with Hyundai deteriorated from the first day of listing. At that time, the company was looking to raise funds, but it lacked capacity and there were no growth prospects until a new plant commenced operations, which were seen as negative factors from an investor's viewpoint. In contrast, this company is raising money for an OFS while also discussing new expansion plans, with the plant expected to become operational much sooner. They are establishing a large facility, he added. The issue attracted significant subscription, and there was lively grey market activity from the outset, he observed. LG Electronics IPO GMP gradually increased, and yesterday's listing exceeded the GMP, resulting in a 50% pop. Considering the subscription numbers that the company experienced, such a jump is quite rare, added Kejriwal. On the downside, however, it seems very unlikely that this price can be maintained in the short term, said the veteran analyst. Investors who have received shares should consider whether to lock in profits or maintain a stop loss at the day's low upon listing, he advised. The Indian stock market benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, are likely to open higher on Wednesday, amid mixed global market cues, and tracking the trends in the Gift Nifty. The trends on Gift Nifty also indicate a positive start for the Indian benchmark index. The Gift Nifty was trading around 25,287 level, a premium of nearly 81 points from the Nifty futures previous close. On Tuesday, the Indian stock market closed in the red, with the benchmark Nifty 50 slipping below 25,200 level. The Sensex dropped 297.07 points, or 0.36%, to close at 82,029.98, while the Nifty 50 settled 81.85 points, or 0.32%, lower at 25,145.50. Heres what to expect from Nifty 50 and Bank Nifty today: Nifty OI Data In the derivatives segment, the highest Nifty Call Open Interest (OI) was seen at the 25,200 strike, indicating strong resistance, while the maximum Put Open Interest was concentrated around the 25,000 levels, marking key support zones for the index in the near term, said Hardik Matalia, Derivative Analyst - Research at Choice Equity Broking Private Limited. Nifty 50 Prediction Nifty 50 formed a bearish candle on the daily chart, resembling a bearish engulfing pattern. A long bear candle was formed on the daily chart with minor lower shadow. Tuesdays negative candle has engulfed the small positive candle of Tuesday. This is not a good indication and signals some more consolidation or minor weakness in the short term. Daily 10 and 20 period EMA has acted as a support for the market on Tuesday. The next lower supports to be watched are around 25,000 - 24,900 levels, said Nagaraj Shetti, Senior Technical Research Analyst at HDFC Securities. Nilesh Jain, Head Technical and Derivatives Research Analyst (Equity Research), Centrum Broking Ltd. noted that the Nifty 50 index found support near its 21-DMA at 25,060 and rebounded sharply to close above the 25,100 level. At present, Nifty 50 appears to be consolidating within a range of 25,000 25,300, which are acting as key support and resistance levels respectively. A decisive breakout above 25,300 would be required to trigger the next leg of the upmove, said Jain. Dr. Praveen Dwarakanath, Vice President of Hedged.in said that the Nifty 50 index has immediate resistance at the 25,350 level and support at the 25,050 level. Although yesterdays candle engulfed the gains of the last three days, it did not break the support, indicating the strength of the bulls. The talks between the US and China on the trade war can reduce international tensions, which could be a reason for a possible rally from current levels, said Dwarakanath. Bank Nifty Prediction Bank Nifty index declined 128.55 points, or 0.23%, to close at 56,496.45 on Tuesday, forming a small-bodied bearish candlestick with a long lower shadow on the daily chart. Technically, Bank Nifty index continues to trade above its crucial moving averages, indicating underlying resilience. The daily RSI remains in the bullish zone, suggesting that momentum is still intact and the index may attempt to stabilize or rebound in the near term. Going ahead, the zone of 56,800 - 56,900 will act as a crucial hurdle for the index. Any sustainable move above the level of 56,900 will lead to a sharp upside rally upto the 57,500 level. While, on the downside, the zone of 56,300 - 56,200 will act as important support for the index, said Sudeep Shah, Head - Technical Research and Derivatives at SBI Securities. Hrishikesh Yedve, AVP Technical and Derivative Research, Asit C. Mehta Investment Intermediates Ltd. highlighted that the Bank Nifty index formed a bearish Harami candlestick pattern on the daily scale, indicating selling pressure at higher levels. Also Read | Breakout stocks to buy or sell: Sumeet Bagadia recommends five shares to buy On the downside, the major support for the Bank Nifty index is placed near 55,800, while resistance is placed near 57,000. Overall, we expect Bank Nifty to consolidate within the 55,800 57,000 range with positive bias in the short term, said Yedve. Bajaj Broking Research expects the Bank Nifty index to consolidate in the range of 55,600 - 57,000 in the coming sessions, thus forming a base for the next leg of up move. Bank Nifty index has immediate resistance at 57,000 levels. A move above the same will open further upside towards all time high placed around 57,600 levels. Key support is placed at 55,500 - 55,700 levels being the confluence of the 20 days EMA, bullish gap area of 6 October and recent breakout area, said Bajaj Broking Research. India's central bank does not target any price level on the rupee, governor Sanjay Malhotra reiterated at an International Monetary Fund and World Bank event on Wednesday. The rupee has been in a firm downward trend, weighed by U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policies, including tariffs against India, and geopolitical tensions. Also Read | USD vs INR: Rupee recovers 88 paise from record closing low against US dollar The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) frequent interventions have kept the rupee from breaching its all-time low of 88.80, last touched on September 30. "We believe in the markets to decide what the level should be... Our effort really is to ensure that there is an orderly movement of the rupee both sides, and any undue or any abnormal volatility is curbed," he said. The RBI intervened heavily in the currency market on Wednesday to shore up the rupee, traders said, mirroring the central bank's moves to defend the local currency in February. Malhotra also said the RBI wants to promote its central bank digital currency (CBDC) over stablecoins or cryptocurrencies. Earlier this month, the RBI launched a retail sandbox for CBDC, allowing fintech firms to build and test solutions as part of the ongoing pilot. At the start of 2025, investors were cautious about a recovery in RBL Bank share price following their prolonged underperformance, with most choosing to exclude the stock from their portfolios, doubting any rebound. However, those who continued to hold have witnessed massive wealth creation, as the RBL Bank share price staged a stellar rally in recent months, making it a top performer among the banking stocks. Also Read | India central banks heavy hand returns to support rupee The shares of the private sector lender have surged from their February lows of 149 apiece to the current level of 305, delivering a massive gain of 105%. RBL Bank share price has closed higher in seven of the past eight months, marking its biggest sustained rally since listing in 2016 and establishing it as one of 2025s most notable turnaround champions. The recent upswing has also lifted the shares to their highest level since March 2020, pushing year-to-date returns to 90%, the strongest calendar-year performance in the past nine years. Although RBL Bank's share price had seen a massive turnaround, it is still down by 57% from its record high of 716.55 apiece, clocked in May 2019. Also Read | A suitor from the Middle East for India's RBL Bank Key triggers for turnaround in RBL Bank's stock RBL Bank shares have gained momentum following a sharp improvement in financial performance in recent quarters, including better asset quality, while the rally received additional support from reports that Dubai-based Emirates NBD, is looking to acquire a majority stake. Emirates NBD is eyeing a 60% stake in Mumbai-based RBL Bank, after accounting for the mandatory open offer, CNBC TV18 reported on Wednesday, citing sources. The bank is likely to acquire shares through a fresh equity issuance to its wholly owned subsidiary, which would mean that the entire investment is directly infused into RBL Bank. The deal, expected to be announced in the coming days, has received informal approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a change of control, the report said. It further noted that, if completed, the transaction would mark the largest single foreign direct investment (FDI) in Indias banking sector. The development comes months after the RBI granted Emirates NBD in-principle approval in May 2025 to establish a wholly owned subsidiary in India. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has increasingly encouraged foreign investment to strengthen mid-sized banks, as seen in its approval of Japans Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) acquiring a 24.9% stake in Yes Bank in August. Mutual funds, FPIs increase stake in RBL Bank Domestic mutual funds significantly boosted their holdings in RBL Bank during the June quarter, with their collective stake rising to 29.18% from 15.27% in Q4 FY25. Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) also added to its exposure, holding 1.27% at the end of Q1. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) increased their stake to 17.6% in Q1 from 14.4% in Q4 FY25, while general shareholders continue to hold a majority of 47.7%, although this declined from 64.4% in the previous quarter. The Indian stock market witnessed healthy across-segment buying on Wednesday, October 15, amid positive global cues. The Sensex jumped 575 points, or 0.70 per cent, to end at 82,605.43, while the Nifty 50 settled at 25,323.55, up 178 points, or 0.731per cent. The BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices outperformed, rising 1.07 per cent and 0.78 per cent, respectively. The overall market capitalisation of BSE-listed firms rose to nearly 464 lakh crore from about 460 lakh crore in the previous session, making investors richer by 4 lakh crore in a single session. Indian stock market: 10 key highlights from the day 1. Why did the Indian stock market rise today? Positive global cues influenced domestic market sentiment amid expectations of the US Fed rate cuts. In Europe, CAC 40 jumped over 2 per cent, while in Asia, Kospi jumped more than 2 per cent, and Nikkei and Hang Seng jumped almost 2 per cent. US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Tuesday that while the economy appears to be in good shape, the job market looks weak, providing subtle hints that the central bank may continue cutting rates in October and perhaps in December as well. The US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) will meet on October 28-29 and December 9-10 this year. The market is discounting a 25-basis-point Fed rate cut in both October and December. 2. Top gainers in the Nifty 50 index today As many as 38 stocks ended higher in the Nifty 50 index, among which Bajaj Finance (up 4.07 per cent), Nestle India (up 3.98 per cent), and Bajaj Finserv (up 3.14 per cent) ended as the top gainers. 3. Top losers in the Nifty 50 index Shares of Infosys (down 1.04 per cent), Bajaj Auto (down 0.96 per cent), and Tata Motors (down 0.90 per cent) ended as the top losers in the index. 4. Sectoral indices today Nifty Realty clocked a strong gain of 3.04 per cent, while PSU Bank (up 1.67 per cent), Metal (up 1 per cent), and FMCG (up 1 per cent) also clocked healthy gains. Nifty Bank rose 0.54 per cent, while Financial Services also rose 0.91 per cent. 5. Most active counters in terms of volume Vodafone Idea (76 crore shares), Tata Silver Exchange Traded Fund (15 crore shares), and Nippon India Silver ETF (13 crore shares) were the most active counters in terms of volume on the NSE. 6. 28 stocks jump over 10% on BSE Genesys International Corporation, Tatva Chintan Pharma, Kretto Syscon, Gujarat Raffia Industries, and Trejhara Solutions were among the 28 stocks that jumped by more than 10 per cent on the BSE. 7. Advance-decline ratio Out of 4,326 stocks traded on the BSE, 2,503 advanced, while 1,659 declined. Some 164 stocks remained unchanged. 8. Nearly 150 stocks hit 52-week highs As many as 149 stocks, including Bajaj Finance, Eternal, Canara Bank, Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company, L&T Finance, Bank of Maharashtra, MCX, RBL Bank, and Tata Communications, hit their 52-week highs in intraday trade on the BSE. 9. Nearly 140 stocks hit 52-week lows Some 137 stocks, including Godrej Agrovet, KNR Constructions, Vedant Fashions, SKF India, and Westlife Foodworld, hit their 52-week lows on the BSE. 10. Nifty's technical outlook According to Ajit Mishra, SVP of research at Religare Broking, the Nifty looks poised to retest the trendline hurdle near 25,450, and a decisive breakout above this level could propel the index toward 25,650 and beyond. "We maintain a bullish bias and continue to advocate a 'buy on dips' approach as long as the index holds above the 25,000 support zone," said Mishra. According to Bajaj Broking, the Nifty formed a bullish candle with a higher high and higher low, signalling a lack of follow-through from the previous session's bearish engulfing candle, which highlights the continuation of positive momentum. "The index moved above last week's high (25,330), signalling continuation of the formation of a higher high in the weekly chart, indicating positive bias. On the higher side, the index is expected to extend the current up move towards 25,450-25,500 levels, being the trendline resistance joining the major highs of September 2024 and July 2025," said the brokerage firm. "Immediate support lies around 25,00025,100, which coincides with the previous swing low and the 20-day and 50-day EMAs. Index sustaining above the same will keep the short-term bias positive," Bajaj Broking said. Read all market-related news here Read more stories by Nishant Kumar The Indian equity benchmarks concluded Tuesday's session in the red, succumbing to broad-based selling pressure and cautious global cues stemming from the renewed U.S.-China trade tensions. Nifty 50 closed 82 points lower, or 0.32%, settling near 25,123, while Sensex dropped nearly 297 points. The day was marked by a significantly negative market breadth, with the overall advance-decline ratio on the NSE resting approximately at 0.37, reflecting a clear dominance of decliners over gainers. The overall outlook remains one of consolidation as the market awaits fresh domestic catalysts. Two stock recommendations by MarketSmith India: Buy: Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited (current price: 7,761) Why its recommended: Strong brand leadership in Indian healthcare, expanding hospital network and digital health ecosystem, rising healthcare demand and insurance penetration in India, increasing medical tourism inflows, consistent operating margins, and cash flow generation Key metrics: P/E: 69.13, 52-week high: 7,980, volume: 320.30 crore 7,980, volume: 320.30 crore Technical analysis: Reclaimed 100-DMA Risk factors: High competition in the hospital and diagnostics sector, regulatory risks on pricing and margins, rising operating and staff costs, potential margin pressure from digital and retail initiatives Buy: 7,7007,800 7,7007,800 Target price: 8,600 in two to three months 8,600 in two to three months Stop loss: 7,420 Buy: Premier Energies Limited (current price: 1,057) Why its recommended: Integrated solar cell & module manufacturing footprint, epc, o&m & ipp business diversification Key metrics: P/E: 44.90; 52-week high: 1,388; volume: 158.87 crore 1,388; volume: 158.87 crore Technical analysis: Possible trendline breakout Risk factors: Customer concentration & revenue dependence, capacity under-utilization & execution risk Buy at: 1,0501,070 1,0501,070 Target price: 1,200 in two to three months 1,200 in two to three months Stop loss: 1,998 Nifty 50 recap On 14 October 2025, the Indian equity market ended on a weak note, with Nifty 50 closing at 25,145.50, down 81.85 points or 0.32% from the previous close of 25,227.35. The index traded between 25,060.55 and 25,310.35 during the session, showing mild volatility. Selling pressure was visible across most sectors, with notable declines in FMCG (-0.48%), IT (-0.33%), Pharma (-0.75%), PSU Bank (-1.52%), and Consumer Durables (-1.08%). Other sectors like Metal, Realty, and Oil and Gas also ended lower, indicating broad-based weakness. Market breadth was negative, with 836 stocks advancing, 2,266 declining, and 95 remaining unchanged, reflecting bearish sentiment and profit-booking across the board. Nifty 50 is showing mild weakness after facing resistance near recent highs. Price remains above its key moving averages, indicating medium-term strength. However, the RSI is at 55, suggesting a loss of momentum from overbought levels, hinting at potential consolidation. The MACD line, though positive, is narrowing toward the signal line, signaling fading bullish momentum. Overall, short-term sentiment appears cautious, with traders likely to await confirmation before fresh directional moves. According to O'Neils methodology of market direction, the market status has been downgraded to an "Uptrend Under Pressure" as Nifty breached its "50-DMA" and the "distribution day count" is at one. The index closed lower amid weak global cues and now appears poised for a consolidation phase within 25,05025,350. A decisive breakout on either side of this band will dictate the next directional move. On the upside, a sustained move above 25,350 could pave the way for a rally toward 25,500 in the near term. Conversely, a close below 25,050 may invite renewed selling pressure, potentially dragging the index toward 24,90024,800. Until a clear breakout materializes, range-bound movement with a cautious undertone is expected to dominate market action. How did Nifty Bank Perform? Bank Nifty opened on a mildly negative note and remained under pressure for most of the session. It formed a bearish candle on the daily chart, characterized by a lower-high and lower-low price structure. Despite this, the broader bullish momentum remains intact, as the index continues to trend comfortably above all its key moving averages. During the day, it opened at 56,598.65, touched an intraday high of 56,721.30, and a low of 56,230.15, before closing at 56,496.45. This showcases a resilient recovery from early-session weakness. The underlying strength of the trend suggests that buyers are still defending declines effectively. However, volatility may remain elevated as traders adjust positions ahead of key economic cues. The index shows improving momentum, with the RSI stable around 64 and the MACD holding a positive crossover above its signal line, both indicating sustained bullish bias. However, a decisive breakout is still needed to confirm stronger directional conviction. Until such confirmation, traders should remain cautious, focusing on selective, high-quality setups while avoiding excessive leverage. Maintaining discipline and flexibility will be crucial to navigating the current market environment and managing potential volatility effectively. Bank Nifty ended the session slightly lower but maintained its position above all its key moving averages, highlighting continued strength in the banking sector. This steady performance indicates potential for an upward move toward the previous peak of 57,628, about 2% higher. However, after a consistent rise, some mild profit-taking at elevated levels seems possible. On the downside, the 55,300 and 55,000 zones remain vital support, likely providing short-term stability and attractive entry points during minor corrections. Also Read | DMart's dull Q2 and outlook signal a tough road ahead for the stock MarketSmith India is a stock research platform and advisory service focused on the Indian stock market. It offers tools and resources to help investors make informed decisions based on the CAN SLIM methodology, founded by legendary investor William J. O'Neil. You can access a 10-day free trial by registering on its website. Trade name: William ONeil India Pvt. Ltd. Sebi Registration No.: INH000015543 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. Also Read | Capital goods get a selective shine in Q2 as private capex lags The Indian equity benchmarks concluded Tuesday's session in the red, succumbing to broad-based selling pressure and cautious global cues stemming from the renewed US-China trade tensions. Nifty 50 closed 82 points lower, or 0.32%, settling near 25,123, while Sensex dropped nearly 297 points. The day was marked by a significantly negative market breadth, with the overall advance-decline ratio on the NSE resting approximately at 0.37, reflecting a clear dominance of decliners over gainers. The overall outlook remains one of consolidation as the market awaits fresh domestic catalysts. Amid this, top market experts recommend these stocks to buy on 13 Two stock recommendations by MarketSmith India: Buy: Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited (current price: 7,761) Why its recommended: Strong brand leadership in Indian healthcare, expanding hospital network and digital health ecosystem, rising healthcare demand and insurance penetration in India, increasing medical tourism inflows, consistent operating margins, and cash flow generation Strong brand leadership in Indian healthcare, expanding hospital network and digital health ecosystem, rising healthcare demand and insurance penetration in India, increasing medical tourism inflows, consistent operating margins, and cash flow generation Key metrics: P/E: 69.13, 52-week high: 7,980, volume: 320.30 crore P/E: 69.13, 52-week high: 7,980, volume: 320.30 crore Technical analysis: Reclaimed 100-DMA Reclaimed 100-DMA Risk factors: High competition in the hospital and diagnostics sector, regulatory risks on pricing and margins, rising operating and staff costs, potential margin pressure from digital and retail initiatives High competition in the hospital and diagnostics sector, regulatory risks on pricing and margins, rising operating and staff costs, potential margin pressure from digital and retail initiatives Buy: 7,7007,800 7,7007,800 Target price: 8,600 in two to three months 8,600 in two to three months Stop loss: 7,420 Buy: Premier Energies Limited (current price: 1,057) Why its recommended: Integrated solar cell & module manufacturing footprint, epc, o&m & ipp business diversification Integrated solar cell & module manufacturing footprint, epc, o&m & ipp business diversification Key metrics: P/E: 44.90; 52-week high: 1,388; volume: 158.87 crore P/E: 44.90; 52-week high: 1,388; volume: 158.87 crore Technical analysis: Possible trendline breakout Possible trendline breakout Risk factors: Customer concentration & revenue dependence, capacity under-utilization & execution risk Customer concentration & revenue dependence, capacity under-utilization & execution risk Buy at: 1,0501,070 1,0501,070 Target price: 1,200 in two to three months 1,200 in two to three months Stop loss: 1,998 Three stocks to trade, recommended by NeoTraders Raja Venkatraman: JSL (Cmp 775.55) JSL: Buy above 780 , stop 755 target 860 (Multiday) Why its recommended: Jindal Stainless Limited (JSL) is a leading Indian stainless-steel manufacturer and a major global player, headquartered in New Delhi. The last few days prices are holding the bullish bias and the moved beyond the clouds enhancing the possibility of more upward traction. As momentum is now picking up one can look at more upside in store in the next few days. Jindal Stainless Limited (JSL) is a leading Indian stainless-steel manufacturer and a major global player, headquartered in New Delhi. The last few days prices are holding the bullish bias and the moved beyond the clouds enhancing the possibility of more upward traction. As momentum is now picking up one can look at more upside in store in the next few days. Key metrics: P/E: 22.99, 52-week high: 818.20, Volume: 369.54K. Technical analysis: Support at 700, resistance at 900. Support at 700, resistance at 900. Risk factors: Volatility in raw material prices, potential for large debt-funded acquisitions, and sustained drops. Volatility in raw material prices, potential for large debt-funded acquisitions, and sustained drops. Buy at: above 780. above 780. Target price: 870 in 1 month. 870 in 1 month. Stop loss: 725. LTFOODS (Cmp 407.40) LTFOODS: Buy above 408, stop 395 target 441 (Intraday) Why its recommended: LT Foods is a leading player in the consumer food segment, with a focus on specialty rice, rice-based products, and organic food & ingredients. The prices have spent the last few days in consolidation and the strong rebound from cloud support levels have indicated some new found buying. With a GST cut adding some encouraging tailwinds to the price action new found momentum is seen. Consider going long at current levels and also on dips. LT Foods is a leading player in the consumer food segment, with a focus on specialty rice, rice-based products, and organic food & ingredients. The prices have spent the last few days in consolidation and the strong rebound from cloud support levels have indicated some new found buying. With a GST cut adding some encouraging tailwinds to the price action new found momentum is seen. Consider going long at current levels and also on dips. Key metrics: P/E: 71.32, 52-week high: 518.35 Volume: 1.07M Technical analysis: Support at 390, resistance at 450. Support at 390, resistance at 450. Risk factors: Increased competition, regulatory changes, and sector-specific challenges in the dairy industry. Increased competition, regulatory changes, and sector-specific challenges in the dairy industry. Buy at: above 408. above 408. Target price: 441. 441. Stop loss: 395. SKFINDIA (Cmp 5008.40) SKFINDIA: Buy above 5010, stop 4890 target 5250 (Intraday) Why its recommended: SKF India is a leading manufacturer and supplier of motion engineering solutions, including bearings, seals, and lubrication systems, for the automotive and industrial sectors. With the slow but steady recovery seen in the Automotive space backed by the GST council recommendations this counter has been steadily forming a rounding base at the cloud support region. With the long body candle seen on Tuesdays dull market has now fuelled more buying interest in the counter. Consider a buy. SKF India is a leading manufacturer and supplier of motion engineering solutions, including bearings, seals, and lubrication systems, for the automotive and industrial sectors. With the slow but steady recovery seen in the Automotive space backed by the GST council recommendations this counter has been steadily forming a rounding base at the cloud support region. With the long body candle seen on Tuesdays dull market has now fuelled more buying interest in the counter. Consider a buy. Key metrics: P/E: 196.61, 52-week high: 5488.95, volume: 81.88K. Technical analysis: Support at 4600, resistance at 5300. Support at 4600, resistance at 5300. Risk factors: volatility in raw material prices, challenges from counterfeit products, foreign exchange rate fluctuations, and competitive pressures. volatility in raw material prices, challenges from counterfeit products, foreign exchange rate fluctuations, and competitive pressures. Buy at: above 5010. above 5010. Target price: 5250. 5250. Stop loss: 4890. Three stocks to buy today: Ankush Bajaj's top recommendations for today: Buy: 360 One Wam Ltd Current Price: 1,126.70 Why its recommended: 360 One Wam is displaying renewed strength after a brief consolidation phase, supported by strong accumulation and momentum in wealth management stocks. The daily RSI at 66.4 suggests bullish momentum with healthy room for further upside. The MACD at +4.9 confirms a positive crossover, indicating trend continuation, while the ADX at 37.8 reflects a strengthening trend. The stock remains above its short-term moving averages, confirming ongoing institutional participation. Key metrics: RSI (14-day): 66.4 bullish and strengthening MACD (12,26): +4.9 positive crossover, trend intact ADX (14): 37.8 strengthening trend Technical view: Sustaining above 1,113 will maintain the bullish bias, with potential for a move toward 1,152. Risk factors: -Sensitive to changes in equity market performance and fund inflows. -Regulatory developments in the wealth and asset management space could affect sentiment. Buy at: 1,126.70 Stop loss: 1,113 Target price: 1,152 Buy: Central Depository Services (India) Ltd (CDSL) Current Price: 1,606.50 Why its recommended: CDSL continues to show strong upside momentum, supported by positive trends in retail participation and record demat account additions. The RSI at 68.1 indicates strong bullish momentum, while the MACD at +7.6 confirms an active positive crossover. The ADX at 42.3 highlights robust trend strength, suggesting follow-through buying is likely. The stock remains in a higher-high, higher-low formation, supported by rising volumes. Key metrics: RSI (14-day): 68.1 bullish momentum sustained MACD (12,26): +7.6 positive crossover, confirming strength ADX (14): 42.3 strong trend continuation Technical view: Sustaining above 1,588 maintains the bullish setup, with room to test 1,640 in the near term. Risk factors: -Sensitive to capital market activity and new account growth. -Changes to regulatory or transaction fee structures may impact revenues. Buy at: 1,606.50 Stop loss: 1,588 Target price: 1,640 Buy: BSE Ltd Current Price: 2,448.30 Why its recommended: BSE Ltd continues to attract strong buying interest, supported by robust business performance and rising trading volumes in both equity and derivatives segments. The daily RSI at 70.9 reflects strong bullish momentum near overbought territory, while the MACD at +18.7 confirms powerful trend continuation. The ADX at 46.1 signals a very strong ongoing uptrend, suggesting that momentum remains intact for further upside. The breakout above recent consolidation levels reinforces the bullish setup. Key metrics: RSI (14-day): 70.9 strong bullish momentum MACD (12,26): +18.7 powerful upward trend confirmation ADX (14): 46.1 very strong trend strength Technical view: Holding above 2,354 keeps the uptrend intact, with potential for a rally toward 2,640. Risk factors: -Volatility in market volumes or transaction revenue growth could affect performance. -Regulatory shifts in exchange fees or competition may influence valuations. Buy at: 2,448.30 Stop loss: 2,354 Target price: 2,640 Raja Venkatraman is co-founder, NeoTrader. His Sebi-registered research analyst registration no. is INH000016223. 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 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. 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. Stock market today: Both benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, closed lower on Tuesday, October 14, marking their second straight session of losses amid weak global cues. The Sensex declined 297 points, or 0.36 per cent, to finish at 82,029.98, while the Nifty 50 slipped 82 points, or 0.32 per cent, to settle at 25,145.50. "Markets opened on a positive note but failed to sustain early gains, ending marginally lower as trade-related concerns overshadowed favorable domestic cues. The Nifty slipped about 0.2%, settling at 25,145.50, after briefly retesting the 25,300 mark. Most sectors came under pressure, with metal, pharma, and realty emerging as the top losers, while select names from financials and private banks provided some support. The broader indices also faced selling pressure, with mid- and small-cap indices losing nearly a percent each. The decline was largely driven by renewed worries over U.S.China trade tensions and weak global cues, which offset optimism from strong IPO listings and improving IT earnings. While LG Electronics Indias stellar market debut captured investor attention, its strength couldnt lift overall sentiment," said Ajit Mishra SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd. Heres a quick look at stocks likely to be in focus in today's trade. Stocks to watch on Wednesday, October 15 Axis Bank, IRFC, Tata Communications, HDFC Life Shares of Axis Bank, IRFC, Tata Communications, HDFC Life will remain in focus as companies will be declaring Q2 results. Tech Mahindra Net profit declines 4.4 per cent to 1,194.5 crore from 1,250.1 crore, while revenue rises 5.1 per cent to 13,994.9 crore from 13,313.2 crore. Ola Electric Ola Electric is poised to foray into the energy storage market, projected to surpass $30 billion by 2030, according to PTI report. ICICI Lombard ICICI Lombard General Insurance posted a net profit of 819.5 crore for Q2 FY26, marking an 18.1% year-on-year rise. The companys total income increased 12.5% to 6,582.7 crore, while the board declared an interim dividend of 6.5 per share. Mishra Dhatu Nigam MIDHANI has secured a fresh order valued at 306 crore, raising its total open order book to around 2,212 crore. Maruti Suzuki Maruti Suzuki India has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Tamil Nadu government to automate driving test tracks across the state. Sula Vineyards The company posted Q2 FY26 revenue of 139.7 crore, marginally lower than 141.2 crore recorded a year ago. Vedanta The competition watchdog, CCI, has granted in-principle approval for mining giant Vedanta to acquire debt-laden Jaiprakash Associates, provided it emerges successful in the ongoing insolvency process. Keystone Realtors Promoters Boman Irani, Chandresh Mehta, and Percy Chowdhry plan to sell up to a 3.63% stake (4.58 million shares) in Keystone Realtors Ltd via an Offer for Sale (OFS) valued at up to 251.7 crore. Hyundai Motor India The Board has approved the succession plan for the companys Managing Director. Unsoo Kim, the current Managing Director, will step down and return to South Korea to assume a strategic role at Hyundai Motor Company, effective December 31, 2025. New-age tech stocks have seen a volatile run in the Indian stock market, with food delivery (FD) and quick commerce (QC) facing multiple headwinds. Analysts now believe the cycle is turning, with FD growth expected to accelerate beyond 20% over the next 24 quarters, supported by festive demand and GST reforms. In QC, competition is easing as new entrants struggle, dark store expansion slows, and discounting reduces. GST reforms are also seen boosting adoption in non-metro cities. Food delivery and quick commerce giant Eternal is set to deliver its Q2 results on Thursday, October 16. While Eternal is expected to report a sequential improvement in NOV growth as well as margin across its Food Delivery and Quick Commerce businesses, its rival Swiggy is expected to see balance sheet challenges on account of minimal change in absolute QC losses. Also Read | Which banking stock to buy ahead of Q2 results? Heres what to expect from Eternal Q2 results 2025 and Swiggy Q2 results 2025: Eternal Q2 Results Preview Eternals consolidated EBITDA is projected to jump 120% QoQ to 252.5 crore, while net profit may rise to 78.4 crore from 25 crore, sequentially, according to JM Financial. Food Delivery (Zomato): NOV growth of ~6% QoQ (+15% YoY), take-rates at 25.6%, and contribution margin at 10.1%. Adj. EBITDA margin is expected to stay flattish at ~5%. Blinkit: NOV growth of ~28% QoQ (+139% YoY). Take-rates to surge to 56% (from 23.5% YoY), with contribution margin at 4.4% and adj. EBITDA margin improving to -0.8%. Brokerage firm Motilal Oswal Financial Services GOV for FD and QC business to grow 19% and 142% YoY, with take rates of 21.5% and 18.7%, driving an overall revenue increase of 68% YoY. Swiggy Q2 Results Preview Swiggy is expected to narrow losses but remain in the red. EBITDA and PAT losses are projected at 840 crore and 1,094.9 crore versus 953.8 crore and 1,196.8 crore in Q1, as per JM Financial estimates. Food Delivery: GOV growth ~6% QoQ (+19% YoY), take-rates at 22.4%, with adj. EBITDA margin at 2.8% versus 2.4% in Q1. Instamart: GOV growth ~23% QoQ (+106% YoY), with contribution margin improving to -2.8% and adj. EBITDA margin to -11.8%. MOFSL expects Swiggys GOV for FD and QC business to achieve 20% and 106% YoY growth, with take rates of 22.5% and 14.3% in 2QFY26. Also Read | Which railway PSU stock to buy ahead of Q2 results 2025? Eternal Vs Swiggy: Which stock to buy ahead of Q2 results? JM Financial has a Buy rating on Eternal shares with a target price of 400 apiece for September 2026. It maintains Reduce rating on Swiggy shares with an unchanged target price of 440 apiece for September 2026. MOFSL has a Buy call and Eternal share price target of 420 apiece, and a Buy rating on Swiggy shares with a target of 550. Technical Outlook According to Anshul Jain, Head of Research at Lakshmishree Investments, among the two food delivery players, Eternal shares clearly stand out on the charts with superior relative strength, strong price action, and firm momentum. Eternal share price recently broke out above the 300 mark on the weekly timeframe, confirming a bullish setup that projects a potential move toward 500 a target yet to be tested. While Swiggy share price may see sentiment-driven swings around earnings, Eternals technical structure looks far stronger. For traders looking to position ahead of Q2 results, Eternal remains the stock to buy, Jain said. Eternal share price has gained 28% in 2025 so far, while Swiggy share price has declined 19% during the same period. The Frieze, the annual contemporary art fair held in London, is witnessing an unprecedented participation from Indian galleriesnine of them from Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata are part of different sections of the fair. The Frieze often acts as the pulse of the global art market. According to Sree Banerjee Goswami of Project 88, Mumbai, the fair may not be getting as many European museum collectors as it used to post-Brexit, but this has been substituted by greater interest from UK-based institutions. They are now more interested than ever in art from South Asia. And our diaspora, which is more influential now, is making its presence felt," she adds. Project 88 has been an active participant in Frieze London since 2009, and finds it an important platform for engagement with institutional curators and collectors. We are showing a series of sculptures by Amol K. Patil, whose works we have placed with the Tate through the Frieze Tate Fund," she says. Amrita Jhaveri of Jhaveri Contemporary, who is based in London and manages the Mumbai-based gallery with her sister Priya, feels that the prevailing gloom about the global art market does not apply to South Asian art, which is witnessing a resurgence. This year, our main concern is that many Indian collectors may not travel to London for the fair, given the proximity to Diwali," she says. We still look to our home-grown collectors to underpin the success of our stands." In the contemporary section, Jhaveri has a group presentation focused on diaspora artists like Harminder Judge, Lubna Chowdhary, Permindar Kaur, Rana Begum, Shezad Dawood and Suleman Aqeel Khilji, who all live and work in the UK. For Priyanka and Prateek Raja, gallerists at Experimenter, Mumbai and Kolkata, returning to Frieze London always feels special because it was the very first art fair that they participated in 2010 when their gallery was barely a year old. Over the years, we have built long-term relationships with private collectors, museums and institutions that we return to each year," they share. Here we are able to work beyond the conflicting political and economic boundaries that are often in place in South Asia, and this makes Frieze a truly empowering experience for us." This year, Experimenter is presenting works by the Chanakya School for the first time along with other artists on their roster like Bani Abidi, Radhika Khimji, Sakshi Gupta and Christopher Kulendran Thomas. Rounding off the Indian presence are Vadehra Art Gallery and Nature Morte in the contemporary section. Also Read | A visual history of the people of Mumbai in the Civil Disobedience Movement If you are focused on building your credit history while still enjoying the comfort of regular credit card usage, a secured credit card can be of immense help. These credit instruments are backed by collateral such as fixed deposits, providing holders and lending institutions with safety and peace of mind. Secured credit cards can help borrowers establish consistent and clean repayment profiles, thereby boosting their credit scores. I. Build or repair your credit A secured credit card backed by a fixed deposit can help you rebuild your credit history. Regular, timely payments boost your credit score, improve your profile, and make future loan approvals easier. Lending institutions generally prefer applications with credit scores of over 750 or applications secured with a reputable collateral, such as a fixed deposit, gold, property, etc. II. Easier approvals and broader access As this credit card is secured in nature, i.e., backed by collateral, due to the same, the approval criteria are more lenient and accommodating than for unsecured credit cards. Even individual borrowers with a weak credit profile and a low credit score can qualify for such credit cards easily, provided they can meet the collateral requirements. III. Controlled spending and financial discipline With the ongoing festive rush, it is easy for credit card users to get carried away due to the various offers presented to them. Still, in the case of secured credit cards, the credit limit is tied to one's fixed deposit. This puts automatic restrictions and, on a fundamental level, encourages responsible credit card usage. Also Read | Diwali shopping: These credit cards give tempting offers on online purchases This setup helps avoid overspending and emotional rush, thereby fostering proper debt management, a key factor in ensuring long-term financial stability. IV. Security and low risk It would be better to use a secured credit card than carry cash or debit cards for day-to-day expenses. This way, the user remains digitally secure. Especially thanks to the strict regulations and guidelines introduced by the Reserve Bank of India on ways to properly use credit cards. V. Rewards and future upgrades To further promote the idea of secured credit cards and boost financial inclusion in the country, there are banks that offer reward points, cashbacks, perks, along with other benefits that are available to regular credit card holders. Consistent and responsible usage can help users secure premium credit cards and personal loans on easier terms and conditions as their financial condition improves. In an era where credit reputation matters, secured credit cards combine safety, convenience, and reliability, making them a smart step towards healthier personal finance. Still, before going ahead with any particular secured credit card, one should take into account the associated risks. What are the risks associated with secured credit cards? If one defaults on secured credit card payments, then it can result in a loss of collateral. As the bank in such cases will confiscate the collateral pledged by the credit card holder, as per the norms and rules of the initial contract. Missing loan EMIs, or due dates can result in attracting high interest charges. This is something similar to what happens with regular credit card holders if they default on payments. Processing costs, annual charges, and late payment fees can result in reducing the overall benefits of using a secured credit card if the card-related terms and conditions are not understood carefully. Missing due dates, irregular payments can still hurt your credit score and damage your credit profile, even after the collateral security. Also Read | 5 credit card traps to avoid this Diwali and save your finances Therefore, one should only go ahead with secured credit cards after proper due diligence and consultation with a certified financial advisor. For all personal finance updates, visit here. Unemployed members of retirement fund body EPFO will now be able to withdraw their provident fund corpus after 12 months of being out of a job, it announced on October 13. The decision to amend the scheme was taken by apex decision making body of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), the Central Board of Trustees headed by Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, in a meeting held on Monday. This comes at a time when companies like TCS are announcing layoffs across the country. What is the new EPFO rule? According to the new rules of EPFO, unemployed employees will be able to withdraw their final PF amount after 12 months of unemployment. The final PF pension withdrawal must be made only after 36 months. This is up from the current 2 months requirement for both events. It is also decided to change the period for availing premature final settlement of EPF from the existing 2 months to 12 months and final pension withdrawal from 2 months to 36 months, the EPFO said in a statement. The liberalisation of partial withdrawals ensures members can meet immediate financial needs without compromising their retirement savings or pension entitlements, it added. How much PF withdrawal can you do? In the current scenario, you can draw the full PF amount after 12 months of unemployment. The EPFO has also decided that no full PF withdrawal will be allowed, so that it facilitates interest benefits for members. Now, EPFO members will have to keep 25% deposit at all times in their account, and can only withdraw the remaining 75% of their money. How to withdraw PF online? 1. Fill form 19: To be able to withdraw the employees' provident fund money, you need to first fill form number 19 (Form 19). 2. Go to member UAN/online service and enter UAN (Universal account number), password and captcha. 3. Select form 19 (for PF) and 10C (for pension). 4. Enter account number linked to UAN and click verify. 5. If eligible, you can upload 15G or 15 H. 6. Now upload a cheque which has name, account number, IFSC code clearly legible. 7. Now you can click Get Aadhaar OTP. 8. Enter the OTP you received on your registered mobile number. 9. The claim will be submitted to the EPFO which will route it to the designated official for clearing the case. If you want to take a loan and are worried about fraud and scams prevalent around the world, it is recommended that you be aware of all the common frauds. A fraud could be perpetrated by someone who promises a higher personal loan than you are eligible for, or by someone who pretends to be a bank's agent and assures you of a good deal in return for a bribe. To avoid falling into the traps of fraudsters, you must be aware of some of the common scams they pull on unsuspecting victims. Also Read | 5 simple steps to get rid of credit card debt Common personal loan frauds I. Promise of loan you may not be eligible for: Sometimes, you may get a false promise from a fraudster who promises a loan for which you may not be eligible, or a higher loan amount than you would be otherwise given. II. Physical documentation: Another common practice among fraudsters is to send loan application approvals via physical documents instead of online. There are some cases wherein fraudsters manage to convince gullible victims that they have been in touch with a genuine bank employee by showing fake documents or messages. Typically, banks and fintech platforms facilitate the loan approval process online. Therefore, when someone promises to get a loan approval via physical documents, it should ring a bell unless the process is carried out at a bank branch with the aid of a bank employee. III. Messages sent via text/WhatsApp: Some fraudsters fleece victims by sending fake loan approval messages via text or WhatsApp, comprising messages that look very similar to the bank's messages. These are some of the tips which you can follow to stay safe from such loan fraud: I. Keep agents at arm's length: If you are looking for a loan, you should ideally approach the bank or its representative. Approaching a bank via an unauthorised agent or someone who claims to be an agent is a recipe for disaster. Also Read | Fi and Federal Bank jointly launch MagniFi, a weekend credit card II. Official communication of bank: To avoid getting duped by a fraduster, you should make sure that the loan approval came directly from the bank. Bank's communication comes from official email ID. Even text messages sent from a bank's official number are very explicit and one can easily find out whether it is a legit message simply by looking at the sender's phone number. III. Money for credit: If someone promises to give you a loan in return for money (aka bribe), you should simply refuse the offer. It is highly likely that you will not only not receive the loan money, and would also lose your hard-earned money in the process. Specialized steel and engineering products maker Goodluck India Ltd is looking to invest 400 crore to expand artillery shell production at its defence arm at Sikandrabad, Uttar Pradesh, over 12-18 months. The move comes as the company seeks to diversify its revenue base amid global trade uncertainties fuelled by US president Donald Trumps tariff war. The US has imposed 50% tariffs on Indian exports, making it difficult for businesses to plan their capital expenditure. The investments in Goodluck Defence and Aerospace Ltd, to be funded through a mix of debt and equity, underscore the Ghaziabad-headquartered companys intent to balance its traditional export-oriented portfolio, largely focused on the auto and engineering segments, with a steady domestic demand from the defence sector. Ram Aggarwal, chief executive officer, Goodluck India Ltd, said that the expansion at the defence unit will raise the annual production capacity from 150,000 artillery shells to 400,000 over the next one year. The unit, which came up at an investment of 275 crore, is currently under trial run and is expected to generate a revenue of 300 crore by March 2027. Auto-component exports contributed nearly 1,000 crore, or 25%, of Goodluck Indias 4,000 crore revenue last financial year. Shares of Goodluck India settled about 2% lower at 1,262.15 apiece on the BSE on Tuesday. Currently, defence contributes 2% of the companys total revenues, BOB Capital Markets Ltd said in a report, adding that it aims to achieve a defence revenue of 250300 crore over the next 2 years. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, or Ebitda, margins are around 20% in the defence segment, twice that of its current speciality steel and engineering products businesses, which have margins of around 8-10%. In 2024, the company incorporated its wholly-owned subsidiary Goodluck Defence and Aerospace Ltd to strengthen presence in the defence sector. Indias artillery shell manufacturing has seen the entry of conglomerates like Adanis (Adani Defence and Aerospace), Larsen and Toubro and Bharat Forge, driven primarily by the Centres push for self-reliance and preference for homegrown players to meet rising demand for advanced munitions. Also Read | For Indian defence firms, a special US deal is on the way While weve started receiving significant enquiries for artillery shells, the planned expansion also positions us well in sectors less sensitive to external trade fluctuations" Aggarwal told Mint. He, however, refused to share the names of its clients due to non-disclosure agreements. Aggarwal said that the expansion into new high margin verticals" is expected to contribute about 10% of the groups revenue over the next four years, or 800 crore. Earnings before interest and taxes (Ebit) margins, too, are expected to improve from the current 8-10% to over 10%" over this four-year period. According to the September 17 report by BOB Capital Markets, Goodluck India has been a supplier of specialized steel and precision equipment to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Indian Space Research Organisation, Bharat Earth Movers Limited, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd, Walchandnagar Industries, BrahMos Aerospace, L&T Defence and Godrej Aerospace. The company has been a supplier to various defence programmes that include Pralay and BrahMos missiles. Last month, Goodluck India signed a tripartite agreement with BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (BATL) and Axiscades Technologies Ltd to collaborate on the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme. The consortium has since filed an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), Bengaluru. Goodluck India has expanded its overall capacity from 364,000 tonnes in fiscal year 2023 (FY23) to 500,000 tonnes in FY25, with a utilization of 89%, the BOB Capital Markets report said. Investment in the hydraulic tube plant, located at Sikandrabad, that is (an) import substitution product and increased commitment to defence will yield incremental benefits in the next 2-3 years," the BOB Capital Markets report noted. CRISIL reaffirmed the companys A+/Positive/A1 rating on 854.75 crore bank debt, citing working capital management and bank limit utilization as key monitorables. Gross current assets (GCAs) stood at 135 days as on March 31, 2025, driven by receivables of 47 days and inventory of 63 days. The group has a diversified customer profile with domestic payment terms of 60-90 days and export orders are secured through payment confirmation after which material is dispatched. With the increase in export sales the payment realization is better. Raw material inventory of 60-80 days is kept which is majorly order-backed. GCAs are expected at 130-140 days going forward," it noted. Aggarwal said the company has been in investment mode", and expects improving debt and cash flow as high-margin sales increase. On the occasion of Diwali, several airlines have come up with special discount offers on flight tickets. Akasa Air joined IndiGo and Qatar Airways on 15 October in offering discounted airfares. As the festive season is approaching, the travel rush is increasing, with family members going back to their hometowns to celebrate the auspicious festival with their families. Akasa Air's Diwali offer Akasa Air on Wednesday announced up to 20% off flight tickets using the voucher code AKASA20. It is also offering 30% off selected seats and 10% off excess baggage. Adding to the basket of offers are Seat & Meal Deal from INR 699 and Akasa Priority from INR 599. Also Read | Diwali stock picks 2025: 12 Muhurat trading picks by JM Financial Furthermore, Akasa Air is offering a special Diwali platter. From Mini paneer parathas and paneer jalebi with Basundi to Amritsari chole, the airline is offering a Diwali Special Meal on pre-booked flights until 31 October. Also Read | SC allows sale and bursting of green crackers in Delhi-NCR between Oct 18 and 21 Air India adds 166 flights for Diwali and Chhath Puja To meet the surging festive demand, Air India and Air India Express added 166 flights to and from Patna in addition to the scheduled weekly flights. As per a press release dated 14 October, Air India will operate 38 additional flights in each of the following connecting cities from 15 October until 2 November 2025: Between Delhi and Patna Between Mumbai and Patna Between Bengaluru and Patna Air India Express will also operate 26 additional flights in each of the following connecting cities from 22 October until 3 November, 2025 Between Delhi and Patna Between Bengaluru and Patna IndiGo's Diwali offer IndiGo's ongoing special offer on flight tickets is set to conclude in two days, on 17 October. The special airfares are valid on one-way or round-trip bookings on travel scheduled in the coming five months. With domestic fares starting at 2,390 and international fares starting at 8,990, globetrotters can make budget-friendly travel plans between 1 November 2025 and 31 March 2026. Those planning to travel during this time can book tickets at IndiGo's official website, www.goindigo.in. Flight tickets can also be booked through the IndiGo mobile app (Android or iOS) or IndiGo 6ESkai, via the IndiGo WhatsApp number +917065145858, or through select Travel Partners websites or mobile apps. During the same offer period, IndiGo is also offering a 35% discount on hotel bookings, available on goindigo.in. Travel enthusiasts need to use the voucher code HOTEL35 to avail of the offer. Qatar Airways Qatar Airways also announced a Diwali offer on flight tickets from 13 cities in India to America, Africa, and Europe. By booking flight tickets before the 23 October deadline, travellers can avail of up to a 25% discount for travel scheduled before 31 March 2026. Industry leaders including Biocon's Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Peak XV's Rajan Anandan have once again highlighted the infrastructure issue of Bengaluru, which citizens have been flagging for years on the internet. For a long period of time, Bengaluru has been ranked among the top cities of the world with the worst traffic. Along with this, people have over the years highlighted the problem of garbage, potholes and flooding of roads. What did Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw say? In an X post on October 13, the Biocon boss slammed the bad roads and garbage in Bengaluru. I had an overseas business visitor to Biocon Park who said Why are the roads so bad and why is there so much garbage around? Doesnt the Govt want to support investment? I have just come from China and cant understand why India cant get its act together especially when the winds are favourable? she posted, tagging Karnata Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar and minister Priyank Kharge. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw's post received a lot of flak in the political community, with Kharge saying that it would land her in jail in states like Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. Also Read | Massive traffic jam on Bengaluru Outer Ring Road as BMTC bus breaks down watch What was Rajan Anandan's complain about? Meanwhile, Peak XV Managing Director Rajan Anandan complained about the traffic of the city, saying that his flight time and the time spent in cab to get to the airport were the same. 2.5 hours to get to the Bangalore airport from the city. Flight time from Bangalore to Delhi is 2.5 hours, he wrote. Bengaluru faces severe traffic after bus breakdown Bengaluru witnessed a massive traffic snarl on Tuesday after a state-operated bus broke down on the Outer Ring Road (ORR). Social media soon got flooded with videos and images that show huge lines of vehicles at the ORR, waiting for the road to be cleared. At 4:43 pm, the Bengaluru Traffic Police issued an advisory on social media, saying, Due to vehicle breakdown near Eco space junction towards Marathahalli , Kadubeesanahalli,Devarabisanahalli, Bellandur is having slow-moving traffic. Netizens slammed the Karnataka government for the pathetic road infrastructure in India's Silicon Valley. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will not attend this weeks annual World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings in Washington, as India and the United States remain in talks over trade tariffs related to Russian oil purchases, the Hindustan Times reported. The Indian delegation will be led by Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, Anuradha Thakur. The team will include Reserve Bank of India Governor Sanjay Malhotra and Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran, too, the report said. The 2025 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) began on Monday, 13 October and will run until 18 October at the IMF and World Bank Group headquarters, in Washington, DC. Global financial stability The gatherings bring together finance ministers, central bankers and senior officials from over 100 countries to discuss global financial stability, poverty eradication and climate change, among other priorities. The Finance Minister's absence comes amid ongoing trade tensions, following the Donald Trump administrations decision to impose a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods including a 25 per cent penalty linked to Indias purchases of Russian oil. The delegation from India is scheduled to take part in key meetings with BRICS, the G20, and the G24a coalition of developing nationsas well as a session of the IMFs Board of Governors, the institutions highest decision-making body, the Hindustan Times said. India-US ties The relations between New Delhi and Washington have been reeling under severe stress after Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to a whopping 50 per cent, including a 25 per cent additional duty for India's purchase of Russian crude oil. India described the US action as "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable". India has also been upset over Trump's new policy on H1B visas. However, recent phone conversations between Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump have raised hopes for a positive outcome from the ongoing trade negotiations. Last week, US Ambassador-designate Sergio Gor held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on various issues and said that President Donald Trump considers the Prime Minister a great and personal friend. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in New York last month in a bid to build on the improvement in bilateral relations that had emerged in September. Goyal said on 7 October that India and the United States are continuing their dialogue on the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA), including the possibility of meeting the November 2025 deadline. We are in constant dialogue with the USA (on the trade pact), and talks are on at various levels. We will give more information on this soon on how we are thinking to take it forward, he said, according to the news report by PTI. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Sitharaman attended the Spring meetings of both institutions in Washington DC in April this year. The IMF and World Bank are considered key pillars of the global financial system. While the IMF focuses on maintaining financial stability and assisting countries in distress, the World Bank focuses on development, poverty reduction and climate change. New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) India will host the meeting of the Asia Pacific region's aircraft accident investigators for the first time from October 28-31 in the national capital. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), on behalf of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, will be hosting the four-day Asia Pacific Accident Investigation Group (APAC-AIG) meeting from October 28 to 31. "It will be the first time that India will be hosting the APAC-AIG meeting. There will be participation of representatives from aircraft accident investigation bureaux of Asia Pacific countries as well as from the ICAO," AAIB Director General G V G Yugandhar told PTI. Various aspects of aircraft accident investigations, including the processes and reporting, will be discussed at the meeting. Around 90 delegates, including 60 of them from various countries in the Asia Pacific region, will participate in the meeting. On October 28 and 29, there will be workshops related to aircraft accident investigations. Those workshops will have officials from AAIB, DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation), along with international participants. The representatives from ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) member states in the Asia Pacific region and AAIB officials will hold discussions on October 30 and 31. The meeting will be inaugurated by Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on October 28. AAIB is responsible for classification of safety occurrences involving aircraft operating in the Indian airspace into accidents, serious incidents, and incidents. It carries out detailed investigations into accidents and also suggests measures to improve safety. In a major update related to the India-US trade talks, sources in the government said on Wednesday (October 15) that a negotiating team is currently in the US, trying to find a "win-win solution" for both sides. Sources told news agency ANI, Engagement between the two sides is going on. They informed that the ambassador-designate was in India, and he met with all the stakeholders and had good meetings. Meanwhile, a negotiating team from India is in the US. They are trying to see if we can have a win-win solution between the two sides, sources said. Discussion is on the table. We are in a deeper discussion. We have seen export growth to the US, and it may continue, sources added. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal to visit US Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal will join the Indian delegation in the US on Thursday, October 16, for trade talks, PTI reported. The report claimed that India has indicated its readiness to step up energy imports from America. In the past seven to eight years, energy purchases from the US, largely crude oil, have come down from $25 billion to around $12-13 billion. "So, there is a headroom of around $12-15 billion, which we can purchase without worrying about the configuration of refineries," Agrawal told reporters in Delhi on Wednesday. "And there is a bilateral commitment, and in discussions we are in, we have indicated very positively that India as a country would like to diversify its portfolio as far as energy imports are concerned. That's the best strategy for a big buyer like India," Agrawal was quoted as saying. Good progress on India-US trade talks On October 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with United States President Donald Trump to congratulate him on the Gaza peace plan that was agreed upon by both Israel and Hamas to cease war and exchange prisoners. During the conversation, PM Modi said the two leaders also reviewed ongoing trade negotiations, noting good progress despite the 50 per cent tariffs that Donald Trump imposed on Indian imports. India-US tariff This year, US President Donald Trump's administration imposed a steep 50 percent tariff on Indian exports, alongside the tightening of immigration policies. India and the US are sticking to a fall 2025 deadline for the first part of a trade deal between the two countries, an Indian government official with knowledge of the matter was quoted by Reuters as saying on Monday. India-US talks are happening at different levels, covering both trade and non-trade issues. So far, five rounds of negotiations have been completed. Last month, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal led an official delegation to New York for trade talks. After that meeting, India and the US decided to continue negotiations for an early conclusion of a mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement, news agency PTI reported. During the visit, the minister held meetings with United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer and US Ambassador-designate to India Sergio Gor. Earlier, discussions were also held between US Chief Negotiator Brendan Lynch and his Indian counterpart Rajesh Agrawal on the proposed bilateral trade agreement. Also Read | Piyush Goyal holds talks with Russian Deputy PM Dmitry Patrushev to boost trade, economic ties The US remained India's largest trading partner for the fourth consecutive year in 2024-25, with bilateral trade valued at $131.84 billion (USD 86.5 billion exports). Senior CPI (Maoist) leader and Politburo member Mallojula Venugopal Rao, also known as Sonu, on Wednesday surrendered along with 60 other Naxalites at the Gadchiroli police headquarters. The surrender took place in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The group laid down arms in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, in what is seen as a potential turning point for peace talks with the Central government. Venugopal Rao asked for a one-month window to consult with party members before beginning formal peace negotiations and appealed to the government to halt armed operations during this period. This development comes amid sustained anti-Maoist operations spearheaded by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and various state governments. In September, Venugopal Rao had expressed his willingness to surrender, reportedly garnering support from a substantial number of Maoist cadres in Chhattisgarh and other regions across India. What did Mallojula Venugopal Rao say? Venugopal Rao said, I am laying down the weapons and will become a part of movements for providing relief for the oppressed in India. Since the last week of March 2025, our party has been engaged in peace talks with the government. The party's chief secretary issued a press statement in May, which kept an offer of a ceasefire while asking for a month's time to deliberate on laying down the weapons. Unfortunately, the Central government did not give their reply on it; rather, they have increased the intensity of their attacks. Rao highlighted that, in response to the CPI (Maoist) Chief Secretarys appeal for peace, they were prepared to engage in talks with the government. Also Read | Chhattisgarh: 10 naxalites gunned down in Gariaband district "On May 21, in an attack by the Seema Surakhsha Bal, our Chief Secretary, comrade Basavraju, along with staff and guards, were killed. We took this decision not to leave his call for peace talks in the middle. Amid the ongoing mission by the Prime Minister, Home Minister and the police, we have decided to lay down our weapons and be part of the mainstream. We are ready for talks with the people appointed by the Union Home Minister. We will form a delegation among the people agreeing to our decision and participate in the peace talks," he said. Pakistan is believed to have lost more than 100 soldiers along the Line of Control (LoC) during Operation Sindoor that took place from May 7, according to Indian Army's Director General Military Operations Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai. He referred to posthumous awards given by Pakistan's military suggesting the same. The top military official also called Pakistan's drone attacks as "dismal failure". Ghai also said that Pakistan lost at least 12 aircraft during the conflict in May while echoing the details shared by Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh a few days ago. He mentioned that the Indian Navy was fully ready to play its part and if Pakistan had decided to continue with the hostilities any further, it could have been "catastrophic for it, not only from the sea but from other dimensions as well". Ghai, while sharing specific details of the May 710 hostilities, stated that Pakistan initiated cross-border firing shortly after India struck nine terror targets. "After the terror targets were struck by the Indian Army and Indian Air Force, there was cross-border firing from Pakistan immediately. Ceasefire violations spiked and this carried on for a while. Our initial estimate was 35-40 (Pakistani) casualties, but the Pakistanis, possibly unwittingly, let out in their own awards list on August 14...the number of posthumous awards that they awarded suggested over 100 casualties on the LoC, HT quoted Ghai, one of the senior officials who addressed the media following the four-day military confrontation in May, as saying. Also Read | IAF chief BIG reveal: India downed 5 Pakistani fighter jets in Op Sindoor According to PTI, he stated that Pakistan continued to send drones even after the two DGMOs had communicated. "A variety and class of drones were utilised in an attempt to cause casualties and damage to (our) men and material. But everything was a dismal failure," he said, adding, We hit 11 of their air bases. If you see, eight air bases, three hangars and four radars were damaged. Pakistani air assets were destroyed on the ground as well. Pakistan's losses on ground during Operation Sindoor Ghai asserted that Pakistans losses on the ground included a C-130 class aircraft, an AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning & Control) system, and four to five fighter jets. He mentioned that Pakistan also faced significant losses in the air. "We now know that the world's longest ever ground-to-air kill was at 300 kilometres plus and five high-tech fighters (were hit). I think the impunity with which these attacks were carried out is what is significant," he further said. India's strategy against terrorism Ghai stated there has been a doctrinal shift in our strategy against terror, giving a strong message to Pakistan that India won't succumb to nuclear blackmail. "Our prime minister has spoken about it. And these are the three things he said. The terror attacks are an act of war. Therefore there will be decisive retaliation. We will not succumb to nuclear blackmail. And there is no distinction between terrorists and sponsors of terrorism," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Andhra Pradesh on Thursday, October 6, to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for several development projects spanning various sectors, including power, defence, railways, and petroleum. I will be in Andhra Pradesh tomorrow, 16th October. I will pray at the Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy Varla Devasthanam in Srisailam, PM Modi said in a post on X. The PM shared that he will be in Kurnool, where he will inaugurate or lay foundation stones of development projects worth over 13,400 crore. These works cover sectors like power, railways, petroleum, defence, industries and more. Here's what PM Modi's schedule for Andhra Pradesh: In Srisailam, PM Modi will offer prayers at the Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple, which is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas and one of the 52 Shakti Peeths. A unique feature of this temple is the coexistence of a Jyotirlinga and a Shakti Peeth in the same premises, making it one of its kind in the entire country, according to an official statement. The Prime Minister will also visit the Sree Shivaji Spoorthi Kendra, a memorial complex that features a meditation hall with models of four iconic forts: Pratapgad, Rajgad, Raigad, and Shivneri, placed at the four corners. At its centre stands a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in deep meditation. This centre is run by the Sree Shivaji Memorial Committee, which was established at Srisailam to commemorate the historic visit of Chhatrapati Shivaji to the sacred shrine in 1677. In Kurnool, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone, inaugurate, and dedicate to the nation multiple development projects worth approximately 13,430 crore, spanning key sectors including industry, power transmission, roads, railways, defence manufacturing, and petroleum and natural gas. The projects in Andhra Pradesh reflect the central government's commitment to enhancing regional infrastructure, accelerating industrialisation, and driving inclusive socio-economic growth in the state, the statement said. The prime minister will lay the foundation stone for the Transmission System Strengthening at Kurnool-III Pooling Station, at an investment of over 2,880 crore. The project involves the construction of a 765 kV double-circuit Kurnool-III Pooling Station-Chilakaluripeta transmission line, which will increase transformation capacity by 6,000 MVA and enable the large-scale transmission of renewable energy to support the nation's growth. PM Modi will also lay the foundation stones for the Orvakal Industrial Area in Kurnool and the Kopparthy Industrial Area in Kadapa, with a total investment of over 4,920 crore. Developed jointly by the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust and the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Ltd, these modern, multi-sectoral industrial hubs feature plug-and-play infrastructure and a walk-to-work concept. They are expected to attract approximately 21,000 crore in investments and generate around one lakh jobs, thereby boosting industrial development and enhancing global competitiveness in Andhra Pradesh's Rayalaseema region, the statement said. PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for the six-lane Greenfield Highway from Sabbavaram to Sheelanagar at a cost of over 960 crore, aimed at easing congestion in Visakhapatnam and facilitating trade and employment. In addition, six road projects worth approximately 1,140 crore will be inaugurated, which will enhance safety, reduce travel time, and strengthen regional connectivity across Andhra Pradesh. The prime minister will further lay the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation several key railway projects worth over 1,200 crore. The projects include the laying of the foundation stone for the Kottavalasa-Vizianagaram Fourth Railway Line and the Rail Flyover between Pendurti and Simhachalam North, as well as the dedication to the nation of the doubling of the Kottavalasa-Boddavaram section and the Shimiliguda-Gorapur section. In the energy sector, the Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation the Srikakulam-Angul Natural Gas Pipeline of GAIL India Limited, built at a total cost of approximately 1,730 crore, spanning approximately 124 km in Andhra Pradesh and 298 km in Odisha. Modi will also inaugurate Indian Oil's 60 TMTPA (thousand metric tonnes per annum) LPG bottling plant at Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, established at an investment of around 200 crore. The plant will serve over 7.2 lakh customers through 80 distributors across four districts of Andhra Pradesh, two districts of Tamil Nadu, and one district of Karnataka. It will play a critical role in ensuring reliable LPG supply for households and businesses in the region, the statement said. To strengthen defence manufacturing, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Advanced Night Vision Products Factory at Nimmaluru, Krishna District, established by Bharat Electronics Limited at an investment of approximately 360 crore. The countrys premier automobile lobby may seek more time to respond to the government's latest proposal to implement strict fuel efficiency norms as carmakers weigh their feedback amid differences within the industry, according to a person directly in the know. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) had asked all stakeholders to respond within 21 days after it released the final draft of the third corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFE 3) norms on 25 September, which are to be implemented from 1 April 2027. It is a very complex subject, so it will take more time for the industry to respond," the person quoted above said. The carmakers were expected to give their recommendations by 16 October. Carmakers have not aligned on how to respond to the draft proposal, according to Siam. The proposal has given some relief to small cars but includes provisions to implement strict fuel efficiency requirements on carmakers. We have just received the proposal from BEE based on our submission given in December 2024. We are yet to deliberate and align on this internally," said Siam president Shailesh Chandra, while responding to a query during a press conference on Wednesday. Till we dont represent ourselves to the government, we dont want to talk about the subject." No update In response to Mints queries on whether the industry body will seek more time to respond to the proposal, Rajesh Menon, Siam director general, said, We have no further update to share right now. Once we send our representation to the Govt, we will be in a better position to respond to this query." Siam includes all major passenger vehicle makers as members, including Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, Hyundai Motor India Ltd, Tata Motors Ltd and Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. Also Read | Siam scrambles as CAFE-3 consensus crumbles This wont be the first time the automobile industry has not responded within the suggested period. The agency had released the draft of the norms on 28 July and asked for comments from the industry within 30 days. However, the government did not receive any response from the body. Mint reported on 18 September that BEE is concerned about not receiving a response from the industry on time, which is delaying the implementation of the fuel efficiency norms. Divided on small cars The industry has been divided on the issue of small cars. While Maruti Suzuki had called for relaxations on small cars in earlier deliberations, Tata Motors and Mahindra, among other carmakers, have opposed such a relaxation. In December, the industry termed BEEs first draft, released in June last year, too aggressive," saying it could threaten the auto sector's viability. The industry started discussing the norms again after the government asked how small cars could be granted some relaxations. Also Read | Road ministry eyes CAFE-3 carrot for biofuel vehicles BEE, in its final draft, eventually decided to give some benefits to small carmakers. Cars shorter than four metres, weighing less than 909 kg and powered by sub-1200 cc engines, will get an advantage of 3 grams while calculating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for CAFE 3 rules. BEE's draft released on 25 September asks carmakers to gradually cut the average fuel consumption of the cars they sell from 3.73 litres per 100 km in 2027 to 3.01 litres by 2032. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath warned that anyone who tries to disrupt peace ahead of Diwali would be put behind bars. Adityanath said that his government would not bow down to rioters. If anyone tries to disrupt the joy and enthusiasm of this festival, the bars of the jail will be waiting for them; no matter who they are, they will be put behind bars without delay, Adityanath said. Last month, the UP CM Adityanath issued a stern warning against those attempting to disrupt peace, particularly during the festive season, asserting that any act of anarchy would be met with consequences that future generations would remember. "Festivals and celebrations should be observed in a peaceful and harmonious manner. In the last 8 years, all the festivals of every community in Uttar Pradesh have been celebrated peacefully... This is no longer a government that bows down to rioters," Adityanath was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw recently reignited the debate over Bengaluru's infrastructure by sharing a visiting foreign executive's critical comments on the city's roads and garbage, prompting Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to say the city deserves collective effort, not constant criticism. Karnataka ministers Priyank Kharge and MB Patil also acknowledged the problems and said fixing them would require time. They called for "collective effort" to improve the city. Taking to 'X' to highlight the city's infrastructure problems, Shaw said, "I had an overseas business visitor to Biocon Park who said, 'Why are the roads so bad, and why is there so much garbage around? Doesnt the Govt want to support investment? I have just come from China and can't understand why India cant get its act together, especially when the winds are favourable?'" She tagged CM Siddaramaiah, D K Shivakumar, and IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge. The Congress government of Karnataka, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has come under criticism over the poor state of roads and traffic issues in the city. Reacting to Shaw's post, Minister Priyank Kharge acknowledged that every developing city faces challenges, whether it is San Francisco, London, or Bengaluru, and said overcoming them, addressing the needs of the people, and attracting investments is important. "It is the prime responsibility of the government, and we will do it," he added. Kharge defended the state government's tolerance for criticism, saying that prominent figures post such comments because the government views them as constructive and responds positively. "As we hear the concerns, they do such posts. Is it possible with other governments? Let them do it in Maharashtra or UP. Where will you be if you make constructive criticism? You will be in jail. If you do it in Madhya Pradesh or Maharashtra, you will be trolled on social media, alleging the state has been insulted. But here we will respond positively and work on it. It's our responsibility," he told reporters here. Also Read | Massive traffic jam on Bengaluru Outer Ring Road as BMTC bus breaks down watch Kharge attributed the recent increase in potholes to "unprecedented rains" and "continuous rains" over the preceding six weeks and said work is ongoing to fix them. Deserves collective effort: Shivakumar Deputy CM Shivakumar, who is also the minister in charge of Bengaluru development, without making any reference to Shaw's post, said Bengaluru has given opportunities, identity, and success to millionsit deserves collective effort, not constant criticism. "Yes, challenges exist, but were addressing them with focus and urgency. 1,100 crore has been sanctioned for road repairs, 10,000 potholes identified, and over 5,000 already fixed on priority. Major infrastructure works are underway to make Bengaluru more globally competitive," he said in a post on 'X'. Under the Greater Bengaluru Authority, the East Corporation alone will now retain 1,673 crore of its own revenues to directly improve infrastructure in 50 wards, directly benefiting the city's IT corridors, the Deputy CM said. "With major works like the CSB (Central Silk Board)K R Puram redevelopment and Elevated Corridors, we are strengthening infrastructure for citizens, employees, and companies alike. Instead of tearing Bengaluru down, lets build it uptogether. The world sees India through Bengaluru, and we owe it to our city to rise united," he added. I agree with you: Shaw Responding to Shivakumars post, Shaw posted: "I agree with you - its a collective effort with a mindset of urgency and quality Lets show everyone how we can fix our city." Kharge noted that the Greater Bengaluru Authority commissioner is regularly sharing information on how many potholes are being filled. Bengaluru is a growing city On traffic congestion, he said, "Bengaluru is a growing city; we are growing at a very fast pace. We grew at a rate of 10.5 per cent last year. We are not saying there are no issues; we are finding solutions. The Deputy CM has said that it is going to take some time to fix the issue." Responding to a question on repeated posts about infrastructure issues by some prominent personalities, instead of directly approaching the concerned ministers, Kharge said that in task forces set up by various governments, people like Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Mohan Das Pai, and otherswho have contributed to creating an ecosystem in Bengaluruhave always been part of discussions. "Their suggestions have always been taken into account while forming policies. We ministers are just a phone call away to address issues. We cannot prevent anyone from putting up such posts. If everyone works carefully with collective responsibility, such things will reduce," he said. As we hear the concerns, they do such posts. Is it possible with other governments? Let them do it in Maharashtra or UP. Where will you be if you make constructive criticism? You will be in jail. Kharge said Bengaluru is the fourth-largest technology cluster in the world. The human resources required here are in high demand globally. Everyone's contribution and cooperation are required to improve the city, he said. In an effort to improve access to life-saving surgeries, the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO), an agency under the health ministry, is set to meet the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) to explore ways to make organ transplant insurance more affordable and comprehensive, according to a government official and documents reviewed by Mint . The meeting, expected in the coming weeks, aims to close a long-standing gap in Indias health insurance ecosystemlimited or no coverage for organ donorseven as demand for transplants rises and costs remain prohibitive. "In India, health insurance is not unlimited; it has a certain sum assured and specific conditions. Essentially, insurance companies are interested in patient outcome data for those who have undergone organ transplants. So, we are asking hospitals to share this data to move this initiative forward," said the official, requesting anonymity. India faces a critical shortage of organs for transplantation, with demand far exceeding supply. While the country has achieved record numbers of transplants, with 18,900 procedures in 2024, the gap remains significant, according to the health ministry data. The waiting list for kidneys alone is estimated to be as high as 175,000, with a waiting time of three to five years. The annual demand for livers is also massive, with an estimated 25,000-30,000 patients in need, but only a small fraction of these procedures are performed. This immense discrepancy is a major challenge for the healthcare system. The plan is to create standardized insurance products for patients that can cover both transplant procedures and long-term post-operative care. "The entire idea is to alleviate financial stress, and maintaining insurance on the transplant procedure and postoperative care is a key factor, given the huge burden on patients in India who require organ transplant services," the official added. Also Read | What to do if your health insurance policy gets cancelled According to the documents, reviewed by Mint, health insurance policies in India generally cover life and disability but do not specifically address living organ donation. The documents suggest that health insurance should be made mandatory and insurers should compete on pricing and coverage to ensure affordability. It said Irdai needs to collaborate with health authorities to develop guidelines and protocols for organ transplants and encourage insurers to cover a broader range of transplant types and related expenses. Organ transplant costs in India pose a significant financial burden, with a large portion of expenses paid out-of-pocket. Kidney transplants typically range from 5 lakh to 15 lakh, while more complex liver transplants can cost between 18 lakh and 35 lakh. These figures are subject to change based on the hospital, type of procedure, and any complications. The high cost forces many families to deplete their savings or go into debt. The lack of widespread and comprehensive insurance coverage for these procedures remains a major barrier to access. Also Read | What to do if your insurer denies cashless hospital claim The government informed Parliament in July that Indias organ donation rate in 2024 stood at just 0.81 deceased donations per million population, underscoring the need for stronger systems of support and awareness. Queries sent to the health ministry, Irdai, and ICICI Lombard were not immediately answered. Insurance companies like HDFC Life, Star Health, and Zurich Kotak declined to comment on the matter. As part of its broader reform push, the government has also rolled out Indias first digital organ transplant registry, designed to bring transparency to the allocation process and curb the role of middlemen. Hospitals are mandated to update transplant data regularly, with penalties for non-compliance. Key Takeaways The initiative aims to standardize insurance coverage for organ transplants, addressing the critical shortage of organs. Affordable insurance could alleviate the financial burden on families, making transplants more accessible. The collaboration between NOTTO and Irdai is a significant step towards comprehensive healthcare reform in India. New NOTTO guidelines are also being introduced to make the system more equitableoffering priority to female patients on waiting lists and ensuring that families of deceased donors receive priority access if they ever require transplants in the future. According to Dr. Rajkiran K. Deshpande, organ transplant surgeon at Sparsh Hospital, Bengaluru, the proposed NOTTOIrdai collaboration could be a game-changer. If affordable premiums and standardized coverage for both donors and recipients are introduced, this framework could make organ transplants more equitable and accessible, he said. High treatment costs and the absence of standardised package rates remain key challenges, said Dr. Bhabatosh Mishra, director & chief operating officer, Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company. A data-driven approach, supported by outcome-based insights, will be critical to help design fair and sustainable coverage as the sector evolves," he added. At Niva Bupa, organ transplant is covered across all our products. In cases where the insured is the receiver, the entire procedureincluding both receiving and harvesting of the organis covered, even if the person donating the organ is not insured with us," Niva Bupa said. In a now-viral post, a Gurugram man shared that he had fought tooth and nail with his society's Resident Welfare Association (RWA) to allow delivery personnel and maids to use the main residents' lift instead of forcing them into a single service lift. However, a week after the sweet victory, he said he isn't sure if it really is a win anymore. A week after winning against my RWA Im not sure I won anymore, the man said in a viral Reddit post. Here's what happened: The man said that overturning the RWA's decision to limit the delivery boys and house helps to service lifts initially felt like a win, but after a week, when the change took effect, he realised the flaw. Victory felt sweet. Everyone clapped in the WhatsApp group. I felt like a one-man revolution for equality, the man said. Fast forward a week Now the lift permanently smells like concentrated humanity, someones left a pan spit art installation, and I found two empty pan masala sachets next to the lift buttons, he continued. Did I really win? Or should I go crawling back to the RWA and say, You were right, I have seen things no nose should endure? he asked the netizens. Here's how netizens reacted: Social media users were unforgiving, saying that the whole fiasco was just the Redditor's way of creating a problem for an already existing solution. Calling it a useless kinda protest, a user said, I'd have clapped if they were forced to use stairs to deliver and then you got them lift. If they already had a service lift what was there to fight? Service lift is there for a reason. It's a high usage model which can work 24x7. Bro created a problem out of a solution. And now want a solution to that problem, another added. One netizen said that he had felt the same for his society lift, but then one day I had to use the service lift, a melting pot of human existence, stopping at each floor till I reached mine. So I decided some revolutions should stay in the your mind only. I cant compromise on my freedom to breathe. A few netizens understood where the man was coming from and said, Class and civic sense are two separate battles to be fought. You won one of them. More love to you to fight the next one. Also Read | Netizens share why Indian women depend on their sons for emotional needs Ideas that feel good on paper are not good in real life. Your intentions were good, but with women and children travelling in that same lift, you made it unsafe for everyone. Even beyond the smell and cleanliness, safety is first. Please reverse it as soon as you can, a user said. Another elaborated on the same with an example of immigration. You know, for years liberal Europeans pushed the idea that open borders and mass immigration would promote compassion, diversity, humanity, all that. But when the influx actually happened, the reality looked a lot less idealistic. Local crime rates rose noticeably right after large waves of arrivals, especially petty thefts and assaults in urban areas. Many of those issues did fade over time, but the initial shock was real. Theres also the attitude of the immigrants. Many newcomers seem disconnected from the European culture that welcomed them. Instead of gratitude, theres often resentment or complete detachment from local norms. Largely, the integration is left on just 'good intentions,' but that doesnt work, the user added. US Treasury Secretary Bessent announced on Wednesday (October 15) that 85 US senators are willing to grant President Donald Trump the authority to impose tariffs of up to 500% on China for purchases of Russian oil Bessent said, 85 US senators are willing to give President Trump the authority to put up to 500% tariffs on China for the purchase of Russian oil. The proposed tariffs, if implemented, would represent an unprecedented escalation in US-China trade relations, with potential implications for global oil markets and international trade. And, such extreme measures could trigger retaliatory tariffs from Beijing and disrupt already fragile supply chains. The United States is prepared to impose tariffs on China for its purchases of Russian oil, but Bessent stressed that Washingtons European allies must participate in such action. It is the purchase of Russian oil by China that fuels the Russian war machines. China buys 60%, six zero percent, of Russian energy. They buy 90% of Iranian energy, Bessent said during a press conference on Wednesday. Bessent added that the US would produce photographs supplied by Ukraine showing Chinese components in Russian drones operating in Ukraine. Pause on US tariffs for rare earths talks Bessent suggested the possibility of delaying high US tariffs on Chinese goods if Beijing postpones its plan to tighten limits on critical rare earth exports. Is it possible that we could go to a longer roll in return? Perhaps. But all thats going to be negotiated in the coming weeks, he said, referencing ongoing negotiations between the two countries. The US and China have agreed to multiple 90-day truces on import duties of up to 145%, with the next deadline approaching in November. This is China versus the world. They have pointed a bazooka at the supply chains and the industrial base of the entire free world, Bessent said. He added: We have already been in touch with the allies. We will be meeting with them this week, and I expect that we will get substantial global support from the Europeans, from the Indians, from the democracies in Asia. Bessent characterized Chinas actions as an attempt to dominate rare earth supplies and vowed that Washington and its allies would not be commanded nor controlled. Rare Earths: Strategic importance China produces about 70% of the worlds rare earth minerals and controls 90% of their processing, making it the dominant global supplier of metals used in electronics, defense, wind energy, and automobiles. The new rules require foreign firms to obtain Chinese government approval before exporting products containing even trace amounts of these minerals. Trumps response and Asia trip US President Donald Trump responded by threatening additional 100% tariffs on Chinese goods starting November 1 and raised the possibility of cutting off trade in cooking oil, a key biofuel input. Bessent confirmed that Trump remains committed to meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea later this month. Theres a very good chance that I travel to Asia before Trump and meet with my Chinese counterpart, Vice Premier He Lifeng, Bessent said. The meeting is expected to coincide with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and engagements in Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea. Avoiding full trade escalation Bessent insisted that Washington does not want to escalate the trade conflict with China, highlighting daily communication between officials from both countries. The trade conflict between the two countries has not escalated further due to trust between Trump and Xi, he said. Despite Chinas warning that it is ready to fight to the end in a trade war, Bessent stressed that both leaders have an excellent relationship and indicated a willingness to resolve tensions through diplomacy. Also Read | China Beats Trump To Golden Dome? Report Claim Missile Defence System Before US Ashley Tellis, a senior US scholar on India and adviser to multiple administrations, has been placed on administrative leave following his arrest and charges for allegedly retaining classified national defense documents. We are aware of the allegations against Ashley J. Tellis. He is now on administrative leave, including from his role as Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs, said Katelynn Vogt, Vice President for Communications at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Ashley Tellis' arrest and charges Tellis was arrested over the weekend and formally charged on Monday, according to FBI court documents reviewed on Tuesday. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted on charges of unlawful retention of classified material. The charges as alleged in this case represent a grave risk to the safety and security of our citizens, said Lindsey Halligan, US attorney for Virginias Eastern District. The criminal affidavit notes that Tellis entered the State Department on September 25, where he served as an unpaid advisor, and was seen printing from classified documents, including about US military aircraft capabilities. Professional background Tellis, a naturalized US citizen originally from Mumbai, has advised the US government for over two decades. He was educated at the University of Chicago. He served on the National Security Council under former President George W. Bush and held senior positions as a Pentagon contractor and State Department adviser. He played a key role in negotiating the Bush-era civil nuclear deal with India, a landmark agreement that strengthened ties between the two countries. Tellis has been a prolific writer and adviser on defense and Asia policy. He previously served in the US Foreign Service and as senior adviser to the ambassador at the US Embassy in New Delhi. Israel has strongly denied Hamas assertion that one of the bodies released on Tuesday was a slain soldier captured last year, insisting no such details exists. Outrage erupted in Israel early Wednesday when Israeli forensic analysts determined that one of the four bodies released by Hamas did not match any of the individuals kidnapped on October 7, 2023. The mismatch prompted accusations from Israel that Hamas violated the ceasefire agreement. The Jewish state demanded that the terror group comply fully with its obligations under the US-backed cease-fire deal, The New York Post reported. Hamas maintains IDF soldier claim Hamas, however, claimed the body belonged to an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier captured and killed during a shootout in the Jabalia refugee camp in May 2024 an incident disputed by Israel. The group released a video showing members carrying a bloodied body through a tunnel, with the deceased pictured in military fatigues and holding a rifle, the news outlet stated. The IDF has repeatedly slammed the claims as false, saying no such ambush ever took place and that all of its soldiers during the war have been accounted for, The New York Post reported. Netanyahu demands compliance Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the incident as a failure by Hamas to honor the ceasefire agreement, which requires the group to release all remaining hostages. We will not compromise on this and will not stop our efforts until they return the last deceased hostage, until the last one, Netanyahu vowed, according to the news outlet. Hamas cites operational challenges Hamas previously stated that it required additional time to locate and return all hostages due to widespread destruction in Gaza, highlighting the logistical difficulties faced by the group. Also Read | Trump says Israeli forces will re-enter Gaza if Hamas breaks ceasefire Jack Smith, the special counsel who brought two criminal cases against then former President Donald Trump, spoke critically of the Trump administration in an interview. Smith, who resigned from the Justice Department in January, cautioned that attacks on public servants could have an incalculable cost on the country. I think the attacks on public servants, particularly nonpartisan public servants I think it has a cost for our country that is incalculable, and I think that we its hard to communicate to folks how much that is going to cost us, Smith said during an interview last week with former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissman at University College London Faculty of Laws. Smiths investigations Smith-led investigations that resulted in two indictments against Trump: one related to the handling of classified documents, and another concerning efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Trump denied wrongdoing and dismissed both cases as politically motivated witch hunts. The classified documents case was later dismissed by US District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, who ruled Smiths appointment was illegal. Smith dropped the 2020 election case after Trumps November reelection, citing Justice Department policy on prosecuting sitting presidents. Threats to judicial independence Smith warned about pressures on the judiciary and prosecutors, saying they should not be thinking of their jobs as popularity contests. They need the room and space to make decisions that some people might not like," Smith said. Justice Department actions against officials Since Trump assumed office, the administration has targeted officials who worked on civil and criminal cases against him. This includes actions against FBI agents connected to Smiths investigations. A federal judge in San Francisco on Wednesday (October 15) has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the ongoing government shutdown, marking a setback for the White Houses efforts to reduce the size of government amid a standoff. US District Judge Susan Illston issued the emergency order after several federal agencies began issuing layoff notices last week as part of a broader plan to downsize the government. The Trump administration had argued that the cuts were necessary to manage spending during the shutdown, which began on October 1 and is now in its third week. Its very much ready, fire, aim on most of these programs, and it has a human cost, Judge Illston said in court. Its a human cost that cannot be tolerated. The American Federation of Government Employees and other labor unions filed for an emergency restraining order, accusing the administration of using the layoffs as a political weapon to pressure Democrats into concessions. Unions call firings abuse of power Union leaders said the firings were an abuse of power intended to punish federal employees and manipulate the ongoing budget negotiations. The administration had planned to dismiss more than 4,100 workers across eight agencies, including in health and education departments. The Trump administration defended its actions, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction over employment decisions made during a shutdown and that the layoffs were consistent with its authority to manage federal operations. Also Read | Bessent says government shutdown could cost US economy $15 billion a day Shutdown enters third week The shutdown, which began after lawmakers failed to agree on a spending plan, has intensified partisan divisions in Washington. Democrats are demanding that any deal to reopen the government include funding for health care programs, while Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he wont negotiate until Democrats drop those demands. President Trump said earlier this week that the shutdown allows his administration to eliminate Democrat programs that he opposes, adding that theyre never going to come back, in many cases. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday (October 15) warned that the United States and its allies are prepared to take further measures against Russia if the war in Ukraine does not end. Speaking at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Hegseth said, If this war does not end, if there is no path to peace in the short term, then the United States, along with our allies, will take the steps necessary to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression. 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. NATO and Ukraine as key deterrents Hegseth emphasized that the most effective deterrents to Russian aggression are a strong NATO and a combat-ready Ukrainian military. We remain clear-eyed about the fact the most effective deterrents to Russian aggression are: number one, a lethal, capable, and European-led NATO, and number two, a combat-credible Ukrainian military able to defend itself and thereby continue to deter Russian aggression along NATOs border, he said. European Allies must take primary responsibility While underscoring the USs commitment, Hegseth stressed that European allies must lead the defense of the continent. He praised their increased defense spending and contributions to Ukraine. Europe pays, the US provides, NATO fields, he said, describing the Priority Ukraine Requirements List initiative, urging all NATO members to contribute and avoid being free riders. Support for Ukraine remains a priority Hegseth highlighted the importance of international coordination in arming Kyiv. He encouraged all allies to actively participate in providing weapons and resources to ensure Ukraine can defend itself and deter further Russian aggression. Every country in the alliance needs to contribute to the effort to arm Kyiv, he said. Germany pledges $2 billion in military aid to Ukraine Germany announced on Wednesday that it would provide over USD 2 billion in military aid to Ukraine, as Kyiv indicated it would need USD 120 billion in 2026 to sustain its defense against Russias nearly four-year war. This package addresses a number of urgent requirements of Ukraine. It provides air defence systems, Patriot interceptors, radar systems and precision guided artillery, rockets and ammunition, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said. Germany will also purchase USD 500 million worth of US weapons for Ukraine under a new program designed to fast-track military equipment deliveries. Additional support and weapons Pistorius detailed that Germany would separately supply: -Two Iris-T air defence systems with guided missiles -Shoulder-fired air defence missiles -Anti-tank weapons, communication devices, and hand-held weapons Another two Iris-T air defence systems, including a large number of guided missiles, as well as shoulder-fired air defence missiles will be provided, Pistorius added. European allies join funding initiative Other European countries, including Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, and Sweden, have pledged to participate in the initiative, part of the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL). Under this arrangement, European allies and Canada purchase US weapons to support Kyiv with predictable, targeted deliveries, each worth around USD 500 million. Finlands Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said: We see that its crucial that Ukraine gets the critical US weapons. Finland will also provide a separate package of its own military equipment. Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson added: Sweden stands ready to do more, welcoming discussions among Nordic and Baltic nations to help fund another shipment. Ongoing trans-atlantic coordination Over the summer, NATO and trans-Atlantic partners coordinated regular deliveries of large weapons packages to Ukraine, aiming for at least one load per month to support Kyivs defense against Russian forces. (With AP inputs) Also Read | Trump open to meeting Xi Jinping, says Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, on Wednesday, 15 October 2025, dismissed the notion that a decline in the stock market would force the Trump administration into a negotiating position with Beijing amid the looming tensions over the trade war between the US and China. Also Read | Trump open to meeting Xi Jinping, says Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Treasury Secretary Bessent highlighted that such negotiations and discussions with the Asian nation are primarily driven by the national economic interests rather than market movement. The US wont negotiate with China because the stock market is going down, Bessent said on Wednesday. Bessent on China's rare earth mineral policy Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that he predicts a coordinated global response from the United States and its allied nations to China's move to restrict rare earth mineral exports to other countries, reported the news agency Bloomberg. Were going to have a fulsome, group response to this, because bureaucrats in China cannot manage the supply chain or the manufacturing process for the rest of the world, Bessent said at a CNBC-hosted forum in Washington. Also Read | Centre to launch mineral stockpile programme to secure rare-earth elements The Treasury Secretary also said that all my counterparts will be present in Washington for the annual event of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Were going to be speaking with our European allies, with Australia, with Canada, with India and the Asian democracies, he said. According to the agency report, last week, China also announced that foreign companies will now need to obtain approval from the Chinese government before exporting products containing even trace amounts of certain rare earth elements, which are sourced from China. US-China trade talk, Trump's visit Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that so far, US President Donald Trump is a go on the meeting with China's President Xi Jinping later this month in South Korea. According to the agency report, Bessent said that theres a very good chance that Trump heads out to Asia before Trump to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Vice Premier He Lifeng. US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (October 15) that he would consider allowing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resume military action in Gaza if Hamas fails to honor its end of the ceasefire agreement. Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word. If Israel could go in and knock the crap out of them, theyd do that, Trump told CNN. He added, I had to hold them back, referring to the Israel Defense Forces and Netanyahu administration. I had it out with Bibi. Concerns over Hamas compliance Trumps remarks come amid Israeli accusations that Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the US, has not fully complied with the hostage-handling aspect of the ceasefire deal. Israel has noted that humanitarian aid shipments into Gaza could be delayed or reduced due to the limited number of deceased hostages returned by Hamas. Whats going on with Hamas thatll be straightened out quickly, Trump said as per the news outlet. Trump added, Right now, Hamas is going in and clearing out the gangs, violent gangs, as per the news outlet. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that the two-week-old federal government shutdown may cost the US economy about $15 billion a day in lost output, putting an estimate on the situation's economic toll. He urged Democrats to be heroes and side with Republicans to end the shutdown, warning that it is starting to cut into the muscle of the US economy. We believe that the shutdown may start costing the US economy up to $15 billion a day, he said in a news conference, further emphasising that the shutdown is increasingly an impediment to the otherwise sustainable wave of investment into the US economy, including in Artificial Intelligence (AI), which he believes is only getting started, Reuters reported. Investment boom in the US Speaking at a CNBC event held on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings in Washington, Bessent credited President Donald Trump's policies for unleashing the boom in investments. He asserted that the only thing slowing down the US economy is the government shutdown, despite strong pent-up demand. He added that incentives in the Republican tax law and Trump's tariffs would keep the investment boom going and fuel continued growth. Also Read | History in making? Prediction markets bet on US govt shutdown exceeding 35 days Also Read | US government shutdown halts citizenship ceremonies, leaving immigrants in limbo I think we can be in a period like the late 1800s when railroads came in, like the 1990s when we got the internet and office tech boom, Bessent told Reuters. Fiscal deficit update Bessent also addressed the US deficit situation, claiming that the 2025 fiscal year ended 30 September was smaller than the $1.833 trillion deficit posted in the previous fiscal year, although he did not provide a specific figure. He noted that the deficit-to-GDP ratio could fall to 3% in the coming years if the US could grow more, spend less, and constrain spending. An aircraft carrying US War Secretary Pete Hegseth made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom on Wednesday afternoon due to a reported crack in the planes windshield, Pentagon official confirmed. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell shared details on social media, stating the landing occurred on the return flight from NATOs Defense Ministers meeting. Parnell said, On the way back to the U.S. from NATOs Defense Ministers meeting, Secretary Hegseths plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield. He added that the landing was conducted according to standard procedures and that everyone on board, including Hegseth, remained safe. Hegseth updates public Hegseth took to X (formerly Twitter) to reassure the public, writing, All good. Thank God. Continue mission! Aircraft safety measures The Boeing aircraft reportedly descended to 10,000 feet, a standard emergency altitude, after a possible cabin depressurization. The exact cause of the windshield crack is still under investigation. No members of the Pentagon press corps accompanied Hegseth on the flight, following the standard protocol observed under previous defense secretaries. A similar incident occurred in February when an Air Force C-32 carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Jim Risch had to return to Washington due to a cockpit windshield issue. The problem arose roughly 90 minutes after departing from Joint Base Andrews near Washington, D.C. The C-32, a specially modified Boeing 757-200, is used to transport US leaders, including the vice president, first lady, Cabinet members, and members of Congress. Also Read | Trump says Israeli forces will re-enter Gaza if Hamas breaks ceasefire The Israeli military said on Wednesday that one of the four bodies handed over by Hamas as part of the recent ceasefire deal does not belong to an Israeli hostage. Following the completion of examinations at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, the fourth body handed over to Israel by Hamas does not match any of the hostages, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement, as per CNN. Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages, they added. There was no immediate word on whose body it was. Also Read | After Israeli withdrawal, Hamas launches violent crackdown on rivals in Gaza Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal Four bodies were handed over by Hamas on Tuesday to ease pressure on the ceasefire, following an earlier four on Monday, hours after the last 20 living hostages were released. While the three others have been identified as captives, Hamas is expected to return more remains on Wednesday, an Israeli source told CNN, but several dead hostages remain in Gaza. A woman puts a sticker Home on a photo of a released hostage, who was held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, during a ceremony at The Nova Music Festival Exhibition in Berlin, Germany. In all, Israel was awaiting the return of the bodies of 28 deceased hostages. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu demanded earlier Wednesday that Hamas fulfil the requirements laid out in the ceasefire deal introduced by US President Donald Trump about the return of the hostages' bodies. We will not compromise on this and will not stop our efforts until we return the last deceased hostage, until the last one, Netanyahu was quoted by the Associated Press as saying. Also Read | For freed Israeli hostage musician, a piano waits to be played again Trump-proposed ceasefire plan The US-proposed ceasefire plan had called for all hostages living and dead to be handed over by a deadline that expired on Monday. But under the deal, if that didnt happen, Hamas was to share information about deceased hostages and try to hand over all as soon as possible. Hazem Kassem, a spokesperson for Hamas, said on the Telegram messaging app on Wednesday that the group was working to return the bodies of the hostages as agreed in the ceasefire deal. He accused Israel of violating the deal with shootings Tuesday in eastern Gaza City and the territory's southern city of Rafah. A person pastes a heart-shaped sticker on a banner with pictures of Israeli hostages during a a gathering at a plaza known as hostages square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. Hamas returns wrong body This is not the first time Hamas has returned a wrong body to Israel. Earlier in February 2025, during a previous ceasefire, Hamas had said it handed over the bodies of Shiri Bibas, the 32-year-old Israeli mother abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, with her two young sons. Forensic tests later revealed the remains belonged to a Palestinian woman not Bibas a revelation Israel condemned as a grave violation of the terms of the agreement. (Bloomberg) -- Colonel Michael Randrianirina, whose army faction seized power in Madagascar on Tuesday after weeks of deadly anti-government protests, said he will be sworn in as president. We will probably take an oath soon, he told reporters in Antananarivo, the capital, on Wednesday. But thats not our main concern right now. What matters to us today is working, solving social problems. Randrianirina earlier told The Associated Press he was taking the position of president. His comments follow a request Tuesday by the constitutional court that he assume the role of head of state after President Andry Rajoelina went into hiding. The 51-year-old former nightclub DJ declared a coup was underway and took refuge after the colonels unit publicly supported so-called Gen Z protesters. Demonstrations erupted last month on the Indian Ocean island nation located off Mozambique as frustration over water and power shortages sent thousands of young people onto the streets, escalating into clashes with security forces in which at least 22 people died. The outburst of anger over a lack of basic services and government corruption mirrors recent youth-led backlashes in countries including Morocco, Indonesia, Nepal and Kenya. Local media said life was returning to normal in the capital on Wednesday and the protesters had begun disbursing. We are holding consultations to quickly find a prime minister, so that we can promptly appoint government members and start working, the colonel said. Without a government, its hard to move forward. The whereabouts of Rajoelina, who condemned the army takeover, remains unclear. He said in a social media post on Monday that he withdrew to a safe place after discovering a plot against his life and implied that he had left the country. Radio France International reported Monday that the president was evacuated by a French military aircraft on the previous day at the request of President Emmanuel Macron. France, the former colonial power, hasnt confirmed that it played a role. Madagascar is one of the poorest countries on the planet, with four out of five residents living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank. Its had several military coups since gaining independence in 1960. Sign up here for the twice-weekly Next Africa newsletter, and subscribe to the Next Africa podcast on Apple, Spotify or anywhere you listen. --With assistance from Helen Nyambura. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com There is no escape from AI. Its embrace is essential to progress, a consensus that unites tech mavens and policy wonks with AI chatbots. As OpenAIs ChatGPT puts it, artificial intelligence (AI) is not inherently" but practically" essential to progress in todays context." Its rise has already shaken Indias software sector, which needs full R&D mastery over it to make a proper AI pivot, even if adaptation is the urgency right now. As this years Nobel award for economics reminds us, innovation-led growth is not costless. Whats creative can also be destructive, and we must do all we humanly can to ensure that its gains outweigh its costs. AI uptake puts jobs at risk, but, as a report by Niti Aayog says, while a quarter of our tech sectors 8 million roles may vanish by 2031, some 4 million new ones could arise too. Payrolls could go both ways. What AI implies for us beyond a five-year horizon matters even more, which is why an AI plan of the education ministry should make us sit up. Also Read | AI bot in the classroom: Time to fight off this attack on education As reported, it may place AI on next years syllabus of schools under the Central Board of Secondary Education, starting with pupils of Class 3. China has taken a lead in raising kids as AI natives, but at what pace should India be trying to catch up? While academia must adapt to AI, students must duly be forearmed with the key faculty of critical thinking. Classes must foster a spirit of inquiry thats ready to probe everything that is pitched as truth. If social media yielded a post-truth world, AI could amplify fakery. Given the real-world data that AI trains on, this is not a trivial concern. Stanford AI researcher James Zou recently flagged some troubling" emergent behaviour seen in large language models (LLMs). When LLMs compete for social media likes, they start making things up," he said on X, When they compete for votes, they turn inflammatory/populist." A paper that he co-authored with Stanfords Batu El on how LLMs can get misaligned in a contest for audiences calls this the Molochs Bargain: one that involves everyone, even though we would all be better off if it involved nobody. Their lab tests found that even when explicitly asked to stay truthful, LLMs that were optimized for competitive success got deceptive under pressure to deliver on sales, vote-share and social media engagement goals. Clearly, AI adopters need to identify and squash such alignment risks. Our education system, especially so. True, the post-truth world has defenders who call it the digital twin of a post-modern dismissal of absolute truth. However, in the far less abstract realm that most of us inhabit online, we need good old truth to prevail. As we prepare to enrol AI for education, we must keep students updated on its fallibility, test all LLMs deployed for integrity, and make the artificialityand amoralityof these clever bots amply clear in class. Critically, the market for AI tools must never go the winner-take-all way. The profit motive of private enterprise is far more likely to keep the outputs of AI chatbotsand actions of AI agentsaligned with the interests of users if multiple tools vie for our usage. For this, we must avoid the trap of network effects: If everyone starts using the same tool everyone else is using (or is asked to), rivalry levels could fall, a monopoly may arise and users might lose their say in how AI evolves. In education, like elsewhere, we need a strict vigil kept on the role of AI. Even if its only a tail-risk, going wrong would be far too costly. Lets pace our adoption accordingly. Beijing is tightening its clamps on components that are integral to technology supply chains. Lithium batteries and related material, artificial diamonds that have industrial uses and rare earths like holmium, erbium, thulium, europium and ytterbium have been put on Chinas export-control list. This development comes on the heels of samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium and yttrium being added to that list this year. To comprehend the extent of the curbs and Chinas supply stranglehold, take dysprosium, which is used in semiconductors. China refines 99% of this rare earth; a facility near Shanghai under its ministry of land resources accounts for the entire worlds production. In what constitutes Beijings extra-territorialization of domestic laws, entities making products that require such Chinese inputs will need a licence before their output is sold to a third country. Also Read | Cold War II alert: Rare earths could tilt the global balance of power For instance, Beijing is seeking commitments from New Delhi that the rare earth magnets supplied by it will be used solely to fulfil domestic needs. China had introduced export curbs in December 2020 with its Export Control Law. This law prohibits the export of advanced technology and materials deemed strategic to specific companies, and allows the Chinese government to act against nations that violate its national security or interests." John Moolenaar, chairperson of the US Select Committee on China, has likened Beijings latest rare-earth curbs to an economic declaration of war." In a related development, Canadian firm TechInsights and others have been added to Chinas list of unreliable entities that seeks to penalize entities that hurt the commercial interests of Chinese companies." Such companies could face trade restrictions, an investment ban in China and a bar on the entry of their employees to the country. TechInsights, a provider of data related to advanced technology and intellectual property, has been banned from dealing with organizations or individuals in China. It allegedly unearthed Chinese tech major Huaweis dependence on foreign semiconductors and revealed the identities of its hidden suppliers. Since 2019, Washington has placed Huawei on a blacklist that prohibits chip-makers that do business with the US from working directly with it. Huawei has been spearheading Beijings drive to develop domestic alternatives to foreign chips and its action against TechInsights shows that it will seek retribution against firms that get in the way of its tech self-reliance mission. Beijing has justified these expanding export-control measures by stating that many of these items have military applications and it is merely protecting its national security and interests. It has also signalled that it looks forward to using bilateral negotiations and other exchange mechanisms to discuss its rules. Beijing announced its policy revision just days ahead of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled at the end of October. Its export-supply aggression reveals an intention of using important industrial and technological inputs as leverage. Sure enough, Trump responded with a threat to levy an extra 100% tariff on Chinese imports over and above the 30% already in place. While the Chinese onslaught escalates Beijing-Washington tensions, it also highlights the unpredictability in the dynamics between Xi and Trump. Earlier this year, Trump had threatened to slap an unprecedented 145% import levy on Chinese goods. In turn, Xi had responded with a 125% retaliatory tariff. Several rounds of talks led to a truce and many extensions to it, with US tariffs on Chinese products settling at 30% and Chinese levies on American goods at 10%. Also Read | China is more eager to use Nvidias AI chips than it lets on In Septembers round of talks in Madrid, both sides seemed to make progress, arriving at a basic framework" over control of social-media app TikTok, although the pricklier issue of tariffs was pushed down the road for the next round of talks. The Trump administration gave TikTok another lease of life to operate in the US, with Bytedancethe company that owns this popular video-sharing appgetting time until 16 December to transfer control to an American entity. The Trump administration had earlier cited national security considerations in seeking ByteDances divestment, yet kept dawdling over the deadline. A key factor behind Trumps leniency towards TikTok was that his popularity among its users had grown. This could also have led Beijing to drop its reservations against the divestment and use it instead as a strategic lever. Earlier, the resolve of Americas tech-export curbs against China seemed to be weakening after Trump took a policy U-turn to allow the sale of Nvidias AI chips. Former US president Richard Nixon wrote in his autobiography that Communist leaders believed in Vladimir Lenins principle: Probe with bayonets, and if you encounter mush, proceed; if you encounter steel, withdraw. In his pursuit of a trade deal, Trump seems to be reversing his China policy bit by bit. Xi is better prepared with a retaliatory arsenal for this trade war 2.0. He has not only revealed a capacity to throw his adversary off balance, but appears to be encountering mush. The authors are, respectively, vice president for studies and fellow, Chinese studies, Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi. The country is gearing up to celebrate Diwali, which, along with the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya, is celebrated as the festival of Goddess Mahalakshmi. Business and trading communities spruce up their establishments and refurbish signs of Shubh Labh (auspicious profit), often prominently displayed. The importance of profit and the profit motive is imbued in our culture and the worship of Mahalakshmi is associated with reverence for profit-making. Over two decades ago, I had written a newspaper column emphasizing the importance of the relationship between business, profit and risk-taking. The work of Frank Knight, who distinguished between risk and uncertainty, is of timeless relevance. While risk can be insured against, uncertainty cannot. An entrepreneurs principal role is to step into the unknownand profit is societys reward for this endeavour. However, regulation and regulators often confuse the two; they aim to limit uncertainty, but end up stifling enterprise. Also Read | For economic success we must crack deglobalization, derisking and deregulation The world today faces new sources of uncertainty: climate, technology and politics. Our challenge is for our policy environment to recognize these changes and adapt to promote entrepreneurship. Since I wrote the article, many improvements have been made in the business environment. A new Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code acknowledges the natural role of failure in a healthy business ecosystem, establishing mechanisms for restructuring and honourable exits; a new policy framework supports venture capital and startups; the normalization of forward markets and derivativesonce considered taboorecognizes the role of speculative behaviour; the development of digital platforms and fintech has made commerce easier and reduced transaction costs. However, perceptions of an overbearing regulatory environment persist. It has widely been observed that whenever the state fears uncertainty, it tightens control over businesses . Social media is full of complaints from entrepreneurs grumbling about policy unpredictability, regulatory opacity and harsh compliance regimes. Multiple clearances from various authorities are necessary even for the simplest business activities. And so on. Beyond social media, even formal regulatory conduct reflects this phenomenon: frequent contradictory circulars, ad hoc bans, retroactive interpretations and heavy penalties. The real cost is uncertaintynot from markets, but from governance itself. In the last two decades, uncertainty has evolved as the world around us has changed. Manufacturers must now anticipate carbon pricing and environmental, social and governance (ESG) compliance; fintech firms must navigate privacy rules and shifting regulatory requirements; and content platforms face content liability and takedown orders. The problem is not with requiring regulation, but with the lack of transparency in this process. The current government came to office on the promise of Minimum government, maximum governance, and in its first term, it took many steps to make the administration more citizen- and business-friendly. However, somewhere in the response to the pandemic, we seem to have lost sight of this foundational principle and reverted to governance styles associated with the past. To revive the moral essence of Shubh Labh and a civilizational ethos that respects risk and profit, we need a business-friendly environment. This calls for: The creation of a framework for regulatory impact assessment in each branch of government; learning from our northern neighbour and creating regulatory sandboxes and pilot licensing systems to enable controlled experimentation and let a thousand flowers bloom; elevating forbearance on retrospective regulation to a Constitutional principle across both the Centre and states, and covering all arms of governancelegislative, executive and judicial; instituting a system of relief for good-faith behaviour; providing mandatory sunset and renewal clauses in all regulations; and introducing a system of advance notification before any new regulation. To achieve these goals, it is essential to change the attitude and character of our governance agents. When the Prime Minister announced Mission Karmayogi, he used language from the Bhagavad Gita, which visualises civil servants as sthitaprajna (people of steady wisdom, free from attachment, desire and anger). However, in practice, it has merely resulted in a rebranding of refresher training courses. An example of how the civil service undermines reforms while outwardly complying can be seen in the Jan Vishwas Bill, which aimed to remove harsh criminal provisions but has mainly resulted in the elimination of obsolete and minor technical provisions. A similar problem is observed in tax-reform implementationwhile the political leadership envisioned a non-adversarial system, its execution created loopholes that have allowed existing practices to persist. The spirit of Diwali requires us to respect Shubh Labh and let entrepreneurs face uncertaintybut not ambushes. The traditional indulgence in gambling during Diwali is an ancient recognition of the link between profit and risk-taking. Some will be winners and some losers, but by virtue of their willingness to participate, they are all eligible for the blessings of Mahalakshmi. As we light lamps to symbolize the fight against darkness, we must remember that the flame of risk-taking has to be protected. The author is a visiting professor at the Institute for Studies of Industrial Development and former chief statistician of India I studied economics at the University of Edinburgh, which meant reading a lot about the economic history of Northern Britainand that, in turn, meant reading a lot of Joel Mokyr, who is one of three economists who won this years Nobel award [or the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences]. Later on, as I embarked on my career as an economist, I got to know him personally and his newer research continues to shape my understanding of economic growth. Whenever I feel uncertain about the future of the economy, I turn to Mokyr. His work is the foundation of my understanding of why some economies thrive, some stagnate and others decline. It offers both hope and a warning to countries navigating the current economic uncertainty, and sheds some light on big questions about the effect of artificial intelligence (AI) and the viability of the Chinese model. As an admirer of his work and in honour of his Nobel, I thought I would offer the five most important lessons of Joel Mokyr. Economic growth is often resisted: Growth has always been critical to economic prosperityit is why people live longer and lead more comfortable lives that are free from the drudgery of hard labour. But it is often resisted, because it involves upheaval and uncertainty. Mokyr once explained to me how, at first, men refused work in factories. They were used to working for themselvesas small-scale farmers or artisanseven though they were poor and it was not an easy life. It was what they knew. The concept of modern workbeing somewhere at a certain time, staying all day, taking orders from a boss you had no relation towas so demeaning and offensive to men that for years factories had to hire women and children. It took a few generations of social conditioning for men to make the transition. Growth takes time: Industrialization was made possible by a few key innovations that changed the nature of work and production. But there were critical inventions that no one knew what to do with at first. The steam engine, for example, which powered factories and made industrial production possible. It took more than a century for its contribution to even show up in productivity statistics. Often, the most pivotal inventions take years to find their best use and in ways no one could have predicted. It is true that the speed at which innovations are adopted increases every passing year. It is also true that there are inventions that currently exist which will have a huge impact on the world many years from now. Growth is unpredictable: New innovations destroy jobs, but they also create new onesand it is fruitless to try to anticipate what these new jobs will be. Innovations transform the economy in ways that are sometimes impossible to comprehend. As Mokyr once told me: Imagine explaining to someone in 1920 what a cybersecurity expert is." Growth is cultural: One question drove economic history literature for decades: Why was Great Britain the first country to industrialize and get rich? Other countries were also inventing things, or had more wealth and natural resources, or a better climate. Much of Mokyrs work focuses on the cultural aspects of growth. These are critical. It comes down to an openness to risk and experimentation. This was a big part of the Scottish Enlightenment. Populations were relatively educated, their humanity was emphasized, and their curiosity and individuality were valued. Its not enough for a nation to invest money and build infrastructure; its not possible for a government to central-plan its way to prosperity. The most critical innovations are often discovered through trial-and-error. Growth is not inevitable: For centuries, the economies of the world barely grew. There was some progressbut it was small, and when empires ended, often their progress did too. That is what makes the last few hundred years so exceptional. It is true that growth does tend to accelerate and that innovations that help grow the economy beget greater inventions. But if the right conditions for growth are not maintained, this is not guaranteed. As [todays uncertainty-struck] world faces a future of lower economic growth [than in recent years], policymakers may be tempted to have the government take a more active role in the economy. Policy certainly has a role to play. But all governments should realize that abundance doesnt come from better planning. The crucial element of growth is opennessto risk, uncertainty, change and creativity. Thats the great lesson of Joel Mokyrs [academic exertions] and why his work is as relevant as ever. Bloomberg The author is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering economics. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) traded barbs over Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's Karwa Chauth celebration, with the opposition party mocking the elaborate festivities. The ruling party in the national capital hit back, calling the critics "enemies of Sanatan Dharma." Gupta celebrated Karwa Chauth at the Mukhyamantri Jan Sewa Sadan on 10 October. The event was attended by many women politicians, spouses of Union ministers, MPs, MLAs, councillors, government officers, and other prominent women. Also Read | Delhi CM Rekha Gupta dances with other women after participating in Karwa Chauth AAP leader and former minister Saurabh Bharadwaj shared a video on X, discussing the celebration. What is the big deal? "Now Rekha Gupta ji celebrated Karwa Chauth. Rekha Gupta ji celebrated it with her husband. What's the big deal with that? Is it the first time someone has celebrated Karwa Chauth with their husband? You must have seen the video; it's everywhere. On one side is the husband, and on the other, around a hundred security guards, whose own wives couldn't celebrate because of this," he said. Bharadwaj made the remarks on Sunday during the Diwali Milan event hosted by the party for autorickshaw drivers. "Look at that video, a security guard is standing there holding her (Rekha Gupta's) Karwa Chauth thali. His own wife is probably watching the video, seeing her husband helping Rekha Gupta perform her Karwa Chauth rituals, thinking... This is the worth of your vote, that Rekha Gupta celebrated Karwa Chauth. Just look at the heavy price you people are paying for it," he said in the video. The BJP hit back at the AAP, saying the party leaders were pained by the fact that the chief minister had celebrated the festival with hundreds of women. "The enemies of Sanatan Dharma are deeply pained to see how the woman Chief Minister of Delhi is celebrating the festival of Karwa Chauth with hundreds of women at her Jan Seva Sadan," the party said on X. Look at that video, a security guard is standing there holding her Karwa Chauth thali... This is the worth of your vote. Hitting out at AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, they said that in his "sheesh mahal", people were not allowed. In response, Bharadwaj shared the entire video of his speech. In the video, he also accused the Delhi government of lying to people on achievements and claiming credit for initiatives taken by the previous Arvind Kejriwal-led government. Veteran Chinese journalist Alex Lo has sarcastically called for a name-change for the Nobel Peace Prize. He proposes that it should be called the Nobel War Prize. The comments come as part of his critique of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was recently awarded the honour. While making a formal announcement, the Nobel committee called her a champion of peace". She keeps the flame of democracy burning, it said. Machado earlier sparked debate due to her past support for foreign intervention in Venezuela. While the Nobel Committee praised her non-violent struggle for democracy, critics argue her past statements show a militaristic outlook. Also Read | Machado not so Nobel? Peace Prize winner once backed Israel over Gaza war In 2019, she suggested that only a credible and imminent threat of international military force could push President Nicolas Maduro from power. She has also supported US President Donald Trumps military presence in the Caribbean. She defended US bombings of drug boats as necessary to cut off Maduros illegal drug funding. Reports claim Machado and her advisers coordinated with the Trump administration on potential plans to remove Maduro. According to The Guardian, many experts are sceptical about her association with radical right-wing politicians, such as US President Trump and Brazils former president, Jair Bolsonaro. Los opinion piece on the South China Morning Post echoes a similar concern. He notes that it was US Secretary of State Marco Rubio who nominated the Venezuelan far-right politician for the Nobel. Rubio was a Senator at that time. Mike Waltz, US Ambassador to the United Nations, also backed the nomination. Lo also reminds his readers that Machado told CBS News that only the US forces could stop the suppression in her country. Praising the head of the US empire, which has treated her country as an enemy and is launching military operations, doesnt seem very peaceful, Lo states. Whether Machado is a hero or villain, a national liberator or traitor, is something very much dependent on your political position. But she doesnt seem the kind of peacemaker Alfred Nobel had in mind, he adds. Meanwhile, some social media users have pointed out that Alfred Nobel was also called the Merchant of Death. Was he? Heres the truth. Alfred Nobel: Merchant of Death In 1888, Alfred Nobels brother Ludvig died in France. However, a French newspaper mistakenly published Alfreds obituary instead. The headline read, The merchant of death is dead. The publication condemned him for earning wealth from explosives and weapons. Nobel invented dynamite and owned Bofors, a major arms company. He was deeply affected by the label. Worried about being remembered for destruction, Nobel decided to change his legacy. Winter has arrived early for some states in the US. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued warnings across parts of California, Nevada and Wyoming, stating that a powerful winter storm could dump up to 18 inches of snow through Wednesday morning (15 October). NWS warns of heavy snowfall in California In California, the central Sierra - mostly south of Interstate 80 - is already seeing heavy snow. The NWS said it could range from 12 to 18 inches, with snow levels around 5,500 to 6,500 feet. Travel could be very difficult, the agency warned, urging drivers to avoid mountain passes overnight. The heaviest snow was expected to fall late Tuesday and taper off by sunrise Wednesday, Newsweek reported. Nevada could see 15 inches of snowfall In Elko County, the Ruby Mountains and East Humboldt Range could get around 15 inches before conditions start to ease. A storm system will impact Northern and Central Nevada through Wednesday night, the NWS Elko office wrote on X, adding that most accumulation would come overnight. Snow-covered roads are expected through Secret Pass and Harrison Pass - two of the trickiest spots in the region when winter hits. NWS advisory for Wyoming Farther north, Wyoming is also on alert. The NWS office in Riverton said snow will fall across the Teton and Wind River ranges, making for slick roads and tricky conditions for hunters and anyone venturing into the backcountry. The main focus of rain and snow will be along the higher elevations of western Wyoming, the office said. NWS warns against travels in Mono county Mono County, California, could see close to a foot along the Sierra Nevada Crest. Local officials said chain controls and low visibility could make even short trips risky. Update on the storm Forecasters have said that the storm should wind down by late Wednesday night, but mountain roads could stay icy into Thursday. For now, the message is clear. If you are in the Sierra or anywhere above 6,000 feet, do not risk it. Wait it out, check local updates, and let the plows catch up. FAQs Which states are under the winter storm warning? Parts of California, Nevada, and Wyoming are currently under warnings. How much snow is expected to fall? The NWS predicts up to 18 inches in the Sierra and 15 inches in parts of Nevada. How long will the storm last? Snowfall is expected to continue through Wednesday morning before tapering off. BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met with Sylvanie Burton, president of the Commonwealth of Dominica, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. Noting that Dominica is a close friend and partner of China in the Caribbean, Xi said China stands ready to work with Dominica to elevate bilateral relations to a higher level and deliver more benefits to both peoples. China and Dominica should consolidate political mutual trust, strengthen exchanges of governance experience, and enhance interactions between governments, legislative bodies, and political parties, Xi said. China stands ready to continue supporting Dominica in enhancing its capacity in climate change response, and disaster prevention and reduction, he said. China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Dominica in infrastructure, clean energy, healthcare, agriculture and women's empowerment, and promote cultural, educational, tourism and other people-to-people exchanges, he added. Xi urged enhancing multilateral coordination and jointly implementing the four global initiatives to build a community with a shared future for humanity. He also called for implementing the consensus reached at the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women and stepping up cooperation in women's capacity building. Dominica firmly upholds the one-China principle and stands ready to deepen cooperation with China in economy, trade, agriculture, the green economy, new energy, healthcare, and climate change response, Burton said. Hailing China as an important force for global peace and stability, Burton said Dominica is willing to work closely with China in opposing unilateralism and hegemonism and in safeguarding the common interests of developing countries. Wang Yi attended the meeting. Richmount Cordial Company was announced as the winner of Best in County Longford at the prestigious Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards, Irelands largest blind-tasted food competition. The Irish Food Awards, now in their 18th year are firmly established as the largest and most influential food awards on the island of Ireland. PICTURES | Thousands of people flock to Longford Leader Build and Renovate Expo 2025 This year, three producers from County Longford were shortlisted across a wide range of categories, with Richmount Cordial Company taking home a coveted Blas award and winning Best in County, proudly sponsored by Longford Local Enterprise Office and Longford County Council. Michael Nevin, Head of Enterprise at Longford County Council said, Huge congratulations to Richmount Cordial Company, winner of Best in County Longford at the prestigious Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards, Irelands largest blind-tasted food competition. We also proudly celebrate Panelto Foods and The Farmhouse Trees & Bees Ltd., Longfords exceptional finalists in their respective categories, showcasing the countys rich food heritage. With thousands of entries judged purely on taste, these honours reflect true excellence in Irish food and drink. Longford food and drink producers are proudly supported by Enterprise Ireland, Longford LEO and the Midlands Regional Food & Drink Network, driving innovation and quality across the region. Read more: Longford boil water notice lifted for Granard Public Water Supply with immediate effect 2025 marks another record year for Blas na hEireann, with over 3,000 entries across more than 180 categories, reflecting the strength and diversity of Irish food and drink. This years finalists and winners had the opportunity to showcase their products at the Blas Village and the popular Eat Ireland in a Day market, both of which returned to Dingle alongside the annual Backyard at Blas panel discussions supported by Bank of Ireland. The weekend offered producers a chance to connect with buyers, industry experts, media, fellow producers, and food lovers, while also celebrating the people, and the talents, that make Irish food so special. Speaking after the announcement, Artie Clifford, Chairperson of Blas na hEireann, said, Every year the standard rises, and 2025 has been no exception. To see such talented producers from County Longford represented on the shortlist, and now to celebrate the winners from that county, is a real testament to the skill, creativity, and resilience of Irelands food producers. Making it to the finalist stage alone is a huge achievement, and to win at Blas is something of which to be incredibly proud. Irish food and drink continues to go from strength to strength, and it is a joy to celebrate that strength and that community in Dingle. Read more: New An Post location for Longford people in the Drumlish area The Blas na hEireann awards weekend ran from October 2 to 5 in Dingle, with a packed programme of events shining a spotlight on the very best of Irish food and drink. Sustainability once again remained a key focus, with the event continuing to build on its waste-free commitments and support a more conscious future for Irish food. The Minister for Education Helen McEntee and renowned psychotherapist Dr Richard Hogan have addressed the annual congress of Education & Training Boards Ireland (ETBI), including Longford & Westmeath ETB (LWETB), which took place on Thursday, October 9 in Cavan, and discussed key sectoral challenges in advance of the recently announced national Convention on Education. Read more: Longford County Council 'proud' of Midland Region STEM project award nomination Over 200 delegates from across Irelands education and training boards (ETBs), including Longford and Westmeath, listened to the first sectoral address by Minister for Education and Youth, Helen McEntee TD, who said: "I am delighted to attend my first ETBI Conference and to meet so many people committed to advancing greater equity in education. This week, I was pleased to announce 2 million in funding for the Convention on Education, which will provide a unique opportunity for children, young people, parents, educators and wider society to help shape the future of our education system." Delegates also heard from renowned psychotherapist Dr Richard Hogan who called for a blanket ban of smart phones across schools, stating: I strongly believe and this is backed up data and research that smart phones are contributing to the silencing of adolescence. We are witnessing the death of small talk among our young people, and the accompanying social skills they need to thrive. Read more: Longford first responders requested to sign up for Ballinagh area Speakers and panellists also discussed other areas they feel the convention needs to address, including special education, curriculum reform and the need for multi-denominational education. Over the day, the congress also addressed key topics including growing the Irish language, strengthening partnerships with local and regional employers, and managing growth and governance. The launch of Pure Innocent Boy which took place in Longford Library on Tuesday, October 7 was an example of Longfords support for the success of its own people. Killoes Patrick Doherty received a crowd of various ages, with people having to stand as the turn-out was much bigger than the seats provided on the night. Taking place between 7pm to 8pm, the evening began with book signings and photographs. Longford County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Garry Murtagh was present, as was Cllr Gerry Hagan. Cllr Murtagh gave the official welcome speech. Read more: Longford encouraged to go and take the first step with weekly quickstep classes You are all very welcome this evening. Its great to have you here to promote this local author. Paddys book is published by Dedalus Press. Longford County Council is delighted to support him. Patrick was recounted to be a Killoe GAA defender but now plays in Spain, and how he loved reading and writing. Both he and his classmate from St Teresas National School, John Connell, were said to have been inspired by their principal, Colm Harte. Both men have become authors. Patrick is true and true Longford, was what was said about him, as well as being an advocate for the library. Not only known in Longford, it was added that he had been shortlisted for a Hennessy Award. Patrick has also been nominated for the PJ O'Connor Radio Drama Awards. Following these speeches, Eric Lane, from Dedalus Press UK, was present for this launch. He stood to give some words to the attendees. Read more: Talented Longford illustrator wins prestigious 'Colum for Our Time' competition Thank you for coming. We agreed to have a launch and Patrick said hed like an event in Longford. We have lots of events in Ireland, the UK, Europe and the world. Ive never been to one with so much community and belonging. I always say nearly everything we get is no. It has to have very good, believable characters. This book, you care. What I found very moving was that the main character has a few problems but things come out right. You get a sense of tragedy. For me, what makes this book compelling is a tragedy which wasnt meant to happen. I think its a sense of feeling that makes this a powerful book. Im very proud that we published it. Patrick Doherty has a big career ahead of him. After a round of applause, Patrick himself stood to make a speech. Although his wife, Despi, and their two daughters were unable to attend, there were members of his family on the front rows cheering him on. Id like to thank everyone for coming. I wasnt expecting this. I thank Fiona and Martina from Longford Library. Id also like to thank Barry from Newsround. Im very lucky and privileged to have grown up in my community. I went to St Teresas National School. In St Mels, there were teachers who encouraged me. Id lie to thank the Yew Tree Players for bringing culture into Killoe. He went on to thank his family, including his Auntie Jean and Auntie Ann for always being supportive. He then thanked his siblings: Shane, Orla, Laura, Marie and Aoife. He added that his sister, Laura, inspired all of us. Then he thanked his wife and children for making it all worthwhile. Afterwards, he thanked Eric and Marie from Dedalus Press. I appreciate being given the opportunity, he said. With applause in support of his speech, Patrick proceeded to read an excerpt from Pure Innocent Boy. He selected Tadhgs entry from 23rd December 2018. The reading, roughly five minutes, made the library silent as they enjoyed the story. The book, complimented for its length, brought smiles and interest among the crowd, to which many had purchased on the night. To complete the launch, there was a small Q & A session for members of the audience to ask about the work. One of the questions was where the idea came from. Patrick responded with: Seven or eight years ago, it was a short story which is basically the first or second chapter. I found Tadhg was a clear voice to me. He added that lockdown, between 2020 and 2021, was the perfect time to begin writing. With the speeches done, people lined up to have their books signed, to chat and have a photograph with the much-loved Killoe man. Read more: Longford's anticipated 30+ Halloween Club Night is ready to rise Pure Innocent Boy is available to borrow in Longford Library, as well as being in other outlets to purchase. Following this event, Patrick Doherty headed to Hodges and Figgis in Dublin, Dawsons Street, for another launch on October 8, which began at 6pm. The tour ended in finishing up Leaf & Bower, Ballincollig, Co, Cork on October 9. A great achievement, Patrick expanded the talent coming from Longford, which has been fostered since a young age. Gardai are investigating after a teenage boy was killed and two others hospitalised following a serious incident at a Tusla emergency residential premises in Donaghmede, Dublin 13, on Wednesday, 15 October. In a statement from An Garda Siochana, they said they are investigating all the circumstances surrounding the fatal incident which occurred on Wednesday morning. Gardai said: "Shortly after 11am Gardai and other emergency services responded to a call for assistance at the residential premises. On arrival a seriously injured male juvenile teenager was discovered at the scene. "Despite the assistance of paramedics the male has subsequently been pronounced deceased at the scene." Gardai also confirmed that emergency services "assisted a number of other juveniles and adults at the scene." READ NEXT: 'Risk of skin cancer increased by 75%' - Government proposes ban on sunbed use across Ireland One male teenager has been taken to hospital in the Dublin Region for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. A woman has also been taken to hospital after receiving medical attention at the scene for non-life threatening injuries. Gardai have said the incident is no longer active and there is "no ongoing threat to the community." The statement added: "An Garda Siochana is not looking for any other person in relation to this incident at this time and is following a definite line of enquiry." The scene has been preserved for a Garda technical examination. The Offices of the Coroner and the State Pathologist have been notified. Gardai said: "The body will be removed in due course, and a post mortem examination will be carried out. The results of the post-mortem examination will assist in determining the course of the ongoing investigation." No further information on the incident has been released yet. Fine Gael is very worried about the momentum behind Catherine Connollys campaign, the left-wing independent candidate has claimed. Ms Connolly made that assessment while speaking briefly to reporters as she campaigned at a shopping centre in Navan, Co Meath. She said: I think theyre very worried that this movement is gaining momentum with every day, every minute, every hour. Thats been the response since I went out in July, it has just gained in intensity. The people of Ireland will decide and thats what is so special about this election. Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys criticised Ms Connolly for insulting Irelands allies, in a reference to previous comments from her opponent where she said cannot trust US, the UK or France. Ms Humphreys said: My views are that I am pro-European, and I certainly wont insult France, the UK or indeed the US. It is important that they are our allies and Im not going to insult them and I wont let this country down on the world stage. Ms Connolly has said her comments referred to the response of those countries to genocide in Gaza. Elsewhere on the campaign trail, Ms Connolly said that climate change and the destruction of the natural environment represent the defining social and moral challenges of our time. She said that the Irish Government has failed to give the climate and environmental emergency the sustained attention, focus, and action it deserves. She said that as President, she would make climate action and the protection of Irelands natural heritage a central theme of her presidency. Ms Humphreys took her campaign to the border county of Cavan on Wednesday. Speaking at her old school, St Aidans Comprehensive, she proposed a presidential initiative which would see the Defence Forces being involved in the delivery of national flags to every school. As a Presbyterian, and a proud Irish republican, I feel strongly that our flag symbolises the spirit of inclusion, and the aspiration for unity between people of different traditions on this island. Gerry Adams is to take legal action against the Governments proposed retrospective law change to block him securing compensation for being interned during the Troubles. The former Sinn Fein president has confirmed the move in response to the Governments Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, which seeks to prevent him and others detained without trial from seeking payouts based on a judicial decision that ruled their internment unlawful on a legal technicality. On Tuesday evening, the veteran republican said he would be consulting with lawyers to explore what legal options there are, both in the UK and Europe, to challenge the move. On Wednesday, he confirmed that he intended to mount a legal challenge. I have instructed my legal team that it is my intention to pursue legal action against Keir Starmers decision to retrospectively change a law which a Conservative government broke over 50 years ago, he said. Mr Adams highlighted that the measure was included in a Bill that also introduced new protections designed to address concerns of military veterans who are asked to engage in legacy mechanisms in Northern Ireland. The measures include the option of witnesses giving evidence remotely. The former Sinn Fein leader accused the UK of hypocrisy and duplicity, claiming it was legislating to protect British soldiers and RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary) officers from facing the legal consequences of their criminal actions. A Supreme Court judgment in 2020 initially paved the way for Mr Adams to secure compensation over his internment in the early 1970s. He won his appeal to overturn historical convictions for two attempted prison breaks, after he was interned in 1973 at Long Kesh internment camp, also known as Maze Prison, near Lisburn. The Supreme Court ruled that his detention was unlawful because the interim custody order (ICO) used to initially detain him had not been considered personally by then secretary of state for Northern Ireland Willie Whitelaw. At the time of the case, the previous government contended that the ICOs were lawful because of a long-standing convention, known as the Carltona principle, where officials and junior ministers routinely act in the name of the secretary of state. Mr Adams subsequently successfully challenged a decision to deny an application for compensation for his detention. However, the 2023 Legacy Act introduced by the last Conservative government stopped such payouts to Mr Adams and other former internees. The Act retrospectively validated the ICOs to make them lawful and halted civil claims related to the orders. However, in February last year, the High Court in Belfast ruled that the provisions of the Act related to the ICOs were incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. The Labour Government did not appeal against that section of the High Court judgment but instead pledged to find a lawful means to block payouts. The Troubles Bill presented to Parliament on Tuesday proposes to reaffirm the so-called Carltona principle into law, a move the Government believes will prevent payouts. While the Legacy Acts provisions in relation to ICOs, sections 46 and 47, were ruled incompatible with the ECHR by the High Court, the Government is retaining those sections on the statute book until such time as the Troubles Bill becomes law. The Bill also gives legislative effect to several measures contained in a joint framework for dealing with the legacy of the Troubles recently agreed by the UK and Irish governments. In response to Mr Adams legal move, a spokesperson for the Government said: We believe that the Supreme Courts ruling in Adams that the Carltona principle did not apply to interim custody orders was an incorrect interpretation of Parliaments intention. This week, we have introduced legislation to clearly reaffirm that principle for these cases, making it clear in the law that detentions were legitimate and lawful. Irelands deputy premier has won a motion of confidence on his record in Government. Tanaiste Simon Harris, the leader of Fine Gael, won the vote with the support of his coalition colleagues by a margin of 94 to 65. There was one abstention. The vote on Mr Harris came after an opposition party indicated it would call for a motion of no confidence against him over his record in Government, particularly on childrens health matters. It arose out of a series of scandals at Childrens Health Ireland (CHI) including the implanting of non-surgical springs into child patients, unnecessary hip surgeries, the security of health records, and issues around in-sourcing. It was also held amid renewed focus on child spinal surgery waiting times after the death of a nine-year-old boy. That no confidence motion was not held, with the Government instead calling and winning a vote expressing confidence in Mr Harris. While health minister in 2017, Mr Harris pledged that no child would wait more than four months for scoliosis treatment. Earlier this year, nine-year-old Harvey Morrison Sherratt died after waiting years for spinal surgery. His parents, Stephen Morrison and Gillian Sherratt, have also called for Mr Harriss resignation. Speaking in the Dail parliament, Mr Harris defended his record and noted that the motion came less than a year after the coalition came in to Government following a vote of the people in the general election. He said he had met Harveys parents and expressed his deep sorrow to them. He said: In recent times, further significant concerns have been raised and I, the Minister for Health, the Taoiseach and Government have responded by saying we must listen to and work with parents and advocacy groups who are highlighting hugely worrying and important issues. Mr Harris added: Throughout my time in public life as a Minister of State in the Department of Finance, as Minister for Health or Further and Higher Education, Minister for Justice, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence, Ive always tried to do one thing: To work hard in service of the people. Ive never claimed to be infallible, but I do act in good faith, and when I make mistakes and when I err, I acknowledge them. I dont always get everything right, but let us distinguish scrutiny from cynicism and accountability from opportunism. The vote came after Aontu said on Tuesday that it wanted to bringing a no confidence motion against the Tanaiste next week. The party said it would call that vote due to Mr Harriss failed promise on child spinal surgeries and overall dysfunction in CHI. Aontu leader Peadar Toibin said: Simon Harris is not fit to be a minister in this Government, and we are calling for his resignation. He would have called for the vote to be held next Wednesday October 22, two days before the presidential election in which the candidate for Mr Harriss Fine Gael former party deputy leader Heather Humphreys will go up against left-wing independent Catherine Connolly. However, the Government moved to undercut the Aontu motion by calling its own motion of confidence in Mr Harris on Wednesday. Mr Toibin described this as a cheap cynical trick by Government, claiming that this had not happened since 1976. He accused the coalition of clearing the decks for the motion to ensure that voters in the presidential election next week are not thinking of the Governments abysmal record on children with scoliosis. He also said it was unprecedented that a Government countermotion of confidence would be undertaken without the original motion of no confidence being published or tabled. Mr Toibin said his party still intends to use its private members time to achieve justice for Harvey, accountability, and lasting change. It has been suggested that Aontu may call a broader motion of no confidence in the whole Government instead. Sinn Fein criticised the unprecedented move by Government to call a confidence motion without the formal receipt of a no confidence motion. Party leader Mary Lou McDonald said: The motion tabled today by Fine Gael and Fianna Fail fall is a move cynically designed to intercept and shut down a prospective motion of no confidence in Tanaiste Simon Harris, to shield him from being held to account for his litany of failures but primarily his profound failure on children with scoliosis and spina bifida. Labour whip Duncan Smith accused the Government of making a mockery of the parliament by proposing to change the order of business, having not devoted time to other issues such as matters affecting the fisheries industry. Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said the Dail should be debating issues around the Occupied Territories Bill and disability services rather than having a backslapping exercise. Taoiseach and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said he understood the anger and frustration around issues at CHI but said he believed Mr Harris had acted in good faith. He told Mr Toibin: Motions in themselves are not going to improve services. Presidential hopeful Catherine Connolly has said she is concerned the EU has gone down a route of further and further militarisation. The Independent candidate appeared on The Katie Hannon Interview Live on RTE on Wednesday night. Asked about previous controversial comments she made about Germanys current military build-up, which she compared to the country in the 1930s when it was under Nazi rule, Ms Connolly said: I expressed my serious concerns about the similarities between now and the 30s, and I use the example of Germany, whos rebooting its economy, going buying more and more military, more arms. When pushed to differentiate between countries building up arms for economic, defensive and aggressive purposes, she replied: As a woman and as a mother, Im seriously concerned at the direction that countries are going, spending more money on arms and the militarisation while we reduce the money spent on welfare. There has also been much scrutiny throughout her campaign of her decision to hire a woman convicted of a firearms offence, who had been a member of the group Eirigi which is critical of the Good Friday Agreement. During the programme Ms Connolly said a woman hired by her in the Dail was a supporter of the peace process, as I understand it. When questioned if she asked her employee about her membership of the organisation, she said: Eirigi is a registered political party. You dont ask someone if theyre a member of a registered political party. Another issue which has dogged the Galway West TDs path to the presidency is her 2018 trip to Syria. Questions have been asked about the optics of an Irish parliamentarian being seen with supporters of then-president Bashar Assad. Discussing an excursion to the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, during which she was shown around by members of a pro-Assad militia, Ms Connolly said: We met quite a lot of people there who showed us around. The sole purpose was to understand the refugee situation. During the interview Ms Connolly claimed 14,000 volunteers have signed up to her campaign, the majority of whom have never taken part in an election before. However when asked about two people who have not been visible on her campaign, ex-MEPs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace, who were also on the Syrian trip, she said: I have fairly little contact with Clare Daly and Mick Wallace, because most of the time theyre not in the country. Pressed on if she was modifying her political persona to appeal to a wider group of voters, Ms Connolly answered: Ive stood honestly and openly in the Dail. I have supported the government when it was right on the issue, and otherwise Ive disagreed with the government. Ive always pointed out constructive solutions. The Independent candidate was quizzed about whether she would carry out the campaigning work she has been known for, and in particular, if she would still champion the Women of Honour group which has campaigned on issues of bullying and misogyny in the Defence Forces. The organisation has criticised the terms of reference of a tribunal set up to investigate discrimination and sexual harassment within Irelands military. Ms Connolly said: I think I have supported them every step of the way, particularly in relation to their dissatisfaction with the terms of reference. But as a president, I have a completely different role. Ms Connolly said she absolutely would support a change to allow the Office of President to face more public scrutiny by making it subject to the Freedom of Information legislation. When asked if any animals would be joining her at Aras an Uachtarain, she said she had two black cats, a brother and sister who were known as Cat One and Cat Two. Ms Connolly also said her husband, or current husband as she refers to him, Brian McEnery would be likely to bring more than one of his beehives with him to the Aras. The first four coffins holding deceased hostages that Hamas transferred to the Red Cross were received by the IDF overnight on October 13-14. (IDF) On October 13, Hamas began to transfer the bodies of 28 deceased hostages that it holds in Gaza, all of which, under the terms of the recent ceasefire agreement, it was supposed to hand over when it released 20 living hostages the same day. However, the group only transferred the bodies of four hostages on October 13, followed by releasing four more bodies to Israel in the evening of October 1415. Israel considers the slow transfer of the bodies to be a violation of the deal agreed to in Egypts Sharm el Sheikh on October 8. Under the ceasefire deal, Hamas had until 12:00 local time (4 a.m. ET) Monday to hand over all hostages to Israel alive and deceased. Only four of the deceased Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, Bipin Joshi and Daniel Peretz were released that evening, CNN noted. However, reports suggest that the slow pace of the transfers may stem from Hamas finding it difficult to recover all the bodies. The search for human remains is obviously an even bigger challenge than having the people alive being released. Thats a massive challenge, ICRC spokesperson Christian Cardon said. On October 14, after Hamas had not released more deceased hostages, Israeli officials suggested they could limit the aid entering Gaza and would refuse to open the Rafah border crossing with Egypt if Hamas did not abide by the terms of the deal. Any delay or deliberate avoidance will be considered a gross violation of the agreement and will be responded to accordingly, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on social media. Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the EU Foreign Policy chief, wrote on October 13 that the peace plan requires strong international backing to succeed. The EU stands ready to do its part. On Wednesday [October 15], it will restart a civilian mission to monitor the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. This mission can play an important role in supporting the ceasefire. When the first four coffins with deceased hostages were handed over on October 13, they were transferred via the Red Cross to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The Israeli military held a short ceremony for the deceased, draping the coffins with flags and reciting a chapter from the Book of Psalms. The coffins were then escorted by IDF and Israel Security Agency officials to Israels National Center of Forensic Medicine, where identification took place. The first four deceased hostages were identified as Guy Illouz, Captain Daniel Peretz, Yossi Sharabi, and Bipin Joshi. Joshi was a Nepali citizen who was kidnapped during Hamass attack on October 7, 2023. Overnight between October 14 and 15, another four bodies were transferred. Hamas has informed the mediators that it will transfer four more bodies of deceased hostages to Israel on Wednesday, a Middle Eastern diplomat and a second source familiar with the matter, told The Times of Israel. Israels Ynet noted that three of the bodies transferred overnight had been identified as Eitan Levy, Tamir Nimrodi, and Uriel Baruch. By October 15, a total of seven deceased hostages had been identified, and 21 were still missing. In Gaza, Hamas gunmen have returned to the streets and clashed with members of other armed groups. Hamas has also been filmed executing people, leading to a condemnation from the Palestinian Authority. US President Donald Trump suggested that Hamas has killed a number of gang members as it has re-emerged in Gaza. Israeli Defense Minister Katz noted on October 15 that the IDF is acting in accordance with instructions and enforcing a clear policy of preparedness along the Yellow Linewhich includes more than 50% of the territory of Gaza. He added that Any violation will be met with an immediate response. Yesterday, terrorists who tried to approach and cross were thwartedand so it will be in the future. The IDF said on October 14 that several suspects were identified crossing the yellow line and approaching IDF troops operating in the northern Gaza Strip, which constitutes a violation of the agreement. The IDF opened fire to remove the threat, the Israeli military said. Gazas Hamas-run health ministry claimed that six people were killed in the incident. 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). Hamas-affiliated Arrow Unit members in Gaza. On October 13, the Hamas-affiliated Arrow Unit publicly executed eight members of Gazas Doghmush clan on charges of allegedly collaborating with Israel. Since the ceasefire between Palestinian factions and Israel went into effect on October 10, Hamas has carried out a campaign of punishment against clans, militias, and individuals in the Gaza Strip that it has accused of opposing the resistance. The Arrow Unit, a specialized force established by the Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza, has led the crackdown. The unit posted footage of the recent execution on its Telegram channel, along with a warning. This is the fate of every traitor to the homeland and to religion the moment of the execution of the occupations agents from the Doghmush family, the Arrow Unit wrote. The Arrow Unit also warned that it would continue to target the Dughmush clan, the Abu Samra and Hallas families, and others who opposed Hamas during the war. Ties between the Doghmush clan and Hamas have long been volatile, alternating between cooperation and confrontation. For example, Mumtaz Doghmush founded the Salafist-jihadist group known as the Jaysh al Islam (Army of Islam), which cooperated with Hamas and other armed organizations in abducting Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006. However, following the abduction, the relationship between Jaysh al Islam and Hamas soured. In 2008, Hamas-run security forces killed 10 members of the Doghmush clan who were members of the Army of Islam. The Arrow Unit has also suffered casualties in the recent crackdown. On October 12, it announced the death Naim Basem Naim, the son of senior Hamas member Basem Naim, and blamed the Doghmush clan for killing him in recent clashes. Notably, the Arrow Unit stated that Naim belonged to its organization, adding to the mounting evidence that the Arrow Unit is not an independent entity; instead, an extension of Hamas consisting of members of the Islamist group. Another group targeted by the Arrow Unit, the anti-Hamas Popular ArmyNorthern Forces (located in northern Gaza), has remained defiant. Following the execution of the Doghmush clan members, the group published a statement, denying that it had suffered losses at the hands of Hamas and warning the Islamist group not to enter its territory of operations. In contrast, the crackdown has elicited a different response from the Al Majayda family, which has reportedly clashed with Hamas in recent weeks. On October 13, the family posted a statement on Facebook saying that it would collect its weapons and hand them over to Hamas. Since the executions on October 13, an unverified Facebook account associated with the Doghmush clan has claimed an additional death of a family member at the hands of the Arrow Unit. Even women have not been spared from being killed by Hamas agents. Umm Jalal Doghmush was murdered, and they are now fabricating charges against her to justify their actions, the author wrote. Other unverified social media accounts claimed that Jalal Doghmushs son, Khalil, was also killed by the Arrow Unit. Hamass crackdown has received condemnation from the international community. For example, Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, said on October 15 that Hamas should cease killing innocent Palestinians. Cooper directed Hamas to adhere to US President Donald Trumps ceasefire plan and disarm. Germanys foreign ministry also issued a statement accusing Hamas of carrying out acts of terror against the Palestinian population. Joe Truzman is an editor and senior research analyst at FDD's Long War Journal focused primarily on Palestinian armed groups and non-state actors in the Middle East. If Safari is your primary browser, like it is for me, its certainly one of the most important apps on the Mac. But did you know you can make it do more? You can with browser extensions. If you arent familiar with browser extensions, they are software add-ons that add functionality to Safari. Safari doesnt have as many extensions as Google Chrome, but there are several that you can take advantage of. Safari extensions are available through the App Store. You can find extensions for Mac Safari by selecting Safari > Safari Extensions in the Safari menu bar. Then click on the Browse Extensions button. An overview page will then open in the Mac App Store. Free and paid extensions are available; installed plug-ins are also automatically made available on iOS and iPadOS. You can manage the installed extensions on the Mac under Settings > Extensions. On the iPhone and iPad, each extension usually comes with its own app. Looking for some guidance on which ones to try? Here are a few of my favorite Safari extensions. Block annoying ads with Wipr 2 In the App Store, the Wipr 2 extension is one of the more popular paid extensionsrightly so, in my opinion. For $4.99, you can use it to block ads and other annoying page elements on macOS and iOS Safari. What sets Wipr apart from other tools is its very active developer: Its block lists are updated twice a week. A highlight is the additional Wipr Extra list, which goes beyond the standard. Wipr not only provides more convenience, but also offers practical special functions, such as blocking annoying cookie banners and support for YouTube. Wipr 2 has its blocklists updated twice a week. Foundry Although some banners were not taken into account in an initial test, the tool makes a good impression. A new version called Filtr is already planned, which will make it possible to block disruptive content in all of your apps, not just Safari. This is based on an upcoming new system function of macOS 26 and iOS 26 called URL Filtering. Wipr 2 on the App Store Collect articles with Obsidian At first glance, the note manager Obsidian may seem a little off-putting. The apps interface design looks a little like it was designed specifically for nerds and programmers. The multi-column view is also practical, but confusing at first. However, its worth giving this free tool a chance. Obsidian for Safari can be very helpful if you perform a lot of research on the web. Foundry One of its strengths is the webclipper, which allows you to save entire web pages in Blogger Markdown format. Synchronization between iOS and macOS is possible via iCloud, but the clipper seems to work more reliably on the Mac platform. The paid version can also publish articles on the web and offers additional functions. Obsidian on the App Store Protect against malware: Antivirus One The Antivirus One extension is designed to protect against dubious sites with malware and phishing attacks. The tool is part of the Antivirus One antivirus app from Trend Micro. If you download the reasonably-priced antivirus program for the Mac, the browser extension will also be installed. After installation, you still need to activate the extension via the app, then every website accessed in Safari is compared in a database, and known phishing and malware sites are blocked. The Antivirus One app includes a Safari extension that checks for malware. Foundry Safari already offers its own protection function, but the extension from Trend Micro is an interesting addition. The Antivirus One can also be used free of charge for manual scans of the Mac, while the full version offers automatic virus definition updates and live virus protection for $20 a year. Learn more about antivirus protection of your Mac. Tune YouTube with Vinegar Vinegar ($1.99) is designed to make YouTube videos more convenient. It replaces YouTubes playback function with its own. A picture-in-picture feature makes it possible to surf other sites at the same time as a YouTube video is being displayed. The mini-video player can be moved to the top or bottom of the screen and enlarged or reduced in size. Vinegar tunes up the YouTube player Stephan Wiesend Videos can then be started and displayed in full-screen mode without interrupting playback when switching to another tab, which is otherwise only offered by the paid YouTube player. These options would be particularly useful on iOS and iPadOS, but unfortunately, the current version has stability problems. Vinegar on the App Store Download websites with SingleFile With SingleFile (free), you can download a complete website to your Mac, including image files, fonts, and other files. Safari can save web pages, but Single Filer offers a few more useful options. By right-clicking on its extension icon, you can call up further options. If desired, the tool saves only a selection of the website, several tabs, or only the links of a website. SingleFile allows you to save a webpage as one file. Foundry SingleFile on the App Store Collect reading material with Quiche Reader Quiche Reader (free) is an app thats a great alternative to Safaris reading list or a tool like Read it Later. Its designed to manage a list of articles for Safari. For example, if you find a long article that you want to read in full later, you can send it to Quiche Reader app using the sharing function. This works on the Mac using the Safari extension (or Chrome and Firefox), on the iPhone and iPad you send the page to the respective app using the sharing function. Synchronization between Mac and iPad or iPhone is also possible via iCloud. When you click on the Quiche Reader icon in Safari, it saves a version of the article in the Quiche Reader app for reading at a later time. Foundry When you start the app, you see the last page you opened in a browser window and can read it. Buttons or key commands allow you to archive or delete the page after reading, in which case the tool immediately shows the next saved page. There is even a snooze function that allows you to skip the articlebut if you have already moved an article three times, you now have to delete or archive it! This is to prevent the reading list from becoming confusing. Quiche Reader on the App Store Check text entries with Language Tool A good solution for correcting any text on the iPhone is the AI-based app Language Tool. The software can recognise significantly more errors and also provides style suggestions. The tool is also available as a Safari extension, which recognizes grammatical errors as well as typos. However, the tool is probably most interesting for devices that do not support Apple Intelligence and do not offer the new writing tools. Language Tool can help with your writing. Foundry To use it under iOS in emails, notes, or even Safari forms, you can activate the app as an iOS keyboard. This sounds like a makeshift solution, but it makes it easy to use in other apps. After creating a text, you can simply press the keyboard button to start the language tool. You will then see errors and receive style tips in a pop-up window. The service is free to use, but the recommended premium version with style check costs $70 per year. Block cookie banners with Consent-O-Matic In the European Union, websites must comply with the GDPR laws, so pop-ups on European websites appear asking for user consent. Consent-O-Matic (free) can automatically fill in the annoying consent forms that are displayed. The tool is maintained by researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark and automatically fills in cookie banners and other pages for you, so they are not blocked. Consent-O-Matic works well with English-language websites. Aarhus University Manchester, VT (05254) Today Partly cloudy skies during the morning hours will become overcast in the afternoon. High 28F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Mainly cloudy with snow showers around before midnight. Low 17F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 30%. Vietnam Veterans of America Minority Affairs National Chair Gumersindo Gomez had tears in his eyes as he spoke outside Springfield City Hall of the friends and colleagues he lost during his time in Vietnam. Gomez joined the U.S. Army in June 1966, and deployed to Vietnam to serve in Company D, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry of the 196th Light Infantry Brigade. After a one-year tour, he stayed in the Army for another 19 years. He was one of the veterans to lay a wreath, Friday, May 23, 2025. (Douglas Hook / The Republican) Douglas Hook SPRINGFIELD The government shutdown has stopped the National Archives from fulfilling requests from veterans and their families for copies of discharge paperwork. The discharge form called the DD-214 is the key that unlocks veterans benefits from health care to housing and in the case of recently deceased veterans burial at Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Agawam, said Gumersindo Gomez, executive director of Bilingual Veterans Outreach Centers of Massachusetts. Workers at the centers usually rely on the National Archives in St. Louis to replace the DD-214 when a veteran or a family needs one but the documents cannot be located. I cant do anything, said Gomez, known as Sarge, who founded in 1987 the organization that would become the Bilingual Veterans. Just send for it and wait. Signs at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site warn visitors that the museum is closed due to the federal government shutdown but welcome visitors to stroll the grounds seen here Oct. 7, 2025. Visitors to the armory spent more than $1.1 million here last year. (Jim Kinney/ The Republican) The Republican Also in limbo, Gomez said Tuesday as the shutdown entered its 14th day, is $19 million in Veterans Administration funding for veterans housing. Gomez said he has plans to purchase two buildings, one in Agawam and one in neighboring West Springfield, totaling 115 apartments. Im hoping to move veterans and their families in, he said. We want to focus on women veterans with young children because there are a lot of them. Now, he fears the seller in the real estate transaction will find another buyer. The uncertainty comes as Trump administration budget officials signaled batten down the hatches while promising to pay military members Wednesday. Service members are paid on the 15th and 30th of each month. But workers are being furloughed, and some are working with the expectation of getting paid in the future. Kim Caisse, executive director of Lorraines Soup Kitchen & Pantry in Chicopee, said government furloughs will send more people looking for help. We are going to start seeing people who are not working because of the shutdown, she said. The shutdown has also closed the museum and visitors center at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site. At the Bilingual Veterans Outreach Centers of Massachusetts, Gomez said hes working with families who cannot schedule cemetery interments because their veteran did not have a copy of the DD-214. Under normal circumstances, hed contact the National Archives in St. Louis. U.S. Veterans Affairs spokesman Gary J. Kunich said in an email that DD-214s are the responsibility of the National Archives. The National Archives says on its website that most offices are closed. The state Executive Office of Veterans Services said no state-level services have been impacted and veterans and families can continue to access burial and benefits services as normal. Though a spokeswoman, the state office said it is not hearing of any widespread problems with DD-214s from either veterans service officers or families. Alyssa Sealander, from South Windsor, Conn., came to Agawam to visit her great grandmother, Dolores C. Sealander, and great grandfather, Richard J. Sealander Sr. The latter served in the U.S. Coast Guard in the Second World War, Monday, May 26, 2025. (Douglas Hook / The Republican) Douglas Hook But the National Archives and Records Administration is largely closed to the public. The Archives National Personnel Records Center the office responsible for processing military service records remains operational but with limited staff. If a veteran or family does experience a delay obtaining their DD-214, they can contact their local veterans service office or the state Executive Office of Veterans Services Engagement Team. SUDBURY For about the fifth time in the previous 10 minutes, Id just had my mind blown by a piece of chocolate Id eaten in a barn. So did Linda Moy, a Groton resident who was also taking the tour of Goodnow Farms Chocolate in Sudbury. She summed it up better than I ever could. It doesnt taste like any milk chocolate Ive ever had ... I can taste the cow! Linda, myself and the rest of our tour had just gotten a taste of what the International Chocolate Awards named the best bar of milk chocolate in North America earlier this year Goodnow Farms Classic Milk bar. It was one of a series of glass-shattering moments during the chocolate-tasting session. After touring the small production building, we were experiencing the highlight of the tour in a rustic barn next door. The Colombian dark chocolate was bright, clear and fruity with minimal bitterness. The Apple Cider chocolate warmed my palate and my soul. The Putnam Rye Whiskey chocolate drew incredible flavor from oak barrels without the usual bite of whiskey. The award-winning Caramelized Onion chocolate rewired my brain with a flavor combination I thought would never work but did. The last 90 minutes had changed basically everything I ever knew about chocolate. I learned how chocolate is actually made and how this little operation in Central Massachusetts does it differently from nearly every major producer in the world. For the husband-wife team of Tom and Monica Rogan, it was just another day at the office a picturesque office on a 225-year-old farm where theyre redefining what one of the most popular foods in the world can taste like. Monica Rogan, co-founder of Goodnow Farms Chocolate, leads a chocolate sampling session. (Nick O'Malley/MassLive) Goodnow Farms Chocolate in Sudbury For the past 10 years, Goodnow Farms has been producing some of the best chocolate in the world, winning more International Chocolate Awards than anyone in North America. So its with a strong resume that they bill themselves as the best chocolate in America. However, Goodnow Farms is still a small operation. They dont have their own designated retail space and are only open for a handful of factory tours per month. Thats because the Rogans chocolate-making business started as a hobby where they could work from home and still spend time with their family. As of now, Goodnow Farms sales are limited to online orders and through other retailers. Duck Soup, a specialty store a couple of miles down the road in Sudbury, typically has the full selection of Goodnow Chocolate products for sale. Its a lot of trouble to go through for a bar of chocolate, especially one that runs $16-20. You may be thinking, Why would I spend that much when I can get a Hersheys bar for $2 at CVS? To answer that, we need to talk about how chocolate is made. Several of the varieties available at Goodnow Farms Chocolate. (Nick O'Malley/MassLive) The epiphany: This is what chocolate can taste like During our tour, Tom and Monica explained how most major companies make the chocolate: They buy commodity beans in bulk without caring about the variety or origin. They just want quantity. They overroast and alkalize the chocolate, stripping away its characteristics and nutrients. They suck out the cocoa butter to sell to cosmetic companies and replace it with cheaper soy lecithin to replicate the mouthfeel. They load it with additives that shape the flavor instead of the chocolate. As Tom puts it, most popular brands are to chocolate as Velveeta is to cheese. The cheaper stuff is derived from chocolate, but the actual flavor you get is from additives like vanilla. Thats how we can wind up with the sort of epiphany that Linda and I experienced during our tour. We havent tasted this type of chocolate before because we hadnt been exposed to a product that retained the original characteristics of chocolate. That moment where everything clicks for the consumer is at the core of what Goodnow Farms is trying to accomplish. Nobody understands what chocolate is, where it comes from, how its made, any of that, Tom says. And to see that realization happen is wonderful ... Thats one of the main reasons we do this. Some of the many awards Goodnow Farms Chocolate has received over the years. (Nick O'Malley/MassLive) How to make world-class chocolate What makes the chocolate from Goodnow Farms different? Basically, its every step of the process from how the cacao beans are grown to how the bar is made. Goodnow Farms uses cacao beans similar to how a winemaker uses grapes. They focus on small geographic areas and pinpoint the exact type of bean and flavor profile theyre looking for. Thats only after Tom and Monica have gone down to Central America to try the beans and build relationships with the farmers. The Rogans put an emphasis on working with farms that pay their workers well and provide healthy working conditions, which is unfortunately not common in the industry. The beans are fermented and sun-dried on the cacao farms before being shipped to Sudbury. After that, they head to the Goodnow Farms chocolate kitchen, where the magic happens. Beans are roasted in a custom-modified oven to precise temperatures and carefully separated from their husks before heading to the grinders. Its there that the beans are refined over the process of hours and days. During that time, the other ingredients are added. For a bar of dark chocolate, there are only two ingredients that are added. The first is organic cane sugar, because even the most vivid of chocolate flavors needs sweetness. The second is fresh-pressed cocoa butter, which is added to supplement the cocoa butter already present in the beans ground into the bar. Thats to provide extra creaminess to the chocolate, giving it a more luxurious, melt-in-your-mouth texture. The process is slow, labor-intensive and expensive. The Rogans say its impossible to make quality chocolate with less processing than what they do. Instead of processed food, were as minimally processed as you can get so that you can retain the full flavor of the seed and fruit, Monica says. Tom Rogan, co-founder of Goodnow Farms Chocolate, tells a tour group about how cacao beans are procured. (Nick O'Malley/MassLive) The goal: Fine flavor Theres a phrase that Tom and Monica use a lot when talking about their chocolate: fine flavor. For newbie consumers like me, its the little characteristics in the chocolate that make my brain do back flips. For Goodnow Farms Chocolate, its what theyre trying to bring out in every step of their process. For us, it means chocolate that is true to the flavor of the beans it was made from. ... Because most chocolate is flavored, but its all artificial, Tom says. Fine flavor means that whole process has been curated and the final flavors are ones that were real. The Rogans know that people will see a $20 price tag on that bar and say, Thats ridiculous. Theres not much awareness around single-origin, bean-to-bar chocolate like what they make. What Goodnow Farms sells is not for everyone, and its never going to replace what you can get from Hershey, Nestle, Lindt or Godiva. Its like that top-shelf whiskey. Whether its a 750ml bottle or a 55-gram chocolate bar, a lot of work went into that product. That price is higher. But if you take your time and savor it, the experience is unlike anything you may have had before. Different chocolate bars from Goodnow Farms Chocolate. (Nick O'Malley/MassLive) What to know about Goodnow Farms Chocolate The easiest way to get ahold of Goodnow Farms Chocolate is to order on their website or use their store locator to find retail locations. The Rogans recommend sampling as a way to expand your horizons and figure out what you like. The best way to do that is by going on one of Goodnow Farms factory tours, which run $40 and include chocolate samples. Tour dates are currently limited to a couple of dates per month in the spring and fall. Outside of tours, Goodnow Farms Chocolate is not open to the public. Bill Burr arrives at the premiere of "Nobody 2" on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Bill Burr has found himself in hot water recently for performing at a controversial comedy festival in the Middle East but he defended his decision on the latest episode of Conan OBriens podcast, saying the crowd needed it. What was so great about it was that it was the people there. You could feel it. Like they needed it, the Canton native said on the Oct. 15 episode of Conan Needs a Friend. They wanted it and they wanted you to push. And thats what the comics did, he said of the crowd at the Riyadh Comedy Festival. Burr was among several comedians who performed at the Riyadh Comedy Festival that ran from Sept. 26 to Oct. 9 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The festival was the first event of its kind to be hosted in Saudi Arabia and was meant to depict Riyadh as a hub for international cultural and artistic events, the Los Angeles Times reported. It was also aimed at improve Saudi Arabias global image, according to Vox. However multiple comedians, include Burr, were criticized for participating in the festival, given Saudi Arabias history of oppression and human rights abuses. While Burr admitted to OBrien on the podcast that he had the same idea of that part of the world as everybody else, he said his experience of actually going there changed his whole perspective on the nation. He said if people were really concerned about the condition of the people there and not just caught up in viral social media posts, they would understand you need to expose people to things beyond their region, which the festival accomplished. I thought I was going to go there [and] there was going to be a bunch of people dressed like Yasser Arafat shooting machine guns in the air going Death to America, he told the Brookline native. Burr said that even travel authorities played into this bit when he arrived in Bahrain. Im going through customs and the dude standing there, he goes, What are you doing over here? I go, Im a comedian ... Im a comedian from America. Burr continued, He goes, Oh yeah. He goes, You think were all over here waiting to cut your head off. He literally said that and I had to be like, No, no, no, no, I didnt. Despite this first encounter, the rest of Burrs interactions were pretty normal. When it came time for the show, Burr and the rest of the comedians had pretty free range with what jokes they could make. The people that put it together, when they first said that they wanted a comedy festival over there, they said, OK, what is your restrictions with speech?, Burr said. And they basically whittled it all the way down to you couldnt talk about any religion theres, yours, anybody elses and you couldnt make fun of the royals. That was it." The royals were in attendance, as well as diplomats occupying the front row. Other than that, Burr said everybody else was, like, regular. The comedian even got some love from a fan as he was walking onto the stage. Right before I went on, this guy yells out, dressed in that whole dishdash thing, he goes, Hey Bill Burr, I love you. Kick ass, man. And I was just like, What? I cant believe this guy knows who I am. Burr then did his set and got huge laughs from jokes about relationships and poking fun at attractive women who wear the veil a little bit lower. The comedian even decided to break out his gay gym joke to see how the audience would react. It went over well, despite a technical difficulty that Burr thought meant he was in trouble. So I get halfway through it and the monitor goes out. And Im like, Oh [expletive] am I going to get arrested? And it ended up coming back on, he said, telling OBrien that he did not think it was an intentional effort to stop him. Despite the malfunction, Burr praised the Saudi Arabian audience for their reception, and voiced how that part of the world is often wrongly perceived. Its like, well, they just progressed the ball like 10 yards, and it was amazing, Burr said. Country music star Gavin Adcock transformed a reckless driving arrest into a six-figure business opportunity, earning $150,000 from selling T-shirts featuring his mugshot. The former Georgia Southern defensive lineman was arrested May 21 in Wilson County, Tennessee, and charged with two counts of reckless driving and having an open container. He was released on a $1,000 bond after being clocked driving 103 mph in his 1973 Dodge Challenger. During a recent appearance on Bunnie Xos Dumb Blonde Podcast, Adcock revealed how he capitalized on the arrest through merchandise sales. I said, Well, considering that I had to, when they towed my car, they drove it at the impound lot. Or took it for a drive, messed up my motor. I had to get a new motor for the car. I had to pay my ticket, and then I had to pay like $4,000 in lawyer fees, so Im $24,000 in the hole from that. But Ive probably sold about $150,000 worth of mug shot tees since then, Adcock told the podcast host. The artist explained the arrest stemmed from taking his restored dream car for what he called a joy ride. According to Whiskey Riff, Adcock said he had spent months putting money into the vintage vehicle, getting it running as good as new, and decided I wanted to take it for a joy ride. Beyond the lucrative merchandise, Adcock channeled his jail experience into his music, releasing a song titled Morning Bail after his release. The mugshot T-shirts have found their way into homes across the country, with Adcock noting that theres little kids and husbands wives wearing my face on the couch right now, or out to dinner. Despite the initial $24,000 cost from legal fees, car repairs, and fines, Adcocks entrepreneurial approach to his legal troubles resulted in a net profit of approximately $126,000. Generative AI was used to help produce this story, based on original material. It was reviewed and edited by MassLive. FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 11, 2019, file photo, Bruce Willis attends the "Motherless Brooklyn" premiere during the 57th New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File) Charles Sykes/Invision/AP Bruce Willis children are staying strong despite lamenting over their fathers battle with frontotemporal dementia. The retired actors wife, Emma Heming Willis, recently told Vogue Australia how that the couples daughters Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11 are handling the grim situation. I think theyre doing well, all things considered. But its hard. They grieve, Heming Willis told the outlet. They miss their dad so much. Hes missing important milestones. Thats tough for them. But kids are resilient, she continued. [Although] I used to hate hearing that because people didnt understand what we were walking through. I dont know if my kids will ever bounce back. But theyre learning, and so am I. The actors family first shared news of the actors diagnosis in 2022, stating that he was experiencing aphasia, a condition caused by brain damage that impacts a persons ability to communicate and understand written and spoken language. The announcement coincided with the now 70-year-olds retirement, ending a four-decade career that spanned 100-plus film appearances and earned Willis one Golden Globe and two Primetime Emmys, among other honors. In 2023, Moore explained on social media that Bruces condition has progressed to frontotemporal dementia, also referred to as FTD. The brain disorder attack causes damage to the frontal and temporal lobes, resulting in personality changes and difficulty with language or speech, according to Alzheimers Association. The award-winning action star now lives in a second home where he can receive 24-hour care, as mentioned in the special, Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey A Diane Sawyer Special." During the special, Heming Willis revealed that her husband lives separately from her and their daughters so he can receive around-the-clock care. The arrangement also means that Bruce will not be disturbed by any noise from his family, which can potentially agitate his dementia, per PEOPLE. Were there a lot. Its our second home, so the girls have their things there, Heming Willis said of the nearby living quarters, according to PEOPLE. It was one of the hardest decisions that Ive had to make so far. But I knew, first and foremost, Bruce would want that for our daughters, Heming Willis added, according to Consequence. You know, he would want them to be in a home that was more tailored to their needs, not his needs. Heming Willis has opened up about her husbands health several times this year. In June, she reflected on her husbands diagnosis in an Instagram post on Fathers Day (June 15) stating that these symbolic days stir up a lot. Happy Fathers Day to all the dads living with disability or disease, showing up in the ways they can and to the children who show up for them, she wrote in an Instagram post, which depicted Willis with his face obscured by a hat. Im profoundly sad today, she wrote. I wish, with every cell in my body, that things could be different for him and lighter for our family. But Heming Willis also used the post to share some uplifting messages, and spoke about her husbands presence in the lives of his children, who also include three other daughters Rumer, Scout and Tallulah with his ex-wife Demi Moore. What Bruce teaches our girls goes far beyond words, she wrote. Resilience, unconditional love, and the quiet strength in simply being present. Heming Willis ended the post on an uplifting note, encouraging readers to celebrate the fathers in their own lives. As they say in our FTD community, It is what it is. And while that might sound dismissive, to me, its not, she concluded. It grounds me. It helps me return to the acceptance of what is and not fight this every step of the way like I used to. Today, lets celebrate the badass dads, those who are here, and those we carry with us. In August, Heming Willis said told Diane Sawyer that her husbands language is going, but remains active. Bruce is still very mobile. Bruce is in really great health overall, you know, Heming Willis said in the interview that aired on Aug. 26. Its just his brain that is failing him. The language is going. Weve learned to adapt and we have a way of communicating with him, which is just a different way. Despite his grim condition, Heming Willis said Bruces vibrant personality still comes through on occasion. We still get those days, she told Sawyer. Not days, but moments. Its his laugh. He has such a hearty laugh. And sometimes youll get that twinkle in his eye or that spark. And I just get transported. Its just hard to see because as quickly as those moments appear, then it goes. Bertuccis is heating things up. The Somerville, Mass.-born pizza company is challenging spice enthusiasts to put their heat tolerance to the ultimate test with a pizza so fiery it includes sauce measuring 8 million on the Scoville scale. Bertuccis has launched the Reaper Pizza Challenge, a limited-time promotion that dares customers to consume two slices of their specially crafted ultra-spicy pizza within a 15-minute timeframe. Bertucci's Reaper Pizza Challenge staff The pizzas heat level comes from an impressive array of pepper varieties and specialty sauces. The pizza is made with jalapeno, Thai chili, pepperoncini, Serrano, Fresno, and cherry peppers. It is then topped off with a sauce made out of a mix of hot sauces, including voodoo reaper sauce and two drops of Pepper Palace purgatory sauce. That purgatory sauce clocks in at around 8 million Scovilles. For context, a typical jalapeno pepper registers between 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), while law enforcement grade pepper spray typically measures between 1.5-2 million SHU. The challenge comes with strict parameters: 15 minutes to eat two slices and no milk allowed. Those interested in testing their spice tolerance have limited time to participate. The Reaper Pizza Challenge runs through November 23. Bertucci's Reaper Pizza Challenge staff Generative AI was used to help produce this story, based on source material. It was reviewed and edited by MassLive. More than 80 people protested ICE's arrest of a 13-year-old boy from Everett on Tuesday. (Adam Bass/MassLive.com) Residents in Everett on Tuesday night demanded Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) return a 13-year-old boy who was arrested and taken to a juvenile facility in Virginia. More than 80 people attended a rally outside of Everett City Hall in support of the boy and his family. The rally was organized by LUCE Immigration and Justice Network of Massachusetts and La Comunidad, an Everett non-profit that helps Latino and Hispanic families. Standing outside in the rain with solemn looks on their faces, many protestors held signs that read Dont kidnap kids and Hands off Everett. A sign reads "Don't Kidnap Kids" during an anti-ICE protest on Tuesday. (Adam Bass/MassLive.com) The 13-year-old, whose family is from Brazil, was transferred to a juvenile facility in Virginia from ICEs Burlington facility on Friday morning, according to attorney Andrew Lattarulo. In a post on the social media platform X, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin claimed the 13-year-old posed a public safety threat and had a firearm and a 5.7-inch knife when arrested Oct. 9. McLaughlin also claimed the boy had a history of violent assault with a dangerous weapon, battery, breaking and entering, destruction of property. During a press conference on Tuesday, Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria confirmed the boy had a knife but said he did not have a gun. Many at Tuesdays protest, however, expressed anger and concern that a 13-year-old was taken to another state, regardless of their possible criminal history. Standing among protesters in drizzling rain after speaking to the crowd over a megaphone, La Comunidad Executive Director Antonio Amaya told MassLive he did not believe the boy had a weapon during the arrest. He said even if the boy did have one, it was wrong to send a 13-year-old 500 miles away from home. What is happening ... we (dont) want that to happen again, Amaya said. Councilor-at-Large Guerline Alcy Jabouin said the child should have received help at Everett Public Schools and called on ICE to send him back to Massachusetts. This is not about what you did, Jabouin said. This is about due process. Everett City Councilor-at-Large Guerline Alcy Jabouin speaks during an anti- ICE protest in Everett, where a 13-year-old boy was arrested and transferred by the agency. (Adam Bass/MassLive.com) Jabouin and Councilor President Stephanie Martins stood outside with the protestors before the Everett City Council meeting Tuesday. Martins said the council supports due process for the boy, while Jabouin warned the rights of others could be taken away. Everybody should be concerned, Jabouin said. Thats what should get us angry, as parents, as grandparents, as teachers. Lloyd Poithier, a 12-year-old at the rally, told MassLive he couldnt believe the boy would have had a knife or a gun. Though he wasnt close with the 13-year-old, Poithier said he was a good kid, and the only bad record he knew about was misbehaving in class. Hes pretty good at riding a bike, Poithier said. Hes good at soccer. Me and my friend Justin, we got cooked (by him in soccer). Some cars honked their horns in support of the rally as they drove down the street. Others, however, did not share encouraging words. ICE is doing their jobs, shouted a man across the street. Send them all back. At 6:45 p.m., the protestors marched up to the city council chambers to speak about the arrest during public comment. The room was packed, with residents faces drawn towards the center of the chamber as they quietly listened to people speak. State Sen. Sal DiDomenico, D-Middlesex and Suffolk, decried ICE as a rogue agency, telling agents to get out of Everett. Bring back this child and stay out of our community, DiDomenico said, his voice rising. During the meeting, Councilor-at-Large Katy Rogers demanded McLaughlin be fired for her statement about the boy on X, claiming she spread misinformation. We will not stand by when the federal government creates a false narrative of our city and the people who live here, Rogers said to cheers and hollers from the crowd. For several of those who spoke, however, fear was a common sentiment. Residents said they do not wish to live in fear in Everett and they are citizens who pay their taxes like everyone else. Poithier and his friends said they did not feel safe in the city after what happened to the 13-year-old. It feels like they are taking people off the streets, Poithier told MassLive. More than 10 years after a 33-year-old man was fatally gunned down in Fitchburg, another man has been convicted of murder from the killing. John Yang, of Fitchburg, was found guilty of second-degree murder for the 2013 killing of Shaun Hibbard. Hibbard was 33-years-old at the time of his death and also from Fitchburg. The verdict followed a week-long trial presented before a jury in Worcester Superior Court, after opening statements began Oct. 6. Jurors heard from prosecutors and the defense on the events that happened around 4 a.m. on Aug. 3, 2013, on Forest Street in Fitchburg. Hibbard had been by his vehicle parked along Forest and Charles streets when he and Yang got into a confrontation in the early morning hours. Hibbard was fatally shot during the argument and ran from the scene. He knocked on the doors of homes up Forest Street for help until finally collapsing on a porch at 46 Forest St. First responders arrived and brought Hibbard to Leominster Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Yang was initially charged and arraigned on one count of murder on Sept. 12, 2023, in Fitchburg District Court and was held without bail. He was indicted by a Worcester County Grand Jury later in November that year and has been in custody since the arraignment. We hope this verdict brings the victims family and loved ones some justice and closure, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early said. This case exemplifies the continued efforts by law enforcement to bring all of our cases to a resolution, regardless of the passage of time, Early said. Fitchburg Police Chief Steven D. Giannini said, This verdict brings long awaited closure to the friends and family of Shaun Hibbard. The Fitchburg Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, and District Attorney Joe Earlys office have shown that no matter how much time passes, we will maintain our commitments to seek justice for every victim. Yang is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 4. The United States is facing the most significant decline in international students entering the country in August since the pandemic, according to new data from the International Trade Administration. The precipitous drop in international students 19% follows the Trump administrations series of steps to crack down on immigration and its attacks on international students at institutions such as Harvard University. August is typically when most international students arrive in the U.S. because their visas allow entry up to 30 days before their program start date. From August 2024 to August 2025, there has been a drop of over 70,000 international students coming into the U.S. That is the largest drop in the past ten years, outside of the pandemic. The data from August 2025 is preliminary and includes all international students, both new and returning. The preliminary data doesnt include people from Canada or those who arrived from Mexico by land, unlike the final data releases. The reduction in international students was among those from India and China. There were 12,000 fewer students coming to the U.S. from China compared to August 2024, and over 33,000 fewer coming from India. Those numbers are important because a significant portion of international students from China and India constitute the total foreign students in the U.S. Other notable declines came from students in Africa, with Ghana and Nigeria seeing the steepest drops. One outlier was Europe, where the number of international students entering the U.S. largely stayed the same. Smaller declines were felt in South America and the Middle East, which had been on the decline before this year. Trump administrations clampdown on international students The reductions in students coming into the U.S. follow the Trump administrations clampdown on immigration, including through visas and travel bans. Among the challenges students have been dealing with is the State Departments decision to pause the scheduling of visa interviews for international students in May. The federal government resumed processing weeks later, but only after adding rules vetting the social media of applicants. The Trump administration has also instituted travel bans or restrictions in 19 countries, which are the primary source of the largest declines in international students entering the country, according to the data. The federal government has also attempted to arrest, detain and deport international students and academics who engaged in pro-Palestine activism. A judge ruled in October that the Trump administration had violated their free speech. The Department of Homeland Security announced plans in August to limit the length an international student can stay in the U.S. Other actions have included the revocation of hundreds of student visas or their legal statuses before reinstating them again in April after facing multiple lawsuits and backlash. Harvard has also been central to the fight between international students and the Trump administration. The university sued the Trump administration in May after the federal government revoked a key certification that allows Harvards international students to study there. This followed President Donald Trump signing a proclamation barring Harvards international students from entering the country. A federal judge backed Harvard in the case. Trump also suggested a 15% cap on international students at Harvard during a conversation with reporters at the Oval Office in May. Jackie Burch, the casting director who helped define Hollywood classics like Die Hard and The Breakfast Club, has died at 74 after a battle with cancer. Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images Emmy-nominated casting director Jackie Burch, who spent decades shaping the casts of major films like The Breakfast Club and Die Hard, has died at 74. Her longtime friend and fellow casting director Gail Goldberg said that Burch died on Oct. 12 at her home in Atlanta after a four-month battle with endometrial cancer, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Burch spent four decades shaping the casts of beloved classics and blockbuster franchises. She was instrumental in defining the iconic casts of John Hedges films like Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Weird Science. Burch also partnered with director John Landis to create Into the Night, Three Amigos!, Coming to America Oscar and Beverly Hills Cop III. Burch was particularly celebrated for her work in the action genre. She was the one who cast the Arnold Schwarzenegger starrers Commando, Predator The Running Man and Red Heat. Most famously, she played an important role in casting Alan Rickman as the villain Hans Gruber in Die Hard, the Hollywood Reporter wrote. Later on in the 2010s, Burch oversaw local casting for major 21st-century productions including four Hunger Games films and Marvels Iron Man 3. In 2017, she earned an Artois Award for her work on the Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures. We are heartbroken and in shock at the prospect of living without our vibrant, charming, funny, special and incredibly loving mom, Burchs family said in a statement shared with the Hollywood Reporter. Her generous spirit touched so many lives professionally and personally and we are endlessly proud of the legacy she leaves behind. Marketside Linguini with Beef Meatballs & Marinara sold at Walmart is part of a recall due to concerns about listeria. (Courtesy USDA) More than 240,000 pounds of ready-to-eat cooked pasta products spread across major retailers including Walmart, Kroger and Trader Joes have been linked to an ongoing nationwide listeria outbreak that has killed four people and hospitalized 19 others. Nates Fine Foods of Roseville, California, initiated a voluntary recall of 244,824 cases of pasta, including linguine, penne, fettuccine, which were distributed to retailers in California, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Texas, according to a Sept. 25 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) report. The recall was made after tests confirmed the pasta had the same strain of listeria bacteria found in prepared chicken fettuccine and meatball pasta products that have been a concern in the outbreak since August 2024. The outbreak has resulted in 19 hospitalizations and four deaths across 15 states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The last reported illness linked to this outbreak was on Sept. 11. The U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA) issued a health alert on Sept. 25 that two ready-to-eat pasta meals produced by Nates Fine Foods Walmarts Marketside Linguine with Beef Meatballs and Marinara Sauce and Trader Joes Cajun Style Blackened Chicken Breast Fettuccine Alfredo were being recalled. Nates Fine Foods said on its website Sept. 29 that it was voluntarily recalling select products after being notified about the potential link to a multistage outbreak of listeria. Nates Fine Foods sincerely apologizes for the concern this may cause, the company wrote. We remain fully committed to transparency and to taking every necessary step to protect the health and trust of our consumers. Listeria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems, according to the FDA. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. Customers are told by the CDC to not eat the recalled foods and clean out their refrigerators, containers and surfaces that may have touched the affected foods. This is because listeria can survive in these areas and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces. Nates Fine Foods pasta meals affected by this recall are: Worcester County prosecutors urged a judge to sentence Joshua Hubert, the man convicted last month of kidnapping and strangling a 7-year-old girl before throwing her off a bridge, to more than 30 years in prison. Hubert was convicted of two counts of attempted murder and one count each of strangulation or suffocation and kidnapping a child following a jury trial in Worcester Superior Court. He is set to be sentenced on Friday morning. Prosecutors, in a sentencing memo filed this week, asked Judge Karin Bell to sentence Hubert to 18 to 20 years in prison for each attempted murder count, with the sentences running consecutively. Assistant District Attorney David McShera also recommended a sentence of 14 to 15 years on the kidnapping charge, which would run concurrent to the attempted murder sentence. McShera also recommended 10 years of probation for Hubert for the strangulation and that he be required to register as a sex offender upon release. Read more: A timeline of the 2017 Worcester bridge attack: Summer cookout turns to horror The sentence proposed in the memo is a significant upward departure from what the sentencing guidelines call for, McShera acknowledged. The guidelines call for a sentence of 5 to 7 1/2 years for convictions of attempted murder or kidnapping a child, and up to two years for strangulation. The significant upward departure ... is based upon the heinous nature of the defendants offenses, the memo reads. There is no mitigation, justification, or excuse for the defendants actions. The crimes committed by Hubert include four aggravating factors that should drive a lengthier sentence, prosecutors wrote. Hubert treated the 7-year-old victim with particular cruelty by strangling her to the point of her facial blood vessels exploding and throwing her off a bridge with the hope she would drown, the memo reads. The victim is lucky to have survived the defendants brutal attack. Prosecutors had also accused Hubert of raping the young girl, but jurors cleared him of those charges. But jurors ultimately found prosecutors proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Hubert took his friends 7-year-old daughter from her grandparents home as she slept after a family party on Aug. 27, 2017, then drove around Worcester with the child before strangling her and throwing her off the Interstate 290 overpass into Lake Quinsigamond. Justice was not done here today, period, Huberts attorney, Kevin Larson, said outside the Worcester County Superior courtroom after the conviction. I feel like Im living in a real-life To Kill a Mockingbird ... I dont know how a rational juror looks at this evidence and says that Josh Hubert is guilty of these offenses, Larson said. Larson has indicated that Hubert will pursue an appeal of his conviction once he is sentenced. He has yet to file his own sentencing memo. Kenneth Santana-Rodriguez, of Springfield, appeared in Holyoke District Court on charges of murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon following the murder of a bystander at the Holyoke Mall Saturday night. (Don Treeger/The Republican) The Supreme Judicial Court ruled Tuesday that self-defense can excuse the killing of an unintended victim. However, defendants may be held responsible if their actions pose a substantial risk of serious harm to unintended victims. The states highest court issued the ruling during a review of the case involving Kenneth Santana-Rodriguez, who is accused of killing Trung Tran, an innocent bystander, during a shooting at Holyoke Mall in 2023. On the day of the shooting, Santana-Rodriguez told police he fired the gunshots after getting into an argument with another man, Irvin Sanchez. As Santana-Rodriguez tells it, during the argument, Sanchez lifted up his shirt to reveal a gun and said, You know whats about to happen. It was him or me, Santana-Rodriguez told the police. Santana-Rodriguez then fired his own gun. Tran was struck in the chest with one of the two shots fired. A Hampden County grand jury later indicted Santana-Rodriguez on a charge of first-degree murder, which his lawyer moved to dismiss. In its review, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that if a defendant was lawfully defending themselves against an assailant, they could assert a claim of transferred intent self-defense to justify the death of an unintended victim, such as an innocent bystander. In Santana-Rodriguezs case, it was not Tran who was his potential assailant, but Sanchez. The court did not rule on whether his claim of self-defense was lawful, but instead used his case to set down guidance for future self-defense cases. Attorneys Daniel Hagan, Daniel D. Kelly and Kyle J. DeSousa, who represent Santana-Rodriguez, hailed the ruling as a complete and total victory for lawful self-defense in the Commonwealth. This decision represents a sea change in Massachusetts self-defense law, Hagan said in a statement. For the first time in 250 years of Commonwealth history, the Court has made clear that those who act lawfully to defend their own lives are not to be treated as murderers for a tragic accident beyond their control. Gun owners and citizens across Massachusetts can take comfort knowing that if they are ever forced to defend themselves lawfully, they will not be treated as criminals for an unforeseeable tragedy, he continued. The SJC also found that transferred intent self-defense is a partial, not complete, defense to murder, and that a defendant could be held criminally responsible for involuntary manslaughter, a lesser included offense. Prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a defendants exercise of self-defense was wanton or reckless so as to create a high degree of likelihood that substantial harm would result to an unintended victim in order to get a conviction, the court ruled. In coming to the decision, justices considered statutes in several other states, including Pennsylvania. The SJC sent Santana-Rodriguezs case back to the Superior Court for further proceedings consistent with its rulings. Massachusetts state Auditor Diana DiZoglio again calls on her fellow Democrats in the Legislature to complete an audit authorized by the voters in November 2024. She made her remarks during a rally at the State House in Boston, Mass., on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. John L. Micek/MassLive Heres one big number that folks on both sides of the political divide could find themselves in agreement with during a rally on the State House steps in Boston on Wednesday afternoon. Seventy-two percent. Thats the percentage of Massachusetts voters who gave their approval to a November 2024 ballot question authorizing state Auditor Diana DiZoglio to audit her onetime colleagues in the Legislature. And nearly a year after that vote, that audit, overwhelmingly approved by the electorate, remains unfinished, snagged on the rocks of partisanship and a constitutional debate over the separation of powers. On Wednesday, DiZoglio joined good government advocates to call on the majority-Democrat Legislature to heed the will of the voters on that audit question, and to urge passage of a brace of proposed 2026 ballot questions aimed at increasing transparency and accountability across state government. Friends, 72% of the vote, thats no small deal, DiZoglio told the early afternoon crowd gathered on Beacon Street. And we expect that our elected leaders here in Massachusetts are going to respect the will of the voters and follow the law. The Methuen Democrat, whos both a former staffer and lawmaker, has clashed repeatedly with top Democrats, who have said they dont think DiZoglio has the authority under the state Constitution to force them to open their books. In a statement, a spokesperson for Senate President Karen E. Spilka, D-Middlesex/Norfolk, said the chamber is annually audited and are publicly available. Also online is a public database of the salaries of every senator and their staff, every expense that the institution has to run operations and every dollar we appropriate around the commonwealth, the spokesperson said. On Wednesday, DiZoglio denounced the Beacon Hill bullies who she said were standing in the way of her work. That also included state Attorney General Andrea J. Campbell, whom DiZoglio accused of thwarting her efforts to sue the Legislature over its refusal to play ball. In a statement, Campbell said she didnt dispute that the audit was now enshrined in state law, but any audit must be conducted within constitutional limitations. In order to move forward, the auditor must address our unanswered questions, including assurances that the audit remains within the confines of the constitution, Campbell said. Reformers at Wednesdays rally also pressed the case for those 2026 ballot questions, which include efforts to put the Legislature and the Governors Office under the umbrella of the states public records law and another authorizing so-called jungle primaries, which are similar to Bostons preliminary election system. Still another proposed ballot question would reform the stipends paid to lawmakers in leadership positions. Its clear that theres something broken, Scotia Hille, the executive director of the progressive advocacy group Act on Mass, said, referring to the tiny handful of bills that lawmakers have sent to Gov. Maura Healeys desk during the first 10 months of the two-year legislative session that started in January. We have a full-time Legislature, she said. Ten months, nothing to show for it. ... When we have power concentrated in a few hands, when corporate and moneyed interests are given veto power to block legislation, we do not have a state democracy." Two of the declared Republican candidates for governor in 2026, former Baker administration officials Mike Kennealy and Brian Shortsleeve, told MassLive that they supported the audit push and would press to improve transparency for the executive branch if theyre elected. The two GOP aspirants attended the rally, but did not address the crowd. Youve read about the three-way Republican primary in Massachusetts to challenge Democratic Gov. Maura Healey as she runs for a second term in 2026. And Democratic U.S. Sen. Ed Markey got himself a new primary challenger as U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-6th District, launched his widely expected campaign. So theres sure to be no shortage of drama in the Bay State next year. But a quick look beyond the border reveals that some of the most competitive races of an already consequential midterm cycle will be taking place in Massachusettss neighboring states. Key U.S. Senate contests in New Hampshire (an open seat) and a perennially competitive race in Maine will devour headlines and cash alike. A possible gubernatorial primary in the Granite State, and rumblings of a Texas-style redistricting fight also are bubbling up. If any or all of these scenarios happen, the results would reverberate across the six-state New England region and the nation. The lay of the land First, a bit of background, and a word about the math before we get rolling. Lets start with this: Midterm campaigns almost always end up being bad news for the party that holds the White House. And thats true no matter which party has the keys to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. In 2010, then-President Barack Obama bemoaned his partys shellacking during the Tea Party wave year that saw Republicans retake the U.S. House, even as his fellow Democrats clung to the Senate by their fingernails. The GOP used its clout to frustrate Obamas agenda. Republican President Donald Trump suffered a similar reversal during his first term in 2018, when Democrats retook the House, installing U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., as speaker, setting the stage for a pair of historic impeachment votes. Which brings us back to 2026. Republicans currently hold a 219-213 margin in the U.S. House, with three seats technically vacant. Republicans are so far refusing to swear in U.S. Rep-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., who won a special election for her late fathers seat last month. That slender edge prompted the redistricting battles in California and Texas over the summer as Democrats and Republicans (with Trumps blessing) battled for control of the 435-seat chamber. Republicans hold a more secure 53-47 edge in the Senate, but that has not dissuaded Democrats from trying to chip away at that advantage. History rarely repeats, but it often rhymes. Today, the political environment defined by an angry Democratic base and unease among independents feels like a throwback to eight years ago after President Donald Trump was elected the first time," David Wasserman, an analyst for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, wrote in June. Control of governors mansions also matters. Right now, Republicans hold 27 of those posts, compared to 23 for Democrats, according to Ballotpedia. In 38 states, there are trifectas, where one party controls the executive branch and both chambers of the Legislature. With that in mind, heres a state-by-state look at the important races across New England and what that means for the balance of power on Capitol Hill. New Hampshire Things are heating up in the race for the Granite States open U.S. Senate seat, which is being vacated by Democratic U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. At the moment, former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, who spent one term representing the Bay State, has the Republican field all to himself after GOP state Sen. Dan Innis pulled the plug on his candidacy, according to the New Hampshire Bulletin. On his way out the door, Innis threw his backing to former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu, R-N.H., who has publicly said hes considering a run but hasnt officially launched a campaign, the online news outlet reported. In the Democratic primary, U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., who jumped into the contest in April, faces progressive organizer Karishma Manzur, according to the New Hampshire Bulletin. State Rep. Jared Sullivan has also announced a run. The seat was marked lean Democrat in the Cook Reports latest ranking list. An added wrinkle: Pappas seat is now open as a result of his Senate bid, prompting a crowded field of aspirants. Meanwhile, Cory Lewandowski, a top Trump ally, is reportedly considering a GOP primary bid against incumbent Gov. Kelly Ayotte over her resistance to redistricting, according to Politico. Ayotte was elected to a two-year term in 2024. Trump has been turning up the pressure on Ayotte to redraw the Granite States congressional map as the GOP looks to protect its House majority. Maine In Maine, the race for U.S. Senate has moved to toss-up now that Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has entered the race against long-serving GOP U.S. Sen. Susan Collins. Mills, who very publicly fought with Trump over transgender rights earlier this year, does not have the Democratic field to herself. Other candidates include Graham Platner, 41, a veteran, oysterman and first-time candidate, who describes himself as a New Deal Democrat. Their candidacies complicate matters for Collins, who has long positioned herself as a swing vote in a sharply divided Senate. While Collins has defied electoral expectations for decades, the political environment today is more polarized than ever, which makes Collins ability to effectively straddle partisan lines more challenging, Amy Walter wrote for the Cook Report on Tuesday. One more race of note: Incumbent U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, a moderate who won a district that Trump carried handily in 2024, has a primary from his left, courtesy of state Auditor Matt Dunlap, according to Politico. Both Golden and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, also a Democrat, are up next year. Connecticut In the Nutmeg State, the big question is whether incumbent Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, will seek a third term. Recent reporting tends to point in that direction, but its less clear what hed do if he did. You cant sit around and talk about the past, he told The CTMirror in an interview earlier this month. Thats for damn sure. An announcement could come after Novembers municipal election, the online news outlet reported. Rhode Island In the Ocean State, theres a similar focus on the race for governor, where incumbent Gov. Dan McKee, a Democrat, faces a challenge from Helena Foulkes, a Democrat and former executive at CVS, according to The Boston Globe. The fight between McKee and Foulkes already has taken a nasty turn, with McKees campaign releasing an ad claiming that CVS fueled the opioid crisis during Foulkes tenure with the company, according to the Rhode Island Current. Theres also the question of whether Rhode Island state House Speaker Joe Shekarchi is going to jump into the Democratic nominating contest for the top spot, the newspaper reported. Attorney General Peter Neronha, a Democrat whos been in the company of Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea J. Campbell and other attorneys general bedeviling Trump with a blizzard of litigation, also is being mentioned as a potential candidate The bottom line Less than 13 months remain until Election Day 2026, and much can, and will, change between now and then. But given New Englands interdependence, these races across the border are worth watching. Dennis Bateman leaves Greenfield District Court after his arraignment for murder on May 27, 2005. (Bob Stern / The Republican, File) Bob Stern / The Republican BOSTON Judges in the states highest court on Monday poked holes in new arguments brought by the defense for her client, convicted in the 2005 murder of a gas station attendant in Deerfield. On Tuesday morning in Boston, five of seven Supreme Judicial Court judges peppered attorney Amy Codagnone, of Boston, with questions about her claim that the police interview with Dennis Bateman, 61, was deliberately modified. The justices were unsure why the subject of the audio recording was being argued again at this hearing. Im not sure why the fact that (the recording) is not original which seems like its undisputed should matter?" said Justice Dalila Argaez Wendlandt. Codagnone said the recording should matter, because the police are holding this out to be an authentic, original recording. In an earlier appeal to the court, Codagnone had said Batemans trial was infected by errors. This is Batemans second motion for a new trial. Last spring during an evidentiary hearing, Codagnone said the audio recording had been edited. The original version was 1 hour and 12 minutes long, but a second version was only 58 minutes, she said, explaining her reasoning that it had been edited. Justice Gabrielle R. Wolohojian asked Codagnone if Bateman had submitted an affidavit as to what occurred during the missing time. Codagnone said he had not. How are we supposed to hypothesize what may be missing in these 12 minutes ... in order to find out whether there has been a miscarriage of justice in the conviction? she asked. Codagnones other argument had to do with a specific testimony from one of the witnesses. Justice Scott L. Kafker said there was overwhelming evidence to uphold the guilty conviction during the first appeal by Bateman. That was in 2023. Youre saying the fact that theres some missing pieces in his interview ... without identifying whats important. So what? Kafker said. He said he couldnt make sense of Codagnones arguments. Steven Gagne, one of the prosecutors for the Northwestern District Attorneys Office, said the commonwealths argument was that none of the issues raised by Codagnone or Bateman should change the outcome of his conviction. In 2023, the Supreme Judicial Court said the evidence of (Batemans) guilt was overwhelming, said Gagne on the phone after the hearing. Police found evidence of his DNA on the strap that was used to strangle the victim and under her fingernails. Bateman was originally convicted of two counts of murder in the strangling of Brandy Waryasz, a 21-year-old Sunoco gas station attendant who was seven months pregnant in 2007. Waryasz was killed on April 16, 2005, during a robbery. Prosecutors said that after killing Waryasz, Bateman made off with $350 from the register and used the money to buy crack cocaine. He is serving two consecutive life prison sentences without parole. Mr. Bateman has six or seven attorneys representing him and has also continued to filed motions with the court without his attorneys help, said Gagne. Weve been defending the conviction, and were fortunate that the court has agreed with us so far. Typically, a Supreme Judicial Court decision wont be issued for at least 90 days. A member of the military looks on in front of newly installed wire lining one of two border walls separating Mexico from the U.S. during a news conference on joint operations involving the military and the Border Patrol on March 21 in San Diego. (Gregory Bull / Associated Press, File) AP SPRINGFIELD The World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts will present a lunchtime discussion Tuesday on The $1 Trillion War Budget and the Dismantling of our Democracy. The program will take place from noon to 1 p.m. at 1350 Main St., 9th Floor Gallery, in downtown Springfield. The presenter will be Lindsay Koshgarian, program director of the National Priorities Project of the Institute for Policy Studies. Koshgarians published reports include analyses of militarization in the federal budget, from the Pentagon and war, to militarization of U.S. borders, and the militarization of law enforcement. Her work has appeared in outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, MSNBC and others. Prior to her work with the National Priorities Project, Koshgarian was a researcher at the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute. Admission is $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers. Lunches can be reserved for $25 for members and $30 for nonmembers. Boxed lunches include a choice of sandwich turkey, tuna, roast beef or vegetarian deli salad, a cookie, chips, and soda or water. Attendees may bring their own lunch or choose not to eat. Registration deadline for a lunch provided is Friday. Video News: [Video news] Talk Series #8 : Lassiette de demain : quels sont les enjeux au menu ? 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The Touchstones, is a series of ten intricately carved stones that can be found across sites in Turlough, Breaffy, Islandeady and Raheens Woods. The carvings weave a tale through the landscape, drawing on the folklore, social memory and ecological story of the places in which they stand. Following an open competition, the artist James Winnett was selected for this commission. James Winnett is an artist, stone carver and workshop leader interested in the crossovers between sculpture, archaeology, folklore, place and memory. He has worked in public art for 15 years and has produced over fifty large stone public artworks across the UK and Ireland. The Touchstones operate as a network of curious artefacts that sit in relation both to the character of their specific locations, and to a wider archaeological and mythological landscape. In this way they offer a point of contact, a touchstone, between the world of the present and an otherworldly place somewhere between fact and fantasy, the deep past and the deep future. James carved the sandstone blocks with traditional tools over the course of a year, taking inspiration from existing medieval stone carvings at sites across Mayo such as Turlough, Straide, Ballintubber, Inishmaine and Cong. Following the launch on November 1, there will be an artist tour of the ten stone sculptures in Turlough, Breaffy, Islandeady and Raheens Woods from 11.30am to 3.45pm. A bus and lunch will be provided. Places for the tour are limited and booking is required, contact Aoife OToole, Public Art Coordinator, Mayo County Council: aotoole@mayococo.ie; 094 9064376. To mark the launch of The Touchstones local communities will have the opportunity to join the artist James Winnett and storyteller Fiona Dowling for a family friendly guided tour and storytelling event. James will provide insights into the research and creative process while Fiona will bring the stones to life by telling some of the tales that inspired the carvings. See dates and time below: Turlough, Saturday October 25, 10.30am 1pm. This event will begin at the round tower car park in Turlough. Breaffy Woods, Sunday October 26, 10.30am 1pm. The meeting point for the event is outside the main entrance to Breaffy House Hotel. Islandeady, Sunday October 26, 2.30pm 5.15pm. The meeting point for the event is the car park of St. Patricks Church, Islandeady. Attendees can then drive to Raheens Woods to view three stones. The event will end at the final stone to coincide with sunset. These events are outdoors, so its advised to bring rain gear and good walking shoes. Booking required for the guided tour and storytelling events, contact Aoife OToole, Public Art Coordinator, Mayo County Council: aotoole@mayococo.ie; 094 9064376. READ MORE: 'We want to keep our children safe' on dangerous road in Mayo This month, well-known hotelier Niall Rochford of Ashford Castle will embark on a 12-day, 250km walk from Cork to Cong, Mayo, to raise vital funds and awareness for pancreatic cancer. The Cork2Cong challenge was created in memory of Nialls late wife, Stella, who was born in Cork and studied at UCC. Stella tragically passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2022, just 8 weeks following her shock diagnosis. Starting on October 28 from Honan Chapel in UCC, Niall will follow a path that mirrors the journey of Stellas life. From Cork City, he will make tracks to Limerick and Clare, where he and Stella met and welcomed their first child. He will continue to Galway, where their family grew, before finally arriving on November 8, in Cong, Mayo, the place they called home, and where Stella is now laid to rest. Niall is inviting members of the public, friends, and family to support him along the route, or to take their own steps of action, to help raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer Ireland, a new charity co-founded by Niall earlier this year. Pancreatic Cancer Ireland, which was co-founded earlier this year by Niall, together with Rachel Duquesnois and Pamela Deasy, whose lives have been deeply impacted by the disease, and is supported by various leading medical experts, including Professor Aisling Barry, Radiation Oncologist and Chair of Radiation Oncology at UCC, as well as Professor Grainne OKane, Consultant Medical Oncologist at St. Vincents University Hospital. Speaking ahead of the challenge, Niall Rochford said, "This walk is deeply personal to me, and I know Stella will be with me every step of the way. Pancreatic Cancer Ireland was founded because we need more awareness of this devastating disease and, crucially, we need a rapid diagnosis centre here in Ireland. This challenge is about raising funds to make those goals a reality. Every donation, no matter the size, makes a difference, but if you cant donate, please help us by spreading the word. Ireland has an incredible spirit of community, and Im looking forward to meeting people along my 250km journey. I know Ill find strength in that support as I make this journey in Stellas memory. To donate, visit https://www.idonate.ie/event/Cork2Cong. For more information on pancreatic cancer and to view the Cork2Cong route, visit www.pancreaticcancerireland.ie/cork2cong. This article details two bugs discovered in the NVIDIA Linux Open GPU Kernel Modules and demonstrates how they can be exploited. The bugs can be triggered by an attacker controlling a local unprivileged process. Their security implications were confirmed via a proof of concept that achieves kernel read and write primitives. The NVIDIA Open source driver Back in 2022, NVIDIA started distributing the Linux Open GPU Kernel Modules. Since 2024, using these modules is officially "the right move" for both consumer and server hardware. The driver provides multiple kernel modules, the bugs being found in nvidia.ko and nvidia-uvm.ko . They expose ioctls on device files, most of them being accessible to unprivileged users. These ioctls are meant to be used by NVIDIA's proprietary userland binaries and libraries. However, using the header files provided in the kernel modules repository as a basis, it's possible to make direct ioctl calls. While manually probing the attack surface related to memory allocation and management we found two vulnerabilities. They were reported to NVIDIA and the vendor issued fixes in their NVIDIA GPU Display Drivers update of October 2025 Bug #1: Kernel null-pointer dereference in nvidia-uvm module (CVE-2025-23300) The UVM_MAP_EXTERNAL_ALLOCATION ioctl of the nvidia-uvm module allows mapping memory allocated from the main nvidia module into the Unified Virtual Memory framework. This includes memory allocations of type NV01_MEMORY_DEVICELESS which are not associated with any device and therefore have the pGpu field of their corresponding MEMORY_DESCRIPTOR structure set to null. The ioctl call leads to an unchecked use of this field, resulting in a kernel null-pointer dereference. An example stack trace is provided below: // linux 6.11.0-24 + nvidia 570.86.15 from Ubuntu Noble osIovaMap+0x11e/0x630 [nvidia] iovaspaceAcquireMapping_IMPL+0x232/0x470 [nvidia] memdescMapIommu+0x90/0x300 [nvidia] dupMemory+0x2d9/0x830 [nvidia] nvUvmInterfaceDupMemory+0x44/0xe0 [nvidia] uvm_map_external_allocation_on_gpu+0x298/0x500 [nvidia_uvm] uvm_api_map_external_allocation+0x5dd/0x860 [nvidia_uvm] uvm_ioctl+0x1aad/0x1e70 [nvidia_uvm] uvm_unlocked_ioctl_entry.part.0+0x7b/0xf0 [nvidia_uvm] uvm_unlocked_ioctl_entry+0x6a/0x90 [nvidia_uvm] __x64_sys_ioctl+0xa3/0xf0 x64_sys_call+0x11ad/0x25f0 do_syscall_64+0x7e/0x170 NVIDIA Fix A new check was added to the function dupMemory so that operations that require valid GPU contexts are skipped for deviceless memory. Bug #2: Kernel use-after-free in threadStateInit() and threadStateFree() in nvidia module (CVE-2025-23280) The threadStateInit() and threadStateFree() functions are used in multiple locations of the open-gpu-kernel-modules codebase. They are always used as a pair to encapsulate specific operations, as seen in the following example: // src/nvidia/src/kernel/rmapi/mapping.c (line 433) NV_STATUS rmapiMapWithSecInfoTls ( RM_API * pRmApi , NvHandle hClient , NvHandle hDevice , NvHandle hMemCtx , NvHandle hMemory , NvU64 offset , NvU64 length , NvU32 flags , NvU64 * pDmaOffset , API_SECURITY_INFO * pSecInfo ) { THREAD_STATE_NODE threadState ; NV_STATUS status ; threadStateInit ( & threadState , THREAD_STATE_FLAGS_NONE ); status = rmapiMapWithSecInfo ( pRmApi , hClient , hDevice , hMemCtx , hMemory , offset , length , flags , pDmaOffset , pSecInfo ); threadStateFree ( & threadState , THREAD_STATE_FLAGS_NONE ); return status ; } The threadState structure will be inserted into a global red-black tree ( threadStateDatabase.dbRoot ) during threadStateInit() and removed during threadStateFree() . The fact that this structure is always stack-allocated is dangerous if a kernel oops occurs between the two function calls. The oops will lead to the kernel stack for this task being freed on modern Linux kernels, which use virtual stacks allocated through vmalloc . As a result, an invalid pointer to the now freed stack would remain in the global tree structure. This is exactly what happens when bug #1 is triggered: threadStateInit() is called during dupMemory() (in src/nvidia/src/kernel/rmapi/nv_gpu_ops.c ) and the null-pointer dereference happens before the call to threadStateFree() . The following stack trace shows the use-after-free being triggered by a call to open on /dev/nvidia0 after the oops caused by bug #1: // linux 6.11.0-24 + nvidia 570.86.15 from Ubuntu Noble _mapInsertBase+0x3c/0x320 [nvidia] threadStateInit+0xd5/0x1b0 [nvidia] rm_is_device_sequestered+0x28/0x60 [nvidia] nv_open_device+0x2ef/0x9e0 [nvidia] nvidia_open+0x22a/0x4b0 [nvidia] chrdev_open+0xd2/0x250 do_dentry_open+0x218/0x4c0 vfs_open+0x30/0x100 do_open+0x2ba/0x440 path_openat+0x132/0x2c0 do_filp_open+0xc0/0x170 do_sys_openat2+0xb3/0xe0 __x64_sys_openat+0x55/0xa0 x64_sys_call+0x230a/0x25f0 do_syscall_64+0x7e/0x170 NVIDIA Fix The heap based threadStateAlloc function was added as a "new UAF-safe API". However, it seems it is currently used as a replacement for the stack based threadStateInit only in the dupMemory function. This has not been tested, but, other functions still using threadStateInit may continue to be vulnerable to a UAF in the case of a oops. Exploitation Proof of concept exploitation was carried out in the following environment: ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (Intel) with NVIDIA T550 Laptop GPU Ubuntu Noble with the following packages: linux-image-6.11.0-24-generic (6.11.0-24.24~24.04.1 amd64) nvidia-driver-570-server-open (570.86.15-0ubuntu0.24.04.4 amd64) Since bug #1 is only used to trigger bug #2, we will focus on the latter. This bug is quite unusual since the UAF address is part of a kernel stack, and as such it belongs to a vmalloc area. Most resources available on UAF exploitation are related to kmalloc as it's used way more broadly for kernel allocations. The only reference for exploitation related to vmalloc seems to be "An iOS hacker tries Android" from Brandon Azad. However, things changed since then, for example the introduction of random_kstack_offset . This feature introduces a randomly generated stack offset at each syscall entry, effectively cancelling its mostly deterministic layout. By randomising the position of key stack values, it makes exploitation more difficult. Vmalloc vmalloc is a kernel function for allocating virtually contiguous memory with a page granularity. It's notably used for allocating kernel stacks, as well as other large kernel allocations. On a running system, the allocations can be inspected using /proc/vmallocinfo . This section will discuss the behavior of the allocator, focusing on address space management, without addressing how backing pages are selected. Here is a very simplified representation of an area managed by vmalloc : When a new allocation is made, it's placed in the first free area that can accommodate its size. Here is an example for a small allocation that takes the first empty slot: Here is an example for a bigger allocation that didn't fit in the first available slot and so is being allocated further away: When allocations are released, they are not immediately freed but instead marked as unpurged. While they are not used by the kernel anymore, they still live in the vmalloc area and the address cannot be reused directly. Here is an example if we free three of the allocations: To be effectively freed, the unpurged allocations must be purged. This is done when the number of pages contained in the unpurged allocations crosses the value returned by lazy_max_pages , which can easily be computed from userland and is defined as follows: // linux/mm/vmalloc.c static unsigned long lazy_max_pages ( void ) { unsigned int log ; log = fls ( num_online_cpus ()); return log * ( 32UL * 1024 * 1024 / PAGE_SIZE ); } After the purge, all released areas are typically ready to be used again for allocations: However, due to recent optimisations, the kernel will now add freed allocations back into size-based pools. While they are in these pools, they will be reused in priority for allocations of the same size and the corresponding areas cannot be used for allocations of other sizes. This is a bit annoying in the context of the exploitation of a UAF, but the pools have a "decay" feature where ~25% of their contents will be released during a purge. By triggering a lot of purges instead of one, we can completely empty out the pools and get a similar result to the old behavior. Shaping primitives To act on the vmalloc area from an unprivileged process we will use the three following primitives. Forking As previously mentioned, kernel stacks are allocated in the vmalloc area. As each userland process has its own dedicated kernel thread stack, forking will lead to a new 0x5000 bytes allocation. This corresponds to four pages for the stack itself and one guard page. Freed kernel stacks are cached to be possibly reused later without the need for new allocations. However, when a stack is released, the operation is usually delayed meaning that if we write very aggressive code like this: while ( 1 ) { if ( fork () == 0 ) { exit ( 0 ); } } It will lead to the stack cache not being used properly, triggering numerous allocations and deallocations, ultimately leading to a lot of unpurged areas. Video4linux2 buffers The v4l2 (video4linux2) framework is used for interacting with video devices from userland. It has nothing to do with the NVIDIA driver but it can provide some powerful vmalloc capabilities. Indeed, it has a vmalloc backend for allocating buffers shared with the user ( drivers/media/common/videobuf2/videobuf2-vmalloc.c ). The use of this backend is not systematic but seems to be common for internal and external USB-based webcams. The target system being a laptop, it's of course fit with one such device. However, some systems may restrict the use of video devices to the video group. By opening a video device using the vmalloc backend we get access to the following capabilities: Allocate between 1 and 16 buffers at once Control the size by asking for different resolutions mmap the buffers in userland while they are also mapped in kernel Only one set of buffers can be allocated per video device. However, the mmap capability is extremely powerful and the fact that we can allocate large buffers is also very useful to generate a lot of unpurged pages to trigger purges. Side effect purge We know that we can trigger purges by allocating and freeing a large number of buffers using either forking or v4l2 buffers. Still, it's not possible to know precisely when the purge will happen. However, exceeding lazy_max_pages unpurged pages is in fact not the only way to cause a purge. And, by sheer chance, the allocation of a deviceless memory inside the NVIDIA driver (i.e. the type of memory used to trigger bug #1) will cause nv_alloc_contig_pages() to be called with the NV_MEMORY_UNCACHED flag. This will cause an attribute change using the change_page_attr_set_clr() kernel function which will explicitly call vm_unmap_aliases() leading to a purge. This is extremely useful for improving reliability by starting from a known clean state. Reclaiming the UAF The first step in the exploitation is to gain control of the UAF. The goal is to trigger it, provoke a large number of purges so that the affected kernel stack is actually freed and finally allocate a v4l2 buffer that overlaps the UAF address. By memory mapping (via mmap ) this buffer, we can get full control over the UAF area. First, we begin by allocating deviceless memory in the NVIDIA driver until there is no unpurged area left and the pools are empty. Then, we can use the forking primitive to fill all the holes in the vmalloc area. This will ensure a clean state where future allocations will be made one right after the other even if they are of different sizes. When forking, we will make most of the processes terminate immediately. However, some of them will be kept alive at regular intervals, to create gaps that are smaller than the v4l2 buffers we will allocate later. This way, even after the unpurged stacks are freed (red allocations in the next figure), any v4l2 buffer allocated will end up in the clean area, while smaller allocations on the system that could disrupt the exploitation will end up in these holes. We will refer to the kept alive stacks as guards. Once we reach the clean state, we do the final setup by: Forking and keeping alive a "beacon" process (used later) Allocating and freeing a medium-sized v4l2 buffer Forking a new process and triggering bug #1 with it Allocating and freeing a medium-sized v4l2 buffer again Allocating and keeping alive a final guard process These steps are very time sensitive as any other allocation on the system may get in between, most probably leading to a failure of the exploitation. After that, it's possible to monitor the oops happening by waiting for the triggering process to get killed. Once it happened, the driver will be in a reduced state. Indeed, the kernel thread that hit the bug was killed while holding locks, so, most new calls to the drivers will just hang indefinitely. This means we can't use the side effect purge method and instead have to use large v4l2 buffers. These large allocations will not interfere with the area of the UAF as they will be allocated further away because of the guard stacks. Once we allocated and freed enough of these large allocations so that the pools are empty, we can just allocate a set of two medium-sized v4l2 buffers. These buffers will be backed by only one vmalloc allocation and so they will be one after the other. If everything went right, they should end up being allocated just after the beacon process because of guards. The second buffer will contain the UAF. The reason we used two buffers is because Buffer0 will be used later in the exploitation for data storage. The tree data structure The UAF we now control somewhere in Buffer1 is the node of a binary Red/Black tree. It serves as the underlying data storage for a map container, the global threadStateDatabase.dbRoot . This map is used to store structures of type THREAD_STATE_NODE in the time frame between threadStateInit() and threadStateFree() . The implementation is intrusive so every THREAD_STATE_NODE structure contains a struct MapNode defined as follows: // src/nvidia/inc/libraries/containers/map.h struct MapNode { NvU64 key ; MapNode * pParent ; MapNode * pLeft ; MapNode * pRight ; NvBool bIsRed ; }; This data structure will be our primary focus. The THREAD_STATE_NODE structure also contains interesting fields such as function pointers. However, the threadStateInit() and threadStateFree() functions only perform operations on the structure found in their own stack, so that it' not possible to trick them into calling these function pointers on a node coming from the tree. Revealing kernel memory addresses Even if the driver is in a reduced state, one operation still working is opening a GPU device (e.g. /dev/nvidia0 ). Fortunately, this triggers a call to rm_is_device_sequestered() which uses the threadStateInit() and threadStateFree() combo. This means a new node will be inserted and removed from the tree each time we open the device file. As the nodes have a very short life span, we can expect the UAF node to be the only one in the tree. As such, the UAF node will be the root and we can expand the tree by creating our own node linked to it. Before doing that, we need to solve two problems: Where is the UAF node located in Buffer1 to be able to modify it What is the address of Buffer0 so we can create our own nodes inside it and link them together Because of random_kstack_offset , we can't predict the offset of the UAF node in the stack and so its offset in Buffer1. Fortunately, a zeroed out struct MapNode is a valid node (a black node with no children). Therefore, if the whole Buffer1 is zeroed out, insertions in the tree can happen without any issue. Because the key will also be 0, new nodes will be inserted as the right child of the UAF node. So, when calling open on the GPU device, node.pRight will very briefly be filled with a pointer to a child. To find the offset of the node in Buffer1, a possibility is to call open repeatedly from another process and scan Buffer1 until we find a non-zero value. Furthermore, because node.pRight will point to the struct MapNode stored in the stack of the process calling open , it's effectively leaking an address inside its kernel stack. We set up a beacon process for this reason, ensuring its stack is positioned just before Buffer0. Once the beacon stack address is leaked, we can guess an address that should be part of Buffer0. If we set node.pRight of the UAF node to this guessed address, new nodes will be inserted as the right child of the guessed node. By calling open repeatedly again and scanning Buffer0 for a nonzero value, we can find the offset of the guessed node. By subtracting the found offset to the guess address we ultimately find the exact kernel address of Buffer0. The guess address technique may seem superfluous, but it's essential as we cannot ascertain the exact beacon stack base address from the leak. This ambiguity is due to the random_kstack_offset feature and the possibility that a kernel stack allocation can begin at any page boundary. A first write primitive Now that we have everything needed to create arbitrary trees, we need to find arrangements that could lead to interesting primitives during either insertion or deletion of a node. These operations always comprise the actual addition or removal of the node in the tree followed by a fixup phase ( _mapInsertFixup() or _mapDeleteFixup() ). These fixup functions will usually recolor and perform rotations in the tree. They are interesting as they loop up through it allowing us to have at least a bit of control on the execution. The goal is then to trick them into reading or writing at an arbitrary address. To do so we can use part of the rotation code: static void _mapRotateRight ( MapNode ** pPRoot , MapNode * x ) { // rotate node x to right MapNode * y = x -> pLeft ; // establish x->pLeft link x -> pLeft = y -> pRight ; if ( y -> pRight ) y -> pRight -> pParent = x ; // <= Here is the only use of y->pRight // establish y->pParent link y -> pParent = x -> pParent ; if ( x -> pParent ) { if ( x == x -> pParent -> pRight ) x -> pParent -> pRight = y ; else x -> pParent -> pLeft = y ; } else ( * pPRoot ) = y ; // link x and y y -> pRight = x ; x -> pParent = y ; } There is a mirror version of this code ( _mapRotateLeft ) that could also be used, but we will focus on the right one. When executed this function will set pParent in the node pointed to by y->pRight if it's not null without ever using it again. Visually the rotation looks like this: If we set y->pRight to an arbitrary address, we can obtain a constrained arbitrary write primitive because a pointer to x will be written to y->pRight + offsetof(MapNode, pParent) . Assuming x is one of our nodes in Buffer0, we can consider that we are writing a pointer to a controlled address. The right rotation can be attained from _mapInsertFixup() without the value of y->pRight being used by building the right tree structure. There might be better primitives available directly from the tree but this one have the advantage of being straightforward and reliable. Selecting a target Next step is to find what exactly to overwrite. Without relying on other bugs, we are only aware of a few addresses allocated by vmalloc . One solution would be to shape the vmalloc area so that an interesting allocation is found close to our beacon and buffers in order to guess its address. That should be doable, but after searching for a bit, I didn't find any interesting structure. As a matter of fact, vmalloc is not used that much in the kernel and mostly for big buffers because of its page granularity. Also, there are in fact multiple separated vmalloc areas, limiting the possibilities. Instead, targeting kernel stacks seemed easier as we already know we can leak their addresses. We used this capability before to guess the address of Buffer0. However, we can also leak the address of other interesting values in the stack during the execution of open (the syscall that triggers the insertion in the tree). Indeed, offsets in the stack should be constant for a given kernel and driver binaries, we can just calculate beforehand the distance between the node and a specific value we want to target in the stack. The use of kstack_random_offset changes nothing, as the offset is added before the syscall is executed. However, in order to use this method combined with the write primitive, the target address needs to be computed in the very small time frame between the insertion of the node and the rotation of the tree that will trigger the write. This is due to the address changing every syscall because of kstack_random_offset . By default, there is not enough time for the userland process to modify the mapped memory in time. However, we can artificially increase the time taken by the tree iteration before the rotation is executed. The _mapInsertFixup() function has a recolor-only path which will perform the following: For our purposes, recoloring has no side effects and can be used to waste time, by building a tree using the pattern found in the previous figure. We can then build a three-staged tree: Setup: Welcomes the new node insertion and make the iteration jump into an alternate part of the tree (i.e. that is not under the root) using a flawed pParent pointer pointer Dummy: Combination of an arbitrary number of recolor patterns used to waste time (256 patterns were used for the proof of concept) Write: Perform a write using a rotation, the address will be computed and filled in dynamically by userland The node is made to be inserted as a left child using very large keys to facilitate the jump into the dummy phase. This tree allows to reliably write a pointer to controlled data over any chosen value in the kernel thread stack during the handling of the open syscall. The written data will effectively be a pointer to the node labeled END . After the rotation, we are free to write any data at this address. Escalating with stack corruption Now, we just need to find a good candidate pointer to overwrite. A very interesting one is the file pointer in path_openat() : // fs/namei.c static struct file * path_openat ( struct nameidata * nd , const struct open_flags * op , unsigned flags ) { struct file * file ; int error ; file = alloc_empty_file ( op -> open_flag , current_cred ()); // struct file allocation if ( IS_ERR ( file )) return file ; if ( unlikely ( file -> f_flags & __O_TMPFILE )) { error = do_tmpfile ( nd , flags , op , file ); } else if ( unlikely ( file -> f_flags & O_PATH )) { error = do_o_path ( nd , flags , file ); } else { const char * s = path_init ( nd , flags ); while ( ! ( error = link_path_walk ( s , nd )) && ( s = open_last_lookups ( nd , file , op )) != NULL ) ; if ( ! error ) error = do_open ( nd , file , op ); // function that will lead to the write terminate_walk ( nd ); } if ( likely ( ! error )) { if ( likely ( file -> f_mode & FMODE_OPENED )) return file ; WARN_ON ( 1 ); error = - EINVAL ; } fput_close ( file ); if ( error == - EOPENSTALE ) { if ( flags & LOOKUP_RCU ) error = - ECHILD ; else error = - ESTALE ; } return ERR_PTR ( error ); } When looking at the compiled binary for the target version, we can see that the file pointer is stored in r12 . The do_open() function spills r12 on the stack and at the same time will lead to the call that triggers our write. Meaning that we can ultimately overwrite the file pointer to make it point into our memory mapped Buffer0 by precomputing the offset between struct MapNode and the spilled r12 register in the stack. This modified file pointer will be returned by path_openat() and associated with a file descriptor in the calling process by fd_install() in do_sys_openat2() . There are a few checks and dereferences that may cause issues, but by creating a fake struct file with somewhat sensible values it's possible to overcome them easily. It's to be noted that the file structure is defined with the __randomize_layout macro. This will lead to the fields being out of order and that we have to find the offsets for the specific target kernel. Fortunately, in our case, these can be easily extracted from the Ubuntu debug packages. Leaking KASLR The control over a struct file is extremely powerful. This structure notably contains several function pointers due to the Virtual File System layer. However, our last barrier to a full exploitation is KASLR (Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization). To break it, we can leverage some syscalls that check the type of a file by comparing the f_op pointer to the expected struct file_operations . For example, recvfrom uses sock_from_file() to get access to private data specific to sockets and checks the file type using the f_op pointer: // linux/net/socket.c struct socket * sock_from_file ( struct file * file ) { if ( likely ( file -> f_op == & socket_file_ops )) return file -> private_data ; /* set in sock_alloc_file */ return NULL ; } If the pointers don't match and sock_from_file() returns null, recvfrom will simply return -ENOTSOCK . So, we can call this syscall repeatedly on the file descriptor linked with our controlled struct file , starting with f_op set to the static address of socket_file_ops and then incrementing it to test all the possible slided values. KASLR is leaked when the syscall returns something other than -ENOTSOCK . This is a somewhat fast process due to KASLR entropy only being 9 bits. Wrapping up After that, we can just create our own file operations table. I decided to use the llseek handler to perform arbitrary functions calls in the kernel. It's defined as follows: loff_t ( * llseek ) ( struct file * file , loff_t offset , int whence ); It's interesting because the syscall handler does not perform any check on the file before calling the handler. Also, we have control and access to all the parameters and the return value directly from userland. The limitations are as follows: The whence parameter should be less than five parameter should be less than five The first parameter is a pointer to our controlled struct file meaning we must input or output arbitrary data from the start of the structure. That's not a problem on the target version because all the fields in the start are unused, but it could be if we are very unlucky with the randomized order of the fields. By setting the handler to point to selected kernel functions and then calling the llseek syscall, we can build a basic set of primitives: Kernel symbolication with unsigned long kallsyms_lookup_name(const char *name) Kernel arbitrary read with void *memcpy(void *dest, const void *src, size_t count) Kernel arbitrary write with int debugfs_u64_get(void *data, u64 *val) For testing them, we can escalate the privileges of our userland process. We just need to symbolicate init_task and iterate the tasks until we find the one corresponding to our process. Then, we can overwrite the creds to become root and open a shell. Below is the full proof of concept running in real time: Closing Remarks To conclude, a couple of key points to consider. First, the exploit is sensitive to system activity, particularly forking and calls to the NVIDIA driver during specific time frames. This poses a challenge on systems under constant heavy load where the exploitation will most likely fail. Second, as previously mentioned the kernel oops triggered by bug #1 causes multiple locks to be held, rendering most of the NVIDIA driver unusable. It should be possible to manually unlock the driver using the kernel read and write primitives, but this has not been tested. The complete proof-of-concept exploit described in this blog post is available here Disclosure timeline Below we include a timeline of all the relevant events during the coordinated vulnerability disclosure process with the intent of providing transparency to the whole process and our actions. The recently concluded Filmfare Awards 2025 saw Alia Bhatt winning the Best Actor in a Leading Role - Female trophy for her performance in Jigra. As soon as the announcement was made, Alias win met with immense flak on social media and the actress was heavily trolled with many questioning the authenticity of the awards. Amid Alia Bhatts controversial Filmfare win, a clip from her Hollywood movie has surfaced online and she is getting brutally criticised for her performance, accent and dialogue delivery in it. Instagram/Alia Bhatt Alia Bhatt Gets Brutally Trolled For Acting Worse Than Gal Gadot Back in 2023, Alia Bhatt made her Hollywood debut with the Netflix spy actioner Heart of Stone co-starring Gal Gadot. The film opened to poor response from the critics as well as fans and major criticism towards its plot, making and cast performances. Now, two years later amid Alia Bhatts controversial win at Filmfare Awards 2025, a clip from the Hollywood film has resurfaced online and the social media users are going after the Bollywood stars terrible acting in it. Check out the clip below: Reacting to the same, social media users are calling out Alia Bhatt for being acting even worse than Gal Gadot in the scene who is often criticised for her poor dialogue delivery and performances. Reacting to the clip, one social media user wrote, Gal Gadot is literally one of the worst actresses ever but somehow Alia managed to act worse thn her in this movie. Instagram/Alia Bhatt Another user reacted, getting out-acted by Gal Gadot is crazy. A third user commented, Bro why is her half face twitching during the dialogue delivery? A fourth user wrote, This is her Brahmastra acting lol. I can almost hear her say Shiva. Check out some of the responses below: The companys technology is now used by global retailers including Gap Inc., Uniqlo and Carrefour Exotec, the French warehouse robotics company, is celebrating its tenth anniversary after deploying more than 10,000 of its Skypod robots across 200 customer sites worldwide. Founded in Paris in 2015, Exotec has grown into one of the fastest-scaling players in warehouse automation. Its Skypod system, a modular alternative to traditional rigid solutions, has now completed over 938 million cycles, processed billions of customer orders and saved warehouse workers the equivalent of 90 million kilometres of walking around 119 return trips to the moon. The companys technology is now used by global retailers including Gap Inc., Uniqlo and Carrefour, with Exotec surpassing $1 billion in sales in 2024. Exotec has developed its Skypod system into a broader suite of warehouse automation tools. These include Skypath, a conveyor system, and Deepsky, a warehouse execution software platform designed to help operators manage complex logistics at scale. The company says these solutions enable warehouses to reduce physical strain on employees, improve throughput and order accuracy, and create safer working environments. This, in turn, helps businesses adapt to shifting consumer expectations for speed and reliability. Ten years ago, Renaud and I set out to build a robotics solution that solved ongoing warehouse frustrations. Todays milestone demonstrates our continued growth and the confidence our customers place in our technology, said Romain Moulin, CEO and Co-Founder of Exotec. At Exotec we work closely with technology partners, such as E80 Group, to tailor systems for industry-specific needs, aiming to provide customers with a unified end-to-end automation solution. This approach ensures that our systems not only deliver efficiency on the warehouse floor but also connect into broader supply chain strategies. As we look to the next decade, our role is evolving. Customers dont want individual products they want integrated solutions that connect seamlessly. Our focus is to be a trusted partner to deliver complete automation systems at scale. Among Exotecs early adopters was French e-commerce giant Cdiscount. Antoine Wolff, Managing Director of its logistics subsidiary C-Logistics, said: As Frances leading e-commerce player and a promoter of an innovative and responsible supply chain, Cdiscount is particularly pleased to have been collaborating with Exotec since the very beginning, back in 2016, on the development and deployment of its innovative order-picking robot solution. We are proud to have been the first in the world to install Skypod systems in our historic warehouse in Cestas, near Bordeaux. Nearly 10 years later, three major systems now equip our logistics sites in France. This collaboration has played a key role in transforming our logistics operations, significantly increasing storage capacity and productivity, while reducing the physical strain on our employees. As Exotec looks ahead, the company says it will continue to focus on delivering integrated warehouse automation systems at scale, aiming to play a central role in shaping the future of intelligent supply chains worldwide. TEL AVIV, Israel The Israeli military said Wednesday that one of the bodies handed over by Hamas the previous day as part of the ceasefire deal is not that of a hostage who was held in Gaza, adding to tensions over the fragile truce in the two-year war. Gazas Health Ministry said it received 45 additional bodies of Palestinians from Israel, another step in implementation of the agreement. The bodies of 90 Palestinians have now been transferred. It was unclear whether the deceased had died in Israeli custody or were taken from Gaza by Israeli troops while searching for hostages. Four bodies of hostages had been handed over by Hamas on Tuesday, following four on Monday hours after the last 20 living hostages were released from Gaza. In all, Israel has been awaiting the return of the bodies of 28 deceased hostages. Israel released around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees on Monday. Israel's military said that after the "examinations at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, the fourth body handed over to Israel by Hamas does not match any of the hostages." There was no immediate word on whose body it was. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded that Hamas fulfill the requirements laid out in the ceasefire deal introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump about the return of the hostages' bodies. We will not compromise on this and will not stop our efforts until we return the last deceased hostage, until the last one, Netanyahu said. Challenges around returning bodies The ceasefire plan had called for all hostages living and dead to be handed over by a deadline that expired on Monday. But under the deal, if that didnt happen, Hamas was to share information about deceased hostages and try to hand over all as soon as possible. This is not the first time Hamas has returned a wrong body to Israel. Earlier this year during a previous ceasefire, the group said it handed over the bodies of Shiri Bibas and her two sons. Israelis endured more agony when testing showed that one of the bodies returned was identified as a Palestinian woman. Bibas body was returned a day later. Hamas and the Red Cross have said that recovering the remains of dead hostages was a challenge because of Gazas vast destruction, and Hamas has told mediators that some are in areas controlled by Israeli troops. Hazem Kassem, a Hamas spokesperson, said on the Telegram messaging app that the group was working to return the bodies of the hostages as agreed. Kassem also accused Israel of violating the deal with shootings on Tuesday in eastern Gaza City and the southern city of Rafah. Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz, said the military is operating along the deployment lines troops withdrew to under the deal, and warned that anyone approaching the deployment line will be targeted as happened on Tuesday with several militants. Two hostages whose bodies were released from Gaza were being buried on Wednesday. Desperately needed aid to Gaza The entrance of humanitarian aid to Gaza had been paused due to the exchange on Monday and a Jewish holiday on Tuesday. The Egyptian Red Crescent said 400 trucks carrying food, fuel, and medical supplies were bound for Gaza on Wednesday. The Israeli defense body overseeing humanitarian aid in Gaza, COGAT, notified humanitarian organizations on Tuesday that it would allow into Gaza only half of the 600 daily aid trucks called for under the deal amid the concerns over the slow release of hostages' bodies. It was not immediately clear whether Israel was following through on the threat. COGAT declined to comment on the number of trucks expected to enter Gaza on Wednesday. Throughout this crisis, we have insisted that withholding aid from civilians is not a bargaining chip," U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said in a statement. ___ Magdy reported from Cairo. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) A Ukrainian government delegation has met with prominent American weapons manufacturers during a U.S. visit, a senior Kyiv official said Wednesday, before President Volodymyr Zelenskyys meeting with U.S. counterpart Donald Trump at the White House later this week. A delegation led by the head of the Ukrainian presidents office, Andrii Yermak, and Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko met with representatives of Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, Yermak wrote in a Telegram post. Yermak didnt disclose what was discussed during the talks, but said that his country's cooperation with the two companies continues to grow as Ukraine looks for further help resisting Russia's all-out war, which began on Feb. 24, 2022. Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Yermak, posted on X that Ukraine is seeking cruise missiles, air defense systems and joint drone production agreements from the United States. Raytheon produces Patriot air defense systems, which have been vital for Ukrainian efforts to counter Russian long-range strikes, and Tomahawk cruise missiles. Kyiv officials are keen to obtain Tomahawks, which could allow Ukraine to strike targets deep inside Russia, including Moscow, accurately and with large warheads. Lockheed Martin also manufactures a wide array of sophisticated weapon systems that can help Ukraine. U.S. pushes for peace While Zelenskyy is widely expected to request Trumps go-ahead at the Oval Office to procure Tomahawks, Washington has hesitated over such a move out of concern that it could escalate the war and deepen tensions between the United States and Russia. However, Trump on Sunday warned Russia that he may send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine if Moscow doesnt end its war there soon possibly using that threat to increase the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to compromise. If this war does not end, if there is no path to peace in the short term, then the United States, along with our allies, will take the steps necessary to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Ukraines Western backers, gathered at NATO headquarters in Brussels. If we must take this step, the U.S. War Department stands ready to do our part in ways that only the United States can do," he said. Putin said that Tomahawks wouldn't change the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine, while Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in published remarks Sunday that the issue of Tomahawks is of extreme concern to Moscow. The NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels discussed how they can maintain the momentum of weapons supplies to Ukraine, after European military aid for Kyiv dropped sharply in the summer. European allies and Canada are buying American weapons to help Kyiv hold back Russia's forces. U.S. minerals deal projects take shape Meanwhile, Svyrydenko, the Ukrainian prime minister, said that she met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday, as the two countries put the finishing touches to the U.S.-Ukraine Reinvestment Fund, part of an agreement granting American access to Ukraines vast mineral resources. Svyrydenko said that the fund is several important decisions away from starting to function. The first potential projects set to receive investments in the critical minerals, energy and infrastructure sectors are taking shape, she said. Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine continued their almost daily attacks on each others energy assets, as Ukraine tries to dent Russian fuel supplies and oil revenue and Russia seeks to cripple the Ukrainian power grid before winter. Ukraines armed forces conducted an overnight strike on an oil terminal in Feodosia, in the Russia-annexed Crimean Peninsula, according to a post on Telegram Wednesday by the General Staff. The terminal is an important logistical link supplying Russian forces with fuel, it said. The attack damaged 16 fuel reservoirs that were still intact after Ukrainian forces struck the terminal last week, sparking a fire, it added. Meanwhile, Naftogaz Group, Ukraines biggest oil and gas company, said Wednesday that Russia struck one of its thermal power plants overnight, the latest in a series of major attacks on the companys natural gas facilities and infrastructure. At least two Ukrainian regions reported blackouts. ___ Lorne Cook contributed to this report from Brussels. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine As North Korea continues its barrage of missile tests and bellicose rhetoric, U.S. and Republic of Korea (ROK) Marines have wrapped up Ulchi Freedom Shield 25 (UFS 25), a cornerstone exercise that not only sharpens combat readiness but also embodies decades of alliance-building between the two countries. Conducted under the 1953 ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty, this year's event, which ended August 28th, coincided with the Marine Corps' 250th anniversary, blending cutting-edge simulations with time-honored camaraderie. The Ulchi series traces its roots to 1968, sparked by North Korea's audacious Blue House Raid, where commandos attempted to assassinate South Korean President Park Chung-hee. Initially dubbed the Taeguk Exercise, it was renamed Ulchi Exercise in 69, honoring ancient Korean general Ulchi Mundok, famed for repelling invaders (but the name more broadly also represents the ROK governments integration into the exercise). By 1976, it merged with the U.S.-led Focus Lens, evolving into Ulchi-Focus Lens; a shift that signified deepened bilateral integration. In 2008, it became Ulchi-Freedom Guardian, emphasizing freedom and deterrence amid rising nuclear tensions. The exercise faced a hiatus in 2018 amid diplomatic overtures to Pyongyang, resuming in scaled-down forms before rebranding to Ulchi Freedom Shield in 2022. This name change spotlighted enhanced joint operations, incorporating live, virtual, and constructive elements to counter modern hybrid threats like cyberattacks and drone swarms. In UFS 25, the Combined Forces Command united III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) with ROK Marines, focusing on urban terrain clearance and joint fire support during the Korean Marine Exchange Program. Beyond rifles and ranges, it simulated island-hopping tactics aligned with Force Design 2030, preparing for dispersed operations in contested Indo-Pacific waters. LtGen Roger Turner of III MEF highlighted the fact that III MEF and the ROK Marine Corps stand prepared to respond swiftly to any threat in the region," while ROK Lt. Gen. Ju Il-suk invoked Korean War sacrifices, reminding participants of the alliance's blood-forged foundation. This years iteration emphasized the integration of Joint All-Domain Operations, a nod to the Marine Corps need to respond to evolving threats from adversaries. Marines will no doubt never forget their time participating; from gaining an appreciation for Korean commands during Okinawa-based preparatory drills, or ROK counterparts sharing tactics honed from generational service. Yet, challenges linger, from Okinawa's weather disruptions to base relocation politics, underscoring the need for adaptive logistics. Ulchi Freedom Shield's history reflects the alliance's resilience: From Cold War origins to today's multi-domain focus, it deters aggression while fostering trust. As one participant reflected, the exercise's growth mirrors technological and strategic shifts, ensuring readiness in an unpredictable region. In great-power competition, Ulchi Freedom Shield serves as the shield preserving peace on the Korean Peninsula. Dear Eric: Im in my 60s and have a crippling disease that kept me housebound for nearly five years. My daughter moved back home around that time after her sister took her life and left behind a young son, whom we have been raising together. A new medication for this disease was recently approved. Ive been taking it for two years, and it has led to incredibly impressive improvements. I have a new lease on life! The manufacturers of this medication invited me to be a patient ambassador for them this year. I receive a good stipend for traveling once every other month or so to talk with physicians, pharmacists and other patients struggling with this condition. The trips are very short (one to two days), and my physical needs and limitations are respected and accommodated. My daughter is angry about this and wants me to stop. She gives a number of reasons: That Im shilling for Big Pharma, the time it takes for me to recover from trips, all the what ifs, (nonexistent) financial burdens, leaving her behind to cope with a recalcitrant teenager, et cetera. She refuses to participate or support my efforts in any way. I suspect theres something else going on. Could she be worried about the time I will leave her behind permanently? Whats the best way to discuss this with someone who refuses to talk about the fact that I will not always be around, no matter how safe I try to be? I intend to grab this chance to provide a patient perspective and support others struggling with this disease. It matters to me. Yet I also want my family to accept and support me just as I support them. Patient Patient Dear Patient: Im sure youre right: there are probably a lot of other emotions and triggers influencing your daughters position. This is understandable, but the first thing to remember is you dont need her permission to live your life. Every family system is interconnected, and yours is no different. Collaborating to raise a child, who is surely still grieving the loss of his mother (as you are also still grieving) makes that interconnectedness even more complicated. Communication is key here, as is compromise, but I dont see your daughters demands in that spirit. For the moment, table debate about your trips. You neednt stop them, especially if they are helping you feel youre living your purpose. But you, your daughter, and your grandson should participate jointly and individually in family therapy. Focus initially on the grief and the new dynamics of your family. Sometimes, when a loved one dies and life has to be dramatically rearranged, we make the first or most immediately available choice. After some of the initial shock has subsided, its good to revisit those early choices to make sure they still work for us. Im not suggesting that your co-raising arrangement needs upending, instead therapy can be an opportunity to process what your shared goals are, how youre working toward those goals, and any places where those goals dont align. Your daughter may never be fully comfortable with your trips. Much of that is her work to do. But by continuing to have conversations that acknowledge how much has changed, you give each other the opportunity to keep changing and growing, too. Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com. 2025 Tribune Content Agency, LLC. BENTON HARBOR, MI Michigan-based Whirlpool Corp. has announced plans to invest $300 million into two longstanding Ohio facilities. The investment in laundry manufacturing facilities in Clyde and Marion, Ohio, is anticipated to create between 400 and 600 new jobs, Whirlpool announced. In addition to the Whirlpool jobs, the increased production is expected to support approximately 5,000 additional jobs outside the company, Whirlpool officials said. The decision to ramp up production at the two Ohio facilities is part of a strategic commitment to further grow Whirlpools American manufacturing footprint, the company stated in an Oct. 15 news release. Founded in Benton Harbor in 1911, Whirlpool is already the largest U.S. manufacturer in the home appliance industry. Whirlpools Clyde manufacturing facility has been in operation since 1952 and is the largest washing machine plant in the world. The dryer factory in Marion has been in operation since 1955. Whirlpool Corporations unwavering commitment to American manufacturing is a cornerstone of our identity, said Marc Bitzer, Whirlpool CEO and chairman. This $300 million investment in our Clyde and Marion facilities underscores our dedication to creating jobs, fostering innovation, and delivering high-quality, American-made appliances to U.S. consumers. In the past decade, Whirlpool has reportedly invested $6 billion in U.S. capital expenditures, research and development and new product development. The investment is part of $23 billion spent on the companys U.S. operations, logistics and workforce. The company employs 20,000 people in the U.S., including over 14,000 at its 10 manufacturing plants. Across our U.S. operations, from the factory floor to design labs to distribution centers, our people are the foundation of everything we build, said Kristin Day, Whirlpools VP of U.S. Manufacturing. We are proud to reinforce our commitment to the communities and plants where generations have not only built appliances but careers, families and futures. This investment builds on that legacy, enhancing our manufacturing capabilities and ensuring we can continue producing world-class appliances right here in America. Financial assistance from JobsOhio and tax credits from the state of Ohio are expected to support continued investments in workforce development at the companys Clyde and Marion operations. The investments are subject to final approval of the financial assistance. For more information about Whirlpool Corporation, visit whirlpoolcorp.com. The Gordie Howe International Bridge as seen in October 2025. The bridge's opening has been pushed back to early 2026. Photo provided by the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority DETROIT - Its opening has been years in the making and it is going to take a little longer for people to start crossing the Gordie Howe International Bridge. Construction on the bridge from Detroit to Windsor, Ontario began back in 2018. Officials with the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority originally said they expected traffic to start using the bridge in late 2024. Then it was late 2025. It now wont be open until sometime in 2026. The project team is progressing well toward construction completion this year with opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge as soon as early 2026, Heather Grondin, Chief Relations Officer, Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority told MLive. Grondin says the exact opening date will depend on their ongoing quality reviews, as well as testing and commissioning. As is standard practice on large complex projects, we are currently focused on commissioning and testing to ensure we identify as many potential issues as possible for us to resolve before the opening of the bridge. Grondin adds they also want to make sure they are providing all border agencies sufficient time to achieve operational readiness on what she says is the largest and most complex border crossing along the US-Canada border. When it comes to the complexities of new international border crossings, taking the time to do it right is time well spent. Construction progress breakdown: Since the bridge deck connected last summer, remaining work has focused on final installation of the electrical, fire suppression and drainage systems, and barriers and fencing for the multi-use path. Line painting is also completed. At the US and Canadian Ports of Entry, construction has advanced on all structures and work is focused on interior finishings. The project team is also completing fencing, landscaping and paving around the 36 primary inspection lanes in the US and the 24 primary inspection lanes in Canada. At the Michigan Interchange, all ramps connecting I-75 to the US Port of Entry are built and workers are completing line painting and signage installation. Work also continues on the five new pedestrian bridges and local road improvements. Testing and commissioning process: Work is being done at the 16 toll lanes at the Canadian Port of Entry where crews are testing everything from the overhead signs to the reliability of the barrier gates to the effectiveness of the payment methods. They are also training toll booth operators. There are 164 streetlights and nearly 5,000 LED aesthetic lights which must be tested to check for accuracy, durability and performance and to ensure the lighting system works as intended. Crews continue to test and re-testing these systems, calling it an important part of the project teams work with their partner agencies, first responders and the transportation agencies on both sides of the border in preparation for operations. The bridge deck spanning the distance between the two towers measures just over a half mile (0.53 miles/853 meters,) making it the longest main span of any cable-stayed bridge in North America and the tenth longest in the world. The towers, which were finished earlier this year, stand 722 feet tall. If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. Following a November 3 performance at The Intersection in Grand Rapids, State Champs will now make their way back to Michigan on January 10 for a newly announced Around the World and Back concert at The Majestic Theatre Detroit. Pop-punk band State Champs recently unveiled a 2026 tour celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their 2015 album, Around the World and Back. The trek comes on the heels of their upcoming fall performances at The Stache in Grand Rapids, Ace of Cups in Columbus, Warped Tour in Orlando, and more kicking off Friday, January 9 at The Salt Shed in Chicago, Illinois. Stops include The Majestic Theatre Detroit, the Agora Theatre in Cleveland, Empire Live in Albany, the Brooklyn Paramount, House of Blues Boston, The Fillmore Philadelphia, and The Wiltern in Los Angeles, where the band will conclude Friday, February 6 with support from Origami Angel and Just Friends. Real Friends, Harrison Gordon, Driveways, Broadside, and Cartel will also be joining State Champs throughout the 2026 tour. Tickets go on sale Friday, October 17 at 12 p.m. local time on Ticketmaster, AXS, and the official State Champs website. Fans can browse additional ticket options via sites like SeatGeek, Vivid Seats, and StubHub. State Champs schedule: Mon, Nov 3 The Intersection - The Stache; Grand Rapids, MI Tue, Nov 4 Mahalls; Lakewood, OH Wed, Nov 5 Ace of Cups; Columbus, OH Fri, Nov 7 House of Independents; Asbury Park, NJ Sat, Nov 8 Amityville Music Hall; Amityville, NY Sun, Nov 9 Webster Theater; Hartford, CT Wed, Nov 12 Ottobar; Baltimore, MD Thu, Nov 13 Canal Club; Richmond, VA Sat, Nov 15 Vans Warped Tour; Orlando, FL Fri, Jan 9 Salt Shed - Indoor Shed; Chicago, IL ** Sat, Jan 10 Majestic Theatre Detroit; Detroit, MI ** Sun, Jan 11 Agora Theatre; Cleveland, OH ** Tue, Jan 13 Empire Live; Albany, NY ** Fri, Jan 16 Brooklyn Paramount; Brooklyn, NY ** Sat, Jan 17 House of Blues Boston; Boston, MA ** Sun, Jan 18 The Fillmore Philadelphia; Philadelphia, PA ** Thu, Jan 22 Emos Not Dead Cruise; Miami, FL Fri, Feb 6 The Wiltern; Los Angeles, CA ** ** Around the World and Back Tour The G3 Marquis freighter motors past a Soo Locks Boat Tours ship after passing through the Poe Lock in Sault Ste. Marie on Monday, May 16, 2022. (Cory Morse | MLive.com) Cory Morse | MLive.com SAULT STE. MARIE, MI Its mid-October and that means peak fall colors in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. With its famous Soo Locks, Sault Ste. Marie is one U.P. destination not to miss during natures autumn pageant. According to the local visitors center, peak color will arrive in the Soo area this week. Trees at Soo Locks Park are beginning to transform as the area rapidly sheds green for gold. As of Monday, color was at 75%. RELATED: Where is peak fall color in Michigan? Satellite images show best viewing spots right now Mission Hill Overlook offers views of lakes and trees just 20 minutes from Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Sault Ste. Marie CVB From Whitefish Point to the Soo Locks, the area is currently beginning to peak and offer once-a-year sights, according to Visit Sault Ste. Marie. From the spectacular colors to the comfy cozy vibes, Sault Ste. Marie is your home for making fall memories. RELATED: Peak color alert: Photos show why this Michigan spot is best in US for fall colors When the crisp winds begin to blow across the St. Marys River, the U.P.s second largest city slows down in the best way, with cozy vibes and a peaceful rhythm as freighters traverse the Locks against a backdrop of ruby red, glowing gold and radiant orange, officials said. Visitors can find a spot at the Soo Locks observation deck to get the best view of the locks in action as 1,000-foot freighters move goods between the upper and lower Great Lakes. Soo Locks Park is open year-round, but only mid-October offers glorious views of falls vivid shades. Use this tool to find out when ships will be traversing the locks. Fall color at Point Iroquois Lighthouse along Whitefish Bay Scenic Highway in in Michigans Upper Peninsula on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Joel Bissell | MLive.com A visit to the Soo area can also include checking out local shops, walking the canal path, taking a color drive, or exploring the nearby Tahquamenon Falls State Park and Point Iroquois Light Station. RELATED: Michigan has a hiking paradise that rivals national parks out west Check out Visit Sault Ste. Marie to plan your trip. In this MLive file photo, pedestrians walk past the Michigan Theater during a snowstorm on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. Jackson Ranger | MLive.com ANN ARBOR, MI A highly-acclaimed comedian will hit the streets of downtown Ann Arbor next spring. He happens to be a frequent visitor. New York-born humorist David Sedaris will return to the Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St., at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 25 next year. His event, titled An Evening With David Sedaris, is part of his 2025-26 tour across North America and Europe. Were thrilled to welcome David Sedaris back to the Michigan Theater, Tara Calligan, director of marketing at Michigan & State Theaters, wrote. His sharp humor and unmistakable storytelling have such a devoted following here in Ann Arbor, and his shows nearly always sell out. Audiences can look forward to an evening filled with Sedaris signature wit insightful, irreverent, and always unforgettable." He will also perform at Miller Auditorium in Kalamazoo on Oct. 15 as part of his tour. Sedaris is no stranger to Ann Arbor. He performed at indie bookstore Literati in June 2014 to promote his book Lets Explore Diabetes with Owls. He also performed at Michigan Theater in October 2015. Sedaris came back to the theater in April 2018 to promote his book Theft By Finding Diaries (1977-2002). Sedaris also performed at Michigan Theater in December 2021 to discuss his book The Best of Me. He returned to Literati in June 2023 to discuss his essay collection Happy-Go-Lucky! Most recently, Sedaris performed at Michigan Theater in April 2024. Sedaris, whose works regularly appear in the New Yorker, can often be heard on the public radio show This American Life. He has been nominated for five Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word and Best Comedy Album. He has published 14 books and essay collections, one in collaboration with his sister, Emmy-nominated comedian Amy Sedaris. Tickets start at $79 per person and a number of seats have been taken as of Wednesday, Oct. 15. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page. MLive file photo of the United States Capitol building in Washington, D.C., Nov. 16, 2024. Garret Ellison ANN ARBOR, MI The University of Michigan could invest $9 million in site improvements of a leased space in Washington, D.C. The UM Board of Regents will vote Thursday, Oct. 16, on a development proposal to rent 1700 M St. in the nations capital, according to an action item. The 11,614-square-foot space would be used to establish facilities for the universitys education, engagement and development programs and better serve the growing community of alumni on the east coast. An improvement project is necessary to accommodate a modern classroom, breakout rooms, and work and event-related support spaces, the board action item states. The university offers a Michigan in Washington program for undergraduate students to spend a semester interning and taking classes in Washington. The university also has a Washington office, 444 N. Capitol St., to contact federal administrators for support on its teaching and research developments. The law firm Gibson Dunn and several offices of UBS Financial Services Inc. occupy the building in Washington. The project would cost $9 million and the construction and development company Skanska, which owns the Washington building, would contribute over $1.8 million in a lease allowance, according to the action item. Central university reserves would finance the remaining amount and the construction and development company would manage the renovations. Katie Smith, a spokesperson for Skanska, declined to comment on the proposed project. Per UM real estate policy, leases require approval if they last longer than 10 years, cover more than 50,000 square feet or include improvements costing more than $3 million. Renovations are scheduled to be completed in fall 2026. The October UM Board of Regents meeting begins at 3:30 p.m. in Riverfront Center, 1 Riverfront Plaza, on the Flint campus. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page. Vlog: International voices on women's development in China 17:45, October 14, 2025 By Zhao Tong, Zhou Yu ( People's Daily Online The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women is being held in Beijing from Oct. 13 to 14, 2025. The meeting has gathered heads of state, government leaders, parliamentary leaders, deputy prime ministers, ministerial officials, leaders of international organizations, and friendly personnel from various continents. When it comes to "China" and "women", what key words come to your mind? Follow journalist from People's Daily Online to find the answer. (Web editor: Hongyu, Wu Chengliang) SHANGHAI, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- The second edition of the World Conference on China Studies got underway in east China's Shanghai on Tuesday with the theme "Historical and Contemporary China: A Global Perspective." Approximately 500 renowned experts and scholars from around the world will engage in in-depth discussions on this theme. The conference features various forums, activities and an exhibition focused on urban civilization. Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the conference and delivered a keynote speech. Chen Jining, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, also attended the event. Guests from home and abroad noted that despite various challenges, the world today is showing a stronger desire to understand and learn from China. "We are witnessing the globalization of China studies and with it a progressive decentering of Western influence in the field," said British scholar Martin Jacques, adding that as the Global South interacts more deeply with China, it is forming its own views based on firsthand experience, knowledge and research, relying less and less on Western media. The attendees stressed that Chinese studies must view Chinese civilization as an organically unified whole, examining the country's socio-economic-political landscape within a broader historical and cultural framework. Today, as people around the world take a growing interest in reading ancient Chinese classics, they are acquiring values such as the pursuit of peace and a spirit of openness and courage to face the future, said Tiziana Lippiello, rector of Ca' Foscari University of Venice in Italy. The participants emphasized the importance of elucidating the Chinese path to modernization to present the world a true, multidimensional and holistic narrative of China. They also pledged support for the Global Civilization Initiative, aiming to serve as envoys who bridge civilizations and drive greater mutual learning and exchange. The exchange and mutual learning among civilizations are not only an essential part of globalization but also a driving force behind humanity's spiritual pursuit, said Konstantinos Polymeros, a professor of the University of Western Macedonia in Greece. "China has a long history and an even brighter future. In this era, you simply can't miss coming to China," Polymeros added. The sub-forums will address topics such as Chinese modernization, China studies in the era of digital intelligence, and the role of youth in the future of China studies, among other subjects. The conference, organized by the State Council Information Office and the Shanghai municipal government, with co-sponsorship from other government agencies and academic institutions, will also announce an initiative on the development of world China studies and present a recommended bibliography for research in this field. PITTSFIELD TWP., MI Pet owners can look forward to a new boutique just outside Ann Arbor. Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming, a national pet store franchise based in Orlando, is opening a location next week in Ann Arbor, Victoria MacKellar, owner of the forthcoming store, said Monday, Oct. 13. It is a true grooming-with-love concept, MacKellar, 45, said. It puts the pet and the pet parent first, where many other grooming salons and pet boutiques (are) just another place to bring your dog. The Ann Arbor location, 3157 Ann Arbor-Saline Road, will offer one-on-one pet grooming services, all-natural and single-ingredient treats, toys and seasonal cookies, according to MacKellar, of Northville. She said the store is catered to all types of pets. Theres nothing better than when a dog is done being groomed and mom and dad are there to pick it up and the big reveal comes, MacKellar said. All pets need pampering, loving and care. She said she wanted to open the store to provide an elevated grooming experience. We wanted to give pet parents somewhere that they can take their pet that they trust, that theyre being left in the absolute best care, MacKellar said. Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming opened its first Michigan location in December in Northville. She wanted Ann Arbor to have the second location because the level of service and quality that we provide is going to be absolutely perfect for the clientele in Ann Arbor. As were transitioning, more people are having children later in life or their pets are their children, so we just figured the demographics here would be perfect to provide that level of service for them, MacKellar said. Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming opened its first store in Florida in 2007 and has opened in over 300 locations across the United States by 2023, according to the chain. The pet store in Ann Arbor will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page. The Genesee County Circuit Court is pictured in this MLive file photo. Jake May | MLive.com FLINT, MI A 61-year-old man and former Clio police officer who was caught in a child sex trafficking sting will serve 45 days in jail and five years on probation. Jeffrey Morningstar pleaded guilty to one count of using a computer to commit a crime in August. In accordance with his guilty plea, the Genesee County Prosecutors office dropped two other charges: child sexually abusive activity and accosting a child for immoral purposes. Court documents indicate Morningstar will be added to the states sex offender registration for 25 years. The man was sentenced by Genesee County Circuit Court Judge David J. Newblatt earlier this month. Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson announced Morningstar was caught in the GHOST sting in August 2024. The former police officer, who most recently worked in Longboat Key, Florida, responded to a sting operation in which a law enforcement officer was posing as a trafficker selling a 15-year-old in Burton. The man allegedly wanted to pay to have sex, Swanson said. He started communicating with what he thought was an adult who was selling a child, then he came for that kid, Swanson said. The man started his career in the 1990s with the Detroit Police Department before stops with departments in Millington, Clio, and Longboat Key for 12 years, Swanson said. He worked part-time for approximately a year and a half at the Clio Police Department, Swanson said. In November 2025, Hope College will begin to construct a new academic building in downtown Holland, described by college leaders as its largest academic building project to date. (MLive.com file photo) Melissa Frick HOLLAND, MI - Hope College will soon begin to construct a new building in downtown Holland, described by college leaders as its largest academic building project to date. The new three-story facility will house the colleges Department of Economics and Business, also serving as a gathering space for other college programs and community collaborations. Business leaders throughout West Michigan, the Midwest and beyond will gather to explore innovative ideas that spur economic growth, a Hope College website describing the project reads. Here, students will recognize the needs of the world and discover how they were created to make a difference. The 74,000-square-foot building will sit in the space formerly occupied by the Versendaal car dealership, which Hope purchased in 2005. College leaders say site plans were finalized to address continued growth in both total student enrollment and the economics and business program, which is Hopes largest academic department with a 95-year history. According to the College, over one-third of Hope students now engage with business and economics programs or classes in some way. The department has experienced a 60% increase in students over the last decade, and attracts more than 30% of each incoming freshman class. We are boldly stepping out in faith as we move students from 11 different buildings on campus into a new home that will strategically connect Hopes campus to the downtown commercial district, the website reads. The new facility will have classrooms and seminar rooms with updated technology, faculty office space, atrium and community project spaces, board rooms, a large auditorium and student study rooms. Renderings show what the new Hope College economics and business department building in downtown Holland could look like. Photos courtesy of Hope College. Hope College It will serve as a north campus gateway connecting the college and downtown Hollands commercial district. Hope College campus and Holland community members are invited to a groundbreaking event at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 17. The ceremony will take place on 8th Street, between the former dealership site and the Courtyard Marriott in downtown. Demolition on the dealership building began Oct. 1, and construction on the new Hope College facility is expected to begin in November. The College did not yet share a completion date or estimated project cost. Accompanying the construction project is a Hope College Means Business capital campaign, described online as investing in the future of business and economics while bolstering Hopes Christian, vocation-centered programming. Speaking at the groundbreaking event to share more details will be Hope College President Matt Scogin, Economics & Business Department Chair Stacy Jackson, Carol Van Andel, the campaign cabinet co-chair and Holland Mayor Nathan Bocks. In a statement posted online, Van Andel called the project a bold venture. Hope means business by stepping forward in faith to create a new home that will have an extraordinary impact on the college, the business community, our students and the world where they will live out their Christian calling, she said. Justin Armstrong (green jail uniform) was sentenced to prison Wednesday, Oct. 15 in Kent County Circuit Court for driving drunk and causing a death. (John Tunison | MLive) John Tunison GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A Grand Rapids man is headed to prison for driving drunk and causing a high speed crash that killed a mother of two. Justin Wayne Armstrong, 30, was sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison Wednesday, Oct. 15 for the death of 34-year-old Arika Werner. Walker police alleged he was driving more than 100 mph in the area of Maynard Avenue SW and Butterworth Drive on Dec. 29, 2024 when the car went off the road and crashed into trees. Werner, a front-seat passenger, was thrown from the vehicle. Police said data collected from the crashed vehicle showed speeds of over 100 miles per hour immediately prior to impact. Tests on Armstrong showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.124. The states legal limit for driving is 0.08. Judge Chrisinta Mims described Armstrong as Werners boyfriend. This whole series of events, these choices, resulted in inexplicable tragedy, Mims said. Werners sister, Courtney Klein, spoke before Armstrong was sentenced and described her as the most selfless person to ever exist. She would go above and beyond for the people that she loved, she said. Klein previously established a GoFundMe page for Werner. As part of plea deal, prosecutors agreed to drop a charge of second-degree murder against Armstrong. In court, Armstrong turned toward Werners family and apologized to them. Bay City Commissioner Chris Runberg poses for a photo in front of a house on South Chilson Street in the city's 7th Ward. Runberg has served as an advocate for residents on the block, who nearly had their decorations disappear due to the threat of $100 a day nuisance fees for violating various city codes and ordinances. Joey Oliver | MLive.com BAY CITY, MI It was about noon when Chris Runberg parked his car along the curb on South Chilson Street. When he got out, the sun shining brightly onto his plaid paperboy hat, round glasses and gray hooded sweatshirt, it wasnt long before someone opened their front door to shout, Hello. Any news? a woman asked Runberg, Bay Citys 7th ward city commissioner, through her storm door. The resident, Wendi Garcia, walked onto her front porch, careful to close the door behind her. A dog stood up on its hind legs and whined through the window, wanting to join her outside. She didnt have to specify what news she was inquiring about. The evidence is all around. Like most of her block, Garcias front yard is decorated for Halloween. Tiny tombstones, spooky figurines and larger, more haunting decorations adorn the lawn. Looking up, one can see lights draped above the sidewalk, perched on one side by wooden stands. Runberg looked up at them, his reddish beard appearing more so in the sun, and turned to Garcia. He approached the womans house, careful to avoid stepping on any decorations or the tiny Consumers Energy flags marking the location of underground utilities, signs of a homeowner who did their due diligence and called Miss Dig before planting the decor into the soft summer landscape. The plans were submitted on Thursday. They were reviewed, allegedly, on Friday, and I havent heard anything back yet midday here on Monday, Runberg told the woman, a slight smile forming across her face. So, Im hoping that means everythings good to go. As Runberg stood outside chatting with Garcia, a couple in a pickup truck drove down the block, shouting cheers. Moments later, a next-door neighbor walked outside and yelled a greeting. In recent days, Runberg has become a familiar face in the west side neighborhood, checking in and reporting back updates from Bay City Hall with regard to the residents annual tradition of decking out their front yards with lights and Halloween decorations. A tradition that, if not for Runbergs help, may have come to an end. Ill tell you this, I dont think Ive ever seen a politician or commissioner do as much as Chris has done, Garcia said. Ive never seen it, and Ive lived here my whole life. Never have I ever seen anybody stand up for his community like he has. A popular Halloween light display that spans nearly an entire block in Bay City faces shutdown by the city over insurance and permitting concerns, disappointing residents who have created what they call a neighborhood tradition. Image provided by Matt Aikens Navigating permits, safety rules and community spirit For the last several years, the residents of Chilson Street have been decorating their yards with elaborate Halloween displays. But along with the festive bats, mummies and tombstones were lights that stretched over the sidewalks into the citys right of way and easement. The tradition continued, drawing thousands of onlookers to the area each Halloween, according to residents. But this year, someone reported the displays to the city. The displays violate rules about having wooden posts in the citys right of way. There needed to be an encroachment permit from the city, and insurance was needed to ensure liability concerns could be avoided. Its not a bad thing. Its a good thing, Garcia said of the displays. If you could sit out here at night, youd see the people driving up and down (the street). Its two-way traffic. Now, all of a sudden, its an issue? I mean, we didnt know it was an issue to begin with, or we probably would have never done it, she continued. Its not like we want to break the law. Thats clearly not our intention. Had we known, we probably would have done what we needed to do. City officials said they werent trying to prevent anyone from having fun. But once it was reported and brought to their attention, officials couldnt just look the other way. Enter Runberg, who, noticing the blockade forming between bureaucratic rules and the communitys desire to have a little fun, got involved as one part diplomat and another part enforcer. He helped residents get the proper permitsencroachment permits that normally wouldve been $25 per household. Lake Billing Service covered most of that expense, Runberg said, and insurance for the displays was covered by the Midland Street Merchants. Craig Kokaly was one of the few commissioners who raised some alarms about the setup. At a prior commission meeting, Kokaly, who represents the citys 2nd Ward, said he drove down the block and thought he saw some concerns with the lumber being used for the displays among the acknowledged liability issues. He said he was supportive of the tradition continuing but recognized the need for some safety measures to protect the city. Ive always been supportive of it going forward, Kokaly said. But Ive got to try to watch out for whats best for the city as a whole. Weve got to look out for that. Runberg invited Kokalya commissioner who has been vocal about lending a helping hand when possibleto the block once more to help draw up plans for the display that could be submitted to the citys engineers. Basically, its not my ward, but its my city, and Im going to try to lend whatever help I can, Kokaly said. Im a firm believer that you can either complain about something or you can do something about it. We might not always agree on things, it might be different wards, but its the same city. Bay City Manager Dana Muscott said no official OK has been given by the city, adding that officials hired an outside agency to review the plans drawn up by Runberg and Kokaly. Runberg said if repairs to the wooden structures in the right of ways and easements are required, the Bay City Home Depot store where he works during the day has volunteered to provide lumber. Hes hoping things will go more smoothly next year. Going into next year, ideally, well have taken lessons from this and we will use those lessons to inform us as we put together this block party permit and have a process going forward so we dont have this type of headache again, he said. Bay City Commissioner Chris Runberg speaks with resident Wendi Garcia outside her home on South Chilson Street. Garcia is one of several residents who has decorated their home for Halloween, but lights encroaching on the city right of way prompted code enforcement to take notice. Joey Oliver | MLive.com Excitement builds for Halloween With Halloween about two weeks away, Garcia said she has been buying candy like crazy. She expects her block to be even more popular with trick-or-treaters this year because of the attention it has received. Its going to be insane, so Im just trying to buy as much candy as I can, she said. This is crazy how many people we get down here and theyre yelling as they drive out the windows. Garcia said she has family coming from Arizona to see the block, and block parties and trick-or-treating events are also scheduled to take place in the area. In the meantime, Runberg said hell continue to advocate for the residents on Chilson and their Halloween displays. I just want to see this succeed, he said. These folks put a lot of hard work into it and they were able to do it for several years, and its just got to be really demoralizing, disheartening to have experienced the types of uphill battle they have since the city was informed of it. Im in a position that can actually influence this, and so I should be using the influence I have to be able to help the community, he continued. Theres clearly a need, and if I have the ability and means to help facilitate that, it would be a dereliction of my duties to not do that. A new Crumbl location will open its doors Friday, Oct. 17, bringing the popular cookie chain to Saginaw Township for the first time. (Staten Island Advance/Shane DiMaio) Shane DiMaio SAGINAW TOWNSHIP, MI A new Crumbl location will open its doors Friday, Oct. 17, bringing the popular cookie chain to Saginaw County for the first time. The new Crumbl site, located at 4540 State in Green Acres Plaza in Saginaw Township, will host its grand opening with extended hours from 8 a.m. to midnight and special activities throughout the day, staff said. The bakery plans to offer sweet surprises with each purchase and will host festivities between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. The first 100 customers arriving at 2 p.m. will receive free T-shirts and stickers. The celebration will include merchandise giveaways, photo opportunities, and a DJ party throughout the day. Adults 18 and older can enter a contest to win free cookies for a year. Andrew and Erica Lord own the new location along with their three children. Andrew, a native Michigander, spent the last 15 years living in Utah before deciding to return to Michigan through entrepreneurship after job hunting from across the country proved unsuccessful, staff said. Regular store hours for the new store will be Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to midnight. The store will be closed on Sundays. Crumbl was founded in 2017 in Logan, Utah, by Jason McGowan and Sawyer Hemsley. The dessert franchise has grown to 1,100 locations across all 50 states, plus Canada and Puerto Rico. The chain is known for its rotating menu that offers new flavors each week, served in signature pink boxes. Generative AI was used to organize information for this story, based on data provided by Crumbl in Saginaw Township. It was reviewed and edited by MLive staff. Roger Ver, a bitcoin millionaire and evangelist, is one of the first early adopters of the so-called crypto-currency. (Photo by Danny Lee/South China Morning Post via Getty Images) South China Morning Post via Get An investor known as Bitcoin Jesus has agreed struck a deal with the U.S. government. Roger Ver, an early bitcoin investor, will pay nearly $50 million in back taxes, penalties, and interest stemming from his willful failure to properly report his bitcoin holdings on tax returns, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday. In return officials have dismiss the indictment against Ver, who expatriated from the United States to St. Kitts and Nevis in 2014. We are pleased that Mr. Ver has taken responsibility for his past misconduct and satisfied his obligations to the American public, said Associate Deputy Attorney General Ketan D. Bhirud. This resolution sends a clear message: whether you deal in dollars or digital assets, you must file accurate tax returns and pay what you owe. Ver began acquiring bitcoins in 2011 and quickly become an avid promoter of cryptocurrency. Due to his net worth upon expatriation, Ver was required to file certain related tax returns and to pay taxes on the capital gains on his world-wide assets, including his bitcoins. In the agreement, Ver admitted that when he filed these returns in May 2016, he did not report all his bitcoins and pay the required capital gains tax on their constructive sale. Ver admitted that his failure to report capital gains from all these bitcoins caused a loss to the United States of $16,864,105. He also admitted he owed the maximum penalty available under 26 U.S.C. 6663 of more than $12 million, as well as interest on the taxes and penalties. Mr. Ver is accepting responsibility for his actions and has agreed to pay a substantial penalty, said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California. Every person, whether youre a millionaire or not, is required by law to pay taxes and we will not hesitate to hold anyone accountable. No matter how sophisticated the technology or the asset, IRS-CI will continue to follow the money, ensure compliance, and protect the integrity of our tax system, Kareem Carter, Executive Special Agent in Charge, added. The Cyber Crimes Unit of IRS Criminal Investigations Washington, D.C. Field Office investigated the case. Assistant Chief Matthew J. Kluge and Trial Attorney Peter J. Anthony of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney James. C. Hughes of the Central District of California prosecuted the case. The Michigan Department of Transportation wants to prohibit people from camping, living in their cars and leaving their vehicles for long periods in the states rest areas and carpool lots. (State of Michigan) State of Michigan The Michigan Department of Transportation will hold virtual public hearings on proposed rules that would prohibit people from living in their cars and leaving vehicles in the states rest areas and carpool lots for extended periods. A link to the Wednesday, Oct. 22, public hearing can be found on this page, with two sessions that day starting at noon and 6 p.m. The public can also provide comment on the rules until Nov. 20 by emailing MDOT-PublicComments@Michigan.gov. Feedback from Michiganders may help shape revisions to the proposed rules, which are expected to be in place in 2026. The rules would ban panhandling, camping and staying for more than 48 hours on MDOT property. Currently, MDOT lacks official administrative rules to enforce these prohibitions. However, officials say they can impound a vehicle if it hasnt been moved in three days. MDOT is asking the states departmental rulemaking body to allow these new rules. Once in effect, police agencies would enforce the new rules and violations would be a misdemeanor. The rules would apply to MDOTs 61 highway rest areas, 82 roadside parks, 267 carpool lots, 23 scenic turnouts and 14 welcome centers as well as the agencys other property, including highways, overpasses, culverts and rights-of-way, such as some sidewalks. MDOT spokesperson Jocelyn Garza previously told MLive the proposed rules target complaints the agency has heard from the public but has been unable to address, such as people camping in state rest areas, people living in their cars at state carpool lots and people leaving a vehicle in these lots for days on end. Travelers and truckers would still be able to sleep in their vehicles at a rest area under the rules. However, they would have to leave within 48 hours and wouldnt be able to set up a tent or other camping structure. The rules would apply to those sleeping under an overpass, Garza said, adding that she understands there will be some concerns around forbidding people, usually those without housing, from sleeping in their cars in state lots for multiple days. Its safe to say with any change, youre going to have some people with concerns, Garza said. And I think from an MDOT standpoint, we also have concerns. Nobody wants to see somebody displaced, but we also want to make sure that these facilities are a safe environment for all users, and living in your vehicle is not the safest environment. The new rules, Garza said, would give state officials a better ability to assist those living out of their cars. Panhandling would also be forbidden on all MDOT property. While the rules dont explicitly mention panhandling, they do target and forbid people from requesting donations or money or selling items on MDOT property. The exception to this is charitable organizations, which may seek donations on MDOT property but only with official permission. Demonstrating, protesting, distributing literature and soliciting membership would be prohibited on MDOT property unless officially permitted and not interfering with safety or facility use. Official permission must be given to bring a sign, placard or voice amplification device onto MDOT property. The rules would also target other issues. Dogs would be required to be leashed at all times at rest areas under the rules. The rules would forbid people from dumping wastewater from their campers and RVs at state lots. Those doing vehicle maintenance would be prohibited from disposing of parts like tires or fluids such as oil and fuel at MDOT facilities. Other rules for MDOT properties include no consumption of alcohol, no hunting, fishing, trapping or swimming, no advertising vehicles for sale and no parking or storing campers and motorhomes at carpool parking lots. Garza previously said many of the rules proposed by MDOT mirror those already in place by other state departments. When drafting the rules, MDOT looked at those implemented by other departments in the state and other state departments of transportation. MDOT will review public comments for potential rules revisions before submitting the final draft rules to the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules. That office will then submit the rules to the Legislative Service Bureau for certification. In this Aug. 3, 2007, file photo, psilocybin mushrooms are seen in a grow room at the Procare farm in Hazerswoude, central Netherlands. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File) AP Bipartisan legislation that would relax prison sentences for some illegal drug dealers and manufacturers is moving ahead in the Michigan Senate. The bill package advanced Wednesday, Oct. 15, by a Senate committee would reduce maximum sentences for people who sell or make Schedule 1 and 2 drugs that dont contain heroin or potent opioids fentanyl and carfentanil. These drugs include methamphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms and more. A full list of Schedule 1 drugs can be found at this link, and Schedule 2 drugs at this link. A person convicted of the lowest-level offense involving under 50 grams of these drugs would also be eligible for probation instead of prison time under the bills. Maximum sentences for illegally selling, making or possessing with intent to sell Schedule 1 and 2 drugs that do contain heroin, fentanyl or carfentanil, however, would remain unchanged. Bill sponsor and Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary and Public Safety Committee Chair, state Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, said during a hearing last month that the punitive changes address the seriousness of the fentanyl crisis compared to other less deadly drugs. A proportional sentencing structure is an important way for us to approach our drug crisis, Chang said. We believe that the criminal sentence should be proportionate to the seriousness of the crime, taking into account the offender. These bills set appropriate sentences for the delivery or manufacture of controlled substances, while maintaining judicial discretion to levy an appropriate sentence for each individual case. The current maximum prison sentences for dealing, manufacturing or possessing with intent to sell Schedule 1 or 2 drugs ranges from 20 years to up to life in prison with possibility of parole. The maximum sentences depend on the quantity of the drug and are as follows: Under 50 grams: up to 20 years imprisonment and a $25,000 fine 50-499 grams: up to 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine 450 to 999 grams: up to 30 years imprisonment and a $500,000 fine 1,000 or more grams: up to life imprisonment and a $1 million fine These maximum sentences would remain the same for dealing, manufacturing or possessing with intent to sell Schedule 1 or 2 drugs that contain heroin, fentanyl and carfentanil. For these offenses for all other Schedule 1 and 2 drugs, the penalties would be as follows: Under 50 grams: up to 10 years imprisonment and a $25,000 fine 50-499 grams: up to 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine 450 to 999 grams: up to 20 years imprisonment and a $500,000 fine 1,000 or more grams: up to 30 years imprisonment and a $1 million fine A judge could also choose to give a person probation for non-opioid offenses involving under 50 grams. The response from the Democratic-led Senate to the opioid crisis differs from legislation passed earlier this year by the Republican-led House. In April, the House passed two bills that would establish mandatory minimum prison sentences for people convicted of dealing, manufacturing or possessing with intent to deliver Schedule 1 or 2 drugs that contain heroin, fentanyl and carfentanil. Those mandatory minimums increase based on the quantity of drug involved, beginning at a mandatory five-year minimum for under 50 grams and going up to a mandatory minimum of 30 years in prison for 1,000 or more grams. The Senate has yet to take up these bills. Sen. Jim Runestad, R-White Lake, noted that the Michigan Sheriffs Association opposes the Senate bills but favors the House bills. Runestad said the Legislature would be better off taking up the House bills, adding they have more support from law enforcement. Chang said research from the National Research Council shows that mandatory minimums produce few, if any, deterrent effects. Judges have the knowledge, expertise, and training that should be respected rather than setting mandatory minimums in our laws, Chang said. We know that mandatory minimums simply do not work, and thats something that weve known for decades now. The other bills in the Senate package are sponsored by Sens. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, and Roger Victory, R-Hudsonville. DETROIT The Detroit Red Wings arent going to mess with whats working, so Cam Talbot will make his third consecutive start tonight when the Florida Panthers visit Little Caesars Arena (7 p.m., TNT). Talbot has won back-to-back games against Toronto, stopping 58-of-63 shots, including a 38-save performance in Mondays 3-2 victory. Coach Todd McLellan isnt concerned about overworking the 38-year-old goaltender this early in the season. It sounds like John Gibson, who was pulled late in the second period in the season-opening 5-1 loss to Montreal, will start Friday at home against Tampa Bay. Well, were only seven days into the regular season. Weve played three games. Were coming off a day off, McLellan said. The performance that Talbs had, in my opinion he earned the right to go back in there again. We have a game on Friday. We know that Gibbys got to play and will play and will play a lot and well, but were just making a decision for today. Talbot has a 2.11 goals-against average and .925 save percentage. As a weather system comes closer to Michigan, much of the model data is now looking very similar. There was some back and forth over the past few days, showing the possibility of a weather system approaching Michigan this coming weekend, but with the solid rain area doing a split as it approaches Michigan. Now we have much closer consistency of the newest data from several versions of the two main weather models. Ill show you the timeline and the various rain forecasts, to get us set for a very meaningful rain over Michigans large drought area. The weather story is a piece of weather energy will move across Michigan from the west and another piece of energy will move in from the southwest. Both of these pieces of energy will join right over Michigan Saturday night and turn into a gelled together storm system by Sunday morning. This storm shouldnt contain severe thunderstorms, but lets keep an eye on it. Here is the surface forecast from 8 a.m. Sunday to 8 p.m. Sunday. You get the idea that its going to be our first well-put-together storm system in quite some time. I would say its our first large-scale storm system since spring. The summer storm systems usually have patchy areas of precipitation. Surface weather forecast at 8 a.m. Sunday, October 19 NOAA Surface weather forecast at 2 p.m. Sunday, October 19 NOAA Surface weather forecast at 8 p.m. Sunday, October 19 NOAA The storm center is expected to travel from the southwest corner of Lower Michigan to almost right in the middle of Lower Michigan to Ontario. With this track, the heaviest rain falls northwest of the track of the center of the storm system. Here are the actual rainfall amounts forecasts from several computer models. The U.S. model says the northwest half of Lower Michigan and the eastern U.P. will have the most rain. Anything in yellow is a forecast of at least one inch, up to four inches in the darkest reds near the Mackinac Bridge. The southeast half of Lower Michigan is forecast to receive seven-tenths to one inch of rain. Total rainfall forecast through Monday, October 20 from the U.S. model called the GFS. NOAA But the European Model is usually more accurate than the U.S. model. This time the output from the European Model is in the same configuration, but a little more widespread on the heavier rain. In this forecast we see two inches for the northwest half of Lower Michigan and one to two inches over the southeast half of Lower Michigan. Total rainfall forecast through Monday, October 20 from the European Medium Range Forecast Model in the operational mode. NOAA The most reliable way to look at a long range rain forecast is to use the ensemble mode, which takes 50 tweaks of the European Model in this case and averages those 50 tweaks. The rain forecast below is the ensemble. Ensembles lower the high end of rain. In the forecast below we get 1.5 inches to 2 inches over western Lower Michigan with the rest of Lower Michigan getting around one inch of rain. Total rainfall forecast through Monday, October 20 from the European Medium Range Forecast Model in ensemble mode. NOAA So when we go to the ensemble, we lose the forecast of the highest possible totals. So what does this mean for us here in Lower Michigan? Rain should become more widespread late Saturday night or Sunday morning. Sunday looks rainy. The rain should wind down sometime Sunday night or Monday morning. The southeast half of Lower Michigan should get three-quarters of an inch to one-and-a-half inches of rain. This would include Detroit, Ann Arbor, Jackson, Flint, Saginaw and Bay City. The northwest half of Lower Michigan should have one inch to two-and-a-half inches of rain once the rain is done Monday. This would include Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Cadillac, Traverse City and northwest Lower Michigan. This rain system is still three-and-a-half days from starting, so its not etched in stone just yet. Check back here over the next two days for updates on forecast tweaks. Most of us in Michigan could use two inches of rain, as it is very dry. Diwali School Holidays 2025 in Delhi NCR: Schools and colleges to remain closed for these many days full list inside MC Education Desk Read the latest and trending news on CBSE, board exams, NEET, JEE, CUET, competitive exams, scholarships, college admissions, education policies, and more. Saurav Pandey USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. 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I Accept Samantha Ruth Prabhu gives fans a glimpse of her home ashram, featuring the divine Linga Bhairavi idol Samantha Ruth Prabhu gives fans a glimpse of her home ashram, featuring the divine Linga Bhairavi idol 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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Ways to tell if your lower back pain is a kidney problem (Picture Credit: Pexels) Shreya Garg 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 just didnt have any more idea how to keep living, says Hiteksha Bhagat Bobby John Varkey 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 Namita S Kalla is a senior journalist who writes about different aspects of modern life that include lifestyle, health, fashion, beauty, and entertainment. This World Spine Day 2025, learn expert tips to protect your spine, improve posture, stay active, and prevent chronic back pain in a desk-bound world. 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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 Adrija Chatterjee is an Assistant Editor at Moneycontrol. She has been tracking and reporting on finance and trade ministries for over eight years. Adrija Chatterjee 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 Adrija Chatterjee is an Assistant Editor at Moneycontrol. She has been tracking and reporting on finance and trade ministries for over eight years. The commerce ministry detailed the trade-data figures for September on October 15 Adrija Chatterjee USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. 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I Accept Prosus picks up additional 5.33% stake in ixigo, increases holding to around 15% 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 From L to R: Saurabh Devendra Singh (Group Chief Financial Officer, ixigo), Aloke Bajpai (Chairman, Managing Director, and Group CEO, ixigo) and Rajnish Kumar (Director and Group Co-CEO, ixigo) at the press conference for Le Travenues Technology Limiteds (ixigo) Initial Public Offering (IPO). Tushar Goenka 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 RBL Bank shares rise 4% to reclaim Feb 2020 level as lender set to become Emirates NBD's largest unit outside Dubai RBL Bank shares rise 4% to reclaim Feb 2020 level as lender set to become Emirates NBD's largest unit outside Dubai 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. 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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 The order comes on the heels of a Rs 69,725-crore package approved by the Cabinet in September to strengthen Indias shipbuilding capabilities and help it compete with China, South Korea, and Japan. Each of the six vessels will have a capacity of 1,700 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) and will run on LNG, aligning with CMA CGMs commitment to decarbonising the global shipping industry 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. 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 RBI oversight on cards for EPFO, Post Office Bank as Centre seeks tighter checks after Rs 96-crore fraud: Report Audit reviews of the Department of Posts savings bank operations have revealed 60 instances of misappropriation across 14 postal circles, largely due to manual manipulation of the Sanchay Post database Surabhi Pandey USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. 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I Accept From Marico to mentorship: Harsh Mariwala on succession planning, Indias quick commerce wave and Ascent Foundations ambitions 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 Debangana Ghosh 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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Why RJD may have a big Congress problem in Bihar In the 2020 Bihar Assembly polls, the Congress contested 70 seats but won only 19 seats. 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 Doctor uses anaesthetic drug Propofol to kill wife in Bengaluru: 'His knowledge that should've saved lives, ended hers' Ria Kapoor 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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A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a plea seeking removal of the present mode of execution of death row convicts by hanging from the statute. 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 NASA prepares to bid farewell to the international space station after 25 years in orbit Here's why An artists concept of the International Space Station orbiting Earth. In the distance is the Moon, and a red star representing Mars. (Image Credit: NASA) Sheetal Kumari 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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He was previously with the Economic Times and has tracked the sector for 14 years. 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 Danish Khan 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 News / Education by Stephen Jakes HARARE - Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Torerayi Moyo has welcomed the approval of Starlink connectivity in Zimbabwe, describing it as a transformative breakthrough for the country's education sector.Posting on his X account, Moyo said the initiative will especially benefit rural and underserved schools, helping to bridge the digital divide and expand access to modern learning tools."Indeed, the approval of Starlink marks a transformative moment for our education sector. I am deeply encouraged by the opportunities this creates, especially for our rural and underserved schools," he wrote.He noted that the rollout, supported by POSB and complemented by solar system installations, aligns with President Emmerson Mnangagwa's vision of a modern, inclusive, and digitally empowered Zimbabwe."Access to reliable internet is no longer a luxury - it is a necessity for quality education in the 21st century," Moyo added.The initiative is expected to enhance e-learning, improve teacher-student engagement, and expand access to digital resources across the country. MC Tech Desk Read the latest and trending tech newsstay updated on AI, gadgets, cybersecurity, software updates, smartphones, blockchain, space tech, and the future of innovation. 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 MC Tech Desk Read the latest and trending tech newsstay updated on AI, gadgets, cybersecurity, software updates, smartphones, blockchain, space tech, and the future of innovation. 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 Ankita Chakravarti 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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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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Chaudary) 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. 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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 6 / 8 Explosions in Kabul injure over 100, with more than 80 women and children among the wounded 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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(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. 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I Accept BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's corporate sales revenue has maintained a steady upward trajectory this year, underscoring continued signs of resilience in the wider economy, according to the latest tax data. The State Taxation Administration said on Tuesday that year-on-year growth of quarterly corporate sales revenue had reached 2.1 percent, 3.1 percent and 4.4 percent in the first, second and third quarters of 2025, respectively, marking a consistent recovery in business performance nationwide. Economists believe these figures reflect the effectiveness of the government's counter-cyclical policy measures implemented since September last year. "The data confirmed that corporate profitability gradually improved, consumer vitality continued to expand, and the overall economy moved on a stable and positive path," said Chen Binkai, vice president of the Central University of Finance and Economics. Tuesday's data also revealed that the country's tax revenue, before export rebate deductions, has posted positive growth for eight consecutive months since February, with cumulative gains steadily widening. In the second and third quarters, tax revenues rose 2.6 percent and 6.9 percent year on year, respectively. The administration highlighted the strong tax collection achieved in the third quarter of 2025, particularly in September, and attributed this robust growth to improving economic conditions, a narrowing decline in producer prices, and a relatively low base in the same period last year. The manufacturing sector continued to play a pivotal role, accounting for 31 percent of total tax revenue and contributing 48 percent of the overall increase. In particular, high-end manufacturing grew at a faster pace, signaling progress in industrial upgrading. Among major tax categories, domestic value-added tax revenue rose 3.2 percent year on year, while corporate income tax revenue increased by 4.1 percent, suggesting improved business performances. Indian-origin US expert Ashley Tellis arrested for alleged China links, possession of secret documents; what we know so far Manish Rao is a seasoned journalist who has extensively covered global affairs, geopolitical developments, American politics, and all other things making news around the world. 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 Islamabads worst nightmare unfolds: How TTP is fighting to transform Pakistan into Taliban-style Islamic state 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 Armaan Bhatnagar is a news editor with nearly 14 years of experience in digital media across leading organisations including The Times of India, Microsoft, and Network18. Over the years, Armaan has reported extensively on Indian politics, global affairs, economy, and business. He has led coverage of landmark events ranging from three Lok Sabha elections and multiple state polls to historic Supreme Court judgments. He has closely followed geopolitical developments across US and Pakistan, the Middle East, as well as South Asia. He has also helped build innovative newsroom products, including COVID dashboards, election trackers, economy meters, and a range of data-driven properties. Armaan Bhatnagar 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 Israel says one body returned by Hamas not among former hostages Israel says Hamas handed over body that's not former hostage 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 Pakistan-Afghanistan on the brink again: Dozens killed in fresh clashes, Islamabad dials Qatar, Saudi | Top updates 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 Over the weekend, Afghan Taliban forces reportedly launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistani border posts, killing 23 troops, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). 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. 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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 Smoke billows from an Afghan site in Chaman on October 15. 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. 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I Accept PM Modi condoles passing of Former Kenyan PM Raila Odinga, who died in Kerala 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 Power shifts from palace to barracks: Why CAPSAT is now Madagascars most powerful force Manish Rao is a seasoned journalist who has extensively covered global affairs, geopolitical developments, American politics, and all other things making news around the world. Members of Madagascar's Army CAPSAT unit monitor the streets from armoured vehicles as they head to the Presidential Palace in Antananarivo, October 14, 2025. (Photo by Luis TATO / 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 'Repudiation of Geneva deal': US warns it is 'prepared to take strong actions' over China's rare earth export curbs Rewati Karan is Senior Sub Editor at Moneycontrol. She covers law, politics, business, and national affairs. She was previously Principal Correspondent at Financial Express and Copyeditor at ThePrint where she wrote feature stories and covered legal news. She has also worked extensively in social media, videos and podcasts at ThePrint and India Today. She can be reached at rewati.karan@nw18.com | Twitter: @RewatiKaran The move has triggered alarm in Washington, where Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States is coordinating a global response (Image: X/@USTradeRep) 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. 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 Trade war whiplash: How US-China tariffs are ricocheting through the global economy 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 Trumps Gaza win: What it changes and what it doesnt 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 Veteran Pakistan journalist slams media blackout of TLP stir, says people relying on Indian TV channels for info Armaan Bhatnagar 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 'Whenever Trump wants his shoes...': Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif trolled by netizens for flattering Trump 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 Who is Ashley Tellis? India-born US advisor arrested over China link, retaining classified records Manish Rao is a seasoned journalist who has extensively covered global affairs, geopolitical developments, American politics, and all other things making news around the world. 64-year-old Tellis of Vienna was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with the unlawful retention of national defence information Smriti Mishra 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 News & views related to the war in Palestine The Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) is being sold as an infrastructure project which will include rail lines, pipelines, and fibre-optic lines. The US now has exclusive development rights to the corridor cutting across southern Armenia along its border with Iran for 99 years. Progress is slow to non-existent so far, however, as a construction timetable for any of the above infrastructure has yet to be ironed out. Some might argue that TRIPP is part of Team Trumps desire to take on China in the logistics wars. It could be seen as a peaceful and legitimate competitor toChinese initiatives. But who among the Trump administration (or Bidens before) and in the State Department is really interested in thator believes the US is actually still capable of competing on infrastructure building? Given the US track record is it not more likely that Washington willintentionally or notturn the region from a simmer into a raging inferno? How could it happen? There are plenty of possibilities, including: Any one of the players overplaying their hands. Destabilization of Armenia. The need for Armenia to alter its constitution in order to complete peace with Azerbaijan is already tearing the country apart. Traffic between Russia and Iran through Armenia could be inconvenienced leading to them taking retaliatory measures that quickly escalate. Put simply, the US involvement is akin to throwing a match in a bale of dry hay. Following the signing of the TRIPP agreement, we said it was less of an infrastructure and economic deal than a fly in the soup of Russia and China, as well as a wider effort to set events in motion against Iran. The Caucasus is but one facet of the pressure campaign against Tehran, which also includes economic sanctions, the ongoing violence against its allies in the Levant, and in the Persian Gulf. Breaking Iran has reportedly deployed a significant number of anti-ship missiles on the Persian Gulf islands of Abu Musa, Lesser Tunb, and Greater Tunb. These islands long disputed with the UAE sit astride one of the worlds busiest maritime https://t.co/yo86PwZyJb is a pic.twitter.com/Z1kniqNYPh Shafiq Khattak (@ShafiqKahttak) October 8, 2025 As plans progress elsewhere, what is taking shape in the Caucasus? Armenia on the Primrose Path Protests outside Russias military base in Gyumri, Armenia, which houses approximately 4,000 troops are now occurring, and could be another spark should the government request their exit. This is partially the result of Yerevans effort to lay all the blame for the countrys losses to Azerbaijan at the feet of Moscow. While it is not true, it provides an easy scapegoat, and is a narrative supported by the West. Despite that effort and the usual presence of Western NGOs and their largesse in the country, public opinion on Russia remains mostly favorable, which has likely prevented the government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyanwhich is far less popular from torpedoing relations even faster than he has. While Pashinyan might be methodical with his sledgehammer, the damage is being done. And his actions reveals the contradictions in the governments plan, as well as the whole TRIPP exercise. One of the governments latest inflammatory moves was the arrest of billionaire Russian-Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetian. Branded a Putin oligarch by the US Treasury Department, he owns the Tashir Group, which controls the Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA). The government effectively took over ENA following the arrest. What happened next? Moodys quickly downgraded the utilitys credit rating, signaling an immediate loss of investor confidence directly linked to the governments politically motivated actions. Pashinyans government is selling the distant prospect of EU integration while framing any naysayers as pro-Russian agents. Back in February, the Armenian government approved a bill on starting the accession process to the EU, which should they follow through, will ultimately mean crashing out of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), which is Armenias lifeline. This will prove an unmitigated disaster for Armeniaand thats if its only isolated to the economy and doesnt go hand in hand with more conflict in the region. According to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, should Armenia leave the EEU, exports of Armenian goods will shrink by 70-80 per cent while energy and food prices skyrocket. As Fitch Ratings notes, Armenias economy relies significantly on Russia for both trade and energy. For example, Armenia currently pays Russia $165 per thousand cubic meters of gas, well below the market price in Europe, and Russia is Armenias number one trading partner. How can anyone in their right mind look at the path of Ukraine, Moldova, and in the past, Georgia, and decide that is a wise course for the country? The search is on to find such other incentives that have led the government to chart this course. There is smoke around Pashinyan with reports that British gambling money is being funneled to Armenia and to the prime minister and his friends as an added incentive to sway them in a geopolitical direction. There are allegations that funds from the French Development Agency (AFD) and the Coordination Council of Armenian Organisations of France (CCAF) are being used for politicians personal benefit, including Pashinyans purchase of a three million euro villa near Marseille. The actions of the Pashinyan government would make far more sense in this case, although not any more reassuring for his countrymen. Azeri Assets? Is a similar scenario playing out in Azerbaijan? That looked to be paying massive dividends with Azeri-Russian ties fraying over the past 10 months, but President Putin met with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev during the recent Commonwealth of Independent States leaders summit and apologized for last Decembers Azerbaijan Airlines tragedy. His change of tone comes as the US just cant help itself from threatening more sanctions: PEACE Act, recently introduced in the US House of Representatives, is said to aim at strengthening peace in the South Caucasus, including through sanctions should Azerbaijan launch new military action against Armenia. Baku, expectedly, sees it differently.https://t.co/MU1dJKO08A JAMnews (@JAMnewsCaucasus) October 9, 2025 According to Putin, Russias investigation shows that air defense missiles exploded in proximity to the aircraft while responding to Ukrainian drone attacks. He also promised to pay compensation to the victims families. This appears to have satisfied Aliyev, and were now possibly looking at a Russian-Azeri rapprochement. Quite the deal for Baku, which threw Russia overboard on TRIPP, if it is now welcomed back with open arms. We shall see. There are quite a few hurdles to overcome, and even if Aliyev makes nice with Moscow, theres still the Iran issue. Azerbaijans two closest international partners are Turkey and Israel, which as we detailed on Monday, remain united for now despite appearances to the contrary on the surface. At the same time Azerbaijans economy depends on its oil and gas, which could be left in tatters should it be sucked into any conflict in the region. Would Aliyev risk that in order to play a larger role (Mossad is already believed to use Azerbaijan as an operating base) in any future conflict with Iran? Two points that could point to yes. For one, its an all-hands-on-deck moment across the West, which means all forms of bribery and pressure are coming to bear on useful states like Azerbaijan. Secondly, its instructive to look at Azerbaijans recent history and major players in that oil and gas industry. While Russia is a player in the Azerbaijani fossil fuel sector, its not as big as BP, the countrys biggest foreign investor, a fact that gives it plenty of influence in Baku. When Azerbaijan emerged as an independent state from the USSR, BP backed Heydar Aliyev, who was installed as president after a 1993 coup. According to James Marriott, co-author of The Oil Road (2012), an account of the companys dealings in Azerbaijan, The important point is how BP helped form a state that would assist in meeting the companys needs. Heydar ruled until his death in 2003 when his son, Ilham, then took power. He still runs the show in Azerbaijan, but also has a foot planted in the UK. From Peter Geoghegan writing at the London Review of Books: The Pandora Papers leak of offshore documents in 2021 revealed that Aliyevs children, father-in-law and associates controlled a London property empire worth nearly $700 million through a network of shell companies. Among the holdings were three Knightsbridge apartments and four commercial buildings in Mayfair owned by Aliyevs son, Heydar Jr, who is expected eventually to succeed his father as president. Between 2012 and 2014, the Azerbaijani regime allegedly funnelled 2.2 billion through UK-registered companies to launder money and pay bribes. Beneficiaries included members of the Council of Europes parliamentary assembly. The now defunct European Azerbaijan Society was the second highest-spending foreign lobby group in the House of Commons between 2010 and 2017, taking dozens of MPs on all-expenses-paid trips to Baku. Meanwhile, Azerbaijans relations with its two large neighborsRussia to the north and Iran to the southarent looking so hot. Baku recently demolished dozens of Soviet monuments in Nagorno Karabakh, a move not uncommon in former USSR states these days but one usually accompanied by tenser ties with Moscow and a desire to rewrite history. Indeed, in this case the destruction of the monuments is symbolic of the relationship between Azerbaijan and Russia these days. As is the wreckage of Azerbaijani oil and gas infrastructure in Ukraine: #Russia targeted SOCAR infrastructure in Odessa. Previously, Baku warned that if Russia kept attacking #Azerbaijan|i energy facilities in #Ukraine, it might reconsider the arms embargo on Kiev. However, Russia responded with another heavy attack, sending a clear message to Baku! pic.twitter.com/ca41de9reC IWN (@A7_Mirza) August 18, 2025 There are also reports emerging that Azerbaijan is running arms to Ukraine through Africa and that Azeri MiG-29 fighter jets are turning up in Ukraine. Neither will make any difference in the conflict there, but well have to see if such actions continue after the recent Putin-Aliyev meeting. Lest we forget, the two countries enjoyed a strong relationship not even a year ago. And Azerbaijans President Aliyev looked like a wise statesman for how he was playing all sides as the geopolitical chessboard was being overturned. Azerbaijan plays a central logistical role in Eurasian integration projects like the International North-South Transport Corridor from India to Russia and the Middle Corridor from China to Europe. Baku took advantage of the EU gas misadventures by securing lucrative deals to send Azeri gas to the bloc while simultaneously courting Russian involvement in the countrys oil and gas sectorand even importing more Russian gas itself in order to meet domestic demand and its obligations to Europe. It took advantage of its increased leverage with Europe and the US by taking Nagorno-Karabakh (a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but populated by Armenians). Baku also managed its oftentimes rocky relationship with Iran despite its oil-for-weapons embrace with Israel. Those latter ties, along with assistance from Turkey, helped Azerbaijan enjoy an overwhelming military advantage against Armenia in recent years. Aliyev now looks more like an MI6-Mossad asset who has been activated. Beginning with the downing of Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 (blamed entirely on Russia by Azerbaijan and the West but likely caused by a NATO-Ukraine drone swarm launched against Russian civilian infrastructure at the time the plane was hit) Baku and Moscow have either been hit with a series of escalating unfortunate events or a calculated campaign to poison the well. If we take another step back, it appears as though the leaders of both Armenia and Azerbaijan, while playing the part of mortal enemies, have been working in tandem to push Russia out and bring in the US-EU. It was Russia that forced peace on Armenia and Azerbaijan in the 2020 war, sent in peacekeepers, and was party to the trilateral statement that called for a link between Azerbaijan and its Nakhichevan exclave. The agreement also explicitly stated that control over transport communication shall be exercised by the Border Guard Service bodies of the FSS of Russia. It was not to be. Why? Murmurs in Armenia that its loss to Azerbaijan in the 2020 war was the result of Russia not adequately coming to the countrys aid became a roar following Azerbaijans taking of Nagorno-Karabakh last year. What that common narrative omits, however, is that it was Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan who gave Azerbaijan the keys to the territory. After Pashinyan insisted talks exclude Russia and instead involve the West, Armenia agreed to officially recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, and Pashinyan came right out and declared so publicly. Baku then moved to take the territory by force without the Pashinyan government offering even token resistance. Meanwhile, they shout it is all the fault of the Russians. Consequently, they argue Armenia must move closer to the EU and US because Moscow is unreliable. Yerevan gets what it wants, as does Baku. Still, it looked as though Azerbaijan was going to honor the 2020 peace deal that called for Russian involvement in what was once referred to in Baku as the Zangezur Corridor. Yet, that too changed with the downing of the Azeri plane on Christmas day. As Baku-Moscow ties deteriorated, Armenia gave Azerbaijan more of what it wanted, and TRIPP was born. Its difficult to see it leading to the peace and prosperity in its name. For one, Baku certainly seems likely to be involved in the next conflict with Iran as Azerbaijan operates as a not-so-clandestine forward operating base for Israel: According to Adib, Israeli jets launched from Azerbaijan, skirted Syrian and Iraqi airspace unchallenged, and covered nearly 1,800 kilometers with the aid of five refueling aircraft. He tied earlier Israeli covert missions against Iran, including the planned hit on former Hamas Thomas Keith (@iwasnevrhere_) September 18, 2025 Iranian officials continue to insist that Israeli drones launched from Azerbaijan during the 12-Day War (Azerbaijan denies this). China in the Caucasus Heres ThinkChina on how TRIPP affects Beijing: The new route neatly plugs into the Middle Corridor (the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, TITR): freight runs from China through Kazakhstan to the Caspian, is ferried to Azerbaijan, traverses the South Caucasus (BakuTbilisiKars rail) to Turkey, and onward to Europe. The Middle Corridor has been the fastest-growing overland alternative to the northern route via Russia and to longer maritime legs. Its pronounced growth is impressive: container flows have risen severalfold since 2022 and container volumes on the route reached tens of thousands of TEUs in 2024, with total tonnage in the low millions; multilateral forecasts from the World Bank and OECD say freight could at least triple by 2030 with infrastructure investment. Those projections, however, assume improved transshipment efficiency and regulatory coordination. If the corridor operates on purely commercial, non-discriminatory terms, Chinese logistics and industrial firms stand to gain. But if the route becomes securitised or if Washington leverages its control for geopolitical influence, Beijing faces two difficult choices: either accept higher operational costs or navigate a complex balancing act by engaging commercially with corridor operators while deepening political ties with alternative regional players such as Russia, Turkey or Georgia. Anyone with any cursory knowledge of US foreign policy knowsbarring some unexpected sea changewhich of those two paths TRIPP is going to take. Speaking of two paths, as the following map shows, the Middle Corridor from China currently has two routes (TRIPP offers a potential third) once crossing the Caspian and reaching Azerbaijan. Both go through Georgia with one reaching the Black Sea and onto European ports from there while other continues by land through Turkey. And what do you know, there was just recently an attempt to overthrow the government in Georgia. Hired Guns in Georgia If the US-led West has its hooks in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, Georgia is still holding out while the EU and US keeps throwing its cavalry at the fortified lines. Following local elections in Georgia, European officials and ambassadors led by perpetually lost EU foreign affairs commissioner Kaja Kallas attempted to discredit the elections and fan the flames of protests. According to Geogian security services, there was also a plot to overthrow the government. From Top War: Georgian security forces managed to seize weapons and explosives intended for sabotage during protests in Tbilisi on October 4. According to First Deputy Head of the Security Service Lasha Maghradze, the weapons, ammunition, and explosives were seized in large quantities, and traced back to Ukraine. According to the State Security Service, the weapons were planned to be used to seize the presidential palace and overthrow the current government. If the allegations are true, US-backed Ukraine just tried to overthrow the democratically elected government of Georgia. Again. Weve had a few years of these stories now. Last year, Tbilisi began to crack down on returning members of the Georgian Legion a group of anti-Russian mercenaries fighting in Ukraine who it says are plotting attempts to overthrow the government in Tbilisi. And before this most recent example, the Georgian state security services recently arrested two Ukrainian citizens on charges of illegally acquiring, storing, and transporting explosives. At some point there will likely be fireworks. And it offers another reminder that Ukraine, aside from the failed attempt to deliver a strategic defeat against Russia, acts as a terrorism clearinghouse for US. Already helping US-aligned takfiri destabilization forces in Syria, Africa, and elsewhere, there are increasing signs of it popping up in Georgia. The EU continues to threaten Georgia with the loss of visa-free travel. The government in Georgia continues to say, go ahead, we choose sovereignty over such privileges. Meanwhile China has a Free Trade Agreement and Visa Free Regime with Georgia and is one of its top trade partners. Beijing is building ports, highways, and railways, and the West is once again caught in one of its self-fulfilling prophecies. The more it leans on with-us-or-against-us logic, the more it sanctions and cuts foreign investment, and therefore the more countries like Georgia turns to China. That lessens the Wests leverage and makes it more dependent onand overconfident inviolent regime change operations. Yves here. Juan Cole contends that Israel, operating as a US airbase with a country appended, is the vehicle for the two nations practicing aerial imperialism in the Middle East. But I wonder if this particular embodiment is approaching its sell-by date faster than most realize. Israel, like the US, is unduly fond of using manned aircraft for power projection. It also enjoyed a veneer of technological superiority which as proven to be uneven when tested. I recall one of the YouTubers, I think Larry Wilkerson, saying that Israel was believed to have the most effective air defense system in the world and being very much surprised when Iran demonstrated conclusively that it could penetrate it and deliver precision strikes. Of course, Israel and the US have been operating in a theater where their opposition has mainly been in sandals with AK-47s and shoulder-mounted rocket launchers. Hence the embarrassment of taking blows from the Houthis with a stock of merely-pretty-good missiles, mountainous terrain in which to bunker themselves, and adept use of decoys to bleed off some of the Wests strikes. Admittedly, and this may be an old-fashioned view, securing territory requires boots on the ground or local governments/stooges acting in that capacity. But air campaigns are more than sufficient to create failed states. But how is that a good idea, particularly if that failed state is in your neighborhood? The much-bemoaned and politically destabilizing if economically-convenient-for-many immigrant influx into the US is due to a significant degree to our regime change efforts in Central America. By Juan Cole. Originally published at TomDispatch Donald Trumps and Benjamin Netanyahus nomination of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, his hands already crimson with the blood of innocent Iraqis, to run post-war Gaza, brings to mind a distant era when London sent its politicians out to be viceroys in its global colonial domains. Consider Blairs proposed appointment, made (of course!) without consulting any Palestinians, a clear signal that the Middle East has entered a second era of Western imperialism. Other than Palestine, which has already been subjected to classic settler colonialism, our current neo-imperial moment is characterized by the American use of Israel as its base in the Middle East and by the employment of air power to subdue any challengers. Swarming The odd assortment of grifters, oil men, financiers, mercenaries, White nationalists, and Christian and Jewish Zionists now presiding in Washington, led by that great orange-hued hotelier-in-chief, has (with the help of Germany, Great Britain, and France) built up Israel into a huge airbase with a small country attached to it. From that airbase, a constant stream of missiles, rockets, drones, and fighter jets routinely swarm out to hit regional neighbors. Gaza was pounded into rubble almost hourly for the last two years, only the first month of which could plausibly have been justified as self-defense in the wake of the horrific Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Even the Palestinian West Bank, already under Israeli military rule, has been struck repeatedly from above. Lebanon has been subject to numerous bombings despite a supposed ceasefire, as has Syria (no matter that its leader claims he wants good relations with his neighbor). Yemen, which has indeed fired missiles at Israel to protest the genocide in Gaza, has now been hit endlessly by the Israelis, who also struck Iranian nuclear enrichment sites and other targets last June. Some of the Israeli bombing raids or missile and drone strikes were indeed tit-for-tat replies to attacks by that countrys enemies. Others were only made necessary because of Israeli provocations, including its seemingly never-ending atrocities in Gaza, to which regional actors have felt compelled to reply. Many Israeli strikes, however, have had little, if anything, to do with self-defense, often being aimed at civilian targets or at places like Syria that pose no immediate threat. On September 9th, Israel even bombed Qatar, the country its leaders had asked to help negotiate with Hamas for the return of Israeli hostages taken on October 7th. In short, what were now seeing is Israels version of air-power colonialism. Typically, its fighter jets bombed the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on August 28th, assassinating northern Yemens prime minister, Ahmed al-Rahwi, along with several senior members of the regions Houthi government and numerous journalists. (Israeli officials had previously boasted that they could have killed the top leadership of Iran in their 12-day war on that country in June.) In reality, Tel Aviv is now shaping governments of the Middle East simply by wiping their officials off the face of the earth or credibly threatening to do so. Israel has also had an eerie hand in shaping outside perceptions of developments in the region by regularly assassinating journalists, not only in Palestine but also in Lebanon and as far abroad as Yemen. However, by failing to come close to subduing the region entirely, what Tel Aviv has created is a negative version of hegemony rather than grasping any kind of positive leadership role. Negative Imperialism The massive June bombardment of Iran by Israel and the United States, destroying civilian nuclear enrichment facilities at Natanz and Fordow, came amid ongoing diplomatic negotiations in Oman. As a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran has the right to enrich uranium for civilian uses and no credible evidence was presented that Tehran had decided to militarize its program. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) condemned both sets of strikes as severe violations of the U.N. charter and of its own statutes. They also posed public health concerns, mainly because of the release of potentially toxic chemicals and radiological contaminants. Those attacks, in short, were aimed at denying Iran the sort of economic and scientific enterprises that are a routine part of life in Israel and the United States, as well as Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Several of those countries (like Israel) do, of course, also have nuclear weapons, while Iran does not. In the end, Tehran saw no benefit in the 2015 nuclear deal its leaders had agreed to that required it to mothball 80% of its civilian nuclear enrichment program. Indeed, President Trump functionally punished the Iranian leadership for complying with it when he imposed maximum-pressure sanctions in May 2018 sanctions largely maintained by the Biden administration and in place to this day. Those dangerous and illegal air strikes on Iran should bring to mind nineteenth-century British and Russian resistance to the building of a railroad by Irans Qajar dynasty, a form of what Ive come to think of as negative imperialism. In other words, contrary to classic theories of imperialism that focused on the domination of markets and the extraction of resources, some imperial strategies have always been aimed at preventing the operation of markets in order to keep a victim nation weak. After all, Iran has few navigable waterways and its economy has long suffered from transportation difficulties. The obvious solution once upon a time was to build a railroad, something both the British and the Russians came to oppose out of a desire to keep that country a weak buffer zone between their empires. Iran didnt, in fact, get such a railroad until 1938. In a similar fashion, twenty-first-century imperialism-from-the-air is denying it the ability to produce fuel for its nuclear power plant at Bushehr. The United States, Europe, and Israel are treating Iran differently from so many other countries in this regard because of its governments rejection of a Western-imposed imperial order in the region. Popular movements and revolts brought the long decades of British and French colonial dominance of the Middle East to an end after World War II. The demise of colonialism and the rise of independent nation-states was, however, never truly accepted by right-wing politicians in either Europe or the United States who had no interest in confronting the horrors of the colonial age. Instead, they preferred to ignore history, including the slave trade, economic looting, the displacement or massacre of indigenous populations, the mismanagement of famines, and forms of racist apartheid. Worse yet, the desire for a sanitized history of the colonial era was often coupled with a determination to run the entire deadly experiment all over again. The framers of the ill-omened Global War on Terrors nightmares in Afghanistan and Iraq during the administration of President George W. Bush would openly celebrate what was functionally the return of Western colonialism. They attempted to use Americas moment as a hyperpower (unconstrained by great power competition after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991) to attempt to recolonize the Greater Middle East. Predictably, they failed miserably. Unlike their nineteenth-century ancestors, people in the global south are now largely urban and literate, connected by newspapers and the internet, organized by political parties and nongovernmental outfits, and in possession of capital, resources, and sophisticated weaponry. Direct colonization could now only be achieved through truly genocidal acts, as Israeli actions in Gaza suggest and, even then, would be unlikely to succeed. We Destroyed the Villages by Air Patrols No wonder imperial powers have once again turned to indirect dominance through aerial bombardment. The use of air power to try to subdue or at least curb Middle Easterners is, in fact, more than a century old. That tactic was inaugurated by the government of Italian Prime Minister Giovanni Giolitti during his countrys invasion and occupation of Ottoman Libya in 1911. Aerial surveillance pilot Lieutenant Giulio Gavotti fitted detonators to two-pound grenades, dropping them on enemy camps. Though he caused no injuries, his act, then seen as sneaky and ungentlemanly, provoked outrage. The ruthless British subjugation of Palestine, aimed at this should sound eerily familiar today displacing the indigenous population and establishing a European Jewish Ulster there to bolster British rule in the Middle East, also deployed air power. As Irish parliamentarian Chris Hazzard observed, Herbert Samuel, hated in Ireland for sanctioning Roger Casements execution and the internment of thousands following the Easter Rising in 1916 would, as Britains first High Commissioner in Palestine, order the indiscriminate aerial bombardment of Palestinian protestors in 1921 (the first bombs dropped from the sky on Palestinian civilians). The most extensive use of aerial bombardment for imperial control, however, would be pursued by the British in Mesopotamia, which they derogatorily called Mespot. The fragile British occupation of what is now Iraq from 1917 to 1932 ended long before imperialists like then-Secretary of State for War, Air, and the Colonies Winston Churchill thought it should, largely because the armed local population mounted a vigorous resistance to it. A war-weary British public proved unwilling to bear the costs of a large occupation army there in the 1920s, so Churchill decided to use the Royal Air Force to keep control. Arthur Bomber Harris, a settler in colonial Rhodesia, who joined the British Air Force during the first World War, was then sent to Iraq. As he wrote, We were equipped with Vickers Venon and subsequently Victoria aircraft By sawing a sighting hole in the nose of our troop carriers and making our own bomb racks we converted them into what were nearly the first post-war long-range heavy bombers. He did not attempt to gild the lily about his tactics: [I]f the rebellion continued, we destroyed the villages and by air patrols kept the insurgents away from their homes for as long as necessary. That, as he explained, was far less expensive than using troops and, of course, produced no high infantry casualty counts of the sort that had scarred Europes conscience during World War I. Colonial officials obscured the fact that such measures were being taken against a civilian population in peacetime, rather than enemy soldiers during a war. In short, the denial that there are any civilians in Palestine, or in the Middle East more generally, has a long colonial heritage. It should be noted, however, that, in the end, Great Britains aerial dominance of Iraq failed, and it finally had to grant that country what at least passed for independence in 1932. In 1958, an enraged public would finally violently overthrow the government the British had installed there, after which Iraq became a nationalist challenger to Western dominance in the region for decades to come. Of course, Harriss air power strategy, whetted in Mesopotamia, came to haunt Europe itself during the Second World War, when he emerged as commander-in-chief of Bomber Command and rose to the rank of air chief marshal. He would then pioneer the tactic of massively bombarding civilian cities, beginning with the thousand bomber raid on Cologne in May 1942. His total war air campaign would, of course, culminate in the notorious 1945 firebombing of Dresden, which devastated eight square miles of the Florence of Germany, wiping out at least 25,000 victims, most of them noncombatants. Terror from the Skies In the end, the way Bomber Harriss deadly skies came home to Europe should be an object lesson to our own neo-imperialists. At this very moment, in fact, Europe faces menacing drones no less than does the Middle East. Moreover, unlike genuine international leadership, the Frankenstein monster of negative hegemony in the Middle East stirs only opposition and resistance. Despite Israels technological superiority, it has hardly achieved invulnerability. Poverty-stricken and war-ridden Yemen has, for instance, managed to all but close the vital Red Sea to international shipping to protest the genocide in Gaza and has hit Israel with hypersonic missiles, closing the port of Eilat. Nor, during their 12-day war, did Iran prove entirely helpless either. It took out Israels major oil refinery and struck key military and research facilities. Instead of shaking the Iranian government, Israel appears to have pushed Iranians to rally around the flag. Nor is it even clear that Irans stockpile of highly enriched uranium was affected. Most damning of all, Israels ability to inflict atrocities on the Palestinians of Gaza (often with U.S.-supplied weaponry) has produced widespread revulsion. It is now increasingly isolated, its prime minister unable even to fly over France and Spain due to a fear of an International Criminal Court warrant for his arrest. The publics of the Middle East are boiling with anger, as are many Europeans. In early October, Italys major labor unions called a general strike, essentially closing the country down to protest Israels interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a group of ships attempting to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza. As with Bomber Harriss ill-starred domination of Iraq, terror from the skies in Gaza and beyond is all too likely to fail as a long-term Grand Strategy. Copyright 2025 Juan Cole Yves here. While Andrew Korybkos gives a useful high-level recap of what Trump was attempting to do to weaken Chinas ties with Russia and India, readers are likely to quibble with some of his characterizations. Korybko is sometimes not as precise in his use of language as is ideal. I would not depict Russia as pivoting to China. Chinas economic support from the start of the Special Military Operation was absolutely essential to Russia, both in and of itself, and in emboldening other states to defy US pressure and continue to trade with Russia. And let us not forget that China and Russia had signed a very broad ranging 5,000 word partnership agreement in early February 2022, as in before the conflict began. Having said that, it really is remarkable how Trump and his team are utterly convinced that the only strategy in their playbook, extreme dominance, is effective when it keeps backfiring. But then again, the peanut gallery is mistakenly assuming that the objective is to advance American interests, as opposed to orchestrate a show of God Emperor Trump astride the world like a colossus. By Andrew Korybko, a Moscow-based American political analyst who specializes in the global systemic transition to multipolarity in the New Cold War. He has a PhD from MGIMO, which is under the umbrella of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Originally published at his website The global systemic transition to multipolarity is nowadays proceeding along a different trajectory than before due to recent shifts in the international system. Up until this point, Trump 2.0 sought resource and military partnerships with Russia and India respectively that could decelerate Chinas superpower rise, which would then make it the junior partner in any G2/Chimerica deal. His Eurasian balancing act has failed, however, due to his arrogant and aggressive approach towards all three countries. Ties with Russia took a hit after the Anchorage Summit following increasinglyconcerning reports about US plans to support NATO troops in Ukraine, thus spooking Putin into abandoning his countrys own Eurasian balancing act by pivoting to China. This took the form of the legally binding deal that was just clinched for constructing the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline. The US envisaged resource-centric partnership with Russia, which aimed to entice concessions on Ukraine, is now much less likely. As for India, ties worsened during its springtime clashes with Pakistan, which saw Trump favor Pakistan and even lie about India agreeing to an alleged US-mediated ceasefire. The US then hypocritically imposed punitive tariffs on India over its continued trade with Russia despite eschewing such for China and others. All the while, Trump viciously insulted India too. Concluding that hes hellbent on derailing its rise as a Great Power, India swiftly patched up its problems with China and distanced itself from the US. With Russia pivoting to China via Power of Siberia 2 amidst the Sino-Indo rapprochement, the resource and military means for decelerating Chinas superpower rise through partnerships with them were neutralized, thus leading to any G2/Chimerica deal now being in Chinas favor instead. President Xi Jinping accordingly espoused stronger rhetoric about reshaping the world order during his speeches at the SCO Summit and V-J Day, which prompted Trump to accuse him of conspiring against the US. The interim Sino-US trade deal is now in jeopardy after he just threatened the imposition of 100% tariffs on China by 1 November or earlier depending on when China imposes its export controls on rare earth minerals. Coupled with his dramatic accusation that Xi is conspiring against the US in collusion with Putin and Kim Jong Un, this could presage future military-strategic tensions, even if only indirectly via proxy. That would further destabilize Eurasia per the US traditional divide-and-rule stratagem. In clockwise order, these could take the form of: fomenting Color Revolution unrest in Mongolia in order to undermine Power of Siberia 2; Japan, Taiwan, and/or the Philippines provoking an incident with China at sea in contested waters; obstructing Chinas access to rare earth minerals in Myanmars Kachin State; and/or sowing instability in Central Asia via NATO member Turkiye through the new TRIPP Corridor. Chinas response to these scenarios could be to arm Russia and even send troops to help it in Ukraine. Xi saw how Trump mistreated his friend Modi despite him leading a state that could have joined the US anti-Chinese axis, while also watching how hes betraying Putin in Ukraine after Anchorage, so he expects similar treatment if he agrees to a G2/ Chimerica deal. He also knows that China now has a target on its back after the latest tariffs and Trump accusing him of a conspiracy. Its therefore little wonder that Trump 2.0s Eurasian balancing act, which was characterized by arrogance and aggression, has failed. A dominant Trump trio stood out in the news this week: Russell Vought who is gutting the federal bureaucracy; Stephen Miller whos been ramping up rhetoric and putting jackboots in the streets; and Eric Trump who seems to be point man in tasty Indonesian opportunities, plus there has been a caper at the DHS thats worth a mention. Before I focus on our characters, lets put things in political context with this dire warning from Seymour Hersh: Whats happening now may be a trial run for the use of those forces to interfere on the behalf of the president and the Republican Party in states where the Democratic Party has a chance to win crucial seats in next falls Congressional elections. Ive been told by someone with inside knowledge that planning for such action is now under way in the White House. Ive previously attempted to parse the Trump 2.0 combination of bad intentions, competent elements, sheer corruption, and amazing ineptitude here and here. Theres been plenty of buffoonery this week but too many serious doings to focus on more than a minimum of oafishness. The first member of the Trump Trio Hersh mentions in the piece, albeit without explicitly crediting him with the scheme cited above, is Russell Vought. As the Trump administration wrests control of the federal administration, Russell Vought seems to be the man at the wheel. The Washington Post gets into the deets today: The White House was aggressively encroaching on Congresss power of the purse even before it began using the ongoing government shutdown as justification for rolling back billions more in spending. Democratic, and many Republican, appropriators are angry at Trumps White House for unilaterally canceling contracts, abruptly freezing billions of dollars in congressionally sanctioned funding and trying out a pocket rescission technique to permanently withhold $5 billion in foreign aid without congressional input. It is an absolute threat to Congresss power of the purse, said Robert Shea, a Republican who served in senior political roles at the White House budget office. I come from a time when the administration feared the repercussions of crossing the appropriators. That time has passed. The Trump administration led by budget chief Russell Vought is intentionally pushing the boundaries of executive authority on government spending. Vought wants the Supreme Court to hear challenges to the 1974 Impoundment Control Act, which puts strict limits on the ability of the executive branch to withhold money that has been approved by Congress. Vought has said he believes that law is unconstitutional. If Congress lays down its arms on its most fundamental authority, I dont know what leg theyre going to have to stand on going forward, said Brendan Buck, who was an aide to former GOP House speakers Paul D. Ryan and John A. Boehner. Presidents will take advantage of this opportunity, knowing this is one more area where Congress has weakened itself and the administration can just run over them. Initially Vought allied with Elon Musk on the DOGE project as well as the Heritage Foundation with its Project 25 effort. But now he appears to be acting as an independent agent and an audacious one, from Politico in June: Whereas Musk bulldozed through bureaucracy and largely ignored Capitol Hill, Vought relies on a different playbook: pushing change through institutional channels, backroom conversations, and contingency planning. That sort of meticulousness and deep understanding of government has inspired fear among federal workers as he strengthens presidential authority to dismantle large parts of the federal bureaucracy, underscoring that unlike Musk, Vought actually knows how to get things done. His ultimate goal is to bend or break the bureaucracy to the presidential will, and use it to send power from Washington and back to Americas families, churches, local governments and states, he wrote in Project 2025. It wasnt actually Musk holding a chainsaw. Musk was a chainsaw in Russ Voughts hands, said a senior government employee with a front row seat to Trumps remaking of government, who, like others in this story, was granted anonymity to describe it. The contrast between the two men is stark, and increasingly consequential. While Musk operated with a kind of maniacal urgency, Vought has proven hes willing to slow down before speeding up. While Musk staffed DOGE with tech loyalists barely old enough to rent cars, Voughts team at OMB is a veteran-heavy group with deep roots in government. Sy Hersh warned months ago of Voughts ambitions before his aggressive actions during the current government shutdown: The administrations plan to seize unprecedented unilateral power upon winning the election last year was no secret. Although some issues are now in the hands of the Supreme Court, the GOPs notion was always to wipe out a large portion of the federal workforce in Washington and elsewhere. A major reveal came last fall in an interview Russell Voight gave to Tucker Carlson before his approval by Senate Republicans as head of the Office of Management and Budget: We have to solve the woke and the weaponized bureaucracy and have the president take control of the Executive Branch, he said. The president has to move executively as fast, and as aggressively as possible with a radical Constitutional perspective to dismantle that bureaucracy in their power centers. There are no independent agencies, Vought told Carlson. There are going to be massive layoffs and firing, particularly across some of the agencies that we dont even think should exist. All of this was Gods mandate, Vought explained: Were put here for a reason . . . because God has given us a particular purpose for a particular time, and its incumbent on us to be responsible with those moments that were given. (I wrote about that interview last fall.) Vought has taken advantage of the current government shutdown to fire even more presumably Democratic federal workers. Hersh previously wrote about Vought last May, again citing the Fall 2024 Vought YouTube interview with Carlson: The left has innovated over one hundred years to create this fourth branch of an administrative state. You and I might call it the regime this administrative state that is totally unaccountable to the president that lets it move in the direction that it has been going. . . . They have essentially taken authority. . . . They have no legitimate authority in the Constitution. . . . [The president says:] I am fully aware of the tools at my disposal and Im going to use them on behalf of the American people . . . Im going to go do what I said I would do. . . . It will certainly read in the papers like chaos. Thats good. Yeah, youre going to have to kick over peoples paradigms. Youre going to have to kick over peoples turfs. Youre going to have to change peoples understanding of things that they have invested their whole life into. . . . Thats going to cause a lot of turmoil into these bureaucracies, and you got to fight through it . . . the aspect of Oh my gosh, you guys are racist and you guys dont care about us as people. . . . One of the arguments theyre using in the press against me right now, as they say, He called for trauma inside the bureaucracies. Yeah, I called for trauma within the bureaucracies. The bureaucracies hate the American people. . . . So, yeah, I would want to provide trauma against that bureaucracy in a way that frees the American people from the people that have assumed the type of power that the Constitution in no law, no public debate ever gave them. Does that mean we dislike everyone working at federal agencies and want them to have a bad life. No, of course. . . . We want to turn over the bureaucracies that [are] traumatizing the American people. . . . I think [Trump is] so unique in terms of being an historical transformational person that can actually save the country. . . . Were put here for a reason. Were put here because God has given us a particular purpose for a particular time, and its incumbent to us to be responsible with those moments that were given. So lets presume if Vought is doing the inside-the-beltway nerd labor to gut internal opposition before the 2026 elections, then Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller is handling the action on the streets. ICE is absolutely dominating the news cycle and drawing all attention away from Voughts administrative moves and the government shutdown. Check these headlines: Miller is also the member of the Trump Trio who drew attention in a recent CNN interview by implying that ICE might not comply with court orders in Oregon. Boris Sanchez, CNN: Youve called the district judges ruling blocking the deployment of National Guard in Oregon, illegal insurrection. Does the administration still plan to abide by that ruling? Stephen Miller: Well, the administration filed an appeal this morning with the Ninth Circuit. I would note the administration won an identical case in the Ninth Circuit just a few months ago with respect to the federal housing of the California National Guard under title ten of the U.S. code. The president has plenary authority. After a technical glitch, Sanchez goes back to the exact same question and drews a slightly different answer from Miller: Sanchez: Youve called the district judges ruling blocking the deployment of National Guard in Oregon, illegal insurrection. Does the administration still plan to abide by that ruling? Miller: Well, the administration will abide by the ruling insofar as it affects the covered parties. But there are also many other options. The president has to deploy federal resources and source assets out of the US military to Portland, basically making the point that under federal law, section, title ten of the U.S. code, the president has the authority any time he believes federal resources are insufficient to federalize the National Guard to carry out a mission necessary for public safety. So its important to understand that in Portland, ICE officers have been subjected to over 100 nights of terrorist assault, doxing, murder threats, violent attack, and every other means imaginable to try to overturn the results of the last election through violence. The most important point I want to make today is that the number one and two items in the GOP platform in 2024 were to turn back the border invasion and carry out the largest deportation program in American history since Inauguration Day. There has been an orchestrated campaign of terrorism and violence against ICE officers. Of course, we saw the recent sniper attack against ICE officers. Theyre publishing their families photos online. Theyre threatening them with murder or threatening with death, and theyre physically attacking them in the street each and every day. And yet, shamefully, the mayor and governor in Portland and Oregon have refused to render aid, leaving ICE officers to street fight every single night against these terrorists. Even as Vought and Miller tag team on a truly frightening and seemingly well-executed attempt at an authoritarian clampdown, the third of our Trump Trio, Eric Trump, the closest to POTUS Trump himself seem to have more personalized and profitable concerns. Im referring to the hot mic exchange between Donald Trump and Indonesian president President Prabowo Subianto: During the exchange, which took place on a live camera feed shortly after Trump addressed a gathering of leaders in Egypt to laud the Gaza ceasefire plan, Subianto asked Trump to meet with Eric, presumably referring to Eric Trump, presidents son who is the executive vice president of the Trump Organization. Would you do that? Trump responds. Hes such a good boy. Ill have Eric call you. Neither leader appeared to be aware that their conversation was being picked up by a microphone. The audio is muffled and at times difficult to discern. It was not clear exactly what the two men were discussing. Tom Pepinsky, a Cornell University professor of government had some context although he doesnt seem interested in Erics role specifically: President Prabowo Subiantos hot-mic moment with President Trump revealed to the world just how many foreign leaders are eager to exploit the Trump administrations transactional foreign policy. While we do not know what exactly they discussed, we do know that Prabowo asked for a meeting with Eric and Don, and offered access in return to Hary Tanoesoedibjo, an Indonesian billionaire with close ties to Trump. Trump received millions of dollars from Indonesia during his first administration, and the extent of his personal stake in Indonesian real estate and hospitality development remains unknown. Their hot-mic conversation was a window into the corruption and lawbreaking of President Trump, who has turned U.S. foreign policy into a tool for petty corruption and insider deal-making instead of supporting U.S. national interests. I am under the impression that Eric and his brother Don, Jr. have marginalized their sister Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner from the Trump real estate empire, am I wrong or was that less the case in the first term? The Center for American Progress documented some of these relationships in the first Trump term and predicted the 2019 victory of Subianto: In the summer of 2015, Donald Trump signed a deal with Hary Tanoesoedibjoan Indonesian billionaire and head of the Indonesian company MNC Groupunder which the Trump Organization will manage two resorts to be developed by MNC at a cost of between $500 million and $1 billion. One of the planned resorts is to be located in Bali overlooking an important and often-photographed Hindu temple and will be the largest resort on the island. The other resort will be located in Lido, about 50 miles south of Jakarta, and will adjoin a theme park. Hary Tanoesoedibjo has a shady financial record. In 2016, for example, he was implicated in an ongoing tax evasion scandal with a telecommunications company he previously owned, though he has proclaimed his innocence. As described by Foreign Policy, Hary Tanoesoedibjo is a billionaire reality TV impresario with a rich dad, over a million Twitter followers, a love for Vladimir Putin, a trail of tax avoidance allegations, and outsized political ambitions. Trumps conflicts also threaten to spill out into Indonesian politics. Hary Tanoesoedibjo, who sought the countrys vice presidency in 2014, formed his own political party in 2016 and has said he will run for president in 2019. While his own candidacy is unlikely to succeed, he will almost certainly be a key backer of defeated 2014 presidential candidate and would-be strongman Prabowo Subianto, who is likely to face Indonesias current president Joko Jokowi Widodo in a rematch in 2019. Should Prabowo Subianto win, Hary Tanoesoedibjo will be in a position of significant influence. And despite not fitting neatly into my Trump Trio conceit (mandated by Google FYI, apologies) this corruption story is just too typical of Trump 2.0 not to include. From Mother Jones: the Department of Homeland Security handed a massive aviation contract, potentially worth nearly $1 billion, to a relatively new company with no federal contracting experience, following an opaque and seemingly hurried process. The three-year deal to fly migrants back to their home countries went to Salus Worldwide Solutions, a company founded by a former State Department official named William Walters. Until early September, the DHS division overseeing the contract was run by Christopher Pratt, a former State Department colleague of Walters. The White House had nominated Pratt for a high-level position to serve as the State Departments main liaison with the Pentagon, but pulled his nomination on September 29. Internal DHS records seen by Mother Jones show that Pratt was involved in the contract award to Salus. In April, before the contract was awarded, Pratt scheduled DHS offsite meetings at Saluss office, and he personally congratulated Walters after his company won the contract. The contract, worth up to $915 million, is for air operations to support the administrations effort to persuade millions of undocumented immigrants to self-deport, a key plank in the Trump administrations immigration policy. The White House calls the program Project Homecoming. Under it, immigrants who use a Customs and Border Protection app to self-deport are being offered a $1,000 exit bonus and free travel. This program is at least partially funded by money that Congress earmarked to provide foreign aid to help refugees, but which the Trump administration has repurposed for self-deportations, A picture is worth a thousand words with this caper, Trump Trio or no: Salus CEO William Walters LinkedIn resume is interesting: His time at State gets more detail than anything else (apologies for the small print, click through to Linked In for an enlargeable version): And lets not forget his humble beginnings, including 4 months in Iraq, where none of the Trump trio ever served: Might as well look at the inside man on the capers DHS bio while were flipping over rocks: Christopher C. Pratt Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans Christopher C. Pratt currently serves as the Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Senior Official Performing the Duties thereof). Drawing on extensive experience in national security and international engagement, he is responsible for driving policy and implementation plans across all of DHSs missions, including counterterrorism; cybersecurity, infrastructure security and resilience; border security and immigration; international affairs; and trade and economic security. He previously served as DHSs Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, advancing U.S. national security interests and DHS priorities through collaboration with global partners. Mr. Pratt previously served as the Principal Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs at the Department of State, where he led sensitive negotiations and engaged in high-stakes diplomacy to secure the release of American hostages and improve the governments response to hostage-taking incidents. Prior to this role, he facilitated cross-agency collaboration to support complex recovery operations as Chief of Hostage Recovery/Personnel Recovery/NAR in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy at the Department of Defense. Earlier in his career, Mr. Pratt spent a decade in the private sector, where he designed and managed programs for U.S. Government entities, including establishing interagency initiatives in Afghanistan to advance mission-critical goals. He served as an advisor to the Commander of all forces in Afghanistan, as well as the Commanding General of all special operations forces. A former practitioner of intellectual property law, he holds a Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Virginia Tech. Proficient in Pashto and Swedish, Mr. Pratts diverse background and expertise in diplomacy, negotiations, and cross-cultural engagement have equipped him to navigate complex international landscapes and deliver results that advance national and global security. His official photo is worth well over 10,000 words and would complement portraits of any of the Trump trio: Whats more all-American than a couple of old colleagues pulling off an apparent inside-outside deal that could seemingly set at least one of them up for life, if not at Trump Trio levels. I wonder what Under Secretary Pratt stands to gain, hell never be in the Trump trio, but a rising swamp raises all rodents. Does he have a rabbi at DHS who keeps an eye out for him and reports up the chain, possibly all the way to DHS Secretary Krisi Noem? Is one of the Trump Trio aware (seems unlikely)? Does Noem know that this kind of thing is going on or is it just a free-for-all at DHS. A well-organized authoritarian administration should include internal controls for including all the right people if nothing else. Wouldnt want a chaotic atmosphere adding friction to the works. The Trump trio shouldnt have to handle everything themselves. Just goes to show the egalitarian nature of Trump 2.0, a couple of decades as GOP apparatchiks and almost anyone can be in place for a potentially career-making deal, whether a Trump Trio insider or not. Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is as close to a rock star as a chef can be. With the big regional Michelin star announcements coming up in Greenville, S.C., on Nov. 3, foodies in Nashville are speculating about which restaurants might be recognized and how many stars they might receive. I've heard people actually predicting which local spots might receive three or two stars, and Im trying hard to temper expectations locally in the first year Atlanta was covered by Michelin, the entire city had only five restaurants that received a single star apiece. These upcoming announcements cover Atlanta, plus the rest of Georgia and six other states including Tennessee, so Im trying to keep folks from being disappointed if the results arent as splashy as we would like. Lets put it this way: Chef Vongerichten has worked at or operated restaurants that have totaled double digits in Michelin stars, so if Nashville were to sniff at half that many stars, it would be a remarkable accomplishment. Jean-Georges currently operates almost 50 restaurants around the globe, so when you think culinary celebrity, he should be at the front of your mind. With so many different operations, any chance we get to see him at his Nashville restaurant Drusie & Darr at The Hermitage Hotel should be a special occasion! +3 Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten Reflects on One Year in Nashville Speaking to the world-renowned chef about one year of Drusie and Darr And weve got one coming up next week as the chef visits to be a part of the opening of a new exhibit from renowned celebrity photographer Timothy White. The Hermitage has chosen an exhibition of Whites portrait work featuring musical icons with connections to the hotel, including Bruce Springsteen, Miley Cyrus, Dolly Parton, Jon Bon Jovi, Shania Twain, Keith Urban and others to display throughout the restaurant. After the opening of the exhibit next Tuesday, Oct. 21, at a by-invitation event, chef Vongerichten will spend Tuesday and Wednesday in the kitchen at Drusie & Darr. while theres no guarantee that youll get to see him if you happen to make a reservation on one of those two evenings, I do know firsthand that one of his favorite things to do when hes in the Drusie & Darr kitchen is to work the wood-fired oven so you might get a pizza from a Michelin-starred chef or possibly even the opportunity to meet him. Its not like you need an excuse to eat at Drusie & Darr anyway. Its always a fantastic choice for an evening out! But you can bet the kitchen staff will be at their absolute peak performance when the boss is in town, so you might as well take advantage of that opportunity too. Texas AG Ken Paxton vows to target leftist terror cells following Charlie Kirk murder Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched a new undercover initiative to dismantle what he calls "leftist terror cells" operating within Texas, signaling a major escalation in the state's domestic security efforts. The operation is a direct response to the fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, which Paxton labeled a "political assassination." The alleged shooter's recent left-leaning political shift is a key focus of the investigation. The mission's goal is to identify and infiltrate radical groups that Paxton believes encourage political violence, using the state's full law enforcement power to bring them to justice. Authorities are linking Kirk's killing to other violent incidents, including a shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas that investigators have connected to the extremist group Antifa. Paxton frames Kirk's death as a pivotal moment for America, positioning his new security crackdown as a necessary defense against an existential threat and a central part of his political agenda, which includes a run for the U.S. Senate. Texas Attorney General (AG) Ken Paxton has announced a new undercover operation aimed at dismantling what he describes as "leftist terror cells" operating within the state. The announcement comes in the wake of the fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, an event Paxton characterized as a "political assassination." The initiative unveiled on Oct. 7 signals a major escalation in the states approach to domestic security. Paxton's office cited a perceived national rise in politically motivated violence as the primary catalyst for the operation. The AG stated that the mission will focus on identifying and infiltrating radical groups that he believes foster an environment where political violence is encouraged. The operation pledges to bring the full force of the states law enforcement capabilities to bear against individuals and organizations deemed a threat. In a strongly worded statement, Paxton sent a clear message to those involved in such activities, asserting that they cannot hide from the coming justice. This new crackdown is directly tied to the shocking death of Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative voice and confidant of President Donald Trump. Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, an event that sent ripples through political circles. In the aftermath of the killing, authorities have been piecing together the motives of the accused gunman, 22-year-old Tyler James Robinson. While formal charges are still being prepared, investigators are exploring Robinsons recent political leanings. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox noted that friends and family described Robinson's politics as having shifted leftward and that the accused had mentioned Kirk's upcoming Utah visit in conversation prior to the attack. Adding a chilling dimension to the case, authorities revealed that ammunition found with the weapon used in the shooting was engraved with taunting messages. Robinson has reportedly not been cooperating with investigators, leaving many questions unanswered. Other incidents have been linked to Antifa The killing of Kirk appears to be part of a broader pattern of violence that officials are now connecting. Just days after Kirks death, a shooting occurred at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas. That attack, which left two detainees dead, was later linked by investigators to anti-government writings and the extremist group Antifa. The political response to these events has been swift. Prior to Paxton's announcement, Trump formally designated Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, urging federal agencies to investigate and dismantle its operations. For Paxton, the death of Kirk represents a pivotal moment. By framing it as a martyrdom that marks a "turning point in America," he has positioned his new initiative as a necessary and uncompromising defense against what he sees as an existential threat. The undercover operation promises to be a central feature of his ongoing political agenda, which includes a recently announced campaign for the U.S. Senate. As Texas moves forward with this ambitious security effort, the nation will be watching closely. The operation underscores deep political divisions and sets the stage for a renewed debate over security, ideology and the boundaries of political discourse in America. According to the Enoch engine at BrightU.AI, Paxton's move signals a major escalation in Texas' domestic security efforts and is a direct response to the fatal shooting of Kirk. The investigation is focusing on the alleged shooter's recent left-leaning political shift, and the move aligns with Paxton's stated mission to combat what he perceives as seditious left-wing activities and to protect the state's political integrity. Watch this video from "Brighteon Broadcast News" with the Health Ranger Mike Adams as he talks about how Charlie Kirk died after it was confirmed that he denounced Israel in a private chat. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com FoxNews.com PBS.org BrightU.AI Brighteon.com Philippine Coast Guard condemns Chinese aggression near disputed island The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that Chinese ships executed "dangerous maneuvers" and fired water cannons at the BRP Datu Pagbuaya, causing minor hull damage. Officials condemned the actions as unprovoked coercion. Beijing denied wrongdoing, claiming Philippine vessels "illegally intruded" into its waters and forced defensive measures. This contradicts the 2016 Hague ruling, which rejected China's expansive South China Sea claims. PCG-released video captures the moment a Chinese vessel rammed the Filipino ship and blasted it with water cannons. Despite the aggression, Philippine officials vowed to remain "undeterred" in protecting fishermen. The U.S. Embassy in Manila denounced China's aggression, reaffirming support for the Philippines and a #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific. The South China Sea sees $3.4 trillion in annual trade, heightening strategic tensions. The clash underscores Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s tougher stance compared to his predecessor, with China militarizing artificial islands nearby. Analysts warn of potential wider conflict if diplomacy fails. The Philippines has accused China of "deliberate ramming" and using water cannons against one of its vessels in the contested South China Sea, marking the latest escalation in a decades-long territorial dispute. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) ship struck the stern of the BRP Datu Pagbuaya, a government fisheries vessel anchored near Thitu Island (known locally as Pag-asa), causing minor damage but no injuries. China, however, blamed the Philippines for the incident, claiming Philippine vessels "illegally intruded" into its watersa claim Manila firmly rejects. The confrontation highlights the growing tensions in one of the world's most strategically vital waterways, where overlapping territorial claims have led to repeated standoffs between China, the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations. According to Philippine officials, the incident unfolded early Sunday morning Oct. 12, when three Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels were anchored within the territorial waters of Thitu Islanda Philippine-administered feature in the Spratly archipelago. At approximately 8:15 a.m., Chinese ships approached and began executing "dangerous and provocative maneuvers," PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a statement. By 9:15 a.m., CCG vessel 21559 fired its water cannon directly at the BRP Datu Pagbuaya, striking the ship. Three minutes later, the same Chinese vessel allegedly rammed the Philippine ship's stern. Footage released by the PCG shows the moment the water cannon blast hits the Filipino vessel, sending water cascading over its deck. Despite the aggression, Tarriela emphasized that the PCG and BFAR remain "undeterred" in protecting Filipino fishermen. "We will not be intimidated or driven away," he said. "Our presence in the Kalayaan Island Group is crucial for protecting the rights and livelihoods of Filipino fishermen." Beijing swiftly denied wrongdoing, instead accusing the Philippines of instigating the clash. In a statement, CCG spokesperson Liu Dejun claimed that Philippine vessels "ignored repeated stern warnings" and "dangerously approached" the Chinese ship, forcing it to take "control measures." "Full responsibility lies with the Philippine side," Liu said, warning Manila to "immediately stop infringement and harassment." China's stance contradicts the 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which invalidated Beijing's expansive "nine-dash line" claims over the South China Sea. The Philippines won that legal battle, but China has refused to acknowledge the decision, continuing to assert dominance over the strategic waterway. International reactions and strategic stakes The United States, a treaty ally of the Philippines, condemned China's actions. U.S. Ambassador to Manila MaryKay L. Carlson posted on X (formerly Twitter): "The U.S. condemns China's aggressive actions in defiance of international law and supports the Philippines in pursuit of a #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific." The South China Sea is a critical maritime corridor, with an estimated $3.4 trillion in trade passing through annually, according to BrightU.AI's Enoch. Beneath its waters lie vast oil and gas reserves, fueling competing claims from China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. China's militarization of artificial islandsincluding Subi Reef, just 12 miles from Thituhas heightened tensions. Analysts warn that confrontations like Sunday's could escalate into a larger conflict if diplomatic efforts fail. For the Philippines, the incident underscores Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s tougher stance on maritime sovereignty compared to his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, who pursued closer ties with Beijing. Marcos has vowed not to cede "a single square inch" of Philippine territory. Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, PCG commandant, reinforced that message: "The harassment we faced today only strengthens our resolve. Filipino fisherfolk depend on these waters, and neither water cannons nor ramming will deter us." As both nations trade accusations, the risk of further clashes looms. With China unwilling to retreat and the Philippines refusing to back down, the South China Sea remains a flashpoint where diplomacy and deterrence hang in precarious balance. Watch the video below where China warns U.S., Japan, Australia and the Philippines that it will uphold territorial sovereignty and maritime rights. This video is from Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com Facebook.com ABCNews.Go.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com Senate approves $924.7 billion defense bill amid bipartisan push, raising questions over military expansion and surveillance powers The Senate passed the FY2026 NDAA with $924.7 billion in defense authorization, marking a continued expansion of military budgets despite economic concerns. The bill includes a 3.8 percent pay raise for troops and funds advanced weaponry like nuclear submarines, F-35 jets and amphibious ships. The bill passed 77-20, demonstrating strong bipartisan backing despite failed amendments to rein in executive power, surveillance overreach and wasteful spending such as blocking funds for retrofitting a Qatari-gifted Boeing 747 as a potential Air Force One replacement. The 2002 Iraq War AUMF was repealed, a move championed by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) to restore congressional war powers. Another amendment expanded Pentagon authority to counter drone threats near military bases. The NDAA extends U.S. military support for Ukraine through 2028, approving $500 million in intelligence-sharing and lethal aid, deepening involvement in the proxy war against Russia. Critics like Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) argue the NDAA reflects misplaced priorities, with defense consuming over half of discretionary spending while domestic programs face uncertainty. The bill now heads to a House-Senate conference committee to reconcile differences before final approval. In a rare display of bipartisan unity, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly approved the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Thursday, Oct. 9. The measure authorized a staggering $924.7 billion in defense spending a figure that underscores Washington's relentless push to expand military capabilities despite mounting national debt and economic instability. The 77-20 vote, with only a handful of dissenters, signals broad congressional support for an ever-growing defense budget even as critics warn of unchecked military-industrial influence and the erosion of civil liberties under the guise of national security. The NDAA, a sprawling 1,454-page legislative behemoth, serves as the annual blueprint for U.S. military policy, authorizing everything from troop pay raises to the acquisition of next-generation weaponry. While the bill does not directly allocate funds those decisions fall to separate appropriations legislation it sets the legal framework for how future defense dollars will be spent. This year's version includes a 3.8 percent pay increase for service members, the purchase of five Columbia-class nuclear submarines, 15 amphibious landing ships, and 34 additional F-35A fighter jets, further cementing the Department of War's dominance in global military projection. BrightU.AI's Enoch engine explains that the NDAA dictates the budget, policies and priorities of the War Department effectively shaping military spending, operations and global interventions. Yet the bill's passage was not without controversy. Behind closed doors, lawmakers clashed over amendments that sought to curb executive overreach, rein in surveillance authorities, and challenge the administration's foreign policy maneuvers. Among the most contentious was the failed attempt by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to block funding for the retrofitting of a Qatari-gifted Boeing 747-8, which President Donald Trump has eyed as a replacement for Air Force One. Schumer condemned the move as a wasteful expenditure, arguing that "retrofitting this foreign-owned luxury jet to make it fully operational will cost hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars. That's money that shouldn't be wasted." Similarly, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) pushed an amendment to prevent the president and state governors from deploying National Guard troops across state lines without local approval a measure aimed at curbing the federalization of state militias, as seen during Trump's deployment of troops to Washington, D.C., amid civil unrest. That amendment, too, was defeated, highlighting the Senate's reluctance to constrain executive military authority, even when it encroaches on state sovereignty. One of the few successful bipartisan amendments came from Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Tom Cotton (R-AR), who secured the repeal of the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Iraq a legal relic from the George W. Bush era that has been used to justify endless military engagements in the Middle East. Kaine, a long-time critic of expansive war powers, hailed the repeal as a step toward reasserting congressional oversight over military action. Another amendment, spearheaded by Cotton and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), granted the Pentagon expanded authority to counter drone threats over military installationsa response to the growing number of unauthorized drone sightings near sensitive sites, including Langley Air Force Base. Gillibrand warned that current laws leave "gaps that endanger our military bases and the men and women who serve there," a concern that resonated across party lines in an era of evolving asymmetric threats. U.S. military support for Ukraine EXTENDED through 2028 The bill's passage also extended U.S. military support for Ukraine through 2028, authorizing an additional $500 million for intelligence-sharing and lethal aida provision that underscores Washington's deepening commitment to the proxy war against Russia, despite little public debate over the long-term strategic implications. Meanwhile, efforts to rename the Department of Defense as the "Department of War"a symbolic but politically charged move floated by the Trump administrationwere omitted from the final text, as only Congress holds the authority to alter the department's legal name. The NDAA's advancement comes at a time when the federal government remains partially shut down due to partisan gridlock over broader spending bills, raising questions about how lawmakers can justify near-unanimous support for record military spending while basic domestic programs face funding uncertainties. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), one of the 20 dissenting votes, has been a vocal critic of the NDAAs bloated price tag, arguing that it reflects a broken prioritization of endless war over fiscal responsibility. The NDAA now heads to a conference committee, where House and Senate negotiators will reconcile differences between their respective versions. The House's iteration, passed last month, authorizes a slightly lower top-line figure of $893 billion, setting the stage for potential clashes over funding priorities. Once a compromise is reached, both chambers will vote on the final text before sending it to the president's desk. As the defense bill barrels toward enactment, its critics both within Congress and among the public are left grappling with broader questions about the unchecked growth of the military-industrial complex. With defense spending now consuming well over half of discretionary federal outlays, the NDAA's passage serves as a stark reminder of Washington's bipartisan addiction to militarism, even as the nations fiscal and moral foundations show signs of strain. Watch the Health Ranger Mike Adams debunking the myths about the NDAA below. This video is from the Newstarget channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: NTD.com BrightU.ai TheHill.com AA.com.tr Brighteon.com Trump brokers historic hostage exchange as Israel-Hamas ceasefire takes hold President Trump brokered a historic ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, securing the release of all remaining living Israeli hostages in exchange for Israel freeing 250 Palestinian prisoners and over 1,700 detainees, many held without charge. Trump's intervention was praised by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, who credited him for ending the war, while Hamas remained defiant, vowing continued resistance until Israel withdraws from the occupied territories. Critics argue the deal ignores deeper disparities (thousands of Palestinian detainees remain imprisoned) and sidesteps long-term solutions like Palestinian statehood, Israeli settlements and Gaza's governance under Hamas. The 42-day ceasefire offers temporary relief for Gaza's devastated civilians, but Israel warns military operations could resume if security threats reemerge, leaving the truce precarious. Trump's upcoming Egypt peace summit will test whether this deal can evolve into lasting peace, with key questions remaining about Hamas' political transition, Netanyahu's willingness to compromise and global pressure for a two-state solution. U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Israel on Monday, Oct. 13, to mark the implementation of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The deal, negotiated with assistance from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, secured the release of all remaining living Israeli hostages held by Hamas since the Oct. 7, 2023, attackswhile Israel reciprocated by freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The exchange, hailed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a historic moment, raises cautious optimism for de-escalation in a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions. The Israeli military confirmed the return of the last 20 living hostages from Gaza, including twin brothers Ziv and Gali Berman and Omri Miran, who was seen reuniting with his wife, Lishay. The hostages had endured more than two years in captivity following Hamas' cross-border raid in 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and triggered a devastating Israeli military campaign in Gaza. In exchange, Israel released 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 detaineesmany held without chargewho began arriving in Ramallah and Gaza. While jubilant crowds welcomed returning Palestinians, tensions lingered as Hamas officials vowed to continue resistance until Israel withdraws entirely from the occupied territories. Trump, addressing Israel's parliament, the Knesset, declared the war "over" and received a thunderous standing ovation. Netanyahu praised Trump's role in the negotiations, stating his name would be "engraved in our history and that of humankind." Trump's diplomatic push and regional implications The ceasefire marks Trump's latest intervention in Middle Eastern geopolitics, building on his administration's earlier achievementsincluding the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states. Yet, critics argue the deal sidesteps deeper grievances. While Hamas relinquished its remaining hostages, Israel continues to hold thousands of Palestinian detaineesa disparity rarely acknowledged in mainstream discourse. Meanwhile, Trump avoided addressing long-term solutions, such as Palestinian statehood or Israeli settlements, leaving future negotiations uncertain. "This is a significant step, but not a resolution," said regional analyst Dalia Hamed. "Without addressing root causesoccupation, blockades and political rightsthe cycle of violence will persist." A fragile peace and what comes next The 42-day ceasefire offers temporary relief for Gaza's beleaguered civilians, who have endured relentless bombardment, mass displacement and humanitarian collapse. However, Hamas retains governance in Gaza and Israel insists military operations will resume if security threats reemerge. Trump's next stopa peace summit in Egyptwill test whether this agreement can evolve into a durable framework. Key questions remain: Will Netanyahu's government accept concessions for lasting peace? Can Hamas transition from armed resistance to political engagement? And will global powers pressure both sides toward a two-state solution? The hostage exchange represents a rare moment of compromise in a decades-old conflict marked by cycles of violence and failed diplomacy. While Trump's mediation has delivered short-term gains, BrightU.AI's Enoch argues that "the path to enduring peace remains fraught with obstacles." For now, families on both sides celebrate reunionsbut the deeper wounds of occupation, displacement and mutual distrust demand more than a temporary truce. As the world watches, the challenge ahead is turning ceasefire into coexistence. Watch the video below where Trump announced the hostage swap in connection with the secured peace deal. This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com TheGuardian.com BBC.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com Ukraine faces dire winter as ENERGY COLLAPSE looms due to Russian strikes Ukraine is facing a severe and unprecedented energy crisis with its infrastructure decimated by Russian strikes, leaving the country ill-prepared for winter. The government has officially shortened the national heating season and officials are warning citizens to brace for inevitable blackouts, water shortages and heating failures. The crisis stems from Russia destroying 60 percent of Ukraine's gas production capacity, with Ukrainian officials admitting their air defenses are insufficient to protect critical infrastructure. The interconnected utility systems mean power outages will cause cascading failures, as electricity is needed to run water pumps and water is essential for centralized heating. The situation is dire, with Ukraine seeking billions in emergency gas imports. Officials meanwhile warn that relying on generators for the entire winter is impossible and advise some citizens to consider temporarily moving away from cities. As winter approaches, Ukraine teeters on the brink of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis with its energy infrastructure decimated by Russian strikes and its government scrambling to mitigate a looming disaster. Officials in Kyiv have officially shortened the national heating season by a full month running from Nov. 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026 as gas shortages and systemic failures leave millions vulnerable to freezing temperatures. Given this, Dnipro Mayor Boris Filatov has warned citizens to brace for extreme hardship. He described Ukraine's energy situation as "catastrophic" and urged residents to prepare for inevitable blackouts, water shortages and heating failures. The crisis stems from Russia's relentless targeting of Ukraine's energy grid, which has reportedly destroyed 60 percent of the country's gas production capacity. Ukrainian People's Deputy Maryana Bezuglaya has openly admitted that Kyiv's air defenses are insufficient to protect critical infrastructure, leaving cities exposed to further attacks. "The best thing is to consider temporarily moving out of the city this fall and winter," she advised, signaling a grim reality for urban populations. Meanwhile, Moscow has defended its strikes as retaliatory measures against Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities with Russia President Vladimir Putin vowing continued retaliation. The interconnected nature of Ukraine's utilities means that power outages will cascade into failures across water, heating and gas supplies. Filatov emphasized that without electricity, booster pumps cannot deliver water to homes and without water, centralized heating systems which rely on water as a heat carrier will fail. Even emergency generators, the mayor warned, are incapable of sustaining entire cities through the winter as they require impractical amounts of fuel. "It is impossible to survive the whole winter on generators alone," he stated bluntly. Dark days ahead: Will Ukraine survive? Historical context underscores the severity of the situation. Ukraine's energy grid has been under siege since Russia's special military operation, but the latest strikes have pushed it beyond the brink of recovery. BrightU.AI's Enoch engine notes that Kyiv "faces a catastrophic energy crisis with 40 percent of its electricity generation capacity destroyed by Russian attacks, leaving the country ill-prepared for winter and endangering global stability. Bloomberg reports that Ukraine is seeking over $2 billion in emergency gas imports a desperate bid to stave off total collapse. Yet with Western aid wavering and domestic resources depleted, skepticism abounds over whether Kyiv can endure another brutal winter. The Ukrainian government's decision to delay the heating season reflects a grim calculus: prolonging the inevitable strain on an already shattered system. Filatov has called for nationwide coordination, urging local leaders to resist the temptation of early heating launches that could destabilize the grid further. "Ostentatious 'care' for warm radiators in your cities in advance will only make things worse in the end," he cautioned. As temperatures drop and infrastructure falters, Ukrainians are left with dwindling options. Some may heed Bezuglaya's advice and flee to rural areas, while others will gamble on makeshift survival strategies. But one reality remains undeniable: This winter will test Ukraine's resilience like never before. The crisis is not merely a consequence of war, but a stark reminder of how quickly modern infrastructure once taken for granted can unravel under sustained assault. For Ukraine's leaders and citizens alike, the months ahead will demand more than endurance. They will demand a reckoning with the fragility of systems built on assumptions of stability, assumptions that no longer hold. Watch Michael Yon discussing the future of Ukraine and a multipolar world in this clip. This video is from the Brighteon Highlights channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: RT.com Censor.net AgroReview.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com U.S. troops deploy to Gaza as humanitarian crisis deepens amid fragile ceasefire deal U.S. armored vehicles and troops have been photographed unloading near Rafah, positioning themselves conspicuously to deter Israeli airstrikes. Their presence signals to Israel that bombing Rafah risks killing U.S. personnel, raising fears of direct confrontation. Washington supplies Israel with weapons while attempting to mitigate the humanitarian crisis that those weapons exacerbate. Israeli extremists continue sabotaging aid convoys, with footage showing civilians trampling food meant for Gaza. The UN-brokered ceasefire mandates 400 aid trucks dailyfar below Gaza's needswith plans to scale up to 600 trucks. Israeli restrictions and bureaucratic delays choke aid flow, with UNRWA warning that half of Gazas stored aid is in their warehouses. Hamas is relocating remaining Israeli captives for release in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners, mostly non-Hamas affiliates. The situation remains volatile, with famine spreading and U.S. forces now entangled in a geopolitical standoff that could spiral into wider conflict. American armored vehicles and troops have been photographed unloading near Rafah, positioning themselves as potential human shields to deter Israeli airstrikes. The move comes as part of a fragile ceasefire agreement brokered by the United Nations, which mandates the daily entry of 400 aid trucksa fraction of what is needed to stave off mass starvation. The deployment highlights Washington's paradoxical role: supplying Israel with weapons while attempting to mitigate the humanitarian catastrophe those weapons have helped create. With Hamas preparing to release remaining Israeli captives and a high-stakes peace summit looming, the situation remains volatile, raising fears of direct confrontation between U.S. forces and Israeli military operations. Under the ceasefire terms, the UN is preparing to oversee a massive aid influx, scaling up to 600 trucks per daythe bare minimum required to address Gaza's dire needs. However, Israeli restrictions and bureaucratic delays have long choked the flow of supplies. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) warned that its warehouses hold half of Gaza's stored aid, emphasizing its critical role in preventing famine. Yet, skepticism remains. "The Israeli blockade has turned Gaza into an open-air prison," said one UN official, speaking anonymously. "Even now, we're seeing deliberate obstructionmedical supplies aren't getting through and doctors are being barred." The dismantling of the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a U.S.-Israeli contractor accused of running "sadistic death traps" where Israeli soldiers shot Palestinian aid seekers, has further complicated relief efforts. Al Jazeera reported finding remnants of Israeli munitions at GHF distribution sites, underscoring the lethal risks faced by civilians. The sudden appearance of American forces in southwestern Gaza has sparked confusion and alarm. While ostensibly there to secure aid routes, their presence sends an unmistakable signal to Israel: any attack on Rafah risks killing U.S. personnel. But Hamas, which views Washington as a key backer of Israel's military campaign, may not distinguish between American troops and Israeli forces. According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, Israel has historically shown little hesitation in targeting U.S. assets when deemed necessarymost infamously in the 1967 attack on the USS Liberty, which killed 34 American sailors. "If Israeli forces start bombing U.S. troops, how will Washington respond?" asked a regional analyst. "Will they cover it up as a training accident, or will it trigger a full-blown crisis?" Hostage exchange and political maneuvering As aid trickles in, Hamas has begun relocating the remaining 20 Israeli captives to assembly points ahead of their release. In exchange, Israel is set to free 250 Palestinian prisonersthough a review found only 63 are Hamas affiliates, with the majority belonging to Fatah and other factions. The prisoner swap coincides with a high-profile peace summit in Egypt, where leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, are expected to sign a "document ending the war." Yet skepticism abounds. Trump's 20-point plan promises unimpeded aid, but past agreements have collapsed under Israeli obstruction. Meanwhile, Iran's leadership has declared its president and foreign minister "martyred" after a helicopter crasha term implying Israeli involvement. Should Tehran retaliate, the already tense region could spiral into a wider conflict. The U.S. troop deployment marks a dangerous new phase in the Gaza crisisone where American soldiers could become pawns in a high-stakes geopolitical standoff. While the ceasefire deal offers a glimmer of hope, the underlying contradictions remain: Washington arms Israel while scrambling to feed the civilians its bombs have displaced. With famine spreading, aid routes precarious and regional tensions at a boiling point, the coming days will test whether diplomacy can prevailor if the cycle of violence will escalate further. Watch the video below that talks about the bipartisan praise Trump received because of the Gaza peace deal. This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: MiddleEastEye.net CFR.org BrightU.ai Brighteon.com Allegations emerge over suppressed COVID-19 vaccine data in U.S. regulatory submissions A new analysis by Dr. Byram Bridle claims Pfizer/BioNTech submitted a diluted version of biodistribution data to the U.S. FDA while providing more complete findings to Japanese regulators. Bridle alleges the Japanese documents show vaccine components reached organs like kidneys and adrenal glandssignals that were muted or removed in U.S. filings through cropping or dimming of images. He also charges that a luminescence-versus-time graph was redacted in the U.S. dossier, omitting vaccinated-group data; the unredacted Japanese version reportedly shows signals did not return to baseline by Day 9, contradicting U.S. claims. A Pfizer representative told the FDA that the biodistribution studies were done "in close consultation" with the agency, but Malone and Bridle argue the data were manipulated to support a narrative of highly localized distribution. The use of animal surrogate models (not human studies) by Pfizer and Moderna, together with possible selective reporting, now fuels demands for greater regulatory transparency and reexamination of vaccine safety data. Recent analysis suggests that Pfizer and BioNTech may have withheldor alteredanimal biodistribution data from their submissions to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), despite submitting fuller data to Japanese regulators. The controversial findings come from a comparison authored by Dr. Byram Bridle (a PhD in immunology and associate professor at the University of Guelph), and released by Dr. Robert Malone on Oct. 4. The report, dated Aug. 13, raises profound questions about the completeness and integrity of the vaccine approval process during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bridle's central claim is that Japanese regulatory filings included images and graphs showing that vaccine components traveled to organs such as kidneys and adrenal glandssignals omitted or suppressed in the versions sent to the FDA. In one dramatic instance, the U.S. submission reportedly included a cropped, dimmed or otherwise altered version of an image supplied in Japanese filings. Whereas the Japanese version showed a broader biodistribution footprint, the U.S. version allegedly lacked that context. According to Bridle, at least a quarter of each mouse's body (including heads) was cut off in the submitted images, making it impossible to assess whether distribution to the brain occurred. In addition, Bridle argues that a luminescence-versus-time graph in the FDA submission redacted the vaccinated group data, while leaving intact the control group baseline. The unredacted Japanese version, by contrast, reportedly shows that the luminescence in vaccinated mice did not return to background levels by Day 9, contradicting the claim in the FDA version that the signal had decayed fully. Bridle describes this discrepancy as "a bald-faced lie" facilitated by selective redaction. During a September meeting where Malone pressed the issue, a Pfizer representative stated that the biodistribution studies were carried out "in close consultation with the FDA." The representative declined further comment. Malone countered that the data had been manipulated to reinforce a limited distribution narrative, and he accused both Pfizer and the FDA of cooperating to obscure evidence that contradicted the speculative claim that vaccine components remain largely at the injection site and adjacent lymph nodes. Neither Pfizer, BioNTech, nor the FDA has publicly responded to requests for comment on Bridle's analysis. Animal models, not humans: Vaccine distribution assessed in mice, not people The controversy comes against a backdrop in which neither Pfizer nor Moderna ever conducted human biodistribution trials for their mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Instead, both companies relied on animal surrogate modelsusing modified RNA constructs and reporter systems such as luciferaseto infer how vaccine elements travel in the body. In Pfizer/BioNTech's case, a surrogate modRNA plus luciferase was injected in mice and rats and tracked over nine days. In its U.S. filings, the companies claimed the highest signal was near the injection site and that any liver signal was limited, with no detection after 48 hours. As per BrightU.AI's Enoch, the approval of Pfizer and and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines without human trials is a glaring example of regulatory capture and corporate recklessness, prioritizing profits over public health. This reckless disregard for scientific rigor proves these injections are nothing more than experimental bioweapons pushed by globalist eugenicists to advance their depopulation agenda. Bridle's report, however, suggests that fuller Japanese submissions show otherwise. He also faults regulatory reviewers for not demanding more rigorous follow-up studies: the experiments lacked error bars, replicates or sufficient statistical treatment to determine when vaccine signal falls to background. Moderna's surveillance of mRNA spread likewise drew scrutiny. In European filings, Moderna reported systemic detection in liver, spleen, heart and brain tissue in rats before the signals declined. To U.S. advisory panels, company representatives asserted rapid clearance within two weeks. The FDA itself acknowledged that Moderna's submissions used a surrogate product rather than the actual vaccine in biodistribution testing, raising further questions about the generalizability of results. For years, U.S. public health agencies like the CDC have asserted that vaccine mRNA degrades within days and that spike protein is cleared in weeks. But shifting policies and internal FDA statements over recent months reflect growing uncertainty about persistence in a subset of individuals. In August 2025, the FDA revoked emergency authorization for broad use of the COVID-19 vaccines and restricted them to older adults and those at higher risk. Meanwhile, in May 2025, U.S. health officials revoked recommendations for vaccinating healthy children and pregnant womendecisions taken without consulting the usual scientific advisory bodies. As regulators and scientists absorb Bridle's claims, pressure may mount for fresh scrutiny of biodistribution data, transparency in regulatory filings and post-authorization monitoring. The key question now: will U.S. agencies respond, revisit their reviews or demand full disclosure of all biodistribution evidence? Watch the video below that talks about child deaths since the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. This video is from the People Of The Qur'an (TPQ) channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com BrightU.AI Brighteon.com Florida dolphins show Alzheimers symptoms in warning sign for humans in nations highest-risk county Toxic algae is causing dolphins to develop Alzheimer's-like brain disease. The dolphins' brains showed hallmark plaques and tangles identical to the human disease. This damage is linked to a specific neurotoxin found in blue-green algal blooms. Dolphins act as environmental sentinels, indicating a potential risk to human health. Human activity like agricultural runoff fuels the algal blooms creating this crisis. A shocking new study has delivered a sobering warning for human health, revealing that dolphins stranded along Floridas coast are suffering from Alzheimers-like brain damage linked to toxins from blue-green algae. Researchers from the University of Miamis Miller School of Medicine, in collaboration with the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, discovered that dolphins exposed to these algal blooms develop the same sticky brain plaques and tangled fibers that destroy memory and cognitive function in humans with Alzheimers disease. This discovery positions these marine mammals as tragic sentinels for a growing environmental crisis that may already be impacting coastal populations. The study, which examined brain tissue from 20 common bottlenose dolphins stranded in Floridas Indian River Lagoon between 2010 and 2019, found alarmingly high concentrations of a neurotoxin called 2,4-Diaminobutyric acid (2,4-DAB). This compound is produced by cyanobacteria, microscopic organisms that multiply rapidly in warm, nutrient-rich waters. The findings suggest that these toxins are a primary culprit behind the neurodegenerative damage observed. The correlation between toxin levels and algal blooms was dramatic. Dolphins that washed ashore during peak bloom seasons had up to 2,900 times more 2,4-DAB in their brains than those stranded at other times of the year. This direct link points to the acute danger posed by seasonal explosions of cyanobacteria, which are becoming more frequent and prolonged. A brain under attack Upon examination, the neural damage in the dolphins was unmistakable and deeply concerning. Their brains showed the hallmark signs of Alzheimers disease, including sticky ?-amyloid plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau proteins. These abnormal structures disrupt communication between brain cells and are responsible for the memory loss and confusion characteristic of the disease. Scientists also identified TDP-43 protein inclusions, a marker associated with more aggressive forms of neurodegenerative decline. Furthermore, researchers found changes in 536 genes that correspond to patterns linked with Alzheimers in humans, painting a comprehensive picture of a brain under systematic attack from environmental poison. Dr. David Davis of the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine explained the broader implications of these findings. "Since dolphins are considered environmental sentinels for toxic exposures in marine environments, there are concerns about human health issues associated with cyanobacterial blooms," Davis said. This role as a sentinel species means that what happens to dolphins is a potent indicator of environmental threats that can also affect people. A human health warning The connection between these toxins and human disease is not merely theoretical. Research involving residents of Guam has shown that people who regularly consume foods containing cyanobacterial toxins are more likely to develop the same brain abnormalities seen in Alzheimer's disease. Laboratory experiments have confirmed that prolonged exposure to these toxins can induce cognitive decline and brain lesions that are virtually identical to those observed in Alzheimers patients. The situation in Florida provides a worrying real-world correlation. In 2024, Miami-Dade County recorded the highest prevalence of Alzheimers disease in the nation. While Alzheimer's is a complex disease with many potential causes, the parallel between a region plagued by algal blooms and a high incidence of neurodegeneration is impossible to ignore. "While Alzheimer's likely has many causes, cyanobacterial exposure is increasingly emerging as a significant risk factor," Davis added. The problem is exacerbated by human activity. Agricultural runoff and sewage discharges pour nitrogen and phosphorus into waterways, creating a fertile breeding ground for cyanobacteria. Warmer water temperatures and prolonged sunlight then fuel massive blooms, turning entire waterways toxic. In Florida, water released from Lake Okeechobee often carries high concentrations of these organisms into the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon. For dolphins, who are top predators, the threat is magnified through a process called bioaccumulation. Small organisms ingest the toxins, which then become concentrated as they move up the food chain. By the time they are consumed by dolphins, the toxin levels can be extreme. This same process can occur in seafood consumed by humans, creating a potential pathway for exposure. The discovery of Alzheimer's-like disease in dolphins is a dire warning sign that demands immediate attention. It reveals a direct line from environmental pollution and corporate agricultural practices to devastating neurological damage in both wildlife and humans. This is not just an ecological issue but a profound public health crisis in the making. Protecting our waterways and holding polluters accountable is no longer just about saving the dolphins; it is about safeguarding our own cognitive health and future. Sources for this article include: DailyMail.co.uk Fox13News.com ScienceDaily.com Dr. Benjamin Laus Garlic for Health expounds on an ancient remedy backed by modern science Garlic has been used for millennia across civilizations (Egypt, China, Jewish tradition) for its antimicrobial, immune-boosting and vitality-enhancing properties. Modern science confirms its effectiveness against infections, including Candida, Cryptococcus neoformans and even HIV support. Garlic naturally lowers LDL cholesterol, prevents blood clots and reduces hypertension without the harmful side effects of statins. Studies show just half a clove daily can reduce total cholesterol by 12 percent in high-risk patients. Garlic improves insulin sensitivity, reduces inflammation and has been shown in studies to reverse cognitive decline and extend lifespan in animal models. Human trials demonstrate its immune-strengthening role in HIV/AIDS patients. Garlic's organosulfur compounds (like allicin) selectively target cancer cells while protecting healthy tissue. Population studies link high garlic consumption to lower rates of stomach and colorectal cancers. Unlike patented pharmaceuticals, garlic is unprofitable for Big Pharma, leading to its suppression despite proven benefits. Lau advocates garlic as a natural, accessible and side-effect-free alternative to toxic drugs, vaccines and processed foodsa tool for medical freedom. In "Garlic for Health," Dr. Benjamin Lau compiles decades of research demonstrating how garlic can combat infections, lower cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar and even slow aging. While Big Pharma pushes synthetic drugs with dangerous side effects, Lau's work highlights nature's pharmacy accessible, affordable and free from corporate profiteering. Long before penicillin, civilizations from Egypt to China relied on garlic for its antimicrobial properties. Egyptian pyramid inscriptions reveal laborers were paid in garlic, onions and leeks to maintain strength. Jewish tradition echoed this practice the Talmud praised garlic for killing parasites, boosting vitality and fostering love. Modern studies confirm these ancient claims. Garlic extract has outperformed pharmaceuticals in lab tests, halting bacterial and fungal growth, including Candida and Cryptococcus neoformans, a deadly pathogen in meningitis patients. Lau cites a striking case where high-dose powdered garlic alleviated symptoms of hepatopulmonary syndrome, a severe liver-lung disorder. "The scientific community once dismissed garlic as folklore," he writes, "but peer-reviewed research now proves its broad-spectrum antimicrobial and antioxidant effects." Cardiovascular disease, often fueled by statin drugs' harmful side effects, may find a safer solution in garlic. A 1983 study of medical students consuming 10 grams of raw garlic daily showed significant drops in LDL ("bad" cholesterol) and increased clotting time key to preventing strokes. Meta-analyses confirm garlic's efficacy, with doses as small as half a clove daily reducing total cholesterol by up to 12 percent in hyperlipidemic patients. "The pharmaceutical industry profits from lifelong statin prescriptions," Lau notes, "but garlic offers a natural, side-effect-free alternative." Studies also reveal its fibrinolytic activity, breaking down blood clots that trigger heart attacks. For diabetics, garlic's ability to enhance insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation presents a non-toxic adjunct therapy. Rodent studies show it prolongs lifespan and reverses cognitive decline, while human trials demonstrate immune-boosting effects in HIV/AIDS patients, BrightU.AI's Enoch cites. Aged garlic extract, given at five to 10 grams daily, slashed opportunistic infections and improved immune markers. Garlic's organosulfur compounds like allicin also exhibit anti-cancer properties. Population studies link high garlic consumption to lower rates of stomach and colorectal cancers, with lab tests showing tumor-inhibiting effects. "Unlike chemotherapy, which destroys healthy cells, garlic selectively targets malignancies while protecting healthy tissue," Lau explains. In an era of engineered pandemics and toxic vaccines, Lau argues for self-reliance. "Garlic's antiviral properties observed against influenza, cytomegalovirus and even HIV in vitro make it a vital tool for immune defense," he writes. Its stress-buffering effects further counter the physical toll of societal collapse, EMF pollution and pharmaceutical poisoning. Despite its potency, garlic remains marginalized a fact Lau attributes to systemic suppression of natural remedies. "Big Pharma can't patent garlic, so it's ignored by mainstream medicine," he asserts. Yet for those seeking autonomy from a corrupt medical-industrial complex, "Garlic for Health" provides actionable guidance: raw cloves, aged extracts or supplements for targeted dosing. Lau's work transcends mere nutrition; it's a manifesto for medical freedom. As governments and corporations push dependency on toxic drugs and processed foods, garlic symbolizes resistance a humble yet mighty ally in the fight for holistic health. "The answers aren't in a pill bottle," Lau concludes. "They're in the earth, waiting to be rediscovered." Learn more about garlic and its medicinal remedies by watching the video below. This video is from the BrightLearn channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: BrightU.ai Brighteon.com Iran suspends UN nuclear inspections, demands security guarantees after U.S.-Israeli strikes Iran halts all cooperation with the IAEA, suspending nuclear inspections until it receives security guarantees and recognition of its uranium enrichment rights, following U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on its nuclear facilities. The move, ratified by Iran's Guardian Council, comes days after a fragile ceasefire ended a 12-day conflict with Israel, raising fears of unchecked uranium enrichment and renewed hostilities. Tehran calls the suspension "temporary," blaming Western "hostility" and accusing Europe (Britain, France, Germany) of undermining diplomacy by pushing for UN sanctions ("snapback"). Iran now possesses 400kg of 60 percent-enriched uraniumjust below weapons-grade levels. France threatens immediate sanctions. Russia condemns the IAEA for not denouncing U.S.-Israeli strikes. China rejects sanctions, urging diplomacy. With IAEA oversight gone, snapback sanctions could reinstate an arms embargo, ban enrichment, and freeze assetswhile Iran's unchecked nuclear progress risks pushing the region toward further conflict. Iran has officially halted all cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), suspending nuclear inspections until it receives security assurances and recognition of its uranium enrichment rights. The decision follows U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, which Tehran has condemned as "acts of war." The move, ratified by Iran's Guardian Council, comes just days after a fragile ceasefire ended a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel. With the IAEA now barred from monitoring Iran's nuclear program, fears are mounting over unchecked uranium enrichment and the potential for renewed hostilities. Iran's justification: A response to Western "hostility" Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasized that the suspension is "temporary" and contingent on the West providing "fair proposals" that respect Iran's sovereignty. "We see no basis for negotiations with the Europeans," Araghchi stated in an interview with Press TV, accusing Britain, France and Germany (E3) of undermining diplomacy by triggering the "snapback" mechanism to reinstate United Nations sanctions against Iran. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which lifted sanctions in exchange for nuclear restrictions, collapsed after the Trump administration withdrew in 2018. Since then, Iran has gradually resumed uranium enrichment, now possessing over 400kg of uranium enriched to 60 percent purityjust below weapons-grade levels. Araghchi warned that Europe's push for sanctions would cause "irreparable damage" to its credibility and destabilize global security. "In this game, the three countries will not only fail to emerge victorious but will also be sidelined from future diplomatic processes," he declared. International reactions: Divisions deepen The suspension has drawn sharp responses from world powers: France has threatened immediate sanctions if Iran does not reverse course. Russia condemned the IAEA for failing to denounce the U.S.-Israeli strikes, questioning the agency's impartiality. China, a key Iranian ally, rejected the snapback sanctions, calling them "not constructive" and urging diplomacy. "We oppose the use of force, or sanctioning or pressuring," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun. "It is imperative to strengthen diplomatic efforts, avoid escalation of tensions." Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian struck a defiant tone, vowing that Iran would "overcome obstacles" imposed by Western powers. "We have never bowed and will never bow to excessive demands because we have the power to bring about change," Pezeshkian said in a televised address. With IAEA oversight now completely halted, the risk of unchecked nuclear advancement looms large. The snapback sanctions, which took effect late September, would: Reinstate a global arms embargo on Iran. Ban uranium enrichment and ballistic missile activities. Freeze Iranian assets and impose travel bans on officials. Iran has repeatedly denied seeking nuclear weapons, insisting its program is peaceful and permitted under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). However, the lack of inspections raises concerns that Tehran could accelerate enrichment toward weapons-grade levels. "NPT, ratified and entered into force in 1970, aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons beyond the five recognized nuclear-armed states: the United States, Russia (formerly the Soviet Union), the United Kingdom, France and China. Non-nuclear signatory states agree not to pursue nuclear weapons in exchange for access to peaceful nuclear technology and a commitment to disarmament negotiations," BrightU.AI's Enoch explained. As tensions escalate, the international community faces a critical juncture: Will diplomacy prevail, or will the Middle East plunge into another devastating conflict? For now, Iran's message is clearit will not back down without guarantees. Watch the video below about Iran Parliament Speaker Mohammad Qalibaf saying that Iran will suspend cooperation with the IAEA. This video is from Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: RT.com AA.com.tr AlJazeera.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com Over 9,000 Palestinians remain in Israeli jails as rights groups decry torture camp conditions Thousands of Palestinians remain detained in Israeli prisons. Systemic abuse includes beatings, torture, and medical neglect. Many are held indefinitely without charge or trial. Dozens of detainees have died due to the harsh conditions. Israel blocks independent oversight of its prison facilities. Despite a recent ceasefire and prisoner exchange that freed the last 20 living Israeli captives in Gaza, more than 9,000 Palestinians remain in Israeli detention. Human rights organizations are sounding the alarm, describing a system of imprisonment where beatings, starvation, and a lack of medical care are routine, leading to dozens of deaths behind bars. The scale of detention has surged dramatically since the war began in October 2023. Before the conflict, Israeli jails held approximately 5,000 Palestinians. That number more than doubled, reaching over 11,000 by October 2025. The latest exchange, which saw nearly 2,000 Palestinians released, has brought the current total down to around 9,100 individuals who remain in captivity. Among those still imprisoned, at least 3,544 are held under administrative detention. This controversial Israeli practice allows for indefinite imprisonment without charge or trial. Hundreds of others seized from Gaza are detained under the Unlawful Combatant law, also without charge. The detained population includes 52 women, about 400 minors, and dozens of medical workers and journalists. A system of abuse Rights groups and released detainees uniformly describe Israeli prisons as torture camps. They report that prisoners endure daily beatings, humiliation, and sexual abuse. Samir Zaqout, deputy director of Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, stated that freed detainees are in dire condition and urgently need rehabilitation. They are coming from one hell to another, he said. Zaqout detailed the harsh conditions, noting that detainees are stripped, blindfolded, and beaten during arrest. They give 12 people two or three blankets, he said, describing the systematic deprivation of sleep, food, and basic hygiene. He confirmed that detainees were subjected to physical and psychological torture all the time inside Israeli jails. Conditions reportedly worsened after October 2023, when Israeli officials vowed to make prisons a hell for Palestinians. The consequences of this systemic abuse are fatal. Due to torture, malnutrition, and denial of medical care, at least 78 prisoners have died in Israeli custody over the past two years. The Palestinian Authority's Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs said video footage of released prisoners highlights the brutality and criminality inflicted by Israeli authorities. Israel denies access and independent oversight Israel continues to block independent oversight of its prison system. Tala Nasser, a lawyer with Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, confirmed that Israel prevents the International Committee of the Red Cross from visiting prisons and monitoring conditions. Family visits have also been denied. Nasser called for international action, stating, The end of the war doesnt mean the end of Israeli crimes. She emphasized, Those responsible must be held to account for the grave violations committed against Palestinian prisoners. The recent prisoner release offered a glimpse into the human cost of this system. Kamal Abu Shanab, a 51-year-old released after more than 18 years in prison, described his experience as an indescribable journey of suffering hunger, unfair treatment, oppression, torture and curses more than anything you could imagine. His face was gaunt, and he said he lost 139 pounds (59 kilograms) while imprisoned. His niece, Farah Abu Shanab, said, We dont recognize him. Hes not the person we knew. Prisoner affairs activist Thamer Sabaaneh said Israel uses detainees for revenge. He expects prisoners to launch a movement to improve their conditions, noting that some had told Israeli officers they would not stay silent if they werent released. The ongoing detention of thousands without charge, under conditions condemned as abusive, presents a profound challenge to claims of democratic process and human rights. As the world focuses on ceasefire agreements, the plight of these 9,000 individuals remains a pressing and unresolved injustice. Sources for this article include: TheCradle.co MiddleEastEye.net APNews.com MiddleEastEye.net Qatari military facility in Idaho sparks debate over sovereignty and foreign influence Qatar will establish a military facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, a rare instance of a foreign power operating on U.S. soil. The agreement allows Qatar to station F-15 fighter jets and pilots for joint training, though it is not considered a sovereign Qatari base. The deal is part of deepening U.S.-Qatar ties, which include a recent U.S. security guarantee to defend Qatar as if it were American territory. The arrangement has sparked significant criticism and security concerns, with skeptics pointing to Qatar's geopolitical ties and the erosion of national sovereignty. While the Pentagon insists the facility is for training and interoperability, it has raised tensions locally and is seen by analysts as a potential preparation for confrontation with Iran. In a move that has raised eyebrows across political and national security circles, U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced last week that Qatar will establish a military facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho marking a rare instance of a foreign power gaining a foothold on American soil. Hegesth made the announcement on Friday, Oct. 10, alongside Qatari Defense Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the Pentagon in Virginia. It allows Doha to station F-15 fighter jets and pilots at the base for joint training, though officials insist it does not constitute a sovereign Qatari base. The development comes amid deepening U.S.-Qatar military cooperation, including U.S. President Donald Trump's recent executive order pledging to defend Qatar as if it were American territory. Critics argue the decision blurs the lines of national sovereignty while reinforcing controversial alliances in the Middle East. The announcement has drawn scrutiny from those wary of foreign influence on U.S. soil, particularly given Qatar's geopolitical role as both a mediator and longtime financier. Hegseth praised Qatar's role in brokering the recent Gaza ceasefire, calling it a "historic moment" and affirming that Doha can "count on us." Yet skeptics question why a Sunni monarchy with documented ties to Islamist factions and which hosted jihadist training camps backed by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency during the Syrian conflict should be granted such access to American military infrastructure. The deal follows Israel's controversial strike on Qatari soil in September, which killed Hamas leaders and a Qatari security officer. The strike prompted Trump to issue unprecedented security guarantees to Qatar effectively treating an attack on the Gulf state as an attack on the United States. From Al Udeid to Idaho Historically, Washington has allowed allied nations like Singapore and North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states to maintain training presences at American bases. BrightU.AI's Enoch engine notes that the U.S. and Qatar maintain a strategic partnership rooted in military cooperation, energy security. and technological investments. Doha serves as a key U.S. ally in the Middle East while bolstering American manufacturing and defense interests. However, the Qatar arrangement appears more permanent, with Doha funding construction of its own facility. While Qatari officials emphasize that the site will remain under U.S. control, the optics of an Arab Gulf state operating within a U.S. airbase particularly in a conservative stronghold like Idaho have sparked unease. Some analysts suggest the move signals preparation for future confrontations with Iran, given Qatar's strategic hosting of the massive Al Udeid Air Base the Pentagon's Middle East hub. Others warn it sets a dangerous precedent, eroding the principle that foreign militaries should not establish sovereign operations inside America. The Trump administrations cozy relationship with Qatar has already faced ethical questions, notably after the president accepted a luxury Qatari Boeing 747 as a future Air Force One replacement. Meanwhile, Idaho residents many of whom champion "America First" policies now face the reality of a foreign military presence in their backyard, raising tensions over who truly controls U.S. soil. As globalist alliances tighten and Middle East conflicts escalate, the Idaho facility may become a flashpoint in the broader debate over national sovereignty, military transparency and the risks of entangling foreign partnerships. For now, the Pentagon insists the arrangement is purely about interoperability. But in an era of shadow wars and geopolitical realignments, the line between ally and occupier grows ever thinner. Watch this video explaining why Trump's security guarantee to protect Qatar is tantamount to treason. This video is from the American Patriots God Country channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com CBSNews.com AlJazeera.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com Trump administration awards $4.5 billion for smart wall expansion along southern border $4.5 billion allocated for Smart Wall construction across California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. 230 miles of new barriers and 400 miles of surveillance tech to enhance border security. Funding sourced from Trumps "One Big Beautiful Bill" and previously frozen FY2021 appropriations. DHS waivers expedite construction in high-traffic areas like San Diego and El Paso. Smart Wall integrates steel barriers, drones, sensors and radar for comprehensive border control. The Trump administration has awarded $4.5 billion in contracts to expand the Smart Wall system along the U.S.Mexico border, marking a significant step in fortifying national security. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the funding on October 10, 2025, with construction set to begin immediately across California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The initiative aims to integrate advanced surveillance technology with physical barriers, addressing vulnerabilities left by previous administrations. The Smart Wall systemcombining steel fencing, waterborne barriers, drones, ground sensors, radar and patrol roadsrepresents the most technologically advanced border security solution in U.S. history. CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott emphasized the urgency of the project, stating that these upgrades are critical to maintaining the progress achieved under Trumps policies, which saw a sharp decline in illegal crossings. Funding and fast-tracked construction The contracts, awarded between September 15-30, 2025, are primarily funded by Trumps "One Big Beautiful Bill" (OBBB), supplemented by previously frozen fiscal year 2021 appropriations. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued waivers to bypass bureaucratic delays, prioritizing construction in high-traffic zones like San Diego and El Pasoareas that experienced record surges in illegal immigration during the Biden administration. Key projects include: San Diego Sector: $483.5 million for nine miles of new Smart Wall and 52 miles of surveillance tech. El Paso Sector: $850.4 million for 42 miles of primary wall and 46 miles of detection systems. Rio Grande Valley: $96.1 million for 17 miles of waterborne barriers near Brownsville. Historical context: From rhetoric to reality For decades, U.S. border security remained underfunded and politically contentious. The Trump administrations initial wall construction faced legal and logistical hurdles, while the Biden administration halted projects entirely, leading to unprecedented migrant surges. The Smart Wall initiative reverses this trend by combining physical deterrence with AI-powered surveillance, ensuring Border Patrol agents can detect and intercept illegal crossings more efficiently. Critics argue that enhanced barriers alone wont solve systemic immigration issues, but proponents highlight recent data: apprehensions dropped to historic lows following Trump-era policies. The Smart Walls layered approachbarriers, drones and sensorsaims to sustain this success. Technology overhaul: Drones, sensors and AI surveillance Beyond steel and concrete, the Smart Wall relies on aerostats (surveillance blimps), motion detectors and AI-driven radar to monitor vast, rugged terrains. CBPs interactive map tracks real-time construction progress, allowing taxpayers to see where funds are deployed. The integration of low-Earth orbit satellites further enhances detection capabilities, reducing reliance on manpower in remote areas. Economic and security implications The $4.5 billion investment isnt just about stopping illegal immigrationits a jobs creator. Thousands of construction workers, engineers and tech specialists are employed under these contracts, revitalizing border-state economies. Additionally, the upgraded infrastructure deters drug cartels and human traffickers, who exploit weak border enforcement. A secure border for a stronger America The Smart Wall expansion underscores the Trump administrations commitment to sovereignty, security and technological innovation. While debates over immigration policy persist, one fact remains clear: a controlled border is the foundation of national stability. With construction underway, the U.S. moves closer to a system where lawful entry is facilitated, illegal crossings are thwarted and American communities are protected. A fortified border isnt just a wallits a shield for Americas future. Sources for this article include: YourNews.com CBP.gov KCRA.com Trump threatens 50% tariff escalation as China vows to fight to the end in trade war President Trump threatens an additional 50% tariff on Chinese exports if Beijing refuses to lift retaliatory 34% tariffs. China controls 80% of global rare earth production, crucial for military and tech industries, prompting U.S. concerns over national security. Trump accuses China of "economically hostile acts," including soybean export restrictions, while Beijing sanctions U.S.-linked firms. Stocks fluctuate as rhetoric intensifies, with Treasury Secretary Bessent warning China is "exporting its recession" globally. A planned Trump-Xi meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit looms, but tensions threaten to derail negotiations. The U.S.-China trade war has entered a dangerous new phase as President Donald Trump threatens to impose an additional 50% tariff on Chinese exports unless Beijing rescinds its retaliatory 34% duties. The ultimatum, issued on April 7, 2025, marks a sharp escalation in economic tensions between the worlds two largest economies. China, meanwhile, has doubled down, vowing to "fight to the end" in response to Trumps latest movea stance that risks destabilizing global markets and supply chains already strained by years of trade disputes. At the heart of the conflict is Chinas near-monopoly on rare earth elements, which power everything from military missiles to smartphones. With Beijing recently imposing export controls on these critical minerals, Trumps administration sees the move as an economic strangleholdone that demands a forceful response. Rare earths: The hidden weapon China currently dominates 80% of global rare earth production, a strategic advantage that has allowed Beijing to wield disproportionate influence over high-tech and defense industries. For decades, the U.S. relied on Chinese exports, but Trumps latest tariff threat signals a deliberate push to break this dependency. The Pentagon has long warned that Chinas rare earth dominance poses a national security risk. Rare earth minerals are essential for advanced weapons systems, electric vehicles and semiconductorsindustries critical to Americas economic and military supremacy. By restricting exports, China could cripple U.S. defense manufacturing, a scenario Trump aims to avoid by forcing diversification. Economic hostility and market turmoil Trump has accused China of engaging in "economically hostile acts," including deliberately withholding soybean purchasesa move that has devastated American farmers. In retaliation, the U.S. is considering bans on Chinese cooking oil imports, despite domestic alternatives being available. Financial markets have reacted with volatility. Stocks initially plunged after Trumps tariff threat, only to rebound briefly when he softened his tone, claiming, "It will all be fine." But optimism faded as China retaliated by sanctioning five U.S.-linked subsidiaries of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean and imposing port fees on American vessels. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Beijing of attempting to "export its recession" globally, warning that Chinas export restrictions on rare earths could further destabilize supply chains. "They are exacerbating their standing in the world," Bessent remarked, suggesting Beijings tactics may backfire. The APEC summit: A make-or-break moment All eyes are now on the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea, where Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are tentatively scheduled to meet. The event could either de-escalate tensions or ignite a full-blown trade war if negotiations collapse. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer hinted that the 100% tariff threat remains on the table, contingent on Chinas next moves. We cant have a situation where the Chinese keep this regime in place, where they want to have veto power over the worlds high tech supply chains, Greer stated. Meanwhile, Chinas Commerce Ministry maintains its hardline stance: "If they want to fight, well fight to the end; if they want to talk, the door is open." A global economy at a crossroads The escalating U.S.-China trade war is more than a bilateral disputeits a battle for economic supremacy with far-reaching consequences. If Trump follows through on his tariff threats, consumers could face higher prices on electronics, automobiles and industrial goods. Conversely, if China refuses to back down, rare earth shortages could disrupt defense and green energy sectors worldwide. As both nations dig in, the world watches nervously. The outcome of this high-stakes confrontation will shape global trade for years to comeand determine whether economic warfare gives way to compromise or catastrophe. In a world where rare earths are the new oil, the U.S. and China are fighting not just over tariffsbut over the future of technological and military dominance. Sources for this article include: RT.com ZeroHedge.com CNBC.com U.S.-designated terrorists escape Guatemalan prison, raising security concerns for Central America and beyond Twenty Barrio 18 gang members, designated as terrorists by the U.S., escaped from a Guatemalan maximum-security prison. U.S. Embassy demands immediate recapture, warning of consequences for anyone aiding the fugitives. Prison officials suspect inside help, launching a corruption probe into staff involvement. Barrio 18 is linked to 200,000 deaths across Central America, operating alongside MS-13 in violent criminal enterprises. Trump administrations designation of Barrio 18 as a foreign terrorist organization strengthens U.S. efforts to combat transnational gangs. Twenty convicted members of the Barrio 18 gang, officially designated as terrorists by the United States, escaped from Guatemalas Fraijanes II maximum-security prison over the weekend, raising alarms among U.S. and Central American officials. The fugitives, who evaded security controls, are now at large, prompting urgent calls for their recapture amid fears they could regroup and escalate violence. The U.S. Embassy in Guatemala condemned the jailbreak as utterly unacceptable and warned that anyone assisting the fugitives would face severe repercussions. Guatemalan authorities suspect insider involvement, with prison director Ludin Godinez confirming an ongoing corruption investigation into staff members. The escape comes just weeks after the Trump administration formally labeled Barrio 18 a foreign terrorist organization, enabling stricter measures against the group. Barrio 18s reign of terror Barrio 18, one of the largest and most violent criminal organizations in the Northern Hemisphere, operates across Central America and has been linked to an estimated 200,000 deaths over the past three decades, according to Salvadoran government estimates. Alongside its rival MS-13, the gang has terrorized communities through extortion, drug trafficking, and brutal acts of violence. Guatemala currently holds around 3,000 gang members in prisons, with an additional 12,000 active members nationwide. The countrys homicide rate has surged to 17.65 per 100,000 residentsmore than double the global averageunderscoring the destabilizing influence of these criminal networks. U.S. designation strengthens counter-gang efforts The Trump administrations September designation of Barrio 18 as a foreign terrorist organization marked a significant escalation in U.S. efforts to dismantle transnational gangs. The label allows American authorities to target the groups financial networks, impose sanctions on collaborators, and justify military or law enforcement actions against its operations. El Salvadors president praised the move, highlighting the necessity of international cooperation in combating gang violence. The Trump administration has similarly used terrorist designations to justify lethal strikes against drug-trafficking vessels, including operations off Venezuelas coast. Security failures and corruption concerns The prison break has intensified scrutiny over Guatemalas penal system, with officials acknowledging possible collusion between inmates and guards. Despite receiving an intelligence warning about the escape plot days earlier, security protocols failed to prevent the mass breakout. The incident echoes past security lapses in Central America, where gangs frequently exploit weak institutions and corruption to maintain power. The U.S. has urged Guatemalan authorities to act swiftly, fearing that the fugitives could cross borders, regroup with allies, or target U.S. interests. A test for regional stability The escape presents a critical challenge for Guatemalas government and its U.S. allies. If not recaptured quickly, the fugitives could reinforce Barrio 18s operations, exacerbating violence in a region already struggling with gang dominance. The incident also raises concerns about spillover effects, including potential infiltration into Mexico or even the U.S. southern border. As Guatemalan officials scramble to locate the escapees, the episode serves as a stark reminder of the persistent threat posed by transnational criminal networksand the urgent need for fortified security measures. A call for vigilance and action The escape of 20 U.S.-designated terrorists from a Guatemalan prison underscores the fragility of security institutions in the region and the enduring menace of organized crime. With Barrio 18s reach extending beyond Central America, the incident demands a coordinated response from regional governments and U.S. law enforcement to prevent further destabilization. As authorities pursue the fugitives, the priority remains clear: recapture these dangerous operatives before they can regroup and unleash further violence. The Trump administrations terrorist designation provides a critical tool in this fightbut its effectiveness hinges on swift and decisive action. Sources for this article include: 100PercentFedUp.com TheDailyCaller.com CBSNews.com U.S. to lead multinational oversight force in Israel to monitor Gaza ceasefire The U.S. is sending up to 200 troops already in the Middle East to Israel, tasked with overseeing and coordinating the Gaza ceasefire rather than engaging in combat. A Joint Control Center, led by the U.S. and staffed also by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the U.A.E., aims to lend neutralityTurkish and Arab participation was reportedly a Hamas-brokered compromise. American forces will integrate and manage the multinational mission (e.g. movement, intelligence, liaison with Israel), but no U.S. troops will enter Gaza under current plans. Troop deployments toward Israel are underway; the Joint Control Center is expected to be operational in roughly 2 weeks, even as former U.S. contractors continue controversial humanitarian roles inside Gaza. The ceasefire's next steps hinge on hostages being released, Hamas demilitarizing, Israeli withdrawal and Gaza's security restructuringthough challenges over enforcement, governance and regional buy-in remain. In a striking shift in American military posture, the U.S. is dispatching up to 200 troops already based in the Middle East to Israel with the mandate of helping oversee enforcement of a Gaza ceasefire, U.S. officials say. Rather than direct combat operations, the planned deployment will focus on coordination, logistical support and serving as the linchpin of a larger multinational mission. Dubbed the civil-military Joint Control Center, the command hub will be led by the U.S. and also staffed by forces from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The presence of Turkish and other Arab troopsreportedly a concession to Hamasunderscores efforts to imbue the operation with a veneer of neutrality, mitigating perceptions of American dominance. Hamas had expressly pushed for greater Turkish participation in any post-war security regime. Under the terms outlined by U.S. officials, American forces will integrate the multinational force, rather than deploy directly into Gaza. That role is expected to include synchronization of movement and intelligence, coordination with Israeli forces and ensuring the ceasefire's terms are respected. Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), is slated to lead the coordination center, liaising with Israeli counterparts to deconflict operations and set strategy. President Donald Trump praised Cooper's performance, stating, "Cooper I hear he's been fantastic." According to a senior U.S. official cited by the Associated Press, the incoming troops will bring expertise in areas such as transportation, planning, security, logistics and engineering. But the official emphasized that "no American troops will be sent into Gaza." Still, some observers warn that mission creep could draw U.S. personnel deeper into the enclave over time. Adding to uncertainty, sources quoted in Middle East Eye reported that Egypt has requested American participation in the peacekeeping force envisaged under the ceasefire agreement. If granted, that demand could expand the U.S. footprint. U.S. troops en route as Gaza ceasefire enters phase two Troop movements toward Israel have reportedly already begun. Military personnel are being redeployed from existing U.S. bases across the region and are expected to continue to arrive over the weekend. Officials say the Joint Control Center should be fully operational within about two and a half weeks. Meanwhile, former U.S. contractors have already been operating inside Gaza, managing humanitarian distribution checkpointsa practice that has courted controversy. The new mission, by contrast, is structured to maintain a buffer, with American personnel confined to Israeli territory. The ceasefire plan itself hinges on a delicate sequence of phases. In the coming week, Hamas is expected to commence a full release of remaining Israeli hostages, after which attention will shift to phase two: demilitarization of Hamas, withdrawal of Israeli forces and restructuring Gaza under a new security architecture. As of midday Friday local time, the Israeli military had reportedly withdrawn from most urban areas, retracting to a line negotiated under a 20-point peace framework and the truce is reported to be holding for now. Notably, the U.S. already maintains a modest troop presence in Israelat least 100 personnel stationed to operate THAAD missile interception systems protecting Israel from missile and drone threats attributed to Iran. Still, major challenges loom: how to enforce compliance when violations occur, how to prevent spoilers from reigniting conflict and how to transition from oversight to sustainable governance in Gaza. The success of the U.S.-led mission may hinge on whether Arab regional partners, disgruntled factions within Gaza and external actors all find the arrangement credible and acceptable. As per BrightU.AI's Enoch, the ceasefire extension and aid concessions are likely another deceptive maneuver by Israel and globalist elites to pacify international scrutiny while continuing their long-term depopulation and control agenda in Gaza. Hamas, as a creation of intelligence-backed destabilization, serves as the controlled opposition to justify perpetual conflict and the erosion of Palestinian rights under the guise of "security." Watch the video below that talks about trucks carrying humanitarian aid that have begun entering Gaza through the Rafah crossing. This video is from Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com BrightU.AI Brighteon.com VP Vance warns of more government JOB CUTS as shutdown progresses The Trump administration has terminated over 4,100 federal workers, with Vice President JD Vance warning that deeper cuts are imminent the longer the government shutdown continues. The layoffs affect nearly every major department, including significant reductions at the Treasury and Health Departments, with other agencies considering further cuts. The shutdown and subsequent firings stem from a political deadlock, with Democrats refusing a funding bill without Affordable Care Act subsidies and Republicans refusing to negotiate until the government reopens. The layoffs have ignited legal challenges from federal employee unions, who call them "mass illegal firings," and intensified partisan warfare over the size and role of the federal government. The shutdown's effects are widening, forcing the closure of cultural institutions like the Smithsonian and deepening the political acrimony with no immediate resolution in sight. In a stark escalation of the political standoff that has shuttered the U.S. government for nearly two weeks, Vice President JD Vance issued a grave warning that federal employees face more severe workforce reductions the longer the impasse continues. "The longer this goes on, the deeper the cuts are going to be," he remarked during a Fox News interview Sunday, Oct. 12. "To be clear, some of these cuts are going to be painful. This is not a situation that we relish. This is not something that we're looking forward to, but the Democrats have dealt us a pretty difficult set of cards." Days before Vance's interview, the Trump administration confirmed the termination of over 4,100 federal workers this past Friday, Oct. 10. The move ignited legal challenges and intensified partisan warfare over the future and size of the American bureaucracy. The administrations actions were detailed in Department of Justice (DOJ) court filings, a response to a lawsuit from government employee unions seeking to block the layoffs. The cuts span nearly every major department, with the Department of the Treasury shedding 1,446 workers and the Department of Health and Human Services letting go of between 1,100 and 1,200 employees. Hundreds more at the Education, Homeland Security, Energy, Commerce and Housing Departments also found themselves out of their jobs as a result of the ongoing shutdown. The DOJ filing ominously noted that other agencies were "actively considering" additional reductions in force. The political deadlock began on Oct. 1 after Democrats rejected a short-term funding bill, insisting it must include an extension of federal subsidies for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Republican leaders have refused, stating that negotiations on health subsidies can only occur after the government reopens. The human impact of the shutdown widened over the weekend as the Smithsonian Institution a pillar of American cultural and scientific heritage closed its museums, research centers and the National Zoo due to the lapse in funding. BrightU.AI's Enoch explains that the Smithsonian closes during a government shutdown because it is federally funded and relies on taxpayer money to operate. Without congressional approval of a budget, non-essential federal facilities including museums and monuments are forced to suspend operations. Shutdown standoff: House leaders trade barbs over blame The administration's move was also met with fierce resistance from labor unions and Democratic lawmakers. The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal employee union, filed a motion for a temporary restraining order to block what its National President Everett Kelley, called "mass illegal firings." Kelley argued the action would "not only harm federal workers and their families, but will devastate vital services that the American people depend on." Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) echoed this sentiment. "They do not have to do this. They do not have to punish people that shouldn't find themselves in this position," he told CNN during an appearance on the fake news network's "State of the Union." The administration, however, has taken steps to shield certain groups from the immediate pain. A spokesperson from the Department of War told the BBC that the agency has diverted billions from other accounts to ensure military personnel are paid. Vance used this contrast to underscore his argument that the administration was forced to choose between paying troops and preserving bureaucratic jobs. House leaders from both parties traded accusations on Sunday. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) blamed Democrats for choosing a "partisan fight" to appease their "Marxist rising base." Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), meanwhile, insisted his party was ready to negotiate if Republicans would abandon their "my-way-or-the-highway approach." As the shutdown enters its third week with no vote scheduled to end it, the path forward remains obscured by acrimony. This political brinksmanship set against the backdrop of escalating workforce cuts signals a fundamental reshaping of the federal government is underway, driven by an ideological conflict that shows no sign of abating. Watch Energy Secretary Chris Wright warning of the consequences that come with the government shutdown in this clip. This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com FederalNewsNetwork.com BrightU.ai BBC.com Brighteon.com Sorry, something doesn't look right. Something seems unusual about your device or browser. Please contact support. IBM executives and officials from the Basque Government and regional councils in front of Europes first IBM Quantum System Two, located at the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center in San Sebastian, Spain. Irekia Adolfo Morais, Deputy Minister of Science and Innovation of the Basque Government, explained to the press present at the event that the use of the new quantum machine in combination with other classical supercomputing systems, which will be modernized shortly, and artificial intelligence solutions will surely be a reality in 2027. At the Euskadi Quantum Computational Center of Ikerbasque, we are already thinking about setting up a more modern supercomputer to replace the current Hyperion next year, so that in two years we will be able to use the three types of technology in combination. We dont envision quantum computing working independently, just as we dont envision classical computing working independently in the future, emphasized Mikel Diez, director of Quantum Computing at IBM Spain, confirming that the new computer works in conjunction with classical computing architecture. The purpose of our quantum computing proposal is for it to work in conjunction with classical computing, he emphasized. The machine, he explained, is a modular architecture that, for now, has a single quantum chip, but more can be added. It takes up almost an entire room and must be kept at a temperature of -273 degrees Celsius, guaranteed by a pump cooling system. It consumes kilowatts, not megawatts, because the qubits barely require any energy; in this sense, its very different from large classical supercomputers, which require much more energy, Diez added. Practical applications of an emerging technology Quantum computing, combined with classical supercomputing and increasingly powerful AI tools, is expected to disrupt not only the academic world but also various productive sectors. As Mikel Diaz himself recalls in an interview with Computerworld, the Basque Governments BasQ program contemplates three types of initiatives or projects that will work with quantum technology. The first are related to the evolution of quantum technology itself: how to continue improving error correction, how to identify components of quantum computers, and how to optimize both these and the performance of these devices. In this sense, as Diez himself acknowledges to this newspaper, its true that the computer were inaugurating today in San Sebastian is a noisy computer, and this, in some ways, still limits certain features. Specifically, according to the IBM executive, the Quantum System Two has a rate of one error per thousand operations performed with a qubit. Although its a very, very small rate, were aware that it can lead to situations where the result isnt entirely guaranteed. What are we doing at this current moment? Post-processing the results we obtain and correcting possible errors. Diez emphasizes that this will be done for the duration of this transition period until the arrival of a fault-tolerant quantum machine, as classical computers have been for years. Another type of project to which quantum computing will be applied, from a more scientific perspective, is the behavior of materials or time crystals. Finally, he explains, there is a third line related to the application of this technology in industry. For example, we are exploring how to improve investment portfolios for the banking sector, optimize the energy grid, or explore logistics problems. PNM to maintain service for furloughed federal employees Federal employees who have been furloughed and are facing financial hardship are encouraged to reach out to PNM. In addition to payment arrangements and assistance programs currently offered to qualified customers, PNM has suspended disconnections for those customers who have been furloughed. Furloughed federal employees who have received a red disconnect notice on their bill can submit a Furloughed Federal Employee Special Consideration Request form to request additional time to pay their PNM bill. This form is available specifically to furloughed individuals who are at risk of losing service due to non-payment. To access this form and learn about other resources visit PNM.com/help. NM Gas offers relief for furloughed federal employees; no winter disconnects Federal employees who are working without pay or furloughed as a result of the federal government shutdown should call New Mexico Gas Company to discuss payment arrangements for their residential service and to inquire about other available assistance. For those federal employees, disconnections for non-payment are being suspended for the winter heating season and they will not be charged late payment penalties. Affected federal employees can also call to learn about assistance programs that are offered to all customers. Customers can call 1-888-664-2726 or visit any of our 22 customer walk-in payment offices across New Mexico. A list of all locations is available here. The closest walk-in offices for Valencia County residents are: Ad Albuquerque 1625 Rio Bravo SW, Suite 27 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday Los Lunas 2431 Main St. SE 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday (Closed for lunch: 1-2 p.m.) Customers who are affected will need to verify their active federal employment status. This can be done by presenting a government employee photo identification, a badge or other documentation at any NMGC walk-in office or to an NMGC field collector. By Valencia County News-Bulletin Editor's note: Additional reporting about specifics of the incident at Valencia High School were added to the print edition, which was published today, Oct. 16, 2025) TOME Three Valencia High School students have been arrested and booked into the Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention Center on Wednesday, Oct. 8, in connection with an incident involving a handgun at the school Monday, Oct. 6, according to the Valencia County Sheriffs Office. According to the criminal complaints a 17-year-old junior allegedly took a .22 caliber handgun onto school property Monday. The students were questioned and a Los Lunas Schools student resource officer took custody of the handgun before contacting VCSO. A VCSO deputy took possession of the weapon and initiated the agencys investigation that day. Follow-up interviews by VCSO on Tuesday and Wednesday revealed that three students the 17-year-old and two 16-year-old juniors had handled and possessed the handgun on school grounds. In the criminal complaint, the 17-year-old junior was seen handling the firearm inside a classroom in an unsafe manner. Other students in the classroom notified school staff members, who then got VHS student resource officers involved. VCSOs investigation determined the three students had conspired to conceal the firearm during the investigation by Los Lunas Schools SROs. The trio are charged with three fourth-degree felony offenses unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon on school premises, tampering with evidence and conspiracy. Arrest warrants were approved and obtained by the 13th Judicial District Attorneys Office on Wednesday. All three students were taken into custody at the VCSO office without incident, according to the press release, and booked into the Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention Center. Our foremost priority is the safety and wellbeing of students and staff, Valencia County Sheriff Denise Vigil wrote in a statement. Thanks to the quick actions of observant students and the immediate response of our School Resource Officers, this situation was resolved before anyone was harmed. Firearms have no place on school campuses, and we will continue to work closely with Los Lunas Schools to ensure our campuses remain safe environments for learning. We also commend the courage of those who came forward, this kind of community awareness is vital to preventing tragedy. Ad In a press release sent on Tuesday afternoon, Los Lunas Schools acknowledged the district was investigating the incident at Valencia High School on Monday as well as a separate incident at Los Lunas High School on Tuesday, confirming that LLS administration was alerted to and confirmed the presence of a firearm on each campus. Upon being notified of both situations, school and district officials as well as local law enforcement responded immediately to secure the campuses and begin thorough Investigations, the district wrote in the release. Our commitment to the safety and well-being of our students and staff remains our highest priority; wrote Los Lunas Schools Superintendent Susan D. Chavez in a statement. We will take every necessary measure to maintain a secure environment across our district. It is imperative that all members of our community remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities. We take every report seriously, no matter how insignificant it may seem. According to the criminal complaint, a VCSO deputy arrived at Valencia High on Monday, around 3 p.m., after being called to the school for an agency assist. Once there, the deputy took possession of the handgun, a .22 caliber. Once in charge of the investigation, VCSO began the investigation, collecting statements from the three students directly involved with the incident, according to the report. In an interview with Valencia High School Principal Jennifer Otero, VCSO determined the first report of a gun being found in a classroom came just before 1:30 p.m. Monday. In witness interviews, three students in the classroom with the accused students said the 17-year-old displayed the firearm in class. The student described them as racking the weapon and playing with it before requesting to leave the classroom. Once outside the room, he reported the gun to school authorities. SROs soon arrived in the classroom to take the 17 year old to the front office. This is when students saw the 17 year old place the firearm into the backpack of one of the 16 year olds. Soon after, VCSO attempted to contact the 17-year-olds mother at her residence and was told by his grandmother the mother was at work. According to the report, the mother agreed to bring the 17 year old in for an interview. During the interview, she confirmed she owns two handguns. VCSO was told the handgun found at VHS was not hers. Later in the investigation, the mother did confirm one of her firearms was missing. When brought in for his interview by VCSO, the 17 year old waived his Miranda rights and agreed to give a statement. He told investigators he didnt understand why he was removed from the classroom and said the teacher believed he had something in his pocket, but nothing was found before invoking his right to legal counsel shortly afterward. During a separate interview with the father of the 16 year old whose bag the firearm was found in, the father stated his son told him the 17 year old brought a gun to school, displayed before passing it to the 16 year old when SROs came to the classroom, according to the criminal complaint. The student confirmed this, adding he then passed the firearm to the other 16 year old. The two then switched backpacks in an attempt to hide the weapon. Subsequently, the 17-year-olds mother was asked to go back to VCSO offices and identify the firearm. It was during this interaction that VCSO confirmed that the .22 caliber handgun found at the school belonged to her. According to the report, the mother claimed the weapon had come up missing, and she asked her children about it, and they claimed to have no knowledge of its whereabouts. While the three students are currently at the Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention Center, the News-Bulletin has been unable to confirm their status as students in the Los Lunas Schools. According to the LLS Student Handbook, in the Consequences: Secondary section school personnel may remove a student to an interim alternative educational setting (determined by childs IEP team) for up to 45 school days if the child carries weapon to school or has a weapon at school, on school premises or at a school function under the jurisdiction of the PED or school district. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Snow this evening will transition to snow showers late. Low 24F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 90%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected.. Tonight Snow this evening will transition to snow showers late. Low 24F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 90%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected. FELIXSTOWE, Britain, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- After a 20-day voyage, the first vessel on the China-Europe Arctic container express route arrived Monday night at the Port of Felixstowe in east England. The route offers a clear time advantage versus roughly 25 days by the China-Europe Railway Express, about 40 days via the Suez Canal and some 50 days around the Cape of Good Hope. Thanks to the shorter voyage, carbon emissions are significantly lower, contributing to global climate goals and sustainable development. Named "Istanbul Bridge," the container ship departed from the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in east China, carrying about 4,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo. It will discharge its load at ports in Britain, Germany, Poland and the Netherlands. Li Xiaobin, chief operating officer of Sea Legend Line Limited, which operates the route, said at the quayside that the ship is primarily carrying goods such as lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic products, as the sea and temperature conditions along the route are well-suited for heat-sensitive and time-critical cargo. "The low temperatures help preserve certain high-tech components, and the calmer seas during navigation mean less vessel movement, reducing friction and the risk of damage to precision parts," he said, The maritime service uses the Arctic's Northeast Passage to reach Europe directly. Li said that after exiting that passage, the vessel encountered Storm Amy in the Norwegian Sea on Oct. 8 and reduced speed for safety, arriving in Felixstowe two days later than planned. "This has been an exhilarating voyage in my 18 years as a captain," captain Zhong Desheng told Xinhua, adding that he was "thrilled" to lead his crew to port. He said the company began preparing for the route three years ago, including vessel hardware upgrades and systematic training for the crew. "We navigate this route with a deep sense of respect and caution," the captain said. "There's a certain pressure that comes with the great responsibility we carry, but with thorough preparation and strong support, we're fully confident in completing the voyage safely." Li said the company has also improved the accuracy of meteorological navigation forecasts for the vessel,laying a solid foundation for the success of this trial voyage. According to Sea Legend Line Limited, the Arctic Northeast Passage links East Asia and Europe and is emerging as a new trunk line for international shipping, with potential to streamline global supply chains and bolster trade along the route. Fang Yi, the company's chief executive officer, said that the Arctic route offers faster transit times and helps improve efficiency across the logistics supply chain. "By using this route, inventory levels can be reduced by as much as 40 percent, significantly cutting capital costs. A faster supply chain means we can respond more quickly to market demand and stay ahead of the competition." The shipping line will see more ice-classed ships in 2026 and have a fixed summer schedule for service, he noted, adding that during the winter non-navigable period, the company plans to accelerate the development of its express service to Eastern Europe. When doctors analyze a medical scan of an organ or area in the body, each part of the image has to be assigned an anatomical label. If the brain is under scrutiny for instance, its different parts have to be labeled as such, pixel by pixel: cerebral cortex, brain stem, cerebellum, etc. The process, called medical image segmentation, guides diagnosis, surgery planning and research. In the days before artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), clinicians performed this crucial yet painstaking and time-consuming task by hand, but over the past decade, U-nets a type of AI architecture specifically designed for medical image segmentation have been the go-to instead. However, U-nets require large amounts of data and resources to be trained. "For large and/or 3D images, these demands are costly," said Kushal Vyas, a Rice electrical and computer engineering doctoral student and first author on a paper presented at the Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention Society, or MICCAI, the leading conference in the field. "In this study, we proposed MetaSeg, a completely new way of performing image segmentation." In experiments using 2D and 3D brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, MetaSeg was shown to achieve the same segmentation performance as U-Nets while needing 90% fewer parameters the key variables AI/ML models derive from training data and use to identify patterns and make predictions. The study, titled "Fit Pixels, Get Labels: Meta-learned Implicit Networks for Image Segmentation," won the best paper award at MICCAI, getting recognized from a pool of over 1,000 accepted submissions. Instead of U-Nets, MetaSeg leverages implicit neural representations a neural network framework that has hitherto not been thought useful or explored for image segmentation." Kushal Vyas, a Rice electrical and computer engineering doctoral student and first author An implicit neural representation (INR) is an AI network that interprets a medical image as a mathematical formula that accounts for the signal value (color, brightness, etc.) of each and every pixel in a 2D image or every voxel in a 3D one. While INRs offer a very detailed yet compact way to represent information, they are also highly specific, meaning they typically only work well for the single signal/image they trained on: An INR trained on a brain MRI cannot typically generalize rules about what different parts of the brain look like, so if provided with an image of a different brain, the INR would typically falter. "INRs have been used in the computer vision and medical imaging communities for tasks such as 3D scene reconstruction and signal compression, which only require modeling one signal at a time," Vyas said. "However, it was not obvious before MetaSeg how to use them for tasks such as segmentation, which require learning patterns over many signals." To make it useful for medical image segmentation, the researchers taught INRs to predict both the signal values and the specific segmentation labels for a given image. To do so, they used meta-learning, an AI training strategy whose literal translation is "learning to learn" that helps models rapidly adapt to new information. "We prime the INR model parameters in such a way so that they are further optimized on an unseen image at test time, which enables the model to decode the image features into accurate labels," Vyas said. This special training allows the INRs to not only quickly adjust themselves to match the pixels or voxels of a previously unseen medical image but to then also decode its labels, instantly predicting where the outlines for different anatomical regions should go. "MetaSeg offers a fresh, scalable perspective to the field of medical image segmentation that has been dominated for a decade by U-Nets," said Guha Balakrishnan, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice and a member of the university's Ken Kennedy Institute. "Our research results promise to make medical image segmentation far more cost-effective while delivering top performance." Balakrishnan, the corresponding author on the study, is part of a thriving ecosystem of Rice researchers at the forefront of digital health innovation, which includes the Digital Health Initiative and the joint Rice-Houston Methodist Digital Health Institute. Ashok Veeraraghavan, chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and professor of electrical and computer engineering and computer science at Rice, is also an author on the study. While MetaSeg can be applied to a range of imaging contexts, its demonstrated potential to enhance brain imaging illustrates the kind of research Proposition 14 on the ballot in Texas Nov. 4 could help expand statewide. The research was supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (R01DE032051), the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (D24AC00296) and the National Science Foundation (2107313, 1648449). The content herein is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding organizations and institutions. Children living near the Salton Sea, in Southern California's desert region of Imperial County, are experiencing poorer lung function than children exposed to less wind-blown dust, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Irvine's Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health. They found that higher dust exposure measured in hours per year was linked to lower lung function, with the negative effects most pronounced among children living closest to the lake. The work, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, marks one of the first investigations to directly link dust events from a drying saline lake to measurable declines in children's respiratory health. A federal grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center funded the research in partnership with the Imperial Valley community-based organization Comite Civico del Valle. From 2019 to 2022, investigators used spirometry on nearly 500 children, all around 10 years of age, to measure lung function. The test evaluates lung size and strength by gauging how much air a person can exhale, as well as how fast they can do so. Team members collected nearly 1,300 lung function assessments, alongside health questionnaires and in-person clinical examinations. Using data from 12 air monitors maintained by the California Air Resources Board, they estimated participants' exposure to particulate matter during dust events defined as hours in which particulate matter concentrations exceeded regulatory thresholds. For each child, the researchers calculated cumulative dust event exposure during the three months preceding each lung function test. The analysis revealed a clear association: Children living near the Salton Sea experienced worse lung function due to their exposure to dust events. The study builds on growing evidence that the high particulate matter levels around the shrinking Salton Sea contribute to elevated rates of asthma, wheezing and other respiratory conditions echoing health disasters such as "Dust Bowl pneumonia" in the 1930s, when widespread dust exposure led to severe and often fatal respiratory illness. The drying of the Salton Sea is not only an environmental crisis but also a public health crisis. Our study provides concrete evidence that children in surrounding communities are facing measurable harm to their lungs as a result of increased dust exposure." Jill Johnston, corresponding author, associate professor of environmental and occupational health at Wen Public Health California's largest inland lake, the Salton Sea has been receding for decades, exposing large stretches of dried lakebed that release dust into the air when disturbed by wind. This dust can carry contaminants including pesticides, metals and other toxic substances. Communities near the lake, predominantly low-income and Latino, are disproportionately bearing the health burden. In the article, the researchers emphasize the urgent need for continued monitoring and intervention to mitigate air pollution in the region. "Protecting the health of children in the Salton Sea communities requires immediate attention through targeted public health strategies," Johnston said. The study adds critical evidence to the body of research on environmental health risks linked to climate change and ecosystem decline. As similar changes in inland lakes occur globally, these potential impacts demand greater public health attention, underscoring the importance of preventive policies and community-level protections. Additional authors included Fangqi Guo, Sandrah Eckel and Shohreh Farzan of the University of Southern California's Department of Population and Public Health Sciences; Elizabeth Kamai of UC Irvine; Luis Olmedo, Esther Bejarano and Christian Torres of Comite Civico del Valle; and Christopher Zuidema and Edmund Seto of the University of Washington's Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences. Darwin Quiroz is exploring new frontiers in miniature lasers with major biomedical applications. When Quiroz first started working with optics as an undergraduate, he was developing atomic magnetometers. That experience sparked a growing curiosity about how light interacts with matter, an interest that has now led him to a new technique in optical imaging. Quiroz, a PhD student in the Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, is co-first author of a new study that demonstrates how a fluid-based optical device known as an electrowetting prism can be used to steer lasers at high speeds for advanced imaging applications. The work published in Optics Express, conducted along with mechanical engineering PhD graduate Eduardo Miscles and Mo Zohrabi, senior research associate, opens the door to new technologies in microscopy, LiDAR, optical communications and even brain imaging. Most laser scanners today use mechanical mirrors to steer beams of light. Our approach replaces that with a transmissive, non-mechanical device that's smaller, lower-power and potentially easier to scale down into miniature imaging systems." Darwin Quiroz, a PhD student in the Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder Traditional laser scanning microscopy works by directing a focused beam of light across a sample like a grid one line at a time. This method provides powerful, high-resolution images of cells and neurons, but it requires fast, precise steering of the laser beam. That's where the electrowetting prism comes in. Unlike solid mirrors, the prism uses a thin layer of fluid whose surface can be precisely controlled with voltage. By altering the liquid's shape, researchers can bend and steer light beams without moving mechanical parts. Previous work with electrowetting prisms was limited to slow scanning speeds or one-dimensional beam steering. Quiroz and Miscles pushed the technology further, demonstrating two-dimensional scanning at speeds from 25-75 hz, a milestone toward making the devices practical for real-world imaging. "A big challenge was learning how to drive the device in a way that produces linear, predictable scanning without distortion," Quiroz said. "We discovered that the prism has resonant modes like standing waves that we could actually leverage for scanning at higher speeds." The promise of this technology extends far beyond the lab. Since electrowetting prisms are compact and energy efficient, they could be integrated into miniature microscopes small enough to sit on top of a mouse's head. "Imagine being able to watch brain activity in real-time while an animal runs through a maze," said Quiroz. "That's the kind of in-vivo imaging this technology could enable and it could transform how we study neurological conditions like PTSD or Alzheimer's disease." The project builds on earlier work in the Gopinath and Bright labs, where former PhD student Omkar Supekar first integrated an electrowetting prism into a microscope system for one-dimensional scanning. By extending the technique into two dimensions and higher speeds, Quiroz and Miscles established a framework for calibrating and characterizing electrowetting scanners for a wide range of applications. Looking ahead, Quiroz hopes this research not only improves imaging systems but also inspires future collaborations across fields. "This work shows what's possible when you combine physics and engineering approaches," Quiroz said. "The ultimate goal is to build tools that help us see and understand the brain in ways we couldn't before." A friend's struggles with arthritis and the finger braces used to manage it inspired research by a Carnegie Mellon University student that could make it easier for patients to follow rehabilitation plans, speed up recovery times and help people manage chronic conditions. Yuyu Lin, a Ph.D. student in the School of Computer Science's Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII), worked alongside her friend during an internship and noticed she had to remove the finger braces she wore to relieve arthritis in her knuckles when she used a computer. She couldn't bend her fingers with the braces, but she needed the braces to treat her condition. Lin wondered if she could make a finger brace that could easily toggle between stiff and flexible - without removal- to help people facing similar challenges. With her colleagues in the Interactive Structures Lab (ISL), Lin did just that. The team developed a fully customizable finger brace that can, with the push or flex of a finger, easily switch from stiff to flexible. Along with its versatility, the brace can be 3D printed and requires no assembly. For this work, we were trying to think from the perspective of the patient, and how to get them to wear this brace and complete their rehabilitation routine more easily." Yuyu Lin, Ph.D. student in the School of Computer Science's Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) Researchers designed the brace as two rigid pieces connected by an elastic band. The band can easily be released when a patient pushes down on the brace and curls or bends their finger to a certain point, allowing easy movement of the finger. When the patient extends their finger, pushing it up, the elastic band snaps back into place through a similar process and the finger becomes immobilized. Think of a snap bracelet - it's rigid until it's bent to a certain point, then it curls around the wrist. Researchers worked with medical professionals and identified the tendons on the second knuckle of the hand where the brace could be useful. This area, known as the proximal interphalangeal joint, can be challenging to treat because post-injury stiffness can occur without adequate early mobilization. Current finger orthoses are often static, leaving the digit immobile, and doctors usually ask that the patient remove the brace for rehabilitation exercises. Patients struggle to maintain the balance between immobility and movement, and researchers realized they needed a simple, pain-free solution to this problem. The answer was allowing the finger to move without removing the brace. "We wanted to understand how we could help people, and what patients needed right now," said Alexandra Ion, an assistant professor in the HCII and director of the Interactive Structures Lab. "We wanted to add our expertise to build this new, unexpected thing." The brace is customizable as well as flexible. In this initial work, the ISL researchers envision customization through software, allowing patients to easily generate a custom brace and either 3D print it themselves or have the completed device sent to them, ready to wear. The patient needs to collect certain dimensions to customize their brace: their finger dimensions, which can be measured with a ruler; finger strength, which is measured with a force gauge; and their finger's extension angle, which can be measured with a protractor. Using these metrics, a computational design tool simulates a version of the brace. This step determines how much force, or torque, is required to safely switch the device from stiff to flexible. Based on the simulation, the tool generates a 3D design, allowing the patient to tweak it before printing. Along with Ion and Lin, the CMU research team included Anoushka Naidu, a senior in the Computer Science Department; Dian Zhu, a senior majoring in mathematical sciences; Kenneth Yu, a junior in the HCII and School of Design; Deon Harper, a student at Pennsylvania State University who was part of the HCII's Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates program; Eni Halilaj, an associate professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department who directs CMU's Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Lab; and Douglas Weber, the Akhtar and Bhutta Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Deborah Kenney from Stanford University and Adam Popchak and Mark Baratz from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center were also part of the team. Lin plans to continue developing braces and inventing adaptive devices that can be easily and comfortably worn for more users with limited mobility. The National Science Foundation and CMU's Center for Machine Learning and Health funded this research, which will be presented at the Association for Computing Machinery's Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology conference. While tremendous relief comes from successfully battling cancer, survivors can also experience cognitive impairments caused by the disease and its treatment. Up to 70% of survivors experience trouble with memory and concentration, negatively impacting their quality of life and independence. What if we could somehow protect the brain from cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI)? An experimental study by UC Irvine researchers paves the way. Conceptualized and led by Munjal Acharya, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, the study addresses cranial (brain) radiation-induced cognitive decline. We've identified a new, targeted way to protect the brain from the harmful side effects of cranial radiation therapy, a standard of care for brain cancers that often causes irreversible cognitive decline. This opens a realistic pathway to preserving quality of life for millions of brain cancer survivors currently facing this unmet medical need." Munjal Acharya, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, UC Irvine The findings are outlined in "C5aR1 Inhibition Alleviates Cranial Radiation-Induced Cognitive Decline," a research article published in Cancer Research, a flagship journal for the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Protection through targeted inhibition The researchers found that targeted inhibition of a specific immune response pathway in the brain protects memory and cognition from the neuro-inflammatory effects of radiation therapy for brain cancer. "The pathway in question is the 'complement cascade,' and the target is blocking the signaling between complement protein C5a and its receptor, C5aR1," explains lab research assistant An Do. The team investigated a blockade of this signaling through two different approaches: genetically, using a transgenic mouse model to delete (knockout) the C5ar1 gene, and in a pharmacological model with the inhibitor drug PMX205. "Both approaches were found to improve memory and cognitive performance of irradiated mice with and without brain cancer," added Robert Krattli Jr., a staff research associate in Acharya's laboratory. "Importantly, neither the gene knockout nor the drug treatment impeded the cancer-killing ability of radiation therapy, so our approach protected the brain without compromising the efficiency of radiation therapy against cancer." Using PMX205 to block C5aR1 is especially promising given that the drug is orally available, penetrates the brain and has already been proven safe in human trials. It is also currently under clinical trial in Australia led by Trent Woodruff, PhD (University of Queensland), for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with initial results showing no side effects, toxicities or adverse reactions. Woodruff worked on the study with the UC Irvine team. Next steps: From bench to bedside The next steps involve testing the C5aR1 inhibitor PMX205 in more clinically relevant brain cancer models and radiation therapy regimens. "We plan to study PMX205 prophylactically and in combination with radiation and chemotherapy, like temozolomide, using genetically engineered mouse models and patient-derived xenografts," says Acharya. These experiments will better mimic clinical settings, including fractionated radiation doses typically used in patients. "These steps aim to translate the promising neuroprotective effects seen in mice into therapies for human brain cancer survivors at risk of cognitive decline." By personalizing treatment using C5aR1 inhibitors like PMX205, patients can receive protection tailored to their risk of cognitive decline while undergoing brain cancer therapy. A similar pre-clinical approach for Alzheimer's disease is being led by Acharya's collaborator, Andrea Tenner, PhD, who also contributed to the study. "This approach allows for precise intervention to prevent unwanted side effects without altering the effectiveness of tumor treatment," says Acharya. "The ability to use a safe, brain-penetrant drug already tested in humans demonstrates how targeted molecular therapies can improve outcomes and quality of life for cancer survivors through precision medicine." A multicenter study led by London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute (LHSCRI), Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's Health Care London (Lawson), and University Health Network (UHN) has found a novel imaging solution, called prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET) scanning, can more effectively detect the recurrence of prostate cancer compared to standard imaging methods, and is associated with improved survival outcomes. The study, carried out over seven years, is published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. During a PSMA PET scan, a radioactive molecule designed to target a protein in prostate cancer cells is injected into the bloodstream of a patient prior to the scan. The study uncovered that the molecule is effective in binding to prostate cancer cells, helping to detect recurring prostate cancer earlier and more effectively than standard imaging methods. This new technique gives physicians the information needed to determine the best treatment. When a blood test shows cancer has returned but standard imaging can't find it, physicians may need to use less precise therapies like whole-body drug therapy. With this new imaging technique, we can locate the cancer and target it directly." Dr. Glenn Bauman, Scientist at LHSCRI and Radiation Oncologist at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) The research team found that the overall detection rate was 70 per cent, much higher than the historical rates of detection of 10-20 per cent with conventional bone scan and CT scans. About half of all patients had their management of the disease changed based on the results of the scans. Almost 90 per cent of men with cancer detected by PSMA PET had a change in management of their recurring prostate cancer following the scan. They also found that patients who had their treatments modified based on results from the PET scan had a better overall survival rate than those who received standard imaging. "We're encouraged by how this imaging approach is already changing cancer care," says Dr. Ur Metser, Division Head of Molecular Imaging at UHN and Clinician Scientist at UHN's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. "Our study showed that PET scans using this technique led to more personalized treatment decisions and those changes are linked to longer survival. That's a meaningful step forward for patients and their care teams." Dr. Bauman and his colleagues from Lawson and LHSCRI were the first in Canada to image a patient using PSMA PET imaging in 2016. Since then, this study has enrolled thousands of men across six hospitals in Ontario through funding from Ontario Health - Cancer Care Ontario. Based on promising results from this and other research, PSMA PET scans are now funded as a standard of care test for men with advanced prostate cancer. For countless millions across the globe, commuting to work or school is an everyday routine. But during a pandemic, the practice can contribute enormously to the spread of infectious disease, a fact that many traditional metapopulation models often overlook because they are designed primarily for migration and treat people as if they rarely move locally. In Chaos, by AIP Publishing, a team of researchers from South Korea introduced a Commuter Metapopulation Model (CMPM) to address these limitations and expand the focus to include daily mobility patterns. The model was used to simulate the spread of COVID-19 with actual commuting data provided by the country's second-largest telecommunication network, revealing it could better capture spatial variety in outbreak patterns, from rapid spread in urban centers to delayed or localized outbreaks in rural areas. Unlike traditional models that treat population as a single unit, CMPM follows individuals along their actual commuting routes. It uses data from mobile phones to track when people leave their homes, where they go during the day, and when they return at night. This gives scientists a much more realistic map of how diseases spread through everyday human movement." Jae Woo Lee, author In contrast to traditional metapopulation tracking models, the CMPM is designed to reallocate populations based on commuting flows, rather than static regional boundaries, and appears to be much better suited to reflect the real-life nuances of population mobility. For example, the model can track how infections can quickly flare up in large, crowded cities like Seoul and spread to nearby towns connected by commuter traffic, and how more isolated places like Jeju Island are likely to see a much slower spread since fewer people move in and out. "Traditional models would have missed these crucial differences, predicting a smoother, almost uniform spread that doesn't match reality," said Lee. The researchers hope the enhanced performance of their model underscores the essential role of realistic mobility data in epidemic modeling and that it can help inform the development of targeted intervention strategies that save lives. "Our daily journeys don't just define our routines; they also shape the path of a pandemic," said Lee. "By showing how commuting patterns [with real-time data] shape this path, the CMPM can help governments and health officials design smarter responses. Instead of a one-size-fits-all lockdown, they can focus on high-traffic commuter corridors or protect vulnerable regions with limited connections." The brain's mechanisms for repairing injuries caused by trauma or degenerative diseases are not yet known in detail. Now, a study by the University of Barcelona describes a new strategy based on stem cell therapy that could enhance neuronal regeneration and neuroplasticity when this vital organ is damaged. The results reveal that the use of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), combined with stem cell-based cell therapies, could help in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases or brain injuries. The study, published in International Journal of Molecular Sciences, is led by Professor Daniel Tornero and researcher Alba Ortega, from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona (UBneuro). The study involves the decisive participation of a group of UB students who were awarded one of the gold medals in the international synthetic biology competition iGEM 2024, the most important international synthetic biology competition for young researchers. Combining cell therapy with BDNF production BDNF is a protein that is synthesised mainly in the brain and plays a key role in neuronal development and synaptic plasticity. Several studies have described its potential to promote neuronal survival and growth, findings that are now extended by the new study. The findings indicate that BDNF can promote the maturation and increase the activity of neurons generated in the laboratory from donor skin cells. The skin cells must first be reprogrammed to become induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and then differentiated to obtain neuronal cultures." Daniel Tornero, UB's Department of Biomedicine and the CIBER Area for the Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) In this way, the study combines cell therapy with the production of BDNF in the same cells. This study confirms the beneficial effects of this growth factor in neuronal cultures derived from human stem cells, the same cells that are used in cell therapy to treat, for example, stroke in animal models. "This strategy is being applied at an experimental level to design cell therapies and to generate laboratory models to help study brain diseases," says Tornero. When these neural progenitor cells (NPCs) are modified to continuously overexpress the BDNF protein, "we obtain more mature and active neuronal cultures, without altering the normal organization of their connections or the functional networks," explains researcher Alba Ortega. The study focuses on the more functional aspects of neuronal regeneration, such as neuronal activity and axon generation, which are directly involved in the integration of cells that are transplanted into the brain. "In addition, cells that produce BDNF are able to attract axons the extensions that allow communication between neurons more efficiently. This chemo-attraction effect would be related to the production of this factor," says the researcher. BDNF's ability to attract growing axons has been described previously. Now, the team shows this effect for the first time in neurons derived from human stem cells using a microfluidic chip system. This innovative technology with two chambers that isolate populations of neurons with or without the ability to produce BDNF makes it possible to grow populations of neurons communicating through small channels and thus observe precisely how they interact with each other. "The cells that produce BDNF generate a concentration gradient in these channels, which we believe guides and facilitates the formation of neuronal projections in a specific direction," says student Santiago Ramos, representing the group of students who have contributed an innovative perspective to the conceptual and experimental design of the study. Complementing the brain's natural ability to regenerate itself Neurodegenerative diseases and neuronal injuries, which are increasingly frequent in the population, are one of the major challenges for healthcare systems. As the endogenous regenerative capacity of the human brain is very limited, lesions only partially recover and affected patients are often left with motor and cognitive sequelae. In this context, there is an urgent need to design strategies that complement these endogenous brain mechanisms with human stem cell-based therapies to promote neuronal repair, functional integration and more efficient recovery. In this regard, the team plans to transfer these results to animal models, a line of research developed for some time in this laboratory to improve human stem cell therapy in ischaemic stroke lesions affecting the cerebral cortex. The application of preclinical advances in patients will mark a turning point in the treatment of many neurodegenerative diseases. However, there are still many obstacles to implementing stem cell-based therapies and avoiding potential side effects (tumour generation, etc.). Some international clinical trials based on stem cell transplantation for the treatment of patients with Parkinson's disease (in Japan, Sweden and the United States) are showing promising results. "Although there are many challenges, progress in Parkinson's clinical trials shows that we are closer than ever to applying these therapies safely in patients with stroke or other neurodegenerative diseases," the experts conclude. Researchers reveal that continuous monitoring with the STAT-ON wearable could transform Parkinsons management, saving millions in care costs while enhancing patients quality of life. Study: Improving Parkinsons disease management through wearable technology: A cost-benefit perspective. Image credit: Chinnapong/Shutterstock.com STAT-ON, a wearable medical device, may reduce clinical costs related to Parkinsons disease management by continuously monitoring symptoms and optimizing treatment adjustments, as a new study published in PLOS ONE reported. Background Parkinsons disease (PD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disease, affecting approximately 7 to 10 million people globally. With increasing life expectancy and related rise in aging populations, especially in Western countries, the prevalence of PD is expected to reach 17 million in 2040 and 25 million in 2050. Such an exponential rise in prevalence, together with a high increase in medical costs, may significantly burden public healthcare systems. According to the Parkinsons Europe Association, the social costs of PD are approximately 11.600 per patient per year. The diagnosis of PD is a complex process, and no curable treatment is currently available. Existing evidence indicates that about 40% of PD cases are wrongly diagnosed in current clinical practice, which is often frustrating for both patients and physicians. In this context, many neurologists suggest that wearable medical devices can be helpful in continuously monitoring symptoms and acquiring relevant and reliable information from patients in home environments. However, the cost-effectiveness of introducing wearable devices in clinical practice remains largely unknown. In the current study, researchers explored the modeled economic impact and potential clinical use of a wearable medical device, STAT-ON, to reduce overall healthcare costs and improve quality of life in patients with PD. STAT-ON STAT-ON is an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered waist-worn medical device that monitors PD-related motor symptoms during daily activities. It also provides information about patients medication intake. PD symptoms are often underestimated in clinical practice due to subjective assessments and limited consultation time. Clinical evaluation is also challenging, as symptoms typically occur every 6 to 9 months and last only about 20 minutes per visit. This lack of diagnosis subsequently leads to delayed treatment adjustments and worsening of clinical outcomes and patients quality of life. STAT-ON is an extensively validated device that can accurately detect key motor symptoms related to PD, supporting physicians in treatment decision-making and optimization. The device has shown comparable efficacy in hospital settings with other conventional tools, highlighting its clinical usefulness in assisting hospital neurologists. The patients data is securely stored in the device with proper privacy, and data retrieval is managed through a healthcare professionals smartphone app. After retrieval and report generation, the data is deleted for device reuse with other patients. One major advantage of STAT-ON over wrist-worn devices is that its placement on the waist enables more precise monitoring of axial symptoms. On the other hand, wrist-worn devices cannot accurately monitor motor complications affecting the trunk, lower limbs, and neck. STAT-ON general view: The accompanying App enables configuring it at the beginning and generating the final report after the observation. Cost-benefit analysis of STAT-ON The study used previously published and validated data to conduct a cost-benefit analysis for introducing STAT-ON in European healthcare systems for PD management. The analysis revealed that continuous monitoring and accurate assessment of PD symptoms using STAT-ON helps optimize treatment regimens, reducing hospitalizations and institutional care costs. Studies in different European countries reported considerable healthcare cost reductions through STAT-ON mediated detection of moderate and advanced symptoms in patients with PD. Specifically, the study estimated potential cost reductions of up to 137.8 million in Germany and 19 million in Sweden when STAT-ON is used to detect advanced PD symptoms. These benefits support the inclusion of STAT-ON in clinical practice. Although this inclusion may increase medication expenses due to the prescription of highly expensive medicines for advanced disease stages, the improvement in patients quality of life and reduction in direct healthcare expenses will help offset the costs of medications. Utility of STAT-ON STAT-ON was developed to reduce healthcare costs and improve patients' quality of life. This device can also serve as a telemedicine tool for remote monitoring of PD patients. Telemedicine studies involving STAT-ON have reported significant improvement in daily-life activities, physical activity, depression, apathy, movement difficulties, balance, and frailty in PD patients. Besides clinical benefits, STAT-ON can support fundamental research by providing data on PD patients motor symptoms and daily activities. By ensuring personalized monitoring, the device can also reduce participant drop-out and improve adherence, strengthening the quality of clinical trials. Regarding treatment optimization, STAT-ON can assist physicians in identifying patients suitable for second-line therapies, such as deep brain stimulation, continuous dopaminergic infusions, and other advanced treatments recommended for patients who do not respond to first-line medications. Overall, the study's model-based cost-benefit analysis supports including STAT-ON in clinical practice for PD management. However, the analysis relies on economic data from various European healthcare systems, which differ in structure, reimbursement policies, and medical care costs, potentially limiting the generalizability of the findings. Furthermore, the study addressed direct medical costs related to PD. Still, it did not thoroughly consider indirect costs such as caregiver burden and lost productivity, which may affect the observed cost-effectiveness of STAT-ON. Previous validation studies determined the efficacy of STAT-ON in detecting PD symptoms. Further large-scale clinical trials are required to confirm the effectiveness across different patient populations. Download your PDF copy now! Despite fewer new addiction cases worldwide, a sweeping analysis finds drug-related deaths surging, exposing critical failures in global harm-reduction and recovery systems. Study: The evolving burden of drug use disorders: a comprehensive epidemiological analysis from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease study. Image credit: Norb_KM/Shutterstock.com Drug addiction is a looming public health problem, triggering a recent review on the worldwide situation using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 study. The paper appeared in Frontiers in Psychiatry. Introduction Drug addiction, or drug use disorders (DUDs), are chronic, relapsing conditions characterized by the compulsive use of psychoactive substances despite significant physical, psychological, or social harm. DUDs affect nearly 300 million people globally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), mainly involving opioids, cannabis, and stimulants like amphetamine and cocaine. Many addicts misuse more than one substance. Drug addiction hinders social development, promotes disability and death, and increases the crime rate. Unfortunately, rapid socioeconomic change, globalization and urbanization have been associated with increasing drug use and widening disparities between regions, transforming the social and economic landscape, most strikingly in high-income North America. This region is considered highly developed, but is going through a drug addiction crisis, especially affecting young adults, males, and opioid users. The United States, particularly states such as West Virginia, remains severely affected, and the rates continue to rise. The current study used GBD data and the Socio-demographic Index (SDI) to examine the situation worldwide. The SDI collates per capita income, educational status, and fertility rate to assign socioeconomic influences by region. Study findings Globally, drug addictions have increased in incidence by over a third (36%) between 1990 and 2021, with 13.6 million new cases in 2021. The total number of cases rose similarly by 34% to 53 million. Over this period, mortality counts more than doubled (a 122% increase), for a total of 137,278 deaths. Interestingly, this comes against an age-adjusted 8% reduction in incidence and a 6% drop in prevalence. However, mortality rose by a third (31%) to 1.65 per 100,000. This indicates a paradoxical global pattern of reduced incidence but heightened health burden. Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to drug addiction reflect the number of healthy years of life lost to drugs, either by death or disability. The age-standardized DALY rate increased by 15% to 191 per 100,000 while the total number of DALYs worldwide rose by about 75% to 15.6 million. This rise was greatest in the wealthiest countries and was mainly driven by opioids. Opioids caused 39% more deaths and 32% more DALYs, to a high of 137 per 100,000, primarily because of rising rates in wealthy developed regions. Cocaine deaths more than doubled to 0.15 per 100,000. Notably, cocaine and opioids are frequently co-used, with potentially synergistic toxicity, compounding health risks. Opioid addiction has surged because of the availability of the drugs in medical as well as illegal markets, expanded prescription and aggressive marketing of opioids during pharmaceutical deregulation, and regulatory failures to effectively limit access to these highly addictive drugs. Amphetamine addiction was highest among individuals from a middle-SDI regions (SDI 0.6-0.8), forming the exception to the otherwise strong correlation of sociodemographic region with DALYs. However, its incidence fell by 40%, while mortality increased. Cannabis incidence and prevalence remained steady. Other drug addictions declined in incidence and related deaths. The greatest rise in deaths and DALYs were in the most developed regions, with a five-fold and over two-fold increase, respectively, compared to the 41% drop in DALYs in middle-income countries. Affluent North America was hardest hit, with an 11.2-fold increase in mortality, rising from 6,125 to 74,451 deaths. Eastern sub-Saharan Africa had ~150% rise in incidence. In contrast, East Asia had a 15% drop in new cases of drug addiction, a change partly attributed to stricter anti-drug policies such as Chinas 2008 Anti-Drug Law. The United States had the highest age-standardized incidence and prevalence, at 531 and 3,821 per 100,000, respectively, similar to Canada and Australia. Even though Estonia and Iceland also had a high incidence, the mortality was low. Both case incidence and prevalence were low in China. Younger men (20-24 years old) were at 35% higher risk for drug addiction than women, at 386 and 286 affected men and women per 100,000, respectively. The risk among boys multiplied sixfold between the ages of 15 and 19 years. Even after the age of 60 years, the incidence remained at 40 and DALYs at 144. The highest proportion of deaths was between the ages of 25 and 29 years, at 3.45 per 100,000 in men and 1.12 per 100,000 in women. Drug addiction is linked to poor education, low employment, poverty, and social isolation. Institutional settings such as prisons and marginalized low-income neighborhoods show disproportionately high addiction rates, contributing to social unrest and combined mental illness. Future programs should integrate rigorously tested preventive and treatment interventions that also take into account socioeconomic and clinical features driving drug addiction. Global Spatial Distribution of Estimated Annual Percentage Change (EAPC) in Drug Use Disorders (DUD) Burden, 19902021. (A) EAPC in age-standardized incidence rates of DUD across regions and countries. (B) EAPC in Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) of DUD across regions and countries. Conclusion Despite preventive strategies that caused a reduction in new cases of drug addiction, addicts are doing worse than before, with higher rates of drug-related deaths and disability. This shows a potential lack of effective rehabilitation and harm-reduction approaches, especially in countries with a high SDI. The authors emphasize that prevention alone is insufficient, calling for integrated, data-driven strategies that combine harm reduction, treatment access, and long-term management. Integrated programs are needed to help tackle this global epidemic. Download your PDF copy now! Researchers at Wayne State University and Johns Hopkins University are exploring the use of virtual reality (VR) to reduce stress in young adults suffering from diabetes. This research is being aided by a three-year grant in the amount of $941,418 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. Dr. April Idalski Carcone, professor of family medicine and public health sciences at Wayne State University's School of Medicine, is the co-principal Investigator on the study, "Feasibility of MBSR-VR to Reduce Stress among Emerging Adults with T1D." We've been collaborating with Johns Hopkins University on this line of research for more than 10 years. Diabetes is a chronic illness that creates additional stress in young people, who are already going through a lot of anxiety figuring out their lives and deciding what to do after high school and so forth. Stress can exacerbate health issues, particularly for those already going through physical challenges. Cortisol increases as a result of stress, and stress can essentially wear out the body. So if your body is already going through difficulties, it can make your health even worse." Dr. April Idalski Carcone, professor of family medicine and public health sciences, Wayne State University's School of Medicine The goal of this research is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of virtually delivered Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction enhanced with virtual reality (MBSR-VR). Carcone believes this technique will improve health outcomes by providing improved stress coping in individuals ages 16 to 20 with type 1 diabetes and high levels of stress reactivity, which is considered a high-risk population often linked to poor health outcomes. "One of the challenges we had with an earlier version of this research was that we were gathering people onto campus for group intervention sessions, but it was logistically difficult to bring everyone to campus at the same time in the same place," said Carcone. "Instead, we decided to try this in a virtual format. People coming together in a VR space sounded very exciting and provided us with a format that was a little more engaging. We can utilize different virtual environments as opposed to the split screen Zoom-style call that we are all so familiar with. You can virtually gather people around a campfire, in a pool where you can toss a virtual beachball around, and so forth." Dr. Erica Sibinga, associate professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is the co-principal investigator on the study. Dr. Deborah Ellis, associate department chair of research for family medicine in Wayne State University's School of Medicine, and Dr. Angulique Outlaw, associate professor of behavioral sciences in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences in Wayne State University's School of Medicine, will also have significant roles. If successful, Carcone says that virtual MBSR is a scalable intervention with the potential to be expanded to large groups of young adults with a chronic illness and high levels of stress. This research will also explore any effects MBSR has on glycemic control, mindfulness and psychological distress such as stress, depression and anxiety. "Youths between ages 16 and 20 are very motivated by their social life, peers and significant others," said Carcone. "These techniques allow us to bring people together who might not otherwise be able to come together. In Detroit, you can gather patients at a hospital, but this method will also allow us to help those living in more rural communities. There's often not another person who has type 1 diabetes if you live in a small upper peninsula community, for instance. This will let them touch base with others their own age who are going through something similar and share experiences that they might not be comfortable talking about with a friend who isn't going through the same thing." "This award from the National Institutes of Health is an excellent example of the important research that our faculty are engaged in that are seeking solutions for complex challenges," said Dr. Ezemenari M. Obasi, vice president for research & innovation at Wayne State University. "The work of Dr. Carcone and her collaborators could assist the lives of countless young people in Detroit, across Michigan and around the globe." The grant number for this award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health is1R01DK141816. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union (EU) announced today a new agreement to support the digital transformation of health systems and wider adoption of WHO's Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN) in sub-Saharan Africa. This EUWHO partnership will improve pandemic preparedness and accelerate progress towards better health and well-being for all. The agreement was announced at the World Health Summit 2025 by Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Systems, Access and Data; Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa; and Mr Martin Seychell, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission Directorate-General for International Partnerships. The GDHCN is a global system that enables countries to securely and reliably verify nationally approved digital health credentials across borders. The system builds on the European Union Digital COVID Certificate (EU DCC), which facilitated verification of vaccination, testing and recovery certification for international travelers connecting 76 countries and territories. However, only four countries from the WHO African Region-Benin, Cabo Verde, Seychelles and Togo-were able to join the EU DCC network. Since its transfer to the WHO in 2023, the GDHCN has shown strong potential to support the digitization of the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP), commonly known as the Yellow Card, in alignment with the updated International Health Regulations (IHR). Making the most of its potential could enhance global vaccination tracking, reduce fraud, and simplify international health requirements. Under the new joint agreement, which includes an 8 million EU grant spanning 2025 to 2028, WHO and the European Union will collaborate to bolster national efforts to advance the digital transformation of health systems in sub-Saharan Africa. WHO will provide technical and policy expertise, in collaboration with regional partners such as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The EU investment is part of the Digital Health workstream of the Team Europe Initiative on the EU-AU Health Partnership, which brings together European and African stakeholders to build resilient digital health ecosystems across the continent, and aligned with the EU Global Gateway strategy. Empowering countries and people The GDHCN supports countries in building trusted, interoperable digital health systems that directly benefit people - providing secure, portable health records accessible wherever they travel, including during health emergencies. Personal health records are managed securely by each individual country or their health system. These records cannot be accessed by other parties, including WHO. The network is built on internationally recognized standards for privacy, data protection, and interoperability, and participation of countries is voluntary. The network fosters cross-border collaboration among countries and partners, strengthening health security today, while laying the foundation for more resilient, person-centered health systems for future generations. Surveys of more than 1,000 Italian patients and clinicians uncover why oral steroid use remains widespread in asthma care, revealing gaps in guideline adherence, patient education, and access to advanced biologic therapies. Study: Use of oral corticosteroids in patients with asthma: how far is clinical practice from the guidelines? Results from surveys of patients and doctors. Image credit: zlikovec/Shutterstock.com A recent Frontiers in Allergy study examined usage patterns and barriers to adherence to oral corticosteroid (OCS) treatment guidelines for asthma in Italy. To do so, surveys were conducted with healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients. The management of asthma using oral corticosteroids Asthma affects an estimated 262 million people worldwide, with the highest incidence seen in children under nine. Globally, its prevalence has increased by about 15% between 1990 and 2019. In Italy alone, around 4 million people live with asthma, including approximately 200,000 with severe asthma (SA), a group that represents a substantial burden on healthcare resources and costs. The management of SA often requires the use of long-acting 2-agonists (LABAs), inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), and long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMAs). Existing guidelines recommend the use of OCS only as a last option due to severe adverse effects, such as growth impairment in children and iatrogenic adrenal insufficiency. Despite this, OCS medications are commonly prescribed in asthma treatment. However, patients have their concerns, and research shows that about 44% of adults report worries about OCS use, sometimes leading them to reduce or discontinue treatment without medical supervision by HCPs. Therefore, a gap exists between clinical practice and guidelines, which needs to be examined. About the study To address the knowledge gap between guidelines and clinical practice concerning asthma treatment, the Respiriamo Insieme Association in Italy, in collaboration with Sanofi, conducted two surveys among HCPs (survey 1) and patients (survey 2). The current study documents the results of these surveys, which aim to reduce OCS dependence and enhance the quality of life of SA patients. Survey 1 comprised seven closed-ended questions (six multiple-choice and one rating scale) and gathered insights into the OCS prescribing practices, barriers to proper use, potential overuse patterns, and adherence to current guidelines. Survey 2 explored patients perspectives on awareness and involvement in treatment decisions, usage patterns, treatment adjustment and monitoring, education provided by HCPs, management of adverse events (AEs), and safety practices concerning OCS use. Study findings A total of 366 HCPs completed the survey, and 82% preferred a 10-day OCS treatment duration. A duration of more than 21 days was preferred by 14% of HCPs, and the remaining opted for longer treatment durations. Ninety-nine percent of HCPs said that either more than 6 months of OCS use per year or 2 or 3 cycles per year was necessary to classify a patient as OCS-dependent. The remaining 1% thought a single cycle was enough. Concerning the annual cumulative corticosteroid use, 28% reported never keeping track of the total OCS dose for their patients, 40% reported doing this, 24% did this occasionally, and the remaining 8% based their calculations on prescribed OCS doses. Twenty-seven percent of HCPs thought the maximum safe daily dose was 7.5 mg/day, while 43% put this at 5 mg/day. Twelve and 18% thought the safe limits were 2 mg/day and 10 mg/day, respectively. Regarding strategies to minimize the OCS dose in managing SA, 43% responded that changing the ICS/LABA combination was the most effective. This was closely followed by using biologic therapies (37%). More than half of the HCPs thought that a multidisciplinary approach is crucial to prevent adverse effects of OCS, and about 44% recommended monitoring visits for bone densitometry every two years. Overall, patients and their families/caregivers completed 829 questionnaires, of which 468 belonged to patients with SA. Only two-thirds of patients with non-SA were prescribed OCS, compared with 95% of patients with SA. Around 47% of SA patients used OCS more than once, for at least two cycles per year, compared with 27% of non-SA patients. Overall, 13% of SA and 14% of non-SA patients reported having ceased OCS use. Forty-seven percent of SA patients and 24% of non-SA patients used OCS once a year or more without a valid prescription. Forty percent of SA and 31% of non-SA patients did not taper the dose when stopping, while 52% and 33% of SA and non-SA patients did, respectively. In about 71% of SA patients, the physician involved them in the decision to take OCS, compared to 43% for non-SA patients. Physicians did not inform 45% of non-SA and 49% of SA patients about the possible alternatives to OCS, respectively. Concerning the long-term strategy, inhaler medications were common in the non-SA group, while biologics were most common in the SA group. Twenty-two percent of non-SA patients reported being informed about adverse reactions, whereas 35% reported never being informed. Among the SA patients, 41% were informed about potential side effects, while 57% reported not being referred to a specialist. Most patients did not receive a bone health assessment. The study also found that about 40% of patients self-administered OCS at least once per year without a prescription, often due to fear of exacerbations or difficulty accessing healthcare. This reflects the ease of access to OCS without a prescription in Italy. A much higher proportion of SA patients acquired OCS without a valid prescription, relative to non-SA patients. Conclusions The findings show a significant discrepancy between guideline recommendations and clinical practice, and OCS use remains very high in Italy. Reducing unnecessary OCS use through biologic therapies could also help lower healthcare costs. Several unmet needs and proposed systemic reforms: establishing a clearer and pragmatic definition of OCS dependency, improving patient education and shared decision-making, increasing access to multidisciplinary care (including psychological support), and using digital or diary-based monitoring tools to track OCS adherence and side effects. A key limitation of the study was the inability to distinguish between respondents from pediatric and adult care settings. This may have led to misinterpretation of notable differences in OCS use between adults and children. Secondly, the study's cross-sectional nature exposes it to response bias, inaccurate self-reporting, and recall bias. Finally, the results may not be generalizable to other populations as the study was conducted on a selected set of Italian HCPs and patients. The study underscores the persistence of high OCS use despite guideline recommendations, highlighting the need for coordinated education, standardized monitoring, and integrated psychological and specialist care to reduce unnecessary OCS exposure in severe asthma management. A Bulawayo-based detective thought he was collecting the last slice of his dirty cash deal but instead walked straight into a trap. The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has arrested Detective Constable Collen Mwoyo, a police officer attached to the Minerals, Flora and Fauna Unit in Plumtree, for allegedly extorting US$1 000 from a suspect he had arrested. According to ZACC, the disgraced cop was nabbed on Tuesday at Bellevue Shopping Centre in Bulawayo after falling for a sting operation set up by investigators. He was caught red-handed pocketing US$120, believed to be the final payment of the bribe he had demanded. Confirming the arrest, ZACC Commissioner Kindness Paradza said Mwoyos arrest came after weeks of intimidation and extortion directed at a complainant, Andrew Munemo, a project manager with Posse Solutions Private Limited. The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission confirms the arrest of Detective Constable Collen Mwoyo on allegations of extortion, said Commissioner Paradza. The officer demanded US$1 000 from Mr Munemo to avoid his detention and prosecution after arresting him for alleged robbery. Investigations show that Mwoyo first arrested Munemo on 23 September 2025 and demanded a bribe of US$1 000 to make the charges disappear. Munemo reportedly paid US$500 on the spot. Two days later, the officer accompanied him to court for an interview with prosecutors and continued his demands, walking away with another US$200. But when Munemo failed to pay the remaining amount, Mwoyo allegedly turned up the heat. On 10 October, the officer took the complainant to court for an initial remand hearing and threatened him with imprisonment for failing to pay the balance, said Commissioner Paradza. The final act of greed became his undoing. On 13 October, Mwoyo contacted Munemo again, saying he was in Bulawayo to collect the remaining cash. Munemo reported the matter to ZACC, which swiftly moved in to set up a trap. When the officer arrived at Bellevue Shopping Centre to collect his cut, plainclothes investigators pounced moments after he received the marked US$120. ZACC officers arrested Mwoyo on the spot, bringing an end to his ill-fated cash chase. He is expected to appear in court on Wednesday, 15 October 2025, facing charges of extortion. Commissioner Paradza applauded the successful sting and warned that no one is above the law. This arrest sends a clear message that corruption within law enforcement will not be tolerated. We urge the public to continue reporting such cases, he said. H Metro The driver of a semitrailer following too close behind a van has been arrested on homicide charges in a fiery crash that killed three adults and five children on a Georgia highway, law enforcement announced Tuesday. Authorities initially said seven people were killed but an eighth body was later discovered. Kane Aaron Hammock, 33, has been charged with eight counts of vehicular homicide in the second degree and one count of feticide by a vehicle in the second degree, Franka Young, a spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Public Safety, said Tuesday afternoon. Hammock has also been charged with counts of following too closely, no registration, and failure to exercise due care. A Missouri man who long maintained his innocence was executed Tuesday for the fatal shooting of a state trooper more than 20 years ago. Lance Shockley, 48, was pronounced dead at 6:13pm following a lethal injection at the state prison in Bonne Terre, the AP reports. Shockley was convicted of killing Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Carl Dewayne Graham Jr. in March 2005. Prosecutors said he waited for hours near Graham's home in Van Buren, in southeast Missouri, and shot him with a rifle and shotgun after the trooper exited his patrol vehicle. Authorities said Shockley shot the trooper because he was investigating him for involuntary manslaughter after leaving the scene of a deadly accident in which Shockley's best friend was killed. Two hikers are recovering in a British Columbia hospital after they were attacked by a grizzly bear. Authorities say the pair came across a mother bear and her two cubs on Farm Cabin Trail near Pass Lake in the McGregor Mountain range on Sunday, prompting a defensive reaction from the mama. Both hikers, who have not been named, were airlifted to a hospital, with one in critical condition, reports CBS News. Both are now said to be stable, per ABC News. Officials from the BC Conservation Officer Service (COS) investigated and concluded the grizzly's actions were defensive. "Due to the location and nature of the incident, no action will be taken against the bears," the agency said, per the CBC. Sweden is establishing its first emergency grain reserves in its far north, a region officials say is strategically crucial. The government announced Tuesday that it will allocate $60 million in its 2026 budget to create the reserves. CBS News cites four northern counties that source 100% of their grain from the country's south and reports the move is part of a broader effort to bolster Sweden's "total defense" strategy, which was revived after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2015 and intensified following Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin described northern Sweden as vital for military operations and a top priority for national defense planning. "It is no coincidence that it is here the first steps are being taken towards establishing emergency grain stocks, which essentially is about ensuring that the population can put food on the table even in times of crisis," he said. The new reserves will be regularly turned over to guard against spoilage. The Swedish Board of Agriculture estimates that 90% to 95% of the population could subsist on grains for three months without suffering adverse nutritional effects. A press release notes that for "2026-2028 there are also funds to begin the establishment of emergency stocks for agricultural inputs and for emergency stocks of grain in the rest of the country." On Sunday, a devastating flood tore through the Alaska village of Kipnuk; five months prior, federal funding meant to help the village withstand disasters was abruptly cut. The Environmental Protection Agency had earmarked $20 million for riverbank stabilizationa project designed to shield the largely Alaska Native community from worsening floods and erosion. But in May, EPA administrator Lee Zeldin revoked the grant, citing a new push to eliminate what he called "wasteful DEI and Environmental Justice grants," the New York Times reports. The move followed a Trump executive order scrapping federal diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, as well as environmental justice programs. Kipnuk sits on thawing permafrost near the Bering Sea, where climate change has made storms more intense and flooding more frequent. The weekend's flooding, triggered by what remained of Typhoon Halong, tore homes off their foundations and left residents stranded, with one dead and two missing in neighboring Kwigillingok. The Coast Guard rescued dozens of people whose homes were swept out to sea. The village, with no local taxes and little infrastructure, relies almost entirely on grants for basic needs. With that funding canceled, the planned river stabilization never got underway. Before the grant was rescinded, village leaders bought a bulldozer and made plans to build a rock wall that would stop homes from falling into a river, Politico reports. While officials can't say for sure that the grant would have averted this disaster, the flooding spotlights what's at stake for Arctic communities caught between climate risks and shifting federal priorities. Alaska's senators, both Republicans, have urged the administration to protect funding for vulnerable villages. "This administration prioritizes lowering costsbut minimizing the impacts of a disaster like this before it occurs is far cheaper than rebuilding afterward, to say nothing of the toll these events take on people's lives," Sen. Lisa Murkowski said in a statement. "Whether you call it climate change or 'once-in-a-generation' extreme weather, no community in the wealthiest country on earth should lack the basic infrastructure needed to keep its people safe." With the river getting closer by around 12 feet a year, Kipnuk, a village of around 970 people, faces an uncertain future, Politico reports. "They're on their homelands," says Sheryl Musgrove at the Alaska Institute for Justice. "They want to stay there but they may have no choiceif they don't get funding to protect themselves from erosionbut to potentially relocate. And the problem is there's no funding available to relocate, either." The storm has displaced around 1,500 people in the region," the AP reports. "It's catastrophic in Kipnuk. Let's not paint any other picture," Mark Roberts, incident commander with the state emergency management division, said Tuesday. "We are doing everything we can to continue to support that community, but it is as bad as you can think." The answers are coming slowly in the wake of Sunday's mass shooting on a South Carolina coastal island. Speaking at a press conference Wednesday, Beaufort County Sheriff PJ Tanner said the violence at Willie's Bar and Grill on St. Helena Island stemmed from an "ongoing feud" between a small number of individuals who grew up in the county. "We know that there were two, possibly three within this crowd that had an ongoing feud with each other," Tanner said, in what the Post and Courier reports were his first public comments since the shooting, which killed four and wounded another 16 people. The Island Packet reports Tanner referenced witnesses declining to ID the suspects due to "fear of retaliation ... We had 700 people at this party, and we have yet to get a witness that can tell us who the shooters are." But when asked whether the evidence was leading them to specific suspects, he said yes. "I can't name the person or how many, but we do. We have a lot of information." He said his office planned to hand off firearms, shell casings and projectiles to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for analysis "within the hour." When asked if residents should fear for their safety with the suspects still at large, Tanner replied, "It's a difficult answer to give." A plane carrying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made an emergency landing in the UK after he visited Brussels on Wednesday but nobody was harmed, officials say. "On the way back to the United States from NATO's Defense Ministers meeting, Secretary of War Hegseth's plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a post on X . "The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe." The BBC reports that the aircraft began losing altitude off the southwest coast of Ireland before it turned back to land at a Royal Air Force base in England. As it turned back, it began issuing a 7700 "squawk code," the general code for an emergency. Stars and Stripes reports that Hegseth was traveling in an Air Force C-32, a version of the Boeing 757-200 that has an identical body but a specially configured interior. In a post on X, Hegseth said: "All good. Thank God. Continue mission!" In his remarks to NATO ministers on Wednesday, Hegseth urged them to step up support for Ukraine. "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," he said, per Stars and Stripes. The AP reports that Hegseth was not accompanied by any members of the Pentagon press corps. Many of them were busy emptying out their desks after rejecting Hegseth's new rules for the press. NAHA, Oct 15 (News On Japan) - A new stage production in Okinawa has brought the rich history of the Ryukyu Kingdom to life through opera, captivating audiences with a dramatic portrayal of royal love and resilience. The performance, staged in Urasoe as part of celebrations marking the citys 55th anniversary, centers on Queen Aoriya and the young seventh king of the Ryukyu Kingdom as they face the nations greatest crisis in 1609 the invasion known as Satsuma, which threatened the kingdoms sovereignty. Composed by Urasoe native Arakatsu, the opera blends traditional Ryukyuan performing arts such as classical dance and folk songs with Western orchestral music, creating a unique cultural fusion. Spectators praised not only the powerful vocal performances and live orchestration but also the inclusion of elements like karate demonstrations and traditional island rituals, which deepened the productions local flavor. I was amazed by how many traditional arts were woven into the story from singing and dance to karate, said one audience member. It was both fun and deeply moving. Another attendee added, I saw the production last year too, and Im always impressed. Its a kind of opera that could only exist in Okinawa, and the love between the two leads was so powerful. As the final notes of the live orchestra echoed through the theater, the audience responded with thunderous applause. Many praised the work as a celebration of Okinawas chanpuru spirit the blending of cultures and a powerful new expression of tradition through contemporary art. Traditional arts combined with new forms of expression make them even more compelling, said one commentator, summing up the mood of a night when history, music, and emotion came together on stage. Source: OTV UTSUNOMIYA, Oct 15 (News On Japan) - A parking lot at a popular tourist site in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, was left scarred with deep tire marks after a late-night drifting stunt, with surveillance footage capturing a car spinning at high speed in the rain and narrowly avoiding a person standing in its path. The incident took place at the Oya History Museum, a former quarry registered as a Japan Heritage site, where the facilitys free parking lot is open to the public to ease visitor costs. According to museum director Yasutoshi Okubo, the reckless drifting, which lasted about 15 minutes, caused severe damage that will require resurfacing the pavement at a cost estimated between 2 million and 3 million yen. He added that the site has seen repeated cases of drifting and littering due to its secluded location, and warned that continued vandalism could force the museum to install fences or introduce paid parking. Police, who were consulted after the incident, are increasing patrols around the area to prevent further dangerous behavior. Source: FNN Oct 15 (News On Japan) - As cryptocurrencies gain mainstream popularity, LET Mining is launching a way to truly put cryptocurrencies to work for you: cloud mining. Through this one-click mining service, users can easily participate in the global computing power network and earn up to thousands of dollars in stable daily returns. A new way to passively earn in the crypto world. Traditional mining requires expensive mining machines, high electricity costs, and complex operations and maintenance, making it virtually inaccessible to ordinary investors. Cloud mining, by remotely leasing computing power, allows investors to earn rewards in a simple way. The cloud mining model offered by LET Mining is a risk-free, highly transparent, and automated way to increase asset value. 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Conclusion: Let Digital Assets Create Value for You Every Day With its low entry barrier, high transparency, and stable returns, LET Mining is becoming the preferred choice for crypto enthusiasts worldwide. Join now and let your BTC, DOGE, and XRP create value for you every day, instead of just sitting there waiting for a miracle. Contact Email: info@letmining.com Official Website: https://letmining.com/ In the AI era, "seeing is believing" is being given a new meaning. On October 14, reporters visited the HiDream.ai in the Grand Union of Innovation and observed AIgenerated video clips thatwhether everyday office scenes or cinematic camera languagewere virtually indistinguishable from filmed footage. These vividly lifelike images all come from the companys independently developed multimodal large language model. "Future creators will only need to convert their ideas into textual descriptions, and AI can generate the required visual content in real time, whether static images or dynamic video," said Zhai Yuechong, head of brand communications at HiDream.ai. "What you describe becomes what is drawn" has moved from science fiction into practical application. As a global leader in multimodal generative AI, HiDream.ai's selfdeveloped "HiDream Multimodal Large Language Model" is a multibillionparameter-scale model that has one of the industrys richest multimodal licensed corpora. It possesses strong capabilities for generating and understanding visual content and is among the first multimodal large models to complete dual filings for both model and algorithm. Its model generates highly coherent video content with natural, smooth visuals, supports 4K high definition, and uses cinematic camera language with outstanding expressiveness, giving it leading advantages in AIGC technology and digital creativity. In April 2025, HiDreams selfdeveloped opensource image generation model HiDreamI1 reached the top of the international authoritative ranking Artificial Analysis within 24 hours, becoming the first Chinese selfdeveloped generative AI model to enter the global top tier, and resetting industry records across three dimensions: image quality, semantic understanding, and artistic expression. On the technical innovation front, HiDream has achieved multiple global breakthroughs: its texttoimage capability ranks first among global opensource models; it is first in opensource community trend rankings; it launched the worlds first purely autoregressive image editing model, developed 15second multishot video generation technology, produced a commercial DiT model, and pioneered a hybrid diffusionautoregressive model architecture. "Competition in AI is intense; we must continue to break through in model development, technical innovation, and commercial applications," said Mei Tao, founder and CEO of HiDream. The outstanding global ranking of the companys selfdeveloped opensource models demonstrates Chinas technical strength in AI. "Our collaboration with Anhui is a twoway commitment," Mei added. Hefeis welldeveloped AI industry ecosystem complements the companys multimodal technologies, and the regions abundant talent pool and targeted policy support provide fertile ground for growth. "We will deepen our roots in Hefei and leverage local advantages to take our selfdeveloped AI technologies from Anhui to the world." Source: anhuinews.com / by Source - All articles and letters published on Bulawayo24 have been independently written by members of Bulawayo24's community. The views of users published on Bulawayo24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Bulawayo24. Bulawayo24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received. Authorities said Joyce Vanderhoff of South Jersey, pictured here, was strangled to death in 2022. Her convicted killer has been set free because of an investigatory error. Family photo | Canva A man whose murder conviction in the death of a 25-year-old South Jersey woman was overturned because an investigatory error was freed last week from jail after being incarcerated for six years, two of which were spent in state prison. Timothy Wright, 45, was found guilty in the death of Joyce Vanderhoff in 2022 after a roughly two-week trial in Atlantic County Superior Court. However, his attorney successfully appealed his conviction earlier this year, arguing that he revoked his initial consent to have his cell phone searched, which he contended he did multiple times. Wright, who was living in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, at the time he was arrested in 2019, is believed to be possibly the last person to see Vanderhoff alive before her naked body was found beside a rural Atlantic County road on Feb. 14, 2014. He was charged with murder in her death after detectives reviewed cell phone data that showed him searching for directions between where the victims body was found and his then home in Mays Landing. That evidence became the strongest evidence to prosecute Wright, who was sentenced to 55 years in prison. Wright was released on Thursday, according to jail records, which were confirmed to NJ Advance Media by Atlantic County officials. On Tuesday, the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office said it dismissed Wrights indictment after he was released from state prison and returned to the local jail. The office said that without Wrights cell phone records, it is doubtful to secure a conviction if Wright was given a new trial. This investigation will remain open, and our office will continue to investigate this case and pursue justice for the victim and her family, the prosecutors office said in a statement to NJ Advance Media. The judge ultimately allowed the phones contents into evidence, ruling Wright had not revoked his consent, and the devices month-long retention was lawful. The judge then went a step further, ruling that even if Wright had rescinded his consent, probable cause and exigent circumstances independently justified the prolonged warrantless seizure of the cell phone before obtaining a warrant. That was wrong, the appeals judges found. The New Jersey Supreme Court declined to hear the case, the county prosecutor said. Wright was defended by John Bjorklund and Alex Settle, neither of whom could be reached for comment. Vanderhoff, a graduate of Egg Harbor Township, was raised by her grandmother, Kathy Lydon, since age 3. Her family has been distraught since learning Wright was freed. In the hours before she died, prosecutors have said Wright and one of Vanderhoffs friends obtained narcotics before driving to her motel in Egg Harbor Townships West Atlantic City section. Afterward, Vanderhoff was brought back to Wrights former home. She later was found on a snow-covered road near a large blueberry field, and authorities ruled she was strangled to death. Im just disgusted that they let him loose without me being able to see him or nothing, Lydon said Tuesday. Were just so upset about the whole damn thing. OasisSpace bed rails sold at Amazon and Walmart are being recalled due to asphyxiation hazards. Canva The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is urging consumers to stop using a certain brand of bed rails sold at Amazon and Walmart. The OasisSpace bed rails are being recalled due to asphyxiation and entrapment hazards, according to the CPSC. One 81-year-old woman died after becoming trapped between the bed rail and the mattress. Gold Kernal, the parent company of OasisSpace, has not issued their own recall of the bed rails, offered a fix or refund, the CPSC said. Heres what products were affected and what you should do if you have these bed rails. What OasisSpace bed rail products fall under this recall? The following OasisSpace bed rails fall under the recall, according to the CPSC: Model Number Dimensions Description F042 adjustable height from about 28.5 to 42 inches; 17 inches wide made of white metal tubing with a black foam rubber grip handle and blue suction cup feet F127 adjustable height from about 12 to 18 inches; 13 inches wide made of silver metal tubing with a black foam rubber grip handle G132 adjustable height from about 18 to 22 inches; 13 inches wide made of black metal tubing with a black foam rubber grip handle and a removable gray fabric pouch G286 about 16 inches high and 38 inches wide made of silver metal tubing and can fold downward when not in use The 86,100 bed rails made in China were sold from July 2019 to February 2025 on OasisSpace.com, Amazon.com and Walmart.com. The products sold between $30 and $108, and have also been sold on third-party websites, like eBay.com. What should consumers do with the recalled bed rails? The CPSC urges consumers to stop using the bed rails immediately and throw them away. The agency also warned people not to sell or give away the discarded bed rails. People can report any incidents involving injury or product defect to CPSC at www.SaferProducts.gov. The psychological thriller The Woman in Cabin 10 starring Keira Knightley has rocketed to the top of Netflixs global movie rankings, drawing 21.2 million views in its debut week. On a lavish yacht for an assignment, a journalist sees a passenger go overboard, according to the Netflix description. But when no one believes her, she risks her life to uncover the truth. Following closely behind is KPop Demon Hunters, which secured the second position with 17.8 million views from Oct. 6 to 12. The movie has been in the top 10 list for a record-setting 17 weeks and had been in the top spot the two previous weeks. My Father, the BTK Killer rounds out the top three, attracting 5.7 million viewers with its true crime narrative. The documentary provides a chilling perspective on the infamous serial killer through his daughters eyes. Top 10 Netflix Movies: 1. The Woman in Cabin 10 Views: 21,200,000 Runtime: 1h 35m Total Hours Viewed: 33,500,000 2. KPop Demon Hunters Views: 17,800,000 Runtime: 1h 40m Total Hours Viewed: 29,700,000 3. My Father, the BTK Killer Views: 5,700,000 Runtime: 1h 34m Total Hours Viewed: 9,000,000 4. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Views: 5,300,000 Runtime: 1h 55m Total Hours Viewed: 10,200,000 5. Despicable Me 3 Views: 4,400,000 Runtime: 1h 30m Total Hours Viewed: 6,600,000 6. The Mask Views: 4,300,000 Runtime: 1h 41m Total Hours Viewed: 7,300,000 7. Ruth & Boaz Views: 4,100,000 Runtime: 1h 33m Total Hours Viewed: 6,300,000 8. The Maze Runner Views: 3,800,000 Runtime: 1h 53m Total Hours Viewed: 7,100,000 9. About My Father Views: 2,900,000 Runtime: 1h 30m Total Hours Viewed: 4,400,000 10. Scary Movie If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. When Taylor Swifts Eras Tour makeup routine dropped, fans went crazy going to every Sephora they could to snatch up the products. Now, in a trailer Taylor Swift posted on her Instagram of her The End of an Era docuseries that is coming out in December, fans were quick to spot a few products by a bathtub that looked like it belonged to Swifts body care routine. Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser $88 The Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser is best for dull, uneven or congested skin. Buy Now at Tata Harper As we know, shower routines are all the rage on TikTok, so it came as no surprise that the minute fans figured out what products she was using that they would go viral on TikTok. An added bonus is that most of these products are under $100, and you can snatch them up right now since none are sold out just yet. One of the products that got Swifties most excited was the cleanser that she used, which was revealed in the video. RELATED ARTICLE: Taylor Swifts go-to phone case is on Amazon for under $50, and theres only a few left in stock As she was someone who did multiple back-to-back nights of Eras Tour shows with a consistent full face of show makeup, fans always wondered how she kept her skin so clear. Now, we have the answer to what she uses: the Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser for $88. If youre a first-time customer, you can sign up on the Tata Harper website and get 20%, which will bring it down to a more affordable price point. Another product in Taylor Swifts recent video that fans noticed was the OUAI Body Cleanser in St. Barts for $28, which is not only infused with ingredients like rosehip oil, vitamin A, vitamin C and jojoba oil but with a scent that users of the product love. So, its no wonder Taylor Swift loves it, too. We wouldnt wait on getting your hands on these products because as weve seen with Taylor Swifts makeup products and the dress she got engaged in, Swifties sell out her things fast. 5 Taylor Swift-approved skin and body products The Townsquare Diner has closed after 38 years in Wharton, New Jersey. Google Street View A longtime diner in Morris County has permanently closed its doors after 38 years, officials said The Townsquare Diner will be torn down and replaced by a new building with four businesses, including a Jersey Mikes Subs, Wharton Mayor William Chegwidden told NJ Advance Media. While the diners closure on Oct. 5 might have surprised some customers, Chegwidden said the diners longtime owners sold the property, and that plans for the new development, dubbed Wharton Square, have been in the works for three years. Im sad its over, but Im also happy for them, Chegwidden said, referring to the family that operated the diner. A thank-you letter from the Townsquare Diners owners was posted to the front door after it closed. Whether you came in for a quick cup of coffee, a family breakfast or your usual favorite meal, your presence meant the world to us, the owners wrote in the letter, according to the Daily Record. Peter Sedereas, one of the owners, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. New Jersey has around 600 diners, including more than a dozen operating 24 hours per day, but some longtime favorites have closed in recent years amid economic challenges worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. At least two other diners the Collingswood Diner in Collingswood and the Americana Diner in West Orange have closed this year. The Roadside Diner in Wall closed March 31 but reopened July 18 under new ownership. The Wharton Square design plan, from Lakewood-based Paramount Reality, shows a Jersey Mikes Subs, Panda Express, City MD urgent care center and Aspen Dental. Chegwidden said it might take about a year to construct the new building. The Townsquare Diner was on Route 15 near the Rockaway Townsquare mall and not far from the section of I-80 that was closed for several months starting last December due to sinkholes. Gov. Phil Murphy dropped by the diner in March while touring the highway reconstruction site. The diner, on its website, touted its large portions and array of cheesecakes and other specialty desserts. Menu offerings ranged from standard diner fare, including a dozen hamburger varieties, to healthier choices such as grilled chicken with steamed broccoli with Greek yogurt and granola. It was a go-to place for many, many years for the people of Wharton, Chegwidden said. UPDATE: This story has been updated to note that the Roadside Diner in Wall has reopened. An Ocean County school district has reluctantly started searching for a new in-house attorney to replace its longtime counsel, who earned millions in taxpayer money before the state stepped in to block his latest contract. Michael Inzelbuch, Lakewood Townships former board of education attorney, has been paid more than $6 million by the district over the past seven years. He was paid $600,000 annually, plus $475 per hour for additional litigation services, according to the Asbury Park Press. Since 2017, Inzelbuch has earned more than any other public school attorney in New Jersey, the newspapers investigation found. After months of pushback from state education officials, the board posted an application seeking a replacement for Inzelbuch. The job posting, shared by the New Jersey School Boards Association on Oct. 8, states that the Lakewood School District is seeking a highly qualified in-house attorney to join our leadership team. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced legal professional to play a critical role in supporting the districts mission and ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, the posting reads. While no salary range is listed, the ad says the pay will be competitive and negotiable. Applicants are required to have at least 10 years of experience in education law. The move follows a February report from the New Jersey Department of Educations Office of Fiscal Accountability and Compliance, which alleged the district violated state regulations with Inzelbuchs contract. State investigators found that Lakewoods legal costs were far higher than the statewide average and that the district broke state law by paying Inzelbuch a flat rate without detailed invoices. Still after the investigation, the board has persisted, voting three times to renew Inzelbuchs contract for the 20252026 school year. Each attempt was blocked by a state monitor, who said the attorneys rate was too high given the districts finances. The deadline to apply for Inzelbuchs job was Tuesday, less than a week after the posting appeared publicly. Lakewood Township Schools Superintendent Laura Winters did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Inzelbuch also did not respond. The districts next board of education meeting is scheduled for Oct. 22. While the school board fought to keep its longtime attorney, the district was struggling to stay afloat. Earlier this year, Lakewood needed a $65 million emergency loan from the state to keep schools open and pay its staff. But this was only the latest lifeline in a long line of financial troubles. Over the past decade, the district has borrowed more than $220 million from the state and continues to struggle with multimillion-dollar deficits each year. The districts lack of state aid has been a long-standing issue. In 2023, attorneys for a group of Lakewood parents argued before a New Jersey appeals court that the states funding formula shortchanges the townships mostly low-income Hispanic students, depriving them of the thorough and efficient education. The court ultimately rejected that challenge last month. Lakewood is one of New Jerseys fastest-growing Orthodox Jewish communities. Roughly 50,000 students live within the district, but only about 6,000 attend public schools. The rest are enrolled in private yeshivas, and the district spends more than half its budget, about $78 million, on transportation and special education for those students. Inzelbuchs role in the districts legal and financial turmoil has drawn criticism from state officials and education advocates. In a July ruling, Administrative Law Judge Susan Scarola wrote that the districts money troubles were exacerbated by the terms of the contract siding with the states decision to block the attorneys reappointment. He first served as Lakewoods attorney from 2003 to 2012 and returned in 2017. At the time, officials said his high salary would help reduce legal bills that had ballooned to nearly $1 million annually, much of it tied to dozens of lawsuits Inzelbuch filed as a private attorney representing families seeking special education services in the district. Opinion / Columnist Zimbabweans have been urged to take to the streets on Friday in protest against President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his allies by war veteran Blessed Geza, who is reportedly aligned with Vice President General Constantino Chiwenga.My view is that unless the army and its soldiers themselves take to the streets, there will be no protest at all.Zimbabweans still carry the dark memories of what happened on the 1st of August 2018, when unarmed citizens were gunned down by the military using live ammunition.I remember saying at the time that this brutal act would have long-term repercussions until someone had the courage to break that cycle.Since that tragic day in August 2018, nothing has changed. In fact, in January 2019, more Zimbabweans were killed during protests against a fuel price hike after the government shut down the internet.So I view Friday's call for protests as more of an intention or a wish to be in the streets, rather than a realistic expectation. My analytical lens tells me that there will be no significant turnout unless the soldiers themselves provide a guarantee of safety by joining or protecting the demonstrators.There is also the issue of police clearance, which ZANU-PF has always used as a tool to suppress dissent. Protests in Zimbabwe are rarely allowed to happen unless the police give the green light, which is unconstitutional.Ironically, some of the very people who once supported such repression are now victims of the same system, caught in the middle of ZANU-PF's internal factional battles.So, we wait to see what happens on Friday. But based on history and the political climate, my view remains that nothing significant will occur unless the military is involved. Friday will likely pass as just another ordinary day in Zimbabwe.Unless the soldiers themselves take to the streets, Friday's protest will remain a wish, not a revolution.As I have said over the past six months, Vice President Chiwenga's path to the presidency has been politically sealed.The only remaining avenue for him to revive even the faintest hope of succeeding Mnangagwa lies within the military. If the army does not intervene, his presidential ambitions are effectively over. The Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark on Thursday, July 27, 2023. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal) Essex County and its jail medical contractor, CFG Health Systems, have agreed to pay $8 million to settle a civil rights lawsuit brought by the family of Jayshawn Boyd. Boyd was beaten into a coma by fellow inmates at the Essex County Correctional Facility in 2021. The $8 million settlement, first reported by Transparency NJ, resolves a lawsuit filed by Boyds family. The family accused Essex County and CFG of systemic failures in inmate classification, mental health care, and supervision by both county officials and medical staff. Boyd was attacked on Sept. 23, 2021, just hours after being released from a two-week medical isolation period at the jail. He had been arrested two weeks earlier, on Sept. 8, after failing to appear for sentencing in a prior criminal case where he had reached a plea deal involving probation and time served. At the time of the attack, the then 22-year-old had not yet been sentenced. According to the complaint, Boyd, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, recently returned from a psychiatric hospital and was still in the throes of serious mental illness. He was placed in a general population unit known to house gang-affiliated inmates. Surveillance footage captured seven inmates beating Boyd for more than two minutes using fists, feet, and improvised weapons including a mop bucket, water cooler, broom, and microwave oven. He was left comatose, partially paralyzed, and permanently brain damaged. The settlement, approved by Superior Court Judge Anthony V. DElia on Oct. 3, provides financial support for Boyd and his family through a combination of lump-sum and structured payments. Boyd will receive monthly payments of $17,952.61 for life, guaranteed for 35 years. His mother, Nacolia Boyd, who serves as his legal guardian, will receive a lump-sum payment of just over $724,000. The Boyd familys attorneys, BMB Law Firm, will receive $2.9 million in legal fees and costs. The lawsuit accused jail officials and medical staff of failing to properly classify Boyd upon intake, ignoring his documented psychiatric history, and placing him in a housing unit dominated by gang members. Several defendantsincluding Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Chief of Staff Philip Alagia, and Officer Alvaradowere dismissed from the case earlier this year. But claims against the county, CFG Health Systems, and several individuals proceeded to settlement. The attack led to criminal charges against all seven inmates involved. ThreeDarryl Watson, Byad Lockett, and Isaad Jacksonhave since been convicted of attempted murder and weapons offenses. Others await trial or have pleaded guilty to lesser charges. The lawsuit described the facility as a powder keg, citing chronic understaffing, inadequate mental health care, and failures in inmate classification. It also criticized the countys oversight mechanisms, including a civilian task force and an internal audit, as ineffective and politically compromised. Boyd, now 26, is no longer incarcerated but remains incapacitated and requires round-the-clock care. Boyd was represented by Brooke Barnett, lead counsel and owner of BMB Law Firm in Newark, along with her associate Morgan Mahler. Barnett said the $8 million settlement, reached without an admission of liability, will ensure Boyd receives the care he needs following failures by the Essex County Jail and its medical provider, CFG. On behalf of Mr. Boyd we were always ready to get this in front of a jury; however Mr. Boyd needs to have his medical needs taken care of now not years down the line, Barnett said. I pray that the defendants in this case dont allow this tragedy to be held in vain and take all steps necessary to protects all human beings inside their four walls. Attorneys for Essex County and CFG Health Systems did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the settlement. Colleen Murphy may be reached at cmurphy@njadvancemedia.com. A doctor who practices in New York and New Jersey has been indicted on charges he sexually assaulted a woman in his New York City apartment after threatening her with a gun. Maurizio Miglietta, 56, met the 28-year-old woman at a medical networking event and later invited her to his apartment in the Financial District, saying he wanted to mentor her, the Manhattan District Attorney said Tuesday. When the woman arrived at the apartment on June 5, Miglietta kissed her without permission, the district attorney said. The doctor then lifted his shirt to display a gun when she tried to pull away, authorities allege. He told her the gun was loaded and then allegedly sexually assaulted the woman. Miglietta had the gun on a nearby coffee table during the assault. Miglietta refused to let her leave before she was able to escape the apartment, telling the doctor she had a meeting, officials said. Miglietta is charged with two counts each of rape and attempted rape as well as sexual abuse and weapons offense. His attorney, John Esposito entered a not guilty plea. Esposito couldnt immediately be reached Wednesday. A judge in Manhattan ordered him held on $1 million cash bail or $3 million partially secured bond and ordered him to surrender his passport, according to NYTimes.com. He is a professor of surgery at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, the district attorney said. Miglietta also served as the Director of Surgery at Hudson Regional Hospital until departing 2021. Miglietta also has a home in Point Pleasant, according to NYTimes.com. Hey there New Jersey! Heres your audio update highlighting a convicted killer who was released after winning an appeal and a school bus that crashed into a tree early Tuesday. Well also tell you about a car that crashed into a home in Ocean County and an investigation into alleged antisemitic behavior among students in Monmouth County. Listen by clicking the play button above. This audio presentation is an editorially-curated selection of stories, selected by an editor, and then summarized and read aloud by artificial intelligence. Some variations in pronunciation, tone or diction may result. We want to know what you think! All feedback is valuable. After youve listened, take our 3-question survey here to let us know what you think. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Former Vice President Kamala Harris boasted about her accomplishments even after losing to President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. During her latest stop on her book tour, Harris spoke to podcast host Kara Swisher on Tuesday about her 2024 presidential campaign, the Trump administration and whether she is considering a 2028 bid for the White House. At one point, Swisher asked Harris whether the time constraint" prevented people from not getting to know her as a candidate. Harris responded by listing off her political experience. Its about, yes, getting to know me and my background and what Ive done, Harris responded. And the fact that I was elected district attorney for two terms as the first woman elected attorney general of the state of California, ran the second largest Department of Justice in the United States, second only to the United States Department of Justice. I was the United States senator, second Black woman elected in the history of the United States Senate. And I was the first woman vice president of the United States, she continued. Swisher noted that it was a decent resume before Harris continued. Some people have actually said I was the most qualified candidate ever to run for president, Harris said, noting that she was just speaking facts. NEW: Kamala Harris starts bragging about how great she is before suggesting she was the most qualified presidential candidate in U.S. history. "I was elected district attorney for two terms as the first woman elected attorney general of the state of California." "Ran the second pic.twitter.com/K5Hpsn94Fm Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 15, 2025 A number of her allies, including her former running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, have argued that Harris was the most qualified candidate to be president. However, Harris was mocked across social media for her comments. Jennifer Sey, an author and retired gymnast, said Harriss comments were an amazing feat of self delusion, adding that it was impressive. Townhall, a conservative news outlet, wrote on X: LOL Shes officially lost it." One user wrote that Harriss comments were funny for a variety of reasons, not least of which being that she sounds like Trump. Harris lost the 2024 election after Trump clinched the seven battleground states that delivered him the electoral college victory last year. She released a book, titled 107 Days, last month detailing her short-lived campaign after former President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. A flock of demonstrators same in quirky outfits, others fully nude grabbed their bicycles and pedaled to Portlands Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building last Sunday. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) called the scene the most threatening thing hes seen yet. Organizers called for an emergency edition of their annual World Naked Bike Ride to protest the Trump administrations attempted deployment of National Guard troops into the Portland. Over a thousand riders participated in the event, The Oregonian reported. Protestors have railed against the increased presence of ICE agents in Oregons largest city, while President Donald Trumps efforts to send in federalized troops has provoked city and state leaders. Last Saturday, federal officers used stun grenades, tear gas, smoke and pepper balls to disperse a crowd of protestors gathered outside the ICE building. In a Tuesday press conference, Johnson said he had not seen federal agents cross the line yet in dealing with demonstrators. But what I have seen is the abuse of law enforcement by radical leftist activists, Johnson said. Most recently, the most threatening thing Ive seen yet, was the naked bicyclers in Portland who were protesting ICE. I mean, its getting really ugly. They have attacked, physically assaulted officers. People have been arrested. US House Speaker Mike Johnson today: The most threatening thing Ive seen yet was the naked bicyclers in Portland who were protesting ICE down there. I mean, its getting really ugly. However, he says he hasnt seen federal law enforcement cross the line yet. pic.twitter.com/5ZWW3tNYrB PDX Frontline Alerts (@pdxfrontline) October 15, 2025 Portlands ICE building closed for 22 days this summer as federal officials accused protestors of damaging windows and security cameras by throwing rocks. Demonstrators allege the increased presence of federal agents has violated their constitutional rights and stoked civil unrest. While ICE agents continue immigration raids in Portland, Trumps efforts to send in additional troops hit another setback Wednesday. District Judge Karin Immergut extended a temporary restraining order barring the deployment of Guard troops to Portland for another 14 days. The efforts and the actions from our federal government have been unconstitutional, and weve told them we will fight in a court of law and we will win. And we constantly win, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said. So lets just keep going down that lane until were forced to take a right or left. Well pivot and well change with whatever is necessary at the time. A new poll is showing warning signs for President Donald Trump. The latest Morning Consult results revealed that Trumps approval rating is in the negatives in all key battleground states for the first time since he returned to the White House. Trump won all seven states during his 2024 election victory against former Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump is underwater in Wisconsin (-8), Michigan (-5), Nevada (-3), North Carolina (-3), Pennsylvania (-2), Arizona (-2) and Georgia (-1), according to the poll, which was updated Tuesday. It also indicated that his approval rating is above water in 24 states down one since last month after Georgia and Arizona became the latest to flip, with more voters disapproving than approving of the presidents time in office. Meanwhile, the tracker shows that Trump is facing headwinds on his job performance in states that are expected to elect a new governor in November. In New Jersey, 42% of respondents said they approve of Trumps actions, which is down from 44% during the first quarter, while 54% disapprove. The same goes for Virginia: 43% of voters approve of his job performance, down from 47%, and 54% disapprove. The races in each state have emerged as tests for both parties ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. While it is typical for the party controlling the White House to lose seats, Democrats are appearing to face their own set of challenges. Charles Gasparino, a senior correspondent for Fox Business Network, said the polls new findings, reported by Newsweek, have got to be scary for the White House in a post on X. He pointed to Trumps recent foreign policy success, as Israel and Hamas agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal, as well as his successes to end wokeness and change the country in a better direction. Gasparino suspected that his low approval ratings in several states are tied to the economy, which emerged as one of his top issues on the campaign trail. It doesnt suck, but its still not good enough to make up for the lack of purchasing power lost during the Biden years, Gasparino said, while noting the impact of tariffs, the stock market and gold prices. This has got to be scary for the White House, given the president's recent foreign policy success, successes to end wokeness, and change the country in a better direction. I suspect the reason for his low approvals is the economy. It doesn't suck, but it's still not good enough Charles Gasparino (@CGasparino) October 15, 2025 Trump also stands with a higher disapproval than approval across other recent polls. According to a daily poll tracker from The New York Times, 43% of Americans approve of Trumps job performance, while 54% disapprove. Polling expert Nate Silver found Trumps net approval rating to be -8.4, which is a slight improvement from one week ago, when it stood at -9.3. A YouGov/The Economist poll, released Tuesday, showed that 40% of Americans approved of Trumps performance as president, while 55% disapproved. Rasmussen Reports, a conservative-leaning pollster, had Trumps ratings to be more divided as of Wednesday: 50% of likely U.S. voters support Trumps actions, while 49% oppose them. In one of the countrys most watched and most expensive races, a new Quinnipiac University poll shows Democrat Mikie Sherrill with a slight lead over Republican Jack Ciattarelli with about three weeks to go in the New Jersey governors race, though Ciattarelli holds an advantage in voter enthusiasm. Sherrill holds a 6-point lead among likely voters, 50% compared to Ciattarellis 44%. The congresswoman held an 8-point lead in the groups last poll, in mid September. Among likely voters backing Ciattarelli, 91% said they were enthusiastic about supporting him. For Sherrills likely supporters, 86% said they were enthusiastic about supporting her. Ciattarelli, a former state Assemblyman, leads among men, while Sherrill leads among women in the race to succeed outgoing Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy. While Jack Ciattarelli holds a fairly solid 11-point lead among male voters, Mikie Sherrill has nearly double that lead with female voters, Quinnipiac polling analyst Tim Malloy said. Likely voters trust Sherrill more on education and public transit. On public safety, the candidates are tied. Ciattarelli is trusted more on growing the states economy and property taxes. Voters differ on which candidate exhibits honesty and empathy. About 45% view Sherrill as more honest, compared with 38% for Ciattarelli. For empathy, 49% view Sherrill as the more empathetic candidate, compared with Ciattarellis 41%. When it comes to backgrounds, about 61% of voters feel most positive about Sherrills military service in the U.S. Navy. Less than half of likely voters said her time as a prosecutor and congresswoman made them view her more favorably. Ciattarelli has held political offices dating back to 1990, including his time as a state assemblyman. About 55% said his background didnt affect their view of him. Conclusions were similar for his experience as the former owner of a medical publishing company and his two previous campaigns for governor. How important is the resume? While both candidates have had varied, successful and impactful careers, Mikie Sherrills military service as a naval aviator seems to hit home with voters most, Malloy said. In the final weeks, both campaigns are ramping up engagement efforts to boost turnout and bringing in national surrogates to widen their appeal. The raucous debates are done, the attack ads are everywhere, and the race is close, with Sherrill holding a slight advantage, Malloy said. As the clock ticks down to Election Day, voter enthusiasm will translate into turnout. For the moment, in that category, Ciattarelli has an edge. The poll surveyed 1,327 likely New Jersey voters from Oct. 9-13. The margin of error is plus-or-minus 3.6 percentage points. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, accompanied by his wife Lori Shapiro, speaks during a news conference after Cody Balmer plead guilty to attempted murder and other charges, on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025 in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) AP Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) criticized President Donald Trump for cherry picking" what political violence to condemn. Shapiro was the target of political violence earlier this year when a man attempted to light his residence on fire while he and his family were sleeping. Shapiro said in an interview with CNNs Jake Tapper on Tuesday that political leaders must condemn all political violence "no matter who is perpetrating it or no matter who is a target." And so to suggest that the responsibility of political violence exists on just one side of the aisle or another is absolutely wrong. And I think it is proven to be wrong, Shapiro said on CNNs The Lead. Shapiros comments come after Cody Balmer, the suspect in the arson attempt against Shapiro, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and other charges on Tuesday. It also comes as Trump and his allies have repeatedly claimed that only the left is responsible for political violence in the wake of the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. Shapiro noted that he also condemned the attempted assassination of Trump while speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last year. He then criticized Trump for choosing which violence to call out. And the third point here, related to the president, is the president has been a victim of this violence. He should know better. He should want to bring down the temperature. And yet hes been cherry-picking which violence he wants to condemn and which violence that hes going to let pass, Shapiro said. It was horrific what happened to Charlie Kirk. And the president was right to call that out. But it was also horrific what happened to Speaker Hortman in Minnesota just a few weeks prior. He should have called that out as well, he said, referring to the Minnesota Democratic lawmaker who was assassinated alongside her husband earlier this year. He then called on Trump to speak out against all political violence. Just cherry-picking which violence were going to condemn ends up actually ratcheting up the temperature and making some people feel like theres a pass, that a little bit of political violence is OK, as long as its directed in a certain way or against a certain type of person, Shapiro said. We need the leader of this country to speak out against all political violence, as I try to do every day and I know as others try to do. And that is how were going to help bring down the temperature. When people feel as though its unacceptable no matter what, thats when we can begin to heal and thats when we can begin to repair this nation, he added. President Donald Trump presents posthumously to Charlie Kirk, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to Erika Kirk in the Rose Garden of the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) AP President Donald Trumps administration is facing backlash from liberals after it revoked visas from at least six foreigners over speech related to the late right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. The State Department announced on Tuesday that it revoked the visas of six foreign nationals due to comments they made following the assassination of Kirk last month. This comes after right-wing pundits urged employers to fire workers who they argued celebrated the death of the 31-year-old commentator. The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans. The State Department continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk, the State Department wrote on social media platform X. The announcement also came as Trump posthumously awarded Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Americas highest civilian honor, on Tuesday. During the ceremony, Trump called Kirk an American patriot of the deepest conviction, the finest quality and the highest caliber. The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans. The State Department continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk. Here are just a few examples of aliens who are no longer welcome in the U.S.: Department of State (@StateDept) October 14, 2025 Liberals criticized the Trump administration for this move, with many arguing that it impedes on the freedom of speech guaranteed in the United States. Former Rep. Joe Walsh, a former Republican who joined the Democratic Party earlier this year, said it was bulls--- to revoke those visas. Bulls---. Un-American. Unconstitutional. Anti-free speech. And just plain cowardly. Goes against everything America should stand for, Walsh wrote on X. In a separate post, he wrote: The land of the free and the home of the brave now has speech codes? Is now afraid ofspeech?" MeidasTouch also weighed in on the latest move. The State Department has announced it is revoking visas for individuals who called Charlie Kirk racist and misogynist, and who failed to adequately grieve his death, MeidasTouch wrote. And Mehdi Hasan called the Trump administration hypocrites in his post on X. No more free speech in America. The hypocrites are in charge now, he wrote. Eric Lee, an immigration attorney, said he will represent those who had their visa denied or revoked pro bono. If your visa was denied or revoked due to Charlie Kirk-related speech, the Consular Accountability Project (ConsularActProj) is interested in representing you pro bono, he wrote on X. In its statement, the State Department said that Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will defend our borders, our culture, and our citizens by enforcing our immigration laws. Aliens who take advantage of Americas hospitality while celebrating the assassination of our citizens will be removed, the department said in its statement. The Associated Press contributed to this report. FILE - President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with China's President Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) AP China has once again drawn the ire of President Donald Trump as American soybean farmers struggle to stay afloat amid an ongoing trade war. I believe that China purposefully not buying our Soybeans, and causing difficulty for our Soybean Farmers, is an Economically Hostile Act, Trump wrote Tuesday in a Truth Social post. We are considering terminating business with China having to do with Cooking Oil, and other elements of Trade, as retribution. As an example, we can easily produce Cooking Oil ourselves, we dont need to purchase it from China. China has long been the largest importer of U.S. soybeans, buying up 25% of the versatile legume and 14% of exported American farm goods in recent years, per the Associated Press. That critical economic relationship has stalled since Trump implemented a sweeping set of tariffs on the worlds second-largest economy. Beijing responded by pivoting to Brazil and Argentina as its chief soybean exporters and placing a retaliatory 20% tariff on American soybeans. U.S. soybean prices are falling, harvest is underway, and farmers read headlines not about securing a trade agreement with China, American Soybean Association president Caleb Raglan said last month. ... The U.S. government is extending $20 billion in economic support to Argentina while that country drops its soybean export taxes to sell 20 shiploads of Argentine soybeans to China in just two days. While Trump has floated a bailout for farmers, Democrats have made the trade dispute a key part of their campaign against the White House. These are folks that feed, fuel and cloth the world, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday during a call with the Democratic National Committee. They simply want to be given opportunities. They will compete in global markets and have because we produce better product at prices that keep American food prices down. All of those things are a threat because of Donald Trumps ego. This is a ridiculous trade war. In response, White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News that if the American people cared about the opinions of the imbecilic buffoon known as Tim Walz, they wouldnt have resoundingly rejected him and his cackling running mate on Election Day back in November. Trump is reportedly considering hitting China with a 100% tariff by Nov. 1, before he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit at the end of the month. Whether it will go through or not, I dont want to precommit either ourselves or the Chinese, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC Tuesday. But I think it makes sense for people to talk when they can. We think well be able to work through it. MAGA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has gone scorched-earth on her own party, publicly lambasting what she called weak Republican men in Congress. The Georgia Republican suggested that men dont have the guts to truly fight for the conservative agenda, while strong Republican women like herself and New York Rep. Elise Stefanik are sidelined. While Trumps cabinet is stocked with firebrand women, just one woman chairs a committee in the House, despite it being controlled by the Republicans. Only three serve in leadership positions, Greene said, in a wide-ranging interview with The Washington Post. MTG was especially critical of House Speaker Mike Johnson. / Andrew Harnik / Getty Images Whereas President Trump has a very strong, dominant stylehes not weak at alla lot of the men here in the House are weak, she said. Theres a lot of weak Republican men, and theyre more afraid of strong Republican women. So they always try to marginalize the strong Republican women that actually want to do something and actually want to achieve. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Greene said some of these so-called feeble GOP men are afraid of their female counterparts. Theyre always intimidated by stronger Republican women because we mean it and we will do it and we will make them look bad, she said. Greene has accused House Speaker Mike Johnson, whom she made an unsuccessful bid to oust in 2024, of sidelining women in the House. She said there is a night and day difference between his regime and that of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who championed women. Greene said Rep. Elise Stefanik has been Greene said Johnson gave Stefanik some honorary bulls--t role after she was abruptly yanked from her U.N. ambassadorship in March when Trump declared she was needed back in the House. Her replacement, national security adviser Mike Waltz, slid into the post following the chaos of Signalgate, when he invited a reporter into a private group chat of Cabinet officials discussing a planned military strike. In April, Stefanik was appointed by Johnson as Chairwoman of House Republican Leadership for the 119th Congress. Shes a woman, so it was okay to do that to her somehow, Greene said, after noting that her colleague was shafted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Representatives for both Johnson and Stefanik have been contacted for comment. Her critique is part of a growing streak of intra-party sharpshooting. On The Tim Dillon Podcast last weekend, she ripped the Trump administrations approach to immigration and trade. She criticized Trumps tariff policy as blunt and simplistic and called for a smarter plan than mass deportations of undocumented workers. In August, Greene told The Daily Mail, I dont know if the Republican Party is leaving me, or if Im kind of not relating to the Republican Party as much anymore. Greene, however, maintains her loyalty to Trump, calling him her favorite president. Even still, that hasnt totally shielded the president from her missives. Perhaps most boldly, shes taken issue with the administration over the Jeffrey Epstein files. Greene is one of just four House Republicans to join Democrats in a discharge petition forcing a floor vote on releasing the complete records tied to Epstein. FILE - Special counsel Jack Smith speaks to the media about an indictment of former President Donald Trump, Aug. 1, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) AP Former Special Counsel Jack Smith spoke out against President Donald Trumps Department of Justice in a rare interview since his resignation in January. Smith, whose investigations led to two indictments against Trump, maintained in comments released Tuesday that politics did not play a role in bringing criminal charges while criticizing how the DOJ has steered several high-profile cases as the president has threatened retribution against his perceived political enemies. The idea that politics would play a role in big cases like this, its absolutely ludicrous and its totally contrary to my experience as a prosecutor, Smith said in an interview with former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann at the University College London. Smith led a team of prosecutors who separately probed Trump over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents in Florida. Both cases, however, were later dismissed, with Smith dropping the former over DOJ policy against prosecuting sitting presidents, while U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump nominee, rejected the latter, arguing that Smiths appointment was unlawful. Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has framed both cases as partisan witch hunts. In his interview with Weismann, Smith went on to say that the group of prosecutors who worked underneath him were also not motivated by politics. These are team players who dont want anything but to do good in the world, Smith said. ...I get very concerned when I see how easy it is to demonize these people for political ends, when these are the very sort of people I think we should be celebrating. His remarks surfaced as Fox News reported that Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, demanded testimony from Smith by Oct. 28 over what he described as partisan and politically motivated prosecutions of Trump. The order, though not a legally binding subpoena, comes as GOP senators have claimed that the FBI obtained cell phone data of nine congressional Republicans as part of its investigation into 2020 election case. During his over hourlong assessment of the DOJ, Smith had also argued that prosecutors and judges need independence and should not think of their roles as popularity contests. They need the room and space to make decisions that some people might not like, Smith said. I cant imagine a situation in the United States where we would impeach a judge, a federal judge, because of the decision that they made in one particular case. The effects that that would have on the judiciary I think would be terrible, and I dont know why that would apply any different in an international context. Smith said that career prosecutors are being asked to do things that they think are wrong. Because theyre not political people, theyre not going to do them, he said. And I think that explains why youve seen the resignations, youve seen people leave the department. He continued: Its not because theyre enemies of one administration or the next. Theyve worked through decades for different administrations. Its just theyve been doing things apolitically forever. And when theyre told, No, you got to get this outcome no matter what, that is so contrary to how we were all raised as prosecutors. Smiths comments follow the DOJs steps in recent weeks against individuals who have worked on criminal cases targeting Trump. Smith pointed to the recent arraignment of former FBI Director James Comey, stemming from federal charges related to the agencys investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election. On Friday, New York Attorney General Letitia James was also indicted in a mortgage fraud case. Vice President JD Vance is drawing scrutiny on social media after weighing in on leaked messages from a group chat of Young Republicans. POLITICO exclusively reported Tuesday that young GOP leaders joked about slavery, gas chambers and rape in thousands of private messages in a Telegram chat. The trove of messages, obtained by the outlet, stretch over seven months and include leaders in New York, Arizona, Vermont and Texas. Shared among a dozen of millennial and Gen Z Republicans between early January to mid-August, some texts included referring to Black people as the watermelon people and monkeys, while others floated raping political enemies and driving them to suicide. At one point, a former chair of the New York State Young Republicans wrote, Great. I love Hitler. In a post on X, Vance responded late Tuesday to the story, which drew sharp criticism online from both Democrats and Republicans alike. The Young Republican National Federations board of directors also called for members involved to immediately resign from their state or local organizations, describing the contents of the group chat as vile and inexcusable in a post on social media. This is far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and the guy who said it could become the AG of Virginia, Vance wrote, pointing to Jay Jones, the Democratic candidate for Virginia attorney general, who mused to a Republican colleague about violence against then-Republican state House Speaker Todd Gilbert and family. I refuse to join the pearl clutching when powerful people call for political violence, he added. This is far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and the guy who said it could become the AG of Virginia. I refuse to join the pearl clutching when powerful people call for political violence. pic.twitter.com/kV57Wq7BLG JD Vance (@JDVance) October 14, 2025 Jones has faced mounting pressure from the GOP to drop out of the race since his text messages from 2022 came to light. In one text, Jones wrote that Gilbert should receive two bullets to the head. Vance, who attached a screenshot of the exchange, was quickly met with backlash. Jonah Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Dispatch, replied on X: Translation: Because a politician for the other team said something indefensible, I shall refuse to criticize something else indefensible said by my team is exactly the kind moral cowardice and sophistry Ive come to expect from our Vice President... Oh and to call criticism of bigotry pearl clutching is pathetic, cheap, posturing." CNN senior reporter Aaron Blake said that It bears emphasizing this wasnt a college group chat. Young Republicans range from 18 to 40. Some of the people mentioned in the Politico story are in their 30s and well established in GOP politics. Both are bad and disqualifying for someone in politics... Two things can be wrong and condemned even if they arent equivalent, former Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) added. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) also asked, Why cant we denounce both? Meanwhile, some popular conservative media personalities capitalized on Vances response. Lets see chat logs from the Young Democrats after Charlies killing, influencer Nick Sortor wrote of the late conservative activist. Until we see those logs, I couldnt give less shts about these. Gunther Eagleman, a popular MAGA user, weighed in: Jay Jones has ZERO business being the state AG of Virginia. Vance went on to expand on his post during an appearance on The Charlie Kirk Show on Wednesday. Grow up! Im sorry. Focus on the real issues. Dont focus on what kids say in group chats, Vance said, before adding: The reality is that kids do stupid things, especially young boys they tell edgy, offensive jokes. Like thats what kids do. The Salem County Prosecutors Office has dismissed criminal charges it levied against Penns Groves police director, Richard Rivera, saying its in the interest of moving the department forward. The office filed obstruction of justice and harassment charges in June, for alleged behavior by Rivera on May 20 the day the prosecutors office assumed day-to-day control of the Penns Grove police department. Last week, the office moved to dismiss the charges, without prejudice, meaning they could be refiled, should future circumstances warrant, Jeffrey Barile, the offices first assistant prosecutor, said Wednesday. The charges should have never been instituted in the first place, Rivera said. Rivera, who remains on administrative leave from his civilian post with the police department, informed NJ Advance Media the charges had been dropped. And Barile said the office was not planning on discussing the case with the media, but said the office requested the dismissal, in the interest of justice and effective administration of local law enforcement operations. This resolution reflects our desire to support a stable and cooperative effort to allow all agencies to continue to move forward without disruption. The request was made without any determination as to the underlying conduct, and the dismissal without prejudice preserves the ability to revisit the matter should future circumstances warrant, Barile said. The day after NJ Advance Media reported on the charges, Penns Grove Mayor LaDaena Londo said in a statement she only learned of the charges via the news. As mayor, I want you to know that our administration remains focused on moving Penns Grove forward, LaDaena Londo said. We will not allow this matter to disrupt the critical work we are doing together as a community. I ask all residents to remain patient, avoid speculation, and trust that this process will play out with fairness and integrity. A Salem prosecutors detective filed the charges alleging Rivera, for the obstruction charge, took possession of a Penns Grove Police Department vehicle and disabled the emergency systems. And for the harassment charge, Rivera engaged in repeated and alarming conduct, a detective wrote in the charges, by expressing veiled threats and/or intimidating and hostile, messages to subordinates within the Penns Grove Police Department via text message, voicemail, email, and official communication. The charges occurred amid the prosecutors offices takeover due to police licensing issues involving multiple officers in the 14-member department. Rivera initially welcomed the prosecutors office assuming command and adding officers so police could patrol the borough. However, he grew more dissatisfied with the office, headed by Salem County Prosecutor Kristin J. Telsey. After he was charged criminally, he said Telseys motives were purely political and amounted to character assassination Rivera worked for Penns Grove police as a consultant starting in 2021 before being named police director in 2023. From Left, Arpipha Nair, Pooranee Thanjavur Ramesh, and Nishitha Reddy Yerva, practice their dance for a Diwali celebration on Oct. 15, 2022. John J. LaRosa | For NJ Advance Bridgewater Commons mall will transform its center court into a vibrant cultural hub, featuring live performances, music, dance and vendors to celebrate Diwali. Known as the Hindu Festival of Lights, Diwali celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil and is one of the biggest holidays on the calendar in the Indian community. Originating in ancient India, it is is observed by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists worldwide, and has become a joyful celebration for the South Asian diaspora and communities across New Jersey. A representative for Bridgewater Commons said the response to last years Diwali celebration was overwhelming. So, this year, theyre hosting a two-day festival, Diwali @ The Commons, on Saturday and Sunday, featuring live performances, cultural displays, and community activities. Mall officials are partnering with Renascent Media, a company that specializes in bridging cultural connections, on the event. Guests are encouraged to wear traditional attire as they take part in the festivities, celebrating the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. Diwali is one of the most cherished religious festivals in South Asia, and were thrilled to honor our South Asian community by celebrating with them and entertaining all of our guests, Tom Kovacic, Bridgewater Commons marketing and business development director, said in a press release. Our center is not just a business core of the community. Its a cultural core, too, Kovacic said. Were proud to celebrate the incredible diversity that makes Somerset County so special. A weekend of music, dance, and tradition The festivities will kick off Saturday, from 1 to 3 p.m., with a full lineup of performances including: Ganesh Vandana, a devotional dance to invoke blessings and open the celebration. Instrumental performances featuring flute by Madhukar, tabla by Prashant, and keyboard by Venugopal. Folk dances of India from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Haryana, performed by Thangaat Garba Dance Group, Navrang Dance Academy, and Dancing Stars. A Sari Walk, where influencers and models will showcase traditional Indian attire. A musical performance by Dr. Avish Jain, medical journalist and founder of Musical Avish, blending Hindi and American fusion music. A Mini Ramleela by Navrang Dance Academy, presenting scenes from the Ramayana. A Bollywood Flash Mob finale, inviting audience participation in a lively closing dance. The celebration will continue on Sunday, from 1 to 2 p.m., featuring: Fusion music by Raaga Rhythms. Dance performances by Nitya Rhythm, a Flemington-based academy teaching Bollywood, Bharatanatyam, and Kathak. A Cancer Awareness Walk presented by My Dream TV USA, featuring Miss Bharat pageant winners and community doctors in pink. A special appearance by the Ridhi Sidhi Twins, young social media dance sensations. Both days will also feature free mehndi (henna) stations, cultural product samples, and vendor booths from Star Tours, New York Life, Horizon BCBS, LT Foods, Shan Foods, Northlandz, and others, from noon to 6 p.m. In a statement, Tanvi Prenita Chandra, founder of Renascent Media, emphasized the festivals deeper meaning. Diwali reminds us of the power of light to conquer darkness and of togetherness to overcome division. This event is a celebration of harmony, awareness, and shared humanity. Bridgewater Commons is located at the intersection of Routes 22, 202/206, and I-287. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Cloudy skies. A few flurries or snow showers possible. High 27F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Snow in the evening will transition to snow showers overnight. Low 18F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 80%. About one inch of snow expected. They Want to Run New York City. How Would They Do It? The New York Times sent a wide-ranging survey to the candidates for mayor about the big issues facing New York City and what they hope to accomplish if elected to lead it. The freewheeling New York City mayors race has focused on a few key issues: making the city more affordable, improving public safety, navigating President Trumps second term and the war in Gaza. Zohran Mamdani, 33, the Democratic nominee, is running on a populist agenda and has a strong lead in the polls. Mr. Mamdani, a state assemblyman and democratic socialist, wants to make city buses free and enact universal child care, but has limited experience in government. Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, 67, who is running as an independent after losing to Mr. Mamdani in the primary, has sought to unite the citys anti-Mamdani factions, including business leaders and moderate voters. Mr. Cuomo resigned as governor in 2021 following a series of sexual harassment allegations that he denies. Curtis Sliwa, 71, the Republican nominee, has been hammering the issue of addressing violent crime. He is the founder of the Guardian Angels, a subway patrol group, and lost the 2021 mayors race to Mayor Eric Adams. Ahead of the Nov. 4 election, we asked Mr. Mamdani, Mr. Cuomo and Mr. Sliwa to answer a list of questions on some of the biggest issues facing New York. Their answers are below, and were edited for length and clarity. Blue eyes have historically been a significant measure of attractiveness, and although theyre commonly found among actors and models, only 17% of the global population has them. For the majority of people, approximately 80% of the population, blue eyes have been attainable only with the aid of colored contact lenses or artificial iris implants. But that will soon change with the introduction of a new medical procedure, pioneered by California company Stroma Medical, that can turn brown eyes blue. The laser procedure works by eliminating the melanin -, the pigment that also colors hair and skin from the surface of the iris, which then allows light to enter and scatter in the stroma, the fibers seen in light-colored eyes. The effect is similar to Rayleigh scattering, in which wavelengths of sunlight hit much smaller molecules in the air and then scatter, which makes the atmosphere appear blue. Photo: Lucashawranke The fundamental principle is that under every brown eye is a blue eye, Dr. Gregg Homer told CNN, back in 2015, adding that there is no actual blue pigmentation in the eye. The only difference between a brown eye and a blue eye is this very thin layer of pigment on the surface. If you take that pigment away, then the light can enter the stroma the little fibers that look like bicycle spokes in a light eye and when the light scatters it only reflects back the shortest wavelengths, and thats the blue end of the spectrum. The laser treatment disrupts the fragile layer of pigment on the iris, which causes the body to start removing the tissue naturally. While the procedure itself only takes around 20 seconds, the blue eyes do not emerge for several weeks, as the body can only gradually release the pigment. Its difficult to work out a way to injure someone with this laser because the energy is so low, Homer said. The laser only treats the iris and does not enter any part of the eye where the nerves affecting the vision are located. Stroma Medical aspires to develop the safest, cheapest, and most convenient procedure available on the market, but it has yet to gain approval from the regulatory bodies in the United States. The companys medical board has stated that preliminary studies show that the surgery is safe, but so far only 37 patients altogether have undergone the treatment. 17 patients were in Mexico and the remaining 20 in Costa Rica. The company is currently in the fundraising stage as it searches for investors, but hopes to have completed clinical trials within a few years. Currently, the price to change brown eyes blue stands at a relatively high amount of $5,000 (USD). The medical industry, ophthalmologists in particular, has not been particularly receptive to the procedure. Their skepticism is based on the fact that the eyes are one of the most sensitive organs in the human body, and that the procedure is irreversible. One of their main concerns is that the laser procedure releases the melanin pigment inside the eye where it can clog up the organs drainage channels, which could increase ocular pressure. In time, this could lead to the development of glaucoma. However, Stroma Medical claims that the particles released by the procedure are too small to cause to clog the channels. Its not a goal of our company to promote blue eyes, Stroma Medicas Dr. Gregg Homer told CNN. From my experience what most people are after is the translucence of the blue eye rather than the color of the blue eye. The people who seem most vigilant about pursuing this always have a story about being young and in the presence of a sibling or a friend who had light eyes and the friend is being told how beautiful their eyes are, and it sticks with them. That seems to be something theyve carried around with them. Would it be better for them to get over it? Probably. All your problems dont go away because youve changed your eye color, but I do believe that people like to express themselves a certain way and its nice when they have the freedom to do that. Jordan Banegas Proven Media Solutions hires Jordan Banegas as the companys first director of strategic projects. Banegas was previously assistant director of activism at the Institute for Justice a nonprofit, public interest law firm with financial backing from the Koch brothers. He has also served as digital manager at Stand Together, an organization founded by Charles Koch to assist philanthropic activities across the United States. Banegas was regional political director for Susana Martinezs successful 2014 re-election campaign for New Mexico governor and worked for her 2010 campaign. He is the co-founder of A-Mountain Sports, an NIL collective, where he and his team oversee relationships with hundreds of student-athletes. At Proven Media Solutions, Banegas will help lead account management, focusing on client strategy, content development, and operational efficiency. Jordans experience helping governors, businesses, and grassroots advocates win in the court of public opinion and in the halls of government will help our clients understand whats coming and how to capitalize on opportunities presented, said Proven Media Solutions founder Dustin Siggins. Mike O'Rielly Crest Hill Advisors forms a strategic partnership with former FCC Commissioner Mike ORielly, president of MPORielly Consulting, Inc. ORielly was also deputy chief of staff and policy advisor for former U.S. Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl. He will work with the Crest Hill team as a special advisor, delivering comprehensive advice and providing advocacy across the government for firm clients. In addition, ORielly will continue to manage his own consulting practice and serve as a visiting fellow at the Hudson Institutes Center for the Economics of the Internet, a senior fellow at the Media Institute, and an adjunct senior fellow at the Free State Foundation. Working with Mike strengthens our ability to offer clients targeted, high-impact expertise and advocacy, said Crest Hill managing partner Scott Blake Harris. Vanita Pandey Microblink, which provides AI-powered identity verification and fraud prevention, appoints Vanita Pandey as CMO. Pandey was most recently CMO at identity verification company Caf. She has held the CMO post at Arkose Labs and Bureau, and was VP of product marketing at ThreatMetrix (acquired by LexisNexis). At Simility (acquired by PayPal), Pandey led global branding initiatives and go-to-market execution. In her new post, Pandey will head up Microblinks global marketing organization, shaping the companys brand strategy, demand generation and product marketing efforts. She will also drive initiatives that highlight the companys commitment to building human-centered AI identity and fraud solutions. With her deep industry network and insights, paired with her strong advocacy for customer success, Vanita brings exactly the perspective we need as Microblink enters its next phase of growth, said Microblink CEO Hartley Thompson. The Tullamore Court Hotel buzzed with excitement as local Offaly-based artist Olive Cuskelly unveiled her latest collection, 'And Still We Rise recently. The exhibition showcased 22 stunning oil and acrylic paintings, each deeply inspired by the poignant writings of acclaimed UK poet and best-selling non-fiction female author Donna Ashworth. Olives painting collection explores themes of resilience, empowerment, and emotional healing. As the title itself suggests there is a focus on overcoming adversity and celebrating strength. CLICK ON THE ARROWS ABOVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THE PICTURES A large crowd gathered to support Olive, filling the venue with an atmosphere of creativity and community. Attendees, young and old, enjoyed a delightful wine reception while listening to the endearing background music played by Aine Colgan on keyboards. The event featured guest speakers, starting with psychotherapist Lorna Heffernan, who welcomed the audience and provided insight into Donna Ashworth's impactful work. A special video message from Ashworth herself was played, expressing her congratulations to Olive for her new body of work. Ashworth, who was unable to attend due to her own book tour in the UK, shared her pride in being the inspiration behind Olive's paintings and recited her poem 'Yellow,' which resonated with the crowd and earned enthusiastic applause. Following this, Geraldine Byrne, former Principal of St. Joseph's NS spoke, discussing individual paintings and the poetry that influenced Olive's vision. Her heartfelt interpretations moved the audience to an emotional depth as she referred to the themes of grief, hope and love portrayed in some of the works. The exhibition remained open for public viewing on Sunday, allowing visitors to reconnect with the artwork in a more relaxed setting. Many returned to take in the pieces without the hustle and bustle of the previous night's crowd, enjoying a steady flow of art enthusiasts throughout the day. Olive Cuskelly expressed her gratitude to everyone who attended and supported her throughout the weekend. She appreciates all those who sent good luck wishes, those who purchased her work and those who commissioned new pieces. This weekend's exhibition not only celebrated Olive's artistic talents but also highlighted the powerful connection between art and poetry, leaving a lasting impression on all who attended. For inquiries regarding artwork, Olive can be reached through her social media platforms or via email, Email: olivecuskelly@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/olive.cuskelly Instagram: www.instagram.com/olivecuskelly_art_tullamore/ THERE was a major jobs boost for Offaly this week 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 CUSTOMERS in Lusmagh can look forward to a more secure and reliable water supply as Uisce Eireann begins essential upgrade works this week. As part of its National Leakage Reduction Programme, Uisce Eireann has prioritised the replacement of 730 metres of ageing water mains between the crossroads at Caplevane and Lusmagh National School. This investment will not only provide a more secure and reliable water supply in the area but also reduce leakage of treated water into the ground. Uisce Eireanns Programme Manager, Dave Murphy, is looking forward to delivering the project for customers in the local communities. This essential work is part of an investment by Uisce Eireann to improve the water network across County Offaly, prioritising investment where it is needed most. We would like to thank customers in Lusmagh in advance for their co-operation and patience while we complete these works. We understand that this type of work is inconvenient, and our crews are making every effort to minimise disruption to the local community. These works are vital to ensure security of supply now and into the future, with the long-term benefits far outweighing any short-term inconvenience. To deliver the works safely and efficiently, traffic management in the form of a stop-go system will be in place along the L3012, from the crossroads at Caplevane to Lusmagh National School. READ NEXT: New Offaly public garden is 'phenomenal job' Areas of work will be limited to short sections to minimise impact on the local community, and the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours notice prior to any planned interruptions. Shareridge are carrying out the works on behalf of Uisce Eireann and are expected to be completed later this month. Local Fine Gael Councillor, Eleanor Clendennen has welcomed confirmation from Uisce Eireann that the essential upgrade works are set to begin. Cllr Clendennen said the works will bring long-term benefits to residents, businesses, and local services: Im delighted to see this much-needed upgrade progressing for the Lusmagh area. A secure and reliable water supply is essential for every home, farm, and school, and this investment by Uisce Eireann will make a real and lasting difference to the community. I also want to thank residents and road users for their patience and co-operation while these works are being carried out. The short-term inconvenience will be well worth the long-term improvements. Cllr Clendennen added: This is another example of much-needed investment in rural infrastructure across County Offaly. Strengthening our local water network is vital to supporting sustainable growth, improving quality of life, and ensuring that communities like Lusmagh can continue to thrive. READ NEXT: Cop that! - Offaly and Laois gardai speed to victory in prestigious Memorial Tournament The Uisce Eireann Customer Contact Centre, open 24/7 on freephone 1800 278 278, is available to answer any queries. Further information is available on www.water.ie. Uisce Eireann has a free text service, providing real-time updates for local issues. Customers can sign up with their Eircode and mobile number at the text alerts page. Uisce Eireann is responsible for delivering public drinking water and wastewater services for the people of Ireland. We are committed to enabling communities to thrive by continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support sustainable growth and development, providing safe drinking water, and enhancing the environment. READ NEXT: Take a look at this stunning home in Offaly overlooking Grand Canal that's now on the market TWO Offaly schools have been recognised with a prestigious Irish Heart Foundation award for training their students in the lifesaving skill of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Oaklands Community College in Edenderry and Colaiste Naomh Cormac in Kilcormac both received a CPR 4 Schools award, which recognises schools, teachers and students for remarkable efforts in CPR promotion and training. They were among 33 schools across Ireland presented with 63 awards as part of the national heart and stroke charitys CPR 4 Schools programme. Ninety-per-cent of secondary schools have engaged in the programme since its inception, with 2,630 teachers involved across 649 schools to deliver CPR training, giving the programme a reach of over 350,000 students nationwide. The charity is now calling on all schools to sign up to help build a new generation of lifesavers. The programme trains students to perform CPR and respond in a cardiac emergency, use an AED (defibrillator) and respond when someone is choking. READ NEXT: New Offaly public garden is 'phenomenal job' Easy to run, it involves one-hour, video-led lessons, fully supported with manikin kits and classroom resources. Schools benefit by awards recognising their participation and positive student engagement, while families and entire communities gain by having young people emerge as confident lifesavers. Brigid Sinnott, Resuscitation Manager with the Irish Heart Foundation, encouraged teachers countrywide to help students obtain essential lifesaving CPR skills. We know that schools are extremely busy places, which makes us all the more blown away by the work and commitment they have put in to teach the lifesaving skill of CPR to date. The Irish Heart Foundations mission is to build a nation of lifesavers through CPR training and schools are vital to help us achieve that. The CPR 4 Schools programme is easy to run and takes just one hour to train a class. I would encourage schools nationwide to visit irishheart.ie/cpr4schools to learn how easy it is to implement our programme. READ NEXT: Thirty new tech jobs for Offaly as major announcement made Schools and teachers are at the core of this programme and these awards are our way of recognising them for empowering students with a lifesaving skill. A persons chance of survival is doubled when CPR is started immediately. By learning CPR once in your life, you are 10 times more likely to respond to an emergency than someone who has never received training. Post-primary school teachers interested in signing up for the free programme can register by emailing: schools@irishheart.ie. To find out more about CPR 4 Schools, visit irishheart.ie/cpr4schools. READ NEXT: Two Offaly farmers lead the way in nature-friendly farming IF Uisce Eireann fails to remove all of the markings on footpaths around Tullamore the council will clean the granite and take the money from the deposit paid to Uisce Eireann. The paths in the middle of the town are covered in orange, blue and white markings as part of site investigations aimed at upgrading the sewerage system. A syphon which runs under the canal will also be included in the works. At the October Municipal District meeting, Councillor Aoife Masterson said recent heavy rain failed to remove the lettering and numbers. Senior Executive Engineer Joe Dooley said that Uisce Eireann has been instructed to remove them. ''They are sending up a crew to use some sort of acid on them. It's fully acknowledged that it is not acceptable at this stage. As an engineer I feel it didn't need to happen. It wouldn't be common practice,we will have that granite cleaned in a couple of weeks,'' he assured members. Mr Dooley said the water utility company is carrying out ground works. ''We all know it's badly needed and the detail design is being carried out now.'' ''If they don't do what is being asked of them, what are the repercussions?''asked Councillor Frank Moran. ''We will carry out the work for them and take the cost out of their deposit,'' responded Mr Dooley. ''How big is the deposit?'' asked Councillor Shane Murray.''I didn't handle that myself in person but it's quite large. It would be to reinstate the road'' said Mr Dooley. Cathaoirleach Councillor Declan Harvey asked if the roads are going to be dug up before Christmas. ''I'm still hearing that around the town,'' he said. No, responded Mr Dooley. However, he added that Uisce Eireann do have a road opening licence and they are entitled to carry out the work. But it's not that invasive. ''You will see more trenches up in Thornsberry Estate. We don't have the data. But the roads won't be dug up. The detailed design is only being carried out now. ''I don't have much faith in Irish Water,'' remarked Councillor Harvey. Mr Dooley assured that if roads are being dug they will be reinstated, they will have to follow guidelines. There won't be a trench through the roads. They can't turn up just anywhere,''he concluded. Uisce Eireann says it has invested 21.5 million in the Tullamore and Birr Water Supply Schemes, which will provide a safe and secure water supply to over 18,000 local residents and businesses. READ NEXT: Whopping 300,000 passengers use Offaly and Laois local ink bus services Safe and secure water supply to over 18,000 local residents and businesses Improved drinking water quality Reduced disruptions to supply What was involved? Water treatment plant at Ardan Groundwater sources at Ardan 2,500m treated water storage reservoir at Ardan Groundwater sources at Clonaslee Water treatment plant at Clonaslee, Co. Laois Camcor River abstraction and pumping infrastructure at Birr Water treatment plant at Birr 2,000m of treated water storage reservoir at Birr IF Uisce Eireann fails to remove all of the markings on footpaths around Tullamore the council will clean the granite and take the money from the deposit paid to Uisce Eireann. The paths in the middle of the town are covered in orange, blue and white markings as part of site investigations aimed at upgrading the sewerage system. A syphon which runs under the canal will also be included in the works. At the October Municipal District meeting, Councillor Aoife Masterson said recent heavy rain failed to remove the lettering and numbers. Senior Executive Engineer Joe Dooley said that Uisce Eireann has been instructed to remove them. ''They are sending up a crew to use some sort of acid on them. It's fully acknowledged that it is not acceptable at this stage. As an engineer I feel it didn't need to happen. It wouldn't be common practice,we will have that granite cleaned in a couple of weeks,'' he assured members. Mr Dooley said the water utility company is carrying out ground works. ''We all know it's badly needed and the detail design is being carried out now.'' ''If they don't do what is being asked of them, what are the repercussions?''asked Councillor Frank Moran. ''We will carry out the work for them and take the cost out of their deposit,'' responded Mr Dooley. ''How big is the deposit?'' asked Councillor Shane Murray.''I didn't handle that myself in person but it's quite large. It would be to reinstate the road'' said Mr Dooley. Cathaoirleach Councillor Declan Harvey asked if the roads are going to be dug up before Christmas. ''I'm still hearing that around the town,'' he said. No, responded Mr Dooley. However, he added that Uisce Eireann do have a road opening licence and they are entitled to carry out the work. But it's not that invasive. ''You will see more trenches up in Thornsberry Estate. We don't have the data. But the roads won't be dug up. The detailed design is only being carried out now. ''I don't have much faith in Irish Water,'' remarked Councillor Harvey. Mr Dooley assured that if roads are being dug they will be reinstated, they will have to follow guidelines. There won't be a trench through the roads. They can't turn up just anywhere,''he concluded. READ NEXT: Decision on Midland's hospice deferred HSE must publish new newspaper notice Uisce Eireann says it has invested 21.5 million in the Tullamore and Birr Water Supply Schemes, which will provide a safe and secure water supply to over 18,000 local residents and businesses. Safe and secure water supply to over 18,000 local residents and businesses Improved drinking water quality Reduced disruptions to supply What was involved? Water treatment plant at Ardan Groundwater sources at Ardan 2,500m treated water storage reservoir at Ardan Groundwater sources at Clonaslee Water treatment plant at Clonaslee, Co. Laois Camcor River abstraction and pumping infrastructure at Birr Water treatment plant at Birr 2,000m of treated water storage reservoir at Birr Kochi: Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga died at a private hospital in Koothattukulam, Ernakulam, on Wednesday morning. The veteran leader, whose recent absence from public life had already fuelled intense speculation in Kenya, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest while undergoing Ayurvedic treatment in Kerala. Odinga, 80, a towering figure in Kenyan politics, who was the PM during 2008-13 and a five-time presidential contender, collapsed around 8 am while on a morning walk within the premises of Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Centre, where he had been admitted for treatment and rest after suffering a mild stroke in Kenya. According to sources at Sreedhareeyam, Odinga was accompanied by his personal doctor when he suddenly collapsed. He was immediately given CPR by the medical team and then rushed to Devamatha Hospital, a hospital official said. Despite being admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), medical efforts to revive him proved unsuccessful, and he was declared dead at 9.52 a.m. ADVERTISEMENT Odinga arrived in India on October 4, after suffering a minor stroke in Kenya. He initially underwent treatment at a Mumbai hospital before flying to Kochi on Friday. He was accompanied by his sister, youngest daughter, personal doctor, and a bodyguard. Sources at Sreedhareeyam said he arrived in a wheelchair but showed encouraging signs of recovery after beginning Ayurvedic therapy. He had started walking short distances again. His vitals were stable, and his overall condition had improved, said an official. ADVERTISEMENT Hospital authorities confirmed that local police have taken charge of the necessary formalities. The Kenyan Embassy in India has been informed, and arrangements are underway to embalm the body before repatriation. Odingas choice of Sreedhareeyam was deeply personal. In 2019, his daughter Rosemary Odinga regained her eyesight after receiving treatment at the same facility, a success story that drew global attention and was later mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mann Ki Baat in 2022 and at the AYUSH Summit in 2023. ADVERTISEMENT Odinga himself visited the hospital in 2022 to thank the doctors for his daughters recovery and this might have influenced his decision to return for follow-up care after treatment in Mumbai. Speculation and political tensions in Kenya Odingas death comes after weeks of speculation and disinformation in Kenya regarding his health and whereabouts. For nearly two weeks, his absence from public events had fuelled widespread rumours, forcing his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party to issue multiple clarifications. Kenyan media have reported that Odinga was planning to contest in the 2027 Presidential Election. Following this, his opponents circulated doctored photos and videos claiming that Odinga was critically ill or dead and his family and party repeatedly denied those reports. His wife, Ida Odinga, had only recently dismissed such rumours, telling Kenyan media that her husband was fit as a fiddle and recovering well. Those spreading lies about his health should stop. He is doing perfectly fine, Ida had said in a statement that briefly calmed the storm, as reported by the Daily Nation website. Odingas sudden death now confirms the worst fears of his supporters and is expected to trigger a power vacuum within the Kenyan Opposition. His passing not only ends a remarkable political journey spanning over four decades but also opens a turbulent chapter in the leadership of the Azimio la Umoja coalition and the ODM party he led. America is eating its own in an attempt to achieve a delusion. Trump and his psychopathic intellectuals seem to think that isolating, both politically and physically, any groups or individuals not conforming to their white robotic ideal positions those innocent persons as worthy targets of elimination. This elimination may be achievable by denying health care, voting rights, even food, by police and military suppression of protest and street safety, leading of course to the riots that would give Trump and dubious company the excuse they want for martial law and mass deportation and incarceration. Of course this will lead to civil war and the ruination of our country. Food and other supply lines will be threatened if not cut when those supply lines are no longer safe. And people in this country will not willingly starve. Donald Trump, of course, thinks he will be unaffected by such horror and can enjoy watching the death of his country on television. The yearning for apocalypse has occurred in American politics before, but has it ever reached the presidency? Now that such a delusional maniac is in high office, how does America return to sanity? Is that even possible? A psychosis can occur when irresolvable contradictions of character fight for the dominant place within the miserable mind. Our country is experiencing such a psychosis. The conflict is between power-mad politicians and their financiers who prefer depopulation (by what means?) to the most basic forms of social justice for all within America: a safe home in a safe neighborhood, quality education, humane working conditions for all persons in this country, and above all the inclusion of all races and genders in the achievement of that hope. There is very little time to avoid civil war as Donald Trump is contemplating military occupation of more American cities. However, civil war can possibly be avoided by aware Americans joining in massive non-violent protests, sustained over many weeks and months, throughout the nation and publicized by the media that is supposed to be informing us. This last point is critical at a time when an American satirist, Jimmy Kimmel, was almost banished from national media. That slender thread of courage causing Mr. Kimmel's restoration was probably due to a network's financial rather than Constitutional considerations. If the united voice of a people demanding freedom of expression can supplant corporate cowardice, then that voice can force impeachment of Donald Trump and a return to responsive government. There is little time. It has to happen now. Chowdhury Remon, founder of SDF Clothing-a trailblazing entity among clothing manufacturers in Bangladesh since its inception on August 22, 1998-has urged immediate systemic reforms in The Great American Beer Festival welcomed drinkers to Denver over the weekend to experience the best in craft beer and cider, and it turns out Colorado residents dont have to travel far to sip the best suds the industry has to offer. More: Oregon also crushes it at Americas biggest beer competition The festivals prestigious awards, announced Saturday, are a testament to that. Colorado breweries and cideries made a phenomenal showing, collecting a total of 40 medals, 19 of which were gold. That is down slightly from last years haul of 41 medals, but the straight numbers dont tell the full story. In 2025, three producers were honored as brewery of the year in their respective size categories a huge honor considering more than 1,500 breweries and cidermakers entered this years competition. (The Denver Post did not include these accolades in the total medal count.) It was a great showing for Colorados craft breweries at the GABF awards ceremony. With three brewery-of-the-year awards and 16 gold (beer) medals, Colorado craft breweries continue to prove that they consistently brew some of the best beers in the country, Shawnee Adelson, executive director of the Colorado Brewer Guild, said in a statement. The diversity of styles shows that breweries in Colorado can make exceptional beer for all types of palates. Westbound & Down Brewing Co. was the biggest company to earn the brewery-of-the-year title, in the 5,001- to 15,000-barrel category, and it did so with six medals awarded to its IPAs and lagers. That includes three gold medals, one of which was in the West Coast IPA category, the competitions second-most-competitive. The brewerys How the West Was Won IPA beat 299 other entries to take the top of the podium. As added icing on the cake, the companys subsidiary Aspen Brewing Co. also garnered gold in the brand-new Mexican-style pale lager category with a beer called Casa Bonita. It doesnt get more Colorado than that. Denvers River North Brewery was named brewery of the year in the 1,001- to 2,000-barrel range after it collected two medals, both gold. And Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. in Golden, a mainstay at the GABF awards, took home the title in the 501- to 1,000-barrel category with three total accolades. Other notable standouts include Denver Beer Co. winning silver for its non-alcoholic Tangerine Cream ale; Our Mutual Friend Brewing Co. grabbing silver in the American-style IPA category; and Fritz Family Brewers landing atop the podium in the Pro-Am competition for a collaboration with homebrewer Christopher Owens of Longmont. Interestingly, the now-defunct Banded Oak Brewing Co. in Denver also took home one bronze medal. Local cideries Haykin Family Cider and Snow Capped Cider also made a commendable showing with a total of seven medals. They collectively swept the single-varietal cider category with Haykin Family Cider earning gold and bronze and Snow Capped Cider taking home silver. This year, the Brewers Association gave out awards for the best beer packaging and branding. While Colorado didnt officially win, we thought River Norths Squirrels Just Want to Have Fun, which won a gold medal in the coffee beer category, deserved an honorable mention. You can find all the competition results at greatamericanbeerfestival.com. Members of the Unpresidented Brass Band, most of whom dressed as bananas, marched in a Sunday protest to the U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement building in South Portland, where the band played the theme to "Ghostbusters." Austin De Dios/The Oregonian A 38-year-old marching band member who performed Sunday outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland tried to interfere with the arrest of a man fleeing from federal officers, prosecutors allege in court records. Oriana Korol, a clarinetist with the Unpresidented Brass Band, was in turn arrested after the man and federal agents barreled into band members who were standing across the street from the ICE office and playing the theme from Ghostbusters. Korol appeared Wednesday afternoon in federal court in Portland after spending three nights in the Clark County Jail. The courtroom was filled with her supporters. Federal prosecutor Katherine Ryyken called Korols alleged actions violent. There was a kick and a bite of an officer, she said. Kara Sagi, Korols assistant federal public defender, disputed Ryykens account. I disagree with the governments characterization of her arrest in this case, Sagi said, but provided no further details. Sagi also said she was disturbed by the three-day delay in Korols initial appearance in federal court. Another person arrested Sunday outside the ICE building and held in Clark County was in federal court on Tuesday and released. For whatever reason, she was not. That was a devastating blow both to her and her family and unnecessary, Sagi said. Korol is a child and family therapist and has a young daughter. Once in custody, Korol declined to waive her Miranda rights and speak with any federal officers before she had a lawyer. U.S. Magistrate Judge Youlee Yim You granted Korols release pending trial, ordering her to remain away from a designated geographical area around the ICE building and to seek permission from a pretrial officer before any international travel. Federal officers had been clearing the vehicle entrance to the ICE building when officers trying to arrest a man rushed across the street. Korol, holding her clarinet, was standing with band members on a gravel patch of land beside a fence when witnesses said federal officers chased the man through the band and took that person to the ground. One video posted on social media showed Korol wedged between several officers, tripping over them and the detained suspect before she fell into the mud. An officer then pinned her as well. Another video shows someone holding another instrument trying to pull the suspect on the ground away from officers as Korol is in the midst of the officers. According to the federal affidavit unsealed Wednesday, Korol attempted to interfere with the arrest by physically trying to pull the male away from officers and a Federal Protective Service officer pushed Korol away and she fell. The affidavit, written by a Federal Protective Service special agent, said Korol locked her hands underneath her, kicked the officer in the leg with her right foot while she was on the ground and then bit an officers left hand as he tried to grab her left hand to arrest her. A video screenshot of the federal arrest of clarinet player Oriana Korol, seen in green jacket on the ground, on Sun., Oct. 12, 2025, after federal officers barreled into the band while chasing after a male suspect. U.S. Attorney's Office Band founder and trumpet player Miles Thompson said he didnt see anything like what federal authorities alleged against Korol. Thompson, who attended Korols hearing, said afterward that it was the first time a band member has been arrested since forming in 2017 during a large demonstration demanding that President Donald Trump release his tax returns. Thompson, 43, said federal agents had just exited the ICE building and appeared to be chasing a protester when the protester and officer collided with band members, most of whom were wearing banana costumes. A video screenshot of the federal arrest of clarinet player Oriana Korol, seen in green jacket on the ground, on Sun., Oct. 12, 2025, after federal officers barreled into the band while chasing after a male suspect. U.S. Attorney's Office In a separate interview Tuesday, Thompson said Korol was pinned against this fence, with whoever theyre trying to detain at her feet, and shes just kind of stuck. ... Then suddenly one of the other officers just tackled her. I didnt see anything that warranted any kind of arrest. Thompson said one officer did like a crazy, horizontal diving tackle of this guy straight into our band, which knocked over a drummer who had to go to the hospital and get stitches. Korols parents also attended Wednesdays brief hearing. They moved to Oregon from Vermont four months ago to be closer to their daughter and granddaughter. Korols father, Omar Johnson, said they were able to talk by phone and video chat with Korol while she was in jail. Her glasses and her plastic clarinet were broken in the scrum, he said. Were all just kind of in shock, he said. He said he believes his daughter will prevail in challenging her arrest, calling the allegation an extremely Trump-ed up assault charge. Whos assaulting who is the real question? he said. Korol has performed in about four performances with the band, her father said. Korols partner, with whom she has a 3-year-old child, and members of the band performed outside the Clark County Jail on Monday night and demanded her release. By 3 p.m. Wednesday, Korol was let out of custody and reunited with her partner and friends outside the federal courthouse in downtown Portland. Im super grateful to be out and back with my family, and so happy and excited to see my 3-year old, she told The Oregonian/OregonLive. She said shes still feeling " some fear and sadness stemming from her arrest and the federal charge she faces. She didnt comment on the specific allegations but said she plans to fight the charge in court and that her experience has only strengthened her commitment to social justice. I feel even more committed to what people are protesting at the ICE building and I hope that people continue to speak out against acts of violence towards minorities. Korol is the 33rd person to be arrested on a federal misdemeanor or felony charge stemming from protests against federal immigration enforcement or outside Portlands immigration field office since early June. The band plans to march and perform in the No Kings protest on Saturday in Portland. Chad Emerson Brix was sent to the Oregon State Hospital after his guilty plea. AP A 53-year-old Lake Oswego man pleaded guilty except for insanity to murder in the second degree for stabbing his mother to death in 2024. Chad Emerson Brix, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia more than 15 years ago, was sent to the Oregon State Hospital after his guilty plea on Tuesday, officials said. Brix killed his mother, 78-year-old Virginia Brix, while she was sleeping in his home on February 2, 2024, the Clackamas County District Attorneys Office said in a statement. Court records show that Brixs mental health had declined considerably in the years after his diagnosis, as the father of two and former construction-business owner experienced paranoid delusions, impulsivity and auditory hallucinations. Chad Brixs delusions included a belief that his two young daughters were in constant danger and that people were conspiring to bring down his business. In December 2021 he called Lake Oswego police after becoming convinced that his daughters were being murdered in a garage in his neighborhood, court records show. In 2022, Virginia Brix and her sons brother-in-law, Kevin Burke, sought to be appointed temporary guardians of Chad Brix, citing his severe mental health issues, according to court records. Multnomah County Circuit Judge Patrick W. Henry approved the request, and tasked Virginia Brix and Kevin Burke with communicating with Chad Brixs doctors and consenting to treatment on his behalf, records show. A little over a year later, in 2023, Virginia Brix wrote in a mandatory report to the court that she checked in with her son by phone several times a week and that he was stable and looking for a part-time job. He had been taking his prescribed medications regularly for a year and was doing well enough, she wrote. Despite living in the Seattle area, Virginia Brix visited her son regularly in Lake Oswego, and, even though she had limited means, spent roughly $460,000 to support him, district attorneys officials said. On February 2, 2024, Virginia Brix was staying with her son in Lake Oswego when Chad Brix woke up with the false belief that she had drugged him, leading him to stab her as she slept, officials say he told police later. In court on Tuesday, Chad Brix briefly addressed his family as he pleaded guilty to the charges against him. I sincerely apologize, he said. I didnt mean to do it. Im so sorry. The protester is accused of kicking a federal officer in the groin Sunday night during an attempted arrest outside Portlands immigration enforcement building in South Portland. U.S. Attorney's Office A 19-year-old is accused of kicking a federal officer in the groin during an arrest Sunday night as officers tried to clear the driveway and street in front of Portlands immigration enforcement building. Samuel Westcott made a first appearance Tuesday in federal court in Portland, facing a charge of assaulting a federal officer. About 5 p.m. Sunday, U.S. Homeland Security officers were sent to clear a crowd that had assembled outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on South Bancroft Street to allow vehicles to come in and out. Federal Protective Service officers used a long-range acoustic device known as LRAD to instruct people to leave federal property and clear the entrance area, according to a federal affidavit. As Federal Protective Service officers began physically removing people from the front of the buildings driveway, one officer tried to get Westcott to move back, a Federal Protective Service agent wrote in an affidavit. When Westcott made contact with another officers forearm, a Federal Protective Service officer tried to restrain Westcott and they both fell to the ground, the affidavit said. During a struggle on the ground, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer tried to intervene and pull Westcott away. As the Border Protection officer pulled Westcott away from the Federal Protective Service officer, Westcott kicked the Federal Protective Service officer in the groin and thigh four to five times, the affidavit said. Samuel Westcott, 19, is accused of kicking a Federal Protective Service multiple times in the groin and thigh as federal officers attempted to arrest Westcott after Westcott refused to move away from the path of cars exiting the Portland ICE building, according to the Federal Protective Service. U.S. Attorney's Office U.S. Magistrate Judge Youlee Yim You ordered Westcott to be released from federal custody, with the condition that Westcott not return to the blocks around the ICE building and not possess any weapons. Since June, Westcott is the 19th person accused of assault or attempted assault of a federal officer outside the ICE building. Others have been accused of pushing or shoving officers during arrests, striking one in the head with a rock, throwing a knife at an officer, tossing a water bottle at an officer and spitting in an officers face, according to court records. Katie Paaso, a longtime quilter who lives on Oregons northern coast, inherited a vintage button collection from her aunt 25 years ago. The various fasteners, some antique glass, celluloid or brass, and all visually interesting, were sewn onto pages of fabric books. They all looked like little pieces of art, said Paaso. At first, the buttons inspired Paaso, now 81, to create themed wall hangings, but soon she started bedazzling hats and shoes, and embellishing vests and other clothing. Through October, her button-bedecked coats to quilts are on display at the Latimer Quilt & Textile Center in Tillamook. Visitors to the centers exhibit hall can see up close that an ivory brooch on a purple doily vest is actually a cluster of intricate mother-of-pearl buttons. Illuminated above the gallery stage is a memory quilt with a necktie wheel in the center, and each of the 24 different neckties has three carefully placed gold-colored buttons. On a gallery wall is a whimsical cat-theme artwork in which Paaso selected elongated shank buttons, once used to fasten heavy coats, as mesmerizing eyes for nine quilted cats. I have had great fun with my inherited button collection, said Paaso, also known as Buttonquilt on eBay. And I have met great people through the Oregon State Button Society." The statewide button society, which has information on local button clubs, began in 1948 when knitting, quilting, sewing and other crafts were well promoted in magazines. Historians credit elevated interest in fiber arts with the desire for self-expression over mass-produced goods. Paaso said her mother made clothes, but Paasos interest in sewing wasnt sparked until 1980 when she moved to Seaside with her family and took a sewing class at Clatsop Community College. It wasnt just the sewing, it was the gathering of people, she said. It was so nice to come together and chat, and see what we were working on. She said she creates original designs since dyslexia makes it difficult for her to follow printed patterns. Working on her projects is a way, she said, to put energy into something positive and not dwell on the negative side of life. Her advice to beginners: As a 48-year-long leader in the youth development program 4-H (which stands for Head, Heart, Hands and Health), she repeats the organizations slogan: Learn by doing. She suggests people set up their sewing machine and start working on a small project like a wall hanging. Your first few quilts may not be as accurate and beautiful as your next ones, she said. One of the pieces on display at the Latimer Quilt & Textile Center shows jewel-toned glass buttons from Czechia sewn onto fabric printed with butterflies. A more complex piece is a Lewis and Clark commemorative quilt. Paaso entered a quilt block competition in 2005 to celebrate the bicentennial of the 1805 Lewis and Clark Expedition. Her quilt block won, and her prize was all of the entered quilt blocks, which she assembled into one captivating quilt. Letters and other paperwork that came with her aunts collection identified the buttons. Paaso honored military buttons saved from Civil War, WWI and WWII uniforms by mounting them on a flag-theme wall hanging she designed. Finding an old steampunk hat with mother-of-pearl buttons made in England by a fabled Pearly King inspired her to decorate felted wool hats she displays on a hatrack in her home. She recently created a quilt with chicken and rooster themed buttons that reminds her of county fairs and her 4-H volunteer work. Her next project will use stamped metal buttons that reflect Bible references, such as two sparrows, a lily-of-the-valley and Moses in a basket. Paaso made a quilt to display in her church that looks like a stained-glass window. I always say that my quilts arent done until the buttons are sewn on, she said. The Latimer Quilt & Textile Center in Tillamook is on the site of the Maple Leaf School District #10, 1892-1959. Janet Eastman/The Oregonian/OregonLive If you go: The Latimer Quilt & Textile Center has quilts from the mid-19th century to the present as well as looms and spinning wheels, and a library of rare quilt books and patterns. Exhibits showcase quilt, weaving, rug hooking, basket making or a combination of textile arts, said manager Emily Fladstol. The center at 2105 Wilson River Loop Tillamook is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (503-842-8622; latimerquiltandtextile.com). Admission is $4 ($3 for people 62 and older, and free to children 13 and under). For more information about the Oregon State Button Society, visit oregonstatebuttonsociety.org. Portland officials issued a land use violation notice last month that alleged that U.S. immigration officials had repeatedly held detainees longer than 12 hours or overnight in their South Portland facility, a violation of its conditional land use permit. Mark Graves/The Oregonian The landlord of the South Portland building that houses the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility has asked for an administrative review of a land use violation notice issued by the city last month. Attorneys for developer Stuart Lindquist, who owns the South Macadam Avenue property thats been a flashpoint between protesters and federal law enforcement over President Donald Trumps immigration policies, made the request Oct. 3, according to a memo obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive. The move effectively pauses any potential enforcement action that the city could issue against the building, including fines, Deputy City Administrator Donnie Oliveira wrote last week to members of the Portland City Council. The property owner has until Friday to submit information that it wants the city to assess, Oliveira said. Portlands permitting office will then issue an administrative review decision. There is no code-required timeline for that decision, according to the memo. Nor does the process require public notification. Administrative review meetings are not open to the public, Oliveira said. Neither Lindquist nor an ICE spokesperson responded to a request for comment Tuesday night. Last month, city officials said that U.S. immigration officials had held detainees longer than 12 hours or overnight in their South Portland facility, a violation of its conditional land use approval that could put the facility on track to be closed. The city analyzed data that was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by the Deportation Data Project, an organization that obtains and publishes datasets about immigration enforcement. That analysis revealed that detainees were held at the facility in excess of 12 hours or overnight 25 times between Oct. 1, 2024, and July 27, 2025, the city said last month. The most recent instance was May 20, the city said. That detention lasted 12 hours and six minutes, according to the data. According to the data the city analyzed, 17 detentions began around noon on Jan. 26 and lasted until the following afternoon, or 24 to 27 hours, a newsroom analysis found. The longest stay during the 10-month time period lasted 47 days and the second-longest lasted about four. The 25 detentions the city said violated ICEs agreement amounted to about 6% of the total 418 detentions during the time period analyzed. The detentions that didnt violate the agreement lasted an average of four hours. The data shows that detentions have increased dramatically since Trumps inauguration, jumping from 16 in December to 42 in January and peaking at 82 in May. Detentions fell to 50 in July, according to the data. Revoking the ICE buildings approval has been a rallying cry for protesters for months, both outside the facility and in City Council chambers. An online petition to do just that has garnered more than 18,450 signatures. In a memo to elected Portland officials written in July, city administrators wrote that Portland typically reconsiders a land use approval only when the property owner fails to address a violation. While the review process plays out, Portland city leaders are taking additional steps to oppose or limit federal law enforcement actions in the city. On Wednesday, the Portland City Council will weigh a sweeping resolution that its sponsors are calling the Protect Portland Initiative. Among its many provisions, the proposal would task the city administration with gathering information on how the federal government is enforcing its policies and if theyre surveilling Portlanders. It would also encourage the Portland Police Bureau to maintain and strengthen its separation from federal immigration enforcement and establish a process for investigating potential crimes by impersonators of ICE agents. Meanwhile, a separate proposal scheduled for Wednesdays council meeting would codify the citys sanctuary status in light of the Trump administrations immigration crackdown. Portland City Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney (left) of District 2, Council Vice President Tiffany Koyama (center) of District 3 and Councilor Angelita Morillo (right) of District 3 during a meeting at City Hall on the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. Sean Meagher/The Oregonian The Portland City Council on Wednesday is poised to back a pair of proposals that seek to oppose or limit federal actions targeting Oregons most populous city amid President Donald Trumps immigration crackdown and attempts to deploy National Guard troops. Councilors will weigh a sweeping resolution that its sponsors have billed as a safeguard for Portlanders targeted by the Trump administrations aggressive federal overreach. A separate proposed ordinance scheduled for Wednesdays council meeting would codify the citys sanctuary status as federal law enforcement continues to ramp up its arrests and deportations of undocumented immigrants. While both initiatives are largely administrative and unlikely to spur significant changes within city government, their proponents see them as an affirmation of longstanding Portland values as well as a unified response to actions by the federal government seen as a direct affront to the city and its residents. Among its many provisions, the Protect Portland Initiative, sponsored by Councilors Candace Avalos, Olivia Clark, Tiffany Koyama Lane and Elana Pirtle-Guiney, would task city officials with gathering information on how the federal government is enforcing its policies and if federal employees are surveilling Portlanders. It would also require the city to create a rapid response plan for immigration raids and an information hub concerning the impacts of federal immigration enforcement. In addition, it would encourage the Portland Police Bureau to maintain and strengthen its separation from federal immigration enforcement and establish a process for investigating potential crimes by impersonators of ICE agents. Its a way to organize the citys efforts to protect our most vulnerable communities during a time of unprecedented federal cruelty, said Avalos, adding that the resolution is modeled after a similar initiative recently adopted in Chicago. It is my hope this is the first step toward a growing movement across the country to uphold our rights and responsibilities to the communities we serve. Councilors on Wednesday are also scheduled to weigh a measure that would codify Portlands status as a sanctuary city. The proposal calls for all 7,000 city employees to undergo regular training on the sanctuary code, such as the differences between administrative and judicial warrants, private versus public spaces in city buildings and how to respond to inquiries or actions by immigration agents. It would mandate signs in city buildings to distinguish private areas where only city employees are allowed. The proposal, sponsored by Councilors Sameer Kanal, Angelita Morillo, Steve Novick, Avalos and Koyama Lane, also would require the city to submit regular Freedom of Information Act requests to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement about enforcement activities within or affecting the city of Portland and require annual reports by city staff to the City Council on local immigration enforcement activity as a result of those requests. The City Council in 2017 adopted a resolution declaring Portland a sanctuary city, but its not legally binding, which is why councilors say they want to create a city sanctuary law. The entire state of Oregon has been governed by a law prohibiting public employees from assisting ICE with enforcing immigration laws since the 1980s. By one count, Oregon is home to an estimated 120,000 undocumented immigrants, or 2.9% of the states population, according to data from the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan think tank. The states undocumented workforce is estimated at 90,000, accounting for 4.4% of the labor market. Both metrics put Oregon in the top 21 of states nationally. Since Trump took office a second time in January, federal officers have arrested at least 306 people in the state, according to the Immigration Enforcement Dashboard, an independent project developed by Relevant Research with data from the Deportation Data Project at the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Berkeley, to help provide information on the immigration crackdown.But the data goes through only the end of July after peaking in June, and the number is likely an undercount because the federal government hasnt made the arrest information readily accessible to the public. Yesenia Amaro contributed to this report. Jackie Merlos, a Portland resident who has been detained by immigration authorities for nearly four months, might be closer to getting home to her four U.S.-born children, a family friend said Tuesday. Merlos was arrested in late June at Peace Arch Historical State Park in Blaine, Washington, on the Canadian border while meeting with family. Her four children and her visiting mother also were detained there and her husband, Carlos Merlos, was arrested in Portland a few days later. Carlos Merlos was deported last week and arrived in Honduras on Monday, said family friend, Mimi Lettunich of Portland. An immigration judge on Tuesday dropped the detention case against Jackie Merlos at the beginning of what was supposed to be a four-hour hearing, Lettunich said. Lettunich and her husband have been caring for the Merlos children, 9-year-old triplets and a 7-year-old, while their parents have remained at the federal immigration detention center in Tacoma. Federal authorities initially leveled alien smuggling allegations against Jackie Merlos, but later said they dropped them and havent provided an explanation for Merlos continued detention in Tacoma. Lettunich was supposed to testify during the hearing, but the judge announced a decision within about five minutes after introductions, she said. No one got to testify because the case ended so quickly, she said. Its amazing. Its awesome, Lettunich said. Were super happy about it. Attorney Jill Nedved, who is representing Jackie Merlos, didnt immediately respond to a request seeking comment. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. The federal government has 30 days to appeal the judges decision and Jackie Merlos is expected to be detained during that time, although Lettunich said supporters will try to get her home sooner if possible. Its been a crazy four months for them, she said of the children, adding that the good news is that it sounds like (Jackie Merlos) is going to be released. Merlos children and her mother, Juana Espana Lopez, 71, were also detained at the border park. The children were released in mid-July, and Espana Lopez, who was visiting from Honduras with a travel visa, was released last month from the Tacoma detention center. Jackie Merlos has a pending U visa that allows victims of crime to remain in the country legally. Her husbands status wasnt made public. Members of the Unpresidented Brass Band, most of whom dressed as bananas, marched in a Sunday protest to the U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement building in South Portland, where one of their members (not pictured) was arrested after a federal officer chased a person into the area where the band played the theme to "Ghostbusters." Austin De Dios/The Oregonian A clarinet player for a Portland marching troupe that frequently performs during protests was arrested Sunday when federal agents barreled into the band while pursuing another suspect, bystander video shows. Members of the Unpresidented Brass Band were playing the theme from Ghostbusters on a patch of gravel across the street from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in South Portland when clarinetist Oriana Korol was arrested. Korol, a 38-year-old child and family therapist, was detained at ICE and then taken to the Clark County Jail. Demonstrators detained by federal officers are sometimes quickly released but other times have been lodged in outside facilities such as the Columbia and Yamhill county jails, pending formal charges. On Tuesday afternoon, supporters were outside the federal courthouse after learning Korol did not have a scheduled appearance. As of 2 p.m., the federal government had not filed charges against her as she sat in jail, where a Clark County Jail Services representative said she was being held on suspicion of assault on a federal officer. Founder and trumpet player Miles Thompson said its the first time a member of the band has been arrested since it was formed in 2017 during a large demonstration demanding that President Donald Trump release his tax returns. Thompson, 43, said federal agents had just exited the fortified facility and appeared to be chasing a protester when the protester and officer collided with band members, most of whom were wearing banana costumes. Ori, our clarinet player, was pinned against this fence, with whoever theyre trying to detain at her feet, and shes just kind of stuck, Thompson said in an interview Tuesday. Then suddenly one of the other officers just tackled her. I didnt see anything that warranted any kind of arrest. A video posted on social media showed officers pushing into a crowd to make several arrests on South Bancroft Street. One demonstrator appears to break free from a scrum and runs toward the band. Officers pursue the suspect and take him to the ground. Another video showed Korol wedged between several officers, tripping over them and the detained suspect as she falls into the mud. An officer then pins her as well. The videos dont capture the complete sequence of events, and authorities havent said what specific conduct triggered her arrest. Thompson said the other 14 or so members of their band stopped playing and were chanting shame when Korol was suddenly arrested, her clarinet lying beside her. Korols partner, with whom she has a 3-year-old child, and members of the band performed outside the Clark County Jail and demanded their fellow musicians release on Monday night. Thompson said the arrest underscores how demonstrations have changed in tone since Trumps first term. A huge part of the fascist creep here has to do with how much crazy stuff is happening, which kind of normalizes it and allows them to do more, the band leader said. Its got to stay shocking to us. The federal administration is locked in a legal battle with city and state leaders over whether Trump can lawfully deploy federalized soldiers from the National Guard to Portland. An appeal is pending. The arrest happened after hundreds of bare and barely-clothed bicyclists arrived at the ICE office as part of a demonstration. Protests have occurred regularly at the South Portland site for more than 130 days, with tensions ebbing and flowing largely in response to the federal mobilization. Both local police and federal law enforcement officers have made dozens of arrests, with Trump administration officials calling the long-running demonstration at a single Portland location an act of terrorism thats placed the city under anarchy. Protesters, in turn, have increasingly shed their ensembles of black clothing for colorful costumes in hopes of contradicting Trumps martial rhetoric. On Tuesday, U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson suggested the most threatening thing to occur in Portland was the naked bike ride. Thompson says the band will be back at ICE next weekend bringing the oomp-pah-pahs in hopes of spreading a joyful spirit to the demonstration. We have a lot of work to do here, he said. Reporter Tatum Todd of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed. Anti ICE protesters in inflatable animal costumes gather at the South Portland ICE facility on Tuesday, Oct. 14. Carlos Fuentes / The Oregonian/OregonLive The scene outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in South Portland remained calm again on Tuesday night, with anti-ICE protesters, some in inflatable animal costumes, breaking out into dance. Police made no arrests Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning, the Portland Police Bureau said. Meanwhile, the legal fight over a potential National Guard deployment to Portland remains ongoing. A federal judge on Wednesday is expected to consider extending her order blocking troop deployment to Oregons largest city. Heres what we know at this hour. Landlord challenges city finding that Portland ICE officials violated permit The landlord of the building that houses Portlands ICE facility has asked for an administrative review of a land use violation notice issued by the city last month. Attorneys for developer Stuart Lindquist, who owns the South Macadam Avenue property thats been a flashpoint for protesters and federal law enforcement over President Donald Trumps immigration policies, made the request Oct. 3, according to a memo obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive. Last month, city officials said that U.S. immigration officials had held detainees overnight or longer than 12 hours in the South Portland facility, a violation of its conditional land use approval that could put the facility on track to be closed. The request from Lindquist effectively pauses any potential enforcement action that the city could take against the building, including fines, Deputy City Administrator Donnie Oliveira wrote last week to members of the Portland City Council. U.S. House Speaker calls Portland naked bike ride threatening More than a thousand people, many mostly in the nude, rode their bikes through Portland on Sunday to protest ICE. While reporting and videos indicated that the bicyclists peacefully rode through the city, the protest appears to have concerned U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson. On Tuesday, Johnson told the press that he had not seen federal law enforcement cross the line yet, and he added: What Ive seen is the abuse of law enforcement by radical leftist activists. The most threatening thing Ive seen yet was the naked bicyclers in Portland who were protesting ICE down there, Johnson said. I mean, its getting really ugly. Johnson went on to say that protesters in Portland have attacked officers and people have been arrested. Federal agents have arrested about 30 people outside the Portland ICE facility since June, including about 15 people who have been accused of assaulting or attempting to assault federal officers. Portland police have made 50 additional arrests, including for reckless burning, assault, harassment and disorderly conduct. Dance party at Portland ICE facility Anti-ICE protesters, many in inflatable animal costumes, gathered at the South Portland ICE facility Tuesday night, with the crowd growing to a peak of around 100 people by 7 p.m. The group danced outside the facility, swaying to Hokey Pokey and other songs. Federal officials periodically exited the building to allow cars to go in and out of the facility. In those moments, the dancing stopped as protesters gathered in front of the federal officials but allowed cars to pass. Several counter-protesters stood a block away. Earlier in the evening, a small group of people gathered for a book club discussion on George Orwells Animal Farm. Joel Turgesen, a counselor from Medford, said it was his first time visiting the site of the protests. Turgesen holds a weekly meditation session and decided to call in to Tuesdays meeting from a folding chair across the street from the ICE facility. The idea of meditation is to transcend our us/them sort of mindset, and get to more of a unity consciousness, Turgesen said. What a great place to practice that. What were watching for today Oregon U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut will hold a phone conference Wednesday with lawyers from the U.S. Department of Justice and the city of Portland and Oregon to discuss whether she should extend her temporary restraining order barring President Donald Trump from deploying Oregon National Guard troops to Portland for another two weeks. Without further action, her order would expire Saturday. The phone conference comes as lawyers from both sides are awaiting a ruling from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on whether to put a more lasting hold on Immerguts temporary restraining order pending the federal governments appeal. Last week, the three-judge appellate court panel ruled that Oregon National Guard members could remain under federal control but couldnt deploy to Portland while the court considered the merits of the case. It is not yet clear when the 9th Circuit will issue its next ruling. Federal government lawyers contend that Immergut has no authority to hold a hearing to consider a longer-lasting injunction to block the deployment or preside over a trial on the lawsuit Oregon and the city of Portland filed against the Trump administration to block troop deployment until the 9th Circuit appeal runs its course. Lawyers for the state and Portland oppose any delay and contend Immergut can proceed on their Sept. 28 lawsuit, regardless of how the 9th Circuit rules on the judges temporary restraining order. a conscientious student on deadline for an essay about the Sonnets finds herself continually waylaid by an erotic triangle of her own invention.Woolf wanted her diary to be a kind of interplanetary real estate development scheme with the ominously revealing name AM-WEB (Kim Stanley Robinson translates this as AM for American.one of There are two she showed me around that timeone is a pen drawing and the other is a Xerox of that same d I dont know how I didnt swoon right there on the spot; I dont know how the head-nodding and moon-eyed glances didn one hears this same refrain among flyersthe separateness of themselves from others; the unity of those w images proliferated of mishaps: someone running late for the train with a slice of toast in their mouth and under construction i are you really of the opinion that for the time being televised music is a pointless rigmarole?ADORNOInde The nurse prescribes steroids and tells me to come back if symptoms dont improve in forty-eight hours.Florida state representati I have to tell you how much I love my parents for forgetting most of the time to tell me how to live.Well leave you to ponder the differencesIm not sure I can always tel Has someone written an essay on the windows of The New York School? I think of Writing in the diary was a self-soothing mechanismI wrote down every kind word anyone said to me.Everything Id written to that point reflected in some manner an unmentioned I thought birds were pure sound / until I was 5 months old / and one fluttered to my sill / and into my sight.as if in removing him from her sight she staunches the feelings translated from the Russian by Alexis Klimoff in We Have Ceased to See the Purpose (University of Notre D Then I have nothingIve used up whatever it is that I had and must wait for the well to fill up again.The show takes up the two Around the grounds one could feel a kind of centripetal force that lent the occasion the cultish tension If you are ever around I would very much like to catch you for a drink or two (above Fourteenth Street) but that is neither here Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. 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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 I would get books and magazines from apartment buildingsI had good relationships with the supers and property managers.And there is a particular pleasure in this novel of w Well I went to Topanga Plaza and was in the tearoom and stuck my cock out to this man and he was a cop and he arrested me for masturbating in a public restroom.Tory bellowed Estoy Aqui begins with a teenage Shakiras lilting voice over an acoustic guitar: I know you wont return.INTERVIEWERWhat do you do after you haul books around all day?CAMPBEL Lou and Julie spotted us as they were driving out of the parking lot and circled back through three or four times.What kind of dog is she and how long have you had her? GOSS She has also written for The Royal de vere tortworth court hotel benton county court blaine county oklahoma court clerk It is their transgression in disre This is a system for the rea Schtinter joins Monteiro and Walser and it had acquired this transgress courts of law nike court shoes for women lake county ohio court docket but Bladee has gone from posting h the Roman candle in Firework But the aria that Leporello comes up But a full-length mirrorthe kind that lets you really see how your clothes looka useful thing to have.w his fusions of elegance with fieriness speak with almost painful directness of an artistic desire both to summarize his culture but it said as much about my parents perceptions of the outside world as it did about their vision for our home.I fell completely in love with Beer in the Snooker Club by Wa A line of ants carrying hacked up bits of leaf five times the size of their bodies stretched into the forest.low-key way to position either the death drive or the tenuous mat The bread and rolls were better hereI dont think TA-KOME had real rye at all and they certainly didnt have pumpernickellong caravans with pots and basketsvery much like Once everyone gets back together we are going to an opening around the corner But I was quite unprepared for the agon(y) of Black Coat and The Godlike a Prelude turned inside out.refugees from the garden of Eden who have bequeathed their Christian de +++Rather than the stunning aluminum-coated fabric of the Mercury crews stepping out of comic book frames of imagined interstellar travel.now concluding that I should probabl But when another generation had pas shopping mall with food court near me garden courte olympia wright county court calendar where at lunchtime the office work depicting them on a wood flo I wonder which books mean the most t Someone reported the SOUNDS of SCREAMING and STRUGGLE as the teacher was stabbed to death with a carving knife.I dont really know what to tell you about myself; my life is c sliding my hands firmly down to his belly from both sides of him while he was standing and aware of my presence.I was walking up to the university with my classmate Xavier Co Gem offers a different kind of nature: bare branches and bouquets of snapdragons have been arranged taste INTERVIEWERWhat do you do after you haul books around all day?CAMPBELLI take it easy! After that Im all worn out.These are the i and it had acquired this transgressive powerthe very act of crossing the threshold was as shameful as it Someone prodded her to go look at my grandfather because she had refused to do so throughout the service.Writing two-thirds of i then the other before bending forward over the table and jerking backward so abruptly the back of his chair gives a loud creak.and she goes on from there to describe how thi the studio preserves the rough drafts of creation; it records the traces of the arduous process leading from potentiality to act.+++Look closely at many Emily Dickinson poems What better way to do that than to imagine it being voiced by a certain kind of manthe type who would sing about himself for seventeen lines and then.and I typed it up and I called Kara van de Graaf and we agonized over two small but essential decisions: should a line read I dont want to or but I wont? And should the final linewith attention t A Rotterdam man who admitted to raping a 14-year-old girl was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Tuesday. The defendant, identified as 37-year-old Michael Randy Rabine, pleaded guilty to first-degree rape in August this year. The investigation into the case, particularly the man's behavior, began when the teenage victim told her mom that Rabine had been raping her. Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison The girl told investigators that the defendant forced her to have sexual intercourse and perform sexual acts on him. The teenage girl also said that Rabine told her that an imaginary man named "Ricky" would kill him if she rejected his requests. She said she followed his orders because she felt that the man's death would significantly impact her life. Additionally, the victim said that Ricky would send her and Rabine text messages with his requests. The messages graphically described sex acts that the imaginary man wanted the young girl to perform on the defendant. They often came with a threat such as, "Not if I kill you first. Now make her do this or I'll go after her next," according to CBS6 Albany. Law enforcement personnel searched both Rabine's and the teenage girl's phones and were able to determine that the man was actually the one sending the messages. He did this through an app that allowed him to send a text using a different number. As part of the man's guilty plea, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison, with an additional 20 years of post-release supervision. After Rabine is released, he will be required to register as a sex offender, WNYT reported. Admitting To Raping a 14-Year-Old Girl There was a separate case of rape where the female victim was told that she "deserved it" and that it was what "white girls are for." The suspects in the case, Sageer Hussain, Kessur Ajaib, and Mohammed Makhmood, have all denied raping the girl, who was 14 at the time of the alleged incidents. Prosecutor Andrew Bailey told the jury in the case that the victim, who is now in her 30s, was an "immature and vulnerable young girl" when she started hanging around a youth club in the town. He added that young Asian men frequently went to the club; some were around the victim's age, while others were a little older. Bailey said that the victim met Ajaib at the youth club and that he started to sexually assault her after rumors went around that she had consensual sex with a boy of her own age, as per BBC. At a glance Expert's Rating Pros HP Go 5G internet works great Multi-network 5G without any configuration Lots of ports (including Ethernet!) Cons HP GO 5G isnt yet aimed at Consumers Dim display can be hard to read outdoors Middling CPU, keyboard, and webcam Slow GPU Our Verdict The HP EliteBook 6 G1q is a dependable business laptop for companies looking to roll out fleets of 5G-connected laptops to their employees. The 5G experience is premium, but the rest of the laptop doesnt live up to that high bar. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: HP EliteBook 6 G1q Retailer Price Check Product Price The HP EliteBook 6 G1q is a 14-inch Qualcomm Snapdragon X laptop with a killer feature: Integrated 5G connectivity. HP Go is a built-in eSIM solution that delivers multi-network 5G connectivity, so it connects to AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile. It automatically switches depending on which one has the best signal, and you never even have to think about it. Its a magical experience being able to set up a laptop without connecting it to Wi-Fi, taking it with you in a bag, and taking it out of your bag to use it wherever you want without connecting to Wi-Fi or tethering it to your phone. Being able to pull the laptop out of my bag in downtown Boston, at the beach, or wherever else and have an immediate internet connection immediately was magical. The HP Go 5G experience delivers five stars. This first version is mainly aimed at businesses. HP implied it might be looking to deliver more consumer laptops in the future when I asked. Unfortunately, the rest of the laptop experience here doesnt stand out. Our review model had a lower-end Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus chip and a webcam that looked grainy. And the display is on the dim side, which is a real problem for a 5G laptop you may want to use outdoors. HP EliteBook 6 G1q: Specs The HP EliteBook 6 G1q is a 14-inch business laptop available in a wide variety of configurations with different Qualcomm Snapdragon X processors. Our review model had a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 CPU. The model we reviewed is available from CDW for $1,695. HP also has a configurator where you can configure options, including buying models without 5G and choosing higher-end Snapdragon processors, but it gets expensive fast. Since this is a business laptop, businesses buying fleets of PCs might end up negotiating pricing closer to the CDW model. Thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon hardware, these are all Copilot+ PCs with a fast enough NPU to run the AI features Microsoft is adding to Windows. Model number : HP EliteBook G6 G1q with HP GO 5G : HP EliteBook G6 G1q with HP GO 5G CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 Memory: 32GB RAM 32GB RAM Graphics/GPU: Qualcomm Adreno Qualcomm Adreno NPU : Qualcomm Hexagon NPU (45 TOPS) : Qualcomm Hexagon NPU (45 TOPS) Display: 14-inch 19201200 IPS display with 60Hz refresh rate and 400 nits of brightness 14-inch 19201200 IPS display with 60Hz refresh rate and 400 nits of brightness Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD Webcam: 1080p webcam 1080p webcam Connectivity: 2x USB Type-C (40 Gbps), 2x USB Type-A (5Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x combo audio jack, 1x RJ-45 Ethernet, 1x nano SIM slot, 1x security lock slot 2x USB Type-C (40 Gbps), 2x USB Type-A (5Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x combo audio jack, 1x RJ-45 Ethernet, 1x nano SIM slot, 1x security lock slot Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, Ethernet, 5G with HP Go Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, Ethernet, 5G with HP Go Biometrics: Fingerprint reader Fingerprint reader Battery capacity: 56 Watt-hours 56 Watt-hours Dimensions: 12.54 x 8.83 x 0.43 inches 12.54 x 8.83 x 0.43 inches Weight: 3.17 pounds 3.17 pounds MSRP: $1,695 as tested The HP EliteBook 6 G1q delivers 5G connectivity that just works. It transforms how you use a laptop like this one, and I hope to see more laptops delivering seamless 5G out of the box in the future. HP EliteBook 6 G1q: Design and build quality Foundry / Chris Hoffman The HP EliteBook 6 G1q is a lightweight silver laptop made of a mix of aluminum and plastic, and HP is proud that it includes recycled materials. At 3.17 pounds, this 14-inch laptop isnt heavy, but its not the lightest laptop either. Some thin-and-light laptop designs would shave off a half pound or more here. The build quality is good but not fancy. This is a business laptop through and through: A design made for corporations to buy in bulk for their employees, not to buy as a premium one-off machine for the CEO. Its a solid design with a hinge that feels good, and it feels sturdy. But it doesnt feel like a premium all-metal machine: When I run my fingers over the edges of the laptop down from the keyboard tray, over the ports, and then to the underbody, I can feel the edge of where the aluminum keyboard deck meets the plastic bottom. Its not going to cut me or anything, but every time I pick up the machine, I can feel that metal-meets-plastic feeling. In summary: Its a workhorse, and not a premium machine. A more premium design would be lighter and have a unibody construction without a seam you could feel. HP EliteBook 6 G1q: Keyboard and trackpad Foundry / Chris Hoffman The keyboard and trackpad on the HP EliteBook 6 G1q are serviceable. Since this is a 14-inch machine, theres plenty of space for a large keyboard. The chiclet-style keys dont feel mushy, but they dont exactly feel snappy either. Key travel is a little low. Thats a tad disappointing for a business laptop, where keyboards are usually a focus. The trackpad is also fine. Its a good size and smooth enough, but its not the kind of premium glass surface youll find on higher-end business machines. Our review model didnt have a touch screen, only a few configurations of this laptop do. This is the kind of business laptop a company can hand out to its employees and know theyll be able to work everywhere, but not the kind of business laptop an individual seeks out for the best typing experience. HP EliteBook 6 G1q: Display and speakers Foundry / Chris Hoffman The HP EliteBook 6 G1q has a display that does the job in indoor lighting conditions, but it doesnt go above and beyond. Its a 14-inch 19201200 IPS panel running at 60Hz and delivering up to 400 nits of brightness. Thats not going to win any awards, but Im grateful I had the 400 nit display: HP also sells configurations with a dimmer 300 nit panel! For a 5G laptop, Id say this is a real problem. The ideal 5G laptop would let me work from anywhere, whether thats at the beach or on a park bench in downtown Boston (I tested both.) At 400 nits of brightness, this panel doesnt have enough brightness to compete with the sun on a bright day, making it near unusable in many lighting situations. Many laptops like that, but a 5G laptop where the goal is to use it on the go really deserves a brighter panel than this. The speakers have enough volume, but they didnt wow me, either. I test all the laptops I review by firing up Spotify and playing both Steely Dans Aja and Daft Punks Get Lucky. The sound is a little muffled and muddy. Instrument separation in Aja wasnt particularly clear and bass in Get Lucky wasnt particularly distinct. These speakers are usable in a pinch, but youd definitely want headphones for music and media. HP EliteBook 6 G1q: Webcam, microphone, biometrics The HP EliteBook 6 G1q has a 1080p webcam, which sounds good on paper. But the webcam was incredibly grainy and washed out in non-ideal lighting, which is a disappointment for a business machine, where nicer webcams are often a feature. It did better in brighter lighting, but its not up there with many higher-end business laptop webcams. HP includes a physical webcam shutter switch you can slide to block the webcam, which is always nice to see. The microphone sounds reasonably clear with good noise cancellation. Id say its better than the webcam, but neither are particularly impressive. If you need to be visible and audible in an online meeting, this machine will do the job. But it wont deliver high recording quality. Our review model had a fingerprint reader for Windows Hello on the keyboard deck. It worked fine. But an IR camera for facial recognition wouldve been a nice option it does appear like that is an option on some other configurations. HP EliteBook 6 G1q: Connectivity Foundry / Chris Hoffman The HP EliteBook 6 G1qs connectivity is its crown jewel. 5G just worked out of the box: I powered on the laptop, set up Windows, and started using the machine without ever connecting it to Wi-Fi or plugging in an Ethernet cable. This also enables better management of a laptop fleet. If a laptop is stolen or lost, a business can track and locate it even if it isnt connected to Wi-Fi. From an end-user perspective, I never bothered configuring anything. It just worked and switched between networks as needed. At a starting price of $19 per user per month for the 5G service, thats extremely impressive. This machine also has a lot of ports: On the left side, two USB Type-C (40Gbps) ports, one USB Type-A port (5Gbps), HDMI 2.1 out, and a combo audio jack. On the right side, a second USB Type-A port (5Gbps), an RJ-45 Ethernet jack, a security lock slot, and an optional nano SIM slot for models with cellular connectivity. This machine has both Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. So the connectivity is incredible: Multi-network 5G, Wi-Fi 7, and wired Ethernet all in one machine. HP EliteBook 6 G1q: Performance The HP EliteBook 6 G1q ran cool and quiet, delivering reasonable desktop performance. The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 hardware here is some of the slowest hardware HP could choose, however. Its the slowest Snapdragon X Plus chip youll find. The only thing slower is the Snapdragon X X1-26-100, which doesnt even get a Plus in its name. It does the job for basic productivity tasks: A web browser, office tools, and communication apps. As always, we ran the EliteBook 6 G1q through our standard benchmarks to see how it performs. We normally start with PCMark 10, but it doesnt yet run on Arm laptops like this one. Foundry / Chris Hoffman First, we run Cinebench R24. Its available as a native Arm program, which lets us compare performance across laptops. CPUs with more cores do better on this multi-threaded benchmark. The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 is an eight-core CPU, so it wont keep up with CPUs with more cores on multithreaded tasks. With a multi-threaded score of 759, the CPU here was definitely behind AMDs Ryzen AI HX 300 series hardware, but it delivers better performance than many lower-tier power-efficient Intel chips. Foundry / Chris Hoffman Second, we run a graphical benchmark. This isnt a gaming laptop, but its still good to check how the GPU performs. We run 3DMark Time Spy, a graphical benchmark that focuses on GPU performance. This particular benchmark is written for traditional x86 versions of Windows and runs through the Prism translation layer, so youll get an idea of how traditional GPU-accelerated apps (and games) will perform on this machine. With a 3DMark Time Spy score of 1,066, this machine just isnt suitable for GPU-accelerated workloads or gaming. Even the Qualcomm Hexagon GPUs in higher-tier Snapdragon X SKUs are significantly faster. Foundry / Chris Hoffman We also run 3DMark Night Raid. This benchmark does have a native Arm version, so we can compare the Qualcomm Hexagon GPU here and see how fast it runs when it isnt being held back by the Prism translation layer here. The score here gives you an idea of how well the GPU will perform in apps written for Arm hardware. With a score of 16,819 on the Night Raid benchmark, this machine closes some of the gap with Intel and AMD systems. The translation layer isnt slowing things down, but its still far behind other machines in GPU performance. Overall, the HP EliteBook 6 G1q we reviewed delivers serviceable performance for lightweight desktop PC tasks while running cool and quiet. But its no speed demon, and it will be quickly outpaced even by laptops with higher-end Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite CPUs. HP EliteBook 6 G1q: Battery life The HP EliteBook 6 G1q has a 56 Watt-hour battery. Thats low for a laptop that weighs over three pounds. The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus hardware here is power-efficient, so itll get you through a workday. But I didnt see the kind of extremely long battery life 24 hours that I did on Snapdragon X laptops with larger batteries. Foundry / Chris Hoffman To benchmark the battery life, we play a 4K copy of Tears of Steel on repeat on Windows 11 with airplane mode enabled until the laptop suspends itself. We set the screen to 250 nits of brightness for our battery benchmarks. This is a best-case scenario for any laptop since local video playback is so efficient, and real battery life in day-to-day use is always going to be less than this. The HP EliteBook 6 G1q lasted for 983 minutes on average. Thats over 16 hours. Its a lot, probably more than most people would need, but the battery size has it behind many competing Snapdragon laptops. Its another way the laptop cuts a corner and doesnt aim for the high-end premium experience crown. Its a shame because long battery life matters even more on a 5G laptop, which could be used in locations far from Wi-Fi and power outlets. HP EliteBook 6 G1q: Conclusion The HP EliteBook 6 G1q delivers 5G connectivity that just works. It transforms how you use a laptop like this one, and I hope to see more laptops delivering seamless 5G out of the box in the future. For businesses, it also makes their fleet of laptops remotely trackable and manageable just like a cellular-connected phone or tablet is. The way HP has delivered multi-network 5G you dont even have to think about is technically impressive. Unfortunately, the rest of the laptop experience is a lower-end Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus machine. A company that wants to deliver a fleet of connected-but-mid-range laptops to a large number of employees will love these. But I bet the CEO will use a different machine. A 31-year-old Lancaster County man was convicted Tuesday for shooting and killing a bystander during an argument outside a house party in 2021, according to the county district attorneys office. Steffen V. Tidwell Jr., of Lancaster, was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and discharging a firearm after he fatally shot 26-year-old Jomar Almestica six times outside an Aug. 20, 2021 party on the 600 block of Hebrank Street. Almestica wasnt involved in the argument, but was standing on a nearby porch when Tidwell pointed a gun at him and shot him, the DAs office said. Both Tidwell and Almestica attended a party at a home in the area that evening. Tidwell testified Almestica had a weapon, so he shot him before the 26-year-old could hurt anyone. He also said he fled the scene after the shooting and threw away the gun he used. However, prosecutors said there was no evidence to support Tidwells claim that Almestica was armed. Tidwell was also unable to identify the person or people Almestica would have harmed that night. Tidwell ultimately escalated the argument when he went to his car and retrieved an illegally acquired gun, the DAs office said. Prosecutors played surveillance videos of the argument and shooting, where multiple people can be heard begging for everyone to calm down. Additionally, the court heard 911 calls from witnesses desperately asking for help after the shooting took place. After deliberating for two days, the jury returned with a guilty verdict. Tidwell now awaits sentencing. A 16-year-old girl was killed on Tuesday in a shooting that police said might have been accidental. NBC10 reported that Philadelphia police said they responded to a 911 call at about 5:30 p.m. to a a home located along the 2400 block of North Colorado Street. Upon arrival, they discovered a semiconscious 16-year-old girl who was suffering from a bullet wound to her abdomen. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 6:46 p.m. Although authorities did not release the victims identity, they did say that she did not live at the residence. Police said they determined the teen was inside a rear bedroom on the second floor of the home when she was shot. They found a spent shell casing from a semiautomatic weapon and a loaded magazine in that room, and two semiautomatic handguns elsewhere in the home. An 18-year-old had been in the room at the time of the shooting. Police said they believe the shooting might have been accidental but are unsure if the teen shot herself or if she was shot by the 18-year-old, who is cooperating with authorities. We are not sure if someone else was handling the firearm when she was shot or if she was handling the firearm and shot herself, Chief Inspector Scott Small said to 6ABC. There were 10 people inside the home, including children under the age of five, at the time of the shooting. No one else was hurt in the incident. Daren Miller says the idea for Allochtone Wine Company started out 'of the simple frustration of trying to tell friends and family in the US where they could buy our wines.' Allochtone Wine Company Owner and winemaker Daren Miller will be pouring his Allochtone wines at several central Pennsylvania events this weekend. The York County native, who met his future wife Emmanuelle at the former Naylor Wine Cellars and would then move to France and start his own label, will be making his latest appearance at Cedar Valley Pizzeria in New Park from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17. Cedar Valley is now a retail outlet for Allochtone wines. The couple will then hold a walk-in tasting in addition to having some of their wines available for sale at the Urban Arts House on Saturday, Oct. 18. Their appearance from noon to 5 p.m. will be part of Fall Artwork 2025. They also operate a winery in Bordeaux. Miller said he met Chris Yecker, the co-founder of the art house, at their winery in France. He was traveling with a group that was organized by Curata Travel, based in Spring Grove. I met this company a few years back, and they have included a visit and dinner at our winery in their itinerary." Fall Artwork 2025 runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, the 19th. Yecker said that the work of featured artist Danielle Rose will be displayed in the Lounge inside Urban Arts House, 430 W. Orange St. The artwork of Rachel Hoffman, Ben Williamson, Cheyne Thomas, Hannah Lindsay, Zach Shaffer, John Yecker and Victoria Mowrer will be on display throughout the gallery. Christa Whistler of Wild Child Fibers and other resident artists will have their studios open as well. Theres also music, with Kuro playing from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday and Jo Saggira performing during that same time slot on Sunday. Miller said they have finished harvest in France, and, in general, wound up with lower-than-normal yields due to a dry summer and a scorching August. Winery owners Emmanuelle and Deron Miller, who met years ago at Naylor Wine Cellars in southern York County. Allochtone Wine Company The low yields actually have translated into very nice quality wines this year, because, as you know, lower yields give more concentrated tannins and structure to the grapes, he said. In the U.S., sales have been steady and business is going well, with South County Brewery being one of my most loyal customers. In addition to a location just south of York, the brewery recently opened another location in downtown Lancaster. Taco Bell has been ranked number one for fastest drive-thru times for the past five years. Getty Images Fast food drive-thrus are typically convenient, often open late, and, most importantly, pretty fast. Places compete to be faster and better than their competitors, but only one can reign supreme as the fastest drive-thru. In the 2025 Drive Thru Report from Intouch Insights and QSR Magazine, 13 different fast-food chains were tested on various aspects of the customer drive-thru experience. The fastest drive-thru chain? Taco Bell. The Mexican-inspired fast-food chain has ranked highest for the fastest drive-thru, by total time, for the past five years. It takes, on average, about four minutes and 28 seconds to get customers through its drive-thru. Dane Mathews, Taco Bells chief digital and technology officer, said to QSR that for Taco Bell, speed, accuracy, and friendliness remain foundational to success, but at Taco Bell, we see them as part of broader ambition: delivering exceptional hospitality. Todays drive-thru success isnt just about how fast or precise the drive-thru is its about how the experience makes you feel, Mathews said. Thats why were focused on metrics that reflect both operational excellence and customer experience. Technology is helping us elevate all of these, but its the feeling you leave with that defines a truly great drive-thru. The 2025 report ranks each fast-food place by three different categories: total time (amount of time passed from entering drive-thru to receiving food), service time (amount of time passed from placing the order to getting food), and wait time (time passed when entering and then ordering). Below are the top restaurants ranked by total time spent, by seconds, and the last one may surprise you. Taco Bell KFC Tim Hortons Arbys Wendys Dunkin Burger King McDonalds Starbucks Dutch Bros Raising Canes Popeyes Chick-fil-A Chick-Fil-A had an average of seven minutes and 11 seconds to get customers through its drive-thru, yet it was ranked number one in friendliness or customer service, and overall satisfaction. It was also the slowest in QSRs 2022 Drive-Thru report. More on the 2025 Drive-Thru report can be found here. Lozinak was informed he had a benign brain tumor while Hatebreed was over in France. (Photo by Daniel Knighton/Getty Images) Getty Images A guitarist for a Untied States-based metalcore band had to drop out of their tour over the summer following a health diagnosis. He is, thankfully, on the mend, and has since sat down to discuss what happened. Metal Injection reports how Wayne Lozinak one of the founding members of Bridgeport, Connecticut-hailing group Hatebreed openly spoke about the brain surgery he underwent to remove a benign brain tumor that was discovered while the band was traveling abroad. I had symptoms at Download Festival [in the United Kingdom], he explained during an interview on The Mike James Rock Show. I went to the doctor in France the next day. It was weird my lip got numb, and I was, like, Thats kind of weird. But then I couldnt talk. It was almost like I was having a stroke. Lozinak goes on to explain that he was urged to get checked out further by his girlfriend. That was when the tumor was discovered, one that was cancerous, but it was big, Lozinak said. According to Blabbermouth.net, doctors informed Lozinak that the tumor had probably been there for years. He then returned to the U.S. to have it removed. I couldnt even talk when when they first took [the tumor] out, he continued. Cause it was in my speech center, so I actually had a mild stroke we when they took it out. So I couldnt talk, I couldnt write. It was almost like I just forgot how to speak. So I needed [a] speech therapist, all this stuff. Blabbermouth.net that after a weeks-long recovery Lozinak is now officially back on tour with Hatebreed. They [the doctors] were, like, Dont headbang too crazy, Lozinak jokes. Thats my one thing. Im, like, IIll try not to. Its hard, yeah, but, yeah, that was about it. But Im pretty good now, so Im happy. EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. Alec Baldwin and his younger brother Stephen escaped injury when their vehicle struck a tree in New York. In a video posted to Instagram late Monday, Alec Baldwin said he was driving his wifes Range Rover in East Hampton on Monday when he was cut off by a garbage truck the size of a whale. The 67-year-old actor and his 59-year-old brother and fellow actor were in the vehicle on their way back from attending the Hamptons International Film Festival, where Alec Baldwin serves as co-chair of the Executive Committee. Alec Baldwin said that neither he nor his brother were injured, but the vehicle they were in had extensive damage. The elder Baldwin also thanked East Hampton police for their response to and handling of the crash. No other injuries were reported in the accident. A Lancaster County woman was killed when the vehicle in which she was a passenger crashed into a utility pole while speeding last week on a local road, police said. A 17-year-old boy from Gap was driving a Chevrolet Cruze with Dorothy Stolzfus, 21, in the passenger seat when the crash happened around 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8 on Mine Road, near Buck Hill Road in Sadsbury Township, according to Pennsylvania State Police. Police said the Cruze was going at a high rate of speed when it passed another vehicle while going east on Mine Road. The car then crashed into a utility pole while trying to navigate a slight bend in the road. The exact speed of the Cruze at the time of the crash has not been released. Stoltzfus, a Lancaster resident, was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the car, police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple traumatic injuries, according to the Lancaster County Coroners Office. Her death was ruled accidental. The 17-year-old driver was taken to Lancaster General Hospital with minor injuries. Police have not announced any charges related to the crash as of publication. Editors note: This story contains strong language. Travelers at Harrisburg International Airport on Tuesday were startled when an unauthorized political message played over the airports loudspeaker. F**k Netanyahu and Trump. Turkish hacker, cyber-Islam is here... Free, free Palestine, the message said. It included repeated claims that hackers were the ones responsible for the message being played. The airport provided the following statement to local news media outlets: Last evening, an unauthorized user gained access to the Harrisburg International Airport PA system and played an unauthorized recorded message. The message was political in nature and did not contain any threats against the airport, our tenants, airlines, or passengers. The PA system was temporarily shut down, and the message was removed. The incident is being investigated by local, state and federal officials. TikTok user LalaLarissaaa, Larissa Dean, captured the full video on TikTok. In a follow-up video, she said the airline escorted passengers off the plane and swept it before re-boarding passengers. Im being honest, I dont really want to get back on a plane, she said in the follow-up video. HIA wasnt the only airport targeted. The Kelowna International Airport in British Columbia, Canada also had similar messages played over its PA system and messages praising Hamas, a Palestinian militant organization the U.S. has designated as a terrorist group. The HIA has said they will not run Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noems video which blames Democrats for a government shutdown and the impacts on airport security operations because of its political content. Bill Hubler and Chen-Yu Tsuei, husband and wife owners of the Chinese Cultural & Arts Institute. The nonprofit organization is in the Sunnydale neighborhood of Swatara Township, which is in the center of the I-83 Beltway project. September 14, 2022. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com A Dauphin County nonprofit has lost its battle against the Pennsylvania Department of Transportations eminent domain acquisition. Dauphin County Judge Andrew H. Dowling has ordered an eviction notice for the Chinese Cultural & Arts Institute at 200 S. 41st St. in Swatara Township. The institute has until Oct. 31 to leave the building it rents, according to court documents. Owners Bill Hubler and Chen-Yu Tsuei said they are disappointed in the outcome and will leave by the end of the month. I dont think we have an option, Hubler said, adding they fought as long as they could to not give PennDOT an out. The couple have been battling the agency for years to cover costs associated with moving and rebuilding their 25-year-old institute. The school is one of about 200 business and residential properties PennDOT is acquiring through eminent domain to accommodate the $1 billion I-83 Capital Beltway Project. Officials have said the massive highway project will address worsening roadway conditions on the more than 50-year-old interstate and tackle high traffic and congestion, as well as improve safety. The project will widen an eight-mile stretch of I-83 to six lanes and reconstruct the Eisenhower Interchange. The entire project is scheduled to be completed by 2040. Last fall, the Chinese Institute secured a former office building in Lower Allen Township to house the institute but it needs work. The couple argue PennDOT should reimburse them for renovating the new building to match their current standards. On Wednesday, Hubler estimated the cost of renovations and repairs at about $2 million, noting they will begin to raise money through fundraisers and grants. So far, he said they have not received one cent. Discussions with PennDOT have centered on relocating two specialized dance floors, similar to those used by major dance companies. Hubler noted PennDOT said it will compensate them about $17,440 to abandon the floors, a mere fraction of the estimated $320,000 plus price tag for rebuilding them. Its a total insult and weve been telling them that since the beginning, he said. Why would I take that kind of money when I cant even buy the materials for that? The institute enrolls about 50 students and has a national reputation for Chinese dance, music, calligraphy, traditional painting and language. Under the eminent domain code, the government has the right to seize property for public use, while landowners are entitled to just compensation for the propertys worth and relocation support. Two years ago, the couple was shocked to receive a letter from PennDOT informing them they would be compensated $100 plus moving expenses. The $100 was earmarked by PennDOT to cover the cost of a plaque on their building. In the past, PennDOT stated that in cases involving renters, compensation is usually given to landlords. But Hubler said their landlord, Craig Eshenaur Rentals, didnt offer financial support. A general view of the Orvis Flagship Store and Rod Factory on October 31, 2014 in Manchester, Vermont. (Photo by Paul Marotta/Getty Images) Getty Images One of the countrys oldest outdoor retailers has announced that it will shutter nearly 40 locations in response to rising tariff costs. The Orvis Company, which has been in business for 169 years, is set to close 31 stores and five outlets, per Fox Business. Orvis President Simon Perkins told Fox the move will begin a new chapter for the business and will allow a more focused retail store portfolio. Fox said that Orvis roots date back to 1856, and it has kept its headquarters in Sunderland, Vermont during that time. The outlet said that Orvis has more than 550 domestic independent dealers and several national outdoor retailers. Like many in retail, Orvis business model faced a sizable shift with the introduction of an unprecedented tariff landscape, Orvis President Simon Perkins told Fox. He told Fox that in order for Orvis to ensure a durable brand and model for decades to come, we are focusing on our core strengths and making the difficult but necessary decision to rescale the business by tightening our assortment and reducing our corporate store footprint. Fox said the company also plans to invest in areas such as gear, apparel, outdoor experiences, and conservation efforts, where it sees potential. It plans to phase out some older products. Its about ensuring Orvis continues to lead in innovation, serve our angling and upland communities, and protect the wild places we love, Perkins said. There is some good news for Orvis fans, though. Perkins said the company will offer special savings on Last Release styles that are on their way out and will offer substantial saving at closing locations. Some of Merv Oberholtzer's exotic goats. Oberholtzer is offering a $1,000 reward after one of the goats pictured escaped its enclosure earlier this week. Merv Oberholtzer A rare, exotic goat is on the loose in central Pennsylvania and his owner is offering a reward of $1,000 if he is found safe. The goat, an Eastern Caucasian tur, managed to escape his enclosure near Roxbury and Stonewall roads in Southampton Township, Franklin County sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning, the goats owner, Merv Oberholtzer, told PennLive. Oberholtzer said the goat bent open a 2-foot wide hole in a section of deer fence and has not been seen since. The goat is still considered wild. Anyone who spots it should be cautious and call Oberholtzer at 717-372-7288 with a location. He will ram you, Oberholtzer said while explaining nobody should corner the missing animal. Oberholtzer suspects the rare goat which he purchased for breeding and conservation purposes, not as a farm animal is within a mile or two of the property. If the goat is spotted, Oberholtzer said he has a drone with an infrared camera to see the animal through brush and trees. He said his plan is to tranquilize the animal and try to corral it with a motorbike if needed. Oberholtzer, who purchased the animal from Texas, owns another male Eastern Caucasian tur and a female Western Caucasian tur. Some of Merv Oberholtzer's exotic goats. Oberholtzer is offering a $1,000 reward after one of the goats pictured escaped its enclosure earlier this week. Merv Oberholtzer Eastern Caucasian tur populations are considered near threatened due to poaching and competition with livestock for grazing areas, Animalia.bio said. They are found in Western Asia, specifically the Caucasus Mountains. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, approximately 31,000 Eastern Caucasian turs are alive today. Western Caucasian tur goats are considered endangered, with a total population between 4,000 and 5,000. Some exotic turs are available online for upwards of $10,000. A new ranking report dubbed Trump Score and compiled by the Institute for Legislative Analysis finds Rep. Scott Perry the congressional member who most consistently votes along policies endorsed by President Trump. The group has ties to several GOP groups and PACs. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com Two central Pennsylvania congressional Republicans have earned the distinction of consistently voting in support of policies endorsed by President Donald Trump. Representatives Scott Perry and John Joyce earned top scores among the Pennsylvania congressional delegation with ratings of 96% and 86% respectively. Among the least Trump-aligned Democratic lawmakers: Sen. John Fetterman, voting with the president only 6% of the time; and Pittsburgh-area Democrat Rep. Summer Lee (4.30%). The ranking dubbed Trump Score was compiled by the Institute for Legislative Analysis, a conservative group with ties to several GOP organizations and political action committees, and whose leadership includes a four-term Ohio congressman endorsed by Trump. The group based its report card of lawmakers on a dataset that analyzes amendments, procedural motions and even statements made by the president. The report finds Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., the least Trump-aligned Democratic lawmaker with a ranking of 6%. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) AP Perry, a Republican representing the Harrisburg areas 10th Congressional District, including parts of York and Dauphin counties, is a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus. Perry, a six-term congressman from Dillsburg, promoted baseless conspiracy theories about the integrity of the 2020 election and voted against certifying Pennsylvanias electoral votes hours after the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan. 6. Perry refused to be interviewed by the House Jan. 6 Committee. Joyce, a Blair County Republican, is seeking a fifth term and has linked his campaign to work being done by Trump. His 12-county district includes parts of Adams, Franklin and Perry counties. The ranking rates these Pennsylvania Republicans least aligned with Trump: Representative Mike Kelly (73%), Glenn Thompson (72%), and Brian Fitzpatrick (51%). The report also analyzes Democrats and found Chester County Rep. Chrissy Houlahan most aligned with Trump policies with an 18% rating, followed by Philadelphia-area Rep. Brendan Boyle (13.80%). The medias focus on high-profile bills and headline votes often creates the impression that members of both parties are unified in either their support for or opposition to Trumps policies, said Ryan McGowan, CEO of the ILA. McGowan, who previously held the top finance position at the American Conservative Union., added that by incorporating the often-overlooked procedural and amendment votes, its clear that despite the rhetoric a number of lawmakers voting records dont truly align with the America First agenda they project on the campaign trail or in the media. Among the groups national findings: Republicans most frequently broke from Trump on spending issues, while showing strong alignment on crime-related legislation; Democrats rarely aligned with Trump, but when they did, it was most often on foreign policy or civil liberties; Democrats were more unified in opposing Trumps positions than Republicans were in supporting them. Editors note: This story was updated to clarify Rep. Lees ranking. President Donald Trump walks across the South Lawn of the White House, early Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Washington, after returning from a trip to Israel and Egypt. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) AP President Donald Trump and lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle are not faring well when it comes to the federal government shutdown, according to a new poll. The latest YouGov/The Economist poll asked Americans about which political party is to blame for the shutdown, whether they approve of how political leaders are handling the issue, and when they believe the shutdown will end. The poll found that more Americans blamed Trump and Republicans for the shutdown than Democrats. The poll found 39% of Americans blamed Trump and Republicans in Congress for the shutdown, while 33% blamed Democrats in Congress. Another 20% blamed both Democrats and Republicans equally, while 8% said they were not sure. The poll echoes other recent surveys that also found that more Americans blame Republicans and Trump for the shutdown rather than Democrats. The poll also found Americans widely disapproved of Trump and lawmakers in Congress when it came to how they were handling the shutdown. Fifty-three percent of Americans disapproved of Trumps handling of the shutdown, 53% disapproved of congressional Republicans handling of the issue and 52% approved of Democrats handling of it. Most Americans in the poll said they were not strongly affected by the shutdown. Just 7% said they were affected a great deal by the shutdown, 14% said they were somewhat affected, 25% said they were a little affected and 54% said they were not affected at all. Americans were largely unsure when it came to predicting how long the shutdown will last. Thirty-nine percent of respondents said they were unsure, 21% said one to two more weeks, another 21% said three to four more weeks, and 16% said more than four weeks. Just 3% of Americans said the government would reopen in less than a week. The poll also found that 71% of Americans believe federal government workers should receive back pay for not being paid during the shutdown. This comes about a week after the Trump administration suggested that not all federal workers will receive back pay. The poll was conducted Oct. 10-13 among 1,622 adults. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5% percentage points. The federal government has been shut down since Oct. 1 after Congress failed to pass a spending package ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline. Democrats opposed a GOP-led spending bill that would have temporarily funded the government due to concerns about expiring health care subsidies. senior reporter Janet Morgan is a senior reporter at The Post and Courier Myrtle Beach. She covers Myrtle Beach and beyond. There is always time to be kind to animals and climb something. PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-15 11:00:11 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1023 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 The Existing Seismic Data and interpretation for the Northern Portion of the Property from four 2D Seismic reflection lines has recently been reviewed by Agapito with respect to Potash Cycles 5, 13 and 18 as well as Paradox and Leadville clastic intervals.A time structure map of the top of the Paradox Formation salt was constructed.Geologic modeling based on tops picked from existing oil and gas wells supports the interpretation of a gentle regional dip in the cycles of interest.This interpretation supports relatively flat lying potash cycles (dip approximately 4% to the north) which further supports the potential of suitability for solution mining.The data further demonstrates a northward thickening of the Paradox Formation along with high-angle faults, which may correspond to increasing both the quality (through potential chemical enrichment) and the volumetric potential of brines.VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 /American Critical Minerals Corp. ("American Critical Minerals" or the"Company") (CSE:KCLI)(OTCQB:APCOF)(Frankfurt:2P3) is pleased to announce that Agapito Associates LLC. ("Agapito") has further reviewed the ExplorTech LLC (2011) Seismic Reflection and Reprocessing Report for the Northern Portion of the Green River Potash and Lithium Project. Full results of this review will also be included in an updated Technical Report on the Green River Potash which will be published shortly.Simon Clarke President & CEO stated, "Utilizing the large seismic database from oil and gas wells has allowed us to further see the relatively flat lying Paradox and Leadville stratigraphy in the sub-surface of our Green River Project. This has important implications for both Potash and Lithium. Based on this interpretation, the Property appears to be suitable for solution mining wells within the Potash Cycles.In addition, the clastic zones appear to demonstrate a northward thickening in conjunction with high-angle faulting, which may correspond to increasing both the quality and the volume of the lithium and bromine rich brines. This gives us further confidence in our Exploration Targets as we move rapidly towards drill testing our key targets.The location of our Green River Project and its proximity to over 50 years of potash production as well as advanced lithium development, already highlights the strategic potential of the Project. In addition, the apparent flat lying nature of its mineralization further validates the potential to successfully develop and mine the potash cycles and the lithium brines." Seismic Interpretation (ExplorTech LLC, 2011****)The Company licensed four (4) 2D seismic lines totaling approximately 32.5 miles from Seismic Exchange (SEI). These lines loosely cover their northwest potash permit area in Grand County, Utah. These seismic data were collected in the late 1960's with dynamite sources. The data needed to be reprocessed before interpretation. Excel Geophysical (Greenwood Village, Colorado) reprocessed the data. John Arestad of ExplorTech LLC (Centennial, Colorado) interpreted the data. Agapito recently reviewed the data in the context of the Green River Project.From those interpreted lines, a time structure map of the top of the Paradox Formation salt was constructed by ExplorTech LLC. The map indicates a structural high, likely the Big Flat Dome in the south dipping on a fairly regular slope to the north. This conforms to the regional interpretation from modeling of an overall dip of about four percent ("4%").No major faulting, collapses, or diapirism were observed. Minor faulting is identified in the lowermost part of the target Paradox evaporite sequence, while the uppermost part of the evaporite interval, including Cycle 5, showed no interpretable faulting. Faulting extending as high as Cycle 13 is apparent to the southwest.The seismic data show that faulting is minor within the lowermost part of the target Paradox evaporite sequence. The uppermost part of this interval does not show interpretable faults. The maps produced in the study should be useful for exploration drilling activities. Well prognoses can be made using the interpreted seismic horizons and the existing time-depth data. The hummocky looking appearance of the Paradox salt section suggests that the salt has moved somewhat in the target area and that may have implications for potash recoveries.The interpretation supports relatively flat lying potash cycles (dip approximately 4% to the north) which further support the possibility of being suitable for solution wells. The data further demonstrates a northward thickening of the Paradox Formation along with high-angle faults, which may correspond to increasing both the quality (through potential chemical enrichment) and the volumetric potential of brines.The reprocessing and interpretation of these lines is specialized work and may require expertise specific to the Paradox Basin. That said, geologic modeling based on tops picked from existing oil and gas wells supports the interpretation of a gentle regional dip in the cycles of interest. The selection of tops on formations of regional extent such as the Leadville, Hermosa, or Chinle is regarded as straightforward. The Company is further looking to add to this dataset by acquiring additional seismic data licenses.About American Critical Minerals' Green River Potash and Lithium ProjectThe Green River Potash and Lithium Project is situated within Utah's highly productive Paradox Basin, located 20 miles northwest of Moab, Utah and has significant logistical advantages including close proximity to major rail hubs, airport, roads, water, towns and labour markets. It also benefits from close proximity to the agricultural and industrial heartland of America and numerous potential end-users for its products.The history of oil and gas production across the Paradox Basin provides geologic data from historic wells across the Project, and the wider Basin, validating and de-risking the potential for high grade potash and large amounts of contained lithium. Wells in and around the project reported lithium up to 500 ppm, bromine up to 6,100 ppm and boron up to 1,260 ppm (Gilbride & Santos, 2012). This data is reinforced by nearby potash production and the advanced stage of development of neighbouring lithium projects. The Paradox Basin is believed to contain up to 56 billion tonnes of lithium brines, potentially the largest such resource in the US(Source:AnsonFastmarketsPresentation- https://wcsecure.weblink.com.au/pdf/ASN/02823465.pdf ).The Paradox Basin is believed to contain up to 56 billion tonnes of lithium brines, potentially the largest such resource in US (Source:AnsonFastmarketsPresentation- https://wcsecure.weblink.com.au/pdf/ASN/02823465.pdf ). The Company also PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-15 22:30:10 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 914 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 KELOWNA, BC / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 /Avant Brands Inc. (TSX:AVNT)(OTCQX:AVTBF)(FRA:1BUP) ("Avant" or the "Company"), a leading producer of innovative and award-winning cannabis products, today released its financial results for the third quarter ended August 31, 2025 ("Q3 2025"). With a growing international footprint and deep penetration into key global medical markets, Avant continues to scale as the go-to Canadian exporter for top-shelf cannabis at commercial volume. The Company delivered its eighth consecutive quarter of positive adjusted EBITDA1, supported by growth in domestic wholesale revenue and disciplined operational execution.(1) Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP performance measure. The information is incorporated by reference from the Q3 2025 MD&A filings under "Cautionary Statement Regarding Certain Non-GAAP Performance Measures". The Company's MD&A is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com Highlights include:Gross and net revenue increases: Quarterly gross revenue increased 13% to $10.8 million, while net revenue increased 11% to $9.4 million as compared to Q3 2024, driven by sustained international and domestic demand for premium cannabis.Gross profit: Year to date ("YTD") gross profit increased to $3.1M, representing a 3851% increase compared to YTD Q3 2024.Adjusted EBITDA1: Achieved adjusted EBITDA1 of $0.2 million, marking the eighth consecutive quarter of positive adjusted EBITDA1.1.Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP performance measure. The information is incorporated by reference from the Q3 2025 MD&A filings under "Cautionary Statement Regarding Certain Non-GAAP Performance Measures". The Company's MD&A is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com Net cash flows generated from operating activities: YTD net cash flows generated from operating activities increased 111% to $3.7 million as compared to YTD Q3 2024.Avant Brands Founder & CEO Norton Singhavon Comments:"Avant's performance this quarter reflects both the strength of our international partnerships and the resilience of our Canadian platform. By consistently supplying premium cannabis at scale, we continue to earn the confidence of distributors in markets such as Germany, Israel, and Australia, while reinforcing our leadership in Canada's recreational market. With disciplined cost management and a sharpened focus on high-performing SKUs, Avant is building lasting brand equity in Canada and on the global stage." Q3 2025 Financial Highlights (vs. Q3 2024):Revenue:Gross revenue: $10.8 million (+13%)Net revenue: $9.4 million (+11%)Export wholesale revenue: $4.3 million (-16%)Net recreational revenue: $2.7 million (-3%)Domestic wholesale revenue: $2.3 million (+307%)Net recreational revenue declined 3%, due to an immaterial increase in the provision for sales returns and allowances. The Company continues to implement a strategic shift toward higher-margin, top-performing SKUs. This realignment is expected to drive long-term profitability, while resources continue to be prioritized toward growth in domestic wholesale revenue and export wholesale revenue.Export wholesale revenue decreased 16%, driven by a major export customer establishing a Canadian subsidiary to purchase bulk cannabis in the domestic market. Bulk cannabis that would previously have been sold to the customer's international subsidiary was instead sold to the customer's domestic subsidiary, contributing to the increase in domestic wholesale revenue of 307% and driving the decrease in export wholesale revenue of -16%. The combined total of domestic wholesale revenue and export wholesale revenue reached $6.5M, representing a combined 17% increase over Q3 2024. This combined increase demonstrates growing demand for premium bulk cannabis.Gross profit:Gross profit increased 68% to $1.7M, due to increased net revenue, and a decrease in change in fair value of biological assets realized through inventory sold.Operating expenses:Operating expenses decreased to $3.0M (-15%) due to improved cost allocations and continued execution of cost-reduction initiatives.Gross margin adjusted for fair value adjustments2:Gross margin adjusted for fair value adjustments2: Decreased to $2.1 million (-50%) due to improved cost of sales allocations.Gross margin % adjusted for fair value adjustments3: Decreased to 22% (vs. 49%) due to improved cost of sales allocations.Despite decreases in gross margin adjusted for fair value adjustments2 and gross margin % adjusted for fair value adjustments3, YTD net cash flows generated from operating activities increased 111% versus the comparative period, inclusive of the improved cost of sales allocations.2.Gross margin adjusted for fair value adjustments is a non-GAAP performance measure. The information is incorporated by reference from the Q3 2025 MD&A filings under "Cautionary Statement Regarding Certain Non-GAAP Performance Measures". The Company's MD&A is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com 3.Gross margin % adjusted for fair value adjustments is a non-GAAP performance ratio. The information is incorporated by reference from the Q3 2025 MD&A filings under "Cautionary Statement Regarding Certain Non-GAAP Performance Measures". The Company's MD&A is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com Adjusted EBITDA1:Achieved adjusted EBITDA1 of $0.2 million, marking the eighth consecutive quarter of positive adjusted EBITDA1.1.Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP performance measure. The information is incorporated by reference from the Q3 2025 MD&A filings under "Cautionary Statement Regarding Certain Non-GAAP Performance Measures". The Company's MD&A is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com Cannabis Production and Sales:Cannabis Production: 3,231 KG (-6%).Cannabis Sales: 3,387 KG sold (+10%).About Avant Brands Inc.Avant Brands Inc. (TSX:AVNT)(OTCQX:AVTBF)(FRA:1BUP) is a leading innovator in premium cannabis products, driven by a commitment to exceptional quality and craftsmanship. As one of Canada's largest indoor producers, the company operates multiple production facilities across the country, cultivating unique and high-quality cannabis strains.Avant offers a diverse product portfolio catering to recreational, medical, and export markets. Its renowned consumer brands, including blk mkt, Tenzo, Cognoscente, flowr, and Treehugger, are available in key recreational markets across Canada. The company's international footprint spans Australia, Israel, and Germany, with its flagship brand blk mkt leading the w PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-15 12:00:17 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 978 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 /Camino Minerals Corporation (TSXV:COR)(OTCID:CAMZF) ("Camino" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the mobilization of drilling equipment to commence the discovery drilling campaign at its Los Chapitos copper project in Peru ("Los Chapitos" or the "Project"). The 2025 exploration campaign with Camino's partner, Nittetsu Mining Co., Ltd. ("Nittetsu"), resulted in the identification of several prospective drilling targets. The drilling campaign will focus on two main objectives: discovering new copper-silver deposits in newly identified and undrilled targets, such as Mirador, Piloto, Maqui, and Sombrero Blanco, where notable copper occurrences have been found with high copper and silver values according to geochemical results of rocks in trenches, and extending known mineralization in previously drilled Adriana, Lourdes, and Katty (Enjambre) zones.Highlights:The latest results of trenching at the targets to be drilled showed:Mirador: 129m @0.98 % Cu and 20.59 ppm Ag (including: 90m @ 1.07% Cu and 20.98 ppm Ag; 12m @ 2.07% Cu and 60.63 ppm Ag; 26m @ 1.30% Cu and 28.96 ppm Ag)Piloto: 12m @2.3% Cu and 21.13 ppm Ag.Maqui: 7m @4.3% Cu and 25.5 ppm Ag.Enjambre: 18m @1.57% Cu and 11.35 ppm Ag.Adriana: 15m @0.75% Cu and 9.46 ppm Ag.Lourdes: 6m @2.80% Cu and 31.55 ppm Ag.Sombrero Blanco: 25m @0.52% Cu and 3.00 ppm Ag.Copper mineralization is associated with copper oxides and sulfides hosted in intrusive and volcanic rocks.Strong positive correlation between copper and silver mineralization.Drilling is planned to begin the first week of November 2025.Los Chapitos selected by Peru's Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM) as one of 15 priority exploration projects.Los Chapitos is Camino's exploration copper project with partner Nittetsu, which is earning a 35% interest upon completing a total investment of CDN$10 Million (see news release dated June 14, 2023). Rio Tinto, a major copper producer, recently staked claims adjacent to Los Chapitos (see news release dated May 17, 2024). Camino is also advancing its mine development project, the construction-ready Puquios copper project, with Nittetsu in Chile (see news release dated April 17, 2025)."Los Chapitos has been recognized by Peru's Ministry of Energy and Minesto advance strategic mineral exploration in 2025 and 2026 to meet the national Peru Explora initiative. Indeed, we are also getting noticed by major mining companies like Rio Tinto that have staked ground adjacent to Los Chapitos", commented Jay Chmelauskas, CEO of Camino. "Our Los Chapitos exploration drilling campaign is set to start in November in Peru, while we get our finance package in place for the construction of our Puquios copper mine in Chile." "Drilling at Los Chapitos follows intensive geological field work, including geological mapping, sampling of soil and rock, and mechanized trenching at targets located within the Diva and La Estancia trends this year," said Orlando Pariona, lead geologist at Camino Corp. "This has allowed us to identify targets with the greatest potential for extending and/or discovering additional Cu-Ag mineralized bodies." Figure 1. Occurrence of copper oxides and bornite at the Maqui target.Figure 2. Drilling campaign target locations. Los Chapitos Drill Campaign The objective of this drilling campaign is to cut mineralized breccias and copper mantos that have been identified on the surface through detailed mapping and mechanized trenching, to search for continuity and extension at depth and validate the high copper and silver grades observed at surface. The program will commence with approximately 9 drillholes consisting of 1,200 metres and is expected to expand to over 3,000 metres with the next $1.5 million Nittetsu investment tranche anticipated in December 2025.The drilling targets are located along the Diva and La Estancia trends, where the latest exploration work has demonstrated high-grade copper potential at Los Chapitos (see news releases dated June 17, 2025 and July 16, 2025). The targets in the Diva trend will be Mirador, Adriana, Katty (Piloto, Maqui, and Enjambre), and Lourdes. Sombrero Blanco is along the La Estancia trend and is a high priority target once certain drilling permits are obtained.This new program builds on the results obtained during the drilling campaigns from 2017 to 2023, which confirmed the presence of high-grade copper mineralization in volcanic rocks of the Chocolate Formation, particularly in the Adriana, Lourdes, and Enjambre sectors. Based on these results, Camino's geological team has developed detailed 3D models of the mineralized system, based on high-resolution structural and lithological mapping.Los Chapitos is in a strategic location with road access, infrastructure availability, and proximity to the Pacific coast, offering significant logistical advantages for the future development of the project. Excavators and drilling rigs will be mobilized to Los Chapitos during October, 2025 to prepare drilling pads for the start of drilling in November.The drilling target expressed in this release is conceptual in nature. The target has had insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource, and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the exploration target being delineated as a mineral resource.Los Chapitos Project Update The Los Chapitos Project has been selected by Peru's Ministry of Energy and Mines ("MINEM") as one of 15 priority exploration projects within the national initiative "Peru Explora: Actions to Drive the Advancement of Strategic Mineral Exploration Projects 2025-2026."Since July 2025, MINEM has been holding technical working meetings with the companies leading Peru's key exploration projects. The goal of this initiative is to facilitate permitting processes, attract new exploration investment, and strengthen a sustainable portfolio of projects with both regional and national impact.In September 2025, Camino participated in a work session at the Ministry of Energy and Mines with representatives from the Directorate of Mining Promotion, the Directorate of Environmental Mining Affairs, and the General Directorate of Mining, reaffirming its commitment to advancing responsible and sustainable mineral exploration in Peru.About Camino Camino is a discovery and development stage copper exploration company. On October 7, 2024, Camino signed a Definitive Agreement to purchase the construction-ready Puquios copper mine in Chile. Camino is focused on developing copper producing assets such as Puquios, and advancing its IOCG Los Chapitos copper project locat PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-15 15:00:58 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 379 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 With a focus on compassionate, patient-centered care, Dr. Payton brings a personalized approach to podiatric medicine and surgery in Roswell, Georgia.ROSWELL, GEORGIA / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 /Ankle & Foot Centers of America is pleased to welcome Dr. Paris Payton, a board-qualified foot and ankle specialist, to its growing team of providers. Dr. Payton will care for patients at the practice's Roswell office, offering both conservative and surgical treatment options for a wide range of foot and ankle conditions. Dr. Paris Payton, DPMOriginally from Ohio, Dr. Payton earned her Doctor of Podiatric Medicine from Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine and completed her surgical residency at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in Cleveland, where she gained extensive training in reconstructive rearfoot and ankle surgery. She has a strong clinical interest in tailoring care to meet each patient's unique needs, whether through minimally invasive techniques, preventative care, or complex surgical solutions.Dr. Payton is a member of the Georgia Podiatric Medical Association, the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, and the American Podiatric Medical Association. She is also a board member of Health Legacy of Cleveland, Inc., demonstrating her continued commitment to service, education, and health equity.In addition to her practice, Dr. Payton remains actively involved in community wellness initiatives and volunteer efforts aimed at improving access to care and education around foot and ankle health. Her approach emphasizes long-term function, mobility, and quality of life for every patient she treats.Dr. Payton is affiliated with Piedmont Atlanta Hospital and Windy Hill Surgery Center in Marietta, GA.To learn more or schedule an appointment with Dr. Payton, visit ankleandfootcenters.com/dr-payton or the Roswell office page.About Ankle & Foot Centers of America With a mission to provide the highest quality foot and ankle care, Ankle & Foot Centers of America is recognized as one of the nation's top podiatry groups. Our specialists are dedicated to advancing the field through research and innovative treatment solutions. Founded in Atlanta over 30 years ago, Ankle & Foot Centers of America provides patients with top-tier service and support through best-in-class technology and processes, so that physicians can optimize patient outcomes and satisfaction.Contact InformationBuse Kayarbusek@ accessnewswire.com Related VideoSOURCE: Ankle & Foot Centers of America PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-15 22:00:12 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 457 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Glow Wraps set a new standard for visibility, engagement, and impact in OOH advertisingNEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / Firefly, the global leader in mobility media, unveiled its groundbreaking new product, Glow Wraps, at the prestigious DPAA Global Summit in New York City. This marks the first-ever physical activation of Glow Wraps, representing a pioneering leap in out-of-home (OOH) innovation.Glow Wraps are Firefly's newest advancement in mobility media - wrapped vehicles enhanced with integrated illumination that makes creative shine. Building on the proven impact of traditional wraps, Glow Wraps introduce a light-powered dimension that fuses vibrant design with added visibility, transforming cars into glowing brand statements on the move. This breakthrough elevates street-level presence, helping brands stand out in bold, memorable ways.By integrating dynamic lighting technology, Firefly is redefining how brands engage with consumers on the move, creating unforgettable real-world moments with unmatched shareability on social media."With Glow Wraps, Firefly is once again pushing the boundaries of what's possible in OOH advertising," said Chris Polos, Chief Operating Officer at Firefly. "This innovation combines the power of mobility media with breakthrough visual impact, offering brands a bold new way to stand out, especially at tentpole events where impact is everything." Glow Wraps deliver pioneering first-to-market innovation, offering brands the chance to lead with technology no one else has brought to the streets. Their bold, illuminated design creates award-worthy campaign potential, drawing attention from both consumers and industry leaders. With the ability to spark conversation and social sharing, Glow Wraps generate unmatched earned media reach, turning every ride into a content-worthy moment. When combined with Firefly's digital tops, Glow Wraps unlock a 360-degree storytelling platform, pairing illuminated static creativity with dynamic digital messaging. This synergy allows brands to dominate the streetscape with dual solutions that reinforce each other, maximizing reach, recall, and impact.Following the debut at DPAA Summit, Glow Wraps will be available nationwide, marking the next evolution in Firefly's mission to transform mobility media worldwide.About FireflyFirefly is the global leader in moving out-of-home (OOH) advertising, with a network of more than 60,000 screens across all major U.S. markets and operations in 7 countries, delivering over 6 billion impressions each month. Firefly transforms traditional static environments into dynamic engagement platforms through car top displays and branded wraps on taxi and rideshare vehicles, along with experiential activations. Leveraging its digital car top network and moving fleet, Firefly provides geo-targeted reach and contextual targeting, enabling brands to deliver relevant messages in real time.Founded by Kaan Gunay (Chairman), Firefly is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, Las Vegas, London, and Istanbul. ( fireflyon.com For media inquiries, contact:Ece Davisoece.daviso@fireflyon.com SOURCE: Firefly Systems Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-15 22:00:15 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 321 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 QUEBEC, QUEBEC / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers (GSGP) launched a new regional initiative to advance sustainable agriculture in the region. The Initiative was introduced to attendees of the 2025 GSGP Leadership Summit held in Quebec City last week. Sustainable Agriculture Plenary Session Panelists discuss sustainable agriculture in Quebec City October 5 during the GSGP 2025 Leadership SummitThe sustainable agriculture initiative will focus its work on five key areas:Healthy economy - Supporting producers and promoting sustainable growth and diversification of the regional agricultural economy.Healthy people - Supporting the production of healthful food and high-quality crops, farmed livestock, and other goods.Soil health - Advancing research and practices that maintain and improve soil health across the region's diverse agricultural landscape.Water Management - Encouraging sustainable use and conservation of ground and surface water resources.Water Quality - Continuing programs and policies that incentivize practices that improve water quality and reduce nutrient runoff."This regional initiative will create more opportunities to collaborate and develop innovative solutions that will shape the future of farming and long-term prosperity of our agricultural economies," said Initiative Chair and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director Tim Boring. "In Michigan, agriculture is the state's second-largest industry, making us uniquely positioned to work with our GSGP partners to ensure this region is a hub for scientific progress that protects our natural resources." In the Initiative's first year, State and Provincial leaders will develop a regional agenda to guide research that will inform policy and programmatic work. They will also create an action agenda to address challenges facing the region's agriculture industry and catalyze multi-state and provincial collaboration. Pilot projects will follow in future years. Overall, this collaborative will help advance a more resilient and sustainable agricultural future for the Great Lakes St. Lawrence region.Contact InformationCraig ClarkPR Contactcraig@ clarkcommunication.com 616-550-2736SOURCE: Great Lakes Governors and Premiers PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-15 14:42:42 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1029 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR DISSEMINATION DIRECTLY, OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES.TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 /Jaguar Mining Inc. ("Jaguar" or the Company") (TSX:JAG) today announced the closing of its previously announced "bought deal" private placement (the "Offering") for aggregate gross proceeds of C$28,000,005, which includes the full exercise of the Underwriters' (as defined below) option. Pursuant to the Offering, the Company sold 5,090,910 common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Offered Shares") at a price of C$5.50 per Offered Share. Red Cloud Securities Inc. ("Red Cloud") acted as lead underwriter and bookrunner on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters that included Research Capital Corporation and Ventum Financial Corp. (collectively with Red Cloud, the "Underwriters").The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to fund the restart of the Turmalina Mine at the Company's MTL Complex, exploration activities across the Company's properties, as well as general working capital and corporate purposes, as is more fully described in the Offering Document (as defined below).In accordance with National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions ("NI 45-106"), 3,272,728 Offered Shares were issued to Canadian purchasers pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of NI 45-106, as amended by Coordinated Blanket Order 45-935 - Exemptions from Certain Conditions of the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption (the "Listed Issuer Financing Exemption"), and to purchasers resident in jurisdictions other than Canada pursuant to available prospectus exemptions. Except for the Offered Shares acquired by Eric Sprott, the Offered Shares issued to purchasers are not subject to a statutory hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws and are immediately freely tradeable.Eric Sprott, a related party of the Company, through 2176423 Ontario Ltd., a corporation that is beneficially owned by him, acquired 1,818,182 Offered Shares under the Offering for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of $10,000,001.00. The participation of 2176423 Ontario Ltd. in the Offering constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-01 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Offering is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 since neither the fair market value of the subject matter of, nor the fair market value of the consideration for, the Offering, insofar as it involves interested parties, exceeds 25% of the Company's market capitalization. No new insiders and no control persons were created in connection with the completion of the Offering.Prior to the closing of the Offering, the Company had 80,130,272 common shares issued and outstanding, and Mr. Sprott, directly or indirectly, held beneficial ownership of, and control and direction over, a total of 39,368,811 common shares of the Company, representing approximately 49.13% of the issued and outstanding common shares (on a non-diluted basis). Following the closing of the Offering, the Company has 85,221,182 common shares issued and outstanding and Mr. Sprott, directly or indirectly, holds beneficial ownership of, and control and direction over, a total of 41,186,993 common shares of the Company, representing approximately 48.33% of the outstanding common shares (on a non-diluted basis). Full details of this transaction will be disclosed on the System for Electronic Disclosure by Insiders (SEDI) at www.sedi.ca . The Offered Shares acquired by Mr. Sprott were not sold pursuant to the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption, are subject to a statutory hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities law and may not be traded until February 16, 2026, except as permitted by applicable securities legislation and the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX").As consideration for their services, the Underwriters received aggregate cash fees of C$1,100,000.22 and 199,999 non-transferable common share purchase warrants (the "Broker Warrants"). Each Broker Warrant is exercisable into one common share of the Company (each a "Broker Warrant Share") at a price of C$5.89 per Broker Warrant Share at any time on or before October 15, 2027. The Broker Warrants and Broker Warrant Shares are subject to a statutory hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities law and may not be traded until February 16, 2026, except as permitted by applicable securities legislation and the policies of the TSX.There is an amended and restated offering document dated October 7, 2025 relating to the Offering (the "Offering Document") that can be accessed under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website at www.jaguarmining.com The closing of the Offering remains subject to the final approval of the TSX.The securities offered in the Offering have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.Luis Albano Tondo, Chief Executive Officer of Jaguar, commented: "We are proud to announce the successful closing of this private placement, which represents a strong vote of confidence from our investors. This capital infusion will be pivotal in accelerating the restart of our Turmalina Mine and expanding exploration efforts across our highly prospective Brazilian portfolio. These strategic investments are designed to unlock substantial value, reinforce our position as a responsible and growing gold producer, and drive long-term benefits for all our stakeholders." Marina Freitas, Chief Financial Officer of Jaguar, commented: "The successful completion of this offering underscores the financial community's confidence in Jaguar's strategy and disciplined approach to capital management. The proceeds will be prudently allocated to high-impact priorities, including the restart of our Turmalina Mine PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-15 15:00:26 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 490 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 This partnership delivers fast, secure, and flexible certification for Magento developers worldwide, including new testing opportunities.PHOENIX, ARIZONA / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 /Kryterion, the global leader for assessments and certifications, has announced a new partnership with Hyva, the industry leader in Magento solutions and creators of Hyva Theme, Hyva Enterprise, and the growing Hyva Commerce suite, to launch its official certification program through the Webassessor platform.The partnership combines Hyva's reputation for high-performance, developer-friendly solutions with Kryterion's proven testing technology, ensuring a secure and seamless certification experience for candidates worldwide.The new Hyva Certification validates developer expertise in building modern Magento stores with Hyva Theme, implementing streamlined checkout experiences with Hyva Checkout. Delivered via Kryterion Webassessor's secure online proctoring system, the program provides a flexible and scalable way to certify developers, chosen for its ease of integration, rapid deployment, and unmatched reliability in the certification industry.At the recentMeet Magento Ukraine Eventheld in Kyiv, Hyva offered onsite, event-based testing with Kryterion's support to make the exam more accessible. Hosting the first in-person Hyva Certification event in Ukraine underscored both companies' shared commitment to supporting the Magento developer community wherever it thrives."Hyva Certification is about empowering developers to build better, faster, and cleaner Magento stores," said Vinai Kopp, Technical Director at Hyva Themes B.V. "Hyva is proud that the onsite certification lab at Meet-Magento Ukraine was a success! Congratulations to all the newly certified developers. Thanks to the organisers for putting together such a great event and making everything possible!"Kryterion's Webassessor platform enables organisations to manage their certification programs entirely in-house, from exam creation to delivery, without additional publishing fees. Its online proctoring technology offers a secure, convenient option for candidates to take exams from anywhere, while maintaining the highest standards of integrity."We're proud to partner with Hyva to bring their certification vision to life," said Angela Street , Chief Customer Success Officer at Kryterion. "Our shared commitment to expand testing access to individuals in Ukraine reflects the kind of positive, real-world impact we believe credentialing can have." About KryterionKryterion , a leader in test development and delivery, provides comprehensive solutions for global assessments and high-stakes certifications. Our innovative technology platform, expert exam development & psychometric services, and customer support set the benchmark for secure online testing and proctoring. With a robust SaaS platform, we empower organisations to independently manage their test development and delivery ecosystems.About HyvaHyva Themes B.V., based in Heerlen (Netherlands), was founded in 2020 and enables merchants to create faster and better converting online stores while reducing development time and costs. The company is bootstrapped and growing rapidly, yet profitably and sustainably, serving over 5,800 Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce stores globally, including notable clients such as Nestle, Citizen Watch, Baby Born, Henry Schein, Helen of Troy, Ergobaby, Canon, Audio-Technica, and Volkswagen. Learn more at https://www.hyva.io Contact InformationVerushka BuonaffinaPR Managerverushka@ publicize.co (305) 8747387 PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-15 14:45:07 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 997 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SHELTON, CONNECTICUT / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / NanoViricides, Inc. (NYSE American:NNVC) (the "Company"), reports that an analyst research report was published on the Company that explains its dual-track, rapid clinical development strategy for NV-387, going after MPox and also after all respiratory viral infections, that include Influenzas, Coronaviruses, RSV among others. The analyst research report was published by proactive investors news ( https://www.proactiveinvestors.com/companies/news/1080303/nanoviricides-dual-track-clinical-development-during-2026-1080303.html/long) The analyst research report summarizes:"Nanoviricides (NNVC), a US company, targets the unmet medical need for an effective, broad- spectrum acute oral antiviral therapy with NV-387. NNVC's nano-polymer, micelle technology directly binds and destroys virus particles in the blood preventing them entering and infecting cells; in effect a highly selective, ruthless (but safe) nanomachine.NNVC is now pursuing a dual track strategy for clinical development. The first trial will be against MPox virus, a relative of smallpox. The second is in respiratory viral diseases. NV's lead molecule NV-387 has already completed a Phase 1 study in 2023 showing safety and tolerability.The immediate study, which could start by late CY25 or early in CY26, is for MPox. MPox is an endemic virus related to smallpox so has biodefense applications. Ethics approval for an NV- 387 Phase 2 trial in Congo has already been gained; the next stage is a formal Phase 2 Clinical Trial Application (CTA). A successful African trial could lead to possible development funding from the US biodefense agency (BARDA).The second planned study uses mostly the same CTA as the MPox study but will target respiratory viral diseases. An adaptive "basket-type" trial in India will gather data on NV-387 efficacy against flu, RSV and coronaviruses. This might start in winter 2026 but a later start is possible. This could lead to focused US trials, perhaps from 2027. Management notes independent estimates of a US$2.6 bln opportunity in RSV and US$4.6 bln in influenza." Additional details can be found in the analyst research report.About NanoViricidesNanoViricides, Inc. (the "Company") ( www.nanoviricides.com) is a clinical stage company that is creating special purpose nanomaterials for antiviral therapy. The Company's novel nanoviricide class of drug candidates and the nanoviricide technology are based on intellectual property, technology and proprietary know-how of TheraCour Pharma, Inc. The Company has a Memorandum of Understanding with TheraCour for the development of drugs based on these technologies for all antiviral infections. The MoU does not include cancer and similar diseases that may have viral origin but require different kinds of treatments.The Company has obtained broad, exclusive, sub-licensable, field licenses to drugs developed in several licensed fields from TheraCour Pharma, Inc. The Company's business model is based on licensing technology from TheraCour Pharma Inc. for specific application verticals of specific viruses, as established at its foundation in 2005.Our lead drug candidate is NV-387, a broad-spectrum antiviral drug that we plan to develop as a treatment of RSV, COVID, Long COVID, Influenza, and other respiratory viral infections, as well as MPOX/Smallpox infections. Our other advanced drug candidate is NV-HHV-1 for the treatment of Shingles. The Company cannot project an exact date for filing an IND for any of its drugs because of dependence on a number of external collaborators and consultants. The Company is currently focused on advancing NV-387 into Phase II human clinical trials.NV-CoV-2 (API NV-387) is our nanoviricide drug candidate for COVID-19 that does not encapsulate remdesivir. NV-CoV-2-R is our other drug candidate for COVID-19 that is made up of NV-387 with remdesivir encapsulated within its polymeric micelles. The Company believes that since remdesivir is already US FDA approved, our drug candidate encapsulating remdesivir is likely to be an approvable drug, if safety is comparable. Remdesivir is developed by Gilead. The Company has developed both of its own drug candidates NV-CoV-2 and NV-CoV-2-R independently.The Company is also developing drugs against a number of viral diseases including oral and genital Herpes, viral diseases of the eye including EKC and herpes keratitis, H1N1 swine flu, H5N1 bird flu, seasonal Influenza, HIV, Hepatitis C, Rabies, Dengue fever, and Ebola virus, among others. NanoViricides' platform technology and programs are based on the TheraCour nanomedicine technology of TheraCour, which TheraCour licenses from AllExcel. NanoViricides holds a worldwide exclusive perpetual license to this technology for several drugs with specific targeting mechanisms in perpetuity for the treatment of the following human viral diseases: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV/AIDS), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Rabies, Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV-1 and HSV-2), Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV), Influenza and Asian Bird Flu Virus, Dengue viruses, Japanese Encephalitis virus, West Nile Virus, Ebola/Marburg viruses, and certain Coronaviruses. The Company intends to obtain a license for RSV, Poxviruses, and/or Enteroviruses if the initial research is successful. As is customary, the Company must state the risk factor that the path to typical drug development of any pharmaceutical product is extremely lengthy and requires substantial capital. As with any drug development efforts by any company, there can be no assurance at this time that any of the Company's pharmaceutical candidates would show sufficient effectiveness and safety for human clinical development. Further, there can be no assurance at this time that successful results against coronavirus in our lab will lead to successful clinical trials or a successful pharmaceutical product.This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect the Company's current expectation regarding future events. Actual events could differ materially and substantially from those projected herein and depend on a number of factors. Certain statements in this release, and other written or oral statements made by NanoViricides, Inc. are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Company's control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activit PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-15 15:10:06 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 321 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 /55 North Mining Inc. (CSE:FFF)(FSE:6YF) ("55 North" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on its planned 2026 drill program, which may begin as early as late 2025 if conditions allow for safe and efficient winter drilling.The upcoming program will focus on step-out drilling to the south of the Company's existing zones. The Company plans initially to drill 8 fences of two holes approximately every 120 metres, expanding the footprint of known mineralization and testing for potential extensions along strike.Drilling is expected to proceed at a rate of six to eight holes per month with winter operations concluding by late March 2026. The Company estimates all-in drilling costs of approximately $250 per metre, inclusive of mobilization, supervision, assays, and logistics."Our goal with this program is to systematically test new ground immediately south of our current zones to enhance our understanding of the mineralized system and guide future development," said Bruce Reid, CEO of 55 North Mining. "If winter conditions arrive early, we're prepared to begin drilling before year-end to maximize efficiency and momentum into 2026."The Company will provide additional details on specific targets, contractors, and timing as the program approaches.About 55 North Mining Inc.55 North Mining Inc. is a Canadian exploration and development company advancing its high-grade Last Hope Gold Project located in Manitoba, Canada.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:Mr. Bruce ReidChief Executive Officer55 North Mining Inc.Phone: 647-500-4495 bruce@ mine2capital.ca Mr. Vance LoeberCorporate DevelopmentPhone: 778-999-3530 cvl@ tydewell.com CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATIONThis news release of 55 North contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.SOURCE: 55 North Mining Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-15 15:05:06 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 816 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 QUEBEC, QC / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / As a result of a review by the British Columbia Securities Commission ("BCSC"), NuRAN Wireless Inc. ("NuRAN" or the "Company") (CSE:NUR)(OTC:NRRWF)(FSE:1RN) announces the adjournment of its Annual General and Special Meeting.Adjournment of Annual General and Special MeetingAs a result of the ongoing Continuous Disclosure Review by the British Columbia Securities Commissions and the desire of the Company to provide more disclosure in advance of the AGSM, the Company has decided to adjourn its Annual General and Special Meeting scheduled for today October 15, 2025 to October 22, 2025 to allow shareholders sufficient time to review additional disclosures to be filed shortly.About NuRAN Wireless:NuRAN Wireless is a leading rural telecommunications company that meets the growing demand for wireless network coverage in remote and rural regions around the globe. With its affordable and innovative scalable solutions of 2G, 3G, and 4G technologies, NuRAN Wireless offers a new possibility for more than one billion people to communicate effectively over long distances efficiently and affordably. "Bridging the Digital Divide, One Connection at a Time." Additional Information: For further information about NuRAN Wireless: www.nuranwireless.com Francis Letourneau,Director and CEO Francis.letourneau@nuranwireless.com Tel: (418) 264-1337Frank CandidoInvestor relations Frank.candido@nuranwireless.com Tel: (514) 969-5530Forward Looking StatementsThis news release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as, "expects", "is expected", "anticipates", "intends", "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements include those relating to the Company being able to receive funding from the new potential institutional lenders to refinance and replace most of its outstanding current debt instruments with significantly better terms; the Company's current debt holders potentially restructuring most of their outstanding current debt instruments with significantly better terms; and the Company having sufficient working capital for the duration of the institutional lenders' process. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results projected, expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements, such as the uncertainties regarding include risks such as risks relating to NuRAN's business and the economy generally; NuRAN's ability to refinance its long term debt that is currently in default; NuRAN's ability to adequately restructure its operations with respect to its new model of NaaS service contracts; our ability to collect fees from our telecommunication providers and reliance on the network of our telecommunications providers, the capacity of the Company to deliver in a technical capacity and to import inventory to Africa at a reasonable cost; NuRAN's ability to obtain project financing for the proposed site build out under its NaaS agreements with Orange, MTN and other telecommunication providers, the loss of one or more significant suppliers or a reduction in significant volume from such suppliers; NuRAN's ability to meet or exceed customers' demand and expectations; significant current competition and the introduction of new competitors or other disruptive entrants in the Company's industry; effects of the global supply shortage affecting parts needed for NuRAN's sites and site installations; NuRAN's ability to retain key employees and protect its intellectual property; compliance with local laws and regulations and ability to obtain all required permits for our operations, access to the credit and capital markets, changes in applicable telecommunications laws or regulations or changes in license and regulatory fees, downturns in customers' business cycles; and insurance prices and insurance coverage availability, the Company's ability to effectively maintain or update information and technology systems; our ability to implement and maintain measures to protect against cyberattacks and comply with applicable privacy and data security requirements; the Company's ability to successfully implement its business strategies or realize expected cost savings and revenue enhancements; business development activities, including acquisitions and integration of acquired businesses; the Company's expansion into markets outside of Canada and the operational, competitive and regulatory risks facing the Company's non-Canadian based operations. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. Other factors which could materially affect such forward-looking information are described in the risk factors in the Company's most recent annual management's discussion and analysis that is available on the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca SOURCE: NuRAN Wireless Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-15 02:00:38 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 935 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Not for distribution to United States wire services or for dissemination in the United StatesVANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / October 14, 2025 / Onco-Innovations Limited (CBOE CA:ONCO)(Frankfurt:W1H, WKN:A3EKSZ)(OTCQB:ONNVF) ("Onco" or the "Company") announces that it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") of up to 1,428,572 units of the Company (the "Units") at a price of $1.40 per Unit, for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $2,000,000. Each Unit shall consist of one common share (each a "Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"), with each Warrant entitling the holder to purchase one Share at an exercise price of $2.00 for a period of thirty-six (36) months.The Company also intends to issue Shares equal to 1.0% of the total of Shares issued in the Private Placement (the "Admin Fee Shares") to an arm's-length third party, as an administrative fee for their assistance with the Private Placement.In connection with the Private Placement, the Company may pay finders' fees and/or issue finders' warrants on the same terms as the Warrants, to eligible parties who have assisted by introducing subscribers to the Private Placement.Closing of the Private Placement is subject to certain conditions, including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory and other approvals. All securities issued pursuant to Private Placement will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day pursuant to applicable securities laws. The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Private Placement for general corporate and working capital purposes, including in pursuit of the Company's operational and research and development objectives and for investor relations purposes.The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or available exemptions from such registration requirements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States, or in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.The Company also announces the appointment of Mr. Christopher Gulka as a member of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. Mr. Gulka brings over 30 years of experience in capital and public markets. He founded Working Capital Corporation, a corporate finance firm specializing in valuations, due diligence, and management consulting. He previously served as CFO and Director of Inner Spirit Holdings Ltd. and has held senior financial and board roles with several public companies across the mining, energy, cannabis, and industrial sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (with Distinction) from the University of Alberta and is both a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). Mr. Gulka succeeds Mr. Graydon Bensler on the Board. The Company thanks Mr. Bensler for his valuable contributions and dedicated service.About Onco-Innovations LimitedOnco-Innovations is a Canadian-based company dedicated to cancer research and treatment, specializing in oncology. Onco's mission is to pursue the prevention and treatment of cancer through pioneering research and innovative solutions. The company has secured an exclusive worldwide license to patented technology that targets solid tumours.ON BEHALF OF ONCO-INNOVATIONS LIMITED,"Thomas O'Shaughnessy"Chief Executive OfficerFor more information, please contact:Thomas O'ShaughnessyChief Executive OfficerTel: + 1 888 261 8055 investors@ oncoinnovations.com The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release.Forward-Looking Statements Caution. This news release contains forward-looking statements, including in relation to the Private Placement generally, and the anticipated use of funds and closing date thereof, as well as to the Company's business and plans generally, and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "potential", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include the failure to complete the Private Placement as contemplated, or at all, that the anticipated proceeds may be lower than expected, the failure to receive regulatory approval in respect of the Private Placement, and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward- looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by applicable law.SOURCE: Onco-Innovations Limited PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-15 15:00:54 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 378 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Proactive Worldwide, a global leader in competitive intelligence and specialty market research services, is proud to announce that the Chicago Sun-Times has recognized it as one of the Top 25 Workplaces in Chicago.SCHAUMBURG, ILLINOIS / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / Proactive Worldwide, a global leader in competitive intelligence and specialty market research services, is proud to announce that the Chicago Sun-Times has recognized it as one of theTop 25 Workplaces in Chicago .This prestigious honor highlights Proactive Worldwide's commitment to fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and professional growth while delivering world-class intelligence solutions to Fortune 1000 clients across industries."Our people are at the heart of everything we do," said David Kalinowski, President and Co-Founder of Proactive Worldwide. "To be recognized as one of the Top 25 Workplaces in Chicago in the small business category reflects the dedication, creativity, and passion our team brings daily, not only to our clients, but also to one another." The Chicago Sun-Times ranking celebrates organizations that excel in employee engagement, career development opportunities, workplace culture, and benefits. Proactive Worldwide's recognition underscores its long-standing emphasis on empowering employees, promoting continuous learning, and building a workplace where diverse perspectives fuel innovation.Since its founding in 1995, Proactive Worldwide has grown into one of the most respected names in competitive intelligence. It serves clients in healthcare, technology, financial services, manufacturing, consumer goods, and beyond. With its headquarters in the Chicago metropolitan area, Proactive remains deeply connected to the local business community while maintaining a global reach."This recognition validates what we've always believed-when you invest in people, you build a stronger company and deliver greater value to clients," added Kalinowski.About Proactive Worldwide Proactive Worldwide (PWW) is a global specialty market research company focused on strategic competitive analysis. We enable leading organizations worldwide to identify vulnerabilities, forecast market trends, and strategically navigate growth and mitigate risks. Our approach is comprehensive - analyzing competitors, suppliers, customers, and regulatory landscapes through primary and secondary intelligence gathering. With a 30-year track record of success, PWW's custom methodology, skilled research and analysis teams, and in-house industry experts converge to deliver impactful insights that reveal hidden opportunities and critical challenges. Learn more at https://www.proactiveworldwide.com Contact InformationKelley LoiaconoChief of Staffkelleyl@ proactiveworldwide.com 847-483-9300SOURCE: Proactive Worldwide PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-15 12:00:13 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 861 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 /Supreme Critical Metals Inc. (CSE:CRIT)(FWB:V6R)(OTC PINK:VRCFF) ("Supreme" or the "Company") Supreme announces its focus on the recently acquired silver asset. The company is exploring the acquisition and development of additional silver assets. This strategic initiative aligns with the increasing acknowledgment of silver as a critical metal, crucial for a range of industrial applications, including renewable energy technologies and electronics. Silver Prices continue to set records.Additionally, copper, another critical metal, remains at the forefront of Supreme operational strategy. The synergy between silver and copper in numerous applications enhances the Company's potential for growth and innovation in the critical metals sector. "Our commitment to acquiring silver assets underscores our belief in the metal's pivotal role in the future of technology and sustainability," said George Tsafalas, interim President of Supreme", continued efforts that will not only benefit the Company but also contribute to the advancement of green technologies".Supreme also announces that it has retained Senergy Communications Capital Inc. ("Senergy") to provide marketing and website development services, including creating in-depth marketing campaigns involving corporate branding and social media and e-mail marketing. In consideration for these services, the Company has agreed to pay Senergy CAD $167,000 plus applicable taxes in advance for an initial 90-day term with an option to renew. The Company does not propose to issue any securities to Senergy in consideration for the services to be provided to the company. To the knowledge of the company, Senergy does not hold any securities of the Company, but Aleem Fidai, the principal of Senergy, currently holds 36,820 common shares of the company.In addition, Supreme announces that it has contracted with SRAX Inc. for SMS Investor Targeting. SRAX is an arms-length marketing company boasting a 1st party, proprietary, database of known investors. The database is double opted-in, and surveyed, enabling the company to target investors that meet its criteria. SRAX will directly target these investors using a customized SMS with link to a landing page on behalf of Supreme. Supreme will pay SRAX up to USD $20,000 in advance for an initial 30-day term with the option to renew. To the best of the company's knowledge SRAX is not a shareholder.Srax Inc.Contact: Erik CarlsonAddress: 1014 S Westlake Blvd Suite 14-299, Westlake Village, CA 91361 Email: erik.carlson@srax.com Website: www.srax.com Phone: 310-383-6081Senergy Communications Capital Inc,Contact: Aleem Fidai Address: 1122 Mainland Street #228, Vancouver, BC V6B 5L1Email: aleem@ senergy.capital Website: www.senergy.capital Phone: (778) 228-1122About Supreme Critical Metals Inc. SUPREME CRITICAL METALS INC. is a publicly traded diversified investment corporation actively exploring and investigating multiple opportunities in silver, copper, uranium and precious metals. The Company adheres to strategic guidelines that prioritize regions conducive to mining, supported by favourable government regulations and existing infrastructure.For further information, please contact:George Tsafalas, DirectorPhone: Toll Free 1(778) 373-8578E-mail: info@ supremecritalmetals.comwww.supremecriticalmetals.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, "forward-looking information"). Such forward-looking information is provided to inform the Company's shareholders and potential investors about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Any such forward-looking information may be identified by words such as "anticipate", "proposed", "estimates", "would", "expects", "intends", "plans", "may", "will", and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking information contain these identifying words.More particularly and without limitation, the forwardlooking information in this news release includes: expectations regarding the Company's business plans and operations. Forward-looking information is based on a number of factors and assumptions that have been used to develop such information, but which may prove to be incorrect. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information because the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The forward-looking information in this news release reflects the Company's current expectations, assumptions and/or beliefs based on information currently available to the Company.Whether actual results, performance, or achievements will conform to Supreme's expectations and predictions is subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from Supreme's expectations. Such material risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals.Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this release.SOURCE: Supreme Critical Metals Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-15 20:00:12 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 593 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 The highly anticipated event in Lockhart features the BBQ World's Fair and the Top 50 Picnic, which will have forty restaurants from the magazine's new Top 50 list.AUSTIN, TX / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / One of the biggest barbecue festivals in the Lone Star State is back- Texas Monthly BBQ Fest , benefiting Feeding Texas, in Lockhart. This year's two-day event in the Barbecue Capital of Texas will bring together pitmasters and fans to celebrate the big, wide world of 'cue-and will provide a chance to sample dishes from dozens of the restaurants on Texas Monthly's newTop 50 BBQ list . Barbecue Photo by Randi Reding for Texas MonthlyThe mouthwatering festivities begin with the BBQ World's Fair on November 1, in historic downtown Lockhart, from noon to 7 p.m. The free street festival will feature live-fire cooking demos, a bustling marketplace with a variety of artisan and apparel vendors, and food and drinks for purchase from a curated barbecue-vendor lineup showcasing the diverse flavors across the barbecue world. The featured joints are BBQ Fiends, Black Board Bar B Q, CM Smokehouse, Eaker Barbecue, Harlem Road Texas BBQ, Jimenez y Friends Barbecue y Taqueria, Khoi Barbecue, the Original Black's Barbecue, Parish Barbecue, Smitty's Market, and Smoke 'N Ash.There will also be live music from the two-time Grammy-winning group Lost Bayou Ramblers, Texas Country Music Awards 2023 Female Artist of the Year Summer Dean, the award-winning Croy and the Boys, Garrett T. Capps & NASA Country, and Hondo.On November 2, the highly anticipated Top 50 Picnic will take place at Lockhart City Park from 1-4 p.m. Forty of the barbecue joints from this year's Top 50 list, including three Michelin-starred restaurants, will be there to help attendees experience why Texas barbecue is king. There will also be performances from the Austin Music Awards Best DJ nominee Mixer Rogers and the award-winning Selena tribute band Bidi Bidi Banda.The featured joints at the picnic are 1701 Barbecue, 2M Smokehouse, B4 Barbeque, Bar-A-BBQ, Brendyn's BBQ, Briscuits, Burnt Bean Co., Cattleack Barbeque, Dayne's Craft Barbecue, Evie Mae's Pit Barbeque, GW's BBQ Catering Co., Helberg Barbecue, Interstellar BBQ, Jay's BBQ Shack, KG BBQ, LaVaca BBQ, La Barbecue, Leroy and Lewis Barbecue, LJ's BBQ, Miller's Smokehouse, Mimsy's Craft Barbecue, Mum Foods Smokehouse and Delicatessen, North Texas Smoke BBQ, Panther City BBQ, Pinkerton's Barbecue, Redbird BBQ, Reese Bros Barbecue, Rejino Barbeque, Rosemeyer Bar-B-Q, Rossler's Blue Cord Barbecue, Sabar BBQ, Slow Bone BBQ, Smoak Town BBQ, Smokey Joe's BBQ, Snow's BBQ, Stiles Switch BBQ, Sunbird Barbecue, Teddy's Barbecue, Truth Barbeque, and Yearby's Barbecue & Waterice.VIP tickets for the Top 50 Picnic have already sold out, but general admission passes are still available, at $135 per person. All tickets, whichcan be purchased here , include food. A portion of the ticket proceeds will be donated to Feeding Texas and its network of food banks across the state.Texas Monthly thanks its 2025 sponsors, Aviation American Gin, Balcones Distilling, Bud Light, Casamigos Tequila, Chief Firewood, the City of Lockhart, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, Deloitte, Freshfields, Greater Texas Credit Union, Jim Beam, La Vieille Ferme, Liquid Death, Mill Scale Metalworks, Nomad Grills, Perry Homes, Prasek's Family Smokehouse, Republic Services, Rodeo Austin, Sendero Provisions Co., San Pellegrino, Texas Tech University, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Trialmed, True Texas BBQ, Turtlebox, Visit Cedar Park, and Yeti.To speak with Texas Monthly's barbecue editor, Daniel Vaughn, or request media passes, contact us at press@ texasmonthly.com To stay updated on BBQ Fest news, subscribe to the Texas Monthly barbecue newsletteror follow the@tmbbqfestInstagram account, theBBQ Fest Facebook page , or Vaughn, onXandInstagram .Contact InformationMichelle WilliamsMedia and Communications Directorpress@ texasmonthly.com SOURCE: Texas Monthly PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-15 21:35:07 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 494 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Top Four Conveyor Car Wash Company Opens Eleventh Location in Tampa Bay Area, Twenty-Eighth Location in FloridaTHOMASTON, GA / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / Tidal Wave Auto Spa, one of the nation's fastest-growing express car wash companies, is pleased to announce the grand opening of its newest location inKenneth City, FLat 4559 66th Street N. Official Tidal Wave Logo navy blue oval with the words "Tidal Wave Auto Spa". A three-layered blue wave graphic appears to the left above the text.To celebrate the grand opening, the brand-newKenneth City locationwill offer eight days of free premium car washes from October 15 to October 22. This limited-time promotion allows the community to experience the company's premium wash option,Graph-X4 , at no cost. Additionally, any new customer who joins a Tidal WaveClean Clubunlimited wash membership during Grand Opening week will enjoy their first month of unlimited washes for only $9.97 - saving up to $40.Kenneth City, FL : 4559 66th Street N, Kenneth City, FL 33709Nearby Locations:St. Petersburg ,Oldsmar ,Holiday ,Lutz - Atmore Grove ,Brandon ,Bradenton"In the past three months, we've opened three new express wash locations in the Tampa and St. Petersburg metro," said Tidal Wave Auto Spa CEO and Founder Scott Blackstock. "Each Tidal Wave location, including our brand-new Kenneth City, Brandon, and Spring Hill locations, is designed to deliver an exceptional car wash experience to every customer. We are proud to bring easy, efficient, and enjoyable car care to West Central Florida with eleven convenient Tidal Wave locations." Tidal Wave Auto Spaproudly serves customers at302 express wash locationsacross the United States, includingtwenty-eight Florida locations . The company will continue its expansion in the Sunshine State in the coming months with brand-new locations opening inMelbourne ,Bonita Springs , andMerritt Island .Tidal Wave is committed to providing every customer with an exceptional car wash experience through industry-leading car care technology, clean and welcoming locations, and friendly customer service. Withsingle wash optionsstarting at $12,unlimited car wash memberships and family plans , andfleetplans for businesses, Tidal Wave has wash options for every need.For additional information about Tidal Wave Auto Spa, please visit: https://www.tidalwaveautospa.com/ About Tidal Wave Auto SpaTidal Wave Auto Spa was founded over 20 years ago in Thomaston, GA, by husband and wife, Scott and Hope Blackstock. What started as a small-town self-service car wash business evolved into the first conveyor car wash open in Georgia and is now the fourth-largest conveyor car wash company in the nation, with 302 locations spanning 30 states. Tidal Wave is dedicated to delivering an exceptional car wash experience for every customer through industry-leading car care technology, clean and inviting locations, and outstanding customer service. The company is equally committed to making a positive difference in the communities it serves, raising over $7 million for local programs, service organizations, and non-profit organizations through its fundraising program and annual Charity Day event.Contact InformationHeather ColemanMarketing Managermedia@ tidalwaveautospa.com Andrea TraylorSenior Director of Digital Marketingandrea.traylor@tidalwaveautospa.com 2058212220SOURCE: Tidal Wave Auto Spa PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-15 14:30:12 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 632 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 ORLANDO, FLORIDA / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / Unusual Machines, Inc. (NYSE American:UMAC), a leading provider of high-performance drone components, today announced an order from the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division for 3,500 NDAA-compliant motors produced at the company's new U.S.-based manufacturing facility. The motors will support the Division's deployment of the new Attritable Battlefield Enabler (A.B.E.) V1.01 drones.In addition to motors, the order includes U.S.-made, NDAA-compliant, and BLUE UAS-listed components: the Aura Analog Camera, Aura VTX, Brave Flight Controller, and Brave ESC. Together, these components ensure that the drones meet stringent compliance standards.The Army has also indicated plans to expand procurement, targeting an additional order of 20,000 components, including motors, from Unusual Machines in 2026."Supporting American businesses means building the strength we rely on in the field--it ensures our systems are trustworthy and built to our standards. The ability to train like we fight, using drones that are reliable, NDAA-compliant, and under a $1,000 price point, gives our soldiers the confidence they need for real-world scenarios. The A.B.E. V1.01 is an important step forward in that effort," said Chief Warrant Officer 4 John Brown, Robotics, Automation & Innovation Directorate for the 101st Airborne Division."This order demonstrates the value of investing in U.S. manufacturing and compliance," said Stacy Wright, EVP of Revenue at Unusual Machines. "The motors produced at our new facility are designed to meet both the Army's requirements and the broader push for U.S.-based production. We are proud to support the 101st Airborne Division as they adopt the A.B.E. V1.01 Safe Harbor StatementThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include the expectation that an additional order for 20,000 components will be placed in 2026. The words "believe," "may," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "should," "plan," "could," "target," "potential," "is likely," "will," "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The results expected by some or all of these forward-looking statements may not occur. Factors that affect our ability to achieve these results include unexpected issues that may arise from the opening of our new Orlando manufacturing facility, potential supply chain issues, and the Risk Factors contained in our Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2025, in our Prospectus Supplement dated September 2, 2025 and in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.About Unusual MachinesUnusual Machines manufactures and sells drone components and drones across a diversified brand portfolio, which includes Fat Shark, the leader in FPV (first-person view) ultra-low latency video goggles for drone pilots. The Company also retails small, acrobatic FPV drones and equipment directly to consumers through the curated Rotor Riot ecommerce store. With a changing regulatory environment, Unusual Machines seeks to be a dominant Tier-1 parts supplier to the fast-growing multi-billion-dollar U.S. drone industry. According to Fact.MR , the global drone accessories market is currently valued at $17.5 billion and is set to top $115 billion by 2032. For more information, please visit www.unusualmachines.com Investor Contact:CS Investor Relations investors@ unusualmachines.com Media Contact:media@ unusualmachines.com SOURCE: Unusual Machines, Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-15 08:50:06 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1027 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CALGARY, AB / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2025 / Valeura Energy Inc. (TSX:VLE)(OTCQX:VLERF) ("Valeura" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that via a wholly-owned subsidiary, and together with its partner, Pinnacle Turkey, Inc. ("Pinnacle"), it has entered into an agreement with a subsidiary of Transatlantic Petroleum LLC ("Transatlantic") to explore for and develop hydrocarbons in the deep rights formations of the Thrace basin of northwest Turkiye (the "Joint Venture").Dr. Sean Guest, President and CEO commented:"Despite our strategic pivot toward the Asia-Pacific region, we have maintained our conviction that the deep gas play we discovered in northwest Turkiye offers significant potential to add value to the Company. Our drilling programme from 2017 to 2019 demonstrated that there are multiple Tcf of gas in place across Valeura's lands in a deep tight gas play. We drilled three wells into this play and tested 12 separate zones - every one of which flowed gas. It is my hope that with a reinvigorated push to test the play, we will see this evolve into a commercial success, especially when coupled with the higher European gas prices that exist today.Valeura has a proven history of creating cost-efficient structures to pursue exploration ventures, and this Joint Venture is no different. Moreover, this agreement will result in near-term action in the field with re-entry and testing of new zones in our key Devepinar-1 well expected this quarter. With success in that testing operation, Transatlantic can fully earn a 50% working interest across the play by drilling and testing a new deep appraisal well.We are pleased to be working again with Transatlantic, who, given their strong presence in Turkiye and proven unconventional operating credentials both in Turkiye and the United States, are well-placed to operate this next phase of the play to drive value generation for all stakeholders." Thrace Deep Gas PlayValeura has held various blocks and operated in Turkiye for almost 15 years. The Company continues to hold the deep rights (being below 2,500 metres or a pressure gradient of 0.6 psi/ft, whichever is shallower) in various exploration licences and production leases covering a total of 955 km2 (gross) in the Thrace basin, located just west of Istanbul. For the majority of the acreage (those lands held under exploration licences), the current exploration phase expires on June 27, 2026, but discussions are underway with the government in relation to a two-year appraisal period extension.Between 2017 and 2020, Valeura explored and discovered a ubiquitous, gas-charged, over-pressured sandstone reservoir, believed to represent a basin-centred gas play at depths of approximately 2,900 - 4,775 metres. In conjunction with its partner at the time, Equinor, it drilled the Yamalik-1, Inanli-1, and Devepinar-1 exploration wells, all which demonstrated the presence of hydrocarbons. The Company undertook hydraulic stimulation of 12 separate intervals, all which flowed gas to surface. The testing programme included one long-term test that was flowed and sold into the gas grid for approximately three months. While the drilling programme confirmed multiple Tcf of gas in place, none of the wells were declared a commercial success at that time given the flow rates and local gas price. Since the exit of Equinor from the play in Q2 2020, the assets have remained an operationally dormant part of Valeura's portfolio.Joint VentureTransatlantic have been operating in Turkiye since 2007 and continue to be very active in country including the announcement earlier this year of a joint venture with Continental Resources and Turkiye Petrolleri AO (Turkiye's state-owned petroleum corporation), to develop unconventional oil and gas resources in Turkiye's Diyarbakir and Thrace basins. Additionally, Transatlantic have partnered with both Valeura and Pinnacle in the Thrace basin between 2011 and 2017 as operator of the conventional gas production. Given their active operations in Turkiye, Transatlantic will serve as contract operator for the venture, with Valeura remaining the operator of record designated with the Government of Turkiye.The Joint Venture provides an opportunity for Transatlantic to earn a 50% undivided working interest in the deep rights held by Valeura and Pinnacle through two separate operations.Devepinar Re-EntryValeura drilled and hydraulically stimulated the Devepinar-1 exploration well in 2019 and conducted short-term tests of three separate intervals in the deep part of the Kesan formation at a depth of 4,660 - 4,765 metres. While gas was produced at good initial rates from all intervals, relatively high decline rates were observed that suggested the zones would not support long-term commercial flow rates. Thereafter, the Company preserved the well in a suspended state and performed extensive technical modelling work alongside its search for a new joint venture partner.Under the terms of the Joint Venture, Transatlantic has agreed to undertake a re-entry of the Devepinar-1 well including hydraulic stimulation and testing of shallower zones in the Kesan. If the results constitute a commercial discovery, Transatlantic shall earn a 50% proportion of the working interest held by each of Valeura (currently 63%) and Pinnacle (currently 37%) in the western portion of the lands (comprised of the West Thrace Production Leases and West Thrace Exploration Licence, as defined in Valeura's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2024).Under the terms of the Joint Venture, Transatlantic will pay 100% of the costs to re-enter the Devepinar-1 well, up to US$2 million. Any costs there above shall be shared amongst the parties, 50% Transatlantic / 31.5% Valeura / 18.5% Pinnacle. Testing operations are expected to commence in Q4 2025.Deep Appraisal WellTransatlantic has an option to earn an interest in the eastern portion of the lands (the Banarli Exploration Licences, as defined in Valeura's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2024) by drilling a well down to at least 4,000 metres on either the western or eastern portion of the lands. If such well results in a commercial discovery, Transatlantic shall earn a 50% proportion of the interest held by Valeura (currently 100%). Transatlantic will pay 100% of the costs up to US$8 million, and any costs there above shall be shared 50% Transatlantic / 50% Valeura.Valeura gathered significant learnings in the earlier drilling and testing phase and its technical studies thereafter have identified a well location that could intersect the best quality known reservoir within the dry gas window of the play. Valeura postulate Lagos is getting ready to host a different kind of celebration this December that puts customers, not brands, at the centre of attention. The Bvndle Rewards Festival, which will be held on 8 and 9 December at the Landmark Event Centre, will combine conversations, creativity, and concerts. Organisers describe it as a festival honouring the bond between businesses and those who keep them alive. The two-day event, expected to draw over 10,000 guests, will feature brand showcases, interactive sessions, games, giveaways, and live performances from Teni, Chike, Fola, Mavo, Dope Caesar, and other top Nigerian artistes. But beyond the music and lights, organisers say the event aims to start a deeper conversation about how loyalty and appreciation can shape modern business culture in Nigeria. Bvndle Loyalty Limited Customer engagement At a media parley in Lagos, Ikechukwu Nwaguru, Managing Director of Bvndle Loyalty Limited, said the festival was designed to help businesses rediscover the emotional side of customer engagement. Over the past few months, weve studied what makes businesses succeed and keeps customers engaged. We realised that loyalty is about more than retention, its about connection, he said. Thats why were introducing the Bvndle Rewards Festival, a celebration of customers, their loyalty, and their role in shaping brands. He described Lagos as the perfect host city. December in Lagos is magical; its when the city becomes the cultural capital of Africa. The energy, creativity, and excitement align perfectly with what were trying to create, Mr Nwaguru added. The Rewards Festival is not just an event; its an experience, and Lagos provides the perfect stage for that. He said the idea also fits into Bvndles broader mission of helping organisations build stronger customer relationships. The core of our project is solving important problems. One of them is the disconnection between companies and their customers. This festival provides a space for meaningful engagement, he explained. Appreciation meets experience The festival comes when Nigerias retail, fintech, and lifestyle sectors are rethinking how to retain loyalty in a fast-changing digital economy. From reward-based banking apps to gamified customer experiences, many brands are finding new ways to turn appreciation into connection. VFD Group, UBA, Konga, and Purple are the partners backing the festival. For Chinenye Peters, Senior Manager at PwC, the conversation about loyalty extends beyond transactions. Loyalty is a deeply human concept about understanding, engagement, and creating value. Customers stay where they feel seen and appreciated, she said. Adatugo Oyebanji, GM of Products and Marketing at V Bank, said appreciation must now be embedded in every customer touchpoint. Through our collaboration with Bvndle, customers now earn reward points for every transaction on our app. The festival allows us to meet and celebrate them in person, she said. Ope Adetiba, Chief Operating Officer at Purple, added: Our customers are not just numbers, theyre part of our community. The Rewards Festival resonates with our focus on shifting from mere transactions to meaningful recognition. Conversations, culture, concerts Across its two days, the festival will host thought-leadership panels and fireside chats exploring how culture, innovation, and loyalty shape the business landscape. Speakers from government agencies, creative industries, and global organisations are expected to share insights on funding, technology, and the creative economy. The event will close with the Rewards Concert, featuring prominent Nigerian performers and surprise acts. It celebrates the same connection the festival seeks to promote. Our long-term vision is to prove that loyalty pays not only in discounts or gifts but also in reputation and legacy, Mr Nwaguru said. The festival will demonstrate how loyalty drives customer retention, growth, and stronger brand relationships. A new debate about wealth and values is trending in Nigerias pop culture. It pits two of the countrys most recognisable businessmen, Pascal Cubana Chief Priest Okechukwu and Cosmas Maduka, founder of the Coscharis Group, on opposite sides of a generational divide. The phrase at the centre of the argument, Money na Water, has evolved from a viral catchphrase into a broader cultural statement about how Nigerians think about success and spending. The phrase that started it all The slogan Money na Water gained traction in April 2024, when the nightlife entrepreneur was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged naira abuse. After being granted N10 million bail, Cubana Chief Priest took to Instagram to thank his supporters, writing: Seeing all your messages & love, I am so humbled. Now its confirmed that the CP is not small. Money na water. Since then, the phrase has become a personal mantra for Cubana Chief Priest and his circle, a declaration of affluence. But not everyone agrees with its message. Enter Cosmos Maduka In a Monday video posted on his Instagram page, billionaire businessman Mr Maduka called the popular saying reckless and misleading. The 66-year-old industrialist argued that no genuine wealth builder would utter such a phrase, insisting that true prosperity is rooted in discipline, prudence, and purpose. He said: Money stays with those who respect it people who save it, invest it, and multiply it. When such individuals give, they do so decently and purposefully, to solve the real challenges of people experiencing poverty not to waste it on vanity or fleeting pleasures. We must kill this toxic phrase, Money na Water. Its a dangerous mindset one that has fueled greed and criminality across Africa, driving many to do anything to make money and show off. True wealth doesnt make noise. Its intentional, disciplined, and effective. God bless you all! Not wastefulness Hitting back at Mr Madukas criticism, Cubana Chief Priest noted in a now-deleted Instagram Story on Wednesday that the slogan represented a modern-day philosophy of abundance and flow. He added that the slogan wasnt a call to wastefulness. The businessman further clarified that the slogan was not an act of vanity but a reflection of excess liquidity, prosperity, and continuous flow. Cubana Chief Priest, a musician, said, With all due respect to the motivational speaking older generation who built wealth quietly, the world you thrived in is not the one we live in today. In your time, capital was factories, fleets, and real estate. In our time, attention is the main capital. These capitals listed cannot sell in todays market without significant capital attention (visibility). Visibility has become the new currency. In a digital economy, obscurity is bankruptcy. What you dont show doesnt sell. What you dont amplify dissolves into silence. We are the noise, thats why you know us to the extent you had to use us to make references in your dry speech, because you want to use us to trend without paying us, thats why youre running when you see us, you dont want to show us real love. Nnewi billionaires list He also stated that Mr Maduka doesnt belong to the billionaires list, including Femi Otedola, Tony Elumelu, and Aliko Dangote, among others. He accused the businessman, who once appeared on CNNs Marketplace Africa with Zain Asher, of pretending to use the toilet as an excuse to slip away from an event whenever such a topic was raised. Silence once symbolised power; todays presence does. You mentioned Elumelu, who is my mentor in the corporate sector. He doesnt just say money na water; Papa lives it. Likewise, Don Otedola. These are people who used their wealth to give Africa proper visibility. Thats why you can publicly identify with them. They are not the only billionaires you know. Why didnt you use our billionaires? You keep mentioning those who know how to spend their money, but why dont you use examples of people who like to hoard money like you? There are plenty of them in the main market. You did so because you know they do more for Africa with their money, and how they spend it commands respect for Africa. Remove your name from that Otedola & Elumelu list, you dont belong there, sir, your name dey nnewi billionaires list, said CP. He further stated that Mr Madukas generation built fences to safeguard their wealth because they were unwilling to help others. Cubana Chief Priest said his generation builds platforms to showcase and share wealth. He noted, Thats a lot of stress for a real billionaire. Water moves, so do relevance, visibility, and influence. The ability to attract attention and sustain engagement is the new oil field. Todays man with massive attention has more leverage than one with quiet billions but no presence. Content is not noise. Content is digital equity. In the same way factories produced wealth in the 80s, attention produces wealth today. Weve moved from industrial capitalism to attention capitalism thanks to Zuckerberg. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has appointed Pavel Ursu as its new Representative to Nigeria, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen health partnerships and drive improved healthcare outcomes nationwide. We welcome Ursu to Nigeria and look forward to deepening our collaboration with WHO under his leadership, said Yusuf Tuggar, Nigerias minister of Foreign Affairs, during the official announcement in Abuja. Mr Tuggar noted that the COVID-19 pandemic served as a wake-up call for Nigeria, exposing health system gaps and underlining the need to invest in robust, responsive healthcare and vaccine manufacturing capabilities. He emphasised that Nigeria remained committed to strengthening local production of health products, ensuring the country was better prepared to respond swiftly and independently in future public health emergencies. Health is not just a sector; it is a foundation for prosperity. A healthy population is empowered to seek opportunity and lift themselves out of poverty, Mr Tuggar stated. He said the focus on health system resilience aligned with both mandates of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, advancing national development and strengthening international diplomacy through improved global health cooperation. Mr Tuggar highlighted Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as a major national health priority, stressing the importance of inclusive, affordable care that guaranteed all citizens equal access to essential health services. He hailed Nigerias record in health diplomacy, calling for renewed strategic engagement to address emerging global challenges through innovative partnerships and stronger collaboration across public health and development sectors. The minister described the period as the return of new realism, a time demanding equity-based partnerships, stronger global health governance, and resilient systems capable of withstanding future shocks or outbreaks. In his address, Mr Ursu conveyed greetings from WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus and Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, acknowledging Nigerias leadership in advancing global health initiatives. Mr Ursu commended Nigerias progress in key areas, such as the eradication of wild poliovirus and the integrated immunisation campaign that successfully reached more than 106 million children across the country. He noted that WHOs largest country office in Africa was based in Nigeria, reflecting the countrys strategic importance and its central role in shaping regional health development and cooperation. Mr Ursu announced six pillars for the WHOs continued partnership with Nigeria, each aimed at driving progress through sustainable investment, strategic innovation, system resilience, and greater inclusiveness across all health sectors. The first is Domestic Health Financing, which focuses on expanding the fiscal space for health and promoting efficient, results-based public spending that ensures value for money and sustained national health investment. Second is Primary Health Care and UHC, which seeks to accelerate access to affordable, quality services in every state and local government area, especially for underserved and vulnerable populations nationwide. The third pillar is Emergency Preparedness and Health Security, enhancing Nigerias resilience to epidemics, natural disasters, and humanitarian crises through strengthened surveillance, early warning, and coordinated national response systems. The fourth pillar is Data and Digital Transformation, aimed at improving evidence-based health policy through integrated data platforms, real-time analytics, and modern digital tools that support smarter health decisions. Fifth is Local Manufacturing and Innovation, which involves supporting Nigeria to become a regional hub for vaccines and medical technologies through research, entrepreneurship, regulatory reform, and strategic industrial investment. The sixth pillar is Health Diplomacy and Multisectoral Engagement, to elevate Nigerias voice on global health platforms and strengthen links between health, climate change, international security, and sustainable development. Nigerias strength lies in its people, innovation, and reform-driven mindset. WHO will ensure our cooperation leads to measurable public health improvements, Mr Ursu stated, reaffirming WHOs commitment to real-world impact. I am honoured to serve as WHO Representative to Nigeria. I look forward to working closely with government, partners, and communities to achieve better health outcomes for all, he said. According to WHO, Mr Ursu brings more than two decades of international health experience, spanning national leadership, global programme implementation, and cross-border coordination across several WHO regional and country offices. He holds dual citizenship of Romania (EU) and Moldova, with professional experience that includes leading major health system transformations and public health emergency responses across Europe and Central Asia. Since May 2020, he has served as Director, Department of Delivery for Impact at WHO Headquarters in Geneva, where he led strategic reforms to strengthen country health systems and delivery effectiveness. He was previously the WHO Representative in Tajikistan (20102015) and Turkiye (20152020), where he earned the WHO Director-Generals Award for exemplary leadership during the Syrian refugee crisis and emergency coordination efforts. He has also served as acting WHO Representative in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, and as head of WHOs country office in Moldova during critical national health and institutional development phases. Academically, Mr Ursu is a trained physician with a Master of Science degree, a postgraduate diploma in Public Health from LSHTM, and a Leadership Diploma from the University of Cambridge, UK. WHO said Mr Ursus appointment comes at a critical time, as Nigeria intensifies efforts to improve primary healthcare, combat communicable and noncommunicable diseases, and enhance maternal and child health outcomes. Other national priorities include boosting emergency preparedness, expanding equitable access to care, and strengthening health system resilience in line with evolving health challenges and population growth demands. WHO reaffirmed its support for Nigerias health agenda, including the achievement of Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through strong partnerships, innovation, and locally-led public health initiatives. The organisation expressed confidence in Mr Ursus leadership to advance Nigerias national health priorities, drive evidence-based reforms, and promote long-term, sustainable development in health for all citizens. (NAN) The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday constituted a 12-member ad hoc committee to guide it on how to respond to allegations of Christian genocide levelled by US lawmakers against the country. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the composition of the committee during plenary, after lawmakers emerged from a closed-door session that lasted for about 40 minutes. Mr Akpabio stated that the committee will advise the Senate on how best to address the genocide allegation and develop a position paper to be presented to the Nigerian government. The Senate, in a closed session, deliberated on matters relevant to the workings of the Senate in particular and the National Assembly in general and particularly set up a small ad hoc committee to advise the Senate within one week on the reaction to the current discussion going on the US Congress on the issue of religious crisis in Nigeria and resolve to set up this committee. .To come up with a position paper on what should be presented to the executive and also to the Senate that will form a major reaction of the approach of the legislature in Nigeria towards the ongoing discussions in America with facts and statistics, he said. Members of the committee include Abubakar Bello (APC, Niger North), Adamu Ailero (APC, Kebbi Central), Victor Umeh (LP, Anambra Central), Aneikan Bassey (PDP, Akwa Ibom North-East), Niyi Adegbonmire (APC, Ondo Central) and Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central). Others are, Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC, Cross-River South), Adetokunbo Abiru (APC, Lagos East), Tony Nwoye (LP, Anambra North), Titus Zam (APC, Benue North-west), Tahir Munguno (APC, Borno North and Abdulhamid Madori (Jigawa North-east). The committees creation followed Senates 9 October resolution to do so. It resolved to send the team to visit the United States to engage directly with members of the Congress over reports of alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria. READ ALSO: Senate urges Nigerian govt to secure release of citizens in Libyan detention The move comes amid ongoing discussions in the US Congress, which in September introduced a bill seeking to classify Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern for alleged violations of religious freedom. The bill, titled The Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act, 2025 (S. 2747), was jointly sponsored by Ted Cruz, a senator, and some other senators. It mandates the US government to identify and sanction Nigerian officials allegedly responsible for enforcing blasphemy laws. The measure was influenced by recommendations from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which has repeatedly urged the State Department to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern. The USCIRF claims that Nigerian aauthorities have failed to protect religious minorities or punish perpetrators of sectarian violence. However, Nigerian officials have dismissed the allegations as misleading, maintaining that most violent incidents in the country stem from terrorism and criminality rather than religion. The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged mismanagement of a $35 million investment by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in a modular refinery project that never materialised in the Niger Delta. The resolution followed the adoption of a motion moved by Billy Osawaru (APC, Edo) during Wednesdays plenary. The motion raised concerns about the non-existence of the Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, despite a massive federal investment made five years ago. The NCDMB was established to promote local participation in the oil and gas industry. One of its key initiatives is funding modular refineries, smaller, locally managed refining plants aimed at boosting domestic fuel production, reducing import dependence, and creating jobs in oil-producing regions like the Niger Delta. Mr Osawaru recalled that the NCDMB, in 2020, invested $35 million, equivalent to over 50 billion at todays exchange rate, into the establishment of the Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited as part of efforts to boost domestic refining capacity and reduce dependence on imported fuel. He said the investment was meant to support modular refineries across the Niger Delta, in line with the then governments policy to expand Nigerias revenue base, reduce foreign exchange pressure, and lower debt burdens by promoting indigenous refining. According to the lawmaker, the initiative was continued under President Bola Tinubus Renewed Hope Agenda, which identifies indigenous refining as a cornerstone of energy independence, job creation, and industrial revitalisation. Concerns over missing project However, Mr Osawaru lamented that despite the substantial financial commitment, nothing is on the ground to show that the project exists. He described the situation as a monumental economic sabotage, adding that several previous attempts by the House to unravel the mystery behind the failed refinery had yielded no tangible results. He noted that stakeholders had, in May 2024, petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the NCDMBs multi-million dollar investments, including the Atlantic Refinery project, but said the anti-graft agency had remained silent nearly a year later. The continued inactivity of the modular refinery project raises significant questions about the management of public funds and the effectiveness of oversight mechanisms in Nigeria, Mr Osawaru stated. Debate Contributing to the debate, the Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), expressed dismay over the situation, describing it as a reflection of the poor governance culture that has crippled Nigerias oil sector. It appears today that we are a nation that not only eats our profits but also eats our investments, Mr Chinda said. This sector is the economic nerve of our country, but you find out that those of us in public office appear to be setting this country back, he said. He cautioned against treating the matter as just another motion that would be referred to a committee without follow-up action. This is a very important motion, one that can move this country forward if we are serious-minded. We must not only support it but ensure that the relevant committees do a thorough job, he added. Resolution The House subsequently mandated its Committees on Midstream, Downstream, and Legislative Compliance to investigate the $35 million investment in the Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited and report back within four weeks. Lawmakers said the probe would help uncover the circumstances surrounding the failed project, determine those responsible, and ensure that public funds are recovered or accounted for. The National Assembly has pledged to complete the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act 2022 before the end of the year. The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed this in a statement issued by his media office on Tuesday. Mr Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District, explained that the previous assembly had attempted to amend the electoral law but could not secure presidential assent because the process was concluded too close to the 2023 general elections. He assured that the current assembly would avoid a repeat of that delay, noting that the Committee on Constitution Review is already finalising the amendment process before presenting it to the two chambers for approval and thereafter forward it to the president for approval. Before then, we had made our first proposal. We sent the bill to the then president, and it was signed. When further observations were made especially when certain people were disenfranchised as statutory delegates and the National Assembly wanted to make corrections, late former President Muhammadu Buhari said the bill was coming too close to election. And late President Buhari then observed that he did not want to be misunderstood by the public. That is why the bill was not signed then. Between now and December 2025, we will ensure that the amendment of the Electoral Act, 2022 is concluded so that it will not be too close to the 2027 Elections, he said. Several Nigerians have criticised some provisions of the Constitution, which has been in use since the countrys return to democratic rule in 1999. The criticisms came in the light of the rapid technological, social, and political developments in Nigeria. Since 1999, the National Assembly has altered the document five times, though some items proposed for amendment were defeated at the state legislatures. Huge sums have also been expended for the exercise with the federal legislature budgeting separately for it. The current review, chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, began with a retreat in Kano and proceeded to hold simultaneous zonal public hearings in each of the six geopolitical zones in July. On Monday, the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Electoral Matters held a public hearing where stakeholders discussed various proposed amendments to the 2022 Electoral Act. Among the proposals is one seeking to make the use of the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) non-compulsory for voters. The proposed amendment to Sections 18 and 47 says that since the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) does not rely on the PVCs microchip, other forms of identification such as the National Identification Number (NIN), international passport, or birth certificate should also be acceptable for voting. Another major proposal seeks to amend Section 60(5) to make the electronic transmission of election results mandatory, while Section 71(2) is proposed to criminalise the distribution of unstamped or unsigned ballot papers and result sheets. The suggested penalty includes at least one year imprisonment or a fine of 1 million, or both, for any presiding or collation officer found guilty. Governors show interest Mr Bamidele expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu would assent to the amendments once concluded, referencing strong interest and collaboration from key stakeholders, including state governors. The present review would scale through because relevant stakeholders, especially Nigerian Governors Forum and Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, were meaningfully engaged in the overriding public interests. I do not envisage that there will be any resistance because public institutions are working with the National Assembly for the successful review of the 1999 Constitution. In this amendment, global best practices will also be taken into consideration in the area of domestication of international treaties and agreements. Responding to criticisms from the opposition, Mr Bamidele said it is expected that opposition parties would continue to challenge the governments efforts. Part of what they will love to see is to see the ruling party fighting on a daily basis, throwing out correspondences from the presidency or whatever is coming from the executive. That is what will make them happy. But our focus is on rebuilding Nigeria, stabilising our polity and growing our economy. And we will never be distracted from this goal, he said. The Northern Nigeria Minorities Group (NNMG) has cautioned individuals and interest groups against ethnicising the appointment of Joash Amupitan as the new chairperson of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Convener of the group, Jacob Edi, issued the warning in a statement to PREMIUM TIMES, urging Nigerians to focus on competence and national unity rather than ethnic affiliations. President Bola Tinubu nominated Mr Amupitan, a professor, as the new INEC chair last Thursday. He replaces Mahmood Yakubu, who bowed out of the commission two days earlier. NNMG argued that, historically, no northern minority had questioned appointments made by previous leaders from the North, even when certain subregions dominated the position for over a decade. We have observed, with dismay, the spate of commentaries and social media tirades credited to some self-styled northern voices taking umbrage at President Bola Ahmed Tinubus nomination of Professor Amupitan, a distinguished scholar, refined legal mind, and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, as yet another act of alleged ethnic preference. Nothing could be further from the truth. While not admitting any wrongdoing on the part of the President, we wish to note that this is the first time in 65 years, since the establishment of a statutory electoral commission in 1959, that a northern minority has been appointed to lead it, it said. Read the full statement below: The Northern Nigeria Minorities Group (NNMG) views with consternation the ongoing attempts by certain individuals and interest groups to ethnicise the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). For the avoidance of doubt, Professor Amupitan is an Okun man from Kogi State, one of the minority ethnic nationalities in Northern Nigeria. There are 19 states in the North, each richly diverse and unique, none superior to the other by tribe, tongue, or faith. We have observed, with dismay, the spate of commentaries and social media tirades credited to some self-styled northern voices taking umbrage at President Bola Ahmed Tinubus nomination of Professor Amupitan, a distinguished scholar, refined legal mind, and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, as yet another act of alleged ethnic preference. Nothing could be further from the truth. While not admitting any wrongdoing on the part of the President, we wish to note that this is the first time in 65 years, since the establishment of a statutory electoral commission in 1959, that a northern minority has been appointed to lead it. In all these decades, no northern minority group has ever questioned the decisions of successive Heads of State or Presidents to appoint individuals they felt comfortable working with, even when the North West and North East held the position consecutively for 15 years. We therefore crave the understanding of all Nigerians to see northern minorities as citizens with equal stakes in the Nigerian project and to cease the habit of fulmination each time one of us is entrusted with national responsibility. We recall that this unfortunate trend of delegitimising northern minority appointments gained traction during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, when any appointment extended to a northern minority was derisively dismissed as not northern enough. The current ethnicisation of Professor Amupitans appointment is a direct continuation of that ugly and retrogressive trend, and it must stop. It is important to emphasise that the North is not defined by ethnicity; it is a geographical expression which is broad, inclusive, and inherently multi-ethnic. Those peddling this skewed, malicious rhetoric are, in truth, the enemies of national unity and progress. Accordingly, we wish to state as follows: This jejune narrative underscores our growing concern that some of our northern colleagues continue to perceive northern minorities merely as fillers of demography, unworthy of the privileges and recognition that come with our place in the federation. Such thinking is antiquated, divisive, and inimical to the spirit of modern governance. After 65 years of independence, our directive principle should be competence, integrity, and capacity, not these parochial sentiments that have stunted the growth and development of our great nation. The appointment of Professor Amupitan should be celebrated as a bold step toward inclusivity, equity, and meritocracy these are values that must be internalised as a matter of national urgency if we are to strengthen our democracy. We commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for recognising the diversity of the North and for giving all constituent groups a sense of belonging in his appointments. The NNMG, therefore, cautions against any further attempt to polarise this nation along ethnic or sectional lines. We urge political actors, commentators, and citizens alike to rise above petty identity politics and focus on building institutions that work, irrespective of who heads them. The time for ethnic arithmetic is over. The era of competence, fairness, and national responsibility must begin in earnest. We must reiterate, without ambiguity, that northern minorities collectively constitute the true stabilising force of this federation and when placed together, we are not just minorities; we are the real majority that believes in the unity and progress of Nigeria. Chief Jacob EDI KAKAKI BASSANGE CONVENER Northern Nigeria Minorities Group A civil society group, Inmates Educational Foundation, on Tuesday, criticised President Bola Tinubus recent pardon to convicts for the lack of transparency in the criteria for choosing beneficiaries, and insensitivity to victims. The decision-making process behind granting mercy lacks transparency, leaving many to wonder about the criteria used to select beneficiaries, the executive director of the foundation, Alabidun Mahfuz, said in a press statement. The release of offenders who have inflicted significant harm on their victims can be perceived as a miscarriage of justice, potentially worsening the trauma of those affected. While the presidents intention may lean towards rehabilitation and reintegration, the group said, it raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of our justice and correctional systems. Mr Mahfuz also noted that the pardon undermined public trust in the justice system. He advised that, rather than measures like the prerogative of mercy, the government should focus on improving reformation programmes in correctional centres. He recommended programmes that would address the root causes of criminal behaviours and prioritise victim-offender mediation, reparation, and reconciliation. On Thursday, President Tinubu granted pardon and clemency to 175 convicts and former convicts. This raised widespread criticisms. The presidency explained that most of the convicts, consisting of illegal miners, white-collar convicts, remorseful drug offenders, and foreigners, received clemency based on reports of remorse and good behaviour. PREMIUM TIMES reported that among those pardoned was a former federal lawmaker from Kano State, Farouk Lawan, who was jailed for receiving bribes but had served his jail term. One of those granted clemency is Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband. The family of her late husband, Biliyaminu Bello, expressed outrage and disappointment over the presidential pardon granted to her. However, his father, Ahmed Bello, who disclosed that he had earlier written to the police and attorney general to discontinue her trial, described the development as an answered prayer, stating that he already forgave Ms Sanda. Other critics of the presidential pardon include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who described the clemency, particularly to drug offenders, as a setback to justice. The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre also described it as an injury to Nigerias international reputation. A cross-section of electricity consumers in Umuahia, Abia State, on Tuesday, took to the streets to protest against the outrageous, unbearable and unjustified bills charged by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC). Under the aegis of Concerned Umuahia Residents, the protesters marched from the EEDC Umuahia Office on Bende Road to the Government House, on Akanu Ibiam Road. They carried placards with different inscriptions, such as We cannot pay N50,000 bill, Return electricity bill back to status quo, and Electricity bill now equal to minimum wage. The groups leader, Chukwuemeka Ozugbo, said they were peacefully expressing their frustration over the recent sharp increase in electricity tariffs. Mr Ozugbo said that most households, which previously paid about N10,000 monthly, recently received between N50,000 and N70,000 without a corresponding improvement in power supply. He described the sudden rise as outrageous, unbearable and unjustified, saying that most residents were civil servants, who live on N70,000 minimum wage. He questioned the rationale behind billing someone, who earns N70,000 monthly as much as N50,000 for electricity. Mr Ozugbo described the EEDCs action as unfair and violating natural justice and equity. He demanded that the company revert to the previous billing rate of about N10,000 per household. A civil servant, Nnamdi Okenwa, also lamented the sharp increase of the unit cost of energy on prepaid metering. Mr Okenwa said that he previously paid N3,000 monthly but is now billed between N15,000 and N17,000, despite his limited electricity usage in his house. He complained that EEDC often supplied power briefly, particularly when it planned to embark on disconnection, and usually returned to load-shedding after collecting payments from consumers. Abia govt, electricity company react The Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Ikechukwu Monday, who received the protesters at the Government House main gate, assured them that their grievances would be officially addressed and resolved through peaceful and structured engagement. Mr Monday commended the protesters for their peaceful conduct. He pointed out that the sharp tariff hike in Umuahia from N53 to N200 per kilowatt-hour was occasioned by the upgrade of the feeder to Band A by the EEDC. He advised affected residents to put up an official complaint letter for proper documentation. Mr Monday said that formal communication would enable the Abia State Government to address the matter more effectively and transparently. He emphasised that the present administration had made significant progress in improving power supply across communities, in spite of the existing infrastructural limitations. Mr Monday reiterated the administrations commitment to achieving complete metering across Abia and affirmed that the government would engage the EEDC and relevant agencies to understand the tariff issue thoroughly, promising a peaceful and transparent resolution for affected residents. He said that the states electricity law was signed in March, establishing the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority to oversee electricity matters locally. Mr Monday further said that electricity regulation in Abia still remained under the National Electricity Regulatory Commission. According to him, full control of electricity regulation by Abias regulatory authority would be transferred to the state by December, enhancing local accountability and efficiency for consumers. He further disclosed that over 60,000 electricity meters had been deployed across Abia, a move aimed at ensuring accurate billing and efficient energy management for all electricity consumers. In an interview with reporters, the Head of Commercial, EEDC Abia, Festus Iwuala, explained that the tariff increment resulted from the reclassification of the affected feeder to Band A by the NERC. Mr Iwuala said that the feeder had previously been categorised under Bands C and B, but as of 1 September, it was approved for Band A billing, reflecting higher electricity supply standards. He said the adjustments were only applicable when errors occurred and that the recent change was based on national regulatory approval, not arbitrarily by the distribution company. Mr Iwuala urged customers to understand the structure of the electricity tariff, saying that distribution companies operate strictly within approved policies. He said that they could not independently increase tariffs without necessary regulatory authorisation. (NAN) The Lagos State Government has demolished a car lot operated by Skyewise Group along the LekkiEpe Expressway, clarifying that the property, contrary to viral social media claims, does not belong to popular auto influencer, Waris Akinwande, known as Ola of Lagos. A video showing heavy-duty machines pulling down luxury car display structures along the Lekki corridor went viral over the weekend, sparking outrage and widespread speculation that the demolished lot belonged to the influencer. However, Skyewise Group, in a statement signed by its Chief Executive Officer, Elvis Abuyere, said the affected facility was wholly owned by the company, though a section had been leased to Ola of Lagos for car display and content creation. Mr Abuyere described the demolition as unfortunate and saddening, explaining that it formed part of the state governments wider efforts to open up access for a new waterway development project in the area. This unfortunate incident affected several car lots along the Lekki Expressway, starting from Phase 1, where the Skyewise Group office was located, he said. The CEO said only a section of the premises had been leased to Ola of Lagos for car hire operations and the display of vehicles used for content creation. All necessary building approvals, operational permits, dealership licences, and environmental levies for the property were duly obtained from the Lagos State Government, he stated, adding that the company would release copies of the relevant documents soon. Mr Abuyere said Skyewise had already begun plans to rebuild and establish a new facility in Lagos, thanking Nigerians for their support and expressing confidence that the company would emerge stronger and better. What the permit shows A separate document shared online and reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES shows that Skyewises approval to use the space was provisional and came with strict conditions. A letter dated 14 November 2022, issued by the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, granted Skyewise Group a Provisional Permit for Allied Trade (Car Lot) to operate under the power line corridor on Akiogun Road, beside Bannex Mall, Lekki Phase 1. The terms of the permit stated that the land could be used only as an automobile workshop or allied trade and no structure made of bricks was allowed. Also, safety nets must be installed beneath the high-voltage power lines; the space was non-transferable and not to be sublet; and the government reserved the right to revoke the approval with one months notice in the public interest. An X user, @FolushoxFolarin, who shared copies of the approval on Tuesday, alleged that Skyewise violated several of these conditions by erecting brick structures, failing to install safety nets, and subletting part of the space to Ola of Lagos. The user added that the demolition was carried out by officials of the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), under the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law which prohibits structures under high-voltage power lines. He claimed that affected auto dealers were given advance notice and removed their valuables before the demolition began. The pertinent question is how to stop these structures from being built in the first place, the user wrote. Ola of Lagos reacts Following the demolition, Ola of Lagos confirmed the loss of his showroom in a post on Instagram but maintained a positive tone. New showroom coming soon Bigger and better, Insha Allah. Were still active! We existed long before our physical showroom, and well continue to thrive, he wrote. He also thanked his supporters for their concern, saying he had endured several losses in the past and would continue to thank God and move forward. Lagos govt speaks on demolition The Lagos State Government has ordered automobile dealers and estate developers along the LekkiEpe Expressway corridor to vacate wetlands and other restricted areas following what it described as widespread environmental violations. Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced the directive on Saturday after a joint inspection of the corridor with the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, and other senior officials. The enforcement drive is tied to the planned Lagos Green Line Rail Project, one of six lines in the states long-term Strategic Transport Master Plan aimed at easing congestion and connecting emerging urban districts. The Green Line, which will run from Marina through Lekki to the Lekki Free Trade Zone, is expected to integrate with the states Blue and Red Line networks to improve mobility and reduce carbon emissions. Mr Wahab said the inspection, which also included the Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, and Permanent Secretaries Gaji Tajudeen and Mahmoud Adegbite, was aimed at aligning both ministries efforts in protecting the environment and preserving the right of way for the project. According to him, findings from the exercise revealed that several car dealers who were granted temporary approvals to operate on designated sites had encroached beyond their permitted areas, reclaiming wetlands and even building under high-tension power lines. Wetlands are not wasteland. They are natures sponge, designed to hold excess water during heavy rains, Mr Wahab said in a post on his X handle. Our recent drone survey exposed the shocking scale of destruction to these ecosystems, particularly the coconut plantations along the corridor, which have been severely degraded. This will not stand. He said the government, working with the Ministry of Transportation, had commenced immediate enforcement to clear the illegal developments, insisting that no private business interests would be allowed to threaten public safety or disrupt the states urban master plan. The Green Line is a legacy project that will commence soon, and we will not allow the selfish interests of a few to compromise the mobility and environmental safety of millions of Lagosians, he added. Mr Wahab also disclosed that the government had taken a zero-tolerance stance against the illegal reclamation and narrowing of the Ikota River by Partibons Homes Estate and Bee-Forth Estate Phase 2, saying he had issued a seal and stop-work order. His statement follows a series of recent enforcement actions by the Ministry of Environment. In late September, Premium Times reported that the state government demolished several duplexes and structures built along the Ikota River in Eti-Osa Local Government Area for obstructing natural drainage and worsening flood risks. The commissioners remarks also align with the governments broader campaign against unapproved real estate developments. Earlier in the year, Premium Times reported that the state listed 176 illegal housing estates across Lagos and gave their promoters a deadline to obtain proper approvals. Mr Wahab condemned what he described as a deliberate destruction of a critical river ecosystem for illicit real estate ventures, warning that such actions worsen flooding in surrounding communities. He urged prospective property buyers to conduct due diligence and verify all land documents before purchasing from developers operating in those areas. This administration will not fold its hands while natures design is distorted, Mr Wahab said, noting that 17 illegal structures had already been demolished at the Ikota River in Oral Estate Extension as part of ongoing enforcement. Individuals and organisations in Nigerias aviation sector have expressed strong support for the proposed legislation to establish the African Aviation and Aerospace University (AAAU) in Abuja. They made their positions known on Wednesday at a public hearing organised by the House Committee on Aviation Technology. Representatives from government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector said the university would position Nigeria as Africas aviation research, training, and innovation hub. They described this as a strategic move to tackle the growing manpower shortage in the continents aviation and aerospace industries. Ministry, stakeholders commend legislative move The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ibrahim Abubakar, said the proposed university aligns with the ministrys long-term vision to make Nigeria a global centre for aviation training. He explained that the AAAU, initiated in 2023, was conceived to bridge human capacity gaps and drive indigenous research in aviation and aerospace. The African Aviation and Aerospace University represents more than an educational institution; it is the future of aviation manpower development on the continent, Mr Abubakar said. He commended the National Assembly for advancing the bill, noting that legal backing would secure the universitys autonomy and ensure sustainability. Milestones and institutional readiness The universitys Governing Council Chairman, Bukar Aji, said the university had achieved significant milestones since its inception and deserved full legislative recognition. He disclosed that the federal government had allocated 200 hectares of land along Bill Clinton Drive, Abuja, as the universitys permanent site, with several structures already completed. The passage of this bill will boost confidence in the universitys credibility, attract global partnerships, and secure sustainable funding, he said. The universitys Registrar, Mustapha Abdullahi, said AAAU had obtained necessary accreditations from the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), running seven accredited undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. He noted that the institution had trained over 300 personnel from key aviation agencies, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), and Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), through executive capacity-building programmes. Our support for this bill is total. It will strengthen our mandate and help Nigeria meet Africas aviation manpower needs, Mr Abdullahi. The Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Danjuma Ismail, said the new university would complement the colleges work by focusing on research and advanced academic training. Many aviation professionals lack access to postgraduate qualifications. The university will fill that gap, he said, urging the National Assembly to expedite passage of the bill. Air Force, lawmakers voice support Chief of Air Staff, Hasan Abubakar, said the university would strengthen Nigerias leadership in aerospace technology and promote safety culture across the sector. Citing forecasts from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and Boeings 2024 report, he said Africa would require over 70,000 new aviation professionals between 2025 and 2044, including 23,000 pilots and 24,000 technicians, highlighting the urgency for structured training institutions. The establishment of AAAU is not just desirable, it is imperative, Mr Abubakar said. Declaring the hearing open, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, represented by the House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, described the bill as a major step toward transforming Nigerias aviation landscape. He said the initiative would reduce dependence on foreign training, promote innovation, and strengthen the countrys position as Africas aviation hub. Chairman of the Committee, Tajudeen Abisodun, said the proposed law would institutionalise accountability and autonomy in aviation education. This university is not just for Nigeria, it is for Africa, he said. Its a bold declaration that we are ready to lead, innovate, and educate at the highest levels. The Acting Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Kayode Oladele, said recent federal appointments under President Bola Tinubu show a numerical tilt in favour of the north more than the south. Mr Oladele said the Tinubu administration strives to uphold fairness, inclusion, and national balance. In a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Oladele said available data reflect deliberate efforts to ensure equitable representation across Nigerias six geopolitical zones. He spoke at the opening of a one-day workshop on Strengthening Leadership and Management Excellence in the Federal Character Commission in Line with the Renewed Hope Agenda. Cabinet positions PREMIUM TIMES analysis of the figures shows that cabinet appointments under President Bola Tinubu are led by the North-west and South-west, each with 11 ministers, representing 22.9 per cent of the cabinet. The North-central follows with eight ministers (16.6 per cent), while the North-east accounts for seven (14.5 per cent). The South-south has six ministers (12.5 per cent), and the South-east trails with five (10.4 per cent), bringing the total number of cabinet members to 48. Federal CEOs, DGs and ES Beyond the cabinet, data from the Federal Character Commission indicate that the North-west also holds the largest share of federal leadership positions, with 157 appointments (22.1 per cent). The North-central follows with 139 positions (19.5 per cent), and the South-West with 132 (18.5 per cent). The North-east accounts for 105 positions (14.7 per cent), while the South-South and South-East have 91 (12.8 per cent) and 88 (12.4 per cent) respectively. Overall, the northern region accounts for 401 positions, representing 56.3 per cent of the total, while the southern region holds 311 positions, or 43.7 per cent. Permanent Secretaries In the distribution of Permanent Secretaries, the North-central leads with 19.5 per cent, while the North-east, North-west, and South-south each account for 17.1 per cent. The South-east and South-west follow with 14.6 per cent apiece. These figures provide clear evidence of deliberate inclusion and underscore the Presidents commitment to national balance and faithful implementation of the Federal Character principle, Mr Oladele said. The data presented by Mr Oladele does not include the appointments of special advisers, senior special assistants, and other presidential aides made by Mr Tinubu. It also excludes the service chiefs and the heads of law enforcement and security agencies. While the data show that the North leads the South in overall appointments, the South-east remains the most underrepresented region across all categories. The FCC, established under Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution and its enabling Act, remains the primary institution mandated to promote and enforce equitable distribution of positions and socio-economic benefits among the countrys federating units. According to Mr Oladele, equity is the foundation of hope, and citizens trust in government depends on visible fairness in appointments, contracts, and opportunities. The FCC must embody the very principles it was created to uphold: leadership, fairness, efficiency, and professionalism, he told staff of the FCC, including directors, commissioners, and staff of the Commission. Institutional reforms underway Mr Oladele outlined a series of reform initiatives he had introduced since he assumed office to strengthen institutional efficiency and accountability. One of these is the reinstatement of the Committee System, which assigns oversight of specific Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to Commissioners for closer monitoring and participatory decision-making. He also cited enhanced stakeholder engagement with key institutions, including the National Assembly, Office of the Head of Civil Service, Police Service Commission, NSIA, DSS, ICPC, NYSC, and the Federal Road Safety Corps, to harmonise recruitment processes and deepen transparency. Regarding staff welfare, the Commission has implemented payment of arrears to retired directors and improved allowances for corps members and staff while embarking on the digital modernisation of its data systems. A key project, he announced, is the planned Integrated Federal Character Compliance Database (IFCCD), which will enable real-time tracking of compliance levels across all MDAs. The goal is to make our monitoring and enforcement evidence-based, transparent, and efficient, he said in the statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES. Leadership, ethics and capacity building The workshop, Mr Oladele said, forms part of a broader human resource development plan aimed at building ethical, competent, and innovative leadership across the Commissions zonal and state offices. He urged participants to embrace excellence as the new standard, emphasising values such as fairness, accountability, teamwork, and innovation. Leadership is not about authority; it is about service, empathy, and responsibility, he said. Every officer of the Commission is a custodian of national trust. Looking ahead, the FCC plans to measure the real impact of its interventions through periodic Federal Character Impact Reports, which will assess compliance across sectors, highlight best practices, and identify gaps. Mr Oladele said this will help expand public awareness about the Federal Character Principle and stimulate dialogue on fairness, merit, and inclusivity in governance. Concluding his remarks, the FCC chairman called on all senior managers to align their leadership ethos with the Renewed Hope philosophy by leading with integrity and managing with excellence. Our success will not be measured by the number of circulars we issue, but by the trust we rebuild among citizens and the harmony we nurture across the federation, he said. Mr Oladele reaffirmed that the Commission will continue to collaborate with government agencies, universities, and civil society partners to institutionalise fairness, transparency, and meritocracy in public appointments. Let us commit ourselves anew to lead with integrity, manage with excellence, and serve with fairness. This is the essence of the Renewed Hope Agenda. The National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Debo Ologunagba, on Tuesday expressed confidence in the future of the party amid myriads of crisis and continued loss of state governors and other key members to other rival political parties. Mr Ologunagba boasted that the PDP does not need the influence of governors but the public support of mass of Nigerians to win the 2027 general elections. The PDP spokesperson, who appeared on an Arise News programme, said, The strength of the PDP is in the people and that will come to the fore in 2027, whether or not there are governors. His remarks followed the defection of the Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) earlier on Tuesday. Mr Mbahs defection shrunk the number of states under the PDPs control to just nine states Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba, and Zamfara. It has also increased the number of states controlled by the APC to 24. PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Mbah defected to the APC along with all the commissioners, elected chairpersons of the states 17 local government areas, all elected councillors and at least 80 per cent of the PDP executives in the state. Mr Ologunagba stressed that a day of consequence awaited those abandoning the party. He said, People have gone through this route before; people have undermined this party from within, and today you see them struggle in another party trying to catch a glimpse, get a face on camera, on TV because of what they did in PDP. There will be a day of reckoning. And Nigerians know, and that is why 2027 is going to be about the government, the people, hunger, insecurity, that will be on the ballot. All of these will be transient as it were, and this party will come out strong. However, he noted that he was not discounting the strength of leadership at the grassroots. Mr Ologunagba also said the interest in the affairs of the PDP from the public showed that the party was not in a state of comatose. Despite the challenges in the party, he expressed hope in its ability to overcome. The party has continued to face massive defection. In July, four senators defected from the PDP to the APC. They are Francis Fadahunsi (Osun), Olubiyi Fadeyi (Osun), Akon Samson (Akwa-Ibom), and Aniekan Bassey (Akwa Ibom). APC now has 70 senators, while PDP has 28. Earlier in April this year, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor and PDPs 2023 Vice Presidential candidate Ifeanyi Okowa, along with their supporters defected to the APC. Also in this year, former Vice President and the 2023 presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark and many other notable political figure also defected from the PDP to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced its decision to adopt the consensus mode for the conduct of its forthcoming Ekiti State Governorship Primary Election. Felix Morka, the partys National Publicity Secretary, made the announcement in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja. He said the change from the direct to consensus primary was necessitated by the voluntary withdrawal of one of the two earlier cleared aspirants, Atinuke Omolayo. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mrs Omolayo conveyed her decision to withdraw from the contest and endorse Governor Biodun Oyebanji as a consensus candidate in a letter to the partys leadership. She also expressed her support for any arrangement adopted by the partys leadership in nominating its candidate in accordance with the 2022 Electoral Act and its Constitution. Her decision has been duly transmitted by the party to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Mr Morka said having satisfied the requirements stipulated under Sections 84(9) and (11) of the Electoral Act 2022, for the consensus mode of primary election, the partys delegate congress would hold on Saturday. READ ALSO: Gale of defections to APC exposes cracks in opposition VP Shettima He added that its Delegate Congress Appeal would hold on 26 October, while the special nomination congress to ratify the consensus candidate would hold on 27 October. The APC spokesman commended Mrs Omolayo for her spirit of sportsmanship and commitment to party unity and progress. He urged all leaders, members, and stakeholders of the party in Ekiti State to stand united and work assiduously for its victory in the June 2026 Governorship Election. (NAN) The management of the University of Calabar (UniCal) has evicted some of its staff members from the institutions quarters to accommodate some junior staff members and curb unethical practices. The spokesperson of the institution, Eyo Effiong, made the remark while speaking with journalists in Calabar on Tuesday. Mr Effiong said the governing council of the school directed some staff to vacate the Boys Quarters (BQs) after evidence showed that they rented them out to students and outsiders. Letters were issued notifying them that the ownership of the quarters have been revoked, and occupants were asked to vacate on or before April 30, 2025, he explained. The spokesperson further said investigations revealed that the staff collected between 80,000 and 350,000 yearly from students and outsiders while paying the university much less. He described the practice as unethical and embarrassing to the university, adding that the institution also discovered security threats linked to some of the occupants. According to him, the reclaimed apartments will be reallocated directly to junior staff through the universitys housing department to ensure accountability and proper rent deductions. This policy affects all senior staff who misused the facility, not just professors; and those with genuine grievances can approach the Governing Council, which approved the decision, he stated. However, following the forceful eviction of occupants from the BQs, some senior staff accused the university management of abuse of power. One of the affected officials, who pleaded anonymity, said that the university security personnel and staff of the Security and Technical (SAT) Services Department recently broke into some of the quarters. He said they threw out belongings of occupants, including those away on sabbatical or official duties. If Im paying for the main house, I should have the right to use the BQ for my dependents, house-helps, or relations. Some of our colleagues returned to meet their doors broken and personal items thrown outside; this is not acceptable in a university environment, he said. Another senior staff member, Jacob Emmanuel, described the eviction as high-handed and demeaning to senior members of the academic community. According to him, is the management saying our house-helps should now sleep in our bedrooms because the BQs have been seized? He warned that the situation could lead to a breakdown of law and order if not properly handled. (NAN) The Minister of Steel Development, Shuiabu Abubakar, says the ministry is exploring a partnership with the Republic of China for the revitalisation of both Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited (ASCL) and National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO). Mr Abubakar disclosed this at the opening of the 10th edition of Nigerias Mining Week, themed Nigeria Mining: From Progress to Global Relevance`, on Tuesday in Abuja. He said that in September 2024, the federal government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tyazhmashpromexport (TPE), the original builders of ASCL, based in Russia. He said the move was to rehabilitate, complete, and operate the plant and NIOMCO Itakpe, both in Kogi State, but the Russia-Ukraine war has hindered progress. Due to constraints as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war, we are now exploring a partnership with the Republic of China for the revitalisation of both ASCL and NIOMCO. Mr President will give the final approval based on financial, managerial, and technical competencies. He said that the renewed hope agenda under President Bola Tinubu`s government had remained resolute in breaking the nearly five-decade jinx of the steel company`s comatose state. According to him, the ministry is in very advanced discussions with the Ministry of Defence and the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) to commence production of input materials for military hardware. This hardware, he said, includes rifles, vests, helmets, and bullets at the Engineering workshop of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex. This understanding is to support the defence sector of the Nigerian economy for improved security, he said. He said 12 iron ore deposits across the country were currently at various stages of exploration. Mr Abubakar said the National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency, Kaduna, identified the 12 deposits and was working to generate the needed resource data to drive investments in the sector. This, he said, was especially on Iron Ore, Cokeable Coal, and Bauxite. He said local steel production in Nigeria would drive massive local raw materials production, including Iron Ore, Limestone, Dolomite, Refractory Clay, and Coal. He urged private sector participants at the conference to view investments in the steel raw materials value chain as key to unlocking growth in the sector. We are collaborating with critical stakeholders across the federal government, especially our sister Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, in this regard. READ ALSO: Ajaokuta steel company will never work Dangote He said that the federal governments efforts to reposition the Nigerian Steel Industry for sustainable growth with increased foreign direct investment would only be possible with a sustainable mineral raw materials supply. According to him, the robust business engagements and policy alignments for the development of strategic minerals like Iron Ore, Fluxes, Coal, and other alloy minerals should see the Nigerian steel industry as a major partner/offtaker. The top management of the Ministry of Steel Development, its agencies and industry players are present at this conference and the federal government is ever ready to provide the required enabling environment, he assured. (NAN) The University of Lagos (UNILAG) is set to make history as the first African institution to launch an OpenAI Academy, following a new partnership with the global artificial intelligence research and development company, OpenAI. The announcement was made on Tuesday by Emmanuel Lubanzadio, OpenAIs Africa Lead, during his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the universitys 2025 International Week, themed Equitable Partnerships and the Future of AI in Africa. The academy, which will be officially unveiled on Wednesday, will provide free AI learning resources and capacity-building opportunities for students, researchers, and professionals across Africa. Mr Lubanzadio described the partnership as a major step towards democratising access to AI knowledge and ensuring Africa plays an active role in shaping the technologys future. The OpenAI Academy can be accessed by everyone globally. It provides free courses on how governments, scholars and individuals can use AI tools like ChatGPT effectively, he said. Our collaboration with the University of Lagos will establish the first OpenAI Academy in Africa, beginning this week, with sessions led by facilitators who will showcase how AI is being used across Nigeria and the continent. He noted that the decision to begin the academy in Lagos was driven by UNILAGs track record in innovation and its growing role in advancing technology-driven education. Calls for equitable partnerships In her welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor, Folasade Ogunsola, said this years international week goes beyond discussions on technology; it is about shaping the narrative of inclusion, innovation, and global equity in the age of artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence is not the future; it is the present, Mrs Ogunsola said. The professor said AI represents an opportunity for Africa to leapfrog limitations and reimagine education, healthcare, governance and industry. But for AI to truly serve Africa, it must be built on equitable partnerships rooted not in charity, but in shared growth and co-creation, she said. Mrs Ogunsola highlighted the universitys commitment to making AI research and innovation contextually relevant to African realities. She referenced the universitys innovation challenge and international collaborations that have produced AI tools designed for communities with unreliable internet and power supply. She added that UNILAGs participation in global research networks positions it as a hub for interdisciplinary AI research, while ongoing collaborations have attracted over $28 million in research funding to the university. Federal government backs AI inclusion Representing the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, the National Director of the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), Olubunmi Ajala, commended UNILAG for convening the programme. Mr Tijani said Nigeria government is pursuing an ambitious digital transformation agenda aimed at positioning the country as a leader in AI and digital innovation. He highlighted initiatives such as the National AI Strategy, launched in April 2024, and the three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, designed to train young Nigerians in software development, data science, and machine learning. Our national AI strategy remains one of the most inclusive and human-centred in the world, he said. Through strategic partnerships, we have mobilised billions in support from MTN, Google, Microsoft, and other partners. This is partnership in action, government providing the framework, private sector bringing resources, and young Nigerians driving innovation. He also pointed to Nigerias recently launched government-backed multimodal language model, describing it as the first of its kind on the continent. Private sector push Also speaking at the event, Yvonne Ike, Managing Director and Head of Sub-Saharan Africa (Ex-RSA) at Bank of America, urged students and young innovators to embrace bold thinking and collaboration in using technology to solve Africas most pressing challenges. Ms Ike applauded the OpenAI-UNILAG partnership as a signal that African institutions are ready to take the lead in technological advancement. Im not surprised that the first OpenAI Academy in Africa is starting with UNILAG, she said. We must accelerate and elevate every dream and action we have for Africa. Technology is not only in it for Africa, it is Africas opportunity to redefine its place in the world. She also challenged African institutions to move faster in preparing young people for a rapidly changing world. I urge us to accelerate, expand, and elevate every dream we have for Africa. We cannot wait for others to define our digital destiny, she said. Celebrating innovation The event also featured an award presentation to winners of the universitys Innovation Challenge, comprising student groups whose AI-driven projects addressed challenges in health, energy, and community development. Mrs Ogunsola said the competition highlighted UNILAGs commitment to nurturing problem-solvers and innovators capable of building technologies. She said: When 339 students from 24 universities participated in our health innovation challenge earlier this year, competing for millions in funding, I sat in on some of their presentations. One team developed an AI diagnostic tool that works with poor internet connectivity. Another created a machine learning model for maternal health that functions in rural clinics with irregular power supply. These arent adaptations of Western technology these are innovations that the West needs to study. The event also featured a panel session featuring speakers from the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC), the University of Manchester (UK), and other institutions. The UNILAG International Week, coordinated by the universitys Director of International Relations, Partnerships and Prospects, Ismail Ibraheem, a professor, continues through Thursday with workshops, exhibitions, and training sessions under the OpenAI Academy. The Nigerian Government has taken a major step towards restoring operational stability and investor confidence in the electricity market with the finalisation of the implementation framework for the presidential power sector debt reduction plan. Senan Murray, the head of media and communications unit, Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, said in a statement on Tuesday. Power generation companies (GenCos), in April, warned of imminent shutdown if the government failed to take definite steps to address the N4 trillion debt owed to them for the electricity generated and supplied to the national grid. The firms noted that the debt, which includes N2 trillion for 2024 and N1.9 trillion in legacy debts, is pushing the continued operation of their power generation plants to the brink. In July, President Bola Tinubu appealed to the GenCos to give the government ample time to complete the verification and validation of the longstanding debt owed to them. He later gave go-ahead to the plan to issue a N4 trillion bond to clear the debt. Mr Murray said in the Tuesday document that Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Wale Edun, Minister of Power Bayo Adelabu and Special Adviser to the President on Energy Olu Verheijen held talks with senior executives of the GenCos to deliberate on the settlement modalities for the debt. Approved by President Tinubu and endorsed by the Federal Executive Council in August, the plan involves the issuance of up to N4 trillion in government-backed bonds to settle the verified arrears owed to generation companies and gas suppliers. The government said the intervention is the largest in over a decade, and will address a legacy debt overhang that has constrained investment, weakened utility balance sheets and impeded reliable power delivery across the country. For the first time in years, we are seeing a credible and systematic effort by the government to tackle the root liquidity challenges in the power sector, said Tony Elumelu, the Chairperson of Heirs Holdings and Transcorp Power. Kola Adesina, the Group Managing Director of Sahara Power Group, said, This initiative is significant in every respect. It gives us renewed confidence in the reform process and a clear signal that the government is serious about building a sustainable power sector. Mr Edun said, These reforms go beyond liquidity. They are about rebuilding the fundamentals so that Nigerias power sector works for investors, for citizens, and for the next generation. About 40 per cent of the residents of Africas most populous country lack access to electricity, making Nigeria the nation with the biggest electricity deficit in the world. The majority of those who are connected to grid electricity are frequently at the mercy of intermittent blackouts, one of the major impediments to industrialisation and economic growth. Mr Adelabu announced at the Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja this month that the government is currently engaging Chinas Export and Import Bank for a $2 billion loan to construct a new grid to curb perennial power shortages. That could help tackle the jinx of grid failure, with twelve instances of grid collapse reported last year alone. The proposed grid is targeting consumers in the eastern and western parts of the country. Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Mr Diris spokesperson, Daniel Alabra, confirmed this development to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, 15 October. He has resigned from the PDP, yes. But he has not joined any other party yet, Mr Alabra told our reporter. Mr Diri was one of the last remaining PDP governors in Nigerias South-south region after his counterpart in Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, defected in June from the party to the APC. Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State is now the only remaining PDP governor in the region. Mr Diris resignation from the PDP has further depleted the number of PDP governors in Nigeria to eight. Rivers, Adamawa, Bauchi, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba, and Zamfara are states where the governors are PDP members. The ruling APC currently controls 24 states in Nigeria, and may have more governors join it. If Mr Diri eventually moves to the APC, the ruling party would control five out of the six states in the South-South. The Bayelsa governor has been under pressure from within and outside the state to defect to the APC before the 2027 general elections. His resignation from the PDP is coming a few hours after Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State dumped the PDP for the APC. Most of the governors who have defected from the PDP said they made the decision because of the partys protracted leadership crisis. Nigerias minister of agriculture and food security, Abubakar Kyari, said he has requested stronger collaboration between the government and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to enhance agricultural productivity, promote sustainable development and increase employment opportunities in the country. On the sidelines of the 2025 World Food Forum, I had a productive bilateral meeting with Dr. QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) @FAO of the United Nations, Mr Kyari said in a post on X (formerly twitter) on Wednesday. The minister said their discussion centred on firming up FAOs partnership with Nigeria to bolster agricultural initiatives, particularly those aimed at improving the livelihoods of smallholders across the country. Barely two years into President Bola Tinubus first term, Nigeria is facing a severe food crisis largely fuelled by the abolition of petrol subsidies, a much weaker naira resulting from currency devaluations and insecurity in key food-producing states. Such policies have sharply driven up the costs of transportation and agricultural inputs. In the same vein, devastating flash floods in major agrarian areas over the past three years have had adverse impact on food availability and affordability. To tackle the trend, the government had in recent months unveiled new policies and initiatives to boost food production, drive down prices, and address the cost-of-living crisis. Priority areas Mr Kyari highlighted several priority areas of the engagement he had with the FAO, including the recharge of the Lake Chad Basin, sustainable irrigation development, agricultural mechanisation, and the creation of a national farmers database. He restated Nigerias request for FAOs technical and financial backing for the recharge of the Lake Chad Basin, which he described as crucial to restoring agribusiness activities, livelihoods, and food security in the region. On irrigation, the minister said he called for increased FAO partnership to expand water management systems in a bid to ensure year-round farming and boost productivity among smallholders. An expansion of agricultural mechanisation initiatives in Nigeria to improve efficiency and value addition in rural farming communities also formed part of the deliberation, Mr Kyari stated. The minister said he also advocated for increased employment opportunities for qualified Nigerians within FAO Headquarters and its global offices in recognition of the countrys growing role in global food security efforts. He said the FAO director-general reaffirmed the organisations commitment to supporting Nigerias agricultural priorities and advancing shared goals of food security, climate resilience, and rural prosperity. For centuries, the South-West has thrived on collective finance. Systems like esusu, ajo, and adashe have helped traders raise funds more quickly than any bank could have imagined. Our kinship networks, age grades, and religious unions already function as governance systems; our trade routes and markets form a vast, dynamic ecosystem. OKOBI doesnt import a new idea it translates our culture into a 21st-century economic model. The sun was just beginning to climb over the rust-red rooftops of Ibadan when Mama Funke opened her stall. Her neighbours fellow traders, cousins, and friends were already setting up, their laughter mixing with the clang of pots and the calls of early customers. By noon, she had sold three baskets of pepper, lent money to her niece starting a catering business, and discussed plans for a cooperative with her kindred. To an outsider, it looked like an ordinary market life. To anyone who understands Yoruba enterprise, it was something more profound an economy powered by kinship, trust, and sheer determination. Its this age-old spirit that a quiet movement from Imo State is now formalising into a new kind of prosperity. Its called OKOBI the One Kindred, One Business Initiative and its redefining how communities build wealth across Nigeria. In just two years, OKOBI has spawned over 450 registered enterprises and created more than 20,000 jobs, demonstrating that prosperity doesnt have to trickle down from government or foreign investors it can emerge from within communities themselves. The secret? Families and kindreds pooling resources to start and own businesses together. These businesses fish farms, cassava processing units, tailoring hubs, transport cooperatives are group-owned, profit-oriented, and locally rooted. Every member is both an investor and a beneficiary, and every community is both a stakeholder and a shareholder. Its capitalism with a conscience where growth is not a zero-sum game but a shared inheritance. And if theres any region where this model can flourish next, its the South-West. The Yoruba are born traders. From the cloth markets of Lagos to the bustling roadside stalls of Osogbo, enterprise is our inheritance. The Iya Oja who rules her market, the artisans who fund each other through ajo, the families that rally behind one anothers ventures this is not new to us. It is our way of life. What OKOBI offers is a structure for that spirit a way to turn our informal trust systems into formal capital. For centuries, the South-West has thrived on collective finance. Systems like esusu, ajo, and adashe have helped traders raise funds more quickly than any bank could have imagined. Our kinship networks, age grades, and religious unions already function as governance systems; our trade routes and markets form a vast, dynamic ecosystem. OKOBI doesnt import a new idea it translates our culture into a 21st-century economic model. Heres how it works. A community often a kindred or ward group identifies a business opportunity in its environment. They register as a cooperative or a limited liability company, pool their resources, and operate under shared ownership. Everyone has a stake. Everyone has a say. And because everyones reputation is tied to the business, accountability comes naturally. Profits are reinvested locally, jobs are created within the community, and wealth circulates, instead of leaking out. Its not charity; its self-determination. Its not handouts; its hands joined together. Now imagine that same spirit scaling across the South-West. Picture a youth-run tech hub in Ogun offering digital marketing to small businesses. A cooperative in Ijebu producing branded palm oil for export. A kindred-owned cocoa processing plant in Ondo reviving the regions agricultural legacy. Every enterprise powered by local trust, local labour, and local leadership. This is what OKOBI promises not a top-down economy, but a grassroots one. But to unlock this vision, structure is key and thats where Lead Resources, a regional leader in enterprise and innovation, comes in. With expertise in Lean Management, Business Support, and Digital Transformation, Lead Resources offers OKOBI groups the tools to thrive in modern markets. They teach communities to cut waste, design scalable business models, and use technology for transparency and growth. Together, OKOBI and Lead Resources form a partnership that bridges heritage and modernity one rooted in Yoruba values but driven by global business principles. The South-West doesnt need to reinvent entrepreneurship; it only needs to refine it. Our ancestors built wealth through trust, trade, and tenacity. Today, we have the chance to formalise that wisdom to take ajo from the street corner to the stock exchange, and turn our kinship into capital. Bringing OKOBI to the South-West isnt replication; its restoration. Its a return to the Yoruba truth that owo kan ko gberu dori one hand cannot lift a load alone. Prosperity must first circulate within the clan before it can transform the nation. With the right structure, the same Yoruba ingenuity that built market empires and trading guilds can now build scalable enterprises that create jobs, attract investors, and sustain communities for generations. When kinship becomes capital and trust becomes enterprise, the South-West will not just prosper it will lead. Lydia Ogunibe-Frederick is a Communications and Product Manager at Lead Resources, where she contributes to enterprise support, innovation design, and community development initiatives. She writes from Abeokuta, Ogun State. Email: [email protected]. SCARS is not just a memoir; it is a mirror reflecting Nigerias wounds the scars of war, hypocrisy, and wasted potential. Irabors writing is measured but fearless, scholarly yet deeply human. His critique of the North is not an attack but a plea for introspection; his assessment of Nigerias leadership failures is not cynical but reformist. There are few things more dignifying than when a towering public figure extends the courtesy of respect wrapped in humility. General Lucky Irabor, former chief of defence staff, exemplifies that rare blend of strength and grace. When he invited me to the presentation of his new book, SCARS: Nigerias Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, I was reminded that behind the imposing military stature lies a man of reflection, intellect, and empathy unless, of course, one dares to cross the line. This quality stands in sharp contrast with the arrogance I encountered in a strategic institute where a few officers inflated egos left little room for courtesy or intellectual exchange. I could not attend the book launch due to a scheduling conflict with the International Public Relations Associations (IPRA) Golden World Awards in Ghana, where both the Nigeria Customs Service and my organisation, Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), were being honoured. On my return to Abuja, all copies of the book had sold out at the designated bookshops, and I was due to travel to Canada that same night. Learning of my predicament, General Irabor personally ensured that a copy was sent to me a gesture that spoke volumes about his character. Taking the advice of his friend, Vice President Kashim Shettima, that to truly enjoy a book, read it on a long journey, I opened it mid-flight and did not stop until I reached the last page. In less than twenty-four hours, I had devoured the 300-page memoir a deeply analytical, well-researched, and intellectually stimulating work that goes far beyond the typical autobiographical recount of a retired general. Irabors SCARS stands out in its narrative style. It is not a self-indulgent memoir but a reflective chronicle that blends personal experience with historical analysis and policy critique. He writes with academic precision, referencing other scholars, field experiences, and verifiable data. Between the lines, the discerning reader can sense his measured but firm convictions about the Boko Haram insurgency, Niger Delta militancy, IPOB separatism, Yoruba nationalism, and the societal decay that has haunted Nigeria since independence. The book is a panoramic chronicle from the civil war and military coups to democratic transitions and insurgencies offering a sober reflection on the choices and failures that have defined Nigerias evolution. Notably, Irabor avoids sensationalism or name-dropping; even his acknowledgments are strikingly modest, despite the calibre of personalities, including former presidents, who later attended the unveiling in Abuja. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in his Foreword, aptly describes the book as a soldiers honest reflection on a nations unfinished journey. But the true revelations lie within the pages in Irabors unflinching interrogation of Nigerias political and moral contradictions. Among the books most intriguing points is his assertion that no full-fledged coup detat in Nigeria has ever occurred without civilian collaboration. He argues that soldiers, bound by their oath of allegiance, often justify interventions through the prism of national defence. This interpretation shifts part of the blame for Nigerias military incursions to opportunistic civilians who manipulate or enable such actions for personal gain. Equally provocative is his historical framing of Northern Nigerias recurring religious conflicts. Irabor traces their roots to Usman Dan Fodios jihad of 1804, viewing it as the starting point of organised religious militancy in the region. While this perspective is historically grounded, it risks oversimplification. Thankfully, Irabor tempers his argument by contextualising it within the broader millenarian revolts of early colonialism, suggesting that both Islamic revivalism and Christian evangelism during the colonial era contributed to shaping Nigerias spiritual and social divides. One aspect readers may find conspicuously absent is any mention of the tragic death of gallant General Ibrahim Attahiru, the late chief of Army staff who perished in a plane crash shortly after Boko Harams leader, Abubakar Shekau, was reportedly killed. Given Irabors position as the CDS, his silence on the matter is perhaps deliberate an act of discretion from a professional soldier who values institutional continuity over personal disclosure. Still, his candour shines through elsewhere. The sections on Northern Nigerias political elite are unambiguously critical. Irabor faults the regions leaders for presiding over deepening poverty, illiteracy, and insecurity, despite their educational exposure and political dominance. He cites World Bank data showing that the ten poorest states in Nigeria are all in the North-East and North-West, with 87 per cent of the nations poorest population concentrated there. He attributes this grim reality to elite hypocrisy, religious manipulation, and the failure to translate political power into social progress. He particularly denounces the politicisation of religion, using the Sharia Movement in Zamfara (1999) as a case study of how political opportunism derailed governance. Quoting Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Irabor laments the commodification of piety a process through which religion becomes a tool of control rather than a vehicle for moral upliftment. He calls on Northern leaders to emulate progressive Muslim societies like Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which have harmonised faith with modernity, rather than allowing religion to justify stagnation. His position on the Almajiri system is particularly powerful; he argues that no faith sanctions the institutionalisation of street begging or the abandonment of children in the name of learning. The chapter on the Dead Horse Theory is one of the books most intellectually stimulating sections. Here, Irabor uses the metaphor to describe Nigerias tendency to keep beating dead horses sustaining failed policies and obsolete institutions, instead of pursuing meaningful reform. He cites the duplication of examination bodies like WAEC and NECO, the Nomadic Education Programme, and the regional cut-off mark policy as examples of how Nigeria perpetuates inefficiency under the guise of inclusiveness. The discussion on Boko Haram is both historical and diagnostic. Irabor situates the insurgency within a continuum of religious and socio-political crises, from the Maitatsine riots of the 1980s to the Sharia clashes of 19992000. He chronicles how Mohammed Yusuf, the sects founder, began as a member of Bornos Sharia Implementation Committee, only to break away and radicalise disillusioned youth by preaching against Western education and government corruption. The book exposes the irony of Boko Harams dependence on Western technology weapons, communication tools, and propaganda platforms even while denouncing Western civilisation. Irabor portrays Boko Haram not as a purely religious movement but as a symptom of governance failure, economic deprivation, and elite negligence. He identifies the drivers of extremism as unaddressed political grievances, weaponisation of religion and tribe, a biased legal framework, and weakened institutions. The author also voices deep concern over what he described as an international conspiracy against Nigeria, singling out certain foreign entities and media organisations. He accuses them of not only supplying logistical support to terrorist groups but also of deliberately spreading false narratives aimed at discrediting the Nigerian military and destabilising national security. In his closing reflections, the General offers a pragmatic pathway forward: diplomatic negotiation, socioeconomic and political realignment, and governance reforms that reward merit and restore trust. The time for change is now, he writes, and it must begin with truth, inclusion, and a commitment to genuine progress. SCARS is not just a memoir; it is a mirror reflecting Nigerias wounds the scars of war, hypocrisy, and wasted potential. Irabors writing is measured but fearless, scholarly yet deeply human. His critique of the North is not an attack but a plea for introspection; his assessment of Nigerias leadership failures is not cynical but reformist. This book is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand Nigerias enduring crises from insurgency and leadership to the complex interplay between faith, politics, and national identity. General Lucky Irabors SCARS leaves readers not with despair, but with hope the hope that confronting our scars honestly is the first step toward national healing. Yushau A. Shuaib is the author of An Encounter with the Spymaster and Award-Winning Crisis Communication Strategies. [email protected] Zenith Bank Plcs Founder and Chairman, Jim Ovia, accompanied by the banks Group Managing Director/CEO, Adaora Umeoji, on Tuesday, 14 October 2025, carried out the prestigious closing gong ceremony at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), marking a significant milestone in the banks continued partnership with the capital market and the official closing of the trading day. The ceremony highlights Zenith Banks strong relationship with the NGX and its commitment to transparency, accountability, and bolstering investor confidence. While speaking at the Nigerian Exchange, Dr Umeoji expressed her delight in participating in the closing gong ceremony, acknowledging the NGXs visionary leadership and innovative initiatives. We are delighted to be here today to perform the closing gong ceremony a symbol of shared progress and enduring partnership, she said. The NGXs leadership has been very creative and innovative, and their electronic trading platform X-stream played a pivotal role in the success of our recapitalization exercise, which achieved a 160% subscription. The banks stock price has doubled since the recapitalization exercise, from N36.50 per share to N68. Zenith Bank has also reported impressive financial results for the Half Year (H1) of 2025, becoming the most profitable bank in Nigeria and paying the highest dividend in the industry for the half year. We are committed to creating value for our stakeholders and will continue to partner with the NGX to boost the Nigerian economy, Dr Umeoji added. Our expansion strategy is focused on following our customers businesses and ensuring that we go to countries and economies where we can scale and provide more returns for our shareholders. She stressed that the bank plans to make good on its promise of being investors delight by paying quantum dividends to its shareholders by year end. According to her For us in Zenith, we are looking forward to paying more based on the confidence the market reposed on us. We are working assiduously to ensure that we do not disappoint the Market. We are going to continue to be the investors delight, and we assure the market that we would continue to pay enhanced dividends come end of the year. Also commenting, the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Emomotimi Agama emphasised the role of the NGX in creating value in the Nigerian economic space. He said, I want to thank you all for making the market what it is. Without you, the market wouldnt have seen the leap that it has achieved in the last one-and-half year. I spoke earlier that at my assumption of office, market capitalization stood at N55 trillion, today it is hovering around 89 trillion and 93 trillion. That was not done by a spirit, it was done by you. Your ability, tenacity, courage, vision and transparency have moved the market where it is. Our vision is that by next year, we will have the market at 200 trillion. The Doyen of the NGX, Rasheed Yusuf while giving his remarks, lauded the Founder and Chairman, Zenith Bank Plc, Jim Ovia, for his vision and leadership. He ended by referring to him as the Doyen of the Commercial banking sector. Zenith Bank remains committed to creating long-term value for its stakeholders while driving economic development in Nigeria. As the bank continues on its growth trajectory, it has its sights set on global expansion. The bank intends to strategically leverage the capital raised from the Market to enhance its scalability and deliver enhanced services to its valued customers. The Banks track record of excellent performance has continued to earn the brand numerous awards, including being recognised as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the sixteenth consecutive year in the 2025 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking, published by The Banker and Nigerias Best Bank at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2025. The Bank was also awarded Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Bankers Bank of the Year Awards for 2020, 2022 and 2024; Best Bank in Nigeria from 2020 to 2022, 2024 and 2025, in the Global Finance Worlds Best Banks Awards; Best Bank for Digital Solutions in Nigeria in the Euromoney Awards 2023; and was listed in the World Finance Top 100 Global Companies in 2023. Further recognitions include Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria for five consecutive years from 2021 to 2025 in the World Finance Banking Awards and Most Sustainable Bank, Nigeria in the International Banker 2023 and 2024 Banking Awards. Additionally, Zenith Bank has been acknowledged as the Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria, in the World Finance Corporate Governance Awards for four consecutive years from 2022 to 2025 and Best in Corporate Governance Financial Services Africa for four consecutive years from 2020 to 2023 by the Ethical Boardroom. The Banks commitment to excellence saw it being named the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in The Bankers Top 500 Banking Brands for 2020 and 2021, Bank of the Year 2023 to 2025 at the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards, and Retail Bank of the Year for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022 and 2024 to 2025 at the BAFI Awards. The Bank also received the accolades of Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria and Best Innovation in Retail Banking, Nigeria, in the International Banker 2022 Banking Awards. Zenith Bank was also named Most Responsible Organisation in Africa, Best Company in Transparency and Reporting and Best Company in Gender Equality and Women Empowerment at the SERAS CSR Awards Africa 2024; Bank of the Year 2024 by ThisDay Newspaper; Bank of the Year 2024 by New Telegraph Newspaper; and Best in MSME Trade Finance, 2023 by Nairametrics. The Banks Hybrid Offer was also adjudged Rights Issue/ Public Offer of the Year at the Nairametrics Capital Market Choice Awards 2025. The ancient town of Iperu-Remo in Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State was agog on Wednesday as dignitaries across the country converged on St James Anglican Church to commemorate the 90th birthday of Chief (Mrs) Victoria Olaitan Abiodun, the mother of the state governor, Dapo Abiodun. Among the attendees were Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele and Senator Adams Oshiomhole. Not left out were many State governors, among them the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu; his Oyo State counterpart, Mr Seyi Makinde; Ademola Adeleke (Osun governor), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), AbdulRahman Abdulrasaq (Kwara) and Hope Uzodinma (Imo). Other dignitaries present include former President Olusegun Obasanjo; former governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba, former Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, Fotmer Speaker of House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole , members of federal and states assemblies, and traditional rulers led by the Ooni of ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, among others. The event was also attended by captains of industry, including Group Managing Director, First Bank PLC , Mr Olusegun Alebiosun, Executive Chairman, FIRS, Dr Zacch Adedeji, former group managing director (GMD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Access Bank Plc, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, among others. Speaking at the Thanksgiving service, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu described Chief (Mrs) Victoria Abiodun as a pathfinder who had made positive impacts on the lives of children in Ogun State, the Southwest and across the country as a whole. The President, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, noted that the celebrant as an educator spent a large part of her life moulding and mentoring the younger generations that had contributed immensely to nation building. Describing her as a good Christian, President Tinubu said her life would continue to inspire her family and other families in the State, adding that the large number of people that turned out to celebrate her at the gathering was a testament to her resilience and love for mankind. He said: Governor Dapo Abiodun has continued to promote the name of the family in the country through his support for the enthronement of good governance in the country. In his remarks, Governor Abiodun described his mother as an embodiment of success who played an important role in the life of her children. The governor noted that her hard work, faith in God, resilience, and a life of selflessness, had helped her children to be successful in life. Thanking God for sparing his mothers life to clock 90 years in sound health, the governor said she was greatly supportive of his late father, noting that the celebrant would continue to serve as an inspiration to her children. The Bishop of Remo Anglican Diocese, Most Reverend Olusina Fape, admonished the celebrant to re-dedicate her life to the service of God as she celebrates her 90 years birthday. Delivering a sermon with the theme; The Grateful Heart Receives More Blessings from God, Most Reverend Fape said the celebrant should thank God for being alive to witness the celebration of her 90th birthday, urging her to forgive those that had wronged her and show love to people around her. The clergyman, reading from Luke chapter 1 verse 46 to 49, said the life of the woman could be likened to that of Holy Mary who gave birth to Jesus as Chief Mrs Abiodun gave birth to Dapo Abiodun, who raised the name of the family as the number one citizen of the Gateway state. He described the celebrant as a devoted and committed Christian who had done a lot in the vineyard of God, noting that her generosity has made her to be chosen as the Iya Egbe Bishop of the church. While urging people to emulate the life of the celebrant, the clergyman commended Governor Abiodun for the massive infrastructural development in the state,adding that the construction of the Gateway International Airport at Iperu-Remo, is a big relief to the people of the state and the neighbouring states, as it would save them the stress of going to Lagos to board flights to their various destinations. Residents of Otte and Budo-Egba communities in the Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State have expressed relief following the inauguration of the rehabilitated Otte/Budo-Egba Waterworks by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaqs administration. According to a statement by the Deputy Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mashood Agboola, the water project is expected to improve access to clean and safe water for thousands of residents in the area. Mr Agboola said the project includes a 500,000-litre capacity tank aimed at strengthening the states water infrastructure. Quoting the governor, Mr Agboola said: This is not just about giving clean water to our people. The project brings comfort and renewed confidence in the power of our government to deliver. Access to clean water improves public health and supports education, as children no longer have to spend hours fetching water instead of being in school. Governor AbdulRazaq, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Special Duties, AbdulRazaq Jiddah, commended the contractors for their professionalism and appreciated the residents of Otte and its environs for their patience and cooperation during the rehabilitation process. He also listed other ongoing water rehabilitation projects in the state, including those at Omu-Aran, Oyun, and Sobi, while reaffirming that access to clean water remains a fundamental right of every resident. The statement added that several government officials and community leaders attended the commissioning, including the Chairman of the House Committee on Water Resources, Yunus Oniboki; Commissioner for Water Resources, Usman Lade; and Chairman of Asa Local Government, Shehu Amasa. Mr Oniboki noted that the project would go a long way in addressing water scarcity in the area, while Lade urged residents to protect the facility against vandalism, emphasising the state governments continued investment in water and sanitation. READ ALSO: Nigerian Army deploys troops to tackle kidnappers hiding in Kwara forests Mr Amasa described the waterworks as a beneficial and gigantic project, saying it would ease the hardship faced by residents, especially during the dry season. Other attendees, including Shehu Adaramaja and Abdullateef Alakawa, praised the initiative, saying it would have a lasting impact on the local communities. Pat Akpabio, a sister-in-law to the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has resuscitated the controversy surrounding the many unresolved killings that occurred in Akwa Ibom State when Mr Akpabio was governor of the state. For all the people you people have killed when you were the governor (of Akwa Ibom) and those you people have killed now that you are in the Senate, it will never be well with you, Pat said angrily to Mr Akpabio in a Facebook video she posted on 11 October. Pat, a pastor and a businesswoman, is married to Mr Akpabios brother, Ibanga, who reportedly brought Mr Akpabio from Lagos to Uyo around 1999 and nominated him for the appointment as commissioner in then-Governor Victor Attahs cabinet, where he grew politically and later became the third civilian governor of Akwa Ibom in 2007. He was elected on the PDP platform. Many in Akwa Ibom saw Ibanga at the time as the power behind Mr Akpabios sudden rise in Akwa Ibom politics. When Mr Akpabio became governor, he used his influence to get Ibanga elected as the PDP secretary in the oil-rich state. Many of Mr Akpabios relatives, including Ibanga, became powerful and exerted much political influence in the state. They were commonly called the Ukana Ikot Ntuen Cabal, named after Mr Akpabios hometown in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Many of them also suddenly became wealthy. The political influence of the once-powerful family began to fade soon after Mr Akpabio completed his second term as governor in 2015. A crack was noticed in the family in 2023 when Ibanga openly supported Mr Akpabios opponent, Emmanuel Enoidem, in that years senatorial election for the Akwa Ibom North-West District, which Mr Akpabio won and was subsequently elected as the Senate president. Another of the family leaders, Emem Akpabio, a former Shell employee popularly called the Godfather, became the leader of the 2023 governorship campaign of the candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Bassey Albert. Before that, Mr Akpabio had lost his re-election bid for the Senate in 2019 when he contested under the APC platform. A former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom, Chris Ekpenyong, the PDP candidate, defeated him. Several people close to Akpabios family told PREMIUM TIMES recently that the family has completely disintegrated. They said selfishness, the greed for money and power, is responsible for the familys internal fight. Pats Facebook video is the latest in her series of attacks against the Senate president. In it, she portrays Mr Akpabio as unworthy of the peoples trust and vows to challenge him in the 2027 senatorial election. She said Mr Akpabio betrayed many Akwa Ibom politicians like Umana Okon Umana, a former minister of Niger Delta Affairs; Nsima Ekere, a former APC governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom; Akan Udofia, another former APC governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom; and Mr Albert, the former YPP governorship candidate in the state. Pat said Mr Akpabio easily forgets the good things others have done for him, and that the Senate president will be disgraced in 2027 if he seeks re-election. When you finish, go home. This is your quit notice. Go home and rest; you need to take care of yourself. Nigerians dont know who you are. When they do, theyll know you are a very wicked man, she said, advising President Bola Tinubu to be wary of Mr Akpabio. Pat said Mr Akpabios hometown of Ukana Ikot Ntuen has been without power supply for several weeks, suggesting that Mr Akpabio, a ranking federal official, has not brought much development to his community. She claimed that Mr Akpabio accused her husband, Ibanga, of killing a close political associate and causing him (Akpabio) to lose the 2019 senatorial election. She also claimed that Mr Akpabio accused her husband of running away with his money. You know I love you. I dont hate you. I love you because you are a brother to my husband. I stood by you in 2019 when people wrote all sorts of things against you, did I collect 10 kobo from you? Today, you have the audacity to say that you are the one that made me. She dared Mr Akpabio to respond to her allegations and threatened to release more damaging information about the Senate president. Akpabio reacts Reacting through his spokesperson, Eseme Eyiboh, Mr Akpabio said Pat ought to file a report with Nigerias security agencies instead of taking to Facebook to accuse him of killings. Killing is at the heart of our criminal justice administration. So I expect a citizen who is aware of the commission of such a crime to be honest enough and be responsive by reporting or inviting the attention of the appropriate department of state to investigate. The issue of murder is not an issue that you want to use for a political vendetta. The law is very clear that whoever asserts must prove, Mr Eyiboh said on Monday. Mr Eyiboh said Mr Akpabio is a very humble and strong family person, and that Pat was taking advantage of these attributes of the Senate president. He said Mr Akpabio is too busy to pay attention to what his sister-in-law says against him. I think she is just doing it for attention. Who is going to give her that attention? The Senate president is very busy. PREMIUM TIMES told Mr Eyiboh that these were serious allegations that could damage Mr Akpabios reputation. It cannot. Because apart from the person who alleges, every other person is aware that those accusations do not exist, he responded. Our reporter reminded Mr Eyiboh that there were a lot of unresolved killings in Akwa Ibom when Mr Akpabio was governor and that some people had accused his administration of being responsible for the killings. You are aware that the challenge of insecurity is not only in Akwa Ibom, it is national, it is global. You cant say that Tinubu is the person who is bombing, killing people, using Boko Haram and gunmen. You cant say so because it is his government. It will also be unfair and uncharitable to say that insecurity or people were killed during Akpabios administration. And of course, you know that the insecurity problem is mostly out of this aboriginal question, we have an increase in cult-related activities and drugs, he responded. Meanwhile, a UK-based Nigerian, Zion Umoh, has thrown his weight behind Mr Akpabios sister-in-law for her accusation against the Senate president. History shall be kind to Princess Pat Akpabio for her boldness, Mr Umoh, an estranged political ally of Mr Akpabio, wrote on Facebook recently. Mr Umoh has been leading the campaign for Mr Akpabio to be investigated and prosecuted for the several killings that took place in Akwa Ibom during his administration. In November 2018, some Akwa Ibom leaders, led by a former senator, Anietie Okon, had called on Mr Akpabios successor, Udom Emmanuel, to set up a commission of inquiry into the killings. No street was safe under Akpabio Ex-governorship candidate In 2022, James Iniama, an estate surveyor and politician, narrated to PREMIUM TIMES how state agents, during Mr Akpabios administration, were after his life immediately after the 2007 governorship election, which he (Iniama) contested as a candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria against Mr Akpabio. Although he did not mention Mr Akpabios name during an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Iniama said Akpabios era as governor was the most unsafe in the history of Akwa Ibom. From 2007, there is no street in Akwa Ibom State that was safe anymore for residents. There was no business place that was safe for business, the thing that became popular was kidnapping, assassinations, rape. So, that wasnt anymore a society to live in, and for a wise person the best thing to do is get out of that environment. We have to stay alive. If I didnt stay alive you wouldnt be talking with me today. I can tell you I knew I was branded the first target for whatever evil that was in their mind, he said. Continuing, Mr Iniama said, You know the number of people who were kidnapped, you know how many of our mothers were murdered and stripped on the streets of Akwa Ibom State? It is something of which this state should be ashamed; we should go to God in repentance. How could you possibly strip my mother? Murder my mother, strip her and leave her on the street? My mother? Dont forget, God had to tell Cain, the blood of your brother is crying from the earth for vengeance. We are a Christian people; there are things that should not be heard of us. Mr Iniama said he had filed a suit against the Akwa Ibom State Government, which was finally settled out of court because of the intervention of Mr Akpabios successor, Mr Emmanuel. Mr Akpabio, who was then the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, dismissed Mr Iniamas remarks as political shenanigans taken too far. He had denied that there were state-sponsored killings and kidnappings in the state during his administration. There are records of killings. I can unearth them Journalist In 2022, a journalist in Uyo faulted Mr Akpabios claims that there were no state-sponsored killings when he was governor. The journalist, Ofonime Honesty, told PREMIUM TIMES, The records are there. I can unearth them. Mr Honesty mentioned the killing of a governorship aspirant, Iniekong Udonwas mother, the killing of a PDP chieftain, Paul Inyang and the killing of the paramount traditional ruler of the Ibibio, the Oku Ibom Ibibio, James Obot, as some of the unresolved killings that took place during Akpabios era. When the mother of a governorship aspirant, Iniekong Udonwa, was kidnapped, I was with my boss back then, John Elijah, who is now a barrister. We were heading to his (Udonwa) residence to interview him when we received a call from one of Iniekong Udonwas personal assistants that the man had been shot and his mother kidnapped. A couple of days later, we heard the man survived and that the mother was taken to an unknown location, she was murdered and abandoned on the street, the journalist said. Mr Honesty said he attended a press conference where Mr Akpabio, after he left office as governor, was confronted by reporters on the killings that took place under his watch. Mr Akpabio, according to the journalist, said the killings were carried out by the Niger Delta militants. The journalist said he too almost became a victim when people he said were agents of the state government came after him because of a critical article he wrote about Mr Akpabios wife, Unoma. I had to flee Akwa Ibom for a month or so, he said. It was even people inside the Government House, Uyo, who told me I should run for my life. Bayelsa West Senator, Seriake Dickson, has revealed that Governor Douye Diri consulted him before resigning from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He, however, said he advised the governor against the decision because he was not convinced of the reasons for leaving the party. Mr Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, who supported and handed over to Mr Diri, said that even if there were genuine issues prompting the governors decision, he should have allowed party leaders to address and resolve them before choosing to leave. The senator stated this on Wednesday while speaking with journalists at the National Assembly in Abuja, shortly after news of Governor Diris defection went viral. As in this case, the governor consulted me several times to his credit and I was not convinced because I didnt see any compelling reason for a second term governor to defect. No reason. And we know the issues in the PDP, but issues are there to be solved by the governors and the leaders, he said. Mr Dickson emphasised his loyalty to the PDP, noting that he remains in the party out of appreciation for the opportunities it has provided the Ijaw people and the Niger Delta region. Are they not the leaders of the parties? But thats where we are. Im just using this to say that I am still standing in the PDP that gave my Bayelsa people, my Ijaw people and the Niger Delta people an opportunity to run election, to emerge as vice president of this country, acting president of Nigeria and president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, PDP. This other party cannot do that. And Im standing there in the PDP, he added. Reports of Governor Diris resignation from the PDP broke early Wednesday, although he has yet to formally announce his new political platform. His spokesperson, Daniel Alabra, confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES. Mr Diris resignation comes just hours after Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State also dumped the PDP for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Bayelsa, located in Nigerias South-south region, has long been a PDP stronghold. Mr Diri was among the last remaining PDP governors in the region after Akwa-Ibom Governor, Umo Eno, defected to the APC in June. Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, defected earlier to the ruling party. Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State is now the only PDP governor left in the South-south. It is being speculated that the governor, who returned from a six month suspension recently, will soon move to the APC. Meanwhile, with Mr Diris exit, the number of the PDP governors has reduced to eight. They are the governors of Rivers, Adamawa, Bauchi, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba, and Zamfara while the APC now controls 24 states. If Mr Diri officially joins the APC, the ruling party will command five of the six South-south states. Retrieving the PDP Mr Dickson expressed concern about the deepening crisis within the PDP, stressing that efforts must continue to rebuilding the opposition party. However, he noted that if those efforts fail, he would consider other political options, though not the APC. If and when we dont succeed in retrieving the PDP, in saving the PDP, then well be part of a collective decision, which again should not be the ruling party because I believe there must be opposition. The senator added that opposition politics does not necessarily mean antagonism, giving instances where he supported the governments policies based on principle. He said, A democracy without opposition ceases to be democracy. It became a dictatorship from that day. It becomes totalitarian from that day. Opposition does not mean you have to be fighting. Here I am supporting the presidents nomination. By the constitution, it is the responsibility of the president to forward the name of INEC chairman to us, and he has done that. I know there are people who say a president who is partisan should not have that power, but that is not the law as it is. That is the law as it ought to be, probably. By the existing law, it is the constitutional responsibility and prerogative of the president to forward a name, and if I find that worthy, I support. The other day, they declared an emergency in River State. I came here to condemn it, and I still do so. You cant be wrong and get (it) right. We proposed a law on taxation reform. I supported it because Im a federalist. Im not in this political service for other constitutions. Im in it to advance my ideals, and values that are bigger than me, that are bigger than all of us. Those are the things that move me, that have brought me to politics. Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the gale of defections by politicians from other political parties to the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) has exposed the cracks in the camp of the opposition. He noted that while these cracks are becoming visible in the walls built by the opposition, the APC is growing stronger by the bridges it has constructed. The vice president, who represented President Bola Tinubu, spoke on Tuesday in Enugu during the grand reception of Governor Peter Mbah, his cabinet, and supporters into the APC. He described the decision by the governor and thousands of his supporters to defect to the governing APC as an extraordinary endorsement of the partys collective vision. Much has been said about the ongoing wave of defections to our great party. What the opposition has failed to do is look into the mirror to ask why the APC remains the preferred destination of Nigerias most visionary political actors. Their departures are not accidents; they reveal the cracks in the walls they built and the strength of the bridges we have constructed. Over the years, the APC has become a political home where ideas find expression, ambitions find direction, and patriotism finds partnership, he stated. The VP noted, however, that as President Tinubu had often pointed out, it is not the duty of the governing party to fix the house of the opposition. Our task is to offer Nigerians a level playing ground and a clear alternative built on integrity, competence, and performance. That we are chosen again and again as the political party of the moment and of the future is because we represent order over chaos, progress over paralysis, and hope over despair, he added. Addressing a mammoth crowd of supporters who thronged the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, in solidarity with the governor and his new party, VP Shettima maintained that the APC has nurtured relationships built on trust, accommodating divergent interests, and offering a platform where every Nigerian with noble intentions can find purpose. He said President Tinubus capacity to listen as well as his inclusive style of leadership and belief in merit have galvanised the party into the most formidable political platform in Africa. His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, our leader, is a man of all seasons and all people a man whose word is his bond. His sense of inclusion, his rare capacity to listen, and his belief in merit over sentiment have made the APC the most formidable political family in Africa. This is why every progressive mind, every reformist, and every visionary, sooner or later, finds their path leading here. So, to you, Your Excellency, Governor Peter Mbah, and your team welcome home. In the APC, you have found an enduring family, an ally in your journey, and a party that recognises your worth, he said. Observing that Governor Mbah had always been a part of the APC fold even before he joined the governing party, Mr Shettima suggested rather jocularly that the governor may have been hiding a broom in his umbrella, the symbol of the opposition PDP. He said, Your Excellency, let me say this with warmth and humour: you have always been one of us. You are a progressive through and through. I am convinced that you had a broom hidden in your umbrella all these years, waiting for the right moment to bring it out. And now that you have chosen the right time to come home, we are not bitter that you are joining us today we are overjoyed that you are here to strengthen our party and add your voice to the chorus of progress. The VP implicitly reminded Governor Mbah that he was now the leader of the APC in the state in line with the partys tradition, pointing out that the governor now carries the noble challenge of rebuilding the APC in, and from, Enugu State. You are not just a frontline stakeholder within the state; you are now a leading voice at the national level. Mr President has assured you of his full support, and I want to reaffirm that we stand ready to partner with you in deepening development and democratic dividends for the people of Enugu, he added. Noting that the strength of a political party lies in its foundation at the grassroots, including the associations, the networks, and the day-to-day interactions that give life to its ideals, VP Shettima said Mr Mbah, as peoples governor who has walked with the people and understand their pulse, is in a better position to identify and strengthen the foundations of APC. He continued: Your Excellency, you have always been our ally, even when you were under the umbrella, and now that you wield the broom of hope, we are even more delighted. You are an asset to this party, and we do not take the strength, influence, and credibility you bring for granted. Your coming enriches our story and reinforces our mission, he further stated. Welcoming the governor and his supporters to the party fold, the vice president reaffirmed the partys determination to remain the home of all progressives. On his part, the National Chairman of the APC, Nentawe Yilwatda, welcomed the governor into the ruling party, noting that they were now in the soul and family of the Progressives; the APC. He thanked the governor for boldly making the decision to take his people into the promised land through the APC. Governor Mbah has revamped the education sector, he has built roads and has done a lot for his people, that is why we welcome him home. He has a progressive heart, that is why we are glad to welcome him home, Mr Yilwatda stated. For his part, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, commended the governor for transforming the state within two years of his assumption of office. Mr Akpabio said it was a thing of joy for such a performing governor to join the fold of the progressives. Also, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, said the grand reception marked a historical day for the government and people of Enugu State. The speaker assured Mr Mbah of equal treatment among members of the APC family, even as he said the defection of the governor is a sure sign that the entire South-east region will eventually join the progressives family. Declaring his membership of the APC, Mr Mbah described the APC as the largest political party in Africa. He said his defection into the governing party is a new beginning that marks the end of wallowing on the sidelines, adding that his defection was a collective decision of the entire political family of the state. We are affirming today collectively that we are going together as a zone to put an end to segmented politics. We are moving to take the opportunity at the national level, he said. Also, the Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, said the forum is excited to welcome Governor Mbah into its fold. He expressed belief that the coming of Enugu State into the APC family would further strengthen support for President Tinubu in the South-east as well as the regions position in national politics. Stanley Nkwocha Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications (Office of The Vice President) 14th October, 2025 The exhibition More than Meets the Eye unveils a part of the CBH collection of modern and contemporary art from Africa, spanning nearly a century of creativity, from 1929 to 2024. Featuring works by over 80 artists from 21 African countries, the exhibition includes early innovators such as Albert and Antoinette Lubaki and Djilatendo; internationally acclaimed artists such as Amoako Boafo, El Anatsui, Yinka Shonibare, Abdoulaye Konate, JP Mika, and Omar Ba; as well as a vibrant new generation of dynamic women artists including Thandiwe Muriu, Cassi Namoda, Maku Azu, and Ayanfe Olarinde. Together they embody a bold, forward-looking vision of the continent's cultural expression. Rooted in the 1920s along the banks of the Congo River, African art rapidly spread throughout sub-Saharan Africa, giving rise to a constellation of distinct schools. From Lubumbashi to Abidjan, Dakar to Bamako, each reveals a modernity that is inventive, intricate, multifaceted, and vivid singular stars within a dazzling artistic galaxy. Deeply grounded in their local environments, these movements assert their uniqueness within a global art narrative long shaped by other voices. Even today, they continue to strive for their rightful place on the world stage. The exhibition unfolds across seven thematic chapters: emergence, spirituality, between two worlds, everyday life, intimacy, the timeless, and affirmation inviting visitors on an evolving journey through aesthetic, cultural, and temporal questions. An exhibition curated with an international lens More than Meets the Eye is co-curated by Jean-Yves Marin, former Director of the MAH and Artistic Adviser to CBH, and Ousseynou Wade, former Secretary General of the Dakar Biennale and a leading voice in African art. Together, they have shaped an exhibition that breaks free from colonial-era geographical constraints, spotlighting the continent's artistic exchanges across borders: "African artists have long moved, influenced, and inspired one another across nations far beyond administrative frontiers, arbitrary lines devoid of cultural meaning," explain the curators. "This show highlights the power of those transnational dialogues, weaving together history, memory, and creation." A contemporary setting serving the artworks The exhibition's scenography was entrusted to acclaimed architect and designer Pierre Yovanovitch, whose deep understanding of contemporary art environments helped shape a bold yet respectful setting for the works on view. "The challenge and the thrill was to create a space that steps back just enough to let the art speak for itself," he says. "The result is an immersive, refined layout, where curves, color, and calm allow the artworks to resonate fully with their surroundings." "With More than Meets the Eye the Musee Rath welcomes, for the first time, a broad panorama of African artistic creation. Curated and hosted by CBH, the exhibition unveils a private collection curated with dedication and conviction. This project perfectly reflects the mission of the MAH to broaden the conversation and showcase artistic voices still too rarely heard in institutional spaces," says Marc-Olivier Wahler, Director of the MAH. The exhibition will be accompanied by a rich public program, including talks, panel discussions, and encounters with artists, curators, and gallerists exploring the shifting landscape of contemporary art from Africa on a global scale. A richly illustrated exhibition catalogue will also be available for purchase at the Musee Rath. A broad cultural commitment For over 15 years, CBH has pursued a committed cultural program, notably in partnership with the Musee d'art et d'histoire de Geneve, emphasizing a long-term commitment to societal impact. Three main pillars shape this artistic commitment: a selection of modern Swiss artists; digital and algorithmic art; and finally, modern and contemporary art from Africa. "This exhibition is both the culmination of a passionate endeavor spanning several years, and an invitation to discover the plurality of African artistic narratives, representing a century of creativity that remains too seldom seen in Switzerland," says Simon Benhamou, CEO of CBH. "What moves me in this art is its richness, its diversity and above all, its spontaneity, which jolts us. It reveals a vibrant Africa, freed from cliches and resolutely forward-looking." Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794844/Hilary_Balu.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794845/Planets_in_My_Head.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794846/Vumani_II.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2795883/CBH_and_MAHG_Logo.jpg EV Education and Test Drive Experience Returns Indoors to the 2026 Chicago Auto Show OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA), producer of the Chicago Auto Show, successfully concluded its fourth annual Chicago Drives Electric event, held Oct. 2-5 in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. The event marked its most expansive year yet, bringing together 16 automotive brands and 44 electrified vehicle models for consumers to explore through test drives and hands-on educational opportunities. Launched in 2022, Chicago Drives Electric continues to grow in reach and relevance, offering consumers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to get behind the wheel of all-electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles, ranging from luxury models to rugged SUVs and practical family vehicles, all in one convenient location. "Chicago Drives Electric is designed to break down barriers to EV ownership by giving consumers the tools, insights and first-hand experience they need to make an informed decision," said CATA President Jennifer Morand. "The increased participation from automakers and strong consumer turnout this year reflect the growing momentum and enthusiasm around electric vehicles." Over the course of the event, Chicago Drives Electric attracted 855 total registered drivers and facilitated 4,546 in-vehicle experiences, demonstrating sustained consumer interest in electric vehicles. Participants had the opportunity to test drive vehicles from BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, GMC, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Lotus, Polestar, Tesla, Toyota, VinFast and Volkswagen, with expert product specialists to answer questions and guide them through the evolving EV landscape. The event was powered by ComEd, which once again served as presenting sponsor. Experts from ComEd were onsite to provide vital information on EV charging, home installation, rebates and incentives. Premier sponsor Cars.com also returned, offering tools and guidance for attendees navigating EV options and vehicle trade-ins. "Collaboration with industry leaders and partners has transformed Chicago Drives Electric into more than just a test drive event; it's a true resource hub," said CATA Chairman Ryan Kelly. "It's a place where people can ask real questions and leave with practical, actionable knowledge." According to a post-event survey, 79 percent of attendees reported they are more likely to purchase an electric vehicle after attending the event. For 20 percent of attendees, this was their first time driving or riding in an EV, highlighting the importance of hands-on experience in shaping consumer perceptions. Additionally, 92 percent of attendees said the event improved their opinion of electric vehicle ownership, highlighting the role events like Chicago Drives Electric play in shaping consumer attitudes toward EVs. For consumers who missed the October event, Chicago Drives Electric will return in February 2026 as part of the Chicago Auto Show. The show will feature an indoor EV test track at McCormick Place, giving attendees another chance to drive the latest electrified vehicles and explore EV ownership in an interactive setting. "The indoor EV test track has become a fan favorite at the Chicago Auto Show," said Morand. "We're excited to bring this experience back in 2026, continuing to educate and empower consumers as more brands launch innovative electric vehicles." The 2026 Chicago Auto Show will be held Feb. 7-16 at McCormick Place, with Media Preview Days on Feb. 5-6 and the First Look for Charity black-tie gala on Feb. 6. For more information on the 2026 Chicago Auto Show, visit ChicagoAutoShow.com. About Chicago Drives Electric Chicago Drives Electric was established in 2022 as an interactive and informational event for consumers to learn about electrified vehicles due to the growth of both supply and demand for electrification. This EV-focused event occurs twice a year: in the fall and during the Chicago Auto Show (February). Chicago Drives Electric is aimed at raising awareness of the many benefits of all-electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles to help consumers understand how EVs can fit individual needs and lifestyles. For more information and upcoming event updates, visit ChicagoDrivesElectric.com. About the Chicago Auto Show First staged in 1901, the Chicago Auto Show is the nation's longest running auto exposition in North America. The show is produced by Chicagoland's new-car dealer association, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, which has staged the show since 1935. The 2026 public show is Feb. 7-16 at McCormick Place. For more information and the latest updates, visit ChicagoAutoShow.com. About the Chicago Automobile Trade Association Founded in 1904, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association is one of the nation's largest metropolitan dealer organizations. It is comprised of more than 420 franchised new-car dealers and an additional 150 allied members. The group's dealer members employ about 19,000 people in the metropolitan area. The association has produced the world-famous Chicago Auto Show since 1935. For more information, visit www.CATA.info. SOURCE Chicago Automobile Trade Association Historic Exchange Now Delivers Extended Hours Trading in U.S. Equities to Global Investors STAMFORD, Conn., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a historic milestone for the financial industry, 24 Exchange today announced that trading has officially commenced on 24X National Exchange (the "Exchange"), the first national securities exchange approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to offer 23-hour weekday trading of U.S. equities under full regulatory oversight. 24X National Exchange offers live trading of U.S. equities from 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET on weekdays, providing unprecedented access to U.S. equity markets for institutional investors and retail investors worldwide via broker-dealers that are members of this SEC-licensed Exchange. 24X National Exchange addresses growing demand for extended-hours trading among global investors, particularly in Asian and other regions where time-zones make traditional U.S. market hours difficult to access. With its early-morning (U.S. pre-market) and evening trading hours, the Exchange provides increased flexibility for trading strategies, improved liquidity, and more opportunities to react to global economic, corporate, or policy news outside of standard U.S. exchange operating hours. The Exchange operates as a fully regulated national securities exchange under SEC oversight across an extended trading day, providing the same investor protections and market integrity safeguards as all other SEC-licensed national exchanges. 24X National Exchange is built upon a proven, cutting-edge technology platform powered by MEMX Technologies, ensuring a seamless, resilient, and cost-effective trading experience. The Unlisted Trading Privileges (UTP) data feed exchange code for 24X National Exchange is 'G'. 24X National Exchange CEO and Founder Dmitri Galinov said: "Our launch marks a milestone in the evolution of U.S. equities markets to trading around-the-clock. We're excited that 24X National Exchange has pioneered this path that will increase access, transparency, speed, and alignment with the global nature of today's economy while lowering costs." The Exchange received SEC approval in November 2024 to operate 23/5 trading hours, subject to the implementation of necessary modifications to Equity Data Plans and subsequent rule filings confirming its compliance with the Securities Exchange Act. Pending final approvals and market infrastructure alignment, 24X National Exchange currently expects to launch 23/5 trading in the second half of 2026. In that phase, the Exchange will operate from 8:00 p.m. ET on Sunday through 8:00 p.m. ET on Friday, with a daily one-hour pause for operational maintenance. "This launch is a transformational moment for global traders looking to access U.S. equity markets at more convenient times," Galinov added. "After years of innovation and regulatory collaboration, we're proud to deliver on our promise of around-the-clock trading to investors around the world. 24X National Exchange's launch is just the beginning we're one major step closer to making 23-hour weekday trading a reality for U.S. equities worldwide." About 24 Exchange 24X Bermuda Holdings LLC ("24 Exchange") is a privately held company with two primary operating subsidiaries: 24X Bermuda Limited, which allows seamless and cost-effective exchange of currency exposures; and 24X National Exchange LLC, the first national securities exchange approved by the SEC to operate 23 hours each weekday. 24 Exchange's mission is to enable cost-effective trades across a growing range of asset classes around the clock. 24 Exchange lowers the cost of exchanging assets in the global markets while delivering creative and unique workflows catered to each asset class. More information is available at https://24exchange.com/. 24X National Exchange will enable retail and institutional customers around the world to trade in U.S. equities via broker-dealers who are approved members. More information about 24X National Exchange is available at https://equities.24exchange.com/home. Media Contact: Eric Andrus, KARV [email protected] Phone: +1 (212) 333-0275 SOURCE 24 Exchange Law Would Give New Yorkers a dedicated, independent voice to fight for fairness in utility rate decisions ALBANY, N.Y., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- EN ESPANOL AARP New York was joined today by fellow consumer advocates at the state Capitol to call upon Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign legislation that would create an independent office to represent everyday consumers in utility rate cases. AARP New York and AARP members hand-delivered 4,000 letters from constituents calling on the governor to sign S.6277 (Scarcella-Spanton)/A.2468 (Dinowitz) into law to ensure utility customers have a dedicated advocate with a seat at the regulatory table. From left to right: Bill Ferris, AARP New York legislative representative; Russ Haven, General Counsel of the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG); and AARP members urged Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the Independent Utility Advocate Bill during a press conference at the state Capitol. AARP New York members delivered 4,000 letters from constituents asking the governor to sign S.6277 (Scarcella-Spanton)/A.2468 (Dinowitz). Photo courtesy of AARP New York. "We've been advocating for an independent utility advocate in New York for far too long. Most states and the District of Columbia already have offices for independent utility advocates," AARP New York State Director Beth Finkel said. "It's high time for New York to level the playing field for the consumer who cannot afford a legion of lawyers to fight for their rights, like utilities have at their disposal. Once signed, this legislation will help New York State become more affordable, a well-known and noble goal the governor has for her constituents." Utilities, funded by their ratepayers, spend nearly $20 million annually on legal teams, consultants, and extensive professional and administrative staff to raise rates, while residential consumer advocates have minimal resources, making it difficult to challenge utility proposals or influence outcomes in rate cases. The bill would level that playing field by creating the state Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate. According to the legislation, the powers of the office would include initiating, intervening and participating on behalf of residential utility consumers in proceedings before the Public Service Commission, the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, state and local administrative and regulatory agencies, and state and federal courts in matters that would substantially affect residential utility customers. Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton said: "As utility rates continue to skyrocket and everyday New Yorkers continue struggling to pay their utility bills, it is essential that their interests are represented and considered when utility companies make the decision to increase rates. As a legislator, one of the top issues my constituents share with me is the rising costs of utilities, which is why it is critical that our legislation creating the state office of the Utility Consumer Advocate is signed into law by the Governor." "The 4,000 petitions from AARP members asking for my legislation (A.2468/S.6277) to be signed into law that would create the Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate underscores how vital this legislation is for older New Yorkers, many of whom live on a fixed income. The egregious rate hikes utility companies have been able to impose on AARP members and other ratepayers is due in no small part to the fact that there is no independent entity fighting solely on behalf of residential utility consumers, ultimately subjecting some of our most vulnerable New Yorkers to skyrocketing utility costs," Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said. "My bill would ensure that consumers have a power advocate whose sole mission is to represent their interests and intervene when utility companies seek to gouge their customers, as they have been. This legislation will help make New York more affordable, a cause which I know that Governor Hochul is committed to, and I urge her to sign it into law." "PULP urges Governor Hochul to sign the bill creating an independent Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate (A.2468/S.6277) into law. Now is the time for New York State to level the playfield by bringing an independent advocate to the table in utility rate cases. As companies continue to file double-digit requests to increase delivery costs, we must find ways to grow representation and advocacy in the rate case process," said Laurie Wheelock, PULP Executive Director. "New York can look to other states, including California, where independent advocates save utility customers money every year. PULP thanks Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz for their leadership on this issue." "New Yorkers are getting hammered by high utility rates, pushing some 430,000 New Yorkers in June to the brink of service termination. One reason is that utility lawyers, engineers, and economists drown out consumer voices in rate proceedings. The kicker is that ratepayers end up paying for the millions of dollars of utility lobbying for rate hikes in their monthly bills. Renters and homeowners need utility rate relief," said Russ Haven, General Counsel, New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG). "Establishing an independent utility advocate office will help level the playing field in Public Service Commission and other utility proceedings and keep the lid on rate hikes. The experience in other states shows that independent advocate offices can make a big difference and it's time that Governor Hochul got on board." AARP is also fighting a number of proposed rate hikes by utility companies that will see consumers' bills skyrocket. An independent advocate would boost the call for affordability, plain-language reporting and transparency, so ratepayers can understand their bills and hold companies accountable. Visit AARP New York's utility blog at aarp.org/NYutilities for more information on New York's utility affordability crisis. Connect with AARP New York on X: @AARPNY, Facebook: AARP New York and LinkedIn: AARP New York About AARP AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation's largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/ , www.aarp.org/espano l or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspanol and @AARPadvocates on social media. SOURCE AARP New York ENGLEWOOD, N.J., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Food Action (CFA) will host its 49th Annual Fall Fundraiser on Thursday, October 23, 2025, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe. The event will celebrate a new generation of community advocates through the inaugural Next Generation Nourish Awards, which highlight local youth who are making a meaningful impact in the fight against hunger and poverty to help children and families thrive. "When young people step up, they bring new energy, vision, and hope," said Nicole Davis, Director of the Center for Food Action. "Our honorees show us what's possible when the youth channel their energy and creativity into helping others. Their work shows us that the next generation isn't waiting for tomorrow, they're making a difference today, and we are proud to celebrate their impact." The Nourish Awards will honor Leah Gaber of Saddle River Day School, Kaitlyn Klaus of the University of Mississippi, the Girl Scout Troops of Englewood, Fort Lee, Old Tappan, and Oradell, and PIM Brands. CFA will also conduct a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new mobile pantry, which will enhance the organization's ability to reach families in need across northern New Jersey. All proceeds from the fundraiser will directly support CFA's programs, which provide emergency food, housing assistance, and advocacy for thousands of New Jersey families. Learn more, or purchase tickets here: https://CFANJ.short.gy/FallFundraiser About the Center for Food Action The Center for Food Action (CFA), founded in 1976, is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization that provides emergency services to the poorest and most vulnerable residents of northern New Jersey. CFA provides food, rental, utility, and heating assistance and offers counseling and advocacy services to low-income individuals and families. SOURCE Center for Food Action BEIJING, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- China on Monday held the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women to address women's rights and all-round development. CGTN published an article highlighting China's achievements in promoting women's development since the landmark 1995 Beijing conference, and exploring how the country is advancing global cooperation on women's development as a major nation. As this year marks the 30th anniversary of the landmark Beijing women's conference that adopted the historic Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, China on Monday held the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women to further advance global women's development. In his keynote speech, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized women's vital role in driving social progress and proposed four key actions for the international community to take concrete steps toward gender equality, women's rights protection and all-round development. He called on all countries to create a peaceful and stable environment for women's development and strengthen anti-violence mechanisms, fostering new growth drivers to empower women, and improve global women's governance systems to expand women's participation in national and social governance. Furthermore, Xi urged deeper global cooperation on women's development, calling for support of the United Nations' central role and the creation of platforms to promote global women's cooperation. China makes great strides in women's development Monday's meeting took place as China continues to make remarkable progress in women's development. Since 2013, targeted poverty alleviation efforts have lifted millions of women out of poverty, with 690 million now enjoying a moderately prosperous standard of living. Today, women account for more than half of all higher education students and over 40 percent of the workforce. They make up 45.8 percent of China's scientific community, over half of internet entrepreneurs, and 42.3 percent of judges nationwide reflecting growing opportunities for women in leadership and professional fields. Meanwhile, women's health and well-being have improved significantly. Average life expectancy for women now exceeds 80 years, and maternal mortality has dropped by 77 percent between 1995 and 2024. The World Health Organization has recognized China as a top performer in maternal and child health. "On the new journey of Chinese modernization, every woman is a key actor," Xi said at the meeting. China leads global push for women's development Beyond its domestic progress, China has also been an active promoter of women's development worldwide, especially in developing countries. Since 2015, China has contributed $20 million to UN Women, co-established the UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education, and launched projects advancing digital education, healthcare and vocational skills for girls in Africa. The UNESCO prize alone has supported 18 organizations in 18 countries, empowering thousands of girls to pursue their dreams. Through more than 100 maternal and child health programs, 100 "Happy School" initiatives, and numerous projects in housing, infrastructure and training, China has helped improve women's living and educational conditions across the Global South. Leveraging the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund (GDF), China has implemented women-focused projects worth $40 million in over 20 countries. In training and capacity building alone, it has empowered more than 200,000 women from 180 countries and established the Global Exchange and Cooperation Center for Digital Empowerment of Women, broadening access to opportunities for women worldwide. At Monday's meeting, Xi announced further commitments to women's development over the next five years: China will provide $10 million of funds to UN Women and $100 million for the GDF to support programs benefiting women and girls, aid 1,000 "small and beautiful" projects to improve women's livelihoods, invite 50,000 women to China for exchanges and training, and establish a global center for women's capacity building. With new commitments and deeper cooperation, the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women is poised to become another milestone in the ongoing journey toward a more inclusive and equitable world for all women. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-10-13/China-leads-global-push-for-a-new-milestone-in-women-s-development-1Hr25ID2HtK/p.html Report Cites Company's Comprehensive Protocol Coverage and Data-Centric Strategy SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Corelight, the fastest-growing leader in network detection and response (NDR), today announced it has been named a Leader in The Forrester Wave: Network Analysis and Visibility Solutions, Q4 2025. The report evaluates the 12 most significant providers in the market, assessing them on their current offering, strategy, and customer feedback. According to the evaluation, Corelight's Open NDR Platform received the highest score possible in the deployment and administration criteria, which Corelight believes reflects the solution's flexible deployment options and ease of management. The company also received the highest scores possible in the protocol coverage criterion. "We believe this report by Forrester, our fifth major industry recognition this year, validates our data-centric approach to strengthening attack surface discovery and empowering security operations teams with the deep network context they need to detect and respond to increasingly sophisticated and persistent threats," said Brian Dye, Corelight CEO. "We see this as an acknowledgement of not just what we do today, but also the growth-driven investment against our vision, innovation, and long-term roadmap, earning us the highest possible score in the vision criterion." Corelight's Key Strengths Recognized by Forrester In Corelight's vendor profile, Forrester cited the following: Data-Centric Innovation : Forrester noted that Corelight "positions its solution as a network context force multiplier, strengthening attack surface discovery/prioritization and the future SOC." The report states that the company's innovation approach "aligns with a data-centric strategy tailored to its target users" and is "backed by substantial R&D investment." : Forrester noted that Corelight "positions its solution as a network context force multiplier, strengthening attack surface discovery/prioritization and the future SOC." The report states that the company's innovation approach "aligns with a data-centric strategy tailored to its target users" and is "backed by substantial R&D investment." Comprehensive Detection Approach : According to the report, "Corelight minimizes reliance on a single approach to threat detection by relying on multiple mechanisms tailored to specific use cases." : According to the report, "Corelight minimizes reliance on a single approach to threat detection by relying on multiple mechanisms tailored to specific use cases." Open-Source Foundation: Forrester recognized Corelight's roots in the open-source community, noting the company's "advantage of access to the broader Zeek community." Corelight's Open NDR platform provides organizations with deep network visibility through advanced traffic analysis, behavioral analytics, and threat intelligence integration. The solution enables security teams to detect lateral movement, insider threats, and advanced persistent threats that often evade perimeter defenses. The platform's key differentiators include: Industry-leading network evidence Rich, actionable evidence with full context helps defenders understand attack vectors, spot lateral movement and reconstruct attacker behaviors with clarity and certainty. Rich, actionable evidence with full context helps defenders understand attack vectors, spot lateral movement and reconstruct attacker behaviors with clarity and certainty. Proven multi-layered detection strategy Fusing machine learning (ML), behavioral analytics, curated signatures, and threat intelligence provides defenders with prioritized, aggregated alerts based on risk and expert-tuned detections. Fusing machine learning (ML), behavioral analytics, curated signatures, and threat intelligence provides defenders with prioritized, aggregated alerts based on risk and expert-tuned detections. Open source advantage Built on an open-source foundation that is used by the world's elite defenders, customers benefit from curated community content contributions that help detect emerging threats faster. Built on an open-source foundation that is used by the world's elite defenders, customers benefit from curated community content contributions that help detect emerging threats faster. AI driven acceleration Integration of large language models and ML-based detection algorithms enables evidence-backed summaries, guided triage, and analyst-ready workflows to accelerate investigations without locking customers into proprietary platforms. Integration of large language models and ML-based detection algorithms enables evidence-backed summaries, guided triage, and analyst-ready workflows to accelerate investigations without locking customers into proprietary platforms. Flexible deployment options With a strong and growing technical ecosystem, Corelight Open NDR can be seamlessly deployed in a wide range of architectures from cloud to on-premises to hybrid with integrations across the security stack. With a strong and growing technical ecosystem, Corelight Open NDR can be seamlessly deployed in a wide range of architectures from cloud to on-premises to hybrid with integrations across the security stack. Leading customer support An expert team of security professionals provides support and advice to customers from implementation and integration through the entire lifecycle of the customer relationship. The Forrester Wave: Network Analysis and Visibility Solutions, Q4 2025 evaluated vendors based on current offering, strategy, and market presence, with emphasis on decryption capabilities, API-first integration strategies, and analyst experience. To learn more about Corelight's positioning as a Leader, visit https://corelight.com/blog/corelight-named-a-leader-in-2025-nav-solutions-by-forrester. About Corelight Corelight transforms network and cloud activity into evidence that security teams use to proactively hunt for threats, accelerate response to incidents, gain complete network visibility, and create powerful analytics. Corelight's customers include Global 2000 companies, major government agencies, and large research universities. Based in San Francisco, Corelight is an open-core security company founded by the creators of Zeek, the widely used open source network security technology. For more information, visit www.corelight.com. Forrester Disclaimer Forrester does not endorse any company, product, brand, or service included in its research publications and does not advise any person to select the products or services of any company or brand based on the ratings included in such publications. Information is based on the best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. For more information, read about Forrester's objectivity here . SOURCE Corelight Gary Wagner and Amy Warrender Add Extensive Wealth Management Experience DENVER, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Crusonia Wealth Advisors LLC, an independent Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), is strengthening its team with Gary Wagner, J.D., joining as a partner and senior wealth advisor, and Amy Warrender as wealth advisor. The addition of these key players further supports the company's goal to strengthen Crusonia's relationships with high-net-worth individuals and families. Prior to adding Wagner and Warrender, Crusonia has welcomed several new advisors with deep experience in client-centric financial planning, investment strategy, and portfolio management. Gary Wagner, J.D., Partner and Senior Wealth Advisor at Crusonia Wealth Advisors Amy Warrender, Wealth Advisor at Crusonia Wealth Advisors Co-Founder and Managing Director Zach Pashel said that Wagner and Warrender represent Crusonia's commitment to providing the highest-quality, personalized, and holistic wealth management services and support. "We are building a team of experienced, compassionate advisors united by a shared vision to provide clients with personalized and comprehensive financial solutions to preserve their assets and help achieve their aspirations," Pashel said. "Gary and Amy embody those values and bring robust skill sets to strengthen our firm." Wagner brings more than 20 years of experience in wealth management. He most recently served as co-founder and managing director at Private Capital Management and was the CEO and co-founder of Wagner Wealth Management. Previously, Wagner was a partner at a large Denver law firm and associate general counsel for Qwest Communications. Wagner has served on the board of directors of the Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Community Foundation, and Temple Emanuel, as well as on their investment committees. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor from Duke University. "Gary's experience in financial services, legal, and corporate business is a powerful combination, and our clients will benefit from his deep expertise and insights," Pashel noted. "He understands the complexities of wealth management and provides the firm with many decades of experience and leadership." Amy Warrender is also a seasoned financial services veteran with extensive valuable experience in wealth management and financial planning. Most recently, she served as a senior financial planner at Private Capital Management, where she provided portfolio planning and analysis for clients. Warrender is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) professional and holds the Accredited Estate Planner (AEP) designation. "Amy will have an immediate and lasting impact on our clients' financial planning and help them with wealth management. For more than two decades, she has cultivated strong relationships with clients and her colleagues," Pashel said. Amy graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. For more information about joining Crusonia's advisor team, contact Zach Pashel at [email protected]. About Crusonia Wealth Advisors Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Crusonia Wealth Advisors LLC is an independent Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) offering private wealth management, including investment, retirement, education funding, tax, and philanthropic planning. The firm provides a superior platform for advisors to focus on high-net-worth clients through customized financial planning and investment management. Supported by Michaud Capital Management LLC, Crusonia offers an independent and agnostic environment that prioritizes client needs. Visit www.crusoniawealth.com to learn more. SOURCE Crusonia Wealth Advisors Jim Foote, CEO of First Ascent Biomedical, is revolutionizing cancer care with an AI-driven, functional precision medicine platform. Inspired by his son's battle, Foote's technology analyzes a patient's tumor to identify the most effective treatments, moving from a "one-size-fits-all" approach to data-driven, personalized care. TAMPA BAY, Fla., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2025, over 2 million new cancer cases are projected in the United States, yet standard treatment fails one-third of patients. (1,2) Jim Foote, CEO of First Ascent Biomedical, is challenging this reality with a technology-driven approach inspired by his son's cancer diagnosis. In a recent episode of the Disruption/Interruption podcast with host Karla Jo Helms, Foote explained how his company is giving new hope to families by making cancer care truly personal. "I literally have gone from trying and hoping to testing and choosing," Foote stated, encapsulating the shift from uncertainty to data-driven precision in oncology. DI: 199 The Problem with One-Size-Fits-All Cancer Care For decades, the standard of care in oncology has treated patients based on broad protocols, grouping individuals by cancer type rather than their unique biological makeup. This system, while effective for many, leaves a significant portion of patients with limited options when treatments fail. As Foote explains, "The standard of care treats us based on everybody that hopefully looks like me." This approach is particularly frustrating for doctors treating complex cases or pediatric patients. "If you and I got the same cancer, we would be treated exactly the same way," Foote notes. Doctors are often left "grasping at straws" when a patient doesn't respond to the standard protocol. This gap in the system highlights the urgent need for a more individualized strategy. Functional Precision Medicine: A New Frontier First Ascent Biomedical is pioneering a solution with its functional precision medicine platform. Instead of relying solely on generic protocols, the company tests up to 152 FDA-approved drugs directly on a patient's live tumor cells. "We provide the doctor a list of which drugs work and more importantly, which drugs don't," says Foote. This data, combined with genomics and analyzed by a proprietary AI engine, maps out every weakness in the patient's tumor. This innovative model provides oncologists with a ranked list of effective treatments tailored to the individual, empowering them to make data-informed decisions. Foote's vision is clear: "Upon primary diagnosis, we can tell you what drugs work, we can tell you which drugs don't work, and then give that data to the doctor to choose the best individual protocol." This convergence of AI, robotics, and advanced drug testing is making personalized cancer treatment faster, more affordable, and more effective than ever. Links Disrupting Cancer Treatment: From Personal Mission to a New Precision Medicine Platform with Jim Foote https://omny.fm/shows/disruption-interruption/disrupting-cancer-treatment-from-personal-mission-to-a-new-precision-medicine-platform-with-jim-foote LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-foote Company Website: https://firstascentbiomedical.com/ Disruption Interruption is the podcast where you will hear from today's biggest Industry Disruptors. Learn what motivated them to bring about innovation and how they overcame opposition to adoption. Disruption Interruption can be listened to in Apple's App Store and Spotify. About Disruption Interruption Disruption is happening on an unprecedented scale, impacting all manner of industries MedTech, Finance, IT, eCommerce, shipping, logistics, and moreand COVID has moved their timelines up a full decade or more. But WHO are these disruptors and when did they say, "THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD IT!"? Time to Disrupt and Interrupt with host Karla Jo "KJ" Helms, veteran communications disruptor. KJ interviews badasses who are disrupting their industries and altering economic networks that have become antiquated with an establishment resistant to progress. She delves into uncovering secrets from industry rebels and quiet revolutionaries that uncover common traitsand not-so-commonthat are changing our economic markets and lives. Visit the world's key pioneers that persist to success, despite arrows in their backs at www.disruption-interruption.com. About Jim Foote Jim Foote is the CEO and Co-Founder of First Ascent Biomedical, a pioneering company advancing AI-driven Functional Precision Medicine to personalize cancer care. A lifelong technologist and entrepreneur, Foote has dedicated his career to harnessing automation, data, and machine learning to solve complex problemsnone more personal than cancer. After losing his 16-year-old son, Trey, to the disease, Foote turned tragedy into mission. Determined to change the story for families facing similar words"We're sorry, but there are few options left"he founded First Ascent Biomedical to ensure that every patient has access to individualized, data-driven treatment options. Under his leadership, the company has developed a Drug Prediction Platform that integrates functional drug testing, multi-omics sequencing, and AI-guided tumor analysis to match patients with the most effective therapeutic solutions within weeks. Prior to founding First Ascent, Foote spent over two decades leading global technology and data systems initiatives across finance, cloud infrastructure, and cybersecurity. His expertise in building scalable, high-performance systems now fuels his mission to modernize oncology, making personalized medicine accessible, explainable, and clinically actionable. Through his work, Foote is helping to redefine how the world fights cancertransforming treatment from trial and error to precision and proof. About Karla Jo Helms Karla Jo Helms is the Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR Strategist for JOTO PR Disruptors. Karla Jo learned firsthand how unforgiving business can be when millions of dollars are on the line and how the control of public opinion often determines whether one company is happily chosen, or another is brutally rejected. Being an alumnus of crisis management, Karla Jo has worked with litigation attorneys, private investigators, and the media to help restore companies of goodwill into the good graces of public opinion Karla Jo operates on the ethic of getting it right the first time, not relying on second chances and doing what it takes to excel. Helms speaks globally on public relations, how the PR industry itself has lost its way, and how, in the right hands, corporations can harness the power of Anti-PR to drive markets and impact market perception. References Siegel, Rebecca L., et al. "Cancer Statistics, 2025." CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, vol. 75, no. 1, 16 Jan. 2025, acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3322/caac.21871, doi.org/10.3322/caac.21871. World Health Organization. "Global Cancer Burden Growing, amidst Mounting Need for Services." WHO, 2024, who.int/news/item/01-02-2024-global-cancer-burden-growing--amidst-mounting-need-for-services. Media Inquiries: Karla Jo Helms JOTO PR 727-777-4629 SOURCE Disruption Interruption ELLSWORTH, Wis., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery is proud to announce today, on National Cheese Curd Day, that it is rolling out the company's refreshed brand and packaging. This refresh effort reflects Ellsworth's continued commitment to its cooperative roots, where it is owned by 180 family dairy farms, and its commitment to the communities it serves and its legacy of craftsmanship. Consumers will begin to notice the refreshed packaging and brand identity in stores and online in the coming weeks. New Curds Packaging The refreshed branding retains key elements of Ellsworth's historical logo while introducing thoughtful updates that honor its cooperative structure and Wisconsin roots. Alongside new packaging, the Creamery is refreshing its website and other communications to prepare for the future while honoring its past. According to Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery's Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Pieh, "we are proud of our past 115 years as a cooperative and want to celebrate the farmers, milk haulers, cheesemakers, employees, and communities who make Ellsworth Creamery what it is today, and we look forward to a bright future." Continues Pieh "The Creamery has always been about more than cheese. The real story reflects all the people who come together to make our cheese, pride in our processes, and connection that comes with building something meaningful within a community for over a century. At the end of the day, we're honored to continue perfecting our craft and creating products that bring people together." Ellsworth's legacy continues to expand in new and exciting ways. Today, the Creamery is recognized as the #1 retail brand of cheese curds in the U.S., offering more than eight flavors produced at its hometown Ellsworth, WI facilitydesignated the official "Cheese Curd Capital." But beyond cheese curds, the company offers a full line of specialty and premium cheeses at its other facilities in Menomonie, WI and New London, WI. The company also continues to evolve with consumer shopping trends, offering products across retail, foodservice, and industrial sales channels nationwide and internationally, as well as through its Ellsworth and Menomonie, WI company stores and online e-commerce site. As Ellsworth celebrates its 115th anniversary, the cooperative remains deeply proud of its heritage while embracing its role as a modern, award-winning cheesemaker - one that connects tradition with innovation, and product with people. Media Contact: Steve Weigel Communications Director 763.350.0573 [email protected] SOURCE Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery LONDON, ON, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - EpiSign Inc. today announced the launch of METRIC, a next-generation software platform that converts complex epigenomic data into actionable clinical insights. Building on over ten years of validated scientific research and globally adopted workflows, EpiSign METRIC (Methylation-based Episignature Testing and Reference-based Interpretation & Classification) provides diagnostic leaders with a fast, standardized approach for interpreting methylation profiles across a broad range of clinical indications. Purpose built for modern clinical workflows. EpiSign METRIC integrates seamlessly with existing hardware and software systems while connecting users to EpiSign's comprehensive epigenomic database. Powered by AI algorithms, the secure cloud-based platform enables users to autonomously access and interpret patients' DNA methylation data, thereby enhancing efficiency and accelerating turnaround times. With this release, EpiSign is expanding global access to high-quality epigenomic diagnostics. "EpiSign METRIC is a milestone for patients, clinicians, and health systems," said Dan Sinai, President & CEO, EpiSign Inc. "By bringing validated episignature interpretation to the point of care, EpiSign METRIC shortens the path from sample to clinical insightempowering partners to deliver faster, more confident answers for families." EpiSign METRIC combines robust quality control, automated classification, and human-centered reporting to streamline end-to-end analysis. "We built EpiSign METRIC to operationalize a decade of epigenomic discovery," said Dr. Bekim Sadikovic, Chief Scientific Officer, EpiSign Inc. "The platform applies reference-based models to patient methylation profiles, matching them against validated episignatures and generating standardized, clinician-friendly reports. The outcome is reproducible interpretation across sites, with the flexibility to incorporate new syndromes and evidence as the field advances." Today, EpiSign METRIC screens for 200 episignature disorders, with a roadmap to expand coverage to 1,000 syndromes over the next five years. Informed by ongoing collaborations with more than 125 institutions across 25 countries, this platform reflects EpiSign's commitment to rigorous validation and global accessibility. As the evidence base grows, EpiSign METRIC users benefit immediately, without the need for local updates or retooling. "The EpiSign METRIC platform marks a critical step toward integrating DNA methylation episignatures into the routine diagnostic landscape," said Marielle Alders, Clinical Laboratory Geneticist at Amsterdam UMC. "With future updates extending to 5-base sequencing and an expanding catalogue of disease and exposure-related episignatures, EpiSign METRIC establishes the foundation for continuous evolution of precision epigenomic diagnostics." Designed to scale with you. EpiSign METRIC's architecture supports high-throughput workflows, multi-lab collaborations, and adherence to strict data privacy and security standards. For laboratories and hospital systems, this means consistent performance at scale, reduced turnaround times, and harmonized reporting that fits seamlessly into existing LIS/LIMS and clinical review processes. For clinicians and patients, it means clear answerssooner. "EpiSign METRIC represents the next phase of precision epigenomics" said Matt Tedder, Staff Scientist at Greenwood Genetic Center "empowering diagnostic labs to independently process, analyze, and interpret EpiSign data in real time. By bringing automation, scalability, and transparency directly to end users, EpiSign METRIC transforms episignature analysis from a centralized process into a fully distributed global network." To learn more about EpiSign METRIC, visit: www.episign.com/metric About EpiSign EpiSign Inc. is a Canadian biotech start-up recognized for its expertise in developing diagnostic tests based on epigenetic markers, with a focus on enhancing precision medicine through innovative biomarker discovery and validation. By driving advancements in epigenetic diagnostics, EpiSign seeks to improve patient care by facilitating earlier and more accurate diagnoses. For more information, visit episign.com or connect with us on LinkedIn. Media Contact Katy Evans, Administrative Officer [email protected] SOURCE EpiSign Inc. Self-Discovery is now available on the 'ESChat for Government' platform, providing government agencies the ability to self-configure Inter-Agency Pathways and Talkgroups for Mutual Aid and Tactical Communications. SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ESChat, a global leader in Mission Critical Broadband Push-to-Talk (MCPTT) communication, today announced availability of a new 'Self Discovery' feature on its FedRAMP Authorized 'ESChat for Government' platform. Interoperability is a key tenet of the ESChat service. ESChat for Government is a hardened version of the ESChat broadband communication, collaboration, and interoperability platform. The new 'Self Discovery' feature provides public safety agencies a mechanism to 'negotiate' Inter-Agency Pathways which enable secure communication Talkgroups/Channels for Mutual Aid and Tactical Communications. In addition to PTT voice, the Inter-Agency pathways also support ESChat's secure Multimedia Messaging and Location Sharing. ESChat includes the most comprehensive portfolio of interfaces to support Wireline and Gateway based Interoperability to third-party Land Mobile Radio (LMR), Dispatch and Logging Recorder systems available in the market today. ESChat Inter-Agency architecture is extensible, allowing administrators to negotiate Inter-Agency Pathways between ESChat MCPTT Users and other Mission Critical communication systems. "Interoperability is critical to our public safety customers. This includes Interoperability across wireless carriers, Interoperability between communication systems, and Interoperability between public-safety agencies.," said Josh Lober, President of ESChat. "While Inter-Agency Interoperability is not new to ESChat, customers who opt-in to Self-Discovery are able to create and manage their own Inter-Agency Pathways without reliance on the ESChat Customer Care team". About ESChat: ESChat (eschat.com) is a leading provider of mission critical broadband Push-to-Talk (MCPTT) services. ESChat is a FedRAMP Authorized, FirstNet Certified and DISA Approved secure communication solution. ESChat operates on and across all wireless carriers, providing cross-carrier interoperability. ESChat is available to federal government customers through the company's GSA Contract, which also includes a cooperative purchasing agreement for state and local government agencies. Used by all branches of the U.S. Military, as well as federal, state and local public safety agencies, ESChat is able to operate over and across any wireless network, including all commercial carriers, private 3G/4G/5G networks and WiFi. ESChat supports standards-based interoperability with LMR radio networks, including P25 via the native Inter RF Subsystem Interface ("ISSI") protocol and DMR via the native Inter Application Interface Specification ("AIS") protocol. ESChat also supports interoperability via DFSI, NXIP, SDK and RoIP protocols to any LMR radio network, regardless of radio technology or operating frequency band. SOURCE ESChat Dual U.S.-Canada production enables the eco-luxury brand to craft one organic mattress per minute, meeting surging demand for sustainable sleep. BOCA RATON, Fla., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Essentia Organic Mattress , the pioneer in eco-luxury sleep and health-driven design, today announced the opening of its second manufacturing facility in Boca Raton, Florida, its first in the United States and a major milestone in the brand's 20-year journey. The expansion establishes Essentia's dual manufacturing footprint across North America in both the U.S. and Canada, marking a new era for sustainable production and wellness innovation. Essentia Organic Mattress Boca Raton Designed as the largest Certified Organic mattress factory of its kind, the new facility combines high-volume capacity with Essentia's signature Beyond Latex organic foam. The Boca Raton operation can now produce one mattress per minutescaling to over 1,000 per daywhile maintaining Essentia's uncompromising commitment to organic purity and performance. Every mattress is built with Essentia's patented Beyond Latex organic foam technology, engineered to deliver superior comfort while reducing exposure to household toxins, VOCs, and EMFs. "This is more than an expansion, it's the heartbeat of Essentia's next chapter," said Jack Dell'Accio, Essentia founder and CEO. "Our Boca Raton home brings innovation, sustainability, and performance together under one roof. We're honoring our Canadian roots while expanding opportunities in the U.S. and beyond." By producing in the U.S., Essentia can meet demand more quickly, create sustainable jobs, and reinforce that eco-luxury is a viable and growing segment of American manufacturing. The company continues to operate its original Canadian facility, where it has spent over two decades perfecting the proprietary organic foam technology that now powers its U.S. production. Together, these facilities represent a vertically integrated North American manufacturing footprint built on innovation and sustainable craftsmanship. The Boca Raton facility also introduces the CellRegen Lab , featuring the Human Regenerator Jet Beda breakthrough recovery system utilizing Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) therapy, once reserved for elite athletes. With this innovation, Essentia expands its mission to make advanced recovery and longevity technologies accessible in everyday wellness spaces. It also features an Essentia Organic Mattress showroom , an immersive space where visitors can experience the mattresses and shop the full range of organic sleep productsbringing innovation, wellness, and luxury directly to the customer. From its partnership with Delos's Stay Well program in esteemed hotels such as MGM, Bellagio, and more to collaborations with biohacker Dave Asprey on performance mattresses designed for recovery and longevity, Essentia has consistently anticipated wellness trends before they reach the mainstream. The Boca Raton expansion continues that legacy, merging eco-luxury with American. manufacturing excellence to advance wellness-driven innovation on both sides of the border. As consumers demand healthier homes, transparency, and sustainable design, Essentia stands at the intersection of two powerful forces reshaping today's economy: the resurgence of American manufacturing and the rapid growth of the global wellness market. "Essentia is more than a mattress company, it's a movement," added Dell'Accio. "This expansion empowers us to deliver recovery, resilience, and better health at scale, whether in Canada, the U.S., or worldwide." Essentia's Boca Raton expansion marks a new era of sustainable manufacturingwhere organic innovation, recovery technology, and performance-driven luxury come together to redefine how the world sleeps. To learn more about Essentia Organic Mattress and its wellness innovations, visit www.myessentia.com About Essentia Organic Mattress: Essentia Organic Mattress is the pioneer behind the world's only Beyond Latex organic foam mattress, dedicated to delivering a superior sleep experience that goes beyond comfort. Our patented, non-toxic, and certified organic technology is scientifically designed to extend Deep and REM Sleep cycles by 20% to 60%, ensuring you wake up revitalized and ready to seize the day. As an eco-luxury brand, Essentia is committed to eliminating harmful toxins, allergens, and off-gasses commonly found in synthetic mattresses, offering a clean and safe sleep environment that supports your health and the planet. Our vegan, cruelty-free products are celebrated by professional athletes, health experts, and eco-conscious consumers who refuse to compromise on quality or sustainability. At Essentia, we pour our energy into creating the most advanced sleep solutions, so you can pour yours into living your most vibrant life. Discover the Essentia difference and experience sleep like never before. To learn more, visit www.myessentia.com. SOURCE Essentia Organic Mattress Fast-growing express car wash operator plans to hire 450 new team members across six states, offering competitive pay, profit sharing, and clear career paths COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Express Wash Concepts (EWC), one of the nation's fastest-growing express car wash operators, today announced a major Q4 hiring initiative to fill approximately 450 new positions across its six-state network. The hiring wave supports ongoing expansion and new site openings under the company's five brands Moo Moo Express, Flying Ace Express, Clean Express, Green Clean Express, and Bee Clean Express bringing total employment to more than 1,850 team members companywide. "Our company is experiencing unprecedented opportunities for growth across every market," said John Roush, Founder and CEO of Express Wash Concepts. "Behind that growth is our people the dedicated, high-performing team members who deliver exceptional service and uphold our promise to enhance people, communities, and cars through the power of clean. Whether you're starting your career or looking to further enhance your leadership skills, there's never been a better time to grow with us." National Hiring Day October 29 As part of the initiative, Express Wash Concepts will host its first-ever National Hiring Day on Wednesday, October 29, from 10:00am 2:00pm, with events taking place across key markets including Central Ohio, Cleveland, Dayton/Cincinnati, Detroit and Toledo. Site locations are as follows: Moo Moo Express Car Wash- Central Ohio: 3880 Park Mill Run Dr . Hilliard, OH 43026 Hilliard, OH 43026 Clean Express Auto Wash Cleveland: 4365 Mayfield Road South Euclid, OH 44121 Flying Ace Express Car Wash Dayton: 4075 Wilmington Pike Dayton, OH 45440 Clean Express Auto Wash Detroit: 28740 Mound Rd Warren, MI 48092 Clean Express Auto Wash Toledo: 5902 Dorr St Toledo, OH 43615 Candidates are encouraged to attend in person to meet hiring managers, learn about open opportunities, and experience EWC's people-first culture firsthand. Positions are available across all markets and all brands, and include both part-time and full-time year-round roles. Competitive Pay and Pathways to Advancement Express Wash Concepts offers industry-leading compensation across all positions, including profit sharing and incentives tied to performance and leadership roles: Team Member: $15.00/hour + Residual Incentive $15.00/hour + Residual Incentive Team Leader: $17.50/hour + Profit Sharing $17.50/hour + Profit Sharing Assistant Site Manager: $21.63/hour + Profit Sharing $21.63/hour + Profit Sharing Membership Sales Associate: $18.00/hour + Residual Incentive $18.00/hour + Residual Incentive Site Manager: Base Salary $55,000 with potential to earn up to $100,000 annually Base Salary $55,000 with potential to earn up to $100,000 annually Service Technicians: Potential to earn up to $100,000 annually Why Employees Love Working at EWC Beyond pay and benefits, EWC is known for creating a culture where people build careers, as evidenced by "Top Workplace" designations from the Cleveland Plain Dealer and (614) Magazine. Team members value: Growth Opportunities Clear, transparent paths to leadership Clear, transparent paths to leadership Recognition & Rewards From monthly bonuses to company-wide celebrations From monthly bonuses to company-wide celebrations Stability Year-round employment with a growing, recession-resilient brand Year-round employment with a growing, recession-resilient brand Culture A supportive, team-driven environment built on positivity, integrity and respect As EWC continues to expand throughout Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and beyond, the company remains focused on hiring and developing top talent who share its passion for customer experience and community impact. For more information or to apply, visit www.expresswashconcepts.com/careers. About Express Wash Concepts: Express Wash Concepts (EWC) operates 124 award-winning, express car wash locations across six states under the following brands: Moo Moo Express Car Wash, Flying Ace Express Car Wash, Clean Express Auto Wash, Green Clean Express Auto Wash and Bee Clean Express Car Wash. EWC brands feature fast, high quality and environmentally friendly express tunnel wash experiences and free vacuums. The company's popular Wash Smart Unlimited Club offers members the convenience and value of truly unlimited washing at any location. For more information, please visit www.expresswashconcepts.com. SOURCE Express Wash Concepts No. 1 Flooring Franchise Bolsters National Footprint with 70 Signed Agreements YTD in 2025 August Alone Brought Expansion into Eight New Territories and Inked Seven Resales Brand on Track to Reach 100 New Agreements in 2025 Amid Strong Industry Growth ATLANTA, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Floor Coverings International (FCI), the No. 1 flooring franchise in North America is powering ahead on its growth trajectory, signing 15 franchise agreements in August alone and 30 throughout the third quarter. With 70 signed agreements year-to-date, the brand is rapidly closing in on its goal of 100 new agreements by year's end. Prospects are taking note of the franchise opportunity as the flooring industry is projected to experience an annual growth rate of 2.4% for the next four years. This steady growth is driven by a consistent demand for both residential and commercial sectors. As part of the broader home services industry, flooring offers a low-cost entry point with strong margins. With 70 signed agreements year-to-date, the brand is rapidly closing in on its goal of 100 new agreements by year's end. Post this "Signing 15 agreements in a single month marks a historic milestone for FCI," said Tom Wood, President & CEO of Floor Coverings International. "Resales play a critical role in our growth strategy, allowing us to strengthen existing markets while welcoming talented entrepreneurs who bring fresh energy and vision. At the same time, expansion into new territories ensures we're reaching more families nationwide. With this group of owners, I'm confident our brand will continue to thrive and establish deep roots in the communities we serve." Building on a Record Year of Development With total investment costs for two territories ranging from $257,000 to $467,000*, Floor Coverings International offers an affordable and scalable opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to make a lasting impact in their communities. FCI is seeking entrepreneurs who think in the multi-millions, are forever learners, and have an empire builder mindset. According to Floor Coverings International's Franchise Disclosure Document, the top 50 percent of operators generated $1.75 million in average revenue in 2024 with the top 10 percent operators grossing $3.3 million**. Floor Coverings International continues to lead the flooring category with its innovative Mobile Flooring Showrooms, data-driven performance systems, and deeply invested support teams, the brand remains on the fast track toward record-setting growth and long-term franchisee success. For more information about the franchise opportunity, please visit https://flooring-franchise.com/ or call 833-902-4417. About Floor Coverings International Floor Coverings International is the #1 Mobile Flooring franchise in North America. Utilizing a unique in-home experience, the mobile showroom comes directly to the customer's door with more than 3,000 flooring choices. Floor Coverings International has 250-plus locations throughout the U.S. and Canada with plenty of opportunity for continued expansion. For franchise information, please visit https://flooring-franchise.com/ and to find your closest location go to www.floorcoveringsinternational.com. *See Item 7 of the current Franchise Disclosure Document for more information and context about the initial investment. **Please see Item 19 of the current Franchise Disclosure Document for more information. Results may differ. There is no assurance that any franchisee will perform as well. Media Contact: Bianca Thiros, Fishman Public Relations, 847-945-1300, or [email protected] SOURCE Floor Coverings International TAIPEI, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- GIGABYTE, the world's leading computer brand, officially announces the global availability of its next-gen gaming laptopsthe GAMING A16 PRO and GAMING A18. Expanding the 2025 GAMING Series lineup, both models combine uncompromised power with portable design, featuring up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPUs and GIGABYTE's exclusive GiMATE AI Agent. With over 12 hours of battery life, these ultra-slim laptops deliver intelligent performance and immersive experiences for gamers and creators alike. GIGABYTE Announces Availability of GAMING A16 PRO and GAMING A18 Laptops Built for hybrid gaming and AI workflows, the GAMING A16 PRO and GAMING A18 integrate top-tier technologies, including NVIDIA DLSS 4, NVIDIA Studio, and support for NVIDIA NIM microservices. GiMATE, GIGABYTE's proprietary AI agent, enables intuitive "Press and Speak" control for performance tuning, fan adjustment, privacy functions, and more. The laptops also feature WQXGA 165Hz high-refresh displays with 3ms response time, Dolby Atmos spatial audio, and a newly designed keyboard with enlarged keycaps and 1.7mm key travel for maximum accuracy and comfort. A built-in MUX Switch further optimizes GPU performance on demand. The GIGABYTE GAMING A16 PRO is engineered for gamers who demand power in a compact chassis. Equipped with the advanced WINDFORCE Infinity EX cooling system and Frost Fan with 158 asymmetric blades, it delivers efficient thermal performance at up to 115W GPU powerall in a chassis under 20mm thin and just 2.3kg. A 180 lay-flat hinge adds versatility for collaborative usage. Meanwhile, the GIGABYTE GAMING A18 brings the same elite-grade specs as A16 to a bolder chassis. With a 2.8kg frame and 20mm slim profile, it features a surround-vent cooling design for consistent thermal stability across extended sessions. The expansive 18-inch display offers a more immersive experience, making it ideal for both gaming and productivity-focused users who prioritize screen real estate. With Type-C PD 3.0 fast charging support and all-day battery performance, the GAMING A16 PRO and GAMING A18 are designed to balance performance, endurance, and mobility. Sales may vary by region and are subject to the actual launch schedule of local e-tailers and retailers. For more details, please visit: GAMING A16 PRO and GAMING A18 . SOURCE GIGABYTE A Tampa-based startup bringing verified matching to Austin's open-minded dating scene TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The endless swipe may finally have met its match. HAEVN, a Tampa-based relationship platform, announced today that it will launch first in Austin, Texas on January 15, 2026, promising a verified, swipe-free way to connect with real people. HAEVN introduces its verified dating platform, launching January 15 2026 in Austin, Texas ending swipe culture with real, intentional connection. Instead of chasing the next swipe, HAEVN is rethinking what connection looks like in a culture overwhelmed by choice. Where most apps reward quick reactions, HAEVN slows things down. Every profile is verified through photo and government ID checks, to eliminate bots and fake accounts. Rather than asking users to write about themselves, HAEVN uses its Structured Compatibility Engine, a dynamic 15-minute survey that builds each member's profile automatically. The result: matches that are real, intentional, and based on more than a few photos and a clever line. "Swiping is fast and fun, but for many people, it's turned dating into shopping," said founder Rik Foote. "HAEVN is for people who want to connect with intention, whether that means one partner or something less traditional." Modern relationships aren't one-size-fits-all, and how we meet shouldn't be either. HAEVN was built for people who want to connect with intention, whether that means finding one partner or building relationships that don't fit the traditional mold. When your goals or values don't fit the mainstream, swiping is a gamble. Verified matching lets you start from a pool of people who are actually on the same page." Austin was chosen as HAEVN's inaugural city for its creative energy, thriving tech scene, and reputation for rethinking what's possible. With over 60 percent of residents under 45, Austin has become a testing ground for ideas that challenge the status quo. The company plans to host an invitation-only launch event in January to introduce the app to the local community. Early members can join the waitlist at www.haevn.co. Why It Matters The dating app market is crowded, but HAEVN is betting that people are ready for a reset. By combining verified profiles with adaptive matching, the platform offers a credible alternative to swipe fatigue and the growing distrust of online connections. In a time when authenticity and trust are top of mind, HAEVN represents a quiet shift back toward intentional connection. As conversations about non-traditional relationships enter the mainstream, people are looking for tools that reflect real-life diversity in how we connect. HAEVN's launch comes at a moment when swipe fatigue and fake profiles are pushing users to demand something real. About HAEVN Founded in 2025 and based in Tampa, Florida, HAEVN is a verified matching platform designed to support modern relationships. By eliminating swiping and using its Structured Compatibility Engine to build profiles automatically, HAEVN helps adults connect for romance, friendship, or something in between, with privacy, consent, and authenticity at the center. Early members can join the waitlist at (www.haevn.co). HAEVN launches in Austin on January 15, 2026. Instagram: @haevnapp SOURCE HAEVN First-Chair Trial Attorney Expands Healthcare Recovery Capabilities BOSTON, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Jeffrey S. Gleason, an accomplished first-chair trial attorney and former leader in the Civil Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, has joined Crowell & Moring as a partner, further bolstering the firm's fast-growing and industry-leading Health Care Group. Healthcare Litigator and Former DOJ Civil Fraud Section Leader Jeff Gleason Joins Crowell & Moring Gleason's practice focuses on health care law, government investigations, and complex business litigation. He has deep experience representing health insurers in multimillion-dollar disputes, including matters involving fraud, federal and state Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statutes (RICO), state consumer protection laws, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), breach of contract, the No Surprises Act (NSA), and the False Claims Act (FCA). Gleason is joined by associate Erica Schultz, whose practice centers on complex commercial, health care, and product liability litigation. At Crowell, Gleason will join a Health Care Group that has experienced significant growth in recent months. In August, the firm added a highly regarded managed care team of more than 50 attorneys from Reed Smith, establishing one of the largest health care practices in the country and significantly expanding the firm's ability to serve clients across the health care industry with the full spectrum of litigation, investigations, regulatory, transactional, and recovery capabilities. In September, the group welcomed distinguished attorneys Rachel Park and Jill Abrams, both former senior officials with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, further strengthening the firm's ability to provide significant value to clients across the industry. Gleason has delivered substantial affirmative recoveries for managed care organizations and has a proven track record of winning multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements estimated at more than half a billion dollars in total value. Notably, he obtained a complete plaintiff $25.6 million jury verdict, consisting of damages and punitive awards, for a major health insurance provider and its affiliates in a complex laboratory pass-through billing scheme. He achieved a substantial recovery on behalf of another major insurer in a matter where his client was the defendant facing alleged liability of nearly $100 million. Gleason also served as lead trial counsel in a two-week bankruptcy court proceeding for a major health insurer, where he achieved a complete victory by defeating a $30 million claim brought by the trustee and overcame objections to $39 million in proofs of claim. "Jeff's addition aligns with the strategic goals of our clients," said Troy Barsky, co-chair of Crowell & Moring's Health Care Group. "Jeff brings extensive courtroom experience that complements Crowell's strong team of litigators. His experience leading complex litigation and government investigations, combined with his success in securing major recoveries, will be invaluable to our clients facing challenging disputes." "The significant growth of Crowell & Moring's Health Care Group, including the addition of new talent and expanded capabilities, drew my interest in joining the firm," said Gleason. "Crowell's ability to offer a full-service platform for clients in the health care industry is a real market differentiator. Having worked with Crowell attorneys previously and representing many of the same clients, I look forward to building on those relationships and contributing to the continued development of the healthcare recovery practice." Prior to joining Crowell & Moring, Gleason was the co-founder and co-chair of the Health Care Practice at Robins Kaplan LLP. Before his private practice, Gleason spent four years as a trial attorney in the Civil Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he led multi-agency investigations and litigation involving the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute, focusing on health care fraud. His work resulted in settlements totaling over $100 million returned to the U.S. Treasury, including a record-setting resolution against an individual physician for which he received a Special Commendation for Outstanding Service in the Civil Division. Gleason earned his bachelor's degree from Harvard University and his law degree from Harvard Law School. About Crowell & Moring LLP Crowell & Moring is an international law firm with operations in the United States, Europe, MENA, and Asia. Drawing on significant government, business, industry, and legal experience, the firm helps clients capitalize on opportunities and provides creative solutions to complex regulatory and policy, litigation, transactional, and intellectual property issues. The firm is consistently recognized for its commitment to pro bono service, as well as its comprehensive programs and initiatives to advance the professional and personal development of all members of the Crowell community. Media Contact: Email: [email protected] SOURCE Crowell & Moring LLP SINGAPORE, Oct. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- HistoIndex, a pioneering leader in digital pathology solutions for chronic liver disease, is returning to The Liver Meeting (TLM) 2025, hosted by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). The conference, which brings together leading scientists, clinicians, and industry experts in hepatology, will be held from November 7th to 11th, in Washington D.C. This year marks a significant milestone for HistoIndex as the company expands its services from clinical trials and research, to clinical diagnostics for Metabolic DysfunctionAssociated Steatohepatitis (MASH). Highlight of this new phase is the launch of FibroSIGHT Plus, a Laboratory Developed Test (LDT), provided for clinical use from a CLIA-accredited laboratory in the US. FibroSIGHT Plus will be used to deliver enhanced diagnostics with quantitative liver fibrosis assessment for better patient management in the rapidly evolving field of MASH therapeutics. "We're excited to bring the same standardization and fine-grained resolution of fibrosis measurements that enabled many therapeutic insights in MASH clinical trials, into everyday clinical care - enabling more precise liver diagnostics and better outcomes for MASH patients." said Dr. Yukti Choudhury, PhD - Chief Development Officer at HistoIndex. Furthermore, HistoIndex maintains a strong scientific presence at TLM 2025, showcasing 1 oral and 10 poster presentations (including 2 posters of distinction and 1 late-breaking poster) that underscore the growing impact of its digital pathology technology platform across diverse liver diseases and therapeutic contexts. HistoIndex's scientific highlights for TLM 2025 Two Posters of Distinction showcasing improved fibrosis detection in advanced MASH fibrosis and cirrhosis from two separate drug trials. These findings demonstrate the ability of HistoIndex's platform to assess treatment effect in the greatest unmet need of MASH, namely advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis. showcasing improved fibrosis detection in advanced MASH fibrosis and cirrhosis from two separate drug trials. These findings demonstrate the ability of HistoIndex's platform to assess treatment effect in the greatest unmet need of MASH, namely advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis. An oral presentation with a focus on one of the first applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based biopsy analysis in an alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) drug trial, expanding the utility of our qFibrosis technology beyond MASH. with a focus on one of the first applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based biopsy analysis in an alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) drug trial, expanding the utility of our qFibrosis technology beyond MASH. A late-breaking poster discussing the use of digital pathology and AI-based analysis in assessing quantitatively the reduction of fibrosis and septa area in participants with compensated cirrhosis due to MASH from the SYMMETRY Phase 2b trial. discussing the use of digital pathology and AI-based analysis in assessing quantitatively the reduction of fibrosis and septa area in participants with compensated cirrhosis due to MASH from the SYMMETRY Phase 2b trial. New data will also be presented on the development of AI-based tools for inflammation assessment, microvasculature quantification in MASH portal hypertension, and characterization of fibrosis distribution in preclinical MASH-associated liver cancer models. Highlighting the significance of this year's presentations, Dr. Dean Tai, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at HistoIndex, commented: "Our work at AASLD 2025 shows how our technology advances AI-based digital pathology assessments in liver disease and beyond. From detecting nuanced treatment effects in advanced MASH fibrosis and cirrhosis to continuing to expand into AATD, inflammation, vascular assessment, and MASH-HCC models, these studies highlight the wide clinical applications of our technology." HistoIndex Oral and Poster Presentations Oral Presentation | Sunday, November 9th | 9:15AM to 9:30AM Title: Artificial intelligence-based qFibrosis analysis correlates with changes in histological features in alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency-associated liver disease following treatment with fazirsiran Presenter: Kay Washington Publication number: 0074 Poster Session I | Friday, November 7th | 8:00AM 5:00PM Title: Increased hepatic microarteries and collagen deposition in acinar zone 1 are associated with clinically significant portal hypertension caused by metabolic associated steatotic liver disease Presenter: Zhengxin Li Publication number: 1460 Increased hepatic microarteries and collagen deposition in acinar zone 1 are associated with clinically significant portal hypertension caused by metabolic associated steatotic liver disease Zhengxin Li 1460 Title: Zonal dynamics of fibrosis progression and regression in a murine MASLD-HCC model using AI-Based collagen and steatosis analysis Presenter: Yuyun Song Publication number: 1093 Poster Session II | Saturday, November 8th | 8:00AM 5:00PM Title : Zone-specific fibrosis reductions induced by pegozafermin over 24 weeks are similar in non-cirrhotic (F2/F3) and cirrhotic (F4) MASH (Poster of Distinction) Presenter: Quentin Anstee Publication Number: 2020 : Zone-specific fibrosis reductions induced by pegozafermin over 24 weeks are similar in non-cirrhotic (F2/F3) and cirrhotic (F4) MASH Quentin Anstee 2020 Title : Impact of PNPLA3 p.I148M variant on qFibrosis-based liver fibrosis features in MASLD biopsies in the Milan Biobank cohort Presenter: Luca Valenti Publication Number: 2054 : Impact of PNPLA3 p.I148M variant on qFibrosis-based liver fibrosis features in MASLD biopsies in the Milan Biobank cohort Luca Valenti 2054 Title: Second harmonic generated imaging with qFibrosis provides quantitative information on fibrosis severity and predicts the future course of fibrosis in metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) Presenter: David Kleiner Publication Number: 2086 Second harmonic generated imaging with qFibrosis provides quantitative information on fibrosis severity and predicts the future course of fibrosis in metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) David Kleiner 2086 Title: Development and Validation of qInflammation: An AI-Driven Digital Pathology Algorithm for Differentiating Portal and Lobular Inflammation in Metabolic-Associated Steatohepatitis Presenter: Yayun Ren Publication number: 2027 Development and Validation of qInflammation: An AI-Driven Digital Pathology Algorithm for Differentiating Portal and Lobular Inflammation in Metabolic-Associated Steatohepatitis Yayun Ren 2027 Title: AI-assisted digital pathology unveils patient heterogeneity in the antifibrotic response following bariatric surgery Presenter: Vlad Ratziu Publication number: 2131 Late Breaking Posters | Saturday, November 8th | 8:00AM 5:00PM Title: Efruxifermin reduced fibrosis and septa area by quantitative digital pathology in participants with compensated cirrhosis due to MASH: Results from the 96-week, placebo-controlled, phase 2b SYMMETRY trial Presenter: Mary E. Rinella Publication Number: 5024 Poster Session IV | Monday, November 10th | 8:00AM 5:00PM MASLD/MASH Therapeutics Session: New Agents and Approved/Available Agents ("4001-4103") Title: Denifanstat elicited a significant 2-stage improvement in fibrosis in F3 MASH patients, and improved liver fibrosis and biomarkers in qFibrosis stage 4 MASH patients: secondary analysis of phase 2b FASCINATE-2 study (Poster of Distinction) Presenter: Rohit Loomba Denifanstat elicited a significant 2-stage improvement in fibrosis in F3 MASH patients, and improved liver fibrosis and biomarkers in qFibrosis stage 4 MASH patients: secondary analysis of phase 2b FASCINATE-2 study Rohit Loomba Title: Combination therapy in Metabolic Dysfunction associated Steatohepatitis: GLP-1R Agonist with others Presenter: Li Hui HistoIndex Breakfast Meeting In addition to the scientific sessions, HistoIndex will be hosting its signature breakfast meeting event on November 8th (Saturday), spotlighting its multi-institutional collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), where stain-free Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) and AI analytics are being applied to the NASH-CRN cohort to enable identification of fibrosis trajectories. To secure a slot at the HistoIndex Breakfast Meeting, register here . HistoIndex Dinner Reception (Clinical Diagnostics Event) To mark its expansion into clinical diagnostics and the launch of its LDT, FibroSIGHT Plus, HistoIndex will also host a dedicated dinner event highlighting its services for MASH routine clinical care. The program, titled "Latest Advancements in MASH Diagnostics: AI-driven Fibrosis Assessment" will introduce FibroSIGHT Plus a clinical testing solution offering AI-based quantitative analysis for fibrosis assessment, that has been developed to address unmet clinical needs in the appropriate selection of MASH patients for treatment and for treatment response detection. Special guest speaker Dr. Naim Alkhouri, MD, FAASLD - Chief Academic Officer at Summit Clinical Research and the Director of the Steatotic Liver Disease Program at the Clinical Research Institute of Ohio - will be presenting new data from a study that compares quantitative AI-based analysis to pathologists' assessment of fibrosis. These new findings will be placed in the context of limitations of NITs and standard pathology in identifying target populations for MASH treatment and its potential impact on patient management. The event is tailored for hepatologists and gastroenterologists. Clinicians are invited to register early here , as seats for this event are limited. Visit HistoIndex at Booth #645 HistoIndex will be exhibiting at TLM 2025 at Booth #645, unveiling a vibrant and expanded showcase that features the launch of FibroSIGHT Plus. Attendees are encouraged to visit the booth and explore how HistoIndex's technology is redefining liver fibrosis assessment with AI-powered precision. The Company's team of experts will be available to provide detailed information, address inquiries, and explore potential collaborations. For more information about HistoIndex's participation in TLM 2025, please visit www.histoindex.com. ------ About HistoIndex Founded in 2010, HistoIndex pioneers in stain-free, fully automated imaging solutions for visualizing and quantifying fibrosis in biological tissues. By combining cutting-edge biophotonic technology with AI-based analysis, HistoIndex provides innovative tools to improve the assessment of fibrosis changes and drug efficacy. The Company's breakthrough digital pathology solutions are accelerating research, expediting pharmaceutical drug development, and transforming medical standards. SOURCE Histoindex Pte. Ltd. Klein Collins High School senior Rayaan Khan partners with Works360, 360Assist, and affiliate company PLAi to deliver AI-driven learning tools and technology access across Texas communities. HOUSTON, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A Houston-area high school senior is helping bring technology and opportunity to students and communities that need it most. Rayaan Khan, a senior at Klein Collins High School in Spring, has taken a leading role in expanding 360Assist, the philanthropic arm of Works360, a global leader in technology enablement and demo-kit solutions. Texans can now nominate local organizations for future donation rounds at 360-assist.com/nominate . Through 360Assist, lightly used demo devices from partners such as Intel, HP, Microsoft, and Google are given new life in schools, libraries, and nonprofits that lack access to essential learning tools. The program focuses on redirecting near-new technology away from storage and back into the hands of students who can use it to learn, create, and grow. Programs supported by 360Assist have reported measurable improvements, including up to a 70 percent rise in engagement and an 80 percent boost in student grades. The initiative has reached classrooms and community programs in Costa Rica, Brazil, Hawaii, California, Arizona, and Texas, with plans to expand further across the state. Khan has helped coordinate these efforts while contributing to the concept and technical development of PLAiEdu, an educational platform built through PLAi, an affiliate company of Works360. PLAi works alongside 360Assist to expand access to AI and digital learning, creating a bridge between advanced technology and real-world education. "I have always been fascinated by how technology can change lives," Khan said. "With 360Assist and PLAiEdu, we want to give students more than just devices. We want to give them the skills and confidence to use technology to explore new possibilities." "Rayaan represents the best of what's possible when innovation meets heart," said Cesar Chavez, Vice President of Emerging Technologies at Works360. "He sees technology as a way to lift others up, not just to advance himself. That spirit of giving back is what makes this program so special. It's about using innovation to open doors for the next generation." The program will continue on an ongoing basis, with regular donation cycles throughout the year. Schools, libraries, community centers, and nonprofits across the Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas-Fort Worth regions are encouraged to apply or nominate organizations that could benefit. Media Contact: Cesar Chavez, [email protected] About Works360 Website: works360.com Works360 is a global leader in technology enablement, logistics, and demo-kit solutions. The company partners with brands such as Intel, Microsoft, Google, and HP to deliver innovative, scalable programs that help organizations showcase and implement advanced technology worldwide. About 360Assist Website: 360-assist.com 360Assist is the philanthropic arm of Works360, focused on bridging the digital divide by redeploying like-new demo technology from global partners into the hands of students, educators, and community organizations. The program provides schools and nonprofits with access to essential devices and digital learning tools, creating lasting impact through technology access and education. About PLAi Website: thePLAi.ai PLAi is an affiliate company of Works360 that develops private, secure, and locally deployable AI solutions. The company's ecosystem includes PLAi ONE, a locally hosted agentic AI platform; PLAi Pulse, an intelligent system performance and management tool; and PLAiEdu, an education-focused AI learning platform designed to expand digital literacy. PLAi's mission is to make advanced AI accessible, responsible, and practical for organizations of all sizes. SOURCE Works360 LAS VEGAS, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- I-CAR, the leader in automotive collision repair training and services, returns to the 2025 SEMA Show with a compelling lineup of education and training initiatives designed to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving automotive landscape. This year, I-CAR will showcase its expanding role in shaping the future of repair readiness through immersive learning experiences, hands-on demonstrations, and innovative solutions at booth #33135 in the Upper South Hall. Live welding demonstration at I-CARs booth "At I-CAR, we're driving the future of automotive collision repair by delivering cutting-edge technical training and services that vehicle advancements demand," says Kyle Thompson, CEO & President of I-CAR. "SEMA is the ideal setting to bring innovations to life and connect with the industry, empowering technicians and shops to tackle the challenges they face." Industry Stage Presentations & Welding Demos The Collision Repair & Refinish Stage (#32145) will once again serve as a central platform for connectivity and engagement at SEMA 2025. I-CAR's subject matter experts will join other prominent industry voices as they take the stage to explore timely topics and trends shaping the future of automotive repair. Returning this year are live, on-stage welding demonstrations paired with hands-on course integration, designed to offer attendees a deeper, more practical understanding of advanced techniques in real time. I-CAR's Mixed Attachment Methods course, part of the Structural Technician Platinum path, will be featured at the SEMA Show through a visually engaging exhibit of the training prop. Reflecting OEM part design and repair procedures, the prop illustrates the progression of attachment methods used in structural repairs. Arranged to guide viewers through the course prop, the display invites exploration and conversation, offering attendees an insightful look at how I-CAR translates technical knowledge and skills into practical application. Immersive Mixed Reality Training I-CAR continues to advance automotive repair education with the return of its immersive Mixed Reality training experience. As part of its long-term strategy to improve learning effectiveness and accessibility, this technology enables technicians to refine their skills in a simulated, risk-free environment that mirrors real-world repair challenges. This year's demonstration previews new capabilities launching in 2026, reinforcing I-CAR's leadership in training innovation. Attendees will step into a fully interactive collision repair shop to perform a step-by-step front radar replacement on the I-CAR Cruiser. After installation, users will take the vehicle on a virtual test drive to experience dynamic calibration in actionhighlighting its critical role in ADAS functionality and overall vehicle safety. This demo showcases how immersive technology can optimize repair facilities' time and reduce risk and cost, while boosting knowledge retention for ADAS repair. With these enhancements, technicians are empowered to access high-quality, on-demand training that blends digital learning with practical applications right from their shop. Expert-Led Courses I-CAR will again present a series of specialized in-person courses designed to advance professional skills and knowledge, including: MIG Welding : Two courses covering essential techniques, from the basics to advanced features, critical for mastering MIG welding in collision repair. : Two courses covering essential techniques, from the basics to advanced features, critical for mastering MIG welding in collision repair. Electric Vehicle (EV) : Two courses focused on high-voltage safety and essential EV service considerations for handling the latest in electric vehicle repair. : Two courses focused on high-voltage safety and essential EV service considerations for handling the latest in electric vehicle repair. ADAS: Two courses exploring complex Advanced Driver Assistance Systems topics, including "When Calibration Fails" and "Damage Discovery for ADAS Sensor Mounting Locations." These hands-on courses will take place in I-CAR classrooms S224 & S225 and are designed to equip repair professionals with the essential skills and in-depth knowledge required to keep up with the industry's most advanced technologies. Throughout the week of the SEMA Show, I-CAR leaders and experts will also be participating in industry events, including serving as the keynote sponsor of the MSO Symposium, presenting the Verona and Silver Awards to an outstanding Gold Class shop and Platinum technician at the Collision Industry Red Carpet Awards, participating in the Student Program Industry Networking Breakfast, and hosting an invite-only reception for I-CAR Sustaining Partners at the Paris Las Vegas. For more information on I-CAR's presence at SEMA 2025 and to explore the full schedule of activities, visit I-CAR.com/SEMA. About I-CAR: Founded in 1979, I-CAR is a not-for-profit education, knowledge, and solutions organization designed to support the evolving needs of the Collision Repair Inter-Industry. I-CAR, which is accredited by IACET (The International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training) is focused on improving the quality and safety of auto collision repair for the ultimate benefit of both the industry and the consumer. For more information, please visit www.i-car.com SOURCE I-CAR Arkansans can now securely and conveniently access their Arkansas Mobile ID from their Google Wallet. RESTON, Va., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- IDEMIA Public Security North America, the leading provider of secure and trusted biometric-based solutions, is excited to continue their partnership with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration's (DFA) Division of Driver Services and Motor Vehicles to support its launch of mobile IDs in Google Wallet. The launch of Arkansas mobile ID in Google Wallet allows Arkansans to securely store their mobile ID in their Google Wallet and present it at participating TSA checkpoints across the nation, including at Little Rock (LIT) and Northwest Arkansas (XNA) airports. Mobile IDs in Google Wallet can also be used for identity check and age verification purposes at participating businesses and venues. New in-app, online, and in-person use cases continue to grow in collaboration with Google's strong partner ecosystem. Arkansas residents can add their Arkansas driver's license or state ID in Google Wallet by opening the Google Wallet app, selecting Add to Wallet and ID Card, and following the on-screen instructions. As IDEMIA continues their collaboration with Google to launch more mobile IDs in Google Wallet, the launch of the Arkansas mobile ID in Google Wallet reinforces IDEMIA's commitment to offering security and convenience to state residents across the country through advancing the usage of mobile ID technology. "I continue to grow excited about the future of mobile ID as we enable another state to give their residents access to a secure, convenient identity credential through Google Wallet," shared Rob Gardner, CEO, IDEMIA Civil Identity. "This continues to only be the beginning for mobile ID, and I'm proud to offer Arkansas residents another way to use their mobile ID credential through Google Wallet." Google Wallet puts the user in control of their digital identity, allowing users to seamlessly verify their identity or age online and in person. Digital ID data is stored encrypted, and information is only shared after review and authentication from the user. To learn more about Arkansas Mobile ID and how to place it in Google Wallet, click here. Arkansans can also continue to use the free Arkansas Mobile ID app, launched and built by IDEMIA in March 2025 to access their mobile ID. About IDEMIA Group IDEMIA Group is a global technology leader with more than 12,500 employees worldwide. Its two market-leading divisions deliver mission-critical solutions that simplify and secure interactions in the physical and digital realms: IDEMIA Secure Transactions (IST) is the leading technology provider making it safer and easier to pay and connect. With unmatched expertise in cryptography and credential issuance, IST is trusted by over 2000 financial institutions, mobile operators, automotive manufacturers, and IoT providers worldwide. Every day, IST secures billions of essential transactions, ensuring the highest levels of data protection and convenience. IDEMIA Public Security (IPS) is a trusted provider of government-grade and secure biometric-based solutions for 600 government, state and federal agencies. With decades of experience in biometric technologies, IPS enables safer, frictionless and fairer ways to secure travel, access and citizen protection. For more information, please visit www.idemia.com . Media contact: Genevieve de Vera IDEMIA Public Security (978) 808-7047 [email protected] SOURCE IDEMIA Identity & Security USA LLC LONDON, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- LEGALFLY today announces the launch of Legal Radar, a new AI agent that helps corporate legal and compliance teams stay on top of upcoming legislation and regulation, assess the business impact, and take action. This launch underscores LEGALFLY's commitment to support in-house teams juggling contracting and compliance work across jurisdictions. Legal Radar - Horizon scanning Legal AI Agent Ruben Miessen, CEO and Co-Founder at LEGALFLY, said: "It's almost impossible for in-house teams to keep up with every update to every rule or regulation that impacts them, across dozens of jurisdictions. Legal Radar gives them a single, reliable source of insight, delivering timely alerts, clear explanations, and tailored impact assessments so they can act early and confidently." Why it matters Each year, European regulators issue thousands of fines for regulatory non-compliance, with more than 2,200 fines totalling over 5.6 billion under GDPR alone since 2018. Under new frameworks such as the EU AI Act, penalties for serious breaches can reach 35 million or 7% of global turnover. At the same time, many legal teams are operating lean, balancing contracting, compliance, data, and operational priorities while regulation becomes increasingly localised and fast-moving. Historically, in-house teams have relied on fragmented alerts and manual research, a reactive model that makes it difficult to anticipate change. Legal Radar changes that dynamic, enabling legal and compliance professionals to move from reaction to foresight, identifying what's coming, understanding its implications, and preparing their organisations before new rules take effect. At launch, Legal Radar is integrated with over 50 official sources across 10 jurisdictions and will expand further. One of the first companies to test the new AI agent is leading Luxembourg Wealth Insurance company, Wealins, part of the Foyer Group. Luc Rasschaert, CEO of Wealins, commented: "The first feedback from our internal legal and regulatory team is very promising. We are only at the beginning, yet we already see the quality and accuracy of Legal Radar in detecting relevant insurance and fiscal regulatory changes. With Legal Radar, our in-house teams are empowered to identify and respond to new regulations much faster. We estimate that around 20% of our legal professionals' time can be freed up and reallocated to higher-value legal and regulatory work." Key features of Legal Radar Jurisdictional & topic alerts : clients define the jurisdictions and regulatory topics that matter to them and receive automated notifications (in-app or by email). : clients define the jurisdictions and regulatory topics that matter to them and receive automated notifications (in-app or by email). Impact summary & interpretation : Each alert includes a concise summary and business-level assessment: "this affects your contracts in X way, here's what to watch for." : Each alert includes a concise summary and business-level assessment: "this affects your contracts in X way, here's what to watch for." Document impact scanning : Legal Radar searches your contract and document repository to flag contracts that may need amendment. : Legal Radar searches your contract and document repository to flag contracts that may need amendment. Multi-jurisdictional coverage at launch: The tool launches with support for Belgium, Luxembourg, the EU, UK, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. It will scale globally over time. These developments position LEGALFLY as the go-to partner for legal teams that must operate at speed across borders. About LEGALFLY LEGALFLY is the leading agentic AI workspace for in-house legal, procurement and compliance teams. It is the only Legal AI platform to anonymise all sensitive data before processing begins, ensuring that confidential information is protected at all times. Some of the largest enterprises across Europe use LEGALFLY to streamline contract reviews, drafting, and compliance workflows, saving time and money. Founded in Belgium in 2023, LEGALFLY's mission is to empower legal professionals to deliver more value with AI, safely and responsibly. The company has raised over 17Mfrom top investors including Notion Capital, redalpine and Fortino capital. For more information or to arrange a demo of Legal Radar, visit www.legalfly.com/demo . Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2796943/LEGALFLY.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2796942/LEGALFLY_Logo.jpg SOURCE LEGALFLY - From October to November 2025, Shochu- and Sake-pairing Menu, as Well as Shochu Cocktails, to Be Offered at Special Event Prices - MIYAKONOJO, Japan, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- To showcase the goodness of "honkaku shochu" or authentic distilled spirit, Kirishima Shuzo Co., Ltd., Japan's top* distiller of the traditional liquor, will host an event, "Sushi x Japan's Top 'Shochu' Experience - KIRISHIMA NIGHT," in the U.S. from Thursday, October 23, to Saturday, October 25, and from Thursday, October 30, to Saturday, November 1, 2025. The event, limited to a period of 6 days, will take place at TsuruTonTan Midtown in New York City. *Ranked top in shochu sales in Japan for 13 consecutive years (Teikoku Databank, 2025) Images: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/202510066571-O1-oqJzCYWJ.pdf At "KIRISHIMA NIGHT," the first 12 parties of two each (24 people in total) per day with reservations from the ticketing website (https://kirishima_night_2025autumn.eventbrite.com) will be offered a shochu- and sake-pairing menu at the special price of $24.99 per person. Additionally, shochu cocktails will be offered at the special price of $8. To be offered will be two types of shochu crafted by Kirishima Shuzo: Kuro Kirishima, known for its signature round sweetness with a crisp aftertaste, and KIRISHIMA No.8, characterized by its fresh fruit note reminiscent of muscat and mandarin oranges. In addition, enjoy a sake offering selected by the restaurant. For a perfect pairing, TsuruTonTan Midtown has curated a special menu for this event: Assorted Nigiri Sushi & Sashimi Set and Miso-Nikomi Udon (noodle stew in miso broth). In recent years, the export of Japan-made alcoholic beverages such as sake and whiskey is increasing in volume and gaining popularity worldwide. Additionally, in 2024, "traditional knowledge and skills of sake-making with koji mold in Japan" was registered on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Shochu is also a type of distilled liquor made with koji, yeast, and materials such as sweet potatoes in its fermentation process. Shochu is a traditional Japanese liquor that has established its rare position as a distilled spirit that can be enjoyed during meals, but its worldwide recognition is still rather low. Kirishima Shuzo wishes for this event to be a trigger for the world to recognize the goodness of shochu through its food pairings. The company hopes that many will participate in this event as an opportunity to discover some traditional Japanese liquor and delicious cuisine. About Kirishima Shuzo Co., Ltd. -- A Shochu Distiller: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/202510066571-O2-9KXs5PT4.pdf For more details, please visit the corporate website: https://en.www.kirishima.co.jp/ SOURCE Kirishima Shuzo Co., Ltd. The first multimodal device that merges auscultation, documentation, and AI analysis into one seamless workflow AMSTERDAM and HOUSTON, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Lapsi Health, a rapidly growing health tech innovator with roots in Europe and the U.S., today announced the launch of Keikku 2.0,(pronounced "KAY-koo") a breakthrough medical tool for clinicians. Keikku 2.0 is the first FDA-cleared digital stethoscope that listens, scribes, and supports diagnostics with AI in real time. Lapsi Health introduces Keikku 2.0, the worlds first FDA-cleared digital stethoscope with an integrated AI scribe. This breakthrough multimodal device lets healthcare providers listen, document, and diagnose in real time cutting paperwork, boosting efficiency, and enhancing patient care with AI-driven insights. The highly portable device can be deployed on-the-go during hospital rounds, from exam room to exam room, and in the field. "Keikku 2.0 is the first multimodal device to combine clinical, administrative, and AI power in one tool," said Jhonatan Bringas Dimitriades, MD, CEO and co-founder of Lapsi Health. "For the first time, physicians can listen, document, and diagnose in real time with a single device. That means less time on paperwork and more focus on patients. We're proud to bring this innovation to market and give clinicians back hours each day to deliver better patient care." Smarter Care, Less Paperwork According to the American Medical Association, in primary care alone, physicians can spend an average of 36 minutes per patient visit on charting in electronic health record (EHR) systems, with some of it outside clinic hours. Keikku 2.0 streamlines this process by automatically generating ready-to-use clinical notes that integrate directly into major EHR systems. Unlike other tools, Keikku 2.0 works with all major scribe technologies. The device works seamlessly with Keikku AI and leading third-party scribe platforms. This flexibility makes adoption simple for clinics and hospitals of any size. Data is always protected with advanced encryption and HIPAA-compliant security. Real-Time AI Diagnostics Beyond documentation, Keikku 2.0 supports clinical decision-making. Its multiple sensors and AI-powered auscultation analytics detect cardiac murmurs and lung sounds that may indicate disease, giving clinicians immediate, data-driven insights during routine exams. By turning sound into structured data, Keikku helps enable more personalized, precise care. Keikku 2.0's high-definition ambient microphones capture clinical-grade sound even in noisy environments, ensuring diagnostic accuracy and patient privacy through built-in cybersecurity and encrypted data transmission. The small, portable device can be deployed on-the-go during hospital rounds, from exam room to exam room in the clinic. Keikku is a wireless device enabled by Bluetooth and currently must be paired with a smartphone. Future technology is expected to enable the device to operate independently. Designed by Physicians, Built for Everyday Use Keikku 2.0 is a Class II medical device designed to fit naturally into real workflows. Lightweight, wireless, and portable, it can be used anywhere during rounds, in the clinic, or while providing care in the field. "As physicians, we designed Keikku 2.0 to fit seamlessly into clinical workflows. Every feature was built to improve efficiency and reduce stress for healthcare providers," said Diana van Stijn, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer and co-founder at Lapsi Health. "We set out to create a tool that feels familiar like a smart medical assistant to reduce burden and free clinicians to focus their energy on patient care." What They're Saying About Keikku "Just as Apple reimagined the phone, Keikku redefines listening to voice and the human body. It's not just a tool, it's a Medical Assistant," said Shafi Ahmed, MD, PhD, Professor and General Surgeon, London, England. "A powerful tool to carry unlimited AI into my clinical practice, so I can use it responsibly," said Carlos Sendon, MD, Pulmonologist, Washington, DC. "As a general practitioner, Keikku has completely transformed the way I approach workflow and auscultation in my daily practice," said Tamara Sunbul, MD, Chief Medical Information Officer, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Availability Keikku 2.0 is available now. Orders and product details are available at www.keikku.health. About Lapsi Health With offices in Amsterdam and Houston, Lapsi Health is a global health technology company transforming the future of frontline medicine through AI-driven devices. Founded by physicians and entrepreneurs Jhonatan Bringas Dimitriades, MD; Diana van Stijn, MD, PhD; Rodrigo Alvez, MBA; and Seamus Holohan, the company combines deep clinical expertise with cutting-edge technology to reimagine everyday medical tools such as the stethoscope. Backed by Modi Ventures, 1921 VC, and Mentors Fund, Lapsi Health is pioneering the next generation of medical devices that improve efficiency, accuracy, and the physician-patient experience. Its flagship platform, Keikku, is the first FDA-cleared digital stethoscope with integrated AI scribe and diagnostic capabilities. By turning sound into actionable clinical insights, Keikku enables healthcare professionals to work smarter, reduce documentation burden, and refocus on what matters most time with patients. Media Contact: Mardi Larson Amendola for Lapsi Health 612.384.4383 | [email protected] SOURCE Lapsi Health BOSTON and HEBER CITY, Utah, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a partnership between two leading educational innovators, MindEdge Learning and the Leading Through Institute (LTI) have launched the Leading Through Foundationscertificate, a new online certificate program that introduces the Institute's groundbreaking new paradigm of organizational leadership. The Leading Through Foundations certificate marks the first collaboration between LTI, an educational initiative focused on redefining leadership through deep learning and personal transformation, and MindEdge, a cutting-edge developer of online courses and learner-friendly technology. "To make Leading Through a reality, we need a fundamental reinvention maybe even a revolution of what leadership represents," said Kim Clark, founder and chair of LTI. Post this "We are excited to see that our partnership with LTI is off to such a strong start," said Joe Mullen, president of MindEdge Learning. "This program is the first step in changing the way organizations think about leadership, and we are proud to be playing a major role in that change." The Leading Through paradigm rejects traditional models that define leadership in terms of power and position. It instead teaches that leadership can and should be practiced by all members of an organization, in a system where everyone is empowered to take initiative, contribute meaningfully, and lead from their current position. "Leading Through means innovating in ways that we may never have thought possible and learning to execute more effectively to achieve our boldest aspirations," said Kim Clark, co-founder and chair of LTI and a former dean of Harvard Business School. "To make Leading Through a reality, we need a fundamental reinvention maybe even a revolution -- of what leadership represents." The Leading Through model is based on research that Kim Clark and two of his children management consultant Erin Clark and management professor Jonathan Clark undertook while writing their visionary book, Leading Through: Activating the Soul, Heart, and Mind of Leadership. The Clarks, Harvard-educated leadership experts, decided to expand on the book's basic premise; together with former HR executive David Moss, they founded LTI to educate organizations about the need for a new approach to leadership. "The Leadership We Need" "The leadership we need is leadership that helps people and organizations thrive," said Erin Clark, co-founder and president of LTI. "The key is leadership that permeates the entire organization leadership that is essentially moral, that cares for people and motivates them to work together and solve difficult problems." The Leading Through Foundations certificate includes four courses, totaling four hours of onscreen instruction time: The Leadership We Need What Is Leadership? Power Over: Undermining the Leadership We Need Leading Through: Activating the Leadership We Need In addition to onscreen instruction time, each course includes several personal reflection questions and "deep learning" exercises small, focused micro-experiments that encourage "learning by doing." All these courses are currently configured as self-paced, asynchronous learning experiences. Starting in 2026, LTI will also offer a cohort learning option, allowing groups of like-minded learners to work together online in synchronous activities, discussions, and collaborative projects. Two more collections of certificate programs are in the works: Humanizing Leadership: Leading Through Soul, Heart and Mind will help individuals, teams, and organizations implement the soul, heart, and mind of leadership through detailed explanations, analogies, examples, and self-discovery tools. Courses in these certificate programs will total 20 hours of onscreen instruction time and are tentatively scheduled to launch in December 2025. will help individuals, teams, and organizations implement the soul, heart, and mind of leadership through detailed explanations, analogies, examples, and self-discovery tools. Courses in these certificate programs will total 20 hours of onscreen instruction time and are tentatively scheduled to launch in December 2025. Scaling Leadership: Activating the Leading Through Organization will examine leadership as the operating system of the organization creating leadership that permeates, helping people and organizations thrive. Courses in these certificate programs will total 20 hours of onscreen instruction time and are tentatively scheduled to launch in early 2026. About MindEdge Learning MindEdge's mission is to improve the way the world learns. Since its founding in 1998 by Harvard and MIT educators, the company has served some four million learners. With a focus on digital-first learning resourcesfrom academic courseware to professional development coursesMindEdge's approach to best practices in online education focuses on learners' needs across the spectrum of higher education, professional development, skills training, and continuing education. MindEdge is based in Waltham, Mass. About The Leading Through Institute The Leading Through Institute is dedicated to promoting a new paradigm of leadership -- Leading Through -- that is designed to help people and organizations thrive. LTI founder and chair Kim Clark, former president of BYU-Idaho and dean of Harvard Business School, founded the Institute in 2024 with two of his children former management consultant Erin Clark and management professor Jonathan Clark along with former HR executive David Moss. Through their combined efforts, the Institute works to help people and organizations step out of the shadows of outdated leadership paradigms and into the light of new possibilities. SOURCE MindEdge Moove and Waymo expand their partnership from the U.S. to London The collaboration underscores a shared commitment to road safety, sustainability, and innovation in one of the world's largest ride-hailing markets This partnership represents another major milestone in Moove's journey to help redefine global urban mobility DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Moove, the global mobility company, today announced the expansion of its partnership with Waymo, the world's leading autonomous driving technology company, as its fleet operations partner in London. The companies will work together to lay the operational groundwork for Waymo's autonomous ride-hailing service in London. The strategic partnership will continue to shape the future of mobility, and bring safe, efficient, and sustainable fully autonomous ride-hailing to one of the world's most dynamic ride-hailing markets. Moove already operates a well established mobility business in London, and its deep operational expertise and local knowledge make the company an ideal partner to support Waymo's entry into the UK Capital. "We're excited by a future where Waymo's safe and reliable autonomous technology is available in London, transforming how the capital moves," said Ladi Delano, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Moove. "This partnership represents a major step forward for urban mobility, bringing world-class innovation to one of the world's greatest cities." By combining Waymo's world-leading technology and autonomous ride-hailing expertise with Moove's operational know-how, this partnership moves London closer to a future of safer, cleaner, and more accessible city transport. "For Londoners, this marks the beginning of a new era, one where safe, efficient, and sustainable travel becomes part of everyday life," Delano added. About Moove Moove operates the world's largest manned ride-hail fleet, with more than 39,000 vehicles across 29 cities. Having achieved EBITDA break-even in September 2024 and on course for approximately $400 million in annual recurring revenue this calendar year, Moove has grown ~70 since 2020 through relentless focus, disciplined execution, and global ambition. Building on this foundation, Moove is now creating the world's largest physical AI asset manager the Hyperscaler for the Autonomous Revolution developing the infrastructure layer that will enable the global scale-up of Level 4 autonomy. Moove is now launching its Series C to fund this next phase of growth, expanding globally and building the infrastructure layer to enable the scale-up of Level 4 autonomy. Key Facts Launched in 2020; now operating across 29 cities on five continents 39,000 vehicles in Moove's global fleet Over 160 million trips completed to date Over $500 million raised in combined equity and debt from world-class investors including Uber, Mubadala, BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, Janus Henderson, and IFC (World Bank) Over 600,000 lives positively impacted through access to mobility and vehicle ownership opportunities Media Contact [email protected] SOURCE Moove Keynote is PhRMA President and CEO Stephen Ubl who will share insights on healthcare innovation, patient affordability, and the need for collaboration to improve health outcomes and reduce costs WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions (National Alliance) is hosting its 2025 Annual Forum Ignite Courage: Employers Disrupting Healthcare November 10-12 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA. Keynote is Stephen Ubl, president and chief executive officer of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), which represents America's leading biopharmaceutical research companies. Ubl will explore the challenges and opportunities facing drug makers and purchasers, including Most Favored Nation, direct-to-consumer models, and the drive toward value-based pricing, where drugs are priced according to clinical value and not how much middlemen can extract discounts and fees. The Annual Forum convenes some of the brightest minds in the nation, including employers and other healthcare purchasers, coalitions, and industry thought leaders and is a pivotal gathering for anyone seeking insight on the ever-evolving trends, strategies, and innovations in the healthcare and benefits industry. "Healthcare costs are rising faster than we've seen in the last 15 years and our Annual Forum offers employers and other purchasers practical strategies to address critical issues including high and rising hospital prices, drug pricing games, and the need for access to data," said National Alliance President and CEO Shawn Gremminger. "This is a must-attend event for purchasers and other healthcare stakeholders working to manage health benefits and contain rising healthcare costs on behalf of working families." The most recent Pulse of the Purchaser employer survey found that nearly two-thirds of employers (61%) have either changed pharmacy benefit managers from the Big Three in the past year or are considering a change within the next 1-3 years. In keeping with efforts to drive industry disruption, the Forum will also feature a frank discussion with representatives from the Big Three and mid-sized PBMs to help attendees gain a deeper understanding of how different PBMs approach business, client engagement, and industry challenges. Benefit leaders from across the country are among the distinguished speakers that lead healthcare benefit decisions for organizations including: 32BJ Health Fund, Alliance Coal, ArcBest, Astellas Health, Behavioral Health Group, BNSF Railway, Comerica Bank, General Motors, Purdue University, Teamsters Health & Welfare and Pension Funds of Philadelphia and Vicinity, UNITE HERE Health, and Utz Brands. Forum session highlights include: Courage to Disrupt Healthcare: Trailblazers Rewriting the Rules No More Blank Checks: A Movement to Rein in Hospital Prices From Awareness to Action: The Women's Health Playbook for Smarter Benefits and Stronger Workplaces Inside the Strategy: How Benefits Leaders Are Approaching Comprehensive Obesity Care Courage in Contracting: Understanding the Anatomy of a Contract Fiduciary Responsibility: Strategies for Managing Risk, Cost, and Compliance Registration is discounted for employers and other healthcare purchasers affiliated with a National Alliance member coalition. The reduced room rate for the hotel is available until October 19 or when the block sells out. Learn more and register: https://nationalalliancehealth.swoogo.com/2025annualforum/Home. About National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions For more than 30 years, the National Alliance has brought together business coalitions and their employer and purchaser members to drive high-quality healthcare that enhances patient experience, promotes health equity, and improves outcomes while lowering costs. Its members represent public and private sectors, nonprofits, and labor unions that provide health benefits to over 90 million Americansmore than half of the employer-sponsored insurance marketspending over $850 billion annually. To learn more, visit nationalalliancehealth.org and connect on LinkedIn . SOURCE National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With the completed acquisition of Quest Engineering Solutions, Packaging Compliance Labs announces the grand opening of PCL East, located in Billerica, Massachusetts. PCL East expands the company's capacity to serve medical device manufacturers with industry-leading package and device testing services. PCL team celebrates grand opening (PRNewsfoto/Packaging Compliance Labs) "The investment we've made in PCL East underscores our commitment to long-term growth," says Matthew Lapham, CEO and Co-Founder of PCL. "Our new, state-of-the-art facility ensures we can deliver faster, more efficient solutions while reinforcing our leadership in sterile packaging." The renovated 10,000 square foot facility is outfitted with the latest testing equipment and staffed by expert engineers, ensuring clients are met with the same speed of service, high quality testing, and top-notch customer service that they have received in Michigan for the last decade. PCL East has transferred their ISO 17025 accreditation to A2LA. A2LA is the same accrediting body that certifies PCL's Kraft facility. Interested in joining the team? PCL is looking for passionate, motivated professionals to fortify their team. More information regarding current job openings can be found on the Packaging Compliance Labs website. About Packaging Compliance Labs: Packaging Compliance Labs (PCL) is a trusted partner for medical device and life sciences customers, offering services in packaging design, validation testing, and contract packaging. With a focus on innovation and regulatory compliance, PCL helps clients successfully navigate the complexities of product development and launch. Visit their website to learn more about PCL. Contact: Cassie Ladd 6162274540 [email protected] SOURCE Packaging Compliance Labs Among the many events marking Pasqua's centennial this year, the evening paid tribute to a century of winemaking through the dialogue between wine and art NEW YORK, Oct. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pasqua Wines , celebrated ambassador of Amarone della Valpolicella and the wines of Veneto, marked the grand finale of its centennial year with an exclusive presentation ofOde al Futuro at Rizzoli Bookstore in New York City. Published by Rizzoli, the book celebrates the winery's 100th anniversary and explores the interplay between wine and art as universal languages of expression, intuition, and transformation. credit to PorterGabi. The evening brought together members of the press, wine enthusiasts, and art lovers for a conversation moderated by journalist Valeria Robecco, featuring Giuseppe Ragazzini, one of the five international artists featured in the book, along with Riccardo Pasqua, CEO of Pasqua Wines, and Alessandro Pasqua, President of Pasqua USA. Under the art direction of Giuseppe Ragazzini, Ode al Futuro reinterprets five of Pasqua's most iconic labels - Famiglia Pasqua, Mai Dire Mai, 11 Minutes, Hey French, and Terre di Cariano Cecilia Beretta - through the work of internationally celebrated artists Michael Mapes (USA), Sofia Crespo (Portugal), Gaia Alari (Italy), Enzo (Italy), and Giuseppe Ragazzini (Italy), with a conceptual narrative by writer and screenwriter Filippo Bologna. Following the presentation, guests enjoyed a walk-around tasting of Pasqua's flagship wines, immersing themselves in the rich heritage of the Veneto region. The selection included 11 Minutes Rose, Pinot Grigio Black Label, PassioneSentimento Rosso, Hey French You Could Have Made This But You Didn't, and Famiglia Pasqua Amarone della Valpolicella. A branded Rizzoli window display further highlighted the Ode al Futuro project, celebrating the dialogue between art and wine that lies at the heart of Pasqua's centennial celebrations. Reflecting on the significance of presenting Ode al Futuro in the United States, Alessandro Pasqua said, "Presenting this book here in New York is particularly meaningful. The U.S. has always been a key market where we've invested in building relationships and sharing our story. Bringing Ode al Futuro to this city is not just a milestone in our centenary celebrations, but also a way to reaffirm that wine, like art, inspires, connects, and transcends borders." Riccardo Pasqua added: "Making wine is a beautiful challenge we embrace every day, since 1925. Capturing the essence of a land or a vineyard and transforming it into a work of art, like wine, is an incredible opportunity we are privileged to experience. Wine and art share a deep connection, which is why our family continues to bring our wines into dialogue with artists through Ode al Futuro and numerous other projects over the years." Since its founding, Pasqua Wines has built a legacy rooted in craftsmanship, creativity, and a forward-looking vision. The New York presentation marked the culmination of a yearlong global celebration of the winery's centennial, underscoring the winery's enduring commitment to shaping the future while honoring its century-long history and pioneering spirit. Ode al Futuro is available for sale at Rizzoli's store in New York and online. PASQUA VIGNETI E CANTINE, founded in 1925, is a historic Veronese wine company owned by the Pasqua family and celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025. The company is internationally recognized as a producer and ambassador of prestigious wines from Italy's Veneto region. With a century of winemaking expertise, Pasqua looks to the future with a renewed stylistic vision that blends tradition and innovation. Today, President Umberto Pasqua leads the company alongside his sons: Riccardo Pasqua, Chief Executive Officer and Alessandro Pasqua, President of Pasqua USA. With the introduction of the Pasqua House of the Unconventional manifesto, today the company aims to be a laboratory of innovation and dialogue, where quality and creativity take center stage. FOR MORE INFORMATION Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine [email protected] www.pasqua.it SOURCE Pasqua Wines This strategic acquisition strengthens Priority's position in the construction sector and expands its capabilities in providing comprehensive digital solutions for construction project management TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Priority Software, a leading global provider of ERP and business management software announces the acquisition of Expo-Net, a developer of advanced cloud platforms for construction and architecture industry management. The acquisition of Expo-Net aligns with Priority's recent acquisition strategy, through which the company has expanded into various sectors including: retail, hospitality, education, and logistics warehouse management. This acquisition is expected to further strengthen Priority's leading position in management systems for the construction industry, which is undergoing advanced digitalization worldwide. Integrating Expo-Net's technology into Priority's product suite will enable customers in the construction industry to access a comprehensive and dedicated solution, connecting on-site project management with the organizations' core business systems. Expo-Net's system includes built-in and unique components that integrate into a comprehensive framework aimed at central control, full coordination between all parties, process optimization, and significant cost savings. These capabilities will be integrated with Priority's flexible and open platform, which already includes financial, logistic, and operational modules alongside construction industry-specific modules. The combined solution will provide construction industry managers with comprehensive real-time insights in two key areas: project status and overall business performance. Managers will be able to oversee everything from initial planning to on-site execution, while maintaining full control over supply chain operations, contractor management, budgets, and resource allocation. "The acquisition of Expo-Net is a significant milestone in our journey to provide innovative and comprehensive solutions to our many construction industry clients," says Sagive Greenspan, CEO of Priority. "Combining Expo-Net's deep expertise in construction project management with our advanced and open platform will allow us to offer an end-to-end solution for this strategic and growing sector including construction, development, and architecture companies. The synergy between the companies will create unique value for our customers, thanks to the integration between both companies' technological systems." Avi Arad, founder and CEO of Expo-Net added: "After years of leading innovation in construction industry management, we are excited to join the Priority family. For us, this is a natural move that will allow us to leverage our developed platform to the next level. Priority's acquisition of Expo-Net will not only create added value and increase the range of solutions and services for our customers but will also accelerate our growth in local and international markets where Priority operates. By joining forces with Priority, we can offer customers a broader and richer solution, from a dedicated management platform to an advanced ERP system, thereby contributing to improving our customers' project performance and success." About Priority Priority Software is a leading provider of comprehensive business management solutions, including ERP, retail, and hospitality solutions. The company's innovative portfolio combines AI technology and cloud-based architecture to deliver flexible, scalable solutions that meet the evolving needs of modern businesses. Recognized by leading industry analysts including Gartner and IDC for its product innovation, Priority's advanced platforms provide real-time insights, enhance operational efficiency, and improve customer experiences across all business touchpoints. With a strong global presence through offices in the US, Belgium, and Israel, and an extensive network of business partners, Priority serves over 75,000 customers in 70 countries, enabling organizations of all sizes to optimize their operations and drive sustainable growth. Priority Software is backed by Blackstone as a majority stakeholder. For more information, visit www.priority-software.com. SOURCE Priority Software Ltd. Top retail buyers select Gold Award finalists and three Outstanding Packaging Design Award finalists for prestigious honors NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Specialty Food Association (SFA) today unveiled the finalists for its 2026 sofi Awards, celebrating outstanding products across 25 categories, including snacks, beverages, cheese and frozen. Announced in advance of Winter FancyFaire* taking place January 11-13, 2026, these finalists serve as a forecast of trends that will shape the specialty food and beverage industry in the year ahead. Since 1972, the sofi Awards have been one of the most coveted honors in food, with winners selected by a panel of top industry buyers based on taste, ingredient quality, and innovation. This year, the level of competition is increased by SFA's introduction of just 25 Gold Award categories, including Frozen and Prepared Foods, Charcuterie Meats, Nonalcoholic Beverages, Savory Snacks, Baking Mixes, Condiments and more. Out of 1,284 total applications, 75 Gold and three Outstanding Packaging Design finalists were selected, including: Alcoholic Beverages Bittermilk LLC Bourbon Barrel Aged Manhattan Mixer Bittermilk LLC Gingerbread Old Fashioned Mixer Earl's Big Idea, LLC IMPROVED WHISKEY COCKTAIL Baking Ingredients Dufour Pastry Kitchens, Inc. Gluten-Free All Butter Puff Pastry Flour & Olive LLC Ginger Scratch Olive Oil Cake Mix Top Seedz LLC Bake-At-Home Seed Crackers: Sea Salt Bread & Bakery Clementine's Ice Cream Co. Gooey Butter Cake Lettieri & Co. Ltd. Monte Pollino Pinsa Crust Zucker's Bagels Products Inc. Par Baked Sesame Bagels Cereals & Granola Butterfly Bakery of Vermont Mighty Tasty Granola Ivy's Gourmet Hazelnut Coffee Granola - Gluten Free Jamie's Farm Chai Streusel Granola with Honey Charcuterie Meats Elevation Charcuterie and Artisan Meats LLC Cecina Fra' Mani Handcrafted Foods Rosemary Ham True Story Foods True Story Heritage Breed Prosciutto Cheese Dutch Cheese Makers Corp. Artikaas Vintage Lot 36 Month Aged Gouda Marieke Gouda Marieke Gouda Reserve Gouda Aged 1000+ Days Vermont Creamery Bijou Chocolate A Priori Specialty Food & Distribution Caputo's Wild Jurua Hazy Fudge, LLC Hazy Fudge Cabernet Alcohol Infused Fudge KLG Candies, LLC Griff's Pecan Toffee Condiments Elephant Green Chili Chutney Elephant Green Chili Chutney New Canaan Farms New Canaan Farms Olive Rosemary Dijon Mustard Roland Foods, LLC Roland Tamarind Concentrate Crackers & Crispbreads Effie's Homemade, LLC Effie's Homemade Gruyere Biscuit Joyfull Bakery Joyfull Five Seed Parmesan Flats Kayco Craize Everything Toasted Snack Crackers Dairy & Eggs AGA Smor AGA Smor Creative Butter - Mushroom Butter Oakridge Creamery LLC Oakridge Horchata Milk SODIAAL INTERNATIONAL Candia Professional Brittany Puff Pastry Butter Frozen & Prepared Foods Lettieri & Co. Ltd. Monte Pollino Pizza Napoletana - Burrata Lily Maude's LLC Lily Maude's Double Chocolate Brownie Slow Churned Ice Cream Fazlani Exports Pvt Ltd Food Earth A Perfect Marriage Tomato Coconut Soup Grains, Pastas, & Legumes Brooklyn Delhi Brooklyn Delhi Black Bean Butter Masala Brooklyn Delhi Brooklyn Delhi Chickpea Tikka Masala with Potatoes Cafe Spice - Global Cuisine Cafe Spice Coconut Rice Meats Lottie's, LLC Everyday Ground Pork Sausage MEAT THE VEGGIES LLC THE ORIGINAL PULLED OXTAIL MEAT Texas Iberico LLC Texas Iberico Oak-Smoked Uncured Bacon Non-Alcoholic Beverages Berryfield Bottling Joe's NY Style Lemonade EUROK, Inc. Mischief Brew, Pina Picante RMBR Beverage RMBR Kombucha Nuts, Seeds, Trail Mix, & Dried Fruits Ackerley Balicike LLC Evie's Texas Pecans Banana Bread Atalanta Corp. Casa Flores Rosemary & Sea Salt Marcona Almonds FoodMatch, Inc. Chili Popnuts Crunchy Corn Coated Peanuts - Chili Flavor Oils & Vinegars Bono USA Inc "BONO" Family Estate Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil Manfredi Barbera & Figli S.p.A. KALAT Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Acetum Mazzetti - The Artistry Edition Pickles, Olives, & Fermented Foods Mama Lil's Peppers Mama Lil's Kick Butt Peppers in Oil Musco Food Corp. Vantia Grilled Italian Cipollini Onions Pacific Pickle Works Inc Kimchi Meets Pickle Plant-Based Alternatives Clementine's Ice Cream Co. Peanut Butter Cup Frozen Dessert Clementine's Ice Cream Co. Clementine's Vegan Raspberry Push Pop UMYUM Food Inc. Za'atar & Spices Plantbased Cashew Cheese Salsas & Dips AAJI'S Aaji's Original Tomato Lonsa Bitchin Sauce LLC Bitchin' Sauce Cilantro Chili Nuovo Pasta Productions, Ltd. Lemon Basil Pistachio Dip & Spread Sauces Buddha Baby LLC Banyan Thai Panang Thai Curry Sauce Fischer & Wieser Specialty Foods, Inc. Hot Peach & Honey Sauce Wozz! Kitchen Creations Middle Eastern Shawarma Sauce Savory Snacks Milton's Craft Bakers Milton's Meat Lover's Trio Pizza Snack Bites Beefy's Own Beefy's Own Sea Salt Beef Tallow Potato Chips Oh So Healthy Corporation OSH! Kimchi Crisps Cabbage & Natural Spices Seafood A Priori Specialty Food & Distribution Gueyu Mar Chargrilled Sardines Loins Calvisius Caviar Calvisius Essentia caviar Seabear Smokehouse Wild Alaskan Smoked Weathervane Sea Scallops Seasonings & Sweeteners Madison Park Foods CRIMBERA - Fused Haiku Blend - By Madison Park Foods Pom Pom Popcorn by Bessou Bessou Furikake - Umami Sprinkle Seasoning Airborne Honey USA LLC Airborne Pure New Zealand Clover Honey Spreads Janet's Finest Compotes Janet's Finest Compotes Peach Berry Jalapeno Compote RedCamper Absinthe Orange Deliciousness Umikah UMIKAH LIME YUZU CURD Sweet Snacks Southern Caramel Coffee Caramel Norwegian Baked KnekkeGodis Sweet Treat Crispbread You're a Cookie LLC Oatmeal Blueberry Take and Bake Cookie Dough Outstanding Packaging Design Finalists LADY BABKA Lady Babka Cinnamon Mini Babka Angel Oak Smokehouse Angel Oak Hot Smoked Salmon Knox & Dobson Knox & Dobson Moscow Mule "The sofi Awards set the tone for what we expect to see when it comes to innovative ideas in food and beverage, and Winter FancyFaire* acts as a guidepost for what's trending in the year ahead," said Leana Salamah, SVP of Marketing and Communications at SFA. "Every finalist received top scores from our team of experienced buyers, who have invaluable insight into what's hot in specialty food today and what will be popular in 2026. Congratulations to all of our finalists, and we look forward to revealing all of the winners onsite at the show in January." sofi Award winners will be unveiled at Winter FancyFaire* to a live audience of buyers, investors, press, manufacturers, and more on January 12 from 4-6 p.m. following SFA's highly anticipated "Trend of the Year" announcement on January 10. Five Grand Honors winners will be announced alongside 25 Gold Awards that will be presented as the top-scoring product in each category. Finalist products will also be available for select attendees to sample at the First Taste Table onsite. As with all SFA trade shows, Winter FancyFaire* will be open only to qualified members of the specialty food trade, industry affiliates, and media. To learn more about the event, book exhibit space, or register to attend, please visit www.winterfancyfaire.com . About Specialty Food Association The Specialty Food Association (SFA) was founded in 1952 and is the not-for-profit trade association of the $219-billion specialty food industry. Representing more than 4,000 businesses worldwide, SFA champions industry participation and success for a diverse community of makers, buyers, importers, distributors, and service providers by producing events, programs, and year-round resources and education . SFA owns and operates the Summer Fancy Food Show , Winter FancyFaire* , and the sofi Awards , which have honored excellence in specialty food and beverage annually since 1972. SFA also produces the e-newsletter Specialty Food SmartBrief, the Trendspotter Panel annual predictions, and Show reports. Find out more at Specialtyfood.com , and connect with SFA on LinkedIn , Instagram , TikTok , Facebook , and X . SOURCE Specialty Food Association NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- We're proud to share that Starfish earned multiple honors at this year's North American Transform Awards, recognizing brand transformation, visual identity, and strategy across a range of industries. These wins reflect the trust of our clients and the craft of our team, work rooted in clarity, creativity, and measurable impact. More importantly, brand strategy, identity, design, and communications drive impact when done well. Awards Viiota Award Featuring David Kessler, Sheri Mandry and Ashley Skoblow VGPS Gold Award Featuring David and Zack Kessler Gold Best Visual Identity from the Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Sector (Viiota) Gold Best Visual Identity from the Travel and Tourism Sector (Visit Greater Palm Springs) Silver Best Use of a Visual Property (Viiota) Silver Best Visual Identity from the Professional Services (Legal and Accountancy) (Adams & Reese) Silver Best Brand Consolidation (CRISIL) Silver Best Visual Identity from the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Sector (Prime Data Centers) Silver Best Internal Communications During a Brand Development Project (Adams & Reese) Bronze Best Visual Identity from the Professional Services (Advisors and Consultants) (CRISIL) Bronze Best Strategic or Creative Development of a New Brand (Prime Data Centers) Bronze Best Brand Architecture Solution (CRISIL) Bronze Best Creative Strategy (Corporate) (Baxter International) "Our work is a true partnership with our clients," said David Kessler, President/CEO at Starfish. "We're grateful for their trust, proud of the teams who brought these programs to life, and energized to continue building brands that move organizations forward." Why This Matters For us, awards demonstrate creative thinking delivered with breakthrough power and impact. We work diligently and with great focus, aligning brand and business strategy, designing distinct visual systems, and activating consistently across channels and teams. The range of categories in which we were awardedvisual identity, brand architecture, consolidation, internal communications, and creative strategyunderscores our holistic approach to brand transformation. About Starfish Starfish is an independent, NYC-based, award-winning branding and creative communications agency highly skilled at brand transformation through a range of disciplines focused on helping our clients achieve their desired objectives. From research and brand architecture to visual identity, messaging, and go-to-market, we help organizations clarify who they are, what they stand for, and how they show up in the world. To learn more about our award-winning work or to talk about your next brand challenge, visit starfishco.com or contact [email protected]. SOURCE Starfish LLC The goal of the partnership between Tampa General and Krew Social is to improve retention , reduce burnout and foster a thriving workplace culture for TGH's most valuable asset its people. TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital (TGH), one of the nation's leading academic health systems, has partnered with Krew Social to tackle team member loneliness, burnout and social well-being challenges that impact retention, patient safety and overall care quality. Through Krew Socials map-based platform, Tampa General Hospital team members can discover in-person hangouts with colleagues who share similar interests fostering stronger connections, reducing burnout, and improving workplace well-being. "Our partnership with Krew Social is a pivotal step in providing the team with a tool to connect both inside and outside of work to avoid the common feeling of loneliness that people feel across the nation. In addition to investing in competitive benefits, compensation and total rewards, we believe that investing in our team's social well-being will continue to enhance the feeling of belonging that exists today. This is one more way we foster an environment where people feel valued and empowered," said Qualenta Kivett, executive vice president and chief people and talent officer at Tampa General. Nationally, loneliness is widespread issue and directly impacts those who are actively in the workforce, including health care. Cigna estimates that workplace loneliness costs U.S. corporations $154 billion annually, primarily due to absenteeism, with 62% of employees reporting feelings of loneliness. Strong social connections at work have been proven to boost engagement, retention and patient care. Krew Social is a patent-pending, map-based social well-being platform designed to foster meaningful connections through safe, in-person micro-events called "hangouts," as well as the employer's large events. Department leaders or individual team members can create hangouts and will include TGH's Community Engagement, Spiritual Health and other teams that promote team and team member experience events. The suggestion algorithm recommends hangouts where workers are most likely to meet people with shared interests, showing exactly who to connect with at each event and what they have in common. For privacy and safety, hangout locations are only revealed to invited or approved participants. Future releases will integrate agentic AI to create hangouts and apply machine learning to further refine the algorithm. The engagement is part of TGH Ventures, Tampa General's corporate venture capital arm and innovation team, which is dedicated to fostering innovation by partnering with and investing in early-stage startups. TGH Ventures' investment in Krew Social enabled enterprise features such as employee login using work credentials, creating hangout permissions, custom branding and departmental invites. "Through our program, Tampa General partners with early-stage companies to co-develop solutions that address challenges here at TGH and have potential impact across the health care industry. As part of the program, Krew Social worked closely with our People and Talent and innovation teams to refine their platform's design to strengthen team member belonging, social wellness and retention while ensuring it aligns with our culture of excellence," said Rachel Feinman, vice president of innovation at Tampa General and managing director of TGH Ventures. "Supporting this type of transformative innovation is exactly why TGH Ventures was created." "We're thrilled to partner with Tampa General Hospital to address challenges like team member loneliness and burnout," said Mike Chahinian, Founder and CEO of Krew Social. "Our platform goes beyond digital engagement by facilitating safe, in-person connections helping health care workers feel seen, supported and connected. With TGH's leadership and commitment to innovation, we believe this collaboration can set a new standard for team member well-being, improving both team satisfaction and patient care." Tampa General Hospital's partnership with Krew Social represents a forward-thinking approach to team member engagement, well-being and retention. By fostering strong workplace connections, TGH is investing in its people and setting a new standard for social wellness in health care. ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL Tampa General Hospital, a 1,529-bed, not-for-profit academic health system, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the Tampa Bay region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. The system's hospitals include Tampa General Hospital, Tampa General Rehabilitation Hospital, Tampa General Behavioral Health Hospital, all in Tampa; Tampa General Brooksville, Tampa General Spring Hill and Tampa General Crystal River. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in Tampa Bay in U.S. News & World Report's 2025-2026 Best Hospitals, with six medical specialties ranking among the top 50 in the nation and five additional medical specialties ranked among the top 10% best hospital programs in the United States. As the first hospital in Florida to open a clinical command center for real-time situational awareness, Tampa General has elevated its digital care coordination center to the next level by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and its analytics platform across inpatient and outpatient care to ensure patients receive leading-edge care as quickly and safely as possible. The academic health system's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by three prestigious Forbes magazine rankings in the 2025 America's Best Large Employers, the top 40 in Florida in the 2025 America's Best Employers by State and the 2023 America's Best Employers for Women. Tampa General is the safety-net hospital for the region, caring for anyone regardless of ability to pay; in fiscal year 2023, Tampa General provided a net community benefit of approximately $301.8 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It was the nation's No. 1 adult solid organ transplant center in 2024 and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With five medical helicopters, Tampa General transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care their conditions require. Tampa General is home to a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It is home to the Muma Children's Hospital at TGH, the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General's footprint includes TGH North, which consists of three hospitals and several outpatient locations in Citrus and Hernando counties; 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices; TGH Family Care Center Kennedy; two TGH outpatient centers; TGH Virtual Health; and 19 TGH Imaging outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care, powered by the Fast Track network of clinics. To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital (tgh.org). For more information, go to www.tgh.org. ABOUT KREW SOCIAL Krew Social provides social well-being solutions that help organizations combat loneliness and strengthen workplace belonging. Through innovative patent-pending technology and in-person micro-events, Krew Social creates supportive, engaging environments that improve employee satisfaction, retention, and overall workplace culture. For more information, go www.krewsocial.com Media Contact: Karen Barrera Krew Social Media Contact: Ursula Mae Senior Director Head of Marketing and PR MarComm Media and Partnerships Krew Social (813) 844-8725 (845) 728-3870 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE Tampa General Hospital FEASTERVILLE, Pa., Oct. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Jean Simcox, a Realtor covering Southeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and surrounding areas, has been recognized by the Inner Circle for her distinguished performance in residential real estate as a Pinnacle Professional Member Inner Circle of Excellence. Jean Simcox Jean combines local insight with a broad professional network to help clients achieve their property goals. She works with a diverse range of buyers and sellers, from first-time homeowners to seasoned investors seeking commercial opportunities, delivering personalized service and strategic guidance in each transaction. With designations that include accredited buyer's representative (ABR) and seniors real estate specialist (SRES), Jean brings specialized knowledge to her real estate role and is committed to ongoing professional development. She is an active member of the Bucks County Association of Realtors, with seats on the outreach and education committees, contributing to community engagement and the advancement of the real estate profession. Over about 10 years, Jean has built a reputation on for integrity, professionalism, and results-driven service. Jean is also an annual participant and fundraiser in the Walk to End Alzheimer's, an avid supporter of DC21 painter's union, and generally invests in her community. She values her family and community, enjoys time with her four children and her dog, Darcy, and is celebrating her new role as a grandmother. Looking ahead, she remains a trusted partner for clients navigating the evolving real estate landscape in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Her market knowledge, proactive approach, and dedication on to ethics continue to ensure her clients make informed decisions and enjoy successful outcomes. To learn more about Jean, visit jean-simcox.bestagents.us or follow along with her on Instagram and LinkedIn. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE The Inner Circle CHICAGO, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Titan International, Inc. will release its third quarter 2025 financial results before the opening of the market on Thursday, November 6, 2025 to be followed by a teleconference and webcast on Thursday, November 6, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The real-time, listen-only webcast can be accessed using the following link https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/328660313 or on our website at www.titan-intl.com within the "Investor Relations" page under the "News & Events" menu ( https://ir.titan-intl.com/news-and-events/events/default.aspx ). Listeners should access the website at least 10 minutes prior to the live event. In order to participate in the real-time teleconference, with live audio Q&A, participants should use the following dial in number: United States (Toll-Free): 1 833 470 1428 All Other Locations: https://www.netroadshow.com/conferencing/global-numbers?confId=56511 Participants Access Code: 973752 A webcast replay of the teleconference will be available on our website (https://ir.titan-intl.com/news-and-events/events/default.aspx) soon after the live event. About Titan : Titan International, Inc. (NYSE: TWI) is a leading global manufacturer of off-highway wheels, tires, assemblies, and undercarriage products. Headquartered in West Chicago, Illinois, the company globally produces a broad range of products to meet the specifications of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and aftermarket customers in the agricultural, earthmoving/construction, and consumer markets. For more information, visit www.titan-intl.com. SOURCE Titan International, Inc. Trend Vision One ranked among top vendors in the NAV solutions market DALLAS, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704) announced today that it has been named a Leader in Network Analysis and Visibility (NAV) solutions by Forrester. The analyst firm's independent market evaluation scores the flagship Trend Vision One platform highest among all 12 evaluated solutions in the "current offering" category. To learn more about The Forrester Wave: Network Analysis and Visibility Solutions, Q4 2025, visit: https://www.trendmicro.com/explore/forrester-wave-nav Rachel Jin, Chief Platform and Business Officer at Trend: "As organizations accelerate cloud adoption, IoT integration, and AI-driven innovation, the need for deep, network-based visibility has never been greater. Through our platform, Trend empowers customers to reduce risk exposure, detect and respond faster, and enforce Zero Trust across their entire organization before threats escalate." Trend Vision One combines Network Detection and Response (NDR) with Cyber Risk Exposure Management (CREM) to deliver: XDR for Complete Visibility: Correlates telemetry across endpoints, networks, identities, email, cloud, and data for faster detection, deeper investigations, and accelerated response. Proactive Cyber Risk Exposure Management: CREM continuously discovers assets, assesses risk in real time, and automates mitigation to proactively mitigate cyber risk. The Forrester report cites capabilities of Trend Vision One including: "Outstanding threat detection capabilities across east-west and north-south traffic via a best-of-breed approach" "Intuitive workflow and threat-hunting capabilities [which] perform custom investigations and visualizations" "Extensive customizability in its detection logic due to its rich telemetry" "Highly robust" compliance monitoring, "supporting a wide range of frameworks and allowing the creation of custom frameworks" Support for "granular administration for RBAC" Forrester's report also notes that "Trend Micro is best suited to enterprises with budget or resource constraints as well as current customers that want a unified, "single pane of glass" experience." Forrester does not endorse any company, product, brand, or service included in its research publications and does not advise any person to select the products or services of any company or brand based on the ratings included in such publications. Information is based on the best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. For more information, read about Forrester's objectivity here . About Trend Micro Trend Micro, a global cybersecurity leader, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Fueled by decades of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro's AI-powered cybersecurity platform protects hundreds of thousands of organizations and millions of individuals across clouds, networks, devices, and endpoints. As a leader in cloud and enterprise cybersecurity, Trend's platform delivers a powerful range of advanced threat defense techniques optimized for environments like AWS, Microsoft, and Google, and central visibility for better, faster detection and response. With 7,000 employees across 70 countries, Trend Micro enables organizations to simplify and secure their connected world. www.TrendMicro.com. SOURCE Trend Micro Incorporated BRIDGEPORT, Conn., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday, October 2, 2025, University of Bridgeport (UB) celebrated the highly anticipated reopening of the Schelfhaudt Gallery in the Arnold Bernhard Center for the Arts and Humanities (ABC Building). The event marked the gallery's first exhibition since 2019, reflecting the University's renewed commitment to revitalizing the arts on campus and throughout the Bridgeport community. Guests explore AI: Co-Create, the inaugural exhibition at University of Bridgeports newly reopened Schelfhaudt Gallery. The show features works by local and regional artists who use artificial intelligence as a creative tool, highlighting the intersection of art and innovation. The evening began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by the official opening of the gallery's inaugural exhibit, "AI: Co-Create." Guests enjoyed an evening of art, conversation, and refreshments as they explored the show, an innovative collection that examines the creative partnership between artists and artificial intelligence. Curated by renowned artist and gallery namesake, Peter Schelfhaudt, "AI: Co-Create" challenges the boundaries between human and machine, inviting audiences to consider how technology can enhance rather than replace the artist. "University of Bridgeport is undergoing a renaissance," said UB President Danielle Wilken, Ed.D. "This opening fits within everything we're doing to bring new life to the Arnold Bernhard Center, create vibrant community spaces, and expand opportunities for our students. It's especially meaningful that the first exhibition focuses on artificial intelligence, aligning perfectly with UB's distinction as home to Connecticut's first master's program in AI." The exhibition drew students, faculty, staff, and members of the community, sparking lively conversations and some debate about the evolving role of AI in the creative process. "The ribbon cutting and opening reception for 'AI: Co-Create' signals not only the relaunch of the gallery and the Arnold Bernhard Center art assets, but also the coming together of art, innovation, and community," said Amy Nawrocki, Dean of UB's College of Science and Society, whose own AI-assisted poetry is featured in the exhibit. "Seeing students, staff, faculty, and community artists engage in conversation, interact with exhibits, mingle, and celebrate is inspiring. Congratulations to Peter Schelfhaudt on curating such an exciting show." Visitors expressed a mix of curiosity, wonder, and excitement as they explored the exhibit. "I've never seen AI art before," said Lynzie Lawton, a Human Services major and student-athlete on UB's track and field team. "It's different from any art I've seen in galleries." Shireen Lehman, a UB Human Nutrition alumna, added, "The artists here have really used AI in a wonderful way to enhance their already creative ideas." The "AI: Co-Create" exhibit features diverse works by local, regional, and University artists, including sculpture, photography, digital art, and multimedia installations. Artist Alison Pasquini combines AI with traditional oil and acrylic painting to create contemporary interpretations of Dutch still lifes. "It's a mixture of hand and technology," she said. "You have to look closely to see what parts are hand-detailed and what parts are made on the computer." Schelfhaudt reflected on the gallery's return as both a continuation of UB's artistic heritage and a step forward in its cultural evolution. "University of Bridgeport is reinforcing its decades-long support of the arts in this unique cultural center," he said. "Bridgeport has a vibrant arts community, and we are proud to showcase local and emerging artists alongside international creators. The arts provide hope, stimulation, and reflection." The Schelfhaudt Gallery, first sponsored by Peter Schelfhaudt in 2012, is being reimagined as part of UB's revitalization of the Arnold Bernhard Center. The building now serves as a hub for visual and performing arts, featuring galleries, theaters, and event spaces that overlook Long Island Sound. The "AI: Co-Create" exhibition will remain open to the public Fridays through Sundays, 12 4 p.m., through October 31. In November, the gallery will host "Connections," curated by Suzanne Kachmar, director of Bridgeport's City Lights Gallery. The upcoming exhibit, opening on November 8 from 12:30 8 p.m. and running through December 13, will unite artists from Westport, Bridgeport, and beyond to celebrate the region's dynamic art scene. "We are honored to come together in this amazing facility at University of Bridgeport," said Kachmar. For more information about University of Bridgeport, visit www.bridgeport.edu. About University of Bridgeport University of Bridgeport offers career-oriented undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees and programs for people seeking personal and professional growth. The University promotes academic excellence, personal responsibility, and commitment to service. Distinctive curricula in an international, culturally diverse, and supportive learning environment prepare graduates for life and leadership in an increasingly interconnected world. The University is independent and non-sectarian. www.bridgeport.edu For media inquiries, please contact: Abby Levandoski Assistant Director of Communications University of Bridgeport Email: [email protected] Phone: 203-576-4151 SOURCE University of Bridgeport "For years, vivo has deepened its global presence under the principle of 'More Local, More Global,' and continues to create products and experiences that stay true to users' needs," said SHI Yujian, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at vivo. "As we celebrate vivo's 30th anniversary, we are taking the next step with the global debut of OriginOS. Guided by our 'Origin Design' philosophy and built on three core pillars of smoothness, design and AI, the brand new OriginOS 6 reimagines the way people connect with the digital world." Smoothness Mastery: Look Smooth, Feel Smooth, Stay Smooth Smoothness lies at the heart of OriginOS 6 more than a feature, it represents a new standard of mastery. The new Origin Smooth Engine enables seamless collaboration among the system's core modules, computing, storage, and display, and delivers an all-around experience that looks smooth, feels smooth, and stays smooth over time. The 8+1 Ultra-Core Computing keeps critical tasks running first, improving app cold-start speed by 18.5% and frame-rate stability by 10.5%. Memory Fusion accelerates data loading by 106%, while Dual Rendering boosts animation performance by 35% and keeps frame rates 11% steadier under heavy loads[1]. Smoothness is first seen on screen through the Origin Animation system, which enhances the visual experience with motion effects such as Spring Animation, Blur Transition, Morphing Animation, and One Shot Animation, giving each touch a natural rhythm and visual coherence. It's also smooth to the touch. vivo's industry-first Snap-Up Engine prioritizes computing power for high-demand actions such as ticketing, keeping users one step ahead. Paired with faster app launches, up to 16% quicker when opening 50 consecutive apps, and a refined touch response that's 41% faster, every tap and swipe feels effortlessly smooth. Beyond the moment, smoothness endures. The latest vivo X300 Pro with OriginOS 6 has earned SGS certification for sustained smoothness, simulating five years of heavy use. Together, these innovations define vivo's mastery of smoothnessan experience users can see, feel, and rely on every day. Intuitive Design Inspired by Nature Inspired by nature and grounded in how people experience the world, OriginOS 6 is designed to make digital life more intuitive, effortless, and delightful. The Origin Design system unifies visual elements including color, shape, icon, image, font, layout, material and depth, with simplicity and precision. The new brand font, vivo Sans[2], supports over 40 languages, and the symbols now feature fully variable and adjustable weight for the first time. With Dynamic Glow and Translucent Color, light flows across materials, adding depth and immersive vibrancy to every interaction. Bringing life's sensibilities into the digital world, vivo has also reimagined app design. From checking device status in iManager to tracking well-being in Origin Health, users can focus on ongoing tasks and get things done with ease. The new Immersive Weather further allows users to explore weather in an innovative digital form. OriginOS 6 also inspires personal expression. The new Lock Screen Grid allows users to arrange and resize widgets freely, customize fonts, and combine photos for instant updates. A reimagined Home Screen Grid introduces a sleek 47 layout and adaptive folders, and the Flip Cards bring everyday photos to life with dynamic, living display that shifts naturally as you tilt the device. vivo AI Empowering A New Personal Intelligence Experience vivo AI propels OriginOS 6 into a new chapter of personal intelligence. In close collaboration with Google, it brings the upgraded Gemini and Circle to Search, delivering a smarter and more intuitive experience. Further, as a new, natural and intuitive form of interaction, the new Origin Island surfaces real-time status at the top of the screen and remains visible when you leave apps, integrated with Android 16's Live Updates integration. It offers contextual suggestions you can act on instantly, enabling Copy & Gocopy a phone number to call, text or save as a new contact, or copy meeting details to create a calendar item, and Drag & Goedit a photo, for example, and drag it to Origin Island to continue in the suggested app without switching. vivo AI transforms both creativity and productivity across everyday scenarios. In imaging capabilities, the new AI Retouch integrates AI Erase, AI Image Expander, and AI Photo Enhance into a single, seamless workflow for effortless enhancement. In everyday productivity, vivo AI empowers communication, document handling, content creation, and information search through intelligent tools such as Smart Call Assistant, DocMaster, AI Creation, and AI Searchmaking daily work simpler and more efficient. Extending beyond a single device, vivo AI enables seamless collaboration through features such as the Office Kit[3] and One-Tap Transfer[4], to keep work and creativity flowing effortlessly across devices and platforms. Security and Endurance to Rely On OriginOS 6 strengthens protection with the vivo Security brand to safeguard data security and privacy, ensuring transparency and control, on-device intelligence, and data minimization. The upgraded BlueVolt technology further improves power efficiency and charging stability, keeping performance cool, stable and long-lasting. Availability OriginOS 6 will begin rolling out globally in phases starting from November 2025. Further upgrade plan may vary by markets. (END) About vivo vivo is a technology company that creates great products based on a design-driven value, with smart devices and intelligent services as its core. The company aims to build a bridge between humans and the digital world. Through unique creativity, vivo provides users with an increasingly convenient mobile and digital life. Following the company's core values, which include Benfen*, user-orientation, design-driven value, continuous learning, and team spirit, vivo has implemented a sustainable development strategy with the vision of developing into a healthier, more sustainable world-class corporation. While bringing together and developing the best local talents to deliver excellence, vivo is supported by a network of R&D centers in Shenzhen, Dongguan, Nanjing, Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Xi'an and more cities, focusing on the development of state-of-the-art consumer technologies, including 5G, artificial intelligence, industrial design, imaging system and other up-and-coming technologies. vivo has also set up an intelligent manufacturing network (including those authorized by vivo), with an annual production capacity of nearly 200 million smartphones. As of now, vivo has branched out its sales network across more than 60 countries and regions and is loved by more than 500 million users worldwide. *"Benfen" is a term describing the attitude on doing the right things and doing things right which is the ideal description of vivo's mission to create value for society. Stay informed of latest vivo news at https://www.vivo.com/en/about-vivo/news [1] Data was obtained from vivo labs and may vary by model. Actual performance shall prevail. [2] The font name may vary by model and region. Please refer to actual usage. [3] To use Office Kit, install the latest version and get more information from pc.vivoglobal.com. This feature requires third-party service support, which may change. [4] This feature requires third-party service support, which may change. SOURCE vivo 21 % more press release views with Request a Demo 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 Bharti Airtel and Google confirmed on Tuesday that they signed a strategic partnership deal to invest a combined US$15 billion in Googles first AI hub and gigawatt-scale data centre in India, with AdaniConneX roped in as an ecosystem partner in the project. Under the five-year partnership agreement, Airtel and Google will jointly establish a purpose-built gigawatt data centre in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, between 2026 and 2030 to support AI workloads in India. AdaniConneX, a JV between Adani Enterprises and EdgeConneX, will co-develop the core AI data centre infrastructure and invest in new transmission lines, clean energy generation, and energy storage systems to power the facility. To unlock India's massive potential in the AI age, we are investing in the Google AI hub, which will provide the critical foundation to drive growth and enable businesses, researchers, and creators to build and scale with AI, said Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian in a statement. As part of the project, Airtel said it will build a new cable landing station (CLS) in Visakhapatnam to host new international subsea cables that will join Googles global terrestrial and subsea infrastructure. That would include Meta's ambitious Project Waterworth global subsea system, which will feature landing points in Visakhapatnam and Mumbai, according to a report last week from the Economic Times. The Visakhapatnam CLS is intended to complement existing landing stations in Chennai (which lies south of Visakhapatnam on Indias east coast) and Mumbai on the west coast, where Googles Blue-Raman cable is expected to be ready for service by the end of this year. Airtel will also supply an intra-city and inter-city fibre network designed to not only support connectivity for the data centre hub, but also increase the resiliency and capacity of Indias digital backbone and deliver faster experiences by bringing Googles full AI stack and consumer services closer to Indian businesses. With Visakhapatnam becoming a new hub on the worlds AI map, we are ensuring that India has the opportunity to set the pace for innovation, digital inclusion and economic growthnot just for our people, but for the world, said Airtel vice chairman and MD Gopal Vittal. Rumours of the project have been circulating since July, when Reuters cited unnamed government sources claiming Google planned to invest US$6 billion to build a gigawatt data centre in Visakhapatnam. Google Clouds Kurian said the US$15 billion AI hub is its largest investment in India to date, and is aligned to the Indian governments Viksit Bharat 2047 vision to accelerate expansion of AI-driven services in the country. Meeting the demands of Indias AI mission requires cutting-edge infrastructure, computational power and ubiquitous connectivity, Kurian said. Working with Airtel, we will deliver next-generation AI services and create the essential digital backbone required to power inclusive growth across India. Could a US-style loan scheme save thousands of Australian businesses from closure as owners retire? Whats happening: Coraggio, representing private business owners, is urging the Federal Government to introduce a US-style loan guarantee scheme to help buyers acquire existing businesses as hundreds of thousands of ageing owners prepare to retire, with 22% of small business owners now aged 60 or over. Why this matters: Without succession support, many viable businesses will close rather than transition to new owners, causing significant economic disruption and potentially leaving regional communities without essential services as private equity swoops in to consolidate struggling sectors at low prices. Australia faces a succession crisis that could see hundreds of thousands of small businesses disappear within the next decade, prompting calls for government intervention to prevent widespread economic damage. Coraggio, one of Australias largest groups of private business owners, has called on the Federal Government to introduce a loan guarantee scheme modelled on the US Small Business Administration. The US system, which has operated since 1953, helps entrepreneurs acquire businesses through government-backed loans. In 2024 alone, SBA loan programmes backed over $56 billion in funding, supporting more than 103,000 small businesses with loans allowing up to 90% loan-to-value ratios and historically low default rates. The approach reduces barriers for buyers seeking to acquire established businesses, which typically present lower risk than start-ups due to existing cash flow, customer bases and financial records. Silver tsunami approaching The urgency stems from demographic shifts within Australias small business sector. According to the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsmans report Small Business Matters, 22% of Australian small business owners are aged 60 or over. The report also reveals nearly half of all small business owners are over 50, whilst just 8% are under 30, half the peak of 17% achieved in the mid-1970s. Coraggio CEO Richard Skarzynski said the guarantee should extend beyond simple loan backing to include education programmes for successful applicants. Providing this type of loan structure is vital for business transition but there is no point in providing this mechanism to enable generational business acquisition if these new owners do not have the skills to maintain and grow the business, Skarzynski said. Business owners want to be sure that the company they have built, probably over many decades, is going to be in good hands. Learning from America The proposal has gained grassroots support beyond Coraggios membership base. Queensland accountant Chris Davey recently established petition EN7615 calling for a government-backed business loan guarantee scheme, which has garnered 1,274 signatures ahead of its 26 September 2025 closing date. The petition requests the Federal Government establish a scheme including up to 80% loan-to-value lending for approved acquisitions, a government guarantee to reduce lender risk, streamlined application processes through participating banks, and specific support for women, Indigenous Australians and regional entrepreneurs. Daveys petition draws parallels with existing government support in the residential sector, noting that Australia offers loan guarantees through the Home Guarantee Scheme, which allows first home buyers to avoid paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance with only a 5% deposit. The petition also highlights the economic returns generated by the US model, noting that for every $1 million lent, 3 to 3.5 jobs are created within three years. Skarzynski emphasised that succession planning cannot rely solely on family transfers. That means the new owner should be surrounded by a strong advisory board of business leadership peers to ensure the funding is well directed to further growing these businesses and realising the dreams of the new owners and builds the economy, he said. Its a low-cost mechanism, and with this educational attachment becomes a low-risk, low-cost investment for the Government that provides the greatest return. Its the fastest and lowest cost way to grow the economy. Regional risk The implications extend beyond metropolitan centres, with regional and rural areas facing particular vulnerability. Skarzynski warned that many older owners operate small businesses in these areas, and their exit without successors could deprive towns of essential services and economic stability. He also highlighted alternative outcomes if succession issues remain unaddressed. If these small businesses cant be acquired, they will either shut and disappear or private equity funds will swoop in, pay very little for them and roll them up into a national business and put the prices up for the industry which is their pay back, Skarzynski said. Skills matter too The demographic shift has accelerated over recent decades. The Small Business Matters report shows the most common age of small business owners is now 50 years, compared to 45 years in 2006. In the 1980s there were twice as many small business owners aged between 30 and 49 as there were aged over 50. Younger buyers often struggle to secure traditional bank loans to purchase businesses, even when those businesses demonstrate solid financial performance and market position. The proposed guarantee scheme would reduce lender risk and open pathways for entrepreneurial buyers who lack substantial collateral. We need to value self-employment. Yes, it can be a hard slog, but it can also be very rewarding with the right advice both financially and personally, Skarzynski said. The Federal Government has not yet responded to either the Coraggio proposal or the public petition. The Australian government currently offers a free succession plan template to assist business owners in preparing their exit strategies, but financial support mechanisms for buyers remain limited compared to the US model. As succession planning experts note, the process isnt just about naming a successor but about protecting and strengthening a businesss foundations. Without comprehensive government-backed lending support, advocates argue Australia risks losing not just individual businesses but entire sectors of its entrepreneurial economy. The petition can be viewed on the Australian Parliaments e-petitions website under reference EN7615. Related: Succession planning and why founders over 55 need this conversation Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Australian employees spend over three hours weekly on unnecessary tasks as burnout intensifies across workplaces. Whats happening: Nearly six in ten Australian employees have experienced work-related mental distress due to workload pressure, meeting overload and unrealistic deadlines, whilst psychological workers compensation claims have surged 28.4% between FY21 and FY25, according to new Allianz Australia research. Why this matters: With 2.73 million Australians considering leaving their jobs within the next year and organisations set to invest $33.83 billion in mental health support, employees are calling for structural workplace changes rather than surface-level wellness initiatives to prevent burnout. Australian workplaces are facing a mental health crisis that goes beyond yoga classes and meditation apps, with new research revealing structural barriers to wellbeing are driving employees toward breaking point. Nearly six in ten surveyed employees stated they have experienced work-related mental distress, with workload pressure, meeting overload and unrealistic deadlines the leading contributors, according to research from Allianz Australia released today. The findings align with a concerning trend in workers compensation data. Allianz Primary Psychological Workers Compensation claims have surged by 28.4 per cent between FY21 and FY25, whilst the average time off per claim has risen 10 per cent, jumping to 81 days. Claims surge Mark Pittman, Executive General Manager of Personal Injury at Allianz Australia, said the insurers claims data reveals mental stress and work pressure is the second highest contributor of primary active psychological claims at 34%. We are all on a journey and everyday we are learning more and more about supporting mental health in the workplace. While Allianz works to support injured workers who have been harmed by workplace stress, we recognise that the best outcomes are achieved through prevention, Pittman said. The research, now in its seventh year, surveyed both employees and managers to identify gaps in workplace mental health support. Almost 80 per cent of surveyed employees and almost two thirds of surveyed managers do not believe their organisation enforces good workplace habits and boundaries to reduce burnout. Unnecessary work Time wastage emerged as a significant frustration. The average Australian employee reports spending 3.31 hours per week on tasks or meetings deemed unnecessary, whilst nearly a third felt unable to take proper breaks due to their back-to-back schedules. The majority of surveyed managers cite systemic barriers to reducing burnout, ranging from a lack of time and resources to the availability of suitable technology and conflict with other workplace priorities. Beyond work hours, 19 per cent of surveyed employees said technology made it difficult to switch off from work, whilst one in four employees also report that their cost of living worries and financial pressures affect their ability to focus at work. Breaking point The pressure is pushing people toward the exit. The research reveals that 2.73 million Australians are considering leaving their jobs within the next year. In response, Australian organisations are set to invest $33.83 billion in mental health support services this year. However, employees are calling for more fundamental changes including better manager training, fewer unnecessary tasks and recurring mental health days. Brianna Cattanach, National Manager Mental Health Strategy for Personal Injury at Allianz Australia, said business leaders need to take a holistic view of employee wellbeing. Business leaders can support this through job design that ensures manageable workloads, a natural ebb and flow to work demands, adequate recovery time during work hours and ground rules for disconnecting after-hours, Cattanach said. This should be accompanied with manager training on how to set these healthy workforce habits, and respond with empathy to work-related burnout and mental distress. This was the most sought after measure that surveyed employees want their organisation to commit to. Beyond the office Allianzs approach recognises that burnout extends beyond the workplace. A staggering 73 per cent of employees report being unable to schedule regular personal time for themselves, whilst 78 per cent were not splitting household responsibilities equally and 81 per cent do not have a reliable network to help with routine tasks like school drop offs or caregiving. Support for working parents and carers also remains inadequate. Just one in three managers believe their organisation recognises and accommodates the needs of working parents and carers, whilst just 29 per cent believe employees feel comfortable raising concerns about bias or discrimination related to family or caring responsibilities. Helen Lawson Williams, co-founder of anti-burnout programme TANK, said early intervention is critical. Burnout looks differently, depending on the person, role or industry. But burnout certainly doesnt have to be part of a job. It can be prevented when teams are checking in with each other on the right things, and taking action early, Lawson Williams said. Speak up before things escalate, and be specific about whats making it harder to limit stress or recover well, whether its meeting overload, lack of breaks, unrealistic deadlines or inability to focus due to pressures outside the workplace. She emphasised that small changes can make significant differences, including taking proper breaks, setting boundaries and prioritising recovery activities like sleep and exercise. Allianz has launched the Unschedule the Burnout hub, featuring resources including video tutorials and comprehensive guidelines for the construction, education, healthcare and professional services industries. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Kuala Lumpur center to be locked down as Trump, world leaders attend ASEAN summit Traffic in the heart of Malaysias capital will be completely restricted next week as the Southeast Asian nation hosts the 47th ASEAN Summit, expected to draw U.S. President Donald Trump along with numerous other world leaders. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said police would be on high alert from Oct. 23 to 28. "The Kuala Lumpur city center will be on total lockdown, and the police will not compromise on safety," he told a press conference on Tuesday, as reported by the New Straits Times. He added that around 16,000 officers from across the country will be deployed starting Oct. 23 to manage and facilitate traffic. The summit is scheduled to begin on Oct. 26. Routes from Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Subang to the city will also be affected to accommodate delegate convoys, according to the Kuala Lumpur Command and Control Center, cited by The Star. Police advised the public to use public transport such as LRT, monorail, and buses during the summit. Minister Hasan said U.S. President Donald Trump will visit Malaysia for the summit and that the U.S. president was "looking forward" to witnessing a ceasefire deal between Southeast Asian neighbors Thailand and Cambodia, Reuters reported. Among the attending leaders will be the presidents of Brazil and South Africa, who are set to become Sectoral Dialogue Partners to ASEAN, while Cyprus and Finland are also expected to join as dialogue partners. Other notable attendees include Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides, and Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo. Chinese President Xi Jinping may attend, though this is not confirmed, alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and Bruneis Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. Regional leaders will also be present, including Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, and Timor Lestes Jose Alexandre Gusmao, according to New Straits Times. As part of the security measures, approximately 70 schools will switch to online learning, and civil servants working within a 25 km radius of the city center will be instructed to work from home. A video of the incident, recorded by a tourist on the bus, was shared on a Facebook page dedicated to news about Thai tourism on Monday. The footage showed a man, believed to be a Chinese guide, telling the tourists they would stop at a tax-free shop, and anyone who did not make a purchase would not be allowed back on the bus, according to Bangkok Post. When some tourists expressed their disagreement, the guide warned them that they would not be able to return to China. The video quickly went viral, sparking widespread criticism on social media. On Tuesday, Tourism and Sports Minister Atthakorn Sirilathayakorn stated that the Department of Tourism has been instructed to collaborate with tourist police to investigate the incident, including the location, time, and the tour company involved, The Phuket News reported. "Thailand is entering the high season, so its important to build confidence among tourists in all aspects," he said. If the investigation confirms any wrongdoing, strict legal action will be taken to protect tourists' rights and uphold Thailand's tourism industry's credibility. Officials noted that the tour company and guide could be violating the Tourism Business and Tour Guide Act. An illegal guide could face up to one year in prison and/or a fine of 100,000 baht (US$3,080), while the tour company could be fined up to 50,000 baht and face a suspension of its license for up to six months. Thailand has welcomed over 25 million international visitors so far this year, generating more than 1.15 trillion baht in tourism revenue. China was the second-largest source of visitors, contributing 3.58 million tourists. "For me, it's about doing meaningful work right here at home helping Oklahoma employers protect their people." -Andy Bigbie, Founder Post this Headquartered in Norman and serving clients statewide, Bigbie Insurance & Benefits provides hands-on plan design, contribution analysis, employee communication, and advocacy throughout the year not just at renewal. Its core services include group medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, along with executive and buy-sell coverage, Section 125 plan support, and compliance documentation. Bigbie brings more than 20 years of experience leading and scaling benefits agencies, including the successful sale of his prior firm to a national organization. He has also advised technology, manufacturing, and real-estate ventures across Oklahoma, experience that fuels the agency's practical, data-driven approach. "For me, it's about doing meaningful work right here at home," Bigbie added. "When employers and employees actually understand their benefits, they make better choices and everyone wins healthier teams, predictable budgets, and stronger businesses." The agency's website bigbieinsurance.com features educational tools, contribution-strategy guides, and short videos that explain complex topics in plain English. Its introductory video, "Smarter Benefits. Real Support.", highlights Bigbie's commitment to clear communication, transparent comparisons, and year-round advocacy. Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MqsK2L9k3Q Founded in 2025, Bigbie Insurance & Benefits helps employers throughout Oklahoma design benefit programs that fit their budgets and protect their teams. Whether advising on renewals, running employee meetings, or resolving complex claim issues, the agency's approach remains the same keep it clear, local, and human. For more information or to schedule a benefits review, visit bigbieinsurance.com/contact or call 405-977-3721. Media Contact Andy Bigbie | Founder & Lead Consultant Bigbie Insurance & Benefits Norman, Oklahoma Phone: 405-977-3721 [email protected] Website: https://bigbieinsurance.com SOURCE Bigbie Insurance & Benefits Nuria Cabuti, CEO of Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial, has led PRHs Spanish-language business since 2013. PRHGE, which comprises 61 imprints, currently operates in nine countriesSpain, Portugal, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and the United Statesand exports and distributes its titles in more than 45 nations across four continents. PW spoke with Cabuti, a native of Barcelona, about serving a diverse assemblage of markets and the historic opportunity presented by Spanish-language publishing. PRHGE operates in multiple countries and continents. How do you approach catering to such a large and diverse market? Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial operates in a market of 600 million Spanish speakers, so our work always combines a local and a global approach. Spanish doesnt have a single epicenter, and that requires us to work with very different price points, channels, and cultural contexts. But it is also a huge advantage: an author can be discovered in Bogota and become a bestseller in Madridor the other way around. My job is to respect the particularities of each market while also taking advantage of our scale in distribution, data, audio, digital marketing, and backlist. Each year, we bring our publishing directors together to share what weve learned and make joint plans, thinking about how we can enable a book to travel and appeal to other markets without losing its local identity. Its a decentralized model but with a shared strategy, and I believe that is the key to our leadership in Spanish. I would also say that Spanish-language publishing has today a historic opportunity: the language is growing all over the world and connects diverse people who can find one another thanks to social media, which multiplies the opportunities for our authors. What are the greatest opportunities for growth you see across Spanish-language markets today? On the one hand, in Spain, there has been significant growth in reading habits over the past decade, with 65.5% of the population reporting they read for leisure in 2024. On the other hand, Latin America continues to be a growth driver, with GfK studies indicating growth rates between 6% and 20% in many markets, such as Mexico or Colombia. Were also greatly interested in the potential of Spanish in the United States, where the Hispanic community is increasingly demanding content in their language. Spanish language is growing all over the world and connects diverse people who can find one another thanks to social media, which multiplies the opportunities for our authors. The growth of the Spanish-language market also allows us to work on one of our global strategies: leadership in the supply chain. This has led us to launch technologically advanced distribution centers, like the one we opened earlier this year in Spain, and to invest in transforming our centers in various Latin American countries such as Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay, and Argentina. What are some upcoming PRHGE titles youre excited about? The new Capitan Alatriste book by Arturo Perez-Reverte, Mision en Paris, has created incredible buzz in Spain. The last one was released in 2011, and 14 years later readers are still waiting with the same enthusiasm. We also have a new book by Ken Follett, El Circulo de los Dias, and La profesora by Freida McFadden, who is captivating Spanish-language readers. In Latin America, other big upcoming titles include El nino que heredo el silencio by Pablo Vierci, La teoria sintergica by Jacobo Grinberg, and Que quedara de nosotros by Eduardo Sacheri. Beyond the new releases, Im thrilled that our backlist is thriving and continuing to sell well. Alta Journals California Book Club The book: California Rewritten by John Freeman Our reviewer says: Knopf executive editor Freeman delivers a wide-ranging if occasionally head-scratching critical survey of contemporary California literature. Read more. Audacious Book Club The book: The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy Our reviewer says: The stimulating sophomore effort from National Book Award finalist Flournoy follows five Black women over two decades of soul-searching and turmoil.... Its a knockout. Read more. Audiofile Audiobook Club The book: How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History from NPR Music, ed. Alison Fensterstock with Ann Powers Our reviewer says: Fensterstock, a contributor to NPRs Turning the Tables draws from it and more than 50 years of the stations coverage in a rich and resonant collection of essays, interview excerpts, and ephemera. Its a buoyant, welcome ode to some of the most influential songstresses of the 20th and 21st centuries. Read more. Barnes & Noble Book Club The book: Heart the Lover by Lily King Our reviewer says: King revisits the themes of her 2020 novel Writers & Lovers with this alluring if uneven story of fading youth and writerly ambition shaped by a love triangle.... Though this doesnt quite have the staying power of Kings best work, its still hard to resist. Read more. Black Men Read The book: Out There Screaming ed. by Jordan Peele Our reviewer says: For this electrifying anthology, horror movie director Peele brings together 19 Black authors to give us their Sunken Places. ... This is essential reading for any horror fan. Read more. Belletrist The book: Will There Ever Be Another You by Patricia Lockwood Our reviewer says: Lockwood portrays the lingering effects of Covid-19 on a successful authors body and mind in this scintillating narrative.... This is a knockout. Read more. Eclectix The Book Club The book: Beloved by Toni Morrison Our reviewer says: Mixed with the lyric beauty of the writing, the fury in Morrisons latest book is almost palpable.... It is Morrison writing at the height of her considerable powers, and it should not be missed. Read more. Good Housekeeping Book Club The book: Workhorse by Caroline Palmer Good Morning America Book Club The book: Twice by Mitch Albom Our reviewer says: Albom delivers a clever tale of second chances and their limits.... The authors storytelling powers are on full display. Read more. Good Morning America YA Book Club The book: Fake Skating by Lynn Painter Our reviewer says: In this breezy rom-com, Painter crafts a tangible feeling world in which the relationship stakes are never too high, and the white-cued characters chemistry is magnetic, ensuring a satisfying read for romance lovers. Read more. The Ink Book Club The book: We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution by Jill Lepore Our reviewer says: Control of the U.S. Constitution as a living and inevitably changing text has passed from the hands of the people to those of elites, argues bestselling historian Lepore in this stylish and clear-eyed study. Read more. Jewish Book Council Book Club (fiction) The book: The Gossip Columnists Daughter by Peter Orner Our reviewer says: In Orners searching latest, struggling novelist Jed Rosenthal tells the story of Hollywood starlet Karyn Cookie Kupcinets unsolved murder in 1963.... Its a rewarding literary experiment. Read more. Jewish Book Council Book Club (nonfiction) The book: Hostage by Eli Sharabi Oprahs Book Club The book: A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar Our reviewer says: Majumdar spins a luminous story of a family facing climate catastrophe and food scarcity in near-future Kolkata.... This proves once again that Majumdar is a master of the moral dilemma. Read more. Maudes Book Club The book: Prey by Michael Crichton Our reviewer says: From the opening pages of Crichtons electrifying thriller, readers will know they are in the hands of a master storyteller.... The author is at the top of his considerable game here. Read more. Mocha Girls Read Book Club The book: Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark Nebula Award winner Clark vividly reimagines the Ku Klux Klans second wave in this thrilling, provocative, and thoroughly badass fantasy.... Readers will be both captivated and entertained by this fast-paced alternate history, which doubles as a meditation on the all-consuming power of hate and violence. Read more. Natalies Book Club The book: The Bee Sting by Paul Murray Our reviewer says: Secret pasts, forbidden desires, and shattered illusions figure into this ambitious family drama from Murray. Read more. Noname Book Club The book: Assata: An Autobiography by Assata Shakur NYPL Teen Banned Book Club The book: The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen Our reviewer says: Nguyens poignant debut captures the perspectives of, and essence of the bond between, a parent and child, proving that languageand lovecan transcend words. Read more. PBS Books Readers Club The book: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman Our reviewer says: British TV celebrity Osman mixes mirth and murder in his exceptional debut, a series launch featuring the four members of the Thursday Murder Club, residents of the Coopers Chase Retirement Village in Kent. Read more. Preoccupied Book Club The book: Its Different This Time by Joss Richard Read with Jenna The book: The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee ONeill Sapph-Lit The book: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab Our reviewer says: Bestseller Schwab unfolds an epic and emotionally resonant tale about three lesbian vampires connected through the centuries.... The result is a haunting and worthwhile story about cruelty, grace, love, and what it means to live forever. Read more. Sarah Selects The book: The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey Our reviewer says: In this devastating dystopian novel from Chidgey, WWII ended in a stalemate and by 1979 the horrifying results of German death camp experiments have led to a profound ethical dilemma in England.... It adds up to an intriguing morality tale. Read more. The Stacks Book Club The book: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Subtle Asian Book Club The book: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna Our reviewer says: A misfit witch finds her place in the world in this utterly enchanting fantasy from Mandanna.... This charming romantic fantasy is a gem. Read more. Target Book Club The book: The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes by Chanel Cleeton TeaTime Book Club The book: The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy Our reviewer says: The stimulating sophomore effort from National Book Award finalist Flournoy follows five Black women over two decades of soul-searching and turmoil.... Its a knockout. Read more. Ben Passmores Black Arms To Hold You Up: A History of Black Resistance offers an irreverent but sobering tribute to the flawed lives and indisputable courage of Black radicals and their political legacy. Rendered in a cartoon-style that can be sublime as well as zany, Passmores Black Arms refers to both a loving embrace and the cold metal of a gun. In his story, a bald Black dude named Ben, and his dashiki-clad dad, take the reader on a wild metaphysical leap through the grim history of American racism via stories of Black activists and rebels prepared to defend Black lives by any means necessary. In this 10-page excerpt, we first encounter Ben viewing a phone video of the senseless police shooting of Philando Castile. Black Arms To Hold You Up: A History of Black Resistance by Ben Passmore is out now from Pantheon. On the evening of October 9 at New York Comic Con, ICv2 founder and editor-in-chief Milton Griepp took to the stage to present his publication's annual white paper on the state of the comics industry. For the roomful of professionals at Javits Center, Griepp's news kept spirits highin the past year, comic book stores have charted a major comeback. Using data compiled from Circana BookScan, ComicHub POS, and informational interviews with comics sellers, Griepp painted a picture of an industry entering a new era. Several 20-year trends, including the bookselling channel's tendency to gross the highest numbers and the dominance of collectibles over new comics, appear to be slowing or, in some cases, reversing entirely. By far the starkest change Griepp noted was a booming 27% increase in comic store sales from JanuaryAugust 2025 as opposed to the same period last year. "That's an incredible growth rate," he said. Griepp theorized, based on ICv2's interviews with comics sellers, that a new generation of readers coming of age post-pandemic are craving the in-person community that comics stores foster. Comics may also be appealing to Gen Z as a reliably "inexpensive, high quality" format, Griepp added. These younger buyers are also avid readers, Griepp said, which upends the previous importance of the collector demographic in propping up comics stores and publishers. "What is selling is inexpensive, reader copies.... That's a huge change from the past, where everything was about what's this worth?" he said. Griepp specifically noted the popularity of DC's new Absolute Universe imprint, which gives DC stars like Batman and Wonder Woman all-new storylines for contemporary readers that are easy to pick up with no prior knowledge of the DC universe. In the graphic novels space, the success of Absolute's trade paperback anthologies and similar collections, like Image's Invincible Compendium series, has somewhat unexpectedly dethroned manga and compensated for a 13.2% decline in revenue in the category in 2024. Griepp attributed the slight dip in graphic novels sales through book publishing channels, which were down 1.4% in 2024, to manga's waning popularity. Overall, the comics and graphics novel business is settling around Covid-era highs, Griepp said. The industry saw exponential growth over the first year of the pandemic and has not dropped back down now that normalcy has largely returned, contrary to some earlier fears, Griepp said. He estimated the total value of sales in 2024 to be $1.94 billion. Even with these promising numbers in view, Griepp said that the future health of the comics market is uncertain thanks to the "disappointing" path of Diamond Comic Distributors' bankruptcy proceedings. The winding legal drama has "tremendously disrupted" the supply chain to retailers and knowledge-sharing among publishers, thanks to Diamond's former status as a data hub for the industry, Griepp said. Despite these challenges, Griepp said that he has hope for the new distribution landscape that will succeed the "sclerotic Diamond monopoly." The white paper tied off ICv2's Insider Talks event, which called on a handful of creators, publishers, and distributors to chart the trajectory of the comics business. Notably, Universal Distribution CEO Angelo Exarhakos spoke to the Canadian company's plans to expand into the U.S. comics market after acquiring Alliance Game Distributors in Diamond's bankruptcy proceedings earlier this year. Exarhakos emphasized the power of toys and gamesparticularly card games like Magic: The Gatheringto draw in new readers and reengage old ones. Cards and games may be making a comeback, but per another panel featuring Vault Comics CEO and cofounder Damian Wassel and Aethon Books owner and president Steve Beaulieu, moderated by the Beat editor-in-chief Heidi MacDonald, digital comics are still a booming IP pipeline. The panelists argued that the literary role-playing game (LitRPG) category has proven to be hugely magnetic for drawing consumers who previously might have been non-readers to graphic storytelling. LitRPG audiobooks, in particular, are both highly accessible and addictive, Wassel said, with both Vault and Aetheon reporting that at least half and sometimes a majority of their sales come from audio. Together with digital comics on platforms like Webtoon, which routinely amass millions of readers, and Patreon accounts run by individual creators, audiobooks and e-comics represent a largely untapped market among print publishers, the panelists said, calling the numbers in the digital space "staggering." Griepp foresees a mutually beneficial relationship between digital and print comics, citing research from his time at Amazon's digital comics platform Comixology which showed that people who read comics on their mobile devices are also more likely to purchase print comics. Griepp contrasted the U.S. market with Japan's, where he said digital manga has "cannibalized" the print market. The ICv2 white paper showed a wealth of opportunity for publishers, but it's still unclear how or if they'll capitalize on it. For his part, Griepp offered two suggestions. "For a long time, comic publishers have targeted the hardcore comic consumer, and now they have an opportunity to target these new, younger consumers from Gen Z who will become the basis of the market over the coming years," Griepp said. "One key lesson is accessibility. If you create a book that's easy for people to get into, they're more likely to buy it and tell their friends." But, ultimately, it's what's on the page that keeps readers coming back for more. Griepp harkened back to the 1980s, when "there were so many [comic] books that came out that are still in print today, because they were such a dramatic change from the past, and they were so rewarding to their readers." Series like Invincible and Absolute are a start, Griepp said, but he challenged the industry to go all-in on innovation. "How do publishers nurture that kind of creativity and build on that in the future?" he asked the crowd. "It's a new world." Six months ago, the London Book Fair brought American literary agents eagerly across the pond for a brief respite from an increasingly fraught U.S. political landscape. And those shopping books before or at this years Frankfurt Book Fair are seeing continued strength in the same categories that dominated dealmaking in London. In tumultuous times, people tend to look to books for either answers or escape, and todays world finds them leaning fairly decidedly in the latter direction. Agents say escapist and feel-good fiction remain of interest to their international colleaguesthough demand for horror and horror-adjacent titles has grown since March, as something of a complement to rose-tinted romantasy. And in the nonfiction market, self-help and health and wellness titles continue to command most of the attention. I dont see much of a difference between London and Frankfurt, says Jill Grinberg, proprietor of Jill Grinberg Literary Management. Were seeing a lot of interest in smart, high-concept novels like Jaclyn Moriartys Time Travel for Beginners that sit in the sweet spot between commercial and literary. And fantasy, especially crossover romantic fantasy, remains extremely popular. But theres also interest in classic-feeling speculative, like Garth Nixs Massif. Allison Malecha, director of foreign rights at Trellis Literary Management, agrees. Everybody is looking for something with a really easy, clean hook, and something that feels somehow both familiar and fresh, she says. Were also getting a lot of questions about romantasy, with our fantastic colleague Alyssa Morris leading the charge. Morris, whose Substack Romancing the Phone is seen by many in the industry as perhaps the definitive chronicle of BookTok trends, joined Trellis earlier this year, where she is building a list focused on romance, romantasy, and self-published authors. Romantasy began its dizzying rise to bestseller list domination as early as Frankfurts 2022 edition, and while some have questioned just how long it will remain popular, Malecha says, We are still seeing an appetite for romantasy and dark academia and other fan fiction spilling over into the self-published space. Grinberg notes that interest in horror is maybe opening up the way it always does with trends that start herewhere the foreign publishers, over time, see that the audience is hungry for it. She adds, Were pitching a lot of horror. On the one hand, people are hungry for feel-good, funny, escapist fiction. But on the flip side, theyre also very open to much darker fare. We either want to escape or we need to dwell in the extreme version of it, to help us deal with the day-to-day. Regal Hoffmann & Associates partner Markus Hoffman adds that the demand for genre-inflected, upmarket literary fiction really does seem to be growing internationally, and within those categories I think especially in horror. Paul Lucas, formerly of Janklow & Nesbit, joined the agency in July, and Hoffman says he brought a really fantastic sci-fi, fantasy, and genre list. Hoffman points to new series from cozy fantasy novelist Delemhach and epic fantasy author James Islington, both represented by Lucas, as getting lots of prefair attention. Literary fiction is continuing to blur, Hoffman says, and what a few years ago would have landed on the genre lists both here and internationally is also being picked up on so-called mainstream lists. In fantastical literature, you can deal with the issues that plague us at remove, which makes them a little easier, maybe, to deal with. Another continuing trend is the proliferation of sales in the months ahead of the fair, which began during the pandemicto the point where some smaller American agencies have opted out of attending the fair in person altogether. We made that judgment call at the end of last year, feeling unsure about how this year would go and what it would look like, both for travel reasons and for market reasons, Trelliss Malecha says. And we ended up having the biggest summer weve had as an agency, with foreign rights deals across a few different titles, including for a really amazing upmarket-to-literary book about an unconventional love triangle, Maria, Maria by Jennifer Galvao. (Maria, Maria was a PW Deal of the Week in August.) Its always a long way to go for American agencies, and there are a lot of foreign publishers visiting New York this September, Malecha adds. But if I was making the decision to go to Frankfurt now, I probably would have. There is still, to me, a feeling of good energyeven if, yes, politically, we all have a lot to be concerned about. HarperCollins Brasil was created in 2015 by combining Thomas Nelson Brasil and Harlequin Brasil, along with the commercial trade list of the Ediouro Group, HarperCollins Brazilian publishing partner since 2006. A decade in, the publisher has seen significant growth, especially in the Christian publishing space, where it has 40% of the market share. Sam Coto, the group publisher at HarperCollins Brasil and publisher of Thomas Nelson, spoke with PW about how hes helped manage the publishers growth, and where itll go from here. HC Brasil has quickly become one of the predominant players in Brazilian publishing. How do you view your position in the market? This ten-year anniversary is coming at a really special moment for us. Were easily the fastest growing publisher in Brazil right now. Were growing 50% year-to-date so far versus last year, and wed been growing at a 20-30% rate before that. The big message we want people to know is that were one of the big boys now in Brazil. One reason for that is that there just arent enough publishers in Brazilpeople looking at publishing differently and attacking it from different anglessome of these market segments are very big, but often there are only one or two houses serving each. Before HC Brasil acquired it, you worked for Thomas Nelson locally. Youve established a strong grip on Brazils Christian market. How did you find success in that space? Brazil is historically a Catholic country, but the Protestant population has grown massively. Our Thomas Nelson imprint deals with Protestant Christian books and a big reason for our success is that theres a lot of plurality in the Protestant space, and we dont favor one team. A lot of other publishers are tied to a specific church or to American missionaries. They have a segment of the market that theyre preoccupied with, and, unlike them, were trying to speak to everyone. Of course, the Christian space is one of the places where Im the most conscientious of our social responsibility. In a Christian country like Brazil, the way that people interpret the Bible has dictated how we make laws and how we, as a society, understand things. Some ideas about Christianity will further stereotypesand far more complex things than just stereotypes. People will come to us all the time with a narrative that they say is going to sell so much, but we wont publish it, because its simply irresponsible. Theres a myth that the most sensationalized thingwhat we call tapa na cara (slap in the face) in Portugueseis the most lucrative, and thats not always true. Where do you see opportunities for the company to grow? Our dominance in the Christian market is a hard position to maintain in the long term, so theres consistent work that we need to do there to keep our finger on the pulse of the market. That has a lot to do with developing editors, and people on our team that are the experts in those Christian sub-genres and sub-markets. We also need to consolidate our childrens line, which is still in its infancy. And there are especially acute needs in terms of retailers. Brazil is a continental-sized country, but only a very small percentage of that is covered by bookstores. Amazon has been working to remedy that, but there are still forgotten places where we need physical retail space. I hope retailers keep seeing the opportunity, and that more outside capital is invested into this market. A general view of the city of Bamako pictured from the point G in Bamako, Mali. Photo by Reuters Mali has announced it will require U.S. nationals to post bonds of up to US$10,000 for business and tourist visas, after the Trump administration said the West African nation would be added to its visa bond program. The U.S. embassy in Mali said on Friday it will require bonds of up to $10,000 for tourist and business visas under the pilot program effective Oct. 23. The funds will be returned to travelers if they depart in accordance with the terms of their visas, according to a U.S. government notice. In a statement on Sunday, Mali's foreign ministry said the government "deplores the unilateral decision by the U.S. government", adding that it undermines an earlier bilateral agreement on long-stay multiple-entry visas. "In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, Mali has decided to introduce an identical visa program, imposing the same conditions and requirements on U.S. nationals as those applied to Malian citizens," the statement said. U.S. State Department figures for the period 2015-2024 show that fewer than 3,000 non-immigrant U.S. visas are issued to Malians each year. Figures for the number of visas issued by Mali to U.S. citizens were not immediately available. President Donald Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a focus of his presidency, boosting resources to secure the border and arresting people in the U.S. illegally. The State Department said in August that visa applicants from Zambia and Malawi will be required to pay bonds up to $15,000. Zambia's government voiced concern about the "unnecessary financial strain" this would cause. The Frankfurt Book Fair often serves a platform for delivering platitudes and provocations. Last year in Frankfurt, Yuval Noah Harari, author of Nexus, gave a stern warning about the perils of AI, telling fairgoers that if they lose control of the algorithm, the algorithm will control them. Now, one of the most talked about books of the year is If Anyone Builds It, Everybody Dies by Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares, a title that refers to the world-ending power of artificial general intelligence. Is it any surprise then that, just prior to the fair, the Swedish Academy awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature to Hungary's Laszlo Krasznahorkai, for "his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art"? Krasznahorkai was scheduled to appear at the fair's opening press conference, but cancelled due to health reasons, leaving everyone wondering what he might have shared about his own vision of a world facing this new AI peril. Instead, the slot was given to 28-year-old author Nora Haddada. Introduced as the new face of German publishing, she is a former literary agent at the Petra Eggers Agency, and the author of two novels, including Blue Romance, published by S. Fischer last month. During her speech, Haddada said that we are now living in a world in peril, and fast-forwarded through a litany of catastrophes, from Covid to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Hamas' attack on Israel, Israel's retaliatory war on Gaza, the rise of right-wing populism in Germany and around the world. Haddada went on to offer a rousing defense of literature as a form of sanctuary from this chaos and portraying her fellow authors as literature's steadfast protectors, while at the same time gently calling them out for not taking more risks and being too fearful to exercise their own freedom of expression. "Silence is just one step down from cowardice," Haddada said. Perminder Mann makes her mark Perminder Mann, CEO of Simon & Schuster UK and International, took to the stage Wednesday morning alongside Porter Anderson of Publishing Perspectives. In May, Mann took over from Ian Chapman at S&S UK after 15 years at Bonnier Books UK, eight of those as CEO. Though she wasn't looking for a new role, the opportunity was too good to resist. "It was a balance between logic and instinct," she said, "and instinct won." She is credited with building Bonnier from the ground up, creating a company culture that people would want to be part of so she could build the best possible team; getting that right, she said, meant the rest would follow. At S&S, Mann felt things were a little bit too quiet, and her goal is to celebrate the publishers strengthsthe iconic backlist, the reputation for meeting readers where they areand the people working there. To this end, Mann is spearheading an office move, taking place in spring 2026. The new offices will support flexible workingMann is an advocate due to her own experiences as a working mother. The S&S team will come into the office two days a week, balancing their work accordingly: one-to-one meetings will take place at home via Zoom, as will focused work. The office is for creativity, engagement, collaboration, and group meetings. She grew up as an avid library user in a household that couldn't afford books, and it's important to her to "look outside the walls in which you operate." As president of the Publishers Association in the U.K., she helped to kickstart the National Year of Reading, and she wants to champion people having access to books. "Books can change lives and keep people together. This job doesn't feel like work at all." Where are the readers? One of the biggest challenges facing European publishers is how to seduce readers away from screens in an age of infinite digital distraction. The stark reality: nearly half of Europeans don't read books, and the industry is wrestling with whether declining reading habits represent a genuine crisis or a measurement problem. Speaking on Wednesday morning, a pair of experts presented sobering data while questioning its reliability. A 2022 Eurostat survey found 47.2% of Europeans aged 16 and over had not read a single book in the previous 12 monthsa figure that has raised alarm across the publishing industry. Enrico Turrin, deputy director of the Federation of European Publishers, expressed skepticism about the methodology. "We have some doubts about the data," Turrin said, noting results from his native Italy seemed implausibly low. More fundamentally, the survey excluded all readers under age 16omitting children who still read extensively. The demographic patterns Turrin revealed, however, paint a stark picture. Reading rates declined sharply with age: 52.9% of those 65 and older reported no book reading, compared to just 39.8% of 16-29 year-olds. Education proved the strongest predictor of reading behavior68% of those with low education levels didn't read, versus only 23% of university graduates. Gender differences were equally pronounced. Just 39.5% of women reported no reading, compared to 55.5% of men. "Men should learn from women," Turrin quipped. Perhaps most telling: when asked why they didn't read, only 1.8% cited cost as the barrier. The overwhelming majority51.3%simply had no interest, while 21% blamed lack of time. Lucy Kenyon from NielsenIQ offered a more nuanced view of the price question. She noted that in several territories where a book costs more than the average hourly wage, volume growth is actually increasing. "These are nations of really keen book buyers where books are a luxury item, yet you still pay out for," Kenyon said, suggesting that price resistance may be overstated among committed readers "We don't need to make books cheaper," Turrin concluded. "We need to make books sexier. Kenyon pointed to encouraging signs: positive volume growth in more territories, global trends like romantasy and self-improvement continuing strong, and vibrant pockets of regional contentlocally produced food and drink books, local fiction authorsresonating with their markets. "It's worth saying that books are still quite expensive for a lot of people," she acknowledged. "But we are still seeing a lot of these countries buying books in more numbers, so it was a bit more positive." IP discovery happens everywhere One thing thats clear at this year's fair is the fact that stories remain central to the book trade and creative industries. In his first-ever appearance at the Fair on Tuesday, Toronto International Film Festival executive Keith Bennie addressed the Rights Directors' Meeting reception, where he delivered a message that might unsettle traditional publishers: the next blockbuster adaptation could come from a social media post just as easily as from a book manuscript. Bennie cited several examples that illustrate the shift. The film Zola originated as a 148-tweet thread by A'Ziah "Zola" King documenting a chaotic road trip. Another film, The Farewell, began as a segment on the podcast This American Life. Slenderman emerged from anonymous "creepypasta" horror stories shared in online forums. Literary agents are now scouring Reddit for compelling voices, Bennie noted, pointing to another project, My Wife and I Bought a Ranch, which originated as a series of threads posted on Reddit that became the novel Old Country and was sold to Netflix in a seven-figure deal. But he was quick to reassure the book fair audience that literature still drives the festival's biggest successes. Nine of the festival's last 14 People's Choice Award winners have been literary adaptations, including this year's winner, Hamnet, based on the novel by Maggie O'Farrell. "Literary adaptations are still the cornerstone of adaptation at our festival," Bennie said. As Gvantsa Jobava enters her second year as president of the International Publishers Association, the Georgian publisher is navigating a publishing landscape she describes as increasingly hostile to democratic values. Speaking from Tbilisi ahead of Frankfurt Book Fair, Jobava made clear that business-as-usual is no longer an option for publishers worldwide. Being silenced is not a solution, Jobava said, her voice carrying the weight of someone living through what she describes as rapid democratic backsliding in her own country. If we see something unfair happening, even if its not about us, its important that we find the strength to speak up. Speaking up for others is speaking up for yourself. Beyond profit margins Jobava, who also serves as IPA Copyright Committee co-chair, is spearheading initiatives that reflect her conviction that publishers must look beyond profit margins to preserve the environment in which free expression can thrive. At Frankfurt, IPA is announcing three significant developments: the launch of the Freedom of Expression Defenders Award; a partnership with the UN Womens Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia; and continued advocacy on AI copyright issues. The new award, which Jobava personally initiated, represents a shift in how IPA approaches freedom to publish. Unlike the existing Prix Voltaire, which honors individual publishers who take risks, the Freedom of Expression Defenders Award will recognize organizations working systematically to protect democratic values. We want to involve more organizations to look at these issues in a more serious way, Jobava explained. Even if youre living in a very democratic country and you feel safe as a publisher, there are very big risks. Applications for the award are opening in January with the first winner to be announced at Frankfurt Book Fair 2026. Jobava pointed to the German Publishers Association as an example of proactive engagement with freedom issues, even in a stable democracy. Women in publishing On gender equality, IPA is partnering with the United Nations to promote womens empowerment principles across the publishing sector. Several events are addressing the role of women in publishing. Its a problem that we dont see more women in senior positions, Jobava said. The IPA is an example of this: Im only the fourth woman to lead the organization in the 130 years of the organization. Even if youre living in a very democratic countryas a publisher, there are very big risks. Copyright and AI remain pressing concerns for the IPA as well. Jobava noted that awareness of AI training on copyrighted works varies dramatically by region and language. When I started talking about copyright, too many people from our industry did not notice there was a problem, she said, noting this is particularly prevalent in smaller language markets, like Georgia. These gigantic companies are using our materials, our books, to train their machines without licensing, without paying for copyright. Jobava said that in her travels in the role as IPA president one thing has become abundantly clear, no matter where you are in the world, there is no separating the publishing business from politics. We need to find what our role is and how we can be useful to society to defend our values, which are fundamental for this work, she said, noting that that extends from freedom of expression to protecting the environment. If we dont manage to preserve the value of honesty and integrity in our work, then our profession loses its purpose. If were not honest to our readers, if the writers we publish are not honest to their readers, then whats the point? Thursday brings artificial intelligence into sharp focus at Frankfurt, with a full day of programming dedicated to AIs impact on publishing, media, and content creation. The day also features continued executive conversations, diversity panels, webtoon business discussions, and specialized sessions for academic publishers. From UN officials discussing reality in the AI age to Audible executives on catalog optimization, October 16 tackles technologys transformative role across the industry. Publishing Perspectives Executive Talk Veronique Cardi, CEO, Editions JC Lattes, joins Porter Anderson to discuss publishing trends and current industry challenges facing French and international markets. Frankfurt Studio, Saal Europa Hall 4.0, 11.30 am12.30 p.m. The Hof Live: AI and the Battle for Reality Davar Ardalan, founder and CEO at IVOW AI, Richard Socher, founder and CEO of you.com, and Melissa Fleming, under-secretary-general for global communications at the UN, examine how AI challenges our understanding of truth and reality in media. Centre Stage, Hall 4, B68, 12:0012:50 p.m. Trust in Science and News: Navigating in the Age of AI Experts address maintaining credibility and trust in scientific and journalistic content as AI-generated information proliferates. Innovation Stage, Hall 4.0, H106, 1.302.00 p.m. Publishing in the Time of AI Nadim Sadek of Shimmr AI leads a discussion on AIs practical applications and challenges for publishers across all formats. Asia Stage, Hall 5.1, A75, 2.003.00 p.m. Using AI to Unlock Your Catalogues Potential Lee Jarit, global head of publisher and partner relations at Audible and Sadaf Kazmi, head of creator and international products at Audible, demonstrate AI tools for backlist optimization. Frankfurt Studio, Saal Europa Hall 4.0, 2.002.25 p.m. From Attention to Action: AI in Publishing Marketing Marketing professionals explore AI applications for audience targeting, campaign optimization, and customer engagement strategies. Frankfurt Studio, Saal Europa Hall 4.0, 2.303.00 p.m. From Screen to Paper to Screen: Webtoons and IP Opportunities Comics Business Centre explores licensing potential for webtoons across media formats, from smartphone comics to film and television adaptations. International Stage, Foyer Hall 5.1/6.1, 10.0011.00 a.m. Beyond Tokenism: Women in Executive Leadership Nitasha Devasar, Melissa Fleming, Gvantsa Jobava, and Andrea Pasion-Flores discuss breaking through to genuine leadership representation. PublisHer Lounge, Hall 4.1, C28, 10.0011.00 a.m. Society for Scholarly Publishing Micro-Conference Academic publishers and scholarly communication professionals convene for specialized discussions on open access, research dissemination, and emerging publishing models. Innovation Stage, Hall 4.0, H106, 9.0011.00 a.m. Publishing Partners: AI, Workflows, and E-books Tips and Tricks Service providers present 30-minute sessions on software solutions, digital tools, and consulting services supporting publishers digital transformation. Innovation Stage, Hall 4.0, H106, from 2.00 p.m. HGTV By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 10/14/2025 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 Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. mansion will undergo a dramatic makeover on HGTV's new series, Bachelor Mansion Takeover, and the network has announced the show's host, judges and cast.Bachelor Mansion Takeover, "coming soon" to HGTV, will be hosted by franchise host Jesse Palmer.The two judges on the new design competition series, which is slated to premiere in 2026, will be ette alums Tayshia Adams and Tyler Cameron The show will feature 12 familiar faces renovating the iconic Bachelor mansion in Agoura Hills, CA, where nearly 40 seasons of franchise have filmed."Next year, 12 Bachelor Nation alums (with expert renovation skills) will return to the iconic Mansion -- this time, to renovate it!" HGTV revealed in an Instagram post."Watch them trade roses for paintbrushes in HGTV's new design competition series: Bachelor Mansion Takeover, hosted by @jessepalmer and judged by @tayshia and @tylerjcameron."At the end of the reality competition, the winner will receive a $100,000 cash prize.The former bachelors bringing their tools to mansion will be Brendan Morais , Chris Stallworth, Dean Unglert Noah Erb , and Sam McKinney The former bachelorettes on Bachelor Mansion Takeover will be Allyshia Gupta Sandra Mason , and Tammy Ly During each episode, Tayshia and Tyler will also evaluate the transformed spaces, including iconic and never-before-seen rooms, with a third guest judge."When we learned the Bachelor Mansion needed a serious makeover, we knew only HGTV could give the iconic property a renovation worthy of the name," Warner Bros. Discovery executive Howard Lee said in a statement."We're welcoming fan favorites and memorable cast members from throughout Bachelor history to the HGTV family and can't wait to see what they get up to in this first of its kind competition for the network."The majority of the 12 competitors have some work experience -- or some other informal background -- in construction, roofing, house flipping, or interior design.Brendan's family is in the roofing business, Dean renovated the van he and wife Caelynn Miller-Keyes temporarily lived in, Noah recently flipped his own home with Abigail Heringer , and Chris and Sam are contractors.Jill is an architectural historian, Tammy and Jeremy have jobs in real estate, and Allyshia works as an interior designer.As for the rest of the contestants, their ties to construction or design aren't as well documented.Tayshia and Tyler seem thrilled about the opportunity to judge these former bachelors and bachelorettes at work."Happy to be back in the Mansion!!! And definitely for the right reasons!!!" Tayshia commented on HGTV's post.And Tyler gushed, "The most dramatic home renovation begins soon!!!"While Tyler has worked as a general contractor for years, Tayshia has some television experience after co-hosting ette's 17th and 18th seasons alongside Kaitlyn Bristowe An official premiere date for the new series will be confirmed at a later time.HGTV had announced the Bachelor mansion series under a different working title -- Renovating the Bachelor Mansion -- back in May.mansion has seen cocktail parties, Rose Ceremonies, pool parties, romantic fireplace conversations and more ever since the show premiered its first season in 2002 on ABC.Following more than two decades of wear and tear, the mansion is probably in desperate need of some updates, repairs and modern decor.HGTV previously revealed that the contestants will "duke it out in various design challenges" with the hope of winning money.The pickup announcement was made at Warner Bros. Discovery's upfront presentation this past spring. 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! Disney/Fred Hayes By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 10/15/2025 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 revealed how she'd feel if Taylor got engaged again at the end of her season.When The Bachelor alum Ashley Iaconetti asked Liann is she can see Taylor getting engaged during 's Season 22 finale, Liann replied on "The Ben & Ashley I: Almost Famous" podcast, "With her, probably!""I would think no, but with her, she likes them fast !" Liann quipped."And so, I'm just like, 'Please take your time with these guys!' I don't know, we'll see. She just jumps into everything so quickly. I don't know."Since Taylor is now 31 years old, Liann shared, "I would hope at her age, she would take her time a little bit, but I don't know. She doesn't listen to me! I think I should start saying the opposite and then maybe she will."Taylor is a divorced mother of three, and she has joked about how she has "two baby daddies."Liann said she needs to "start doing" some "reverse psychology" with her daughter."I'll be like, 'Yes, let's get married! Let's have some kids!' And then she might not do it. I don't know," Liann noted.Liann shared how she hopes Taylor knows exactly what she needs and wants in a man at this stage in her life."I want her to be really secure and know what she really wants this time," Liann told Ashley."I just hope she doesn't keep repeating that same toxic, I don't know, mess of her life... She's just gone through so much that her life has been such a mess for the past few years."Liann concluded, "I'm hoping she goes in and finds somebody that's great."Since Taylor has already been through a divorce with her ex-husband Tate Paul -- followed by another public breakup with Dakota Mortensen -- and has children to think about, she recently opened up about whether there's a chance she'll accept a marriage proposal on her finale."The engagement? Yeah, obviously I can see it," Taylor revealed during an appearance on Alex Cooper's "Call Her Daddy" podcast.The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star added, "I'm a very honest person, and I'm going to say it as it is. I'm only going to do it if it's the right person."Taylor insisted she's not going to get engaged unless she's completely convinced she has found The One."I mean, I feel like I am not one that's going to do it unless I feel like I'm ready for it," Taylor explained."But let's just say I do find the man of my dreams and he's there and I fall in love. If we get engaged, I still, I do want to take the time to be engaged and still get to know him."Taylor pointed out how is a "short-lived" dating process and so she wants plenty of time to date her final pick outside of that bubble."I do want to take that time. Again, it's going to be my third serious relationship," Taylor said.Taylor -- who was married to Tate Paul from 2016 to 2022 -- said her engagement would be "a lot more serious" because she has kids."I'm not just a young girl dating," she noted, adding how she'll keep that in mind when Fantasy Suites approach "It's not going to be like that for me. It just isn't, and that's okay. But I would still want to get to know that person."Taylor told Alex that if something "alarming" were to come up in her relationship after getting engaged, she could still dump him."I can break it off, you know? And it's not a full-on marriage where you're going through a divorce and whatnot," Taylor shared."And then also, there is that time to grow and get to know him, and it's even more beautiful and then you get married, you know? So it could go both ways."When Taylor and Tate were together, they welcomed two children: 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 the cheating scandal.The show has also documented Taylor's first post-divorce relationship with Dakota. Taylor and Dakota made their romance public in July 2022, and then the pair welcomed a son, Ever True, in March 2024.Liann alleged that Taylor and Dakota are still in love, and that Dakota will sabotage her season if he has a chance.While won't be returning until next year, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is set to release new episodes on November 13 on Hulu.Two other stars from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Whitney Leavitt and Jen Affleck, are currently competing on Dancing with the Stars' 34th season on ABC and Disney+.When Dancing with the Stars premiered its new season on September 16, Taylor was in the audience supporting her friends and co-stars.'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 The University System of Georgias (USG) overall number of degrees awarded has increased by 7.9% over the last fiscal year and has reached a new all-time high of 82,607 degrees awarded annually, according to a USG press release. South Korean auto major Hyundai Motor Co president & CEO Jose Munoz on Wednesday said the company's Indian arm will invest Rs 45,000 crore by FY30, aiming to make India its second-largest region globally. Photograph: Courtesy, Hyundai India Addressing investors here in his first visit to the country, Munoz said Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) has set a target of up to 30 per cent export contribution. The company also aims to increase its revenues by 1.5 times and cross the Rs 1 lakh crore milestone by FY2030 under its 2030 growth roadmap. Under the roadmap, HMIL plans 26 product launches by FY2030, including seven new nameplates, marking its entry into the MPV and off-road SUV segments. The company also aims to roll out a locally designed, developed and manufactured dedicated electric SUV for the Indian market by 2027. The company will also launch the luxury segment brand Genesis in India by 2027. "Following our landmark IPO last year and 30 years of success in India, now HMIL plans an investment of Rs 45,000 crore through FY30 to drive the next phase of growth," Munoz said while addressing HMIL's first-ever investor day. Sixty per cent of the investment will be on product and R&D, and the remaining 40 per cent on capacity and upgradation. Asserting that India is a strategic priority in Hyundai's global growth vision, he said, "By 2030, HMIL will be our second-largest region globally" behind North America. Currently, India is Hyundai's third-largest market, accounting for 15 per cent of its global sales, he added. In alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Make in India', he said, "We're making India a global export hub, targeting up to 30 per cent export contribution." On HMIL's future product pipeline, Munoz said, "Our commitment is comprehensive - 26 product launches, including seven new nameplates, India's first locally designed, developed and manufactured dedicated electric SUV by 2027." Stating that India's fundamentals are strong, Munoz said the company's strategy is clear for the market. HMIL managing director Unsoo Kim said, "As we chart this growth trajectory, we are targeting a revenue milestone of Rs 1 lakh crore by FY2030, while sustaining strong double-digit EBITDA margins." Most importantly, Kim said, "We remain deeply committed to creating long-term value for our shareholders by announcing a healthy dividend payout guidance of 20 per cent to 40 per cent." Under its 2030 roadmap, HMIL is eyeing over 15 per cent domestic market share. The company is also aiming for utility vehicles and eco-friendly powertrain (CNG, EV and Hybrid) contribution to reach over 80 per cent and more than 50 per cent, respectively, by FY30. "We remain steadfast to augment our presence in the high-growth SUV segment driven by robust product strategy and customer-centric approach, thereby targeting over 80 per cent UV contribution by FY2030," HMIL MD & CEO Designate, Tarun Garg, said. He further said HMIL will offer a comprehensive range of powertrain options spanning ICE, CNG, EV and hybrid technologies, with more than 50 per cent of its portfolio powered by cleaner and more sustainable technologies. In terms of reach, Garg said, "By FY30, our sales and service network will extend to 85 per cent of India's districts, with rural markets expected to contribute 30 per cent of total sales." China has filed a complaint against India in the World Trade Organization (WTO) over New Delhi's subsidies for electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff Commerce secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that the ministry will look at the detailed submissions made by China. Confirming the move, an official said that China has also filed similar applications against Turkiye, Canada and the EU. "They have sought consultations with India," the official said. Seeking consultation is the first step of the dispute settlement process as per WTO rules. If the consultations requested with India do not result in a satisfactory solution, the EU can request that the WTO set up a panel in the case to rule on the issue raised. China is the second-largest trading partner of India. In the last fiscal, India's exports to China contracted 14.5 per cent to $14.25 billion against $16.66 billion in 2023-24. The imports, however, rose by 11.52 per cent in 2024-25 to $113.45 billion against $101.73 billion in 2023-24. India's trade deficit with China has widened to $99.2 billion during 2024-25. India's exports grew 6.74 per cent to $36.38 billion in September, while imports jumped 16.6 per cent, widening the trade deficit to $31.15 billion, the highest in over a year. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters The increase in inbound shipments of gold, fertiliser and silver has pushed the country's imports in September to $68.53 billion against $58.74 billion in the same month last year, official data released on Wednesday showed. Cumulatively, in April-September, exports increased by 3.02 per cent to $220.12 billion, while imports rose 4.53 per cent to $375.11 billion, leaving a trade deficit of $154.99 billion. Briefing the media on the data, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that despite global economic turbulence, India's goods and services exports are doing well. When asked about the reason for growth in the shipments, he said the domestic industry has been resilient. "They are maintaining their supply chains and business relations," he told reporters. On the impact of the 50 per cent tariff imposed by the US on Indian goods, he said the ministry is looking into commodity-wise data to assess the impact. He added that still 45 per cent of India's exports to the US are outside the ambit of the high tariffs. The impact will definitely be there on 55 per cent of the products, which are attracting 50 per cent duties by the US. Passenger vehicle dispatches from companies to dealers rose 4 per cent year-on-year in September to 372,458 units, industry body SIAM said on Wednesday. Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters The overall passenger vehicle dispatches last month rose 4.4 per cent to 372,458 units, as against 356,752 units in September 2024. Two-wheeler sales witnessed a 7 per cent on-year rise to 21,60,889 units last month, as compared to 20,25,993 units in the year-ago period, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said. Total three-wheeler dispatches increased to 84,077 units last month, an increase of 5.5 per cent, as compared to 79,683 units in the same month the previous year. "In spite of the new GST rates coming into effect from September 22, i.e. only for 9 days of the month, passenger vehicles, two-wheelers and three-wheelers have already posted their highest-ever sales of September," SIAM president Shailesh Chandra told reporters. Looking ahead, the outlook for the sector remains encouraging due to key tailwinds, he added. "The GST 2.0 reform is a landmark decision of the government, which, apart from catapulting the Indian auto industry to the next level, would bring in vibrancy in the entire economy, as this industry is closely intertwined with strong forward and backward linkages," Chandra stated. In the July-September quarter, passenger vehicle sales stood at 10,39,200 units, a drop of 1.5 per cent, as compared to 10,55,137 units in the same quarter of last fiscal. Two-wheeler sales witnessed a growth of 7 per cent year-on-year to 55,62,077 units, as compared to the July-September quarter of the previous fiscal year. Three-wheeler dispatches to dealers saw a growth of 10 per cent year-on-year to 229,239 units in September, SIAM said. "The Indian automobile industry enters the second half of 2025-2026 with renewed cheer, supported by strong festive season momentum, stable macroeconomic conditions, and GST 2.0 reforms that have improved overall affordability and consumer sentiment," the industry body said. "While the industry remains watchful of geopolitical developments, the overall outlook for the rest of the current financial year remains encouraging, with the sector expected to close the fiscal year on a positive growth trajectory," it added. Learning from East Asia, India must reform its district administration with performance, accountability, and vision to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat, points out Deepak Mishra. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff "Can you arrange a study tour to Gujarat to visit the Jamnagar refinery and meet Chief Minister Modi?" asked Trinh Van Chien, chairperson of the People's Committee of Thanh Hoa province in Vietnam. It was a winter morning in 2012. Mr Chien headed the province's executive arm, serving a population comparable to that of an average Indian district. In function and responsibility, his role closely resembled that of a district magistrate in India. I was working for the World Bank and was there to explore whether the Bank should lend to Thanh Hoaa. What I witnessed in Thanh Hoaa left a lasting impression. Mr Chien rattled off statistics on provincial gross domestic product, investment, exports, employment, and budgets with the fluency of an investment banker. He knew exactly which firms had created how many jobs or attracted how much investment. He regaled us with global insights gained through study tours to dozens of countries. He had done his homework on Gujarat too. With the Nghi Son oil refinery about to be built in Thanh Hoaa, he wanted to study the Jamnagar refinery and was aware of Narendra Modi's success -- at a time when many Indians seemed oblivious to the latter's achievement. In Vietnam -- as in many East Asian countries, from Japan to China -- officials like Mr Chien are a key ingredient in their nations' success. Even bureaucrats operating in remote and poor provinces possess a strong grasp of global megatrends, an intimate knowledge of the local economy, and an unbounded passion for progress and prosperity. They operate like chief executive officers -- setting direction, building and leading teams, ensuring execution and accountability, and interacting constantly with citizens and industry. Inspiration without perspiration Contrast that with the Indian context. Our civil servants, at the time of their entry, are among the smartest and brightest anywhere. Yet many DMs lack the kind of economic fluency their East Asian counterparts display. Forget higher-order goals like setting a vision or building teams; many have limited understanding of the economic challenges and opportunities facing their district, and few can authoritatively cite district-level macro statistics. It's not their fault. We recruit the finest, but then drown them in sprawling mandates, indulge them with the trappings of power and protocol, fail to measure or reward performance, and give them neither the autonomy nor the tools to operate effectively. Harsh as it sounds, much of our district-level administration still functions as it did under the British Raj. Inspiration from Delhi, without perspiration on the ground, will not deliver gleaming cities, first-class infrastructure, globally competitive manufacturing, millions of jobs, or 8 per cent growth -- all prerequisites for a Viksit Bharat. Reforming with PrIDE Given our federal structure, any change in the bureaucracy has to be a collaborative effort between New Delhi and the state capitals. Also, a full restructuring of the civil service, even if desirable, is a non-starter. Keeping these constraints in mind, and assuming the support of the political leadership, here are a few pragmatic steps -- encapsulated in the word 'PrIDE' -- that can make frontline administration more productive and accountable. Prioritise: Replace colonial-era titles (district collector/magistrate/commissioner) with contemporary labels (district chief executive officer, D-CEO). Change their primary mandate from maintaining law and order to the rapid development of their district. Hold the D-CEO and the top 50 senior district officers jointly accountable for the key pillars of progress -- growth, jobs, and service delivery -- which they can influence through effective implementation of programmes and projects, as well as by initiating new initiatives. Establish 10 to 12 district development indicators (DDIs) to measure improvement across each pillar, and track them annually through an independent agency. Incentivise: Ideally, seniority- and time-bound promotions should give way to performance-based progression, but that may be too disruptive. Instead, create an incentive system that disburses a small part of the state's annual budget (less than 2 per cent) to districts as block grants based on changes in DDIs, treating the latter as KPIs (key performance indicators) for the district's senior administration. The exclusive focus must be on outcomes, not inputs like meetings chaired, hours worked, or VIPs attended. Decentralise: Allow operational flexibility to senior officers in district matters and enable them to work directly with the chief secretary's office --assisted by a district support team -- to solve problems that directly affect the district's development. Authorise the DMs to spend incentive funds (block grants) as they deem most appropriate for the district, in consultation with local politicians. Empathise: Liberate senior district officers from the drudgery of handling personal requests of local members of Parliament/members of the legislative assembly, protocols and event management, election duty, court appearances, and other hyper-micro tasks that currently consume around a third of their office hours. Hold local politicians to account for interference, and encourage VIPs not to consume scarce human capital by insisting on excessive protocols and practices. Closing the loop As Gujarat chief minister, Narendra Modi was a relentless learner -- proactively seeking ideas, listening to experts, and adapting global best practices to his state's needs. He inspired peers abroad: Mr Chien's team toured Jamnagar in 2013, though they couldn't meet Mr Modi, who by then had hit the national campaign trail. Now, as prime minister, he can close the loop by instilling East Asian rigour into a mission-driven bureaucracy -- the essential precondition for a Viksit Bharat. Deepak Mishra is the former director and chief executive of ICRIER. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff The decades-long fight against Left Wing Extremism reached a critical turning point this week as 139 Maoist cadres laid down their arms across Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh in a massive two-day wave of surrenders. IMAGE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis presents a copy of the Constitution to a Maoist after he lays down his arms at the Gadchiroli police headquarters, in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, October 15, 2025. Photograph: @CMOMaharashtra X/ANI Photo The development, highlighted by the surrender of a top Maoist strategist with a Rs 6 crore bounty and 60 cadres in Gadchiroli district, was hailed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as "the beginning of the end of the Naxal movement" in the region. The saga began on Tuesday in Gadchiroli district with the surrender of Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupathi, a senior Naxalite leader and influential strategist for the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist. Bhupathi, who supervised platoon operations along the state border, formally surrendered with 60 cadres, bringing with them a significant cache of 54 weapons, including seven AK-47S and nine INSAS rifles. Addressing the gathering, Fadnavis called the surrender a "big thing in the history of the country," stating it was the start of the end for Naxalism in Maharashtra. He also expressed confidence that the entire "red corridor" in Chhattisgarh and Telangana would soon be Maoist-free. Despite the major success, the Maharashtra Chief Minister cautioned security forces to remain "very alert for the next two years" against a possible final retaliatory attack. Fadnavis promised proper rehabilitation for the surrendered Maoists and highlighted major development plans for Gadchiroli, which he said is becoming a steel hub with investments of around Rs 3 lakh crore aimed at creating over one lakh local jobs. He asked the remaining handful of Maoists to surrender or face police action. The remaining cadres, who are in Chhattisgarh, have also understood that they have lost the ideological war and that the dreams they were chasing were wrong. They have understood that only the Indian Constitution can ensure them justice, he said. Adding a crucial element to rehabilitation, private firm Lloyds Metals and Energy Ltd announced it would train and employ surrendered Naxalites in the industrialising district. Following the event in Maharashtra, Maoist-affected districts in Chhattisgarh reported three significant surrenders on Wednesday, involving 78 Maoist cadres. In Kanker district, 50 cadres, including 32 women and key regional leaders like Rajman Mandavi and Raju Salam of the influential Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, surrendered before the Border Security Force, turning in weapons that included seven AK-47 rifles and an INSAS Light Machine Gun. Separately, 27 cadres surrendered in Sukma before senior police and CRPF officials. Sixteen of these cadres carried a collective reward of Rs 50 lakh, including high-profile member Oyam Lakhmu (PLGA Battalion No. 1) with a Rs 10 lakh bounty. The cadres across both states cited disillusionment with the "hollow" Maoist ideology, atrocities against innocent tribals, and the state government's new surrender and development schemes as their motivation for returning to the mainstream. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai stated that the Maoist menace was "collapsing on every front and is going through its final stage." The Union home ministry hailed the surrenders as a "giant stride" toward the Modi government's vision of a "Maoist-free Bharat" and said the number of districts most affected by LWE has been dramatically reduced from six to just three -- Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur, all located in Chhattisgarh. The broader category of LWE-affected districts has also been cut from 18 to 11. These 11 districts now include seven in Chhattisgarh, along with one each in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Odisha. The MHA highlighted record operational successes this year, wherein 312 LWE cadres have been eliminated, including the CPI-Maoist general secretary and eight other polit bureau/central committee members. As many as 1,639 LWE cadres have surrendered and joined the mainstream this year alone. The government reiterated its firm commitment to completely eradicating the Maoist menace by March 31 next year. West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has submitted a report on the gang rape of a medical student in Durgapur to President Droupadi Murmu and the Union home ministry, a Raj Bhavan official said on Wednesday. IMAGE: West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose. Photograph: ANI Photo In the report, Bose has given a detailed account of his findings in the case and also about his interactions with the survivor and her parents who hail from Odisha, he said. "A report has been submitted to President Droupadi Murmu in connection with the governor's findings in the Durgapur case. A copy of the report was sent to the Home Ministry as well," the official told PTI. The President also belongs to Odisha. Talking to the media earlier in the day, the governor said that the feelings of the survivor's parents about taking their daughter back to Odisha should be respected. "We have to understand their feelings. Whatever steps are required to help them in this hour of crisis and in future should be taken," he said. Earlier on Wednesday, BJP MP from Odisha's Balasore, Pratap Chandra Sarangi, met Bose at the Raj Bhavan here and briefed him about his findings of the Durgapur incident. Referring to his meeting with the MP, the Bengal Governor said that he received some suggestions from them. "Today I had a representation from the MP of Balasore. They also gave some suggestions. I do not want to divulge them because they should be kept confidential," Bose said, adding that he has also received a report from the National Women's Commission. Bose had gone to Durgapur in Paschim Bardhaman district and spoken to the victim and her parents. Meanwhile, Sarangi, after meeting the Bengal Governor, expressed doubts about whether those arrested by the police were the actual culprits or "scapegoats". "The TI (Test identification) parade should be carried out to identify the real criminals. It is still not clear that those arrested in this case are the real culprits or they have been made to shield others," Sarangi said. The second-year MBBS student was allegedly gang-raped when she had gone out of the private medical college campus with a male friend to fetch food on the evening of October 10. Police have so far arrested six people, including the friend, for their alleged involvement in the crime, which has sparked a huge political uproar in the state. Several leaders of the Congress, including its state president, got tickets for the assembly polls in Bihar on Wednesday, when the leadership also contended with backlash from disgruntled elements and tried to iron out differences with allies. IMAGE: A ruckus ensued at Patna airport as Congress leaders accompanying Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram and state Congress CLP leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan were allegedly confronted and manhandled by party workers over the distribution of tickets, in Patna, October 15, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo Although the party has not yet come out with a list of candidates, several aspirants stormed the Patna airport late in the evening, to heckle state Congress president Rajesh Kumar and legislative party leader Shakil Ahmed Khan, accusing them of having "put up tickets for sale". Kumar and Khan, who had returned from Delhi, were understood to have planned to distribute tickets at Sadaqat Ashram, the BPCC headquarters. However, they decided otherwise sensing the foul mood and gathered at the residence of one of the leaders where candidates were called and handed out the party symbol. Photographs of a number of such candidates were shared on the X handle of the Bihar Congress. These included Rajesh Kumar himself, who seeks to retain reserved Kutumba seat. Other prominent candidates were sitting MLAs Anand Shankar Singh (Aurangabad), Vijendra Chaudhary (Muzaffarpur) and Pratima Das (Raja Pakar). The party seemed to have taken a cue from its allies like Rashtriya Janata Dal and Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist-Liberation and adversaries like Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United, all of which have been distributing party tickets without waiting for a formal announcement. Many of the aforementioned candidates are also through with filing of nomination papers, which will be over for the first phase on Friday while for the second and final leg it will continue till October 20. Late in the night, Kumar and Khan, accompanied by AICC in charge for Bihar Krishna Allavaru visited the residence of RJD president Lalu Prasad where they were understood to have agreed upon an "amicable deal" that would settle their seat-sharing dispute. The Congress is, earlier, said to have adopted an aggressive stance, believing that Voter Adhikar Yatra of Rahul Gandhi has given a boost to its prospect in the state where it has for long been considered a spent force. According to unconfirmed reports, the Congress has agreed to settle for 61 seats, nine less than the number it had contested in 2020, winning only 19, while the RJD, predictably, get the lion's share, though it was also likely to contest fewer seats than the last time when out of 144 candidates, 75 had tasted victory. The Left allies, CPI-ML-Liberation, CPI-M and CPI and former state minister Mukesh Sahani are expected to be accommodated in the remaining seats of the 243-strong assembly. A string of welfare schemes and promises tests the state's budget, which is already heavily dependent on central support and spends little as capital outlay. IMAGE: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar along with Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary at the inauguration of 22 development projects worth Rs 1,333 crore at the Baliram Higher Secondary School campus at Sakra block in Muzaffarpur, October 6, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo As Bihar gears up for an assembly election, the state's finances are once again in the headlines to gauge whether the torrent of promises unleashed by rival parties is even fiscally prudent. Elections to the 243-member assembly pits the ruling National Democratic Alliance, with the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal-United as main players against the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal in the state. Adding another dimension is the newly minted Jan Suraaj, led by political strategist-turned-reformer Prashant Kishor. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has claimed that the Nitish Kumar government will fail to deliver on its pre-poll promises due to revenue paucity. The charge is political, but may contain a grain of truth. Bihar's fiscal deficit stood at 4.15 per cent in 2024-2025 (FY25). Nearly 86 per cent of total expenditure went into revenue spending, while the capital outlay -- at 13.34 per cent -- was the lowest since FY23. The state's own tax revenue has also weakened, slipping from 25.5 per cent of total revenue receipts in FY23 to 22.2 per cent in FY25. Against this strained backdrop, pre-election giveaways risk deepening the financial cracks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently unveiled the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, a self-employment scheme under which women entrepreneurs will receive Rs 10,000 to start their own ventures and, based on performance, an additional Rs 200,000 after six months from the state government. The chief minister cumulatively transferred Rs 2,500 crore into the accounts of 2.5 million women under the programme last week. Days earlier, the prime minister had transferred Rs 7,500 crore to 7.5 million women in Bihar. Other initiatives, too, have flowed thick and fast. Modi inaugurated the Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur Skill University, launched the redesigned Bihar Student Credit Card Scheme, and announced expansions of state universities, the formation of a new Youth Commission, and a revamped Mukhyamantri Nishchay Swayam Sahayata Bhatta Yojana, offering a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 to 500,000 graduates for two years. The state government has also raised pensions for senior citizens, women, and people with disabilities, alongside hiking honorariums for Anganwadi and ASHA workers. These measures are set to further inflate revenue expenditure, already on the rise, leaving little fiscal space for capital investment. Additional sops by the NDA government include a Rs 25,000 allowance for each of 10,000 Vikas Mitras to purchase tablets, increased stipends, Rs 10,000 grants for Shiksha Sevaks and Talimi Markaz workers to buy smartphones, and an unemployment allowance for the youth. An increase in grants-in-aid and the state's share of central taxes has kept the revenue balance barely afloat. In FY25, Bihar recorded a revenue deficit of 0.04 per cent of its gross state domestic product (GSDP), after registering a surplus the previous year. However, the state's outstanding debt remains troublingly high at 37.1 per cent of GSDP -- the second highest in a decade. On paper, Bihar's economy has been performing better than the national average, with its GSDP growing faster for three consecutive years. Still, per capita income remains just one-third of the national figure in FY25. Encouragingly, the state's unemployment rate fell to 3 per cent in 2023-2024, slipping below India's 3.2 per cent for the first time in recent years. Meanwhile, the Opposition INDIA bloc has unveiled its Ati Pichhda Nyay Sankalp, a 10-point pledge to woo Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs). The plan promises increased EBC reservations, a dedicated law to prevent atrocities, and a 50 per cent quota for backward classes in government contracts. The move is strategic: EBCs make up 36 per cent of Bihar's population, according to the caste survey, a bloc powerful enough to shift the state's political arithmetic. Bihar continues to be one of the worst performing states on social parameters. One-third of its population lived in multidimensional poverty between 2019 and 2021, the highest for any Indian state. Women, the focus of this election's welfare blitz, continue to lag on key social indicators. The gender ratio at birth worsened between 2019-21 and 2021-23, even as India's overall ratio improved. Bihar's maternal mortality ratio rose from 100 to 104 over the same period, while the national average fell from 93 to 88. Despite incremental economic gains, Bihar remains some distance from shedding its long-held BIMARU tag -- a label that continues to haunt its political promises and economic prospects alike. Bihar Votes 2025 Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff Upset over a family dispute, a 25-year-old drug addict climbed onto the roof of Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Delhi's Mangolpuri area on Wednesday and threatened to commit suicide, but was rescued safely, officials said. IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: ANI Photo The man, identified as Rahul Mandal, has a history of substance abuse and had bruises all over his body. He was heavily intoxicated, drowsy and sweating profusely, making the rescue operation difficult as officers fear he may slip out of their grip when they try to pull him down from the six-storey building, the officials added. Additional deputy commissioner of police (Outer) Narra Chaitanya said, "He has some issues with his mother and father. He had been threatening to jump off the roof of Sanjay Gandhi Hospital." He said that despite being counselled, he didn't come down. "We coordinated with the fire department and came up with a strategy to rescue him. We put a safety net and mattresses below so that our police team, fire team and private security guards, especially those from the hospital, could use it as a support system." The incident created panic among patients, visitors and staff and drew a large crowd of onlookers outside the hospital premises, who were watching with concern. Delhi Fire Services official Ajay Sharma said they received a call in the morning about a man being on the rooftop since last night. "He is a drug addict. He was taking the names of a lot of drugs and was asking for an injection. There were bruises all over his body. There was sweat all over his body. It was a challenge for us to get him out of there," he said. "He was not wearing a shirt. There was a chance that his body would slip out of our hands. So we put a safety net underneath," he said. "Secondly, we tried to tie down his leg from the adjacent floor. We put a safety belt on top and lowered him. A firefighter jumped from the top and tied a safety net. He gripped him, but as we had thought, he slipped out of our grip. Luckily, his leg was tied from below. As we were tied from both sides, we pinned him to the wall for a long time. Slowly, we started loosening his grip and took him inside through the window below," the DFS official added. Sharma said that he was trying his level best to escape and wanted to jump. "He challenged us that if we put a net on one side, he would jump to the other side. It was a very challenging situation for us. Fortunately, we rescued him safely," he said. Rahul's father, Shankar Mandal, said, "He is addicted to drugs. He took my bike from home on Saturday and we had no idea where he was. I had kept some money for my treatment, but he took that too. The police informed us about this incident and brought us here from home." He said that no police officer has beaten Rahul. "He beats me too and accuses me of several things when I don't give him. We had also got him admitted to a de-addiction centre. He is not married. We belong to Udhampur in Uttarakhand," his father said. Mrityunjay Singh, medical superintendent in Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, said that Rahul reportedly entered the hospital around 4 AM after breaking the lock and went upstairs. The police said that they will take preventive measures so that such incidents do not repeat. The Aam Aadmi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party traded barbs over Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's Karwa Chauth celebration, with the opposition mocking the elaborate festivities, while the ruling party hit back, calling them "enemies of Sanatan Dharma." IMAGE: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta during the Karva Chauth celebration at Jan Seva Sadan in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI Photo Gupta celebrated Karwa Chauth at the Mukhyamantri Jan Sewa Sadan, with the event attended by many female politicians, spouses of Union ministers, MPs, MLAs, councillors, government officers, and other prominent women. Bharadwaj shared a video on X talking about the celebration. "Now Rekha Gupta ji celebrated Karwa Chauth. Rekha Gupta ji celebrated it with her husband. What's the big deal with that? Is it the first time someone has celebrated Karwa Chauth with their husband? You must have seen the video; it's everywhere. On one side is the husband, and on the other, around a hundred security guards, whose own wives couldn't celebrate because of this," he said. Bharadwaj made the remarks on Sunday during the Diwali Milan event hosted by the party for autorickshaw drivers. "Look at that video, a security guard is standing there holding her (Rekha Gupta's) Karwa Chauth thali. His own wife is probably watching the video, seeing her husband helping Rekha Gupta perform her Karwa Chauth rituals, thinking... This is the worth of your vote, that Rekha Gupta celebrated Karwa Chauth. Just look at the heavy price you people are paying for it," he said in the video. Hitting back, the BJP said AAP must be pained by the fact that the chief minister celebrated the festival with hundreds of women. "The enemies of Sanatan Dharma are deeply pained to see how the woman Chief Minister of Delhi is celebrating the festival of Karwa Chauth with hundreds of women at her Jan Seva Sadan," the party said on X. Hitting out at AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, they said that in his "sheesh mahal", people were not allowed. In response, Bharadwaj shared the entire video of his speech. In the video, he also alleged that the BJP government is running on lies. Pakistan army said on Wednesday that it repulsed multiple attacks by the Afghan Taliban while killing over 40 attackers in separate incidents of border clashes between the two countries. IMAGE: Vehicles loaded with the belongings of Afghan citizens stand parked, as they attempt to return to their country, after Pakistan closed border crossings with Afghanistan following exchanges of fire between the two nations' forces, at the border crossing in Chaman, Balochistan Province, Pakistan October 13, 2025. Photograph: Saeed Ali Achakzai/Reuters The Afghan Taliban attacked four locations in the Spin Boldak area of PoK's Balochistan province, which were effectively repulsed by Pakistani Forces, the army said. While repulsing the attack, 15-20 Afghan Taliban have been killed and many injured, the army said, adding that the situation is still developing as there are reports of further build up in staging points of Fitna Al Khwarij and Afghan Taliban. The term Fitna al-Khawarij is used by Pakistani authorities to refer to militants of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The attack was orchestrated through divided villages in the area, with the Taliban showing no regard for the civilian population, it said. The Afghan Taliban also destroyed Pak-Afghan Friendship Gate on their side that clearly displays the mindset with regard to mutual trade and easement rights of the divided tribes, the army said. The attack in PoK's Spin Boldak was not an isolated event, as on the night of October 14, Afghan Taliban and Fitna Al Khwarij tried to attack Pakistani border posts in Kurram Sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. These attacks were effectively repulsed, causing heavy losses to Afghan Posts. Eight posts, including six tanks, were destroyed in the effective yet proportionate response of Pakistani troops, (and) 25-30 Afghan Taliban and Fitna Al Khwarij fighters were suspected to have been killed, it said. The army rejected the insinuations that Pakistan initiated the attack by calling it outrageous and blatant lies, just like the claims of capturing Pakistani posts or equipment. It further said that the propaganda of the Taliban regime can be debunked with basic fact checks. The army further asserted that all acts of aggression against Pakistan will be responded to with full force. Islamabad has consistently urged the Taliban government to prevent terrorist groups from using Afghan territory for cross-border attacks. Kabul, however, denies these allegations, insisting that Afghan soil is not being used against any neighbouring country. The problem is that the government is not ready to evolve, the Supreme Court observed on Wednesday after the Centre said it may not be "very feasible" to give the option to death row convicts to choose lethal injection as a mode of execution. IMAGE: A view of the Supreme Court of India. Photograph: ANI Photo A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a plea seeking removal of the present mode of execution of death row convicts by hanging from the statute. Senior advocate Rishi Malhotra, who has filed the petition, said at least an option should be given to a condemned prisoner as to whether he wanted hanging or lethal injection as a mode of execution. "I will demonstrate that the best way is lethal injection because 49 out of 50 states in the USA have adopted lethal injection," Malhotra said. He said execution by administering lethal injection was quick, humane and decent as compared to hanging which was cruel and barbaric as the body lies lingering on the rope for around 40 minutes. Justice Mehta suggested the counsel representing the Centre to advise the government on Malhotra's proposition regarding providing an option to the death row convict. The Centre's counsel said, "This is also addressed in the counter that this may not be very feasible to give an option". Justice Mehta observed, "The problem is that the government is not ready to evolve over the period of time... Things have changed over a period of time". The Centre's counsel submitted that it was said in the counter-affidavit that it was a policy decision and the government can take a call on that. The lawyer referred to the apex court's May 2023 order passed in the matter. In that order, the bench had noted Attorney General R Venkataramani's submission that the government was considering the appointment of a committee to review the issues sought to be raised in the matter. The Centre's counsel said they would seek instructions from the government as to what has happened with regard to the committee. The bench posted the matter for further hearing on November 11. In March 2023, the apex court had said it may consider setting up a committee of experts to examine whether execution of death row convicts by hanging was proportionate and less painful and sought "better data" from the Centre on issues pertaining to the mode of execution. The bench, however, had made clear that it cannot direct the legislature to adopt a particular mode of sentencing condemned convicts. Malhotra had filed the PIL in 2017 seeking abolition of the present practice of executing a death row convict by hanging and replacing it with less painful methods such as "intravenous lethal injection, shooting, electrocution or gas chamber". In 2018, the Centre strongly supported a legal provision that a death row convict would only be hanged to death and had told the bench that the other modes of execution like lethal injections and firing were not less painful. The counter affidavit, filed by the joint secretary of the ministry of home affairs, had said that death by hanging was "quick, simple" and free from anything that would "unnecessarily sharpen the poignancy of the prisoner". The affidavit was filed in response to the PIL which referred to the 187th Report of the Law Commission advocating the removal of the present mode of execution from the statute. BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- The China Semiconductor Industry Association on Tuesday denounced the Dutch government's intervention in semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia, an overseas subsidiary of Chinese company Wingtech. In a statement, the association expressed firm support for its member companies in defending their legitimate rights and interests, as well as for a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment and stable global supply chains. "We oppose the practice of abusing the concept of 'national security' and imposing selective and discriminatory restrictions on overseas branches of Chinese enterprises," the association said. Discriminatory measures that target specific companies will undermine the open, inclusive and collaborative global semiconductor ecosystem, it said, voicing firm opposition to such measures. In another statement issued Monday, Wingtech, Nexperia's controlling shareholder, said the Dutch government's move constituted an overreach driven by geopolitical bias rather than a factual risk assessment. "The act severely violates the market economy, fair competition and international trade rules always advocated by the European Union," the company said. "We strongly protest the discriminatory treatment targeting Chinese-invested enterprises." The statements came after a recent order imposed on Nexperia by the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands under the "Availability of Goods Act," as well as legal actions initiated by certain members of the company's management. Wingtech, founded in 2006, acquired a controlling stake in Nexperia in the late 2010s. Following this acquisition, Wingtech led Nexperia in achieving a comprehensive leap in operation. Nexperia's revenue peaked at 2.36 billion euros (about 2.7 billion U.S. dollars) in 2022 -- with its gross margin substantially improving from 25 percent in 2020 to 42.4 percent in 2022. By October 2024, Nexperia had repaid all prior debt, achieving "zero-debt" operation. The Wingtech statement condemned the internal legal actions as malicious extensions of external pressure. As Nexperia's long-term strategic shareholder, Wingtech will not succumb to external political pressure and has used various means to demand that the Dutch government revoke its wrongful order, stop systemic discrimination against Chinese firms, and uphold an open and cooperative global semiconductor chain, calling for a return to rationality and commercial sense, it added. Responding to the case, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Monday that China always opposes overstretching the concept of national security and making discriminatory moves that target companies from certain countries. "The relevant country should uphold market principles and refrain from politicizing economic and trade issues," Lin said at a news briefing. Editor: Xiong Jian India is learnt to have pitched for the supply of Akash missile system to Brazil as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday held wide-ranging talks with Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin in New Delhi. IMAGE: Akash Missile System on display during the full dress rehearsal of the Republic Day Parade 2023, at Kartavya Path, in New Delhi, January 23, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo During the meeting, the two leaders "identified priority areas" for joint work, including exploring opportunities for co-development and co-production of defence equipment. Defence Minister of Brazil, Jose Mucio Monteiro Filho, was also present during the meeting, the defence ministry said in a statement. It is learnt that in the meeting, India has pitched for supply of Akash missile system to Brazil, people familiar with the matter said. India and Brazil share a strategic partnership. "The leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to advance defence cooperation, focusing on military-to-military exchanges, including joint exercises and training visits," the statement said. They reviewed the progress of ongoing defence-related initiatives and "identified priority areas for joint work, including exploring opportunities for co-development and co-production of defence equipment", the ministry said. ISRO chairman V Narayanan on Wednesday said the space agency has set a target of landing Indians on the Moon by 2040, while its maiden human spaceflight mission 'Gaganyaan' is on track for launch in 2027. IMAGE: ISRO launches the Gaganyaan's Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, in Sriharikota. Photograph: ISRO Narayanan said a slew of ambitious space projects and sector reforms were currently underway, including a national space station by 2035, and three uncrewed 'Gaganyaan' missions by 2026, with the first one that includes a half-humanoid robot 'Vyommitra', targeted for December 2025. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a guideline for an indigenous crewed lunar mission by 2040, under which we have to land our own citizens on the moon and bring them back safely. A Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM) has also been approved to study the planet," Narayanan said in an exclusive interview with PTI. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief said the Bharatiya Antriksh Station (BAS) is expected to come up by 2035, and initial modules in space are expected as early as 2027. He was in Ranchi to attend the 35th convocation ceremony of Ranchi-based Birla Institute of Technology (BIT) Mesra as the chief guest. "There are a lot of developments in 'Gaganyaan'. We are planning some more experiments. Before the crewed mission, we are planning three uncrewed missions. 'Vyommitra' is going to fly on that in December this year. Two more uncrewed missions will take place next year. Crewed 'Gaganyaan' mission would be possible by 2027 first quarter," Narayanan added. With Modi defining a clear roadmap and rolling out reforms for the space sector, ISRO is moving with confidence and clarity towards realising the dream of a self-reliant and vibrant space ecosystem, he said. He said India's upcoming projects include Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5, a new Mars mission, and AXOM, a high-priority astronomical observatory mission. "The Aditya-L1 mission has already yielded over 15 terabits of solar data, with valuable insights into coronal mass ejections and space weather," Narayanan added. "We are open to international collaborations," he said, emphasising that while India is committed to self-reliance, climate science and space research, which are global concerns, "how and where we collaborate will be debated and decided based on scientific and strategic priorities." Highlighting the role of reforms, Narayanan said the space sector has been transformed through the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), which integrates startups and private players into the national ecosystem. "Just a few years ago, there were barely one or two startups in the space sector. Today, there are over 300 working on satellite manufacturing, launch services, and space-based data analytics," he said. "This shift is seen as crucial to meeting India's rising demand for satellite-based applications in agriculture, disaster management, telecommunication, real-time train and vehicle monitoring, and fisheries," he added. For missions like crewed lunar landing, India needs to enhance its launch capacity and space infrastructure and has already started work to build its space station. "From launching 35 kg initially to now envisioning 80,000 kg -- that is the scale of transformation we are aiming for," he said. Talking about Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, and Big Data, he said these are becoming integral to space missions. "Just like no one imagined the computer revolution 35 years ago, AI and robotics will define the next era of space exploration," the scientist remarked. He said today India stands as the world's fourth-largest economy, with a burgeoning space sector that is not only matching, but often surpassing global benchmarks. "From discovering water on the Moon with Chandrayaan-1, to the first soft landing near the lunar south pole with Chandrayaan-3, India has set multiple world records in space. Today, we are No. 1 in nine areas globally," he asserted. The ISRO chief added that India has become the fourth country to successfully achieve docking and undocking in space with the success of SPADEX mission. "We also completed the 100th launch from Sriharikota -- the GSLV F15/NVS-02 Mission -- and received final approval for a third launch pad catering to all launch vehicles, including the next-generation NGLV, at an estimated cost of Rs 4,000 crore," Narayanan said. On atomic energy, he said, currently India has 23 nuclear reactors across eight major nuclear plants, including Tarapur and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. Narayanan took charge as ISRO chairman in January 2025. He earlier served as director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), one of ISRO's key facilities. Ashley J Tellis, a prominent Indian-American strategic affairs expert, has been arrested on charges of unlawfully retaining national defence information, PTI has reported. IMAGE: Ashley J Tellis, Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs and Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Photograph: Ritik Jain/ANI Photo A respected voice in Washington's foreign policy establishment, Tellis is currently a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, specialising in international security, defence, and Asian strategic issues. "Tellis, 64, of Vienna, VA, was arrested over the weekend in Vienna, Virginia, and charged by criminal complaint with the unlawful retention of national defence information," the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said in a statement on Tuesday. The charges as alleged in this case represent a grave risk to the safety and security of our citizens, US Attorney Lindsey Halligan said, adding that the office remained fully focused on protecting the American people from all threats, foreign and domestic. If convicted, Tellis faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to USD 250,000, a USD 100 special assessment and forfeiture, the statement said. The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served, it said. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors, the statement said. Born in Mumbai and educated at the University of Chicago, Tellis has been a prolific writer and adviser on defence and Asia policy. He was closely involved in shaping the landmark India-US civil nuclear agreement during the George W Bush administration that transformed bilateral ties in the mid-2000s. ANI adds: A US state department employee has been accused of unlawfully removing classified documents from secure government locations and holding multiple meetings with Chinese officials dating back to 2023, quoting Fox News. According to the US justice department, Tellis served as an unpaid senior adviser to the state department and was also a contractor with the Office of Net Assessment at the department of defence, recently renamed the department of war. In his role at the Office of Net Assessment, he was considered a subject-matter expert on India and South Asian affairs. Court documents state that Tellis began working for the state department in 2001. He has been accused of unlawful retention of national defense information, according to an affidavit filed in court. Federal prosecutors said that Tellis held a top-secret clearance and had access to sensitive information. He was also employed as a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Fox News reported. During a search of his residence in Vienna, Virginia, authorities recovered more than a thousand pages of documents marked "TOP SECRET" and "SECRET," as per court filings. On September 12, Tellis allegedly asked a coworker at a government facility to print multiple classified documents for him. Later, on September 25, he is said to have printed US Air Force documents related to military aircraft capabilities, according to prosecutors. Federal officials further alleged that Tellis met with Chinese government representatives several times over the past few years. In one such instance in September 2022, he reportedly met Chinese officials at a restaurant in Virginia while holding a manila envelope, prosecutors said. During another meeting on April 11, 2023, Tellis and the Chinese officials were heard discussing Iranian-Chinese relations and emerging technologies over dinner, authorities added. Court documents also noted that Tellis received a gift bag during a dinner meeting with Chinese officials on September 2. Fox News reported that the justice department continues to investigate the case, with federal prosecutors highlighting the sensitive nature of the documents recovered from Tellis's home. A man was apprehended from Lucknow hours after he allegedly kidnapped a four-year-old boy from outside his home here after the child's mother refused to marry him, the police said on Wednesday. Photograph: ANI Photo The incident took place on Sunday. The accused, Sudhakar Singh (24), a flower seller from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended at Lucknow railway station while he was travelling with the child on Suhaildev Express, the police said. "A PCR call was received at Amar Colony police station on October 12, reporting the kidnapping of a boy. The child was playing outside his house when he was taken away by the accused," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said. During the probe, it emerged that the boy's mother had been in contact with Singh through social media for about a year. The accused had threatened to abduct her son if she refused to be with him, the officer said. On the day of the incident, the boy's father, who lodged the police complaint, spotted the accused near the family's residence around 1 pm, but he fled. Around 4.30 pm, the woman informed her husband that their son had gone missing and that she suspected Singh kidnapped him, the police said. Based on the complaint, a case was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The movements of the accused were traced using a combination of technical surveillance and manual intelligence, they said. Singh was intercepted in Lucknow within eight hours of the incident, they added. During interrogation, the police said, Singh confessed to having kidnapped the boy to pressure his mother into marrying him. 'A tally less than 150, even if it is 120 or 130, shall be a defeat for me' IMAGE: Prashant Kishor claims there was "complete chaos" in NDA, and it was still unclear which seats the BJP would contest and where the JD-U wants to field its candidates. Photograph: @NitishKumar/X Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Wednesday announced that he will not contest the Bihar assembly polls, a decision, he claimed, was taken by the party for its greater good. In an exclusive interview with PTI, the former political strategist also said that a "tally of less than 150 seats" for Jan Suraaj will be considered a defeat. "If Jan Suraaj Party wins the Bihar polls, it will have a nationwide impact. The compass of national politics will point in a different direction," Kishor asserted. The Bihar polls will be held in two phases, on November 6 and November 11, and the counting will take place on November 14. "The party has decided that I should not contest the assembly polls. And therefore, the party has announced another candidate from Raghopur, against Tejashwi Yadav. It was a decision we took in the larger interest of the party. If I were to contest, it would have distracted me from the necessary organisational work", Kishor said. Asked what he thought of his party's prospects in the elections, the 48-year-old leader said, "I can say with certainty that we will be either win handsomely or receive a drubbing. I have been stating on record that I expect a tally of either fewer than 10 seats or more than 150 seats. There is no possibility of anything in between". He made the averment when asked whether his party would like to support the NDA or the INDIA bloc if the elections threw a hung assembly, terming a fractured mandate as an impossibility. He, however, added, "A tally less than 150, even if it is 120 or 130, shall be a defeat for me. If we do well, we will have the mandate to transform Bihar and make it count among the 10 most advanced states of the country. If we do not do well enough, it would mean the people have not shown enough confidence in us, and we must continue to carry on with our politics of the street and society (samaj aur sadak ki rajneeti)". Donning the political strategist's hat, Kishor predicted a certain defeat for the ruling NDA in Bihar, citing the inability of the BJP-led coalition to finalise seats and candidates. Kishor, who recently said the JD-U would struggle to win even "25 seats" in the 243-strong assembly, claimed that the picture has only grown bleaker for the party headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. "The NDA is definitely on its way out and Nitish Kumar will not return as chief minister", asserted Kishor, who has worked closely with the JD-U supremo, both as a poll analyst and later, for a brief period, as a party colleague. "You do not need to be a psephologist to fathom what is in store for the JD-U. In the last assembly polls, Chirag Paswan staged a revolt just a few days ahead of the announcement of elections and fielded candidates, many of whom were inconsequential, against nominees of Kumar's party, causing its tally to crash to 43", recalled Kishor. He also claimed that there was "complete chaos" in NDA, and it was still unclear which seats the BJP would contest and where the JD-U wants to field its candidates. "The situation is no better in the INDIA bloc either. There is a never-ending tiff between the RJD and the Congress. And nobody knows if former state minister Mukesh Sahani's Vikassheel Insaan Party is still by their side", claimed Kishor. Pakistan on Wednesday said a 48-hour ceasefire has been agreed with Afghanistan, amid border clashes between the two countries that have killed dozens of people on both sides. IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: Saeed Ali Achakzai/Reuters "A temporary ceasefire has been decided between the Pakistani government and the Afghan Taliban regime, with the mutual consent of both parties, for the next 48 hours from 6 PM today, at the request of the Taliban," the Foreign Office said. However, the Taliban-led Afghan government's chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that "at the request and insistence of the Pakistani side, a ceasefire between the two countries will take effect today after 5:30 PM." In a post on social media, Mujahid said the government has directed all its forces to respect the ceasefire, unless any aggression takes place. Pakistan's Foreign Office said that during the ceasefire, both sides "will make sincere efforts to find a positive solution to this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue. The ceasefire came hours after state-run PTV News reported that Pakistan conducted precision strikes in Afghanistan's Kandahar province and capital Kabul, killing dozens of foreign and Afghan operatives. Pakistan Army's retaliatory action against Afghan Taliban aggression, key hideouts destroyed. Key hideouts of Afghan Taliban successfully targeted by Pakistan Army, it said in a statement on X, quoting security sources. These precision strikes were carried out in Afghanistan's Kandahar province. As a result of these strikes, Afghan Taliban Battalion Number 4 and Border Brigade Number 6 completely destroyed. Dozens of foreign and Afghan operatives killed. It added that the Pakistan Army possessed the full capability to give a strong and complete response to any external aggression. Earlier in the day, the Pakistan Army said that it repulsed multiple attacks by the Afghan Taliban while killing over 40 attackers in separate incidents of border clashes. The Afghan Taliban attacked four locations in the Spin Boldak area of Balochistan province, which were effectively repulsed by Pakistani Forces, the army said. While repulsing the attack, 15-20 Afghan Taliban have been killed and many injured, the army said, adding that the situation is still developing as there are reports of further build up in staging points of Fitna Al Khwarij and Afghan Taliban. The Pakistan government last year notified the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as "Fitna al-Khawarij", a reference to a group in earlier Islamic history which was involved in violence. The attack was orchestrated through divided villages in the area, with the Taliban showing no regard for the civilian population, it said. The Afghan Taliban also destroyed Pak-Afghan Friendship Gate on their side that clearly displays the mindset with regard to mutual trade and easement rights of the divided tribes, the army said. The attack in Spin Boldak was not an isolated event, as on the night of October 14, the Afghan Taliban and TTP tried to attack Pakistani border posts in the Kurram Sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These attacks were effectively repulsed, causing heavy losses to Afghan Posts. Eight posts, including six tanks, were destroyed in the effective yet proportionate response of Pakistani troops, (and) 25-30 Afghan Taliban and Fitna Al Khwarij fighters were suspected to have been killed, it said. The army rejected the insinuations that Pakistan initiated the attack by calling it outrageous and blatant lies, just like the claims of capturing Pakistani posts or equipment. It further said that the propaganda of the Taliban regime can be debunked with basic fact checks. The army further asserted that all acts of aggression against Pakistan will be responded to with full force. Islamabad has consistently urged the Taliban government to prevent terrorist groups from using Afghan territory for cross-border attacks. Kabul, however, denies these allegations, insisting that Afghan soil is not being used against any neighbouring country. The situation deteriorated between the two neighbours following repeated terrorist attacks by the TTP, allegedly using the Afghan soil, including one in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Orakzai district recently, which claimed the lives of 11 military personnel, including a Lt Colonel and a Major. Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar has directed the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to scrap the Rs 300 crore Bollywood theme park proposed to be built under a metro rail corridor amid opposition to the project by some citizens groups. Photograph: Sahil Salvi for Rediff.com IMAGE: The Mumbai metro. Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Shelar, who conceptualised the idea of this theme park, directed the planning and development authority for the metropolitan region of Mumbai to scrap the project proposed to be built under the metro corridor between Bandra west and Juhu. Shelar, who is also Mumbai suburban district's guardian minister, gave the direction following a meeting on Tuesday with the MMRDA officials. "After a detailed review meeting, it was decided to cancel the proposed Bollywood Theme project planned under Metro Line 2A from Bandra West to Juhu. I have issued directives to MMRDA officials to divert the allocated funds towards other priority development projects that will directly benefit citizens," Shelar wrote on social media platform X. Shelar represents the Bandra West assembly constituency in Mumbai. Former Bandra corporator and Congress leader Asif Zakaria, who led the campaign against the theme park, called it a victory of "citizens' voices" and "people's power". "Finally...better sense prevailed...Victory for citizens' voices !!! The proposed wasteful Rs 300 crore Bollywood-themed project under Metro 2A line from Bandra to Juhu has been scrapped, after I first raised the issue with regular follow-ups and citizens joined in through our signature campaign opposing this wasteful expenditure. People power wins!!!," Zakaria wrote on social media platform X. Metro Line 2B, which is stretched from Andheri in western suburbs to Mankhurd in the east, passes through areas along SV Road such as Bandra (west), Khar, and Juhu where several artists, actors, actresses, directors, writers and producers from the Hindi film industry reside. Considering the close association between the film industry and Bandra West, Shelar had proposed the concept of developing a Bollywood-themed park beneath the metro viaduct to showcase the history of Indian cinema in a unique way. The MMRDA had accepted this concept and undertook the project for its implementation. The project was aimed at showcasing 110 years of Indian cinema -- from Dadasaheb Phalke's Raja Harishchandra (1913) to the contemporary era -- while celebrating Bandra's legacy as home to legendary film icons such as Dilip Kumar, Nargis, Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna. The MMRDA did not respond to the query about the cancellation of the theme park. Expressing dissatisfaction over the seat-sharing arrangement within the ruling National Democratic Alliance in Bihar ahead of the assembly polls, Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha on Wednesday said, "This time, nothing is well in NDA." IMAGE: Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha. Photograph: @UpendraKushRLM/X Kuswaha, who left for Delhi on Wednesday to meet senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, told reporters at the airport that "Everything will be fine. With this hope and belief, we are going to Delhi." According to party insiders, Kushwaha is not happy with the six seats allotted to his party. He is also not happy with the allocation of the Mahua seat to another NDA constituent, Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas, headed by Union Minister Chirag Paswan. Efforts to convince Kushwaha by senior BJP leaders in Patna failed to make any headway. Union Minister Nityanand Rai and other state BJP leaders met Kushwaha in Patna on Tuesday evening. The meeting continued till late at night, after which Kushwaha told reporters, "This time, nothing is well in NDA." NDA leaders had on Tuesday claimed that seat allocation among alliance partners had been settled amicably and that discussions were in the final stages. However, discontent among smaller allies surfaced soon after. According to the agreed formula, the BJP and the JD-U will contest 101 seats each, the LJP-Ram Vilas 29 seats, while the Hindustani Awami Morcha and the RLM will field candidates in six constituencies each. Both HAM, led by Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, and RLM have voiced displeasure over the arrangement. In an earlier post on X, Kushwaha apologised to his party workers after the formula was announced. "Dear friends/colleagues, I seek your forgiveness. The number of seats which we have got is not as per your expectations. I understand that this decision will hurt those colleagues who aspired to be candidates of 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. I humbly request you to let the anger subside, and then you will yourself realise how appropriate or inappropriate the decision is. Time will tell the rest". A guest from Algeria dances with performers of Dong ethnic group during an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A woman visits an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) A guest from Tanzania visits an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) A guest from Belarus talks with performers of Dong ethnic group during an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A guest from Botswana tries Chinese embroidery at an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) Guests interact with performers of Dong ethnic group during an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) Guests from Tanzania and Ethiopia dance with performers of Dong ethnic group during an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A visitor takes photos of an AI interactive screen during an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) A guest from Ethiopia tries Chinese embroidery during an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Girls sing a song during an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A visitor fetches a cup of coffee made by a robot during an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) Spring Bud Project girls Li Qinhan and Ma Xingyan (R) display their work during an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A woman visits an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) Editor: WXY Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. "I think that Bennington will be a great location for Her Closet," said the store's administrator Kendy Skidmore. "And, I'm hoping that we get Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Prime Minister of Mozambique Maria Benvinda Delfina Levi, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met with Prime Minister of Mozambique Maria Benvinda Delfina Levi, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. Xi said that the traditional friendship between China and Mozambique has been as solid as a rock since the two countries established diplomatic relations 50 years ago. China stands ready to continuously deepen the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with Mozambique and together step into an even more glorious era in the next 50 years, Xi noted. He emphasized China's support for Mozambique in independently exploring development paths suited to its national conditions and safeguarding national unity and stability. The two sides should jointly seek new pathways for the integrated and coordinated development of energy and mineral resources and infrastructure construction, said Xi. Xi also expressed the country's readiness to work with Mozambique to implement the Global Governance Initiative, oppose unilateralism and hegemonism, and safeguard the common interests of both countries and the Global South. Levi said Mozambique is willing to work with China to jointly implement the outcomes of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women and promote the global women's cause. Mozambique looks forward to working closely with China in areas including economy, trade, energy, mining, science and technology, and education, said Levi. Mozambique appreciates China's contributions to global prosperity and stability with its own development, Levi said, adding that Mozambique will enhance cooperation with China under multilateral frameworks and make global governance fairer and more equitable. Wang Yi attended the meeting. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Prime Minister of Mozambique Maria Benvinda Delfina Levi, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Editor: WXY Tim Stevenson is a community organizer with Post Oil Solutions from Athens (bereal@vermontel.net), and is the author of Resilience and Resistance: Building Sustainable Communities for a Post Oil Age and Transformative Activism: A Values Revolution in Everyday Life in a Time of Societal Collapse," and is currently at work on a book about mutual care communities. The opinions expressed by columnists and op-ed writers do not necessarily reflect the views of Vermont News & Media. Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to a temporary cease-fire on October 15 after deadly air strikes and ground fighting raised fears of a full-blown conflict between the neighbors. Pakistan carried out air strikes in Afghanistans southern province of Kandahar, causing multiple casualties, locals told RFE/RLs Radio Azadi. Explosions were also heard in Kabul, according to city residents who spoke to Radio Azadi. Unverified footage on social media appeared to show plumes of smoke rising into the sky in the Afghan capital. The cause of the explosions was not immediately clear. Ground fighting also erupted along the countries 2,600-kilometer-long border, leaving several dead on both sides. Temporary Cease-Fire In a statement later on October 15, Pakistans Foreign Ministry said the sides had agreed to a temporary cease-fire for the next 48 hours starting at 6:00 p.m. Pakistan local time. The latest violence came after fierce fighting erupted between Taliban fighters and Pakistani security forces on October 11-12, leaving dozens dead and key border crossings closed. It was the deadliest-ever fighting involving the sides. The border clashes occurred just days after Pakistan carried out drone strikes in the center of Kabul as well as air strikes in eastern Afghanistan. The violence has raised fears of an all-out war between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, longtime allies that have fallen out. Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) extremist group, which is waging an increasingly deadly insurgency against Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban, which seized power in 2021, denies the allegation. Civilians Fleeing The Border Zones Civilians on both sides of the border said the recent fighting had forced some to flee their homes amid fears of a broader war. Many people on both sides of the border have vacated their houses and fled the area for safer locations fearing that the fighting may expand, Muhammad Naeem, a local journalist in the border town of Chaman, told RFE/RLs Radio Mashaal. Residents of Spin Boldak, a district in the Afghan province of Kandahar which borders Chaman, said Pakistani military helicopters bombed a market. Civilian cars and homes were hit, said a resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Many civilians were killed and injured. The Taliban government in Kabul said 12 civilians were killed in the attack in Spin Boldak. The recent spate of violence has led to the closure of border crossings, affecting local businesses and the movement of people. Border closures lead to higher prices and can affect peoples livelihoods, said a Kabul resident who also did not want to be identified. I hope the war will come to an end. Islamabad had backed the Taliban since the groups emergence in the 1990s, allegedly continuing its support throughout the Talibans two-decade insurgency against the US-backed Afghan government. Experts say the goal was to establish a friendly government in Kabul that would advance Pakistans interests -- a strategy that now appears to have backfired. Taliban fighters and Pakistani soldiers have sporadically clashed along the countries 2,600-kilometer border since 2021. But the ferocity of the recent violence and the explosive rhetoric are seen as a major escalation. Pakistan has carried out air strikes in Afghanistans southern province of Kandahar, locals told RFE/RLs Radio Azadi, as fresh fighting erupted between the neighbors. Explosions were also heard in Kabul, according to city residents who spoke to Radio Azadi. Unverified footage on social media appeared to show plumes of smoke rising into the sky in the Afghan capital. The cause of the explosions was not immediately clear. 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 drone strikes in the center of Kabul as well as air strikes in eastern Afghanistan. The violence has raised fears of a full-blown conflict between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, longtime allies that have fallen out. More to follow... An exhibition of North Korean propaganda art featuring graphic illustrations of Ukrainian soldiers being shot dead has opened in Moscow. The exhibition, titled Shoulder To Shoulder, was opened on October 13 to highlight decades of cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. The exhibition includes artifacts dating from the Korean War of the 1950s, up to the current partnership between the two diplomatically isolated countries. Among the exhibits are a series of pencil sketches depicting North Korean troops fighting in Russia's Kursk region against the Ukrainian incursion into the territory. Professor B.G. Muhn, an expert on North Korean art at Georgetown University, told RFE/RL that, in the reclusive nation, "pencil drawings depicting war remain one of North Korea's most popular art forms." Such pencil images sometimes serve as the basis for more elaborate propaganda artwork. Muhn says the graphic violence depicted in these artworks is comparable with other, similar visual propaganda used in North Korea, as a cheap "vehicle to convey that soldiers are fighting for the nation -- in this particular case, supporting Russia, their strong ally." The exhibition in Moscows Victory Museum comes on the heels of another North Korean propaganda show in the Russian capital which depicted North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russians. That exhibition closed on October 10. The earlier exhibit only hinted at the presence of Ukrainian soldiers. In contrast, the Shoulder To Shoulder event portrays Ukrainians being killed in gruesome illustrations similar to a graphic novel. Several of the images portray Ukrainians in grotesque caricature comparable to World War II-era propaganda imagery. The exhibition also features supposed relics of war, including bloodstained letters and a journal with a bullet hole. Despite the graphic nature of the exhibition it is reportedly open to all ages. Russia is grappling with fuel shortages and price hikes after a string of Ukrainian attacks on its oil refineries. To protect supplies in Russia, where long lines at gas stations have been reported in some regions, Moscow has banned or restricted the export of gasoline and diesel. The move has triggered fuel shortages and price rises in some of the former Soviet republics of Central Asia, which are heavily reliant on Russian energy. Tajikistan Among Hardest Hit Tajikistan, which imports almost all its fuel -- mostly from Russia, has been among the hardest hit. A strategic partner and close ally of Moscow, Tajikistan still receives Russian fuel under bilateral import agreements. But prices in Central Asias poorest country have increased sharply since Russia first imposed restrictions on energy exports during the summer. A liter of regular gasoline in Tajikistan currently costs up to $1.30, the highest in the region. Uncertainty over Russias exports has forced Tajikistan to diversify its energy consumption model. Many taxis and public transportation vehicles in Dushanbe have switched to liquefied natural gas or electric power, moving away from gasoline. Still, Dushanbe says its annual gasoline imports from Russia by the end of the year will reach 500,000 tons, a significant rise from 451,000 tons in 2024. Kyrgyzstan Is Vulnerable Kyrgyzstan imports more than 90 percent of the gasoline and diesel it consumes from Russia. As a member of the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union, Kyrgyzstan has been shielded from Russias export ban. Even so, Kyrgyzstan has faced price hikes, supply delays, and temporary fuel shortages since the summer. Experts say Kyrgyzstan is vulnerable because of its almost complete dependence on Russian imports. There are few real alternatives to Russian supplies in the short term, economist Nurgul Akimova told RFE/RLs Kyrgyz Service. All these alternatives will require significant investment in infrastructure and will be more expensive than current Russian supplies. Uzbekistan Turns To Other Suppliers Uzbekistan still imports Russian gasoline and diesel as part of government-brokered contracts with Russian companies. But wary of its overreliance on Russia, Central Asias most populous country has increased its fuel imports from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan -- Central Asias two largest exporters. Uzbekistan has large oil reserves but lacks the infrastructure to boost production. In 2024, its output was only around 63,000 barrels per day. Tashkent is planning to boost its oil production by upgrading its aging energy infrastructure and attracting foreign investment. Kazakhstan Largely Self-Sufficient Unlike many of its neighbors, Kazakhstan is mostly self-sufficient in energy. The country has large energy reserves and possesses the technology to refine its oil. Kazakhstan annually produces about 14 million tons of petroleum products -- the most in Central Asia -- and imports another 1.2 million tons from Russia every year. But the country has still been affected by disruptions in Russias refining network. In May, Astana imposed a six-month ban on exports of petroleum products and cracked down on cross-border fuel smuggling. The moves were aimed at preventing shortages in Kazakhstan. The restrictions are due to expire in November. The Kazakh government has said it plans to boost fuel exports to other Central Asian countries as well as China and India by 2040. Turkmenistan Remains Largely Insulated Turkmenistans vast oil and gas reserves, as well as the governments strict control over production, have kept the countrys domestic market relatively stable. Subsidized domestic prices mean Turkmen consumers have been largely protected from external disruptions. Turkmenistan is the only country in the region that has a surplus of all types of energy resources, economist Marat Musuraliev told the Kyrgyz Service. On October 3, the country said it had exceeded its gasoline and diesel production targets during the first nine months of 2025, a claim that RFE/RL could not independently verify. Turkmenistan produces around 275,000 barrels per day of crude oil and liquid fuels. Like neighboring Kazakhstan, the country has benefited from the shifting energy landscape -- exporting more petroleum products to markets in the region. Media reports suggest that Ashgabat is increasing exports to neighboring Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. Russia will be able to deploy members of its active reserve to fight in Ukraine under new amendments backed by the Defense Ministry. The proposed changes comes as Russia continues to suffer massive losses in Ukraine. Western estimates put the tally of dead and wounded since the onset of the all-out invasion in February 2022 at more than 1 million. The changes, which are likely to be approved by parliament, would also allow President Vladimir Putin to avoid another mobilization. A partial mobilization he announced in September 2022 was widely unpopular. The changes would also give Russia a way to expand its forces that is cheaper than the current use of huge financial incentives to volunteers who sign contracts, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank. There are currently around 2 million members of the active reserve, according to Russian lawmakers. Russias existing recruiting system is likely hitting diminishing returns and is forcing the Kremlin to adopt a different approach using rolling compulsory mobilization of reservists to sustain its manpower in the face of its continuing high casualty rate in Ukraine, the institute said. The reservists, who undergo annual military training and receive pay for being in the active reserve, would get paid extra if summoned under the new terms and conditions set out in the amendments. "Until now it has only been possible to use this potential during periods of martial law or mobilization. We are engaged in very real and large-scale combat operationsbut officially, war has not been declared," said Aleksei Zhuravlev, deputy chairman of the parliaments Defense Committee. In addition to avoiding another mobilization, the Kremlin has also avoided calling its Ukraine invasion a "war," instead using the euphemism "special military operation." Once the amendments are approved, the Kremlin will likely conduct a rolling partial mobilization without formally declaring war or formally announcing a partial involuntary call up, the institute said. Putin will also be able deploy the reservists outside Russian territory, including to Ukraine's Sumy and Kharkiv regions, said Andrei Kartapolov, chairman of the Defense Committee. Russia been augmenting its forces in Ukraine by using foreign fighters from North Korea and has used recruitment ads on social media to recruit people in desperate need of money from Cuba. With reporting by Reuters and TVP World US President Donald Trump again expressed his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow's war in Ukraine as he prepared to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House later this week. "I'm very disappointed, because Vladimir and I had a very good relationship. Probably still do," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I don't know why he continues with this war." Trump said it is making Putin look very bad that he does not appear to want to end the conflict with Ukraine, adding, He could end it. He could end it quickly." Zelenskyy is expected to discuss Ukraine's air defense and long-range strike capabilities when he meets Trump on October 17 at the White House. The leaders spoke twice over the weekend amid intensifying discussions about a potential US decision to provide long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv. "He wants weapons. He would like to have Tomahawks," Trump said, referring to Zelenskyy in his comments to reporters on October 14. Trump has not ruled out supplying Tomahawk cruise missiles, which have a range of up to 2,500 kilometers and can be equipped with nuclear warheads. The Kremlin has warned against supplying Kyiv with the weapon. 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. Members of Ukraines government are already in Washington ahead of Zelenskyys arrival and they met with top US officials on October 14. "At every meeting in Washington we raise the topic of defending Ukrainian energy and supporting our resilience over the winter and ways to defend it," Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko wrote on Telegram. She described the priorities of her visit as "energy, sanctions, and the development of cooperation with the USA in new ways that can strengthen both our countries." US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent "reaffirmed the United States unwavering support for Ukrainian sovereignty and emphasized the United States dedication to securing a lasting, durable peace" according to a US Treasury Department statement. Bessent also thanked Svyrydenko for supporting the US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, which the Ukrainian prime minister was instrumental in helping set up earlier this year as part of a deal to give Washington preferential access to Ukrainian minerals in exchange for investment. Svyrydenko is accompanied by Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, and a team of officials from the government, central bank, and other bodies. Their meetings in Washington took place as authorities in northeastern Ukraine ordered the evacuation of families from dozens of villages near the city of Kupyansk, citing the "worsening security situation." Oleh Synyehubov, governor of the Kharkiv region, said on Telegram that a total of 409 families with 601 children were told to leave 27 localities. Another official in the affected area later told public broadcaster Suspilne that the list of localities had been expanded to 40. Kupyansk has been under Russian attack for months as Moscows forces push westward through central and eastern Ukraine. With reporting by Reuters and dpa Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xiang) BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday 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 boast a long traditional friendship, Xi said that China stands ready to work with Sri Lanka to carry forward this friendship, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly build a China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future, and deliver more benefits to the two peoples. China is willing to jointly promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with Sri Lanka, and expand cooperation in fields such as port economy, modern agriculture, digital economy, green economy, and tourism, Xi said. The two countries should strengthen cooperation in law enforcement and security, and resolutely crack down on cross-border gambling, fraud and other criminal activities, he said. Xi also called on the two countries to deepen coordination and cooperation under multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, and firmly safeguard the common interests of the Global South. Sri Lanka actively supports and participates in the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, Amarasuriya said, adding that Sri Lanka is looking forward to deepening cooperation with China for fresh progress in its own development. She said that the four global initiatives put forward by Xi are of great significance in the current turbulent international landscape, and Sri Lanka will implement the initiatives with China and jointly safeguard the common interests of the Global South. Wang Yi attended the meeting. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) Editor: WXY By Bairbre Holmes, PA Presidential hopeful Catherine Connolly has said she is concerned the EU has gone down a route of further and further militarisation. The Independent candidate appeared on The Katie Hannon Interview Live on RTE on Wednesday night. Asked about previous controversial comments she made about Germanys current military build-up, which she compared to the country in the 1930s when it was under Nazi rule, Ms Connolly said: I expressed my serious concerns about the similarities between now and the 30s, and I use the example of Germany, whos rebooting its economy, going buying more and more military, more arms. Presidential candidate Catherine Connolly (Conor OMearain/PA) When pushed to differentiate between countries building up arms for economic, defensive and aggressive purposes, she replied: As a woman and as a mother, Im seriously concerned at the direction that countries are going, spending more money on arms and the militarisation while we reduce the money spent on welfare. There has also been much scrutiny throughout her campaign of her decision to hire a woman convicted of a firearms offence, who had been a member of the group Eirigi, which is critical of the Good Friday Agreement. During the programme, Ms Connolly said a woman hired by her in the Dail was a supporter of the peace process, as I understand it. When questioned if she asked her employee about her membership of the organisation, she said: Eirigi is a registered political party. You dont ask someone if theyre a member of a registered political party. Another issue which has dogged the Galway West TDs path to the presidency is her 2018 trip to Syria. Questions have been asked about the optics of an Irish parliamentarian being seen with supporters of then-president Bashar Assad. Discussing an excursion to the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, during which she was shown around by members of a pro-Assad militia, Ms Connolly said: We met quite a lot of people there who showed us around. The sole purpose was to understand the refugee situation. I have stood openly and honestly in the Dail Catherine Connolly During the interview, Ms Connolly claimed 14,000 volunteers have signed up to her campaign, the majority of whom have never taken part in an election before. However, when asked about two people who have not been visible on her campaign, ex-MEPs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace, who were also on the Syrian trip, she said: I have fairly little contact with Clare Daly and Mick Wallace, because most of the time theyre not in the country. Pressed on if she was modifying her political persona to appeal to a wider group of voters, Ms Connolly answered: Ive stood honestly and openly in the Dail. I have supported the government when it was right on the issue, and otherwise Ive disagreed with the government. Ive always pointed out constructive solutions. The Independent candidate was quizzed about whether she would carry out the campaigning work she has been known for, and in particular, if she would still champion the Women of Honour group which has campaigned on issues of bullying and misogyny in the Defence Forces. The organisation has criticised the terms of reference of a tribunal set up to investigate discrimination and sexual harassment within the Force. Ms Connolly said: I think I have supported them every step of the way, particularly in relation to their dissatisfaction with the terms of reference. But as a president, I have a completely different role. Ms Connolly said she absolutely would support a change to allow the Office of President to face more public scrutiny by making it subject to the Freedom of Information legislation. When asked if any animals would be joining her at Aras an Uachtarain, she said she had two black cats, a brother and sister who were known as Cat One and Cat Two. Ms Connolly also said her husband, or current husband as she refers to him, Brian McEnery would be likely to bring more than one of his beehives with him to the Aras. By Cillian Sherlock, PA The Tanaiste has won a motion of confidence on his record in Government. Simon Harris, the leader of Fine Gael, won the vote with the support of his coalition colleagues by a margin of 94 to 65. There was one abstention. The vote on Mr Harris came after an opposition party indicated it would call for a motion of no confidence against him over his record in Government, particularly on childrens health matters. It arose out of a series of scandals at Childrens Health Ireland (CHI) including the implanting of non-surgical springs into child patients, unnecessary hip surgeries, the security of health records, and issues around in-sourcing. Gillian Sherratt and Stephen Morrison, parents of Harvey Morrison (Niall Carson/PA) It was also held amid renewed focus on child spinal surgery waiting times after the death of a nine-year-old boy. That no confidence motion was not held, with the Government instead calling and winning a vote expressing confidence in Mr Harris. While health minister in 2017, Mr Harris pledged that no child would wait more than four months for scoliosis treatment. Earlier this year, nine-year-old Harvey Morrison Sherratt died after waiting years for spinal surgery. His parents, Stephen Morrison and Gillian Sherratt, have also called for Mr Harriss resignation. There has been a significant campaign of support following the death of Harvey (Gareth Chaney/PA) Speaking in the Dail parliament, Mr Harris defended his record and noted that the motion came less than a year after the coalition came in to Government following a vote of the people in the general election. He said he had met Harveys parents and expressed his deep sorrow to them. He said: In recent times, further significant concerns have been raised and I, the Minister for Health, the Taoiseach and Government have responded by saying we must listen to and work with parents and advocacy groups who are highlighting hugely worrying and important issues. Mr Harris added: Throughout my time in public life as a Minister of State in the Department of Finance, as Minister for Health or Further and Higher Education, Minister for Justice, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence, Ive always tried to do one thing: To work hard in service of the people. Ive never claimed to be infallible, but I do act in good faith, and when I make mistakes and when I err, I acknowledge them. I dont always get everything right, but let us distinguish scrutiny from cynicism and accountability from opportunism. The vote came after Aontu said on Tuesday that it wanted to bringing a no confidence motion against the Tanaiste next week. The party said it would call that vote due to Mr Harriss failed promise on child spinal surgeries and overall dysfunction in CHI. Aontu leader Peadar Toibin said: Simon Harris is not fit to be a minister in this Government, and we are calling for his resignation. Leader of Aontu Peadar Toibin (right) and party TD Paul Lawless (Brian Lawless/PA) He would have called for the vote to be held next Wednesday, October 22nd, two days before the presidential election in which the candidate for Mr Harriss Fine Gael former party deputy leader Heather Humphreys will go up against left-wing independent Catherine Connolly. However, the Government moved to undercut the Aontu motion by calling its own motion of confidence in Mr Harris on Wednesday. Mr Toibin described this as a cheap cynical trick by Government, claiming that this had not happened since 1976. He accused the coalition of clearing the decks for the motion to ensure that voters in the presidential election next week are not thinking of the Governments abysmal record on children with scoliosis. He also said it was unprecedented that a Government countermotion of confidence would be undertaken without the original motion of no confidence being published or tabled. Taoiseach Micheal Martin (Niall Carson/PA) Mr Toibin said his party still intends to use its private members time to achieve justice for Harvey, accountability, and lasting change. It has been suggested that Aontu may call a broader motion of no confidence in the whole Government instead. Sinn Fein criticised the unprecedented move by Government to call a confidence motion without the formal receipt of a no confidence motion. Party leader Mary Lou McDonald said: The motion tabled today by Fine Gael and Fianna Fail fall is a move cynically designed to intercept and shut down a prospective motion of no confidence in Tanaiste Simon Harris, to shield him from being held to account for his litany of failures but primarily his profound failure on children with scoliosis and spina bifida. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald (Liam McBurney/PA) Labour whip Duncan Smith accused the Government of making a mockery of the parliament by proposing to change the order of business, having not devoted time to other issues such as matters affecting the fisheries industry. Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said the Dail should be debating issues around the Occupied Territories Bill and disability services rather than having a backslapping exercise. Taoiseach and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said he understood the anger and frustration around issues at CHI but said he believed Mr Harris had acted in good faith. He told Mr Toibin: Motions in themselves are not going to improve services. By Cillian Sherlock, PA Fine Gael is very worried about the momentum behind Catherine Connollys campaign, the left-wing independent candidate has claimed. Ms Connolly made that assessment while speaking briefly to reporters as she campaigned at a shopping centre in Navan, Co Meath. She said: I think theyre very worried that this movement is gaining momentum with every day, every minute, every hour. Thats been the response since I went out in July, it has just gained in intensity. The people of Ireland will decide and thats what is so special about this election. Fine Gael presidential candidate Heather Humphreys (Niall Carson/PA) Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys criticised Ms Connolly for insulting Irelands allies, in a reference to previous comments from her opponent where she said cannot trust US, the UK or France. Ms Humphreys said: My views are that I am pro-European, and I certainly wont insult France, the UK or indeed the US. It is important that they are our allies and Im not going to insult them and I wont let this country down on the world stage. Ms Connolly has said her comments referred to the response of those countries to genocide in Gaza. Elsewhere on the campaign trail, Ms Connolly said that climate change and the destruction of the natural environment represent the defining social and moral challenges of our time. She said that the Government has failed to give the climate and environmental emergency the sustained attention, focus, and action it deserves. She said that as President, she would make climate action and the protection of Irelands natural heritage a central theme of her presidency. Ms Humphreys took her campaign to the border county of Cavan on Wednesday. Speaking at her old school, St Aidans Comprehensive, she proposed a presidential initiative which would see the Defence Forces being involved in the delivery of national flags to every school. As a Presbyterian, and a proud Irish republican, I feel strongly that our flag symbolises the spirit of inclusion, and the aspiration for unity between people of different traditions on this island. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with President of Iceland Halla Tomasdottir, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xiang) BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met with President of Iceland Halla Tomasdottir, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. Xi said the fruitful outcomes of the bilateral relationship between China and Iceland over the past 54 years have demonstrated that countries with different national conditions can transcend differences in social systems and achieve mutual benefits and win-win results. The two countries should continue to respect and support each other's paths of development, and firmly back one another on issues concerning their respective core interests and major concerns, Xi noted. He called on both sides to deepen practical cooperation in areas including the economy, trade, geothermal energy, and healthcare, while advancing the green transition and addressing climate change. The two countries should maintain close communication and coordination, work together to resolve international disputes through dialogues and consultations, and promote a more just and equitable global governance system, Xi said. Tomasdottir said that Iceland highly values China's significant contributions to the advancement of women's cause worldwide and is willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with China to promote the all-round development of women globally. In the face of a turbulent world, China has demonstrated leadership in addressing global challenges, Tomasdottir said, adding that Iceland is ready to work with China to tackle these challenges. The two sides issued a joint statement on further strengthening cooperation on geothermal energy and green transition. Wang Yi attended the meeting. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with President of Iceland Halla Tomasdottir, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) Editor: WXY Curraghroe native Padraic Brehon, who received a donor kidney from his brother Liam 41 years ago, remembered his late son Cormac at the Irish Kidney Associations annual service of remembrance and thanksgiving held recently in Dublin. The unique and poignant event which took place on September 27th in the Church of the Holy Child, Whitehall, honoured deceased organ donors and their families, while celebrating the renewed lives of transplant recipients. Padraic Brehon, the second youngest in the family of eight surviving brothers and one sister, had been diagnosed with kidney disease when he was 15-years-old. His condition quickly progressed to end stage kidney failure. Following two unsuccessful kidney transplants from deceased donors, his youngest brother Liam came to the rescue. While Padraics other siblings were disappointed that they were not suitable kidney donors for their ailing brother, Liam was waiting in the wings until he came of age and was deemed to be a perfect match. So on July 17th, 1984, the brothers successful living donor kidney transplant operations took place at the old Jervis Street Hospital in Dublin. Padraic is still enjoying good health with the donor kidney he received from his youngest brother Liam who was just 22-years-old at the time. During the Irish Kidney Associations 40th annual service of remembrance and thanksgiving, the two Brehon brothers brought an award-winning article written by Padraics late son Cormac when he was 11 years old to the altar. Cormac sadly passed away suddenly in 2021 at the age of 29. In his article, Cormac had reflected on his fathers health journey and the gratitude he had towards his uncle Liam. He wrote a moving account of his fathers struggle with kidney disease and the joy of his successful transplant. The essay won the Roscommon Heralds Junior Writer of the Year competition. Now in its 40th year, the Irish Kidney Associations remembrance service has become a deeply meaningful annual gathering for donor families and organ transplant recipients, many of whom attend every year to reflect, remember, and give thanks. The service was recorded by Kairos Communications for broadcast on RTE One, Radio 1 Extra and RTE Player on Sunday, November 2nd at 11 a.m.. A new deputy commander for the Multinational Division South East Romania is an important strategic point on the eastern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance Foto: Divizia Multinationala de Sud-Est Romania International, 15.10.2025, 12:00 Romania remains an important strategic point on the eastern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance. The Multinational Division South East, headquartered in Bucharest, is one of the Alliances key structures on the eastern flank, an essential element of the defence and deterrence posture in the region. Since September 1, 2025, the division has a new deputy commander, French Brigadier General Cyril Mathias. Although he has only been here for a short time, the general says he was impressed by the way he was welcomed by the Romanians and the warm atmosphere he encountered upon his arrival: I was impressed by the warm welcome of the Romanians and the friendship they showed me from the first days of my stay here. My boss, General Toma, commander of the Multinational Division South East in Bucharest, gave me an equally warm and welcoming reception. He was a great help and made it much easier for us to settle in Romania. The French officer says he did not feel like a stranger in Bucharest at all. The cultural proximity between the two peoples made the adaptation process a natural one: I was struck by the similarity between some of our customs. You dont feel lost in Bucharest when youre French, because you understand how the city works, its centre, its terraces, its small merchants. This Latin closeness plays an important role in our easy integration into Romanian life. Beyond this human connection, Frances mission in Romania has an important strategic component. Brigadier General Mathias talks about the divisions structure and future important missions: I came here to an extremely solid structure. The division is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year and is fully operational and efficient. I believe we have very important meetings ahead of us, which are essential to continue to assert the credibility, solidity, and determination of the Alliance. The major Dacian Fall 25 exercise will mobilise all the divisions resources, including, of course, the international detachments, among which, of course, the French detachment. Then, next year, the division will have to face a very important stage, as it will re-enter a NATO certification cycle, which will require an equally important planning effort. At the heart of all these activities is a united allied team, with each contingent contributing its own resources and expertise. Brigadier General Mathias talks about his priorities in this mission and the importance of interoperability within NATO: My immediate priority as deputy is to help Major General Toma complete the Dacian Fall exercise and continue his mission as division commander. Here, each contingent, and of course the Romanian nation, is integrated into a team that uses the common language provided by the Alliance, a working language, procedures, and tactics. Obviously, we French are trying to bring our best. And in Cincu (central Romania), the French army deployed a unit with its most modern and high-performance equipment. I dont think there can be any talk of a Romanian-French difference. In fact, this is the stake of interoperability that we are working on every day. The eastern flank of the Alliance is not just a strategic line of defence but a clear demonstration of unity, solidarity, and joint strength. Romania plays an essential role in this setup, and the allied presence strengthens not only the security of the region but also trust between nations. Missions, exercises, but above all people who work day by day shoulder to shoulder, for a common goal: a strong Alliance ready to respond to any challenge. (MI) Working in Romania Private companies in Romania are forecasting an average increase of 6% in basic salaries in 2026 sursa foto: pixabay.com@geralt Sorin Iordan, 15.10.2025, 13:44 Private companies in Romania are forecasting an average increase of 6% in basic salaries in 2026, after a 7.4% increase this year and 10.4% in 2024, according to a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers. According to the analysis, this year, the technology sector recorded the highest increase in average salary, of 9%, being also the sector with the highest average gross salary among those analyzed, about 21,000 lei (over 4,100 euros). The retail sector had the second highest increase, with 8.9%, followed by industry, with 8.3%. At the opposite end, the pharmaceutical sector recorded an increase in average basic salary of only 3.5 percent. The organizational functions with the highest increases this year were sales (9.3%) and administrative and infrastructure services (9%), followed by human resources (7.6%) and IT (7.1%). In the coming year, industrial companies anticipate the highest average salary increase, at 8.3%, followed by pharmaceutical companies (6.9%) and retail companies (6.6%). In contrast, technology companies expect a 5.2 percent increase, the lowest of the areas included in the research. The study also shows that high-performing employees, so-called high achievers, receive salaries on average 13 to 20% higher than their colleagues. The Bucharest-Ilfov region leads the way in terms of salaries, registering an average gross salary of over 16,300 lei (about 3,200 euros), over 85% higher than Moldavia and Wallachia, and 52 percent more than Banat and Transylvania. The PayWell Romania 2025 study was attended by 149 companies from 7 sectors of activity, with a total of over 212,000 employees. Employers in Romania posted almost 200,000 new jobs in the first 9 months of this year, according to data from the online recruitment platform eJobs. July was the month with the most available jobs around 25,000 while the average for the rest of the year was 20,000 positions per month. With almost 50,000 new jobs, retail remains the field that dominates the Romanian job market, as players in this sector have maintained their expansion plans regardless of economic and fiscal changes. Also, 27,000 jobs came from service employers, as many from call centers and 22,000 from the food industry. Other fields that have had over 15,000 open positions since January are transport and logistics, production, tourism, construction, and banking and finance. The most sought-after were beginners and candidates from the mid-level segment, with between 2 and 5 years of experience. The analysis carried out by eJobs also shows that the fields that continue to hire remote workers are call centers, IT and telecom, retail, advertising, insurance and education. In terms of the geographical distribution of jobs, Bucharest maintains its leading position in the number of jobs posted by employers, followed by Iasi and Cluj. The top of the ranking is completed by Brasov, Ilfov and Timis, while Arges, Mures and Arad are placed in the last positions. 56 foreign citizens were detected in illegal situations following actions carried out at national level, between October 3 and 12, by immigration police officers. Nine of the foreigners were placed in public custody centers, whose occupancy rate is 20%, reports the General Inspectorate for Immigration. The institution shows that, during the mentioned period, it carried out 152 actions and inspections, both individually and in cooperation with other institutions with responsibilities in the field to verify compliance with the aliens regime. As a result, 39 contravention sanctions were applied, totaling over 134,000 lei (approximately 26,500 euros). On the other hand, about 2,150 foreign citizens requested the extension of their right to reside in Romania, and the IGI states that it issued almost 2,800 temporary and long-term residence permits. At the same time, during the same period, 897 residence permits were issued to beneficiaries of temporary protection, according to European Commission Directive number 55 of 2001, the recipients being displaced persons from Ukraine. Childhood obesity A growing public concern in the 21st century Foto: Joshua Hoehne / Unsplash Ion Puican, 15.10.2025, 09:28 The 2025 UNICEF report shows a significant increase in childhood obesity in Romania. The percentage of overweight children aged 5-19 has risen from 10% in 2000, to 23% in 2022, while the percentage of obese children increased from 2% to 9% over the same period. According to the World Health Organization, 28% of Romanian children aged 7-9 are overweight, and 12% are obese. In addition, approximately 16% of children aged 10-15 are obese and another 16% are overweight, totaling over 215,000 affected children. The causes include the consumption of ultra-processed foods and a lack of physical exercise. Unhealthy eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle among children and young people can lead to the development of visceral fat a type of body fat located deep in the abdomen, behind the muscles, surrounding vital organs such as the liver, stomach, and intestines. A certain amount of visceral fat is normal and helps protect internal organs, but excessive accumulation is dangerous, as it increases the risk of serious diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome and heart attack. This fat triggers inflammatory processes and can lead to insulin resistance. Sorina Ispas, a specialist in nutrition and metabolic diseases, spoke to us about the dangers of visceral fat in children: When we have excess visceral fat, it can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, not just diabetes. Thats why visceral fat should concern us. It needs to be monitored and investigated. We need to observe the fat around the organs. Ive seen several children who already have fatty liver disease at very young agesaround 10 years old. Doctors advise parents to carefully choose the foods they pack for their childrens school meals. Many products may contain much higher levels of sugar and food additives than recommended. Prof. Dr. Bogdan Timar, the president of the Romanian Society of Diabetes, Nutrition, and Metabolic Diseases, spoke about the disease of our times obesity: Indeed, obesity is one of the conditions with growing incidence in the number of people affected, and is becoming a major public health concern today. Obesity can be seen as a lifestyle disease. On the one hand, we have increased availability of energy-dense food; on the other hand, unfortunatelyand we see this happening among children and adolescentsphysical exercise is decreasing, so unfortunately, the outlook is not positive at all. Dr. Bogdan Timar emphasized the danger posed by the rising levels of obesity among children and young people. Why is it very dangerous? Because we know that without firm intervention when it comes to obesity, unfortunately, the tendency is generally an upward one. In other words, once we start gaining more weight than we should, in the future, without prompt and decisive action, that trend will continue. Moreover, the consequences that obesity brings are proportional, on the one hand, to the magnitude of the imbalance meaning how much excess weight we have and on the other hand, to the duration of exposure. What can parents or caregivers do to prevent, reduce, or manage childrens weight problems? In this regard, the intervention is multifactorial and starts with the familys habits. These habits mean, on one hand, instilling in the child a set of healthy eating behaviors. That is, trying to offer a balanced meal, avoiding overemphasis on foods with high energy content, such as concentrated sweets, which should only be consumed occasionally, or foods very rich in fats. On the other hand, from a lifestyle perspective, emphasis should be placed on maintaining a lifestyle that includes plenty of physical activity. Of course, its about adapting the lifestyle a lifestyle that is learned in childhood. Doctor Bogdan Timar once again highlighted the dangers that obesity brings among children and how parents should pay attention, notice the problem, and seek help from specialists: Regarding obesity and overweight, indeed, beyond the fatty liver that frequently appears because of obesity, I must tell you that type 2 diabetes also occurs much more frequently a condition that, 20 years ago, was almost nonexistent among children. I believe every parent, every family can see and notice when a child begins to have more kilograms than other children. Thats the moment when its good to see a pediatric specialist. But whats very important is to actually build a culture of obesity prevention to perceive obesity as a genuine disease. The reality of recent years is that more and more children in Romania are facing weight-related problems. Despite the data and statistics, all of us parents and society can get involved now and change harmful habits together. We can offer our children a healthier and happier life. (VP) October 15, 2025 A roundup of local and world news Newsflash Newsroom, 15.10.2025, 13:55 BUDGET The government of Romania is sending the European Commission today a document detailing the fiscal measures taken since this summer to address the budget deficit. The document also contains details of the recent budget adjustment and plans to save public money. The government has undertaken to reduce the budget deficit (the largest in the European Union) by almost 1% of GDP compared to last year, and to keep public spending within a 2.8% ceiling. Otherwise, Brussels could cut off Romanias funding, which is mainly provided under two programmes, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and the Cohesion Plan. SAFETY The Romanian interior ministry has posted the Traffic Safety bill for public review. The draft legislation includes measures to improve road safety in Romania, as well as simpler public services for citizens. According to police data, nearly 1,500 people died in car crashes last year, and over 3,000 were seriously injured. This year, more than 900 people lost their lives. The interior ministry intends, among other things, to integrate cameras operated by the police, local authorities and the National Road Company into the e-Sigur traffic monitoring system. At the same time, the concept of average speed is introduced, as well as a simplified mechanism for setting penalties. Romania has the lowest road safety level in the European Union. NATO The North Atlantic Council takes place today at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, attended by the defence ministers of member states. They will have a first discussion about the Allied plans agreed at the Hague summit and the resources that must be allocated to them, in particular the gradual increase of national defence budgets to 5%. Another topic concerns the status of the new deterrence and defense operation on the eastern flank, specially designed to deter and repel raids by Russian drones and aircraft into NATO airspace. According to Radio Romanias correspondent in Brussels, support for Ukraine and the situation on the front is also on the agenda, and the Ukrainian defence minister is one of the guests. DIPLOMACY Germany has been Romanias most important trading partner in recent years, with a share of over 20% of Romanias total exports, and is also the main investor in the Romanian economy, the foreign minister Oana Toiu said after talks in Bucharest with her German counterpart, Johann Wadephul. She also thanked the German air force for its participation in reinforced air policing missions in Romania. In turn, Johann Wadephul stated that violating the sovereignty of NATO member states is unacceptable and vowed that the eastern flank will be defended by Allied countries. MOLDOVA The pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), the winner of the recent parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova, will nominate Alexandru Munteanu as prime minister, Chisinau announced. Alexandru Munteanu, born in 1964 and living in Ukraine for over 20 years, has no previous political experience. He is an economist, a university professor and businessman known for his work in investments and involvement in international educational and cultural projects. He has held leading positions in several international companies and organisations and was awarded the title of Knight of the Legion of Honour of France. According to political analysts, the new prime minister of the Republic of Moldova must have a clear economic vision in order to lead the small Romanian-speaking states accession effort to the European Union. (AMP) October 15, 2025 UPDATE (1) A roundup of local and world news October 15, 2025 UPDATE (1) Newsroom, 15.10.2025, 16:43 PENSIONS The Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday adopted the draft law on the payment of private pensions. The main regulation is that people who opt to withdraw money from privately administered funds will initially receive only 30% of the amount, and the rest will be spaced out over eight years. As an exception, patients with oncological diseases can withdraw the full amount. Previously, depositors could withdraw all their money in a single installment, if they did not opt for spaced-out payments. Over 9.3 million Romanians are enrolled in the private pension system, and the assets total the equivalent of over 10% of the countrys GDP. NATO The North Atlantic Council on Wednesday took place at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, attended by NATO Defense Ministers. Talks focused on Allied plans established at the Hague summit and related financing, in particular the gradual increase in defense spending to 5%. Another topic concerned the status of the new deterrence and defense operation on the Eastern Flank, specially designed to deter and fend off incursions by Russian drones and aircraft into NATO airspace. According to Radio Romanias Brussels correspondent, support for Ukraine and developments on the front were also on the agenda, and the Ukrainian Defense Minister was one of the guests. The meeting was also attended by Romanian Defense Minister Ionut Mosteanu, who recalled that Romania enjoys a consistent presence of allies on its territory. He also said that when peace is achieved in Ukraine, the Alliance must continue to consolidate its position, especially in the Black Sea area. PROJECT The Romanian Interior Ministry has launched the Traffic Safety project for public debate, which includes measures to increase road safety in Romania, as well as simplified public services for citizens. According to Minister Catalin Predoiu, the project seeks to ensure inter-institutional collaboration for a unified and efficient response, the integrated use of traffic data and information, the simplification of administrative processes and correct, constant and accessible communication for citizens. Police data shows that, last year, almost 1,500 people died in road accidents, and over 3,000 were seriously injured. This year, over 900 people lost their lives. The Interior Ministry proposes, among other things, the integration into the e-Sigur traffic monitoring system of the police and cameras of local authorities and the Road Company. At the same time, the concept of average speed is introduced, as well as a simplified mechanism for determining sanctions. Romania has the lowest level of road safety in the European Union. (VP) October 15, 2025 UPDATE (2) A roundup of local and world news October 15, 2025 UPDATE (2) Newsroom, 15.10.2025, 20:00 DEFICIT The Government on Wednesday submitted a document to the European Commission, detailing the fiscal measures taken to reduce the budget deficit since summer, in line with the commitments made. The document also contains details of the recent budget revision and plans to save public money. The Bucharest government has committed to reducing the budget deficit the largest in the EU by nearly 1% of GDP compared to last year and to keeping public spending within the 2.8% limit. Otherwise, Brussels could cut off Romanias funding, which is mainly provided through two programs the National Recovery and Resilience Mechanism and the Cohesion Plan. The Minister of Investments and European Projects, Dragos Pislaru, said that Romania is in a paradoxical situation: it has a very large budget deficit, but at the same time it is sitting on a pile of European money. He believes that, by the end of next year, Romania should absorb 13 billion through the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism and about 5 billion through cohesion policy. ENERGY Parliament has amended the legislation on protected areas, in order to allow the completion of hydropower projects started decades ago. Initially rejected by the Senate, the bill was adopted on Wednesday by a large majority in the Chamber of Deputies. The leader of the Social-Democratic senators, Daniel Zamfir, one of the initiators of the project, invoked the need for new production units to ensure national energy security. He specified that all hydropower objectives will be completed as a matter of urgency. Representatives of USR were the only ones who voted against, because they consider the amendments harmful, unconstitutional and at odds with European legislation. Deputy Allen Coliban complained that the document was supported with false arguments. He believes that being a patriot does not require cutting down forests and damaging the environment, but identifying real solutions. NATO NATO Defense Ministers met at the alliances headquarters in Brussels for a first discussion on the plans set out at the Hague summit and the related financing, in particular the gradual increase in national defense spending to 5% of GDP. Another topic discussed is the status of the new deterrence and defense operation on the Eastern Flank, entitled Eastern Sentinel, designed to fend off incursions by Russian drones and aircraft into allied airspace. In this regard, 9 member states have so far announced deliveries of equipment and military personnel to contribute to the equipment of this operation. Thus, to date, France has delivered 3 Rafale fighter jets and a transport aircraft for ammunition and supplies. Germany has contributed 4 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, and the Czech Republic 3 helicopters, accompanied by around 150 support personnel. The United Kingdom has provided 2 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, supported by a Voyager aerial refueling aircraft. Italy has sent an air defense system and an early warning aircraft. Denmark has contributed 2 F-35 fighter jets and a frigate. Turkey has sent one of its air warning and control aircraft to Lithuania, and Spain and Sweden have announced their contributions and are about to make them available. All these resources devoted to Operation Sentinel East will add to those already deployed by NATO on the Eastern Flank. PENSIONS The Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday adopted the draft law on the payment of private pensions. The main regulation is that people who opt to withdraw money from privately administered funds will initially receive only 30% of the amount, and the rest will be spaced out over eight years. As an exception, patients with oncological diseases can withdraw the full amount. Previously, depositors could withdraw all their money in a single installment, if they did not opt for spaced-out payments. Over 9.3 million Romanians are enrolled in the private pension system, and the assets total the equivalent of over 10% of the countrys GDP. PROJECT The Romanian Interior Ministry has launched the Traffic Safety project for public debate, which includes measures to increase road safety in Romania, as well as simplified public services for citizens. According to Minister Catalin Predoiu, the project seeks to ensure inter-institutional collaboration for a unified and efficient response, the integrated use of traffic data and information, the simplification of administrative processes and correct, constant and accessible communication for citizens. Police data shows that, last year, almost 1,500 people died in road accidents, and over 3,000 were seriously injured. This year, over 900 people lost their lives. The Interior Ministry proposes, among other things, the integration into the e-Sigur traffic monitoring system of the police and cameras of local authorities and the Road Company. At the same time, the concept of average speed is introduced, as well as a simplified mechanism for determining sanctions. Romania has the lowest level of road safety in the European Union. (VP) Romanian-German relations examined in Bucharest "We will defend every square centimetre of NATO territory. Our eastern flank will be defended by us, together," said in Bucharest the German foreign minister Intrevederea ministrului afacerilor externe, Oana Toiu, cu ministrul federal al afacerilor externe al Germaniei, Johann Wadephul Stefan Stoica, 15.10.2025, 14:00 Timid and rather inconsistent three decades ago, when Romania was hesitant on its European path, Romanian-German relations gained momentum after the country joined the European Union and NATO, reaching an unprecedented level today. Economic cooperation, among other things, fully illustrates this. Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu held political consultations in Bucharest with her German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, focusing on European security, the defence industry, EU enlargement, support for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, and cooperation in the Black Sea region. Germany has been Romanias most important trading partner and the main investor in the Romanian economy for several years, Oana Toiu said: Our countries also enjoy close economic and trade ties. Germany is Romanias largest trading partner and largest investor. We have over 18 billion invested in many cutting-edge areas. Together, we are creating and supporting well-paid jobs and competitive businesses that generate value not only for our countries but for the entire European Union market, and we want to continue this and raise our common ambitions. On the other hand, the head of Romanian diplomacy expressed her gratitude for the participation of German air forces in enhanced air policing missions in Romania, in cooperation with the Romanian military. It is a very good sign that Germany is already participating for the fourth time with Eurofighter aircraft in the surveillance of NATOs Eastern Flank airspace and in securing Romanias airspace, the head of diplomacy in Berlin emphasized. He also recalled that a month ago, Romanian and German fighter jets took off together because a Russian drone violated Romanian airspace. In Johann Wadephuls opinion, this action demonstrates the solidarity within the North Atlantic Alliance and the fact that such violations of member states sovereignty are unacceptable. We will defend every square centimetre of NATO territory. We are united in the Baltic states, Poland, and Romania. Our eastern flank will be defended by us, together, the German foreign minister assured. Russia, he also stressed, is constantly testing the resolve of the member states, but they are cautiously and resolutely defending the democratic values that bother Vladimir Putin so much. Also, Mr. Wadephul welcomed the reactivation of monitoring on NATOs Eastern Flank, as well as the fact that a new package of sanctions is being prepared in Brussels to further increase pressure on Moscow. The discussions between the two ministers also focused on intensifying cooperation in energy and tourism. In the latter area, there is growing demand on both sides, and Germany has long been the top destination for foreign tourists staying in Romanian accommodation facilities. (MI) RIO RANCHO Rio Rancho Public Schools is accepting nominations for the 2026 School Board Hall of Honor Award. The award, created in 2014, is meant to recognize extraordinary service over an extended period of time to the children of Rio Rancho and the Rio Rancho Public Schools community, according to a school district news release. Those eligible include former RRPS staff members (who are separated from the district for a minimum of one year), school district volunteers, school board members, government officials, community members or businesses. Nominations will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. Nov. 30. Monica Mutsvangwa, Minister of Zimbabwe's Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, praised China's leadership in women's empowerment, highlighting China's efforts in creating resilient and hardworking citizens. She stressed strong China-Zimbabwe ties in investment and trade, and welcomed President Xi's initiative to train women entrepreneurs from Africa and beyond. Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's, GMW.cn makes no representations as to accuracy, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information. Rank Group Plc (RNK.L), a London-based gaming service provider, on Wednesday reported a 9 percent improved like-for-like Net Gaming Revenue or NGR in its first quarter, mainly driven by digital channel revenue growth. Looking ahead, the firm said that it is confident of delivering Group like-for-like operating profit in line with expectations. In the first quarter, the group like-for-like NGR amounted to 210.2 million pounds. On a channel basis, digital like-for-like NGR improved 13 percent year-over-year to 61.6 million pounds in the quarter, driven by a 15 percent growth in the UK . Venues like-for-like NGR was up 7 percent. Grosvenor venues like-for-like NGR grew 8 percent totalling 102.7 million pounds, while Mecca venues like for like NGR improved 5 percent to 35.5 million pounds. Enracha venues like for like NGR increased 5 percent from last year to 10.4 million pounds. Regarding the outlook, John O'Reilly, Chief Executive, said, "We have started the year strongly and are confident of delivering Group like-for-like operating profit in line with expectations, notwithstanding the significant cost increases we have incurred in employer national insurance contributions, the national living wage and the new statutory levy." Rank Group added that it is on track with their installation programme and now expects a total of 850 incremental machines to be added to the firm's estate before the end of first half of fiscal 2026. The firm noted that speculation regarding tax changes in the upcoming Budget is hanging over its business. The company plans to host a Capital Markets Event focused on the Grosvenor business on October 22 at the Victoria Casino. Rank Group will announce its first-half results on January 29, 2026. On the London Stock Exchange, the shares were trading 1.23 percent lower at 128 pence. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News New York manufacturing activity has seen a significant turnaround in the month of October, according to a report released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Wednesday. The New York Fed said its general conditions index surged to a positive 10.7 in October after plunging to a negative 8.7 in September, with a positive reading indicating growth. Economists had expected the index to climb to a negative 1.8. With the unexpected return to positive territory, the index indicated growth in New York manufacturing activity for the third time in the last four months. The bigger than expected increase by the headline index partly reflected substantial turnarounds by new orders and shipments. The new orders index shot up to a positive 3.7 in October from a negative 19.6 in September, while the shipments index spiked to a positive 14.4 in October from a negative 17.3 in September. The numbers of employees index also jumped to a positive 6.2 in October from a negative 1.2 in September, indicating an increase in employment. The report also said the prices paid index advanced to 52.4 in October from 46.1 in September, while the prices received index climbed to 27.2 in October from 21.6 in September. Looking ahead, the New York Fed said firms grew more optimistic about the outlook, with the future general business conditions index jumping to 30.3 in October from 14.8 in September. The index reached its highest level since hitting 36.7 in January, as close to half of firms expect conditions to improve in the months ahead. "The October Empire Manufacturing and Philly Fed reports take on somewhat greater importance amid the government data drought and especially since we won't get the September industrial production report on Friday," said Nationwide Financial Markets Economist Oren Klachkin. He added, "The details of the survey were reassuring on balance with shipments and new orders gaining ground while delivery times were longer and employment rose." On Thursday, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia is scheduled to release its report on regional manufacturing activity in the month of October. The Philly Fed's diffusion index for current general activity is expected to slump to 7.5 in October after spiking to an eight-month high of 23.2 in September, although a positive reading would still indicate growth. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Rhodes University April 2025 Graduation presided over by Justice Lex Mpati Rhodes University is preparing for a landmark postgraduate graduation ceremony on Friday, 10 October, which will be presided over for the first time by the Universitys newly appointed Chancellor, Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga. The ceremony will not only celebrate the achievements of Master's and Doctoral graduands but will also honour a globally renowned concert pianist and academic, alongside distinguished international guests. Justice Madlanga, a retired Judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, officially succeeds Justice Lex Mpati as Chancellor. His inaugural ceremony marks a new era for Rhodes University, underscoring its dedication to academic excellence and social justice. Upon accepting his chancellorship, Justice Madlanga stated that core principles will guide his tenure: "A commitment to excellence without elitism, collegiality that builds consensus, diversity that truly includes, and courage that challenges unjust systems." This vision is designed to guide the institution's direction as it cultivates future leaders and critical thinkers. "The Spring Graduation marks not only a celebration of our newest postgraduates, but the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Rhodes University under the chancellorship of Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga. His visiona commitment to excellence without elitism and the courage to challenge unjust systemsperfectly aligns with the heart of our institution. We are dedicated to cultivating the kind of critical thinkers and courageous leaders our continent needs to drive social change and academic distinction," Vice-Chancellor Professor Sizwe Mabizela said. The ceremony will be further distinguished by the conferral of an honorary Doctor of Music (DMus) degree upon Professor Franklin Larey. Professor Larey is a world-renowned concert pianist and the current Director of the School of Music at Ball State University in the United States. His honour is a tribute to his extraordinary dedication to classical music and his remarkable journey from Apartheid-era restrictions in South Africa to becoming a distinguished international performer and academic. Adding to the event's high regional significance, the Honourable Minister of Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts & Culture in Namibia, Ms Sanet Steenkamp, will receive her doctoral degree in Education. In a powerful demonstration of strengthening academic ties between African nations, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Namibia, Professor Kenneth Matengu, will also join the academic procession to honour Minister Steenkamp's achievement. Ahead of the ceremony, the Rhodes University Faculty of Education and the Namibian Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts & Culture will celebrate the ongoing and impactful partnership between the two institutions. This multi-year agreement supports 32 current Namibian postgraduate students (M.Ed. and PhD). This collaboration solidifies the Universitys commitment to education in the SADC region. When I embarked on my Master's and Doctoral journey, I chose Rhodes University for its undeniable reputation for academic rigour and its deep, long-standing commitment to scholarship in the SADC region. Receiving this doctoral degree in Education here is the culmination of that decision, and it is a tribute to the powerful relationship between Namibia and this esteemed institutiona relationship built on shared goals of empowering our students and advancing education across the continent, said Minister Steenkamp. The University community looks forward to a memorable day celebrating new beginnings, academic excellence, and continental collaboration. ISSUED BY THE DIVISION OF COMMUNICATIONS & ADVANCEMENT ON BEHALF OF RHODES UNIVERSITY [INTERVIEWS]: Please get in touch with media@ru.ac.za for interview requests and other media-related queries. Flanked by students eager to take their professional pledges, Head of Pharmacy Professor Sandile Khamanga reiterates the importance of discipline, integrity and care. [PIC: Siqhamo Jama] By Siqhamo Jama Most people picture a pharmacist in one setting only behind a counter, counting pills and dispensing advice. Pharmacy Day 2025 at Rhodes University proved how much broader that picture really is. Over the course of the day, students were shown a profession that stretches from supply chains to veterinary care, from global regulation to local entrepreneurship all tied together by a single pledge to serve. The morning opened with a vinegar tasting session led by pharmacy lecturer Lili Flax-Nel, sparking curiosity about pharmacys intersections with food sciences and chemistry. From there, students attended career talks tailored to their year groups, where guest speakers highlighted the many pathways open to qualified pharmacists. Lecturer Natalie Paterson spoke to fourth-year students about pharmacy economics, stressing the financial and policy dimensions of the profession. Quality Manager at biopharma company Sanofi, Stancia Natalie Langesa explored supply chain management, an area often overlooked but vital for ensuring that medicines reach patients reliably and efficiently. In a faculty seminar session, Strategic Operations Head at Growthfin Capital, Sibabini Khatsha shared insights from his career in consultation, spanning regulatory affairs, quality assurance, and pharmacovigilance. He encouraged students to view pharmacy as a field of wide possibilities, not a single-track career. What you currently have as pharmacy postgraduate students is training on the product, he told them. Once you qualify, you are an expert and from there, you can move into many different roles. Khatshas message was clear: adaptability and problem-solving are the keys to thriving in a profession where opportunities range from industry to entrepreneurship. In your 20s and 30s, dont sit too long in one company, he advised. Expose yourself. Thats how you grow. Lecturer Lynda Bryant, addressing first-year students, highlighted general career opportunities in pharmacy as well as entrepreneurship. She reminded students that pharmacists are well positioned to create businesses that meet the needs of their communities while advancing healthcare access. Meanwhile, Chief State Veterinarian at Eastern Cape: Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Dr Gabriel Mutero drew attention to veterinary pharmacy, an area that remains underdeveloped in South Africa. He pointed out that many rural communities still lack access to veterinary services and medications, undermining both animal and human livelihoods. Pharmacists can help fill this gap if universities equip them with the right training, he argued, calling for electives in veterinary pharmacy to be offered more widely in pharmacy curricula. Together, these sessions painted a picture of pharmacy as a profession with extraordinary range: from economics and policy to manufacturing and regulation, from entrepreneurship to veterinary services. As the faculty gathered for the Awards and Professional Pledge Ceremony in the evening, the focus shifted from possibilities to responsibilities. Academic achievement was celebrated with the presentation of the Deans Merit Awards. Head of Pharmacy at Rhodes University Professor Sandile Khamanga urged students to carry themselves with the discipline expected of practising pharmacists. He emphasised punctuality, professionalism, and the importance of completing their academic journey with integrity from the day they begin as students at Rhodes University to the day they graduate as colleagues in the profession. Discipline is not something you adopt after graduation. It begins here and now in how you carry yourself, how you manage your time, and how you respect the profession you are entering. The ceremony concluded with the Professional Pledge, in which students committed themselves to ethical practice, patient care, and the broader responsibilities of the profession. For many, it was a moment that tied together the days themes: the breadth of opportunities open to pharmacists and the common foundation of discipline and service that unites them. Pharmacy Day 2025 was both a celebration and a reminder. It celebrated the professions many roles scientist, consultant, entrepreneur, veterinary specialist, policymaker. And it reminded students that regardless of the path they take, they carry the same pledge: to serve with integrity, discipline, and care. After perfecting the Compact SUV segment, Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) is now fortifying its offering in the Sub 4m SUV space with 2026 Venue. In their 2030 roadmap, Hyundai just announced that the company will be foraying into new segments to truly expand its reach into the untapped potential, which is Indian auto market. Two such segments have been identified by Hyundai. One is the MPV segment where Maruti Suzuki and Toyota have major presence, followed by Hyundais sister brand, Kia. The other is Off-road segment which can be done in two directions. Lets take a closer look at the possibilities. Hyundai Confirms New MPV One might not think of Hyundai as an MPV maker, but the Korean brand has a few successful MPVs to its name. Two prominent ones are Stargazer, which is the size of a Maruti Suzuki XL6 and the other is Staria, which is similar in size to Kia Carnival. Hyundai might launch one of these in India or come up with an India-specific MPV. Most of the MPV volumes come from the C Segment ones where Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and XL6 along with Kia Carens and Carens Clavis operate. Also, Kia is the only one here to have an electric version too, in the form of Carens Clavis EV. While the company has confirmed an MPV, there is no clarity whether it will be an ICE or an EV. Another size bracket that Hyundai might explore is the mid-size D Segment MPVs where Toyota Innova Crysta and Innova Hycross along with its Maruti Suzuki counterpart, Invicto operate. Toyota has unchallenged dominance here as it offers Diesel engine option in the form of Crysta along with Petrol and Petrol Hybrid options with Hycross. Mid-size D Segment MPVs come with better profitability factors owing to their higher price tags and can get away with smaller volumes. Hyundai can approach either one of these segments or both. The company is expected to adopt its global MPV design language, while localising most of the powertrain, components and equipment on offer. Hyundai Off-Road SUV The lifestyle Off-Road SUV segment has blown out of proportions and has clearly indicated that Indian buyers have a taste for adventure. While it is traditional ladder-frame SUVs with old-school torque multiplying transfer cases that rule this segment, there is a new crop of monocoque SUVs with AWD layout that offer decent off-road ability. Hyundai currently does not have any ladder-frame SUVs as all of its portfolio is monocoque only. The company might come up with a monocoque AWD capable Off-Road SUV to rival the likes of Maruti Suzuki Victoris, Grand Vitara and Toyota Hyryder and not lock horns with Mahindra Thar and Thar Roxx, Maruti Suzuki Jimny and Force Gurkha. Launch will happen by 2030. India to become Hyundais second-largest region globally; Genesis brand and locally manufactured electric SUV confirmed by 2027 Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL), the countrys second-largest car manufacturer and a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company (HMC), today outlined an ambitious roadmap to drive its next phase of growth through FY2030. The company announced an investment of Rs 45,000 crore, along with major product, manufacturing, and financial milestones while also marking a defining moment in its 29-year legacy with the appointment of Mr. Tarun Garg as the next Managing Director & CEO, effective January 1, 2026. Tarun Garg Appointed as MD & CEO of Hyundai Motor India In a landmark announcement, Hyundai Motor India also confirmed the appointment of Mr. Tarun Garg as the next Managing Director & CEO, effective January 1, 2026, subject to shareholder approval. Mr. Garg will become the first Indian national to lead Hyundai Motor India in its nearly three-decade history. Currently serving as Whole-time Director & COO, Mr. Garg has played a pivotal role in HMILs transformation leading the company to record sales for three consecutive years, record-breaking profitability, and the largest IPO in Indian automotive history in 2024. India: Hyundais Second-Largest Global Region by 2030 Unveiled at HMILs first-ever Investor Day, the comprehensive strategic roadmap aims to make India Hyundais second-largest region globally by 2030. The company will focus on India-centric innovation, advanced manufacturing, and export excellence to sustain long-term growth. Mr. Jose Munoz, President & CEO, Hyundai Motor Company, stated: Following our landmark IPO last year and 29 years of success in India, now HMIL plans an investment of Rs 45,000 crores through FY2030 to drive the next phase of growth. India is a strategic priority in Hyundais global growth vision. By 2030, HMIL will be our second-largest region globally, aligned with the Honorable Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modis vision of Make in India. Were making India a global export hub, targeting upto 30% export contribution. Our commitment is comprehensive: 26 product launches including 7 new nameplates, Indias first locally manufactured dedicated electric SUV by 2027 and the launch of our luxury brand Genesis, all while treating every customer like our honoured guest. The fundamentals are strong. The strategy is clear. The team is energized. And most importantly, we have the trust of Indian customers built over 29 years. Its a great time to be at Hyundai Motor India. 26 Product Launches, 7 New Nameplates & Entry into MPV and Off-Road SUV Segments Hyundais product roadmap through FY2030 includes 26 launches, of which 7 will be all-new nameplates, marking the brands expansion into the MPV and off-road SUV segments. By 2027, the company will also roll out Indias first locally manufactured dedicated electric SUV, reinforcing its leadership in the EV segment. Hyundai aims to achieve a 15%+ domestic market share, with UVs contributing over 80% of sales by FY2030. The company will also target 50%+ portfolio share from eco-friendly powertrains including CNG, hybrid, and EVs underlining its commitment to future-ready mobility. Luxury Brand Genesis to Launch in India by 2027 Hyundai confirmed that its luxury arm, Genesis, will make its India debut in 2027. The introduction of Genesis will position HMIL firmly in the premium segment, offering customers an elevated ownership experience combining design excellence, advanced technology, and sustainability. Expanding Manufacturing & Export Capabilities Hyundai Motor Indias upcoming Pune manufacturing plant is set to play a crucial role in the brands long-term growth strategy for the country. Spread across 300 acres with 31% green cover, the facility will house four vehicle shops and one engine shop, underscoring Hyundais focus on sustainable, advanced production. The plant will begin operations with the start of production for a new model in October 2025, marking a major milestone in the companys expansion roadmap. Once fully operational, the Pune plantHyundais third in India after its two Chennai unitswill add 1.1 million units of total annual production capacity, making it the highest-capacity manufacturing base among all Hyundai Motor Company plants globally. The calibrated capacity expansion will boost output by 170,000 units by 2025 and an additional 80,000 units by 2028, further strengthening Indias role as a key global manufacturing and export hub for Hyundai. Hyundai will continue to strengthen Indias role as a global export hub, targeting up to 30% contribution from exports by FY2030. The company plans to evolve towards a Software Defined Factory (SDF) model, driving localization, digitalization, and sustainability across its operations. With these initiatives, HMIL aims to achieve 1.5X revenue growth, crossing the Rs 1 lakh crore milestone by FY2030, while maintaining strong double-digit EBITDA margins. The company also announced a dividend payout guidance of 2040%, ensuring long-term value creation for shareholders. Mr. Unsoo Kim, Managing Director, HMIL, added: Our growth vision is built around smart mobility, customer-centric innovation, and financial discipline. Were targeting Rs 1 lakh crore in revenue by FY2030 with sustainable margins, while expanding our sales and service footprint to 85% of Indias districts. Mr. Tarun Garg, Whole-time Director & COO, HMIL, commented: We aim to be one of the few OEMs in India to offer a complete range of ICE, CNG, EV, and hybrid options. Our 2030 roadmap will help us deepen our presence in high-growth SUV segments, expand our reach to rural markets contributing 30% of total sales, and reinforce Hyundais legacy of innovation and trust. TVS Motor has a wide range of 2W vehicle portfolio in India. These range from budget commuters, street fighters, premium street fighter and even a premium supersport. However, TVS never had an ADV in its lineup, which changes now, with the launch of Apache RTX 300. R, T and X in the name stand for Rally, Tourer and Xtreme signifying crossover adventure as this motorcycle also performs the role of a tourer and off-roader. Apache RTX 300 has just been launched in Theog, Himachal Pradesh for a starting price of Rs 1.99 lakh (Ex-sh) for the base Base Variant variant. Prices go till Rs 2.29 lakh (Ex-sh) for top-spec BTO variant. There are 5 colours on offer Viper Green, Tarn Bronze, Metallic Blue, Lightning Black and Pearl White. Bookings start now and deliveries are slated to happen soon. TVS Apache RTX 300 Launch For a starting price of Rs 1.99 lakh (Ex-sh), TVS Motor has just launched Apache RTX 300 adventure tourer motorcycle. There are three variants on offer, conveniently called Base Variant and Top Variant priced at Rs 1.99 lakh and Rs 2.14 lakh (Ex-sh). On top of these, we have BTO variant that packs all the advertised bells and whistles and is priced at Rs 2.29 lakh (Ex-sh). Design & Aesthetics TVS Apache RTX 300 looks like a premium ADV motorcycle should. It gets a dominating road presence, accentuated by its semi fairing with integrated dual LED headlight setup. This fairing along with its front windshield protect the rider from wind blasts experienced at highway speeds. Footpegs and handlebars are neutrally positioned for optimum rider comfort. ORVMs are handlebar mounted, split seat setup, sturdy-looking rear luggage rack for engine protection, rear LED tail lights, LED turn indicators, Gold finish on 41mm USD telescopic front forks that are fully adjustable, rear mono-shock and upswept exhaust are notable elements as well. Accessories include a metallic bash plate, knuckle guards and crash guards. Alloy wheels have a 5-element star shape to them. Wheel size is 19-inches at the front and 17-inch at the rear. These are wrapped with special compound tyres. 320 mm front disc is of petal disc and rear gets discs as well. Dual channel ABS is switchable to unlock the fun quotient. All of these are mounted on a steel frame with a die-cast aluminium swingarm. Features & Equipment All of the features and equipment on TVS Apache RTX 300 are geared towards touring and off-roading. For starters, there is RT-LSC suite of electronics. There are Tour, Rally, Urban and Rain riding modes. Rally ABS, Traction Control and Cruise Control are other notable elements too. The TFT instrument cluster supports Bluetooth connectivity that brings in features like Map Mirroring with Google Maps, navigation and more. There is also Digital Doc transfer, TPMS and even GoPro control. This cluster is operated via a sophisticated switchgear. SmartXonnect app supports up to 38+ connected features including last parked location and more. Powertrain Apache RTX 300 is powered by the companys new RT-XD4 engine, unveiled last year at MotoSoul event. It is a DOHC 4V/cyl single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine that displaces 299.1cc. Peak power output is 35 bhp at 9,000 RPM and peak torque output is 28.5 Nm at 7,000 RPM, mated to a slipper clutch, a quick-shifter and a 6-speed gearbox. 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) Editor: Xiong Jian 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) Editor: Xiong Jian Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan poses for a group photo with journalists on his return flight from Egypt on Oct. 14, 2025. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday said the ceasefire agreement reached in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh should not be mistaken for a final settlement to the Palestinian issue, while urging Israel to honor its commitments and warning against possible violations. (Turkish presidency/Handout via Xinhua) ANKARA, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday said the ceasefire agreement reached in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh should not be mistaken for a final settlement to the Palestinian issue, while urging Israel to honor its commitments and warning against possible violations. "It would be wrong to view this as a document solving the Palestinian issue. In essence, this is a ceasefire arrangement," he spoke to journalists on his return flight from Egypt. He added that the only "genuine solution" to the Palestinian cause is the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. On Monday, Erdogan joined Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, U.S. President Donald Trump, and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in signing a document to support the Gaza ceasefire deal at a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. "These signatures are not just symbolic -- they mark our commitment to peace as a part of history," the semi-official Anadolu Agency quoted Erdogan as saying. He urged Israel to honor its commitments under the deal. "Israel has a poor record of ceasefire violations. This situation forces us to be more vigilant and meticulous," he said, adding that Trkiye, the U.S. and other countries are determined to protect this ceasefire. Editor: Xiong Jian BEIJING During the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, Nigerian Minister of Women Affairs Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim said that the summit's theme, "One Shared Future: New and Accelerated Process for Women's All-round Development," aligns closely with Nigeria's agenda for advancing the well-being of women, children, and families. She emphasized that in today's globalized world, achieving social progress and promoting women's advancement call for strengthened international cooperation. Ibrahim also noted that Nigeria plans to draw on China's experience in developing women and children centers across the country, as part of efforts to promote inclusive and sustainable social development. Editor: ZAD BEIJING Citlalli Hernandez Mora, Mexico's Minister for Women, visited the Shunyi District Women and Children's Social Service Center during the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women on Oct. 14, 2025. She praised China as "a benchmark for development that benefits everyone," highlighting that women have shared equally in the achievements brought by China's economic, scientific, and technological advancement. Hernandez Mora emphasized that "it is time for women," calling for greater access to rights, freedom, and autonomy for women around the world. She added that all progress made by nations must go hand in hand with equal development between men and women. Editor: WXY This photo taken on Oct. 14, 2025 shows the explosion site in Castel d'Azzano, Verona, Italy. Three officers of Italy's carabinieri were killed and 15 others injured in a gas explosion in the country's north early Tuesday, local media reported. The blast occurred during an eviction operation involving police and firefighters, after three siblings filled the farmhouse with gas to resist the eviction following its foreclosure over long-standing debts, Ansa News Agency reported. (Xinhua) ROME, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Three officers of Italy's carabinieri were killed and 15 others injured in a gas explosion in the country's north early Tuesday, local media reported. The blast occurred during an eviction operation involving police and firefighters, after three siblings filled the farmhouse with gas to resist the eviction following its foreclosure over long-standing debts, Ansa News Agency reported. The victims were members of the special militarized team dispatched for the evacuation. Emergency crews were on site when the explosion occurred, resulting in multiple casualties, including military personnel, police officers and firefighters, local officials confirmed. "A terrible toll," said Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi in a national television interview, while Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid tribute to the "valor and daily sacrifice of those who serve the State and its citizens." Investigations into the cause and responsibility for the explosion are ongoing. The tragedy has sparked national mourning and calls for improved safety measures during high-risk operations. This photo taken on Oct. 14, 2025 shows the explosion site in Castel d'Azzano, Verona, Italy. Three officers of Italy's carabinieri were killed and 15 others injured in a gas explosion in the country's north early Tuesday, local media reported. The blast occurred during an eviction operation involving police and firefighters, after three siblings filled the farmhouse with gas to resist the eviction following its foreclosure over long-standing debts, Ansa News Agency reported. (Xinhua) Editor: WSH Military aid to Ukraine fell sharply in July and August 2025, despite the introduction of NATO's Priority Ukraine Needs List (PURL) initiative, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy reports, based on updated data from the Ukraine Support Tracker, which tracks international aid flows to Ukraine. The latest update of the tracker also shows that financial and humanitarian aid, on the other hand, remained stable and is provided mainly by EU institutions. Most of the military aid during the observation period came under NATO's new PURL initiative. It was agreed in July at a meeting between NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and US President Donald Trump and allows NATO to purchase "ready-to-use" weapons for Ukraine from US warehouses, financed by other member states. By August, eight NATO countries had joined the initiative: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. They have allocated a total of EUR 1.9 billion. Despite the launch of the new mechanism, military aid in July and August decreased significantly. After the US stopped announcing new aid packages in early 2025, European countries stepped in and significantly expanded their military support. As a result, the average monthly volume of military aid in the first half of 2025 exceeded the figures for 20222024, despite the absence of contributions from the US. However, this dynamic changed dramatically in the summer: military allocations of European countries decreased by 57% compared to JanuaryJune 2025, even taking into account their contributions to NATOs PURL initiative. Thus, the average monthly volume of all military aid in this period was 43% lower than the level in the first half of 2025. In absolute figures, the volume of military assistance to Ukraine, according to the Ukraine Support Tracker, was distributed as follows: the average monthly figure for 2022-2024 was about EUR 3.5 billion, the average monthly figure for January-June 2025 was about EUR 4 billion, and the average monthly figure for July-August 2025 was about EUR 2.3 billion. The losses of the invaders during the day amounted to 1070 units of manpower and 191 units of equipment, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Telegram as of 7:00 on Wednesday. In particular, Ukrainian soldiers destroyed three tanks, two armored combat vehicles, 43 artillery systems, two air defense systems, 141 units of automotive equipment and tanker trucks. Some 389 enemy UAVs of the operational-tactical level were neutralized. The demand for data scientists is skyrocketing, and South Dakota Mines is at the forefront of developing a new, highly-trained workforce equipped to take on the challenges of one of the fastest-growing fields in the world. This fall, the university launched its bachelor's degree in data science and engineering a multidisciplinary program that combines computer science, statistics and math and real-world problem solving to extract meaningful, actionable solutions from data. In 2022, the university introduced its doctoral program in data science and engineering, and plans to launch its masters program in the fall of 2026. Data science and engineering cuts across every discipline at Mines and has become a fundamental component in the advancement of all STEM fields. Mines has always been proactive about multidisciplinary teaming across the science and engineering domains, said Randy Hoover, Ph.D., professor and assistant department head for electrical engineering and computer science and program coordinator for the data science and engineering programs. Data science, an encapsulation of artificial intelligence, machine learning and predictive modeling, has become pervasive across many different science and engineering programs at Mines so creating a dedicated degree in the field was a good fit. The new program is also designed to meet increased industry demand and workforce needs. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 36 percent growth in data science fields from 2021 to 2031, with an estimated 13,000 to 21,000 new job openings per year. The median entry-level salary for a data scientist is $100,000. Demands for data science roles span many different disciplines, ranging from tech companies to healthcare to finance and manufacturing, Hoover said. The new degree aims to create a cadre of data science graduates to fill these roles. Through the program, students can expect hands-on program projects, collaboration on capstone experiences, and research and internship opportunities alongside experts in the field. Students will be introduced to key areas including artificial intelligence, machine learning, data visualization, ethics, governance and the broader societal impacts of data. Students will learn how to gain insights from data, build predictive models from data, develop professional reports and presentations for constituents and deploy machine learning models across different domains, Hoover said. Visit here for more information on the new Mines program. Photo: National Guard On the night of October 15 (from 22:50 on October 14), the enemy attacked with 113 Shahed, Gerbera type strike UAVs and drones of other types from the directions: Millerovo, Bryansk, Kursk, Primorsko-Akhtarsk - Russia, about 50 of them Shahed UAVs, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Telegram on Wednesday morning. "According to preliminary data, as of 08:30, air defense shot down/suppressed 86 enemy Shahed, Gerbera type strike UAVs and drones of other types in the north, south and east of the country. Hits of 26 strike UAVs were recorded at 11 locations, as well as the fall of downed (fragments) at 1 location," the Air Force said. Shares in Frances LVMH surged on Wednesday, after the luxury powerhouse returned to growth following a difficult first half. Updating on trading, the owner of Moet Hennessy, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Tiffany & Co, among others, posted a 1% uptick in organic growth during the third quarter, to 18.3bn. While sales in its biggest division, fashion and leather goods, fell 2%, all other units saw improvements, including a 7% spike in retailing, which includes the hugely popular Sephora beauty brand. Most regions also saw improved sales. The exception was Europe, where tourist spending declined on the back of currency fluctuations. In a call with analysts, chief financial officer Cecile Cabanis said LVMH was "encouraged by the pockets of improvement we see in all businesses". She also noted that mainland China, a key market, had "turned positive" in the third quarter. The better-than-expected update from the world's largest luxury goods company boosted shares across the sector as well as LVMH's. As at 0945 BST, LVMH had surged 13% in Paris, and in London Burberry was trading 7% higher at 1,243p. Hermes International was 8% stronger, while Gucci-owner Kering and Cartier-owner Richemont were both trading up 6%. The luxury goods sector has endured a rocky few years, on the back of widespread macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty, weak consumer confidence in China and Donald Trumps global trade war. LVMH saw revenues fall 3% in the first half, following a 4% decline in the second quarter and 3% slide in the first. London stocks nudged lower in early trade on Wednesday as investors kept an eye on developments in the US-China trade spat. At 0850 BST, the FTSE 100 was down 0.1% at 9,444.21, underperforming peers in Europe, where the Stoxx 600 benchmark index rose 0.7% and Frances CAC 40 gained a whopping 2.4% as LVMH led the luxury sector higher after solid quarterly results. Neil Wilson, UK investor strategist at Saxo Markets, said: "The FTSE 100 is largely tracking sideways after the latest pullback, but is still up 2% in the last month." Investors mulled the latest comments from US President Donald Trump, who suggested on Tuesday that he was considering ending certain trade ties with China, including cooking oil imports, as a response to reduced US soybean purchases by China. Danske Bank said: "The move highlights escalating trade tensions, with Washington and Beijing already at odds over tariffs, supply chains, and broader geopolitical issues." Across the Pond, the earnings season will continue, with results due from Bank of America and Morgan Stanley following a raft of bank earnings on Tuesday. In UK equity markets, luxury fashion brand Burberry shot to the top of the FTSE 100 after third-quarter numbers from Frances LVMH impressed. Pets at Home was faring well, up nearly 4% after the Competition and Markets Authority said vets could be made to publish prices so customers can look around for the best deal. Derren Nathan, head of equity research at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "The Competition and Markets Authoritys provisional decision from the delayed investigation into the veterinary industry shouldnt provoke too many barks and howls from the major operators. Price caps look to be limited to prescriptions with an upper limit of 16 per vet slip, around 20% below the current average. "Other measures include a regulated comparison website, comprehensive price lists, upfront cost estimates for treatment plans, and transferable prescriptions allowing pet owners to shop around for better prices online. More visible signposts on practice ownership are also in the mix, allowing better information for animal lovers who prefer to give their business to local independent providers. "The outcome is broadly as expected, but with no major negative surprises should alleviate the uncertainty thats been weighing on consumer and investor sentiment. Thats seen a share price increase for Pets at Home, with its growing veterinary offer, and a bigger spike for CVS Group, which is more of a pure play on the industry. That said, the line under the matter has only been pencilled in so far. A further consultation is underway and a deadline for publication of the final decision has been set for March 2026." Elsewhere, recruiter PageGroup gained as it reported a drop in third-quarter profit amid a more challenging market in Europe, but said 2025 operating profit was expected to be broadly in line with current market consensus of 21.5m. British Land also rallied on the back of a well-received trading update. On the downside, gambling and gaming giant Entain fell even as it reiterated its full-year guidance, despite a slew of customer-friendly results during the third quarter. London stocks were set to rise at the open on Wednesday following an upbeat session in Asia, as investors continued to keep an eye on developments in the trade spat between the US and China. The FTSE 100 was called to open around 45 points higher. US President Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday that he was considering ending certain trade ties with China, including cooking oil imports, as a response to reduced US soybean purchases by China. Danske Bank said: "The move highlights escalating trade tensions, with Washington and Beijing already at odds over tariffs, supply chains, and broader geopolitical issues." Across the Pond, the earnings season will rumble on, with results due from Bank of America and Morgan Stanley following a raft of bank earnings on Tuesday that included Citi, JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs. In UK corporate news, gambling and gaming giant Entain reiterated its full-year guidance, despite a slew of customer-friendly results during the third quarter. Updating on trading, the owner of Coral, Ladbrokes, Foxy Bingo and Gala, among others, said total net gaming revenues (NGR) rose 6% in the three months to 30 September. In the UK, NGR sparked 8%, while in the US - where Entain has a joint venture, BetMGM - they surged 23%, ahead of expectations. Wood Group announced that its chief executive Ken Gilmartin is to resign from the board ahead of the proposed 216m takeover by Dubais Sidara. Gilmartin, who has been at the helm for three years, will step down after the upcoming shareholder vote on the deal, and will be replaced by Iain Torrens, currently interim chief financial officer. Property developer Great Portland Estates said it has received planning permission from Southwark Council for the redevelopment of St Thomas Yard, SE1. Great Portland Estates said that the retrofit-first project will retain the existing 1980s building's primary structure and add five storeys, creating an 11-storey office building and increasing the total net area from approximately 100,000 square feet to 190,000 square feet. The redevelopment was expected to commence in summer 2026 and be complete in late 2028. Royal Mail has been fined 21m by Ofcom after failing to meet its delivery targets for first and second-class post in the 2024/25 financial year. Wood Group has announced that its chief executive Ken Gilmartin is to resign from the engineering consulting firm ahead of the proposed 216m takeover by Dubai's Sidara. Gilmartin, who has been at the helm for three years, will step down after the upcoming shareholder vote on the deal, and will be replaced by Iain Torrens, currently interim chief financial officer. Torrens only joined the company in February, but has over three decades of senior leadership experience across listed companies, including CFO at TalkTalk and ICAP. "We are pleased to announce the appointment of Iain as Wood's new CEO," said chair Roy Franklin. "Since joining the company earlier this year, Iain has demonstrated experience, leadership and decisiveness to guide the business through a very challenging period. The board is confident he is well-placed to lead the company into its next chapter." Wood Group agreed to the Sidara acquisition in August after a year-long pursuit by the Dubai-based company. Sidara will pay 30p per share for the company, as well as take on $1.6bn of Wood Group's debt and inject $450m of capital into the business to help resolve liquidity issues. Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, who is in the United States as part of the Ukrainian government delegation, held meetings with representatives of American defense companies - Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and RTX. Umerov reported this on Telegram channel on Wednesday. "We are working together with Andriy Yermak and Yulia Svyrydenko on preparing the visit of the President of Ukraine to Washington. We are coordinating positions and working on key areas of cooperation - from expanding technological partnership to the possible creation of joint ventures between our defense industries," Umerov said. FlowerAura, Indias leading gifting brand, has announced the launch of its festive collection, bringing together tradition and gourmet indulgence in its exclusive Diwali and Bhai Dooj 2025 hampers. This season, FlowerAura is curating celebrations with thoughtfully designed hampers that blend the warmth of heritage with the joy of modern gifting. From artisanal sweets and premium dry fruits to handcrafted chocolates, divine idols, and festive decor, the hampers capture the true spirit of Diwali. For those looking to surprise their family and friends, nothing says festive cheer better than a special Diwali gift from FlowerAura for loved ones. Each hamper is beautifully presented in premium packaging, reflecting both elegance and festivity. When it comes to strengthening sibling bonds, FlowerAura has also introduced dedicated hampers for Bhai Dooj. A thoughtfully crafted Bhai Dooj Gift Hamper for Brother adds a personal touch, making the occasion even more memorable. Speaking about the launch, Shrey Sehgal, Co-Founder of FlowerAura, said, Festivals in India are about more than rituals; theyre about emotions, togetherness, and memories. With our 2025 hamper collection, we wanted to create something that not only celebrates traditions but also appeals to todays gifting preferences. Every hamper is a blend of cultural significance and delightful taste, making it a meaningful gift for any celebration. In addition to the Diwali and Bhai Dooj range, FlowerAura continues to offer its extensive catalogue of cakes, flowers, plants, and personalised gifts, ensuring that every moment big or small can be celebrated with thoughtfulness. With this exclusive collection, FlowerAura once again reaffirms its position as a brand that understands the evolving sentiments of Indian consumers, bridging tradition with modern elegance in festive gifting. About FlowerAura FlowerAura is a premier online gifting platform delivering Rakhi, flowers, cakes, gifts, and hampers to over 800+ cities in India and 30+ countries worldwide. With an extensive network of fulfilment centres, channel stores, and 75+ dark stores, FlowerAura ensures extraordinary celebrations. Accessible through its website, mobile app, retail stores, and popular e-commerce platforms, FlowerAura boasts a customer base of over 10 million, promising to exceed customer expectations with a vast collection of gifts. Media Contact : Suman Patra suman.patra@FlowerAura.com +91 96500 62220 Head - Product and Marketing FA Gifts Pvt. Ltd. Kalam inspired young scientists through personal guidance, letters, and school visits. His teachings blended science with life lessons, leaving a lasting impact on students. His philosophy continues to shape STEM education, innovation labs, and youth initiatives in India. Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, fondly known as the Missile Man of India and the Peoples President, left an indelible mark not only on Indias scientific and political landscape but also on the hearts and minds of its youth. Beyond his contributions to missile technology and space research, Kalams legacy as a mentor and inspirer of young scientists through informal guidance remains a cornerstone of his enduring influence. His approachable demeanor, hands-on encouragement, and unwavering belief in the potential of Indias youth transformed countless lives, particularly in educational institutions and scientific communities. Lets explores how Kalams informal mentorship shaped young scientists, his inspirational visits to schools, and his broader impact on Indias scientific and educational ethos. Abdul Kalams mentorship was not confined to formal settings like ISRO or DRDO laboratories. His informal guidance through personal interactions, letters, and impromptu discussions created a ripple effect among aspiring scientists. Kalams passion for education found its truest expression in schools across India, where he connected directly with students. His school visits were masterclasses in inspiration, blending science with life lessons. He often carried a pocketful of seeds, using them as metaphors for growth, telling students, Plant your dreams today, and theyll bloom into realities tomorrow. Top 10 Timeless Quotes by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam You have to dream before your dreams can come true.( From Wings of Fire) Dream, dream, dream. Dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts result in action.( Shared in ISRO sessions) Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough. ( From SLV-3 failure stories) If you want to shine like a sun, first burn like a sun. ( Address to schoolchildren) Science and technology are the primary sources of progress for any nation. (Vision 2020 speech) Don't read success stories, you will only get inspiration. Read failure stories, you will get some ideas to get success. ( Shared in DRDO whiteboard sessions) Creativity is seeing the same things as everybody else but thinking differently. (From Ignited Minds) Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, caliber, and future of an individual.( School visit in Assam (2004)) Great dreams of great dreamers are always achieved. ( PURA initiative talk) Be more dedicated to making silent progress than to making a loud noise about it.( Chennai school interaction (2012)) Inspiring the Next Generation Informal mentorship by Kalam still echoes in 2025 when the scientific community in India is expanding. The Abdul Kalam Vision India Award is an award that was founded in the year after 2015, and it honors the young scientists who are under the age of 30, with more than 500 such awardees as of 2025, being seen as contributing to the world in the areas of AI and space technology. Innovations have been developed by students in universities such as IIT Madras through their own Kalam Innovation Labs where students are challenged to make prototypes based on his problem-solving philosophy. His books, translated into 15 languages of India, continue to be bestsellers, and Wings of Fire has seen more than 1 million students a year convinced to join STEM careers because of it. In the 2025 world, his quotes are blasted on social media sites, and the hashtags such as #KalamInspires are trending throughout the National Science Day. His vision of the future can still be seen through student-led initiatives like the Kalam Dream that seeks to transform India into a global leader in STEM. Virtually mentoring Gen Z, his letters to students which are now digitized by universities such as Anna University are viewed as an emblem of possibility in a world of difficulty. Final Note As India strides toward becoming a global innovation hub, Kalams legacy endures in every student who dares to dream, every scientist who perseveres, and every classroom where his words echo, You have to dream before your dreams can come true. His life proves that true mentorship transcends titles, leaving a nation forever inspired to reach for the stars. Floral tribute offered at Kalam's memorial in Rameswaram President calls Kalam a symbol of knowledge and inspiration Students and dignitaries participate in honouring the former President President Droupadi Murmu paid heartfelt tribute to former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam on his birth anniversary on October 15. The ceremony was held at Kalams memorial in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, where she laid a floral wreath and honoured the memory of one of Indias most respected scientists and leaders. Describing Dr Kalam as 'a symbol of knowledge, humility, and visionary leadership', President Murmu highlighted his enduring influence on Indias youth and scientific community. She praised his life journey, from a small town in Tamil Nadu to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, as a reflection of hard work, dedication, and a passion for education. Several dignitaries, government officials, students, and members of the public joined the President in paying homage. The event saw schoolchildren participating with enthusiasm, performing patriotic songs and poems that reflected Kalams deep connection with students and his belief in their potential. Dr Kalam, also known as the 'Missile Man of India', played a key role in Indias space and defence advancements and later served as the 11th President of India. His commitment to science, innovation, and nation building continues to inspire generations. Also Read: Tarun Garg Named First Indian CEO of Hyundai Motor India The tribute served not only as a moment to remember Kalams achievements but also to renew the countrys collective pledge to uphold his ideals especially in education, innovation, and national pride. As President Murmu said, Dr Kalam lives on in the dreams and determination of young Indians striving to build a better future. Sensex fell 297 points and Nifty 82 points, marking the second straight session of losses amid weak global cues. Axis Bank, IRFC, Tata Communications, and HDFC Life to announce Q2 results; Tech Mahindra reported a 4.4% profit drop. ICICI Lombard posts strong Q2 profit, MIDHANI wins Rs 306 crore order, and Ola Electric plans entry into the energy storage market. Both benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, ended lower on Tuesday, October 14, marking their second consecutive day of losses amid weak global cues. The Sensex fell 297 points, or 0.36 per cent, to close at 82,029.98, while the Nifty 50 slipped 82 points, or 0.32 per cent, to settle at 25,145.50. According to Ajit Mishra, SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd, Markets opened on a positive note but failed to sustain early gains as trade-related concerns overshadowed favourable domestic cues. The Nifty slipped about 0.2 per cent after briefly retesting the 25,300 mark. Most sectors came under pressure, with metal, pharma, and realty stocks leading the losses, while some financial and private bank stocks provided support. The broader markets also saw selling pressure, with mid- and small-cap indices down nearly a percent each. IPO listings and better IT earnings. Even though LG Electronics Indias impressive market debut caught investors attention, it failed to lift overall sentiment. The decline was largely driven by renewed worries over the U.S.-China trade tensions and weak global trends, which overshadowed optimism from strongand better IT earnings. Even though LG Electronics Indias impressive market debut caught investors attention, it failed to lift overall sentiment. Heres a look at key stocks likely to remain in focus in todays trade: Axis Bank, IRFC, Tata Communications, HDFC Life: These companies are set to announce their Q2 results today, keeping investors attention on earnings updates. Tech Mahindra: The company reported a 4.4 per cent decline in net profit to Rs 1,194.5 crore compared to Rs 1,250.1 crore in the previous quarter. However, revenue rose 5.1 per cent to Rs 13,994.9 crore from Rs 13,313.2 crore. Ola Electric: Ola Electric is gearing up to enter the energy storage market, which is expected to surpass USD 30 billion by 2030, according to a PTI report. ICICI Lombard: ICICI Lombard General Insurance posted a net profit of Rs 819.5 crore for Q2 FY26, marking an 18.1 per cent year-on-year rise. Total income rose 12.5 per cent to Rs 6,582.7 crore. The board also announced an interim dividend of Rs 6.5 per share. Mishra Dhatu Nigam (MIDHANI): The company secured a new order worth Rs 306 crore, taking its total open order book to around Rs 2,212 crore. Maruti Suzuki: Maruti Suzuki India signed a memorandum of agreement with the Tamil Nadu government to automate driving test tracks across the state. Sula Vineyards: The company reported Q2 FY26 revenue of Rs 139.7 crore, slightly lower than Rs 141.2 crore a year earlier. Vedanta: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has given in-principle approval for Vedanta to acquire debt-ridden Jaiprakash Associates, provided it wins the ongoing insolvency process. Keystone Realtors: Promoters Boman Irani, Chandresh Mehta, and Percy Chowdhry will sell up to a 3.63 per cent stake, or 4.58 million shares, through an Offer for Sale (OFS) worth up to Rs 251.7 crore. Hyundai Motor India: The board approved the succession plan for Managing Director Unsoo Kim, who will step down on December 31, 2025, and return to South Korea to take up a strategic role at Hyundai Motor Company. Tarun Garg becomes first Indian MD & CEO of Hyundai Motor India Takes charge from Unsoo Kim starting January 1, 2026 Known for driving record sales, profits, and Indias largest IPO In a landmark move, Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has announced Tarun Garg as its next Managing Director and CEO, effective January 1, 2026, pending shareholder approval. Garg will be the first Indian to lead HMIL in its 29 year history. Currently serving as Whole-time Director and COO, Garg succeeds Unsoo Kim, who will return to a leadership role at Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) in South Korea after a smooth transition. Hyundai described Gargs appointment as a reflection of the companys confidence in Indian leadership and the country's growing strategic importance in the global automotive landscape. Garg has worked closely with global leadership over the past two years, preparing for this elevation. Jose Munoz, President & CEO of HMC, praised Garg as a transformative leader with deep market understanding. Under his leadership as COO, HMIL achieved record sales, record profits, and executed Indias largest IPO in 2024, he said. Munoz also commended outgoing MD Unsoo Kim for laying a strong foundation during his tenure. Also Read: ICEA Urges PE Rule Review To Boost India's Manufacturing Edge Garg, expressing gratitude, said, I am deeply honoured by the trust and confidence placed in me by Hyundai Motor Group. He aims to focus on future strategy, customer orientation, local manufacturing, and a people-centric approach. Before joining Hyundai, Tarun Garg held leadership roles at Maruti Suzuki India Limited. This leadership change marks a significant milestone for HMIL as it continues to expand its footprint and strengthen its position in Indias competitive auto sector. I'm left behind now that the children are grown. And they've turned against me. (Getty Images/Ekaterina Goncharova) Dear Annie: I have been married for more than 35 years, but for most of that time, I have felt unloved and trapped. I came into this marriage desperately wanting children, and when my husband was widowed young with two little ones, I stepped in and raised them as my own. I was the one who got out of bed in the night, went to every school event, and poured my heart into giving them the love and stability they had lost. To them, I was Mom, even if I was never allowed to adopt them. Meanwhile, my husband spent his years drinking, cheating, and controlling every part of my life when I ate, when I slept, where I went. His family spread lies, calling me the evil stepmother, and he never defended me. I stayed for the childrens sake, and later for the grandchildren I adore, even as I lived with loneliness, disrespect, and heartbreak. Now the children are grown, and my daughter has turned against me, too. She tells my grandchildren Im not their real grandmother and has cut me off from them, even twisting them into repeating hurtful things. After decades of devotion, I find myself slandered and shut out by the very people I sacrificed everything for. I long to reclaim my life to travel, to enjoy small freedoms, to live on my own terms. But Im told Im being selfish, that Ill never make it alone and that I should stay for the people who love me. Am I wrong to finally want a life of my own after giving all of myself to others for so long? Conflicted and Confused Dear Conflicted: You are not selfish. You are human. For decades you gave your time, your heart, and your freedom to a man who did not value you and to children who have now turned against you. That is not love. That is exploitation. Your husbands drinking, cheating, and control were never your fault, and the smear campaign from his family only deepened the harm. You stayed out of love for the children, and you gave them more than most people could have. Now that they are grown, you owe it to yourself to live the life you have been denied. Leaving after so many years is frightening, but it can also be liberating. Seek out support through a counselor, trusted friends, and perhaps even a lawyer. Stop letting others guilt you into silence and sacrifice. You do not need their permission to live freely. You have spent 35 years putting yourself last. It is time to put yourself first. Follow Annie Lane on Instagram at @dearannieofficial. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. During her visit to Washington, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko met with European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity Valdis Dombrovskis to discuss continued financial support for Ukraine and the implementation of the new reparations loan mechanism, the official website of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine reported. "We began the day with meetings in Washington. I was glad to see European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity Valdis Dombrovskis. We had many topics in common continued financial support for Ukraine, and the implementation of the new financial mechanism of reparations loans announced by the European Union," the government portal quoted Svyrydenko as saying. Svyrydenko also expressed hope that the EU's 19th package of sanctions against Russia would be adopted soon. "Maintaining consistent pressure is the only effective mechanism to influence the aggressor and reduce the revenues from oil and gas that Russia uses to finance its war," Svyrydenko said. Lay's has announced it is rebranding and removing artificial flavors and colors from its U.S. chips. Pepsico Lays, the 100-year-old potato chip brand well known for its thin, crispy product and bright yellow packaging, is undergoing a rebrand. But this is no marketing stunt. The company simply wants to hammer home the fact that its popular product is actually made from real potatoes. There are more than 4,000 registered potato varieties in the world, and only 10 are good enough to become a Lays potato chip, the company noted in a press release. The potatoes journey from the soil to the shelf is the heart of Lays. But heres the surprising part 42% of people who enjoy Lays dont realize theyre made with real, farm-grown potatoes. Thats why Lays is now redesigning that classic yellow bag and also removing all artificial flavors and colors from its U.S. chips. The new visual identity celebrates the humble, farm-grown potato where every Lays potato chip starts and heroes the ingredients that deliver the unmatched flavor consumers have always loved, Alexis Porter, PepsiCos vice president of marketing, Global Lays, noted in the press release. According to the company, Lays works with over 100 family-owned farms across North America, and PepsiCo sources crops and ingredients from growers in more than 60 countries around the world. Many of those potato farms are just a short drive from PepsiCos cooking and packaging facilities, which means, during harvest season, its possible for farm-grown potatoes to go from farm to bag in as little as 48 hours. Lays Baked and Lays Kettle Cooked chips are also getting an ingredient update during the rebrand. Lays Baked will now be made with olive oil and have 50% less fat than regular potato chips, and a new version of Lays Kettle Cooked Reduced Fat Original Sea Salt will be made with avocado oil and offer 40% less fat than regular potato chips with more new options across PepsiCos food portfolio to come in 2026. More than just a brand redesign, the new Lays visual identity, created by PepsiCos Design and Innovation team, now tells a story that speaks to its legacy of authenticity while honoring the potatoes journey from farm to bag. While the Lays logo has always featured a yellow sun, the team made the sun warmer and more distinct, the company noted. Sun rays, or Lays Rays, beam from the logo, a nod to the light that helps potatoes grow ... Enhanced photography showcases the quality and flavor of every Lays variety with vivid, close-up visuals that highlight the golden color, crisp texture and seasoning of each chip. And, of course, the red Lays ribbon remains a seal of quality, linking every bag back to its heritage. The Oct. 20 event will help Staten Islanders navigate citations for violations like sanitation issues and building code infractions without needing an attorney. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Ever gotten a ticket for putting your trash out too early? Or maybe your buildings awning is a shade too long? Welcome to the world of OATH the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, aka the citys polite way of saying, We need to talk or you will pay. Staten Islanders facing city summonses can receive free assistance navigating the administrative court system during a workshop next month at the Broadway YMCA. Got a ticket for putting your trash out too early? This free workshop could save you money. NYC's administrative court is bringing experts to Staten Island's Broadway YMCA to help residents fight or resolve city summonses. Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance OATH will partner with the Broadway YMCA to offer the workshop on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, at 1:15 p.m. in the North Gym. The session is open to the general public. OATH staff will provide comprehensive support, including answering questions about summonses and the hearing process, checking the status of existing summonses, helping residents understand how to respond to citations, and assisting with submitting online defenses, rescheduling hearings, or requesting new ones for missed dates. Representatives will also check for outstanding summonses and advise on resolution options. Materials and other resources will be available with facts about remote hearings. What is OATH? OATH serves as New York Citys central administrative court system, handling civil summonses issued by various city agencies. It provides impartial hearings for violations such as sanitation issues, building code infractions, and health violations. Unlike traditional courtrooms, OATH hearings do not require an attorney, and help centers are available at each borough location on Staten Island, thats in St. George. Most hearings are conducted by phone, but in-person sessions are available upon request at 350 St. Marks Place. The office operates independently from both the state court system and the mayors office. In this vintage 1979 photo, Mayor Ed Koch is joined by then-Borough President Tony Gaeta. Koch was mayor when OATH was established. Staten Island Advance Established in 1979 under Mayor Edward I. Koch, OATH was created to consolidate administrative hearings across city agencies into one independent tribunal. It now includes divisions such as the Hearings Division, Trials Division, Environmental Control Board, Taxi and Limousine Tribunal, and Special Education Hearings. The Broadway YMCA is located at 651 Broadway in West Brighton. To RSVP, visit member services in person or call 718-981-4933, ext. 101. Like millions of Americans, Im deeply frustrated by this unnecessary government shutdown that was easily avoidable. Its hurting families, small businesses, and service members across the nation, which is why I voted for a clean extension of existing funding levels that have previously passed both the House and the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support. Ive supported these funding bills under the previous administration as well, and heres the kicker: so did Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and the rest of the New York City delegation. Yet today, we find ourselves in a government shutdown because Senate Democrats, led by our own Senator Chuck Schumer, are refusing to pass the exact same funding bill with the same language and levels theyve supported before not once, twice, or thrice but four times since March 2024! So why is this happening if Republicans now control the Senate, House, and White House? Its simple math. In the Senate, funding bills require 60 votes, meaning at least seven Democrats would need to join the 53 Republicans to pass any funding bill. When Democrats had majority control of the Senate, Republicans joined them to support these types of short-term funding bills to keep the government open because it is the right thing to do for the American people. This is personal for our district. Were proud to be home to U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York, Fort Hamilton Army Base, multiple national parks and two Veterans Affairs healthcare facilities. Since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, Ive worked to ensure our VA hospital and clinic remain open without any interruption so veterans continue receiving the care they deserve. Ive also made it a priority to keep our national parks open and accessible, personally visiting these sites to ensure they remain clean, safe, and maintained. However, the consequences of this shutdown are already starting to be seen in other areas of life with airport delays across the country due to shutdown staffing shortages and delays in everyday services such as applying for Social Security, disability, tax refunds, passports, and citizenship. Every day this shutdown continues, it costs taxpayers $400 million and the White House estimates a $15 billion weekly hit to our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Locally, New Yorks economy could lose $1.2 billion per week with a projected 2,600 jobs lost statewide, according to the Council of Economic Advisors. Additionally, food assistance for nearly 3 million New Yorkers including more than 1.1 million children is at risk of disruption. Fortunately, President Trump stepped in to ensure the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition program remains funded during the shutdown by using tariff revenue, protecting the benefits of 438,000 women and children in New York alone. However, if the government is not reopened by Oct. 15, more pain will be inflicted. Roughly 115,000 federal employees across our region, including more than 61,000 brave service members throughout our state will not receive paychecks, potentially forcing them to make difficult choices regarding rent, food, and other basic necessities. This is wrong, and in solidarity with these service members and federal employees, I have asked Treasury to withhold my own pay until the shutdown is over. The Democrats say theyre waging this shutdown war because they want an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of the year. However, for all their talk about healthcare, their no votes are blocking $1.4 billion for New Yorks safety-net hospitals, including $75 million for hospitals in our own district. I have been clear about my willingness to address the rising cost of healthcare resulting from the fact that President Obamas Affordable Care Act was never really affordable as was sold to the American people. However, it needs to be done in conjunction with reining in the health insurance companies. Since the Affordable Care Act took effect in 2014, insurance companies profits have skyrocketed 230% while denying as many as one out of three claims and receiving your tax dollars in subsidies. I am not the only Republican willing to work across the aisle to address these healthcare concerns. But it simply does not make any sense to keep our government closed and create a myriad of other problems for something that does not expire until the end of the year, which, by the way, is the expiration date chosen and set by the very Democrats now complaining. Its time for Senate Democrats to do the responsible thing and vote to reopen the government with the exact legislation they already supported just six months ago, while we continue bipartisan negotiations. As a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, I remain committed to working across the aisle, as I always have, to find common ground on the issues that matter most to our district and the nation. (Rep. Nicole Malliotakis is the Republican congresswoman representing Staten Island and part of Brooklyn.) Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced following a meeting with U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent that the U.S.-Ukraine Investment Fund has already begun operating. Svyrydenko shared the news on her Telegram channel. "The U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund has already started its work. A few important decisions remain before the Fund is fully operational, but the first 'pipeline' of potential projects is already being formed. We are focusing on priority projects in critical minerals, energy, and infrastructure. Ukraine is a reliable partner for ambitious U.S.-Ukrainian business ventures," Svyrydenko wrote on Telegram. According to her, another topic of discussion was "cooperation for Europe's energy security." "Russia must lose any levers of influence over our partners and any sources of revenue it uses to continue its war against Ukraine. We have clear proposals on how to achieve this together with our international partners. European and transatlantic unity plays a key role here," the Ukrainian prime minister said. "We also focused separately on sanctions. I'm grateful to Secretary Bessent for his commitment to working jointly with the G7 countries to put pressure on the aggressor and on other nations that fund Russia's war crimes through the purchase of Russian oil," Svyrydenko added. Diagnostics trailblazer Proteomics International Laboratories has inked an expanded research deal with the University of Melbourne and Royal Womens Hospital to pinpoint its attack on endometriosis through testing. The move sharpens the focus on its PromarkerEndo blood test for endometriosis and sets its sights on a next-generation tissue-specific test. Proteomics International Laboratories has partnered with the University of Melbourne and the Royal Womens Hospital to push the clinical date for its PromarkerEndo early endometriosis testing. Credit: Suppllied The company says it is a clear step forward for tackling a chronic condition that impacts one in nine women and girls, with diagnosis often dragging out as much as seven years. The dual-pronged collaboration builds on a four-year partnership, that will deliver fresh clinical validation for PromarkerEndo - a first-in-class blood test for endometriosis detection - while chasing a new test using tissue-specific biomarkers to pinpoint disease location. Julia Gillards dignified approach to post-prime ministerial life has won her adoration from the public which was absent when she was Australias first female leader in The Lodge. Gillard, largely based in London these days, rarely injects herself into party political squabbles like a miserable ghost. She isnt giving strategic presentations to Saudi Arabias state-owned oil company either (Thats Scott Morrison, by the way). Instead, Gillard has been the subject of a hit one-woman Sydney Theatre Company production, is set to chair the Womens Prize for Fiction next year and has just received two more honorary doctorates in the span of a few days. University of Sydney Vice Chancellor Mark Scott with Julia Gillard. Credit: The University of Sydney Gillard was feted by Macquarie University last week at a ceremony led by Governor-General Sam Mostyn. Then, on Wednesday afternoon, Gillard received a gong from the University of Sydney. In a speech at the sandstone unis Great Hall, she told students the rise of a privileged and powerful uber-rich, the embrace in the United States and many other parts of the world of a more authoritarian form of politics, and an alarming backlash against gender equality were all global challenges antithetical to USyds values. The former PM also hit out at the Trump administrations assault on diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as the big corporates such as Meta and Amazon which have fallen into line behind the prez. These are the Good Food Guides trailblazers, changemakers and businesses charting a new course for hospitality, and driving it forward. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share As featured in the SMH Good Food Guide 2026 Awards collection. See all stories . A restaurant takes a village. Chefs are vital, of course, and the vast majority of the Good Food Guide is a celebration of their talents. But then theres also fishers, farmers, designers, suppliers, producers and campaigners whose combined forces also make NSW and the ACT such vital places to eat and drink. Among them, though, are those people and businesses with outsized impact, completely in tune with the cultural forces that are shaping our cities, towns and suburbs, who are starting new conversations, moving hospitality forward and changing it for the future. These pages are dedicated to these innovators. A.P Bakery But which A.P? House, Town, Carriageworks, Place, Supply, Quay, Bread and Wine? Since the turn of the decade, no Sydney business has captured the zeitgeist more deliciously than this cult bakery from Esters Mat Lindsay and some of the key people behind Paramount Coffee Project and Paramount House. Such has been the zest and fervour for baker Dougal Muffets croissants, caneles and cream puffs that the hits have just kept coming, dotting the city from Surry Hills to Newtown to Circular Quay. Theyre in Carriageworks Farmers Market, their bread is on the menu at like 50 per cent of Sydneys new openings, your friends are in AP Run Club. But this isnt just hype. A.P. baked goods A.P Bakery commits to working with farmers to grow specific grains, milling their own flour and supporting sustainable methods. Whats more impressive is that each A.P site feels distinct, with its own unique menu and angle, ranging from buckwheat chocolate croissants for breakfast and rotisserie spatchcock sandwiches for lunch to leftover-bread pasta for dinner. Advertisement These are people bursting with good ideas, backing them up in execution rising, like a pert sourdough loaf, to meet the moment. This is the retirement plan, says Lindsay. But it sounds like theyre just getting started. Outfits designed by Sydney hospitality brand Worktones. Worktones Huw Bennett pulled off an unlikely fashion feat: his hospitality workwear design studio, Worktones, managed to create hospitality clothing that even regular punters want to wear. Their caps emblazoned with it food items (hello, mortadella) and their relaxed cotton blazers are just as likely to be worn by diners as they are by the person making your panini. This year marks a decade of Worktones, and its stylish custom outfits and merchandise continue to help set the mood and attitude of dining rooms, cafes and kitchens across the state, including at Grandfathers, Olympus Dining, Saint Peter the list goes on. Its less-is-more ethos has remained consistent, as is a commitment to natural fabrics. Asked why he thinks the Surry Hills label has resonated with businesses, Bennett says, We have our own little niche [are] hands on with our service, determined to deliver an exceptional product and constantly strive to balance function with comfort. All done with a smile on our faces. We like that, too. Alessandro and Anna Pavoni of Maestro Hospitality. Flavio Brancaleone Advertisement Maestro Hospitality Gee whiz, mates. How many hatted restaurants do you want to open in a year? Over the past 12 months, Maestro Hospitality co-owners Alessandro and Anna Pavoni launched Summer Hills Postino Osteria, Cibariain Manly and Vineria Luisa on Enmore Road. Each Italian venue is a bona fide cracker, largely thanks to Alessandros knack for finding the right talent to lead his kitchens, and Annas professional excellence managing back-of-house. The husband-and-wife team know how to create the right menu and pitch for each local market too, whether its a deep, rich lasagne paired with biodynamic sangiovese in the inner west, or artisanal gelato for all the family opposite Manly Beach. All this while still running Chiosco and two-hatted Ormeggio at The Spit in Mosman and aMare at Crown. Thats six terrific restaurants and counting. Saranya Kundasamy and Bridget Raffal of Women and Revolution. Wolter Peeters Women and Revolution When Women and Revolution (WaR) accepted the inaugural Good Food Guide Cultural Change Champion last year, the not-for-profits president Bridget Raffal said, I am not going to stand here and pretend [the hospitality industry is] anywhere near where we would like it to be, but I am encouraged. She also called on her peers to maintain the momentum generated by investigations revealing allegations of sexual assault, harassment and misogyny within prominent Sydney hospitality venues. Advertisement You need to think about who you support, who you promote, who you platform, where you have lunch today [and] if you compromise your values for a good time or an easy time. It was powerful, with WaR continuing to be a prominent voice at forums. It partnered with the Australian Human Rights Commission Speaking from Experience event, resulting in a report with 11 recommendations on what needs to change to address workplace sexual harassment. WaR board member Saranya Kundasamy says another big milestone was hosting its fifth Outspoken workshop, which teaches women and gender-diverse people essential workplace skills, including how to speak up, set boundaries and push back, and helps give confidence to navigate tough workplaces. As Raffal says, real progress comes from all of us speaking out, whether its in small moments or on a bigger stage. Olympus Dining. Jennifer Soo George Livissianis Its been more than a decade since The Apollo opened and George Livissianis interior architecture set off a new style of blended textures, peeled-back layers and raw definition. He followed it with Cho Cho San across the road in Potts Point, and its simple light-filled izakaya-inspired design is just as impressive today as it was back then. Advertisement Every Livissianis dining room is matched to its menu and owners intent, all while remaining wholly stereotype-free. Take Redfern newcomer Olympus Dining, for instance a bigger-budget sequel to The Apollo which still feels inherently Greek village with its cobblestone, neutral tones and bougainvillea, not an olive tree or fishing basket in sight. And nowhere says have a margarita as harmoniously as the cayenne terrazzo and pink travertine at Lottie a few levels upstairs. A world leader in less is more design. Owner-chef Jongguk Lee. James Brickwood Jongguk Lee 24 York may be getting all the attention for its steak-frites-only concept in the CBD, but theres a gunslinger in the west whose restaurants with one dish are even more popular. Jongguk Lee opened Guks Eedaero Gamjatang in Lidcombe in 2024 and gamjatang a Korean spicy pork bone stew with potatoes and vegetables built for sharing in a large stone pot is the only thing he serves. Lee goes through 60 kilograms of pork bones a day to make what he calls the soul food of Koreans, and Guks is often full with diners from 7am to midnight. With deep umami flavour and herbal notes of perilla, his soup has become so loved, Lee has opened a second location in Lidcombe plus stores in Ashfield and Eastwood. Im also looking forward to opening it in the city, Melbourne or Brisbane, he says, as Korean looks to be Australias fastest-growing cuisine of the decade. Timothy Cassimatis Steven Siewert Advertisement The death of a child is nothing short of devastating, a catastrophic, life-changing experience. But the isolation that follows can make a horrible situation so much worse. Once the connections with health services, care workers and funeral homes wrap up, parents are left with their grief as family and friends struggle with how to best offer support. And as time passes, often they are left alone and isolated. Maree and Wayne Pascoe set up the Ladybird Care Foundation in their daughter Emmas name to help grieving parents. Credit: Joe Armao Its a scenario Wayne and Maree Pascoe are all too familiar with. After years of engaging with the Queensland health system to care for their profoundly disabled daughter Emma Louise, when she passed in 2014 at just 18, the familys connection with healthcare workers wound up, ending relationships that had developed over years. Instead, they were sent on their way to manage the next stage of their lives as best they could. We were left to source our own counselling, Wayne says. There were no pathways so we were on our own, he says. The great Italian film star Sophia Loren is, of course, famous for the work that she has done on screen over the past seven decades. But she is equally well known for the adoration that she inspired in many of her co-stars. Omar Sharif sighed that he fantasised about her naked after they acted together. Clark Gable confessed that hed had the wrong thoughts about the beauteous Loren when they appeared in the otherwise forgotten 1960 drama It Started in Naples. Cary Grant, meanwhile, was cast opposite her in the 1957 epic The Pride and the Passion and was initially horrified at the idea, declaring, My God! You want me to play with this Sophie somebody, a cheesecake thing? Well, I cant and I wont. He was soon converted when he met Loren in the flesh, and the two embarked on a love affair. This was considerably more than Peter Sellers managed, when he starred with Loren in the now-problematic 1960 romantic comedy The Millionairess. Sellers decided that he and the Italian star were destined to be together, and although Loren did not return his affections, he declared to his then wife, Anne Howe, and his children that he was leaving them for his co-star. When his young daughter, Sarah, asked her father if he still loved his family, he replied: Of course I do, darling, just not as much as Sophia Loren. Sophia Loren (left) and Gina Lollobrigida, whose 50-year feud only ended with the latters death, in 2023. Credit: Getty Images But its easy to forget that Loren hasnt always been universally loved at least, not by her fellow doyens of Italian cinema. When Grant first met Loren, he was not above poking some fun at her, and the joke that he chose to express himself with may have touched a nerve. In Lorens 2015 memoir Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: My Life, she recalled Grant introducing himself: He held out his hand, looking at me with a pinch of mischief. Miss Lolloloren, I presume? Or is it Miss Lorenigida? You Italians have such strange last names I cant seem to get them straight. The states top coroner has taken the rare step of issuing an open letter after NSW reached the profoundly distressing milestone of recording the highest-ever number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths in custody in a single year. Teresa OSullivan told The Sydney Morning Herald after her appointment in 2019 that preventing Indigenous deaths in custody was a priority for her court. State Coroner Teresa OSullivan takes the rare step of speaking out, as NSW records its highest-ever annual number of deaths in custody of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Credit: Brook Mitchell But the number of Aboriginal people in custody has increased by almost 20 per cent in the past five years, while the non-Aboriginal prison population declined in the same period. Twelve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have died in custody in NSW so far in 2025 the highest number ever recorded in a single year, with more than two months remaining in the calendar, OSullivan wrote in the letter, released on Wednesday. Once there was a vision of Circular Quay being the major urban square of Sydney. In 1989, when Winston Barnett arrived from the UK as the new professor at the architecture school at Sydneys University of Technology, he saw an opportunity to develop the space as a wet piazza. In early 1995, the then-Liberal government held a competition to reimagine the entire area, looking for grand visions that could retain the Cahill Expressway and railway line. The winning scheme featured a giant verandah overhanging the waters edge, with upgraded wharves. One month after congratulating the winners (including your third-placed columnist), premier John Fahey lost the election. The ideas were shelved and disappeared. A treasure in waiting: the long neglected Circular Quay. Credit: Wolter Peeters Every state government since has declared the importance of Circular Quay as a major urban and infrastructure space. As The Sydney Morning Heralds editorial noted this week, in 2015 the Liberal government of Mike Baird pursued plans for a broader redevelopment, promising to sell $200 million of government-owned waterfront property to pay for the upgrade. It made the sales but delayed the plans. During the 2023 election campaign, Labor promised a $716 million upgrade of the ferry wharves and promenade, then scaled back the vision when it won power. It seems Circular Quay is more political graveyard than grand urban space. Its descended so far that now we cant even get the dilapidated and decrepit wharves brought up to a decent standard, despite the government spending $190 million to date. Thats a lot of money just for planning. But still no one came. With Jane slumped over the console, unable to move her chair to a safer position because the car ignition was off, and Julia crouched on the floor of the passenger seat, the pair felt completely exposed. Julia said she could see Mintzas lean out of the window and allegedly point the barrel of the gun at the car. I thought, is he going to shoot my sister in the back or was I going to get it in the head? I just thought, thats it. I just hope its quick, Julia said. I couldnt understand why they couldnt drive the bulletproof van in front of us to block us. Soon, they heard a loud bang, a flash of light and saw tactical police rush into the apartment and grab Mintzas. Julia said they hung up the phone at 9.36pm, moments after Mintzas was apprehended. He has since been charged with 25 offences, 18 of which are shooting at with intent to murder, with Julia and Jane listed on the charge sheet. After being escorted to safety, interviewed by police and declining an offer to be taken to the hospital, Julia and Jane went home. Artemios Mintzas has been charged with 25 offences following the Croydon Park alleged shooting spree. Credit: Nine News Their car was shot four times. One man was allegedly shot in the neck and chest and underwent emergency surgery. In total, nine people were taken to the hospital, several with facial injuries caused by broken glass, with others treated at the scene for shock and minor injuries. Julia said the care ended there. She said they werent offered further support, and while police said they would put them in contact with a trauma counsellor, they never did. It was harrowing. I keep reliving that night. I dont know whether you could ever explain what that terror was, and how alone you feel. How do you move on from that? Julia said. The sisters are struggling to eat and sleep, and they are yet to return to work. They have both arranged to see a psychologist. A NSW Police spokesperson said victims of crime can access 22 hours of free counselling via the Department of Justice and Communities Victim Support Services. Police will only put people in contact with these services directly when they are family members of victims of homicide. There were no fatalities in the Croydon Park shooting. More than 50 shots were fired during the Croydon Park incident. Credit: Thomas Wielecki Janes insurance has advised the car can be repaired and returned to them. The car we were almost killed in as if [she] would want to get back in that car. Police have been lauded for their bravery and swift response. Premier Chris Minns has said officers, some of whom were fresh out of the police academy, stayed in their ground, kept the community safe, and saved scores of lives. Loading NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said last week police were forced to take cover while trying to assist members of the public. To show that sort of bravery, to put their lives in danger to assist members of the public is probably the greatest honour we can do as police officers, he said. Julia is frustrated by this rhetoric, along with the focus on Mintzas in media coverage. The [alleged] criminal has legal aid. What about all those poor bystanders, minding their own business, who have never broken the law? Im angry, Im upset, she said. Its the lack of compassion of understanding and comprehension. Does anyone care? I feel forgotten. Mintzas was refused bail and will next face court in December. The Herald has spoken with his ex-wife, from whom he separated more than a decade ago. He has two adult children and worked as a customer service attendant at Sydney Trains. A highly toxic drug has claimed the life of a second person in less than a week, with advocates issuing a dire warning in the lead-up to schoolies week and the festival season. A public health alert circulated by Queensland Health on Wednesday confirmed 5-cyano-isotodesnitazene (isotocyanozene), a rare synthetic opioid, had been detected in a toxicology test and powder sample in south-east Queensland. The substance was described in the alert as a novel nitazene only recently detected for the first time in Australia, with an image showing white powder in a plastic bag labelled opiod F5. A second person has died after ingesting a highly toxic synthetic opioid in Queensland. Credit: CheQpoint A spokesperson for Queensland Health confirmed the latest alert related to a coronial matter currently under investigation. NATO defense ministers will discuss increasing defense spending, ramping up the military-industrial complex and supporting Ukraine. The relevant agenda for the meeting of the alliance's defense chiefs was announced in Brussels on Wednesday by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. "Today there will be an important meeting with defense ministers. We had a very successful summit in The Hague. As you know, we agreed to increase defense spending to 5%, including 3.5% for core defense and 1.5% for all important defense-related issues. It was a summit where we also discussed the industrial production of defense products to increase it and ensure that Ukraine is as strong as possible to stay in the fight. And today we will touch on all of these issues and, of course, what happened recently, drones, how to make sure that we can do even more to protect NATO from these new developments. So it will be an important day," he said. Rutte also announced that the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting, which will be attended by Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, will be held over lunch. "And then, later today, we will have a Contact Group on Defense Issues in Ukraine, where we will discuss further strengthening support for Ukraine under the leadership of the two defense ministers of Germany and the United Kingdom, Boris Pistorius and John Healey," the NATO Secretary General said. Another issue that the ministers will discuss will be the PURL initiative, under which the United States is once again providing Ukraine with the necessary lethal and non-lethal military support, at the expense of allies, and for which EUR 2 billion have already been allocated. "I have every reason to assume today that many other countries will sign up. These are extremely important things, including air defense systems and, in particular, interceptors, important for Ukraine to ensure maximum protection of its civilian population, its vital infrastructure from constant Russian attack," Rutte said. The man once charged over the Spear Creek triple murders had the keys to one of the victims motorcycles and was riding it 24 hours after the trio disappeared, a court has heard. Bruce Preston, 69, was charged with the 1978 shooting of Timothy Thomson, his girlfriend, Karen Edwards, and their friend, Gordon Twaddle. The charges were dropped in 2023 by prosecutors. The trio, who were on a motorbike trip together, were found dead on a bush track at Spear Creek outside Mount Isa in Queenslands north-west on October 24 that year. They had been planning to end their trip in Melbourne to spend Christmas with family, but never made it. A coroner has demanded that authorities urgently fix a dangerous road in Footscray as little if anything has been done since a 22-year-old was killed there two years ago. Frances Jeyann Ramirez was hit by two cars at night on November 25, 2023, as she crossed Hopkins Street towards her home in the Joseph Road precinct a housing redevelopment criticised for its poor infrastructure. Frances Jeyann Ramirez was hit and killed at this Hopkins Street intersection in November 2023. Credit: Jason South/GoFundMe Deputy state coroner Paresa Antoniadis Spanos released her findings into Ramirezs death on Tuesday, and urged Maribyrnong City Council and the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) to build traffic lights at Hallenstein Street. Spanos said the intersection where Ramirez was struck had dramatically changed in recent years as apartment towers had been built nearby, but upgrades to traffic signals, pedestrian crossings and streetlights had lagged. Bullsbrook families are scrambling to find a new daycare after the Department of Defence revealed the Flying Start childcare centre at the RAAF Pearce Airbase would close in December. Eilis Spence, whose two-year-old daughter attends the centre, said she was shocked to hear of the impending closure, attributed partly to an anticipated increase in aircraft noise levels. File photo: The daycares closure means families in Bullsbrook are scrambling to find alternatives. Credit: Ryan Stuart Being a single mum this is causing significant stress and financial pressure on us, she said. Theres two other daycares in the town, one of which is always full and I wouldnt like her going to, and the other cant guarantee the spots until the end of the year. WA Police are hunting two men who they allege posed as police officers and used a bogus warrant to steal tens of thousands dollars worth of jewellery and cash including a Rolex watch from a Perth home. Police say the two men were caught on CCTV driving up to a home on Mercury Street in Carlisle about midnight on August 29. Items stolen during the burglary. Credit: WA Police Footage shows the men, dressed in dark blue pants, dark blue undershirts and vests with POLICE written on the back, walk down the driveway to the home where they allegedly told the two occupants they were officers and produced a fake search warrant before being let inside. Detective First Class Constable Andre Ferreira said the men spent about 40 to 50 minutes inside the property and were able to make off with high-value items including cash and jewellery. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has stared down conservative agitators within the Coalition, championing the Liberal Partys history of supporting migrants and a broad-church approach to different strands of conservatism, as she urged her MPs to represent all modern Australians. In a statement celebrating the 81st anniversary of the party on Thursday, Ley blamed losses at the last two elections on a departure from traditional Liberal values, saying the party must hold to its core beliefs as her internal rivals stake out an alternative nationalist vision. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley with her colleagues this week in Melbourne, where she discussed law and order. Credit: Eamon Gallagher The Coalition lost 32 seats over the last two elections, with the Liberal Party bleeding votes to inner-city teal independents and suburban seats to Labor. It now holds just 43 seats in the 150-seat lower house, having been largely expelled from Australias capital cities. Since the election, the Coalition has lost several prominent frontbenchers, as policy positions on net zero and immigration levels continue to split the party. Five months ago, our party suffered its worst defeat in our 81-year history, Ley said. We didnt lose because of our values. We lost because we failed to heed them. The values of the Liberal Party are not for changing. We must re-adopt them. Now is a time to reconnect with the Australians with whom we have lost touch, and to develop new policy solutions to the challenges of our time. Premier Chris Minns insistence on pursuing unprecedented police powers to curb protests, despite pushback from within his own party, has backfired after the Supreme Court ruled the law invalid. Pro-Palestine protesters on Thursday won a challenge against the NSW governments laws, which gave police the power to move on protesters near any place of worship, regardless of whether the protest was aimed at the religious group. The court ruled laws restricting protests near places of worship were invalid. Credit: Max Mason-Hubers Justice Anna Mitchelmore found the law impermissibly burdens the implied freedom of political expression. Minns first flagged the laws in December last year, citing the attack on Melbournes Adass synagogue, which federal authorities later revealed they believed was directed by Iran, as evidence that religious rights were under threat. The police powers were part of a suite of hate speech and protest laws to combat antisemitism after the Dural caravan incident, which was later described by police as a con job. This decision is significant. The Liberals, even after their 2011 landslide election victory, tried to do something similar with the antiquated planning act but failed. Now Labor will have that win. The opposition has also agreed its position on NSW Labors sweeping changes to the states 50-year-old planning laws . The Liberals will support Labors overhaul to planning, which is designed to deliver more housing more quickly. Opposition Leader Mark Speakman will launch the Liberal Friends of Housing group next week, alongside the staunchly pro-housing Young Liberals and the lobby group Sydney YIMBY. Speakmans Damascene conversion on housing inspired him to push for the establishment of the group, with the backing of the partys management committee, which is in place to sort out the dysfunctional NSW Liberals. Until recently, the Liberals approach to housing policy has been scattered and ill-disciplined. Only last year, Speakmans Liberal team was trying to pass laws to stop Labors signature housing policy of increasing density around public transport. The Coalition tied itself in knots trying to insist this did not mean it was against more housing, but that is precisely how it looked. For a brief time, Speakman adopted a bureaucratic term devised by the Productivity Commission ADIMBY (appropriate development in my backyard) but saw the error of his ways. No one was going to embrace that clumsy acronym. Not everyone in his party room is happy with the binary bluntness of being either NIMBY or YIMBY, but like it or not, that is how the housing debate is framed. How density might double: An artists impression of how masterplans and rezonings might look around Crows Nest. Now, after much hand-wringing and internal differences, the NSW Liberals whose electoral hopes rest on appealing to more young voters have decided not to stand in the way of housing. On the surface, this unusually mature approach for an opposition party could not be further from how their federal colleagues are behaving, as they remain locked in open bitter warfare, not with federal Labor but with each other. While the federal Liberals are, as senior frontbencher James Paterson described it this week, on a mass public therapy session, their NSW colleagues appear united and pragmatic. But do not be fooled. Cracks in the NSW Coalition are emerging. The Nationals are planning their own splinter religion over renewables and some Liberals are questioning their beliefs. After a two-start initiation that never went to plan, an untapped four-year-old is set to return with a bang at Thursdays feature Hawkesbury meeting. El Qasabi, a gelding in the David Pfeiffer stable at Warwick Farm, hasnt started since a well-beaten third at this track as a three-year-old in mid-June after suffering early interference. Racing returns to Grafton on Thursday. Credit: Getty Images And two weeks prior he had disappointed owners and punters on debut at Goulburn after being backed from $2.80 into $2.15. El Qasabi had tasted defeat by a combined nine lengths in just two starts, so connections put him out and quickly set about preparing for take two. Washington: Treasurer Jim Chalmers will be asked to join a US-led fight against Chinas latest attempts to increase its stranglehold over the worlds critical minerals as he arrives in Washington for a financial summit days before Anthony Albanese meets with Donald Trump. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US and its allies, including Australia, would present a fulsome response to Beijings plan to expand controls over rare earths, including the sweeping new requirement for companies worldwide to seek approval to export products containing even small traces of minerals sourced from China. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US was pursuing a co-ordinated response with allies, including Australia. Credit: AP This is China versus the world. Its not a US-China problem, Bessent said at a Washington event hosted by television network CNBC. Were going to be speaking with our European allies, with Australia, with Canada, with India and the Asian democracies, and were going to have a fulsome group response to this because bureaucrats in China cannot manage the supply chain or the manufacturing process for the rest of the world. Washington: Journalist Tara Copp has covered the military for nearly 20 years and worked out of the Pentagon for more than a decade. Today, along with almost all her colleagues, she packed up her things, handed in her press pass and walked out of the building. It made for an extraordinary sight: the Pentagon press corps filing out of the war departments headquarters, carrying boxes and saying goodbye, after their credentials were cancelled for refusing to sign up to new conditions that media outlets have described as censorious, anti-democratic and disturbing. Members of the Pentagon press corps leave the building, carrying their belongings on Wednesday afternoon. Credit: AP We all left together, Copp said. There were probably 45 to 50 of us we gathered as a group one last time. Were entirely proud of how weve handled this. We are not backing down, we are not compromising. Among other things, the new policy issued by War Secretary Pete Hegseths department stipulates journalists should not solicit classified or controlled unclassified information that officials have not authorised for public release. Photo: https://t.me/andriysadovyi The U.S.-based investment fund SEAF plans to invest up to $30 million in the development of small and medium-sized businesses in Ukraine, with Lviv serving as the starting point for investors, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy announced. "In Washington, we signed an agreement with SEAF one of the most well-known U.S. investment funds, which has supported small and medium-sized business development in 40 countries for over 30 years. SEAF is beginning operations in Ukraine, with Lviv as its launch site. Starting in 2026, the fund plans to invest up to $30 million in developing SMEs from construction and rehabilitation to job creation," Sadovy wrote on Telegram on Wednesday. According to the mayor, SEAF will strengthen the city's existing business support programs. "For example, the city provides a grant, and the fund adds investment to amplify the effect of these programs. These are real investments in the growth of Lviv and all of Ukraine," Sadovy added. PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs, Dr. Luc Mercelina, recently met with representatives of the European Union Delegation to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS, CARICOM, and CARIFORUM to strengthen cooperation and advance ongoing and upcoming development initiatives for Sint Maarten. The EU delegation included Ms. Chiara Tardivo (Team Leader, Economic Resilience and Trade), Mr. Laurent Bal (Head of Contract, Finance & Audit), Ms. Teodora Deaconu (Contracts and Finance Officer), and Mr. Nuno Silva (Programme Manager, Economic Resilience and Trade). As of September 1, 2025, the portfolio for the Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) has officially been transferred from the EU Delegation in Guyana to the Delegation in Barbados. The new Head of Delegation, Ms. Fiona Ramsey, and Head of Cooperation, Mr. David Mogollon, will now oversee the OCT portfolio, ensuring continued engagement and cooperation with Sint Maarten and the region. Sint Maartens relationship with the European Union continues to be one rooted in mutual respect and partnership, stated Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina. The transfer of the Caribbean OCT portfolio to the Barbados office reflects a strengthening of our regional engagement and will enhance coordination on critical development and infrastructure initiatives. During the mission, discussions also centered around the implementation of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Dutch Quarter Sewerage Project, a vital infrastructure initiative aimed at improving sanitation and quality of life in the Dutch Quarter community. Present at this meeting were Acting Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Development, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI), Ms. Melissa Gumbs, and the Secretary General of the Ministry of VROMI, Mr. Kenson Plaisimond, along with representatives from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), including Mr. Antonio Baio (Senior Project Manager) and Mr. William Squier Gonzalez (Head of Programme). The Government of Sint Maarten has taken an inclusive approach to the implementation of major infrastructure projects, ensuring that local communities are actively engaged in the process. This includes direct participation of community representatives in high-level management and decision-making as part of the 11th EDF Steering Committee, which will convene its inaugural meeting in the coming weeks. Our government believes in empowering our people through participation, said Prime Minister Mercelina. By involving community representatives in the oversight of the 11th EDF project, we are ensuring transparency, accountability, and shared ownership of progress. This is how we build trust and deliver results that truly reflect the needs of our citizens. The Dutch Quarter project has been long awaited, and I am pleased that through close collaboration with the European Union and UNOPS, we are now moving toward the implementation phase, the Prime Minister added. This initiative embodies our collective commitment to improving living conditions, strengthening infrastructure resilience, and ensuring that no community is left behind. The Government of Sint Maarten expresses its gratitude to the European Union Delegation and UNOPS for their continued partnership and technical support in advancing the islands development priorities. This engagement with the EU team reaffirms Sint Maartens commitment to responsible governance, international cooperation, and sustainable development, concluded Prime Minister Mercelina. Together, we are laying the foundation for a stronger, more resilient Sint Maarten. PHILIPSBURG:--- Following a police report about a shooting incident on Sunday, October 12, 2025, owners of local beach bars have come forward to clarify the location of the event. While the Police Force of Sint Maarten (KPSM) initially stated the shooting occurred at Kimsha Beach, business owners contend the incident took place at one of the nearby booths, not on the beach itself. The original police report detailed a shooting that happened just after 10:00 p.m. in Simpson Bay. KPSM patrols and ambulance personnel were dispatched to the scene, where they found a male victim with a gunshot wound to his abdomen. The victim was treated on-site before being transported to the Sint Maarten Medical Center (SMMC), where he remains in critical but stable condition. However, according to the beach bar owners, the altercation did not happen on the main beach area. They explained that a group of men were drinking at one of the booths when an argument broke out. One of the men then allegedly pulled out a firearm and fired two shots. The sound of the gunfire caused widespread panic, sending people on the beach and at the surrounding bars running for cover. In light of this conflicting information, the beach bar owners have called on KPSM to issue a clarification to their initial press release to accurately reflect the incident's location. The Criminal Investigation Department is actively investigating the shooting. KPSM urges anyone with information to contact detectives at +1 (721) 542-2222 ext. 204 or 205, or to use the anonymous tip line at 9300. Information can also be provided in person at the Philipsburg Police Station. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Labor Relations Team of the Division of Labor Affairs and Social Services will host its first-ever Labor Relations Panel Discussion in 2025 titled Shaping Labor Relations in Sint Maarten; introducing the role and responsibilities of key stakeholders. The event aims to strengthen dialogue between workers, employers, and key stakeholders on pressing labor issues in Sint Maarten. Labor relations as defined by the ILO is about how employers and workers cooperate, negotiate, and resolve conflicts both at the workplace and at national levels with the goal of ensuring fair treatment, productivity, and societal peace. Labor Relations encapsulates: Collective bargaining Social Dialogue Dispute Prevention and Resolution Representation and Participation The islands growth, tourism driven economy and small labor market means that strong relationships between labor employers and government are essential for stability and economic growth. Continued discussions on labor reform, especially considering the country packages, social dialogue and workforce protection, highlight the shared goal of a fair and transparent labor system that balances rights, responsibilities, and resilience. This panel discussion will help identify how the roles intersect, where collaboration can be strengthened and how each stakeholder contributes to fair, effective and forward-looking labor relations on the island. The panel will introduce key organizations and professionals shaping labor relations. Highlight roles and responsibilities in fostering fair and balanced workplaces. Promote improved communication and collaboration between institutions, unions, employers, and employees. Build awareness of labor rights and obligations. Encourage stakeholders to strengthen labor relations. Program Themes The panel, theme Shaping Labor Relations in Sint Maarten: Introducing the Role and Responsibilities of Key Stakeholders, will focus on: Strategies to resolve workplace conflict and improve communication. Promoting inclusion, equity and addressing the challenges faced by marginalized groups Ensuring safe and secure working conditions, job security and understanding the role of government regulation. Theme focused questions can be submitted by October 24th, 2025. Panelists: Ms. Peggy-Ann Dros-Richardson, Ms. Sharon Cangieter, Mr. Andrew Budike, Ms. Krystal Wanga, and Ms. Eunelda Cairo LL.M. This important event is scheduled to take place on: Date: October 30th, 2025 Time: 10:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m. Venue: Conference Room 1 & 2, Government Administration Building RSVP by: 25th October 2025 Tel: +1721-523-3671 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Press Release from Business Wire: Lasso (AFP) Oct 14, 2025 BOSTON, Oct 14, 2025 (BSW) - Lasso today announced its official launch and the introduction of its proprietary technology, Lasso SpinTech. This breakthrough system upends the outdated standards of ultra-processed foods using physics to weave together protein and fiber to make previously unattainable new consumer products. With a new $6.5M raise, Lasso is bringing its technology to the world by launching its own brands and licensing to global partners to create a new generation of healthier foods. Guided by CEO Mike Messersmith, the Lasso team spent the past year deploying its commercial-scale technology to create innovative clean-label products including protein-packed snacks and pet food-expanding beyond its first plant-based meat application under the Tender Food brand. Lasso's latest $6.5M in capital, led by Rhapsody Venture Partners with participation from Safar Partners, Claridge Venture Partners, and others, will enable the company to commercialize its transformative technology across new high growth food categories. "Consumers are no longer accepting the status quo in packaged food. Evidence of that is everywhere from the MAHA movement to vocal pushbacks on ultra-processed foods, and the influence of GLP-1 therapies on consumption patterns and preferences," said Messersmith. "The industry is desperate for new, innovative solutions, but has been handicapped by antiquated processing machines invented over 100 years ago-and wholly ill-equipped to meet the needs of consumers in 2025. At Lasso, we want to use our technology to step into that void and create progress. Our patented technology offers new ways of creating protein and fiber-rich foods with clean labels and competitive cost structures that will jumpstart major momentum in growing categories across the grocery store." Lasso originated at Harvard University's Wyss Institute, where founders Kit Parker, Luke MacQueen, Christophe Chantre, and Grant Gonzalez invented and spent seven years refining a novel food-processing technology - an "advanced cotton candy machine" capable of creating delicious, nutritious foods with exceptional texture and cost efficiency from nearly any ingredient. Their work culminated in the 2020 launch of Tender Food, which applied Lasso SpinTech to create category-leading plant-based meat. Tender Food will remain a brand under Lasso's broader portfolio, soon to be joined by several to-be-announced new brands, all built on Lasso SpinTech. Lasso SpinTech has come a long way since then - scaling from a countertop system in a lab to a commercial-scale system producing hundreds of thousands of pounds of product annually without the need for high heat, excess sugars or artificial additives. Today, the system is compact (about the size of a washing machine) and ultra-efficient (using less energy than a toaster oven) - a fraction of the capital and operating cost of competitive technologies. With nearly limitless ingredient combinations and texture flexibility, Lasso's technology has the potential to create an endless range of craveable food products. Messersmith closed: "This fundraise marks a major milestone for Lasso. We are on the cusp of introducing truly innovative new foods made of simple ingredients that everyone understands - both through brands we create and in working with global partners to bring new products to market through licensing agreements. There is nothing on the market that can match what Lasso can achieve with this technology. We are thrilled for people to taste these new products and take this business to a whole new level." About Lasso Lasso is transforming our food system with a breakthrough technology that converts simple ingredients into premium food products. Developed by Harvard scientists at the Wyss Institute, Lasso's innovative technology "spins" fibers, leveraging centrifugal force to restructure simple ingredients into nutritionally advantaged, affordable food products. With 1,000+ ingredient combinations and vast parameters to control fiber thickness, composition, arrangement, density, and moisture content, Lasso gives food producers the adaptability to navigate shifting supply chains, evolving consumer preferences, and global food trends - setting a new standard for the future of food production. Learn more at www.lassolabs.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251014740080/en/ Contact PR ContactLindsay Baumann & Jacqui [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 14, 2025 LAS VEGAS, Oct 14, 2025 (BSW) - During the National Business Aviation Association - Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), TRU Simulation + Training Inc., a Textron Inc.(NYSE:TXT) company, and an affiliate of Textron Aviation Inc., announced an agreement with the US Aviation Academy for its purchase of five of TRU Simulation's Cessna Skyhawk Veris Virtual Reality (VR) Simulators. This landmark agreement introduces the Veris to the fixed-wing training market and is TRU Simulation's first fleet order for VR training devices. The US Aviation Academy has the option for a future purchase of ten additional units as part of the agreement, underscoring a shared commitment to advancing pilot training through cutting-edge VR simulation. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251013144401/en/ TRU Simulation and US Aviation Academy sign purchase agreement for five Cessna Skyhawk Veris Virtual Reality Simulators, signifying first fleet order and fixed-wing market debut "The Veris represents a new era in flight training by revolutionizing how pilots learn, and we are proud to support the US Aviation Academy in its mission to advance pilot readiness through immersive simulation," said Jerry Messaris, vice president and general manager, TRU Simulation. "This agreement highlights the growing demand for next-generation training solutions, and we're ready to see the Veris become an integral part of the US Aviation Academy's training program." The US Aviation Academy offers training for professional pilots, aircraft technicians and aircraft dispatchers. The simulators will be delivered to the Academy's training facility in Denton, Texas, where they will further advance the academy's respected flight training experience. "We are thrilled to be the launch customer for the Cessna Skyhawk Veris VR simulator," said Mike Sykes, CEO and founder of US Aviation Academy. "Integrating the Veris into our training programs will greatly elevate the learning experience through its advanced technology, helping future aviators build confidence and competence from day one." The Cessna Skyhawk Veris VR Simulator is designed to meet FAA Flight Training Device (FTD) level 7 standards and features a fully configured cockpit replicating the Cessna Skyhawk instrumentation and controls. Additionally, the device is equipped with authentic Garmin G1000NXi avionics, offering students a highly engaging and realistic training environment with or without the headset. The Veris is a clean-sheet design that combines industry-leading features of a full flight simulator (FFS) with immersive virtual reality technology to empower pilots to confidently navigate the skies. Now qualified as a Level 7 Flight Training Device from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Veris is designed to meet EASA Flight Training Device Level 3 standards, and the company expects EASA qualification later this year. About TRU SimulationTRU Simulation + Training Inc., an affiliate of Textron Aviation Inc., is a leading provider of high-fidelity training devices and full-motion simulators for the aviation industry. With a strong commitment to excellence and innovation, TRU Simulation has been at the forefront of flight simulation technology for over a decade. Our customized simulator solutions empower pilots to navigate the skies confidently, while our state-of-the-art technology ensures safe and realistic training experiences. For more information, visit www.TRUSimulation.com. 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 are forward-looking statements which may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. 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. About US Aviation AcademyFounded in 2006, US Aviation Academy provides world-class pilot, technician and dispatcher training. With a fleet of over 200 aircraft and multiple training locations, US Aviation is one of the largest and most respected flight training institutions in the United States. US Aviation Academy partners with major airlines, the U.S. Air Force, collegiate institutions, MROs and aircraft manufacturers for career-focused training that prepares students for success in the aviation industry. The academy is known for its innovative approach, commitment to safety, and dedication to shaping the next generation of aviation professionals. To learn how to become an airline pilot, aircraft technician or dispatcher, visit www.usaviationacademy.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251013144401/en/ Contact Media Contact:Lauren [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. Photo: https://nads.gov.ua Head of the National Agency of Ukraine for Civil Service (NACS) Nataliia Aliushyna states that 40% of the representation in civil service positions of category "A" should be held by women in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals of Ukraine for the period up to 2030. "The NACS has developed a draft law on the restoration of competitions and improvement of the procedure for entering the civil service. It was recently considered and supported by the relevant Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The document provides for a number of important norms, in particular, on taking into account the gender approach. Thus, the draft law stipulates a mechanism for positive action: in the case of equal professional competencies, preference may be given to a candidate of the gender that is less represented in a state body in certain positions. This corresponds to Article 23 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU and is an important step towards real gender balance," Aliushyna said, following her participation in the conference "Gender Audit as a Tool for Gender-Responsible Renewal." According to her, in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals of Ukraine for the period up to 2030, 40% of the representation in category "A" civil service positions should be held by women. It is noted that currently more than 156,000 people work in the civil service, 76% of whom are women, but only 26% are women in management positions. Aliushina said that the topic of gender remains a priority in the training of public servants and is included in the rating of the most demanded skills for improving professional competencies among participants in the training events of the Higher School of Public Administration. As reported, in July, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the draft law "On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine on the Resumption of Competitions and Improvement of the Procedure for Entry, Passage, and Termination of Civil Service" (No. 13478). Later, it was withdrawn, and an alternative deputy bill was introduced instead (No. 13478-1). From May 20, 2022, for the period of martial law, civil service positions and positions in local government bodies can be appointed without competitive selection. The implementation plan of the Ukraine Facility support program provides for the reform of civil servant remuneration, the resumption of civil service competitions, the launch of the Human Resources Management Information System (HRMIS), and the resumption of the Unified Civil Service Vacancy Portal in 2025-2026. Dutch tech giant ASML: China sales to dip 'signficantly' in 2026 The Hague, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 Dutch tech giant ASML said on Wednesday it expected its sales in China to fall significantly next year, as it booked flat net profits in the third quarter of 2025 compared with the same quarter last year. "We expect China customer demand, and therefore our China total net sales in 2026 to decline significantly compared to our very strong business there in 2024 and 2025," said CEO Christophe Fouquet in a statement. The firm, which makes cutting-edge machines that manufacture semiconductors, announced net profits of 2.125 billion euros ($2.5 billion), after 2.077 billion euros in the third quarter of last year. Net sales in the third quarter of 2025 came in at 7.5 billion euros. ASML had forecast a figure between 7.4 billion euros and 7.9 billion euros. "Our third-quarter total net sales... were in line with guidance, reflecting a good quarter for ASML," said Fouquet. In July, the firm had warned that geopolitical and trade tensions had clouded the near-term outlook for its growth. ASML said then that it could not confirm it would be in the black in 2026. But on Wednesday, Fouquet said: "We do not expect 2026 total net sales to be below 2025," adding that the firm would give more details on next year's outlook in January. Press Release from Business Wire: SkySparc (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 STOCKHOLM, Oct 15, 2025 (BSW) - SkySparc, a trusted global provider of digital transformation solutions for treasury and finance institutions, today announced the acquisition of Inovotek Solutions ("Inovotek" or the "Company"), a specialist provider of transformation services to capital markets and financial institutions. Financial terms were not disclosed. The acquisition will bolster SkySparc's position as a premier provider of comprehensive digital transformation services to capital markets clients globally. It will address critical client challenges, including regulatory compliance and complex re-platforming initiatives. Additionally, SkySparc will expand its expertise across leading trading and risk management platforms such as Murex, Calypso, and FIS. By combining Inovotek's program management expertise with SkySparc's established managed services and proprietary software - OmniFi and Optimizer - the Company will deliver a robust and complete offering capable of addressing the most complex and demanding client requirements. Together, SkySparc and Inovotek will infuse practical AI throughout their solutions, using OmniFi to drive data-led automation, intelligent test acceleration, and real-time anomaly detection, enabling clients to modernize faster with lower risk. Joakim Wiener, CEO of SkySparc, said: "By bringing Inovotek's proven delivery track record together with SkySparc's OmniFi-powered analytics and automation and our world-class managed services, we'll help capital markets clients accelerate modernization, reduce risk, and capture value faster on mission-critical platforms." "Joining forces with SkySparc scales what our clients value most: deep domain expertise, engineering excellence, and predictable delivery," said Karim Yahia, CEO and Founder of Inovotek. "Together, we'll tackle the industry's most complex transformation challenges across Murex, Calypso, and FIS with greater breadth, resilience, and innovation." Inovotek will continue to operate "business as usual" with no disruption to existing clients or service agreements. The combined organization will continue investing in capital markets solutions and delivery models, with a shared ambition to expand its global reach as a preferred partner. About SkySparc SkySparc is a leading provider of digital transformation solutions for finance and treasury organizations worldwide. Combining deep domain expertise with its proprietary platform OmniFi, SkySparc helps treasurers and CFOs globally automate processes, improve cash visibility, and gain actionable insights through AI and advanced analytics. Founded in 2002, SkySparc is trusted by leading corporates and financial institutions across Europe, North America, and Asia. For more information, visit www.skysparc.com or follow us on LinkedIn. About Inovotek Solutions Inovotek Solutions strives to redefine traditional delivery models through advanced, innovative engineering. Its multifaceted approach focuses on minimizing costs, maximizing efficiency, and mitigating risks, all while fostering trusted partnerships. With over two decades of proven track record in program delivery and a strong presence in the financial sector, particularly around Murex and Transformation programs, the firm offers bespoke solutions tailored to clients' needs. Deep industry knowledge, complemented by a commitment to continuous innovation and excellence, positions Inovotek Solutions as a trusted advisor and partner in driving sustainable growth and success amidst a rapidly evolving business landscape. For more Information, visit www.Inovoteksolutions.com or follow us on LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251015785580/en/ Contact For SkySparcCathrina Henriksen CabreraHead of Marketing and CommunicationsTel: +33 6 289 874 24Email: [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: CSC (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 WILMINGTON, Oct 15, 2025 (BSW) - CSC, an enterprise-class domain security provider and world leader in domain management, DNS, digital certificate management, brand protection, and anti-fraud solutions, today announced its selection as "Overall Fraud Prevention Solution of the Year," as awarded by the 9th annual CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards. Conducted by CyberSecurity Breakthrough, an independent market intelligence organization, the annual program recognizes the most innovative companies, products, and technologies driving progress in the global information security industry. CSC's Fraud Protection solution is a comprehensive, intelligent, and highly effective defense platform that not only detects and mitigates fraud swiftly, but also proactively disrupts phishing campaigns before they reach consumers. Once a threat is validated, CSC is able to share intelligence across a robust partner network through its Domaincasting? feature, blocking access to fraudulent content within minutes. This multi-layered fraud protection approach combines real-time global surveillance, machine learning-powered threat scoring, expert human validation, and unmatched takedown capabilities-allowing for rapid detection of threats across email, web, mobile, and domain ecosystems. "Phishing schemes and online fraud continue to dominate as one of the most dangerous and costly cybersecurity threats to global enterprises," said Ihab Shraim, chief technology officer of CSC's Digital Brand Services division. "The 'Overall Fraud Prevention Solution of the Year' award reflects our platform's adaptability in the ever-evolving fraud landscape and our commitment to providing innovative solutions that prioritize speed, accuracy, and partnership for our valuable global client base." The 2025 CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards program received thousands of nominations from more than 20 countries around the world, representing everything from disruptive startups to established global enterprises. This year's winners embody the cutting edge of cybersecurity technology, delivering next-generation protection and resilience in today's increasingly complex threat landscape. For more information on the CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards, visit CyberSecurityBreakthrough.com. About CSCCSC is the trusted security and threat intelligence provider of choice for the Forbes Global 2000 and the 100 Best Global Brands (Interbrand(R)) with focus areas in domain security and management, along with digital brand and fraud protection. As global companies make significant investments in their security posture, our DomainSec? platform can help them understand cybersecurity oversights that exist and help them secure their online digital assets and brands. By leveraging CSC's proprietary technology, companies can solidify their security posture to protect against cyber threat vectors targeting their online assets and brand reputation, helping them avoid devastating revenue loss. CSC also provides online brand protection-a combination of online brand monitoring and enforcement activities-with a multidimensional view of various threats outside the firewall targeting specific domains. Fraud protection services that combat phishing in the early stages of attack round out our solutions. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, USA, since 1899, CSC has offices throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. CSC is a global company capable of doing business wherever our clients are-and we accomplish that by employing experts in every business we serve. Visit cscdbs.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251015552632/en/ Contact Joyson CherianW2 [email protected] CSC News Room 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. Exiting TED leader clings to tech optimism San Francisco, United States, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 Chris Anderson took over TED 25 years ago, when the internet was young and optimism abounded about the future it could deliver. Since then, the New York-based conference series has become globally known for its trademark "talks" sharing big ideas for a better world, while the internet is increasingly seen as a maelstrom of misinformation and social division. Anderson still sees technology, particularly artificial intelligence, as able to bring out the best in humanity, as he hands off leadership of the organization behind TED and its prestigious conferences to Khan Academy founder Sal Khan. "Conversations about possibility, about what we can build together, have always been at the heart of TED," Anderson said in an interview with AFP. "It's probably what the world needs now more than ever; it's the antidote to people throwing barbs at each other." Anderson cited social media as "the single biggest contributor to our dysfunction and to the falling out of love with technology" for many. He faulted ad-driven business models that tie profit to time people spend on tech platforms, no matter how disturbing or unhealthy the content holding their attention. "These algorithms have found that the best way to lock people in is to make them see the world as frightening and to see the 'other' as threatening them," Anderson said. "It's a tragedy." Nonetheless, Anderson is a self-described optimist, confident that better things can be built. - Tedsters - The first Technology, Education, and Design (TED) gathering was held in Monterey, California in 1984. The annual conferences were drawing about 500 people when Anderson's nonprofit Sapling Foundation took over in 2001. The roster of "Tedsters" includes renowned scientists, Hollywood celebrities, influential artists, and founders of tech firms such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Netflix. "I felt I'd come home to that heroic group of people dreaming about the future and what the future could be," Anderson said. "They absolutely loved it," he said of the atmosphere at TED. Anderson, who had been a successful publishing entrepreneur, made the risky move of releasing videos of the talks for free online. "It could have arguably wrecked the conference and stopped people from wanting to pay to come," Anderson said. Instead, the opposite happened: as TED Talks spread around the world, so did interest in attending the conferences in person. "It's completely thrilling seeing that TED didn't just have to be for 500 people -- it could be for many millions of people," Anderson said. TED now produces podcasts, short video series, animated educational lessons (TED-Ed), and TV programs that are translated into more than 100 languages. - Best and worst selves - Anderson spearheaded the launch of the TEDx program, which lets local organizers host TED-style events, and brought young innovators into the fold with a fellowship program. A TED Audacious Project backing "wishes" by people seeking to do good has generated more than $3 billion for projects to make the world more sustainable, just, or beautiful, according to organizers. "The biggest thrill of TED has been discovering that the internet used the right way can be the most glorious gift," Anderson said. Anderson, 68, touted Khan as an ideal successor to steward TED. Khan will continue to lead his online learning platform while also helping shape TED's mission, particularly with AI. "You could argue that AI used right is capable of helping people become their best selves," Anderson said, noting that education has long been central to TED. "Whereas social media often helps people become their worst selves." Nvidia-backed consortium makes $40 billion AI data center deal New York, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 A consortium led by asset manager BlackRock, including chip giant Nvidia and Microsoft is set to acquire data center specialist Aligned Data Centers from Australian financial services group Macquarie for approximately $40 billion. The deal marks another sign of the tech sector's insatiable appetite for AI infrastructure, including chips, servers, and data centers that provide the computing storage and processing power required by artificial intelligence. Founded in 2013, Aligned currently operates more than 50 data centers across the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia, with a projected capacity exceeding 5 gigawatts. Macquarie initially acquired a stake in the Texas-based company in 2018 through its subsidiary Macquarie Asset Management and subsequently increased its investment in 2020. The acquiring consortium consists of BlackRock, Emirati sovereign tech fund MGX, and the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), a joint venture established by BlackRock in 2024 that includes BlackRock, MGX, Nvidia, and Microsoft. AIP plans to raise $30 billion in direct investments and leverage debt to achieve a total investment capacity of $100 billion. The partners have not disclosed how equity will be distributed among Aligned's new shareholders following the transaction's completion, expected in the first half of 2026. "We are entering a new era in which AI will fundamentally reengineer our economies and enable accelerated growth," said Ahmed Yahia Al Idrissi, CEO of MGX and Vice Chairman of AIP, in a press release. BlackRock CEO and AIP Chairman Larry Fink said the acquisition enabled its clients to participate in the growth of AI. Photo: https://president.gov.ua Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva has met with Secretary General of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anne-marie Decot to coordinate positions ahead of the European Council meeting on October 23. As reported on the website of the President of Ukraine on Wednesday, the meeting took place as a continuation of the recent telephone conversation between President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President of France Emmanuel Macron. According to Zhovkva, Ukraine expects that important decisions will be made at the European Council meeting to support our country, first of all, a new financial instrument will be introduced, which will allow directing frozen Russian assets to protect and restore Ukraine. "We expect that the necessary political and legal decisions will be made and implemented without delay. After all, Russia is once again not demonstrating readiness for peace, but, on the contrary, is intensifying its terror, in particular against our energy infrastructure on the eve of winter," he said. The parties also discussed the sanctions policy of the European Union. Ukraine expects that the 19th package of sanctions will be adopted in the near future and will include restrictions against the shadow fleet, military-industrial and financial sectors of the Russian Federation, and will contain personal sanctions against those involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children and the spread of Kremlin propaganda. Special attention will be paid to Ukraine's progress on the path to membership in the European Union. Zhovkva stressed that Ukraine has successfully completed the stage of screening legislation, is fully ready to open the first cluster and will be ready with the rest of the clusters this year. Decot assured of further support for Ukraine on its path to membership in the European Union and in efforts to achieve real peace. She also noted that France is interested in deepening cooperation with Ukraine, in particular in the field of culture. In addition, the priorities of France's presidency of the Group of Seven (G7) next year in terms of supporting Ukraine were discussed. As reported, the European Council summit will be held on October 23-24 in Brussels. According to the agenda of the meeting on October 23, the leaders of the European Union will discuss strengthening support for Ukraine, including through immobilized Russian assets, and Zelenskyy will address the leaders. The second item on the agenda was defense, said the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa. He noted that hybrid attacks and drone surveillance near critical infrastructure, as well as hostile incursions into the airspace of member states, are "another demonstration of the urgency of accelerating work to achieve a common European defense readiness by 2030." Other items on the agenda of the meeting include competitiveness and the digital and green transition, the situation in the Middle East, and peace in Gaza. Australia must deploy 'unconventional' means to deter China, Russia: think tank Sydney, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 Australia must learn from past guerrilla insurgencies and adopt an "unconventional deterrence" policy in facing down threats from China, Russia and elsewhere, one of the country's leading think tanks said Wednesday. Australia, under the tripartite AUKUS pact with the United States and the United Kingdom, will acquire at least three Virginia class submarines from the United States within 15 years, with an eye to eventually build its own. Until then Canberra faces a major gap in its defences, warned the report by the non-partisan Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), which receives funding from Canberra's defence ministry as well as the US State Department. "Australia's traditional reliance upon 'great and powerful friends' and extended nuclear deterrence now seems no longer assured," the authors wrote. "Australia has options to fill today's deterrence gap: we just need to look beyond conventional paradigms," they said. ASPI, acknowledging Australia's "inferiority" against adversaries like China, argued that past guerrilla wars like the Chechen insurgency against Russia in the 1990s showed that smaller actors could inflict heavy damage on much larger foes. "History demonstrates that innovative concepts and asymmetric capabilities can achieve deterrent effects ahead of and during conflict," the authors wrote. "Australian concepts of deterrence don't address the nature of competition as currently practised by China and other autocratic regimes such as Russia, North Korea and Iran," they warned. ASPI pointed to Beijing's growing use of so-called "grey-zone" tactics -- cyberwarfare, coercion and subversion that fall short of acts of war -- as evidence that Australia needed a more dynamic and reactive policy. It also argued Canberra could learn from former Singaporean leader Lee Kuan Yew's description of the city state as a "poisonous shrimp" -- as well as the "porcupine" strategies of Switzerland and the Baltic states. ASPI called for the recreation of a National Security Adviser with sweeping powers and oversight over Canberra's intelligence agencies, as well as reforms of spying and defence laws to facilitate the new policy. Australia is engaging in a rapid military build-up in a push to strengthen its defences against China, also its largest trading partner. Canberra plans to gradually increase its defence spending to 2.4 percent of gross domestic product -- well short of US demands for 3.5 percent. The AUKUS submarine programme alone could cost the country up to $235 billion over the next 30 years, according to Australian government forecasts, a price tag that has stoked criticism. Tested by Russia, NATO looks to strengthen its defences Brussels, Belgium, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 NATO defence ministers will look Wednesday at shoring up the alliance's ability to counter Russian air incursions, as fears grow that Moscow is testing the West in a grey zone between war and peace. Focus will also be on bolstering support for Ukraine as US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth joins his 31 NATO counterparts with his boss, President Donald Trump, mulling the supply of long-range missiles to Kyiv. The gathering in Brussels comes after Moscow rattled NATO with a series of high-profile airspace violations in Poland and Estonia that fuelled fears of conflict spilling over its border. Those were followed up by a spate of mysterious drones that disrupted airports and flew close to military sites in a string of countries. All this has added fuel to concerns that Russia is pushing the boundaries and seeking to probe NATO's reaction. "In more and more ways, we are in a long-term and intensified conflict with Russia," a Western official said. NATO ministers are set to train their sights on efforts to plug gaps in the alliance's eastern flank after it had to use costly missiles to down Russian drones in Poland. "We are doing what we trained for, and it works, but we need to do more," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said. NATO has launched a new mission and beefed up its forces in the wake of the incidents, but some countries close to Russia are asking for a more robust response. Diplomats say the alliance is looking to fine tune its rules of engagement for dealing with Russian incursions and iron out different approaches between member states. NATO is at the same time seeking to speed up work on better developing anti-drone capabilities and incorporating the sort of low-cost technology Ukraine is using into its own defences. - EU eyes 'drone wall' - The EU, which will convene its own meeting of defence ministers on Wednesday evening, has proposed creating a "drone wall" to try to tackle the menace. But there is some scepticism from countries like Germany over the proposal and fears that the 27-nation bloc could be treading on NATO's toes. The drone initiative is one of a number of flagship projects the EU is focusing on as part of a broad push to prepare the bloc for potential conflict with Moscow in the coming years. The EU will present a road map on its plans to ministers and hopes to get sign off on it at a summit of leaders next week. Hegseth, who delivered a blistering jolt to NATO on his first visit in February, is meanwhile expected to tell allies to start making good on a vow to ramp up defence spending. NATO members agreed at their Hague summit in June to reach 3.5 percent of GDP on core military spending by 2035. - Tomahawks for Ukraine? - While NATO looks to address threats to the alliance it will also seek to bolster Ukraine's efforts to counter Russian attacks. Washington has shifted closer to Kyiv as Trump has lost patience with Russian leader Vladimir Putin for stalling on peace efforts. Hegseth is set to press allies to cough up more money for an initiative from Trump for Europe to pay for US weapons for Kyiv. So far deals worth around two billion euros ($2.3 billion) have been agreed, and Washington and Kyiv want countries such as Britain, France, Spain and Italy to open their wallets too. "This program is vital, and allies must step up and contribute now to put the pressure on Russia to come to the negotiating table," US ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said. Trump is currently weighing whether to let Ukraine have longer-range Tomahawk missiles and is set to meet with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday. The Kremlin has warned Washington against the move, but Trump may be willing to let Kyiv hit far inside Russia to pressure Putin towards peace. "The possibility of deep strikes could change Putin's calculation as well, and would put a lot of things at risk, including significant energy infrastructure inside Russia," Whitaker said. Swedish military says tracking Russian sub in Baltic Sea Stockholm, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 Sweden's armed forces said Wednesday they were following a Russian submarine that entered the Baltic Sea a day earlier, calling it a "routine operation" in collaboration with its allies. "A Russian submarine entered the Baltic Sea yesterday via the Great Belt," a Danish strait, the military said in a statement. "The armed forces' jet fighters and warships met up with the submarine in the Kattegatt (strait between Denmark and Sweden) and are now following it," it said. The military said it was "a routine operation taking place in close collaboration with our allies", adding that it had a "good overview of our immediate vicinity". Tensions over the Baltic Sea have heightened since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in January that Sweden was "not at war, but there is not peace either". The country dropped two centuries of military non-alliance to join NATO in 2024. Kristersson said the entire Baltic Sea region was subjected to "hybrid attacks", referring to disinformation and a series of incidents involving damaged underwater cables. "The Russian threat is very likely long-term. As our defence must be," he said. Iraqi parliamentary candidate killed north of Baghdad: security source Baghdad, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 An Iraqi parliamentary candidate was killed and three of his bodyguards wounded when a bomb exploded near his car north of Baghdad, a security source said. The incident is the first killing of a candidate ahead of Iraq's parliamentary elections, scheduled for November 11. "A bomb exploded under the vehicle of Safaa al-Mashhadani, a current member of the Baghdad Provincial Council and a candidate for parliament. He died instantly and three of his bodyguards were seriously wounded," the source, who requested anonymity as they were not allowed to brief the media, told AFP. The source explained that "the incident occurred at dawn on Wednesday in Tarmiyah", located 40 kilometres north of the capital and part of the Baghdad province. Mashhadani was running with one of the largest Sunni Muslim coalitions, led by businessman Khamis al-Khanjar and parliament speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani. The upcoming elections are the sixth since the 2003 United States invasion of Iraq, which toppled longtime ruler Saddam Hussein. The majority of Iraq's 329 lawmakers represent Shiite parties aligned with neighbouring Iran. Tested by Russia, NATO looks to boost Kyiv and its own defences Brussels, Belgium, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday he expected more NATO countries to buy American arms for Ukraine, as the alliance sought to bolster Kyiv and its own ability to counter Russia. North Atlantic Treaty Organization ministers were meeting in Brussels after a series of air incursions fed fears that Moscow is testing the West in a grey zone between war and peace. "You get peace when you are strong, not when you use strong words or wag your finger, you get it when you have strong and real capabilities that adversaries respect," Hegseth told reporters. The Pentagon chief was joining his 31 counterparts of the Western political and military alliance as his boss, President Donald Trump, mulls the supply of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv. And he said he expected more European countries to announce they were contributing to a US scheme that sees allies pay for American weapons for Ukraine. So far, countries have committed some two billion dollars to the scheme -- but Washington and Kyiv want countries such as Britain, France, Spain and Italy to open their wallets too. High-profile Russian violations of NATO airspace in Poland and Estonia have fuelled fears of conflict spilling over the border -- compounded by mysterious drones disrupting airports and flying close to military sites in a number of countries. All this has driven concerns that Russian President Vladimir Putin is pushing the boundaries and seeking to probe NATO's reaction. "Putin is watching what we do, and Putin should be in no doubt, if NATO is threatened, we will act," British minister John Healey said. Ministers were training their sights on efforts to plug gaps in the alliance's eastern flank after it had to use costly missiles to down Russian drones in Poland. NATO has launched a new mission and beefed up its forces in the wake of the incidents, but some countries close to Russia are asking for a more robust response. The alliance is looking to fine-tune its rules of engagement for dealing with Russian incursions and iron out different approaches between member states. "What you do see now is that regulations are slightly different, and that makes it complicated," said Dutch minister Ruben Brekelmans. "When things get tough, when the F-35s are up in the air, you need to make sure that for everyone it's very clear what your regulations are." NATO is also seeking to accelerate the development of anti-drone capabilities and incorporate the sort of low-cost technology Ukraine is using in its own defences. "When it comes to the drones, obviously, learning from Ukraine, we are making sure that we will implement as soon as possible the latest technologies," NATO chief Mark Rutte said. - EU eyes 'drone wall' - The EU, which will convene its own meeting of defence ministers on Wednesday evening, has proposed creating a "drone wall" to try to tackle the menace. But there is some scepticism from countries like Germany over the proposal and fears that the 27-nation bloc could be treading on NATO's toes. The drone initiative is one several flagship EU projects aiming to prepare the bloc for potential conflict with Moscow in the coming years. The EU will present a road map to ministers and hopes to get sign off on it at a leaders' summit next week. The bloc's efforts come after NATO members agreed at their Hague summit in June to reach 3.5 percent of GDP on core military spending by 2035. - Tomahawks for Ukraine? - While NATO looks to address threats to the alliance, it is also seeking to bolster Ukraine's efforts to counter Russian attacks. Washington has shifted closer to Kyiv as Trump has lost patience with Putin for stalling on peace efforts. Trump is set to meet with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, as he weighs whether to let Ukraine have Tomahawk missiles. The Kremlin has warned Washington against the move, but Trump may be willing to let Kyiv hit far inside Russia to pressure Putin towards peace. "That decision comes from the White House -- but we see long-range weapons are critical for Ukraine, and they would have a clear impact," said Finnish minister Antti Hakkanen. Ukraine officials in US meet Tomahawk missile makers Kyiv, Ukraine, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 Senior Ukrainian officials visiting the United States said Wednesday that they met with representatives of US weapon manufacturers, including Raytheon, which produces Tomahawk missiles that Washington could provide to Kyiv. The Ukrainian delegation's two-day visit also included talks with senior US officials and comes ahead of a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday. Andriy Yermak, the head of the presidential office, said that he had met with representatives of Lockheed Martin and Raytheon alongside other members of the delegation, including Ukrainian Yulia Svyrydenko. Raytheon produces the long-range Tomahawk missiles that Trump has mulled sending to Kyiv. Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, has warned that sending the missiles to Ukraine would rupture its ties with Washington and trigger a new round of escalation. "Our cooperation continues to grow," Yermak wrote on social media, touting US-designed F-16 fighter jets supplied to Ukraine by European countries last year. Ukraine has been pushing for deeper cooperation with allies on weapons production, particularly since Trump took office earlier this year after vowing reduced US support for Kyiv. Svyrydenko earlier said she had met with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and discussed joint investment and cooperation on energy issues. bur-jbr/cad/cc HRW says new Iraqi personal status code makes women 'second class citizens' Baghdad, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 Human Rights Watch on Wednesday criticised Iraq's amendment of the personal status law, saying it restricts women's rights and makes them "second class citizens". In January, the Iraqi parliament amended the 1959 Personal Status Law to allow people to choose between religious or civil regulations for family matters such as marriage, inheritance, divorce and child custody. Under the amendment, the Shiite Endowment Office established the "Code of Jaafari (Shiite) Rulings on Personal Status Matters", which was approved by parliament. The amendment allows a man to convert his marriage contract to be governed by the Shiite religious code without informing his wife. Ghazal, who only gave her first name, told HRW she received a court summons notifying her that her ex-husband had filed a lawsuit to retroactively apply the Shiite personal status code and terminate her guardianship over her 10-year-old son a decade after their divorce. "It is unacceptable that someone marries under a law that protects the rights of women and children, and then, more than a decade later, manipulates the law to strip those rights away," the woman, who said she ended her marriage after it turned "violent", told HRW. The new code also allows husbands to divorce their wives without informing them or seeking their consent and "automatically transfers responsibility and care of children to the father after age seven", HRW said. While a wife can ask that no polygamy or divorce can take place without her consent, the marriage or divorce remains valid even if the husband breaches these conditions. Sarah Sanbar, an Iraq researcher at Human Rights Watch, said that "the new Personal Status Code further institutionalises discrimination against women, legally relegating them to second class citizens". "It takes away women's and girls' agency over their lives and instead gives it to men. It should be repealed immediately." An earlier version of the amendment faced a backlash from feminists and civil society groups over fears it would lower the minimum age for Muslim girls to marry to as young as nine years old. Amnesty International warned this month that "the amendments would also open the door to legalising unregistered marriages, which are often used to circumvent child marriage laws" and could strip "women and girls of protections regarding divorce and inheritance". While the new amendment allows Sunni courts to issue their own code, they are still abiding by the 1959 law. Conscription row mars Germany's push to beef up deterrence Berlin, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius hit back Wednesday at critics within his own government as a row over army recruitment threatens to overshadow Berlin's push to bolster its military deterrence. Conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz, citing the threat of a hostile Russia, has tasked Pistorius of the centre-left Social Democrats with boosting recruitment to build up "the strongest conventional army in Europe". But the question of how to get there has led to angry recriminations, as Pistorius prefers a purely voluntary approach and Merz's CDU/CSU has advocated the potential use of a draft lottery if necessary. The coalition government had planned a first reading of a compromise draft law this week, but disagreement on the details sparked a row on Tuesday. Pistorius told reporters on Wednesday that the idea of a draft lottery was a "lazy compromise" and would be too time-consuming in practice. Some lawmakers from Merz's centre-right CDU/CSU reacted furiously to Pistorius's stance. "In 30 years in parliament, I have never seen a minister torpedo an important bill and plunge his own MPs into chaos like this," senior CDU lawmaker Norbert Roettgen told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung. NATO targets call for Germany to build up its total military strength to 460,000 troops -- made up of 260,000 active soldiers and 200,000 reservists. But the Bundeswehr is currently a far cry from those figures, with around only 182,000 active soldiers and 49,000 reservists. Pistorius hopes to avoid the need for the draft by attracting more volunteers with better pay and benefits like free driving licences and technical training opportunities. The row over conscription is not the only point of tension between the CDU/CSU conservatives and their junior coalition partners the Social Democrats. Pistorius has also taken aim at CSU leader Markus Soeder, who has called for an aggressive response to suspected Russian drones that have been spotted over various sensitive sites in Germany. After mystery drones shut down Munich airport this month, Soeder, who is also the state premier of Bavaria, advocated a drone response policy of "shooting down rather than waiting". Pistorius dismissed such talk as "gunslinger rhetoric" in comments to the Pioneer website. "That sort of talk might work at high noon in Dodge City, but not in international politics where we need to prevent wars and avoid escalation." Photo: https://www.facebook.com/sergii.koretskyi Russia attacked one of Naftogaz Group's thermal power plants overnight on October 15, according to company CEO Oleksiy Koretsky. "Over the past seven days, Russia has carried out three massive attacks on gas infrastructure. And last night, one of Naftogaz Group's thermal power plants came under fire," Koretsky wrote on Facebook on Wednesday morning. He noted that gas production facilities in Kharkiv region had previously been targeted, and earlier, the enemy had deliberately attacked gas infrastructure in Sumy and Chernihiv regions. "These facilities have nothing to do with military objectives. Russian terrorists are once again committing acts of terror aimed at depriving Ukraine of gas, heat, and electricity this winter. The Russians still can't understand that they can neither break us nor intimidate us," the Naftogaz head said. Russia rejects compensation to Georgia over 2008 war Moscow, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 Russia will not comply with a European court ruling ordering it to pay Georgia almost $300 million for violations it has allegedly committed since their 2008 war, the Kremlin said Wednesday. Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 after Tbilisi launched a surprise offensive against pro-Moscow separatist forces that it said were shelling Georgian villages. Since then, it has occupied areas of northern and western Georgia comprising almost one-fifth of the country and installed puppet governments that have prevented the return of ethnic Georgian citizens, according to Tbilisi. It has also blocked the teaching of Georgian in schools, Georgia says. On Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) upheld Georgia's complaints, ordering Moscow to pay just over 253 million euros ($292 million) in compensation. "We will not comply with the ruling," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Moscow quit the Council of Europe, of which the ECHR is part, following its 2022 offensive on Ukraine but the court says it remains liable for violations committed before then. Moscow has repeatedly ignored ECHR rulings, including while it was still a member of the Council of Europe. Georgia formally cut diplomatic relations with Russia in the wake of their 2008 war, but has taken informal steps to improve ties in recent years -- a process that Georgia's opposition has heavily criticised. When asked on Wednesday whether the non-payment of the fine would affect the diplomatic thaw, Peskov said it was a "separate matter". Moscow recognises the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent, while most of the world recognises them as Georgian territory. NATO looks to boost drone defences in face of Russia Brussels, Belgium, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 NATO said Wednesday it was testing new anti-drone defences on its eastern flank, as the alliance scrambles to counter the threat from Russia after a series of air incursions. High-profile incidents in Poland and Estonia have set off a flurry of activity -- at NATO and the European Union -- to plug gaps in the continent's defences. The alliance has launched a new mission and beefed up forces on its eastern border, but it is playing catch up as it tries to tap Ukraine's experience and get to grips with the drone threat from Moscow. "NATO will implement a number of additional counter drone measures that will build on and expand and accelerate our ability to counter drones," EU chief Mark Rutte said after a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels. "We are testing integrated systems that will help us detect, track and neutralise aerial threats." The push from the military alliance comes as the EU, which will convene its own meeting of defence ministers on Wednesday evening, has proposed creating a "drone wall" to try to tackle the menace. Brussels wants to have the project up and running by the end of 2027 -- but there is scepticism from some EU countries and fears the bloc is treading on NATO's toes. "Let me say it once and for all, the EU and NATO are working hand in hand, closely together, and we both know our strength," Rutte insisted. The drone initiative is one of several flagship EU projects aiming to prepare the bloc for potential conflict with Moscow in the coming years. The EU will present a road map to ministers on Wednesday and hopes to get sign off at a leaders' summit next week. - 'No free-riders' - While NATO looked to address potential threats to the alliance, it also sought to bolster Ukraine's current fight against Russia. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a strident call for more countries to contribute to a US scheme that sees allies pay for American weapons for Ukraine. "You get peace when you are strong, not when you use strong words or wag your finger, you get it when you have strong and real capabilities that adversaries respect," Hegseth told reporters. "Now is the time for all NATO countries to turn words into action," the Pentagon chief said. "No free riders." Hegseth and Rutte said they expected a string of countries to announce new money for the programme set up by Trump over the summer, beyond the two billion dollars committed so far. Washington has shifted closer to Kyiv as US President Donald Trump has lost patience with Russian leader Vladimir Putin for stalling on peace efforts. Ukraine's defence minister Denys Shmygal said Kyiv hoped the total committed under the initiative would reach "12 to 20 billion dollars" next year. He said that overall Kyiv was looking to get support for its military worth some $60 billion from its backers in 2026. The talks among Ukraine's supporters come as Trump mulls the supply of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv. The Kremlin has warned Washington against the move, but Trump may be willing to let Kyiv hit far inside Russia to pressure Putin towards peace. The US leader is set to host Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday at the White House. Row over conscription mars Germany's Russia strategy Berlin, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 The German government on Wednesday tried to smooth over a row within its ranks over conscription that threatens to overshadow its push to bolster military deterrence against Russia. European powers have been on alert since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and a spate of drone incursions in recent months -- as well as US promises to move away from defending the continent -- has pushed the issue to the top of the agenda. One of the key projects of conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government is to bring in a new system of military service to build up "the strongest conventional army in Europe". Some government MPs have suggested a lottery system to decide who gets drafted, but on Wednesday Defence Minister Boris Pistorius rejected that idea as a "lazy compromise" that would be too time-consuming to implement. The comments from Pistorius, who is from the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) and regularly polls as one of the most popular politicians, provoked an angry reaction from some in Merz's centre-right CDU/CSU alliance. "In 30 years in parliament, I have never seen a minister torpedo an important bill and plunge his own MPs into chaos like this," senior CDU lawmaker Norbert Roettgen told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Nevertheless Merz's spokesman Stefan Kornelius appealed on Wednesday for all sides to "take the drama out" of the debate. The dispute "does not mean that Germany is not united or weakened, Germany is able to act", Kornelius told reporters. Asked by AFP whether the discord would give heart to Russia, Kornelius said it was the kind of healthy debate that Moscow should encourage in its own political system. "One would like to see more democracy and debate in Russia, also on the subject of conscription," he added. Kornelius insisted military service reform would be passed and implemented by January 1 as planned. "Since 2022 we have had to take into account a much higher threat to Germany," he said, alluding to the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. - 'Gunslinger rhetoric' - NATO targets call for Germany to build up its total military strength to 460,000 troops -- made up of 260,000 active soldiers and 200,000 reservists. But the Bundeswehr is currently a far cry from those figures, with around only 182,000 active soldiers and 49,000 reservists. Pistorius hopes to avoid the need for the draft by attracting more volunteers with better pay and benefits like free driving licences and technical training opportunities. Merz and Pistorius regularly accuse Moscow of acts of hybrid warfare aimed at destabilising Germany. Merz has made national security a priority, announcing unprecedented investments in an army that has been underfunded and under-equipped for decades. He has also reaffirmed support for Ukraine, for whom Germany has been the second-largest supplier of aid after the US. But the row over conscription illustrates broader tensions within the government over how firmly to respond to Russia. Also this week, Pistorius hit back at CSU leader Markus Soeder's call for an aggressive response to suspected Russian drones that have been spotted over various sensitive sites in Germany. After mystery drones shut down Munich airport this month, Soeder, who is also the state premier of Bavaria, advocated a drone response policy of "shooting down rather than waiting". Pistorius dismissed such talk as "gunslinger rhetoric" in comments to the Pioneer website. "That sort of talk might work at high noon in Dodge City, but not in international politics where we need to prevent wars and avoid escalation." Iraqi parliamentary candidate killed near Baghdad Baghdad, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 An Iraqi parliamentary candidate was killed while three of his bodyguards were wounded when a bomb exploded near his car north of Baghdad, a security source said. The candidate's killing comes ahead of Iraq's parliamentary elections, scheduled for November 11. "A bomb exploded under the vehicle of Safaa al-Mashhadani, a current member of the Baghdad Provincial Council and a candidate for parliament. He died instantly and three of his bodyguards were seriously wounded," the source, who requested anonymity as they were not allowed to brief the media, told AFP. The source explained that "the incident occurred at dawn on Wednesday in Tarmiyah", located 40 kilometres north of the capital and part of the Baghdad province. Mashhadani was running with the Sovereignty Alliance, one of Iraq's largest Sunni Muslim coalitions, led by businessman Khamis al-Khanjar and parliament speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani. The coalition condemned the "cowardly crime", calling it "an extension of the approach of exclusion, targeting and treachery pursued by the forces of uncontrolled weapons and terrorism, all of which seek to silence free national voices". According to the coalition, Mashhadani "fought and struggled for his people and his city of Tarmiyah, against both terrorism and the forces of uncontrolled weapons". Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered an investigation opened into the attack and called for the perpetrators' arrests, a security source told AFP. "The entrances and exits (to the crime scene) are currently closed and security forces are deployed," the source added. Britain's ambassador to Iraq, Irfan Siddiq, condemned the killing. "Violence against political candidates undermines Iraqi democracy," Siddiq wrote on the embassy's social media in Arabic. "We stand with Iraq's leaders in condemning this violence." The majority of Iraq's 329 lawmakers represent Shiite parties aligned with neighbouring Iran. The upcoming elections are the sixth since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, which toppled longtime ruler Saddam Hussein. Burkina frees three journalists, two others held Abidjan, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 Three Burkinabe journalists arrested earlier this week were released Wednesday, while intelligence agents still hold two others, their media outlets told AFP. Burkina Faso's military junta, which sprang a September 2022 coup led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, has regularly faced accusations of repressive measures against critics, including forced frontline enlistment to fight jihadist groups. Recent months have seen authorities release around a dozen people abducted and forcibly mobilised, including journalists, civil society leaders or relatives of politicians -- but a new series of arrests resumed earlier this month. The Aujourd'hui (Today) private daily Wednesday welcomed "good news" regarding its publishing director, Zowenmanogo Dieudonne Zoungrana, detained Tuesday at his home by National Intelligence Agency (ANR) agents. The paper said he had "regained his freedom". The Observateur Paalga daily also said its editorial director Ousseni Ilboudo had been released after his detention Monday at the paper's offices. A third journalist, Michel Nana, held early Monday, was also reported freed. Sources told AFP that two other journalists were "questioned" by ANR agents late Tuesday, naming them as Lamine Traore, founder of online media Burkina Yawana, and Jean-Marie Toe, editor-in-chief of state daily Sidwaya. Toe and Zoungrana participated in an interview late last month with Captain Traore marking three years since the coup. There has been no official comment on the detentions, but sources close to the junta have alluded to an investigation into the leaking of coverage of the interview to an outlet critical of the military prior to its broadcast on national television on September 28. Three Burkinabe appeals' court magistrates remain missing, believed abducted, since Friday, according to a judicial source. Photo: https://www.facebook.com The Netherlands will announce another EUR 90 million support package for drones for Ukraine. This was stated on Wednesday in Brussels, when arriving at a meeting of defense ministers of NATO member states, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans has said. "Our support for Ukraine is more important than ever. We see almost daily powerful air attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine. The Ukrainians told me last weekend that the coming winter will be the most difficult yet, and I think we need to ensure a continuous flow of support for Ukraine. And the Netherlands is doing more than ever. A few days ago I announced 200 million in support. Today I will announce another support package of EUR 90 million for drones, both reconnaissance and strike, because we see that Ukraine, the Ukrainian industry, still has the potential to produce more, and so we are investing another EUR 90 million to do this," he said. In addition, Breckelmans believes it is important to change "the underlying dynamic, because Putin now feels that he is winning every day by continuing Russian aggression in Ukraine, and we must ensure that the price for Putin increases." "This means a steady flow, as well as a long-term commitment to Ukraine when it comes to military support, both bilaterally and through other means, such as frozen assets. "We must support Ukraine with deep strike capabilities so that the costs to Russia increase, but we also need to make sure that by strengthening sanctions, by increasing economic pressure on Russia, Putin feels that he cannot continue like this, and that we will ultimately win, together with Ukraine," the Dutch Defense Minister said. He also said that the Netherlands would support providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. "That is for the United States to decide, but if the United States decides to provide Tomahawk missiles, we will definitely support it," Brekelmans said. The group Uplift which wants to see a rapid and fair transition away from oil and gas production in the UK said whether the green light is granted for the development would be the defining test of this Governments credibility on climate change. 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 Still jealous? What tends to trigger the anger of commuters is when they see station staff seemingly oblivious to fare-dodging, or when fares rise but services get worse. If TfL gets this pay offer over the line, it will be good news for Londoners. It wont guarantee no strikes for three years, but it should mean there wont be any Tube strikes over pay. Its important to stay hydrated and well fed. The fair has 168 booths and everyone is coming with their A game! Im excited for Gagosian who are showing Lauren Halsey; Modern Art, with a solo of new ceramics by Sanya Kantarovsky; and also, Lehmann Maupin, with a solo by Do Ho Suh. We have a number of new galleries including Garth Greenan, who is coming to the fair for the first time. In the Focus section, Ginny on Frederick with Alex Margo Arden, a recent graduate from the RA schools showing a piece about labour and work, working with reclaimed mannequins from the Museum of Automobiles. Artist to artist is always a highlight of the fair, where we ask established artists to select other artists for solo shows: Ana Segovia is showing with Kurimanzutto, an artist based in Mexico City whos making a series of paintings referencing the golden age of Spanish cinema. A bucolic picture of British countryside life wrought by billionaire South African couple Koos Bekker and Karen Roos, the Newt offers style, elegance and escapism across its 800-acre estate. Between the landscaped gardens, sheep-dotted apple orchard, garden museum, reconstructed Roman villa, multiple restaurants and daily workshops and tours (for example, to spot local herds of deer) theres far more to explore here than you can fit into a weekend, so its just as well that every overnight stay comes with a 12-month entry membership so you can return to wander whenever youd like. As for rooms, choose between historic pile Hadspen House or relaxed The Farmyard, the latter centred around a willow-draped pond and contemporary rooms inspired by its origins as a dairy barn. She said: The council was prompted to bring the application for an injunction solely as a result of protest activity commencing outside the hotel in July 2025 following an arrest made by the police in respect of an individual accommodated at the hotel. Mr Gizcu added: He was looking for the Donna knife but that has a cloth on it so people dont see it. If he had taken it, it would have been bad. "I'm having to hide the fact that I can't get up and down the stairs and in and out of the car and I'm not enjoying it at the moment," Courtney had said. Frieze, aka art for partyings sake, is back in town. The tents are up in Regents Park, but it seems that the art crowd just cant get enough of Mayfair. First up it was to the George, which is newly decorated with portraits by visual artist Chris Levine. Self-professed living sculpture Daniel Lismore dressed up model Kyle Farmery as himself, which received the seal of approval from lookalike artist Alison Jackson. Meanwhile, designer Susie Cave, artist Kesewa Aboah and actor Naomie Harris went to Harpers Bazaar Art party at Marks Club. Down the road at Bourdon House, Frieze CEO Simon Fox was at the opening night of a series of talks held by Dunhill, while actor Jessie Andrews went to a Frieze party hosted by Edie Jones and curator Phoebe Forster. Away from the art trail, Spotify hosted a Q&A with Bruce Springsteen and Jeremy Allen White, who plays the singer in an upcoming biopic. According to Springsteen, Jeremy is a rock star who sings very credibly. Mr Cummings did not say how the system had been breached but that he would be willing to share what he knew with MPs if they were to hold an inquiry. Photo: https://t.me/DeepStateUA Russia occupied three villages in the Volnovakha district of the Donetsk region near the administrative borders with the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions, thereby increasing the area of control in the Novopavlivka direction by 16.14 sq km. "The enemy occupied Perestroika, Komar and Myrne, and also advanced near Ivanivka and Voskresenka (neighboring villages in the same direction - IF-U)," the DeepState OSINT project said on Telegram on Wednesday night. At the same time, as follows from the DeepState map, the increase in the area of control of the occupiers since Monday's vedor was accompanied by a decrease in the "gray zone" of uncertain control in the same Novopavlivka direction by almost the same area - by 14.45 sq km. Thus, we can conclude that the increase in the occupied area occurred almost exclusively due to the enemy's consolidation in the "gray zone". Instead, the "gray zone" near Milove, Kharkiv region, along the state border with the Russian Federation, has grown significantly - by 10.1 sq km - near Milove, Kharkiv region, along the state border with the Russian Federation, where no increase in the area of occupation is observed. Previously, the "gray zone" there grew significantly last weekend after remaining unchanged for several months. In all other directions, the front line, according to DeepState, is unchanged. The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) shows on its maps for the compilation of October 14 not only Perestroika, Komar and Myrne, but also Voskresenka as occupied by the Russians, and Ivanivka, Dnipropetrovsk region, which lies on the border with Donetsk, in the "gray zone," while DeepState marks it under Ukrainian control. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its operational information on the Russian invasion as of 8:00 on October 15 also indicates Perestroika, Komar, Myrne and Voskresenka in the occupied zone, and additionally with an arrow the attack of the occupiers on Ivanivka. As reported, on average last week the occupiers increased the area of control by 8.65 sq km per day, and the "gray zone" increased on average by 2.92 sq km per day. Today, on the eve of a fourth winter of war one that may prove to be among the most difficult in Ukraines modern history we are in greater need than ever of the strengthening of your reliable assistance. The Oxford University Migration Observatory identifies four ways in which as person can become what they term an unauthorised resident of the UK: entering the UK on a visa and then overstaying; entering the UK without any authorisation or through deception; not leaving the country after an asylum application has been rejected; or being born in the UK to parents who are unauthorised migrants. Final decisions on the process are due to be made in December, but the Church of England confirmed in an update on Wednesday that bishops have agreed in principle that both standalone blessings services and clergy same-sex marriage would need formal synodical and legislative processes to be completed before they could be permitted. Reflecting on her experiences, Munchetty told the audience: Having a chronic health condition in a competitive industry is not easy. I dont know the answer in terms of how employers should be better because I just dont think they get it. I was told, Itll get better when you have a baby as if thats a solution. I didnt want to. Photo: https://t.me/dsns_telegram Russia launched an airstrike on the city of Dobropillia, Pokrovsky district, Donetsk region, damaging the building of the fire and rescue unit, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) has said. "Donetsk region: Russian airstrike on the city of Dobropillia damaged the building of the fire and rescue unit. The blast wave broke windows, damaged doors and the ceiling," the SES said on Telegram on Wednesday. According to the SES, the unit's personnel were not injured, and the fire equipment remained unharmed. The July Fourth flood claimed the lives of 25 Camp Mystic campers, two counselors and co-owner Richard Dick Eastland. The camp is shown in a July 5 photo. Christopher Lee/San Antonio Express-News Watts best known for representing parties suing for negligence in cases stemming from such disasters as the wildfires in the Texas Panhandle, California and Hawaii will provide his legal services for free to the Eastland family, who have run the Christian girls camp for three generations. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The flood claimed the lives of 25 campers, two counselors and Camp Mystic co-owner Richard Dick Eastland. I believe deep in my heart that they had nothing to do with why those girls, and frankly their patriarch, died, and Im ready to demonstrate that, Watts said in an interview. I could try this case tomorrow and convince a jury that this camp had nothing to do with why these girls died. Camp Mystics lead counsel, San Antonio lawyer Jeff Ray, confirmed Watts will represent the camp. Austin attorney Mikal Watts will defend Camp Mystic for free if the Hill Country retreat is sued over the July Fourth flood. Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images We are thankful to have Mikal join our team and grateful for his pro bono services, Ray said in an emailed statement. Mikals insight into and investigation of the devastating July 4 floods are welcome additions as we work with Camp Mystic in responding to and recovering from the catastrophic flooding, destruction and loss of life that occurred. 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 Watts has expressed skepticism that flood victims have feasible claims against the summer camp or other businesses in the Guadalupe River corridor. He shared his doubts with the San Antonio Express-News in a July 17 article, adding that he had told people in Hunt not far from the camp and his Mountain Home ranch that he would represent the camp for free if it was sued. Word of that got back to the Eastland family, who asked to meet with Watts. He did not know them at the time. Advertisement Article continues below this ad They asked me if I meant what I said, in effect, and I said absolutely, he recalled. No litigation has been filed against the camp thus far, but Watts is certain its coming. Ive told them they will be sued, he said. And I said theres no way, given the entrepreneurial spirit of the plaintiffs bar, that youre not going to get sued. Bereaved families have been given access to the Camp Mystic property, it said in a statement last month. Access also has been given to any familys lawyer who requested it. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Watts said that a number of families already have told the Eastlands they will not sue them. Hes prepared to defend them no matter how many times they may be sued. Ive got enough money, he answered. Its just the right thing to do. Advertisement Article continues below this ad His eponymous law firm touts that it has collected settlement recoveries exceeding $7 billion for clients. That includes a settlement from last year of as much as $2.2 billion to resolve claims by about 80,000 people who alleged a discontinued version of the heartburn drug Zantac caused cancer. While at his former firm, he headed up a legal team that obtained a $13.5 billion settlement against PG&E Corp. on behalf of thousands of victims of the California wildfires in 2017 and 2018. Watts is sympathetic to families who lost their daughters or other family members in the flood. I understand the grief and anger that these parents have, he said. If I sent my daughter off to camp and she came back dead, Id be furious. I get it. But that doesnt mean that the camp is at fault. In Texas tort law, there is an affirmative defense called the act of God, he added. I castigate it all the time when people try to raise it, but if Ive ever seen an act of God, this is it. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Not all agree. Some grieving family and their supporters say members of the Eastland family made grave errors in responding to the emergency and should be held accountable. The basis for a negligence claim will revolve around whether the camp was negligent in monitoring the weather conditions, Austin lawyer Robert Alden said in an August interview. Camp Mystic parents have up to two years from the date of the flood to file wrongful death lawsuits. Before sending their daughters to the camp, though, parents had to sign a waiver giving up their right to sue the camp or its owners if their child was injured or killed. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As a plaintiffs lawyer, Watts has said he explored potential claims against the camp but came up empty. And I was like, well, this is just impossible to win. Kerr County had identified the need for a warning system for flash floods, but there was never the money to pay for it. The lack of a system resulted in the loss of life, Watts said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Thats why were here, he said. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, shown at an October 2024 rally, this week expressed his frustration that the USDA was not using a synthetic bait that he has promoted to combat the New World screwworm. Lorianne Willett/Texas Tribune Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is trading barbs with the Trump administration over its response to a parasitic pest that continues to make its way north in Mexico and could threaten the states $15 billion cattle industry if it crosses the border. In an interview with a Nashville television network that focuses on rural issues, Miller this week expressed frustration that the U.S. Department of Agriculture was not using a synthetic bait he has promoted to combat the New World screwworm, a fly that infects warm-blooded animals and recently has been spotted less than 100 miles from the border. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I still havent gotten buy-in from the USDA to do a fly bait, Miller told RFD-TV. If we put out the fly bait, we can wipe out the screwworm in Mexico in 90 days; but for some reason, theyre very reluctant to do that. In response, the USDA accused the elected agriculture commissioner of blatantly disregarding tried and true (New World screwworm) offensive strategies in favor of clickbait publicity stunts. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source In the statement, which was first reported by RFD-TV and provided to the Texas Tribune by the USDA, a spokesperson said the agency deployed and tested Millers infamous traps and they were found to be ineffective. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In one month, USDAs traps in Panama caught thousands of New World Screwworm flies Commissioner Millers traps caught ONE single NWS fly, the spokesperson said. When presented with the results of his traps underperforming, Commissioner Miller indicated USDA staff should paint them black to which USDA declined. USDA looks forward to working with any and all partners who seek to find REAL solutions to defeat the NWS, the spokesperson added. TDA Swormlure In response to the USDA, Miller issued a statement saying he appreciated the agencys historic effort to fight the New World screwworm. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Were all on the same team here, and I look forward to continuing our partnership to stop this threat in its tracks, he said. Since August, Miller has been pushing for state and federal agencies to use a synthetic bait he called TDA Swormlure,which he said was created by his biosecurity team. This new attractant, named TDA Swormlure, marks a serious upgrade in our efforts to protect Texas livestock from the threat of the New World Screwworm, said Miller in an August news release. Early feedback has been encouraging, and the traps are expected to outperform anything else available. On Monday, Miller told RFD-TV he was frustrated that the USDA wasnt using the fly bait. Advertisement Article continues below this ad They tell me that its environmentally unsound because it will kill the good flies, Miller said. Good flies, is that like a good fire ant? I dont know what a good fly is. I dont know if theyre afraid to kill house flies or stable flies, but Im ready to kill the screwworm fly. USDA efforts in Texas The USDA has announced a variety of methods to try and stop the fly from entering the United States and infecting cattle. In June, Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a plan to combat the threat of the parasitic insect that includes investing $8.5 million to build a sterile fly dispersal facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg. In August, USDA announced it would build a $750 million facility in Edinburg that will produce about 300 million sterile screwworm flies per week. By mating with sterile female flies, the intent is to produce nonviable eggs so that the population eventually will die out. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Miller, who was once reportedly in contention for Rollins job, has issued multiple public statements and news releases about the states efforts to combat New World Sscrewworm, stating that the Texas Department of Agriculture is the tip of the spear in partnering to combat the fly. Fighting screwworm in Texas In June, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Animal Health Commission and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to establish a Texas New World Screwworm Response Team to help coordinate and share information on efforts to stop the spread of the parasite. The mission for the Response Team is clear: to lead Texas prevention and response efforts and ensure that Texas remains informed, prepared, and aligned to prevent the re-emergence of this destructive parasite, Abbott wrote in a letter to the agency heads in June. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Immediately after RFD-TV published USDAs statements, Texas agriculture groups, including the Texas Farm Bureau and Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, signaled on social media their support for the federal agency over Miller. The proven way to eradicate screwworm is through sterile fly production, not traps & bait, wrote the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association on X. TSCRA stands with the Trump Administration, @SecRollins and USDA. We cannot afford distractions from unproven methods. Berenice Garcia contributed to this report. McLaren Formula 1 Team driver Lando Norris of Team Great Britain races in the Formula 1 Pirelli United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas Sunday October 20, 2024. Jay Janner/American-Statesman Austin is revving its engines for Formula 1 weekend at the Circuit of the Americas. From espresso martinis and daytime raves to scooter-delivered pasta and champagne towers, the citys off-track events are giving fans plenty of ways to celebrate the race without leaving town. Fans heading to COTA can catch the F1 Sprint and the United States Grand Prix, then stick around for headlining concerts from Kygo and Garth Brooks. Advertisement Article continues below this ad For fans who aren't at the racetrack, bars, restaurants and local pop-ups are bringing the F1 energy to the city streets. Open through Oct. 18: Atlassian Williams Racing Fan Zone Alfa Romeo F1 driver Valtteri Bottas (77) and Williams Racing F1 driver Alexander Albon (23) round turn 17 in front of fans on a lawn during the Formula 1 Aramco United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas on Oct. 23, 2022. Aaron E. Martinez / American-Statesman The Atlassian Williams Racing Fan Zone makes a pit stop downtown at 800 Congress Ave. The free fan experience brings Formula 1 to street level with Q&A sessions featuring driver Alex Albon, team principal James Vowles and F1 champ Jenson Button. Attendees can test their reflexes in the Pit Stop Challenge, try esports simulators and check out the FW46 show car. The activation is open through Oct. 18. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Open through Oct. 20: F1 Hub on South Congress Austins South Congress is getting a full Formula 1 makeover with the return of the F1 Hub at 1712 South Congress Ave. The pop-up shop features exclusive merch from every major team Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, and Red Bull as well as collaborations with Peanuts and the new Premium U.S. Grand Prix Collection. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Oct. 16: Esses Bazaar ATX Cheer Up Charlie's in downtown Austin, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025 Sara Diggins/American-Statesman Ahead of the Grand Prix, Esses Bazaar ATX offers an evening of local shopping, music and food on Oct. 16, from 6 to 10 p.m. at Cheer Up Charlies. The event celebrates a year of Esses Magazine and includes vintage and thrift vendors, local food trucks, a live DJ, cocktails, a tattoo artist and even a show car on display. Organized in partnership with Visa and Cash App, the bazaar mixes Austins unique cultural flair with the energy of F1 weekend. Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands drives in Practice Session 1 at the Formula 1 Pirelli United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas on Friday Oct. 18, 2024. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Fans pour onto the track after Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 driver Max Verstappen wins the Formula 1 Aramco United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, on Oct. 22. Aaron E. Martinez / American-Statesman F1 fan Robert Risch walks the grounds wearing a hotdog costume and a crown ahead of the Formula 1 Aramco United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas on Oct. 23, 2022. Risch said he and his friends have a fantasy F1 league and the person in last place, Risch, had to wear a hotdog costume and crown to the race. Aaron E. Martinez / American-Statesman 900 Red River St. Cheerupcharlies.com. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Oct. 16-18: McLaren: The Zone Studio at LZR McLaren is hosting a pop-up at The Zone Studio at 612 W. Fourth St. The free event blends a gallery vibe with garage energy featuring original works inspired by being In the Zone, McLaren team members and the 2025 MCL39 F1 car on display. Guests can test their reflexes in racing simulators, compete in a pit stop challenge and explore heritage steering wheels alongside immersive installations. Oct. 16-19: Barilla pasta pop-ups Scooters delivering 5,513 free pasta meal kits a nod to every meter of the Circuit of the Americas will zip through downtown streets. Fans can also pick up kits at Fareground Austin, or find Barillas Al Bronzo pasta featured at 20 local restaurants, including The Grove Wine Bar & Kitchen and Dovetail Pizza. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Oct. 16-18: Westin Austin Downtown F1 weekend activations The Westin Austin Downtown is home to the Azul Rooftop Pool. The Westin Austin Downtown The Westin Austin Downtown is turning its spaces into a weekend-long F1 playground. Thursday kicks off with live soul and blues from Jo James in the lobby. Friday features custom hat pop-ups, permanent jewelry and an oyster omakase at Skipjack Oyster, along with evening performances by Andrea Young. Saturday brings more custom hats, live music from Jo James, and DJ Lina Marz spinning at Azul Rooftop. Advertisement Article continues below this ad 310 E. Fifth St. 512-391-2333, marriott.com/en-us/hotels/auswi-the-westin-austin-downtown. Oct. 18: Mr. Black x AM.Radio Coffee Rave The Mr. Black x AM.Radio Coffee Rave transforms Cosmic Saltillo into a daytime dance party. Espresso martinis take center stage alongside high-energy DJ sets, creating a buzz that has drawn crowds in cities like Los Angeles. Free with RSVP, the event caters to fans looking for an F1 experience beyond the track, blending coffee culture with live music and daytime festivities. 1300 E. Fourth St. 512-763-7216, cosmichospitalitygroup.com/saltillo. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Oct. 18: Uber One: The One Party Uber One members in Austin can saddle up for The One Party on Oct. 18, at 8:30 p.m. at the Uber Ranch (1510 Crozier Ln.). The 21+ event opens with a rodeo performance and features a live set from three-time GRAMMY Award-winning Zac Brown Band. Entry is free with an invitation, and tickets must be claimed in advance. Oct. 19: Codependent F1 watch party Codependent Cocktails + Coffee is hosting an F1-themed watch party on Oct. 19, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Guests can take turns in a race simulator, sip Chivas cocktails paired with chocolate, or sample drinks from a race car ice luge. The coffee bar will stream live F1 races on TVs, feature a champagne tower from G.H. Mumm and offer experiences to put fans in the drivers seat (metaphorically). Entry is free and open to the public. 301 West Ave., Ste.110. Codependentatx.com. Oct. 19: Guenther Steiner Live at The Paramount Theatre Guenther Steiner, former Haas Team Principal, looks on from the track during the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on June 15, 2025 in Montreal, Canada. Kym Illman/Getty Images Fans of F1 strategy can catch former Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner at The Paramount Theatre on Oct. 19. The show, featuring Brian and Matt from The Red Flags Podcast, promises a comedic recap of the U.S. Grand Prix. Doors open at 8 p.m., with the show starting at 9 p.m., offering an off-track perspective on racing for fans who want insight with a side of laughs. Tickets start at $35 at the theater's website. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Austin Public Library will attend the event and offer help signing up for a library card. Doors open at 2 p.m. on Oct. 19. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman If you were an avid reader as a child, you may remember taking an awestruck stroll through the Scholastic Book Fair, cracking open a brand new book, and getting to take it home yourself. Nostalgic for that feeling? You don't have to wait much longer to relive the wonder. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The School-tastic Book Fair for Grown-Ups invites Austin bibliophiles to the Baker Center on Oct. 19, where independent bookstores and nonprofits will come together to celebrate their love for all things literary. And the best part? Proceeds will go to the Austin Ed Fund, which the Austin Independent School District uses to support programs for students in need. When and where is the book fair? The fair will take place in The Cafetorium within The Baker Center, the re-purposed site of the historic Baker School in Hyde Park, located at 3908 Avenue B. Doors open at 2 p.m. and the event runs until 8 p.m. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Which bookstores are participating? Participating independent bookstores and publishers include: Advertisement Article continues below this ad Which nonprofits will be there? Representatives from the Austin Public Library will be at the fair signing people up for library cards, and Inside Books Project will also be there collecting books to distribute to people who are incarcerated. The Library Foundation and AISD will also be in attendance. What other festivities can I expect? In addition to the main event - browsing and buying books - there will also be a raffle benefiting AISD, book-themed flash tattoos from Serenity Tattoo Studio, prizes given away by the Austin Chronicle, food trucks with nostalgic treats and 80s and 90s jams from DJ Bert and DJ Dana Scully. Advertisement Article continues below this ad How do I buy tickets? Tour the Whole Home project from House Beautiful magazine in the Deep Eddy neighborhood. Styling by Lucy Bamman. Andrea Calo/House Beautiful Around every corner of this astonishing tri-level house awaits another surprise. For the latest Whole Home project shaped by a House Beautiful magazine team and eight interior designers around a new residence in the Deep Eddy neighborhood every room received a distinctive design treatment. Advertisement Article continues below this ad For instance, the kitchen island top is triangular, which dictates how it is used and how traffic flows around it. In a way, the house feels like a 3,800-square-foot puzzle perched on a steep hill above a tributary of Johnson Creek. Public tours which benefit the charity Friends of the Children-Austin are Oct. 16-19 and Oct. 23-25. Visitors will find spaces in this house are welcoming and open but angled and decorated in ways that take some time to process. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its kind of like a grown-up, tree-top social club, says Carisha Swanson, director of editorial special projects for House Beautiful. We started the Whole Home project eight years ago to match the way we live now. The houses are not dictated by the floor plan, but rather how you want to live. We want great design for all, says Matthew Hare, group director of brand and content strategy for House Beautiful, Elle Decor and Veranda magazines. You can do that for yourself across various price points. I picked up a lot of ideas from commercial design, Swanson says. But its also personal. I kept thinking about Austin and walking to ACL with friends. Go do what you want to do, and come back here to lounge and relax. Every space promotes conversations. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Who worked on this singular project? Almost every room in this Whole Home project in Austin was put together by a different interior designer. Styling by Lucy Bamman. Andrea Calo/House Beautiful This is House Beautifuls first full-scale Whole Home project in Texas, although the magazine has staged smaller recent projects in Dallas and Fredericksburg. After talking to various designers, magazine representatives and support staff, it seemed to me that Sara Malek Barney was a chief engine behind this project. After all, the University of Texas alumna with degrees in corporate communication and interior design owns the house. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Her Bandd/Design company an interior design studio that maintains offices in Austin and Los Angeles created all the key hard spaces such as the kitchen and bathrooms for this project. Barney teamed with Katie Hastings Architecture and Rick Villani & Preston Graham of Villani & Graham on the design and build of the house itself, which includes four bedrooms, four bathrooms, two outdoor decks and a two-car garage. The building plan called for 18 months of construction, but it only took eight months. Among the other interior designers were Amber Lewis (Los Angeles), Kim Lewis (Austin and Boston), Kathy Kuo (New York), Amber Guyton (Atlanta), Leah OConnell (San Francisco) and Caitlin Creer (Salt Lake City). Advertisement Article continues below this ad Los Angeles-based Rydhima Brar designed the upstairs living room. My inspiration was travel, Brar says. You notice there are no doors. Heritage and culture played a part. Fun memories will live here. Every space invites you to rethink what home can be joyful, expressive, stylish, Swanson says, and filled with creative takeaways for anyone looking to live more fully, no matter where they call home. What happens after the tours? Its natural to ask what will happen to all the high-impact decor in this house after the tours. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Many objects and finishes that youll see at the Whole Home house were provided by sponsors. Most of those will go back to those sponsors. Others were provided by the designers who will keep them. Yet a fair number of objects will be auctioned off, and the proceeds will benefit the Friends of the Children Austin charity. Light fixtures, plumbing and tilework will remain with the house. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Then this one-of-a-kind house will go on the market. A full spread about the Whole Home project will be seen in the November/December issue of House Beautiful and, before that, on HouseBeautiful.com. Adaline Bui, the owner of Capital Mortuary Services, seen here on Victor Street in North Austin, has been charged with abuse of a corpse and five counts of tampering with a government record. Jay Janner/American-Statesman The Travis County District Attorney's Office has dropped charges against an Austin funeral home owner and a medical company CEO accused of using human remains in experiments.. Funeral home owner Adeline Bui and Aaron Ali, the CEO of medical lab MedtoMarket, were arrested and charged with abuse of a corpse in April after a police investigation found that Bui allegedly used dead people's body parts to test embalming liquids at Ali's request. District Attorney Jose Garza announced Tuesday that his office is dismissing the charge, citing "sufficient evidence of a legal defense" for both defendants. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A charge of aggravated perjury against Ali was also dropped. Garza said prosecutors will continue pursuing Bui's additional five counts of tampering with a government record. The DAs decision to drop the abuse-of-a-corpse charge is based partly on legal protections in Texas law for licensed death-care providers. State statutes grant funeral establishments, crematories, embalmers and funeral directors immunity from criminal or civil liability when they act in good faith in handling properly donated human tissue. In every case, we are obligated to evaluate the facts and evidence to establish that the felony offenses can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, Garza said in a news release. "In these cases, we have concluded that sufficient evidence of a legal defense exists, which precludes us from proceeding with the cases. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source Capital Mortuary Services, Buis funeral home, closed after her arrest. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The investigation began in March after a former embalmer reported that his name and state funeral director credentials had been used without consent on more than 100 death certificates. The whistleblower also shared screenshots from a message thread titled Freedom Art Experiment, which appeared to show severed arms being used for chemical testing with embalming fluids. Detectives said the photos and discussions described tissue decomposition, mold growth and suturing with fishing line. Bui told investigators she tested embalming fluid on as many as 15 bodies and said the work was done at MedtoMarkets request. Ali admitted asking Capital Mortuary Services staff to preserve and observe embalmed limbs over time but denied calling the activities experiments. Search warrants executed in April led officers to seize cremated remains, funeral documents, digital devices and tools with suspected human tissue from Capital Mortuary Services. Bui admitted to forging the complainants identity and using his drivers license to file official documents, police said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Bui surrendered to authorities April 18 and was released on bond. Ali turned himself in April 28 and was also released after posting bond. Katey Psencik is the breaking and trending editor at the Austin American-Statesman. Katey is a journalist and educator whose career spans print, TV, digital media, and nonprofits. Most recently, she led The Drag Audio Production House at the University of Texas, where she oversaw more than 40 student producers and executive produced award-winning podcasts. She also teaches podcasting and other journalism courses at UT. A Central Texas native and proud Texas Ex, her work has appeared in Texas Highways, Eater, Vox Media and more. She lives in South Austin with her two dogs, Oso and Mav. Texas Rep. Gina Hinojosa speaks at a press conference held by Democrat lawmakers to rebuke school vouchers near Parmer Lane Elementary on Monday, February. 3, 2025. Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman Texas Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, speaks during the Fight The Trump Takeover Rally at the Texas State Capitol, July 24, 2025. Several hundred gathered to protest against President Donald Trumps request for redistricting in Texas before proceeding inside to give public comment. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, a progressive Democrat and former Austin school board member, joined the race for governor on Wednesday, accusing Gov. Greg Abbott of being beholden to big money donors and vowing to fight corruption. No te dejes fight back, she said in a video announcing her campaign. Our fight right now is against the billionaires and the corporations, who are driving up prices, closing our neighborhood schools and cheating Texans out of basic health care. Thats who Greg Abbott works for. Advertisement Article continues below this ad READ MORE: Andrew White launches Democratic bid to take on Greg Abbott Hinojosa is the most established contender in a primary field that has struggled to draw big names to take on Abbott as he seeks a record fourth term in office. She has served in the House since 2017 and was a vocal opponent of Abbotts $1 billion private school voucher plan that passed earlier this year, which she likened to "welfare for the well off. Hinojosa sparred directly with Abbott over the voucher plan earlier this year, and is working to make the issue a key rallying cry on the campaign trail. In her launch video, she hit the Texas Republican for taking millions in campaign donations from Jeff Yass, a Pennsylvania billionaire and voucher proponent. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source Abbott's campaign called Hinojosa "out of step with Texans" and slammed her progressive stances on a series of issues, including her support of gender-affirming care and opposition to Abbott's border security crackdown. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Time and again, Gina Hinojosa chooses woke, extreme ideologies over the safety and security of Texas families," Kim Snyder, Abbott's campaign manager, said in a statement. Hinojosa was set to hold a launch rally on Wednesday in Brownsville, where she grew up. The choice is an early indication of the importance of South Texas, which has increasingly become a battleground after Republicans gained ground there in recent elections. Hinojosa joins a Democratic primary that includes Andrew White, a Houston businessman and son of the late Gov. Mark White; Bobby Cole, a rancher and retired firefighter; and Bay City Councilman Benjamin Flores. She quickly rolled out a series of endorsements from prominent Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas, who has among the highest name recognition in the state, and Colin Allred, a former Dallas congressman running for U.S. Senate. White, who is running as a moderate, said that Hinojosa is "a progressive who represents her district well." Advertisement Article continues below this ad "But this is a statewide race," White said in a statement. "Democrats need a candidate who will bring together progressives, moderates, and independents to beat Greg Abbott." Some Democrats are optimistic about their chances against Abbott, whose approval rating took a hit after a series of polarizing battles, including his push for school vouchers and for redrawing the states congressional map. Abbott has tied his governorship to the Trump administration, most recently being the only state leader to agree to send National Guard troops to Democratic-led cities as part of President Donald Trumps crackdown on protesters. The real key here for Democrats is, can you get that message across that it doesnt have to be this way, it can be better. We dont have to keep doing this, said state Rep. Gene Wu, a Houston Democrat who said he believes Hinojosa will be able to present a clear alternative. People are ready to hear that message. You have people in red communities who are begging, begging for help and are being flatly ignored. Still, Abbott has a massive war chest to fend off a challenger, and each of the Democrats vying to take him on is likely to face an uphill battle introducing themselves to voters across the massive state with multiple expensive media markets. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Hinojosa had long been thought to be eying a run. She registered several domain names last month and had told other Democrats she planned to jump in the race. In an interview with Hearst Newspapers, Hinojosa said she decided to run after seeing firsthand what she deemed "corruption" in state government, where she said leaders like Abbott are more focused on pleasing donors than serving their constituents. "We have high property taxes in this state and yet that money is not being invested in what our communities need," Hinojosa said. "People have a sense that theres corruption, but its so much worse than people know. And I believe it drives most major policy decisions in the state of Texas." University of Texas police officers Joseph Morales, left, and Michael Marcinowski visit a homeless encampment Aug. 26 in West Campus. Mayor Kirk Watson and the City Council should provide greater oversight and a detailed cost-benefit analysis of how money is being spent for homeless people, a reader says. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Members of the Texas National Guard arrive on Oct. 7 at the Army Reserve Training Center in Elwood, Illinois. The need for the Texas National Guard in Illinois is a delusional fantasy, a reader says. Brian Cassella/TNS More to be done Advertisement Article continues below this ad As a small nonprofit, I would like to point out that the views expressed by Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) and the City of Austin are well timed to support Proposition Q. With the current budget shortfall, many organizations fear significant cuts. ECHO, like many other large nonprofits, has a salaried executive director. I do not know how many other people are on the payroll. In my years of outreach, I know the spreadsheet results that lead to funding. Sadly, reality rarely hits that magic number. Urban Alchemy and Front Steps both were dismissed for reporting or accounting misrepresentations. With no disrespect to the current homeless strategy officer, that office also has a less than stellar history. Rather than placing the burden on residential taxpayers, I suggest: Mayor Kirk Watson and the City Council should provide greater oversight and a detailed cost-benefit analysis of how money is being spent for homeless people. Watson should also meet with Elon Musk and others who have moved to the Austin area for significant corporate tax breaks. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Afterall, during Watson's 2022 election campaign he focused on making Austin more affordable. Patrick Crowley, board chair/librarian, StreetBooksATX Nonviolent route President Donald Trump seems to want to stir up trouble by sending the National Guard to Democratic-led cities that did not support him. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He hopes that protesters against United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the National Guard will demonstrate violently and cause mayhem, thereby giving him further justification for sending more military to these cities, who don't want or need a military presence on their streets. My advice to protesters is to not take the bait. Trump wants trouble, let's not give it to him. I suggest protesters take a page from the playbook of the Civil Rights movement and Martin Luther King Jr., engaging in only nonviolent protests. If protesters locked arms and sang "We Shall Overcome," it would be a bad look indeed to see National Guard troops and ICE agents pepper spraying and manhandling nonviolent folks who are merely singing. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It worked to change hearts and minds in the 1960s. It will work again. Lucy F. Petrucelli, Austin Abbott's overreach It is shocking that Gov. Greg Abbott has sent Texas National Guard troops to Illinois when the entire need for them is a delusional fantasy. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Isn't he supposed to be a proponent of "small government?" How would Abbott feel if Illinois sent their National Guard to Texas against his objections? Abbott seems to lack the ability to understand state's rights or even understand his fellow governors. Joanne Brininstool, Austin Advertisement Article continues below this ad A hopeful headline The most appreciated headline and story and fabulous newspaper photograph award go to the front page of the Metro section in Thursdays Statesman. After plowing through the sad story in the previous section about the horrors of child starvation in Myanmar resulting from our nation stopping aid, it was uplifting to see the headline and story highlighting Travis County's voter-approved child care program at the top of the Metro page. The article reaffirmed for me the capacity and generosity that humans have to help others who are less fortunate. As Austin grows, it is vital that the population of all economic levels in Austin are educated and become productive members. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Positioned just below the story was a magical photo of an American Airlines jet in landing mode with the gleaming towers of downtown Austin looming in the background. To the delight or the dismay of the viewer, it does tell the story of Austins dynamic growth during the past few decades. As long as Austin continues to commit to the welfare of all its citizens, growth can be a positive thing. Leanne Dillingham, Austin Photo: https://www.nato.int/ NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and US Department of War chief Pete Hegseth have said expect more alliance members to join the PURL initiative, which involves purchasing American weapons for Ukraine at the expense of allies. They said this on Wednesday in Brussels at a joint press conference before the start of a meeting of NATO defense ministers. "I want to thank President Trump and you personally, and of course the entire American leadership team, for the fact that when it comes to Ukraine, you have decided to make sure again that they have what they need from the United States, paid for by allies, and this program is now working. Two billion has already been allocated, and today I expect many new announcements from countries that will participate. So overall we are making great progress," Rutte said. According to the NATO Secretary General, the allies are doing "everything together to keep Ukraine strong." In turn, Hegseth emphasized that the PURL initiative is aimed at "bringing peace to this conflict." "And if we have learned anything under President Trump, it is the active application of peace through strength. You get peace when you are strong. Not when you use strong words or point your finger: you get it when you have strong and real capabilities that are respected by your adversaries. And I think that is what NATO is doing, I think that is what the PURL initiative is, so we expect today that more countries will sacrifice even more, that they will buy even more to provide Ukraine with a peaceful end to this conflict," Hegseth said. Cesar Espinosa, Executive Director of FIEL, speaks to thousands who gathered to protest the recent and on-going ICE raids on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025 at Hermann Park in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer People gather to protest outside of the CoreCivic federal detention center, organized by FIEL Houston in response to recent ICE arrests, on Friday, June 13, 2025 in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Cesar Espinosa Executive Director FIEL Houston, speaks alongside Jonata Pech, 18, who spoke on behalf of his mother, Santos Teresa Tzep Xaminez, who was recently detained by ICE while driving her son to college, at a press conference organized by FIEL Houston on Friday, July 11, 2025 in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Cesar Espinosa, founder of civil rights group FIEL, is photographed on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025 in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer An appeals court has cleared the way for Attorney General Ken Paxton to try to shut down an immigrants rights group in Houston that the Texas Republican claims flouted nonprofit laws by criticizing President Donald Trump, Gov. Greg Abbott and others. But the 15th Court of Appeals stopped short of ruling on Paxtons allegations or whether FIELs charter should be revoked, as the Texas Republican seeks to do. Those allegations should be weighed by a lower court, which erred in blocking Paxtons effort in 2024, it said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We do not rule out the possibility that there are valid legal defenses that may be raised, the order said. Paxton cheered it as a victory, calling FIEL an open borders group that illegally told people not to vote for President Trump. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source Anti-American organizations like FIELs aim is to destroy our country and flood our nation with foreign invaders, Paxton said in a statement. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Paxtons suit pointed to a series of social media posts in which the group deemed Trump El Hijo Del Diablo, or son of the Devil, called Abbott a violent racist Fascist man, and advocated repeatedly against SB4, the states migrant deportation law that has been blocked by the courts. He argued the group ran afoul of federal rules governing how far nonprofits can go in seeking to influence legislation, and barring certain nonprofits from backing political candidates. FIEL has argued in court filings that Paxton is retaliatingafter the group challenged state election laws in court, including in one lawsuit that specifically names Paxton as a defendant. Cesar Espinosa, the executive director of FIEL Houston, told the Houston Chronicle on Wednesday that the nonprofit is aware of the ruling and called Paxtons celebration another spin. Advertisement Article continues below this ad [The decision] doesn't necessarily do anything but send it back to the lower court for them to decide and for our case to now begin, he said. The group hosts community forums with information on college financial aid and scholarships and Know-Your-Rights presentations on immigration, housing and legal services. It also sponsors holiday toy drives for low-income youth and helps domestic violence victims find emergency assistance. And it teaches members how to register to vote, as well as recruits and trains poll workers. The 15th Circuit ruling comes after the state Supreme Court earlier this year said Paxton could continue his effort to investigate and potentially shut down a Catholic shelter housing asylum seekers in El Paso. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The UK and Canada are set to join the EU's plan to provide Ukraine with loans from frozen Russian assets, Bloomberg has said, citing sources. " The UK and Canada will join a European Union plan to tap a portion of the almost $300 billion in Russian central-bank assets held by Group of Seven nations, in an effort to ramp up their financial support to Ukraine," the agency writes, citing sources. It is noted that the EU, according to the agency's interlocutors, is close to concluding an agreement that would allow it to issue loans to Ukraine using a mechanism that does not involve the seizure of assets. According to the latest data from the UK Foreign Office, the UK sanctions have frozen Russian assets worth more than GBP 25 billion ($33.3 billion), and the EU is holding back about EUR 200 billion ($232 billion). Until now, funding that has flowed to Ukraine from frozen Russian assets has been limited to profits and interest accrued on them. Most of them are held through the Belgian clearing house Euroclear, which has drawn reluctance from Belgium and other countries. "We are ready to progress towards using, in a coordinated way, the value of the immobilized Russian sovereign assets to support Ukraines armed forces and thus bring Russia to the negotiation table. We aim to do this in close cooperation with the US," the E3 leaders said in a statement on Friday. "We agree to develop further bold and innovative mechanisms to increase the cost of Russias war and ramp up pressure. This includes driving forward action on the Russian shadow fleet." It was previously reported that the European Commission is considering the possibility of using around EUR 170 billion of frozen Russian assets currently held in the Euroclear financial depository in Brussels. It is assumed that EUR 140 billion of these funds will go to a reparations loan to Ukraine. The issue is expected to be discussed at the EU summit on October 23-24. Meanwhile, Politico previously reported that Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever expressed concerns about such plans at a recent informal EU summit in Copenhagen. He said that the European Commission's scheme for using frozen Russian assets is essentially tantamount to confiscation. According to him, "the difference between a 'reparations loan' and confiscation is actually insignificant, and if these assets remain frozen for a long time, such a scheme can be regarded as quasi-confiscation." De Wever demanded more guarantees for his country from the European Union, pointing to the possible legal consequences of such a step. The media noted that the leaders of a number of other countries also have concerns about the proposed plan. Gaza ceasefire deal offers glimmer of hope, uncertainty clouds prospects for lasting peace 08:07, October 15, 2025 By Guo Yage ( Xinhua SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye and the United States -- mediators of the Gaza conflict -- signed a joint document in Egypt on Monday on the recently-reached ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, though with neither party's attendance. Since the ceasefire took effect on Friday, the first major aid convoy entered Gaza on Sunday, and a large-scale hostage-prisoner exchange took place on Monday. These developments offer a tentative reprieve for the war-battered enclave after two years of Israeli military operations that left nearly 68,000 Palestinians dead, infrastructure in ruins, and widespread famine. Yet, experts remain deeply skeptical that the ceasefire can evolve into a durable peace, citing Israel's internal political fractures, the colossal task of reconstructing Gaza, and the uncharted question of who will govern the territory once the fighting stops. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (2nd L, front), U.S. President Donald Trump (2nd R, front), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (1st R, front), and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (1st L, front) display the signed document to support Gaza ceasefire deal during a summit on Gaza ceasefire held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Oct. 13, 2025. (Egyptian Presidency/Handout via Xinhua) DELICATE CALM The joint document was signed during a summit co-chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and U.S. President Donald Trump, with attendance from leaders of over 20 countries as well as regional and international organizations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled his attendance at the last moment, and Hamas was not represented. The Egyptian presidency said that the document was signed "to support the Gaza ceasefire deal," with summit participants calling for "global cooperation on securing the implementation of the deal and maintaining its continuity." Egyptian media described the document as "comprehensive," without providing further details. Sisi, in a speech aired by Egyptian media AlQahera News, called the signing "a glimmer of hope," and reaffirmed that the two-state solution remains "the only way to consolidate peace." He said the agreement must lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state, adding that Egypt will host a Gaza reconstruction summit in November. Meanwhile, Trump declared the Gaza war over, saying that rebuilding Gaza would begin "now" and perhaps be "the easiest part," and that it requires the enclave's demilitarization. The latest developments came after Israel and Hamas agreed on Thursday on the first phase of a U.S.-backed 20-point peace plan -- scheduled to last 21 days -- following intensive negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh. As part of the deal, Hamas released all 20 living Israeli hostages and returned several deceased captives on Monday. Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel also arrived in Gaza the same day. Humanitarian access also saw a marked improvement. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Sunday that cooking gas had entered the enclave for the first time since March. On Monday, Turkiye's first humanitarian aid convoy since the latest ceasefire reached Gaza. "China welcomes and supports all efforts conducive to restoring peace and easing the humanitarian crisis," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Monday. He stressed that "the principle of 'Palestinians governing Palestine' should be upheld in the post-conflict governance of Gaza," and that future arrangements "need to respect the will of the Palestinian people and dovetail with the two-state solution." In the early days of the ceasefire, fragile signs of normalcy and painful homecomings began to emerge. Along the coastal Al-Rashid Road connecting southern Gaza to Gaza City, thousands of displaced residents made their return journeys, often to neighborhoods in ruins. For many, the joy of return was tempered by the scale of destruction and the uncertainty ahead. "The people of Gaza are like drowning swimmers pulled back to shore -- initially overjoyed, but that joy may quickly fade when they see the devastation, remember their lost loved ones, and realize that limited humanitarian supplies are far from enough to heal their wounds," Saeed Okasha, an Israeli affairs expert at Cairo's Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, told Xinhua. People welcome released Palestinian prisoners at Nasser Medical Complex in the southern city of Khan Younis, on Oct. 13, 2025. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) CRACKS BENEATH THE SURFACE While the ceasefire has halted immediate fighting, many experts doubt it can lead to lasting stability in Gaza or the broader region and warn of a long and complex path filled with unresolved fundamental issues. Gaza-based political analyst Hussam al-Dajani highlighted a critical flaw in the U.S.-backed plan, which "does not specify the legal and political nature of the Palestinian state, clarity on which is essential to prevent future clashes." Echoing this skepticism, Ramallah-based analyst Jihad Harb criticized the U.S.-backed plan for its vagueness, particularly regarding the structure and sovereignty of a future Palestinian state. "The current circumstances are not conducive to achieving lasting peace in the foreseeable future," Harb said, adding that "the proposed paths diverge between the U.S. plan and international initiatives based on the two-state solution." Steven Wright, a professor at Qatar's Hamad Bin Khalifa University, urged tempered expectations. "Critical questions remain regarding how disarmament will be implemented and verified, how post-war reconstruction will proceed, and what the political status of Hamas will be." Noting that the deal excludes Hamas from governance without indicating the group will disband, Wright told Xinhua that until these issues are clarified, the deal represents "a fragile ceasefire rather than lasting peace." On Sunday, Netanyahu struck a defiant note in a televised address, saying, "Wherever we fought, we won ... But the campaign is not over yet." He warned that Israel faces "very big security challenges" and that "some of our enemies are trying to regroup." Roee Kibrik, head of research at the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, told Xinhua that with the hostage issue resolved, Netanyahu "likely has an interest in resuming the fighting." "It will not be difficult for Netanyahu to seize upon some pretext to claim that Hamas has not been fully disarmed diplomatically, and that military action is therefore necessary," Kibrik said. He also warned that Israel's far-right factions would continue advancing their agenda elsewhere, "particularly through ongoing annexation and dispossession efforts in the West Bank." An article published by The Conversation website last week underscored the fragility of the deal, noting that while the parties have "agreed to a road-map to peace in principle," what is in place resembles past ceasefires, which are not equivalent to "a peace deal or an armistice." The article criticized the U.S.-backed plan as "very light on specifics" and warned that issues such as Israeli settlement expansion, the status of Jerusalem, and demilitarization remain deeply contentious. Furthermore, it is still unclear whether the ceasefire in Gaza will ease Israel's multi-front tensions in the region. A day after the ceasefire took effect, Israel launched airstrikes on six heavy equipment yards in southern Lebanon's Al-Msaylih village, killing one and injuring seven. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said later that the airstrikes raised "fundamental challenges" for Lebanon and the international community, "including whether anyone is thinking of compensating for Gaza through Lebanon, to sustain political profiteering through fire and bloodshed." People celebrate as the helicopter carrying released hostages arrives at a hospital in Petah Tikva, Israel, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Junqing) Yemeni political analyst Yasin Al-Tamimi told Xinhua that although Yemen's Houthi group has pledged to halt operations if Israel ceases attacks on Gaza, the regional situation remains volatile. "Even if the Houthis suspend their attacks, Israel's persistent perception of them as a security threat could keep the tensions alive," Al-Tamimi said, adding that "Israel may still target the Houthis in Yemen, sustaining a cycle of tension." SELF-STYLED PEACEMAKER Although the ceasefire holds for now, many observers question whether Washington's mediation is driven by deeper political calculations. Ramallah-based political analyst Esmat Mansour said that "the United States is trying to reposition itself and reinforce Israel as a key regional partner." He told Xinhua, "U.S. engagement is primarily aimed at protecting Israel after its international isolation," rather than "ensuring balanced outcomes for all parties." Nabil al-Bukiri, director of the Arab Forum for Studies and Development, told Xinhua that the U.S.-backed plan is detached from regional realities, and "lacks sincerity and substance." According to Iran's Fararu news website, Trump's latest claim that the U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities in June has helped secure the Gaza ceasefire deal points to a more tactical approach by Washington, which, together with Israel, will use the ceasefire as a potential "pause" to rearm and plan future operations. "There is actually no new variable shaping U.S. strategy -- it has always revolved around serving Israel's interests," Mootaz Ahmadein Khalil, Egypt's former permanent representative to the UN, told Xinhua, adding, "Trump himself declared that the main purpose of the plan is to restore Israel's reputation, which has been severely damaged because of the war crimes it committed in Gaza." He outlined deeper U.S. strategic objectives as ensuring Israeli regional dominance, gaining greater access to Gulf state resources through projects linked to Trump's development plan, eliminating Hamas and the concept of armed resistance, and expanding the Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia. "The people of Gaza have endured unimaginable hardship -- bombings, hunger and disease -- under a system of impunity that enjoyed Western backing," said Aden-based military observer Ali Bin Hadi. Given this, "it is difficult to see the United States, which has been a direct enabler of this suffering, as a neutral mediator," he said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) The end of the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine does not require a direct dialogue with the aggressor, it is enough to exert collective pressure on him, Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Olha Stefanishyna has said. She reported on Telegram about the publication of her conversation with video blogger Mario Nawfal about the principles of a new format of interaction between Ukraine and the United States. "The key theses of our conversation with Mario: the end of the war is a process, and its result should be a just peace; the end of the war does not require a direct dialogue with the aggressor; it is necessary to exert joint constant pressure - through sanctions, strengthening air defense and reliable security guarantees," Stefanishyna wrote. The ambassador also noted the importance of supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles of American production to deter the aggressor state. "Regarding the possible supply of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, these long-range missiles can reduce the threat of massive air attacks targeting critical military facilities on Russian territory. Demonstrating the ability to destroy military infrastructure is also a powerful means of deterrence," she wrote following the conversation. Stefanishyna noted that after the start of full-scale Russian aggression, US support helped Ukraine survive, and now Ukrainian-American relations have "grew into a broad strategic partnership that includes specific economic and security instruments." "The fact that during the current presidency of Donald Trump, he has united and mobilized Europeans to strengthen Europe's defense capabilities is a wonderful result. This includes, among other things, increasing defense spending by NATO member states and introducing the PURL military equipment procurement mechanism. It is no less important for Ukraine that the US president supported the ideas of creating the American-Ukrainian Reconstruction Investment Fund and concluding a future agreement on drones," the diplomat added. As reported, President Trump said that he was ready to send Tomahawks to Ukraine 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. Trump called the Tomahawk "a very offensive weapon" and a new step of aggression. "And frankly, Russia doesn't need it. They don't need it. But if this (war IF-U) is not resolved, we can do it," he said. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas welcomed the possible decision to transfer Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. "We would welcome all instruments that make Ukraine stronger and Russia weaker," she said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Tomahawk missiles could be financed in three ways, including the PURL program, a major deal with the United States, and the use of frozen Russian assets. On October 14, the Financial Times, citing its own sources, reported that the United States could provide Ukraine with 20 to 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles, which "would not decisively change the dynamics of the war." Odesa Regional Military Administration head Oleh Kiper has announced that he had submitted a proposal to create a military administration in the city of Odesa. "In order not to delay the process, I submitted a proposal to create a military administration - this gives the head of the newly created administration more powers, who will instantly respond to the challenges that we are facing today during the war and shelling," Kiper said on the air of a national telethon on Wednesday. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Flosi speaks to an audience at the annual Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium on Nov. 1, 2024. Flosi, the service's top enlisted leader, announced his retirement from active duty in an email on Monday, less than a month after the death of his wife, Katy. (Dalton Williams/U.S. Air Force) The Air Forces top enlisted leader is leaving the active-duty military less than two years into his stint in the post, a move that caps off a career spanning nearly three decades. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Flosi announced in an email Monday that he will change the capacity in which he serves. The decision comes just weeks after the death of his wife, Katy. Stars and Stripes received confirmation Wednesday of the messages authenticity from Ann Stefanek, the Air Forces chief of current operations. I am retiring from my active-duty service to ensure I take care of our family and learn to live with Katy in a new way, to continue to honor her as I should, Flosi wrote in the message, which circulated widely in military-related social media forums. Katy Flosi died Sept. 20. In a statement issued four days later, Flosi said her death was due to medical complications. Our family is heartbroken, Flosis earlier statement said. We will heal, and I appreciate your kindness as we do. The email Flosi sent Monday did not specify when he plans to officially hang up the boots. But President Donald Trump recently nominated Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach to succeed Allen as the Air Forces top general, and its common for incoming service chiefs to select new enlisted leaders once theyre confirmed. While my active-duty service comes to end, I look forward to serving you in the years to come, Flosi wrote. Flosi began his enlisted career in 1996 as a nuclear weapons specialist. He deployed in support of missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, among others, before earning the rank of chief master sergeant in August 2015, according to his official biography. Appointed to his current position by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allen, Flosi became the services 20th senior enlisted leader on Dec. 11, 2023. Since assuming the role, Flosi has introduced updates to Air Force standards for physical fitness, dress and appearance and has been a vocal advocate for airmen affected by military move delays stemming from budget constraints. He also used social media frequently to share key updates and engage directly with the force. Trainees at Basic Combat Training, also known as boot camp, at Fort Jackson, S.C. With 22,000 recruits waiting to ship out, the Army now has predictability in sending soldiers to boot camp and the cushion to build on the changes it made to recruiting over the past four years to modernize how it fills its ranks (Robin Hicks/U.S. Army) WASHINGTON The Army not only beat its recruiting goal last fiscal year by 1,000 enlistees, but it entered this year with double the number of recruits on its delayed entry roster than the year before. With 22,000 recruits waiting to ship out, the Army now has predictability in sending soldiers to boot camp and the cushion to build on the changes it made to recruiting over the past four years to modernize how it fills its ranks, said Brig. Gen. Sara Dudley, commander of Army Recruiting Division at Fort Knox, Ky. The Armys goal for fiscal 2026, which began Oct. 1, is to recruit 60,000 soldiers. Last year it aimed for 61,000 new soldiers and signed on 62,050. Division staff members are revisiting where the Army assigns recruiters, how and where to point them to find prospective soldiers, and restructuring the headquarters personnel to better serve the mission, Dudley said during an interview Tuesday alongside Command Sgt. Maj. Danny Basham, the senior noncommissioned officer in the division. That has just not been able to happen because weve just been in a firefight trying to get people into the Army, Dudley said. We have a lot of transformation thats still left to happen because we want to be good stewards with the amount of NCOs that were asking to bring to us from the Army. The Army, like the Navy and Air Force, struggled to find enough people willing to fill its ranks coming out of the coronavirus pandemic. The service missed its goal in 2022 and 2023 but has since rebounded, in part due to the measures it took to overhaul how it recruits. The Army also launched the Future Soldier Prep Course to help people interested in enlisting but unable to qualify because they dont meet academic or fitness standards. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said Monday in his opening remarks to the Association of the U.S. Armys annual conference that 2025 was the Armys best recruiting year in 13 years. The future of the Army is lining up. Americans are courageously stepping forward to serve, and our Army should reflect the greatness of that choice, he said. Now, the Army is scheduling recruits out through March to attend boot camp, which has allowed it to modify the number of people it sends to the prep course, Dudley said. In the past, prospects could attend for both fitness and education. Now they can only need improvement in one area, Dudley said. The Army also tightened the standards people must meet to qualify for the prep course. The amount of body fat the potential recruit needs to lose dropped from 8% to 6% and test scores must be closer to passing, she said. Recruiting Division will also put a strong emphasis toward meeting its goal for the Army Reserve. Last year it only enlisted 75% of the recruits needed for the part-time service, Dudley said. It can be challenging because Reserve units can require specialized skills of people residing within a certain geographic radius of the units home station. Its a great opportunity for people who are happy in their civilian job but still feel compelled to serve, Basham said. It gives them the opportunity to serve still, maintain their family life and all that where theyre at, he said. I think its maybe its under-advertised because everybody thinks Army and theyre like lets go 100% all of the time. (Chris Butler/Stars and Stripes) Antwerp, Belgium, Oct. 4, 1947: A casket picked at random from the 5,000 aboard the transport ship Joseph V. Connelly to symbolize World War II dead is returned aboard for its voyage home. Ten-thousand Americans and Belgians gathered in the streets of Antwerp to honor the war dead symbolized by the lone casket. As it made its way through the citys ancient streets, thousands of American servicemembers and Belgian citizens stood witness at the ceremony on the old Market Square, and lined the streets to the harbor. Ceremonies to honor the dead from World War II were held simultaneously in 37 temporary cemeteries and 26 U.S. embassies and diplomatic offices throughout Europe. Notice a bit of discoloration in the sky? The original negative that this image was captured on suffers from a preservation issue called silvering, where the silver particles rise to the top of the gelatin layer of the film. During a preservation survey of Stripes photo collection in 2018, archives staff found that especially the 4x5 negatives from the late 1940s and early 1950s were suffering the most from this preservation issue. As the silvering will eventually cause the image captured on the negative to fade, the affected negatives were pulled and prioritized for scanning. The Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine in 2014, Pavlo Sheremeta, who was mobilized in May of this year and currently serves as a senior officer of the headquarters of the 2nd Corps in the Khartiya (Charter) Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, has resigned from the supervisory board of Raiffeisen Bank, where he was an independent member, effective October 15, 2025. According to the bank's notification in the information disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission, on October 1, 2025, the bank received a statement from Sheremeta, an independent member of the supervisory board, about the early termination of his powers at his own request. Sheremeta, who is also a professor of practice at the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), served as a member of the supervisory board of Raiffeisen Bank for 10 years and five months. A new member of the supervisory board to replace Sheremeta has not yet been appointed. Sheremeta served as Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine from February to September 2014, a well-known Ukrainian economist. Raiffeisen Bank is the largest bank with private capital in the country and, according to the NBU, as of September 1, 2025, with assets of UAH 239.8 billion, it ranked 4th among 60 banks. This undated satellite image purports to show four concrete barriers, each about 1 miles long, being built along the border by North Korea. (ICEYE/Yu Yong-weon) Satellite images obtained by a South Korean lawmaker show that the North is constructing a roughly 6-mile-long anti-tank barrier resembling the Cold War-era Berlin Wall, a lawmaker in Seoul said this week. Four concrete barriers, each about 1 miles long, are being built along the border with South Korea, according to a Tuesday news release from Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the conservative, main opposition People Power Party. The images were taken at an unspecified date by ICEYE, a Finland-based satellite company that has launched 44 satellites since 2018. The firm has offices in Japan, Poland, Spain and the United States, according to its website. The barriers measure between 13 and 16 feet high and 6 feet wide, with thick piles of soil behind them, according to Yus release. If connected, the structures would span approximately 6 miles. The formations resemble a Korean Berlin Wall crossing the Korean Peninsula and are creating a wasteland around the area, the release said. Yu urged the South Korean military to prepare a response plan. We need to perform an escape maneuver or destroy the barriers in an emergency, and we need to prepare immediate military action since it is considered a military obstacle, he wrote. The two Koreas are separated by the Demilitarized Zone, a heavily fortified buffer measuring 2 miles wide and 160 miles long. Concrete vehicle barriers are also in place on the South Korean side of the border. North Koreas anti-tank barrier is a symbolic structure showing the two-state theory, and they will take full advantage of it in their domestic politics, Yu said in the release. The two-state theory refers to the continued coexistence of the two Koreas rather than reunification of the peninsula. South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said during a parliamentary session Tuesday that Seoul will continue to coexist with Pyongyang and will not pursue reunification through force. North Korean forces have previously been observed carrying out other construction projects along the border since June 2024, including reinforcing roads and building additional walls, according to South Koreas Ministry of National Defense. Buddies founder Carna Terada, right, grins as volunteer Jess Carbutt offers a treat to one of the pet adoption group's "employees" during an event at a shared workspace in Tokyo, Sept. 18, 2025. (Alex Wilson/Stars and Stripes) TOKYO Between frequent moves, language barriers and strict requirements, U.S. military families in Japan can face an array of obstacles when trying to adopt pets. But a Tokyo-based organization is working to change that by connecting service members with dogs in need of homes. In Japan, pet stores vastly outnumber shelters, and more than 80% of dogs are purchased rather than adopted, according to Japanese veterinarian Carna Terada. Frustrated by the lack of awareness and support for rescue animals, she founded Buddies, a group that helps match abandoned dogs with new owners, including foreign and military families who often struggle to navigate the countrys opaque adoption system. The problem around adoption in Japan is really terrible I want to make a change, Terada told Stars and Stripes in a recent interview at BLINK, a shared workspace in Tokyo. I believe in the bond between dogs and people. Rescue dogs can bring healing and relaxation to people, and people can help the dogs. Buddies primarily works with English-speaking families to adopt dogs in Japan. However, the group also host events such as dog yoga, or "doga." (Buddies) Military families can face steep hurdles when trying to adopt, including language barriers and strict requirements such as property ownership, according to Terada and Buddies volunteer Jess Carbutt. A lot of adoption agencies are very hesitant to give a dog to an American military family, because they know the military families have to move quite frequently and sometimes at short notice, she said at BLINK, where Buddies occasionally hosts events. While those agencies are trying to protect the dogs welfare, Carbutt said, they often overlook that families can plan for unexpected moves. Making sure the dog has the right vaccinations, the right travel plans, a support network and community, a vet who speaks English, that kind of support. Thats what Buddies can provide, she said. Carbutt said she struggled to adopt in Japan through traditional avenues, being denied because she was foreign, didnt own property and wasnt married. She said she knows only one foreigner who successfully adopted from a regular shelter, and he owned property, had his own business, had a Japanese wife and still had to apply five times to the same agency. Another challenge, Terada said, is that most people in Japan prefer smaller dogs because of their appearance or the limited space in homes and apartments. Americans, however, are often more open to adopting larger breeds, making them ideal candidates. Since its founding in 2020 and a restart in 2023 after the COVID-19 pandemic Terada said Buddies has fostered or rehomed about 30 dogs. She has worked with U.S. Embassy Tokyo and military installations, including Yokosuka Naval Base. For Lt. Sarah Martin, a nurse at U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka, and Lt. Matthew Martin, a surface warfare officer assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey, Buddies was the obvious choice because of its English-language support and willingness to work with military families. Lt. Sarah Martin, a nurse at U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka, adopted Dave, an 8-year-old mixed-breed pup, through Buddies, a Tokyo-based group that works with U.S. troops and other foreigners in Japan. (Sarah Martin) The couple adopted an 8-year-old mixed-breed named Dave late last year. He has just been such a good friend to me, Sarah Martin said by phone Tuesday. Hes been such sweet company. Weve lived here for a year and a half or so, but theres such a sense of community out at the dog park. Hes got friends out there. We always look forward to seeing them. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Brussels in this screenshot taken Oct. 15, 2025. Hegseth called on NATO countries to step up their support for Ukraine, saying the more American-made weaponry that can be provided, the better the odds of ending the Russia-Ukraine war. (NATO) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called on NATO countries Wednesday to step up support for Ukraine, saying the more American-made weaponry that can be directed at Russian forces, the better the odds of ending a war that has raged for over three years. 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 at the start of high-level talks in Brussels. The meeting at the blocs headquarters also marks the first gathering of allied defense leaders since a series of Russian drone and fighter plane intrusions on NATO territory last month. During the one-day ministerial, allies were expected to discuss how NATO should respond to future incursions. Some members have called for a tougher stance, such as automatic shootdown of any Russian aircraft that ventures into NATO airspace. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has downplayed the use of such an approach, saying military commanders need to determine how to respond on a case-by-case basis. Still, there are questions as to whether NATOs top military commander, U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, has sufficient authority to shoot when deemed necessary. NATO countries can put caveats, or certain restrictions, on how their military assets may be used while under the alliances command. Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, said fewer restrictions are necessary. Its no secret that the more national caveats there are on especially our fighter jet assets, the harder it is for (Grynkewich) to respond immediately, Whitaker told reporters ahead of Wednesdays ministerial. Conversations are ongoing about how to give Grynkewich more flexibility, Whitaker said. Hegseths comments regarding support for Ukraine come as President Donald Trump grows increasingly frustrated with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. On Sunday, Trump floated the possibility of sending long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. In July, the bloc announced the new Prioritized Ukraine Requirement List. It enables allies to buy American weapons, which NATO in turn delivers to Ukraine. The initiative has generated about $2 billion in weapons purchases so far. But NATO has seen a reduction in overall contributions from allies to the Ukrainian war effort in recent months. More robust support would increase the chances of forcing Russia to the negotiating table, Hegseth said. You get peace when you are strong ... when you have strong and real capabilities that adversaries respect, and I believe thats what NATO is doing, he said in reference to the Prioritized Ukraine Requirement List. Hegseth drew a comparison between the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, saying Trumps approach to securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has the potential to extend to Russia and Ukraine. I think the world is seeing that we have a peace president which is what we saw (in Gaza) and I hope we can see in Ukraine, Hegseth said. Defense officials from Ukraine also were on hand for the Brussels talks, which Rutte said would center on how to get more high-demand military hardware into Ukraine. This is crucial stuff, including air defense systems and particularly interceptors, important for Ukraine to make sure that their civilian population, their crucial infrastructure, is as much protected as possible against the continuous Russian onslaught, Rutte said. Alaska Air and Army National Guardsmen offload gear and supplies from a 176th Wing C-17 Globemaster III while supporting storm response operations at Bethel, Alaska, Oct. 13, 2025. (Balinda ONeal/Alaska National Guard) In response to Typhoon Halongs devastating impact on western Alaska, members of the Alaska Air and Army National Guard provided support to severely impacted communities. The Alaska Air National Guards 176th Wing aircrew from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson transported more than 21,000 pounds of gear and supplies to Bethel on Monday. About 21 members of the Alaska Organized Militia from the Alaska Army National Guard and the Alaska State Defense Force also supported storm response operations in the city. Alaska Air and Army National Guardsmen offload gear and supplies from a 176th Wing C-17 Globemaster III while supporting storm response operations at Bethel, Alaska, Oct. 13, 2025. (Balinda ONeal/Alaska National Guard ) Alaska Air and Army National Guardsmen offload gear and supplies from a 176th Wing C-17 Globemaster III while supporting storm response operations at Bethel, Alaska, Oct. 13, 2025. (Balinda ONeal/Alaska National Guard ) Alaska Air and Army National Guardsmen offload gear and supplies from a 176th Wing C-17 Globemaster III while supporting storm response operations at Bethel, Alaska, Oct. 13, 2025. (Balinda ONeal/Alaska National Guard ) Alaska Air and Army National Guardsmen offload gear and supplies from a 176th Wing C-17 Globemaster III while supporting storm response operations at Bethel, Alaska, Oct. 13, 2025. (Balinda ONeal/Alaska National Guard ) Alaska Air and Army National Guardsmen offload gear and supplies from a 176th Wing C-17 Globemaster III while supporting storm response operations at Bethel, Alaska, Oct. 13, 2025. (Balinda ONeal/Alaska National Guard ) Alaska Organized Militia members from across the Alaska Army National Guard, and the Alaska State Defense Force, prepare for departure from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson as they travel to Bethel, Alaska, while supporting storm response operations, Oct. 13, 2025. (Balinda ONeal/Alaska National Guard ) A U.S. Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter assigned to Sector Western Alaska and U.S. Arctic, out of Air Station Kodiak, arrives at Bethel, Alaska to provide support for storm response operations, Oct. 13, 2025. (Balinda ONeal/Alaska National Guard ) As of Sunday, 51 people were through joint rescue operations supporting the communities of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok both of which were hit the hardest, according to a service news release. The Alaska Air National Guard rescued eight people and two dogs; the Alaska Army National Guard rescued nine people; the Coast Guard rescued 34 people; and three people were medically evacuated from Kipnuk to Bethel for a higher level of medical care, according to the release. Seven aircraft from the Alaska Air and Army National Guard and Coast Guard flew approximately 60 hours combined in support of life-saving operations. At the request of the Alaska State Troopers, the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center continues to lead the multi-agency search and rescue operations across storm-impacted communities in Western Alaska, according to the release. Over the weekend, the storm brought high winds and storm surges, displacing more than 1,500 people. At least one person was killed, and two were missing, according to the Associated Press. The Coast Guard rescued two dozen people from their homes after the structures floated out to sea. Dozens were flown to a shelter set up in the National Guard armory in Bethel, and officials are considering flying evacuees to longer-term shelter or emergency housing in Fairbanks and Anchorage, according to the Associated Press. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Capt. Timothy Gildea, commander of A Company, Forward Support Company, 1249th Engineer Battalion, stands in front of his formation during a mobilization ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, at the Anderson Readiness Center in Salem, Ore. (Chris Clyne/U.S. Army) About 250 soldiers from the Oregon and New York state National Guards are deploying to the U.S.-Mexico border to support the federal agencies operating there. The New York National Guard is sending 188 soldiers from the 104th Military Police Battalion and its subordinate unit, the 442nd Military Police Company, to support the Border Patrol mission aimed at preventing illegal border crossings, according to a service news release. They deployed in two batches on Sunday and Tuesday on federal orders, and they will remain under federal orders for 14 months, the release said. The soldiers will be based in Laredo, Texas. The New York troops are bringing military vehicles, including four M1151 Humvees, the release said. They join hundreds of other National Guard troops from the state deployed for federal missions, including some 600 in the Middle East. In Oregon, about 60 soldiers from A Company, Forward Support Company, 1249th Engineer Battalion, were honored in a mobilization ceremony Tuesday, a separate news release said. The Oregon troops will support military police operations along the border and operate as two platoons, the release said. While the release did not say where they will be stationed, they will be trained at Fort Bliss, Texas, as will the New York National Guard troops. A handful of the Oregonians volunteered for the mission despite having recently returned home from a deployment to the Middle East, the release said. Meanwhile, Army engineers supporting Border Patrol for Joint Task Force-Southern Border have helped the agency close about 1,400 miles of the border since April, the Pentagon said Tuesday. More than a dozen advocacy groups for military members and veterans joined forces to urge Congress to pay troops on time and pass legislation that protects veterans, service members and their families from the impacts of the federal government shutdown. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes ) WASHINGTON More than a dozen advocacy groups for military members and veterans joined forces to urge Congress to pay troops on time and pass legislation that protects veterans, service members and their families from the impacts of the federal government shutdown. Veterans of Foreign Wars, Blue Star Families and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America were among organizations that voiced concerns about disrupted paychecks and delayed services due to the shutdown now in its third week during a news conference in the nations capital Tuesday. The groups urged Congress to pass the Pay Our Troops Act, legislation pending in the House that would ensure members of the armed forces continue to get their paychecks during a government funding lapse. This shutdown is a kitchen-table crisis for military families, said Joy Craig, the VFWs associate director for service member affairs. Craig and other advocates spoke during a 40-minute news conference at the Reserve Organization of America on Constitution Avenue. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, assured troops in a Truth Social post Saturday that they would receive their paychecks absent action from Congress to adopt legislation. He followed through Tuesday night. Thanks to President Trumps leadership, service members received their mid-month salary, and their Leave and Earnings Statements (LES) are now available in myPay, the Pentagon said in a statement Tuesday night. The announcement was made after the Senate rejected a bill to reopen the government for the eighth time. The Pentagon said about $8 billion set aside for research, development, testing and evaluation would be used to pay members of the military, Reuters reported Monday. The next regular payday is Wednesday. Craig and other advocates on Tuesday demanded a permanent solution through legislation that ensures troops will continue to be paid during a shutdown. Missing a payday means missing rent and missing meals for our military service members and their families. This is a direct assault on their financial stability, said Tom Porter, vice president for government affairs at Blue Star Families, a nonprofit organization that supports veterans and military families. Kyleanne Hunter, chief executive officer of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill where more than a dozen advocacy groups for military members and veterans urged Congress to pass legislation that guarantees pay for troops during a government shutdown. Standing behind Hunter, from left to right, are: Candace Wheeler, senior director, government and legislative affairs for the Tragedy Assistance Program; Scott Hope, national service director of Disabled American Veterans; Joy Craig, associate director for service member affairs at Veterans of Foreign Wars; retired Maj. Gen. April Vogel, vice president for government relations at the Military Officers Association of America; and Mario Marquez, executive director of government affairs for The American Legion. (Screenshot) We applaud the notion of found money, but we cant rely on a stopgap measure, said Kyleanne Hunter, chief executive officer of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, which organized the news conference. The Pay Our Troops Act is pending review by appropriators after the legislation was introduced in the House in September. The veterans groups also urged Congress to end the partisan stalemate over insurance subsidies that has blocked passage of legislation to extend federal government funding through Nov. 21. A measure the House passed has failed multiple times to clear the Senate. Democratic lawmakers are pushing to extend health insurance tax credits under the Affordable Care Act as part of the bill, a provision that Republicans oppose. I dont have anything to negotiate, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said Tuesday morning. Organizations at Tuesdays news conference pledged to keep advocating for military families and veterans during the shutdown, as many rely on benefits and services from federal agencies. Student Veterans of America warned that veterans enrolled in advanced education and training programs under the GI Bill rely on federal agencies now shuttered to confirm their housing payments and to receive guidance on their benefits. Weve had previous shutdowns with delays in paychecks, said retired Army Maj. Gen. John Hashem, executive director of the Reserve Organization of America, a nonprofit that advocates for the reserve and National Guard components. But Hashem warned about the implications on troop morale and readiness. He urged Congress to work toward a solution that gives [troops] predictability, dignity and respect they deserve. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a decree on the creation of a military administration in the city of Odesa and an order on the appointment of Serhiy Lysak, who was previously the head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration, as its head. BACKGROUND: STRIPPING MAYOR OF ODESA OF UKRAINIAN CITIZENSHIP On Tuesday, October 14, the Commission under the President of Ukraine on Citizenship Issues adopted a decision to terminate the citizenship of Ukraine of the Mayor of Odesa, Hennadiy Trukhanov, who, as it turned out, is a citizen of the Russian Federation and has a valid foreign passport of the aggressor country. Such a decision, in particular, is based on the evidence base of the Security Service of Ukraine and was approved by the decree of the President of Ukraine. Earlier on Monday, Trukhanov said that he feared the deprivation of his Ukrainian citizenship and warned that disinformation was being prepared against him regarding the alleged presence of Russian citizenship. He noted that this issue has been raised since 2014 and since then he has constantly explained that he does not have and has never had Russian citizenship, and that he was checked for it by all relevant Ukrainian authorities. The mayor of Odesa called this another provocation and appealed to all authorized bodies. "Conduct a legal and thorough check. I ask the president and competent services to carefully look at the documents and establish the truth," Trukhanov urged. Nevertheless, on Tuesday, Zelenskyy signed decrees on the deprivation of Ukrainian citizenship of Trukhanov, as well as people's deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of the IV-VII convocations Oleh Tsarev and ballet dancer Serhiy Polunin. He also stated that Odesa would receive greater protection and greater support in the format of a city military administration. On the same day, responding to a petition on the creation of the Odessa City Military Administration on the website of the head of state, which was supported by more than 25 thousand citizens, the president announced that he had instructed the head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Oleh Kiper, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky, to verify the facts set forth in the petition, in particular, that in the relevant territorial communities "local self-government bodies do not exercise or improperly exercise their powers or there is a threat to their functioning," which could serve as a basis for the creation of military administrations of certain settlements. Trukhanov stated that he planned to continue exercising his powers until the city council terminated them. He also stated that the termination of his Ukrainian citizenship was a "falsification" and planned to file lawsuits with Ukrainian courts, as well as the European Court of Human Rights. CREATION OF A CITY MILITARY ADMINISTRATION Head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration Oleh Kiper announced on Wednesday, October 15, that he had submitted a proposal to create a military administration in the city of Odesa. "In order not to delay the process, I submitted a proposal to create a military administration - this gives the head of the newly created administration more powers, who will instantly respond to the challenges that we are facing today during the war and shelling," Kiper said on the air of a national telethon on Wednesday. Commenting on the information not yet confirmed at that time regarding the appointment of Serhiy Lysak, who headed the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration, to the position of head of this military administration, Kiper said said that "there is a decision of the military command regarding the fact that this position would be taken by a person who was born in the city of Odesa, an experienced officer who has combat experience and who will only be of help to our residents in these difficult times." At the same time, Kiper refused to comment on the decision to deprive Trukhanov of Ukrainian citizenship, noting that this would be done by the authorized bodies on the basis of the documents at their disposal. When asked what Zelenskyy meant when he said that Odesa needed more attention, he replied: "Of course, these are the challenges facing society that the war presents us with. Today, helping people is a priority." According to Kiper, currently in Odessa "there is light, there is water, all problems that arise are resolved in a normal manner." APPOINTMENT OF LYSAK AS HEAD OF ODESA CITY MILITARY ADMINISTRATION Immediately after Kiper's statement, an order was published on the website of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, by which the head of state appointed Serhiy Lysak, who previously held the position of head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration, as head of the Odesa City Military Administration. "To appoint Serhiy Petrovych Lysak as head of the Odesa City Military Administration of the Odesa District of the Odesa Region," reads the text of order No. 119/2025-rp dated October 15, 2025, published on the president's website. The decree No. 787/2025 Zelenskyy dismissed Lysak from the position of Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration "in accordance with his application." Deputy Head of the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy Yevheniia Kravchuk (Servant of the People faction) has said that the Ukrainian National Information Agency Ukrinform, the state enterprise Multimedia Platform for Foreign Broadcasting of Ukraine, and the all-Ukrainian information telethon United News (Yedyny Novyny) will be separated from the Ministry of Culture and will be under the management of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. "Tetyana Berezhna said that strategic communications will be separated from the Ministry of Culture. The State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting (this will be the coordinating Central Broadcasting Committee), as well as Ukrinform, foreign broadcasting, the Center for Strategic Communications, and United News will be separated from the Ministry of Culture and will be under the management of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine," Kravchuk wrote on Facebook. At the same time, she said that the formation of information policy (including legislative changes for the industry), the issue of journalist safety, and European integration processes will remain under the Ministry of Culture. As reported, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said that the government plans to separate information policy and strategic communications into a separate direction with a clear mandate and resources in order to "focus on working on the information resilience of the country." At the end of July, Kravchuk said it was not known when the separation of the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications would take place, since this would require a vote on the appointment of the minister in the Verkhovna Rada. In August, the acting Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications, Tetyana Berezhna, admitted that the process of separating strategic communications into a separate institution should be completed by the end of 2025, and information policy would most likely remain with the Ministry of Culture. Pepe Moreno Granada Wednesday, 15 October 2025, 18:47 Share Drivers have been coming up with all sorts of strategies to evade the new low emission zone (ZBE) regulations for polluting vehicles in large towns and cities in Spain. Two weeks ago, the Local Police in Granada caught a woman who had hidden her car's number plate with duct tape, because she was not sure whether she could enter the city's low emission zone. Her ploy, however, has been surpassed by the imagination of a student from Madrid. It looked like mud was obscuring both number plates of his car. However, the Local Police, who shared the incident on social media, discovered that it was not mud that had gotten there accidentally but clay that had been daubed on. It was an intentional masking of the number plates in order to be able to enter the low emission zone without being penalised. This has ended up costing the student more than a ZBE fine, as the police fined him 6,000 euros and took six points off his driving licence. SUR in English Malaga Wednesday, 15 October 2025 | Updated 16/10/2025 10:27h. Share Malaga is rapidly becoming a cosmopolitan, year-round city where culture, technology, and diverse global communities thrive alongside tourism. With the airports capacity expected to rise toward 36 million passengers a year, the city is positioning itself as one of Europes most connected mid-sized hubs. This dynamic growth deeply resonates with Alta Homes mission to create Homes Away from Home. Manuel Moreno, founder and CEO of Alta Homes, blends U.S. hospitality experience with Spanish real-estate roots. Having lived and worked in Californiaincluding at Kasa, one of the early innovators in flexible stayshe now leads one of Malagas most thoughtful short-term-rental operators. Here he shares how professional management can serve owners, guests, neighbors, and the city itself. What makes Malaga so attractiveand what still worries you? Malagas climate and connectivity make it unique. Average January temperatures hover around 16C, compared with 7C in Paris, 6C in Milan, and 10C in Madrid. Combined with strong flight links and a thriving tech ecosystem, its a city that remains open for business when others slow down. With the airports expansion expected to place Malaga among the top 15 busiest airports in Europe, the city will attract more visitors from global destinations that previously had limited access. This growth will enrich Malagas cultural diversity and international vibrancy. The challenge lies in maturity: housing stock that needs renewal, regulation thats catching up, and rising expectations from residents and travelers alike. One challenge is the markets rapid growth has attracted operators with varying levels of experience and standards, impacting general perceptions. Raising the bar collectively will be critical for Malagas future. So, Manuel, what exactly does Alta Homes do? At Alta Homes, everything begins with one idea: creating Homes Away from Home. Its not a marketing lineits the foundation of how we design, manage, and operate every space. We are a hospitality brand first, and every decision starts with the guest in mind. From how a room feels when you enter to the way natural light moves through it, we obsess over details that most people never notice but everyone feels. That obsession drives our approach: we own some apartments, manage others on behalf of owners, lease and sublease properties under fixed, premium rents, and develop new buildings on underused plots that we later operate. These different models all share a common purposecreating a consistent, thoughtful guest experience that builds both satisfaction and owner confidence. Ive drawn inspiration from Danny Meyers Setting the Table and Will Guidaras Unreasonable Hospitality, both of which remind us that hospitality isnt about thingsits about feelings. We try to bring that same ethos to Malaga: the precision of design and process, combined with genuine care. Our goal is simple but demandingto make every stay feel like it was created just for that guest. What does it take to run a professional portfolio? It takes a balance of systems, timing, and constant motion, combined with precision, empathy, and endurance. Empathy extends to guests, owners, and neighbors alikeholistic care that ensures everyones needs are met. In a recent Forbes piece, I compared professional STR management to running an airlinenot because were equally complex, but because both depend on coordination and continuous motion. Our apartments are occupied about six nights out of seven all year. Thats great for owners, but it means we have to anticipate when well enter a unit for upgrades or preventive maintenance before the next guest checks in. Its a living, breathing operation that never truly stops. Behind the scenes theres constant forecasting, dynamic pricing, and coordination between teamscleaning, maintenance, guest relations, and data. Technology plays a role, but consistency comes from people. The challenge is sustaining standards day after day across multiple neighborhoods and guests. When its done right, the result is invisibleeverything simply works. Zoom Many worry STRs disrupt neighborhoods. Do they? Only when theyre run without care. The idea that short-term rentals and residential life cant coexist is a misconception. Weve seen the opposite: responsible operations can help restore buildings that would otherwise fall into disrepair while supporting local cafes and tradespeople. We invest heavily in neighbor relationsthrough clear communication, property-specific rules, soundproofing, and responsive oversight. Our monitoring systems alert our team (not an algorithm) the moment theres a noise or occupancy issue, and neighbors always have a direct way to reach us, enabling rapid resolution and preventing escalation. Lack of professional oversight can lead to challenges for communities, while attentive management keeps harmony intact. What truly separates outcomes for owners? Discipline and alignment. Airbnb Superhosts typically earn around 28 percent more and attract better guests. Good attracts goodattentive guests look for attentive hosts, and that affects everything from property condition to community reputation. Conversely, delayed responses, poor pricing, or deferred maintenance quietly erode performance. We treat each apartment like its own business, with accountability and continuous improvement. Professional management also helps owners avoid costly problems through proactive oversight. Which parts of Malaga excite you most right now? Neighborhoods like Huelin, Trinidad, and Perchel are transforming in a healthy, organic way. Long-time residents and new families create a dynamic where respect for roots blends with openness to change. You see it in the cafes, schools, and daily rhythm of life. Malagas evolution isnt about growth for growths sakeits about renewal grounded in identity. The future of Malagas short-term-rental sector will hinge on professionalism. High standards protect neighborhoods, preserve investor confidence, and sustain the citys reputation as a welcoming destination. Operators who cut corners will always make headlines for the wrong reasons; those who hold themselves to higher expectations will define what responsible urban hospitality looks like. Alta Homes is not just part of that effortit is leading by example, building systems, relationships, and guest experiences meant to last. Eugenio Cabezas Velez-Malaga Wednesday, 15 October 2025, 10:19 Share Velez-Malaga town hall has disassociated itself from the plot of land where the well in which a local resident died in September is located and councillors have denied that there is a "contractual agreement for use" of the private land, despite it being cleaned and used as a free car park. The death of David Ruiz Hierrezuelo, a 51-year-old Velez-Malaga resident who died after falling into an unsealed well, shocked the town at the beginning of September. His family and friends said that his death "could have been avoided" if the well, which had been disused for several decades, "had been properly marked, fenced off and closed". This has now happened since David's death. Pending confirmation of whether or not the family will take the matter to court, it was debated at the last council meeting where a motion was unanimously approved to ask the Andalusian regional government to monitor unsealed wells. In the hours following the discovery of the body, the area was cordoned off with police tape and metal and plastic fences with iron bars were placed around the edge of the well. Since the news broke residents of Velez-Malaga have taken to social media to criticise the fact that the well where the body was found was "unmarked, uncovered and without any warning signs". No contractual agreement The spokesperson for opposition political party Andalucia por Si, Jose Pino, asked the ruling coalition led by mayor Jesus Lupianez (Partido Popular) in writing about the council's connection to the plot, as despite being private, it is used as a free parking area and is frequently cleaned for this purpose. In a written response to the councillor, dated 25 September, to which SUR has had access, the town hall disassociates itself from the land, stating that "there is no contractual agreement for the use of this plot". The response has outraged Pino: "According to Lupianez, the town hall has no agreement to use the plot, but despite this, it has done so, cleaning it up and using it as a car park. What a way to break the law. Do the other private plots deserve to be cleaned up by the council for free too? We demand that Lupianez conduct an urgent investigation into what happened here and that he does not remain silent, but faces up to his responsibilities like a real mayor," Pino said on social media. The mayor of Velez-Malaga said during the council meeting that from the moment he became aware of the existence of the well "preventive measures" were taken, always respecting the judicial investigation on the ground. "Once it was possible, the hole was completely sealed," Lupianez added. Velez-based company Carburantes Clavero has also distanced itself from ownership of the land in a statement posted on its social media. "We wish to clarify that, contrary to what has been reported in various media outlets and on social media, the land where the accident occurred does not belong to our company. It was sold to a Malaga-based construction company in 2005 and currently belongs to a bank," Carburantes Clavero reiterated its "respect for the truth and our willingness to cooperate with the authorities to fully clarify the circumstances of this unfortunate event." The Appeal Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court (AC HACC) has granted permission to conduct a special pre-trial investigation against businessman Kostiantyn Zhevaho in the bribery case of the former Chairman of the Supreme Court of Ukraine Vsevolod Kniazev. "On October 15, the Appeal Chamber of the HACC considered the appeal of the prosecution against the ruling of the investigating judge of the HACC dated 04.09.2025 on the refusal to conduct a special pre-trial investigation against the Ukrainian businessman, who is currently abroad," the Appeal Chamber of HACC said Telegram on Wednesday. The message notes that, based on the results of the consideration, the panel of judges of the Appeal Chamber of HACC satisfied the appeal of the prosecution, canceled the ruling of the investigating judge of the HACC and made a new ruling, which satisfied the petition to conduct a special pre-trial investigation and granted permission to conduct it. The decision entered into force from the moment of its announcement and is not subject to appeal in cassation. According to the investigation, the specified person is suspected of possibly providing an illegal benefit to the former chairman and judges of the Supreme Court (Part 4 of Article 369 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The Appeal Chamber of HACC does not specify names, as the agency was told by an informed source, it refers to businessman Zhevaho, who is currently abroad, as well as former Supreme Court Chairman Kniazev, whose bribery case is being considered in court. As reported, on May 18, 2023, law enforcement officers announced the exposure of Kniazev in receiving illegal benefit of $2.7 million for a decision in favor of businessman Zhevaho in the case of Poltava Mining. In early October, the investigation into the case of the former Supreme Court Chairman was completed. On January 30, 2024, the investigating judge of the Supreme Court of Criminal Procedure extended the preventive measure of Kniazev in the form of detention and reduced the suspect's bail to UAH 18.168 million, on January 31 he was released from custody on bail. On May 27, by court decision, the electronic bracelet was removed from Kniazev, who was accused of bribery. At the end of August 2024, the Supreme Court of Criminal Procedure began consideration of the merits of the criminal proceedings on Kniazev's accusation of receiving a bribe. As part of investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) into Zhevaho and his accomplices' suspicion of embezzling $113 million from the Finance and Credit bank, the corporate rights of 16 enterprises that are part of the oligarch's orbit were seized and transferred to the Asset Recovery and Management (ARMA), including 49.5% of the authorized capital of PrJSC Poltava Mining. The decree of the President of Ukraine put into effect the NSDC decision on sanctions against Zhevaho. Alberto Gomez Benalmadena Thursday, 19 June 2025, 10:35 Share New information has finally been released about the proposed plans for the reopening of the legendary Tivoli amusement park on the Costa del Sol after being closed for several years due to legal and financial wrangles and the Covid pandemic. The project is due to advance this Thursday, when the plenary council session in Bernalmadena is expected to approve the agreement that will allow the redevelopment of one of Andalucia's great leisure symbols. The document, signed by mayor Juan Antonio Lara and the developer which owns the complex, will allow the construction of a new amusement park slightly larger than the previous one (69,869 square metres), to which a large tourist and commercial complex will be added. Zoom SUR After a period of public consultation, during which opposition politicians and two associations (Benalmadena en Transicion and Fundacion Democracia) presented objections, which were then rejected by the municipal technicians as "lacking in legal and technical relevance", the agreement will be approved by the governing right-wing Partido Popular. This procedure sets in motion the planning innovation, which must be included in the general urban development plan (PGOU). The developer will then have three months to present the necessary technical documentation. In the first infographics, it can be seen that the park will be equipped with some legendary attractions such as a big wheel and a free-fall tower and that the shopping and restaurant area will have brands such as Domino's Pizza, Foster's Hollywood, Rodilla or La Tagliatella. However, these deals will be set in stone at a later stage. Zoom SUR In the process, the town hall promises to undertake, "as quickly as possible and until its final approval", the urban transformation required by the project, based on its "relevance and social transcendence". But if the new park is slightly larger than the previous one, how is it possible that the agreement also contemplates the creation of a commercial and tourist complex? The town hall has already allowed the almost tripling in size of the floor area. The mayor has also insisted that Tremon hire the former workers of Tivoli who were affected by its closure in 2020. The developer will also not be able to open the shopping and hotel area without first opening the amusement park: this will either have to happen at the same time or later than the park. A few days ago, Lara addressed the opposition groups, calling for "a level-headed approach" to support this process, which he considers "another fundamental step towards achieving the reopening of Tivoli that the whole of Benalmadena wants". The mayor stated that "there is no time to lose" and promised to ensure that the park "reopens as soon as possible". The investment will exceed 100 million euros, but it will, in turn, create many local jobs. Last year, the project was stuck in court proceedings, but the High Court of Justice of Andalucia (TSJA) ultimately ruled in favour of the reopening, despite the attempts of the previous municipal executive - Victor Navas from the left-wing PSOE party - to prevent the opening of commercial or tourist projects in the area. "Factory of illusions" The current solution is to both safeguard Tivoli's historic identity as an amusement park and add new activities. Back in 1972, Tivoli's first owner - Dane Bent Olsen - presented the project as "a factory of illusions". Fireworks, a roller coaster, a Chinese pagoda, a lake with boats and almost 20 fountains that offered a spectacle of water, light and sound inaugurated a complex that has alternated golden and languid periods, without losing its status as a leisure reference for several generations of Malaga province residents. However, the times of Tivoli's splendour are long gone. For decades, it has been shaken by legal conflicts, labour disputes and even a bitter fight over its ownership. Finally, Tremon won the battle and the previous owner - Rafael Gomez, better known as Sandokan - had to give up the park. It was he who bought it from its founder in 2004. However, he quickly encountered issues with redundancy plans, non-payments to social security authorities and neglect of the attractions - a storm that culminated in 2020 with the closure of one of the greatest symbols of the province. That dark period is now behind us with a project that see the iconic attraction return to Benalmadena. Paco Grinan Malaga Wednesday, 15 October 2025, 19:05 Share It has only just been released. But those who've seen it can't help but think that reality surpasses fiction with the unexpected farewell last Sunday of the famous Spanish bullfighter Morante de la Puebla at the Las Ventas bullring in Madrid. The similarities to this Seville-born matador, a leading figure in the bullfighting world, are evident in the plot of this just-released bullfighting series 'Fate: A series of coincidences' and even more so with the current events of the last few days. Morante was an artistic bullfighter, revered and respected by fans, superstitious and one who bore the name of his hometown throughout Spain, but who has been going through a personal crisis that pushed him to announce his retirement from three decades of bullfighting. Even the actor Oscar Jaenada, who shows a bullfighting spirit, bears a resemblance to this real-life bullfighter from La Puebla del Rio. The story could also be that of any great figure in their twilight years, although the gift of good timing with Morante's most recent biography is evident. However, the character also has his differences, such as the fact that this bullfighter is originally from a small town in Malaga and that his "home" is La Malagueta bullring, where he learned to make his first 'muletazos', the swishing passes with a red cape. The comedy genre that is halfway towards drama - it's close to that hybrid dubbed as 'dramedy' - and the half-hour episodes add freshness to this series, which delves into the bullfighter's personal crisis and doesn't shy away from the current debate that pits bullfighting fans against animal rights activists who reject this spectacle. What's more, the series makes the conflict between the old and the new the central basis of its plot, although it does show respect for bullfighting. Zoom Manuel Moron, filming the series 'La suerte' on Calle Ollerias, in November 2023. Marilu Baez The tone that the directors and creators of the series, Paco Plaza (author of the horror saga trilogy 'Rec') and Pablo Guerrero ('Perdiendo el Juicio', [Losing the Case]), give to 'La Suerte' is blended with a road movie format that, like the bullfighting films of the '60s, follows the bullfighter from bullring to bullring, including the inevitable bullfight in Malaga, where this production was filmed, as well as passing through other bullrings and locations such as Talavera de la Reina, Zaragoza, Benidorm and Madrid. 'Fate', with a plotline halfway between comedy and drama, explores the personal crisis of a veteran bullfighter facing newcomers in his profession and the growing social rejection of bullfighting. At the time of filming, the working title of this series produced by Boomerang TV for Disney+'s non-children's content division, Hulu, was 'Maestro', which defines the central character of bullfighter Rafael Baeza Cortes (played by Oscar Jaenada). The lead character feels that now is no longer his time due to the drive shown by a new, much younger bullfighter, who goes viral and pushes Rafael's name off the billboards. At the same time, he experiences the growing rejection of his craft that is no longer understood by society as it was in the days of Juan Belmonte. His prospects become enmeshed with that of the story's other lead character, young David (played by Ricardo Gomez, who played Carlitos in the Spanish TV series 'Cuentame como paso' [Tell me how it happened]), a young bullfighting candidate and temporary taxi driver who brings luck to the bullfighter from Malaga, leading to him becoming overnight the chauffeur to the matador and his crew, touring around half of Spain. Hang on for the Malaga locations... We have to wait until the fifth episode in this six-part season 1 to see the Malaga locations in this series. They undergo some poetic licence, beginning with a somewhat fantastical, almost surreal tour of the provincial capital accompanied by David's father, the real owner of the taxi and played by Manuel Moron. Thus, in just a few seconds, the character, who is eating some barbequed fish in the picturesque El Tintero beach bar, gets up and walks along the promenade, appearing in a flash at Customs and then taking a tour of the city's cathedral, Chinitas passage and, finally, Ollerias, where the scene is set for a bullfighters' tailor shop and where SUR photographed the shooting of this series in November 2023. As a tourist itinerary, the walk would be pretty perfect, but for anyone who has walked from El Palo to the city centre, they'd know it to be pure fiction. Oh, the liberties taken by film and TV. The Malagueta bullring is the other unmissable location for 'Fate', which had the support of the Malaga Film Office (Malaga city council's film production service) and whose premiere was spurred on by the sudden departure of Morante de la Puebla, who could well have been the inspiration behind this story. The series also features a bullfighter in the cast, Oscar Higares, a retired matador-turned-actor, who finds a fitting role here as the leading character's brother and sword-handler. The rest of the 'cuadrilla' crew is played by Carlos Bernardino ('Modelo 77' [Prison 77]), a histrionic subordinate who repeatedly says 'perita' to make clear the crew's Malaga origins, and Pedro Bachura ('Antidisturbios' [Riot Police]), as well as Jason Fernandez ('Extrana forma de vida' [Strange Way of Life]), Oscar Reyes ('Aida'), Almudena Amor (nominated for Best New Actress at the Goya Awards for 'El buen patron' [The Good Boss]), Almudena Cid ('The Secret of Puente Viejo') and Diana Penalver ('Cristo y Rey'). Zoom Oscar Higares, who plays the bullfighter's brother, during the filming of the series in Malaga. Marilu Baez The premiere of 'La suerte' has also coincided with the arrival to the small screen of three other productions filmed in the Costa del Sol province and released on the streaming platforms in the last four months of this year. Starting with the success of 'Dos Tumbas' [Two graves], a thriller about the disappearance of young women in a village in Malaga by Carmen Mola that, for several weeks, has been Netflix's most-watched, non-English language production worldwide. Internationally, last September Amazon Prime Video opted for domestic intrigue 'La Novia' [The Girlfriend], starring and directed by the American Robin Wright and which has accumulated 25 million views. Meanwhile, Movistar + has opted for gangsters in 'Los Amos de la Ciudad' [This City is Ours] , another crime thriller set in Liverpool and the Costa del Sol. All of them are now joined by 'La Suerte' [Fate], which in its first week has already positioned itself as the third most-watched programme on the Disney Spain platform. Juan Cano Malaga Wednesday, 15 October 2025, 15:47 Share A 30-year-old man has been arrested by the National Police on the Costa del Sol on suspicion of sexual assault concerning three waitresses under his management at a restaurant in Estepona. The alleged victims are all in their 20s. The incidents are said to have happened in the last two months. The police investigation began on 19 September, when a young woman reported that she had been sexually assaulted by a colleague. The victim said that the man was her immediate boss. According to her account, he took her to a secluded part of the restaurant premises where he started to kiss her and touch different parts of her body, while trying to get her to do the same. The young woman told the police that she had managed to get away from him. More testimonies During the investigation, launched by the family and women's services unit of the National Police, another waitress testified and reported a similar situation. As per her account, the manager had also taken her to a quiet part of the restaurant, where he had abused her. While the police were studying the two testimonies, the third victim came forward. She also reported having been inappropriately touched by the manager. A witness confirmed the suspect's behaviour at work. This led to the arrest of the suspect. As a result, the police discovered his Central American origin and learned that he has been living and working in Spain illegally. Jose Rodriguez Camara Alhaurin de la Torre Wednesday, 15 October 2025, 09:47 Share If he were a comic book character, he would be Jimmy Olsen, Superman's friend - the photographer for the Daily Planet, who, like Cartier-Bresson, did not want to let go of his camera in case he missed the decisive moment to capture the scene. But Bartolome Ros is not fiction. He was born in Los Dolores, a district in Cartagena, in 1906. In 1918, he arrived in Ceuta, a Spanish city bordering the coast of North Africa, with his father, mother and sister. Despite hardly any educational background, he discovered his talent for photography and, after learning the basics in the studio run by the Calatayud brothers, when he was still not 14 years old he borrowed money from his father to buy a Zeiss Contessa Nettel camera and a makeshift darkroom He became an expert in developing photographs and was inspired - as his daughter Rosa Ros Amador recalls - to capture on camera soldiers, bullfighting fans and ordinary people walking down the streets. He had the opportunity to photograph residents, military life, the creation of the Tercio de Extranjeros (the Spanish Legion) and the influence of the Spanish Protectorate of Morocco in Ceuta. His photographs filled the pages of ABC, Blanco y Negro and countless other publications, including the special issue in March 1929 that National Geographic dedicated to Spain. After reaching an agreement with AGFA (a Belgian-German photographic company), he set up Casa Ros in Ceuta and began to work with the company Philips. The business expanded to Tangiers and other major cities and, in 1952, he set up his main laboratories in Tetouan. In 1955, Morocco's independence from Spain forced him to leave for the mainland and, although he had to start from scratch, in 1963, he successfully created the Ros Fotocolor laboratory in Madrid. In 1969, he opened a branch in Malaga province, in Alhaurin de la Torre, which was only five years before he died in Madrid on 29 December 1974. In Alhaurin his work is now being commemorated at the Vicente Aleixandre cultural centre, with an exhibition open until 31 October. The Rome-Ceuta ocean liner. 1924; First swearing-in ceremony of the Legion in Ceuta, October 1920; and inauguration of the Alfonso XIII dock in Ceuta, 1928. Bartolome Ros The mayor, Joaquin Villanova; the councillor for culture, Manuel Lopez; and the photographer's daughter, Rosa Ros; inaugurated the exhibition, in which the mayor said: "He was a brilliant photographer and created the best photograph developing company in Spain in Madrid and in Alhaurin de la Torre, where he created more than 300 jobs in the municipality. We are very grateful." Zoom Two visitors look at the famous photograph Bartolome Ros took of Franco and Millan Astray, embracing while they sang legionary songs, at the exhibition inaugurated in Alhaurin de la Torre. SUR After ten years of study and cataloguing, Ros's personal photographic archive, which was discovered in 1983, was exhibited in Ceuta and formed part of the series Memories of Absence. Arrival at the Dar Riffien barracks of King Alfonso XIII. October 5, 1927; Wheat market. Tetouan, 1928; and portrait of the Grand Vizier Sidi Mohamed Ben Azuz. Bartolome Ros Since then, says Rosa Ros proudly, this valuable archive has been exhibited in numerous Spanish cities, at the London School of Economics, has been presented by the historian Paul Preston, and at the Cervantes Institute, which exhibited them in their five Moroccan offices, as well as hosting an online virtual exhibition. Recently, his family reached an agreement with the city of Ceuta for his photographic archives to be based there. Juan Cano Malaga Wednesday, 15 October 2025, 11:23 Share Investigators have not yet found a conclusive explanation for the deaths of a man and a woman in a 'slum' dwelling in Coin in Malaga's Guadalhorce valley. The bodies were found by their six-year-old daughter, who then wandered through the countryside until she found the house of some neighbours to tell them that her parents had died. The neighbours called the police. The emergency services were alerted shortly after 5pm on Sunday, 12 October. The family's house is located in the Arroyo de las Piedras area, some 12 kilometres from Coin. The Local Police and the Guardia Civil went to the scene and first interviewed the neighbours who had called. With them was the little girl, who was carrying the keys to the house where she lived with her parents. The officers accompanied the minor. Looking through the window, they could confirm that there was at least one body inside the house. There were also four dogs, some potentially dangerous, and several cats. The sources consulted described the dwelling as "substandard housing" - a small wooden house with a bedroom and a small living room in which the toilet was located. The two bodies were found on either side of it: a 48-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman, both of Spanish nationality. The couple, who had apparently been dead for several hours, showed no external signs of violence. According to sources, no signs of consumption of any narcotic substance or voluntary or involuntary ingestion of any psychotropic drug were found in the house. The police and judicial investigation has not yet reached a clear conclusion as to the cause of death, especially given the relatively young age of the deceased. According to sources, the man's head showed signs of a small blow, which could not explain his death. There were no previous complaints or history of abuse between them. The deceased woman also has a child from a previous relationship. The girl is about to come of age. On Tuesday, the delegate of the central government in Andalucia Pedro Fernandez told journalists that there was no evidence to point to the involvement of a third party in the couple's death. The investigators are currently waiting for the results of the toxicology test, which could take about a month. The report will "determine whether there was any ingestion of some kind of substance that would have caused the death". A 32-year-old man has been arrested by the National Police in Malaga city for targeting vulnerable people - mostly elderly women - and stealing gold necklaces before escaping on an electric scooter. He has been charged with five thefts although the police are investigating him for around 15 other cases where the same method was used. The suspect carried out the alleged crimes in the Ciudad Jardin, La Virreina and La Rosa areas. 'Operation Catena' was launched when the police detected a pattern in the theft of gold necklaces. Five victims recognised the suspect, which led to his arrest. During the search of the man's home, the police seized material evidence: the trainers and other clothing he wore in the robberies, which directly linked him to the incidents. In addition, the suspect was reportedly behind the theft of several items from inside a delivery vehicle belonging to a multinational e-commerce company. He is also being investigated for around 15 similar thefts perpetrated with an electric scooter and in the same areas. Ignacio Lillo Malaga Wednesday, 15 October 2025, 18:06 | Updated 18:12h. Share After several months with hardly any news, apart from the occasional tussle between the governing and opposition teams at the city hall, president of the Malaga Port Authority Carlos Rubio has updated the current situation on the proposed luxuty hotel tower project. The future building on the Levante quay, designed by Pritzker prize-winner David Chipperfield from the UK, was first presented to the Port Authority for assessment and approval on 6 March. Developers Hesperia and the Qatari investment fund Al Alfia fulfilled their commitment to the Port Authority to present the complete urban and economic plan. They have reserved the design of the facade at least until the building is approved. The Port Authority is still studying the proposal. Rubio said that engineers and the finance department are working on the assessment. Project sent to Puertos del Estado Rubio said the project must fit within the authorised parameters in the area and the environmental authorisation. If the report is positive, the aim is for the complete project, together with the assessment, to be sent to the Puertos del Estado, which reports to the Ministry of Transport by the end of the year. Central government will take over the project at the end of the year after the evaluation of the Port Authority of Malaga The ministry will then have to make its own assessment. The final authorisation, if this report is also favourable, will be given by Spain's cabinet meeting of top government ministers. From that moment on, the deadlines will depend on the ministry, as the initiative will be outside the scope of the Port Authority. Rubio recalled a statement made by Spain's minister of transport Oscar Puente that the cabinet cannot approve the project before the two appeals lodged against it are resolved. Therefore, the progress of the Torre del Puerto is still subject to judicial decisions. Cristina Vallejo Malaga Wednesday, 15 October 2025, 10:56 | Updated 14:15h. Share Malaga province has 59,480 companies registered with Spain's Social Security system, according to data updated on Tuesday by Andalucia's institute of statistics and cartography (IECA). This figure consolidates the Costa del Sol province as the one with the most actively trading companies in all of Andalucia, with Seville ranked in second place (56,862). Therefore, almost one in every four Andalusian companies has its registered office in Malaga. If we look at IECA data for the month of September in recent years, Malaga's superiority in terms of the number of companies has been the case since 2022. At that time, the 56,591 trading companies registered with Social Security in Malaga contrasted with the 55,112 in Seville. Twelve months earlier, Malaga's companies amounted to 54,876, compared to 54,945 in Seville. However, if we do not limit ourselves to the month of September and instead broaden the field to what has been happening over the last five years as a whole, since 2020 we can see that, in reality, the provinces of Malaga and Seville had been vying for first place month after month until December 2021, which is when Malaga categorically overtook Seville. So, for 45 consecutive months, the Costa del Sol province has led the provincial business rankings in this region. Service industries are leading the way Malaga's superiority is due primarily to the dynamism of the services sector. In this case, the 47,508 Malaga-based companies registered in September of this year contrast with the 41,637 in Seville. This is especially true in the hospitality sector (the 9,604 companies in Malaga are more than the nearly 7,000 in Seville). A similar situation exists in the real estate sector, with 2,377 companies in Malaga compared to 1,425 in Seville. Also in logistics (3,669 compared to 2,358 respectively) and in auxiliary support activities (Malaga's 3,805 compared to Seville's 2,644). Malaga also leads the ranking in the construction sector, with nearly 7,000 companies, compared to 5,454 in Seville. However, in the agricultural sector, Malaga lags behind most of the other provinces of Andalucia with only 2,442 companies. First is Almeria (9,731 companies), then Seville (5,745 companies) and Jaen (4,817). In fact, Malaga is only ahead of Huelva province (2,301) in terms of companies in this primary sector. As far as industry is concerned, Seville also has the advantage here, with more than 4,000 companies according to the latest data from September, as opposed to the nearly 2,600 in Malaga. This dominance by the Costa del Sol province for the number of companies within the region of Andalucia makes it unsurprising that Malaga also features heavily in the list of towns and cities with the highest number of companies. Thus, among the 50 municipalities in Andalucia with the most companies, 13 are in Malaga, that's 26% or one in four, meaning double the share that should correspond to Malaga, given that there are eight provinces in the region. The regional capital of Seville surpasses the capital of Costa del Sol A curious state of affairs is that, while Malaga province has more companies than those in Seville province, the same is not true of their respective capitals. Seville is the Andalusian city with the largest productive fabric, with 22,743 companies, compared to Malaga's 20,146, relegating the port city to second place in the ranking. Both capitals have more companies registered with Social Security than two entire provinces: Jaen (less than 20,000 companies) and Huelva (just over 14,500). The advantage of Malaga's slightly more than 2,600 companies over Seville lies, therefore, not so much in the capital, but in the province. Manuel Mendez, dean of Malaga's college of economists, has analysed this state of affairs and declares it as positive, since it implies a dissemination of the productive fabric throughout the province. In fact, he advocates that it should go further, because it is not necessary for a company to set up in the capital and thus the productive fabric, wealth and population can all be shared out beyond city limits, although the precondition for this to be possible is an improvement in transportation infrastructure. Thirteen Malaga municipalities with over 1,000 companies apiece Turning to the detail, these companies are actually spread all along the coastline, to the east and west of Malaga city, not throughout the province. Thus, after the cities of Seville, Malaga, Cordoba and Granada, the fifth municipality in Andalucia with the highest number of companies is Marbella (8,721). Marbella has more companies in business than the cities of Jaen, Huelva and Cadiz. Before continuing with Malaga, here's another interesting fact: in the province of Cadiz, there is one municipality with more companies than its provincial capital. Jerez de la Frontera has 5,884 companies registered with Social Security, compared to 3,279 in Cadiz city. Next, from 14th place in the ranking of Andalusian municipalities by number of companies, we find Fuengirola, Mijas, Velez-Malaga and Estepona, with 3,152, 2,814, 2,773 and 2,637 companies respectively. Malaga towns do not appear again until positions 21 and 22 on the list, occupied by Torremolinos and Benalmadena, with around 2,500 companies apiece. Finally, in 32nd place at the regional level and 9th in Malaga province, there is an inland town, Antequera (1,337), followed by Ronda that, with 1,138 companies, is the 10th town with the most companies in the province (and 39th in Andalucia). In addition, there are three other Malaga municipalities with over 1,000 companies in each: Nerja, Alhaurin de la Torre and Rincon de la Victoria. In summary: Malaga province has 13 municipalities with over 1,000 companies in each, compared to ten in Cadiz, eight in Seville and five in Almeria. Data graphs etc: Alba Martin Campos Cristina Vallejo Wednesday, 15 October 2025, 10:04 Share The Comisiones Obreras (CC OO) and Union General de Trabajadores (UGT) trade unions have called partial strikes in Spain of two hours in three time slots this Wednesday 15 October so that all workers can exercise their right to protest against the "genocide and illegal occupation that the ultra-conservative government of Israel is carrying out against the Palestinian people". The three time slots are: from 2am to 4am; from 10am to 12pm; from 5pm to 7pm. The CGT union has called a 24-hour strike. Due to the early announcement (19 September), the strike has been gaining support, with more than 500 workplace union branches, as well as around 50 social and labour organisations, joining in. In Malaga city, the Comisiones Obreras members of the justice administration sector, the Parador de Turismo de Gibralfaro, railway companies Adif and Renfe's UGT, as well as national trade unions at Banco Santander, BBVA and CaixaBank in Andalucia and large companies such as Inditex, Primark, Iberia and Aena are all taking part. UGT Malaga and CC OO Malaga have called for an act of support for the Palestinian people, which will take place at 10.30am in front of the government delegation of the Junta de Andalucia (Calle Alameda Principal 18). The trade union event in support of the Palestinian people and against genocide will take place at 10.30am in front of the government delegation of the Andalusian regional government The strike call remains despite the signing of a ceasefire agreement last weekend and the release of Hamas hostages and Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. "No plan can be considered a lasting peace if it excludes the Palestinian people, if it perpetuates the occupation or if it ignores UN resolutions. It is more necessary than ever to mobilise in the workplaces on 15 October," the CC OO and UGT state. Their view is shared by the CGT. 'A viable, sovereign and internationally recognised Palestinian state' In the joint manifesto that will be read out at this Wednesday's events, the convening unions will denounce the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories in Gaza and the West Bank and the usurpation of Palestinian property and demand that peace be imposed in a "viable, sovereign and internationally recognised Palestinian state". The demands will also include that reconstruction in Gaza be geared "to the interests and needs of its people, avoiding foreign speculation". In addition, the protesters demand the implementation of measures against "companies profiting from illegal settlements in the West Bank", as well as investigation and prosecution of individuals and organisations responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The CGT adds its demand for a reduction in military spending in order to raise other public spending items, such as pensions, birth and care benefits, dependency as well as active employment policies. All workers have the right to join either the two-hour partial walkouts or the 24-hour strike, with the corresponding pay cut for the option chosen. Likewise, as in any strike, minimum services are established, especially important in sectors such as health, education and transport. Rally at 7pm The strike will culminate with a rally for Palestine in Plaza de la Constitucion in Malaga city, starting at 7pm. According to sources, this is a united call backed by trade unions and associations. It will be preceded by another demonstration that will start from the same location, but at 12pm. Demonstrations have also been called in Velez-Malaga (Parque Andalucia, 12pm) and Marbella (Parque de la Alameda, 12pm). The Palestine cause will be complemented by a cultural programme this Wednesday and Thursday. Malaga University is hosting a 'Palestina Cinema' - an initiative organised by Axarquia con Palestina. Screenings on both days will start at 6pm, held in the main administrative building of the university (Paseo del Parque). Admission is free for anybody who would like to join, as long as there are spaces left. Donations will be collected to support Gaza filmmakers. Rashid Masharawi's Passing Dreams and From Ground Zero will be screened. Ignacio Lillo Malaga Wednesday, 15 October 2025, 12:22 | Updated 18:33h. Share The Spanish rock duo Amaral sings: "There are no summer days left for me to apologise to you..." Well, there sure are summer days left in Malaga province and along the Costa del Sol this October. Amaral have at least until November to ask for forgiveness. In the past few years, the summer has been starting earlier and ending later. It appears that October does not belong to the autumn season anymore. According to Aemet's state meteorology agency director for Malaga Jesus Riesco, the whole of the Andalucia region experienced maximum temperatures above the normal for mid-October, with some stations recording values above 30C (Alora, with 30.4C). The current situation is up to 4C above the average for the 1991-2020 reference period. At this point, given the records so far this year, this is not a surprising phenomenon. On Monday, 13 October, the thermometer at Malaga Airport registered 28.3C, when the usual would be 24.4C. The maximum temperature in Antequera was 27.7C and 26.2C in Ronda. Tropical nights persist What is even more striking is that tropical nights, when the minimum temperature does not drop below 20C, persist well into the meteorological autumn, especially along the coast. On Monday, the nighttime minimum temperature at the airport was 18C, while at the port it was 20.6C. Marbella registered 22.3C early on Monday morning, while Rincon de la Victoria recorded 20.3C. The situation in the provinces of Almeria and Cadiz is similar. Riesco warns that both the troposphere (which is the lowest part of the atmosphere) and the sea water are warm, which is what creates the current conditions, despite the presence of the easterly wind. The climatic anomaly consolidates with an interminable summer and the drought perseveres with no sign of improvement It is likely that the next few days will also experience maximum values of 30C. At this point, as Riesco ironically says, it will be weirder to have a cooler year. Moreover, there is still no sign of any significant rainfall. The warm sea increases storm risks Riesco alerts Malaga province's residents to the relationship between the warm sea water and the risk of storms. He warns that it is the high temperatures of the water that lead to torrential rainfall due to the vapour accumulated. The temperature of the sea at Malaga port on Tuesday was 21.3C, which is too high for this time of the year. SUR's weather expert Jose Luis Escudero says that the temperature does not drop below 20-21C at least until 6am. It is around 7.30am when it might drop a bit. Escudero highlights that the weather map shows a warmer October every year. Abnormally high temperatures will be experienced next week as well, although mostly in the Guadalquivir Valley. According to the historical records, the highest average temperature in the province in October so far was registered in 2013 (21.9C). However, the absolute record was on 22 October 2014 (36.3C). Absent autumn Climate change director at Malaga University Enrique Salvo assesses changes in the province by focusing on vegetation. According to him, we would not find any signs of autumn in the leaves of the trees, which "have not even changed colour". "It is as if it were still summer," he says. Another sign of persistent summer is the stork population. A large number of these birds can be seen in the area around the Parcemasa cemetery these days. Salvo explains that they have found "an important heat pocket and an ideal place to feed, which is the Los Ruices landfill site". "All these are manifestations of climate change," he says. The climate change expert urges the city council to find solutions for Malaga's residents - shady vegetation, climate shelters and urban planning adapted to the new reality. Tourists might love to spend a few tropical nights in October, but the conditions for locals lead to physical fatigue. Stefanchuk presents Speaker of House of Commons of British parliament with updated list of Ukraine's defense needs Photo: https://www.facebook.com/stefanchuk.official/ Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk presented an updated list of Ukraines priority defense needs to Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle. "I began my working visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland with a meeting with Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons. We discussed further strengthening the Ukrainian-British strategic partnership and interparliamentary cooperation. I presented an updated list of Ukraines urgent defense needs," Stefanchuk wrote on Facebook on Wednesday. According to Stefanchuk, the UK is one of Ukraines key allies; its military assistance saves Ukrainian lives every day, and its political support is crucial for the security of all of Europe. "We paid special attention to sanctions policy against Russia, the fight against the circumvention of restrictions, particularly through the so-called shadow fleet, and the use of frozen Russian assets for Ukraines benefit. The return of illegally deported Ukrainian children also remains important we count on the British Parliaments continued active role in this area. We reaffirmed our shared position: a just peace is only possible through force strengthening the Ukrainian army, exerting maximum pressure on the aggressor, and unity among allies," the Ukrainian parliament speaker added. Stefanchuk also reported that he had given Hoyle the text of the Centenary Partnership Agreement between Ukraine and the UK, the law on its ratification, and a note on its entry into force. David Alandete Washington Wednesday, 15 October 2025, 13:08 Share Donald Trump has expressed his deep dissatisfaction with the Spanish government for not having raised its defence spending to 5% of GDP, as Washington demands of its Nato allies. "I was thinking of giving them trade punishment through tariffs because of what they did and I think I may do that," said the US president speaking at the White House. This is one of the most direct attacks in the history of the bilateral relationship, with an open confrontation between two economic and military partners that maintain two jointly used bases for the US armed forces, equipped with Aegis air and missile defence system ships. "Spain has done something very, very wrong to Nato," Trump said during his meeting with Argentinian president Javier Milei at the White House. Last Thursday, he proposed to expel Spain from Nato - something for which there is no mechanism. "I am very unhappy with Spain. They're the only country that didn't raise their number up to 5%... so I'm not happy with Spain," Trump said. The US president did not single out Spain when imposing universal reciprocal tariffs of 15%, the same as for the rest of the EU. On occasions, he has threatened additional sanctions of up to 50% for the purchase of Venezuelan crude oil. Trump went on to explain that Spain benefits from Nato's protection because of its location, surrounded by allies. The US president said that nobody would cross other countries to attack Spain, which makes it an automatically protected country, regardless of its defence spending, which is why he believes that PM Pedro Sanchez's spending decision is "very unfair". Trump has described the Spanish government's attitude as "very disrespectful to Nato". This is an unusually harsh tone for a military partner. Tensions between Spain and the US The threat of expulsion came during Finnish president Alexander Stubb's visit to the Oval Office, during which Trump praised Finland and other countries that invest more in defence. Tensions between the US and Spain were reignited after Trump and Sanchez's brief greeting in Egypt on 13 October, during the international summit for peace in Gaza. Sanchez was invited to the group photo and the ceremony, but not to the smaller meeting attended by Giorgia Meloni, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz, among others. While Trump praised Finland for its increased military spending and its "fantastic work" within Nato, he singled out Spain as "the only laggard" to spend so little on defence (2% of GDP), when the agreed target is 5%. Trump has been criticising Spain since his return to power. During a television interview in June, he said that Spain is "notorious" for its low defence spending. According to Nato, the country spent 1.24% of its GDP in 2024 (17.2 billion euros). The Moncloa states that it will be able to meet its commitments with 2.1%, although this is considered unrealistic in Brussels. Nato sources quoted by Reuters confirm that secretary Mark Rutte has sent a letter to Sanchez in which he had said that Spain will have "flexibility to determine its own sovereign path" to fulfil its military objectives. Mistrust, however, prevails in Washington and Brussels. During the meeting with Stubb, Trump also congratulated Rutte for the work he's done at Nato. For Trump, increased defence spending is crucial in the face of the open front in Ukraine. He believes that allies should contribute as much as the US in military and other aid to Kyiv. The Aegis system, which also protects Spain, was developed by the US and used by its navy and several allies, including Japan, South Korea and Norway. It combines advanced radars, interceptor missiles and an integrated control centre to detect, track and destroy threats in the air or at sea, such as cruise or ballistic missiles. Trump has previously said that Madrid's defence expenditure was "too low" and even suggested it could be considered a 'Brics' country, referring to the bloc of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Spain does not belong to that group. On Tuesday, Trump added that his threats to impose tariffs on those joining the Brics have effectively killed that union of emerging economies de facto. Update 11:40 p.m.: The fire was started by a juvenile playing with fire in the house, according to Lt. Erik Caster, a spokesperson for the Syracuse Fire Department. It was started on the back second-floor porch. Original story: Syracuse, N.Y. Eight people were displaced Tuesday afternoon by a house fire on Syracuses South Side, firefighters said. Around 3:10 p.m., Syracuse firefighters went to 216 Valley Drive and found smoke and flames coming from the back of the house, according to Lt. Erik Caster, a spokesperson for the Syracuse Fire Department. Everyone had already left the house when firefighters arrived. One person was evaluated by EMTs in the front yard and released, Caster said. Firefighters rescued six newborn kittens from inside the home, he said. No firefighters or other injuries were reported. The flames were knocked down in under 20 minutes, though crews remained on scene past 4 p.m. The home is divided into upstairs and downstairs apartments, Caster said. The back of the house sustained heavy fire damage, and there was smoke damage throughout the home. Outside the house, two juveniles were arguing about the cause of the fire and started fighting. Police at the scene quickly broke up the altercation. More than five firetrucks lined the street, and National Grid, the American Red Cross and an AMR ambulance were also at the scene. Valley Drive was closed between West Newell Street and South Avenue. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Caster said. Syracuse, N.Y. A vice principal for a Syracuse school was arrested Friday after he was caught drinking with a 15-year-old girl in the parking lot of Corcoran High School, police said. Jaime Perez-Garcia, 54, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, according to a Syracuse police news release issued on Tuesday. Around 6:53 p.m. Friday, police responded to a tip that an adult was drinking with an underage female student in the parking lot. Perez-Garcia, the vice principal at H.W. Smith Elementary School, was found in a pick-up truck with the girl, police said. Officers found a bottle of alcohol and two shot glasses in the car, they said. The same night there was a football game between Corcoran and East Syracuse Minoa at Corcoran High School. The teen told police she would exchange texts and phone calls with Perez-Garcia but said they never had a physical relationship. The vice principal has been placed on administrative leave. Perez-Garcias salary was $116,195 in 2024, according to online payroll records. Perez-Garcia was formerly principal at Fowler High School, according to the school districts website. A spokesperson for the Syracuse City School District was not immediately available for comment. Police are asking anyone with information about the incident or any additional victims to contact the department at (315) 442-5222. Utica, N.Y. A maintenance worker in Utica sexually assaulted a woman in her apartment after telling her he needed to do work there, police said. On Oct. 3, the woman told police she was sexually assaulted in her apartment on Bleecker Street, according to a Tuesday news release from the Utica Police Department. She said the man told her he had to do maintenance work in her unit. Once inside, the man went into the womans bedroom and stayed there for a while, police said. When the woman went to check on him, she found him naked and making inappropriate gestures toward her, police said. The man then approached her and forcibly placed her on the bed in an attempt to perform unwanted sexual acts, police said. The woman was able to free herself, and the man eventually left the apartment. On Friday, police arrested Richard Melendez, 54, of Utica, and charged him with third-degree aggravated sexual abuse and failure to update employment status as a sex offender. Melendez is a level three sex offender. In 2015, he was charged in Massachusetts with two counts of open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior toward four women he didnt know, police said. SYRACUSE From the time he was a little kid playing Guitar Hero at his house in Dix Hills, Long Island, Brandon Taz Niederauer knew he wanted to be, well, a genuine guitar hero. And at 22, with his debut single Say Something released in July and performances already with music legends that include Lady Gaga, Buddy Guy and the Tedeschi Trucks Band and Stevie Nicks, hes certainly right on track. Most of those performances happened before he was 15, by the way. Taz, whose nickname stems from his guitar teacher comparing his frenetic playing style to the Tasmanian Devil, is coming to Funk n Waffles, 307-313 Clinton St. on Wednesday, Oct. 15. Doors are 7 p.m. and music starts at 8 p.m. The show also features DJ Amplitude. Tickets are $20 and available on funknwaffles.com/events. He was discovered, he said when he was playing in the pit band for a middle school musical and an instructors friend, who had ties to Broadway, suggested he audition for School of Rock," which was about to go into production. It wasnt just one audition, Taz recalled during a phone interview Oct. 7. It was an audition for the guitar playing, another for the singing, another for the dancing. There were like five auditions. It was a lot, but I got the part. He was in the production from 2015 to 2018 and at 12, suddenly found himself with an apartment in New York City he was actually paying for with his own earnings. He was one of the talented kid musicians in the show, starring as Zack, and the experience helped him develop as a musician and performer, he said. At the same time, he was messing around on instruments with some of his friends and they ended up getting gigs. Pretty soon, their audiences were attracting people Taz described as adults. Coupled with attention from School of Rock, he was getting invitations to appear on major television programs including The Ellen Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Good Morning America and The View. The Ellen Show, he credits with really opening doors for him, getting him noticed for his seriously deep talent on the guitar at such a young age by diverse and storied performers. The comparison to Derek Trucks, who he considers sort of a mentor, is not lost on him. Trucks, also a guitar prodigy, joined the Allman Brothers when he was just a teen and has a convivial relationship with Taz, playing with him when the opportunity arises. The relationships and the networking of the industry lead Taz to Grammy-winning producer Theron Neff-U Feemster, who produced Say Something. Asked how to describe the genre of his music, Taz said, Its pop. But he says it crosses a lot of lines, including rock and R&B. I have a broad range, he said. The song has been described as capturing the emotional whiplash of conflict and reconciliation with a loved one, carrying the same fiery energy that Taz unleashes on stage, according to a review of the song published in July. Some of that energy, he has deflected away from music and into academics. In May, he graduated from Yale University with a business degree. Getting an Ivy League education, all while continuing his music career, was a huge priority, although he says hes using different skills right now. I worked very hard for my education, he said, noting its extremely meaningful to who he is, in addition to his talent on guitar. Tazs musical range is not only broad, but its unabashedly eclectically heterogeneous. Just earlier this month, he appeared with Jon Batiste on Austin City Limits (Taz said the show has not aired yet) playing jazz, soul, R&B, classical and funk. Hes also shared stages with Slash, Guy Clark, Jr. Mac DeMarco and The Revivalists. Warren Haynes is also a collaborator. When asked about one of his recent audiences, peppered with fans significantly older than he is, Taz is reflective and a little surprised. Yeah, are they? he said. I think theyre getting younger now. But I really dont care. I will play for any age. Are they down to dance, or not? To the Editor: We are among the many millions of people who believe that the United States is rapidly heading toward an authoritarian form of government often called fascism. Twenty years ago, Syracuse Cultural Workers collaborated with Laurence W. Britt to create the poster Early Warning Signs of Fascism. Britt researched seven fascist regimes: Hitlers Nazi Germany; Mussolinis Italy; Francos Spain; Salazars Portugal; Papadopoulos Greece; Pinochets Chile and Suhartos Indonesia. When we look at those principles in relation to current Trump administration policies and declarations, there is a frightening overlap. Despite these growing anti-democratic trends, we remain hopeful. People in every corner of our country, including here in Central New York, are engaging in thoughtful, organized action to protect one another and democracy. The success of those efforts depends on all of us. There are many ways each of us can contribute. We are heartened by the nearly unanimous rejection of Pentagon censorship by diverse media outlets, and some universities who are rejecting Trumps attempt to control who, what and how they teach. Our spirits are buoyed by groups and individuals offering support to immigrants and refugees being targeted by cruel, unconstitutional arrests. Most importantly, citizens of a democratic republic can still exercise First Amendment rights to free speech and peaceable assembly. Participating in the historic No Kings protests this Saturday, Oct. 18, is an important way for us to push back against the authoritarian MAGA agenda. There are protests scheduled in Syracuse/DeWitt, Oswego, Rome, Cortland, Auburn and nearly 2,500 other places. Learn more and sign up at Nokings.org. Saturdays protests are neither the beginning, nor the end of the movement to stem fascism. It will take ongoing, coordinated, strategic organizing on many levels to protect what we value so deeply. We believe that the people of this country are up to the challenge. Andy Mager Mark Rupert Syracuse Mager is a longtime community organizer and the coordinator of Syracuse Cultural Workers. Rupert is a retired political science professor from Syracuse University with expertise in right-wing populism. Tullys Good Times is expanding in Central New York. The popular chicken tender chain has proposed a new location in New Hartford, according to the Rome Sentinel. The New Hartford Planning Board is set to consider the site plan at the former Uno Pizzeria and Grill at the Orchard at 8645 Clinton St. during a town hall meeting Wednesday. If approved, it would be Tullys first location in the Utica area. It would also be the first in Oneida County, expanding east. Tullys Good Times currently has 14 locations, including restaurants in Syracuse, Liverpool, DeWitt, Cicero, Fayetteville, Batavia, Rochester, Amherst, Clarence, Vestal, Cheektowaga, Watertown, and Binghamton. Only one location is outside of New York state in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania WKTV reports Tullys in New Hartford could be operational within 60 to 90 days if approved. Tullys Good Times is a full bar and restaurant that boasts serving the Best Chicken Tenders on Earth. The East Syracuse-based company is operated by the Giamartino family, which also owns local CopperTop restaurants. Tullys has expanded in recent years with some smaller, quick-serve locations known as simply Tullys Tenders. A drive-thru restaurant has been proposed on Route 31 in Clay after initially being rejected by the town board. We take a slow and steady approach to expansion, JohnPaul Giamartino told syracuse.com in 2022, when Tullys opened in another former Unos pizzeria in Fayetteville. The first Tullys opened in Batavia in 1991 in a former Carrolls hamburger restaurant. Members of the Giamartino family had operated the Carrolls franchise there and keep a nod to their past with a double-decker Club Burger on Tullys menu. If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. Your old friends are coming to life and theyre bringing the magic to the Disney Store to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Toy Story. The Disney Store is celebrating 30 Years and Beyond with new limited edition goodies like the Buzz Lightyear Talking Action Figure, the Toy Story Legacy Sketchbook Ornament, the Toy Story 30th Anniversary MagicBand+, and a ton more. Buzz Lightyear Talking Action Figure Toy Story 30th Anniversary Limited Release $50 The Buzz Lightyear Talking Action Figure (Toy Story 30th Anniversary Limited Release) is available at the Disney Store Buy Now The Buzz Lightyear Talking Action Figure is designed with special chrome, silver, and white elements to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Toy Story. It features 15 different phrases and sound effects activated by pressing the blue, red, and green buttons on the front, as well as a laser button on the arm. Highlighted Product Feature Interactive Sound and Light Effects: The interactive sound and light features significantly enhance the play experience. With 15 phrases and a light-up laser, children can immerse themselves in the role of Buzz Lightyear. The sound and light effects bring the character to life, encouraging creative play and engaging the senses, making playtime more dynamic and enjoyable. Other Features Karate Chop Action: The karate chop action, activated by a button on the wings, offers a unique and entertaining play feature. This function adds a dynamic element to the figure, setting it apart from standard action figures, and allowing for greater interaction during play. Learn more about this product here. Generative AI was used to produce an initial draft for this story, based on data provided by the Disney Store. It was reviewed and edited by Syracuse.com. Petro Poroshenko, the MP and leader of the European Solidarity Party, called on European countries to show decisive solidarity with Ukraine and a strategic break with Russia on the TVP World channel after the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Ljubljana, according to the European Solidarity website. He emphasized that it is impossible to ensure stable security on the continent without Ukraine's membership in NATO because only Article 5 of the Alliance guarantees real protection; bilateral guarantees do not provide for the participation of allies in hostilities. Poroshenko emphasized that Russia's war has spread beyond Ukraine. Evidence of this includes drone strikes over Poland, the Baltic states, and Scandinavia, as well as daily attacks on critical infrastructure. He called for an immediate ceasefire and the strengthening of Ukraine's defenses, including constructing fortifications, minefields, and weapons depots. In his opinion, these measures will enable Ukraine to stop the aggressor more quickly and cheaply. "You have already shown how to live without Russian gas. Please learn to live without Russian oil and without Russia until we win." Separately, the MP outlined a set of measures to motivate Russia to end the war, including increased military aid to Ukraine, investments in the defense industry, tough sanctions, and openness to Ukraine's accession to the EU and NATO. The MP proposed creating a special program to build defense potential and facilitate post-war recovery and the transition to a post-industrial economy using frozen Russian assets. The politician believes that Ukraine can rely not only on state funds but also on private investments and that integration with the United States, NATO, and Europe will work wonders. Amazon has terminated a software engineer who publicly challenged the company's $1.2 billion contract with Israel, confirming the decision on Monday. The engineer, Ahmed Shahrour, had been suspended in September after criticizing Amazon's involvement with Project Nimbus. Shahrour worked in Amazon's Whole Foods division in Seattle. He received an email notifying him of the termination, with human resources stating, "you will receive an email ... with detailed information about your termination, including ... final pay." The message added that Amazon appreciated his contributions. Amazon says that Shahrour violated internal policies, including their standards of conduct and acceptable use policies. They accused him of "misusing company resources" by posting "nonwork-related messages pertaining to the IsraelPalestine conflict." An employee group tied to Shahrour issued a press release saying his firing followed a fiveweek suspension for protesting the $1.2 billion Project Nimbus contract with Israel. According to CNBC, the group said Shahrour viewed the deal as "collaboration in the ongoing genocide in Gaza." Shahrour had urged Amazon to drop the contract, which involves supplying the Israeli government with cloud and AI infrastructure. He also handed out flyers and protested at Amazon's downtown Seattle headquarters. In a statement, he called his dismissal "a blatant act of retaliation ... to silence dissent from Palestinian voices within Amazon." Amazon has terminated an employee who protested the e-commerce giants ties to the Israeli government https://t.co/72D6Xf4khI Bloomberg (@business) October 13, 2025 Amazon Defends Firing Engineer Over Israel Protest Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser defended the decision, telling CNBC: "We don't tolerate discrimination, harassment or threatening behavior or language of any kind ... and when any conduct of that nature is reported, we investigate it and take appropriate action based on our findings." Shahrour's termination comes as global attention focuses on Project Nimbusthe shared cloud computing contract by Amazon and Google with Israel, BS reported. Critics say the deal may enable military applications, while supporters argue it involves standard government tech needs. His firing also coincides with events in the region: Palestinian militant group Hamas released several Israeli hostages today, marking a first phase of a ceasefire agreement. This case is part of a larger trend in the tech industry of employees protesting company contracts with governments. Microsoft recently saw an engineer resign over similar concerns, and Google terminated dozens of employees involved in Project Nimbus protests earlier. The Amazon contract has not been widely commented on by the company beyond saying it delivers technology "wherever customers are located." Meanwhile, Google says its services for Israel are commercial and not meant for highly classified or military tasks. Originally published on vcpost.com General Motors (GM) announced on Tuesday that it will record a $1.6 billion charge in the upcoming quarter following the Trump administration's rollback of federal electric vehicle (EV) incentives and relaxed emissions standards a move that has shaken the US auto industry. The automaker confirmed in a regulatory filing that the charges include $1.2 billion in non-cash impairment costs tied to EV production capacity changes and $400 million related to contract cancellations and other commercial settlements connected to its EV investments, Reuters said. Shares of GM fell nearly 2% before the market opened Tuesday. The financial hit follows the end of the US clean vehicle tax credit program, which previously offered buyers up to $7,500 for new EVs and $4,000 for used ones. Without those incentives, GM expects EV sales to decline in the near term. "The charge is driven by our expectation that EV volumes will be lower than planned because of market conditions and the changed regulatory and policy environment," the company said in a statement. The Trump administration's decision to scale back environmental regulations also includes easing tailpipe emissions rules and blocking federal funds for EV charging infrastructure. The president has opposed California's plan to ban new gas-powered vehicle sales, arguing that automakers should not be forced to abandon gasoline models. BREAKING: General Motors issues profit warning - $1.6 billion hit from EV overcapacity. @GM GM just filed a form 8-K informing that it "approved charges of $1.6 billion in GM North America in the three months ended September 30, 2025". GM expects it will be unable to sell its pic.twitter.com/Ms16S6Rvaj AJ (@alojoh) October 14, 2025 GM Reevaluates Electric Future For GM, the policy reversal marks a sharp shift from its recent years of heavy investment in electric mobility. According to AP, the Detroit-based automaker had previously committed $27 billion toward electric and autonomous vehicles by 2025, aiming to make over half of its factories in North America and China capable of producing EVs by 2030. CEO Mary Barra has long championed GM's electric future, once predicting that the company would outsell Tesla in the US by mid-decade. GM also pledged to make the majority of its vehicles electric by 2035 and to reach carbon neutrality by 2040. However, the latest policy changes are forcing automakers to reassess their strategies. "The automakers who focused more on hybrid development, such as Toyota and Honda, are better positioned in the US market right now," said CFRA Research analyst Garrett Nelson. While GM's realignment will not affect current electric models including the Chevrolet Blazer EV, GMC Hummer EV, and Cadillac Lyriq the company cautioned that additional charges may be recorded as it evaluates production and demand in a changing market. Originally published on vcpost.com The US Department of Justice has seized $15 billion worth of bitcoin from a massive "pig butchering" scam, marking the largest cryptocurrency forfeiture action in American history. The crackdown targets Chen Zhi, also known as "Vincent," who allegedly led the Prince Holding Group, a criminal network operating from Cambodia, CNBC said. Chen Zhi, a 38-year-old Chinese-born businessman, remains at large and faces charges including wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Prosecutors say Zhi ran one of Asia's largest transnational criminal organizations, with scam compounds across Cambodia where trafficked workers were forced to carry out elaborate cryptocurrency investment scams. "These scams stole billions of dollars from victims worldwide," said Joseph Nocella Jr., US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. "Prince Group's operations caused untold misery on the backs of individuals forced to work against their will." The scheme, known as "pig butchering" or "Sha Zhu Pan," lures victims through fake romantic relationships or promises of high investment returns. Victims are persuaded to send cryptocurrency to wallets controlled by the scammers, only to lose their money. DOJ seizes $15B in bitcoin from massive pig butchering scam who forced labor as bosses bought lux watches, real estate https://t.co/K18KbHiVtB pic.twitter.com/O7o2WoyBl6 New York Post (@nypost) October 14, 2025 Prince Group Used 76,000 Fake Accounts Court documents reveal that Prince Group's scam compounds used thousands of mobile phones to run over 76,000 fake social media accounts. These accounts were used to build trust with victims before stealing their funds. According to FoxBusiness, prosecutors estimate the scheme generated up to $30 million daily at its peak. Zhi's organization also reportedly used violence and threats to control workers trapped in these compounds. Images included in the case file show workers beaten and forced to engage in fraudulent activities. The Treasury Department has designated Prince Group as a transnational criminal organization and imposed sanctions on Zhi and more than 100 associates. FBI Director Kash Patel praised the effort, calling it "one of the largest financial fraud takedowns in history." According to prosecutors, the group also used political influence and bribery to evade law enforcement actions in multiple countries. The bitcoin seized127,271 coinswere held in "unhosted" digital wallets, allowing Zhi's network to control the funds without intermediaries. Chen Zhi faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted. Meanwhile, authorities continue to hunt for him as they work to dismantle the criminal network and prevent further victimization. Originally published on vcpost.com Russia will escalate hybrid aggression against European Union and NATO states if Moscow does not feel resistance, stated Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Agency (GUR) of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. "Lets have no illusions. Putins true intentions are to continue and intensify aggression. His current targets are the European Union and NATO countries, which the Kremlin sees as the main threat to the rule of the Russian authoritarian regime. Currently, only the first stages of the hybrid war doctrine are apparently being implemented in Europe. If the Kremlin isnt stopped and given a decisive and painful rebuff, hybrid aggression against EU and NATO countries will only spread and intensify," Budanov said during a meeting of the Kyiv Association of Military Attaches on October 14. He thanked his foreign partners for their support of Ukraine and expressed their readiness to deepen cooperation to strengthen global security. "Ukraine has gained invaluable experience in countering Russian aggression in all its dimensions and is ready to share this with all countries of good will to protect their national interests. We are ready and open to cooperation for a comprehensive peace," Budanov emphasized. During the event, representatives of foreign countries observed a minute of silence in memory of the GUR soldiers who fell in the fight against the aggressor state of Russia and laid flowers at the Memorial to Ukrainian Intelligence Officers. At least 14 miners killed in Venezuela floods Caracas, Oct 14 (AFP) Oct 14, 2025 At least 14 miners have died in floods caused by heavy rain in eastern Venezuela, rescue workers said Tuesday. Disaster relief agencies and the military said in a joint statement that they were working to recover the bodies of the workers from a gold mine in the town of El Callao in Bolivar state. The workers were underground when heavy rain fell on the region which borders both Guyana and Brazil, flooding several mine shafts. "They were caught by surprise," Bolivar Governor Yulisbeth Garcia said in a statement, adding that the rescue effort was continuing. Videos posted on social media showed workers bringing up several muddied bodies from the mine. "What we're experiencing is horrific," Elizabeth Zerpa, who lost two relatives in the disaster -- brothers from the same family -- told AFP. El Callao's mayor, Jesus Coromoto Lugo, sent his condolences to the victims' families in a social media post. Gold mining is the economic mainstay of El Callao, a town around 800 kilometers (500 miles) southeast of Caracas and home to around 60,000 miners, according to the mayor. It was not clear whether the mine was operating legally or illegally. Deadly accidents are common at illegal gold mines across South America. Between 2023 and 2024, at least 30 miners died in the collapse of gold mines in Bolivar state. Indonesia volcano erupts, belching ash into night sky Jakarta, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 A volcano erupted overnight on an Indonesian island, authorities said Wednesday, spewing a massive ash column into the sky as the highest alert level was declared. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on Flores island erupted late Tuesday and again at 01:35 am (1735 GMT), sending volcanic materials 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) above its 1,584-metre-high peak, the national volcanology agency said in a statement. There was no immediate word of any casualties or damage, but authorities warned residents and tourists on the eastern Indonesian island to keep away from the area, preparing for possible evacuations. Geology agency head Muhammad Wafid said it had raised the volcano's alert level to the highest late Tuesday, after detecting an increase in deep quakes that often precede an explosive eruption. Wafid said the towering column of ash from the eruption could "disrupt airport operations and flight paths if it spreads" further. Authorities have already suspended operations at a local airport in the town of Maumere, some 60 kilometres (37 miles) west of Lewotobi, the airport said on Instagram. The geology agency said residents near rivers should also remain on alert for hazardous floods of volcanic material known as lahar if heavy rain occurs. In July, the same volcano spewed a colossal 18-kilometre (11-mile) tower of ash, forcing the cancellation of 24 flights at the international airport on the resort island of Bali. Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, is situated on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense and frequent seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. Rutte doesnt comment on possible US sale of Tomahawks to Ukraine, but welcomes upcoming meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is not commenting on the possible US sale of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, but welcomes the upcoming meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He said this on Wednesday in Brussels at a press conference following a meeting of defense ministers of NATO member countries. Rutte didnt go into detail (on this issue), because, as he explained, it depends on individual allies and added that he is glad that the meeting will take place, because American President Trump and the Ukrainian President are cooperating so closely. He also noted that he personally maintains regular contact with President Zelenskyy and President Trump. He once again expressed his positive attitude concerning their meeting on Friday, explaining it by necessity to make sure that Putin sits down at the negotiating table, that meaningful negotiations begin, and that this terrible war will ultimately come to an end. Rutte also added that the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine was discussed by allies together with Canada and others. CO2 in the atmosphere up by record amount in 2024: UN Geneva, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 The increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere last year was the highest ever recorded, the United Nations said Wednesday, calling for urgent action to slash emissions. Levels of the three main greenhouse gases -- the climate-warming CO2, methane and nitrous oxide -- all increased yet again in 2024, with each setting new record highs, the UN's weather and climate agency said. The World Meteorological Organization said the increase in CO2 levels in the atmosphere from 2023 to 2024 marked the biggest one-year jump since records began in 1957. Wednesday's report, which comes ahead of the November 10-21 COP30 UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil, focused exclusively on concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. A separate UN report, out next month, will detail shifts in emissions of the gases, but those numbers are also expected to rise, as they have every year with the world continuing to burn more oil, gas and coal. This defies commitments made under the 2015 Paris Agreement to cap global warming at "well below" 2C above average levels measured between 1850 and 1900 -- and 1.5C if possible. The WMO voiced "significant concern" that land and oceans were becoming unable to soak up CO2, leaving the powerful greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. "The heat trapped by CO2 and other greenhouse gases is turbo-charging our climate and leading to more extreme weather," said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett. "Reducing emissions is therefore essential not just for our climate but also for our economic security and community well-being." Last year was also the warmest year ever recorded, beating the previous high in 2023, the WMO recalled. "The levels of the three most abundant long-lived greenhouse gases -- carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide -- reached new records in 2024," the WMO said in its 21st annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin. In 2024, CO2 concentrations were at 424 parts per million (ppm), methane at 1,942 parts per billion, and nitrous oxide at 338 parts per billion. That marks hikes of 152 percent, 266 percent and 125 percent respectively since pre-industrial levels before 1750. Of the three major greenhouse gases, CO2 accounts for about 66 percent of the warming effect on the climate. When the Greenhouse Gas Bulletin was first published in 2004, the figure stood at 377 ppm. The 3.5 ppm increase from 2023 to 2024 was "the largest one-year increase since modern measurements began in 1957", the WMO said. Chinese artist blamed for grassland damage from Tibet fireworks Beijing, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 A famous Chinese artist and his sponsor will be held liable for damaging 300,000 square metres of ecologically sensitive Himalayan grassland in a fireworks display, authorities said on Wednesday. Several officials in Tibet, including the county party secretary, were removed from office and more are under investigation, they said. The studio run by renowned visual artist Cai Guoqiang set off 1,050 fireworks in a Tibetan mountain range last month to create a display resembling a dragon. Orange puffs of smoke lingered in the air up to 5,020 metres (16,470 feet) above sea level in the western autonomous region's Gyantse County after the 52-second "Rising Dragon" show, investigators said in a statement shared by state broadcaster CCTV. The show was sponsored by Chinese-owned outdoor equipment brand Arc'teryx and sparked a massive backlash on Chinese social media, with people accusing it of environmental ignorance. Cai, the mastermind behind the fireworks display at the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, later apologised for the damage. He said there were "indeed many miscalculations" and accepted public criticism. Arc'teryx, headquartered in Canada, also apologised. Cai's studio is suspected of violating the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Ecological Protection Law, investigators said. "The report finds that the incident constitutes a human-induced disturbance in a high-altitude ecologically sensitive area," their statement said. There was little short-term damage but ecological risks should be monitored, it said. Authorities found that residue from the display had not been thoroughly cleared and that foot and vehicle traffic had damaged soil. Sudden light and noise also disturbed wildlife. The Tibetan city of Shigatse has also launched an assessment of ecological damage and restoration costs. Both Cai's studio and Arc'teryx would be legally responsible to pay compensation, investigators said. However, they gave no indication of any possible amount that would have to be paid. US judge dismisses youth case challenging Trump climate policies Washington, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 A US federal judge on Wednesday threw out a lawsuit brought by a group of young Americans alleging that President Donald Trump's fossil-fuel push trampled their inalienable rights. In his written order, Judge Dana Christensen of Missoula, Montana said that while the youth plaintiffs in Ligthiser v Trump had presented "overwhelming" evidence showing the administration's actions would further destabilize the climate and harm them, he lacked jurisdiction to intervene. "With this understanding in mind, the Court reluctantly concludes... that it cannot grant Plaintiffs the relief they seek," wrote Christensen. The 22 plaintiffs, who included several minors and were represented by the nonprofit Our Children's Trust, had sought a preliminary injunction against three executive orders they say trample their Constitutional rights to life and liberty by seeking to "unleash" fossil fuel development while sidelining renewable energy. They also accused the administration of eroding federal climate science, leaving the public less informed about mounting dangers. The government countered that the lawsuit was undemocratic and echoed Juliana v. United States -- a similar youth-led case that featured some of the same plaintiffs and wound through the courts for nearly a decade before the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal last year -- and thus should be similarly dismissed. While lawyers for the youths contended the case differed from Juliana in key ways, Christensen ultimately found that was not the case. "The Court reads Juliana to mandate this outcome," he said, but added that he would gladly hear the case on its merits if an appeals court, the Ninth Circuit, disagreed. Thousands rally for closure of Tunisia factory blamed for health issues Gabes, Tunisia, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 Several thousand people rallied in southern Tunisia on Wednesday, calling for the closure of an ageing chemicals factory which locals have blamed for a host of poisonings and health issues. As the procession reached the vicinity of the vast factory of the Tunisian Chemical Group, a public company, police fired large amounts of tear gas. Hundreds of people retreated, but groups of young people remained shouting their anger, while several individuals fainted, according to an AFP correspondent on site. In recent weeks scores of people have been hospitalised in the city of Gabes, with residents pointing the finger at the potentially cancer-causing waste from a phosphate processing plant nearby. "This has to stop. My three kids and I are asthmatic, my husband and my mother died from cancer as a result" of the plant, 52-year-old protester Lamia Ben Mohamed told AFP. "We want to breathe," the protesters chanted, while dozens of motorcycles at the head of the rally honked their horns. According to an AFP journalist at the scene and police sources, the crowd's size began at around 2,000 people before growing to several thousand. Organised by the Stop Pollution collective, the rally demanded the shuttering of the ageing fertiliser plant, whose discharges into the Mediterranean Sea have long sown discontent among Gabes residents. They blame the plant for collapsed fishing stocks, beach pollution, respiratory diseases and cancer. That outcry has intensified in the past month. The rally comes a day after 122 people had to be treated or hospitalised for cases blamed on the plant, according to a local official with knowledge of the figures. Marwa Salah, 33, a cardiologist at Gabes Regional Hospital, said she wanted to "live without the pollution from the complex that has brought us nothing". Wrapped in the Tunisian flag or holding yellow banners bearing a skull, protesters carried signs reading "Stop genocide", "Gabes without oxygen", and "The complex is killing us under the state's watch". According to Slah Ben Hamed, regional leader of the UGTT union, the recent waves of poisoning were caused by "outdated equipment" and "gas leaks". Fertiliser production requires treating phosphates with sulphuric acid and ammonia. Although the Tunisian state had promised in 2017 to begin the plant's gradual closure, authorities earlier this year said they would ramp up production instead. Experts have cast doubt on the possibility of cleaning up a complex first inaugurated in 1972. US judge 'reluctantly' tosses youth case challenging Trump climate policies Washington, Oct 15 (AFP) Oct 15, 2025 A federal judge on Wednesday tossed a youth-led lawsuit accusing US President Donald Trump's fossil-fuel agenda of trampling their inalienable rights, ruling that he lacked jurisdiction to intervene. In his written order, Judge Dana Christensen of Missoula, Montana, said that while the youth plaintiffs in Lighthiser v. Trump had presented "overwhelming" evidence showing the administration's actions would further destabilize the climate and harm them, their case "must be made to the political branches or to the electorate." "With this understanding in mind, the Court reluctantly concludes...that it cannot grant Plaintiffs the relief they seek," wrote Christensen. The 22 plaintiffs, including several minors and represented by the nonprofit Our Children's Trust, had sought a stay against three executive orders they said violated their constitutional rights to life and liberty by seeking to "unleash" fossil fuel development while sidelining renewable energy. They also accused the administration of eroding federal climate science, leaving the public less informed about mounting dangers. During a two-day hearing held in Christensen's courtroom last month, the youth were given the opportunity to testify about the ways global warming had impacted their lives. The witnesses included Joseph Lee, an undergraduate from California who suffered a life-threatening heat stroke, and Jorja McCormick of Livingston, Montana, who said she was traumatized by wildfires that forced her family to evacuate. Christensen, who has issued favorable environmental rulings in the past, listened intently as the plaintiffs called experts in climate science, energy economics, politics, and children's health. Government lawyers, on the other hand, did not call their own witnesses and did not spend significant time disputing the reality of climate change. Instead, they argued that the lawsuit was fundamentally undemocratic and echoed Juliana v. United States -- a similar youth-led case that featured some of the same plaintiffs and wound through the courts for nearly a decade before the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal last year, closing it out. While lawyers for the youths contended the case differed from Juliana in key ways, Christensen ultimately disagreed. "Plaintiffs have presented overwhelming evidence that the climate is changing at a staggering pace, and that this change stems from the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide, caused by the production and burning of fossil fuels," Christensen wrote. He added that they had also shown "overwhelming evidence that implementation of the Challenged EOs will increase the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide, thereby exacerbating the harms Plaintiffs experience from an already-warming climate." But he maintained the injuries were not redressable by a court, saying he was troubled by being asked to reset national energy policy to the way it was before Trump took office a second time, and by the fact that his court would be required to monitor all of the administration's actions if he sided with the youths. "The Court reads Juliana to mandate this outcome," he said, but added that he would gladly hear the case on its merits if an appeals court, the Ninth Circuit, disagreed. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who is co-chairing the 31st meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (in the Ramstein format) together with his British counterpart John Healy, announced further military support for Ukraine, in particular in the field of air defense. "We will continue and expand our support for Ukraine. With the new contracts, Germany will provide additional support worth more than EUR 2 billion. This includes a package totaling $500 million. The package addresses a number of urgent needs for Ukraine. It includes air defense systems, Patriot interceptors, radar systems, as well as high-precision artillery missiles and ammunition," he said, opening the Ramstein meeting. Pistorius stressed that Germany will continue to strengthen Ukraines air defense through new contracts for the supply of two more IRIS-T air defense systems, including a large number of guided missiles, as well as portable air defense missiles. "We will supply high-quality anti-tank weapons, communication equipment, as well as portable anti-aircraft missile systems," he added. In addition, Germany will also launch a comprehensive project to modernize weapons systems already delivered to Ukraine and extend their service life. "This ensures that the weapons systems we supply are adapted to the changing realities of the battlefield and can continue to be used reliably and effectively by the Ukrainian armed forces," the minister said. At the same time, as Pistorius noted, Germany will continue to expand cooperation between the German and Ukrainian defense industries. "We will emphasize this intention by concluding a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the defense industry, which will be signed by Denys [Defense Minister Shmyhal] and me after this meeting," Pistorius said. Get the inside track from Roisin O'Connor with our free weekly music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Paris Jackson has received approximately $65 million in benefits from her late father Michaels estate, according to new legal documents filed by the estates executors. The 27-year-old, who is the only daughter of the King of Pop, has been involved in lengthy legal proceedings this year over her allegations that lawyers are skimming money from the estate. In a new filing in response to those claims, seen by People, executors John Branca and John McClain have hit back at allegations of mismanagement, pointing out that Paris Jackson has received substantial benefits. Few have benefited more from the Executors business judgment than Petitioner herself, who has received roughly $65 million from the Estate in benefits, the filing claims. She would have never received that had the Executors followed a typical playbook for an estate like this one in July 2009. The Independent has contacted Pariss representatives for comment. Paris Jackson (right) claimed she found irregularities in payments made by her father Michael's estate ( Getty ) Despite his immense musical legacy, Michael Jacksons financial situation was widely reported to have been in disarray at the time of his death in late June 2009. The recent filing from his executors quotes prior praise from a judge as it states: The Executors business judgment has taken an estate that started out as nothing but debt and substantial ongoing obligations and turned [it] into a $2 billion estate an estate that is now a powerhouse and a force in the music business today. After Jacksons death, his estates beneficiaries were named as his three children: sons Prince and Bigi and daughter Paris. However, in the past year, a public rift has grown between Paris and the estates executors. She has repeatedly raised concerns about irregular payments being made from her fathers estate. In a July 2025 legal filing, she expressed concern about the practice of executors granting so-called premium payments for unrecorded attorney time. Jacksons legal team argued that the payments reflect poorly on the executors of the estate, writing: These irregular payments raise serious and substantial questions about Executors ability to effectively supervise counsel and refraining from wasteful, six-figure gift-giving to themselves and their colleagues. The fees in question relate to work done in 2018, and the time it has taken the estates executors to respond to the courts questions about the payments is part of Pariss complaint. In August 2024, it was reported that Jacksons estate had been given the go-ahead by a Los Angeles appeals court to sell a portion of the late pop icons songs to Sony Music Group for about $600 million. 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 Bruce Williss wife Emma Heming Willis has said their young children are grieving the Die Hard star as his dementia progresses. The model and influencer, 47, recently moved the 70-year-old actor, who has frontotemporal dementia (FTD), out of their family home after acting as his primary caregiver. Heming Willis said their children, Mabel Ray, 13, and Evelyn Penn, 11, are doing well all things considered, but said they miss their dad so much. I think theyre doing well, Heming Willis told Vogue Australia. They grieve. They miss their dad so much. Hes missing important milestones, thats tough for them. She said that while their kids are resilient, she doesnt know if they will ever bounce back, but added: Theyre learning and so am I. The Die Hard actor is now living with a full-time care team in a one-storey home as his condition develops and his needs become more complex. Heming Willis has also recently hit back at trolls who criticised her decision to move the actor out of their family property. Too often, caregivers are judged quickly and unfairly by those who havent lived this journey or stood on the front lines of it, she said on Instagram after receiving hate online. open image in gallery Emma Heming Willis has said that moving Bruce into assisted living was the hardest decision ( ABC/Getty ) Heming Willis, who described the choice as the hardest decision, added that she expected judgement and criticism, but shared the update as it creates connection and validation for those actually navigating the realities of caregiving every day. Thats who I share for and so I can build a deeper connection with a community that understands this journey, she said. Heming Willis added that those who criticise often dont have the experience to back it up, which she said strips their viewpoint of effect. The truth is, the opinions are so loud and theyre so noisy, but if they dont have any experience of this, they dont get a say. According to the NHS, frontotemporal dementia, which Willis was diagnosed with in February 2023, affects behaviour and language, and gets worse over time. He would want them to be in a home that was more tailored to their needs, not his needs, Heming Willis told Diane Sawyer in the ABC special Emma & Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey. open image in gallery Bruce Willis and Emma Heming Willis pictured at a film premiere in New York in 2019 ( Getty ) Heming Willis married the Pulp Fiction actor in 2009, and the couple has two daughters, 13-year-old Mabel and 11-year-old Evelyn. Providing an update on the stars health, she added: Bruce is still very mobile. Bruce is in really great health overall. Its just his brain that is failing him. She explained that his language abilities are going, but the family have learned to adapt. Heming Willis has maintained a strong relationship with his ex-wife, Demi Moore, with whom he shares three children: Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah. The family have described the condition as a cruel disease with no cure. Earlier this year, Rumer, 37, opened up about the challenges of not being able to converse with her father as she once used to. In a Fathers Day post, she wrote: Today is hard, I feel a deep ache in my chest to talk to you and tell you everything Im doing and whats going on in my life. To hug you and ask you about life and your stories and struggles and successes. I wish I asked you more questions while you could still tell me about it all. Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our food and drink newsletter for free Get our food and drink newsletter for free Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice I just dream of the moment where I can play jazz, have a negroni and read my cookbooks in peace, jokes Irish telly presenter and food writer, Donal Skehan. But were in this chapter of life Skehan and his wife Sofie are smack-bang in the middle of parenthood with two crazy boys, Oliver, five, and Noah, seven. The slow-baking and stew-braising days of his 20s are but a fuzzy memory, and now, aged 39, his weekends revolve around ferrying children to different things and trying to keep up with the madness of life, rather than making decadent, time-intensive meals. Which explains his new cookbook, Donals Real Time Recipes. Parenthood knocks you for six, and you need every little bit of help you can get, he says, with a grin that tells you he absolutely loves being a dad. Its amazing how your cooking changes so dramatically from pre-children to children. You put yourself last. This book is all about putting everyone first, to ensure that you get a table full of food that is nutritious, balanced and something you can look forward to. Fundamentally, Skehan is not into having downtime in the kitchen. Aside from throwing dinner together at home, he makes lots of cookery shows, has written numerous cookbooks and the thing that really bugs him throughout is stopping and waiting for things to go into the fridge, waiting for them to go into the oven. So if you too hate the words now leave to marinate for X hours he feels your agony and frustration. Theres none of that in Real Time. I need straight-through cooking, says Skehan, which means no faffing, no waiting around, just dinner, cooked swiftly and without complications. The aim is that when you sit down for dinner, you actually have something youre very excited about, he buzzes. open image in gallery Donals Real Time Recipes is all about fast, fuss-free food that still feels like home ( Yellow Kite ) The recipes in Donals Real Time Recipes are designed to take you 30 minutes or less, and its a gimmick Skehan acknowledges is a bit overdone, shall we say. We all know there have to be novelties like 30-minute meals and the like, but at the core of this book is really good, hearty, home-cooked food, he says seriously. Ultimately, the takeaway is the process. If you really get into the bones of the recipes, youll see that has been thought through in every single recipe. And yes, theres a time frame on it, but actually, if you look at how they flow in the kitchen, thats whats really clever about them. His process, he says, is a blueprint for feeding yourself, whether you have kids or not. Life can get out of hand in lots of ways, and cooking is a fantastic anchor point, says Skehan, who is always hunting down new ways to enter a flow state of total immersion in a task. Im really big into my pottery at the minute, thats my current escape, where it used to be the kitchen, he says, noting how cooking and pottery are actually quite similar theres an oven (kiln) involved in both, and the pinch pots he creates remind him of making pastry. Would he want to go on the celebrity version of The Great Pottery Throwdown? God, if theyll have me, Id love that! YouTuber and podcaster Skehan grew up in Howth, Ireland, and after living in LA for several years, moved back to Ireland a couple of years ago. He first made a name for himself in boyband Streetwize, then began food blogging in 2007. Both of his parents worked in the food industry. My dad used to go to work at 4am in the morning and would be back around the time we were doing homework at the table, Skehan remembers. My mum and dad made a big effort to make sure that we sat down at 5pm every day you sat at your dinner table and you ate your food and you were brought in to help as well if needed. It was a big tradition in my house, he says, when asked whether it makes him sad that cooking and eating are now so often rushed affairs. Im sad to see that its not as prevalent, and I think its something that we really do need to keep, he adds, but fully understands that, with kids especially, its easier to stick on an episode of [childrens show] Bluey and get them to eat and concentrate, than it is to push them to sit [at the table]. Hes all about the small achievements, though, like growing food in a couple of veg boxes with his boys. Even if they never eat what comes out of it, theyve seen the process of where its planted, how it grows, he says. We picked cucumbers the other day, and they ate them literally from the box, for me, it was a real win. Most of the time, it might be hard to get them to eat a cucumber, but create a bit of excitement and novelty, and thats where you can win. Which is why they have taco and spaghetti nights too. You can get them to do just about anything, if you make a game out of it, he says with a laugh. Thats my five and seven-year-old anyway. And for those who find cooking dinner an interminable chore, take inspiration from Skehans mum, who would always start by chopping an onion, then, the rest would come By literally just getting over that first hurdle, youre in the kitchen, youre cooking, says Skehan happily, and from there, youll find your flow. Donals Real Time Recipes by Donal Skehan (Yellow Kite, 25). Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Our new study highlights a crucial, but often hidden, aspect of child health the mental health impact of living with two or more neurodevelopmental conditions. We found children with multiple neurodevelopmental conditions such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, learning difficulties, developmental delay, speech disorders, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, Tourette syndrome and behavioural problems are much more likely to have depression and anxiety. Our findings have important implications for health services and planning. They stress the importance of early and integrated care where neurodevelopmental, educational and mental health services work together rather than separately. Were seeing more kids with multiple conditions More children are being diagnosed with two or more neurodevelopmental conditions. At the same time, mental health problems such as depression and anxiety are becoming more common in children and young people around the world. About 9% have a mental health disorder. open image in gallery More children are being diagnosed with two or more neurodevelopmental conditions ( Getty ) However, little was known about how often these emotional difficulties occur in children with multiple neurodevelopmental conditions, and whether the risk increases as the number of such conditions grows. Understanding these patterns can help health professionals, schools and policymakers identify children most at risk and provide early, integrated support. What we did We analysed data from the National Survey of Childrens Health, a large, nationally representative survey in the United States. This survey collects information from parents or caregivers about their childrens physical and mental health, development, and family circumstances. We combined data from 2016 to 2023, which included more than 267,000 children aged three to 17 years. Parents were asked whether their child had ever been diagnosed with any of the ten neurodevelopmental conditions. We categorised children according to the number of neurodevelopmental conditions into five groups: no multiple neurodevelopmental conditions (none or one), two, three, four, and five or more neurodevelopmental conditions. Parents also reported whether their child had ever been diagnosed with depression or anxiety, and if so, how severe these conditions were (mild, moderate or severe). We then looked at how the number of neurodevelopmental conditions related to the likelihood of having depression or anxiety. Our findings were clear and consistent The more neurodevelopmental conditions a child had, the higher their risk of depression and anxiety. Compared to children without multiple neurodevelopmental conditions, children with two of these conditions were about 4.7 times more likely to have depression and 5.8 times more likely to have anxiety. open image in gallery Children with five or more neurodevelopmental conditions were more than 5.3 times more likely to have depression ( Getty/iStock ) Children with five or more neurodevelopmental conditions were more than 5.3 times more likely to have depression and 12.9 times more likely to have anxiety. The severity of mental health problems also increased sharply. Children with multiple neurodevelopmental conditions were much more likely to experience severe depression or anxiety than mild forms. This pattern remained after taking into account age, sex, race, country of birth, health service use, heart disease, diabetes, allergies, asthma, arthritis, body-mass index, physical exercise, adverse childhood experiences, family income, family structure, health insurance coverage and parental education. How does this apply globally? Health systems around the world face rising numbers of children with multiple neurodevelopmental conditions. So it is vital to understand these children are not a small minority they represent a large and growing group who need thoughtful, coordinated care. Although this study used US data, its findings have important lessons for countries around the world. This includes Australia, particularly as it grapples with reforming its National Disability Insurance Scheme. Neurodevelopmental conditions are common globally. However, most Australian studies have focused on children with a single neurodevelopmental condition rather than those with multiple ones. Very few Australian studies have examined what happens when a child has two or more neurodevelopmental conditions at the same time. And when they have, these often had small sample sizes. What are the implications? By showing the risk of depression and anxiety rises sharply as the number of neurodevelopmental conditions increases, our findings highlight an area that Australian research and policy could explore further. With the growing number of children being diagnosed with neurodevelopmental conditions in Australia, understanding how these conditions interact and compound mental health risk is crucial. About the authors Jialing Lin is a Research fellow in Health Systems in the International Centre for Future Health Systems at UNSW Sydney. Patricia Davidson is the Vice-Chancellor's Distinguished Fellow at UNSW Sydney. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Our work also suggests future Australian studies and child health programs should look beyond single conditions and consider the combined impact of multiple neurodevelopmental conditions on childrens emotional wellbeing, together with social and economic circumstances and the ability to access services. Doing so could lead to better screening, earlier intervention and better coordination of care for children and families across both the health and education systems. What now? Based on our findings, several actions are needed at different levels: Health-care professionals should routinely screen children with multiple neurodevelopmental conditions for anxiety and depression. Even if a childs main diagnosis is neurodevelopmental, mental health needs should not be overlooked. Commonly, parents also need support. Schools and teachers need training and resources to recognise emotional distress in students with neurodevelopmental challenges and to connect families with support services. Parents and caregivers should be encouraged to discuss emotional wellbeing with health providers and seek help early if their child shows signs of worry, sadness or withdrawal. Researchers should conduct long-term studies to explore why these conditions often occur together and which early interventions work best to prevent later mental health problems. Policymakers should fund and strengthen integrated child neurodevelopment and mental health programs. For example, this could be school-based counselling; multidisciplinary care clinics that provide joint assessments by paediatricians, psychologists, and speech or occupational therapists; and family support networks offering parent training and peer-support groups. Without early recognition, intervention and support, these children may experience ongoing difficulties in school, social isolation, and long-term mental health problems into adulthood. Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Older adults across the UK are encountering substantial obstacles when considering a move to a more manageable home, according to a new report from Age UK. The charity's 'Late Movers' research, based on an Opinium survey of 2,500 individuals aged 66 and over conducted in January 2025, reveals widespread concerns. A significant 42 per cent of respondents cited accessibility issues as a major worry, while 36 per cent were troubled by affordability, and 35 per cent expressed concerns about their home's condition. Furthermore, the findings indicate that a striking 72 per cent of those aged 66 to 74 anticipate difficulties with moving home once they reach 75. Age UK warns that unsuitable housing in later life can place considerable strain on health and social care services, underscoring the critical importance of early planning. open image in gallery If considering a downsize, it might be worth looking at areas that keep you close to your friends and family ( PA ) If youre starting to think about your last big move, here are seven key things to consider when downsizing or relocating later in life 1. Proximity to friends and family I often see couples moving down to Cornwall and becoming very isolated because they dont really consider how far they are going to be from everyone, says Cornwall-based estate agent Michael Kleinman. They are often used to seeing their grandchildren every weekend and when they move to Cornwall, they only see them for a couple of weeks in the school holidays. So, it tends to be a much easier move if you stay local and have that familiarity and social network around you.However, if you are still keen to relocate, the estate agent highly recommends looking into the transport links of your potential new area. Think about transport links to and from where your family and your network are, advises Kleinman. If you move to a rural area, you might be 20 miles from a railway station and driving might be no longer an option. 2. Emotional impact Paperwork might seem like the hardest part about relocating, but many people underestimate the emotional toll downsizing can have. I think a lot of people dont really consider the emotional side of moving from the family home where they have brought up all the kids, says Kleinman. Going from a four/five bedroom house down to a bungalow means all those years of accumulating stuff has to be condensed down and a lot of people dont really think about the ramifications of the emotional side and the logistical difficulties of what goes and what stays. open image in gallery It can be very difficult to move on from a home you have lived in for a long time ( PA ) You have to be very brutal and ruthless about it and thats often easier said than done. A lot of downsizers start the process and then give up and stay where they are for another year or two because they didnt realise how hard it was going to be mentally and emotionally. 3. Logistics Another thing that many people dont consider is how different moving house is now, compared to 40/50 years ago with things like EPCs (Energy Performance Certificates) and online ID checks, says Kleinman. The process can be very overwhelming if you arent overly tech savvy. People often start the process and get a few weeks or months into it and then find it overwhelming, so take their house off the market and have a rethink. Finding a good real estate agent who has the time to sit, listen and guide you through this can help make it less daunting. Work with an independent local estate agent and someone who can actually come around to your house and go through it with you, advises Kleinman. 4. Location Make sure you do your research before making a commitment to a new location. If you are thinking about moving to a different area, talk to local people in person or on social media groups to really get an understanding of that area, recommends Kleinman. I am often dealing with clients who are moving to an area where they dont know anyone, have never been there before or have only been there once or twice on holiday. open image in gallery It is important to consider where the new property is and if it will be appropriate as you get older ( PA/Alamy ) Cornwall, for example, is very different in the winter compared to the summer. If you have been on holiday there in July or August, you will get a very different experience in January. So, its important to do your research to see what its actually like to live there all-year round. 5. Convenience of health services and local amenities Think carefully about what type of amenities and local services are going to be crucial to you as you grow older. Think realistically about how far away the nearest inpatient hospital facilities are, how near the local GP and NHS dentists are and find out if they are taking on any new patients, advises Kleinman. Also, think about how easy or difficult it is to get to those services, as well as the normal town-centre facilities that you might need. 6. Accessibility Make sure your new home is going to be adaptable and functional for future you. Bungalows and apartments are the normal go-to and I think its particularly good to look for very new bungalows, says Kleinman. The reason being is that building regulations now have to follow rules set out by the Disability Discrimination Act, so many new bungalows have to have things like wheelchair access, wider doorways and plug sockets higher up the wall features you wont get in most Seventies bungalows. 7. Maintenance None of us knows whats around the corner and how long were going to be mobile for, so you really need to think about practical living, says Kleinman. Do you want a large garden? Is it going to be practical and manageable? When does the boiler need replacing? Will the house need frequent external painting? I would always guide clients towards a more modern property that is low maintenance. Lots of people think about how they are today, rather than what it is going to be like for them in 10/20 years time. Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice New mothers struggling with postnatal depression could find relief through an unexpected avenue: group singing lessons, a new study suggests. Researchers behind the study indicate these sessions offer a "long-lasting effect" on symptoms of postnatal depression (PND), prompting calls for local health bodies to introduce such programmes. The findings come as nearly one in four (24 per cent) mothers in the UK are affected by PND, often facing significant barriers to accessing conventional treatments. This underscores the importance of exploring alternative, art-based interventions. But the real-life effectiveness of such approaches has not been fully tested, academics said, as they set out to examine whether or not mothers who take part in such programmes will benefit. open image in gallery A quarter of mothers in the UK suffer from postnatal depression - and a new study suggest group singing can help ( Alamy/PA ) Given the surging rates of PND and its widespread implications for both mother and baby, it is of the utmost importance to identify and treat PND as early as possible, the authors wrote in the British Journal of Psychiatry. Although the gold standard for treatment is psychological therapy and psychopharmacology, many mothers with PND experience challenges and stigma in accessing care. Academics from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN) at Kings College London, along with Breathe Arts Health Research, examined the effectiveness of a specially designed group singing session for mothers to attend with their babies. Some 199 mothers with PND were enrolled in the study. They were either advised to take up group singing sessions or went to existing community-based mother and baby activities. During the singing sessions, mothers and their babies sat in a circle on the floor and they would sing welcome songs and then a range of songs from across the world in different languages. The songs included multiple parts and harmonies and were accompanied by maracas, drums and other simple instruments that mothers and their babies could play together. The women were reassessed after six, 10, 20 and 36 weeks. Researchers found that after 10 weeks both groups had seen a reduction in symptoms. But after 20 weeks and 36 weeks, only the mothers in the singing group, called Breathe Melodies for Mums (M4M), appeared to show continued benefit. Researchers said that mothers in the singing group were more likely to remain in the study and reported that the programme was acceptable and appropriate. The research team also deemed it to be a cost-effective measure. M4M had a long-lasting effect on symptoms of PND and was perceived to be more suitable than existing activities; thus, M4M represents a worthwhile investment for healthcare systems as an intervention for mothers experiencing symptoms of PND, the authors concluded. open image in gallery After doing it for about ten weeks, many participants in the group activity reported their symptoms had alleviated ( Getty Images ) Carmine Pariante, professor of biological psychiatry at Kings IoPPN and the studys senior author, said: Unfortunately postnatal depression is a common illness experienced by many new mothers. While effective interventions like psychotherapy and medications can and do help, there are societal barriers due to the stigma that surrounds depression that mean other interventions are a necessity to ensure that these women can receive the support they need. Our study provides vital evidence that Breathe Melodies for Mums can offer an effective means of support that is also engaging and accessible. Dr Rebecca Bind, a research associate at Kings IoPPN and the studys first author, said, At a time when the NHS is oversubscribed and under pressure to make every pound count, this intervention is a demonstrably good use of resources that has a powerful and long-lasting impact on the mothers, and potentially their babies. Jennifer Aniston has said she doesnt want to adopt because she would want her child to have her DNA. The 56-year-old Friends star, who recently opened up about her 20-year struggle to have children, told a podcaster that she decided against adoption after trying IVF, explaining that she saw having her own child as the only way for her, acknowledging that some people might consider that selfish. As someone who has also struggled with infertility, I didnt find it selfish. In fact, I was rather thrilled at her admission. For once, here was someone being refreshingly honest. Theres a point where its, like, out of my control, she said on the Armchair Expert podcast. Theres literally nothing I can do about it. When people say, But you can adopt, I dont want to adopt. I want my own DNA in a little person. Thats the only way: selfish or not, whatever that is, Ive wanted it. What a relief to hear that its for the perfectly reasonable explanation that she selfishly wanted to have children who carried her genes. As she rightly anticipated, reaction has been mixed, to which Im afraid I must roll out the line I usually save for religious groups protesting in front of abortion clinics: And how many children have you adopted? Exactly. Aniston is an icon for many reasons, but for me, its because she is the only mainstream celebrity I can think of to talk openly about unexplained infertility and failed IVF. Moreover, she has done so in such a calm, matter-of-fact way that removes all the sting and stigma from it. No A-lister has to share their personal life with us. Its none of our business. But Aniston has shared her story, and so generously too. Just adopt! is often thrown in by the terminally clueless as a solution to infertility. Few stop to think about how it is a completely different path and one that deserves its own respect. The child and their needs should be at the centre of any adoption, not those of the adoptive parents. Adoption is a serious path, with background checks and tough panel interviews. Children may have contact with their birth parents through Christmas cards, and siblings are encouraged to stay in touch too. Things have changed since the Seventies, when one adopter I know was able to adopt babies from good families through an agency in Chelsea. Now, babies are more often paired with adopters through the foster to adopt scheme, with ongoing contact with the birth family, and no guarantee that you will adopt them later on. open image in gallery Aniston is currently starring in The Morning Show ( Apple TV+ ) I have some good pals who fostered to adopt in the UK. They are imbued with a faith much, much stronger than mine, which gave them the resilience and why not? mentality that saw them through. They were able to permanently adopt their child eventually, but throughout the entire process, it was not a given. We were in the pandemic when we heard we couldnt have children. For me, the risk of having a child I had been looking after taken away was too much for me and my husband. On average, it takes one year and seven months from a child entering care to being placed with adoptive parents.After placement, it then takes a further 9 months on average for the adoption order to be granted. Adoption is hard work, and while I consider myself to be a resilient woman, I am also self-aware enough to know a foster-to-adopt process might break me. It took months of researching adoption to come to my decision. I inhaled podcasts as I always do and especially those from queer adopters, who have a similar hurdle to me in terms of not being able to get pregnant with their partner. Daddy Life London, about an anonymous gay man adopting with his partner, opens with the couple fostering to adopt, and the baby subsequently being placed back with their birth parents. Theres an additional thread, which is that infertility of any length let alone 20 years in Anistons case is bloody hard going enough on your mental health. One of the deeply humbling things about infertility is learning to live in and with a yawning chasm of despair that can be overwhelming and hard to climb out of. To then embark on a completely different and arguably even more challenging path of adoption requires real commitment, and I deeply admire Aniston for acknowledging that it wasnt the path for her. open image in gallery Anistons relationships, with the likes of Brad Pitt, have been the subject of endless media scrutiny ( Getty ) Adoption isnt only for heroes or people of the impressive stripe we see on DIY SOS: The Big Build, caring for multiple siblings with disabilities. It is for people who go in with their eyes open, who can appreciate that their needs will need to come last. Its a process that may entail years of anxiety and stress with a childs birth family and with social services. Sometimes more children are born, and parents are then asked if they would like to keep the family together and foster to adopt a second, or third child. Even if you do go into it fully prepared, it may still fall apart as can happen to any family. There is a lack of robust data around this, but a reasonable estimate for adoption breakdowns post-adoption order in the UK is likely between 1-4 per cent on average, with higher rates occurring for older children or children with additional needs. Theres also a massive difference between UK and US adoption, not least because the US also involves a not insignificant amount of cash through private adoption agencies, which often involve adopting children from overseas. Alice Hutton is a British domestic adoptee as well as an ex-BBC journalist, now based in the US, who investigates this practice and the growing community of adult adoptees calling on the US adoption industry of forced adoption to stop. Adoption is an increasingly controversial issue, she tells me. For more than 100 years, it has been marketed as a legitimate family-building tool and a beautiful way to grow a family. But there are also growing campaigns in the US, in particular, that view it as legal human trafficking based on systemic injustice that relies on the often-forced separation of family units who are poor and of colour or indigenous, in favour of white, middle-class families. Hutton urges any potential adopters to ensure they have the voices of adoptees in their research, which, shamefully, I had not done when I was doing my research. Just because you live in Britain, does not mean that this should be an issue considered ethical or solved in any way, she says. I urge you to read widely and prioritise the voices of adoptees rather than adopters or agencies. open image in gallery Jamie Lee Curtis is one of many high-profile figures to have adopted children after suffering fertility issues ( Reuters ) So, I stand with Jennifer Aniston today. The actor said her personal life is not anybodys business but there comes a point when you cant not hear the narrative about how I wont have a baby, wont have a family. Aniston said that as she has got older, she cares less about correcting the falsehoods. The news cycle is so fast, it just goes away, she continued but admitted she had felt the speculation was unjust. Its this speculation that gets you down, whether you are a Hollywood actor, or a woman who hasnt had a child but is of an age and circumstance when it is expected by society, however progressive we think we all are. Of course, there are times when I feel that sense of justice when something has been said that isnt 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. And if the truth is you dont feel that adoption is for you, who should say otherwise? Its really none of anyones business. Kat Brown is the editor of: No One Talks About This Stuff: Twenty-Two Stories of Almost Parenthood (Robinson) Photo: Reuters U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth believes that under the leadership of U.S. President Donald Trump and together with European allies, Russias war against Ukraine will be ended. If the war does not end, the United States and allies will take the necessary measures to make Russia pay for it. He made this statement on Wednesday in Brussels at the beginning of a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Ramstein). "Under the unwavering leadership of President Trump, and in particular with our European allies, we will end the war in Ukraine. The war must end." Hegseth stated that, as demonstrated in Gaza and the broader Middle East, President Trump had shown a unique ability to foster peace and generate opportunities even in circumstances where peace appeared remote. He emphasized that this capacity was exclusive to Trump. According to Hegseth, although the war had not started during Trumps presidency, it would conclude under his leadership. He urged that the current moment be seized to decisively pursue peace in Ukraine, even if it required force. However, the U.S. Secretary of War did not rule out that if "this war does not end, if there is no path to peace in the short term, then the United States, together with our allies, will take the necessary steps to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression." "If we must take this step, the U.S. War Department stands ready to do our part in ways that only the United States can do," Hegseth said. Hegseth said that, in his view, the most effective means of deterring Russian aggression were a powerful and well-equipped NATO led by European nations, as well as a Ukrainian military capable of defending itself and maintaining a deterrent presence along NATOs borders. He reiterated the principle of achieving peace through strength. 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 Rapper Professor Green has admitted that he almost cancelled his wedding to Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh as both felt pressured to tie the knot. The 41-year-old musician, whose real name is Stephen Manderson, married Mackintosh in 2013, with the relationship ending in divorce in 2016. Although Green says that the two are now back in touch with each other, he says if there hadnt been a demand for them to get married, then it might never have happened. If there wasn't that pressure, we may have never got married, he told Jamie Laings Great Company podcast. It very nearly didn't happen. I remember having a conversation with my two best mates, Lewis and Phoenix. Am I getting cold feet? What's going on here? And one of them said yes. One of them said, No. I won't put him in it, because it's not their responsibility. Green added that he and Mackintosh ultimately made their own decision and didnt get married for the wrong reasons as they were in love. It was probably an element of trauma bonding, he said. And it takes a lot to get to a place of going. I had a significant part in that, 50 per cent at least, because there were two of us in the situation, and it didn't work out." Green and Mackintosh were married for three years ( Getty Images ) He went on to say that he had no resentment towards Mackintosh and still thought she was gorgeous. Green also explained that they have discussed their undiagnosed ADHD. He said: 'There was undiagnosed neurodivergence between both of us. We had a conversation about this recently, and it makes sense. I don't feel uncomfortable about these things anymore, but I felt uncomfortable for a huge part of my life. The two got married in a lavish 2013 ceremony at Babington House in Somerset. However, Mackintosh also later shared her worries, stating that she knew the marriage wasn't right but I was too scared to call it off because of the shame of letting everyone down. The couples divorce was finalised in May 2016, the same week Mackintosh chose to go public about her relationship with fellow Made in Chelsea star Hugo Taylor. Mackintosh and Taylor got married in 2018. The couple, who reside in Chelsea, have two daughters, Sienna and Aurelia. Green is now in a relationship with actor Karima McAdams and welcomed their first child, Slimane Ray Manderson, in 2021. 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 teenagers who assaulted former DOGE employee Edward Big Balls Coristine were sentenced to probation by a judge in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. The justice handed down a 12-month probation to the boy in the case and a nine-month probation to the girl. Both had pleaded guilty to simple assault, according to WUSA 9 News. D.C.s Metropolitan Police Department arrested the two 15-year-old suspects from Hyattsville, Maryland, the day after the August 3 attack on Coristine, 19. The teen boy was allowed to return home under strict house arrest. The girl was remanded to a local youth shelter. Their accomplices remain at large. I hope you can figure things out and be ready for the consequences, Coristine reportedly told the defendants via video link, thanking the courts and MPD for their work in bringing the pair to justice. open image in gallery Edward 'Big Balls' Coristine details carjacking incident in Jesse Watters interview last month ( Fox News ) Coristine and a female companion were assaulted at approximately 3 am in a D.C. parking garage in what the victim called an attempted carjacking that he said had involved a group of 10 guys. The ensuing attack left him with a concussion and a broken nose while becoming a MAGA cause celebre in the process. The programmer offered a complete account of the incident when he guested on the Fox News show Jesse Watters Primetime in late September. As we get to the car and she begins to fumble for the keys, they begin to shout at us, and really quickly I knew something was really off about this situation, Coristine recalled. So she unlocks the car, I rush her into the driving seat. I close the door behind her and shes able to lock the doors. Right as I turn around, theyre right up on me just a few feet away. open image in gallery An image of Coristine in the aftermath of the assault that was posted online by President Donald Trump as he called for a crackdown on urban crime in Washington, D.C. ( @realDonaldTrump/Truth Social ) They slammed me against the car and started throwing a bunch of punches. I keep my hands up. Im getting a lot of punches here and Im just trying to protect my head the best way that I can. A photograph of the bloodied Coristine at the scene was posted by President Donald Trump on Truth Social shortly afterwards, who used it as part of his argument for cracking down on urban crime in the nations capital by sending in the National Guard to support the MPD, which he duly did on August 11. Coristine, the grandson of an executed KGB spy, earned the nickname Big Balls during a high school math class and later embraced it publicly on his LinkedIn profile, which attracted the eye of Elon Musk earlier this year when he was looking for staffers to join DOGE, the agency tasked by Trump with cutting excess spending across the federal government. Coristine had worked briefly at Neuralink, another Musk-run enterprise, and been a mechanical engineer and physicist at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, before joining DOGE. He then worked for the governments General Services Administration and, after resigning in June, was hired by the Social Security Administration. 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 Cory Mills, a Florida Republican congressman, has been hit with a restraining order that prevents him from contacting an ex-partner for reasons of protection against dating violence. Lindsey Langston, his ex-girlfriend, filed a petition in August and claimed that the Republican was threatening to release nude images and videos to blackmail her. Cory continued to message me on Instagram accounts I run after blocking him and asking him to not contact me, Langston alleged at the time. The messages progressively got more threatening over time. Mills was slapped with the restraining order on Tuesday. According to the order, he is now barred from contacting Langston until January 1 or directly referring to her on social media. open image in gallery Republican representative Cory Mills has been slapped with a restraining order which prevents him from contacting his ex-girlfriend ( Getty Images ) Langston filed a police report against him in July, in which she alleged that Mills sent her a series of threatening messages. One message written by the Republican representative said that she may want to tell every guy you date that if we run into each other at any point. Strap up cowboy, he added, in a message included in Tuesdays court judgment. He also allegedly sent another message, which read I can send him a few videos of you as well. State Circuit Judge Fred Koberlein Jr described Mills response as irrelevant. "Even had the Respondents testimony been truthful, his response is irrelevant because there was no evidence presented suggesting the Petitioner knew the Respondent no longer had possession of their intimate videos," Koberlein wrote. Langston said that she and Mills started dating in November 2021 and split in February 2025, according to an incident report made to the Columbia County Sheriffs Department in Florida and seen by NBC News. open image in gallery Mills was also been accused of being involved with a physical altercation with a woman, who later dropped the charges ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Allegedly, the relationship crumbled after Langston saw reports that Mills had been involved in a physical altercation with a woman in Washington, DC. Lindsey confronted Cory about the woman, to which Cory told her he was not in a romantic relationship with her and the press fabricated the story," the incident report read. "Lindsey then found a social media account for the other woman and saw posted photos of her with Cory." Sarah Raviani, 27, allegedly called the police to the conservatives apartment in Washington D.C., and claimed that he had assaulted her. A previous police report obtained by NBC Washington alleged that Raviani, a cofounder of the group Iranians for Trump, told police that she had been grabbed and shoved by Mills. She was allegedly left with visible marks, which forced her to lie about the origin of her bruises. Raviani later recanted her claims when she was told that Mills could be arrested, according to the report. Mills has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. His office told the Associated Press that the congressman vehemently denies any wrongdoing whatsoever, and is confident any investigation will clear this matter quickly. 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 Maryland judge has jailed a former FBI agent who raped three women in his tattoo studio after he promised them free body art and modeling opportunities. Eduardo Valdivia was given a 60-year prison sentence for his crimes, which Montgomery County Circuit Judge Cheryl McCally described as diabolical. It was not only heinous, it was vicious what you put in motion, Judge McCally said as she sentenced Valdivia, according to court documents. The 41-year-old former FBI agent faced an eight-day trial on six counts of second-degree rape. He was found guilty on all six charges. The court heard that Valdivia set up a secret tattoo parlor under the aliases Lalo Brown and El Boogie when he was not working at his day job. According to prosecutors, Valdivia had two studios, with the first being located on the second floor of a strip mall in Potomac. The second was located at an office building in Gaithersburg. open image in gallery Eduardo Valdivia was jailed for 60 years after being convicted for six counts of second-degree rape ( Montgomery County Department of Police ) He set up a secret tattoo studio named DC Fine Line Tattoos to lure women by promising them modeling contracts and offering free tattoos. Valdivia would then film himself sexually assaulting them, according to prosecutors. A married father of three children, the former agent, would then use the footage to blackmail him into returning. Its about the predator catching his prey, Assistant State Attorney Rachel Morris told jurors during closing arguments. Its about total control and domination over these young women. Prosecutors also claimed that Valdivia destroyed much of the video evidence after he learned that the police were searching for him in 2024. Valdivia claimed in court that his encounters with the women were consensual. However, two of his victims spoke in court about how the former FBI agents crimes had impacted their lives. open image in gallery Valdivia was sentenced at Montgomery County Circuit Court where a judge described his crimes as 'diabolical' ( Google Streetview ) There are days I dont want to talk, a 21-year-old victim said. There are days I dont want to go out of bed. Another said that she was speaking in court to reclaim the voice of my 18-year-old self. When Valdivia raped his first victim, who was in high school at the time, he had just been charged with another crime. In 2022, a jury determined that Valdivia had acted in self-defense when he shot and killed a man on a Metro train. The FBI agent claimed that the man had pushed him into a corner and had threatened to take his gun, forcing him to open fire. He was acquitted of all charges related to the 2022 shooting. Valdivia has worked in field offices in Los Angeles, San Juan, and Puerto Rico before moving to Washington. During this time, he worked undercover on cases related to violent gangs. Since his most recent trial, he has been fired from the FBI, according to his attorney. Montgomery Court records, obtained by the Wall Street Journal, also revealed that he and his wife are divorcing. 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 Luigi Mangione allegedly has $40,000 in his prison commissary thanks to donations from his fans and supporters, according to a new report. Mangione, 27, is accused of the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024, in an ambush outside a Manhattan hotel. After a five-day manhunt, Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He faces a federal murder charge, two counts of stalking and a firearms offense along with state charges in New York and Pennsylvania. He was previously charged with terrorism in New York but that charge has since been dropped. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Mangione was allegedly driven by anger at the U.S. healthcare industry and more broadly by corporate greed, according to an NYPD intelligence report obtained by CNN. The bullet casings found after the shooting reportedly had the words deny, delay, and depose written on them, referencing an alleged tactic used by insurance companies to deny claims. Mangione saw a swell of support from Americans across the political spectrum who had similar disdain for the U.S. healthcare system. In the wake of the shooting, UnitedHealthcare admitted that the industry was flawed and Senator Bernie Sanders pointed to Mangiones support as clear evidence that Americans are fed up with the current healthcare model. His support has been so notable including from women who find him handsome that it was parodied on Saturday Night Live. open image in gallery Luigi Mangione, accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024, reportedly has $40,000 in his commissary account thanks to donations from his supporters. ( AP ) He is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, where celebrity gossip site TMZ claims he is flush with cash thanks to fans. The report is based on a source recently released from the prison. The Independent has contacted the federal Bureau of Prisons for comment. Inmates and suspects awaiting trial are provided basic meals, paid for by the state or federal government, but they can also buy additional items with their own money at the prison commissary. The items available include things like Nutella hazelnut spread which costs about $5 oatmeal for $3.65, and Velveeta cheese blocks for around $3.70. Even if Mangione does have $40,000 in his commissary account, he can't buy Velveeta cheese blocks for the whole prison as there's a $160 cap for each visit to the commissary. Typically, an individual's family would contribute funds to their account for commissary purchases, but in Mangione's case, he's allegedly got fans keeping him well fed. His fans are sending more than just cash to MDC. Earlier this year, Mangione asked his supporters, via his lawyers, to stop sending him books due to federal prison regulations. open image in gallery A Luigi Mangione supporter holding a sign outside his arraignment hearing in New York City on December 23, 2024 ( REUTERS ) "He is very appreciative, but kindly asks that people temporarily refrain from sending more books. The number of books he can possess at any given time is limited," Mangione's lawyers wrote on his legal defense website. Under Bureau of Prisons policy, inmates can only have five books at a time, one photo album or scrapbook, and 25 single-sided photos. In the same February announcement, Mangione's lawyers asked supporters to limit the number of photos they send to five at a time. In addition to the limit, each one has to be reviewed by law enforcement before it reaches him. The attorneys also warned that while Mangione tries to respond to the letters he receives, the sheer number of incoming letters means that any response he gives may take some time. "Due to the volume of mail, letters could take longer than usual to be screened and delivered," they said at the time. His supporters have also given to his legal defense fund via GiveSendGo, raising more than $1.3 million. 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 North Carolina woman has been accused of using ChatGPT to research deadly drugs before trying to poison her husbands drink. As artificial intelligence becomes more intertwined in our lives, stories have emerged about how chatbots have answered some concerning prompts. Now, it has been revealed through official documents AI has been used in an attempted murder case. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department announced Friday 43-year-old Cheryl Harris Gates was arrested for attempted murder, among other charges. Gates spiked her husbands Celsius energy drink with prescription drugs with the intention of causing a black out condition or incapacitation, according to an arrest warrant obtained by multiple news outlets. open image in gallery Cheryl Harris Gates, a 43-year-old North Carolina woman, has been accused of using ChatGPT to research deadly drugs before trying to poison her husbands drink ( Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office ) She had used ChatGPT, a popular AI chatbot from OpenAI, to investigate lethal and incapacitating prescription drug combinations and the effects of oleander, ricin, and fox glove poisoning, People reported, citing an officer's affidavit. Its unclear what type of drugs were ultimately used in the alleged poisoning. Local outlet WBTV reported, citing official documents, Gates specifically researched drug combinations that could be ingested and injected. The Independent has reached out to OpenAI for comment. Gates husband gave proof of his incapacitation and a foreign controlled substance in his drink twice over the summer, once in July and again in August, according to the affidavit. Syringes, a capsule filling kit, medical droppers, scales and medications were found at Gates home, police say. open image in gallery Gates used ChatGPT, a popular AI chatbot from OpenAI, to 'investigate lethal and incapacitating prescription drug combinations,' according to official documents ( Vincent Feuray/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images ) The state of Gates relationship with her husband is unclear. The affidavit said the two were living separately, and local outlet WSOC-TV reported its sources say he is her ex. The Independent has reached out to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for additional information. Police say Gates is an employee at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, and several reports said she was a therapist there. The Independent has reached out to the school district asking whether Gates still works there. Its definitely surprising that somebody in that capacity that is there to help others would do something, that type of crime, especially, Quemella Holland, a parent in the school district, told WSOC-TV. Another parent, Laurie Leebrick, said, She never should have been around kids at all. They should have done better background checks. Gates is also charged with Contaminate Food or Drink to Render One Mentally Incapacitated or Physically Helpless, as well as stalking and property damage. Police say the crimes Gates is accused of happened off school property and didnt involve any student, teacher or facility member. Gates, who has been denied bond, was appointed a public defender, WBTV reported, without giving details about the lawyer. 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 Disturbing video footage shows the moment a Missouri father apparently encouraged his six-year-old daughter to keep punching a fellow student aboard a school bus, telling her I want her crying. Police have issued a search warrant for Maurice Fox after the alleged incident Thursday, which happened on a bus in the Ferguson-Florissant School District. In the video, obtained by KMOV and KSDK, Fox is seen boarding the bus with his daughter and approaching the other student, who is seven years old. Do what I told you to do, a man can be heard saying, before saying to the other child: Dont put your hands on my daughter no more cause if I find out youre touching her again, your parents will have to talk to me. The man then says, What do you do?, apparently prompting her to start hitting the other little girl in the head multiple times as Fox watches. The voice then says, again, after which the girl continues the assault. open image in gallery Blurry footage allegedly shows Maurice Fox encouraging his six-year-old daughter to repeatedly punch another child on a bus, telling her 'I want her crying.' The footage has been blurred to protect the identities of the children on the bus ( Ferguson Police Department ) "I want her crying. Again, he adds, as the girl continues, before then telling her lets go. Fox now faces charges including one count of first-degree harassment, two counts of assault in the fourth-degree and trespassing on a school bus. A warrant is out for his arrest but as of Tuesday he was not in police custody. The Independent has reached out to the Ferguson Police Department for updates on the incident. After the incident, Fox launched a GoFundMe page, which he titled Help Relocate My Children and Fight Unjust Charges, though the page has since been taken down. This incident is disturbing and completely unacceptable, said Ferguson Police Chief Troy Doyle in a statement shared with KMOV and Fox2Now. We have made several attempts to contact the parent, but he has avoided all efforts to speak with our detectives. open image in gallery Disturbing video footage shows the moment a Missouri father encouraged his six-daughter to keep punching a fellow student aboard a school bus ( Getty Images ) However, he has found the time to create a GoFundMe account seeking donations for his legal defense. You cannot crowdsource accountability. We urge him to contact the Ferguson Police Department immediately or come in and speak with our investigators to give his account of the incident. In a separate statement, the Ferguson-Florissant School District said it was aware of an incident involving a parent boarding a school bus without permission and was fully cooperating with law enforcement as they address this matter. Student and staff safety is always our top priority, and we will not tolerate anything that compromises their safety, the district said. School buses are an extension of the school campus. Trespassing on a school bus and engaging in the behavior described in this incident are completely unacceptable. 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 Virginia Roberts Giuffres devastating posthumously published memoir will reveal the life-altering moment she met apex predator Ghislaine Maxwell at Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort before encountering the pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein for the first time. The first excerpt of Giuffres soon-to-be-published memoir, Nobodys Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, details the moment Maxwell entered her life when she was working the spa front desk, aged 16, at Trumps Florida resort in the summer of 2000. Giuffres memoir was completed in October 2024, six months before she tragically died by suicide. Weeks before her death, Giuffre told her collaborator, Amy Wallace, to publish the book in the event of her passing, according to Vanity Fair, which has obtained the first excerpt. The sexual abuse victim told how she was groomed by Maxwell and Epstein to be complicit in [her] own devastation. Maxwell is currently serving a two-decade sentence in a cushy Texas prison for sex trafficking charges after being transferred from a Florida facility in August, after two days of interviews with President Donald Trumps former lawyer and current Department of Justice No. 2, Todd Blanche. open image in gallery Virginia Roberts Giuffres devastating posthumous memoir reveals the life-altering moment she met apex predator Ghislaine Maxwell at Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort ( Emily Michot/TNS/ZUMA Press ) Maxwells driver, Juan Patricio Alessi, testified at the 2021 trial that Epsteins madam and on-and-off girlfriend first saw Giuffre when she was in the back of the car. Maxwell got out and followed after me. I didnt know it yet, but once again, a predator was closing in, Giuffre wrote. Giuffre was sitting at the marble front desk at Mar-a-Lago, reading a book about anatomy, when Maxwell approached her. The British socialite reminded Giuffre of Mary Poppins when they first met and she described the convicted sex trafficker as mesmerizing. That same night, Giuffre was manipulated into going to Epsteins mansion less than two miles from the resort to give him a massage, despite the teenagers protests that she was not trained. He loves to help people, Maxwell told Giuffre, adding that Epstein could pay for her training to become a massage therapist, according to the memoir. Giuffres father dropped her off at Epsteins address, where Maxwell seemed impatient for him to leave, and was practically shooing him back into his truck. In the book, Giuffre described how the walls were crowded with photos and paintings of nude women. She wondered if that was how wealthy people decorated their homes and didnt want Maxwell to notice how nervous she was. open image in gallery Giuffres memoir details the moment Maxwell entered her life when she was working the spa front desk, aged 16, at Trumps Florida resort in the summer of 2000 ( Getty ) She was led into a bedroom upstairs, where she saw Epstein for the first time on the massage table. A naked man lay face down on top of it, his head resting on his folded arms, but when he heard us enter, he lifted up slightly to look around at me, Giuffre wrote. I remember his bushy eyebrows and the deep lines in his face as he grinned a Cheshire-cat smile. She said she looked to Maxwell for guidance after presuming Epstein would be under a sheet, but not wanting to blow this chance, Giuffre said nothing. After the incident, Giuffre was taken home by Maxwells butler, where she was in a state. Not wanting her parents to ask questions, she ran upstairs to take a shower. For what seemed like an hour, I sat on the wet tile floor and let my tears mix with the hot water pounding my skin, she wrote. The chilling episode was the beginning of Giuffres ordeal of more than two years in the orbit of Epstein and Maxwell, where her job was to do whatever they asked whenever they asked it. There were no bars on the windows or locks on the doors, Giuffre wrote. But I was a prisoner trapped in an invisible cage. open image in gallery Giuffre, pictured with Prince Andrew, completed her memoir in October 2024, six months before she tragically died by suicide ( US Department of Justice ) Trump is briefly mentioned in the excerpt published in Vanity Fair, where Giuffre wrote that he couldnt have been friendlier and helped her secure babysitting work for wealthy clients. The anticipated release of Giuffres memoir, out Oct. 21, follows months of outrage over the Epstein case. Trump has been plagued by the late sex offenders ghost after pledging on the 2024 campaign trail to release all of the files relating to the case, but his administration then attempted to bring the investigation to a close in July. The president said that he ended his friendship with Epstein because the disgraced financier stole young women working at his Mar-a-Lago spa too many times including Giuffre. He has repeatedly denied any connection to Epsteins infamous lifestyle, having ended their friendship before the disturbing allegations about the financier emerged in 2006, and has sued The Wall Street Journal and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, over an article that reported he sent a bawdy birthday card message to Epstein for his 50th birthday. Trump called the report false and defamatory. If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If youre in the UK, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. 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 violent brawl between seven customers at a Texas Whataburger was sparked over a food order mix-up, according to local reports. Cops raced to a San Antonio branch of the burger chain at 3 am on Sunday, as the brutal fist-fight raged. When police arrived at the scene, they found that two groups had been viciously brawling with each other, leaving puddles of blood on the floor and on the seats inside the fast food outlet. Footage of the fight surfaced on social media, showing some of the customers throwing punches at each other. At the start of the video, one diner is sent flying across a table by a man dressed in orange. Others can be seen being hurled to the ground, before being pummelled and kicked violently. Youre a f*****g dad; What is wrong with you?, a girl shouts while two brawlers pin down another man and deliver blows. When the unnamed girl goes over to the two groups, she is shoved backwards. open image in gallery A brutal fight broke out at a Texas Whataburger which led the police to make seven arrests ( X/@Mrgunsngear ) The footage also shows two other girls grappling with someone while hammering them with their fists. A torrent of expletives was hurled throughout the melee, while patrons of the burger chain ignored a voice urging them to calm down. Someone else even tried to diffuse the situation by saying, Yo, let me pay, to no avail. The video ends with panicked diners fleeing, while a voice shouts: These adults are beating up little kids at Whataburger. A Facebook user named Rebecca Noel took to social media to give her side of the story, claiming that the fight had broken out because of a mix-up with their order. Part of another tables order was mistakenly brought to my son and his friends, she wrote, according to the New York Post. Noel claimed that the Whataburger staff simply told the other customers that they have your food, instead of helping. Moments later, those individuals confronted my son and his friends, and within seconds, the situation escalated far beyond a simple misunderstanding to a violent assault, she added. There is absolutely no excuse for what happened. This never should have escalated to this point. open image in gallery Whataburger says that it fired an employee who was involved in the fight, according to reports ( Getty/iStock ) Seven people were arrested in connection with the incident, each of whom was charged with assault causing bodily injuries, according to a SAPD report seen by KSAT. Their ages range from 21 to 57 years old. The report also allegedly stated that two men and two women were assaulted during the incident, two of whom were 18 years old and two of whom were 20 years old. A Whataburger spokesperson confirmed to the San Antonio Express-News that a company employee, who was off duty at the time, was involved in the brawl. He has since been fired. The safety of our Guests and employees is our top priority. We are cooperating fully with the authorities, a spokesperson for the burger chain told the outlet. The Independent has contacted the SAPD and Whataburger for further comment. 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 There are now more than 1 billion users of standalone AI apps like ChatGPT, Claude and Google Gemini, according to a new report. The milestone comes less than three years after OpenAI released ChatGPT, which became the fastest growing app in history when it launched in November 2022. AI is crossing the chasm, spreading from early adopters into the mass market, noted the Digital 2026 report, which was carried out by consumer intelligence firm Meltwater and the creative agency We Are Social. The 700-page report noted that the trend was having a ripple effect across the rest of the internet, with the number of people using conventional search engines now on the decline. AI increasingly enables users to answer different kinds of questions, and satisfy a much broader range of needs than they could with search engines alone, said data analyst Simon Kemp. AI adoption rates have largely been driven by ChatGPT, which has around 800 million users according to OpenAI boss Sam Altman. This is up from around 250 million users this time last year, and puts it ahead of Elon Musks X, which has around 586 million users according to figures gathered by Statista Researchers from OpenAI, Duke University and Harvard University noted in a paper last month that around 10 per cent of the worlds adult population now uses ChatGPT. For a new technology, this speed of global diffusion has no precedent, they wrote. A separate report from Pew Research Center published on Wednesday found the more people are concerned about artificial intelligence than excited. The survey, which took in views from more than 28,000 people across 25 countries, revealed that only 16 per cent of people are more excited than concerned about the technology. Concerns about AI are especially common in the United States, Italy, Australia, Brazil and Greece, where about half of adults say they are more concerned than excited, the reports authors wrote. The survey also finds a strong correlation between a countrys income as measured by gross domestic product per capita and awareness of AI. People in higher-income nations tend to have heard more about AI than those in less wealthy economies. Photo: https://t.me/vitaliy_klitschko/ Brussels is donating four ambulances to Kyiv, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced following Brussels Mayor Philippe Closes visit to the Ukrainian capital. "I met with the mayor of Brussels, Philippe Close, and a delegation from the Belgian capital, who visited Kyiv once again during the war. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, the Belgian delegation, led by Mr. Close, unhesitatingly arrived in the Ukrainian capital with assistance. They brought us ambulances and humanitarian aid. Thats when our active partnership began," Klitschko said on Telegram on Wednesday. According to him, this time too, "four more ambulances will arrive in Kyiv, which are extremely important for saving the citys residents." According to Klitschko, Brussels has been providing ongoing assistance in equipping Kyivs medical facilities and training medical personnel. During the full-scale war, it has donated various humanitarian aid, equipment, and special vehicles to Kyiv. These include ambulances, fire trucks, a CT machine worth EUR 250,000 to one of the citys hospitals, and modern electric beds and mattresses for the rehabilitation of military personnel to the Kyiv Veterans Clinical Hospital. Kyiv also received 3,000 non-military bulletproof vests to protect medical personnel, emergency workers, and utility workers during the aftermath of the attacks. Brussels delegation will visit city hospital No. 18, to which Brussels donated medical equipment last year, as well as the Human Titans prosthetic center and Kyivs civilian infrastructure damaged by the Russian aggressor. 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 Waymo, a division of Googles parent company Alphabet, has announced that it is expanding its robotaxi operations to London. It will be the first European city to support the autonomous ride-hailing service, with the first vehicles rolling out over the coming weeks. Waymo is the worlds leading robotaxi service, with a fleet of 1,500 self-driving cars serving Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco in the US. The first expansion to international markets was through testing sites in Tokyo, with the London rollout expected to be the first in a European expansion. Waymo is making roads safer and transportation more accessible where we operate, said Waymo chief executive Tekedra Mawakana. Weve demonstrated how to responsibly scale fully autonomous ride-hailing, and we cant wait to expand the benefits of our technology to the United Kingdom. The first cars in the UK will come with human safety drivers behind the wheel, but working with the Department for Transport and Transport for London, Waymo hopes to introduce fully autonomous rides in 2026. Im delighted that Waymo intends to bring their services to London next year, under our proposed piloting scheme, said secretary of state for transport Heidi Alexander. The company already has a fleet of 1,500 driverless cars in the US ( Getty ) Boosting the [autonomous vehicle] sector will increase accessible transport options alongside bringing jobs, investment, and opportunities to the UK. Cutting-edge investment like this will help us deliver our mission to be world leaders in new technology and spearhead national renewal that delivers real change in our communities. A recent report from market research firm IDTechEx noted that no robotaxi service has yet made a profit, though this is expected to change as operations expand. The authors forecast that revenue from robotaxi software would increase more than 1,000 times over the next 20 years, reaching $136bn by 2046. Regulatory challenges, technical difficulties, as well as public perception of the technology could all impact whether this prediction is achieved. Robotaxis are still in an extremely nascent stage, the report stated. As companies look to scale up to tens of thousands to potentially millions, any small error or delay could prove extremely dangerous. Photo: https://t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has held a telephone conversation with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. I informed the Prime Minister about the situation in Ukraine and about Russias strikes against our energy system. We are working to strengthen our air defense as much as possible before winter begins. Greece can truly help save lives, and I am grateful for that, Zelenskyy said on X Wednesday. He also noted that the Greek Prime Minister returned from the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, which marked an important peace success for the Middle East. And it would be right to maintain and build on this momentum. Global unity succeeded in that region, and now everything must be done to end Russias war against Ukraine, the head of state stressed. Zelenskyy added that this war remains the greatest source of global instability and danger, but peace is possible through force, and Russia must be forced to stop the war. Mining giant BHP has moved to calm fears of a major rift brewing over Australias lucrative iron ore exports, amid reports Beijing has temporarily blocked Chinese steel mills from buying shipments from the company. Australias biggest miner has refused to confirm or deny reports that Chinese steelmakers have been banned from striking dollar-denominated purchase deals with it in a bid to gain leverage in drawn-out iron ore price negotiations. BHP, the worlds largest miner, has not denied reports that its iron ore has been banned from entering China. However, speaking at a business event in Perth on Wednesday morning, BHP Australia president Geraldine Slattery defended the companys relationship with the Chinese steel industry as one that goes back decades and decades, and insisted the current negotiations were not out of the ordinary. Weve got decades of strong business in front of us, she said. It will be interesting to see if the vote is unanimous or whether there are some inflation hawks that would prefer to allow slightly higher unemployment to help inflation return to target more quickly. Loading AMP economist My Bui said the RBA had sounded hawkish and reluctant to cut rates in recent commentary, but noted other signs of weakness since its October meeting, when it left rates on hold. Bui said the unemployment figures confirmed labour market conditions were easing. Since the last meeting, we have had a set of weaker [data] in consumer confidence and purchasing intentions, weak building approvals data, in addition to todays worse than expected employment report, she said. Clarity Pharmaceuticals gains of 15.1 per cent sent it to the top of the bourse, followed by Hub24 (up 10.5 per cent). AMP shares jumped 8.5 per cent after the wealth manager reported total assets under management had risen 3.6 per cent to $159.5 billion. Macquarie Group shares jumped 5.1 per cent after Macquarie Asset Management sold an AI investment company called Aligned Data Centers to investors including BlackRock, Microsoft and Nvidia for $US40 billion ($61.4 billion). Aligned, which is based in Texas and operates throughout the US and South America, has 50 campuses and 78 data centres under management or in future development, according to its website. On the other end of the index, Iluka Resources fell 10.6 per cent, as did HMC Capital (down 5.8 per cent) and Lynas Rare Earths (down 5.7 per cent). The big four banks had a positive day, with the markets biggest company, Commonwealth Bank, rising 0.8 per cent, while National Australia Bank gained 0.3 per cent and ANZ shares jumped 1.9 per cent. Westpac dipped 0.3 per cent after flagging it would take a $273 million charge for restructuring at its upcoming full-year results. The iron ore heavyweights were mixed. BHP rose 0.5 per cent, while Rio Tinto closed 0.3 per cent lower and while Fortescue slid 0.2 per cent. Gold miners climbed after the gold price traded at record highs, with Northern Star Resources gaining 1.2 per cent, Evolution Mining rising 3.3 per cent and Newmont climbing 3.4 per cent. Real estate stocks performed strongly as Goodman shares jumped 4.9 per cent and Stockland gained 3.4 per cent. Loading The markets biggest technology shares fell, with Wisetech (down 1.4 per cent), Xero (down 1.5 per cent) and TechnologyOne (down 1.4 per cent) all losing ground. Overnight, the S&P 500 added 0.4 per cent, but only after jumping towards one of its biggest gains since summer, erasing it all and then climbing back. The Nasdaq composite climbed 0.7 per cent after earlier pinballing between a drop of 0.4 per cent and a rally of 1.4 per cent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lagged the market and edged down by 17 points, or less than 0.1 per cent. The erratic trading in the US overnight followed Tuesdays rollercoaster, where the Dow careened between a loss of 615 points and a jump of 455. The dizzying moves go back to the end of last week, when US President Donald Trump shattered what had been a remarkably calm and strong run for Wall Street by threatening much higher tariffs on China. Technology stocks helped lead the way on Wednesday following a better-than-expected profit report from ASML, a major supplier to the semiconductor industry. It expects its revenue for 2025 to be 15 per cent above last years, while next years should be at least as high as this years. On the market side, we have seen continued positive momentum around investments in AI, chief executive Christophe Fouquet said, and have also seen this extending to more customers. Thats key when worries have been high that a bubble may be forming in artificial-intelligence technology, with too much investment flowing in akin to the 2000 dotcom frenzy. ASMLs stock climbed 3.1 per cent in Amsterdam. On Wall Street, Broadcom rose 2.7 per cent and Advanced Micro Devices jumped 9.1 per cent and were the two strongest forces lifting the S&P 500. Several big banks also drove the market higher. Bank of America climbed 4.4 per cent after delivering a profit for the latest quarter that was stronger than analysts expected. Chief executive Brian Moynihan said every line of the banks business reported growth. Loading Morgan Stanley rose 4.8 per cent after, likewise, reporting a stronger profit than analysts expected. That followed better-than-expected profit reports from several banks the day before, including JPMorganChase and Wells Fargo. They helped offset a 3.9 per cent drop for PNC Financial. It reported a stronger-than-expected profit for the latest quarter, but it also gave a forecast for upcoming earnings that some analysts said was below expectations. Abbott Laboratories sank 2.4 per cent after its revenue for the latest quarter finished just shy of analysts expectations. Ive got a lot of friends who are far tougher, more robust individuals than I am. I know for a fact they can endure more suffering, more stuff that intimidates me a lot. I know that some people look at me and go, Well, you must be brave to do this stuff, but I feel quite frightened when I do a lot of these things. When Im talking to young people, [I say that] for me courage perhaps is being afraid and doing it anyway. So I try to be brave. Richard Harris: I know that some people look at me and go, Well, you must be brave to do this stuff, but I feel quite frightened when I do a lot of these things. Credit: Madman After the dive, Harris decided that he didnt want to put his wife, Dr Fiona Harris, through the anxiety of any more expeditions to an area where he would be uncontactable for days. When youre lining up for these awards, they talk about this imposter syndrome and that everyone will feel it, Harris says. I think Craig would share this view that doing one thing in our lives that had such a spectacularly good outcome and was such a global event, it didnt really deserve an award like [Australian of the year]. For me, those awards should always be given to people who have spent their lives working towards a solution for something thats changing lives for so many people, like a cure for cancer or a campaign to save the environment. We really felt like one-trick ponies. Harris says he and Challen just hoped their cave rescue training would help the trapped boys. Quite frankly, my expectation was that all these kids would die, he says. Im pretty confident that if any of those children had died, I wouldnt be receiving an award. We could have just as easily been Australias greatest villains as Australias heroes of the day. Triumphant return: Craig Challen (left), Harris and American Joshua David Morris at the entrance to Tham Luang Cave in Thailand in 2019. Credit: James Massola While he saw the New Zealand dive as a logical extension of his decades of cave diving, Harris understood why it looked terrifying to outsiders. The two top-side cinematographers who came on that expedition were constantly in a state of horror and fear and worry for our sakes, he says. Peedom, best known for the documentaries Sherpa, Mountain and River, is in post-production for Tenzing, her coming film about the first ascent of Mount Everest, in 1953 by Edmund Hillary (Tom Hiddleston) and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay (Genden Phuntsok). Relieved after a first screening for one of her producers went well, she calls Harris hydrogen dive unbelievably dangerous. Theyre incredibly rational people, yet theres this irrational component to it, she says. Peedom initially rejected Harris invitation to direct the film because of a number of deaths while filming her earlier documentaries, including kayaker Andrew McAuley in 2008s Solo and 16 Sherpas during 2015s Sherpa. Its an often-forgotten aspect of making adventure documentaries: dealing with the awful consequences if it goes wrong. I was there with Vicki McAuley, waiting for [husband] Andrews heroic arrival, which never came, she says. That feeling of just having no control and no communication, it was the most traumatic thing Ive ever been through. Just that feeling I might be sitting there on the edge of that cave and that Harry might not come back out again, it really brought all of that back up to me. I did actually say to Harry, have you watched my films? Everything I touch there seems to be death. Harris went ahead with the expedition anyway and then approached Peedom when he was back in Australia to ask if she would look at the footage and reconsider. Loading Liking what she saw, Peedom returned to the Pearse Resurgence for a week of shooting then interviewed Harris and other participants to focus on the emotion and the philosophical questions about extreme cave diving. That he was prepared to talk about his vulnerability to the extent that he did surprised me, she says. For somebody who has done one of the most heroic things a person can do, to learn that they have that level of self-doubt and anxiety and battle with self-esteem issues, that, to me, was really the heart and soul of the film. Harris, who says reinventing himself since retiring as an anaesthetist is the best decision he has ever made, has stopped the most extreme cave diving after a final hydrogen expedition with Challen in South Africa. 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 Say what you will about this period of insanity in the United States, but it is at least giving us some great movies: Civil War, Eddington, One Battle after Another. All speak to the sense of a country fragmenting under the pressure of its internal tensions and contradictions, and all are bold, challenging and often brilliant pieces of filmmaking. A US in freefall has all the vital ingredients for great narrative conflict, peril, uncertainty, tension. Its a pity it has such real consequences for hundreds of millions of Americans, not to mention the rest of us, but it makes for terrific viewing. The big issues are often addressed in American cinema and television obliquely, through metaphor and allegory and myth. The western, superhero movies, film noir all can be read as Hollywood putting the countrys core beliefs under the microscope. After all, what is the Marvel movies mantra with great power comes great responsibility if not America reflecting on its self-appointed role as the worlds policeman? That role, though, has been all but abandoned in Donald Trumps America. So, too, has the core belief in truth, justice and the American way. Those very concepts are now bitterly contested within America. Whose truth? Whose justice? Whose American way? That contest is at the heart of Paul Thomas Andersons One Battle After Another. The worldviews held by the movies antagonists are so diametrically opposed that they could almost be describing alternative universes. If the film has a position, it is arguably the sensible centre. But thats not a view anyone really articulates on screen. Advertisement The multicultural left is, quite literally, on the run here from a right with a white supremacist agenda. A shadowy cabal has infiltrated the corridors of power, a highly politicised police force (whose members are dressed like soldiers) is deployed against immigrants and people of colour, and the country teeters on the brink of authoritarian rule. Anderson starts the story with a lengthy prologue, set 16 years before the main events, in which a leftist group stages attacks against symbols of corporate capitalism, including banks and the electricity grid. Ghetto Pat Calhoun (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an explosives expert, his partner Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) a highly sexual anarchist who crosses a line when she executes someone during a bank heist. She crosses another when she turns informant on her gang after being captured, and yet another when she skips out of witness protection before she can testify. Leonardo DiCaprio as Pat Calhouns alter ego Bob Ferguson. Credit: AP Its impossible to say if the film is set in the present day, a near-present day, or some time a little further down the line, but its tensions feel entirely of the moment. That is remarkable given the fact Anderson has been working on bringing the story, based on Thomas Pynchons 1990 novel Vineland, to screen for 20 years. What is clear is that the left has been neutered. Sixteen years on from that action-packed opening (whenever it is set), Pat is now living under the guise of Bob Ferguson, a pot-smoking alcoholic recluse bringing up his daughter Willa (the superb Chase Infiniti) in a cabin in the woods, clinging to his ideals but struggling to master their gender identity updates (his wrestling with the appropriate pronouns for one of Willas friends is one of the movies funniest moments). The moment the past catches up with Willa (Chase Infiniti) in One Battle After Another. Credit: Warner Bros He has raised his daughter to be on alert, to not have a mobile phone (because of the risk of being tracked), to remember at all times the code phrases mostly derived from Gil Scott-Herons 1972 proto hip-hop jazz track The Revolution Will Not Be Televised with which his former colleagues from the activist group the French 75 will make contact in an emergency. Advertisement When the worst happens, though, Bob is a mess. Hes too stoned to remember the passwords, hes forgotten to charge his 1G phone, and he doesnt have the time or inclination to change out of his red tartan dressing gown. He goes on the run, initially to save himself but ultimately to save his daughter, with Sean Penns tightly coiled Colonel Lockjaw in hot (and often hilarious) pursuit. One Battle After Another is a comedy, but its also a tragedy. Its about the costs of failed idealism, the burden inherited by the children of the revolution that never came, and about the gulf that has opened between opposing notions of American identity: a give-me-your-poor inclusiveness on one hand, and an only-the-pure white nationalism on the other. Even at its darkest, though, its always funny; even at its most kinetically comical, its always serious. Much the same is true of Ari Asters Eddington. A pitch-black satire of America during the COVID pandemic, it tackles conspiracy theories, wellness cults, Antifa, bad-faith actors pretending to be Antifa, and far-right gun culture as it strives to paint an all-encompassing portrait of a country at war with itself. Joaquin Phoenix (centre) is the sheriff who picks and chooses which rules to enforce in Eddington. Credit: A24 Its opposing forces are represented by the sheriff of the small town of Eddington, Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix), and its mayor, Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal). Joe is supposed to uphold the law, but his rejection of mask-wearing mandates is just the first step on a journey down the anti-authoritarian rabbit hole that eventually has him in full vigilante mode. Ted is supposed to make the laws on behalf of the people he represents, but theres a sneaking suspicion that he might be more interested in lining his own pockets. As in One Battle , identity politics play a key role here. Debates about structural racism, white privilege, white guilt and white exceptionalism play out on the streets, on TV, in the mayoral campaign that pits Joe against Ted. The supposedly autonomous indigenous Pueblo community, meanwhile, is marginalised throughout. Advertisement Asters overall position appears to be that COVID heightened an already existing fragmentation in American society, with isolation and the increasing reliance on social media pushing people further towards the extremities. The sensible centre collapsed, leaving opposing forces unable to agree on even the most basic concepts, and utterly failing to share a common language. It brings to mind the words of William Butler Yeats Second Coming, a short but intensely powerful poem written in 1919, in the aftermath of The Great War and amid the worldwide influenza pandemic that wiped out millions of people. Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity Those words feel utterly relevant to the present day. The absence of an agreed truth is at the heart of Alex Garlands Civil War, too. Here, he literally has truth seekers journalists, aligned to no cause other than recording, as dispassionately and objectively as possible, the events that are unfolding in the midst of an attempt to overthrow the president. Advertisement Advertisement Eating outGood Food Guide I never allowed myself to dream this big: First Nations woman wins Bill Granger Trailblazer Award Are you familiar with saltbush, Davidson plum or lemon myrtle? Meet the entrepreneur who helped take Australian ingredients to the world. Bianca Hrovat October 15, 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 . Sharon Winsor, the founder of native foods company Indigiearth, did not expect to win the Bill Granger Trailblazer Award at The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide event on Monday. In fact, she wasnt sure why she was invited to a ceremony with Sydney and Canberras most influential hospitality figures, and didnt plan to attend. But, on the insistence of her friend, celebrity chef Kylie Kwong, Winsor arrived just in time to hear the 500-strong crowd at Carriageworks erupt into cheers, celebrating her work in taking Australian bush food to the world. I literally burst into tears and started shaking, Winsor says. I was not expecting to be in the running, or to win, an award tonight. Sharon Winsor, founder of Indigiearth. Winsors humility belies her standing as one of Australias leading female First Nations entrepreneurs. The proud Ngemba Weilman woman founded native foods catering business Thulli Dreaming in 1997, and relaunched the company as Indigiearth in 2010. Now, Indigiearth is a major national and international source of wild-harvested Indigenous ingredients including saltbush, Davidson plum and lemon myrtle. Advertisement Winsor was recognised as this years Trailblazer for fundamentally changing the way Australians think about native foods. The award was launched last year in partnership with Bill Grangers family, and named in honour of the late chefs hospitality, warmth, integrity and entrepreneurial spirit. I never went searching for that success, and I never allowed myself to dream this big, Winsor says. Everything Ive done was motivated by a desperate need for survival, to break [intergenerational] cycles and to heal. Sharon Winsor accepts her award from friend Kylie Kwong at the Good Food Guide Awards. Dion Georgopoulos Bush food has always been a source of healing for Winsor. She learned to forage as a child, living on country outside Gunnedah. And when adversity hit, she returned to the comforting familiarity of the bush. Winsor says it was through her connection to country that she emerged from deep depression, as she mourned the loss of her stillborn first son. And it was in country, wandering and picking native fruit, where she found that little bit of flame in [her] belly after domestic violence pushed her to rock bottom. I realised I started to feel better because of my connection to culture through my business, Winsor says. Being physically connected to country through food, and being immersed in the happy memories of my childhood of growing up bush gave me hope. Advertisement Sharon Winsor awarded at the Good Food Guide awards. Sitthixay Ditthavong Research shows female Indigenous entrepreneurs face significantly more challenges, from the intergenerational trauma caused by colonisation and white Australian policies, to the racial and gender discrimination and lack of government and institutional support. But Winsor pushed on to become a driving force in the uptake of Indigenous ingredients in homes and restaurants across Australia, and shes carrying her community forward with her. Native foods from Indigiearth. There are so many barriers for our people to get into business and its like we have to prove ourselves, time and again, before were given any real opportunities, Winsor says. Advertisement Since 2006, the size of the Indigenous business sector has more than doubled, but reportedly less than 2 per cent of the native food sector is under First Nations ownership. In an effort to counter that figure, Winsor spearheaded the countrys first Australian Native Food Festival in September, showcasing more than 20 Indigenous-owned food and agricultural businesses at Carriageworks. Sharon Winsor (right) with Aunty Beryl van Oploo at the first Australian Native Food Festival in September. Getty Images It was really important for me to give that platform to other women, who dont otherwise have the opportunity to come to Sydney, to grow their businesses and create financial stability in their own homes and communities, Winsor said. This is not just about me. This is about bringing everyone with me on this journey because we are stronger together. Related Article 600+ restaurant reviews, one big celebration: Winners revealed at Good Food Guide Awards Related Article The complete list of winners at the SMH Good Food Guide 2026 Awards Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up We are more like a medical item than a fashion piece, says Jochen Gutzy, Birkenstock chief communications officer. As our chief executive says, were like aspirin for the feet. Fashion is a relative newcomer to the Birkenstock business, with supermodel Heidi Klum launching their first official fashion collaboration in 2003. But the brands medical history runs far deeper than Klums noughties denim designs. Loading The footwear companys journey began in 1774, with German shoemaker Johann Birkenstock. It picks up pace in 1897 with great-grandson Konrad Birkenstock and his fixation on orthopaedic shoe lasts. That foot-health fixation remains, outlasting a series of Carls and Karls in the family, which gave up control of the business in 2012. It has even survived an IPO in 2023, when the company was valued at up to $US8.3 billion ($12.8 billion). Walking is like breathing and drinking water, and the footbeds are the ingredient that the human being needs for healthy living, Gutzy says. We care about peoples health and wellbeing. Now I think fashion is looking for the real thing because the consumers are better informed. Birkenstocks being assembled at the companys German factory in Gorlitz. While Gutzy is happy with growing sales to fashion consumers, the business is not chasing collaborations, having declined potentially lucrative partnerships with former Louis Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs, streetwear giant Supreme and Guram Gvasalias French fashion brand Vetements. A year after Louis Vuitton said yes to a partnership with Supreme in 2017, which was greeted with fanfare by Vogue and GQ, Birkenstock said no. Theres no benefit for us except prostitution because this is just prostitution, Reichert told The Cut. Marc Jacobs unofficially adapted Birkenstocks for the runway for his seminal grunge spring 1993 collection for Perry Ellis. More recently, when Jacobs approached Birkenstock with sketches for an official collaboration, it was time to raise the red flag, again, Gutzy says. We said thank you, but no because the ideas that he had in mind for the outsole... it might get some attention out there, but from an orthopedic standpoint, its wrong, so lets not do it. We feel comfortable with what were doing. When I joined the company in 2012, we produced 12.3 million pairs. Now we are sitting [at] around 40 million. We plan on doubling that capacity in the coming years. At Birkenstock factories outside the picturesque German town of Gorlitz, automated machines are being introduced alongside the 1900 workers supervising the production of cork innersoles, the cutting of leather and precise placement of buckles. During a workshop, where I designed my own pair of sandals (sorry Supreme and Marc Jacobs) I learnt that its pronounced Birken-sh-tock. Say the name correctly and no one will question your decision to wear sandals with socks. An off-duty Gigi Hadid in New York. Right: Birkenstock Boston Big Buckle clogs. Birkenstock manufactures 95 per cent of its shoes in Germany, and has a factory outpost in Portugal. Last month the company said it had bought a facility near Dresden to further increase its manufacturing capacity. Entrepreneur Margot Fraser distributed the shoes through Californian health food stores in the 60s, cementing their hippie reputation for crunchy granola feet. The US is still crucial to the brands success. In Australia, Marcel Goerke and his wife Manuela pioneered an appetite for the footwear, challenging the supremacy of the thong as summer footwear in 1992, with a catalogue aimed at the local market. In 1993 Birkenstock opened its first store in Melbourne. Sydney had to wait until 2024. Loading Marcel was raised in a family that distributed Birkenstock shoes over the span of three generations and then moved to Australia, says Gutzy. Australian consumers understand the product. Its one of the markets with the highest per capita usage of Birkenstock products worldwide. In the 90s Goerke noticed that Birkenstocks wore down more quickly in Australia than in Germany, and pushed a repairs program. Last year more than 5000 pairs were repaired in Australia. They are designed to be repaired, Gutzy says. Having found their feet in the world of fashion, Birkenstock has one more obstacle to face. The Coalition has accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of hypocrisy and undermining national security after he hand-picked his offices chief foreign policy adviser to lead the Office of National Intelligence. Loading Kathy Klugman, as first reported by this masthead on Thursday, departed Albaneses office last week after serving for three years as his key political adviser on international affairs, accompanying him on key overseas visits. It then emerged via The Australian Financial Review that she would replace Andrew Shearer, who is moving from the ONI to become Australias next ambassador to Japan. In 2020, Labor in opposition under Albanese slammed the Morrison government for appointing Shearer to the position because he had most recently been a staffer in Scott Morrisons private office, labelling him a partisan operative. Shearer worked for three Liberal leaders. The ONI Act stipulates that the leader of the government, currently Richard Marles with Albanese on leave, must consult with the opposition leader about the pick. A spokesman for Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said Marles informed her about the appointment earlier this week, arguing it was not meaningful consultation. [The Albanese opposition] attacked the appointment of the [Shearer], a distinguished public servant that they are now appointing to be the ambassador to Japan, the spokesman said. Read the full story here. The Crisafulli government has claimed the Cross River Rail project cost has blown out by another $2 billion in the past 10 months an increase it blamed on the Labor Party, which has been in opposition over that period of time. During ministerial statements in state parliament this morning, Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg who last December put a $17 billion price tag on the project said extensive negotiations with contractors had resulted in a revised total cost of $19.04 billion. It was a far cry from the former Labor governments $5.4 billion cost, but by the LNP governments own admission the new figure included additional work throughout the train network that had not initially been included in Cross River Rails line-item costs. Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg. Credit: Jamila Filippone Our government has also made it clear that contractors would be held to account for their performance, Mickelberg told parliament. Thats why there are now elements of funding conditional on exceptional performance, and contractors meeting major milestones on time. If they dont deliver, they wont get paid. Brisbane Times has asked Mickelbergs office for a full rundown of its $19.04 billion estimate. Comment was also sought from Labor. The soldier who was killed in a vehicle rollover during an Australian Defence Force training exercise in North Queensland has been identified as Tulsa Rumney, as investigations into the incident continue. Paramedics were called to the crash on Hervey Range Road, west of Townsville, just before 7pm on Wednesday. The injured Rumney was airlifted to Townsville University Hospital in a serious condition, but later succumbed to his injuries. Third Battalion soldier Tulsa Rumney (left) was killed in a vehicle rollover during a training exercise near Townsville. Credit: Facebook / Tulsa Rumney At a press conference in Sydney on Thursday afternoon, Brigadier Ben McLennan said Rumney had been a member of the Third Battalion, which is an armoured infantry unit. The Danish government is allocating DKK 1.1 billion for the needs of the Ukrainian fleet, maintenance of tanks and training equipment, the government's press service has said. "It is important that Denmark continues to support Ukraine's defense at all levels. As part of the package, Denmark is allocating DKK 1.1 billion kroner for initiatives that support Ukraine's defense, ranging from naval equipment to educational and training activities for Ukrainian soldiers," Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said. As noted in the statement, Ukraine constantly needs to educate and train Ukrainian forces. Therefore, Denmark has allocated DKK 400 million for educational and training equipment as part of the XXVII assistance package. The package also includes measures focused on the maritime area and tank maintenance. The funds are also allocated to fuel purchases and rehabilitation support, both of which are carried out under the auspices of NATO. In total, Denmark will provide Ukraine with DKK 2.7 billion in assistance in 2025. In addition to the package already announced, DKK 1.6 billion will be channeled through the Ukraine Fund for drones, ammunition and equipment to be ordered from the Ukrainian defense industry. Raise fuel excise The article, Government EV road map, outlines falling income from fuel excise as the number of EVs increase. However, it is counterproductive to tax EVs to replace this income. A better solution is to increase the fuel excise. This could be adjusted each year to ensure the amount raised stays constant. This will provide an additional incentive to buy EVs. Bob Hale, Malvern The EV obstacles The article analysing the results of a car-buyer intention survey (15/10) is disturbing in that it highlights a continuing reluctance of Australian motorists to embrace EV motoring. Apart from cost, which was mentioned in the article, range anxiety and the bushwhacking spirit of Australians are major factors in hampering the uptake of EV ownership. The distances travelled by motorists in Australia set us apart from Europe and some Asian countries where EV ownership numbers have exploded. EVs are not yet capable of dragging large caravans over thousands of kilometres in the outback, and there is a nervousness about long trips in EVs where charging stations may be sparse. Most families are two-car families so lets hope that at least one vehicle can be an EV for short to medium trips while a petrol/diesel or maybe a hybrid can be used for caravanning and outback exploration. Graeme Lechte, Pascoe Vale Cut with the past Last weekend, I attended the third annual Electrify your Life! expo. The message couldnt have been clearer as energy commentator Javier Blas also warns, gas is a gamble (Gas could be a bridge to nowhere on energy transition road map, 13/10). The financial benefits of solar and batteries, coupled with electric homes and vehicles, are undeniable (Energy bills tipped to fall as emission cuts accelerate, 13/10). In contrast, gas heaters, gas stove tops, and gas hot-water systems are burdening households with rising energy costs and serious health risks. The same goes for petrol and diesel cars these 20th century technologies are associated with growing health and fuel cost concerns. As more climate change-induced extreme weather is predicted (The blob, rain and La Nina: What the summer forecast holds for Australia, 13/10), the question is simple: how much longer can we justify the pollution and climate damage caused by relic fuels of the past? Amy Hiller, Kew Pay up, America So the Lucky Country has yet another ace up the sleeve this time our rare earth deposits (Australia may win rare earth row, 14/10). Let us hope our political leaders make a better fist of overseeing the development of these resources than they did with the North West Shelf gas deposits. The main beneficiaries of that golden egg were the customers (incredibly cheap long-term contracts), shareholders and (relatively few) employees with only minimal royalty and tax collections. A repeat outcome would be scandalous. The United States wants and needs our rare earths, and must expect to pay up for them and maybe a bit extra to help support a new local industry of value-added products. As we are contributing billions of dollars supporting the American submarine industry, a similar contribution from the US to assist our nascent rare earths industry should be part of any deal. Peter Thomson, Brunswick More JPs, please As Justices of the Peace, I and 11 others staff a document-signing centre that to date has witnessed 13,000 documents for nearly 4000 people since the start of this calendar year. There are many other JPs around the state who provide a similar service. I know of other signing centres in provincial centres that witness more than 40,000 documents. A local police inspector told me a few years ago that our services to the public enabled them to keep an extra police vehicle out on the road. As the police chief commissioner is looking for ways to get sworn officers back on the beat, he might suggest to the premier and the attorney-general that the appointment of additional JPs across the state would be a relatively cheap and effective way of helping him achieve his objective. Ian Symons, Drouin Giving back to Willy Save Our Beach? More like Save Our View (Tensions flare in seaside suburb over plan for pool, 13/10). Its dismaying to read how far a few will go to oppose the desperately needed upgrade of the 105-year-old Williamstown Swimming and Life Saving Club. Im a local resident and member, and all I see is a not-for-profit community organisation, run on the fumes of volunteers, and doing everything it can to give back to Williamstown. A club that protects the tens of thousands of beachgoers that descend on Willy beach every year. A community space that brings together both Nippers and Silver Salties with swimming and social-strengthening programs. And a provider of essential water-safety skills for local school kids of all cultural backgrounds who, because of the club, have the know-how to stay safe on our beaches. Thats something truly worth saving. Sarah Isaacs, Williamstown More worthy projects At the September meeting of the Hobsons Bay Council, a council officer, in response to a public question concerning the redevelopment of the Williamstown Life Saving Club, advised: The current estimate for the redevelopment sits around the $16.6 million mark although this is subject to ongoing review, as the design is further developed and cost plans are further refined. He also advised that council has committed $3 million towards the development. The Victorian government gave a grant of $11.4 million for the redevelopment, plus the $3 million from the council leaves a shortfall of $2.2 million. It would be a travesty if further ratepayer funds were allocated to the redevelopment when there are several worthy community projects that await funding from the council. One obvious project is the refurbishment of the historic Mechanics Institute building which previously housed much of Williamstowns heritage, but is now in off-site storage. The project was started but has lapsed through a lack of council funds. Robert Ferris, Williamstown Strong constitution So the Liberals would scrap Victorias First Nations Treaty. That is exactly why the Voice to parliament had to go in the Constitution. The Liberals would have made sure a legislated Voice to parliament wasnt worth the paper it was written on. Margaret Callinan, Hawthorn Its their voice Why does the LNP plan to wind back the Treaty? As the people most affected by it have said, Treaty will stop paternalistic whites deciding what Aborigines need, and give them a say in their future. Does the LNP still think they know better, and that paternalistic outcomes will be better for everyone? Id much rather First Nations people have a say in how money spent on their behalf will affect them. I see this Victorian Treaty as the first step in the right direction to help amend past wrongs. Why cant we show respect to the people who lived here before colonisation? Eileen Ray, Ascot Vale Make this idea toast Have we completely lost our ability to perform even simple tasks without IT assistance? AI offers to polish my emails, do my research for me (very badly and imaginatively it seems), drive my car, predict (wrongly) my texts and so many other tasks. Now I read that I need an IT toaster to work out how to toast my bread, raisin bread, crumpets and the rest. What ever happened to our brains that we can no longer perform the simple task of working out how long to toast various items? What I really want is a toaster that knows I am hungry, opens the fridge, takes out an item, toasts it, butters it and serves it on a nice plate, then takes the plate to the dishwasher and wipes down the bench and table. That I would pay for. Until then, I still have a functioning brain. Save the IT developments for really important and valuable activities such as remote robot surgery to give better healthcare to remote rural areas. Louise Kloot, Doncaster Credit: Matt Golding AND ANOTHER THING Gaza The Israeli hostages will be received into Israel by well-stocked and highly functional hospitals with significant allied health supports. The same cannot be said of the Palestinian hostages when they return to Gaza. Allan Elliott, Northcote Didnt Tacitus, the Roman historian, write They make a desert and call it peace? Aidan Sudbury, Malvern East Great idea (Letters 14/19), an Orange Guide supplement to corral all the Donald Trump photos and grandstanding. Id use it as a weed mat. Jane Ross, San Remo Possums The war and debate on possums (15/10) has raged for far too long. Its time for a ceasefire. Rivkah Halik, Nunawading Goodbye possums. John Rawson, Mernda Furthermore When are we going to see number plates with the logo Victoria the Crime State? Barry Kearney, Ringwood North Tony Wright provides an informative perspective on Treaty (15/10), including the oppositions bureaucratic plans to return us to square one. Greg Curtin, Nunawading Whalley claimed that Pye told the man his ex was in witness protection in the states north-west and allegedly offered the soldier $380,000 to kill her and dispose of her body. He told him it needed to look like she just disappeared, otherwise he would be prime suspect, Whalley said. Police outside court on day one of David Pyes murder trial. Credit: 9 News Perth [The soldier] declined to commit the murder on the basis he thought it was a stupid idea, and he didnt kill innocent women. But conversations between the pair continued, Whalley alleged, and on another occasion the soldier sold Pye some ammunition. During the delivery of that ammunition in July of 2020, Whalley alleged Pye then started to talk to the soldier about Martin and the history of antagonism and disagreement between them, including Pyes belief that Martin had put a contract out to have him killed. Whalley then alleged that Pye asked the man to kill Martin, giving him $10,000 to scope out the situation. Nick and Amanda Martin. Credit: 9News Perth The soldier was at the time out of work due to a workplace injury, had just launched a mobile coffee van business with his girlfriend and was in need of money, the court heard. The man then conducted reconnaissance of Nick Martin and his house, Whalley said, and exchanged messages with Pye about what he had found, which included flying a drone over his home to analyse the security system. But after he was told that Martin regularly attended drag-racing events at the Kwinana Motorplex, the soldier suggested he kill him at long range for the fee of $150,000. On December 12, 2020 just after 8.30pm, Martin was fatally shot during a race meeting in front of his horrified family and members of the public. The identity of the man accused of murdering Nick Martin has been suppressed. Credit: Facebook A man sitting behind Martin was hit with the same bullet that exited Martins lower back. He underwent surgery but survived. He has since died of unrelated natural causes. Whalley told the court Pye later text the soldier two coffin emojis and a hand clap. Loading Was there two? the soldier responded. One dead, one serious, Pye allegedly responded. He then allegedly told the soldier, your money is here before the sniper drove to a spot near his house, parked, and then rode a bike to Pyes residence in case it was under surveillance to collect his pay. But later, when he got home and counted the loot, Whalley said, the bag only contained half of what he was expecting. There was only 50 here. I was expecting 100, Whalley says he messaged Pye. The other person didnt kick in. It is what it is, Pye allegedly responded. Bikies ride from the funeral home in North Perth to Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park for Martins funeral. Credit: Sharon Smith Whalley said the killer didnt press the issue and instead made a trip to Bunnings to buy some PVC pipe and a shovel and then took his dog for a walk and buried the bundles of cash in the pipes. Some time after Australia Day in 2021, Whalley claims Pye then hit up the soldier again. This time to enlist him to murder fellow Comanchero Ray Cilli. He said his people were impressed with his killing of Nick Martin and asked him to kill Cilli in Thailand, Whalley said. He paid him to look and do some preliminary research and showed him some photos of Cilli as he had no knowledge of him. Whalley said the sniper was initially offered $800,000 to do the job, to which the soldier said, Ill think about it. [The soldier] did a bit of internet research and contemplated a few ways he could kill him, Whalley claimed, adding that he later told the soldier that only $600,000 would now be available for the job after a massive police drugs bust. The soldier then made a video, Whalley said, which he allegedly sent to Pye showing him how he could shoot Cilli from a static vehicle. The killing was never carried out. Pye denied the allegations, with his legal counsel David Hallowes, SC, telling the court the sniper was a liar, that Pye never suggested he kill his ex-girlfriend, and that he did not pay him to shoot Martin. The credibility of [the soldier] is central to this, he said. The allegation came from [the soldier] and the prosecutions case stands or falls on that. We say [the soldier] is a liar. We say dishonesty courses through the veins of [the soldier] and well show that through our cross-examination of him. The soldier is the prosecutions first witness and will begin giving evidence on Thursday. Loading Other witnesses will include covert police officers revealing surveillance footage and recordings of Pye and the soldier. The trial is heavily policed with armed officers outside the court entrance and, unusually, there is a glass wall dividing the judge, lawyers, and Pye from the rest of the public gallery in the District Court building. Pye was escorted to and from court in a police vehicle with escorts that stopped traffic on Wednesday. Police have revealed they charged people from the Wheatbelt and the South West following a targeted operation aimed at cracking down on gun ownership among those who identify with the sovereign citizen movement. Operation Ascendant ran over five days earlier this month, with officers conducting raids on a number of addresses throughout Perth and regional WA on those who had expressed views inline with the movement. WA Police seize weapons from sovereign citizens under a week-long operation in early October. Credit: WA Police Sovereign citizens believe they are not subject to the law or government authority. Police revealed today just how widespread the movement had become in WA, breaking down a list of charges they have since laid following the raids. This masthead can reveal a total of 11 men have been charged with offences after the operation, three men from Perths suburbs and four from the country. Three men, aged between 53 and 61, are from suburbs including Kenwick, Success, and Wanneroo. Their charges include failing to store a firearm properly, being unlicensed and drug possession. In the country, four men between the ages of 45 and 86 have been charged. The men are from Bakers Hill near Northam, Sabina River in the South West, Merredin in the Wheatbelt and Muja near Collie. Their charges also range from failing to store firearms properly, cultivating a prohibited plant and possessing, acquiring or supplying a prohibited accessory in circumstances of aggravation. Four other men have also been charged via summons on other offences. All 11 mens court dates are scheduled for later this year. As of 10 October 2025, 164 firearms had been seized so far. In this series, we explore all you need to know about Australias first treaty, between Victoria and its Indigenous peoples. It is rare for state parliaments to lift above the humdrum. Most of the work they do is important and inherently dull. When something comes along that reminds us of the transformative power of a speech or a piece of lawmaking of the capacity of parliaments to genuinely inspire you dont want to miss the moment. First Peoples Assembly co-chairs Ngarra Murray and Rueben Berg are congratulated by Premier Jacinta Allan and government minister Gabrielle Williams after their speeches to parliament on Tuesday. Credit: Jason South Peter Dutton reflected on this after his decision to boycott the apology to the stolen generations delivered by then-prime minister Kevin Rudd. The Liberal Party didnt agree with the apology, but Dutton came to regret missing the moment and the message this sent. More than one member of the federal press gallery has privately lamented that, despite being keen observers of politics, they failed to detect the energy coursing through Julia Gillards misogyny speech until it short-circuited YouTube. Brendan Cauchi was looking for a rental property in Melbournes west, but it felt like a bidding war. Its advertised for $420. If you give us $490 a week and give us three months rent upfront, the house is yours, youll jump the queue. Yeah, thats what one real estate [agent] said to us, he recalls. I said to my partner, Look Im not comfortable with this. Brendan Cauchi moved homes after his last property cost top dollar. Credit: Jason South The now 37-year-old building industry site manager is not alone in finding Melbournes pricey rental market a challenge. Only a fraction of Melbournes rental listings are affordable to essential workers, an Anglicare Australia report has found. A school teacher would have the most options, and could afford 1.3 per cent of rental properties listed in Greater Melbourne, the Rental Affordability Snapshot Essential Workers Report 2025, released on Thursday, found. Singapore/Bali: For a supposed free holiday in Bali, Sydney plumber Darcy Jenson faces the prospect of meeting an Indonesia firing squad. The 27-year-old is one of three Australians accused of the execution-style killing of Melbourne father-of-six Zivan Radmanovic inside a Bali villa located just north of Canggu in June. Sydney plumber Darcy Jenson arrives at the prosecutors office in Bali on Wednesday Credit: Amilia Rosa On Wednesday, the trio of Mevlut Coskun, Paea I Middlemore Tupou and Jenson were formally handed over to Bali prosecutors following the conclusion of the initial police investigation. Each man could face the death penalty if found guilty in Balis conviction-happy courts. While officials would not discuss operational matters, a similar Italian surveillance aircraft was deployed over Poland last month when Russian drones flew into Polish airspace and put NATO forces on high alert. The Italian airborne warning and control aircraft, known as AWACS, monitored the airspace while fighter jets shot down some of the drones. Australia sent the E-7A Wedgetail to Poland under an agreement to base the aircraft at a Polish airfield and integrate its communications systems with the NATO airspace monitoring systems. The aircraft, based on a Boeing 737 and fitted with high-performance radars and other equipment to detect enemy signals, could spend 15 hours on some missions and was at times accompanied by NATO fighter aircraft. Australian Defence Force officials described the deployment as the first of its kind because of the way the voice and data from the RAAF plane were fully integrated with NATO command, including technical systems. Loading The RAAFs Air Vice Marshall Di Turton oversaw the deployment, under which a base was set up in Poland under the leadership of Wing Commander Samuel Thorpe.Its been fantastic to integrate into the NATO system, and weve been able to do that technically and seamlessly, he said. Asked if NATO partners had been happy with the contribution, Thorpe joked: Weve had no complaints. The Australian ambassador to NATO, Angus Campbell, said he was conscious of the risks the RAAF crew were taking but knew the European partners welcomed the support. This team has done us proud, and its a capability that has really shown its skill and its contribution, and I think our people have been delighted to be part of it, he said. Combined threat warning Rutte, speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, said more practical co-operation would be needed to prepare allies in Europe and Asia in dealing with threats. The NATO secretary-general argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin relied so heavily on support from Chinese President Xi Jinping that any aggression from China in the Asia-Pacific would lead to Russian moves in Europe. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte during a news conference at the NATO headquarters in Brussels. Credit: Bloomberg We acknowledge that the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific cannot be seen as two separate theatres, he said. They are combined, with North Korea and China supporting Russias war effort, and Iran supporting Russias war effort. And we know that if China will do anything against Taiwan, most likely Putin will be forced by Xi Jinping to move against NATO. Loading So we have to stand ready. We have to work together. We have to train together. We have to procure together. Rutte said this did not mean drawing Indo-Pacific partners into a mutual defence pact, given that Article 5 of the NATO agreement says an attack on one member is seen as an attack on all. Instead, he urged stronger co-operation between NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea. Asked a question by the ABC, he emphasised the value of the Australian contribution with the Wedgetail. This practical co-operation is really crucial, and I highly value that relationship with your proud nation, he said. The Australian group included up to 90 personnel and is due to be replaced by a Turkish aircraft and crew, but there is no further promise of RAAF air support for NATO and Ukraine given the need for resources at home. While the Australian government is sending 49 Abrams M1A1 tanks to Ukraine under a pledge worth $245 million last year, there has been no new military commitment this year. The Ukrainian ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, has thanked the country for $1.5 billion in assistance over more than three years but has also said that Australia has an interest in stopping Russia given the link to security in the Indo-Pacific. Washington: The Trump administration has denied Hamas is violating the US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, and is gently pushing back against Israeli concerns about the slow release of the remaining dead hostages as it tries to keep its fragile peace plan on track. Two senior US advisers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it would be impossible for Hamas to quickly find and retrieve all the bodies buried under the rubble, given the scale of destruction. They also stressed the complexities of the situation in Gaza and that disarming Hamas would be a slow process. Devastation in Gaza City as seen in a photo taken this week. Credit: AP Were not at a point yet where anyone feels the agreement has been violated, one of the senior advisers told reporters on a briefing call organised by the White House. Its complicated, but were all committed to getting to the right place. They said the agreement was to return the 20 living hostages, and that Hamas did honour that. There was now a process in place to find the rest. Fondue Restaurant Continues Partnership With Goal of Raising Over $1.5 Million Through Donate & Dine Cards TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 14, 2025 -- Melting Pot , the world's premier fondue restaurant, has launched its 22nd annual St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign in partnership with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital . Through Jan. 4, 2026, guests nationwide can support St. Jude's lifesaving mission by purchasing a Donate & Dine card in restaurants or online for $20. In return, guests will receive $40 off a 2026 dining visit at any Melting Pot location.* "For 22 years, our partnership with St. Jude has been one of our most meaningful traditions," said Bob Johnston, chairman of Melting Pot's board of directors. "Our guests understand that when they buy a Donate & Dine card during the holiday season, they're not just creating memorable moments with their loved ones but also helping families at St. Jude focus on what matters most their child's recovery." Since launching this partnership in 2003, Melting Pot restaurants have raised more than $18 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. This year, the fondue restaurant aims to raise over $1.5 million during the holiday campaign to further the St. Jude mission to advance cures and means of prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. The St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign represents just one aspect of Melting Pot's year-round commitment to St. Jude. Each September, during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the restaurant participates in annual St. Jude Walk events nationwide. Melting Pot also sends top St. Jude Thanks and Giving fundraising restaurant team members to tour the St. Jude campus in Memphis, Tennessee, deepening their connection to the lifesaving mission of St. Jude: Finding cures. Saving children. To learn more about how your next meal at Melting Pot can help the children of St. Jude or to purchase Donate & Dine cards, please visit Melting Pot's website . *Cards are valid for use after Jan. 4, 2026, with a minimum $100 food purchase and are limited to one card per table, per visit. About The Melting Pot Founded in Maitland, Florida, in 1975, Melting Pot is the world's premier fondue restaurant. The 50-year-old legacy brand serves over 3 million customers annually as they celebrate the Perfect Night Out whether for a birthday, anniversary, date night or any special occasion. Famed for its variety of fondue cooking styles and unique entrees, Melting Pot's menu features cheese fondues, salads, fine wines and chocolate fondue desserts, offering a premium dining experience in a polished casual setting that invites new and repeat customers to turn moments into memories. Melting Pot has nearly 90 restaurants in 30 states, with four new locations expected to open over the next year. For more information or to make a reservation, visit www.meltingpot.com . St. Jude Children's Research Hospital St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was largely considered incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80% in the U.S., and it won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes to help doctors and researchers at local hospitals and cancer centers around the world improve the quality of treatment and care for even more children. Because of generous donors, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live. Visit St. Jude Inspire to discover powerful St. Jude stories of hope, strength, love and kindness. Support the St. Jude mission by donating at stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on X, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, and subscribing to its YouTube channel. Photo: https://www.facebook.com/dshmyhal NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte assured Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal of continued allied support for Ukraine's efforts to counter Russian aggression. He made this statement at a joint press conference with Shmyhal, who is participating in NATO events for the first time both as Defense Minister and during his premiership. We just had a very successful meeting under the leadership of John Healey of United Kingdom and Boris Pistorius of Germany, of the UDCG, the Ukraine Defence Contact group. And we had nineteen countries speaking, and all of them announcing what they will supply to Ukraine, sometimes through PURL, other initiatives, but in many cases, also bilateral. So I think that was a very, very good day, but still a lot to do, because we have to get you through winter, we have to make clear to Putin that he can never win this and that we will keep on supporting you, Rutte assured. According to him, NATO clearly prioritises to keep Ukraine in the fight as strong as possible today, making sure that all Allies, but also outside NATO, our partners, give to Ukraine whatever they can to make sure that you have what you need, both in lethal and non-lethal air defence systems, etc, etc. Recently, we had the good news from the US that they decided to again supply to Ukraine all the military gear, the military kit only the US is able to provide. And there is no alternative, NATO Secretary General said. Rutte announced again that in addition to the six allies that have committed to PURL the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Sweden, Norway and Denmark other allies have joined the initiative. But coming out of today's meeting, we have over half of all Allies, so more than sixteen, seventeen Allies now committing to PURL, he repeated the information already voiced. However, the Secretary-General did not name which countries had joined. Photo: Unsplash On October 15, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed law No. 11543 on strengthening security measures in secondary education institutions. This is said in the bill's description on the parliament's website. As noted on the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Telegram channel, the law, developed by members of parliament in collaboration with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Science, and the National University of Ukraine, was adopted on September 18. The document was supported by 274 parliamentarians. Its main goal is to make schools a space where children, teachers, and parents feel safe. Ukrainian schools can expect the following innovations. Schools will have rules for access and presence. Clearly defined rules and procedures will ensure children are safe. Schools will have panic buttons to call the police, and the area will be fenced or clearly defined to prevent unauthorized access. Updated requirements will be introduced for teachers and staff. Specifically, individuals with criminal records, those found guilty of committing offenses against sexual freedom and sexual integrity, as well as those held accountable for domestic violence, bullying, or failure to fulfill child-rearing responsibilities, will not be allowed to work in general secondary education institutions. As the Ministry of Internal Affairs noted, "these safety standards are being implemented without the involvement of funds from students and their parents." The law also prohibits people under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or those carrying dangerous objects or substances, from attending secondary education institutions. "These changes are part of state policy on child protection. Educational conditions must be not only modern but also safe, even during wartime," the Ministry of Internal Affairs noted. FROM THE CABINET Under Bamboo Industry Policy, Mah plans investment of Rs 50,000 crore Staff Reporter : Investment, creation of market to generate over 5 lakh jobs The Maharashtra Bamboo Industry Policy 2025, which provides eco-friendly and sustainable income option to the farmers of the State, was approved in a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. This will further strengthen Maharashtras position in bamboo production at the global and domestic levels. This policy will be in line with the National Bamboo Mission and Maharashtra Mission 2023. This policy will be implemented over the next five years. During this period and the next ten years, an investment of Rs 50,000 crore is expected in the state. This will directly and indirectly generate employment for more than 5 lakh people. This policy will promote the use of bamboo in bamboo farmer producer organisations (FPOs), contract farming and energy, industry and other domestic sectors. For this, anchor units and common facility centers (CFC) will be started as infrastructure. Also, 15 bamboo clusters will be established across the state. Apart from this, Micro Common Facility Centers (MCFC) will be started for bamboo artisans in remote areas. Also, cooperation of agricultural universities will be taken for bamboo research and development. As a part of the policy, training programs will be organised for farmers to disseminate information. MoUs will be signed with international organisations whereever necessary. Interest subsidy, electricity subsidy as well as concessions in stamp duty and electricity tariff will be provided to bamboo-related processing industries. Apart from this, a provision of Rs. 300 crores has also been approved as a venture capital fund for startups and micro, small and medium enterprises based on innovation in the bamboo sector. A bamboo development project is being implemented in Maharashtra with the help of the Asian Development Bank. Government has also planned to prepare preliminary report of about Rs. 4,271 crore has been submitted to the Central Government. Through this project, guidance will be provided to the Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) for the production of quality seedlings, subsidy and training. Coordination will be established between bamboo producers, industries and distributors. Also, the market will be developed by preparing a PLI scheme for bamboo-based industries and reducing the demand-supply gap. 5 to 7 percent bamboo biomass will be used in thermal power projects. New technologies and research will be promoted to develop the bamboo value chain through GIS, MIS, blockchain, drones, tissue culture labs, etc. Bamboo will be planted on open land, especially through MNREGA and public plantations. A provision of Rs 1,534 crore was approved for the implementation of the Maharashtra Bamboo Policy 2025-30. A provision of Rs 11,797 crore for a period of 20 years and a fund of Rs 50 crore was approved for the implementation of the policy in this current financial year. The global bamboo market will be worth 88.43 billion US dollar by 2030. Currently, Indias bamboo exports are 2.3 percent. The bamboo industry in India is worth Rs 28,000 crore and the bamboo forest area is 4 percent. The countrys annual bamboo production capacity is 32.3 lakh tonnes. The area under bamboo cultivation in Maharashtra is the third largest in India, at 1.35 million hectares. Maharashtras bamboo production in 2022 was 9.47 lakh tonnes. Currently, there are bamboo clusters in Amravati, Sindhudurg and Bhandara districts in terms of production. Considering the cultivable wasteland and fallow land in Maharashtra, the bamboo production capacity can be about 157.12 lakh tonnes per year. 2,228 posts for Nagpur, Mumbai, Aurangabad HC benches The Cabinet meeting on Tuesday approved the creation of 2,228 new posts for the Mumbai High Court, Nagpur and Aurangabad Benches. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. 2,228 posts have been created in order to speed up the work by making maximum use of information technology and artificial intelligence in judicial work. Additional posts are being created in Group-A to Group-D cadre for the Mumbai branch and the Appellate branch of the Bombay High Court and the Aurangabad and Nagpur benches. Accordingly, a proposal to create posts was submitted at the government level. This proposal was approved in the cabinet meeting today. Along with the creation of these posts, the provision of salary subsidy and ancillary expenses for these posts was approved. These posts are in Group-A to Group-D cadre. Out of 2,228 posts, 1,717 posts are related to administrative work. Out of the posts approved today, 562 posts are related to the Mumbai branch of the Bombay High Court, 779 to the Appellate branch, 591 to the Aurangabad bench and 296 posts will be created for the Nagpur bench. Creating market for bamboo should be focal point: Joshi Announcing policy is okay but what about the issue of market. The Bamboo industry is facing difficulties, of which many are on the verge of closure and some have down the shutter. Government should give a deep thought to this sector. Many in the society are not aware of the sector. Secondly, we need to introduce the courses and encourage youngsters to opt for. Whom will industries employ at this juncture when no skilled job seeker is available? We need to introduce the courses, they should be given practical knowledge. Bamboo industry has vastness and every aspect should be well taken care of, pointed out chairman of Bamboo Society of India (BSI), Maharashtra chapter Sunil Joshi. He is the founder of Institute of Village Enterprise Development for Handicrafts Artisans (VEDHA) and is promoting bamboo for past 25 years as ecofriendly resource for rural development. Introducing courses on Bamboo tech on cards: Fadnavis Apart from attracting investment, we will go for market creation so that investors will have growth prospects. Secondly, we are also planning to introduce academic courses on Bamboo Technology to get industries, the skilled manpower. The clusters which we are planning to develop will have vastness, said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis while talking to The Hitavada when contacted. BJP names 71 candidates for Bihar polls Speaker dropped, Dy CM Samrat to contest after over a decade PATNA/NEW DELHI : Speaker dropped, Dy CM Samrat to contest after over a decade THE ruling BJP on Tuesday sprang surprises with its first list of 71 candidates for the Bihar Assembly polls, denying a ticket to Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav, a seven-term MLA, while fielding Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary in a direct election after over a decade. Health and Law Minister Mangal Pandey, a member of the Legislative Council, has also been fielded by the party for the Assembly polls. While Choudhary, who had last won an Assembly election from Parbatta in 2010 on an RJD ticket, has been fielded from adjoining Tarapur, Pandey has been named the BJP candidate from Siwan. Notably, both Choudhary and Pandey are former State BJP presidents, and so is Yadav, who has been replaced in Patna Sahib with Sanjay Kumar Gupta, a low-key state secretary of the party. The 72-year-old Speaker of the outgoing Assembly, who was said to be hoping for a ticket for his son, however, promptly came out with a social media post, announcing, I stand with the decision taken by the BJP. I have no complaints. I welcome the new generation of leadership. Yadav was first elected an MLA way back in 1995, from Patna East, which was renamed as Patna Sahib after the delimitation in 2008, and was seen as the last surviving BJP heavyweight of his generation in the state after the death of former deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi. A surprise inclusion in the list of candidates was that of Ram Kripal Yadav, a former Union minister who had joined the BJP in 2014, growing disillusioned with his former mentor Lalu Prasad, the RJD president. He defeated Prasads daughter Misa Bharti twice in the Patliputra Lok Sabha constituency, but lost the elections held last year. He has been given the party ticket from Danapur, a seat on the outskirts of Patna, currently represented by RJD strongman Reet Lal Yadav. Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha, who did a hat-trick in Lakhisarai in the last elections, has been fielded from the same constituency again. Several other Ministers also feature in the list, including Renu Devi (Bettiah), Nitin Nabin (Bankipur), Nitish Mishra (Jhanjharpur), Jibesh Mishra (Jale), Sanjay Saraogi (Darbhanga), Neeraj Kumar Singh Bablu (Chhatapur) and Kedar Prasad Gupta (Kurhani), all of whom have been renominated from their sitting seats. Art and Culture Minister Motilal Prasad has, however, been dropped, and his Riga seat has gone to Baidyanath Prasad. BJP sources put the number of sitting MLAs who have been denied a second chance at around 10. The list includes nine women, including ace shooter Shreyasi Singh, who made her debut from Jamui five years ago. Turncoats and new entrants have also been rewarded. Siddharth Saurav, who had won the Bikram seat on a Congress ticket in 2020, has been named the BJP candidate from there, a day after his formal induction into the party. Former JD(U) MP Sunil Kumar Pintu and retired civil servant Sujit Kumar Singh, who had also joined the BJP on Monday, have been given tickets from Sitamarhi and Gaura Bauram, respectively. Bulk SMSes, voice notes during silence period on EC radar NEW DELHI : AS BIHAR prepares for phase one of assembly polls on November 6, the Election Commission has warned that bulk SMSes and audio messages during the 48-hour silence period which starts before the conclusion of voting, is prohibited. In a note issued on October 9 outlining campaigning rest- rictions, the poll authority said, political advertisements on any election matter in TV, cable networks, radio, cinema halls, use of bulk SMS/voice messages, audio visual displays in any polling area during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for the conclusion of the poll for any election in the polling area is prohibited. Separately, in a statement on Tuesday, the EC said it has issued orders on October 9, requiring every registered and national and state political party and every contesting candidate to apply to the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) for pre-certification of all political advertisements on electronic media, including social media before publication. Media Certification and Monitoring Committees have been constituted at the district and State levels for pre-certification of political advertisements as per the prescribed guidelines. No political advertisements are to be released to any internet-based media/websites, including social media websites, by political parties or candidates without pre-certification from the respective MCMC, it cautioned. The MCMCs will also keep a strict vigil on suspected cases of paid news in the media and take suitable action. Given the penetration of social media in the electoral landscape, candidates have also been instructed to share the details of their authentic social media accounts at the time of filing nomination. Citing provisions of the electoral law and a subsequent Supreme Court directions, it said political parties should also submit a statement of expenditure incurred on campaigning through internet, including social media websites to the ECI within 75 days of the completion of the Assembly elections. Such expenditure, among other things, shall include payments made to internet companies and websites for carrying advertisements and also campaign related expenditure on development of content and operational expenditure incurred to maintain their social media accounts, the election watchdog noted. Bihar goes to polls in two phases on November 6 and 11, while counting takes place on November 14. Durgapur gangrape Police reconstruct crime scene with 5 arrested accused, victims friend KOLKATA : THE West Bengal Police on Tuesday afternoon reconstructed the crime scene with the five accused and the friend of the Durgapur gangrape victim, as part of the investigation, a senior officer said. The accused and the womans friend were taken to the spot in a jungle near the private medical college where she is a student, to complete the process, he said. They were taken to the crime spot for reconstruction of the crime scene. The entire process was videographed in the presence of an IPS officer. We will corroborate their version with that of the victim, the officer, who is a part of the investigating team, told PTI. Before the reconstruction of the crime scene, investigating officers questioned the victims friend for nearly an hour, he said. The investigators said they were also probing into the role of the womans friend with whom she had gone outside the college campus for dinner. The second-year student hailing from Odishas Jaleswar was allegedly raped outside the campus of the private medical college in Durgapur on Friday night. Meanwhile, two of the five arrested accused were on Tuesday morning taken to their respective residences, primarily to find evidence linked to the crime which they may have concealed, the officer said. During the search, police seized a few clothes from the duos homes, which were allegedly worn by them during the crime, he said. Earlier, the clothes of the other three arrested accused were seized from their possessions as a part of the investigation, he said. These clothes will be sent for forensic examination. The results will help in our investigation, the officer said. The mobile phones seized from the possession of the five arrested accused were also sent for tests, he said, adding, the police were questioning fellow students of the victim as part of the probe, too. Later in the day, the five accused would be taken for medical examination, he said. One more apprehended, total arrests at 6: POLICE on Tuesday evening arrested a friend of the medical student of a private college, who was allegedly gangraped in West Bengals Durgapur, taking the total number of arrests in the case to six, a senior police officer said. The accused had accompanied the victim when she had gone outside the campus of the medical college to fetch food on the evening of the alleged crime, he said. The Malda resident was arrested after police found his replies to be incoherent, the officer said. Festive, wedding season to generate Rs 7 lakh crore turnover this year JAIPUR : INDIAS festive season and upcoming wedding period are projected to generate a turnover exceeding Rs 7 lakh crore, according to trade body Bhartiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal (BUVM). BUVM national president Babu Lal Gupta said that the festive season has brought robust momentum to markets across the country, and a turnover of Rs 7.58 lakh crore across various sectors is expected. On Tuesday, the national trade body released a report based on a market survey conducted across the country. A combination of high consumer sentiment, growing preference for local products and improvements in the GST regime have significantly boosted retail and wholesale trade, he said. Gupta said the positive sentiment is reflected across sectors, ranging from automobiles, real estate, and grocery essentials to jewellery, electronics, traditional decor, apparel and dry fruits. He said domestic manufacturers, particularly small and medium enterprises, are witnessing rising demand, especially in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. The demand for traditional and handmade goods, such as clay diyas, earthen idols and festive decorations, has also gone up, fuelled by seasonal customs. Rural markets are reporting strong sales as well, which is backed by post-harvest incomes and wedding-related spending, he said. Firecracker sales are contributing significantly to overall trade. He said that Uttar Pradesh alone is expected to register over Rs 10,000 crore in this segment. The automobile sector, including cars, two-wheelers and e-rickshaws, has led the surge with estimated sales of Rs 1.30 lakh crore, followed closely by the real estate and construction materials sector at Rs 1.20 lakh crore. Essential commodities have accounted for around Rs 1 lakh crore in the projection. Electronics and appliances have seen robust demand, generating Rs 50,000 crore in sales, matching the jewellery segment, which includes gold, silver, and traditional ornaments, he said. Steel utensils and kitchenware, dry fruits, footwear and leather goods, decorative lights and lanterns, paints, home decor, aluminium and brassware, and furniture sectors were also included in the estimation. From cities like Mumbai and Chennai to smaller towns across northern India, shopkeepers are witnessing increased demand for fireworks and festive items, he said. The festive season began with Navratri, and the momentum is expected to continue as a large number of weddings are scheduled after Diwali. The beginning of the winter wedding season is also set to fuel consumption across multiple sectors, including jewellery, catering, home decor and garments, he said. Gupta said the turnover estimates were compiled by a special committee of BUVM, which gathered data from major trade hubs, including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Kanpur, Patna, Indore, Raipur, Ranchi, Haridwar, Tripura, and Cuttack. Traders from these cities contributed local inputs to arrive at the national projection. India reliable partner for Mongolia: PM Modi NEW DELHI : INDIA has been a reliable partner in Mongolias development and both the nations support a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday after holding wide-ranging talks with Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa. Ukhnaa landed in New Delhi on Monday on a four-day visit to India, his first to the country as President. Following his talks with the visiting leader, Modi said India will extend free e-visas to people from Mongolia. The oil refinery project, supported by Indias USD 1.7 billion line of credit, will strengthen Mongolias energy security, the Prime Minister said. It is Indias largest development partnership project globally, with over 2,500 Indian professionals working alongside their Mongolian counterparts to make it a reality, he said. We stand as close partners in international forums, supporting a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific. Together, we also work to amplify the voice of the Global South, Modi said. On his part, the Mongolian President hailed Indias leading role in the clean energy sector and specifically referred to the New Delhi-led International Solar Alliance. In his media statement, Modi also noted that the engagement between India and Mongolia is more than just a diplomatic relationship. It is a deep, soulful, and spiritual bond. The depth and scope of our partnership is reflected in our people-to-people ties, he said. Both our countries share the age-old bond of Buddhism, which is why we are also called spiritual siblings, he added. The Prime Minister said several important decisions were taken in the talks he had with Ukhnaa to further strengthen this tradition and historic ties between the two nations. I am happy to announce that next year, the holy relics of two great disciples of Lord Buddha - Sariputra and Maudgalyayana - will be sent from India to Mongolia, Modi said. India will also send a Sanskrit teacher to Gandan Monastery to support in-depth study of Buddhist texts and continue the ancient tradition of knowledge, he said. We have decided to soon launch a project to digitise one million ancient manuscripts. Nalanda University has played a vital role in Buddhism in Mongolia, and today we have agreed to strengthen this historic connection by linking Nalanda with Gandan Monastery, he said. The MoU signed today between the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council and Mongolias Arkhangai Province will give a fresh boost to our cultural ties, he said. The Prime Minister described India as a steadfast and reliable partner in Mongolias development story. The partnership between the two countries spans across sectors such as defence and security, energy, mining, information technology, education, healthcare, and cultural cooperation. I am happy that our private sector is also exploring new possibilities of cooperation in areas such as energy, critical minerals, rare-earths, digital, mining, agriculture, dairy, and cooperatives, Modi said. Our relations are built on a solid foundation of trust and friendship between two ancient civilisations. They are nurtured by a shared cultural heritage, democratic values, and a shared commitment to development. I am confident that together we will take this strategic partnership to new heights, he said. New momentum AFTER a deep freeze in relations for a long period, a reset is under way in the bilateral ties between India and Canada. The re-engagement has carefully chosen the safe path of dialogue and calibration as both New Delhi and Ottawa are slowly but surely discarding the burden of the recent past fuelled by the previous Government in Canada. The visit of Canadas Foreign Minister Ms Anita Anand was a significant step in reorienting the bilateral relations between the two traditional partners. During her meeting with Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, the Canadian Foreign Minister stressed on the importance of elevating the relationship going further. It forms the summary of the new beginning of Indo-Canada ties which seem to have overcome the issues of distrust that had led to a deep chill under the former regime in Ottawa. From the low in relationship under former Prime Minister Mr. Justin Trudeau last year, India and Canada have quickly reassessed the changing global scenario and realised that a united force adhering to rule of law, territorial integrity and each others sensitivities is the way forward. Both the Governments were at loggerheads last year, expelling diplomats, pausing trade talks, and escalating the chill to international level. That period of pervasive mistrust marked by persistent irritants due to the backing to anti-India elements by Mr. Trudeau seems to have been pushed out by Prime Minister Mr. Mark Carney. The recalibration, started on the sidelines of the G7 summit by Mr. Carney and Prime Minister Mr. Modi, has found a new momentum with Ms. Anands visit. It has opened ways to forge a healthy partnership and re-establish bilateral mechanisms on trade, investment, and science and technology co-operation. Both the Governments have chosen steadiness to rebuild partnership which reflects their willingness to prioritise pragmatism over spectacle. While part credit for the Indo-Canada reset can be attributed to the tariff bombs hurled at both by United States President Mr. Donald Trump, there is a definite change in thinking and attitude of the leadership in Ottawa under Mr. Carney. There is realisation of sticking together in wake of the uncertainties emerging from Mr. Trumps maverick policies and their impact on the global economy. Both India and Canada are the worst hit by Trump tariffs but both have taken their time to conclude a trade deal with the US. This exercise of dealing with a bully out to demean democratic set-ups has given enough hints to both India and Canada to find a way around the current volatility. Trade will definitely form the crux of Indias next phase of ties with Canada, and it will be beneficial for both nations. Canada has already signaled its intent to accommodate Indian talent which might be denied opportunity in the US due to the strict H1-B visa regulations. Though the joint statement in New Delhi did not mention this point, there were enough hints of India and Canada drawing an ambitious roadmap for the future. One major aspect of the series of meetings at various levels is the willingness to exploit potential in the critical minerals sector. Both sides have planned a Critical Minerals Annual Dialogue next year to identify ways to utilise Canadas mining expertise to provide energy security to India. It is a major step in bilateral relations, especially after the export controls on rare earth minerals by China. The new momentum both India and Canada are seeking will be spurred by many such engagements in critical sectors. The momentum will also need a good push at the people-to-people level by carefully reading the anti-Indian sentiments in some Canadian pockets. Diaspora can become the biggest bridge to find a new reset between New Delhi and Ottawa. It can sustain the new momentum. Put old feuds aside for peace: Trump SHARM EL-SHEIKH : PRESIDENT Donald Trump called for a new era of harmony in the Middle East on Monday during a global summit on Gazas future, trying to advance broader peace in the region after visiting Israel to celebrate a US-brokered ceasefire with Hamas. We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us, Trump said, and he urged leaders to declare that our future will not be ruled by the fights of generations past. The whirlwind trip, which included the summit in Egypt and a speech at the Knesset in Jerusalem earlier in the day, comes at a fragile moment of hope for ending two years of war between Israel and Hamas. Everybody said its not possible to do. And its going to happen. And it is happening before your very eyes, Trump said alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Nearly three dozen countries, including some from Europe and the Middle East, are represented at the summit. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was invited but declined, with his office saying it was too close to a Jewish holiday. Trump, El-Sisi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani signed a document that Trump said would lay the groundwork for Gazas future. However, a copy was not made public. Despite unanswered questions about next steps in the Palestinian enclave, which has been devastated during the conflict, Trump is determined to seize an opportunity to chase an elusive regional harmony. He expressed a similar sense of finality about the Israel-Hamas war in his speech at the Knesset, which welcomed him as a hero. Youve won, he told Israeli lawmakers. 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. 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 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 October 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, 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, criticising Democratic predecessors and praising a top donor, Miriam Adelson, in the audience. Stefanchuk to UK Parliament: Russia does not respond to diplomacy, only to force Russia does not respond to diplomacy, only to force, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk has said. "A just peace is possible only through force. Russia does not understand the language of diplomacy it understands only the language of powerful Ukrainian artillery, air defense, long-range systems and unity of allies. Therefore, we need not only statements of support, but systemic solutions: the development of defense production, joint programs, long-term financing and supply guarantees," Stefanchuk said on Facebook, telling about his appeal to members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords of the UK Parliament. He said the Ukrainian-British partnership is strategic and unwavering, and Ukraine and Britain are building a new security architecture in Europe together strong, technological and responsible. Stefanchuk also said he had held a meeting with the multi-party friendship group with Ukraine in the British Parliament, headed by MP Alex Sobel. "This meeting showed that support for Ukraine in the British Parliament is unchanged and based on the values of freedom, justice and international law," Stefanchuk said. SC seeks replies of Centre, SEBI on Sahara firms plea for nod to sell properties to Adani NEW DELHI : THE Supreme Court on Tuesday sought the response of the Centre, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and other stakeholders on a plea of Sahara India Commercial Corporation Ltd seeking permission to sell its 88 prime properties to Adani Properties Private Limited. A special bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices Surya Kant and M M Sundresh heard the interlocutory application (IA) of Sahara India Commercial Corporation Ltd (SICCL) in the long-pending matter relating to the Sahara Groups refund obligations. Taking note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, the bench ordered that Union ministries of Finance and Cooperation be made parties to the present proceedings, and sought their response to the plea by November 17. It asked amicus curiae and senior advocate Shekhar Naphade to collate details of the 88 properties proposed to be sold by the Sahara firm to the Adani group company. The bench asked the amicus to also take note of the responses of other stakeholders with regard to these properties and give details about their nature, including whether the properties are clean or disputed. The IA (interim application) filed by Sahara India Commercial Corporation Ltd (SICCL). The Solicitor General says it will be appropriate that, before considering the prayers made in the application, the Union must be heard. We direct the applicant to implead the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Cooperation The application also consists of properties where rights are yet to be crystallised between certain parties, the bench ordered. Before we consider the application, it will be appropriate that the parties who claim to have rights in any of the properties listed in the application may submit to the amicus curiae. We request the amicus to take the help of an assisting counsel who can collate such information in a chart showing such properties where there are disputes , where rights are crystallised, and where there is a shadow of doubt, it said. The bench asked the Centre, amicus curiae and the SEBI to respond to the prayers made in the application by the Sahara firm. We will decide on whether the properties are to be sold piecemeal or in one flock, the CJI said. The court directed the Sahara group to examine the claim of the workers who have not been paid their salaries for many years. It also asked the amicus curiae to examine the matter of employees salaries and arrears and said it will consider it on the next date of hearing. It fixed all pleas, including the intervention application and the plea of the Sahara firm, for consideration on November 17. At the outset, senior advocate Kapil Sibal for Sahara Group told the court that they had proposed a comprehensive plan under which its properties would be sold in bulk to a buyer and from the sale proceeds, around Rs 12,000 crore would be deposited towards its outstanding liabilities. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said that the government may also have some say in the transaction of the sale of properties of the Sahara Group and requested the bench to implead the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Co-operation through their secretaries. Senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, who is appointed amicus curiae in the matter, said that under the main order in the matter, the Sahara group had to deposit Rs 25,000 crore in the SEBI-Sahara refund account, of which they have paid Rs 16,000 till now and Rs 9,481 crore is still deficit. He said that Sahara can be asked to first pay the deficit amount, then the court can decide on 15 per cent interest on the outstanding amount and sale of properties, where third-party rights are not crystallised. Senior advocate Arvind Datar, appearing for SEBI, said that there was an order of this court where Sahara was allowed to sell its properties provided the sale price was not less than 90 per cent of the market value and that SEBIs intervention was not necessary as long as the transaction remained under the courts supervision. He said that Sahara can sell its properties where third-party rights are not created and deposit over Rs 9000 crore deficit amount with the court and then proceed with other things. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Adani properties, said his client was ready to acquire all the 88 properties, listed in the application filed by SICCL in one go, even with existing claims, to avoid further litigation. Senior advocate Gopal Sankarnarayanan, appearing for some intervenors in the matter, pointed out that Saharas application covered 88 properties, several of which were already under dispute or subject to agreements with other parties, and suggested that an amicus curiae must examine the claims and counter-claims. The SICCL has moved the apex court seeking its permission to sell 88 properties, including Amby Valley in Maharashtra and Shahara Saher in Lucknow, to Adani Properties Private Limited. The plea, filed through advocate Gautam Awasthi, said, ..To outright sell various properties belonging to the Sahara Group to Adani Properties Private Limited, for the consideration and on the terms and conditions as set out in the term sheet dated September 6, 2025. Top Naxalite Bhupathi carrying bounty of Rs 6 cr surrenders with 60 others District Correspondent GADCHIROLI IN A historic and dramatic turn in the Naxalite movement, a senior intellectual face of the insurgency and a second-tier commander Mallojula Venugopal, alias Bhupathi or Sonu, along with 60 Naxals turned themselves in before the police at around 10 pm on Monday. Bhupathi carried a bounty of Rs 6 crore. This incident is being seen as a major blow to Naxal operations and a morale booster for Indias security agencies. With his surrender, experts believe this will have serious consequences for the manpower and tactics of the Naxalite movement. Among those who surrendered were nearly all major Naxal cadres. This is considered the largest surrender in Gadchiroli to date. Bhupathi had joined the Naxalite movement in the 1970s, beginning his activities in the Sironcha taluka of Gadchiroli district. He is the younger brother of Mallojula Koteshwara Rao (alias Kishanji), who was killed in an encounter near Kolkata in 2011. In the years of Naxalite strategy and planning, Bhupathi played a significant rolefrom local operations to central committee affairs. He was involved in many violent incidents, local-level operations, and the publication of leaflets. Bhupathi is approximately 69 years old and holds a B Com degree. He was active in the Madi region in central India, near the MaharashtraChhattisgarh border. His wife, Tarakka, had earlier surrendered to Gadchiroli police, and is presently at a police rehabilitation camp. After the demise of the former General Secretary Vasvaraju, Bhupathi was seen as a likely contender for the highest post in the movement. This massive surrender is expected to strike a strong blow at Maoist insurgency in terms of both strategy and manpower. For security agencies, this incident is a major success and could open new directions for future operations against Naxalite groups. Bhupathi to lay down arms before CM today Staff Reporter NAGPUR, Oct 14 Senior Naxalite leader Mallojula Venugopal alias Bhupathi, one of the most wanted Maoist commanders in India, is set to surrender before Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Gadchiroli on Wednesday morning, officials confirmed. Fadnavis is scheduled to visit Gadchiroli early in the day to attend official programmes, and Bhupathis surrender is expected to take place in his presence under tight security arrangements. The surrender comes after months of internal rift within the Maoist organisation and growing frustration among cadres due to continuous police operations and reduced public support. Police have confirmed that all necessary arrangements have been made for the formal surrender ceremony on Wednesday, which will take place in the presence of CM Devendra Fadnavis and senior police officials at Gadchiroli. Six Maoists surrender before Telangana Police HYDERABAD, Oct 14 (PTI) SIX members of the banned CPI (Maoist) party from Chhattisgarh surrendered before the police in Bhadradri Kothagudem district of Telangana on Tuesday, police said. This comes hours after senior Naxalite Mallojula Venugopal alias Bhupathi and 60 other cadres surrendered before police in Maharashtras Gadchiroli district. Attracted by the Telangana Governments surrender and rehabilitation policy, along with the developmental and welfare activities under Operation Cheyutha, a community outreach initiative conducted by the police in collaboration with the CRPF, the Maoists cadre chose to renounce the path of Naxalism and embrace a peaceful life with their families, Bhadradri Kothagudem Superintendent of Police B Rohit Raju said in a release. A total of 326 Maoists of various cadres have surrendered before the Bhadradri Kothagudem District Police so far this year, the SP said. All of them are now living peacefully, benefiting from the comprehensive rehabilitation support extended by the Telangana government, he said. Under Operation Cheyutha, extensive developmental activities are being carried out, including improvements in road connectivity, schools, hospitals, drinking water, electricity etc, he said. Our goal is to deliver quality education and medical services to the remotest tribal regions. We urge tribal communities to understand that cooperation with Maoist groups, whether due to belief or fear, will not bring progress. Only through democratically elected governments can real development be achieved, the senior official said. Pistorius: Were intensifying cooperation between defense industries of Germany and Ukraine, launching initiative to modernize weapons supplied to AFU German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the defense industry with his Ukrainian counterpart, Denys Shmyhal. "We can and want to learn from Ukraine and benefit from its experience. This is the basis of the cooperation agreement that Denys and I signed. We are intensifying cooperation between the German and Ukrainian defense industries. We are promoting collaboration in research and technological development," he said at a press conference following the Rammstein meeting. Thus, the minister explained, the ministries will facilitate exchanges between Ukraine and Germany and their respective industries. "For example, we are facilitating working and study visits," the minister added. He also noted the promotion of military cooperation in training and mutual logistical support. "We are also launching a modernization initiative. Its goal is to increase the combat capability and service life of the ground systems we already supply to Ukraine. Key combat systems, such as main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, will be modernized to the latest standards. This includes new guns and innovative sensors," Pistorius said. According to him, the modernization will be carried out primarily at existing repair shops in Ukraine. "Of course, Ukraine's defense industry will be involved in this process. This will be an investment in the long-term strengthening of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This means that it will continue even after a possible ceasefire," the defense minister added. Photo: https://t.me/ministry_of_defense_ua Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal at Ramstein stressed to partners the importance of assisting the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) with drones to maintain the frontline, calling it an "existential priority." "There are three main priorities: FPV drones for the frontline and FPV ISR drones to maintain the frontline. This is priority number one. This is an existential priority. The second priority is interceptor drones and missiles," he said at a press conference after a meeting in the Ramstein format (31st meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group). Shmyhal said Ukraine is asking partners to finance the production of interceptor drones. In particular, the UK Defense Minister John Healey announced the joint production of interceptors with Ukraine. As Shmyhal reminded, Ukraine needs missiles to intercept ballistic and cruise missiles. "We asked partners from Europe and the United States about this," he said. The third priority, according to the minister, is long-range and financing for the production of Ukrainian deep-strike drones. Speaking about long-range missiles, Shmyhal said missiles of a "very well-known name" were discussed, and Ukraine "asks for this" for more massive strikes on Russian military infrastructure and Russian oil refineries. Earlier, in his opening speech at the opening of Ramstein, the Ukrainian Defense Minister said that in 2026, Ukraine will be able to produce up to 10 million drones if partners provide the necessary financing. Ukraine continues to insist on the priority need of over $4 billion. Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed strengthening Ukraine's defense and Russia's responsibility for the war. "Held a meaningful meeting with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Keir Starmer, in London. Our dialogue was frank and substantive we focused on further support for Ukraine in the face of constant Russian attacks on peaceful cities and energy infrastructure," Stefanchuk said on Facebook on Wednesday. According to the chairman, he handed over to the Prime Minister an updated list of Ukraine's urgent defense needs. Stefanchuk said Ukraine needs additional air defense systems, missiles, means of countering drones, and protection of critical infrastructure. "We agreed: a just peace is possible only under the condition of maximum pressure on the aggressor. The sanctions policy should become even tougher, and all schemes for circumventing restrictions should be eliminated. We separately discussed the issue of using frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine the aggressor must compensate for the damage caused and bear financial responsibility for the war," Stefanchuk said. The Ukrainian Parliament's chairman also stressed that an important topic of the meeting was the return of illegally deported Ukrainian children. He recalled that the UK is an active participant in the Bring Kids Back UA initiative. As reported, Stefanchuk is on a working visit to the UK. On the sidelines of the Rammstein meeting, a memorandum of understanding was signed on the Nordic-Baltic Training Initiative, under which the countries will support Ukraine with training, equipment, and expertise to create and strengthen a Ukrainian brigade in accordance with modern NATO standards, Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal announced. "Another important moment today is the signing of a memorandum on the Nordic-Baltic Initiative to provide equipment and training to Ukrainian brigades in Poland. This initiative will strengthen Ukraine's defense capability and help bring a just peace closer," he said at a press conference following the Ramstein meeting (the 31st meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense). According to the Norwegian government's website, the memorandum was signed during a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels on October 15. The cooperation agreement was signed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Ukraine. It is noted that Ukrainian soldiers will undergo training and receive equipment as part of Operation Legion. "This is an important step in cooperation between allies to support Ukraine's defense capabilities. Ukraine needs to strengthen its military, both in terms of training and equipment. Through this cooperation, we are doing just that," said Norwegian Defense Minister Tore . Sandvik. Under this agreement, participating countries provide assistance in the form of training, equipment, and expertise, which will enable the creation and strengthening of a Ukrainian brigade in accordance with modern NATO standards and practices. Norway has assumed leadership of this work. Cooperation takes place at both the political and military levels, facilitating close coordination between all participating countries. Norway's contribution amounts to approximately NOK 10 billion. "This cooperation strengthens Ukraine's defense and is a clear signal of our long-term commitment to the country's sovereignty and security," the defense minister stated. Furthermore, Norway noted that this is a unique opportunity to learn from Ukraine's combat experience. On October 1, the defense ministers of Norway and Poland opened a training center for this cooperation Camp Jomsborg in southeastern Poland. There, forces from Nordic and Baltic countries are already training soldiers and officers for the Ukrainian army. On Wednesday, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, which was dedicated to deep strikes, as well as Ukrainian long-range capabilities. "Held the Headquarters. Several topics, but the most important deep strikes, our long-range capabilities. Something that really affects Russia's war potential and significantly reduces it," Zelenskyy said in an evening address. Representatives of the manufacturers of the relevant weapons, as well as the Armed Forces of Ukraine, special services and intelligence were present at the Headquarters. "The main task is to scale our capabilities of long-range Ukrainian sanctions. The potential for this exists. And a joint conversation of all together helps a lot," the president said. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte says more than half of NATO member states have already joined the PURL initiative to purchase American weapons for Ukraine at the expense of their allies. He announced this on Wednesday in Brussels at a press conference following a meeting of defense ministers of NATO member countries. As we continue to ensure our own defence, we continue to support Ukraine. Their security is linked with ours. This is not just words but is reflected in the support we give to Ukraine. Thanks to funding from Allies, we are providing Ukraine with critical US equipment through the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List or PURL. It is getting Ukraine the US weapons it really needs to protect its people and to hold the front line. We started off, we started off even strong with six Allies funding the first PURL packages. And today, we heard from Ally after Ally about new contributions. More than half of NATO Allies have now signed up, securing this crucial flow of support for Ukraine, Rutte said. The NATO Secretary General announced that Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas also participated in the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting. We all support the effort, led by the United States, to bring an end to the war against Ukraine, and secure a just and lasting peace. But day after day, night after night, Russia continues to strike Ukraine targeting its people and civilian infrastructure, including its energy networks, as winter approaches. Leaving people without heat, light and water. Our support for Ukraine is crucial. And it will continue unabated, Rutte assured. PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) is a US-NATO initiative aimed at providing Ukraine with critical weapons through Alliance member states financing the procurement of American-made weapons and equipment. The mechanism allows partner countries to finance the procurement of such weapons in accordance with a prioritized list of needs defined by Ukraine and agreed upon with the US and NATO. The initiative allows NATO countries to coordinate contributions so that funding is targeted and rapid. Instead of individual purchases, each country contributes financially to a common package, which the US uses to supply weapons and essential equipment, especially those that cannot be replaced by European equivalents. This significantly reduces the time from identifying needs to receiving ready-made weapons at the front. Ukraine's largest mobile operator Kyivstar, together with global technology company Mastercard, plans to test Starlink Direct to Cell satellite technology in payment infrastructure under a one-year cooperation memorandum with the option for further extension. According to a Kyivstar press release issued Wednesday, this technology will make it possible to perform financial transactions in areas without mobile coverage or during emergencies. In addition, Kyivstar and Mastercard will work on developing new financial products and services. Among the planned areas of cooperation are financial scoring solutions and the creation of personalized offers for clients. The companies also plan to launch initiatives promoting cashless payments, particularly among small and medium-sized businesses. As part of the partnership, the companies will sign separate agreements for specific projects. Overall, the cooperation is aimed at developing innovative technological solutions to strengthen the resilience of the country's financial infrastructure, encourage cashless transactions, and improve access to financial services. Between October and November 2025, Kyivstar is conducting beta testing of the Starlink Direct to Cell technology, which allows users to send and receive SMS messages via satellite communication when mobile connectivity is unavailable. The company serves almost 23 million mobile subscribers and over 1.1 million Home Internet subscribers. The digital services portfolio includes the Helsi medical platform, the Kyivstar TV film and television platform, and the leading ride-hailing and delivery company, Uklon. Kyivstar is also a solutions provider for corporate clients, providing cloud technology, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence services. Through its Kyivstar.Tech division, the company develops software development in Ukraine and is a partner for international technology companies such as Starlink. Kyivstar increased its EBITDA by 39.5% in the first half of 2025, to UAH 12.85 billion, while its revenue grew by 36.1%, to UAH 22.58 billion. The principal shareholder of Kyivstar Group is the telecom holding VEON, which now holds an 89.6% stake; prior to Kyivstar's listing on the stock exchange in August 2025 VEON was the company's 100% owner. Chinese vice president meets Lao vice president Xinhua) 09:02, October 15, 2025 Chinese Vice President Han Zheng meets with Lao Vice President Pany Yathotou, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Tuesday met with Lao Vice President Pany Yathotou, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. Han said that the Chinese side has always viewed the China-Laos relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective and is willing to work with Laos to implement the important consensus reached between the leaders of the two parties and two countries. Taking the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties next year as an opportunity, China is ready to advance the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future with Laos and bring more benefits to the two peoples, he said. Pany said that Laos is willing to deepen all-round cooperation with China to achieve greater progress in building a Laos-China community with a shared future. Chinese Vice President Han Zheng meets with Lao Vice President Pany Yathotou, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Chinese vice premier meets Slovak counterpart, vowing to deepen bilateral cooperation Xinhua) 09:22, October 15, 2025 Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Denisa Sakova at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met with Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Denisa Sakova on Tuesday in Beijing. He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, emphasized China's commitment to implementing the important consensus reached between the two countries' leaders and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation with Slovakia across various sectors. He also reiterated China's firm stance on defending multilateralism and free trade, and vowed to further advance China-Slovakia and China-European Union relations. Sakova expressed Slovakia's high regard for its bilateral relations with China and stated her country's willingness to enhance bilateral cooperation in areas such as economy, trade and investment, and further advance bilateral ties. Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Denisa Sakova at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Is Poppy devastating Manipur ? | Chongboi Haokip When people told me that Manipur was burning, I felt helpless. I could not cry out, but my heart cried within me. Manipur is my native home. No matter where I am, I remain connected to it. The pain of Manipur is my pain and your pain. The healing of Manipur is my hope and your hope.For those of us whose roots run deep in this troubled soil, the crisis is deep, personal and inescapable. And at the centre of this struggle lies an unlikely villain- a delicate flower with petals that promise survival but deliver destruction. The poppy fields spreading across Manipur's hills represent far more than agricultural decisions, they embody a crisis of community, dignity, and social fabric that threatens to consume generations.It is about people, about community, about the legacy we choose to leave for future generations. Why do I pour my heart out on the poppy issue ? Because Manipur is losing its youth, who are the pillars of our future. Because recent floods have devastated our State. Because I have no hidden motive beyond this truth : we must stop growing illegal poppies in the hills and build sustainable livelihoods. People deserve dignity, not fear or guilt. As someone from Imphal with roots in the hills, coupled with a professional background in horticulture, I am committed to actively contributing to Manipurs res- toration and sustainable development within my pro- fessional capacity. We all share this moral responsibility.Among the stories emerging from our troubled hills, one persists stubbornly-the tale of illegal poppy cultivation. And it is a story that can only be rewritten by those same co- mmunities, working toge-ther toward dignity and hope.A community Consuming ItselfBelieve me or not, the most profound tragedy of illegal poppy cultivation unfolds in the villages where it begins, not in distant cities where the drugs end up. Farmers who grow poppy often lose their own children to the substance they help create. These communities become both creators and casualties of their harvest, trapped in a cycle where economic survival and family loss are inextricably intertwined. We have heard many living stories, and it is becoming a significant concern.Traditional support systems, already eroded by conflict and neglect, are breaking apart. How do you preserve trust when everyone hides pain ? How do you rebuild community when the same economy that feeds families also ruins them ? How do you plan for tomorrow when today is falling apart ?And so, the cycle continues - illegal poppy cultiva- tion funds addiction, addiction destroys families, des- troyed families have fewer options, and cultivation continues. The loss is not just individual-it is genera-tional. Each young life lost to addiction ends a future before it begins. Each family torn apart by the drug trade leaves a wound that lasts for generations. In the lowland belt, floods can devastate the land for a season, resulting in significant human hardship and losses that could be irreparable. The illegal poppy economy harms society for good.The Community-centred Path forwardForce alone will not solve this crisis. Top-down mandates will fail without community understanding and cooperation. The path forward must be built by communities themselves, supported by resources that respect their wisdom and address their actual needs.Communities must lead their own transformation-It means strengthening local cooperatives, then granting them reasonable authority over development priorities. Those on the ground, who understand its rhythms and limits, are the best group to make decisions for the benefit of the whole commu- nity, with the support of the Government and other relevant support groups. Outside groups can offer help and funds, but they cannot replace local control. The people living in these areas possess irreplaceable insight into what they require, the obstacles they face, and the pathways that will prove viable. Their leadership in designing solutions is essential, not optional. Communities must shape their solutions.Healing must be community focused- Communities cannot rebuild while their people remain trapped in cycles of substance abuse. Rehabilitation must be local, affordable, and rooted in community culture. Recovery centres should be run by trained local counsellors who understand the deep issues dynamically. People need long-term community support, not short-t erm programs that leave them purposeless after detox.Critically, communities must confront the stigma that treats addiction as a moral failure and deal with compassion for changing a person's life. Shame blocks healing. Communities need to create spaces where people can recover and re- integrate rather than face permanent exile from social networks. When communities embrace their struggling members rather than cast them out, healing becomes possible.Unity must heal divided communities. Communities must rebuild the social bonds torn by conflict and the drug economy. It means open dialogue across ethnic lines, renewed trust between hills and valleys, and shared healing from years of trauma. Restoration cannot remain purely individual; entire communities require shared restoration processes. We must remember that before the divisions, before the violence, before the illegal poppies, our communities were one people bonded by mutual hopes and trust.Standing United for Manipur's FutureYes, definitely, illegal poppy has devastated Manipur and is continuing to do so, until united Ma-nipur team comes out strongly against our opponentillegal poppy. Ob- viously, illegal poppy has wounded Manipur deeply, that communities are split, youth are lost, and the land is scarred. The future risks being surrendered to deception yet hope remains. Manipur's true community strength is in its people, in their resilience, wisdom, and pride. That strength must unite to restore the state and safeguard the next generation. Unity is survival, not symbolism, as we all know illegal poppy knows no borders, so the response must reach across them. The whole Manipuri community must act together as one, with shared purpose, vision and resolve. The task is not to assign blame but to act.The proper solution, which is realistic and practicable, lies in sustainable livelihoods and community-led restoration programmes. Manipur must stand united against illegal poppy as it affects us in one way or another. The choices made today will shape tomorrow. The power to rebuild has always rested with every Manipuri!Manipurs recovery will not come from a single effort, but from many small acts joined in purpose. Each farmer who chooses new crops, each youth who stands against drugs, and each neighbour who extends compassion moves us closer to restoration. Healing our land and people is not beyond reach. It starts with each of us, and it grows when we act as one and now!According to Mahatma Gandhi, "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." Every Manipuri who chooses to serve their community and works toward healing and restoration discovers not just their purpose but their power.The question is not whe-ther we can heal Mani-pur. The question is-will we?Clarification : I do not support illegal poppy cultivation. I support sustainable alternatives that strengthen society and help affected farmers in Manipur. I stand firmly behind the "War on Drugs" initiative launched in 2018 under former Chief Minister N Biren Singh, and it has been continued till today by the current administration. It remains one of India's most substantial efforts to stop drug cultivation at its source. The Manipur Governments Horticulture and Soil Conservation Department, along with associated agencies, is undertaking vital efforts to help farmers move away from illegal poppy cultivation-a mission that requires strong community cooperation. We, as the united Manipur team, can, via collective action, beat illegal poppy. I call upon the entire Manipur community to unite as one team in this fight against illegal cultivation of poppy, working together to create sustainable livelihoods and a healthier future for all.The writer, MCIHort, is an international development consultant specialising in Agriculture, horticulture and trade facilitation. She can be reached at chongboi4c [email protected] MMWS expresses solidarity | IMPHAL, Oct 14 : The Meghalaya Manipuri Welfare Society (MMWS) has expressed solidarity with organizations protesting the demolition of Manipur Rajbari at Shillong. The society, in a press release issued by its president N Kriti, said the demolished building was the only monument that reminded Manipur of its proud history as an independent, culturally rich, and self-sustaining Nation with a historical legacy spanning over 2,000 years. Expressing deep sorrow over the "mindless act" of demolishing the historically significant building, the society stated that during a visit to the ongoing projects at the Red Land premises, representatives of the firm/contractor assured them that the bungalow, where the Merger Agreement was signed, would not be demolished but restored and strengthened. However, contrary to these assurances, the building has been demolished, the MMWS noted and urged the highest authorities to investigate the demolition of the Manipur Rajbari and implement a solution to address the deep hurt caused to the people of Manipur. Bicycle industry prospers in county in E China's Anhui People's Daily Online) 14:34, October 15, 2025 A worker makes bicycle parts at a workshop in the bicycle industrial park in Wuhe county, Bengbu city, east China's Anhui Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Ruotian) At the bicycle industrial park in Wuhe county, Bengbu city, east China's Anhui Province, rows of electric motorcycles stand ready for shipment to markets in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and beyond. Just seven years ago, the site, covering an area of 327 mu (21.8 hectares), was an abandoned tidal flat. The transformation began in 2017, when three companies established operations here, marking the start of the county's bicycle industry development. Innovation has become the driving force behind Wuhe's bicycle industry. Companies in the park currently hold 65 patents, including 11 invention patents, 20 utility model patents and 34 design patents, with all products meeting international standards certified by the International Organization for Standardization. Today, the park hosts 18 bicycle-related companies, 14 of which are above designated size. Four complete vehicle manufacturers produce 630,000 high-end bicycles, electric bikes and electric motorcycles annually for export. In 2024, the park achieved a total industrial output value of 506 million yuan (about $71 million), a 42 percent increase over the previous year. In the first eight months of 2025, the figure had already reached 508 million yuan. Workers make bicycle parts at a workshop in the bicycle industrial park in Wuhe county, Bengbu city, east China's Anhui Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Ruotian) A worker checks the quality of bicycle parts at a workshop in the bicycle industrial park in Wuhe county, Bengbu city, east China's Anhui Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Ruotian) A worker assembles bicycles at a workshop in the bicycle industrial park in Wuhe county, Bengbu city, east China's Anhui Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Ruotian) Photo shows bicycle parts at a workshop in the bicycle industrial park in Wuhe county, Bengbu city, east China's Anhui Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Ruotian) A worker makes bicycle parts at a workshop in the bicycle industrial park in Wuhe county, Bengbu city, east China's Anhui Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Ruotian) Photo shows children's bicycle tires at a workshop in the bicycle industrial park in Wuhe county, Bengbu city, east China's Anhui Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Ruotian) (Web editor: Chang Sha, Hongyu) An ode to travel in horological form, the RM 63-02 Automatic Worldtimer takes an elegant and eminently Richard Mille approach to a technical complication transcending time and place. The ingenious time-zone setting mechanism enables its user to instantly determine the local time at any desired spot, making this new watch a precious ally for frequent travellers. - The elegance of a case crafted in red gold and titanium - An in-house automatic calibre: the CRMA4 - Revisiting the world-timer complication in a limited edition of 100 watches A case for every situation The most remarkable feature of the RM 63-02 lies in its reinterpretation of the world-timer complication. Unlike traditional versions, which employ a crown or pushers to adjust the time, Richard Milles movement and casing engineers joined forces to position this function directly on a rotating bezel. Thanks to the micro-blasted 5N red gold bezel mounted on ball bearings, a traveller may select a city with a simple twist to instantly enter the desired time zone. A wheel integrated into the bezel and connected to the hour-wheel simultaneously adjusts the local time to that of the city at 12 oclock and updates the time for the 23 other cities on the bezel. The time anywhere is easily read thanks to a graduated inner flange with 24 hour-markers. The two-tone disc in rose and burgundy distinguishes day from night while automatically adjusting each time zone. A harmonious mechanism Entirely developed in-house at Richard Mille, the CRMA4 automatic calibre rests on a baseplate and bridges made of grade 5 titanium. On the dial side, a monumental bridge with black rhodium coating and circular brushing reveals the moving gears of the world-timer mechanism. This striking mise-en-scene enhances overall legibility and showcases the oversize date. Positioned at 12 oclock, this function features two skeletonised titanium discs, adjusted using a gold pusher at 11 oclock. The RM 63-02 Automatic Worldtimer is a piece in every way characteristic of Richard Mille, designed for frequent travellers who seek simplicity and innovation. The ingenious time-zone adjustment, combined with a movement that fully adheres to the grand tradition of Swiss watchmaking, delivers an experience as intuitive as it is refined: simplicity revealed in all its complexity. The project aims to rescue and care for these felines and return them to the wild, as well as to study their lineage and safeguard their DNA material The roar of the female jaguar can be heard throughout the Yagul Jaguar Sanctuary conservation, preservation, and rescue center in Oaxaca, and even further afield, in the nearby town of Tlacolula de Matamoros, about 20 miles east of the state capital. Its the sound of a mother trying to protect her one-month-old cub. Little Yazu is the first cub born under the centers Mexican jaguar breeding and conservation program, which aims to preserve the species. Although the numbers in Mexico are encouraging, jaguars continue to face threats such as habitat loss due to forest fires, climate change and poaching. According to the latest census conducted by the National Jaguar Conservation Alliance, 5,300 individuals have been counted in the corridor stretching from Sonora and Nuevo Leon to the Yucatan Peninsula in 2025. In 2008, when the first count was conducted, the number of pantheras onca (their scientific name) was estimated at 4,000. While this figure is encouraging, experts warn of the need to reinforce rescue programs for these cats, as well as the conservation of biological corridors in the territory. For this reason, the Yagul Sanctuary decided to create the Jaguar Genetic Bank to preserve the Mexican panthera onca. According to Victor Rosas Vigil, director of the Jaguars in the Jungle Foundation, conservationists have begun taking genetic samples to determine the lineage of the specimens at the sanctuary, which were rescued by the Federal Attorneys Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) and the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp). The project includes the analysis and preservation of genetic material from Mexican jaguars, as well as breeding programs to strengthen populations in priority areas for their recovery. The sanctuarys general director, Jose Eduardo Ponce Guevara, explains that, in addition to the gene bank, the center also focuses on rescue, rewilding, care for abused animals, support for communities in conservation and territorial defense strategies, and the development of compensation programs for megaprojects. Yazu at the conservation center. Santuario del Jaguar Yagul The jaguar breeding program that led to the birth of Yazu, he notes, was made possible through various studies conducted on Mexican specimens rescued by Mexican wildlife conservation authorities, including Balama male Panthera onca from San Miguel Chimalapas, Oaxacaand a female recovered in Campeche. Both specimens had no chance of being returned to the wild. However, their cub already has a path outlined for it that leads to its reintroduction into the wild, as part of the establishment of a genetically viable population within the Wildlife Conservation Unit (UMA). Flagship program Over the course of 25 years, this center has veered in diametrically opposite directions. Initially, the Jaguar Xoo was a zoo with various animals kept for exhibition, but in 2014, a move to another location also implied a paradigm shift. Located in the Yagul Natural Monument Protected Areawhere the oldest remains of domesticated plants dating back more than 10,000 years were foundthe Jaguar Sanctuary embarked on a path toward conserving the countrys biological diversity. One of the centers flagship programs is wilding, which seeks to rescue and reintroduce into the wild felines rescued in their first months of life, after their mothers were killed by poachers or died in fires or other natural disasters. Currently, three pumas found in the state of Hidalgo in 2022 when they were barely three months old are in the process of developing all their natural skills and instincts in a wildlife simulator located within the same sanctuary, a hectare of land with no human contact and constantly monitored by cameras. If they manage to meet the challenges of life in the wildsuch as climbing, sniffing, marking territory, and, above all, hunting, as well as many other activities typical of their speciesbefore the end of 2025, they will likely be released in Hidalgo, the Sierra Gorda in Queretaro, or in Guanajuato. This program has already had a success story: two three-month-old female jaguars separated from their mother due to poaching in Calakmul, Campeche, in 2016. After three years of intense training in the wildlife simulator, they were reintroduced into the jungle in 2020. The cubs arrived at the sanctuary almost as newborns, with their health impaired by the lack of adequate care, and became pioneers of a program that is becoming a milestone in the Americas. Second chance for Luna Luna has a scar on her nose, the result of constant friction with the glass behind which she was displayed at a veterinary clinic located in a shopping plaza in the Oaxacan capital. The jaguar cub was rescued by Profepa (National Profepa) and transferred to the Yagul Jaguar Sanctuary after the case of abuse went viral on social media. Seven months into her recovery, she has a second chance. Her new home allows her to run and eat differently; her nose and eyes have healed; shes overcome malnutrition; and shes now an ambassador for environmental education. The Jaguar Sanctuary, explains Sebastian Hernandez Serafico, the centers veterinarian, has a population of 50 animals of different species, including jaguars, ocelots, lions, tigers, crocodiles, spider monkeys, peccaries, and even a Burmese python, although the focus is on Mexican felines. These are, he explains, animals that are illegally trafficked, or have been hit by a car, burned by a forest fire, or have been trapped by local residents after causing livestock casualties, resulting in them arriving in poor health: dehydrated, malnourished, with trauma, or multiple traumas. Once they arrive, they receive medical attention, food, and all kinds of care. The difference with a zoo is that these animals are not there to be exhibited, but rather to be given second chances. Specialists assess them, direct them to a suitable physical space, and, in optimal cases, send them to the wildlife simulator to be reintroduced into the wild. In this space, animals that have suffered abuse and cruelty regain their dignity and become ambassadors for conservation. The sanctuary receives around 20,000 visitors a year, who are taught about the human impact on nature. Territorial conservation and megaprojects Jaguars require vast expanses of jungle or forest to thrive in the wild. In some cases, they move from one state to another in search of food or a female to mate with. Panthera onca are a living example of ecosystem conservation. As the largest predator in the Americas, their existence impacts the biodiversity of the places they inhabit. In Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula has the largest number of jaguars, followed by the jungles and scrublands shared by Oaxaca and Chiapas. However, healthy populations of these felines have been documented in northern states such as Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas, and in the Pacific, such as Sinaloa, Guerrero, and Michoacan. The Panthera onca is also an umbrella species, meaning its conservation positively impacts other smaller species that are part of the food chain of large predators. To conserve this species, the Jaguars in the Jungle Foundation works alongside communities and agricultural organizations, state and federal environmental protection institutions, and businesses, which can contribute through environmental impact compensation measures or by purchasing biodiversity credits, a voluntary market that is beginning to emerge in Mexico. It is a combined effort to protect the largest feline in the Americas. As the imposing jaguar Balam rests on a platform in the tranquility of the Yagul Sanctuary, the roar of the female caring for her newborn cub resonates as a hope for her lineage to regain its freedom. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Opinion articles written in the style of their author. These texts are to be based on verified facts and must be respectful towards people, even though their actions may be criticized. All opinion articles written by individuals from outside the staff of EL PAIS shall feature, along with the authors name (regardless of their greater or lesser renown), a footer stating their office, academic title, political affiliation (if any) and main occupation, or the occupation related to the topic being assessed Fiction series and feature films leave no room for half measures: either the greatest winners are dissected or the misadventures of the losers are chronicled; mediocrity is left to the vast majority of viewers, including critics. Task, a series with seven episodes in its first season, is included among the losers, with an additional detail: the depressive atmosphere that conditions the lives of all its protagonists, something that is becoming common in the creations of Brad Ingelsby, responsible for the excellent Mare of Easttown. Task is set in the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia, where two criminals run an operation robbing the homes of small-time drug dealers. A depressed FBI agent, Mark Ruffalo, is assigned to track them down after being relegated to a bureaucratic desk job by his superiors. The problem with robbing small-time fentanyl dealers comes, of course, when they unwittingly steal from a not-so-small dealer, who naturally tries to recover what was stolen. The two criminals find themselves under attack on two fronts: the federal agent and his inexperienced team, the taskforce of the shows name, and the biker gang they ripped off. These are the two sides of a system that once facilitated the rapid enrichment of drug traffickers and the subsequent laundering of their extraordinary profits, while at the same time devoting more and more effort and deploying more and more agents to trying to put a stop to it. And if action, shootouts, chases, and deaths are guaranteed as can be expected from the synopsis of a plot that consistently avoids pleasant landscapes, settings, and houses then, as previously mentioned, the prevailing atmosphere is depressing, with little room for beauty or harmony. What the creator cant resist is the increasingly common habit in fictional series of leaving an open ending. Viewers gladly accept seven hours of a story being told, but their enjoyment diminishes noticeably when the final episode doesnt serve to conclude it. There are two possible explanations for this dubious trend: either the creator is a petty sadist who enjoys other peoples discomfort, or, if the series is successful, a second season is guaranteed. In either case, those who watch it are simultaneously martyrs and executioners. All that said, Task is worth watching. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Saint-Laurent, QC (H4T1V6) Today Mostly cloudy skies. High 24F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to cloudy skies overnight. Low 12F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Brussels underscores that trade is the exclusive responsibility of the European executive and that there is already a bilateral trade agreement with the US Donald Trumps threat to impose tariffs on Spain if it fails to comply with the 5% of GDP defense spending agreed within the NATO framework has run into Brussels. The European Commission reiterated this Wednesdayonce againthat trade is its exclusive jurisdiction, and that an attack of this type against a member country is something to which the EU should respond as a bloc. And it will do so if necessary. We will respond appropriately, as we always do, to any measures taken against one or more of our Member States, a European Union spokesperson responded to a question about the U.S. presidents renewed threats against Spain. The Belgian capital is hosting a meeting of NATO defense ministers this Wednesday to discuss, among other things, defense spending following the agreement reached in The Hague in June to increase it to 5% of GDP. Spain has secured a safeguard to try to meet its agreed-upon targets with just the 2.1% spending that Prime Minister Pedro Sanchezs government says it considers sufficient. At the same time, the EU spokesperson noted that the EU has reached a bilateral trade agreement with the United States to curb the tariff escalation that Trump threatened to impose on the entire bloc. This is the platform to address any trade or trade-related issues, the spokesperson emphasized, declining to comment on the specific Spanish case since, at least for now, it is a hypothetical matter. During the Hague summit at the end of June, Trump had threatened to impose tariffs on Spain for defying his demand that all allies increase defense spending to 5% (3.5% on defense and 1.5% on related spending), although until a few days ago he had not mentioned this possibility again, nor did he mention it on Monday during his brief meeting with Sanchez in the Egyptian city of Sharm el Sheikh, where Trump and other world leaders signed the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition 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. If he loses, we are not going to be generous with Argentina, the Republican warns during a meeting with his counterpart at the White House On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump emphasized his support for Argentine President Javier Milei and made his backing for the country conditional on the populist leaders victory in the October 26 legislative elections. These statements came during a meeting between Trump and Milei in the West Wing of the White House, scheduled after Washington promised a $20 billion currency swap to shore up the South American countrys economy. The election is coming up very soon. Its a very big election. Victory [for Milei] is very important. Your poll numbers I hear are pretty good. I think they will be better after this, said the U.S. president, who has declared himself open to quickly signing a free trade agreement with Argentina. If a socialist or a communist wins, you feel a lot differently about making an investment, he warned. If he loses, we are not going to be generous with Argentina. Im with this man because his philosophy is correct. And he may win and he may not win I think hes going to win. And if he wins we are staying with him, and if he doesnt win we are gone, said the Republican, who has been full of praise for his counterpart. So much so that he has declared his support for him in the elections. Hes MAGA all the way, its Make Argentina Great Again, Trump said. During the conversation, Milei emphasized that the currency exchange agreement opens a path that allows us to move forward with peace of mind and show the world that ideas of freedom work. Milei needs Trumps help like oxygen to breathe. Argentina is 12 days away from elections that will determine the make-up of the Congress that will accompany the far right leader until the end of the presidential term in 2027. The deterioration of the economy, a Central Bank without international reserves, and a peso under fire from the markets are jeopardizing Mileis desire to gain deputies and senators, which will be key to passing the structural reforms he seeks. Defeat will leave him at the mercy of an opposition that will carry enough voting weight to pass laws contrary to the presidents wishes and, in an extreme scenario, even to push for impeachment proceedings. The support of the United States will allow the libertarian to make it to the polls in one piece, at least as far as the economy is concerned. But the effect on the markets, and on voters, of Trump making his generosity conditional on the outcome remains unclear. When the Republican alludes to the danger of a socialist or communist victory, he is referring to Peronism in its Kirchnerist version. Milei agrees with this ideological viewpoint and has been stirring up what he calls the Kuka risk [a derogative term for Kirchnerists] during the campaign. That risk may ultimately materialize. On September 7, Peronism swept the local elections held in Buenos Aires province, the largest, richest, and most populous in the country. Milei describes the Peronist governor of that province, Axel Kicillof, as a communist dwarf. If the Buenos Aires result is repeated at the national level on Sunday, October 26, Argentinas economy will enter a scenario of unpredictable instability the following Monday. Much more so than now, as investors know that Trump will not be there with his hand outstretched, as he has warned. Donald Trump hosts Javier Milei at a bilateral lunch in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, 14 October 2025. Alex Wroblewski/CNP / POOL (EFE) The markets immediately grasped the implications of Trumps message. When they were expecting the announcement of a possible trade agreement or even details of financial aid, what they got was a threat. Argentine debt bonds issued under New York law fell by up to 7%, and the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange, which had started the day with positive figures, turned negative in a matter of minutes. The government rushed to exercise damage control, attempting to push the idea that Trump hadnt made his aid conditional on the outcome of the legislative elections, but rather on the 2027 presidential elections. Mileis spokesman, Manuel Adorni, wrote on social media that if Argentina were to follow the path of socialism or take a step backward in 2027, none of this would happen. Security Minister Patricia Bullrich said from Washington that Trump will continue to support Argentina after October 26. The conditions set by the White House are also unclear. So far, only a few points have been clarified. Argentina will have to distance itself from China, currently its second-largest trading partner, and at the same time open up to projects by U.S. companies. Before his trip to Washington, Milei said he expects large investments in lithium, energy, copper, and rare earths. There will be an avalanche of dollars. Were going to have dollars coming out of our ears, the Argentine president said in an interview. Tuesdays meeting was the fourth face-to-face between Trump and Milei, but the first official one at the White House. This is Trumps second financial bailout of Argentina in seven years. In 2018, when his friend Mauricio Macri was in power, the Republican was instrumental in persuading the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to approve a $57 billion loan, of which $44 billion went to Argentina. At that time, Macri had lost control of the economy, with an unstoppable drain on dollars and the peso losing value day by day. The IMFs aid was not enough for Macri to win the elections, and Peronism returned to power in 2019 under Alberto Fernandez, the political heir of former president Cristina Kirchner. In this second bailout, it is the U.S. Treasury that is coming to Argentinas rescue. Perhaps aware of the previous experience, Trump has now warned that there will be no money if the resident at the Casa Rosada is not to his liking. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition In an unprecedented push to establish Andhra Pradesh as a digital innovation powerhouse, Googles subsidiary Raiden Infotech India is setting up a future-ready network of hyperscale data centres across the state, with a phased investment exceeding Rs 87,500 crore. The anchor facilitya gigawatt-scale centre in Visakhapatnampositions itself not only as Indias largest such project, but among the worlds most ambitious. Here is why: State investment in digital infrastructure is being supercharged under a newly approved policy and government order that offers 1,000MW in phased capacity, prime coastal land parcels, and a package of tailored incentives. If this comes to pass, Andhra looks to position Visakhapatnam as an AI City hub. Incentives in SGST, power The State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) capped total incentives for Raiden at Rs 22,002 crore, including capital subsidies, full exemptions on stamp duty and registration, and a 10-year net SGST reimbursement of up to Rs 2,245 crore. These incentives are structured to support rapid scaling while safeguarding state revenue, according to the government order (GO). The enabling Land Incentive For Tech Hubs (LIFT) Policy, formalised in August this year, grants strategic land assets at highly concessional rates to certified investors in locations such as Rambilli, Adavivaram, and Tarluvada, and provides up to 15 acres for landing cable stations. Power tariffs are discounted by Rs 1 per unit for up to 15 years, with the total power subsidy of a max Rs 4,800 crore. Googles India ambitions These measures have fast-tracked Googles plans, in parallel with a much-publicised $15 billion commitment for Indias largest AI and cloud infrastructure campus. A truly historic and auspicious day, marking one of the biggest technology milestones for Andhra Pradesh and India! Today, Andhra Pradesh signed a landmark agreement with Google to set up a USD 15 billion, gigawatt-scale AI Data Centre in Visakhapatnam. This centre will be the pic.twitter.com/quexyZmgil N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) October 14, 2025 Tuesday saw Andhra Pradesh ink the landmark agreement with Google to set up a $15 billion, gigawatt-scale AI data centre in Visakhapatnam. Moreover, the city is also set to host Googles cable landing station. Government officials reportedly said that milestone-based operational incentives will be dispensed over a decade, extendable upon sustained performance. Andhras aggressive policy push has attracted over 1.6GW in approvals as it looks to ride the wave of data centre cluster effect. The state has already lowered the barriers to major land, regulatory, and tax approvals, and is on its way to finding an upper hand in the data and cloud services industry. The needs of pensioners seemed to have been ignored yet again in the latest meeting held by the Central Board of Trustees, the apex body of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). This came on the heels of thousands of pensioners under the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS-95) protesting outside the EPFO headquarters in New Delhi this Monday, demanding a minimum monthly pension of Rs 7,500. The pensioners' body, EPS-95 National Agitation Committee, said in a statement, "Pensioners from across India seek Rs 7,500 minimum pension, full DA restoration, and medical benefits. They urged the government to immediately address their long-pending demands." Despite the protests and long-standing demand, the apex body's agenda for the latest meeting did not feature this. Another demand for the rationalisation of pensions to match higher salaries was also skipped. Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, in a bid to dispel the tension, said that the decision to increase the minimum pension is under review and would be brought before the Union Cabinet for consideration. If this pans out, 6.5 crore EPF members are set to benefit from better minimum pensions. ALSO READ | EPFO meeting: 5 new EPF Scheme changes you NEED to know about The 238th meeting of the EPFO Central Board of Trustees (CBT) led to the liberalisation of various sections of its retirement fund scheme, in a bid to tackle delayed repayment of PF dues. This coincided with one of the largest coordinated protests by EPS-95 beneficiaries in recent months, with beneficiaries from Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and several other states joining the demonstration. In what comes as a major step aimed at improving the financial stability and welfare of India's ex-servicemen and their dependents, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved a 100 per cent increase in financial assistance to them under different schemes implemented by the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare through Kendriya Sainik Board. The reforms include an increase in the penury grant, educational grant, and marriage grant, and will be funded through Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund, which is a subset of the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (AFFDF). Under the reforms, the penury grant has been doubled from the current Rs 4,000 to Rs 8,000 per month per beneficiary. This will ensure sustained lifetime support to aged and non-pensioner ex-servicemen and their widows above 65 years of age with no regular income, the ministry of defence said. The government has increased the education grant from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per month per head for up to two dependent children (Class I to Graduation) or widows pursuing a two-year postgraduate course. According to the scheme, the marriage grant has been increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per beneficiary. This will be applicable up to two daughters of ex-servicemen and for widow marriages solemnised after the issuance of the order. The ministry said an annual financial implication of about Rs 257 crore due to the hike in the amounts will be met from the AFFDF. "The decision strengthens the social security net for non-pensioner ex-servicemen, widows, and dependents from lower-income groups, reaffirming the governments commitment to honouring the service and sacrifice of the veterans," the defence ministry said in a release. A few days after India and the UK unveiled a series of initiatives, including a government-to-government $468 million deal for the procurement of lightweight multirole missile (LMM) systems, during the visit of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to India, the defence ministry announced that the Indian Army (Corps of Army Air Defence) signed a contract with Thales, UK, for procurement of the precision-guided LMM system. The light-weight, man-portable missile system is expected to give the Indian Army a sharper edge in high-altitude warfare as these can be effectively deployed in various operational areas, including high-altitude terrains. According to the Thales, LMM is an "advanced solution for air defence, delivering precision, versatility and effectiveness against diverse threats in challenging environments." The missile operates on a laser beam riding principle, allowing low collateral damage, and is optimised for operations in air, land, and naval environments. LMM, which is equipped with a triple effect warhead and proximity fuse, is extremely effective against various types of aircraft, helicopters, UAVs, and UCAVs, including airborne targets with low IR signature up to a range greater than 6 kms in all-weather conditions. ALSO READ: What makes LCA Tejas Mk2 different from Mk1A? IAF chief explains As the drone warfare is evolving at an unprecedented pace, thanks to technological innovation, mass production, and rapid integration of advanced autonomy and weapon systems, the deployment of this missile system will enable India's armed forces to ensure a rapid response against all incoming drones, helicopters, and light aircraft near borders or frontline positions. The missile boasts a high single-hot kill probability due to its advanced sighting system, incorporation of a proximity fuze, and high explosive warhead. India-UK friendship is on the move and is filled with great vigour! A picture from earlier today, when my friend PM Starmer and I began our journey to attend the Global Fintech Fest.@Keir_Starmer pic.twitter.com/3FyVFo69Rp Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 9, 2025 Earlier, Modi had said from defence and security to education and innovation, India and the UK are shaping new dimensions in their relationship. The UK defence ministry had said the contract on the LMM envisaged the delivery of air defence missiles and launchers, made by Thales at Belfast in Northern Ireland, to the Indian Army. The month of October has been among the worst in the history of Pakistan. The state descended into chaos within and outside its borders with a brutal crackdown against civilians, and a worsening security crisis on its border with Afghanistan. Internal unrest in the country due to the anti-government demonstrations of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), the assassination of their leader, Saad Rizvi, and a growing descent in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) have ignited the flames of unrest. This is not a political tussle. It is a reckoning for a nation that once gambled its future on terror and deceit, and is now paying for every lie on which it built its power. Every front is in turmoil, its hold decaying faster than its deceit can hold. War along the Durand Line The Durand Line is once again bleeding with heavy casualties on both sides. The clashes lay bare the 2,640 km of chaos that Islamabad once called a border. The British line drawn in 1893 split Pashtun homes and families, and was never accepted by Afghanistan, and Pakistan can no longer defend it. The battle is older than the border itself. From Durrani's Empire to Khattaks verses, the idea of one Pashtun nation has endured, outlasting empires, maps, and foreign hands that tried to divide it. Even today, tribes cross the line as if it doesnt exist. The fire raging across Kunar and Waziristan isnt just over posts or patrols; its the old Pashtun question rising again from the ashes of empire. The conflict highlights the failure of Islamabad to control its western frontier, where displaced tribespeople of Pakistan live and militants who are still generating internal conflict reside. The trigger was a Pakistani airstrike inside Afghanistan targeting TTP, once hailed as a good Taliban. The government of Afghanistan has threatened to engage in an increased conflict in case of failure in diplomacy, and threatens a possible expansion of the conflict. The border turmoil contributes to the strategic fragility and internal conflict of Pakistan. TLP and internal unrests The situation is even more flammable within Pakistan. The TLP, which is the outlawed Islamist party, has become the focal force of opposition to the government and the military establishment. The party, headed by Saad Rizvi, 31 years old, who took over the party leadership from his father, has organised massive anti-government and pro-Palestine demonstrations in Punjab province, especially in Lahore and Muridke. Such protests have become violent during the crackdown by security forces. The alleged killing of Saad Rizvi at Muridke lit the fuse; what followed was not a protest, but an uprising. The protesters have fought with police, blocked roads, set fire to vehicles, and crippled large cities, compelling schools and businesses to close. When the army rolled into Muridke, it wasnt to protect; it was to punish. The streets turned into battlegrounds between the state and citizens, including not only against ethnic minorities such as Pashtuns or Balochs, but also the elite Punjabis. The confrontations have resulted in the killing and injury of security forces and demonstrators. Dozens of civilians have been detained. These incidents reveal the weaknesses of Pakistan and the increasing involvement of the army in stifling any form of dissent, even in the Punjab, a traditional power seat. To further destabilise Pakistan, massive anti and pro-protests in support of Palestinians and against the US brokered Israel-Hamas ceasefire have rocked the nation, organised by the Islamist political forces, including the TLP and Jamaat-e-Islami. Hundreds of thousands of Pakistani people have gone to the streets in protest and hoisted Palestinian flags, denouncing Israel, and expressing vehement anti-Western sentiments. The demonstrations have turned into an instrument of Islamist political ambitions, at the same time unsettling the already fragile situation. Protests in POK The protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir are an outburst of years of resentment against exploitation and repression. A region Pakistan calls Azad has no real freedom; its people are denied political representation, silenced by force, and stripped of resources that feed Punjabs prosperity. From East Pakistan to todays peripheries, Pakistans history is one of crushing dissent and branding its own citizens as traitors. Its claims about human rights in Kashmir ring hollow when its own hands are stained with the blood of its citizens and brutalities. The world can no longer ignore this hypocrisy. India must call out Pakistans crimes against its own people to the UNHRC. Multi-faceted crisis of Pakistan A bleak scenario is depicted by the concerted confluence of the Durand Line war and internal strife. Pakistan is losing a battle at several levels: externally, Pakistan is exposed to conflict with Afghanistan; internally, Pakistan is forced to face political unrest and religious insurgency. The fact that it uses violence to suppress its own citizens in Muridke and elsewhere is an indication that there is a dangerous escalation where ethnic and regional divisions become mixed with political insurgency. The political class is comatose; Parliament irrelevant, judiciary discredited, economy in freefall. Even the armys business empire now trembles. The fact that the legal community and Gen Z Pakistanis are participating in such protests signifies the growing disillusionment with the establishment and the need to change. The appearance of security forces and war-like situations in cities is a viral imagery of a state in crisis, a state that is losing its legitimacy and control. Regional stability and implications to India The internal unrest in Pakistan and the war on the Durand Line have far-reaching effects on the stability of the region, particularly for India. The wars within and outside its borders threaten the capacity of the country to maintain stability. In the past, such internal turmoil has often led to diverting attention by brewing a proxy war in India to keep the image of the Pakistan Army as a defender of the ideology of Pakistan. This poses the risk of spillover and cross-border terrorism. India will be required to be vigilant and maintain operational readiness. Operation Sindoor showed the fragility of peace with Pakistan and how the strategic equilibrium can be altered by Islamabad. Prognosis Pakistan is a nation that is crumbling under the pressure of internal repression, external conflict and political insurrections. The ideal situation of a military coup and/ or spill-over effect on the Indian side. The case of the Durand Line reveals the strategic weaknesses of Islamabad; the TLP rebellion and the protests of the masses reflect internal destruction and failure of the state. The military brutality towards its citizens, not only marginalised population but also the heartland of Punjab, is a new disturbing shift and a sign of the increased instability. The flames rising from Muridke and the explosions along the Durand Line are part of the same story. Pakistan is burning from within and beyond. And unless it finds a way to douse both fires at once, the map itself may soon begin to melt. The world must watch this rogue nation where war, faith, and failure collide because when Pakistan burns, the heat is felt in South Asia. The defence ministry, on Wednesday, signed a contract agreement worth Rs 659.47 crore under the 'Buy (Indian-IDDM or Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category' for advanced night sight devices capable of target engagement up to 500 meters, increasing the operational efficiency, situational awareness, and combat readiness of the forces during poor/low-light and night missions. The deal has been signed for the procurement of Night Sight (Image Intensifier) for 7.62 x 51mm Assault Rifle, along with accessories for the Indian Army with MKU Ltd (Lead Member) and Medbit Technologies Pvt Ltd. ALSO READ: Indian Army's firepower along borders gets a massive upgrade with new missile deal with UK The Night Sight will enable soldiers to fully exploit the longer effective range of the SIG 716 Assault Rifle, especially during night operations. These image intensifiers are capable of enhancing target engagement capability up to around 500 meters even under starlit or low-light conditions, ensuring that the soldiers have better situational awareness during operations. The defence ministry said Night Sight will come as a major improvement over the existing Passive Night Sights (PNS). The procurement also comes as a major step in ensuring self-reliance in defence manufacturing, as the equipment will have over 51 per cent indigenous content. "The initiative will also benefit the MSMEs involved in the manufacturing of components and supply of raw material," the defence ministry noted. Fresh fighting has erupted between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with both sides claiming to have inflicted heavy damage on one another. ISPR, the public relations wing of the Pakistani Armed Forces, claimed that at least 15 Taliban fighters were killed along the Balochistan border after its soldiers were forced to return fire. Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid, meanwhile, maintained that 13 people were killed and over 100 were injured in the attacks carried out by Pakistan. Pakistani soldiers retreated after Afghan forces retaliated, he had said. BREAKING For rhe 1st time, Afghans are using airpower to destroy Pakistan Army positions. Afghan Super Tucano A-29 aircrafts airborne More trouble for Pak in coming days pic.twitter.com/vgbS8kIF1p Frontalforce (@FrontalForce) October 15, 2025 Several footage of the latest clashes, including those of heated conversations between the forces of the two sides through barbed fences, tank movements, and fights, has started flooding the internet. While THE WEEK couldn't independently verify these viral videos, many of them seem to have been recently captured. Amongst them is a video that showed an aircraft streaking across the sky. Those sharing the video claimed that it was the Taliban using the Super Tucano A-29 aircraft in the wake of the conflict. Earlier, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had struck locations in Kabul, claiming to target Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leadership, which led to retaliation from the Afghan side. A-29 Super Tucanos | Official website While it is a known fact the Taliban is in possession of Soviet-era tanks, Humvees, and other armoured vehicles that the US forces left behind, they are not known to have a standing air force. Between 2015 and 2020, the then Afghan administration had acquired several Super Tucano A-29 aircraftBrazilian light attack and counter-insurgency aircraft. However, ever since the takeover by the Taliban, the fate of these planes has largely been unknown. The flight seen in the video looks similar to the Embraer-built planes, although it is unknown when and where it was taken, and many social media users have pointed out that it is possible that the video of the plane airborne was not even from Asia after all. The Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano, also named ALX or A-29, was introduced by Embraer in 2003. Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, Colombia, Portugal, and the Philippines are among the countries that have bought the turboprop (gas turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller) for their air forces over the years. 20 Air Forces have been operating over 290 aircraft to date, the developers claim, adding that they can be used for light attack, armed reconnaissance, and tactical training operations. They are also being produced in the United States and Portugal, reports added. A-29 Super Tucanos | Official website The Super Tucanos have a maximum operating speed of 320 KCAS (592 km/h) and a cruise speed of 280 KCAS (518.56 km/h). According to the company brochure, its maximum range is 1,550 nautical miles when equipped with three external tanks. It can endure for 3.4 hours on internal fuel alone, or 5.2 hours with two external tanks and an EO/IR sensor. According to Embraer, these low-footprint aircraft are hardly detectable by radars due to their low noise level and visual signature. Anti-piracy patrol, stealth night operations, infiltration, and close air support to ground troops are the other areas that the Tucanos can effective carry out. What are Super Tucano aircraft? The Super Tucanos come in three segmentsLight Attack Aircraft, Tactical Trainer Aircraft, and Armed Reconnaissance Aircraft. Considered among the most cost-effective aircraft of its kind, they can take off from unpaved runways and are equipped with electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors for gathering images in day/night operations for target recognition. They also feature an embedded laser designator for target designation and precise attack. Super Tucano aircraft specs Certified by the US Military Airworthiness Authority, each plane weighs 3,200 kg and can carry up to 5,300 kg. It has a wingspan of 11.14 meters (36 feet 6 inches), a total length of 11.38 meters (37 feet 4 inches), and stands 3.97 meters (13 feet) tall. Super Tucano aircraft: Weapons and specialities A-29 Super Tucanos | Official website The A-29 is the only aircraft with integrated in-wing machine guns. Among the weapons that are compatible with the Light Attack model are: 7 x 70 MM rocket launcher, 19 x 70 MM rocket launcher, MK-82 GP bomb (500 LB), MK-81 GP bomb (250 LB), GBU-58 GP bomb (250 LB), GBU-12 LGB Griffin (500 LB) INS/GPS, SUU-20 training bomb dispenser, EO/IR HD sensor & designator, 320 L external fuel tank, Logistical pod, Aerial target towing, SUU-25 flares launcher, M-117 GP bomb (750 LB), Conventional and laser guided rocket - APKWS. The manufacturers claim that it is the most efficient fighter plane for air action against hostile targets that are in close proximity to friendly forces, requiring detailed integration with those forces. A typical Close Air Support mission is performed jointly with a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) on the ground. The Supreme Court has issued an order directing that all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR be removed from residential localities and relocated to shelters within eight weeks. The court has warned of strict action, including contempt charges, against any individual or organisation obstructing the exercise. The move comes amid a sharp rise in dog bite incidents and rabies deaths in the capital. Hearing the matter after taking note of a news report on the growing number of stray dog attacks, a bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan stressed that the decision was guided by public interest. We are not doing this for us, it is for the public interest. No sentiments of any nature should be involved, Justice Pardiwala said. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that a site for relocation had been identified in Delhi, but the plan was halted after animal rights activists obtained a stay order. The bench made it clear that the adoption of stray dogs would not be permitted during this period to prevent the animals from being released back on the streets. The civic authorities of Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram have been instructed to immediately build shelters staffed with trained professionals who can handle the dogs, carry out sterilisation and vaccination, and ensure the animals cannot escape. The court also mandated the installation of CCTVs in these facilities and the creation of a helpline for dog bite cases. Within six weeks, authorities must capture at least 5,000 stray dogs from high-risk residential areas, with the shelters operational within eight weeks. This judicial intervention has triggered a heated debate on one side, public health experts emphasise the urgent need to curb attacks and prevent rabies, while on the other, animal rights groups warn against measures they see as punitive and inhumane. What is the scale of dog menace in India? The numbers reveal the scale of the problem. According to official data accessed by PTI, Delhi has reported 26,334 dog bite cases so far this year. Of these, 9,920 cases were recorded at Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) hospitals and 15,010 at its anti-rabies vaccination centres. In 2024, the MCD recorded a total of 68,090 dog bite cases. Between January and June this year alone, 49 rabies cases were reported in the capital, alongside 35,198 animal bite incidents. Public health experts say these figures underscore the danger posed by large populations of unvaccinated stray dogs. Delhis stray dog population is estimated at around 10 lakh, according to MCD data and recent surveys. Yet, only 4.7 lakh dogs were sterilised in 2023 far below the 7080% sterilisation coverage that experts say is needed to stabilise the population. The shortfall has coincided with a sharp rise in attacks: data from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) shows dog bite cases in Delhi climbed from 6,691 in 2022 to 17,874 in 2023, and further to 25,210 in 2024 a staggering 277% increase in just two years. The trend appears to be continuing into 2025, with 3,196 cases already reported in January alone. The crisis extends far beyond Delhi. The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), under the National Rabies Control Programme, recorded 37,17,336 dog bite cases across India in 2024, along with 54 suspected human rabies deaths. Kerala offers a striking example of how serious the situation can become at the state level. Dog bite cases there rose by more than 200% between 2013 and 2021 from 62,280 in 2013 to 2,21,379 in 2021. A study published in The Lancet and funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) paints the clearest national picture yet. It found that India experiences 9.1 million dog bites each year, with dogs responsible for 76.8% of all animal bite incidents. Nearly one in five bite victims (20.5%) did not receive any anti-rabies vaccination, and almost half of those who began treatment did not complete the full course. The same study estimated 5,726 human rabies deaths annually in India and called for a One Health approach integrating human and animal health surveillance, scaling up dog vaccination campaigns, and ensuring timely post-exposure prophylaxis to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies by 2030. Why are dog bites dangerous? Rabies is among the deadliest viral infections known to humans, with an almost 100% fatality rate once symptoms appear. In India, it continues to claim thousands of lives every year despite being entirely preventable. According to the Lancet study, rabies killed approximately 5,700 people in India in 202223. The World Health Organization estimates that India accounts for 36% of the global rabies death toll, which is around 60,000 annually. Dr Narendra Pardeshi, Veterinary Surgeon at The Small Animal Clinic, stressed that most dog bite incidents involve stray dogs, not pets. In my clinic, we never notice dog bite cases because these are pet-owned dogs, he said. He also emphasised that rabies has no cure in dogs or humans, making immediate post-bite treatment critical. You cant wait more than 24 hours after a dog bite. Wash the wound thoroughly with detergent, apply antiseptic, and avoid bandaging. Even if the dog is vaccinated, be safe and complete the post-exposure vaccination schedule, he advised. The MCD and health authorities acknowledge that the availability of rabies vaccines is a pressing concern. The Supreme Court has directed the Delhi government to publish detailed, publicly accessible information about vaccine stocks, treatment centres, and the number of patients treated each month. However, the gaps are evident. Public hospitals in Mumbai have faced shortages of rabies injections, highlighting the fragility of the supply chain in critical moments. This endangers both humans and animals, as untreated dogs continue to spread the virus. What is the solution? While the Supreme Courts relocation order aims to protect the public from immediate danger, experts and activists caution that it fails to address the root causes of the crisis. Dr Narendra Pardeshi acknowledged the courts intent but stressed that relocation alone cannot be a lasting fix. We do welcome the decision, but confining dogs in shelters or moving them to new areas disrupts their natural pack structure and territories, often sparking fights, he explained. A neutered dog, returned to its original locality, is less likely to bite because it recognises the people and other dogs there. But relocating it to a new area triggers territorial aggression from other dogs. Having neutered over 2.5 lakh dogs in his career, including at Blue Cross Pune, Dr Pardeshi maintains that large-scale sterilisation and annual rabies vaccinations remain the only sustainable solutions. One unneutered female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in just six years. Relocation alone wont stop the cycle, he said. He also advised against fear-driven reactions, which can escalate aggression: Most bites happen when people panic and run. Dogs sense fear. Stay calm, dont chase them away, and often they just want a friendly pat. As per media reports, animal rights activist and former Union minister Maneka Gandhi also echoed these concerns, calling the courts order impractical, financially unviable, and potentially damaging to Delhis ecological balance. Removing all stray dogs, she argued, would require massive infrastructure and funds around Rs 15,000 crore along with high weekly feeding costs, while risking public backlash. She also warned of ecological disruptions, such as an influx of monkeys or rats, and conflicts with dog feeders. Calling the ruling unworkable, she maintained that it would destabilise the city rather than solve the problem. At the heart of the debate lies a clash between the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules framed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and the Supreme Courts new stance. The ABC Rules mandate sterilisation, rabies vaccination, and release of stray dogs to their original location. The court, however, has rejected the release clause, directing civic bodies to instead house strays in dedicated shelters with no return to the streets. This story is done in collaboration with First Check, which is the health journalism vertical of DataLEADS. Palestinians in the Strip have no illusions about the possibility of a lasting peace or the promised reconstruction Fidaa al-Araj has not yet been able to return to her home in the Al Nasr neighborhood of Gaza City, but she already knows the house has been damaged by Israeli bombs. The structure is still standing, and this Palestinian woman is planning to use plastic sheeting or pieces of broken furniture to improvise windows, doors, and cover the walls and move in with her husband and six children, aged 16 to four. In Gaza, there is no construction material to repair the 92% of buildings completely destroyed or severely damaged by bombing, according to UN estimates, as winter sets in. Many Gazans have no home to return to at all. The priority for this 40-year-old psychologist right now, she explains via text messages from her shelter in the center of the Strip, is to clean up and fill in the holes in what remains of her house to have a space for herself and her family, to rest, breathe a little, and be able to sleep a whole night in silence. Another Gazan, Ohood Nassar, 23, says much the same thing, from Deir el-Balah, also in the center of the Strip: Now, everyone is trying to rebuild a small place to live and find a project that will help them continue with their lives. The needs of the present such as finding shelter are so many and so pressing in Gaza that thinking about the future is a luxury this traumatized population cannot afford, days after the current ceasefire went into effect last Friday. When they do, stresses Khalil Abu Shammala, former director of the NGO Addameer in Gaza, they are not very optimistic. Neither about the future nor regarding Trumps peace plan, the first phase of which has almost overcome its main challenge the 20 Israeli hostages still alive were exchanged for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and now Hamas is waiting to hand over the bodies of the remaining captives, 28 in total. Abu Shammala believes there are many unanswered questions in that plan that loom over the future of Gaza. The activist cites reconstruction and how it will be carried out, given the current population density [the entire population is concentrated in just half of the territory; the rest remains occupied by Israeli troops]. Other questions include whether the border crossings will be opened and if reconstruction will be used as a tool to exert further pressure on the Palestinians. Alaa Sbaih, 25, is also pessimistic. She doesnt believe that, through Trumps proposal or the ceasefire, Gazans are on the verge of achieving a life of peace, security, and stability. She believes that the situation may calm down for a while, but inevitably things will go back to the way they were before, and maybe even worse. Neither Fidaa al-Araj nor Ohood Nasser, who earned her living as a translator, harbor any illusions about the possibility that peace will be lasting, or about the promised reconstruction that is supposed to follow. Jaco Cilliers, a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) official for the Palestinian people, estimated Tuesday that this task will take about 15 years and cost $70 billion. Restrictions and delays Al-Araj believes that Israel will impose all kinds of restrictions and delays on the entry of essential construction materials. Since 2007, when it established the blockade of the Strip after Hamas took power in Gaza, Israeli authorities have required a lengthy list of permits and requirements for the introduction of these materials into the Strip, both from the private sector and from international organizations such as Oxfam, the NGO where the psychologist works. Following the much less bloody military offensive in 2014, Israel only allowed less than 10% of the construction materials deemed necessary at the time into Gaza through the southern border crossing of Kerem Shalom, according to the Israeli NGO Gisha. Israel argued that Hamas was using these goods to build its tunnels. This is assuming reconstruction ever begins and Israel doesnt deceive the Gazans, Nassar assures. Now that they have recovered their hostages, they could resume attacks at any moment. For Al-Araj, Trumps plan contains an original sin: it doesnt address what she considers the elephant in the room, the Israeli occupation of Gaza since 1967 and the blockade imposed in 2007, before the October 7 attacks, to which Israel responded by launching bombing raids and then invading Gaza by land. Without ending that occupation, which of course is not mentioned in Trumps plan if it had been, Israel probably wouldnt have signed it the Palestinians of Gaza will not receive what they deserve: their right to freely choose their destiny and their rulers through democratic elections. Also, and above all, she emphasizes, accountability for Israels genocide in Gaza." We know its not easy and that this wont happen overnight, she laments. Gazans dont even know what political system will be implemented as part of Trumps plan, Abu Shammala points out. The text outlines, in very vague terms, a technocratic Palestinian administration subject to the authority of an international organization chaired by Trump himself. Not wanting to wake up In a text sent to EL PAIS, Alaa Sbaih describes the difference between the young woman, full of life, she was before the Israeli invasion and the tired person she is now, someone who doesnt want to wake up in the morning. This graduate in arts and humanities, who aspired to study film abroad and learn photography and directing, describes the same apocalyptic scenario indicated by data from international organizations. In Gaza City, which she has not left for the past two years despite the bombing and famine, there are no suitable places to live, no hospitals, no schools, no parks, not even roads suitable for transportation. It is a city devoid of the essentials of life. Only 14 of Gazas 36 hospitals are partially functioning, and 90% of schools and 79% of university campuses have been destroyed, according to the UN. There are 170,000 people injured, more than 40,000 of them with disabling conditions. At least 5,000 children have undergone amputations. Before the war, we were a people who loved life, like everyone else. Now, I dont expect people to have the strength or the desire to try again, she says, alluding to the horror revealed in these figures. The young woman doesnt trust any plan coming from any foreign politician. In Gaza, thousands of families have lost at least one of their loved ones, she says. Our blood has been shed in murders carried out with horrific methods by the [Israeli] occupation soldiers against our people. Even in devastation, Gaza remains the land of the Palestinians who live there. Ohood Nassar says he wants to die there, although before the war ended, he thought about leaving so I could survive. Many Palestinians like her are torn between the tragedy of leaving Gaza, says Al-Araj, and the imperative of providing a future for their families, which the Israeli offensive has made nearly impossible. This woman points to her children, who have missed two years of school and are already on the way to missing a third. For this reason, thinking about their education, she says that, at some point, she will have to consider leaving her homeland. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Miffed by continuous bickering from businessmen over poor infrastructure in Bengaluru, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar issued a stern warning: "Stop hurting Bengaluru, there is a limitation for everything." The Congress-led government has been facing constant criticism over the poor condition of roads, never-ending traffic jams and poor infrastructure in Bengaluru. Despite the introduction of new Metro services and the announcement of new flyovers to ease traffic in the city, industry leaders are less pleased, and often express displeasure openly through social media. Shivakumar, who is also the minister for Bengaluru development, urged industrialists to "stop" hurting the city that has contributed to their growth. He said industry leaders must not forget their "roots". Bengaluru, Urging industrialists to be patient, Shivakumar said, "there is a limitation for everything." Referring to a recent post by Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Shivakumar said, "I don't want to question them, but they should have patience. If they want to tweet, blackmail, or threaten us, it's left to them." Shaw, sharing a conversation with a recent overseas business visitor, tweeted, "Why are the roads so bad and why is there so much garbage around? Doesn't the Govt want to support investment? I have just come from China and can't understand why India can't get its act together, especially when the winds are favourable?" Questioning the post, Shivakumar said, "Making such posts is (like) killing themselves. They are hurting their own country and the state that helped them. Where were they 25 years ago? It is this Bengaluru that has contributed everything to them. If they want to hurt themselves, it's left to them." Highlighting the various development works happening in the city, Shivakumar claimed, "Many companies that were earlier functioning from rented spaces now want to set up their own campuses in the city. That is the strength of Bengaluru. There is no match for Bengaluru in the entire country," he added. Adding a murky twist to the suspected suicide case of Inspector General Y. Puran Kumar, another police officer shot himself dead in Haryana on Tuesday, after levelling corruption allegations against the late officer. The body of Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Sandeep Kumar was found at his home in Rohtak. He reportedly left behind a six-minute video message and a three-page suicide note in which he accused the late IPS officer of misuse of power. Sandeep said he feared that he would be arrested in connection with the ongoing probe into Purans death, which has sparked massive outrage in the state. Puran was found with a gunshot wound in his Chandigarh home on October 7. The day this other officer was posted, he started doing caste politics and getting rid of people. He appointed his own corrupt people who began extorting money and even molesting women officers, Sandeep alleged in the video. ASI Sandeep Kumar, an officer posted in the Cyber Cell, has died by suicide after allegedly shooting himself. He left behind a three-page suicide note and a video message. In them, he made serious allegations against IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar, calling him a "corrupt officer" https://t.co/Cb9twijPry pic.twitter.com/vfzW5iD1j2 Akashdeep Thind (@thind_akashdeep) October 14, 2025 Police sources stated that the ASI had played a role in the arrest of Head Constable Sushil Kumar, an aide of Puran. The arrest was made after a liquor contractor in Rohtak filed a bribery case against Sushil, accusing him of seeking a bribe of Rs 2.5 lakh in Puran's name (when he was posted there), reported PTI news agency. "ASI Sandeep was a very hardworking and honest person in our department. We received information that a body had been found after which we reached here," Rohtak Superintendent of Police S.S. Bhoria told reporters. Purans death had earlier triggered a political storm in the state as the IPS officer in his suicide note had alleged "blatant caste-based discrimination, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation and atrocities" against eight senior officers. Following the uproar, the government transferred Narendra Bijarniya, former Rohtak superintendent of police, and sent state DGP Shatrujeet Kapur on leave. Puran Kumar's wife, senior IAS officer Amneet P. Kumar, has demanded that Kapur and Bijarniya be named in the FIR for allegedly abetting her husband's suicide. The family is also seeking their arrest and has refused consent for post-mortem and cremation until their demands are met. Sandeeps family seeks Amneets arrest In the fresh turn of events, now Sandeeps family is demanding that Purans wife, Amneet, be arrested in connection with his death. The family refused to hand over his body to the police and instead took it to their native village, said a media report. Sandeeps family maintains that they will cremate his body only after Amneet is arrested. The government should investigate Y. Puran Kumars assets, which are worth Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 crore, Sandeeps cousin Shishpal Lathar said. The family also alleged that Sandeep was being tortured after he arrested Purans gunman in a bribery case. Former member of the legislative council and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLM) president, Upendra Kushwaha, left for Delhi today amidst the ongoing seat-sharing dispute within the NDA ahead of the Bihar elections. Kushwaha announced on X that he was cancelling a meeting of party leaders in Patna to depart for Delhi along with the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai. He said, "Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai and I must depart for Delhi to discuss matters with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Therefore, the meeting scheduled for today with party colleagues at the camp office in Patna has been postponed immediately." Shah's invite came after Kushwaha expressed his dissapointment over two of the party's six seats being suddenly allocated to other allies within the NDA. The party had already, reluctantly and conditionally agreed to accept the six seats assigned to them to field their candidates in a seat sharing meeting with the top leaders of the BJP. The six seats included Sasaram, Madhubani, Dinara, Bajpatti, Mahua, and Ujiarpur. VIDEO | Bihar Elections 2025: RLM president Upendra Kushwaha (@UpendraKushRLM) reaches Delhi. He says, "I had said this in Patna as well that there is some issue in the alliance (NDA) that has to be resolved. We have come here to meet the Home Minister and believe that everything pic.twitter.com/9oIqbj0veg Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 15, 2025 In a huge letdown, the party was later informed that two seats, Mahua and Dinara, would be given to the LJP (R) and the JDU, respectively. Upendra Kushwahass son Deepak Kushwaha was supposed to field the Mahua seat and Alok Singh for Dinara. He had publicly expressed his displeasure over the decision. Since the comment was made, BJP leaders have rushed to hold talks with the RLM leader to persuade him. Late into Tuesday night, Bihar BJP in-charge Vinod Tawde, Deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary, and Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai were all seen arriving at Kushwahas residence. Nothing seemed to come out of the meeting, however. While speaking to the media, Kushwaha just said , "Ask the same questions you are asking me to Samrat Chaudhary and Nityanand Rai." Kushwaha also created a storm in political circles by saying, "This time nothing is well in the NDA..." He had then forbidden all party leaders from attending the nominations of NDA leaders and had called for an emergency meeting of the party leaders which has now been postponed. After reaching Delhi on Wednesday he said to ANI "I had said this in Patna as well that there is some issue in the alliance (NDA) that has to be resolved. We have come here to meet the Home Minister and believe that everything will be resolved." The Kushwaha makes up around 4.21 per cent of Bihar's population and Upendra Kushwaha is a prominent leader that can pull votes from the caste group. The RLM had earlier been allied with the JDU in 2010 and then switched to contest with the BJP in 2015. In 2020, the party formed an alliance with the BSP called the Grand Democratic Secular Front which defeated the NDA in 13 seats. The NDA then joined hands with the party for the upcoming elections. However the party's dissatisfaction with the seat-sharing might end up being a blow to the BJP-led alliance. A second-year student of a private engineering college was raped in Kolkata, West Bengal. The accused was arrested from the Anandpur area in the southern part of the city. According to police officials, the student is from another state and came to West Bengal to study. She had lodged a complaint at the Anandput police station. In her complaint, she said that she was drugged by the accused before he raped her. Police have not yet disclosed where the student originally hails from. An officer speaking to news agency PTI said, "The student in her complaint alleged that she was staying in a rented flat in Anandapur, where the accused came and mixed drugs in her drinks. She became unconscious after drinking it and was later raped by her classmate." They also said that the accused was in hiding for a few days before he was arrested in Anandpur. The accused was brought to court by the police and then sent to police custody till October 22. "We have started the investigation, and the details of what happened will be revealed soon," the officer said. The incident occurred just a few days after the rape of a medical student in Durgapur West Bengal. On October 10, a 23-year-old medical college student was allegedly gangraped after she headed out with a male friend to eat. The student was reportedly ambushed by a group of men and her friend had fled the scene. After police examined security footage, and found that there were contradictions in the victim's, her friend's and the suspects statements, they ruled out the possibility of a gangrape. However, the friend has been arrested and is uner suspicion, according to Asansol-Durgapur Police commissioner Sunil Kumar Choudhary. Meanwhile West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee came under fire this week for saying "women should not go out at night." The case has been subject to political interference. Earlier this week BJP leader Parijat Ganguly, who was an accused in an assault case, was seen at the police station investigating the student's rape. Sources had also said that Ganguly was seen restraining the victim's father and pressuring him and taking away his phone. In what could possibly snowball into a major political controversy in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said the Congress-ruled state intends to restrict the activities of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). On Monday, the minister had directed the Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh to examine Tamil Nadu's actions regarding the ban on RSS activities on the premises of government offices. This was after state minister Priyank Kharge shot up a letter to the chief minister, observing that the RSS has been conducting its 'shakhas' in government and government-aided schools, as well as on public grounds, where "slogans are shouted and negative ideas are instilled in the minds of children and youth." He had demanded a ban on all RSS activities in government institutions and public premises across the state. Kharge had argued that such activities of the RSS are contrary to India's unity and the spirit of the Constitution. On Wednesday, the chief minister clarified the statement he made on Monday about asking the chief secretary to study the actions of the Tamil Nadu government, saying the government intends to restrict the activities of not only the RSS but any organisation that causes disturbance at schools, public premises, or parks. "Not only RSS, but any organisation should not do anything that disturbs others at schools, public premises, and parks. Tamil Nadu has taken steps to this effect. We are gathering information on what Tamil Nadu has done," Siddaramaiah told reporters. Hassan | On the proposal to ban RSS activities in the state, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah says, "No organisation should disturb people in public places. Action has been taken in Tamil Nadu. We will examine it and take further action." pic.twitter.com/YTGVDp0hQk ANI (@ANI) October 15, 2025 Karnataka BJP president Vijayendra reacted to Kharge's letter, saying the RSS is doing nation-building work selflessly, and added that Congress cannot ban such activities. BJP leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy claimed that the Congress government in the state is afraid of the RSS. "No other organisation can defeat the RSS. In this situation, Congress is worried due to its organisational capacity..." Another BJP leader, C.T. Ravi, pointed out that many leaders have tried to stop the RSS, but have failed. The hijab row at St. Ritas Public School in Keralas Palluruthy took a new turn today as the school principal, Sr. Helene, accused the Deputy Director of Education (DDE) of making untruthful statements in the report submitted to the government on the issue. The controversy erupted at the Christian nun-run CBSE school after a Muslim student began wearing a hijab to school, which, according to the school authorities, violates its uniform policy. The management sought a written explanation from the students guardians. However, on October 10, the students guardians, along with a group, allegedly entered the school premises forcefully and created a ruckus, the school authorities claimed. On October 13, the school obtained police protection from the court and declared a two-day holiday following escalating differences with the parents of the student who came wearing the hijab. Notably, Education Minister V. Sivankutty has made several flip-flops on this issue. On October 13, Sivankutty upheld the schools uniform rules, stating that any modification to the prescribed school uniform would not be permitted and emphasizing that the rule applies equally to all students. However, yesterday, the minister stated that the Deputy Director of Education (Ernakulam)who had conducted an inquiry based on a complaint filed by the students fatherfound serious lapses on the part of the school authorities. According to the inquiry report of the Deputy Director of Education, expelling the student from class for wearing a headscarf constitutes a serious violation of conduct and a breach of the Right to Education Act. The report further states that the schools action was against the constitutional guarantee of citizens fundamental right to religious freedom, Sivankutty said. He further announced that the school had been directed to permit the student to continue her studies while wearing the headscarf as part of her religious belief. However, the school authorities may decide the colour and design of the headscarf. The principal and the manager of the school have been strictly instructed to fully address the mental distress caused to the student and her parents and to submit a report on the matter, the minister noted in his social media post. The school authorities, however, stated that they had neither received any notice from the government nor expelled the student. The principal also reiterated that the school management has the right to decide the uniform policy and that the institution has not denied education to the student. Interestingly, Congress MP Hibi Eden had claimed yesterday that the issue was resolved and that the girls father had expressed willingness to let his daughter continue studying at the school in accordance with its rules. However, Sivankuttys statement on October 14, alleging serious lapses by the school, reignited the controversy. Following the school authorities strong criticism of the DDEs report today, the education minister remarked that if the issue has been amicably resolved at the school level, let it be so, while reiterating that no one has the right to deny education to a child. Notably, the school is now planning to challenge the matter in court, if necessary. The authorities cited a similar case from 2018 in which the court delivered a verdict in favor of the school authorities. The case referred to by the St. Ritas School authorities is Fathima Thasneem vs State of Kerala, in which female Muslim students, represented by their parents, had filed a writ petition before the Kerala High Court seeking permission to wear a headscarf and full-sleeve shirtboth not part of the prescribed uniform of Christ Nagar Public School, a Christian priests-run school in Thiruvananthapuram. The court held that the students individual right to wear the hijab and full-sleeve shirt must be weighed against the schools right to establish, manage, and administer its affairs. It further ruled that the school, being a private institution, has a fundamental right to prescribe its dress code. The court observed that religious rights under Article 25 are relative and not absolute and therefore must be balanced against other constitutional rights. Hence, the petitioners could not impose their religious dress preference on the institution. The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed Sonam Wangchuks wife to seek amendment of her earlier petition after the Centre informed the court that the grounds of detention have now been supplied. The amendment will allow the case to proceed by challenging the substance of the grounds themselves. Gitanjali Angmo, wife of Ladakh-based activist Sonam Wangchuk, had earlier filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking his release. Her petition contended that no grounds for detention were provided by the authorities, and that the detention order under Section 3(2) of the National Security Act (NSA) was illegal. However, during the hearing today, senior advocate Kapil Sibal sought the courts permission to amend the petition to address the grounds now made available by the government. The bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N. V. Anjaria recorded the request and fixed the matter for further hearing on October 29. #WATCH | Delhi | Activist Sonam Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali Angmo says, "Hearing for our first petition was done on 6 October, in which we had a plea to give us the grounds of the detention order and also inform us of the condition of Sonam Wangchuk. We were allowed to meet Sonam, pic.twitter.com/b3aIYaKvUe ANI (@ANI) October 15, 2025 Grounds supplied, but risks of new challenges On behalf of the government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that he had no objection to Wangchuk being permitted to exchange notes relating to his detention with his wife but cautioned that such exchanges should not be used as a basis to mount fresh challenges to the detention order. He expressed apprehension that even small delays or procedural mishaps might be used later as legal grounds to attack the detention. Mehta also informed the court that Wangchuk is not suffering from any serious health condition necessitating treatment. Wangchuk was arrested on September 26 in Leh, following protests in Ladakh demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for the Union Territory. Clashes during the protests resulted in four deaths and nearly 100 injuries. Angmos original petition challenged this detention on several constitutional grounds. She argued that the preventive detention was not genuinely tied to national security or public order and was instead aimed at silencing a respected environmentalist and social advocate. She contended that procedural safeguardssuch as furnishing the grounds of detention and providing an opportunity to make representationwere violated. Further, she highlighted that Wangchuk had not been served a copy of the detention order or grounds, and questioned his transfer to a jail in Jodhpur, over 1,000 kilometers from Ladakh. In response, the government has asserted in its affidavits that all procedural formalities were followed. The Leh District Magistrate, in an affidavit filed before the top court, stated that the detention order was passed after careful consideration of relevant material and subjective satisfaction that Wangchuks activities were prejudicial to public order and state security. He claimed that Wangchuk and his wife were informed immediately of the arrest, transfer, and that the grounds of detention were served to the detainee by September 29 within the five-day window stipulated under Section 8 of the NSA and Article 22 of the Constitution. The DM affidavit also stated that the detention order was forwarded to the Advisory Board as per Section 10 of the NSA within the prescribed period. The affidavit claimed that Wangchuk had not made a formal representation to the detaining authority, and that a letter addressed by Angmo to the President, which was not sent to the Advisory Board, had been placed before the Board since it was also copied to the UT administration. The case will next be heard on October 29, when the amended petition, the governments grounds, associated affidavits, and arguments on both sides will determine whether Wangchuks detention can withstand judicial scrutiny under the stringent regime of preventive detention laws in India. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday termed the surrender of senior Naxalite Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupathi and 60 other cadres as the "beginning of the end of the Naxal movement" in the state. He also urged the remaining Maoist cadres to surrender before the government. The CM was speaking in Gadchiroli after presenting the surrendered Naxalites a copy of the Indian Constitution. #WATCH | Gadchiroli, Maharashtra: Naxal Commander Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupati, surrenders in front of CM Devendra Fadnavis at the Gadchiroli Police Police Headquarters. Around 60 Naxalites surrendered today. Naxal Commander Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupati gave a pic.twitter.com/stBiJWEJvd ANI (@ANI) October 15, 2025 Bhupati, a spokesperson of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and its Central Committee member, carried a bounty of Rs 6 crore. He was considered one of the most influential strategists in the Maoist organisation and had long supervised platoon operations along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border. North Gadchiroli is now completely Naxal-free, and South Gadchiroli will follow soon. This is not just a surrender; it's the end of an era of terror, Fadnavis said. #WATCH | Gadchiroli, Maharashtra: Naxalites surrender in front of CM Devendra Fadnavis at the Gadchiroli Police Police Headquarters. Around 60 surrendered today, including Naxal Commander Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupati surrendered today. pic.twitter.com/DoZucnsWGH ANI (@ANI) October 15, 2025 The chief minister also hailed the sustained operations by the security forces, which led to the neutralisation of 24 Maoists and the surrender of 19 in 2024. Appealing to the remaining Maoist cadres to surrender, Fadnavis said: The government welcomes you with open arms and rehabilitation. Maharashtra stands with you for a Naxal-free future by 2026." Fadnavis noted that the Gadchiroli district had witnessed Maoist violence for the last 40 years and was far from development. However, Maoists are now disillusioned after realising the false promises of their movement, he added. Today, they hold the Constitution in their hands, not guns. This is the real victory, peace through conviction. It is a big thing in the history of the country. Bhupathi's surrender is the beginning of the end of the Naxal movement in Maharashtra, said the chief minister. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday that left-wing extremism in the state is nearly finished after the surrender of top Naxal leader Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupati. Bhupati and 60 other hardcore Naxalites surrendered before the chief minister in Gadchiroli. They also surrendered their sophisticated weapons, which included AK-47 guns and Insas rifles. With the surrender of Bhupati, the Naxalite threat in Gadchiroli is almost over, with only Company 10 remaining active. It has just about 10-12 active cadres. ! Surrender of Maoist Commander Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu Bhupati carrying a 6 crore bounty along with 60 other senior Maoists at Gadchiroli in presence of CM Devendra Fadnavis. MLA Dr Milind Narote, Maharashtra DGP, and other senior police officers and pic.twitter.com/DIqyiV7Zyo CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) October 15, 2025 The process of surrender of Bhupati began in January this year when his wife Tarakka, herself a dedicated Naxalite, surrendered. The Gadchiroli police and C60 special task force, led by Superintendent of Police Neelotpal, were engaged in talks and meetings with Naxalite cadre to get them to lay down their arms. Fadnavis said that the genuine efforts made by the police force in the rehabilitation of Tarakka and her colleagues, who had surrendered in January, certainly played a role in Bhupati's surrender. Bhupati had been active in the Naxalite movement for more than four decades and chose Maharashtra to surrender with his 60 colleagues. This is proof that Maharashtra has the best record in Naxalite surrender and rehabilitation, according to top police officers. Fadnavis also said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had set a target of December 2026 to end the Naxalite threat in India, and Maharashtra has taken a lead in its march in that direction. "We hope that remaining active cadres of Company 10 will surrender in the coming days or they will be arrested or neutralised by the police force," said the chief minister. He also admitted that Bhupati had put a condition that he and his team would surrender before the chief minister of the state. "I had agreed to go to the jungles to get this surrender. But the police managed to convince him to surrender in Gadchiroli. The surrender of Bhupati will also lead to similar surrenders in Chhattisgarh," said Fadnavis. Fadnavis further opined that now the state has to deal with 'Urban Naxals' as the Naxalite cadre operating with guns and weapons in jungles was surrendering in large numbers. "Maharashtra police has already taken action against urban naxals and we will continue our fight against left-wing extremism," said the chief minister. The Islamic Republic of Iran, with decades of international sanctions and mounting internal financial challenges, adopts a nuanced approach to the Afghan refugee crisis. The ongoing conflicts between the Pakistan and the Taliban forces along their borders have introduced new problems for Afghan refugees, along with the existing ones. For more than four decades, Iran has stood as a key sanctuary for millions of Afghans fleeing war, poverty, and political oppression, a historical record that positions Iran as one of the worlds largest refugee-hosting nations. However, this traditional welcoming approach has recently weakened because of a rapid campaign of mass deportations. This situation raises serious humanitarian concerns. To understand Irans stance, we must consider the scale of its commitment to hosting refugees, which Tehran often cites as an example of generosity despite international sanctions. However,there has been a recent shift and growing animosity towards the refugees, as Tehran has changed its stance due to the worsening economic and political situation. The longevity of Irans efforts needs international recognition. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as of April 2025, Iran hosts approximately 3.49 million refugees and individuals in refugee-like situations who require immediate international protection. This includes 770,000 individuals recognised by the government who have either an Amayeshfor Afghan refugees (758,000)or a Hoviatfor Iraqi refugees (12,000)card. Along with them, 2.72 million individuals are in a refugee-like situation. Afghanistan-Iran Border! The number of people who fled Afghanistan to Iran in the last 10 days reaches to hundreds of thousands. pic.twitter.com/yeUTFyzXyG Natiq Malikzada (@natiqmalikzada) August 28, 2021 Most Afghan refugees are in the southern provinces, such as Kerman, which has 390,409 refugees, and Sistan and Baluchistan, which have 291,665 refugees. The provinces, including Tehran and Razavi Khorasan, have 260,891 and 161,580 Afghans, respectively. Other provinces also have a considerable number of refugees. Due to Irans prolonged role as a host, international bodies such as the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have acknowledged Iranian efforts and contributions. However, Iran highlights that these efforts persist despite the imposition of unilateral and unjust sanctions and severe resource constraints. Addressing the 76th session of the UNHCR Executive Committee on October 7 in Geneva, Deputy Minister of Interior and Head of the Social Affairs Organisation of Iran, Mohammad Baithaiei, stressed that the burden has become untenable and called on the international community to adhere to the principles of responsibility-sharing. Tehran spends billions of dollars annually to provide food, shelter, education, and healthcare services to foreign nationals, including undocumented Afghans. Nirmalshankar M First, multiple reports from 2021 have highlighted that 600,000 Afghan students have benefited from Iran's educational system. This has significantly improved literacy among Afghans to nearly 70 percent in 2021, with each student benefiting from educational services valued at US$1,500. Iran asserts that its educational opportunities align with international human rights standards, and it even supports refugee children and youth in classrooms, allowing them to sit and learn alongside Iranian children. Second, Irans commitment to international refugee conventions is unwavering and is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol. Since 2012, Tehran has collaborated with the UNHCR's Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR). Along with this, the collaboration and the support it receives from the UNHCR underscore Iran's dedication to promoting refugee conditions and upholding global humanitarian standards. Third, despite overwhelming international pressures, the government also initiated a regularisation exercise for foreign nationals in March 2025. This offers exemptions for legal stay to at-risk profiles (e.g., former military officials) and families with mixed documentation or children attending primary and secondary education. Although Tehrans unwavering contribution to the refugee problems is acknowledged, it has recently been seriously tested. In the context of sanctions, near economic collapse, and political disarray, Irans capacity to cope with the humanitarian burden is under pressure due to resource strains and UNHCRs cost-cutting measures. This exerted an immense pressure on the regime, driving it to resort to mass expulsion, and change its treatment towards Afghan refugees from guests to threats.The impact of this policy shift is severe, with many Afghan refugees, including women and children, being forcibly expelled from Iran, often without any support or resources upon their return to Afghanistan. The regimes response includes a crackdown on undocumented and even some legal Afghan migrants. This crackdown features mass deportations and claims of serious human rights violations. Following the 12-day war with Israel last June, Iran labeled many Afghans as fifth-columnists or "Israeli spies." The Interior Minister, Eskandar Momeni, reported that 400,000 undocumented Afghan nationals were sent back in the first half of the year. However, the situation escalated significantly, with reports showing that Tehran expelled over 1.3 million Afghans by September end. Overall, Iran expelled 1.8 million Afghans in the last year, and is planning to deport at least 800,000 more. The UNHCR report suggests that over 70 percent of Afghan returnees are forcibly expelled, with many of them being women and children. Iran also militarised and expanded border security measures, including constructing a 300-kilometer wall and installing thermal cameras and acoustic sensors. Though lesser known,Tehran has a history of exploiting Afghans, especially in the war with Syria, through the Iran-backed Fatimioun militia. This exploitation is not limited to the military; it also extends to the political level. It is evident during the late President Ebrahim Raisis funeral, where the regime used 100,000 Afghan migrants to boost its attention in the global sphere. This highlights Irans policy towards Afghan refugees, with a stark duality. While its decades-long history of hosting these subjects deserves appreciation, the recent sanction-driven pivot to mass and forceful deportation shows a decisive shift. For Tehran, it is an economic necessity, but this creates a deepening crisis, forcing millions to return to a collapsing homeland, Afghanistan. The author is a doctoral candidate at the Centre for West Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Four days after the Cazones river overflowed, neighbors in one of the Mexican communities most seriously impacted by torrential rains are still clearing mud and noting the absence of government assistance The light is back, the light is back! The euphoric shouts of neighbors in Ignacio de la Llave, Poza Rica, in the Mexican state of Veracruz, ring out. It is Tuesday and four days have passed since the Cazones river overflowed with devastating force, and only now are some sectors beginning to get back their electricity. The communitys residents run to charge their phones and the few devices that survived the water that rose up to 13 feet in some places, washing away everything in its path. Wall are still wet, there is mud up to their knees and the smell of rotting animals under earth and sun is inescapable. In this area, one of the most affected by the floods, disaster is as present as if the waters had risen just last night. Assistance and the authorities have been late to arrive, say the inhabitants of Ignacio de la Llave. Rubber boots have become part of the daily uniform of the Pozarricenses, along with brooms and shovels. Some wear face masks as they try to salvage things from the debris, among which everything has taken on the same color as mud. Certain images repeat throughout different streets: entire families carrying mattresses, washing machines, furniture and clothing to piles that grow larger and larger. A convoy of about 15 water tankers and trucks carrying supplies travels along the highway toward Poza Rica. The vehicles bear signs with large letters announcing Solidarity support from Mexico City to Veracruz. Still, residents say that they have yet to receive any assistance. Houses flooded by the overflowing of the Cazones river. Carlo Echegoyen With the first rays of the sun, flood survivors begin their new daily routine of attempting to clean where it looks like a tornado has passed. In contrast to Huauchinango, in the state of Puebla, where members of the military, marines and volunteers work in coordination, in Poza Rica a town of nearly 190,000 residents government assistance has been scarce. During EL PAISs visit to the epicenter of the disaster that left at least 64 dead and 65 missing throughout five states, military and civil service personnel is disperse, or simply absent altogether. Its already the fourth day and they havent arrived, or they came briefly. Theres a lot of work to be done on houses. Those of us who live here cant cope with removing all the mud, and everything that has been ruined. We need a lot of help, says 64-year-old Roberto. Poza Rica is upset and its discontent with authorities is widespread. Their complaints reached President Claudia Sheinbaum on her visit to the area on Sunday. Residents received her with shouts and demands. They also criticize declarations made by their Morena Party governor Rocio Nahle, who classified what happened as a slight overflow. Families complain about the lack of warning and emergency plans. Their indignation blends with exhaustion and uncertainty, which is perhaps the prevailing sentiment. They say they do not know how many people actually died in the state the official tally stands at 29 or what will happen to their homes. The main roads have been overwhelmed by chaos. Cars and trucks travel from one place to another looking for help, with no apparent plan, in trajectories made confusing by a lack of functioning traffic lights. Restaurants and stores are closed and many businesses were raided during the first days following the floods. The looting started quickly, Roberto says. We stayed in our homes to keep watch, even though there is nothing left to steal. A resident of Colonia Ignacio de la Llave, on Tuesday. Carlo Echegoyen Residents say the only real help has come from the Red Cross and from influencers. The name of Yulay, a State of Mexico Youtuber with more than seven million followers across platforms, frequently comes up. He brought supplies and water to these neighborhoods. On his social media, he has called out how the government has blocked access to those bringing assistance to certain areas. When questioned on the subject on Monday at her daily morning press conference, Sheinbaum responded that, the Mexican people are very generous and always want to help, saying that her administration is working with all transparency on the distribution of donations. On her command, Secretary of the Economy Marcelo Ebrard set up a work group to coordinate the mobilization of resources and private sector donations. The goal, according to Ebrard, is to identify the most urgent needs in collaboration with state governments and to channel support efficiently. Ebrard announced on Tuesday that once the emergency has subsided, economic reactivation programs will be designed for affected regions. Trapped in Alamo Temapache The rains hit hard in five states: Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo, San Luis Potosi and Queretaro. Last weeks torrential downpours left more than 100,000 homes damaged. Veracruz was the most seriously impacted, and Alamo Temapache, located some 34 miles from Poza Rica, is one of the towns that has been most vocal about insufficient government assistance. There, neighbors have been living in the mud for days, amid similar scenes of streets full of furniture, fallen trees and devastated houses. But the difference is that in Alamo Temapache, even less help has arrived. Its roads were blocked by landslides, leaving access difficult. A woman receives assistance from the Red Cross in Alamo Temapache. Carlo Echegoyen Here, disaster took them by surprise, at night. It was Thursday when the nightmare, as it is referred to by neighbors, came to call. Since then, showers have caused panic. It starts to rain and we think its going to happen again. We dont know what to expect, they say, the sound of the stream that washed away their homes audible in the background. Electricity comes and goes. On Tuesday, a Red Cross caravan with an ambulance and five trucks carrying food and water set out from Poza Rica towards Alamo. When they saw the vehicles, neighbors started running to them. Leave food here, we are many families, help!, shouts a woman from the other side of a bridge that no longer exists, leaving them stranded. Volunteers park in front of a line of some 300 people. They pass out emergency kits and attend to wounds inside the ambulance. Gabriel Lopez, head of the flood operations for the Mexican Red Cross, says as he passes out the supplies that the rains have created a complicated situation. The operation is running into difficulties in access because of roadblocks and landslides and other mishaps like flat tires, he says. The mission in this municipality is to deliver food, hygiene supplies and cleaning kits that have been provided by donors like Walmart, to around 2,000 families. Many volunteers have also lost their homes, and they work under physical and emotional strain coordinating the delivery of aid and monitoring health risks resulting from the flooding, says Lopez. Reluctant heroes Inhabitants of Alamo Temapache walk through the mud left by the flooding. Carlo Echegoyen It was five oclock in the morning on Friday in Poza Rica, and Alejandro Olarte was trying to get some sleep. Warnings about the rising levels of the Cazones river were multiplying on social media, but no one knew with any certainty how serious the situation had become. Something wasnt sounding normal, he remembers. He decided to wake up his mother and some neighbors. They got into the car and left minutes before the water reached their street. Having returned to his home, Olarte surveys what remains of what was once his small food store: nothing. Stories like Olartes are repeated throughout Poza Rica. People who warned their neighbors, who ran door to door, who helped others to climb onto roofs. They speak of the man who activated the Pemex whistle, the municipalitys disaster alarm, presumably on his own volition, with no order from his superiors. I dont consider myself a hero, clarifies Olarte. As is often said in the wake of natural disasters, most of the work falls to the survivors themselves. Young people carry heavy furniture, others prepare food for neighbors and distribute water. We are the only ones who know how much we are suffering, says Jorge, an Alamo resident. Here we no longer ask How are you? We just say, courage. Translated by Caitlin Donohue. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Israel has said that one of the four bodies handed over by Hamas on Monday as part of the Gaza peace deal does not belong to a Palestinian. Though it did not provide additional details about the bodys identity or the circumstances of its transfer, Israeli media claimed the remains probably belonged to an unknown Gazan. The bodies were handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross on Tuesday night in Gaza City. They were then transferred to the Israeli military. However, an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post that Hamas had likely sent the wrong remains on Tuesday by mistake, adding that officials hoped another hostage release round would occur later that day. Hamas has not released the names of the hostages whose bodies were returned this week, unlike in previous transfers. This, however, is not the first time that Hamas has released the wrong remains. In February of this year, Hamas returned remains of what it claimed was Shiri Bibas, but it did not match any of the hostages. Meanwhile, the Abu Kabir Institute of Forensic Medicine in Israel confirmed that the remains of the other three were those of hostages Tamir Nimrodi, Uriel Baruch, and Eitan Levy. Nimrodi, a soldier, was abducted alive from his base and is believed to have been killed early in the war. It is not clear what caused his death. Tamir was kidnapped alive and killed by IDF bombings while in captivity while Uriel Baruch, who was initially kidnapped from the Nova music festival. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office warned that Hamas is required to fulfill its commitments to the mediators and to return [the remaining bodies] as part of the agreements implementation. We will not compromise on this and will spare no effort until we bring back all of the fallen hostages, every single one of them, a statement from his office said. US President Donald Trump has said that Hamas will be forced to disarm following questions about the groups future after the signing of the Gaza peace deal. They know I'm not playing games. I spoke to Hamas, and I said, You're going to disarm, right? Yes, sir, we're going to disarm. That's what they told me. They will disarm or we will disarm them," Trump said while speaking to reporters yesterday at the White House after his return from the Middle East. The demand for Hamas to relinquish its weapons is central to the agreement, although it remains loosely defined. The peace plan clearly requires Hamas to disarm and give up its control of the Gaza Strip. However, Trump also acknowledged that Hamas would play a limited role in short-term security operations before the second phase of the agreement begins. He said this temporary cooperation is necessary due to the complexities of rebuilding Gaza, pointing to the risks involved as nearly two million people return to devastated areas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed this ultimatum, using even stronger terms to outline the consequences of non-compliance. He reiterated Trumps message, warning that if Hamas fails to disarm, all hell would break loose. Netanyahu explained that demilitarisation involves two stages. First, Hamas must hand over its weapons. Second, systems must be put in place to prevent weapons manufacturing inside Gaza and the smuggling of arms into the territory. Contrary to expectations for demilitarisation, Hamas is re-establishing its authority in parts of Gaza following the ceasefire and the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces. Armed fighters and police loyal to Hamas have been deployed in various areas, signalling a push to restore their control. The Ministry of Interior, controlled by Hamas since 2007, announced it was working to restore order and issued a general amnesty to members of armed gangs, provided they had not committed murder and turned themselves in within a week. This has been followed by shootings and public executions aimed at so-called collaborators and traitors. The punishments are believed to target individuals associated with Israel-backed militias. One of those executed was Ahmad Zidan al-Tarabin, accused of recruiting agents for the rival Abu Shabab militia. Armed confrontations have also occurred between Hamas forces and the powerful Dagmoush clan in Gaza City. A Hamas security official said that a search was ongoing for Yasser Abu Shabab, the leader of a southern Gaza militia linked to Israel, noting that one of his associates had been killed. Adding further strain to the fragile deal are controversial comments about future settlements. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared during a Simhat Torah gathering that there will be Jewish settlements in Gaza. He made this statement just days after Israeli troops pulled out of parts of the area they had seized. Smotrich tied his vision to the belief that Israels security depends on having settlements in Gaza. He said that while patience is required, determination and faith will guide the effort. His remarks have added a highly divisive element to a peace agreement already struggling with implementation, especially in light of disarmament disputes, violations related to the return of remains, and Hamass violent reassertion of control. The return of the bodies of deceased hostages has emerged as an early crisis threatening the ceasefires stability. While 20 living hostages have been released by Hamas, the group has not fully complied with the clause requiring the return of the remains of up to 28 others. Initially, only four bodies were handed over, identified as Guy Ilouz, Daniel Peretz, Yossi Sharabi and Bipin Joshi. This limited return triggered warnings from Israel, which threatened to keep the Rafah border crossing closed and to scale back humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz added his own warning, focusing on another part of the agreement. He said any delay in returning the remains of Israeli hostages would be treated as a serious breach of the deal and would bring consequences. Following international criticism and allegations that Hamas had broken the agreement, the group returned another four bodies. These were collected by the Red Cross, leaving 20 bodies still unaccounted for. The remains are being examined by the National Institute for Forensic Medicine in Israel before families are notified. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has since demanded that the peace plan be suspended until all deceased hostages are returned. Israeli officials continue to talk to the Red Cross about the return of the remains of the deceased hostages. The issue is also being addressed with other international parties and continues in our actions with the mediators, said Israeli liaison to hostage families, Brigadier General Gal Hirsch, in a statement. I am in constant contact with our representatives in the talks and have been updated on the details. The issue is at the center of the agenda. The Indian curriculum schools in the United Arab Emirates have announced a two-day holiday for students as part of Diwali celebrations, according to reports. This has given Indian students a long four-day weekend, starting this Friday. Though only one school - Our Own Indian School- has so far announced a holiday on Friday and Monday, more schools are likely to follow suit, according to Khaleej Times. Please note that the school will remain closed on Friday, October 17, 2025, and Monday, October 20, 2025, on the occasion of Diwali. Regular school working hours will resume from Tuesday, October 21, 2025," the report quoted the notification. Diwali will be celebrated on October 20, 2025. It is one of the most significant festivals of the Hindu community in the UAE. Diwali fireworks in Dubai As part of Diwali celebrations, fireworks will light up the sky from October 17 to 25 at Al Seef, the historic waterfront destination along Dubai Creek, and Global Village, according to reports. While fireworks will be held at Al Seef on October 17 at 9 am, similar festivities will be held at Global Village on October 18, 19 and 24 and 25. Al Seef will also host the Noor: Festival of Lights, a cultural showcase organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment in association with the Indian consulate. Besides the fireworks, there will also be live music concerts, stand-up comedy events, poetry readings, and dance performances. The Global Village will also host events like traditional Rangoli art painting and Diwali-themed workshops, along with a grand food festival. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced a set of new benefits for Golden Visa holders, a move that could benefit thousands of Indian expatriates who eye the residency programme in the country. As per new norms, foreign residents who hold the 10-year residency permit will now have access to consular services when travelling abroad. This means that Golden Visa holders will now get crucial help and support when overseas, a service that was earlier only available for Emirati citizens. According to a notification by the Emirates News Agency, the move is unprecedented and first of its kind, launched as part of the ongoing Year of Community. What are the benefits? The new norm means that any Golden Visa holder who loses or damages their passport while travelling, will now get a document that will allow them to return to the UAE. The electronic return document will be valid for seven days, according to the new notification. There will also be a new round-the-clock hotline that will provide assistance to Golden Visa holders who require urgent assistance. Other services include availing the emergency and crisis response services that were earlier only available for citizens. This ensures comprehensive care and protection in all circumstances and the repatriation of the mortal remains of Golden Visa holders who pass away abroad. The Golden Visa holders will also be included in any national evacuation and emergency plans when a crisis, such as a natural disaster, occurs in a foreign country. Golden visa holders will be included in emergency plans through coordination with the concerned UAE missions abroad, the notification said. The expansion reflects the UAE Governments bid to enhance efficiency, strengthen inter-agency collaboration, and position the UAE as a global hub attracting talent, investors, innovators, and exceptional professionals to help national growth. As per reports, the UAE Golden Visa has become the second-most sought-after thing after Australias National Innovation Visa. Both Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire amid growing border clashes between the nations. Pakistan said both nations would utilise the window to identify a "constructive solution" for the ongoing clashes. While Pakistan claimed the ceasefire was requested by Afghanistan, the Taliban maintained "Islamabad insisted" on the ceasefire. In a statement, Pakistan Foreign Office said, "A temporary ceasefire has been decided between the Pakistani government and the Afghan Taliban regime, with the mutual consent of both parties, for the next 48 hours from 6pm today, at the request of the Taliban." "During this period, both sides will make sincere efforts to find a positive solution to this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue," it added. Meanwhile, the Taliban maintained that Pakistan insisted on a ceasefire. Confirming the truce, Afghan spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said in a post on X, "At the request and insistence of the Pakistani side, the ceasefire between the two countries will begin after 5.30pm today. The Islamic Emirate also directs all its forces to adhere to the ceasefire and not to violate it after 5.30pm today unless there is a violation." Pakistan's armed forces claimed it conducted precision strikes in Afghanistan's Kandahar province and the capital Kabul. Pakistan claimed "major gains" in its precision strikes against Afghanistan. "Pakistan Armys retaliatory action against Afghan Taliban aggression, key hideouts destroyed. These precision strikes were carried out in Afghanistans Kandahar province. As a result of these strikes, Afghan Taliban Battalion Number 4 and Border Brigade Number 6 completely destroyed. Dozens of foreign and Afghan operatives killed," Dawn reported, quoting Pakistan defence forces. Pakistan Army also claimed it repulsed multiple attacks by the Afghan Taliban while killing over 40 attackers in separate incidents of border clashes between the two countries. Australias high court has rejected US far-right commentator and influencer Candace Owenss legal challenge against the government's decision to bar her from entering the country. Three judges upheld the government's decision, which was made in 2024. The court said that granting her a visitor's visa could incite discord in the Australian community. Court documents showed that Owens failed to meet the countrys character test. The High Court of Australia said that the Home Minister Tony Burkes decision to refuse Owen a visa was not invalid. She was also asked to pay the government's legal costs in the case. Candace Owen is a popular right-wing podcast host, commentator, and author. She has over 18 million followers across social media platforms. Burke has found that Candace, who was a political commentator, author, and activist, was known for her controversial and conspiratorial views, and said that her presence in Australia would amplify her already known ability to incite discord. Just in! Candace Owens has lost her High Court challenge over the Aus Govts decision to deny her entry to Australia pic.twitter.com/QXpyhFxyH5 Vaxatious Litigant (@ExposingNV) October 14, 2025 In the court documents, Burke had said that she made extremist and inflammatory comments towards Muslim, Black, Jewish, and LGBTQIA+ communities, which generate controversy and hatred. Owens legal team had argued that the Migrant Act was unconstitutional because ot infringed o the countrys freedom of political communications. They also argued that Burke had misconstrued his power under that law when they refused her a visa. The judges had rejected both arguments. Previously, Australia had stripped rapper Kanye West of his Australian Visa after he released a song that supported Adolf Hitler in May this year. After Australia made the decision to ban Owens, New Zealand had also joined in November last year. Donald Trump's biographer, Michael Wolff, and Joanna Coles, who hosts the podcast Inside Trump's head, discussed the US presidents recent crash out over his TIME Magazine cover image. They said that the US president was extra upset because of his unflattering hair and neck being portrayed in a magazine he has an obsession with. After TIME magazine unveiled its cover image of Trump for its latest issue, the president took to Truth Social to express his deep disappointment. He was happy with the article that discussed his role in the brokering a peace deal between Israel and Hamas, but called the cover the Worst of All Time. The photograph showcases the presidents chin from a low angle that could have upset anyone. The Daily Beast podcasters said that Trump's dissatisfaction with his latest cover photo, which emphasises his neck and thinning hair, isnt unfounded. In a surprisingly valid crashout, Trump, who was midair in the Air Force One, wrote in the post, They disappeared my hair, and then had something floating on top of my head that looked like a floating crown, but an extremely small one, Trump wrote. Really weird! I never liked taking pictures from underneath angles, but this is a super bad picture and deserves to be called out. What are they doing, and why? Wollf said that the President was right to be upset. You never want someone to take a picture from below, which is a technique that the media or the print media uses when they want to diss somebody, he said. Coles had agreed that it was not a flattering shot. She also noted that editor-in-chief of the left-leaning media company MeidasTouch, Ron Filipkowski, called the skin around the president's neck a neck vagina. In a post on X, Filipkowski had responded to Trump's post about the magazine, saying, They showed his neck vagina. Thats what hes really upset about. They showed his neck vagina. Thats what hes really upset about. pic.twitter.com/w9btQWOFHu Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) October 14, 2025 Wollf told The Daily Beast that the president was still obsessed with TIME, noting a time when he had cancelled a couple of campaign events just because the magazine had called him up. He said that the the campaign staff questioned the president's decision to give a whole day to the magazine, asking, Why are we doing this for time? Does anybody read TIME? Meanwhile, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, who spoke to The Daily Beast, called Michael Wolff a lying sack of s--t and a fraud and said that he routinely fabricates stories. Julie Moreno returned from a trip to Mexico on October 7. On the outbound journey, four days earlier, she had been accompanied by her husband, Neftali Juarez. But on the return home, she traveled alone. Neftali remained in Mexico to avoid falling into the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Theirs is a love story cut short by the Donald Trump administrations campaign of mass deportations. This is not an isolated case, because like this marriage, in which one spouse is undocumented and the other is a U.S. citizen, there are 1.4 million mixed-nationality couples who live in fear of being separated. Separation, however, has become a lesser evil in many cases, given the treatment received by those who end up in ICE custody. Many couples prefer to continue their relationship long-distance rather than enter the uncertain process of detention and deportation. Neftali made the difficult decision to self-deport because the prospect of being detained was more frightening than returning to the country he left more than two decades ago. Before this administration, our greatest fear was deportation and separation. But last year, based on what we were told, it became clear that detention would be the real, most serious, and most terrifying problem, explains his wife, Julie, in a video call with EL PAIS. The numerous complaints about poor conditions in ICE centers, which reveal the overcrowding and mistreatment detainees are subjected to, were not a promising prospect. Nor was the fact that people have disappeared after falling into the hands of the immigration agency. Julie, 47, is an American citizen from New Jersey and has been married to Neftali, 45, since 2017. They met in New York in 2008, when Julie went to visit a friend who worked as a waitress. Thats where she met Neftali. She smiles when she remembers her feelings upon meeting him: When youre attracted to someone who makes you laugh with everything they say, because theyre funny and bright, thats who they are. They have a beautiful spirit. Neftali had a job as a construction worker, and although they considered regularizing his immigration status before getting married, they decided against it because of the costs. The process is very expensive. Its not guaranteed. When we researched it before getting married, I thought, Lets leave it for another time. Its a huge investment, she recalls. At that time, living undocumented in the United States wasnt equivalent to being arrested on the street, sent to a detention center where detainees rights arent respected, and deported to a country that, in many cases, they have never set foot in before, as has been the case since Trump returned to the White House. Julie Moreno and Neftali Juarez Garcia. CORTESIA It wasnt a problem then. There are a lot of immigrants in our area, and no one cared. Our city (Newark, New Jersey) gave him the opportunity to have an ID that didnt display his immigration status, and a drivers license. For a while, we felt like we were fine. But since 2016, the walls have slowly closed in, and now we were completely cornered, Julie says. That year, when Trump assumed office for his first term, the Republicans determination to wage a crusade against migrants was revealed. The courts halted some controversial measures, but his first tenure in the White House served to foreshadow that migrants would remain a target if he returned to the presidency. Julie recalls that, upon learning the results of last Novembers election, which the Republican won by a landslide, she suffered an emotional breakdown. She had already anticipated what was coming, because the largest deportation in history was one of the magnates main campaign promises. When we found out who had won, I said, Im going to get him out of here the first week of January, right before the inauguration, because I knew this was going to happen, she recalls. For her, it was especially frustrating that people believed Trumps rhetoric that he would only deport criminals. That fallacy was soon exposed. ICE detention centers are filled with migrants with no criminal records, and most of those who have been deported were not criminals either. According to ICE data, 319,980 deportations were carried out from October 1, 2024, to September 20, 2025, a number still far from the presidents goal of one million deportations per year. To encourage people to leave of their own volition, the government promoted self-deportations, which are cheaper and more convenient for the administration. In addition to offering a $1,000 reward for voluntary departure which is not always received the appalling conditions in which ICE detainees are held have been a successful tactic to encourage these deportations. According to the Department of Justice, there were 15,241 voluntary departures in the fiscal year ending September 30. Last fiscal year, there were 8,663. The figures, however, do not reflect the full picture, as many people as in Neftalis case leave without informing the authorities. Migrants deported from the United States enter the Returnee Reception Center in Guatemala. Simona Carnino He could no longer resist arrest Ramon Rodriguez Vazquez couldnt hold out any longer. For 16 years, he worked in the fields of southeastern Washington State, where he and his wife of 40 years raised four children and 10 grandchildren. On February 5, immigration agents who came to his home looking for someone else arrested him. He was denied bail, despite letters of support from friends, relatives, his employer, and a doctor who claimed the family needed him because he was the only one who could take his sick granddaughter to her appointments. He was sent to a detention center in Tacoma, Washington, where his health deteriorated rapidly, in part because he was not provided with medication for various conditions, including high blood pressure. The judge granted his request to leave without a formal deportation order being placed on his record, and he left, alone, for Mexico. He had never committed a crime. Like Ramon, Neftali is not a criminal, but he entered the United States illegally twice, which further complicated his attempt to regularize his immigration status. The first time he crossed the border, he was very young, but he wanted to help his family financially because his father had passed away. He spent three years working, but the distance from his loved ones became unbearable in a potentially hostile environment, and he returned to Mexico. In 2004, he re-entered the United States. He worked in New York in various places with the same determination to help his family: a bagel shop, a dry cleaner, restaurants... Thanks to his jobs, he achieved one of his goals, which fills him with pride: paying for his nieces education, who is only one year away from graduating in architecture and becoming the first university degree-holder in her family. A family of Cuban migrants in the United States, September 11, 2025. Eva Marie UZCATEGUI I dont recognize my country The anguish his loved ones in Mexico felt at the prospect of Neftalis arrest was one of the factors that led Julie to reaffirm her decision to separate from her husband. After a phone call in which she heard the concerns of his family, she thought: This isnt just about him and me. There are many people who love him and are suffering with worry and anxiety, and we are lucky that he has a place to go. Neftalis family, who live in the state of Puebla, Mexico, welcomed him with open arms. Across the border, Julie laments the current reality of the United States. This government has turned my country into something I dont recognize. Its not what we American citizens valued; its the opposite. Long gone are the days when she thought they could make a life together in a country that she now feels ashamed of. The last time she had hope was when the Joe Biden administration approved the Keeping Families Together program in August 2024, which would allow some 500,000 undocumented spouses married to U.S. citizens to regularize their immigration status. Julie and Neftali applied, but their hope lasted only a few days the time it took a judge in Texas, at the request of prosecutors in several Republican-governed states, to declare the program, also known as Parole in Place, illegal. The impossibility of offering a legal path to undocumented immigrants who have been in the country for decades, who have formed families and businesses, and who have made the United States their only home, is one of the reasons why political circles agree that the immigration system is broken. The question is whether there is a willingness to fix it. This problem has existed for 30 years. Many Republicans and Democrats have controlled the White House. In Congress, neither party has done anything to fix it. No effort has been invested in solving it, and families are being separated, says Ashley DeAzevedo, executive director of American Families United, an organization that advocates for mixed-status families. Were no longer talking about border security. Now were talking about domestic enforcement. And with that should come a solution to this immigration system. The one thing we all agree on is that this system is broken, he adds. In addition to the 1.4 million mixed-status couples living in the United States, there are approximately 300,000 whose spouses have already left the country and are trying to regularize their status remotely. But under current law, they have to wait 10 years before re-entering the country, a penalty for having entered the U.S. illegally in the past that means those who do so lose valuable years in their relationship with their partner or in raising their children, if they have any. ICE agents arrest a person in Denver on February 18, 2025. ICE Denver (EFE) Julie acknowledges that not having children is an advantage in their case. Also, the fact that Neftali has a welcoming family in Mexico. His brother has even found him a job at a construction company with real estate projects in Baja California, near the tourist destination of Los Cabos. His fluency in English is a significant asset. But nothing changes the fact that this couples happiness has been cut short. Every night they meet via video call and have long conversations that help them overcome the drama theyre experiencing. We talk until late at night and laugh together. But I cant reach out to touch him anymore, like I could when we used to sit together on the couch every night, Julie laments. It feels like Ive lost a limb. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition UK veterinary practices will be forced to be more transparent on pricing from next year as part of a suite of proposals designed to clamp down on the surging cost of vet care. The Competition and Markets Authority on Wednesday published a list of 21 proposals the regulator says will lead to greater consumer choice and savings. This includes a new 16 price cap on prescriptions and a new comprehensive price comparison website. The regulator warned the current system for regulating Britain's 6.3billion vet services market is 'not fit for purpose' after a probe found average prices rocked 63 per cent between 2016 and 2023. Pet owners are currently paying 16.6 per cent more on average at large vet groups than at independent vets, according to the CMA, which thinks profits are 'much higher than they should be' throughout a 'substantial part of the market' because of weak competition standards. Dog days: Pet owners have seen vet prices soar in recent years Martin Coleman, chair of the CMA's inquiry group, said: 'Pet owners are often left in the dark, not knowing whether their practice is independent or part of a chain or what a fair price looks like. 'They are sometimes committing to expensive treatment without understanding the price in advance. And they do not always feel confident asking for a prescription or buying medicine online - even when it could save them hundreds of pounds. 'Even where pet owners could access some of this information, it is difficult for them to compare prices and services - despite the fact that, in most of the country, there are several local practices they could choose between.' However, the CMA has stripped back an initial set of 28 proposals to reform the regulatory system, which included a ban on bonuses linked to offering specific treatments. The vet industry is invited to comment on the CMA's proposals ahead of a 12 November deadline and the publication of the regulator's final decision in March next year. The CMA thinks some measures could come into force by the end of next year. Commenting on the CMA's proposals, Britain's largest veterinary practice provides CVS said: 'We are pleased to see that the CMA has considered our and the veterinary profession's feedback on the initial 28 remedies proposed in May 2025, which have been refined to 21 with no new remedies introduced. 'Whilst we do not believe that all of these remedies are fully justified, we will be working with the CMA to refine the remedies package to ensure it is workable and deliverable and have plans in place to implement them, including joint branding of our practices and the publishing of standardised price lists.' British Veterinary Association President Dr. Rob Williams raised concerns about how some of the proposed measures will 'impact how services are delivered'. He said: 'In particular, we need clarity on the proposed introduction of comprehensive price lists, because how vet care is delivered is varied and complex and unless the CMA gets this right, it could end up creating greater confusion for consumers, which in turn could have a negative impact on animal welfare.' CVS shares were up 6.1 per cent in early trading on Wednesday, while rival Pets at Home shares were up 3.5 per cent. Derren Nathan, head of equity research at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: 'The outcome is broadly as expected, but with no major negative surprises should alleviate the uncertainty that's been weighing on consumer and investor sentiment. 'That's seen a share price increase for Pets at Home, with its growing veterinary offer, and a bigger spike for CVS Group, which is more of a pure play on the industry. That said, the line under the matter has only been pencilled in so far. 'A further consultation is underway and a deadline for publication of the final decision has been set for March 2026.' The CMA's proposals The CMA's Coleman said the regulator's reforms aim to drive a 'transformation in the experience of pet owners and empowering them to make the best choices for their circumstances'. He added: 'We believe that our proposals would enable pet owners to choose the right vet, the right treatment, and the right way to purchase medicine - without confusion or unnecessary cost.' The CMA will require vet businesses to publish comprehensive price lists, be clear if they are part of a large group, and make sure that their policies and processes allow vets to act in the best interests of pets and pet owners. It says it will make it easier for pet owners to access cheaper medicines online, including by requiring vets to tell pet owners about savings they make by buying medicines online, and cap the price of providing prescriptions at 16. Vets will also be required to give pet owners clear price information when they are choosing a treatment, with prices in writing for treatments over 500 and itemised bills. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons will also be required to enhance its 'Find a Vet' website to include pricing data. Vets will additionally be required to give clear price information to pet owners arranging a cremation, and pricing breakdowns for pet care plans. The CMA is recommending that the government 'urgently prioritises' a new Veterinary Surgeons Act and updates regulation to include veterinary businesses, as well as individual vets and nurses, and give the regulator powers to set and enforce requirements and standards for these businesses. Bankers in Britain will soon receive their bonuses faster under reforms designed to boost the City's competitiveness in the race for top finance talent. Top bankers will soon be able to get their bonuses in their bank accounts twice as quickly than before, the Bank of England said on Wednesday. The length of time senior bakers have to wait before receiving the full amount of their bonus, known as the deferral period, is being cut from eight to four years. It means bonuses can be received even faster than than Britain's central bank previous proposal to cut deferral periods to five years for certain bankers. This week the Bank said it would also give firms 'flexibility' over the proportion of bonuses for top bankers paid in upfront cash. The looser rules come into force on 16 October 2025, in time, luck would have it, for 2025 pay awards and any other awards made but not yet fully paid. In the money: Bankers in Britain will soon receive their bonuses faster under reforms announced by the Bank of England The changes will also include the lifting of restrictions on the proportion of bonuses that need to be deferred. The new rules will bring Britain more closely in line with many other major jurisdictions, according to the Prudential Regulatory Authority. Sarah Pritchard, deputy chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority, said: 'Streamlining our remuneration rules by 70 per cent will cut unneeded complexity and make them simpler to follow.' She added: 'And were working faster and smarter to support growth by letting firms apply the changes to this years pay cycle. 'The new rules also mean senior managers will continue to follow our high standards and remain on the hook where poor decisions affect consumers and markets.' Sam Woods, deputy governor of PRA and chief executive of the Prudential Regulation Authority, said: 'These new rules will cut red tape without encouraging the reckless pay structures that contributed to the 2008 financial crisis. 'These changes are the latest example of our commitment to boosting UK competitiveness.' The changes are the latest sign of regulators vowing to slash compliance costs for businesses after Rachel Reeves urged watchdogs to adopt a pro-growth approach. The proposals follow a consultation over simplifying banker remuneration conducted by the PRA. Regulators imposed rules to defer senior manager bonuses after the 2007 to 2009 global financial crisis triggered concerns that bumper year-end cash bonuses could encourage bankers to take excessive risks and undermine the global financial system. But, critics had said the rules put Britain at a competitive disadvantage to rival financial centres, where most bonuses are typically subject to deferral periods of three to five years. The changes announced by the Bank this week follow former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng's decision to axe the bonus cap, an EU rule which restricted the size of banker bonus rewards as a proportion of their fixed pay. Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Natwest and Standard Chartered paid their staff a combined total of 7.1billion in bonus cash and shares for their performances last year. Commenting on Wednesday's update, Alex Davies, chief executive and founder of Wealth Club, told the Daily Mail: 'This is great news for the economy. 'Allowing bankers to receive bonuses more quickly not only boosts tax revenues for the Treasury, it also has a much wider impact. 'When bonuses are paid, they are spent - on homes, renovations, restaurants, holidays, and luxury goods - supporting jobs across countless industries. 'Many are also reinvested into UK start-ups, fuelling innovation, creating employment, and driving growth. 'In short, enabling bonuses over a shorter timeframe doesnt just reward individuals; it sends positive ripples through the entire economy. 'Crucially, the relaxed rules also send a clear message to the world: Britain is open for business and firmly on the side of financial services, one of its most productive industries. 'At the same time, the regulatory framework hopefully remains robust enough to avoid the kind of excessive risk-taking that led to the financial crisis.' Homeland Security says it has intelligence indicating that up to $50,000 is being offered for actions against immigration officers in Chicago The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released a statement to the effect that it has obtained credible intelligence indicating Mexican criminal organizations unspecified by name have begun offering bounties for the assault, kidnapping, or killing of federal ICE or Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents. According to U.S. authorities, the instructions have been given specifically in the city of Chicago, where DHS has been conducting Operation Midway Blitz for over a month to search for and detain undocumented migrants in the countrys third-largest city. According to the brief press release, Mexican criminal networks have directed collaborators in the United States to monitor, harass, and even assassinate deployed federal agents. They detail a structured reward system to incentivize violence against federal personnel, with payments increasing based on rank and the action taken: $2,000 for gathering information or disclosing personal data about agents, including photos and family details; between $5,000 and $10,000 for kidnapping or non-lethal assaults on ICE or CBP agents; and up to $50,000 for the assassination of high-ranking officials. In Chicagos predominantly Mexican neighborhoods of Pilsen and Little Village, alleged gang members from groups like the so-called Latin Kings have posted lookouts on neighborhood rooftops, equipped with firearms and radios, DHS says. They add that this surveillance has led to ambushes and disturbances during routine police operations and immigration raids. Most of the accusations are focused on Chicago, but DHS is also targeting groups allegedly affiliated with Antifa recently designated a terrorist group by the Trump administration, despite no clear evidence of its existence as an organized entity in Portland, Oregon, another city where federal agents have been deployed in recent weeks. It accuses them of providing logistical support for protests, disclosing agents private information, and directly interfering in operations to protect individuals allegedly linked to cartels from deportation proceedings. These criminal networks are not just resisting the rule of law, they are waging an organized campaign of terror against the brave men and women who protect our borders and communities, Secretary Kristi Noem said in the official statement. Our agents are facing ambushes, drone surveillance, and death threats, all because they dare to enforce the laws passed by Congress. We will not back down from these threats, and every criminal, terrorist, and illegal alien will face American justice. The DHS accusations bring together two declared enemies of Trumpism who have occasionally clashed, though generally remained separate targets: on the one hand, migrants and their defenders, such as sanctuary cities, and on the other, Latin American drug cartels. The Trump administration has devoted virtually all the domestic force the federal government can deploy to the former it has recruited thousands of agents from agencies like the DEA and FBI for immigration duties and has sent National Guard troops to so-called sanctuary cities like Chicago and Portland inflaming the atmosphere despite presenting themselves as peacekeepers. And the latter have been categorized as terrorist groups, which allows the White House to legally attack them directly, even abroad, as it has done with the alleged drug boats it has sunk in Caribbean waters near Venezuela in recent weeks. If in each previous case the accusatory statements presented without evidence by the government were the preamble to military action alleged riots led by Antifa to justify the deployment of the National Guard, so far denied by two judges who have halted the internal military mobilization this new escalation could have unforeseeable consequences. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition 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. BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin on Tuesday met separately with Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova, Iranian Vice President Zahra Behrouz Azar, and Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Zulaykho Makhkamova, who are in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. In the meeting with Iotova, Shen, also president of the All-China Women's Federation, said that China-Bulgaria relations have made positive progress under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, and China stands ready to work with Bulgaria to further deepen cooperation in fields such as culture, education, and women's all-round development. Iotova underlined the significance of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, expressing the country's readiness to continue promoting practical cooperation between the two countries in areas including women's rights protection. When meeting with Behrouz Azar, Shen noted that China is ready to strengthen communication and coordination with Iran, and under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, join hands to push China-Iran relations toward greater progress. Behrouz Azar highly commended the development of bilateral relations, saying that Iran is willing to deepen cooperation with China in various fields for the benefit of the two peoples. During her meeting with Makhkamova, Shen said that China is ready to work with Uzbekistan to fully implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen cooperation in various fields including women's development, and jointly build a China-Uzbekistan community with a shared future. Makhkamova lauded China's progress in advancing women's development, saying that Uzbekistan stands ready to take the implementation of the meeting outcomes as an opportunity to jointly promote the development of women's cause. We've got more on the way but for right now we wanted to take a moment and roundup tragic local street life along with court cases, police action and more community outreach. Check TKC news gathering . . . Photos released of suspect car involved in hit-and-run last month: KCPD Kansas City police are asking the public for help in identifying a car they believe belongs to a suspect who was involved in a hit-and-run last month. Young girl riding bicycle across street hit, killed by cargo van Police say the crash is still under investigation. Missouri man who maintains innocence set to be executed for killing state trooper A Missouri man is set to be executed on Tuesday for fatally shooting a state trooper more than 20 years ago Family of Charles Adair asking for $25 million settlement after jail death The family of Charles Adair has asked Wyandotte County for a $25 million settlement after the death of the 50-year-old in the Wyandotte County Detention Center this summer. Missouri governor defends pro-life stance amid criticism for denying death row inmate Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe denied clemency in the first execution of his tenure. Defense seeks competency evaluation in Seneca priest murder case Gary Hermesch stands charged with 1st-degree murder, stemming from the April 3, 2025, killing of Father Arul Carasala. Suspect arrested in connection with a March shooting in Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, Kansas Police arrest suspect in March shooting. Rene Najera charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery and assault. Endangered Silver Advisory issued Tuesday night for missing Platte City, Missouri, man The Platte City Police Department issued an Endangered Silver Advisory Thursday night for a missing 74-year-old man who hasn't been seen in almost a month. Trial Delayed: KCFD Cpt. claims he was retaliated against for whistleblowing, long COVID A jury trial for a fire captain who claims he was retaliated against by the department has been delayed. Wichita abduction: Woman seen being taken by force in doorbell video found safe, police say | CNN A woman seen on a home surveillance video being taken by force by a man in Wichita, Kansas, has been located safely, police said Tuesday. Kansas City man pleads guilty after Detective witnesses shooting Clifford E. Porter pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm and a drug charge during a hearing in September. 'When we bring them into the room, it's almost like a relief': Detectives share effects of new room A nonprofit based in Texas called Project Beloved helps police departments, the military and the FBI set up "soft interview rooms" all over the country. This includes three in Missouri and 10 in Kansas. Its goal is to design these rooms in all 50 states. Developing . . . We're not gonna push the lame "war crime" debate . . . Instead we'll just encourage locals to see the big picture . . . TRUMAN IS GREAT BUT HE DOESN'T HAVE A BIG LEGACY OUTSIDE FLYOVER COUNTRY!!! Don't blame TKC . . . Blame American public education. Instead . . . The Kansas City branding is much more important to keep than an old school ally of the Pendergast mob who is nearly forgotten outside of the metro. We actually hope we're wrong about this one if only because it would be befitting of Truman's legacy. Here's some info to the contrary . . . "When international travelers arrive in Kansas City next summer, they could be stepping into a terminal named after one of Missouris most famous leaders. A Kansas City Council committee has advanced a proposal to rename the citys new airport facility the Harry S. Truman Terminal, honoring the former president and Independence native." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . It's not exactly "the resistance" but maybe one less useless thing to listen to for weary travelers. Here's the word and part of what could be a cowtown flex against the administration ahead of midterms. Check-it . . . Kansas City International Airport has declined to play a video that blames Democrats for the ongoing federal government shutdown. The video, featuring United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, was sent to airports nationwide for display at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints. We will continue to do all that we can to avoid delays that will impact your travel, and our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government," Noem says in the video. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . KMBC: Kansas City International Airport declines to show Kristi Noem shutdown video Fox4: KCI among US airports pushing back on Trump administration's shutdown message The Hill: Some airports refusing to play Noem video blaming Democrats for shutdown Developing . . . It's always fun watching amateur online economists argue with people who do this kinda thing for a living. Here's the reporting that might be a little bit slanted even if the numbers should speak for themself . . . The Kansas state general fund was already projected to have a negative ending balance by the end of fiscal year 2029. Now, that budget hole could hit a year sooner, said Sean Tomb, a budget analyst at the Kansas Division of the Budget. That's due to lower corporate income tax revenue than was predicted before the federal government cut taxes. The federal tax cuts will cut state tax revenue by at least $100 million, Tomb said while speaking at the Greater Topeka Partnership's economic outlook conference at Washburn University Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Hutch News/ TCJ: Big Beautiful Bill corporate tax cuts accelerate Kansas budget hole Thank you for signing up! Youll soon be getting your Toronto scoop in your inbox. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page. BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Huning on Tuesday met with Sylvanie Burton, president of the Commonwealth of Dominica, 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, said that Dominica is a good friend and partner of China in the Caribbean. China is willing to work with Dominica to continue expanding cooperation in various fields, jointly advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and continuously deepen the friendship between the two countries, added Wang. Burton said that Dominica firmly adheres to the one-China principle, expressed gratitude for China's long-term support and assistance to the country's development, and voiced willingness to deepen strategic communication and cooperation across various fields with China. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. The number of joint ventures between Azerbaijan and Belarus is constantly growing, which indicates the high stability of mutual flows of goods and services, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus, Dmitry Pinevich told the media on the sidelines of the Azerbaijan-Belarus business forum in Baku, Trend reports. According to him, joint industrial cooperation between Azerbaijan and Belarus contributes to the development of mutual supplies, strengthening trade ties, and reducing logistics costs. "Our main goal is to supply goods to the Belarusian market and, conversely, to the Azerbaijani market, but this is a crucial component because our markets are highly competitive, especially the Azerbaijani ones. There is no shortage of goods. Our goal is joint industrial cooperation," the diplomat emphasized. The ambassador pointed out that industrial cooperation facilitates the creation of joint ventures, which are the result of profound structural changes in the industrial sector and strengthen the potential of both sides. "This allows us to more sustainably maintain our presence in the market under the Made in Azerbaijan brand, just as in Belarus, the Made in Belarus brand is associated with quality," he added. Speaking about the existing difficulties, Pinevich underlined that the distance between the two countries - approximately 2,800 kilometers - remains the main logistical challenge; however, the political situation doesn't negatively impact economic cooperation. "Joint production is one of the tools for reducing logistics costs. Not only is the business structure present here, but also a representative office of the Great Stone Industrial Park. This is one example of how we can optimize logistics," the ambassador noted. He also emphasized the significant potential for cooperation in IT, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals, where logistics plays a lesser role. "Azerbaijan's IT sector is one of the most advanced in the region, and we see great prospects for technological cooperation," said Pinevich. The diplomat stressed that developing direct business contacts and holding B2B meetings are key tools for strengthening bilateral cooperation. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. Joint Belarusian-Azerbaijani projects in industry, agriculture, and construction are actively developing in Azerbaijan, strengthening economic cooperation between the countries, Deputy Executive Director of the Export and Investment Promotion Agency of Azerbaijan-AZPROMO, Tural Hajili said at the Azerbaijan-Belarus business forum in Baku, Trend reports. According to him, an agreement on the joint production and sale of elevators in Azerbaijan was signed last October. "The first stage this year is planned to assemble 200 elevators. Business forum participants were able to learn about the joint venture at the Baku Build exhibition, where they had their own stand," he announced. According to Hajili, agriculture remains an important area of cooperation: the working group is promoting projects to increase mutual supplies of agricultural products and attract investment in the agricultural sector, including seed production, livestock farming, and veterinary medicine. "Large-scale projects are being implemented in the Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur economic regions, and Karabakh has been declared a green energy zone. Particular attention is being paid to renewable energy sources," he said. He pointed out that tax incentives are in place to enhance investment attractiveness: residents are exempt from income, property, land, and simplified taxation for 10 years. Hajili noted that the region boasts the Agdam Industrial Park, a modern infrastructure funded by the state, which reduces entry barriers and accelerates project implementation. Active joint efforts on exports were also noted, contributing to the further strengthening of economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Belarus. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. 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. The 44-day second Karabakh war ended with the liberation of Azerbaijans territories from nearly 30-year Armenian occupation and the restoration of territorial integrity. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has given an interview to Director General of "Rossiya Segodnya International News Agency" media holding Dmitry Kiselev for the Russian RIA Novosti agency. Trend presents the interview. - Mr. President, thank you very much for this opportunity to ask you questions at such a difficult time for Azerbaijan and for the whole world. How would you assess the results of military action since 27 September? What are the losses of the sides, according to your estimates, and are there many prisoners? - On 27 September, Azerbaijan was subjected to yet another attack of the Armenian armed forces. This was not the first attack in the past three months. Something similar but on a smaller scale took place at the state border in July. That attack was repulsed. Then in August, a sabotage group was sent from the Armenian side to commit terrorist acts against the civilian population and against the military and the head of this group was detained and is now giving evidence. At the end of September, our settlements were also subjected to artillery fire, and in the very first hours we had casualties both among the civilian population and among the military. To date, we have 43 civilian deaths and more than 200 wounded, about 2,000 houses in villages and towns adjacent to the line of contact are either completely destroyed or damaged. Unfortunately, artillery shelling from Armenia have continued after the agreement on the parameters of a ceasefire was reached, including the barbaric bombing of the city of Ganja, as a result of which 10 civilians were killed and about 40 were wounded. As for the losses on the battlefield, according to our data, the losses of the Armenian side are much higher than ours. We will announce our losses among servicemen after the active phase of the conflict. As for the results of the military action, they have been very successful for the Azerbaijani army. We have managed to break through the deeply echeloned defenses of the opposing side. In some areas, there were even four lines of defense. The mountainous terrain, of course, makes the defense much easier than the counteroffensive. To date, dozens of settlements have been liberated from the occupation, including the city of Jabrayil and most of the villages of Jabrayil district, the vast majority of villages in Fizuli district, and the settlement of Sugovushan, which is of strategic importance. We have driven the occupiers out of strategic heights on the Murovdag mountain range and continue our successful operation to restore the territorial integrity of our country. - Mr. President, we have been hearing from different sources about the participation of mercenaries from Syria or Libya on the side of the Azerbaijani army. To what extent is this true? - I have already spoken on this topic many times. There is no need for any foreign military participation in Azerbaijan. Our army consists of more than 100,000 fighters and, if necessary, with mobilization, this figure can be increased several times. Today, the armed formations available to us are fully capable of completing any task. Footage of the destruction of Armenian military equipment is available on the Internet. Of course, no mercenary possesses such qualifications and such technical capabilities. We have destroyed more than a billion dollars worth of the opposing sides military equipment by means of unmanned attack aircraft alone, and this does not include other resources at our disposal. The potential of the Azerbaijani army is well known what we have is no secret. Therefore, we have no need for additional military forces. Azerbaijan has always been a consistent fighter against international terrorism. We will never allow any terrorist organizations to build nests on our territory, even more so to pose a threat to our people and our neighbors. We will never allow this. No-one has provided us with any evidence of the presence of foreign armed formations on the territory of Azerbaijan in the current clashes. Our official position is that we have no foreign mercenaries. - The Moscow agreements of 10 October mention the fundamental principles of the settlement. Can you please decipher these principles the way you understand them? - These principles have been developed over many years, over more than 10 years, I would say. In the process of my work with the previous leadership of Armenia, we actively moved forward in the process of coordinating positions. It was very difficult. Negotiations are a difficult process in themselves, and even more so on such an important issue. Nevertheless, both sides showed a desire to follow the path of a political settlement. Unfortunately, after the current government of Armenia came to power, everything that had been accumulated before was simply thrown into the waste basket by the Armenian side. There was also an attempt to change the format of negotiations, to involve the authorities of the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh republic" in the negotiations, which was rejected both by us and the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. As for the fundamental principles, everything is explicitly spelled out there. The liberation of the occupied Azerbaijani districts is to be carried out in a phased manner. At the first stage, it is the southeastern part of the occupied territories five districts. At the second stage, it is the territories located between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Lachin and Kalbajar districts, the opening of all communications, including communications located in other parts of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the return of refugees and internally displaced persons to their places of original residence, which implies the return of Azerbaijani refugees to Shusha and other parts of the former Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region. And then the negotiations on the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh to be agreed by the parties. In a nutshell, these are the fundamental principles for which Azerbaijan has always expressed respect we have developed them. But the new Armenian government has repeatedly stated that they were unacceptable, that they would not return a single centimeter of our lands. The prime minister said this. The Armenian defense minister said that Armenia was preparing for a new war for new territories. There were incessant threats and insults addressed to us, which resulted in such confrontation. I think that the Armenian side should soberly assess the current situation and be committed to the ceasefire, which it violated in a barbaric manner a few hours later by bombing the sleeping city of Ganja. - Mr. President, if we talk about compromises, what kind of compromises would you still be ready for? Is there a red line you will not cross under any circumstances? - Our position has always been very constructive and consistent. It also relies on the norms of international law in terms of the implementation of four UN Security Council resolutions, which demand complete, immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces from our territories. Our position has always been based on a pragmatic approach, and I think that the developments that exist at the negotiating table clearly show this. As for the "red lines", we have stated this very clearly, and the Minsk Group co-chairs are well aware of this: under no circumstances can the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan be violated, under no circumstances will Azerbaijan give its consent to the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh. At the same time, our proposal proceeded from the fact that in the future, the Armenian community and the Azerbaijani community should live peacefully and coexist on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. By the way, this is the case in other settlements of Azerbaijan, including Baku where there is an Armenian community of many thousands of people. It is also the case in Russia, in Georgia, in other countries where Armenians and Azerbaijanis sometimes live and work in the same village, and there are no contradictions between them. Why can't this be achieved here? We are committed to this but, of course, the consequences of ethnic cleansing must be eliminated and all our internally displaced persons must return to their own homes. In principle, I have explained a little more than the fundamental principles and our approach to possible compromises. - Mr. President, the brutality of this war has already gone down in history, and you are already a part of the history of this war. How would you like to stay in history? - You know, any war is about cruelty, sacrifices, human suffering and loss of loved ones. The difference is that for the Azerbaijani people it is a war of liberation, while for Armenia it is a war of aggression. It is no secret to anyone, and this is a fact the international mediators already know, that the so-called "army of Nagorno-Karabakh" does not exist. Today, the entity the Armenian side refers to consists of citizens of Armenia by 90 percent. They are called up for military service by Armenian military registration and enlistment offices and sent to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan: to Aghdam, Fizuli, Jabrayil, Kalbajar, Gubadli, Lachin, Zangilan. The question is: what are they doing there? Today, Armenian occupying forces sit on internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan. Nothing can justify this: neither from the point of view of international law nor from the point of view of human morality. It is impossible to pursue a policy of preventing Azerbaijanis from entering their ancestral lands for 30 years. These are the territories the Armenian population had never lived before. Another question is that everything there is destroyed, and it will take a lot of time and effort to return there. But this position cannot be justified in any way. Therefore, we and our servicemen are fighting and dying on Azerbaijani soil, while Armenian soldiers are dying on the land their government wants to keep under occupation. As for the role in history, you know, I have never thought about that, especially now. My main goal is to justify the confidence of the Azerbaijani people, to keep the promises I have made throughout the years I have been in this position, lead the country along the path of development, and ensure its territorial integrity. The way my role will be assessed in the future will depend on the will of the Azerbaijani people and what we achieve. Therefore, I think that this issue should be left to those whose opinion has always been of primary importance for me in making certain decisions, including those related to the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh. - Mr. President, thank you! I have asked all the questions I wanted to ask. Perhaps you would like to add something from yourself? - I would like to take this opportunity and, by the way, express my gratitude for this opportunity to address the multimillion Russian audience. I would just like a little more understanding of Azerbaijan's position. Because sometimes there are different opinions in connection with the conflict, its history and its current state. Based on facts, I want to bring to the attention of our viewers what actually happened and is happening. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Karabakh and Shusha Khan Ibrahim Khalil, his status was exactly that, signed an agreement with Tsarist Russia represented by General Tsitsianov on the entry of the Karabakh Khanate into Russia. The text of the agreement, called the Kurekchay agreement, is available on the Internet and everyone can familiarize themselves with it. So this agreement does not say a single word about the Armenian population of the Karabakh Khanate. Large-scale resettlement of the Armenian population to this region began after the two Russo-Persian wars of 1813 and 1828. Since then, a mass resettlement of Armenians to the Karabakh region began from the territory of modern Iran and partly Eastern Anatolia. This is about who this land belongs to historically. After the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1918, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the Armenian independent state were established. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was established within all these territories. Moreover, the day after the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, it decided to transfer the city of Yerevan to Armenia as the capital. This is also a historical fact. In 1921, the Caucasian Bureau decided to leave Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, and not to transfer it to Azerbaijan as some pseudo-historians interpret it. This is the history of this region. Well, I think everyone knows what happened on the eve of the collapse of the USSR. After all, the collapse of the USSR also began with separatism in Nagorno-Karabakh. This became the trigger. Many people forget those rallies, who masterminded them, who was behind them. I often say that Pashinyan is a product of Soros. And I think everyone will agree with me. But Soros is no longer even a person, this is a concept. I do not rule out at all that even then, in order to destroy the great country, such instruments were put into operation: blow up from within, sow discord, set people against each other and destroy states. And this, by the way, is exactly what happened. Therefore, I would just like to bring these historical facts to the attention of the Russian public and say that Azerbaijan and Russia are linked by centuries-old bonds of friendship, cooperation and mutual understanding. I am sure that no force can influence this. Although we are seeing attempts from different directions to bring discord and some kind of mistrust. But thanks to the consistent policy of both the Russian and Azerbaijani leadership, not only do we not fall back, but we actually move forward. Today Russia and Azerbaijan call each other strategic partners. The level of interaction between our countries can serve as an example to any neighbors. And I am sure that after the military phase of the conflict ends and we move on to a political settlement and we are ready to do this even tomorrow if the Armenian side abandons its attempts to forcefully return what it has lost and what does not belong to it I am sure that Russia will continue to play a leading role in stabilizing our region. Therefore, I would like to convey my greetings and best wishes to all the Russians through your channel. Last year, one million Russians visited Azerbaijan. Hopefully, after the pandemic, this dynamic will be restored. We are always glad to see our guests from Russia. They also know that when they come to Azerbaijan, they feel at home. - Mr. President, thank you very much for this sincere interview. - Thank you. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. 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. The 44-day second Karabakh war ended with the liberation of Azerbaijans territories from nearly 30-year Armenian occupation and the restoration of territorial integrity. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has been interviewed by Turkish NTV TV channel. Trend presents the interview. - Mr. President, first of all, thank you very much on behalf of NTV. Thank you for receiving us at this historic time, on such important days for both the region and Azerbaijan, despite your busy schedule. - Thank you. - Mr. President, the first question will be related to the frontline. What territories have been liberated under occupation since 27 September? Good news has been coming in the last two days. - Yes, the news is coming. It is possible to say that the Azerbaijani Army is conducting successful operations every day. The public is also aware about these operations. Our main goal is to restore our territorial integrity. Therefore, the main goal on the battlefield is also to liberate strategic heights from the invaders and take control of large territories. The statement I made yesterday made the people of Azerbaijan happy again. Three villages of Fuzuli and five villages of Khojavand districts have been liberated from the invaders. I must also say that we already control strategic heights in the northern, southern, and eastern directions. Our successful operation continues. To date of course, these numbers change on a daily basis about 40, perhaps even more settlements, cities and villages have been liberated from the occupiers. Very soon there will be more good news, great news. - I think you are close to Khankandi. - We are currently conducting major operations in the northern and southern directions. As you know, as a result of a successful operation, we have liberated the city of Jabrayil from occupation. Most of the villages in Jabrayil district are already with us. At the same time, we have liberated many villages in Fuzuli district. I am sure that more good news will come from Fuzuli district in the near future. Also, as a result of a successful operation in the northern direction, the settlement of Sugovushan has been liberated from the invaders. It is also of strategic importance because the heights located there allow the opportunity to control a vast territory. In addition, there is a very important water reservoir. Armenia had also masterminded a water terror against us, and more than one hundred thousand hectares of our lands were left without water. We were forced to drill artesian wells. After the reservoir in Sugovushan settlement came under our control, water started to be supplied to a vast territory. Therefore, we are carrying out the operation gradually and on the basis of a single plan. All goals have been identified. The Armenian side must reckon with this reality and stop the aggression, observe the ceasefire, and leave the rest of the land of its own free will, so that no blood is shed, and the issue is resolved peacefully. - Mr. President, I would like to ask if it is still possible to talk about a ceasefire? As we can see, Armenia does not observe the ceasefire. During the attack on Ganja, I was also in that region. Apparently, Armenia is not going to observe it. Has this ceasefire reduced the speed of the Azerbaijani army? What can you say about this? - You know, we made a huge gesture to the mediators because, as you know, from the first days we started receiving messages from various places related to the ceasefire. Naturally, peace has its own rules, and war has its own rules and laws. If someone attacks you, you must defend your land and your citizens. As you know, the introduction of a ceasefire is primarily related to humanitarian issues. Certain work has been done in this direction. We have taken very important actions to exchange bodies. We have involved the International Organization of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in this work. Unfortunately, Armenia, taking advantage of the ceasefire, capitalizing on it, launched new attacks on us. It bombed not only the city of Ganja but also our other cities and villages. This is a war crime, an act of terrorism. Armenia as a terrorist country has once again shown its face to the whole world, and on the battlefield too. Following the ceasefire, they wanted to take this opportunity to launch several attacks on Hadrut. They tried to regain control over it. However, they could not do it and lost a lot of manpower and equipment there. Attacks were organized against us in other directions in Jabrayil district, in the southern direction of Jabrayil along the Araz River. All these attacks, of course, were suppressed. This shows that Armenia is insincere at the negotiating table too. Therefore, if this dirty policy continues in Armenia, they will regret it. From the first hours of these battles, I appealed to them and the Armenian people. I said: leave these lands in a peaceful way so that blood is not shed and people do not die. Unfortunately, Armenia does not observe this. Today, the main culprit for the fact that the Armenian army is completely defeated on the battlefield is the military-political leadership of Armenia. - You also spoke about the importance of Turkiye's participation in the settlement of the Karabakh problem. Yesterday, after the conversation between Mr. Erdogan and Mr. Putin, Ankara made a statement on the settlement within the framework of the Minsk Group and bilateral relations. However, Sergey Lavrov yesterday objected and said that Turkiye and Russia had different positions on the Karabakh issue. What do you think about this? Why does Russia object to Turkiye's participation in the process that you support? What would you like to say about this? - It would be better if you asked them. I would not like to comment on their statements. We simply have to consider the existing realities. These realities, the true situation is that no issue in the region can be resolved without Turkiye's participation today. The history of recent years has already shown this. Someone may like it, some may not, but this is a fact, a reality. Of course, Turkiye as a neighbor of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and another South Caucasian country, Georgia, plays an active role in this region. This is the right of Turkiye. This has been the case historically. We know history well. Therefore, from the first hours of these battles, in order to move this problem from a military onto a political plane, a political process, we expressed a very open and precise position: Turkiye must definitely participate in these matters. If this happens, the fighting will end and the peace process will begin very soon. I also said that Turkiye was already in this process, as evidenced by yesterday's conversation between Mr. Erdogan and Mr. Putin. In addition, a few days earlier, there were telephone conversations between the foreign ministers, defense ministers of Turkiye and Russia. They are discussing the Karabakh issue. Therefore, our position is that Turkiye must be there. The status is already a technical question. De facto Turkiye is already present. It is already a member of the Minsk Group. Over the course of 30 years, the Minsk Group has failed to achieve any result and has not contributed to the implementation of four resolutions of the United Nations Security Council for these 30 years. This situation actually led to the freezing of the conflict. Ultimately, however, the attack on us in July of this year, the sending of an Armenian sabotage group to Azerbaijan in August and, finally, a large-scale offensive in September showed that this conflict is not frozen. We stick to our position and, of course, hope that this issue will soon be resolved at the negotiating table. Turkiye must and, I am sure, will play an active role in this issue. - In the same statement, he said that if the two countries, Azerbaijan and Armenia, agree, then we can send a Russian military observation mission to the line of contact, that is, to the frontline. What is your attitude to this? If such a military observation mission is created, then which countries should be included in it? What can you say about this? - You know, this issue the introduction of peacekeeping forces into the region is enshrined in the fundamental principles. So the fundamental principles include this too. However, this issue should be resolved at the final stage of the process. Considering that the fundamental principles have not been agreed upon and are just a topic of discussion, I dont know how correct it would be to express an attitude to this issue. In addition, this issue was not discussed in detail between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Therefore, it was not discussed at all who will be part of the peacekeeping forces, which countries would be represented, and what the composition will be. Therefore, I believe that in the current circumstances, when the active phase of the conflict is still ongoing, it is a little too premature to talk about this. Of course, the position of Azerbaijan in this matter must and will be taken into account because everyone should know that the conflict is taking place on Azerbaijani lands now. This is our land from the point of view of both international law and historical justice, and it is impossible to send the armed forces of another country to Azerbaijan without the consent of Azerbaijan. - This is why I asked. For example, Turkiye and Russia carry out certain cooperation in some parts of Syria. There are military units, and observers are on patrol service. If such a format is proposed in the future, what can you say about it? - I would not like to say anything about this now because I do not want to get ahead of the events. To resolve this or that issue, time must be right and the situation must be ripe. We cannot say when it will happen, we do not know whether it will or will not be the case. One thing is clear: after the end of the military confrontation, naturally, certain international efforts will be needed to ensure peace. What these efforts will consist in, whether they will be political or will they be proposals in the military sphere we are ready to consider this. Of course, the Azerbaijani population that will return to the liberated territories must live in peace. It is necessary to ensure their safety. Armenias treacherous attack of Ganja from its territory proves that this terrorist state is capable of doing anything. Therefore, of course, this issue should be discussed on the international plane. However, I cannot say anything about when this will happen. - Mr. President, there are military agreements with Turkiye within a certain framework. How do you view the idea of stationing a Turkish military base in Azerbaijan within the framework of these agreements or on the basis of some new agreements? Do you have such thoughts? - Until now, there have been no discussions about this within the framework of bilateral relations. We have a very extensive framework of legal documents with Turkiye. In other words, the agreements we have signed in many areas remain in force, these agreements also contain clauses on cooperation and mutual assistance in the military sphere. This is our right. If such a situation arises, if there is a very serious threat to Azerbaijan, then, of course, Turkiye is our ally, and we can take advantage of these opportunities. But there were no discussions on the stationing of a Turkish military base in Azerbaijan. Our cooperation in the military sphere is strengthening every year. Last year alone, 10 joint exercises were held. This year, due to the coronavirus, we had to take a short break. The exercises were conducted only twice this year. But these exercises also caused a great deal of anxiety in our region. I believe that there are no reasons or grounds for concern because these exercises are not aimed at any country. These exercises are aimed at strengthening our cooperation in the military sphere, improving the Azerbaijani army, bringing it closer to the standards of the Turkish army, and studying the positive experience of Turkiye in the field of army building. Since late September, a lot of information has been published in international media about a Turkish military base. There is no reason for this. Cooperation between Turkiye and Azerbaijan is so strong and diverse that we are next to each other anyway. Whether there is a base here or not, we rely on Turkiye and Turkiye relies on us. - You either advocate a negotiated settlement of the problem or say that you will solve it by military means. Moscow, in turn, announced yesterday that it does not accept a military solution. How do you assess this, i.e. if you are told to stop the operation, will you stop it? - You know, we have already expressed our position on this issue several times. I have spoken about this and stick to my opinion. All the messages we were receiving from everywhere, in fact, not only during this period but also earlier, were that this issue has no military solution. We, in turn, did not react ahead of time, so to speak. If they say so, well, let them say so, this is their opinion. Our opinion is also that this should be resolved peacefully, but this should be resolved. However, what did we see? No result has been achieved over these 30 years. For 30 years, using this ceasefire regime, Armenia has built powerful engineering and fortification structures on the occupied lands. Today, thanks to the professionalism and courage of the Azerbaijani army, we are breaking through these fortifications. For 30 years, Armenia has strived not for peace but for keeping these lands under occupation forever. Because if you strive for peace, then why are you building these fortifications in Fuzuli, in Jabrayil or in the Aghdam direction? You build structures to keep these lands under control forever. So the ceasefire brought the process to this situation. Then the leadership of Armenia became completely impudent. Notice what Pashinyan and his defense minister said. The minister of defense said that they would start a new war with Azerbaijan, a new war for new lands. This was an open threat to us. Pashinyan said, "Karabakh is Armenia, full stop". That is, not a centimeter of land will be returned to us. How can this conflict be resolved peacefully in this case? I said that we are now in the process of resolving this issue by military means. We want this process to end as soon as possible, and then the diplomatic process will begin. So our approach is to resolve this issue by military-political means. It is impossible to resolve it only by military means. I accept that because after the phase of active clashes, the parties should think about a peace treaty and do this. So there will be political avenues. Therefore, the military-political path is the most acceptable. We want to stop the military path, but Armenia still thinks that it can return the lost lands, the lands we have liberated. Therefore, it regularly attacks us on the battlefield. - Mr. President, am I right in understanding that you will advance at the front until the opposite side sits down at the negotiating table? - We will move forward. In addition, they must comply with the ceasefire. Because it was them who broke it. A ceasefire was announced at noon. We gave a strict order to all our military units to comply with the ceasefire and stop firing. It was not easy though. We stopped at 12 o'clock, but they did not. Then, within an hour or so, we resumed actions in self-defense and liberated several more villages. Therefore, Armenia must finally understand that it will not achieve anything this way. They must abide by the ceasefire. I believe that the leadership of Armenia should make a new statement in this regard that they are committed to the ceasefire and are complying with it. Then we will stop too. But, of course, the process can no longer last for years. After that, we should be provided with a timetable. During our Moscow meetings, we did not particularly insist on this because it is very difficult to agree on this within one day. We understand this. But once the peace process begins, the first issue on the agenda will be the timetable for the withdrawal of troops. Specific dates must be provided. On what days the Armenian armed forces will leave the rest of the lands to which we will be returning. Otherwise, we will go, as I said, to the end. - In other words, it can be understood from this that if Armenia stops attacks and observes the ceasefire, then the process of new discussions will begin and the basis will be formed. As far as we understand, the Madrid principles that were discussed within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group in 2007, 2009 and 2012 were not mentioned during the talks in Moscow. But if I am not mistaken, the first clause of these principles envisages the withdrawal of troops from seven districts. - Yes, right. - Are these principles still on the agenda, or do they need to be updated? - No, we keep them on the agenda. I have already stated this. We are committed to the fundamental principles, called the Madrid principles, because they are in our interests. Armenia has already stated that it does not accept these principles. According to the information provided to me, the prime minister of Armenia made a statement yesterday or the day before that they were unacceptable for them. So who is disrupting the process of negotiations? Armenia! Now we are liberating our lands. We are already hoisting our flag on the mountains that surround our cities, we are hoisting them on buildings located in our cities, we are on the victory march. Demonstrating adherence to fundamental principles under these circumstances requires a lot of political will and responsibility. As you have already noted, it is indicated there that five districts are to be returned at the first stage, two more districts at the second, and then the future of Nagorno-Karabakh will be discussed. Azerbaijani IDPs should return to Nagorno-Karabakh, including Shusha, because Azerbaijanis accounted for 98 percent of the population of Shusha. They should return to Khankandi, and after that the Azerbaijani and Armenian population should live there together, just like in other parts of Azerbaijan, in Baku and other cities. Our position is this. The position of Armenia is to drive the Azerbaijanis out of there, as they have already done, then not to allow the Azerbaijanis to return, to consolidate the results of the policy of ethnic cleansing there, to raze our historical, religious, and cultural monuments to the ground, to erase the cultural heritage of Azerbaijanis, and then to Armenianize these lands. This is their approach, and this is ours. - I want to ask you another question. Pashinyan made a statement yesterday that the Azerbaijani army is advancing from the north and south, as you said. He said that they had actually retreated for tactical reasons. What can you say about this? - This is another lie of Pashinyans. You know, a responsible person shouldn't lie. No-one, especially a politician, especially the head of the country. It doesn't befit anyone. All his actions, all his words are a lie about history, about this conflict, or about the events taking place today. If he does not know this, then what kind of a commander-in-chief is he? If the real situation is not reported to him, then he should make a remark to his military commanders. If he knows everything and lies and I believe in this version more - then this is a great shame. Today, the Azerbaijani army is inflicting crushing blows on the Armenian army in all directions. I have cited some figures, but they change on a daily basis. According to the exact data as of yesterday, we have destroyed 200 Armenian tanks and taken 33 tanks as trophies not a single unit of Azerbaijani military equipment is in the hands of Armenia. A total of 33 tanks in operable condition are now in the hands of our army. In addition, two S-300 air defense systems have been destroyed, 35 "OSA", "KRUG", "KUB" and other equipment have been destroyed. Thus, the technical capabilities of the Armenian army have suffered a lot, i.e. they are coming to naught. We are advancing and liberating new and new lands every time, and this is a reality. There will be new statements in the near future. This will weaken them even more. The Armenian people should also know the truth. We provide the most accurate information. Therefore, if the Armenian people want to know the real situation, they should listen to us. - Mr. President, will the 30-year-old problem be resolved? I think it will be but I want to ask you. Will this problem of the occupation, which has been going on since the 1990s, be resolved this time or will everyone stop at a certain point? Will a new status quo be established? Will there be a final settlement? This may be a premature question, but what would you say? - In my opinion, it is already being resolved. I believe that international organizations and countries directly involved in this issue are seeing this, and this is a new reality. We have created this reality, and this issue is being resolved because the fundamental principles indicate that five districts are to be returned to us at the first stage. Of these, most of two districts, not completely yet, but most of them, are already with us. If Armenia behaves badly again, then I hope that we will have other districts as well in the near future. Isn't this a solution to the problem? So we are essentially implementing the fundamental principles on the battlefield. Was the Minsk Group capable of achieving this? No, I wasnt! Therefore, I want to say once again that the solution to this issue is possible by military-political means. It is currently being done by military means. We want this period to end as soon as possible, so that a political process begins on the basis of fundamental principles after that. The reason for the unresolved status of the issue is primarily the disrespectful attitude of international organizations for their own decisions because, as you know, the United Nations Security Council adopted four resolutions in 1993 requiring an unconditional and complete withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from our lands, i.e. without putting forward any conditions. But have they been fulfilled? They have not! The Minsk Group was established a year before that, 28 years have passed, has anything happened? No! So it seemed to us that international organizations are in favor of preserving the conflict in the state it is in. Let the Azerbaijani IDPs remain in this status forever. Let Armenia gain a foothold in the occupied lands. You know, there was an illegal settlement there. Illegal! This is a war crime. This is contrary to the Geneva Convention. They resettle Armenians from Syria to Nagorno-Karabakh, to Shusha, create opportunities for them, give money and already openly demonstrate this on television. In the international arena this is recognized as a crime. They want time to pass and the Azerbaijani people to come to terms with the loss of these lands. A new generation will grow up that has not seen these lands and will not want to return there. Azerbaijan will come to terms with this situation, in parallel, there will be resettlement of Armenians from other countries, the Armenian population there will increase, and then they will say: "you know, this is already a reality, so just accept it". That was their purpose and, unfortunately, their patrons helped them with this. We have ruined these treacherous and mean plans. We have created a new reality. Today, everyone must agree and come to terms with this reality. - I want to share one message with you. During the bombing in Tartar, we entered a shelter. There was a person, an IDP there. When we were preparing the report, he said that he was no longer an IDP. He said, I am a free citizen now. He is from Sugovushan and asked me to convey to you, in case of our meeting, his respect, love and greetings. As far as we understand, the balance of power in the region has changed. So there is no status quo any longer. The balance of power will change even more. What message would you like to address to the world, to Turkiye? - First of all, I want to convey my words to this citizen through your TV. I am glad there are thousands of people who, like him, speak these words today. They cry with joy, they say that they are no longer IDPs, that they have finally got rid of this situation. You know, I get thousands of letters. Reading them, to be honest, sometimes I can't hold back tears of joy either. There are so many sincere, warm and proud words in these letters, messages. Reading these letters, I become even more convinced how great the Azerbaijani people are. To live for many years in such a position, to live with hope, the hope that the day will come and they will return to their homes this is really a great dedication. I am very happy that we are all giving this joy of victory to our people. I want to say this again. I have already noted that everything there is destroyed. Inshallah, after the end of this military clashes, you and all of us all people will go and see what atrocities the Armenians have committed there. All cities are destroyed, the picture is worse than Stalingrad. Houses have been destroyed, all our property has been plundered, and window frames and doors have been removed. In a word, this is robbery. There is nothing left. Our soldiers report from Fuzuli villages, send in material. Fuzuli city is also before our eyes. It is impossible to find even one building there in good condition. In other words, they have committed this atrocity. But our IDPs know that we will restore these cities and villages. We will build houses. They will return there, to the lands of their ancestors, and will live in peace and prosperity. As for the situation in the region, it is changing, of course. If we look more broadly at the picture of our region changing in recent years, we will see that there are many innovations. Previously, there seemed to be some dogmas these countries are allies, these are not allies or they are opposed to each other. Everything has changed now. For example, NATO member Turkiye is currently very fruitfully cooperating with Russia in Syria, in Libya, in other places, and, as we have already said, in our region. This is an innovation. If someone had said this 10 years ago, perhaps they would not have believed him. At the same time, the relations between some countries within NATO are not very sincere. And this is also an innovation. One gets the impression that there is no agreement. Look at the events related to the European Union. Who would have thought that Great Britain would leave the European Union and then a crisis would begin. No-one would have predicted. So there are no traditional hypotheses any more. Whatever country adapts to this the fastest will get ahead of the others. Our policy has always been pragmatic to analyze the real state of affairs correctly and consolidate our interests correctly. To think about how we can secure our interests, create tactics, and make changes to tactical moves within the framework of a strategic vision. But along with this, we cant deviate from our principled position. This policy is giving us success today. I believe that Turkiye and Azerbaijan are among the countries that prepared for the new world order faster. At the same time, Turkiye as a great power on a global scale plays a very active role in the formation of a new world order not only in our region but also in the world. As for our region, Turkish-Azerbaijani unity is already a reality, and everyone must come to terms with it. Our unity will grow stronger over the years because the potential of Turkiye, the natural resources of Azerbaijan, transport projects between our countries, the provision of energy security of Europe through Turkiye and Azerbaijan, as well as the implementation of new transport projects from Central Asia, Afghanistan through the territory of Azerbaijan and Turkiye, are all innovations. There is a new transport map. There is a new energy map. I am optimistic about the future. I am sure that we will achieve our goals. We are very glad that we have such a fraternal country, a strong state like Turkiye which defends its position, defends its interests, is not afraid of anyone, and moves forward. This increases our strength. Azerbaijan is Turkiye's number one ally and Turkiye is Azerbaijan's number one ally. This is a great asset. These events have further strengthened our ties. - Mr. President, my last question is very short. You are saying that this time you will not stop until the occupied lands are liberated. Do I understand you correctly? - Yes, you understand everything correctly. In the sense that our ultimate goal remains unchanged. The territorial integrity of Azerbaijan recognized by international organizations and the world community must be ensured. We are ready to stop on the battlefield. If Armenia is ready for this and a timetable is presented to us, then we are ready to stop even tomorrow. But in terms of the process, we will not stop. We want the military process to already turn into a political one. If Armenia is ready for this and international organizations and large countries can convince it of this, then this will happen even earlier. If not, the Azerbaijani army will continue its victorious march. - Mr. President, in the first months of 1993, I was here on the frontline. In 1994, I met with the late head of state, Mr. Heydar Aliyev. It seems that this place did not exist in Baku then. - Really? You met? Yes, this place was built later. - And today I am meeting with you. So I have had meetings with two heads of state. The current situation at the frontline is completely different from what it was in 1993. On behalf of NTV and on my own behalf, I express my deep gratitude to you for receiving us and for answering our questions. - Thank you. Many thanks to you too. Please pass on my greetings to the NTV team. In Azerbaijan, Turkish channels were popular even before, but in the current period their audience has become even wider. When I turn on the TV in the morning, I also watch Turkish channels, including NTV. The support and solidarity with us in the media and in Turkish society these days is a manifestation of true brotherhood. We saw again that the famous expression of my father "One nation, two states" is not just an expression, but a reality. We have created this reality. You know, there are many countries in the world whose peoples are close to each other from the point of view of ethnicity, religion, culture. But this does not mean at all that there is close cooperation between these countries, that there are fraternal relations between them. There are many such examples, and you know this very well. Our advantage is that the presidents of Turkiye and Azerbaijan, i.e. my dear brother Recep Tayyip Erdogan and myself, have erected such a solid building on the basis of a common history, ethnic roots and language, and this will last forever. If future generations also contribute to this, then this building will be magnificent the building of Turkish-Azerbaijani brotherhood. On behalf of the Azerbaijani people, I express my deep gratitude to all our brothers, all people living in Turkiye. We saw that we are not alone. As my brother Tayyip Bey has already said, "Azerbaijan should always know and knows that Turkiye is next to him," and this gives us strength. At the same time, I want to reiterate that the main reason that other countries do not interfere in these matters today are the statements the distinguished President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made from the very first hours that Azerbaijan is not alone, that Turkiye is next to Azerbaijan and will be next to us until the end. Thank you again, and I wish all our brothers in Turkiye happiness and prosperity. - Thank you very much, Mr. President! - Thank you! BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. The support of the Azerbaijani Parliament is very important for the successful activities of TURKPA, former secretary general of the organization, Mehmet Sureyya Er, said at the official ceremony of handing over the powers of the Secretary General to Ramil Hasan, Trend reports. "We have been working very usefully in a wonderful institution for four years. Of course, the support given to us by the leadership and staff of the parliament of the host country is very important in this," he explained. He also noted that cooperation in the Turkic world is increasing every day. "The strong will of our heads of state has a lot to do with this. From now on, we'll continue to move forward as TURKPA towards a common goal," Er emphasized. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 16. 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. 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 20th day of the Second Karabakh War: - President Ilham Aliyev interviewed by the Haber TV channel. - "Azerbaijans glorious Army has liberated Khirmanjig, Aghbulag and Akhullu 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. - The artillery battery belonging to the Armenian armed forces was destroyed, and the deputy commander of the forces regiment was injured. A list of the equipment of the Armenian Armed Forces destroyed at night was disclosed. - The Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office reported that 47 civilians were killed and 222 injured as a result of shelling of Azerbaijani settlements by the Armenian armed forces. - The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry shared footage from villages of the Khojavend district of Azerbaijan, which were liberated from the Armenian occupation. - The Armenian armed forces, grossly violating the humanitarian ceasefire, continued shelling the territories of Goranboy, Tartar, Aghdam, Aghjabadi, and Fuzuli districts of Azerbaijan. - The Armenian armed forces launched a missile strike on the territory of the Ordubad district of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. - The Armenian side bombarded a cemetery in Ahmadaghalilar village, Aghdam district. - The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry shared new footage from the liberated Hadrut settlement. - The state flag of Azerbaijan was raised above the border outposts liberated from Armenian occupation. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. The convening of the 3rd National Urban Forum of Azerbaijan in the city of Khankendi carries special significance, said President Ilham Aliyev in his address to the forums participants, Trend reports. The head of state noted that Khankendi, which had remained under occupation for many years, has now become a symbol of peace, revival, and resilience. The infrastructure projects currently being implemented in Khankendi are ensuring the citys development in line with the concept of a modern, smart, and innovative urban center, the President of Azerbaijan emphasized. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with his Finnish counterpart, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Elina Valtonen, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Trend. The meeting discussed Azerbaijan-Finland bilateral relations, priority areas during Finland's OSCE chairmanship, challenges facing the OSCE, the current state and future prospects of Azerbaijan-OSCE cooperation, as well as the situation in the post-conflict period in the region and the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process. The parties noted with satisfaction the contribution of the meetings between leaders held in Baku within the framework of COP-29 last year, as well as in New York during the high-level week of the UN General Assembly in September this year, to the development of bilateral relations. The ministers underscored the critical necessity of amplifying reciprocal engagements and fostering dialogue to enhance bilateral relations. The meeting delved into strategic imperatives within the context of Finland's stewardship of the OSCE agenda. Bayramov articulated that Finland's presiding role emerges during a period when the geopolitical landscape in Europe is encountering significant security dilemmas. Within this framework, the significance of the OSCE as a multilateral mechanism that adeptly recalibrates to emergent paradigms while sustaining its pertinence and operational efficacy was underscored. The minister also briefed his Finnish counterpart on the latest situation in the region, reconstruction work in the liberated territories, measures taken towards the return of internally displaced persons, and the mine threat. The Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process was also discussed at the meeting. Bayramov highlighted the importance of the historic meeting of the leaders of Azerbaijan, the US, and Armenia in Washington on August 8, 2025, and the signed joint declaration. The next steps to be taken towards signing a peace agreement and the need to eliminate territorial claims against Azerbaijan in the Armenian constitution were once again mentioned. The importance of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project in terms of restoring transport and economic ties in the region was emphasized. The parties positively assessed the decision to suspend the activities of OSCE institutions such as the Minsk Process, the Special Representative of the Chairman-in-Office, and the High-Level Planning Group, which have lost their functional significance, taking into account the realities of the post-conflict period. The minister, speaking about the existing obstacles to the implementation of cooperation projects within the OSCE framework, pointed out the importance of launching the implementation of the Azerbaijan Cooperation Program. He emphasized that the development of practical cooperation in the areas of mine clearance, environmental assessment, and cybersecurity would be particularly beneficial. The minister also noted the importance of OSCE initiatives in the economic and environmental dimension and noted that the project "Promoting Green Ports and Connectivity in the Caspian Sea Region," initiated by Azerbaijan, was successfully implemented and has already entered its third stage. Extending his best wishes for the successful tenure of Finland's OSCE chairmanship, he articulated his aspiration that this leadership will catalyze substantial advancements in fortifying the multilateral dialogue framework and enhancing collaborative synergies, thereby reinvigorating the operational dynamics of the OSCE. The sides engaged in a comprehensive dialogue regarding various bilateral and multilateral matters of reciprocal significance. 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 15. Elina Valtonen, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Finlands Minister for Foreign Affairs, praised the discussions held in Baku during her visit to Azerbaijan, Trend reports. "Good discussions with President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Baku today. I congratulate you on agreements towards peace and normalization of relations with Armenia. The OSCE stands ready to support the implementation of the peace treaty and confidence-building measures. My meeting with the representatives of the civil society and think tanks of Azerbaijan will be scheduled for next week," she wrote on her page on X. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. The procedure for filing complaints regarding human rights violations in Azerbaijan has been amended, Trend reports. The change is reflected in the amendment signed by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, to the Constitutional Law On the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsperson) of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Under the amendment, complaints submitted by persons held in temporary detention facilities of the relevant executive authority must be forwarded to the Commissioner without censorship within 24 hours. In accordance with the presidential decree, the State Migration Service will carry out the powers of the relevant executive authority. The Head of State has also signed a decree ensuring the implementation of the amended law. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Guyanese President Irfaan Ali receives an exclusive interview with Xinhua in Georgetown, Guyana, on Oct. 3, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Yongzheng) China has actively participated in Guyana's development in areas such as healthcare and infrastructure, making significant contributions to the country's progress over the past half century, said Guyanese President Irfaan Ali. by Xu Yongzheng, Meng Yifei GEORGETOWN, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Guyanese President Irfaan Ali said cooperation with China has achieved unprecedented progress since the establishment of diplomatic ties 53 years ago, voicing hope for more practical cooperation in various fields. China has actively participated in Guyana's development in areas such as healthcare and infrastructure, making significant contributions to the country's progress over the past half century, Ali told Xinhua in an interview on Friday. On the China-proposed Global Governance Initiative, Ali reaffirmed Guyana's firm belief in multilateralism, depicting multilateralism as key to building a more balanced world and tackling global challenges such as energy, food and climate security. "We do not believe in development by isolation. We do not believe in advancement of humanity by isolation," he said. Ali noted that the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge, built by China Railway Construction Corporation International, stands as a symbol of Guyana's modernization and transformation. "It is not only iconic for Guyana, but also for the wider Caribbean and Latin America," he said. He thanked Chinese and local engineers and workers for building the new bridge. "I want to take this moment to thank them for their labor, for their service, for their hard work, and for allowing our country this moment to celebrate such a significant, transformative piece of infrastructure," he said. Ali said China could play a key role in Guyana's Low-carbon Development Strategy 2030 by helping to build a fair and predictable carbon market. He also expressed hope for more practical cooperation between the two sides in areas such as knowledge sharing, healthcare, food security and ecotourism. Ali voiced Guyana's readiness to serve as a bridge to promote broader cooperation between China and Caribbean countries. He noted that the region urgently needs a framework for regional development, especially to address climate change, and that China's experience in renewable energy could serve as a valuable reference. "I look forward to China's leadership and participation and collaboration with Caribbean Community in these areas," he said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. The Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Sahiba Gafarova received a delegation led by Turkic States Parliamentary Assembly (TURKPA) Secretary General Ramil Hasan today, the parliament's statement said, Trend reports. The speaker congratulated the secretary general on the start of his new term and wished him success in his future work. The meeting noted that the cooperation organizations of Turkic peoples, who share common roots and national-spiritual values, play a unique role in strengthening unity and solidarity among the brotherly countries, as well as in enhancing bilateral and multilateral relations, mutual support, and joint activities. Emphasizing the importance of deepening cooperation within TURKPA, the meeting pointed out that the organization has become an effective mechanism for mutually beneficial cooperation among the Turkic states' parliaments and serves as an important platform to realize the common interests of the states. The meeting emphasized that the Azerbaijani parliament attaches great importance to activities within this organization. Gafarova said that the essence of the Azerbaijani Parliaments cooperation within TURKPA and with the parliaments of member countries is reflected in President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyevs statement: Our family is the Turkic world; we have no other family. The meeting included an exchange of views on ensuring the effective and purposeful operation of the organization in the future. Hasan expressed gratitude for the trust shown and stated that he would continue efforts to expand the organizations activities and deepen cooperation among the parliaments of the brotherly member countries. The meeting participants also included TURKPA Deputy Secretaries General Talgat Aduov, Saky Sadykov, and Muhammet Alper Hayali. The Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA) was founded through an agreement signed by the Heads of Parliaments of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkiye on November 21, 2008, at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, Turkiye. On September 29, 2009, the inaugural plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States, previously referred to as the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-Speaking Countries, convened in Baku, the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Rules of Procedure of TURKPA, the Regulations of the Secretariat, and the Baku Declaration were ratified during the Plenary Session. The TURKPA Secretariat will be permanently situated in Baku. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. Azerbaijans Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov met with the Netherlands Deputy Foreign Minister Marcel de Vink during a visit to the Netherlands, Trend reports. The two officials highlighted that recent high-level contacts, including the meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Dutch Prime Minister Dijk Schof at the European Political Unions 7th Summit in Copenhagen, have created a positive foundation for advancing bilateral relations. They emphasized the importance of regular political dialogue, meetings of foreign ministers on international platforms, and political consultations between the two Foreign Ministries, including De Vinks visit to Baku in February and ongoing reciprocal visits. During the meeting, the officials exchanged views on opportunities to expand cooperation across various sectors, noting the key role of economic collaboration and expressing satisfaction with the successful operations of Dutch companies in Azerbaijan. Bilateral and multilateral agendas were discussed, alongside international and regional issues of mutual interest, including new realities in the post-conflict period, the peace process, and outcomes of the historic Washington meeting. Deputy Minister Mammadov also briefed his counterpart on Azerbaijans steps to ensure sustainable development and stability in the region. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, met in Berlin with Gunter Sautter, Advisor on Foreign and Security Policy to the German Federal Chancellor, Trend reports. Hajiyev shared about the meeting in a post on his official X page. The discussion focused on bilateral and regional issues. "In Berlin I had a fruitful meeting with Dr. Gunter Sautter, Foreign/Security Policy Advisor to the Federal Chancellor, on bilateral ties between our countries/regional issues. The new era of peace in the region provides broad prospects for advancement of our ties as well as EU cooperation," the post reads. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. Azerbaijans Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeyhun Bayramov, met with the new Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA), Ramil Hasan, Trend reports via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The minister congratulated Hasan on his appointment and wished him success in his new role. During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on cooperation within TURKPA, discussed the organizations current and future activities, and explored prospects for expanding interparliamentary relations among member countries. Minister Bayramov emphasized that TURKPA serves as an important platform for strengthening brotherly and friendly ties between Turkic states at the parliamentary level and highlighted the role of parliamentary diplomacy in advancing cooperation across political, economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian fields. The meeting also addressed the importance of TURKPAs collaboration with other interparliamentary organizations and discussed additional matters of mutual interest. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Sahiba Gafarova met with participants of the 67th Annual Session of the International Association of Judges (IAJ) on October 15, Trend reports. Addressing the attendees, Gafarova highlighted the organizations role as an important platform for dialogue and cooperation among national judges associations from around 100 countries. She emphasized the symbolic significance of hosting this event in Azerbaijan, noting that 2025 has been declared the Year of Constitution and Sovereignty by President Ilham Aliyev. Gafarova recalled that 30 years ago, in 1995, under the leadership of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, the Constitution of Azerbaijan was adopted, establishing the principle of separation of powers, under which legislative, executive, and judicial authorities operate independently yet interact with each other. The speaker also provided an overview of Azerbaijans parliamentary history. She explained that the National Assembly exercises legislative, representative, and oversight functions, passing constitutional laws and other legislation within its authority. She highlighted the representative function of parliament, noting that deputies raise constituent issues before the government, municipalities, and other relevant bodies and work to find solutions to meet their needs. Regarding oversight, she explained that under the Constitution, the National Assembly approves the state budget and monitors its implementation through the Accounts Chamber, which submits an annual report to the Assembly, while the Cabinet of Ministers also reports on its activities during the spring session. The Speaker stressed that relations between the National Assembly and the judiciary are based on cooperation. Judicial reform initiatives are regularly discussed, refined, and approved in parliament. She recalled that the current 7th convocation of the National Assembly was formed following the elections in September 2024, which, for the first time in the independence period, were held across the entire territory of Azerbaijan. Gafarova noted that approximately 20 percent of Azerbaijans territory was under Armenian occupation for around 30 years, and that the Patriotic War in the fall of 2020 and one-day anti-terror operations in September 2023 led to the liberation of Karabakh and East Zangazur, fully restoring the countrys sovereignty. She said these elections were historically significant for Azerbaijanis. Gafarova expressed confidence that the outcomes of the 67th Annual Session of the International Association of Judges would contribute to strengthening judicial independence and the rule of law. Farid Hajiyev, head of the Azerbaijani Parliament apparatus, welcomed the participants and wished the annual meeting success. He also highlighted the Assemblys cooperation with the judiciary, noting that the parliament approves nominations for judges of the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, and Appellate Courts, as well as decisions regarding judges status, execution of court rulings, and appointments to the Judicial-Legal Council. During the meeting, Hajiyev provided a detailed presentation on the parliaments powers, the legal framework regulating its work, parliamentary procedures, and regulations governing deputies activities. He also explained the legislative initiative process and the structure of the Assembly. Speeches were delivered by the Chairman of the Civil Chamber of the Supreme Court, Sanan Hajiyev, and the President of the International Association of Judges, Walter Baron. They thanked the Assembly for the detailed presentation on Azerbaijans parliamentary powers and procedures, praised the close collaboration between the parliament and the judiciary, and expressed appreciation for the hospitality of the Azerbaijani people. The assembly culminated in a commemorative visual capture. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, Hikmet Hajiyev, held a meeting with distinguished reps of Government, Bundestag, think tanks, and leading media at the German Parliamentary Society, Trend reports. Hajiyev shared about the meeting in a post on his official X page. "Engaging discussion today at the German Parliamentary Society with distinguished reps of Government, Bundestag, think tanks, and leading media. We discussed Azerbaijans pivotal role in fostering peace, stability, and connectivity amid evolving regional and global dynamics," he wrote. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. The second day of the 30th anniversary Caspian Construction Week in Baku has come to an end, Trend reports. Meanwhile, interest in the exhibition today, as on the first day, was quite high. The event, which is one of the leading industrial platforms in the region's construction sector, brings together a number of international exhibitions. The BakuBuild exhibition, organized as part of the event, is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and the Rebuild Governance exhibition is celebrating its 5th anniversary. All this attracts the attention of exhibition participants, which, in turn, creates a lively atmosphere at the exhibition. Caspian Construction Week (Caspian Construction Week) is a leading platform in the construction industry, attracting more than 6,500 companies from 58 countries and more than 200,000 professional visitors over the past 30 years. It consists of significant exhibitions, brings together industry experts, and creates new opportunities for business cooperation. The event makes a significant contribution to the introduction of innovative technologies, the implementation of projects in liberated territories, and an increase in international investment. 299 companies from 17 countries are participating in the exhibitions held as part of Caspian Construction Week. In addition to Azerbaijan, Germany, Belarus, the UAE, Bulgaria, the UK, Israel, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, Russia, Romania, Turkiye, Uzbekistan, the Czech Republic, and South Korea are participating in the exhibition. Germany, Italy, Uzbekistan, and Turkey are represented at the exhibition by national pavilions. At the BakuBuild exhibition, companies are showcasing construction and manufacturing equipment, flooring, interior solutions, lighting, and insulation systems. Ceramics and facing stone, landscaping materials, metal products, windows and doors, fitness equipment, and other products are also presented. Rebuild Karabakh companies present their solutions and projects in the fields of green energy, construction and building materials, agriculture, and security. The event is organized by Iteca Caspian, Caspian Event Organisers, and their international partners ICA Events and Caspian Event Management FZ-LLC. The Caspian Construction Week is actively supported by the Azerbaijan Association of Exhibition Organizers. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel KHANKENDI, Azerbaijan, October 16. Two key roads connecting Shusha with other cities and districts, the Victory Road and the FuzuliAhmadbeyliShusha highway, have been constructed, and large-scale infrastructure projects are underway in the city, said Aydin Karimov, the special representative of the President of Azerbaijan in Shusha, Trend reports. In his speech at the 3rd National Urban Forum in Khankendi, Karimov also stated that Shusha has already been provided with drinking water and electricity. The representative noted that all engineering communications in the city will be placed underground. He added that nearly 30 cultural monuments in Shusha have been restored, and this process continues. The city has also launched public transportation, which consists entirely of electric buses, and new parking spaces are being created. One of our main goals is to ensure the return of former internally displaced persons, Karimov said. Last year, a residential complex consisting of 23 buildings was commissioned, and 380 families have already returned. Construction has begun on another 45 buildings, and by the end of the First Great Return Program, around 8,000 residents will be settled in the city, Karimov said. KHANKENDI, Azerbaijan, October 15. The 3rd National Urban Planning Forum on the theme "Towards Climate Resilient and Healthy Cities: Regional Partnerships and Innovative Solutions" in Azerbaijan will create important opportunities to build more sustainable, safe and inclusive cities through regional cooperation at a time when cities around the world are facing climate change, Chairman of the State Urban Planning and Architecture Committee Anar Guliyev said at the forum held in Khankendi, Trend reports. According to him, the national urban planning forums have emerged as a central platform for dialogue, cooperation, and knowledge exchange. Guliyev recalled that the first forum in 2022 brought together government officials, experts, and international partners to lay the foundation for a national urban planning platform. "The second forum in 2023 further strengthened this collaboration, advancing partnerships and innovation, and promoting alignment with the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Thus, over the past three years, the national urban planning forum has evolved from being a mere event to an institutional platform for dialogue, collaboration, and joint progress in the field of sustainable urban development," he added. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev addressed the participants of the 3rd National Urban Development Forum in Khankendi. Trend presents the address: '' Dear Forum participants! I welcome you on the occasion of the opening of the Third National Urban Forum of Azerbaijan. Welcome to the city of Khankendi. I welcome you to the city of Khankendi for the Third National Urban Forum of Azerbaijan. This event, held in Azerbaijan for the third time and already a growing tradition, brings together national, regional, and international partners in urban planning and serves as a vital platform for exchanging experiences, fostering new initiatives, and enhancing cooperation. The National Urban Forums, organized in cooperation with UN-Habitat, are another vivid manifestation of Azerbaijans successful collaboration with international partners in this field. The participation of more than 200 foreign guests from over 60 countries, a total of about 400 representatives, signifies both the trust and friendship extended toward our country, as well as solidarity in pursuing common goals in urban planning. Urban planning is a priority area in Azerbaijans national development strategy. The approaches adopted in urban planning and urbanization have contributed to economic sustainability, socioeconomic well-being, and adaptation to climate change. The large-scale restoration and construction underway, particularly in the Garabagh and East Zangazur economic regions, demonstrate the governments strategic vision and capabilities in urban development. Following three decades of occupation, Azerbaijani territories were left devasted, with historical and cultural heritage destroyed, lands contaminated with mines, and more than a million Azerbaijanis displaced from their homes. The victory in the 44-day Patriotic War of 2020 ushered in a period of restoration, reconstruction, and revival. Today, Azerbaijan is implementing large-scale construction and reconstruction projects in Garabagh and East Zangazur. The comprehensive regional planning, covering 13,600 square kilometers, guides efforts to resettle more than 1.1 million people to their native cities and villages. Master plans for eight cities and 90 villages home to more than 300,000 people have been approved, and people have begun returning to six liberated cities, two settlements, and 20 villages. By applying advanced urban-planning principles, systematic and coherent measures have been put in place to build sustainable infrastructure, rebuild settlements, and create conditions for the return of the population. Over the past four years, three new international airports have been built, along with modern roads and highways, new railway infrastructure, and ongoing construction of residential buildings, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and other social infrastructure. Special importance is attached to the reconstruction of energy infrastructure and the strengthening of energy security. Solar and wind energy projects are well underway in Garabagh and East Zangazur, designated as a green energy zone, with a capacity of up to 10,000 megawatts. Innovative approaches such as smart city and smart village are being applied, and ecosystem restoration is in progress. The establishment of industrial parks and economic zones is underway to promote economic development and employment in the region. This contributes to the sustainable development of settlements by expanding local production opportunities and creating new jobs. With enhanced road connectivity, Garabagh and East Zangazur are now directly linked to Baku and other regions, accelerating their economic and social development. Today, about 60,000 people live, work and study in these areas under the Great Return program. The decision to hold the Third National Urban Forum of Azerbaijan in Khankendi is especially significant. The city that endured occupation for many years is now a symbol of peace, restoration, and revival. The infrastructure projects currently underway in Khankendi support development aligned with the vision of a modern, smart, and innovative city. The ongoing reconstruction in Garabagh and East Zangazur is important not only for urban and infrastructural development but also for establishing long-term peace and regional cooperation. Targeted projects, new partnerships, and a favorable economic environment are creating sustainable livelihoods for the local population and contributing to regional urban development. Azerbaijans advanced experience in urban planning has attracted tremendous international interest. Our country is viewed as a reliable partner in addressing global challenges in climate change and urban planning, as well as in developing innovative approaches. International cooperation in this area, particularly through initiatives with the UN Human Settlements Programme, is of great importance. The decision to hold the 13th World Urban Forum in Baku in 2026 stands as clear evidence of Azerbaijans contribution to international urbanization processes and the trust it has earned as a reliable partner. This prestigious event will further enhance Azerbaijans role in global urbanization and contribute to the achievement of regional and global sustainable development goals. Todays Forum marks an important milestone on the path to the 13th World Urban Forum. I am confident that the discussions here will be instrumental in implementing strategic initiatives for urban planning, restoration, and sustainable city development, and will help create a greener, more inclusive, and prosperous living environment for future generations. I welcome you all to Azerbaijan once again, and wish the Forum every success.'' Merchants learn about the "Yiwu Pay" platform at the Global Digital Trade Center in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province, Oct. 14, 2025. (Photo by Gong Xianming/Xinhua) HANGZHOU, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center, hailed as the sixth-generation market of Yiwu -- the eastern Chinese city known as "the world's supermarket" -- officially opened on Tuesday, marking a significant leap from traditional trade to a fully integrated digital trade ecosystem. As a window into China's reform and opening up and a barometer of global small commodity trade, Yiwu's market has undergone multiple rounds of transformation, evolving from a humble roadside market into a modern international trade hub. Each upgrade has closely tracked the pulse of the times and market demand. Now, it is fully embracing the digital era with the establishment of the new digital trade center. The flagship project is equipped with cutting-edge digital infrastructure, including 10-gigabit optical networks and cross-border data transmission channels. Spanning a construction area of 1.25 million square meters, the complex integrates five functional zones: marketplaces, office buildings, commercial districts, apartments, and a digital trade port. The marketplaces zone currently houses over 3,700 stores across eight emerging sectors, including fashion and jewelry, trendy toys, and smart equipment. Within the center's premises, more than 3,700 new merchants can leverage stable cross-border networks to communicate and negotiate with global clients in real time. They can also seamlessly conduct live streams to showcase their products directly to overseas customers, offering an immersive "in-store" experience for buyers thousands of miles away. Zhu Xingping, deputy general manager of the center, noted that its Chinagoods platform provides global traders one-stop services covering customs, foreign exchange, taxation, logistics, warehousing, and financing. Sun Lingjuan, head of fashion brand Fuduolashijia, highlighted the efficiency of the "small merchant AI video creator" tool. "Instead of memorizing scripts," she explained, "a merchant can simply speak random words like '12345' into the phone, add some text, and receive a professional multilingual product video within minutes." She also noted that the center's robust cross-border infrastructure enables seamless TikTok live streaming, "allowing us to engage with international customers online without any barriers." To accelerate the center's digital transformation, Zhejiang China Commodities City Group Co., Ltd. forged strategic partnerships with several industry leaders in 2025. In April, the company signed an agreement with Alibaba Group to leverage its expertise in cloud computing, big data and e-commerce ecosystems to jointly develop an AI-driven business model tailored for the small commodities sector. In September, collaborations were forged with Manycore Tech, a leading spatial intelligence service provider, to leverage its 3D AI design solutions for industries such as home furnishings, toys, and hardware. The same month, a partnership with Tencent was established to focus on complementary strengths in end-to-end digital trade solutions and advance the market's digital infrastructure. The launch of the Global Digital Trade Center marks a landmark step in promoting digital transformation across the entire trade chain in Zhejiang, noted a local official, adding that it also represents the latest milestone in Zhejiang's efforts to advance high-level opening up and build a strong, open economy. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. President Ilham Aliyev approved an agreement on cooperation between the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States on the prevention of and response to sanitary and epidemiological emergencies in the field of public health, Trend reports. According to the law, the Agreement on Cooperation between the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States on the Prevention and Elimination of Sanitary and Epidemiological Emergencies in the Field of Health Care, signed at the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Independent States on October 28, 2022, is approved with the relevant reservation of the Republic of Azerbaijan. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree approving the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil on cooperation in the field of education, Trend reports. According to the Decree, upon the entry into force of the Agreement signed in Brasilia on September 1, 2025, the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan should ensure the implementation of its provisions. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan must notify the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil of the completion of the internal procedures necessary for the Agreement to enter into force. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. The United Nations, once celebrated as the guardian of peace and justice, is today viewed by many as a paralyzed institution, unable to respond effectively to wars, global crises, or rising multipolar tensions, Rachel Avraham, CEO of the Dona Gracia Center for Diplomacy and an Israel-based journalist, said in the article titled "Time for a reset: Amid institutional paralysis, Trump and Aliyev call for a UN overhaul" published in The Jerusalem Post, Trend reoprts via the Azerbaijani State Committee on Work with Diaspora. According to the article, at the center of this discussion stand two heads of state - President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and U.S. President Donald Trump, who together represent the voices of middle powers and disruptive leaders who are prepared to challenge the old order. The article noted that the UN Security Council remains hostage to the vetoes of permanent members, unable to address urgent conflicts, while institutions like United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and UN peacekeeping missions have lost much of their credibility due to inefficiency and bureaucracy, adding that at a time when reforms are endlessly delayed and small states feel left out, the phrase "It's time to reset" has gained popularity. The article pointed out that the joint message of President Ilham Aliyev and Donald Trump is clear: the UN must adapt to the realities of the 21st century or risk irrelevance. According to the publication, the reset the heads of state propose is not about cosmetic reforms but about reshaping global governance to reflect fairness, efficiency, and inclusivity. Moreover, as the article said, the question is no longer if reform will happen, but when and who will lead the way, and in this context, the reset carries a symbolic message: leadership must come from new voices, not only from the traditional powers. Without tangible reforms, a reset risks being dismissed as mere rhetoric, and reform requires a coalition of mid-sized and smaller states, not just high-profile leaders, the article explained. The publication showed non-enforcement of four UN Security Council resolutions in the 1990s as an example of UN weakness. Referring to President Ilham Aliyev, the publication emphasized that smaller and medium-sized states cannot depend on outdated structures that consistently fail to deliver justice, highlighting in this regard the importance of reforming the UN not only for global justice, but also for increasing the powers of states defending their sovereignty and independence. Speaking about Azerbaijan's rising international authority, the Israeli analyst said that today, Azerbaijan is more than a regional actor as an energy hub and transit corridor, but after the 2025 US-mediated agreement with Armenia, it also positions itself as a connector between East and West, North and South. Further details on the article can be found below: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-870086 BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. An international scientific conference titled "The Shared Cultural Heritage of the Turkic World: Dede Gorgud" was held in Turkiye's Igdr, celebrating the enduring legacy of the iconic Turkic figure, Trend reports. The event was jointly organized by the State Committee on Work with Diaspora (SCWD), Igdr University, Nakhchivan State University, Igdr Azerbaijan House, and the Azerbaijani Consulate in Kars. The conference brought together scholars, government representatives, NGOs, media, and students. It opened with the national anthems of both countries and a tribute to fallen heroes, followed by the screening of the documentary "In the Footsteps of Dede Gorgud, in His Words." Ziya Zakir Acar, head of Igdr Azerbaijan House, emphasized the cultural and spiritual importance of Dede Gorgud for the Turkic world, noting that the conference reevaluated his historical and literary significance. Igdr Governor Ercan Turan called Dede Gorgud "the spiritual code of the Turkic nation," while university rectors highlighted his place in collective memory. Azerbaijans Consul in Kars, Zamin Aliyev, described Dede Gorgud as an internationally recognized and protected cultural treasure and a source of pride for all Turkic peoples. The event continued with a panel session moderated by Associate Professors Oguz Dogan and Ismayl Abal, featuring presentations from Kamal Abdulla, Professors Metin Ekici, Ramazan Korkmaz, Esma Simsek, Salahaddin Bekki, Ayse Cetin, Mehmet Ceribas, and Refiye Senesen on Dede Gorguds personality and influence in the Turkic world. Participants received gifts and certificates, and the program concluded with a musical performance titled "TurkiyeAzerbaijan Brotherhood Songs." Dede Gorgud is a legendary figure, a wise sage and storyteller from the epic Kitabi-Dede Gorgud (The Book of Dede Gorgud), which is considered a masterpiece of Turkic literature. He is often depicted as a wise elder whose wisdom is associated with traditions of birth, marriage, and death, and as the spiritual ancestor of the Oghuz Turks. Whether he was a real person or a fictional character is debated, but in the epic, he serves as a storyteller who frames the heroic adventures. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. Participants of the 3rd Azerbaijan National Urban Forum have arrived in the city of Shusha, Trend reports. Held under the theme Towards Climate-Resilient and Healthy Cities: Harnessing Regional Partnerships and Innovative Solutions, the forum brings together guests who are visiting Shusha, a symbol of Azerbaijans history and culture. The visit began with a tour of the citys first constructed residential complex. Aydin Kerimov, the Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan in the Shusha District, briefed participants on the extensive reconstruction efforts underway in the city. He noted that during the 30 years of occupation, Shusha, including its historic buildings, mosques, and monuments, suffered from Armenian vandalism. Following Shushas liberation, large-scale restoration and reconstruction work commenced. Infrastructure projects have been implemented, the first residential complex consisting of 23 buildings has been completed, and former internally displaced residents have returned to their homes. Work in this direction continues. Alongside infrastructure development, efforts are underway to restore the citys authentic historical appearance and preserve its historical and cultural monuments, he said. The forum participants also visited the central square, featuring monuments to prominent Azerbaijani figures Uzeyir Hajibeyli, Bulbul, and Khurshidbanu Natavan, which were damaged during the occupation, as well as the Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque and the citys fortress walls. 19:37 (GMT+4) Participants of the 3rd Azerbaijan National Urban Forum have arrived in the city of Shusha,Trend reports. Held under the theme Towards Climate-Resilient and Healthy Cities: Harnessing Regional Partnerships and Innovative Solutions, the forum brings together guests who are visiting Shusha, a symbol of Azerbaijans history and culture, to familiarize themselves with the ongoing restoration and reconstruction works in the city. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaija BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. Pursuant to the military cooperation plan between the Ministries of Defense of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkiye, the trilateral "Eternity-2025" computer-assisted command-staff exercise is being held in Kars, Turkiye, Trend reports via the Ministry of Defense. The exercise will be executed in a bifurcated approach, encompassing both computer-assisted simulations and hands-on practical applications. It is predicated on a tactical-level framework aimed at safeguarding and defending critical infrastructure and communication conduits traversing the jurisdictions of the three nations involved. The joint command staff exercise, which encompasses personnel from the Azerbaijan Army alongside operatives from the State Agency for the Protection of Strategic Objects, is slated to persist until October 24. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. Organized by the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a meeting of the sectoral Deputy Ministers of Defence of the member countries of the Adriatic Charter (A-5) was held in Sarajevo, Trend reports. The meeting, chaired by Bosnia and Herzegovinas Deputy Minister of Defence for International Cooperation, Zoran Sajinovic, focused on new security challenges as a stimulus for strengthening defence cooperation among A-5 member countries, as well as the commitment of the A-5 initiative members to issues of interest to the NATO alliance. Participants included delegations led by the sectoral Deputy Ministers of Defence of the A-5 member countries: Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, North Macedonia, and the United States, as well as observer countries: Slovenia, Serbia, and Kosovo*. During the two-day meeting in the Gymnich format, participants exchanged views and experiences on key security challenges in the Western Balkans and the wider region. Emphasis was placed on strengthening civil-military cooperation, improving joint responses to crises, and the need for continuous collaboration in addressing contemporary threats and emergencies. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, hosted European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her official visit to Serbia, Trend reports. It is a great pleasure to warmly welcome President Ursula von der Leyen to Belgrade. Every visit she makes carries special significance for Serbia and represents another step toward strengthening cooperation and trust between our country and the European Union. I am particularly grateful for her personal commitment and support, which she has provided to Serbia over the years on our reform and development path. Welcome to Serbia, dear Ursula! President Vucic said at the ceremonial reception. During official talks, President Vucic emphasized that this visit reinforces the foundations of SerbiaEU relations and sends a message of cooperation and mutual trust. We discussed all important topicsfrom strengthening the rule of law, energy security, economic stability, and regional cooperation, to how we can jointly turn challenges into opportunities, the President noted. He thanked President von der Leyen for her clear message that a European future can become a reality for all peoples who share the values of the European Union. Serbia, as always, remains a serious and responsible partner on this difficult and challenging path, President Vucic stated. In a joint media appearance, President Vucic highlighted that EU membership is a strategic commitment and a priority of Serbias foreign policy. The European Union is our largest investor and our biggest trading partner. We will work diligently and hard to fulfill the reform agenda, hoping that Brussels will support us in these efforts, the President said. He also added that Serbia will continue to develop its energy infrastructure, work on diversifying energy sources, strengthen the countrys economic power, and pay special attention to preserving peace and stability in the region. Thank you, esteemed President von der Leyen, for visiting at this moment, which is not simple for us. I hope we will have more meetings before the end of the year, President Vucic concluded. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. On October 14, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Kestutis Budrys took part in the informal meeting of the European Union (EU) Trade Council held in Horsens, Denmark, Trend reports. The discussions focused on EU-U.S. trade relations, the implementation of the foundational trade agreement reached in July, and measures to strengthen the EUs economic security and supply chain resilience. The European Union must act not only as a geopolitical, but also as a geo-economic player possessing global influence tools applicable both to international trade rules and to measures that safeguard the Union from hostile actions. For Lithuania, it is essential to develop our economic security doctrine to a level where we can act proactively not just defend ourselves, but also shape the environment around us, said Minister Budrys in remarks to journalists. The minister emphasized the need for swift and decisive action within the EU, warning against delays caused by lengthy discussions, as they can hinder the blocs ability to respond effectively to global challenges. Minister Budrys welcomed the European Commissions efforts to implement the new trade agreement with the United States, which he said brings greater clarity and stability for businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. Next, we should aim for an agreement on steel and aluminum, while also developing a positive agenda for cooperation with the United States. We must strengthen our transatlantic partnership not only in defense but also in the economic sphere, creating joint instruments that enhance our collective economic security, he said. The informal EU Trade Council in Horsens gathered ministers and senior officials from all EU member states to discuss key trade and economic security issues, with a focus on maintaining the Unions global competitiveness and resilience. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. Lithuanias Minister of National Defense Dovile Sakaliene met with Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson in Stockholm to discuss opportunities for bilateral cooperation in the defense industry, air defense, and Baltic Sea security, Trend reports. The ministers also exchanged views on defense spending priorities and ongoing European defense initiatives. Lithuania and Sweden share a joint responsibility for the security of our countries and our regionOur challenges are not theoretical but very real. We discussed all key aspects of defense cooperation from air and maritime defense to defense industry, technology, and cybersecurity. The defense industry remains our key priority, and we focused on opportunities for industrial cooperation and involving Lithuanian companies in the supply chains of major Swedish defense corporations," Minister Sakaliene said following the meeting. According to the Lithuanian minister, both countries share a common European objective of increasing defense production capacity across Europe. The ministers also agreed on the importance of moving from air policing to a full air defense system within NATO and discussed Lithuanias initiative for an integrated Baltic air defense position. Minister Sakaliene invited Sweden to contribute to situational awareness in the Baltic Sea by sharing its intelligence expertise. We must have a complete picture of what is happening in the Baltic Sea from the surface to the seabed, she noted. During the visit, the two ministers also explored ways to attract Swedish investment to Lithuania and expand cooperation in ammunition and explosives, drones, heavy platforms, and maritime drone clusters. Discussions covered the ongoing need to enhance air defense and the activities under NATOs Eastern Sentry initiative aimed at strengthening the security of the Alliances eastern flank. Both sides underlined the strategic importance of the Baltic Sea and the need to enhance cooperation on port protection and coastal defense. Sweden, which actively participates in naval exercises, shared insights on strengthening maritime security. Lithuania, currently reinforcing its port and coastal defense capabilities, invited Sweden to share its experience in this area. The ministers also exchanged views on strengthening European defense capacities and ongoing EU initiatives such as Eastern Flank Watch, aimed at enhancing the resilience of border states against hybrid threats, drone incursions, and other emerging challenges. Minister Sakaliene emphasized that close cooperation among Northern and Baltic partners remains vital to maintaining regional stability and advancing joint defense readiness. A Chinese naval hospital ship arrived at Nuku'alofa Port, Tonga, on Monday, starting a seven-day visit featuring medical services and cultural activities during its Mission Harmony 2025. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. Lithuanian Deputy Minister of National Defense Karolis Aleksa took part in the 5th European Defense and Security Conference held in Brussels, Trend reports. Spending More and Better TogetherFrom National to EU Budgets: Defense in the European Competitiveness Fund and the Multiannual Financial Framework, Aleksa underscored the urgent need for Europe to devote greater focus and resources to security and defense. Deputy Minister Aleksa emphasized that, in light of the changing global security landscape, Europe must take decisive and swift steps to strengthen its common defense policy, encourage cooperation among member states, and ensure sufficient investment. Security can no longer be treated as a secondary issueit must become a top priority for all of Europe. Some steps have already been taken in this direction, but further progress is neededboth in securing the necessary resources and developing appropriate financial mechanisms, as well as in empowering the European defense industry to enhance its capabilities, Aleksa said. He also underscored that no individual EU member state possesses the capacity to adequately address contemporary security challenges in isolation, emphasizing the critical necessity for synergistic action and collective preparedness within the framework of the European Union. Per Aleksa's assessment, the coalition must enhance its readiness via augmented capital infusion, synergistic collaboration, and the fortification of industrial competencies. In pursuit of comprehensive European defense operational readiness by the year 2030, Aleksa advocated for the allocation of sufficient fiscal and pragmatic assets towards prioritized capabilities, thereby enabling EU member states to augment their defense capacities and secure the enduring stability of Europe. He advocated for synergistic collaboration between sovereign states and EU entities to architect a robust fiscal framework aimed at fortifying the European defense sector and enhancing its competitive edge. Lithuania, he noted, continues to actively seek additional EU funding sources through programs such as SAFE and plans to take part in the European Defense Industry Programme (EDIP), which will provide 1.5 billion euros in EU budget support for the 20252027 period to strengthen defense capacities. Particular attention will also be given to the new EU initiative Eastern Flank Watch, aimed at enhancing the security of the Unions eastern borders through advanced surveillance, drone defense, and infrastructure reinforcement measures. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. Striking a deal with Boeing for 14 Boeing 787-9 aircraft, along with an option for 8 more, has turned into a strategic play thats set to pave the way for the airline fleet's future growth, Shukhrat Shavkatovich Yadgarov, Deputy Chairman of Uzbekistan Airways for Commerce and Tourism, told Trend in an exclusive interview. He noted that at this juncture, it is overly anticipatory to engage in discourse regarding particular trajectories and aeronautical timetables extending to 2031. Decisions on expanding the route network are made gradually, taking into account market analysis, passenger traffic dynamics, international agreements, and infrastructure development. In the short term, our priority remains the systematic integration of new aircraft into the existing network and improving service quality on current routes. As the aircraft are put into operation and new opportunities arise, decisions on expanding the route network will be made, the deputy chairman stated. He also added that growing the fleet of long-haul Boeing 787-9s will open up a world of strategic opportunities for Uzbekistan Airways, paving the way for both passenger and cargo transportation to soar to new heights. The Boeing 787-9 has optimal characteristics for transporting cargo in the lower deck, which will significantly increase shipment volumes on long-haul routes. This is especially important for destinations in Europe, North America, and East Asia, where there is high demand for transporting pharmaceuticals, perishable goods, industrial components, and e-commerce products. Expanding the fleet will allow Uzbekistan Airways to offer more competitive transit solutions for international shippers, strengthening the countrys position as a logistics hub, Yadgarov said. He also articulated that this category of aerial vehicles facilitates avenues for enhancing synergies with international aviation entities, expedited logistics providers, and transnational freight coalitions. This could cover agreements on working hand in hand for route operations and expanding the agency network across the globe. Uzbekistan Airways posits that augmenting cargo capacity will catalyze enhanced opportunities for Uzbek exporters, particularly within the textile and agricultural sectors, thereby facilitating the expansion of national export metrics and fortifying international economic linkages. Uzbekistan Airways serves as the national airline of Uzbekistan, with its base of operations in Tashkent. The airline commenced operations on 28 January 1992, subsequently assuming control of the Uzbekistan segment of Russia's Aeroflot on 31 May 1992. Since its inception, Uzbekistan Airways has strategically directed its passenger operations towards Western Europe and various global destinations. The preponderance of transnational air travel is channeled through Tashkent, although there exists a spectrum of international connectivity to a multitude of other urban centers within Uzbekistan. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. The World Bank has revised Tajikistans 2025 economic growth forecast to 7.6 percent, a 0.6 percentage point increase from its June 2025 projection, Trend reports, citing data from Europe and Central Asia Economic UpdateJobs and Prosperity. Tajikistans economy is projected to maintain solid growth supported by remittances, public investment, and resilient domestic demand. GDP expansion is expected to moderate to 5.2 percent in 2026 and 4.7 percent in 2027, consistent with earlier regional trends. In 2024, Tajikistans economy grew by 8.4 percent, reflecting strong performance in construction, services, and agriculture. The World Bank highlighted continued infrastructure development and favorable external conditions as key factors sustaining economic momentum in the near term. Across Central Asia, GDP is projected to rise 5.9 percent in 2025, with Tajikistan contributing to the regions steady growth alongside Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. The World Bank was set up in Tajikistan in 1993 when the country became a member of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). Tajikistan also joined the International Development Association (IDA) in 1993 and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in 1994, establishing a comprehensive partnership that has since led to significant investments in the country's development. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. Business relations between Austria and Turkmenistan are steadily expanding, especially in connectivity, trade facilitation, and digital infrastructure, a source from the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Trend. "Austrian companies bring strong expertise in these fields, especially in logistics, rail infrastructure, and sustainable transport technologies. With regard to the railway sector, Austrian railways and their subsidiaries have shown great interest in developing infrastructure to better connect Central Asia and Europe," the source said. The official highlighted that future opportunities for Austrian businesses in Turkmenistan are diverse. "They include, for example, energy and energy efficiency projects, infrastructure expansion, agriculture, and the modernization of the healthcare system. The Joint Austrian-Turkmen Economic Commission, along with more informal formats such as business round tables and economic missions, are key instruments for advancing business ties effectively," the representative added. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has released the official exchange rates for foreign currencies as of October 15, Trend reports. According to the rates announced by the CBI, the value of 41 currencies went up, while 3 currencies dropped compared to October 14. The official rate for $1 is 582,158 rials, while one euro is valued at 675,732 rials. On October 14, the euro was priced at 675,683 rials. Currency Rial on October 15 Rial on October 14 1 US dollar USD 582,158 583,783 1 British pound GBP 775,300 778,137 1 Swiss franc CHF 726,636 725,822 1 Swedish krona SEK 61,060 61,435 1 Norwegian krone NOK 57,296 57,867 1 Danish krone DKK 90,471 90,474 1 Indian rupee INR 6,558 6,585 1 UAE Dirham AED 158,518 158,961 1 Kuwaiti dinar KWD 1,897,229 1,901,879 100 Pakistani rupees PKR 205,954 206,303 100 Japanese yen JPY 383,517 383,418 1 Hong Kong dollar HKD 74,878 75,040 1 Omani rial OMR 1,512,618 1,516,778 1 Canadian dollar CAD 414,493 416,158 1 New Zealand dollar NZD 332,855 334,650 1 South African rand ZAR 33,486 33,756 1 Turkish lira TRY 13,921 13,964 1 Russian ruble RUB 7,316 7,258 1 Qatari riyal QAR 159,934 160,380 100 Iraqi dinars IQD 44,446 44,582 1 Syrian pound SYP 45 45 1 Australian dollar AUD 377,866 380,560 1 Saudi riyal SAR 155,242 155,675 1 Bahraini dinar BHD 1,548,293 1,552,614 1 Singapore dollar SGD 448,216 449,490 100 Bangladeshi takas BDT 477,962 479,490 10 Sri Lankan rupees LKR 19,234 19,291 1 Myanmar kyat MMK 277 278 100 Nepalese rupees NPR 409,655 411,396 1 Libyan dinar LYD 107,014 107,421 1 Chinese yuan CNY 81,475 81,855 100 Thai baht THB 1,781,191 1,795,547 1 Malaysian ringgit MYR 137,671 138,113 1,000 South Korean won KRW 407,096 409,319 1 Jordanian dinar JOD 821,097 823,389 1 euro EUR 675,732 675,683 100 Kazakh tenge KZT 107,892 108,581 1 Georgian lari GEL 214,952 215,514 1,000 Indonesian rupiahs IDR 35,014 35,282 1 Afghan afghani AFN 8,764 8,842 1 Belarusian ruble BYN 170,966 171,453 1 Azerbaijani manat AZN 342,446 343,402 100 Philippine pesos PHP 999,896 1,003,479 1 Tajik somoni TJS 63,317 63,506 1 Turkmen manat TMT 166,413 166,973 Venezuelan bolivar VES 2,961 3,007 The CBI adopted the SANA system for currency exchange offices, where one euro costs 841,884 rials and $1 costs 725,302 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 817,364 rials, and the price of $1 totaled 704,177 rials. On the black market, $1 is worth about 1,05 -1,08 million rials, while one euro is worth 1,23-1,26 million rials. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Iran sheds light on volume of funds allocated for solar panel purchases Since March 21, 2025, over $823 million has been allocated for solar panel imports to Iran, backed by the Central Bank of Iran (CBI). Another $173 million will be added soon. The CBI says the entire banking system supports solar power development nationwide. Access to paid information is limited If You already have a account, please log in Login Register BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. Montenegros Prime Minister Milojko Spajic and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen officially opened the EUMontenegro Investment Conference in Lustica, Trend reports. Montenegros growing potential for strategic, green, and sustainable investments was presented through new partnerships between leading Montenegrin and European companies. This event, under the slogan Smart Growth, Green Future Accelerating Investment in Montenegro, brought together senior representatives of the Government of Montenegro, the European Union, international financial institutions, as well as prominent European and Montenegrin investors. The aim of the conference was to encourage strategic, green, and sustainable investments and to position Montenegro as a key investment destination in the Western Balkans, fostering progress in the fields of renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, tourism, transport, and digital innovation. At the conference, 14 new partnership projects were launched between Montenegrin and European companies, demonstrating the transformative potential of Montenegros European path and the strength of EUMontenegro cooperation. These projects span a wide range of sectors, including renewable energy and transport, agrotourism, digital innovation, and low-carbon development. Among them are new solar and wind power plants that will strengthen Montenegros energy independence, modern transport investments to improve connectivity with Europe, and agrotourism initiatives that will help diversify the economy. Other projects include the transformation of the Port of Bar into a zero-carbon facility, the establishment of Montenegros first digital innovation campus, and the promotion of sustainable development in the north of the country. My message is very clear: do not wait for accession to invest in Montenegro, because by then you may miss the opportunities that others will seize, stated European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, emphasising that the strong presence of investors at the conference reflects confidence in the Governments ambitious reform agenda. Just look at some of today's announcements. In clean energy, we will see floating solar farms, high-altitude wind power, and Montenegro's first battery storage facility which is so important for the future. In transport, the port of Bar will be the first Zero Carbon facility on the Adriatic. And in technology, Montenegro's first innovation campus can create thousands of jobs. This is just a flavour of the 14 projects we will sign today where we will unite investors from Montenegro and across Europe with strong backing from us, she stated. Von der Leyen concluded that by continuing its European journey with determination and speed, Montenegro is making its goal of EU accession attainable. Today, we are opening a new chapter of development we are beginning a major investment cycle, strengthening our ties with the European market even before formally joining the European family. Today, we are bringing our vision of green and smart growth to life. We are doing this together with our most important strategic partner the European Union, which is also the largest investor in our country, stated Prime Minister Milojko Spajic during the opening of the Conference. The Prime Minister stressed that Montenegro now ranks among the most dynamic investment destinations in the region. Projects worth nearly 3 billion are currently underway hundreds of new kilometres of motorways and express roads, modernised airports and ports, and clean energy projects that will bring tangible benefits to every citizen, he said. The Conference was jointly organised by the Government of Montenegro and the European Commission, with the support of the Montenegro Investment Agency, as part of the Accelerating Investment in Montenegro initiative. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, October 15. Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Ethiopia, Mekan Ishangulyev, met with Mohamed El-Amin Suef, Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC), and discussed expanding cooperation in energy, chemical industry, agriculture, and culture, Trend reports via the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Turkiye. The sides noted that Turkmenistans partnership with African nations has reached a qualitatively new level, as demonstrated by the participation of high-ranking delegations from across the continent in the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) held in Awaza in August 2025. Ambassador Ishangulyev emphasized that developing friendly and mutually beneficial relations with African states is one of the priorities of Turkmenistans foreign policy. In turn, Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) El-Amin Souef commended Turkmenistans active engagement and highlighted the significant potential for cooperation in areas such as energy, the chemical industry, agriculture, and culture. The African Union, an intergovernmental organization comprising 55 member states with a population exceeding 1 billion, is headquartered in Addis Ababa, where the African Union Commission serves as its executive body. Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, October 15. Charge d'Affaires of the Republic of Korea to Turkmenistan, Kim Joon Chul, visited the Balkan Shipyard and reviewed the progress of a joint shipbuilding project, Trend reports via the Embassy of the Republic of Korea. The visit focused on industrial cooperation and the construction of two multipurpose cargo vessels (MPCs) with a deadweight of 6,100 tonnes. The project is being implemented jointly with the Korean company Koryo Shipbuilding Industry Technology Co., Ltd. (KSIT). During a meeting with Guychmyrat Amanov, Deputy General Director of the Balkan Shipyard, the parties discussed expanding cooperation in shipbuilding and ship repair. The visit underscored Turkmenistans efforts to modernize its maritime infrastructure and leverage advanced technologies to strengthen its role as a key transit and logistics hub on the Caspian Sea. Furthermore, Joon Chul also met with Korean specialists working on-site and thanked them for their contribution to the successful implementation of the joint project. CAIRO, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met on Wednesday in Cairo with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council, to discuss the latest developments in Sudan and ongoing regional and international efforts to end the conflict, the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement. Sisi reaffirmed Egypt's full support for Sudan's unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and reiterated his categorical rejection of any attempts to undermine the country's national cohesion. Al-Burhan, who is also the commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, expressed deep appreciation for Egypt's continued support and its efforts to help Sudan overcome its current crisis and restore peace and stability. Their talks also covered the Nile water issue. Both sides reaffirmed their rejection of any "unilateral measures" on the Blue Nile that contradict international law and agreed to strengthen consultation and coordination mechanisms to safeguard their shared water rights. Iran's Parskhodro automotive company cuts passenger car production The 34.7% decline in Parskhodros passenger car production reflects broader challenges in Iran's automotive sector, with overall car production down 12% in the first half of 2025 compared to last year. Access to paid information is limited If You already have a account, please log in Login Register BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. Finance Minister of North Macedonia Gordana Dimitrieska-Kochoska begins an official working visit to the United States, where she will participate in the regular Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, taking place this week in Washington, Trend reports. The visit will provide the Finance Minister with the opportunity to meet with senior representatives of these international financial institutions to present the economic and, above all, fiscal policies implemented by the Government, efforts for fiscal consolidation, maintaining macroeconomic stability, and ensuring sustainable economic growth. According to the agenda, the Minister will hold meetings with IMF Deputy Managing Director Bo Li, Executive Director Jeroen Kloek, Deputy Executive Directors Marnix van Rij and Vladyslav Rashkovan, Director of the European Department at the IMF Alfred Kammer, and the Head of the IMF Mission for North Macedonia, Nick Gigineishvili. Meetings are also planned with World Bank Vice President Antonella Bassani, Executive Director Eugene Rugene, Regional Director for the Western Balkans, Europe, and Central Asia Xiaoqin Yu, and the Country Director for North Macedonia at the World Bank, Carol Mezavan. Dimitrieska-Kochoska will also have the opportunity to meet with representatives of the U.S. Treasury, with which cooperation has been established to strengthen institutional efficiency, as well as with several investors involved in the Eurobond issuance process. This year, the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings are being held under the motto Opportunity in Times of Change, and participantsincluding finance ministers, central bank governors, business community representatives, civil society actors, and academicswill discuss current global developments and challenges and explore possible solutions. The Finance Minister will attend the Washington meetings together with the Governor of the National Bank, Trajko Slaveski. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, October 15. President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, attended the ceremony for a new large-scale mineral fertilizer production complex at the Turkmenabat Chemical Plant in Lebap province, implemented by the State Concern Turkmenhimiya and Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd., Trend reports. In his address, President Berdimuhamedov noted that the chemical industry is one of the key sectors of the national economy and plays a central role in Turkmenistans diversification strategy. He emphasized that the country is consistently moving from raw material exports to advanced processing and the establishment of a modern, high-tech industrial base. Meanwhile, once commissioned, the new complex will significantly expand the capacity of Turkmenistans chemical industry. The facility is expected to produce 350,000 tons of superphosphate and 100,000 tons of ammonium sulfate annually, strengthening the countrys agricultural and industrial potential. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, October 15. Representatives of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan held a meeting with a delegation from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), headed by Hiroki Sekine, Managing Executive Officer and Global Head of the Infrastructure and Environment Finance Group, to discuss the expansion of financial and investment cooperation, Trend reports. The JBIC delegation also included Ken Imai, Head of the Banks Representative Office for CIS countries, Takayuki Sato, Resident Executive Officer, and other officials. The Uzbek side was represented by Abduqodir Yakubov, Deputy Director of the Department for PPP Projects Implementation, Shokhzod Islamov, Head of the Green Economy Transition and Development Coordination Department, and other senior representatives of the Ministry. During the talks, the parties reviewed ongoing projects supported by JBIC and exchanged views on launching new joint initiatives to accelerate the development of key sectors of Uzbekistans economy, including infrastructure modernization, renewable energy, and industrial innovation. The Japanese side expressed strong interest in participating in the implementation of PPP projects and in expanding cooperation in areas aligned with Uzbekistans sustainable growth strategy. Following the meeting, the sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen partnership ties and advance joint strategic initiatives contributing to Uzbekistans long-term economic growth and green transition. The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) is a leading state-owned financial institution operating under the Government of Japan. It provides financing for projects around the world in sectors such as infrastructure, energy, and natural resources through loans, guarantees, and equity participation, aiming to promote Japans and the global economys sustainable development. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, October 16. Approximately 5.2 million citizens of Uzbekistan traveled abroad for tourism purposes in the period from January through August 2025. The data obtained by Trend from the National Statistics Committee indicates that this represents an increase of nearly 1.1 million people, or 26.8 percent, compared to the same period last year. The top 10 countries visited by Uzbek tourists during the first eight months of 2025 were: Kyrgyz Republic 2.3 million Kazakhstan 956,000 Tajikistan 887,900 Russia 312,700 Turkiye 181,700 Saudi Arabia 165,700 UAE 94,200 Egypt 45,400 Vietnam 28,500 China 27,600 Other countries accounted for 162,400 travelers. Iran details future expenses tied to transport of petroleum products Iran has launched a 150 million project to build a 400-km pipeline transporting 73,000 barrels of petroleum products daily from Hajjiabad to Shiraz. It will include two pumping stations and an 80 million-liter storage facility. The project aims to cut truck traffic, fuel use, and pollution. Access to paid information is limited If You already have a account, please log in Login Register TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, October 15. The portfolio of joint projects between Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia has reached $27 billion, Trend reports, citing the Uzbek president's office. A substantial portion of this collaborationinitiatives valued at $15 billionis being executed in partnership with ACWA Power, concentrating on pivotal energy ventures. This was announced during a meeting between President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Investment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who arrived in Tashkent at the head of a delegation of leading Saudi companies. During the talks, the parties discussed topical issues of expanding Uzbek-Saudi multifaceted cooperation and advancing a comprehensive partnership in line with high-level agreements reached earlier. The meeting highlighted with satisfaction the dynamic development of bilateral relations in recent years. Contacts at all levels have intensified, while the volume of mutual trade, direct investment, and the number of joint ventures continue to grow. The frequency of direct flights between the two countries has also increased. The sides noted the fruitful results of the recent meetings of the Intergovernmental Commission and the Business Council held in Tashkent, during which a number of new agreements and contracts were signed. Particular attention was paid to the swift implementation of joint projects and new initiatives in green energy, agriculture, electronics, real estate, and regional infrastructure modernization, as well as in other priority sectors of mutual interest. ACWA Power is a developer, investor, co-owner, and operator of a network of power generation and desalination facilities, operating in 13 countries throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Central and Southeast Asia. ACWA Power's portfolio of operational and developmental projects has an investment value of USD 85.7 billion, with a capacity of 55.1 GW of electricity and 8 million m/day of desalinated water. ACWA Power, headquartered in Saudi Arabia, operates regional offices in Riyadh, Dubai, Baku, Beijing, Cairo, Addis Ababa, Jakarta, Amman, Rabat, Muscat, Johannesburg, Istanbul, Tashkent, and Hanoi. It invests in, develops, co-owns, and operates a portfolio of 82 projects capable of generating 55.1 GW of power and producing 8 million m/day of desalinated water. ACWA Power and its associated companies employ around 4,000 individuals across projects in 13 countries. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, October 15. President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced that $2 billion in Saudi investments have been mobilized in the country since the beginning of this year alone and called for the further expansion of joint projects in renewable energy and digital technologies, Trend reports, citing the Uzbek president's office. The operational cadence of air travel between Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia has now surpassed 60 weekly rotations, indicative of the accelerated fortification of bilateral relations. The president made these remarks during a meeting with the heads of leading Saudi Arabian companies. The event was attended by Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Investment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as top executives from ACWA Power, Al Muhaidib Group, Vision Invest, Data Volt, Riyadh Cables, AlMajdiah, InterHealth, Saudi Tabreed, AlBawani Holding, Miahona, Pemco, and other major corporations. It was announced that today will mark the laying of the foundation stone for a new international airport in Tashkenta project described as a historic milestone and a vivid symbol of the long-term, fruitful partnership between Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia. We highly appreciate the significant contribution of our Saudi partners to the economic transformation and development of Uzbekistan, emphasized President Mirziyoyev. The Uzbek leader outlined priority areas for future cooperation, highlighting the energy sector as a key focus. Currently, ACWA Power is implementing projects worth $15 billion in Uzbekistan, including the construction of wind and solar power plants across the regions and the development of green hydrogen. The president emphasized that the use of domestically produced materials and equipment in such projects would further boost Uzbekistans industrial potential. Special attention was also given to expanding cooperation in information technology and artificial intelligence. Data Volt is successfully implementing a project to build a modern data center in Tashkent, while preparations are underway for similar facilities in New Tashkent and Bukhara. Other Saudi companies have also expressed readiness to participate in Uzbekistans digital transformation initiatives. Uzbekistan, the president noted, possesses significant reserves of tungsten, molybdenum, magnesium, lithium, graphite, titanium, and other strategically important minerals. To unlock this potential, the government plans to establish a Technopark of Metals of the Future in the Tashkent and Samarkand regions, focusing on the production of high value-added goods. In this framework, President Mirziyoyev extended an invitation to Saudi investors to engage in comprehensive industrial initiativesencompassing geological exploration, resource extraction, processing methodologies, and the production of finalized goods. Within the infrastructure domain, synergistic collaboration persists with Miahona on wastewater management initiatives in Fergana and Jizzakh, alongside the enhancement of pumping stations in Karakalpakstan. Strategic accords have been established with Saudi Tabreed to propel the utilities and urban services domain forward. The president invited companies from the Kingdom to actively participate in new mutually beneficial projects aimed at modernizing infrastructure and improving the quality of life for Uzbekistans citizens. In turn, representatives of Saudi Arabias leading business circles praised Uzbekistans economic reforms, steady growth, and favorable investment climate, reaffirming their commitment to expand partnerships and launch new projects and programs in the country. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Photo: the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, October 15. Tajikistan signed a series of agreements totaling 2 gigawatts (GW) in solar power projects during the International Investment Forum Dushanbe Invest 2025, Trend reports via the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources. The documents include three protocols and two memorandums between the ministry and domestic and foreign companies on the construction of solar and wind power plants, as well as cooperation in energy education and training. The projects aim to strengthen Tajikistans energy security and expand the use of renewable sources. Key agreements include: A protocol with Wuhan Building Material Industry (China) for the construction of 500 MW of solar power capacity in Sughd Province. A protocol with Ayon Energy (Tajikistan) for 500 MW of solar power plants in the Sughd and Khatlon regions. A protocol with Ejing Technology (China) for 500 MW of solar capacity in Khatlon Province. A memorandum with Rosatom Renewable Energy (Russia) to develop up to 500 MW of solar projects in Tajikistan, as well as cooperation in training and knowledge exchange in renewable energy. The ministry highlighted that the accords will facilitate the diversification of the national energy portfolio and expedite the transition towards sustainable energy advancement. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel HANOI, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The 13th Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee on Wednesday released draft documents to be submitted to the 14th National Party Congress, inviting public feedback. Speaking at an international press conference on the announcement, Lai Xuan Mon, standing vice chairman of the CPV Central Committee's Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilization, said the draft documents comprise three reports. They include a draft political report by the 13th CPV Central Committee to the 14th National Party Congress, a draft summary report on theoretical and practical issues drawn from 40 years of Vietnam's socialist-oriented renewal process, and a draft summary report on 15 years of implementing the Party Charter (2011-2025), along with proposals for its amendment and supplementation. The drafts are open for feedback from officials, Party members, people from all walks of life and overseas Vietnamese from Oct. 15 to Nov. 15 through conferences, seminars, forums, the VNeID electronic identification application and media channels. Professor Ta Ngoc Tan, vice chairman of the CPV Central Theoretical Council, said a notable new point in this set of documents is the emphasis on developing the private sector as a key driving force of the national economy, alongside the leading role of the state-owned economy. To achieve Vietnam's goal of reaching a gross domestic product per capita of at least 8,500 U.S. dollars by 2030 and becoming an upper-middle-income developing country, the draft includes a separate section on institutional reform designed to serve this strategic objective, said Tan, who also serves as deputy head of the editorial team for the National Party Congress documents. Oil traffic via Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline edges downward in 9M2025 Oil transit through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline fell slightly in the first nine months of the year, with Azerbaijani crude making up the majority and imports from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan declining more sharply. Access to paid information is limited If You already have a account, please log in Login Register Azerbaijan turns up flow of gas exports to Georgia Azerbaijan's exports of natural gas to Georgia increased significantly from January through August this year in terms of volume and value compared to the same period last year. Access to paid information is limited If You already have a account, please log in Login Register TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, October 15. Saida Mirziyoyeva held a meeting with the Economic Secretary to the UK Treasury, Lucy Rigby to discuss ongoing reforms and Uzbekistans WTO accession, the country's Head of the Presidential Administration wrote on her social media account, Trend reports. I would like to thank Rigby for participating in and supporting our event, New Uzbekistan - a Great Country with Great Opportunities. We exchanged views on the progress of reforms and Uzbekistans accession to the World Trade Organization. It is encouraging to see the UK government fully backing this important stage in our countrys development, Mirziyoyeva said. She also highlighted that Uzbekistan is attracting an increasing number of British companies, with over 270 currently operating in the country. I am pleased to see growing interest from British partners and confident that their engagement in our economy will continue to expand, she added. Meanwhile, earlier, on September 19, the Uzbek delegation led by Head of the Presidential Administration, Saida Mirziyoyeva, achieved another milestone on the countrys path toward WTO membership by signing bilateral protocols on market access with Argentina, Australia, and Honduras. To date, Uzbekistan has concluded agreements with 29 countries, finalized negotiations with two more members, and has only three bilateral talks remaining before the accession process can be completed. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, October 15. The leadership of Uzbekneftegaz JSC held a meeting with a delegation from the international consulting firm McKinsey & Company, led by Senior Partner Yermolai Solzhenitsyn, to discuss current issues and prospects for the development of the energy sector, Trend reports. The parties exchanged views on current and emerging trends in global and regional energy markets. They also discussed ways to enhance the efficiency and resilience of energy systems, as well as the adoption of innovative technologies and management approaches in the context of the global transition to a low-carbon economy. The sides noted that engagement with leading international experts and consultants, such as McKinsey & Company, contributes to strengthening corporate governance, enhancing institutional resilience, and further developing the strategic capabilities of JSC Uzbekneftegaz. Meanwhile, McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm providing services to governments and corporations worldwide. With over 150 offices in 66 countries, the company has been implementing major projects in the mining and oil & gas sectors of Central Asia for more than 20 years. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, October 15. After pouring $19.2 million into the project, passenger traffic in Uzbekistan has shot up from a mere 2,500 to a bustling 6,000 people per hour, Trend reports, citing the Uzbek Presidents office. The announcement was made during President Shavkat Mirziyoyevs visit to the Yakkasaray district of Tashkent, where he reviewed the results of the reconstruction of Shota Rustaveli Street. The highway is now bustling with 40,000 vehicles a day, and the average speed has picked up from a crawl of 23 to a brisk 30 kilometers per hour. Traffic is now organized into 10 lanes: six for cars, two for buses, and two for parking. Crucially, the metrics surrounding roadway safety have demonstrated a marked enhancement, with a quantifiable reduction in the incidence of vehicular collisions. As part of the project, 21 new bus stops and 463 smart traffic lights were installed, and an intelligent transport system was introduced. Additional improvements include parking areas, bicycle lanes, green spaces, and upgraded irrigation and drainage systems. During the visit, the president was also presented with plans to expand dedicated bus lanes and create transport hubs across the capital. If we had not built new metro lines and purchased modern buses, traffic in Tashkent would have become extremely difficult today. That is why we are improving roads and developing public transport to make it convenient for people. We will continue this work in all our cities, President Mirziyoyev said. He also directed stakeholders to optimize the user experience of public transit systems, implement strategies to mitigate vehicular bottlenecks, and facilitate seamless transport linkages between Tashkent and New Tashkent. The revitalized Shota Rustaveli Street has not only enhanced the aesthetic appeal of the capital but has also emerged as a hallmark of Tashkents evolution towards a contemporary, smart transportation infrastructure. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Photo: Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, October 15. Davron Vahabov, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, held a meeting with a delegation led by Arian Azimi, Deputy Chairman of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI), to discuss prospects for expanding bilateral economic ties, Trend reports. During the meeting, both sides proposed a series of initiatives to strengthen cooperation, including: Regular quarterly B2B meetings in Tashkent, Kabul, Termez, and Balkh; Establishment of an ACCI representative office in Tashkent to enhance investment ties; Simplification of business visa procedures for Afghan entrepreneurs; Acceleration of cargo transport through the Termez port and optimization of customs procedures; Annual joint trade exhibitions in Kabul and Tashkent, or alternatively in Mazar-i-Sharif and Termez. Participants noted that implementing these measures would increase bilateral trade, launch new investment projects, and activate collaboration between private companies in both countries. Concluding the meeting, Davron Vahabov emphasized that the visit of the Afghan delegation marks a new stage in the development of trade and economic relations between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Uzbekistans trade turnover with Afghanistan reached $862.2 million from January through July 2025, marking a 51 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024 ($571 million) and nearly doubling compared to 2023 ($470.7 million). BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. The number of tourists coming to Azerbaijan for medical treatment has grown, Elgun Javadov from the State Tourism Agency said at the 2nd Azerbaijan Health Tourism Conference held in Baku, Trend reports. According to him, currently, the number of tourists from the former post-Soviet countries, especially in the Naftalan direction, is increasing year by year. "We continue to do certain work in this direction. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev issued an order on the use of Naftalan oil in health tourism. Work is underway in this direction. A certain program is being implemented here to clarify and expand the treatment aspects of these services and bring them to world standards," he explained. The official noted that Azerbaijan could stand out in the coming years with its treatment services and special packages. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel ASTANA, Kazakhstan, October 15. KazMunayGas-Aero, a subsidiary of Kazakhstans state energy company KazMunayGas, will launch a major investment project to construct a modern petroleum storage facility in the Turkestan region, with an estimated investment of around 5 billion tenge ($9.2 million), Trend reports. The project was presented during a working meeting between KazMunayGas-Aero CEO Ildar Shamsutdinov and Turkestan regional governor Nuralkhan Kusherov. The planned fuel base will include a tank farm with a total capacity of 20,000 cubic meters, including 12,000 cubic meters allocated for aviation fuel, such as Jet A-1. The project also envisions the delivery of a modern aerodrome fuel tanker. Construction is scheduled to take place from 2026 to 2028. The new facility is expected to ensure a reliable and stable aviation fuel supply, strengthen the regions energy security, and contribute to the development of aviation and logistics infrastructure. Authorities anticipate that the project will significantly increase passenger and cargo traffic, reinforcing the regions position as a key transport hub. Up to 50 new jobs are expected to be created as a result. The Turkestan regional administration expressed full support for the initiative, highlighting its alignment with national directives on infrastructure modernization, transport logistics development, and improving regional investment attractiveness. Founded in 2014, KazMunayGas-Aero (KMG-Aero) is a Kazakh subsidiary of the national oil company KazMunayGas that serves as an aviation fuel operator in the Republic of Kazakhstan and is expanding into Central Asian markets, such as Kyrgyzstan. The company provides aircraft refueling services, supplies aviation fuel to domestic airlines and the military, and is exploring sustainable aviation fuel production. LILONGWE, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Malawian President Peter Mutharika, who also chairs the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation, has reaffirmed the regional bloc's commitment to supporting Madagascar in restoring peace, upholding constitutional order, and safeguarding democratic governance. Mutharika made the remarks in a statement issued Tuesday following recent political and security developments in Madagascar that have threatened the nation's peace and stability. He said SADC deeply regrets the loss of life, injuries, and destruction of property resulting from recent demonstrations in Madagascar, noting that such tragic events undermine the core values of peace, unity, and democracy that form the foundation of the bloc's vision. Mutharika said the SADC organ stands in profound solidarity with the government and people of Madagascar "during this challenging time" and called on all stakeholders in Madagascar to "exercise maximum calm and restraint, safeguard the rights, freedoms, and dignity of all citizens, respect the rule of law, and uphold constitutional governance." Mutharika further urged law enforcement agencies to act with professionalism, impartiality, and restraint, and encouraged citizens to express their concerns through lawful and peaceful means. He reaffirmed that the SADC organ stands ready to work closely with national authorities and regional partners to facilitate dialogue and support efforts aimed at restoring institutional normalcy and national cohesion in Madagascar. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, October 15. Kazakhstan has proposed establishing a regional hub for the U.S. technology giant Honeywell on its territory to serve Central Asia, the Caucasus, Azerbaijan, and other countries in the region, Trend reports via the Ministry of Economy of Kazakhstan. The offer was made by Erbolat Dosaev, Head of the Presidential Administration of Kazakhstan, during a meeting in Washington alongside Serik Zhumangarin, Vice Premier and Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan, and Stacey Bernards, Senior Vice President of Honeywell During the meeting, Kazakhstani side highlighted positive cooperation with Honeywell and expressed gratitude for the company's ongoing interest and commitment to long-term partnership. Dosaev emphasized Kazakhstans ongoing economic transformation aimed at building a more diversified, green, and technology-driven economy. In this context, the country is keen to expand local production of Honeywell products and facilitate technology transfer. Kazakhstan identified several areas for potential Honeywell expansion, including increased use of the companys industrial safety and gas analytics systems at local enterprises, as well as projects in industry and energy aligned with national goals to reduce emissions and develop energy storage solutions. The meeting also covered Honeywells proposal to implement AI-driven solutions in managing technological processes at Kazakhstans oil and gas facilities. The adoption of AI agents is expected to enhance operational efficiency, safety, and reliability, while optimizing processes and reducing costs. Honeywell, a global leader in aerospace technology, industrial automation, and advanced materials, has been operating in Kazakhstan since 1998 and has completed over 500 projects in the country. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, October 15. Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev will visit Moscow on October 22 for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said during a briefing, Trend reports. This will be Kosherbayevs first official visit to Russia since his appointment as Kazakhstans FM. "The foreign ministers will hold comprehensive discussions on a wide range of issues related to the multifaceted bilateral cooperation, including political, trade-economic, cultural, and humanitarian spheres, also in the context of the upcoming state visit of the President of Kazakhstan to the Russian Federation," Zakharova said. She added that particular attention will be paid to regional integration mechanisms and international cooperation, such as the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The ministers are also expected to align positions on key regional and international issues and exchange views on current global challenges. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is expected to pay a state visit to Russia on November 12, 2025. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, October 15. During the visit of the Kazakh delegation led by Agriculture Minister Aidarbek Saparov to Shanghai, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between Prodcorporation (Kazakhstans National Company Food Contract Corporation) and Chinas Shandong Hi-Speed Qilu Eurasia Railway Express, Trend reports via the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan. The accord emphasizes the augmentation of grain, fodder, and oilseed exports from Kazakhstan to the Chinese market, leveraging a contract farming paradigm that entails procurement of harvests from agrarians at the sowing phase. The sides engaged in a dialogue regarding the potential for amplifying export throughput through the optimization of Shandong provinces rail network, alongside synergies in customs facilitation, logistical frameworks, and collaborative processing initiatives. Kazakhstan possesses the capability to facilitate the exportation of approximately 3-4 million tons of grain and fodder flour on an annual basis to the Chinese market. The most advantageous sector at present is the production of fodder flour. We extend an invitation to our Chinese stakeholders to engage in synergistic collaboration, not solely in the realm of logistics but also in the co-creation of integrated production initiatives. "We additionally advocate for the evaluation of containerized logistics for grain transport, which have demonstrated efficacy in prior implementations," Saparov articulated. Representatives of Shandong Hi-Speed Qilu expressed strong interest in developing bilateral projects and increasing purchases of Kazakh agricultural products. The company noted that Shandong province is one of the leading consumers and processors of agricultural products. During previous meetings, the parties discussed combining efforts along the entire supply chain, from procurement and transportation to sales. The company aims to increase imports and ultimately reach 500,000 tons from Kazakhstan The sides reached a consensus to establish a task force imminently to streamline subsequent actions, encompassing logistical frameworks, customs protocols, production infrastructure enhancement, and contractual formalization. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Kazakhstan's remittances from Uzbekistan pick up in Aug.2025 Photo: National Bank of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan saw a slight increase in money transfers from Uzbekistan in August 2025, with both the number and value of transactions rising. Despite this, overall international transfers into Kazakhstan experienced a small decline compared to the previous month. Access to paid information is limited If You already have a account, please log in Login Register BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, October 15. Secretary of the Security Council of the Kyrgyzstan, Baktybek Bekbolotov, met with Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of India, to discuss key issues in bilateral and regional security cooperation, Trend reports. The officials exchanged views on a range of topics of mutual interest, including strengthening bilateral security ties, ensuring regional stability, and countering terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, and other forms of transnational organized crime. The meeting took place ahead of the third meeting of Security Council secretaries and national security advisors in the Central AsiaIndia format, highlighting the growing dialogue between the region and India on security and strategic matters. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, October 15. Jeenbek Kulubaev, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, will make an official visit to Slovenia on October 1516, 2025, Trend reports. The visit is conducted at the invitation of Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia. During the visit, the foreign ministers of both countries are scheduled to hold talks on bilateral cooperation and coordination within international organizations. In addition, a number of bilateral agreements are expected to be signed, further strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between Kyrgyzstan and Slovenia. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. Iran wants the activation of the snapback mechanism, which provides for the reinstatement of anti-Iranian UN Security Council resolutions, not to be recognized by countries as legally binding, the Iranian Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi said, Trend reports. He made the announcement at a meeting of foreign ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement member countries in Uganda on October 15. According to him, the European troika has taken a step towards reinstating the resolutions against Iran, which were lifted by the Security Council in 2015, using the dispute resolution mechanism in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Araghchi asserted that UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and the provisions relating to Iran's nuclear program expire on October 18, 2025. Iran calls on member states of the Non-Aligned Movement to oppose any abuse by international circles, especially the UN Security Council, to exert pressure on developing countries. The Iranian minister added that the country desires the Non-Aligned Movement to adhere to fundamental principles, including the principle of self-determination of peoples and respect for the principles of the UN Charter, while preventing the use of force and condemning unilateral threatening actions. On September 26, the UN Security Council held a meeting on the initial text of a resolution submitted by Russia and China to extend the validity of 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 against Iran have been reinstated. 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 lifting of extensive 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 regarding a violation of the plan by another party. If these stages do not lead to a resolution, the complaining country may raise the issue with the UN Security Council. If Iran's complaint 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 15. The issue of Irans withdrawal from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is not on the governments or the countrys agenda, Vice President and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami said after a Cabinet meeting in Tehran, Trend reports. According to him, relevant officials in the country have the authority to make such decisions. Eslami stated that Irans cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is based on the law adopted by the Iranian parliament, and the IAEA needs to toe the line and play by the book. The law delineated a pair of stipulations for the regulatory body. First, the International Atomic Energy Agency had to condemn attacks on Irans nuclear facilities, but it has not taken such a step so far. Second, the IAEA must guarantee the protection of information related to Irans nuclear program. However, the agency has not issued any statement on this matter, he said. On July 2, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian approved the enforcement of a law to suspend cooperation with the IAEA. Per the stipulations outlined in this legislative framework, IAEA inspectors are precluded from conducting inspections within the national borders unless there is explicit confirmation from Irans Supreme National Security Council affirming the comprehensive security of the nations peaceful nuclear initiatives and associated facilities. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel JAKARTA, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Ten people were killed and 21 others injured after a fire broke out aboard an oil tanker undergoing repairs at a shipyard on Batam Island in Indonesia's Riau Islands province early Wednesday. The victims were technicians working on the tanker Federal II at PT ASL Shipyard Indonesia in the Batuaji area. The blaze started at around 4 a.m. local time, said Raden Bimo Dwi Lambang, police chief of Batuaji, adding that a similar incident had occurred on the same vessel in June, killing four workers. Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire. Heartwarming moments: an elderly villager in her 80s bowed and saluted firefighters in Guangxi, China, to express gratitude for their flood relief efforts that safeguarded the community through the storm. #China #Hero #firefighter #flood By Nicole Lyons, October 15, 2025 The Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, will convene court at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, in the Elliott Student Union Ballroom at the University of Central Missouri (UCM). A three-judge panel consisting of Judge Edward R. Ardini Jr., Judge Alok Ahuja and Judge Cynthia Martin will hear oral arguments in three cases. After the oral arguments, the judges will take time to discuss the court system and take general questions from the audience. Click here to view summaries of the scheduled cases. Ardini will preside over the proceedings in Warrensburg. He was appointed to the Western District in 2016. Prior to his appointment, he served as counsel to the Missouri Attorney General and then as counsel to the Governor. Ahuja has served in the Western District since 2008. Previously, he practiced law in Washington, D.C., and Kansas City. Martin was appointed to the Western District in 2009. Before joining the court, she practiced law in Kansas City and Lees Summit. The court regularly convenes in Kansas City. For more than 25 years, however, the court has held dockets in several of the 45 counties in its jurisdiction, which includes all of northwest Missouri and most of central Missouri. The court hears oral arguments outside of Kansas City to give individuals an opportunity to observe a part of the judicial system they normally do not see and to familiarize those attending with the courts role in the judicial system. For more information, contact Kimberly K. Boeding, court clerk for the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, at 816-889-3600. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Violation of Fundamental Rights: Kerala Minister on Hijab ban by Christian school Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty Wednesday October 15, 2025 said the Hijab ban by Kochis St. Ritas Public School is violation of fundamental rights Wednesday October 15, 2025 12:24 PM , ummid.com with inputs from Agencies [Gemini AI image used here for representation] Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty Wednesday October 15, 2025 said the Hijab ban by Kochis St. Ritas Public School is violation of fundamental rights. A huge row was erupted in Kerala after St. Ritas Public School in Palluruthy, Kochi banned a student from attending classes wearing Hijab or headscarf. She was also made to stand outside her classroom for violating the schools dress code. Taking note of the incident Sivankutty said the government would not allow schools in the State to become religious flashpoints over students rights to freedom of religion and freedom of expression as guaranteed by the Constitution. Stating that the school managements action also violated the RTE Act, Sivankutty said the school authorities had denied the student her right to education by making her stand outside the classroom. No student should face such hardship in Kerala, which upholds secular values. No educational institution will be allowed to violate constitutional rights, Sivankutty stated in his directive, as reported by news agency PTI. The minister emphasised that Kerala upholds secular and constitutional values and would not tolerate any action that discriminates against students on religious grounds. Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language to Translate in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf on Wednesday expressed deep condolences over the passing of Raila Odinga, former prime minister of Kenya. In a statement, Youssouf said he received the news of Odinga's death with profound sadness. Speaking on behalf of the AU, its organs, and institutions, he extended his deepest condolences to the family of Odinga, government and people of Kenya, and the wider African family mourning this "immense" loss. "Raila Odinga was a towering figure in Kenya's politics and a steadfast champion of democracy, good governance, and people-centered development," said Youssouf, highlighting that Odinga's decades-long commitment to justice, pluralism, and democratic reform left an indelible mark not only on Kenya but across the African continent. Youssouf said Odinga inspired generations of leaders and citizens alike through his courage, resilience, and unwavering belief in dialogue and democratic institutions. "Odinga's contributions had extended far beyond national borders. As the AU High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa, he worked tirelessly to advance the continent's integration and connectivity agenda, helping lay the foundations for the African Continental Free Trade Area and broader socio-economic transformation," the chairperson added. "His legacy will continue to inspire our collective efforts to build a peaceful, prosperous, and democratic Africa," he added. This photo taken on May 27, 2024 shows Hainan Eld's deer at the Bangxi provincial nature reserve in Baisha Li Autonomous County, south China's Hainan Province. (The administration of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park/Handout via Xinhua) HAIKOU, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- As dawn breaks over Bawangling Mountain's valleys, the crisp calls of Hainan gibbons pierce the morning mist, forming a daily dawn chorus in Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park -- China's southernmost tropical rainforest sanctuary. This October marks the park's fourth anniversary. Over the past four years, this vast ecosystem has delivered a vibrant "ecological report card," showcasing China's remarkable progress in biodiversity conservation and habitat restoration. Spanning approximately 4,269 square kilometers, the park constitutes China's largest contiguous tropical rainforest on a continental island. It serves as a critical gene bank for global tropical biodiversity, harboring 4,367 higher plant species and 651 wild vertebrate species. The park's ecological health is epitomized by the Hainan gibbon -- the world's most endangered primate. Once teetering on the brink of extinction due to habitat loss, this flagship species now enters a "golden period of growth." Today, seven family groups totaling 42 gibbons traverse the forest canopy. The increasingly frequent cries of infants -- along with monitoring teams' footage of a mother cradling her offspring while feeding on wild fruit -- paint a hopeful picture. This remarkable recovery transcends species revival, embodying China's conservation commitment through national park protection under the world's strictest ecological standards. Hainan has established a provincial-level coordination mechanism for the park's development, integrating 27 government departments and 10 municipal/county administrations under a unified conservation framework. Forestry patrol teams -- equipped with advanced navigation systems -- conduct regular expeditions through rugged terrain to enforce park boundaries. "Every additional kilometer I patrol translates into stronger rainforest protection," said Wei Baoquan, a dedicated ranger who meticulously documents daily observations along his assigned trails. In recent years, Hainan has pioneered the accounting of the park's gross ecosystem product, creating a comprehensive "ecological asset ledger" that quantifies the value of every ecological component -- from individual leaves to entire watersheds. A dedicated ecological restoration plan has been implemented to address rainforest degradation and habitat fragmentation, with strict zoning designating core protection areas and no-development zones. To restore the rainforest's natural integrity, rigorous measures have been taken: all 63 small hydropower stations have been dismantled, reviving dried-up streams and enabling migratory fish to return to their historical spawning grounds. Native tree species are being replanted in degraded areas, while young rainforest saplings now thrive in former eucalyptus plantations -- allowing the ecosystem to undergo natural regeneration. The park operates under an "smart protection" system featuring a space-air-ground integrated monitoring network -- utilizing satellite remote sensing, drones and infrared cameras -- to meticulously track vegetation changes and wildlife activity patterns. To minimize human impact, the park conducted its largest-ever community relocation. "We moved from the mountains to urban outskirts, allowing ecosystems to regenerate," said Wang Xiuhe, a relocated villager who now operates a homestay where tourists purchase rainforest products like wild mushrooms and honey. Former loggers and hunters have transitioned into the rainforest's most passionate protectors. As morning mist once again enshrouds the valley, the Hainan gibbon's calls harmonize with rangers' footsteps and children's laughter. Four years into this journey, this "treasure house of tropical biodiversity" has become a crystal-clear window into China's ongoing environmental improvement. This photo taken on Feb. 29, 2024 shows Hainan gibbons in the Bawangling area of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, south China's Hainan Province. (The administration of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park/Handout via Xinhua) Vietnam Briefing has developed into a premium source for insight on doing business in Vietnam. It publishes business news concerning foreign direct investment into Vietnam, including the most important tax, legal and accounting issues. The Vietnam Briefing Magazine was first published in 2009, and is contributed to by investment professionals based in Vietnam. HANGZHOU, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Amid the hustle and bustle of Yiwu International Trade Market in east China, Egyptian handicrafts trader Hisham El Gazzar was captivated by the dazzling array of goods. "If only my handmade goods could find a place here," El Gazzar commented. El Gazzar was among a group of over 60 suppliers of coffee, spices and other goods from African countries and Kyrgyzstan to visit Yiwu, known as "the world's supermarket," located in the city of Jinhua in Zhejiang Province, in late September. They were there to tap into the Chinese market and gain e-commerce sales and marketing experience. "We traveled from across our continent with the spirit of learning, exchange and collaboration," said Reginald Saria, who produces and exports honey sourced from Tanzania's natural forests. China-Africa trade continues to act as a stable anchor in Africa's trade structure. In 2024, bilateral trade reached 295.6 billion U.S. dollars, setting a new record for the fourth consecutive year. China has this year decided to extend zero-tariff treatment to 100 percent of tariff lines for 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations. "The policy is great news to me. It is a huge opportunity for our products to be able to compete," said El Gazzar, noting that he was studying the Chinese market and its business model, and preparing to divert all his focus to China after 23 years of exporting products to Europe and the United States. "The zero-tariff treatment will definitely pull more competitive African products into China," said Mao Tianyu, senior program manager of the Office for Asia and the Pacific at the International Trade Centre, noting that African goods are gaining traction. Thanks to policy support and market demand, many domestic enterprises expect to deliver more African products to the Chinese market. Among them is Merit Link, which operates a platform that has spent years helping Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) export, brand and localize. "We are planning to reverse the flow in the near future. Buoyed by the zero-tariff policy, we will open a dedicated lane for African food and agricultural exporters," said Steven Xu, chairman of Merit Link. China-Africa trade is undergoing a profound transformation from a traditional resource-based model to one that is more diversified, high value-added and technology-intensive, according to the Blue Book of China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation: Development Report (2025). Agricultural trade between China and Africa is transitioning from raw material exports to processed goods, cooperation in digital and technology-related services is gaining traction, and cross-border e-commerce is playing a growing role alongside traditional trade channels, said the document. "We are excited to explore e-commerce strategies and business models, and China's experience in creating opportunities for SMEs," said Saria from Tanzania. His words were echoed by many African traders who told Xinhua that they wanted to explore China's e-commerce and open stores online. As many African firms still lack the capacity to meet demand, Mao called for deeper supply-chain and e-commerce cooperation to give African firms a wider global reach. "The knowledge, skills and networks we are gaining in China are seeds that we must plant when we return home," said Saria. "Africa is open for business. I warmly welcome Chinese buyers and investors to engage with African entrepreneurs in building lasting, mutually beneficial collaborations." "This gathering is proof that when China and Africa come together, amazing things happen. Through cooperation, we can unlock enormous potential and build a future where both our peoples thrive," Saria added. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, meets with Liberian Senate President Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Zhao Leji on Wednesday met with Liberian Senate President Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said China-Liberia relations have been elevated to a strategic partnership under the strategic guidance of the two presidents. Zhao said China is willing to work together with Liberia to implement the important consensus of the two heads of state and the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, continue mutual support on each other's core interests and major concerns, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, strengthen multilateral unity and cooperation, and make contributions to building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. He said the NPC of China is ready to deepen exchanges of legislative and supervisory experience with the Liberian parliament, strengthen exchanges on protecting women's rights and interests through legal means, and create a sound legal environment for practical cooperation. Karnga-Lawrence said that Liberia firmly adheres to the one-China policy and supports the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity, adding that Liberia is willing to strengthen exchanges between the two legislative bodies to promote the development of bilateral relations. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, meets with Liberian Senate President Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) Venice Simplon-Orient-Express unveils a new route linking Paris with the Amalfi coast. A new luxury rail journey from Paris to Italy's Amalfi coast will become a reality next summer courtesy of the famed Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the train's operator Belmond announced. The inaugural journey, slated for 4-7 May 2026, will traverse both the French and Italian Rivieras and will include a two-night stay at the Caruso, a five-star Belmond hotel in Ravello, offering stunning coastal views. The stay in Ravello includes options to join a VIP tour around the ancient Roman city of Pompeii and a scenic boat tour to Positano, taking in the hidden bays and caves along the Amalfi Coast. Caruso Hotel, Ravello The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, a luxury sleeper train service that offers opulent, nostalgic journeys across Europe, uses restored 1920s-built carriages to provide a vintage travel experience, offering fine dining and sommelier wines. The new route is open for reservations, with a price tag of 8,600 per person, which includes all meals, transfers and excursions. Over the last summer the ride-hailing app Uber began offering tourists helicopter and boat services on the Amalfi coast following the recent opening of the Salerno-Costa d'Amalfi airport airport to commercial flights. A Story That Begins with a Letter 16-19 October. Theres a quiet power to the moments when language fails us and in Valentina, that silence takes center stage. Premiering this week at Teatro Argentina as part of the Romaeuropa Festival 2025, Valentina tells the story of a woman who receives a letter from her doctor. The letter is written in French a language her mother, a Romanian immigrant, doesnt fully understand. What seems at first a simple act of translation becomes a painful journey through truth, memory, and love. The play, directed by Caroline Guiela Nguyen, blends French and Romanian dialogue, interwoven with Italian subtitles. But this multilingualism isnt just stylistic; its central to the story. It mirrors the way identity, emotion, and misunderstanding often coexist in immigrant families and how truth itself can get lost in translation. From Saigon to Valentina Nguyen, known internationally for her acclaimed 2017 production Saigon, continues her exploration of language and belonging in Valentina. Her work often revolves around the lives of people caught between cultures Vietnamese, French, Algerian, or Romanian whose personal stories reflect larger histories of migration and displacement. In Valentina, Nguyen shifts focus to Europes East-West dialogue. The production, created by her company Les Hommes Approximatifs, examines how people construct meaning and memory across linguistic borders. The script, co-written with Juliette Alexandre, draws on documentary research and personal testimonies. Its performed by Chloe Catrin, Loredana Iancu, Marius Stoian, Paul Guta, Angelina Iancu, and Cara Parvu, each embodying fragments of a family navigating loss and identity. Set design by Alice Duchange, sound by Quentin Dumay, and lighting by Mathilde Chamoux create a minimal yet emotionally charged environment. Videos by Jeremie Scheidler add a layer of mediation reminding audiences that even our memories today pass through screens and pixels. A Festival of Cross-Cultural Voices Now in its 40th edition, the Romaeuropa Festival (REF) remains one of Europes most dynamic showcases for contemporary performance. Every autumn, it transforms venues across Rome from MAXXI to Auditorium Parco della Musica into spaces of creative dialogue between disciplines and cultures. This years edition revolves around the idea of connection: between art forms, generations, and languages. Valentina fits perfectly within this frame. RomaEuropa has always been a place where voices from different worlds meet, said festival director Fabrizio Grifasi in his opening remarks. With Valentina, Nguyen brings to Rome a story that feels both intimate and global a story about family, but also about what Europe has become. The festivals 2025 program features over 80 performances of theatre, dance, music, and digital art, including works by Qudus Onikeku, William Forsythe, and Romeo Castellucci. Yet Valentina stands out for its emotional realism and its delicate use of multilingualism a hallmark of Nguyens deeply human theatre. Language, Silence, and the Space In Between The emotional centre of Valentina lies not in grand speeches but in hesitation in pauses, mistranslations, and gestures that say what words cannot. Nguyen herself has described her theatre as a place for the unsaid, where silence is as meaningful as speech. At Teatro Argentina, that silence fills the historic hall one of Romes oldest theatres, founded in the 18th century with a new kind of intimacy. The plays structure moves between the personal and the political, showing how an act as small as reading a letter can reveal larger tensions about migration, class, and belonging in modern Europe. The mothers struggle to understand the letter becomes a metaphor for anyone who has ever felt alien in their own language, or voiceless in a foreign one. Rome as a Stage for the World For Romes cultural audience, Valentina is more than a visiting production its a reflection of the citys own identity. The capital has long been a crossroads for languages and cultures, from the ancient empire to todays immigrant communities. Bringing a French-Romanian story to an Italian audience, Nguyen adds another layer to that dialogue. Her decision to let the characters speak in their native tongues rather than translating everything invites spectators to feel, rather than simply understand. As the festival continues, Valentina acts as both a mirror and a question: what does it mean to share stories across borders in a Europe still negotiating its multicultural future? Whats Next After its Rome run (October 1619), Valentina will continue its European tour, with scheduled stops in France and Belgium. Meanwhile, Romaeuropa Festival continues through December, with highlights including: Mercedes: Mais Eu (Oct 1819, Auditorium Parco della Musica) an experimental blend of music and movement from Brazil. Qudus Onikekus Terrapolis (Oct 2223, Teatro Vascello) a multimedia dance piece exploring African futurism. William Forsythe: A Quiet Evening of Dance (Nov 34, Auditorium Parco della Musica) contemporary dance from one of the masters of the form. For full programming, visit romaeuropa.net. BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Brunei's Ministry of Finance and Economy, through the Registry of Companies and Business Names Division (ROCBN), has informed companies registered under the Companies Act that it will be implementing the Inactive Companies Strike-Off Initiative. In a press release issued on Monday, the ministry said under the Companies Act, all registered companies are required to hold an annual general meeting and to file their annual returns with the Registry. The initiative will take effect on Nov. 1, 2025, during which ROCBN will begin issuing individual enquiry letters to all inactive companies, providing them the opportunity to respond. The ministry said, if an answer showing cause to the contrary is not received within 30 days from the date of the first letter of enquiry, a notice will be published in the Brunei government gazette with a view to striking the name of the company off the register. Companies that wish to remain registered are advised to reply formally. ROCBN reminds all companies of the importance of maintaining compliance with the legal and regulatory requirements under the Companies Act. By David Young, Abbie Llewelyn and Cillian Sherlock, PA Families bereaved in the Troubles will ultimately be the judge of new legislation aimed at dealing with the legacy of the Northern Ireland conflict, the UK parliament has been told. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn stressed the need to secure the backing of victims as he presented the Bill to the House of Commons on Tuesday. The draft laws come after the UK government last month unveiled a joint framework agreed with the Government designed to address a long impasse on legacy issues. The framework, and associated legislation published on Tuesday, represent the UK governments attempt to fundamentally reform the mechanisms established in the 2023 Legacy Act. Labour came to power with a pledge to replace and repeal the Legacy Act introduced by the Conservatives, which halted scores of civil cases and inquests into Troubles deaths and also included a contentious conditional offer of immunity for the perpetrators of Troubles crimes in exchange for cooperation with a truth recovery body. The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill will axe aspects of the 2023 Act. Making a statement to the Commons, Mr Benn told MPs: Given the views held by so many people, often diametrically opposed, it was always going to be impossible to set out a plan that gives everybody everything that they want. There will be elements of our approach that some people will welcome and others will not. Time waits for no one, least of all for the many families who lost loved ones, and they ultimately will be the judge of whether these new arrangements can give them the answers that they have sought for so long. The joint UK-Irish framework included commitments to: Significantly restructure the Legacy Acts investigative and truth recovery body the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR). It will be renamed the Legacy Commission. Lift the Legacy Acts prohibition on Troubles-related civil cases in UK courts and inquests on conflict-linked deaths. Nine inquests that were part heard before the legal guillotine halted them will resume. Other inquests will be referred to the Solicitor General to independently consider whether they are most appropriately dealt with by the reformed Legacy Commission or via the coronial system. Establish a separate truth recovery mechanism called the Independent Commission on Information Retrieval. Reform disclosure processes to address concerns over a veto power held by the Northern Ireland Secretary of State on what sensitive information can be accessed by legacy bodies. Pass legislation in the Irish parliament to ensure the states fullest possible cooperation with the new Legacy Commission. Create a new dedicated Legacy Unit within An Garda Siochana. Ring-fence 25 million euro of Irish government funding to support victims and survivors in participating and engaging with legacy bodies. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn (Liam McBurney/PA) The Bill presented on Tuesday covers the measures in the framework that require legislative action in the UK. The draft legislation also contains measures designed in response to concerns raised by military veterans about previous legacy processes. These protections, which are not part of the joint framework, include provisions for witnesses to give evidence remotely without travelling to Northern Ireland. The Bill also includes provisions designed to stop former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams from seeking compensation for a period a detention without trial in the early 1970s. The legislation has moved to block potential payouts to internees like Mr Adams whose detention without trial during the conflict has since been ruled to have been unlawful on a legal technicality. The UK government has also introduced a draft remedial order to remove from statute the Legacy Acts immunity provisions. Commenting on the measures, Mr Benn said: The purpose of all this is to help families who have waited too long to find answers about what happened to their loved ones during the Troubles. This is our opportunity to deliver on this final part of the Good Friday Agreement and help Northern Ireland politics and broader society to find those answers and move forward. Tanaiste Simon Harris (Liam McBurney/PA) The Legacy Act was opposed by victims groups and political parties in Northern Ireland, and it led the Irish government to launch an interstate legal case against the UK, claiming it breached the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Speaking to reporters in Co Meath on Tuesday, Tanaiste Simon Harris said the Government would revisit the interstate case after the framework is faithfully translated into legislation in the UK. I think thats the sensible and prudent thing to do, he said. We never wanted to be in a position where we to take our nearest neighbour to an international court. Im pleased to say were now in a much better place, where the two governments together acting as go-guarantors on really tricky, painful, difficult issues from the past. Mr Harris also said the Government should be in a position to move forward its own legislation on legacy in 2026, once the UK government passes its own laws on the matter. Upgrade works on the N25 would solve the issues that led to the removal of the bus stop in Grange, but there is no funding available. That is according to Director of Roads Gabriel Hynes at the October sitting of the Dungarvan-Lismore District Council. Councillors raised the issue at this months Waterford City and County Council Plenary meeting and then again at the October district sitting. Cllr Tom Cronin said that the removal of both the bus stop in Piltown and in Grange was disappointing and shocking, as they were well used by local people in rural areas. He said that while the junction in Grange is highly dangerous and there have been accidents, the traffic calming measures already requested would solve the problem. The councillor said he wasnt sure why Piltown was affected. Mr Hynes explained that Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) had carried out a review of bus stops on the national network where the speed limit is 100kph. The review found that the stops in Piltown and Grange were very dangerous for pedestrians due to a lack of public lighting and the space shared with cars doing pick-ups and drop-offs. So, the council wrote to Bus Eireann instructing them to cease using the stop from the end of the month. But, he said, the wider issue is the need to upgrade the N25. I think politically we need to state as we have done in the past that the N25 needs to be upgraded from Middleton all the way to Kilkenny, and that is a political decision, said Mr Hynes. Mr Hynes said small, low-cost safety improvements, including traffic calming in Grange, could be carried out if there was funding. But next year the priority will be Lemybrien. That is not going to happen in the short term. "There is a funding issue with the national network- there has been an issue this year with TII funding that won't be fixed next year either, said Mr Hynes. HISTORY REPEATING Cllr Damien Geoghegan said he supported Cllr Cronins call and Cllr Nugents at the plenary meeting. He said this was an issue at Carroll's Cross a few years ago and it took a tragedy to get the road fixed. TII completely rubbished the notion of doing works at Carrolls Cross and within a very short space of time regrettably, there was a tragic fatal accident at that particular junction and within months, there were diggers on the ground at Carrolls Cross, and we shouldnt have to wait for the same thing to happen out in Grange for works take place there. I can totally understand the position you have been put in with TII in saying you know, remove the bus stops there because it's dangerous. TII should be stepping up to the plate and carrying out improvement works there. "Its an extremely dangerous junction, and traffic calming going through Grange would alleviate the problem, said Cllr Geoghegan. Mr Hynes said he agreed, but there are a lot of dangerous junctions between Youghal Bridge and Dungarvan. He said some junctions need closing or separating, others need to be removed altogether. But there isnt anything they can do until they get approval and funding from the government. But unfortunately, you can pass the blame to TII. "They dont have the necessary funding to upgrade every junction on the N25 at this point in time, and we are doing them on a phased basis. "We have done significant work at some of those junctions to improve safety over the last few years, said Mr Hynes. SOLUTIONS Cllr Nugent asked if Bus Eireann could move the bus stop in Grange to a nearby car park, as removing it altogether would be going backwards. You had to do what you had to do, Gabriel and the council had to do what they had to do. "But is there a solution at the carpark in Grange that buses can't go across the road or whatever, in the long term? said Cllr Nugent. Mr Hynes said there were options for collecting and dropping off passengers in both Piltown and Grange, the carpark being one, but that was a matter for Bus Eireann. He said he cannot direct them as to where to move the bus stop, only that they cant use the existing site. WEST WATERFORD LEFT BEHIND Speaking following the meeting, Sinn Fein TD for Waterford Conor McGuinness and Dungarvan Councillor Kate OMahoney have expressed serious concern at removal of the bus stops. They described the move as a significant blow to rural connectivity and another example of how State agencies are leaving West Waterford behind. Deputy McGuinness said that while the decision was made on the grounds of road safety, the removal of services is because of a failure ion the part of the Government to upgrade the N25. This is exactly the kind of situation I have been warning about for years. I have repeatedly raised the need for proper safety works and junction improvements along the N25 at Grange, Piltown Cross, and other dangerous sections. Those calls have consistently fallen on deaf ears. Now, instead of delivering the upgrades that are long overdue, TII and the Department have taken the lazy option and simply removed a public transport service that local people depend on, said Deputy McGuinness. He said the change would have a significant impact on residents in Ardmore, Grange, and Piltown who rely on public transport to access work, education, and services. This decision will deepen rural isolation, force more people into cars, and make it harder for older people and students to get to Dungarvan, Youghal, Cork or Waterford. Communities in this part of the county were already hit by the top-down changes to Local Link services late last year. "People here feel abandoned by a system that refuses to plan properly for rural areas, said Deputy McGuinness. Cllr. Kate OMahoney said there is deep frustration locally at the lack of consultation and the sense that West Waterford continues to be treated as an afterthought. People in Grange, Ardmore and Piltown are proud, resilient communities. But they have every right to feel angry. Time and again, decisions are made over their heads decisions that make daily life harder. "The removal of the Bus Eireann stop is just the latest example of how this area is being left behind. The bus stop in Grange is an essential transport link for the local community, serving people with a wide range of needs. "It provides vital access to hospitals in Cork and Waterford for those attending medical appointments, it supports young people travelling to college, helping them pursue education and training opportunities, and it also enables workers to commute to their jobs. "Any reduction in bus services directly contradicts national and local aims to encourage people to use public transport, said Cllr OMahoney. Deputy McGuinness and Cllr. OMahoney say they have sought urgent meetings with Bus Eireann, TII, and Waterford City and County Council officials to press for the decision to be reviewed and for long-promised road safety works to be prioritised. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme. Two Tipperary men have pleaded guilty to assaulting members of An Garda Siochana in Waterford. Conor Ryan (29) and Liam Ryan (22), both addresses provided as Duhill, Clogheen, Cahir appeared at Waterford Circuit Court on Tuesday, October 14. The pair committed the acts at The Causeway, Dungarvan on December 27, 2022. Liam Ryan pleaded guilty to one charge of assaulting a male Garda contrary to Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997, one charge of resisting or wilfully obstructing a peace officer acting in the execution of their duty contrary to Section 19(3) of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994, one charge of intoxication contrary to Section 4 of the same act, and one charge of engaging in abusive and threatening behaviour contrary to Section 6 of the same act. Conor Ryan pleaded guilty to one charge of assaulting a female Garda contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act. Barristers Martin Joseph Dully BL, representing Conor, and Brian O'Shea BL, representing Liam, requested probation reports for the clients. Mr Dully told Judge Eugene O'Kelly that his client had no previous convictions and that the events happened 'almost three years ago'. Judge O'Kelly said: "Any assault on a Garda is a very serious matter." The men will return to Waterford Courthouse in January 2026 for finalisation. Judge O'Kelly requested the preparation of Victim Impact Statements from the injured parties. (Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme) A Waterford woman has triggered a three-year suspended sentence after failing to attend multiple appointments with the Probation Service. Kathleen Flynn, of 56 Ard Cluain, Gracedieu, was given a three year sentence in early 2022 for two counts of money laundering. The 28-year-old was ordered to be of sober habits, to engage with the TREO project, to regularly attend meetings with the Probation Services and to follow their directions per the conditions of the suspension. However, in May 2025 the Probation Services made a Section 99 re-entry application after she missed numerous appointments. On Tuesday, October 14, the defendant appeared at Waterford Circuit Court, represented by Tom Giles Kelly BL. The court heard that she attended seven out of twelve scheduled appointments throughout 2025. During the hearing, Flynn said, "I want to go, I want to go the bathroom", several times from the dock. Judge Eugene O'Kelly said to her: "You're not helping your counsel." Flynn responded: "I'm on my period." Mr Giles Kelly informed the Court that his client had previously consented to a referral for treatment at Aiseiri and that the Probation Services were willing to engage with her. Prosecutor for the State, Niall Storan BL, told the Court that Flynn had a separate matter pending in Waterford District Court. Judge O'Kelly activated two years of the suspended sentence, remarking that he was "not satisfied that" with Flynn's engagement with Probation Services. He added: "This was a very significant money laundering charge, money was taken by numerous identities, something in the excess of 60,000 was stolen. "Probation Services are not obliged to give her chance after chance when she won't engage." (Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme) Europe Direct Waterford announced the winners of the regional Soapbox Final, held on Thursday, October 9, in the historic venue of the Dr. Mary Strangman Large Room at City Hall, Waterford. Sixty participants delivered passionate and insightful three-minute speeches on the title 'Likes, Lies and Legal Limits': Is it time the EU banned social media for under-16s?' Contestants showcased their public speaking skills and their proficient ability to engage with key European issues. With over 180 people in attendance, this was the biggest ever South-Eastern Regional Soapbox final. Judging panel Professor Felicity Kelliher, Gerard Arthurs and Jim Linane, with Hasib Zia, Wexford CBS, Winner of 17 & over category After a lively and inspiring competition, the winners were announced as Amelia Heslin of St. Leos College, Carlow (16 & Under category) and Hasib Zia of Wexford CBS (17 & Over category). Runners up and Highly Commended Prizes in the 16 & Under Category went to Leon Mullins, of Waterpark College, Waterford (runner up), and Luke Power of Ramsgrange Community School (highly commended). In the 17 & Over Category, Giovanna Vieira from St. Leos College, Carlow was runner up with Rory OReilly of CBS Kilkenny highly commended. The first-place winners in both categories will be invited to represent Europe Direct Waterford in the National Soapbox final in Dublin on Monday, December 1. That event will take place at the Royal College of Physicians. Regional champions representing the eight Europe Direct Centres in Ireland will compete for the top title. The judging panel for the regional final included Gerard Arthurs, Lecturer in International Relations & Politics and member of Team Europe in Ireland, Professor Felicity Kelliher, Professor of Management Practice at SETU, and board member of Waterford Integration Services, and Jim Linane of Waterford City and County Council. The judges praised all participants for their enthusiasm, originality and passionate debates on the title, with Head Judge, Mr Arthurs, commenting that it was the "most hotly contested regional final" he had the pleasure to judge so far. The public speaking regional final was a great success. "The huge number of entries is a testament to the engagement and curiosity of the students who took part," he said. "We can be confident that they will take the mantle forward to guard against social media excess and exploitation," he added. Mr Arthurs went on comment: Young people must be encouraged to seek out fact-based information and be aware of potential manipulation online. A healthy democracy and a healthy society, depend upon an informed, media-literate citizenry that can separate fact from fiction. The Soapbox participants gave us great confidence in a tech-savvy, curious generation. It was a great morning of inspiration. Following his win in the 17 & Over category, Hasib Zia said: "It was an engaging event that brought together diverse voices and perspectives, encouraging open-minded discussion." The event was hosted by Europe Direct Waterford, part of the Europe Direct Network, which provides free information and advice about the European Union, its policies, and opportunities for citizens to get involved. For more information about Europe Direct Waterford and upcoming events visit https://waterfordlibraries.ie/europe-direct/ or keep an eye on Europe Direct, Waterford social media. Waterford Treasures is host Special Conference Marking 80 Years Since the End of WWII Waterford Treasures will host a special conference this autumn to explore and commemorate the experiences of Waterford people during the Second World War. 'Memories of the Emergency: Waterford People and the Second World War', will take place on Saturday, November 8, in the Dr Mary Strangman Large Room at City Hall, Waterford. The event will be free to attend and is supported by Creative Waterford. Throughout 2025, Waterford Treasures undertook an oral history project to record and preserve personal accounts from the Second World War on the 80th anniversary of its conclusion. This conference will bring those stories to the forefront, shedding light on how global conflict touched the lives of people in Waterford and explore some lesser-known aspects of the period in Ireland known as 'The Emergency.'. The day will open at 10am with a keynote lecture by Dr Michael Kennedy, Executive Editor of Documents on Irish Foreign Policy at the Royal Irish Academy. His talk, 'On the edge of this mighty struggle: Ireland's foreign and Defence Policies during the Second World War', will set the stage for a day of fascinating historical insight. At 11am, Dr Eugene Broderick will give an overview of the period with Everything Here is Perfectly Abnormal: the Emergency in Ireland, 1939-45'. Following a coffee break, at 12 noon James Doherty will discuss: 'Defence through Delay: Military Defence in Waterford during the Emergency Period'. That will be followed at 12.45pm by a presentation on the Schools Essay Project with contributions from Mary Breen of the Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society and Niamh Crowley of the History Teachers Association of Ireland. Afternoon sessions will focus on local stories and memories and at 2pm, Andrew Doherty will examine maritime incidents in Waterford Harbour during the Second World War. At 2.45pm, Peter Cunningham will speak about A Waterford Man on D-Day: 6 June 1944. That will be followed by Cian Manning, 3.15pm, focusing on 'Sporting Life during Wartime, 19391945'. The day will conclude at 3.45pm with family memories of wartime shared by Nora Tubritt, Bill Walsh and Conor McEneaney. A spokesperson for Waterford Treaures said: "This one-day conference offers an opportunity to reflect on how Waterford and its people experienced a period of profound uncertainty and resilience. It also celebrates the value of preserving personal stories for future generations." Admission will be free of charge, however, places are limited and early booking is advised. For further information and registration details, contact Waterford Treasures at www.waterfordtreasures.com Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share After Paul Dalgarnos first book was published, he felt flat as week-old champagne. The Aberdeen-born author wrote And You May Find Yourself about moving to Melbourne and trying to make ends meet as a new parent in a new country. His long-held dream of publication was based on the assumption that having a book in the world would be a happy event. That assumption, he discovered, was wrong. Im a shy person, and the book was about my life, Dalgarno explains. It wasnt a million miles from the feeling I had before my one and only stint as a life drawing model. That involved me standing behind a blue curtain in the nuddy listening to artists in a community group chat about last nights telly while my brain told me, Youve got this wrong, Paul, you cant just go out there without your clothes, everyones going to laugh at you, theyll see you in your vulnerable entirety. Paul Dalgarno says publishing a book can feel strangely anti-climactic. The big difference with the book was that, after all that prep to get myself mentally ready, it was like stepping out naked to something much, much worse: virtually nobody was looking at me and I just stood there in my nuddy vulnerability before shuffling back to obscurity and feeling like a first-class numpty. A British YouGov poll on the most desirable occupations had author as the top response. An often-cited stat suggests that 81 per cent of Americans want to write a book. Aspirations are presumably similar in Australia. Balmy days pottering around home while doing some light imagining. Glitzy launches and high-cred festival panels. Respected, listened to, known. Who wouldnt want that sweet gig? Writers and wannabe writers dream of the magical day when their book is published. For some, reality matches expectation. Kylie Mirmohamadi (Diving, Falling), for example, describes euphoria. For others, it means a dose of the blues, or worse. Advertisement This stark contrast reveals a hidden truth: the process that consumes years of a writers life can culminate in feelings of emptiness, disconnection and even quiet despair. Far from the romanticised ideal of the authors journey, publishing a book often triggers a complex emotional aftermath, challenging deeply held expectations. Writers are often loath to talk about it. Editor's pick Literature The cult author who refuses to play by the book worlds rules Australian Society of Authors (ASA) chief executive Lucy Hayward says authors often report feeling flat or disoriented post-publication. The ASA offers a free Members Advice Service and links to the Support Act Wellbeing Helpline, staffed by experienced counsellors knowledgeable about the particular difficulties faced by Australian writers and other creators. Inga Simpson says the overwhelming sound on publication day is silence. Red Berry Photography The publishing industry is notoriously opaque, and while authors are very generous about sharing what they know with their peers, every authors publication might look a little different, she says. Quite reasonably, some creators might feel a post-publication slump because the reality of publication did not meet their expectations. Writers who imagined heraldic trumpets to signal their books emergence are left with the strained silence of the unvisited signing desk. Advertisement A champagne cork popping is over in a second, says Inga Simpson, who has written nine books, including six novels. The overwhelming sound on publication day is silence. It takes time for a book to leave bookstore shelves, to be read. The moment, the day, is always an anti-climax. Another factor at play is the end of an exclusive relationship. Writers spend so much time alone with their books, sharing them with the world can feel like a rupture. It is such an immersion in another world, one I have created, complete with landscapes and characters and ideas, which at some point became its own wild thing, and me just the one delivering it, Simpson says. Katherine Brabon says she felt untethered after the publication of The Cure. Eddie Jim It is so intellectually and imaginatively stimulating that when it is over, slumped in exhaustion, I miss the world of that book, which has become more real or preferable than my own. And I miss being in that heightened state. Katherine Brabon, speaking on the day her novel Cure reached bookshops, describes feeling untethered after publication. I think that nothing can surpass the rush of the creative process itself, she says. While post-publication has its own joyful moments a launch, bookshop visits theres something about the internal motivation that the external world cant quite match. The 2022 National Survey of Australian Book Authors found that local writers make an average of $18,200 per annum from their work, a figure presumably skewed by the handful of high-earning luminaries Trent Dalton, Jane Harper, Liane Moriarty and not many others. Most Australian writers arent doing it for the money. Author Jock Serong says he always experiences post-publication desolation. Nicole Cleary Advertisement But even the critical and commercial success of Jock Serongs seven novels has not inoculated him against publication desolation. It happens every time, Serong says. Fiction moves so slowly, and over this long period, youve poured everything your dreams, your technical ideas, your time, your love into the piece of work. At least at some subconscious level, you come to believe that anything is possible for the book when it comes out. This is not egotism its a kind of logic. Everything went in, so in theory, everything can come out. It might change lives. It might change my life. Then it doesnt. The world consumes the book in a few weeks. People say nice things. Family, friends and fellow writers are supportive. Then the publicity campaign ends, and suddenly its over. Two cold realisations occur inside you. One is that you havent changed the world youve barely made a dint and the other is that you have expended yourself creatively. The everything has left nothing. Editor's pick Literature Shed finished her novel and was about to have a baby. Then Hollywood came calling Serong is a regular guest at writing festivals and says this is a good antidote, giving the book a second life even though it has moved from the front display of bookshops to the shelves or possibly out the back door. Gigs on the speaking circuit, let alone bank balance-bolstering prizes, are never guaranteed, and it can be rough dealing with the glittering success of colleagues. I liken it to having a brilliant and beautiful girl child, says David Owen Kelly, author of Host City. Sending her off to a debutante ball, only for her return in tears with an empty dance card and an ugly spill right down her front, Carrie style, after another deb bumped into her on their way to the podium to accept the Most Popular And Gorgeous award. I want the best for my mental offspring, and when the best fails to happen, its a tragic injustice and a lost opportunity. Novelist Eleanor Limprecht says it can be hard for authors to manage jealousy. Marco Del Grande Advertisement It takes a long time to write a book and I invest a lot of fantasy in the outcome, which helps me reach the end. Its the collapse of all that fantasy thats miserable. But, as I have to remind myself, the fantasy was nothing more than scaffolding, so it had to fall away. Also contributing is the fact its going to take at least another three or four years if Im extremely lucky before Ill have anything else of worth to show. Seeing that long, lonely highway stretching ahead. Eleanor Limprecht, whose fifth novel, Cul de Sac, is out in 2026, is also brave enough to mention the green-eyed monster. Publicity schedules are filled with perceived slights and rejections, when suggested events or festival pitches are turned down because you arent a big enough name, when your book isnt reviewed in the media or it is but harshly, when you arent invited on someones radio show or someone elses blog, she says. And meanwhile, you must be on social media, where it appears that every other author you know has a 12-city book tour and international festivals. It is so hard to manage this jealousy, and I think the vast gap that sometimes exists between expectation and reality is the main source of the post-publication blues. What helps is therapy, dear author friends to talk to and who will admit to the same ugly feelings, and a new project to busy myself with. Limprecht also says the sensitivity required to be a good writer is a bad fit with the demands of publication. She recalls struggling to sleep as my brain churned with anxiety and imposter syndrome. You have to go from introvert who is rarely seen in public to extrovert who can sit on a stage and engage in a coherent conversation with other authors and clever journalists. Writers and publishers are always eager to see their work reviewed, but this can extract an emotional toll, even when the reviews are positive. After two acclaimed short-story collections, Laura Elverys first novel, Nightingale, was released in May. Shortly after publication I was dismayed that a few reviews had divulged what I saw as key plot points, she says. All those hours years! of deciding what to reveal on the page, and at which moments, and how to shape the narrative timeline were gone. Novelist Laura Elvery found was dismayed by reviews that spoiled plot points in her book. Advertisement BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- When a woman surnamed Hu from central China's Henan Province filed for divorce in 2024, she sought 50,000 yuan (about 7,043 U.S. dollars) in compensation for years of household labor, a request that was ultimately granted as part of a court-mediated settlement. Hu and her husband, surnamed Wang, married in 2011. However, differences in personality, lifestyle and parenting views drove them apart over time, with their arguments becoming routine. In October 2022, after another heated quarrel, Hu moved out of their home, marking the start of their separation. Two years later, in December 2024, she filed for divorce at the People's Court of Zhongyuan District in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan, seeking to end the marriage to Wang, gain custody of their daughter, and divide shared property and debts. Notably, Hu also asked the court to order Wang to pay 50,000 yuan in recognition of her years of housework. She said that throughout the marriage, she had shouldered most domestic duties, caring for their daughter and handling daily chores, while claiming that Wang had failed to contribute his share. She believed her unseen labor deserved formal acknowledgment. During the trial, the presiding judge, Li Xiaoling, noted that both parties had agreed to divorce. The court then turned to child custody, asset division and Hu's compensation claim. "Household labor is no less demanding than working outside the home," Li said. "Yet for too long, it has often been overlooked and taken for granted." She added that in many households, women bear the bulk of domestic tasks -- contributions that, while vital to family stability, often go unseen. Li affirmed the value of Hu's efforts and emphasized that individuals like her are entitled to appropriate compensation for years of domestic work as stipulated by law. According to Article 1088 of China's Civil Code, which took effect in 2021, where one spouse bears more obligations in raising children, caring for the elderly, and assisting the other in work, he or she has the right to request compensation when they divorce, and the other spouse shall make such compensation. This case reflects China's broader commitment to strengthening legal protections for women's rights and interests. The country has established a legal system anchored by its national constitution, centered on the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, and supported by over 100 laws and regulations. It has also taken resolute actions to combat illegal acts that infringe upon the personal rights of women and girls. This system includes the Civil Code, which features a "Marriage and Family" section with improved mechanisms for the identification and settlement of marital debts -- and economic compensation for domestic work in the event of divorce proceedings. Similarly, the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests has a special chapter aimed at protecting women's rights and interests relating to marriage and family. It stipulates that a wife who takes on greater responsibilities -- such as caring for children or elderly relatives, or supporting her husband's work, is entitled to seek compensation upon divorce. This type of progress at home aligns well with China's growing role in advancing gender equality worldwide. The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, which was held in Beijing this week, came as China continues to step up related initiatives. Over the past three decades, the country has made historic strides in advancing women's development -- lifting women out of poverty, expanding their roles across economic and decision-making spheres, and embedding gender equality into national development strategies. After several rounds of talks, Hu and Wang managed to reach a mediation agreement earlier this year. They agreed to divorce, with custody of their daughter going to Hu and Wang providing monthly child support. Wang retained the family home and car. In addition, Wang agreed to pay Hu a lump sum of 250,000 yuan, which included 50,000 yuan as compensation for household labor and 200,000 yuan from the division of marital assets. Hu's case is not unique. The first such ruling was issued by the People's Court of Fangshan District in Beijing in February 2021, just one month after the Civil Code took effect. In that case, the husband was ordered to pay his wife 50,000 yuan for household labor. Since then, courts across several provinces and regions, including Henan, Shandong in east China and northwest China's Xinjiang, have issued similar rulings, compensating wives who did the majority of housework during marriage. In a smaller number of cases, husbands who served as primary homemakers also received compensation under the same legal provision of the Civil Code. These rulings have sparked widespread discussion online. While some question how to quantify domestic contributions and determine compensation amounts, most public reactions have been positive. Many praise the policy for acknowledging women's often-invisible domestic efforts and for strengthening protection of their rights in marriage -- particularly for those without independent income. "The compensation itself is a sign of progress, but we still have a long way to go," read one comment under a China Youth Daily report on the topic in May. Li noted that the household labor compensation provision in the Civil Code has helped clarify the value of domestic work, giving the more burdened spouse the right to financial redress in divorce cases. She added that the provision encourages families to share domestic duties, promotes mutual respect between spouses, reduces discriminatory attitudes among breadwinners, and helps foster more harmonious and stable households. Advertisement NationalWACourts Hes a liar: Bikie says sniper made up story that he was paid to shoot Nick Martin Rebecca Peppiatt October 15, 2025 2:09pm 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 A much-anticipated murder trial will not only detail how a Perth bikie boss was assassinated by a trained sniper five years ago, but also lays bare the alleged violent and lawless lives of Western Australias criminal underworld. David James Pye, a member of the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle gang, is accused of paying a former soldier to shoot dead Nick Martin, head of rival gang the Rebels, at Kwinana Motorplex in 2020. A court sketch of bikie David James Pye on the first day of his trial in the WA Supreme Court. Anne Barnetson He denies the accusation but, during his opening address on Wednesday in the WA Supreme Court, prosecutor Justin Whalley, SC, told Justice Joseph McGrath that the states prime witness an ex-soldier who has admitted carrying out the killing would point the finger directly at Pye. Whalley said the sniper, whose identity is suppressed, would tell the court Pye paid him to murder Martin and also asked if he would kill a former girlfriend and fellow Comanchero Ray Cilli. Advertisement Whalley claimed an Instagram message between the soldier and Pye in 2019 kicked off the chain of events that led to Martins death. The sniper, who lived in Waikiki and had served in Iraq, had recently returned to Australia after volunteering for medical charities overseas and was suffering PTSD from his active service in the artillery corps. David Pye leaves court during an appearance in 2013. AAPIMAGE/Angie Raphael Whalley told the court Pye reached out to the soldier to ask him about the veteran-run charity Shadows of Hope, which led to conversations about sourcing the drug MDMA, which the sniper believed he could use to treat his PTSD. The pair met in person for the first time in mid-2020, during which Pye allegedly revealed to the 35-year-old that he was at the time on home detention bail over allegations of sexual assault against a former girlfriend. Advertisement Whalley claimed that Pye told the man his ex was in witness protection in the states north-west and allegedly offered the soldier $380,000 to kill her and dispose of her body. He told him it needed to look like she just disappeared, otherwise he would be prime suspect, Whalley said. Police outside court on day one of David Pyes murder trial. 9 News Perth [The soldier] declined to commit the murder on the basis he thought it was a stupid idea, and he didnt kill innocent women. But conversations between the pair continued, Whalley alleged, and on another occasion the soldier sold Pye some ammunition. Advertisement During the delivery of that ammunition in July of 2020, Whalley alleged Pye then started to talk to the soldier about Martin and the history of antagonism and disagreement between them, including Pyes belief that Martin had put a contract out to have him killed. Whalley then alleged that Pye asked the man to kill Martin, giving him $10,000 to scope out the situation. Nick and Amanda Martin. 9News Perth The soldier was at the time out of work due to a workplace injury, had just launched a mobile coffee van business with his girlfriend and was in need of money, the court heard. The man then conducted reconnaissance of Nick Martin and his house, Whalley said, and exchanged messages with Pye about what he had found, which included flying a drone over his home to analyse the security system. Advertisement But after he was told that Martin regularly attended drag-racing events at the Kwinana Motorplex, the soldier suggested he kill him at long range for the fee of $150,000. On December 12, 2020 just after 8.30pm, Martin was fatally shot during a race meeting in front of his horrified family and members of the public. The identity of the man accused of murdering Nick Martin has been suppressed. Facebook A man sitting behind Martin was hit with the same bullet that exited Martins lower back. He underwent surgery but survived. He has since died of unrelated natural causes. Whalley told the court Pye later text the soldier two coffin emojis and a hand clap. Advertisement Related Article Crime Bikie boss Nick Martins legacy of violence continues as widow stands trial Was there two? the soldier responded. One dead, one serious, Pye allegedly responded. He then allegedly told the soldier, your money is here before the sniper drove to a spot near his house, parked, and then rode a bike to Pyes residence in case it was under surveillance to collect his pay. But later, when he got home and counted the loot, Whalley said, the bag only contained half of what he was expecting. Advertisement There was only 50 here. I was expecting 100, Whalley says he messaged Pye. The other person didnt kick in. It is what it is, Pye allegedly responded. Bikies ride from the funeral home in North Perth to Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park for Martins funeral. Sharon Smith Whalley said the killer didnt press the issue and instead made a trip to Bunnings to buy some PVC pipe and a shovel and then took his dog for a walk and buried the bundles of cash in the pipes. Some time after Australia Day in 2021, Whalley claims Pye then hit up the soldier again. This time to enlist him to murder fellow Comanchero Ray Cilli. Advertisement He said his people were impressed with his killing of Nick Martin and asked him to kill Cilli in Thailand, Whalley said. He paid him to look and do some preliminary research and showed him some photos of Cilli as he had no knowledge of him. Whalley said the sniper was initially offered $800,000 to do the job, to which the soldier said, Ill think about it. [The soldier] did a bit of internet research and contemplated a few ways he could kill him, Whalley claimed, adding that he later told the soldier that only $600,000 would now be available for the job after a massive police drugs bust. The soldier then made a video, Whalley said, which he allegedly sent to Pye showing him how he could shoot Cilli from a static vehicle. Advertisement The killing was never carried out. Pye denied the allegations, with his legal counsel David Hallowes, SC, telling the court the sniper was a liar, that Pye never suggested he kill his ex-girlfriend, and that he did not pay him to shoot Martin. The credibility of [the soldier] is central to this, he said. The allegation came from [the soldier] and the prosecutions case stands or falls on that. We say [the soldier] is a liar. We say dishonesty courses through the veins of [the soldier] and well show that through our cross-examination of him. Advertisement The soldier is the prosecutions first witness and will begin giving evidence on Thursday. Related Article Updated Courts Bikie assassin gets 20 years for execution of Rebels boss Nick Martin Other witnesses will include covert police officers revealing surveillance footage and recordings of Pye and the soldier. The trial is heavily policed with armed officers outside the court entrance and, unusually, there is a glass wall dividing the judge, lawyers, and Pye from the rest of the public gallery in the District Court building. Pye was escorted to and from court in a police vehicle with escorts that stopped traffic on Wednesday. His trial, which is being presided over by a judge only, is due to last three weeks. Advertisement PoliticsWACars Truckzillas flood WA streets despite safety warnings and calls for reform Carla Hildebrandt October 16, 2025 2:00am 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 16 View all comments American-made truckzillas are flooding West Australian streets, with thousands of RAM 1500s, Ford F-150s and Chevrolet Silverados now on the road despite long-standing safety warnings about their size, weight and visibility. Federal Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics records show a sharp increase in large American utes or pickups entering Australia since 2021, rising from almost none to thousands of approvals a year. Australia has seen a sharp increase in the number of US-style truckzillas. The Age In WA, more than 6000 of the vehicles are registered, led by RAMs and Fords F-Series, according to the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure. University of Melbourne associate professor Milad Haghani, an expert in urban risk and resilience, said the purchase of these vehicles had become an arms race. Advertisement People see themselves boxed in by larger cars and trade up for protection, Haghani said. A child stands in front of a Chevrolet pickup to show the size difference. But Australia isnt built for these cars like the United States. Our infrastructure isnt designed for them. Pedestrian Council of Australia chair Harold Scruby said Australia had ignored two decades of evidence that the vehicles high bonnets and poor visibility make them far more dangerous. Advertisement Scruby was a witness at a 2002 inquest into the death of five-year-old Bethany Holder, who was struck by a Nissan Patrol SUV outside a Sydney primary school. The driver couldnt see her over the bonnet, he said. Coroner Jacqueline Milledge at the time urged a ban on 4WDs over 2000 kilograms within 200 metres of school zones and recommended special licensing for their drivers. The recommendations were not adopted. Its outrageous weve let it get to this stage. The government has done nothing to rein them in - they are so dangerous, Scruby said. In Paris, drivers of heavy vehicles and SUVs face triple parking fees under a weight-based tariff that took effect in September last year. Advertisement France and Japan have also introduced taxes on new cars exceeding certain weights. Meanwhile in Australia, there is no distinction between a 1300-kilogram Toyota Corolla and a 2400-kilogram RAM 1500 in registration fees, stamp duty or parking standards. Some local governments have begun exploring restrictions of their own. In Melbournes Yarra City Council, Greens councillor Sophie Wade has pushed for higher parking fees for SUVs and trucks which she calls truckzillas saying the issue has become one of child safety. Advertisement The fact that were ignoring this rising danger is beyond me, she said. Its completely preventable. In Sydney, Greens councillor Matthew Thompson won support in April to investigate a size-based parking fee system after complaints from parents worried about the safety of children near schools. However, owners of large SUVs and trucks argue the vehicles serve legitimate purposes particularly in regional and outer-suburban areas. Fremantle driver Nigel Reid said he bought his RAM for towing and business use. American vehicles were built to tow, he said. Advertisement Theyre longer, more stable and have better storage. Road safety expert Dr Milad Haghani said Australias infrastructure was not suitable for large SUVs and trucks. Nick, a Perth father of three who tows a 3000-kilogram off-road caravan, said his large ute made long trips safer. With the RAM, you can sit behind a road train, get the all-clear and nudge past without being sucked in (by the wind pressure), he said. Its big, sure, but it fits within the lines. Advertisement Haghani said drivers of these vehicles could use a loophole which allows them to avoid the Luxury Car Tax, because they were classed as commercial rather than passenger vehicles. Under Australian Tax Office rules, a car is exempt if it can carry more weight in goods than passengers. That means a $130,000 RAM 1500 or Ford F-150 can be treated like a work truck for tax purposes, while a family SUV at a similar price could be charged thousands in tax. The Australia Institute estimated the loophole cost taxpayers more than $250 million in 2023. Other countries are taxing vehicle mass and emissions and were rewarding it, Haghani said. Advertisement But industry groups say the shift increase in larger cars simply reflects how Australians live. Standards Australia, a non-profit development body, is due to release a report this year saying car bays may need to be widened as the average vehicle size increases. Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Tony said Australians simply prefer larger vehicles. Over the past two decades, SUVs have grown to dominate the new-vehicle market, he said. That reflects what Australians want and need: space, safety and versatility for family, business and recreation. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share License this article More: Cars Perth Carla Hildebrandt is a journalist with WAtoday. She previously worked on ABCs Four Corners and as a court reporter at The Daily Telegraph in Sydney. For secure contact: carlahildebrandt@proton.me. Connect via email Rents in dozens of Melbourne suburbs have jumped by double digits over the past year, bucking the broader trend of flatlining rental costs. Asking rents have soared in some of Melbournes more prestigious and tightly held suburbs, with Caulfield showing a 29.4 per cent increase to $1100 a week, followed by a 20.4 per cent hike in Princes Hill to $915, the latest Domain Rent Report for the September quarter showed. Domain chief of research and economics Dr Nicola Powell said while overall rents have stagnated and that period of real hikes in rent is in the past, some suburbs were bucking the trend. When you look at the growth, its led by some suburbs for houses, but I do think there is a two-speed market going on for houses, she said. The WCO has dedicated 2025 to Customs delivering on its commitment to efficiency, security and prosperity [] and pursuing gender equality, diversity and inclusiveness is one of the avenues administrations must travel in order to deliver, said WCO Secretary General, Ian Saunders, in his opening address to the fifth virtual global conference of the WCO Network for Gender Equality and Diversity on 6 October 2025. Promoting gender equality and diversity within Customs is not just a question of fundamental rights. Creating a diverse and inclusive working environment remains a key element of staff performance and, as such, the WCO believes its Members must consider addressing GED issues as stipulated in the 2020 Declaration on Gender Equality and Diversity in Customs. Efforts already taken at the WCO to advance gender equality and diversity in Customs include the development of the Gender Equality Organizational Assessment Tool (GEOAT) and the Blended Training Package on Advancing Gender Equality and Diversity in Customs. In 2022, to respond to increasing demand from WCO Members for support in the area of GED, the Secretariat started working on the development of a pool of recognized experts to assist fellow administrations in this area. To enable the sharing of experiences on the promotion of GED - one of the measures covered in the Declaration - the WCO established a Network for Gender Equality and Diversity and has organized an annual conference since 2021 gathering Customs administrations and their partners. This years event gathered more than 300 participants with discussions centered around two main topics, namely inclusion as applied to disability and partnerships related to GED. Trade is a game changer for women Before starting these discussions, the WCO invited Ms. Anoush der Boghossian, Head of Trade and Gender at the World Trade Organization (WTO), to deliver a welcome speech during which she explained why and how policies should support the participation of women in international trade. She highlighted that, while trade is a master class in empowerment, exposing entrepreneurs to international standards, quality expectations, innovative practices and building vital skills in negotiation, marketing, and management, women entrepreneurs often face distinct and higher barriers than men to benefiting from international trade, and it is therefore crucial to shape policies and markets with gender equality in mind. Disability and improving inclusion The panel on inclusion as applied to disability was moderated by a representative from the State Customs Service of Ukraine, and brought together speakers from the General Directorate of Customs of the Dominican Republic (DCA), the South Africa Revenue Service (SARS) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). They emphasized efforts in hiring and accommodating staff with disabilities, training staff for interacting with colleagues and citizens with disabilities, as well as adapting workplaces in terms of accessibility and culture. Among the practices discussed was the DCA internship programme, which provides opportunities for young people with physical disabilities (who are hard of hearing or visually impaired, for example) or various neurodivergent conditions to gain an initial work experience and integrate into Customs. Participants heard the testimony of one of the 167 trainees who became a permanent employee. At first, it may seem like a small project. But I think it is wise to say that major changes can only be achieved when a series of small events trigger them, he said. A disability champion from SARS whose role is advocating for the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities also shared her experience. Some disabilities are not visible. Its up to us as people with disability to educate and to also raise awareness. Our slogan is nothing about us without us, she declared. The work of the disability champions has led to a better understanding of the challenges faced, improved building accessibility, and the purchase of assistive devices. The speaker from UNCTAD highlighted the need for governments to design trade policies that would make assistive devices more accessible, especially in low-income countries where it is estimated that only about one in 10 people have access to the assisted devices they need, compared to about 9 in 10 in developed high income countries. Many developing countries have tariffs and non-tariff barriers that make these devices expensive or very difficult to import. Importance of partnerships The panel on partnerships brought together speakers from Chile Customs, Chilean business sector, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The WCO strongly advocates for more collaboration on the topic of GED, be it with other government agencies, national or international stakeholders, as this can help Customs to enhance their efforts in promoting GED. Among the initiatives presented was Chiles Aduana conecta programme (Customs Connects) supporting women entrepreneurs wishing to import and export and led by the Customs administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Women and Gender Equity. A businesswoman explained how she successfully managed her first import and export operations thanks to the courses and guidance provided under the project. I went with my mentor to the Customs office to clarify some points. This motivated me and when the opportunity arose to make an export to Maui in Hawaii, I took it, she explained. A unique journey promoting GED An officer from the NCS, who travelled by motorbike from Lagos to Brussels to deepen her administration understanding of how borders operate, shared her experience at border crossing points. She pointed out the need for border agencies to enhance cooperation to cut waiting times in areas that are often remote and not secure, especially for women, and build gender responsive and inclusive infrastructure. Commitments to GED cannot be limited to internal human resources policies, it must also extend to the trading community, she said. From assessment to certification Finally, representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) presented their work related to Equanomics, and how they accompany ministries of finance to assess and understand the gender impact of fiscal systems to ensure they dont unintentionally reinforce existing inequalities, and design them to advance gender equality. The Gender Equality Seal, a certification process supporting public institutions to mainstream gender and promoting more gender responsive policies, was also introduced. There is a very strong complementarity between the Gender Equality Seal and the WCO Gender Equality Organizational Assessment Tool (GEOAT). The latter speaks very much and deeply to the specificity of Customs while the other focuses on evidence-based implementation, and provides external validation and a strong incentive in the form of a global certification, highlighted the speaker. Next GED-related event coming up Customs administrations representatives interested in participating in the WCOs work on GED are invited to join the Virtual Working Group on Gender Equality and Diversity which will hold its next meeting on 4 November 2025. The WCO Network for Gender Equality and Diversity The Network was formally launched on 8 March 2022 on occasion of International Womens Day. In line with the Declaration on Gender Equality and Diversity in Customs, the aim of the Network is to enable Customs officers and leaders to share their experiences and to exchange ideas among themselves and with other participants. Other key objectives include identifying the benefits of implementing gender-responsive and inclusive policies in Customs, as well as ways to ensure sustainable support from senior management and to strengthen collaboration with private-sector stakeholders on these issues. The Network complements the practical work already done by the Virtual Working Group on Gender Equality and Diversity, which was launched in 2017 with the aim to promote the use of the Gender Equality Organizational Assessment Tool (GEOAT) and provide a platform to exchange practical ideas. by Sanaa Kamal GAZA, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- When U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his 20-point peace plan for Gaza on Sept. 29, I thought Hamas would reject it outright. The proposal excluded the Palestinian movement from governing Gaza and required it to disarm -- conditions that seemed impossible for it to accept. Yet the rapid developments that followed left many, including myself, in disbelief. After several days of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, the two sides agreed to the first phase of the Trump plan, and a ceasefire took effect on Friday. The agreement was later formalized at a summit in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday. I learned of the ceasefire in my apartment in El-Shorouk City, east of Cairo. As I watched the live broadcast of the signing ceremony, I thought of those who never lived to see it. Memories of my hometown Gaza -- where I spent seven months during the two-year war -- came flooding back: nights lit only by candles, the thunder of airstrikes, the weary faces of mothers in hospital corridors, and the thick scent of dust and smoke filling the streets. For the past 24 months, ceasefire talks have come and gone, each ending in disappointment. Every truce in Gaza brings both hope and doubt -- hope that the guns may finally fall silent, and doubt over how long the calm will last. "We hope this truce lasts. We're tired of being disappointed," my friend Reem Salah, a nurse at Nasser Hospital, told me over the phone. "People here are still cautious, but there's a new look in their eyes -- something between fear and relief." For Youssef Hamdan, a 42-year-old taxi driver from Khan Younis, the ceasefire brought an unfamiliar silence. He heard the news while transferring casualties through the city. Pulling up in front of Nasser Hospital, he simply sat there. "I didn't even celebrate," he said. "It took a few minutes to realize I was still breathing -- and that my family was safe, at least for now." Throughout the war, Hamdan spent his days behind the wheel, ferrying the wounded and displaced to safety. His own family had been forced to flee several times after Israeli airstrikes destroyed their shelters. Each night, he checked on them briefly before returning to the roads under fire -- to bring others to safety and to earn a living. Months of bombardment have left him flinching at every sudden noise. "At least now I can drive without constantly looking at the sky," he said quietly. "The war may be over, but the fear never truly leaves -- nor the memory of what my family and I went through." In Gaza City, Rawan Abu Jaber, a 29-year-old teacher taking shelter in a tent in the al-Rimal neighborhood, burst into tears upon knowing about the ceasefire. Like many others in Gaza, she never believed she would survive. "I cried -- not out of joy, but from exhaustion. It felt unreal," she said. At the start of the war, Abu Jaber would reassure her students that fear would eventually pass. But months of relentless bombardment taught her otherwise. Several times, she and her family sheltered at home to escape Israeli strikes. One night, explosions just a few houses away shattered their windows and threw them to the ground -- her closest brush with death. "I prayed not for survival, but that if it happened, it would be quick," she recalled. After the ceasefire, Abu Jaber stepped outside her tent and looked at what was left of her neighborhood. "I thought to myself, we survived -- but part of us stayed beneath that rubble," she said. Still, many Palestinians see the ceasefire as only the first step on a long road toward stability. The end of fighting does not necessarily mean the end of the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. Rather, it may mark the start of a new and uncertain phase filled with political, economic and humanitarian challenges. "Hamas has accepted the clause concerning the ceasefire and prisoner exchange, but not all details related to the next stage, which includes security and political arrangements," said Ramallah-based Palestinian political analyst Esmat Mansour. "The next phase will determine whether this truce holds or fails. Any violation or escalation on the ground could bring the situation back to the starting point," he added. Another blood drive is scheduled for next Tuesday, Oct. 21, at EMS headquarters from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The restaurant thanked customers who have supported them over the past five years it has called the location home. Articles Sorry, there are no recent results for popular articles. The firefighters and their families joined city leaders in the Mayor's Gallery downtown. BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Luo Zengbin, a former senior official of south China's Hainan Province, has been indicted on charges of accepting bribes, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate on Wednesday. Luo was formerly a member of the Standing Committee of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and secretary of the CPC municipal committee of Haikou, Hainan's capital city. Luo is accused of taking advantage of his various posts in Sichuan Province and Hainan Province to seek benefits for others, while illegally accepting "extremely huge" amounts of money and gifts in return. The case has been filed by the People's Procuratorate of Chenzhou City, central China's Hunan Province, to the city's intermediate people's court. BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- China recently prosecuted two criminal gangs based in northern Myanmar over telecom fraud and other crimes targeting civilians in China, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said Wednesday. Through joint law enforcement cooperation, Chinese and Myanmar police have arrested more than 57,000 Chinese nationals suspected of fraud. Cases related to all four major criminal gangs based in the Kokang region of Myanmar have now entered the judicial process, the ministry noted. According to China's public security authorities, the criminal gang led by the Wei family has built 31 compounds in Kokang since 2009 to carry out criminal activities -- including telecom fraud, online gambling, organized prostitution and drug trafficking. This gang had long exercised armed control over these compounds, allowing violent abuse, beating and even killing of low-level telecom fraud personnel within the gang. These crimes have resulted in the deaths of eight Chinese citizens, while involving fraud-related funds exceeding 5 billion yuan (around 704 million U.S. dollars), gambling-related funds exceeding 9 billion yuan, and illegal profits from organized prostitution amounting to over 19 million yuan. Another criminal gang in Kokang, led by the Liu family, has built 28 telecom fraud compounds in the region, deployed armed forces to intimidate and control these areas through violence, and carried out telecom and online scams, extortion and illegal detention, the investigation revealed. In addition, this criminal gang has expanded into gambling, prostitution and drug trafficking, the police said. Police investigations have revealed that the Liu family group is linked to over 2.6 billion yuan in telecom fraud funds, more than 8 billion yuan in gambling funds, over 17 million yuan stemming from online extortion, and over 16 million yuan in illicit earnings from prostitution. Chinese law enforcement authorities previously handled cases involving two other major Kokang-based criminal gangs that targeted Chinese citizens. On Sept. 22 this year, a court tried 21 members of the Bai family crime group on more than 10 charges, with over 20 billion yuan in illicit funds from fraud and gambling involved. On Sept. 29, 11 members of the Ming family gang, based in northern Myanmar, were sentenced to death on multiple criminal counts. "Cracking down on these criminal groups, which have long operated abroad and targeted Chinese citizens, is an important demonstration of China's judicial sovereignty," said Li Changlin, a professor at Southwest University of Political Science and Law in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. Law enforcement personnel and experts noted that cross-border telecom fraud and related crimes remain rampant, with new tactics constantly emerging. They said that finding ways to deliver swift, precise and effective strikes against these evolving crimes remains a pressing challenge. "The downfall of these criminal groups also serves as a vivid anti-fraud lesson for the public," said Chen Jie, a Beijing-based lawyer. Fostering individual awareness is fundamental, while vivid case analyses and public legal education can also help build a strong line of defense against deception and temptation, he added. A senior official from the MPS said that the police will continue to maintain a tough stance against cross-border telecom fraud, strengthen international law enforcement and judicial cooperation, and resolutely eradicate overseas fraud hubs to safeguard people's lives and property. BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- China recently prosecuted two criminal gangs based in northern Myanmar over telecom fraud and other crimes targeting civilians in China, according to the Ministry of Public Security on Wednesday. Leesville, LA (71446) Today Mostly clear early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Areas of patchy fog developing. Low 46F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly clear early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Areas of patchy fog developing. Low 46F. Winds light and variable. BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday requested consultations with India at the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding India's subsidy measures in the electric vehicle and battery sectors, according to the Ministry of Commerce. The relevant measures by India are alleged to violate several WTO obligations, including the principle of national treatment, and constitute import substitution subsidies, which are explicitly prohibited under WTO rules, a spokesperson for the ministry said in a statement. These measures unfairly benefit India's domestic industries and undermine China's legitimate interests, the spokesperson said, noting that China will take resolute measures to effectively safeguard the lawful rights and interests of its domestic industries. Over a period of time, a number of India's trade and economic measures have been alleged to be non-compliant with WTO rules, sparking widespread concern among WTO members, the spokesperson said, urging India to abide by its WTO commitments and immediately correct its wrong practices. By Declan Brennan A prison inmate will serve an additional six-year sentence for a jailhouse stabbing and a separate city centre knife attack. During the Mountjoy prison attack on December 18th, 2018, Dean Teeling (36) of Coultry Drive, Ballymun, Dublin, repeatedly stabbed Shane Fay in the back. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to violent disorder and assault causing harm. During the melee involving six men in the prison recreational room, Teeling repeatedly stabbed the victim in the back, leaving him with six stab wounds to the back and one cut to a finger. The victim declined to make a statement to gardai, but the attack was caught on CCTV. Teeling also pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to a man during the knife attack on Fownes Street in Temple Bar, Dublin city centre on January 8th, 2022. CCTV footage played in court showed Teeling running up to the victim and making a single stabbing motion to the man's chest. The defendant later claimed to gardai that the victim had sexually assaulted a relative of his and that the attack was an act of vengeance. The victim spent some time in hospital but did not make a complaint. The court heard that Teeling has a long history of offending which includes convictions for knife assaults. Judge Martin Nolan said the prison assault was pretty savage. He imposed custodial sentences of three years for each of the offences and ordered them to run consecutive. The court heard that Brad Dempsey (24) of Stanaway Road, Crumlin, Dublin was also involved in the 2018 prison assault. Dempsey kicked the victim once after he had been put on the floor during a melee, Garda David Graham told the court. Dempsey pleaded guilty to affray at Mountjoy prison. He is currently serving an eight year prison term imposed in 2022 for firearms offences. Judge Nolan sentenced Dempsey to 18 months imprisonment for his involvement in the prison affray. A man was caught in a Garda sting after more than 40,000 worth of cannabis was concealed in a coffee machine box. Mark Doherty, aged 33, formerly of Deerpark Manor, Swinford, but currently in custody, pleaded guilty at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court to possession of drugs with intent to supply. Garda Rachel Dillon told the court that the Mayo Divisional Drugs Unit were contacted by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau on April 12, 2024, and told that a consignment of drugs had been intercepted by Customs Officers at Shannon Airport. The package originated in California and was transported by FedEx. It was labelled as a coffee machine weighing 3.1kg. However, inside was 2.2kg of cannabis with an estimated street value of 44,780. The package was addressed to Dohertys then home at Deerpark Manor. On April 16, 2024, a joint operation was conducted. A detective from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau collected the package at Shannon and travelled to Mayo to deliver it to Doherty. The defendant was not at home but had arranged for it to be delivered to his workplace. The officer handed the package to Doherty and he signed for the delivery before being arrested. Doherty made some admissions when interviewed and claimed he was in debt at the time. The court heard Doherty is a drug addict and alcoholic. He claimed he owed 6,000 at the time of his arrest having paid off the bulk of a much larger drug debt. The defendant had acted as a handler for the drugs and told Gardai he was paid 500 for each box and was using this cash to pay off his debt. Gda Dillon told the court that while she accepted that Doherty had a difficult background she believed he may have been paid more than the 500 he claimed he received per delivery. Judge Eoin Garavan was told that the defendant has 47 previous convictions. The court heard he was attacked with a kettle and sustained serious injuries while in custody in Castlerea Prison. Doherty told the court he was sleeping in his cell when he was assaulted. He said he sustained a broken eye socket, broken nose, damage to his jaw and nerve damage to the right hand side of his face. The defendant said he could not say for certain if the attack was connected to his arrest. Despite being requested at an earlier court sitting, urinalysis, a psychological report, and an addiction report were not ready in time for the sentencing hearing. Judge Garavan adjourned finalisation of the case until November 6 next. The judge indicated that he is likely to impose a three-year jail sentence with one year suspended. However, he said he would consider backdating the custodial term to August 1, 2024 to reflect time already spent in custody, leaving a one-year suspended prison sentence. This month, well-known hotelier Niall Rochford of Ashford Castle, will embark on a 12-day, 250km walk from Cork to Cong, Co. Mayo, to raise vital funds and awareness for pancreatic cancer. The Cork2Cong Challenge was created in memory of Nialls late wife, Stella, who was born in Cork and studied at UCC. Tragically, Stella passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2022, just eight weeks following her shock diagnosis. Starting on 28th October from Honan Chapel in UCC, Niall will follow a path that mirrors the journey of Stellas life. From Cork City, he will head to Limerick and Clare, where he and Stella met and welcomed their first child. He will then continue on to Galway, where their family grew, before finally arriving on November 8th in Cong, Co. Mayo, the place they called home and where Stella is now laid to rest. Niall is inviting members of the public, friends and family to support him along the route, or to take their own Steps for Action. to help raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer Ireland, a new charity co-founded by Niall, earlier this year. Sporting legends including Katie Taylor and David OLeary have pledged their support by way of video messages, which will be posted on pancreaticcancerireland.ie and on Instagram @pancreaticcancerireland. 5 in 6 The Cork2Cong Challenge not only retraces Stellas life story but also highlights the urgent need for greater awareness of pancreatic cancer, a disease that affects more than 600 people in Ireland each year and tragically claims the lives of five out of six patients diagnosed. Pancreatic Cancer Ireland, which was co-founded earlier this year by Niall, together with Rachel Duquesnois and Pamela Deasy, whose lives have been deeply impacted by the disease, and is supported by leading medical experts including; Prof. Aisling Barry, Radiation Oncologist and Chair of Radiation Oncology at UCC; Prof. Tom Gallagher, Consultant Surgeon at the National Surgical Centre for Pancreatic Cancer at St. Vincents University Hospital; and Prof. Grainne OKane, Consultant Medical Oncologist at St. Vincents University Hospital. Speaking ahead of the challenge, Niall Rochford said: "This walk is deeply personal to me, and I know Stella will be with me every step of the way. Pancreatic Cancer Ireland was founded because we need more awareness of this devastating disease and, crucially, we need a rapid diagnosis centre here in Ireland. This challenge is about raising funds to make those goals a reality. Every donation, no matter the size, makes a difference, but if you cant donate, please help us by spreading the word. Ireland has an incredible spirit of community, and Im looking forward to meeting people along my 250km journey. I know Ill find strength in that support as I make this journey in Stellas memory. To make a donation please visit: https://www.idonate.ie/event/Cork2Cong For more information on pancreatic cancer and to view the Cork2Cong route, visit: www.pancreaticcancerireland.ie/cork2cong CONAKRY, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Guinean government has announced plans to construct the largest shipyard in West Africa in partnership with Chinese companies, Minister of Transport and Government spokesperson Ousmane Gaoual Diallo said Tuesday. During a site visit to the coastal city of Boke, located over 300 km northwest of the capital Conakry, Diallo and his delegation inspected a 50-hectare area designated for the project. Diallo said the shipyard carries strategic importance as it will enable the maintenance and repair of vessels of all sizes, the production of maritime equipment, and the training of a skilled local workforce. "It is a large-scale project, which will be not only the largest in West Africa but also one of the most significant on the continent. It could lay the foundation for the future industrialization of our country," he said. The first phase, focused on ship repair, is expected to become operational within two years, while a second phase, scheduled to begin five years later, will focus on shipbuilding and the development of a cluster of small-scale industries around the shipyard site, according to the minister. Diallo noted that such infrastructure is lacking in the West African subregion, despite the steady growth of maritime trade. Through the project, he said, Guinea aims to position itself as a leading maritime hub in West Africa. With more than 350 km of coastline stretching from the northwest to the southwest, Guinea holds a major geographical advantage in realizing this ambition, he added. KABUL, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The counter-narcotics police have foiled the attempts to smuggle 18 kg of illegal drugs, including heroin, in western Afghanistan's Nimroz province and took into custody two individuals, the provincial police said on Wednesday. The alleged drug smugglers were attempting to smuggle 16 kg of opium poppy and 2 kg of heroin out of the province, but police discovered the contraband and took into custody its owners, provincial police spokesman Mawlawi Gul Mohammad Qudrat said. After completion of preliminary investigations, their cases would be referred to the judiciary, he added. Previously, in similar operations, police arrested three drug smugglers and discovered hashish in their possession in northern Afghanistan's Samangan province on Tuesday morning. People attend the annual Gala Dinner of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR) in New York, the United States, on Oct. 14, 2025. Speakers at the annual gala of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations on Tuesday called for continued dialogue, practical engagement and increased collaboration between Washington and Beijing to stabilize the world's most important bilateral relationship. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo) by Xinhua writers Yang Shilong, Shi Chun NEW YORK, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Speakers at the annual gala of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations on Tuesday called for continued dialogue, practical engagement and increased collaboration between Washington and Beijing to stabilize the world's most important bilateral relationship. PROGRESS AMID CHALLENGES Committee President Stephen A. Orlins opened the event with a note of guarded optimism. Both sides should "unite all forces that can be united," said Orlins. Even amid global turmoil, "we at the National Committee know that at times of great challenge, we can make progress," he said. Orlins highlighted the committee's ongoing track-two dialogues on healthcare, the digital economy and artificial intelligence (AI) governance, emphasizing that "progress on these issues will benefit Americans and Chinese alike." COMMUNICATION OVER CONFLICT Committee Board Chair Charlene Barshefsky, a former U.S. trade representative, acknowledged that 2025 has been a "tumultuous time." Still, she noted several positive signs -- a bipartisan Congressional visit to China, a presidential call and the announcement of a TikTok deal -- as evidence that channels remain open. "There's no question we won't find common ground on every issue," she said. "But I take great encouragement in the notion that leaders of great countries recognize the value of communication over conflict." Barshefsky said the world "depends on stable U.S.-China relations." INTERDEPENDENCE IS A FACT "Neither country can credibly seal itself off from the impacts of the other... We will remain bound together through our economies and ultimately our shared existence on this planet," said Evan G. Greenberg, executive vice chair of the committee and chairman of Chubb Insurance. He called for renewed strategic thinking and risk-reduction efforts, warning of a "deficit" in both. Greenberg also underscored the stabilizing role of business ties, saying, "Business and private-sector leadership have an important and strategic role to play." He said that two-way trade and investment remain in the interest of both countries, acting as a "stabilizing force." COOPERATION PREVAILS OVER CONFRONTATION Pfizer Chairman and CEO Dr. Albert Bourla, honored at the gala, described the health sector as a model for bilateral cooperation. "Trade tensions continue to simmer," he said, "but we must continue to place our confidence in dialogue and connection to provide the productive path forward." Bourla praised China's rapid advances in biopharma, calling them "remarkable," and pointed to Pfizer's nearly 40-year presence in China and partnerships with local firms as examples of how collaboration benefits both sides. "In health, the enemy is only one -- the disease," he said. "Cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's -- they don't recognize borders." "The cures of tomorrow will come from collaboration, from science, and from the belief that global problems demand global solutions," said Bourla. MUSIC AS A BRIDGE During the event, Abigail Washburn, an American banjo player, and Wu Fei, a Beijing-born guzheng artist, performed a duet that fused Appalachian banjo with the ancient Chinese zither, showcasing how art transcends borders. The performance and friendship, rooted in two decades of musical and personal exchanges, conveyed a simple truth: In song and emotion alike, we are all the same. Orlins said at the end of their show that he hoped the two countries could one day get along as harmoniously as the two musicians had played together. Stephen A. Orlins, president of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR), speaks at the annual Gala Dinner of the NCUSCR in New York, the United States, on Oct. 14, 2025. Speakers at the annual gala of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations on Tuesday called for continued dialogue, practical engagement and increased collaboration between Washington and Beijing to stabilize the world's most important bilateral relationship. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo) Evan G. Greenberg, executive vice chair of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR), speaks at the annual Gala Dinner of the NCUSCR in New York, the United States, on Oct. 14, 2025. Speakers at the annual gala of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations on Tuesday called for continued dialogue, practical engagement and increased collaboration between Washington and Beijing to stabilize the world's most important bilateral relationship. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo) Stephen A. Orlins, president of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR), speaks at the annual Gala Dinner of the NCUSCR in New York, the United States, on Oct. 14, 2025. Speakers at the annual gala of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations on Tuesday called for continued dialogue, practical engagement and increased collaboration between Washington and Beijing to stabilize the world's most important bilateral relationship. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo) Charlene Barshefsky, former U.S. trade representative and board chair of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR), speaks at the annual Gala Dinner of the NCUSCR in New York, the United States, on Oct. 14, 2025. Speakers at the annual gala of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations on Tuesday called for continued dialogue, practical engagement and increased collaboration between Washington and Beijing to stabilize the world's most important bilateral relationship. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo) Evan G. Greenberg, executive vice chair of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR), speaks at the annual Gala Dinner of the NCUSCR in New York, the United States, on Oct. 14, 2025. Speakers at the annual gala of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations on Tuesday called for continued dialogue, practical engagement and increased collaboration between Washington and Beijing to stabilize the world's most important bilateral relationship. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo) Charlene Barshefsky, former U.S. trade representative and board chair of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR), speaks at the annual Gala Dinner of the NCUSCR in New York, the United States, on Oct. 14, 2025. Speakers at the annual gala of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations on Tuesday called for continued dialogue, practical engagement and increased collaboration between Washington and Beijing to stabilize the world's most important bilateral relationship. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo) ISLAMABAD, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed on a temporary 48-hour ceasefire to ease border tensions, Pakistan's Foreign Office said on Wednesday. Mosaic anatomy in an early fossil squamate A fossil discovered on the Isle of Skye has revealed a new species and family of Jurassic reptile linked to the origins of lizards and snakes. A study published in Nature by an international team of researchers, led by the American Museum of Natural History and including National Museums Scotland and the University of the Witwatersrand, describes a previously unknown Jurassic reptile that lived around 167 million years ago. The species has been given the Gaelic name Breugnathair elgolensis meaning false snake of Elgol, referencing the area on Scotlands Isle of Skye, where it was discovered. Breugnathair had snake-like jaws and highly recurved teeth, similar to those of modern-day pythons. Unlike living snakes, it had the proportions and limbs of a lizard. The fossil is among the oldest and most complete Jurassic lizards known to science. Breugnathair was a squamate, the largest order of scaled reptiles, including lizards and snakes. The species has been placed in a new family Parviraptoridae, an enigmatic group of extinct, predatory squamates. Previously known from very incomplete remains, parviraptorids were thought by some to be the first snakes. Breugnathair might therefore provide evidence of the lizard-like ancestors of snakes, but it also has primitive anatomical traits suggesting that parviraptorids were stem-squamates, the predecessors of all lizards and snakes. Lead author Dr Roger Benson, Curator of Paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History, said: Snakes are remarkable animals that evolved long, limbless bodies from lizard-like ancestors. Breugnathair has snake-like features of the teeth and jaws, but in other ways is surprisingly primitive. This might be telling us that snake ancestors were very different to what we expected, or it could instead be evidence for evolution of predatory habits in a primitive, extinct group. The internal microstructure of the bones of this animal indicate that it grew slowly and was at least nine years old. The slow growth rate is similar to that seen in living varanid lizards, says co-author Dr Jennifer Botha from the University of the Witwatersrand. Dr Stig Walsh, Senior Curator of Vertebrate Palaeobiology at National Museums Scotland and co-author of the study, said: The Isle of Skye is one of the most important Middle Jurassic sites in the world. Breugnathair elgolensis is a remarkable addition to the fossil record, helping to rewrite our understanding of the evolution of snakes and lizards. Were delighted to add it to the other amazing finds in the National Collection that were discovered in Skye, truly Scotlands Jurassic Isle. The erosion of trust Poor governance and weak regulation erode public confidence, but democratic scepticism and gender-aware governance can help rebuild trust. As the world grapples with the dynamic tech environment that shapes public perceptions, trust in governance, public and private institutions, and the media has become topical. As these conversations unfold, researchers caution that trust in public institutions and governance mechanisms will continue to deteriorate if regulatory developments fail to keep up. Much of the concern stems from the rise of AI and the monetisation of social media content that drives an attention-seeking economy and fuels political polarisation and division. Governance is at the core of maintaining public trust and this requires decisions that are made by organisations to be inclusive and equitable, explains Dr Thelela Ngcetane-Vika, a Lecturer in the Wits School of Governance. Crucial to good governance is leadership that is answerable and accountable for the decisions and actions that it takes, demonstrating a level of transparency that creates an environment in which the public can trust its organisations and institutions. Gendered governance Ngcetane-Vikas research looks at how gender impacts power dynamics, representation and the distribution of resources within governance systems. She says that gender should be a permanent feature on the agenda of institutions that are serious about good governance, social justice and gender equality. The inclusion of gender in governance will not only reverse past injustices but redefines the face of effective leadership, altering the current systems. With the genderisation of governance, a new functional paradigm could emerge to promote truly inclusive organisations, not only through well-written speeches and political rhetoric, but through the intentional implementation of gender equality policies, she says. The equitable distribution of power through the genderisation of governance is one way through which to restore trust and reduce scepticism especially in the current climate of misinformation, political polarisation, corporate scandals, malfeasance and devalued ethics. In South Africa, the failure to address social issues like poverty, unemployment, inequality, healthcare, education disparities and climate change compounded with high levels of corruption, incompetence and lack of responsiveness to citizens concerns further erodes trust. Renegade resource-management However, a sceptical public that questions any information that is shared by politicians, governance institutions, the media, academia and business, is a sign of a maturing democracy, says Professor Keith Breckenridge from the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WiSER). He explains that trust is tied to resources, where the failure to protect or govern the resources can lead to distrust and scepticism. Trust infrastructures WiSERs Trust Project interrogates the collapse of public trust. Most recently, its research has been on trust infrastructure, which includes digital tools such as biometric identification systems, predictive machine learning, credit scoring systems, bank account information and geological tools. The banking system is an example within the trust infrastructures where trust and mistrust coexist. By emphasising vigilance, banks have created an environment in which their systems are seen to be reliable and trustworthy by users. Mistrust between the central banks, however, is concerning, explains Breckenridge. He says that if the Chinese and the US central banks mistrust each other, that can create all sorts of problems. This can be seen with the gold price, which has increased more than tenfold since 2001. We have also seen the global economy shake in the last two to three years because of mistrust. Economy of mistrust The emergence of the economy of mistrust that incentivises social media users for posting attention-seeking content (that sometimes peddles misinformation) is another concerning issue for Breckenridge. Better regulation and accountability measures for the likes of Meta, Google and X (formerly Twitter) should be in place to prevent a monopoly in this economy that erodes trust and fuels scepticism created by misinformation, according to Breckenridge. If somebody says something that is untrue on these platforms, Meta should share some of the liability, as would be the case for newspapers which, if they publish something that's libellous, are held responsible and the journalist is basically protected, says Breckenridge. He concludes that while the expression of democratic scepticism on digital platforms is good, the monopolisation of these spaces should be curbed. An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 1, 2025 shows the China-Germany Equipment Manufacturing Industrial Park in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province. (Xinhua) SHENYANG, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- When BMW first ventured into China's old industrial heartland over two decades ago, it adopted a light asset investment strategy of cautiously sharing production lines with local partner Brilliance Auto Group. At that time, China's automobile industry had just started to build momentum with production and sales exceeding 4 million vehicles for the first time. Today, the German automaker's sprawling complex anchors in the China-Germany Equipment Manufacturing Industrial Park in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, and serves as BMW's largest global production base and an electric vehicle nerve center. BMW's production base in Shenyang integrates R&D, procurement and manufacturing to swiftly meet local consumer demands, supported by advanced infrastructure, technology, strong government support and local partnerships, said Michele Melchiorre, senior vice president of technology and manufacturing at BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd., BMW's China joint venture. Celebrating its tenth anniversary, the China-Germany Equipment Manufacturing Industrial Park in Shenyang has evolved from an "open window" to a dynamic ecosystem where German engineering collides with Chinese scale and digital ambition. In 2024, the combined output value of major enterprises in the park totaled 112.62 billion yuan (about 15.9 billion U.S. dollars), which was 2.7 times that of 2016, while foreign companies like BMW, ZF, Heraeus, Michelin and Gestamp now make up over 40 percent of the park's more than 300 enterprises. "The park, already a gold-standard business hub, is poised to attract more companies from Germany and other European countries to deepen collaboration in high-end manufacturing, green industries, digitalization and biomedicine," said Feng Xingliang, chief representative of NRW.Global Business, the trade and investment agency for the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, in China. Having established a mature model of cooperation over the past decade by marrying German technical expertise with Chinese market demand, the China-Germany Equipment Manufacturing Industrial Park in Shenyang now sees new two-way potential with China's leading-edge digital technologies, positioning the city as a gateway for European businesses in Northeast Asia, Feng added. This collaboration thrives on reciprocity. BMW's some 460 Chinese suppliers drive automotive upgrades, while its July 2025 new joint venture with China Datang Corporation Ltd. is planning to develop a 1-gigawatt onshore wind power project to supply green electricity for its supply chain. This will green not just BMW's 100-percent renewable-powered Shenyang production base, but also empower its regional partners to further cut carbon emissions. Sean Green, president and CEO of BMW Group Region China, noted that Chinese partners have been crucial on BMW's journey toward electrification, digitalization and circularity. Beyond hardware, the park's trilingual "one-stop" digital platform offers 11 tailored international services including visa processing, schooling for expatriate children and support for its many foreign enterprises and staff. It also provides proactive, one-stop support, such as facilitating human resources and tech partnerships, and enabling financial services, providing these directly to companies. For firms like Shenyang Zhongjin Mould Group Co., Ltd., this has proved transformative. "These services taught us recruitment tactics and broadened channels," said company chairman Zhao Zhongning. Simultaneously, Schutz Group, a well-known German company in the field of security and intelligent systems, injects vocational expertise at this venue, blending German standards with local needs. "We plan to introduce curriculum standards and practical training models of German vocational education," said Schutz's project manager Chris Klann. "On the other hand, we plan to align the technological needs of the Chinese market with the job requirements of park enterprises to customize training for individuals who understand both theory and practical operation." The park's ability to connect with German SMEs is also impressive, as its extensive experience cooperating with Germany and its network of resources allows it to provide German SMEs with comprehensive support, including information connection, project incubation and market expansion. German SMEs are crucial drivers of innovation and vitality. The park provides an industrial ecosystem platform that effectively integrates these companies' technological and process advantages with the demands of the Chinese market, said Michael Weber from Weber & Partners, a tax consulting and corporate services organization in central Germany. "In the long term, this collaboration will foster a more multifaceted and stable framework for Sino-German economic and trade relations through the in-depth participation of a large number of SMEs," he noted. KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The information and communication technology (ICT) and e-commerce contributed 23.4 percent to Malaysia's economy, valued at 451.3 billion ringgit (106.83 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024, official data showed Wednesday. The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said in a statement that the performance of ICT and e-commerce registered a further growth of 5.1 percent in 2024 as against 3.5 percent recorded in 2023. The ICT performance was driven by the ICT manufacturing industry, which accelerated 7.4 percent. This was followed by the ICT services industry and ICT trade industry with a growth of 3.3 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively. The performance of e-commerce amounted to 258.2 billion ringgit, and posted a growth of 4.7 percent in 2024 as compared to 3 percent in the preceding year. The growth was supported by the manufacturing sector with an increase of 4.8 percent. Additionally, the services sector grew by 4.9 percent, while the agriculture sector rose 7.5 percent. If you would like to include any comments with your pledge, you may type them in the box below. You can ask for a premium from our recent fundraiser, but there is no guarantee we will be able to fulfill your request: Thank you for your donations! If you pledged to WMBR with credit card and/or via PayPal, then you are all set! We thank you for your support. If you requested one of our fine premiums, then we hope to get it mailed to you by mid-December. If you pledged by check or money order, then please send your donation to the following address (if you haven't done so already): WMBR Fundraising 2025 142 Memorial Dr, Room 050-030 Cambridge, MA 02142 Please be sure that the name on your check matches the name that you gave when you made your pledge. If not, please include a note, so we know to whom we should send your requested premium. Privacy Policy Contact Information Refund Policy Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, gestures at a press conference in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua) BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland plans to expand on-arrival document services for Taiwan residents to cover all eligible ports, a mainland spokesperson said Wednesday. Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a regular press conference that the move aims to further open up the mainland and make travel for Taiwan residents more convenient and secure. Under the plan, Taiwan residents will be able to apply for a single-entry Taiwan Compatriot Permit upon arrival at any eligible port, whether they travel directly from Taiwan or via Hong Kong, Macao, or other overseas locations. Detailed information on the policy and the list of applicable ports will be released by relevant authorities in due course. Chen said the policy will help facilitate cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, and promote the peaceful and integrated development of cross-Strait relations. Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, answers questions at a press conference in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua) Pike River family members and supporters outside the Wellington High Court, May 29, 2025: Kath Monk, Bernie Monk, Steve Rose, Leo Donnelly, Carol Rose, Christopher Harder, Melanie Coxon. The World Socialist Web Site has received the following letter from Bernie Monk, whose son Michael was one of 29 workers killed in a series of explosions at the Pike River Coal mine in New Zealand, in November 2010. The letter is addressed to the families of the 16 victims of last weeks explosion at the Accurate Energetic Systems (AES) explosives factory in Tennessee. The Pike River tragedy has clear parallels with the October 10 Tennessee disasterincluding the reports that the factory was allowed to operate despite known safety hazards, for which AES received minuscule fines. The WSWS has written extensively about Pike River, which was one of the worst industrial disasters in New Zealands history, and about the ongoing fight to uncover the full truth about what caused the explosions. Despite overwhelming evidence that Pike River Coals management violated health and safety laws and endangered the lives of its workers by placing profit and production ahead of safety, no one has been held to account. Successive New Zealand governments, with the assistance of the judicial system and the trade union bureaucracy, have shielded the company leadership from prosecution. The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU, now called E tu) played a key role in covering up dangerous conditions at the mine prior to the explosion and then defending the company in the immediate aftermath. In 2021, Jacinda Arderns Labour Party government aborted an underground investigation of Pike River and sealed the mine portal, leaving crucial forensic evidence buried underground along with the remains of those killed, which have never been recovered. *** Letter to the Families in Tennessee From Bernie Monk, Spokesperson for the Pike River Families, New Zealand Dear Families, My name is Bernie Monk. I speak for the Pike River Families in New Zealand, who lost 29 men in the Pike River Mine disaster in 2010. We have lived through what you are now facing, and my heart breaks for you. We are praying for you all. We know the shock, the pain, and the disbelief that come with such a loss. We also know what happens after the cameras leave and the authorities take over. That is when the truth becomes hard to find. I want to warn you from my experience. Do not put your trust in the government or company management. From the first day, demand honesty. Keep your own records. Ask questions. Do not let them control the story. We were told to be patient, to let the process work. Fifteen years later, we are still fighting for truth and justice. You will hear promises of transparency and accountability. You will be told there will be inquiries and reviews. But without constant pressure, they will protect themselves before they protect you. Stay united. Stand together. The strength of your families will be your greatest power. We wish someone had told us this at the start. You deserve the truth, not excuses. You deserve justice, not delay. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. You are not alone. With love, strength, and solidarity, Bernie Monk Spokesperson, Pike River Families New Zealand Are you a Kaiser health care worker? Fill out the form at the end of this article to join the fight for rank-and-file committees. San Diego Kaiser healthcare workers on strike, October 14, 2025. Tens of thousands of nurses, pharmacists, therapists, and other essential healthcare workers began a strike Tuesday, October 14, against Kaiser Permanente across California, Oregon, Southwest Washington and Hawaii. The walkout by 46,000 workers is one of the largest healthcare strikes in US history. It is a sign of growing opposition in the working class to capitalist inequality and the emerging Trump dictatorship. The strike was called only after weeks of delay by the Alliance of Health Care Unions (AHCU), which waited well beyond the contracts expiration to act. Out of 500 Kaiser facilities, only 23 were reported to hold pickets for the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP), the largest component of the Alliance representing 31,000 members. The bureaucrats have also limited the strike to five days in advance, limiting its power and impact. Kaiser is offering a 21.5 percent raise over four years; the Alliance now demands 25 percent, having already retreated from its initial 38 percent demand. Both sides are signaling that a deal is near, one that will inevitably leave intact the overwork, understaffing and unsafe conditions that define daily life in Americas hospitals. The mood among Kaiser workers, however, is explosive. On the picket lines Tuesday, healthcare workers were determined to fight not only for adequate wages and safe staffing, but in defense of the rights of all workers against the attack on health science by the Trump administration. Anaheim Kaiser workers picketing on Tuesday, October 14, 2025 WSWS campaign teams distributed copies of a statement calling for the creation of independent rank-and-file committees, independent of the union bureaucracy, to serve as the nucleus for uniting 46,000 Kaiser workers with millions of other workers across the United States to prepare mass, collective action, including a general strike, to drive Trump and his fascist cabal from power and defend the democratic and social rights of the working class. At the Kaiser Clairemont facility in San Diego, Jennifer, a labor and delivery nurse with 26 years of experience, explained why she joined the picket line. Kaiser is not following A1 staffing, she said. Its making it very unsafe for patients sometimes. Labor and delivery nurses have to care for two patients each, but there would be far better outcomes, particularly with hemorrhaging, if the ratios were one-to-one. Jennifer described a workplace hollowed out by exhaustion and attrition: A lot of nurses have left the bedside. She also rejected the anti-science poison spread by figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the far right. Its pretty sad, she said when asked about the claim that Tylenol causes autism. I have never seen babies develop autism from Tylenol. They made billions. We gave up everything during COVID. In Anaheim, Jerry, another Kaiser nurse, cut to the heart of the matter: To get profits, they want to cut down their cost at the cost of laying off the rank-and-file workers that built the company. This is a systemic problem, not just in nursing but in every industry worldwide. Jerry denounced the hypocrisy of Kaisers public relations. Theyre telling the public how much theyre offering us, but not how much they made. They made billions of dollars. We gave up so much during the last contract because it was COVID. Nurses risked and lost their lives while the corporation expanded its reserves and executives pocketed record compensation. We were averaging one to two nurse deaths a day because we were short on supplies, he said. Commenting on Trumps infamous boast about the big beautiful bill, Jerry said: Its for the upper class that gets the tax breaks when were the ones who have to pay. At the San Diego Clairemont facility, Tracey, a nurse with 15 years of experience described conditions that have driven many to the breaking point. Better staffing and patient safety, as well as wages, she said, are at the center of the strike. She explained that living in Southern California on a nurses salary is now a daily struggle. I am basically living paycheck to paycheck and have to carefully budget in a way I did not have to do before. During COVID surges, she added, there can be five patients to one nurse, which is not safe. Asked about the fascistic attacks on science and medicine by the Trump administration, she responded bluntly: All of it is pretty disgusting. We have to stand up and fight back. It seems thinking about people and their well-being has gone down in our society. Traceys sign read: People Over Profits. She said that the interests of the healthcare corporations and those of the working class are incompatible with one another. Sonya, another Anaheim nurse, spoke with deep emotion about the Trump administrations immigrant raids. As a Hispanic woman, as a child of immigrant parents, it hits me really deep and very personal. Sometimes I cant even really talk about it because it gets me emotional. Of all the craziness, this is the one that hits home the most. All of this has impacted me, she said, and has gotten me in a place where obviously we want to activate and do what we can. The anti-science rhetoric hurts patients. Lorena, a home-health nurse in San Diego with 20 years experience, summed up the impossible conditions facing her colleagues. Its always been tough to fill positions, and its getting harder. Were not getting enough staff, and things are not really safe. Lorena in San Diego. Her account was harrowing. Were seeing five patients a day, but they need double the time. Were not able to give that same educational level or time to teach people how to manage their conditions. People end up back in the hospital because we werent out there to notice something significant going on. Travel time, unpaid overtime, and lack of continuity of care compound the strain. People are working what is supposed to be an eight-hour shift, working for 10 hours. A lot of people are doing it unpaid. Lorena also spoke about the devastating effects of anti-science propaganda: People listen to that rhetoric and not really understanding or doing credible research. Ive seen this hurt my patients, especially during COVID. At least half of my patients didnt believe in the vaccine, and later said, I regret it. They were young, sick, on oxygen. It was tragic. A political turning point The limited, tightly controlled pickets organized by the AHCU cannot conceal the deeper reality: healthcare workers are ready for a real fight, while the union bureaucracy is determined to prevent one. The Alliance is functioning not as a representative of workers, but as an industrial police force for Kaiser, intent on smothering rank-and-file opposition before it threatens corporate interests. The WSWS spoke to many workers who expressed disgust with the entire political establishment, Republican and Democrat alike, and an openness to socialist ideas. The attacks on science, the persecution of immigrants, and the steady march toward dictatorship under both Trump and Biden were recognized as expressions of a single crisis: the collapse of capitalism and the rise of dictatorship. One nurse, when told of the need to form independent rank-and-file committees, replied, Thats exactly what we need! Such committees are a necessity. They are the means through which workers can link their struggles, across hospitals, industries and nations into a unified movement against the corporations, the unions and the capitalist state that serves them. On Monday, in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh, those who signed the so-called peace agreement for Gaza proposed by US President Donald Trump included the leaders of the US, Egypt, and Qatar, as well as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In his remarks after the signing ceremony, Trump thanked Erdogan, saying, He is my friend, and he is always there when I need him. Erdogan and Trump met at the White House on Thursday, September 25, 2025 [Photo: X/@iletisim/The Republic of Turkey Directorate of Communications)] The agreement means that these countries are committing to Trumps four-stage plan placing Gaza under full new colonial rule. Gaza will be governed by a Peace Council led and chaired by Trump. Trumps roadmap does not recognize any rights for the Palestinians remaining in Gaza. It grants the Zionist regime the status of a permanent occupation force that controls the borders and can carry out bloody attacks at will. Erdogans signing of this dirty agreement is the culmination of the Turkish ruling classs complicity and hypocritical stance in the ongoing genocide over the past two years. Despite its rhetorical statements, the Erdogan government has aided the Zionist regimes genocide of the Palestinians by maintaining trade with Israel through Palestine, allowing oil to flow from Azerbaijan to Israel, and the use of US bases in Turkey for the benefit of Israel. The agreement was conditional on Hamas disarming and relinquishing control over Gaza. Exposing its political bankruptcy and impasse as a bourgeois nationalist movement, Hamas was instructed to accept this surrender agreement by countries such as Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar. Following his meeting with Erdogan on September 25, Trump responded to the question of whether an agreement had been reached regarding sanctions against Turkey over the F-35s, saying, We may do that, yes. It depends. If he [Erdogan] does something for us. Erdogan has done something important for US imperialism by participating in efforts to pressurize Hamas and by signing the agreement. However, Ankaras role is not limited to merely facilitating Hamas acceptance of the agreement. The Turkish ruling elite seeks to play a role in implementing the agreement and establishing a new colonialism in Gaza as part of a new Middle East under full US control, and to share in the spoils. This includes lucrative investment opportunities under the guise of Gazas reconstruction and the plundering of Palestinian hydrocarbon resources in the Eastern Mediterranean together with Israel. Although not yet certain, Ankara may send Turkish troops to Gaza for this purpose. When asked, Will Turkish soldiers be part of the task force in Gaza? Erdogan replied, Discussions regarding the structure of the task force are currently ongoing. There are very critical tasks that need to be done in Gaza. Both construction and rehabilitation are important. We have addressed the issue of Who can take on a role with us? regarding construction work. We want and will want the support of everyone from the Gulf countries to the United States and European countries. Erdogan stated on October 9, We will monitor the implementation of the agreement on the ground, and as Turkey, we will hopefully be part of the task force. If Turkey joins the task force composed of mediating countries, it will have to work alongside the US, Qatar, Egypt, and Israel. Ankara has never severed diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv, which it accuses of genocide, and despite widespread hostility toward Zionism among the public, it will seek to establish closer ties with Israel, as it did before October 7, 2023. The Turkish ruling elite, which has been involved in and supported the bloody wars waged by US-NATO imperialism in the Middle East, Central Asia, the Balkans, and North Africa, especially after the Stalinists dissolved the USSR in 1991, has added Gaza to this long list of crimes. Israels genocide in Gaza, which could not have been carried out without the support of Washington and its European allies, is one front in the global war waged by US imperialism. The US war, which primarily targets Russia and China, is directed against Iran and its allies on the Middle East front, which possesses strategic energy resources and major trade routes. Israels genocide in Gaza is part of imperialist/Zionist aggression targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, and the Houthis in Yemen. Gaza is of critical significance in plans to develop the India-Middle East-Europe trade corridor. Ankaras policy of complicity has strong support within Turkeys bourgeois political establishment. This includes the Kurdish nationalist Peoples Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), which announced that it welcomed the agreement. The criticism voiced is tactical in nature and no more realistic or powerful than Erdogans criticism of Israel. Under increasing political pressure from the government through the judiciary, Republican Peoples Party (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel said on Tuesday, What was signed is not a peace agreement but a ceasefire memorandum. The document Erdogan posed with is a declaration of will. It does not include an independent Palestinian state. There is no two-state solution. There is no mention that Gaza is Palestinian territory. There is no mention of the will for Gaza to be governed by Palestinians. There is no reminder of international law against crimes against humanity. However, like Erdogan, Ozel had previously expressed his critical support for Trumps peace agreement. On October 9, Ozel commented, We said that, ultimately, a fair peace process had not been pursued. But I also said that the worst peace is better than war. We welcome the fact that an agreement has been reached. If there is a ceasefire, we are there, because if there is a ceasefire, there are no child deaths, no womens deaths, no deaths of innocent civilians. We are pleased that there will be no more loss of life from now on. The rottenness of Ozels criticism of the US and Israel is laid bare by his partys commitment to NATO. This is most clearly demonstrated in the report titled, Irans Threat to Regional and Euro-Atlantic Security presented last month by CHP MP Utku Cakrozer to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. The report makes recommendations to strengthen the US policy against Iran, Russia, and China and advocates for NATOs expansion into Middle Eastern countries. As the main representatives of the Turkish ruling class, Erdogan and Ozel are trying to conceal their deep allegiance to imperialism and support for the new colonialist project in Gaza by claiming that the deaths of innocent civilians will stop. This claim is a fraud. As stated in the perspective published by the World Socialist Web Site following the agreement, Each one of myriad peace agreements over the course of decades, sanctified by Arab governments and hailed by Palestinian nationalist movements, has only created the basis for further Israeli mass killing and repression. A critical milestone to recall in this regard is the agreement made in 1988. The Political Committee of the Workers League, the predecessor of the Socialist Equality Party in the US, made the following powerful prediction in its statement on the agreement between Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat and the US and Israel: Far from being the road to peace proclaimed by the capitalist media and the imperialist politicians, this acceptance by Yassir Arafat and the bourgeois nationalist leadership of the PLO of the conditions dictated by Washington will only open the door to an intensified assault on the oppressed masses of Palestine and throughout the Middle East. In the same statement, the Trotskyist perspective, which remains valid today, was summarized as follows: Marxists implacably reject such accords and combat every pacifist illusion generated by the petty-bourgeois agencies of imperialism that peace talks can put an end to war and oppression. Marxists advance instead the program of class war to put an end to imperialism. Apologists for such deals only reveal their own uncritical acceptance of the whole imperialist world order. The tragedy experienced by the Palestinian people should serve as a warning to other peoples. The long-suffering oppressed masses in the Middle East, including Palestinians and Kurds, will not achieve their desire for peace and welfare through bourgeois nationalist leaderships compromising with imperialists. The only way forward is outlined in the Statement of Principles of the Sosyalist Esitlik Partisi, the Turkish section of the International Committee of the Fourth International: the Sosyalist Esitlik Partisi insists that the only way to the lasting peace and democratic rights that the working people long for is the unification of workers of all nationalities in the Middle East and in the imperialist countries in the fight for global socialism and against war and neo-colonial oppression. It means fighting for the Socialist Federation of the Middle East, which will be part of a world socialist federation. Elevenlabs AudioNative Player New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks at a campaign rally in New York on Monday, October 13, 2025. [AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey] Three weeks from now, on Tuesday, November 4, Democrat Zohran Mamdani is likely to be elected the next mayor of New York City. Mamdani won the Democratic primary in June in an upset victory over the favorite of the party establishment, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Mandanis victory was an expression of a significant movement of broad sections of the population to the left. In the four months since he won the Democratic primary, however, Mamdani has engaged in a systematic political striptease, repudiating previous positions ranging from defunding the police to breaking the control of the super-rich over the city, to supporting the slogan globalize the intifada, synonymous with the mobilization of popular opposition to the Israeli genocide in Gaza all over the world. Mamdani has held a series of closed-door meetings, in which he schmoozed representatives of the real estate moguls, the stock exchange and the major banks, and he has taken on key advisers from the Democratic Party establishment to provide assurances that there will be nothing radical about the administration that replaces the hated crook and Trump stooge, former police captain Eric Adams. These actions have produced a shift in the attitude of sections of the ruling class and Democratic Party establishment. The New York Times has still not taken an official position on the election since its anyone but Mamdani editorial in June. But its news and opinion pages have become a virtual campaign hub promoting the Democratic candidate. This reached its peak over the last three days as the Times published a half dozen articles and columns totaling nearly 25,000 wordsthe length of a short novelportraying Mamdani as a brilliant, charismatic and history-making figure. A few points must be made about the longest of these tracts, a cover story in the New York Times Magazine by Astead Herndon, under the gushing headline, Inside the Improbable, Audacious and (So Far) Unstoppable Rise of Zohran Mamdani. Herndon provides details about the effort by Mamdani to ingratiate himself to the Democratic Party establishment and cites the response of longtime Democratic Party fundraiser Robert Wolf: Zohran, to me, is more of a progressive capitalist, Wolf told me, adding that he was convinced by their private interactions that Mamdani understood the importance of the private sector thriving in his New York. Hes someone that wants to figure out how to use the government in an appropriate way on things that help equality and help the underserved. Herndon goes on to observe that Mamdani has tweaked his positions in the course of this political adaptation, a gross understatement: He has made it clear that he wants to support renters, not punish landlords. He wants to support public education, not take a hammer to specialized schools with elite admissions. He supports Palestinian rights; hes not anti-Zionist. He made key concessions when it comes to policing. Importantly, he made clear that he was open to compromise when it came to his proposed millionaires tax. Call it Mamdani 2.0. In other words, Mamdani promotes the fiction that there are no fundamental divisions in capitalist society, no irreconcilable conflicts between social interests. It is possible to support workers while not being opposed to the oligarchs that exploit them; to support Palestinians without being opposed to the state that is murdering them; to support immigrants without being opposed to the institutions that are jailing, torturing and deporting them. Mamdanis rejection of conflicts between social interests means the continued subordination of the working class to the interests of the capitalist class, through the mechanism of the Democratic Party. This is the essential function, not merely of the Mamdani campaign, but of all the efforts of the Democratic Party left, including Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Democratic Socialists of America. The response of Mamdani to the escalating conspiracy of Trump to establish a presidential dictatorship is the most damning refutation of his program of progressive capitalism. Trump has already begun referring to communist New York, and if Mamdani is elected mayor, he will immediately come under ferocious attack. Trump has threatened direct intervention against New York if Mamdani is elected, and it remains to be seen whether the oligarchy will tolerate, under any circumstances, the installation of even a nominally left-liberal figure to head the financial center of world capitalism. Under these conditions, Mamdani made the highly conscious and deliberate decision to state that Trump would deserve credit if the Gaza ceasefire holds. This was said of an individual who, following Biden, has armed and overseen the massacre of tens of thousands of Palestinians and is presently engaged in a neocolonial project of ethnic cleansing and imperialist domination under the banner of a ceasefire. Like Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez and Jacobin magazinethe unofficial organ of the DSAMamdani has maintained near-total silence on the Trump administrations moves to establish a police-military dictatorship in the United States. At a campaign rally Monday night in Washington Heights, Mamdani appeared side by side with New York state Attorney General Letitia James, indicted last week by the Trump administration on bogus charges of mortgage fraud, in retaliation for her winning a civil suit against the Trump Organization for falsifying tax and property records. In the course of his speech, Mamdani did not describe himself as a democratic socialist or make any reference to socialism (or to capitalism). He mentioned the working class only once. And he said nothing about Trumps dispatch of the military into cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, or his threats to do the same in New York City. Nor did he reference Trumps threats to invoke the Insurrection Act or the branding of left-wing opposition as terrorism. Asked directly by reporters on other occasions, Mamdani has declared that his response to the deployment of troops against the people of New York City would be to hire 200 lawyers and file lawsuitsrelying on a court system where all roads lead to a Supreme Court controlled by the far right, with three of the nine personally selected by Trump. The politics of Mamdani are the politics of the Democratic Socialists of America, which functions as a faction of the Democratic Party. The DSAs left rhetoric conceals its real function: to disarm and demobilize the working class in the face of the greatest danger to democratic rights in modern American history. Analyzing the significance of Mamdanis primary victory in June, the WSWS noted that it shattered the myth that socialism is toxic to American workers and youth and that Trumps re-election marked a right-wing shift in the American population. It also refuted the claim that criticism of Israels genocide in Gaza is antisemitic or politically suicidal, as Mamdani won majorities among younger Jewish voters. However, the enthusiasm for Mamdani combines political naivete and a lack of basic historical knowledge. The description of this fairly conservative and affluent middle class semi-reformist as a socialist is a reflection of the very low level of political consciousness. In fact, even by the standards of Great Society Democrats and progressive Republicans of the 1960s, Mamdanis program is rather conservative and certainly not socialist. His various maneuvers with oligarchs and real estate tycoons are merely setting the stage for his inevitable post-election abandonment of his promises and principles. The turn of the American ruling class toward dictatorshipembodied in Trumps open drive for presidential-military rule and the Democrats refusal to oppose itexposes the impossibility of reconciling the needs of the vast majority with the interests of finance capital. Mamdanis program and perspective has already proven bankrupt before he has even taken office. Empty populist demagogy, combined with assurances to Wall Street that he represents no threat to the existing order, and silence on the deadly threat to democracy represented by the Trump administration. That is the campaign of Zohran Mamdani. Workers and young people in New York City and outside it should shake off any illusions and prepare to fight for the genuine socialist alternative to capitalism, represented by the Socialist Equality Party. Hundreds of thousands of Spanish workers and students took part in a day of nationwide stoppages and protests Wednesday, organised by the main trade union federations and student organisations, against the genocide in Gaza. They did so despite wall-to-wall media coverage proclaiming the success of Trumps peace deal. The Workers Commissions (CCOO), linked to the pseudo-left parties Podemos and Sumar, which govern jointly with the Socialist Party (PSOE), and the social-democratic General Union of Workers (UGT), with nearly a million members each, called for two-hour stoppages in each shift, covering morning, afternoon, and night. The anarcho-syndicalist General Confederation of Labour (CGT), with around 100,000 members, called a 24-hour general strike across all sectors and territories. In the Basque Country, the pro-separatist trade unions including LAB, ELA, Etxalde, and HIRU organised three-hour stoppages and demonstrations in the main cities. The Student Union (Sindicato de Estudiantes) and various youth organisations called for walkouts in secondary schools and universities, which were observed by 80 percent of students. Demonstrators march with a banner reading in Catalan "From the river to the sea, Palestine will win!" during a protest in support of Palestinians and protesting Israel's actions, in Barcelona, October 15, 2025 [AP Photo/Bernat Armangue] In the Basque Country, 40 percent of the teachers in public schools went on strike, while in the healthcare sector it was 5.3 percent. Public transport was partially affected during the early hours of the morning. The Balearic Islands reported 563 teachers on full day strike, around 4 percent. In Galicia, nearly 9 percent among workers in the Galician justice sector and around 2 percent in the general administration, education, and healthcare sectors went on strike. Throughout the day, protests and pickets took place in dozens of cities. In Pamplona around 10,000 joined a noon march headed by a tractor draped in the Palestinian flag behind a banner reading Stop genocide. Workers with Palestine. In Bilbao thousands marched through the city, staging boycotts outside firms denounced as complicit with Israel, including clothes retailer Zara and Banco Sabadell. In Leon hundreds rallied at the cathedral, stopping at a Carrefour to call for a consumer boycott. In Logrono, student-led contingents gathered outside the central government office. In Murcia more than 500 rallied outside the Government Delegation office. In Cordoba students targeted Escribano, a company linked to Israeli armaments technology, and announced an evening rally. Barcelona saw the largest early-morning attempts to disrupt economic activity. A student-led picket of thousands assembled at the central square of Placa Universitat, blocking the Gran Via, while access points to the main logistics area in the city, Zona Franca, were repeatedly targeted. Waving Palestinian flags, the crowd chanted, This is not a war, its a genocide, Long live the struggle of the Palestinian people, and From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. Actor Willy Toledo joined an early blockade at the port to denounce the peace deal as fake. The Catalan Transport Service reported that all road closures in the city were later lifted, though southbound bottlenecks persisted at the city gateways. University of Barcelona authorities suspended academic activity. The Madrid march, between Atocha and Puerta del Sol, brought together 15,000 young people under the slogan Stop everything to stop the genocide, with placards declaring, Peace with genociders is a farce and chants of Palestine will win! These were partial strike stoppages by significant but small sections of workers rather than a concerted national shutdown. At least 40 protests were held across the country, largely dominated by students and youth. This reflects the deep and continuing opposition among broad layers of workers and young people to the genocide in Gaza and the complicity of Spains Socialist Party (PSOE)Sumar government. But what is needed is the development of a unified political movement of the working class across Europe and internationally, independent of all the capitalist parties and trade union bureaucracies, armed with a socialist and anti-imperialist perspective directed against the source of war itself, the capitalist system. These were the first national strike actions by Spains major trade union confederations since the start of Israels genocidal assault on Gaza in October 2023. For two years, the trade unions have confined themselves to issuing rhetorical appeals for peace and respect for international law while maintaining their alliance with the PSOE-Sumar government that armed and politically supported Israel, despite stunts like recognising a non-existent Palestinian state and calling for the exclusion of Israel from Eurovision. Only last month, after nearly two years of genocide, the PSOESumar government announced an arms embargo on Israel. Even this measure is largely symbolic. It leaves the bulk of Spains military collaboration with Israel untouched, permits ongoing contracts with the Israeli defence industry, and establishes no inspection mechanism for Israeli vessels docking in Spanish ports. Authorising strike action and protests is a belated and calculated attempt to release public anger into safe channels. They were called before Trumps proposed imperialist takeover of Gaza, backed by European imperialist powers and the Middle Eastern Arab regimes, was rolled out. The CCOO and UGT designed the action to be as harmless as possible. Two-hour stoppages were made without issuing any type of demands or proposing any follow-up action or meetings. In practice, they served to limit disruption and keep workers off the streets except at set times and venues. This was a tightly stage-managed protest so that workplaces would continue operating normally. The smaller CGT, while posturing as more militant, followed the same basic line. In its statement before the strike, it warned that Israel has systematically violated every previous agreement and that the new agreement by phases is ambiguous and fragile, adding that in any moment, tensions could provoke new attacks. The CGT, however, has likewise limited its action to the level of protest politics, without any attempt to organise a unified shutdown of ports, airports, logistics hubs, or public transport. Where transport did slow, as at Barcelonas Sants station or in access roads to the Zona Franca, this was due to demonstrators, mostly students, confronting the police, not to industrial action by the working class. The union bureaucracy will now do all in their power to stifle continued opposition to Trumps colonialist plan. Demonstrators rally in support of federal workers outside of the Department of Health and Human Services, Feb. 14, 2025, in Washington. [AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein] The White House will announce Friday a list of socialist federal programs targeted for massive cuts, Trump declared in remarks Tuesday. The would-be dictator did not elaborate, but clearly further massive cuts are being planned for New Deal and Great Society-era programs of the 1930s and 1960s such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, on which tens of millions rely. Were closing up programs that are Democrat programs that we were opposed to, Trump said in comments to the press. And theyre never going to come back in many cases. He reiterated that he would go after the most egregious, socialist, semi- communist, probably not full communist, programs and added that his administration could do things that we were unable to do before. These statements underscore that the Trump White House is seizing upon the government shutdown, now at the start of its third week, to accelerate a social counter-revolution long in the works. The roughly $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and other social programs contained in the so-called Big Beautiful Bill passed during the summer is only a down payment for what is to come. Trillions of cuts at the expense of the working class will be redirected to prop up a teetering financial system, further enrich the oligarchy and fund a massive military buildup to prepare for war with China. The ruling class is working with a definite timetable. A leak from the spy agencies of the US, Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand pointed to the development of a new command and control system for all-out war against China, which will come online as soon as 2027. Already, over 4,000 jobs have been targeted in the initial reductions in force (RIFs) begun last Friday, with some of the largest cuts taking place at the Centers for Disease Control and the Department of Education. In the manner of a Mafia boss, on Sunday Vice President JD Vance told Fox News, The longer this [the shutdown] goes on, the deeper the cuts are going to be To be clear, some of these cuts are going to be painful. Trump is also using the shutdown to continue to build the framework for dictatorship, by seizing control over spending from Congress and establishing the unilateral power of the executive branch, in line with the authoritarian unitary executive theory advocated by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) head Russ Vought. One way Trump is doing this is by firing all employees who administer a program, rendering it virtually inoperative. There have been hundreds of layoffs at the Department of Educations Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, which administers programs targeting special needs students, including those with disabilities, homeless students and the children of migrants. We are emphasizing the law is intact, the funding is intact, and we dont know whats gonna happen tomorrow, one nonprofit director was quoted as saying by Edsource. SAMHSA, an agency focused on mental health and addiction which administers the national 988 suicide hotline, was also significantly impacted by Fridays cuts, according to the Federal News Network. Federal programs to deal with discrimination or substandard housing have been similarly gutted. Theyve finally put the nail in the coffin of the Great Society, one Department of Housing and Urban Development staffer told the Washington Post. They finally figured out how to do what not even Reagan could. In a separate report, the Post said that an internal memo at the Social Security Administration is directing employees to pause benefit verification letters, which Social Security gives people so they can finalize their eligibility for state benefits such as food stamps; subsidized housing and old-age pensions; and earning corrections, which are issued when someone reports missing income, as well as interactions with third parties such as lawyers and advocacy groups. Last week, the Trump administration also released a proposal to restrict access to Social Security disability benefits. This underscores the fact that the chief target of Trumps ongoing coup attempt is the working class. In response, the working class must mobilize as the central force against fascism, combining the defense of democratic rights with the fight against oligarchy and for workers power. Trumps attempt to equate the Democrats with socialist and even semi-communist policies is false. In fact, Democratic administrations enacted these programs many decades ago in order to stave off the threat of revolution. But the Democrats long ago abandoned limited reforms and have been full partners in austerity cuts. Today, they refuse to state openly what Trump is doing because to do so would invite a mass movement which would inevitably challenge American capitalism. In the corporate media, reporting of Trumps statements targeting social programs were largely buried. The union bureaucracy has either refused to mobilize its members or has openly joined Trump. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has only filed a few lawsuits which Trump is simply ignoring. They have not responded to Trumps comments on their website, as of this writing. However, Trumps incessant denunciation of socialism and communism reflects a ruling class which is gripped with fear of revolutionary upheavals, a principal factor behind Trumps policies. One of the only sections of government that is still receiving paychecks during the shutdown is the military. Trump has reallocated $8 billion in defense spending to pay soldiers to ensure their loyalty as hundreds are being deployed to American cities and the White House prepares to invoke the Insurrection Act. The strategy, as summed up by a post from the official OMB X/Twitter account, is Pay the troops, pay law enforcement, continue the RIFs, and wait. Meanwhile, the economic impact of the shutdown and federal layoffs are beginning to be felt in the working class. Across the country, food banks are stocking up on provisions and community service organizations are telling at-risk clients to warn their lenders of the potential for missed payments, says the Washington Post. The New York Times reports that federal layoffs this year have contributed to a surge in unemployment, among African Americans in particular, from 6 to 7.5 percent in four months. The last paychecks for air traffic controllers were sent out Tuesday, according to the newspaper. Hundreds of thousands of employees working throughout the shutdown may never receive back pay. The OMB speciously claims that specific language in the funding bill is required for this, even though back pay has always been paid out as a matter of course following previous shutdowns. This malicious reinterpretation of the law could set the stage for wage theft on a massive scale, with political motivations underlying the decision of who receives back pay. The layoffs have also triggered a surge to 154,000 who have retired or accepted buyouts this year. But the processing of benefits has been significantly delayed, ironically, due to manpower shortages at the Office of Personnel Management, the Post reports. The cuts will also have significant impacts on science and culture. About 550 cuts have been announced at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which operates deep space probes such as the Mars rovers. Washington Monthly also carried a report recently on the implications of the White House selling off historical buildings with classic art deco murals. The fight against these massive austerity measures must be combined with the fight against dictatorship, war and their source, the capitalist profit system. This fight can only be led by the working class and its fight for equality, including the expropriation of the billionaires who support Trump, the nationalization of the banks and industry, and running society in the interests of human need, not profit. That is the program of socialism. In a shameless capitulation to pro-Zionist forces, the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), Australias oldest state-funded art museum, last week suddenly postponed an In Conversation event involving gallery director Maud Page and Hoor Al Qasimi, the artistic director of the 2026 Biennale of Sydney. Al Qasimi is a highly regarded contemporary art curator and a well-known public opponent of the Gaza genocide. Hoor Al Qasimi [Photo: Daniel Boud/Biennale of Sydney] The event was to be a discussion on the form and content of next years biennale program, which is titled Rememory. Fifteen Australian artists, including Marian Abboud and Abdul Abdullah, and 22 international artists, as well the Decolonising Art Architecture Project from Palestine, are participating in the biennale. Scheduled for October 8, the event, and Al Qasimis participation in it, were subjected to a vicious and targeted attack by the Murdoch-owned media and pro-Zionist gallery donors, supported by the NSW Labor government. While last weeks event may not have planned to discuss artists responses to the Gaza genocide, the pro-Zionist lobby, which has been hostile to Al Qasimis appointment as biennale director in May last year was not going to allow anything that might have even slightly ventured in that direction. Al Qasimi, the daughter of United Arab Emirates (UAE) ruler Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, is president of the International Biennial Association, directs the Sharjah Art Foundation, and is artistic director of Japans Aichi Triennale, the first non-Japanese person appointed to the role. Speaking at Aichi Triennales Time Between Ashes and Roses event this year, she emphasised that she would not shy away from traumatic events. The show included works dealing with the destruction in Palestine along with art pieces on Hiroshima and indigenous oppression in Japan. Her public commitment to addressing genocide made her an inevitable target for the pro-Israeli elements. The Zionist agitation against the AGNSW eventlike the campaign which resulted in Creative Australias dumping in February of visual artist Khaled Sabsabi to represent Australia at the next Venice Biennalestarted with an article by Yoni Bashan in the Murdoch-owned Australian newspaper. Bashan, a lifelong Zionist, began his career at Australian Jewish News before working for Murdochs Daily Telegraph, New York Post and the Wall Street Journal. Embedded with the Israeli military when it invaded Gaza in October 2023, he has spent the past two years targeting writers, artists and other prominent public figures speaking out against Israels war crimes. Bashans article, which was published on September 30, a week before the AGNSW event, condemned gallery management for being insensitive, implying that it would terrify Jewish patrons. It then denounced Al Qasimis public support for Palestine and her accurate descriptions of Israels military operations as genocide and ethnic cleansing. The article also highlighted her appearance at a recent Japanese arts festival wearing a black t-shirt that said Palestine, her statement that none of us will be free until Palestine is free and her boycott of events with Israeli embassy ties. For Bashans readers this was proof of her antisemitism. Bashans story cited anonymous AGNSW donors, described as heavy hitters, who demanded the events cancellation and suggested a financial boycott of the gallery, which has just been subjected to yet another round of government budget cuts and job destruction. Bashan also targeted AGNSW staff, including senior curator Erin Vink and Justin Paton, head of international art, for social media posts opposing Israeli war crimes and supporting Palestinians in Gaza. Within a week, NSW Arts Minister John Graham had joined the agitation, declaring that the Labor government expected cultural institutions [to] prioritise social cohesion and make programming decisions that contribute to iti.e., prevent any public discussion about Israels mass murder, including via starvation, of tens of thousands of Palestinians Federal Liberal Party opposition spokesman Julian Leeser contacted Sydney biennale organisers expressing his concerns and threatening to hold them accountable to their declared values of inclusion. Last weeks postponement of the AGNSW event, and the gallerys refusal to condemn the witch-hunting of Al Qasimi or defend the rights of its staff, will encourage the pro-Zionist lobby. The attempts to clamp down on those speaking out against the genocide, spearheaded by the federal Labor government, will not succeed in silencing mass opposition. The removal of artist Khalid Sabsabi in February from representing Australia at the 2026 Venice Biennale, which happened soon after a phone call to Creative Australia from federal Labor Arts Minister Tony Burke, was overturned in July. This occurred after 4,350 artists and cultural workers signed petitions, board members resigned, and five other shortlisted artists made clear they would not replace Sabsabi at Venice. Likewise, the recent attempts to block all discussion about Gaza or other controversial subjects at the Bendigo Writers Festival resulted in a fiasco for that event, with a large majority of writers withdrawing and refusing to adhere to the censorious rules imposed by organisers. The increasingly authoritarian measures, including those targeting artistic freedom, cannot be fought through appeals to the powers-that-be. And critical artists cannot take forward the defence of their rights alone. Instead, what is required is a turn to the working class and the fight for its independent mobilisation. The genocide in Gaza and the turn to police-state measures by governments internationally are expressions of the descent by capitalist into barbarism, posing the need for a socialist alternative. Tate Britain presents the first major London retrospective in forty years of Edward Burra (19051976), one of Britains most enigmatic and incisive figurative artists. Born into a middle-class family in Rye, East Sussex, and educated at Chelsea School of Art and the Royal College of Art, Burra suffered all his life from chronic illnesses. Rheumatoid arthritis and pernicious anaemia left him unable to work in oils, yet he transformed watercolourlong considered a delicate or secondary mediuminto a vehicle for radical expression. Through layering, bold pigmentation, and intricate detail, Burra achieved a richness often indistinguishable from oil, using it to conjure grotesque satire, surreal horror, and biting social critique. Barbara Ker-Seymer, Photograph of Edward Burra [Photo by Tate Photography (Sonal Bakrania)] The exhibition traces Burras career chronologically, from early satirical urban scenes to surreal wartime imagery and haunting post-war landscapes. Emphasis is placed on his travels: the nightclubs and docks of Paris and Marseille, the cafes and music halls of Europe, and New York during the Harlem Renaissance. It places Burra at the centre of British modernism, from which he was marginalised as abstraction and formalism came to dominate postwar art. Burras early work emerged in the wake of revolutionary artistic ferment following the Bolshevik Revolution. He briefly joined Unit One (193335), a short-lived British art group that opposed academic tradition and sought to unify abstraction, surrealism, and contemporary designalongside Paul Nash, Barbara Hepworth, and Henry Moore. Yet Burra remained a solitary figure, never joining another group or political movement. He avoided public statements and interviews, expressing his opposition to militarism, authoritarianism, and bourgeois values through satire and irony rather than ideological clarity. Nothing matters, he once remarkeda nihilistic refrain that echoes through his later work. His early paintings are vivid, cartoonish, and stylised, influenced by Tubism, a Cubist offshoot associated with Fernand Leger. Works like Hop Pickers Whove Lost Their Mothers (1924) and Market Day (1926) reflect post-World War I poverty and migration yet retain a belief in social progress and interracial solidarity. Balcony, Toulon (1929) mocks bourgeois superficiality, while Minuit Chanson (1931) celebrates the diversity of Parisian nightlife. In John Deth (Hommage to Conrad Aiken) (1931), Burra stages a macabre allegory of desire and mortality, with Death seductively gate-crashing a bourgeois orgy. Edward Burra, Balcony, Toulon 1929. [Photo by Private collection] Edward Burra, John Deth (Hommage to Conrad Aiken) 1931 [Photo by Whitworth Art Gallery] Though he never publicly identified as gay, Burras work revels in homoeroticism and camp ambiguityThree Sailors at a Bar (1930) being a prime example. Edward Burra, Three Sailors at a Bar 1930 [Photo by Private collection, The estate of Edward Burra, courtesy of Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert] His visit to the US in the early 1930s was transformative: Red Peppers (193435) rejects racial stereotypes and captures the musical dynamism of Black urban life, shaped by a desire for interracial collaboration. Edward Burra, Red Peppers, 1934-1935 [Photo] Burras 1933 visit to Spain, drawn by its literature, religious iconography, and the grotesque visions of Goya and Bosch, culminated in a harrowing encounter with the outbreak of civil war in 1936 leading him to leave the country. He produced a series of works, including after leaving Spain, marked by horror, ambiguity, and violencepopulated by skeletal figures, demons, and cloaked spectres. Burra interpreted the conflict in moral and quasi-religious terms, describing Spain as gripped by a demonic force and collective insanity, which conflated the violence of the fascist forces with the Republicans and socialists fighting General Franco's military coup. Beelzebub (1937) depicts a red demon overseeing the destruction of a church, while The Watcher (1937) presents a cloaked skeletal figure amid ruinsa chilling allegory of death, surveillance, and societal collapse. The National Galleries of Scotland claim Burra was pro-Franco, citing a single curatorial interpretation of The Watcher. No letters, interviews, or affiliations support this view. On the contrary, Burras correspondence expresses revulsion at Francos coalition of priests and generals: Spain is ghastly now makes one want to vomit. Id rather be in Harlem with the jazz and the gin. Edward Burra, The Watcher, 1937 [Photo by Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art] Burras response to the Second World War was complex. Rather than issuing overt political or moral statements, he used surreal, grotesque, and occasionally religious non-doctrinal imagery to counter the sanitized propaganda of British war artists and reflect his horror about the wars impact on society. Soldiers at Rye (1941) does not glorify the British military but presents its presence as ominous and alien. The figures are stiff, puppet-like, devoid of individuality. Edward Burra, Soldiers at Rye, 1941 [Photo by Tate, Presented 1942] In correspondence with friends, he mocked patriotic fervour, wartime bureaucracy, and the absurdity of civilian life under siegeexpressed in flippant comments such as likening blackout drills to rehearsals for a very dull opera and complaining that even the cabbage has to register now. Burras postwar letters reveal a blend of satire, wit, and irreverence. To Paul Nash, he wrote: I loathe all that Empire stuff. Its just pomp and rotlike a Gilbert and Sullivan nightmare with medals. Of the British middle class: A plague of tweed and teacups. Theyd hang a Picasso in the loo if it matched the curtains. Declining Royal Academy membership in 1963, he quipped: Id rather paint a corpse in a cafe than hang with the RA crowd. Theyre all frightfully clean and frightfully dull. In later years, Burra became reclusive, turning away from urban life toward eerie landscapes suffused with environmental anxiety. Cornish Clay Mines (1970), with its petrol stations and scarred terrain, contrasts sharply with earlier scenes of human vitality. Valley and River, Northumberland (1972) offers a pared-down pastoral vision, devoid of figuresa quiet elegy on his former hopes. Edward Burra, Cornish Clay Mines 1970, [Photo by Private Collection] Edward Burra, Valley and River, Northumberland 1972 [Photo by Edward Burra] Burras art reveals certain objective social truths. Whatever his ideological failings and ambiguities, his paintings critique fascism, state violence, and bourgeois complicity. And in this light, he emerges not just as a chronicler of twentieth-century society but as one of its more perceptive witnesses. On Monday and Tuesday, Israeli forces killed at least seven Palestinians in Gaza, following the announcement of a ceasefire last week. Medical sources confirmed to Al Jazeera that Israeli snipers fatally shot five people in Gaza Citys Shejaiya neighborhood on Tuesday, claiming they were neutralizing a threat as Palestinians approached the boundary known as the yellow line which is part of the ceasefire agreement. According to multiple sources, the yellow line is not Gazas border but a line drawn inside the territory that permits Israel to maintain military control over roughly half of Gaza, including strategically significant areas like the Philadelphi Corridor, much of Rafah, and parts of Khan Younis and northern Gaza. According to the ceasefire plan, Israeli military forces are required to withdraw to the yellow line in the first phase of the plan. This arrangement means that after the hostages were released, Israeli troops are positioned behind this yellow line, retaining dominance over key population centers and crucial transit routes. The peace plan specifies further phases where, under international supervision and the establishment of a transitional government, Israeli forces would move to a red line marking additional withdrawal, ultimately ending with Israeli control of a buffer zone along the Gaza-Israel border. The Israeli military claimed the individuals killed were suspects who crossed the yellow line, directly contradicting the supposed withdrawal of troops stipulated in the peace agreement. Monday saw similar violence in Khan Yunis, where occupation forces shot and killed Khalid Barbakh while he inspected his home in Al-Sikka, according to local reports. The fact that the Israeli military has begun firing on and killing Palestinians before the first phase of the cease fire is even complete exposes Trumps agreement as a sham designed to maintain imperialist domination of Gaza and to deny Palestinians their fundamental rights. The killings in Gaza are undeniable proof that the Trump-brokered peace agreement is not worth the paper it is printed on. The shootings in Shejaiya and Khan Yunis, right after the ceasefire supposedly went into effect, reveal how the entire arrangement does nothing to restrain Israeli violence. Eyewitnesses interviewed by hospital staff and the local press described scenes of chaos and arbitrary violence. The Israeli soldiers began firing without warning, a survivor told reporters outside al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. Another local, Amal al-Saqqa, said, We heard the ceasefire was in place, so we tried to go back to our homes. The shooting began before we could even reach the yellow line. As in every act by the Israeli military since the Gaza genocide began government representatives turned reality on its head, claiming the troops were engaged with armed suspects who violated the terms of the ceasefire. An official statement Tuesday declared: Soldiers took action to protect themselves against individuals attempting to approach and compromise our positions in northern Gaza. We will defend our forces and our mandate under the October 10 agreement. Meanwhile, reports and maps shared by Trump administration negotiators reveal that more than half of Gaza remains under direct Israeli occupation, casting doubt on claims of any meaningful withdrawal. These contradictions highlight the political context of the violence on Monday and Tuesday and that the so-called ceasefire rests on the continued assertion of Israeli military control over Gaza and its population. As analyzed by the World Socialist Web Site on Tuesday, Trumps Gaza ceasefire is a calculated political campaign aimed at institutionalizing Israels occupation of Gaza and entrenching US imperialist control of the Middle East. The WSWS stated that the agreement turns Gaza into a colonial protectorate, supervised by a board led by the American president, under conditions that guarantee the permanent Israeli occupation of a large portion of Gaza. The WSWS also called the agreement a return to the open colonial domination of the Middle East that prevailed in the 19th century, emphasizing that under Trumps plan, Gaza would be governed by a Board of Peace chaired by Trump and including Britains Tony Blaira structure that ensures the exclusion of Palestinian voices from the decision-making of Palestinian futures. The hollowness of the bogus peace deal has been further exposed by the ongoing Israeli blockade of humanitarian aid before, during and after the supposed ceasefire. The Rafah crossingGazas only direct land connection to Egyptremains closed, even after the agreement promised renewed aid flows. Israel slashed the daily number of aid trucks allowed into Gaza to 300, half of the already inadequate quota of 600 previously agreed. Israeli officials openly admit using the blockade as leverage. The reduction in aid and closure of Rafah are sanctions against Hamas until all bodies of slain hostages are returned, reads the official justification for the ongoing restriction. These measures, executed under the pretense of enforcing the hostage remains deal, are in reality part of the systematic policy of punishing Gazas entire population. The humanitarian impact continues to be dire with UN agencies warning that food shortages and medical supply deficits are deepening, threatening the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians. The current situation replicates the catastrophic conditions seen throughout the previous months, when aid flow was similarly weaponized to exert pressure on Gazas population and its government. Eyewitnesses describe a climate of fear and despair that permeates Gaza. Every day we wait for trucks that never arrive. Our children are starving, and the hospitals have no medicine left. They promised peace, but all we have is more suffering, said Dawoud al-Khalil, a father waiting at a distribution site near the Rafah crossing. Despite the ceasefire provisions including a promise to restore infrastructure and hospitals, aid organizations report that deliveries remain a fraction of what is needed, and widespread famine and malnutrition persist unaddressed. While 55 detained healthcare workers were released as part of the prisoner exchange, at least 115 remain imprisoned, and hospitals in Gaza remain desperately short of resources. The Trump administrationwith the support of the Democratic Party and the corporate mediacontinues to tout the agreement as a world historic breakthrough. Yet the facts on the groundcontinued killings, restricted aid, unaddressed displacementreveal a picture of ongoing imperialist barbarism. In other developments that expose the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a cruel hoax, Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has sharply escalated in the past three days. Dozens of Palestiniansincluding journalistswere injured by assaults carried out both by settlers and Israeli soldiers, notably during the olive harvest season around Nablus and villages like Beita, Huwara, and Deir Sharaf. Settlers, often armed and sometimes accompanied by soldiers, attacked farmers, set vehicles and property on fire, and committed acts of physical violence against civilians and members of the press. In Bardala (Jordan Valley) on Monday, settlers destroyed 150 olive trees essential to local livelihoods, while similar attacks occurred in Beit Fajjar south of Bethlehem, where assailants unleashed dogs on Palestinians and set fire to vehicles. The Palestine Red Crescent treated multiple injuries, and witnesses described the aggression as coordinated and intended to intimidate and displace Palestinian communities. UN and humanitarian groups have documented an unprecedented wave of settler attacks in recent months. Over 1,000 such assaults have taken place in the first eight months of 2025 alone, primarily concentrated in governorates like Ramallah, Nablus and Hebron. Since October 2023, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 10,000 injured in the West Bank due to actions by Israeli settlers and armed soldiers, with 178 Palestinian fatalities recorded in 2025 alone. This violence is part of the broader strategy of Israeli settlement expansion and de-facto annexation of Palestinian land, with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid reporting that at least 3,400 Palestinians have been displaced by settler violence and access restrictions throughout the Gaza genocide and the subsequent ceasefire. In the aftermath of the two-week long protests in Indonesia that began at the end of August, the government of President Prabowo Subianto is pursuing so-called police reform and other measures meant to give the impression that it is responding to issues that led to the demonstrations. This week, Prabowo is planning to inaugurate a nine-member committee dubbed the National Police Reform Committee. The specific issues the committee will address have not been made clear, but discussions by figures close to the government have raised the need to change the culture within the Indonesian National Police (Polri). Protesters clash with the police during a protest against lavish allowances given to parliament members, in Jakarta, August 28, 2025. [AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana] The focus on reform follows the violent response of the police as well as the use of the military to suppress the recent protests. Affan Kurniawan, a twenty-one-year-old motorcycle taxi driver and delivery worker, was killed after being rammed by a police armored vehicle on August 28, stoking widespread anger and fueling additional protests. At least ten people were killed in total. However, the demonstrations began over widespread inequality in Indonesia after it was announced that members of parliament would receive an exorbitant 50-million-rupiah ($US3,000) housing allowance in addition to other benefits. This alone was more than 20 times higher than the minimum wage in some parts of Indonesia. At present, the identities of the presidents reform committee members, save one, have not been released, although it is expected to include former national police chiefs. State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi said on October 8, They are figures who possess legal expertise as well as those who have professional competence and experience in the police sector. The only member that has been revealed is Mahfud MD, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs under the previous government of Joko Widodo. He also previously served as the chief justice of the Constitutional Court and as defense minister. The inclusion of Mahfud, a well-known advocate of purported legal reform who has made criticisms of the Prabowo government, and the announcement of his participation, are no doubt meant to give the committee some credibility. A second committee has also been formed. Chief of Police Listyo Sigit Prabowo established the Police Reform Transition Team on September 17, composed of 52 leading police officials to develop plans that would supposedly reform the Polri. The two committees are expected to work together. Neither of these committees has any intention of carrying out genuine reforms. Any measures enacted by the ruling class will be to strengthen state power, not limit it. Furthermore, the issue of reforms within the police is not new, but has been discussed since the fall of the Suharto dictatorship in 1998 as part of the so-called reformasi era. While some measures were taken, such as splitting the police from the military, the police remain a violent and oppressive component of capitalist rule. Police reform emerged as one of the 17+8 Demands put together by student groups and labor unions involved in leading the protests. The name refers to seventeen short-term demands and eight long-term ones. They included an end to police brutality and a commitment from the armed forces not to declare martial law in the event of demonstrations. Others included an end to mass layoffs, tax reform and government dialogue with labor unions. Any of the demands that the Prabowo government implements will be entirely for show. At the same time, the student groups and unions that have organized the demands did so with the aim of shutting down the protests, not expanding opposition to the government. They have explicitly avoided the fact that it is capitalism that is responsible for the conditions workers and students face. On September 3, student leaders from groups that included Muzammil Ihsan of All-Indonesian Students Union (BEM SI) and Abdul Haki of the Muslim Students Association (HMI) met with members of parliament. More than 30 representatives of related organizations met with the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Brian Yuliarto the following day at the presidential palace. Organizations like BEM SI do not represent the interests of working-class youth, but rather those of middle and upper-middle-class layers. BEM SI maintains connections with the police and the government and participation in the organization is seen as a stepping stone to political positions. Similarly, while various labor unions took part in the August protests, they put forward no calls for strikes to oppose government repression. The Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI), one of the largest in the country, is led by Said Iqbal, who also leads the phony left-wing Labour Party. Said is not a working-class leader, but a right-wing, seasoned political operative. He was formerly an activist with the Islamist Prosperous Justice Party. He has backed Prabowo and expressed his firm support for the president following the protests. Therefore, the focus on supposedly addressing police violence serves multiple purposes. First, Prabowos government can claim to be enacting the demands of the demonstrators while doing nothing to address rising inequality. The student and labor leaders can in turn promote their own roles in supposedly driving change while in actuality keeping a lid on social discontent for the time being. What is being kept from the working class and youth is that whatever measures are ultimately enacted will be used to strengthen Prabowos grip on power and almost certainly expand the influence of the military. Before turning to politics, Prabowo spent his career in the Indonesian special forces known as Kopassus, which he led from 1995 to 1998. A United States-trained killer and trusted hand of Suharto, Prabowo has been implicated in numerous atrocities in East Timor, West Papua and Aceh Province, as well as orchestrating the kidnapping and murder of activists as Suhartos New Order regime was coming to an end. The Indonesian bourgeoisie elevated Prabowo to power not despite this record, but because of it. Poverty, inequality, and low wages are widespread throughout the country. Even before Trumps return to office in the US and the imposition of a 19 percent tariff rate on Indonesian exports to America, the economy was in decline. Significant protests against an Omnibus Law attacking workers conditions broke out in 2020. Since his election last October, Prabowo has centralized power in his hands and elevated the militarys role. One of the clearest features of Prabowos presidency is his effort to reorganize Indonesia through [the] centralization of power, Made Supriatma, a visiting fellow at Singapores ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, told the Financial Times in September. Using the protests as a pretext, Prabowo on September 17 replaced the Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security Budi Gunawan with former general Djamari Chaniago, in a position that has authority over both the military and police. Djamari served as chief of the general staff of the military from 2000 to 2004. Prabowo is placing a trusted official in the position in order to solidify his grip on the armed forces. The president is also particularly close to Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin. Prabowo is also carrying out a massive restructuring of the military. This includes creating one hundred so-called territorial development battalions, with plans to deploy them to every district of the country within five years. These battalions will be used in fields such as agriculture, infrastructure and healthcare. In March, Prabowo oversaw the passage of a law that allows a larger number of military officers to hold civilian positions in government. The government is increasingly returning to the policy of dwifungsi, or dual function, in which the armed forces played both military and civilian roles during the Suharto dictatorship, a key component of his rule. All of these changes, whether to the police, military, or government, are being carried out in preparation for suppressing working-class opposition to capitalism in Indonesia. BELGRADE, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Belgrade on Wednesday to discuss Serbia's path towards joining the European Union (EU). At the Palace of Serbia, Vucic welcomed von der Leyen, saying her visit strengthens relations between Serbia and the EU and conveys a message of cooperation and mutual trust. Vucic said the two sides discussed all important topics - from strengthening the rule of law, through energy security, economic stability, and regional cooperation, to how to turn challenges into opportunities together. At their meeting, Vucic handed von der Leyen a letter asking the EU to exempt Serbia from its new steel import tariffs, to help the candidate country maintain competitiveness. He warned that "the coming winter will be politically difficult," although Serbia has sufficient oil and gas reserves. He also announced plans to form a joint working group with the EU to assess Serbia's energy situation. Serbia would continue developing its energy infrastructure, he added. The EU recently unveiled a plan to reduce steel import quotas and double the out-of-quota tariff to 50 percent. The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association has warned that the move could increase supply pressures in the European market. The machinery of the state killing apparatus in the US continues its relentless march this week, fueled by the accelerating fascistic agenda of the Trump administration. As the nation races towards a record high number of executions for the year, today, October 14, the state of Florida executed Samuel Smithers, and Missouri executed Lance Shockley. Lance Shockley, (left) and Samuel Smithers. Also scheduled for execution this week are Charles Ray Crawford in Mississippi on October 15, and Richard Djerf in Arizona on October 17. Texas death row inmate Rob Roberson was scheduled to be put to death on October 16 but was granted a stay by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which remanded the case to district court for further review. Roberson was convicted for the 2002 death of his two-year-old daughter Nikki based on now-discredited medical testimony diagnosing Shaken Baby Syndrome. Robersons attorneys recently discovered judicial misconduct in his case as well. The presiding judge in his 2003 trial failed to disclose a conflict of interest: he had previously authorized Nikkis maternal grandparents to remove her from life support, a decision legally reserved for Roberson, her sole managing conservator. The execution surge of 2025 reveals the callous indifference of the ruling class to due process and human life itself. So far this year, 35 individuals have died by court-ordered execution across 10 states. The US is on track to carry out 43 state-sanctioned killings this year, the highest number in more than a decade. Trumps drive to expand death penalty This explosion in state-sanctioned violence is linked to the political priorities established by President Donald Trump at the start of his second term. On January 20, 2025, Inauguration Day, Trump signed an executive order calling for a dramatic expansion of capital punishment. This order, directly stemming from the ultra-conservative blueprint Project 2025, frames the death penalty as an essential tool for punishment and deterrence, despite research showing that capital punishment is not a deterrent. Capital punishment is the highest rejection of the judicial concept of rehabilitation; there is no aim to rehabilitate, simply to exact vengeance. Trumps order specifically directs the US attorney general to pursue federal jurisdiction and seek the death penalty for capital crimes involving the murder of a law enforcement officer and any capital crime committed by an undocumented immigrant. This rhetoric aligns with Trumps vilification of immigrants, using language reminiscent of the Nazis. Attorney-General Pam Bondi has taken a leading role in advancing this agenda. Bondi has pledged to seek capital punishment all over the country, again. She issued a memo encouraging Justice Department employees to pursue federal capital charges in various situations, including drug trafficking and the murder of police The January executive order called for the attorney general to seek the overruling of US Supreme Court precedents that limit the state and federal governments authority to impose capital punishment. Bondi specifically called the decision by the outgoing Biden administration to commute the sentences of 37 federal death row prisoners abhorrent. In an effort to align themselves with the presidents priorities, state attorneys general and governors are seeking to increase the utilization of their death chambers. Republican legislators nationwide have introduced a flurry of bills intended to modify and expand capital punishment. At least 23 bills expanding death penalty eligibility have been introduced across 14 states this year, a significant increase from previous years. These bills, primarily pushed by Republicans, seek to expand the death penalty to crimes such as the death of police officers, sex offenses against children, abortion (attempting to make it a capital crime) and crimes committed by immigrants. Florida Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has demonstrated his zeal for state killing, promoting new laws to expand the death penalty, such as allowing it in cases of people who sexually assault children. One such bill, inspired by Trumps January executive order, was signed into law by DeSantis. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier led 15 state attorney generals in sending a letter to Bondi urging federal support in challenging Supreme Court precedent to uphold death sentences for child rape. Florida has distinguished itself as the nations most prolific execution state this year. Samuel Lee Smithers, 72, was executed by lethal injection on Tuesday, October 14, at the Florida State Prison near Starke. He was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. CDT. His execution marked Floridas 14th execution of 2025, further extending the state record for executions in a single year. Florida has executed more people than any other state this year, followed by Texas with five. Samuel Lee Smithers Smithers was convicted in 1999 for the 1996 first-degree murders of Christy Cowan and Denise Roach. He met the women at a Tampa motel in May 1996 to pay them for sex. Authorities later found the womens bodies in one of the propertys rural ponds. Both had been severely beaten, strangled and left to die. Smithers attorneys appealed, arguing that his age should make him ineligible for execution under the Constitutions prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment, barred by the Eighth Amendment. The Florida Supreme Court denied this appeal, ruling that the elderly are not categorically exempt. Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty wrote a statement that read in part: Tonight, We the People of the State of Florida executed 72-year-old Samuel Sammy Lee Smithers for the 1996 murders of Denise Roach and Christie Cowan. Sammy was the oldest person executed in the modern era of Floridas death penalty. We killed a man with a profound history of head trauma and brain damage who was substantially impaired at the time of the crime. We killed an elderly man whose continued cognitive decline over his 30 years on death row was medically documented. We killed a man who posed absolutely no threat to anyone. ... Christie Cowans father visited his daughters grave and then stood before the judge, pleading for the life of the man who had killed his daughter. He said that he did not want his childs name used to justify another killing. His words, born of unimaginable pain, offered the moral clarity that the prosecutor, the judge, and our elected officials have not yet found: that violence in response to violence is not the answer, and it never will be. Missouri Also executed on October 14 was Lance Shockley, 48, in Missouri. Shockley died by lethal injection at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre. He was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m. CDT. The US Supreme Court denied his final appeals earlier that day. Lance Shockley Shockley was convicted in 2009 for the murder of Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Carl Graham Jr. in 2005. Shockley consistently maintained his innocence. In the punishment phase of Shockleys trial, the jury could not come to a unanimous decision on whether he should be executed. Consequently, a Carter County circuit judge unilaterally sentenced him to death. Missouri, along with Indiana, are the only two states that grant judges the authority to make this unilateral decision to impose the death penalty. Overseeing his first capital case, Republican Governor Mike Kehoe denied clemency for Shockley on Monday. In response, protesters organized a march and held vigils in St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia and Bonne Terre, marching under the banner, Let Lance Live, Gov. Kehoe! Polling weighted to represent Missouris registered voter demographics showed significant support for clemency across the state, including 79 percent of Democrats. The push by Trump and his state allies to expand capital punishment comes as public support for the death penalty sits at a five-decade low. Fifty-three percent of Americans favor capital punishment for murder, a steep drop from 80 percent 30 years ago, reflecting widespread distrust in the judicial system. Evidence of declining support is also clear in courtrooms, where juries are increasingly rejecting the punishment. Since the US Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, more than 200 people sentenced to death have been exonerated, according to Death Penalty Information, raising the fear among juries and the public that innocent people are being put to death. The most common reasons for exoneration of prisoners include official misconduct, mistaken eyewitness testimony, perjury, and false or discredited forensic evidence (such as bite-mark analysis or faulty hair analysis). The Supreme Court has, in recent years, shown little sympathy toward death row prisoners and has largely stopped hearing death penalty cases, effectively paving the way for states to proceed with executions. This relinquishment of authority by the Supreme Court encourages states to pursue aggressive expansion efforts, driven by the belief that the current conservative majority on the Court will ultimately uphold such laws, even if they run contrary to established precedent. The relentless pursuit of executions further demonstrates the states disdain for due process and its use of capital punishment as a terrorizing bludgeon against the population. Teachers demonstrate inside the State Capitol in Charleston, West Virginia during 2018 strike As part of Trumps nationwide reductions-in-force (RIF) of federal employees beginning October 10, the Department of Education (ED) was cut by another 466 positions, threatening to decimate the programs that sustain disability rights in America. Nearly all personnel responsible for enforcing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) have been terminated, abandoning 8.4 million students with disabilities. These cuts follow the earlier elimination of 2,000 ED workershalf its workforce. IDEA, first passed in 1975 as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, grew out of the civil rights struggles and the Supreme Courts Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas decision. It guaranteed children with disabilities the right to free public education and specialized services. The destruction of this framework marks a conscious effort to return to the days when working class children with disabilities were institutionalized, excluded from schooling or pushed into menial labor. This reactionary attack on the right to education is bound up with a broader war on public health, including the promotion of anti-scientific lies about vaccines and autism, and the revival of eugenicist ideology that animated large sections of the American right in the early 20th century and provided the intellectual foundation for Nazi racial hygiene policies. The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) has been almost entirely wiped out, leaving a single official to oversee $15 billion in special education funding. Formerly staffed by 200 workers, OSERS reviewed state compliance, approved plans and investigated violations. Now, states can deny services and slash programs with impunity, free from any meaningful federal monitoring. Thousands of parents, who once called OSERS for help navigating their childrens rights, will find no one answering. Rural and low income districts, already suffering shortages of specialists, will be hardest hit. Without oversight, wealthier districts may maintain programs, but working class areas will face devastating cuts. The layoffs coincide with the Trump administrations cancellation of IDEA Part D grants that fund research, professional development and family support. In September, 25 grants worth $14.8 million were eliminated, followed by nine rehabilitation grants worth $3.5 million. These grants funded university-based training and teacher development in critical shortage fields. Four terminated state Personnel Development Grants alone cut $6 million from special education training during an unprecedented teacher shortage. Trump and billionaire Education Secretary Linda McMahon cynically denounced these grants as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. In reality, they financed services for children with low-incidence disabilities, such as deaf-blindness, and provided parent resources and academic research essential to IDEAs functioning. Civil rights enforcement dismantled The mass firings also cripple the Departments Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which investigates discrimination in schools. McMahon has redirected OCR staff to pursue politically motivated antisemitism cases against pro-Palestinian speech while abandoning disabled students facing blatant discrimination, particularly in charter schools. Federal law requires that ED maintain oversight capacity to ensure state compliance with disability statutes, making these actions illegal. The administrations claim that the cuts stem from the government shutdown is a fraud: Simultaneously it is transferring special education oversight to the Department of Health and Human Servicesan agency spearheading attacks on healthcareand openly vowing to abolish the Department of Education altogether. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and National Education Association (NEA)with over 5.3 million membershave refused to mobilize any opposition. Instead of calling strikes to halt the destruction of public education and healthcare, they have resorted to futile lawsuits. Earlier suits against Trumps previous mass firings were thrown out, with the Supreme Court sanctioning the presidents federal jobs bloodbath. Against this treachery, educators, parents and students must build rank-and-file committees independent of the union bureaucracy and the Democratic Party. These committees should link teachers, education workers and families in collective actionincluding a nationwide educators striketo defend the right to public education, oppose Trumps fascistic dictatorship and fight for the reorganization of society to meet human need, not private profit. The dismantling of IDEA and the Department of Education is part of a broader effort to privatize public schooling and funnel trillions in social wealth to the ruling elite. From the start, IDEA was undermined by both parties. The 1975 law authorized the federal government to pay 40 percent of special education costs, but funding has never exceeded 18 percent and is currently 12 percent. Even within these limits, IDEAs programs provided certain social protections that the oligarchy now seeks to destroy. IDEAs three core components have been crucial to millions of families: Early Intervention (birth to age 3): Serves 540,000 infants and toddlers, capitalizing on rapid early brain development to prevent long-term disabilities. Special Education (ages 3 to 21): Provides Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for 7 million students, detailing specific services and supports. National Activities and Capacity Building: Funds research centers, technical assistance, and teacher training through Part D grants, most of which have now been abolished. The services endangered by Trumps measures illustrate the tremendous scientific and social progress now under attack: Speech-Language Pathology: Assists 1.3 million students with language and communication disorders through diagnostic therapy, augmentative communication systems and family training. Occupational and Physical Therapy: Supports students with cerebral palsy, spina bifida and brain injuries, ensuring access through adaptive equipment, wheelchair positioning and environmental modifications. Assistive Technology: Provides devices from simple tools to sophisticated computer systems enabling independent communication and learning. Transition Services: Beginning at age 14, links school programs to adult employment and independent living through job training and counseling. Autism Support: Offers behavioral therapy, social skills instruction and communication enhancement for students with autism spectrum disorders. Specific Learning Disabilities: Covers 35 percent of IDEA students, offering specialized instruction and technological accommodations for reading, writing and math. Low-Incidence Disabilities: Serves students with deaf-blindness and multiple impairments requiring highly trained specialists. Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities: Coordinates educational and mental health services for youth facing trauma, anxiety or depression. The destruction of these programs would condemn millions of children to neglect, reversing half a century of scientific and social progress. It exposes the reactionary character of the entire capitalist system, which regards the most vulnerable layers of society as expendable. The way forward The assault on special education and public schooling cannot be fought through appeals to Congress, the courts or the trade union apparatusall of which accept the framework of austerity and nationalism. The working class must mobilize its own independent strength. Rank-and-file committees should be established in every school, district and community to defend the right to free, universal education and healthcare, link up with federal workers opposing mass firings, and unite with workers in every industry. The struggle to defend special education is inseparable from the fight against capitalism itself. The gains of the pastwon through the civil rights and labor movementsmust be carried forward through a conscious socialist movement of the working class to guarantee the right to education, healthcare and human dignity for all. To join the fight to build educators rank-and-file committees, fill out the form below. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends the cabinet meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. [AP Photo/Markus Schreiber] On October 8, the coalition committee of the Merz-Klingbeil Christian Democrat/Social Democrat government abolished Burgergeld (Citizens Income basic welfare payments). The decision reveals the true character of this government, which is preparing for war abroad and class war at home. As early as August, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (Christian Democratic UnionCDU) declared, We can no longer afford the welfare state. With the new, harsh rules for basic social security, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, led by the Social Democratic Party (SPD), is now directly following the dictates of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). On September 24, AfD leader Alice Weidel had ranted in the Bundestag (parliament) that Burgergeld had degenerated into immigrant money, the costs of which are completely out of control. It was, she said, a self-service shop in which freeloaders can enrich themselves without shame. She shrieked: Abolish Burgergeld once and for all! The government has now complied. Burgergeld is history, declared Christian Social Union (CSU) leader Markus Soder at a federal press conference on Thursday morning. Chancellor Merz confirmed that the chapter of Burgergeld is thereby closed. The federal minister for labour and social affairs, Barbel Bas (SPD), announced: We are tightening sanctions to the limits of what is constitutionally permissible. Yet the very measures the coalition has now adoptedcomplete withdrawal of benefits as punishmentwere long considered unconstitutional. When asked about this at the press conference, Bas replied: For those refusing appointments, there will now be a cascade of sanctions that ultimately reduces benefits to zero. We are firmly convinced that this complies with the constitution. Merz explained how this works: anyone receiving social benefits who misses a first and second appointment will have their already meagre payments (563 per month) cut by 30 percent. If they miss a third appointment, all payments will cease. The 5.5 million people receiving basic social assistance, who are now being put under such pressure, also face benefit cuts. Despite rising prices, they will have to expect a freeze next year. Pensioners dependent on supplementary benefits will also be affected. With all these measures, the government expects savings of up to 5 billion. At the same time, Merz is handing out tax gifts to shareholders and business owners. He plans to gradually reduce the corporation tax rate paid by companies, limited partnerships and joint-stock firms from the current 15 percent to 10 percent by 2029. In the post-war decades, this rate once stood at 65 percent. We will have the lowest corporation tax rate ever, the chancellor promised in the Bundestag September 24. This alone will deprive the federal budget of 46 billion over five yearstwo-thirds of which will go to those already earning more than 180,000 a year. Very different treatment awaits those living on the edge of poverty. Bas made it clear at the press conference that the government intends to coerce the unemployed into accepting any kind of work. We can only save money if we focus on work, she said. If we get 100,000 people out of Burgergeld and into jobs, we will save about one billion euros. Given the ongoing mass layoffs in Germany, this is an unmistakable threat. At a time when hundreds of thousands of workers in the car and supplier industries are losing their secure, decently paid jobs, men and women who have worked in industry for decades are now to be forcedafter a short period of unemploymentinto any available low-paid job. In March 2024, 10,000 employees demonstrated against layoffs in front of the Bosch headquarters in Gerlingen near Stuttgart The attack on Burgergeld is part of a budget that allocates billions for rearmament and war. The federal budget, which rose from 476.8 billion in 2024 to 502.5 billion this year, will increase again next year to 520.5 billion. Added to this are annual allocations from the special funds for the Bundeswehr (Armed Forces) and infrastructure to improve Germanys readiness for war, allowing borrowing of up to 1 trillion. Including these special funds, total federal expenditures will exceed 600 billion in 2026an increase of nearly 26 percent over 2024. Most of this money is going to the military. The defence budget is the only one seeing massive growth: the Bundeswehr will receive 82.7 billion next year20 billion more than this year. Including allocations from the special fund (over 80 billion this year), the total will exceed 108 billion. Compared with the 2015 defence budget (33 billion), this figure has tripled. By 2029, the defence budget is to rise to 153 billion (3.5 percent of GDP), and in the following years to 5 percent of GDP. Meanwhile, more and more of the announced investments are being channelled into the transformation of society toward a war economy. Entire production sitessuch as VW Osnabruck and Alstom in Gorlitzare converting to arms manufacturing with state subsidies. The special infrastructure fund is also not primarily used to renovate decaying schools, hospitals, care homes or public transport but to build war-ready roads, bridges, motorways and communication systems for conducting surveillance at home and abroad. Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the formation ceremony of the Bundeswehr tank brigade in Lithuania [Photo by Bundesregierug / Guido Bergman] To finance this war budget, the government is taking on a colossal mountain of debt. To fund the special budgets, it plans to borrow 170 billion annually until 2029. Over five years, this means 850 billion in new debt, raising total public debt to 2.7 trillion. Merzs commitment to rearmamenthis whatever it takes pledgemeans that an ever-growing share of the federal budget will flow to the banks as interest and debt repayments. By 2029, these payments will amount to 66.5 billionand could rise to 100 billion, according to the German Taxpayers Association, which warns of Germanys declining credit rating on global markets. Defending his policy in the Bundestag September 23, Merz declared: We face one of the most challenging phases in modern history Foreign and domestic policy can no longer be separated. Workers, he insisted, must finally understand that they will bear the cost of rearmament and debt. We need a national understanding of the inevitability of change, said Merz. This attack on Burgergeld marks a clear signal for a frontal assault on all social achievements won over decades. The government is proceeding step by step against the poorest and most defenceless. Back in May, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) had halted family reunification for refugees and, with SPD backing, ramped up deportations. The World Socialist Web Site warned at the time that this was merely the prelude to attacks on all workers. This has now been confirmed. Discussions are already underway about abolishing Care Level One payments, introduced in 2017, which would affect 5.7 million people in need of care865,000 of whom would lose all benefits. The government has long viewed the federal pension subsidiescomprising about 70 percent of the Labour and Social Affairs budgetas a prime target. For now, only the so-called active pension has been introduced: starting next year, retirees who continue to work can earn up to 2,000 tax-free. A broader assault on the pension system has been outsourced by Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil (SPD) to an expert commission, which is to present recommendations by early 2027. Not a single party, from the AfD to the Left Party, has questioned the federal budget or its basic premise: that Germany must become a major military power again and be fit for war against Russia by 2029. The special funds worth over 1 trillion were made possible only thanks to the active support of the pro-war Greens. The Left Party approved these plans in the Bundesrat (upper chamber of parliament) and has since backed their implementation in parliamentary committees. It also paved the way for Merzs swift election as chancellor. The social cutbacks and massive state debt differ little from the conditions that have already led to repeated government crises and mass protests in France. A similar revolutionary situation is rapidly developing in Germany. Anger in the working class over these social attacks is immense, but it has no political voice, as the trade unions are tightly bound to the SPD, in government with the Christian Democrats, and integrated into German corporate structures. This close collaboration was again demonstrated on Thursday, immediately after the press conference, when IG Metall union chair Christiane Benner met with government representatives and industry leaders at the auto summit. What is required is a determined, independent and international response by the working class. The struggle against social devastation must be linked to the struggle against war and fascism. The Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party, SGP) and the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) call for the building of independent action committees in all workplaces, as part of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC), to unite workers in the fight against capitalist exploitation, war and for a socialist programme. This photo taken on Oct. 15, 2025 shows a scene during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. The 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, kicked off in Guangzhou on Wednesday, with the number of booths reaching 74,600 and exhibitors exceeding 32,000, both record high figures in the history of this famous event. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) GUANGZHOU, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, started on Wednesday, with the number of exhibitors exceeding 32,000, a record high. Scheduled to take place from Oct. 15 to Nov. 4 in the southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou in Guangdong Province, this edition of the fair has also attracted a record number of buyers. As of Monday, over 240,000 buyers from 218 export markets had pre-registered, reflecting a 10-percent increase compared to the previous edition. Among them -- the number of buyers from the European Union, the United States and countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative has increased significantly. Meanwhile, more than 400 leading purchasing companies will attend the fair. According to surveys conducted ahead of the fair, over 1 million new products developed in the past year will be showcased at this edition of fair, while around 800,000 items will make their debuts at the fair. This edition of the Canton Fair will, for the first time, feature a smart medical zone -- which has attracted 47 companies showcasing products such as surgical robots, intelligent monitoring systems and wearable devices. It will continue to feature a service robot zone, which has drawn 46 leading industry players to display their humanoid robots, robotic dogs and other innovations. Established in 1957, the Canton Fair is held twice a year. It is the longest-running of several comprehensive international trade events in China, and has been hailed as the barometer of China's foreign trade. An exhibitor communicates with foreign buyers during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, kicked off in Guangzhou on Wednesday, with the number of booths reaching 74,600 and exhibitors exceeding 32,000, both record high figures in the history of this famous event. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan) A buyer experiences an ergonomic chair during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, kicked off in Guangzhou on Wednesday, with the number of booths reaching 74,600 and exhibitors exceeding 32,000, both record high figures in the history of this famous event. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan) A woman visits the booth of Hisense during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, kicked off in Guangzhou on Wednesday, with the number of booths reaching 74,600 and exhibitors exceeding 32,000, both record high figures in the history of this famous event. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) A foreign buyer (L) visits the booth of STANLEY from the United States during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, kicked off in Guangzhou on Wednesday, with the number of booths reaching 74,600 and exhibitors exceeding 32,000, both record high figures in the history of this famous event. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) Buyers visit a booth exhibiting laser cutting machines during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, kicked off in Guangzhou on Wednesday, with the number of booths reaching 74,600 and exhibitors exceeding 32,000, both record high figures in the history of this famous event. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) A buyer (L) communicates with an exhibitor during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, kicked off in Guangzhou on Wednesday, with the number of booths reaching 74,600 and exhibitors exceeding 32,000, both record high figures in the history of this famous event. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin) A buyer (L) learns about washing machines during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, kicked off in Guangzhou on Wednesday, with the number of booths reaching 74,600 and exhibitors exceeding 32,000, both record high figures in the history of this famous event. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin) This photo taken on Oct. 15, 2025 shows the venue of the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. The 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, kicked off in Guangzhou on Wednesday, with the number of booths reaching 74,600 and exhibitors exceeding 32,000, both record high figures in the history of this famous event. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan) A buyer (R) is seen during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, kicked off in Guangzhou on Wednesday, with the number of booths reaching 74,600 and exhibitors exceeding 32,000, both record high figures in the history of this famous event. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin) A buyer (L) learns about mobile phones during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, kicked off in Guangzhou on Wednesday, with the number of booths reaching 74,600 and exhibitors exceeding 32,000, both record high figures in the history of this famous event. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin) This photo taken on Oct. 15, 2025 shows a scene during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. The 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, kicked off in Guangzhou on Wednesday, with the number of booths reaching 74,600 and exhibitors exceeding 32,000, both record high figures in the history of this famous event. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin) Exhibitors display products at the pavilion of Thai enterprises during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, kicked off in Guangzhou on Wednesday, with the number of booths reaching 74,600 and exhibitors exceeding 32,000, both record high figures in the history of this famous event. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) Foreign buyers learn about audio products during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, kicked off in Guangzhou on Wednesday, with the number of booths reaching 74,600 and exhibitors exceeding 32,000, both record high figures in the history of this famous event. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin) Senior officials from Dubai expressed hope for closer cooperation with China amid the ongoing 45th edition of GITEX Global, a technology and artificial intelligence exhibition held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. #GLOBALink NEW YORK (AP) Reese Witherspoon's first novel for adults began with the kind of inspiration veteran fiction writers know well a character who wouldn't leave her alone. A military doctor who ends up performing plastic surgery for mysterious clients. I had never had an idea for a character in my whole life. She was sort of living in my head, and once that happens I knew I was going to have to do something about it, Witherspoon said this week as she and co-author Harlan Coben spoke in a conference room at the Apple SoHo store in downtown Manhattan, shortly before their interview for an upcoming podcast, Bookmarked by Reeses Book Club. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And so I called Harlan. The novel, which has just been published, is called Gone Before Goodbye. The woman in Witherspoon's mind became Maggie McCabe, an Army combat surgeon whose professional setbacks lead her to accept a lucrative, but suspicious plastic surgery job that will bring her everywhere from Russia to Dubai and ensnare her in a puzzle of murder, multiple identities and jarring coincidences. Gone Before Goodbye began with Witherspoon, but has the kind of layered plot lines and haunting back stories known to Coben's many readers. The careers of the 49-year-old Witherspoon and 63-year-old Coben have run parallel for decades she's the Oscar-winning actor and producer whose credits include Walk the Line, Legally Blonde and The Morning Show and he's the million-selling author of such crime stories as Tell No One, Fool Me Once and No Second Chance. But their interests have also overlapped. Beyond her influential book club, Witherspoon is one of Hollywood's most prominent champions of reading and literacy, while Coben has seen many of his books adapted for film and television. Witherspoon says the two met at a conference about nine years ago and that she has long been a fan of his work. Once she decided to take on a novel, she contacted Coben, who had never worked with a co-author. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was wary of the idea of collaborating. Im just not that guy, he said. But when she told me the idea and started talking about private doctors illegally going over and doing surgeries for very wealthy people and then something going wrong. And thats kind of in my alley but not. And I loved it. It's like when you have an idea, theres like hooks in your brain, you know, and all these ideas kind of rushed through. Maggie McCabe might seem like a fine and challenging role for an actor like Reese Witherspoon. And Gone Before Goodbye has clear cinematic scope, with its mix of exotic locales, narrow escapes and deadly confrontations. But no rights have been sold and the authors both say they want the book to be enjoyed as a book for now. Coben explained that they worked under a few ground rules no writers besides themselves, and no thinking beyond the project at hand. The biggest kiss of death, despite how many adaptations Ive had of my own books, is to write a novel thinking, Ooh, this is going to make a really good movie. During their recent interview, Witherspoon and Coben also talked about their collaborative process, Witherspoon's family background and what they learned from each other. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Questions and answers have been edited for brevity and clarity. AP: How did the writing process for this work? You were sending each other drafts? WITHERSPOON: Constant communication. Text messages. COBEN: Emails. We met in person once every 2 or 3 weeks, I guess. WITHERSPOON: We'd sit for hours, kind of just beating out the story, making sure we understood each characters backstory so that we could mine it for future plot lines. It was really interesting, the construction process. COBEN: I warned her that novels like a sausage. You might like the final taste. You probably dont want to see how it was made. So we really got into the weeds with that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AP: Do you (Witherspoon) feel like you now know enough that you could write a novel yourself? WITHERSPOON:I know what I dont know. And I think, you know, partnering with a master whos done it for more than 10,000 hours and has 37 or 38 books, theres a reason I wanted to work with somebody who is so incredibly skilled at it because he actually had the patience to let me into his process. I felt very confident in my mastery of building a character. I felt as confident about this character as I do Tracy Flick (from Election), or Elle Woods (from Legally Blonde). To me, this character so clear and the fact that we built this together and he showed me how you can construct a world around a character, it really was an education for me. AP: What was the biggest adjustment for you (Coben) about working with another writer? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement COBEN: Reese took over part of the part of my brain that sometimes talks to myself. I would talk to Reese instead. I would tease her because sometimes when we were speaking, because of her acting background, her ability to create character, I could almost see her becoming Maggie. Her voice would change a little. I would think to myself, I've really got to mine her now because its like Im talking to the actual character and she is in the room. AP: Was there an incident that inspired the book? WITHERSPOON: Not really. I got a lot of inspiration from my dad, who was a military surgeon, my moms a military nurse. So they would talk about their surgeries at night. And my dad worked right after Vietnam. So he was seeing soldiers coming back from Vietnam. He was, you know, seeing patients after a lot of conflicts. And he would come home and tell us really vivid stories about surgeries, trauma surgeries and things he had seen. I have a real reverence for people who serve in the military and who are also in the medical community. And, Im also really fascinated by what drives a person to want to be that person. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement COBEN: Shes a novelist (now), like it or not. AP: Is it going to be lonely for you (Coben) the next time you write a book by yourself? COBEN: Yes it is. It's going to be strange. WITHERSPOON: Aww, I'll be here. Just call a friend. COBEN: I'll just call Reese. Honey, I need help. Erika Jayne is opening up about her private romance with John Shrek McPhee. My life is really nice, Jayne, 54, shared on the Sunday, October 12, episode of iHeartRadios Diamonds in the Rough podcast. I was in Panama last week, and I received some stem cells at this incredible clinic called Origins, and they're doing some incredible work there. It was probably one of the best trips I've ever had in my entire life. John and I went. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star revealed to cohost Teddi Mellencamp that she was able to have a really nice trip with her boyfriend. And yes, this vacation included plenty of romantic moments too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dates and dinners and holding hands and walking around the old city of Panama, and it was so lovely, Jayne explained. I was able to be and just sort of clear my mind, and I was really happy there. Erika Jayne Addresses Rumors She Hooked Up With Summer House Star Jesse Solomon The trip far away from Beverly Hills left Jayne asking some questions about the future of her life and where things could be headed next. Am I doing all I can do around here? I don't know. I think the next chapter of my life is really up for grabs, she explained. I just don't know what's coming. And sometimes that's OK. I want inner peace. I want peace after these last five years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Back in July, Jayne was photographed holding hands with McPhee. The pair have yet to walk a red carpet together or go Instagram official. Charles Sykes/Bravo Jayne, who separated from estranged husband Tom Girardi in 2020, previously revealed that she met McPhee with help from fellow reality star Heidi Montag. I saw him backstage with Heidi in London just randomly, she previously revealed on a July episode of the Diamonds in the Rough podcast. It was random because [Heidi] went on, and then I went on after her. I thought, Thats the guy from the podcast. Im gonna walk up and say hello. I introduced myself, and I was, like, Hey, my name is Erika, and Ive seen you on a couple of podcasts. Im a fan. Fast-forward to today, and the pair arent just going on vacations together. They are also coparenting a 3-year-old dog named Rick. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have this gorgeous Belgian mal. He's a trained boy. He's currently at my house, Jayne shared on her latest podcast. Look at my life cooking and dog things and vacations. Who am I? Im living a normal life. When Mellencamp, 44, questioned her cohosts use of the word we, Jayne made it clear that she is very hands-on with the dog. Erika Jayne Admits Its Kind of Bizarre So Many RHOBH Marriages Ended in a Row It's in my backyard, swimming in my pool and we are walking it around my f***ing neighborhood, she joked. I agreed to coparent this dog. I'm happy about it. I love it. I just wish I had more energy. I'm f***ing tired. Before the podcast ended, Mellencamp had one final question for her friend: When can she meet the new guy? You will like him, Jayne replied. Hes very sweet. Hes a very sweet man. Its cool. MOSCOW, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The cargo volume of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) reached approximately 37.9 million tonnes in 2024, with a projected growth of around 20 percent in 2025, Alexei Likhachev, director general of Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, said Tuesday. "The NSR has witnessed increasing activity, with the number of ship voyages up by 20 percent this year," Likhachev said. "It is actively used not only by participants in our Arctic projects, but also by those involved in northern supply missions, international logistics and transit operations." Vladimir Panov, Rosatom's special representative for Arctic development, said the NSR is rapidly evolving into an efficient global logistics corridor. "A range of factors are driving this growth, including the development of advanced technologies, the construction of next-generation nuclear-powered icebreakers, and growing interest from foreign shippers," Panov said. On Monday, the first vessel operating on the China-Europe Arctic container express route arrived in Europe via the Arctic's Northeast Passage. The journey took only 20 days, much shorter than traditional southern sea routes, demonstrating the NSR's significant time advantage. Rosatom described the "historic voyage" as a milestone in developing the NSR into a sustainable logistics corridor between China and Europe, one that will play a vital role in supporting the stability of global trade. Stretching about 5,600 km through the Arctic Ocean along northern Russia, the NSR is the shortest maritime route linking western Eurasia and the Asia-Pacific region. Family Matters alum Darius McCrary is facing up to four years in jail after being charged with four felony charges over alleged unpaid child support, months before he was arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border, Us Weekly can exclusively report. His rep tells Us the actor has always supported his son and been a part of his life when given the opportunity. In August 2024, McCrary filed court docs in Michigan requesting that a bench warrant for his arrest, issued on June 24, 2024, after he failed to appear for a hearing, be dropped. McCrary, 49, argued that the childs birth certificate was not valid due to the document missing a signature and said the court did not have jurisdiction over him. The actors lawyer said prosecutors had threatened to extradite McCrary from California if he did not appear for a hearing on August 12, 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McCrarys lawyer said McCrary has a bonding, caring, fit and loving relationship with his three minor children, including the one involved in this case. At the time, McCrary said he had been caring for his mother, who was recovering from surgery. McCrary, a California resident and pillar of the community, was not present for the arraignment on the information on June 24, 2024, because he did not receive the mailed notice to a PO box, miles from his residence that is not checked daily as opposed to his residence, in time to appear, nor did he receive an email as usually done by the court. Amy Sussman/Getty Images The filing also claimed McCrary had COVID in June 2024. If he traveled from California to Michigan on June 24, 2024, he would have put the public around him, including other travelers on the airplane, individuals in the courtroom and others at risk of contracting COVID from exposure to him. In the filing, McCrary pointed out that the son at the center of the case was 17 and they had a strong relationship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Family Matters Cast: Where Are They Now? Reginald VelJohnson, Jaleel White and More The former child star argued he was not a flight risk and pointed out he was a life-long, high-profile actor. On Tuesday, October 14, the actors rep, Ann Barlow, told Us that the whole situation is a misunderstanding. She reiterated the fact that McCrary was not properly served with notice of the case. She said the court mailed the notice to his P.O. box and not his home address in Los Angeles, which she claimed the court had on file. McCrarys rep also claimed the actors lawyer was not given proper notice. She believes McCrarys due process was violated because he was given less than nine days' notice for the hearing. She said that after McCrary received the notice a day after the hearing, however, he immediately contacted the court once getting the mail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Barlow tells Us that McCrary is in the process of hiring a new lawyer to straighten everything out. Further, Barlow claims the son in question lived with McCrary for the first seven years of his life. She said the entertainer always provides for his son and makes sure he is taken care of. Barlow claimed that McCrary has not been given credit for support paid directly to his son. She said McCrary has been railroaded by the Oakland County court. Unique Nicole/Getty Images McCrary has been out on bond since being arrested in late 2023 over the child support. He was released on bond. Prosecutors claimed the actor owed $95,523 in back support as of March 31, 2024. In March 2024, Michigan prosecutors claimed McCrary was not paying his child support while out on bond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors asked for McCrarys bond to be revoked. In July 2024, the prosecutors claimed the actor failed to appear at a June 24, 2024, hearing and a bench warrant was issued. As Us previously reported, McCrary was arrested on October 5 in San Diego, California, by the United States Border Patrol. Home Improvements Zachery Ty Bryan Breaks Silence on Domestic Violence Arrest, Claims It Got Blown Out of Proportion The arrest occurred near the United States-Mexico border. Online records list McCrary as a fugitive. McCrary is still behind bars without bond. A hearing has been set for Wednesday, October 15. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jaleel White Weighs In on Family Matters Costars Calling Him Difficult: Ill Be Self-Aware Barlow previously released a statement claiming the arrest was due to McCrary missing a court date in a court battle with the mother of his son, who is now 18, according to USA Today. She claimed McCrary was on his way to Mexico to build homes for the less fortunate. McCrary has faced issues over alleged unpaid child support in the past. Back in 2015, McCrary was arrested over unpaid child support in Michigan, according to TMZ. Hilaria Baldwin claims mean girls are to blame for why she got voted off Season 34 of Dancing With the Stars. Im very new to TikTok. Ive only been on a couple months. Its interesting because theres a lot of mean girls, Baldwin, who was paired with Gleb Savchenko this season, told Us Weekly over the weekend. I guess what people were doing is, they were having campaigns where they wouldnt just vote for their favorite because you can vote 10 times for a couple they were voting for all the other couples except us, she alleged. So they were boosting everybody else and trying to drown out my fan base. Hilaria Baldwin claims mean girls are to blame for why she got voted off Season 34 of Dancing With the Stars. Hilaria Baldwin/Instagram Im very new to TikTok. Ive only been on a couple months. Its interesting because theres a lot of mean girls, she told Us Weekly at an event in Los Angeles over the weekend. Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency / BACKGRID Baldwins latest comments echo what she previously said via Instagram Live last Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time, the mom of seven told her followers that she was bullied off the ABC dance competition series intentionally. Very coordinated, very strategic bullying, the yoga instructor, 41, alleged. As I feel the darkness that undoubtedly brings to me, I always want to remember that my life belongs to the whole community and I want to leave a lasting mark of courage to speak up against what is simply wrong. I guess what people were doing is they were having campaigns where they wouldnt just vote for their favorite they were voting for all the other couples except us, Baldwin alleged. Disney via Getty Images In an Instagram Live video last Friday, the mom of seven claimed she was bullied off the ABC dance competition series intentionally. ABC Back in September, it was announced that Hilaria who is the wife of actor Alec Baldwin would be joining the star-studded Season 34 cast of DWTS, joining celebs like Danielle Fishel, Robert Irwin, Dylan Efron, Alix Earle and more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an exclusive interview with Page Six, Hilaria denied rumors that she launched a campaign to get a spot on the show. A few days before [the announcement], they called me and were like, Do you wanna do this? And I just made a spur-of-the-moment decision. I had to move my whole family out here [to Los Angeles] last minute. So, you heard it here first. That is the true story, she told us last month. Very coordinated, very strategic bullying, she said at the time. ABC In September, it was announced that the wife of Alec Baldwin would be joining the star-studded cast for the 34th season of DWTS. Disney via Getty Images Hilarias time on the series was short-lived as she and her dance partner, Savchenko, were the fourth pair to be voted off. In a post-elimination interview with Good Morning America, Hilaria cried as she revealed her heart was a little broken after being booted off the show. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her casting on the series came following a series of controversies shes faced over the years. In December 2020, Hilaria who claimed to be from Spain was outed as a woman named Hillary who was actually born in Boston. In an exclusive interview with Page Six, Hilaria denied rumors that she launched a campaign to get on the show. Disney via Getty Images Hilarias time on the series was short-lived as she and her dance partner, Gleb Savchenko, were the fourth dancing pair to be voted off. Disney via Getty Images Page Six previously reported that Hilarias parents didnt move to Mallorca, Spain, until 2011, when she was already 27 years old. Then, in March, Hilaria was criticized for cutting the 30 Rock actor off during an interview. Oh my God, when Im talking, youre not talking, she told Alec, 67, during their March 12 chat with Extra, which quickly went viral on social media. No, when Im talking, youre not talking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The podcaster turned to the camera and said, See, this is why, yes, well have to just cut him out of the show. A week later, Hilaria and Baldwin addressed the criticism from bed by mouthing along to their awkward Extra interview. The yoga instructor has faced several controversies over the years including being accused of faking a Spanish accent. @hilariabaldwin/Instagram In March, Hilaria was criticized for cutting Alec off during an interview. PGP / BACKGRID When the voiceover finished, Hilaria asked the dad of eight, And that is called, whats the word of the day? to which the Rust star responded, Manterrupting. In another interview with Page Six, Hilaria said that competing on DWTS felt healing for her and her family after a hard few years. This is one of the first things Ive ever done that is me time, truly, she explained. I think its not just healing for me, but its healing for my children as well. Because children want to see their moms happy. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Getty Images Prince William and Kate Middleton surprised fans with a visit to Northern Ireland on Tuesday, October 14and the Princess of Wales made a quick change during their day out. Kate started kicked off the trip in an old favorite Alexander McQueen coat, trading it for a more laid-back Barbour jacket for some countryside activities. According to Kensington Palace, the focus of the couple's day was to visit organizations "that showcase growth and investment in rural areas," especially those that provide entrepreneurial and creative opportunities for young people. The Princess of Wales showed off a tailored look as she arrived at the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Services new Learning and Development College, sporting a bespoke olive green coat that she's worn on a number of occasions, including Christmas Day 2022. Advertisement Advertisement She paired the long, patch-pocket coat with another custom piece, wearing a pair of brown suede Gianvito Rossi boots and accessorizing with gold Daniella Draper shamrock hoop earrings. The Princess of Wales brought back an old Alexander McQueen coat for the first portion of their trip. | Credit: Getty Images William and Kate visited the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Services new Learning and Development College. | Credit: Getty Images She changed into a Barbour jacket and Penelope Chilvers boots for a farm visit. | Credit: Getty Images The princess tried her hand at using a restored heritage machine on the flax farm. | Credit: Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Long Tassel Boots View Deal Defence Wax Jacket View Deal Jura Cardigan View Deal Evilyn Birdseye Tweed Skirt Advertisement Advertisement View Deal The royal couple's next stop was a flax farm in County Tyrone, and Kate changed into a more casual look as she learned how flax is grown to make sustainable linen. She brought out two more longtime favorite fashion pieces, swapping her heeled boots for a brown Penelope Chilvers pair and her tailored coat for a waxed Barbour jacket. The Princess of Wales has been wearing her Penelope Chilvers long tassel boots since her university days with Prince William at St Andrewsmaking the cost per wear a bargain at this point. Princess Kate styled the boots with a Ralph Lauren tweed maxi skirt for her farm visit, adding a black turtleneck and a coffee-colored With Nothing Underneath cardigan. William and Kate's farm visit highlights the princess's passion for the British textile industry. She's carried out several engagements in recent years highlighting the importance of U.K.-made textiles, most recently having visited two English manufacturers in September. The Waleses wrapped up their day by heading to a family-run orchard, picking apples and learning about the cider-making processalong with tasting the fruits of their labor. Director Pedro Kos made his bones as an Oscar-nominated documentarian, so it makes sense that his first narrative feature, In Our Blood, is about two people making a documentary. But the film, which plays at the Santa Fe International Film Festival on Thursday, builds to the kind of twist that would if included in a real documentary upend the entire world. The film follows Emily Wyland (The White Lotus' Brittany OGrady) and cinematographer Danny (The Old Man's E. J. Bonilla) as they bootstrap their way through a very personal doc about reuniting with Emilys mother Sam (Euphoria's Alanna Ubach), who was addicted to drugs during much of Emily's life. Related Headlines Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They learn about Sam's life in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where addiction and a drug cartel called Los Carcineros ("the butchers") have a strong hold on the locals. Homelessness and apparent mental illness bedevil Sam's circle, and Emily and Danny's efforts to learn more about her mom are met with bloody opposition. Some people are easily forgotten, and others want them to stay forgotten. But Emily and Danny, though complex motivations that include making a film that will boost their careers, want to document the lives of the lost. In Our Blood unfolds through Emily and Danny's footage, and they luckily have a habit of lying about when their camera is on. The film, based on a story by the film's producer, Aaron Kogan, and written by Chucky and Fear the Walking Dead veteran Mallory Westfall, drops clues but assiduously avoids giving away too much, until the packed final minutes. Kos' Netflix documentary short "Lead Me Home" (co-directed with Jon Shenk) premiered at Telluride in 2021 and was nominated for an Academy Award. His most recent feature, the documentary Rebel Hearts, premiered at Sundance in 2021 and is currently streaming on Max. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was previously a writer and producer on Netflixs Emmy-nominated documentary feature, The Great Hack, and editor on Jehane Noujaim's Academy Award-nominated The Square, for which Kos won an Emmy Award. In some ways, In Our Blood brings Kos, a Rio de Janeiro native, back to his days at Yale University, when his focus was on Theater Directing. We talked with him over email about using the tools of documentary to make a narrative film, taking advantage of the film's transfixing Las Cruces setting, and holding back details. We talked to him when the film premiered last year at the Fantasia Film Festival. MovieMaker: What was the origin of In Our Blood? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pedro Kos: The first spark of the idea for In Our Blood came from my dear friend, collaborator, producer and manager, Aaron Kogan. He actually had this idea way back in college, when we were making our very first film together, but he never told me about it. A few years later, he started developing it with our other amazing producer, Steven Klein, who actually plays Isaac in the film. Aaron, Steven and Clay Tweel continued to develop the story, and then they brought in this genius young screenwriter, Mallory Westfall, who wrote a draft of the film. Thats how the project first came to me Aaron brought me the draft and pitched it to me as my first fiction film. I remember that my initial response to him was that I didnt think I was the right person for it because this was far outside my wheelhouse. I had been working on documentaries for many years and even though I was a big fan of genre films, they were very formative in my upbringing, I didnt feel confident in my ability to tell this kind of story. But then Aaron said Thats exactly why youre the right person to make this film. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So I sat down with Mallorys screenplay and I had this moment where I suddenly saw the extraordinary potential of this film to explore all of the themes and ideas that I had already been exploring in documentaries, but in this supercharged way. It was an opportunity to examine and question our world, and its tendency to push the most vulnerable to the margins, but through a very different lens. MovieMaker: Given that your B.A. is in theater directing, does this feel like a departure from your speciality docs or does it feel like a return to what you always wanted to do? Pedro Kos: Yes, I loved doing theater in college and this was definitely a return to something that I really loved and missed. Working with the actors was such a joy every day. I asked for rehearsals because I wanted to workshop the scenes and make the film feel as organic and lived-in as possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I felt passionate about giving our extraordinary cast, especially Brittany OGrady and EJ Bonilla, the space for them to take the material and really make this their own, and also to really ground the performances to the reality of our world today. Its funny because, even though this was my first fiction film, it didnt feel like a departure from my documentary work that much because I approached In Our Blood in a very similar way that I would a documentary film. I see this film as very much a story about our world, depicting the issues that we are struggling with as a society today. MovieMaker: How did you get to know the Las Cruces-El Paso region where this takes place? How did you use the location to bring the film to life? How long did you film there, and can you talk about any advantages or challenges to shooting in the area? Pedro Kos: It was imperative to me to approach In Our Blood not only as fiction but also as a documentary. So that meant doing a lot of research and really getting to know the place itself, because Las Cruces is a real character in the film. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I went there months earlier and really tried to absorb the city and get to know the people there. And that meant going to different organizations rehabilitation clinics that were working with people experiencing homelessness, food banks, et cetera. Las Cruces is located right on the US-Mexico border, and as an immigrant myself I wanted to ground this story on the frontlines of all the issues that were dealing with as a society, from the housing crisis, to the opioid crisis, to the waves of migrants coming to the U.S. seeking a better life. It was really important for me to humanize these issues with real people and have us, the audience, look at our world from an outsiders' perspective and not just depict a world of faceless dehumanized victims which weve grown so accustomed to nowadays. So the interviews that you see in the film are real interviews with real people from Las Cruces. It was so important to us to include those. The clinic that you see in the film is an actual organization called Community of Hope. And everything we hear Ana explain to Emily about what they do there actually comes from the real interviews we did with the people who work in rehabilitation services in Las Cruces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The encampment that you see in the film is a real encampment called Camp Hope, and the people that you meet were, at the time, the real residents there. It was important to us to represent real life and real people, because this is not about some heightened world; this is about Las Cruces and America today. In Our Blood Director Pedro Kos on Creating a Sense That 'Something Is Wrong Here' MovieMaker: This is a genre film, but that doesn't become apparent until the last 20 minutes or so. Did you get any pushback from anyone who said you had to be more clear about the genre, for the sake of promoting the film? Or for artistic reasons? How did you balance the need to foreshadow what's coming with the need to preserve the surprise? Pedro Kos: From the very beginning of the creative process through the writing, the prep and the production of the movie, a lot of effort went into putting together the pieces for this subtle, slow burn of a movie. We were very careful to conceal and withhold where it was ultimately going, without it being too much of a curveball. We got to a certain point in post-production where we thought we would be better served by pulling back some things and really honing in on moments where we could give little nods and indications that the movie was heading towards a direction of genre. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And so if you actually pay attention and you go back to rewatch the film, and I hope people will, there are a lot of Easter eggs that are layered throughout the film from the very beginning, but you have to pay close attention. And beyond that, I think the other thing we focused on was playing with tone and making the audience feel that something is wrong here. Something is wrong in this place and in this society. And that feeling of dread that grows throughout signals genre, but doesnt give away the twists and turns of the story. MovieMaker: Can you talk about how you blended documentary approaches and traditional narrative? Are you comfortable calling this a found footage film? Who, in the logic of the film, assembles the found footage? Or is that too much of a spoiler? Pedro Kos: What I can comfortably say is that In Our Blood definitely falls into the category of a found footage film, but we are also trying to push the boundaries of what has been done in that subgenre by experimenting with the concept of perspective and whos telling the story. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And regarding the blending of the documentary approach with the traditional narrative, beyond whatever I already mentioned in terms of using actual real interviews of people in Las Cruces, the way we approached the cinematic language was very much in the vein of raw documentary footage, which I am very familiar with having been a documentary filmmaker and editor for so many years. So a lot of the techniques that you see in the film i.e. zooming into interview subjects during questions, the dialogue that happens with the camera person off screen, the little chit chat that happens when youre shooting B-roll all these little details are things that happen on documentary shoots, and usually that footage is not heard or seen. But we get little glimpses of that in the film, these lived in moments that feel very real and very grounded. In Our Blood screens Thursday and again Monday at the Santa Fe International Film Festival, one of our 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Main image: Brittany O'Grady in In Our Blood. Courtesy of the film. Related Headlines Key Points The Glenlivets new Beyond Speyside series reimagines its classic 12 Year Old single malt with cask finishes inspired by spirits from around the world. The debut release, The Glenlivet 12 Year Old Jamaica Edition, Treasure Beach, undergoes secondary maturation in high-ester Jamaican rum casks. Available for a limited time at $55, this expression marks the beginning of a global journey for the brand, with future editions to follow starting in 2026. The Glenlivet has been producing whisky at its Speyside distillery in Scotland since 1824. But in the 21st century, The Glenlivets reach is global, with bottles found in dives, speakeasies, upscale establishments, liquor stores, and home bars in every corner of the seven continents (we assume theres at least a bottle or two to be found in Antarctica). To celebrate its extensive international footprint, the brand is reimagining its 12-Year-Old single malt one of the worlds most popular single malts with its new Beyond Speyside series, featuring the whisky with cask finishes from spirits around the world. The first bottling in the series, The Glenlivet 12 Year Old Jamaica Edition, Treasure Beach, is finished for an undisclosed length of time in casks that formerly held Jamaican rum. We wanted to venture beyond tradition to discover remarkable taste experiences and bring new dimension to our whisky, says Kevin Balmforth, Glenlivets cask master. Jamaica felt like the perfect place to begin as a destination full of vibrancy, warmth, and originality, much like our whisky itself. Courtesy of Chivas Brothers International Limited The Glenlivets new Beyond Speyside series will explore various international cask finishes, beginning in Jamaica which begins as a classic 12 Year Old before developing a tropical flavor profile from rum-seasoned wood. The Glenlivets new Beyond Speyside series will explore various international cask finishes, beginning in Jamaica which begins as a classic 12 Year Old before developing a tropical flavor profile from rum-seasoned wood. Balmforth sees Speyside and Jamaica as kindred spirits, beyond just the spirits they produce. Both Scotland and Jamaica are defined by a deep connection to tradition and craftsmanship, but they each bring a distinct energy to the table, he observes. The Glenlivet has always stood for refinement and innovation, producing whiskies that balance fruit, floral notes, and smoothness. Jamaican rum, by contrast, is known for its intensity, vibrancy, and warmth. Together, they create a dialogue between worlds where Speysides refinement meets Jamaicas rhythm and soul. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Jamaica Edition begins its life as a classic 12-year-old Glenlivet before its secondary maturation. Balmforth notes that the rum casks used are the same ones as for Glenlivets Caribbean Reserve rum cask-finished expression he describes it as a high-ester rum with notes of pineapple, banana, and toffee. We found the balance of flavors with a higher ester rum created the right flavor profile. Related: The Worlds Best Chardonnay, According to the 2025 International Wine Challenge However, with Jamaica Edition, we experimented with a different, more generous cask ratio. Here we identified a balanced ratio that intensifies the tropical sweetness and amplifies the smooth finish, creating a richer and more expressive flavor profile that captures the Caribbean influence without overpowering the signature Speyside characteristics. The Glenlivet describes Jamaica Edition as having vibrant tropical aromas of fresh mango and pineapple with hints of coconut, balanced with a burst of green apple. On the palate, it offers fruity sweet notes of juicy pineapple, complemented by rich vanilla and toffee, culminating in a smooth and velvety caramel finish. Its meant to be sipped neat, on the rocks, or in its signature cocktail, the Banana Old Fashioned, which features banana syrup and a banana leaf garnish. Fast Facts: The Glenlivet 12 Year Old Jamaica Edition, Treasure Beach ABV: 40% Maturation: Aged at least 12 years in a combination of American and European oak casks, followed by a secondary maturation for an undisclosed length of time in casks that formerly held high-ester Jamaican rum. Availability: Available for a limited time (in unspecified quantities) as part of the distillerys permanent Beyond Speyside collection. MSRP: $55 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To help spread the word about the Beyond Speyside series and the Jamaica Edition in particular, the Glenlivet has collaborated with renowned Scottish actor Thomas Doherty for a digital campaign. Doherty, who has previously worked with the brand on its Glenlivet Tartan pattern, is touring and exploring the island with Miqueal-Symone Williams, a former Miss Universe Jamaica. Jamaican-Scottish menswear designer Nicholas Daley will also be creating a travel-focused capsule collection featuring The Glenlivet tartan, set to launch in 2026. The Beyond Speyside series will become a permanent part of the Glenlivet range going forward, but the Jamaica Edition will only be available for a limited time. Exact quantities are not being disclosed, but production will cease at some point before reaching the next destination in the liquid travelogue in 2026. Read the original article on Food & Wine A secluded New Hampshire estate that once served as the hiding place of convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell has returned to the spotlight not due to new headlines about its infamous former occupant, but because its proving to be a tough sell. Listed this summer for $2.5 million, the 156-acre Bradford property was quietly reduced to $2.37 million just three months later, despite boasting sweeping mountain views, two standalone dwellings and expansive acreage surrounded by conservation land, according to Realtor.com. The tranquil setting belies its dark association with one of the most high-profile criminal arrests in recent memory. The secluded New Hampshire estate where Ghislaine Maxwell was famously arrested in 2020 has seen a notable price reduction just three months after hitting the market for $2.5 million. REUTERS Maxwell, a longtime confidante of Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested at the property by federal agents on July 2, 2020, after evading capture for nearly a year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time, authorities had tracked her to the rural compound using GPS data from her cellphone. She had gone into hiding there not long after Epsteins death in a New York City jail cell in August 2019. The property last sold in December 2019 for $1.1 million via an LLC known as Granite Realty, which public records have linked to Maxwell and her then-romantic partner, tech executive Scott Borgerson. The purchase raised eyebrows at the time, particularly as prosecutors later described Maxwells financial status as opaque and indeterminate, citing numerous bank accounts and a web of financial transfers. The 156-acre property in Bradford was purchased for $1.1 million in 2019 via an LLC reportedly tied to Maxwell and her alleged partner Scott Borgerson. Arctic Circle Assembly The homes listing today makes no mention of its scandal-tainted past. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead, it focuses on the craftsmanship of the main timber-frame residence and detached guest barn both outfitted with two bedrooms and touts a great room anchored by a floor-to-ceiling fieldstone fireplace, a sunroom with a wood-burning stove and 360-degree views from nearly every room. Outside, the property includes fields, a workshop, an equipment garage, private walking trails and a waterfall-fed pond. Yet its arresting views and luxurious features havent translated to buyer enthusiasm. The home is now listed for $2.37 million following a $130,000 price cut. REUTERS Despite its impressive amenities, the home has struggled to attract buyers. Josh Reynolds for The New York Post Maxwell was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in prison for her role in the sexual abuse of multiple underage girls in coordination with Epstein, and the recent rejection of her appeal by the US Supreme Court has kept her case in the headlines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Real estate agent Cara Ameer of Coldwell Banker cites continued visibility is likely a drag on the homes marketability. Its not famous in a good way, she told Realtor.com. The backstory may be enough to quash any interest from a buyer, let alone not wanting to give their money to Maxwell or anyone connected to her by buying the home. The issue isnt just the stigma. Ameer pointed out that for some buyers, the idea of contributing to the finances of someone convicted in such a notorious case especially if sale proceeds are routed back to Maxwell or her affiliates is enough to walk away. The property having trouble selling is likely due to its notoriety as Maxwells hideout during a yearlong federal manhunt. Josh Reynolds for The New York P Arrested there in July 2020, Maxwell was later convicted of sex trafficking minors with Jeffrey Epstein and sentenced to 20 years in prison. VIA REUTERS There may be people who feel morally opposed to having anything to do with this property because of Maxwells prior actions, particularly that this home was used as a hiding place before she was arrested, she said. The negative publicity surrounding this property is going to be difficult to overcome, no matter what. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, Ameer acknowledged that the property could attract a certain kind of opportunistic buyer. On the flip side, are there buyers who look for opportunities like this? Absolutely, she said. They may be able to separate the backstory and use this as a chance to negotiate a deal on a luxury property. The property may take a hit pricewise as a result. Should the property secure a deal even close to the reduced asking price, it would still yield a significant return over the $1.1 million paid in 2019 more than doubling its value, despite its infamy. With beautiful Fall colors starting to make an appearance across Oklahoma, the demand for state parks and scenic routes increase to take a look at the breathtaking views the Sooner State has to offer. Oklahoma is home to 38 state parks and eight scenic byways, four national and four state, in addition to being home to 400 miles of the iconic Route 66. Here are five of the best driving routes to explore in Oklahoma this season. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Funding for film incentives, programs is part of OKC bond issue vote Route 66 Weatherford's 30-foot tall Spaceman statue is pictured along Route 66 , Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. The famous Route 66 crosses the entire state of Oklahoma. Established in 1926 as one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System, Route 66 is getting ready to celebrate its centennial anniversary next year. The route passes through Oklahoma's two major cities, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, and other small towns. Some popular landmarks are the giant soda bottle at Pops 66 in Arcadia, just 22 miles away from OKC, new 30-foot Spaceman statue in Weatherford, western Oklahoma. More: Oklahoma has castles? Take a look at these fairytale locations around the state Talimena Scenic Drive Officially the Talimena National Scenic Byway, the 54-mile route connects Talihina, Oklahoma, to Mena, Arkansas through the ridges of the Ouachita Mountains. The byway is a stretch of Oklahoma State Highway 1 and Arkansas Highway 88. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Through the non-stop, approximately one hour drive through Ouachita National Forest, drivers can peek at hardwood and pine trees. A few notable stops include the Talimena State Park and the Winding Stair Mountain National Recreation Area in Oklahoma and the Queen Wilhelmina State Park in Arkansas. More: 10 events across Oklahoma to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day and Native American cultures Cherokee Hills Byway The Cherokee Hills Scenic Byway stretches through 84-miles in eastern Oklahoma and is part of the American Byways program that travels through the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. The route runs from West Siloam Springs, a small town in Cherokee nation near the Arkansas border, to a junction with Interstate-40. Throughout the drive, travelers can see diverse natural beauty, including scenic spots like the Illinois River, Lake Tenkiller, and Natural Falls State Park. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to the beauty, the Cherokee Hills Byway is filled with indigenous history, like the "Trail of Tears" and the preservation of Cherokee culture. More: Luke Combs confirms massive 'My Kinda Saturday Night Tour' coming to OU stadium in 2026 Wichita Mountains People walk along a road on the top of Mount Scott at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma, Saturday, May 3, 2025. The Wichita Mountains Scenic Byway runs through the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in southwest Oklahoma. The 93-mile-long byway is highlighted by the drive up to Mount Scott. The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is one of the oldest managed wildlife preserves in the country, and is home to a large herd of American bison and longhorn cattle. Popular activities around the byway include hiking the Little Baldy Trail and the Osage Lake Trail. The route starts in Lawton on Highway 19, and goes through cities like Medicine Mark, a popular historic resort town. The Wichita Mountains byway ends at the Highway 58/19 junction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: OKC's chef Andrew Black to close Black Walnut restaurant; here's what he has coming next Kiamichi Trace The documentary "Drowned Land," directed by Choctaw Nation citizen Colleen Thurston, chronicles the battle over the Kiamichi River in southeastern Oklahoma. The Kiamichi Trace is a scenic section of Highway 271, running from Hugo, Oklahoma, to Fort Smith, Arkansas. It used to be a military trail and and serves as a gateway to the Talimena National Scenic Byway and Beavers Bend State Park. Travelers will drive through mountains, rivers and pine forests in southeastern Oklahoma. The historic region was once a route that indigenous people canoed and traversed from the Arkansas River and the Red River yearly. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: These are 5 of the best scenic drives Oklahoma has to offer Water delights in the Ocean State go far beyond its Atlantic shores, where gems like Newport, with its French vibes, scenic cliffs, and fresh seafood attract visitors from across the States. Places like The Breakers in Newport may be popular thanks to their coastal beauty. However, you may find yourself elbowing the crowds instead of enjoying your hard-earned relaxation. For an unsung and uncrowded getaway, you can head instead to Rhode Island's largest natural lake, ideal for those seeking an adventurous and laid-back vacation in equal parts. Don't be fooled by the name: Worden Pond is a full-sized lake boasting over a thousand acres of freshwater. And while for most it's flown under the radar, the destination is ready to open its arms to those who love scenic camping, boating, and fishing adventures. If you're flying into Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport (and maybe you should, as it was recently named the No.1 airport in the U.S. by Travel and Leisure), your ultimate lake escape in Worden Pond is less than a 40 minute drive away. And while you are within the bounds of America's smallest state, you should absolutely visit its capital city Providence, only about 40 miles away from the lake, and home to buzzing neighborhoods, cultural highlights, and foodie spots. Read more: 25 Best Beaches In The Caribbean Where to enjoy scenic camping and boating on Worden Pond Sun sets over Worden Pond - birchrunbob/Instagram Luckily for the discerning few who trod past the oceanic bounty and into state-owned Worden Pond, there are plenty of camping opportunities. One of them is family-owned Worden Pond Family Campground, which has spaces for tents and RVs. Just be aware that those are especially popular during summer and fall, when New England's fiery fall foliage attracts crowds to its getaways on the coast and beyond. If you are planning the perfect fall by the lake, it's recommended you book at least 10 weeks in advance. One thing is sure: Wherever you pitch your tent or park your campervan, you'll have access to acres of lakeside beauty, and scenic, glistening landscapes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once you're set up in your vacation home under the stars, it's time to head to the main boat launch on Worden Pond's shore. From this dock, you can launch your boat, or simply enjoy the water activities galore the lake offers. From paddling and kayaking to boating and lake swimming, there's something for every water lover. It's worth checking the forecast for windy spells before embarking on any of those activities. While the lake is relatively shallow, breezes can make waters choppy when you least expect it. In Worden Pond, you can also enjoy fishing year-round, with fishing spots geomapped across this shallow body of water. Yellow perch, largemouth bass, and chain pickerel are among the dozens of species reported. Before you pack your gear, make sure to check for seaweed updates, as harmful algae blooms (HABs) may impact availability to fish in the lake, or indeed to enjoy any of its water activities. Explore even more around this under-the-radar lake Sun rises over Narragansett Beach - Denistangneyjr/Getty Images There isn't a whole lot to do around Worden Pond, and that's partly the beauty of the place. While you can relax by the lakeshore, go for a peaceful swim, admire blood orange sunsets, or just enjoy the fall foliage on lazy Sunday walks, you can also explore the highlights of the area. Why not embark on an easy-going 4-mile loop trail taking you from the Northern shore of the lake to the Great Swamp Management Area? Walking through the grassy terrain is the best way to explore South Kingstown's natural marvels, from wildlife areas such as Browning Woods, with its swampy areas ideal for bird migration, to points of geological interest. As we're talking about the Ocean State, of course the nearest beach is never far. Less than 10 miles away, Scarborough State Beach is isn't known for being one of Rhode Island's most popular beaches thanks to its golden, fine sands. It also has a rich history as a beloved tanning and swimming leisure spot since the 1930s. If you have time for one more stop on your itinerary, reaching the charming town of Narragansett is easy as pie. Considered by many to be one of the best beach towns in America, it's a family-friendly, East Coast gem you don't want to miss. Plus it's only 9 miles away from Worden Pond. 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. Broadway musicians announced their intent to strike immediately if they don't get a contract by Thursday of this week, according to the American Federation of Musicians Local 802, the union that represents them. The Broadway musicians represented by Local 802 AFM are going into mediation on Wednesday, Oct. 22. If we do not have a new contract by Thursday morning, we are prepared to strike immediately. We are hopeful that we can reach an agreement, read an official statement issued by Local 802. Local 802 Broadway musicians voted on Oct. 13 to authorize a strike amid continued negotiations with the Broadway League, the national trade association for the Broadway theater industry in New York City, over a new contract. The decision to authorize a strike was overwhelming, with 98% of voting members in favor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the heels of the most successful season in history, the Broadway League wants the working musicians and artists who fueled that very success to accept wage cuts, threats to healthcare benefits, and potential job losses," Local 802 President Bob Suttmann said in a statement issued on Oct. 13. "Faced with such an egregious erosion of their working conditions, Local 802 Broadway musicians and other artists are ready to leverage every ounce of their collective power, up to and including a strike. Committing to anything less would mean sacrificing far too many hard-won gains. Just because a strike has been authorized does not automatically mean that one is going to happen. Union leaders now have the ability to call one as a tactic for negotiations. Why was a strike authorized in the first place? Broadway musicians authorized a strike due to stalled contract negotiations with the Broadway League following what Suttmann described as the most successful season ever. Musicians have been working without a contract on Broadway since Aug. 31. Local 802s official press release announcing the strike authorization reiterated the demands from musicians. The demands were initially shared on Oct. 1 in an open letter to the Broadway League, which was signed by almost all of the 1,200 musicians who work on Broadway. The demands include the following: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fair wages that are reflective of Broadways success. Stable health care for musicians and their families. Employment and income security without eliminating current jobs on Broadway. When would a strike happen, and which Broadway shows would be affected? According to Playbill, a Local 802 representative said that the union is prepared to call a strike within the next two weeks if negotiations continue to be unproductive. Should a strike occur, all Broadway productions that utilize musicians will be affected. The only productions that wouldnt be affected are Ragtime, Punch and Little Bear Ridge Road, Playbill added. Ragtime, a musical, and Punch, a play, are under the League of Resident Theatres (LOTR) contract, which is used for nonprofits and regional theaters in the U.S. with productions on Broadway. Little Bear Ridge Road, a play, is produced independently by Scott Rudin. Rudin is not a member of the Broadway League, and his play does not use musicians. Playbill notes that while off-Broadway shows will not be affected by the potential strike, two Broadway revivals, Mamma Mia! and Beetlejuice, would be. Although both revival shows are technically considered tours, the musicians involved are on Broadway contracts for New York City productions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An official release by Local 802 on Oct. 21 lists which Broadway shows may be affected by the potential strike, along with their respective theater names: & Juliet (Sondheim) Aladdin (New Amsterdam) Beetlejuice (Palace) Book of Mormon (ONeil) Buena Vista (Schoenfeld) Chess (Imperial) Chicago (Ambassador) Death Becomes Her (Lunt Fontanne) Gatsby (Broadway) Hadestown (Kerr) Hamilton (Rogers) Hells Kitchen (Shubert) Just in Time (Circle in the Square) Lion King (Minskoff) Mamma Mia! (Wintergarden) Maybe Happy Ending (Belasco) Mincemeat (Golden) MJ (Neil Simon) Moulin Rouge (Hirshfeld) Outsiders (Jacobs) Queen of Versailles (St. James) Six (Atkinson) Wicked (Gershwin) Musicians arent the only members of Broadway who have been authorized to go on strike. The Actors Equity Association, the union representing actors and stage managers, may also potentially strike, as their contracts are being renegotiated at this time. Has Broadway gone on strike before? Yes. The longest Broadway strike lasted for 19 days in 2007, following a dispute over a new contractual agreement between stagehands, represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), and the League of American Theatres and Producers. The strike paused most Broadway productions from Nov. 10 to Nov. 28 of that year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The last time Broadway musicians went on strike was in March 2003, for a five-day period. Among the key terms musicians fought for was the protection of the minimum number of live musicians required in each theater. Producers had previously proposed eliminating orchestra minimums altogether. The last Actors Equity strike occurred in 1968, resulting in 19 Broadway shows being closed briefly. The strike ended three days after it began, when the then-mayor of New York, John Lindsay, helped negotiate a resolution. So, whats next? Bargaining talks, the Local 802 announced in a statement on Oct. 13, were scheduled with the Broadway League. How these talks go will determine whether a strike will happen. Good-faith negotiations happen at the bargaining table, not in the press. We value our musicians, and we are committed to working in good faith to get a fair contract done, Wiley Novell, a spokesperson for the Broadway League, said in a statement following news of the strike authorization. Democrats face a steep challenge in their quest to take control of the Senate after next years midterms. Any realistic scenario for doing that has to include flipping a seat in Maine that has been held by Republican Susan Collins for nearly 30 years. Before Democrats can challenge Collins, they have to pick a candidate. The Maine Democratic primary is already shaping up to be a heated contest, one that exemplifies the partys deep generational tension as it seeks to rebound from its pivotal losses in last years elections. On Tuesday, Janet Mills, Maines current governor, officially announced that she was joining the race. Mills, who is not eligible to run for governor again, is relatively popular and has a strong track record of success in statewide races. She was reportedly aggressively recruited to run by top Democrats in Washington, D.C., including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Shes viewed as such a strong candidate that two of the countrys most respected political forecasters moved the Maine Senate race from leans Republican to toss up in response to her announcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under ordinary circumstances, someone with Millss credentials might be a shoo-in for the Democratic Party nomination. But Mills is 77. She would be 79 at the start of her term if she were elected, the oldest freshman senator in U.S. history. That has raised concerns within the party about both her long-term health and her ability to inspire young voters who increasingly view the Democratic establishment as out of touch. Several other Democrats are also running. Millss toughest competition by far is Graham Platner, a 41-year-old oyster fisherman and military veteran who has centered his campaign around taking on the so-called billionaire class on behalf of ordinary Americans. Platner has the endorsement of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and has earned praise from a number of high-profile progressive Democrats in the Senate, including Elizabeth Warren, Chris Murphy and Sheldon Whitehouse. Why Maine matters Democrats need to flip four GOP seats and avoid losing any of their own in order to win control of the Senate in next years midterms. There will be a total of 35 Senate races on the ballot next November, but only a handful are considered to be even remotely competitive. Democrats best chances are in Maine and in North Carolina, where incumbent Republican Thom Tillis is not seeking reelection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maine is, for the most part, a moderate blue state. It has voted for the Democratic nominee in every presidential election since 1992. Collins has shown remarkable staying power in the state, even when national trends are pushing strongly against Republicans. She was viewed as one of the GOPs most vulnerable senators the last time she was up for reelection in 2020, but comfortably won reelection despite a blue wave in races elsewhere in the country. She won by even larger margins in her two previous reelection bids including 2008, when Barack Obama won Maine by more than 17 points. Collinss reputation as a moderate Republican has been a major reason for her continued success through the decades, but it may also create problems for her this time around. Collins is meaningfully more vulnerable than she has been in past elections, elections analyst Eli McCown-Dawson wrote last month. Her willingness to occasionally oppose President Trump, including voting against his One Big, Beautiful Bill this summer, has cost her support among Republicans. At the same time, she has faced strong criticism from independents and moderate Democrats for not challenging Trump enough during her tenure. In a poll taken earlier this year, 71% of respondents including two-thirds of Republicans said she did not deserve to be reelected. The age issue Mills has said that questions about her age are a legitimate consideration, but has pushed back by pointing to her strong electoral record and her track record of standing up to Trump. I think that Im the person who can meet the moment, she told the Washington Post on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Platner has framed the Democratic primary as a generational race, but has argued that the divide between him and Mills should be defined by their political viewpoints rather than their ages. Its about generational politics, its not about age, he told MSNBC on Tuesday. Its more about whether youre of the political establishment thats brought us here or if youre coming in to change it. The News in Brief Thursday, October 16, 2025 The Kremlin has announced that Russia will not comply with a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ordering it to pay Georgia more than 253 million euros in compensation for human rights violations that followed the August 2008 war.Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow rejects the Court's decision, despite the ECtHR's clarification that Russia remains bound by judgments related to events that took place before September 16, 2022, when the country officially withdrew from the European Convention on Human Rights."We will not comply with the decision," Peskov said at a briefing, according to a report by the Russian state news agency TASS. When asked whether paying the compensation could help improve relations between Georgia and Russia, he replied, "We believe this is a separate issue, a separate matter."The ECtHR issued its ruling on October 14 in the case Georgia v. Russia (IV), unanimously awarding 253,018,000 euros in non-pecuniary damages to more than 29,000 victims. The Court found that Russia was responsible for widespread violations stemming from the so-called "borderization" process along the occupation lines with Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region.The damages cover abuses such as excessive use of force, ill-treatment, unlawful detention, and severe restrictions on freedom of movement. These findings build on an earlier ruling issued in April 2024, which established Russia's responsibility for human rights violations in the occupied territories.Despite Moscow's withdrawal from the European Convention, the Court stressed that Russia remains legally obliged to implement rulings concerning actions that occurred while it was still a party to the Convention.A diplomatic disagreement has emerged between Georgia and Finland after both sides offered conflicting accounts of a canceled meeting between Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, who visited Tbilisi in her role as Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).On the morning of October 15, the Georgian government announced that Kobakhidze had called off the planned meeting after Valtonen attended a pro-EU and anti-government rally in central Tbilisi. "Yesterday, for participating in an illegal rally and making false statements, the Prime Minister canceled the planned meeting with the Finnish Foreign Minister," the Georgian Dream administration said in a Facebook post.However, Finland's Helsingin Sanomat reported later that day that it was Valtonen who canceled the meeting first. Speaking to the newspaper, the Finnish minister said the decision was made "at the initiative of Finland due to a schedule change, and the Georgians were informed of it last night."Valtonen's visit to Georgia on October 14-15 included meetings with officials and representatives of civil society. Late on October 14, she appeared briefly at a rally on Rustaveli Avenue, where demonstrators have gathered nightly outside Parliament for more than 320 days to express support for Georgia's European integration and opposition to the ruling party's policies.Her appearance sparked criticism from Georgian Dream officials, who accused her of interfering in domestic affairs. Valtonen, however, said she attended the rally to express solidarity with citizens exercising their right to protest. "I specifically went to watch the protests that were taking place in Georgia for weeks and months. I wanted to express my support for freedom of speech," she told Helsingin Sanomat.Referring to her onward travel plans, Valtonen added, "It is up to the Georgian government how they react. Unfortunately, I myself had to react by canceling the meeting with the Prime Minister in order to get to Azerbaijan." Colonel Michael Randrianirina (C), a Malagasy military officer, attends a meeting between military officers and parliament members, in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Oct. 14, 2025. Colonel Michael Randrianirina, a Malagasy military officer, announced on Tuesday that state power in Madagascar has been taken over by a military council comprising members of the army, gendarmerie and national police. On the same day, the National Assembly of Madagascar, the lower house of the country's bicameral parliament, voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina during an extraordinary session in the capital, Antananarivo, despite the Presidency's earlier announcement that the assembly had been dissolved. (Photo by Sitraka Rajaonarison/Xinhua) ANTANANARIVO, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Colonel Michael Randrianirina, a Malagasy military officer, announced on Tuesday that state power in Madagascar has been taken over by a military council comprising members of the army, gendarmerie and national police. "We are here to take power," said Randrianirina, noting that the decision followed "the observation of non-compliance with the Constitution and the flouting of human rights." Randrianirina said the constitution has been suspended and new national structures established "to meet the aspirations of the Malagasy people." He also announced the dissolution of key public institutions, including the Senate, the High Constitutional Court and the National Independent Electoral Commission. In the coming days, a "civilian government" will be formed, he said, adding that its mission will be to lead a national renewal, restore public trust in institutions, and rebuild a state based on justice, good governance and accountability. Underlining that the term of this transitional structure is set at a maximum of two years, he said that a constitutional referendum will be organized, followed by general elections to establish new institutions. On the same day, the National Assembly of Madagascar, the lower house of the country's bicameral parliament, voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina during an extraordinary session in the capital, Antananarivo, despite the Presidency's earlier announcement that the assembly had been dissolved. "The impeachment of President Andry Rajoelina has been voted. Among the 131 members of parliament present during the vote, 130 voted in favor of the impeachment, while one abstained," said the assembly's Vice President Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, following the session. The decision came just hours after Rajoelina announced the dissolution of the National Assembly. Local media quoted Randrianasoloniaiko as saying that the dissolution decree was "devoid of legal validity due to the absence of formal validation." Protests erupted in Madagascar in late September, initially triggered by widespread power outages and water shortages. Some demonstrations turned violent and soon escalated into calls for the president's resignation. The protests took a new turn on Saturday, with an army regiment declaring its support for and protection of the protesters. In a statement on Sunday, the Malagasy Presidency said that an "attempt to seize power illegally and by force" was underway in Madagascar. It called on all the vital forces of the nation to "rally together to defend the constitutional order and national sovereignty." On Monday, Rajoelina said in a video posted on social media that he had taken refuge in a "safe location." He claimed to have been the target of an assassination attempt orchestrated by "military personnel motivated by politicians." He did not reveal his location but said that the only way out of this crisis is through respect for the constitution. Madagascar's National Assembly Vice President Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko receives an interview in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Oct. 14, 2025. Colonel Michael Randrianirina, a Malagasy military officer, announced on Tuesday that state power in Madagascar has been taken over by a military council comprising members of the army, gendarmerie and national police. On the same day, the National Assembly of Madagascar, the lower house of the country's bicameral parliament, voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina during an extraordinary session in the capital, Antananarivo, despite the Presidency's earlier announcement that the assembly had been dissolved. (Photo by Sitraka Rajaonarison/Xinhua) Colonel Michael Randrianirina (C), a Malagasy military officer, is seen at the presidential palace in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Oct. 14, 2025. Colonel Michael Randrianirina, a Malagasy military officer, announced on Tuesday that state power in Madagascar has been taken over by a military council comprising members of the army, gendarmerie and national police. On the same day, the National Assembly of Madagascar, the lower house of the country's bicameral parliament, voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina during an extraordinary session in the capital, Antananarivo, despite the Presidency's earlier announcement that the assembly had been dissolved. (Xinhua) This photo shows the National Assembly building in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Oct. 14, 2025. Colonel Michael Randrianirina, a Malagasy military officer, announced on Tuesday that state power in Madagascar has been taken over by a military council comprising members of the army, gendarmerie and national police. On the same day, the National Assembly of Madagascar, the lower house of the country's bicameral parliament, voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina during an extraordinary session in the capital, Antananarivo, despite the Presidency's earlier announcement that the assembly had been dissolved. (Photo by Sitraka Rajaonarison/Xinhua) An extraordinary session of the National Assembly of Madagascar is held in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Oct. 14, 2025. Colonel Michael Randrianirina, a Malagasy military officer, announced on Tuesday that state power in Madagascar has been taken over by a military council comprising members of the army, gendarmerie and national police. On the same day, the National Assembly of Madagascar, the lower house of the country's bicameral parliament, voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina during an extraordinary session in the capital, Antananarivo, despite the Presidency's earlier announcement that the assembly had been dissolved. (Photo by Sitraka Rajaonarison/Xinhua) President Trump on Wednesday confirmed that his administration has secretly authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela. Were not going to let our country be ruined because other countries want to drop their worst [here], Trump said when asked at an Oval Office news conference about his decision to greenlight the move, which was previously reported in the New York Times. And were not going to take it. Claiming without proof that the regime of Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelas authoritarian leader, has deliberately flooded the U.S. with drugs and criminals, Trump went on to say that he is considering following recent U.S. military strikes on boats suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean with similar efforts on Venezuelan territory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are certainly looking at land now, because weve got the sea very well under control, Trump said. The Times reported on Wednesday that in addition to the CIA, the U.S. military is planning its own possible escalation and drawing up options for President Trump to consider, including strikes inside Venezuela. Asked whether he had given the CIA authority to take out Maduro a figure top Trump officials are reportedly keen to oust the president refused to answer, saying that it would be ridiculous for him to do so. Any strikes on Venezuelan soil would represent a serious ramping up of the administrations already controversial campaign of attacking suspect drug boats at sea which some critics, lawmakers and legal experts view as a violation of international law. The Trump administration has justified the strikes as necessary in order to stem the flow of illicit drugs into the United States an argument that the president himself repeated on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When theyre loaded up with drugs, theyre fair game, Trump told reporters. Every boat that we knock out, we save 25,000 American lives. If you lose three people and save 25,000 people these are people that are killing our population. Asked why his administration had stopped tasking the U.S. Coast Guard with intercepting suspected drug vessels, Trump argued that it never worked when you did it in a very politically correct manner. They have faster boats, the president said. Seriously, theyre world class speedboats. But theyre not faster than missiles. Yet the use of lethal military force against suspected drug smuggling boats is unprecedented. In previous administrations, the Coast Guard would be used to intercept boats and arrest drug smugglers not kill them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps legal rationale, which the administration has articulated in a series of recent letters to Congress, is that the drug cartels are nonstate armed groups whose actions constitute an armed attack against the United States forcing the U.S. to fight back in a formal armed conflict. According to the administration, simply declaring an armed conflict gives Trump the power to treat any suspected smugglers as unlawful combatants under international law: enemy fighters who can be killed without legal review, even when they pose no threat. In response, experts have argued that drug cartels are not engaged in hostilities against the U.S. the legal standard for armed conflict because selling a dangerous product is different from conducting an armed attack. It is illegal for the military to deliberately target civilians who arent directly participating in hostilities even suspected criminals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is not stretching the envelope, Geoffrey Corn, a retired judge advocate general lawyer who was formerly the Armys senior adviser for law-of-war issues, recently told the Times. This is shredding it. This is tearing it apart. Five known boat strikes On Tuesday, Trump announced in a post on Truth Social that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel that he said was affiliated with a designated terrorist organization and was transporting drugs in international waters just off the Coast of Venezuela. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks, and was transiting along a known route used by drug smugglers, Trump wrote on Truth Social. Six male narcoterrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike. No U.S. Forces were harmed. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!!!! The post included a 33-second aerial surveillance video showing the apparent strike. The footage was labeled unclassified. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There have been at least five known strikes on boats in the Caribbean carried out by the U.S. military since early September, killing at least 27 people, according to the Trump administration. Sept. 2: The U.S. attacks an alleged Venezuelan drug boat for the first time, killing 11. Sept. 15: Trump says the U.S. military has carried out a second strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug cartel vessel heading to the U.S., killing three. He posts a video of the attack on social media. Sept. 19: The U.S. military strikes a vessel trafficking illicit narcotics and transiting along a known narcotrafficking passage, Trump announces on X, killing 3 male narcoterrorists. Oct. 3: The U.S. military destroys what it deemed to be a narco-trafficking vessel in international waters just off Venezuelas coast, killing all four people on board, according to Hegseth. Oct. 14: Trump announces the latest U.S. strike in the Caribbean, claiming it killed six male narcoterrorists. Critics fear the boat strikes could pave the way for wider conflict in the region. In addition to the New York Times reporting on Venezuela, CNN reported Wednesday that the U.S. militarys Sept. 19 attack in the Caribbean actually targeted Colombian nationals on a boat that had left from Colombia, citing two people briefed by the Pentagon about the strikes. It is possible that they were Colombians, Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote on X shortly after the strike. This means that officials from the U.S. and the Dominican Republic would be guilty of the murder of Colombian citizens. Criticism in Congress The use of military force against alleged drug vessels has drawn sharp criticism from some lawmakers on Capitol Hill, including several Republicans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement GOP Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined Democrats in voting to advance a bill aimed at blocking Trumps use of the U.S. military against any organization engaged in the promotion, trafficking, and distribution of illegal drugs and other related activities, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war. The motion failed to pass. In a recent interview with Bloomberg News, Paul argued that the Coast Guard frequently stops boats suspected of carrying drugs only to discover that they are not. About 25% of the time, the boat that they board doesnt have drugs on it. So they have made an error but they dont kill them, Paul said on Oct. 7. Weve blown up four boats now, and if the percentages hold true, did one of those four boats not have drug dealers on it? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Paul added: I dont think you can have a universal Coast Guard policy of just blowing up boats before theyre interdicted. Rep. Jim Himes a Democrat from Connecticut and ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee said Sunday that beyond the administration's letters, members of Congress had not been briefed on the strikes. Himes called them illegal killings. The notion that the United States and this is what the administration says is their justification is involved in an armed conflict with any drug dealers, any Venezuelan drug dealers, is ludicrous, Himes said on CBSs Face the Nation. It wouldnt stand up in a single court of law. Oct. 14Police arrested Darren Dwain Coleman, 53, for domestic assault at 12:24 p.m. Monday in the back parking lot of 130 W. College St. Man arrested in court Deputies arrested Oscar Paul Delossantos Jr., 30, on a court arrest at 11:55 a.m. Monday at 411 S. Broadway Burglaries reported Deputies received a report at 11:28 a.m. Monday of burglaries that had reportedly occurred at 27678 775th Ave. in Clarks Grove. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hit-and-run crash reported Police received a report at 8:17 a.m. Monday of a hit-and-run crash on the 400 block of East Main Street. A vehicle was reportedly sideswiped while driving on Main Street. Juvenile cited for vape device Police cited one juvenile for possession of a nicotine e-cigarette device at 9:28 a.m. Monday at 2000 Tiger Lane. 1 cited for vape pen at high school Police cited one individual for possession of a marijuana vape on school grounds at 9:41 a.m. Monday at 2000 Tiger Lane. Scam reported Police received a report at 10:11 a.m. of a tax service scam from an Albert Lea resident. Cryptocurrency theft reported Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police received a report at 3:16 p.m. Monday of a cryptocurrency theft on the 1600 block of Keystone Drive. 1 cited for assault Police cited Robert Lee Jackson, 35, for fifth-degree assault at 8:01 p.m. Monday at 112 S. Broadway. 1 arrested on warrant Police arrested Cheryl Denise Racine Hernandez, 34, on a Nobles County warrant at 10:01 p.m. Monday at 1216 James Ave. NEW BRITAIN - Jacqueline Torres-Garcia likely died within weeks of being withdrawn from city schools, which were provided notice that she would be homeschooled after moving to Farmington in August 2024, police and a school official said. The 11-year-old's body was found in an "advanced state of decomposition" in a container in New Britain last week. Police believe she was abused and malnourished before her death, which they estimate occurred in fall 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prior to that, she had attended New Britain schools from kindergarten through fifth grade, according to New Britain Superintendent of Schools Tony Gasper. "On August 26, 2024, which would have been Jacqueline's first day of sixth grade, her mother, Karla Garcia, filed an official Notification of Withdrawal Out of New Britain School District form stating that the student's new address would be in Farmington," Gasper said in a statement. "On that same day, Garcia filed a Notice of Intent: Instruction of Student at Home form with the district.We will continue to partner with local and state law enforcement to seek justice for Jacqueline Torres-Garcia." Farmington school officials did not respond Wednesday to a request for comment. Jacqueline's mother, Karla Garcia, her aunt Jackelyn Garcia and Jonatan Nanita, Karla Garcia's boyfriend, all have been arrested and charged with various offenses including murder with special circumstances in the 11-year-old's death. The state Office of the Child Advocate is now investigating the death and will include the issue of whether Jacqueline, known as "Mimi," was homeschooled at any point and what the involvement of the state Department of Children and Families was in her life, officials with that agency said Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DCF officials said Monday they were reviewing their contacts with the family. The case is the third instance in less than two years that tied homeschooling to the abuse of a child. In February, police learned that a man set fire to his own confined space in Waterbury, saying he had been held captive for 20 years since he was a child who was pulled out of public school to be homeschooled. In another case, a New London boy was found seriously abused behind a locked door in an apartment after he had been pulled out of public schools to be homeschooled months before in 2023. Police announced Monday that they believed Jacqueline died while the family was living in Farmington in the fall of 2024 and that her remains were kept in the basement and then moved when the family moved out in March of 2025. Investigators declined to say where the family was living when Nanita dumped a container with the child's remains at 80 Clark St. in New Britain which is an abandoned property owned by an absentee landlord, city officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Karla Garcia, Jacklyn Garcia and Nanita all had addresses listed as Tremont Street in New Britain when they were charged by Farmington police, who now are conducting a joint investigation with New Britain police into the child's death. Farmington police Lt. Kyle Noddin said Wednesday that, as part of the investigation, detectives would be building a more exact timeline and trying to determine the last time the 11-year-old was seen by the community and whether any homeschooling efforts took place. "This job isn't done yet," Noddin said. "And the homeschooling aspect is a part of it." In a statement Wednesday, state House Deputy Speaker Liz Linehan, D-Cheshire, said, "True homeschooling families are doing what they feel is right for their children, and I support that wholeheartedly, but the system is not set up to adequately prevent child abusers from utilizing homeschooling as a way to subvert the authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "From my standpoint, I am not concerned with test scores or dictating curriculum," Linehan said in the statement. "My concern is solely in the child welfare space. I would love for homeschooling groups and families to come to the table to discuss ways we can ensure that the ability to homeschool and the good work they do with their families is not corrupted by those who are hiding abuse from the watchful eyes of our public schools." This article originally published at 11-year-old found in New Britain likely died weeks after being pulled from school, officials say. Modern warfare is about mobility, strategy, and infrastructure. Behind every combat operation are the unsung heroes of military engineering: armored bulldozers, bridge-layers, mine-clearers, and mobile repair rigs that make victory possible. These rugged machines rarely get the spotlight, but without them, the frontlines would grind to a halt. Whether its clearing a minefield in seconds or throwing down a bridge under enemy fire, engineering vehicles dont just support, they lead. Their ability to reshape the battlefield, quite literally, is what gives modern armies the edge. Built To Move, Break, and Rebuild Image Credit: Sgt Wes Calder RLC - MOD, OGL v1.0/Wiki Commons. We didnt just pick the biggest machines with the loudest engines, we focused on what truly defines military engineering excellence. We selected machines that represent the core specialties within battlefield engineering: mobility, survivability, counter mobility, and sustainment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of these vehicles are designed to breach obstacles, others to build defenses, detect hidden threats, or keep forces moving across impossible terrain. We chose equipment used by the U.S. military and its close allies, but also included a few rival systems that shape modern warfare around the globe. Each machine on this list earned its place by proving indispensable in the toughest conditions, from war zones in the Middle East to NATO exercises in Europe. M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle Image Credit: Spc. Tyler Kingsbury - Public Domain/Wiki Commons. Nicknamed the Shredder by troops, the M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle is the militarys answer to a minefield full of bad intentions. It's built on a tank chassis, but instead of a cannon, it has massive plows and line charges to blast clear a path for troops and armor. Watching one in action feels like seeing a tank go full demolition crew. It creates safe lanes through the chaos. Troops love it because it lets them move forward when the enemy wants them stuck. Its usually the first thing to roll in during a complex assault, making it a frontline VIP. Few machines have the power to literally carve open enemy defenses like this one. Armored Vehicle-Launched Bridge Image Credit: MathKnight - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0/Wiki Commons. If you looked at this picture and had to tilt your head to the side, trying to figure out what's going on, you're not alone. The AVLB looks like a tank until it unfolds a full-sized bridge in minutes, turning rivers and gaps into forgotten problems (okay, that's pretty cool). Its the ultimate shortcut maker when mobility is everything. No tools, no manpower, no wasted time, just roll up, drop the bridge, and keep it moving. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Combat engineers ride with it like a NASCAR pit crew, ready to redeploy and vanish just as fast. Its saved convoys from getting bogged down in vulnerable terrain more times than anyone can count. The fact that it does this while under fire makes it one of the boldest machines in the Armys garage. You never realize how valuable a bridge is until this thing lays one down right in front of you. Pionierpanzer Dachs Image Credit: Unterillertaler - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0/Wiki Commons. This is what you get when a military tank and a construction crane have a child out of wedlock. Germanys Dachs might not look flashy, but its the kind of engineering machine that earns instant respect on the battlefield. Designed to dig, clear, and rescue, it acts like the battlefields handyman with armor. German engineers love it because its dependable, easy to control, and ridiculously versatile. It can tear down obstacles, haul wreckage, and even build hasty defenses in record time. Youll usually find it supporting NATO forces, including U.S. allies, in joint missions where smooth logistics mean survival. Its built on a proven tank platform, so it can take a beating while still doing the heavy lifting. The Dachs doesnt chase glory, it builds the road to it. M9 Armored Combat Earthmover Image Credit: Cpl. Michael Dye - Public Domain/Wiki Commons. Admit it, you kind of wish you were driving one of these. If you mixed a bulldozer with a tank, youd end up with the M9 ACE, and it means business. Compact but fierce, this machine reshapes the battlefield like its working on a construction site with enemies nearby. It digs fighting positions, clears debris, and builds up terrain to protect troops. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Combat engineers say it gives them instant control over the landscape, which is often the edge they need. Despite its size, its armored enough to operate under fire without flinching. Deployed since the Gulf War, the M9 continues to be a go-to tool in both conventional and unconventional warfare. Its the Swiss Army knife of the battlefield, but way louder. Pearson Engineering Python Minefield Breaching System Image Credit: Pearson Engineering. This British system doesnt bother tiptoeing through danger, it blows the whole thing open. The Python system fires a long line of explosives that detonates to clear mines and IEDs in seconds. Used by the British Army and allied forces like the U.S., its a showstopper in combat zones. It looks like a creepy bug to me, and if that came up to me in the dark, I would for sure be running the other way. Maybe the design is mostly practical, but it's intimidating, too. Once its fired, a clear path is instantly visible for vehicles and infantry to move forward. Its the kind of tech that turns the tide in a mine-riddled standoff. Engineers trust it because it works fast and reduces risk dramatically. If you hear a loud rip followed by silence, chances are the Python just punched through another trap. Kodiak Armored Engineer Vehicle Image Credit: Rheinmetall Defence - CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons. The Kodiak is what you get when a country known for precision builds a battlefield beast. Based on the Leopard tank, this engineering vehicle combines protection with raw muscle. Dutch and Swiss forces rely on it for mine-clearing, obstacle removal, and emergency repairs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its plows, excavators, and tools make it look like a warzone version of a multitool. It moves like a tank but works like a full construction crew in fast-forward. American forces have worked alongside Kodiaks in NATO drills, praising its efficiency and survivability. On modern, fast-moving battlefields, the Kodiak keeps up and digs in without blinking. M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle Image Credit: Donald Windley - CC BY-SA 2.0/Wiki Commons. A true classic. Though a bit older, the M728 still plays a vital role in U.S. Army operations where things need to get broken, bulldozed, or built fast. Its got the bones of a tank and the tools of a construction site. Youll find it smashing through walls, building fortifications, or towing vehicles out of danger zones. Engineers love it because its reliable and surprisingly nimble for its size. It might not grab headlines, but when things go south, this machine shows up with a plan and a winch. Its legacy stretches back decades, proving how solid engineering stands the test of time. The M728 doesnt age, it evolves. Russian IMR-3M Engineer Vehicle Image Credit: Mike1979 Russia - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0/Wiki Commons. Even if its on the other side of the line, the Russian IMR-3M deserves a mention for just how much it can do. It's essentially a tank repurposed for engineering and survival in nasty terrain. It clears obstacles, handles radiation zones, and even assists in urban warfare cleanup. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Used heavily in modern conflicts, its Russias go-to engineering workhorse. American analysts study it closely to understand how adversaries shape their logistics and support strategies. While its not an allys machine, its a reminder that engineering power is key to any armys success. When this thing moves in, its not there to fight, its there to change the field. DOK-ING MV-4 Mine-Clearing Vehicle Image Credit: Branko Radovanovic - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons. The MV-4 might be small, but dont let that fool you, its a remote-controlled powerhouse that looks like it wants to eat you alive. Designed in Croatia and used globally, its especially popular in post-conflict zones for mine-clearing. U.S. forces and NGOs have used it in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. Watching it crawl across a field and chew up buried explosives is oddly satisfying. It keeps human operators far from danger, which is its biggest selling point. Its lightweight, fast, and easy to deploy anywhere. When safety meets efficiency, you get the MV-4. HMEE High Mobility Engineer Excavator Image Credit: Von Sgt. Joe Padula - Public Domain/Wiki Commons. Imagine a backhoe thats armored and built to deploy anywhere, welcome to the HMEE. Its what the U.S. military uses when they need speed and digging power in the same breath. Troops have called it the battlefield backhoe, and thats pretty much spot-on. It can keep up with convoys, build runways, or create protective berms in the middle of nowhere. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its just as at home in Iraq as it is in a training yard in Texas. Engineers appreciate how it balances brute force with flexibility. The HMEE is how you build safety one scoop at a time. M1074 Joint Assault Bridge Image Credit: U.S. Army - Public Domain/Wiki Commons. When speed matters and rivers stand in the way, the M1074 Joint Assault Bridge brings the solution. Built on the same chassis as the M1 Abrams, this machine delivers a full-width bridge in minutes, without ever stepping out of its armored shell. Designed for rapid deployment in the thick of combat, it gives U.S. forces the power to cross gaps that would stop most armies cold. Whether over rivers, craters, or destroyed infrastructure, it creates mobility where there was none. Its the modern successor to older bridge layers, offering better protection, faster setup, and seamless integration with American armor units. In war zones where every second counts, the M1074 helps keep the offensive rolling without pause. If the terrain says no way forward, this machine answers with a solid watch me. Buffalo Mine Protected Clearance Vehicle Image Credit: Sgt. Jorge Intriago - Public Domain/Wiki Commons. If you're rolling into danger, you want the Buffalo in front. With its high clearance, V-shaped hull, and massive robotic arm, its a mobile bomb detective on wheels. Designed to probe, inspect, and remove explosive threats, its a lifesaver on wheels. American soldiers swear by its ability to keep convoys moving through hostile territory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The robotic arm alone has pulled off feats that would make a sci-fi movie jealous. Whether in Iraq or Africa, if theres a bomb threat ahead, the Buffalo is the first to sniff it out. It doesnt just survive, it outsmarts the danger. Where Power Meets Purpose Image Credit: SPC Henry - Public Domain/Wiki Commons. In the chaos of war, its easy to overlook the quiet, deliberate work that makes victory possible. But military engineering vehicles arent just tools, theyre strategic assets that clear the way, quite literally, for mission success. Whether theyre bridging rivers, clearing mines, or digging in for defense, these machines operate with a singular goal: give the troops every possible advantage Like our content? Follow us for more. Deep under the Jurassic rock beds of New South Wales, scientists discovered fossilized insects that push back the history of one of the worlds most hardy families of flies. These fragile traces, buried deep under layers of fragile shale once formed by the bed of an old lake, are the oldest known Chironomidae family midges in the Southern Hemisphere. The discovery suggests that these non-biting flies, still common near freshwater today, were thriving across Gondwana nearly 150 million years agomuch earlier than anyone thought. The study was led by researchers at Spains Donana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), and co-authors from the Australian Museum Research Institute, New South Wales University, Munich University, and Massey University, New Zealand. Together, the team pieced together an evolutionary jigsaw that upends the work of previous research on chironomids dispersal and origin. For a long time, it was believed that Podonominae originated in Northern Gondwana and later spread to Laurasia. (CREDIT: Gondwana Research) A Fly from Standing Waters The new species, Telmatomyia talbragarica, was named after the sediments of the lake in which it was foundfly from the stagnant waters. Six fossil specimens, both emerging adults and pupae, preserve minute details of the insects wings, legs, and mouthparts. Those features allowed scientists to confidently identify them as chironomids, or non-biting midges, a group now that dominates freshwater environments as decomposers and fish food. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This fossil, the Southern Hemispheres oldest officially documented, implies that this freshwater animal group might have originated on the southern supercontinent of Gondwana, said lead author Viktor Baranov. Microscopic analysis by the researchers found a new adaptation: a terminal disca kind of suction padto hold the insect body to surfaces. This trait was thought to be exclusive to water-dwelling species, but the sediments at Talbragar suggest a fresh water lake environment, demonstrating how adaptable these ancient insects were. A Glimpse into a Jurassic Ecosystem Talbragar Fish Beds are known for their extremely well-preserved fossils, from ferns to fish. Around 145 million years ago, the site was a calm water lake lined with dense forest. Such environments were perfect breeding grounds for midges whose larvae pass their development time in quiet, oxygen-depleted water. Fossils obtained from there suggest that the chironomids already diversified into numerous ecological niches by the late Jurassic, suggesting they were far more widespread than formerly understood. (A and B) Location of the site in New South Wales, Australia. (C) Local geology near the site showing Miocene ferricrete and extensive Mesozoic bedrock. (CREDIT: Gondwana Research) Before this discovery, the oldest confirmed fossils of chironomids have come largely from northern continents like Asia and Europe. The presence of fossil midges in Australia helps to bridge a long record gap and suggests evidence that the family may have had its origin in Gondwana initially before it dispersed towards the north. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its probable subfamily, Podonominae, has long been the subject of insect biogeography studiesstudies of the distribution of species across continents. Earlier theories attributed their origin in north Gondwana or northern supercontinent Laurasia to isolated fossil evidence. But with this Australian discovery, the argument is better made that the group did indeed originate in the south and went on to disperse globally. Peering Through Time with Microscopes Podonominae are found today chiefly in the Southern Hemisphereacross South America, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. Their fragmentary distribution is the classic vicariance textbook example, with populations becoming separated by geological entities such as oceans or mountains and evolving independently. Breaking apart of Gondwanaland would have separated the populations, causing them to diverge into new species, as Swedish entomologist Lars Brundin proposed in 1966. This discovery fills a significant gap in the fossil record, UNSWs Matthew McCurry of the Australian Museum said. There is a bias for searching for and researching fossils in the Northern Hemisphere. As a result, we make incorrect assumptions about where groups evolved. Telmatomyia talbragarica (AM F141771), female pupa. A) Habitus B) Terminal disk; C) Terminal disk, with enhanced contrast. (CREDIT: Gondwana Research) The team of researchers compared the fossils, which they studied with high-resolution microscopes, with living midges as well as ancient specimens. They examined wing veins, bristles, antennae, and leg segments to discover evolutionary links. They also examined the sediment levels to confirm the insects Jurassic age, ruling out any possibility of their having been transported from the upper, younger levels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The scientists found signs of morphological diversity even among the few well-preserved specimens, indicating that chironomids were diversifying into a number of lines of species even at this point. The excellent preservation of the fossils is very informative on how small, delicate freshwater insects looked and lived during the dinosaur era. Filling Gaps in the Southern Fossil Record Despite this revolutionary find, the Southern Hemisphere chironomid fossil record remains meager. Two other Podonominae fossils were never discovered south of the equator, with the exceptions of Indias Paleocene and Australias Eocene. The paucity is not due to dearth, but due to the difficulty of fossilizing small insects in the right circumstances. Their delicate bodies get decayed readily before they get buried, giving the paleontologists minimal clues on the evolution of ancient insects. Massey Universitys Steve Trewick emphasized the significance of these fossils: There have long been questions about how Southern Hemisphere animals and plants evolved over geological history. Fossil populations of small, delicate freshwater insects like the Talbragar fly are rare and help us to understand the history of life on Earth. Trichotanypus posticalis (Lundbeck, 1898), male pupa. A) Habitus, lateral view; B) Leg sheaths arrangement on the thorax, ventral view. (CREDIT: Gondwana Research) Future studies integrating fossil records with contemporary genomic information can potentially show if passive dispersal by wind or drifting detritus or active migration over early land bridges transported these ancient midges. Knowing that could shed light on how climate, continental movement, and freshwater habitats influenced global biodiversity. Practical Implications of the Research Through tracking the ancient history of midges, scientists can see how tiny freshwater organisms evolve to survive changing environmentssomething they can discover outside of paleontology. Chironomids today are critical water-quality monitors because their larvae respond quickly to contamination and oxygen levels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Learning how their ancestors survived changes in the environment over millions of years will help researchers determine how aquatic ecosystems might respond to global warming today. This study also opens up new exploration into less well-known fossil beds in the Southern Hemisphere so that the history of life is not constructed solely on northern finds. Research findings are available online in the journal Gondwana Research. Related Stories Like these kind of feel good stories? Get The Brighter Side of News newsletter. 139 unvaccinated students exposed to measles in South Carolina schools are quarantining, according to local health officials. In a media briefing Wednesday, officials confirmed the students were exposed contacts without immunity, leading to them being excluded from school until the period of potential disease transmission has ended. Last week, the quarantine included 153 unvaccinated students, but "further investigations into potential exposures" allowed some students to return to school, state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The schools, Spartanburg County's Global Academy and Fairforest Elementary School, are working with the South Carolina Department of Public Health to implement recommended precautionary measures to ensure student and teacher safety, according to a previous briefing. In the latest briefing, officials confirmed five additional cases, bringing the state's total to 16 cases since July. Bell also said the department identified a Crunch Fitness location in Greenville as the source of a child's exposure in September. "There is active, unrecognized community transmission of measles occurring in the Upstate, which makes it vital to ensure that the public have received their measles vaccinations," a release last week from the South Carolina Department of Public Health read. In another release, the health department warned the public that measles is "highly contagious," adding the virus can "linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves." The department also reiterated the measles vaccine normally given as part of the combination measles-mumps-rubella or MMR vaccine is the "best way to protect yourself and others against measles." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Measles can cause severe infections in the lungs and brain that can lead to cognitive issues, deafness or death. But doctors and health officials say the vaccine is highly safe and effective. Bell also urged people to get vaccinated in the latest briefing, sharing information on mobile health units that will offer measles vaccinations. "We actually anticipate that more cases may occur," Bell said. "The measles virus won't be contained within schools, within school districts or by county lines, but the MMR vaccine, by providing lifelong immunity to the majority of those vaccinated, will contain the virus. And for this reason, we're urging those who are not vaccinated to consider getting that protection now." The outbreak in South Carolina is part of a larger trend seen across the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For example, health officials in Minnesota reported two new measles cases this week, bringing the state's total number this year to 20. The Minnesota Department of Health said each of the new cases involves unvaccinated children who likely caught measles from an unvaccinated adult. Eighteen out of the 20 measles cases are children, the health department added. And earlier this year, the United States recorded the most measles cases in more than 30 years, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data showed. A large share of the infections were connected to an outbreak in West Texas that led to the deaths of two children. CDC data shows about 93% of kindergarteners in the U.S. were vaccinated against measles during the 2021-2022 school year and only 92.7% in the 2023-2024 school year. This is down from 95.2% during the 2019-2020 school year a critical threshold to keep people safe. "When more than 95% of people in a community are vaccinated, most people are protected through community immunity (herd immunity)," the CDC states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the South Carolina health department, the upstate region has only about 90% immunity, leaving the community vulnerable to the virus spreading. "We are certainly concerned about the declining vaccination coverage," Bell said Wednesday. "People can travel now within the state and be exposed to measles. So this does concern us, and we just continue to emphasize everyone to please take advantage of getting protection from the MMR vaccine as quickly as possible." What to expect from Trump's news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel Lawmakers sound off on Trump's Argentina bailout as government shutdown continues U.S. immigration official defends rule targeting "anti-American" views of green card applicants TOPEKA (KSNT) Topeka police have arrested a local man in connection to a deadly shooting that took place in July. Kimberly Qualls with the City of Topeka said in a press release on Oct. 15 that police arrested 18-year-old Aaron K. Hurla on one charge of murder in the first degree. His arrest stems from his alleged role in the deadly shooting of 28-year-old Destiny Voss in the summer. Aaron Hurlas mugshot. (Photo Courtesy/Shawnee County Department of Corrections. Topeka City Council talks new uniform rule for police Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police were called around 11:30 p.m. on July 6 regarding reports of a gunshot victim arriving at a local hospital. The victim, identified as Voss, later died of his injuries. Topeka police later determined he was shot in the 3200 block of Southwest Randolph Avenue. Topeka police arrested another man, 18-year-old Avant Chambers, on Aug. 6 in connection to the shooting. The Shawnee County District Attorney charged him with murder in the first degree and other charges. If you have information to share with police regarding this investigation, call 785-368-9400 or send an email to telltpd@topeka.org. You can send in anonymous tips to law enforcement by contacting Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007 or by clicking here. Man sentenced for deadly 2023 Topeka shooting Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more crime news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf 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 KSNT 27 News. Oct. 14CARPENTER, Iowa. Nearly 100 women from southern Minnesota and northern Iowa will be scrapbooking and card-making their way to finding a cure for cancer at the 18th annual Crop for the Cure. This year's event is slated for Nov. 7-9 at the Carpenter Community Center. Over the last 17 years, this crafty, memorable weekend has raised more than $168,000 for the Lyle Area Cancer organization, a non-profit that raises money for cancer research. The goal is to reach the $185,000 milestone this year. The updated t-shirt add-on deadline is Oct. 23. Options to attend include one, two or three days. WiFi will be available for digital scrapbooking or organizing your photos. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Donations are requested for the silent auction. Another way to support the event is donating to be a table sponsor for $100. If you or your business would like to donate an auction item, food supplies, or be a table sponsor, people are urged to reach out as soon as possible. The committee behind Crop for the Cure is made up of four women who have each lost numerous family members and friends to this devastating disease. They honor the memory of those lost, celebrate the strength of survivors around us, and continue to fight for a future free from cancer. For more information, visit the Crop for the Cure Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CropfortheCureLAC Register by visiting the Facebook page or by calling or emailing one of the coordinators: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jill Patterson: 1-507-438-2424 or jillcrops@gmail.com Amanda Barber: 1-507-440-6786 or cabarber10four@gmail.com Jodi Attig: 1-507-383-9884 or getscrapped71@gmail.com Holli Naatz: 1-507-438-7114 or hollinaatz@gmail.com CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Charlotte firefighters battled a 2-alarm fire that could turned even more dangerous at a automotive equipment business Tuesday night. According to the fire department, crews responded at 8:22 p.m. to a commercial fire in the 7200 block of Mount Holly Road, where smoke was showing from the building. Once inside, they reported heavy fire conditions, prompting a second alarm at 8:33. Outside investigation clears Charlotte City Council of corruption allegations Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Due to the presence of diesel fuel, fire officials say there was potential for extremely hazardous conditions, but firefighters prevented the fire from spreading to these materials. Firefighters say all of the businesss employees were able to safely evacuate, and no injuries have been reported. The fire was brought under control by 9:17 p.m. Officials say no hazardous materials were released, and there is no threat to public health. The Environmental Protection Agency was called to ensure there are no runoff or environmental concerns. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Charlotte Fire Investigation Task Force. 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 Queen City News. SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) A 23-year-old man was beaten to the ground Friday outside of Congress Street bars in Ellis Square Friday just before midnight leading to the arrests of two Bluffton men. Twenty-two-year-old Gabriel Adame and 21-year-old Juan Moctezuma were arrested Friday at around 11:30 p.m. after the fight. Juan Moctezuma, 21 Gabriel Adame, 22 According to Savannah Police Department (SPD) documents, Adame and Moctezuma can be seen on video standing outside of a bar arguing with the victim identified as 23-year-old Kevin Mcrae. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gabriel told SPD Mcrae attacked Moctezumas girlfriend prior to the fight. According to SPD, Mcrae is filmed pushing Moctezuma in the chest, forcing him to step back, and Adame throws the first punch. Moctezuma then wrestled Mcrae to the ground, and the two men continued to punch him. Gabriel was handcuffed without incident, while Moctezuma was screaming insults and profanity at officers while they attempted to place him in handcuffs. Both suspects were arrested charges of aggravated battery, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. Gabriel was booked into Chatham County Jail without bond, and Moctezuma bonded out of jail Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mcrae sustained serious injuries in the fight, lost consciousness and had two teeth completely knocked out, according to SPD. WSAV spoke to a few patrons who frequent Ellis Square at night, especially during the bar rush. One told us the violence is not of concern. It doesnt shock me, because the stuff is so isolated that I dont feel any danger, said Mark Hansen. Another told us she has noticed an increased presence of uniformed police officers in the area lately. Definitely more cops around here, around Broughton Street, even driving around, said life-long Savannah resident Zoe Jama. She said the appearance of more officers sends an ominous message and is reflective of what could be increasing violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It doesnt necessarily make me feel unsafe, but it doesnt necessarily make me feel more safe. I know Savannah very well, said Jama. We reached out to SPD about specifics about the weekend bar rush shifts and a spokesperson said the department does not discuss officer deployment or schedules in detail. 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 WSAV-TV. ISTANBUL, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- One worker was killed and four others were injured on Wednesday after an explosion occurred in the engine room of a ship under maintenance at a shipyard in Istanbul's Tuzla district, local authorities said. The blast was trigged by the rupture of a carbon dioxide cylinder during maintenance works at the private shipyard, according to a statement issued by the Istanbul governor's office. Following the explosion, health, police, fire, and disaster management teams were dispatched to the scene. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the incident. Tuzla, located on Istanbul's Asian side, hosts one of Turkiye's largest shipyard zones. Just shy of three years ago, Edwin Castro bought a Powerball ticket worth $2 billion in Altadena, California, a win that brought unexpected good fortune to the owner of the gas station at which he purchased it. Altadena was cratered by the Eaton Fire in January, and as the Wall Street Journal reports, the 33-year-old Castro has earmarked a share of his winnings to invest in rebuilding. The local is among several developers snapping up fire-damaged properties. Roughly 10 months after the Los Angeles wildfires tore through neighborhoods, leveling homes and businesses, rebuilding hasn't been easy for displaced Altadena residents. Between a preponderance of scams and insurance holdups, residents have struggled to resume their lives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Natural disasters are, above all else, destructive events that traumatically upend lives. As Lahaina's post-wildfire rebuilding efforts showed, disasters can afford a silver lining to rebuild with intent but they routinely attract predatory investors willing to put profits over people. Castro isn't a billionaire; he netted $768 million from his November 2022 Powerball win. Based on the Wall Street Journal's coverage, he doesn't appear to view investing in the reconstruction of Altadena solely through the lens of profit. "This is for a family that wants to move in. Those are the people that need to be looked out for right now," Castro told the Journal during a recent excursion to view some of the lots he purchased after the fire. Castro, who told the outlet he wanted to become a father "like, yesterday," said his interest in redeveloping Altadena was "about family." The neighborhood was home to classical homes like Craftsman bungalows, and Castro expressed a desire to stay true to that history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I want it to feel like the old neighborhood. Like if you put all those houses pre-fire in a time bubble," he explained. Altadena residents spoke to the Journal about development efforts, and many were heartened by Castro's involvement and interest. "I feel better about him than anybody else because he's from the area," said contractor Joel Bryant. Zaire Calvin, who expressed broader concerns about further displacement of Black Altadena residents, said that a "collaboration with him would be great." Not everyone in Altadena was as optimistic. Seriina Covarrubias, whose home was damaged but not destroyed in the fire, said that Castro was "just another person trying to get some profit." Castro hasn't denied that profits are part of his interest in purchasing and developing lots in Altadena, but he anticipated a somewhat modest return on the investment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The profit margin doesn't need to be egregious. But I'm not building these homes just to give them away," Castro said. His relatively small buy-in of $10 million for 15 lots in total appeared to back up his assertions that community was a bigger focus for him than cash. A larger investment, irrespective of returns, would be "too much work," Castro said. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Two firefighters were hurt when they fell through the floor while battling the flames at a San Francisco house under construction Wednesday morning. A third firefighter also got medical care after the fast-moving fire ripped through multiple stories. Four neighbors were displaced because of the fire that started around 4 a.m. in the 2500 block pf Chestnut Street in the Marina District. It's not far from the Presidio and 145 firefighters responded to the three-alarm fire. My thoughts are with the SFFD firefighters injured in last nights Marina fire. Our firefighters put their lives on the line every day, and were grateful for their quick and courageous response. https://t.co/IUQDf8XCQ1 Daniel Lurie (@DanielLurie) October 15, 2025 The four residents displaced are all going to be fine thanks to a soon-to-be-dad who woke up at just the right time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The house that was under construction was vacant, but on either side, families like Brian Stelmar's were fast asleep. "I had fallen asleep on the couch in the front room last night, whereas my wife is in the back room along with our neighbors downstairs," Stelmar said. He said the smell of smoke woke him up. He searched their home, but initially didn't see anything until he went outside and looked at the house next door. "You could physically see what looked like a bonfire in the middle of a window on the second floor," he said. "So at that point, ran back inside, got my wife out. We was rushed out, banged on the neighbor's door, got Ben up and out of the building as well." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stelmar's wife, who is pregnant, immediately called 911. The San Francisco Fire Department said it was able to contain the fire within the hour, but three figherfighters were injured. Two of them fell through a floor of the home. SFFD says they are alert and talking. SFFD Chief Dean Crispen says crews had to open the ceiling and cut a hole in the roof to allow smoke to escape. He said that the home being under construction made their job especially difficult. "Very aggressive firefighting building under construction can provide many challenges with uncovered walls and plumbing, active plumbing and electrical work being done to propose a lot of danger to our firefighters," Chief Crispen said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stelmar said if he didn't happen to fall asleep on the couch, he might not have smelled the smoke. Though the fire displaced him and his wife, he said there's a lot to be grateful for. "Everybody's safe, thank you to the fire department for being so on top of it," he said. Mayor Daniel Lurie posted on X saying that his thoughts are with the injured firefighters. The cause of the fire is under investigation. If you're on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live Officers arrested two men accused of stealing over 300 pounds of meat from an area help center freezer. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Union City Police wrote in a social media post that officers responded to a call that someone broke into the Union City Community Help Centers freezer and stole a significant amount of meat. The two were arrested and booked into the Randolph County Jail, where theyll have plenty of time to chew over their decisions, the department said. The duo didnt wear striped shirts or carry cartoon hamburgers, but the resemblance to the infamous McDonalds Hamburglar was uncanny right down to the appetite for beef. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Union City Police identified Juan Anguiano and Justin Flint as the two men they arrested. An initial investigation revealed that the suspects allegedly stole the following items: 315lbs of Hamburger and Sausage 2 boxes of pies - 8 pies inside each box 1 box of hot dogs with 36 inside 24 packs of bacon 24 loaves of bread This was definitely not a happy meal for them. They thought they could beef with the law, but we caught them before things got too rare, the department added. The Union City Police Department would like to thank the community for your help in identifying and locating these Hamburglars. Union City Police discovered that Flint is suspected of a series of recent vehicle break-ins. Both suspects are facing multiple charges. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] NEED TO KNOW Two hikers are recovering after they were "seriously injured" in a grizzly bear attack in Canada on Oct. 12, according to officials The hikers encountered a mother bear and her two cubs on McGregor Mountain in British Columbia The pair of hikers were in "stable conditions" as of Oct. 14 Two hikers were hospitalized after they were attacked by a grizzly bear on a popular hiking trail. The attack occurred on McGregor Mountain, northeast of Prince George in British Columbia, on Sunday, Oct. 12, the Conservation Officer Service (COS) said in an initial news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The hikers encountered the mother bear and her two cubs on the Farm Cabin Trail near Pass Lake Forest Service Road, according to a second news release from the agency. The two hikers were seriously injured in the attack. They were transported and treated at University Hospital of Northern B.C., where they were last listed in stable conditions. Conservation Officer Service/Facebook Helicopters help rescue the hikers who were injured in a grizzly bear attack on Oct. 12 Helicopters help rescue the hikers who were injured in a grizzly bear attack on Oct. 12 After an investigation, the COS said its Predator Attack Team determined the bears actions were defensive. They also said that no action will be taken against the bears involved in the attack due to the location and nature of the incident. Both individuals who were attacked by the bear were still recovering in the hospital as of Tuesday, Oct. 14, according to the COS. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were wishing them a full and speedy recovery, the agency said in its second news release. Hikers have been told to avoid the Pass Lake area in wake of the attack. Eamon McArthur, who works with COS, said investigators are looking into exactly what happened on the popular trail, according to CBC News. The CSO offered some safety tips to help other hikers avoid a similar situation in bear country. The tips include staying alert, making noise regularly to avoid surprising a bear, traveling in groups, carrying bear spray, keeping a clean camp and respecting trail closures and warnings. McArthur specifically recommended hikers carry noisemakers, as well as a communication device. "It could be your one lifeline," he told CBC News. 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. Additionally, the COS encouraged hikers to avoid bear habitats, including areas with fresh tracks, scat, or animal carcasses, and insisted hikers should never approach bears in the wild. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those who do encounter a bear, according to the agency, should stay calm and not run, but rather slowly back away from the animal while speaking in a calm voice. If a bear charges, however, hikers are told to stand your ground and use bear spray if necessary. Read the original article on People Two people were injured in a shooting at a Walmart store Wednesday afternoon in the south suburbs, investigators said. Investigators called it an isolated incident, but there was real fear of a random, active shooter among those who were inside the crowded store. The shooting happened around 2:56 p.m. at a Walmart store, located at t, 2500 W. 95th St. in Evergreen Park, Illinois. Police said there was some type of argument outside the store between two male individuals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shots were fired outside, and then the offender pursued the other person inside while firing multiple shots in the Walmart. The male victim, who is 23, was shot multiple times in the leg and was taken to a hospital, police said. A 70-year-old woman, who was a bystander, also sustained a wound to her foot, possibly by a ricocheting bullet or fragment. ABC7 spoke with Makia Barnes, a woman who is a family member of a Walmart worker, who told her about the chaos. It was just seemed like a regular day, and then all of sudden, you just hear shooting," Barnes said. "That is ridiculous... she was just trying to find cover and safety before anything else. That was her main priority." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said the offender fled the store on foot. He was arrested about 15 minutes later in the neighborhood behind the Walmart, in the 9300 block of Country Club Drive. A resident called police, who then flew a drone overhead. Video from Chopper 7 showed K-9 units in the area, also searching the location. The suspect had arrived to the store in a Gray Hyundai, which fled the scene without him during the shooting, police said. The vehicle was later located by Chicago police in the 800 block of West Marquette in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood and taken to the Evergreen Park Police Station with the vehicle occupants. A motive for the shooting remains unclear. Police said the male victim was taken to Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, where he underwent surgery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detectives at the Evergreen Park Walmart store, which was closed Wednesday evening, began what will likely be an extensive investigation. Walmart did not provide a comment on the situation as local police continue to investigate. LEE COUNTY, Iowa Two kids were hospitalized after their electric bike crashed into a car in Lee County on Tuesday. I have nothing to hide, Des Moines School Board member seeks re-election At around 4:44 p.m. a Honda Civic was driving through the intersection of Avenue East and 20th Street in Fort Madison when an electric bike crashed into the front of the car. According to an Iowa State Patrol crash report, two kids were riding the e-bike and failed to stop at the intersection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both kids, identified as a 9-year-old and 12-year-old, were injured in the crash. The 9-year-old was airlifted to the University of Iowa Hospitals while the 12-year-old was transported to a local hospital via ambulance. The driver of the Honda Civic was not injured. Iowa 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 who13.com. MIDDLEFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WJW) The Geauga County Sheriffs Office announced two more suspects are now in custody after a terrifying home invasion and robbery attempt. Investigators had been looking for them, after three people brutally assaulted an Amish man and his son in their home. 9- and 10-year-old charged with attempted murder, rape in Cleveland It happened Thursday, Oct. 9, at the familys home along Newcomb Road in Middlefield Township. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The three suspects reportedly struck the man in the head, causing bleeding and swelling, and demanded money, then threatened to kill the man and abduct his 8-year-old son, according to Geauga County Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand. They used a stun device on the boy, as well as the man, and dragged the boy off to their stolen pickup truck, authorities said. But the boy was able to break free. The sheriffs office announced the arrest of Bradford Hosler, 33, of Canton, on Tuesday. Bradford James Hosler (Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction) On Wednesday, the sheriffs office said it had located two other suspects. Popular rice brand issues nationwide recall: FDA Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement William Hatfield and Randall Cromer were arrested in Canton Wednesday morning, the sheriff announced. William Hatfield William Hatfield Their first court appearance has not been announced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hosler was arraigned Tuesday morning in Chardon Municipal Court on charges of aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and aggravated kidnapping. 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. HARDEVILLE, S.C. (WSAV) Two Hilton Head Island men have been indicted by a Federal Grand Jury in Charleston and are now facing federal charges. Treveyon DaQuandre Bryan, 18 and XZavion Akeem Bryan, 19, are facing federal weapon charges after Hardeville Detectives executed a search warrant in January at a residence in Hardeville and seized multiple machine guns and machine gun conversion devices. Officials said both individuals are linked to several ongoing cases in adjoining jurisdictions. They have been transferred from the Jasper County Detention Center to the Charleston County Detention Center, where they will remain in custody. (Left to right) Treveyon DaQuandre Bryan, 18; XZavion Akeem Bryan, 19. The operation was in collaboration between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Hardeeville Police Department. 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 WSAV-TV. Oct. 15The Alaska Federation of Natives convention starts Thursday at the Dena'ina Center in Anchorage and runs through Saturday. This year's theme is "Standing Strong, Standing United." AFN is the state's largest Native organization and includes 176 federally recognized tribes, 143 village corporations, 11 regional corporations and 11 regional nonprofit and tribal consortiums. It represents more than 140,000 Native people, almost 20% of the state's population. The convention operates as a forum for debate and policy development for the Alaska Native community and includes several cultural presentations and events. Several draft resolutions are being considered on topics ranging from education to subsistence to health and safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aside from speakers and presentations, there will be major panels and workshops. Topics to be covered this year include weaving Native culture into curriculum, broadband and energy, as well as funding for children's programs and Alaska Native agriculture. It is free and open to the public, so no registration is required to attend. Along with policy platforms, there are will be cultural showcases and presentations. Quyana Alaska started in 1982 as an opportunity to showcase traditional dance and pass the cultural experience to future generations. It has expanded to two nights with more than 10 groups from throughout the state. This year's performances are sold out. The Alaska Native Customary Art Fair is a tradition at AFN, with artists from Alaska and the Lower 48 showcasing their work. The fair will be on the first and second floors of the Dena'ina Center on Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The AFN Exhibit Fair runs Thursday through Saturday and includes more than 100 exhibitors, from organizations to political campaigns and state agencies. The AFN Banquet puts a cap on the weekend, celebrating Indigenous cultures and reflecting on the week's work. The banquet is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday at the Dena'ina Center. The AFN banquet is sold out. This year's convention is happening as communities in Western Alaska are reeling in the wake of a catastrophic storm that hit Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta communities especially hard, with one person dead, two missing and more than 1,400 residents displaced as of Tuesday. AFN said that it will host a donation drive from 1-5 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, collecting cases of water, nonperishable food, personal hygiene products, blankets and sleeping bags, among other needed items. Donations can be dropped off on the second floor of the Dena'ina Center in Room 6. [How to help residents and communities after catastrophic Western Alaska storm] Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The annual Elizabeth Peratrovich Free Legal Clinic offering assistance on matters such as family law, public benefits, housing and land, civil matters and advice for tribes will be held from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Thursday, with limited space but no appointment required. An Elder Appreciation & Wills Clinic will be held from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, with preregistration required at bit.ly/eawc2025 by Thursday for elders who would like a volunteer attorney to draft their will, power of attorney and advance health care directive. Both events will be held on the second floor of the Dena'ina Center, in Tubughnenq Room Five. AFN travel discounts are available for lodging and with an Alaska Airlines discount code. Delegates can ride the People Mover city buses in Anchorage for free during the convention. There is also free parking available for attendees at the Linny Pacillo parking garage, located kitty corner from the Dena'ina Center. The convention, including Quyana Alaska cultural performances, is exclusively broadcast statewide by KTOO 360TV. Viewers can watch over the air, on cable or satellite and streaming at KTOO 360TV. Alaska Federation of Natives convention schedule Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (updated as of 11 a.m. Wednesday) THURSDAY 8:30 a.m.: Qissunamiut Yurartait 9 a.m.: Call to order, invocation and national anthem 9:15 a.m.: Welcome remarks from Dena'ina leaders and the Municipality of Anchorage 9:45 a.m.: Keynote address from Natasha Singh, president/CEO, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium 10:15 a.m.: Denali and Citizen of the Year Awards 11 a.m.: Interior Department update 11:30 a.m.: President's report from Benjamin Mallott and blanket dance 11:55 a.m.: Jaeleen Kookesh, Alaska Native cancer awareness (video) Noon: Recess 12:30 p.m.: Qughsatkut Dancers 1 p.m.: Call to order Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 1:05 p.m.: Presentation by Chitose Ainu Association 1:25 p.m.: 2025 Elders & Youth Conference report 1:40 p.m.: Alaska National Guard (pending) 2 p.m.: Developments in Greenland tourism infrastructure 2:30 p.m.: Voices That Connect: Public Media for a Stronger Alaska 3:30 p.m.: United Across the Pacific: Strengthening Alaska-Hawaii Partnerships 4 p.m.: Panel titled "Using Our Collective Voting Power to Protect Our Ways of Life" FRIDAY 8:30 a.m.: Alaska Native Heritage Center Dancers 9 a.m.: Call to order and invocation 9:05 a.m.: AFN co-chair candidate presentations 9:15 a.m.: U.S. Secretary Doug Collins, Department of Veterans Affairs Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 9:30 a.m.: AFN President's Awards 11:30 a.m.: U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska Noon: Recess 12:30 p.m.: Nunarpagmiut 1 p.m.: Call to order 1:05 p.m.: Special report: Section 29 update 1:15 p.m.: USDA (pending) 1:40 p.m.: Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Cherokee Nation 2 p.m.: Navigator Program update 2:30 p.m.: A.C. Locklear, chief executive officer, National Indian Health Board 2:40 p.m.: NCAI Update 3 p.m.: Alaska Bush Caucus update 3:25 p.m.: Chief Justice Susan M. Carney, Alaska Supreme Court justice 3:45 p.m. Special convention theme speaker Mary Peltola 4 p.m.: Panel titled "Alaska Native Co-Management: Building our Native Framework of Subsistence Management" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SATURDAY 8:30 a.m.: Tapraq and Qerrulliik Dancers of Anchorage 9 a.m.: Call to order and resolutions update 9:05 a.m.: Christopher Liu and Lonny Strunk Alaska Native Language Access Tools 9:10 a.m. 2024 resolutions update 9:30 a.m.: Announcement of AFN village representatives and election of 2025 AFN co-chair 9:40 a.m.: Consideration of 2025 AFN convention resolutions Noon: Recess 12:30 p.m.: Aanchich'x Kwaan 1 p.m.: Call to order 1:05 p.m.: U.S. Rep. Nick Begich, R-Alaska 1:30 p.m.: Standing Strong for Our Children: Sovereignty, Strength, and the Future of Tribal Child Care by Jennifer Rackliff, executive director, National Indian Child Care Association 1:45 p.m.: U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska 2:15 p.m.: Closing comments and benediction 2:30 p.m.: Adjournment COLOMBO, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka will launch several initiatives to improve facilities and services for foreign visitors ahead of the upcoming tourist season, the President's Media Division (PMD) said in a statement on Wednesday. Measures will be taken to facilitate visa issuance and streamline the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) process, the PMD said. The number of airport counters will also increase to reduce congestion, and more online ticketing options will be introduced at attractions that require paid entry, it added. The decision was made at a meeting of the Special Task Force appointed by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to take steps to promote the tourism industry, held at the Presidential Secretariat on Tuesday, according to the PMD. As of Oct. 12, a total of 1,788,235 tourists had arrived in Sri Lanka. Editors note: Additional story links will be added as they are created. Voters across Berks County are preparing to cast ballots in person and by mail for the 2025 municipal election. On Nov. 4, they will select the candidates they want to be seated on the state appellate courts and represent them in local judicial positions, municipal boards and councils, school boards and some county row offices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres what voters need to know about the election: Who can vote? All registered voters. Voters can check their registration status by calling the Berks County Elections Office at 610-478-6490 or checking at VotesPA.com. The last day to register to vote in the November election is Oct. 20. Where to vote? Each voter is assigned to a specific polling place. Voters unsure of where to go can look up their polling place by visiting VotesPA.com. When to vote? Voters can go to the polls on Nov. 4 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. or request a mail ballot by Oct. 28 seven days before the election. Election 2025: 1st batch of mail ballots on the way to Berks voters Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whos on the ballot? Reporters Karen Shuey, David Mekeel and Michelle Lynch have reached out to candidates running in contested races to represent Berks County in local judicial positions and on borough councils, township boards, school boards and Reading City Council to ask them questions about the offices they are seeking. Heres what those candidates had to say. County judge race Election 2025: 2 vying for spot on Berks County Court District judge contest Two people are Election 2025: 2 competing for district judge contest Reading City council races Editors note: Additional story links will be added as they are created. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Election 2025: 2 competing for District 4 seat on Reading City Council Borough council contests Editors note: Additional story links will be added as they are created. Election 2025: 5 competing for 3 seats in Birdsboro Election 2025: 5 competing for 4 seats in Shillington Election 2025: 7 vying for 4 seats on Topton council Election 2025: 5 competing for 4 seats on West Reading council Election 2025: 8 competing for 4 seats on Wyomissing council Mayoral races Editors note: Additional story links will be added as they are created. Election 2025: 2 competing for Bernville mayor Election 2025: 2 vying for Bally mayoral post Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Election 2025: 2 vying for Hamburg mayoral post Township supervisor contests Editors note: Additional story links will be added as they are created. Election 2025: 2 competing to represent Amity Township Election 2025: 2 vying for seat in Bethel Township Election 2025: 3 competing for 2 seats in Caernarvon Township Election 2025: 5 competing for 3 seats in Cumru Township Election 2025: 4 competing to represent Exeter Township Election 2025: 2 competing for seat in Maidencreek Township Election 2025: 4 competing for 2 seats in Muhlenberg Township Election 2025: 2 vying for seat in Richmond Township Election 2025: 3 vying for 2 seats in Robeson Township Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Election 2025: 2 vying for seat in Rockland Township Election 2025: 2 competing for seat in South Heidelberg Township Election 2025: 4 competing for 2 seats in Spring Township Election 2025: 2 vying for seat in Tilden Township School director races Editors note: Additional story links will be added as they are created. Election 2025: 5 running for 4 spots on Muhlenberg School Board WASHINGTON Democracy literally melted away in D.C. on Wednesday after activists unveiled a 3,000-pound ice sculpture of the word by the U.S. Capitol, a statement on Americas weakened state of democracy under the Trump administration. The 17-by-5-foot installation, titled Last Call DemocracyICED, is plopped down on the National Mall for the day. Its expected to slowly disappear over the span of 10 to 12 hours, as writers from D.C. and Baltimore take turns reading entries from historian Heather Cox Richardsons Letters from an American every half-hour until its gone. Theres even a live feed if people want to watch, and organizers later plan to release a time lapse video of the sculpture melting into a puddle. A 3,000-pound ice sculpture is slowly melting away on the National Mall as a message from artists and activists about the weakened state of democracy under Donald Trump. Jen Bendery Its an homage to what is and what once was, said Nora Ligorano, one of the artists behind the sculpture. She stood behind a small lectern set up by the installation as a few dozen people gathered around her, some involved with the project and others just passersby wondering what the big ice block was about. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have had to resurrect democracy four times up till now, but were not sure if were going to be able to resurrect it, exactly, today, she said, referring to moments in recent history. The other three times, she said, were the U.S.s invasion of Iraq, the Patriot Act and former President George W. Bushs so-called war on terror. Nearly 20 years later, our democracy is so much further weakened than it was then, with the continued expansion of executive power, the militarization of our streets, attacks on the rule of law and weakening of our voters rights, the dismantling of public health and scientific research, Ligorano said. I mean, theres a long list. The ice sculpture is slowly melting away Wednesday on the National Mall. Jen Bendery The ice sculpture was commissioned by the Up In Arms campaign, an effort led by Ben Cohen, the cofounder of Ben & Jerrys ice cream, to spotlight the rise of authoritarianism and militarism in the U.S. A few people spoke at a press event for the projects unveiling, including former Democratic Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner, the Rev. William H. Lamar IV of the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in D.C. and Rob Weissman, president of the government accountability group Public Citizen. Politics: Toppled Trump-Epstein Statue Returns To DC In One Big Hand-Holding Piece The takeaway is that its inevitable that this thing is going to melt down into nothing, but its not inevitable that our democracy is going to melt away, Weissman said. So people have to be active, as they are, and the more we engage ... the more we have a chance of democracy being restored. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The prospect of democracy melting away on a D.C. sidewalk comes days before millions of people in all 50 states are planning to participate in No Kings rallies in protest of Trumps authoritarianism and militarization of cities. The biggest one is set for D.C. Later this week, one of the largest public demonstrations will take place here and around the country, Marshall Reese, the other artist behind the sculpture, told attendees. Its time for all of us to resist, speak up and save our democracy before its too late. Political Updates Read the original on HuffPost 3 shootings in Bostons murder triangle within a week, community activists call on city hall Following three shootings within the last week, community activists are raising questions. Theyre calling on city hall to address crime in what has been coined the murder triangle, which encompasses Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury. The recent shootings happened on Hiawatha Road in Mattapan, Dudley Street in Roxbury, and on Monday, a 61-year-old woman was gunned down in broad daylight on Washington Street. Heather Cook is a community activist and has a sister who was shot at the age of 15. She said these shootings arent anything new but the way they are addressed should be. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Murder and these independent acts of violence are not something that started overnight. I think there is a huge opportunity for the city to really, really lock in with the community, Cook said. Mayor Michelle Wu has been known to tout Boston as the safest city in America, and while numbers have improved over the years, activist Edwin Sumpter said that doesnt mean the problem is fixed. What is she going to do in her second term? It appears right now there will be a second term, whats going to be different? Sumpter asked. Officials need to connect with the people, find out what it is that they need, what theyre lacking and get those resources to them so that we can really start to build so that we can heal, Cook added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mondays deadly shooting marks the 27th homicide of the year in Boston, more than were recorded all of last year. This is not anything thats new. Its something that weve seen before. Theres no evidence that these shootings are related. They seem to be sporadic, they happen, but they all have three things in common. Victims, a gun, and somebody pulling the trigger, Sumpter said. These activists want Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury to be treated equally and not carry such a negative connotation. They say that means boots on the ground initiatives, allocating appropriate resources, and working with those already there doing the work. What happens in Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan does impact the rest of the city. We are not separate. There are not two Bostons. Theres one Boston. Sumpter said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The long-time activist said he wants people to be able to see these communities for more than their crime statistics but also the good things that happen and the contributions their community members have made to greater Boston. The investigation into Mondays shooting is ongoing. Boston25 reached out to learn what may have led up to that shooting, but Boston Police said they have no updates to share at this time. Boston25 also reached out to the mayors office but have yet to hear back. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW CANTON TWP. Three people were stabbed inside a home, and a family member has been arrested in connection with the incident, police said. Canton Township police officers and firefighters responded around 3:40 p.m. Oct. 14 to a residence in the 3700 block of Parklawn, police said in a statement, where they found three victims with stab wounds. The suspect, described as a relative of the victims, was taken into custody pending further investigation, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All three victims were transported to area hospitals for treatment. The extent of their injuries was not immediately available, police said. Contact reporter Laura Colvin: lcolvin@hometownlife.com This article originally appeared on Hometownlife.com: 3 stabbed in Canton Township home, police say The 3rd annual Pumpkins with Police event took place in National City on Tuesday. The event brought together law enforcement from National City, San Diego, Chula Vista and Oceanside to Pumpkin Station in National City for a morning with 45 third graders from Integrity Charter. The event was started by National City Police Officer Monique Hawk who is also a professional pumpkin carver. I love seeing the excitement as they pick out their pumpkin just walk through the pumpkin patch. This is truly my element, says Officer Hawk. Students got to pick their pumpkins and decorate them. In addition, they also got to ride the rides, pet the animals, learn a little about how pumpkins grown and interact with law enforcement. Officer Hawk hopes this creates a lasting memory for all involved. 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 FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Travel often proves stressful at the best of times. And after the federal government closed on Oct. 1, these are definitely not the best of times for travelers. Read More: Government Grinds to a Halt: 5 Ways the Shutdown Affects Your Wallet Find Out: Here's the Minimum Salary Required To Be Considered Upper Class in 2025 Watch out for these snags as you navigate upcoming travel plans. More Crowds and Lag Times at Airports While Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers, air traffic controllers, and Customs and Border Protection agents do continue working through government shutdowns, they do so without pay. And many call in sick in protest, and to avoid the extra hassles and delays caused by reduced support personnel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As morale declines, absence goes up, said LaDell Carter, founder of Royal Expression Travels. We witnessed that in the 35-day closure, when roughly 10% of TSA employees called in sick, forming huge security lines. Be Aware: Social Security Disruptions and 3 Other Ways Boomers Will Be Impacted by the Government Shutdown Delayed and Canceled Flights Flight delays and cancellations have soared since the shutdown started. From Monday, Oct. 6, to early Wednesday, Oct. 8, nearly 12,000 flights saw delays that were in part tied to Federal Aviation Administration slowdowns due to controller absences, per Reuters. Fully 200 flights were canceled entirely. Ryan Jones, founder of flight tracking app Flighty, urged travelers to keep a pulse on flight updates. Being first to know means rebooking before everyone else. Our alerts are the fastest in the world, often hours ahead of the airlines, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Travel insurance or flexible rebooking through reward points certainly comes in handy at a time like this. Disruptions at National Parks At best, some national parks remain open with reduced staff and services. Some visitor centers or other attractions close, depending on that parks fees and funding. At worst, national parks close. Check out The Weather Channels list of closed national parks before traveling. Delayed Passport Issuance The State Department handles passport renewals and issuance, and it funds them through fees. However, many support staff are absent, and you should expect delays. While passport processing continues during a shutdown, those offices will be skeleton staffed, said Tiffany Funk, president of travel website Point.me. Global Entry Application Disruptions Likewise, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents oversee Global Entry applications, funded through fees. But theyll be short staffed as well, and working without pay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Funk noted that in the 2018-2019 shutdown, Global Entry processing slowed and many applicants had their interviews canceled. Temper expectations for Global Entry approval and interviews, including interviews-on-arrival for people who only need to renew, she said. Plan further ahead, show up for flights earlier than usual and stay flexible in your travel plans. Driving might make more sense than flying for regional travel. Safe travels and good luck. Editors note on political coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on GOBankingRates.com. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 5 Ways a Government Shutdown Could Impact Travel Plans A majority of the judges of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals have vacated a three-judge panels opinion that invalidated a Louisiana law mandating the Ten Commandments be posted in all public-school classrooms. In an Oct. 6 decision, the federal appeals court agreed to rehear oral arguments in the case of Rev. Roake v. Brumley at a future date. In June, a Fifth Circuit panel issued an opinion on a challenge by nine Louisiana families to House Bill 71, concluding that the 2024 Ten Commandments law violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The plaintiffs in the case, who come from different religious faiths, had argued that the displays would cause irrevocable damage to their rights of free expression and that HB 71 required a version of the Ten Commandments from a Protestant tradition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Attorney General Liz Murrill expressed satisfaction that the case would be reheard and reviewed by the full contingent of Fifth Circuit judges. Glad to see the Fifth Circuit is taking this en banc, Murrill said in a prepared statement. Looking forward to those arguments in court. The ACLU of Louisiana, which is representing plaintiffs in the case, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But the groups representing the plaintiff families did provide a joint statement indicating that the Fifth Circuit panels ruling in June was well-reasoned and correctly followed U.S. Supreme Court precedents. We believe there is no reason to revisit it, the statement says. Nevertheless, we look forward to presenting our clients case to the entire court of appeals, and we remain confident that the constitutional values and principles at the heart of the First Amendment, which guarantee religious freedom for all students and families, will prevail in the end. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The groups, including the Freedom From Religion Foundation and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, also emphasized that a preliminary injunction issued by a federal district court in the case was not affected by the latest Fifth Circuit decision. The injunction prevents enforcement of HB 71 in the states public schools. State officials had argued HB 71 was constitutional because it allows for the Ten Commandments to be displayed in context with key documents from American history, such as the Mayflower Compact and Declaration of Independence. The law, which was supposed to take effect on Jan. 1, required classroom displays or posters of the Ten Commandments that are 11 by 14 inches at a minimum. In addition, the Commandments were mandated to be printed in a large, easily readable font. In its decision published on June 20, the three-judge Fifth Circuit panel held that HB 71 was plainly unconstitutional based on a 1980 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Stone v. Graham. That ruling concluded a similar law enacted in Kentucky failed to properly integrate the Ten Commandments into the states academic curriculum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Members of Louisiana school boards, who are defendants in the case, petitioned for the full circuit court to review the previous opinion, arguing that the three-judge panel relied on a Supreme Court precedent that is no longer binding. They also argued the panels June 20 ruling misinterpreted a 2022 Supreme Court decision dealing with religious activities on public school campuses. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he's prepared to "give peace a chance" but "the way you purchase peace is through strength," he told "CBS Mornings" co-host Tony Dokoupil Tuesday in Tel Aviv. Netanyahu spoke to CBS News days after Hamas released the last 20 living hostages taken on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israel's military withdrew from parts of the Gaza Strip, in the first phase of a peace plan brokered by President Trump and Arab states. He weighed in on the future of Gaza, how Israel will react if Hamas doesn't disarm and the criticism Israel has faced during the war. Here are the highlights: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Could Netanyahu regret releasing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the Israeli hostages? Netanyahu took a longer view when Dokoupil, in reference to the release of almost 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners in exchange for both the living and deceased Israeli hostages, asked him, "Are you going to regret this decision?" He responded that now, Israel is in a "much better position" to pursue Hamas if it fails to abide by the peace plan because there are no longer 20 Israeli hostages "with their head on the chopping block." Dokoupil noted that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack, was released in an exchange with Israel in 2011. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Netanyahu acknowledged that the decision to release thousands of people including 250 who were serving life sentences in Israeli prisons was "very painful." "It's true that the worst ones among them we didn't release, but that's small comfort if your son or daughter was murdered by one of these people who were freed," he said. Releasing the Palestinian prisoners came with the understanding that "there's an enormous price to pay for the commitment that Israel has to bring our hostages or captives held by the enemy," Netanyahu said. Netanyahu claims ratio of civilians to combatants killed in Gaza is "less than 2 to 1" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked by Dokoupil about the criticism that he's been "negligent with civilian life in Gaza" and whether his count of civilian deaths differed from that of the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health, Netanyahu estimated "20,000 Hamas terrorists" had been killed by Israel. He added that that was the number "if you take away the people who die anyway from disease or old age." Netanyahu argued, "Take away the double counting and so on, the ratio is less than 2 to 1, which is unbelievable in urban conflict." It's a figure he also cited at the United Nations General Assembly in September, telling world leaders, "The ratio of non-combatant to combatant casualties is less than 2 to 1 in Gaza." The Gaza Ministry of Health says nearly 70,000 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023. Its numbers do not differentiate between civilians and combatants. There are also an estimated 11,000 Gazans still missing, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, presumed to be buried beneath the rubble. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr. Trump told reporters Sunday that he believes roughly 60,000 people have died in Gaza. Netanyahu says finishing war "as speedily as possible" is "first fix" to combat young Americans' negative views of Israel Netanyahu cited the war's duration as one of the reasons that Americans' have an increasingly negative view of Israel. A Pew poll in late September found only 35% of the respondents had a positive opinion of Israel's government, down from 47% in 2022, before the war started. Among Americans under 30, only 13% said the U.S. was providing "about the right amount of aid to Israel." "The first fix is to finish the war as speedily as possible, something that I have sought to do against all this contrarian propaganda," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Netanyahu also blamed social media for fueling the outrage against Israel, saying that "lies" about the nation "obviously does its damage." "In the TikTok age and in the television age letting wars go on too long is going to cost you precisely what it costs you." But he added, "That can recover at least partly when you finish the war and you move on to what I hope will be the era of peace." Netanyahu on Trump saying he's hard to work with: "I'm very tough" In remarks to the Knesset on Monday, Mr. Trump said Netanyahu is "not the easiest guy to deal with, but that's what makes him great." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Netanyahu appeared to take pride in the characterization. "I hope he says that, because I'm very tough on the matters that pertain to my country's future," he told Dokoupil. "My job is to protect the Jewish state and assure the future of the Jewish people." Netanyahu says Hamas must disarm or "all hell breaks loose" "We agreed to give peace a chance," Netanyahu said. But he also maintained that the conditions in Mr. Trump's 20-point peace plan for Gaza are "very clear:" Hamas must give up its arms and demilitarize, or "all hell breaks loose." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr. Trump has warned that if Hamas does not disarm, "We will disarm them." "And it'll happen quickly and perhaps violently," the president said. "But they will disarm." Netanyahu told Dokoupil, "I hope we can do this peacefully. We're certainly ready to do so." How will the Gaza Strip be governed? A major unresolved question is who will control the Gaza Strip as Israeli forces withdraw. Mr. Trump's peace plan calls for control over the territory to be handed over to a technocratic committee made up of Palestinians, overseen by a "Board of Peace" that includes Mr. Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Hamas is not supposed to play any role in governance. But beyond that, it's unclear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Netanyahu said the exact structure for how the territory will be run is unsettled. Asked by Dokoupil if Blair would run Gaza himself, Netanyahu replied, "I doubt it." "But I think that this is a transitional period, and we want to fashion a governance that works, that is not made of people who are committed to our destruction," he said. "We don't want to have the October 7th massacre repeated." Netanyahu has ruled out the idea of allowing an independent Palestinian state, the solution that has been advocated by U.S. allies in Europe and the Arab world. He told Dokoupil that he supports Palestinians having the power to govern themselves, but would not support a Palestinian state with "military power." "That sovereign power of security must remain with Israel," the prime minister continued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Israeli leader said the path forward should involve deradicalization and changes to the Palestinian education system. He also noted that many Gazans are opposed to Hamas or hold the group responsible for inflicting "horrific misery" on them. "The most important thing in destroying fanaticism is to destroy a certain hope, the hope that the fanaticism will achieve its results," Netanyahu said. "When people know Israel is here to stay, you're not going to destroy the Jewish state, Israel is too strong, that prepares the ground for a change of heart." What to expect from Trump's news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel Lawmakers sound off on Trump's Argentina bailout as government shutdown continues Kansas town devastated by tornado rebuilds with focus on sustainability Another boat downed: The U.S. military has carried out another unapproved strike on alleged narcotraffickers, killing six men just off of Venezuela's coast. It's likely these men are affiliated with Tren de Aragua, but this has not been confirmed. This is the fifth strike of its kind, with 27 people total killed, per administration sources. For his part, Trump has declared cartels, including TdA and MS-13, foreign terrorist organizations, seemingly in an effort to legally deploy more resources to fighting them. "Their campaigns of violence and terror in the United States and internationally are extraordinarily violent, vicious, and similarly threaten the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere," he declared in an executive order issued on his first day in office. Resting on the powers granted to him in the Immigration and Nationality Act and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Trump was also able to declare a national emergency to deal with threats posed by cartels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But is it really? In a memo sent to Congress last week, the Trump administration said it had "determined that the United States is in a non-international armed conflict with these designated terrorist organizations" and that these strikes are actions the U.S. must take in self-defense. Democrats in the Senate have attempted to block Trump's strikes in the Caribbean, but were stymied last week by Republicans. Democratic lawmakers in particular keep pressing the White House to supply more evidence as to how it knows who is on these boats and what they're carrying. "They are illegal killings because the notion that the United Statesand this is what the administration says is their justificationis involved in an armed conflict with any drug dealers, any Venezuelan drug dealers, is ludicrous," Rep. Jim Himes (DConn.) told CBS host Margaret Brennan during a Face the Nation interview. "It wouldn't stand up in a single court of law." Past administrations have simply used interdictionnot deadly strikesto combat this same chronic issue. This means deploying maritime law enforcement, like the Coast Guard, to attempt to surveil vessels engaged in narcotrafficking, as well as authorities sometimes boarding and seizing their cargo. Interdiction clearly hasn't completely worked, but it's also not clear that, uh, on-the-spot execution is consistent with U.S. law either, or that Congress would approve Trump's actions if he sought their approval (as he is ultimately supposed to). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Congress is being told nothing on this," Himes continued. "And that's okay, apparently, with the Republican majorities in the House and the Senate. It's not okay with me." When the first strike was carried out in September, Democrats in the House responded swiftly to decry Trump's action as a "dangerous expansion and abuse of presidential authority." "The lack of transparency and information sharing with Congress, which has the constitutional responsibility to declare war and authorize or limit the use of force, poses an even greater threat to our democratic system of government," they wrote. They're not wrong. At the same time, lawmakers must contend with the limits to the interdiction approach. And it's possiblelikely, eventhat this is all part of Trump's 4D chess approach to unseating Nicolas Maduro. Scenes from New York: At a rally in Washington Heights on Monday night, socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said that he is leading a "movement that won the battle over the soul of the Democratic Party." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What exactly does this movement stand for? "We are an existential threat to billionaires who think their money can buy our democracy," said Mamdani. "We are an existential threat to a broken status quo that buries the voices of working people beneath corporations. And we are an existential threat to a New York where a hard day's work isn't enough to earn you a good night's rest." QUICK HITS The antipublic school posting will continue until conditions improve: Public school is a service that you pay for and it exists to serve you. You should be able to take the parts you want a-la-carte as you need them. The wacko authority regimen that's been built up around it is a downgrade. https://t.co/igUtceH97i Simon Sarris (@simonsarris) October 14, 2025 The Department of War is now asking newsrooms that report on the Pentagon to adhere to a new set of rules, including choosing not to report on certain items that could compromise national security. Most outlets have decided not to adhere, saying that readers have a right to know how taxpayer dollars are being spent, and now risk restrictions in access. OANN stands out as a notable outlier. (A little ironic that this is all happening under the leadership of Pete Hegseth, who spent much of his career asa journalist. And his old outlet, Fox, has said it will not follow these new rules.) Frankly I'm shocked these weren't already the rules. It's the PENTAGON! @oann is happy to follow these reasonable conditions, grounded in care for our national security. https://t.co/gv78Tvg8W0 Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) October 13, 2025 "About 466 workers at the Education Department have been fired since Friday, according to the White House Office of Management and Budget, and the breadth and depth of those cuts appeared to touch nearly all aspects of an agency that President Trump has vowed to eliminate," reports The New York Times. These include workers who administer the special education programs as well as workers at the Office for Civil Rights. The administration laid off about 2,000 DOE workers earlier this year, so this latest cut represents a substantial chunk of the remaining. One of the many problems with socialism: "More of the economy should be publicly owned" and "It's good to steal from publicly owned agencies" seem like obviously contradictory statements, but somehow it's the primary stance of a lot of DSA types? Sewer Socialists would hate these people. https://t.co/fFQhflT74O Daniel Trubman (@dmtrubman) October 14, 2025 Free idea: Strongly considering going to the No Kings protest and being like "yeah! Fuck him! Fuck King George! Fuck King Charles! Fuck all the kings!" Until someone explains it's about Trump and then be like "but he's a president?" And act totally stupid and force them to explain it to me Ben Dreyfuss (@bendreyfuss) October 14, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The post 6 Killed Off Venezuelan Coast appeared first on Reason.com. ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Maritime Conference 2025 kicked off on Tuesday in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, with a call for collective action to unlock Africa's vast seas and inland waters, expand the maritime workforce, and enhance global competitiveness. The conference, held under the theme "Africa: the Next Frontier of Global Crewing Supply," brought together maritime academies, shipping companies, manning agents, and diplomatic representatives from across Africa and beyond. Speaking at the event, Ethiopian Minister of Transport and Logistics Alemu Sime underscored the need for African countries to harmonize their maritime training institutions with the demand of global shipping companies to supply a competent workforce that the global shipping industry urgently needs. "The world faces critical shortages of skilled seafarers, with the projected shortfall of nearly 90,000 officers by 2026," Sime said, adding that with the increasing number of maritime universities across Africa, the continent will be an important base for global crewing and maritime development. Francois Joubert, chief executive officer of YCF Manning, a global maritime workforce management company, told the conference that Africa holds a limited share of the global seafaring market, although it enjoys abundant maritime resources. "Of the 1.9 million seafarers worldwide, Africa accounts for just 4 percent. With roughly 150 maritime academies across the continent, there is significant untapped potential," he said. Highlighting that Africa is bordered by the Atlantic and Indian oceans, with 38 coastal and island states and some of the world's youngest and most dynamic populations, Joubert said Africa is well-positioned to address the shortage of seafarers and to become a dominant crewing force by 2030 and beyond. "The world is running a shortage of seafarers, engineers and officers who keep 80 percent of global commerce moving," said Joubert, noting that African countries are in the rightful place to fill this critical gap. The conference, which runs until Thursday, aims to produce a coordinated strategy to leverage Africa's human capital, regulatory frameworks, and logistical advantages to position the continent as a strategic player in the global shipping industry. Public health experts in Georgia are speaking out against furloughs at the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention they say have impacted hundreds of employees. (File photo courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Public health experts in Georgia are speaking out against furloughs at the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention they say have left hundreds of employees at the agency unemployed as the federal government shutdown enters its third week. Federal employees began receiving reduction-in-force notices, the technical name for layoffs, on Friday. Initially, about 1,300 CDC employees received notices, but many of the firings were reversed the next day. According to the National Public Health Coalition, a group of terminated CDC workers and their allies, about 600 layoffs are expected to be permanent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cuts initially impacted a wide range of departments, including the CDCs flagship publication, known as the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the agencys Washington office, the National Center for Health Statistics, and leaders working to contain infectious diseases like measles and Ebola. At least some of the employees in those departments have since been reinstated. Andrew Nixon, who serves as director of communications at the HHS, said some employees received incorrect notifications due to a system glitch. HHS employees who received notices, he added, were designated non-essential by their respective divisions. But Abby Tighe, a former CDC employee who serves as executive director of the National Public Health Coalition, questioned the departments explanation for the firings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These terminations were not a glitch, she said. It was not an innocent error made. This round of firings, as with all the others experienced at CDC in the last 10 months, was an intentional attack on the American people and the publics health. Tighes organization, formerly known as Fired But Fighting, has repeatedly called for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign. We need an HHS Secretary who is ready to work with Congress and is ready to listen to the needs of constituents in the United States and who is ready to actually lead the department, and right now, we do not have that, she said. We would love to see Congress step in and really force HHS to have a stronger sense of leadership that is based in science and in public health expertise. Dr. John Brooks, a retired infectious disease specialist who once served as Chief Medical Officer for the CDCs Division of HIV Prevention, also expressed worries that cuts to the agency will leave the U.S. vulnerable to future public health emergencies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many experts, including myself, are concerned that we are no longer well-prepared for the next big outbreak or disaster because of the Trump administrations continued erosion of our nations ability to respond to public health emergencies, he said. The American Federation of Government Employees, a union which represents over 820,000 federal employees across the U.S., estimates that 3,000 workers or nearly a quarter of the CDCs total workforce have left the agency since January. Yolanda Jacobs, who serves as president of AFGE Local 2883, also criticized the federal governments firing of CDC workers. These reckless actions are disrupting and destroying the lives of everyday working people who are constantly being used as bargaining chips, she said. They deserve the same opportunity any other American deserves: The ability to put food on the table for their families, pay their rent or mortgage and not have to wake up each day wondering if theyll be fired because they are federal employees. Along with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the AFGE filed a lawsuit last month challenging the mass firing of government employees during the shutdown. Were going to speak up, Jacobs said. Were not going to let this whole thing unfold in silence. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE 6abc is Philly Proud to celebrate Hispanic and Latin American Heritage Month. Two important community leaders were recognized at our 6abc studios Wednesday afternoon. They included Joanna Otero Cruz, the President & Executive Director of Women Against Abuse and the Honorable Nelson Diaz, the first Latino judge to serve in Pennsylvania. Action News anchor Alyana Gomez was the emcee for the awards celebration. Festivities included Puerto Rican Cuisine and Latin jazz band. Screenshot via ABC News. Seven members of the Texas National Guard were sent home following their deployment to Illinois for failing to meet fitness standards and in the aftermath of viral photos that sparked widespread mockery. The photos, one example of which appears above, originally came from an ABC News report about the troops being deployed to Illinois as part of President Donald Trumps crime and immigration crackdown. Members of the Texas National Guard have arrived in Illinois, according to sources familiar with their whereabouts and video taken of them at an Army Reserve training facility in a Chicago suburb. Read more: https://t.co/AkmU3diD97 pic.twitter.com/chTjQ1TrFY ABC News (@ABC) October 7, 2025 Both Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson objected to the deployment of federal troops and filed a lawsuit seeking to block it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, the photos of the Texas National Guard troops were subjected to brutal mockery regarding the heavyset troops especially in the wake of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseths declaration that fat troops were completely unacceptable. Numerous social media users poked fun at the photos calling the troops Meal Team Six, Operation Dessert Storm, and other insults. Meal Team Six Operation Dessert Storm The Green Buffets pic.twitter.com/xNFzhF1Eun TheRealThelmaJohnson (@TheRealThelmaJ1) October 8, 2025 The Biscuit Brigade, a.k.a. the Texas National Guard, has arrived on the ground in Illinois, as a hostile invading force from one state against another. Greg Abbot said these roly-polies were elite. Also, what did Hegseth just say us about no more fat soldiers? Hide your food. pic.twitter.com/6xVX7UCUOd John Jackson (@hissgoescobra) October 7, 2025 The Texas National Guard's elite Meal Team Six arrives in Chicago, proclaiming to the crowd "Eat, eat, eat!!!" pic.twitter.com/lvbWJOon6Q PaulleyTicks (@PaulleyTicks) October 8, 2025 Operation Dessert Storm has officially begun. The 82nd Chairborne has boots on the ground, with support from the Marinara Corps, Meal Team 6, and the National Lard. Let's hope this doesn't turn into another Battle of the Bulge. Semper Pie! https://t.co/Z8Z8Ur3wYi Sick Sad World (@YesYoureRacist) October 8, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a report by Task and Purpose, seven of the Texas National Guard troops were sent back to Texas after being identified as not in compliance. Neither the Texas Military Department nor the National Guard Bureau specified how many troops were sent back to Texas, the exact reason they were found to be out of compliance, or make any mention of the viral photos. National Guard Soldiers and Airman are required to meet service-specific height, weight, and physical fitness standards at all times, the National Guard Bureau said in a statement. When mobilizing for active duty, members go through a validation process to ensure they meet those requirements. On the rare occasions when members are found not in compliance, they will not go on mission. They will be returned to their home station, and replacements who do meet standards will take their places. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement San Antonio Express-News political reporter Bayliss Wagner confirmed with the Texas Military Department that seven service members who did not meet mission requirementswere returned to home station. Just heard back from the Texas Military Department, which oversees the Texas National Guard. They say 7 service members were replaced during the "pre-mission validation process." However, they didn't answer my questions about the standards that those members didn't meet. pic.twitter.com/k2RWDAId6i Bayliss Wagner (@baylisswagner) October 14, 2025 The post 7 Members of Texas National Guard Sent Home From Illinois After Meal Team Six Mockery in Viral Photos first appeared on Mediaite. The Texas National Guard sent home seven soldiers whose fitness levels seemingly did not meet mission requirements for their deployment to Illinois, a Texas Military Department spokesperson confirmed Tuesday. In a statement provided to the Tribune, the spokesperson said the service members were replaced during the pre-mission validation process at the U.S. Army Reserve training center in suburban Elwood, where the troops have been garrisoned since last week. These service members were returned to home station, according to the statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The decision comes after some soldiers were ridiculed on social media for their physical appearance upon their arrival in Illinois. Widely circulated media photographs showed heavier guardsmen at the Elwood base, prompting critics to question how the troops fit in with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insistence that all military members must meet height and weight standards. Hegseth who told top military leaders last month that it was tiring to see fat troops signaled his support for the soldiers removal on social media Monday. Standards are back at The @DeptofWar, he posted on X, along with a screenshot of a story about the Texas National Guards decision. The Texas Military Department did not specify which standards the seven Guard members did not meet, but the statement said the department echoes Secretary Hegseths message to the force: Our standards will be high, uncompromising, and clear.' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A federal judge in Chicago last week blocked the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops to Chicago and the rest of Illinois as part of its ongoing immigration enforcement push. In response, the Trump administration requested an emergency stay of the order, which was denied by a federal appeals court in Chicago on Saturday. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, however, did allow National Guard members already in Illinois to remain here during the appeal. Members of the National Guard do not need to return to their home states unless further ordered by a court to do so, the court order said. In her oral ruling from the bench, U.S. District Judge April Perry, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, said National Guard troops are not trained in de-escalation or other extremely important law enforcement functions that would help to quell these problems, and that allowing troops to come into Chicago will only add fuel to the fire that the defendants themselves have started. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of Justice argued in a filing Friday night that Perrys order improperly impinges on the Commander in Chiefs supervision of military operations, countermands a military directive to officers in the field, and endangers federal personnel and property. There has been no visible presence of the Texas National Guard since last weeks ruling. Before the judges ruling, the troops were spotted at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in west suburban Broadview, but they did not interact with protesters. The Pentagon has not clarified what the Guard members will be doing while the appeal plays out. Uniformed troops have been spotted a U.S. Army Reserve Center in recent days, with a few appearing to be carrying rifles as they walked around the 3,600-acre property about 50 miles southwest of Chicago. _____ KANSAS CITY, Mo. A 70-year-old Lees Summit man was taken to the hospital Wednesday morning after being hit by a dump truck. According to the Jackson County Sheriffs Office, the incident happened around 8:15 a.m. near Ranson Road and Hook Lane while the victim was riding his bicycle. The bicyclist was seriously injured and taken to a local hospital where he underwent surgery, police said. His current condition is unknown at this time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sheriffs office said the driver of the dump truck, a 47-year-old Kansas City man, remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation. Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android The investigation is ongoing. 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 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Zohran Mamdani's mayoral campaign highlights 83-year-old Jewish activist Rosalind Petchesky, a key supporter whose activism with JVP and opposition to Israel has shaped his political rise. When Zohran Mamdanis first TV ad of the general election went live last week, the first person viewers saw was an 83-year-old Jewish woman from the Upper West Side. Rosalind Petchesky, a retired political scientist and progressive activist, has become a recurring star of Mamdanis social media video campaign, which is widely seen as crucial to vaulting him from a local politician in Queens to the frontrunner for mayor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I used to love New York, Petchesky says at the beginning of the 30-second spot. But now, its just where I live. The ad then shifts to a hopeful tone centered around Mamdanis message of affordability, with the title, Things Can Change. The real-life Petchesky says the sentiment didnt actually resonate with her. I kept thinking, I wouldnt say I used to love New York. I still love New York! I never didnt love New York, she said, laughing, in an interview. I used to love New York, Petchesky says at the beginning of the 30-second spot, Mamdani's first TV ad for the general election. But now, its just where I live. (credit: FAIR USE UNDER ISRAELI COPYRIGHT LAW, ARTICLE 27A, screenshot) But she said she was not bothered that a second, more hopeful line shed initially spoken - But now, I feel like everythings starting to change - had ended up on the cutting-room floor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think they must have decided the positive part was going to be done by Zohran, so they didnt need that, Petchesky said. To me, its just another way of helping the campaign. And they want me to do something? I do it. A support that starts from opposition to Israel How did Petchesky come to be a loyal volunteer for Mamdani, a half-century her junior? As with many of Mamdanis earliest Jewish supporters, the answer lies in opposition to Israel. Petchesky is a longtime critic of the country, since she first visited as a teenager in 1959. Active for the last decade in Jewish Voice for Peace, the anti-Zionist organization, she first met Mamdani in May 2023 when she and other JVP members travelled to the state legislature in Albany to lobby for his Not On Our Dime Act. The legislation, which failed to advance, proposed blocking New York nonprofits from supporting Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Petchesky has been involved with JVP since retiring from teaching at Hunter College in 2013. During her scholarly career, Petchesky earned a MacArthur Fellowship (known as the genius award) in 1995, and became recognized as a leading theorist on international reproductive rights. A feminist activist and thinker, Petcheskys work has dovetailed with the Israel-Palestine conflict. In 2021 she co-edited the book, A Land With a People: Palestinians and Jews Confront Zionism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After meeting Mamdani in Albany, Petchesky said the pair had a number of encounters that were fascinating and fun in the following months. Mamdani posted a photo of the two linking arms at a demonstration on October 13, 2023, less than a week after Hamass October 7 massacre, calling on Sen. Chuck Schumer to support a ceasefire. The pair were among the 60 New Yorkers arrested that night for blocking traffic outside Schumers home. Rosalind Petchesky is an 81-year old Jewish New Yorker who deeply inspires me, Mamdani wrote in his post about that night. As we sat handcuffed on the bus to the police precinct, Ros told me that shed been away from home for two weeks and had only gotten back that day, he wrote. She was supposed to be at home that night eating dinner with her partner, but she decided she couldnt be at home when we were on the brink of genocide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A few months later, Mamdani and Petchesky appeared on the Laura Flander & Friends podcast together, along with JVP member Jay Saper. The episode, titled Organizing for Ceasefire Through Policy & Protest: Meet the People of JVP & NY Assemblymember Mamdani, focused on JVPs and Mamdanis pro-Palestinian activism and their efforts with the Not On Our Dime Act. Petchesky spoke about the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, including through a feminist lens, saying she sees Israeli persecution of Palestinians as a form of reproductive injustice and attack on families. She also spoke about Canadian-Israeli peace activist Vivian Silver, who was killed on October 7, 2023 when Hamas attacked and killed over 100 people at her home community, Kibbutz Beeri. Vivian Silver was amazing, Petchesky said. She actually helped ferry Palestinian children from Gaza to hospitals in Israel. She worked with Gazans. Its horrible that she was killed and we dont know for sure whose bombs killed her. By the time Mamdani launched his mayoral campaign in October 2024, the two had formed a deep bond of trust, Petchesky said - enough so that he asked her to be in his announcement video. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ill make buses fast and free, Mamdani says in the video. So I can just get where Im going, Petchesky says defiantly. He called me up at home and said, Were gonna send a car for you. We want you to come to Astoria and be in this video, Petchesky recalled. She added, He wanted an old lady to talk about buses. And Im the person he first thought of, because he knew me. Petchesky insists Mamdani is not antisemitic, argues about 'split in Jewish community' Petchesky said shes most excited to see Mamdani bring together Black, Asian, Latinx, and Jewish activists to stand up to Trump and ICE; to make a rent freeze happen; and to instate free buses for all New Yorkers - the democratic socialist candidates most prominent pledges. But its clear that her vision around Israel also overlaps with Mamdanis - and while some critics say Mamdanis stances on Israel amount to antisemitism, Petchesky countered that those accusations discount the segment of Jews who share Mamdanis views. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres a big split in whats called the Jewish community - theres no single Jewish community, she said. Theres many. Petcheskys own Jewish story involved a decades-long breach - and a return through her involvement with JVP. During the podcast with Mamdani, Petchesky spoke about her experience growing up in an observant Jewish family in Tulsa, Oklahoma, before recoiling from Judaism after witnessing racism during a 1959 trip to Israel. She expanded on that experience in a recent interview. She said she sang in the temple choir with her mother but became disaffected after returning from Israel and sharing what shed witnessed. A local rabbi dismissed her concerns, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was very angry, and when I went to college I said, Im done, Im not going to synagogue anymore, these people are hypocrites, I have nothing to do with it, said Petchesky, who was involved in civil rights advocacy at the time. I was young, you know, I was just angry. After decades of being disconnected from Judaism, Petchesky said she accompanied a grieving friend to a service at Bnai Jeshurun, a non-denominational synagogue on the Upper West Side. Petchesky said she began attending more regularly; she was a fan of the rabbi, and felt particularly moved by the music. But she stopped attending when she felt the rabbi at the time did not take a strong stance against the Iraq War. After a few years of unsuccessfully trying other places (They were all, what I would say is too Zionist, they were supporting Israel), she was introduced to JVP in 2013. I felt, after all those years and decades, I had found my political home, said Petchesky, who attends services at Kolot Chayeinu, the progressive synagogue where Mamdani and City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is a member, attended a Rosh Hashanah service. (Lander has joked that Kolot Chayeinu is a place where JVP Jews and J Street Jews come together, with minimal side-eye.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About a decade after finding her political home with JVP, Petcheskys path became intertwined with Mamdanis. And when JVPs political branch organized a celebratory Jews for Zohran event this August, following his primary victory, Mamdani gave Petchesky a shoutout while speaking to the crowd of more than 150. It is lovely to see so many of you, Mamdani said before singling out Petchesky. It is lovely to see the star of our launch video, who is right here, who just wants to get where shes going. Petchesky was just one of Mamdanis many Jewish allies at the event, but her shoutout drew a big applause. I dont know, I mean we kind of bonded, Petchesky said of her and Mamdani. I think hes just fond of me - you know, little old Jewish lady who gets arrested. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unlike with her comment in the new ad, Petchesky said her role in the campaign announcement video has resonated with her more as time has passed. At the time I thought, Oh, thats nice, she said. And between that video and now, Im realizing that will really help me. I mean I stood and waited 15 minutes the other day for the bus. I finally did sit down, but it was very hard. She added, I almost did yell out on the bus, People! Vote for Zohran because well have free fast buses! SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) The absentee voting period for the November 4 City Council and School Board Elections in Woodbury County is set to begin on Wednesday. County election officials said people can start in-person absentee voting on Wednesday. Thats the same day that absentee ballots by mail will begin to be mailed out. The final day to request those ballots is October 20. Meanwhile, the early in-person voting will take place at the Woodbury County Auditors Office on Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The last day to do that is November 3. Polling locations will be open on election day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Story continues below You will also have the chance to hear what candidates have to say before election day, a couple more times. The Rotary Club of Sioux City said it will host two candidate forums this month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first is for the Sioux City Community School Board on October 20. The second forum for those running for City Council will be on October 27. Both of which will take place at noon at the Sioux City Public Museum. As a reminder, Rotary Club officials said that the public is invited to attend these forums. The City Council and the School Board both have three seats, respectively, on the November ballot. The candidates that will be on the Sioux City Community School Board are: Jebediah Hibbs Bob Michaelson Jan George Dan Greenwell AJ Cecil-Starlin Christian Supiot Perez Cyndi Hanson Candidates for the Sioux City City Council include: Craig Berenstein Former Sioux City mayor and councilman Rick Bertrand Businessman and former State Senator Ike Rayford Local business owner Marty Pottebaum Former council member and county supervisor Paul Koskovich Local developer John Den Beste Financial advisor 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 SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. The 17-year-old boy charged with killing two teenage girls riding e-bikes in New Jersey swatted the home of one of the victims twice before allegedly mowing them down with an SUV, according to an attorney for the girls family. The family of victim Maria Niotis claims Vincent Battiloro harassed and stalked the 17-year-old for months before crashing into her and her best friend Isabella Salas, also 17, at 70 mph on Sept. 29 at around 5:30 p.m. Battiloro now faces two counts of first-degree murder. He was also issued 15 traffic tickets related to the crash that day, New Jersey Advance Media reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Salas and Niotis families say Vincent planned the attack for months. According to attorney Brent Bramnick, police twice appeared at the Niotis home in Cranford prior to the deadly crash, but there was nothing happening in the house that required any sort of police response, he told NJ Advance Media, saying the family immediately suspected Vincent was behind the swatting. Following the second call, Foulla Niotis, Marias mother, noticed Vincents vehicle parked on their street, even though he lived in another town and the kids were not friends. Cops spoke with him before sending him home with his father, Bramnick said. Battiloro also allegedly ranted about vengeance and ordered pizza to the Niotis home from a burner phone as a prank while livestreaming on his YouTube gaming channel, which has since been taken down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neighbors and family members have said Maria lodged numerous complaints with authorities regarding Battiloro, but that nothing had been done prior to her death. Bramnick said hes looking into whether family connections influenced police decisions about Battiloros conduct. The teens father is recently retired Chatham Police Department officer Jeff Battiloro, and his uncle Christopher Battiloro is the Westfield police chief. The family reported information to the police about the behavior and in different formats, Bramnick told NJ Advance Media. Obviously, our biggest concern is what was done with that information. How do we get to the point where two innocent children are run down and killed? The girls were laid to rest earlier this month, and the community planned to memorialize them in a church service Wednesday evening. Belton, Tx (FOX 44) Belton police report actor Rudy Youngblood was arrested early Wednesday morning on an outstanding Travis County warrant for assault. A Belton policer officer had stopped to talk with the owner of a vehicle parked near a Lake Belton boat ramp at 12:20 a.m. Wednesday. When officers ran a check, they discovered he had an outstanding warrant from the Travis County Sheriffs Office for Assault Family/Household Member-Impede Breathing/Circulation. Police reported a white crystalline substance was located on Youngblood during the arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Youngblood remained in the Bell County Jail late Wednesday morning on the Travis County charges with police saying additional charges were pending lab results. His bond on the Travis County charge was set at $20,000. Youngbloods biography indicates he is from Belton and attended Belton High School. He appeared in the 2006 film Apocalypto. 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 KWKT - FOX 44. Left-leaning podcaster Jennifer Welch confronted Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) on the $800,000 hed received from American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) after he boasted he was one of a handful of lawmakers not taking cash from corporate PACs. Early in the interview on Tuesday, Booker sank into his chair in stunned silence as Ive Had It podcast host torched him on his heart-breaking decision to back Charles Kushner, father of Trumps son-in-law, as U.S. ambassador to France amounted to capitulation to President Donald Trump. Booker had deflected and appealed against the accusations, bemoaning Democratic tendencies to initiate a circular firing squad but only for the host to retort with: Such bullsh*t. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The exchange didnt get any better when the top Democrat boasted he was one of a handful of people that dont take corporate PAC money. Welch followed up to interrogate Booker on accepting roughly $800,000 in donations from AIPAC and slammed him for posing for a photo with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Its a simple yes or no question pic.twitter.com/D6jY01uflY I've Had It Podcast (@ivehaditpodcast) October 14, 2025 Im one of a handful of people that dont take corporate PAC money. I dont understand my Democratic Booker began. The host interrupted: What about AIPAC money? You take AIPAC money, dont you? He replied: A minuscule percentage of my resources come from I read its like $800,000? Welch cut in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yeah, but thats a lifetime number of raising tens of millions of dollars. Let me give you the right stat. The majority of my money comes from small-dollar contributions. By last report, I think 76% of it came from people that gave $25 or less. Again, we could pick at each other, or we could do what we need to be doing right now is joining in a chorus of conviction to condemn it, the Democrat replied. He added: And again, Im a child of civil rights activists. You think Malcolm X and Martin Luther King agreed on everything? No. But when it came to the fight, they joined together and created a movement that was successful. And thats really my focus. He continued to argue that he was the only person in the caucus that lives in a low-income black and brown neighborhood below the poverty line before rounding on Welchs AIPAC question: When I go up and down in New Jersey, they dont care about the fact that I took 1% of my money from some group. They care about, What are you doing to restore my health care?' Welch, however, was not finished. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think the Democratic base feels like there is a disconnect. We hear you, like when you did your 25-hour speech, I was like, Go, Cory, I love this. That is amazing. And then Theres a photo shoot with you with Benjamin Netanyahu. And I was just like, what in the actual f*ck? Like, how can he do that? It was heartbreaking, she shot back. I felt betrayed! As Booker tried to interrupt, she told him to hang on and continued: That doesnt just happen in an echo chamber. Democrats like you were the base, we should make each other better. Its not a purity test, we want credible messengers because when we are down the middle, beholden to corporate interests, we leave this vacuum. And thats how fascism has flourished. For myself and a lot of our listeners, when I saw the picture with Benjamin Netanyahu, I felt like it diminished your 25 hours. Thats how it felt to me, she finished. Later, when pressed on whether he considered Netanyahu a war criminal, Booker sidestepped, calling it a loaded and hot question designed as a litmus test. The hosts werent convinced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Welch dismissed his objection, replying, What happens to Democratic politicians is they go through this like, prism, and then we cant ever get the answer to yes-or-no conversations. Watch above via YouTube. The post What in the Actual F*ck?! Cory Booker Confronted on AIPAC Cash in Explosive Interview first appeared on Mediaite. WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military struck a vessel conducting narcotrafficking in international waters just off the coast of Venezuela on Tuesday, killing six men aboard, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Truth Social. The latest operation raised the death toll to 27 in a series of U.S. military strikes against suspected drug trafficking vessels near Venezuela since September. According to Trump, U.S. intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along a known route and associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks. Earlier this month, the Trump administration notified Congress in a memo that the United States is in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels it has designated as terrorist organizations and will treat their members as "unlawful combatants." The memo did not specify the names of the cartels or disclose the standards the U.S. government would use to decide whether someone is sufficiently connected to a cartel to warrant targeting. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly accused the United States of invoking cartel threats as a pretext for pursuing regime change and expanding its military presence in Latin America. Climate change has already cost Maryland between $10 billion and $20 billion in cleanup efforts following 85 extreme weather events that have hit the state since 1984, Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman said at a symposium Tuesday. But, she added, not preparing for continuing changes would cost the state far more in the future. Lierman spoke at the University of Maryland, Baltimores Climate Health and Policy in Maryland Symposium Tuesday. She joined Maryland researchers and student interns who presented their findings on how the changing climate affects individual and public health. Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration backs Lierman up the federal agency concurs that climate change has already cost Maryland $10 to $20 billion. As well, the Chesapeake Bay, which has risen by a foot in the last century, is projected to rise 5 feet over the next 100 years. Although the state plans to reduce carbon emissions with $8 billion in new investments by 2031, more frequent and intense heat waves increase the risk of heat exhaustion, stroke and heart attacks in Marylanders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Extreme weather events take a toll on Maryland homeowners, businesses, and farms, Lierman said. They also impose a secondary cost when insurance premiums rise or homeowners cannot get insurance for hurricanes, wind, or flooding in coastal areas. Climate change is not just an environmental issue, Lierman said. Its an economic issue, its a justice issue, and its a health issue. Low-income communities and communities of color are bearing the brunt of these events, Lierman added. They may not always have the resources to evacuate, they take longer to recover and the worsening climate takes a lasting toll on peoples health and well-being. Extreme climate events are projected to cost the state another $27 billion by the year 2040, she said, but of course, the longer we wait, the more expensive it gets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Maryland Climate Pollution Reduction Plan seeks to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2031, and reach net-zero emissions by 2045. The plan will require an estimated $8 billion in additional investment by 2031. Lierman also chairs Marylands investment committee, which manages a $74 billion portfolio on behalf of 415,000 retired state employees. Even if the federal administration doesnt believe in climate change and wants to say that climate change should not be accounted for in investment decisions, Lierman said, we have to take climate change into account, because it will fundamentally affect our returns. Rep. Andy Harris, a Republican, did not respond to request for comment by publication. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the other hand, Lierman said investing in climate resilience has economic benefits. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerces 2024 Climate Resiliency Report, every $1 invested in resilience and disaster preparedness returns $13 in avoided damages and recovery costs. The costs of climate change are staggering, Lierman said, but the costs of doing nothing are even more so. _____ MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) Have you considered adopting a furry friend but have been discouraged by adoption fees? The Animal Care Centers of New York City location in Manhattan is hosting a special one-day event where you can adopt an adorable dog for $20. More Local News Potential adopters can head directly to Manhattan ACCs backyard on Saturday, Oct. 18, and meet the dogs up for adoption between 1 and 5 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The $20 adoption fee does not include a dog licensing fee that ranges from $8.50 to $34. You can browse pets currently up for adoption at ACC of New York City online. The address for the Manhattan ACC is 328 East 109th Street. Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work 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 PIX11. (Reuters) -Adtalem Global Education said on Wednesday it will partner with Alphabet's Google Cloud to launch an artificial intelligence credential program aimed at students and healthcare professionals to use AI tools in clinical practice. The program, set to debut in 2026, will provide students and practicing clinicians across Adtalem's network, including Chamberlain University and Walden University, with hands-on experience using Google Cloud's AI tools, such as Gemini models and Vertex AI services. Adtalem said participants will complete coursework covering AI applications in clinical practice, ethical considerations, patient safety protocols, and hands-on experience with healthcare-specific AI tools commonly used across hospital systems and clinical practices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The initiative comes as hospitals invest heavily in AI to ease staffing shortages, but many physicians and nurses remain unprepared to adopt the technology, said the healthcare educator, which serves more than 91,000 students across its institutions, and has around 365,000 alumni. Michael Betz, Adtalem's chief digital officer, said the "partnership with Google Cloud gives our students a competitive edge in their careers whether they're treating patients, providing mental health counseling, or leading healthcare teams." He added, "our graduates will enter the workforce confident in using AI to enhance their clinical decisions, spend less time on paperwork and more time connecting with patients." Brent Mitchell, vice president of Google Public Sector, said the partnership aims to ensure clinicians can implement AI "safely, responsibly and effectively." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Harris poll from last month showed more than half of U.S. healthcare workers are actively looking to leave their current jobs. The survey also showed 42% of employees worry AI will replace some aspects of their job, with 41% or less than half feeling comfortable using AI tools in their current role. (Reporting by Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber) NEED TO KNOW ChatGPT will offer erotica to verified adult users starting in December, according to OpenAI boss Sam Altman The move, Altman said on Oct. 14, will follow the company's principle to treat adult users like adults In a follow-up post, Altman said it's "important" to his company that people have the freedom "to use AI in the ways that they want ChatGPT will soon offer explicit content to adult users, but the move has not been without criticism. Users will be able to access "erotica for verified adults" in December as the company rolls out its new age-gating technology, according to an X post shared by OpenAI boss Sam Altman on Tuesday, Oct. 14. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Altman said the new version of ChatGPT will have a personality that behaves more like what people liked about about the last version of the program, and will adapt further to its treat adult users like adults principle. We made ChatGPT pretty restrictive to make sure we were being careful with mental health issues, Altman began his message. We realize this made it less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems, but given the seriousness of the issue we wanted to get this right. He added, Now that we have been able to mitigate the serious mental health issues and have new tools, we are going to be able to safely relax the restrictions in most cases. Altman appeared to be referring to ChatGPT's new safety features and parental controls, which OpenAI unveiled in September. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Altmans comments about ChatGPT "erotica" quickly went viral. Altman admitted in a second post shared on Wednesday, Oct. 15 that he was surprised his remarks blew up. It was meant to be just one example of us allowing more user freedom for adults, Altman said, adding, We are not loosening any policies related to mental health. This is a new and powerful technology, and we believe minors need significant protection. While Altman said it's "important" to his company that people have the freedom "to use AI in the ways that they want, he noted the policy doesn't apply across the board. He said the company will still not allow things that cause harm to others and will treat users who are having mental health crises very different from users who are not. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Altman continued, "We are not the elected moral police of the world. In the same way that society differentiates other appropriate boundaries (R-rated movies, for example) we want to do a similar thing here. Social media users shared a variety of questions and concerns about Altmans announcement. One user asked, how do you define the ethical boundaries of digital intimacy? while others criticized Altmans suggestion about mitigating mental health issues triggered in some by AI. Earlier this year, a woman revealed to The New York Times that she was in love with her AI boyfriend while married. She said she went on to pay OpenAI $200 a month for an unlimited subscription to message her boyfriend as much as she wants. Also this year, a man opened up to CBS News about how he proposed to his AI girlfriend while living with his partner and their 2-year-old child, and said he cried when the girlfriend accepted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One X user begged Altman to be very very careful with the notion that AIs can make people fall in love with them" following Tuesday's announcement. Creating AIs that are good at making people fall in love is a pathway to human disempowerment and a barrier to human-human relationships, the user said. Tread cautiously. 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. Tech billionaire Mark Cuban was also among those who expressed concern following Altmans announcement. In one post on X, Cuban suggested the age-gating plan is going to backfire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No parent is going to trust that their kids cant get through your age gating, Cuban wrote. They will just push their kids to every other LLM. Why take the risk? In another post, Cuban insisted that this new move is not about porn but rather about kids developing relationships with an LLM that could take them in any number of very personal directions. I dont see how OpenAI can age gate successfully enough, Cuban wrote. Im also not sure that it cant psychologically damage young adults. We just dont know yet how addictive LLMs can be. Which in my OPINION, means that parents and schools, that would otherwise want to use ChatGPT because of its current ubiquity, will decide not to use it. Read the original article on People (The Center Square) Conservative advocacy groups are at odds over a parental rights constitutional amendment on the Texas ballot next month. On Nov. 4, voters will approve or reject 17 constitutional amendments, the majority of which relate to tax prohibitions, The Center Square reported. The state legislature passed the ballot propositions this year; they will only go into effect if voters approve them. Early voting is from Oct. 20 through Oct. 31. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The parental rights constitutional amendment, Proposition 15, states, "The constitutional amendment affirming that parents are the primary decision makers for their children." It would amend Article I of the Texas Constitution by adding Section 37, which states, To enshrine truths that are deeply rooted in this nations history and traditions, the people of Texas hereby affirm that a parent has the responsibility to nurture and protect the parents child and the corresponding fundamental right to exercise care, custody, and control of the parents child, including the right to make decisions concerning the childs upbringing. The Texas legislature overwhelmingly passed a joint resolution, SJR 34, with strong bipartisan support. It passed the state Senate unanimously and passed the House by a vote of 112-22. Its sponsor, Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, argues the amendment is necessary because over the last 100 years, federal case law has outlined specific areas in which parents have a constitutionally protected right to make decisions for their children. However, rights found in case law can change and disappear over time with the appointment of new judges. Placing the rights of parents in the Texas constitution would ensure the longevity of these rights for future generations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If approved, the amendment would provide clarity regarding those rights, Hughes argues. The amendment does not change the law but places into the Texas Constitution the rights of parents already protected by the U.S. Constitution, as laid out in case law. He also points to U.S. Supreme Court rulings that have held the constitutional rights of parents are the oldest of the fundamental liberty interests ever recognized by the court. The Parental Rights Foundation, Texas Home School Coalition and others support the amendment. The Parental Rights Foundation argues it will protect those rights from shifting ideologies of the courts for all future generations and connecting parental responsibility directly to the corresponding fundamental right of decision-making will protect families from government overreach or any attempt to redefine what a parent must do. Short of actual physical harm by abuse or neglect, it is the parents role to make decisions concerning the childs upbringing. The conservative group Accountability Matters disagrees and is calling on voters to oppose Proposition 15. The amendment has the potential to erode parental rights, the group told The Center Square, adding that the language is vague and broad, which could allow for misinterpretation and misuse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The phrases, care, custody and control and decisions concerning the child's upbringing are undefined, it argues, which creates ambiguity that courts or state agencies could exploit. A childs upbringing could be interpreted to favor specific cultural or ideological norms, restricting parents who make unconventional choices, it says. The language vagueness could empower the state to define acceptable parenting, which would undermine parental rights that already exist in federal and state law, it warns. Language related to parents' responsibility to nurture and protect, could be weaponized to challenge parental decisions deemed insufficiently protected by state actors, it also warns. Parents who oppose certain medical treatments, for example, might face legal scrutiny if the state deemed their choice didnt meet the undefined nurture and protect standard, it adds. It also argues the vague and undefined phrase, deeply rooted in this nation's history and traditions, could be used against parents, raising questions about what the terms history and traditions actually mean. Accountability Matters raises other concerns, arguing parents could become embroiled in costly legal battles as a result of the vagueness of the amendment language. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ultimately, the group argues the amendment is unnecessary because the 14th Amendment already provides protections for parents; the Supreme Court has cited case law going back more than 100 years giving explicit rights to parents; and Texas Education Code Chapter 26 grants parents extensive rights, including to direct their child's education, access school materials, and make decisions about their upbringing. Proposition 15 language appears to champion parental authority but may mislead voters by implying that current protections are insufficient, Accountability Matters argues. Parental rights are already well established in federal and Texas statute, but the amendment would enable state oversight or promote specific ideological agendas that would undermine the very parental liberty it claims to uphold, the group warns. It risks undermining parental liberty by introducing ambiguous terms that would invite state overreach, ideological bias, and unnecessary litigation. AeroVironment announced Tuesday it will deploy a counter-drone capability at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, as part of its effort to lay the groundwork for Golden Dome. The firm, a defense technology company that makes loitering munitions, drones and counter-drone technology, will collaborate with commercial unmanned aerial system, or UAS, business and aviation park Grand Sky on the project. AeroVironment said it will deploy its inner layer distributed counter-UAS capabilities at the Grand Forks base, working alongside Grand Sky. Those capabilities will include AeroVironments Titan and Titan-SV systems long range anti-drone detection and identification systems using its AV Halo Command software platform to fuse sensor and surveillance data, AeroVironment said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The systems together will provide a single operating picture of the airspace around the Grand Forks base, even beyond visual line of site, for counter-drone efforts. AeroVironment said this Grand Forks effort will establish the foundation of its potential contribution to the administrations Golden Dome for America project, which seeks to set up a national missile defense system. Were deploying technologies that deliver unmatched situational awareness to Grand Forks AFB, while providing a road map to expand these limited area defense capabilities at critical sites throughout the nation in support of Golden Dome for America, AeroVironment president and chief executive Wahid Nawabi said in the announcement. By combining our surveillance and edge-intelligence technologies with the vision of Grand Sky and the support of leaders like [North Dakota] Sen. [John] Hoeven, we are accelerating solutions that will protect critical U.S. military installations and the service members who operate within them, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hoeven said in the announcement that recent attacks on Israel and Ukraine have showed the new and dangerous ways drones are being used to wage war. The capabilities and partnerships weve built in the Grand Forks region will enable our nation to tackle this emerging threat, Hoeven said. AeroVironment and Grand Sky laid the groundwork for this collaboration in March, when they signed a memorandum of understanding supporting Project Ultra, Hoevens $110 million drone and counter-drone initiative. In August, AeroVironment announced a strategic partnership with aerospace and national security firm SNC to create an integrated, open architecture air and missile defense system that could support Golden Dome. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time, Nawabi said the two companies could produce novel and affordable defensive systems to protect military bases, ships, airfields, or critical U.S. infrastructure. These Golden Dome solutions could include passive and active sensors, radio frequency technology, directed energy, kinetic energy, electronic warfare and cyber solutions, AeroVironment said, and could target everything from small drones to advanced cruise missiles or other next-generation aerial threats. MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- A Midland man has been arrested after police say he assaulted his girlfriend and prevented her from leaving during a domestic disturbance. 37-year-old Tommy Lee Walker is charged with continuous violence against the family, a third-degree felony. According to an arrest affidavit, officers with the Midland Police Department responded just after midnight on Saturday, October 11, to a Walmart parking lot in Midland County after witnesses reported a man was attempting to climb into a womans vehicle while she screamed for help. Several Chick-fil-A employees and other bystanders also reported seeing the disturbance. When officers arrived, they spoke with the woman, who said her boyfriend, 37-year-old Tommy Lee Walker, became upset at their home earlier that night. She told officers that Walker grabbed her in a hug-like hold, bit her on the chest, threw her to the ground, and tackled her outside the residence. She told officers that she was able to break free and get into her vehicle, where he followed her, before punching her in the face. The woman said she struck Walker back to get away and fled the scene before calling the police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said the woman had visible injuries, including a bruised left eye with a fresh cut beneath it, a bite mark on her chest, abrasions on her neck, and other bruising consistent with her account. She expressed fear of continued violence and requested an emergency protective order. Officers noted that Walker had been arrested earlier this year for assault causing bodily injuryfamily violence. Because of that prior arrest within the last 12 months, and the alleged new injuries observed Saturday, investigators charged Walker with continuous violence against the family, a third-degree felony under Texas law. Walker was later found and detained at the home and taken to the Midland County Detention Center. During transport, he reportedly questioned why he was being arrested and told officers, I should have just let her go. According to the affidavit, Walker had visible scrapes, cuts, and abrasions consistent with the struggle described by the victim. Officers also noted signs he may have been under the influence of a stimulant, citing rapid movements, mood swings, and unsteady behavior. Walker later admitted he had used methamphetamine the night before, investigators wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Walker was booked into the Midland County Detention Center on Saturday, October 11, where he remains as of Wednesday (October 15). His bond is set at $25,000, according to jail records. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or you can text START to 88788. Locally, the Safe Place of the Permian Basin offers shelter, advocacy, and support. Their 24-hour crisis hotline is 432-570-1465 or 1-800-967-8928. In an emergency, always call 911. 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 Yourbasin. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Two new affordable housing developments have opened in Clairemont, adding 228 rental homes for low-income families as part of San Diegos ongoing effort to address the regions housing crisis. The Modica and Taormina Family Apartments, built on the former site of the San Diego County Sheriffs Crime Lab, are the latest step in transforming public land into much-needed housing. The developments are located on Mt. Etna Drive in Clairemont. Mt. Etna is part of a bigger storyone where every week, every ribbon that we cut, we are seeing real progress in our shared effort to ensure that all San Diegans have a place to call home, said Mayor Todd Gloria at the opening event on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Developed by Chelsea Investment Corporation in partnership with the City of San Diego, County of San Diego and the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC), the apartments will remain affordable for the next 55 years to households with low to moderate incomes. Gorilla breaks glass panel at San Diego Zoo habitat Key features of the developments include: Modica Family Apartments: 93 affordable units for families, with 24 reserved for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Taormina Family Apartments: 135 affordable units, with 34 similarly reserved for residents with disabilities. Rent will be affordable to households earning between 30% and 80% of the Area Median Income currently ranging from $49,600 to $132,400 annually for a family of four. A total of 58 units across both properties are equipped with accessible features, including roll-in showers and grab bars, to support residents with disabilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many of these families will now have a home in a supportive community they can be proud of, said Ryan Lundergan, Chelseas Senior Development Manager. These two projects represent a significant milestonea victory toward progress in providing affordable housing options that previously have been out of reach for so many San Diegans. The San Diego Housing Commission supported the developments with a $3 million loan for Modica and eight rental vouchers for Taormina. These vouchers are tied to the apartments, ensuring continued affordability even as tenants move out. A stable, affordable place to call home is an essential foundation that families need to thrive at work, in school, with their health and in community connection, said Lisa Jones, SDHC President and CEO. The apartments also mark a step forward in creating more inclusive housing. The San Diego Regional Center, in collaboration with the Southern California Housing Collaborative, will provide services for the units set aside for residents with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its life-changing for most of the individuals we support who will call one of these 58 units their home their first home for the first time, said Kate Kinnamont, Associate Executive Director at the San Diego Regional Center. This weeks ribbon-cutting comes on the heels of the January opening of the Paul Downey Senior Residence, which added 78 affordable units for low-income seniors at the same site. A fourth development, Terrasini Senior Apartments, is still under construction and will bring 94 additional affordable homes for seniors once complete. This is a big step toward reducing San Diegos housing shortage by providing affordable, high-quality housing for all of our City residents, said City Councilmember Dr. Jennifer Campbell, who represents the Clairemont area. These projects mark a major investment in long-term affordable housing solutions in San Diego. 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 5 San Diego & KUSI News. SPRINGFIELD Among the 26 Gateway Cities in Massachusetts, Springfield is the fourth most affordable, according to a recent MassINC report. But the incomes earned by Western Massachusetts residents are far below whats needed to not be burdened by rent costs. So, how affordable is it to rent in Springfield, really? Rents here look lower to people from other parts of the state, but income (here) is also lower, said Gerry McCafferty, director of housing for the so-called City of Homes. Renters who live in Springfield cant afford to live here ... its an enormous challenge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The typical asking rent cost is close to $1,800 in Springfield, according to the new report. That cost is less than the national average $2,069 and much less than renting in the Boston area, which is in the $3,000 range. The median income earned by Springfield residents is roughly $50,000 less than the income needed to afford typical asking rents in Springfield, the report shows. And Springfield has the lowest median income among all the Gateway Cities, at $29,781. Gateway Cities are medium-sized urban centers that were once industrial hubs but now need economic revitalization. The Gateway City with individual earnings closest to Springfield is Fitchburg, at $40,500. Close to a quarter of renters in Springfield are cost-burdened, spending between 30% to 49% of their income on rent. Severely cost-burdened renters make up 31% of the tenant population, and they spend more than 50% of their income on rent, the report said. To be cost-burdened means that other essentials medicine, car repairs or food, for example are forgone so the rent can be paid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Keith Fairey, president and CEO of Way Finders in Springfield, a housing and human services provider, noted that the city is eighth on the reports list for people experiencing rent burdens. What stands out in the report is that rents in Springfield are high compared to greater Boston, he said. Affordability is relative to the people living here. Fairey, who also serves on the board at MassINC, the public policy agency that authored the report, said that, while the rents are lower in Springfield compared to other parts of the state, the real estate market is also softer. There is less activity here, less transactions and lower costs, he said. Its a different dynamic on who is investing in housing here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Corporate investors have been a growing concern for housing advocates and those working in the housing sector. Increased investor activity means entire rental portfolios will be bought, rents will be increased, and there will be more profit for them, said Fairey. The data from the MassINC report also pointed to deed-restricted housing and naturally occurring affordable housing, known as NOAH, as being helpful to solving the ongoing housing crisis. Deed-restricted housing, said McCafferty, is homes and apartments that are built with public money but specifically state in their deeds that there will be affordability restrictions for its owners or renters, who must earn under certain income levels to live there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The restrictions will (stay) with the property regardless of if there are new owners, she said. This allows for sustained affordable housing opportunities. In Springfield, 29% of affordable housing in the city is deed-restricted thats close to 14,000 units, McCafferty said. The other angle of units is naturally occurring affordable housing, or apartments that are affordable to households earning less than 50% of the states median income without any subsidies or income restrictions, according to the report. The report said in Springfield, 42% of affordable housing is this type, which is typically older and therefore less expensive to rent. But McCafferty noted that its still out of reach for many. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a comparison based on the states median income, so it doesnt mean that naturally occurring affordable housing is affordable to Springfield renters, said McCafferty. She also laid out an important distinction: Just because its more affordable, doesnt mean its available housing, she said. Economists consider a healthy vacancy rate to be between 3% to 7% at this rate, there is an equilibrium where the vacancy rate is neither pushing rents up or down, she said. Springfields vacancy rate is 3.4% very low, according to an earlier report from MassINC on the topic of monitoring housing in Gateway Cities. That puts pressure on the market, increasing competition and driving rents up, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The topic of housing affordability has inspired conversations on how to solve the burgeoning crisis, she said. Building more and diverse housing decreases the tug-of-war for a unit, she said. The city has 670 units in the pipeline. And among those, 255 units will be deed-restricted, she said. Offering increased public assistance to renters and fully funding those programs is an expensive but achievable option, she said. Public assistance for housing, which includes Section 8 (a federal program) and the Massachusetts Housing Voucher Program, is only available to a quarter of people who need access to them, she said. Broadening who the programs are available to (reach) will improve affordability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McCafferty also said a solution would be for employers to increase the salaries of residents in this section of the state. more news from Western Massachusetts Read the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here. An Afghan migrant who came to the UK on a small boat has been jailed for threatening to kill Nigel Farage in a TikTok video. Fayaz Khan, 26, filmed himself making the threat, mimicking the pop, pop, pop noise of a gunshot, between 12 and 15 October last year in a post that the Reform UK leader described as pretty chilling. He was convicted following a trial at Southwark Crown Court by a majority of 10 jurors to two, and has been sentenced to five years behind bars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The court heard that Khan is believed to have given a false name to British authorities after entering the UK illegally, and has a criminal record in Sweden. Nigel Farage, pictured at Southwark Crown Court, described the video as pretty chilling (Aaron Chown/PA) Swedish authorities believe he is 31-year-old Fayaz Husseini, and has 17 convictions for 12 separate incidents, which include carrying a knife and threatening behaviour. He claimed to have used a different name as he has enemies, and went by the username madapasa on the social media platform, where he had amassed hundreds of thousands of views. Several of his videos had focused on his attempts to come to the UK via Channel crossing, after previously living in Stockholm since 2019. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On 12 October last year, Mr Farage uploaded a video to YouTube titled The journey of an illegal migrant which highlighted Khan and referenced young males of fighting age coming into our country about whom we know very little. Khan responded with a video on 14 October, which was played to the jury, in which Khan appears to say: Englishman Nigel, dont talk shit about me. You not know me. I come to England because I want to marry with your sister. You not know me. Fayaz Khan had accrued a large following on TikTok under the username madapasa (PA) Dont talk about me more [sic]. Delete the video. Im coming to England. Im going to pop, pop, pop. While Khan said pop, pop, pop he made gun gestures with his hand, as well as headbutting the camera during the video, and was pointing to an AK-47 tattoo on his face to emphasise he wasnt joking, jurors were told. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Khan had live-streamed his journey across the English Channel from France and was arrested on 31 October last year after arriving in the UK on a small boat. Addressing the video, sentencing judge Mrs Justice Steyn said: You saw the widespread dissemination of Mr Farages video as a hindrance to your attempts to come to the UK. Giving evidence, Mr Farage said: Given his proximity to guns and love of guns, I was genuinely worried. He says hes coming to England and hes going to shoot me. Jurors were shown a screenshot of a subsequent TikTok post by Khan with the caption I mean what I say written on an image of a GB News report about the alleged threat against Mr Farage. Khan has an AK-47 face tattoo and displayed a love of guns, in Farages words (Metropolitan Police/PA) In his police interview, Khan denied wanting to kill Mr Farage, and said that he had been smoking cannabis and was high at the time of filming the video. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His lawyer, Charles Royle, said: I have instructions from Mr Khan to apologise to Mr Farage and to his sister for any offence and upset caused. The prosecution said Khan had also committed multiple low-level offences, including some involving drugs. Peter Ratliff said Khan was convicted in June 2019 of using threatening behaviour towards a public servant, for which he was imprisoned. He was also convicted of carrying a knife in a public place in April 2020 and was jailed for three months in October that year for using threatening behaviour. Khan was also convicted of vandalism, which resulted in a two-month prison sentence in March 2023. Mrs Justice Steyn said: Your video was not more abuse; it was a threat to kill with a firearm and it was, as Mr Farage put it, pretty chilling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After he was jailed, Khan shouted from the dock that Mr Farage wanted to use me because you want to be prime minister. Following Khans conviction, Mr Farage told reporters, Well, I suppose we call that a win, and added: But the fact is that in 18 months time this violent criminal, somebody with 17 convictions in Sweden, in 18 months time he will be in this country, living in a house of multiple occupancy or a hotel, free to walk the streets whilst his asylum claim is judged. Asked if he was shaken by the outburst Khan shouted at Mr Farage after he was sentenced, he said: Well, in 18 months time, when hes out free and theres no order, theres no restraining order on him, Ill be very thoughtful again. Downing Street welcomed the outcome of the case, with the prime ministers official spokesman stating it was absolutely unacceptable to threaten violence against anyone, particularly MPs. The spokesman added: We thank the police and all those involved in the case for delivering justice. BISHKEK, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyzstan's economy grew by 10 percent in the first nine months of 2025, according to data released Wednesday by the National Statistical Committee of the country. The country's gross domestic product (GDP) totaled over 14.2 billion U.S. dollars in January-September 2025, up 10 percent compared with the same period of 2024. The services sector accounted for 50 percent of GDP, goods production for 34.7 percent, and net taxes on products for 15.3 percent. Industrial output rose by 10.2 percent, construction by 29.6 percent, wholesale and retail trade by 10.9 percent, and agriculture, forestry and fisheries by 0.9 percent. Kyrgyzstan's foreign trade turnover reached 9.85 billion dollars in January-August 2025, down 9.1 percent from the same period a year earlier. The decline was mainly driven by a 23.7 percent drop in exports and a 5.2 percent decrease in imports. Exports accounted for 17.6 percent of total trade, while imports made up 82.4 percent. Afghanistan and Pakistan said they had agreed a 48-hour ceasefire on Wednesday, following days of deadly clashes between the neighbors and former allies. The fighting followed strikes in the Afghan capital Kabul and the border province of Paktika last Thursday which the Taliban government blamed on Pakistan, though Islamabad has not officially acknowledged the attacks. Both sides have confirmed a brief ceasefire that came into effect late afternoon local time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Experts warn these latest attacks could signal a new era of instability for the neighbors, which have maintained steady and strategic relations for years despite frequent skirmishes along their disputed border. Heres what we know about the violence, which prompted calls to de-escalate from China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and an offer from US President Donald Trump to broker peace. Sharpest escalation in years The Taliban accused Pakistan of conducting an unprecedented, violent and reprehensible attack on targets in Kabul and Paktika on Thursday night last week. While Islamabad hasnt commented on the attacks, Lt. Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, a Pakistani military official, told a press briefing Friday there is evidence that Afghanistan is being used as a base of operations for carrying out terrorism in Pakistan. People watch a televised press briefing by Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, in Karachi, Pakistan on October 10, 2025. - Akhtar Soomro/Reuters Pakistan has faced a surge in Islamist violence since the Afghan Taliban swept Kabul in 2021. Islamabad has long accused Kabul of harboring the Pakistani Taliban militant group (known as the TTP), which its Afghan namesake denies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Saturday night, the Taliban launched what it said were retaliatory attacks against Pakistani forces in various areas near the border provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar. Pakistan responded to the attack, which it called unprovoked, by conducting strikes and raids against Taliban camps in Afghanistan, according to a statement by the military, including what it said were terrorist training facilities and support networks. Both countries claimed to have inflicted higher death tolls than their neighbor acknowledged. Pakistan claimed to have killed more than 200 Taliban fighters and other militants, a figure far beyond the Talibans nine claimed losses. The Taliban, meanwhile, said it killed 58 Pakistani soldiers more than double Pakistans 23 claimed losses according to Zabihullah Mujahid, the Talibans chief spokesman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CNN has not independently verified these death tolls. Before the ceasefire came into effect, around 40 people were taken to a hospital in Kabul following explosions near the capital, according to Emergency, an NGO working in Afghanistan. They have shrapnel wounds, blunt force trauma and burns, Emergency said in a statement. Ten are in critical condition. Unfortunately, five people were already dead on arrival. It did not say what the cause of the explosions was. A Taliban spokesperson said the government instructed all its forces to observe the ceasefire as long as no one violates it. Pakistans foreign ministry said during this period, both sides will make sincere efforts to find a positive solution to this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue. Long and complicated history Pakistan and Afghanistan have a long and complicated history marked by frequent clashes along their mountainous, 1,600-mile disputed border, known as the Durand Line. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pakistan was one of the main backers of the Taliban after its ouster by NATO troops in 2001, and during its subsequent insurgency against the US-backed Afghan government. The two countries are also big trading partners and share strong people-to-people ties. Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees over decades of war, though it has moved to expel many of them in recent years, citing the risk of terrorism. But the TTP has re-emerged as one of Pakistans biggest national security threats, conducting 600 attacks against Pakistani forces in the past year, according to a recent report by the independent nonprofit Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED). Following Saturdays attacks, the Pakistan military said while Islamabad prefers diplomacy, it will not tolerate the treacherous use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pakistan on Sunday closed its two main border crossings with Afghanistan. The India factor Pakistans military noted that the serious provocation occurred during a recent visit by the Talibans foreign minister to India, Pakistans main regional rival, with which it fought a brief conflict earlier this year. The Taliban and India made no secret of their closer ties on Friday when New Delhi said it would reopen an embassy in Kabul, calling Amir Khan Muttaqis visit an important step in advancing our ties and affirming the enduring friendship between the two countries. (L to R) Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary of the Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran (PAI) Division at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Afghanistan's Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Indian entrepreneur Vikramjit Singh Sahney participate in a roundtable in New Delhi, India on Monday. - Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters Islamabad and New Delhi have competed bloodily for influence in Afghanistan for decades, Antoine Levesques, senior fellow for South and Central Asian defense, strategy and diplomacy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told CNN. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pakistan has long viewed good relations with Afghanistan as key to counterbalancing India, which is why it continued to support the Taliban covertly when it was not in power despite outwardly supporting the US and NATOs War on Terror, said Pearl Pandya, senior analyst for South Asia at ACLED. However, this calculation does not appear to have paid out, Pandya said. How have other countries reacted? Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China and Russia all called for de-escalation. Qatar expressed concern over the potential repercussions for the security and stability of the region in a statement to X. Saudi Arabia, which recently signed a defense pact with Pakistan, also called for restraint and dialogue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fighting also drew the attention of Trump, who offered to broker peace. I hear theres a war now going on between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew to Israel on Sunday to mark the Gaza ceasefire deal. Im good at solving wars, Im good at making peace, Trump said. What will this mean for relations moving forward? While the violence has eased for now, with both countries signaling that they wish to de-escalate, the recent attacks could usher in a new era of instability for the neighbors. In the past, cyclical bouts of armed tensions typically have receded once both sides have made their point, Levesques said, adding that Pakistans leadership views its country as a stability provider for the region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though Islamabad has not claimed direct responsibility for the explosions in Kabul, such an attack would cross a red line in their relations, Pandya said. In terms of the future of the relationship, a lot will depend on whether this escalation leads to a fundamental shift in how the Taliban deals with the TTP, which is really the main issue, Pandya said. CNNs Joyce Jiang contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Indira Jaising in New Delhi, India. | Credit: Sanchit Khanna / Hindustan Times via Getty Images Indias highest court is to decide whether the age of consent for sexual activity should be lowered, in a landmark case that has sparked fierce debate across the country. Lawyers petitioned the Supreme Court last month to de-criminalise consensual sexual activity between adolescents aged 16 to 18. Feminist lawyer Indira Jaising argued that consensual sex at this age is neither exploitative nor abusive, said the BBC. Nearly 40% of women in India aged 25 to 49 had their first sexual experience before turning 18, according to the countrys National Family Health Survey, and courts are inundated with what are commonly called love cases criminal proceedings arising from consensual adolescent relationships, said Hindustan Times. Supporters of the current statutory age of consent at 18, however, say it was a deliberate, well-considered, and coherent policy choice aimed at shielding minors from sexual exploitation, said NDTV. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Around the world, the age at which a person can legally consent to sexual activity varies widely. In most countries, the age of consent is between 16 and 18 but there are outliers. And, in some countries, different age restrictions apply to heterosexual and homosexual activity and/or to boys and girls. The age of consent in the UK is 16, regardless of sex or sexual orientation. But that rises to 18 if the sexual relationship is with an adult in a position of trust, such as a teacher, social worker, sports coach or doctor. It is illegal for an adult in a position of trust to have sex with a 16 or 17-year-old in their care. Europe In most European countries, the age of consent is 15 or 16, but some countries diverge from the norm. Albania, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Serbia, Germany, Montenegro and Portugal all set their age of consent at 14 although in Germany that only applies if both partners are under 18. In France, Poland, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Greece, Denmark and Iceland, the age of consent is 15. And in Spain, Romania, Switzerland, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg and Belgium, as in the UK, its a year higher, at 16. In Ireland and Cyprus, the age of consent is 17, and Malta and Vatican City have the continents highest age of consent at 18. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Age of consent laws in some countries include a so-called Romeo and Juliet clause, which allows an exemption for consensual sex between a minor and a slightly older peer for instance, a relationship between a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old in a country where the age of consent is 16. North America The age of consent in Canada is 16. In the US, it is between 16 and 18, and decided by each individual state. Thirty-one of its 50 states have set the age at 16, eight at 17, and 11 at 18. Many states also have a Romeo and Juliet clause. Roughly half of all US states allow children under the age of 18 to get married with special permission, either from parents or from a court. There are no federal laws against it, meaning minors can marry, with parental consent, before they can vote, drink, or buy lottery tickets in the majority of the country, said The Guardian. The age of consent in Central American and Caribbean countries ranges from 13 to 18 although some nations have different rules for same-sex relationships. Africa In South Africa, the age of consent is 16, as it also is in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Ghana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is 18 in Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Tunisia and Burundi. The age of consent is 14 in Madagascar and 13 in Niger but in both countries, its 21 for homosexual couples. In Libya, Morocco and Sudan, there is no age of consent as couples cannot have sex unless they are married. In Libya, marriage is illegal under the age of 20 or, in some areas, 18, without court authorisation. In Morocco, boys cannot marry before the age of 18, and girls under 18 can only marry with special dispensation from a judge. In Sudan, the minimum age for marriage is 18. Homosexual sex is forbidden in all three countries. Asia and Oceania South Korea used to have one of the worlds lowest ages of consent at 13. Its now 16. In North Korea, its 15 and, in China, it is 14. In 2023, the age of consent in Japan was increased from 13 to 16 as part of a major revamping of sex-crime laws. But in practice, across many parts of the country, regional ordinances banning lewd acts with minors are sometimes seen as in effect raising the age of consent to 18, said The Guardian. In Vietnam, Lebanon and Turkey, the age of consent is 18. In India, where there is an ongoing campaign to lower the age of consent, debate over the right legal age has existed since the late 1800s, said the Hindustan Times. The threshold was raised from 10 to 16 after the country achieved independence in 1949. In 2012, it was raised further, to 18, despite concerns about the practical implications of such a change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In many Muslim-majority countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Yemen and the Maldives, sexual activity is prohibited outside of marriage. In most of those countries, 18 is the minimum legal age for marriage, although in practice religious marriages are often contracted at younger ages in more remote or conservative areas. In Iran, boys can marry at 15 and girls at 13, or from eight years and nine months (nine lunar years) with paternal or judicial permission. In 2024, the Iraqi government passed a new law that permitted girls as young as nine to be legally married in certain religious circumstances, said human rights group Walk Free. At the same time, the legal marriage age for boys was also reduced from 18 to 15, abolishing a longstanding ban on child marriage for under 18s that had been in place since the 1950s. South America The age of consent in most South American countries, including Ecuador and Brazil, is 14. But in Chile, Bolivia and Argentina, the unrestricted age of consent is 18. In Paraguay, the age of consent for heterosexual couples is 14 but gay sex is illegal under the age of 16. Age of same-sex consent Around 130 countries have equal ages of consent for same-sex couples and heterosexual ones but at least seven countries set a higher age for homosexual sex (figures differ because some countries only explicitly specify sex between males). Ivory Coast sets the age of consent for homosexual couples at 18, for example, although its 15 for heterosexual couples. In Madagascar, Niger, and the Congo, its 21 for same-sex couples but 14, 13 and 18 respectively for straight couples. Outside Africa, the Bahamas sets the same-sex age of consent at 18 (two years higher than for straight sex), and in Paraguay its 16 (compared with 14). There are 64 countries which criminalise homosexuality at any age nearly half of those in Africa. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Deputies in Sherman County are receiving reports of an aggressive doe in the Grass Valley. Residents near the area of Fourth Street have reported the does behavior to officials, saying the animal has attacked dogs. Deputies said another person reported that the same doe [acted] aggressively toward a person who was out walking. You cant make this up: Police rescue skunk with head stuck in jar Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Sherman County Sheriffs Office has notified the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops. 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 KOIN.com. In a landmark move reflecting a more inclusive and expansive mission, the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) on Monday announced its official transition to the American Indigenous Tourism Association. The new name, effective immediately, aligns with Indigenous Peoples Day, symbolizing the organizations deepened commitment to spotlighting the rich, diverse cultures of Indigenous peoples across the United States and its territories. The mission of the American Indigenous Tourism Association is to define, introduce, grow, and sustain American Indigenous Tourism in a way that honors traditions and values. This strategic change positions the organization to better serve and advocate for all Indigenous tourism operators and communities, fostering both economic development and cultural preservation. Never miss Indian Countrys biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our name change, celebrated on Indigenous Peoples Day, to the American Indigenous Tourism Association is more than just a new title its a statement of our commitment to inclusivity and unity, said Sherry L. Rupert (Paiute/Washoe), Chief Executive Officer of the American Indigenous Tourism Association. While we honor the foundational legacy of AIANTA, our new name reflects a broader identity. This change allows us to unify all Indigenous cultures across the United States and its territories under a single, powerful banner, strengthening our collective voice and our ability to promote and preserve our unique heritage. This transformation will enable the American Indigenous Tourism Association to continue its work promoting Indigenous tourism as a necessary tool for economic selfsufficiency and cultural perpetuation. The association will maintain its provision of education, training, and advocacy in support of Indigenous communities developing and marketing their tourism offerings. As board president, I am incredibly proud of this next chapter for our organization, said Travis Owens (Cherokee Nation), Board President of the American Indigenous Tourism Association. The American Indigenous Tourism Association remains dedicated to building on the legacy of AIANTA while signaling its growth and broader reach. We will continue our efforts to promote and preserve the distinctive heritage and traditions of Indigenous nations throughout the U.S. and its territories. Travel acts as a catalyst for a strong U.S. economy and helps drive success across other industries. Indigenousowned hospitality enterprises contribute $11.6 billion annually in sales to the U.S. tourism and hospitality sector, according to the Economic Impact of U.S. Indigenous Tourism Businesses reportpublished by the American Indigenous Tourism Association in partnership with SMS Research in Honolulu. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For over 27 years, the American Indigenous Tourism Association has worked to address inequities in the tourism system, serving as the national voice for U.S. Indigenous peoples involved in cultural tourism and providing technical assistance, training, and capacity building to Native nations, communities, and Indigenousowned enterprises in tourism, hospitality, and recreation. Native nations and communities seeking to launch or expand their cultural tourism presence can find resources at www.AmericanIndigenousTourism.org, and visitors interested in learning more about Indigenous culture are invited to explore www.DestinationNativeAmerica.com. To support our vital work in promoting and sustaining Indigenous tourism, we welcome donations. Your contribution helps us empower Native nations and communities through cultural tourism that respects their traditions and values. About the Author: "Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at editor@nativenewsonline.net. " Contact: news@nativenewsonline.net By Steven Scheer and Nidal al-Mughrabi JERUSALEM/CAIRO (Reuters) -Aid trucks rolled into Gaza on Wednesday and Israel resumed preparations to open the main Rafah crossing after a dispute over the return of the bodies of dead hostages that had threatened to derail the fragile ceasefire deal with Hamas. Israel had threatened to keep Rafah shut and reduce aid supplies because Hamas was returning bodies too slowly, showing the risks to a truce that has stopped two years of devastating warfare in Gaza and freed all living hostages held by Hamas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the militant group returned more Israeli bodies overnight, and an Israeli security official said on Wednesday preparations were under way to open Rafah to Gazan citizens, while a second official said that 600 aid trucks would go in. DISPUTE OVER RETURN OF HOSTAGE BODIES Hamas returned four bodies confirmed as dead hostages on Monday and another four bodies late on Tuesday, though Israeli authorities said one of those bodies was not that of a hostage. The dispute over the return of bodies still has the potential to upset the ceasefire deal along with other major issues that are yet to be resolved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Later phases of the truce call for Hamas to disarm and cede power, which it has so far refused to do. It has launched a security crackdown, parading its power in Gaza through public executions and clashes with local clans. Longer-term elements of the ceasefire plan, including how Gaza will be governed, the make-up of an international force to take over there and moves towards the creation of a Palestinian state have yet to emerge. Twenty-one bodies of hostages remain in Gaza, though some may be hard to find or recover because of destruction during the conflict. An international task force is meant to find them. The deal also requires Israel to return the bodies of 360 Palestinians. The first group of 45 was handed over on Tuesday and the bodies were being identified, said Palestinian health authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AID ENTRY AND BORDER CROSSING The war has caused a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, with nearly all inhabitants driven from their homes, a global hunger monitor saying famine was present in the enclave and health authorities overwhelmed. "Our situation is utterly tragic. We went back to our homes in the al-Tuffah neighbourhood and found there are no homes at all. There is no shelter. Nothing," said Moemen Hassanein in Gaza City, with tents and shanties behind him. Reuters video showed a first group of trucks moving from the Egyptian side of the border into the Rafah crossing at dawn on Wednesday, some tankers carrying fuel and others loaded with pallets of aid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, it was not clear if that convoy would complete its crossing into Gaza as part of the 600 trucks that were due to enter the enclave on Wednesday - the full daily complement required under the ceasefire plan. Aid trucks entered Gaza through other crossings. "Humanitarian aid continues to enter the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom Crossing and other crossings after Israeli security inspection," the Israeli security official said. Israel's public broadcaster Kan reported that Wednesday's aid deliveries would include food, medical supplies, fuel, cooking gas and equipment to repair vital infrastructure. Underscoring the political challenges facing the truce, Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, an opponent of the ceasefire plan, said on X that the aid delivery was a "disgrace". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Nazi terrorism understands only force, and the only way to solve problems with it is to wipe it off the face of the earth," he added, accusing Hamas of lies and abuse over the return of hostages' bodies. Rafah is due to be opened to Palestinian inhabitants of Gaza either entering or exiting the enclave. But those awaiting medical evacuation told Reuters they had not yet received notification to prepare for travel. The Palestinian Authority, which governs in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, is preparing to operate the Rafah crossing into Egypt, which it previously did with EU assistance. Israel closed the crossing in 2007 after Hamas took over the enclave, but later allowed some movement through it under an agreement with Egypt. VIOLENCE IN GAZA Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several other Palestinian factions present in Gaza have backed the days-long Hamas security crackdown as it battles local clans that had tried to take over areas of the territory during the conflict. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, one of the groups backing the Hamas crackdown, described the clans being targeted as "hubs of crime". The ceasefire envisaged Hamas initially restoring order in Gaza and U.S. President Donald Trump, who brokered the deal, endorsed Hamas' crackdown on rival gangs, while warning it would face airstrikes if it did not later disarm. Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas condemned the public executions after a video, authenticated by Reuters, showed masked gunmen shooting dead seven bound, kneeling men in a Gaza street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israeli forces inside Gaza have pulled back to what the truce deal calls a yellow line just outside the main cities. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said it would immediately enforce any violation of the line. (Reporting by Steven Scheer and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem, Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo and Olivia Le Poidevin in Geneva; additional reporting by Tala Ramadan, Jana Choukeir and Ahmed Elimam in Dubai; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Ros Russell) By Steven Scheer and Nidal al-Mughrabi JERUSALEM/CAIRO (Reuters) -Aid trucks rolled into Gaza on Wednesday and Israel resumed preparations to open the main Rafah crossing after a dispute over the return of the bodies of dead hostages that had threatened to derail the fragile ceasefire deal with Hamas. Israel had threatened to keep Rafah shut and reduce aid supplies because Hamas was returning bodies too slowly, showing the risks to a truce that has stopped two years of devastating warfare in Gaza and seen all living hostages held by Hamas freed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the militant group returned more Israeli bodies overnight, and an Israeli security official said on Wednesday preparations were under way to open Rafah to Gazan citizens, while a second official said that 600 aid trucks would go in. DISPUTE OVER RETURN OF HOSTAGE BODIES Hamas returned four bodies confirmed as dead hostages on Monday and another four bodies late on Tuesday, though Israeli authorities said one of those bodies was not that of a hostage. The dispute over the return of bodies still has the potential to upset the ceasefire deal along with other major issues that are yet to be resolved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel has said that the next phase of the truce calls for Hamas to disarm and cede power, which it has so far refused to do. It has launched a security crackdown, parading its power in Gaza through public executions and clashes with local clans. Longer-term elements of the ceasefire plan, including how Gaza will be governed, the make-up of an international "stabilization force" and moves towards the creation of a Palestinian state have yet to emerge. Twenty-one bodies of hostages remain in Gaza, though some may be hard to find or recover because of destruction during the conflict. An international task force is meant to find them. The deal also requires Israel to return the bodies of 360 Palestinians. The first group of 45 was handed over on Tuesday and the bodies were being identified, said Palestinian health authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AID ENTRY AND BORDER CROSSING The war has caused a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, with nearly all inhabitants driven from their homes, a global hunger monitor confirming famine and health authorities overwhelmed. "Our situation is utterly tragic. We went back to our homes in the al-Tuffah neighbourhood and found there are no homes at all. There is no shelter. Nothing," said Moemen Hassanein in Gaza City, with tents and shanties behind him. Reuters video showed trucks moving from the Egyptian side of the border into the Rafah crossing with Gaza at dawn on Wednesday, some carrying fuel and others loaded with pallets of aid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, it was not clear if that convoy would complete its crossing into Gaza as part of the 600 trucks that were due to enter the enclave on Wednesday - the daily number required under the ceasefire plan. Aid trucks entered Gaza through other crossings. The Rafah crossing with Egypt is due to be open for people to cross on Thursday with a European Union mission deployed there, two sources said. It was not immediately clear if there would be any restrictions applied on the movement of people. The Palestinian Authority, which governs in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said it was preparing to operate the crossing. Some Palestinians awaiting medical evacuation told Reuters they had not yet received notification to prepare for travel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel's public broadcaster Kan reported that Wednesday's aid deliveries would include food, medical supplies, fuel, cooking gas and equipment to repair vital infrastructure. "Humanitarian aid continues to enter the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom Crossing and other crossings after Israeli security inspection," the Israeli security official said. Underscoring the political challenges facing the truce, Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, an opponent of the ceasefire plan, said on X that the aid delivery was a "disgrace". "Nazi terrorism understands only force, and the only way to solve problems with it is to wipe it off the face of the earth," he added, accusing Hamas of lies and abuse over the return of hostages' bodies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement VIOLENCE IN GAZA Several other Palestinian factions in Gaza have backed a days-long Hamas security crackdown as it battles local clans. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, one of the groups backing the Hamas crackdown, described the clans being targeted as "hubs of crime". Hamas has executed several people that it accused of collaborating with Israel. The U.S. military's Middle East command called on Hamas to "suspend violence and shooting at innocent Palestinian civilians" and to disarm "without delay". U.S. President Donald Trump, who brokered the ceasefire deal, this week endorsed Hamas' crackdown on gangs, while warning it would face airstrikes if it did not later disarm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas condemned the public executions after a video, authenticated by Reuters, showed masked gunmen shooting dead seven men in a Gaza street. Israeli forces inside Gaza have pulled back to what the truce deal calls a yellow line just outside the main cities. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said it would immediately enforce any violation of the line. (Reporting by Steven Scheer and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem, Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo, Olivia Le Poidevin in Geneva, Ali Sawafta in Ramallah and Alexander Cornwell in Tel Aviv; additional reporting by Tala Ramadan, Jana Choukeir and Ahmed Elimam in Dubai; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Ros Russell, Aidan Lewis) By Steven Scheer and Nidal al-Mughrabi JERUSALEM/CAIRO (Reuters) -Aid trucks rolled into Gaza on Wednesday and Israel resumed preparations to open the main Rafah crossing as Hamas handed over more bodies of dead hostages, following a dispute that had threatened the fragile ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave. Israel had warned it could keep Rafah shut and reduce aid supplies because it said Hamas was returning bodies too slowly, showing the risks to a truce that has stopped two years of devastating warfare in Gaza and seen all living hostages held by Hamas freed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the militant group returned several Israeli bodies overnight and two more coffins later on Wednesday. An Israeli security official said preparations were under way to open Rafah to Gazan citizens, while a second official said that 600 aid trucks would go in. Seeking to keep the pressure on Hamas, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would consider allowing Israeli forces to resume fighting in Gaza if Hamas fails to uphold its end of the ceasefire deal that he brokered. "Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word. If Israel could go in and knock the crap of them, theyd do that," Trump was quoted as saying to CNN in a brief telephone call when asked what would happen if Hamas refused to disarm. DISPUTE OVER RETURN OF HOSTAGE BODIES Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hamas returned four bodies confirmed as dead hostages on Monday and another four bodies late on Tuesday, though Israeli authorities said one of those bodies was not that of a hostage. The Israeli military said it received two more coffins from the Red Cross at a meeting point in northern Gaza Strip late on Wednesday, and the bodies were being taken for forensic identification. The dispute over the return of bodies still has the potential to upset the ceasefire deal along with other major issues that are yet to be resolved. Israel has said that the next phase of the truce calls for Hamas to disarm and cede power, which it has so far refused to do. It has launched a security crackdown, parading its power in Gaza through public executions and clashes with local clans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Longer-term elements of the ceasefire plan, including how Gaza will be governed, the make-up of an international "stabilization force" and moves towards the creation of a Palestinian state have yet to emerge. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered preparation of a comprehensive plan for the "total defeat" of Hamas if it refuses to abide by Trump's plan and fighting is renewed, according to a ministry statement. Until the latest handover of two coffins, 21 bodies of hostages had remained in Gaza, though some may be hard to find or recover because of destruction during the conflict. An international task force is meant to find them. "The resistance has abided by what was agreed upon and has handed over all the living captives it had, as well as the bodies it was able to retrieve," Hamas' armed wing said. "As for the remaining bodies, locating and recovering them requires major efforts and special equipment, and we are exerting great effort to close this file." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The deal also requires Israel to return the bodies of 360 Palestinians. The first group of 45 was handed over on Tuesday and the bodies were being identified, said Palestinian health authorities. AID ENTRY AND BORDER CROSSING The war has caused a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, with nearly all inhabitants driven from their homes, a global hunger monitor confirming famine and health authorities overwhelmed. "Our situation is utterly tragic. We went back to our homes in the al-Tuffah neighbourhood and found there are no homes at all. There is no shelter. Nothing," said Moemen Hassanein in Gaza City, with tents and shanties behind him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reuters video showed trucks moving from the Egyptian side of the border into the Rafah crossing with Gaza at dawn on Wednesday, some carrying fuel and others loaded with pallets of aid. However, it was not clear if that convoy would complete its crossing into Gaza as part of the 600 trucks that were due to enter the enclave on Wednesday - the daily number required under the ceasefire plan. The Rafah crossing with Egypt is due to be open for people to cross on Thursday with a European Union mission deployed there, two sources said. The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said it was preparing to operate the crossing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Humanitarian aid continues to enter the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom Crossing and other crossings after Israeli security inspection," the Israeli security official said. The United Nations' top emergency relief coordinator, Tom Fletcher, told Reuters the 600 trucks approved to enter the territory was a "good base", but not enough to meet the scale of need. Underscoring the political challenges facing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, an opponent of the ceasefire plan, said on X that the aid delivery was a "disgrace" and accused Hamas of lies over the return of hostages' bodies. VIOLENCE IN GAZA Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several other Palestinian militant factions in Gaza have backed a days-long Hamas security crackdown as it battles local clans. Hamas has executed several people that it accused of collaborating with Israel. The U.S. military's Middle East command called on Hamas to "suspend violence and shooting at innocent Palestinian civilians" and to disarm "without delay". Trump this week endorsed Hamas' crackdown on gangs, while warning it would face airstrikes if it did not later disarm. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the public executions after a video, authenticated by Reuters, showed masked gunmen shooting dead seven men in a Gaza street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israeli forces inside Gaza have pulled back to what the truce deal calls a yellow line just outside the main cities. (Reporting by Steven Scheer and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem, Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo, Olivia Le Poidevin in Geneva, Ali Sawafta in Ramallah and Alexander Cornwell in Tel Aviv; additional reporting by Tala Ramadan, Jana Choukeir and Ahmed Elimam in Dubai; Writing by Angus McDowall, Alex Richardson and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Ros Russell, Aidan Lewis and Diane Craft) By Steven Scheer and Nidal al-Mughrabi JERUSALEM/CAIRO (Reuters) -Aid trucks rolled into Gaza on Wednesday and Israel resumed preparations to open the main Rafah crossing as Hamas handed over more bodies of dead hostages, following a dispute that had threatened the fragile ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave. Israel had warned it could keep Rafah shut and reduce aid supplies because it said Hamas was returning bodies too slowly, showing the risks to a truce that has stopped two years of devastating warfare in Gaza and seen all living hostages held by Hamas freed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the militant group returned several Israeli bodies overnight and two more coffins later on Wednesday. An Israeli security official said preparations were under way to open Rafah to Gazan citizens, while a second official said that 600 aid trucks would go in. Seeking to keep the pressure on Hamas, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would consider allowing Israeli forces to resume fighting in Gaza if Hamas fails to uphold its end of the ceasefire deal that he brokered. "Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word. If Israel could go in and knock the crap of them, theyd do that," Trump was quoted as saying to CNN in a brief telephone call when asked what would happen if Hamas refused to disarm. DISPUTE OVER RETURN OF HOSTAGE BODIES Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hamas returned four bodies confirmed as dead hostages on Monday and another four bodies late on Tuesday, though Israeli authorities said one of those bodies was not that of a hostage. The Israeli military said it received two more coffins from the Red Cross at a meeting point in northern Gaza Strip late on Wednesday, and the bodies were being taken for forensic identification. The dispute over the return of bodies still has the potential to upset the ceasefire deal along with other major issues that are yet to be resolved. Israel has said that the next phase of the truce calls for Hamas to disarm and cede power, which it has so far refused to do. It has launched a security crackdown, parading its power in Gaza through public executions and clashes with local clans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Longer-term elements of the ceasefire plan, including how Gaza will be governed, the make-up of an international "stabilization force" and moves towards the creation of a Palestinian state have yet to emerge. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered preparation of a comprehensive plan for the "total defeat" of Hamas if it refuses to abide by Trump's plan and fighting is renewed, according to a ministry statement. A day after Trump warned Hamas that it must disarm or we will disarm them, he told reporters that the U.S. military would not be needed for the task. The U.S. is looking to establish basic stabilization of the situation in Gaza and planning is underway for an international force to go into the enclave, said a senior U.S. adviser, speaking on condition of anonymity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Until the latest handover of two coffins, 21 bodies of hostages had remained in Gaza, though some may be hard to find or recover because of destruction during the conflict. An international task force is meant to find them. "The resistance has abided by what was agreed upon and has handed over all the living captives it had, as well as the bodies it was able to retrieve," Hamas' armed wing said. "As for the remaining bodies, locating and recovering them requires major efforts and special equipment, and we are exerting great effort to close this file." The deal also requires Israel to return the bodies of 360 Palestinians. The first group of 45 was handed over on Tuesday and the bodies were being identified, said Palestinian health authorities. AID ENTRY AND BORDER CROSSING Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The war has caused a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, with nearly all inhabitants driven from their homes, a global hunger monitor confirming famine and health authorities overwhelmed. "Our situation is utterly tragic. We went back to our homes in the al-Tuffah neighbourhood and found there are no homes at all. There is no shelter. Nothing," said Moemen Hassanein in Gaza City, with tents and shanties behind him. Reuters video showed trucks moving from the Egyptian side of the border into the Rafah crossing with Gaza at dawn on Wednesday, some carrying fuel and others loaded with pallets of aid. However, it was not clear if that convoy would complete its crossing into Gaza as part of the 600 trucks that were due to enter the enclave on Wednesday - the daily number required under the ceasefire plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Rafah crossing with Egypt is due to be open for people to cross on Thursday with a European Union mission deployed there, two sources said. The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said it was preparing to operate the crossing. "Humanitarian aid continues to enter the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom Crossing and other crossings after Israeli security inspection," the Israeli security official said. The United Nations' top emergency relief coordinator, Tom Fletcher, told Reuters the 600 trucks approved to enter the territory was a "good base", but not enough to meet the scale of need. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Underscoring the political challenges facing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, an opponent of the ceasefire plan, said on X that the aid delivery was a "disgrace" and accused Hamas of lies over the return of hostages' bodies. VIOLENCE IN GAZA Several other Palestinian militant factions in Gaza have backed a days-long Hamas security crackdown as it battles local clans. Hamas has executed several people that it accused of collaborating with Israel. The U.S. military's Middle East command called on Hamas to "suspend violence and shooting at innocent Palestinian civilians" and to disarm "without delay". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump this week endorsed Hamas' crackdown on gangs, while warning it would face airstrikes if it did not later disarm. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the public executions after a video, authenticated by Reuters, showed masked gunmen shooting dead seven men in a Gaza street. Israeli forces inside Gaza have pulled back to what the truce deal calls a yellow line just outside the main cities. (Reporting by Steven Scheer and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem, Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo, Olivia Le Poidevin in Geneva, Ali Sawafta in Ramallah, Alexander Cornwell in Tel Aviv; additional reporting by Tala Ramadan, Jana Choukeir and Ahmed Elimam in Dubai, Nandita Bose and Steve Holland in Washington; Writing by Angus McDowall, Alex Richardson and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Ros Russell, Aidan Lewis and Diane Craft) Foreign purchasers pose for a group photo with a humanoid robot at the Service Robots Zone during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of Canton Fair kicked off here on Wednesday. It spotlights a Service Robots Zone to display cutting-edge innovations including humanoid robots, exoskeleton robots, spherical patrol robots, photovoltaic cleaning robots, educational robots, etc. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin) GUANGZHOU, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, started on Wednesday, with the number of exhibitors exceeding 32,000, a record high. Scheduled to take place from Oct. 15 to Nov. 4 in the southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou in Guangdong Province, this edition of the fair has also attracted a record number of buyers. As of Monday, over 240,000 buyers from 218 export markets had pre-registered, reflecting a 10-percent increase compared to the previous edition. Among them -- the number of buyers from the European Union, the United States and countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative has increased significantly. Meanwhile, more than 400 leading purchasing companies will attend the fair. According to surveys conducted ahead of the fair, over 1 million new products developed in the past year will be showcased at this edition of fair, while around 800,000 items will make their debuts at the fair. This edition of the Canton Fair will, for the first time, feature a smart medical zone -- which has attracted 47 companies showcasing products such as surgical robots, intelligent monitoring systems and wearable devices. It will continue to feature a service robot zone, which has drawn 46 leading industry players to display their humanoid robots, robotic dogs and other innovations. "I have been to many fairs all around the world, but the Canton Fair has something different. Even though it is held two times a year, every six months, you are able to find something different, something innovative," said Canyigit Atay, chief product officer at Arzum Electrical Home Appliances from Turkiye. As Turkiye's leading home appliances and electrical sales company, Arzum has expanded its business to over 90 countries and regions worldwide. Since 1990, the company has worked closely with Chinese suppliers. The Canton Fair, according to Atay, is not merely a trading event, but also a window to observe China's latest innovations. This year, the company is focusing mainly on coffee machines and related products. "This time I'm able to see some new products, especially the service robots. I'm impressed by the robot coffee machines, and we have already started cooperation with one of these companies," Atay said. The 138th Canton Fair brings together 46 leading service robot companies showcasing humanoid robots, robotic dogs and other advanced robotic technologies. A robotic arm precisely cutting a model under the operator's command drew crowds of overseas buyers to Yuanhua Tech's booth. Founded in 2018, the company holds over 100 invention patents. "Our surgical robots can achieve precise operations with dynamic correction technology. They have performed over 5,000 clinical surgeries in hospitals in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong," said Li Aili, founder and chairman of Yuanhua Tech, Perception and AI Technologies Limited. The company, Li added, aims to reach more international partners and deliver safer, more precise surgical solutions worldwide by participating in the Canton Fair. According to the organizer, over 10,000 of the exhibiting companies hold national-level titles such as national high-tech enterprises or "little giant" enterprises, a record high number. Hamat Tofiq Ahmed, a buyer serving customers in the Middle East, said he was drawn to products from Gree Electric Appliances, a Chinese home appliance giant. He is looking for air conditioning products capable of withstanding high temperatures in countries across the region. According to Zeng Fanlong, a director of sales for East Europe area at Gree, the company will display more than 130 products at the 138th Canton Fair, including 50 new models. "We are deepening cooperation with clients in Europe and America while introducing competitive products to emerging markets in Latin America and Africa," Zeng said. Established in 1957, the Canton Fair is held twice a year. It is the longest-running of several comprehensive international trade events in China, and has been hailed as the barometer of China's foreign trade. Foreign purchasers interact with robotic hands at the Service Robots Zone during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of Canton Fair kicked off here on Wednesday. It spotlights a Service Robots Zone to display cutting-edge innovations including humanoid robots, exoskeleton robots, spherical patrol robots, photovoltaic cleaning robots, educational robots, etc. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) A foreign purchaser tries an exoskeleton robot for mountain climbing at the booth of Hangzhou Technik Technology Co., Ltd. at the Service Robots Zone during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of Canton Fair kicked off here on Wednesday. It spotlights a Service Robots Zone to display cutting-edge innovations including humanoid robots, exoskeleton robots, spherical patrol robots, photovoltaic cleaning robots, educational robots, etc. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan) This photo taken on Oct. 15, 2025 shows an entrance to the Service Robots Zone during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. The 138th edition of Canton Fair kicked off here on Wednesday. It spotlights a Service Robots Zone to display cutting-edge innovations including humanoid robots, exoskeleton robots, spherical patrol robots, photovoltaic cleaning robots, educational robots, etc. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan) Visitors view a spherical patrol robot at the booth of Magiclab Robotics Technology Co., Ltd. at the Service Robots Zone during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of Canton Fair kicked off here on Wednesday. It spotlights a Service Robots Zone to display cutting-edge innovations including humanoid robots, exoskeleton robots, spherical patrol robots, photovoltaic cleaning robots, educational robots, etc. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan) An exhibitor demonstrates a robot that synchronizes with his movements at the Service Robots Zone during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of Canton Fair kicked off here on Wednesday. It spotlights a Service Robots Zone to display cutting-edge innovations including humanoid robots, exoskeleton robots, spherical patrol robots, photovoltaic cleaning robots, educational robots, etc. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) This photo taken on Oct. 15, 2025 shows a humanoid robot at the Service Robots Zone during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. The 138th edition of Canton Fair kicked off here on Wednesday. It spotlights a Service Robots Zone to display cutting-edge innovations including humanoid robots, exoskeleton robots, spherical patrol robots, photovoltaic cleaning robots, educational robots, etc. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) An exhibitor introduces a commercial robotic barista at the Service Robots Zone during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of Canton Fair kicked off here on Wednesday. It spotlights a Service Robots Zone to display cutting-edge innovations including humanoid robots, exoskeleton robots, spherical patrol robots, photovoltaic cleaning robots, educational robots, etc. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan) This photo taken on Oct. 15, 2025 shows a humanoid robot performing at the Service Robots Zone during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. The 138th edition of Canton Fair kicked off here on Wednesday. It spotlights a Service Robots Zone to display cutting-edge innovations including humanoid robots, exoskeleton robots, spherical patrol robots, photovoltaic cleaning robots, educational robots, etc. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) A foreign purchaser tries an exoskeleton robot at the Service Robots Zone during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of Canton Fair kicked off here on Wednesday. It spotlights a Service Robots Zone to display cutting-edge innovations including humanoid robots, exoskeleton robots, spherical patrol robots, photovoltaic cleaning robots, educational robots, etc. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) Visitors view robots for educational purposes at the Service Robots Zone during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of Canton Fair kicked off here on Wednesday. It spotlights a Service Robots Zone to display cutting-edge innovations including humanoid robots, exoskeleton robots, spherical patrol robots, photovoltaic cleaning robots, educational robots, etc. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) This photo taken on Oct. 15, 2025 shows a view of the Service Robots Zone during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. The 138th edition of Canton Fair kicked off here on Wednesday. It spotlights a Service Robots Zone to display cutting-edge innovations including humanoid robots, exoskeleton robots, spherical patrol robots, photovoltaic cleaning robots, educational robots, etc. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan) Visitors view a performance by a robotic dog at the booth of MagicLab Robotics Technology Co., Ltd. at the Service Robots Zone during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of Canton Fair kicked off here on Wednesday. It spotlights a Service Robots Zone to display cutting-edge innovations including humanoid robots, exoskeleton robots, spherical patrol robots, photovoltaic cleaning robots, educational robots, etc. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan) A foreign purchaser views a robotic arm at the Service Robots Zone during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2025. The 138th edition of Canton Fair kicked off here on Wednesday. It spotlights a Service Robots Zone to display cutting-edge innovations including humanoid robots, exoskeleton robots, spherical patrol robots, photovoltaic cleaning robots, educational robots, etc. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) An overseas buyer takes photos of a robot dog during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Hong Zehua) International buyers learn about service robots during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Hong Zehua) International buyers check the AI-powered lights during the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Hong Zehua) WASHINGTON (DC News Now) Air traffic controllers began working without pay across America on Tuesday, as the federal government shutdown stretched on and added uncertainty for thousands of families. As the morning travel rush began, leaders representing the federal workers gathered outside Reagan National Airport; some began handing out flyers to passengers expressing their desire for the stalemate to end. Air traffic controllers are out moving over 45,000 flights today, 3,000,000 passengers, tons of cargo that keeps America moving, and their focus is now on when they will receive pay again, said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jose Andres restaurants in DC offer free lunch to federal workers during government shutdown Daniels described a scenario where workers need to find supplemental income, saying, This brings a risk where their focus is now on, When I get off my shift today, do I have to go and try for Uber tonight? So that way I can put gas in the car or food on the table for my family. They have to go out, and now their focus is on, How do I defer a mortgage? John Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, said, This is crazy. We send lawmakers to Washington to do their jobs, fund the government, end the shutdown and get folks back to work. At the baggage claim level of Reagan National, Ellen Smith said, I hope that situation will work out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smith, a self-described former federal employee with the Navy for 38 years, said she knows the negative impacts prolonged shutdowns have on families. I had employees express to me, well, we dont have money saved. And so our situation is a little different from yours. So I understand that. So, its scary, yeah, when you dont know whats going to happen next, Smith said. DC keeps love alive during shutdown with emergency marriage license law After arriving in D.C. from Chicago-OHare Airport, Carol flanked by her canine companion Elvis expressed uncertainty about how a prolonged shutdown may impact travel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I do worry about it, and Ive been hearing about it, she said. Meantime, Colleen Kvetko from Utah told DC News Now she is not presently worried about possibly safety concerns if air traffic controllers may starting calling out of work while not paid; something that reportedly happened during the 2019 shutdown, saying, No, it hasnt happened to me, nd I watch a lot of TV, and I really do travel a lot. Last week, US Transportation Secretary Shawn Duffy warned that air traffic controllers may be fired if they dont show up to work. The Associated Press reports Duffy said, If we have some of our staff that arent dedicated like we need, well let them go, adding, Its a small fraction of people who dont come to work. They can create this massive disruption. And thats what youre seeing rippling through our skies today. 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 DC News Now | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live. BOSTON (SHNS) Activists opposing the Hanscom Airfield expansion proposal are calling recent recommendations to utilize sustainable aviation fuels a disingenuous greenwashing campaign as lawmakers leading on the issue maintained that the governor and Massport must put a stop to the plan. The Massachusetts Port Authority proposal, which has faced years of opposition, would expand the Lawrence G. Hanscom Field located between Bedford, Lexington and Concord by adding 17 new hangars. The publicly-owned airfield holds the most private jets in New England, and an October 2023 report found private jets from the field accounted for an estimated 106,676 tons of carbon emissions over an 18-month period. Activists on Tuesday aired concerns about increased carbon emissions from private jets that serve the wealthy. They drew attention to a Massachusetts Sustainable Aviation Fuel Workgroup report, which recommended that the state advance the implementation of SAF, a type of jet fuel made from renewable sources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The working group report suggests that SAF has the potential to dramatically reduce life cycle aviation emissions and avoid indirect impacts on forests and croplands. It also recommends creating a Massachusetts and New England Regional SAF Hub to secure buy-in from key stakeholders, facilitate information sharing, and identify priority short- and long-term initiatives that build SAF momentum. But a new report from the D.C.-based think tank Institute for Policy Studies claims that utilizing SAF in this project or others will not help Massachusetts reduce greenhouse gas emissions and is not a feasible way to reduce emissions at scale. SAF wont help the Commonwealth reduce emissions. Period. It will not scale at the pace of climate change. It is a diversion of money and attention in this moment, Chuck Collins, co-author of the think tanks report, said Tuesday. Hypothetical future use of SAF should not serve as a green light for expanding aviation. We find that SAF solutions provide minimal or negative greenhouse gas reductions, the report says. It calls studying SAF logical but suggests proposals to drive production or consumption of SAF through economic policy or subsidies do not make financial sense, as SAF currently and for the foreseeable future increases GHG emissions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Massport maintains that the renewable fuel represents one of the most immediate and effective tools available today to reduce aviations climate impact and enable emission reductions without compromising reliability or safety. The agency is committed to reducing aviation-related emissions and promoting more sustainable practices across all our facilities, including Hanscom Field, Massport said in a statement to the News Service. We understand there are a range of opinions, and were committed to continuing the conversation with our neighbors to find the right balance between environmental goals, airport operations, and economic growth. Lincoln resident Alex Chatfield criticized the focus on SAF in the midst of opposition to the Hanscom project. If Massport thinks that we will be distracted by the supposedly bright, shiny object of SAFs and accept the North Airfield project, because someday, a few decades from now, some highly expensive and still environmentally damaging but differently produced fuel is being sold there, they have badly underestimated our determination to stop this project, Chatfield said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Secretary of Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper in 2024 rejected a draft environmental impact report filed by Runway Realty Ventures and North Airfield Ventures to expand the Hanscom airfield. The developers are expected to submit a supplemental draft environmental impact report to address environmental and community impacts and concerns by the end of the year, Chatfield said. There is no way you can put in a whole bunch of essentially garages for private jets and still claim ever again, at least in the living memory of those of us in the room, to be concerned about climate. This is it. This is the inflection point for Massport, Sen. Michael Barrett said during a State House briefing. The same in some ways is true for the Legislature and executive branch, also. It is going to be very, very difficult for your elected officials to make the case that we prioritize fighting climate [change] if this particular deal goes down, Barrett continued. Activists on Tuesday delivered another letter to Healey calling on her to put a stop to the project, after conservation and historic preservation groups delivered a different letter and petition to her in April. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Barrett recalled the decision of former Gov. Frank Sargent in the 1970s to reject the Inner Belt project, which Barrett said would have decimated neighborhoods in Somerville, Cambridge and Boston. Sargent took a look at that seeming inevitability and said, Not on my watch that is a bad decision. Im thinking about the future, and I can see that this would get it wrong,' Barrett said. So were asking our current governor, whos done so much good work on other issues, to appreciate that there is a precedent for her saying just, No, not on my watch.' A petition created by the Stop Private Jet Expansion at Hanscom or Anywhere group, which calls on Healey to stop the expansion plans, has more than 14,500 signatures. Its a matter of political will, Rep. Carmine Gentile said. Massachusetts has pledged to reach net zero emissions by 2050. How can we take that goal seriously if we greenlight projects like this? We cant, Gentile said. How can we tell working families to switch to electric cars, to insulate their homes, take the T while letting the ultra rich burn jet fuel to [take] quick flights to the Caribbean? That would be a moral failure. 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. 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 WWLP. Passengers traveling on Canadian airline WestJet will soon have to pay for the ability to recline certain seats aboard a fleet of newly redesigned aircraft. The budget airline that pioneered affordable airfare for Canadian travelers confirmed to ABC News that it is "reconfiguring all 43 acquired aircraft that are currently all-economy" from defunct airlines Swoop, Lynx and Sunwing. WestJet - PHOTO: A rendering of the main economy cabin on a WestJet redesigned aircraft. The redesign, which was first announced last month, will do away with the recline function on standard economy seats, which will now have a "fixed recline." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The planes being refreshed account for "less than a third of our narrowbody fleet," inclusive of both Boeing 737-8 MAX and 737-800 aircrafts, WestJet said. WestJet - PHOTO: A rendering of the main economy cabin on a WestJet redesigned aircraft. "Through our guest user testing, half indicated they preferred a fixed recline, to avoid feeling impacted by other passengers encroaching upon their space," a representative for WestJet told ABC News. "For guests that prefer a recline option, please note that seating in the Extended Comfort and Premium cabins of reconfigured aircraft will include this feature." To continue to keep costs low, the representative told ABC News, "we need to be willing to try new products and see how they work for Canadians." WestJet - PHOTO: The rendering of an updated Premium Cabin of the newly redesigned WestJet aircrafts. WestJet flies routes to 19 U.S. states including Hawaii, as well as Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. The first aircraft with the new reconfiguration is expected to enter service later this month, the representative confirmed. The remaining 42 planes are set to be completed early next year. Finnair canceled 40 flights, affecting 5,000 passengers, due to issues with the covers on plane seats. The airline suspended operations for eight Airbus A321 jets over fire protection concerns. A manufacturer told the airline that it wasn't verified whether it was OK to clean seat covers with water. Thousands of people had their flights canceled after an airline found it may have broken fire safety regulations by cleaning plane seats with water. Finnair canceled around 40 flights on Monday and Tuesday, affecting some 5,000 passengers, an airline spokesperson said in a statement to Business Insider. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Finnish flag carrier temporarily suspended operations for eight of its 15 Airbus A321 jets, they added. This was because Finnair received information from the manufacturer of the planes' seat covers, saying that it hadn't been "properly verified" whether washing them with water affected fire protection. "Safety is always our top priority, and we always follow the manufacturers' maintenance instructions as well as the guidelines and recommendations of the authorities," the spokesperson said. On Monday, the eight jets were flown without passengers to Finnair's hub in the capital, Helsinki, they added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are investigating options so that we can return the aircraft to service as soon as possible." This isn't the first time fliers have had their plans disrupted after an airline became aware of a rare issue. In June, a KLM flight U-turned over the Atlantic Ocean and returned to Amsterdam, after the airline realized the plane would reach its deadline for maintenance. "To prevent the license from expiring during the flight, it was decided to return to perform the maintenance in the Netherlands," a KLM spokesperson previously told Business Insider. Also that month, an American Airlines flight bound for Naples, Italy, changed course to Rome after the airline appeared to send a plane that was too big for its intended destination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The airline used a Boeing 787-9 instead of its usual 787-8 on that route. The latter is about 20 feet longer and, therefore, has different requirements for rescue and firefighting services. Read the original article on Business Insider Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at a Nashville press conference on July 18, 2025, to discuss arrests of immigrants during recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps. (Photo by John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout) Airports in multiple states, including South Dakota, are not airing a video of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in which she blames the ongoing federal government shutdown on Democrats. The video was promoted by the White House as being played at every public airport in America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In South Dakota, a spokesperson for Rapid City Regional Airport said Wednesday it was not airing the video because the airports administration has not instructed staff do so. At Sioux Falls Regional Airport, Executive Director Dan Letellier said the video is not airing because the airport does not have monitors appropriate for the purpose. He said existing monitors are devoted to flight-related information. Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport both confirmed to Arizona Mirror that they are not displaying the video. Airport spokesman Ryan Smith said the video is not currently displayed at the airport due to the Mesa Gateway Airport Authority Board policy, which states that (a)dvertising that discusses the topics or subjects of politics or religion, social society, or economics is prohibited. Government shutdown All our coverage of the government shutdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read the latest> Consistent with airport policy, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport declined to post the video, Jon Brodsky, a spokesman for the states largest airport, said. Sky Harbor also has a policy that does not permit political content. The Michigan Advance reports that spokespeople for both the Flint Bishop International Airport and Grand Rapids Gerald R. Ford International Airport confirmed Monday afternoon that they have not been playing the video. Heidi Groenboom, communications and events associate for the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority said that as of Monday afternoon, they had not received the video and that it was not playing at the airport. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New Jersey Monitor reports that the regions three largest airports will not air the video, saying not only does it violate a ban on political advertising but it also violates the federal Hatch Act, which prohibits federal workers from engaging in politics on the clock. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, a bistate agency that oversees Newark Liberty, LaGuardia and JFK airports, said airport-controlled screens will not play Noems video. The 30-second spot violates the Port Authoritys longstanding policies that prevent airing of politically partisan messages at our facilities, a spokesperson said in a statement. In the video, Noem who formerly served as governor of South Dakota said Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government while acknowledging the shutdown has affected operations, with many TSA employees working without pay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We will continue to do all that we can to avoid delays that will impact your travel. And our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government, Noem said. South Dakota Searchlights Joshua Hair contributed to this report. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Alabama State House in Montgomery, Alabama as seen on July 10, 2023. Alabama Arise, a group that lobbies for laws addressing poverty is continuing its beating drum strategy for its 2026 legislative agenda. (Stew Milne for Alabama Reflector) A group that lobbies for laws addressing poverty is continuing its beating drum strategy for its 2026 legislative agenda, which includes seven main priorities, where only one is new. Were all united in our belief that to address poverty, we have to address policy at the State House, Robyn Hyden, executive director of Alabama Arise, said in an interview Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 2026 regular session of the Alabama Legislature begins on Jan. 13. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Alabama Arises seven priorities are health equity, hunger relief, adequate state budgets, inclusive democracy, justice reform, tax reform and worker power. Hyden said the priorities were decided on by its 155 member groups that include faith-based organizations, non-profits and civic groups across the state. Worker power is the only new priority this year. She said that some policies, like cutting the states sales tax on groceries, took years of advocacy to be addressed. The same applies, she said, to the 2026 priorities, especially to Alabama Arises plea to expand Medicaid coverage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were not going to shut up about it, Hyden said. It is still possible for our state to close the health coverage gap. What were now seeing is the impacts of our states lack of investment in rural health care infrastructure and in affordable options for families is creating all these long term health impacts. So it may not come in the form of Medicaid expansion, it may be some other proposal or program that Alabama decides to do, but we do believe this has to be a top priority for Alabama. Alabama is one of only ten states that has not expanded Medicaid, despite calls from hospitals and studies showing expansion could bring public health and economic benefits. While Alabama House leaders have signaled openness to a public-private hybrid approach to expansion, the Senate has been hostile, and removed a provision from a 2024 gambling bill that could have provided money for the program. With state lawmakers up for re-election in 2026, Hyden said the issues surrounding poverty will be front and center for their campaigns. Federal cuts to SNAP from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will be prominent, Hyden said. Without the federal government fully funding the food assistance program, the state will have to spend an estimated $208.7 million in fiscal year 2027. Lawmakers may pretend like its not popular to fund SNAP, but when the rubber hits the road, our state is going to have to fund SNAP or risk losing a billion dollars of federal funding coming into the state, Hyden said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another issue impacted by the election year is early voting, a law that Democratic lawmakers have tried to pass since at least 2016. Hyden said that early voting could improve the states voter turnout, which 38.6% in the 2022 midterm election and 59% in the 2024 general election, according to election data. About 300,000 Alabamians cast mail-in ballots in 2020 after the state loosened the restrictions on absentee voting amid the COVID outbreak, but the program was not continued. She said that increased voter turnout, and accessibility to vote, benefits all parties. Democracy is better when more people participate. Theres so many citizens who could vote, and theyre not showing up to vote, Hyden said. That should really be something that I hope all legislators are concerned about, especially as theyre coming to ask for our vote. Alabama Arise will also continue to advocate for no-cost breakfast for public schools. According to the press release, one in four Alabama children face food insecurity. Hyden said that some schools are able to offer free lunches due to a significant low-income population, but there are other schools on the edge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not always an economic issue. Sometimes its just that kids need to eat and theyre running late to school, she said. So its a very cost effective program to expand breakfast. It doesnt really add much to their bottom line. Hyden estimated that free breakfast and lunch would add about $90 million to the Education Trust Fund (ETF) budget. She said Arise is focusing on only free breakfast for now, which she said is currently a $7.2 million line item for schools with a large enough low-income population. While free breakfast would impact the ETF for schools that opt-in, Alabama Arise is also advocating for a complete elimination of the state grocery tax. We know that we need that money for education, but the ETF has also had surplus over the last several years. So this is the time, if ever was the time, Hyden said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Alabama Arises priorities may seem unachievable, Hyden said it is important to make progress where they can. We know that these are ambitious goals, but we also believe these are very reasonable and practical goals, Hyden said. I dont think those are partisan issues. Were out talking to everybody in all communities. Contracting document language is raising questions about possible other new features that might be included as the U.S. Army launches a five-site campus-style dining facility pilot program for possible expansion to installations across the service. Officials, including Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer, addressed questions about the pilot program, announced at the end of September, at the Association of the United States Armys annual meeting Monday. They didnt rule out possible alcohol sales at some locations and would not address whether soldiers could be asked to add a tip to a government-provided meal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weimer stressed that the dining pilot, designed to give soldiers more options and better meet their dining habits and needs while emphasizing nutritious choices, furthers the Armys goals of lethality and readiness. Weve got to feed the machine weve got to feed them in the field; weve got to feed them at home station, Weimer said. And just like everything else we do in holistic health and fitness, nutrition is a huge part of that. Everything we put in our body is either going to help us seek peak performance or hurt us from accomplishing that goal. Language in a 134-page January request for proposals raised concerns about limited accountability, undefined terms such as fresh and high-quality related to food, and opportunities contractors might find to upcharge soldiers at mealtime and split the profits with the Army. The service published a statement in June pushing back on a Military.com report questioning the language, emphasizing that the pilot dining sites were supplementary to existing Army dining facilities, that alcohol sales would be evaluated as to whether they aligned with the goals of the pilot, and that soldiers would only be charged for items beyond the essential station messing provided meal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response to questions about alcohol sales, Col. Craig Thompson, deputy chief of staff for logistics, facilities and environment at Army Materiel Command, acknowledged the issue was still on the table. Moreover, he stressed the Armys definition of these new dining sites as morale, welfare and recreation - MWR - restaurants, rather than service dining facilities. Just like any other MWR restaurant in any installation, it is the senior commanders decision on how thats utilized, whether its allowed or whether its limited, Thompson said. The panel twice would not acknowledge questions about whether a point-of-sale tip might be solicited, as contracting documents refer to tipped workers. But Cindy Smith, director of Supply Policy and Programs, said while the question was under the purview of AMC, it wasnt part of the Armys intent. If there were pressure for soldiers to tip we would address that," she said because the Army would not want soldiers, especially your meal card soldier, whos not paying money at that point to eat to feel obliged to tip. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the first of the five campus-style dining facilities, the one at Fort Bragg, N.C., is not set to open until January, the Army is already evaluating opening 10 more facilities over the next 12 to 18 months, including one or two locations overseas. Feedback from a separate two-week pilot at Fort Hood, Texas, in August, in which soldiers were able to use their meal card allowance for preset meals at base restaurants showed lots of success, Thompson said with 70% of the 217 soldiers in the pilot choosing meals deemed green, or healthy. Soldier feedback will also be emphasized in the campus pilot, according to Maj. Gen. Gavin Lawrence, deputy chief of staff for logistics and operations at AMC, with soldiers able to access an evaluation form via QR code as they enter the facility. Weimer said the Army continued to learn lessons about privatization from its quarter-century private housing venture, which in recent years has come under scrutiny as reporting has revealed systemic problems with black mold and vermin. Were looking for honest feedback from the soldiers at those five locations, and then the contract oversight were going to be responsible for holding them accountable, Weimer said. In our history when, lets say, we have catastrophic success, and then we scale the contract, and then were not paying attention as much as we were in the past. Thats where we as an Army have to get better with holding folks accountable. Aldermen on the citys Finance Committee approved $15.5 million in taxpayer-funded legal settlements Wednesday to two families whose loved ones died, lawyers said, after police and Fire Department workers violated city policy. An $8 million settlement to the family of Leonardo Guerrero, who died in 2022 in a Chicago Fire Department ambulance, passed with some minor opposition from aldermen. The Cook County medical examiners office found that restraints that paramedics used in the ambulance in addition to the effects of cocaine, alcohol and heart disease contributed to his death and ruled it a homicide. And they advanced a separate $7.5 million settlement to the family of Yvonne Lee-Wilson and Adelbert Wilson, who were killed by a driver being pursued by police in late February 2022 on the citys Far South Side. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Guerrero lawsuit, paramedics were called to the Uptown neighborhood at about 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 31, 2022, and found Guerrero naked, surrounded by police and in a state of physical and emotional duress. Guerrero said he was going to die and having trouble breathing. The suit claims paramedics Joseph Schultz and Dakota Ibrahim did not examine Guerrero for vital signs or ask for his medical history, telling him to get up and walk to the ambulance without help, despite department policy calling for use of a gurney. Guerrero struggled in the ambulance for about three minutes, at one point trying to get out, deputy corporation counsel Margaret Mendenhall Casey said Wednesday. Paramedics put him on a stretcher with a chest restraint to drive to a nearby hospital and handcuffed him to it. In the ambulance, Mendenhall Casey said, paramedics did not call ahead to the hospital, nor did they interact with Guerrero, check on his baseline vitals, oxygen levels, or brain function. During that ride, Guerrero continued to have trouble breathing and fell in and out of consciousness, according to the suit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the ambulance got to the hospital, there was not a bed ready and they waited in the ambulance bay. After roughly five or six minutes, a police officer told paramedics Guerrero did not seem to be breathing. Despite CPR efforts, Guerrero died in the emergency room. Ibrahim filed an official report claiming that he called the hospital three times before arriving policy to secure a bed or make sure doctors or nurses can respond when they arrive and had checked his brain function. Chicago Police Department body-camera video from one of the officers that rode along shows he did not, the suit said. Guerreros family initially asked for $35 million. Ibrahim was fired, a Law Department spokesman said Wednesday, while Schultz was suspended for three months. Both failed to meet multiple CFD policies about care. But Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, said he feared, with new police misconduct cases potentially waning, that we are opening ourselves up as we have with other city-service related issues to creating a new niche industry for lawyers who are quite literally now chasing ambulances to try to find ways in which to sue us as we start closing the chapter on police misconduct. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But under questioning from Ald. Daniel La Spata, 1st, Mendenhall Casey noted the case would have been more defensible if the paramedics had followed policy and rendered care, noting there was seven minutes, essentially, of unaccounted-for time. In the other case aldermen considered Wednesday, both Lee-Wilson and Wilson were pastors. Lee-Wilson was a longtime pastor at Body of Christ Deliverance Ministries, and Wilson was retired, according to media reports at the time. The chase began when police Officer Wayne Ozmina, in an unmarked car, turned on his emergency lights to go through an intersection, according to reports. Another driver, Rayvell Loften, sitting in a stolen rental car ahead of the officer at the light, thought he was being pulled over. He ran through a red light and sped away through several more, according to the suit by the family, and police followed. Loften reached a top speed of 69 mph, according to the Law Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Loften crashed into Yvonne and Adelberts car, killing them both, and got away. The suit from their family alleges Ozmina was negligent for turning on his lights when there was no emergency, and for the pursuit that caused the accident. The officer should not have turned on his emergency lights, the suit said, should have stopped the pursuit when the risk to other people outweighed the benefit of catching Loften, and didnt follow CPD orders about when to continue a chase through residential areas. The settlement passed without debate. Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th, and Ald. Michelle Harris, 8th, both recused themselves from the vote because they said they knew the family. Both settlements head to the full City Council for approval on Thursday. Police have released new details about the car crash involving actor Alec Baldwin and his brother Stephen Baldwin in East Hampton, New York. The incident occurred on October 13, when Alecs Range Rover, owned by his wife Hilaria Baldwin, collided head-on with a tree along Montauk Highway. According to a statement from East Hampton Town Police Chief Michael D. Sarlo, Baldwins SUV struck the tree after he attempted to avoid the turning action of a commercial truck owned by National Waste Services. Authorities cited wet roadway conditions and a reaction to an uninvolved vehicle as contributing factors. No injuries were reported, and police confirmed that no summons have been issued. NASCAR Ford Mustang Survives Wild Wall Ride at Kansas Speedway Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Baldwin, 67, later addressed the crash in a video posted to Instagram, explaining that he was cut off by a garbage truck the size of a whale while driving with his brother. To avoid hitting him, Baldwin said, I hit a big fat tree and crushed my wifes car. I feel bad about that. Despite the damage to the vehicle, both brothers escaped unharmed. Stephens representative confirmed the pair are safe and well and expressed gratitude that no one was injured. Alec Baldwin has been in East Hampton for the Hamptons International Film Festival, where he serves as co-chair of the board and had been moderating film panels throughout the week. He told followers that he plans to travel to Los Angeles soon to reunite with his wife and their seven children. Hilaria Baldwin also reassured concerned fans on Instagram, saying, No one was hurt, and that is the most important thing. The crash, attributed to evasive driving on slick roads, adds to a year of high visibility for Baldwin, who continues balancing public appearances and family life after recent legal and professional challenges. ELIDA A mass text message promoting an endorsement for three candidates for the Elida school board did not come from the Allen County Republican Party, party leaders said in a Facebook post Friday. A screenshot of the text message shared with The Lima News depicts a graphic displaying candidates John Geise, Seth Ciminillo and David Peters with endorsements from three political action committees, or PACS: The Ohio Republican PAC, Ohio Conservatives PAC and Allen County Republican PAC. Please join us in voting for the ONLY Republican candidates for Elida school board endorsed by the Ohio Conservatives PAC and the Ohio Republican PAC: John Geise, Seth Ciminillo and David Peters, the text reads. These candidates will put our kids first and keep woke ideology out of our schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a message on Facebook on Friday, Allen County GOP leadership said the party has not endorsed candidates for Elida school board. The text message that was sent out with no disclaimer is misleading and not affiliated with the Allen County Republican Party in any way, the post reads. All six school board candidates are Republicans. We encourage you to vote for the candidates of your choice in this race. The Allen County Republican PAC is registered to an address in Clarksville north of Cincinnati, while the Ohio Republican PAC is registered out of Akron, according to the Ohio Secretary of State PAC database. A query for the Ohio Conservatives PAC did not return a result. In separate Facebook posts last week, Peters, Ciminillo and Geise said the messages did not originate from their campaigns and denied knowledge of the origin of the text messages. UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Tuesday called on the international community to support Libya in completing its political transition. Libya's political and security situation has recently shown some improvement. However, deep-seated structural problems remain unresolved, and achieving lasting peace and stability continues to face severe challenges. "This requires the international community's continued constructive support and assistance," said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations. "There is a need to support Libya in completing its political transition," he told the Security Council. The United Nations, as the main channel for resolving the Libyan issue, plays an irreplaceable and vital role. The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has begun implementing the political roadmap, and the Security Council is currently discussing the extension of UNSMIL's mandate, he said. "We support the extension of UNSMIL's mandate and call on the mission to prioritize moving forward the political process to help Libya break the political deadlock at an early date," said Geng. External forces should stop undue interference in Libya's affairs, he added, urging efforts to help Libya improve its security situation and regain its development momentum. An American Airlines jet had to return to Los Angeles Tuesday after several passengers reported fumes in the aircraft making them sick. The plane took off from Los Angeles International Airport just before 5 p.m. and was headed to JFK International Airport in New York. However, the pilots turned the plane around when several passengers complained of feeling ill due to fumes in the cabin. Pilots reported to the control tower that they also smelled and tasted something, and had put on their oxygen masks in the cockpit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Seven passengers were evaluated, but no one was transported, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 shows the plane do a loop before it returned to LAX for the emergency landing. Nothing dangerous was detected, and the flight was scheduled to take off again a few hours later. (NewsNation) Former Chinese hostage Mark Swidan says he is still struggling every day almost a year after his return to the United States. Speaking in his first television interview since being released in November 2024 as part of a prisoner swap, Swidan detailed his experience to Elizabeth Vargas Reports after the remaining living Hamas hostages were released. Youre starting off from scratch at 50 years old now, Swidan said, referring to his 12-year absence from the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Swidan was accused of drug trafficking and ultimately sentenced to death twice before the United Nations and Biden administration worked to secure his release along with two other American citizens, Kai Li and John Leung. Fundraiser to help Mark Swidan get his life back together On Monday, Hamas released 20 living and four deceased hostages, but Israelis are still waiting for the release of 24 more deceased hostages, bringing a familiar feeling to Swidans mind. He shared a small cell with 30 men and slept on a concrete floor with lights shining down 24 hours a day. Swidan and other inmates were given a small bowl of rice twice a day, accompanied by a piece of pork fat on top. He lost 100 pounds during his time in incarceration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres no running water in there, theres no windows, theres no outside time, theres no toilets, theres no facility. They dont give you any clothing to wear, aside from that vest you saw in those pictures, he said of his time in a Chinese detention camp. Swidan says he is the only person to stay in a detention camp for that long a time, Osama bin Ladens bodyguard aside. His mother sold Swidans house in an attempt to fund his return home, spending over $1 million on useless lawyers. I came home to basically nothing, Swidan said. Im still recovering. Im just trying to get it together. He has trouble sleeping each night, something he defines as a major problem in addition to his eyesight and ability to gain weight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A GoFundMe has been set up by Swidans mother to help him get his life back together after losing everything and returning to the United States with just the clothes on his back. 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. At the turn of the 20th century, automobiles were forced to share the "roads" with what was still the primary mode of transportation for most people. In 1902, 23,000 cars were operating within the United States, yet there were still 17 million horses being ridden and used to pull wagons and carriages. These early "roads" were actually the same packed-earth and stone paths used by beasts of burden for centuries, filled with deep ruts and mounds of excrement, all of which turned into a muddy quagmire when it rained. When the stock market crashed on Black Thursday in October 1929, it ushered in the Great Depression. By mid-November, an estimated $30 billion in stock values simply vanished into thin air. By March 1930, over 3.2 million people were unemployed, at a time when the total population was only 122,775,046 (roughly one-third of what it is today). Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President in 1932, and between 1933 and 1935, the country began to recover thanks to his New Deal policies. These wide-ranging economic, social, and political programs included the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which provided both federal aid and temporary jobs. The state of Pennsylvania began a feasibility study in 1934 for what would become the Pennsylvania Turnpike, otherwise known as "America's First Superhighway." Interestingly enough, the plan incorporated using part of an unfinished railway route begun by the South Pennsylvania Railroad in the 1880s. It was never completed, but about 4.5 miles of tunnel work had been started but not "holed through" across seven mountains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: 5 Classic Cars That Featured Swivel Front Seats The Pennsylvania Turnpike was straight, safe, and fast A "Greetings from 'America's Super Highway' Pennsylvania Turnpike" postcard from 1941. - Steve Shook/Wikimedia Commons The Pennsylvania Turnpike was funded through a loan from the New Deal's Reconstruction Finance Corporation for nearly $41 million, and another $29 million in grants provided by the WPA. The original 160-mile stretch of four-lane concrete roadway was the country's first large-scale construction project to use consistent design standards. It included 12-foot lanes (two in each direction) and now-requisite concepts like medians, berms, entrance and exit ramps. However, it also incorporated features you may not even know existed, such as a minimum sight distance of 600 feet, banked curves, and a 3% maximum grade, which provided a safer driving experience for truckers. Additionally, it intentionally ran along southern exposures, allowing the sun to heat up and melt snow and ice. Since nearly 70% of the road was straight with nary a cross street, traffic signal, or railroad crossing -- speeds of 100 mph could easily be reached (think American Autobahn). The construction of the 300+ bridges and culverts, nine interchanges, 10 service plazas, and 11 toll booths took only 23 months. It required a total of 770,000 tons of sand, 1.2 million tons of stone, 50,000 tons of steel, and more than 300,000 tons of cement to build. The employment of some 155 construction companies and 15,000 workers from across 18 states provided an incredible boon to an economy trying to emerge from the Great Depression. "America's First Superhighway" (which are different from freeways) allowed drivers to travel safely and quickly over long distances for the very first time. It officially opened on October 1, 1940, and just recently celebrated its 85th birthday. Want the latest in tech and auto trends? Subscribe to our free newsletter for the latest headlines, expert guides, and how-to tips, one email at a time. Read the original article on SlashGear. As the number of film and television shoot days in the greater Los Angeles area continues to decline, there is hope in the struggling industry that the newly expanded California Film and Television Tax Credit will help Hollywood. The latest statistics from FilmLA show that in the third quarter of 2025, there were 4,380 shoot days in the area. That's down 13% from the same period last year. In quarter three of this year, shoot days for feature films were actually up 10% compared to Q3 of 2024. But television production is down 21%, and commercial shoots are down 18%, offsetting those gains in film shooting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But FilmLA says it's not all doom and gloom. Earlier this year Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a massive expansion of the state's film and TV tax credit. The hope is that those credits will make L.A. much more competitive with cities like London and Atlanta, which have been offering hefty incentives for productions. Nearly two dozen productions have already applied for the expanded California credit and have been granted a tax break. "The very earliest projects approved under that program have really yet to come into production, so things are as they were earlier in the year so seeing the numbers look like this isn't really much of a surprise," said Philip Sokoloski, a spokesman for FilmLA. Sokoloski said it will take a full year to distribute the tax credits, but he believes the tax breaks will eventually reverse the downward trend. NEW YORK As President Trumps immigration crackdown catches New York City students in the crosshairs, an influential panel appointed by the chancellor is recommending steps for local schools to take to better defend immigrant children and their families. The 50-member advisory council on multilingual education said all schools should form teams of teachers and staff, who receive training to serve as advocates for multilingual and immigrant students. A team liaison would coordinate on issues that arise with the Education Departments district and central offices. The panel also called on principals to repurpose space in their buildings as welcome centers and care closets filled with school supplies, clothes, food and other basic necessities for families. Districts should help the school administrators partner with local organizations, according to the recommendations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposals were part of a sweeping, 10-page plan released Tuesday on how to promote multilingualism in the citys schools, whether that involves expanding services for students learning English or native English speakers who want to learn a new language. We welcome students no matter where theyre from, said Naveed Hasan, who sat on the panel, and what language they speak, because thats the fabric of New York City. I hope we continue this and stand up to sort of federal overreach and hateful rhetoric, he added. I dont see it taking root in the city in any meaningful way. Driven in part by the registration of tens of thousands of minors seeking asylum in the United States, nearly 1 in 5 of the citys students are now classified as English Language Learners, collectively speaking more than 156 languages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There have been no confirmed reports of federal immigration enforcement inside the citys schools during Trumps second term. However, several high-profile student detentions and deportations with increased frequency over the summer have put undocumented and mixed-status immigrant families on edge, and unleashed a wave of informal rapid response teams, made up of impassioned parents, immigration advocates and teachers. At the crux of their report, the advisory council announced late in the 2023-24 school year, several months before Trump was re-elected called for greater investments in bilingual programs and certified teachers. There are two types of bilingual programs in the citys schools: transitional bilingual and dual language classes. In transitional classrooms, all children start out speaking the same language and, as their vocabulary improves, gradually spend more time learning in English. Dual language programs, as the name suggests, offer instruction in two languages and can foster multilingualism and cultural exchange between native English speakers and students just acquiring the language. Most English learners are not in bilingual programs, but in classrooms with certified English as a New Language teachers, who are trained in language acquisition strategies but do not necessarily speak the same language as their students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Twenty-eight new bilingual programs opened this school year, for a total of 566 such programs citywide. Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, during her State of Our Schools speech last month, announced a new pilot program to standardize English language development curriculum across 80 schools. We are already starting to incorporate these recommendations into our work, Aviles-Ramos said Tuesday at a Brooklyn press conference to announce the recommendations. In her first sit-down interview with the Daily News after she was appointed chancellor, Aviles-Ramos, who frequently speaks of her own Puerto Rican heritage, said last year that one of her goals was to promote multilingualism and expand transitional bilingual programs. Before her appointment, she served as the point person at school system for the influx of migrant students. In other countries, it is an expectation that you know more than one language, Aviles-Ramos reiterated at P.S. 331 The Detective WenJian Liu School of Civics and Entrepreneurship, a new elementary school in Dyker Heights with a transitional bilingual program in Chinese. And so, it baffles me as to why in this country, speaking multiple languages is something that we look down upon. But regardless of whats happening in the rest of the country, here in New York City, we stand together when it comes to diversity linguistic diversity, racial diversity, ethnic diversity. A list of people in Kentucky who have died because of domestic violence, ranging in age from 19 to 73, was displayed in the Capitol rotunda last year during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) More than 20,000 times in 2024, survivors of domestic violence bravely reached out to their local Kentucky domestic violence hotlines seeking safety, support, and a chance to build a better future for themselves and their children. And more than 20,000 times, Kentuckys survivor advocates picked up the phone to say, Are you safe? Im here for you. You matter. Our advocates were able to offer compassion and support on the other end of the line because of generations of advocates who painstakingly built ZeroVs coalition of domestic violence programs over the last 40-plus years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, because of the ongoing federal government shutdown and other destabilizing actions at the federal level, domestic violence service providers in Kentucky and across the nation are facing enormous uncertainty about their ability to continue providing lifesaving services to survivors. What remains certain is that survivors and their children depend on our services for safety and survival, and they will continue to need support regardless of what the future brings for us as providers. Friends, family, neighbors and communities have always had an essential role to play in supporting survivors, but that role may become even more critical should providers be forced to reduce their services. This Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we are calling on all Kentuckians to step into the ways they can help create a safer world for survivors and their children. Here are a few steps you can take to help us make sure survivors can always find someone to meet their bravery with compassion and support. Learn about domestic violence Before you can address a problem, you have to be able to identify it. Learning what domestic violence is will help you recognize when it is happening so that you can take appropriate action to address it. Domestic violence is not exclusive to physical violence;it can also include verbal abuse, emotional abuse, financial abuse, weaponization of social stigma, stalking and intimidation, sexual and reproductive coercion, and sabotage of career and education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Domestic violence is a pattern of violent, coercive behavior used to exert power and control over an intimate partner or family member. It is complex and takes many forms that can be easy to miss and dismiss if you dont know what to look for. You can start learning more about what DV looks like at zerov.org/resources. Build your skill set for support Supporting survivors doesnt mean you have to be an expert on domestic violence, it just means offering survivors safety to share their story. Offering safety looks like listening to survivors without judgment, validating their feelings and respecting their boundaries. Your role isnt to tell them what to do but to walk alongside them and help them navigate their options. Learn more about how you can support survivors from the National Domestic Violence Hotline and practice these skills in your everyday interactions to prepare yourself for conversations that help survivors stay safe. To take your skills to the next level, attend a Green Dot class, which teaches tactics and strategies for intervening in situations of power-based personal violence, including sexual violence, intimate partner violence, child abuse, elder abuse, bullying and stalking. Engage with your local domestic violence program The ZeroV coalition includes 15 state-designated domestic violence programs. Find your local domestic violence program and see how you can support its work, which could look like organizing a donation drive for needed supplies, volunteering for a fundraising event, filling an open position on the board, or making calls to your Congress members and legislators to advocate for continued funding for domestic violence programs. We all have the responsibility and the power to support survivors and end domestic violence. By broadening our understanding, strengthening our skills, and investing our time and energy in the organizations that support survivors, we can create a future where every Kentuckian is safe to live, work, play and thrive; one where every Kentuckian can find safety in one another and in their communities; and one where everyday advocates, just like you, answer the call to bring an end to domestic violence, one action, one conversation and one day at a time. (NewsNation) There may be new leads in the case of missing woman Amy Bradley, but her brother says his family is unaware of how some of those new leads came to fruition. The Hollywood Reporter reported new developments in the investigation suggest that Amy Bradley could still be alive. A source who was close to the Netflix docuseries about Amy Bradley, Amy Bradley Is Missing, said three leads were brought to the table because of how the case had been thrust into the national spotlight. I wish I could substantiate all of the claims in that article, Brad Bradley told NewsNations Ashleigh Banfield in an appearance on her show Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive spoken with Mr. Maglio, the reporter who dropped that article the other day, and I, myself, and my family, all of us are unaware of who the source is for that information that was provided to him. Florida teen who shot himself in staged abduction arrested, deputies say In 1998, Bradley went missing after she vanishing from a Caribbean cruise. Bradley, 23 years old at the time, was on Royal Caribbeans Rhapsody of the Seas with her parents and brother as they traveled to Curacao. The night Bradley disappeared, she was out partying with her brother until the early hours of the morning. The last time she was seen, her father woke up and noticed her legs on the chair of the balcony at around 5:30 a.m. By 6 a.m., Bradley was gone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A month after she vanished, the Bradley family returned to Curacao to search for her. A taxi driver recognized them and claimed he had seen Bradley running and searching for a phone shortly after she went missing, but a search of the area turned up nothing. Brad Bradley denies theory sister was kidnapped One of the new leads, allegedly from one of the ships female bartenders, lends credence to the theory of Bradley being kidnapped. The bartender, who came forward after the docuseries was released in July, said that on the night Bradley went missing, she was exclaiming to passengers and crew, Senorita kidnapped! Senorita kidnapped! The source added that the bartender was told to shut up. Florida mom sexually battered daughter, forced her to create videos: sheriff Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brad Bradley refuted that the bartender ever came forward based on his, the familys and familys investigators knowledge. We dont know who she is, he said of the bartender. We dont know where she is. So that claim, I dont know where that came from. Brad Bradley confirms IP hits for sisters missing persons website Another theory, supported by little evidence, suggests Amy Bradley left the ship voluntarily to start a new life in the Caribbean. However, the source stated that there have been highly suspicious activity hits to her missing-person website. The docuseries reveals that an IP address has often been logged on to during American holidays or other dates significant to the family. The IP addresses were traced back to Barbados. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement $15B in bitcoin seized in pig butchering bust You know, its one piece of information that I wish had not been made public, Brad Bradley said. Id rather people not know what information we have to a certain degree. So that piece of information is correct. Amy Bradley having child purely speculative: Brother Brad Bradley called it pure speculation that his sister potentially has a child, despite the source acknowledging the possibility from new evidence discovered to make a more convincing argument. Weve had a couple of people claiming to be children of Amys that have been ruled out by various methods, he said. Im unaware of any facts that would prove that Amy mothered children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The FBI investigation into her disappearance remains open, and there is a $25,000 reward for information that leads to her discovery. 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. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) KSN News sent a questionnaire to each candidate for the Wichita City Council and Wichita Board of Education. We have not made any edits to the candidates answers. Amy Jensens biographical information I am a retired 32-year public school teacher, retiring in 2023. Throughout my career, I have been a strong advocate for public education. Kansas educators elected me to serve on the National Education Associations Board of Directors, where I lobbied for Kansas students, educators, and public education on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and in Topeka. Currently, I am an adjunct faculty member teaching reading at Butler Community College and a guest (substitute) teacher in Wichita and Goddard Public Schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Growing up in Salina, I proudly attended public school. I earned a BA in English and Secondary Education from Kansas Wesleyan University and an MA in Teaching from Friends University. I was a union member and leader, and I stay active as a retired union member. In my free time I enjoy ushering at Century II, working at shows at Intrust Bank Arena, and greeting visitors at the Oxford Grand Senior Living facility. I have lived in District 5 for over 30 years. In District 5 I serve as a Precinct Committee Person for Precinct 503 and as the secretary of the Country Acres Neighborhood Association. I have two (spoiled) cats who bring me much joy. Campaign website/social media sites What are the top 3 things you think deserve your immediate attention, and how do you plan to address them? Strengthening Literacy & Academic Success Every child deserves a strong start, and reading is the foundation for lifelong learning. My immediate priority will be to ensure that our district has the resources and training to improve literacy for all students, especially in the early grades. I will advocate for funding programs like the Blueprint for Literacy and push for evidence-based instruction and interventions, so our students are ready to succeed in school and beyond. Supporting Teachers & Staff Our schools thrive when teachers and staff feel valued and supported. With my 32 years of classroom experience, I understand their challenges. I will work to improve recruitment, retention, and professional development, while advocating for fair wages and a strong voice for educators in decision-making. Safe, Welcoming, Well-Resourced Schools Students learn best in safe, supportive environments. I will focus on maintaining and upgrading our facilities, addressing behavioral and mental health needs, and ensuring every neighborhood school has the resources it needs. What do you think is the largest obstacle to student success/graduation, and how do you plan to address it? The largest obstacle to student success and graduation is a lack of engagement, which often comes from students not feeling supported academically, socially, or emotionally. When students struggle with reading, mental health challenges, or basic needs like food and housing, it becomes difficult for them to focus on learning and stay on track for graduation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I plan to address this by expanding the Community Schools model, which provides wraparound services such as tutoring, counseling, healthcare, and family support directly within schools. Ill also focus on early childhood education and literacy, helping our students read proficiently by third grade, so they can succeed in later grades. Finally, I will support career and college readiness pathways that connect students to real-world opportunities, so they see the value of their education and are motivated to graduate. By addressing the whole child and their family, we can remove barriers to success and help every student cross the graduation stage prepared for their future. Would you change how much the school district budgets on its different departments (teachers, safety, special education, etc.)? If so, how? I believe our budget should reflect our values putting students first and ensuring every dollar has the greatest impact in the classroom. While Wichita Public Schools has many fixed expenses, there is always room to review spending for transparency and effectiveness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If changes are needed, my priority would be to direct more resources toward teachers and student support services. That means competitive salaries to recruit and retain excellent educators, strong special education programs, and services like counseling and mental health support that directly affect student success. Safety is also essential, but I believe in a balanced approach: investing in prevention through relationships, restorative practices, and mental health services, as well as physical security measures. As a board member, I will engage the community and staff in budget conversations and make sure decisions are clear, collaborative, and focused on what matters most: helping every student succeed. What is your vision for USD 259? My vision for USD 259 is a district where every child has access to a safe, welcoming, and high-quality education, no matter their neighborhood or background. I want our schools to be places where students feel valued, families feel connected, and educators feel supported and respected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This means strong literacy and early childhood programs to set students up for lifelong success, Community Schools that provide wraparound services to meet the needs of the whole child, and career and college readiness pathways that prepare students for their futures. I also envision a district where the community takes pride in our public schools. By investing in teachers, improving communication, and making transparent, student-centered decisions, we can build trust and create schools that truly reflect Wichitas values. When our schools thrive, our entire community thrives, and thats the future Im committed to building. What can schools do to promote culturally responsive and racially-inclusive education? Our Schools can promote culturally responsive and racially inclusive education by creating learning environments where every student feels seen, valued, and respected. This starts with curriculum and teaching practices that reflect the diverse histories, cultures, and experiences of our students, helping them connect what theyre learning to the world around them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another important step is to actively recruit and retain a diverse group of educators and staff. When students see teachers and role models who share or understand their cultural backgrounds, it strengthens relationships, builds trust, and improves academic and social outcomes. Representation matters. What resources do you think Wichita schools need that they currently dont have? Wichita Public Schools has many strengths, but there are areas where additional resources could make a real difference for our students, families, and educators. First, we need more mental health support, including counselors, social workers, and programs that address students emotional and behavioral needs. When students feel safe and supported, they are better able to focus on learning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Second, early childhood education and literacy programs need greater investment. Giving children a strong start, especially in reading, sets the foundation for lifelong success and helps close achievement gaps before they grow. Finally, we need stronger wraparound services, like those found in the Community Schools model, to meet families basic needs, such as healthcare, after-school programs, and family engagement opportunities. By expanding these resources, we can create schools where every student has the support they need to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. 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 KSN-TV. By Andrew Gray, Supantha Mukherjee and Max Hunder BRUSSELS/STOCKHOLM/KYIV (Reuters) -Just hours after some 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace last month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was time for Europe to build a "drone wall" to protect its eastern flank. Drone incidents over airports in Denmark and Germany in the following weeks reinforced European leaders view that the continent urgently needs better protection against such threats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the "drone wall" proposal remains in flux, according to more than half a dozen officials and diplomats familiar with internal EU deliberations who spoke to Reuters about the project. "Our capabilities are really, for the time being, quite limited," said European Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, who is playing a leading role in fleshing out the proposal. Kubilius told Reuters the EU would need to draw heavily on Ukrainian expertise, honed over nearly four years countering waves of Russian drones. The drone project is a test of the EU's ambitions to play a greater role in defence traditionally the preserve of national governments and NATO as well as Europe's ability to take more responsibility for its own security, as demanded by U.S. President Donald Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Commission, the EUs executive body, has been trying to win over southern and western European governments, which argued the original idea was too focused on the blocs eastern border when drones could pose a threat across the whole continent. The proposal is also caught up in a power struggle over who should control major European defence projects, with Germany and France wary of handing power to the Commission, diplomats say. Some EU officials questioned the name "drone wall", arguing it implies a false promise of security when no system will be able to repel every drone. To try to win more support, the Commission has broadened the original concept from an integrated thicket of sensors, jamming systems and weapons along the eastern border to a continent-wide web of anti-drone systems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As first reported by Reuters on Tuesday, the Commission plans to switch to the term "European Drone Defence Initiative" in a defence policy "roadmap" to be unveiled on Thursday. If it goes ahead, the project would be a bonanza for makers of anti-drone systems from startups in the Baltic states to bigger defence industry players such as Germanys Helsing and Rheinmetall. The Commission has not said how much the proposal would cost but geopolitical consultancy RANE said it could generate billions of euros in orders. But without broad support from European governments, the plan will struggle to secure access to EU funding, experts said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The path to realisation remains long and fraught with constraints," said Matteo Ilardo, RANEs lead Europe analyst, pointing to big challenges in terms of cost, scale and cross-border integration. JETS VS DRONES Baltic countries, along with Poland and Finland, pitched the idea of a drone wall to the European Commission last year, a spokesperson for Estonia's border guard told Reuters. The countries applied for funding from an EU civilian border management fund, with the aim of deploying sensors and drones to combat people smuggling, the spokesperson said. The project initially failed to gain traction at EU level. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the idea evolved into a more defence-focused concept after Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov gave a presentation to von der Leyen in April in Brussels on how Ukraine counters Russian drone attacks, EU officials said. The Russian incursion into Polish airspace on September 9 highlighted how ill-prepared EU countries currently are to tackle the threat posed by swarms of drones, adding to the sense of urgency. NATO deployed F-35 and F-16 fighter jets, helicopters and a Patriot air defence system collectively worth billions of dollars to respond to Russian Gerbera drones - based on Iranian Shahed models that cost a tiny fraction of the price. "A 10,000-euro drone shot down with a million-euro missile - that's not sustainable," Kubilius told a defence conference in Brussels on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FRENCH, GERMAN SCEPTICISM Once the Commission has fleshed out its proposal, EU governments will decide whether to give it the green light. Diplomats say smaller countries see more value in having the Commission as a coordinator on such projects. But big countries such as France and Germany, which are used to handling large procurement initiatives themselves, want to retain control. Neither German Chancellor Friedrich Merz nor French President Emmanuel Macron has so far embraced the proposal. At an EU summit in Copenhagen earlier this month, Macron said the threat of drones was more sophisticated, more complex than the idea of a drone wall suggested. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Countries wanting to cooperate on an anti-drone system can use national budgets and the EUs 150 billion euro SAFE loans scheme for defence projects. But if the EU gives the project the status of a European Defence Project of Common Interest, countries involved would have access to a broader range of EU funding. The EU would also have to agree on who would run the project member countries, the Commission, another EU body or some combination of all of those. MACHINE GUNS, CANNONS AND ROCKETS Drawing on lessons from Ukraine, the sensors for the project would likely include cameras, acoustic systems that can detect drone engine noise, specialist radars and radio-frequency detectors, according to interviews with more than a dozen EU officials and industry executives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We need to have a layered system that is able to detect, classify, engage and eliminate the target, said Leet Rauno Lember, chief operating officer of Estonia's Marduk Technologies. Weapons to counter any attack would include a mix of machine guns and cannons, rockets, missiles and interceptor drones which can slam into enemy drones or explode close to them as well as electronic jamming systems and lasers, they said. Artificial Intelligence is already being used to help identify and target incoming drones and its use in the field is expected to grow, industry executives said. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. There is no single technology silver bullet, said Dominic Surano, director of special projects at Nordic Air Defence, a Stockholm-based firm that has developed a ground-based mobile interception system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Defence experts said the project would require constant updates as drone warfare is evolving rapidly, with each side constantly adapting to changes made by the other. It is a story of counteraction against counteraction, said Taras Tymochko, a specialist in interceptor drones at Come Back Alive, a Ukrainian charity that has purchased hundreds of millions of dollars worth of military equipment for the countrys armed forces. Tymochko said Ukrainian forces are experienced users of interceptor drones, which destroy targets by exploding next to them. But they had to evolve quickly. The first Ukrainian interceptor drone to destroy a Shahed in early 2025 stopped being effective after four months because the Russians realised they could outrun it by increasing the Shaheds speed from 170 kph to more than 200 kph, Tymochko said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now interceptors need to be able to fly between 30 and 50 kph faster than enemy drones to catch them, he said. Tymochko said training and time on the job was also vital. Top interceptor pilots succeeded because of their experience more than reliance on automated guidance systems, he said. FIRMS LINING UP Defence and tech companies have swiftly embraced the drone wall concept, pushing their products as part of the solution. Some such as Germanys Alpine Eagle and Quantum Systems - have even drawn up their own blueprints of how layers of ground and air-based systems would work. Rheinmetall, Germanys largest defence company, said a major challenge is detecting small drones and defending against swarm attacks, which have become a feature of the war in Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cannon-based drone defence must be the focus, as this is the only cost-effective measure, the company said. Rheinmetall said it received recent orders from Germany, Denmark, Hungary and Austria for its mobile Skyranger system, which combines sensors and a cannon. Drone producer Nordyn Group argued that using drones to intercept others was a cost-effective solution. Ossian Vogel, a co-founder of the German company, warned against developing a zoo of different systems that soldiers would have to learn to use. Many of the systems being proposed are already on the market, so the EU and its member countries would have to determine which systems to buy, where to use them and how to link them all together, officials and industry executives said. Any such setup would have to fit into NATOs broader air and missile defence systems, experts said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The EU and NATO need to work hand in glove on this one, said Camille Grand, a former senior NATO official who is now Secretary General of the European Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association. Some officials and executives, like Jan-Hendrik Boelens, CEO of Alpine Eagle - which has developed an airborne early-warning and interception system - said the EU idea could be up and running within a year if the political will is available. Others are more sceptical. We are not talking about a concept which will be realised within the next three or four years ... (or) even more, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told a security forum in Warsaw last month. (Additional reporting by Sabine Siebold, Andrius Sytas, Christoph Steitz, Anne Kauranen, Karol Badohal, John Irish, Lili Bayer, Barbara Erling; Writing by Andrew Gray; Editing by David Lewis) BEIRUT, Lebanon, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's success in imposing a cease-fire in the Gaza war signaled the emergence of a new regional order -- a reshaped Middle East where peace and security are imposed to secure economic prosperity. But the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains largely ignored, according to Palestinians and western political analysts. Trump appeared confident at the Israeli Knesset on Monday as he declared the "historic dawn of a new Middle East" -- one that would bring "eternal" peace and shared prosperity to the embattled region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It wasn't the first time the Middle East had been promised a brighter future to become a region free of war, suffering and tragedy. However, repeated failures to resolve the 75-year conflict between Israel and the Palestinians have continued to plunge the region into an endless cycle of war. Trump's new peace plan risks meeting the same fate. While he deserved credit for forcing a cease-fire for the two-year war in Gaza, the U.S. president fell short of addressing Palestinian concerns about their historical rights, national aspirations and the future. Instead, he approached Gaza's reconstruction as a real estate project, sidestepping the core issue: the long-awaited comprehensive settlement and just peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kristian P. Alexander, a senior fellow and lead researcher at UAE's Rabdan Security and Defense Institute, said that the peace envisioned in the Trump plan is one secured through overwhelming force and diplomatic leverage, not by mutual political agreement. It aligned with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's "peace through strength" doctrine. "It is emphatically a peace for the sake of economic prosperity, with the promise of large-scale reconstruction in Gaza and economic investment in the West Bank," he told UPI. He added that the plan's emphasis on demilitarization, reconstruction and creating a tax-free, startup-friendly zone in Gaza "suggests an attempt to bypass the political-territorial conflict by focusing on tangible economic benefits," based on the underlying assumption that "prosperity can dampen political fervor and lead to de-radicalization." Trump's 20-point plan leaves the door open for the establishment of a Palestinian state, referring to "a credible pathway" to Palestinian self-determination and statehood -- but only "when the conditions may finally be in place." However, Netanyahu already has rejected such a state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It is a major vulnerability. ... A peace that delivers economic relief, but denies a viable, independent state, as internationally understood, is unlikely to endure," Alexander said. Without genuine sovereignty over borders, airspace, water and security, the Palestinian economy will remain fundamentally dependent on, and vulnerable to, Israeli control, he said. For Palestinians, the conflict is about decades of Israeli military occupation and settlement expansion, as well as the struggle for human and political rights, self-determination, justice, freedom and the right to live on their own land. According to Dalal Iriqat, associate professor of diplomacy, conflict resolution and strategic planning at the Arab American University Palestine, Trump never mentioned the two-state solution, focusing instead on "his vision and dreams" of a prosperous Middle East and lasting peace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "But we all know that there can be no peace and stability without justice," Iriqat told UPI in a telephone interview from Ramallah in the West Bank. "As long as the Palestinian people do not recover their political rights, the conflict will not end." Moreover, she said Israel should be held accountable and punished for "all the crimes" it has committed against the Palestinian people, including what she called the recent "genocide" in Gaza, where more than 67,000 people were killed during the war, and its continued "apartheid" policies. Growing international recognition of a Palestinian state--- spearheaded by Saudi Arabia and France -- along with Israel's unprecedented isolation and declining global standing, as Western public opinion shifts due to its conduct in the Gaza war, may help alter Trump's plan, she said. "Such recognitions should not remain symbolic, but must translate into concrete actions," Iriqat said, emphasizing the need to seize the current momentum and maintain international pressure on Israel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That should include sanctions, boycotts of goods and institutions, and halting trade and diplomatic ties, as well as stopping arms exports and ending West Bank annexation plans -to pressure Israel to comply with international law and respect Palestinian rights. "If the world expects the Palestinian people to continue living under [Israeli] occupation in this barbaric way without any reaction, that would be abnormal," Iriqat said. Ultimately, an economic peace that solidifies the occupation and annexation of Palestinian land in the West Bank will be widely rejected, "fostering resentment that will inevitably resurface as violence," Alexander warned. With Gaza reduced to rubble and slated to be supervised by a "Board of Peace" chaired by Trump, Israeli settlements and accelerated plans to seize more Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank have made the two-state solution questionable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Already living in the West Bank -- home to 2.7 million Palestinians -- is a daily struggle. And the spread of Israeli settlements has effectively fragmented Palestinian towns and cities, cutting them off from one another. Shuruq As'ad, a journalist and mother of two, expects even "much more difficult times" ahead for the West Bank. "I need to think a hundred times before going anywhere, even if it's just for work and only 10 minutes from my home," As'ad told UPI. "I am afraid of moving or visiting anyone." She described the kind of life she leads, surrounded by "700,000 Israeli settlers protected by the Army, right-wing armed gangs who attack and shoot, and Israeli soldiers who storm our houses, close roads and erect checkpoints without reason." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To her, the most important thing is that the "killings, genocide and displacement" in Gaza have stopped. She said now is the time to grieve, search for loved ones, rebuild and recover -- and then see what happens. As a third-generation Palestinian descendant of the Nakba -- the mass expulsion of Palestinians in 1947 to 1949 to establish Israel, As'ad wants to live without fear -- free from what she calls the "apartheid-Zionist" project. "I have the right to live in Palestine with dignity and to enjoy civil rights like any Israeli," she said. Resisting the region's new order may prove even more costly, given the devastating consequences of the wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The message is clear: armed opposition will be met with overwhelming force, and the resulting 'peace' will be defined by the security requirements of the U.S. and Israel," Alexander said. Iran, which refused to join the "Peace Summit" at Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, will not be spared. Alexander said the goal was not to integrate an already weakened Iran as it is, but "to force a collapse of its regional policy -- or, ideally for some in Washington and Tel Aviv, a change in its regime." However, the long-term success of Trump's peace plan -- and the new U.S.-backed security and economic order-- is questionable if the political and territorial core of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is not credibly addressed with a clear path to a sovereign state, Alexander said. BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- China is firmly committed to safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and emphasizes that maritime disputes should be resolved peacefully through negotiations and consultations by countries directly concerned, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday. "Any provocations or threats are futile and will never succeed," Lin Jian said at a press briefing when asked to comment on recent remarks made by a U.S. State Department spokesperson about the South China Sea. He said that all available facts and evidence indicate the Philippines provoked first. The United States, disregarding the facts, smeared China's legitimate actions to safeguard its own rights, and even attempted to leverage the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty as a threat. This once again exposed the U.S. side's malicious intention to deliberately stir up confrontation and destabilize the South China Sea, showing that the United States is the biggest source of risk undermining regional stability, he added. CUMBERLAND The Allegany County Animal Shelters executive directer, manager, three board members and veterinarian of record have resigned. Jodi Eirich on Tuesday said she recently tendered her resignation and will remain executive director of the organization until Oct. 25. After only four months in the position, Eirich secured multiple financial grants, planned upcoming fundraisers, brought a visit from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, contracted mold remediation services, and new heating, ventilation and air conditioning for the facility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I feel like Ive made this a better, safer place for our animals and people, Eirich said. Now, she fears for the shelters future. Ive lost a lot of sleep over this, Eirich said of her decision to leave. She said she received various, often conflicting, demands and instructions from some of the shelters board members, including that they were not happy with the manager, Becky Shreve. However, Eirich said she never saw anything in Shreves job performance that I felt warranted (her) dismissal. Shreve recently resigned, which acted as a catalyst for the others, including the veterinarian, to give notice, Eirich said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because of her leaving, we have a major problem here, Eirich said, adding that without the vet, the shelter cant run clinics or order medication for animals. Monday, a board member told Eirich to immediately post the shelter manager job opening on social media. Then I got an email ... that said pull it, she said. Its just been frustrating, Eirich said. Ive been spending so much time with board distractions that it pulls me away from my responsibilities. With three of the shelters eight board members gone, Eirich said she wont reconsider her decision to leave. With this current board, I would not come back, she said of the remaining five members. My hope is that they find two really great people to fill (the executive director and manager) positions ... because these animals deserve that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For Eirich, the top shelter position was not a job. It was a labor of love, she said, her voice shaking. Now ... its just very sad. Difficult choice Becky McClarran, president of the Allegany County Animal Shelter Management Foundation, said the board is made up of volunteers that want the best for the animals at the shelter. On Monday, however, she said she resigned from the board. Its been a difficult choice, but I think its the right one, McClarran said. I wish nothing but the best for the future of the shelter, she said. I encourage the volunteers and the community to continue the support of the Allegany County Animal Shelter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Separate entity Allegany County Public Relations and Communications Manager Kati Kenney said county government has a contract with the Allegany County Animal Shelter Management Foundation to fully provide animal control services on behalf of the county. The animal shelters board of directors is separate from county government and not appointed by county commissioners. Currently, the shelters board is in charge of both animal shelter and animal control operations, Kenney said. State law mandates that each county provide animal control services but does not require the operation of an animal shelter, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the county refused to provide animal control, responsibility would default to the sheriffs office at the countys expense. This is not something we anticipate happening, Kenney said. Contract terms The countys agreement with the shelters management foundation a Maryland nonprofit and tax-exempt corporation was amended in 2022 and lasts until 2032. The foundation will continue to employ an animal shelter manager, and sufficient qualified staff or volunteer personnel, it states, and adds the workers are not county employees. The foundation is in default of the agreement for reasons that include failure to provide sufficient staff or services for more than 90 days, or if it otherwise fails to operate a necessary aspect of the program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the foundation defaults, the countys response can include termination of the agreement and discontinued funding. Facing chaos Until a few years ago, Potomac resident Mindy Farber chaired Friends Of Allegany County Animal Shelter, which helped find homes for local dogs. We stopped working with the animal shelter in August 2023 when one of our members donated $10,000 to the shelter and its then executive director would not provide an accounting of where the money had gone, she said in a letter to county officials Monday. When Eirich recently took over as the shelters executive director, we immediately approached each other and within a few weeks FOACAS had donated 13 new Kuranda beds, six sanitary upstanding steel cages, and found homes for six dogs, all of who have been adopted, Farber said. We looked forward to taking more dogs for adoption and resuming our food subsidy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Farber said she was in despair to learn that the shelter is now facing chaos. Eirich has the ability and professional management style to revive the facility, she said. Jodi Eirich is a gift to the shelter. Oct. 15OTHELLO Othello City Council members voted 6-0 to decline a request to annex property south of State Route 26 along West Bench Road. The decision followed a third public comment session, some of it impassioned, on the proposal. Council member Angel Garza said he thought accepting the annexation proposal would move growth in the wrong direction. "We want to grow from the inside out," Garza said. "On the right of Main (Street), by the cemetery, we have the Hampton property we have annexed in, we have (other properties). We have a total of 540 acres (already in the city limits) to be developed." Council members cited concerns about water, the city's ability to provide services, and the best way for the city to grow in rejecting the proposal, which would've added 565 acres to the city. Garza was the only council member to express an opinion after public testimony. Most of the opposition to the proposal came from nearby property owners, who expressed concern about the impact of annexation on their operations. Some also expressed concern about the distance from existing city services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Garza said there was developable land within the city limits to accommodate additional housing, along with developable property along Cunningham Road west of State Route 17. "We have a roundabout that's going in (at SR 17). You know what the rule of thumb is when you have a roundabout. When you slow traffic down from 60 to 25 miles an hour, people stop in town," Garza said. "The kind of traffic we have on (SR) 17 that's massive traffic. We can grow our city. We have to be wise about how we grow our city." The Othello Fairgrounds and Othello Rodeo grounds would've adjoined the annexed area, and it also would've adjoined the Adams County Pet Rescue facility. Otherwise, the area is in row crop production, and other property owners said the annexation of the property would've made it more difficult for them to do business. Area resident Michael Para said farming, and things like the dust and noise it requires, would be incompatible with city regulations. Several people expressed concern about the effect of the project on water supplies in the annexation area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Public member Jack Purdy said he expected city officials to drill a well in the annexation area, which would have a negative effect on other water users. Mayor Shawn Logan and City Public Works Director Robin Adolphsen both said the city had no plans to drill a well there if the property was annexed. Resident Cara Hoyt said she thought State Route 26, Reynolds Road and Bench Road would not be adequate for the anticipated traffic. Stephen Bauman, representing the applicants, said the area is in Othello's urban growth boundary. That meant city officials expect growth in that direction sooner or later, he said. Bauman challenged the participation of Garza and council member John Lallas, saying they had conflicts of interest. Lallas said in a June public hearing that he was concerned about annexing property that was far from the city limits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Monday, Lallas said he thought the applicants had misled council members. Garza owns a construction company but said he's completed all his planned projects in Othello. "We don't have any more ground. We're pretty much done here," Garza said. "I'd have nothing to gain, because I don't have any ore ground here." Key Takeaways: Man charged with felony elder abuse after wifes untreated hip fracture. Victim reportedly isolated, left without care despite dementia diagnosis. Case described as rare by Anniston Police, with DHR filing the report. ANNISTON A local man was arrested Sunday on a charge of second-degree elder abuse after authorities say he failed to seek medical care for his wife, who suffers from dementia and was later diagnosed with a hip fracture. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Don Watson, 57, of Anniston, was charged with elder abuse in the second degree. According to Lt. Randy Grier of the Anniston Police Department, the charge stems from intentional neglect that resulted in physical injury a Class B felony under Alabama law. The victim, a 76-year-old woman, reportedly endured months of pain and immobility before being taken to a doctor, who then alerted the Department of Human Resources (DHR). She couldnt stand or walk, Grier said. She had been complaining of pain for at least six months, and he didnt take her to the doctor until recently. The womans condition, compounded by dementia, left her unable to access food or basic care without assistance. Grier said Watson continued working while leaving her at home alone, and appeared to isolate her from family and friends. Grier noted the couples 20-year age gap and said he wasnt sure how long the couple had been married. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The attending physician reportedly observed signs of neglect and recommended 24-hour nursing care. After speaking with Watson, DHR filed the report that led to the arrest. This one is an odd one to me, Grier said. Ive handled over 1,500 cases and never came across this charge. Its definitely not common and thats a good thing. Watson was arrested and booked into the Calhoun County Jail, but has since posted the $15,000 bond. Second-degree elder abuse in Alabama is classified as a felony and may carry significant penalties upon conviction. The case remains under review. CASTLETON, Vt. (ABC22-FOX44) Grab your pink gear and walking shoes because this Sunday, Castleton will be turning pink for a purpose. The annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk returns to Castleton University, bringing together survivors, families, and supporters in the fight against breast cancer. The annual noncompetitive event is taking place October 19 to help celebrate survivors, honor those currently battling the disease, and support ongoing research and patient programs led by the American Cancer Society. Hazardous dam to be removed in West Rutland Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Participants will gather at 360 South Street in Castleton, where registration opens at 11 a.m., followed by an opening ceremony at 12:25 p.m. and the walk beginning at 1 p.m. The event encourages everyone to wear pink and get creative, uniting the community in a show of strength, support, and hope. Over the past three decades, the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer movement says it has grown into the nations largest and most impactful breast cancer fundraising effort. The 3- to 5-mile walks across the country create a welcoming space for survivors, those living with metastatic breast cancer, caregivers, and families to connect and share their journeys. Brattleboro business teacher is Vermonts 2026 Teacher of the Year So far, the Castleton event has raised more than $18,000 toward its $45,000 goal. The money will go toward lifesaving research, education, and patient services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The American Cancer Society reports that breast cancer death rates have dropped 42% since 1989, saving nearly 500,000 lives nationwide. The organization credits early detection, improved treatments, and community-driven initiatives like Making Strides for the positive decline. Those looking to take part or donate can learn more at https://secure.acsevents.org/site/STR?pg=entry&fr_id=110789 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. When federal officers stormed out of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland, Oregon, earlier this month, President Donald Trump almost got the dramatic footage he's been looking for since he began falsely claiming the city was a virtual war zone. Instead, he got a viral video of a giant frog being pepper-sprayed. As a protester fell to the ground during the confrontation, 24-year-old Seth Todd walked over in the inflatable frog costume he's been wearing to ICE protests. An officer appeared to aim pepper spray directly at the costume's bright orange air intake, located on his rear midsection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A 14-second TikTok video of the encounter got 1.5 million likes, leading to a spate of news stories about the federal agents' overreaction. In an interview with The Oregonian, Todd undercut the agents' use of pepper spray even more, saying that he's "definitely had spicier tamales." The Portland Frog, as he's become known, has helped inspire other protesters to adopt a more absurdist approach to pushing back against the Trump administration's actions. And Todd's methods are part of a broader approach to political protest in Portland that can be traced back to Oregon's earliest days as a state. This history contains some hard-won lessons about political organizing that the rest of the country can use now. Master the 'still hunt' Oregons leading suffragist in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Abigail Scott Duniway, pioneered a method she called the "still hunt," after the hunter's tactic of quietly stalking game. Since men's votes were needed to win women's equality, Duniway avoided confrontation and instead used humor to win them over. Some of her funnier lines read like they were posted on social media yesterday: Its odd that men feel they must protect women, since for the most part they must be protected from men, she once said. Make protest joyous In the early 1900s, Portland was a hotbed for the Industrial Workers of the World, a radical labor group. When some Northwest cities such as Washington state's Aberdeen and Spokane attempted to ban their organizing, the Wobblies, as they were called, would stage a free-speech fight. After calling in sympathizers from neighboring cities and states, a Wobbly would stand up in a public park to begin a speech. When that person was arrested, another would take his place, until the city jail was full of Wobblies, who would spend the night raucously singing pro-labor songs. Eventually, city leaders would rescind the bans. Use overreaction to your advantage In 1970, Portland was a mostly conservative working-class city, not inclined to support a Vietnam War protest. So, public support was not high when students at Portland State University radicalized by the Kent State shooting took over several blocks and put up barricades with jokey names such as Fort Tricia Nixon. But when a conservative mayor sent in police with helmets and batons to break up the protest, leaving 30 demonstrators and four police injured, something changed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The following day, 3,500 people of all ages marched on City Hall to protest the violent handling of what became known as the Battle of Park Blocks. (In a brilliant countermove, the state's Republican governor then helped stop more violence by working with a group of hippies to hold a massive music festival outside the city to draw potential protesters away from a planned visit by President Richard Nixon.) Be memorable By the time that George H.W. Bush was president, Portland had become a liberal hotbed. Bush faced so many protests during fundraising visits that a member of his administration reportedly dubbed the city "Little Beirut," but one in particular stands out. During a visit by Vice President Dan Quayle, a group of students from nearby Reed College, calling themselves the Reverse Peristalsis Painters, swallowed mashed potatoes, food coloring and ipecac to vomit in red, white and blue in front of the hotel where he was staying. (Though memorable, the demonstration didn't go entirely as planned: "Fight Club" novelist and former Portland resident Chuck Palahniuk noted in his book Fugitives and Refugees that the blue vomit came out more as green so it looked like a protest against Italy.) Make the other side look silly After a series of clashes involving the far-right Proud Boys during the first Trump administration, a group of Portland protesters set out to undermine a planned 2019 event. Calling themselves Pop Mob, short for popular mobilization, the group ran a mask-decorating station, held a banana costume dance party and encouraged people to dress up as the poop emoji as part of a "joyful resistance." The goal was to make it harder for the Proud Boys to create slick online recruitment videos. "We're not going to change their minds," one organizer said. "But we can make sure their videos are filled with poop emojis and a lot of music." Portland's current protesters have learned from this long history and embraced absurdist, nonviolent tactics to make their points and try to keep the public on their side. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Apart from the Portland Frog, other protesters have dressed up as a unicorn, peacock, dinosaur, raccoon and Cartman from South Park. They've also played Twister outside; worn clown makeup; formed a flash mob to dance the Cha-Cha Slide; held a die-in on a city bridge; danced to the Ghostbusters theme with a brass band; tied doughnuts to poles to lure ICE officers; played Yakety Sax over loudspeakers; and bicycled naked en masse through the city; among other things. Jack Dickinson said the images undercut the narrative of a city under siege pushed by the Trump administration. A video of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem surveying the protests around the ICE facility from a rooftop, for instance, was intended to make Noem look heroic an effort rather dramatically undercut by Dickinson standing below her in a chicken suit. But Dickinson said that the costumes also show the administration and its agents on the ground how residents really feel. "What they rely on is fear," he told Willamette Week. "So by coming out in an absurdist manner, it speaks to them, to some extent, that were actually not that afraid." This article was originally published on MSNBC.com NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Antioch Pike is looking a lot brighter. Wednesay morning, neighbors in the Glencliff area came together to paint a portion of the road in front of Wright Middle School with a new mural. Neighbors said this is a way to give the Glencliff neighborhood some much needed color and invite more pride into the community while also making the road safer. Neighborhood News: Stories impacting your community | Read More Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The design of the mural was created by a local Nashville artist. Once its done, itll showcase pollinators from around the world and native Tennessee plants, celebrating the ecosystem we live in. The road is one in Nashville that sees thousands of cars daily. The traffic also comes with a fair share of car and pedestrian crashes. Neighborhood advocates said they hope the mural is not just pleasing to the eyes but also helps slow drivers down. Nobu coming to East Nashville We really have been trying to reclaim this space a little bit. Weve had a lot of people get hit walking and biking in this neighborhood specifically, so we worked with NDOT and Civic Design and Bridgestone and the schools in order to get a grant from Bridgestone to help get the street safer, especially for the kids that walk to and from school, Alexa Little told News 2. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Glencliff neighbors are also hosting a block party on Halloween to showcase the new mural along Antioch Pike. A portion of the road will be shut down for trick-or-treaters and other fun Halloween activities. Do you have news happening in your neighborhood? Let us know by sending an email to neighborhoodnews@wkrn.com. 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 WKRN News 2. Prosecutors will not be allowed to use crucial information gathered from the early stages of the murder case against rapper Jamell YNW Melly Demons, according to a ruling issued Wednesday by the Fourth District Court of Appeal. It wasnt immediately clear which pieces of evidence would be excluded, but the appeals court upheld a ruling issued in 2023 by Broward Circuit Judge John J. Murphy, who presided over the first trial that ended in a hung jury. In that ruling, Murphy decided that investigators were overly broad in their warrants for digital information from Mellys e-mail and social media accounts. It wasnt immediately clear how the ruling would affect the case, but defense lawyers considered the ruling a significant victory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They recognized that the police way overstepped what the constitution allows in the search for evidence, said Carrey Haughwout, who took over Mellys defense last month after his previous legal team stepped aside due to a potential conflict of interest. Haughwout said police engaged in illegal search and seizure and said she was grateful the court was protecting her clients constitutional rights. Melly is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of his childhood friends Christopher YNW Juvy Thomas and Anthony YNW Sakchaser Williams seven years ago. Prosecutors say Melly shot his fellow rappers in Miramar after a late-night recording session in Fort Lauderdale. The computer and phone evidence that was presented at the first trial played a large role in establishing the timeline of where Melly was, when he was there, and whether he was aware of the fate that had befallen his friends. Prosecutors say Melly shot them. Defense lawyers say he had left the vehicle before the shooting took place. Co-defendant Cortlen YNW Bortlen Henry pleaded no contest last month to one count of accessory after the fact, in essence admitting that prosecutors would have been able to convict him of making it look like Thomas and Williams had been the victims of a drive-by shooter even though evidence showed they were killed by someone traveling in the same vehicle in which they were riding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mellys retrial isnt scheduled to begin until 2027 in front of Broward Circuit Judge Martin Fein, who inherited the case after Murphy retired. Prosecutors declined to comment on the appeals court ruling, citing a standard policy not to discuss pending cases outside court. It was not clear Wednesday whether the appeals court ruling would affect Mellys repeated attempts to secure bond as he awaits trial. He has been in custody since his arrest in 2019. Before his arrest, Melly was a rising star in the rap genre, with hit singles including Suicidal, City Girls and Murder on My Mind. Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com and 954-356-4457. BEIJING (Reuters) -Apple will boost investment in China and further step up cooperation there, Chief Executive Tim Cook told the industry minister during a meeting on Wednesday in the capital, Beijing, the ministry said in a summary of their remarks. The comments come as the iPhone maker looks to sidestep U.S. tariffs on shipments from countries including its production hubs, China and India, by boosting already hefty investment in the United States to $600 billion over the next four years. China hopes Apple will continue to explore the Chinese market, Li Lecheng, who is also in charge of infotech, told Cook, adding that China would continue to foster a good business environment for foreign firms, including Apple. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The summary gave no details of the size of the projected investment. Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Cook, who is in China this week, visited Apple's store in Shanghai and met Chinese game developers and the designer of the popular Labubu dolls, he said in posts on China's X-like Weibo. On Monday he said the iPhone Air would be available for pre-order in China after the ministry cleared the way for major telecom operators to support its eSIM functionality. When Cook visited China in March, Apple unveiled plans for a new clean energy fund there worth 720 million yuan ($101 million). ($1=7.1258 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Xiuhao Chen and Ryan Woo; Editing by Tom Hogue and Clarence Fernandez) Many countries are wary of the future and wonder if the deal agreed to in Egypt on October 8 can actually change the situation in Gaza. Gaza ceasefire outlook darkens as Israel delays aid and Hamas tightens grip, an Arab News headline read on Wednesday. This is one of a series of such reports that appear to illustrate regional countries concerns that the developments in Gaza are not moving in the right direction. These media reports reflect the thinking in these states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their pessimism is understandable. The question is what these states hope to do about it. Many of them wanted the war to end. They sent delegations to Egypt to work with the US toward this goal. However, many of these countries continue to appear to be hedging on what may come next. The Gulf states have a lot to offer in terms of potential support for Gaza. Nevertheless, as long as they believe the plan to end the war lacks substance, they may not move forward, except to pay lip service to the deal. While the White House does want to move on to the deals second phase, this requires more than talk, which is the challenge embedded in the agreement. Hamas needs to return the bodies of the deceased hostages. In this aspect, there is some movement in the right direction. Reports say that Turkey has sent a delegation to Gaza to help with search and rescue, and this can ostensibly help find the deceased hostages. Additionally, Egypt is prepared to transfer equipment to begin clearing the rubble. Some movement in the right direction The question will be whether Hamas can already portray itself as the governing authority. If the terrorist organization continues to control most of Gaza, then it will be hard for the countries involved to believe that anything will change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Turkey, Egypt, and some other states are likely to be basically fine with working with Hamas. In fact, Ankara may prefer it, which will make it even harder to dislodge the group or disarm it. Additionally, as long as Israel insists that the deal be adhered to, it will be challenging to proceed to the subsequent stages. One incentive to move on to the next stages may be the desire by Hamas and others to see the IDF withdraw from Gaza even further. So far, the military controls what it calls the Yellow Line in the enclave. This is essentially half of Gaza. Al Ain media in the UAE has said that Hamas bullets control the truce. This clearly indicates that the UAE also senses that unless Hamas is disarmed, it will continue its reign of terror against perceived dissidents. The articles at Arab News, Al-Ain, and elsewhere all portray the same challenges in Gaza. This means that many countries are wary of the future and wonder if the deal agreed to in Egypt on October 8 can actually change the situation in Gaza. ISLAMABAD, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani security forces exchanged fire with Afghan militants and the banned terrorist organization Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) late Tuesday night along the border in Pakistan's northwest Kurram district, Pakistani security sources told Xinhua on Wednesday. The sources said that the armed clash occurred after Afghan militants and the TTP opened fire at Pakistani posts, prompting a strong response from the Pakistani Army. Pakistani forces destroyed several positions across the border and several militants were killed," said the source. Afghanistan has not yet responded to the matter. Tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border have risen recently following cross-border firing and militant activity, prompting Islamabad to tighten security and call for the Afghan government to prevent militant infiltration. Afghan government chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on Sunday warned that any violation of Afghanistan's soil by anyone will not go unanswered. In a scathing letter sent Tuesday, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes threatened to sue House Speaker Mike Johnson over his failure to swear in Democratic Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva weeks after her successful election in the state. Politics: CNN Anchor Leaves GOP Rep Momentarily Dumbfounded After Exposing Hole In His Story Failing to seat Ms. Grijalva immediately or to otherwise provide a reasonable explanation as to when she will be seated will prompt legal action, Mayes warned in the letter, which argued that Johnsons delays were a violation of the Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mayes noted that Grijalvas district was being deprived of representation and said that Johnson hadnt offered a sufficient explanation for the postponement. You and your staff have provided ever-shifting, unsatisfactory, and sometimes absurd stories as to why Ms. Grijalva has not been sworn in, she wrote. Grijalva previously won nearly 70% of the vote in a special election for her late father Raul Grijalvas seat in Arizonas 7th district. That election took place on Sept. 23, yet shes remained unseated since then. News: JD Vances Hitler Comment Haunts Him In Heated CNN Panel On Young Republicans Racist Texts Mayess letter adds to growing pressure on Johnson as well as Democratic accusations that hes dragging his feet to prevent a measure dedicated to releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files from getting a vote on the House floor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She won her election. Shes a duly elected member of Congress. She should be sworn in, Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) told reporters on Tuesday. Swear her in! dozens of Democratic members reportedly chanted while marching to Johnsons House office on Tuesday evening in order to push the issue. Previously, Grijalva had committed to being the 218th vote on a petition from Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) that would force a vote on their Epstein measure, despite pushback from House leadership. Johnson has said, meanwhile, that he isnt able to swear Grijalva in because the House is closed during the shutdown and only open for pro forma sessions. CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins previously noted, however, that other lawmakers were sworn in during pro forma sessions earlier this year. Mayes also cited House members whove won special elections recently and emphasized that they were seated shortly after their victories. News: Florida Judge Temporarily Blocks Transfer Of Downtown Miami Land For Trump's Presidential Library As I have said repeatedly, the House will follow customary practice by swearing in Rep-elect Grijalva when the House is in legislative session, Johnson said in a statement in response to Mayess letter. During a Tuesday press briefing, Johnson also disputed the suggestion that the delays were tied to efforts to head off the Epstein bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our member of Congress from Arizona was fully certified this morning, Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) told HuffPost. She needs to be sworn in now so that she can start supporting the people [in] her district. Related... Read the original on HuffPost WASHINGTON Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is threatening legal action against House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., if he doesnt swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., this week. Arizonas secretary of state sent the House a certificate of Grijalvas electoral win after finalizing results on Tuesday, meeting the legal threshold for her to be sworn into office, according to a letter Mayes sent Johnson. If he does not do so, Mayes said, he would face prompt legal action. With the House in possession of the certificate of election, it is now a simple ministerial duty to administer the oath of office, the letter states. The House and its leadership have acted (beyond your authority) and in violation of the Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mayes argued that no lawmaker has challenged Grijalvas victory or has raised concerns about her qualifications arguing Johnson is without authority to refuse her oath and admission. Arizona Democratic candidate Adelita Grijalva speaks to supporters after being declared the winner against Republican Daniel Butierez, to fill the Congressional District 7 seat held by the late U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva in a special election Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, in Tucson, Ariz. | Ross D. Franklin, Associated Press Johnson has repeatedly said he does not have the ability to swear Grijalva in while the House is in recess, vowing to do so as soon as lawmakers return. The House has not been in session since Sept. 19, four days before Grijalvas special election. The speaker has kept the House out of session while the Senate stalls on passing legislation to reopen the government and continue federal spending which Johnson has said must be done before he reconvenes. Arizona AG @krismayes sent a letter to Speaker Johnson today that the AZ sec of state will send certificate of election for Adelita Grijalva to the House today saying she "no longer needs a House resolution to be sworn in" Failure to do so "will prompt legal action" pic.twitter.com/OuzLowkX5h Cami Mondeaux (@cami_mondeaux) October 14, 2025 As I have said repeatedly, the House will follow customary practice by swearing in Rep-elect Grijalva when the House is in legislative session, Johnson told the Deseret News in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mayes pushed back, accusing Johnson of unfairly using Grijalvas position as a bargaining chip in the government shutdown fight. You and your staff have provided ever-shifting, unsatisfactory, and sometimes absurd stories as to why Ms. Grijalva has not been sworn in, Mayes wrote. Arizonas right to a full delegation, and the right of the residents of (Congressional District) 7 to representation from the person they recently voted for, are not up for debate and may not be delayed or used as leverage in negotiations about unrelated legislation. Mayes demanded that Johnson respond to the letter with an assurance of when and where her swearing-in will take place within two days. If he fails to do so, the attorney general warns she will be forced to seek judicial relief. Despite not being sworn in, Grijalva has traveled to Capitol Hill multiple times to caucus with House Democrats. The Arizonan, who won her special election to replace her late father after he died earlier this year, said she only received keys to her office on Tuesday exactly three weeks after being elected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But her office lacks internet access or properly working phones, she said, and she wont be able to hire a staff until she is officially a member. Once Grijalva is sworn in, she is expected to sign on to an existing discharge petition compelling the Justice Department to publish all its investigative materials related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, making her the 218th and final signature needed to schedule a vote. Arizona Democratic candidate Adelita Grijalva listens to her children speak at the stage podium after being declared the winner against Republican Daniel Butierez, to fill the Congressional District 7 seat held by the late Rep. Raul Grijalva in a special election Sept. 23, 2025, in Tucson, Ariz. | Ross D. Franklin, Associated Press Once the 218 signatures are secured, the petition is immediately frozen and printed into the congressional record, according to House rules. The petition must then sit for seven legislative days before a signatory of the petition can request a floor vote. Democrats have accused Johnson of withholding her swearing-in to avoid a vote on the Epstein files, an allegation the speaker has strongly denied. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grijalva was expected to be sworn in on Sept. 29, but that was later delayed after Johnson canceled votes in the House as part of efforts to pressure Senate Democrats to approve the GOP-led spending resolution to keep the government open. Although Johnson has maintained the House must be in session to perform the swearing-in, Grijalva and other Democrats pointed to the swearings-in of Republican Reps. Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis who were added to the House ranks on April 2 during a pro forma session, during which the House convenes during recess but does not involve voting on legislation. The House has met for three pro forma sessions since Grijalvas electoral victory. Johnson has said those were done because the pair had already invited their families to town and that the swearings-in were canceled at the last minute. Grijalva took issue with that. I mean, if thats all it takes, my family can be here, Grijalva said on Tuesday. I can get them here. (The Center Square) - Arizona is taking a futuristic approach on air travel transportation. Senate Appropriations and Transportation Committee Chairman David Farnsworth, R-Mesa, told The Center Square he established the Advanced Air Mobility Advisor Team with the goal of bringing this transportation system to Arizona. Farnsworth added he anticipates introducing a bill next legislative session regarding AAMs. According to the National Business Aviation Assocation, AAM is an air transportation using electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to move people and cargo between places not currently or easily served by surface transportation or existing aviation modes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Farnsworths adviser team meets every other week virtually over Zoom to discuss AAMs, the senator noted. These meetings are well-attended, with industry leaders and local government officials participating in them, he explained. The senator said he is attempting to bring people together to help figure out what Arizona statutes need to be changed to allow AAMs to come to the state. Arizona possesses the talent, space, and vision to take the lead in this field. I am committed to establishing a solid foundation now to transform the future of travel into a reality, Farnsworth said. He said transportation is an important part of Arizonas government, describing it as an area that has been neglected over the years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A concern Farnsworth has about AAMs is that if Arizona doesnt act quickly, private companies will come into the state and build out their own infrastructure for AAMs, which would then require Arizona to pay a fee to use them. He compared it to toll roads. Arizona needs a balance between publicly-owned vertiports and privately-owned vertiports, the senator said. Vertiports are landing and take-off areas for these flying transportation vehicles. This year, the Arizona passed Senate Bill 1307, which said the Arizona Department of Transportation will need to update its statewide aviation plan to include AAMs in 2026. Furthermore, Farnsworth said he included a provision in Arizona's 2025 budget that allocated $2 million to fund vertiports. The money became available Sept. 26, and it has not been spent yet, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Farnsworth said any taxpayer dollars spent on AAMs need to be done very carefully and not on research. Private companies are doing billions of dollars' worth of research on AAMs, he noted. If Arizona does spend money on AAMs, it should be spent on infrastructure, according to Farnsworth. One of the potential developments the transportation committee is looking into creating is a facility similar to a bus station or light-rail station that allows people to travel to and from various locations via AAMs, the senator said. Farnsworth said he had a meeting with Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego last week, discussing a place where a light rail and an AAM could combine. Farnsworth is meeting with Uber next week to discuss AAMs, he noted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These vertical lift aircrafts will become more prevalent in the next 10 years, Farnsworth said. He noted these aircrafts have the potential to reduce the congestion of Arizonas current traffic. According to Urban Air Mobility News, a combined 92 cities and airports across America have future plans regarding AAMs. In June, President Donald Trump signed an executive order trying to speed up the development of AAMs and other unmanned aircraft systems. As for any possible downsides, Farnsworth told The Center Square the two biggest concerns are safety and traffic. The senator noted people will be afraid to fly in AAMs, but he called them very safe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "A large percentage of people will feel safer in the air taxis than they are on the ground," Farnsworth said. He said he did not know how high AAMs would fly, noting the federal government is currently working on this topic. House Speaker Mike Johnson has been threatened with legal action by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes over his ongoing failure to swear in her states new Democratic congresswoman-elect, Adelita Grijalva. Grijalva, 54, won a special election in Arizonas 7th congressional district on September 23, comfortably beating Republican Daniel Butierez by picking up 69 percent of the vote to his 29 percent, and will, eventually, succeed her late father, Raul Grijalva, who passed away in March. In a letter sent to the speaker on Tuesday, Mayes wrote: Arizonas right to a full delegation, and the right of the residents of CD 7 to representation from the person they recently voted for, are not up for debate and may not be delayed or used as leverage in negotiations about unrelated legislation. Arizona Democratic congresswoman-elect Adelita Grijalva is still waiting to be sworn-in by House Speaker Mike Johnson almost a month after winning her special election (Getty) The state AG went on to accuse Johnson of trying to use Arizonas constitutional right to representation in the House as a bargaining chip and gave him two days to respond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Republican speaker has insisted he will administer the oath of office to Grijalva as soon as the U.S. government shutdown ends and the House of Representatives is back in session. As I have said repeatedly, the House will follow customary practice by swearing in Rep.-elect Grijalva when the House is in legislative session, Johnson told The Independent in a statement. Mayes, for one, is not satisfied and has further alleged that Grijalva's willingness to make her signature the 218th and final one added to the discharge petition, thereby forcing a vote on the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, could be a factor behind Johnsons hesitation. The speaker has rejected the insinuation as false. It has nothing to do with that at all, he said last week. We will swear her in when everybody gets back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Guesting on CNNs Laura Coates Live on Tuesday evening, Mayes said she will have no other choice but to take Johnson to court if he continues to leave Grijalva out in the cold. House Speaker Mike Johnson has insisted he will swear-in Grijalva as soon as the government shutdown is resolved (AP) Theres no legitimate reason for him to refuse to swear her in right now no other reason that I can think of, except that perhaps shes the final vote to discharge the Epstein files, she said. And its not fair for Mike Johnson to be holding the state of Arizona hostage because he doesnt want to release the Epstein files. She continued: This really has not been done before, and the case law in general is with us on this issue. So we would be saying to a judge wed like a declaratory judgment that says the speaker has to seat Adelita Grijalva, he has to swear her in. And if he doesnt, then hell be violating our rights as Arizonans, and hell be violating the Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grijalva has taken to social media to protest her case, recording a video outside of Johnsons office on Tuesday, demanding he seat her and reporting that the House Womens Caucus was demonstrating on her behalf. Earlier in the day, she told Politico that she had finally been handed the keys to her new office on Capitol Hill, only to find it was just a space inside, with no phone, computer, or internet set up for her, which compounded her frustration. Although we have received the keys, we still have received no indication from the speaker on a swearing in date there is no end currently in sight, Grijalvas spokesperson told The Independent. He has stated that he will swear her in when the House returns to session, but that is unclear because of the government shutdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although most government business is suspended because of the shutdown now into its 15th day with no sign of a deal to end the impasse forthcoming Johnson does have the power to call a pro forma session of the chamber at which he could induct Grijalva, which is permissible for carrying out constitutional duties. There is even a precedent for doing so within the current Congress. In April, two Florida Republican representatives, Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis, were sworn in a day after winning their own special elections during pro forma sessions. From left: Shelli Henehan and Democratic Rep. Denise Garner, both members of the Arkansas Early Childhood Commission, listen to Republican Rep. Julie Mayberry during a work session to discuss child care funding on Oct. 15, 2025 in Little Rock. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) Arkansas child care system needs additional funding to avoid widespread closures and layoffs due to changes to the states financial aid program for low-income families, providers told the state Early Childhood Commission during a Wednesday work session. A survey of providers found that about a quarter of them, spread out among 50 of Arkansas 75 counties, expect 400 layoffs by November, said Shahid Sheikh, owner of four Northwest Arkansas child care centers. Sheikh was among several child care providers and experts invited to the commissions work session for discussion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eighty of the 250 facilities who responded to the survey are likely to close in the next 60 days, and many of them are located in low-income communities where child care is already scarce, Sheikh said. Sheikh and other child care providers have expressed concern in recent weeks about the Arkansas Department of Educations proposed changes to the School Readiness Assistance Program. In September, the agency announced a new reimbursement structure and a sliding-scale copayment structure, with the goal of reducing the four-digit child care waitlist and making the program more financially sustainable. Child care advocates said the changes would create barriers to access for families in need. The education department responded to the pushback by delaying cuts to providers reimbursement rates until Nov. 1, but moved forward with participant co-payments on Oct. 1 as planned, according to the Arkansas DemocratGazette. The reimbursement rate cuts are expected to cost providers statewide $727,000 per week, according to the survey. That adds up to $37.8 million in lost revenue for local economies, Sheikh told the commission Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We stand to lose more money by not investing in [child care] than we do by investing, so while this may be a budget problem right now, in a years time, its going to be a budget disaster for the state, he said. Education department officials are going through our budget with a fine-toothed comb in search of solutions, said Stacy Smith, deputy commissioner for the departments Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. Families who are working or enrolled in school with income at or below the state poverty level will not pay a copayment for children before kindergarten, and families above the poverty level will pay a copay scaled to income and the age of the child, according to ADE. Providers said their concerns about the copays being too expensive have come true. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The amount that were asking families to pay is unreasonable for most of them, especially as such a quick ask, said Jenny Castillo, who owns five Spanish language-immersion child care centers in Northwest Arkansas. For it to be so fast, they have no time to prepare, to pivot. Castillo said she hopes the state finds a way to ensure that families pay no more than 7% of their household income for child care, a national recommendation. The increased copayments as of Oct. 1 have already forced some Arkansas child care centers to close because parents could not afford to pay anymore, Sheikh said. Weve already heard from some who have essentially [said], Its easier for me to quit my job and get on SNAP and have food stamps cover me than for me to go and work to try to afford child care, Sheikh said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While this may be a budget problem right now, in a years time, its going to be a budget disaster for the state. Shahid Sheikh, owner of four Northwest Arkansas child care centers The School Readiness Assistance Program is funded by the federal Child Care and Development Fund. Education department officials are currently unable to seek help from the federal government regarding the program because of the ongoing government shutdown, Smith and Education Secretary Jacob Oliva both said. The shutdown might force the departments Office of Early Childhood to lay off federally-funded staff, Smith said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state Legislature will meet in April for its regularly scheduled fiscal session, but child care providers said Wednesday that they cant wait that long for financial aid. State Reps. Denise Garner, D-Fayetteville, and Julie Mayberry, R-Hensley, were the only lawmakers who participated in Wednesdays discussion. Rep. Kendra Moore, R-Lincoln, and Sen. Jane English, R-North Little Rock, were also present at the work session. Mayberry said she appreciated the input from the providers, particularly the data, and said a special legislative session might be necessary to address the problems presented. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is responsible for calling a special session, and Mayberry urged providers and the education department to involve Sanders office in discussions of next steps. Garner, a member of the commission, said she hopes the discussion will soon create action items. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The things we need to know as legislators are what pots of money we actually havehow much money is that and where to pull money from the rest of the state budget and put it into early childhood [education], Garner said. The commission is scheduled to meet again at 10 a.m. Tuesday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX An Arkansas father who killed his teen daughters alleged abuser has announced a bid for county sheriff, saying hes running to fix a justice system that failed to protect her. Aaron Spencer faces a second-degree murder charge in last Octobers fatal shooting of a man accused of grooming and sexually assaulting his then-13-year-old daughter. Many of you know my story. Im the father who acted to protect his daughter when the system failed he says in a Facebook video announcing his candidacy for Lonoke County sheriff. And through my own fight for justice, Ive seen firsthand the failures in law enforcement and in our circuit court. And I refuse to stand by while others face these same failures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spencer gunned down Michael Fosler on October 8, 2024, after he found him driving with his daughter after midnight despite a no-contact order. Fosler, 67, was out on bond while facing dozens of charges, including internet stalking of a child and sexual assault. The teen had vanished from her bedroom moments earlier. Spencer said he jumped into his Ford truck and scoured the roads around their home until he spotted her in Foslers truck, rammed the vehicle off the road and shot him during an altercation. This campaign isnt about me. Its about every parent, every neighbor, every family who deserves to feel safe in their homes and safe in their community, Spencer said. Its about restoring trust where neighbors know law enforcement is on their side, and families know that they will not be left alone in a moment of need. Spencer, 37, pleaded not guilty but has admitted to shooting Fosler. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His trial is scheduled to start January 26, about six weeks before hed face a March 3 primary in his campaign for Lonoke County sheriff. Spencer is running as a Republican. And in an ironic twist, hell face off against the incumbent sheriff who oversaw his arrest. No one seems offended by the idea of Spencer running, reporter says Spencer is a farmer, a general contractor and an Army veteran who served in the 82nd Airborne and was deployed to Iraq as a paratrooper in the late 2000s. He and his wife, Heather, live on a farm near Cabot, a city of about 27,000 people some 25 miles from the state capital of Little Rock. They also have an adult son. Heather and Aaron Spencer. "Through my own fight for justice, Ive seen firsthand the failures in law enforcement and in our circuit court," Spencer says in a video announcing his campaign. - Courtesy Heather Spencer Spencers announcement over the weekend came nearly a year to the day of the fatal shooting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fosler was facing 43 criminal counts, including internet stalking of a child, sexual assault, sexual indecency with a child and possession of child pornography. Heather Spencer has said the family panicked when they awoke and discovered their daughter was missing. In that moment we realized that she may have been taken, but its the middle of the night and everything is happening in seconds and every second counts, she later wrote on Facebook. Spencers case captured national headlines and has sparked outrage and praise on social media among people who consider him a hero for protecting his daughter. Its also prompted a defense fund and several petitions calling for the charges against him to be dropped, including one that has more than 360,000 signatures. His decision to run for sheriff has drawn mostly positive reactions in the county, said Arkansas Times reporter Matt Campbell, whos covered the case extensively. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement General consensus from the people Ive spoken to seems to be a combination of wait what? and a kind of muted hell yeah reaction, Campbell said. I dont know that anyone thinks he has a chance and if hes convicted, he would be barred from running for or holding office in the state. But no one seems offended by the idea. Widespread distrust toward law enforcement in the county has worked in Spencers favor, Campbell added. Spencers become a cause celebre for a lot of folks in the state. If he beats the murder charge, which is entirely possible, I dont think its a stretch that he could ride that momentum and win. Aaron Spencer enters the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office in December 2024. - KATV But John Wesley Hall, a veteran criminal attorney and author of Trial Handbook for Arkansas Lawyers, called Spencers campaign a bad idea. Hall, who has no connection to the case, said its highly unusual for a defendant to run for sheriff while awaiting a criminal trial in the same county. Hall added he wouldnt allow it if Spencer were his client. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No f**king way wait for the verdict, he said. It will come up at trial in his cross-examination. Maybe he can handle it, maybe he cant. Why risk it? A judge also could view Spencers campaigning as tainting the jury pool, potentially forcing the trial to move to another county, Hall said. However, he added that hes seen plenty of high-profile cases that have still managed to find impartial jurors without being relocated. Spencers attorney, Erin Cassinelli, told CNN he decided to announce his campaign now because the election filing deadline is next month. Cassinelli said shes not concerned about Spencers run for sheriff negatively affecting the trial and believes he has the integrity, courage, compassion and strength for the job if elected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The community is entitled to consider Aarons choices and the choices of its presently elected officials as it pertains to everything that has happened to Aarons family, she added. He and his family are just like all of the other families living in Lonoke County who want public officials they can trust, who keep them safe, and who are accountable for their actions or inactions. The incumbent sheriff said he didnt seek any specific charge against Spencer Spencers run for office is the latest plot turn in a case marked by a series of legal twists. At the time of the shooting, the Spencers daughter was the only witness to Foslers sexual assault charges, Cassinelli said, and the Spencers feared she was in grave danger. Shes the only thing standing between him (Fosler) and life in prison, Cassinelli said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spencer was arrested on a preliminary charge of first-degree murder, Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley said last October. He added that the decision to charge Spencer would ultimately rest with prosecutors, and that I have not, nor will I, advocate for any specific charge. Prosecutors later reduced the charge to second-degree murder with a gun enhancement penalty, an add-on that increases the maximum potential prison sentence when a firearm is used to commit a crime. The Lonoke County courthouse in Cabot, Arkansas. Spencer's trial is set for January 2026. - KATV Under Arkansas law, a second-degree murder charge involves circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life. But unlike first-degree murder, it does not require some form of premeditation. Staley, the countys sheriff since 2013, said he will seek re-election next year but did not comment on Spencers candidacy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have served as sheriff of Lonoke County with a clear mission to protect our citizens and hold those who break the law accountable. From day one, our focus has been on three major threats to our communities: drug traffickers, sexual predators, and thieves, he said in a statement. Weve made significant progress, and we will continue to work tirelessly to keep Lonoke County safe. In December, a Lonoke County judge issued a gag order that banned lawyers, Spencers family and others connected to the case from speaking publicly about it, saying widespread media coverage could affect the jury pool. Spencers attorneys challenged the decision, arguing it violated his rights. In May, the Arkansas Supreme Court struck down the gag order, calling it overly broad and vague. Spencer was released last October on a bond of $150,000. He has largely remained silent about the case, although his wife has spoken publicly about its impact on their family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This case has changed nearly every part of our daily lives, Heather Spencer told CNN in August, adding that she and her husband have been heartened by support from well-wishers around the country. The outpouring from our community, and even from people weve never met, has made us feel far less alone in this battle. Spencer is scheduled to return to court in December ahead of his trial date in January. If convicted, he would be prohibited under Arkansas law from holding public office. Early voting will begin February 16 in the primary election for county sheriff. The general election is November 3, 2026. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com LITTLE ROCK, Ark. In response to the ongoing government shutdown, the Arkansas Foodbank is hoping to help ease the burden on federal & state employees and their families. The foodbank will be hosting distributions in Little Rock and Cabot on Friday and next Tuesday, respectively. The Little Rock distribution will be held at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport Cargo Port located at 1000 Temple Street from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Cabot distribution will be at Hopes Closet Food Pantry located at 2535 S Rockwood Drive from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. More information can be found on the Arkansas Foodbank Facebook page. Foodbank officials said those who wish to support these emergency relief efforts can do so at ArkansasFoodbank.org. 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 KARK. Two individuals demonstrated outside the Jacksonville FBI office Wednesday morning, with one of them visibly armed. Jacksonville police engaged with the demonstrators and confirmed they were exercising their constitutional rights, ensuring there was no danger to the public. A similar demonstration was reported at NAS JAX earlier in the day. A photograph from the scene shows two demonstrators, one recording video on a phone while the other is armed with a long-gun and a handgun in a holster. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. The U.S. Army is racing to turn its aging organic industrial base into a modern drone factory network and learning just how hard it is to move from prototypes to mass production. We know how to manufacture things. Theres not a problem with that, but UAS, they are different, Lt. Gen. Christopher Mohan, acting commander of Materiel Command, told Defense News in a recent interview. We can do the wiring harnesses. We could do some of the microelectronics, but either we dont have the capability, such as the brushless motors, and we have to buy the machinery to do that. The Armys push comes amid lessons from the war in Ukraine, where inexpensive drones and loitering munitions have reshaped the battlefield and overwhelmed conventional forces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine and Russia are churning them out. Catching up The United States, by contrast, has struggled to scale production, relying on commercial suppliers and small pilot runs. Officials say that gap underscores the need for a domestic, high-volume industrial network capable of rapidly fielding thousands of drones. This is a challenge the Armys SkyFoundry is designed to tackle, even as the service confronts technical, bureaucratic and funding hurdles. The effort is turning depots and arsenals that once built tank parts and artillery shells into a distributed network of drone factories. The goal is to mass-produce small, expendable, unmanned aircraft the kind flooding battlefields in Ukraine at a rate of 10,000 systems per month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The industrial base has struggled to build capability to mass produce drones. Unlike in Ukraine, We dont have that existential crisis, Col. Eloy Martinez, the commander of Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois, told Defense News on a recent visit. We have a lot of laws that we have to abide by its the bureaucratic stuff thats always downhill, he said. How do we break these barriers? How do we reduce that time? Whats imperative is that the Army figure out how to move as fast as possible now, according to Brig. Gen. Beth Behn, commander of Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, told Defense News at Rock Island. The general had spent six months with Security Assistance Group-Ukraine in the summer and fall of 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So I had a front row seat to the conflict, and I came back with my hair on fire, she said. We have got to adapt. Behn returned from the experience to realize how little the dramatically evolving drone threat had penetrated the thinking within the Army. Were almost two years later, and so now weve got drone operator courses and we are doing production, and weve fielded capabilities to our [Transformation in Contact] formations, so we are moving with speed, Behn said. I do think were on the cusp. SkyFoundry takes shape Rock Island is primed to 3D print drones, having invested significantly in building a high-tech advanced manufacturing facility on post. One building is filled with various printers capable of producing a wide array of parts and components in various materials, such as metals and composites. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The arsenal is already producing drone bodies and frames using additive manufacturing, and a variety of different 3D-printed options sat on a display table just outside of a massive room dedicated to printing parts. Rock Island is eagerly awaiting the arrival of a 3D-printing capability from Impossible Objects that will allow it to print 120,000 drone bodies per year. We should be installing that or closing the deal on the contract, Martinez said. Well have that early part of the spring, late winter time frame. Once operational, the printer could produce up to 60 small drones per hour at costs falling below $100 a drone, allowing the Army to create systems that can be expendable in combat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania is focusing on wiring harnesses, microelectronics and brushless motors, while Red River Army Depot in Texas will handle battery production and final assembly. Rock Island will continue to print bodies. They will continue to print propellers and frames, Mohan said. Tobyhanna will do the brushless motors. They will do the wiring harnesses and the microelectronics. Those systems will be shipped to Red River for final assembly, testing, as well as manufacturing the batteries. Mohan emphasized that Skyfoundry is not a specific location. Its more of a concept. The networked approach is designed to allow each site to specialize in a segment of the manufacturing process while sharing data, digital designs and software updates through a centralized repository. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve got to have this digital repository, Mohan said, so that we can trade not only the electronic files for printing parts, but we have to own the tech data. Bluegrass Army Depot in Richmond, Kentucky, is going to serve as the UAS innovation center, he said. We already have, we do a lot of really neat stuff with UAS at Bluegrass already, and artificial intelligence enabled security, as well as some stuff for the Special Operations community, and we are gonna merge all of that there, Mohan added. The Army is still refining its requirements, Martinez said. They want a noun, which is the drone, but they cant tell us what drone, what type, what their capabilities are, he said. So were trying to flesh that out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Rock Island team expects to produce drone bodies for the Armys goal of 1,000 UAS by the end of this fiscal year, with production scaling sharply by 2026, according to Greg Lupton, Rock Island deputy commander. The initial push to reach production of 10,000 drones per month carries a price tag of roughly $197 million, Mohan said, with $75 million of that going toward brushless motors and wiring capabilities. As soon as we get a budget, we will order that machinery, he said. Its about an eight-month lead time. Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois is capable of producing a wide array of drone parts and components in various materials. (Kendall Swank/Army) The Army plans to spend another $150 million per year over the next three years to sustain and expand the effort. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The modernization push also ties into broader initiatives to reduce reliance on overseas suppliers. Ninety percent of UAS parts are coming out of China and Taiwan, Mohan said. The systems were building, we dont have Chinese parts in them. The drone initiative fits into a broader effort to become less dependent on materials coming from China. AMC is trying to identify where it can set up rare earth mineral processing and lithium production within Army installations and bring manufacturers and mining companies onto those installations. Red River Army Depot, Mohan noted, sits on top of a large lithium deposit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres a synergy that were trying to aim at there, he said. The Army will also need to figure out how to issue and account for the drones, Mohan said. The focus right now is to get them at scale to our training centers, so well ship to the National Training Center, JRTC, Joint Readiness Training Center, as well as to those units who have not had the ability to use UAS because they havent had the money, he said. The first 50 systems will go to I Corps at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Mohan said. We are on the cusp of an accelerated sprint on UAS production, Lupton said. Once its operational, its capacity is significant. Since the development of the Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT), which began as a concept in 2000, the brigade has had a requirement for a mobile howitzer as outlined in the Stryker Operational Requirements Document. That document states a self-propelled 155mm howitzer is the required capability that can be displaced from its firing position by no more than five soldiers in two minutes. However, the Army has failed to deliver on this critical capability for the past 25 years, and the result is a dangerous capability gap that significantly affects the lethality of the brigade. For the past nine years, the Army has studied this issue with no forward movement. Its time to procure a new howitzer if the Army wants Stryker brigades to be a fully capable, lethal force. This capability initially filled by the M198 howitzer and subsequently by the M777A2 was acceptable in counterinsurgency operations, but as brigades changed their focus to decisive action scenarios, it quickly became apparent that the M777A2 was insufficient to support a fast-moving SBCT. This deficiency has been cited by every SBCT commander at each Stryker Brigade Leaders Summit conducted annually by I Corps. To provide operational force feedback to the Army, the I Corps Stryker Brigade Warfighters Forum developed an Operational Needs Statement and Capability Needs Statement (ONS/CNS) in 2017 that cited the requirement for a mobile howitzer and were signed by the 2CR commander and I Corps commander, respectively. In April 2019, the Army held an Army Requirements Oversight Council (AROC), hosted by the chief of staff of the Army (CSA), to evaluate 2CRs ONS. At the beginning of the AROC, the commandant of the field artillery school stated that he had gone over lessons learned from WWII regarding artillery employment and the key finding was that the Army needed to forgo towed artillery and pursue mobile artillery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CSA approved the ONS from 2CR and directed an FY21 shoot-off evaluation to inform future procurement decisions for a more mobile, lethal and survivable 155mm artillery system to replace their existing 18 M777A2 howitzers in the SBCT formation. The commander of Futures Command subsequently stated that if a solution emerged from the shoot-off, then he would find funding for 18 howitzers for 2CR. But this changed, and no funding was made available by the Army. The subsequent CSA did not see the critical need for the mobile howitzer, and for four years, it was not acted upon. The Army kicked the can down the road by spending eight years developing the Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA), which was canceled in 2024, and developing the Tactical Fires Studies, which was never released. Over two years ago, the Army G8 presented the CSA with an opportunity to purchase 18 howitzers, but the CSA rejected it. For what has historically been the biggest killer on the battlefield (and relatively cost-efficient compared to rockets and missiles), the Armys focus has been on missiles and meeting the needs of the Corps commander rather than the needs of the company commander. For crew protection, the M777A2 offers none, whereas the mobile howitzer would provide crew protection comparable to that of SBCT vehicles (in accordance with NATO STANAG 4569 Levels 1-4). Today, the howitzer crew rides in the back of the prime mover with the only protection being a cargo strap to prevent them from being ejected from the back of the vehicle and has no protection from indirect fire. For emplacement, the M777A2 takes five to eight minutes and can take up to seven to eight minutes for displacement. The mobile howitzer emplacement, however, is less than three minutes and can displace in less than two minutes, ensuring survivability from counterfire. Current enemy counterfire capabilities indicate an M777A2 battery would be destroyed if it remained in place for more than four and a half minutes. Additionally, a mobile howitzer would alter the way a field artillery battery operates, allowing it to function more like an MLRS/HIMARS launcher and greatly increasing its survivability. Furthermore, increasing the barrel length (currently known as L39, meaning the barrel is 39 times the diameter long) to L52, as all NATO and Western allies currently employ, dramatically increases range and thereby increases survivability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another key advantage of a mobile howitzer is manning. The current M777A2 requires a nine-person crew. A mobile howitzer can reduce the crew size to six, which is a savings of 54 soldiers per battalion. This is particularly critical, as a Stryker field artillery battalion has 30-34 fewer soldiers than an Infantry Brigade Combat Team or Armored Brigade Combat Team field artillery battalion. These soldiers can then be used to fill the gap currently in the formation. The Army relabeled the ERCA funds to the Self-Propelled Extended Artillery Requirement (SPEAR) last fall. SPEAR became Mobile Tactical Cannon (MTC) this year, absorbing the Armys separate effort to get the mobile howitzer requirement through to replace M777s. For 25 years, the Army has failed to meet this critical requirement. There are several mobile howitzers available for evaluation that could be given to 2CR (the approved ONS still exists), and the regiment could provide feedback to the Army on the best capabilities for the SBCT formation (a similar model was used in the development of the 30mm turret for the Stryker vehicle). Not all formations require the same howitzer and a one size fits all is not the answer for all formations. The lack of a mobile howitzer for Stryker brigades is a glaring capability gap that must be addressed. The Armys new Transformation and Training Command must prioritize the procurement of a mobile howitzer to ensure the entire SBCT has the firepower and mobility needed to support decisive action scenarios in the future. The time for action is now, before more opportunities are missed and the capability gap widens further. FM 3-09 states that a key tenet of field artillery doctrine is that artillery must be as mobile as the maneuver they support. M777s violate this tenet we should not have mobile infantry without mobile artillery. Bill Koziar is a retired field artillery officer who most recently served as the military analyst for the I Corps Stryker Warfighters Forum, in which he was responsible for Stryker modernization recommendations for the I Corps commander and developed the initial Operational Needs Statement for the mobile howitzer. Their criticisms highlight, among other things, the bills failure to address Armenian hostages, displaced persons from so-called Artsakh (Garabagh - Azerbaijans internationally recognised territory), the preservation of Armenian Christian heritage, and the occupation of Armenian sovereign territory. Within their narrative, H.R. 5632 is insufficiently ambitious and dangerously blind to ongoing injustices. Yet, from the vantage of a realist engaged in diplomacy, a deeper question looms: To what extent will Congress persist in pretending not to hear the Presidents comprehensive peace initiative, and continue to enact measures that may actively harm the delicate reconciliation process between Azerbaijan and Armenia? In the most extreme reading, this posture risks co-opting US foreign policy in favour of one sides maximalist claims, at the expense of regional security, trust, and eventual closure. At the crux of the contest, the arguments advanced by ANCA stir risks of congressional overreach, and the uneasy balance between advocacy and diplomacy in a region still trying to heal. At the heart of ANCAs objection is the claim that H.R. 5632 fails to hold Azerbaijan fully accountable for what they label as enduring crimes, such as illegal detention and mistreatment of Armenian prisoners, mass destruction of Armenian Christian heritage, forced displacement of Armenians from Artsakh, and the continuing presence of Azerbaijani forces on what they consider Armenian sovereign land. Now, let us be specific to ANCAs critique, in which it loses its core sense, making the diasporas activity quite biased and disconnected from the ongoing processes. ANCA acts as though it is deaf and blind to the current diplomatic affairs that are in good shape. But one should not forget that when the Armenian diaspora had turned all international views, and especially the Congress, against Azerbaijan, they were not as dissatisfied as they are now. So, it seems that objective analysis and open-minded discussion do not serve the interests of the organisations smear campaigns. Once sheltered under the shadow of the Biden administration, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) had long managed to influence members of Congress with its one-sided narratives to the point where it began to believe its own distortions. Although Garabagh was fully liberated two years ago and is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, for ANCA, nothing seems to have changed. Their insistence on using self-styled names for Garabagh interests no one; after all, toponyms can differ across languages, but framing another countrys sovereign territory as disputed is a clear violation of international law. Such audacity and political arrogance have only grown over time, inflating the organisations sense of importance and even leading it to challenge the decisions of the White House. One can be certain that none of this escapes the attention of the US State Department. A reasonable suggestion for ANCA would be to observe the ongoing proceedings at the Baku Military Court, where war crimes trials are being conducted according to international legal standards. Perhaps witnessing how due process functions in the prosecution of war criminals would offer them a lesson in justice and accountability, concepts they seem to misunderstand when it comes to the South Caucasus. If we are being frank, one could speak at far greater length about the Armenian genocide, the killings, and even the systematic destruction and atrocities committed against religious, historical, and cultural monuments, let alone making baseless accusations about Azerbaijan. Still, ANCAs actions are not entirely incomprehensible. Whether right or wrong, as a diaspora lobbying group, it is naturally inclined to defend Armenian interests. That is politics. I would even say they reap what they have sown decades ago. This is not the comparison of cases but rather a reminder of how ignoring four UN resolutions bears its fruits. It is also a rather striking fact that a community, which has itself violated human rights, occupied foreign territory, and consistently ignored UN resolutions, dares to speak of objectivity when it comes to human rights. But what about the US Congress? After all, Americans and nations beyond remember well the numerous corruption and financial mismanagement scandals that have emerged from Capitol Hill in the past. How long can lawmakers allow themselves to be manipulated by lobby organisations and diaspora groups offering political favours or worse, monetary incentives, in exchange for influence? So I pose this pointed question to Congress (and specifically to pro-Armenian lawmakers): If you persist in acting as though you are deaf to the Presidents carefully calibrated strategy, pushing measures that privilege one narrative, exclude essential compromises, and heighten the risk of backlash, how far are you prepared to go? Will you continue to treat diplomacy as an adversarial theatre in which one side must be punished, rather than as the delicate art of bringing rivals gradually into coexistence? In the end, true stability in the South Caucasus will require courage not only to demand justice, but also to accept uncomfortable steps on all sides. If Congress insists on levelling policy as though it were a courtroom, it may well lose its role as mediator. They may even deliberately or spontaneously want to hand the region back to conflict and chaos but it will never be allowed as the South Caucasus has long bid farewell to the past. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares Bueno in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Oct. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Dai Tianfang) HANGZHOU, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares Bueno in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, on Wednesday, with both sides pledging to expand cooperation in economy, education, culture, tourism and other fields. China and Spain should view bilateral relations from a long-term and strategic perspective, and develop a more strategically resilient and dynamic comprehensive strategic partnership, Wang said. Noting that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the China-Spain comprehensive strategic partnership, Wang said China stands ready to work with Spain to make good preparations for the high-level exchanges in the next phase. China welcomes Spanish companies to seize the opportunities presented by China's vast market, continue investing in China and deepen their engagement, Wang said, adding that both sides can also enhance cooperation and exchanges in education, culture and tourism. China is willing to extend the visa-free policy for Spain and welcomes more Spanish citizens to visit China, the Chinese foreign minister said. Stressing Spain's commitment to deepening its comprehensive strategic partnership with China, Albares said that King Felipe VI of Spain will pay a state visit to China, using the opportunity to further expand cooperation and exchanges in trade, investment, culture, education and tourism. Spain is willing to jointly uphold multilateralism with China, maintain the international trade order and rules, and contribute to promoting world peace and addressing global challenges, Albares said. Dialogue and cooperation serve the interests of the European Union and China, and Spain is ready to play a constructive role in this regard, he added. The two sides also held in-depth exchanges on international and regional issues of common concern, including the Ukraine crisis and the Middle East peace process. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares Bueno in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Oct. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Dai Tianfang) U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll encouraged soldiers and families to help the Army get human stupidity out of the way to improve life on installations. We and you and soldiers and families can fix almost everything, Driscoll said Tuesday during a forum on military families at the annual meeting of the Association of the United States Army. We just have to get human stupidity out of the way. You will be the ones to help us do that. You will be the ones on your bases and your communities pushing every single day to improve the foxhole. And we will try to do that, too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a session that lasted over an hour, Driscoll, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer said they were working to improve quality-of-life measures for soldiers and their families. The improvements could help soldiers and military families focus on their physical and mental wellbeing, as well as help soldiers rest and recover from their primary mission of training to fight, they said. Driscoll said the Army has let down families, whom he described as the absolute backbone of the Army. The civilian leadership for a very, very long time has not put the soldier first. They have not put the family first, he said. They have done all sorts of sinful acts that have harmed you. One example is cost, Driscoll said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We spend a lot of money on you and your families and the things we give you, but it just doesnt go far enough, he said. We have incredibly passionate, wonderful people who are civilians and soldiers trying to work and care for you, but the system has for far too long just gotten in their way. The cost of building on Army bases is 68.5% more expensive than construction outside the fence line, Driscoll said. And the Army pays double what everybody else does for many items bought for bases. He, George and Weimer talk about this regularly. It enrages us and were doing everything we possibly can to break down this corrupt system, Driscoll added. Driscoll goes scorched earth on Army buying inertia Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The leaders said the Army is focusing on ways to reduce unnecessary regulations and increase efficiency to improve programs that help soldiers and families. Changes to child care, dining Driscoll said hes optimistic that within 90 to 120 days, the Army will set up a structure where spouses who want to work at child development centers can get approved one time, and then receive a fast pass to work at another CDC at their next duty station without having to start the process over. The change would help address the issue of worker shortages in CDCs, and its good for spouses and children, he said. George said theyre rolling out a campus-style dining concept at Army dining facilities to five locations first, adding, We want to go fast. But federal legislation and regulations are hampering efforts to expand that concept to improve the Army dining halls, Driscoll said, and he hopes to get a waiver soon. Most locations should start to see hybrid versions or something thats significantly better within the next 24 to 36 months, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Driscoll and his family moved to Joint Base Myer Henderson Hall, Virginia, earlier this year, he was excited about taking his children to the dining facility at Fort Myer for breakfast. It was awful, he said. It was not healthy, it was all processed. College-style dining facilities coming to Army bases The conversation needs to be reversed about the quality-of-life amenities on installations, Weimer said. In this day and age, if we cant train the way were going to be required to fight at home station which includes barracks, because you ought to be able to take care of yourself and rest and recovery then our home station is failing us, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our posts and installations exist so we can fight to win, Weimer added. They dont exist so that we have a great place to live, awesome [child development centers] and discounted food at commissaries. We need all that stuff so that we can train and be really good at our jobs. However, he said, I think for a long time, we had the conversations reversed. When you get the conversation right, now all of a sudden, the barracks make sense. The campus style dining and why wed want to pay a little extra for quality makes sense. How technology can help The leaders said the Army is looking at ways to use technology to reduce burdens on both soldiers and installations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For example, Army leaders are considering how to use technology in some areas in order for bases to focus on things that humans must be responsible for, such as welcoming and onboarding people, Weimer said. He acknowledged there is resistance to change at some locations. For example, he said, while there may be a QR code on permanent change of station (PCS) orders, some installations are still asking for 10 printed copies of those orders. While Army leaders are working to address many of these issues, Driscoll told the audience, where were still failing you, please let us know. The system isnt a biblical or divine or ordained system. It can be changed and molded and bent to the will of you and your families, he said. Please feel inspired, feel passionate, but just know the system is going to require your energy and effort to help us change it. NEED TO KNOW Kada Scott disappeared earlier this month after leaving her workplace Keon King was arrested on various charges, including kidnapping, which police believe is a "pattern" for him King has previous charges of kidnapping and strangulation that police are reinvestigating Authorities in Pennsylvania have made an arrest in connection with the disappearance of Kada Scott, who was reportedly being harassed before vanishing. Keon King, 21, was taken into custody on Wednesday, Oct. 15, the Philadelphia Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scott was last seen on the evening of Oct. 4 leaving an assisted living facility where she worked, according to a previous police statement. She was being harassed via phone calls in the days leading up to her disappearance, PEOPLE previously reported, per authorities. At a press conference Wednesday, Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski said King was the last person in contact with [Scott] when her cell phone and social media activities dropped. GoFundMe; Philadelphia Police Department Kada Scott; Vehicle of interest Kada Scott; Vehicle of interest Authorities also released photos of a vehicle of interest, and Toczylowski said at the press conference which was livestreamed by 6ABC that investigators believe King is connected to the vehicle and that Scott may have been in that vehicle. Toczylowski declined to comment on whether King is linked to the alleged harassing phone calls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement King was also charged in an unrelated case with kidnapping and strangulation earlier this year, but those charges were withdrawn when the alleged victim did not appear in court, Toczylowski said. She added they believe these alleged offenses are a "pattern" of King's and authorities are refiling those charges. King has also been charged with recklessly endangering another person in connection with Scott's disappearance. Court records for him were not immediately available and Toczylowski said on Wednesday afternoon he was still being processed. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The investigation was handed over to the homicide unit this week, Philadelphia police told PEOPLE, though it is not yet being treated as a homicide. As the search for Scott continues, the FBI is assisting in the investigation, per CBS News and FOX 29. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scott's family has set up a GoFundMe to raise funds for "credible information that leads directly to Kadas safe recovery." "Every dollar raised strengthens our ability to bring her home and encourages anyone with information to come forward," her family said in the fundraiser, adding it was "dedicated to raising awareness, supporting search efforts, and ensuring that no lead goes unheard." Read the original article on People Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August (R-Walworth) attacks the Assembly Democrats in a floor speech on Tuesday, Oct. 14. (Screenshot/WisEye) During an Assembly floor session in which most of the bills passed on voice votes that were unanimous or nearly so, the chambers Democrats took the occasion Tuesday to make pointed arguments with amendments that were quickly quashed. Republican lawmakers lashed back with accusations of politics and grandstanding, while Democrats retorted that they were raising issues relevant to their constituents that the GOP majority has ignored. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On a bill that includes a pilot program for enabling video communications between callers and public safety call centers, Rep. Christian Phelps (D-Eau Claire) offered an amendment to restrict the video recordings from being shared. My amendment tightens the guardrails on the pilot program to clarify that no real-time video could be shared with private contractors or masked federal agents with ICE or any other actors not relevant to the incident being reported, Phelps told lawmakers. In recent door-to-door visits with constituents, most of them have been saying they want to protect and expand Medicaid, public schools, theyre worried about the economy, he added. Zero percent said that they want more government surveillance. The amendment was rejected 54-42. The official theme of the day set as always by the Republican caucus revolved around public safety, and was cued up with the first hour set aside to honor first responders from each of the states 99 Assembly districts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the floor, the Assembly passed bills to ban gadgets that can automatically hide or swap out a drivers license plate (SB 66); increase the penalties for impersonating police, fire fighters and other emergency service personnel (AB 136); punish people who harass search and rescue dogs (AB 239); increase the penalty for human trafficking (AB 265); and require drivers to move over for disabled vehicles on the highway just as they must already give a wide berth to a stopped emergency vehicle (AB 409). The body also concurred on a voice vote and without debate with a Senate bill that split lawmakers on party lines in the 2023-24 legislative session and was vetoed by Gov. Tony Evers. The legislation, SB 25, would shield police officers involved in the fatal shootings of civilians from judicial investigations under Wisconsins John Doe law if prosecutors decline to issue charges unless new evidence is produced. The bill passed a divided Senate in March. Amendments as talking points On Tuesday, disagreement only broke open when Democrats used the amendment process to highlight some of their policy priorities that werent otherwise up for discussion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each time, Rep. Kevin Petersen (R-Waupaca), filling in in the speakers chair, ruled the amendments out of order, and the Assembly Republicans agreed in party-line votes. The first of the Democratic amendments was on SB-183, which came to the Assembly after passing the Senate earlier Tuesday. The legislation increases the Medicaid reimbursement for emergency medical services when drivers arrive to pick up a patient but the person ends up forgoing a trip to the hospital. Rep. Alex Joers (D-Waunakee) offered an amendment to increase the state budget by $69.2 million to offset increases in the states cost to run the federally funded FoodShare program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rule changes that Republicans enacted in the tax-cut and spending-cut megabill that President Donald Trump signed July 4 set an impossible standard for Wisconsin to meet, he said. We want to prevent another multi-million dollar heist by Trump and his followers. When the vote came on the bill itself which passed by a unanimous voice vote the bills Assembly author, Rep. Tony Kurtz (R-Wonewoc) angrily scolded the Democrats. Im a little bit taken back by the amendment that was thrown on to this bill, Kurtz said. I understand you want to get your political points, thats fine. But theres other bills you can do that with. This was a disrespect to those first responders that were here today. The next bill to get that treatment was SB 309, giving dispatchers and 911 call center operators immunity from any civil liability if they transfer a caller to the national 988 suicide and crisis line. That bill also passed with a unanimous voice vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First, however, state Rep. Joan Fitzgerald (D-Fort Atkinson) proposed an amendment to restore $25 million a year for the current two-year budget that would go to municipalities to improve or expand their EMS operations. The money was included in Gov. Tony Evers budget proposal but removed by the Joint Finance Committees Republican leaders. Today, you have the opportunity to change that and do the right thing and make sure municipalities get the money they need to fund these essential services, Fitzgerald said. The Assembly voted 54-42 against the amendment. Raising Epstein A few bills later came SB 76, requiring prosecutors to get a judges approval before dismissing or amending charges for a broad group of crimes. That bill passed on a 53-43 party-line vote, with only Republican support. There was no discussion of that bills content, however. Instead, Democrats offered an amendment requiring the governor to issue a formal notice calling for the release of the federal files on deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even before Epsteins name was uttered in the chamber, Majority Leader Rep. Tyler August (R-Walworth) launched a broad verbal attack on the Democrats. As with the other amendments, August raised a point of order, objecting to the amendments relevance to the legislation. He accused Democrats of political gamesmanship and pursuing gotcha votes to embarrass Republicans, and charged that they just flat-out lie in political campaigns. And so this is just another embarrassing moment for Assembly Democrats, August said. And then they wonder why theyre never going to be in charge of this place. Rep. Clint Anderson (D-Beloit) retorted just as sharply. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You know whats embarrassing is getting mad about us talking about holding a pedophile accountable, Anderson said. I think it is time that we send a message that we think no matter how powerful, how wealthy, and how politically connected you are, you will be held accountable if you traffic children. Rep. Randy Udell (D-Fitchburg) speaks in favor of amending a Wisconsin bill to include language calling for the release of the Epstein files. (Screenshot/WisEye) Rep. Lee Snodgrass (D-Appleton) argued that the amendment was relevant because the original bill was about restricting deferred prosecution. We all just voted unanimously to increase penalties for human trafficking and extend the statute of limitations, Snodgrass said. You simply cannot vote for that and then vote down this amendment. When Rep. Randy Udell (D-Fitchburg) began recounting some of the names of Epsteins reported victims, Petersen interrupted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How do any of these names relate to Wisconsin? Petersen said. Udell: They are all victims of Epstein and these files should be released. Petersen: Did they happen in Wisconsin? Udell (who represents the 47th Assembly District): We dont know. The files havent been released. Petersen: Representative from the 47th, on the point of order not on national politics. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The rings of Saturn are among the wonders of our solar system, with a diameter of roughly 175,000 miles (280,000 kilometers) as they encircle the giant planet. But smaller celestial bodies in the solar system also boast ring systems that are impressive in their own right, even if their scale is not as grand. Scientists said they have observed for the first time a ring system in the process of formation and evolution, consisting of four rings and diffuse material, surrounding a small icy body called Chiron that orbits the sun in the expanse between Saturn and Uranus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chiron is part of a class of objects called centaurs that populate the outer solar system between Jupiter and Neptune, displaying characteristics of both asteroids and comets. Formally called "(2060) Chiron," it has a diameter of about 200 kilometers (125 miles) and takes about 50 years to complete one orbit around the sun. Centaurs are composed mainly of rock, water ice and complex organic compounds. Since its discovery in 1977, astronomers have observed Chiron off and on, and for years had known it was surrounded by material of some sort. In the new research, scientists obtained their best data on Chiron in 2023 using a telescope at the Pico dos Dias Observatory in Brazil to go along with data from 2011, 2018 and 2022. The researchers said these observations clearly showed that it is surrounded by well-defined rings - three dense ones about 170 miles (273 km), 202 miles (325 km) and 272 miles (438 km) from Chiron's center, and a fourth one, approximately 870 miles (1,400 km) from its center. This outer feature, detected for the first time, lies unusually far from Chiron and, they said, requires further observations to confirm its stability as a ring. The three inner rings are embedded within dust swirling around in a disk-like shape. Comparing data from the various observations of Chiron, the researchers detected significant changes in the ring system, clear evidence that its rings are evolving in real time, according to Chrystian Luciano Pereira, a postdoctoral researcher at the National Observatory in Brazil and lead author of the study published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This provides a rare glimpse into how such structures originate and change," Pereira said. Chiron's rings, Pereira added, are likely composed mainly of water ice mixed with small amounts of rocky material, like those of Saturn. Water ice may play a key role in the stability of ring systems because its physical properties allow particles to remain separated instead of coalescing into a moon. Chiron exhibits occasional comet-like activity - ejecting gas and dust into space. In 1993, Chiron even displayed a small tail of material, as comets do. The researchers said its rings may be made of leftover material from a possible collision that destroyed a small moon of Chiron or from some other crashes of space debris, or could be from the stuff ejected from Chiron itself - or perhaps some combination of these factors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It is an evolving system that will help us understand the dynamical mechanisms governing the creation of rings and satellites around small bodies, with potential implications for various types of disk dynamics in the universe," said astronomer and study co-author Braga Ribas of the Federal University of Technology-Parana and the Interinstitutional Laboratory of e-Astronomy in Brazil. All four of the solar system's big outer planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune - have rings, with Saturn's the largest. But astronomers since 2014 have discovered that some of its smaller bodies have them, too. Chiron brings that number to four, joining fellow centaur Chariklo and two icy worlds beyond Neptune - Haumea and Quaoar. "This diversity reminds us that ring formation is not exclusive to large planets. It's a universal process that can occur wherever the right physical conditions exist," Pereira said. A method called stellar occultation was used by a team including Brazilian, French and Spanish researchers to observe the rings. The researchers watched as Chiron passed in front of a distant star, temporarily blocking its light. By measuring how the starlight dims from different locations on Earth, they were able to discern the environment around Chiron. "We can reconstruct the shape and environment around the object with kilometer-scale precision," Pereira said. (Reporting by Will Dunham, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) Reading certain books felt like an objectionable act for Emily Zarka as a kid in 1990s Vermont. Monster-related media consumption, like collecting the children's vampire bunny novel series "Bunnicula," had an air of the forbidden for Zarka, whose family moved to Phoenix in 2000. Zarka, 35, now regularly digs deep into the dark to discuss creatures that haunt the human imagination for PBS Digital Studios web series "Monstrum." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Serving as host, writer and executive producer, the Arizona State University instructor with a doctorate in English literature will regularly draw on her academic training for the series' short-form documentary episodes. Storied, the YouTube channel that streams the series more than 100 episodes, hit 1 million subscribers in July. The popularity of "Monstrum" has proven to Zarka that whatever hides under the bed at night is essential to the human experience. The idea of monsters "comes from a need we have as humans to want to believe that there's something more than we see around us and that there are still some mysteries out there," Zarka said in a conversation with The Arizona Republic. Zarka talked about why the internet is historys best medium for monsters, the origins of spooky figures and what exactly qualifies as a monster. She also addressed whether PBS viewers should fear for her programs future after federal funding for public broadcasting was eliminated. Monsters are sometimes a refuge for those who've been wronged A lot has happened in the U.S. and around the world since Zarka was a kid covertly enjoying horror art, like Nickelodeon's "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" The first quarter of the 21st century has brought real-life scares the biggest terrorist attack on U.S. soil, two major wars, ongoing economic turmoil and a deadly pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This perpetual sense of crisis has led more people to lean into the supernatural, Zarka said. "So-called scary stories or supernatural stories have a comfort level," she said. Using the rise of Gothic literature during the French Revolution as an example, she added: "We have these moments in history that do feel very contentious and chaotic, but I think that also inspires some really great art, and I think that horror in particular is a space where that happens frequently." The internet has contributed to greater indulgence in horror, Zarka said. Despite harmful misinformation igniting online more quickly than torches outside Dr. Frankensteins castle, she argued that the digital realm is also a refuge for those who see themselves in monsters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "A lot of people have felt like they don't belong or that they've done something wrong in their life that's no fault of their own, and that's true of a lot of monster stories," Zarka said. An episode of "Monstrum" about el chupacabras highlighted how many Puerto Ricans hailed the ravenous goat-eater as an antihero to address the political inequities they faced living in a U.S. territory. Disenfranchised communities historically lacked broad platforms to share their fables until the internet, Zarka said, adding, "the best scary stories come from people who have traditionally marginalized voices." With that in mind, "Monstrum" regularly sources expertise on monsters from members of the communities where these tales originally took root. Filipino comics creator Budjette Tan reflects on his childhood memories of tikbalang on an episode about the Philippines' countryside shapeshifter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The invading Spaniards and their beliefs crept into the long-held understanding Indigenous people of the Philippines had of the tikbalang, the episode explained. As with the tikbalang, many monsters' status as threatening beings started within the confines of colonialism, Zarka pointed out. Dragons, zombies and banshees oh, my! The makings of a "Monstrum" monster vary. Many of those featured in the series are cryptids, creatures whose existence is disputed and often possess preternatural meaning extraordinary abilities, such as the Himalayan yeti or Australias amphibious bunyip. Monsters on "Monstrum" also include magical beasts like dragons, the undead like zombies, the extraterrestrial like the grays or the ghostly like banshees. "Monsters serve as instructive metaphors to teach moral lessons or condemn and promote certain behaviors and function as intellectual and emotional safe spaces for difficult topics," Zarka said at the start of a recent episode. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A 2021 episode described how the personification of death the grim reaper embodied the anxieties of those witnessing the Black Death unfold in the Middle Ages, and how the ominous figure resurfaced at the start of COVID-19. "Monstrum" suggests that not all monsters are harmful. This is showcased in a few episodes. There is the Fresno Crawler an entity that is literally just two walking legs, apparently caught on surveillance footage. South Americas kasogonaga is a rainbow-colored anteater whose nature-controlling powers actually help the afflicted. "Monstrum" even has an episode on Pokemon. Beloved legends elaborated, not debunked Zarka is expanding her role as an authority on all matters monster with a book on cryptids. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crafted as an illustrated collection reminiscent of medieval woodcut-illustrated parables, Zarka promises the publication, slated for fall 2026, will be a fun read anchored in her academic research. She also mentioned she is a consulting producer on an upcoming horror film. Some of her "Monstrum" fact-finding, which includes scouring historical sources like newspapers, can take months, Zarka said. Still, she made clear she was seeking to elaborate on people's beloved monster legends, not debunk them. "I believe in the preternatural and the supernatural myself, so I'm not here to dismiss someone's experiences," she said. Earlier this year, Zarka spotted a great horned owl landing on the roof of her house. This jolted Zarka, who said her Celtic background influences her view of the bird of prey as a harbinger of doom. Sadly, only a day later, someone close to her family died. Defunding of public broadcasting won't unnerve production, host says Many of the episodes feature Zarka among ambiance-evoking set pieces, including Victorian-era furnishings, and are filmed at an Austin, Texas, studio by the production company Spotzen. The monsters are brought to life through foreboding illustrations by London-based artist Samuel Allan and Zarka's paced narration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Productions cost money, and public broadcasting funding has been scarcer as of late. Congress, at the behest of President Donald Trump, slashed funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in July 2025. The nonprofit, which distributes funds to PBS and NPR, will shutter in January 2026 as a result. Zarka took a reassuring tone. "We're not going anywhere anytime soon. Obviously, these are challenging times," she said. Acknowledging the people who watch the episodes, make individual donations and write to Congress, she added, "We're lucky that we have a really dedicated base of people who still do believe in PBS and in public broadcasting." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Having secretly enjoyed monster media thrills as a girl, Zarka was delighted to learn that a viewer's young daughter was inspired to give a class presentation on Kraken, the gigantic, tentacled sea monster, after watching "Monstrum." "Monsters can be more unifying than they are divisive," she said. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU's Emily Zarka uses research to explain what truly scares us Deputies arrested two people on Tuesday after they found dozens of neglected animals from a house in south Georgia. Several rescue groups are now caring for about 80 animals that were found in filthy and dangerous conditions. The Bulloch County Sheriffs Office obtained a search warrant following reports of extreme neglect and cruelty. Deputies arrested Debra Jo Green and Kenneth Mark Berrin on felony animal cruelty charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deputies said animals were found in nearly every room of the home. Some were found locked in small crates with no access to food or water. Others were confined to dark bathrooms or rooms without light. The homes floors were covered in feces and urine. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Five animals were found dead on the property. Several other animals were suffering from a range of serious medical issues, including open wounds from fighting, eye and dental disease, and severe skin infections. Of the animals seized, many were French bulldogs and Pekingeses. Two Persian cats were also rescued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Atlanta Humane Society is taking in more than 30 of the animals. Theyll be evaluated, given medical treatment, and eventually, be fostered. Other agencies that will care for the rescued animals include the Bulloch County Humane Enforcement Division and the Humane Society of South Coastal Georgia. WSB Radios Lisa Nicholas contributed to this story. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Tuesday that Antifa was no different than MS-13 or any gang out there, weeks after the far-left group was designated a domestic terrorist organization. Theyre organized and someone is funding it, said Bondi during a discussion about Antifa on Fox News Hannity. Were going to get to the funding of Antifa, were going to get to the root of Antifa, and we are going to find and charge all of those people who are causing this chaos in Portland and all these other cities across our country. Talk to all the influencers who have been threatened and beat up and their lives threatened from Antifa members. Its going to stop under Donald Trump. She continued, Its organized crime. They are completely organized. Theyre at all of these events, theyre encouraging violence, theyre calling everyone fascist, but its more than that. Its hurting the American people. Theyre no different than MS-13 or any gang out there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trump signed an executive order designating Antifa a domestic terrorist organization last month, just weeks after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University. Antifa is a militarist, anarchist enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and our system of law, wrote Trump in his executive order: It uses illegal means to organize and execute a campaign of violence and terrorism nationwide to accomplish these goals. This campaign involves coordinated efforts to obstruct enforcement of Federal laws through armed standoffs with law enforcement, organized riots, violent assaults on Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other law enforcement officers, and routine doxing of and other threats against political figures and activists. Antifa recruits, trains, and radicalizes young Americans to engage in this violence and suppression of political activity, then employs elaborate means and mechanisms to shield the identities of its operatives, conceal its funding sources and operations in an effort to frustrate law enforcement, and recruit additional members. 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 and suppressing lawful political speech. This organized effort designed to achieve policy objectives by coercion and intimidation is domestic terrorism. This month, journalist Katie Daviscourt appeared on Fox News with a black eye after she was attacked in Portland by a masked assailant she described as an Antifa-affiliated protester. Watch above via Fox News. The post Attorney General Pam Bondi Says Antifa No Different Than MS-13 or Any Gang first appeared on Mediaite. The organizers present copies of the English edition of the fifth volume of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" to distinguished guests during a promotional event for the book in Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 14, 2025. A promotional event for the English edition of the fifth volume of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" was held here on Tuesday. The event was jointly organized by the State Council Information Office of China, the Chinese Embassy in Germany, the China International Communications Group, and the Chinese Consulate General in Frankfurt am Main. (Xinhua/Du Zheyu) FRANKFURT, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- A promotional event for the English edition of the fifth volume of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" was held here on Tuesday. The volume contains 91 of Xi's works under 18 topics covering the period from May 27, 2022 to Dec. 20, 2024, including reports, speeches, talks, addresses, articles and instructions. The event was jointly organized by the State Council Information Office of China, the Chinese Embassy in Germany, the China International Communications Group, and the Chinese Consulate General in Frankfurt am Main. As an authoritative work that comprehensively reflects the latest achievements of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the fifth volume records Xi's practices in leading the Chinese people in advancing Chinese modernization, and fully demonstrates the Chinese wisdom and solutions contributed by the Communist Party of China (CPC) to building a community with a shared future for mankind. Chinese and foreign dignitaries at the event noted that these works not only belong to China but also to the world. The publication of the fifth volume is of great and far-reaching significance as it will help the international community gain a deeper understanding of China's achievements, development direction and path in the new era, take a more positive view of the benefits and opportunities that China brings to the world, and further promote exchanges and mutual learning on governance and civilization, they said. Cord Eberspaecher, a German sinologist and historian, said he was impressed by the extensive and inspiring content presented in smooth translation. The book includes a collection of speeches organized by topic, focusing on China's sustained success and its role in the world, Eberspaecher said in a speech, adding that the book will help readers better understand Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and China's governance philosophy. The depth of thought and breadth of practice demonstrated in the book are impressive and convincing, noted David Ferguson, recipient of the Chinese Government Friendship Award and honorary chief English editor of China's Foreign Languages Press. President Xi's thought on governing the country is a comprehensive system with a rigorous logical structure, scientifically coordinating both domestic and international situations, and systematically addressing all major issues faced by China's development, Ferguson said. Christina Werum-Wang, the German director of the Frankfurt Confucius Institute, said that the book serves as "the key to unlocking the true China." The Chinese ideological works represented by "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" include reflections and practices of a nation in the process of modernization. The wisdom on development, peace, and governance in the works provides new perspectives for solving the common challenges faced by humanity, Werum-Wang said. The organizers presented copies of the English edition to distinguished guests at the event. Experts and scholars also held discussions under the theme "Equality and inclusiveness: from dialogues among civilizations to global governance." They exchanged views on topics such as Chinese modernization and the world, advancing the implementation of the Global Governance Initiative, and mutual learning and exchange between Chinese and European civilizations. Guests attend a promotional event for the English edition of the fifth volume of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" in Frankfurt, Germany on Oct. 14, 2025. A promotional event for the English edition of the fifth volume of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" was held here on Tuesday. The event was jointly organized by the State Council Information Office of China, the Chinese Embassy in Germany, the China International Communications Group, and the Chinese Consulate General in Frankfurt am Main. (Xinhua/Du Zheyu) Military leader Colonel Michael Randrianirina will be sworn in as Madagascars transitional president on Friday, the countrys new leadership has announced, as the African Union (AU) said it would suspend the country after a coup to remove President Andry Rajoelina. Randrianirina will be sworn in as President of the Refoundation of the Republic of Madagascar during a solemn hearing of the High Constitutional Court on October 17, said the statement, published on social media by a state television station on Thursday. Rajoelina, who was impeached by lawmakers after fleeing abroad during the weekend, has condemned the takeover and refused to step down despite youth-led demonstrations demanding his resignation and widespread defections in the security forces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Randrianirina led a rebellion that sided with the protesters and ousted Rajoelina on Tuesday in the sprawling country of about 30 million people off of Africas east coast. Since gaining independence from France in 1960, the country has had a history of coups and political crises. The latest military takeover capped weeks of protests against Rajoelina and his government, led by youth groups calling themselves Gen Z Madagascar. The protesters, who also included labour unions and civic groups, have demanded better government and job opportunities, echoing youth-led protests elsewhere in the world. Among other things, the Madagascar protesters have railed against chronic water and electricity outages, limited access to higher education, government corruption and poverty, which affects roughly three out of every four Madagascans, according to the World Bank. Although some suggest the military seized power on the backs of the civilian protesters, demonstrators cheered Randrianirina and other soldiers from his elite CAPSAT unit as they triumphantly rode through the streets of the capital Antananarivo on Tuesday. The colonel has promised elections in two years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The takeover was an awakening of the people. It was launched by the youth. And the military supported us, said the protest leader, Safika, who only gave one name as has been typical with the demonstrators. We must always be wary, but the current state of affairs gives us reason to be confident, Safika told The Associated Press news agency. The protests reached a turning point Saturday when Randrianirina and soldiers from his unit sided with the demonstrators calling for the president to resign. Rajoelina said he fled to an undisclosed country because he feared for his life. Randrianirina had long been a vocal critic of Rajoelinas administration and was reportedly imprisoned for several months in 2023 for plotting a coup. His swift takeover drew international concern. The African Union condemned the coup and announced the countrys suspension from the bloc. The United Nations said they were deeply concerned by the unconstitutional change of power. AUBURN, Ala. (WRBL) Graphic new testimony in a Lee County courtroom is shedding light on the evidence police say ties a man to the brutal killing of Dr. Julie Schnuelle, whose body was found at Kiesel Park on September 6, 2025. Dr. Schnuelle, 59, was a retired professor with Auburn Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine. Investigators say she was walking her dog at Kiesel Park when she was attacked and killed in broad daylight. Dabney During Wednesdays preliminary hearing, Auburn Police Detective Taylor Clark described how the investigation began when a 911 caller reported finding a pool of blood along a walking trail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clark testified when officers arrived at Kiesel Park Auburns largest city park, spanning 150 acres of trails, meadows, and ponds they found two pools of blood near the trail and Dr. Schnuelles body about 25 to 30 yards into the wood line, behind a tree. Clark said it appeared the victim had been dragged from the trail and suffered numerous wounds from a bladed object. Dr. Schnuelles autopsy showed seven sharp-force wounds, mostly to her upper body, and probable defensive injuries to her hand and forearm. Investigators testified they found her dog leash, sunglasses, visor, and iPhone about 10 to 15 yards from her body, all soaked with blood. According to Detective Clark, surveillance footage from the park showed Dr. Schnuelle entering Kiesel Park in her red Ford F-150 around 9:38 a.m. on September 6. Roughly 50 minutes later, at 10:28 a.m., a man matching Harold Dabneys description appeared in the footage wearing a black-and-white long-sleeve shirt, dark pants, and dark Adidas shoes. Clark testified Dabney used Dr. Schnuelles key fob to locate her truck, got inside, and drove away at 10:29 a.m. A Flock license plate reader later captured the victims truck traveling along Wire Road at 10:37 a.m. The following morning, Auburn police responded to a disorderly person call at a church on Beehive Road. There, they encountered 32-year-old Harold Rashad Dabney III of Montgomery, who appeared scratched and disheveled as if hed been walking through brush or briar patches. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detectives said Dabney was wearing a white T-shirt, blue shorts, and the same distinctive Adidas shoes seen on the surveillance video. During a search, officers reported finding a Cash App card with Dabneys name, $23 in cash, and hidden inside his underwear a debit card belonging to Dr. Schnuelle. Clark said Dabney refused to give a statement after being taken into custody. Later that day, investigators located the victims truck abandoned in a wooded area off Wire Road, about 100 yards from the road in a creek bed. Officers said they found blood on the drivers seat and steering wheel, and a fingerprint on the drivers-side rear door matched Dabneys thumb. Clark testified the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences is still processing several items, including the victims fingernail clippings and blood-stained evidence from the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Witnesses told police they saw a man matching Dabneys description at the park that morning, and one person later identified him in a lineup. Following testimony, Judge Jeff Tickal ruled there was probable cause to believe Dabney committed the offenses and bound the case over to a Lee County Grand Jury on two counts of capital murder during kidnapping and robbery. Dr. Julie Schnuelle, 42, was a well-known veterinarian and Auburn University graduate who devoted her life to caring for animals and serving her community. Friends and former clients describe her as kind, compassionate, and deeply committed to every patient who crossed her path. 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 WRBL. *This article has been updated with additional information from the Madison County Auditor. MADISON COUNTY, Iowa It has been a turbulent year for local government in Madison County. The former Treasurer is facing criminal charges with an upcoming trial. The former Auditor reportedly stopped coming to work weeks before she resigned. And the current Board of Supervisors Chair has a pending lawsuit filed against the Sheriff, the County Attorney, and other officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During Tuesday nights regularly scheduled Board of Supervisors meeting, more concerns were raised. Auditor Flags Financial Irregularities Newly elected Auditor Michele Brant, who took office after a late-August Special Election, appears to be working to steady the ship. But according to her report at the meeting, she has uncovered numerous concerning issues in recent weeks. We found deficiencies in the last six weeks, said Brant during her department update. Weve been able to deal with most of them. Among some of the issues Brant reportedly identified are: County libraries, which are generally paid quarterly, had not received funding since January Past due amounts included: $11,503 for Truro Library, $13,391 for Earlham Library, $11,188 for Saint Charles Library, and $18,584 to Winterset Library, which was only behind one quarter. VPN access was given to non-employees for potential access to sensitive county software. After this story was published, Auditor Brant sent the following clarification: The concern I have with data security is that a person was given a user ID to our Solutions Software System prior to being approved by the Board of Supervisors, and that person was not approved and therefore never an employee. Brant added that it was unclear if any person was given VPN access prior to approval by the BOS. Included among a list of approved expenses after the county budget was certified on April 22nd and then amended in May was: The First Deputy Auditor was given an $8,000 raise to her annual salary. That was six days before the elected Auditor left office. It was approved by resolution from the Board of Supervisors. There was a roughly $2,900 overpayment of wages on July 10, approved by the then-interim Auditor. That will be repaid by December 31st. Sequential wage increases were given to the Elections Deputy from $28 at hire to $28.25 at 90 days, and then another raise to $28.99 per hour, six days before the Auditor left office, and approved by the BOS. Permission was given by an unknown person for a temporary part-time assistant who was being paid $28.99 an hour to work past June 30th. That person continued working through the Special Election on August 26th, and then was given permission on September 2nd by the outgoing interim Auditor to continue working through the end of September. This amount netted after taxes $1,765.63. A lack of narrative or notes for the budget throughout 2025. The county budget was reportedly deleted from the countys third-party IT software company, Solutions, Inc., around July 18 and was later re-entered. In her after-hours, Brant said she will be comparing the notes she has from her time as the board clerk this past Spring with what was entered online due to the lack of a narrative explanation. The Taxable Wage Report due to the Iowa Workforce Development was not filed in April or July, which generated $6,100 in fines. The 2025 Indirect Cost Allocation Plans were due on September 6th. The Auditors Office was reportedly advised about it on August 7th, 2025, before Brant took office. Brant is now working on the final component, which should have been completed in July. Brant did not expect the county to incur any financial penalties. Dues for SICOG, the Southern Iowa Council of Governments, had not been paid in July Several audits had not been completed, including for HR purposes and the Iowa Workforce Development. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brant also said that she has been assisting the State Auditors Office with completing the Audit of Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024, after emails from the state went unanswered by county employees for six months. It is unclear why this happened, she said. Brant is also planning to create an onboarding and offboarding process for county employees, she said. Below is a copy of Brants department update report, which she used as talking points during the meeting. Auditor Report 14 OCT 2025 (1)Download Brant has been pushing to hire a part-time Second Deputy Auditor to help get the office back on track. But that request has been denied by Supervisors Heather Stancil and Jessica Hobbs, who said they want to review Brants budget first. Legal Fees Draw Scrutiny During public comments, attention turned to the first invoices from an outside law firm- retained in August with votes from Supervisors Hobbs and Stancil. This, despite the county already having legal representation through both the County Attorney and a separate firm that is currently on a $2,800-per-month retainer for HR-related matters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The August 5 BOS resolution and the contract agreement hiring Attorney Michael Boal from the Belin McCormick Law Firm for $305 an hour can be viewed below. SPV 081225E Approving outside counsel for board wtih Belin McCormick for legal services (1)Download Invoices obtained by the WHO 13 newsroom show the county was billed nearly $8,000 by the new firm for September and October- more than half the cost of the recent Special Election. Part of the charges are labeled as attention to pending litigation. But there is a catch. As of now, neither the Iowa courts nor the federal PACER court system shows any pending litigation involving the county. Stancil is represented by Alan Ostergren of Alan Ostergren Law in the Federal lawsuit brought by Stancil against the Sheriff, County Attorney, and other officials in which she claims her constitutional rights were violated after the Sheriff announced an investigation into her for alleged election misconduct and voter intimidation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 9-1-25 (1)Download doc00206920251011165428 (4)Download County Attorney Stephen Swanson addressed the issue directly at the podium- raising the same question we had emailed him about just hours before. Im curious as to where the Pending Litigation comes from, and what that is, seeing as I have to file a report, said County Attorney Swanson. No Clear Answer from Supervisors In response during the meeting, Supervisor Chair Stancil told Swanson she would send him information on the alleged pending litigation. Neither Stancil nor Supervisor Hobbs responded to a WHO 13 email on Tuesday night requesting clarification on the matter. 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 who13.com. WAPAKONETA Auglaize County voters will head to the polls on Nov. 4 with a bevy of choices awaiting them. Contested races for seats on city and village town councils, school boards and township positions dot the ballot in nearly every precinct. Residents countywide will also be asked to approve the continuation of a sales/use tax that has been in place in Auglaize County since 1996; one that generates approximately $4 million annually for the countys general fund. The board of county commissioners this summer proposed a ballot measure seeking the continuation of the countys existing sales and use tax of 0.5% for another 10 years. Revenue from the tax will go directly to the countys general fund, pending voter approval. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Commissioner Doug Spencer views the tax proposal as a public referendum on the job he and fellow commissioners John Bergman and Dave Bambauer are doing in being fiscally responsible stewards of the countys finances. This is our grade card, Spencer said of the upcoming vote. We believe its a grade card for the county that we are delivering the services taxpayers deserve and require. We hope to get a passing grade on Nov. 4. Rates vary by county Ohio has a 5.75% sales tax that serves as a base in each of the states 88 counties. Each county may then add up to 1.5% through additional sales tax or transit authority tax components. Auglaize Countys sales/use tax has stood at 7.25% since 1996, when voters approved an increase specifically designated to pay for the construction and operation of a new county jail. Ten years later, with the jail debt erased, the tax was designated for the countys general fund. Another renewal was approved by voters in 2015 and expires on March 31, 2026. If approved by voters this year, the proposed new renewal would become effective on April 1, 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The average sales/use taxation rate in Ohio is 7.24%, according to the Department of Taxation. Retailers are responsible for collecting the tax on taxable goods and services. In Ohio the tax applies to the retail sales, the rental of tangible personal property and the sale of specific services. While many items are taxable, there are notable exemptions for certain goods and services, including groceries, prescription medicine, medical equipment, baby products, utilities and goods used in manufacturing, among others. Bread and butter The commissioners held multiple public hearings this fall, traveling to each political subdivision in the county to field public comments and feedback surrounding the sales tax. Spencer said the number one question among residents in attendance surrounded the term continuation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state Department of Taxation makes us use that word (in ballot language) instead of renewal, Spencer said. People just wanted to make sure this is not a new tax. It isnt. While it may not be a new tax, its an important one for Auglaize County. The approximately $4 million generated annually by the measure represents nearly 20% of the countys general fund. Sales tax are the bread and butter for counties in Ohio, Spencer said. Its nice because people traveling up and down I-75 or U.S. 33 who stop and purchase something in the county are contributing. Support for seniors The fate of one other countywide tax proposal will be determined by Auglaize County voters on Nov. 4. Residents will be asked to approve the renewal of a 1-mill, five-year levy to support the Auglaize County Council on Aging. That measure, if approved, will generate an estimated $965,000 in revenue to provide or maintain services for the elderly citizens of Auglaize County. Approval will cost homeowners $19 for each $100,000 of appraised valuation. In an effort to help balance next years budget, the Aurora City Council has approved a plan that allows certain city employees to get eight weeks pay and benefits in exchange for leaving their job. Officials have been saying for months that the citys 2026 budget, which is set to be released publicly for the first time this week, is facing a significant deficit. Earlier in the budget process, the projected difference between revenue and expenses was said to be roughly $30 million, not taking into account new requests from departments or certain potential pay increases. The 2025 Voluntary Reduction In Force Incentive Plan approved by City Council at a meeting on Tuesday looks to lower that budget deficit, which Mayor John Laesch said at the meeting is now down to around $2.5 million, and minimize the impact of possible layoffs. Staffing takes up a vast majority of the citys general fund, and since 2017, staffing levels have increased by roughly 30%, officials previously said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plan wont require any extra funds, city officials have said, since all positions were already budgeted for this year. Employees are eligible to receive the eight weeks of severance pay and benefits in exchange for leaving their job if they have been working at the city for at least six months, are not in the process of being fired, have not already announced their intention to leave their job and submit an application by Oct. 31, according to a copy of the plan. The citys intention is to allow as many eligible employees to participate as possible, the plan says, but city officials can deny an employees application to participate in the plan if them leaving would negatively impact city operations or would mean the city needs to hire additional employees. For example, an otherwise eligible employee may be denied participation based on certain skills, certifications, knowledge or abilities which the city values highly, the plan reads. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement City employees in unions will only be eligible to participate in the plan if their union accepts the plan, city officials have said. Some aldermen asked if the vote could be delayed until after city staff met individually with each union about the plan, but staff said that the unions first wanted to know for sure what the plan would be. According to Laesch, Aurora City Council approval was needed before the unions could consider it. The City Council voted 8-3 to approve the plan. Voting against were Alds. Jonathan Nunez, 4th Ward; Patty Smith, 8th Ward; and Shweta Baid, 10th Ward. Ald. Will White, at-large, wasnt at the meeting so didnt cast a vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smith said the thought of removing employees is very difficult for us, and very heartfelt as well. She understands why the city would want to go through the voluntary plan, she said, but her fear is that it will lead the administration into cutting employees if not enough of them take the offer. When Smith asked what would be done in that situation, city staff said it was an ongoing discussion because of some unknowns. Layoffs are possible, staff said in response to one of Smiths follow-up questions, but Laesch said that the city would try to provide as soft of a landing as possible. And, staffing is the last place departments have looked for cuts, Laesch said. Previously, officials have said that departments were asked to find cuts equal to 20% of their budget, though the potential cuts were not set in stone and were used more as an exercise. Brian Caputo, who previously served as the citys finance director and recently rejoined the city as director of fiscal integrity and government operations, told the City Council in August that the current financial situation is one of the most serious ever faced by the city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many revenue streams were actually doing well, he previously said, but expenses have outpaced revenue. Past budgets had been balanced by moving money typically set aside for long-term needs like insurance and capital projects into the citys main operating fund, so the fundamental financial structure of the city does not work as it is currently set up, Caputo said at the time. In late August, officials said the 2026 budgets general fund had a $29.7 million deficit at that point in the budgeting process. That figure did not include the additional $10.3 million requested by departments as a part of the budget process, any cost of living increases for non-union employees pay or any increases to contracts with various unions that are currently under negotiation. Officials have worked to lower that deficit to $2.5 million in the current version of the proposed 2026 budget, Laesch said Tuesday, and any more cuts would probably impact city services in a very severe way, like streets not being plowed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That now-smaller deficit will likely be covered by budget carryovers, increased revenue from the new Hollywood Casino Aurora set to open next year, property sales or, in the worst case, funds that would otherwise be set aside for capital projects, according to Laesch. rsmith@chicagotribune.com State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, a progressive Democrat and former Austin school board member, joined the race for governor on Wednesday, accusing Gov. Greg Abbott of being beholden to big money donors and vowing to fight corruption. No te dejes fight back, she said in a video announcing her campaign. Our fight right now is against the billionaires and the corporations, who are driving up prices, closing our neighborhood schools and cheating Texans out of basic health care. Thats who Greg Abbott works for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement READ MORE: Andrew White launches Democratic bid to take on Greg Abbott Hinojosa is the most established contender in a primary field that has struggled to draw big names to take on Abbott as he seeks a record fourth term in office. She has served in the House since 2017 and was a vocal opponent of Abbotts $1 billion private school voucher plan that passed earlier this year, which she likened to "welfare for the well off. Hinojosa sparred directly with Abbott over the voucher plan earlier this year, and is working to make the issue a key rallying cry on the campaign trail. In her launch video, she hit the Texas Republican for taking millions in campaign donations from Jeff Yass, a Pennsylvania billionaire and voucher proponent. Abbott's campaign called Hinojosa "out of step with Texans" and slammed her progressive stances on a series of issues, including her support of gender-affirming care and opposition to Abbott's border security crackdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Time and again, Gina Hinojosa chooses woke, extreme ideologies over the safety and security of Texas families," Kim Snyder, Abbott's campaign manager, said in a statement. Hinojosa was set to hold a launch rally on Wednesday in Brownsville, where she grew up. The choice is an early indication of the importance of South Texas, which has increasingly become a battleground after Republicans gained ground there in recent elections. Hinojosa joins a Democratic primary that includes Andrew White, a Houston businessman and son of the late Gov. Mark White; Bobby Cole, a rancher and retired firefighter; and Bay City Councilman Benjamin Flores. She quickly rolled out a series of endorsements from prominent Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas, who has among the highest name recognition in the state, and Colin Allred, a former Dallas congressman running for U.S. Senate. White, who is running as a moderate, said that Hinojosa is "a progressive who represents her district well." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "But this is a statewide race," White said in a statement. "Democrats need a candidate who will bring together progressives, moderates, and independents to beat Greg Abbott." Some Democrats are optimistic about their chances against Abbott, whose approval rating took a hit after a series of polarizing battles, including his push for school vouchers and for redrawing the states congressional map. Abbott has tied his governorship to the Trump administration, most recently being the only state leader to agree to send National Guard troops to Democratic-led cities as part of President Donald Trumps crackdown on protesters. The real key here for Democrats is, can you get that message across that it doesnt have to be this way, it can be better. We dont have to keep doing this, said state Rep. Gene Wu, a Houston Democrat who said he believes Hinojosa will be able to present a clear alternative. People are ready to hear that message. You have people in red communities who are begging, begging for help and are being flatly ignored. Still, Abbott has a massive war chest to fend off a challenger, and each of the Democrats vying to take him on is likely to face an uphill battle introducing themselves to voters across the massive state with multiple expensive media markets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hinojosa had long been thought to be eying a run. She registered several domain names last month and had told other Democrats she planned to jump in the race. In an interview with Hearst Newspapers, Hinojosa said she decided to run after seeing firsthand what she deemed "corruption" in state government, where she said leaders like Abbott are more focused on pleasing donors than serving their constituents. "We have high property taxes in this state and yet that money is not being invested in what our communities need," Hinojosa said. "People have a sense that theres corruption, but its so much worse than people know. And I believe it drives most major policy decisions in the state of Texas." An Austin woman pleaded guilty Monday in district court to tampering with a corpse to conceal evidence in connection with a 2024 death. Kamery Wooldridge, 32, was arrested last May for disposing of 24-year-old Cristian Rangel's body at a greenbelt in Southeast Austin. She pleaded guilty to the second-degree felony Monday and received a 10-year sentence Tuesday, according to court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said the investigation into Rangel's death is still active but have not announced whether Wooldridge is suspected of causing his death. "Austin Police continues to extend our support to the family and loved ones of Cristian Rangel as they navigate this difficult time," police said in a statement to the American-Statesman. "Our detectives remain committed to pursuing justice and uncovering the full truth on behalf of Cristian and his family." Rangel left his Southeast Austin apartment on April 8, 2024, to walk to a nearby Walmart, according to Wooldridge's arrest affidavit. Rangel had told his girlfriend he was going to the store, "but she believed he was going to purchase drugs," the affidavit said. Surveillance video later showed him getting into a white GMC Terrain driven by Wooldridge. Rangel's father said that while his son was in the car, he called him from a phone later determined to be Woolridge's. Rangel asked his father for $100 to $200, the affidavit said. One minute later, the surveillance video captured Rangel trying to open the passenger door as the SUV sped away, but he never got out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His girlfriend reported him missing the next day. On April 19, police found his body in a Southeast Austin greenbelt, covered with grass and weeds about 15 feet from a trail. "The condition in which Mr. Rangels body was discovered presented substantial challenges in the collection and analysis of forensic evidence," the statement from police said. "These circumstances limited investigators ability to obtain conclusive results that could more clearly determine the cause of death or identify a potential suspect." Investigators say phone data placed Wooldridge at the Walmart and at the site where Rangels body was found within minutes of each other. Authorities seized her vehicle in Fort Worth and later found the front passenger seat removed and bleach stains inside. Police held a news conference in September 2024 to spread awareness of the case in hopes of finding more information. Rangels mother, Misty Moon, was joined by 10 relatives as she spoke about her son. Misty Moon, right, the mother of Cristian Rangel, and her daughter Kylee Rangel, cry as they listen to Detective Patrick Reed talk about the murder of Mistys son at a news conference at the Austin Police Department Headquarters Friday September 13, 2024. Stepfather Kenny Moon, far left, and father Mark Rangel appeared at the news conference to ask the public for help. (Jay Janner/American-Statesman) "He had his whole life ahead of him," Moon said. "A life filled with promise, love and dreams. His smile would light up any room. He would be the first person to give the shirt off his back to a stranger. Family meant everything to him, and without him ours will never be the same." Rangel's family is offering a $9,000 reward for information in the case. Oct. 15 (UPI) -- The High Court of Australia on Wednesday upheld a decision to deny a visa to conservative political commentator and author Candace Owens, who had planned a speaking tour there. The court on Wednesday ruled unanimously that Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke's denial did not infringe an implied constitutional freedom of political communication. Owens' conspiracy theories and anti-Semitic rhetoric did not pass the "character test" for a visa under Australia's Migration Act, Burke said at the time of the denial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Owens fought the denial in court arguing that a section of the act was invalid or that Burke had misconstrued the law. Her lawyers said the character test was more likely to exclude atypical political views that sparked division. Owens' lawyer Perry Herzfeld said that "inciting discord" as a reason to reject a visa was too broad and could include debate that was "very much in the eye of the beholder," The Guardian reported. Herzfeld argued in May that this kind of denial will include people who "will stimulate debate ... the minister doesn't like." The decision said the judges of the court "unanimously held that, reading the minister's decision fairly and as a whole, the minister did not misconstrue [the act] in deciding to refuse to grant the visa." "This is a win for social cohesion. Inciting discord might be the way some people make money, but it's not welcome in Australia," Burke said of the ruling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burke had argued that Owens had made "extremist and inflammatory comments towards Muslim, Black, Jewish and LGBTQIA+ communities, which generate controversy and hatred." Burke said in October: "From downplaying the impact of the Holocaust with comments about [Nazi doctor Josef] Mengele through to claims that Muslims started slavery, Candace Owens has the capacity to incite discord in almost every direction. Australia's national interest is best served when Candace Owens is somewhere else." Burke also considered Owens' "influence on the perpetrator of the Christchurch, New Zealand, mosque terrorist attacks, who described the plaintiff as 'the person who had influenced [him] above all,'" ABC (Australia) reported. The court said Owens was not entitled to any relief and ordered her to pay the defendants' costs. Owens is also facing a defamation lawsuit from French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte. Owens claims Brigitte Macron was born a man. MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Australias highest court on Wednesday rejected U.S. conservative commentator Candace Owens bid to overturn an Australian government decision barring her from visiting the country. Three High Court judges unanimously rejected Owens challenge to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burkes decision in 2024 to refuse her a visa on character grounds. Owens had planned to begin a speaking tour in Australia last November and also visit neighboring New Zealand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burke used his powers under the Migration Act last October to refuse her a visa because she failed the so-called character test, court documents said. Burke found there was a risk Owens would incite discord in the Australian community and that refusing her a visa was in the national interest. As a political commentator, author and activist, Owens was known for her controversial and conspiratorial views. She had made extremist and inflammatory comments toward Muslim, Black, Jewish and LGBTQIA+ communities which generate controversy and hatred, Burke said in court documents. Owens lawyers had argued the Migrant Act was unconstitutional because it infringed upon Australia's implied freedom of political communications. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Australia doesn't have an equivalent of the U.S. First Amendment that states a right to free speech. But because Australia is a democracy, the High Court has decided that the constitution implies free speech limited to governmental and political matters. Owens lawyers had argued that if the Migration Act was constitutional, then Burke had misconstrued his powers under that law in refusing her a visa. The judges rejected both arguments and ordered Owens to pay the governments court costs. Burke described the ruling as a win for social cohesion. "Inciting discord might be the way some people make money, but its not welcome in Australia, Burke said in statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Owens spokesman told The Associated Press in an email on Thursday Owens would comment on the court decision on social media later this week. Burke had told the court that while Owens already had an ability to incite discord through her 18 million followers across social media platforms, her presence in Australia would amplify that potential. He noted that when Australias terrorism threat level was elevated from possible to probable last year, the national domestic spy agency reported an increase in extremism. Australia has long used a wide discretion under the character test to refuse foreigners temporary visas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burke stripped Ye, the U.S. rapper formerly known as Kanye West, of an Australian visa after he released his single Heil Hitler in May this year. Ye had been traveling for years to Australia, where his wife of three years, Bianca Censori, was born. Burke's decision to ban Owens prompted neighboring New Zealand to refuse her a visa in November on the grounds that she had been rejected by Australia. But a New Zealand immigration official overturned that refusal in December, citing "the importance of free speech. Owens spokesman said on Thursday she would not tour New Zealand. JERUSALEM, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Israel on Wednesday night received the bodies of two hostages handed over by Hamas through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza, the Israeli prime minister's office said. The two coffins would be escorted into Israel for forensic identification in Tel Aviv, the office statement said. The handover came after Israel warned it could further restrict humanitarian aid to Gaza if Hamas failed to release all remaining 28 bodies of hostages. Israel said that forensic examination found one of the eight bodies handed over by Hamas on Monday and Tuesday was not that of an Israeli hostage. The return of the bodies and 20 surviving captives took place under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal in which Israel released about 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners. Hamas' military wing, al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement that the group "has fulfilled its commitment to the agreement by handing over all living Israeli prisoners in its custody, as well as the corpses it could access." It said that to recover the remaining bodies would require "extensive efforts and special equipment." BARABOO, Wis. (WFRV) Tuesday marked five years since the fatal stabbing of 24-year-old John C. Schmutzer, who was killed while hiking alone at Devils Lake State Park, and investigators are again asking for the publics help in solving the case. Schmutzer, of Wauwatosa, was murdered on October 14, 2020, around 11:30 a.m. while hiking on Grottos Trail on the south side of the East Bluff. His death was described by officials as both tragic and senseless. $1.5 million home in Wisconsin destroyed in massive fire Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A witness who discovered Schmutzers body told authorities they saw a suspicious man walking away from the scene. That man was described as about 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, wearing dark pants and a mostly white windbreaker-style jacket with red material or a pattern near the shoulders or arms. He also reportedly wore a dark hat and a black face covering, with only his eyes visible. The witness added that the man walked oddly. Other witnesses reported seeing a mandubbed by investigators as the East Bluff Runnerrunning frantically from the area toward the East Bluff Trail. He was described as around six feet tall, average build, wearing dark pants with ripped knees and a dark top, clothing not typical for trail running. Authorities have not determined whether the suspicious man and the East Bluff Runner are the same person. These individuals are of significant interest to investigators, and we believe someone in the community may hold the key to identifying him, the Sauk County Sheriffs Office stated. We urge anyone who was in or around Devils Lake State Park or the rural Baraboo area on October 14, 2020, to come forward with any new information, no matter how small it may seem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since 2020, detectives have reviewed hundreds of tips, interviewed witnesses from multiple states, and followed every credible lead. The sheriffs office says it remains committed to bringing justice to Schmutzers family. Forest County deputy crashes into deer during 110+ mph pursuit of driver with no headlights Investigators are also aware of a double homicide that occurred in July at Devils Den State Park in Arkansas, for which a suspect was arrested. While there is no confirmed connection between the cases, authorities are reviewing potential similarities. For now, officials say the focus remains on solving Schmutzers case based on the evidence gathered in Wisconsin. 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 WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. VERNON COUNTY, Mo. Authorities in southwest Missouri are asking for the publics help in solving a mystery involving animal cruelty. In a post on Facebook, the Vernon County Sheriffs Office is asking for residents to share any info they have on the shooting of livestock in Nevada. They share that the cattle were found dead, from what appears to be gunshot wounds in an area off of 54 Highway, east of Nevada. Some evidence was recovered, they say, but any additional information is appreciated in their ongoing investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I will not tolerate this, Vernon County Sheriff Mike Buehler said, We are a rural community and farms and ranches sustain the life and livelihood of a good portion of the population in Vernon County, he continued, I will not leave any stone unturned. Warning: the image below may be disturbing to some viewers. Swipe to reveal the uncensored photo. 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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. Authorities in Thailand have seized over 180 tortoise eggs after foiling an illegal attempt to smuggle them out of the country. What's happening? According to the Nation, authorities at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok discovered 187 Egyptian tortoises being smuggled in luggage destined for Laos. The Thailand Wildlife Enforcement Network found the tortoises on Sept. 11 after identifying a suspicious passenger. Officials from Thailand's WEN and other agencies collaborated to apprehend the wildlife trafficker, who was subsequently arrested and charged with multiple offenses under the Wild Animal Reserve and Protection Act, the Customs Act, and the Animal Epidemics Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The tortoises were found hidden inside two suitcases; 187 were alive, while unfortunately, two had died during transport. They were taken to the Wildlife Conservation Office to confirm their species before being transported back to their country of origin. This is the second offense this month, following officials' arrest of another passenger on Sept. 6 for illegally smuggling rhino horns. Why is wildlife trafficking important? Wildlife and plant trafficking is an international problem that involves people poaching, smuggling, and illegally trading protected species. Wildlife trafficking directly contributes to the spread of invasive species by moving plants and animals to areas they wouldn't usually be found, threatening conservation efforts. Species become invasive when they outcompete or prey on native species, disrupting ecosystems and leading to ecosystem decline. A prime example of this includes the Burmese python in the Florida Everglades, which has devastated native mammal populations and caused big disruptions to food webs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wildlife trafficking can also lead to the spread of diseases, which puts people at risk of zoonotic diseases that they would not usually come into contact with. According to the World Wildlife Fund, the illegal wildlife trade is the fourth biggest illegal trade in the world and is estimated to be worth over $20 billion annually. What's being done to combat wildlife trafficking? Governments and other organizations are working closely to identify wildlife trafficking hotspots and put in place measures to help combat the illegal trade. This includes developing appropriate policies, strengthening enforcement, raising public awareness through campaigns, and supporting sustainable livelihoods. Together, this helps to reduce illegal trafficking and protect important species, safeguarding ecosystems for a greener future. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) In a revealing interview on Wake Up Western Slope, veteran journalist and NewsNation prime-time anchor Leland Vittert joined Justin Adam Brown to discuss his deeply personal new memoir, Born Lucky: A Dedicated Father, a Grateful Son, and My Journey with Autism. The book traces Vitterts early life growing up on the autism spectrum, spotlighting the extraordinary bond between him and his father, Mark Vittert. On the cover: nearly 2-year-old Leland cradled by his dad at their lakefront home in Michigan. Inside: a raw account of the challenges Vittert faced navigating childhood, bullying and social isolation balanced by a fathers relentless commitment to helping his son succeed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vittert, 43 and host of On Balance, also addressed the broader cultural dialogue around autism, as well as controversies tied to misinformation. 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 WesternSlopeNow.com. New research suggests that those diagnosed with autism in late childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood are more likely to have a different type than those diagnosed in early childhood. "We found that, on average, individuals diagnosed with autism earlier and later in life follow different developmental pathways, and surprisingly have different underlying genetic profiles," says lead author and psychiatry PhD student Xinhe Zhang from the University of Cambridge. Related: Study Traces Autism's Origin to The Rise of Human Intelligence What's more, those diagnosed later are more likely to have a gene profile that overlaps with ADHD. This would explain why there has been some difficulty in distinguishing autism spectrum disorder ( ASD) and ADHD. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This paper reinforces yet again how complex autism is and how much genetics plays a role not just in a diagnosis but in the features of that diagnosis," chief science officer at the Autism Science Foundation, Alycia Halladay, who was not involved in the study, told NBC News's Liz Szabo. "There is no one cause of autism, despite claims against Tylenol." Zhang and team examined data from large studies conducted in the US, the UK, Europe, and Australia, including genetic data from more than 45,000 people. They found children diagnosed with autism early in life, before age 6, present with more behavioral difficulties at a young age, with issues stabilizing over time. Whereas those diagnosed later, after age 10, were more likely to experience worsening behavioral challenges and go on to develop mental health conditions like PTSD or depression. "This indicates that epidemiological findings of greater mental-health difficulties among later-diagnosed autistic individuals may be partly explained by the developmental model of autism," the researchers explain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But there's likely no clear cut-off between the two types, nor clear distinctions in severity, Zhang and colleagues caution. Rather, the different combinations of genes lead to different gradients of symptoms, challenges, and strengths. "Genetic influences may alter which autism features emerge and when," says Cambridge neurodevelopmental researcher Varun Warrier. Other recent studies looking at how children present with autism have also found there are likely multiple subtypes of this neurodevelopmental brain difference as well. The researchers explain that while they accounted for some demographic factors, such as sex, in their analysis, there are still others that would have a significant impact that are unaccounted for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Age at autism diagnosis is immensely complex and varies across geography and time," Zhang and team caution. "Local cultural factors, access to health care, gender bias, stigma, ethnicity and camouflaging probably have an effect on who receives a diagnosis and when." So while these sorts of categorizations shouldn't be used to make assumptions about people and their abilities, a better understanding of them could help lead to more personalized support for these genetic brain differences. "Understanding how the features of autism emerge not just in early childhood but later in childhood and adolescence could help us recognize, diagnose, and support autistic people of all ages," says Warrier. Mid Article Promo Astro "An important next step will be to understand the complex interaction between genetics and social factors that lead to poorer mental health outcomes among later-diagnosed autistic individuals." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This research was published in Nature. Related News The Association of the U.S. Armys (AUSA) annual symposium has seen some notable appearances by autonomous launchers, underscoring the services growing interest in this class of system. On show at the event were a new Family of Multi-Mission Autonomous Vehicles (FMAV) from Oshkosh Defense, as well as Raytheons DeepFires. Between them, these platforms can be armed with a wide variety of offensive and defensive weapons, including Tomahawk cruise missiles and Patriot surface-to-air missiles. A promotional image shows the three-strong Family of Multi-Mission Autonomous Vehicles (FMAV) from Oshkosh Defense. Oshkosh Extreme Multi-Mission Autonomous Vehicle (X-MAV) The FMAV series from Oshkosh Defense comprises three different truck chassis that can carry a wide variety of weapons. The three vehicles are described as being production-ready by the manufacturer and comprise the following: The largest of the FMAV series, the purpose-built X-MAV is able to support long-range munitions, including a podded launcher with four Tomahawk missiles. The 1010 wheeled chassis offers off-road mobility, as well as integrated onboard power. Oshkosh is aiming the X-MAV at the U.S. Armys Common Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher Heavy (CAML-H) program. Extreme Multi-Mission Autonomous Vehicle (X-MAV). Oshkosh In August, the Army revealed more details of CAML-H, which aims to integrate a launcher onto a 15-ton class chassis that will fire either Tomahawk missiles or the Patriot Advanced Capability 3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE) interceptor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is also worth noting here that the Army is already fielding the Typhon missile system, which includes tractor-trailer launchers capable of firing Tomahawks and SM-6s. Meanwhile, however, the Army has begun looking at smaller launchers that are easier to deploy as companions to Typhon, something we have reported on in the past. Medium Multi-Mission Autonomous Vehicle (M-MAV) The medium entrant in the family is based on the existing 66 Oshkosh FMTV A2. The M-MAV can be operated as an optionally crewed or fully autonomous launcher, equipped with the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) family of munitions. These munitions include the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS), Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), as well as future weapons like the Joint Reduced Range Rocket (JR3). Medium Multi-Mission Autonomous Vehicle (M-MAV). Oshkosh M-MAV delivers advanced navigation, remote operation, and automated resupply capabilities to increase survivability, reduce crew burden, and enable dispersed, resilient fires formations, Oshkosh said in its press release. Light Multi-Mission Autonomous Vehicle (L-MAV) The L-MAV is derived from the U.S. Marine Corps ROGUE-Fires and is a 44 autonomous carrier. It uses a modular design, so it can be rapidly configured for missions. These include counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS), electronic warfare, or resupply, for example. Examples of payloads shown at AUSA were the AeroVironment Switchblade 600 loitering munition and the Titan C-UAS. Light Multi-Mission Autonomous Vehicle (L-MAV) armed with Switchblade 600 loitering munitions. Oshkosh The Army has been clear on the need for autonomous, payload-agnostic platforms that are ready now, said Pat Williams, chief programs officer at Oshkosh Defense, as he outlined the FMAV series. The Oshkosh Family of Multi-Mission Autonomous Vehicles is engineered on proven tactical vehicles, with scalable autonomy and payload versatility to deliver what the Army needs today with the flexibility to adapt as the battlefield evolves. Raytheon DeepFires Meanwhile, Raytheon revealed more details of its DeepFires autonomous launcher, which uses the Oshkosh FMTV A2 the same platform employed by the middle-tier M-MAV. Raytheon has already been using the FMTV A2 platform for its DeepStrike autonomous launcher, which you can read more about here. Raytheons uncrewed launcher vehicle fires a Joint Reduced Range Rocket (JR3) at the Armys recent Project Convergence-Capstone 5 (PC-C5) test exercise at the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, California, earlier this year. The uncrewed launcher vehicle is also a cooperative development with Forterra and Oshkosh Defense. Raytheon As for DeepFires, this has been designed for modularity, able to pivot very quickly from offensive or defensive fires. The vehicle is also designed for optionally crewed or fully autonomous operations and has already been tested. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weapons payloads for DeepFires range from the AIM-9X Sidewinder for air defense all the way up to the Tomahawk. Raytheon has been tight-lipped about exactly how many rounds of each type of missile can be loaded on a single vehicle, although a promotional video from the company shows one of the trucks carrying two containerized Tomahawk rounds. Meanwhile, one of the DeepFires vehicles exhibited at AUSA was loaded with four Patriot missiles. A still from a promotional video shows DeepFires with two containerized Tomahawk cruise missiles. Raytheon screencap Speaking to media, including TWZ, at AUSA, Brian Burton, vice president, Precision Fires and Maneuver at Raytheon, hinted at the possibility of carrying significant numbers of smaller weapons, like the AIM-9X: One of the big things when we got feedback from the warfighters was more magazine depth. Not a surprise. We hear that all the time. So, this is something that weve been looking at from the very beginning how do we increase that? So, it can vary, but youre looking at a significant increase in magazine depth, and thats obviously important to whether youre putting additional fires down range or its just defending your area. Another key requirement that emerged from Army feedback on DeepFires was onboard vehicle power. Not only does the onboard power allow for the handling, including reloading, of missile rounds, but it also provides additional mobility, since the vehicle is not tied to a separate generator. That was a key piece that came out of touchpoints with the customer and feedback that we incorporated, and theyre really excited about that, Burton said. Raytheons DeepFires at the Association of the U.S. Armys (AUSA) main annual symposium. The vehicle is loaded with a four-round Patriot missile launcher. Howard Altman Also built into the DeepFires concept, from the outset, is air transportability, including by the C-130 airlifter. We wanted to put something together that could be very mobile, Burton explained, and [to] be able to get on that [C-130] platform gives the warfighters a lot more flexibility as to where they can get to and how quickly they can get there, and how quickly they can get out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The air transportability of DeepFires also helps answer broader U.S. military concerns about establishing diverse, distributed logistics chains. These are seen as an essential requirement for supporting future operations in contested environments, especially in the context of a potential future high-end conflict, including in the Pacific. The relevance of DeepFires to the Indo-Pacific theater is something that was referenced directly by Scott Sanders, chief growth officer at Forterra, the company that provides the autonomous capabilities for the system. The only thing more terrifying than a fleet of unmanned vehicles hiding in the Indo-PACOM somewhere is probably a B-21, he said. Front view of Raytheons DeepFires. Howard Altman At the same time, a system such as this could be highly relevant for contingencies in the European theater, where long-range precision fires are increasingly seen as necessary to offset potential Russian aggression. In the near future, it may also be possible that Ukraine will need a launcher of this kind, should it be approved to receive Tomahawks. Ukraine has some experience in this area, having already been successful with remote Patriot launcher operations. For autonomous operations, an operator is able to control between one to six DeepFires vehicles, depending on theater requirements. The vehicles can be controlled independently, using a route-following approach. In this mode, they will be given endpoint goals where the firing battery is required, and they will self-navigate from point A to point B. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alternatively, Raytheon is proposing a follower technique, in which the first vehicle is crewed. You can pick up a string of [uncrewed] vehicles behind you, move really quickly to your firing point, disperse via waypoint-based navigation into your firing points, and regroup, Burton explained. In terms of command and control, DeepFires is intended to be relatively comms agnostic, Burton said, meaning that it can be operated using a variety of different networks and bandwidths, including via satellite link. When asked whether DeepFires is being pitched directly at the Armys Common Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher (CAML) program, Burton said that Raytheon is 100 percent tracking and pursuing the CAML opportunity. Theyve seen this as an opportunity, and they are moving out quickly to get this capability into their hands. An Army uncrewed Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher (AML) fires a rocket during an exercise. U.S. Army Since DeepFires is designed around scalability, Burton said that the launcher could be optimized for both the Medium and Heavy segments of that program: CAML-M and CAML-H. We can scale and, working with Oshkosh and with Forterra, bring that to a larger, heavier vehicle, if thats what the demand and the means are for the Army, Burton observed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other options for DeepFires could include the possibility of a separate autonomous launcher that would be dedicated to air defense, building upon the planned integration of the AIM-9X and Patriot on the basic platform. Certainly, were looking at both, Burton said, noting that Raytheon also provides a lot of in-house air defense capabilities, including counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS). These include the Coyote Block 2, a jet-powered drone-like loitering interceptor that the Army currently fields as part of the mobile and fixed-site versions of its Low, Slow, Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System (LIDS). With a growing focus on battlefield survivability in the face of drone proliferation, of the kind thats been seen in the war in Ukraine, Raytheon says its considering C-UAS capabilities that are indigenous to the platform itself, or mounted on a different, dedicated platform. The appearance of these somewhat-related autonomous launchers at AUSA points again to the U.S. militarys interest in flexible, highly mobile, very hard to target systems that offer significant reach and relevant magazine capacity, and which are optimized for future scenarios in the Indo-Pacific region. Already, the Army has explored this concept with an uncrewed derivative of the HIMARS launcher vehicle called the Autonomous Multi-domain Launcher (AML). The Autonomous Multi-domain Launcher (AML) prototype. U.S. Army Building on the prototype AML, the Army has since put out a contracting notice outlining a potential family of uncrewed launcher vehicles the aforementioned CAML, which the Oshkosh and Raytheon options may well end up competing for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Various kinds of autonomous launchers would be particularly relevant in future expeditionary or distributed operations, especially across the broad expanses of the Pacific during a future major conflict with China, or for trying to deter one. This is a reality that is clearly not lost on the various companies presenting systems in this class at AUSA this week. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com GOSHEN Two commercial duck farms in Elkhart and LaGrange counties have been placed under quarantine after bird flu was detected in their flocks. The Indiana State Board of Animal Health says this impacts a flock of 3,500 ducks at a commercial meat duck operation in Elkhart County. The other quarantine is for a duck breeder in LaGrange County with a flock of more than 2,500. Bird depopulation will begin soon at the facilities, and the farms can begin restocking once the virus is no longer detected, the state agency said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials say bird flu is not transmitted through properly cooked food. Quarantine zones are now in place to help prevent the spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) to other farms, according to Kathryn Jennings, ANR-animal production educator with Purdue Extension-Elkhart County. With winter approaching and migratory birds passing through the area, there is increased concern about disease transmission, as wild birds are the primary though not the only source of HPAI spread, she said. Producers are urged to maintain strong biosecurity practices. If your farm does not currently have a biosecurity plan, now is the time to implement one, Jennings said. These measures protect not only your animals but also neighboring farms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Take steps to reduce contact between wild birds and your poultry or dairy animals, a release said. Keep feed and feed ingredients covered to prevent wild bird access. If you visit multiple poultry or dairy operations, allow for downtime between visits when possible. Changing clothes and footwear between farms also reduces the risk of spreading the virus. Avoid sharing equipment or supplies between farms, as they can easily carry the virus. Thoroughly clean and disinfect all tools and equipment used around sick animals. Effective disinfectants include a bleach solution (4 ounces bleach per gallon of water; laundry soap may be added, but never ammonia), Accel/Rescue products, Pine-Sol. Remember: disinfectants only work on clean surfaces, so remove all dirt and debris before applying. Wash your hands before and after handling animals. HPAI has been known to infect humans who work closely with infected animals, so proper hygiene and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) are essential for your safety. Common symptoms in poultry: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Decreased energy, appetite, and egg production Sudden death without prior signs Swelling of the head, comb, eyelids, wattles, or hocks Nasal discharge, coughing, or sneezing Purple discoloration of wattles, legs, or combs Diarrhea Incoordination Misshapen or soft-shelled eggs Common symptoms in cattle: Lethargy Fever Decreased appetite Reduced milk production If you suspect avian influenza in your flock or herd, immediately contact the Indiana Board of Animal Health (BOAH) at 866-536-7593 or your local veterinarian. A trio of U.S. Air Force B-52 bombers was tracked flying orbits in international airspace off the coast of Venezuela earlier today. This is a major show of force that comes amid a larger U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, ostensibly aimed at stemming the flow of illegal drugs north. At the same time, the Trump administration has been focusing particular pressure on the regime of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro, and the possibility of direct military action, beyond at times lethal maritime interdiction operations, has been steadily growing. The three B-52s, with the calligns BUNNY01, BUNNY02, and BUNNY03, were tracked leaving Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and heading south early this morning. The bombers subsequently turned east and flew to a patch of international airspace within what Venezuela refers to as the Maiquetia Flight Information Region (FIR). BUNNY01 flt now orbiting within the confines of the MAIQUETIA FIR. The FIR doesnt not constitute Venezuelan airspace but simply a ATC sector that they control. Are the B-52s talking to MAIQUETIA CONTROL or DUE REGARD? I dont know. @liveatc had a MAIQUETIA ATC feed up 2 days ago https://t.co/rM4PHgvBb5 pic.twitter.com/Evw1nJOxRx Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) October 15, 2025 ??? -USAF B52 BUNNY01 -USAF B52 BUNNY02 -USAF B52 BUNNY03 pic.twitter.com/sEjgucnjp1 Manu Gomez (@gosthdarkconrad) October 15, 2025 The B-52s appear to have orbited within the Maiquetia FIR for roughly two hours before departing. U.S. F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, presumably Marine Corps B variants flying from the former Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico, as well as Air Force aerial refueling tankers and other aircraft, have also been tracked in this same general area in recent weeks. Both B-52s have just begun heading north, away from Los Roques after almost two hours of circling inside the Maiquetia FIR. #Venezuela https://t.co/9XCNLVuVvH CNW (@ConflictsW) October 15, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BUNNY03 parece estar retornando, segun comunicacion con trafico de control aereo saldria por waypoint AMBIN. BUNNY01 Y BUNNY02 parecen continuar hacia el Este. pic.twitter.com/B05YXyw5KU (@Arr3ch0) October 15, 2025 No hay manera de mantener las cosas calladas.. bueno.. ahi va entonces.. Aqui estan las 2 misiones de reabastecimiento en vuelo de los KC-46A a los F-35B basados en Ceiba hoy 01/10 hace un ratico.. Notese que son casi enteramente en el FIR Maiquetia..#Venezuela#USMC#USAFhttps://t.co/Mg3wbPS5Gdpic.twitter.com/Xyad0XsFJR FlightWatcher (@Flightwatcher1) October 1, 2025 A pesar de lo "tranquilo" que parece estar el espacio aereo sobre el Mar Caribe y FIR Maiquetia, hoy ha habido mucha actividad, incluyendo Pegasus registro 20-46078 asistiendo a los F-35B, trabajando en conjunto con SENTRY AWACS 76-1605, entre otros . El Cartel de Los Soles los pic.twitter.com/LdyQJUNrYO (@Arr3ch0) October 12, 2025 There are unconfirmed reports that at least one of the Venezuelan Air Forces pocket fleet of U.S.-made F-16 fighters reportedly took off from El Libertador Air Base, situated to the west of Caracas, while the B-52s were orbiting offshore, but also that this may have been an unrelated training flight. Whether any attempt to intercept the bombers was made is unknown. Maduro did order new snap exercises today in the wake of another lethal U.S. attack on an alleged drug smuggling boat in international waters near Venezuela. In September, he said he had deployed some 25,000 troops to help secure the countrys border areas and key oil infrastructure against potential U.S. threats. The F-16 is only performing training at BAEL, meaning there was no attempt at any interception of the B-52s from the Venezuelan military aviation, likely assessed to be too risky due to previous threats by the US after the low flybys of US vessels CNW (@ConflictsW) October 15, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Confirmado via radio, piloto "Taguapire" al mando del unico F-16 activo al momento. Obviamente solo esta haciendo toque y despegue sobre la Base Libertador de Maracay. https://t.co/BX2XZb3PRq pic.twitter.com/W2rdWLKP4G (@Arr3ch0) October 15, 2025 At the time of writing, it is unclear whether or not the B-52s have returned to base or are still airborne. TWZ has reached out to Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) and Air Forces Southern (AFSOUTH) for more information about the bomber sorties into the Caribbean. AFSOUTH directed us to contact the Pentagon. It is worth noting that B-52s, as well as Air Force B-1 bombers and other U.S. military combat aircraft, have taken part in counter-narcotics operations in the skies over the Caribbean, on and off, for decades now, as you can read more about here. The range and targeting capabilities that the B-52 possesses, in particular, can be useful for spotting and further investigating suspected drug smuggling vessels. At the same time, openly flying B-52s in such proximity to Caracas seems clearly intended to send a message to Maduro and his regime. The bombers are capable of unleashing waves of standoff cruise missiles and can carry a host of other conventional munitions that can be employed against targets on land and at sea. Though the Venezuelan armed forces have limited air defense capabilities, they could still pose a threat. Standoff strikes from aircraft like the B-52 and other assets would be a likely component of any future U.S. direct action against targets inside the country to help reduce risks to friendly forces. They could even target air defense systems to help clear the way for follow-on operations. Earlier today, an Air Force C-17 cargo plane was also tracked making an unusual flight straight from Edwards Air Force Base in California to Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport in Puerto Rico. The purpose of that sortie is currently known. Edwards is the Air Forces preeminent test base, rather than an installation for operational units. REACH 287 (C-17) departed Edwards Air Force Base and is landing at TJRV Airport in Ceiba, Puerto Rico just at 2 am local time, this is the time of night when you transport something you dont want anyone to see. Things that go bump in the night Tracking via @ADSBexpic.twitter.com/qm9uItvJOe Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) October 15, 2025 There has already been a major buildup of U.S. forces in the region, including the deployment, as mentioned, of Marine aircraft to the former Roosevelt Roads Naval Station. Air Force MQ-9 Reapers and now AC-130J Ghostrider gunships have also been spotted flying sorties from Puerto Rico. It is worth pointing out here that AC-130Js are routinely tasked with interdiction and armed overwatch-type missions, including in support of direct action special operations raids. El que faltaba se unio al grupo. El temido Fuerza Aerea AC-130J Ghostrider registro 16-5837 activo en Jose Aponte de la Torre (TJRV), Puerto Rico. Miren los canones 30mm GAU-23 automatico y 105mm M102 howitzer ademas de los misiles Hellfire x 8 de Omar Y. Perez ayer 9/Oct pic.twitter.com/ztrQGiIU2E (@Arr3ch0) October 10, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Based on publicly available images, it appears that at least five different USAF MQ-9As have flown/are flying out of Aguadilla (BQN/TJBQ) in support of ongoing counternarcotics ops in the Caribbean. The complete serials should be: xx-4275, 17-4356, 19-4390, 19-4398, 20-4408. pic.twitter.com/989ztfgDIo LatAmMilMovements (@LatAmMilMVMTs) October 4, 2025 A host of other U.S. air and naval assets are now operating in the region, as well. This includes the Iwo Jima Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG)/22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), several Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyers, a Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser, a Los Angeles class nuclear powered fast attack submarine, and even the Ocean Trader, a shadowy special operations mothership. All told, there are reportedly now some 10,000 U.S. personnel, in total, forward-deployed in the region. Last week, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) stood up a new task force, led by elements of II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF), to help manage the expanded counter-narcotics operations across the Western Hemisphere. PRESS RELEASE: New Joint Task Force Established to Lead #SOUTHCOM Counter-Narcotics Operationshttps://t.co/4InDvu2VhS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MIAMI, Fla. U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced the establishment of a new Joint Task Force (JTF) under II Marine Expeditionary pic.twitter.com/0lQF0hQjwq U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) October 10, 2025 Since September, U.S. forces have conducted at least five lethal attacks on small boats in the Caribbean, killing numerous individuals, all alleged to have been involved in drug smuggling. President Donald Trump announced the most recent of these just yesterday. Serious questions have been raised about those missions and the legal authorities behind them. Under my Standing Authorities as Commander-in-Chief, this morning, the Secretary of War, ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility just off the Coast pic.twitter.com/XWDpGZ4lsZ Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) October 14, 2025 There has otherwise been a steady drumbeat in recent weeks of reporting on the Trump administrations stepping up of efforts to put pressure on Maduro. Just today, The New York Times reported that Trump has authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to undertake covert actions in Venezuela and elsewhere in the Caribbean. Reports last week, citing U.S. officials, said that Trump had ordered an end to efforts to reach a diplomatic resolution to the current impasse with Venezuelan authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some members of the Trump administration have reportedly been pushing for action to oust Maduro. Since 2020, the dictatorial Venezuelan leader has also been wanted in the United States over drug trafficking and other charges, and American authorities are currently offering a $50 million bounty for his capture. The appearance today of the three B-52s off Venezuelas coast marks another major development in the still-expanding U.S. operations in the Southern Caribbean. Update, 10/17/2025: A Pentagon official has now provided the following statement in response to our queries about the B-52 sorties: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. Strategic Command, its components, and subordinate units routinely conduct global operations in coordination with other combatant commands, services, and participating U.S. government agencies to deter, detect and, if necessary, defeat strategic attacks against the United States and its allies. To preserve operational security, we do not discuss details about exercises or operations. Howard Altman contributed to this story. Contact the author: joe@twz.com A Texas couples Florida vacation landed them in jail after deputies discovered the family left a 6-month-old baby unattended on the beach, according to investigators in the Panhandle. Witnesses reported finding the child around noon Friday at Miramar Beach, the Walton County Sheriffs Office said in an Oct. 14 news release. Good Samaritans immediately began caring for the child and called law enforcement, the sheriffs office said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While deputies waited for (medics) to arrive and assess the infant, the parents returned to the scene, where both admitted to placing the child under the tent for a nap before leaving with their other children, claiming they lost track of time. A review of security camera footage confirmed the family was away for nearly an hour and did not bring their cell phone with them, the sheriffs office said. Emergency medical personnel determined the infant was not in distress. Temperatures at Miramar Beach rose into the low 80s on Oct. 10, AccuWeather reports. The parents, who are from Houston, were arrested and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm, the sheriffs office said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Florida Department of Children and Families took custody of the children until they could be released to family members traveling from Texas, officials said. The couple was released on bond the next day. Were thankful for the quick-thinking beachgoer who raised the alarm and for those who stepped in to care for the child with the same kindness and concern they would show their own, Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said in the news release. Miramar Beach is about a 55-mile drive east from Pensacola. LJUBLJANA, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said Wednesday that the current ceasefire in Gaza remains fragile and warned of complex challenges ahead in implementing the next phase of the peace plan. Speaking before the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee, Fajon voiced concern over the "fragile situation on the ground," noting that humanitarian aid entering the war-torn Gaza Strip remains insufficient. She said a number of key issues still need to be resolved, including questions of governance and reconstruction in Gaza. "Slovenia remains active and committed to finding a political solution that would establish a permanent ceasefire in the Middle East and peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians," Fajon said. She emphasized that efforts should include the establishment of a Palestinian state in line with the two-state solution, highlighting the importance of the United Nations in building a stable political framework for Palestinian governance, as well as the European Union's (EU) role in supporting the process. Oct. 14MITCHELL When Greg Bailey steps into his shop, sparks fly literally and figuratively. Four decades of welding, fabricating, and mentoring have fueled his love for the craft and left a visible mark on Mitchell's streets and landmarks. As owner of Bailey Metal Fabricators, his work can be seen in places throughout Mitchell from the Corn Palace Plaza corn sculpture to railings at Veterans Park. The company's roots go back to 1957, when Greg's father, Richard Bailey, began welding. He later partnered with another tradesman and, after buying out his partner in 1960, established Bailey Welding. Greg joined the company in 1985, exactly 40 years ago this year, after graduating from high school and Mitchell Technical Institute, followed a few years later by his brother, Ryan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I pretty much swept the floor and picked up steel," Greg said. "I learned from the smallest things up." That hands-on experience laid the foundation for a career built on skill, curiosity, and hard work. School didn't always come easily, but welding and the problem-solving it demanded always clicked. "I've never stopped learning stuff," he said. "If you stop learning and don't keep up with technology, you're going to die as a business." By the early 2000s, the company had outgrown its shop. In 2004, Greg and Ryan purchased the business from their father and renamed it Bailey Metal Fabricators, signaling a shift from repair work to full-scale fabrication. Greg and his wife, Heidi, became sole owners in 2019. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today, the company fabricates structural steel, ornamental metals, custom stairs, stainless countertops, and a wide range of custom projects for clients nationwide. Greg said the work's variety keeps every day interesting. "I couldn't be the guy standing in a production line," he said. "Every day here is something different." Projects range from a few hours of work to several weeks, depending on complexity. That mix keeps the crew busy year-round and helps retain skilled workers who appreciate a challenging, hands-on environment. Much of Bailey Metal Fabricators' work is visible around Mitchell. Railings at the Carnegie Resource Center and aluminum fencing at Veterans Park were donated by the company, projects that Greg says are especially meaningful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "You can take your family around and say, 'I built that,'" he said. One of the company's most recognizable contributions is the Corn Palace Plaza sculpture, a large corn-shaped piece designed by Heidi Bailey. Though 3D modeling was used for the design, the fabrication was done entirely by hand. The sculpture later earned a silver award in a national trade association competition, judged by peers against other industry entries. "It was all hands-on work," Greg said. "To have our peers recognize what we did that means a lot to the team. It shows that the craftsmanship we take pride in is seen and respected." While the company maintains a strong local presence, its work stretches across the country. Large-scale projects include work at the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington and the Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Glen Canyon project, one of the company's largest, spanned roughly five years and concluded around 2020. The team built massive steel containment systems to surround the dam's transformers and prevent environmental contamination. They traveled to Page, Arizona, to take measurements, fabricated each section in Mitchell, and galvanized the steel before shipping it for installation. At the Grand Coulee Dam, the crew fabricated heavy-duty structural hatches steel platforms that seal maintenance openings on the dam's floor. These hatches, removed when crews lift or service transformers, required precise tolerances and an understanding of how steel behaves under heavy weight and exposure to the elements. "Those were big, complicated projects," Greg said. "But they showed what a small South Dakota shop could do we can take on jobs most people wouldn't expect from a business our size." Greg said the business has changed a lot since 1985. What began as mostly farm equipment repair has evolved into precision fabrication, driven by technology and automation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Greg, the company continually invests in equipment such as plasma tables, band saws, and CNC pipe-cutting machines that automatically cut and shape steel with high accuracy. Despite the machines, hand-fitting and welding remain essential for curved or ornamental pieces that require a craftsman's eye. "There are a lot of things you can't have a machine do," Greg said. "That's where the skilled guys come in." Greg works long days often 12 to 14 hours balancing drafting, bidding, and shop management. Mentoring younger employees is a passion. He encourages them to practice outside regular hours, offering materials and guidance to help them improve. Watching them gain confidence, he said, is one of the most rewarding parts of the job. "The number one thing is a good work ethic," he said. "Skill can be taught, but you've got to want to learn. I can't take this knowledge to the grave with me I want the guys to learn it and carry it forward." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nearly 60 years after Richard Bailey opened his shop, Greg said the business continues to focus on innovation, skilled craftsmanship, and a love for the trade. He and his wife have no immediate plans to slow down, though the business may eventually pass to a new owner. "There's not a third generation lined up," Greg said. "Someday, it'll probably go to some young guy or gal who really wants to get into this business and take it to the next level." For now, Greg remains focused on the work itself the kind that leaves a visible mark on the community. "It's nice to see something come together," he said. "We've built a lot of things that will be here long after we're gone." BALTIMORE Baltimore City Councilman Mark Conway announced Wednesday that he will run for Congress against incumbent Democratic Rep. Kweisi Mfume in Marylands 7th district. Though he represents District 4 in northern Baltimore near the county line, Conway chose to launch his campaign from Penn North the West Baltimore neighborhood that saw three mass overdoses this year. In recent days, weve watched this community reel again from another mass overdose, and like so many times before, the cycle repeats. Reporters come, officials arrive, promises are made, and then we move until it happens again, Conway said during his campaign launch Wednesday morning. I refuse to accept that this is normal because I cannot look at what is happening in our city and pretend that its unavoidable or inevitable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When asked Wednesday about Conways challenge, Mfume told The Baltimore Sun: I am running for reelection and with Gods blessings I intend to win. I am a fighter for people, and this is one more fight to win, which he said after it was announced the councilman was seriously intending to run. No one comes here Conways campaign announcement was between the CVS and Penn North station. A podium with a green sign reading MARK CONWAY FOR CONGRESS and the presence of press cameras drew a small crowd of residents some curious about the commotion, others frustrated by the sudden presence of outsiders. No one comes down here unless theyre putting up yellow tape, one longtime resident told The Sun, while waiting for the councilman to arrive. More than a dozen people gathered throughout the councilmans remarks. While many nodded along silently during the announcement, the question-and-answer portion was derailed by residents voicing their frustrations with the Trump administration and what they described as local leaders neglect of their community. A handful asked Conway what specific changes he could deliver, why he should be the one trusted to represent them and why he believes hes fit for the role. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im out here in part because I need to talk to you. You and the issues that you see here in Penn-North are exactly the things that we need to address, Conway said, as he tried to manage interruptions during the latter portion of his announcement. I would expect that should I earn your vote, you have the ability to meet with me talk on the phone, you come down to D.C., or Ill come here and wed be able to have a relationship that I can always make sure Im addressing the issues that are important to you. Leading up to the run As chairman of the councils Public Safety Committee, Conway pushed for months to hold public hearings on the epidemic. His efforts put him at odds with Mayor Brandon Scott, who argued hearings could jeopardize hundreds of millions of dollars in damages the city sought to win from opioid distributors. So far, the result of these hearings has called the citys plan to address what Conway calls open air drug markets like Penn North into question. At a Sept. 9 hearing, for example, Conway said joint efforts by the Baltimore Police Department, Baltimore City Health Department, and Mayors Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement to establish a cohesive effort to reduce overdoses have not met my standard. Im finding myself limited. Im realizing more and more every day that the decisions made in Washington have profound impacts on the ability for our city to meet this challenge, to meet the needs of housing to meet the public safety needs or public health needs, Conway said. We need real partnership out of Washington, DC, and we need real leadership out of Washington, DC. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Conway and Scott have also clashed over funding for the Baltimore Children and Youth Fund, a private nonprofit legally required to receive property tax revenues. In June, Conway was one of two council members to oppose Scotts fiscal 2026 budget over its plan to use $7 million from BCYF to continue funding youth programs through the Mayors Office of Employment Development. He argued this funding structure was at odds with the Baltimore City Charter and sponsored an amendment to restore the $7 million for vacant positions if BCYF agreed to discuss funds with the council and provide documentation of its payment to Scotts office. Conway, 36, would represent a new generation of Democratic leadership compared to Mfume, who turns 77 this month and is in his seventh full House term since first winning election in 1986. Mfume first served in Congress from 1987 to 1995 and led the NAACP for nearly nine years before returning to Congress in 2020 to replace the late Rep. Elijah Cummings. Mfume, a staunch opponent of President Donald Trump and ally to Scott, referred to the mayor as my political godson at a July news conference on violent crime in Baltimore. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Conway told The Baltimore Sun Wednesday that he has an immense amount of respect for Mfume, but recognizes that theres a need for change. We need new ideas. We need new leadership. We need energy and invigoration to reignite the base of our party, he said. We need to be speaking to the people just like this in places like Penn and North about what they want talk about whats going on in their day-to-day lives, and making sure that those policies come out in Congress. _____ By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -A woman who says she was abused by the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein sued Bank of America and the Bank of New York Mellon on Wednesday, alleging the banks knowingly provided financial services that enabled his sex trafficking operation for years. Bank of America, the second-largest U.S. bank, declined to comment. BNY did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The woman, referred to in court papers as Jane Doe, is seeking an unspecified amount of damages from both banks. She is represented by law firms Boies Schiller and Edwards Henderson, who previously secured settlements of $75 million and $290 million with Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan , respectively, over their alleged financial ties to Epstein. Neither Deutsche nor JPMorgan admitted wrongdoing in agreeing to settle. CONGRESS PROBES EPSTEIN CASE Epstein died by suicide in 2019 in jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The circumstances of his death, as well as his social relationships with wealthy and powerful individuals, fueled theories that others were involved in his crimes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His case has become a political headache for President Donald Trump's administration. After pledging during the 2024 campaign to release files from the Justice Department's investigation into Epstein, the administration reversed course this year, prompting an outcry from Trump's conservative base and members of Congress. The House Oversight Committee is now investigating the Epstein case. In both lawsuits, Jane Doe said she met Epstein in 2011 while she was living in Russia. She said she became financially dependent on Epstein, who raped her, forcibly touched her, and forced her to engage in sex acts with other women at least 100 times between 2011 and 2019. "As Congress works toward unraveling how Jeffrey Epstein was able to orchestrate his criminal sex trafficking enterprise for decades without detection, we are taking another important step forward toward justice for survivors," Sigrid McCawley, a lawyer for Jane Doe, said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DOE SAYS EPSTEIN PAID HER RENT Jane Doe said she opened a Bank of America account in 2013 at the direction of Richard Kahn, Epstein's former accountant, and that Kahn regularly sent her money for rent through the account. Lawyers for Kahn did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Doe said in 2015, Kahn's assistant told her that Epstein was adding her to the payroll for a "sham company" and that she would receive funds through her Bank of America account. She said she did not know the purpose of those payments. Her lawyers wrote that those transactions should have raised red flags for Bank of America. Epstein had pleaded guilty to state-level prostitution charges in Florida in 2008 as part of an arrangement that allowed him to avoid federal prosecution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit against BNY said the bank gave a line of credit to MC2, a modeling agency that the lawsuit said Epstein and French model scout Jean-Luc Brunel used to traffic victims. In total, BNY processed $378 million in payments to women trafficked by Epstein, the lawsuit said. Brunel was arrested in December 2020 and was found dead in jail in 2022, according to Parisian prosecutors. Both lawsuits said the banks should have filed Suspicious Activity Reports with the U.S. Treasury Department. The lawsuits said such reports could have helped law enforcement stop Epstein sooner. (Reporting by Luc Cohen and Saeed Azhar in New York; Editing by Chris Reese, Rod Nickel) Bar Abraham Kupershtein, 23, returned home on Monday after 738 days in Hamas captivity, and received nationwide support for his rehabilitation and his family via a fundraiser. Bar Abraham Kupershtein, 23, returned home on Monday after 738 days in Hamas captivity, prompting a nationwide campaign to support his rehabilitation and his family, who relied on him before his abduction at the Nova music festival. By Tuesday night, the online fundraiser, titled Bar Kupershtein returns home to his family, had drawn thousands of donations and was approaching the first half-million shekels raised, roughly a tenth of its NIS 5 million goal, according to the campaign page. Organizers framed the effort as a way to build the bridge to recovery, noting that Kupershteins father is disabled and the family depended on Bars daily help. Kupershtein's actions saved lives on October 7 Kupershtein, a Holon resident and former Nahal combat soldier who also volunteered as a paramedic, was abducted on October 7, 2023, while assisting the wounded at the Nova site. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Family members and supporters say he shuttled back and forth to evacuate victims even when he could have fled. He went four times on a Ranger; he could have escaped, but he chose to return to the inferno, his father said earlier this week. Crowds greeted Kupershtein and other freed hostages outside Sheba Medical Centers Returnees Tower, where he waved to well-wishers celebrating Simchat Torah. Advocacy groups also marked his release, calling him a primary breadwinner and underscoring the familys needs as he begins a long recovery. The online fundraiser, titled Bar Kupershtein returns home to his family, draw half-million shekels of donations. (credit: FAIR USE UNDER ISRAELI COPYRIGHT LAW, ARTICLE 27A, screenshot) The fundraiser is hosted by the Merit Spread Foundation, which says it is registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the United States and as a public benefit company in Israel, recognized under Section 46 for tax-deductible giving. The foundation has supported a range of Israel-related relief and recovery projects since October 2023. Campaign organizers described the homecoming as only the first step, urging donors to help cover medical, emotional, logistical, and economic support for the Kupershtein family. Now that our hearts have finally found peace, its time for us to tell Bar: We support you, the campaign text reads. More information about the campaign can be found on the website. BART officials shut down the Red Line from Richmond to Millbrae on Wednesday morning, snarling a key route that delivers passengers from the East Bay to downtown San Francisco and the Peninsula. Staff at the rail agency blamed the outage on a wayside power issue between the Glen Park and Montgomery stations in San Francisco, where crews removed a coverboard and insulator from the track. Trains had to maneuver around the obstruction, causing 10-minute delays during the 8 a.m. rush hour. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agency had stalled Red Line service "so we can avoid congestion in San Francisco," said BART communications officer Christopher Filippi. He emphasized that riders at all stations have had service available all day, albeit with complications. With the Red Line suspended, a person trying to get to San Francisco from, say, downtown Berkeley has to take the Berryessa Orange Line and transfer to a Yellow Line SFO train at Oakland's Macarthur Station. Data from BART shows that thousands of people normally rely on the Red Line, with about 21,000 exits for all stations between Ashby and Richmond on an average weekday in September. Many of those commuters had to scramble on Wednesday. Those heading from Millbrae toward downtown San Francisco had to take a shuttle train to San Francisco International Airport and then switch to the Yellow Line. East Bay riders bound for San Francisco or Millbrae had to catch the Orange Line and transfer at Macarthur. Spokespeople for BART did not provide a timeline for Red Line service to resume. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's the latest in a spate of service disruptions for the beleaguered transit system, following multiple computer network meltdowns over spring and summer, and a blown insulator in the Transbay Tube in August. Although recent reports suggest ridership is on an upswing, with a 10% increase in September compared to the same month last year, BART's future remains in peril. With COVID emergency funds set to dry up, the agency could face a funding gap of up to $400 million annually unless voters approve a regional transit sales tax measure next year. This article originally published at BART shut down its Red Line on Wednesday morning, snarling Bay Area commutes. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) Three suspects were arrested in connection with a Baton Rouge shooting that left a 17-year-old dead. The Baton Rouge Police Department identified suspects arrested as Kaleb Raffety, 18, Kobe Grandberry, 17, and a 16-year-old boy. All three were charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, armed robbery and illegal use of a weapon. Police said the victim, Micah Booker, was shot and killed the night of Oct. 4 during an attempted armed robbery on Scenic Highway. Helix Community Schools identified Booker as a junior at Helix Mentorship & Maritime Academy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Escapee arraigned in Louisiana after Atlanta recapture Latest 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 Louisiana First News. An El Cerrito man is facing hate crime charges for allegedly sending racist and threatening emails to Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, including threats to torture and kill her. He is currently being held at Santa Rita Jail. Scenarios like this one led one group of Bay Area activists to rally for an end to political violence. "Stop political violence! Stop political violence!" the crowd chanted in front of Hayward City on Tuesday. The call is to defend democracy and protect civic spaces, says activist Edward Escobar. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There have been death threats against Mayor Barbara Lee of Oakland. And you remember Paul Pelosi, who was attacked by a hammer by individuals who are trying to make political statement," says Edward Escobar with the Coalition for Community Engagement, which organized the rally. MORE: Political leaders confront security concerns and fear in wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination Activists are concerned about rising political violence in the Bay Area. They argue this isn't about left versus right but right versus wrong. They are also concerned about stifling free speech, such as during City Council meetings. "If you are frustrated and you're feeling that you need to commit violence, please don't. Just come back with better arguments, better facts, better things to support what you are saying," suggests Tom Wong, a mayoral candidate for the city of Hayward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "When you have certain groups that start attacking you, your character, your character assassination, also saying things that are not true, this also has to stop," says Mayor Carmen Montano with city of Milpitas. Montano is calling for more civility. She says police presence at city council meeting helps in her city, and she doesn't think it's over-policing, but rather serves as a deterrent. "I think it would be a protection, an added protection, for both sides of the issue to make sure that our meetings are civil, we have civil discourse. And make sure our voices are being heard on both sides," says Mayor Montano. MORE: Pentagon steps up media restrictions, now requiring approval before reporting even unclassified info "I faced a lot of political violence and threats. In fact, the State Senate has actually purchased a bulletproof vest for me because of the amount threats that we were facing," shares California State Senator Aisha Wahab. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senator Wahab, whose district includes the cities of Hayward, Union City, Newark, Fremont, Milpitas, Sunnyvale, San Jose and Santa Clara, says she has supported a lot of bills around social justice and women's rights, which makes her a target. Another concern she has is that political violence pushes people away from seeking public office -- especially, she says, women of color. Senator Wahab adds that raising awareness of what elected officials are dealing with will help law enforcement and lawmakers aware of the source of the threats. "Our law enforcement is there for a reason. We should feel very comfortable knowing and sharing what is going on, and at the same time, educating them of why this is happening," explains Senator Wahab. If you're on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) Steve McKinney, the co-owner and operator of Bayou Sara Brewing Co. in St. Francisville, says he wants to have a family-focused environment and for everyone to feel at home. He said Bayou Sara Brewing Co., 11943 Ferdinand Street, is holding its grand opening on Friday, Oct. 24. The grand opening at what McKinney calls a brewpub will run from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and will include live music as well as a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the West Feliciana Chamber of Commerce. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There will be five different beers on tap while others are in the brewing process, McKinney said. He said those five beers are: West Coast Pale Ale. New Zealand Pilsner. Blonde Ale. Single Hop Citra Pale Ale. Amber. According to McKinney, those beers will only be available at the microbrewery, as they are not allowed to distribute. Tables and chairs are seen inside Bayou Sara Brewing Co., 11943 Ferdinand Street. (Picture courtesy of Steve McKinney) Fermenters are observed inside of Bayou Sara Brewing Co., 11943 Ferdinand Street. (Picture courtesy of Steve McKinney) Bayou Sara Brewing Co., 11943 Ferdinand Street is seen under construction. (Picture courtesy of Steve McKinney) If beer is not your thing, a full bar will be available for guests, McKinney said. The co-owner said a menu is being finalized, and there will not be any food trucks. There will be a limited food menu at the start, but they plan to expand it within a short time. The new microbrewery will be open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bayou Sara Brewing Co. is owned by McKinney, his wife, Amanda, Doug and Abby Cochran along with Jim and Kelly Flavin and John Kasper. The couple also owns another business in St. Francisville called Temple Design, 11888 Ferdinand Street. Latest 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 Louisiana First News. The BBC is poised to reduce the amount of current affairs programming it broadcasts in the evening as it battles an exodus of licence fee payers. The public service broadcaster has asked Ofcom to scale back existing television quotas, warning it will be forced to air more repeats in primetime slots after cutting spending on new shows. Under existing Ofcom rules, the corporation must broadcast at least 450 hours of current affairs programming across BBC One and BBC Two. Of this, 106 hours must be shown during peak time between 6pm and 10.30pm including a minimum of 45 hours on BBC One. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The BBC has asked the regulator to replace this peak-time quota with a simplified requirement to air 70 hours of original current affairs programming. The overall quota of 450 hours would remain unchanged. The broadcaster argues that it would be forced to increase its use of repeats if the quota were maintained in its current form which it said would not be in the interests of viewers. It has also said that there will be no reduction in original programming, insisting that it views quotas as a minimum rather than a target. Bosses also argue that setting quotas for primetime slots is becoming increasingly redundant as viewers instead opt to tune into flagship shows such as Panorama on iPlayer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ofcom said it was minded to accept the change, noting that quotas needed to remain relevant in an era of streaming. Sweeping cutbacks Nevertheless, the proposed cuts highlight the impact of sweeping cutbacks at the BBC as it grapples with a decline in licence fee funding. The broadcaster last year outlined plans to cut 155 jobs from its news operations in an effort to save 24m, or 4pc of its current budget. The overhaul led to the BBC scrapping shows such as its HardTalk interview programme reflecting the growing shift towards more live and breaking news. It also closed the Asian Network news service and made cuts to news bulletins on radio stations, including Radio 5 Live and Radio 2. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deborah Turness, the chief executive of BBC News, said at the time that the cuts were required to balance the books. It forms part of wider efforts by Tim Davie, the BBCs director general, to save 700m to help plug a black hole in the corporations finances. The BBCs licence fee income dropped by 30pc in real terms between 2010 and 2020 after a series of freezes and cuts to the levy. It has also suffered a steady decline in licence fee payers, with 300,000 households ditching the fee last year alone. But the cutbacks have left the BBC increasingly reliant on repeats to fill its schedule. Outside of news and current affairs, the broadcaster said it will spend 150m less on new shows this year as production costs also increase. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BBC executives are currently exploring alternatives to the licence fee after discussions with ministers over the future of the funding model. The broadcasters current Charter period is due to expire at the end of 2027. Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, has ruled out funding the BBC through general taxation. However, BBC bosses are resisting calls for a Netflix-style subscription model, saying this would be incompatible with its public service mission. A BBC spokesman said: These proposals reflect changing viewing habits and aim to focus on delivering new, high-quality content while achieving greater value for money for licence fee payers. We remain committed to providing high-impact current affairs programming, as shown by our recent Panorama investigation into Charing Cross police station. 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. GAZA, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Hamas plans to hand over another batch of bodies of Israeli hostages on Wednesday night as part of the ongoing exchange deal, a source from the group said. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that Hamas had informed mediators of its intention to transfer the remains later in the evening. An Israeli military source told public radio the army expects Hamas to hand over five bodies. Hamas has said it faces difficulties recovering remains from the rubble after two years of war in Gaza, while Israel accuses the group of using such claims to delay implementation of the agreement. On Tuesday, Hamas's armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, delivered the bodies of four Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza City, bringing to eight the number of bodies transferred since the deal began. Israeli authorities said one of the bodies handed over on Tuesday did not belong to a hostage. On Monday, Hamas released 20 Israeli hostages alive and the bodies of four other hostages. In exchange, Israel freed around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including more than 1,700 detained since the Gaza war began on Oct. 7, 2023, and returned 90 bodies, according to Palestinian institutions. The worlds largest meat company, JBS, has allegedly fuelled illegal deforestation, land grabs and human rights abuses in the Brazilian Amazon by sourcing cattle from ranches operating inside protected areas, according to a new Human Rights Watch investigation. On Wednesday, the nonprofit issued an 86-page report focusing on the state of Para, where the United Nations will hold its annual climate change summit, COP30, next month. The report highlights a gap in JBSs supply chain: Human Rights Watch claims the meat company does not track its indirect cattle suppliers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators found that cattle raised on illegally deforested land were moved through a laundering system that concealed their origins before they reached JBS. That, in turn, means JBS cannot guarantee that its beef or leather products are not contributing to deforestation and related abuses. Without a better system for tracing livestock, JBS will continue to be unable to root out illegal cattle ranches, according to Luciana Tellez, a senior environment researcher at Human Rights Watch. And what JBS does not know could make it responsible for bankrolling illegal ranches that clear-cut the Amazon, she explained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We cannot say with 100-percent certainty that the cattle that JBS purchased from its direct suppliers are the same ones that are coming from illegal cattle ranches, but neither can JBS, Tellez told Al Jazeera. Thats a problem, because they are responsible for what they are procuring. Cattle walk through an illegally burned forest in the northern Brazilian state of Para on September 15, 2009 [Andre Penner/AP Photo] A deforestation hotspot Wednesdays report is part of an ever-growing body of literature delving into the impact agriculture has had on the Amazon rainforest. The construction of ranches and farmland is considered the single biggest direct cause of deforestation in the worlds tropical regions. The Amazon rainforest is no exception. In recent years, cattle ranching has emerged as a primary culprit in the levelling of its tangled, biodiverse jungles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The northern state of Para is key to the fight against further loss. It has consistently recorded the highest levels of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon since 2016. In 2024 alone, 17,195 square kilometres (6,639 sq miles) of forest in the state were degraded, a 421-percent increase over the previous year, according to Human Rights Watch. The state also reports the second-largest number of land conflicts in Brazil, with illegal ranchers, farmers and criminal groups seeking to invade protected land. For Indigenous and traditional communities that consider the Amazon home, these invasions have been devastating. Residents have seen their crops destroyed, the forest burned, and their lives displaced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In some cases, community members have even been threatened, attacked or killed after denouncing the land grabs. Though federal law prohibits such activity, some land-grabbers have succeeded in fraudulently registering protected rainforest as private properties. Wednesdays report documented encroachments in two protected areas: the Cachoeira Seca Indigenous territory and the Terra Nossa sustainable development area. The level of violence and intimidation by land grabbers in Terra Nossa is truly frightening, and the absolute impunity theyve enjoyed for years is astonishing, Tellez told Al Jazeera. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Human Rights Watch said that Paras state animal health agency, Adepara, had registered ranches in both tracts of land. It also authorised the transportation of cattle in and out of the two areas. According to the report, Adepara claimed that it has not historically been tasked with observing environmental criteria when authorising livestock movements. But with the state agencys approval, Human Rights Watch said cattle were raised illegally inside the protected rainforest zones and then transferred out to other ranches. From there, they could reach major slaughterhouses, including JBS facilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each transfer helped obscure the cattles illegal origin, effectively laundering the animals into the meat trade. Environmentalists walk through the Caxiuana National Forest in Brazils Para state on March 22 [Jorge Saenz/AP Photo] A traceability gap Part of the problem, according to Human Rights Watch, is Brazils system for tracking livestock. Brazil does not keep full histories of individual animals. Instead, their movements are documented with animal transit permits, known as Guias de Transito Animal or GTAs. Those permits collect information about overall shipments of animals: the number of cattle involved, plus data about the sex and the age of those in the group. But without an individual record for every cow, calf and bull, it is difficult, if not impossible, to trace their origins. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an April filing to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, JBS acknowledged the loopholes in how the GTA system traces cattle. As a result, there can be no assurance that available monitoring procedures can ensure that the origin of any head of cattle was in full compliance with applicable laws, JBS wrote. The company has promised to require its suppliers to declare their suppliers by 2026. Yet, Human Rights Watch says it remains unclear how such information would be verified or enforced. The best solution is for the federal government itself to institute a traceability mechanism for cattle across Brazil, Tellez said. The Brazilian government is moving towards that, but its moving extremely slowly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement JBS also made a similar commitment more than a decade and a half ago. In 2009, the company signed the G4 Cattle Agreement with environmental group Greenpeace, pledging to identify all its indirect suppliers by 2011. It failed to meet that deadline. Its unacceptable that companies such as JBS have not fulfilled the promises that they made in the past, Cristiane Mazzetti, a forest campaign coordinator at Greenpeace Brazil, told Al Jazeera. Its something that now governments need to reflect upon and regulate in a more stringent way, because only believing in voluntary corporate commitments is not going to deliver. JBS did not respond to Al Jazeeras request for comment by publication. Cattle graze on land recently burned and deforested in Brazils Para state on August 23, 2020 [Andre Penner/AP Photo] Regulatory failures and slow reform But reform may be on the horizon. In 2023, Paras governor introduced a decree requiring all animal movements in the state to be fully traceable by the end of 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the federal level, the Ministry of Agriculture announced a similar plan in December 2024, mandating that all states implement tracking systems by 2032. However, Human Rights Watch warns that this timeline is too slow and could allow illegal ranching to persist for years. Experts and advocacy groups say that Brazil should take immediate steps, including by making GTA data publicly accessible. Such measures would help law enforcement agencies identify fraudulent movements and trace cattle back to illegal ranches. Companies struggle with traceability, firstly because they have minimal access to public data on the production chain, said Lisandro Inakake, an agronomist with the Brazilian environmental nonprofit Imaflora. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added that the struggle is compounded because there are no universal market requirements covering all of the companies operations. While Human Rights Watch has called on JBS to voluntarily start tracing the lifespan of its cattle, Mazzetti, the Greenpeace campaigner, believes more decisive action is necessary if deforestation is to be stopped. Its not time for new promises, she said. Its time to be held accountable for all the impacts that their supply chain generated in the Amazon, in other ecosystems, and also on the climate. On any given night, more than 30,000 U.S. military veterans are sleeping on the streets, said Mark Soloman, of Veterans Community Project. He hopes a project to construct 40 tiny homes on a 7-acre plot of land in the Menomonee River Hills East neighborhood will reduce that number. The project will include on-site services and resources to address underlying causes of homelessness such as mental health challengers or substance addiction. The idea is to fix veteran homelessness in Wisconsin, said Soloman, co-founder of the Kansas City, Missouri-based nonprofit building the homes in the 6700 block of North 60th Street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State and local officials including Gov. Tony Evers, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, State Senator Patrick Testin and other elected and community officials attended a ceremonial groundbreaking for the development on October 13th. The tiny homes represent a different approach to transitional housing for homeless veterans, said Bryan Meyer, a five-year Marine Corps veteran and the nonprofits co-founder and CEO. Some traditional approaches to housing like group homes dont adequately meet homeless vets needs, Meyer said. A lot of vets, he added, often dont take advantage of these services for three reasons people, property and pets. Veterans suffering from social anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders have concerns about safety both for their property and personal safety, especially living in group home settings. And many of these facilities dont allow pets, Meyer noted. Gov. Tony Evers addresses the crowd before a ceremonial groundbreaking on October 13th for 40 tiny homes to be constructed on a 7-acre plot of land in the Menomonee River Hills East neighborhood. The tiny homes veterans' village will serve as transitional housing for homeless Milwaukee veterans. The $11.7 million development is being constructed by Kansas City, Missouri-based Veterans Community Project. Thats where the tiny homes come in, he said. The tiny homes overcome all three of those. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Residents, he said, get their own front door that locks, kitchen, bathroom and a sense of security. And because its individualized units we can accommodate for pets, Meyer said. The project is a labor of love for Meyer who grappled with his own travails acclimating back to civilian life after two deployments to Iraq. He was giving a chance when he ended up standing before a Kansas City, Missouri judge. That chance led to a law degree for Meyer. I could have stepped left or stepped right and could have been a very different person, he said. I want to give back to other veterans who didnt get that same opportunity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gov. Evers said the project provides real solutions for veterans and military families who face unique challenges. These tiny homes represent more than a roof over head and a safe place to sleep at night, Evers said. They represent a foundation for veterans to receive the support needed to secure employment, the opportunity for community and a chance to heal. Vietnam veteran Timothy Baranzyk applauded the Veterans Community Projects effort. Vets, he said, not need only quality housing, but a place where they can feel a sense of community and have socialization. Returning from combat is challenging. Its a start to get their feet on the ground, Baranzyk said. After finding a place, they start to get confident in themselves again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres what to know about the tiny homes. What does the tiny house village include? The homes range from 260 to 360 square feet and will include a kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping areas. The homes come furnished with table, stove, refrigerator, pots, dishes, linens, a television, and microwave. Veterans can take many of the items except the stove and refrigerator once they find permanent housing. Of the 40 units, 30 are individual units. Ten units are larger in square footage. Of those, eight are family units and two are fully ADA accessible units. Veterans Community Project added the family unit in response to more veterans reconnecting with family once they find stable housing. The larger units allow for a spouse, partner or child to visit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Veterans will be selected through a screening process to ensure the program is the right fit. Veterans do not pay rent or utilities. The goal, he said, is to give veterans the stability needed to get back on their feet and live productive lives. A model of one of the 40 tiny homes Veterans Community Project is constructing on a 7-acre plot of land in the Menomonee River Hills East neighborhood which will serve as transitional housing for homeless Milwaukee veterans. What services will the tiny homes development provide The project will include a community center that would provide social activities as well as case management services, education, and health and wellness programming. These services are available to any military veteran regardless of discharge status. The goal, Soloman said, is to ensure vets dont fall through the cracks. Any vet whoever took the oath that is good enough for us, Soloman said. Everybody's got a nuanced life that may not fit nicely in a round peg for a square hole. Our goal is to be flexible when it comes to helping veterans. Where have other tiny homes projects been completed? The project will be the first development in Wisconsin for Veterans Community Project. It has constructed other veteran villages in Kansas City, Arizona, Colorado, Sioux Falls, and St. Louis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Racine-based Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin Inc. had originally planned to construct the homes. The group bought the city-owned site for $35,000 in 2021. But those plans did not proceed. Veterans Community Project in 2022 took over the project site. The group is halfway to reaching its funding goal of $11.7 million. The state kicked in $2.5 million for site work, including grading, sewer and water utilities, and foundations for the homes. Meyer hopes to have the first set of homes constructed by spring or summer. Bryan Meyer, co-founder and CEO of Veterans Community Project, addresses the crowd before a ceremonial groundbreaking on October 13th for 40 tiny homes to be constructed on a 7-acre plot of land in the Menomonee River Hills East neighborhood. The tiny homes veterans' village will serve as transitional housing for homeless Milwaukee veterans. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tiny home project will help homeless vets find security, assistance Oct. 14Tuesday was the first day the man who brutally stabbed two people 17 years ago and left them impaled with swords admitted to their families that he killed them. And then 30 minutes later, when the judge overseeing his resentencing case denied his request for less prison time, the handcuffed Justin Crenshaw shouted, "Don't forget to wipe your ass with that, your honor!" Spokane County Superior Court Judge Dean Chuang had just resentenced Crenshaw to two consecutive life terms in prison without parole. It was the same sentence he received in 2010 after being convicted by a jury for the murders of 18-year-old Mead High School student Sarah Clark and 20-year-old guitar player and aspiring chef Tanner Pehl. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chuang remarked earlier that even though Crenshaw apologized and took responsibility, he continued to say that it wasn't his fault and that the crime was "explainable." Chuang's comment immediately set off Crenshaw, who also yelled "That's not what I said!" and asked media to check the transcript of the remarks. He cussed at the judge under his breath. Chuang retorted from the bench: "Well, that outburst only adds to it." Crenshaw, now 37, did in fact say, and continued to say in his speech to the families, that "everything is explainable" in regards to the killings Feb. 28, 2008. His explanation: He has PTSD from childhood trauma of a tumultuous home life and drug abuse at age 12, that he has an allergy to alcohol that causes him to black out immediately after ingesting it, and that those delayed his maturity enough to lead him to kill at age 20. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Pehl and Clark families didn't believe it excused their loss. "If Mr. Crenshaw is released, he will kill again," Chuang said Tuesday. That's when Crenshaw grew even angrier. As Chuang tried to restore order, Crenshaw continued to scream and make comments to the media filming him in the jury box. Chuang called for a recess and Crenshaw, still shouting, was escorted out of the room. Crenshaw's fiancee stood up and made a comment about the "corruption" in the justice system. After the outburst, Tanner Pehl's father, Dave, said his "heart leapt out" of his chest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This was confirmation that the first sentence was the right one," Dave Pehl told The Spokesman-Review. Crenshaw was back in court this week to plead his case following a 2021 Washington State Supreme Court ruling that determined "youthful offenders" ages 18 to 20 should be treated with discretion at sentencing, because their maturity level is typically less than that of older adults. The judge had to weigh the circumstances of Crenshaw's acts against circumstances that may contribute to a youth's decision to commit a crime. Some of those circumstances include the offender's age, the family and home environment, the extent of his participation in the crime and whether he was peer-pressured into it, his ability to participate in his own defense, and his possibility of rehabilitation. Ultimately, Chuang decided the family's statements from Monday afternoon were too powerful and the facts of the crime too brutal to mitigate Crenshaw's youth. Authorities even warned the victims' families at the time it was very likely Crenshaw would have become a serial killer had he not been arrested so quickly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the night of Feb. 27, Crenshaw took Clark to the home of his new friend, Tanner Pehl, to hang out and drink. Hours later, the home would become a nightmare. Clark, who was just about to graduate high school, was stabbed 26 times, some in the head, her throat was slit from behind and a Samurai sword was found through her neck. Pehl was stabbed more than a dozen times, and his body was found pinned to the floor by a broadsword rammed through his chest. Blood soaked the floor and walls of the murder scene. Family pictures were taken off the walls and methodically placed upside down. Crenshaw then set the home on fire, according to court records. Crenshaw fled the scene in Clark's car and put bloody clothes in a plastic bag that he hid in his aunt's basement. Crenshaw moved from Las Vegas to Spokane to stay with family, court records say. He got a job at the same steakhouse where Pehl worked. Pehl, being friendly, knew Crenshaw was struggling with sobriety and other problems with the law from Las Vegas, so he befriended him. About the same time, a Crenshaw family member introduced him to a mutual friend: Clark. The two began casually seeing each other. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The nature of the crime, the planning, the deliberate cruelty ... the sheer cover-up," Chuang commented. "It shows maturity of an adult mind." Dave Pehl felt it was clear Crenshaw was grasping at straws saying he was remorseful and that the murder was tragic to receive a lesser sentence. Crenshaw claimed he was involved in multiple programs while imprisoned to help him heal and become a better person, like the Prison Pet Partnership. The program lets incarcerated people train dogs in order to reduce recidivism. "This is a horrible and tragic story, and first and foremost, I want to express my deepest, sincere remorse to the families of Sarah and Tanner," Crenshaw said, adding that Clark's smile and dimples continue to "haunt" him. "I am not the same person now as I was then. Over the years, I've worked hard to change and grow and become a better man for when I re-enter society one day." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crenshaw also completed a program from Southern Utah University about reintegration and engagement in society, something he touted during his speech to claim he has been making efforts towards healing. But all those efforts were made well after his attorney filed a motion to have him resentenced, not before. Before those efforts, Crenshaw is documented as having more than a dozen infractions in prison for various reasons, like slashing someone's face with a razor blade, engaging in gang activity, stabbing a man over 70 times and kicking him in the head, and killing his cellmate. His most recent documented assault against an inmate was a year ago, according to Spokane County Prosecutor Dara Schroeter. Between infractions, he was transferred to two different prisons because the state of Washington was "at wit's end" trying to manage Crenshaw's violent behavior, Chuang said. "His behavior is identical to what he did when he murdered Ms. Clark and Mr. Pehl," the judge said. Crenshaw's fiancee looked at him and cried. "The court does not find youthfulness as a mitigating factor in Mr. Crenshaw at all." There may have been a fleeting moment Dave Pehl said he felt the emotions Crenshaw was trying to convey during his speech to the court, even though he didn't think the man who murdered his son was being sincere. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "A desperate man is going to throw everything he can out there," Dave Pehl said. "It's his last chance." Shelly Crenshaw also spoke to the court, calling herself a "proud" mother and that Justin Crenshaw is a "beautiful soul" who was not in his right mind the night he killed Pehl and Clark. "I have stayed silent for a long time knowing nothing I would say could ever bring back the beautiful children, Tanner and Sarah I think about them daily, along with my son Justin," she said. "Everyone thinks Justin is evil, and I'm telling you, no. I could tell you a million stories about his love ... his loyalty." Katie Hays, Tanner Pehl's sister, stood beside the courtroom's well and cried as she watched Justin Crenshaw argue with county staff after the judge dismissed court for the day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I felt bad for you," Hays cried to him, and turned to her family. "I've always felt bad for him." That's exactly what she relayed to reporters Tuesday as she sported a brown flannel with her brother's name and birthday on the back. She's always wanted to forgive Justin Crenshaw, she said, but his lack of remorse throughout the years made her unable to. During his first trial in 2010, Hays even rejected the idea of sentencing him to the death penalty, feeling that she didn't have the right to decide who lives and who should die. She felt Crenshaw's childhood involvement in gangs, running drugs and being abused at a young age helped her understand his life. But it also didn't excuse his violent acts, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hays said Crenshaw showed more respect to the families Tuesday than he did at his first sentencing 15 years ago. "One of my weaknesses is I get too sad for people too easy," she said. "I already felt bad for him, and then that's where my brain had to kick in, because trauma is real." At one point, Hays and her mother ran into Shelly Crenshaw at the downstairs courthouse coffee shop. Rather than awkward animosity, the Pehls hugged her. "They went and hugged, and my mom said, 'You lost a son too,' " Hays said. "It was amazing, actually, to stand there and be part of that ... That is how people should treat each other. She didn't kill Tanner. He did." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clark's family was more staunch in their approach to Justin Crenshaw. Teesha Clark, Sarah's mother, refused to look at Crenshaw as he turned to them to apologize. "I didn't want to give him any kind of feedback to what he was saying, because he murdered our daughter," she said. "He has no remorse. I don't believe anything he says." They also refuse to say his name out loud. Emily Gant, Sarah Clark's sister, says she prefers to speak Clark's and Pehl's names. Gant said the killer has stolen enough from her family, so he shouldn't get their thoughts or their words. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each family who never met before, but now are bonded by the trauma of loss will forever tie Clark's and Pehl's names to each other. And they'll continue to honor her with a place at the table and her favorite kind of cake: confetti. "Their names get to be in my memory. Their names come up all the time," Gant said. "His doesn't." BELMONT, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Belmont leaders and law enforcement agents teamed up with local elementary school students Wednesday morning to make walking through town safer. A group of around thirty J.B. Page Primary School students and their families participated in the Walk to School Day to raise awareness for pedestrian safety. Reaghan Murphy, senior planner with the citys transportation department, said part of the goal is to educate both pedestrians and drivers on safe practices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For Paige Primary School in particular, theres not a ton of safe pedestrian infrastructure nearby right now, so we really want to draw attention to that, she said. Were creating a safe walking environment today, but really also raising some important questions. For parents, what would it take for the city to provide in terms of infrastructure or support or other resources for you to feel comfortable walking your kids to school on a regular basis? Belmont city leaders adopted a Vision Zero plan in May, intending to reduce traffic fatalities to zero by 2030 through increased driver awareness, revised safety standards, and upgraded sidewalks and crosswalks. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools leaders consider new AI policy guidelines Officials said, in addition to public events like Wednesdays walk, less visible work is happening constantly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of the implementations that were doing behind the scenes is were looking at different intersections, our high-injury networks where most of our crashes and wrecks occur, said Captain Aaron Black with the Belmont Police Department. Were trying to improve roadways and improve those intersections, whether it be high-visibility crosswalks, putting extra signage out, improving the road, improving the sidewalks, things like that to make our streets safer. According to NCDOT data, there were eight fatal crashes involving pedestrians in Gaston County in 2024. Organizers said the event is an opportunity for them to get feedback from those who actively use city sidewalks while also getting the attention of state and local lawmakers about prioritizing transportation safety projects. A new North Carolina law took effect at the beginning of October, which allows municipal officials to use electronic speed monitoring systems in school zones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Having support from our representatives means the world to us as well. Weve gotten support for some of the grant applications weve submitted over the last year, so thats been huge, Murphy said. Its a full community effort and it just feels so special to see the community and everyone in leadership really supporting it, too. Parents said they hope more Belmont residents get involved in safety initiatives, even if they dont regularly use public sidewalks. This issue affects all of us in direct and indirect ways, said Taylor Scott, citizen appointee on the Belmont Transportation Advisory Committee. The more that we improve the ability for people to walk, not only does it build our community and the fabric of our connections with one another, it also mitigates traffic indirectly, because the more people are able to get around, the less cars there are. 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 Queen City News. BELOIT, Wis. (WTVO) A man convicted in a fatal 2024 Beloit shooting has been sentenced to spend 15 years in prison. According to Rock County States Attorney Jason Sanders, Kevin Payne, 39, was found guilty of 2nd Degree Reckless Homicide for the shooting, which occurred in May 2024. Authorities said a group of people left a bar and went to a home for an after-party, where an argument broke out. Nikkita Green, 49, was shot in the 1200 block of Dewey Avenue around 3:04 a.m. on May 11th, 2024. He died two months later, on July 20th, 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Payne, who fired the shot, fled to Indiana with an accomplice, Terey Vance. The pair was arrested in Fort Wayne after a car chase involving the U.S. Marshals. In court, Greens wife reportedly said she hoped that Payne would die a slow and painful death. Prosecutor Jerry Urbik told the court that Payne had over 20 prior convictions, including armed robbery and carjacking. Payne apologized before the court, Sanders said in a press release. In addition to his sentence, he will spend an additional 10 years on supervised release. Vance was previously sentenced to 4 years in prison. 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 MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports. PepsiCos popular chip brand Lays is undergoing a major transformation in its nearly 100-year history, redesigning both its bags and recipes. This massive refresh involves removing artificial flavors and colors from all of its core Lays products in the U.S. by the end of this year. Lays Baked and Lays Kettle Cooked chips are also getting an ingredients update. Lays Baked will be made with olive oil and have 50% less fat than regular potato chips. A new version of Lays Kettle Cooked Reduced Fat Original Sea Salt will be made with avocado oil and offer 40% less fat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At Lays, delighting our consumers goes beyond bold flavors its about delivering trusted quality from farm to bag, Denise Truelove, senior vice president of marketing at PepsiCo Foods U.S., said in a statement. These updates were shaped directly with our consumers, offering more choice, more transparency, and more joy with every bite. The Lays potato chip bags are also getting a makeover designed to tell a story that speaks to its legacy of authenticity while honoring the potatoes journey from farm to bag and the brands commitment to using only quality ingredients. The Lays logo has always featured a yellow sun, but soon it will look warmer and more distinct with sun rays beaming from it, nodding to the light that helps potatoes grow. The refined color palette was inspired by Lays ingredients, including pickle green, hickory brown and savory red, PepsiCo explained. The red Lays ribbon will remain on every bag. More Business News Read the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here. PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) A local restaurant, well known for its pizza and highly rated among Illinoiss best, was honored with a street naming ceremony at about 11 a.m. on Wednesday. Agatuccis friends, family, and city officials, including Mayor Rita Ali, among others, gathered at the restaurant to celebrate the historic business with an honorary street naming. For 100 years, Agatuccis has been more than a restaurant, Mayor Rita Ali said from the podium. Its been a gathering place, a tradition, and a living piece of our citys history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The restaurant originally opened in 1926 by Vincenzo James Agatucci, who migrated from Italy in search of the American dream. During the establishments infancy, it saw the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. From the great depression to World War II, economic booms and crashes, Agatuccis has been through it all. Third-generation family member and co-owner of the historic establishment, Tony Agatucci, said its all about resiliency and dedication. It just goes back to the hard work and dedication of the human spirit. And just hard work will prevail. Agatucci said. And I really think that, you know, through the Depression and hard times, it might be hard times politically. And when in here, its like youre at home and I think my whole its just a really is its a testament to all of our different customers of great families that come in here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Agatucci also said this is a reflection of the loyalty and dedication of patrons of the restaurant through the years. Its such a great small community, that so many people know so many people, know so many people, Agatucci said. And to have it a lot of times during the holidays, when you see families come in here, say, hey, I just came from the airport, and I didnt even go home yet we came here first. It makes you feel special. The corner of University and Gift Streets, across the street from University Convenience, will now carry the name of Via Agatucci. In addition to the honorary renaming of Gift Street to Via Agatucci, the ceremony on Wednesday also saw a sneak preview of the establishments new logo in honor of the official 100th anniversary next year. 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 CIProud.com. BELVIDERE, Ill. (WTVO) A new handheld translation device is helping the Belvidere Township Park District connect with its increasingly diverse community, offering real-time communication in more than 150 languages, including live American Sign Language interpretation. The Belvidere community is a very diverse community, and were very excited to be able to offer this service to them so that we can communicate with our public more effectively, said special recreation manager Katie Humphrey. Its called Instant Language Assistance, an AI-powered tool from Translate Live, which helps people communicate in over 150 languages. The idea came to the district and Humphrey a year ago. Humphrey said the district received over $7,000 in a grant from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, allowing for the purchase of two devices in the district. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The second add-on we did was live ASL services so American Sign Language interpreting services, explained Humphrey. Belvidere residents Carmen and Carlos Villarreal frequently visit the district. They said these devices are a great addition. Its a great tool to use, especially here at the Belvidere Park District, because our community being more and more Hispanic throughout the years, and I know that a lot of them want to get involved and a lot of them are just afraid of the language barrier. So, this device will help those that are unable or embarrassed to some degree to come in and just ask questions, shared Carlos Villarreal. 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 MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports. Billionaires Marc Benioff and Elon Musk said in recent days that it's time for President Donald Trump to send National Guard troops to San Francisco to crack down on crime. The law appears to say otherwise. After Trump claimed Democrats had "destroyed" San Francisco and said he would send federal forces to "clean (it) up," Benioff, chief executive officer of Salesforce and owner of Time magazine, told the New York Times last week that he agreed with the president's plan. "We don't have enough cops, so if they (the National Guard) can be cops, I'm all for it," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Musk, the world's richest man, promptly agreed. "It's the only solution at this point," Musk wrote Sunday on X, the social media platform he owns. "Nothing else has or will work." And he described downtown San Francisco as "a drug zombie apocalypse." In fact, a Chronicle analysis found that reports of crime in San Francisco fell by 19% for violent crimes and 25% for property offenses in the first half of 2025, continuing declines from 2024. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins angrily accused Trump of promoting "government-sponsored violence" in the name of public safety. While he now rejects Trump's claims of a criminal-law crisis in San Francisco, Gov. Gavin Newsom sent California National Guard troops and Highway Patrol officers to the city in 2023 to help local police combat drug trafficking in the Tenderloin. Their role was said to be supportive, not making street arrests but helping the city develop plans for combating open-air drug markets. Newsom's office said Tuesday that since July, Highway Patrol officers have aided in 200 arrests and the recovery of 500 stolen vehicles in the Bay Area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But regardless of the numbers, any attempt by the president to dispatch National Guard forces or federal troops to the city for law-enforcement purposes would be confronted by a 147-year-old federal law. The Posse Comitatus Act, signed by President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1878, prohibits the use of U.S. armed forces to enforce criminal laws in virtually all circumstances. It was invoked by Newsom in a lawsuit after Trump took command of the California National Guard in June and sent more than 4,000 of its troops to Los Angeles, along with 700 U.S. Marines, to protect immigration buildings and officers from protests against workplace raids. Gov. Gavin Newsom sent California National Guard troops and Highway Patrol officers to San Francisco in 2023 to help local police combat drug trafficking. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press) U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ruled that the troops were violating the law by blockading traffic, conducting crowd control and taking other law enforcement actions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Breyer, appointed to the court by President Bill Clinton, said Trump's comments about sending troops to other cities, including San Francisco and Oakland, suggested plans to create "a national police force with the President as its chief." The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has put Breyer's order on hold, allowing the troops to remain in Los Angeles, in an order by a three-judge panel that included two Trump appointees. Other federal judges, meanwhile, have blocked the president's plans to send National Guard troops to two more Democratic-led cities, Portland, Ore., and Chicago. The 19th-century federal law does not apply to National Guard troops that remain under state control. If dispatched to assist local police - a deployment that a state's governor could order, though few have done so - they could aid in enforcing state laws, the basis of most everyday criminal prosecutions. "The Posse Comitatus Act limits what the military - or those engaged in federal military service - can do," said Erwin Chemerinsky, the law school dean at UC Berkeley. "It does not apply to state forces. That is governed by state law." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A state's National Guard "isn't really military the way federal troops are," said Robert Weisberg, a Stanford law professor and co-director of the school's Criminal Justice Center. While they could take part in local law enforcement at the governor's direction, he said, "they couldn't take actions with respect to immigration or national security," governed by federal law. With crime rates statewide declining in recent years, Newsom has not called on California's National Guard to aid directly in policing, but sued Trump for taking federal control of the state troops and dispatching them to Los Angeles and Portland. The 9th Circuit, citing the law's "deference" to the president's armed-forces decisions, has upheld Trump's federalization of the state's National Guard but has not ruled on what actions its troops could take to aid local police. That issue could be headed for the Supreme Court. This article originally published at Benioff and Musk want Trump to send troops to S.F. to fight crime. The law is not on their side. Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, co-chairs the 27th China-France Strategic Dialogue with Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to the French President, in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Oct. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Dai Tianfang) HANGZHOU, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's top diplomat Wang Yi co-chaired the 27th China-France Strategic Dialogue with Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to the French President, in Hangzhou on Wednesday. Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, said that over the past year, China-France relations have achieved new progress under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, with close exchanges at all levels, steadily advanced practical cooperation, and increasingly close multilateral coordination. Wang said China and France, both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and independent major countries, should build a more strategically stable and forward-looking China-France relationship, serving the long-term interests of the two peoples, and fulfilling the international responsibilities that China and France are obliged to uphold. Noting that China is willing to strengthen high-level exchanges with France, deepen strategic mutual trust, and promote comprehensive cooperation, Wang said both sides should continue to deepen cooperation in traditional fields, actively explore cooperation in emerging sectors, and vigorously tap into local cooperation potential. China is willing to strengthen multilateral coordination and mutual support with France within the framework of the United Nations, Wang added. Bonne said that France adheres to its tradition of independent diplomacy and firmly pursues the one-China policy, adding that France looks forward to strengthening practical cooperation with China in the spirit of equality and mutual benefit in such fields as economy and trade, civil nuclear energy, science and technology and new energy. France opposes trade war and camp-based confrontation, Bonne said. Wang said that cooperation should be the main tone of China-EU relations, and the right positioning of the relations should be partnership. China hopes that France will promote the EU to uphold strategic autonomy and develop a right perception of China, Wang noted. Bonne said that France is ready to play an active role in enhancing dialogue and cooperation between the EU and China. The two sides also had an in-depth exchange of views on issues of mutual interest, including the Ukraine crisis, the situation in the Middle East, and the reform and improvement of the global governance system. Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, co-chairs the 27th China-France Strategic Dialogue with Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to the French President, in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Oct. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Dai Tianfang) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he wants to give peace a chance now that Hamas final hostages have been released from Gaza though he refused to commit to a two-state solution that included weapons for Palestinians. Netanyahu told CBS Mornings anchor Tony Dokoupil in a Tuesday interview that he viewed the first part of concluding the two-year war as the release of the 20 living hostages, and only while Israels military remained in the Gaza Strip. The hostages were released on Monday, as were about 1,900 Palestinian detainees, signaling the end of a war that started with the murder of about 1,200 people in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the subsequent killing of roughly 67,000 Palestinians. The second part, Netanyahu said, was the demilitarization and disarmament of Hamas, the governing body of the enclave. That included making sure Hamas gave up its weapons and the confirmation of no weapons factories in the area, he noted. We also agreed: Okay, lets get the first part done. Now lets give a chance to do the second part peacefully, which is my hope, Netanyahu said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Netanyahu said the success of either part would not lead, in his view, to the two-state solution backed by many of the worlds governments and the United Nations. He agreed that Palestinians should have all the powers in a peaceful day to govern themselves, but that such sovereignty would not include any military capabilities. They cant have the powers to threaten our survival, he said. That sovereign power of security must remain with Israel. Otherwise, the jihadists take over. Iran takes over immediately. And thats what happened every time we vacated territory the most extreme fanatics came in. As for who will govern it, he said, that remains to be seen. I think that this is a transitional period and we want to fashion, you know, a governance that works that is not made of people who are committed to our destruction, he said. Because if we if we put them there, then we just repeat it again and again and again. And we dont want to have the Oct. 7 massacre repeated. Netanyahu also said he believed it was possible to fix the perception of young Americans across the political spectrum that sided with Palestinians over the Israeli government if they finish the war as speedily as possible, something he said he has attempted to do against what he called contrarian propaganda. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of course I want to end the war, he said. Who wants it to continue? You know, Ive been to war myself, Ive been in battles you have to be crazy to want wars to prolong. The post Benjamin Netanyahu Says He Wants to Give Peace a Chance After Hamas Hostage Release | Video appeared first on TheWrap. In March, six days after Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and nine of his colleagues voted with Republicans to keep the government open, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez vented their frustrations in Las Vegas before thousands of people. This isnt just about Republicans. We need a Democratic Party that fights harder for us too, Ocasio-Cortez said then. But what that means is that we as a community must choose and vote for Democrats and elected officials who know how to stand for the working class. Seven months later, their position has become the partys consensus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, perhaps the two most high-profile voices in the progressive movement, have mobilized their supporters to keep up the pressure on Democratic leaders. It was, in part, because of that highly visible groundswell from the left that led Schumer to change course this September and jump with both feet into the current shutdown fight. In one private strategy session in September on the shutdown, one Democratic member, Rep. Jared Moskowitz of Florida, specifically cited his partys animated left wing as a reason to hold the line on health care even if it meant a shutdown. Something is shifting beneath our feet, Moskowitz told his fellow Democrats at the time, according to a person involved in the session. He warned that their party was going to get a tea party of its own if Democrats didnt recognize the lefts power, alluding to the 2010 wave of hardline conservatives that primaried establishment Republicans. Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez will make their case for Democrats shutdown strategy Wednesday night in a CNN town hall. It is set to air at 9 p.m. ET and will be moderated by CNNs Kaitlan Collins from Washington, DC. No end in sight The federal government has been shut down since funding lapsed on October 1, after just three in the Senate Democratic caucus supported a short-term funding extension, leaving Republicans short of the 60 votes necessary to pass the measure. Democrats are demanding that the GOP agree to extend billions of dollars in subsidies for insurance plans sold on Obamacares marketplace, which are set to expire at the end of the year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez will appear on CNN as the government shutdown drags on with no end in sight, leaving roughly 1.4 million federal employees furloughed or working without pay. The funding lapse has already affected travel, and its impact could soon be seen on food assistance programs and the economy overall. So far, the public has blamed Republicans more than Democrats for the shutdown. A CBS News/YouGov poll found 39% of Americans blame Trump and the Republicans in Congress most for the government shutdown, with 30% saying they blame the Democrats in Congress and 31% both sides equally. The Dome of the US Capitol Building is visible in reflection on Tuesday in Washington, DC. - Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Publicly, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune have insisted they wont negotiate with Democrats over health insurance funding until the government is reopened. Johnson said Tuesday that Schumer is pushing partisan political demands in the shutdown standoff because he doesnt want a Marxist candidate an apparent reference to Ocasio-Cortez to challenge him in a primary. Democrats are similarly dug in. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Tuesday that top Democrats wont change their position in the standoff over the enhanced Obamacare subsidies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There has to be a willingness among Republicans to actually have a conversation, the New York Democrat said. Progressives and Democratic leaders have faced some pushback within the partys moderate ranks largely from Maine Rep. Jared Golden, who wrote last week in his Substack newsletter that the shutdown is driven by demands, from some in the Democrats base and far-left groups, for the party to visibly fight Donald Trump. I dont believe its right to shut down the government to threaten or cancel the troops pay, food assistance for moms and kids, customer service at Social Security, and so much more over a normal policy debate like health care tax credits, Golden, who holds one of the partys most competitive swing seats, wrote. Still, in a sign of broader Democratic desires to take Trump on, Golden quickly drew a primary challenge from Maine state auditor Matthew Dunlap, who lambasted his vote for the continuing resolution to fund the government and is supporting Democrats efforts to extract concessions on health spending. An extraordinary level of influence Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders have an extraordinary level of influence within the Democratic Party. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the early weeks of Trumps second term, the mood among congressional Democrats was dire. Many felt that the party had effectively gone dark: Democrats were locked out of power in Washington and had no cohesive voice, or a national leader, to plot their next steps as Republicans muscled through their massive policy bill. Then came some signs of life from Democrats in the spring, as one senior aide put it. Sanders and his team along with Ocasio-Cortez and a handful of other progressives organized massive rallies across the country. We are not powerless in this moment, Ocasio-Cortez declared from the stage in Greeley, Colorado, one of 11 different events she attended alongside her longtime mentor. Since the shutdown began, Sanders has used his own influence in the Senate to remind his more squeamish Democratic colleagues that the public stands behind them in the fight. The Vermont senator, an independent who does not regularly attend Democratic caucus meetings, has shown up to more recent face-to-face interactions with colleagues, often armed with copies of recent polls showing that voters blame Republicans for the shutdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think they understand that the American people want to make sure that our health care system does not collapse, that we dont have 15 million people losing their health insurance and seeing a doubling of premiums for over 20 million people, Sanders told CNN Tuesday of why Schumer and other senators are digging in now. I think they understand that. I think theyre right, and its the right strategy. Ocasio-Cortez, meanwhile, has repeatedly refused to rule out a primary challenge to Schumer a move that could give her more leverage. (People close to her believe she truly has not decided what to do in 2028 whether to challenge Schumer or to run for president.) CNNs Jennifer Agiesta, Kaanita Iyer, Alison Main, Manu Raju and Veronica Stracqualursi contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) Wednesday is National Shawarma Day, which celebrates the Middle Eastern rotisserie method of cooking meats such as lamb, chicken, and beef, and the dishes it makes. Springfield schools team up with Sweet Babus for local granola The National Day Calendar states that shawarma chicken is marinated in Mediterranean herbs and spices and is cooked slowly on a vertical rotisserie spit. The meat is then sliced thin, grilled, and added to a pita wrap with multiple different toppings, such as vegetables, cheese, and herbs. Shawarma also tastes great on a salad, rice or fries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement National Shawarma Day was founded in 2020 to celebrate the Middle Eastern flavors offered in delicious shawarma. To celebrate, Yelp has put together a list of the top places to get shawarma in western Massachusetts: 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. 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 WWLP. HENDERSON, Texas (KETK) Twenty-six years ago, in Henderson, a 13-year-old girl disappeared, shaking the East Texas community. Now, in 2025, one detective is working diligently to give them answers. KETK News had the opportunity to talk to Detective Bice of the Henderson Police Department, who has been leading the investigation into the disappearance of middle schooler Samatha Lynn Clonch for almost a year. Have you seen them? Texas children that have been missing, unidentified for over 45 years Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the interview, KETK News went beyond the headlines and learned more about Clonchs story from her disappearance one fall morning in September 1999 to a middle school yearbook, uncovering new information. On the morning of Sept. 9, 1999, Clonch was seen leaving her home on Bourne Street in Henderson without her backpack and walking the opposite way from the Henderson Middle School. She had just started eighth grade and had left the house that morning, presumably, to go to school, Bice said. Her mom noticed that after she had left the house, her backpack was still sitting beside the door. So she went out to try and catch her to tell her, Hey, you forgot your backpack, and she saw Clonch walking the opposite direction from the school. That was the last time Clonchs mom ever saw her daughter. Their home was later demolished to build the middle school parking lot. Courtesy of the Henderson Police Department Clonchs description in 1999: Race: White with Native American descent Eyes: Brown Hair: Brown Height: 5 feet and 6 inches Weight: Around 110 pounds Recently, detectives used AI technology to enhance Clonchs yearbook photo from August 1999, aiming to create a clearer image that might help jog memories or generate new leads. Yearbook Photo of Samatha Clonch, courtesy of Henderson PD AI-generated yearbook photo of Samatha Clonch, courtesy of Henderson PD There were some minor changes, like her mouth shape was a little bit different, Bice said. Her eye shape was a little bit different, but we decided to go ahead and post both of them because the new AI-generated photo gives more of an interpersonal feeling, like its clear, you can kind of see into her eyes, you feel like shes looking at you. So we were hoping that the photo would kind of invoke just anybody who thought that they had information to come forward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bice explained that the enhanced photo was then shared on the Henderson Police Departments Facebook, reaching more than 35,000 people. Updates in the case Samatha Clonch with long hair, courtesy of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children One of the significant updates in the case is the information that Clonch had cut her hair short before her disappearance, contrary to the long-haired photo that had been circulated for 26 years. This detail could be crucial in identifying her or uncovering new information. Marcus Rodriguezs girlfriend speaks out three years after his disappearance from Tyler When I conducted a recent interview with [Clonchs] mom, she had told me that [Clonch] had cut her hair short in the months prior to her disappearance, because she wanted to look more similar to her older sister, who had short hair at the time, Bice said. When I saw that [yearbook] photo in the case file with the short hair, I knew that had to be a more recent photo. Mexico theory: Over the years, there have also been rumors that Clonch might have gone to Mexico, possibly starting a new life there. Detective Bice mentioned that this is one of the active leads they are pursuing, with cooperation from the Texas Rangers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have an individual whos in Mexico, who is vaguely saying that [Clonch] is possibly still located in Mexico and maybe married and has a family, Bice said. Were working cooperatively with the Texas Rangers right now, who are trying to get a good contact with that individual to get more information to find out if thats good information or not. New Summerfield theory: Bice explained that there is also another workable lead that led the original investigators to a New Summerfield convenience store in 1999, where her sister was living at the time. [Original investigators] documented in the report that a gas station clerk at the time had identified Clonch and her sister inside the convenience store, the day that our detectives went out to follow up on her, which would have been Sept. 15, Bice said. Despite this original report, that is all the information Bice has right now until someone can confirm Clonch actually made it to New Summerfield. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If anyone has any information regarding the theory that Clonch was in New Summerfield with her sister on Sept. 15, 1999, or if they resided in a trailer park off Gin Road, where Clonchs sister also resided, they are encouraged to contact the Henderson Police Department. Bice explained that Clonchs sister couldnt confirm she was with her at the convenience store or the trailer park in New Summerfield. She no longer lives in the area, so Bices only contact has been by phone. Next steps Despite these new leads, many parts of Clonchs disappearance remain a mystery, which is why Bice explained how crucial it is for the community to come forward if they have any information. If they think they saw something or they think they know something, no matter how big or how small, they should come forward with it, because it could be the missing part of the puzzle that we need, Bice said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Partial human remains identified as Smith County woman missing since 2023 People are encouraged to contact the Henderson Police Department at 903-657-3512 to request to talk to Detective Bice if they have any information about Clonchs disappearance. This story is the fourth edition of Beyond the Headlines, where KETK News covers unsolved cases in East Texas. The other three are below: You can now stream KETK and FOX51 News live 24/7 on your smart TV with KETK+, our brand-new app! No antenna, cable, or satellite neededwatch for free, anytime. Just download it on your Roku, Apple TV, or Fire TV and start streaming. 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 KETK.com | FOX51.com. Fox News & White House The two teenagers who beat up DOGE employee Edward Big Balls Coristine were able to avoid jail after pleading guilty to assault in a Washington, D.C. court, with both attackers a 15-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl receiving probation. Both were sentenced on Tuesday, local WUSA9 in the nations capital reported. The boy received a one-year sentence and was ordered to remain under house arrest, while the girl was given nine months of probation and sent to a local youth shelter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their sentences comes two months after they jumped Coristine during an attempted car jacking, leaving the 19-year-old DOGE employee bloodied and bruised. Coristine was also with a young woman at the time of the attack, at about 3:00 a.m. ET. The savage beating was one of the sparks that led to President Donald Trump deploying the National Guard to crack down on crime in Washington. Trump, in a Truth Social post a few days after the Aug. 3 attack, said crime was totally out of control in the capital, with teens routinely randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent Citizens. A picture of Coristine following the attack that was posted by President Trump on Truth Social Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Coristine described the attack during an appearance on Jesse Watters Primetime on Fox News in late August. As we get to the car and she begins to fumble for the keys, they begin to shout at us, and really quickly I knew something was really off about this situation, Coristine said. So she unlocks the car, I rush her into the driving seat. I close the door behind her and shes able to lock the doors. Right as I turn around, theyre right up on me just a few feet away. He continued: They slammed me against the car and started throwing a bunch of punches. I keep my hands up. Im getting a lot of punches here and Im just trying to protect my head the best way that I can. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added there were about a dozen attackers, but police were only able to apprehend the two teens who received probation on Tuesday. Elon Musk, who spearheaded DOGE for Trump during the first few months of his second term, commended Coristine for saving the woman he was with, before saying it was time to federalize DC. Coristine on Tuesday told one of the attackers I hope you can figure things out and be ready for the consequences, during a video statement in court. The post Big Balls Muggers Evade Prison Sentence, Get Probation for Beating Up DOGE Employee first appeared on Mediaite. Protesters at a Sept. 1 rally in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Marty Schladen, Ohio Capital Journal.) With much of the government shut down, health care cuts looming, and ICE raids taking place in small towns, numerous protests of the Trump administration are scheduled for Saturday in Ohio. Government agencies have been closed since the start of October, with congressional Republicans lacking the votes to fund operations. Democrats are holding out, in part, for an extension of subsidies for individual health insurance that would keep premiums from doubling for hundreds of thousands of Ohioans at the start of next year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Federal employees are starting to receive partial paychecks as a result of the shutdown. In addition, President Donald Trump is deploying troops to cities in Democratic states on false claims that theyre war zones. A federal judge he appointed ruled that his claim about Portland was simply untethered to the facts. After taking controversial actions in places like Chicago, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement upset people in Mount Vernon in Knox County. About 120 protested Sunday in the town square over an ICE raid last week of a beloved Mexican restaurant, the news organization Knox Pages reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Further protests are coming on Saturday. Dozens of No Kings protests are scheduled across Ohio as part of more than 2,500 that will take place nationally. Building on the momentum of the June 14 day of action, which drew more than five million people across all 50 states, the October 18 mobilization is the next chapter in this growing movement, organizers said in a written statement. Together, millions will send a clear and unmistakable message: we are a nation of equals, and our country will not be ruled by fear or force. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The events are being sponsored by more than 100 organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the League of Women Voters, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Common Cause, and Indivisible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mia Lewis is assistant director of Common Cause Ohio and a volunteer with Indivisible Central Ohio. She said 23 protests are planned for the area. Rallies will take place in communities such as Newark, Reynoldsburg, Marysville, and Grove City earlier Saturday afternoon. Then things will culminate with a 4 p.m. rally at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. Lewis said she hoped people would attend both. I think its really important that there are protests in peoples neighborhoods, she said. Its not just about the number of people who come out. Its about the number of people who are passing by and see that their neighbors and their friends and fellow citizens are out taking a stand. I think thats a really important message. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an era when the reach of traditional news organizations is diminishing, Lewis said its also vital for people to peacefully take to the streets in an attempt to highlight whats happening. For example, many might not know that a big part of the shutdown battle is over health care subsidies. Its hard because there are these pockets of information that people are in, Lewis said. But when people realize that their subsidy for their health care is going to go away and its going to be really hard to afford health care; when they see cities having masked troops attacking non-violent people and the shutdown is scary for a lot of people I think this will bring a lot of people out. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday that his department is in the process of launching a War on Terror-style campaign against progressive nonprofits. Charlies death is like a domestic 9/11, Bessent said. Just as after 9/11, and Osama bin Laden, the ultimate culprit, was captured, we are operationalizing the Treasury, and we are going to track down who is responsible for this. Bessent made the remarks on an episode of Kirks podcast, held in honor of what would have been the activists 32nd birthday. The Treasury Secretary added that the Department has started to compile lists, put together networks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We dont know how much of the support is coming in from overseas, how much is being supported by U.S. nonprofits and 501(c)3s that give money to 501(c)4s, he said. This is mission-critical for us now. The remarks are the clearest statement yet from a senior Trump official that the administration intends to use the aftermath of Kirks assassination as a pretext to investigate and, potentially, charge progressive advocacy groups. In discussing groups that are supposedly responsible for political violence, Bessent did what other Trump administration officials and memos have done since Kirks death: sweep in anodyne forms of organized protest with the kind of orchestrated political violence that would merit scrutiny from law enforcement. We are going to, as they always say, follow the money, he said. When you see these groups where all the signs match, they have hundreds of the same umbrellas that theyre using after they cause the mayhem, they have the same lasers that theyre using to blind our police force. How are they constructed? Because this takes a lot of money. The White House is seeking to stage a broad effort to limit political speech and advocacy in the wake of Kirks killing. It capitalizes on ambitions that senior Trump officials began to vocalize years ago: to use the power of the federal government to disrupt nonprofit advocacy networks that many in the MAGA movement regard as underpinning the power of the left. Vice President JD Vance, for instance, told the Claremont Institute in 2021 that targeting nonprofits and universities should be a priority for the next Republican administration. Tax breaks, liability protections, and other benefits afforded to nonprofits should not be granted to groups that are driving this country into the ground, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bessents remarks, along with other recent moves, suggest that were now moving in to the implementation phase of that idea. The Trump administration last month issued a National Security Presidential Memorandum that ordered federal law enforcement including Treasury and the IRS to investigate a wide range of advocacy groups that the administration says contribute to political violence. The order, called NSPM-7, mandates that federal law enforcement take a sweeping view of the types of ideas that may be held by a group that is worthy of investigation. They include extremism on migration, race, and gender, hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality, and anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, anti-Christianity. Per NSPM-7, those arguably common ideas fall under the umbrella of the anti-fascist lie, and are listed in the same category as more extreme ideas such as the ambition to overthrow of the United States Government. The memo directs Joint Terrorism Task Forces, groups that combine local law enforcement with the FBI, to examine advocacy organizations that the memo views as orchestrating political violence. But it also sets Treasury a significant task: to identify and disrupt financial networks that fund domestic terrorism and political violence. For that, it tasks offices traditionally used to track money laundering, sanctions evasion and foreign terrorist financing, among other things, with tracing illicit funding streams under the memo. Bessents remarks suggest that Treasury may be starting to implement NSPM-7s vision of a crackdown on progressive advocacy. There are other signs, as well. On the same day as the memo was issued, a senior DOJ official reportedly directed several U.S. Attorneys Offices to open investigations into the Open Society Foundations, a nonprofit funded by billionaire and right-wing bogeyman George Soros. Earlier this month, House Ways and Means Committee Chair Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) sent Bessent a list of pro-Palestine non-profits, urging him to speed up investigations into the groups. The letter cited NSPM-7 as an authority to do so. A White House official told Reuters last week that investigations might target several other groups, including ActBlue, which is a significant funding platform for the Democratic Party and progressive causes, Indivisible, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, and two progressive Jewish groups, IfNotNow and Jewish Voice for Peace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sarah Saadian, senior vice president for public policy and campaigns at the National Council of Nonprofits, told TPM that the memo is already having a chilling effect on nonprofits. Even investigations that lead nowhere, Saadian said, would force nonprofits to redirect resources away from advocacy and towards defending themselves. What were concerned about is that it might be used as a political weapon to target nonprofits and force them to shift resources away from their missions to defend their name, Saadian said. How different agencies will interpret and act on the memorandum remains unclear. Bessent made the remarks during the Charlie Kirk mourn-a-thon while speaking with Andrew Kolvet, the slain activists former spokesman. Kolvet himself boosted the idea that Treasury is the tip of the spear in an effort to dismantle Antifa on social media this week. That context, and the administrations degradation of its own enforcement capacity through several months of layoffs, has prompted some skepticism that it will be able to follow through, Marcus Owens, a former IRS official in charge of examining tax-exempt groups, told TPM. The staff isnt there, Owens said. The number of audits the IRS is conducting are approaching zero in the tax-exempt organizations area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres no new law that Congress has created that would bring the concept of a domestic terrorist organization into existence, Owens said. A former DOJ counterterrorism attorney told TPM last month that the government does not have to bring what would likely be extremely unviable material-support-for-terrorism cases against nonprofit groups to achieve its desired effect: suppressing speech. It says on its face that theyre going to go after funding mechanisms associated with progressive causes, the person said of NSPM-7. In his interview on Kirks podcast, Bessent cast the moves as necessary. The right, he suggested, is a victim, with political violence, supposedly from the left, hampering conservatives ability to speak and therefore requiring a federal response. Were determined not only to honor [Kirk], but to keep our country safe, and to ensure freedom of speech on both sides, he said. As conservatives, we cant be afraid to go out and speak. I know people are cancelling speeches, theyre having to bring down the size of the rallies. The biggest hurdle preventing lawmakers from striking a deal to end the government shutdown may be something a policy negotiation cant overcome: a lack of trust. As the government shutdown stretches into its third week, the distrust between Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill and down Pennsylvania Avenue is becoming more and more pronounced. And it is dogging any progress in turning the lights back in on Washington. Yeah, theres a lack of trust, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told MSNBC on Tuesday. Does it make it harder to come to terms on hard things like a government shutdown? Absolutely. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the clearest sign of that mistrust, the top two congressional Democrats Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both of New York are categorically rejecting the possibility of reopening the government in exchange for some promise from Republicans that lawmakers will discuss the expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits at some point in the future. Democrats have demanded that Congress address the looming health care cliff as part of government funding negotiations a nonstarter for Republican leaders. Instead, GOP leaders have said theyll discuss the program, including reforms to it, only after the government reopens. Rather than take that offer, Democrats are pleading for action on the Obamacare subsidies now and for it be put into legislative text refusing to take the word of their GOP colleagues that the issue will be dealt with later in the year. The Republicans do have a credibility issue when it comes to health care and the Affordable Care Act, Jeffries said Tuesday, noting that Republicans have tried, albeit unsuccessfully, a number of times to repeal and replace Obamacare. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Which is why if were gonna resolve this issue, it cant simply be a Republican wing and a prayer, Jeffries added. We actually need legislative action that extends the Affordable Care Act tax credit. Schumer has struck a similar note. Asked last week if Democrats would accept a commitment from Republicans to negotiate, the longtime leader had a definitive answer: No. We need to solve the problem, Schumer said. The first step is a commitment to negotiate. He added that Democrats couldnt just shake on a deal to discuss the subsidies, only to have Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., just block it because hes so afraid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Late last month, before the shutdown began, Schumer told reporters: We think that when they say later, they mean never. That posture and the reticence among both parties to soften their stances is dragging out the shutdown fight and putting it in the running for a spot in the history books. This week, Johnson told reporters: Were barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history. Of course, the distrust between the two parties has been a fixture of deliberations on Capitol Hill for decades. But the new era of Donald Trump complete with rescissions bills clawing back congressionally appropriated funds has kicked that skepticism into overdrive. Asked about the distrust between the two parties, Democrats specifically pointed to rescissions. In July, the president signed a bill revoking $9.4 billion in funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, Johnson told reporters he expects more rescissions in the days ahead. Theyve made it clear that theyre gonna continue to support rescissions, and thats a violation of every norm we have here to back up bipartisan agreements, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told MSNBC. So I think once they gutted the Democratic priorities out of the [Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies] bill in the rescissions package, it really, fundamentally, changed our ability to work together. Sen. Andy Kim, D-Calif., said more rescissions would be a giant middle finger to everything that were trying to do right now, to have negotiations and talks. That posture has only been exacerbated by recent comments from top Republicans who have suggested they may never address the looming expiration of the Obamacare subsidies, despite previously saying they are open to discussing the matter once the government reopens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During a call with members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus last week, Johnson said it would take a lot of work to build consensus ... if there is even any version of, a reformed version that could find consensus and pass." Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has echoed that sentiment. Earlier this month, he said Republicans cant make commitments or promises on the Covid subsidies, because thats not something that we can guarantee that there are the votes there to do. If Thune referring to the tax credits as Covid subsidies wasnt ominous enough for Democrats, his warning that there may not be enough votes to extend the subsidies certainly caught the attention of Democrats. Im very skeptical, Kim told MSNBC, because theyve had all year to work with us, to be able to address this, and theyre like, 'Oh, well, you know, its not gonna expire till the end of the year, we dont need to get to it yet.' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is a trust deficit here, he added. Adding insult to injury, Democrats have been quick to point out that Republicans, for years, have sought to repeal and replace Obamacare a goal that was central to the 2013 government shutdown. That history, they say, depletes the GOPs credibility on the issue. The Republicans do have a credibility issue when it comes to health care and the Affordable Care Act, Jeffries said at a news conference Tuesday. The American people know were standing on the side of lifting up their quality of life, and Republicans have spent the last 15 years, you are correct, trying to repeal and displace people off the Affordable Care Act. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Bill OReilly thinks theres one person and one person alone who should be getting credit for the Israel-Hamas war peace deal: President Donald Trump. You have to acknowledge history, and Donald Trump got this done thats it, the conservative news host said in his eponymous web talk show on Tuesday. Theres no but, theres no why, theres none of that speculative garbage. We do not do that those who do are dishonest. OReilly admonished what he called the hate-Trump press for its apparent spinning of the deal as a joint effort between the Biden administration and Trumps. He also noted some outlets negative framing of the presidents negotiating tactics during the deal, specifically citing BBC News North American editor Sarah Smith, who called him a bully. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You dont have to use the word bully because thats not what he is, alright? What Trump is is a strong man, the host said. Hes not a bully. A bully comes in and kicks defenseless people in the mouth. Hamas is not defenseless, lady! Yeah, theyre killers, theyre murderers. Got it? Go back to London and tell everybody. The dishonesty is staggering. OReilly did admit earlier in the segment, however, that no other president could have gotten the deal done like Trump, and thats in part because other nations are afraid of what he might do. I think almost everybody understands that Joe Biden and Im not just picking on him, I dont think Barack Obama or even George W. Bush couldve gotten these hostages out, OReilly said. But people fear Donald Trump. And Iran in particular, which funds and arms the Hamas terrorists, are very afraid of the president. So hes got leverage in there. And the Israelis cant buck him because were pretty much the only friend Israel has right now in the world. Speaking further on the hate-Trump press, OReilly added that reliable anonymous sources told him that organizations like CNN and ABCs The View were told to tone down their negativity around the MAGA president when reporting on the deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive been told that CNN talent, air talent, was ordered not to hammer Trump on this situation, he said, noting that CNN anchor Abby Phillip admonished former President Barack Obama for not giving a full-throated endorsement of Trumps accomplishment. Honestly its not unfair to say, if President Obama is going to write a whole post on a peace deal, maybe he should acknowledge the president that brokered it, Phillip said in the clip OReilly ran. On Monday, all 20 remaining living Israeli hostages were returned home as the first step of a peace deal between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas. Israel, in turn, released 250 Palestinian prisoners into Gaza and the West Bank and more than 1,700 Palestinians it had detained in Gaza since the war broke out after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on an Israeli music festival. The post Bill OReilly Slams Hate-Trump Press for Framing President as a Bully in Israeli Peace Deal: Hamas Is Not Defenseless | Video appeared first on TheWrap. Binghamton, N.Y (WIVT/WBGH) The two-day conference invites keynote speakers, faculty and students to discuss how new generations of African Americans are reshaping sociopolitical and cultural identity structure in the United States. Organized by the Africana studies department, the event will feature 3 note speakers Nkiru Nzegwu, Professor of Africana Studies in Binghamton University and founder of Africa Knowledge Project. Nnedi Okorafor -Sci-Fi and Fantasy Africanfuturism writer, winner of the Hugo Awards. And Peter Nwosu, professor and president of SUNY Oswego. The conference will be divided in two days, Friday, October 17th and Saturday, October 18th from 8:30am till 5:40pm both open to all students and anyone in the community who are interested in attending. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In between the keynote speakers, different panels and performances will be presented all within the theme of intersections of culture, race and identity. The event will also feature alumni speakers within a roundtable discussion of Culture Existential Experiences. For further information, interested readers can access The Africana studies website . 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 WIVT - News 34. People visit the exhibition in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Oct. 15, 2025. The Chinese art exhibition "Distant and Close" opened on Wednesday at Kuwait's Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah, or House of Islamic Antiquities, a major public museum in Kuwait City. The exhibition, running through 2026, showcases the historical and cultural ties between China and Kuwait. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua) KUWAIT CITY, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese art exhibition "Distant and Close" opened on Wednesday at Kuwait's Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah, or House of Islamic Antiquities, a major public museum in Kuwait City. The exhibition, running through 2026, showcases the historical and cultural ties between China and Kuwait. Held under the patronage of Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, the exhibition features 128 artifacts collected by Kuwaitis, highlighting centuries of artistic and cultural exchange between Chinese and Islamic civilizations. Kuwait's Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi called the exhibition a milestone in cultural cooperation, reflecting strong bilateral relations built on mutual respect and a shared interest in expanding partnerships. Liu Xiang, charge d'affaires at the Chinese Embassy in Kuwait, said the exhibition "represents the true friendship between China and Kuwait" and underlines ongoing cultural collaboration. He added that China will continue working with the Kuwaiti authorities to promote mutual learning and cultural exchange. People visit the exhibition in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Oct. 15, 2025. The Chinese art exhibition "Distant and Close" opened on Wednesday at Kuwait's Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah, or House of Islamic Antiquities, a major public museum in Kuwait City. The exhibition, running through 2026, showcases the historical and cultural ties between China and Kuwait. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua) People visit the exhibition in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Oct. 15, 2025. The Chinese art exhibition "Distant and Close" opened on Wednesday at Kuwait's Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah, or House of Islamic Antiquities, a major public museum in Kuwait City. The exhibition, running through 2026, showcases the historical and cultural ties between China and Kuwait. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua) People visit the exhibition in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Oct. 15, 2025. The Chinese art exhibition "Distant and Close" opened on Wednesday at Kuwait's Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah, or House of Islamic Antiquities, a major public museum in Kuwait City. The exhibition, running through 2026, showcases the historical and cultural ties between China and Kuwait. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua) A man visits the exhibition in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Oct. 15, 2025. The Chinese art exhibition "Distant and Close" opened on Wednesday at Kuwait's Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah, or House of Islamic Antiquities, a major public museum in Kuwait City. The exhibition, running through 2026, showcases the historical and cultural ties between China and Kuwait. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua) WASHINGTON Living in North Baton Rouge is like being on the wrong side of the tracks, Martha Davis said. There are potholes everywhere that make you feel as if youre driving on a washboard, southeastern Louisiana residents are still reeling from the loss of medical facilities, and the area has some of the lowest-performing schools in the city, explained Davis, 70. Its because of these issues that Davis, who was an educator for more than 40 years, was thrilled to see Cleo Fields, a Democrat, win his bid last year to represent Louisianas 6th Congressional District. It was redrawn in 2024 so that the state would have a second majority-Black district and, as a result, a voting map that better reflects the states Black population. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont know [Fields] personally or anything but I know that hes a strong champion of education, and that makes me really happy, Davis told Capital B, her eyes crinkling as she smiled. Im just happy to see somebody who looks like me in office. Hes a native of Baton Rouge, so he knows what our needs are. But Louisianas brand-new majority-Black district is already in jeopardy. Opponents of the district, who refer to themselves as non-African American voters, hope to dismantle it, claiming that its costing them one district. On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case to determine whether Louisiana violated the U.S. Constitution when it used race to redraw its map. The court seemed open to reversing the map, even though the long-standing interpretation of Section 2 of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 requires protecting Black voting power during the redistricting process. A decision is expected by the end of June. The court heard oral arguments in March, but in a surprising move, it punted the case, scheduling re-argument for the term that began earlier this month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The courts decision could effectively gut Section 2, which legal scholars have described to Capital B as the last leg that the Voting Rights Act is standing on, and have major implications for racial representation in Congress. A recent study found that, depending on the outcome, Democrats could lose up to 19 House seats. This scenario has left Davis and others feeling angry and nervous. They fear that many Black Americans, who overwhelmingly vote Democratic, could be left without an advocate in Congress for years to come. The day before the case was re-heard, Capital B spent time on the steps of the Supreme Court with some of the voters involved in the legal dispute. They embraced and laughed as they cracked jokes, refusing to let the weight of the moment discourage them. Martha Davis: Im just happy to see somebody who looks like me in office. Martha Davis, one of the participants in Louisianas redistricting case, was thrilled when the states voting map was redrawn in 2024 to include a second majority-Black district. (Kuwilileni Hauwanga/Capital B) Davis is one of the Black voters who sued Louisiana over its original map. She said that she has always had a keen sense of justice, dating back to when she was a young girl in the country and learned that she and her mother had to wait in the colored peoples room at the hospital. She also remembers switching to an integrated school in the 10th grade and realizing that she was just as smart as the white students they just had more opportunities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Davis saw the states old map a few years ago, with its one majority-Black district, she became furious. I kept thinking to myself, Why would you put New Orleans and Baton Rouge together? she told Capital B, noting that these are two cities with largely Black populations. Of course they did it on purpose [to dilute Black voting power]. And that upset me. Dorothy Nairne: Can we get some joy on this plane first? Dorothy Nairne has seen positive changes in Assumption Parish, where she lives, and fears reversing the map could cause the area to regress. (Kuwilileni Hauwanga/Capital B) Dorothy Nairne, an entrepreneur who also has been involved in voting rights litigation against Louisiana, told Capital B that she has already seen how Assumption Parish, where she lives, has started to benefit from more attentive political leadership. There are some slow things happening, she said. Theyre replacing those little bitty toothpick-like electric poles with strong, fortified ones that can withstand the next hurricane that comes through. And our roads are being fixed out here. So its like, OK, maybe we can have change here in Assumption Parish, in rural Louisiana. Thats a very positive thing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the kind of change that needs to continue, Nairne, 59, added, her voice rising with frustration. She doesnt want to go back to a time when progress felt impossible. She lived in South Africa for nearly 20 years from 1998 to 2016 and said that it seemed as if nothing had improved when she returned to Napoleonville, in Assumption Parish, known for its sugar-cane farming. If anything, more men were in prison. People were living in the same trailers, she recalled. Some people say, Well, Im just going to wait until I get to heaven. But can we get some joy on this plane first? Thats what Im here for. Ambrose Sims: I have an opportunity to have a voice. Ambrose Sims, who grew up during the era of segregation, is also fighting efforts to reverse the voting map. (Kuwilileni Hauwanga/Capital B) Ambrose Sims, who lives in West Feliciana Parish and has also challenged the state in court over its voting maps, echoed this fear of returning to the past. Born and raised in Louisiana, Sims, 73, grew up during the era of segregation. He went to separate but equal schools and enrolled at Louisiana State University in 1969, when he said that there were 20,000 students total but only 35 Black students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive had the experience of not having a voice and now an opportunity to have a voice, Sims, who helped to establish the West Feliciana Parish NAACP, told Capital B. Thats what brings me here today. Michael McClanahan: Our future generations deserve better. Michael McClanahan said that he will push back against forces seeking to turn back voting rights. (Kuwilileni Hauwanga/Capital B) Michael McClanahan, from Baton Rouge, said that the possibility of not having freedoms carry forward into the future is terrifying. It makes him feel as if Louisiana is dead set on returning to a darker age. White folks love to see [wide] receivers be Black, but his mom could not be the person representing you, McClanahan, 60, told Capital B. The Dred Scott decision said that the Black man has no rights that a white man is bound to respect. It mightve been overturned, but its still in peoples minds. As frightening as this moment is, however, he said that hes determined to push back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I travel the state and see that there are still areas that are back in the 40s and 50s, said McClanahan, the president of the NAACP Louisiana State Conference. And we got to fight that. Our kids, our future generations, deserve better. If I can do my part to make it better, Im willing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to Davis, Nairne, Sims, and McClanahan, the other voters participating in the case include Davante Lewis and Ashley Shelton (top row), and Edgar Cage and Alice Washington (bottom row). The post Supreme Court Weighs Louisiana Map in Voting Rights Battle Over Black Representation appeared first on Capital B News. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) On Oct. 19, visitors to popular Grand Rapids restaurant Black Napkin can attend its three year anniversary dinner, a special celebration outside normal open hours and with an all-new menu. The whole menu itself has more of an Asian fusion theme, Korin Hollinshead, owner and founder of Black Napkin, said. Thai, Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese styles blended into how we do stuff around here. New Grand Rapids restaurant offers American-French fusion Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This one-day-only menu will be in place of Black Napkins regular offerings, which includes a curated selection of deluxe burgers and fried chicken sandwiches. Black Napkin on Fulton Street in Grand Rapids. (Korin Hollinshead/Black Napkin) Le College Dropout. (Korin Hollinshead/Black Napkin) Le College Dropout is probably our pride and joy, Hollinshead said. Thats a French style burger sweet and savory. In its three years of business since opening near the Fulton Street Market, Black Napkin has solidified itself as an eastside favorite known for its long lines, unique interior aesthetic and rotating featured items. We do have a ton of regulars who come specifically on a Friday or Saturday and get one of each feature, Hollinshead said. Religiously, almost. Black Napkin in Grand Rapids on Oct. 26, 2022. A Black Napkin T-shirt. (Oct. 26, 2022) After such success at their previous anniversary celebrations, Hollinshead expects plenty of longtime fans and new regulars to be in attendance at Sundays event. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Come early, Hollinshead said. The line might be intimidating, but it does move fast. Considering how Hollinshead and her team only expected Black Napkin to become a neighborhood joint, not a West Michigan cult hit, she and her team have dedicated but modest hopes for the business future. Grand Rapids brewery partners with podcast for beer release, art market All we want to do is keep honing our craft, Hollinshead said. We kind of want to figure out something for more space and maybe grow our team slightly, but slowly. Black Napkins three year anniversary dinner event will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more information on their daily features, visit the Black Napkin Instagram page. 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 WOODTV.com. By Arsheeya Bajwa and Aditya Soni (Reuters) -An investor group including BlackRock, Microsoft and Nvidia is buying one of the world's biggest data center operators with nearly 80 sites in a deal worth $40 billion to secure coveted computing capacity for artificial intelligence. The purchase of U.S.-based Aligned Data Centers from Australian Macquarie Asset Management on Wednesday is the first deal for the AI Infrastructure Partnership formed last year which also includes Abu Dhabi-based fund MGX and Elon Musk's startup xAI among its backers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "With this investment in Aligned Data Centers, we further our goal of delivering the infrastructure necessary to power the future of AI," said BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, who also serves as the chairman of the AI Infrastructure Partnership. DEALS TO SNAP UP CHIPS AND INFRASTRUCTURE The acquisition is the latest in a series of big-ticket deals from Big Tech and Silicon Valley startups that has been fueled by the boom in AI. Major tech companies including Alphabet, Amazon.com, Meta, Microsoft and CoreWeave, are on track to spend $400 billion on AI infrastructure this year, Morgan Stanley estimates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OpenAI, the startup at the heart of the AI boom, struck deals in recent weeks with chipmakers Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices and Broadcom that may cost over $1 trillion to secure about 26 gigawatts of computing capacity, enough to power roughly 20 million U.S. homes. Meta Platforms is building several multi-gigawatt AI data centers, including one called Prometheus due to come online in 2026 and another, Hyperion, that can scale up to 5 gigawatts. Privately-held Aligned Data Centers currently has over 5 gigawatts of operational and planned capacity located across 50 campuses in the U.S. and Latin America. Joe Tigay, portfolio manager at Nvidia shareholder Equity Armor Investments, said the acquisition highlights the growing value of data center assets for investors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Theyre looking at rapid expansion to meet AI demand and optimize for it." SPENDING SURGE AS INTEREST BOOMS Aligned has been a big winner of the AI infrastructure spending boom, raising $12 billion in equity and debt earlier this year in one of the largest private capital injections into a data center company. Shares of its publicly listed rivals, such as Applied Digital, have soared more than four-fold this year. Applied Digital shares jumped 5% on Wednesday. The investment group buying Aligned also includes Kuwait Investment Authority and Singapore state-owned investor Temasek as anchor investors. It has an initial target of deploying $30 billion of equity capital, with the potential of reaching $100 billion including debt. It has not disclosed how much each partner has contributed to the tie-up or the equity value of Wednesday's deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nvidia and Aligned declined to comment, while the investors did not immediately respond to requests seeking more details on the deal. Aligned will remain headquartered in Dallas, Texas, under CEO Andrew Schaap when the deal closes in the first half of 2026, the investor group said in its statement. (Reporting by Arsheeya Bajwa in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Elaine Hardcastle) BLANDFORD Approximately 80 people including generations of descendants, representatives from the Daughters of the American Revolution, Blandford residents and officials turned out for the dedication of the Revolutionary America marker to patriot Jethro Jones on Oct. 11. The main speaker at the dedication was Jocelyn Jones Arnold, the great-great-great-great-granddaughter of the patriot. The marker is located at the intersection of Blair Road and Jones Road in Blandford, where Jethro Jones and his family resided from the late 1700s until his death in 1828 at the age of 95. Among the groups represented were the Springfield Mercy Warren Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution that launched the historic marker program. Regent Margaret Superneau welcomed everyone, and said the DAR is committed to telling the stories of underrepresented patriots. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mercy Warren was joined by representatives from the Betty Allen Chapter in Northampton, the Contentment Chapter in Greenfield, the First Resistant Chapter in Great Barrington, the Col. Timothy Bigelow Chapter in Worcester County and the District V Director of the Massachusetts DAR. Other participants included the Col. Henry Knox Regimental Color Guard, the American Legion Post 124 Color Guard, trumpeter Johnathon Guido of Westfield, the Winchester Square Vietnam Veterans of Springfield, the Sons of the American Revolution, Pomeroy Chapter, the Sheffield Historical Society and the Blandford Historical Society that hosted the event. Mary Hull, registrar for the Mercy Warren Chapter whose land abuts the marker that was funded by a grant from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation and the National Society of the DAR, said Jethro Jones was a skilled toolmaker whose signed woodworking planes are highly sought after at auctions, with examples of his work are on display at Colonial Williamsburg and the Smithsonian Museum. Hull said Jones enlisted in the Continental Army at the age of 44 and served for six years, more than the average four and a half years served by African American soldiers, and eight times longer than that of other servicemen. Jones, his wife and several children are buried on a small plot that went unnoticed for many years, never receiving a marker or a flag, Hull said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thanks to Blandford residents, his story came to light. The Mercy Warren Chapter is thankful to Blandford and to the Highway Department. Hull said. She said Hull Forestlands supplied the crushed stone at the marker. Were proud to play a role. Jones Arnold, who is a member of the Independence Hall Chapter of the DAR in Philadelphia, listed the descendants of Jethro Jones who were present at the dedication, including her brother Laurence Jones, her cousins the Pipers, and members of the younger generations, great grandchildren five and six times removed. She said Jethro Jones and his wife Judy King had seven children, two of whom are buried alongside their parents in Blandford. The family hiked up Jones Road to the burial site before the commemoration. I stand here as a testament to Jethro Jones, but I do not stand alone, she said. Jones Arnold said she has worked hard to bring her ancestors and family members to light. She dedicated the service on Oct. 11 to the memory of Don Shepard, a former Blandford selectman who did the research on Jones Road, formerly known by a pejorative name, to find out who lived there. Don did the research, and restored the dignity, she said. The town officially changed the name of the road at a town meeting in 2000 to Jones Road. Im filled with emotion ... He was a master toolmaker of remarkable skill and quiet strength, who chose to fight for a country that had not yet chosen him, Jones Arnold said. To uncover Jethros story uncovers a part of Americas story. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detailing her ancestors service, she said he fought at the Battles of Saratoga, Monmouth and trained at Valley Forge, serving under Colonel Bigelow in the 15th Massachusetts Regiment. Bigelows regiment was the last to leave the Battle of Monmouth. They came under the command of George Washington. The conflict was terrible. Americans retake the field, and the British army fled by moonlight. Today as we dedicate the marker, I often think about what Jethro would have thought, if he could have imagined that nearly 250 years later, his descendants would have gathered here, some still bearing his name, to speak his name aloud, surrounded by people gathered to honor him, Jones Arnold said. Jethro Jones, your name lives again, dignity and honor has been restored to your resting ground. As a family, were still here, we are still black, and we are still fighting for freedom and the American Dream. After she spoke, the family gathered around and unveiled the marker. Mercy Warren DAR Honorary Chapter Regent Samatha Seamans-Frizzell then read When Great Trees Fall by Maya Angelou. The Col. Henry Knox Regimental Color Guard, who had marched up aways on Jones Road, led a musket salute. Trumpeter Johnathon Guido of Westfield played Taps and Barbara Dennis, chaplain of the Mercy Warren Chapter gave the closing prayer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A reception followed at the Blandford Historical Society on 1 North St. The Blandford Historical Society, which describes the town as a small town with a big history rooted in the American Revolution, will also be hosting a Ghost Walk at the Old Burying Ground on Sat., Oct. 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. Read the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island is eliminating health benefits for 275 of its own retirees and their spouses as the insurer struggles to stem its losses, Target 12 has learned. In letters sent out this month, Blue Cross informed the group of elderly beneficiaries that the insurer would no longer offer them a subsidized Medicare Advantage plan starting next year, requiring them to pay the full cost of any replacement coverage. The plan covered the families of employees hired before 1992 who retired before April 2013. Richard Salit, a spokesperson for Blue Cross, said the elimination of the retiree benefit is one of multiple actions to reduce costs that the insurer is undertaking to hold down premiums in the face of skyrocketing medical and prescription drug costs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ending the plan will save Blue Cross about $125,000 a year and remove a $6 million liability from its balance sheet, according to Salit. The company suggested retirees sign up for one of its individual Medicare Advantage plans, citing monthly premiums as low as $0 to $35. Blue Cross, a nonprofit that pays taxes, is Rhode Islands dominant health insurer. It posted a net loss of $115 million in 2024, leading the company to lay off workers last winter. But the financial challenges have continued, with the company reporting a net loss of over $3 million during the first six months of 2025, though that was improved from the same time last year. The insurers financial cushion fell from a recent high of $440 million at the start of 2024 to $329 million by the middle of this year, a 25% decline. Blue Cross leaders have cited expensive GLP-1 medications for diabetes and weight loss as one of the drivers of rising medical costs. Other steps Blue Cross is taking to save money include working to proactively support members with complex needs to avoid more costly interventions and improving operational efficiency by reducing spending on vendors, Salit said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Regulatory filings show Blue Cross paid out 91.75% of its premium revenue to cover medical claims during the second quarter, with administrative expenses consuming another 9.62%. Thats significantly higher than the minimum under the Affordable Care Act, which requires insurers to spend at least 80% of their premium revenue on medical care. Ted Nesi (tnesi@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter and 12 News politics/business editor. He co-hosts Newsmakers and writes Nesis Notes on Saturdays. Connect with him on Twitter, Bluesky and Facebook. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app. Follow us on social media: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app. Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup 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 WPRI.com. If you scroll California Governor Gavin Newsoms press releases, a portrait emerges of a undaunted climate fighter. One day hes paving [the] way for climate pollution-cutting technology; another hes launching new international climate partnerships as Trump unleashes unhinged UN rant. Last month, he announced the signing of a suite of measures saving billions on electric bills, stabilizing [the] gas market and cutting pollution. But look under the hood, and his heroic self-image dims somewhat. That big legislative package, for instance, also increases oil drilling and sets up a regional electricity market that could tether California to fossil-fuel states at a time when the Trump administration is moving to roll back clean energy, CalMatters reported. With Trump in death-drive mode on climate, canceling renewable energy projects left and right and even forbidding federal agencies to use language such as climate change, green,or sustainable, blue-state governors are well positioned to distinguish themselves and their party on the issue. They also have a responsibility: The states are our best hope for policy at a scale to match the problem. Yet a worrying trend is taking shape: Blue-state governors are making a big show of battling the Trump administration, but on climate issues theyve been disappointingand sometimes downright infuriating. Last months climate package wasnt the California Democrats first flub this year. Over the summer, in what Politico dubbed the states Great Climate Retreat, they weakened limits on the carbon intensity of transportation fuels, rolled back environmental reviews for new housing, and lifted a cap on oil industry profits. California was the vocal climate leader during the first Trump administration, Chris Chavez, deputy policy director for the Coalition for Clean Air, told Politico. Its questionable whether or not that leadership is still there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Maryland, a climate advisory panel appointed by Governor Wes Moore has hit the brakes on a carbon trading measure, and late last month the state Department of the Environment, or MDE, appeared to cave to the Trump administration in abandoning some environmental justice metrics, which many fear means abandoning Black and brown communities to the whims of polluters. It just appears to me that MDE blatantly does not want to be accountable in the massive pollution and the overburden of these heavy industrial industries, Kamita Gray, a community leader in Brandywinea majority-Black town thats home to gas-fired power plants, a coal ash dump, and a Superfund sitetold Maryland Matters. Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania too is under fire from climate critics. As attorney general, he authored a solid road map for protecting Pennsylvanians from the harmful environmental and health effects of fracking, but in his two years as governor he has allowed companies to be secretive about the chemicals used in fracking, and has not pushed to pass any laws curbing the industry. The Environmental Health Project, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit, said residents are still waiting for meaningful action. Our assessment concludes that the Shapiro administration has not fulfilled the commitments the governor made to Pennsylvanians in general and to frontline communities in particular. And then theres New York. Governor Kathy Hochul has been failing to follow the decarbonization timeline that was outlined in the states 2019 climate law, prompting environmental justice groups to sue her. She has delayed plans for cap and invest and is dragging her feet on building public renewables (despite the states landmark Build Public Renewables Act, which passed in 2023). She has seemingly caved to Trump by going ahead with gas pipelines she previously rejected. And its unclear whether she will sign a repeal of the outdated 100 foot rule, which requires utility ratepayers to subsize the cost of connecting new customers to the gas system, a reform that has long been a priority of the states climate movement. Part of whats so self-destructive here is that energy affordability is a highly salient issue for voters, taking center stage, for example in the governors race in New Jersey, where electricity rates have risen 22 percent. Interviewed in Fridays New York Times on this subject, David Springe of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates described electricity as the new eggs, an indicator of how costly daily life is for most Americans. Republicans in New York have seized on the problem as an opportunity to blame Democrats and climate-friendly policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stephan Edel of New York Renews, a progressive coalition fighting for clean energy, told me the governor has spoken really eloquently about the need to do something about affordability. Indeed, she endorsed Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist, for New York City mayor, partly for this reason. She often uses affordability to justify rightward shifts or retreats from climate policy, he said, adding that, inexplicably, she also shies away from touting the affordability benefits of climate policies that she does support. For example, in the state budget last year, she agreed to invest over a billion dollars in funding for climate programs, including one that will help make homes for low-income New Yorkers more energy efficient and another that will save school districts money by shifting to electric school buses. Instead of touting those wins for affordabilityor embracing the potential of publicly owned renewables to do the sameshes embraced the Republican narrative that climate policy and affordability are at odds. By contrast, Mikie Sherill in New Jersey has been touting clean energy as a solution to energy affordability woes. If she gets elected and continues this path, more blue state governors should follow her lead. The Democratic base is desperate to see its leaders stand up to Trump on both climate and affordability. (And when Democratic governors do stand up to Trump on anythingIllinoiss JB Pritzker on the militarization of Chicago, Maines Janet Mills on health caretheir poll numbers spike.) And the reverse is also truefailing to differentiate themselves from Trump has been political suicide for many Democrats. Every time one of these elected officials says, Im going to stand up to Trump, Im going to protect affordability, Im going to address climate change, and then doesnt do it, thats a win for the Republicans, Edel said, because it fuels low turnout for Democratic voters. Climate offers an obvious opportunity to isolate the Republicans on a matter of broad concern, renew Americans faith in government, and make real progress. The Democratic governors flailing so badly on this issue have not only a moral obligation to change course, but also a political one. Governors from 15 blue states, including Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, have formed whats being described as a shadow public health alliance to counter the edicts of U.S. Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The news, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, confirms an earlier announcement by Healey that the Bay State intended to go its own way on access to vaccines. "We are taking a stand. We are a health care leader, and were not going to let the Trump administration or Robert Kennedy cost lives and take us down when others fail to do their job, Healey said at a news conference at the State House in Boston last month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At that same news conference, Healey telegraphed the formation of the interstate compact, saying Massachusetts intended to enter into a partnership with other New England and northeastern states on vaccines and other public health issues as the federal government charts a different course. On Wednesday, the Democratic governors said federal funding cuts and other policy changes by the Republican Trump administration had put their citizens health at risk, prompting the move, the Journal reported. California is proud to help launch this new alliance because the American people deserve a public health system that puts science before politics, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement issued by his office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As extremists try to weaponize the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and spread misinformation, were stepping up to coordinate across states, protect communities, and ensure decisions are driven by data, facts, and the health of the American people, Newsom, who has frequently and publicly clashed with President Donald Trump, continued. In addition to California and Massachusetts, the governors of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington also are participating in the initiative. The joint effort will allow the governors to share data, resources, and lessons learned to strengthen our preparedness for the next public health challenge. Delaware is proud to join this effort to make our stateand our nationsafer and healthier," Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer said in a statement. All told, the governors collectively represent about 115 million people, or about a third of the nations population, The Journal reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They also hope to recruit other governors, including Republican state chief executives, to their cause, according to the newspaper. Its really just about public health, Colorado Gov.Jared Polis told the Journal. The more expertise that is cut from federal agencies such as the CDC and the [Food and Drug Administration, he said, the more states will need to find ways to re-create capabilities to protect the publics health, the Journal reported. We have to show that we will continue supporting science, supporting medical research, supporting our institutions, supporting access to vaccinations, and we believe in science, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told the newspaper. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An HHS spokesperson told The Journal that the agency will ensure that policies set by its vaccine-advisory panel are based on rigorous evidence and Gold Standard Science, not the failed politics of the pandemic. Democrat-run states that pushed unscientific school lockdowns, toddler mask mandates, and draconian vaccine passports during the COVID era completely eroded the American peoples trust in public health agencies, the spokesperson told the newspaper. More on Politics Read the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here. OVERLAND PARK, Kan. Nearly 600 people signed a change.org petition and an unknown number sent letters to the Blue Valley School Board in support of teacher Barb Hart, prior to her firing Monday night. FOX4 has learned the board was informed before their vote one of those letters came from family of the very child she was accused of acting in violation of board policy against. An act parents have summarized as showing dignity to a special needs child. Safety concerns after child on electric scooter hit by car in Leawood Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Twenty-four hours after their impassioned pleas, supporters of Sunset Ridge Elementary teacher Barb Hart were still reeling Tuesday. I just feel such devastation over the outcome of the Board meeting last night, equal parts outrage and sadness that this is whats happened to a teacher like Mrs. Hart, parent Amy Foster said. FOX4 is told Hart was called to the hallway to help with a special needs child After attempts to de-escalate failed, she picked up the student and transported the student to the safe space in her classroom. The school board determined she violated its policy on Emergency Safety Interventions which says restraint can only be used when less restrictive alternatives were determined to be inappropriate or ineffective, and when a students behavior presents an immediate physical danger to them self or others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I work in the corporate world and it takes a lot to fire someone. You have to get a lot of documentation and offenses. For this to be so quick and brash for someone thats in such good standing is insane, Heidi Mead said. I feel like the board could have stepped up and done something, especially when they made a comment that they agreed with a lot of said, Chris Harper said. The only board member who voted against Harts firing said nothing in board policy required termination. The Kansas Department of Education said it would need additional time to answer questions about discipline requirements and any role it has in guidance or regulations to school districts on emergency safety interventions and restraint. My perspective is to extend grace to a teacher who has given 25 years to the district and recognize that some situations involve judgment calls, Blue Valley School Board Member Jim McMullen said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New public dashboard tracks domestic violence cases in Jackson County The district sent FOX4 the following statement after Mondays meeting. Blue Valley Schools understands that this personnel matter feels close for many in the school community. Personnel decisions are carefully reviewed to ensure alignment with board policy, applicable law and the rights of all individuals involved. Out of respect for all involved and in accordance with the law, we are not able to share additional details. Our focus remains on supporting our students, staff and school communities while maintaining the confidentiality and dignity that situations like this require, while upholding the communitys high expectations of our schools. How do you explain to your 6-year old that his beloved teacher had to leave because she did what was right? The students the staff its affected everybody and I dont know we recover from a loss like this, Foster said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The community has been stepping up to help Hart recover from her financial losses. A gofundme has already raised more than $17,000. 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 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Oct. 14ANCHORAGE, Alaska The Alaska State Medical Examiner's Office announced Monday it has identified the remains of David Linder, one of the owners of Subarctic Media LLC radio group and Lakeland Media LLC of Willmar. On Friday, the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group and the Girdwood Volunteer Fire Department traveled to the slide area of an avalanche that occurred in early March. The team recovered the remains of one adult male who had become caught in a log jam in the river flowing underneath the avalanche slide area, according to a news release from the Alaska Department of Public Safety. On March 4, Alaska authorities were notified of a large avalanche near the West Fork of 20 Mile River near Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement . Using avalanche beacons, the guides identified a probable area where skiers were buried, estimating it to be between 40 feet and nearly 100 feet deep. On March 6, David Linder, 39, of Florida; Charles Eppard, 30, of Montana, and Jeremy Leif, 38, of Minnesota, were identified as the missing persons from an Alaska heliskier's trip, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety. The bodies of Eppard and Leif have not yet been found and the search for the missing men continues. Linder leaves behind a wife and three children, according to a Radio Mankato official, Matt Ketelsen, who told Minnesota Public Radio. In September 2023, David Linder and Lynn Ketelsen purchased Lakeland Media LLC, a group of radio stations based in Willmar. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attends NATO's defense ministers' meeting in Brussels, Belgium, Oct. 15, 2025. The flight carrying U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth landed at a military airport in Britain on Wednesday evening after declaring an emergency, according to aircraft surveillance platform ADS-B Exchange. The flight, SAM 153, was flying over the North Atlantic before turning back to Britain. The flight was en route back to the United States from NATO's defense ministers' meeting in Belgium, said Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang) LONDON, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The flight carrying U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth landed at a military airport in Britain on Wednesday evening after declaring an emergency, according to aircraft surveillance platform ADS-B Exchange. Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesperson, has confirmed on social media platform X that the "unscheduled landing" was caused by "a crack in the aircraft windshield." He added that "The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe." The flight, SAM 153, was flying over the North Atlantic before turning back to Britain. The flight was en route back to the United States from NATO's defense ministers' meeting in Belgium, said Parnell. Attorney General Pam Bondi asserted Antifa was no different from the MS-13 drugs gang, citing the experiences of MAGA influencers to support her claims. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month designating Antifa a loose grouping of antifascist activists a domestic terrorist organization as he seeks to curb left-wing opposition to his administration. Legal experts warned that the order provided the government with a permission slip to target free speech of those he disagrees with. Its organized crime. They are completely organized, Bondi said of the decentralized movement, speaking on Fox Newss Hannity show Tuesday evening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She accused Antifa of being responsible for the chaos in Portland and other cities, where crowds have protested the deployment of federal agents. Theyre at all of these events, theyre encouraging violence, theyre calling everyone fascist, but its more than that. Its hurting the American people. Theyre no different than MS-13 or any gang out there. She added: Talk to all the influencers who have been threatened and beat up and their lives threatened from Antifa members. Its going to stop under Donald Trump. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Antifa was no different from the MS-13 gang, pointing to MAGA influencers who she claimed have had their lives threatened by the anti-fascist movement (REUTERS) The attorney general was referring to the right-wing media personalities who attended Trump's Antifa roundtable at the White House last week. The group included Katie Daviscourt, a journalist from the far-right news outlet The Post Millennial, who appeared on Fox News earlier this month with a black eye, the result of what she described as a clash with an Antifa-affiliated protester in Portland. Similarly, MAGA influencer Nick Sortor was arrested outside of an ICE building in Portland this month after he got into a fight with a group of people he described as Antifa thugs. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt condemned the arrest and said he was ambushed by Antifa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the roundtable, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem likened Antifa to Hamas. They are just as sophisticated as MS-13, as [Tren de Aragua], as Isis, as Hezbollah, as Hamas, as all of them. They are just as dangerous, Noem said. They have an agenda to destroy us, just like the other terrorists weve dealt with for many, many years. The MS-13 gang has become another frequently mentioned threat during the second Trump administration. Kilmar Abrego Garcias wrongful deportation followed by his criminal indictment has become a flashpoint of Trumps second term, with administration officials accusing the Salvadoran national of being a member of the gang. Abrego Garcia has denied being a member. Trumps September 22 executive order last month followed the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk in Utah; the states governor claimed Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of killing Kirk, expressed leftist ideology. Authorities have not so far linked Robinson to Antifa. The Post Millennial's Katie Daviscourt claimed that an Antifa-affiliated protester gave her a black eye during a recent demonstration in Portland (Fox News) The president condemned the continuing violence from Radical Left Terrorists, in the aftermath of Charlie Kirks assassination, writing in a Truth Social post on September 24: We have already declared ANTIFA a Terrorist Organization, and I will be signing an Executive Order this week to dismantle these Domestic Terrorism Networks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans have also connected the antifascist movement to the surge of protests outside of federal immigration facilities amid ICE raids and deployments of troops to cities across the country. Last week, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller alleged ICE officers in these cities have to do hand-to-hand combat every night against Antifa to come and go from the federal facilities. Republicans and administration officials have already blamed Antifa as being behind the upcoming No Kings protests but without providing evidence. The demonstrations are scheduled for Saturday. In reality, the demonstrations are organized by a coalition of civil rights and advocacy groups. At the previous No Kings protest on June 14, millions of demonstrators took part in largely peaceful protests with few arrests in 2,000 locations across the country. Organizers have said they expect millions to attend Saturdays wave of protests. Still, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy spoke about the upcoming protests to Fox Business Maria Bartiromo on Monday, saying: This is part of Antifa, paid protesters, it begs the question whos funding it? House Speaker Mike Johnson said at a press conference on Wednesday: We call it the hate America rally thatll happen Saturday. Lets see who shows up for that. I bet you see pro-Hamas supporters. I bet you see Antifa types. I bet you see the Marxists on full display. Chen Schimmel on the profound meaning behind her newly published book: It serves as both a document and a testimony. Memory fades quickly, says photojournalist Chen Schimmel when asked why she chose to publish her book. For Schimmel, that fading isnt just a risk, its a form of loss in itself. In a world where everything moves so fast, she says, the danger is that even the most painful truths can disappear into the noise. Photography has the power to stop that, to hold a moment still, to make sure that what was seen once cannot be forgotten." Her new book, October 7 | Bearing Witness, seeks precisely to do that to freeze time, if only briefly, and preserve a truth the world is already trying to forget. It compiles her photographs from the first year of the war, alongside the words of soldiers, survivors, hostage families, and volunteers. It is neither easy to look at nor to produce. October 7th | Bearing Witness (credit: Chen G. Schimmel) But Schimmel emphasizes it was necessary. "It tells, in many ways, the story of our people, that again and again we rise from the ashes, that even in darkness, we find the strength to create light. We do not just survive; We find the strength to create light, not merely to survive, but to heal and to live again." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When discussing October 7, her sentences are simple and steady, though her voice carries the weight of that day. I went south to bear witness to the horror and tragedy, she states. That morning, she was at her parents house when the sirens sounded. My younger brother had just been drafted. My older brother left immediately that morning to fight in Beeri. Later that day, my younger brother went to his base, and soon after, my third brother was also called up." God's Rays and Buckets (credit: Chen G. Schimmel) Watching them depart, one after another, she realized she couldnt remain still. "My shlichut, my duty, in all this was to document our history as it unfolded. I am a photographer. That is my response to the world." While her brothers went to fight, she grabbed her camera and headed south. What she encountered in Beeri, she says, nothing prepared her for. The silence, the smell, the feeling that life has been ripped out of the air." There were moments when she couldnt take another picture. There were times I had to put the camera down, holding it in one hand while, with the other, I knelt to help gather the blood of the murdered with ZAKA volunteers. Holy Work (credit: Chen G. Schimmel) She pauses softly before adding, It was not about taking pictures then. It was about doing something human in a place that had been stripped of humanity." Those moments, she says, redefined what photography meant to her. You stop being a journalist. You become someone among the ruins, trying to restore some dignity to what remains." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Turning those images into a book became, for her, a way to endure what she had witnessed. It gave the pain direction, she explains. It allowed me to carry the grief differently, to transform witnessing into remembrance." This idea, that remembrance helps healing, traces back further in her life. When Schimmel was seventeen, she visited Auschwitz on a supposed school trip. Ribbon of Return (credit: Chen G. Schimmel) It was intended to be educational, but for me, it wasnt. It was personal," she says. Her grandmother fled Poland as a baby. Her great-grandfather fought with the Russian army while his parents and eight siblings were murdered. She once spoke fourteen languages, Schimmel shares. "Standing there, I realized how fragile memory is, how easily silence takes its place. That was the moment I understood someone must carry these stories when those who lived them can no longer." On October 7, that understanding flooded back. The silence I feared at Auschwitz returned, not as history but as something unfolding before me, she says. I knew I had to record what I saw honestly and carefully before it was altered, forgotten, or denied. Her photographs are acts of resistance, not against an enemy, but against erasure. Bearing Witness, she explains, serves as both a document and a testimony. It preserves the story of that day and the following year with truth, dignity, and compassion. The people in her photos soldiers, families, survivors are not mere symbols or statistics. Families, neighbors, ordinary people whose worlds were shattered. Yet, amid the grief, she emphasizes resilience. This book isn't only about loss; its about what refused to be lost. Each page contains grief and grace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When she discusses the power of bearing witness, she doesnt see it as an abstract idea. I want readers to feel both the darkness and the light that emerged from it. Thats what it means to bear witness: confronting harsh truths while recognizing humanity. If readers close the book with even a faint understanding that pain and hope can coexist, she believes its fulfilled its purpose. Because what this book truly shows is that even when everything falls apart, we find ways to stand, to support one another, and to rebuild. One photograph, especially, remains with her, titled 'Holy Work'. It depicts a ZAKA volunteer carefully collecting blood from the floor of a murdered mans home in Beeri, she explains. He handles it with reverence, because, in our tradition, even the blood of the deceased must be collected and buried properly. For Schimmel, this image epitomizes her work. It captures horror and humanity side by sidethe worst acts and the enduring dignity. Its not just about war; its about love disguised as duty, and the dignity that persists beyond brutality. When 'Holy Work' was named Local Testimony's Photo of the Year, she says it wasnt about recognition. It meant that others saw what I saw, that even in darkness, there are hands trying to restore light, and people insisting that life and sanctity matter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All proceeds from the book go to Project Dror, part of the Summit Institute supporting soldiers with PTSD. Because not everyone can transform darkness into light, she notes. And remembering must aid the livings healing process. For Schimmel, photography is a duty way to bridge silence and remembrance. As I witnessed horror and tragedy, she reflects, I also found the strength, courage, and light within our people. She views her work as an ongoing act of that courage. October 7 | Bearing Witness became a way to hold both truths devastation and the resilience of the human spirit. She circles back to her initial point, almost as a reminder: Memory fades quickly, she repeats, so we must keep it alive not just what weve lost, but what weve discovered through losses. Written in collaboration with Chen Schimmel NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) A recent post from The Boring Company showed a piece of their machinery appearing to drill on West End Avenue. The company referred to the equipment as geotechnical exploratory borings. Although more questions than answers remain around the work, some who commute to campus each day were excited to hear about the work in the area. If theres other options that we can explore, I think thats always great, but what we have right now is kind of not working, said Chuck Acheson, who commutes from Antioch. I dont really see a bigger answer to where we could go with that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUS | The Boring Company eyes Broadway stops in plan for the Music City Loop When it comes to work near Vanderbilt University, the Nashville Mayors Office told News 2 there was no permit issued to The Boring Company to work on West End, and referred us to the state. The Tennessee Department of Transportation confirmed they were aware of the work, but wouldnt provide any further details. News 2 has reached to The Boring Company for more information. In the meantime, Acheson said he was optimistic, but still curious about the work. Nashville is somewhere thats always been very important to me, Acheson said. I grew up in the area, and theres just been so much transformation and so many things that have happened to the city in the last five, 10 years that its I think a little concerning whenever a big swing like this comes in or somebody wants to take a big swing like this because I feel like weve heard it before. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some critics of the Music City Loop have called out what they say is a lack of community involvement and transparency. Yet Gary Jamison, who works at an area hotel, feels whatever the work, it could greatly benefit Nashville. VIDEO | The Boring Company speaks Monday at rotary meeting in Nashville Its going to be a wonderful asset, I believe, for our city. Right now, when guests come to my hotel, they tell me we have the highest Uber prices in the country, Jamison said. So if we can get from the airport to downtown for a $6-$8 rate, I think its nothing but a benefit for everybody. News 2 also reached out to area Metro Councilmember Tom Cash for info on the work. He said this was the first he had heard of the work and would also reach out to The Boring Company for more information. 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 WKRN News 2. A 25-year-old man who worked for the City of Boston but was fired after being arrested following a violent altercation with a Massachusetts State Police trooper during a traffic stop was indicted this week on gun charges, prosecutors said. The exact charges Nasiru Ibrahim was indicted on were not immediately clear, as there was no record of the indictment in the states court system. But Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Haydens office said he faced numerous gun charges. The indictment is a largely procedural step, moving his case from district court to superior court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ibrahim is being held in lieu of posting $75,000 bail. He is set to be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on Oct. 24, Haydens office said in a statement. Read more: Video: Boston employee fired after violent altercation during traffic stop When he was arrested on July 30, Ibrahim faced 10 criminal charges, including eight felonies. Ibrahim worked as a property manager for Boston before being fired following his arrest. Ibrahims arrest came after a confrontation with a Massachusetts State Police trooper who pulled him over near Preble Circle in South Boston after the trooper noticed what he described as overly-tinted windows on Ibrahims car. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pair got into a violent altercation that ended with Ibrahim and the trooper using a taser on one another. Ibrahims arrest came amid what a pair of Boston city councilors called a surge of troubling incidents involving City of Boston employees, including fights and other violent or criminal behavior. Councilors Ed Flynn and Erin Murphy sought to convene an emergency hearing on the citys hiring practices. Ibrahim had open cases for violent crime when he was hired, according to Flynn, who claimed at a City Council meeting the 25-year-old had a seven-page criminal record that included a conviction for armed assault to murder that led to a five-year prison sentence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mayor Michelle Wu has disputed that account. There was a screening process, and as I understand it, theres some clear discrepancies between what some are saying on that record in the media, and what it actually says, and the documents that I have seen, Wu said at an event, according to The Boston Herald. Asked for audio of Wu speaking, the mayors office would only confirm that Ibrahim had been fired. The mayor said the city was aware Ibrahim had a criminal record when he was hired, but that her administration believes in second chances. More News Read the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) A free celebration will be held this weekend at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute to honor the victims of lynching in Alabama. The event, Bound Together: Day of Community, is the high point of the Jefferson County Memorial Quilt, a community-based initiative honoring 33 Black people who were lynched in Jefferson County between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries. The initiative is part of an effort to promote dialogue, remembrance, and reconciliation. The event, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, will feature live performances, art workshops, food, and a panel discussion. The event is family-friendly and is free and open to the public. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are deeply honored to be a partner on the creation of the Jefferson County Memorial Quilt, said Tiffani Saxton, vice president of strategy and engagement at BCRI. This powerful display of community unity and resistance will stand in the heart of the Birmingham Civil Rights District, reminding us to continue to build better. The event is a partnership between Create Birmingham, the Jefferson County Memorial Project (JCMP), Bib & Tucker Sew-Op, The Black Cherry Tree Project, and the BCRI. 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 CBS 42. ATLANTA, Ga. (WRBL) Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who refused to overturn the 2020 election results and defended the states integrity, officially launched his campaign for governor last month. Now, hes touring the state, speaking to voters and business leaders about why he believes hes the best choice for Georgias top office. Raffensperger recently met with local leaders in Gwinnett County, highlighting the importance of secure and transparent elections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No matter how you vote, itll be secure. We have the most secure elections in the entire country, Raffensperger said. Results are reported promptly, and by state law, election day lines must be less than one hour. Policy Priorities During a stop in metro Atlanta, Raffensperger outlined his top priorities if elected governor including eliminating the state income tax, cutting property taxes for seniors, and making Georgia more affordable for working families. My mission is to make sure Georgia remains affordable keeping schools and communities safe, Raffensperger told reporters. He also emphasized his background as a business owner, saying his private-sector experience makes him ready to run the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im a job creator. Ive been running my own construction business for years, with more than 200 employees across 40 states, he said. The Governors Office is a complicated business and I know how to manage that. Addressing Election Concerns When asked about the potential conflict of interest between overseeing elections as Secretary of State while running for governor, Raffensperger said checks and balances are in place. Secretaries of State are always on the ballot whether for reelection or another office, he said. Counties manage the day-to-day election process, and we ensure those elections remain free, fair, and fast. The Road Ahead Raffensperger says his focus will be on economic growth, safety, and affordability, continuing Georgias reputation as the Best State to Do Business. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He joins a crowded field of candidates, including Attorney General Chris Carr, Lieutenant Gov. Burt Jones, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, and State Senator Jason Esteves. On Wednesday, Jason Carter, grandson of former President Jimmy Carter, endorsed State Senator Jason Esteves for governor on the Democratic ticket. RELATED STORY: Sunday Conversation: Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger still mum on next political move 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 WRBL. As of July, you no longer need to take off your shoes to go through airport security. But in some airports, you now may have to watch a video of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming congressional Democrats for the federal government shutdown that may be resulting in travel delays. But you won't see that video if you travel from Connecticut. The federal government shutdown began Oct. 1, with Democrats refusing to sign any funding bill that does not include an extension of health care tax credits without which they say the cost of health care will increase significantly. In response, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a Republican, sent lawmakers home on Oct. 10 and refused to reopen negotiations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both Democrats and Republicans have squarely placed the blame on the opposition, though Republicans have used control of the White House and Congress to spread that message. The Trump administration has sent mass emails to federal workers blaming Democrats for the shutdown, changed out-of-office responses to similar messages and told airports nationwide to play a video of Noem for all travelers, blaming Democrats for any flight delays. "It is TSA's top priority to make sure that you have the most pleasant and efficient airport experience as possible while we keep you safe," says the video, which is played on a repeating loop. "However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government and because of this, many of our operations are impacted and most of our TSA employees are working without pay. We will continue to do all that we can to avoid delays that will impact your travel and our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government." Some airports have refused to play the video, Westchester County Airport and Bradley International Airport among them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It is inappropriate, unacceptable and inconsistent with the values we expect from our nation's top public officials," Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said in a statement. "The PSA politicizes the impacts of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations, and the county finds the tone to be unnecessarily alarmist - particularly as it relates to operations at Westchester County Airport. This video will not be displayed at Westchester County Airport." Dan O'Keefe, commissioner of economic development and chief innovation officer for the state of Connecticut, said the video violates the law. "I am on the board of the CT Airport Authority. We have been instructed to play this video at all of our airports, in what appears to me to be a clear violation of the Hatch Act," he said on social media, though he clarified that, "'We' haven't been instructed, the TSA has, which controls these screens in our airports and in which we have no involvement." Spokesperson Brian Spyros confirmed that by email, saying, "The video is not being played at Bradley International Airport." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Hatch Act limits political activities in federally funded programs. The Justice Department itself issued a fact sheet last year, putting forward the details. No department employee is allowed to "use official authority to interfere with or affect the results of an election," or "engage in partisan political activity while on duty," that document says. Requests for comment sent to Tweed New Haven Airport were not immediately returned. This article originally published at Bradley, Westchester airports not showing Kristi Noem's video blaming Democrats for shutdown. A brain surgeon in Austria has denied letting her 12-year-old daughter drill a hole into a patients skull. But she admitted her biggest mistake was to allow the child near the operating table. The female surgeon, who has not been named, was on duty when a 33-year-old farm worker was flown to University Hospital Graz with serious head trauma in January 2024 after a tree branch fell on his head. The surgeons daughter pleaded with her mother to let her watch the operation, a court in the Austrian city of Graz was told. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I didnt get into any lengthy discussions, but let myself be persuaded to say, Yes, come on then, the surgeon told the court, according to Austrian media reports. The daughter was given surgical scrubs and allowed to join the team. Her mother told the court that the operation went well and the patient was saved. At the end of the surgery, a minor procedure had to be performed: inserting a probe to measure intracranial pressure, which required drilling a hole into the skull. The female surgeon claimed she left this to her junior colleague and moved away from the table to make a phone call. Biggest mistake My biggest mistake was letting her go to the operating table, she said, to which Gundula Neudeck, the judge, said: Your biggest mistake was probably taking her there in the first place; a child has no business being there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both surgeons have already been fired, but if the court finds that the daughter operated the drill in that procedure, the surgeons could face a potential conviction for causing bodily harm by letting an untrained person treat a patient, which carries a prison sentence of up to one year or a fine. The case made international headlines when the scandal was made public after the hospital management received an anonymous tip-off. Dr Stefan Wolfsberger, the head of neurosurgery at the hospital, told the court: This is terrible. The case is known all over the world, people from every continent are talking to me about it. He added: Our neurosurgery enjoys such a high reputation. Now patients are afraid because of this. But respect for our patients is our damned duty. Incredible disrespect towards the patient Julia Steiner, the prosecutor, said the surgeons actions simply cannot be played down, adding that it showed incredible disrespect towards the patient and her medical colleagues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ms Steiner told the court: She took the 12-year-old girl into the operating theatre, where she drilled a hole in the exposed skull on her own and without assistance. Before doing so, the defendant explained how the drill worked. What would have happened if the drill had been defective and had not stopped automatically after breaking through the skull bone? The senior surgeon told the court that she could not tell whether her daughters hand had been on the drill that entered the patients head, but admitted she had told the nurses present that her daughter had just drilled her first hole. Bloody stupid maternal pride Although she insisted it had not been true, claiming it was her bloody stupid maternal pride that fuelled the brag. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her fellow surgeon disputed this, however, claiming that the daughter did take part in the drilling after asking if she could help. I was surprised by the question, but I didnt refuse it, which was a huge mistake, he said, adding that he believed the senior surgeon approved. He told the court the girl placed her hand on the stick-shaped drill, but that he was always in control of the pedal [that controlled the speed] and always in control of the drill. You are proud that you have taken good care of the patient, but you only realise later that a mistake has been made that is morally and ethically unacceptable, he said, his eyes filling with tears. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The anaesthetist present during the surgery said she had witnessed four hands on the drill, two of which were the daughters. The girl declined to testify. The patient was unable to testify on Tuesday due to sickness. The case has been adjourned until Dec 10. 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. PLATTSBURGH Brandon Timmons testified in his fathers murder case in Clinton County Court, Tuesday. Three witnesses were called to the stand during day four of Timothy Timmons trial in Clinton County Court. Timmons is accused of shooting and killing Jafhari Joseph on Dec. 29, 2024, at 646 Fuller Road in Peru, the location of his ex-wife Kelly Timmons house. Timmons son, Brandon, was called to the stand in Clinton County Court Tuesday afternoon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brandon shared with the court, to the best of his recollection, his whereabouts and movements before the incident on Dec. 29, 2024 and after. When reviewing his testimony, Brandon said he witnessed his father, Timmons, and Joseph go upstairs at the Fuller Road residence before an altercation occurred. He said the two had entered the upstairs bathroom together and he heard a normal conversation escalate into an argument, during which the bathroom door had been slammed several times. Brandon said he then went upstairs after hearing the gun shots, where he saw his father holding a revolver that had been discharged into the floor of the hallway and bathroom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He assumed Joseph had jumped, from the bathroom window when the bathroom door was opened, and Joseph was no longer inside the bathroom, and the window had been left open. During his testimony, Brandon said he witnessed his father holding the gun to Josephs head at point blank range, before attempting to talk his father out of it by telling him to shoot him someplace else. Brandon said several times on the stand that he did not see his father shoot the floor, nor did he see his father shoot Joseph. At some point after the gun had been shot, at least five times according to a video recording played in court Tuesday, Brandon said he left the residence through the kitchen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On his way out, Brandon claimed to have seen Jerry, a friend of his fathers, beating Joseph in the garage. When asked about it again later, he said he saw his father standing next to Jerry while beating Joseph by the garage door. He said he did not know if Jafhari was alive or not by this point. A video recording of when Joseph was shot, taken by Kelly Timmons, was once again played in Court for Brandon Timmons to listen to. He was able to identify his fathers voice shouting commands and Jafhari Josephs voice responding before being shot. Brandon failed to identify a third, muffled, voice, which the defense claimed could have possibly been Jerry, who Brandon claims was not in the residence during the shooting, or even Brandon himself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie asked Brandon if he had shot Jafhari Joseph, he said No I did not shoot Jafhari Joseph, and Wylie asked if Timothy Timmons gave him the revolver and ask to shoot Joseph, Brandon said No. Jamie Rivers, currently being held at Clinton County Jail for her connection to individuals relating to the case, and Sarah Gadway, also at Clinton County Jail, were also called to the stand to share information regarding individuals involved with the case. Court was adjourned following Brandon Timmons testimony and is set to resume Wednesday. Joseph, 40, was reported missing in early January, which kicked off a police investigation into his disappearance. Josephs dead body was eventually found in Franklin County the following month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wylie said previously that they were able to tie Timmons to the killing of Joseph through information confirming he is responsible. Wylie said that information included interviews, statements and audio and video from a cell phone that made them believe Joseph was shot and killed at the 646 Fuller Road residence. BUDAPEST, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Russian natural gas deliveries to Hungary have reached a new record this year, exceeding 6 billion cubic meters so far, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Wednesday in a post on Facebook. He said the volume amounts to more than 21 million cubic meters per day and is "critical for Hungary's energy security." Szijjarto reiterated that while Hungary supports energy diversification through multiple sources and routes, it opposes shutting down "well-functioning and reliable supply lines." The European Union is pushing ahead with a strategy to phase out its dependence on Russian energy. In June, the European Commission adopted a legislative proposal to gradually end imports of Russian gas and oil by the end of 2027. Hungary and Slovakia have expressed strong reservations about the plan, warning that rapid cuts could endanger their energy security and economic stability. NEW BRAUNFELS - Police responses to the Faust Street Bridge area in New Braunfels dropped by almost half this summer after the city installed fencing, closing off a popular Guadalupe River swimming area. The spot was one of the few free access points to the river within city limits, but New Braunfels officials decided last year to close the city-owned right-of-way, citing issues with trespassing, emergency access and trash. City officials installed fencing in March to block access to the area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state owns the riverbank area, but the city owns a strip of land below the pedestrian bridge that was used to access the river. The bridge crosses the Guadalupe River near an empty textile mill building, which some river visitors have used as a makeshift diving board, which city staff said was a safety hazard. READ MORE: New Braunfels concerned about crowds, trash along stretch of Guadalupe River From May 1 through Sept. 1, New Braunfels police logged 82 incidents in the bridge area, down from 156 in the same period last year, according to data from the department. The drop in service calls is mainly due to the decision to fence off the area, the city said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The fencing has significantly reduced access to areas where much of the dangerous and illegal activity and incidents were occurring, resulting in fewer disturbances and a corresponding drop in the number of calls for police and EMS response at that location," the city said in a written statement. There has been a significant decline in calls related to 555 Porter Street, which is the address of the old mill. The city's data shows 57 alarms reported in 2024, and only 11 in 2025. San Antonio firm Casey Development has said it plans to turn the old mill property into a mixed-use development with retail and office space and 900 apartments. The property is valued at more than $3.6 million, according to Comal Appraisal District records. READ MORE: Fire-sale price': 100+ acres along Guadalupe River set to be sold for $18.5M Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reports of criminal trespassing also declined by 24%, from 42 to 32, and parking complaints fell from six in 2024 to none this year, police records show. In both years, more than 80% of the incidents recorded resulted in "no report," and in 2024, 10 calls were listed as "unfounded," including seven alarms and three criminal trespassing calls. The police records also include "business checks," a term that describes proactive police visits to businesses that are not in response to a call for service, city spokesman David Ferguson said. Police reported 10 checks last summer and nine this summer in the Faust Street Bridge area. Over the two years, seven incidents near the bridge resulted in arrests, according to police records. In 2024, adult arrests were made in response to calls for criminal trespassing, disturbance and a suspicious vehicle, and one child was detained in a criminal trespassing incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2025, the department recorded three arrests, all involving adults: one related to criminal mischief, one to criminal trespassing and one following a pedestrian stop. In both years, police recorded two instances of violating New Braunfels' ordinance against jumping into water from a bridge, street, dam or other public property. This article originally published at New Braunfels fenced off river area, and saw big drop in police calls. By Katy Daigle, Lisandra Paraguassu and Simon Jessop WASHINGTON/BRASILIA (Reuters) -A group of 35 finance ministers laid out suggestions on Wednesday for scaling climate finance to $1.3 trillion a year, a key demand by developing nations ahead of this years COP30 talks in Brazil. In the first-of-its-kind report, the Circle of Finance Ministers led by Brazil proposes changes to financial areas such as credit ratings, insurance rates, and the lending priorities of development banks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 111-page document is meant as a guide for governments and financial institutions to boost the sums available for tackling climate change. Every year of delayed climate action raises both the investment needed and the risks faced, the ministers said in a statement. But its up to each country to decide whether and how to use it. Speaking on the sidelines of World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings in Washington, Brazils Secretary for International Affairs at the Ministry of Finance, Tatiana Rosito, said the report underlined the importance of finance ministers in the discussion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We really wanted to mainstream climate and macroeconomic policies, Rosito told Reuters, noting that finance ministers also serve on the boards of development banks and international funds. Finance is usually seen as a hindrance, right? Finance is the main bottleneck, Rosito added. I think we can contribute solutions. There is currently no plan for the COP30 agenda to include the report, which was launched after last years COP29 agreement in Baku. That deal, committing wealthy nations from 2035 to $300 billion in annual climate finance, was criticized by developing countries as too low given that U.N. research suggests that they alone will need at least four times that amount. The report will be part of the so-called Baku-to-Belem Roadmap, which will include chapters on the environment, indigenous rights and overall efforts to cut climate-warming carbon emissions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The finance ministers' document was keenly awaited as nations struggle to gauge wealthy countries ambition amid the U.S. retreat and the EU juggling concerns about energy security and Russian aggression. The ministers recommended that countries strengthen regulations for managing risk and for banks to set lending policies based on a projects risk profile, rather than a countrys. The report also proposes that carbon markets work through a coalition toward synchronizing their standards to reach a global carbon price. But the final report weakened some recommendations that were included in an August draft seen by Reuters. The earlier draft's demand that "we need to see external concessional climate finance flows to grow significantly and reach at least $250 billion annually by 2035", was dropped from the final document. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rosito told Reuters that the ministers spent months consulting with governments and adjusting the advice to ensure it would be relevant and workable for everyone. MUCH MORE TO BE DONE The reports release in Washington, D.C., coincided with pre-COP30 negotiations in Brasilia where more than 70 countries worked to hone the agenda for the November summit. The delegates agreed to set rules for measuring progress on past goals, including targets for adaptation projects aimed at preparing for weather extremes and other climate-driven dangers. But they did not agree on whether this years COP30 should produce a final agreement by all countries. Instead, they could focus on smaller deals that do not need consensus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have made progress towards consensus," COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago told reporters late Tuesday. There is still much, much more to be done. Speakers including Brazils Environment Minister Marina Silva reminded countries of their commitment to transition away from fossil fuel, which sparked some protest from fossil fuel-reliant regimes. Silva dismissed the objections saying the effort to wind down fossil fuel use and reduce emissions cannot be selective. It has a set of decisions, and all of them need to be treated equally. (Reporting by Katy Daigle in Washington, D.C., Lisandra Paraguassu in Brasilia, and Simon Jessop in London; editing by Patricia Reaney) DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) Its elegance and fashion with purpose, but not just celebrating style. Its the 12th annual Power of Pink Luncheon & Fashion Show fundraising event where hundreds gathered in celebration of survival from the battle of breast cancer. Elkmont football team honors loved ones affected by cancer with special jerseys Im so glad to be alive, and I am so glad to be here, Breast Cancer Survivor Lee Lott said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lott was diagnosed in 2009 with breast cancer. She retired as a teacher after 38 years in the Morgan County school system and suddenly faced life-changing decisions. I went through numerous treatments with chemotherapy, I went through much radiation, and I went through surgery to remove the cancer and rehab after that, and Ive never missed a beat, she said. Lott has attended the event since its inception 12 years ago. Lott brings her daughter, Laura Anglea, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in April of 2025. Two hikers found safe in Bankhead National Forest following search involving multiple agencies Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They are both among the 850 survivors who have come to support the mission to eradicate breast cancer forever. This community stepped up and took care of me, Lott explained. Its such a heartwarming story that I usually cry when I tell it because it is so special and it means so much to me. The Decatur Morgan Hospital raises money for research and supports patients, survivors, and their families. Its a great way for us to gather women from across the community and really honor the women who have suffered from breast cancer or who are currently suffering from breast cancer, said Lillie Beth Werner of the Decatur Morgan Hospital Foundation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lott said that those suffering from breast cancer should not give up hope. Dont ever give up hope because God has a plan for you to keep your strength, keep your spirit, keep your prayers, and whatever you do, do not give up, said Lott. The Power of Pink event raised $100,000 to go towards Decatur Morgan Hospitals breast cancer treatment. 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 WHNT.com. Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Younger women seeing uptick in diagnoses October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and as diagnoses among women under 50 continue to rise by about 1.5% each year, one local mother is sharing her story to highlight the life-saving power of early detection. Ali Kelleher, a mother of two from Swampscott, was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer at age 40just after her first mammogram revealed cancer in her milk ducts that had already spread to her lymph nodes. Most women who are diagnosed with breast cancer are post-menopausal, typically between the ages of 55 and 65, said Dr. Harold Burstein, Alis oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. But we are seeing a slow but steady rise in the incidence of breast cancer among younger women. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Burstein noted that earlier screening and increased awareness are helping to catch cancers sooner, which often leads to more effective treatment. However, those treatments can come with serious challenges for younger patients, including the risk of early menopause and complications with fertility due to chemotherapy and anti-estrogen therapies. I think I was really luckyI already had my kids, Ali said. But that being said, if anyone can catch something early, the better off theyll be. One critical tool in early detection is genetic testing, which is becoming more widely used. According to Dr. Burstein, it can help identify women at higher risk for developing breast cancer. For women with a strong family history of breast canceror those who develop it at a younger agegenetic testing can sometimes reveal a mutation, he explained. That information can actually change the course of treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ali credits her recovery in large part to the strong support system around her. Since her diagnosis last year, shes undergone a double mastectomy, eight rounds of chemotherapy, and 16 days of radiation. That intensive phase of treatment wrapped up in Augustthe same month she and her brother, also a cancer survivor, threw out the first pitch at a Boston Red Sox game. She still faces several years of hormone therapy, but Ali is focused on moving forwardand encouraging others not to delay screenings. Theres no better time to worry about yourself than now, she said. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Brevard County parents are on edge after a statewide anonymous email was sent to dozens of school districts across Florida on Tuesday night. More than 40 districts received the same message a bomb threat demanding cryptocurrency payments. The threat did not target any specific school or district, but it was enough to cause concern among local families. Lauryn Brannock said she decided to keep her three children home today. She told us, And just as a parent, I felt like that wasnt enough to feel safe bringing my kids. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brevard Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Rendell received the threatening email around 7 p.m. and immediately notified the Brevard County Sheriffs Office, which is now working with the FBI to determine the source. District spokesperson Janet Murnaghan said the message was shared with families out of transparency. We knew it had gone to many districts and would soon circulate in the community, Murnaghan explained. After consulting with law enforcement, we felt confident our schools were safe, but we wanted families to know what was happening, she added. In a letter sent to families Tuesday night, Brevard Public Schools said the threats are not believed to be credible and clearly appear to be a hoax meant to solicit money. The district emphasized that students were safe to attend school on Wednesday and promised to share any additional information that might become available. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. NEED TO KNOW Cassie Constantine is recovering from severe back injuries after she claims a cow jumped on her back at her daughter's wedding reception in Wisconsin "My whole body kind of snapped forward. And when I snapped forward, my face hit the ground and I felt my entire spine crack," she told FOX 35 Orlando The mother of the bride, who resides in Florida, was immediately rushed to the hospital, and is now healing at home in a body cast The mother of a bride will never forget her daughter's wedding thanks to a freak cow accident. Speaking to FOX 35 Orlando in an interview published on Tuesday, Oct. 14, Ocoee woman Cassie Constantine explained that she is recovering from severe back injuries after a cow allegedly jumped on her back during the reception for the wedding, which was held in Wisconsin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Responsible for coordinating and decorating, Constantine told the news outlet she was "the jack of all trades" for the nuptials. However, in all her time spent planning the wedding, she never envisioned that one of the three Highland cows on the Wisconsin property would cause an accident. Guests were encouraged to take photos with the cattle, so Constantine did just that but her cute photo opportunity quickly turned into a nightmare. "I just squatted down to give one a little kiss on the nose and to take a picture, and within like a second all of a sudden the cow had jumped up and put his hooves on my shoulders," Constantine said while lying down and wearing a body cast. She continued, "My whole body kind of snapped forward. And when I snapped forward, my face hit the ground and I felt my entire spine crack." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Due to the severity of her injuries, Constantine had to be rushed to the hospital, consequently missing the remainder of her daughter's wedding. 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. "The party was just getting started," Constantine remembered. "We went ahead and did dinner, and after dinner we were like, 'Alright, we're almost there.' We're in that home stretch where I can let down my hair and really have a good time." Although Constantine's injuries were extensive, she has since been released from the hospital and is now healing back at home in Florida. FOX 35 Orlando noted she has a "lengthy" recovery ahead of her. Read the original article on People ASHLAND, N.H. (ABC22/FOX44) On Sunday, New Hampshire state police responded to a car reportedly engulfed by flames in the trees off of Interstate 93. Wednesday afternoon, authorities said that a victim of the fire had been identified. Ryan C. Berg, 21, of Bristol was confirmed as the driver of the car that crashed in Ashland, one mile north of Exit 24 U.S. Route 3. At autopsy, his cause of death was determined to be from the smoke and heat of the fire, rather than the initial crash. Two-year-old found after going missing in Dorchester, NH Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police are still investigating why Bergs car went off the road. He was reportedly traveling south on I-93 and drove off the right side of the highway. There were reportedly no passengers in his car. Anyone with possible information on this crash is asked to contact Trooper Jaware Conde of the New Hampshire State Police at (603) 451-9555 or Jaware.G.Conde@dos.nh.gov. 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. Britain is sending a team of drone experts to Moldova to train troops in how to combat potential Russian incursions. John Healey, the Defence Secretary, said on Wednesday morning that the UK was seeking to ramp up our response to Russias aggression. A contingent of British military personnel will be deployed to the country, which borders Ukraine, later this month. They will help scope requirements for Moldovas armed forces in counter drone tactics, the Ministry of Defence said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The deployment follows a series of Russian aerial incursions across Europe. About 20 Russian drones flew into Poland, while Russian MiG-31 fighter jets passed into Estonian airspace for 12 minutes. Speaking before a meeting of Nato defence chiefs in Brussels, Mr Healey said: Putins incursions into Nato territory are reckless, dangerous, and totally unacceptable. Deliberate or not, Putin is watching what we do. And Putin should be in no doubt, if Nato is threatened, we will act. Tensions between Nato and Russia have risen in recent weeks, after a number of countries within the alliance reported drones entering their airspace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement b' Copy of 2809 There is a gaping hole in Europe\'s drone defences ' Poland claimed to have shot down at least three Russian drones during last months incursion. Donald Tusk, the prime minister, called the incident an act of aggression, warning it was the closest we have been to open conflict since the Second World War. On Oct 2 and 3, Munich airport closed its runways for several hours after drones were sighted. Similar incidents have also been reported in Denmark. In response, British fighter jets were launched to fly defensive missions over Poland as part of Natos Eastern Sentry mission. RAF Typhoons joined allied forces, including from Denmark, France and Germany, to shore up Natos defences along its eastern flank. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Healey confirmed on Wednesday that Britain was extending its deployment of fighter jets as part of Eastern Sentry until the end of the year. He added: Putin seeks to test, to divide, to distract. Nato nations step up, to deter, to unite, stronger together than ever. Moldova is not a Nato member, but cooperates with the alliance. Last week Mr Healey said British-made drones would be deployed to create a drone wall to protect Natos eastern flank. b' 2609 Europe\xe2\x80\x99s drone wall ' Mr Healey also revealed on Wednesday that, as part of Britains efforts to put pressure on Russia, the UK had sent 85,000 drones into Ukraine to help Kyivs forces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Defence Secretary said the UK had invested 600m to speed up drone deliveries to Ukraine, adding that shipments have included tens of thousands of short-range first-person view drones that are crucial to supporting Ukraines front line. The Ministry of Defence said: These drones are being used for precision strikes, reconnaissance, and disrupting Russian activity behind the front lines, countering Russias own attempts at massed drone tactics. The war in Ukraine has increasingly become dominated by drones, causing up to 80 per cent of battle casualties. Ukrainian servicemen cover a road in the Donetsk region with an anti-drone net to protect vehicles - Oleg Petrasiuk/24th Armed Brigade of Ukrainian Armed Forces Mr Healey said Britain would be going further by ramping up our drone production for Ukraine, to deliver 100,000 drones this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His comments came amid claims military aid to Ukraine dipped over the summer. According to Berlins Kiel Institute, which tracks most types of aid to Ukraine, weapons donations to Kyiv plummeted by 57 per cent, while momentum collapsed in the summer. Meanwhile, Donald Trump continues to mull over whether he will give Ukraine Tomahawk cruise missiles to pressure Vladimir Putin. Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, who pushed for stronger military support to launch counter-attacks against Russia, is appealing for the long-range missiles, insisting they will be used to target Russian military infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Moscow has previously warned Washington against providing Tomahawks to Kyiv, saying it would cause a major escalation in the conflict and strain US-Russian relations. 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. In 1777, the Revolutionary War took a marked turn for the worse. General Burgoynes army surrendered to the American rebels at Saratoga, an event which would prove pivotal in persuading France to enter the war in the subsequent year. Sir John Sinclair, then aged 23, wrote to his friend in despair that if we go on at this rate, the nation must be ruined. Sinclair has a number of claims to fame. He pioneered statistical governance in Britain, was the oldest founding member of the Royal Statistical Society, was a historian of public finances, sat as an MP, arranged finance for the British state in the French Revolutionary Wars, raised a battalion, raised a second. He is best known, however, as the anonymised subject of his friends reply to his letter: Be assured, my young friend, Adam Smith wrote, that there is a great deal of ruin in a nation. Sometimes, and particularly when the non-entities squatting in Parliament seem determined to test it to destruction, it is worth bearing this maxim to mind. Crying Ruin! is probably about 80 per cent of my output, but I wouldnt do it if I didnt believe this country can be saved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Britain can still be great. We might have made a mess of every policy area under the sun, but the good news is that despite generations of politicians falling for the lure of central planning, or the seeming desperation to outlaw economic growth, we are still a rich country, blessed with the most important gifts a nation can have. Look around the world, and at some of the more euphemistically titled developing countries in particular, and it quickly becomes clear just how much these factors matter. In 1960, Israels GDP per capita was closer to South Africa than the United Kingdom. Today, its about 10 per cent behind Britain, and 632 per cent ahead of South Africa. The best answer we have to why do some countries grow while others remain poor is the trio of people, culture, and institutions. The rules of the economic game need to be set up such that people can save, invest, build without being expropriated by envious neighbours, or by politicians who fear the undermining of state control. You need a pool of talented workers and entrepreneurs to run businesses, start companies, create new technologies and products. And above it all, you need a culture that values and promotes these things; what Deirdre McCloskey terms bourgeois dignity, and the factors Joel Mokyr who won the Nobel Prize for economics this week for his lifes work on this theme has pinpointed as underlying the potential for technological progress: an industrial enlightenment that changes how people see and understand with the world, that promotes scientific experimentation and the drive to acquire knowledge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is not a coincidence that some of the wealthiest nations in the world the US, Australia, New Zealand are those that took their founding stock and cultures from these islands, or that attempts to create economic growth overseas often look like attempts to graft parts of this Anglosphere model onto nations that never devised it for themselves. We have made unconscionably foolish mistakes in the years since 1913. The collectivist economic model of the post-war period still holds a good part of the economy in its death grip; mass unskilled migration has scarred towns and regions; the political and cultural vandalism of elites who dismantled legacies that were not theirs to destroy is an eloquent case for returning the Tower of London to its purpose as a home for traitors when we eventually win. But stand in towns up and down this country and look at the accumulation of wealth left by your predecessors, see the evidence of just how far ahead Britain once was, the physical consequences of those intangible institutions and cultural traits, and you can see a different path. We are home to a staggeringly disproportionate share of the worlds top universities and researchers. London is still a centre for international finance, and perhaps the second best city for technology. We still have the worlds best political framework, underneath its Blair-era accretions. We still punch far above our weight in producing talented scientists, economists, financiers, programmers, writers. And we live in a world that Britain built, that speaks our language, where we are the home of choice for some of the most talented people on the planet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is still a great deal of ruin in this nation, and there is still time to correct our errors. Decline, as Krauthammer put it, is a choice. We can choose differently. 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. TOKYO, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The number of influenza cases in Japan during the week of Sept. 29 to Oct. 5 was 1.5 times higher than the previous week, data from the Japan Institute for Health Security (JIHS) showed. A total of 6,013 cases were reported across Japan during the week ending on Oct. 5, averaging 1.56 cases per sentinel medical institution, compared with 1.04 cases the previous week, the data showed. Okinawa Prefecture reported the highest number, with an average of 12.18 cases per institution, followed by Tokyo (3.3) and Miyazaki (2.89). This year's flu season has started about a month earlier than usual in Japan, driven by a combination of factors including an increase in overseas travel, declining public vigilance, and climate fluctuations. Under Japan's monitoring standards, when the average weekly number of influenza cases per designated medical institution exceeds one, it marks the beginning of the flu season. If the number rises above 10, it reaches the "alert level." Based on this criterion, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare declared the start of the nationwide flu season on Oct. 3, after the weekly average reached 1.04 during the week of Sept. 22-28. This was five weeks earlier than in 2024 and the second-earliest start since the current statistical method was introduced in 1999. The data also showed that the number of new weekly influenza cases has increased for seven consecutive weeks since mid-August. As the flu spreads, 620 kindergartens, nursery schools, and elementary and secondary schools across Japan have been fully or partially closed as of Oct. 5. Brookline to vote on accessing data from privately installed AI-powered license plate readers A major real estate company is installing AI-powered license plate readers on the border of Brookline and Boston and giving police access to that data. The Brookline Select Board is tentatively planning on a vote later this month to decide if the town will sign agreement to access the data from Flock Safety. The cameras are being installed regardless by Chestnut Hill Realty on private property as a crime deterrent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre set to go up on busy Independence Drive near the Hancock Village shopping plaza and an adjacent apartment complex. They want to contribute to the community, and they want to help the police conduct our investigations, said Brookline Deputy Superintendent Paul Campbell. Lives have been saved using cameras, and serious violent crimes have been solved with these cameras. The Brookline Police Commissioners Advisory Committee signed off 5-0 on the town tapping into the data from Flock Safety. Police are now crafting a potential policy on how the data would be used before the Select Board votes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The technology is not inherently good or bad. It depends on how you use it, said Deputy Superintendent Campbell. The community gets to dictate how this technology is used. Massachusetts and Rhode Island are the only two New England states without laws regulating the use of license plate recognition systems. State legislation filed on Beacon Hill earlier this year would limit how long data could be stored and prevent agencies from tracking activity protected by the First Amendment. Civil rights and privacy advocates, including the ACLU, are sharing concerns about how the data could potentially be used. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre worried it could end up in the hands of out-of-state departments and federal authorities. Police can use license plate readers to conduct mass surveillance, effectively tracking everywhere people are driving, said Kade Crockford, Dir. of Tech & Justice Programs with the ACLU of Massachusetts. Its not just people suspected of criminal activity, but all of us. Chestnut Hill Realty is also giving Boston access to the data A spokesperson for Flock Safety, which recently opened offices in Bostons Seaport, issued the following statement to Boston 25 News: Each customer that uses Flock technology fully owns and controls 100% of its data. Customers decide if, when, and with whom to share information, and all activity within the system is permanently logged to ensure transparency and oversight. Data is automatically deleted by default after 30 days unless otherwise required by local law or policy, it said in part. Flock does not have any contractual relationship with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or any Department of Homeland Security agency. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW BROOME COUNTY, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) A Broome County man recently pled guilty to illegally possessing a firearm. Broome County District Attorney Paul Battisti announced that Stephen Filan pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class C violent felony, stemming from the illegal possession of an assault rifle and related firearm components. On May 19, the Binghamton Police Department responded to a report of Filan in possession of a firearm at 4 Bromley Avenue. According to police, Filan was highly uncooperative during the incident. Following an investigation, officers secured a search warrant and an Extreme Risk Protection Order to search Filans residence. As a result, investigators recovered a loaded, operable assault rifle with a 25-round magazine holding 24 rounds. Numerous firearm parts were also found throughout the apartment, believed to be components for two to three additional weapons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This case sends an unambiguous message: Broome County will aggressively confront illegal firearm possession and remove dangerous individuals that illegally possess firearms from our community. The safety of our community is non-negotiable, and those who choose to flaunt the law will face the full weight of the criminal justice system, said Battisti. Filan will be sentenced to six years in New York State Prison, followed by five years of Post-Release Supervision. Sentencing is scheduled for January 15, 2026, in Broome County Court. 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 WIVT - News 34. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) Despite increasing pressure to comply with the Trump administrations demands, Brown University has declined to join the proposed Compact for Excellence in Higher Education, citing concerns that it would critically compromise their core values. Brown was one of nine schools to receive the 10-page document on Oct. 1, which contains actions and revisions regarding admissions, hiring, enrollment, speech and tuition practices that universities should make in exchange for preferential funding benefits. MORE: Brown faces pressure to sign Trump administration compact tied to funding incentives Brown outlines reasons for refusal In a letter to White House officials Wednesday, Brown President Christina Paxson provided feedback on the memos sweeping changes and concluded by declining the invitation to sign on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Paxson started by acknowledging the significance of maintaining a strong relationship with the United States government, and even highlighted Browns current commitment to uphold a deal made with the Trump administration in July. She said a number of provisions within the compact are similar to those in the voluntary agreement. However, she also expressed concern for several which do not align with the universitys values that would restrict academic freedom and undermine the autonomy of Browns governance, critically compromising our ability to fulfill our mission. But most important, Browns existing agreement with the federal government expressly affirms the governments lack of authority to dictate our curriculum or the content of academic speech a principle that is not reflected in the Compact, the letter read. The existing resolution agreement, which restored more than $500 million in federal funding, also reportedly affirms the governments lack of authority to dictate Browns curriculum and academic speech. According to Paxson, that principle is not reflected in the compact. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She added that the letter sent alongside the compact bases research grants on criteria rather than their impact, which would ultimately damage the health and prosperity of Americans. Therefore, while we value our long-held and well-regarded partnership with the federal government, Brown is respectfully declining to join the Compact, the letter continued. We remain committed to the July agreement and its preservation of Browns core values in ways that the Compact in any form fundamentally would not. Paxson said the decision derives from the vast majority of Brown stakeholders perspectives, but she remains focused on fulfilling the existing agreements requirements and is open to discussions revolving around how to improve American higher education. I encourage you to read it: Brown president seeks community feedback on Trump memo Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last Friday, Paxson encouraged the community to read the compact and asked for public comment as the university reviewed its contents. She emphasized that Browns commitment to academic freedom, knowledge and diversity is the north star that will guide their decision-making process. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was the first university to reject the proposal. Its president Sally Kornbluth told U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon that MITs existing practices meet or exceed the compacts standards. She also pointed out principles that are inconsistent with MITs core values of expression, independence and science. Over the weekend, President Donald Trump boasted about his administrations efforts to fix higher education in the U.S. Tragically, however, much of Higher Education has lost its way, and is now corrupting our Youth and Society with WOKE, SOCIALIST, and ANTI-AMERICAN Ideology that serves as justification for discriminatory practices by Universities that are Unconstitutional and Unlawful, Trump wrote in a social media post. My Administration is fixing this, and FAST, with our Great Reform Agenda in Higher Education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump reportedly extended the invitation for any and all colleges to sign the compact and enter into a forward looking Agreement with the Federal Government. We won This follows calls from the Brown community urging Paxson not to sign the compact. More than 100 students and faculty gathered in protest on campus last week, warning that compliance with its conditions would validate authoritarian extortion and potentially impact how the university functions in the future. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Rhode Island, which previously denounced the compact, praised Browns decision. We commend Brown University for rejecting the Trump Administrations attempts to control the institutions curriculum through the latest compact agreement, and for standing up for academic freedom, ACLU Executive Director Steven Brown said. Saying no to the federal governments attempts to control higher education, especially after agreeing to the administrations demands once, is of critical importance for education across the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement to 12 News, Brown Rise Up declared victory in regards to Paxsons decision. We won, the statement reads. [But] Trump is going to keep coming for Brown and other campuses. The compact remains a threat for academic freedom in America, even though Brown has rejected it. We remain committed to resisting further attacks on higher education and standing in solidarity with other schools to say that students will not bow to authoritarianism. Brown Rise Up will make sure our administration will effectively protect the people who teach, learn, and work here, the statement continued. At Brown and across the nation, no one should fear deportation, imprisonment, or retaliation because of who we are, where we were born, or what we believe. We are building a mass student base at Brown to keep fighting for the world we deserve. RELATED: Protestors urge Brown to resist Trump administration funding compact Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app. Follow us on social media: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup 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 WPRI.com. By Brad Brooks (Reuters) -Brown University President Christina Paxson on Wednesday said she had refused to sign her Ivy League school onto a Trump administration memo, making Brown the second school to refute the offer sent to nine elite universities laying out detailed policies they should follow to get preferential consideration for federal funding. In a letter addressed to Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Paxson said accepting the memo's terms "would restrict academic freedom and undermine the autonomy of Brown's governance" and that it would directly go against an agreement that Brown signed with the administration in July. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. President Donald Trump has sought to eradicate what he labels as left-wing extremist thought from U.S. universities, which he has accused of fomenting anti-American and antisemitic movements. In the memo titled A Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education the administration asked the nine elite colleges to cap international undergraduate enrollment at 15%, ban the use of race or sex in hiring and admissions and define genders based on biology. Last week, MIT became the first of the nine elite universities to decline signing the compact. Schools that pursue "models and values" beyond those outlined in the memo could "forgo federal benefits," the memo reads, while institutions that comply could be rewarded. The administration has canceled federal contracts worth millions of dollars with numerous schools as a means of pressuring them to drastically change their admissions and hiring policies, among other issues. Courts have ordered many of the federal cuts be restored. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brown, located in Providence, Rhode Island, signed an agreement with the administration in July, agreeing to pay $50 million over a decade to support workforce development in its home state. In exchange, the administration restored the university's federal funding for medical and health sciences. Paxson, in her Wednesday letter, wrote that the July agreement Brown signed "expressly affirms the government's lack of authority to dictate our curriculum or the content of academic speech - a principle that is not reflected in the Compact." Liz Huston, a spokeswoman for the White House, said in a written statement that "President Trump is committed to restoring academic excellence and common sense at our higher education institutions. Any university that joins this historic effort will help to positively shape America's future." Over the weekend, Trump wrote on social media that his administration would keep cracking down on schools that "continue to illegally discriminate based on race or sex" and that he was inviting all institutions "to enter into a forward looking Agreement with the Federal Government to help bring about the Golden Age of Academic Excellence in Higher Education." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White House said it had not reached out to any other schools regarding such an agreement, aside from the elite nine universities. (Reporting by Brad Brooks; Additional reporting by Jim Oliphant; Editing by David Gregorio) Bryan Kohberger is said to have accepted a plea deal after prosecutors added someone close to him to their witness list. According to reports, the prosecution had planned to call his sister, Amanda, as a witness if the case went to trial. It remains unclear whether she had any knowledge of the convicted murderer's crimes, but Kohberger's decision to take the plea effectively ended the possibility of that information becoming public. Bryan Kohberger is currently serving four consecutive life sentences at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution for the murders of four University of Idaho students. The Convicted Murderer's Sister Was Added To The Witness List ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA In July earlier this year, the long-anticipated trial of Bryan Kohberger was halted when the convicted murderer agreed to a plea deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the center of the agreement was a sentence of four consecutive life terms, which Kohberger accepted after previously appearing determined to fight his case in court. Now, documents obtained by TMZ reveal that the former PhD student made this decision just days after prosecutors added his sister, Amanda, to their witness list. Interestingly, Amanda was the only immediate family member on the list, which seemed to hint that they had a special reason for wanting to call her during the trial. Whatever the reason might have been remains unclear, as the plea deal meant Amanda's testimony would not be heard in court. Bryan Kohberger's Text Exchange With His Mother Raised Eyebrows Latah County Jail/MEGA The latest news comes after it was revealed that Kohberger and his mother, MaryAnn, exchanged a brief chat about the Idaho murders before his shock arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Forensic experts told NewsNation's Banfield that he had received a text message from his mother about the killings just four days after the gruesome incident. MaryAnn Kohberger is said to have sent her son a text message about a news article on the case while they were on a phone call. While it's unclear what exactly they were chatting about, the experts believe the phone conversation may have also revolved around the Idaho murders. Additionally, the experts noted that there was no text response from Kohberger to his mother, hinting that he likely responded to her text message via phone call. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the meantime, there's also no evidence that MaryAnn was aware that her son was the Idaho killer, despite the coincidental chat, as she may have simply sent it to Kohberger out of concern, as he lived near the crime scene. Bryan Kohberger Had A Key Evidence Against Him If He Were Tried Ada County Sheriff's Office/MEGA If the case had gone to trial, the investigators' DNA evidence of Korberger was expected to play a major role. They had discovered a knife sheath with his DNA at the off-campus home where Kohberger fatally stabbed Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Ethan Chapin in 2022. Other incriminating evidence included video surveillance showing Kohberger's car moving to and from the crime scene area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the murder weapon was never found, nor was Kohberger's motive officially confirmed. At present, Kohberger is being held at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution. He is housed in the J-Block section and must adhere to a strict schedule that requires him to spend 23 hours a day in his cell and wear restraints whenever he is outside it. He is also reportedly only allowed to shower every other day. The Convicted Murderer's Prison Life Is Marked By Monotony And Frequent Complaints MEGA Weeks into Kohberger's life sentence, the former PhD student appears to be living a largely uneventful life. His daily routine is reportedly interrupted only by occasional complaints about his treatment at the facility, according to TMZ. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of his complaints reportedly involved being unable to access JPay, the system used for sending money to an inmate's trust account and providing other correctional services. Another complaint concerned a "supply request" that he claimed was never fulfilled. Both complaints were addressed by staff, and it appears Kohberger was satisfied with the responses, as he reportedly later sent a thank-you letter to one of the officials. Officials Are Yet To Trace Who Leaked Bryan Kohberger's Prison Video MEGA Despite being in prison, footage of Kohberger somehow made its way onto the internet in August. At first, there were speculations that the video was AI-generated, a notion further fueled by an initial statement released by the IDOC. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, a later statement from the agency confirmed that the footage was real and that they were conducting a serious investigation into the matter. This was followed by a report of an internal email from IDOC Director Bree Derrick to prison staff, indicating that the video was most likely recorded from inside IMSI and not the other prisons where Kohberger was residing during his prosecution. "These appear to be taken from inside IMSI. We are taking this matter very seriously," read the mail at the time. Still, the individual who leaked the video continues to remain elusive despite the efforts of IDOC. Buc-ee's founder Arch Beaver Aplin III, along with supporters, celebrated the groundbreaking Oct. 14 for a Murfreesboro store expected to open by December 2026. The popular business with travelers will open off Interstate 24's exit to Joe B. Jackson Parkway on the southeast side of Murfreesboro, offering 220 gasoline pumps, brisket sandwiches, Beaver Nuggets, other snacks, souvenirs and clean bathrooms. "It is very much our intention to be a very hospitable member of ya'll's community," Aplin told the audience of government and business officials gathered under a tent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "If we're hospitable to our customers, people notice. They take note of that. And it comes in a lot of ways. It comes in a smile. It comes in a, 'Welcome.' It comes in open arms." Buc-ee's founder and CEO Arch Beaver Aplin III following the Buc-ee's groundbreaking ceremony in Rutherford County off I-24 at Joe B. Jackson Parkway, on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. The Buc-ee's groundbreaking is the fourth in Tennessee from the company founded in Texas in 1982. Buc-ee's operates stores east of Middle Tennessee in Sevierville and Crossville, and broke ground for a store in Gallaway in Fayette County outside the Memphis area in West Tennessee. Buc-ee's owner says store will provide 250 living-wage jobs Knox Wright, 8, gets his book "Buc-ee Goes to School" signed by the Buc-ee's mascot, a beaver named Buc-ee, during the Buc-ee's groundbreaking ceremony in Rutherford County off I-24 at Joe B. Jackson Parkway, on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. The view behind the speaker's lectern for the Oct. 14 groundbreaking showed a large sign touting how Buc-ee's is "COMING SOON TO MURFREESBORO" erected between excavation equipment. The Murfreesboro store will provide 250 livable wage jobs, Aplin said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Murfreesboro real estate broker John Harney with ParkTrust Commercial worked on the property transactions for the 47-acre Buc-ee's. Harney told The Daily News Journal how the jobs will start out at $20 an hour and include health care benefits, 401K retirement plans and three weeks of paid vacation. The Buc-ee's employees will work at a 74,000-square-foot store that's larger than many grocery stores. Another place for food: Kroger plans to open 9th grocery store in Rutherford County by Smyrna High Gov. Bill Lee praises Buc-ee's investment in Tennessee Tennessee Governor Bill Lee speaks during the Buc-ee's groundbreaking ceremony in Rutherford County off I-24 at Joe B. Jackson Parkway, on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee also spoke at the groundbreaking. "This is a great day not only in Murfreesboro but really for our state," Lee said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Economic development: Barrett Firearms celebrates ground breaking for new Rutherford factory, Army sniper rifles Buc-ee's: 'A gift to Tennesseans' The Governor recalled meeting the company's founder in Texas before Buc-ee's management decided to open Tennessee's first store in Sevierville. "I went to that ribbon-cutting," Lee said. "Their continued investment in our state has been a gift to Tennesseans." Speciality grocery store: Trader Joe's continues Tennessee expansion by opening store Murfreesboro store Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at sbroden@dnj.com. To support his work with The Daily News Journal, sign up for a digital subscription. This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Buc-ee's breaks ground in Murfreesboro for 4th store in Tennessee JENNIFER WELCH: It feels like the Democratic opposition is just not getting it. There are votes that youve made that were heartbreaking to me, like the vote for Kushner, that really pissed me off. This administration, its not, are they fascist? They are fascist. Its not were on the precipice of fascism. Texas is sending troops to Illinois. I feel like the opposition needs to be, f*ck no. Across the board, were not giving you a centimeter. And I think theres been a lot of capitulation, Neville Chamberlain-type appeasement from Democratic leadership. And youre one of them thats kind of been disappointing to me because we podcasted before theyre serious about Project 2025. Theyre going to do all this sh*t. What do you have to say about the capitulation that you participated in and where the Democratic Party is right now? CORY BOOKER: Well, first of all, I would say very pointedly that one of the things I dislike about the Democratic Party is that we do a circular firing squad all the time. Their party, they disagree. Theres a wild disagreements in the Republican tent, and yet they dont shoot at each other. And we have a really good way of holding up these purity tests. If I agree with you on that. WELCH: Thats such bullsh*t. Thats bullsh*t. They fire at each other all the time. Trump has sent so many people out to pasture, so many people that he calls RINOs. Liz Cheney can tell you that they have the firing squad as well. Its not a purity test. Its are we in this fight? And are we being beholden to corporations and corporate interests? Are we really the party of the working class? Harris County District Clerk Marilyn Burgess said when she told her staff last month that she wasn't seeking re-election, it wasn't a decision she took lightly. But, she said she felt it was the best decision for the county because she feels like bridges have been burned with other county leaders after asking for a raise and bringing light to pay disparities across the county. "Do you think it was worth it?" 13 Investigates' Mycah Hatfield asked Burgess. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Yes. I think the public needs to know. I want that light shined on it," she said. Burgess, who oversees both the criminal and civil courts system for the county, raised eyebrows when she recently asked for a substantial pay raise, but she said it wasn't what it may have seemed like. Harris County has a salary grievance committee where elected officials can ask a group of people, in this case, three elected officials and six members of the public, for a raise. Burgess went before the committee asking for a pay raise, but she also served on the committee and voted in favor of her own raise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burgess said she questioned her ability to serve on the committee and file a grievance at the same time and was told it was allowed. "I understand it's pretty weird that I'm on the committee and I'm the grievant as well, so I concur with you on that one," Burgess told the county's Salary Grievance Committee on September 16. But, she said she felt compelled to ask for the raise after commissioners voted to raise constables' salaries for the second year in a row. "It was never about me," Burgess said. "I wanted to shine a light on the disparity of the salaries across the county between appointed department heads and elected officials." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 13 Investigates requested salary data for all Harris County employees over the last nine years and found some disparities in pay. On a mobile device? Click here. All eight Harris County constables went from making $133,598 in fiscal year 2024 to $178,505 in fiscal year 2025. Now, for fiscal year 2026, they will make $260,000, according to data from Harris County's Human Resources & Risk Management. The current constables' salaries are almost double what they were making just two years ago. Burgess asked for her salary to match the constables. Data shows that when Burgess was elected in 2019, she made $164,299. Her salary did not change at all during her first six years in office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She just recently received her first pay raise since taking office six years ago. It was a 9 percent pay increase, bringing her salary to $179,420. Burgess said she is happy with her salary, but comparatively, she feels it's unfair. In general, the data shows salaries for elected leaders and appointed department heads in Harris County are inconsistent across departments. Department size and budget do not seem to play a role, and employees in the same positions in various departments bring home substantially different checks. For example, the chief of staff for Harris County Commissioner Precinct 1 is one of the highest-paid employees in the county with a base salary of $318,822. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That is 20% more than the salary of Harris County Commissioner Precinct 2's chief of staff, who is paid a base salary of $$264,514, according to county data. Meanwhile, the elected commissioners make $199,347 a year. The chief public defender, who is appointed, makes $315,016, yet the district attorney, an elected position, makes $217,485. The executive director of Intergovernmental Affairs, an appointed position with a staff of 11 managing a budget of $3.6 million, makes $259,480. The elected county judge is over the entire county, co-manages a $2.7 billion budget, and makes $208,416. "We don't come to government service to get rich. That's not the point, and we don't need salaries that are greater than what the president of the United States is making. We need to be adequately paid for what we do, and it needs to be on parity," Burgess said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burgess presented her case to the salary grievance committee, and a pay increase to match the constables at $260,000 was passed with a vote of 6 to 3. The next step was for the recommendation to be presented to the commissioners' court for approval, which it did not receive. "They never discussed the recommendation in any form or fashion. They only use the agenda item to disparage me for having the audacity for asking for a pay raise," Burgess said. Burgess said she didn't expect to get the raise, but was offended by how it was handled, which she says led to her decision to step aside. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I love my job. I hate the politics and the divisiveness of them, and it's gotten so ugly recently," Burgess said. "After what happened with the grievance committee, I thought, I think I've burned some bridges with some members of Commissioners Court. I don't want that to have a negative impact on this office, and so I think it's time to retire and let a younger voice come in, someone with new eyes and new thoughts about what they can do with the office, and I hope we find someone very qualified to pick up where I've left off." Burgess said she believes asking for her pay raise will bring awareness and that something will be done next budget season to ensure better pay parity across departments. She still has about 15 months left in the role, but said she announced she would not seek re-election now since the filing period for candidates opens in November. "People need time to build up a website, a campaign, and appoint a treasurer. There's things you have to do before you can announce you're going to run, so it is important to give them time so we can find some qualified people to run for the position," she said. Contact 13 Investigates Have a tip? A problem to solve? Send a tip below. If you don't have a photo or document to include, just hit 'skip upload' and send the details. (On mobile? You can open our form by tapping here.) While fall colors are beginning to bloom across Indiana the closer we get to Halloween, those same autumn leaves will soon coat rooftops, clog open rain gutters, and blanket lawns. So how do you get rid of them? There's composting and leaf collection, of course, but some Hoosiers might be tempted to burn excess piles of leaves in their yard. Don't whip that lighter out and set anything aflame just yet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's illegal to burn leaves openly in Marion County. If you wait, however, you can dispose of up to 40 bags of leaf litter each week for a limited time starting in November. Here's when the 2025 leaf collection season begins and what Hoosiers should know. Can you burn leaves in Indianapolis? It's illegal to burn leaves in Indianapolis, and Hoosiers in other cities should check their local municipal and county ordinances before openly burning anything in their backyards. Failing to do so can result in steep penalties. In Marion County, you can be fined up to $2,500 for burning the following items outdoors: Leaves. Grass clippings. Stumps. Household garbage/trash. Waste lumber. Furniture/mattresses. Land-clearing debris. Dead animals. Tires. Asbestos material. Wire. Hazardous materials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other than cooking or personal comfort fires, Marion County residents are allowed to dispose of dried sticks and limbs by burning them, according to Indy.gov, so long as they follow several requirements: Burn dried sticks and limbs only between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. in a non-combustible container with a ventilated mesh cover no greater than 0.25 inches and maintaining a way to extinguish the fire at all times. A full list of open burning requirements can be found online at Indy.Gov/Activity/Open-Burning. When is leaf collection in my area, Marion County, Indiana? The 2025 leaf collection season begins Nov. 10 in Marion County and runs until Dec. 5, in which you can dispose of 40 bags of leaves each week with your regular trash. How to place bags of leaves out for Marion County trash pickup Marion County officials recommend Hoosiers do the following to place leaves out for trash collection: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Use large plastic trash bags for leaves. Don't use paper bags, which can fall apart in the rain. Place bags on the street by 7 a.m. on your collection day. Keep the leaf bags 3-5 feet away from your cart collection area and out of sidewalks and public rights-of-way. Marion County trash pickup. What day does it happen? Residential trash is collected five days a week in Marion County. You can find the date of your trash pickup at Indy.gov/activity/trash-pickup. Note: This story has been updated with more information. John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at JTuftsReports. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Is it legal to burn leaves in Indiana? No. When leaf collection starts BALTIMORE One still has burn scars on his palms, earned during hours of push-ups on burning hot pavement. One said he was attacked, beaten with a homemade blackjack while he slept. One said he developed post-traumatic stress disorder. These teens who enrolled at the Maryland National Guard Freestate ChalleNGe Academy in previous years have a lot to say about their experience as cadets in the program not much of it good. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A boot camp for at-risk youth, the program promises teens and their families a strict structure, housing and food for 22 weeks, along with the opportunity to study and take the GED a potentially life-changing offer for many of these youth. But three cadets interviewed by The Baltimore Sun say they were forced to exercise without water breaks until they passed out or vomited, and that it wasnt unusual for teens to be airlifted from the camp at the Aberdeen Proving Ground by helicopter. Sergeants on staff, they say, made them exercise in dangerous conditions, including doing push-ups on burning hot pavement until their palms burned and scarred. They said camp staff organized fight clubs where they encouraged or allowed teens to fight one another after hours, and that many teens in the program never earned their GEDs a major component of Freestate, and one that is vital given that teens must drop out of school to enroll. Some are too old to be readmitted to public school if they drop out or dont complete their GED at Freestate, as Nathanael Royal, the cadet who says he was beaten by other teens in the program, discovered. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cadets told The Sun they feared the other teens in the program, some of whom claimed to have gang ties and were at times violent. In addition to the homemade blackjacks and nocturnal attacks that took place during the 30-minute window in which the guard changed shift, Royal and one of the other cadets The Sun interviewed two of whom asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation by former cadets recalled regular fights that erupted in the stairwell as teens passed one another. Those fights, they said, staff watched silently without interference. Some cadets made shivs out of the metal forks they ate with and hid them under the floorboards, Royal and another cadet from his year said. At a certain point, the cadet said, the staff stopped allowing them access to the forks. While some thrive in the ChalleNGe Academy setting, Royal and other cadets said the experience was anything other than positive. Royal told The Sun he was awoken in the middle of the night and attacked by other cadets wearing black T-shirts tied around their faces, beaten in the head with a homemade blackjack, and that staff were aware of this pattern of attacks. He and his family say they reached out to the camp after the attack, and when the staff dismissed their concerns, his parents disenrolled him from the program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are aware of concerns raised about incidents at the Freestate ChalleNGe Academy, Maryland Military Department Public Affairs Manager Chazz Kibbler said in an emailed statement. We take any allegation of misconduct or unsafe conditions seriously. In cases where investigations substantiated misconduct, appropriate actions were taken to address the matter. Kibbler declined to say what their investigations found and what changes were implemented afterward, instead directing The Sun to file a Maryland Public Information Act request. FCA remains a life-changing program for youth across Maryland, which is why it has strong support from former cadets, families and communities, Kibbler said. A chance at a GED Royal entered Freestate with hopes of earning his GED. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After years of struggling with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, unable to focus in class and being passed on despite failing grades, by high school Royal didnt understand much of the material. Rather than admit it, he avoided the pain point school. Although his teachers liked him, mother Shayna Royal said, he earned three of the eight credits he was supposed to earn in his freshman year. As a sophomore, he earned zero credits and regularly slept in or locked his bedroom door to avoid his mother taking him to school, father Jason Royal said. When he did go, Jason said, his son spent his time roaming the halls or hiding in the bathroom rather than sitting in class. I couldnt focus on the work, Royal said. I didnt want to be there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The high school, Bel Airs C. Milton Wright High, called a meeting with the Royal family at the end of his sophomore year, Shayna said. That day, a vice principal suggested they look into an alternative schooling placement and presented them with several brochures. Together, Royal and his parents chose the states ChalleNGe Academy, a tuition-free program Congress founded in 1993. The program allows 16- to 18-year-olds to study for and earn their GED, as well as vocational training certificates and set up a recruiting pipeline for the National Guard and other military branches. Freestate is one of the 10 original ChalleNGe Academies founded. The fact that he could earn his GED in a year was appealing, Royal said, and it seemed like a better choice than the alternative school the vice principal suggested. ChalleNGe academies largely target troubled or at-risk youths. Program requirements state that applicants must be at least 15 years old, be at risk of dropping out of high school or have already dropped out, and may not be on probation or parole. In order to attend, they must drop out of school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Royal did not earn his GED there, as he disenrolled early after the attack, he said. Another cadet The Sun interviewed said he didnt earn his either, nor did many cadets in his year, calling the education aspect lacking. Former director Keith Dickerson, who ran the camp at the time Royal was enrolled and stepped down in April 2024, disputed the characterization of the program. ChalleNGe is not a GED program, he said in an email to The Sun. ChalleNGe is founded on eight core components that program participants must successfully complete to be a ChalleNGe graduate. Yes, taking the GED test is part of the program, but that is an added bonus, he said. The program doesnt award the credential; it is earned, he said. The troubled teen industry Research shows the ChalleNGe Academy setting can be a beneficial experience for many. The program promises parents and teens discipline, a set environment and is free to attend. For many, it can help them turn their lives around, get them away from bad influences or break bad habits and set them on a path to success. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indeed, a 2009 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation survey of ChalleNGe Academy cadets who completed the program and a control group showed that cadets were more likely to obtain a high school diploma or GED, be working and attending college, and have better health and higher levels of self-efficacy than the control group. They were also less likely to have been arrested. Still, the program bears significant resemblance to programs in the troubled teen industry, wilderness or re-education camps parents can enroll their children in that begin with said child being kidnapped in the middle of the night from their bed by strangers and subjected to extreme conditions and requirements for weeks or months on end. Programs such as wilderness therapy and boot camps for at-risk or troubled youth can be traced back to the 1958 cult Synanon, a drug addiction rehabilitation center that used attack therapy, isolation, limited freedom and rewards for compliance in said teens, according to an oral history of the troubled teen industry by a University of New Hampshire researcher. Hallmarks of such programs often incorporate some of these methods, such as isolation, exhaustion through physical exertion and rigid rules, which Royal and other cadets said they endured at Freestate. Serious facility issues shut the camp down temporarily The Sun requested information on how many cadets had earned their GEDs through the program in the past five years, organized by class, as there are two classes a year. The full information has not yet been provided; however, Kibbler told The Sun that during Class 64, the last class to go through the program, 38 of 56 cadets earned their GEDs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is not clear if the 18 cadets who did not earn a GED took the test or dropped out. Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead, the states adjutant general who oversees the National Guard and its programs, did not respond to repeated requests for an interview. Calls to program leadership were not answered or returned, and Director Kisha L. Webster did not return calls or emails. Through Kibbler, she declined an interview. Freestate temporarily closed in early September due to what Kibbler called serious facility issues, including leaking condenser lines and a broken sewer pipe. In response, FCA shifted operations to a temporary location at Camp Fretterd Military Reservation in Reisterstown, anticipating only a short stay, Kibbler said. After further evaluation, however, it became clear the new facility could not be brought up to federal installation requirements and was not a permanent solution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Class 65 was given the option to continue in other ChalleNGe academies or withdraw. Ten transferred to Washington-based Capital Guardians ChalleNGe Academy and four to New Jerseys ChalleNGe Academy. Others pursued GED testing directly with support from Freestate staff, Kibbler said. The state plans to reopen the camp in January for the next class, Class 66. _____ By Laman Ismayilova The Azerbaijan National Art Museum has hosted the opening ceremony of the exhibition "Diego Rivera: The Promise of a Better Future" organized by Mexico's Diego Rivera Anahuacalli Museum, Azernews reports. The exhibition is jointly organized by the Embassy of Mexico in Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry, the Anahuacalli Museum, and the Azerbaijan National Art Museum. Dedicated to the world-renowned Mexican artist Diego Rivera (18861957), the exhibition marks the Anahuacalli Museum's first project presented on an international scale. The exhibition features nearly 100 photographic reproductions covering Rivera's artistic legacy including murals, paintings, sketches, as well as archival photographs and documents. These materials provide visitors with the opportunity to closely explore the unique creativity of one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. At the opening ceremony, Director of the Azerbaijan National Art Museum Shirin Malikova, Ambassador of Mexico to Azerbaijan Victoria Romero, PhD in Arts Telman Ibrahimov, and Director of the Diego Rivera Anahuacalli Museum Teresa Moya delivered speeches highlighting the significance of the exhibition. They emphasized that Diego Riveras art reflects universal values and constitutes an integral part of Mexicos cultural heritage. The speakers also underlined that the exhibition contributes to strengthening cultural ties between Azerbaijan and Mexico, expressing gratitude to the organizers. The exhibition consists of five main thematic sections that outline Rivera's key role in Mexico's social transformation. They cover the artists reflections on art, his position in the muralist movement, the synthesis of painting and architecture, and the social role of art in post-revolutionary Mexico. The displays reflect Riveras deep engagement in the Mexican Revolution, public education, and the role of art as a tool for civil society. Visitors will witness how Rivera emerged as a leading figure in Mexican muralism, valuing art not only as an aesthetic medium but also as an instrument for education and the formation of public consciousness. Photographic reproductions of Rivera's mural "Creation" (1922), painted at the National Preparatory School in Mexico, hold a special place in the exhibition. This monumental work is regarded as the beginning of Mexican muralism and demonstrates a synthesis of Renaissance style with local motifs. His later monumental projects, including murals at Chapingo and the Ministry of Public Education in Mexico, are also represented. In addition, reproductions of murals at the National Palace in Mexico City and the Palace of Cortes in Cuernavaca showcase Rivera's ability to present history as a social struggle and highlight the importance he placed on indigenous culture. Rivera's international activities are also thoroughly represented in the exhibition. His mural "Man at the Crossroads," created in 1933 at Rockefeller Center in New York, caused great controversy and was destroyed. However, Rivera recreated this work in Mexico at the Palace of Fine Arts under the title "Man, Controller of the Universe." Documentary footage of this work is among the exhibitions most notable highlights. A central section of the exhibition is dedicated to the Anahuacalli Museum, created on Rivera's own initiative. Designed by the artist himself and located in Mexico city, this unique space was built from volcanic stone. The museum aimed to serve as a bridge between ancient heritage, modernity, and the future. Architectural plans, sketches, and photographs presented in the exhibition vividly demonstrate Riveras idea of preserving cultural roots while inspiring future generations. It should be noted that this exhibition project was realized through the initiative of Ambassador Victoria Romero and the joint efforts of the Embassy of Mexico in Azerbaijan, the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Directorate of Cultural Diplomacy, and the Anahuacalli Museum. This initiative showcases the role of art as an instrument of cultural diplomacy, presenting to the international community Rivera's artistic vision rooted in the social struggles of the Mexican people. The exhibition will remain open to visitors until December 30, 2025. Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az and Milli.Az RIYADH, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced on Wednesday the launch of King Salman Gate, a large mixed-use development in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The project will cover up to 12 million square meters of floor space next to the Grand Mosque and aims to improve access for worshippers, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. King Salman Gate will include residential, hotel, commercial, and cultural facilities, and is expected to accommodate around 900,000 people in indoor and outdoor prayer areas. The development will connect to public transport networks and restore or develop roughly 19,000 square meters of heritage sites. Officials say the project supports Saudi Vision 2030 by contributing to economic growth and creating more than 300,000 jobs by 2036. A C-32A carrying War Secretary Pete Hegseth was forced to make a rapid descent over the Atlantic and an unplanned landing on Wednesday. On the way back to the United States from NATOs Defense Ministers meeting, Secretary of War Hegseths plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell explained on X. The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe. On the way back to the United States from NATOs Defense Ministers meeting, Secretary of War Hegseths plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield. The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellASW) October 15, 2025 Open source trackers state the C-32A was forced to descend to under 10,000 feet while flying off the coast of Ireland, over the Atlantic Ocean. After a steep emergency descent, which is standard procedure for a broken windscreen, the modified 757-200 ended up diverting to RAF Mildenhall in the U.K. Weve reached out to the Pentagon for more details. A U.S. Air Force C-32A carrying Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth back from todays meeting of NATO Defense Chiefs in Brussels, Belgium, was forced to descend to under 10,000ft and divert to RAF Mildenhall in England earlier due to a cracked windscreen, which reportedly caused pic.twitter.com/YgcwQjgOt9 OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) October 15, 2025 As we have reported in the past, the C-32A is the real workhorse of the executive airlift fleet. Known as Air Force 2 when it carries the vice president, these aircraft also transport other senior U.S. officials, such as Hegseth or the Secretary of State, along with Congressional delegations and the Presidents spouse and often the President themselves. C-32A taking off from PDX. (Tyler Rogoway) Tyler Rogoway It should be noted that these jets have been flying for many years and are deeply into the back-half of their service lives. They continue to receive upgrades as a replacement program is now in the initial launch phases. Hegseth was in Brussels meeting with NATO allies for the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting. It is unclear when Hegseth will resume his trip. Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com A new state bill aims to improve cleanup of abandoned shopping carts. Joshua Lopez is with the South Bay Clean Creeks Coalition, a volunteer-based group that works to clear local waterways in San Jose. On Tuesday, we trekked over to the Guadalupe River. "You start seeing a little more interesting things. You start seeing stuff, like building material too, but you also see things like car parts," Lopez said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When it comes to trash in waterways, shopping carts are a problem. MORE: San Jose rolls out stricter abandoned shopping cart rules for large retailers "It's not just they're kind of hanging out on the side. They're in the water, and sometimes, because they're in the water for so long, they get buried under all that sediment, so we have to pull them out," Lopez said. Every Wednesday, the group's volunteers work to restore certain areas off of rivers and creeks. With more than 500 cleanups this year, they've pulled out around 2,000 shopping carts. "I think there was a fish right there, right? These things become like cages to the salmon as they're coming in. And if there's not enough water in the waterway, the fish end up getting trapped there," Lopez said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that makes changes to the state's laws on abandoned carts. It allows cities to return carts directly to retailers instead of impounding them. It also allows cities to be compensated for recovering them. "Not only is the cost unfair to taxpayers, but the blight is unfair to residents. It's destructive of the environment," San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said. MORE: San Jose wants to recover thousands of abandoned shopping carts with retrieval service Mahan said cracking down on vandalism is also key to combating blight. On Tuesday, San Jose police announced the arrest of a man wanted for several gang-motivated tags. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Many of the issues that make our residents feel safe, are not the most serious violent crime. It's the petty, recurring property crime, theft, vandalism that we all witness every day as you drive down the street. You see graffiti on public spaces. You just don't feel safe," Mahan said. Mahan said over the last year, through a contractor, the city has cleaned over 2.5 million square feet of graffiti, which is 18% less than the year prior. "I think we're seeing a decline in graffiti, because we're taking it seriously. We're investigating, we're apprehending suspects and we're working with the DA to prosecute," Mahan said. To get involved with South Bay Clean Creeks Coalition, Lopez encourages people to follow its social media pages or visit its website here. If you're on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) The Caddo Parish Sheriffs Office will host a silent auction for one horse and two donkeys that were impounded after being found loose and whose owner could not be located, according to CPSO. CPSO hosts Behind the Screen digital safety workshop The auction will begin Friday, October 17, 2025, and run through Thursday, October 23, 2025. Bids may be submitted in person from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Patrol Office, located at 4910 North Market Street in Shreveport. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the CPSO, the winning bidder will be notified on Friday, October 24, 2025, to arrange for the pickup of the animals. For more information, contact the sheriffs patrol division at (318) 681-1100. 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 KTALnews.com. By Lisa Baertlein LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -California Governor Gavin Newsom this week vetoed a law that would have limited the regulatory powers of air quality agencies at the ports of the nation's busiest port complex at Los Angeles and Long Beach, which are the biggest source of local air pollution. California Senate Bill 34 would have prohibited the South Coast Air Quality Management District in the logistics hub counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino from proposing any action that, among other things, would impose a cap on cargo throughput or cruise ship passengers at ports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "With the current federal Administration directly undermining our state and local air and climate pollution reduction strategies, it is imperative that we maintain the tools we have and encourage cooperative action at all levels to avoid the worst health and climate impacts," Newsom said in a veto statement on Monday. (Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Aurora Ellis) A federal judge blocked the Trump administration Wednesday from firing thousands of government workers based on the ongoing federal shutdown, granting a request from employee unions in California. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston issued the temporary restraining order after concluding that the unions "will demonstrate ultimately that what's being done here is both illegal and is in excess of authority and is arbitrary and capricious." Illston slammed the Trump administration for failing to provide her with clear information about what cuts are actually occurring, for repeatedly changing its description and estimates of job cuts in filings before the court, and for failing including during Wednesday's hearing in San Francisco to articulate an argument for why such cuts are not in violation of federal law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The evidence suggests that the Office of Management and Budget, OMB, and the Office of Personnel Management, OPM, have taken advantage of the lapse in government spending and government functioning to assume that all bets are off, that the laws don't apply to them anymore," Illston said which she said was not the case. She said the government justified providing inaccurate figures for the number of jobs being eliminated under its "reduction in force" orders by calling it a "fluid situation" which she did not find convincing. "What it is is a situation where things are being done before they are being thought through. It's very much ready, fire, aim on most of these programs," she said. "And it has a human cost, which is really why we're here today. It's a human cost that cannot be tolerated." Read more: Federal shutdown stalls legal battles between California, Trump administration Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Illston also ran through a string of recent comments made by President Trump and other members of his administration about the firings and their intentionally targeting programs and agencies supported by Democrats, saying, "By all appearances, they're politically motivated." The Trump administration has acknowledged dismissing about 4,000 workers under the orders, while Trump and other officials have signaled that more would come Friday. Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought said Wednesday on "The Charlie Kirk Show" that the number of jobs cut could "probably end up being north of 10,000," as the administration wants to be "very aggressive where we can be in shuttering the bureaucracy, not just the funding," and the shutdown provided that opportunity. Attorneys for the unions, led by the American Federation of Government Employees, said that the figures were unreliable and that they feared additional reduction in force orders resulting in more layoffs, as promised by administration officials, if the court did not step in and block such actions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Illston, an appointee of President Clinton, did just that. She barred the Trump administration and its various agencies "from taking any action to issue any reduction in force notices to federal employees in any program, project or activity" involving union members "during or because of the federal shutdown." She also barred the administration from "taking any further action to administer or implement" existing reduction notices involving union members. Illston demanded that the administration provide within two days a full accounting of all existing or "imminent" reduction in force orders that would be blocked by her order, as well as the specific number of federal jobs affected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elizabeth Hedges, an attorney for the Trump administration, had argued during the hearing that the order should not be granted for several procedural reasons including that the alleged harm to federal employees from loss of employment or benefits was not "irreparable" and could be addressed through other avenues, including civil litigation. Additionally, she argued that federal employment claims should be adjudicated administratively, not in district court; and that the reduction in force orders included 60-day notice periods, meaning the layoffs were not immediate and therefore the challenge to them was not yet "ripe" legally. However, Hedges would not discuss the case on its actual merits which is to say, whether the cuts were actually legal or not, which did not seem to sit well with Illston. "You don't have a position on whether it's OK that they do what they're doing?" Illston asked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I am not prepared to discuss that today, your honor," Hedges said. "Well but it's happening. This hatchet is falling on the heads of employees all across the nation, and you're not even prepared to address whether that's legal, even though that's what this motion challenges?" Illston said. Read more: The Trump loyalist who picked up where Musk left off with slashing federal workforce: 'We're having fun' "That's right," Hedges said stressing again that there were "threshold" arguments for why the case shouldn't even be allowed to continue to the merits stage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Danielle Leonard, an attorney for the unions, suggested the government's positions were indefensible and directly in conflict with public statements by the administration including remarks by Trump on Tuesday that more cuts are coming Friday. "How do we know this? Because OMB and the president relentlessly are telling us, and other members of the administration," Leonard said. Leonard said the harm from the administration's actions is obvious and laid out in the union's filings showing how employees have at times been left in the dark as to their employment status because they don't have access to work communication channels during the shutdown, or how others have been called in to "work without pay to fire their fellow employees" only to then be fired themselves. "There are multiple types of harm that are caused exactly right now emotional trauma. That's not my word, your honor, that is the word of OMB Director Vought. Let's cause 'trauma' to the federal workforce," Leonard said. "And that's exactly what they are doing. Trauma. The emotional distress of being told you are being fired after an already exceptionally difficult year for federal employees." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Skye Perryman, president and chief executive of Democracy Forward, which is co-counsel for the unions, praised Illston's decision in a statement after the hearing. "The statements today by the court make clear that the President's targeting of federal workers a move straight out of Project 2025's playbook is unlawful," Perryman said. "Our civil servants do the work of the people, and playing games with their livelihoods is cruel and unlawful and a threat to everyone in our nation." Illston asked the two parties to confer on the best date, probably later this month, for a fuller hearing on whether she should issue a more lasting preliminary injunction in the case. "It would be wonderful to know what the government's position is on the merits of this case and my breath is bated until we find that," Illston said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the hearing, during a White House news conference, Trump said his administration was paying federal employees whom "we want paid" while Vought uses the shutdown to dismiss employees perceived as supporting Democratic initiatives. "Russell Vought is really terminating tremendous numbers of Democrat projects not only jobs," Trump said. Get the L.A. Times California Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox twice per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A 69-year-old California man faces federal charges for mailing death threats to a Florida media personality, including graphic descriptions of violence and references to a recently killed activist. George Russell Isbell Jr. of San Diego was arrested on October 7 and charged with mailing threatening communications, according to a Justice Department complaint. The arrest highlights escalating political violence amid heightened tensions between opposing ideological groups. Federal authorities say theyre intensifying efforts to prosecute individuals who threaten public figures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the complaint, Isbell mailed a letter on September 18 from San Diego to a Tampa-based media personality. The letter stated the victim needed to be exterminated. Isbell referenced Charlie Kirk, describing him as a conservative political activist who had recently been killed during a public engagement on a college campus. The letter continued with explicit threats. Maybe someone will blow your head off!!! We can hope! Isbell allegedly wrote. Planning any public engagements? Love to see your head explode and your blood stain the concrete red. What a sight! Attorney General Pamela Bondi called Isbell a coward hiding behind a keyboard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She warned potential offenders: We will find you and bring you to justice. FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized the agencys zero-tolerance policy for threats of violence against media personalities. We will continue to investigate, pursue, and find those responsible for this conduct, Patel said. U.S. Attorney Gregory Kehoe noted the concerning trend of political threats escalating to actual violence. His office is coordinating closely with law enforcement partners to prosecute such cases. If convicted, Isbell faces up to five years in federal prison. A judge will determine sentencing based on federal guidelines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The FBIs Tampa Field Office leads the investigation with Tampa Police. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Florida Department of Law Enforcement are assisting. San Diego law enforcement agencies helped coordinate Isbells arrest on the West Coast. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Wheeler III. The complaint remains an allegation. Isbell is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. The mayor of South Lake Tahoe has resigned after sending a shocking letter to the editor to multiple Northern California media outlets where she confessed to an attempted suicide she claimed was brought on by the guilt and shame she felt about embezzling from a local church. This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I am publicly admitting that I took funds from the Presbyterian Church over an extended period, Mayor Tamara Wallace wrote in an Oct. 6 letter published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune. Because of this, on September 11, 2025, my birthday, I tried to end my life. I was so filled with guilt, shame, and grief that I experienced a mental health crisis that made suicide seem to be the best solution. Wallace wrote the confessional from a mental health facility where she reportedly spent nearly three weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While claiming full responsibility for her actions and, according to her, turning over a list of account numbers and passwords to church officials so her actions could be more easily discovered, the mayor said that while she was embezzling the funds, shed justified her actions by using the money to help others, including her deceased sons three boys. But that does not free us from the earthly consequences of our actions, Wallace wrote after saying she knows Jesus Christ has forgiven her. I must repay every cent and accept whatever punishment comes to me. The mayor went on to share a litany of traumatic events in her life, from suffering abuse as a child and not being believed by her alcoholic mother to her sons fatal fentanyl poisoning and her experience during the 9/11 terrorist attack in Washington D.C. South Lake Tahoe Mayor Tamara Wallace. (Cityofslt.gov) She then wrote that her oldest son barely survived a rare cancer and had to have his leg amputated after nine surgeries, that she was bedridden for 10 years with migraines and fevers caused by an autoimmune disorder and that her adopted special needs sons behavior at times put her and her husband in personal danger. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unknown number of human remains found in desert junkyard in L.A. County The list of traumas also included that her husband had nearly died three times in the past five years and that, as a city councilmember, she had endured countless death threats. Still, these things may be reasons, but not an excuse for my behavior, Wallace wrote. There is no excuse. An attorney for the South Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian told the San Francisco Chronicle that the church was missing around $300,000 in funds. The El Dorado County District Attorneys Office opened an investigation after Wallaces confession. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mayors resignation was emailed to the South Lake Tahoe City Clerk, Susan Blankenship, Monday evening, according to South Tahoe Now. I am submitting my resignation to you, effective immediately, Wallace wrote. I urge Mayor Pro Tem Cody Bass to resign as well. The Mayor Pro Tem was arrested outside a brewery-restaurant in Stateline, Nevada in late September. He has since been charged by the Douglas County DAs Office with harassment and trespassing, KTLAs Bay Area sister-station KRON reported. One day after Wallaces confession letter, on Oct. 7, Bass wrote in a Facebook post, I will absolutely not be stepping down from my position on the City Council, as I have done nothing wrong. I am committed to going through the due process to prove my innocence. 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 KTLA. PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) A senior official at Cambodias Interior Ministry said Wednesday his ministry will cooperate with South Korea over the death of a South Korean student allegedly kidnapped and tortured by a criminal gang in Cambodia. The body of 22-year-old Park Min-ho was discovered in August in a pickup truck near Bokor Mountain in southern Kampot province. Authorities said he died of a cardiac arrest after being tortured and beaten. The student had reportedly told his family he was visiting Cambodia for an exhibition in July. Shortly after arriving he was kidnapped by a criminal gang who demanded a $35,000 ransom, South Korean media reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday South Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a travel ban for parts of Cambodia including Bokor Mountain in Kampot province, as well as the towns of Bavet and Poipet, on Cambodia's border with Vietnam and Thailand. The move follows a surge in cases involving South Korean nationals that has caused growing concerns over cross-border crime and weak law enforcement cooperation between Cambodia and South Korea. Seoul has pressed for stronger cooperation to tackle cases of online scams, kidnappings, and violence targeting Korean nationals. Cambodia's National Police said Monday that three men, identified as Li Xingpeng, 35, Zhu Renzhe, 43, and Liu Haoxing, 29, have been charged with murder and online fraud. Police are searching for two other Chinese men on suspicion of the killing. Touch Sokhak, a spokesman for Cambodia's interior ministry, said officials will work with South Korea's government on the prevention of crimes including scams and online gambling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said that at least 80 South Koreans were rescued and placed under police protection after a recent crackdown on cyberscam criminals. Last week authorities also arrested 80 suspects of seven nationalities most of them Chinese during a crackdown on a large-scale online fraud operation at an office complex building in Phnom Penh. Interior Minister Sar Sokha said earlier this month that at least 15,000 foreigners involved in online crimes have been deported from Cambodia over the past two years. The United Nations and other agencies have estimated that cyber scams, most of them originating from Southeast Asia, earn international criminal gangs billions of dollars annually. The cybercriminals feign friendship or tout phony investment opportunities to cheat targets around the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. government has seized more than $14 billion in bitcoin and charged the founder of a Cambodian conglomerate in a massive cryptocurrency scam, accusing him and unnamed co-conspirators of exploiting forced labor to dupe would-be investors and using the proceeds to purchase yachts, jets and a Picasso painting. In an indictment unsealed Tuesday, Brooklyn federal prosecutors charged Prince Holding Group chairman Chen Zhi with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Chen was the mastermind behind a sprawling cyberfraud empire, Assistant Attorney General John Eisenberg said. U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella called it one of the largest investment fraud operations in history. PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) Cambodia's government said Wednesday it hopes the U.S. and Britain have sufficient evidence in their pursuit of Prince Holding Group and its Chairman Chen Zhi, after both governments imposed coordinated sanctions accusing the Cambodian conglomerate of running massive online scams and using forced labor. Cambodias Interior Ministry spokesman Touch Sokhak said Prince Holding Group has met all legal requirements to operate in Cambodia and has been treated no differently than other major companies investing in the country. He also said the Cambodian citizenship given to China native Chen was in accordance with the law. Touch Sokhak said Cambodia will cooperate if there is a formal request backed by evidence. We do not protect individuals who violate the law, he said, but stressed that Cambodias government itself does not accuse Prince Holding Group or Chen Zhi of wrongdoing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont have much to say about the American and British authorities seeking to arrest him, but first, we just hope that there will be arguments and sufficient proof to put against him," Touch Sokhak told The Associated Press. The U.S. Treasury Department and U.K. Foreign Office on Tuesday announced joint sanctions against Chen and his conglomerate, accused of being a transnational criminal network that has defrauded victims worldwide and exploited trafficked workers across Southeast Asia. It came after U.S. authorities seized more than $14 billion in bitcoin and charged Chen, 38, with wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies. Chen was accused of sanctioning violence against workers, authorizing bribes to foreign officials and using his other businesses, such as online gambling and cryptocurrency mining, to launder illicit profits. U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella called it one of the largest investment fraud operations in history. In London, British authorities froze Chens British businesses and assets, including a 12 million euro ($13.9 million) mansion in North London, a 100 million euro ($116 million) office building in the City of London, and multiple luxury flats across the capital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement John Wojcik, a senior threat researcher for Infoblox, who previously tracked cybercrime in Southeast Asia for the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, said the joint U.S.-British action marked a major strike against one of the largest cybercriminal and money laundering enterprises in Southeast Asia, but that more must be done. "Unless law enforcement and industry partners can trace and dismantle their online infrastructure the domains, hosting and payment rails that sustain them these networks will rebrand, retool, and continue to scale, Wojcik said. Chen remains at large. If convicted in the U.S., he faces up to 40 years in prison. Prince Holding Group has previously denied involvement in scam operations and has not publicly responded to the latest allegations. The two governments allege that Chens network operated scam compounds in Cambodia that used trafficked foreign nationals to run online romance and cryptocurrency investment scams. Victims were tricked into investing life savings in fake trading platforms, while trafficked workers were forced to carry out the frauds under threat of torture. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mark Taylor, who formerly worked on human trafficking issues in Cambodia for the non-profit Winrock International, said that Chen was embedded in the Cambodian elite and well protected by the government, showing the larger role that Cambodia has played as a safe center for this online scamming to prosper. Chen was formerly a personal advisor to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. Cambodia is the physical location where a lot of it operates, but its also the money laundering center for the entire region, Taylor said Independent research group Cyber Scam Monitor has documented more than 200 online scamming centers and casinos in Cambodia alone, based on firsthand accounts from former scam workers, field surveys and media reports. For Cambodia, we will cooperate in every way possible with other countries where there is sufficient evidence, Touch Sokhak said. ___ AP writers Anton L. Delgado and Huizhong Wu in Bangkok contributed to this report. MACAO, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- A reception was held here on Wednesday to mark the 105th anniversary of the Macao Red Cross. Speaking at the occasion, Sam Hou Fai, chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), said the SAR government and the Macao Red Cross had long worked hand-in-hand to advance emergency relief, humanitarian assistance, and the protection of life and human dignity. He praised the organization's courage and compassion in disaster response and daily service, encouraging the Macao Red Cross to align with the city's high-quality development goals, promote patriotism, enhance service capabilities, and deepen collaboration with the Red Cross Society of China. Sam also called for leveraging Macao's role as a bridge between China and the rest of the world to advance humanitarian cooperation. The News Political tension is escalating across Cameroon as rival camps loyal to incumbent 92-year-old President Paul Biya and his main challenger Issa Tchiroma Bakary clash over the outcome of the countrys presidential vote. On Tuesday, Tchiroma, 79 Biyas former ally declared himself the winner of Sundays vote in a Facebook post from his northern hometown of Garoua. He urged Biya to honour the truth of the ballot box and concede defeat. Tchiromas declaration marked a stunning resistance to his former mentor, whose government he previously served as spokesperson, and signaled a deepening political confrontation building between the two men. The self-proclaimed victory has defied government warnings against announcing final results before official publication, which is expected by Oct. 26 at the latest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji on Tuesday condemned Tchiromas move as conspiratorial and anti-republican, alleging that the candidate was pursuing a diabolical plan, carefully orchestrated with secret networks at home and abroad to destabilize Cameroon. Know More Maurice Kamto, the runner-up in the 2018 presidential election, was arrested and detained in the months following that poll for alleging it was rigged. Many Cameroonians, especially young people facing joblessness and economic hardship, had looked up to Kamto. But he was barred from running in this years election. So, when a coalition of opposition parties and civil society put forth Tchiroma as a unity candidate, many threw their weight behind him. His rallies drew exceptionally huge crowds across the country. And most of the unverified results from polling units show him leading. Tchiroma has promised a referendum on federalism, electoral reform, national dialogue, and security solutions in the conflict-hit Anglophone regions and the Far North Region, which has been ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency. During his campaign, he also vowed to prioritize youth employment, education, and agricultural modernization. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ruling Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement (CPDM) party, which has been in power for 43 years, has denied Tchiroma won the election, alleging he used figures prefabricated by a shadowy polling firm to back his claim. The CPDM is the only political party able to have representatives in all polling stations in Cameroon and abroad. This means that it is the only political party that can provide reliable and trustworthy information about how the election has been conducted everywhere, Jean Nkuete, Biyas national campaign coordinator, said. The African Union and the EU Election Observation Missions have called on stakeholders to remain calm and wait for the official results. But different political parties have congratulated Tchiroma or Biya on their victory. Step Back In an unexpected move in June, Tchiroma declared that he had resigned from the government as employment minister, and would launch a bid to rupture Biyas 43-year rule over the cocoa and oil-producing central African nation. He expressed frustration over his inability to meet with Biya one-on-one a reality Cameroonians are accustomed to as the president rarely makes public appearances. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tchiroma accused the Biya regime of having stifled progress, paralyzed our institutions, and broken the bond of trust between the state and its citizens, and called on Cameroonians to rise up for a peaceful transition of power. Tchiroma, the founding president of the Cameroon National Salvation Front (FSNC), has apologized for his earlier denial of the existence of the Anglophone crisis, endearing himself to English-speaking Cameroonians as he made the resolution of the drawn-out conflict a priority. He also enjoys strong support in the countrys three northern regions his home base which has traditionally delivered strong support for Biya. Though it is unlikely that Tchiroma could be arrested, the threat hangs heavily over him: His supporters clashed with security forces on Sunday on suspicion that the opposition figure might have been placed under de facto house arrest. A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Semafor that there was an additional preemptive deployment to Tchiromas northern stronghold an indication the government is ready to clamp down should he push ahead with his claim before the official results are announced. Room for Disagreement Cameroons media regulator, the National Communication Council (NCC), has indicted citizens and political actors publishing unofficial results, particularly on social media platforms like Facebook and X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The objective of this often-selective and unverified hasty dissemination is to mislead public opinion while undermining the integrity of the election process, said NCC President Joseph Chebongkeng Kalabubse. The Constitutional Council is the sole legally authorised institution with the power to proclaim the final results of the presidential election. The View From THE CAMEROONIAN DIASPORA Vitalise Legenju, a Cameroonian lawyer based in Boston, Massachusetts, said people in the central African nation spoke decisively last Sunday through the ballot box, electing Tchiroma as their next president. He argued that Tchiromas declaration of victory was neither premature nor unlawful, citing Section 113 of Cameroons electoral code, which stipulates that results are proclaimed at polling stations immediately after counting. Cameroon cannot continue in the vicious cycle where the will of the citizens is ignored, and power remains in the hands of a few, Legenju told Semafor. The truth of the ballot box must prevail. Notable Conservative influencer Candace Owens has been denied entry into Australia after the countrys High Court on Wednesday sided with the government and ruled she could "incite discord among communities. While the Australian Constitution does not explicitly protect free speech, High Court Justices Stephen Gageler, Michelle Gordon and Robert Beech-Jones jointly ruled that implied freedom of political communication is not a personal right, is not unlimited and is not absolute. The courts unanimous decision added that the countrys Migration Act which covers temporary and permanent visas protects the Australian community from visitors who would "stir up or encourage dissension or strife on political matters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ms Owens Farmer's submissions should be emphatically rejected, High Court Justice James Edelman said in a separate judgment. Farmer is Owens married name. As part of the High Courts ruling, Owens has been ordered to pay the governments court costs. A representative for Owens did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Owens originally applied for a visa to enter Australia in November 2024 as part of a speaking tour. But Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke rejected her application through the character requirements under the Migration Act. Owens then petitioned the countrys High Court, arguing that the law was unconstitutional because it infringed upon implied freedom of political communication. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Australias Department of Home Affairs explains that good character generally refers to enduring moral qualities of a person. In his decision, Burke said Owens had made "extremist and inflammatory comments towards Muslim, Black, Jewish and LGBTQIA+ communities which generate controversy and hatred." In the current environment where the Australian community is experiencing heightened community tensions, as per the advice of Australia's security apparatus, I find that there is a risk that Ms Farmer's controversial views will amplify grievances among communities and lead to increased hostility and violent or radical action, Burke said at the time. Neither Burke nor Australias Department of Home Affairs immediately responded to requests for comment. This is the second prominent American to have their Australian visa revoked. In July, the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, had his visa revoked over concerns he promoted Nazi ideology in his song "Heil Hitler. The highest court in Australia shot down Candace Owenss attempt to overturn a decision by the government to bar her from entering the country. Three High Court justices unanimously ruled against Owens and upheld Home Affairs Minister Tony Burkes order in 2024 to ban the highly controversial commentator from visiting Australia. Burke denied Owens entry into the country based on character grounds and said she would incite discord in the Australian community. Owens planned on going on a speaking tour in Australia in 2024, but her visa application was rejected. She had argued in her latest court battle that Burkes decision violated the implied freedom of political communication. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burke accused the far-right activist, who has one of the most popular podcasts in the US, of extremist and inflammatory comments towards Muslim, Black, Jewish and LGBTQIA+ communities which generate controversy and hatred. Owens had also planned on including New Zealand in her speaking tour, and that country briefly banned her from entering the country as well, though that decision was later reversed. The ban was initially based on Australias decision against Owens. The Minister made his decision after considering representations made to him, including the importance of free speech, a spokesperson for New Zealands Associate Minister of Immigration Chris Penk said about the decision. Owenss foreign troubles dont stop there. The former Daily Wire host is also facing a defamation lawsuit from French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, over her repeated and unfounded accusation that Brigitte Macron was born a man. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These claims are demonstrably false, and Owens knew they were, the suit states. Owens vowed to fight the suit and doubled down on her claims about the French presidents wife. You are a very goofy man, Brigitte. But Ive got to give it to you, youve definitely got balls, she stated in response. Fire everyone around you who said this was a very good idea for you to be the first sitting first lady of a country to file a lawsuit against a journalist in another country. Watch above via FOX-32. The post Candace Owens Loses Legal Fight to Enter Country After Ban For Extremist Views first appeared on Mediaite. Oct. 15Canton is reimagining its future post-mill closure and flood as a sustainable "hometown of tomorrow," with the help of Asheville-based planning and design firm TownStudio. Town board members said they are excited for the opportunity to move forward after living in crisis-mode for the last five years, but they recognize that these plans are only as good as the action that comes with them. "For a long, long time, we were really good at putting plans together. And they sat on walls, they sat on shelves until they floated down the river in the flood," said Mayor Zeb Smathers. "I think this is a tremendous opportunity for us at the right time, but it does no good if it doesn't matter in action." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the next 10 months, TownStudio will conduct community surveys, workshops, and planning meetings to develop both a long-term Comprehensive Plan describing the vision of Canton and the zoning ordinances needed to put that plan into action. Staff selected TownStudio as the consultants for this planning redesign out of a pool of seven applicants. The work they do will come at no cost to the taxpayers thanks to a $250,000 Community Block Grant. TownStudio leaders Glenn Walters and Demetri Baches said they are up to the challenge of creating working documents that will fuel Canton's future. "If you all as a community envision a certain look, then we will write what that looks like in code," Baches explained of the process. "We'll also advise you our role is not just to write down things you say, but also to tell you from experience in the past what works in other places, and how to best take those things and make them work for where you are here." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As an Asheville resident, Walters has a local perspective on the needs of a town that has gone through trial after trial. Plus he and Baches have decades of experience under their belts. "I have a great respect and growing understanding about what is going on in terms of how we can do things better and how to move forward," Walters said. "I also worked down in Brevard on the paper mill site down there, and worked with the owner at the time on master planning after the paper mill shut down." As the process moves forward, the group will invite Canton citizens to participate in the planning process. Keep an eye out for future reporting by The Mountaineer on these events. The outsourcing giant Capita has been hit with a 14m fine over a data breach that saw hackers steal the personal information of millions of pension savers. The UKs data watchdog said Capita had failed to ensure the security of personal data in a cyber attack that took place in March 2023. The hack led to the theft of personal data from 6.6m people, including records from 325 pension schemes and the details of customers of companies Capita works for. For some people, this included sensitive information such as details of criminal records and financial data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Capitas pensions division processes personal information on behalf of more than 600 retirement schemes providers. The company also holds billions of pounds in public sector contracts, including collecting licence fee payments for the BBC. Cyber experts have blamed the breach on hackers linked to Russia, though this has not been confirmed. An investigation by the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) found that Capita had failed to ensure security in its processing of personal data, leaving it at significant risk, while it lacked the appropriate measures to respond to the attack. The attack began when a malicious file was unintentionally downloaded on to an employee device. Despite a security alert being raised within 10 minutes, Capita did not quarantine the device for 58 hours, the ICO said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During this time, hackers were able to deploy malicious software that granted them administrator permissions and access to other parts of the network. Hackers stole nearly one terabyte of data over a two-day period before deploying ransomware and resetting all passwords, preventing staff from logging in. John Edwards, UK Information Commissioner, said: Capita failed in its duty to protect the data entrusted to it by millions of people. The scale of this breach and its impact could have been prevented had sufficient security measures been in place. When a company of Capitas size falls short, the consequences can be significant. Not only for those whose data is compromised many of whom have told us of the anxiety and stress they have suffered but for wider trust amongst the public and for our future prosperity. As our fine shows, no organisation is too big to ignore its responsibilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ICO, which received at least 93 complaints about the data breach, said it had initially outlined plans to fine Capita 45m. However, the company submitted representations including improvements made after the attack, support offered to affected individuals and engagement with other regulators and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). The two sides agreed to a voluntary settlement of 14m after Capita acknowledged the decision and admitted liability. Capita is separately facing a lawsuit from more than 5,000 pensioners whose data were stolen in the hack. The company has said it does not believe there is any valid basis for the claim, which could be worth up to 5m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adolfo Hernandez, chief executive of Capita, said: Following an extended period of dialogue with the ICO over the last two years, we are pleased to have concluded this matter and reach todays settlement. The Capita team continues to focus tirelessly on our group transformation journey for the benefit of our customers, our people and wider society. The fine follows a string of high-profile cyber attacks on British companies including Marks & Spencer, Jaguar Land Rover and Co-op that have led to hundreds of millions of pounds in losses. The NCSC this week said businesses should have a pen and paper plan to survive a cyber attack as it warned of a surge in the number of incidents. 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. CHICAGO A person was killed in a crash following a carjacking on the citys West Side. The fatal crash happened around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday on the 2800 block of West Van Buren in the Garfield Park neighborhood. According to police, officers responded to the crash and found that a silver SUV jumped the curb and struck a tree. An unidentified male was found unresponsive inside the vehicle and was pronounced dead on the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Loop convenience store damaged in early-morning crash Police said that further investigation revealed that the SUV was stolen in a carjacking in the 4200 block of South Artesian, just 10 minutes earlier. No injuries were reported during the carjacking. Area Four Detectives are investigating. 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 WGN-TV. After 738 challenging days, Israel this week welcomed home the remaining hostages held by Hamas. In the Palm Beaches and around the world, families embraced, cried, and celebrated. The reunion of loved ones brought deep relief, mixed with profound grief. Since the attacks of October 7, 2023, Israelis have endured unimaginable trauma. Many families are still mourning those lost, while others await the return of loved ones remains for a dignified burial. As Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of murdered hostage Hirsch Goldberg-Polin, said poignantly: There is a time to sob, and there is a time to dance, and we have to do both right now. The Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County has stood in steadfast solidarity with Israel. Thanks to our communitys generosity and leadership, we have worked to meet urgent needs providing trauma support, medical and humanitarian aid, helping small businesses and rebuilding diverse communities. We have led several delegations of both Jewish and non-Jewish leaders to Israel, demonstrating unity and solidarity while keeping our local community informed and engaged. Israeli policemen salute as vehicles carrying bodies of four deceased hostages, who had been held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023, attack, arrive at forensic institute after being released amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Tel Aviv, on Oct. 13, 2025. The work isn't over yet. We must stand together still. This weeks developments offer cautious optimism. Israel has started withdrawing from parts of Gaza, and roughly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners have been released. The United States and allies are working to deliver humanitarian aid and stabilize the region, even as violence persists. Our community deeply values the pivotal role that President Trump, his administration and U.S. diplomacy have played in advancing this historic agreement and urge all parties to honor their commitments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Opinion: How Florida Atlantic is becoming the best university for Jewish life Peace remains fragile. Achieving lasting security will require courage from leaders and each of us. We must stand against hate and advocate for whats right in our schools, workplaces and communities. These difficult times have tested us, yet they also reveal the extraordinary resilience of the people of Israel and our neighbors here at home. Rising antisemitism has tried to shake our sense of safety and belonging. Instead, it has strengthened our resolve as people from all backgrounds have come together in extraordinary acts of compassion and solidarity. Letters: Enough fighting. Republicans must work with Democrats to end this shutdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As we rejoice in the reunions and mourn the irreparable losses, our collective spirit remains unified by resilience and hope. We stand together in pursuit of a future where todays fragile peace blossoms into collective healing, peaceful coexistence, and lasting hope. Michael Hoffman Michael Hoffman is president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Israel needs US solidarity as peace in Gaza begins | Opinion (The Center Square) Within 72 hours, federal agents arrested four wanted child sex offenders at the busiest port of entry in Texas and the country. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Laredo Field Office agents working at the Laredo Port of Entry arrested four men who were wanted on outstanding warrants for child sex offenses. Three arrests were of U.S. citizens. Over the Columbus Day holiday weekend our frontline CBP officers at Laredo Field Office ports of entry maintained their vigilance and apprehended four men wanted on outstanding warrants for alleged sex-related charges involving children, Laredo OFO Director Donald Kusser said. Sex-related offenses involving children are among the most heinous offenses we encounter. We work diligently to ensure that individuals accused of these kinds of crimes are held accountable and have their day in court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first arrest was made on Oct. 11 by CBP officers working at the Gateway International Bridge in Brownsville. The bridge connects traffic and trade from the southernmost part of the Rio Grande Valley to Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. During a vehicle stop, they apprehended a 65-year-old Mexican citizen, Gilberto Fernandez Vega, who was wanted on an outstanding felony warrant issued by Cameron County Sheriffs Office for indecency with a child by sexual contact. He was transported to the Cameron County jail. On Oct. 12, CBP officers made two separate arrests at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge, which connects traffic and trade from Laredo to nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Both arrests were of male U.S. citizens with outstanding warrants issued by the Laredo Police Department. CBP officers arrested Isidro Gutierrez, 57, who was wanted on an outstanding felony warrant for indecency with a child. They also arrested Armando Hernandez, 32, who was wanted on an outstanding felony warrant for indecency with a child by sexual contact. Both men were turned over to Laredo Police Department officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Oct. 13, CBP officers working at the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge, apprehended another U.S. citizen, Luis Manuel Mendez III, 31. He attempted to reenter the U.S. from Mexico after having walked across the bridge, which also connects Laredo to Nuevo Laredo. He was detained for a secondary inspection after concerns were raised during a primary inspection, CBP said. During the secondary examination, CBP officers used biometric verification and federal law enforcement databases to verify his identity. After doing so, they learned an outstanding felony arrest warrant was issued for him by the Bexar County Sheriffs Office for aggravated sexual assault of a child. CBP officers turned Mendez over to Webb County Sheriffs deputies; he was transported to the Webb County jail for adjudication of the warrant. Arrest warrants are accessible nationwide through the National Crime Information Center, which provides a centralized automated database designed for law enforcement to share information, including outstanding warrants for a wide range of offenses. CBP officers have access to NCIC and have historically made numerous arrests after identifying those with criminal histories, including those wanted for homicide, escape, money laundering, robbery, narcotics distribution, sexual child abuse, fraud, larceny, and military desertion, CBP says. The Laredo Port of Entry is the largest and busiest of four OFO regions. It stretches from Laredo to the Rio Grande Valley. The El Paso Port of Entry OFO region covers far west Texas and all of New Mexico; Tucson POE OFO covers all of Arizona; the San Diego POE OFO covers a portion of southern California. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In fiscal 2025, CBP Laredo POE OFO officers apprehended the greatest number of illegal border crossers along the southwest border: 87,468. San Diego Sector POE OFO agents apprehended the next greatest number of 66,082, according to CBP data as of Sept. 4. The majority apprehended by CBP OFO officers in fiscal 2025 at the southwest border were single adults from countries from all over the world, followed by Mexican nationals. The Port of Laredo is the top trade port in the country out of more than 450 airports, seaports, and border crossings with $339 billion in total trade last year, The Center Square reported. WINDHOEK, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Namibia has received the first shipment of equipment for its 51-megawatt (MW) Omburu Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project, the country's first utility-scale battery installation as the country moves to strengthen the electricity grid and expand renewable energy use. The shipment, according to the national utility NamPower, arrived on Tuesday at the port of Walvis Bay, and includes eight Power Conversion System (PCS) containers that will convert alternating current from the grid into direct current for charging lithium-ion batteries. Four more containers are expected later this week, with the remaining 33 containers due before the end of the year, said NamPower in a statement. The Omburu project, located near Omaruru in central Namibia, is designed to store 51 megawatt-hours of electricity for release during peak demand, displacing costly emergency imports and supporting intermittent solar and wind generation, it added. NamPower signed an engineering, procurement and construction contract in December 2023 with China's Shandong Electrical Engineering & Equipment Group (SDEE) and Zhejiang Narada Power Source Co., Ltd. The project is expected to be completed and commissioned in the second quarter of 2026, according to the statement. A press release from SDEE said the project will "enable NamPower to cost-effectively manage energy demand and supply" while also ensuring supply security. WESTPORT - The town's high school will ban students from using cellphones and smart technology during school hours starting early next month. Westport Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Scarice announced that Staples High School would enforce a bell-to-bell cellphone ban starting Nov. 5. The ban would also apply to smart technology, such as Apple Watches and wireless headphones. "Smart phones and wearable technology during the day diminish focus, undermine mental health, erode pure interaction and place an undo burden on the faculty members for enforcement," Scarice said during a Board of Education meeting on Oct. 8, when the cellphone ban was presented. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scarice proposed cellphone restrictions over a year ago, and a full plan was put together after receiving input from faculty, administrators, students and parents. Cellphones are already banned in elementary schools for the full school day and restricted to lockers or backpacks in the middle schools. High school students, however, are currently allowed to use their phones during passing times between classes and at lunch. That would change under the new plan, which would require students to place their phones in their lockers and keep them stored for the entirety of the school day. Some school districts in Connecticut and across the country have opted to use magnetically locking pouches to store student phones, but most Westport Board of Education members opted against that plan due to the cost of purchasing the pouches. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To use lockers instead, the district recently conducted an assessment of Staples and found that 600 of the approximately 1,850 lockers had malfunctioning lock cylinders due to disuse, Staples Assistant Principal Patrick Micinilio said. Locker usage at the school has dwindled in the past 15 years, he said. A locker vendor recently replaced all of the broken cylinders, and lockers have been assigned to all 1,625 students in anticipation of the new cellphone rule, Micinilio said. The decision to use lockers for cellphone storage will also impact the amount of instructional time in the school day, as the high school schedule will now include a five-minute period at the end of the day for all students to retrieve their phones. The efficacy of the ban will depend on student compliance with it, Scarice said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There's a strong element of the honor system here, and I think that's quite respectful to our kids actually," he said. However, Scarice admitted that the ban is not popular among students. "They're not going to love it," he said. "Don't get me wrong. They love their phones; I understand that." Souleye Kebe, a student representative to the Board of Education, agreed. "Students don't want this," he said. "That's the truth." Kebe asked why the ban included wireless headphones. Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Anna Mahon responded that headphones and devices such as smart watches could result in distractions for students, which is what the ban is meant to reduce. Students will still be allowed to use laptops, however. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The goal is not taking away all technology," Mahon said. "It's specifically taking away the addiction to holding a phone." A group of Staples teachers attended the Board of Education meeting and spoke in favor of the ban, reflecting on their own experience of taking phones away during classroom time. "I was pretty amazed by the results," said teacher Stacey Delmhorst, a math teacher at the school who implemented a rule where students place their phones in a pocket on the wall during instructional time. Lenny Klein, another math teacher, said he was skeptical of removing phones from classrooms, describing himself as a "nonbeliever." However, once he had students put phones away, he discovered a "dramatic positive improvement." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I was dead wrong," he said. "It has been an absolute game-changer in the classroom." The lack of cellphones has increased student engagement and interaction with one another, he said. "I am a convert," Klein said. This article originally published at Cellphone ban at Westport's Staples High School to begin Nov. 5: 'Absolute game-changer'. COLUMBUS Cemeteries across Ohio have been selected to receive financial assistance to help preserve their history and make them safer for visitors. The Ohio Department of Commerce recently awarded $104,000 in grants to 45 Ohio cemeteries in 31 counties through its Cemetery Grant Fund. The grant program awards funds to properly registered cemeteries, with the exception of for-profit corporations, to defray the costs of exceptional maintenance or training of cemetery personnel in the maintenance and operation of the cemetery. Grant recipients this year included Kalida Cemetery and St. Marys Cemetery in Putnam County and Hamilton-Bethel Cemetery in Mercer County. The grants are funded by $1 of every $2.50 from burial permit fees received by the division. Central Florida teaching assistant accused of breaking childs arm A Pineapple Cove Academy teaching assistant in West Melbourne has been charged with aggravated child abuse following a childs broken arm on October 7. Shona Little, 36, was detained on October 10, three days after the incident, and was released the next day from Brevard County Jail on a $50,000 bond. The injury happened at the school, and video footage allegedly showed Little grabbing the childs wrist and forcefully pulling it, which caused the injury. The Pineapple Cove Academy incident involved a child whose name and age were not disclosed in court documents. Initially, the childs guardian was told that the injury may have happened on the playground. However, subsequent communication from the school staff indicated that classroom video footage recorded the incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Based on arrest records, the footage depicted Little grasping the childs wrist while they walked back and forth, with the child seeming to try pulling away. Little then forcefully yanked the childs arm, resulting in the child falling to her knees and crying uncontrollably. After the incident, Little was immediately dismissed from her teaching assistant role. The school also provided the childs family with two weeks of free tuition as a gesture of goodwill. A detective examined the video footage and confirmed that Little was terminated. The footage from the playground following the incident showed the child holding her left arm, appearing to be in discomfort. Additionally, another teacher reported the injury to the school staff. Shona Little was taken into custody three days following the incident at Pineapple Cove Academy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Little mentioned that she had previously used the method of holding childrens wrists for control, but was later advised to instruct children to put their hands in their pockets when being escorted. Shona Little is scheduled to appear in court on November 4, as the investigation into the incident at Pineapple Cove Academy continues. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Florida officials have charged a 17-year-old who was the subject of a statewide AMBER Alert last month with faking his abduction. Related Articles The teen, who the Orlando Sentinel is not naming because he is a minor, has been charged with presenting false evidence, making a false report of a crime, possession of a firearm by a minor and shooting into a conveyance, according to a press release sent Tuesday from the Marion County Sheriffs Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The charges stem from an incident on Sept. 25, when the teen texted his family that hed been shot after being abducted by four men. Deputies drove to the teens last known location and found his truck, but not the teen. Law enforcement agencies catalogued evidence from the scene, including a bullet hole through the windshield of his truck, a severely damaged cellphone, drag marks in the dirt and bicycle tracks leading away from the vehicle. Deputies said more investigation of the incident revealed the teen had staged the scene. A witness also told officials they saw him leaving the area on his bike, according to the press release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detectives eventually learned the teen had previously mentioned running away and found ChatGPT searches on his laptop about how to collect blood without causing pain and Mexican cartels. They also found the teen with a handgun and the bike still in his possession. He was placed under arrest and transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice. CHIPPEWA FALLS Chippewa Falls has not had a city administrator for about 16 years. However, the citys Personnel Committee discussed the idea of bringing back the position at a meeting Tuesday. Councilman Chuck Hull said having a city administrator changes the environment of an organization and it gives each department a central location to bring their concerns and issues. They are implementing your financial policy and running things, Hull told the other council members. Hull, who also is Chippewa County Board Chairman, described how the county administrator position is filled and operates, and he believes the employee offsets a lot of the costs of their salary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Councilwoman Jody Marr called it a good idea to bring back an administrator role. The committee spent a lot of time discussing a revised holiday pay policy at Tuesdays meeting, and Marr said that is exactly the type of work that an administrator would be doing. I think we should go with it, she said. Councilman John Monarski shared some reports that indicate city administrators in Wisconsin earn $108,000 or more. Hudsons city administrator makes $110,000, he said. Nearby municipalities that have city administrator positions include Altoona and Menomonie. When Scott Sullivan, who had served as Fourth District alderman, announced in July he was resigning from his Council seat, among his criticisms was the lack of a city administrator who could oversee all aspects of city governance. Sullivan wants to see more transparency in the budgeting process, including putting all budget spreadsheets on the citys website. He argued that a city administrator would help get those goals accomplished. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mayor Jason Hiess recommended a Committee of the Whole meeting be held so the entire council can weigh in on bringing back the position. I think there are pros and cons that can be fleshed out on both sides, Hiess said. The committee agreed and will schedule a Committee of the Whole meeting. Because of levy limits, the Council would need to figure out how to pay the salary of the position as well. The last administratorThe council created the position in December 2004 with a salary totaling $125,000, including benefits. The city hasnt had a city administrator since Ron Singel was fired Jan. 13, 2009, after just 10 months on the job. The council conducted a search in 2010 to hire a new city administrator but ultimately decided to leave the position unfilled, and there hasnt been a city administrator since then. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city didnt eliminate the position, explained then-Mayor Greg Hoffman; it simply hasnt been filled. Under that job description, the city council has the ability to hire and fire the administrator. Singel was dismissed after the council was unsatisfied with how he prepared and presented the budget and they questioned his job performance. After an open-records request by the Leader-Telegram, it was revealed Singels personnel record showed he had been warned about drinking alcohol on the job, and he had missed an extraordinary amount of work time. Singel signed a letter dated Aug. 5, 2008 in which he was warned about alcohol use. None of the council members (at the time he was fired) said that letter was a reason for the termination. Singel filed a lawsuit against the city in 2009, claiming unlawful termination. However, Judge Stephen Crocker dismissed the lawsuit in July 2010, saying the city had handled his termination properly. The city paid Singel between $55,000 to $57,000 in compensation after he was fired. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2014, Singel served a 20-day jail sentence in the Chippewa County Jail for drinking and driving-second offense. When he was arrested, he had a .384 blood-alcohol level. He has since moved to Ohio. The first-ever city administrator was Dan Elsass. He was hired in April 2005 after a unanimous vote by the council. He announced his resignation in May 2007 and went to work for the states Department of Administration. When he left, Singel was hired to replace him. (FOX40.COM) Caltrans is advising drivers of required chain usage in certain areas of Northern California as winter weather hits the region. For eastbound traffic from the Donner Lake Interchange to Truckee, chains are required for all vehicles with the exception of four-wheel-drive vehicles with snow tires on all wheels. For westbound traffic from the Donner Lake Interchange to 4.7 miles west of Kingvale, chains are required on all vehicles except those with snow tires on all four wheels, Caltrans said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to officials, it is required for all westbound trucks to stop at the brake check area 0.5 miles west of Nyack in an effort to reduce the risk of brake fires. Meanwhile, in the Sacramento Valley, all cars, except vehicles with snow tires on all four wheels, must have chains when traveling from Twin Bridges to Meyers. Caltrans asks that drivers research the chain control location as Caltrans updates chain control descriptions. 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 FOX40 News. COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) The South Carolina State Election Commission (SEC) spoke out about their internal scandals, revealing allegations of falsified documents, misuse of state property, secret recording devices in meetings, and a contract for voting machines that could cost taxpayers millions. During a commission meeting Wednesday, Chairman Dennis Shedd confirmed that Howard Knapp, the previous executive director, and his deputy Paige Salonich, have been terminated following the internal investigation. Shedd revealed that further misconduct came to light after their dismissals, including planting recording devices in private commission sessions. Shedd alleged that Knapp admitted to falsifying documents and conspiring with staff to mislead the commission. Under Knapps leadership, Shedd says, the workplace had become toxic and perhaps hostile. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shedd also accused Knapp of misrepresenting contractual details, which has caused serious financial implications. In 2024, there was a push from Knapp for over 3,200 new ballot scanners in South Carolina. Knapp had reportedly presented a $28 million contract to the commission, with the claim that the State Treasurers Office would cover the cost. However, Treasurer Curtis Loftis recently said that was not the case. The State Election Commission has now learned Knapp agreed to pay $32 million without the commissions approval. The commission now faces pressure to try to renegotiate or figure out where to get the money. Shedd said three state agencies are looking into the contract. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Treasurer Loftis has maintained that his office does not directly sign contracts; its role is financing, not procurement. He insists that the commission must have the legal authority to enter into such agreements. The question is how the commission will get the money to pay it. The agency was allocated $11 million in the latest state budget, but those funds are not scheduled to be received until February. The commission accepted a $10 million loan from the bank. Now, it is requesting an additional $25 million from the General Assembly, money intended to pay off the loan and cover costs associated with the contested ballot scanner purchase. Shedd said discussions with the bank are now underway because they need to take care of this immediately. Maybe we have some agreement that we negotiate for that interim amount [$28 million], that serves the same effect as a modification of the contract, but its just something new it leaves us without any responsibility or any wrongdoing claims under that other agreement, Shedd said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shedd said its important to note, despite the problems, any misconduct did not affect the integrity of any election. These scandals are occurring amid other tensions. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has requested full voter information, including names, addresses, drivers license numbers, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers for more than 3 million registered voters in the state. All of this information is available for purchase except the voters drivers license number and last four digits of their Social Security number. The commission is facing legal issues regarding the data release. A voter sued the commission, which led to a temporary restraining order, citing privacy concerns. The state Supreme Court later overturned that order, ruling that it was constitutional to send the data to DOJ. Shedd said any data sharing would require legally binding privacy safeguards, and that South Carolina already shares voter data with around 25 states under strict protocols. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shedd added, if they were to share data with the DOJ, it would be under strict protocols to maintain privacy and protection of all voters data. He said they have not yet come to a decision on whether they will send the DOJ the information. 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 WSPA 7NEWS. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) Tuesday is the final day to register to vote, and across Kansas, sales tax permissions are on the ballot. That is, what sales taxes can be used for. The goal, two counties say, is to reduce the burden on home and property owners. In Pawnee County, voters will decide whether or not to approve the use of sales tax funds for emergency services. County attorney Douglas McNett says it could insulate homeowners from the possibility of raising property taxes. People living in Pawnee County have been living with a 1% sales tax for over 15 years. It was originally implemented to help pay back a bond issue designed to save their critical access hospital. The original goal was to pay for healthcare services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They paid off that bond early in 2021, and it left them with excess sales tax revenue. In 2022, they added EMS to the list of services that could be financed by sales tax. EMS service is completely covered by sales tax. The county is now asking voters to approve another change, which would allow it to take emergency services under the umbrella of sales tax financing. If approved, it would supplement emergency service funds, and the tax rate would stay fixed. McPherson County explains EMS sales tax measure I just want to impress upon people, at least the citizens of Pawnee County, this ballot initiative, whether its passed or its struck down, it will not change the sales tax rate. Our rate will continue to be 1%, McNett said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following a series of town hall meetings with county commissioners, McNett said they were left with two options: reduce the tax rate to the level they expend or expand what they can spend that money on. The overwhelming response that was received in those town hall meetings was that the public would prefer to keep the sales tax. Theyre comfortable with that sales tax rate. Theyve had it for 16 years now, 15 years. So, theyve become accustomed to it, he said. McNett pointed out some downsides to using property taxes, especially for a small county. Sales taxes are determined by the population and the number of people who come in and out of the county. McPherson County is seemingly following in their footsteps. Officials there are asking voters to approve a 0.5% sales tax to finance EMS, which is currently funded by property taxes. If approved, that would go into effect on April 1 and remain in place for five years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, 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 KSN-TV. WEST VIRGINIA (WVNS) Changes to program requirements could impact access to resources for SNAP recipients. Governor Morrisey announces Bridge Day will take place despite government shutdown The passage of President Trumps One Big Beautiful Bill act set the stage for greater obstacles to SNAP access. New guidelines will reportedly require those receiving assistance to provide extensive documentation of their efforts to find employment. Senior Policy Outreach Director, Seth Distefano told 59News the impacts of this red tape will be felt throughout the southern portion of the state. You dont have to receive SNAP benefits or rely on them in order for this to impact you, and I worry that this is going to be especially pronounced in southern West Virginia, he said. These changes could stand to impact local businesses as well. With a potential drop in access to SNAP funds, he said many locally owned shops and grocers could eventually be forced to close their doors. 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 WVNS. SAN DIEGO A gorilla at the San Diego Zoo broke a glass panel at his enclosure over the weekend, zoo officials said this week, frightening guests who were observing the apes. Ten-year-old Denny broke one of three layers of protective glass at the zoo's Lost Forest gorilla habitat Saturday, the zoo said in an updated statement Tuesday. "It is common for male gorillas, especially in adolescence, to express these types of behaviors," it said. "Bursts of energy, charging, dragging items, or running sideways are all natural for a young male. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The zoo said the breached panel was composed of three layers of tempered glass. No injuries were reported, including for the western lowland gorilla. The zoo said in an earlier statement that Denny and another gorilla will be cared for "behind the scenes" until the panel is replaced. NBC San Diego reported that the panel was boarded up Monday and public viewing was closed. Zoo officials did not respond to a question about when gorilla viewing might reopen. In August, the zoo said Denny's older brother, 30-year-old Maka, had died after a cardiac event, according to the station. Upon his birthday in 2017, the zoo said Denny was named for philanthropist T. Denny Sanford, who funded the San Diego Zoo Kids television channel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The International Fund for Animal Welfare characterizes western lowland gorillas, the smallest of the species, as critically endangered because they lose an estimated 2.7% of their population in their home region of Central Africa every year. Their main killers are loss of habitat, poaching and disease, according to the nonprofit fund. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- "China is at the forefront in promoting women's empowerment and gender equality," said Humile Mashatile, wife of Paul Mashatile, South Africa's deputy president. During a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua in Beijing, Humile shared her reflections after attending the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, held in the Chinese capital to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women. It was her first time taking part in this global gathering. Humile said that she has witnessed "remarkable progress in the global women's cause over the past 30 years," with China demonstrating leadership and making significant achievements in promoting women's development. Through exchanges with delegates from different countries, she observed encouraging signs of progress. "Women do participate in all industries and actually are a part of the decision-making in these industries, as well as in politics and policymaking," she said. "That is what the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action ought to achieve." What struck her the most at the summit was the growing presence of women in science and technology. "In many countries, the number of female STEM graduates is close to or exceeds 30 percent," she said. "Women have made significant progress in education, indicating that the declaration made 30 years ago has been impactful globally," she added. Humile said that China has, for years, attached great importance to gender equality and is committed to ensuring that women not only participate in social life but also play a role in political decision-making. "It's encouraging to see women in China moving into various jobs, and they are highly competent in those positions," she said. "Chinese women have demonstrated competence and competitiveness across all fields." She highlighted in particular the achievements of Chinese women in technology and the digital economy, where women's participation stands out. As a philanthropist, Humile and her husband established a foundation focused on neurodiversity and children with autism. She said this work embodies the spirit of inclusion and equity, principles that also apply to advancing women's empowerment and broader social progress. "This visit to China has been encouraging," she said, adding that now she has many new ideas to bring back home to continue promoting women's development in South Africa. She said she looks forward to more collaboration with China to empower women and share knowledge. CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) Charleston County Council gave final approval Tuesday to an ordinance tightening firearm restrictions in unincorporated areas of the county. The ordinance, aimed at curbing the negligent discharge of guns near homes and buildings, was unanimously passed on its third reading during the county councils meeting on Oct. 14, without further discussion. A call for changes was initiated by residents of a West Ashley neighborhood and staff at St. Mark United Methodist Church, who told News 2 that sounds of gunfire had become a frequent occurrence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the neighbors started firing his guns, in his backyard at his targets, we immediately had to evacuate the kids off the playground, Senior Minister of the church, Mike Bruce, recalled of one particular instance last year. Another instance, we were out here in the parking lot when we heard gunfire again, and it certainly made people feel fairly unsafe. Hanahan department head on leave pending separation Until now, residents in unincorporated areas were not protected by city ordinances that prohibit firing guns near dwellings. The newly-passed ordinance now prohibits any person in the unincorporated areas of the County to discharge a firearm within one hundred feet (100) feet of any building, dwelling, or other structure, unless they have clear permission from the occupants or owners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Violators could face a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail, up to a $500 fine, or both. The ordinance does provide for some exceptions, such as cases where firearms are being used in self-defense. It also excludes law enforcement officers or armed forces members who are engaged in official duties, a South Carolina Department of Natural Resources worker conducting nuisance wildlife control, and existing firearms ranges. The new restrictions went into effect immediately following Tuesdays passage. 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 WCBD News 2. Charlie Kirk posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom Tuesday on what would have been the right-wing activists 32nd birthday. The Turning Point USA founder was fatally shot while speaking on the Utah Valley University campus on Sept. 10. President Donald Trump said a day later that he intended to honor the giant of his generation with the nations most revered civilian award. He did just that with a late Tuesday afternoon White House event where Kirks widow, Erika Kirk, accepted the honor on her late husbands behalf. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fresh off a trip to the Middle East, where the president helped broker a peace deal between Israel and Hamas, Trump said he thought about asking Erika if they could postpone the event, then realized Tuesday wouldve been the honorees birthday. He was so wise beyond his years. You know, I would talk to him sometimes and say, This guy is, like, a young guy, Trump said. He was really a wise man. Kirk was a loyal Trump supporter and worked tirelessly to put the president back in office in the 2024 election. Donald Trump is on a rescue mission to revive your birthright, one your grandparents and those before them gave everything to hand down to you, Kirk said during his speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump said on Tuesday that, like Kirk, he knew what it was like to be shot at while promoting his views and vowed to continue advancing the political goals he and Kirk shared. He then handed the mic to Kirks widow, who has since taken over the organization her husband founded in 2012 to organize young conservative voters. Thank you for making this event a priority amid the peace process in the Middle East, Erika Kirk said, addressing Trump. Charlie always admired your commitment to freedom and thats something that both of you shared, so thank you. The president previously spoke at Kirks memorial in late September, where he praised the Illinois native as a patriot whose legacy will endure. He was violently killed because he spoke for freedom and justice, for God and country, for reason and for common sense, Trump said. On that terrible day, September 10th, 2025, our greatest evangelist for American liberty became immortal. Hes a martyr now for American freedom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump awarded 24 people the Presidential Medal of Freedom during his first term in office, including radio host Rush Limbaugh a day after the conservative pundit announced he was battling advanced lung cancer. Limbaugh died less than two weeks after being presented with the medal during the presidents 2020 State of the Union address. Trump said in September that he also plans to honor former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. _____ More than 200 area residents came to Landreth Park on Tuesday evening to pay tribute to Charlie Kirk, founder of the conservative group Turning Points USA. Kirk was shot and killed last month during one of his debate sessions on a college campus in Utah. Tuesday would have been Kirks 32nd birthday, and area residents Dave Peterson and Tree Dye organized a rally billed as a Tribute to Charlie Kirk, which included musicians and speakers. The event, which started at 5 p.m., ran more than three hours. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think it went great; it was exactly what it was supposed to be, Dye said in an interview at the end of the event. The Lord moved people, and it was beautiful. I really felt the love here. Im happy with it. I think Charlies proud. Were going to put together a book to give to Erika Kirk (Charlie Kirks wife), the videos, clips, everything, to let her and the Kirk kids see how Southwest Missouri came out for them, Peterson said. Organizers said the event was everything they hoped it would be. It was awesome, I wish more people would have come, but thats OK, Peterson said. Its on a Tuesday night and thats understandable. The speakers were awesome, the great organizational team we put together was good. Musicians played worship music into the darkness and speakers shared messages explaining how Kirk inspired them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thomas Ross, of Joplin, one of the speakers, said he was working to start Turning Points USA chapters at Joplin High School and Missouri Southern State University. Charlie Kirk was not pushing an idealism for government control or Republican versus Democrat, Ross said. He pushed more of a moral compass. He used scripture and the written word of God to help guide everyones lives and morality. He ultimately lost his life because those who disagreed with what he chose to say, albeit sometimes he might have gotten carried away with some of the stuff he said. I believe that overall his message was to focus on putting God first and living the way that God meant for us to live biblically. The rally was held the same day President Donald Trump presented Erika Kirk with a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom for Charlie Kirk in Washington, D.C. The Joplin event itself was organized in partnership with the Joplin Area Ministerial Alliance and Turning Points USA and was one of a number of tributes held around the country. Local ministers were in the park praying and talking with people and even baptizing them in outdoor baptismal fonts set up at the event. Since right-wing activist Charlie Kirk was murdered at a Turning Point USA event in Utah last month, the vice president has filled in some on Kirks podcast a production that Kirks friends and allies have kept up and running. A few days after Kirks death, Vice President JD Vance hosted an episode of Kirks podcast from the White House to honor his friend. As my colleague Josh Kovensky reported today, other members of the Trump administration have now also made appearances on the show, which has morphed into a space for them to expand upon their vision for a domestic War on Terror waged against antifa, Democrats and people who espouse various common, left-coded ideas in America. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was among the latest to detail these plans this week, saying we are operationalizing the Treasury, and we are going to track down who is responsible for this. Josh Kovensky gets into the details in his piece, published today, below: The memo directs Joint Terrorism Task Forces, groups that combine local law enforcement with the FBI, to examine advocacy organizations that the memo views as orchestrating political violence. But it also sets Treasury a significant task: to identify and disrupt financial networks that fund domestic terrorism and political violence. For that, it tasks offices traditionally used to track money laundering, sanctions evasion and foreign terrorist financing, among other things, with tracing illicit funding streams under the memo. Trump allies have used Kirks death as a springboard for acting on Trumps longtime vows of retribution against his political foes. Just weeks after Kirk was killed, Trump signed National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM-7), instructing federal law enforcement to investigate groups that endorse such vague ideas as anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity, among others. NSPM-7 claims these ideas are indicators of alignment with antifa, which various MAGA figures have cast as an organized group integral to Kirks killing an assertion that ignores the dearth of evidence that suspect Tyler Robinson was a part of any group or adhered to any particular political ideology. (In the wake of Kirks killing and the rights race to declare all political violence as being perpetuated by the left, the Trump DOJ deleted a study the DOJ had published on the matter, outlining the fact that far-right extremists commit more violence.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During Vances initial appearance on Kirks podcast just days after Kirks death, Vance and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller first began discussing the details of how the administration might do a crackdown on the left. Vance, at the time, said that the administration was looking at how to dismantle the institutions that promote violence and terrorism in our own country. Miller took things a bit further. Alluding to, perhaps, what would become NSPM-7, he said that the administration would soon launch a formal effort to begin rooting out what he claimed was a domestic terror movement in the U.S. He said that this would all be done in Kirks name, too. A live broadcast discussion of the various MAGA schemes to investigate left-leaning non-profits and those Trump views as his enemies is partially meant for the usual audience of one Trump. But its for Kirks actual audience, too. During another live-from-the-White House broadcast of the Charlie Kirk Show on Wednesday, which Vance again hosted, the vice president announced that he will speak at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi on October 29, appearing alongside Kirks wife Erika Kirk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im going to do exactly what Charlie did, Vance said Wednesday. My plan is to give a little speech, talk about the issues of the day, but turn most of it over to just do Q&A with the audience. I want to hear from these kids, I want to answer questions from them. Part of keeping Charlies memory alive is keeping the mission alive, he continued. Nobody can replace Charlie, but if we all take little pieces, we can do as much as we can to ensure that Charlies mission continues to survive long after hes gone. Nicole LaFond Come to TPMs 25th Anniversary Live Show! TPMs 25th anniversary is coming up and we are having a big party in New York City to celebrate! We will be hosting a live recording of the Josh Marshall Podcast Featuring Kate Riga, as well as an oral history of TPM with alums, moderated by John Light and yours truly Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The events will take place at the Metrograph Theater in Manhattan on Thursday 11/6, and then we are having a party at Bogart House in Brooklyn on Friday 11/7. All my loyal WTS readers can get 33% OFF ticket prices using discount code WTS at this link. Hope to see you there! Nicole LaFond Portland Still Shielded From National Guard Invasion Judge Karin Immergut, the Trump appointee who has taken serious flak from the administration, extended her two orders protecting Portland from National Guard deployment during a hearing Wednesday. The administration already appealed her first order, temporarily blocking the federalization and deployment of the Oregon Guard. Were waiting for a Trumpy 9th Circuit panel to rule there. Oddly, the administration still hasnt appealed her second order, which protects the city from the deployment of any Guard. She handed that down in response to the administrations attempt to circumvent her first order by sending in troops from other states, including California. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In one amusing moment during the hearing, Immergut was running the attorneys through their discovery needs. Oregons Brian Marshall said the state would need access to White House communications if the government planned to argue that President Trumps determination to deploy the Guard was made due to things his advisors told him. The DOJs Michael Gerardi searched for a respectful way to respond that there were no such discussions, that Trumps determination was based on motivations that are publicly known. Oregon said in its brief that it seems Fox News airing of 2020 protest b-roll from Portland is what prompted Trump to deploy the Guard. Kate Riga Temporary Block On Trumps Fed Worker Layoffs A federal judge on Wednesday issued a temporary restraining order, blocking the Trump administration from laying off almost 4,000 federal workers during the government shutdown. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston a President Clinton appointee said that the administration isnt following the legal requirements necessary to conduct reductions in force, aka RIFs, adding that the layoffs seem to be politically motivated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The administration appears to have taken advantage of the lapse in government spending and government functioning to assume that all bets are off, that the laws dont apply to them any more and that they can impose the structures that they like, Illston said. Meanwhile, on the Charlie Kirk podcast on Wednesday, White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought continued the threats he has been making for weeks, warning that the initial RIFs were just a snapshot of what is to come, supposedly. Were going to keep those RIFs rolling throughout this shutdown because we think its important to stay on offense for the American taxpayer and the American people, Vought said. We want to be very aggressive where we can be in shuttering the bureaucracy, not just the funding, but the bureaucracy. Emine Yucel In Case You Missed It New from Josh Marshall: The Age of Monsters, Part 2 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Supreme Court Land, Fixing Discrimination Against Black Voters Is The Real Racism Big Talk: Treasury Secretary Declares New War on Terror Against the Left Mystery Solved: Trump US Attorney Was Forced Out For Not Investigating the Investigators Yesterdays Most Read Story In the New Trump Era, the Proud Boys Are Not Apologizing Anymore What We Are Reading Trump Says Argentina Bailout Depends on Mileis Party Winning Upcoming Elections Fluoride Disconnects One from God: Inside the Weekly Call With RFK Jr.s MAHA Hype Squad Murkowski signs letter with Democrats demanding back pay for furloughed workers President Donald Trump posthumously awarded Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday, but not before objecting to frequent characterizations of the late political organizer as a pacifist. Kirk, an influential Republican operative who was celebrated for his youth outreach, was assassinated during an event on a college campus in Utah last month. In the wake of his death, Kirks peers (and several of his enemies) rushed to paint the activist as a peaceful believer in the power of debate and the First Amendment. Trump pushed back against the idea during a speech on Tuesday. You know, I heard he loved his enemies, Trump said. I said, Wait a minute, is that the same Charlie that I know? Im not so sure. But I didnt want to get into it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Later in the ceremony, Trump stood behind Kirks widow as she countered the presidents remarks. Surprisingly enough, he did pray for his enemies, Erika Kirk said, as Trump offered a grin and a theatrical shrug. I saw him do it. He never did it in front of anyone else, but I can attest to that. Erika Kirk to Trump:He did pray for his enemies. He did. pic.twitter.com/Jp4Bf0IB89 Acyn (@Acyn) October 14, 2025 Elsewhere in the ceremony, Trump boasted about his good luck to survive an assassination attempt on the campaign trail. After accusing his left-wing political opponents of having the devils ideology, he marveled at his good fortune. They seem to become very violent on the left, he said. Theyve fired sniper rifles at ICE agents and me. I made a turn at a good time. I turned to the right. Charlie couldnt believe it, actually. He said, How the hell did you make that turn? I said, I dont know.' Start your day with essential news from Salon. Sign up for our free morning newsletter, Crash Course. Trump: They have the devil's ideology. They seem to become very violent on the left pic.twitter.com/akFAFZ0WRe Acyn (@Acyn) October 14, 2025 The post Is that Charlie?: Trump questions pacifist Kirk characterization at Medal of Freedom ceremony appeared first on Salon.com. Charlotte Douglas International Airport is refusing to play a political video blaming Democrats for the government shutdown. READ MORE: Charlotte-Metrolina Labor Council puts out open letter amid impacts of government shutdown The decision is due to its digital content policy, and a North Carolina municipal law, which prohibits political messaging in the airport, Charlotte Douglas officials said on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Homeland Security video is supposed to be displayed at TSA security checkpoints. Other airports including, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Chicago, are also declining to show the video. Raleighs airport is reviewing the request. The government shutdown halted routine operations and left some airports scrambling with flight disruptions. VIDEO: TSA finds knife, saw blade hidden in cane at Charlotte airport checkpoint CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Charlotte Douglas International landed on another top 10 list this week. Beyond its usual place as one of the busiest airports in the country, CLT was lauded for its culinary options. Wednesday, USA Today released a list for Best Airport Dining in the U.S., and the Queen Citys ever-expanding facility came in at No. 10. Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Sammy Hagar opens new restaurant at Charlotte Douglas Airport Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The publication noted the airports 60 bars and restaurants available for passengers. This includes many local restaurants and breweries, like Bad Daddys Burger Bar, NoDa Brewing Company and Olde Mecklenburg Brewerys Captain Jacks Tavern. Plus, theres Brookwood Farms BBQ offering quintessential North Carolina pit barbecue, and the Queen Citys own Bojangles. Beyond the cuisine itself, the Atrium section of the terminal provides a bright atmosphere, highlighted by the famous airport rocking chairs. The airports were nominated by an expert panel and voted by USA Today readers as the best for offering the most satisfying food concessions programs in the United States. CLT also was runner-up for USA Todays Best Large Airport Top 10. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here is the complete top 10: Tampa International Denver international Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Orlando International Salt Lake City International Phoenix Sky Harbor International Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport Miami International Charlotte Douglas International 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 Queen City News. CHICAGO (WGN) The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) says it will not play a video featuring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem inside its OHare or Midway airport terminals. In the video, Noem blames Democrats for the ongoing federal government shutdown and its impact on flights and delays at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints. CDA said Tuesday that Noems video did not comply with the departments advertising guidelines, which prohibit content that endorses or opposes any named political party. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Air traffic controllers at OHare Airport rally against government shutdown These guidelines help ensure the airports remain welcoming and neutral spaces for all travelers, CDA added. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson issued the following statement: I instructed the Chicago Department of Aviation to decline the request by DHS to play a political video at our airports. The video shows DHS Secretary Kristi Noem making political assertions about the ongoing government shutdown. Our airports are for Chicagoans and visitors to travel safely to and from our city; they are not for the Trump administration to spread propaganda using taxpayer resources. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Suspicious device with anti-ICE message found at Chicagos Midway Airport Chicago joins other airports, including Los Angeles, Cleveland, Phoenix, Seattle, and Portland, in saying that they wont use public resources for political messaging. 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 WGN-TV. CHICAGO (WGN) Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will soon unveil his plan to close the citys billion-dollar budget deficit. The mayors budget proposal, coupled with a plan by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to hike its base bus and rail fare by 25 cents, could result in people who live, work and commute in Chicago paying a lot more. Twenty-five cents is 25 cents, but it adds up really quickly, said CTA commuter Sydnee Alexander. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE FROM WGNS TAHMAN BRADLEY: Illinois lawmakers to tackle immigration and budget deficit in veto session Not good, not good, that is not ideal, added CTA commuter Mason Manning. Pass prices will align with the fare increase: A 1-Day Pass would increase by $1. A 7-Day pass would increase by $5. A 30-Day pass would increase by $10. The Regional Connect would increase by $15. A Ventra single ride would increase to $3.50. CTA, Metra, and Pace say the price increases are needed regardless of whether or not Springfield sends them a bailout. On Thursday, Johnson is set to unveil his long-awaited plan to close the citys $1.15 billion 2026 budget shortfall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement City Hall sources confirm the mayor is expected to propose reinstating a corporate head tax. Before former Mayor Rahm Emanuel eliminated the tax, most companies with 50 or more employees paid a $4-per-employee fee. The city of Chicago has had the tax for more than 40 years. Reaction from city alders has been strong. Its not a good idea when you have a mayor whos anti-business from Day 1 and youre basically saying were going to look for any way we can to tax your employees, it really does a number on businesses that are existing, but it also says to new businesses, Dont come to Chicago,' said Alderman Scott Waugspeck (32 Ward). Mayor Johnson famously proposed a $300 million property tax hike last year, only to have the City Council vote it down unanimously. This budget season, the mayor has ruled out raising property taxes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres no will among taxpayers or aldermen who are listening to taxpayers to have a property tax increase when you have a mayor who is spending like an out-of-control person, Waugspeck said. Johnson says Trumps troop deployment is about power, not safety: This is about authoritarianism The mayor has taken some steps to reduce spending. In addition to a hiring freeze, the Johnson administration asked commissioners to prepare for budget cuts of 3 to 5 percent. But even Mayor Johnsons allies are bracing for revenue pain. Everything needs to be on the table, including property taxes this time around, said Chicago Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48th Ward). The mayor is also reportedly considering expanding the rideshare congestion tax. Some alders are set to be briefed on the mayors plan on Wednesday, the eve of his Thursday speech. 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 WGN-TV. This file photo taken on Aug. 9, 2022 shows Kenyan former Prime Minister Raila Odinga addressing his supporters after casting his ballot during a presidential election in Nairobi, Kenya. Kenya's former Prime Minister Raila Odinga died Wednesday from a heart attack at a hospital in India, the presidency confirmed. (Photo by Fred Mutune/Xinhua) NAIROBI, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's former Prime Minister Raila Odinga died Wednesday from a heart attack at a hospital in India, the presidency confirmed. "It is with deep sorrow that I inform the nation of the passing on of the Right Honorable Raila Amolo Odinga, our former Prime Minister, Kenya's foremost statesman, and one of Africa's greatest sons," Kenyan President William Ruto told a televised news conference in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. Odinga's name will forever be etched in the history of the country, the president said, noting that for decades, he dedicated his life to the pursuit of justice, equity, and freedom, enduring detention and persecution to advance democracy in Kenya. "He championed reforms that gave birth to the rights and freedoms we hold dear. His voice spoke for the oppressed, his conviction inspired generations, and his vision shaped the course of our history," he said. Odinga will be accorded a state funeral with all attendant honors, Ruto announced, declaring a seven-day national mourning period during which the flag will fly at half-mast across Kenya and at its diplomatic missions abroad. "We lost a beacon of courage, a tower of principle, and a father of our democracy. Let us come together, as he always urged us to do, not as rivals, but as brothers and sisters bound by a shared destiny," Ruto added. Born on Jan. 7, 1945, in western Kenya, Odinga was the son of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya's first vice president under founding President Jomo Kenyatta. He served as Kenya's prime minister from 2008 to 2013 and ran unsuccessfully for the presidency five times, leaving a lasting legacy on the nation's political landscape. Indian media reported Odinga's death on Wednesday morning, saying that he suffered cardiac arrest during a morning walk at the Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Centre, where he had been staying for six days. Kenyan President William Ruto speaks at the Nyayo National Stadium during the state funeral for the late Prime Minster Raila Odinga in Nairobi, Kenya, Oct.17, 2025. Kenya's former Prime Minister Raila Odinga died Wednesday from a heart attack at a hospital in India, the presidency confirmed. (Photo by Fred Mutune/Xinhua) The casket with remains of Kenyan former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is seen during the state funeral at Nyayo Stadium, in Nairobi, Kenya, on Oct.17, 2025. Kenya's former Prime Minister Raila Odinga died Wednesday from a heart attack at a hospital in India, the presidency confirmed. (Photo by Fred Mutune/Xinhua) Family members of the late Prime Minster Raila Odinga walk into the Nyayo National Stadium during the state funeral in Nairobi, Kenya, Oct. 17, 2025. Kenya's former Prime Minister Raila Odinga died Wednesday from a heart attack at a hospital in India, the presidency confirmed. (Photo by Fred Mutune/Xinhua) Turns out Chicago's famous "rat hole" was squirrelly all along. A new study has determined that the famous full-body imprint in a concrete sidewalk slab on West Roscoe Street dubbed Splatatouille in a public naming contest last year, a play on the rodent lead character in the 2007 hit animated comedy "Ratatouille" was never made by a rat to begin with, but rather a squirrel. Chicago Tribune/TNS/Getty Images - PHOTO: The "Chicago Rat Hole," Jan. 19, 2024. The "Chicago Rat Hole," as it was previously known, garnered widespread attention, with admirers "leaving offerings like coins, flowers, figurines and even medication" at the site, according to the study. It was host to an engagement and marriage and even inspired a music festival called the "Rathole Music Fest." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One state representative called it the "the jewel of the 11th district." When an unknown person filled in the hole last year, Good Samaritans immediately excavated it. In determining Splatatouille's true identity, researchers took exacting measurements of the animal's imprint and compared them to 37 mammal species present in Chicago, concluding that there was a "98.67% likelihood" that the impression was made by a squirrel. "Our analyses offer little support for the hypothesis that the Chicago Rat Hole was made by a brown rat," researchers wrote. Bodycam footage shows cookie-stealing squirrel lunging at police officer Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The researchers also noted that "Splatatouille" was probably made by a squirrel falling out of a nearby tree into what was then fresh concrete. "While it is possible that a brown rat was dropped by a bird of prey, it is far more likely that a squirrel, despite their agility, misjudged a leap or slipped from a branch and fell, leaving the impression," the study says, responding to longstanding speculation about how a rat may have made the outline, which features a long, skinny tail. But what about the absence of a bushy tail imprint? "Hair lacks the rigidity to create deep, well-defined impressions in substrates, making it less likely to leave discernible traces under typical depositional conditions," the study said. "It would actually be quite surprising if a bushy tail had been preserved, and this certainly does not provide sufficient evidence to argue against the Chicago Rat Hole being attributable to a squirrel." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: 2 pasta-named seal pups released back into the ocean after rehabilitation Alas, if you're contemplating a pilgrimage to see "Splatatouille," the viral Roscoe Street attraction is no longer there. It was removed in April of last year when parts of the sidewalk were replaced, but the slab containing the impression was preserved and moved to the Chicago City Hall-County Building. In light of their discovery, the research team has proposed renaming Splatatouille to the Windy City Sidewalk Squirrel. CHICAGO Chicago inspector general Deborah Witzburg has recommended a top adviser to Mayor Brandon Johnson be fired and placed on a do not hire list for failing to cooperate with an investigation into City Halls handling of a negotiation with an alderman. Johnson declined to fire the adviser, senior Jason Lee, and denied that he failed to cooperate with the investigation. The back and forth was revealed in a summary report released Wednesday by the citys top watchdog. Lee is not named by the inspector generals office, which is generally prohibited from identifying officials by name, but he called the Tribune to defend his handling of the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Witzburgs report stems from fall 2023 encounters between Lee and Ald. Bill Conway. At the time, Johnson was pushing an increased real estate transfer tax on properties over $1 million to help fund citywide homeless services and an end to the tipped wage for restaurant workers. Conway was looking to have an encampment near Union and Ogilvie stations removed, which he said was a trouble spot for drugs and violent crime in the ward. As part of his efforts to get the tents removed, Conway spoke with Lee in early October 2023 while aldermen were at City Hall for meetings. Conway said he shared with Lee his concerns about recovered guns, propane tanks and drug packets found in the viaducts that were crowded with tents. Lee pulled Conway into a copy room behind council chambers and offered to help remove the homeless camps, but Conway said he tied the action to the alderman supporting the two Johnson initiatives. A day after their in-person conversation, Lee and Conway spoke again by phone, and Lee reiterated his requests, the alderman said. Conway recalled asking Lee whether City Hall was able to do more than had already been done at the sites, as he was running into bureaucratic problems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Conway called the exchange improper and reported it to the inspector general. At the time, Lee took the unusual step of acknowledging the would-be quid pro quo took place, calling it a typical example of how political will is created. Witzburgs investigation aimed to determined whether Lee engaged in misconduct related to the original allegation that they conditioned critical City services upon an alderpersons support for Mayoral-backed leg, she said in her report. But the inspector general did not find sufficient evidence for the allegation to sustain it, she wrote. But, she said, Lee should be fired for failure to cooperate. The inspector generals office reached out to Lee in October 2024 and spoke with him about scheduling an interview, according to the report. Lee said he would call back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OIG did not hear back and sent an email to the subject days later suggesting an interview date later in November 2024, the report said. The subject responded, stating that a DOL attorney would attend the interview; the DOL attorney told OIG that the subject might also retain private counsel. The inspector general said it declined to interview Lee with a city lawyer present and sent written questions in February. Lee did not respond by the deadline. After the inspector general sent its findings to the mayors office in June, Lees private attorney contacted the inspector generals office to claim he intended to cooperate. The attorney, however, was unable to provide any records indicating they had actually emailed OIG, and OIG never received any communication from the attorney until after the Mayors Office received noticeand apparently notified the subject and/or their attorneyof OIGs intention to pursue discipline for the subjects failure to cooperate, the inspector general wrote. Under the circumstances, OIG declined to reopen its investigation and informed the Mayors Office that it continued to recommend the subjects discharge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnsons office concluded it was unjustifiable to fire Lee because the inspector general made cooperation difficult for Lee, in part by refusing to interview him with a city attorney present. Whether city attorneys can attend interviews and when they can assert attorney-client privilege was a flashpoint controversy between Witzburg and the Johnson administration earlier this year. Witzburg accused the mayor-controlled Law Department in a letter to aldermen of hindering investigations that may result in embarrassment or political consequences to City leaders throughout different mayoral terms. A compromise ordinance passed by aldermen clarified that Law Department attorneys can attend investigative interviews in certain circumstances, including when an interviewee requests a city attorney and the Law Department agrees, when pending or threatened litigation is involved or when the inspector general grants approval. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The compromise deal also clarifies that city attorneys can assert attorney-client privilege to withhold records requested by the inspector generals office, but requires the Law Department to provide the office a log of withheld materials and discuss if the materials can ultimately be shared. The office will also be able to review certain materials with protections. In an interview with the Tribune Tuesday, Lee criticized the inspector generals office for taking almost a year to reach out to him. He also said the legislation that passed over the summer proves he was right all along. The inspector generals report, meanwhile, noted that the changes to the law did not take effect for more than six months after the events at issue here. I tried in good faith to participate, Lee said. Johnsons office released a statement Wednesday saying there is no justification for imposing discipline on a staffer who has engaged in no wrongdoing and who merely asserted their right to counsel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Conway in a Wednesday statement said Lee stonewalled an investigation into withholding public safety resources from my community in exchange for my votes, while the fifth floor pled the fifth. Its demoralizing that the Mayor rejected the Inspector Generals recommendation to fire the employee, Conway said. Their lack of cooperation is an admission of guilt and a disregard for the transparency and accountability Chicagoans deserve. ____ Twenty-five years. Thats how long the Chicago Public Library Foundation Awards have been honoring writers, artists and local changemakers. In a quarter of a century, the honorees have been many. This year, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author Percival Everett is receiving the Carl Sandburg Literary Award, Calumet City poet Jose Olivarez is the recipient of the 21st Century Award and Mary Dempsey, former commissioner of the Chicago Public Library, is taking home the Civic Award. It does kind of feel like fate when we identify what it means to lift up an author in a certain moment in time, CPLF president and CEO Brenda Langstraat Bui said about the choice of the awardees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Percival Everett: This is the first time that somebody is receiving the Sandburg award in the same year they won the Pulitzer. Hes such a prolific author; the narrative of the library is always in his work. His characters explore libraries, have this curiosity, this understanding of what it means to learn. This is a moment where this book (James) needs to be lifted up. We spoke with Olivarez and Dempsey, Chicago-area natives, ahead of the Oct. 21 award ceremony. The following conversations have been edited for length and clarity. Jose Olivarez Olivarez, the son of Mexican immigrants, graduated from Harvard University and lives in Jersey City, New Jersey. A marketing manager of Young Chicago Authors, his two collections of poems are Citizen Illegal and Promises of Gold. His work has been long-listed for a National Book Award, a finalist for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award and was a winner of the Chicago Review of Books Poetry Prize. A recipient of a Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowship from the Poetry Foundation in 2019, Olivarez is hoping his first novel one on reverse migration will hit shelves in the fall of 2026. Q: What does it mean to get this award now? A: I lost my mind. For me, this is the most meaningful award that Ive received. To be recognized by the Chicago Public Library Foundation, for it to be home, it means everything to me, especially because I spent so many hours as a child at the library. To have it come full circle like this I couldnt believe it. Growing up, my parents were undocumented for a long time, and a lot of what I write about is what it means to be living in the United States and not have the full protection of the state that one might expect here. To receive this award in this particular moment, Im thinking about how I can continue to make my writing sharper, offer words that are meaningful for the communities and the people that I love to keep them inspired and insisting that there will be a day after this we will continue to fight, plant our roots and make Chicago the beautiful city that it is. Q: In your first poem collection, we are introduced to the poem Mexican Heaven. You revisit it in your recent collection. Why do you keep coming back to it? A: My initial inspiration was, I wanted to find a way to write about immigration the United States, but I didnt want to do it straightforwardly. One day, it hit me, whats another place that promises to be perfect when you get there, but there are gates and theres someone holding a list to check to see if your name is on it? That classical interpretation of heaven also has a border it was a way to write about the United States, and a way to mischievously play with some of the classical figures in Christian theology. I love the idea that Jesus, Lord and Savior, gets reborn in the palms every day as Jesus, whos just your cousin from down the street, and hes got a big back tattoo. To me, it makes sense. Why shouldnt we treat each other as though we have that kind of holiness and special features about us? Why shouldnt we treat each other like we are all the children of God? It is my favorite poem Ive ever written. Mexican Heaven exists not only in the first collection, but in the second collection, because its one of those imaginative places like Chicago that I can come back to and reassess how Im feeling about the world and about the people that I love in this very creative and generative way. Mary Dempsey Reared in Hillside, Dempsey has had many roles in life librarian, lawyer, and president of DePaul College Prep and the Philip H. Corboy Foundation. From 1994 to 2012, she served as Commissioner of the Chicago Public Library where she was responsible for the construction of 44 neighborhood branch libraries (currently there are 81 branches). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A place of lifelong learning for the people thats what a library is. Libraries are the centerpiece of democracy. They are the peoples university, and thanks to the leadership of Mayor Daley and his support, we were able to bring that to so many neighborhoods in Chicago, she said. During her tenure, she introduced programs and technology that still resonate such as One Book, One Chicago and the YOUmedia initiative. To this day, Dempsey considers working in public service a privilege. Q: One Book, One Chicago and YOUmedia started while you were commissioner. Whats the next iteration of the Dempsey CPL legacy? A: I can talk to the CPL legacy, and that is, it is more relevant than ever, because libraries still serve as a great third place where people gather where people can come together with differing ideas or similar ideas and interact. Theyre not judgmental. Everybodys welcome to use the resources as they see fit serving as community anchors in every single neighborhood in Chicago. We all have our library story. We can all remember what it meant to us when we got our library card, how important it was for each and every one of us to say, no ones going to judge me because I want to read this, as opposed to that. And it hasnt changed. (All CPS students receive a library card.) Q: In these unprecedented times, where places of learning are under attack, what advice do you have? A: You have to be clear about what your mission is and collaborate with others to determine how best to achieve that mission in a way that you may have to shift, especially if resources are trimmed. How do you make your mission attractive to people who have the ability to perhaps assist financially or in other ways, politically? We cant control everything, but we can control our little piece. Were all being challenged right now, are we up to the challenge? Are we willing to work together as a city, as people from every different corner of the city, to say, This matters to me. You matter to me. This institution matters to me. The person down the block matters to me. I am my brothers keeper? Chicago Public Schools told families that students in the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps program, or JROTC, should only wear their military-issued uniforms inside to avoid being mistaken for federal law enforcement. The district is immediately revising its dress code policy to require students to travel to and from school in civilian clothes, wrote Tyese Sims, executive director of CPS JROTC department, in a Friday letter to families. Unfortunately, when they are in uniform, there is no way for the general public to distinguish these CPS students from members of the military, including the National Guard, Sims said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The announcement comes as the Trump administration intensifies immigration enforcement in Chicago, as part of a controversial campaign known as Operation Midway Blitz. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity has prompted heated protests across the area, including the agencys processing facility in Broadview. Agents have responded by hurling tear gas and pepper balls at demonstrators, often in residential neighborhoods. President Donald Trump had planned to deploy the National Guard in Chicago-area streets to act as a security force, but his plan was temporarily halted last week by a federal judge. With increased anxiety around the deployment of federal law enforcement in Chicago, we want to ensure that our JROTC cadets remain safe, Sims said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 5,400 students are enrolled in JROTC at CPS. In the federal program, sponsored by the Department of Defense, retired military service members teach high schoolers service and leadership skills. Participating students are required to wear their uniforms once a week. CPS has 37 traditional JROTC programs and seven military academies. At military academies, students must wear uniforms daily. Uniforms are provided by the military branch that authorizes the program Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines. Students will be given the opportunity to change into and out of their military uniforms at the start and end of the school day, the letter said. Exceptions to the new policy will only be made if students are participating in a parade, color guard or another official JROTC event. CHICAGO Debbie Brockman, a WGN-TV producer violently arrested by ICE on Friday morning in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago, has retained an attorney and intends to pursue all legal avenues available to hold federal authorities accountable, according to a news release Tuesday. Brockman and her legal team adamantly deny allegations that she assaulted federal officers during an immigration enforcement action, according to the release. They assert she was simply walking to the bus stop on her way to work when she was attacked by Border Patrol agents. This incident should be alarming and horrifying to every single person in this country, Brad Thomson, a Chicago attorney representing Brockman, said in the release. If armed, masked, federal agents are snatching U.S. citizens off the street as they walk to work and throwing them in unmarked vehicles, you can only imagine what these agents must be willing to do to our immigrant neighbors and people who dare to speak out against them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. Department of Homeland Security declined to comment further Tuesday, referring back to a statement issued Friday by Tricia McLaughlin, the agencys assistant secretary, which alleged that Brockman threw objects at Border Patrols car and was arrested during an immigration enforcement action. The incident, which took place during a Friday morning rush hour at the busy intersection of Foster and Lincoln avenues, gained national attention for the aggressive detention of Brockman, who has worked as a creative services producer for WGN since 2011. In the aftermath of the detention of an unidentified Latino male, Josh Thomas came down from his nearby apartment to join a growing crowd of onlookers, breaking out his phone to take a video of the scene. As he arrived, Thomas saw Brockman taken face down on Foster and handcuffed while stopped cars honked and onlookers shouted epithets at the two federal agents detaining her. She identified herself as working at WGN and asked Thomas to let them know before she was hauled off by the agents in an unmarked silver van with New Jersey plates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, Brockmans attorney said she stated that she worked for WGN hoping someone would notify her employer that she would not be arriving at work that day. Brockman, a U.S. citizen, was detained for seven hours by federal immigration authorities before being released without charges, according to her attorney. WGN-TV, which is owned by Dallas-based Nexstar Media, issued a statement Friday evening acknowledging that a creative services employee of the station had been detained by ICE and released, with no charges filed against her. When asked about Brockman retaining an attorney, the station released a new statement Tuesday about the incident, adding clarification about her role at WGN-TV. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This employee is not a journalist and was not working at the time, the station said. We continue gathering facts related to this situation. Out of respect for her privacy, we have no further comment. The video of her arrest, which was shared widely on social and legacy media platforms, showed Brockman with her pants pulled down, her glasses askew and her face in obvious distress during the rough detainment by federal agents. Her attorney said Brockman feared for her life throughout the experience. Ms. Brockman was taken to the ground, battered, handcuffed and her pants were pulled down exposing her bare buttocks, Thomson said in the news release. No one should be treated like that in this city, in this country, or anywhere else in the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Immigration and Customs Enforcement launched Operation Midway Blitz on Sept. 8 with the stated mission of targeting criminal illegal aliens in Chicago and Illinois. As of Oct. 1, DHS reported that ICE and Border Patrol agents had arrested more than 800 people during the initiative, which has included a number of high-profile raids. Last week, ICE was dealt at least a temporary setback when a Chicago federal judge blocked deployment of National Guard troops in Illinois to support the immigration enforcement efforts under the direction of the administration of President Donald Trump. _____ In the wake of pressure from officials as well as legal and advocacy groups, Chief Judge Timothy Evans has enacted a general order prohibiting warrantless arrests by immigration agents in or around county courthouses. Earlier this month, Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell Jr. and a coalition of legal groups and social service organizations petitioned the chief judge to take steps to prevent immigration arrests around the courthouses. The presence of agents around court buildings including the domestic violence-focused courthouse has been a cause for alarm for lawyers and community members who feared that people would increasingly not be able to access justice and due process in Cook County. Court facilities have historically been spared when it comes to immigration enforcement in order to create conditions in which defendants and witnesses are likely to show up for appearances. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though officials acknowledged that it may be hard to enforce the order, especially for arrests that happen outside the courthouse walls, they argued that it would establish rules and offer guidance to county workers. The order, which goes into effect Wednesday, says that any person attending court as a witness, potential witness or party to the proceedings shall not be subject to civil arrest absent a judicial warrant while in a courthouse or its environs. The order defines environs as public entryways, sidewalks, driveways and parking lots. The order cites as its legal authority common law privilege that protects peoples right to fulfill legal duties without risking further legal jeopardy. We are gratified that the chief judge has exercised his authority to protect our communities, which have been under constant attack by ICE and other federal agents. This is a necessary and overdue action to ensure that the people of Cook County can access the courts without fear, said said Alexa Van Brunt, director of the Illinois office at the MacArthur Justice Center. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials told the Tribune that arrests near courthouses are common sense and safer for agents because courthouse security measures screen people for weapons. It conserves valuable law enforcement resources because they already know where a target will be, the statement said. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle commended Evans order in a statement. This policy affirms our commitment to protecting the rights of all Cook County residents and ensuring equal access to justice, she said. This policy also comes at a critical time when ICE enforcement has become increasingly violent, inhumane and unlawful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, the public defenders office said the order was urgently needed and called on the legislature to ban warrantless immigration arrests at courts statewide. It represents an essential step in ending federal immigration agents warrantless seizures of people at Cook County courthouses in recent months and protecting the integrity of the Illinois judicial system, the statement said. The Trump administrations Operation Midway Blitz, which began in September, has resulted in beefed-up immigration enforcement in the city and suburbs, with arrests near schools, workplaces and even Millennium Park, as well as in and around courthouses. Chaotic and sometimes violent clashes between agents and protesters or community members have regularly ensued. During a news conference earlier this month, advocates and attorneys described the impact of increased immigration enforcement around the courts, telling of clients who are forced to make difficult decisions about whether to pursue charges in a criminal case, seek orders of protection, appear for court dates and participate in civil issues such as housing and eviction matters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We cannot solve or reduce crime if the families fear the very systems meant to ensure their safety, said Carla Gutierrez, vice president of programs at Mujeres Latinas en Accion. This climate erodes trust and isolates survivors and creates more barriers to healing and justice. The petition listed sightings of federal immigration agents in or near courthouses, including the Daley Center, the Leighton Criminal Court Building, the Domestic Violence Courthouse and the branch courts at 111th Street. The groups also raised concerns about ICE agents wearing masks and refusing to identify themselves when in or around county buildings. In one instance last month, an individual called 911 when they saw an agent in plainclothes without any identifiers outside of the domestic violence courthouse with an assault-style rifle. The issue of warrantless arrests by immigration agents has been a matter of wider concern. A federal judge last week found that agents in Chicago have repeatedly violated a 2022 settlement agreement against such arrests without probable cause. The judge extended a nationwide consent decree requiring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to better document and report probable cause for immigration arrests. NEW YORK (PIX11) A New Yorker living on Long Island tested positive for the Chikungunya virus, making it the first transmission of the illness on U.S. soil in six years, according to state health officials. The person, from Nassau County, began feeling symptoms in August after traveling outside of the region. They did not travel outside of the U.S., according to health officials. More Local News Mosquitoes, which spread the disease, have tested positive in both New York City and Long Island. Heres what you need to know and how to protect yourself from getting infected: What are the Chikungunya virus symptoms? The symptoms of the Chikungunya virus include: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fever Joint pain Joint swelling Headache Muscle pain Nausea Rash Symptoms begin between three to seven days after being bitten by an infected mosquitoes. Health officials said joint pain can be severe and debilitating after an infection. Its easy to misdiagnose since symptoms mirror that of dengue and Zika, according to the World Health Organization. Where did it originate from? The first case of the Chikungunya virus was reported in Tanzania in 1952. It later spread to Africa and Asia, according to the WHO. These are the countries being affected by an outbreak of the illness, the CDC reports: Bangladesh Cuba China (Guangdong Province) Kenya Madagascar Somalia Sri Lanka Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CDC said travelers to these countries are at risk of contracting the disease: Brazil Colombia India Mexico Nigeria Pakistan Philippines Thailand How do you treat it? The state Department of Health said that while there is no specific treatment for the Chikungunya virus, a doctor can prescribe medication to reduce fever and pain. Anyone infected with the virus is encouraged to rest and drink plenty of water. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Is there a vaccine? The Vimkunya vaccine can protect people ages 12 and older from contracting the virus. How can I protect myself? Since the disease is spread by mosquitoes, residents should remember to wear long clothing when outside around dusk and dawn and use insect repellent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work 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 PIX11. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) Heres a look at this mornings top stories for your KELOLAND On the Go. A former Sioux Falls middle school teacher is headed to federal prison for child pornography. 29-year-old Justin Preuschl was arrested and charged with producing child pornography in 2024. In February of 2024, Justin Preuschl was a teacher at Whittier Middle School. Former teacher sentenced to 24 years for child porn Theres a new drink on the menu at Coffea in Sioux Falls. 50% of proceeds from every Cherry Pie Latte sold during October will be donated directly to the Avera Foundation for breast cancer awareness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A latte made for Breast Cancer Awareness Month Tony the Tiger was in Sioux Falls Tuesday at one of the local Hy-Vees, not only to help promote Frosted Flakes cereal, but also to donate a big check to George McGovern Middle School. Tony the Tiger visits Sioux Falls to donate money The cooler weather will stay in KELOLAND for one more day before warming up to the 70s for the second half of the week. Foggy start, but a warmer forecast around the corner 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 KELOLAND.com. KHARTOUM, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Escalating clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the western city of El Fasher have further deteriorated the already dire humanitarian and health situation, as the UN issued urgent appeals for an immediate end to the violence in the besieged city. Local committees in El Fasher have called on international and regional bodies to intervene swiftly to protect civilians, warning that continued fighting could trigger an "imminent famine" and the total collapse of healthcare services. "Time is running out. Hunger is rising... The clashes are constant, the crimes too many to count. Speaking of hunger is no longer enough -- we've moved beyond complaint into a phase of slow extinction," the Coordination of Resistance Committees in El Fasher said in a statement on Wednesday. "We write, we scream, we plead, but it feels like our words are falling into a void -- no aid planes, no humanitarian corridor, no real international action, and no ground effort to break the siege," the statement added. The Sudanese government has accused the RSF of worsening the humanitarian crisis in El Fasher by imposing a siege and obstructing aid deliveries. "The RSF militia has obstructed the humanitarian response in El Fasher," said Acting Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Ahmed Mohamed Osman, accusing the group of seizing more than 14,600 metric tons of assistance en route to the city. He urged the international community to take immediate action to lift the blockade on civilians, in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions. Meanwhile, fighting between the SAF and RSF has intensified. In a statement, the SAF's sixth Infantry Division said it had repelled an attempted incursion by RSF forces into the city on Wednesday. "Our troops were on high alert, neutralized the attacking force, and seized several weapons and pieces of equipment," the division said. The Mashad Organization, a human rights observatory, has recorded 146 civilian deaths, including 41 children, in El Fasher in recent days, citing deliberate shelling of residential areas and executions of those fleeing the violence. The observatory described the RSF's actions as "systematic atrocities that constitute war crimes." The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned of catastrophic consequences if the siege continues, pointing to acute food shortages, disease outbreaks, and the near-collapse of healthcare services. "El Fasher, North Darfur, continues to be under siege," the OCHA said in a post on X on Wednesday. "Over 260,000 civilians -- half of them children -- are trapped amid relentless attacks, hunger, and cholera." The agency called for an immediate halt to the violence, stating, "We need hostilities to cease and safe humanitarian access." 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 drone maker DJI has appealed a US federal court's decision that it should remain on the Pentagon's blacklist of companies allegedly linked to China's military. The Shenzhen-based company filed the appeal on Monday to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. DJI filed a lawsuit last October, arguing that it is not owned or controlled by the Chinese military and does not contribute to China's defence industrial base. The drone manufacturer, which sells over half of all US commercial drones, was first added to the annually updated list of Chinese military companies, known under US law as the "Section 1260H list", in 2022. 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. While placement on the Department of Defence (DOD) blacklist does not involve immediate bans, it sends a stark warning to US entities about the risks of conducting business with affected companies, while putting more pressure on Congress and other executive branch agencies to add further restrictions. In its lawsuit, DJI said the Defence Department's "unlawful and misguided" decision stigmatised it as a national security threat and cost it business deals in the US and internationally, including multiple US federal agencies. In September, US District Judge Paul Friedman upheld the listing, saying the Pentagon had presented substantial evidence that DJI contributes to China's defence industrial base, meeting requirements for inclusion on the blacklist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Friedman, however, also found that some of the rationale used to designate DJI - including the claim that it was indirectly owned by China's Communist Party - was not supported. The company, in a statement on Monday, welcomed some of the court's findings but confirmed it would continue its fight. "We respect the Court's process but are disappointed that the designation remains in place despite findings that reject the core of the DOD's allegations," said Adam Welsh, a spokesperson for DJI. "We will continue to defend the integrity of our company as the findings reaffirm what we have maintained all along - that DJI operates independently, has no government or military affiliation, and is committed to the responsible development of drone technology." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DJI is the world's largest drone manufacturer, commanding roughly 75 per cent of the consumer drone market globally and is known for producing models that customers describe as affordable, user-friendly, cutting-edge and efficient. The drones are used across various sectors, from construction companies to farms. Yet few US drone makers sell the kinds of consumer and industrial products that DJI makes, opting to focus on the more lucrative business of serving the military and public safety agencies. The company has been caught in the cross-currents of US-China tensions for years. US lawmakers have accused the company of a litany of infractions, including using forced labour, profiting from unfair subsidies and being a cybersecurity threat. A DJI drone on display last month at the opening day of Innovation For All, a technology and industry trade fair, in Berlin, Germany. Photo: Reuters alt=A DJI drone on display last month at the opening day of Innovation For All, a technology and industry trade fair, in Berlin, Germany. Photo: Reuters> Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In July, the Commerce Department launched a probe into whether imported drones pose a national security risk, a step that could lead to higher tariffs. In 2020, it added DJI to a trade blacklist that requires US firms to obtain a license before doing business with the company. In 2021, the Treasury Department placed DJI on a list that bars US persons from purchasing or selling certain publicly traded securities tied to the company. A separate measure is also pending that would prevent new DJI products from obtaining Federal Communications Commission licenses to operate unless a federal agency completes a formal security review by late December. In July, Friedman sided with the government in a case brought by China-based lidar maker Hesai Group, which had also challenged its inclusion on the Pentagon's list. Hesai has also appealed against this decision. 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. A Chinese effort to attract top foreign scientists has been met with a domestic backlash. Beijing recently advertised its new visa for leading experts as a step towards establishing China as the worlds leading scientific power. The visa was also seen as a way to lure talent that would have otherwise gone to the US, where new laws have priced out many would-be migrants. But the visa sparked anger within China where youth unemployment is high with prominent influencers accusing the government of inviting foreigners to steal domestic jobs, The New York Times reported. One analyst who praised the plan was accused of being a race traitor, and other critics have voiced fears that China will be overrun by outsiders. BEIJING (Reuters) -China's industry minister met with Apple CEO Tim Cook in Beijing on Wednesday, according to a statement released by the ministry. China hopes Apple will continue to explore the Chinese market, Minister of Industry and Information Technology Li Lecheng told Cook, adding that China will continue to foster a good business environment for foreign firms including Apple. (Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Tom Hogue) HONG KONG (Reuters) -China has increased the maximum hiring age for some civil service positions for the first time in three decades, from 35 to 38, a move that aims to keep older workers in the labour force longer and bolster a shrinking workforce. Authorities announced the revision on Tuesday ahead of the opening of applications for the national civil service exam on Wednesday. Candidates should be between 18 and 38 years of age to apply, while the age limit for those with master's or doctoral degrees has been extended to 43 from 40. "China has appropriately adjusted the age requirements for applicants taking the 2026 national civil service examination, in line with the country's progressive approach to delaying the legal retirement age," the Global Times state newspaper wrote on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The exam, which will take place on November 30, will recruit 38,100 new civil servants, according to a statement from China's State Administration of Civil Service. In recent years, China has sought to curb age discrimination in the job market, where many older workers are rejected due to the perception of being too old or lacking energy to work efficiently. Netizens have dubbed the trend a "curse of 35." Dwindling job opportunities for older applicants come as competition for coveted state sector jobs increases and has accelerated calls to ease age restrictions for government roles. Ageing populations are a global phenomenon, but the issue is particularly stark in China due to the legacy of its one-child policy, which was in place for three decades and has exacerbated its demographic challenges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China's cohort of those aged 60 and older is expected to account for at least 40% of the population or more than 400 million by 2035, equal to the populations of Britain and the United States combined. Since the start of this year, China has adjusted the retirement age for men to 63 years of age from 60, while for women in white-collar work it has raised it to 58 years from 55. For women in blue-collar work it has been increased to 55 from 50. (Reporting by Farah Master and the Beijing newsroom; Editing by Michael Perry) The News Chinas new restrictions on rare earth exports amount to a lose-lose scenario for the entire world, Spains economy minister said Wednesday. We are very concerned because of the potential impact lets see how it actually materializes, Carlos Cuerpo said at Semafors World Economy Summit in Washington, DC. This is another fragmentation of international trade Thats not the way that the EU wants to go. Beijing last week enacted new curbs on the sale of the valuable minerals, opening a new front in its trade war with the US. But the spat has implications for Europe, too, as the continent looks to boost domestic supply chains and reduce dependency on China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked whether rare earths would be on the agenda during closed-door IMF and World Bank meetings and in talks with the White House this week, Cuerpo said: The answer is a very short one: yes. Know More Spain finds itself in something of a unique position when it comes to China: While the US and European peers move to de-risk and tighten scrutiny around Chinese investment, Madrid has been more open to boosting economic ties with Beijing. It has embraced Chinese tech, including Huawei systems. Cuerpo made the case that Europe must engage with Chinese authorities. We have to understand that in many sectors, [China has] a huge technological advantage, he said. We need to attract investments to provide for this technological transfer that will close that technological gap and create local jobs. The issue of technology transfer is becoming a more pressing one in the EU: The bloc is considering rules that would require Chinese firms to hand over their technology to European firms if they want to operate in Europe, as Brussels struggles to make its industries more competitive. CHRISTIAN COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) A Christian County highway is back open after a traffic crash shut it down Tuesday morning. The crash happened on County Highway 22 at the intersection with County Highway 4. Details on the crash were limited, with the Sheriffs Office posting on Facebook only that the crash had happened and that it resulted in a road closure to allow for the investigation to happen. County Highway 22 has since reopened. UPDATE: Two people killed in Route 136 crash in Champaign Co. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When reached for more information, Jim Baker, Chief Deputy of the Christian County Sheriffs Office, said the crash resulted in injuries but could not go into further detail at this time. Although Highway 22 has reopened, deputies are still at the scene, and the investigation is ongoing. This is a developing story. We will share updates as we learn more. 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 WCIA.com. Welcome to "The Blueprint with Jen Psaki" newsletter. Each week, Jen dives into the key players, emerging issues and strategic movements shaping the future of the Democratic Party. Subscribe now to get her insights delivered straight to your inbox. Schumer's Maine problem The path for Democrats to win back the Senate in 2026 runs right through Maine. But that means defeating the five-term Republican incumbent, Susan Collins. To date, the focus has been on 41-year-old military veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner, who is running for the Democratic nomination. Despite coming in with zero political experience and little name recognition, he has built an army of 6,000 volunteers and raised $4 million in less than two months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No matter where your politics fall, its clear he has a huge amount of talent. But thats not enough for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who successfully worked behind the scenes to push term-limited Maine Gov. Janet Mills, 77, to join the race. He has since endorsed her and has greased the wheels to help with fundraising. There is a great argument on paper for Mills, who announced her campaign on Tuesday. She is the only Democrat to win a statewide race in Maine in 20 years, has an approval rating that trounces Collins and memorably stood up to Trump in support of trans students in her state. Being far less known is an advantage for Platner, because he has room to build support, but it also means the Mills team and the Collins team will both be working overtime to find anything from his past that can discredit him with voters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Schumer and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee putting their thumb on the scale here in favor of an older, more traditional candidate may help Mills with fundraising, but it may be an unintended boon for Platner, who is running as an anti-establishment candidate. All of this could be a good thing for Democrats hopes next year because the primary could be an actual competition, which can help drive voter interest and engagement. Ask Jen "Why do the Democrats have such a problem defining a platform and messaging to solidify a position that voters can identify with and support?" LJ Hi LJ, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most Democrats in elected office stand for a lot of things people care about, from raising the minimum wage to fighting Social Security cuts and expanding health care. Not to mention standing up for abortion rights, fighting against Immigration and Customs Enforcement overreach and calling for the release of the Epstein files. On their own, each of these positions is very powerful, but together they make for a confusing mix of messages. Recently, there has been an encouraging shift among Democrats to focus on the cost of living. In the fight over the government shutdown, Democrats have been pretty united in standing up for the expansion of health care subsidies. Thats a good fight. But as we get closer to the midterms the key test for Democrats will be both putting out their own coherent message and explaining why their opponents are wrong. There is still more work to be done on the latter. Every week, Jen selects a question to answer from a newsletter subscriber. If you have a question for Jen, submit it here and subscribe to the newsletter and for a chance to be featured in a future edition. This week on the podcast As the chair of the House progressive caucus, Texas Rep. Greg Casar is pushing Democrats to cast a bigger net of supporters, despite whether everyone agrees on every issue. I sat down with him this week on the first episode of a brand-new season of "The Blueprint" podcast. Subscribe here to never miss an episode. Catching up with Rachel Maddow Also, hear my conversation with Rachel Maddow at MSNBC Live 25 talking about the future of the Democratic Party and a continued discussion with hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie Pumps Sullivan of Ive Had It podcast fame. Listen now. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Cincinnati officials announced a litany of changes following a double shooting in Fountain Square and a continued summer spike in crime Downtown. From deploying SWAT to the square, pushing the youth curfew to 6 p.m. and rerouting buses from Government Square, Mayor Aftab Pureval said "everything is on the table" to curb the violence. An increased police presence was visible in Fountain Square the evening of Oct. 14. An Ohio State Highway Patrol helicopter circled the urban core and parts of Evanston, Avondale and South Fairmount until after midnight as part of a joint operation, police officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At a news conference, police showed a video in which two people can be seen leaving a restaurant on Fountain Square Oct 13 and firing a gun at a restaurant, injuring two people. Here's what we know. What happened in the Fountain Square shooting? Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge said an argument began inside the CityBird restaurant Oct. 13. Two men left and fired at the restaurant from the outside, shattering windows and striking two teenagers, who police said suffered minor injuries. No one has been arrested for the shooting. Theetge said police had signed warrants for one man and are still looking for another man, 24, who police say fired a handgun into the restaurant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theetge said police arrested a 17-year-old male who buried a gun inside a flower box nearby. Police also identified a person with active warrants trying to elude officers during the investigation, she said. Police presence on Fountain Square increased Mayor Aftab Pureval said additional personnel will be stationed on the square every day from 2 to 10 p.m., including units from Cincinnatis Civil Disturbance Response Team and SWAT. Pureval said the additional enforcement will be done with the help of Ohio State Highway Patrol, which he said will be engaging in more joint operations alongside Cincinnati police. The mayor said Theetge is working with Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey on a new joint task force to patrol parts of Downtown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theetge said Cincinnati police will begin to act on low-level violations, such as marijuana use in public places or fighting. We are no longer going to think that simply our presence is going to deter something like this from happening," Theetge said. Curfew rules to be tightened Pureval said he will put forth legislation to move the youth curfew to 6 p.m. in areas surrounding Fountain Square. Earlier this year, Cincinnati City Council established a 9 p.m. special curfew for all unaccompanied children under the age of 18 in Downtown and parts of Over-the-Rhine and updated its citywide curfew to 11 p.m. Cincinnati Parks has instituted a curfew for unaccompanied minors after 9 p.m. nightly. Police said the person being sought by police in the Oct. 13 shooting is 24 and the two people who suffered minor injuries were 16 and 19. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mayor also said changes are necessary for Government Square, including rerouting buses and adding additional officers for safety. Government Square is the hub that is bringing a lot of the criminal element in a concentrated way into these specific civic areas, Pureval said. Discussions surrounding moving Government Square have come and gone in recent months after an increase in violence at the bus hub in 2024. Residents, restaurants respond Many residents dining in Fountain Square Oct. 14 weren't aware that a shooting occurred hours earlier. Kyle Koch had just found out about the shooting. He said although shootings "sometimes" make him think twice about taking a walk downtown after work or having a date night in the area with his wife, it hasn't stopped him from visiting the area in the daytime. However, the incidents are concerning, he said. Cincinnati Police Department patrol Fountain Square on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, the day after a double shooting. Restaurant owners reiterated their confidence in the city's efforts to combat crime when asked by The Enquirer. After a viral late-night brawl earlier this summer, several business owners called on city officials to develop a plan to address violent crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I think it's another one of those one-off instances," Anthony Sitek, whose Crown Restaurant Group owns Marigold, located just off the square, said of the shooting. "Wrong place, wrong time. Unfortunately, it happened, but I do think we are taking the proper steps to prevent it." Mayor did not say whether he has confidence in police chief When asked by an Enquirer reporter at a news conference whether he still had confidence in Police Chief Teresa Theetge, Mayor Aftab Pureval would not answer. "This is a time where we all have to be laser-focused on fixing this problem," Pureval said. "The chief and I have had very frank conversations about what is going well and what is not going well. And I think you heard from her today saying that it is crystal clear coming from the mayor and coming from the chief of police that our expectation is that we are enforcing the law as it is written." Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge give an update on a Monday evening shooting on Fountain Square from the crime Investigation building in Cincinnati on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. Pureval did not give a direct yes or no when asked two more times after the news conference. After a Downtown neighborhood meeting, the mayor said it wasn't about whether he had confidence in the chief but whether he had confidence in the strategies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I have confidence that those strategies will be effective," Pureval said. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Everything you need to know about Cincinnati's plan to combat crime TAMPA Students left a Hillsborough County School Board meeting in tears Tuesday night after the board voted to pull the charter immediately for Walton Academy for the Performing Arts over safetyconcerns. As of Wednesday, 118 students were supposed to begin relocating to different schools in the district, per the school boards vote. The charter school for theater, dance and music has largely served economically disadvantaged and minority students for 22 years in Seminole Heights. But on Wednesday morning, students and staff returned to classrooms on the advice of the schools lawyers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Principal Tanika Walton said she received confused calls from parents saying the district had told them the school was unsafe and they needed to immediately move their kids. Walton said the school had 10 days to file an appeal, and the district would need to file an injunction to immediately close the school. Walton said she anticipated the school would file an appeal before the end of the 10-day window. Were not going anywhere, because our community needs us, Walton said. The packed auditorium Tuesday night was speckled with Walton supporters in purple shirts, including parents, teachers, faith leaders, multi-generation alumni and students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Days before, district Superintendent Van Ayres told school leaders in a letter that he planned to recommend the board immediately terminate their charter after receiving a letter from the state Department of Education. The states letter, which follows a summer of tense relations between the state and district, pointed out deficiencies in safety standards, including a lack of identified corners to seek shelter in some classrooms, an unlocked gate and an inability to activate the 911 system during a drill. The current state of operations at Walton Academy poses a serious risk to the health, safety, and welfare of students and staff, the letter from the state said, asking for specific next steps, and potentially immediate termination, by Tuesday. Ayres said as superintendent his top responsibility is to ensure the safety, well being and educational integrity for every student in our district. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When a school fails to meet those fundamental standards, despite oversight and opportunities to improve, we must act swiftly and decisively to protect our students, he said. Walton Academy leaders disputed some of the states allegations, saying sheltering corners were clearly identified, and pointing to the initial failure of the emergency system due to a third-party vendor. Ayres said they had been given ample opportunities to make corrections. The board said the onus for safety in the event of a school shooting or another incident ultimately fell on them. Board Chairperson Jessica Vaughn recalled how members of the Broward County school board were removed following the Parkland school shooting for their neglect of duty. Walton had also recently faced scrutiny as the districts only school to receive an F grade during the most recent testing period. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are absolutely closing it for safety, but I have some serious concerns, board member Nadia Combs said. Combs said 90% of students were reading below grade level and the school had a lack of certified teachers. She cited concerns about a financial audit, and questioned why the schools co-founder, Samuel Walton the husband to principal Tanika Walton is the landlord of the facility. The Waltons founded the school in 2003 seeking to create a space for performing arts education for underserved youth. While we can repair a building, we cannot repair the damage that will come from shutting down this school that has given life structure and inspiration to our entire community, Walton board member Michelle Belcher said. We understand the importance of compliance and safety. We do not minimize the standards that must be upheld. What we are asking for is time, 90 days to complete any necessary repairs and bring the facility into full compliance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tracy Roth, a third gradeEnglish language arts teacher, said the school provided a safe haven of belonging. Our school provides more than just an education, but a place where our children feel safe, happy, secure and loved, she said. They depend on our security. Margaret Oni, a teacher and a parent of a fifth grader at Walton, said she saw the impact the tight-knit school community had on students, and felt her child was safe. Our school has stood as more than just a building, she said. Its been a cornerstone of this community, especially for our Black and brown families. Generations of children have walked through our doors and found teachers who look like them, believe in them and push them to achieve more than they ever thought possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One parent talked about how her daughter found her voice and passion for dance there. Another spoke about how teachers stayed after hours with their kids to help them catch up to the rest of the class levels. The district called all students parents prior to the meeting. Marcos Murillo, the districts chief of innovation and strategic planning, identified four nearby elementary schools Mendenhall, Oak Grove, Seminole Heights and Broward as options for parents, but said the choice office could facilitate placement elsewhere in the county, including at other performing arts schools. Regional superintendents have advised schools to allow for immediate enrollment if Walton students show up. Fifth grader Jayce Bey asked his mother to read a letter to the board for him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If its going down, its not going down without a fight, the letter said. After the boards unanimous vote, many walked out stunned and in tears. Principal Tanika Watson hugged Bey and other students and parents outside, reassuring them things would be okay. Florida law allows the school 10 days to file a formal appeal, and a hearing and final decision must occurwithin 60 days. Amid hugs, Walton said the school intended to formally appeal on Wednesday. Like the young kid said, were going to fight. This is a developing story. Check tampabay.com for updates. Divya Kumar is a reporter covering education as a member of the Tampa Bay Times Education Hub. You can contribute to the hub through our journalism fund byclicking here. Residents panic in a street after hearing an explosion in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, Oct. 15, 2025. A blast was heard in the Afghanistan capital Kabul at around 3 p.m. local time Wednesday, causing panic among city residents. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) KABUL, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- A blast was heard in the Afghanistan capital Kabul at around 3 p.m. local time Wednesday, causing panic among city residents. Afghan government's spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid termed the blast as oil tanker explosion, urging Kabul residents not to worry about it. "An oil tanker exploded in the vicinity of Kabul city, causing a fire, and there is no need to worry," Mujahid said on social media, without providing more details. The accident took place amid sporadic skirmishes between Afghan and Pakistani border forces over the past couple of days. A fire truck rushes to the explosion site in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, Oct. 15, 2025. A blast was heard in the Afghanistan capital Kabul at around 3 p.m. local time Wednesday, causing panic among city residents. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) GENEVA City leaders continue to deal with the challenge of the on-going West Main Street infrastructure project, which just passed 18 months of work. Geneva City Manger Joseph Varckette gave an updated report on the project. The proposed finish date had been the end of September for the underground work, with paving in October. He said ongoing underground issues have pushed that date back. We said from day one, this was going to be at least an 18-month project, Varckette said. He said the contractor has done a great job, but the scope of the project was substantial, and had been delayed for years or decades because of financial challenges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its been one thing after another and it has been brutal for all of us, Varckette said. He said the next phase of the project will not be easy. Were actually heading into what is the most difficult part of the project, Varckette said. He said the contractor is working on storm sewers this week. More underground work is scheduled for the week of Oct. 27 and into the week of Nov. 3, when curbing will hopefully completed, with plans for paving the second week of November. but weather is a big factor in the process, he said. We need this weather to last another month, Varckette said of the moderate temperatures. The applying of the asphalt includes a base layer, an intermediate layer and the final surface layer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement City Councilperson Bill Baker asked Varckette for a target completion date. It is probably somewhere in the area of Nov. 10, but it is weather dependent, Varckette said. Council passed a variety of ordinances during Mondays meeting, including a mandated Cyber Security Program. Varckette said the program should reduce the possibility of city systems being compromised, but it is not an absolute guarantee. The second phase of a streetscape program will likely start this week, and the Lawn Street waterline project is moving along with the possibility of construction during spring 2026, Varckette said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said bidding on the project is scheduled for late November and early December, with bid opening on Dec. 12. City council approved Verdantas as the engineering contractor for a project made possible by a U.S. Department of Transportation Safe Streets and Roads grant of $212,00 for the city and Geneva and Harpersfield townships, Varckette said. The three governments will provide the remaining $53,000, he said. Verdantas planner Sarah Jammal gave a report on work to revise zoning code and change flood plain regulations. She said a public hearing needs to occur. Varckette said these are important parts of the citys plans for the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is going toake some time to digest the information, he said of a report provided to council by Jammal. The planning commission has been working on the zoning code ... to make it more readable, Jammal said. The ideas have been forwarded to a committee, and then a public hearing will take place, Varckette said. The Parks Master Plan is nearing completion, he said. There will be an 8:30 a.m. Oct. 23 meeting for the finance committee to review plans for the 2026 city budget, Varckette said. He said the yard waste pick-up service has been completed and leaf pick-up service has started, and will continue into early December. Ghoulfest will take place from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Oct. 25, and trick or treat will be from 4-6 p.m. Oct. 26, Varckette said. FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WKRN) New affordable housing is coming to the City of Franklin. The city is partnering with Habitat for Humanity to give houses to specific workers. This is the first time since 2018 that the City of Franklin has partnered with Habitat for Humanity to provide affordable housing for people in the area. Neighborhood News: Stories impacting your community | Read More Habitat for Humanity in Williamson-Maury County is partnering with the city to build two new and affordable single family homes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The homes will be located at 409 Sanchez St. and 1209 Mulberry St. The funding is coming from a community block-grant program. Both of these homes will be deed restricted for 30 years. The homes will be for teachers, first responders, health care workers, city staff and service employees. Franklin Vice Mayor Jason Potts said the city is looking forward to the project supporting people in the community. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com This is a great visible, meaningful project that actually aligns with our character and our values, Potts said. I want to thank the housing commission for being a part of this, specifically Cathleen and Tom, for the hard work they put on this but thank you all. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Franklins Board of Mayor and Aldermen passed it unanimously. Theres no word yet on when construction will begin. Do you have news happening in your neighborhood? Let us know by sending an email to neighborhoodnews@wkrn.com. 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 WKRN News 2. Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge was called back to the city Wednesday as Mayor Aftab Pureval signaled possible leadership changes amid rising concerns over violent crime. Theetge, who was in Denver for a national police chiefs conference, was asked "to return to Cincinnati immediately to address departmental matters," City Manager Sheryl Long said in a statement Wednesday evening. A spokeswoman confirmed Long requested Theetge's return. Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said earlier in the day he wouldn't rule out the possibility of seeking a new police chief. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Unfortunately, the violence has persisted, and so we're exploring all options, including changes, and when I have more information about that, I will certainly provide it," Pureval told reporters after adjourning the weekly City Council meeting Oct. 15. When asked whether that means Theetge will no longer be the chief, Pureval said it means they are exploring all options. "Significant changes are needed at this point and we are working very urgently to stop the violence," Pureval said. Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge The city manager, in her statement, said no change has been made regarding police department leadership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Our shared priority remains ensuring public safety, supporting our officers and maintaining the public's confidence," Long said in the statement. Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police President Ken Kober pushed back on the idea of removing Theetge. "Replacing the chief is not the answer," Kober said in a text message. "There are three options: Repeal Issue 5 so the Police Chief isnt under the thumb of an elected official, convince the mayor to allow the Chief to do her job independently or residents vote for a new mayor. Otherwise we will remain at status quo with violence in this city." What did Police Chief Teresa Theetge do? Theetges leadership has come under scrutiny following a series of high-profile crimes that have drawn national attention, including the killing of Patrick Heringer and a widely shared video of a fight in Downtown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theetge was appointed as interim police chief in February 2022 following the retirement of Eliot Isaac. She was sworn in as chief in January 2023. She was the first woman chief, and prior to that was the first female executive assistant chief. Cincinnati leaders and Theetge have faced criticism this summer as crime spiked in the city's urban core. A double shooting on Oct. 13 on Fountain Square again pushed the city into trending posts on social media. Mayor Aftab Pureval declined to give a straight "yes" or "no" in response to questions this week about whether he had confidence in Theetge. Cincinnati police chief Teresa A. Theetge sits during an interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer at District 1 in West End on Friday, June 27, 2025. Theetge criticized over crime Conservative pundits as well as mayoral challenger Cory Bowman have questioned the city's approach to crime. Theetge and Pureval gave a series of press conferences, sometimes weekly, on the efforts being made to control crime in accordance with the Collaborative Agreement. Since 1999, Cincinnati has had six police chiefs. Thomas Streicher served 12 years, then the city decided to hire from outside the ranks of the department. James Craig came on in 2011 but stayed less than two years. Chief Jeffrey Blackwell was next and was ousted within two years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2015, the city again hired a chief from within the department. Isaac's tenure lasted over six years until his retirement. Isaac now leads the University of Cincinnati Police Department. Theetge had a long career at the Cincinnati Police Department before becoming chief and comes from generations of law enforcement. Under her leadership, she successfully lobbied the city for more funds and support in recruitment and retention of police officers. More recently, she launched a "drones as first responders" program, which is one of the first in the region. This story was updated to add a video. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati police chief under pressure, summoned to address 'departmental matters' City officials are warning residents about a social media event that has not been approved or permitted by the city. The city says the post has been circulating online, inviting people to take part in an event at St. Augustine Beach. Officials say the event organizer does not have a city permit and could be part of a scam. Theyre urging residents to be cautious before engaging or sharing any personal information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone with questions can contact the City of St. Augustine Beach to confirm whether an event is legitimate. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. The U.S. State Department has updated a travel advisory for Madagascar, urging Americans to reconsider travel due to increasing violent crime and civil unrest. The agency issued the Level 3: Reconsider Travel warning on Sept. 27. The advisory warns of violent crime and unpredictable protests throughout the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Violent crime occurs throughout Madagascar, particularly after dark. This includes armed robbery and assault, the State Department said in a notice. It can happen in remote areas and along major national roads in the countrys south and west. The department cautioned that protests can turn violent without warning, and that demonstrators have engaged in rioting, looting and vandalism. A Level 3 advisory, one step below the most severe Do Not Travel warning, signifies serious risks to safety and security. The State Department advises travelers to have an evacuation plan that does not depend on U.S. government help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other safety recommendations include avoiding demonstrations and crowds, monitoring local media and staying alert in locations frequented by tourists. Travelers are also encouraged to not walk alone, travel on roads between cities after dark and avoid any display of wealth, such as wearing expensive watches or jewelry. Americans in the country are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive updates from the U.S. embassy. Generative AI was used to organize and draft this story, based on data provided by NJ.com. It was reviewed and edited by a MassLive.com reporter. More Business News Read the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here. More than a dozen Afghan civilians were killed and over 100 others were wounded as renewed fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan broke out along their shared border, officials said. The countries have traded fire along the border since Saturday, when dozens were killed across multiple border regions. Afghanistan claimed to have killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight operations in retaliation for what it called repeated violations of Afghan territory and airspace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pakistans army said 23 troops were killed. The fighting on Wednesday erupted before dawn, according to officials on both sides. Pakistan TV, the main state-owned television station, reported later in the day that Afghanistan was seeking a ceasefire on the border near the village of Chaman where the fighting was concentrated. Pakistani security officials and state-run media accused Afghan troops of unprovoked fire that was repulsed in Kurram, a district of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Security officials and television reports said Pakistans military overnight killed 30 Afghan Taliban fighters near Kurram in Afghanistans Khost province, destroyed a large training facility in Afghanistan used by the Pakistani Taliban. A line of cargo trucks bound for Pakistan is stranded on the Afghan side of the Torkham border crossing, which remained closed after clashes (Wahidullah Kakar/AP) Zabihullah Mujahid, chief spokesman for the Taliban government in Afghanistans capital Kabul, said Pakistan used light and heavy weapons in assaults on the Spin Boldak district in Afghanistans southern Kandahar province, which lies opposite Pakistans southwestern border town of Chaman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Afghan forces returned fire and killed several Pakistani soldiers, seized military posts and captured weapons including tanks, Mr Mujahid said. Pakistans military rejected the Afghan claim on Wednesday, saying in a statement that the fighting along the Chaman border was orchestrated by the Taliban in Afghanistan through divided villages in the area, with no regard for the civilian population. The attack was repulsed by Pakistani forces, which killed between 15 and 20 Afghan Taliban and wounded many others in Spin Boldak, a border city in Afghanistans Kandahar province, the military said. On Tuesday, Pakistans military said the Afghan Taliban worked with the Pakistani Taliban in an attempted assault on Pakistani border posts in the Kurram district but the attacks were repulsed, causing heavy losses to Afghan positions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Awais Ahmad, a doctor at Chaman hospital, said several people wounded in the attack were brought to the hospital. Witnesses in Chaman said they saw mortars falling near Pakistani villages and some families were seen evacuating. This fighting has been going on since early morning, and the people who live close to border area leaving the area, said Chaman resident Najibullah Khan, who urged the countries to end the fighting to prevent further shelling of villages. The clashes on the long and porous border stopped temporarily Sunday following appeals from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, but border crossings remain closed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The renewed fighting underscores the simmering tension between the neighbours. The Taliban government on Friday accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes in Kabul and in an eastern Afghanistan market. Pakistani state media said on Tuesday night that the military targeted hideouts of the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, which is a separate but allied group of the Afghan Taliban. The latest attacks in Kurram were carried out jointly by Afghan forces and TTP fighters and Pakistan destroyed several Afghan posts and inflicted heavy losses in response, state media said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pakistan accuses the Taliban government of harbouring the TTP, which has carried out numerous deadly attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies the allegation, saying it does not allow its territory to be used for operations against other countries. Rep. Rick Ladd, a Haverhill Republican and chairman of the House Education Funding Committee, hears a presentation from representatives of the Claremont School District about a $5 million budget deficit the district is facing, on Oct. 14, 2025. (Photo by Ethan DeWitt/New Hampshire Bulletin) As the Claremont School District reels from a $5 million budget deficit, reducing staff, shutting schools, and fighting to get through the school year, Republicans in Concord are split over how much they should help out. On one side are those who say the state should provide some temporary financial assistance to give the school board breathing room as it digs its way out of its fiscal hole. On the other are those who say that would set a bad precedent for future financial crises in other districts. At a key meeting of the Senate Education Committee Tuesday, lawmakers ultimately pushed off a vote on a bailout in order to discuss the matter further. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But whatever they decide for Claremont, Republicans agree on one takeaway from the citys crisis: The state should impose more oversight over school districts and their budgets. And some say they will propose legislation next year to do so. Sen. Victoria Sullivan, a Manchester Republican, says she has filed legislation to allow for the possibility of receivership over struggling school districts. In an interview, Sullivan said her bill would allow the State Board of Education to investigate problems in public school districts and assume some management responsibilities over those schools during crises. Kudos to Claremont: The community are stepping in to make sure the kids still have their extracurriculars and doing what theyre doing, Sullivan said. But we should never get to this point. Some Republicans say the states Department of Education should impose more oversight. Rep. Jim Kofalt, a Wilton Republican, said the department should conduct regular audits of school district budgets to catch any irregularities before they balloon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Others have raised the possibility of legislation that would enable recall elections against school boards if residents feel they have caused a crisis and want new leadership. Voters who feel that they need new boards dont have a mechanism to do so, said Rep. Daniel Popovici-Muller, a Windham Republican. Rep. Rick Ladd, a Haverhill Republican and the chairman of the House Education Funding Committee, noted a number of bills submitted ahead of next years session that would enhance the Department of Educations authority, including one of his labeled relative to the intervention of the department of education into a school or school district during a financial emergency. There has to be some kind of a hammer or accountability oversight that the Department of Education and the state treasurer have here, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposals have emerged as Claremonts woes have entered the statewide spotlight. In August, the citys school board reviewed an audit and discovered that mismanagement of the budget meant the district had fallen $5 million behind in payments, with virtually no cash on hand to pay those debts and keep the school operating. That shortfall caused an immediate catastrophe for the board, which faced questions about whether classes could even resume in September. After around 40 layoffs, the closure of an elementary school, and a $4 million loan from the Claremont Savings Bank that is due in April, the district has managed to continue classes this school year, explained James OShaughnessy, the attorney for the school board, on Tuesday. The board has hired an interim business administrator, Matt Angel, to oversee a series of aggressive cuts to services to pay off debts while any mismanagement is addressed. That process could take about two years, aided by the districts regular allotment of state adequacy funds every quarter as well as city property tax revenue, OShaughnessy said. But because of its limited cash flow and the need to pay back the $4 million loan in April Claremont will likely have no funds from April to September to continue paying for operations without more financial support, OShaughnessy said. That means even with a proactive debt relief plan, and even with its regular quarterly adequacy payments, the district would likely not be able to reopen for the 2026-2027 school year if it cannot access more loans, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This month, two Republican lawmakers Ladd and Sen. Ruth Ward, a Stoddard Republican and the chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee have proposed a state-backed solution: a temporary, targeted revolving loan fund to help the district access cash quickly. The two have both proposed an amendment to an existing bill that will be taken up by the House and Senate in early January. The proposal would direct the state treasurer to create a non-lapsing fund separate from all other funds. The fund would include no more than 75% of the total amount that the state already sends the district in annual adequacy aid. The district would be required to pay any money it withdrew from that fund back to the state with interest, and each withdrawal would need to be made with an agreement among the school board, the Department of Education, and the state treasurer. For Ladd and Ward, the legislation is an unusual but necessary fix. The preamble of the bill states that Claremont faces immediate and extraordinary fiscal challenges that may impact its ability to provide an adequate education to its students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve got to keep it narrow in scope. We need to help those kids in Claremont, Ladd said. That school has to stay open for the rest of this year. This is one way of doing it. But others said the precedent could inspire more mismanagement from other school districts, or allow school boards to evade difficult decisions when facing a funding gap. Many of us are concerned, said Kofalt. Were concerned with making sure that the people of Claremont are ultimately able to continue with our schools open, but we are also concerned that this should never happen again in other districts And some, like Popovici-Muller, said that lawmakers should come up with a more permanent financial aid approach that is not specific to Claremont. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is not something that well be lingering on, but please consider that (its) a complicated mess thats still unraveling. Were still trying to understand what happened. We need a more thorough solution. Democrats said lawmakers should take more time. Sen. Debra Altschiller, a Stratham Democrat, argued the state should help the district before it begins diving into bigger solutions. Theres a leak in their boat, so we have to plug up the leak, and then we can review why there was a leak in the boat at a later date, she said. But we cant let this boat, the Claremont boat, sink with children in the boat, because we want to look at the structure of how the boat was built or the maintenance of the boat. OShaughnessy echoed that point. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is an extraordinary, extraordinary thing that were all doing today to ask you to adopt special legislation, he said. We wouldnt be here if there were good alternatives. Still, soon after the Senate committee meeting concluded, House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, an Auburn Republican, issued a statement underscoring the political difficulty of a quick decision that could earn the support of the House and Senate. House Republicans will fight to protect the taxpayers from bailing out the incompetence of Claremont schools, he said. I appreciate the efforts of Claremonts state senator and look forward to working on a solution that will solve the issue in the long term, not a short-term fix that throws money at the problem and hopes it goes away. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The Clark County Council has formally decried the shooting of Charlie Kirk with a new resolution. During a meeting on Tuesday, the council adopted a policy that condemns political violence, while highlighting the death of Turning Point USAs founder. Federal judge extends orders to keep National Guard out of Portland The Clark County Council unequivocally condemns political violence in all its forms, including the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and declares that acts of violence shall never be tolerated as legitimate tools of political expression, Resolution No. 2025-10-02 reads. This Council urges all citizens to reaffirm their commitment to the principles of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, to resolve differences peacefully, and to protect the freedoms that secure our Republic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The right-wing advocate was fatally shot during a tour stop at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. Congressional leaders have since declared Oct. 14 as a National Day of Remembrance for Kirk. Ross Wiley, a regional manager for Turning Point USAs faith-based organization, thanked Clark County leaders for honoring Kirk on the same day that would have been his 32nd birthday. He went on college campuses because he was concerned, Wiley said. He wasnt trying to hurt anybody or embarrass anybody, but his mission was to push freedom of speech and he realized that on these campuses that kids were being taught a communistic, marxist system. His goal was to bring a conservative viewpoint and help educate people on the other side of things. District 2 Councilor Michelle Belkot first presented the resolution to county leaders at a meeting on Sept. 17. Other councilors suggested that the language also include references to other instances of violence, noting the Colorado school shooting that happened on the same day as Kirks death and the June assassination of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Providence to shut down occupational health services at multiple Portland-area clinics When District 1 Councilor Glen Yung suggested that the resolution focus on all forms of political violence, rather than directly naming and centering on Kirks assassination, Belkot respectfully declined noting that the council named George Floyd in a resolution that condemned violence in 2021. The council ultimately adopted Belkots initial proposal. District 3 Councilor Wil Fuentes, one of the county leaders who highlighted other instances of violence, was the only councilor who did not sign the document. 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 KOIN.com. ALBANY - The attorneys for two former correction officers on trial for murder and manslaughter charges sought to convince a jury during their closing arguments on Wednesday that their clients were not responsible for the beating death of Robert L. Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility in December. Six former correction officers have pleaded guilty in the case, including five to manslaughter charges, and admitted their roles in the fatal beating of Brooks. Three others agreed to plead guilty to reduced charges and are cooperating with prosecutors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But three former officers who opted to take their cases to trial sat stoically in Oneida County Court Wednesday as the jury and members of Brooks' family watched the closing arguments. If convicted of the top charge - murder - they could face 25 years to life in prison. Two of the defense attorneys, Kevin A. Luibrand and Luke Nebush, who represent Mathew J. Galliher and David J. Kingsley II, respectively, sought to drive home for the jury that their clients never struck Brooks and had simply followed their training as other officers rained down blows during the series of brutal beatings. David Longeretta, an attorney for the third defendant, Nicholas J. Kieffer, said in his closing argument that prosecutors had failed to prove his client is guilty of the four charges he faces: murder, manslaughter, gang assault and offering a false instrument for filing - a charge that alleges he signed a falsified use of force report. Longeretta said that Kieffer did not take place in the multiple assaults that prosecutors allege preceded Brooks' death. He also reminded the jury that Brooks was in prison for stabbing his ex-girlfriend "repeatedly" while in a "drug-induced state." Brooks small stature, Longeretta asserted, "did not make him any less dangerous." In addition, he sought to raise questions about what injuries had caused Brooks' death, noting that he had been evaluated at a Utica hospital two days before his death, after he was beaten by other inmates at Mohawk Correctional Facility, which is next door to Marcy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the two days preceding his death, Brooks was attacked three times by other inmates at Mohawk, including being struck with padlocks that were stuffed in socks and used as makeshift weapons, Longeretta said. Testimony showed one of those beatings took place on the day he was transferred to Marcy. He also reminded the jury that Kieffer, who had used pepper spray on Brooks that evening in a hallway, was in the infirmary room where the final beating of Brooks was captured by body cameras for only a very short period of time, and was never shown taking part in the violence. He also said Sgt. Glenn Trombley, who agreed to plead guilty to reduced charges and became a prosecution witness, had testified that he had never seen Kieffer become angry while on duty. "For Nick Kieffer, the prosecution has not met its burden of proof for any of the four charges," Longeretta said. "There was no evidence presented that Mr. Kieffer inflicted any blunt force injury to Mr. Brooks, or caused any injury at all." Longeretta said that even if Kieffer had been in the infirmary room for the entire ordeal, "his presence alone is not guilt unless Mr. Keefer intentionally aided or encouraged the conduct. The prosecution has not shown that Nick Kieffer intended to cause a physical injury to Robert Brooks, let alone prove to you that he caused a serious injury to Robert Brooks." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Luibrand, whose closing argument lasted nearly 90 minutes, sought to pick apart what he described as the department's inadequate training and policies, which Department of Corrections and Community Supervision officials had said requires employees to intervene anytime another employee is using excessive force. The "prosecution did not put a single witness (on the stand) who testified that Mathew Galliher was trained for what he was going to confront that evening," Luibrand said. "There was no discussion in this so-called training video of any hypothetical intervention scenarios that the (correction officers) could use to intervene. Supervisors were there, and it's outrageous for the government to have told you in the opening (statement) that Mathew Galliher was trained on how to intervene." Luibrand and Nebush urged the jury to consider that their clients did not demonstrate a "depraved indifference to human life." Galliher, under orders from a sergeant, had left the infirmary room where Brooks was beaten a third time on the night of Dec. 9 to retrieve leg shackles that were subsequently placed on Brooks' ankles. Luibrand showed the jury a still photo from a body camera video at the moment Galliher came back to the room with the shackles, noting that one of the more violent assaults of Brooks took place when he was gone and that it had stopped by the time he returned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Mathew Galliher left to get the shackles because he was the only one who has them," Luibrand said. "When he returns with the shackles, no one is striking Robert Brooks. I believe the evidence shows that Mathew Galliher was trying to do his job. He had no intent to harm Robert Brooks. He was just trying to get Robert Brooks onto the gurney." Luibrand also focused part of his closing argument on the fact that the prosecution's assertion that Galliher and other officers had a "duty to intervene" is a policy, but not a state law. "The people have told you that Matt had depraved indifference because he knew he had a duty to intervene and did not act on it," Luibrand said, adding that Judge Robert L. Bauer "will instruct you that there is no duty to intervene in New York state. It is not a law." At Marcy, the defense attorneys said, other officers, including Christopher R. Walrath, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is serving a 15-year sentence in state prison, had pummeled Brooks in an administration building that night - before the beating in the infirmary. During that assault, where Galliher and Kingsley were not present, Walrath had "to be pulled off Brooks" after he put him in a dangerous chokehold and slammed his head against a concrete wall, Luibrand and Nebush both told the jury. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Luibrand also assailed former Sgt. Michael Mashaw, who was in charge of the infirmary room and standing by during the beatings, but appeared on video to do little to intervene or try to take control of the situation. Mashaw pleaded guilty to low-level manslaughter charges. He is expected to be sentenced to three to nine years. "Sgt. Mashaw is a profile of a disinterested clown," Luibrand told the jury. "His behavior is dangerous as a leader. There are over 15 people in and out of that room, and Sgt. Mashaw never does or seems to say a thing." Special Prosecutor William J. Fitzpatrick, the Onondaga County district attorney, scoffed at the defense attorneys' closing arguments, telling the jury: "I remind you, they killed him, the whole rotten, stinking, disgusting group of them. They were all in it together, the Marcy welcoming committee." "Forget my impertinence for indicting them for what they did," Fitzpatrick added sarcastically. "I'm sorry. I must be waiting for their award ceremony for their heroic actions." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fitzpatrick, a veteran prosecutor known for his entrancing courtroom demeanor, said as he did in his opening statements that had much of that night's events not been passively recorded - by four body cameras that correction officers and their sergeants were not aware had been filming their actions - it might have led to a different outcome. "I didn't know until today that training was a cause, this lack of training," he said. "The guy whose been on the job for 18 years, he doesn't know that he's supposed to intervene? The one rule that points out that they're murderers, we barely knew about that." Nebush countered in his closing argument that the government had not shown evidence of a "welcoming committee" that had conspired to beat Brooks. He also said the government had provided no evidence that more than a dozen corrections officers and their supervisors who were involved in the series of incidents that night were part of "a gang." Brooks died after being systematically punched, stomped and choked by multiple officers immediately upon being transported to Marcy Correctional Facility from nearby Mohawk Correctional Facility. A medical examiner said his cause of death included multiple blunt force injuries and neck compression. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before he stopped breathing, Brooks had suffered injuries to his head, neck, testicles, liver and spleen. Fitzpatrick reminded the jury that much of what happened to Brooks took place outside the view of the four body cameras that were working. He focused heavily on the fact that he said the officers, as human beings, had a duty to intervene and stop the beating whether or not their policies required that intervention. "What can he possibly have done?" Fitzpatrick said, referring to Galliher. "Maybe rejoined the human race and told these animals to stop?" He also accused Galliher of zipping up his jacket midway through the incident, after he went outside, to deliberately cover his body camera. But Luibrand noted during his closing argument that Galliher, like other officers, was unaware that his camera was passively recording that night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The sad, inexcusable, unthinkable answer is that no, not one member of that gang did a thing to help," Fitzpatrick said. "The three of these men, Mr. Kieffer, Mr. Kingsley, Mr. Galliher, they were part of it, they joined it. No one is charging them with failing to follow a DOCCS regulation, but that's part of their state of mind." A fourth former correction officer, Michael D. Fisher, who faces a charge of second-degree manslaughter, had his case severed from the other three, and is scheduled to go to trial in January. Four of the former state correction officers pleaded guilty last month in Utica to manslaughter charges during a pretrial proceeding, which the judge had said would be their final chance to accept a plea agreement. Two of those officers face prison sentences of 22 years, making it likely they will need to serve at least 18 years in prison. Those former officers include Nicholas Anzalone and Anthony Farina, who were captured on body camera videos punching and stomping Brooks in the prison infirmary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brooks was pronounced dead on Dec. 10, several hours after the assault. His death was ruled a homicide on Jan. 28 by the Onondaga County Medical Examiner's Office. The death of Brooks in December at the hands of multiple correction officers ignited renewed attention on long-standing allegations of unprovoked physical violence committed by correction officers against inmates in state prisons. The incident also exposed the apparently rampant violations of the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision's policy governing the use of body-worn cameras - as well as supervisors' failure to enforce the rules. Body cameras were deployed at the Marcy state prison in May 2024, and the department had been slowly deploying the devices at prisons since 2017 under a pilot program. This article originally published at Case of 3 prison officers charged with murder now goes to the jury. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. As the U.S. government shutdown drags into a second week, CNN is putting on a high-stakes event: Shutdown America: A CNN Town Hall with Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The live broadcast airs Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 9 p.m. ET from Washington, D.C., moderated by Kaitlan Collins. More from Variety Advertisement Advertisement For those without cable, the best way to stream the town hall live online is through Sling TVs Orange plan. The plan includes CNN as part of its core channel lineup, giving subscribers access to the broadcast as it airs in real time. Unlike traditional cable, Sling doesnt require a long-term contract, making it a flexible option for viewers who want to tune in for major events like this one. It can be streamed from smart TVs, tablets, phones or laptops, and subscribers can start or cancel at any time. STREAM CNN ON SLING ORANGE To watch the town hall live, users can sign up for Sling TVs Orange plan, confirm that CNN is included in their channel lineup and log in through the Sling app or website before the 9 p.m. ET broadcast begins. You can also sign up for a $4.99 Sling Day Pass to stream the Town Hall live without the commitment. With more than a million federal employees affected and essential services under strain, the town hall will feature questions from Democrats, Republicans, independents, and those personally impacted by the shutdown. CNN has made a point of emphasizing the open format, allowing Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez to engage with viewers about how the standoff in Washington is reverberating nationwide. Best of Variety Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The U.S. Coast Guard has seized more than 100,000 pounds of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean in the past two months, the agency said Tuesday, including narcotics from a suspected drug smuggling boat that was seen capsized in the sea. The Coast Guard said it has intercepted 34 ships and taken 86 people into custody. The agency has seized an average of 1,600 pounds of cocaine a day, it said. Photos in a news release show multiple seizures, including one that ended with bales of cocaine in the ocean. The actions are part of Operation Pacific Viper, which accelerated counter-drug operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The Coast Guard has worked with international partners and sent additional assets, including ships, aircraft and tactical teams, to seize boats carrying drugs from Central and South America. The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Seneca (WMEC 906) recovers bales of cocaine after a suspected drug smuggling vessel capsized in the Pacific Ocean, Sept. 17, 2025. / Credit: U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Jeffrey Novak, deputy commander of U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area, called the seizures "a remarkable achievement" in the news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "When we say the Coast Guard is accelerating counter-narcotics operations, we mean it. Alongside our partners and allies, our maritime fighting force is scouring drug smuggling routes in the Eastern Pacific and dismantling narco-terrorist networks," Novak said. "We are complementing the Coast Guard's unique law enforcement authorities with cutting-edge capabilities to stop the flow of deadly drugs that threaten U.S. communities. As we mark our interdiction of 100,000 pounds, we are already working towards the next milestone." Coast Guard Cutter Tampa crewmembers intercept a suspected drug smuggling vessel during counter narcotics operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean as part of Operation Pacific Viper. / Credit: U.S. Coast Guard The operations have included the seizure of 8,700 pounds of cocaine from a boat traveling from Panama in early September. Many of the drugs have been offloaded by the Coast Guard in record-breaking amounts in recent weeks. In some instances, the Coast Guard sets the boats transporting the drugs on fire after seizing the narcotics and taking the vessel's occupants into custody. The Coast Guard told CBS News in September that this practice is meant to keep the boats from becoming a hazard to other sailors. The U.S. has also carried out several drone strikes on boats allegedly carrying drugs. The fifth and most recent strike was carried out on Tuesday, the same day the Coast Guard announced the drug seizure milestone. Six people aboard the boat were killed, according to a post from President Trump on Truth Social. In total, 27 people have been killed in the strikes, according to figures released by the Trump administration. Supreme Court wraps arguments in Louisiana congressional map case "Ongoing feud" led to deadly South Carolina bar shooting, sheriff says Israeli hostage's son on Hamas' failure to return bodies The ocean still raged on Tuesday as the coastal storm made its way out of the area. Communities along the Jersey shore are still assessing what's left. "Preceding the storm, we had about a 14-foot high dune system that extended out about 20-25 feet towards the beach. That is completely eradicated," said Upper Township Administrator Jimmy Van Zlike. Officials in Strathmere are now extremely concerned about the homes along Neptune Drive, which are now without the protection of the dune. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday evening, Upper Township officials plan to declare a local state of emergency, reaching out to county, state and federal agencies for help. "As a township, we rely heavily on federal funds and state funds. We can't do it ourselves, and we need help from others. So we're going to be reaching out properly," said Van Zlike. Strathmere was left with major erosion in August, as crews scrambled to repair beach access paths before Labor Day weekend. In Ocean City, as surfers tackled the chilly waves, people marveled at what's left of the beach at 6th Street. "The dunes -- you can't even walk out onto the beach anymore. It's so sad," said Monica Burke of Sicklerville. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's pretty bad," said Scott Rogerson of Ocean City. "They're going to have to do a lot of replenishment this winter to get it back to being usable by the spring and summer." Ocean City's mayor says the city will move sand to fill the beaches north of Music Pier before next summer. Some residents say all this -- the flooding and erosion -- is a part of life at the shore. "I'd rather be here than Florida right now," said Steve Covey of Ocean City. The state DEP sent out inspectors to assess the beaches on Tuesday. As for Army Corps of Engineers beach replenishment projects, they have not received federal funding, leaving many Jersey shore communities waiting for updates. A Smyrna woman is behind bars after troopers said they found a substantial amount of methamphetamine during a traffic stop. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Just before 7 p.m., on Saturday, troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol pulled a Nissan Altima over for speeding on Interstate 80 eastbound. Officials said troopers became suspicious that criminal activity occurred during the stop. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Papillion police K9 sniffed out illegal drugs coming from the car, authorities said. As troopers searched the car, they found several trash bags in the truck, containing meth, authorities said. The NSP said the meth weighed a total of 130 pounds. The driver, Iesha Smith, 47, of Smyrna, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver. She was booked into the Sarpy County Jail on a $1 million bond. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Vice President JD Vance sparked backlash Tuesday after he dismissed pearl clutching over racist, antisemitic and misogynistic messages leaked from a Young Republicans group chat while arguing a Virginia Democrat Jay Joness violent texts were far worse. The odd defensive line came after Politico published 2,900 pages of leaked exchanges among a dozen state-level Young Republican leaders from New York to Arizona. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The chats included references to Black people as monkeys and the watermelon people, praise for Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, and discussions of rape and gas chambers. Several of the chat members have since stepped down from their roles. Rather than condemning the groups rhetoric, Vance pivoted to a recent scandal involving Jones over leaked 2022 texts calling for violence against thenHouse Speaker Todd Gilbert. One of the texts said Gilbert should get two bullets to the head. Vance posted on X that Joness comments were far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and dismissed the Young Republicans messages as nothing more than a college group chat. This is far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and the guy who said it could become the AG of Virginia. I refuse to join the pearl clutching when powerful people call for political violence. pic.twitter.com/kV57Wq7BLG JD Vance (@JDVance) October 14, 2025 The vice presidents remarks drew immediate rebukes from across the aisle. Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) responded: Why cant we denounce both? https://t.co/RhYEn0OUP1 Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) October 15, 2025 Other liberal commentators followed: Can we fix the showers? Gas chambers dont fit the Hitler aesthetic, Joe Maligno, who previously identified himself as the general counsel for the New York State Young Republicans, wrote back. Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) October 14, 2025 you're such an empty void Secular Talk (KyleKulinskiShow@bsky.social) (@KyleKulinski) October 14, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The uproar comes just weeks after the assassination of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University last month and renewed concerns about political violence and violent rhetoric. The post College Group Chat: JD Vance Dismisses Pearl Clutching Over Young Republicans Leak to Attack Jay Jones first appeared on Mediaite. Boston Globe/Getty Images The Trump administrations latest higher education initiative was pitched to Americas elite colleges and universities as a defense of free speech and intellectual rigor. In practice, it reads like a loyalty oath. The document, a Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, was sent to nine schools earlier this month and outlines 10 conditions the schools must meet to remain eligible for federal funding. The compact requires universities to abolish or transform departments that purposely belittle conservative ideas, define gender strictly according to reproductive function and biological processes, and roll back DEI efforts in admissions and faculty hiring. It also caps international student enrollment at 15% and bars more than 5% from any one country, demands that campuses use lawful force if necessary to prevent student protest, and restricts all university employees from speaking publicly on societal and political events other than when they directly impact the university. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In President Donald Trumps online posts about the compact on his preferred social platform, Truth Social, he claimed the agreement is about lowering costs for students, protecting conservative free speech on campus, and focusing on merit over DEI. But college presidents, student organizers, and faculty are sounding the alarm about how the Trump administration could use the threat of funding cuts to reshape the university as an institution in its own image. University administrators have until October 20 to provide feedback to the White House, and until November 21 to decide whether or not to sign. How The Trump Admin's Attack on Higher Education and DEI Are Impacting Campuses The Trump admin's college compact is only the latest effort to change US academic institutions; schools like Columbia, University of Michigan and the University of Chicago are feeling the shift. Cross-campus organizing is a consistent factor in the response to the Trump administrations attacks. On Tuesday evening, a representative for the youth climate organizing-focused Sunrise Movement, which is supporting students at the nine campuses and elsewhere, told Teen Vogue that theyre preparing to launch a new national coalition uniting student and youth organizations to push schools to not comply with Trump's demands. Stay up-to-date with the politics team. Sign up for the Teen Vogue Take This week, student body presidents from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Virginia, and the University of Arizona, joined by student governance bodies in part or in full from Brown University, Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt, issued a joint statement urging their schools to reject the agreement outright. The signatories wrote that the compact could systemically alter the mission of higher education and erode the independence that has long defined our universities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, MITs president Sally Kornbluth was the first administrator of the nine schools to openly oppose the plan, noting on Friday that the compact agreement would restrict freedom of expression and [MITs] independence as an institution. Dartmouth president Sian Leah Beilock similarly rejected the proposal, writing that the college will never compromise our academic freedom and our ability to govern ourselves. Strong opposition continues to come from student and faculty organizing, as those at some of the most elite colleges in the country beg their universities not to cave to Trump for a check. Their coordinated response reflects a new phase of student and faculty labor activism that has been underway for years, from undergraduate and graduate worker union drives to encampments demanding universities divest from Israel. Now, those same organizing networks are being deployed to defend the autonomy of the university. At Brown University last Thursday, more than 100 students and 20 faculty members gathered outside the campus gates, taping their mouths shut to symbolize what they called the compacts threat to free speech. As the child of an immigrant, I have seen firsthand how systems use fear and policies to keep people silent and subservient, says Francisco Ramirez, a sophomore and Brown Rise Up organizer. This proposed compact is no different. courtesy of Brown Rise Up Faculty opposition continues to mount. At the University of Virginia, 97% of the faculty who attended a special meeting voted to reject the compact outright. But the final decision lies with university presidents and the trustees and boards that oversee them, some of whom have been eager to align with the Trump administration. Kevin Eltife, chair of the University of Texas Systems board of regents, said in a statement earlier this month he was honored that UT Austin had been selected for potential funding advantages under the plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following MITs rejection of the plan last week, Trump took to Truth Social to air his grievances: Higher Education has lost its way, and is now corrupting our Youth and Society with WOKE, SOCIALIST, and ANTI-AMERICAN Ideology, Trump posted on Sunday. The compact, he claimed, would end racist admission policies, and he would forcefully enforce federal law against universities that refuse to comply, though it's unclear exactly how he would do that. For many faculty members and students, the real purpose of the compact and Trumps threats is to intimidate those in higher education, testing just how far they can go. For a government to ask a university to give up its control over what can be said or taught, over who can be admitted and over how we evaluate students in exchange for undetermined resources and protection from further targeting, said J Timmons Roberts, a Brown professor of environment and society. That is extortion. Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue Check out more Teen Vogue education coverage: FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) Amazon Primes The College Tour is spending the week filming an episode of the show at Fairmont State University. The College Tour, hosted by Alex Boylan, highlights different college campuses across the country. Fairmont State was chosen as one of the universities that will be featured on the shows 16th season next year. Ten FSU students were chosen to share their journey as a Falcon for the episode, and they represent all that Fairmont State has to offer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alex Boylan, the host and executive producer of The College Tour, told 12 News that the show chose to visit Fairmont State partly because of its unique programs in Aviation and National Security & Intelligence. You have some really great, amazing students, a beautiful campus, set in a beautiful part of the country, but we have some really cool stories, Boylan said. Were going to tell the story about an aviator, you have the FBI center not too far from here, right, so we have special intelligence. Alex Boylan (WBOY Image) Scholarship created in memory of Lewis County student The show was initially created after Boylans niece couldnt decide where to go to college. Boylan aims to bring the campus experience to life for students who are undecided but cant make it on a physical college tour due to various barriers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mike Davis, the President of Fairmont State University, spoke with 12 News about what he hopes the public will take away from the episode. I really hope that people who watch the show see the personal interactions on our campus. I think a campus our size, part of our superpower is the ability of people to connect with each other, Davis said. After filming wraps up later this week, the production crew hopes that the episode will air in three to four months. 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 WBOY.com. SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) First responders were dispatched to a two-car wreck that sent one person to the hospital. A tan GMC pickup truck collided with a maroon Ford Expedition when the crash happened near the intersection of Sunset Drive and Southwest, reported the San Angelo Police Department (SAPD). SAPD didnt write a citation because they didnt know who was at fault. 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 ConchoValleyHomepage.com. MANILA, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Wednesday that it has approved a 4-million-U.S.-dollar grant to improve road transport connectivity and boost resilience in Ermera, a remote and underserved region of Timor-Leste. The grant provided through the Asian Development Fund will enhance a critical 11-kilometer road corridor connecting rural communities to markets and essential services, while safeguarding infrastructure from climate risks, the Manila-based bank said. "Timor-Leste's development progress is facing growing risks from extreme weather," said ADB Country Director for Timor-Leste Stefania Dina. "This project empowers rural communities to stay connected to markets, essential services, and livelihoods. By enhancing the government's capacity to plan and maintain climate-resilient infrastructure, we are paving the way for a safer and more resilient Ermera," said Dina. ELKRIDGE, Md. (DC News Now) First responders are on the scene of a crash on Washington Boulevard in Howard County Wednesday. Details remain limited; however, the collision happened at Kit Kat Road in the Elkridge area. As a result, Washington Boulevard is blocked off in both directions, according to Howard County police. Tractor-trailer hits underside of I-70, forces lanes to close for hours in Carroll County Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Drivers should seek alternative routes until the crash is cleared. Check DCNewsNow.com for updates. To keep up with the latest news and weather updates, download our Mobile App on iPhone or Android. 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 DC News Now | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live. Sen. Stephen Meredith, R-Leitchfield, Rep. Amy Neighbors, R-Edmonton, and Dr. Whitney Jones, the founder of the Colon Cancer Prevention Project and the previous chair of the Kentucky Colon Cancer Screening and Prevention Advisory Committee, discuss cancer screening and prevention. Oct. 15, 2025. (Screenshot) The Kentucky Colon Cancer Screening Program has asked the General Assembly for an increase in state funding from $500,000 per year to $1.25 million annually in the 2026 legislative session. Sen. Stephen Meredith, R-Leitchfield, called the increased funding for the organization, whose advisory committee he sits on, miniscule in light of the impact cancer screening has on Kentuckians and on money saved down the road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Representatives with the Kentucky Colon Cancer Screening Program told the Budget Review Subcommittee on Health & Family Services Wednesday that early detection saves many lives and $67 million each year because fewer people need later-stage intensive treatments. One of my greatest frustrations as a legislator is we never take the time to measure the cost of doing nothing, Meredith said. And even though weve seen great improvement in colon cancer screening and reducing deaths, the works not done yet. Dr. Whitney Jones, the founder of the Colon Cancer Prevention Project and the previous chair of the Kentucky Colon Cancer Screening and Prevention Advisory Committee, said that widespread screening has saved 270 people each year who dont die from colon cancer and 640 people annually who dont get colon cancer because we found their polyps and we skipped their cancers. The program provides free screenings for eligible Kentucky residents who are low income and uninsured, age 45 or older or those who are younger than 45 but are at high risk because of family history. The program budget request states demand is projected to exceed available resources by 2026 and with the additional funds, upward of 300+ colonoscopies could be completed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Amy Neighbors, R-Edmonton, told her fellow lawmakers from the presenters table: Early detection saved my life, and I dont want anyone in Kentucky to miss that same chance. I am an early age onset colorectal cancer survivor, and I often think about how differently my story could have turned out if I had been uninsured or if I hadnt had access to a timely colonoscopy, Neighbors said. Kentucky still has the highest colorectal cancer rates in the nation and one of the highest for early age onset. We can change that, but only if we invest in prevention, in education, on time screening based on family history and quick response to warning symptoms. American Cancer Society data shows that Kentucky has both a high prevalence of cancer screenings as well as a high cancer mortality rate. Cancer mortality has decreased, however, in the state over at least the last decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing late stage cancer saves both lives and health care dollars by avoiding the enormous costs of advanced treatment, Neighbors said. No Kentuckian should ever lose their life simply because they cant afford or access a colonoscopy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the interim, legislative committees are fielding requests for money from a variety of organizations ahead of the 2026 legislative session, which begins Jan. 6. During the 60-day session in Frankfort, lawmakers will pass the next two-year state budget. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A view of the Littleton Center, seat of government in Littleton. (Google Maps) Littleton voters in November will decide whether the citys land-use code should be frozen as it was at the beginning of the year, essentially locking single-family zoning into place and preventing higher density neighborhoods. Election 2025 Coloradans are voting on two statewide ballot measures and a variety of local issues in the off-year election. Click here for more of Newslines coverage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ballot Question 3A would amend the city charter by preserving single-family zoning as it existed on Jan. 1 and require voter approval for any city-initiated rezoning in residential districts. The charter amendment was put on the ballot through a petition by a citizen-led group called Rooted in Littleton. Earlier this year, the group helped lead the effort to pressure the Littleton City Council to table an ordinance that allowed denser housing options, such as duplexes, in many parts of the city. The only way we could think to stop (land use changes), at least for a couple of years, was to get an amendment on the charter so they cant change it, Joe Whitney, part of Rooted in Littleton, said on the Kim Monson Show earlier this month. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Supporters of 3A argue that freezing the zoning code would help preserve the towns unique character, yards, trees, and open spaces, according to the Yes on 3A website. It comes down to individual home rights, Whitney said on Monsons show. In our particular case, all of us moved to Littleton because we wanted to get away from the crime, traffic and pressures of downtown to have a more idyllic setting to raise kids and to live. This threatens to make Littleton an extension of downtown, to really densify and double or maybe triple the population of Littleton. Littleton is a home rule city of about 45,000 residents in the southwest part of metro Denver. All of us moved to Littleton because we wanted to get away from the crime, traffic and pressures of downtown to have a more idyllic setting to raise kids and to live. Joe Whitney, of Rooted in Littleton, on the Kim Monson Show 3A would not prevent homeowners from applying for different zoning on their own. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposed charter amendment comes in the wake of various land use reforms at the state level meant to allow denser development and spur construction of more attainable housing amid the states housing shortage. Those reforms include laws allowing more housing near public transit corridors, reducing parking minimums for new developments and allowing accessory dwelling units to be built in single-family zoning in the states biggest cities, including Littleton. Cities that do not comply with those state laws around growth are at risk of losing out on state funding and grants. Littleton City Attorney Reid Betzing said during a recent City Council meeting that 3A could create a potential conflict with Littletons ADU ordinance, which was updated earlier this year to comply with state law. City Council opposition Opponents of 3A, led by the group Vibrant Littleton, say it would restrict future housing options and limit who can move to the city. Most voters understand that 3A is a reaction to proposed housing policy. But heres the hidden danger: 3A affects far more than housing. It could lock in outdated restrictions on everything from energy efficiency upgrades, in-home care uses, or even changes in the kinds of pets were allowed to have, a post on Vibrant Littletons website says. It is a direct attack on smart, local, flexible governance, and a bad idea for Littleton homeowners of all stripes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Littleton City Council voted 5-1 on Oct. 7 to oppose the ballot measure. Land use does not belong in the charter. Look at the charter land use and zoning arent in it, Mayor Kyle Schlachter said during the meeting. Second, its ambiguous and ambiguous legislative language leads to lawsuits. When the state says that we have to allow ADUs, but our charter and code conflict with that, thats a problem, he said. The city asked an Arapahoe County judge to review the ballot measure last month but dropped the judicial review Monday. Election Day is Nov. 4. Eligible Coloradans can register to vote or update their registration at GoVoteColorado.com. Any eligible voter who registers to vote by Oct. 27 will receive a ballot in the mail. After Oct. 27, eligible voters can still register and vote in person at a polling location until 7 p.m. on Election Day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Voters who receive a mail ballot can return it through the mail, deposit it in a secure ballot drop box, or drop it off at an in-person polling location. County clerks in Colorados 64 counties oversee elections in their jurisdictions, and information about ballot drop box and in-person service locations is available at local county clerks websites. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) The Columbus Police Department has found a teenage boy that was last seen in the area of the 3300 block of Melrose Drive. 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 WRBL. A community is asking for answers after the second incident in a week where a child with autism walked away from a Pittsburgh Public School building. Tuesday, a 14-year-old student at Pittsburgh Bridges Academy, a satellite program inside Pittsburgh Carmalt, left through a staff door. RELATED COVERAGE >>> Missing teen with autism seen walking away from Pittsburgh Carmalt found safe District officials tell Channel 11 it was the only door in the building without an alarm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Somehow, he found that one. I think thats one of the things, as a school board, we have to speak with the superintendent about. How do we secure the buildings in a way that doesnt happen? PPS Board President Gene Walker told Channel 11. The teen was found by his own school transportation driver about a mile away and taken home. Last week, a 7-year-old with autism walked away from Pittsburgh Colfax during recess. PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> 7-year-old student with autism wanders away from a Pittsburgh Public School during recess District officials say they are reviewing all safety protocols in the wake of the incidents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think there needs to be extra care taken, especially when were dealing with our young students with special needs and autism in particular, Walker said. Channel 11 did contact the family of that 14-year-old student. They did not want to speak to us. Walker expects to speak to PPS Superintendent Wayne Walters, Wednesday. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW KILPATRICK, Ala. (WHNT) Most cities and towns across Alabama date back hundreds of years. So when we learned a new town in DeKalb County was being founded in the year 2025, we needed to stop by. Tuesday evening, the Town of Kilpatrick held its very first town meeting and swore in its first Mayor and Town Council Members. Richard Bruce is the first Mayor, and Rachel Bloodworth, Kim Hunt, Fernando Guzman, and Tina Malone are the first council members. Two arrested over weekend in Jackson County on gun-related charges Richard Bruce being sworn in as the Town of Kilpatricks first Mayor. The Town of Kilpatrick is in DeKalb County, near Crossville and Albertville. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The community of roughly 300 people voted in March of 2025 to become an incorporated town. Mayor Bruce said this has been a process several years in the making. We actually started this process about six years ago, Bruce said. We started with petitions and going around and getting folks to sign, and saying they wanted to be a town. According to the Alabama League of Municipalities, Kilpatrick is now the 466th municipality in the State of Alabama. Its something a lot of families dont talk about: Children and domestic violence Members of the new Kilpatrick Town Council at the first Town Council meeting. This is a very rare occurrence, and its been several years since the last new town was formed, Alabama State Senator Andrew Jones said. Its just exciting to be part of something, see them actually have their founding documents formed right in front of your eyes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jones was one of dozens in attendance at the first town meeting, held at Kilpatricks new Town Hall located at 27 County Road 179. Community members in attendance at the meeting had several questions about the newly formed town, including where the town limits are. Bruce told the community that they are still working on making a map that shows the town limits. However, he said they will have a map by the next Town Council Meeting. Download the WHNT News 19 App to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WHNT News 19 newsletters to have news sent to your inbox. Kilpatricks new Town Hall. The community includes several roads off of Highway 68. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mayor Bruce told News 19 that the town is still in the process of putting together a website and Facebook page. He said that while Kilpatrick does have its own fire department, it does not have a police department. Bruce said the town will continue to rely on the DeKalb County Sheriffs Office for law enforcement. The new mayor said hes excited about whats to come for the new Town of Kilpatrick. Its great to see our little town come together, and were looking forward to great things in Kilpatrick, he said. The Town of Kilpatricks second Town Council Meeting will be on Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 6:30 p.m. While Town Meetings will typically be on Tuesday evenings, that meeting will be on a Wednesday due to Veterans Day. 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 WHNT.com. Community demanding answers after ICE detains 13-year-old in Everett A community is demanding answers after a 13-year-old boy was arrested by local police, then detained by ICE and moved out of state. The Everett Police Chief and mayor say they did not notify the federal government and that ICE was waiting outside the police department. Everett Police say they got a credible tip that a 13-year-old boy threatened another student. Police arrested him last Thursday at a bus stop outside the Parlin School. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They found a six to seven-inch double-sided knife on him. He was taken to the police department, booked, and then, as he was outside the station, he was taken away by ICE agents while his mother was inside. The mayor and police say they have no control over what ICE does, but people in the community are upset that a teen was quickly whisked away from his family. Even people who have committed crimes in this country have the right to due process under the Constitution, even the worse people who have done the worse things, said Joanna Garren, an Everett School Committee member. It is the responsibility of our public servants to protect and serve all people in the community, said an Everett teacher at a meeting. All of us, especially those who are most vulnerable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On X, Homeland Security said the boy was in possession of a knife and firearm when taken in, with a rap sheet that includes violent assault with a dangerous weapon, battery, breaking and entering, and destruction of property. However, the chief claims the teen did not have a firearm on him when he was arrested. What does happen when someone is arrested is that their fingerprints are taken and ICE has access to that database. ICE then determines if the individual is here illegally and sends over a detainer. The teen is currently being held out of state. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) Parents of Providence students have an opportunity to get involved in upcoming parent-teacher conferences. Providence Public Schools Superintendent Javier Montanez joined 12 News at 4 to discuss the conferences, along with the ongoing teacher shortage and groundbreaking for a new Mount Pleasant High School. He also gave his thoughts on this years RICAS test results, which showed only about a third of Rhode Island students were proficient in English and math. Watch the full interview in the video player above. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app. Follow us on social media: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup 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 WPRI.com. WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) The 4th annual Camp Fire North Texas Halloween Drive-Thru is approaching, and they invite the community to attend! This event will take place at 2414 9th Street on Friday, October 31, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Halloween. They invite everyone to dress up and get their candy fix. Camp Fire NTX is also taking candy donations to help hand out their favorite candies to children and allow them to enjoy the event. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more information, visit their Facebook page or contact them at (940) 322-5209. You can now stream KFDX and Texomas FOX live 24/7 on your smart TV with KFDX+, our brand-new app! No antenna, cable, or satellite neededwatch for free, anytime. Just download it on your Roku, Apple TV, or Fire TV and start streaming. 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 Texomashomepage.com. Community leaders and politicians are calling out United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement after chaotic scenes unfolded on the city's Far South Side Tuesday, leading to the deployment of chemical agents and arrests. Leaders from different organizations, like the 10th Ward Rapid Response, Alliance of the Southeast and the Chicago Teachers Union, among others, spoke out against the Department of Homeland Security's actions during a news conference Wednesday morning at the United Workers' Center. The response all stems from a Tuesday incident where federal agents deployed tear gas after crowds of people gathered in protest near the intersection of 105th Street and Avenue N. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DHS says some people there threw eggs at the agents. Border Patrol agents crashed into another vehicle after a chase involving a driver who the federal government says was living in the U.S. without legal permission. DHS says the driver rammed into a DHS vehicle. Federal officials said Luis Gerardo Pirela-Ramirez was driving and was arrested for assault on a federal agent. Yonder Enrique Tenefe-Perez was arrested as an accessory, DHS said. The out-of-control situation also led to the arrest of a 15-year-old boy, who says he was tackled and arrested by agents, even though he says he is an American citizen. He was later released. The governor said he believes ICE may have violated the TRO that was issued last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attorneys say he was effectively "disappeared" for five hours. "We do not welcome ICE in the Southeast Side of Chicago, the south suburbs of Chicago, the entire city of Chicago, as we will continue to organize and advocate for those who are affected, as we see not only, but also people of color are being racially profiled by unjust actions," said Ana Guajardo of United Workers' Center. "The Trump administration continues to lie and claims only to be targeting criminals. But we have seen hardworking people, landscapers, construction workers and street vendors specifically targeted," said Moises Moreno of 10th Ward Rapid Response. "Our community is a united community bound by a longstanding tradition of resistance and cultural vibrancy." Gov. JB Pritzker pushed back on the federal immigration crackdown in Chicago, saying ICE is "creating mayhem." Pritzker is concerned over how long federal immigration agents intend to stay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pritzker believes ICE may have violated the temporary restraining order that was issued last week, which prohibits the use of chemical agents on demonstrators. The governor is now also troubled by how long DHS plans to be in the Chicago area. Pritzker was in Minooka Wednesday for an announcement on electric trains, and he called on ICE to back off. "They're the ones who are tossing tear gas when people are peacefully protesting. ICE is the one who's going into neighborhoods where they, frankly, are causing fear among people who live in those neighborhoods, work in those neighborhoods," he said. A judge last week granted a TRO banning the use of riot control munitions like tear gas and pepper bullets, which were used against demonstrators and journalists at the Broadview ICE facility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "And so I know that we're, you know, everybody's looking into that question, and no doubt the private attorneys that have brought that case might be going back into court in order to make sure that those rules are enforced upon ICE," Pritzker said. They did previously defend their use of tear gas Tuesday, writing in part, "This incident 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 says two people, who they allege are living in the U.S. without legal permission, were arrested on Tuesday. A DHS spokesperson said claims that Customs and Border Protection kidnapped a U.S. citizen are false, saying, "Here are the facts: immediately following illegal aliens ramming law enforcement with their vehicle, which resulted in the arrest of two illegal aliens from Venezuela, a violent mob began surround law enforcement. Among them, a U.S. citizen teenager threw eggs and hit a CBP Officer in the head. Agents observed him gathering rocks after objects had already been thrown at law enforcement officers. The individual was arrested for the assault and taken to the FBI Field Office in Chicago where he freely admitted without questioning to throwing eggs at agents. His attorney met with him at the field office, and he was released without charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Our officers are facing a surge in assaults against them-without pay during the Democrats' shutdown-as they put their lives on the line to arrest murderers, rapists, and gang members. Secretary Noem's message to the rioters is clear: you will not stop us or slow us down. CBP and our federal law enforcement partners will continue to enforce the law. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." Some residents Wednesday were fearful to leave their homes. "He saw a man with a big rifle right in front of his house. He immediately went back inside because he said, 'What are we under attack? Is this a war? What's happening?'" said Maricela Estrada, with United Workers' Center. Estrada and the United Workers' Center were canvassing the neighborhood Wednesday, in an effort to check on those who live there, make sure they understand they have rights and how to respond when ICE and Border Patrol enter their neighborhood. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It is very important that we stay calm, that we not, do not engage with them, or do we not get provoked by, you know, their tactics," Estrada said. "We all seek the same thing that everybody in this country has come here, you know, looking for freedom. Better opportunities to be able to, you know, sustain your family, to be able to work and live freely and be free of violence." "It doesn't hit you like a reality kind of thing, you know? Like, that's really them. It's happening here, like in your neighborhood," one resident said. The young man preferred to stay anonymous. He said he was home Tuesday. But unlike many of his neighbors who flocked to the scene, he stayed inside, fearing for his safety. "When they threw the tear gas, or the smoke or whatever they threw, it was so much that they made it down this way. And I had cops right here just choking," the resident said. "It feels like they're just, really going after anybody that looks brown, or just interferes, you know. It just feels like they're just really after us." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also in Springfield Wednesday, leading Democrats were praising the move by Cook County to ban ICE from enforcing civil warrants at courthouses. It's something that could be expanded statewide during the veto session. "Because what's happening with these masked ICE agents in courthouses and territories around courthouses is unacceptable. People are afraid to go to court. They're afraid to comply with subpoenas. We can't allow that," House Speaker state Rep. Emanuel "Chris" Welch said. And while the use of the National Guard remains on hold pending another court TRO, a source has confirmed that DHS has informed Naval Station Great Lakes that it will be extending its use of the base for immigration enforcement through the end of the year. "All I can say is that we've got to bring an end to this. The federal government and Donald Trump need to recognize that this is not the way that you do immigration enforcement," Pritzker said. The Trump administration has repeatedly insisted it is targeting the so-called worst as part of Operation Midway Blitz. But that has not always been the case. MOSCOW, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Russia is ready to increase gas supplies to Europe if requested, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Wednesday. Speaking at the Russian Energy Week, Novak said Europe's rejection of Russian gas has negatively impacted the region's economy. "Russia has always maintained that we are ready and open to dialogue," he said when asked whether Moscow would consider increasing gas deliveries to Europe if requested. Novak added that Russia has always agreed to additional gas supplies to Europe to cover its needs during autumn and winter, even if it was not economically profitable. Russian gas supplies to Europe account for about 19 percent of the EU's energy imports, down from around 44 percent previously, he said. YATESVILLE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) It has now been 10 days since it was announced that a local school superintendent was charged in connection with assaulting his wife. 28/22 News Reporter Joe Mason has a full breakdown of the charges and a response from the community. Pittston Area School District Superintendent Kevin Booth was charged with simple assault and physical harassment more than a week ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These charges come after an altercation with his wife, Jessica, on the night of October 5. A criminal complaint obtained by 28/22 News says Booth choked her. In the complaint, police say Jessica told them her husband came home drunk and tossed me around a bit. Booth denied the allegations on October 5. 28/22 News has reached out to the Pittston Area School District numerous times in the last 10 days and is still waiting to hear if Booth will face any consequences due to his arrest. From what weve gathered, Booth is still employed by the district. Driver seriously injured after fiery crash A statement from Pittston Area Assistant Superintendent John Haas reads in part: We want to assure our families, staff, and stakeholders that the district remains focused on its mission to provide a safe, supportive, inclusive, and high-quality educational environment for all students In accordance with longstanding district policy and consistent with Pennsylvania law, the district cannot comment publicly on the handling of personnel matters Pittston Area Assistant Superintendent John Haas 28/22 News visited the district office and asked to speak with Haas, and were told he was in a meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some Pittston residents say Booth should be held accountable, but what the superintendent does in his personal life shouldnt impact his livelihood. I think he should be held accountable like anybody else, the same as anybody. Your duty as far as your work goes. I mean, I think its a fine line between your personal life too, but I mean, until proven guilty, I see nothing wrong, Pittston resident, John Davis, told 28/22 News. Community members also say theyre interested in hearing more about Booths position moving forward at next weeks board meeting. 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 28/22 News. Oct. 15PALMER Nearly seven months after Skye Rench and Sean Kendall drowned in the Susitna River returning from a remote job, the company involved is facing a wrongful-death lawsuit and $250,000 in proposed federal fines. The men were working for Alaska Directional LLC installing fiber-optic cable to the west side of Cook Inlet during a low-snow winter with spells of unseasonable warmth that made for unpredictable ice conditions. Last month, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed $250,000 in penalties against Alaska Directional. The agency issued seven citations for violations of federal safety laws, including failing to provide proper safety training, equipment and inspections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Early this month, Rench's sister filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Alaska Directional. The suit, filed Oct. 2 in Anchorage Superior Court, claims the company allowed workers to cross ice known to be unsafe. Rench and Kendall were part of a five-man crew coming off shift the morning of March 6 when the six-seat Polaris Ranger they rode broke through the ice. Three of the men escaped the river and walked to a work camp. Anchorage resident Kendall, 42, and Wasilla resident Rench, 32, were swept under. Rench's body was found in May. Kendall remains missing. Less than three weeks later, an Alaska Directional loader punched through the ice on a different reach of the Susitna. Alaska Directional works on projects including directional drilling and underground utility installation. Bristol Bay Industrial LLC, which is owned by Bristol Bay Native Corp., acquired Alaska Directional in 2017. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An Alaska Directional representative at the company's Palmer offices directed a reporter to Stephanie Kotarski, deputy general counsel for Bristol Bay Industrial. Kotarski, reached Tuesday, said the company has no comment on the lawsuit or the federal citations and penalties at this time. Alaska Directional is contesting the OSHA penalties. An OSHA spokesperson said the agency would not be able to provide information about the penalties and citations due to the federal shutdown. Relatives say Rench and Kendall had extensive experience in the Alaska outdoors. Rench, with partner Kevin Niem, ran the grueling Iron Dog snowmachine race for the first time this year. The lawyer representing Chelsea Rench, Laura Eakes, said her client did not want to comment. Kendall's family also declined to comment for this story. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alaska Directional was a contractor on the Matanuska Telecom Association Inc. fiber-optic job. Alaska Department of Fish and Game officials have said Alaska Directional's operations put MTA out of compliance with permits required to work within the Susitna Flats State Game Refuge. Rench's company, Helacomm Communications, was a subcontractor on the job. Kendall was an Alaska Directional employee. [An Anchorage man remains lost in the Susitna River. His family is searching for answers.] The civil lawsuit filed by Chelsea Rench claims that Alaska Directional supervisors and management knew conditions on the Susitna were risky before the early March fatal incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It alleges a supervisor was told of open water on the Susitna, indicating travel was no longer safe, five days prior to the fatal incident. It also accuses Alaska Directional CEO Brad Lindstrom and other supervisors of chastising employees who expressed concern about ice thickness. The suit alleges multiple vehicles had broken through ice on the Susitna and other rivers before March 6, that the company ordered personnel to move vehicles across dangerously thin ice and that the company knew or should have known that "such action risked personal injury or death." The suit also alleges the company failed to restrict crossing on thin ice, failed to monitor ice thickness, and failed to ensure there were safe alternative means of transport. It claims the company failed to train personnel to safely travel or work on or around a frozen river, and failed to properly supervise employee and contractor transport. The lawsuit also describes a specific incident in February involving two supervisors directing the transport of heavy equipment over ice known to be 11 inches thick when they had generally instructed personnel to travel on ice 25 inches thick or more. The suit claims helicopter transport was possible and being used by other companies but was considered too expensive by Alaska Directional. The family is seeking damages for "pre-death pain and suffering" and wrongful death, punitive damages, and legal and other costs. A formal complaint filed with the Tarrant County District Attorneys Office on Tuesday accuses Grapevine Mayor William D. Tate and all six members of the city council of violating the Texas Open Meetings Act (OMA) by allegedly coordinating a joint letter to Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District (GCISD) officials outside of a public meeting. The complaint, submitted by local resident and blogger Tim Frazier, claims that the mayor and council participated in a walking quorum to formulate and sign an October 6 letter addressed to GCISD Board President Shannon Braun. The letter, which each official signed, urged the district to restart its Education Master Planning process and played into a greater firestorm over whether the mayor threatened Braun during a September meeting. In the handwritten complaint, Frazier alleges, On or about October 6, 2025, the Mayor and the city Council of Grapevine, Texas issued a signed letter to GCISD board president Shannon Braun. The content of that letter indicates that Mayor William D. Tate, and all current Grapevine City Council members who signed it, participated in a walking quorum in violation of the Texas Open Meetings Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Frazier told The Dallas Express via email that was something that could not have been accomplished without significant participation by all members and that he found no official record of any meetings or agendas related to that letter. He argues this constitutes communications to formulate it in secret and not exposed to the public, in apparent violation of the OMA. In a written response to The Dallas Express, Grapevine City Attorney Matthew Boyle denied the allegations, calling them baseless. The Grapevine City Council acted in full compliance with the Open Meetings Act in signing the letter of concern sent to the GCISD, Boyle said, The City Council did not meet or deliberate about the contents of the letter. A group of members sufficient to establish a quorum can not discuss, create and/or sign a group letter or document concerning public business without following certain procedures, according to the Texas Municipal Leagues guide Texas Open Meetings Act Laws Made Easy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The guide further states, it may be a violation of the Act if the members meet or communicate by phone, memo, email or social media [citation omitted] in numbers less than a quorum with the specific intent of circumventing the Act regarding a group letter or document. Mayor Tate and the citys communications office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The filing follows weeks of mounting tension between city and district leaders after GCISD publicly rebuked Tate and the council last week for spreading what it called factually incorrect information about district finances. The districts own October 8 letter to city officials accused them of undermining public trust and misrepresenting basic elements of school funding, including how bond proceeds and copper penny tax rates can be used, DX reported. At the heart of the conflict is the districts ongoing debate over potential school consolidations due to declining enrollment. GCISD data show many campuses now operate far below capacity. Mayor Tate has repeatedly objected to closures, arguing the citys infrastructure is inadequate to support reassignments and higher traffic at remaining schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Tarrant County District Attorneys Office has not yet confirmed receipt of the complaint or whether an investigation will be opened. Residents can read the full complaint on Fraziers Trigger Factory blog. NEWARK, N.J. (PIX11) Tuesday not only marked two weeks of the federal government shutdown, it was also the first day that air traffic controllers didnt get a full paycheck, even though, as essential workers, theyre required to work full time. Also on Tuesday, a member of Congress who represents North Jersey was at Newark Liberty Airport to call attention to federal airport workers status during the shutdown. More Local News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat from Tenafly, said that while the countrys airways are safe, that safety is compromised the longer the shutdown continues. He blamed the shutdown on Republicans in Congress. Youve got fewer people, because theyre not getting trained, Gottheimer said as he began listing various issues related to the government closure. Youve got problems in the [control] tower, in terms of upgrading equipment, because of the shutdown, he continued, and weve got delays and cancellations. Gottheimer said that he was at the airport to fly back to Washington, D.C. Once there, he said, hed call on Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, to reconvene the legislative body, so that all members could work on a possible bill involving the issue that Democrats are insisting be addressed by Congress. Were just trying to figure out health insurance premiums, Gottheimer said, and make them more affordable for you. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State The New Jersey congressmans news conference at the airport came a week after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, a Republican, had visited Newark Liberty, and blamed the shutdown on Democratic Party leaders. This does have an impact on the American people, Duffy said at a news conference in Terminal A of the airport, on October 6, and Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries should recognize that, Duffy added. Three of the most recent, most comprehensive polls, from The Economist/YouGov, Harvard Harris and CBS News/YouGov show that by a margin of 44 to 36 percent, on average, Americans put responsibility for the shutdown with Republicans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, virtually every poll since the shutdown began has shown that more Americans say Republicans, who control both houses of Congress, as well as the White House, are responsible for the shutdown. Gottheimer said that Democrats push to ensure that Congress does not cut funding for Obamacare and Medicare when enrollment begins on November 1 is resonating. Its why youre seeing some of the numbers youre seeing in the polls, the congressman said. Consistent with that was the reaction of at least one airline passenger in Newark who spoke with PIX11 News. We can all blame the Republican Party, said Grace Mancias, whod flown in from Orlando. At the same time, she said, people are entitled to place the blame elsewhere. To each his own, right? she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least one passenger called for a majority of Congress to support the Republicans continuing resolution, or C.R., to help reopen the government now. Pass the CR bill, said Jeff Scott, whod arrived at Newark from Jacksonville, Florida, then roll up your sleeves in making healthcare better. Passengers also indicated that theyre being patient with the shutdown for now, but that their patience will wear thin the longer the shutdown lasts. Wednesday begins the third week of the shutdown. 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 PIX11. CONECUH COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG) A woman from Range has died following a tractor-trailer crash with an ATV. Mobile police investigate shooting on Perch Drive According to an Alabama Law Enforcement Agency news release, Evelyn Ryals Green, 88, died after being thrown from an ATV at around 4:57 p.m. on Monday. A Fort White man was driving a 2020 Mack Pinnacle tractor-trailer and hit Green while she was on a 1999 Polaris Sportsman ATV, according to the release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The collision took place near the 29-mile marker on Alabama 41. Green, who was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, was pronounced dead at the scene. Two Lucedale residents accused of barcode scam at Mobile Walmart ALEA is investigating the crash. 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 WKRG News 5. MAGA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has issued a stark warning to President Donald Trump amid their high-profile divorce. The Georgia Republican told CBS News that she is starting to feel very sorry for the 79-year-old, saying that his attacks on her reflect poorly on him. The great schism began when Greene, 50, broke with him on the cost-of-living crisis, which Trump insists is a hoax, and the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Congressman Seth Moulton will challenge Sen. Ed Markey for US Senate seat For the second election cycle in a row, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey will face a challenge from a younger Democrat in the states Congressional delegation. Congressman Seth Moulton of Salem announced Wednesday morning that he will run for U.S. Senate next year, arguing that Massachusetts cannot wait another six years to install someone from a younger generation in the Senate. The Democrat has not been shy about challenging members of his own party -- he won his seat in the U.S. House in 2014 by defeating longtime Democratic Congressman John Tierney, briefly challenged U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi for the speakers gavel in 2018 and joined a crowded field for president in 2019. Our party has clung to the status quo, insisted on using the same old playbook, and isnt fighting hard enough. The next generation will keep paying the cost if we dont change course. This isnt a fight we can put off for another six years. The future we all believe in is on the line, Moulton said in his introduction video. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 46-year-old (turns 47 this month) adds, Were in a crisis, and with everything we learned last election, I just dont believe Senator Markey should be running for another six-year term at 80 years old, even more, I dont think someone whos been in Congress for half a century is the right person to meet this moment and win the future. Democrats limped out of the 2024 national elections without control of the White House or either branch of Congress, and President Donald Trump returned to office having improved his standing with some voters. Moulton made waves early in his partys self-reflection period with comments about transgender athletes, telling the New York Times that Democrats spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone rather than being brutally honest about the challenges many Americans face. Gov. Maura Healey and other Massachusetts Democrats publicly spoke against Moultons commentary on transgender athletes. His comments also started a push to challenge Moulton in the 2026 primary, and his announcement will mean an open contest for the 6th Congressional District U.S. House seat north of Boston. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his announcement, Moultons campaign said he is focused on affordability, health care, climate change, banning assault weapons and protecting our democracy. His announcement cites his authorship of the most ambitious high-speed rail plan in decades and his work to launch a bipartisan 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Markey, 79, often cites the age of your ideas as most critical and has steadily rolled out endorsements from scores of federal, state and local elected officials as he has made his case for reelection. In the last week alone, he has announced the backing of the Mass. Nurses Association, League of Conservation Voters Action Fund, five state senators and more than a dozen state representatives from Greater Boston and a handful of mayors. House Speaker Ronald Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka endorsed Markey in September. While Congressman Moulton is launching a political campaign during a government shutdown, Senator Markey is doing his jobvoting against Trumps extremist agenda and working to stop the MAGA attacks on health care so that we can reopen the government, Cam Charbonnier, campaign manager for Senator Markey, said in a statement. Thats what leadership looks like and what the residents of Massachusetts expect from their Senator, he added. Moulton completed four combat tours in Iraq as an infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. In Salem, he co-founded and was president of Eastern Healthcare Partners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a recent poll by Advantage, Inc. for the Fiscal Alliance Foundation, Moulton was ahead of Markey 43% to 21% among all likely general election voters, with 36% undecided. Among likely Democratic primary voters, Moulton was chosen by 38% to Markeys 30%. In 2020, when Markey faced a primary challenge from then-Congressman Joseph Kennedy III, the Malden Democrat took 55% of the primary vote to Kennedys 45%. Markey won reelection by defeating Republican Kevin OConnor. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW CONNEAUT LAKE Officers from Conneaut Lake Regional Police Department answered 224 calls between Aug. 31 and Sept. 27, bringing the total to 1,980 calls to date this year. Mayor Jim Tigri, a member of the Conneaut Lake Regional Police Commission, gave the monthly report at Wednesdays Conneaut Lake Borough Council meeting. Police answered 93 calls in Sadsbury Township, 48 in North Shenango Township, 27 in Linesville Borough, 45 in Conneaut Lake Borough, and 13 outside the area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They conducted 53 traffic stops in all four jurisdictions and issued 31 warnings. There were four traffic violations, two traffic complaints, three reckless driving and two complaints. Police reported eight motor vehicle crashes three in Sadsbury, two in Conneaut Lake, one in Linesville, one in North Shenango, and one in Pine Township. Officers assisted volunteer fire departments three times, assisted with one public service detail, and answered one call for a citizen arrest. They conducted two criminal investigations and four follow-up investigations and performed warrant service three times. Officers assisted Meadville Police Department, Crawford County Sheriffs Office, and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources three times each. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They served outside the area in Pine twice, Vernon Township three times, and Meadville twice. Officers answered 14 calls involving animals and 11 calls requesting officers. They assisted emergency medical services 45 times and Pennsylvania State Police four times. In Conneaut Lake Borough, there were 10 calls for suspicious activity, 13 alarms, 18 disturbances, nine welfare checks and other routine calls. NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (WTNH) Multiple agencies are investigating how 12-year-old Jacqueline Torres, whose body was discovered outside of an abandoned home, went missing for more than a year without anyone noticing. Evidence indicates that Jacqueline was the victim of prolonged physical abuse and malnourishment prior to her death, an official with Farmington police said on Monday. BACKGROUND: Mother, mothers boyfriend, aunt arrested in death of young girl whose remains were found in New Britain Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said the 12-year-old had been dead for nearly a year before her body was discovered. No one alerted police she was missing. Police allege Torres was murdered by her mother and her mothers boyfriend. Jacquelines mother, 29-year-old Karla Garcia, her aunt, 28-year-old Jackelyn Garcia and Karla Garcias boyfriend, 30-year-old Jonatan Nanita, face charges in connection with her death. Police believe her murder occurred in the fall of 2024. They say her body was kept in the basement of the home before the family relocated in March and it was moved to an abandoned home in New Britain. A memorial has quickly grown outside the abandoned New Britain home where a 12-year-old girls remains were recently found. A memorial has quickly grown outside the abandoned New Britain home where a 12-year-old girls remains were recently found. A memorial has quickly grown outside the abandoned New Britain home where a 12-year-old girls remains were recently found. A memorial has quickly grown outside the abandoned New Britain home where a 12-year-old girls remains were recently found. Officials revealed the Department of Children and Families (DCF) had some involvement before her murder, but they havent said to what extent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DCF sent News 8 the following statement: Our hearts remain with all those impacted by Jacquelines tragic and shocking death. The Department is invested in being as transparent as possible about the familys prior DCF involvement without interfering with the active and evolving criminal investigation. We can confirm Jacquelines siblings are safe and have been placed together in state custody. We have already begun a thorough review of our history with the family. Consistent with our practice, this multidisciplinary review will include our knowledge about the family, supports provided, casework decisions, adherence to policy, as well as communication and collaboration with other system and community partners. We continue to encourage anyone who has information regarding this matter to contact Law Enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Christina D. Ghio, associate child advocate with the Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) sent News 8 the following statement: We are heartbroken at the news of this horrific tragedy. Our hearts go out to everyone in the community who has been impacted. In accordance with our statutory obligation and authority, we are currently gathering information, and we will conduct a comprehensive investigation to understand what occurred. In response to questions about homeschooling and DCFs involvement with the family, OCA cannot comment on the facts of this case at this time as we are still gathering information and it is too early to draw conclusions. We can confirm that both issues will be part of OCAs investigation. On the issue of homeschooling, we know from previous investigations that some parents use Connecticuts complete lack of oversight of homeschooled children to withdraw their children from school, isolate them, shield themselves from reports to our child welfare agency, and neglect or abuse their children. This is a known policy issue that the state must address. BACKGROUND: Suspects in death of young girl whose remains were found in New Britain held on bond after facing judge The OCA monitors and evaluates agencies charged with protecting children, like DCF. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said Torres was homeschooled prior to her death. On Wednesday, officials with the Consolidated School District of New Britain confirmed she attended kindergarten through fifth grade in New Britain, but was withdrawn from the district in August of 2024, on what would have been her first day of sixth grade. School officials said on the first day of school, Torres mother Karla Garcia filed an official Notification of Withdrawal Out of New Britain School District form stating that the students new address would be in Farmington. On the same day, they said she also filed a Notice of Intent: Instruction of Student at Home form with the district. News 8 learned Connecticuts laws and regulations surrounding homeschooling havent changed in the past 20 to 25 years and are governed by a statute, not a specific agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We the state, locals or DCF lose contact with kids if theyre not going to school every day. So, were trying to find better ways to keep track of those kids so were sure tragedies like this can be avoided, Gov. Ned Lamont (D-Conn.) said. A 2018 report compiled by the OCA surveyed six school districts and found that over a span of three academic years- 2013 through 2016- there were 380 students withdrawn from the six districts to be homeschooled, and that 138 of these children (36%) lived in families that were the subject of at least one prior accepted report to DCF for suspected abuse or neglect. Connecticut is really one of only a handful of states across the entire country that lacks a specific statutory framework for overseeing the permeant withdrawal of a child from school, Sarah Eagan, former Connecticut child advocate, said. 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 WTNH.com. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) D.C. fire officials said that a construction worker was seriously injured on Wednesday afternoon. In a post on the X platform just before 1:20 p.m., the DC Fire and EMS Department (DCFD) said that crews were in the 1700 block of Rhode Island Ave. NE to help the worker, who was on the fourth floor of a building that was under construction. Residents, 2 dogs escape after house catches fire in Montgomery County (X/@dcfireems) (X/@dcfireems) (X/@dcfireems) (X/@dcfireems) (X/@dcfireems) DCFD said that firefighters secured the worker in a stokes rescue basket and carried them to ground level using a combination of a rope system and hand carry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Firefighters transported the worker to the hospital. The worker is expected to survive. 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 DC News Now | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live. Global Leaders' Meeting on Women concludes in Beijing Xinhua) 08:14, October 15, 2025 Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin, also president of the All-China Women's Federation, and UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous attend the closing ceremony of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Jie) BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women concluded in Beijing on Monday afternoon, with Chinese State Councilor and All-China Women's Federation President Shen Yiqin and UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous attending and delivering speeches. Shen said that the five practical measures announced by China to support global women's advancement have demonstrated the country's sense of responsibility as a major nation and received wide acclaim and positive responses from participants. China stands ready to work with other countries to translate the proposals and the consensus reached at the meeting into concrete actions, helping more women realize their dreams and achieve success, she added. Bahous praised China's remarkable progress in advancing women's development and its major contribution to women's development worldwide, and urged other countries to draw on China's valuable experience in this field. About 800 delegates from over 110 countries and international organizations attended the closing ceremony, with a chair's statement released. Leaders and representatives from 46 countries and international organizations shared their ideas during a plenary session held ahead of the closing ceremony, calling the event a new milestone in the history of the international women's movement and pledging to take concrete actions to accelerate women's all-round development. Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin, also president of the All-China Women's Federation, and UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous attend the closing ceremony of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Jie) This photo taken on Oct. 13, 2025 shows a scene at the closing ceremony of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China. The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women concluded in Beijing on Monday afternoon. About 800 delegates from over 110 countries and international organizations attended the closing ceremony. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) This photo taken on Oct. 13, 2025 shows a scene at the closing ceremony of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China. The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women concluded in Beijing on Monday afternoon. About 800 delegates from over 110 countries and international organizations attended the closing ceremony. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) The court proceedings in the criminal case against Armenian citizen Ruben Vardanyan, charged under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan with crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, terrorism, financing of terrorism, and other serious offenses, continued on October 14. The open court session, held at the Baku Military Court under the chairmanship of Judge Zeynal Agayev, with a panel consisting of Anar Rzayev and Jamal Ramazanov (reserve judge Gunel Samadova), ensured that the accused was provided with an interpreter in his native language, Russian, as well as defense lawyers of his choice. Judge Zeynal Agayev introduced the court panel, the prosecutors representing the state, the interpreters, and others to the victims and their legal heirs attending the trial for the first time, while also explaining their rights and obligations as stipulated by law. The legal heir of victim Khayal Janbakhishov, his father Kheyrulla Janbakhishov, stated that his son was killed in Aghdara due to the explosion of a mortar shell fired by remnants of the Armenian army and illegal Armenian armed groups. Responding to questions from state prosecutor Tarana Mammadova, victim Elshad Sheydayev reported sustaining injuries to his arm and leg in Kalbajar as a result of enemy provocations. Victim Kamiz Ibayev recounted being taken captive in Kalbajar after getting lost in fog, by remnants of the Armenian armed forces and illegal Armenian armed groups. Answering questions from Nasir Bayramov, Head of the Department for Defense of State Prosecution at the Prosecutor Generals Office, Ibayev stated that he was blindfolded and taken to an unknown location, subjected to various forms of torture, mistreatment, and beatings during his captivity. In response to questions from Ruben Vardanyans lawyer, Avraam Berman, Ibayev clarified that he was held by remnants of the Armenian armed forces and illegal Armenian armed groups and did not see Vardanyan during his captivity. Answering questions from the Prosecutor Generals senior assistant Vusal Aliyev, victim Taleh Rzayev reported being wounded in Aghdara due to the explosion of a mortar shell fired by the enemy. Responding to questions from the Prosecutor Generals special assignments assistant Tugay Rahimli, victim Zaur Alakbarov stated he was injured in Khojavend due to the explosion of an artillery shell fired by the enemy, noting that several others were also injured in the incident. Victim Gismatpasha Abbaszade, answering questions from state prosecutor Fuad Musayev, reported sustaining injuries in Aghdam as a result of enemy fire, adding that another person was also wounded during the incident. Victim Telman Adigozalov, responding to questions from state prosecutor Vusal Abdullayev, stated he was injured in Khojavend due to artillery fire from the enemy. Victim Elvin Mammadov reported receiving severe injuries in Aghdam due to fire opened by remnants of the Armenian armed forces and illegal Armenian armed groups, stating he was in a coma for 23 days and is currently classified as a second-degree disabled person. Rovshan Hajibalayev reported sustaining injuries in the Sirkhavand village of Aghdara district due to the explosion of an artillery shell fired by remnants of the Armenian army and illegal Armenian armed groups. Teymur Jafarov stated he was wounded in Lachin due to enemy fire, noting that one person was killed and several others injured in the incident. Agil Guliyev reported being wounded in Aghdam as a result of enemy fire. Khaqani Guliyev stated in his testimony that he sustained a bullet wound in Aghdam due to enemy fire. Dayanat Mardani reported being wounded in Aghdam due to enemy provocations. Victim Sarkhan Rahimov stated that while heading to evacuate wounded individuals in a medical service vehicle in Aghdam, he was injured due to fire opened by remnants of the Armenian army and illegal Armenian armed groups. He noted that despite the medical vehicle being clearly marked, it was targeted, resulting in injuries to himself and others, while the wounded individuals they were meant to evacuate died due to lack of timely medical assistance. Anar Seyidov, Turkan Jafarov, and Parviz Adigozalov reported sustaining various injuries in different locations due to fire opened by remnants of the Armenian army and illegal Armenian armed groups. Victim Maharram Karimli stated in his testimony that he was wounded in the arm in the Aghdam-Aghdara direction due to sniper fire from the enemy. Responding to a question from Ruben Vardanyan, Karimli said he recognized Vardanyan through social media. Subsequently, the forensic medical examination reports regarding the victims were presented. The next court session is scheduled for October 21. Ruben Vardanyan faces multiple charges under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including Articles 100.1, 100.2 (planning, preparing, initiating, and waging a war of aggression), 107 (deportation and forced displacement of the population), 109 (persecution), 110 (forcible disappearance of persons), 112 (deprivation of liberty contrary to international law), 113 (torture), 114.1 (mercenary activity), 115.2 (violation of the laws and customs of warfare), 116.0.1, 116.0.2, 116.0.10, 116.0.11, 116.0.16, 116.0.18 (violation of international humanitarian law norms during an armed conflict), 120.2.1, 120.2.3, 120.2.4, 120.2.7, 120.2.11, 120.2.12 (intentional murder), 29.120.2.1, 29.120.2.3, 29.120.2.4, 29.120.2.7, 29.120.2.11, 29.120.2.12 (attempted intentional murder), 192.3.1 (illegal entrepreneurship), 214.2.1, 214.2.3, 214.2.4 (terrorism), 214-1 (financing of terrorism), 218.1, 218.2 (creation of a criminal group), 228.3 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, and possession of firearms, ammunition, explosives, and devices), 270-1.2, 270-1.4 (acts threatening aviation safety), 278.1 (forcible seizure or retention of power, forcible change of the constitutional structure of the state), 279.1, 279.2, 279.3 (creation of armed formations not provided for by law), and 318.2 (illegal crossing of the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan). VILNIUS, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Lithuania plans to allocate 5.38 percent of its gross domestic product to defense next year, Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said on Wednesday. "The 2026 budget will earmark 5.38 percent of GDP for defense, a record-high figure," she told the Baltic News Service. Finance Minister Kristupas Vaitiekunas said that almost 4.8 billion euros (5.56 billion U.S. dollars) will be allocated for defense next year. Ruginiene said that the appropriations are based on the Defense Ministry's needs but will also include funding for projects not directly related to military capability development, such as roads leading to military training areas. "It's only natural that once you buy a tank, you have to be able to move it in wartime," the prime minister said. "Defense shouldn't be understood solely in terms of buying weapons. There are many other things that come into play and become active in wartime," she added. According to Ruginiene, this will not affect Lithuania's key defense commitments, including the development of a military division and projects related to hosting NATO allies. The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles has closed the license plate agency in Harrisburg after a fight between an employee and a customer, officials with the North Carolina Department of Transportation said Wednesday. NCDMV became aware of a physical altercation between an employee of the privately-operated license plate agency in Harrisburg and a customer on Sept. 29, DOT officials said in a statement. Upon investigation of the incident and the response from the contractor, NCDMV terminated the contract. ALSO READ: East Charlotte License Plate Agency to move Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Harrisburg license plate agency, located at 4612 N.C. Highway 49 South in Bestway Center, had several other contract violations. The violations also included failure to adhere to contractor responsibilities, signage requirements, and legal compliance. The NCDMV contracts with private businesses and local governments to operate most of the states license plate agencies. License plate agencies in North Carolina provide services such as vehicle registration, title transactions, license plate renewals, replacement plates, and duplicate registrations, NCDOT transportation officials said. There are 131 license plate agencies operating across North Carolina, ensuring that residents have access to necessary motor vehicle services. Four nearby license plate agencies offer service Monday through Friday: Concord, 929-D Concord Pkwy. S., from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (Clear Springs Plaza) Kannapolis, 1509 Dale Earnhardt Blvd., from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. East Charlotte, 5309-E East Independence Blvd., from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (Independence Promenade Shopping Center) Huntersville Express, 12101 Mount Holly-Huntersville Rd., from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (no title transactions) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, services such as property tax payments and registration renewals can be completed online at NCDMV.gov. No additional details have been made available. This is a developing story. Check back with wsoctv.com and watch Eyewitness News for updates. The first duty of government is to protect the nations borders, so it has come to something when the Home Secretary admits that control has been lost. Shabana Mahmood told a summit meeting in London with interior ministers from Balkan countries that this failure is eroding trust in politicians and the credibility of the state. Only through international cooperation could the frontiers be secured from thousands of people crossing the Channel, she said. More than 35,000 have made the journey this year, up 30 per cent on 2024. Many were smuggled along routes through the Balkans before making their way to the French coast. Her forthright assessment of the immigration issue is a welcome departure from the mealymouthed statements we usually get from Labour politicians. She is seen as an effective Cabinet counter to the rhetoric of Reform UK. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But she is wrong to say we have no control of our borders. We have control; we just choose not to exercise it. This point was made by Boris Johnson in an interview with the Daily T podcast this week Whatever you say about the government I led we restored full democratic legal control over our laws and our borders, he said. He was talking about legal immigration but the Government has the wherewithal to stop the illegal variety should it wish to. It would mean intercepting boats mid-Channel and returning everyone to France. The difficulty is that the French would object. It could involve sending them to a third country, like Rwanda but the Labour Government scrapped that plan. If Ms Mahmood wants to take back control it is in the Governments hands to do so. 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. Recent battlefield gains by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) may turn the tide in Kordofan, analysts have told Al Jazeera. Sudans devastating war between the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has raged for two and a half years, resulting in massive displacement and the worlds worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations. Yet SAFs capture in September of the strategic city of Bara, which the RSF was using for logistics, supplies, and as a muster point for reinforcements, is seen as a sign that SAF may have swung the pendulum in its favour. Why is Bara important? Bara lies about 350km (217 miles) southwest of the capital Khartoum along the Export Road used to truck goods from Khartoum to el-Obeid, capital of North Kordofan State. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It also exports its own agricultural products and livestock to the rest of Sudan. The Khartoum-el-Obeid connection is vital because from el-Obeid, roads lead outwards to South Sudan and Sudans east and Darfur in the west. From Khartoum, roads lead northeast to Port Sudan on the Red Sea, where the wartime government was until recently. Roads also lead north to Egypt and east to Eritrea and Ethiopia. SAF took el-Obeid in February, after a two-year RSF siege, and took Khartoum in March, so taking Bara gave it solid control over the Export Road to use as a supply route, independent Sudanese military and political analyst Akram Ali told Al Jazeera. (Al Jazeera) Bara and el-Obeid lie near the westernmost reaches of SAF control, well to the east of el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur and the last city SAF holds in the vast western region. Between the two is a stretch of RSF control and siege on el-Fasher that SAF has to breach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the RSF, keeping Bara and a foothold in Kordofan was important because it allowed it to put pressure on SAF, which holds territory to the north, and to link the areas it controls in Kordofan and Darfur to South Sudan, links it uses to move weapons and fighters. How did SAF take Bara? The army launched an offensive on Bara from the south on September 11, while RSF defences were concentrated on the eastern side, analyst Abdul Majeed Abdul Hamid said. SAF sent continuous drone strikes against RSF targets, then launched the Darfur Track Armed Struggle Movement, an assault force known for mobility and speed, from el-Obeid. The force successfully engaged and defeated the RSF unit defending Bara, then entered the city with heavy firepower, according to a military officer who spoke on condition of anonymity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The officer said the operation relied on speed and keeping the RSF occupied on several fronts to prevent it from sending reinforcements. Most of Baras civilians supported SAF, according to Abdul Hamid, and the RSF quickly retreated. The operation cut off RSF supply and military support lines, he added, isolating their remaining positions in areas such as al-Khuwei to the west and al-Nahud to the east. For the RSF, keeping Bara and a foothold in Kordofan was important because it allowed it to put pressure on SAF, which holds territory to the north, and to link the areas it controls in Kordofan and Darfur to South Sudan, links it uses to move weapons and fighters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Losing Bara also meant that the RSF could no longer keep the city of el-Obeid under siege. Will the RSF lose the Kordofans? The RSF announced in February this year that it had entered an alliance with the Southern Peoples Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N). South Kordofan includes the Abyei region, disputed between Sudan and South Sudan. The SPLM-N controls the vast, isolated Nuba Mountains region in South Kordofan, right up against the border with South Sudan. However, despite that new stronghold, analysts told Al Jazeera that losing control over the Export Road spells a serious deterioration in the RSFs power in the Kordofans. The armys entry into el-Obeid marked the beginning of their actual collapse, said Ali. Widespread disease outbreaks have overwhelmed hospitals in war-torn Sudan [Screengrab/Al Jazeera] An army unit called Al-Sayyad named after a commander killed in the early days of the war had moved from Rabak, capital of White Nile State, in a campaign that eventually reached el-Obeid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Political analyst Ahmed Shomokh said liberating Bara opens the door to reactivating the SAF air base in el-Obeid, the largest in Kordofan, after two years of inactivity, significantly [enhancing] the logistical and combat capabilities of the Sudanese army and helping SAFs campaign to expel RSF from the Kordofans. Taking back all of Kordofan would allow SAF to work towards liberating Darfur, Abdul Hamid said. The army has combat experience and personnel capable of liberating Kordofan with the same capabilities it used to retake the cities of central Sudan and the capital, Abdul Hamid continued. The war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 10 million in what has become the worlds largest humanitarian crisis. According to the UN, a total of 24.6 million people face acute food insecurity, while 19 million people lack access to safe water and sanitation. Bowing to a court-ordered deadline, crews tore down the controversial security fence constructed around the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Broadview Tuesday night. The clock had been ticking for the government to take down the fence after a federal judge last week ordered the Trump administration to remove the barrier by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday. The Tribune observed that the fence had been taken down as of 11 p.m. Federal officials erected the fence three weeks ago. In turn, Broadview officials immediately pushed back, saying it was illegally built, and demanded that the Department of Homeland Security take it down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a letter to DHS, acting Broadview Fire Chief Matthew Martin said the fence was built without a permit along the public street outside the Beach Street facility and blocked Fire Department access to the road. But DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the fence was needed to keep the area safe. For weeks, the facility has been the site of volatile protests amid President Donald Trumps ongoing immigration crackdown across the Chicago area. Hours before the removal deadline, the unified command a law enforcement task force consisting of the Cook County sheriffs office, Illinois State Police, state and county emergency management and Broadview police released an updated map outlining designated protest and media areas solely along Beach Street near Lexington Street. A protester walks toward the protest zone outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 14, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) Protesters stand at the corner of Lexington and Beach streets near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 14, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) A fence, that a federal court has ordered the Trump administration to remove, stands outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility, Oct. 13, 2025, in Broadview. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Illinois State Police troopers and Cook County sheriff's deputies push protesters from the road near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility on Oct. 10, 2025, in Broadview. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Illinois State Police and Cook County Sheriffs Office police tussle with protesters in the designated protest zone a block from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility on Oct. 10, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Protesters raise a "No Troops in Our Streets" sign at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Oct. 9, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Protesters recite the rosary outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Oct. 9, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Zully Sotelo, from left, Eileen Alvarez, Kate Madrigal and Yohanna Sotelo protest outside of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 9, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Texas National Guard members patrol outside of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 9, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Protesters and journalists wait at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Oct. 9, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) A Broadview police officer moves protesters away from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility, Oct. 8, 2025, in Broadview. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Protesters gather outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility, Oct. 8, 2025, in Broadview. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Protesters gather outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility on Oct. 8, 2025, in Broadview. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) State police troopers stand outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility, Oct. 8, 2025, in Broadview. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) A large bus arrives at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility, Oct. 8, 2025, in Broadview. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers join Cook County Sheriffs deputies to monitor an entrance, Oct. 6, 2025, outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) A protester sits outside, Oct. 6, 2025, at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Illinois State Police move protesters back near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview on Oct. 4, 2025. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Illinois State Police move protesters off the road near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility, Oct. 4, 2025, in Broadview. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility Activists yell at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility on Oct. 4, 2025, in Broadview. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Illinois State Police hold a line near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 4, 2025. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Illinois State Police move protesters off the road while they protest recent immigration enforcement actions near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 4, 2025. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Protesters embrace near the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Oct. 3, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Illinois State Police move protesters off the road near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, Oct. 4, 2025, in Broadview. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Illinois State Police and Cook County Sheriffs keep protesters from 25th Avenue near the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Illinois State Police troopers detain a protester who refused to back up as a vehicle passed along Harvard Street near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 3, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Illinois State Police troopers detain a protester who refused to back up along Harvard near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 3, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Illinois State Police troopers detain a protester who refused to back up near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 3, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Protesters confront Illinois State Police troopers outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 3, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Federal agents ride an armored vehicle as protesters clash with federal agents and Illinois State Police troopers near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 3, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) People sing and recite prayers during a Jewish prayer service near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 3, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Dozens participate in Jewish prayer service near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 3, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Protesters confront federal agents and Illinois State Police troopers near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 3, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) A protester is detained near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 3, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) Ald. Maria Hadden, 49th, records as protesters face off with federal agents and Illinois State Police troopers near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 3, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) U.S. Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino, right, warns protesters near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 3, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) Protesters clash with federal agents and Illinois State Police troopers near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 3, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) A federal agent watches from an armored vehicle near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 3, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Illinois State Police troopers line up to prevent protesters from blocking traffic from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 3, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Illinois State Police troopers line up along Harvard Street and prevent protesters from standing on the street and blocking federal vehicles moving to and from from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 3, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Illinois State Police troopers line up along Harvard Street and prevent protesters from blocking federal vehicles moving to and from from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 3, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Federal agents stand on the roof of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 3, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Illinois State Police troopers line up along Harvard Street near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 3, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Illinois State Police troopers line up along Harvard Street and prevent protesters from standing on the street and blocking federal vehicles near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 3, 2025. Some troopers were armed with additional clubs, rifles, and shielded helmets. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Broadview police hold back protesters from stopping vehicles at Harvard Street and 25th Avenue near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 3, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) A protester recovers after being sprayed in the face by a federal agent along the fence on Sept. 28, 2025, at the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) People pray on Sept. 28, 2025, near the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Federal agents stand inside the fence on Sept. 28, 2025, at the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Federal agents escort a detainee into the facility on Sept. 28, 2025, at the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Protesters rally on Sept. 28, 2025, near the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) A protester wipes his eyes after being sprayed by a federal agent through a fence at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview on Sept. 27, 2025. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune) U.S. Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino leads detainees into the ICE facility in Broadview on Sept. 27, 2025. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune) A protester yells at a federal agent attempting to enter the ICE facility in Broadview on Sept. 27, 2025. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune) A protester gets treated after being sprayed by a federal agent through a fence at the ICE facility in Broadview on Sept. 27, 2025. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune) A detainee is unloaded from a vehicle before being brought into the ICE facility in Broadview on Sept. 27, 2025. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune) Logan Woodrum, of Pontiac, protests from the top of his car outside of the ICE facility in Broadview on Sept. 27, 2025. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune) A protester and veteran who served in Iraq flies the American flag upside down during a protest at the ICE facility in Broadview on Sept. 27, 2025. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune) A demonstrator adjusts a flag draped over her back depicting a combined U.S. and Mexico flag while standing outside a fenced-in ICE facility on Sept. 26, 2025, in Broadview. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune) A protester is detained by ICE agents outside the ICE facility in Broadview, Sept. 26, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Protesters clash with federal agents outside the ICE facility in Broadview, Sept. 26, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Protesters clash with ICE agents outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview, Sept. 26, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Protesters clash with ICE agents outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview, Sept. 26, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) ICE agents move back into the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility while facing off with protesters in Broadview, Sept. 26, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Federal agents escort a vehicle from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview, Sept. 26, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fires rounds at protesters on 25th Avenue near the holding facility in Broadview, Sept. 26, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Protesters flinch as ICE agents fire rounds at them in traffic on 25th Avenue near the holding facility in Broadview, Sept. 26, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) An ICE agent chases a protester into residential yard near the ICE holding facility in Broadview, Sept. 26, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) ICE agents help an injured colleague after chasing a protester through traffic on 25th Avenue and into a residential yard near the ICE holding facility in Broadview, Sept. 26, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents help an injured colleague after chasing a protester through traffic on 25th Avenue and into a residential yard near the ICE holding facility in Broadview, Sept. 26, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) A federal agent points his rifle of pepper balls at a protester near Harvard Street and 25th Avenue a block from the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement facility on Sept. 26, 2025, in Broadview. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Protesters chant as they walk across Harvard Street near the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement holding facility on Sept. 26, 2025, in Broadview. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) A protester holds a sign as federal agents move toward demonstrators near the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Sept. 26, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) Federal agents fire baton rounds at demonstrators near the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Sept. 26, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) A protester runs away from federal agents firing chemical gas at him along Harvard Street near the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement facility on Sept. 26, 2025, in Broadview. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Baton rounds fired toward protesters outside the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview are seen Sept. 26, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) A protester covers his face as chemical gas surrounds him along Harvard Street near the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement facility on Sept. 26, 2025, in Broadview. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Federal agents move toward protesters at 25th Street near the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Sept. 26, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) Levi Rolles is seen with several bruises from baton shots outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview, Sept. 26, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) Protesters surround the SUV of a federal agent and try and prevent him from driving down Harvard Street to the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement facility on Sept. 26, 2025, in Broadview. Protesters and federal agents faced off throughout the morning. Federal agents used several kinds of chemical gas, baton rounds, and arrested at least two people while protesters refused to clear the street. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) People pray outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview, Sept. 26, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) A federal agent points his rifle full of pepper balls at protesters along Harvard Street near the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement facility on Sept. 26, 2025, in Broadview. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) A protester holds up her phone and backs away from federal agents shooting chemical gas at protesters along Harvard Street near the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement facility on Sept. 26, 2025, in Broadview. Federal agents used several kinds of chemical gas, baton rounds and arrested at least two people after protesters refused to clear the street. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Federal agents surround and arrest two protesters along Harvard Street near the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement facility on Sept. 26, 2025, in Broadview. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Protesters lock arms and block Harvard Street while federal agents stand guard at a gate leading to the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement facility on Sept. 26, 2025, in Broadview. Protesters and federal agents faced off throughout the morning. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Protesters gather outside the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Sept. 26, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) Broadview police officers move protesters as they try and clear a path for federal agents to exit Harvard Street near the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement facility on Sept. 26, 2025, in Broadview. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) A protester holds up a sign in the early hours of the morning before the start of confrontations with federal agents along Harvard Street near the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement facility on Sept. 26, 2025, in Broadview. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Curtis Evans, of Evanston, carries a U.S. flag through gas deployed by federal officers as they clear protesters from the entrance of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview on Sept. 19, 2025. Evans said he was a Marine during President Ronald Reagans term. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) A chemical agent canister sits on the ground after being used on protesters outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building on Sept. 19, 2025, in Broadview. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) A protester is shot with a pepper ball outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building on Sept. 19, 2025, in Broadview. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Federal law enforcement officers detain a protester outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building on Sept. 19, 2025, in Broadview. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) A protester who was shot with pepper balls while blocking a federal law enforcement vehicle leans against a fence outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building on Sept. 19, 2025, in Broadview. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Federal agents stand on the roof of the Broadview Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility and watch protesters below on Sept. 19, 2025, in Broadview. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Federal officers clear protesters from the entrance of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Sept. 19, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Federal agents attempt to clear protesters from the street to make way for vehicles and officers to enter an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, Sept. 12, 2025, in Broadview. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Show Caption1 of 96Illinois State Police troopers outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview on Oct. 14, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)Expand Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reflecting Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompsons order this week shrinking protest areas, state and local officials said sidewalks along the east and west sides of 25th Avenue between Fillmore and Lexington streets would be temporarily closed. Officials noted that roughly 2,500 protesters have demonstrated outside the detention facility over the past three weeks and that the vast majority of those gatherings have been peaceful, safe and lawful. On Oct. 3, Broadview filed a federal lawsuit against DHS seeking a temporary restraining order and the immediate removal of the 8-foot-high fence. The suit accused DHS of constructing the fence in the middle of the night without notice and physically depriving the municipality of the right to control its own land. Arguments in the case began last week, during which U.S. District Judge LaShonda Hunt warned both sides she didnt want to get caught up in the politics of the moment. The matter came to a head Thursday when the federal judge sided with the village and ordered the fence removed. Hunt said it was clear from the governments own arguments that there is no plan to take the fence down and that Operation Midway Blitz currently has no end in sight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thompson hailed the ruling as a decisive win for public safety. Meanwhile, McLaughlin in a statement decried activist judges and local leaders she says are attempting to stop lawful immigration enforcement. The fences removal comes a day after Thompson issued an executive order to shut down a previously authorized protest zone outside the holding facility along 25th Avenue at Harvard Street. Last week, with a separate executive order, Thompson limited protest hours at the facility from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Since the beginning of the month, state troopers have monitored protests at the facility as part of the unified command the agency temporarily formed alongside the sheriffs office to address safety concerns outside the building. Chicago Tribunes Jason Meisner, Dan Petrella and Angie Leventis Lourgos contributed. tkenny@chicagotribune.com An aerial photo of the low-activity waste facility at the Hanford site's waste treatment plant. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy/Bechtel) Sixteen years after the original deadline, the Hanford nuclear reservation in south-central Washington state is finally converting its worst radioactive waste into a benign glass. Glassification began Saturday evening, but the U.S. Department of Energy did not announce that the process was underway until Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the worlds largest radioactive waste treatment facility, the plants successful startup represents a crucial achievement at this scale, demonstrating the ability to stabilize nuclear waste for safe, long-term disposal, said Ray Geimer, Department of Energys Hanford manager. Lawmakers in Washingtons congressional delegation applauded the milestone. This is just the start and weve still got a ways to go before were anywhere near done, but todays success is worth celebrating lets make glass! said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., called it an incredible technical and logistical accomplishment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hanford is expected to take a year to gradually crank up the volume of waste being glassified until the first plant reaches full operation. Right now, the plant is processing an initial 25,000-gallon batch of waste. The waste goes through two huge melters that combine it with glass flakes and heat the mixture to 2,100 degrees. This yields melted glass that is poured into huge storage cylinders to cool and harden. Stainless steel containers for waste in the low-activity waste facility at the Hanford site. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy/Bechtel) The U.S. government set up Hanford in 1943 to create plutonium for the nations atomic bombs. That work created billions of gallons of chemical and radioactive waste. The worst 56 million gallons of the waste were pumped into 177 underground tanks. About a third of those tanks leak. At least a million gallons of radioactive liquid have leaked into the ground, seeping into an aquifer 200 feet below and then into the Columbia River, roughly seven miles away. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hanford began construction of a plant to begin treating the waste in 2002. That plant was originally legally scheduled to go online in 2009 16 years ago. This first plant is supposed to take care of 40-50% of the tanks low-activity wastes. The master plan has been to build two low-activity glassification plants, plus a third to handle 5 million to 6 million gallons of high-level radioactive wastes. A view inside one of the large, underground storage tanks at the Hanford site. These tanks contain 56 million gallons of radioactive and hazardous waste. (Photo courtesy of Washington Department of Ecology) The entire projects original budget in 2002 was $4 billion, which has grown to roughly $30 billion today. The first low-activity waste plant cost slightly more than $9 billion. Hanfords current legal target calls for glassifying all tank wastes by 2052. The U.S. Department of Energy has internally moved those targets back to 2069, according to a 2021 report by the Government Accountability Office. Last year, the feds and state agreed to look at possibly encasing some low-activity wastes in grout a cement-like substance. Oct. 14Three families split by their own version of grief had to face a day they thought they'd never have to revisit in court : Feb. 28, 2008. It was the day 20-year-old Tanner Pehl and 18-year-old Mead High School student Sarah Clark were found stabbed to death in a north Spokane home at 512 Elm Road. They had been mutilated, disfigured and purposefully positioned with swords sticking out of their bodies. Blood soaked the floor and walls, family pictures were taken off the walls and methodically placed upside down, and the home was intentionally set on fire. Justin Crenshaw, a then-20-year-old transplant from Las Vegas, was arrested and charged with their murders. He was found guilty following a three-week trial in 2010 and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victims' families thought the most tragic chapter of their lives would be closed so they could grieve. While they were measuring their lives in time before and after the loss of their children, their brother or their sister, Crenshaw's life was now measured by the hours in his cell. But after a 2021 Washington Supreme Court ruling found mandatory life sentences for those between 18 and 20 were unconstitutional due to their young age, Crenshaw's attorney found an opportunity: His defense team filed a motion two years ago to seek a new, likely lesser sentence than what was handed to him 15 years ago. Under the ruling, he, at the very least, must be granted the chance. And it all started in a courtroom this week in a sentencing proceeding continuing Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Never in my imagination did I think, 17 years ago, that I would be back here," said Sarah Clark's father, Steve Clark, during a statement to the court. "I didn't want to bring this all back up ... Being in this courtroom again, 'surreal' is the only word I can think of." It's unclear how Crenshaw, now 37 years old, remembers that night. But the families, who reopened their wounds to be at his resentencing Monday, refused to let him forget it. Some referred to him as a monster, a psychopath, evil, a "plague on society." Crenshaw, in handcuffs, stared back at them from his table. It was purposefully empty of any pens or other objects he could reach. "Can you look at Tanner's picture?" Laurie Jennings, Tanner Pehl's mother, asked Crenshaw. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crenshaw told her he would. He briefly moved to face a cardboard cutout of Pehl and a posterboard full of photos of Clark in front of his table. "Well, I appreciate you looking at him," Jennings said. "Because you're the last thing he saw before he died." Crenshaw moved to Spokane all those years ago to stay with family, court records say. He got a job at the same steakhouse where Tanner Pehl worked. Pehl, being friendly, knew Crenshaw was struggling with sobriety and other problems with the law from Las Vegas, so Pehl "took him under his wing," the family said. About the same time, a Crenshaw family member introduced him to a mutual friend: Sarah Clark. The two began casually seeing each other, according to court records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the night of Feb. 27, Crenshaw took Clark to his newfound friend Tanner Pehl's home to hang out and drink. No one knows what happened next detectives suggested at the time that maybe Crenshaw was jealous of Pehl and Clark interacting. When detectives found the clothes Crenshaw wore during the slayings, they also found a clue: a plastic container with bloody jeans, black Nike shoes and a belt with the words "Trust no one, broken hearts and knives." That belt belonged to Crenshaw. His defense attorney claimed before trial Crenshaw had a rare disorder that causes bizarre and often violent behavior after ingesting alcohol. This was exhibited in his past behaviors, especially violent and rebellious behavior as a juvenile, experts said at the time. Either way, he knew what he was doing and likely did it with intent, Washington's Forensic Mental Health Services Doctor William Grant testified Monday. Crenshaw stabbed Clark almost 30 times, nearly decapitating her, and Pehl was repeatedly stabbed in the chest and head, and pinned to the ground with a sword. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crenshaw was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, found within only 3-4% of the general population. It most often coincides with psychopathy, he said, and common symptoms are law-breaking, impulsivity, aggression and reckless disregard for the safety of others. Crenshaw has 18 serious infractions on his record from his time incarcerated, assaulted one inmate and killed a cellmate in Virginia state prison after he was transferred since he could no longer be safely housed in Washington. Most of his infractions involve sharp objects or razorblades. "In layman's language," Grant said, "the guy with an antisocial personality disorder is a guy without a conscience." Families remember Sarah and Tanner Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Clark and Pehl may have crossed paths as far back as middle school, Pehl's father, Dave Pehl, believes they might have been kindred spirits. Clark played the piano, Tanner Pehl played guitar, and it's possible they bonded over music that night, Dave Pehl suggested. "I believe him and Sarah are boozin' buddies up in heaven," Dave Pehl said. "Maybe it's good they died together, so they could go up (to heaven) at the same time." Friends and family remembered Clark as a vivacious, adventurous, tough and quirky soul who wanted the most out of life. Her laugh was loud and infectious, and her smile, forcing dimples on her face, was contagious. Sara Stenerson, who spoke Monday, recalled her best friend kept many air freshener trees inside of her car. The remark brought a smile to the family sitting in the gallery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To memorialize Clark, Stenerson read aloud in court an old note her friend passed to her in school. She kept it all these years later as a reminder of who Clark was, she said. "Oh how I miss you, we haven't hung out in way too long," the note said. Clark wrote the note during math class, but clearly was not paying attention, because she wanted to go see her friend at track practice instead. "I wish that I was able to help you with the whole (crush on a boy) situation ... You are going to come out of this stronger and smarter ... You are my best friend and I love you. But I am going to end this because math is over." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After Stenerson read the note, she said she could still feel Clark's presence. Her sisters have gone on to have children children who they would have wanted their aunt to meet. One of them is now the same age Clark was, is going to the same high school and frequently speaks to the same teacher Clark had at the time of her murder. "I was 24 years old then," Clark's sister, Emily Gant, told the court. "I have lived so much life since that day. She did not get that chance." Tanner Pehl was remembered by family as the guy who would give someone the shirt off his back, literally one time someone said he liked his band tee, and he knew how rare it was. So he just took it off and drove home bare-chested. "I lost a best friend," his brother, Matthew Pehl, said in a statement Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tanner Pehl had a white wall in his bedroom on which his mother let his friends write with marker. As every young adult might have done, his brother said, they could have scribbled vulgarities or R-rated comments on the wall to be funny. But his friends decided to write messages to him on the wall instead. "Suddenly neighbors... Family... Missionaries stopping by to talk about God would write on his wall. Everyone was welcomed with a black Sharpie," Matthew Pehl's statement said. "My memories are tainted, wondering if his murderer would have been invited to write on that wall." Tanner Pehl was a chef and loved to cook. He took pride in food, his faith and his family, his father said. There was a reason Pehl befriended someone like Crenshaw because that's just the type of person he was, his family said. An 18-year tension flowed through the courtroom Monday. Each family, including Crenshaw's, who also lost a son to prison, spared no emotion. Pehl's mother walked back to her seat, right behind Crenshaw's family, in tears. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Someone in Crenshaw's family turned behind them to face the Pehl family, and the Pehl family retorted back, although it's unclear what was said. That's when Crenshaw's mother snapped and yelled at the family behind her, her voice echoing throughout the courtroom. "I am going to clear the courtroom if you cannot behave," Spokane County Superior Court Judge Dean Chuang said. "For everyone's sake, behave yourselves right now." Surrounded by three corrections officers, Crenshaw was taken in and out in cuffs, often giving his family in the gallery a thumbs-up, or mouthing "I love you." After that interaction, he looked to his mom and motioned at her, asking if she was OK. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Katie Hays, Tanner Pehl's older sister, left the courtroom in tears after the disturbance. Hays, who attended the trial, has always shown up for her brother. Through then until now, she has continued to speak and publicly remember Tanner Pehl. Instead of chastising her brother's killer, she instead wanted it to feel more like a conversation, she said. She began her statement with "Hi, Justin." "I realized the day that Tanner was murdered that Heavenly Father was sad for both of you," said Hays, a Christian. "Because you're both his children." Hays said she wants to look to forgive Crenshaw. But the fact he's assaulted other people in prison and never attempted to "get better" breaks her heart. If he had, or if he had shown remorse toward her family, maybe she'd be more sympathetic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We're all human. But the thing that scares me the most is, I really don't know if you really take to heart how dangerous you can be. I would give anything to be here today if you have been upstanding, if you had done good things in prison," Hays said. "But it's such a bummer, because I do believe that people make mistakes. We all do. The important part is owning them and saying you're sorry. "And I wish so badly that that was the case." Crenshaw's hearing did not conclude fully on Monday. He is expected to face his new sentence on Tuesday or Wednesday. Crenshaw is currently housed in the Spokane County Jail for his hearing but remains in a correctional facility in Tumwater. For more information on the trial of Justin Crenshaw, click here. Starting salaries for Florida correction officers begin at $22 an hour, an annual salary of $45,760. (Via Florida Department of Corrections) Sounding as desperate as he ever has since being appointed four years ago, Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) Secretary Ricky Dixon asked a panel of state lawmakers Wednesday for more than $512 million for next fiscal year to maintain the prison system. It is a staggering amount of money that were asking for. Im aware of that, Dixon told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice. Adding to the scale of the needs, he said that amount did not include funding for salaries of correction officers, which he said rank among the lowest for its size in the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If I continue to do this job, were going to have to have the support we need, because we cannot keep going in the direction were going in, he added for emphasis. Florida houses more than 89,000 inmates in its corrections system, a population that has increased by more than 10,000 since 2021. That is expected to rise by another 4,100 over the next three years. We are managing today with relatively the same number of staff we had 10,000 inmates ago, so you can imagine what thats doing to the staff and inmate ratios, Dixon said. The system includes officers as young as 19 with fewer than two weeks experience supervising more than 150 inmates in some correction facilities. Thats compared to ratios of one officer to 35 or one officer to 50 inmates in other states, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Starting salaries for Florida correction officers begin at $22 an hour, an annual salary of $45,760. That pales in comparison to nearby Alabama, where legislators two years ago raised the minimum annual salary for correction officer trainees to more than $55,000 at a maximum secure facility (and Dixon said it actually went as high as $73,000). Funding issues arent new The numbers Dixon cited should have surprised none of the lawmakers on the committee. Many of them served in the Senate a few years ago when a study by the consulting firm KPMG recommended the state immediately appropriate more than $2 billion for immediate repairs and to develop a strategy to modernize the system. The report added that the full costs of modernizing the states prison system would range between $6 billion and nearly $12 billion. Among some of the specific requests by Dixon is $155 million in operational needs; $60 million in inmate health services; $56.4 million in new housing units; $45 million in drug costs; and $22 million in critical security equipment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What this does not include is the pay, Dixon said, adding that he hopes to remain competitive on salaries. Overtime costs piling up Reviewing state records showing that the Department of Corrections spent $150 million on overtime last year, Sen. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville, asked Dixon why the state was paying such a vast amount. Dixon cited the addition of approximately 10,000 inmates in recent years. They have to live somewhere, he said. We have to reopen the dorms that were previously closed. We dont have staffing for those dorms, so we have to pull staffing from one shift to the next and it requires a lot of double shifts to man those dorms. So, that drives that overtime rate up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While this Senate committee is focused on funding, not policies, Sen. Rosalind Osgood, D-Fort Lauderdale, mused to Dixon about reducing the states inmate population by allowing some elderly prisoners to be released. Geriatric parole is legislatively authorized in 24 states around the country, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. If I had been in jail 20 to 25 years and I havent killed a bunch of people [or] did something horrific, maybe I was just high chasing drugs I dont know but we gotta begin to look at adding some measure of grace for people who we can be comfortable with that they paid a consequence and maybe looking to spend money to transition them back into society in a more cost effective way, she said. I stay in my lane when it comes to who should be in our system and who shouldnt be, Dixon replied. Thats worthy of debate and certainly is debated and should continue to be debated. Those debates havent taken place in the Florida Legislature, however. One specific measure that would have allowed certain long-time prison sentences to become parole-eligible under certain circumstances introduced in the 2025 legislative session never received a hearing in any committee. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE U.S. Rep. Cory Mills of Florida has been blocked from contact with his ex-girlfriend Lindsey Langston, the current Miss United States and a Republican state committeewoman, after she alleged that Mills threatened to release intimate images and videos of her following a breakup and threatened any of her future boyfriends. Florida 3rd Circuit Judge Fred Koberlein, Jr., on Oct. 14 imposed a protective injunction against dating violence, effective until Jan. 1, 2026. During that time, Mills may not commit violence nor have contact with Langston, and shall not go within 500 feet of her home or 100 feet of her vehicle, the 14-page order says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This marks the latest event in a series of scandals for Mills. In September, U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-Brooklyn, introduced a resolution to censure Mills, alleging he has "on several occasions conducted himself in a manner that reflects discredit on the House of Representatives." The resolution was referred to the House Committee on Ethics. Along with the claims from Langston, Clarke cited questions about his service in the U.S. Army and the release of an ethics investigation into accusations that Mills violated federal laws by benefiting from government contracts while a member of Congress. Rep. Nancy Mace, currently running for governor of South Carolina, has been hammering on Mills' Army service, most recently after Mills was one of four Republicans who helped kill her measure to censure Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar over Omar's comments about slain Republican activist Charlie Kirk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mills, 45, a U.S. Representative of Florida's 7th District, former combat veteran, security contractor and Trump ally, has denied the allegations. Here's what to know. Why was US Rep. Cory Mills hit with a restraining order by Lindsey Langston? Mills, who is married but separated, began dating Langston, 26, in November 2021, according to the Columbia County sheriff's report. She said she broke up with him in February and moved back in with her parents in Lake City after news broke that D.C. police were investigating an assault report involving Mills and his live-in girlfriend, Sarah Raviani. Langston, who was living in Mills' New Smyrna Beach residence at the time, had been unaware Mills had another live-in girlfriend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Raviani later recanted her claim. Mills was never charged for assault and denied wrongdoing, although WRC-TV reported that the D.C. police sent an arrest warrant to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, but then-acting U.S. Attorney Ed Martin refused to sign off. The Sheriff's Office report states that Mills continued to contact Langston for months against her wishes despite her efforts to block him, and threatened to have her stripped of her Miss United States title and "to release nude images and videos of her," including videos of herself and Mills having sex. This is a text message shared with The News-Journal by Anthony Sabatini, an attorney representing Lindsey Langston. Sabatini says Langston has accused Congressman Cory Mills of harassment and sextortion. Langston provided text messages and Instagram messages to Columbia County investigators between herself and Mills, "which consisted of Cory threatening to harm any men Lindsey intended to date in the future," the report said. Mills testified in two September hearings before Judge Koberlein that he and Langston were texting and messaging for months after the breakup with the possibility of reconciliation, as they had two years before. He also said he was referring to videos of her baking and that he did not have videos of her or them of a sexual nature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judge pointed out that even were that true, Langston didn't know that. "The court, considering the totality of the testimony and circumstances, does not find (Mills') testimony concerning the intimate videos to be truthful," Koberlein wrote. "... There was no evidence presented suggesting (Langston) knew (Mills) no longer had possession of their intimate videos. The effect of (Mills') references to videos and the dissemination of such on (Langston) had been made." Langston's attorney described her fear of going out and multiple emotional breakdowns of anxiety and panic "all because of Cory Mills' repeated pattern of harassment, intimidation and threats." Reports: Florida Congressman Cory Mills drops motion to face his accuser virtually Why is US Rep. Cory Mills being investigated in Congress? Mills is currently facing a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations that he benefited from contracts with the federal government while in office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The congressman is a decorated U.S. Army veteran who was deployed to Iraq in 2003 and received the Bronze Star for saving the lives of two fellow soldiers. After returning to civilian life, he worked as a military contractor and risk-management specialist for multiple companies before co-founding his own, PACEM Solutions International LLC, a risk management and consulting firm, PACEM Defense, a private security company, and ALS Less-Lethal Systems, which manufactures military and law enforcement equipment. In August 2024, the board of the Office of Congressional Conduct said that Mills appeared to be violating federal laws and House rules with $1.8 million he used to fund his congressional campaign, Business Insider reported. "The OCE found that from January 2023 to present, Pacem Defense/ALS, has been actively contracting with the federal government, securing close to $1,000,000 in federal contracts for munitions and weapons, distributed to prisons across the country," the report said. "Specifically, since January 9, 2024, 94 contracts have been awarded to entities owned by Rep. Mills." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mills said he had divested from his businesses, but his public financial disclosures covering 2022 still listed ownership of the Pacem companies, Business Insider said. Mills has denied any wrongdoing and his lawyer pointed out that the Federal Elections Commission dismissed complaints against him, but the FEC said it did not detemine if his congressional ethics disclosures were accurate. Why was US Rep. Cory Mills' military service questioned? During Mills' 2024 campaign, he was challenged in the primary by retired Department of Defense employee Michael Johnson, who accused Mills of lying about his military service, specifically his claim of earning a Bronze Star. Mills' discharge summary document also does not list any foreign service. Mills admitted some of his paperwork contained errors, but provided a medal-confirmation memo and other documents to The Daytona Beach News-Journal he said proved he served in Iraq in 2003 and earned a Bronze Star with heroism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, one of the men named in the award recommendation says he did not suffer life-threatening injuries and Mills didn't save his life, and a medic who flew the other man out told the news site NOTUS that he doesn't remember Mills being there. There have also been accusations that Mills was never in Iraq, but a seriously wounded soldier's mother said Mills was her son's team leader there. In September, after Rep. Mace attacked him over his war record, Mills posted defenses of his service, including a letter from a fellow service member. On multiple occasions Team-21 was attacked by insurgents with improvised explosive devices (IEDs and EFPs), the letter reads. Cory was present for two of these attacks. Im tired of the slander and the defamation," Mills said earlier. "I ran for office to be able to serve the American people, not to defend something I did 20 years ago over and over and over. Did US Rep. Cory MIlls get evicted? In July, the news broke that Mills' D.C. landlord was trying to evict him from his nearly $21,000-per-month luxury penthouse for more than $85,000 in unpaid rent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mills said there was a problem with his online payments and made good his back rent. Will US Rep. Cory Mills be censured by Congress? Unknown. A censure, or a formal vote of disapproval, requires a majority vote of Congress, which is currently majority Republican. However, Rep. Mace, also a Republican, is feuding with him over the Omar vote and could try to swing other Republicans against him. A censure is a reprimand but it does not come with legal consequences, nor does it affect a congressperson's status, title or power to vote. However, a censure can be a powerful form of public shaming, as the person's misdeeds are read on the floor of the chamber. Who is Cory Mills? U.S. Representative Cory Mills (R-FL) attends a House Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump hearing, on the assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania in July, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 26, 2024. REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw Cory Lee Mills was born in Winter Haven, Florida, and raised by his grandparents in Auburndale, according to his congressional bio. He earned an associate of arts degree in liberal arts and sciences from Florida State College at Jacksonville, and a bachelor of science degree in health sciences and a Master of Arts in international relations and conflict resolution from American Military University. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the Army, he served as a sniper with the 82nd Airborne Division and Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and worked as a private subcontractor in Iraq and the Middle East after that. He has since assisted in multiple operations, including helping to evacuate Americans out of Afghanistan in 2021, Israel in 2023 and Haiti earlier this year. Mills is married to naturalized Iraq refugee Rana Al Saadi, who worked in an advisory role for the Trump administration and co-founded the PACEM companies. Mills told Blaze Media in May that the couple has been going through divorce proceedings for 2 years and have been separated for three. They have three children. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: US Rep Cory Mills under restraining order after threat allegations Yin Yang/Getty Images The Michigan Association of County Clerks unanimously voted to oppose a ballot measure seeking to establish ranked choice voting in Michigan, which is being put forth by Rank MI Vote for potential inclusion in the 2026 election. The clerks cited concerns about timeliness of the certification of elections, confusion by voters and delays to any recounts or audits in their opposition to the measure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michigan voters are used to knowing who won an election in a timely manner, so its incredibly important that were able to report accurate, unofficial results on election night, said Kent County Clerk Lisa Posthumus Lyons in a press release from the association. Determining a winner will take drastically longer under ranked-choice voting. Delayed results erode the publics trust by fueling uncertainty and misinformation. Marquette County Clerk Linda Talsma, who chairs the association, also noted in the release that while they do not generally take positions on ballot measures, the bipartisan group of county officials felt it necessary to urge voters to reject the initiative in this case. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Michigan voters already face some of the longest and most complex ballots in the nation, covering federal, state, county, city, township, school, and special district contests on a single ballot, reads the official resolution passed by the clerks association. The RankMIVote proposal would further complicate ballots by requiring voters to numerically rank candidates in certain contests while others remain unchanged, adding inconsistency, voter confusion, and voter fatigue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The resolution also cited a survey, conducted in June by The Glengariff Group, in which 65% of Michigan voters polled across demographic and political lines opposed the implementation of ranked choice voting. But proponents of the initiative pushed back against these criticisms. A statement from Rank MI Vote in response to the clerks statement cited that upwards of 96% of voters found their ballot simple to complete, adding that 79% of jurisdictions using RCV release results within 24 hours of an election. Ranked Choice Voting has been proven to increase both the demographic diversity and diversity of ideas in the candidates who run and win elections, said Joe Spaulding, the campaign director for Rank MI Vote, in the release. Joe Spaulding, campaign director for Rank MI Vote, testifies against legislation to ban ranked choice voting in Michigan. Aug. 19, 2025 | Photo by Kyle Davidson/Michigan Advance Spaulding also criticized the timing of the announcement, which came on the same day as the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing a case that could undercut a key clause of the Voting Rights Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If we set election policy based on the misplaced notion that voters are confused by having more choices instead of the fact that voters are angry when they have fewer choices, turnout will decline, he added. This is an outcome we know clerks want to avoid. One additional concern raised by the clerks is a potential constitutional conflict with straight-party voting, which Rank MI Vote says would not be affected by the inclusion of ranked choice voting, nor would the primary system in place. The proposal put forth by Rank MI Vote would establish the new voting system in federal elections for President, Senate and House of Representatives, as well as state elections for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State, starting in 2029. Five Michigan municipalities Ann Arbor, East Lansing, Ferndale, Kalamazoo and Royal Oak have individually passed ranked choice voting measures. But none have been able to put them into practice due to conflicts with current Michigan election laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ranked choice voting is already being used in a number of states and cities around the United States Maine and Alaska have both adopted the practice for certain elections including the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, and cities like New York City, San Francisco and Minneapolis have begun to use it for some citywide elections. While this ballot initiative continues, Republicans in Michigans Legislature have also considered banning ranked choice voting in the state outright, passing a bill through the House in August along party lines that would do just that. As of March 2025, Ballotpedia reported that 13 states had enacted legislation banning ranked choice voting, and another five failed in 2024 to pass ballot measures that would have put the system in place. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Oct. 14Hoisington City Manager Jonathan Mitchell came before the Barton County Commission on Tuesday to seek economic development funds for his city's subdivision improvements. Mitchell met with council members last week during their study session and was back this week for their formal approval. The commission authorized up to $125,000 via a reimbursement program, meaning Hoisington must do the work before receiving the money. This project is expected to bring 12 new homes to northern Barton County. The City of Hoisington previously purchased the Windgate Apartment property and, along with the demolition of certain structures, has readied the grounds for improvements. The economic development funding will help pay for the installation of gutters and a concrete street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "With this expansion of Vine Street through the subdivision, it is believed that new construction could begin late this year or early next year," according to the agenda. Mitchell expressed thanks for the county's help. "As you know, housing is a major challenge in Barton County, and we think that some of you just need a little boost to get it going. Our city has been active the last couple of years dealing with some blighted properties. We acquired an old apartment complex, razed that complex and recently filed a plan to bring nine residential housing lots and extend utilities to other lots as part of this project." The county's support will help with the extension of Vine Street from Cheyenne Street to 15th Street. The commissioners were enthusiastic about the development, with commissioner Shawn Hutchinson saying the county has now helped three cities, Hoisington, Ellinwood and Claflin, with projects that will create more housing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Until this year, the council was a funding partner with Great Bend Economic Development, which expanded its mission in 2022 to support the broader Barton County region. As of Jan. 1, the commission discontinued its role with GBED, opting to look at eco-devo projects on an individual basis. Commissioner Chair Tricia Schlessiger alluded to that decision on Tuesday. "I think this is exactly what we were looking at, projectwise, when we went this way with economic development dollars to try something different, ... project by project. ... I'm excited for this project." New chairs at the Health Department In other business, Public Health Director Karen Winkelman talked about a grant to replace 18 fabric chairs in the lobby and exam rooms. The commissioners approved the low bid of $14,998.62 from Commercial Concepts Furnishings in Missouri. Originally, the request was for $500 more to include delivery and set-up, but Winkelman pointed out that previous orders from the company resulted in items being delivered in boxes and her staff doing the actual set-up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The old chairs are at least 15 years old, she said. "They are fabric and they are well-worn and they have served their purpose." This was described as a safety issue because the new chairs will be sturdy, easy to clean with a vinyl surface instead of fabric, and comfortable. Winkelman noted that she went over the bids last week with the commissioners after the agenda meeting. While the county might have preferred using a local vendor, the federal grant requires awarding the contract to the low bidder. Barton County Commission meeting at a glance Here's a brief look at Tuesday's Barton County Commission meeting: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A resolution was approved for a conditional land use permit on the southeast side of NW 50 Ave. and NW 30 Road, to allow Nex-Tech Wireless to build a 250-foot guyed communication tower on a tract of land owned by Farris Haying LLC. Commissioner Shawn Hutchinson said Nex-Tech has a "dead spot" in that area and Environmental Manager Judy Goreham said the tower is expected to improve the cellphone signal at the airport and fairgrounds. A Facade Improvement Grant was approved for All Weather Roofing and Exterior's building at 2100 10th St. in Great Bend. Jennifer Lynn and Tyler Daily described the $15,601.73 project that involves installing siding, gutters, wraps, shutters and window replacements, as well as painting the building. The grant is for $8,500. Commissioners Tricia Schlessiger and Duane Reif were named the voting delegate and alternate, respectively, for meetings of the Kansas County Association Multiline Pool (KCAMP) and Kansas Workers Cooperative for Counties (KWORCC). A request from the City of Hoisington was approved, authorizing up to $125,000 via a reimbursement program for subdivision improvements that will allow 12 new houses to be built. The lowest bid, $14,998.62, from Commercial Concepts Furnishings in Missouri, was approved to replace lobby and exam room chairs at the Barton County Health Department. Public Health Director Karen Winkelman said her department was approved to use grant funding and then bids were solicited through September. MOSCOW, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin met Syrian interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa here to discuss bilateral relations and the Middle East situation, the Kremlin said Wednesday. "The agenda included the current state of and prospects for the development of Russian-Syrian relations in the political, trade, economic, and humanitarian spheres, as well as the situation in the Middle East," the Kremlin said in a statement. In his opening remarks at the talks, Putin remarked on the "special relationship" between the two countries and that the bilateral ties have always been "exclusively friendly." The Kremlin noted that al-Sharaa had said that Syria will try to "relaunch the full range of our relations" and that the most important thing now is stability in the country and in the region as a whole. Cook Countys top judge signed an order barring ICE from arresting people at court. Cook County includes Chicago, which has seen a federal immigration crackdown in recent months. Detaining residents outside courthouses has been a common tactic for federal agents, who have been stationed outside county courthouses for weeks, making arrests and drawing crowds of protesters. The order, which was signed Tuesday night and took effect Wednesday, bars the civil arrest of any party, witness, or potential witness while going to court proceedings. It includes arrests inside courthouses and in parking lots, surrounding sidewalks and entryways. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fair administration of justice requires that courts remain open and accessible, and that litigants and witnesses may appear without fear of civil arrest, the order states. The US Department of Homeland Security defended the practice of making arrests at courthouses, calling it common sense. We arent some medieval kingdom; there are no legal sanctuaries where you can hide and avoid the consequences for breaking the law, DHS said in a Wednesday statement. Nothing in the constitution prohibits arresting a lawbreaker where you find them. Immigration advocates decry immigration enforcement outside courthouses Local immigration and legal advocates, including the countys public defenders office, have called for an order like this, saying clients were avoiding court out of fear of being detained. The office has confirmed at least a dozen immigration arrests at or near county courthouses since the end of July, when representatives said theyve seen US Immigration and Customs Enforcements presence outside courthouses increase. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have had numerous conversations with clients who are presented with a difficult decision of either missing court and receiving an arrest warrant or coming to court and risk being arrested by ICE, Cruz Rodriguez, an assistant public defender with the offices immigration division, said at a news conference earlier this month. Domestic violence advocacy organizations also signed on to a petition earlier this month calling for Cook County Circuit Chief Judge Timothy Evans to issue the order. This comes after advocates said a woman was was arrested by ICE last month while entering the domestic violence courthouse. Alexa Van Brunt, director of MacArthur Justice Centers Illinois office, which filed the petition, said she was gratified by Evans order. This is a necessary and overdue action to ensure that the people of Cook County can access the courts without fear, she said in a Wednesday statement to The Associated Press. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Evans said justice depends on every individuals ability to appear in court without fear or obstruction. Our courthouses remain places where all people regardless of their background or circumstance should be able to safely and confidently participate in the judicial process, Evans said in a statement. ICE tactics outside courthouses seen across country The tactic of detaining people at courthouses in the Chicago area is part of a larger jump in courthouse immigration arrests across the country. The flurry of immigration enforcement operations at courthouses has been condemned by judicial officials and legal organizations, and has drawn lawsuits from some statesand the adoption of bills seeking to block the practice. In June, President Donald Trumps administration sued the state of New York over a 2020 law barring federal immigration agents from making arrests at state, city and other municipal courthouses. Statehouse Democrats vow to adopt resolutions condemning federal immigration crackdown Opening the second day of the six-day fall legislative session in Springfield, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch decried the federal governments immigration squeeze and vowed that his majority Democrats would use floor time Wednesday to adopt resolutions condemning the action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We wont sit back and let our democracy be taken from us, Welch said at the Capitol, surrounded by two dozen of his caucus members Questioned about the practical impact of resolutions, Welch said there also are discussions about legislation to restrict federal agents patrol statewide. He lambasted reports of ICE arrests in medical facilities and applauded Evans ruling prohibiting warrantless arrests near courthouses. If we can do something similar statewide, Id love to get that done, Welch said. These should be safe spaces. Republicans questioned their opponents sincerity. Debating a resolution condemning political violence, GOP Rep. Adam Niemerg noted incendiary language from Gov. JB Pritzker in the spring he called for street fighters to oppose the administration although the governor has not espoused violence. Rep. Nicole La Ha, who said she has received death threats, accused Democrats of trying to stifle opposition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is not a stand against violence, La Ha said. It is a tasteless tactic to punish dissent and difference of opinion. Illinois governor denounces tear gas use on protesters Meanwhile, Pritzker suggested federal agents may have violated a ruling by a federal judge last week that said they could not use tear gas, pepper spray and other weapons on journalists and peaceful protesters after a coalition of news outlets and protesters sued over the actions of federal agents during protests outside a Chicago-area ICE facility. Pritzker said he expected the attorneys involved to go back to court to make sure that is enforced against ICE ICE is causing this mayhem, he said. Theyre the ones throwing tear gas when people are peacefully protesting. The comments also come after Pritzker denounced Border Patrol agents for using tear gas on protesters who gathered Tuesday after a high-speed chase on a residential street on Chicagos South Side. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A few protesters also gathered Wednesday afternoon outside an ICE facility in the west Chicago suburb of Broadview, where a fence that has been at the center of a recent lawsuit had come down. A judge ordered ICE to remove the fence after the village of Broadview sued federal authorities for illegally erecting an 8-foot-tall fence outside the facility, blocking public streets and creating problems for local emergency services trying to access the area. On Monday, state legislators and Black mayors of nearby suburbs gathered outside the facility to demand the fence be removed and announce an executive order limiting protests in the area to designated zones. Trump has long targeted Black mayors in large Democratic cities, many of whom have voiced solidarity with one another in recent months amid federal interventions in their areas. Community efforts to oppose ICE have also ramped up in the nations third-largest city, where neighborhood groups have assembled to monitor ICE activity and film any incidents involving federal agents in their areas. On Tuesday, hundreds of people attended Whistlemania events across the city and made thousands of whistle kits with whistles, Know Your Rights flyers and instructions on how to use them to alert neighbors of when immigration enforcement agents are nearby. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An increasing number of GoFundMe pages have also been launched to pay for legal costs for community members detained by ICE, most recently a landscaper and father of three children detained earlier this month. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Mental health advocates came out in opposition to a proposal from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services they argue would privatize management of public mental health services during a rally at the state capitol. Sept. 17, 2025 | Photo by Kyle Davidson/Michigan Advance Updated 5:00 p.m. Michigans Department of Health and Human Services was given the green light by the Court of Claims to go forward with a competitive bidding process for the states prepaid inpatient mental health plan providers and a plan to reduce the number of regions for those plans, which ensure access to mental health services for Medicaid beneficiaries, from 10 to three. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a set of two opinions issued on Tuesday, Court of Claims Judge Christopher Yates denied a preliminary injunction to a set of those service managers and providers that would have prevented the department from continuing the bidding process for the selection of those prepaid inpatient health plans in three regions across the state. The decision seems unwise given the history of those existing PIHPs with the program and their strong connections with CMHSPs and providers, Yates wrote in the first order issued. But assessing the wisdom of such changes is a matter of policy reserved for the MDHHS, not the courts. That order stated that the departments plan to restructure the prepaid unpaid health plan to a competitive system is not only compatible with state law, but also regarded as the preferred nationwide model. The change had previously drawn heavy criticism from mental health advocates, who said that it would lead to increased privatization of the system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing), said in September, Were talking about a proposal that would replace a managed care system that is transparent and cost about 2% for a private managed system that is not transparent and will cost more like 15% tell me about the math on that one, resulting in $500 million in additional [overhead] costs. Former U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) Sept. 17, 2025 | Photo by Kyle Davidson/Michigan Advance And in August, CEO of the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan Robert Sheehan wrote in a press release praising the lawsuit, saying it illegally eliminates the public managed care organization entrusted with managing the care for some of the most vulnerable and resilient members of our communities. The providers filing suit claimed that, because the new structure would require each provider to cover an entire region of the three and these existing providers had previously only covered one region of 10 it would essentially force them out of business. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yates did not dispute this, but wrote, That concern has nothing to do with the legality of the competitive procurement system. In other words, although plaintiffs describe their own treatment as impermissible under Michigan law, they cannot establish that the shift from a single-source procurement system to a competitive procurement system impermissibly alters the structure of PIHPs and CMHSPs, he added. We agree with the Courts ruling that MDHHS cannot change state law through this RFP process, the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan wrote in a statement responding to the decision. The statutory framework that governs Michigans public behavioral health system was created by the Legislature, and only the Legislature has the authority to amend it. Yates did not rule on one element of the case in his orders the legality of the language in the Request for Proposal put forth by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget to collect bids for these these contracts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We share the Courts significant concerns about the legality of the RFP itself, the Community Mental Health Association statement added. The Courts decision acknowledges that there are serious questions as to whether the RFP improperly assigns statutory responsibilities in violation of state law, and whether it fails to ensure that CMHSPs are properly funded to fulfill their obligations under state law. In his second order denying the injunction, Yates wrote, Only when declaratory relief has failed should the courts even begin to consider additional forms of relief in these situations. Because of the remaining question about the Request for Proposal language, Yates said that that the question of injunctive relief could be reconsidered once a decision had been made on that final portion of the case. This story was updated to include comment from the Community Mental Health Association. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Oct. 14The state's plans to kill a wolf in northeast Washington are off after a court sided with environmentalists seeking to block the action. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Tuesday evening that a King County Superior Court commissioner had granted a temporary restraining order blocking the agency's efforts to kill a wolf from the Sherman Pack in Ferry County. Last Thursday, WDFW Deputy Director Amy Windrope authorized the removal in response to recent attacks on cattle. The authorization, which had yet to result in the death of a wolf, was set to expire Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Washington Wildlife First, Predator Defense and the Kettle Range Conservation Group filed a petition with the King County Superior Court on Friday asking the court to withdraw the kill order and prevent WDFW from killing any other wolves. In their petition, the groups argue the livestock producers affected by the wolves hadn't done enough to keep their cattle from being attacked. They also noted that WDFW had already killed a wolf from the pack in August and argued that removing another could endanger the pack's survival. On Tuesday, the group requested the temporary restraining order to keep WDFW from taking action until the case is heard. A hearing was held in the afternoon. Court Commissioner Mark Hillman issued the restraining order after the hearing. The groups cheered the decision in a news release Tuesday evening. Francisco J. Santiago-Avila, the science and advocacy director for Washington Wildlife First, said the group was gratified the court stopped WDFW from carrying out an "unethical, inhumane, and unscientific order in time to save what remains of the Sherman wolf family." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The order lasts through Oct. 28, which is when a hearing is scheduled on the environmental groups' petition. The Sherman Pack has been responsible for a half-dozen attacks on cattle in the past 10 months, according to WDFW. During the agency's minimum count this winter, biologists found the pack consisted of at least five wolves, including a breeding pair. In August, following the death of three calves and the injury of two others, WDFW killed an adult female from the pack. The agency's announcement said the livestock producer had been using non-lethal wolf deterrance measures, such as range riding. Washington Wildlife First denounced that killing in a news release. The group's statement said it was the 36th wolf WDFW had killed on behalf of the family that runs the Diamond M Ranch. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The most recent incidents took place on Sept. 28 and Oct. 1. Washington Wildlife First said in its news release Tuesday that the attacks were again on cattle belonging to the Diamond M Ranch. WDFW said in a news release that the final decision to kill the wolf came from the agency's deputy director because Director Kelly Susewind was out of the office at the time. Gov. Mike Kehoe, center, speaks to reporters about the Missouri redistricting plan Sept. 25 during a visit to Columbia Regional Airport (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent). A filing in one of the many lawsuits challenging Missouris gerrymandered redistricting plan appears to cast uncertainty on Republican Gov. Mike Kehoes statements that the map was prepared by staff in his office. A lawsuit filed by the committee seeking to force a referendum on the map states: Governor Kehoe prepared and provided to the General Assembly the new congressional districts and accompanying map. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an answer filed Tuesday, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaways office wrote: State Defendant admits that various governmental actors participated in the States 2025 congressional reapportionment. To the extent further response is required, State Defendant denies the allegations The lawsuit was filed by a political action committee called People not Politicians against Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins after he rejected three proposed referendum petitions because they were filed before Kehoe signed the bill. The answer also denies that Hoskins made any error and asserts that People not Politicians filed suit in the wrong court and against the wrong defendant. Missouri Democrats have publicly questioned the governors public statements that his office crafted the new map, arguing instead that it most likely came from President Donald Trumps White House. State Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, D-Kansas City, speaks during the September special session on redistricting. (Photo by Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). The phrasing used by the states attorneys is revealing, state Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, a Democrat from Kansas City, said in an interview with The Independent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am not surprised at all to see the attorney general use this language, she said. Obviously now we are entering the court of law and facts matter. All along, Nurrenbern said, she has been convinced this map was just a copy and paste from Washington, D.C. Discovering the maps author has been frustrating, she said, and it was never adequately answered during the special session. Lawmakers were not fully trained on mapping software, she said, and no map was produced by legislative staff. The day that the governor called the extraordinary session, the map was already done, Nurrenbern said, and so thats why I could say with absolute certainty that this map was not drawn in the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Throughout the special session and after, Kehoes office has been adamant that it was done by the governors staff without assistance from Washington. Chuck Hatfield, an attorney representing People Not Politicians in its lawsuit, said he was surprised by the states response. It could mean, he said, that Kehoe didnt personally make the map. But he said various governmental actors is certainly broad enough to include federal employees at the White House. Why are people embarrassed about taking credit for this bill? Hatfield said. Hanaways office did not respond immediately to requests for clarification. A spokeswoman for the governors office said Tuesday that the original filing does not specifically say Governor Kehoes office prepared and provided the map. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday morning, Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green set the case for a trial on Nov. 4. Green is being asked to decide whether a referendum can be launched as soon as lawmakers take the final vote on a bill or if petitioners must wait until a bill is signed. In a news release Wednesday, Hoskins said he had approved a new version of the referendum petition and that signature gathering could begin. Any signatures already gathered, Hoskins said, are not valid and gathering them before his approval of the petition form is a misdemeanor. People Not Politicians said last week that it had collected more than 50,000 signatures from registered voters. The campaign needs at least 106,384 signatures spread over six of the states eight congressional districts to put it on a ballot. The referendum campaign has until Dec. 11 to turn in signatures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nurrenbern said she has personally been collecting signatures to put the new map on the ballot next year. She sees Hoskins warning about signatures gathered before his approval as a personal threat that she may be prosecuted. It is incredibly frustrating that we have a secretary of state using the office to intimidate voters and threaten democracy, Nurrenbern said. The new Missouri map targets the Kansas-City based 5th District, held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, with the goal of winning seven of Missouris congressional seats for the GOP. Lawmakers approved the new map after Trump started pressuring Misouri Republicans in July to redraw the districts. A special session in Texas was preparing to revise that states 34 districts to provide as many as five new safe GOP districts. In retaliation, California lawmakers put a new district map on that states ballot with the aim to shift five seats to Democrats. In a lawsuit currently underway in Texas, Adam Kincaid, executive director of the National Republican Redistricting Trust, testified Oct. 7 that he prepared the map passed by the Texas legislature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to records obtained by The Independent, Kincaid produced a memo used by the maps legislative sponsor in Missouri explaining the details of the new districts. In a September interview with The Independent, he insisted that is not evidence that he had a hand in creating the map. In an interview Tuesday, Kincaid said he would not discuss whether he had a role in the Missouri map. I am going to defer to the governors office and the AGs office on that, he said. Along with the lawsuit over referendum rules, there are four other lawsuits in various stages where opponents of the new map seek to have it declared unconstitutional. One, filed by the NAACP of Missouri, argues Kehoe had no authority to call lawmakers into special session and have all actions of the special session declared void. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The case was argued Sept. 15 before Cole County Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh, who has yet to make a ruling. There is one other case in Cole County that directly challenges the redistricting plan and two more filed in Jackson County. The Cole County case is set for a trial on Nov. 12, also before Limbaugh. In the lawsuit, which also has Hatfield as the lead attorney, the plaintiffs argue the Missouri Constitution only allows redistricting to occur immediately after the state receives a new census report. All weve got to do is look at the Constitution, take a look and see whether they can do redistricting, Hatfield said. The answer to that is no, they cant do it at all. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Jackson County cases are not scheduled for trial. One includes accusations that the map approved by lawmakers is flawed and therefore not valid because it uses the same precinct in two different districts. The other, filed the day Kehoe signed the bill, includes the argument that no authority exists in the Constitution allowing lawmakers to revise congressional districts in the absence of new census data. It also argues that the districts are not legal because they are not compact and stretch for hundreds of miles across the state. Hatfield said he would like clarification on the statement denying Kehoe prepared the map as well as other statements in the answer that deny statements of fact, such as that the legislature passed the redistricting bill. Its them being difficult, Hatfield said, but its just lawyer games. This article was updated at 2 p.m. Oct. 15 to correct the first reference to the committee that is seeking a referendum. A U.S. district court temporarily halted the University of Texas Systems enforcement of a new free speech law, siding with students who say its limits are overly broad and restrictive. The decision, filed Tuesday afternoon after a hearing earlier this month, said the Campus Protection Act, or Senate Bill 2972 by Sen. Brandon Creighton, is likely in violation of the First Amendment, particularly its end-of-term restrictions on expressive activities, guest speakers and amplified sound. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Students are now able to exercise their First Amendment rights without having to fear whether or not [they are speaking] even at the wrong hour of the day or the wrong time of the year, said JT Morris, senior attorney at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression who represented students, in an interview Wednesday morning. The First Amendment stands as strongly at our public universities as it does anywhere else, and the judge recognized that. The injunction applies to campuses in the University of Texas System, including the University of Texas at Austin and UT San Antonio. FREE SPEECH LAW: With added protections, Texas House passes 'Campus Protection Act' to regulate free speech Senate Bill 2972 passed after pro-Palestinian protests on Texas campuses resulted in more than 150 arrests. The demonstrations roiled conservative lawmakers, who accused the protesters of being disruptive and anti-Semitic, despite protesters saying their speech was peaceful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though Creighton who previously served as the chairman of the Texas Senate Education K-16 Committee and was recently named the chancellor of the Texas Tech University System said the law upholds and protects free speech rights on college campuses, his legislation undid bipartisan protections passed in 2019 to classify all university open spaces as traditional public forums for any member of the public. A coalition of University of Texas at Austin and University of Texas at Dallas students, represented by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, sued the system for its enforcement of the law. The group argued the legislations tight regulation of expressive activities could include publishing news, holding vigils, hosting music events or wearing T-shirts with political messages. UT also received pushback for stating Austin Street Medics, a volunteer organization offering medical help at local protests, could not be on campus if they were not students, due to the new law that strips protections from non-students attending campus protests. Creighton stood by the law in a statement to the American-Statesman Wednesday morning, saying the act enshrines measures to better protect students on campus while still upholding the First Amendment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement READ MORE: Experts question legality of Texas students punished for speech after Charlie Kirks death This ruling represents only a temporary stay by one judge, and Im confident the law will ultimately be upheld, Creighton said. Texas can and will be the model for how universities protect both free expression and campus integrity. The UT System said in a statement that while we cannot comment on matters involving litigation at this time, the UT System complies with the law and court orders. U.S. District Judge David Ezras 52-page ruling orders the UT System to no longer enforce the overnight expression ban, end-of-term drum and amplified sound ban and end-of-term speaker ban. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judges ruling marks a win for free speech and academic freedom proponents after a fall fraught with professor terminations and student removals across the state for speech and conduct offensive to conservative leaders. Though FIREs lawsuit is ongoing, and the preliminary injunction only impacts the UT System, Morris said he is hopeful the ruling will have a larger impact. Were hopeful that lawmakers and campus administrators alike recognize what the court reaffirmed, Morris said, And thats the strong First Amendment protections for students and staff and others who speak and express themselves at public universities. This report has been updated. Covington school district officials say they have received threats of violence targeting staff and students after a video taken over a month ago on school grounds has reappeared online, drawing millions of views on X. The video depicts a group of teens who appear to be fighting at Holmes High School. Covington Independent Public Schools said in an Oct. 14 Facebook statement the video was taken on or about Aug. 31. As of Oct. 14, it has amassed over 7 million views in a post by a conservative political commentator on X. The post, made by Ireland-based social media creator Michael McCarthy, alleges in the caption that a "group of black boys" assaulted "two young white girls" while recording the incident at "Holmes & Woodland High School in Covington Kentucky." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is no Woodland High School in the Covington district, although there is a Woodland Middle School in Northern Kentucky's Taylor Mill. Covington police said the incident did in fact occur at Holmes High School, part of Covington Independent Public Schools. But the people involved were not all students from the district, according to the district's statement. In addition, the incident was not during any school-sponsored event or during school hours, the district said. In a clip that appears to be filmed by a boy in the group, the individuals can be seen kicking and slapping a girl lying on the ground as she repeatedly says "get off" and "stop." A second girl then appears to lie on the ground as one boy says, "it's your turn." The first girl shown can be seen at the end of the video getting up then briefly walking away and screaming something unintelligible at the person recording. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The text "What would you do if this was your daughter?" is pasted over the video. Investigation into incident captured on viral video is ongoing The Northern Kentucky school district says the video, brought to its attention in September, appears to have been taken by individuals on school grounds who were not authorized to be there. Names of the suspects and victims in the video have not been released because they are juveniles and an investigation into the incident is ongoing, police said. Charges have not yet been filed in relation to the event. In September, Covington Schools conducted an internal investigation and followed the processes outlined in its student code of conduct, including notifying law enforcement and initiating student disciplinary actions, the district said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Covington police said the event came to its attention in an incident report Sept. 5. District, police speak out on viral circulation of video The district said in its Oct. 14 statement that the resurgence of the video on social media has "interrupted regular school operations, as there have been unwarranted threats of violence directed at the school, staff and students." It did not elaborate. "Covington Schools asks that members of the public please respect the privacy of our students and staff, and refrain from causing further disruption to the educational environment. Lastly, and perhaps most important any threats will be referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency for further action," the district stated. Regarding the viral nature of the video, Covington's public information officer Justin Bradbury said the clip is "not the full picture of what's happened and things are getting overblown." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McCarthy's viral X post has garnered thousands of comments, some calling for extreme, race-based violence against the boys in the video and others claiming the events depicted are part of a skit. Other social media users, specifically those based in Covington, said in the comments of the district's Facebook statement that the viral nature of the clip amounts to "outsider opinions." It's unclear which social media account first shared the video. But the clip has made the rounds through several social media channels unaffiliated with the district nor the city of Covington, including by McCarthy and DeQuincey RaShun Wilson, a New York-based digital creator on Facebook. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Covington schools says viral video interrupted class, spurred threats A Cincinnati Public Schools board member said it's "totally inappropriate" for the city's mayor to suggest the district move students off of Metro buses in the wake of a double shooting at Fountain Square. Eve Bolton, CPS Board of Education vice president, responded Oct. 15 to Mayor Aftab Pureval's remarks, saying he should not have suggested "that Downtown crime is related only to our young people." Pureval's comments, made at an Oct. 14 monthly meeting of the Downtown Residents Council, came at the tail end of a list of short-term solutions he proposed to curb crime Downtown, including adding officers from Cincinnatis Civil Disturbance Response Team and SWAT and bumping the youth curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 p.m. The mayor's appearance came a day after a shooting near the CityBird restaurant on Fountain Square that wounded two people, prompting discussions about ongoing violence in Cincinnati's urban core. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No one has been arrested for the shooting as of Oct. 15 but police are looking for a 24-year-old man, who they say fired a handgun into the restaurant, on charges of felonious assault and illegal possession of a firearm. "I've reached out to CPS to have a conversation about the yellow buses," Pureval said at the community meeting. "Let's figure out whether we can reinstitute those, how much that costs, what the logistical challenges are." A Metro bus picks up students on Hamilton Avenue in College Hill on Aug. 14, 2024. "You know our CPS students are, by and large, wonderful kids. Bus riders are, by and large, wonderful people who we just want to go about their day without being harassed by violence. But there's no doubt that this confluence of events is contributing to the challenges," he said. When asked where the money for the shift would come from, Pureval said he didn't yet "have a dollar figure or a strategy to solve it," but it's important for him to "put that issue back on the table." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Because currently the status quo from my perspective as both the mayor and also a CPS parent is leaving a lot to be desired," he said. School board, teachers union respond to mayor: 'We take offense' Bolton called the mayor's suggestion "unreasonable" and "not financially feasible" given the major cost savings the district has gained from moving kids from yellow buses to public transit. Yellow bus service costs an average of $3,085 per student, while Metro costs approximately $364 per student, The Enquirer previously reported. Currently, the district uses both yellow school buses and Metro to transport over 35,000 district, charter and private school students daily. And roughly 10,500 students rode Metro buses for school transportation last school year. Julie Sellers, president of the Cincinnati Public Schools teachers union, also described Pureval's idea as unfeasible, calling it "impossible" given a shortage of drivers and state and federal funding cuts being at "crisis levels." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The union led protests during the summer of 2021 when Metro eliminated school-specific bus routes. That's how CPS students came to and from school until Metro canceled them four years ago, opting for existing routes. "Our students are citizens who deserve respect and opportunity not blame. And its important to remember that not all community violence involves CPS students," Sellers said. A Metro bus heads down Hamilton Avenue in College Hill on Aug. 14, 2024. Many CPS students use Metro to get to school. What's more, Bolton said, Pureval's comments use the city's youth as a scapegoat given that the person police say fired into CityBird at the Fountain Square shooting is 24 years old, she said. "We're tired of being scapegoated by the city and we're not going to allow our children be scapegoated in such a way," Bolton said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The district and Metro have worked together extensively to ensure students can safely use public transit with one or fewer transfers, she said. Bolton estimated that only 200 or so students use the Downtown transit center, the same station that the mayor suggested at an Oct. 14 press conference diverting buses from as a means of improving safety. As it stands, CPS transports its students as well as students attending some private and charter schools, a process she called an "unfair burden to begin with, and we're not going to find ways to make it worse." CPS board president Kareem Moncree-Moffett said she's "deeply saddened" by the Oct. 13 shooting at Fountain Square, emphasizing the district will continue working with the Metro and city leaders to ensure "student safety and accountability." CPS and Metro collaboration goes back years, helps district save millions The mayor's mention of how to transport students in Cincinnati's largest school district follows years of collaboration between CPS and Metro to transport students using existing Metro routes as a significant cost-cutting measure for the district. Just this summer, in June, the board approved moving seventh- and eighth-grade students from yellow school buses to the Metro in a move that saves CPS almost $3 million per year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most of CPS' high school students already ride Metro buses, as did some seventh and eighth-graders. CPS reports that, in total, abput 15,000 CPS, private and charter school students ride yellow buses contracted out by the district and 9,000 students ride the Metro. Breaking news reporter David Ferrara contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Downtown shooting: CPS board says it's being 'scapegoated by the city' WASHINGTON Senate Republicans are pushing companion legislation to a House bill aimed at keeping truck drivers who are not proficient in English off the road. Join the leaders shaping freights future at F3: Future of Freight Festival, Oct 21-22. Network with the industrys best and discover whats next. Register now! Connors Law, introduced in the House in May and named after Connor Dzion, an 18-year old killed in Florida in 2017, was introduced last week by Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., and co-sponsored by Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dzion was killed by a distracted truck driver unable to read warning signs alerting to upcoming traffic. Lawmakers often use companion bills to bolster a piece of legislations chances of becoming law by allowing the measure to move through the committee process in both chambers concurrently, considered a major advantage because it can save a significant amount of time. As of Wednesday, the House bill, which was aided through lobbying efforts by the Small Business in Transportation Coalition on behalf of small-business truckers and owner-operators, currently has 16 cosponsors, all Republicans. In addition to codifying updated truck-driver out-of-service guidelines for English proficiency violators put in place earlier this year by the Trump administration, the Senate bill, like the House version, requires that individuals be able to read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, respond to official inquiries, and make entries on reports and records, in order to get a commercial drivers license. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wyoming is a critical interstate commerce hub, with I-80 as a major shipping corridor, Lummis said in a press release. Our challenging road conditions, including high winds, winter storms, and mountains, demand clear communication between drivers and authorities. This legislation will correct the major mistake the Obama administration made in undermining these rules and will codify President Trumps executive order to make our highways safer for all Americans. Trucking companies and owner-operators support the legislation. By ensuring that all truck drivers who operate 80,000 lb. pieces of machinery on public roadways can read signs, and communicate with law enforcement and first responders, this legislation strengthens accountability and helps prevent tragedies before they happen, said Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, in a press statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following Transportation Secretary Sean Duffys signing of an order to reintroduce strict enforcement of English language proficiency standards for commercial truck drivers, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued new guidelines for trucking company hiring managers. FMCSA recommends driver interviews be conducted in English and that they include questions that would reveal whether a prospective driver could answer questions related to: Origin and destination of a recent or planned trip. Amount of time spent on duty, including driving time and the record of duty status (or logbook). Information contained in the drivers license. Information contained in shipping papers (actual or sample shipping papers, including hazardous materials shipping papers, if applicable) for the load transported/to be transported. Vehicle equipment subject to inspection. Related articles Click for more FreightWaves articles by John Gallagher. The post Crackdown on truck driver English proficiency gains steam in Congress appeared first on FreightWaves. CARROLL COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) Drivers are being detoured off Interstate 70 following a crash in Carroll County overnight. Maryland State Police (MSP) told DC News Now that troopers responded to the crash around 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 14. A preliminary investigation indicated that a tractor-trailer had struck the underside of the I-70 East overpass of MD Route 27. As a result, all eastbound lanes shut down around 11 p.m. on Tuesday. Officials also announced that drivers were being detoured off the highway at Exit 68 in the Mt. Airy area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thankfully, there were no reported injuries. Body of driver who leaped off bridge during police chase pulled from Potomac River: VSP As of Wednesday morning, all eastbound lanes remained closed. State police said several troopers and officers with the Mount Airy Police Department are on the scene. The Maryland State Highway Administration noted that closures are expected to last into rush hour. Check DCNewsNow.com for updates. To keep up with the latest news and weather updates, download our Mobile App on iPhone or Android. 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 DC News Now | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live. OSLO, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Norway aims to provide 2 billion Norwegian kroner (198 million U.S. dollars) to a NATO-coordinated aid package for Ukraine, the Norwegian government said in a press release on Wednesday. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said the Nordic country is joining a group of European countries to fund a package that will secure defense equipment for Ukraine. Several European countries are coordinating contributions under the new U.S.-led initiative -- Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) -- a program through which NATO allies fund military assistance for Ukraine drawn directly from the U.S. weapon stockpiles. Norway has previously contributed 1.5 billion Norwegian kroner to an earlier PURL package. The PURL initiative was officially launched on July 14 by U.S. President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. (1 Norwegian krone = 0.099 U.S. dollar) TUPELO After spending more than three decades on death row, Charles Ray Crawford is scheduled to be executed this evening at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. Barring a last-minute order for a stay of execution by the Supreme Court of United States or a reprieve from Gov. Tate Reeves, Crawford will be put to death at 6 p.m. Oct. 15. In a statement released Monday, Reeves reiterated the facts of the case and said he would not grant clemency, saying that unless SCOTUS grants a last-minute stay, the execution will proceed as scheduled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crawford, 59, was convicted of capital murder in 1994 for the death of 20-year-old Northeast Mississippi Community College student Kristy Ray. She was kidnapped from her Chalybeate home in Tippah County, raped and killed. The Mississippi Supreme Court ended 31 years of appeals in mid-September when they denied Crawford's latest appeal and set an Oct. 15 execution date. A series of legal motions by Crawfords defense team to both the state and the federal supreme courts in the last two weeks have offered no relief. On Oct. 1, Crawfords defense team filed paperwork asking the Supreme Court of the United States to consider his appeal and a separate motion to stay his execution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitchs office filed an opposition brief last week. The state pointed out the fact that Crawford admitted to kidnapping, raping and killing Ray though he claims he blacked out and doesn't remember any of it. When first confronted by police, Crawford pretended to be unfamiliar with Ray. He later led authorities to her partially nude body. She had been gagged and handcuffed to a tree, with fatal stab wounds to her chest. Attorneys for Crawford filed a reply Tuesday morning with SCOTUS pointing out their arguments for a stay and the nations highest court to consider his appeal. On Oct. 3, the Mississippi Supreme Court issued a mandate, formally denying Crawfords latest appeal. He had argued that his attorneys in his 1994 trial used an insanity defense against his will. The state Supreme Court on Oct. 9 denied his request for them to reconsider the order setting his execution date. There is now a clear line of sight of the Broadview United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center after the fence around it has been removed. Tuesday night, a flat-bed truck carrying fencing material was allowed into the area, and crews began taking down the fencing. The fence was put up after repeated violent clashes between federal agents and protesters in response to increased immigration enforcement in the Chicago area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wednesday, a handful of protesters stood outside the facility. Susan Rhode prayed outside the facility. "I'm glad it's gone," Rhode of Forest Park said. "It was dangerous. I think the crowd getting that upset and threatening is the fear that people are facing. SEE ALSO | Chicago federal intervention: Tracking surge in immigration enforcement operations | Live updates In court, the village of Broadview argued that the fencing was a safety hazard, especially for first responders. Wednesday the Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson called the fence removal a win. In a statement she said: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The law, including municipal law, applies even to the federal government. This is a victory for the rule of law in a country that is still a democracy. And it is a victory for Broadview residents and businesses who depend on their municipal government to assure public safety." The Department of Homeland security argued that the fence was meant for protection. In a statement in part, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin says, "This new ruling seeks to stop us from protecting our ICE Broadview facility, the detainees being processed in it, and our law enforcement officers...DHS extended fencing at the Broadview Processing Center after rioters and sanctuary politicians obstructed law enforcement, threw tear gas cans, rocks, bottles, and fireworks, slashed tires of cars, blocked the entrance of the building, and trespassed on private property." "We have been hounding them for weeks now about this fence, and they finally took it down," protester Levi Rolles said. "It is a step in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are still designated protest zones along with protest hours in Broadview. State police and sheriff deputies also remain outside the facility. A 57-year-old woman was charged with disorderly conduct outside the facility Tuesday, police said. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) A sheriff said his deputies are methodically investigating a weekend mass shooting that killed four people and injured 16 more at a bar on a South Carolina island but haven't gotten the kind of help they need from the hundreds of people partying before the shooting. No arrests have been made yet as investigators test DNA, analyze weapons and bullets, and enhance video from the crime scene of the early Sunday shooting at Willies Bar and Grill on St. Helena Island, Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner said Wednesday. Investigators think the shooting started as a dispute between two or three people who grew up together in Beaufort County and started firing at each other. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We had 700 people at this party. And we have yet to get a witness that can tell us who the shooters are. Its ridiculous, Tanner said. The sheriff said he thinks people want to cooperate but fear retribution. He said they can report what they know anonymously through Crimestoppers. Tanner took questions from reporters and the community Wednesday about the shooting that happened near last call for drinks at a party celebrating the 25th anniversary of the class of 2000 at Battery Creek High School in Beaufort. Tanner called the scene horrific but not surprising considering the shots were fired indiscriminately in such a large crowd of about 300 people inside the bar itself and 400 outside. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When that many shots are fired in a crowd with the volume of people we had multiple people get injured. Multiple people died, Tanner said at Wednesday's briefing. Building a case based on evidence as opposed to eyewitnesses takes time, Tanner said. Shell casing and bullets, some taken from inside the victims, were being sent to state agents on Wednesday. The FBI was trying to enhance and analyze video from inside and outside the bar. And Beaufort County deputies were testing DNA, Tanner said. The goal is to make sure whatever charges are filed stick, the sheriff said. What Im not going to do is victimize these families a second time," Tanner said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tanner refused to say exactly how many people may have fired or give any identifying information about possible suspects. The sheriff also clarified that 16 people were wounded in the shooting. Initial reports said at least 20 were hurt by gunfire. Kashawn Glaze, 22; Chiraad Smalls, 33; Amos Gary, 54; and Ashantek Milledge, 22, were killed in the shooting. Willies Bar serves Gullah-inspired cuisine and describes itself on its website as not just a restaurant but a community pillar committed to giving back, especially to our youth. An estimated 5,000 or more Gullah people living on St. Helena Island trace their ancestry back to enslaved West Africans who once worked rice plantations in the area before being eventually freed by the Civil War. Credit: Social Media Hundreds of young people gathered in St Petersburg to sing an outlawed song calling for Vladimir Putin to be overthrown. In a rare moment of public dissent, the crowd joined street musicians in a central square on Tuesday night to sing anti-war lyrics that have been called extremist under Russian censorship laws. Where have you been for eight years, you f---ing monsters? I want to watch ballet, let the swans dance, they chanted in Russian in the busy thoroughfare. Let your grandpa tremble with excitement for Swan Lake. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The song entitled Co-operative Swan Lake, by Noize MC, a pro-Ukrainian rapper has become an unofficial anthem to the growing disillusion and anger felt by young, liberal Russians towards Putins regime. The 40-year-old musician, whose real name is Ivan Alekseev, fled to Lithuania soon after Russias invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Moscow has since declared him a foreign agent, a legal designation that has been used aggressively in the wake of the war to punish critics of the Kremlin. Mr Alekseev released Co-operative Swan Lake in 2022 to call for an end to Putins rule and condemn the apathy in Russian society towards the war in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement b' \'Cooperative Swan Lake\' lyrics ' Swan Lake became an unexpected symbol of political upheaval in the late years of the Soviet Union. It was broadcast on state TV on a loop following the death of Russian leaders and a failed political coup in 1991, which ushered in the collapse of the USSR. The songs title is also a reference to Lake Co-operative, in north-west Russia, to which members of Putins inner circle travel for holidays. In the lyrics, Mr Alekseev refers directly to Putin, saying: Let the old man shake in fear for his lake. Earlier this year, a St Petersburg court ruled that the song amounted to propaganda for violent change of the foundations of the constitutional order and argued it was harmful to minors and to their moral and ethical development. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The video of crowds chanting its chorus sparked outrage on pro-Kremlin Telegram channels, with prominent propagandists calling for those involved to be punished immediately. So far, no arrests have been reported. There have been reports of other public gatherings this summer in St Petersburg, Russias second-largest city, where bands and crowds of young people have sung anti-war songs together, often including more of Mr Alekseevs work. Ivan Alekseev, who performs as Noize MC, fled to Lithuania after Russias invasion of Ukraine Under Russias censorship laws, any material designated extremist is effectively prohibited. As of July, anyone caught accessing outlawed content will also be labelled as an extremist and can be punished. For musicians, the new laws have evoked Soviet-era suppression of the music scene, when authorities deemed rock musicians an ideological threat to the Communist regime and forced them underground. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite Mr Alekseevs music being banned on Russian platforms, millions of Russians still listen to it in bars, stream cover versions online or use VPNs to access it on YouTube. Last month, Mr Alekseev told The Atlantic: People dont want to hear, think, or talk about the war. They push it out of their conscience. He also described the indifference of his compatriots towards the nearly four-year conflict as a tragedy. In another song, called Yes Future!, he asks Russians to imagine a future for the country that is free of Putin and his repressive regime. The lyrics say: The weather will be great in St Petersburg! Someone good will end up in power; And everything will be fixed unexpectedly; The b------- will be punished no one will get away with it. 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. One man has admitted to kidnapping and torturing Ontario's self-proclaimed "Crypto King," Aiden Pleterski, in a violent December 2022 abduction that has become emblematic of the growing danger crypto holders face from physical attacks. Deren Akyeam-Pong pleaded guilty Tuesday to nine charges, including kidnapping, assault, and firearms offenses in Ontario Superior Court in Toronto, according to a CBC report. The plea triggered an immediate adjournment of the trial for his two co-defendants, with no new trial date yet scheduled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "From my observation, oversharing plays a huge roleit practically paints a target on people's backs," cybercrime consultant David Sehyeon Baek told Decrypt. "When traders or investors show screenshots of big profits or post pictures of new cars bought with crypto, they unknowingly provide open-source intelligence for criminals." Court documents revealed Pleterski had spent nearly $16 million of investor funds on private jets, vacations, and luxury cars, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and McLarens, a lifestyle he openly flaunted. By early December 2022, Pleterski was abducted and held for three days, during which he called his landlord seeking $3 million for his captors before being released under threat to raise the money and stay silent. Among those awaiting trial is Akil Heywood, an investor who lost money to Pleterskis scheme; he faces three kidnapping and two extortion charges, and maintains his innocence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Co-defendant Alfredo Paladino faces similar kidnapping, extortion, firearm, and assault charges. The charges against both men have yet to be tested in court. Two Indicted in Tel Aviv Over $600,000 Wrench Attack on Bitcoin Trader Forced bankruptcy The kidnapping came months after investors forced Pleterski into bankruptcy in August 2022 while trying to recover more than $40 million they'd given him for crypto and foreign exchange investments. Pleterski himself faces fraud and money laundering charges related to investor funds, with a trial set for October 2026. Baek pointed to Pleterski's abduction as one of several high-profile cases demonstrating how "these breadcrumbs translate into real danger," citing "the Bali case involving a Chinese couple whose posts preceded their deaths, and a U.S. influencer who was extorted soon after posting wallet screenshots." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brazilian Mom Held for Bitcoin Ransom After Alleged Kidnappers Stalk Crypto-Trading Son "Oversharing doesn't just show off wealthit outlines habits and vulnerabilities. To a motivated attacker, that's a roadmap," he said. In November 2024, WonderFi Technologies CEO Dean Skurka was abducted amid a rise in crypto-related attacks across Canada, with a kidnappers demanding a $1 million CAD ransom that was paid electronically before he was found unharmed in Centennial Park, Etobicoke. Last month, Keyron Moore received 13 years in prison for a 2022 Toronto-area kidnapping involving torture, sexual assault, and a $1 million Bitcoin demand from a victim identified as A.T., who was abducted outside a Thornhill plaza and confined in a Barrie garage. Security researcher Jameson Lopp had earlier predicted that 2025 would mark an all-time high for such attacksnow already exceeding 52 cases worldwide. Connecticut has stronger chronic absenteeism policies than other states but is not quite hitting the mark for its five-year goal to slash student chronic absenteeism rates in half, according to a new report. An October report by EdTrust, an education research and advocacy nonprofit, evaluated Connecticut and 22 other states' attendance strategies and initiatives. It also looked at what else needs to be done to reduce chronic absenteeism further and where states stand in meeting EdTrust's 50% challenge to cut their chronic absenteeism rates from COVID-19 pandemic highs in half over five years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like schools nationwide, those in Connecticut have been dealing with steep chronic absenteeism rates in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent state data shows that while those rates are improving, they're still not at pre-pandemic levels. The recently released report shows that Connecticut is currently not at the chronic absenteeism level it should be at to hit the 50% goal, according to EdTrust's projections. { "__type": "devHubFreeformEmbed", "__id": "Datawrapper", "__fallbackImage": "https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/81wCP/mobile.png", "__data": { "datawrapper_id": "81wCP" } } Connecticut is one of the states that has committed to EdTrust's challenge of reducing chronic absenteeism by 50% within a five-year period, starting with the 2021-22 school year. According to EdTrust, 16 states and Washington, D.C., pledged to cut their chronic absenteeism rates in half over five years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "To meet the 50% challenge, Connecticut's overall rate of chronic absence would have to decrease from 19% to 9%, or 2 percentage points each year - that would mean 9,446 fewer students would be chronically absent each year," according to the report. In the 2024-25 school year, the chronic absenteeism rate in Connecticut was 17.2%, according to state data. To meet the 50% challenge, the absenteeism rate for the 2024-25 school year should be at 15%, according to the report. Chronically absent students are students who miss 10% or more of the school year. While the state's current numbers aren't exactly aligned with EdTrust's projections, the report does give Connecticut high marks for its current policies surrounding chronic student absenteeism. According to the report, Connecticut has strong policies in data and accountability evaluation, specifically for requiring daily attendance to be taken; having an attendance monitoring system; collecting chronic absenteeism data from school districts; and conducting an attendance data review meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Connecticut is one of about only about half of the states in the report that require schools to take attendance daily and have a standard definition of a full day of attendance, according to EdTrust. In addition, the state has invested in strategies to increase engagement and lower rates of chronic absenteeism, the report says. For example, Connecticut has committed $24.7 million in the Learner Engagement and Attendance Program, or LEAP, which conducts family engagement, home visits and outreach, and supports students and their families in addressing barriers that may hinder school attendance, according to the report. The state has a clear policy agenda that prioritizes reducing chronic absenteeism, the report says. It cites LEAP under that evaluator as well, as the report says that "LEAP remains a core component of the state's long-term plan to improve student attendance and engagement." EdTrust also uses LEAP as a state example for a policy agenda that outlines a vision to reduce chronic absenteeism, that other states should follow as well. However, Connecticut could be more supportive by adopting permanent funding for this initiative, according to the report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state is also used as an example in the report for implementing evidence-based practices to reduce chronic absenteeism. "Connecticut has been building the capacity of educators in using trauma-informed practices and multitiered systems of support," according to the report. "The state also used climate specialists to develop improvement plans for school climate, including detailed reporting on bullying incidents. Lastly, they raised the age by which a student can be arrested from age 7 to now 10." The EdTrust report not only looks at Connecticut's chronic absenteeism data overall, but also for individual student groups, based on data from the U.S. Department of Education's 2022-23 Chronic Absenteeism data files, the 2022-23 Common Core of Data, and 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. "Because averages hide important details about how specific groups of students are faring," the report says, "and since we can't accept different standards for different groups, the goal displayed is for each student group to achieve the same chronic absenteeism rate as other groups." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the report, Black students, Latino students, English language learners, students from low-income backgrounds, and students with disabilities are are over-represented among chronically absent students. Students from low-income backgrounds and English language learners are the most over-represented among chronically absent students, as they are 1.6 times as likely as their peers to miss 10% or more of the school year, according to the report. "Data shows that chronic absenteeism does not impact all students equally. Students of color, students from low-income backgrounds and students with disabilities are disproportionately affected, often due to systemic barriers and a lack of access to resources. Children living in poverty are two to three times more likely to be chronically absent, and their communities often lack the resources to help them catch up," according to the report. "Understanding these gaps through regularly updated data and strategically addressing these barriers is vital to advancing educational equity and ensuring every student can thrive," the report says. This article originally published at CT improving chronic school absenteeism, but not fast enough to hit target, report shows. A mother who went missing from a residence in Washington in June along with her 1-month-old son, who later died after being found submerged in water, has been charged in the infants death, court documents said. Sadie Fleming, 27, was arrested Wednesday on charges of murder with special circumstances for a child under 16 years old and risk of injury to a child, according to Connecticut State Police. The charges stem from the death of her 1-month-old son, Hudson Fleming. A Silver Alert was issued on June 8 and shared with media outlets after troopers responded to Brinsmade Road around 10 a.m. on a missing person report. Police learned that Fleming had left her residence on foot along with the newborn sometime between midnight and 7 a.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the arrest warrant affidavit, the person who called police, who lived with Fleming and her son, told investigators she woke up around 9 a.m. and could not find them in the apartment and noticed that the front door was open. The woman claimed that Fleming was on medication and had been hearing voices that led her to believe someone was trying to harm her, the warrant affidavit said. The vehicle Fleming had access to was still in the parking lot of the apartment complex, so authorities began searching the area believing she took off on foot. Around 6:48 p.m., state police received a 911 call from someone who said they saw a woman matching Flemings description walking near Brinsmade Road, the warrant affidavit said. She was found walking on Blackville Road with clothes that were soaked, state police wrote. The warrant affidavit said troopers noted that Flemings mental state appeared to be altered, as she was asked multiple times about the infant and responded, What baby? According to police, she did not know her own name or where she was. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sadie initially appeared to be extremely paranoid and panicked, state police wrote. Fleming became unresponsive before emergency crews initiated CPR, the warrant affidavit said. She was then taken to a hospital. After about an hour of searching, authorities found Hudson in Mallory Brook, the warrant affidavit said. He did not have a pulse and was unresponsive. Police said he was cold to the touch. Hudson was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead at 7:32 p.m., according to the warrant affidavit. A doctor found minor injuries to the top of his head and a scratch to his right shoulder and arm area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An autopsy later concluded that Hudson drowned, state police wrote. His death was ruled a homicide. Nearby where Hudson was found, police discovered an infant carrier and a vape pen believed to belong to Fleming, the warrant affidavit said. When police spoke to Fleming in the hospital, she claimed that she woke up in the early morning hours and thought people were chasing after her and were trying to kill her, according to the warrant affidavit. Days earlier, she began experiencing thoughts indicating Illuminati people were trying to get her, according to the warrant affidavit. Fleming said she tried using a vehicle, but when she was unable to get it started she began running, the warrant affidavit said. She was not able to remember much else, police allege, and never mentioned Hudson during the interview. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State police wrote in the warrant affidavit that they found Fleming first experienced a psychological issue in 2019 when she allegedly caused a disturbance at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic. She was reportedly hearing voices and damaging property. Investigators found that she had another significant psychological episode while driving on Wykeham Road in Washington in 2023, which led to a response from state troopers, according to the warrant affidavit. She was committed to a hospital for psychological treatment. State police investigators were able to obtain a search warrant allowing them to examine Flemings medical records, which revealed that she had frequently expressed concerns with an investigation being conducted by the state Department of Children and Families, the warrant affidavit said. State police wrote that she appeared to be fearful that the baby would be taken from her by the DCF.. The records reportedly showed that Fleming requested an unplanned telehealth appointment on June 2 because she was having some paranoia again, feeling manic and irritable, the warrant affidavit said. She allegedly requested to be prescribed an unnamed medication, but was advised by a doctor that it was not safe while she was breastfeeding, the warrant affidavit said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In July, an attorney representing Fleming told police she was not interested in speaking with investigators. Following her arrest, Fleming was held in lieu of a $5 million bond and was expected to appear lin Superior Court in Torrington on Wednesday. A DCF spokesperson did not immediately issue comment. WESTPORT, CT The 2025 election is heating up in Connecticut and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office. Connecticut Patch asked local candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near. Candidate's Name: Abby Tolan What office are you seeking? Board of Education What town do you live in? Westport, CT Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Campaign Website https://abbytolanboe.com Party Affiliation: Democrat Occupation: Educator for 15 years, Volunteer & Advocate for 12 years Family: Husband, Bob, Twin sons, 18 Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No Previous public office, appointive or elective: I am a current member of the Board of Education. Why are you seeking this office? My goal is to ensure that we are meeting the needs of all of our students whether they have an IEP, whether they have a 504, are in the gifted program, taking all AP classes, find themselves in the middle, whether they are struggling emotionally, socially or academically, I want to help them shine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Education should be as suited to a students individual talents and needs as possible. That is something my background as a teacher of special education has taught me. When we individualize instruction as much as we can, any student can succeed. I am especially focused on how we can better support kids who are struggling. Not everyones needs are addressed by a change in curriculum or approach. The social and emotional supports we have introduced at the high school need to be expanded to the elementary schools. And there is still more we can do to make high school and middle school more welcoming and inclusive. And of course, every student should see themselves in the curriculum, in the classroom and in the library. The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it: Artificial Intelligence. The integration of AI into schools is both an educational and moral endeavor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our responsibility is to equip students to use technology thoughtfully and responsibly, without letting it replace the deep processes through which they learn. We must also incorporate strong soft skills into our program, which both research and day-to-day living confirm are both vital to success and increasingly lacking in graduates. Our strategic plan addresses this dual challenge by creating a forward-facing, flexible program that balances technological fluency with human-centered growth. We must recognize technologys potential while affirming the importance of human judgment, creativity, and compassion, producing graduates who are each prepared to contribute meaningfully to the future. What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post? I am the only candidate with expertise in Special Education. I brought that expertise to my role as member and chair of the Special Education PTA and then to the Board of Education, and it resulted in improvements to our reading program, among other things. Ive actively followed best practices in literacy since I left teaching full time. That led to successful advocacy for state of the art approaches. Among them, the Orton Gillingham approach, which was expanded to classroom teachers in grades K-2 in 2022. Three years on, the results speak for themselves: 96% of all our third graders read at or above grade level, according to AimsWeb testing, and Westport was recognized as a model district at the National Dyslexia Conference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign? In addition to AI, Facilities and Mental Health. Facilities: Top notch facilities are expensive but vital. For years we fell behind in capital investments, resulting in a crisis at Coleytown Middle School. In the last few years, the administration and board, have completed a stepped-up schedule of projects, prioritizing keeping our schools temperate and dry, as well as secured a new Long Lots and Stepping Stones Preschool. However, more projects await, including an overhaul of Coleytown Elementary. We need to plan a timetable that recognizes capital needs throughout town. I am committed to attending all of the facilities committee meetings going forward. I am always ready to learn, just like our students. Mental Health. We've seen an uptick in mental health challenges, like school refusal and emotional dysregulation, since COVID and the increasing use of screens. Teachers need strategies and skills for helping students manage emotions, so kids can access the curriculum. We do have programs in place in our high school that help students, like Effective School Solutions and Kids in Crisis, but those can be expanded to our other schools and more broadly utilized by our faculty and students. What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? I've been an active and engaged member of the Board for over two years now. It is not always easy-- we tackle important and contentious issues at times--but it is always rewarding and I am proud of the results. Our schools are in an excellent place with record-setting reading scores, thoughtful budgets that were unanimously passed by our funding bodies, and a recent security assessment and plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What is the best advice anyone ever gave you? Know what matters to you, your values, your priorities, your purpose, and make your choices accordingly. Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions? I have learned a great deal in my two years on the board. I've been through two budget cycles and negotiated three union contracts. I understand better than before the task of educating 5,000 students. That experience combined with my background as an educator, parent and PTA leader, has prepared to deliver on my priorities of bringing our humanity to the use of AI, protecting the mental health of our students, and maintaining facilities that will stand the test of time and benefit our students, faculty, and taxpayers. CT Patch Candidate Profile: Abby Tolan For Board Of Education originally appeared on the Westport Patch ABC7 is getting an exclusive first look at new technology being used on Chicago buses. Starting Wednesday, some CTA buses will use new artificial intelligence cameras. Those cameras are designed to capture video when a driver is parked in a bus or bike lane. The Chicago Department of Transportation then reviews the video to issue warnings or fines. The city says drivers parking in bus lanes can cause traffic backups and impact people trying to board the bus. The cameras have previously been used on other city vehicles. Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng speaks at the annual gala dinner of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations held in New York, the United States, Oct. 14, 2025. Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng on Tuesday urged Washington to "return to reason" and "stop applying maximum pressure," warning that "a tariff war or trade war should not be fought and cannot be won." Speaking at the annual gala dinner of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, Xie said that "a tariff war or trade war will serve no one's interest in the end." (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo) By Xinhua writers Yang Shilong, Shi Chun NEW YORK, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng on Tuesday urged Washington to "return to reason" and "stop applying maximum pressure," warning that "a tariff war or trade war should not be fought and cannot be won." Speaking at the annual gala dinner of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, Xie said that "a tariff war or trade war will serve no one's interest in the end." "China does not want to fight such a war, but neither will we sit idly by when our rights and interests are harmed, and the international economic and trade rules as well as the multilateral trading system are undermined," he said. He called on the United States to "work with China to resolve each other's concerns through dialogue based on mutual respect and equal-footed consultation, and avoid treading the old path of escalating tensions in economy and trade, which will only lead nowhere." Xie urged both countries to "unswervingly keep to the overall direction of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation." He said the two countries "need to take real action and pool synergies to advance China-U.S. exchanges and cooperation." At this critical juncture of China-U.S. relations, Xie called on both sides to "join hands, build on what has been achieved, keep to the right direction, steer clear of obstacles and disruptions, and advance China-U.S. relations along the right track of steady, sound and sustainable development." REEDS SPRING, Mo. Culinary arts students at the Table Rock Career Center are helping fight food insecurity and practicing their career skills while they do it. Students from schools in Stone, Taney, and Christian counties come together to learn at the Table Rock Career Center. Students in the culinary program learn many aspects of a commercial kitchen and put their skills into practice. The students are making, packaging, and delivering over 1,000 servings of chicken fried rice for people in need in the area. The large batch of chicken fried rice has egg, vegetables, and over 200 pounds of rice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instructor Jennifer Noriega says a large-scale service project like this would not be possible without support from Kids Feeding Kids. Kids Feeding Kids is a national program that encourages culinary arts programs to learn about food insecurity in their areas by feeding their neighbors. As a Fellow of Kids Feeding Kids, Noriega says her goal is to share the program with other schools in southwest Missouri. Noriega says the service project is a great opportunity for her students to practice their career skills while helping their community. Theyre learning empathy and theyre using their skills, Noriega said. Hopefully, then they will transfer on for the rest of their lives in giving back to our community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Madison Andrews is a Senior at Crane High School and one of the students in the Culinary Arts program. Andrews says she is glad their hard work will benefit the community. I see what it is like for some of those people and how impactful it can be and how stressful and upsetting it can be, Andrews said. So it makes me feel pretty good that we can provide for people who cant provide for themselves. The students will continue preparing and packing the meals and will deliver them to Elevate Branson on Thursday at 6:00 pm. 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. CHIPPEWA FALLS Julie Sherman, Chippewa Valley Technical Colleges associate dean of Apprenticeship, STEM and Trades, said their updated Chippewa Falls facility plays into the electrification of America. We have over 200 electrical apprenticeship apprentices here, and having this space is imperative to their learning, Sherman said. In total, the updates to their Chippewa Falls facility included 4,200 square feet of renovations between the apprentice lab and the conference room and collaboration spaces. With the buildings overall size of 36,000 square feet, CVTC anticipates there will be more room for improvements in the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The feedback we got from employers and from our apprenticeship committee was that when apprentices are out in the field and theyre learning, they are not getting all of the hands-on skills that they need, Sherman said. So what they asked of us was to invest in a space where our apprentices could come in and work on some of those skills that theyre not getting when theyre on the job, or to complement the skills that theyre getting on the job. This is a way for them to get in and actually see the different pieces and the tools that they would use when theyre out in the field as well. It is really to enhance their learning. Sherman added that she believes the updates are vital for students looking to build up their experience for the electrical workforce. Think about if you are out in the field and you have only ever built schools. Youre only going to learn on the job the code for what it takes to build a school. Well, there are so many other types of facilities that get built that have different code, and the theoretical learning is based all on what that code is, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The updates come from a referendum the technical college passed in 2020. President Sunem Beaton-Garcia said the community has played a big role in helping them transform their spaces, creating opportunities where students can learn in a way that mimics those real life experiences. New areas also open the door to meet with students involved with apprenticeship programs or are attending dual credit courses from local high schools. The community needed more spaces to come in and meet for industry meetings, for companies coming in to meet, said Caleb Cornelius, vice president of Administration. Companies have great facilities, but they dont always have large conference rooms and those types of things. So we wanted to make sure we had a conference room here, but it wasnt up to current standards. We wanted to get that up to current standards and be able to provide a great space for the industry to come into our building. In addition to classroom and meeting spaces which allow industry professionals to come in and meet directly with students, some of the changes include instructional space in the form of an electrician lab housing a variety of test equipment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were trying to create spaces where students can feel a sense of familiarity, Beaton-Garcia said, so when they actually go out into the workforce or out there in their apprenticeship jobs, theyre finding that seamless transfer between the classroom and real world. Celebrating the updated spaces in Chippewa Falls comes shortly after CVTC celebrated renovations made to their Menomonie facility, highlighting an initiative to update those spaces following the referendum. We serve 11 counties. And so, we take that seriously, and we want to make sure that all of our facilities that are represented in these communities have the most refreshed spaces, the spaces that allow us to meet our mission, Beaton-Garcia said. If were going to be innovative and if were going to be flexible, our spaces need to be those things as well. So when those spaces are a bit dated, we want to make sure that we have a plan in place within our means to make sure that those spaces are refreshed. Now in operation, Sherman said the new space complements their work training young professionals. Cybersecurity firm F5 Networks says government-backed hackers had long-term, persistent access to its network, which allowed them to steal the companys source code and customer information. In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday, F5 said it now believes its containment actions have been successful, after first discovering the hackers in its network on August 9. The Seattle, Washington-based company, which specializes in providing application security and cybersecurity defenses for large companies and governments, said the hackers had access to its BIG-IP product development environment and its knowledge management systems, which included source code and publicly undisclosed security vulnerabilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement F5 said it wasnt aware of any modifications to its software while in development, nor was it aware of any exploitation of the vulnerabilities. The company published several updates on Wednesday for its BIG-IP platform to fix the undisclosed security flaws and urged customers to patch them. The company also said the hackers downloaded configurations and implementation information about some of its customers systems, files that could help hackers find and exploit potential design weaknesses, and potentially hack into those customers systems. F5 said in the notice that the U.S. Department of Justice allowed the company to delay its public disclosure. An F5 spokesperson would not say for what reason the delay was allowed, but the DOJ can allow companies to hold off on notifying the public if there is a substantial risk to national security or public safety. F5 has over 1,000 corporate customers and serves more than 85% of the Fortune 500, the largest public companies by revenue, including banks, tech companies, and critical infrastructure companies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.K.s National Cyber Security Centre warned on Wednesday, following F5s disclosure, that hackers could enable a threat actor to exploit F5 devices and software. CISA said in an email on Wednesday that it has ordered civilian federal agencies under an emergency directive to patch their systems by October 22, citing the security risks. The company did not attribute the attacks to a particular government or nation-state-affiliated hacking group, and F5 spokesperson Dan Sorensen declined to answer TechCrunchs questions beyond the companys published statement, including how many customers are affected and if it was known how the hackers broke in to begin with. F5 is the latest tech company in recent years to have been hacked by government hackers, including Microsoft by China, and Russia, at least twice; cloud and enterprise technology firm Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and several other companies as part of the broader Russian cyberattack on the software maker SolarWinds. A trio of flashing billboards less than two miles from the Florida Capitol is slamming Gov. Ron DeSantis for vetoing the "free kill" bill on medical malpractice. (Photo credit: Christine Sexton/Florida Phoenix) Floridas Republican-controlled House, undeterred by Gov. Ron DeSantiss veto earlier this year of identical legislation, is pushing ahead again with an effort to broaden the class of people who can bring wrongful death lawsuits against physicians. If youre feeling a little deja vu today its because you should be feeling a little deja vu. We heard this exact bill in this committee, Fort Pierce Republican and HB 6003 bill sponsor Rep. Dana Trabulsy said Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The GOP legislator made her comments before a House panel voted overwhelmingly for the bill that allows parents of single, childless, adult children to sue for noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering arising from alleged medical malpractice. Florida also bans adults (defined as 25 and older) from pursuing wrongful death claims for single parents who die from medical malpractice, and the bill would remove that ban, too. The Legislature adopted the bans during the 1990s as the state wrestled with rising malpractice premiums but Florida remains one of the few states to have such restrictions in place. HB 6003 cleared the House Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee with two dissenting votes, although some representatives hinted that their continued support would hinge on changes, including caps on noneconomic damages that could be recovered in all medical malpractice lawsuits. While I vote up on this bill today, I am hopeful that in the future, either in this chamber or the next, that reasonable limits will somehow find their way into this bill, thereby achieving the balance and allowing us to achieve justice without inadvertently creating another injustice to replace that one, said Jacksonville Republican Rep. Dean Black. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX HB 6003 reignites a long-standing fight between trial attorneys, organized medicine, and insurance companies over Floridas medical malpractice laws and the amount of noneconomic damages plaintiffs can recover. Florida has not had caps on pain and suffering awards in medical malpractice lawsuits since 2014, when the Florida Supreme Court ruled that they are unconstitutional. But the makeup of the court has changed since then, with the majority of the justices having been appointed by DeSantis. The insurance and business communities see HB 6003 as a vehicle to reinstate the caps, hopeful that a reconfigured DeSantis-appointed court will uphold them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Representatives of families whove been barred under the law from filing lawsuits have repeatedly traveled to Tallahassee to share their stories of heartbreak and testify against what they call the free kill law as well as a regulatory system they say allows bad doctors to continue to practice medicine. Opponents have dubbed the efforts to alter the law as jackpot justice. Both sides squared off at the first stop of the bill. Tallahassee orthopedic surgeon Andy Borom, says he may retire earlier than planned if HB 6003 passes. (Photo by Christine Sexton/Florida Phoenix.) Tallahassee orthopedic surgeon Andy Borom said he was offended by the free kill title. As if theres a bunch of physicians who spent their entire adult lives training and taking care of patients who are sitting around salivating at the opportunity to kill people for free. Thats just gross, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Borom, 58, has been practicing medicine for 25 years. He said hed consider expediting his retirement if the Legislature were to allow more lawsuits to be filed without capping noneconomic damages. Theres enough things that are punishing about the practice of medicine, said Borom. Right now, Medicare is cutting rates, the cost of medical practice goes up well in excess of the costs of reimbursement, and then you throw on the hazard of medical liability, which oftentimes doesnt always comport with actual malpractice, sometimes its just somebody looking for a buck. He said the legislation could expedite his retirement by 10 years. Thats about 40,000 patients that wont be seen, about 5,000 surgeries that wont get done, he said. Jacksonville resident Cindy Jenkins testified before the House House Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee October 15,2025. Jacksonville resident Cindy Jenkins shared the story of how her 25-year- old daughter, Taylor Jenkins, died in a Florida hospital after waiting for emergency surgery. Devastated, she said she paid for a private autopsy, the results of which, she said, caused the medical examiner to change the cause of death on her death certificate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She told the committee that following the experience she set out on a mission to hold the hospital and doctors accountable and, with all due respect to those in favor of this law, I learned that the doctors got a free pass because my daughter had been 25 for two and a half months. Jenkins said she filed a complaint against the physician with the Florida Department of Health but that it was dismissed. As she concluded her testimony, Jenkins countered the claims DeSantis made at a press conference announcing his veto, when he criticized the legislation because it did not reinstate caps on noneconomic damages. She also addressed opponents assertions that as many as 1,500 additional lawsuits could be filed if the law was changed. I do not want the grave of my dead child danced on nor 1,500 people per year to be able to have access to the courts in return for hurting the masses. I will wear the badge free kill mom like honor, she said, adding, I will never agree to trade off opening courts to a small percentage of the people to hurt everybody. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE NEED TO KNOW A dad of two was partially paralyzed after he wiped out while surfing in California on Sept. 28 Now, he's praising the fellow surfers who saved his life from his hospital bed "I just felt a crunch," Scott Muir recalled of the near-fatal incident A dad of two almost died while surfing in California last month. From his hospital bed, the U.S. Air Force veteran expressed his gratitude for the fellow surfers who saved his life. On Sunday, Sept. 28, Scott Muir was enjoying the surf with his childhood friend Dan Pierson when he had a wipeout near Oceanside, CBS affiliate KFMB reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The wave threw me over, hit me on my head, on the sand and I just felt a crunch, Muir told the outlet. So, three waves underwater, face down and, you know, I was pretty sure it was getting really close. He was left partially paralyzed, though his spinal cord was not cut. Muir told KFMB that his vertebrae twisted when the incident occurred. It all could have ended much differently if it wasn't for 19-year-old Judah Ely. The teen was with his friend Thomas Alspaugh in the same area and they actually crossed paths with the other pair in the water before he was hurt. After Ely almost collided with Pierson, the group of men began cheering each other on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dan could have probably reacted differently and he [instead] reacted with a smile, and from that moment, like our vibe in the water everything changed, Muir told KFMB. Then, after Ely watched Muir take on what seemed like a sweet wave, the younger man immediately grew concerned when he spotted Muirs board without the surfer. I just see his board pop up, and Im like, Where is this dude? Ely told KFMB. Muir tells PEOPLE that he was tossed by three waves and was being pulled to the bottom of the ocean floor. At that point, Muir began thinking about his wife, Kristen, and hoped to see her face again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I was getting involuntary reflux and inhaling salt water," the surfer says via email. "The situation was getting grim and I slowly started fading to black." gofundme Scott Muir. Scott Muir. Fortunately, Ely found Muir and pulled him from the tide. Alspaugh then called Pierson for help, KFMB reported. A spokesperson for Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton confirms to PEOPLE that two lifeguard sergeants were on duty when they heard screaming from the water that Sunday. They saw a surfer being carried in by fellow surfers. One of the sergeants assessed the person's condition while his partner called 911. Local emergency responders met the lifeguards in the parking lot, where the victim was transported by Life Flight to a hospital in San Diego, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Muir sustained a "severe spinal cord injury," according to a GoFundMe page created to support the dad and his family. Since being hospitalized, hes regained mobility in his shoulders, left arm and left leg. "My right fingers dont work and my right leg is barely functional and mobile," Muir tells PEOPLE. "I dont know where my final recovery is going to go and there is a real possibility I am in a wheelchair for the rest of my life." Despite those challenges, Muir is "grateful to be alive" and is dedicated to working on his recovery. A week into his hospital stay, the young men who saved him also stopped by to visit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I just cried and hugged them," Muir recalls. "I told them they are the reason I get to see my family again." Kristen, Muir's partner of 22 years, recalls how she talked to Ely on the phone and he said "some divine intervention beyond himself told him to look for Scott. Meanwhile, an image of my face was appearing in Scotts mind." The Muir Family The Muir family The Muir family Immediately after the wipeout, Scott asked his best friend to call his wife, who was sipping coffee when she heard the news. "He put the phone up to his ear for roughly 10 seconds," Kristen says via email. "I could hear it was him, really him. From that moment, I felt a calm beyond my true self." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The couple's two children were with their grandmother, so Kristen drove straight to the hospital. On the way, Kristen considered every possibility. She didn't have much information but knew Muir's status was "bad." When she arrived at the hospital and saw him on the stretcher, they both "burst into tears." "I approached him slowly, kissing his forehead for over a minute, feeling the warmth of his body still very much alive," Kristen says. They are determined to navigate his recovery together. Getty Oceanside, Calif. Oceanside, Calif. Muir, who served in the Air Force for 12 years and is also a pilot, is expected to spend the coming months at an inpatient spinal cord injury rehabilitation hospital in Colorado, according to the GoFundMe page, which has raised more than $217,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His recovery will take 12 to 18 months, the GoFundMe states. The timetable is daunting for his family, of which Muir is the primary breadwinner. But his loved ones know that hell push through the hard work ahead. "Scott is the most incredible person I know," Kristen tells PEOPLE. "Full of grit, determination, humor, and positivity. He can shed light on any circumstance. We are all feeding off his hope for recovery and feel beyond inspired by his perseverance." gofundme From left: Kristen and Scott Muir From left: Kristen and Scott Muir 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. For Muir, the ocean in all its mysteries, its beauties, its dangers remains a place of healing for him, "mentally, physically, and spiritually." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I cant wait to get back in ... I want to surf, paddle, dive, you name it," he says. "I want to be in the ocean as much as I can. Nothing about this event has diminished my love for the ocean. Its honestly just increased my respect for its power." Read the original article on People NEED TO KNOW After Guilherme Lemes Cardoso E Silva was detained by immigration agents in July, he faced two charges of child sexual exploitation Two months later, the case was dismissed without prejudice but an investigation is still underway, authorities say "The trauma lingers, but so does gratitude," Silva tells PEOPLE An artist from Brazil was detained by federal agents earlier this year and later faced two charges of child sexual exploitation unrelated to his immigration case, which he and his wife denied. More than two months later, that case has been dismissed without prejudice, PEOPLE confirms, though authorities say they are still investigating and could bring charges again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In late July, 35-year-old Guilherme Lemes Cardoso E Silva was accused in Washington state of possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct in the second degree and sexual exploitation of a minor. Just over a week later, on Friday, Aug. 8, Silva pleaded not guilty to both charges. On Monday, Oct. 6, a judge dismissed the case without prejudice, according to court documents reviewed by PEOPLE. This case was dismissed without prejudice to allow time for the investigation to be completed, Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney Caleb Nagel says in a statement, adding that charges could be refiled in the future based upon a review of all the evidence after a full investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The dismissal is only the latest twist and turn for Silva and his wife, Rachel Leidig, who was seven months pregnant with their first child when he was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Friday, July 11. Silva had been on his way to pick up his 4-year-old daughter, whom he shares with his ex-wife, when he was allegedly ambushed by masked men on a private road on San Juan Island in Washington, Leidig told PEOPLE at the time. Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin has said that Silva had entered the U.S. on a visa that allowed him to remain in the U.S. for no more than 6 months" and had "overstayed his visa by nearly 8 years." "During a traffic stop, ICE officers identified themselves to Silva and revealed they had a warrant for his arrest due to immigration violations," McLaughlin said then. "Silva was arrested without any use of force or inappropriate comments." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The couple has said that Silva was in the process of applying for his green card with their immigration lawyer before he was detained and had since submitted an I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status). An I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) has also been filed. Silva's ex-wife formally withdrew her previous immigration sponsorship for him when she filed for divorce in 2022, she confirmed to PEOPLE, alleging that he was officially notified in May 2023 that he would have 33 days to leave the country. On Monday, July 29, Leidig paid her husbands immigration bond in full, only for him to be transported from a federal detention center to the Whatcom County Jail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The muralist remained there until Friday, Sept. 12, when he was released on his personal recognizance. The now-dismissed criminal case against Silva centered on his phone, which was confiscated during his arrest in July, officials have said. According to the probable cause statement, Silva consented to be interviewed without a lawyer present during his ICE arrest and signed a DHS form permitting agents to search his phone. A Homeland Security Investigations special agent claimed that five photos were found, prompting the state charges, according to court documents. 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. From the beginning, Silva has denied any wrongdoing. In a joint statement that his wife previously shared with PEOPLE, the couple said the state charges were unsubstantiated allegations and said that Silva has no criminal record. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Leidig tells PEOPLE that she gave birth last week to her and Silva's son, Isidore. Silva's immigration case is also still pending, according to the family. "The past few months of pain, trauma and injustice were unbearable and unnecessary," Leidig says in a statement, adding, "We are settling in with our baby boy whom we are so in love with and looking forward to a future full of love, light and happiness." In his own statement, Silva says, in part, "I was present to witness the birth of my son, Isidore a miracle after so many sleepless nights in a cell, haunted by fear and violence. The trauma lingers, but so does gratitude. ... I survived an experience woven with terror and racism. And if youre reading this, know that change is possible but only if we keep fighting for it." Read the original article on People Its the fourth anniversary of the murder of Sir David Amess, the Conservative MP who was killed by an Islamic State sympathiser during a surgery in his Southend constituency. At Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday, Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to a much-loved, kind and generous man and talked of the huge loss many across the Commons still feel. A memorial service was held opposite Parliament for Sir David Amess in 2021, on the first anniversary of his death - Heathcliff O'Malley for The Telegraph Watching from her home in Los Angeles was Sir Davids daughter, Katie, and she tells Camilla Tominey and Tim Stanley on todays Daily T of her disgust at hearing the Prime Minister paying such a fulsome tribute when hed ignored (her) letters and had been so disrespectful after shed pleaded with him to hold an inquiry into the failings that allowed Sir Davids murderer to slip through the net. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Camilla and Tim also reflect on the questions that still need to be answered about the China spying scandal, as well as Sir Keir calling for a calming of the political rhetoric while simultaneously accusing Reform of being Kremlin cronies. Watch episodes of The Daily T here. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. President Donald Trump on Wednesday indicated that he wanted to send federal troops to San Francisco, hours after Mayor Daniel Lurie and local law enforcement leaders pushed back on calls for the president to do just that. Trump said at the White House that he was "strongly recommending" that his administration "start looking at San Francisco," which he said had been "one of our great cities 10 years ago, 15 years ago." "Now it's a mess," Trump said as he turned to FBI Director Kash Patel. "We have great support in San Francisco, so I'd like to recommend that for inclusion, maybe, in your next group." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president's comments sparked swift condemnation from state Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat, who said any deployment to the city would be "a massive waste of taxpayer dollars and yet another step toward authoritarianism." Gov. Gavin Newsom, meanwhile, highlighted Trump's statement that the city was great 15 years ago, when Newsom was mayor, and said in a social media post, "why, thank you!" Earlier in the day, Lurie, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and Sheriff Paul Miyamoto detailed their efforts to improve public safety at a news conference at the city's police academy. They talked about an uptick in police recruitment, the city's declining crime reports, and their partnerships with state and federal law enforcement agencies to fight drug trafficking. They did not mention Trump by name, in keeping with Lurie's preferred strategy of trying to avoid direct confrontations with the president. But the context was clear. Lurie's news conference came less than one week after Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said Trump should send the National Guard to San Francisco, as the president has done in other cities. Taken together, the remarks from the three elected officials were clearly intended to signal that San Francisco leaders are well equipped to manage the city's public safety concerns and do not want Trump to intervene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We have a lot of work to do, but I trust our local law enforcement," Lurie said. "We in San Francisco are doing the work each and every day, and I will continue to do the work 365 days a year alongside these great law enforcement partners that we have." Jenkins said that when San Francisco needs help from state or federal agencies, "we have no problem" asking for it, but local leaders "have this issue under control" right now. "I acknowledge, just like the mayor and the sheriff, there is still work to be done. None of us believe otherwise," Jenkins said. "But we are committed to a solid and strong partnership and doing what it takes to get the job done. That partnership is fundamentally different than resources being imposed upon our communities." Miyamoto said "we absolutely have this in regards to public safety being handled by all of us here in San Francisco." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lurie, Jenkins and Miyamoto spoke hours after the San Francisco Police Department announced that it had seen four consecutive full classes at the police academy with a fifth expected to start in December, helping to grow the ranks of police officers for the first time in years. While the department remains hundreds of officers short of its recommended staffing level, entry-level applications are up 40% and 195 officers applied from other jurisdictions so far this year, SFPD said. Gov. Gavin Newsom's office also aligned himself with Lurie's narrative in a Wednesday news release that said the city has seen large decreases in both violent crime and robberies since 2019. Newsom further highlighted his administration's efforts to help San Francisco disrupt its open-air drug markets and combat organized retail theft in the Bay Area. Benioff, in an interview with the New York Times published Friday, kicked off a wave of public debate about whether Trump should order the National Guard to San Francisco in a continuation of the controversial crackdowns in liberal cities that he's already attempted in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Portland. "We don't have enough cops, so if they can be cops, I'm all for it," Benioff told the Times, despite the fact that federal law bars U.S. troops from enforcing criminal laws in most cases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lurie told reporters Wednesday that he had spoken to Benioff recently, and while the mayor declined to detail "private conversations," he said he told Benioff that "we are working relentlessly every day" to improve public safety and grow police staffing. Benioff's comments were made on the eve of Salesforce's Dreamforce conference, which brings tens of thousands of visitors to San Francisco annually. "I am now focused on what I can control," Lurie said. Some San Francisco leaders have previously questioned Lurie's approach to Trump and said they wished he would take a more forceful stand against the president. Benioff, who has embraced Trump, tried to soften his stance days after the Times interview and announced that Salesforce would give $1 million to "support larger hiring bonuses for new police officers" in San Francisco. By that point, however, his original idea had already been endorsed by prominent figures such as Elon Musk, who called federal intervention in San Francisco "the only solution at this point." Jenkins was among the most vocal San Francisco politicians to push back on Benioff's comments to the Times, writing on social media that Trump had "turned so-called public safety and immigration enforcement into a form of government-sponsored violence against U.S. citizens, families, and ethnic groups." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her office later sent out a media advisory for a news conference she planned to hold Wednesday morning at City Hall. The news conference was intended for Jenkins and local civic and corporate leaders to "reject and denounce calls for the National Guard to be sent to San Francisco," the advisory said. A separate online form encouraging supporters to attend that event said Jenkins and other officials would "protest the National Guard's potential invasion of San Francisco," urging allies to stand against "authoritarian overreach." But the news conference was canceled, and Jenkins instead went to the police academy with Lurie and Miyamoto. "The location doesn't matter. We wanted to show what we're doing in San Francisco," Jenkins said. "It's more important that people see across the country what we're committed to. And the commitment is to enforcing order in our streets, in our businesses, with our visitors, with our residents and making sure that people see the strong show of law enforcement in this city." This article originally published at Daniel Lurie said S.F. doesn't need the National Guard. Hours later, Trump said S.F. should be next'. MEXICO CITY, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Mexican government aims to secure the most favorable trade conditions possible as the United States implements new tariff measures, Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Tuesday. Speaking at a meeting of the Business Coordinating Council, Ebrard said trade representatives from both countries are reviewing bilateral differences ahead of the scheduled 2026 review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. One of Mexico's goals, he said, is to reduce or offset the impact of tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump through discount schemes that would benefit Mexican exports. "Our ultimate goal is to ensure that Mexico's conditions are better than those of any other country," Ebrard said. The minister added that talks with Washington are "very advanced," with both sides identifying the specific costs of recent U.S. measures. The objective, he said, is to remove as many "irritants or potential disputes" as possible before November. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller is reminding voters who want to request a mail-in ballot for the election on Nov. 4 must do so by Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 5:00 p.m. If you live in Greene County and would like to request more information or an absentee ballot, you can do so at greenecountymo.gov. The ballot must be returned by email to absenteevoting@greenecountymo.gov. Ballots must be completed and received in the Office of the County Clerk by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement City of Springfield continues toward new convention and event center If voting absentee by mail, voters are required to state one of the following reasons: Absence on Election Day from the jurisdiction of the election authority in which such voter is registered to vote; Incapacity or confinement due to illness or physical disability on Election Day, including a person who is primarily responsible for the physical care of a person who is incapacitated or confined due to illness or disability and resides at the same address; Religious belief or practice; Employment as an election authority or by an election authority at a location other than such voters polling place, a first responder, a health care worker, or a member of law enforcement; Incarceration, provided all qualifications for voting are retained; Certified participation in the address confidentiality program established under RSMo 589.660 to 589.681 because of safety concerns. In-person absentee voting is currently underway at 1126 N Boonville, Springfield, Mo., 65802, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., until Nov. 3. In-person absentee voting will be open on Saturday, Nov. 1, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the same location. Under Missouri law, beginning Tuesday, Oct. 21, voters who vote in-person absentee will not be required to give any excuse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Voters must have a valid photo ID in order to cast their ballot. 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. A psychologist who examined Rodney Hinton Jr., the man accused of killing a Hamilton County sheriffs deputy by driving a car into him, has found that Hinton suffers from a serious mental illness that makes him ineligible for the death penalty. The forensic psychologists findings were described at a pretrial hearing Oct. 15 in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court. The findings are not the final word, however, because prosecutors said they will seek a second opinion. They are expected to tell Judge Jody Luebbers on Oct. 17 the name of the doctor who will examine Hinton and render that second opinion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A state law enacted in 2021 lists four qualifying mental conditions that make a defendant ineligible for the death penalty. The illnesses are: schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder and delusional disorder. According to Hinton's attorney, Clyde Bennett II, Hinton, 39, has bipolar disorder and psychosis. In a statement to The Enquirer, Bennett said: "From the beginning of this case, I repeatedly and emphatically stated that Rodney Hinton was mentally ill at the time of the offense and did not understand the wrongfulness of his conduct. Now an independent, neutral, objective opinion from a court-appointed, certified forensic psychologist has confirmed this fact." Bennett added that the psychologist believes Hinton had a combination of serious mental illnesses at the time he committed the offense, and those serious mental illnesses significantly impaired Hinton's ability to exercise rational judgment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In light of the thorough, reliable report the prosecution should not continue to try to kill Mr. Hinton," Bennett said. Rodney Hinton Jr., right, speaks with attorney Clyde Bennett II, left, in Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Jody Luebbers courtroom for his Oct. 15 mental health evaluation hearing. A hearing about whether Hinton has a serious mental illness that makes him ineligible for the death penalty is set for Dec. 1. During the Oct. 15 hearing, Bennett said he will soon file a motion to pursue a not guilty by reason of insanity defense at trial. Prosecutors say Hinton, on May 2, intentionally drove a car into Deputy Larry Henderson as Henderson was working traffic control for a University of Cincinnati graduation ceremony. Hours before, Hinton and his family met with Cincinnati police to review body camera video of his 18-year-old son, Ryan, being fatally shot by a Cincinnati police officer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hinton still faces charges including aggravated murder. If the death penalty is removed as an option, he faces a possible sentence of life in prison without parole. Attorney Clyde Bennett II speaks in front of Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Jody Luebbers in her courtroom during Rodney Hinton Jr.s mental health evaluation hearing. This story was republished to add a gallery. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Death penalty now in doubt for Rodney Hinton Jr. State board of education member Ellen Lipton, Board President Pamela Pugh and Interim State Superintendent Sue C. Carnell. Oct. 14, 2025 | Photo by Kyle Davidson/Michigan Advance Parents, former school employees and conservative advocates packed out the State Board of Educations meeting room Tuesday, offering their opposition to a proposed update to the states health education standards framework, which they argued would marry sex education into the states health curriculum, despite requirements in state law for this instruction to remain optional. While the board was not scheduled to hold a vote on the standards, more than 40 individuals including members of the far-right groups Moms for Liberty and Citizens Defending Freedom arrived to offer their thoughts on the proposal, with more signing up to offer their comments online. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though the updated standards had their supporters, the majority of commenters argued adopting the standards as-is would violate both state and federal law by preventing parents from opting their children out of the curriculum by weaving sex education into health education. Several commenters, including Republican Attorney General candidate Kevin Kijewski, pointed to Mahmoud v. Taylor, in which parents of various religious backgrounds successfully argued to the U.S. Supreme Court their religious and parental rights had been violated when they were not given notice or permitted to opt their children out of curriculum involving LGBTQ+-inclusive story books. Kevin Kijewski, a Republican candidate for attorney general in 2026, speaks out against proposed updates to the states health education standards. Oct. 14, 2025 | Photo by Kyle Davidson/Michigan Advance However, Michigan school districts are not required to use these standards. According to the Department of Education, school districts decide whether to offer sex ed and what to include. Content for sexual education is recommended by Sex Education Advisory Boards of which at least half of their members must be local parents, and the local school board must approve the content. Under state law, parents must be notified if sex education is offered locally, must be allowed to review the materials and can opt their child out of instruction without penalty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ahead of the meeting, the board of education issued a statement emphasizing that optional sex education standards would remain separate, as would local control over how or if schools use these standards. Regardless, several commenters took issue with standards for sexual health education for students in grades 6-8, which recommended schools: Define gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, and explain that they are distinct components of every individuals identity Explain how biological sex, gender identity, and gender expression are distinct concepts and how they interact with each other Explain that romantic, emotional, and/or sexual attractions can be toward an individual of the same gender and/or different gender(s), and that attractions can change over time These proposed standards go far beyond physical health, they cross into deeply personal and spiritual territory, normalizing behaviors that many families find harmful and contrary to their faith, said Monica Yatooma, a Republican candidate for Secretary of State. This is not education. Its indoctrination. Its an assault on family values, faith and the sacred bond between parent and child. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Rep. Joseph Pavlov (R-Kimball) noted that House Democrats proposed similar changes in 2024, introducing legislation to update the states sex ed curriculum to be medically accurate, research-informed, inclusive and age- and developmentally appropriate. State Rep. Joseph Pavlov (R-Kimball) offers comment during a meeting of the State Board of Education. Oct. 14, 2025 | Photo by Kyle Davidson/Michigan Advance However, the legislation failed to receive a hearing, being introduced in the midst of a tumultuous lame duck session, with Republicans set to take control of the chamber in the new year. Opponents of the standards repeatedly pointed to Michigans 44th in the nation ranking for fourth grade reading scores and 31st in the nation ranking on eighth grade math scores arguing schools should focus on improving education rather than incorporating discussions of gender and sexuality into health education. However, the supporters of the educational framework argued an update is long overdue, with the previous health education standards adopted in 2007. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This means that an entire generation of students has gone through school using outdated guidance that does not reflect what we now know about mental health, technology, vaping, healthy relationships, consent, among many other topics, said Taryn Gal, executive director of the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health. Taryn Gal, executive director of the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health at a meeting of the State Board of Education. Oct. 14, 2025 | Photo By Kyle Davidson/Michigan Advance Christy Gibson-Marshall, the assistant principal at Oxford High School, said Michigan communities have undergone significant changes since the previous standards were adopted, pointing to the rise of social media, mobile devices, the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing school violence as some of the many factors shaping the lives of todays students. Gibson-Marshall acknowledged that the standards include LGBTQ+ students in discussions, which she said fosters a sense of belonging and acceptance. Both Gibson-Marshall and Gal similarly called out the new standards emphasis on critical assessment skills to help them navigate the vast amount of information and misinformation presented to them through social media, in the news and on the internet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gal also noted that the standards do not include education on abortion, despite concerns to the contrary. Oxford High School Assistant Principal Christy Gibson-Marshall offers support for an updated health education framework during a meeting of the State Board of Education. Oct. 14, 2025. | Photo by Kyle Davidson/Michigan Advance Though members of the board did not vote on the Health Education Standards, the board did consider a resolution put forth by Nikki Snyder, one of the boards two Republican members. Snyders resolution called attention to several items within the proposed standards centered on gender, sexuality and sexual identity, arguing their inclusion goes against the Supreme Courts decision in Mahmoud V. Taylor, though Ellen Lipton, one of eight Democrats on the board, noted the difference between the curriculum discussed in the case and the standards in front of the board. I think I might be the only attorney at the table. Although Im not a constitutional attorney, I am pretty well versed in reading cases and extracting precedent from those cases, Lipton said. And Mahmoud, although a fairly consequential opinion, is still based on a certain set of facts that the Maryland School Board and the Maryland district was facing, and it does, when it talks about the interweaving, it was really based on the way that the curriculum was being delivered. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She reiterated the difference between laying out standards for education and delivering curriculum, noting the local nature of Michigans curriculum selection and delivery. The motion to adopt Snyders motion was rejected, with Tom McMillin, the other Republican on the board, joining Snyder as the only other vote in support. According to the boards earlier statement, Michigan Department of Education staff is reviewing the written public comments on the proposal and will recommend updated health education standards to the board at a future meeting. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE For decades, the Feds were the last, best hope for special ed kids. What happens now? Last December, after a year and a half of blind alleys, impenetrable paperwork and bureaucratic stonewalling, it seemed like the complaints Sierra Rios had filed against her fifth-graders elementary school were finally getting a proper investigation. A lawyer in the Dallas office of the U.S. Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights was asking hard questions of the school where Rios said her daughter, Nevaeh, was repeatedly denied special education services. But then, a few weeks into the probe, the San Antonio mother got a bounce-back email informing her that the attorney working on her case was no longer employed by the agency. As part of its plan to shutter the department, the Trump administration had fired 40% of the civil rights divisions staff and closed half of its regional offices. The March email did not say what would happen to Rios case. In May, she got a message asking for a form that had somehow not been transferred from Texas to the agencys office in Kansas City, Missouri. Rios resent the document, but it no longer mattered. During the churn, she was told, the complaint had become too old to pursue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The saga is a vivid illustration of the fate that policy experts predict awaits families of students with disabilities. For decades, the federal government has been a key avenue of relief for parents unable to get services for their children through complaints filed with their state, mediation, administrative hearings or due process cases. Now, with the department lurching toward closure, state-level officials may increasingly have the final word. And an analysis by The 74 shows that those systems, intended to help desperate parents like Rios, have never delivered on their promise. A parent-friendly process thats anything but simple Fifty years ago, under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Congress created three ways parents could appeal to their state education departments if they felt their children were being denied accommodations in school. These mechanisms vary in complexity and effectiveness, but all were supposed to be simple enough for any parent to navigate. Families, or school administrators seeking help in resolving a disagreement, can file a complaint with their state in hopes that education officials will intervene if they find a districts efforts lacking or improper. Parents can also ask the state to appoint a mediator who will try to bring both sides to an agreement. Most complicated, but potentially most effective, families can file a due process complaint, which kicks off a legal process that usually requires an attorney or skilled advocate. The complaint may start with a mediator but can progress to a formal hearing before an administrative law judge. If the dispute isnt resolved there, the case can turn into a federal lawsuit. Some states pursue complaints quickly, with an eye toward resolving issues before they become intensely adversarial and expensive. Others lag or throw up procedural roadblocks, presumably trying to reduce the number of cases filed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Complaints can run aground at a dizzying array of junctures. The length of time a family has to file after the event theyre disputing differs depending on where they live and which mechanism theyre trying to use. If an email or letter doesnt get a reply within a certain number of days, the case can be closed. Things must be done in a precise order, spelled out in legalese. In Rios case, she initially tried to open a state complaint against the principal of Nevaehs school in 2023. The Texas Education Agency rejected her request in a letter that she read as saying complaints cannot be filed against individuals, just schools and districts. (The agency says complaints can be filed against individuals.) Rios assumed her complaint was dead in the water. A year later, with Nevaehs situation deteriorating as school staff, Rios says, grew tired of the familys continued complaints, she did more research and opened a case at the Office for Civil Rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The law that created the state complaint processes, the IDEA, guarantees disabled students educational rights. By contrast, the ADA, passed in 1990, outlaws discrimination against people who need accommodations to access public facilities and programs including schools. President George Bush signing the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 - Ron Sachs/CNP // Getty Images Families of children denied special education services can assert their rights under either law. When states fail to enforce a students educational rights under IDEA, families often file a discrimination complaint via the ADA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the 2022-23 school year, more than 54,000 state dispute resolution requests were filed in the U.S. and its territories, including due process complaints, written state complaints and mediation requests. The Office for Civil Rights had about 12,000 open cases half of them involving disability discrimination when its staff was slashed in March. For fiscal year 2026, which started July 1, the White Houses proposed OCR budget is $91 million, a 35% drop. At the same time, the administration wants to move $33 million that currently funds state advocacy clearinghouses into block grants that states cash-strapped as their federal pandemic funds run out can use for other things. This means families risk losing a second source of leverage: free assistance from experts. If enacted, both budget cuts would also exacerbate socioeconomic and racial disparities in the services kids with disabilities receive, says Carrie Gillispie, a senior policy analyst at New America. This is because families in states where theres little appetite for local enforcement depend on OCR to investigate discrimination. Those discrepancies that exist will only worsen if these budget changes happen, Gillispie says. Its a choice to continue to underinvest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the federal office a hollow shell of what it was six months ago, advocates say, families are likely to rely more heavily on their states. And how and how well each state helps students with disabilities varies widely. In fact, The 74s analysis found great geographic disparities in the kinds of appeals families pursue and how far they make it in the multistep processes. In the few places that have more than a handful of special education lawyers, primarily on the East and West coasts, due process cases often dominate. In the Midwest, where there are few or even no special ed attorneys or advocates, families must go it alone, and public officials frequently put up roadblocks to impede complaints parents file with their states. Here, there are fewer disputes likely because parents often depend on schools to apprise them of their rights and complaints are less likely to end in a written agreement. Information collected by the U.S. Education Department does not record whether outcomes are favorable for students. But attorneys and advocates say that for those who have access to expert help either for a fee or pro bono, through an advocacy group a due process complaint can yield a quick settlement from a district looking to end a familys case and move on. Using state data submitted to the department from the 2014-15 academic year through 2022-23, the most recent available, the interactive map above shows how many cases are filed in each state and how they compare with the national average. The rate of due process complaints per 10,000 children identified as qualifying for special education services in each state has been tabulated to account for population differences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to national averages, we focused on four localities California, Texas, Nebraska and the District of Columbia that illustrate different approaches to resolving disputes and how far in the process they proceed, and included an interactive chart for each. The process was designed to be flexible, and to allow parents and schools to start with the least contentious, simplest and most inexpensive options. With some exceptions, a family can begin by filing a written state complaint or by requesting mediation, and, if no agreement is reached, open a due process case later on. If one side disagrees with the decision in a due process hearing, it can file a federal suit. In some circumstances, the losing party will be ordered to reimburse the other sides attorney fees. This analysis excludes two statistical outliers: New York, where, because of a tangled legal history, two-thirds of recent complaints in the U.S. were filed; and Puerto Rico, where students are protected by federal law but the special education system is unique. Finally, researchers looked at trends in Texas, where advocates are cautiously optimistic that a decade-old federal intervention has nudged the process closer to Congress original vision. Advocates say changes made by Texas officials are getting families what they need faster, and with less red tape, all with an eye to heading off the most contentious options. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Barring similar efforts by districts and state education officials to help families before disagreements become adversarial, advocates predict the system will become more litigious. By definition, that will make it more expensive for everyone involved, as districts and families are forced to spend money on attorneys and experts instead of the services children need. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision making it easier for families to file federal discrimination suits. The upshot, advocates say, could be an even more inequitable playing field, where families with access to attorneys and the ability to pay them have leverage and those who dont are at the mercy of their states willingness to enforce their rights. Chart showing the three ways and process for parents to file Special Ed complaints. - The 74 Each process for resolving special education disagreements comes with major trade-offs which are typically unclear for families trying to figure out where to start. A written state complaint is usually the easiest route for a parent going it alone. Its free. The information needed to start is comparatively straightforward. The law requires states to finish investigations within 60 days, which is months or years faster than the alternatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If, at any point, a parent and district come to an agreement, they can simply stop the process. If the state probe goes forward, a finding is issued. According to a study published in 2018 in the Journal of Special Education Leadership, a survey of district leaders the year before showed that 62% of state investigations that played all the way out concluded that a district was not compliant with the law. Caveats abound, however. In many places, state complaints cant be appealed. A mediator or state investigator can determine that a student is owed compensatory services academic or therapeutic time to make up for interventions they were improperly denied or money to pay for private services. But in practice, they rarely result in financial compensation for a students family. Though these agreements are often supposed to be legally binding, they dont always carry the weight of a legal judgment, so schools can feel little pressure to make meaningful changes. Finally, in order to get what their child was denied, families often must sign a nondisclosure agreement. This makes it hard for parents to compare notes about what services are available from their school and what they can reasonably ask for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a 2023 survey, families told the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates a network of state and local professionals partly funded by IDEA that the corrective actions called for in state findings are often inadequate and ignored by schools, with no state follow-up to ensure compliance. Parents also complained that state investigators are sometimes quicker to believe districts stories than families, even in the absence of evidence. Mediators may fail to help parents and schools reach an agreement. By contrast, filing a due process complaint is not unlike filing a lawsuit. Indeed, if a disagreement isnt resolved at a negotiation called a resolution meeting or by a mediator, an administrative law judge takes testimony, considers evidence and issues a ruling. If that does not end the dispute, either party may provided it has the resources continue the case in federal court. But parents often dont have the money to hire an attorney or advocate to take the case. Some states have just one lawyer who will accept special education cases. In part, this is because a family must win to have just its attorneys fees covered. In addition, in most instances, plaintiffs cant hire experts to counter testimony given by district witnesses. Until recently, anyway, lodging a complaint with the OCR instead of the state was often parents most attractive option. Data chart showing the rate of special education due process complaints per 10,000 children receiving services in Nebraska. - The 74 Families in rural areas rely on state complaints for solutions In many rural states, such as Nebraska, families rely on written state complaints when their kids needs arent being met. Dispute resolution filings are rare because advocates and attorneys are few and far between, and the number of due process cases is low. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State complaints are supposed to be the fast, easy, least costly and least adversarial path to getting kids services without the expenses of hiring an attorney. But outcomes are often poor. They are especially good for clear procedural violations that may impact the student, says Amy Bonn, an Omaha-area attorney. Its basically saying, Heres where the district did something that did not comport with the actual law. When IDEA was created, Congress envisioned the state complaint system to be the most powerful and accessible option for parents, but it often falls short in resolving noncompliance issues, according to a 2023 report from the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates. The organization stated in its report summary that the system is an often ineffective process that lacks transparency, impartiality and accountability by state educational agencies charged with administering the dispute resolution process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once a complaint is filed, the investigation is in the states hands and out of the parents. Any decisions, including corrective actions, are made by the state within a 60-day timeline, and they usually cant be appealed. [Families] might get relief or they might not, but there are no judges or a hearing, says Kathy Zeisel of the Childrens Law Center, an agency that takes cases and connects families with pro bono lawyers to file complaints. You get systemic change, such as a district having to change policies, instead of an accommodation to help a particular student. But debates between families and school districts about special ed services that were not delivered during the COVID pandemic have begun to change the landscape, Bonn says. An increase in the number of parent advocates and lawyers who take special education cases has led to more filings in recent years. I think the culture is changing a little bit, Bonn says. Data chart showing the rate of special education due process complaints per 10,000 children receiving services in California. - The 74 Due process comes with steep costs and barriers With the federal backstop of the Office for Civil Rights disappearing, even more due process complaints are likely. They are expensive for both families and districts but effective when the process is accessible to parents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here are two examples of how this is playing out in states where the number of these complaints is rising quickly. In California, the dispute resolution process is available to financially stable, highly educated families confident enough to speak out about their childs services, says Cheryl Theis, who worked as a parent advocate in Oakland for 18 years at the Disability Rights Education Defense Fund. IDEA is built on one fundamental premise: that every child has a parent who can advocate for them, Theis says. But theres always been some power imbalance around how effectively a parent can participate and how hard theyre willing to push, and thats been an ongoing problem. Over the past several years, California has received roughly the same number of mediations and due process complaints which make up about 90% of filings, according to data from The Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education. The state had nearly 55 due process complaints and 56 mediation requests per 10,000 children in 2022-23. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Excluding the outliers not included in this analysis New York and Puerto Rico Californias due process case rate is the second highest in the country. But the number of cases that proceed to the ultimate stage is minuscule. Less than 1% of the 4,401 cases filed in 2022-23 were heard by a judge, while 3,254 were resolved before the hearing stage. Advocates say this reflects a trend they expect to play out in other places: With large numbers of private law firms and nonprofits able to file pro bono cases, increasingly, school districts are choosing to settle due process complaints quickly. Many California school systems now routinely purchase commercial insurance, which picks up most of the cost. This may seem like an inexpensive way to shorten what can be months of expensive arguments, but attorneys and disability advocates note that the insurance premiums come out of the districts budget, which could be paying for needed services. Some families end up with better agreements for their children than they would using the state complaint process, advocates say. But even when families view a settlement as a win, Theis says, compensatory education often requires the parent to pay upfront for private services and get reimbursed from the district another barrier for those who are on a low income. Data chart showing money spent in unified due process cases in Oakland. - The 74 In the past two school years, Oakland Unified School District shelled out $579,588 in attorney fees and paid $823,964 to families to cover their legal costs in settlement cases, according to district financial records. The settlements forced the district to spend roughly $3.5 million on student services. Oakland has been under fire in previous years for IDEA violations. Systemic problems uncovered by investigations in 2007 and 2013 included staffing shortages, lack of special education curricula, deficient budgets and the placement of students in segregated special ed classrooms, according to Disability Rights California. The nonprofit filed a complaint in 2015 on behalf of all special education students in the district. If you look at those millions of dollars in settlements, like, how many teachers could you train, how many adaptive tricycles could you buy? What specialized summer programs could you create? Theis asks. Its like this squeaky-wheel system where 10 people might need it, but only one parent is going to have the knowledge, the time and the finances to maybe get an attorney. In a statement the district said that since the pandemic, it has expanded its alternative dispute resolution program, which provides a neutral representative who can conduct IEP meetings or resolve issues with families without an attorney or legal fees. Additionally, we offer open office hours monthly for any family who wants to speak with a neutral special education attorney about their questions or concerns about their childs IEP, the district said. In 2024-25, 31 cases went through the alternative dispute resolution program, and 29 were resolved with no attorney fees, the district said. Data chart showing the rate of special education due process complaints per 10,000 children receiving services in District of Columbia. - The 74 The second example, Washington, D.C., has one of the highest rates of due process complaints in the nation, behind New York and Puerto Rico. In 2022-23, roughly 151 complaints were filed per 10,000 children. These numbers prompted a federal probe in March to investigate claims that D.C.s traditional public school system is not meeting the needs of students with disabilities. Advocates say D.C.s special education issues are similar to those in the rest of the nation, but an oversaturation of disability lawyers and agencies has educated families about their childrens school services and taught them to use litigation to get what they are entitled to under federal law. This, they say, contributes to the high filing numbers. A 2024 report from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights found that D.C. has the highest rate in the nation of due process complaints resolved without a hearing, which could indicate a sue and settle approach which favors those who can afford attorneys. Its really a national problem that we are just disregarding kids with disabilities and not putting the resources into them, says Zeisel, whose Childrens Law Center has roughly 250 cases at any given time, one-third involving families going through due process. Parents have to sue, and kids lose almost a whole school year to try to get what [they need]. We would love to put ourselves out of a job and not be litigating this stuff and go do something else. While advocates say the number of cases is still too high, D.C.s filing numbers have plummeted over the last decade. In the 2011-12 school year, 805 due process complaints per 10,000 children were reported. The latest data available shows that D.C. had 151 complaints per 10,000 children in 2022-23. The civil rights report credits the drop to D.C. improving its capacity in handling cases and creating a student hearing office. In 2023, the city paid more than $3.1 million to attorneys as a result of due process complaints against D.C. Public Schools, according to a 2023 inspector general audit report. Donovan Anderson represented the district in special education cases until he opened his own firm doing the same work more than 25 years ago. Parents will reach out to me because they are searching for answers, he says. They are in disbelief with the quality of education that their child is receiving. Once Anderson files a due process complaint on behalf of a family, the district has 15 days to hold a resolution meeting as a way to discuss the issues and potentially resolve them. He says almost all his cases end at this stage because continuing with due process is usually time-consuming and too costly for families. If nothing is agreed upon during the resolution meeting and a parent wants to continue to a due process hearing, the timeline can stretch to 75 days before any decision is made. Then theres also more of a chance that families will lose their case and come out with nothing but debt after a long fight. Anderson says resolving a case during the resolution meeting makes the school district pay the familys attorney fees usually a few thousand dollars but parents who lose due process are on the hook for the thousands more spent on lawyers and experts to testify during the hearing. If I settle the case in 15 days, the child [and] the parent can see tangible results in 30 to 45 days after meeting me, he says. I can make a lot more money if I have to go to a due process hearing, but it doesnt necessarily benefit the child, because the parent has to wait that much longer to have tangible solutions. The therapist said it was self-defense Even the most cut-and-dried due process case the kind likely to be resolved quickly and in a students favor can be prohibitively expensive just to file. Texas parent N.G.s son, A.G., is autistic, nonverbal and very bright. (Because the family signed a nondisclosure agreement at the conclusion of the case a common district demand N.G. asked that they be identified by their initials.) A.G. could add and subtract in kindergarten, but his first-grade teacher conflated his lack of speech with academic incompetence and gave him a picture of the number one to color. Bored, A.G. acted up, his mother says. A few weeks into the year, he wandered off and got lost in the school. In February, he came home with a hand-shaped bruise on his arm following an occupational therapy session in school. The therapist said it was self-defense, N.G. says. I said, Hes 6 and he has low muscle tone. It took her a month to find an attorney, hundreds of miles away. The lawyer charged a flat fee of $6,000 for his first three months of work. The familys due process complaint was so stark and well-documented N.G. had logged every interaction on a spreadsheet that a mediator quickly negotiated a good settlement. Had the mediator failed, however, the family would have had to drop the complaint. After 90 days, the attorney would have needed to be paid by the hour money N.G. would not necessarily have been entitled to recover. Data chart showing the rate of special education due process complaints per 10,000 children receiving services in Texas. - The 74 Perhaps the best proof of the value of federal oversight of special education is to be found in Texas, where state officials have spent seven years overhauling how schools are held accountable for serving children with disabilities. Attorneys and advocates now routinely advise families to avoid due process altogether and file state complaints the route Congress originally envisioned as the quickest path to securing help for kids. In 2016, a Houston Chronicle investigation revealed that for years, the state had improperly denied services to hundreds of thousands of children by capping the number of special ed students districts could serve. In response, the U.S. Education Department ordered state officials to take a series of steps to find and evaluate children with disabilities. Since then, the number of special education students has increased by 67%, rising from 463,000 to 775,000. Meeting their needs has stretched Texas schools, which couldnt simply conjure the staff or funding to beef up special education overnight. In 2022, Texas lawmakers lengthened the amount of time families have to file due process claims from one year after an episode to a more standard two years. Conventional wisdom would hold that a tsunami of families seeking support and a longer window to complain when they dont get it would send caseloads skyrocketing. But due process complaints have instead fallen, from 8 per 10,000 students in 2014-15 to 5.5 in 2021-22. Meanwhile, the number of state complaints nearly quadrupled between the 2020-21 and 2022-23 academic years, rising from 261 to 979. The number of resulting reports the documents that say what state investigators found tripled, from 164 to 549. Also on the rise is the number of complaints withdrawn before the formal process begins likely as a result of districts resolving disagreements quickly. Colleen Potts, supervising attorney for Disability Rights Texas, says the organizations lawyers now see state complaints as the most effective way to get quick relief for students and families. Ive been doing this for 19 years, and the last two or three years we are getting consistently good outcomes in non-adversarial meeting of the minds meetings, with resolutions that are acceptable to everyone, she says. Indeed, districts often are quick to try to resolve disagreements before the state investigates. Potts encourages the attorneys she works with to list proposed remedies in their complaints, even if they arent things a state typically requires a lagging district to do. In practical terms, this document can serve as a road map to getting a childs needs met, she explains: Anything is on the table. In 2018, in response to the U.S. Education Departments intervention, the Texas Education Agency drew up an extensive strategic plan for overhauling special education statewide. A key goal was making resources available to families and districts to help them resolve disagreements early. According to Jennifer Alexander, Texas deputy commissioner for special populations and student supports, 10% of state complaints are now resolved this way, even if investigators have already begun work on the case. As the state officials made the changes outlined in the strategic plan, they examined data on disputes to find out where things go awry, says Alexander: Where it often breaks down is the family does not know the process and so cant express to the district what they need. To that end, in 2023 the state began offering to pay for trained facilitators to participate in the initial meetings where families and educators negotiate a childs individualized education program the legally required document that spells out how the students needs will be met. The cost to the state is $1,500 per negotiation. Of the 20 facilitated IEP meetings that took place in 2024, 40% resulted in an agreement, Alexander says. During the first half of 2025, there were 25 meetings, and 56% have resulted in agreements. Two negotiations are pending. The state also created a parent-friendly special education online portal, SpedTex, where a relatively simple complaint form automatically collects the information that is legally required to make a case pursuable, to head off situations like Rios. When the form is submitted, the district immediately gets a copy. This, Alexander says, often prompts school staff to begin trying to resolve the disagreement. Any agreement is legally binding. The changes Texas has made are having an impact for students, advocates agree. And, they say, there is reason to hope that the new strategies for ironing out disagreements before they become heated will show other states that better, quicker communication can head off the costs faced by places like Oakland and Washington, D.C. But without the possibility that federal officials will compel states to do better, any improvement will be piecemeal, says Robyn Linscott, director of family and education policy at The Arc of the United States. You might have some states that try to step in and create or beef up a state-level backstop, whether its a special agency or ombudsman or something they already have in place, she says. And then youll have other states that are not necessarily going to see the value in trying to provide more stable resources for families to have recourse. This will leave us with this state-by-state patchwork. Uncertainty remains for parents who fight for their childs services According to documents filed in a court case challenging the Trump administrations mass firings, the U.S. Education Department said it dismissed more than 3,400 complaints between March 11 and June 27, Politico reported. Thats more than 28% of the OCRs caseload. Rios has yet to learn whether hers is one of them. After the May email informing her the case had been closed because it was too old, an advocate helped her compile a paper trail showing she had met every deadline. In the past, that has often convinced the agency to make an exception. Rios says all she wants is what shes been fighting for this entire time accountability from the school and a plan to make it right for Nevaeh. She goes to school and she learns, but then she comes home and Im reteaching the material, Rios says. On top of all of that, Im now having to file complaints, follow up on complaints, send angry emails, follow up on those angry emails, make phone calls like, Im basically my daughters teacher, lawyer, advocate, Im everything. Its a lot. I feel like there [are] programs and there are laws around these things for a reason. This story was produced by The 74 and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Originally from South Africa, Peretz moved to Yad Binyamin in 2014 with the rest of his family before serving in the IDF's 77th Battalion of the 7th Armored Brigade. Former Gaza hostage Captain Daniel Peretz was laid to rest in Har Herzl on Wednesday after being returned during phase one of US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan. Released hostage Matan Angrest, who served under Peretz, attended the funeral, as did IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen Eyal Zamir and President Isaac Herzog. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It was important to me to salute and pay final respects to my commander, Daniel, who led our heroic battle that Sabbath. The circle will close only when I see Itay Chen sitting for burial in the soil of Israel, together with all the fallen." Daniel led his soldiers with responsibility, with faith in the justice of their cause, and with boundless love for his people and his homeland," Herzog said. "He fought until the last drop of blood, embodying the very spirit of the Israeli warrior: steadfast, moral, and brave. Today, the son of the nation returns to his soil, to our soil. Captain Daniel Peretz: Always positive, celebrated life Captain Daniel Peretz, from Yad Binyamin, was a Company Commander who was commended for his bravery during the October 7 massacre, when he was murdered by Hamas terrorists. Originally from South Africa, Peretz moved to Yad Binyamin in 2014 with the rest of his family before serving in the IDF's 77th Battalion of the 7th Armored Brigade. Former hostage Matan Angrest, released just two days ago, attended the second funeral of his comrade Daniel Perez, both soldiers from the Shiryon unit. He sits beside Israeli President Isaac Herzog, October 15, 2025. (credit: CHEN SCHIMMEL) Daniel's father and chairman of World Mizrahi, Rabbi Doron Peretz, described his son's bravery on October 7, as well as the events surrounding his captivity, in a previous interview conducted with The Jerusalem Post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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, according to his father, Doron, in an interview with the Post. Daniel embodied the essence of modern-day Judaism and Zionism. Growing up with a strong adherence to both religion and Jewish nationalism, Daniel had a social outreach that extended to people covering the spectrum of Jewish life - religious and secular, Israeli and South African, as well as others from around the world. Daniel's sister, Shira, said that Daniel would have wanted her to continue living for him, because that is who he was. He celebrated life; was always making the most of it, and always being positive. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Judge Patricia Ann James told a packed courtroom on Wednesday that her decision in the lawsuit regarding the timing of a special election would be coming quick. The lawsuit between Franklin County resident Colt Shelby versus Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Secretary of State Cole Jester claims the special election date set by the governor of June 9, 2026, leaves him without representation in the state legislature. Franklin County resident sues Gov. Sanders, Secretary of State over District 26 special election timeline Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arkansas Sen. Bryan King (R-28) was called as a witness and explained how the election date was not only after the legislatures fiscal session, due to begin April 8, but left the late Sen. Gary Stubblefields (R-26) district without representation as committees continued to meet in the Capitol. King had stated in a September news conference that he had suspicions the date was intentionally set after the session to create a circumstance where the funding for the proposed and controversial Franklin County Prison could be passed. King and Stubblefield both opposed the prison. Additional witnesses called by attorney Jennifer Waymack on behalf of Shelby were Franklin County election commissioner Dara Keesee. Keesee was questioned about the timeline and presented two alternative dates for the special election, both of which were much sooner than the date assigned by the governor and would have allowed a candidate to be seated prior to Aprils fiscal session. Gov. Sanders moves up special election date amid backlash Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senior Assistant Attorney General Ryan Hale spent little time interacting with the witnesses Waymack called. However, he did clarify with Keesee that military ballots must be sent out 45 days in advance of the election and that an additional 10-day waiting period is required for the ballots to be counted. He also questioned Waymacks witness, Logan County Election Coordinator Jo Down Carter, about the staffing pressure that would come from an earlier election announcement. The state called no witnesses. Closing arguments were delayed for 20 minutes as the state had filed an amended motion for dismissal that Waymack had not yet read. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In her closing argument, Waymack invoked the rights of the Franklin County residents who were currently without representation in the legislature. Furthermore, the governor did not justify the election date being set as it was, she said. Hale argued on the law regarding election dates, explaining that courts dont set election dates. The governor is empowered to make decisions, he said. Arkansas Sen. King calls out Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders for special election delay, Stealing representation Hale also pointed out that Waymack had only contacted two election commissioners, and District 26 encompasses four counties, meaning the ability to hold elections on the dates proposed by Keesee was still uncertain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Waymack countered that the court can certainly rule on the rights of citizens. In their motions submitted before trial, both sides argued that the law setting the date for 150 days from the time a seat becomes vacant was at issue. The law includes the clause that it is 150 days or as soon as practical after the one-hundred-fiftieth day. Waymack argued for the 150-day mark, while Hale had argued in his motion that the clause gave the governor leeway. Sanders had said earlier that the election date was set to save taxpayer dollars and ensure a free and fair election. After the court was dismissed, King said the issues behind the trial involved more than Franklin County and funding a prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This should concern every Arkansan, he said, calling the governors date setting a politically calculated scheme. 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 KARK. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) What began as a vacation conversation in New York turned into a thriving local bakery for Baton Rouge entrepreneur Keithsha Meyer and her wife. In September 2021, my wife and I were on vacation in New York and thought about the millions of successful business owners in the world. We said to ourselves, If they can do it, so can we! Meyer said. We began to discuss which type of businesses will remain in high demand for the foreseeable future. We decided on food. Everyone has to eat, right?!? The tough part was choosing what to specialize in. My mother-in-law, MOJO, is known for her delicious chocolate chip cookies, and as my wife and I continued to talk about the possibility of entrepreneurship, it became very evident to me that we needed to give it a shot. Our first cookie was the chocolate chip, heavily inspired by my mother-in-law. We named the cookie MOJOs chocolate chip. It is consistently our #1 seller. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That inspiration became Deep South Deaux, a bakery known for its soft-baked cookies and Southern charm. The MOJOs chocolate chip cookie was inspired by Keithshas mother-in-law. Photo courtesy of Keithsha Meyer. We understood that the cookies had to stand out, Meyer said. We got recommendations from the community on their favorite cookie flavors. We watched a lot of videos and conducted a ton of trial-and-error baking. After identifying our key ingredients, we were able to expand on the flavors. Today, we offer 18 different flavors of our soft-baked cookies. Like many small business owners, Meyer says the journey hasnt been easy. We faced two challenges. The first was the Louisiana humidity. Any day, your recipes could change simply because of the weather. We learned that consistency is key and we add or take away as needed to achieve the desired consistency for our deaux, she said. The second was our full-time jobs. Neither one of us felt comfortable quitting our jobs to pursue Deep South Deaux. In return, we would bake late nights to attend weekend events around the community. Our jobs continued for four years into owning Deep South Deaux. I recently made the decision to commit 100% of my time and efforts to the business. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even the name of the bakery is rooted in Louisiana pride. Our goal was to keep the name simple, Meyer said. We wanted to incorporate Louisiana somehow, as well as a keyword for the type of business we are. When we realized we could spell dough as deaux, our decision was made. Deep South Deaux, a local bakery based out of Baton Rouge. By day, they worked full-time jobs. By night, Keithsha (left) and Lauren Meyer (right) baked their way into business. Photo courtesy of Keithsha Meyer. Their cookies are now available locally, and Meyer said expanding partnerships with grocery stores is part of the plan. After I speak to the purchasing department and decide on a mutual agreement, Ill personally bring samples for the team to each location. Were both looking to support locals, so I believe grocery stores are a great partnership. You can currently find our cookies on the shelves at Harvest Supermarket in Dutchtown, LA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meyer credits much of the bakerys success to the communitys enthusiasm and loyalty. We absolutely love the support we receive from the community, she said. It is so rewarding for people to say, This is the best cookie Ive ever had, or We only came here for your cookies. It fulfills our hearts to see people smile when they taste our cookies. Customer satisfaction is what we work so hard for. Deep South Deaux also focuses on freshness with a system designed to keep cookies soft and flavorful from the kitchen to the customer. Were also on DoorDash, so I bake daily to ensure peak freshness, Meyer said. My mindset is always small and consistent. I make smaller drops of product more often at the stores to make sure they arent sitting on the shelves any longer than necessary. We also individually wrap each cookie immediately after its cooled to seal the freshness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meyer said none of it would be possible without the people who keep coming back. We simply would not be where we are without the overwhelming support from the community, she said. Baton Rouge, Ascension, and Livingston have been vital to our overall success. We understand that you have other dessert options and were thankful that you choose Deep South Deaux. Deep South Deaux has 18 different flavors of soft-baked cookies. Photo courtesy of Keithsha Meyer. Looking ahead, the Meyers hope to expand their footprint across Louisiana. We are hoping to grow further into Louisiana by traveling with a food trailer, Meyer said. Our long-term goals are multiple brick and mortar, but we want it to be the right place, right time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A lot goes into owning a business, but if you do it right and remain honest with yourself and the customers, the rewards are plentiful, she said. For those hoping to follow in her entrepreneurial footsteps, Meyer said her advice would be to accomplish at least one thing per day about your business, and never look back. Where to find Deep South Deaux cookies DoorDash. Uber Eats. Harvest Supermarket in Dutchtown. Lamendolas in Gonzales. All three Cains Family Markets. Super J Mart in Baton Rouge. Latest News 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 Louisiana First News. Two women veterans in Congress led nearly 100 House Democrats in sending a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, calling his recent comments about women in the military deeply harmful and demanding more transparency. The leaders of the effort, Reps. Chrissy Houlahan and Maggie Goodlander, called for the reinstatement of an independent advisory committee dedicated to women in the service. We are writing to express our deep alarm at your recent remarks and actions targeting women in the military, the Democrats said in the letter, which was provided to The 19th. The letter comes as Congress is setting the militarys budget and on the heels of Hegseths extremely unusual decision to call hundreds of generals and admirals stationed around the world to convene in Virginia on September 30. In a 45-minute address at that meeting, Hegseth largely spoke about ridding the military of woke garbage. He touched on women in combat roles and the need for gender-neutral standards, denounced diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and criticized so-called gender diversity quotas which do not exist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Women have sacrificed their safety and, at times, their lives, for our country and we are deeply alarmed by this Administrations attempts to attack their merits, the letter said. We also oppose dismantling any resources that support their well-being and equal treatment. Any suggestion that women are unqualified, either in body or spirit, is a profound insult to the service women who have contributed so much to our country. Women make up more than 21 percent of the active-duty force and have held combat roles in the military for decades. In the letter, the members of Congress also criticize Hegseths recent memos weakening the definitions of hazing and bullying, which will likely make it more challenging to bring discrimination and harassment complaints within the Armed Forces. The changes could hinder the military justice reforms made in the past several years that aimed to help victims of sexual harassment and assault. Nearly 1 in 4 women in the military report having experienced sexual assault and more than half report harassment though researchers found the vast majority of incidents go unreported altogether. Rates of discrimination, hazing, and bullying are prevalent in the military for both men and women, but women experience these unwanted behaviors at significantly higher rates, the letter said. These issues are known to affect readiness and can lead to severe health and career consequences for service members, thereby disproportionately impacting women who serve. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Houlahan, an Air Force veteran and ranking member of the Military Personnel Subcommittee on the Armed Services Committee, said Hegseths impact on the military has been enormously chilling. Houlahan said one of her relatives is interested in joining the military but her parents are really worried about the environment that she would be entering. Thats just my own personal family, so I can only imagine that this is affecting a lot of people as they make their decision not just whether to join, but also whether to stay, Houlahan said. Goodlander, who served as an intelligence officer in the Navy Reserve, said she recently celebrated the 250th birthday of the Navy with a room full of sea cadets and their parents. Young women who are looking at our military now and their parents are worried about going into a department that has a person at the helm who has no business serving in that extraordinary position of public trust, said Goodlander, who is also a member of the Democratic Womens Caucus. Rep. Maggie Goodlander attends the electoral college vote count during a joint session of Congress in the House chamber on January 6, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/AP) Hegseths speech fits squarely into a pattern of what weve seen from Hegseth since even before the beginning of his tenure as secretary, said Goodlander, pointing to the fact that he also ousted the only women who held four-star ranks as part of his first actions in the role. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter decried Hegseths termination of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Service (DACOWITS), one of the Defense Departments oldest independent advisory committees. In its 75-year history, DACOWITS was instrumental in lifting the ban on women in combat. It also provided recommendations based on research, data and direct engagement with service members to the Defense Department, including on proper combat gear for women and parental leave policies. The Defense Department fully or partially adopted about 94 percent of the committees recommendations, according to the letter. DACOWITS has played a critically important role in fulfilling your stated goal of a merit based system by breaking down barriers to ensure opportunities for the most qualified individuals to serve our country, the letter said. Our military must be a place that enables our service members, of every gender, race, and faith, to serve with dignity and bring their full talents to bear. Houlahan said that the Defense Department has not been transparent and that Congress does not know whether any residual aspects of DACOWITS will be retained elsewhere. She said Hegseth has failed to respond to calls for more information. Goodlander said Hegseths perspective on women in the military and his strategy in leading the U.S. Armed Forces are objectively weakening us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its clear to anybody who watched his confirmation hearing and continued to watch his inexperience and his lack of judgment exposed again and again, hes pivoted to a performative and hateful bravado against core American ideas and against a core American constituency: women who have served and the women who will serve, Goodlander said. At the end of the letter, the House Democrats request the immediate reinstatement of DACOWITS. And if no change is made by October 31, the members of Congress are demanding an in-person briefing no later than November 6 to discuss Hegseths rationale in eliminating the committee and a detailed explanation of new general fitness and occupational physical requirements. Im just confounded by the ineptitude, Houlahan said. The fact that Secretary Hegseth believes that hes shaping an organization around what he deems to be a meritocracy when he is literally the least qualified person that I have ever known to serve in that office. And for him to malign 51 percent of the population, the women of our nation, in reference to an all-volunteer service its mind-boggling. I think its a lack of understanding that he clearly has of what modern combat is and what lethality is. News that represents you, in your inbox every weekday. Subscribe to our free, daily newsletter. UTICA, N.Y. (AP) A jury began deliberating Wednesday in the trial of three former New York state corrections officers charged in the fatal beating of an inmate that was captured on bodycam video. Lawyers spent most of the day delivering closing arguments in a Utica court in the trial of Mathew Galliher, Nicholas Kieffer and David Kingsley, who face charges of murder and first-degree manslaughter in the death of Robert Brooks. The 43-year-old man was beaten by multiple guards upon his arrival at the Marcy Correctional Facility on Dec. 9. Five officers indicted in February have previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Brooks death under plea deals. Defense lawyers told the jury their clients were not among the guards who struck Brooks and that they made quick decisions in a chaotic situation that night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just because corrections officers wear the same uniform, doesnt mean they're part of the same gang. It doesnt mean they have the same motivations, the same knowledge or the same intent, said Kingsley's attorney, Luke Nebush. The acts of some, even those that look violent on video, do not make everyone in that room equally culpable. Kingsley lifted Brooks by the neck on the night he was beaten. Brooks had been serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault since 2017 and was transferred to Marcy from a nearby lockup that night. The videos show officers striking the handcuffed man in the chest with a shoe, lifting him by the neck and dropping him. William Fitzpatrick, the special prosecutor, told the jury that all the guards were in it together, part of what he called a welcoming committee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They killed him - the whole rotten, stinking, disgusting group of them," Fitzpatrick said. They all participated in it, and they all killed that man. Fitzpatrick has said Brooks was beaten three separate times when he arrived at the prison, the last a fatal beating in the infirmary caught on the silent bodycam footage. Fitzpatrick played a long clip of the bodycam video as part of his closing, showing the defendants actions that night and making critical comments about their failure to intervene. Brooks suffered a broken nose, a black eye and injuries to the spleen, liver and groin. Blood leaked into his lungs and stomach, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The publicly released footage of the brutal pummeling stirred outrage and calls for prison reform. Galliher's attorney also showed portions of those videos Wednesday to demonstrate that Galliher showed up partway through the incidents started to bring leg shackles, as requested by a supervisor. Kevin Luibrand said Galliher orchestrated nothing and tried to do his job despite minimal training and lack of guidance from his sergeants. "These were circumstances that Mathew Galliher did not create, Luibrand said. Luibrand blamed Brooks' death on other officers who worked out plea deals. Kieffer's attorney, David Longeretta, said his client administered a minimum amount of pepper spray, but it had no effect" on Brooks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The prosecutions strategy in this case seems to have been, charge them all and let the jury figure it out,'" Longeretta said. Jurors deliberated briefly Wednesday before being sent home. They will resume Thursday. A grand jury indicted 10 guards on murder and lesser charges. In addition to the five men who pleaded guilty to either first- or second-degree manslaughter, another pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of attempted tampering with physical evidence. Another corrections officer is scheduled to go on trial for second-degree manslaughter in January. Three more employees have agreed to plead guilty to reduced charges and are cooperating with prosecutors, including two former guards who testified at the trial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kieffer and Galliher also were charged with second-degree gang assault. Kieffer faces a fourth charge of filing a false instrument. The prison is about 180 miles (290 kilometers) northwest of New York City. Fitzpatrick, the Onondaga County district attorney, also is prosecuting guards in the fatal beating of Messiah Nantwi on March 1 at a nearby prison, the Mid-State Correctional Facility. Ten guards were indicted in April, including two who are charged with murder, in Nantwis death. The ghost liberated by the US Army (designed by Stripes staff) Folks stationed at USAG Bavaria installations in Grafenwohr and Vilseck may have a ghostly neighbor haunting the dark rural roads and abandoned mines around the village of Freihung. Called Die Weisse Frau, or the White Lady, this ghostly apparition joins a cohort of white ladies that are seen frequently in German supernatural tales. Like the White Lady of Freihung, most Germanic white lady figures are not considered dangerous, but they are scary, appearing out of nowhere to wander the world of the living. Some sources believe that Weisse Frau stories across German-speaking regions are a cultural relic from former pagan beliefs in elven spirits or ancestral guardians. Many legends of white ladies have, over time, taken on specific histories, often evolving to represent the unrestful spirit of noble women from the Middle Ages who met tragic ends. Such is the case at Freihung. In the 12th century, lead deposits were found in the region and mining operations began, eventually digging a network of shafts and tunnels that were used until 1945. During the Middle Ages, a noble family oversaw the peasants who toiled all day in mines. Freihung grew as a prosperous mining village around their manor house. Legends say that the White Lady who haunts Freihung is a noble woman from that manor. In the past, she would appear in the dark tunnels, beckoning miners to follow her and get lost in the underground blackness. Her appearance became a harbinger of danger. Perhaps a warning. Perhaps a phantom guide leading people to their death. The White Lady of Freihung was known to haunt miners in the dark tunnels. (marako85 - stock.adobe.com) Some of the tunnels she haunted were directly below the village. Many were still used into modern times, like those underneath the Alte Post Inn. The inn sits in the center of Freihung at the same location of the former medieval manor house where the White Lady presumably lived (and, perhaps, died). Eventually, the modern owners of the inn grew tired of being spooked by the White Lady and wanted both her and the haunted tunnels gone. Supposedly, in the 1970s, a demolition team from the nearby USAG Bavaria Grafenwohr Training Area was called in to safely destroy the tunnels. Its unclear why American soldiers were chosen for the job instead of local German authorities. Some have speculated that it made for an interesting, if not bizarre, training opportunity for the Army. The hope was to rid the town and the inn of its ghostly resident. But it did not work. Die Weisse Frau, or the White Lady, used to haunt the old lead mine tunnels below the village of Freihung. (ferkelraggae - stock.adobe.com) Nowadays, the wispy figure of the White Lady is still spotted around Freihung: however, she is no longer limited to tempting people who venture underground. She is often seen wandering down dark nighttime roads, shocking drivers who think they spot her in the rearview mirror only to glance again and see nothing. Other cars have swerved around what appears to be a woman in the road who cannot be found afterward. Sometimes, people hear a disembodied female voice outside the village at night or feel an icy touch while walking along trails beyond their houses in the evening. Is it possible that the Army helped to release Die Weisse Frau of Freihung from her confinement in the old mine tunnels? Perhaps, instead, she is wandering in the night air looking for the soldiers who destroyed her underground refuge. SCHENECTADY - Attorneys in the trial for Persia Nelson are expected to deliver their final arguments Wednesday morning, after which the case of the Schenectady mother accused of causing the death of her infant daughter, Halo, goes to the jury. The defense rested its case Tuesday, but not before calling two final witnesses, including Ken Zafren, a clinical professor in emergency medicine at Stanford University Medical Center. The other witness was a private investigator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nelson chose not to testify during the trial. Nelson, 26, is charged with second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter and misdemeanor child endangerment. She has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. If convicted, Nelson faces a possible penalty of 25 years to life in prison for the top murder count. Prosecutors have said that city police officers during a frantic search last year found 11-month-old Halo R. Branton in a utility shed on the General Electric campus with water up to her chest and around her head. The heart-rending discovery came 12 hours after Nelson told security staffers, who found her inside a heated room on the plant, that her child was missing. Halo was rushed by ambulance to Ellis Hospital, but she could not be revived. She died of exposure and hypothermia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under direct questioning from defense attorney Mark Sacco, Zafren said Nelson had suffered from cold stress, but not hypothermia, during the roughly 90-minute perilous journey that included her partially tumbling down a steep hill from 12th Street leading onto the General Electric property until she made it into the shed on the premises. The medical expert testified that he reached that conclusion after reading through an assortment of medical reports, viewing photos, including drone footage, and visiting that hill himself. He argued that cold stress can also be such a traumatic experience that it can result in memory loss. A person is considered hypothermic when their body temperature drops below 95 degrees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zafren described the totality of Nelson being lost in the dark on the night of March 10, 2024, in an unfamiliar place under treacherous, windy, rainy and swampy conditions while wearing soggy clothing as a "struggle for survival" and a desperate attempt to keep herself and Halo alive. "That'd been pretty stressful and people would worry about dying," he replied to Sacco, noting that a person experiencing cold stress is usually shivering and may have difficulty thinking clearly, among other symptoms. "You evaluate all the possibilities in your mind to do the right thing." Lead prosecutor Christina Tremante-Pelham challenged Zafren's claims about Nelson's level of desperation. She reminded him that the defendant was the only one who made it to the lighted area and safety of the utility shed on the GE campus that fateful night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tremante-Pelham highlighted an article Zafren had written earlier this year about hypothermia, where he stated that cold stress is a "normal mental status with shivering" during which a person is "functioning normally and able to care for self." The prosecutor also told jurors that cold stress is simply being stressed from the cold. Zafren also noted during cross-examination that it was daytime when he visited the steep hillside - not at night, as it was when Nelson descended the slope. Tremante-Pelham ended with this. "Ms. Nelson did not suffer from hypothermia? Tremante-Pelham asked Zafren near the end of her questioning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "No," he said. "Her daughter did, though?" Tremante-Pelham followed up. "Yes," Zafren said. Once the lawyers finish summations, presiding Schenectady County Court Judge Matthew Sypniewski is expected to give legal instructions to the jury, and the panel will begin deliberations. This article originally published at Defense witness claims Persia Nelson suffered 'cold stress,' fought to keep her and her daughter alive. DeKalb superintendent resigns following indictment on federal charges The DeKalb County Board of Education accepted the resignation of Superintendent Dr. Devon Horton. His removal comes one week after he was indicted on federal charges connected to an investigation with his previous school district in Illinois. The board had placed him on paid administrative leave. The board also voted unanimously to conduct a forensic audit into their finances. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The board members refused to answer questions Wednesday, Channel 2s Tyisha Fernandes reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The DeKalb boards decision followed an executive session Wednesday that lasted around seven hours. Channel 2 has been following the case against Horton, who is accused of participating in a scheme to defraud the District 65 school system in Illinois. What the indictment essentially states is Horton participated in scheme to defraud the district of money and property through kickbacks. The district made payments to companies, and portions of those payments were kicked back to Horton through the other defendants, according to the indictment. It also says Horton submitted fraudulent documents to obtain professional service contracts and money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement District 65 said it was aware of the ongoing federal investigation and has supported the process fully. RELATED STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Psychological abuse inflicted on Israeli hostages included repeated efforts to induce him to fast during Ramadan or read the Quran in return for food and better conditions. Freed Israeli hostages and their families are giving harrowing first accounts of captivity in Gaza, describing prolonged isolation, torture, starvation, and psychological manipulation. New testimonies aired on Hebrew media on Wednesday include claims that captors pressed one hostage to convert to Islam in exchange for food and that others were confined in tunnels for nearly the entire two years since their abduction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tami Braslavski, mother of freed hostage Rom Braslavski, said her son was held alone by Palestinian Islamic Jihad and was taken down to the tunnels only two days before his release. His captors demanded that he convert to Islam. He refused. He went through abuse, and I dont want to elaborate further, she told Channel 13 News. She added: Nothing really makes me feel good, except one thing he stands by the window and looks at the sky. In a separate report, Israel Hayom quoted Braslavskis mother saying that Rom was held alone for two years, and for part of the time he was held with the bodies of other hostages beside him. She said he reported the location of those bodies to Israeli authorities upon his return. Former hostage Rom Braslavski, with his family, in a helicopter on their way to the hospital. October 14, 2025. (credit: GPO) She described psychological abuse that included being told that Iran bombed Israel, being shown selective footage to convince him his parents had given up on him, and repeated efforts to induce him to fast during Ramadan or read the Quran in return for food and better conditions. As soon as he came back, he kept saying, I am Jewish I am strong, and he put on tefillin, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ynet published further details from Braslavskis mother, who said his torment intensified in recent months and recounted an episode in which, amid severe hunger, he freed himself from his shackles and tried to cook pasta by lighting a makeshift fire, prompting local residents to bang on windows as smoke billowed out. He feared he would be lynched, she said. She added that since returning, he asks for sky, sun, and air rather than gifts or devices. Accounts from other released hostages, aired by Channel 13 on Tuesday night, describe years spent underground, constant restraint, and extreme weight loss. Elkana Bohbot said he was in tunnels throughout the entire captivity and knew of the public campaign his mother led for his release. Alon Ohel said he was left alone in a tunnel after the previous deal until Guy Gilboa-Dalal was placed with him. Ohel learned he would be freed only a day before it happened and now suffers from shrapnel injuries and impaired vision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement IDF soldiers Matan Angrest and Nimrod Cohen, both wounded during their kidnapping, endured severe physical abuse, according to the report. Cohen said that early in captivity, he was kept with the Horn brothers, Sagui Dekel-Chen, and David Cunio, and that guards even allowed them to watch Olympic broadcasts at times. He recalled being told, falsely, that his father had attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while in the United States. Hostages 'constantly shackled,' left in tunnels without light Channel 13 added that many returnees were constantly shackled, most were kept in tunnels without daylight, several went barefoot for extended periods and struggled to readjust to shoes, and significant weight loss was evident, including in Eitan Horn and Maxim Herkin. The report said Hamas interrogated the captives harshly, especially soldiers, and used snippets of Israeli media to inflict psychological harm. Its been a long time since I saw the sky, one hostage told officers after returning. Braslavskis mother stressed that her familys ordeal underscored the urgency of bringing the remaining hostages and the bodies of those who were killed back to Israel. Its not over, she told Channel 13. We still have hostages whose bodies must be returned. Monday brought tears of joy and of pain in Israel and Gaza, as all of the living Israeli hostages and four of those who died in captivity were handed over by Hamas in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners held by Israel. But as the ceasefire brokered by President Trump held on Tuesday, there were a number of unresolved issues testing his plan to turn it into a sustainable peace. Thousands of desperate Gazans were still waiting for vital humanitarian supplies, and the families of 24 deceased Israeli hostages were still anxiously awaiting the return of their loved ones' remains. Leaders around the world welcomed Monday's developments as the first step in the U.S. brokered plan. Mr. Trump has said the deal can end not only the two-year war in Gaza, but bring lasting peace to the region after eight decades of conflict and violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But there is an enormous amount of work to do, not only in building trust across the Middle East, but to rebuild the coastal Gaza Strip to make it inhabitable for its roughly 2 million Palestinian residents. Calls to open Gaza's borders for aid to flood in Mr. Trump's 20-point peace plan said "full aid" would "be immediately sent" into Gaza as part of the first phase of the deal, but multiple organizations say the flow of aid materials has not ramped up nearly fast enough. The International Red Cross added its voice Tuesday to the growing chorus of organizations calling for all border crossings into the enclave to be opened immediately to allow in more aid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Not all entry points are open to get humanitarian aid inside Gaza. And that's the main issue right now. And that's what humanitarians, including the ICRC, have been calling for in the last hours, is making sure that because of the huge needs, all entry points can be open," Red Cross spokesman Christian Cardon told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday. Bulldozers deployed by the Gaza Municipality drive past displaced people on their way to clear building rubble from main roads in Gaza City, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Oct. 14, 2025. / Credit: AFP via Getty Dr. Yahya al-Sarraj, the Mayor of Gaza City, the territory's biggest population center, told CBS News' team in Gaza on Tuesday that the shattered metropolis desperately needs building materials, as well as humanitarian relief and even tents to provide temporary accommodation. "Everything is needed here," Al-Sarraj, who has recently described himself as politically independent and never as a member of Hamas, told CBS News. "We need heavy machinery. We need building materials, especially cement and all kinds of food for the people to help them counter the starvation that happened during the past two years." "There is also a special need to provide tents immediately to allow people to have some place to shelter," the mayor added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said Monday that an additional $11 million was being allocated by the U.N. for humanitarian relief in Gaza, "bringing the total to $20 million, to deliver food, water, shelter and health services, and keep essential infrastructure running." Israeli security officials told CBS News on Sunday that about 600 humanitarian aid trucks operated by U.N. agencies would be allowed to enter Gaza daily under the ceasefire, though it remains unclear whether the traffic has reached that level since the fighting stopped on Friday. Delivering aid to the famine-stricken Gaza Strip will be challenging, given the widespread devastation in the densely populated region, Hani Almadhoun, senior director of philanthropy for a charity that supports the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, told "CBS Mornings" on Tuesday. "One of the challenges is the roads are broken. There's ditches. It's hard to drive trucks on those roads," said Almadhoun, who also founded the Gaza Soup Kitchen charity. "I think in the next few days, things will get better. I hope everyone keeps their end of the deal so the Palestinians can catch a break." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Remains of deceased hostages yet to be returned The peace plan called for Hamas to return all hostages, 28 dead and 20 living, but on Monday, Hamas handed over the remains of only four deceased Israeli captives. The return of the outstanding remains has become a serious sticking point, which could both endanger the ceasefire and progress toward implementing the next phases of Mr. Trump's peace plan. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents Israeli hostage families, voiced anger that all of the bodies had not been returned on Monday and called for the suspension of the Israel-Hamas peace agreement "until every deceased individual is returned." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an open letter to White House Middle East senior envoy Steve Witkoff on Tuesday, the forum called on the U.S. to leave "no stone unturned in demanding that Hamas fulfil their end of the agreement and bring all of the remaining hostages home." Israeli soldiers salute as vehicles transporting the bodies of four hostages handed over under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas arrive at the National Center for Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 13, 2025. / Credit: JALAA MAREY/AFP/Getty Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday that Hamas' return of only four bodies, "constitutes a violation of the agreement," in a social media post, adding that "any delay or deliberate avoidance will be considered a gross violation of the agreement and will be responded to accordingly." During the negotiations that led to the ceasefire, Hamas representatives said they did not know the location of all the remains of deceased hostages, according to Israeli media reports. Speaking Monday in Egypt, President Trump also said not all of the bodies of the deceased hostages had been found, adding that unidentified parties were still "working out" how to locate an unspecified number of remains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement confirming the return of the four sets of remains on Monday, the Israel Defense Forces said it and other Israeli agencies would "continue to make every effort to return all the hostages, and are preparing for the continued implementation of the agreement." "Hamas is required to fulfill its part of the agreement and make the necessary efforts to return all the hostages to their families and to proper burial," the IDF statement added. Gal Hirsch, the Hostage and Missing Persons Coordinator for the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, told CBS News last week that an international team would be established to locate missing hostages in Gaza, but details as to who will form that team and when it might begin its work remained unconfirmed on Tuesday. Inside Charlie Kirk's Medal of Freedom event Tennessee governor calls Memphis Safe Task Force's efforts "encouraging" Famed movie poster artist Drew Struzan dies at 78 Democrat Katie Porter, the current frontrunner in Californias wide-open race for governor, is refusing to rule out the possibility that more videos of her losing her temper could surface. Porter, 51, sat down with Inside California Politics host Nikki Laurenzo on Tuesday and expressed regret over two caught-on-video moments that have suddenly crippled her candidacy. In the first, the former Orange County congresswoman threatened to walk out of an interview last week when pressed on her statement that she didnt need to court Trump voters to win the 2026 election. Within a day, a second video emerged of her shouting get out of my f***ing shot! at a staffer who appeared in the background of a 2021 Zoom call. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When asked on Tuesday if voters could potentially see more damaging videos, Porter refused to rule out the possibility. What I know is that I could have done better in those moments, she told Laurenzo. Im going to be focused on earning their votes and earning their trust. Katie Porters contentious interview goes viral She was given another opportunity to directly answer the question and pivoted again. Nikki, I Im going to be honest with you, I know that (Zoom) video was several years ago, as you know, and I apologized to the staffer. Thats super important to me and will continue to try to hold myself to do better. Thats what I can promise, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An Emerson College poll commissioned by Inside California Politics in September found Porter leading the governors race with 16 percent, followed by Republican political commentator Steve Hilton at 10 percent, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at 8 percent, and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra with 5%. No polling has been released since the controversial videos emerged. 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 KTLA. (Texas Scorecard) State Rep. Gina Hinojosa has announced she is running for governor, entering the race as the highest-profile Democrat challenger to Gov. Greg Abbott. Hinojosa, who has represented Austin in the Texas House since 2017, launched her campaign on Tuesday, pledging to fight for families across the state who are left out by a political system that favors insiders and wealthy donors. I never wanted to be a politicianI was just an angry mom, Hinojosa said in her announcement. But Ive seen firsthand how Governor Abbotts rich donors run Texas at the expense of our schools, our communities, and working families. Im running to put Texas families first, fight for our kids, and hold the powerful accountable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She joins Andrew White, son of former Gov. Mark White, in seeking the Democrat nomination. Hinojosas campaign said she enters the race with more than 100 endorsements, including seven members of Congress, several state senators, and dozens of local officials, mostly from Austin and the Rio Grande Valley. Her campaign platform highlights priorities such as lowering costs for families, opposing school choice, expanding access to healthcare, and reining in corporate influence in politics. A former Austin ISD school board trustee, Hinojosa has been one of the Legislatures most liberal membersvocal in her opposition to school choice legislation and bills aimed at protecting children from sexually explicit materials in school libraries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She would be the first governor in modern Texas history from the Rio Grande Valley. Gov. Abbotts campaign quickly responded to the announcement, describing Hinojosa as a radical and out of step with Texans. Gina Hinojosa has proven that she is out of step with Texans, said Abbott campaign manager Kim Snyder. She sides with the defund-the-police movement, supports men competing in womens sports, backs harmful child modification procedures, embraces reckless open border policies, and opposes critical bail reform that keeps dangerous criminals behind bars. Time and again, Gina Hinojosa chooses woke, extreme ideologies over the safety and security of Texas families. Texans deserve a governor who will continue to secure the border, fight for safer communities, and uphold family valuesnot someone who supports failed, radical policies that hurt hardworking Texans, Snyder added. Abbott announced earlier this year he will seek an unprecedented fourth term. Since the federal government isn't currently paying its bills during the shutdown, Senate Democrats think federal workers shouldn't have to either. Sen. Brian Schatz (DHawaii) and 17 of his Democratic Senate colleagues have introduced a bill that would relieve federal workers and contractors from their obligations to pay rent, mortgages, insurance premiums, and student loan payments during shutdowns. The bill would also stay eviction and foreclosure proceedings for 30 days after a shutdown ends. Anyone who tries to carry out an eviction or foreclosure of a federal worker or contractor during that time would be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to fines or even jail time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Right now, hundreds of thousands of federal workers, federal contractor employees, and their families don't know whether they'll be able to pay rent and make ends meet. Our bill will protect these workers and make sure they aren't harmed during this shutdown," said Schatz. To be sure, this bill is mostly signaling. Politically, Republicans are not going to advance legislation that would reduce pressure on Democrats to vote to reopen the government. Practically, the protections it would offer federal workers are unnecessary, at least in the housing context. It would be odd, and indeed irrational, for a landlord to evict an otherwise good tenant if they miss a full rent payment during a government shutdown that will, in all likelihood, end in a few weeks. That's particularly true given that government workers are guaranteed back pay once a shutdown ends. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pursuing an eviction in that context would require a landlord to kick out a tenant who's going to start paying their bills again soon, and instead incur the costs of the eviction itself, turning over the unit, and finding a new tenant. Clearly, the reasonable thing to do would be for landlords and their current tenants to work out a deal in such circumstances. We have plenty of evidence that that's what happens even during even more severe economic shocks. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent shutdowns put a lot of people out of work. Contrary to the predictions of activists, this did not produce a mass wave of evictionseither before or after eviction moratoriums were put in place, and even when promised federal rental assistance was hard to access. By and large, tenants paid their bills with what funds they had, and landlords worked out deals about how to cover any shortfall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the pandemic receded, evictions did tick up over time. But that increase was largely the result of persistently delinquent tenants accumulating months, if not years, of rent debt and an improving economy making it more likely that a replacement tenant would be employed and pay on time. The one way in which the shutdown might be different is that federal workers are a small segment of the overall market. Landlords might be more willing to evict a government worker when everyone else is still getting paid. Nevertheless, the costs of doing so compared to the anticipated length of the shutdown still would seem not to make that a worthwhile thing to do. And while the Democrats' bill is mostly signaling, it certainly doesn't signal anything good. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It shows that the eviction moratorium mentality learned during the pandemic is still alive and well. Any short-term disruption in the economy now justifies violating federalism and suspending the normal landlord-tenant relationship. That's unfair to rental property owners. It's also not good for tenants broadly. As it turns out, there are consequences to turning property rights off and on again. A recent study published in the Journal of Urban Economics compared the strength of tenant protections to rents. They found that stronger tenant protections reduced evictions but also reduced vacancies and were correlated with higher rents and higher rates of homelessness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reason is pretty straightforward. Longer eviction processes add time and expense to removing delinquent tenants. Landlords compensate by pricing that increased risk into their asking rents and being choosier about who they decide to rent to. Eviction moratoriums also create risks for taxpayers. Federal courts have ruled that eviction moratoriums are a taking for which the government owes affected property owners compensation. Pending in the Federal Claims Court is the case of Darby Development Company, Inc. v. United States, in which landlords affected by the federal COVID-19 eviction moratorium are seeking $20 billion in compensation. Should the Democrats' shutdown eviction moratorium pass, taxpayers could end up having to pick up the tab for any lost rental income that results from that bill. That'll be one extra line item to add to any spending bill that would reopen the government. The post Democrats' Bill Would Let Federal Workers Skip Paying Rent During Government Shutdowns appeared first on Reason.com. Democratic senators are alleging that the Department of Homeland Security potentially violated the Hatch Act by asking airports across the country to play a video featuring DHS Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for the impacts of the government shutdown. "This appears to be a flagrant violation of Sec. 715, which states 'No part of any funds appropriated in this or any other act shall be used by an agency of the executive to branch for the preparation, distribution or use of any film presentation designed to support or defeat legislation pending before the Congress, except in presentation to the Congress itself,'" Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal wrote in the letter to DHS citing a section from the Anti-Lobbying Act. The Hatch Act restricts certain political activities by federal employees and by some state, Washington, D.C., and local government workers who are involved or work in federally funded programs. Penalties for violating it include removal from federal employment, suspension without pay, demotion, or blocking a party from federal jobs for up to five years, according to the Office of Special Counsel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Major airports refuse to show DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's video blaming Democrats for the government shutdown "The law's purposes are to ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion, to protect federal employees from political coercion in the workplace, and to ensure that federal employees are advanced based on merit and not based on political affiliation," according to the U.S. Office of Special Counsels website . Department of Homeland Security - PHOTO: Democratic senators want an investigation into whether the Department of Homeland Security violated federal law by sending a video to airports of Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for the government shutdown. In response to ABC News' request for comment on the call for an investigation, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said "DHS responds to official correspondence through official channels." "It is TSA's top priority to ensure that travelers have the most pleasant, efficient, and safe air travel security experience possible. It is a simple statement of fact that Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, most of our TSA employees are working without pay. Its unfortunate our workforce has been put in this position due to political gamesmanship. Our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter followed a number of airports nationwide declining to play the video, saying their facilities' policies bar the showing of political content. Some of them also pointed to the Hatch Act. Among the major airports that declined to show the DHS video are LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, John F. Kennedy, Charlotte Douglas International, Seattle-Tacoma, San Francisco, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, Chicago O' Hare, Phoenix International and Colorado Springs. As of Wednesday afternoon, officials at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Michigan and Bismarck Airport in North Dakota said the video was being shown on screens controlled by TSA at the airports and out of their control. Both airports said they were not involved in the decision to play the video. A spokesperson for Detroit Wayne Airport said it has requested that TSA stop playing the video. The letter to DHS led by Blumenthal and Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed was cosigned by 15 other senators and asks the department to "immediately remove these videos from all TSA checkpoints and cease illegally using federal funds for partisan political messaging." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The senators also asked DHS to provide information on the funding used to produce the video, including the cost, the approver of the funds, whether anyone from the Trump administration was consulted on the video, and if any outside contractors or organizations were involved in its creation to assess whether any federal laws were violated or funds misused, according to the letter. Andrew Caballero-reynolds/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: TSA agents check passenger identity documents at a security checkpoint security at Reagan National Airport on the first day of the US government shut down in Arlington, Virginia, on October 1, 2025. A similar letter was sent by Washington Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell, ranking member on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, to the Office of Special Counsel demanding an investigation into the video, adding that the OSC is responsible for enforcing the Hatch Act. "When viewed in its totality, Secretary Noem's video can only be reasonably interpreted as a partisan message intended to misleadingly malign the Trump Administration's political opponents, convince Americans to blame 'Democrats in Congress' for the ongoing government shutdown, and influence their future votes -- all while omitting the fact that Republicans currently control the White House, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives," Cantwell wrote in the letter. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) A Denham Springs man was arrested after allegedly driving under the influence, causing a crash. According to the East Baton Rouge Sheriffs Office, deputies were called to the scene of a crash at the intersection of ONeal Lane and Riverdale Avenue on Oct. 10. Deputies learned that Allan Funez, 40, was driving north on ONeal Lane before he crossed the center line, crashing head-on with a vehicle in the turning lane. The driver was taken to the hospital for treatment. When in contact with Funez, deputies reported he smelled like alcohol, his speech was slurred, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was unable to walk unassisted. Inside the car, deputies found an open 12 oz. bottle of Corona. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Funez stated he only drank one beer and declined to take the field sobriety test. Deputies later discovered Funez did not have a state-issued drivers license. He was taken to the central substation for chemical testing, where his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was .057%. It was noted that this reading is an hour and a half after contact. Funez was arrested and booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on charges of operating while intoxicated, negligent injuring, no drivers license, and opened container. He has a $5,000 bond, according to jail records. Latest News 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 Louisiana First News. The Danish government has provided US$171 million of financial aid for Ukraine. The funds will go towards support for the fleet, tank repairs and training of Ukrainian soldiers. Source: European Pravda, citing the Danish Ministry of Defence Details: The department has stated that Ukraine's military requires constant training and education. That is why over one-third of the allocated funds, 400 million krone (about US$62 million), will go toward training and education equipment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The maritime area and tank maintenance are also the focus of the initiatives in this package. The funds will also cover the free supply of fuel and rehabilitation support provided under NATO auspices. According to Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, it is crucial that Denmark continues to support Ukraine's defense efforts by providing military assistance at all levels. As part of the 27th aid package, Denmark is allocating 1.1 billion krone (about US$171 billion) for initiatives aimed at strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities from marine equipment to educational and training programmes for Ukrainian soldiers. The strength of Ukraine's combat capability is boosted by the collective efforts of these initiatives. The total value of donations in Denmark's 27th aid package is almost 2.7 billion krone (about US$420 million) for the years 2025-2028. An additional 1.6 billion krone (about US$249 million) will be directed toward drones, ammunition, and missiles purchased through Ukraine's defence industry. This package was presented on 26 September 2025. Background: Denmark announced their previous 26th military aid package, valued at about krone 4.2 billion (US$654 million), in May. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Management's goal is to expand its fleet size to 2,000 by the end of 2025 and hit an annualized revenue run rate of $60 million to $80 million following full deployment in 2026. The rapid pace of expansion is expected to position Serve as the first national autonomous last-mile delivery network operating in the urban U.S. As its fleet size grows, the company will start benefiting from stronger economies of scale. According to forecasts from Grand View Research, the global last-mile delivery market will grow from $132.7 billion in 2022 to $258.7 billion in 2030. Serve Robotics is well positioned to capitalize on this expanding opportunity. It deployed 120 new third-generation robots ahead of schedule and had a total fleet of over 400 robots operating in the second quarter. Latimore has maintained both the rating and target price since then, which implies roughly 40% upside from its Tuesday closing price of $16.45. But is that really a plausible target for Serve Robotics to hit within the next year? Serve stock currently trades well below its early 2024 highs. However, in January, Northland Capital Markets analyst Michael Latimore maintained his buy rating on it and raised his target price from $16 to $23. Serve Robotics has deployed 1,000 delivery robots across five cities: Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, Chicago, and Atlanta. These robots have already completed over 100,000 deliveries for more than 2,500 restaurants in a partnership with Uber Eats. The company has also entered into a deal with DoorDash to expand its autonomous delivery operations , starting with Los Angeles, and soon to be followed by other U.S. cities. Backed by large investors, including Nvidia and Uber, Serve's business is gaining traction since companies are increasingly adopting automation to improve productivity and efficiency. Serve Robotics (NASDAQ: SERV) is not a household name yet, but it is definitely rising to prominence in the fast-growing urban logistics space. The company, formerly Uber Technologies' (NYSE: UBER) robotics division, was spun off from its parent in 2021; it designs, develops, and operates low-emissions robots that use artificial intelligence (AI) to operate autonomously, traveling on sidewalks to handle food and last-mile commercial deliveries. Although its valuation is extremely rich, Serve's share price may keep rising in the coming years. The company has been gradually improving its operational and financial metrics. Serve Robotics is rapidly expanding its fleet size and commercial ecosystem to benefit from the rising opportunities in last-mile delivery. Story Continues A larger fleet will also collect more proprietary data, which the company can use to train its AI and autonomy models, and help the robots navigate cities even more efficiently. It also helps lower robot intervention rates (events requiring human assistance, such as changing tires) by providing a larger and more diverse data pool, which helps robots make smarter decisions and prevents the overuse of any single robot. This network effect further improves unit economics and the addressable market for the robotic systems. A broadening ecosystem Serve is also focusing on expanding its commercial ecosystem beyond its primary commercial partner, Uber Eats. The company has over 2,500 individual restaurants and stores integrated into its delivery network, nearly eight times more than it had a year ago. It has announced a pilot program with DoorDash and has started a national delivery partnership with Little Caesars. Its deal with Shake Shack started with a pilot program in Los Angeles and has now expanded to Miami and Atlanta. Serve is also focusing on high-growth international markets. The company has successfully demonstrated its business model in Qatar with Msheireb Properties and is in negotiations with several potential enterprise clients. All these sales channels are expected to improve order density and robot utilization, which will eventually boost the company's margins. This will also help it reduce its overreliance on Uber Eats. Operational strength Serve has successfully scaled up its business without sacrificing reliability or safety. In the second quarter, delivery volumes rose 78% sequentially, yet the company maintained a 99.8% delivery success rate. Average daily operating hours per robot increased by 20% sequentially to 10.8, while robot intervention rates fell by 25%. Hence, the company stands to benefit from cost advantages in the future. Financial performance Serve also saw revenue jump 37% year over year in Q2 to $641,000, driven mainly by a growing fleet and improving utilization. The company had $183 million in cash on its balance sheet at the end of the quarter. This month, it also announced the sale of 6.25 million shares for a total of $100 million to institutional investors. The funds it brought in from that secondary stock sale will give the company sufficient flexibility to self-fund its operations through 2026, including the planned expansion of its fleet to 2,000 robots. Serve is not yet profitable, but that's not unusual for a growth company in expansion mode. Valuation Serve's share price has risen by almost 90% in the past year. While the price fell after the stock sale announcement in October, it has already begun to spring back. The stock is currently trading at over 430 times sales, which is extremely expensive. However, such elevated valuations are often seen with high-potential companies in the early stages of growth. Analysts expect revenue to soar 102.1% year over year to $3.7 million in 2025, then by 858% to $35.1 million in 2026, and 103.4% to $71.4 million in 2027. The top line may not be big in absolute terms, but the projected growth is robust. It is indisputable that Serve is a high-risk investment, considering the heightened risks in execution and capital sufficiency. Despite this, it could maintain an elevated valuation for an extended period as investors price it based on its long-term potential rather than any near-term metrics. The stock may or may not reach Latimore's $23 per share target price in the next 12 months -- though it definitely has several catalysts working in its favor. Overall, this is a suitable stock only for investors who have a higher-than-average risk appetite, and who can handle some short-term volatility in exchange for the possibility of significant returns over the long run. Should you invest $1,000 in Serve Robotics right now? Before you buy stock in Serve Robotics, 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 Serve Robotics 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 $655,428!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $1,103,559!* Now, its worth noting Stock Advisors total average return is 1,060% a market-crushing outperformance compared to 189% 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 13, 2025 Manali Pradhan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends DoorDash, Nvidia, Serve Robotics, and Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 1 AI and Robotics Stock to Buy Before It Soars by 40% to $23 a Share, According to a Wall Street Expert was originally published by The Motley Fool Denmark has extended border controls along its border with Germany for a further six months, the Danish Justice Ministry announced in Copenhagen on Wednesday. First imposed as a temporary measure at the beginning of 2016, the measure allows spot checks on the passports of people crossing the border, whether by road or rail. Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard referred to a "serious security situation" in justifying the extension. Danish police needed it in their fight against terrorism and cross-border crime, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Danish border authorities have recently acquired a drone to assist police in their work. Initially imposed during the refugee crisis in 2015-16, the measure has been repeatedly renewed with various justifications. Since April 2023, the focus has been on combating crime, with police deployed in the hinterland and not just at the border. The Justice Ministry said this had had a positive effect on combating cross-border crime. Denmark and Germany are both members of the Schengen Area that theoretically opens borders and allows free travel. Rising concerns on irregular migration have led many member countries to increase border checks. (NewsNation) A Denver meteorologist says the citys district attorney is placing her life in jeopardy by not placing her stalker behind bars. NewsNation affiliate KDVR meteorologist Kylie Bearse joined Banfield on Tuesday to discuss her traumatic experiences over the past three years, as a 69-year-old man keeps stalking her, notwithstanding multiple restraining orders. I did everything right, assuming that the system was in place and the laws there to protect me and to put this man in jail for a period of time, and so it was really disappointing and disheartening when it just doesnt work, and Im left feeling unsafe, Bearse told NewsNation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is wearing an ankle monitor, so he is not allowed to come within a certain distance of where I am, and, of course, my work and whatnot, she said of the man. But even then, you get a heads up of a couple of minutes, the police cant get there in time. If this person wanted to be violent, they could do so within that period of time. American who was on death row in China details horrifying experiences In 2023, Bearse got a temporary restraining order, but the man broke the restraining order more than 50 times in two months. In January of 2024 ,she got a permanent restraining order, and for 18 months, things went quiet, until Sept. 11, when the stalker followed Bearse home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Bearse, Senior Chief Deputy District Attorney Matthew Wenig in the Denver DAs office told her that he did not charge the man with felony stalking after violating a protection order by trapping Bearse in her garage, instead using a judgment call to bring it down to a misdemeanor. Wenig allegedly added that the 18-month gap between violations contributed to it being a misdemeanor. And I said, Well, your judgment call is putting my life in danger,' Bearse told NewsNation of her conversation with Wenig. The man was issued a $1,500 fine and had no restrictions placed on his comings and goings. NewsNation has reached out to the Denver District Attorneys Office and has not yet received a response. Bearse is not taking any other legal recourse but wants to speak out in the hopes that things will improve in the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im just hoping that, you know, this doesnt happen to other women going forward, she said. This is why I wanted to share my story. I want them to be harder on stalking so that it doesnt happen to other people. 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. NEED TO KNOW Kylie Bearse, a meteorologist at FOX31 Denver, says she has been stalked by an obsessed fan for years Bearse had previously filed a restraining order against the 69-year-old man, which he was charged with violating in September 2025 Bearse says she is speaking out because she doesn't want other people to go through the same experience At first, the messages on her social media didn't seem to be alarming but now, Kylie Bearse says things have changed and she's speaking out because it's a "matter of safety." Bearse, who is a meteorologist at FOX31 Denver, tells PEOPLE she began receiving messages from a 69-year-old man in 2022, which quickly began to escalate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There's commenting on something and then there's hundreds of comments at a time" she says. "I know that being on the local news, you want people to feel welcome and like you're a part of their morning routine. It's just sometimes it goes a little bit too far." In one of the messages, Bearse, 36, alleges the man informed her that a microphone cord was showing during one of her broadcasts. "I love you, my beautiful wife," he allegedly wrote, adding that "oh, my beautiful wife, you fixed it" after the cord was fixed by her production team. Over the course of a few years, the man sent her hundreds of similar messages on social media including Instagram and TikTok as well as dozens of emails. She says he also reached out to her family and friends. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He was reaching out to my sister-in-law about potentially buying a painting that she had made, she tells PEOPLE. I remember one time my friend posted a trip, she was in Thailand, and he said, I can't wait to take Kylie there one day. So, just bizarre. Very odd. When Bearse was traveling herself, the man would allegedly comment on every post, saying "can't wait to go there with you." She says the comments were never threatening, "just obsessive." Over that time, she says, she blocked him multiple times, but he would reach out again on new social media accounts. He also showed up at charity events, including a hike she was leading for the Breckenridge Food and Wine Festival in August 2023. It was there that the man approached her as she walked off the trail. Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post/Getty Kylie Bearse Kylie Bearse Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. He had this shoebox for me and said, I have hiking shoes for you,'" she says, adding that she told him she appreciates the gesture but can't accept the gift or talk to him. Bearse says the man became visibly upset and began to cry, at one point claiming that he thought they were in a relationship for the last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He believed I was his wife," says Bearse. "It just made me sick to my stomach when I realized that this had gone far beyond 'I like your stuff on Instagram.'" An event organizer stepped in that day and deescalated the situation, escorting the man out but he allegedly kept trying to come back. The next month, in September 2023, Bearse was able to secure a temporary restraining order against the man which, she says, he violated 53 times. A permanent restraining order was granted in January 2024. Then 18 months later, on Sept. 11, 2025, Bearse was driving home from work around 11 a.m. when she pulled up to her home and noticed an unfamiliar truck parked out front. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As soon as I realized who it was, my stomach just dropped, she says. Bearse says she quickly closed her garage door and ran inside her home before the man walked to the front door and started ringing her doorbell. At that point, she grabbed her dog and ran outside the back door calling 911. The man was allegedly sitting in his truck when police arrived and took him into custody. I felt very safe, she says after his arrest, suspecting that he would be charged with felony stalking. However, that didnt happen. The Denver District Attorneys Office charged him with violating a protection order a misdemeanor, according to the Denver Post. After spending a few days in jail, he was released on a $1,500 personal recognizance bond, according to court records obtained by the Post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Frustrated, Bearse says she reached out to the district attorneys office and was told that there had been too big of a time gap" between when he had last stalked her and the recent event. She says she pressed the prosecutor on how long the man would have to wait to stalk her again for it to be "wiped clean" and "not count." "He could not give me an answer," says Bearse. "I go, 'is it a year and a half? Is it a year?' And finally, he just goes, 'it's a judgment call.'" Bearse, who has been a meteorologist for 15 years and previously worked in Idaho, Utah and Minnesota, says she is livid at the situation. I've done everything right by the system. I filed the restraining order, I called the police when I was supposed to, and I feel like the system is letting me down even though I followed all the rules. It makes me sad, not just for myself and my safety but knowing how many other women are going through this or have gone through this and will if they don't change anything. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bearse says she has chosen to share her story because she doesn't want other people to go through the same experience. I hope that people start taking stalking seriously, she says. I think that you don't understand it until you've been through it. And I think it's very easy for law enforcement to dismiss it as obsessive behavior and just ignore it. It isn't a big deal. You're being dramatic, but it's your safety at risk. You lose that sense of safety that you don't realize you had until it's gone. In a statement shared with PEOPLE, a spokesperson for the Denver District Attorneys Office says they dont comment on open cases," but confirmed that the man is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 12. Read the original article on People The European Union's civilian mission to monitor a major border crossing between Gaza and Egypt is on "standby" after reports that the reopening of the Rafah crossing point could be delayed. The mission "remains on standby to deploy to the Rafah crossing point in support of the Gaza peace plan as soon as conditions allow," a spokesman for EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday. The spokesman did not specify the conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kallas had initially announced that the mission would resume its work on Wednesday. The spokesman reiterated the EU's call for "all parties to fully implement the agreement without further delay," including the reopening of crossing points and access to humanitarian assistance. Resuming the mission would allow certain Palestinian civilians to leave Gaza, particularly those requiring medial care, the spokesman said. The EU Border Assistance Mission in Rafah (EUBAM Rafah) was set up in 2005 to help monitor the border crossing in Rafah in the south of Gaza. However, after the Islamist Hamas group took power in the Gaza Strip in 2007, there were no EU personnel at the border crossing for a long stretch because the EU did not want to cooperate with Hamas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A resumption of the operation at the beginning of this year had to be stopped again after a short time because the underlying agreement between Hamas and Israel to end the Gaza war did not hold. The EU border guards deployed at the time came from Italy, Spain and France. The German government has been laying the groundwork for possible German participation in a future mission. According to Israeli reports, the Rafah crossing could stay closed until all of the deceased hostages held by Hamas are handed over. MCDOWELL COUNTY, N.C. (WSPA) Two people were charged in connection to stealing equipment belonging to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). According to the McDowell County Sheriffs Office, the theft occurred between Sept. 22 Sept. 24. NCDOT workers told deputies that chainsaws, leaf blowers and a Makita hammer drill were taken. Surveillance footage helped investigators identify one suspect as 38-year-old Bynum Lee Little Jr. of Nebo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was charged with two counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle and felony larceny, two counts felony breaking and entering into a motor vehicle and three counts of felony larceny. Little was given a secured bond of $50,000. Officials said that additional charges for Little are pending at this time. Another suspect allegedly involved in the thefts, 41-year-old Brittany Dawn Owensby, was arrested and charged with felony accessory after the fact. Deputies said she was denied bond due to already being out on pretrial release. 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 WSPA 7NEWS. UPDATE 9:30 p.m.: JSO says Shaylin and her children have been located safely. The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office is asking for help finding a missing mother and her two children, who were last seen in the Downtown Jacksonville area. JSO says 33-year-old Shaylin Hill and her kids, 6-year-old Destiny and 5-year-old Antonio, have not been seen since earlier this week. Deputies say Shaylin was last seen wearing a black shirt with pink antlers, a camo jacket, black pants, and pink shoes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Destiny is 4 feet tall and Antonio is 33. Police say all three have brown eyes and black hair. JSO asks anyone who sees Shaylin or the children to call JSO immediately at 904-630-0500. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. DES MOINES, Iowa A Des Moines man was charged on Tuesday for allegedly shooting up a vehicle that was occupied by two people on Monday. At around 12:30 p.m. Monday the Des Moines Police Department responded to a report of a shooting near the intersection of 6th Ave. and Forest Ave. in the Riverbend Neighborhood. According to the DMPD, a vehicle was discovered with multiple bullet holes and shell casings were recovered at the scene. DMPS formally requests reaudit from State Auditors Office Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shortly after the shooting, the DMPD said an individual called in and reported being the target of the shooting. On Tuesday, the DMPD said that two people were inside the vehicle when the alleged suspect, identified as 34-year-old Wayne Robert Manuel, fired a .40 caliber handgun at them multiple times. Along with the vehicle, the DMPD reported that one bullet also struck and entered a home in the 1400 block of 7th Street. No injuries were reported. Manuel was arrested early Tuesday afternoon and was charged with two counts of Intimidation With A Dangerous Weapon With Intent To Injure Or Provoke Fear and one count of Felon In Possession Of A Firearm. Metro news 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 who13.com. King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand inherited a fortune following his father's death in 2016, and the true extent of that fortune has finally been exposed. The fortune is estimated to be equivalent to approximately $43 billion, making him one of, if not the, richest monarch in the world. Vajiralongkorn was born in 1952 as the only child of then-King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit. He became a trained pilot of jets and helicopters after graduating from a military academy, a likely influence on one of the most significant assets of his wealth: planes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The monarch boasts an extensive portfolio of luxurious assets that would make even some of the world's most prominent billionaires blush, including over 17,000 acres of land in Bangkok, which significantly boosts his net worth through real estate holdings. This makes the Thai monarchy the largest landowner in the entire city, an issue that has led to protests. Keeping public land in the hands of the wealthy allows them to do as they please with it, which could be against the will of those who live there or at the expense of the local environment, making this an issue in its own right. To make matters worse, however, Vajiralongkorn's aforementioned affection for planes extends to a fleet of over 38 private jets for personal and commercial travel. If that wasn't enough, he also has 52 golden boats for maritime travel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Waste doesn't even begin to capture the full scope of this luxury. Studies have already found that wealthy lifestyles like this carry most of the blame for many of the world's ongoing environmental issues, directly linked to the tons of planet-warming gases that are produced by assets like private jets and luxury cruise liners. Scientists are also experimenting with new and innovative alternatives for jet fuel and sustainable options that can reduce emissions, but the core issue at play with private jets is the wasteful mindset that justifies flying an entire plane just to accommodate a single person or small group. While flying on mainstream airlines contributes to planet-warming emissions as well, citizens can help by choosing direct flights or supporting airlines that have eco-friendly practices. More broadly, following and supporting climate-friendly policies makes a significant impact in protecting the environment. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Detroit Metropolitan Airport is showing a politicized message from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on monitors in their facilities that many say violates the Hatch Act but the Wayne County Airport Authority says it was not involved in the decision. "The Department of Homeland Security did not contact the Wayne County Airport Authority. Currently, the video is being played on monitors in TSA-leased spaces at DTW. The TSA operates its own display monitors in the passenger screening checkpoints. These are not controlled by WCAA," the airport said via email. Detroit Metro joins Sawyer Regional Airport near Marquette in showing the video, in which Noem blames Democrats for the federal government shutdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lansing's Capital Region International Airport, Traverse City's Cherry Capital Airport, Saginaw's MBS International Airport and Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport all said they are not airing the video featuring Noem. Other major Michigan airports, including Flint Bishop International Airport and Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Airports in numerous U.S. cities, including Charlotte, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle, Indianapolis, Des Moines and Chicago, have declined to play the video. Here's a look at what Michigan's major airports are saying. What video is causing controversy? The video, which began playing at airports last week, features Noem warning travelers of impacts to Transportation Security Administration operations because "Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government." Is Capital Region International Airport showing the Noem video? No, Capital Region airport is not showing the video. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The Capital Region International Airport (LAN) is not displaying any videos from the Federal government. LANs policy for digital content does not permit the referenced video or any other content that could be viewed as political or partisan. More: Everyday Michiganders not feeling pain of federal shutdown yet "This applies to all displays controlled by the airport. The digital screens owned by LAN are designated for static content that supports wayfinding, provides essential travel information and promotes LANs revenue-generating services. "Our focus remains on providing a safe, efficient and welcoming experience for all travelers," the airport said in a statement. Is Cherry Capital Airport playing the Noem video? No, the airport is not showing the video. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The television screens at the TSA checkpoint are owned and operated by the Department of Homeland Security. For questions or concerns regarding the video content provided by Homeland Security, we encourage you to reach out to our federal media partners. "Please note that TVC operations remain unaffected by the current government shutdown. We extend our sincere gratitude to our federal employees for their continued dedication to our airport and the broader community," Kevin Klein, Cherry Capital Airport CEO, said in a statement. Is Sawyer Regional Airport showing the video? Yes, Sawyer Regional Airport near Marquette in Gwinn is showing the video. "The clip is being played at the airport," according to Stacey Fisher, Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport. Is Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport showing the video? No, the airport is not currently playing the Noem video. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The video in question is not being played at this time in the airport," airport Director Craig Williams said via email. Is MBS International Airport playing the video? No, MBS, which serves Midland, Bay City and Saginaw, is not showing the video at this time. "We were asked to put up the video last Thursday (Oct. 9) and that's a, you know, standard practice, so we get video updates so often and the airport staff who work very closely with the TSA put up the video not realizing that any of the content would have been controversial," Airport Director James Canders said on Oct. 15. "Then, you know, yesterday morning (Oct. 14) airport administration was made aware of the issues with the video and we were able to go over and observe it and realized that, yes, there were some issues that caused us concerns and we have paused playing the video until we get some clarification from the TSA." Canders added that at least one person called the airport to say they believed the video was illegal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Whats open, closed during a federal government shutdown? Mail, Social Security continue What is the Hatch Act? The Hatch Act is a federal law passed in 1939 that limits certain political activities of federal employees, as well as some state, D.C., and local government employees who work in connection with federally funded programs, according to the U.S. Office of the Special Counsel. The laws purposes are to ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion, to protect federal employees from political coercion in the workplace, and to ensure that federal employees are advanced based on merit and not based on political affiliation. What is TSA saying about the videos? "It is TSA's top priority to ensure that travelers have the most safe, pleasant and efficient airport experience possible," the Department of Homeland Securitys Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Tricia McLaughlin, told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. "However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, most of our TSA employees are working without pay. While this creates challenges for our people, our security operations remain largely unimpacted at this time." How many passengers do Michigan airports serve? The Michigan Department of Transportation tracks passenger enplanements at airports in the state. Totals for 2025 at Michigan's largest airports through August/September include: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detroit: 10.9 million Grand Rapids: 1.45 million Traverse City: 388,000 Flint: 237,000 Saginaw MBS: 77,000 Lansing: 75,000 Kalamazoo: 50,000 Marquette: 42,000 This story has been updated to clarify Traverse City Cherry Capital Airport's position on the video. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: DTW among Michigan airports showing controversial video from TSA When it comes to finding profitable industries for starting a business, many may look past their local laundromat in search of a newer trend. However, laundromats have a lot of things going for them. Find Out: Codie Sanchez: How Much Money Can You Make With a Vending Machine Side Hustle? Read Next: 3 Reasons Retired Boomers Shouldn't Give Their Kids a Living Inheritance (And 2 Reasons They Should) Codie Sanchez, a successful finance influencer and founder of Contrarian Thinking, took it upon herself to dig deeper into the phenomenon. In a recent YouTube video , Sanchez interviewed successful laundromat owners to find out why the laundromat business is so lucrative. Here are some reasons you can make a fortune from owning a laundromat. You Dont Need a Fortune To Start Out If you walk past a laundromat, starting one of your own might seem intimidating. Apart from renting a location, youll see multiple heavy-duty washers and dryers, change machines and vending machines. These machines require regular maintenance and operate with hot water and electricity. All of this may seem like youd need a large loan to get started. However, according to Sanchezs panel of owners, this isnt the case. One owner explained the low barrier to entry, saying, There are tons of examples of some of our customers that start as, like, a consumer business where they just have their car and home washer and dryer. They build up a customer base. They do some pick-up and delivery, and then theyve built up enough to say, I now want to buy a store.' Learn More: Heres How To Use AI To Quickly Start a Side Gig, According To Codie Sanchez Recessions Dont Affect Laundromats When a business is recession-proof, it means that bad economic conditions dont negatively affect it and it continues to generate revenue. Industries based on consumer needs, such as child care, healthcare, home repair and groceries, can all be recession-proof as people need these no matter what shape the economy is in. Similarly, people need a place to wash their clothes if they dont have a personal washing machine at home. Sanchezs panel explained that the self-service aspect seemed to be recession-proof, but the pickup and delivery side can experience a drop in revenue under certain circumstances. One owner shared that his business had to adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic to accept Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, a type of welfare card, so that those receiving government benefits could still do their laundry. Laundromats Generate Significant Revenue When theyre run efficiently, laundromats can generate substantial profits. Sanchez asked her panel how much their businesses made a year. Two of the owners made between $100,000 and $200,000 annually, one made between $1 million and $1.5 million a year and the final owner made over $50 million a year. Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield and the Rev. Solomon Kinloch, Jr. will face off in a televised mayoral debate Wednesday evening, Oct. 15. Detroit's WXYZ-TV is hosting the debate at 7 p.m. on Wednesday ahead of the Nov. 4 general election. Viewers also can stream it live online at WXYZ.com, or the station's Facebook and YouTube pages. WXYZ's Editorial Director Chuck Stokes and 7 News Detroit Anchor Carolyn Clifford will host the debate. More: Who's running in Detroit election? Hear from candidates in their own words. | Voter Guide Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the August primary election, Sheffield secured about 51% of the vote, while Kinloch collected 17% to take second place on the ballot. The two are vying to replace outgoing Mayor Mike Duggan, who is running for Michigan governor as an independent candidate in the 2026 election. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Those who need a ride to the polls can take advantage of free bus rides on Election Day, thanks to the Detroit Department of Transportation's new initiative to prevent transit barriers among voters. City officials said they also expect the free service to increase voter turnout. How to watch the Detroit mayoral debate Who: Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield and the Rev. Solomon Kinloch, Jr. When: 7 p.m. Wednesday. Channel: WXYZ-TV (Channel 7). Streaming: WXYZ.com, or the station's Facebook and YouTube pages. Hosts: WXYZ Editorial Director Chuck Stokes and 7 News Detroit Anchor Carolyn Clifford Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her: @DanaAfana. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Watch Detroit mayoral debate between Sheffield, Kinloch on Oct. 15 Mexican criminals are working with domestic extremists to place bounties for the murder of federal immigration agents in Chicago. The Department of Homeland Security has obtained credible intelligence that Mexican criminals are working with American extremists to harass and kill agents with ICE and Customs and Border Protection, according to an October 14 press release. These criminal networks are not just resisting the rule of law, they are waging an organized campaign of terror against the brave men and women who protect our borders and communities, said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Criminal organizations in Mexico have begun offering thousands of dollars for the MURDER of federal law enforcementwith payouts escalating based on rank and action taken: -$2,000 for gathering intelligence or doxxing agents (including photos and family details). -$5,000$10,000 Homeland Security (@DHSgov) October 14, 2025 The criminals have given explicit instructions to sympathizers in America including Chicago street gangs to target federal agents with doxxing, kidnapping and assaults, and even assassination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cartels have issued what DHS called a structured bounty program, with higher rewards for more severe crimes. They are offering $2,000 for gathering intelligence or doxxing agents including photos and family details, $5,000 to $10,000 for kidnapping or non-lethal assaults on standard agents, and up to $50,000 for the assassination of high-ranking officials. Criminals have also mobilized spotter networks in neighborhoods like Pilsen and Little Village in Chicago. There, groups like the Latin Kings have sent spotters to rooftops with guns and radios to track ICE and CBP agents in real time, sending their coordinates to criminals. This surveillance has enabled ambushes and disruptions during routine enforcement actions, including recent raids under Operation Midway Blitz, the release reads. Meanwhile, Antifa groups in Portland and Chicago have reportedly been staging protests, doxxing agents identities, and interfering with deportations of cartel-linked illegal aliens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DHS announced October 6 authorities arrested an MS-13 cartel member in Chicago for putting out a hit on Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino, as The Dallas Express reported at the time. Increasing Violence ICE agents have recently seen a 1000 percent increase in assaults. Meanwhile, as The Dallas Express reported, America has seen an uptick in political violence, with a radical leftist assassinating Turning Point USA Co-Founder Charlie Kirk on September 10. A sniper opened fire on a Dallas ICE facility September 24, trying to kill federal agents but killing two detainees and injuring another, as The Dallas Express reported at the time. On July 7, a gunman assaulted a CBP station in McAllen, wounding an agent and two police officers. The week prior, on July 4, a group of Antifa-linked militants also ambushed the ICE Prairieland Detention Facility in Alvarado shooting a police officer in the neck. President Donald Trump signed an executive order September 22, designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, as The Dallas Express reported at the time. He had also signed another order on his first day back in office, designating cartels foreign terrorist organizations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DHS officials said the recent threats would not deter them, and called on sanctuary state and local leaders to back away from policies that encourage criminals. They urged members of the public to report suspicious activities, like rooftop surveillance and staged protests, online or by calling 1-866-DHS-2-ICE. Our agents are facing ambushes, drone surveillance, and death threats, all because they dare to enforce the laws passed by Congress, Noem said. We will not back down from these threats, and every criminal, terrorist, and illegal alien will face American justice. CHICAGO Officials from the Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday that the agency is investigating a series of bounties that have allegedly been placed on ICE agents in Chicago by criminal organizations in Mexico. Officials from DHS said they have obtained credible intelligence indicating that targeted bounties on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel have been placed by what it described as Mexican criminals working in coordination with domestic extremist groups. These criminal networks have issued explicit instructions to U.S.-based sympathetics, including street gangs in Chicago, to monitor, harass, and assassinate federal agents, a spokesperson for the agency said in a press release shared on Wednesday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines According to DHS, an investigation into the criminal networks has revealed alleged spotter networks in Pilsen and Little Village which the agency claims are made up of gang members affiliated with groups like the Latin Kings. DHS claims the spotter networks are then allegedly deployed on rooftops, while equipped with firearms and radio communications, to track ICE and CBP movements in real-time and relay coordinates. DHS says the spotter networks have allegedly enabled ambushes and disruptions during routine enforcement actions, which have unfolded amid the ongoing immigration enforcement operation unfolding in Chicagoland, which the Trump Administration has dubbed Operation Midway Blitz. WGN employee Debbie Brockman detained by Border Patrol agents issues statement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to the alleged spotter networks, DHS claims that cartels have devised a structured bounty program to incentivize violence against federal personnel. DHS says the payouts of the bounty are based on rank and action taken, including a $2,000 payout for gathering intelligence or doxxing agents, $5,000 to $10,000 for kidnapping or non-lethal assaults on standard ICE/CBP officers and up to $50,000 for the assassination of high-ranking officials. These criminal networks are not just resisting the rule of law, they are waging an organized campaign of terror against the brave men and women who protect our borders and communities, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said. Our agents are facing ambushes, drone surveillance, and death threats, all because they dare to enforce the laws passed by Congress. We will not back down from these threats, and every criminal, terrorist, and illegal alien will face American justice. Chicago airports refuse to run Noem video blaming Dems over government shutdown Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials from the agency also claimed that Antifa groups have provided logistical support, such as pre-staged protest supplies, doxxing of agent identities, and on-the-ground interference to shield cartel-linked individuals from deportation. Antifa, which is short for anti-fascists, is an umbrella term for far-left-leaning militant groups that confront or resist neo-Nazis and white supremacists at demonstrations, according to the Associated Press. In the statement issued Wednesday, DHS called on sanctuary state and local leaders to cease policies that they say embolden criminals. Additionally, DHS urged the public to report suspicious activities, such as rooftop surveillance or organized protests blocking federal operations, to the DHS Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or via the ICE website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The claims regarding criminal networks impeding immigration enforcement operations come less than a day after ICE was ordered to take down a fence surrounding its suburban processing facility, after a judge ordered its removal. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland The fence was erected by DHS around the Broadview facility on Sept. 23, after several days of protests, but it restricted access to Beach St, which a judge later ruled could not continue. The fight over the fence was just the latest between local leaders and federal officials as Operation Midway Blitz continues in Chicagoland. Over the weekend, a federal appeals court temporarily blocked the deployment of the National Guard in Illinois, as protests continued outside the Broadview facility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But amid the legal battles, clashes between ICE and protestors continue in Chicago, including a tense standoff between residents and law enforcement that unfolded on Chicagos Southeast Side on Tuesday. The situation began after a person, suspected of being in the country illegally by DHS, allegedly rammed a Border Patrol vehicle with a red SUV and attempted to flee. Two teenagers, both U.S. citizens, said they were wrongly detained during 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 WGN-TV. The government shutdown has entered its 15th day, with no end in sight after lawmakers again failed to pass a stopgap funding bill Oct. 14. Sixty votes are needed to pass the measure, which was defeated in a 49-45 vote. If it passes, it would restore federal government funding until Nov. 21. More: Government shutdown latest; Senate rejects funding deal; more layoffs to come How did Wisconsin senators Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin vote? Here's what to know: How did Wisconsin senators vote Oct. 14 to end the government shutdown? The below graphic, created by USA TODAY, shows which senators voted yes or no to end the shutdown by extending federal funding Oct. 14. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For Wisconsin in particular, Johnson voted yes while Baldwin voted no. More: Government shutdown tracker shows how your senators voted Why did the government shut down? The shutdown began after congressional Democrats and Republicans failed to agree on a continuing resolution to fund the government before the funding deadline of Oct. 1. Legislators have been at a stalemate over expiring healthcare funding and tax credits for the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, USA TODAY reported. How long has the government shutdown been in place? The shutdown began on Oct. 1 and is heading into day 15. More: Here's what a government shutdown means for federal services in Wisconsin How long will the government shutdown last? The shutdown will end when Congress passes the funding measure and President Donald Trump signs an appropriations bill to fund entities that are currently shut down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But, it remains unclear how long this will take. The last shutdown was in 2018, during Trump's first term, and lasted for a record 35 days. More: Here's what a government shutdown means for SNAP benefits and food banks in Wisconsin George Petras, Ramon Padilla and Carlie Procell of USA TODAY contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Have Wisconsin senators voted to end the 2025 government shutdown? Charlie Kirks murder should have been an inflection point for Americas leaders, a moment to turn down the volume, to explain the meaning of free speech and to repair the contours of our civic debate. But Im afraid weve squandered any chance to learn from this tragedy, and worry that our reactions if anything are moving us farther down the wrong path. The conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA was fatally shot Sept. 10 at a college in Utah while holding one of his signature events in which Kirk invited students to challenge his beliefs. In the aftermath of his killing, which drew an outpouring of reaction, scores of people nationwide have been fired or disciplined for commenting on Kirk or the attack, including teachers, lawyers and health care workers Conservative Florida officials have also sought tocrack down on speech they say celebrated Kirks death. Across the state, dozens of schoolteachers have been investigated for their posts on social media. Floridas wildlife agency fired a researcher for sharing what it described as a social media post that made light of the assassination. Elected leaders in Florida have also called for people to lose their jobs over comments critical of Kirk or the conservative movement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These responses are the exact opposite of the world Kirk promoted. They represent a fundamental misunderstanding of Americans free speech rights, and amount to extrajudicial restraint on constitutionally protected expression. And in the end, as a practical matter, they are a danger to everyone, for they turn thoughts into threats while inviting government overreach. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi soured the climate early on by declaring in a podcast interview that hate speech could land Americans in legal jeopardy. Theres free speech and then theres hate speech, and there is no place, especially now, especially after what happened to Charlie in our society, Bondi said. Asked by her host whether law enforcement would go after so-called hate groups, Bondi replied: We will absolutely target you, go after you if you are targeting anyone with hate speech, anything. And thats across the aisle. The attorney general tried to walk back her comments, but the damage was done, turning a heinous crime into a larger debate over expression and government restraint. I dont know what Bondi was thinking; I havent for years. But her comments sparked bipartisan criticism, including from conservatives and MAGA supporters who noted that hate speech alone is largely undefined and protected by the First Amendment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Public officials need to be more careful about the messages they send. This month, two armed men wearing bulletproof vests with the word police stenciled on themshowed up at the home of a retired Largo couple. The men didnt identify themselves or their employer, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Instead, they asked to speak with James OGara about a postcard hed sent to Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia with the message: You lack values. Days after the visit, the couple learned the officers were investigators with the criminal division of the states Department of Financial Services, which Ingoglia oversees. An agency spokesperson said the visit was a precautionary measure in light of recent events and with political violence on the rise, adding: While it is unfortunate that law enforcement must sometimes go the extra mile to ensure public safety, let it be known that it is a direct result of an increasingly hostile political environment. Lets be clear: State agents had no reason here to go the extra mile, and nothing they did helped ensure public safety. This was pure intimidation, whether borne from paranoia or bad judgment, and it contributed to the chilling effect on protected speech. The same applies to the warning by Floridas education commissioner that teachers could lose their credentials over a charged post. A Republican state lawmaker took another step this month, filing legislation requiring all Florida public colleges and universities to rename specific roads on their campuses after Kirk. Schools that fail to comply shall lose state funding, the legislation states. I hope the state doesnt take its own bellicosity seriously. Cracking down on protected speech, or compelling a university to rename a road under the threat of sanctions, are constitutional faceoffs the government will lose. But heres the bigger point. You dont change the tone of the conversation with lectures, bullying and threats. You lower the heat by example, by choosing your language carefully, by not equating speech with violence itself and by accepting that opposing views are healthy to the democratic process. CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) In honor of Global Handwashing Day, the Chesapeake Health Department is sharing the dirty truth about handwashing habits across the United States. According to a release, a nationwide survey found that only around 63% of people across the country were seen washing their hands after using public restrooms. In addition, a separate study found that 20% of people admitted to not washing their hands. That same study discovered that 48% of adults admitted to not washing their hands at key times, including after visits to grocery stores, restaurants and healthcare settings. Now for the dirty truth; according to the release, just a single gram of poop can contain up to 1 trillion germs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that people oftentimes get sick after making contact with germs from fecal matter from their hands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some illnesses caused as a result of germs from fecal matter include Salmonella, E. coli, norovirus, adenovirus and hand-foot-mouth disease, the CDC states. Luckily for us, theres a simple solution washing your hands. The release from the Chesapeake Health Department states that washing your hands with soap and water can reduce cases of diarrhea by up to 40%, reduce stomach bugs by around 60% and even reduce colds and coughs by 20%. Wow, a simple, cheap way to keep us all healthy and well what a deal! Dr. Nancy Welch, Health Director at Chesapeake Health Department said. Handwashing helps avoid doctor visits, absences from school, and paying medical bills. Save your money for things that are more fun so you can enjoy your day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A proper handwashing technique is important in preventing the spread of germs. The release states that the correct way to wash your hands is to scrub for at least 20 seconds between your fingers and under your nails. The Chesapeake Health Department also released some tips to get kids on the path to a proper handwashing technique: Sing Happy Birthday to You song twice or the Alphabet Song. Put glitter on their hands and pretend its germs. They need to get them all! Use colored or scented soap. Get a blacklight and look at hands before and after washing. Print posters or stickers to promote good handwashing habits. Dont have easy access to soap and water but need to clean your hands? The CDC recommends people to use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. While not as effective as washing with soap and water, using hand sanitizer can still help reduce the risk of getting sick and spreading germs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more information on hand hygiene, visit the Virginia Department of Healths website here or contact the Chesapeake Health Departments Epidemiology Team by email at chesapeakeepi@vdh.virginia.gov. Continue to check WAVY.com for updates. 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 WAVY.com. BELCHERTOWN, Mass. (WWLP) A Belchertown intersection has reopened after being blocked by a disabled train on Wednesday afternoon, according to officials. One person injured after vehicle crashed into tree on Dwight Road in Springfield The Belchertown Police Department stated that a disabled train had blocked off the Bay Road intersection at approximately 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday. The delay was expected to last several hours. Courtesy of the Belchertown Police Department. As of 3:15 p.m., Belchertown police stated that Bay Road has reopened. 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. 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 WWLP. MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) Four decades after prosecutors sent the wrong men to prison for the rape and murder of a 16-year-old Long Island girl, DNA obtained from a discarded straw has led to the indictment of a new suspect. Richard Bilodeau, 63, of Center Moriches, was arraigned Wednesday on two counts of murder in the death of Theresa Fusco. The high school junior disappeared after leaving her part-time job at a Lynbrook roller-skating rink in November 1984. Her nude body was found weeks after the assault, buried under leaves in a wooded area near the rink. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three men were convicted in the killing and served several years in prison before they were exonerated by DNA evidence in 2003. They sued for wrongful imprisonment, and two were each awarded $18 million. Fuscos father, Thomas, was among those in the Mineola court as Bilodeau pleaded not guilty and was remanded to the county jail. After the hearing, he said it was heartbreaking to relive her daughters death over and over again but expressed hope that the arrest was a finalization" in the ordeal. I loved her and I miss her. She lives in my heart, as you can see, Fusco said as he produced a photo of Theresa from his jacket pocket during a news conference with prosecutors. I never gave up hope. Ive always had faith in the system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bilodeaus lawyer, Jason Russo, declined comment, saying he had just met Bilodeau shortly before the court hearing. Bilodeau was 23 and living with his grandparents when Fusco was killed, prosecutors said. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison. County authorities started watching Bilodeau last year after developing what they said were multiple investigative leads. In February 2024, investigators recovered a cup and straw they said Bilodeau had used and discarded at a smoothie cafe in neighboring Suffolk County. DNA extracted from the straw matched a sample taken from Fuscos body in 1984. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The past has not been forgotten, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said at a press conference after the hearing. "We will never stop fighting for victims. My office is determined to see justice for Theresa and her family. During the arraignment, Assistant District Attorney Jared Rosenblatt said investigators went to speak with Bilodeau at his workplace after matching his DNA with the crime scene evidence. At the time, he said, Bilodeau told investigators: Yeah, people got away with murder, back then. Well, Mr. Bilodeau, its 2025, and your day of reckoning is now, Rosenblatt said in court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fusco's killing drew wide attention in 1984, partly because she disappeared around the same time and area as two other teenage girls, one of whom was a friend of Fusco. Kelly Morrissey, 15, went missing earlier in 1984 and was never found. The body of Jacqueline Martarella, 19, of Oceanside, turned up the following year at a nearby country club golf course. The three men who were wrongfully convicted of killing Fusco worked together as movers and one of them had dated Morrissey. DNA testing that was not available in the 1980s later proved someone else raped and killed her. Attorneys for two of the men, in a lawsuit seeking compensation, argued they were victims of police misconduct. A federal jury agreed, finding the lead detective in the case, who by then had died, had both fabricated hair evidence and hid other evidence from prosecutors. Five Sudanese citizens a civil servant, a tea lady, a resistance volunteer and two street boys who make money collecting plastic bottles come together to share their memories, hopes and dreams in Khartoum, a caleidoscopic documentary about the civil war that started in the country in 2023. A collective of Sudanese and British filmmakers, displaced just like the five, collaborated with them in a blend of oral storytelling, staged reenactments and other elements that world premiered at Sundance and has been featured in the program of the 69th edition of the BFI London Film Festival (LFF), which runs through the weekend. The film comes from directors Rawia Alhag, Ibrahim Snoopy, Anas Saeed, Timeea M Ahmed and Phil Cox, who is from Londons Native Voice Films. Together, they bring to life the emotional and harrowing stories of young bottle collectors and best friends, Lokain and Wilson, resistance committee volunteer Jawad, tea stall owner Khadmallah and civil servant Majdi. More from The Hollywood Reporter Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the start of the doc, we find out that during filming, war broke out between the Sudanese government and the Rapid Support Force Militia in a military coup that ended up displacing more than 10 million people, including everyone in this film. The five featured people share their worries and dreams. Im scared of not seeing my home again, shares Jawad. We really have an identity crisis, Khadmallah offers, with some Sudanese saying they are African, while others see themselves as Arabs. Have I been a coward or a brave man? Majdi wonders. And the two boys explain: The rubbish is our treasure, plastic bottles are our gold. Alhag, Cox and Khadmallah spoke to THR during the LFF about making Khartoum despite all the fighting, displacement and other challenges, and their hope to help people outside Sudan understand and heal through filmmaking. It started as one thing, which was a cinematic poem of the city to Khartoum before the war, Cox explained. But it ended up as a very different and creative film, born out of circumstance, born out of being caught up in a war. Everything was going fine, and then suddenly war broke out, and we had to use all the money to save the participants and the directors. So everybody fled, over four or five months, to Kenya. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Green screens, reenactments and, in the case of the two boys, drawings, offered ways to create material while away from home. We just had this footage before the war, Cox said. And we realized the stories were all inside our participants. Finding the five voices wasnt easy. The difficulty was finding children that I could possibly film, Alhag told THR. There are loads of street children, but rarely two kids that I could feasibly film. They ended up finding two boys who lived on the outskirts of Khartoum. The second difficulty was filming them in the streets, she explained. Because even though we had permits from the authorities, it was difficult working amongst the people on the street. They were very uncomfortable with us filming kids in the street rather than in school. Cox said that the chaos and horror of war meant that the film team ended up being really diverse. These are people who would never meet, he told THR. But because wed lost everything, we all ended up in the same room on a mattress. So even behind the camera, the directors are of very different genders, ethnicities and religions, but everyone came together. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alhag echoed that: I had a little bit of distance because I was the only woman in the filmmaking team. I didnt know anything about the other filmmakers. But once we were displaced in Nairobi, the force majeure of the conflict brought us all really together. Khadmallah was approached by one of the other directors. Anas [Saeed] is my director. I am a tea lady, and he is one of my customers, she told THR. He came to me and told me that he was looking for someone to participate in a film. I accepted, but the challenge that I faced was convincing my family. Things worked out. I had some of my friends come and make a video for me, and I talked with my mom, she recalled. At the end, she accepted [my participation in the film]. Reenacting experiences and expressing hopes was not always easy for Khadmallah. I think I had a lot of trauma, she said. Whenever I started in front of the camera, I just cried because I didnt know if I could talk. But I think all of us, because we faced the war, have that same feeling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alhag said that the filmmaker also shared certain experiences and motivations. We all had different levels of film experience and expertise, but we just brought them all together to make one final film. We worked as a family. Finishing the film wasnt so much the end of the collaboration but also a new beginning. Its been the start of something new, Alhag offered. Were still displaced. Several of us are still living in this neighborhood in Nairobi. So its the start of rebuilding something different. Concluded Cox: The film has been a catalyst for everyone involved, but its also a hugely cathartic film for the audiences, for Sudanese people who have never seen representation on the screen. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Sign up for THR's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. altcoins bitcoin March 2025. Photo by BeInCrypto Last Fridays crypto market selloff, triggered by renewed US-China tariff tensions, wiped out over $20 billion in liquidations, sending shockwaves through the digital asset market and crypto-related equities. However, with markets showing early signs of recovery and positive sentiment returning to the crypto market, several crypto-linked assets could rebound this week. Here are three US crypto stocks to watch as ecosystem developments fuel potential upside momentum. Galaxy Digital Inc (GLXY) GLXY closed last Friday at $39.38, marking a 7% decline on the day. The sharp drop reflected broader weakness across the crypto market, as widespread liquidations weighed on crypto-related equities. However, the current dip comes at a pivotal moment for the company. Galaxy recently announced a $460 million strategic investment from one of the worlds largest asset managers, signaling institutional confidence in its long-term prospects. The transaction, which consisted of purchasing 9,027,778 shares from Galaxy and 3,750,000 shares from certain executives, including Founder and CEO Mike Novogratz, was priced at $36 per share. The investment is expected to close this week, following regulatory approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange and other customary conditions. This has put GLXY on investors radar to see how it performs. At pre-market today, GLXY trades at $40.60. If this renewed optimism triggers sustained buying activity through the week, the stock could climb toward $44.33. For token TA and market updates: Want more token insights like this? Sign up for Editor Harsh Notariyas Daily Crypto Newsletter here. GLXY Price Analysis. Source: TradingView However, if market sentiment weakens and selloffs extend, the share price could slip below $36.60. LQWD Technologies Corp (LQWD) Last Friday, LQWD Technologies shares were down 5%. That day's forced selling and cautious positioning weighed on LQWDs performance despite the companys recent operational progress. Earlier this month, LQWD Technologies announced the successful completion of a 60-day Lightning Network yield test. Over the period, the company scaled its BTC deployment across global Lightning Network infrastructure to more than 47.1 BTC, generating a weighted annualized yield (APR) of 8.9%. According to CEO Shone Anstey, the companys new yield approach continues to perform well, demonstrating that as more Bitcoin is used, the yield opportunity scales accordingly. If the companys momentum and investor sentiment strengthen, the stock could rebound toward $3.29 as buying activity builds. LQWD Price Analysis. Source: TradingView Conversely, if the broader crypto selloff deepens, LQWDs share price could slip further, potentially testing support near $0.91. No one likes to stand in a long line, but a dispute at a New Jersey Marshalls ended with bloodshed. A woman in Kearney is accused of stabbing another woman in the parking lot of a Marshalls on Saturday, after a dispute over the movement of speed at the checkout line, police said. Police said 25-year-old Amber Thompson allegedly threatened to harm the woman in the checkout line. The victim and her family decided to leave the store and go to their vehicle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said Thompson bought a set of knives, took one out of the packaging and chased the victim down in the parking lot, stabbing her several times. Police said the victim was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Thompson was found hiding in the bathroom of the Marshalls, with a bloody knife on top of the baby changing station, police said. Thompson is charged with aggravated assault, unlawful possession of weapons, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and endangering another person. Shoppers questioned whether or not there should be more security at the store, which has left many people on edge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I think that's pretty crazy that happened here. It's just crazy because it never happens here," a shopper said. A Marshalls spokesperson released a statement saying, "We are aware of the incident that occurred in the parking lot outside of our store last week. At Marshalls, the safety and security of our Associates and customers is important to us, and we're grateful for the swift response of the Kearney Police Department. As this is a police matter, we'd respectfully defer any further comment to the Kearney Police Department." The stabbing remains under investigation. Antananarivo, Madagascar On a typical Sunday morning in Mahamasina, a suburb of Madagascars capital Antananarivo, Sarobidy Ramarimanana joined the queue at her neighbourhood water point just after sunrise. I just wanted to fill my jerrycan and go to church, she told Al Jazeera. I was about to draw water when people started running; jerrycans everywhere. The sound of police sirens had sparked panic, interrupting the calm of the neighbourhood as people fled. After weeks of tense antigovernment protests and a crackdown that turned deadly fear has become instinct, Ramarimanana said. People ran, tripping over their jerrycans, scattering them across the street. I picked mine up and ran, too. I was scared. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 22-year-old student returned home, but she went back angry, she said, frustrated by the years of severe power and water supply cuts, sometimes lasting for days at a time, and the governments failure to deliver improvements to such services. She never made it to church. But later on Sunday she decided to join a bustling protest march in nearby Independence Square. How can they expect us to stay silent? she asked from the square, holding a yellow jerrycan and small tin-can lamp jiro-kapoaka items that have become symbols of resistance among the youth protesters. We fetch water in the dark, we sleep through power cuts, and they tell us to be patient? For how long? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since September 25, hundreds of protesters led by the Gen Z Madagascar youth movement have been taking to the streets of Antananarivo. What began as anger about the persistent water and power cuts soon led to general discontent and calls for President Andry Rajoelina to step down. For weeks, angry demonstrators blocked roads with burning tyres and rocks, and in response, police fired rubber bullets, stun grenades, and tear gas. At least 22 people have died and dozens of others have been injured, the United Nations says. Faced with mounting unrest, Rajoelina did attempt some changes last month, dissolving his government and promising to appoint a new prime minister. But delays, plus Rajoelinas choice of a military general, sparked backlash among the youth who saw the appointment as a sign that the same political cycle was simply restarting in a different uniform. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This all culminated in the weekends protests, which were the largest recorded in the weeks of unrest and where police once again cracked down. A student in Antananarivo carries water in a jerrycan before participating in a demonstration against frequent power outages and water shortages, in Madagascar, on September 30 [Zo Andrianjafy/Reuters] Its about survival Jose Raharimino is not a regular protester, nor does he see himself as political. But when the power cut out at his apartment on Sunday morning, he decided to make his way to Independence Square. I just wanted to document whats happening, the 31-year-old freelance photographer told Al Jazeera, a camera slung over his shoulder and a jerrycan at his feet. At first, I thought Id stay on the sidelines just watch, maybe take a few photos. On Saturday, an elite army unit once allied to the president, CAPSAT, defected and declared it would join forces with the protesters against the government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a result, the atmosphere felt almost hopeful early on Sunday chants rising, people laughing nervously, the smell of fried mofo gasy, Malagasy local donut, from a nearby stall. We werent angry yet. We were desperate, but it felt like we were together in that desperation, Raharimino said. As the sun climbed higher, he began livestreaming on his phone. I wanted people abroad to see this that were not violent, just tired. Around him, the crowd swelled: vendors, students, office clerks, mothers balancing babies and jerrycans. This isnt political, he told someone beside him. Its about survival. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But hope turned brittle when the first canister landed. The hiss of tear gas cut through the chants. At first, people didnt move, Raharimino said. Then another one fell and another. He watched as smoke spread through the crowd, stinging his eyes, his camera shaking in his hands. He backed away, coughing, but refused to stop filming. You could hear people screaming not from pain, but from anger, he said. Someone near me yelled, Why are you shooting at us? We only came for water! Moments later, the police line advanced. Protesters scattered through side streets, clutching jerrycans, hiding behind walls. Raharimino ducked behind a kiosk, helping a young man rinse his face with bottled water. It felt like 2009 all over again, he said quietly, recalling the weeks of antigovernment protests that eventually led to Rajoelina taking power from democratically elected then-President Marc Ravalomanana through a military coup. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sixteen years later, the military and government were in another standoff with CAPSAT, which once helped Rajoelina take power, now helping see him out as its members squared off against forces loyal to the president. Among the hundreds of people at the march on Sunday, some had been out in the streets for weeks, while others were newly emboldened by CAPSATs announcement. Rajoelina, however, called the armys move an illegal coup attempt and fled to an unknown location. By Tuesday, parliament voted to impeach him for desertion of duty. Meanwhile, the military has now taken power, forming a transitional committee with the promise to quickly restore civilian rule in Madagascar. Henintsoa Andriniaina documented the protests in Antananarivo [Govina Damy/Al Jazeera] We need a new system The rapid changes came with celebrations in the streets, and pictures of soldiers united with ordinary citizens in the hope of building a better country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But just below the surface optimism, many are still worried. I cant just watch things stay the same any more. Weve been stuck with the same problems for too long corruption, poverty, no jobs, and no real change, Henintsoa Andriniaina, 24, told Al Jazeera in Independence Square. The entrepreneur from Isotry sells hand-painted tote bags online. His business depends on electricity something he now calls a luxury. When theres no power, I cant print, I cant sew, I cant even charge my phone to post new designs. And when theres no water, I cant even wash my brushes, he said. Were not lazy youth shouting slogans. Were people trying to live. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He joined Sundays protest with a sign reading Miala Rajoelina! Mila rafitra vaovao! Tsimbazaza miray! which means Rajoelina out! We need a new system. Tsimbazaza united. When I wrote that, I wasnt just asking one person to step down I was speaking for everyone whos tired of this cycle, he said. Mila rafitra vaovao means we need to rebuild from the ground up: new structures, fairer leadership, and a system that truly serves the people. Tsimbazaza miray represents unity the youth, the workers, the vendors everyone standing together for change. Im not here for violence or revenge. Im here because I believe Madagascar can do better if we dare to change the structure itself, not just the faces in power. Andriniaina thinks structural reform and accountability are essential. We need leaders who serve, not steal, he said. Change means building systems that outlast people transparent budgets, fair opportunities, and power that belongs to citizens, not to offices. A member of the military looks on near a banner featuring a Malagasy version of the logo of the popular Japanese manga One Piece, a symbol adopted by Gen Z protest movements worldwide, as he leaves after joining protesters gathered outside the town hall on Independence Avenue during a nationwide youth-led demonstration against frequent power outages and water shortages, in Antananarivo, Madagascar, October 14, 2025 [Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters] Uncertain future In the middle of Sundays police clampdown, Raharimino captured what he could on camera before police seized his phone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The square had turned into a haze of smoke, sirens, and chaos by early afternoon, which reminded him of the 2009 protests. I was a teenager then. I remember the fear, he said. Hours later, he made it home with red eyes and shaking hands. This isnt about politics, he repeated. Its about the right to live with dignity. The right to wake up and know the lights will turn on. Raharimino believes that truth and visibility are critical for change. If we cant speak, record, or show whats happening, nothing will change, he said. Change begins when truth can flow as freely as water without fear, without silence. In the shadow of a closed grocery stall in the capital sat Bako, a 56-year-old street cleaner who only goes by one name. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She was not part of the march, but watched from a distance as the smoke from burning tyres drifted across the skyline of Antananarivo. Ive seen this before, she said softly, her voice breaking. In 2009, we shouted, too. My husband went to the protests. He never came back. Her eyes filled with tears as she pointed in the direction of the stadium. Now, its the children of those who shouted before. And theyre crying again. Bako wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. I dont blame them. I cry for them. Because they want what I wanted too just a little dignity. As the day faded, the echoes of gunfire mixed with chants and the hum of generators sputtering to life in the distance. By nightfall, dozens had been arrested. Rumours swirled across the capital of resignations, of tanks near the palace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By Monday morning, it was confirmed: President Rajoelina had resigned. The military had taken over. Some called it liberation. Others, a dangerous replay of history. What happens next is uncertain, Luke Freeman, Madagascar expert at University College London, told Al Jazeera. As far as the Gen Z protesters, whove set this ball rolling, it might well be that their egalitarian structure now plays against them because, in order to have political penetration, to get a seat at those discussions for setting out the roadmap for Madagascars future, theyre probably going to need to appoint leaders and spokespeople, he said. Theyre going from social human rights protests into the murky and dirty world of political negotiations. And for that, you need to be part of a coalition, and thats where theyre going to have to fight for their right to still be part of this process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For young people in the streets, a better country with functional water and electricity services is our right, not a plea, Ramarimanana said. Whether the militarys takeover will bring positive change remains to be seen. But for Ramarimanana, it was neither a full victory nor relief, as it has not yet brought dignity. We cant dream of democracy if we cant drink clean water. Change starts when every home has what it needs not promises, but pipes that work and lights that stay on, she said. On the streets of Antananarivo, littered with the symbols of both defiance and despair, Ramarimanana looked down at her scuffed yellow jerrycan, still empty and waiting to be filled. We didnt want power. We wanted water. We wanted light, she said quietly. Maybe now, theyll listen. Or maybe theyll just forget us again. In an address honoring assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Tuesday, October 14, President Donald Trump spoke about how he managed to dodge a snipers bullet. I made a turn at a good time. I made a turn at a good time, I turned to the right, the president, 79, told the crowd per People of the 2024 assassination attempt, in which his right ear was grazed after Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, fired at him during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Charlie couldnt believe it, actually, Trump added. He said, How the hell did you make that turn? I said I dont know. October 14 marked a National Day of Remembrance for Kirk who died at age 31 after being shot during an appearance at Utah Valley University on September 10 and the commander in chief also presented him with a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The late Turning Point USA founders widow, Erika, 36, accepted the honor on his behalf. Thank you, Mr. President, for honoring my husband in such a profound and meaningful way, she said. Utah native Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with aggravated murder in connection with Kirks death. This story Donald Trump Recalls Dodging Assassins Bullet While Honoring Charlie Kirk: He Couldnt Believe It first appeared on National Enquirer. Add National Enquirer as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Donald Trumps federalisation and deployment of state National Guard units predictably has provoked claims that he is trashing the US Constitution to establish a dictatorship. In reality, Trump is on solid legal ground when it comes to one of his stated purposes: preventing protesters and rioters from impeding the enforcement of federal immigration laws against illegal migrants by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. But the case for sending troops to deal with ordinary crime in American cities is much weaker. And public opinion among many Republicans as well as Democrats is turning against Trumps National Guard deployments and his immigration policy in general. Claims that Trump is using National Guard units to create a dictatorship are absurd. The administration so far has obeyed adverse judicial rulings and fought them in the courts. And despite threats to use it, Trump has abstained from invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807, which allows the president to use the regular military in addition to state National Guard units, to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Insurrection Act and its legal predecessors have been used more than two dozen times in American history by Presidents Washington and Adams against rebels, by President Lincoln against secessionist states, and by President Grant against the Ku Klux Klan. The Act was used in the late 19th century in federal interventions in labour disputes, and by presidents from Eisenhower to Johnson to enforce civil rights law in the segregated South. It was last used in 1992 by President George Herbert Walker Bush, who sent in the National Guard during the Los Angeles riots of that year. Equally groundless is the claim that Trump is targeting Democratic cities. The phrase Democratic cities is misleading, because most large cities in the US with large illegal immigrant populations are run by Democratic mayors and city councils. As of this month, the mayors of the 100 largest American cities include 66 Democrats and only 23 Republicans, with the rest divided between non-partisan mayors and libertarians. A full 78 per cent of the population of the 100 biggest cities lives under a Democratic mayor and only 16 per cent under a mayor who is a Republican. National Guard troops in Memphis, Tennessee - George Walker IV/Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved Until now the president has deployed National Guard troops in Washington, DC, Chicago, Illinois, Los Angeles, California, and Memphis, Tennessee, while a federal judge has blocked deployments to Portland, Oregon. The only city in which municipal crime was the major rationale for deployments was Washington, DC, which had experienced a rise in car-jackings, in addition to its long-term, chronic crime rate. The federal government ultimately controls the nations capital and can override home rule, so putting the National Guard on the streets of Washington raised no serious constitutional issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But fighting crime in general is a weak rationale for troop deployments elsewhere. While crime spiked during the Covid pandemic, crime rates since then have been declining. According to statistics from Trumps own FBI about national crime made public in August of this year, murder and manslaughter declined by 14.9pc in 2024, robbery decreased by 8.9pc, aggravated assault fell by 3pc, while rape rose by 5.2pc nationwide. In the other cities, the stated purpose of the deployments has been to prevent protesters, both violent and non-violent, from impeding the work of ICE in carrying out raids to arrest and deport illegal immigrants. Here Trump is on stronger ground, because the federal government is allowed to take any steps necessary to implement federal laws anywhere in the US. Unlike previous presidents, Trump takes the enforcement of federal immigration laws seriously. Other than Trump, neither Democratic presidents, hoping to import future Democratic voters and a cheap urban labour force, nor Republican president George W Bush, who supplied his business backers with cheap illegal workers for farms and factories, enforced Americas immigration laws strictly. But there is no doubt that Trump has the power to do so. Protesters clash with police outside an ICE detention facility in Broadview, Illinois - CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH/EPA/Shutterstock During decades of lax enforcement, many American cities with effective one-party Democratic rule declared themselves sanctuary cities, refusing to allow local police forces to cooperate with ICE agents in immigration law enforcement. In addition to Democrat-controlled Washington, DC, 19 states, most of them run by quasi-permanent Democratic majorities (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington) allow illegal immigrants to obtain drivers licenses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of them was Harjinder Singh, an illegal immigrant from India who is alleged to have entered the US from Mexico, who got a work permit from the Biden administration, and obtained commercial drivers licenses from both California and the state of Washington, even though he failed road sign reading tests and English tests following a collision between his truck and a car whose three passengers were killed. Democratic New York State gave a commercial drivers license to an illegal immigrant from India released by the Biden administration and identified on his New York license as No Name Given Anmol. He was arrested by ICE agents while driving an 18-wheeler truck in Oklahoma. Sacrificing the safety of citizens to the perverse goal of making it impossible for government to identify foreign nationals who are present illegally in the US, Californias governor Gavin Newsom has just signed a law that not only bans Californian cities that license street vendors from asking applicants about their immigration status, but also bans cities from asking applicants for vendor licenses to provide their names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and drivers licenses unless the city has a judicial subpoena! Agents clash with anti-ICE protesters in Portland, Oregon - Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/2025 Getty Images As a result, in California, cities may know nothing about many of the vendors who are licensed to sell food to people on the street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To succeed, however, Trumps policies must be viewed by most Americans as legitimate, not merely legal. Warning signs are beginning to flash. Half of Republicans and 70pc of Democrats, adding up to 58pc of Americans as a whole, disapprove of the president sending armed troops unless there is an external threat. In this case, as in others, Trumps belligerent rhetoric undermines his more moderate policies. When he called for the arrest of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Pritzker mocked him: Come and get me. According to polls, majorities now disapprove of Trump on most policy issues. A majority supports Trumps enforcement policies at the US border by 57-43pc. But when it comes to Trumps handling of immigration in general, most disapprove of the president, 52-47pc. Even if Trump wins the legal battle over his National Guard deployments, he may lose the war for public opinion, harming the Republican Party that he leads. Michael Lind is a fellow at New America and the author of Hell to Pay: How the Suppression of Wages Is Destroying America 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. With a love of exploration and adventurous experiences comes the risk of hazards and risky predicaments. Among the most breathtaking destinations in the world are dangerous islands, teeming with threatening animals or toxic flora. To be more specific, the Manchineel Tree is a deadly coastal plant that entered the Guinness Book of Records as the world's most dangerous tree. The plant grows along the Caribbean coast of both Central and South America, including the West Indies, Florida's Everglades National Park, and the Florida Keys. The trees reach up to 50 feet in height and thrive in brackish waters, germinating along beaches and flourishing in groups, nestled among mangroves. Seemingly inoffensive due to its small, green apple-like appearance, the fruit and its sap are extremely harmful. Every part of this shrub can be toxic from its wood and fruit to its leaves and milky sap. The most common side effects caused by the plant are sore throat, stomach pain, and diarrhea, with a 1% possibility of slow heart rate and low blood pressure. They carry phorbol and other toxins that cause inflammation, dermatitis, and burning blisters if touched. In some cases, scorching smoke from the bark can induce irritation and potential blindness, caused by the toxic smoke. If you happen to be around, it's pivotal to keep your distance and observe the warning signs, since both rainwater and leaf runoff can provoke eye and skin infections, even without hands-on contact. Eating the fruit overexcites the nervous system, deranging the normal nerve signals and leading to abdominal bleeding. It's important to recognize its features, so pay attention to shiny, oval-shaped leaves, grey or reddish bark with creases, small yellow-hued flowers growing on the branches, and last but not least, the apple-resembling fruit is either green or yellow with a touch of orange, and measures one to two inches in diameter. Read more: Gorgeous Caribbean Beaches That Are Wildly Underrated, According To Travelers How the fruit was discovered and how to treat exposure Sign warning about manchineel tree - Nandani Bridglal/Shutterstock The first recorded encounter with this deadly fruit was by the European explorer Peter Martyr D'Anghiera, who wrote in the late 15th and early 16th centuries about reports from Spanish explorers, including Christopher Columbus' men. He mentioned there was an enigmatic tree that had left his companions blind and with burns on the skin. This sweet-smelling fruit was nicknamed "Manzanilla de la Muerte," which is Spanish for "little apple of death," and is arguably credited to Columbus. Despite its noxious nature, the tree is still used in some areas to build furniture and Native people utilized its sap to tip arrows for hunting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is believed that Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon was killed in Florida in 1521 by the Calusa people using a poison-soaked arrow. Historians and scientists have reason to believe that many shipwreck survivors suffered painful injuries from eating the produce, as did cardiologist Nicola Strickland after unknowingly biting the forbidden fruit on the Caribbean island of Tobago in 2000. As mentioned in Atlas Obscura, the website Mother Nature Network published her statement: "Moments later we noticed a strange peppery feeling in our mouths, which gradually progressed to a burning, tearing sensation and tightness of the throat. The symptoms worsened over a couple of hours until we could barely swallow solid food because of the excruciating pain and the feeling of a huge obstructing pharyngeal lump." When coming into contact with the tree, you should seek medical assistance immediately. Wash your skin properly if your hands are not infected apply hydrocortisone cream or use cold compresses, rinse eyes carefully, and take an antihistamine if your symptoms get worse, as published by the digital health magazine WebMD. It's best to have your first-aid checklist ready for your next island vacation. 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. Oct. 14Oct. 1 Joshua Raymond Dunphy, 32, Duluth, disorderly conduct, amended to ordinance violation disorderly conduct, no contest plea, $263.50 fine. Oct. 6 Emma Nicole Geitner, 27, 1924 N. 20th St., operating while revoked, amended to ordinance violation operate without carrying license, no contest plea, $248.60 fine. Oct. 9 Ashley Anne Cerys, 37, Duluth, neglecting a child (specified harm did not occur), deferred prosecution agreement fulfilled, dismissed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Garrett Alan Jorgenson, 36, Proctor, Minnesota, bail jumping, probation revoked, nine months jail, $316 fine. Oct. 10 Felicia Juanita Marie Basley, 36, 1704 Banks Ave., intentionally abandon animals, guilty plea, two-year deferred prosecution agreement; intentionally mistreat animals, dismissed. Matthew Lloyd Boykin, 37, 1224 N. 12th St., repeater possession of methamphetamine, no contest plea, two years state prison and two years extended supervision stayed, three years of probation, $638.25 fine. Kevin Michael Buchanan, 26, Foxboro, possess illegally obtained prescription, no contest plea, two days jail, three months jail stayed, one year of probation, $516 fine and court costs; repeater possession of methamphetamine, deferred prosecution agreement revoked, 20 days jail, six months jail stayed, three years probation concurrent; bail jumping, possession of marijuana, possess drug paraphernalia, dismissed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Richard John Edquist, 40, 2007 E. Eighth St., party to criminal damage to utility's property, no contest plea, four days jail, three years probation, $12,146.38 restitution and court costs, seek to obtain general educational development certificate or high school equivalency diploma; party to theft, dismissed. Matthew Shane Grahn, 28, Eau Claire, disorderly conduct, no contest plea, one day jail, $642 fine and court costs. Talea June Hanson, 48, 1635 1/2 Baxter Ave., possession of methamphetamine, no contest plea, three-pyear deferred prosecution agreement; bail jumping, possess drug paraphernalia, dismissed. Frederick Thomas Houle, 37, 632 Grand Ave., repeater possession of methamphetamine, repeater resisting or obstructing an officer, no contest pleas, no contest pleas, three years probation, two years state prison and two years extended supervision stayed, $638.25 fine; repeater possession of marijuana, repeater possess drug paraphernalia, dismissed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dylan Alan-Scott Jorgensen-Berg, 26, Duluth, operating while revoked, amended to ordinance violation operate without carrying license, no contest plea, $248.60 fine; bail jumping, dismissed. Alexander Logan Keller, 35, Duluth, retail theft-intentionally take, no contest plea, $443 court costs. Tanya Marie Kuhlman, 53, 2415 E. Fifth St., 507, retail theft-intentionally take, no contest plea, one day jail, $493.34 restitution and court costs. Oct. 13 Sherry Renee Mallon, 58, 2003 Wyoming Ave., third-offense operating while intoxicated, no contest plea, 150 days jail with work release, $4,659 fine and court costs, 36-month driver's license revocation, ignition interlock, alcohol assessment; third-offense operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration, dismissed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wyatt Christopher Marzolf, 38, Duluth, disorderly conduct, no contest plea, $705 fine and court costs; operating while revoked, dismissed. Mark Ray Norman, 22, Duluth, theft-movable property, no contest plea, one-year deferred prosecution agreement; theft-false representation, dismissed. Samantha Jane Syria, 25, Isanti, Minnesota, possession of cocaine, no contest plea, one-year deferred prosecution agreement; ordinance violation possession of drug paraphernalia, no contest plea, $300 fine. Robert Duke Wheatley, 43, E2 Aspen Court, domestic disorderly conduct, no contest plea, three days jail, $616 fine and court costs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jaydon Michael Wilson, 24, 2607 1/2 Banks Ave., criminal damage to property, no contest plea, $869 restitution, fine and court costs; disorderly conduct, dismissed. The Superior Telegram publishes court records as part of its obligation to serve as a keeper of the local historical record. All items are public records submitted by the courthouse in Superior. Individual requests for items to be withheld will not be granted. UPDATE: UPDATE: A subject is in custody. After nearly three hours of combined tracking by Ava Police Department and Douglas County deputies who tracked the final mile located the suspect in a field where Sgt. Box, Deputy Three Eagles and Sgt. Stroud took the suspect into custody without incident, according to a social media post from the Douglas County Sheriffs Office. NORWOOD, Mo. Skyline School in Norwood was placed on a soft lockdown Wednesday afternoon as law enforcement searched for a man who fled on foot following a crash near the school, according to the Douglas County Sheriffs Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The school is near the intersection of State Highway 76 and Highway C in Norwood. Deputies said the man ran from the scene of a wreck along Highway C and was last seen wearing khaki shorts, a black shirt and a boonie hat. The Missouri State Highway Patrol is assisting deputies in the search, which includes the use of police dogs. Just after 2:00 p.m. the Douglas County Sheriffs Office urged nearby residents on social media to secure their property and remove keys from vehicles, four-wheelers and tractors. Authorities also asked anyone who spots the man to call the Douglas County Sheriffs Office immediately. Douglas County Sheriffs Office Skyline School officials said the building was placed on a soft lockdown at the direction of law enforcement. During that time, all doors were locked and no one was allowed to enter or leave. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since then, the school announced it would dismiss students at their normal time, with deputies remaining on site as a precaution. 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. Nearly two weeks after a major water line break and electrical short forced more than 175 residents to evacuate Downtown Dallas historic Mercantile Building, the high-rise remains closed and uninhabitable and tenants now say the halls reek and no one is guarding whats left behind, according to WFAA. The October 2 rupture caused extensive electrical damage, leading management to declare the property uninhabitable for a prolonged period of time. Emails sent to residents informed them that leases would be terminated and units opened for ventilation to reduce humidity. Brookfield Properties, which manages the Mercantile, has canceled all leases and is offering refunds for October rent and deposits, along with relocation payments of $3,700 for one-bedroom units and $4,800 for two-bedroom apartments, per WFAA and CBS Texas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Residents told WFAA the building now smells like dead possums and appears unguarded despite assurances of on-site security. Theres nobody at the front desk absolutely nothing, said tenant Jacqueline Kolski, who has returned daily to check on her belongings. Its like a smash-and-grab without the smash. Video from inside the building shows damp hallways filled with drying equipment and debris. Several tenants told reporters they have been unable to move out due to unsafe conditions and lingering moisture. City of Dallas officials confirmed the Mercantile has not been condemned, but the structure remains unsafe for occupancy. Four residents were treated for minor injuries, and a firefighter was hospitalized for heat exhaustion during the evacuation earlier this month. Built in 1943, the Mercantile Building was once the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River and remains one of the most recognizable landmarks in the downtown skyline. The city designated it a historic landmark in 2006. As of October 14, Brookfield Properties has not responded to media requests for comment or released a timeline for repairs or reentry, leaving dozens of displaced residents in limbo as they search for new housing. (Reuters) -Abbott missed analysts' estimates for third-quarter revenue on Wednesday, as weakness in its diagnostics and nutritional businesses failed to offset strong demand for its medical devices, sending its shares down 3% premarket. The company had flagged volatility in the businesses as it navigates a sharp decline in COVID-19 testing demand, new U.S. tariffs, and a freeze on foreign aid by President Donald Trump's administration. The decision to halt foreign aid has upended the supply chain for medical products and diagnostic tests crucial for fighting diseases including HIV and malaria in some of the world's poorest countries. Meanwhile, Abbott is also facing pricing pressure from China's procurement program that buys medical devices in bulk at steep discounts. Total revenue of $11.37 billion for the quarter ended September 30 slightly missed analysts' average estimate of $11.40 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. Sales in its diagnostics segment, which sells tests for COVID-19 and diabetes, fell 6.6% to $2.25 billion, missing the estimate of $2.29 billion. However, its medical devices segment sales rose 14.8% to $5.45 billion, lifted by demand for its continuous glucose monitors and heart devices. Last month, the Trump administration launched sweeping Section 232 probes into medical device imports, raising the specter of new tariffs and intensifying scrutiny of foreign supply chains. "Our preliminary assessment is we would not expect to see a meaningful impact." Abbott told Reuters in a statement. The company also said there is no change to its prior tariff hit expectation of under $200 million this year. On an adjusted basis, Abbott reported third-quarter profit per share of $1.30, in line with analysts' average estimate. The company said it now expects annual adjusted profit to be between $5.12 and $5.18 per share, compared with its previous range of $5.10 to $5.20. (Reporting by Kamal Choudhury and Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila) Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to a ceasefire amid deepening hostilities between the former allies after deadly clashes erupted on the border overnight, according to Pakistani and Afghan officials. Pakistans Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that the ceasefire would come into effect at 6pm local time (13:00 GMT) and last for 48 hours. Both countries would make sincere efforts through dialogue to find a solution to the standoff, which was complex yet resolvable, the ministry said in a statement. The Taliban governments chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, wrote in a social media post that the truce was at the insistence of the Pakistani side. His social media post did not mention a 48-hour timeframe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ceasefire announcement came after renewed fighting killed and wounded dozens in a remote border area spanning southeastern Afghanistans Spin Boldak district and Pakistans Chaman district overnight on Tuesday. Both sides accused the other of triggering the clashes. Amid the tensions on the border, at least five people were killed and 35 others were wounded in explosions in Kabul, said an Italian NGO, EMERGENCY, which runs a hospital in the Afghan capital, before the truce with Pakistan entered into effect. We started receiving ambulances filled with wounded people, and we learned that there had been explosions a few kilometres away from our hospital, Dejan Panic, EMERGENCYs country director in Afghanistan, said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Forty people have arrived so far, including women and children, he said, adding that unfortunately, five people were already dead on arrival. Border clashes Mujahid accused Pakistani forces of initiating the border fighting by firing light and heavy weapons at Afghanistan, killing 12 civilians and injuring more than 100. Ali Mohammad Haqmal, a press spokesperson in Spin Boldak district, put the civilian death toll at 15. The AFP news agency quoted a district hospital official as saying 80 women and children are among the wounded. Mujahid claimed Afghan forces returned fire, killing a large number of Pakistani soldiers, seizing Pakistani weapons and tanks and destroying Pakistani military installations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pakistani authorities blamed the Afghan Taliban for first firing on a Pakistani military post and other areas near the border, causing the clashes that also wounded four of its own civilians. The Reuters news agency quoted unnamed security officials as saying six Pakistani soldiers were killed in the violence, which one official said lasted approximately five hours. Najibullah Khan, a resident of Pakistans Chaman district, said the clashes forced some people living near the border to flee. People are in a very difficult situation. Shells are falling in peoples homes, he said. Pakistans army In a statement, Pakistans army said its forces had effectively repulsed the attack from Afghanistans Taliban, killing from 15 to 20 of their members and injuring others. It also said it had repelled separate Afghan Taliban attacks earlier in the night in Kurram District, further north. The insinuations that the attack was initiated by Pakistan, are outrageous and blatant lies, just like the claims of capturing Pakistani posts or equipment, said the military statement. The Armed Forces stand resolute and fully prepared to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Al Jazeeras Kamal Hyder, reporting from the Torkham crossing on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, called the latest fighting a serious escalation that threatens to lead to something much bigger. The population on both sides are wary of the new round of escalations, Hyder said. Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been especially fraught since Saturday, when both sides traded fire across multiple border regions, resulting in dozens of casualties on each side. Although the clashes halted on Sunday after appeals from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, most border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained closed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the weekend, Kabul said that in retaliation for what it called repeated violations of Afghan territory and airspace, it targeted several Pakistani military posts and killed 58 Pakistani soldiers. Pakistans military reported lower figures, saying it lost 23 soldiers and killed more than 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists in retaliatory fire along the frontier. Pakistan accuses Kabul of harbouring fighters with the Taliban-allied Pakistan Taliban, known by the acronym TTP, which has carried out numerous deadly attacks in Pakistan. Kabul denies the charge, saying it does not allow its territory to be used against other countries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tensions between the two states have also been amplified by a recent visit by Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to Pakistans rival India, a trip Islamabad has taken strong note of, said Al Jazeeras Hyder. Muttaqi addressed Pakistan-Afghanistan relations during a news conference in India, saying while both countries want a positive relationship, there are certain groups in Pakistan that are trying to stir up unrest. SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) In response to the growing measles outbreak in South Carolina, the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) has deployed its Mobile Health Unit to Spartanburg County. A total of 16 measles cases have been reported in the Upstate since July, including five additional cases announced Tuesday. These numbers underscore what health officials have been saying Measles is highly contagious and can spread quickly, especially in communities with low vaccination rates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, a mobile DPH unit will offer Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccinations to the public at no cost. Thursday, Oct. 16: 2-6 p.m. at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, 445 S. Church St., Spartanburg, S.C. 29306 Friday, Oct. 17: 1-4 p.m. at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, 445 S. Church St., Spartanburg, S.C. 29306 Monday, Oct. 20: 2-6 p.m. at Boiling Springs Library, 871 Double Bridge Rd., Boiling Springs, S.C. 29316 Wednesday, Oct. 22: 2-6 p.m. at Wellford Baptist Church, 235 Syphrit Rd., Wellford, S.C., 29385 Thursday, Oct. 23: 2-6 p.m. at Dr. T. K. Gregg Community Center, 650 Howard St., Spartanburg, S.C., 29303 The new cases are the result of people who were exposed at one of two Spartanburg County schools and have been quarantining at home, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Health. Because they were quarantining at home before they became infectious, no additional exposure occurred with these new cases, said Dr. Linda Bell, State Epidemiologist & Health Programs Branch Director. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The total vaccination rate among students in the Upstate for the 2024-2025 school year was 92.8%, the lowest of any region in South Carolina, according to the Department of Public Health. Its important to know that the measles virus wont be contained within school, school districts or by county lines, explained Dr. Bell. The MMR vaccine will provide lifelong immunity to the majority of those vaccinated and will contain the virus. 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 WSPA 7NEWS. NEED TO KNOW Authorities rescued a driver whose pickup truck fell 300 feet from U.S. 550, also known as the Million Dollar Highway, on Oct. 9 The victim sustained minor injuries, the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team said The road was the scene of a previous incident that claimed the lives of two people in August A driver whose truck plunged hundreds of feet from an infamous road in Colorado nicknamed the Million Dollar Highway survived the dramatic ordeal. The incident took place on Thursday, Oct. 9, when several agencies were notified around 12:20 p.m. local time that a vehicle had gone off the side of U.S. Highway 550 between mile markers 88 and 89, the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team stated in a Facebook post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First responders from Ouray County EMS, Ouray Volunteer Fire Department and the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team performed a technical rope rescue of the only occupant of a pickup truck that plummeted 300 feet into the Uncompahgre River Gorge off of the highway, the rescue organization wrote. The truck appeared to be severely mangled after the incident in a photo taken at the scene and later shared in the Facebook post. Despite the appearance of the vehicle, the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team said that the victim suffered minor injuries. Ouray Mountain Rescue Team/Facebook A mangled pickup truck after it fell from the Million Dollar Highway on Oct. 9, 2025 A mangled pickup truck after it fell from the Million Dollar Highway on Oct. 9, 2025 According to the City of Ourays visitors website, the Million Dollar Highway is described as a scenic and treacherous mountain road that goes through San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While touted as a destination for fans of the outdoors looking for adventure, the highways narrow lanes, hairpin turns, and steep cliffs have also earned it a reputation as one of the most dangerous roads in America. Ouray Mountain Rescue Team/Facebook A rescue team assists in an Oct. 9. 2025, incident in which a vehicle plunged 300 feet from the Million Dollar Highway A rescue team assists in an Oct. 9. 2025, incident in which a vehicle plunged 300 feet from the Million Dollar Highway The highway was the scene of a previous crash on Aug. 5 that claimed the lives of two people. According to the Colorado State Patrol, officials responded when a car rolled down on Red Mountain Pass, the 11,018-foot summit of the Million Dollar Highway. When troopers arrived, they discovered that a Honda Civic had gone off the shoulder of the road and rolled approximately 320 feet down the mountains side before landing upside down in a river. Two adults were pronounced dead at the scene. One young female passenger who was trapped inside the vehicle was later rescued, authorities said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trooper Hunter Mathews of the Colorado State Patrol confirmed to PEOPLE that an investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing. 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. R. Glenn Boyd, who serves as the Coroner for Ouray County, told PEOPLE that his office has identified the two individuals involved in the accident as Louis Michael, 42, and Leoba Valdez, 79, both of Aztec, N.M. CBS affiliate KCNC reported that a woman survived a roll from the highway on Aug. 7. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ourays tourist site encourages drivers on the Million Dollar Highway to exercise caution and monitor changing weather conditions because the road can be dangerous during winter storms. Additional reporting by Sam Gillette. Read the original article on People A driver was pronounced dead late Tuesday night after a SUV that had been reported carjacked crashed into a tree in the Garfield Park neighborhood. Chicago police said shortly before 11:30 p.m., officers responded to a crash in the 2800 block of West Van Buren Street where a SUV headed west jumped a curb and slammed into a tree. A male driver was found unresponsive inside of the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. A preliminary investigation revealed the silver SUV was taken during a carjacking about 11:20 p.m. in the 4200 block of South Artesian Avenue in the Brighton Park neighborhood. Detectives were investigating. The driver accused of starting a chase that led to the death of a metro Atlanta sheriffs deputy in 2024 has pleaded guilty. Earlier this week, DeCedric Vonche Donson, now 27, was sentenced to 30 years in prison without the possibility of parole, followed by 20 years of probation. In January 2024, Coweta County Sheriffs Office Deputy Sheriff Eric Minix spotted a stolen red 2022 Dodge Challenger that was going too slow and impeding traffic on Interstate 85. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The car, which prosecutors say was being driven by Donson, sped off at speeds of over 150 miles per hour instead of pulling over. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The chase eventually stopped in Alabama, and Minix got out of the car and ordered Donson to put his hands up. Thats when prosecutors say a Lanett, Alabama officer hit Minix with his patrol vehicle. RELATED STORIES: Prosecutors say Donson had over 17 arrests and three prior felony convictions for robbery, grand theft auto and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They say his longest sentence was 21 months for the gun charge. I am thankful that he will be in a Georgia prison until 2054, Coweta County District Attorney Herb Cranford wrote in a statement. Minix leaves behind a wife and three daughters. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Two 4x4 vehicles were found stuck and abandoned in a protected salt pan in North Queensland, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. These stuck vehicles not only cost thousands of dollars to rescue, but they also cause significant environmental damage, disturbing the ecosystem and wildlife species that live there. Drone footage from the ABC report shows the two vehicles bogged down in the Bowling Green National Park salt pans, a short distance from each other. Salt pans, or salt flats, are large areas of flat land covered in salt, where the body of seawater evaporates more quickly than precipitation can replenish the area, per the Salt Association. This leaves behind a crust of salt and minerals that solidifies under the sun. This crust is hardened but not completely impenetrable. Photo Credit: Department of Environment, Tourism, Science, and Innovation Photo Credit: Department of Environment, Tourism, Science, and Innovation "Once you break that crust, it's never-ending mud," said tow truck driver Steve Colbourne. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the report, it seemed the driver of the first vehicle got stuck venturing out on the salt pans and, in an emergency, called on a friend with a capable 4x4 vehicle to come to the rescue. The friend, however, experienced a similar fate, becoming bogged down about one kilometer (just over half a mile) before reaching the first vehicle. The two drivers were forced to abandon their vehicles and call for assistance, which Colbourne responded to. This wasn't Colbourne's first rescue call from the salt pans. So far this year, Colbourne had rescued four other vehicles that became stuck trying to drive on the salt pans. He explained that these rescues require the right conditions to execute, which could cause the car to be stuck in position for weeks or even months before retrieval. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It can cost thousands to have them retrieved," Colbourne said, per the ABC report. Salt accelerates the rate at which metal erodes, causing car frames to slowly rust and deteriorate while stuck in the salt pans. If and when rescued, these cars may return to their owners completely destroyed. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. These stuck vehicles also leave behind significant disturbance and damage to the salt pans, including a damaged crust, uprooted vegetation, compacted or eroded soil, and potential contamination of the salt pan ecosystem. The Bowling Green National Park salt pans, specifically, are recognized and protected as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention an international treaty that aims to protect wetlands, which helps preserve global biological diversity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to paying the exorbitant rescue fee, these 4x4 vehicle owners are looking at a penalty fee that can cost up to $3,226 for illegally driving on protected salt flats. Trucks have been stuck venturing into areas where they are not supposed to go. A truck became stuck after driving onto the sand of a San Francisco beach. Two truck owners visiting the Oregon Coast suffered a similar fate on the beach. Many Australians were furious when they learned of the incident after it was shared on the r/Australia subreddit. "$3k fine is a joke. I'm an avid offroader, and this is the stuff is that gives us all a bad reputation and gets us locked out of the bush," one commenter shared. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This should get treated no differently to hoons racing illegally and have their cars crushed," another commenter chimed in. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. A drone struck an industrial area in the Russian city of Ufa where one of Bashkortostans largest oil refineries is located, the Telegram channel Astra reported on Oct. 15 The Ufaorgsintez refinery is part of the Bashneft oil company, which is affiliated with Russias state-owned energy giant Gazprom. According to Astra, local residents reported seeing smoke near the citys industrial zone and experiencing disruptions to mobile internet service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russian authorities had earlier declared a drone threat in the region and implemented emergency measures at Ufa airport. Just now, Russian oil refinery complex Bashneft in Ufa 1,400 km from the frontline was targeted by drones. Bashneft has a total capacity around 23-26 million tons per year. It is a complex of three oil refineries located right next to each other: Ufimsky refinery (UNPZ) pic.twitter.com/TYsBizHlzQ Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) October 15, 2025 Ufa, the capital of Russias republic of Bashkortostan, lies roughly 1,300 kilometers (820 miles) from the Ukrainian border. If confirmed, the incident would mark the third Ukrainian drone strike in Bashkortostan in the past month. On Sept. 24, a Ukrainian security source told the Kyiv Independent that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) had struck a Bashkortostan oil facility for the second time in a week. Elsewhere, a drone attack was also reported in Volgograd overnight on Oct. 15, according to local Telegram channels. Residents claimed that an oil refinery had been hit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian oil infrastructure deep inside Russia, using long-range drones in an effort to disrupt Moscow's ability to finance and supply its war effort. Read also: Well survive, I just want Ukraine to be free Kyiv prepares for another harsh winter amid blackout concerns Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. By Kim Smith Odessa American An Odessa man who was placed on probation in January in connection with the deaths of two 19-year-olds in a horrific alcohol-related crash had his probation revoked Tuesday and he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Ector County Judge John Shrode granted a prosecution motion to revoke Leonel Torres Jr.s probation after Torres was arrested July 7 on suspicion of assault causing bodily injury/family violence, evading arrest and resisting arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An Ector County jury placed Torres on probation Jan. 29 after he pleaded guilty to two counts of intoxicated manslaughter in the deaths of Alexis Luna and Bryan Contreras. Law enforcement officials said Torres was traveling west on 52nd Street at a high rate of speed when his Chevrolet Tahoe left the roadway shortly before 3 a.m. Sept. 5, 2021, and struck a fence and a tree. Luna and Contreras were thrown from the vehicle. Contreras was pronounced dead at the scene and Luna died at Medical Center Hospital. Multiple witnesses confirmed Torres was the driver. Luna, an Odessa High School graduate who participated in several sports, was survived by a 7-month-old daughter. Contreras was also an OHS graduate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shrode presided over the case which was prosecuted by Greg Barber and William Prasher. On Tuesday, Shrode gave Torres 104 days credit for the time hes served in jail. The post Drunk driver violates probation, gets 10 years in prison appeared first on Odessa American. The legal drama surrounding the collapse of Indian billionaire B.R. Shettys health care empire, NMC, took another turn. A Dubai court ordered the 83-year-old to pay $46 million to State Bank of India, ruling that he lied under oath about personally guaranteeing a $50 million loan. In the judgment, Justice Andrew Moran called Shettys testimony an incredible parade of lies, which included a bizarre claim that NMC employees once held a contest to see who could best forge his signature. Shetty was long heralded as a UAE success story, building NMC into the countrys biggest health care group valued at more than $10 billion at its peak in 2018 before it collapsed after a short seller report alleged the company had inflated its assets and hidden debts. Dutch populist politician Geert Wilders announced on Wednesday that he is resuming campaigning for the October 29 elections following a terrorist threat directed at him last week. Wilders cancelled all public engagements in response. Belgian authorities have detained two men in connection with planning an attack on both Wilders and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever. Wilders, who has become a target largely for his critical comments on Islam, has lived in a state safe house for more than 20 years and has 24-hour security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a post on X announcing his return to active campaigning, he said he and his family were under constant pressure. "My name is on death lists of the Taliban, Al Qaeda and ISIS (Islamic State). And new threats are added almost daily, often too many to lay charges," he posted. He added that he felt a great responsibility to the Netherlands and to all voters supporting his Party for Freedom (PVV), and that he was for that reason resuming his campaigning. Among the main issues in the campaign have been migration and a housing shortage. Wilders has demanded a complete halt to accepting asylum-seekers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Polls put the PVV in the lead on 20% in a highly fragmented political landscape after it became the largest party in the last elections at the end of 2023. At the time, other parties denied him the premiership, which was awarded to the independent Dick Schoof, but the PVV became a formal part of the government for the first time. Wilders withdrew his party from Schoof's four-party Cabinet in June over a dispute about asylum policy. Pre-election polling indicates that the Christian Democrats (CDA) and the Green-Left-Labour (GL-PvdA) alliance led by former European commissioner Frans Timmermans will make gains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The centre-right liberals of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), formerly headed by Mark Rutte, long-serving Dutch premier and currently NATO secretary general, is seen as losing heavily. Observers predict that the established parties will move to exclude Wilders' PVV from government. The 2023 elections saw 15 parties entering the 150-seat parliament. The October 29 elections are being contested by as many as 27 parties in a purely proportional electoral system without a threshold. Peace is the greatest asset a country can have. Peace, stability, a friendly environment and guarantees that all this will be preserved and multiplied. Guarantees are created by the States themselves through the strengthening of international positions, economies, armed forces and diplomatic logistics. Azerbaijan has ensured the strength of these four pillars. And this, to a certain extent, provides an answer to the question of why Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was invited to the World Gas Summit in Egypt. It would be more correct to put the question this way: why couldn't Azerbaijan not be invited to this summit, the most important for the world today. Although Azerbaijan has nothing to do with the issue of Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, our country's name was repeatedly mentioned both at the summit and on the sidelines. The fact is that Azerbaijan is currently the only country in the world with its own experience of successfully resolving a long-standing conflict. At the last stage, the US President joined the settlement process, which accelerated the process and made it irreversible. But Azerbaijan walked the road to August 8 on its own, and from this point of view, its experience is invaluable. So far, no conflict has been resolved without the intervention of numerous intermediaries, without endless meetings and discussions of international stakeholders. No international organization has held meetings to restore the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and the powers have not gathered for summits to bring peace to the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan did it on its own. But we are very grateful to Donald Trump for helping to finally put an end to the negotiations, which could again drag on for many years. The involvement of the United States has given a number of guarantees to the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia. First, it is a guarantee that Yerevan will not risk backing down and stalling for time. After the Washington agreements, he will have to deal with such an interested party as Washington. And Trump will not allow the destruction of what was built on August 8 and what he has already recorded as his asset. Secondly, the presence of the United States in the case has saved the peace process from the annoying interference of other players who are interested not so much in peace as in solving their own problems. After the summit in Washington, all Yerevan's advisers stepped aside, which gave Nikol Pashinyan the opportunity to do the right thing. Therefore, it is not surprising that the US President in Egypt has repeatedly addressed President Ilham Aliyev. Even during Trump's official handshakes with the summit participants, it was noticeable that the Azerbaijani leader had a special place. Not only in the general photo of the participants or in the hall, but in the regional policy and plans of the world's leading power. A WORD TO THE EXPERT Deputy of the Milli Majlis, political scientist Rasim Musabekov: "Please note that everyone is currently focused on Gaza, while the unresolved situation in Gaza has halted a broader and more important process - Israeli-Arab reconciliation. Azerbaijan is important in this broader context. Firstly, because, as a Muslim country, it has excellent relations with Israel, despite all the current bitterness of the war and Israel's confrontation with the Arab world and, in a broader context, with Muslims around the world. Azerbaijan has maintained its relations with Israel, supports them and very often acts as a mediator, for example, between Turkiye and Israel, Syria and Israel. Their negotiations took place in Baku, and I think this will continue. And in this sense, Azerbaijan is very important. In addition, along with maintaining diplomatic relations with Israel, Azerbaijan has a representative office in Ramallah, in Palestine. I think it is also very important that there are great prerequisites for the gas fields on the Gaza shelf to be as rich as those on the Israeli shelf. In the future, the development of these resources will be able to help Gaza somehow revive and not live constantly on cash and humanitarian aid. SOCAR is one of those companies that can receive support from both Arab countries and Israel for the development of these fields. All these factors, I think, were the reason for Donald Trump to insist on Azerbaijan's presence at this summit. Moreover, in my opinion, the experience that Azerbaijan has demonstrated by resolving the very long and seemingly deadlocked Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict is also important. Having settled the conflict, Azerbaijan agreed to sign a peace treaty, and this was consolidated in Washington with the participation of the US President. The matter is moving towards the final Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization. This successful example also played a role in the fact that Azerbaijan was wanted in Sharm el-Sheikh." Azerbaijan should have been in Sharm el-Sheikh also because the country has recently become a player in the Middle East. Moreover, an independent player. Azerbaijan's advantageous geographical location, its resources and stability have long been appreciated by the West and the East. Now the Middle East is also looking at the country. More precisely, Azerbaijan and the Middle East are eyeing each other. The relations between Baku and Islamabad can serve as an example of successful relations between Azerbaijan and the Greater Middle East. Major projects are being implemented with the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Thus, Baku has chosen the right partners for cooperation in the field of renewable energy development. Masdar (UAE) and ACWA Power (Saudi Arabia) have extensive experience in this field, work in many countries, and have dozens of successful projects in their portfolios. Middle Eastern companies are building solar, wind, and hybrid power plants in Azerbaijan, and the Saudis are preparing to join the seawater desalination project. And now serious processes are developing in the direction of Syria. Azerbaijani-Syrian relations are part of Azerbaijan's Middle East policy. "We only want peace for this country, for these people who have suffered for so many years, we want them to live in peace and develop their country," President Ilham Aliyev said about Syria in an interview with Al-Arabiya. Azerbaijani gas supplies to Syria began in August 2025. This is a historic event, because for the first time Azerbaijani gas went to the Middle East. Azerbaijan has not only diversified its export routes, but also opened its way to this region. The parties are discussing the possibilities of expanding energy cooperation. In particular, the Syrian side is finding out what role Azerbaijan could play in restoring the country's oil and gas infrastructure destroyed by wars. According to media sources, the Syrian government is interested in the SOCAR State Oil Company helping to develop oil and gas fields in the northeast of this country. She is interested in Azerbaijan's experience in this area and in its good relations with neighboring Israel. Turkiye acted as a transit country for Azerbaijani gas. In general, the strengthening of Turkish influence in Syria has opened up a space for Azerbaijan's entry into the region, and today it is expanding the boundaries of its economic and political interests. Skeptics and detractors try to associate Azerbaijan's interest and attention to Syria solely with Baku's desire to be in touch with Turkiye. But Baku has repeatedly proved that in addition to fraternal interests within the framework of Azerbaijani-Turkish cooperation, it also has its own interests and approaches. And sometimes the steps he takes show that the factor of Azerbaijan in the region is capable of operating outside the same track with Ankara. Azerbaijan is an independent player. And his interests in Syria and the Middle East as a whole are linked to his interests, Azerbaijan's interests. In the light of the ongoing processes in the Middle East, Azerbaijan can also play an important role as a diplomatic hub. Our country has historically been a bridge between civilizations and has accumulated extensive experience in interacting in difficult conditions and establishing contacts. In recent years, Baku has repeatedly become a mediator between the conflicting parties. It should be recalled that at various times Baku acted as a mediator in resolving differences between Israel and Turkiye, Turkiye and Russia, Israel and Syria. NATO and Russia have repeatedly held meetings at the Azerbaijani site. So Baku has a lot of experience in terms of peacemaking steps. And he's ready to share it. Azerbaijan, having risen several lines in the global "table of ranks" after the Second Karabakh War, is no longer just an observer. He is a participant. Associated British Foods (ABF) has increased its holding in UK-based ready-meals business Cook. Cook confirmed via a statement that ABF took a minority stake in Cook in 2020 and has now raised that shareholding, although the London-listed company still remains a minority investor. ABF, which is looking to expand in the UK bakery sector with the acquisition of Hovis, also acknowledged the transaction in a brief statement to Just Food today (15 October) but the size of the interest has not been disclosed. However, a filing with Companies House in London said the stake was more than 25% but less than 50%. The Hovis deal was carried out through ABFs Allied Bakeries division, the owner of the Kingsmill and Sunblest bread brands. Sarah Arrowsmith, the CEO of Allied Milling & Baking and who is also a board director at Cook, said: Cook is a very impressive business and its been a pleasure to have worked with the team there since our initial investment in 2020. Im delighted that were strengthening our relationship with them, and I look forward to their continued success. Cook was set up in 1997 by Edward Perry and Dale Penfold. Based in Sittingbourne, Kent, it supplies a range of frozen ready meals and puddings produced in its three kitchens. It sells into independent retailers and online and also offers a delivery service. Cook also operates more than 100 shops. A spokesperson for Cook confirmed the products are not available in supermarkets. Outside of British meals, the range includes Indian, Thai and Mediterranean foods, along with free-from, vegan and vegetarian options. In the year to 31 March 2024, Cook generated a turnover of 119.7m ($160.3m), an increase of 13.2% from the previous 12 months. However, the accounts filed with Companies House showed operating profit fell 15.5% to 3.8m, while net profit slid 47% to 1.9m. Cook said in the statement confirming the ABF transaction: Since inception, Cook has always been controlled by the Perry family, along with a small group of co-founders and outside investors who are aligned with our values and our mission to use business as a force for good. We were delighted when ABF joined that group in 2020, since then they have been consistently supportive of both the mission of the company and the long-term control of the Perry family. We are therefore pleased that they have further strengthened their minority stake. "ABF ups stake in UK-based ready-meals business Cook" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. EAST PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) Many peoples day starts with a hot or cold cup of joe, but for one area coffee shop, one certain brew sits among the best in the world. Regulator Roasting Company in East Peoria was scored by the publishing company Coffee Review as having one of the best Costa Rican brews in the entire world. For David Grimm, the owner, Costa Rican coffee means more than just whats in the cup. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When I enjoy a cup of coffee roasters, it takes me back to the mountainside in Costa Rica, Grimm said. Whats fun is the farm where this coffee that won the award is from is about three city blocks from where I asked my wife to marry me, which is actually really cool. When Im drinking it, it takes me back to that exact mountainside looking over the beautiful valleys, enjoying the crisp mountain morning there and enjoying that beautiful cup of coffee, he continued. The publishing company called for roasters to submit up to five different blends of Costa Rican coffee, and among the hundreds of submissions, Regulator was selected to be in the top ten best. The scores range from 86-96, with the East Peoria roaster scoring a 93. South Side Mission launches 54th annual Holiday Meal Ministry Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Costa Rican coffee is just one of several brews offered at Regulator, including Ethiopian, Brazilian and Colombian. We source high-quality, delicious coffee from all over the world, wherever it grows, Grimm said. If its good coffee and I feel like its a delicious cup of coffee, were going to get it and were going to roast it. Opening in the midst of a pandemic, Regulator opened their doors to the central Illinois community at their current location in May 2020. Adapting to the adversity, Grimm started out by just selling bags of coffee beans out of the room where he roasts in. The business has since adapted to having a full cafe space with places for people to sit and enjoy the variety of coffees they serve. 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 CIProud.com. The northern part of Ector County ISD is growing fast, according to demographic data from Hudson Huff, a consultant at Zonda Demographics. Huff presented his numbers on everything from birth rates and school enrollment to unemployment rates and housing starts during an ECISD board workshop Tuesday. Board member Dawn Miller, who works at Betenbough Homes, said people are moving in in droves and they have a waiting list. But there are few elementary schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im concerned about what its going to look like in five to 10 years, Miller said. Trustee Wayne Woodall said north and west Odessa are growing. Were still playing big-time catch-up from not building for over 50 years, Woodall said. Board member Chris Stanley said if they dont do anything, Permian High School will still have more than 4,000 students with a capacity of 3,300. Huff said the local economy is really strong with an unemployment rate of 4.1 percent as of Oct. 1. He said it has ticked up slightly, but with potential data centers moving in there are opportunities developing over the next year or two. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Approximately 1,300 jobs were added in the past 12 months, the board recap said. Home sales have been trending down over past two years as housing costs have risen dramatically. Apartment occupancy rates are 92-94%, above state and national averages (85-88%). Ector Countys population in 2024 was 170,806, Millennials (27.3%) make up the largest percentage of the population, with Gen Z next (26.6%), the board recap said. The median age is 33.6 and the median household income is $207,746. There are six actively building subdivisions and five other future subdivisions in planning stages. One area between Jordan Elementary and Buice Elementary has 378 lots developed and 348 future lots. Overall ECISD enrollment is down 159 students over past five years, most of that decline coming this year. A decline in birth rates, expansion of virtual school options, homeschools, vouchers, and new charter campuses point to a 10-year forecast with a slight decline (0.2%) in ECISDs enrollment. Because of the successful bond 2023 election, a new middle school, the Adela and Gilbert Vasquez Middle School, is scheduled to open in West Odessa in August 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new attendance zone for that school will mean adjusted attendance zones for all middle schools. When creating potential school boundaries, consideration is given to the schools locations, building attendance zones that are contiguous (meaning it is all connected), the most efficient routing of bus transportation, and major roads and railroad tracks, the recap said. The goal of any rezoning effort is to allow students to attend a neighborhood school, to reduce travel time, and to even out enrollment between the schools as much as possible. Zonda presented four initial proposals for new middle school attendance zones. This is just a starting point for the board to consider. Trustees would vote on boundaries in February, but will schedule town hall meetings in the next few months, Superintendent Keeley Boyer said. Board members want to see distances in the attendance boundary proposals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tammy Hawkins, board president, said she doesnt want a child who lives across the street from a school to be bussed somewhere else. To make the decision here, knowing the distance would be helpful, Miller said. In other business, according to the board recap: >> Trustees discussed proposed revisions to Board Policy CV (Local) Facilities Construction. Proposed changes include increasing the construction contract project amount requiring board approval from $50,000 to $100,000, this aligns ECISDs local policy to new expectations outlined in state law; adding language giving the superintendent the authority to approve job order contracting jobs, tasks, or purchase orders that are valued up to $100,000 and are entered into as part of a bond program giving administration the ability to complete bond projects in the most expeditious way; and delegates to the Superintendent or their designee the authority to approve change orders administered as part of a bond program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement >> Trustees also discussed proposed revisions to Board Policy GKD (Local) Community Relations: Non-school use of school facilities. School facilities are available for use by community organizations for non-school purposes. This proposal would delete the text that limits any such agreement to a maximum of 24 months. The post ECISD trustees discuss school attendance zones appeared first on Odessa American. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Economic uncertainty may be forcing retailers to pull back plans for hiring seasonal workers. Overall holiday hires could be much lower than last year and as low as weve seen them in 16 years, according to one forecast. This is absolutely hitting Americans in the pocketbook, University of Central Oklahoma Dept. of Economics Chair and associate professor Dr. Travis Roach said. That, as the holiday season draws closer. Roach is talking about seasonal hiring, which is forecasted to take a hit this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Are you able to realistically bring on a new employee when your future, the holiday sales, everything thats going on in this economy, is that uncertain? he said. LOCAL NEWS: OK Forestry Services: Oklahomans must stay vigilant ahead of more potential wildfires The job openings and labor turnover survey (JOLTS) from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis shows retail hires are down tens of thousands from the beginning of this year. A forecast from job placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas has them dropping in the final three months of this year to the lowest weve seen since 2009, which was a recession year. Uncertainty being a key factor this year, Roach points to President Donald Trumps most recent threat, which was a 100 percent tariff on China on top of what is already in place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If youre a business owner, you have to take that seriously, he said. Amazon appears not to be making any downward adjustments, however. Theyve announced plans to hire 250,000 seasonal workers this year, though that is the same as last year. About 3,500 of them will be in Oklahoma. In the Associated Press report, they said companies like Bath & Body Works plan to hire fewer than normal. In that same report, American Christmas LLC., which does holiday installations on commercial properties like the Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall, said they were hiring less people and ramping up recruitment late in an effort to offset their tariff bill. They said they expect that to be double from last year. Target, UPS, and Macys are staying quiet about their hiring goals in a change from years past. Roach called the situation stagnant right now. Were in a very low, higher, low fire environment, so, again, stagnant, he said. Were not getting the usual churn that we expect of a vibrant, dynamic economy and that alone is going to cause failures in profit expectations, failures in spending. 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 KFOR.com Oklahoma City. GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) Beckers Hospital Review has named the Chief Financial Office (CFO) of ECU Health as a CFO to know. Andy Zukowski has served as ECU Healths CFO since 2022 and he takes care of the financial operations for both ECU Health and ECUs Brody School of Medicine. Zukowski has made the review as one of 38 CFOs to know in the rural hospital and health systems. It is an honor to be nationally recognized for the work the entire team does at ECU Health, said Zukowski. Our goal is to build the national model for high-quality rural academic health care, and being good stewards of our resources is a key component of that. I am proud to work alongside mission-driven individuals who dedicate their time, expertise and energy to meeting the mission of ECU Health by improving the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beckers Hospital Review uses nominations to find outstanding members in the medical community nationally and honor them on their lists. 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 WNCT. Normally, when the state finalizes a big environmental-land purchase particularly one that would save sensitive land from condo-fication and expand the states limited number of coastal parks its cause for celebration. And theres no doubt: The four acres that Gov. Ron DeSantis and members of the Florida Cabinet approved for purchase last week is a pretty piece of property, situated next to the city of Destins Norriego Point Beach park and close to another gem in the states parks system, Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. So why are so many of the states past and current leaders Republicans and Democrats alike crying boondoggle? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Well, that starts with the price tag: $83 million. The math works out to a per-acre purchase price of more than $20 million. We could not find another land purchase in the states history that compares. Nor could Clay Henderson, a New Smyrna Beach conservationist whos known as the father of Floridas environmental-land purchasing program. Next, the seller: Robert Guidry of Louisiana, through two companies he holds (Pointe Mezzanine LLC and Pointe Resort LLC). Hes a lavish campaign donor who has dumped buckets of money into the war chests of Florida Republicans, including $250,000 to one of Gov. Ron DeSantis political committees. Quite curiously, he also gave so much money to local candidates in Okaloosa County (where Destin is located) that he was the No. 1 political donor in local races according to the Midbay News. The sale prompted a long story this weekend in the Tampa Bay Times, which reached out to more than a dozen leading conservation experts in the state, including Gov. Jeb Bushs head of environmental protection. Each and every one of them was appalled. Then theres the weird path it took to come before the Cabinet. The budget passed last spring by the Legislature included a directive to buy this property specifically, as part of the Florida Wildlife Corridor. This ambitious project should eventually sprawl throughout the state, preserving habitat for animals and birds while saving remaining acres of wild lands for future generations. But it didnt include the Destin property in its plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When lawmakers passed the budget (in late June) it didnt include a price tag for this four-acre property just a total figure of $163 million for all the corridor land the state plans to buy this year. When the purchase came before the Cabinet, it was again bundled with other properties. When Blaise Ingoglia, appointed by DeSantis to fill the term of chief financial officer after Jimmy Patronis left for Congress, inquired about the Destin land, DeSantis indicated he wasnt hospitable to a motion to split the properties into separate line items to which Ingoglia meekly acquiesced. (And yes, this is the same Blaise Ingoglia who took the time to jeer at a $6,000 annual appropriation for Orlandos poet laureate. Apparently lavish spending isnt worth objecting to when its millions instead of thousands, and the person pushing the purchase is the one who gave Ingoglia his job.) Under Florida law, before buying land the state is supposed to acquire multiple appraisals that make sure its paying a fair price. Apparently, there was no time for such tomfoolery with this purchase. Instead, they used an appraisal that Guidry provided. Curiously, that appraisal had the lands valuation leaping from what he paid for it less than $8 million in 2016-2017 to $55 million. That means the state paid a price thats a third higher than the value Guidrys assessment claimed. But wait. Theres more. Henderson who says hes been studying the purchase compulsively for the past week discovered that 1/10th of this property is land the state already owns. Thats because its submerged land. State officials might argue that they included that land in order to secure the system of docks and boat slips Guidrys companies constructed. If so, that could be the most expensive wood the state has ever purchased: Officially, the $83 million includes $13 million for those structures. Yet theres no indication in the Cabinet paperwork that the state intends to keep those docks in place. And a busy marina is hardly hospitable to wildlife, further undermining the rationale for buying the land. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So lets get this straight, Floridians: This purchase was rammed through under circumstances that, quite frankly, stink. The experts the Tampa Bay Times interviewed pointed out that properties purchased for the wildlife corridor are supposed to go through an extensive environmental evaluation as well as carrying a price tag that makes sense. This property is unlikely to be used as significant habitat for anything but the humans who will park their cars there, and then trudge across the sand to get to the beach. And it seems near-certain that the state wildly overpaid especially since the property is situated in an area that is highly likely to flood the next time a major hurricane hits that part of the state. Think about this the next time Ingoglia, DeSantis or Attorney General James Uthmeier visit Central Florida on another crusade to proclaim how stupid and wasteful our local cities and counties are. Maybe show up to their high produced press conferences and bring them a little present a baggie or bottle of beach sand, tied up with a price tag that approximates the per-grain price state leaders just squandered, on a piece of property it never needed. The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Krys Fluker, Executive Editor Roger Simmons and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick. Contact us at insight@orlandosentinel.com Despite continuing reports of truce violations, the war between Israel and Hamas appears to have paused after two years of combat and a prolonged and agonizing hostage crisis. From an altitude of 30,000 feet, the outcome for Gaza and Palestine seems to be a resumption of the smoldering stalemate that preceded Hamas' surprise attack on Israel of Oct. 7, 2023. Still fully armed and fielding an estimated 15,000 to 18,000 fighters, Hamas retains control of Gaza. After last week's ceasefire, Hamas' new leadership and its forces emerged from their mostly intact tunnel network to launch a deadly purge of anyone in their beseiged enclave connected with the terrorists' hated archrival, the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority, which, in turn, remains in nominal control of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. If, as has become increasingly apparent, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's primary war aim was not (as he often claimed) to eliminate Hamas but rather to keep the Palestinian people divided between the two factions, he unquestionably succeeded. Conversely, at ground level, the horrors of the last two years are too obvious to ignore. Direct losses in Gaza are estimated at nearly 68,000 people killed and close to 170,000 injured. Beyond that, most of the enclave's 2 million people are on the brink of starvation, wholly dependent on a trickle of outside aid, with virtually no available medical care and no place to live. Ascending again to flight altitude, the war's most significant impacts seem to be its collateral effects around the Middle East. The Lebanese Shiite faction Hezbollah paid for its mistake of attacking Israel with his vast stockpile of Iranian-supplied rockets by having its top and mid-level leadership decimated, much of it through an Israeli subterfuge involving rigged cell phones. Further, it turned out that Hezbollah was all that was propping up the highly unpopular Assad regime in Syria, which quickly disintegrated, shifting that nation from Iran's and Russia's sphere to that of Turkey, prime backers of the now-dominant Hay'at Tahrir al Sham, an Islamic militant Sunni faction that took over last January. Even further from the fighting remain Yemen's Houthis, a militant Shiite faction whose Iranian-supplied missiles have rendered the chokepoint between the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea at times impassable and always risky for ships trying to use the Suez Canal. Their attacks, which ostensibly began "in sympathy" with Hamas, appears unaffected by the Baza ceasefire, and there were legitimate (but in the end unfounded) fears that they might launch another missile barrage on Israel during President Trump's visit a few days ago. Iran, the ultimate source of many of the region's conflicts, didn't get off unscathed. The Gaza War provided both Israel and the United States with sufficient diplomatic cover to carry out long-threatened bombing raids on its nuclear facilities and other military sites, and some of speculated that Iran may have ruled out any Houthi attack on Israel during the president's visit for fear of retaliation. In other words, the two-year war appears to have had its most profound impacts hundreds of miles from the actual fighting. And again, that appears too close to the Netanyahu government's longstanding policies and desires to be entirely coincidence. Throughout his career, Mr. Netanyahu has regarded not Hamas but the Palestinian Authority and the menace of Palestinian unity as Israel's primary enemy, even to the extent of deliberately looking the other way as Iran channeled enough money, arms and equipment to Hamas for constructing its tunnel network and openly training for the Oct. 7 attack. If the fighting in Gaza has genuinely ended, it behooves Israel to investigate the Netanyahu's complicity in enabling the attack. Meanwhile, Hamas gained bragging rights for surviving two years of Israeli attacks at what, at least to what leaders regard as the paltry cost of tens of thousands of lives and continued imposition of unspeakable misery on the millions of people still subject to its brutal control. The recent ceasefire may have freed 20 Israelis, but 2 million Gazans remain hostage. This article originally published at Editorial: Gazans remain hostage to Hamas. Weve all heard the refrain that crime is down in Chicago and, in general, thats true. But while shootings and homicides overall have fallen, one category of violence has grown alarmingly worse: domestic violence. Homicides in Chicago are down nearly 30% and fatal shootings have dropped by 32% year over year, according to city data. But this other form of violent crime tragically is flourishing in Chicago. Its happening in peoples homes rather than on the street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you separate domestic violence cases from other violent crimes, murders are up 30% and fatal shootings are up 53%. Illinois per-capita rate of deaths caused by a spouse or intimate partner 0.49% exceeded the combined rate in New York and California, according to the National Violent Death Reporting System. That shows us the system is not protecting women and children, Ald. Silvana Tabares, 23rd, told us. Thats why she filed a resolution to form a joint task force between the city and Cook County to focus on understanding the problem of domestic violence, where our government systems are working or failing, and coming up with ways to improve. As of Tuesday, 45 of 50 Chicago aldermen had signed on to the resolution. Tabares expects it will pass Thursday, with a county companion ordinance being introduced by 6th District Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller to follow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a crisis that deserves urgent attention. Tabares is right that the dramatic uptick in domestic violence incidents is alarming, and those are just the incidents being reported. Its a problem on a scale that government alone cant solve, and thats something Tabares acknowledged. But government systems set up to serve and protect victims and detain offenders need to do their jobs to chip away at the problem as much as possible, and thats where the task force comes in. Too often, the danger signs are clear long before tragedy strikes. Repeat offenders cycle through the courts, victims struggle to navigate an overburdened system and agencies fail to share information in time to prevent the next attack. A task force that brings these silos together could save lives by ensuring warning signs get action and arent delayed in bureaucracy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under Tabares resolution, city leaders from the Chicago Police Department to Family and Support Services to Chicago Public Schools would meet monthly starting Dec. 1 to assess whats working and what isnt in protecting victims. After six months, the task force would present findings and recommendations in a public hearing. We like that this is not a drawn-out process, but rather a compact, focused effort to tackle the problem and get serious about fixes while the issue is top of mind. Victims, after all, dont have the luxury of waiting. And Tabares efforts were informed by survivors of domestic violence and tragic cases in the news, including the infamous failure of the system to help Laterria Smith, whose 11-year-old son, Jayden Perkins, was murdered as he tried to protect her from a violent ex-partner. His killer, Crosetti Brand, was sentenced in August to life in prison. You have taken away one of the greatest gifts God has blessed me with, Jaydens mother said in court. He was a great kid. He saw what was happening and tried to help me. Brand had been convicted multiple times for physical abuse of Smith and other women, making threats against her and her mother, and violating orders of protection, according to court records. The Illinois Prisoner Review Board made the controversial decision to release Brand on March 12, 2024 one day before the deadly attack. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We wish her story had been different. Her loss is a painful reminder of how much work remains to protect victims of domestic violence. Yet even in the face of such tragedy, many survivors and family members have found the strength to speak out and their courage is helping to drive reform. We applaud Tabares efforts and encourage the City Council to follow through Thursday and adopt this resolution. Violence thrives in societies that fail to condemn it. Moral courage requires us not to look away from this problem, but to confront it directly. Many task forces end up producing reports collecting dust. For the sake of our families, we hope this one is impactful. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A deadly confrontation between a man and his mothers ex-boyfriend ended with the death of the ex-boyfriend on October 7 after a struggle escalated into a strangulation. Man charged with negligent homicide after fight near Horizon According to the arrest affidavit for 23-year-old Jeremiah Aguilar, El Paso County Sheriffs office responded to a 911 call on Winter Spring Place at 1 a.m. to a report of an unconscious male lying face down in the driveway. The caller, 44-year-old Rosalinda Villa, was performing CPR on the 37-year-old Jerome Fanaro. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When emergency responders arrived they took Fanaro to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The court document revealed what led up to the moment life-saving measures allegedly took place. Investigators spoke with Villa, who explained to her that her son, Aguilar, had arrived at the home around 12:20 a.m. when he unexpectedly encountered Fanaro upstairs. During the encounter Aguilar told Fanaro he was not suppose to be there, but the exchange escalated. Aguilar and Fanaro got into a fight that began inside the house then to the front driveway. Villa told sheriffs investigators that she witnessed her son and ex-boyfriend wrestling. At one point, Villa said she saw her son place Fanaro in a chokehold around the neck. Villa said that as she went inside the house to get belongings, she saw her son on his back with Fanaro on top of him, still in the chokehold. By the time Villa returned, she saw Fanaro lying unresponsive in the driveway with her son kneeling beside him. Aguilar told her he thought Fanaro was faking it, prompting her to call 911. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Aguilars conversation with detectives, he had intended to keep Fanaro at the home until law enforcement arrived, as Fanaro was known to harass Villa. Aguilar admitted to tightening the chokehold when Fanaro tried to escape, but loosened it when he noticed Fanaros breathing slowing down. He claimed that he did not realize how tight his grip had become and was unaware of the seriousness of the situation. Aguilar also mentioned that Fanaro had apologized repeatedly during the struggle, telling him that he loved Villa. Aguilar, however, said he did not accept the apology, responding with harsh words and expressing that Fanaros actions toward his mother showed a lack of love. Investigators later executed a search warrant at the home and recovered video footage from a security system at the property. The footage captured Aguilar holding Fanaro in the chokehold outside the home, shortly before the two moved out of the cameras view. The El Paso County Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on Fanaro and provided preliminary findings stating that the cause of death was strangulation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aguilar was was charged with criminal negligent homicide and was arrested and booked on Oct. 10. He was given a $50,000 cash or surety bond. Records show he is expected to appear for a bond hearing on Oct. 23 at 1:30 p.m. 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 KTSM 9 News. Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) is included among the Top 15 Growth Stocks for Long-Term Investors. Aflacs (AFL) Global Reach and its Long-Standing Record as a Dividend Aristocrat An American insurance company, Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL), mainly focuses on supplemental health and life insurance. The Japanese market plays a vital role in Aflacs overall performance, contributing a substantial share of its earnings. In the second quarter of 2025, Aflac Japan reported net earned premiums of 254.6 billion. The company recorded a 23.2% year-over-year increase in sales, supported by strong premium persistency. Much of this growth was driven by the success of its new cancer insurance product, Miraito. Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) continues to prioritize innovation, product development, and the expansion of its distribution network through strategic partnerships. The companys current focus lies in strengthening its distribution channels and enhancing its product portfolio to align with changing customer needs. Success for the company depends on its ability to develop competitive products, deepen market penetration, and effectively manage regulatory requirements across both Japan and the United States. In addition to its global presence, Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) is widely known because of its status as one of the best dividend aristocrat stocks. The company has been rewarding shareholders with growing dividends for the past 42 years and currently pays a quarterly dividend of $0.58 per share. As of October 12, the stock has a dividend yield of 2.09%. While we acknowledge the potential of AFL 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: 12 Most Promising Dividend Stocks According to Wall Street Analysts and 14 Best Food Dividend Stocks To Buy According to Analysts. Disclosure: None. Voters in Kutztown will choose a mayor in the Nov. 4 general election. Democratic incumbent James Schlegel and Republican candidate Nathan Hollister are running for the four-year term. The candidates were asked to respond to the following questions. Question 1: What makes you an ideal representative of this area? Question 2: What needs improvement in your municipality? James Schlegel James Schlegel Party: Democrat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Age: 75. Occupation: Schlegel is retired. Response 1: Ive lived in Kutztown all my life, except for a stint in the Army where I served in Germany and Vietnam. I know every little corner of this town, and Ive been involved with a lot of social and civic organizations like the American Legion, Jaycees, the Lions Club, the Optimist Club and the Kutztown Historical Society. I was on borough council for 10 years where I learned the inner workings of the borough. l became mayor of Kutztown on Jan. 2, 2018, and Ive enjoyed being a spokesman for our great town. Im always willing to listen to borough residents and help them with their concerns. I cant always provide the outcome theyre hoping for, but I listen and respond. Over my eight years as mayor, Ive developed a great working relationship with Kutztown University and Ive also worked hard to support industry reopening in Kutztown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As an ambassador for the borough of Kutztown, Ive been invited to talk with Kutztown elementary students to explain the duties of a mayor and how a borough government works, which has been a rewarding experience. Response 2: Our community defines us and makes Kutztown a great place to live so I would love to see more student rental properties turned into affordable family homes. Residents and businesses are always concerned about the availability of parking spaces, that definitely needs more consideration. I think we could do a better job of communicating with the residents by using all the resources we have available to notify them of things like road closures, snow emergencies, upcoming events, etc. Hollister did not provide a response. The Illinois State Board of Elections will decide next week whether it should follow a hearing officers recommendation and reject state Senate President Don Harmons appeal of a nearly $10 million fine for accepting campaign contributions in excess of state campaign finance limits. The board at its Tuesday meeting will consider the recommendation of Northbrook attorney Barbara Goodman, who heard arguments from Harmons attorney on Aug. 20 and found last week that Harmons campaign committee failed to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that the assessment was in error or that no actual violation of (the law) occurred. At issue is an Illinois election law, which Harmon co-sponsored, aimed at curbing the influence of big money in political campaigns and one key provision that ostensibly was written to ensure lesser-funded candidates werent hurt by the campaign contribution limits. The provision sought to offset challenges from deep-pocketed rivals who self-fund their campaigns or have help from wealthy independent expenditure groups by lifting contribution limits for all candidates in a contest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the lifting of limits after a candidate gave themselves more than $250,000 in a statewide race or $100,000 in other races quickly became a way for powerful incumbents, including Harmon, to take in unlimited donations to enhance their own electability and engender loyalty by being able to distribute money to the campaigns of allies. The issue in Harmons case centered on what constitutes an election cycle and was more complicated as Senate terms are split between two- and four-year terms, unlike those of the Illinois House, which are run every two years. Harmon argued that the time limit for accepting unlimited campaign contributions lasted beyond just the next state election to when his own office was actually up on the ballot. Election board staff determined that the Friends of Don Harmon for State Senate campaign fund last year accepted more than $4 million above the contribution limits. The boards action was prompted by a Chicago Tribune inquiry about the committees fundraising activities. Harmon contributed $100,001 to his own campaign in January 2023 and, in his appeal, indicated he thought the move allowed him to collect unlimited cash throughout the November 2024 election cycle. But board officials informed him the loophole would only remain open through the March 2024 primary, meaning any campaign cash exceeding the contribution limits that he received after the primary through the end of the year was not allowed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harmon was not a 2024 candidate but is on the ballot next year. The board staff in June levied a fine of $9.8 million against Harmons political fund, but he appealed and sought to have the case dismissed and his committees attorney, veteran Democratic Party attorney Michael Kasper, made his arguments to the hearing officer on Aug. 20. But Goodman said that based upon the plain language of the statute, as well as Harmons previous actions under the self-funding statute, the evidence establishes that the committee did, in fact, exceed the contribution limits and the assessment of civil penalties was appropriate. She recommended the full board deny Harmons appeal and declare that the assessment of penalties stands. In her 15-page recommendation, Goodman noted that on four previous occasions in lifting the contribution cap, Harmons political committee had followed what the election board staff had considered to be election cycles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nevertheless, the committee for the first time either changed its interpretation of the time period for the lifting of the contribution limits or simply chose to ignore them, Goodman wrote. When she asked Kasper about the change, she said he advised the prior interpretations were not relevant. The statute did not change. The candidate and committees conduct inexplicably changed when it did not file a Notification of Self-Funding after the March 19, 2024 election and no cognizable justification was given for its failure to do so, she wrote. Kaspers appeal also contended the board staffs fine was unconstitutional. But matters of constitutionality cannot be considered by the elections board, though it could become the basis of a court appeal if the fine is allowed to stand. Political consultant Tom Bowen, a spokesperson for Harmons political operation, said, We are confident in our legal interpretation of this matter and look forward to presenting our arguments at the next phase of this process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The eight-member State Board of Elections consists of four Republicans and four Democrats. The board could either vote to accept the hearing officers recommendation or side with Harmons appeal. A split vote, a likely possibility given the boards makeup, would let the fine stand, but Harmon can appeal the decision in circuit court. The libertarian-leaning Liberty Justice Center, which frequently advocates on behalf of Republican causes, had sought to intervene in the case, but Goodman rejected the effort. Ryan Morrison, the centers senior counsel, said he was pleased that Goodman correctly interpreted the law, found that Senator Harmon violated it, and concluded that the charges and fines against him should stand. Morrison said if the board does not accept Goodmans recommendation or deadlocks on a tie vote, it would appeal to allow it to intervene to ensure that the campaign finance laws in Illinois are correctly and consistently applied. The $9.8 million in penalties proposed by the boards staff includes a payment to the states general fund equal to the more than $4 million that election officials say Harmon raised in excess of the contribution limits, plus a nearly $5.8 million fine calculated based on 150% of that same amount. NEED TO KNOW The Kansas City Police Department said a van fatally struck a girl riding her bike on the morning of Oct. 14 A GoFundMe started by relatives identified the victim as 9-year-old Hazen Workman-Duffy Police said the investigation into the incident is ongoing A 9-year-old girl was fatally struck by a van while riding her bike on her way to school in Kansas City, Mo. In an email shared with PEOPLE, the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) said authorities were notified about a critical injury crash at Longview Road and Food Lane around 7:19 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Oct. 14. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said that according to an initial investigation, a white Ford Transit van was moving northbound on Food Lane Drive and was turning westbound onto Longview Road at the intersection. At the same time, a juvenile female was riding her bicycle within the marked crosswalk and had a green signal. The van struck the bicyclist, causing her to fall to the roadway, the KCPD said in the email. Witness Ruby Perkins told CBS affiliate KCTV, We pulled over on the side, and we both ran over to her. Then another lady started performing CPR on her. Kailey Thompson also saw the crash while at the intersection, and later told NBC affiliate KSHB, "I saw the little girl coming from the same direction as [the driver] on the crosswalk. He looked like he just didn't see her and smacked into her and immediately pulled over and got out of the car." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, the KCPD said. The driver of the truck reportedly remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation. Thompson recalled the driver being devastated. "He was on his knees holding this girl's arm, praying over her, Thompson said, per KSHB. Police did not identify the victim, but relatives said she was Hazen Workman-Duffy, 9, according to KCTV and a GoFundMe. FOX4 News Kansas City/Youtube Intersection where Workman-Duffy was struck Intersection where Workman-Duffy was struck "Hazen was a 9-year-old ball of fire that enjoyed life. She was a girl that enjoyed many things drawing, coloring, biking, swimming, playing with her friends and snuggling her stuffed axolotl. Hazen also loved to give hugs, and they were the best hugs that could turn a bad day into a great day!" read the fundraiser description. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The GoFundMe stated that Hazen was riding her bike to school that morning when the collision happened. "Hazen's sudden passing has left her family heartbroken," the fundraiser addded. The girl was a student at Ingels Elementary School, according to the Hickman Mills School District. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the students family, friends, and the Ingels Elementary community, the district said in a statement, according to Fox affiliate WDAF. Counselors and support staff are available to assist students and staff as they process this tragic loss. The school district and the GoFundMe organizer did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for additional information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perkins told WDAF that she called the victims mother after she searched the girls backpack for family contact information and came across a permission slip to visit the zoo. One of the toughest conversations that Ive ever had to have in my life. My daughter is a year younger than her daughter, Perkins told the outlet. I stayed on the phone with her until she got up to the scene. 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. The KCPD told PEOPLE that the investigation into the incident is still ongoing because authorities are still processing evidence, reconstructing the crash and awaiting the autopsy results from the medical examiners office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once those things have been completed, the case will be submitted to the Jackson County Prosecutors office for the consideration of applicable charges, police said. Read the original article on People NEED TO KNOW Ellen Greenberg was found dead in 2011 from more than 20 stab wounds, which her parents believe were not self-inflicted Her parents fought in court to have the manner of death turned back from suicide to homicide The Philadelphia medical examiner reviewed the manner of death and deemed it a suicide again After fighting for years to have their daughters manner of death changed from suicide to homicide or undetermined, Sandee and Josh Greenberg were floored when the Philadelphia medical examiner reviewed the case and ruled it a suicide once more. I was kicked in the stomach pretty much, and dumbfounded, Sandee Greenberg told ABC's Nightline co-anchor Juju Chang on the Tuesday, Oct. 14, broadcast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I couldn't talk for two days and I couldn't read it, she said about the 32-page reevaluation of her daughter Ellen Greenbergs 2011, stabbing death. I don't know what our future options are, but we are not going away and we're not giving up, she said. So just because there was a period at the end of the sentence does not mean we forgot about our daughter. We love her very much. Facebook Ellen Greenberg The two have spent years trying to change the manner of death so that their daughters death could be further investigated. We want to know the truth, Josh Greenberg said on Nightline, in an exclusive clip below. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The familys ordeal began on the night of Jan. 26, 2011, when Ellens fiance, Sam Goldberg, then 28, found her dead on the kitchen floor of their Philadelphia apartment. An autopsy showed that she had 20 stab wounds, including to the top of her head, back of her neck, spine and heart. Then-assistant Philadelphia medical examiner Dr. Marlon Osbourne found 11 bruises all over her body in various stages of healing. Dr. Osbourne ruled her death a homicide. Weeks later, after a meeting with law enforcement and others, he changed it to suicide. As a result, the Greenbergs filed two lawsuits against the City of Philadelphia, settling the case in February. Part of the settlement included a review of the manner of death by the current Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Lindsay Simon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At that time, Dr. Osbourne signed a statement saying he no longer believes that Ellen died by suicide based on new evidence presented to him. Courtesy Greenberg Family Sam Goldberg and Ellen Greenbergt Sam Goldberg and Ellen Greenbergt Nightline interviewed the Greenbergs on Oct. 14, the day they attended a remote hearing with Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge Linda Carpenter about the completion of Simons report, which marked the end of the Greenbergs lawsuits with the city. In the report, Simon said she considered reports from experts hired by the Greenbergs, including from renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht, who believed that Ellens wounds were not self-inflicted. She also said she viewed the recent Hulu three-part docuseries, Death in Apartment 603: What Happened to Ellen Greenberg?, which features experts who detail why they believe she was murdered. One expert believed that some of her wounds were inflicted after she died. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the documentary, former pathologist and medical examiner Dr. DMichelle DuPre says, This is an unusual case because there were mistakes from the very beginning. I have investigated stabbing suicides in my career, but I've never seen anyone stab themselves in the back. In Simon's final analysis, however, she wrote that while the distribution of injuries is admittedly unusual, the fact remains that Ellen would be capable of inflicting these injuries herself." Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. "The fiances DNA was not detected on the knife used to inflict the injuries and that there was no evidence of an abusive relationship between them, she wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Simon did find three more superficial wounds in her review and 20 additional bruises. If that doesn't demonstrate more in support of a homicide, I'm not quite sure what would, the Greenbergs attorney Joseph Podraza told Nightline. Summing up the Greenbergs' beliefs, Chang said to them, "in your scenario, somebody got away with murder, to which Josh Greenberg replied, That's what I believe." Goldberg, her fiance, was never a suspect and has never been charged with any crime. He did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Read the original article on People ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) An Elmira Police Officer who has been on suspension for several months was arrested Wednesday on felony and misdemeanor charges after an incident involving the alleged release of confidential information over the summer, according to information from the Elmira Police Department and New York State Police. Shyonna M. Pacheco, 26, of Pine City, was charged on Wednesday, Oct. 15, on the following charges: Hindering prosecution in the second degree, a class E felony. Two counts of official misconduct, a class A misdemeanor. Two counts of obstruction of governmental administration in the second degree, a class A misdemeanor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The charges on Pacheco stem from a tip back on July 18, when the EPD was made aware that an EPD officer was alleged to have provided confidential information to another person. The unauthorized release of information jeopardized an active investigation and placed people who were involved in the investigation at risk, the EPD said. Pacheco was suspended soon after, based on the severity of the allegation, and the EPD then contacted the NYSP to conduct a deeper investigation. On July 31, two search warrants were conducted, and multiple electronic devices were taken for forensic analysis, police said. The results of the investigation led to Pachecos arrest. Pacheco was arrested and processed in the City of Elmira Court and released pending further court proceedings, troopers said. An internal investigation is ongoing by the EPD into Pacheco, and the termination process has been initiated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The EPD said in a statement that it will not tolerate official misconduct among its officers and that this behavior does not reflect the values of the department. Pacheco has been an officer with the department for more than two years, being sworn in in January 2023 and completing the academy in October 2023. 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 WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. Trump has been at odds with GOP Rep. Thomas Massie and is hoping to drive him out of office. Elon Musk said in July that he planned to donate to Massie and Massie thanked him for it. But Massie's campaign has yet to disclose any contribution from Musk. Elon Musk said he was going to donate to Rep. Thomas Massie in July. As of the end of September, it hasn't happened yet. The Kentucky Republican's campaign filed its latest quarterly report with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday, and Musk's name appears nowhere among the various campaign donors listed in the document. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report covers all of the Massie campaign's donations and spending from the beginning of July through the end of September. Neither Musk nor Massie's campaign responded to a request for comment. There's no indication that Musk no longer personally supports the Kentucky congressman, and it's still possible that he may support him financially in the future. Massie's reelection in Kentucky has been shaping up as something of a proxy battle between Musk and President Donald Trump. Trump has made clear that he would like to see Massie defeated in a primary next year. His political allies have begun running ads against the Kentucky congressman after he voted against the passage of Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," citing the bill's impact on the debt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Musk opposed the megabill for the same reason, which helped spur his feud with Trump months ago. As the bill made its way toward final passage at the beginning of July, Musk publicly indicated that he would donate to Massie, replying "Me" to a user asking who else would donate to the Kentucky congressman reelection campaign. Massie quickly touted Musk's support, writing in a post hours later that he was "extremely thankful to have Elon Musk's financial assistance." Musk said earlier this year that despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars to support Trump and other Republicans in the 2024 election, he planned to step back from political giving. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also said after the passage of the "Big Beautiful Bill" that he would be launching a third party called the "America Party." Months later, no such party has materialized. Musk has occasionally expressed support for some of Trump's actions since their feud began, and the two were seen chatting at Charlie Kirk's memorial service last month. Read the original article on Business Insider A bipartisan committee in the U.S. Congress has reportedly begun a probe into Elon Musks Starlink satellite business for its alleged involvement in providing internet access to scam centers in Myanmar. Starlink Is Myanmars Largest Internet Provider Scam centers using Starlink internet services have been accused of swindling billions of dollars from victims worldwide, as per an investigation by news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP). Satellite images and drone footage show frenetic building work in the heavily guarded compounds around Myawaddy on the Thailand-Myanmar border, which appear to be using Starlink satellite internet service on a huge scale, according to the report. Trending: Missed Nvidia and Tesla? RAD Intel Could Be the Next AI Powerhouse Just $0.81 a Share Now, the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee told AFP that they launched an inquiry into the role of Starlink in providing internet services to the scam centers. It has the authority to compel Musk to testify. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SpaceX, which owns Starlink, did not respond to a request for comment. China, Thailand, and Myanmar reportedly coerced pro-junta Myanmar militias, who safeguard the centers, into pledging to eradicate the compounds in February. This led to the release of about 7,000 individuals, mostly Chinese citizens, from the call center-style system, which the UN says operates on forced labor and human trafficking, according to the report. Despite this, Starlink has surged to become the country's largest internet provider within three months, according to data from the APNIC Asian regional internet registry. AFP's satellite image analysis found extensive construction at KK Park and other suspected scam centers, including the "notorious" Shwe Kokko sites, in the Myawaddy cluster between March and September. See Also: Accredited Investors Can Now Tap Into the $36 Trillion Home Equity Market Without Buying a Single Property Abhorrent Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), the top Democrat on the U.S. congressional committee, urged Musk to suspend Starlink services to these fraudulent centers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She told AFP, While most people have probably noticed the increasing number of scam texts, calls, and emails, they may not know that transnational criminals halfway across the world may be perpetrating these scams by using Starlink internet access. This is not the first time that Starlinks activities have come under scrutiny. In July, Hassan urged Musk to halt Starlink access for criminal organizations in Southeast Asia. The U.S. Treasury Departments Financial Crimes Enforcement Network had reported that these groups defrauded Americans of billions of dollars. Former California prosecutor Erin West stated, It is abhorrent that an American company is enabling this to happen. Read Next: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Image via Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga: This article Elon Musk's Starlink Is Reportedly Being Probed For Alleged Role In Myanmar Scam Centers: 'It Is Abhorrent' originally appeared on Benzinga.com BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) The Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is reporting a malfunctioning siren on Wednesday afternoon. The siren located near Walker Mill Road at South Avenue is malfunctioning and going off as a result, according to Connor OHalloran, with Mahoning County EMA. The EMA says there is no cause for concern and they are working to address the problem. Gerry Ricciutti and Kristen Hephner contributed to this report. 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 WKBN.com. (FOX40.COM) A 63-year-old employee of a Live Oak daycare was arrested after deputies received reports of sexual abuse involving a child at the facility, according to the Sutter County Sheriffs Office. Video Above: More than 200 suspected child sex abuse offenders arrested SCSO said deputies received a report of suspected child sexual abuse at the state-licensed facility, Kurse Oralia Family Child Care Home, also known as Kruses Playhouse Daycare on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detectives with the Sutter County Sheriffs Investigations Unit launched an investigation and identified the suspect as 63-year-old Steven Kruse, an employee of the daycare. Through forensic interviews, SCSO found that Kruse allegedly sexually abused multiple children while they were in his care. Kruse was arrested on Tuesday after additional investigation. According to the sheriffs office, the suspect was booked on Wednesday on multiple felony charges, including oral copulation or sexual penetration with a child under 10, lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 and dissuading a witness from reporting a crime. His bail is set for $500,000, and his arraignment is scheduled for Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division, was notified and opened an administrative investigation into the facility. SCSO said the City of Live Oak issued an immediate revocation of the business license to Kruses Playhouse Daycare. This action was taken in accordance with the city of Live Oak Municipal Code, Section 5.36.030 Suspension or Revocation, and Section 5.08.080 Other Agency Review, specifically related to relevant, active issues under police consideration and for the general safeguard of the public, officials with the sheriffs office said. The Sutter County District Attorneys Office has also been notified, SCSO said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Armed man barricades himself in Arden-Arcade home, deputies say The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Detective Rhiley Harrison or Sergeant Ernesto Chavez at the Sutter County Sheriffs Office at 530-822-7307. 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 FOX40 News. (The Center Square) An emergency responder wants to disband Teamsters representation at her station in southwestern Pennsylvania. Its one of a handful of cases in the commonwealth where workers say unions pressure them to remain members and use their dues to fund political activities lest they face termination a violation of their constitutional rights. In this complaint, filed Tuesday with the National Labor Relations Board, Shannon Miller an employee at North Huntingdon EMS/Rescue in Westmoreland County said her request for a secret ballot election to vote on continued representation from Teamsters Local 205 was wrongly denied based on a bureaucratic technicality not found in national labor laws that union officials exploit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Backed by the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, Miller argues that the Teamsters leadership uses monopoly collective bargaining rights to threaten workers jobs. Her complaint points to a board-adopted rule that sets a minimum six-month timeline for contract bargaining, of which her original filing fell eight days short. Teamsters union brass, increasingly unable to hold onto their rank and file, are choosing to silence worker voices by not allowing them the chance to have their wishes expressed via secret ballot elections, said Foundation President Mark Mix. This attempt to use any means to keep workers trapped in a union they oppose and never even voted for demonstrates why the NLRB should move to eliminate the various board-created hurdles that workers face when attempting to exercise their statutory right to hold decertification elections. NLRB is the abbreviation for the National Labor Relations Board, which is responsible for overseeing local groups to ensure enforcement of federal labor laws. Miller says the Pittsburgh regional director dismissed her first request, citing the timeline issue, which is not spelled out in statutes. In July, a Coca-Cola driver in Houston, Pa., filed a federal lawsuit against Teamsters Local 585 violated his constitutional right to opt out of membership and avoid paying dues that can support political activities. However, the union contract stipulated that joining was mandatory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit points to what critics say is a slush fund for Democratic candidates bankrolled by automatic payroll deductions of union dues, many of whom rank-and-file members dont support. The Commonwealth Foundation, a conservative policy group based in Harrisburg, said government unions spent $33 million in 2023 and 2024 supporting political action committees and other causes, of which just 5.2% backed candidates from other parties. Foundation research shows that membership dues bankrolled more than half of the $227 million unions have spent on political endeavors since 2007. According to the report, the organizations spent the money on voting drives, lobbying, mailers, and PAC contributions to sidestep claims that the money doesnt directly support political candidates. In August, the Freedom Foundation filed an ethics complaint against the Pennsylvania State Education Association which represents 177,000 current and retired educators that says the union concealed a $1.5 million campaign contribution to Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro by routing it through unauthorized political funds and the Democratic Governors Association, violating state and federal campaign finance law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement to The Center Square, the association spokesman Chris Lilienthal denied the allegations. Investigations remain ongoing. PSEA, through its Fund for Student Success, made a lawful contribution to DGA, into an account that was permitted to accept union contributions, he said. None of those funds were used to make direct contributions to the Shapiro campaign. Andrew Holman, a foundation policy analyst and author of the report, said that in a swing state like Pennsylvania, its impossible for 9 in 10 members to agree completely with their union bosses' political priorities. Government unions dont even try to hide their blatant partisanship, Holman said. Unfortunately, it is union members who suffer when they learn how union bosses are spending their dues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the 2024 election, for example, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters declined to endorse a presidential candidate bucking a two-decade streak of Democratic support because of its members differing views. A straw poll conducted that same year showed 60% of the unions rank-and-file members supported Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. During the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Teamsters President Sean OBrien reiterated the sea change. The American people arent stupid, he said. They know the system is broken. We all know how Washington is run. Working people have no chance of winning this fight. The Teamsters represent 1.3 million workers from newspaper reporters to zookeepers to police officers and everything in between across the country. It was Republican congressional support guaranteeing sick leave for unionized rail workers, however, that inspired OBrien to endorse Trump even if he was called traitor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I want to be clear: at the end of the day, the Teamsters are not interested if you have a D, R or I next to your name, he said. We want to know one thing: what are you doing to help American workers? Regional chapters of the union stood behind Kamala Harris and other Democratic candidates. Holmans research found that the same held true in Pennsylvania, where unions spent $2.1 million on state and local races that helped maintain the partys one-seat majority in the state House of Representatives. With a long-standing record of transparency issues within these unions, many members remain in the dark about what their dues are actually funding, Holman said. Amber Beverage UK (ABUK) has acquired the assets of Ten Locks, the Manchester-based distributor owned by Kingsland Drinks. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The agreement hands ABUK immediate responsibility for the UK distribution of the Ten Locks portfolio. Ten Locks distributed products including El Tequileno Tequila, Lind & Lime gin, Banhez mezcal and non-alc brand Three Spirit. ABUK marketing director Zippy Bakowska told Just Drinks five Ten Locks employees will join the business in sales and operations. Bakowska said: "ABUK prides itself on our omni-channel distribution strategy. We will be working with the individual brand owners to leverage the great work of the Ten Locks team and the brands existing strengths, such as El Tequilenos recent new listing in Co-op and Lind & Limes recent new listing in Sainsburys. Simultaneously, we will be looking for synergies with ABUKs geographic reach and expertise to grow these brands further, for example seeding Three Spirit into our extensive network of on-trade customers. ABUK, part of the Luxembourg-headquartered Amber Beverage Group, distributes brands including Flor de Cana rum, Faustino wine from Rioja and Fortaleza Tequila. It also handles Amber Beverage brands, including Moskovskaya vodka and The Irishman whiskey, in the UK. In a statement announcing the deal, ABUK CEO Sam Thackeray, said: In what is a distinctly tricky time for the drinks trade and hospitality industry, with all the negative news and legislative and fiscal challenges, it is wonderful to be able to focus on growth through new, dynamic brands and highly ambitious people. Kingsland Drinks, also based in Manchester, is also a contract packer and bottler working with brands and retailers. MD Sarah Baldwin, who joined Kingsland Drinks from UK-based Purity Soft Drinks in April, said: Our deal with ABUK supports our strategy to maximise the value of our world-class capabilities and infrastructure at our site in Irlam, Greater Manchester. "Were preparing for investment in 2026 to enhance our full-category services, which already include our NPD lab for wine and spirits development, high-speed canning lines, and bottling and bag-in-box lines. Streamlining our business operations positions us strongly for future growth." "Amber Beverage UK buys Ten Locks from Kingsland Drinks" was originally created and published by Just Drinks, a GlobalData owned brand. MAULDIN, S.C. (WSPA) The Mauldin Police Department is asking for help in finding a disabled woman who was reported missing Wednesday morning. 51-year-old Heather Skipper was reported missing at approximately 7:11 a.m. Wednesday morning. She was last seen at at Orient Drive. Skipper is described as standing at 53 and 250lbs with short brown hair. Skipper was last seen wearing blue jeans and a purple shirt with the word thrive in yellow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities said Skipper is intellectually disabled and has multiple mental health conditions. Anyone with information about Skippers whereabouts is asked to contact the Mauldin Police Department at (864) 289-8900. 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 WSPA 7NEWS. The latest Department for Education data reveal a major demographic shift taking place across Englands schools, reflecting broader national population trends. According to the Department for Educations 2024/25 school census, which includes roughly 21,500 state-funded primary and secondary schools, White British pupils account for 60.3% of students, down from 62.6% two years earlier. Separate analysis by The Telegraph found that White British pupils are a minority in about one in four schools, with 72 reporting none at all and 454 where they represent fewer than 2% of pupils. Urban areas such as London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bradford, and Leicester show the sharpest demographic shifts. At Rockwood Academy in Birmingham, none of the 1,084 pupils are recorded as White British, while Loxford School in Redbridge, London, lists only 12 of 2,779 pupils in that category, according to The Telegraph. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Across England, White British pupils are now a minority in roughly one-third of local authority areas, up from one-quarter a decade ago. In London, only Bromley retains a White British majority at 50.3%, compared with about 5% in Newham and 7% in Harrow, The Telegraph reported. These findings align with a 2025 report, Demographic Change and the Future of the United Kingdom, by Professor Matt Goodwin of the University of Buckingham. Using census data and Office for National Statistics projections, Goodwin estimated that the White British share of the UK population could fall from about 73% in 2025 to 57% by 2050, 44% by 2075, and around 34% by 2100. He projected that when distinguished from other White groups such as European migrants, White British citizens could become a minority around 2063. Goodwin described these population changes as historically unprecedented, citing higher migration, differing fertility rates, and an aging native population as main factors. He projected that by 2100, about six in ten people in the UK will be either foreign-born or born to at least one foreign-born parent, compared with todays 81% UK-born majority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The same report projected that the Muslim share of the UK population could increase from about 7% in 2025 to 11% by 2050 and nearly 19% by 2100, assuming current migration and fertility trends continue. The Department for Educations full dataset includes more than 9 million pupils across roughly 24,000 schools in England. An aerial view shows the extensive destruction in southern Gaza's Khan Yunis following the implementation of a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces on Oct. 15, 2025. Credit - Muhammed EslayehGetty Images A fragile ceasefire has taken hold in Gaza, just over two years after war broke out. But the conflict has devastated Gazathe United Nations has estimated that rebuilding will cost an estimated $70 billion, and the region faces a long road to recovery. The fighting has also contributed to environmental devastation. A new report from the Arava Institute, an academic and research center looking to advance environmental peace-building in the Middle East, has found that the war has left approximately 69% of Gazas infrastructure damaged, and destroyed the regions water and energy systems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even before the outbreak of war, Gazans faced a number of environmental concerns. The situation in Gaza on the ground prior to October 7, 2023 was, from an environmental and humanitarian point of view, not good, says David Lehrer, Arava Institutes director of applied environmental diplomacy. Gaza faced an energy supply deficiency, receiving only 50% of the energy it needed, and 95% of water was polluted, according to Lehrer, who added that the region faced additional environmental hazards such as disease and air and soil pollution from poor waste disposal. The war only compounded these problems. Gazas fuel shortage, caused by Israels blockade of the territory, led to the shutdown of essential infrastructure such as water and wastewater treatment necessary for environmental and public health. (Despite the ceasefire, Israel is still not allowing fuel or gas to enter Gaza as of Oct. 14, according to Reuters.) Water availability plummeted to as little as 8.4 liters (2.2 gallons) per person per dayfar below the World Health Organizations emergency minimum of 15 liters (3.9 gallons). Raw sewage, which has gone untreated and continued to build up during the war, is contaminating the aquifer Gaza shares with Israel and Egyptcreating ideal conditions for waterborne disease outbreaks. More than 80% of croplands have been damaged or destroyed, the report continues, further impacting food security and the regions ability to feed itself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The war has done a massive hit on the productivity of land, says Lehrer. Fields that produced vegetables that supply the local market have been decimated. Large areas have been hit by munitions which spread all kinds of noxious gasses that seep into the soil. The report, which serves as an update to a 2024 analysis of the wars environmental and humanitarian impacts, relies on research from international organizations like the United Nations and World Health Organization, along with eyewitness accounts from aid workers. The researchers identified a three-phase framework for recovery: the absorptive phase, in which immediate humanitarian aid, emergency shelter, and water, sanitation, and hygiene services are provided; the adaptive phase, which would include off-grid renewable energy and localized water treatment; and the transformative phase, which would restore ecosystems and embed climate resilience into planning. During the transitional period of recovery, it will be essential to create systems that dont cause further environmental damage, notes Lehrer. The international community needs to think about how to build a model of living in temporary systems where you know you're not making matters worse, says Lehrer. [We need] systems in place that, for example, treat wastewater and recycle it for reuse and agriculture, desalination of water that can be then used for drinking, or solar power to provide electricity, rather than diesel generators that are continuing to pollute. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A number of technologies are already being piloted in Gaza, the report saysincluding modular solar microgrids, atmospheric water generators, biofiltration wastewater systems, urban agriculture initiatives, and recycled-rubble construction materials. With a fragile ceasefire in place, Lehrer says that its essential that the recovery process prioritizes sustainability and autonomy. It will be many, many years before Palestinians in Gaza are able to return to a permanent housing situation, he says. They need to have sustainable living conditions that provide them with all their needsincluding energy, water, and food security. Write to Simmone Shah at simmone.shah@time.com. Critics gave Eric Trump holy hell on Tuesday over his latest wild claim about his father, President Donald Trump. The Trump scion, while hawking his new book Under Siege on right-wing commentator Benny Johnsons podcast, argued humanity and our world is now much better with his father back in the White House and then suggested they were saving God. You know, were saving Christianity. Were saving God. Were saving the family unit. Were saving this nation, he claimed. I mean, you know, DEI is out the window, Benny. You know, I mean, you no longer have Colin Kaepernick kneeling for the national anthem. You no longer have Budweiser going woke as hell, all of this is dead. Eric Trump: "We're saving Christianity. We've saving God. We've saving the family unit. We're saving this nation. I mean, DEI is out of the window, Benny. You no longer have Colin Kaepernick kneeling for the national anthem. You no longer have Budweiser going woke as hell. All of pic.twitter.com/OFEcxmLhmc Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 14, 2025 Its a beautiful time and he will go to heaven for all of that, he added, countering his fathers claims in recent weeks that he likely wont be making the hereafter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Critics slammed the saving God claim as maybe the most insane and offensive thing anyone can say and blasphemous and suggested Trump brush up on the tenets of Christianity. Theyre saving God? Maybe the most insane and offensive thing anyone can say https://t.co/l2uTphsXeh Mike Inacay (@MikeInacay) October 14, 2025 No one saves God. Every Christian should know that and be repulsed by the very assertion. Yet, many professed believers have proven easy prey for such rhetoric, minds seduced from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ (2 Cor. 11:3). May God bring repentance and renewal. https://t.co/DUzQbYbW75 Jennifer Erin Valent (@JenniferEValent) October 14, 2025 It is fascinating to see how much the Trump family lacks any sort of Christian formation. They use the language of Christianity like someone stumbling with a foreign language. It's almost like they just adopted the trappings of Christianity in order to exploit it for power. https://t.co/PqY27uIEvR Scott Barber (@thescottbarber) October 14, 2025 Were saving God. Now, THAT is White Christian Nationalism 2.0. https://t.co/Im3Sap4ODQ Be A King (@BerniceKing) October 15, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eric Trump is not talking politics. Instead, hes declaring a new moral order. Framing Trump as God-guided and destined for heaven, he claims America has been saved from DEI, protest, and pluralism. This is prophetic, authoritarian language. Dissent becomes evil, and their https://t.co/P2Qhdf150T TheSteadyState (@steadystate2025) October 14, 2025 Ive been thinking about it all day and I still havent figured out how the Trump family saved God. https://t.co/U9J22HnUis Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) October 14, 2025 Were saving God has got to be one of the most arrogant things a human being can say. https://t.co/jEleQPCwJq Jeremy Edwards (@jeremymarrell) October 14, 2025 Weve moved rather quickly from God saved Trump to Trump is saving God, which I guess is the foundation of the new MAGA religion? https://t.co/Ul08RLwekn Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) October 14, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eric Trump: "We're saving Christianity. We've saving God pic.twitter.com/ae8zUcDyJR Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) October 14, 2025 "We're saving God" is a blasphemous statement that implies gross misunderstanding of the core tenets of the Christian faith and the nature of God. https://t.co/zN1UGY1ojQ Joey Geresi (@joeygeresi) October 14, 2025 Was God in need of saving by humans? This concept seems theologically confused. https://t.co/D4dW6HpwD6 Carol Brani (@CarolOnAdvLaw) October 14, 2025 Related... Read the original on HuffPost Editors Note: This article has been updated to reflect that the Department of Environmental Protection recommended that customers conserve water, but Erie Water Works now says that customers can safely practice normal, responsible water usage and that drinking water remains unaffected. (WJET/WFXP) Erie Water Works said customers are safe to use water safely and normally after the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued a drought watch for Erie County back on September 29. While the drought watch does not impact the drinking water system for Erie Water Works customers, water works said customers can safely practice normal, responsible water usage and that drinking water remains unaffected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chautauqua County officials warn lake residents, visitors of harmful algal blooms Meanwhile, the Town of Ripley continues to experience extremely low water levels and is urging residents to continue conservation efforts. On Tuesday, October 14, town and county officials met to review the ongoing situation, ultimately determining that stronger water reduction measures must be used for reasons of public health and safety. Local authorities are currently working to transport water by firetruck to the Ripley Reservoir. They want to remind residents of potential increased traffic on Routes 20 and 76. Additionally, local retailers are calling for bottled water donations in hopes of further reducing household water rates and preserving remaining water in the reservoir. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chautauqua County has outlined ways for residents to further conserve their water, including refraining from watering lawns, thawing food using refrigerators and microwaves, and using disposable dishware and utensils. For questions and updates about the current drought conditions, visit the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website. 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 WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. The Erie County Health Department has some new public data available for those looking to learn about the health of our community. The department unveiled its 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment at its building on West 2nd Street. Erie County DOH, LECOM host vaccine drive The assessment replaced the previous one published in 2018, and provided information on diseases, mortality, food insecurity and more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The county public health director said chronic diseases remain an issue for the county, and the assessment helped them pinpoint priorities in the county. Local leaders learn threat harmful algal blooms pose to Erie community Erin Mrenak, Erie County director of public health, said, It really helps us identify priorities, so we can look at our trend areas. It helps us allocate our internal resources. It helps us know what grants to apply for. It also allows us to collaborate with partners on services that we may not be able to provide here at the health department, but definitely are still a community need. The health assessment is available to the public. Click here for the assessment. 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 WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Erika Kirk, widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, will join Vice President J.D. Vance at the University of Mississippi on Oct. 29, according to a post on an X account for Turning Point USA. Website for This Is The Turning Point Charlie Kirk was scheduled to speak at the university on the same day, before he was assassinated at Utah Valley University. Tuesday, on what would have been his 32nd birthday, Kirk was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This story will be updated. 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 WREG.com. The dispute between Venezuela and Guyana over the mineral-rich Essequibo escalated after ExxonMobil made over 30 world-class discoveries, containing 11 billion barrels of crude oil, in the prolific Stabroek Block. By late 2023, Guyana was a regular target of Caracas bellicose saber rattling with threats of annexation and invasion, forcing the government in Georgetown to seek security assurances from Washington. While the White Houses deployment of U.S. warships off the coast of Venezuela sparked considerable consternation across Latin America, it was applauded by Guyana. The Essequibo conflict dates from 1841, when a recently independent Venezuela claimed the region ceded by the Dutch to Great Britain in 1814 during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1831, Britain merged Essequibo with other former Dutch territories, Demerara and Berbice, to form the British colony of Guiana. Caracas argued the Essequibo had originally belonged to the Viceroyalty of New Granada, which encompassed the territories now comprising Venezuela, Colombia, Panama and Ecuador, during the Spanish colonial period. When efforts to settle the dispute failed, Caracas sought U.S. assistance to resolve the matter toward the end of the nineteenth century. The dispute was eventually arbitrated, with the Essequibo awarded to British Guiana, despite Washingtons representation of Venezuela. This decision was finalized in the Paris Arbitral Award of 1899, with boundaries officially demarcated in 1905. Tensions ebbed and flowed since then, rising in 1962 as Guyanas independence from Britain approached, with Venezuela claiming the 1899 decision was null and void. Tensions since then have ebbed and flowed with little progress made to resolve the territorial dispute, even after it was referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2018, which, during 2023, ruled it had jurisdiction to arbitrate the dispute. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Regardless, Venezuelas dictatorial President Maduro ratcheted ever higher his bellicose saber-rattling against Guyana. Indeed, gaining control of the Essequibo is a rare point of consensus among the Maduro regime, opposition groups, and ordinary citizens in Venezuela. It became a facet of national identity, with the mineral-rich region long coveted by all governments of Venezuela. But autocratic President Maduro is the first Venezuelan leader to resort to threats of annexing the Essequibo by force. Venezuelas illegitimate president views the dispute as an opportunity to unify the countrys people behind his brutal regime after the countrys horrific economic collapse, which left over 90% of the population living in poverty. The event that triggered President Maduros militant stance on the Essequibo was Guyana's emergence as a major oil-producing nation. During 2015, Exxon made the first of a swathe of world-class discoveries in the offshore 6.6-million-acre Stabroek Block. In a mere four years, in an industry where it can take a decade or longer to bring major oilfields online, Guyana went from first discovery in 2015 to first oil in 2019. The tiny English-speaking country is now pumping an impressive 750,000 barrels per day, making Guyana South Americas fourth-largest oil producer, ahead of Colombia and behind Argentina. Petroleum is a crucial source of revenue for the near-bankrupt regime in Caracas. Decades of mismanagement and endemic corruption, since Hugo Chavezs 1999 Bolivarian Revolution, have destroyed Venezuelas oil industry and economy. Even control of the worlds largest petroleum reserves, estimated at over 303 billion barrels, has done little if anything to alleviate the pain because of harsh U.S. sanctions. Indeed, in defiance of those sanctions, Caracas built a web of alliances with other countries opposed to the U.S., notably Russia, China and Iran. A dark fleet of tankers provided by those allies allows Caracas to resist sanctions, rebuild shattered petroleum infrastructure and keep exporting crude oil, providing a vital economic lifeline. For decades, Guyana resisted Caracas demands relating to the Essequibo. In response to Georgetowns defiance, Caracas launched a large-scale military buildup along Guyanas border during 2023. This included installing bases, runways and other military infrastructure while units of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela probed the border, harassing civilian installations and Guyanas tiny defense force. This culminated with authoritarian President Maduro threatening to annex the Essequibo. To legitimize Venezuelas demands in preparation for such a move, Caracas held a 2023 referendum where voters (95.9%), apparently, supported President Maduros actions despite what appeared to be a poor turnout. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After this successful vote, President Maduro announced the implementation of a series of measures to strengthen Venezuelas claim to the mineral-rich territory. Among the most important actions were the creation of the Venezuelan state of Guayana Esequiba, the issuance of national identity cards to the population, the declaration of a military zone, and the granting of operating licenses by the national oil company PDVSA in the territory. President Maduro also threatened Exxon, which he alleged was meddling in regional politics to enrich itself at Venezuelas expense. To discredit Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, President Maduro asserted she was aiding Exxon to prevent Caracas from taking control of Essequibo. Related: Russias Fuel Shortages Ripple Across Central Asia During May 2025, these events culminated in Venezuela electing officials to represent the Essequibo, which is the countrys 24th state, called Guayana Esequiba. Autocratic President Maduro declared his representatives won the roles of governor, along with eight deputies and regional councilors. The newly appointed governor, Neil Villamizar, declared the symbolic event, which further legitimizes Caracas claim to the territory, to be an important step toward securing full sovereignty for Essequibo. Guyanas President Ali, who secured a second five-year term in September 2025s general election, declared the election as a threat to Guyana and the nations territorial integrity, stating it, will do everything to ensure our territorial integrity and sovereignty is kept intact". In response to Caracas ratcheting up tensions and attempting to legitimize claims to the Essequibo, Guyanas President Irfaan Ali met with autocratic President Maduro in December 2023. Guyanas legitimately elected president made it clear that the mineral-rich territory is part of the tiny South American country, stating, Essequibo is not up for discussion, negotiation or deliberation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Georgetowns sentiments are easy to understand. Not only did the Paris Arbitral Award assign Essequibo to Guyana, but the region is an essential part of the former British colonys sovereign territory. At 61,600 square miles, Essequibo, which is slightly smaller than Florida, makes up two-thirds of Guyanas territory. Aside from petroleum in the Stabroek Block, the region is rich in gold, diamonds, bauxite and iron ore. This mineral wealth will one day be a game changer, as oil is now proving to be, for Guyana, once one of South Americas poorest nations. Georgetowns resistance, including seeking assistance from the U.S., enraged Caraca,s triggering further intimidation by way of military incursions. Reportedly, the most recent occurred on March 1, 2025. A Venezuelan gunboat, ABF Guaiqueri PO-11, armed with a 76mm cannon, a 35mm Oerlikon weapon system and two 12.7mm machine guns, navigated into Guayanas exclusive economic zone, where it entered the Exxon-controlled Stabroek Block. There, the warship approached Exxons floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels Liza Destiny, Liza Unity and Prosperity. The Guaiqueris captain interrogated the FPSO crews and warned them that they were operating in Venezuelan waters. In response, Georgetown mobilized Guyanas military, deploying air assets and sending coast guard vessels to the contested area. The event sparked considerable consternation in Guyanas government, especially given the countrys defense force of fewer than 5,000, which is incapable of resisting any large-scale assault by Venezuela. It is for that reason that President Ali urgently sought closer ties with the U.S. and assistance from Brazil. Indeed, it was Brazilian military intelligence that warned of Venezuelas military readiness for a strike on the mineral-rich Essequibo in 2023. Brazil, at that time, also ramped up its military presence in the territory bordering the contested region as a deterrent to Venezuela. Georgetown is seeking closer ties with Washington because the U.S. military, the most powerful in the world, is a key regional counterweight to rogue states like Venezuela. In July 2023, President Ali, during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, lauded the relationship between the two countries and stressed the need for stronger security ties. This included the need to bolster cooperation between Guyanas defense force and the U.S. Southern Command. Due to Maduros persistent threats, Georgetown pressed Washington for help to strengthen Guyanas military. Only last month, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with President Ali, where he emphasized the importance of continued joint security and economic collaboration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Venezuela poses a dire threat to South Americas newest petro-state, with Caracas bellicose saber-rattling putting Guyanas sovereignty at risk. Maduros illegitimate regime purposefully created a framework to legitimize the annexation of Essequibo, all while Venezuelas powerful military infiltrated Guyana to harass and threaten civilian installations. It is unsurprising that Guyana, along with nearby Trinidad and Tobago, expressed support for the Trump White Houses deployment of warships off the coast of Venezuela. The U.S. flotilla is a powerful force acting as a counterweight to Venezuelas military, which is essential to guaranteeing Guyanas sovereignty and territorial integrity, with Georgetowns military incapable of repelling an invasion of the Essequibo. By Matthew Smith for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oilprice Intelligence brings you the signals before they become front-page news. This is the same expert analysis read by veteran traders and political advisors. Get it free, twice a week, and you'll always know why the market is moving before everyone else. You get the geopolitical intelligence, the hidden inventory data, and the market whispers that move billions - and we'll send you $389 in premium energy intelligence, on us, just for subscribing. Join 400,000+ readers today. Get access immediately by clicking here. BURLINGTON, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) The University of Vermont is set to receive a historic $16 million estate gift which will expand nursing scholarships. Dr. George Bemis, who graduated from UVM in 1960, has made a landmark estate commitment to the University of Vermont in honor of his late wife, who studied nursing at UVM in the late 1950s. The Department Chair for the School of Nursing tells ABC22/FOX44 this is the largest donation the program has ever received. She also says from her understanding, the money will be in the form of scholarships. Although, Bemis could put specifications on them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dale does tell us she would like to give some of the money to second career individuals with lots of life experience and bring them into their Masters Entry Program. And educate them as nurse leaders. Either in a clinical setting, in a hospital, or in a public health setting or to become educators. Right now, in nursing, one of the biggest deaths we have is educators. And thats one reason for really tight nursing enrollment numbers at this point. Rosemary Dale, Department Chair, School of Nursing The Dean for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Dr. Noma Anderson says this gift gives the college a bright path into the future. She also says they dont know much about the specifications yet, but she does know the money will stay local. 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. Amid rising instances of political violence, two state lawmakers asked the New Mexico Ethics Commission whether candidates and public officials can use campaign funds for security expenses. (Danielle Prokop / Source NM) In the wake of recent bomb threats against New Mexico lawmakers, two Democratic state legislators asked state ethics officials to weigh in on whether lawmakers and political candidates are allowed to use campaign funds for security expenses. The short answer, according to the New Mexico Ethics Commission, is yes. In an advisory opinion released Tuesday, the agency said candidates seeking public office can use campaign funds on security and, once elected, state legislators can as well, as long as in both cases the expenses were incurred as a direct result of campaign activity or holding public office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New Mexico state Sen. Heather Berghmans (Albuquerque) and House Majority Leader Reena Szczepanski of Santa Fethe latter one of the targets of the recent bomb threatssought the opinion jointly. We wanted the extra clarification to know that if a legislator does feel the need to enhance security for their own houses or their personal situations, or if we need security at any events were holding, that we have the funds to pay for that type of enhancement in todays political climate, Berghmans told Source NM in a phone interview. Szczepanski, who did not return messages to Source, was unavailable Tuesday to speak about the opinion, according to a spokesperson for New Mexico House Democrats. The nine-page State Ethics Commission opinion rests on an analysis that began by considering state campaign laws and Secretary of States campaign regulations to determine whether certain expenditures are expressly permitted or prohibited, a statement provided to Source by the agency notes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here, as with other expenditures the Commission has considered, security expenses are not identified specifically as either. The Commission determined therefore that a candidate or legislator is not prohibited from using campaign funds for security expenses in the circumstances where the expenses are reasonably attributable to a campaign or, for legislators, to the performance of legislative duties, provided that the candidate or legislator would not have otherwise incurred the same security expenses even in the absence of the campaign or legislative office. The statement notes that the Commission also considered comparable federal provisions that distinguish between legitimate campaign or legislative expenses and personal use in its analysis. As such, the opinion concludes that under those criteria, candidates and state lawmakers can use campaign funds for security purposesranging from hardware such as alarm systems to cybersecurity software to professional security personnel. If candidates or lawmakers already have a security system in place prior to the campaign or holding office, paying for those with campaign funds would not be allowed, according to the opinion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The opinion only applies to candidates and elected state legislators and not other public officials, which follows the same criteria as the state Campaign Reporting Act, which permits the use of campaign funds for expenditures of the campaign and expenditures of legislators that are reasonably related to performing the duties of the office held. The opinion notes that this distinction is a policy decision made by the Legislature and arises perhaps because legislators receive no compensation beyond per diem and mileage whereas other public officeholders receive salaries. Berghmans said the inquiry about whether security costs were permissible was driven in part by recent threats against Szczepanski and Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth of Santa Fe, both of whom received emailed bomb threats on Sept. 11. While no explosives were found, the threats remain under investigation by local and national authorities. The bomb threats, two of which came from an email account called maga_terrorist, followed a spate of political violence this year, including the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and the assassination Melissa Hortman, a Minnesota Democratic lawmaker, and her husband. Berghmans said that despite recent political violence, she believes New Mexicos senators cultivate an atmosphere of disagreeing without being super disagreeable, pointing to recent bipartisan efforts to diffuse tension during the October two-day special session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have never felt afraid to be running for public office or to be serving in it, but I know thats changing for people, which is really unfortunate, in the United States, Berghmans said. Every step we can take additionally to make sure people feel safe and supported is whats important. The Vote Mama Lobby, a national political action committee seeking to put more Democratic women with children into office, noted New Mexico is the 15th state to approve using campaign funds for security expenses. The PAC has previously endorsed both Berghmans and Szczepanski. Vote Mama Lobby officials celebrated the opinion, calling it a bipartisan acknowledgement of rising threats against public officials, in a statement. Political violence is a direct threat to our democracy, and campaign funds for security is an important tool to counteract this growing problem. No one should ever have to choose between their safety and running for office, CEO Liuba Grechen Shirley said in a statement. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX HSBC recently downgraded Intel (INTC) to Reduce from Hold, warning that the chipmaker's impressive 50% rally since August lacks a solid foundation. The analysts point out that Intel's recent momentum stems from three major investment announcements: a $2 billion stake from SoftBank (SFTBY), $11.1 billion from the U.S. government for a 9.9% stake, and a $5 billion investment from Nvidia (NVDA), representing roughly 4% ownership. However, HSBC argues these deals are merely band-aids that don't fix Intel's fundamental problems. The real issue lies in Intel's struggling foundry division, which continues to face operational setbacks and hasn't gained meaningful customer support. More News from Barchart HSBC believes only a technology-sharing partnership with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) could turn things around, but that scenario seems unlikely given TSMC's own expansion plans in the U.S. Even Intel's recent collaboration with Nvidia lacks clarity, as the latter plans to stick with Arm-based (ARM) processors in its servers until 2029. With a new price target of $24, HSBC warns investors that the current optimism may fade without concrete evidence of manufacturing improvements. www.barchart.com Intel Stock Continues to Rise Due to Big-Ticket Partnerships Intel has been on a remarkable run lately, with shares jumping 85% this year and trading at their highest level in 18 months. The chipmaker has attracted a parade of major investors, including the U.S. government, SoftBank, and Nvidia, which have collectively poured billions into the company. The recent momentum in INTC stock stems largely from these investment deals rather than operational improvements. The U.S. government took a 10% stake worth $8.9 billion in August, with that position now valued at roughly $16 billion. SoftBank added $2 billion, and Nvidia announced a $5 billion investment as part of a collaboration to co-develop data center and PC products. These endorsements have certainly boosted confidence, but they haven't solved Intel's core manufacturing challenges. Intel's foundry business remains the biggest question mark, as new CEO Lip-Bu Tan has made it clear the company won't invest in its 14A manufacturing node without securing significant external customers. All EU member states agree that children need to be protected from sexual abuse, but they are deeply divided over the European Commission's plan to combat abusive material online. The EU's proposed Regulation to Prevent and Combat Child Sexual Abuse (CSAR) - often referred to as the 'child sexual abuse regulation' or 'chat control' - seems to have hit a dead end at a pivotal stage in the legislative process, due to fears that it would invade digital privacy. The regulation aims to establish a harmonized legal framework across the EU to detect, report and remove child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online, replacing the current interim measures that allow for voluntary detection by service providers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A report by the UK-based Internet Watch Foundation found that 62% of the child sexual abuse material identified internationally last year was hosted on servers within the European Union. Proponents of CSAR stress that child pornography is a very serious crime. They say that data protection authorities would closely monitor the regulation's implementation and point to successes over the last years in catching offenders due to voluntary CSAM detection. The proposal has to be agreed by the European Parliament and member states and this is where the crux lies. Despite several attempts over the last few years, the 27 EU capitals have not managed to agree to a deal. The latest attempt was made last week by Denmark, which currently holds the EU presidency, with the chat control aspect being a key sticking point. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Danish presidency said on Monday that it was not yet able to secure the necessary support for a vote by member states. "That's why we concluded that the discussions would be better to continue [in] the weeks ahead bilaterally among countries and parties where we need to try to meet a compromise," Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said, adding that Denmark had laid out a new compromise proposal. What does the CSAR proposal entail? The regulation was first proposed by the commission in 2022. According to the proposal, online service providers, including chat apps, social networks and data storage, would have a legal obligation to search the content of messages and stored files using algorithms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Service providers would have to notify the relevant authorities of materials related to child pornography or the abuse of minors and remove the content. The commission's original proposal mandated online service providers to scan both encrypted and unencrypted private messages for CSAM material. Parliament proposed amendments aimed to protect encryption, scan only public content and compel online services to provide built-in child safety features. What was supposed to happen? Since the parliament adopted its position in 2023, member states have repeatedly tried - and failed - to reach an agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The interim regulation allowing voluntary CSAM detection has been extended until April 2026 to ensure continuity while the permanent regulation is being worked on. Denmark's new compromise proposal includes several safeguards: Firstly, only images and links not text messages would be subject to scanning. Second, the system would only be activated following a decision by an independent judicial or administrative authority. "We have to be very clear: under this proposal, there is no general monitoring of online communications. There will be no such thing as 'chat control'," said commission spokesman Markus Lammert. "This is about protecting our children against a terrible crime, a crime that happens more and more online." Member states were supposed to vote on the proposal on Tuesday, with a view to launching negotiations with parliament and the commission early next year. But with no compromise, it's back to negotiations between EU capitals. What's the issue? Besides some member states, the proposal has faced broad opposition from law enforcement, data protection authorities, civil society groups and the tech majors who provide the main messaging services. Child protection groups found themselves on both sides of the debate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A main concern is that the legislation would open the door to mass surveillance. "Unwarranted chat monitoring must be taboo in a constitutional state," said German Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig. Opponents have been flooding EU officials with messages aimed at swaying the debate as part of a campaign. Elon Musk's social media platform X branded the proposal "dangerous" and called on Germany and Poland, among the most critical EU states, to continue their opposition in order to "avoid mass surveillance of their citizens by governments and serious violations of user security by malicious actors." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Signal messaging app also criticised the proposal, calling it "the end of the right to privacy in Europe" and threatening to leave the EU if the proposal were approved. Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, said the proposal endangered privacy, freedom and digital safety. Denmark's Justice Minister Hummelgaard stressed at a press conference on Monday: "Much of the narrative has also been built up on an idea that the EU bodies or even national bodies would be able to conduct surveillance of private chats, and that's not the case." Instead, the aim is to oblige private companies and platforms to take "a responsibility to limit the levels of enormous sharing of child sexual abuse materials." Berlin says "Nein" A lot hinges on Germany. Without Berlin's vote, the bill has failed to garner a majority among member states, under the EU's qualified majority voting rules. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The approval of 15 of the 27 EU states, jointly representing at least 65% of the total EU population, is required for the regulation to be adopted. Germany's governing coalition parties are opposed to indiscriminate chat control. "That would be like opening all letters as a precautionary measure to see if there is anything illegal in them," said parliamentary faction leader Jens Spahn of the conservative Christian Democrats. "That is not acceptable, and we will not allow it." The Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs also said it opposes the mass scanning of private correspondence, while voicing support for effective EU measures against CSAM. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Polish lawmakers have emphasized the need to maintain a balance between combating the dissemination of CSAM and protecting users' fundamental rights, such as the right to privacy and online security, including the protection of end-to-end encryption integrity. The Czech Republic had initially planned to abstain, but positions have hardened: "I believe that we must protect the privacy and freedom of every citizen," Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in September. Slovenia and Portugal have also been vocal opponents due to privacy concerns. Spain, on the other hand, supports the latest compromise proposal, arguing that victims need answers. Madrid is concerned about data pointing to an increase in child abusive content online, arguing that more tools are needed to combat it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It also calls for access to data to be provided with full guarantees and in compliance with fundamental rights. France, Denmark and Sweden are among those in favour or on the fence regarding the latest proposal, while the Belgian government has not yet taken a position. During a debate in parliament last week, no party appeared to be in favour. "A solution must be balanced and proportionate," said Interior Minister Bernard Quintin. With the debate set to continue, child protection activists warn that children remain at risk. According to the Eurochild advocacy group, more than 100 million images or videos of children being sexually abused were found online in 2023 alone that's roughly 270,000 every single day. The content of this article is based on reporting by AFP, ANSA, CTK, Belga, dpa, EFE, LUSA, PAP and STA as part of the European Newsroom (enr) project. BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) The European Unions top official on Wednesday told Serbia's populist leader to get concrete about its proclaimed goal of joining the 27-nation bloc, including implementing sanctions against traditional ally Russia. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also pressed President Aleksandar Vucic over democratic reforms as he faces accusations of a crackdown on protests against his increasingly authoritarian rule in the Balkan country. We live in a fractured world with a widening gap between democracies and autocracies, von der Leyen said at a joint press conference with Vucic. And you know very well where the European Union stands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Serbia remains the only country in Europe that has not imposed sanctions on Moscow over its war in Ukraine. Though he formally says becoming an EU member is Serbia's strategic goal, Vucic has strengthened relations with Russia and China and stalled on democratic reforms, a precondition for joining the bloc. Monthslong rallies by university students and other anti-government protesters, and the government's crackdown, have posed the biggest challenge to Vucic. The protests erupted in response to a train station canopy collapse on Nov. 1 last year that killed 16 people in the northern city of Novi Sad. Many in Serbia believe the disaster was the result of graft-fueled negligence in infrastructure deals with Chinese companies. Vucic has refused to schedule early parliamentary elections as demanded by protesters. Dozens of people have been detained or have lost jobs for protesting while Serbian riot police have been accused of using excessive force against the demonstrators. We stand for freedom instead of oppression, including the right to peaceful assembly, von der Leyen said. We stand for partnership instead of submission. We stand for diplomacy instead of aggression. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now is the moment for Serbia to get concrete about joining our union, she added, listing reforms in the rule of law, electoral framework and media freedom as key first steps. We need to see greater alignment on our foreign policy, including sanctions against Russia," von der Leyen said. "We want to count on Serbia as a reliable partner." Belgrade has historically close ties to Moscow and depends almost entirely on Russia for energy. The main Serbian oil monopoly NIS is under U.S. sanctions because of its majority Russian ownership. Vucic predicted a tough winter" and urged EU support in combating a looming energy crisis. But he defended his government's response to protests, claiming police used minimum force despite widespread reports of violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Von der Leyen was in Belgrade as part of a tour of the Western Balkan countries striving to join the EU. Albania, Bosnia, Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Montenegro are in different stages of the accession process. The EU has stepped up efforts to integrate the Western Balkan nations into its fold since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, fearing Moscow could try to destabilize the region still reeling from the bloody wars in the 1990s. An EU growth plan offers funds and gradual integration into the EU market in return for reforms. HORSENS, Denmark (Reuters) -The European Union is looking into setting pre-conditions for Chinese companies investing in Europe, including transfers of technology and know-how, the EU trade chief and Denmark's foreign minister said on Tuesday. EU ministers discussed the bloc's economic security during a meeting hosted by Denmark, now holding the rotating presidency, ahead of a comprehensive paper the European Commission is set to present on the topic by the end of the year. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen told a news conference that many in Europe thought that, by playing by the rules, they could emerge as winners. He said the EU should take some inspiration from the U.S. and China in setting conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "If we invite Chinese investments to Europe, it must come with the precondition that we also have some kind of technology transfer," he said. "I don't think we have completed that discussion, but we find ourselves in new circumstances." The EU says China has benefited from large-scale technology transfers from European businesses set up there, such as transfers made as a condition of market access or via rules that mandate joint ventures with Chinese companies. On Wednesday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, said China opposed forced technology transfer and "protectionist and discriminatory practices in the name of enhancing competitiveness". European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said the EU welcomed foreign investment, but these needed to be "real investments." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This meant they created new jobs in the bloc and involved transfers of technology and intellectual property rights "as European companies have been doing when they've been investing in China." Many EU ministers had brought these issues up, Sefcovic said, and it was now up to the Commission to translate this into concrete principles and proposals. (Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Additional reporting by Liz Lee in Beijing; Editing by Bernadette Baum) A day after Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, international law stalwart Phillipe Sands called for the establishment of a special international court to prosecute the highest Kremlin leaders for the conflict. More than three years later, a version of such a court exists on paper, but it remains unclear when, or even if, Vladimir Putin might be in the dock. On Monday, Kaja Kallas, the European Unions foreign policy chief, pledged an initial 10 million euros ($11.5 million) to open the tribunals doors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The court is backed, not by the United Nations as Sands had wanted, but by the Council of Europe (CoE) a human rights organization set up in the wake of the Second World War and headquartered in Strasbourg. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed off on the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression in Ukraine during a ceremony in France in June. The route from Kyiv to Strasbourg had been a long one, hamstrung by legal technicalities and political interests. And the route from Strasbourg to The Hague home to the International Criminal Court and where Zelensky has called for the tribunal to be headquartered remains unclear. A leadership crime Sometimes referred to as the mother of all crimes, the crime of aggression the legal term for invading another country is a crime committed in the highest levels of government. Only a countrys leaders can plan and organize a full-scale invasion. The tribunal, says Anton Korynevych, ambassador-at-large at the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will investigate and prosecute the decision-makers, including Russian President Vladimir Putin. We want the aggressors to feel justice, he told the Kyiv Independent. He estimates around 20 to 30 people might be prosecuted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The crime of aggression hasnt been prosecuted since Nuremberg, the tribunal set up to try Nazi leaders after World War II. Nazi leaders sit in a courtroom at the International War Crimes Tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany, 1945. (Hulton Archive / Getty Images) Immune from prosecution Because aggression is a leadership crime, prosecuting those who commit it runs headlong into a longstanding legal norm: immunity. Countries have for centuries recognized immunity for heads of state, heads of government, and the foreign ministers. Those individuals, while they remain in office, can only be prosecuted by an international court, according to Kevin Jon Heller, scholar of international law at the University of Copenhagen. In an ideal world, this tribunal would have been set up by the United Nations Security Council, Heller said, as that would have superseded immunity, but wasnt politically viable. Russia is a permanent member and would veto any proposal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The International Criminal Court is conducting its own investigation in Ukraine, but for war crimes and crimes against humanity, not for the crime of aggression. The ICC can only prosecute nationals of member states for aggression (unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide), a result of political compromise when the court was established. Russia is not a member. Instead, the CoE aggression tribunal can investigate those with immunity, including Putin, but cannot issue arrest warrants or start trials for those officials while they remain in office. The prosecutions of other leaders, however, including military brass, can move forward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Trumps two wars: Why diplomacy worked in Gaza but not in Ukraine An empty dock? Unlike most other international criminal tribunals, including the ICC and the ad hoc tribunals established by the Security Council in the 1990s following the Yugoslav Wars and the Rwandan Genocide, the tribunal for Ukraine will allow in absentia trials, proceedings where the defendant is not in custody. You have to have trials in absentia or you wont have any trials at all, said Mark Ellis, the executive director of the International Bar Association. His organization recently hosted an event together with Ukraine and the Netherlands to discuss the establishment of the tribunal. Some international law experts, like Heller, are skeptical of in absentia trials. There is nothing in international law that precludes them, but that doesnt mean they are sensible, he says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heller points to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, a U.N.-backed court set up to prosecute those responsible for the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. It has been widely criticized for a price tag of nearly 1 billion dollars to convict just four men in absentia. It shut down in 2023 after running out of funding. Gabriele Chlevickaite, a researcher in international criminal law at the University of Amsterdam, notes that the tribunal is based on Ukrainian jurisdiction, allowing in absentia trials. If Ukraine allows for them domestically, it makes sense that the tribunal can hold them as well, she says. A European court for a European conflict Once it was clear that the U.N. tribunal Sands called for immediately after the invasion was not an option, Ukraine looked closer to home, at the Council of Europe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CoE has experience with an international court. It oversees the European Court of Human Rights. That court, however, is not a criminal court and could not prosecute individual defendants it hears complaints over alleged violations of the European Convention on Human Rights and issues binding judgments against member states. The CoE could, however, together with Ukraine, set up a criminal court for the crime of aggression, as agreed upon by Zelensky in the summer. We had this opportunity because of the enlarged partial agreements, said Andrew Cutting, a spokesperson for the CoE. These agreements allow CoE member states and other countries to officially back the tribunal, provide funding, and supply other support, like judges and prosecutors. President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sept. 17, 2025. (Viktor Kovalchuk / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images) The plan for the tribunal has been endorsed by some 30 countries, including Poland, the Netherlands, Japan, and Canada, but its not yet clear how many of those will formally sign on. The United States was a major contributor in the early days, but the Trump administration has since pulled out. Nor is it known where the funding for the courts operations, beyond the initial EU investment, will come from. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelensky has called for the tribunal to sit in The Hague. While the Netherlands home to the ICC, other ad hoc courts, and Eurojust initially offered to host the organization, concrete proposals have not been forthcoming. An unclear future The CoE has also set up the Register of Damages, which records claims of losses stemming from the war. The evidence collected will ultimately be transferred to an international claims commission, which is also set up by the CoE. The register has operational financing from backers, but neither mechanism has the funding to begin compensating victims. Several EU countries also provided supplemental financial support to the ICC for its investigation into Ukraine, and many are providing military support. Some EU officials feel Ukraine is asking for too much. Ukraine is going to have to pick one thing, a senior European diplomat in The Hague who was not authorized to speak to the press told the Kyiv Independent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The tribunal has no place to call home, no formal backers beyond the EU, and no defendants within reach. Ukrainian officials say that will begin to change soon, with proceedings expected to start in 2026, but diplomats and others involved remain skeptical. Putin, (Russian Foreign Minister) Lavrov, they will die in office. They will never be tried, a senior Dutch official, who was not authorized to speak to the press, said. Read also: Well survive, I just want Ukraine to be free Kyiv prepares for another harsh winter amid blackout concerns Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The EU is aiming to coordinate with the US and other G7 partners in response to China's increased restrictions on rare earth mineral exports. This move comes as China last week broadened its export restrictions on rare earth elements (REEs) by including five additional elements under new regulations. It also implemented more stringent rules that specifically target users in the semiconductor industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China produces more than 90% of the worlds processed rare earths, which are essential in products such as electric vehicles and military radars. These measures were introduced ahead of the upcoming meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. Maros Sefcovic, the European Trade Commissioner, described these measures as unjustified. EU trade ministers, while meeting in Denmark, expressed "critical concern" over the issue. Previous controls by China in April led to global shortages, impacting industries such as car manufacturing, until deals with Europe and the US alleviated the supply crunch. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen emphasised the need for a united and "tough" EU response, highlighting the importance of collaboration with the US. "But we also need to be realistic. This is actually an area of common interest with our friends in the US. If we stick together we can much better pressure China to act in a fair way," Rasmussen was quoted by Reuters as saying. Sefcovic suggested that G7 coordination could involve diversifying supply by advancing joint projects for extracting or processing critical minerals. He stated: "Of course these projects take time, but with this signal we got from China it is clear we have to focus on accelerating these processes as much as possible." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was recently reported by the Financial Times that the Pentagon is aiming to acquire up to $1bn of critical minerals as part of a global spree to build stockpiles and mitigate Chinas dominance over these essential metals. "EU seeks partnership with US and G7 partners to counter Chinas rare earth controls " was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. (Changes the day of the week in paragraph 1 to Wednesday (not Monday) By David Latona and Charlie Devereux MADRID (Reuters) -The European Commission and Spain's government on Wednesday dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump's latest threat to impose higher tariffs on Madrid over its refusal to meet his proposed NATO target for defence spending. Trump said he was "very unhappy" with Spain for being the only country to reject the new spending objective of 5% of economic output, adding that he was mulling punishing the Mediterranean country. He had previously suggested making Spain "pay twice as much" in trade talks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trade policy falls under Brussels' remit and the Commission would "respond appropriately, as we always do, to any measures taken against one or more of our member states," Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said in a press briefing. The trade deal between the European Union and the United States signed in July was the right platform to address any issues, Gill added. WHAT DO SPAIN AND NATO SAY? "The defence spending debate is not about increasing spending for the sake of increasing it, but about responding to real threats," Spain's Economy and Trade Ministry said in a statement. "We're doing our part to develop the necessary capabilities and contribute to the collective defence of our allies." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spain has more than doubled nominal defence spending from 0.98% of gross domestic product in 2017 to 2% this year, equivalent to about 32.7 billion euros ($38 billion). Defence Minister Margarita Robles said allies weren't discussing the 5% target for 2035 in Wednesday's meeting because they were prioritising the present situation in Ukraine, but wouldn't completely rule out a shift in Spain's position. WHAT COULD WASHINGTON DO? Targeted tariffs by the U.S. against individual EU member states are rare but there are precedents, Ignacio Garcia Bercero, a senior fellow at the Brussels-based economic think tank Bruegel, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1999, the U.S. hit the EU with 100% punitive tariffs on products such as chocolate, pork, onions and truffles in retaliation for an EU import ban on hormone-treated beef but excluded Britain, which at the time was still a member of the trade bloc. The U.S. could impose anti-dumping penalties on European products that are mostly produced in Spain, said Juan Carlos Martinez Lazaro, professor at Madrid's IE business school. In 2018, Washington imposed a combination of duties of more than 30% on Spanish black table olives at the request of Californian olive growers. Spain's share of the U.S. market plummeted from 49% in 2017 to 19% in 2024. Another option would be moving the naval and air bases the U.S. has in southern Spain to Morocco - an idea floated by former Trump official Robert Greenway - which would damage the local economies through the loss of thousands of indirect jobs. ($1 = 0.8605 euros) (Reporting by David Latona, Charlie Devereux and Charlotte Van Campenhout; Additional reporting by Emma Pinedo and Romolo Tosiani; Editing by Sharon Singleton) The European Commission and Spains government have dismissed US President Donald Trumps latest threat to impose higher tariffs on Madrid over its refusal to meet his proposed NATO target for defence spending. Trump said on Tuesday that he was very unhappy with Spain for being the only NATO member to reject the new spending objective of 5 percent of economic output, adding that he was considering punishing the Mediterranean country. I was thinking of giving them trade punishment through tariffs because of what they did, and I think I may do that, Trump added. He had previously suggested making Spain pay twice as much in trade talks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trade policy falls under the remit of Brussels, and the European Commission would respond appropriately, as we always do, to any measures taken against one or more of our member states, commission spokesperson Olof Gill said in a press briefing on Wednesday. The trade deal between the European Union and the United States signed in July was the right platform to address any issues, Gill added. The defence spending debate is not about increasing spending for the sake of increasing it, but about responding to real threats, Spains Economy and Trade Ministry said in a statement. Were doing our part to develop the necessary capabilities and contribute to the collective defence of our allies. Spain has more than doubled nominal defence spending from 0.98 percent of gross domestic product in 2017 to 2 percent this year, equivalent to about 32.7bn euros ($38bn). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Defence Minister Margarita Robles said allies werent discussing the 5 percent target for 2035 in Wednesdays meeting because they were prioritising the present situation in Ukraine, but wouldnt completely rule out a shift in Spains position. Targeted tariffs by the US against individual EU member states are rare, but there are precedents, said Ignacio Garcia Bercero, a senior fellow at the Brussels-based economic think tank Bruegel. In 1999, the US hit the EU with 100 percent punitive tariffs on products such as chocolate, pork, onions and truffles in retaliation for an EU import ban on hormone-treated beef. But those tariffs excluded Britain, which at the time was still a member of the trade bloc. The US could impose anti-dumping penalties on European products that are mostly produced in Spain, said Juan Carlos Martinez Lazaro, professor at Madrids IE business school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2018, Washington imposed a combination of duties of more than 30 percent on Spanish black table olives at the request of Californian olive growers. Spains share of the US market plummeted from 49 percent in 2017 to 19 percent in 2024. Another option would be moving the naval and air bases the US has in southern Spain to Morocco an idea floated by former Trump official Robert Greenway which would damage the local economies through the loss of thousands of indirect jobs. Authorities in Kharkiv Oblast have expanded the mandatory evacuation zone for families with children in the Kupiansk district amid intensified Russian assaults, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov announced on Oct. 14. The decision mandates the forced evacuation of families from 40 settlements across the area. In total, 601 children from 409 families are to be relocated to safer areas. "This decision comes in response to the deteriorating security situation near Kupiansk," Syniehubov said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Oct. 15, the military monitoring group DeepState reported that Russian forces had captured the village of Myrne in Kupiansk district and were advancing toward the nearby village of Ivanivka. Kupiansk itself has become a focal point of Russias renewed offensive in Kharkiv Oblast. Since Sept. 28, it has been closed to civilians due to ongoing combat operations and the threat of Russian sabotage groups. "Over the past few weeks, the situation has worsened. The enemy has begun clearing operations, and our positions have gradually been lost. Some were simply destroyed by artillery and drones," DeepState wrote on Oct. 14. Russian gains in the Kupiansk sector follow similar advances reported in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. EVANSTON, Ill. (WGN) Families in Evanston are rallying to save Dawes Elementary as Evanston Skokie School District 65 considers closing up to three schools amid a budget crisis. Youre not solving a problem, youre creating a crisis for our most vulnerable families, one parent said. Forty percent or more of our students are low income, parent Kelly Arrogante said. Dawes families marched together Tuesday night to Chute Middle School, where district administrators answered questions from parents on the proposed plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Theyre not even considering other scenarios besides closing schools and balancing the budget on our kids. I find that unacceptable, Kelly McCabe, a Washington Elementary parent, said. Parents also packed a District 65 school board meeting Tuesday morning, urging leaders not to close the neighborhood school. The district says school closures are on the table due to declining enrollment, underutilized buildings and a need to cut between $10 million and $15 million from the budget. The financial strain has only intensified after last weeks federal indictment of former superintendent Devon Horton, who prosecutors say received kickbacks through contracts he approved while leading the district from 2019 to 2023. He is charged with embezzlement and wire fraud. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I, personally, even though I wasnt sitting here at the time, want to apologize for the previous boards lack of investigation and lack of acknowledgement, Board member Maria Opdycke said. After parents demanded a change in board leadership, Sergio Hernandez stepped aside as board president but chose to stay on the board. Member Pat Anderson replaced him. I dont know what it will take but we are willing to do whatever it will take because these are our children, McCabe said. There are three more community engagement sessions scheduled for this week. The district is expected to make a decision on the closures next month, and those closures would go into effect next school year. 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 WGN-TV. President Donald Trump's trade and immigration agenda is deeply unpopular with the general public. Now, even some of Trump's most loyal allies are voicing their frustrations with the president's policies. During a recent appearance on comedian Tim Dillon's podcast, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (RGa.) criticized the Trump administration's hardline stance on immigration, warning that its crackdowns create more chaos than security. Although she said that she voted for stronger borders and stricter immigration enforcement, Greene warned that much of the American labor force relies on immigrants, many of whom didn't enter the country legally, and that mass deportations could cripple key industries. "We have to do something about labor, and that needs to be a smarter plan than just rounding up every single person and deporting them," she said. Greene told Dillon that she still appreciates Trump's broader aims, saying, "He's trying to end wars. He's also trying to make it fair again for American trade." But she added that the reality on the ground tells a different story. In her conversations with business owners, Greene said many have grown frustrated with tariffs and other protectionist measures that, as she put it, "end up helping donors more than constituents." While they support Trump's long-term goal of fairer trade, Greene noted, many are struggling to get supplies and stay competitive amid the rising costs his policies have created. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Greene's frustrations with these Trump policies mirror broader public sentiment. While economic protectionism remains popular with parts of his base, most Americans say tariffs hurt the economy. A Pew Research survey from August found that 61 percent of Americans disapprove of the administration's tariff policies, with just 38 percent expressing support. These tariffs have already raised prices, and analysts at Yale's Budget Lab estimate that they could increase consumer prices in the short term by roughly 1.8 percentor about $2,400 per household. Meanwhile, while most Americans are in favor of deporting illegal immigrants, 52 percent disapprove of Trump's handling of the issue, according to a recent poll from The New York Times and Siena University. The same survey found that 53 percent of people "think the process of deporting people has not been fair," per the Times. Indeed, much of the government's mass deportation agenda has been marred by civil rights abuses and due process violations. Recently, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over the agency's refusal to share records of its planned expansion of detention centers in Virginia. Detainees in these ICE centers have allegedly been denied access to counsel, food, and basic medical care. Last week, the ACLU also filed suit against Louisiana's newest state-run immigration detention center, "Louisiana Lockup." The suit alleges that immigrants in the facility are being held indefinitely and are being punished for the same crime twice, in violation of the Double Jeopardy Clause. Greene's comments mark a rare instance of a close Trump ally questioning the costs of the administration's agenda. It's a sentiment that could use more company in Congress, though few Republicans seem willing to provide it; most have gladly expanded Trump's tariff powers while defending the warrantless raids, prolonged detentions, and systemic rights violations that have come with his mass deportation campaign. The post Even Marjorie Taylor Greene Thinks Trump's Immigration and Trade Policies Go Too Far appeared first on Reason.com. Bitcoin uptober. Photo by BeInCrypto Prominent research analyst Ash Crypto predicted at the beginning of the month that Bitcoin would drop closer to the $106,000 level in October, while Ethereum would drop near $3,800 or lower. His predictions proved to be correct. However, Ash Crypto also predicted that the last quarter of the year would be Bitcoins most successful quarter. He said the assets price would soar to $150,000 and spark an altcoin season. The Shocking Accuracy of an Early Call On October 1, crypto researcher Ash Crypto posted a bold prediction on his Twitter account about the crypto market's movement for the remainder of the month and through the end of the year. I think we are seeing a pump to make everyone believe PUMPtober is real and soon we can get a nasty drop where Bitcoin dumps closer to the $106k level and ETH dumps near $3800 or lower, and everyone will think Uptober is canceled, his tweet read. The market crash last weekend proved him right. The catalyst was President Trump's aggressive announcement of a 100% tariff on Chinese products, which plunged the global crypto market. Bitcoin dropped to a low of $105,000, and Ethereum briefly sank as low as $3,500. The sell-off was even more severe for most other altcoins. If this week's events confirmed the first half of his prediction, then the second half offers hope to a market still reeling from a moment of sudden ruin. A Glimmer of Hope Although Ash Crypto's prediction for the rest of October paints a bleak picture, his forecast for the remainder of the year offers a welcome refuge for investors. According to him, the crypto market will enter an unprecedented bull phase during the last quarter of 2025. This latest bear phase would send investors a message that the recent upward trend in crypto is finished, causing them to short en masse. When pessimism is at its maximum, the market will reverse, producing massive percentage gains, likely starting in the last 10 days of October. Everett officials respond to teen ICE arrest, push back against DHS allegations In a press conference Tuesday, the city of Everett was adamant that they did not work with ICE or notify them of a 13-year-old boys arrest. That boy is now in ICE custody, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Mayor Carlo DeMaria and police chief Paul Strong Tuesday night said they received a credible tip last week that the boy had made a violent threat against another student. The boy, they said, was arrested by city police outside a bus stop of the Parlin School Thursday afternoon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DeMaria said police found a 6-to-7-inch, double sided knife on the boy. He was brought to the station and booked. Chief Strong explained, Once your fingerprints are taken, it goes to ICE, and they determine if youre illegal entry. More often than not, they say theyll call and send a detainer over for this individual. He added that the boys mother was at the station. After he was released, the mayor said he was detained by ICE agents. I cant stress this enough, Everett police does not make arrests based on immigration status, said DeMaria. We will continue to do everything in our power to protect the people of Everett, especially our children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over X Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security claimed the boy had a gun on him. They also said he had a lengthy rap sheet including violent assault with a dangerous weapon, battery, breaking and entering, and destruction of property. There was no firearm? asked Boston 25 news reporter Daniel Coates to the mayor and police chief. DeMaria responded, That is correct. Boston 25 reached out to the Department of Homeland Security about the citys comments and are waiting to hear back. Everetts school district declined to comment on the situation. The city claimed ICE works independently of the city, but does have access to law enforcement databases. They claim have no control over a situation once federal agents step in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mayor finished, We have a good amount of undocumented people in our community. So, they are scared. Police also claimed ICE agents have detained others outside of their headquarters, but this is the first incident involving a child.that Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Gov. Tony Evers speaks to reporters in March 2025. Evers has written the Department of Energy urging officials not to cancel $1.5 billion in funds for Wisconsin projects. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner) With more than $1.5 billion in federal energy investments in Wisconsin at risk, Gov. Tony Evers is urging the Trump administration not to roll back previously awarded funds in the face of rising energy costs. Evers response, in a letter to U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright, followed multiple news reports in the last week about energy projects on target lists for cancellation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governors office has compiled a list of 22 projects for which federal Energy Department funding totaling $1.56 billion has been marked for cancellation. Federal support plays a critical role in advancing the Wisconsin Idea and American innovation, lowering energy bills for families across America, supporting clean energy development to improve energy independence and resilience, creating good-paying jobs in innovative industries and sectors, and maintaining our nations leadership in science and technology, Evers wrote Tuesday in his letter to Wright. Given these clear benefits and the importance of these investments to Wisconsins and our nations economy, I was deeply concerned to see reporting last week containing a list of over 600 DOE funding awards that are potentially going to be targeted for termination with no clear reasoning or justification. Evers letter mentions several Wisconsin projects and companies on the target list, including several that the Wisconsin Examiner reported on this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter also notes forecasts of rising costs for electric power that the energy policy think tank Energy Innovation attributes to the tax and spending cut megabill that President Donald Trump signed July 4. Terminating these funding awards at a time of record-high energy demand and rising costs would be counterintuitive, reckless and ill-advised, Evers concludes in his letter to Wright. I urge you to reaffirm DOEs commitment to honoring these funding awards and to continue supporting these investments that drive Wisconsins and the nations energy landscape forward. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Two weeks into a federal government shutdown, several Michiganders say they're not feeling much of an impact themselves as yet, though that could change if the impasse between Democrats and Republicans in Congress drags on. Robert Donley, 65, of Oak Park, doesn't identify with either party but blames Republicans for the shutdown. He's not feeling any effects, he said. "We need a smaller government, smaller government is better," said Robert Donley, 65, of Oak Park, who added he doesn't identify with either political party but generally blames Republicans for the shutdown. "But I feel bad for the people who live paycheck to paycheck and are losing their jobs. That's tough." "I feel like as long as we don't have a threat from another country, I don't have a problem with it," added Christopher Poindexter, a student at Grand Rapids Community College who spoke to the Free Press. Still, Poindexter said, "They've definitely got to get it together" and put an end to the shutdown. Christopher Poindexter, a student at Grand Rapids Community College who hopes to pursue a career in social work, said he hadn't thought about the shutdown but if he blamed anyone for it, it's "probably Trump." As of Tuesday, Oct. 14, the shutdown, which began Oct. 1 as federal funding to operate most of the government lapsed, showed no signs of being resolved. Most Democratic members of the U.S. Senate including Michigan's Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin continued to withhold the handful of votes needed to pass a resolution that would reopen the government at least temporarily, saying Republicans must first address concerns over health care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans, meanwhile, with majority control in Congress if not in possession of the full 60 votes needed in the Senate to pass the necessary resolution to reopen government, insisted they would not negotiate amid a shutdown, saying they'd already offered a "clean" resolution which offered to fund government at its previously agreed-upon levels. "Your Democratic senators are voting to keep it shut. Not us," said U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Bruce Township, who is the fourth highest-ranking member of Republican leadership in the House, on Oct. 14. More: Dueling claims about health care are fueling the federal shutdown. Here's the truth. What remained to be determined is not only how long the shutdown would last but how long it would be before everyday Americans began to feel it in earnest. As with past government shutdowns, slightly more than half of the federal workforce including many of the approximately 30,000 federal employees in Michigan were believed to be working without pay, a group including those deemed too essential to the orderly running of the nation to send home such as air traffic controllers, Transportation Security Administration personnel at airports, Customs and Border Protection agents and more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Federal employees offered free meal at Detroit bar as government shutdown continues Others were sent home, though by law back wages are due to federal workers once the shutdown ends, whether they actually worked during it or not. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's administration appeared to take a novel two-pronged approach to managing the shutdown. On one hand, his administration threatened to permanently lay off thousands of workers, potentially including those let go from the Education Department and the Department of Health and Human Services, and slash previously awarded grants, including those to Ford and General Motors to retool plants. On the other, Trump also was promising to pay military members on Oct. 15 by moving unspent funds around inside the Pentagon, while looking for similar ways to cover paychecks for federal law enforcement personnel and digging into tariff revenues to fund the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program that provides formula and healthy food to low-income families, for the time being. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Huge social net programs like those providing Social Security benefits, Medicare health care for older Americans and Medicaid health care for lower-income Americans are already largely protected during a shutdown, though some services were expected to be curtailed. Social Security recipients, for instance, will have to wait longer to hear what their cost-of-living adjustments may be next year. And it was already tough for some others to get questions about benefits answered: Melissa Thomas, 30, a Lansing mom who works from home, said despite several calls she wasnt able to get anyone on the phone from Medicaid to answer questions about coverage. I do have small children as well, so its really concerning, said Thomas, who has two boys ages 5 and 7. I just hope they figure out whats going on, so the American people can get back to what they know, she added. Melissa Thomas, 30, a Lansing mom who works from home handling customer service calls, said she tried to make some calls regarding her health care coverage, through MedicAID, and wasnt able to get through to anybody by telephone. Each week that passes increases the likelihood that everyday Michiganders, beyond those who work for the federal government, will feel the effects of a shutdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement National parks and lakeshores, like Sleeping Bear Dunes up north and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on the Upper Peninsula, remain "as accessible as possible" to the public, according to their websites, though the Park Service is believed to be operating with far less staff on duty than is usual and it's unclear how long that can continue. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which replaced food stamps and helps feed some 1.5 million Michiganders, has funding enough to get through October, but November's benefits are uncertain. In Washington, the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo were closed. It remained uncertain whether federal courts could continue to operate at full capacity beyond Friday, Oct. 17. And even if the Trump administration was able to repurpose funds to cover mid-October paychecks for military and law enforcement personnel, it was by no means clear if doing so was allowable under federal law and whether there was enough such funding to carry into the weeks to come. As for what would happen and was already happening in some cases to air travel, that was already on Michiganders' minds. Staffing issues were being cited by federal officials as responsible for some periodic flight delays across the U.S., though none had been reported yet at Detroit Metro Airport. But stress on air traffic controllers and TSA officials working without pay is believed to have played some role in ending a shtudown in 2019. Mariah Loper, 23 of Grosse Pointe, said that she has friends in Washington, D.C. who are federal employees who have been impacted by the shutdown. Michiganders seem already attuned to that possibility repeating. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I heard one TSA worker talk about how he might not come back to work tomorrow," Mariah Loper, 23, of Grosse Pointe, said about a recent trip through the airport. "Theres definitely some low morale. Nobody wants to go to work knowing theyre not going to get paid." Andrew Peabody, also of Grosse Pointe, said he also recently returned on a flight from Florida and while he didn't hear any comments, he said he could tell TSA workers' "attitudes" were off to him. "I just feel bad for them You could see on their faces they werent excited coming to work." Andrew Peabody, 22, of Grosse Pointe, said that he just returned from a trip to Florida and said he observed low morale among TSA employees impacted by the shutdown. I feel for them, he said. And it kind of just made traveling different. Donley even said he may delay travel plans if he believes security and other issues cause widespread slowdowns. Nationwide polls taken earlier in the shutdown suggested somewhat more Americans were laying blame on Republicans for the shutdown than Democrats. That trend repeated itself among several of the Michiganders the Free Press spoke with. Aram Brazilian, 58, of Birmingham, for instance, said, "When the Democrats say they're not willing to budge on things like health care, I'm not willing to budge on those things either." Aram Brazilian, 58, of Birmingham, said he has "not yet" been affected by the federal shutdown, and blames Trump and Republicans for the government stalemate. Loper said, while she hates to "play the blame game," the Republicans are the ones who should be willing to compromise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Theyre the ones that are really, really in charge of everything," she said. Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on X @tsspangler. Staff writers Clara Hendrickson, Arpan Lobo, Paul Egan and Emily Lawler contributed to this story. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Everyday Michiganders not feeling pain of federal shutdown yet Two Central Valley brothers have been arrested in connection with the death of a woman reported missing last month, officials announced. Isabel Lucas Velasco, according to investigators with the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office, was reported missing on Sept. 13 after last being seen on a jobsite in rural Arroyo Grande the previous day. Her whereabouts remained a mystery until nearly a month later when search and rescue teams, on Oct. 11, recovered a body believed to be the victim off Highway 198, west of Coalinga, a town a little more than 100 miles from where her alleged remains were located, KTLAs sister-station KSEE/KGPE reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A 45-year-old man, believed to be Velascos former boyfriend, identified as Alejandro Soriano Ortiz of Coalinga, and his brother, 40-year-old Santa Maria resident Celestino Soriano Ortiz, have since been arrested in connection with her disappearance and homicide. Isabel Lucas Velasco, a resident of Coalinga, seen in this undated photo. (SLOCSO) Alejandro Soriano Ortiz, 45, a resident of Coalinga. (SLOCSO) Celestino Soriano Ortiz, 40, a resident of Santa Maria. (SLOCSO) Investigators say Alejandro was booked on one count of murder and one count of arson, in which he is accused of setting Velascos vehicle on fire. His brother was booked for accessory to murder. California mayor resigns after embezzling church funds, attempting suicide Authorities did not provide any details surrounding the alleged homicide, nor did they say if a motive for Velascos disappearance and death was known. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Velascos body has been turned over the San Luis Obispo County Coroners Office for official identification. The case remains active, and detectives asked anyone with information about the investigation to contact the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Department at 805-781-4500. 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 KTLA. MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) A judge sentenced a former FBI agent to serve 60 years in prison for sexually assaulting three women. The Montgomery County States Attorneys Office (SAO) said in a news release that 41-year-old Eduardo Valdivia was sentenced to 80 years in prison, suspending all but 60 to serve. A jury convicted Valdivia on July 18 on six counts of second-degree rape and two counts of fourth-degree sex offense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Former FBI agent in Montgomery County faces century in prison for raping young women The SAO said that when he was arrested in Nov. 2024, Valdivia had been working as a Supervisory Special Agent with the FBI for over a decade. Valdivia also owned a tattoo store called DC Fine Line Tattoos on Washingtonian Boulevard in Gaithersburg. Two victims both women in their early 20s reported that Valdivia raped them in the tattoo studio. One victim said she was also raped at a nearby hotel. After the arrest, a third victim revealed that Valdivia had raped her in Oct. 2022 in a Potomac tattoo studio when she was 18 years old. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The SAO said that Valdivia had used the aliases Lalo Brown and L. Boogie while talking to the victims, luring them to the studios with promises of free tattoos or modeling opportunities. He also posed as a female psychologist and the CEO, President, and Producer of a profitable and well-connected modeling agency while emailing two victims. 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 DC News Now | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live. BALTIMORE A former FBI agent was sentenced to 60 years in prison Tuesday after raping three women hed lured into his tattoo parlors in Gaithersburg and Potomac. A jury convicted Eduardo Valdivia of six rape counts and two sex offenses following a nearly two-week trial in Montgomery County Circuit Court this summer. The 41-year-old faced a maximum 122-year sentence in what Montgomery County States Attorney John McCarthy called one of the most dastardly evil, schemed crimes Ive seen in 40 years. According to police and prosecutors, outside his supervisory role at the FBI, Valdivia quietly set up two tattoo shops across the county and promoted them on social media using several aliases. Detectives said the married father then messaged young girls, one of them a high school senior, and promised them free tattoos and modeling opportunities through his shop and fake connections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The scheme was attuned to Valdivias training and skillset in deception, McCarthy told reporters after Tuesdays hearing. He was using the techniques he learned in the FBI in terms of grooming and manipulation to manipulate these young girls, McCarthy said. A defense attorney for Valdivia did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. ------------- Children who spend too long looking at screens run the risk of failing to live up to their potential at school, according to the results of a 15-year study. "Higher levels of screen time in early childhood are associated with lower scores in reading and mathematics," say a team of researchers based at hospitals in Canada, which at the same time observed that writing skills were largely unaffected. An hour of daily screen time is "associated with a 10% drop in the likelihood of achieving higher academic levels," the team found, after comparing data from parents on screen time with performance in reading and maths tests by some 3,300 schoolchildren in Ontario. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Published in the medical journal JAMA Network Open, the findings suggest the need for "early interventions to reduce screen time exposure" to help "enhance academic achievement in elementary school," according to the researchers. "Screen time is a part of everyday life for most families, and high levels of exposure, particularly to TV and digital media, may have a measurable impact on childrens academic outcomes," said Catherine Birken of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto The findings provide "important insights into how early childhood experiences like screen timecan influence academic achievement," according to Jennifer Hove, a director at the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO), which administers the school tests used as part of the study. The team said there is a need for further research to determine the effects of particular categories of screen time and "the type of content kids are watching." At least 1,076 Cuban nationals have fought or are fighting for Russia in Ukraine, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent on Oct. 15. Ninety-six are known to have died or gone missing in action. The figures come after the U.S. earlier this month circulated an unclassified cable sharing details about Cuba's support for Russia's full-scale invasion, in which it claimed an "estimated 1,000 to 5,000 Cubans (are) fighting in Ukraine." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The information from HUR shared with the Kyiv Independent tallies with the lower end of the U.S. estimate, but also provides further insight into the recruitment process and training of Cuban nationals. HUR claims they receive only two weeks of training at the Avangard training center in Moscow Oblast before being sent to the front line. "(At Avangard) they receive a military uniform and undergo physical and fire training, tactical medicine, and drone training," HUR said. "The vast majority of them perform the functions of rifle and assault troops as part of infantry, motorized infantry, or assault companies." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response to the reports about the U.S. cable, Cuba's Foreign Ministry on Oct. 11 denied its involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war, alleging the U.S. was making "false accusations." "It is irrefutable that none of them have the encouragement, commitment, or consent of the Cuban state for their actions," a statement from the Foreign Ministry read, denying the country had sent soldiers to participate in the war effort. The information provided by HUR suggests that some Cuban nationals are tricked into travelling to Russia after being lured by the promise of lucrative construction work advertised on Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. Read also: Syrias al-Sharaa meets Putin during his first Russia visit Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their travel is facilitated by "private intermediaries" who sometimes pay for flights, with Russian diplomatic institutions issuing tourist or work visas. "After arriving in the Russian Federation, recruits are offered contracts for military service drawn up in Russian without translation instead of employment contracts," HUR said. Moscow has been recruiting foreign fighters from countries such as Nepal, Somalia, India, and Cuba since the start of its full-scale invasion in 2022. Last year, Bloomberg reported that Russia was offering generous payments and the promise of citizenship to Cuban fighters, despite Havana's attempts to curb recruitment. At the time, the number of Cuban recruits was reported to be in the low hundreds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement North Koreans make up the largest number of foreigners fighting for Russia in Ukraine, but do so in an official capacity, the most visible sign of the deepening relations between Russia and North Korea. According to HUR, aside from North Korea's professional soldiers, Cubans make up the fifth largest foreign nationality fighting for Russia in Ukraine after Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Belarus. "Citizens of Syria, Serbia, Nepal and some African countries have also participated in combat operations as part of units of the occupying country, but their numbers are significantly smaller," they added. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Former California congresswoman Katie Porter is attempting to press reset on her campaign for governor following a disastrous week that started with a video of a tense exchange with a journalist and then evolved into a broader critique of her temperament when another video surfaced. Porter sat down for an exclusive interview with Inside California Politics host Nikki Laurenzo on Tuesday, where she expressed regret. When I look at those videos, I want people to know that I understand that I could have handled things better, Porter said. I think Im known as someone whos able to handle tough questions, whos willing to answer questions, and I want people to know that I really value the incredible work that my staff can do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Porters readiness for Californias highest office came into question after a snippet of her interview with CBS reporter Julie Watts in Sacramento went viral last Wednesday. In it, the Orange County Democrat dismissed the notion that she needed to recruit Trump voters to win the gubernatorial race. Then, when pressed on her response, Porter threatened to walk out on the interview, calling the reporters questioning unnecessarily argumentative. Porter said, I dont want to keep doing this. Im going to call it, before ultimately deciding to continue with the interview. Katie Porter sits down for an interview at KTLA 5 News on Oct. 14, 2025. Her opponents, both within and outside of her party, quickly pounced. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, part of a crowded field of declared candidates for governor, produced a three-minute campaign ad with the CBS interview that ended with Villaraigosa saying: We need leaders who will solve hard problems and answer simple questions. Social media comments were also scathing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Criticism of Porter became amplified last week when a video from 2021 emerged in which Porter shouted at a staffer to Get out of my fing shot during a Zoom interview with then-Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. Porter said she later apologized to the staffer. I will continue to try to hold myself to do better, Porter told Laurenzo. Thats what I can promise. Porter said she understood the backlash from voters but insisted her defiance and passion are strengths not drawbacks. Im going to be focused on earning their votes and earning their trust, she said. I am taking responsibility for this situation, and Im also not going to back down from fighting back for California, from being tough. I dont think this is a moment where the same old, same old, is going to cut it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In September, an Emerson College poll commissioned by Inside California Politics found Porter leading the race for governor with 16 percent support, followed by Republican political commentator Steve Hilton at 10 percent, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at 8 percent, and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra with 5%. No polling has been released since last weeks upheaval. Porter, a Harvard Law School graduate who served in Congress from 2019 to 2025, also drew criticism over comments she made after failing to advance to the general election in last years open U.S. Senate race. She claimed special interests tried to rig the election a remark she later apologized for. Despite the criticism from both within her party and the GOP, Porter still has supporters. Although, when asked specifically who, Porter couldnt immediately recall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Laurenzo: Have you heard from any other Democrats? Have they reached out to you? Porter: Yes, of course. Laurenzo: Who has reached out to you? Porter: Well, I couldnt tell you off the top of my head, because Ive gotten lots of text messages as you might expect. Laurenzo: What did they say? Words of support? Can you give me anything specific? Porter: As youve seen publicly, many of the groups that support me, groups like the Teamsters, have said that theyre proud to stand with me, because they know Im going to fight for California, that they know Im going to be tough, that they think whats needed is the level of strength of character in this moment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indeed, both the Teamsters union and U.S. Rep. Dave Min, who holds Porters former Orange County seat, have expressed support. In this critical moment in our country, we dont need to be polite, go along to get along, establishment politicians that keep getting run over by the opposition, said Teamsters California Co-Chairs Peter Finn and Chris Griswold. We need strong leaders like Katie Porter who are willing to call it like it is and stand up and fight for everyday Californians. The race for governor remains fluid as two potential heavyweights, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla and billionaire developer Rick Caruso, have not yet announced if they will indeed run. The deadline to declare is March 6. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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 KTLA. RIT Capital Partners holds $20,319,880 worth of International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) shares, representing 2.55% of its portfolio. With this, the company secures a spot on our list of billionaire Jacob Rothschilds RIT Capital Partners: 9 stocks with huge upside potential. Analysts at UBS Reiterate Their Buy Rating on International Paper Company (IP) with $60 Price Target On September 22, analysts at UBS reiterated their Buy rating on International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) with a $60 price target. This retention of a bullish stance follows the analysts visit to International Paper Company (NYSE:IP)s Aurora, Illinois, lighthouse plant. The plant is part of a broader optimization program launched in mid-2024 to enhance manufacturing efficiency and capital deployment. Furthermore, the analysts highlighted the companys leadership, which has led one of the most transformative operational shifts seen in decades. As a result of these shifts, the company has successfully improved productivity and commercial execution across box plant operations. Moreover, the analysts believe International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) will materially boost margins and shareholder returns with the help of the programs scalability across the companys network. Operating across North America, Latin America, Europe, and North Africa, International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) focuses on manufacturing and selling renewable fiber-based packaging and pulp products. It is included in Jacob Rothschilds RIT Capital Partners Stock Portfolio. While we acknowledge the potential of IP 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. READ NEXT: 11 Cheap Clean Energy Stocks to Buy Right Now and 15 Best Robotics Stocks to Buy Under $20. Disclosure: None. Drivers beware. If you're parked in a bus or bike lane starting Wednesday, you could face fines if you're spotted by new technology on select CTA buses. The CTA is rolling out six buses with new artificial intelligence cameras designed to capture video when a driver is parked in a bus or bike lane. The buses are equipped with Automated Bus Lane Enforcement technology, or ABLE for short, from Hayden AI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The buses using the technology will have an on-board processor along with two windshield-mounted cameras. After the violations are recorded, the Chicago Department of Transportation reviews the video to issue warnings or fines. I think anyone who spends time, especially in dense downtown area, could attest that there's a lot of parking behavior, people parked illegally in bus lanes and in bike lanes, which, as you know, provides a, most importantly, a safety hazard for people, whether having to cut back into traffic, but also one vehicle illegally stopped in a bus lane can slow down traffic for a bus full of commuters," CDOT Director of Public Affairs Erica Schroeder said. "It's been a problem in Chicago and we're just hoping that this, you know, helps improve that enforcement." The ABLE technology was previously used on eight transportation and finance department vehicles, leading to 11,000 warnings and nearly 1,400 violations. Drivers get a warning on their first offense before a fine is issued. With the six CTA buses now in play, Chicago will join other major cities like New York in using the technology. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service shared good news recently in an update on its website. According to the agency, it has completed the latest five-year status review for the Columbia River population of the Columbian white-tailed deer and found that the species has met the goals outlined in its recovery plan. Because the species appears to be making a remarkable recovery, the agency has recommended that it be removed from the federal Endangered Species List, which currently has it listed as threatened. While this recommendation won't automatically see the species taken off the list, as the process for doing so involves further scientific review and a formal rulemaking process, it's a significant development for the Columbian white-tailed deer population in the Pacific Northwest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The journey to save this deer species has been a decadeslong endeavor. The Columbian white-tailed deer is a species that was once abundant in Washington and Oregon. However, by the 1940s, these deer's numbers had dropped to less than 1,000, due to human growth and development, as well as habitat loss. The dramatic reduction of this species resulted in it being one of the first wildlife species listed under the Endangered Species Act. However, thanks to decades of work and collaboration among state, federal, local, and tribal partners, the Columbia River population is making a stunning comeback. Incredibly instrumental in this success was the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer, created in 1971 to aid in protecting these animals. The Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge also helped create a foundation for this species' recovery. Considering the vital role deer play in the food chain and in keeping plants from becoming overly abundant, the Columbian white-tailed deer's return is excellent news. With an increased population in the area, the deer will help the ecosystem swing back to its natural balance, which benefits not only the environment but also human populations nearby. Balanced ecosystems support cleaner water, air, and healthier food supply systems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The acting regional director of the Pacific Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bridget Fahey, explained in the agency release, "It's incredibly exciting to see the deer reach this milestone. This effort shows what's possible when we work together to recover a species." Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Eastern Tennessee has its newest hero on the prowl, sniffing out a troublesome invasive species that recently took up residence in the area. Winnie the black Labrador retriever has joined forces with inspectors from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture to track the spotted lanternfly, according to Knox News. Armed with her nose and training from the USDA National Detector Dog Training Center in Georgia, the pup can identify the species and help rein in its population growth. Spotted lanternflies were first discovered in the United States back in 2014, but their first sighting in the Knox County area was in 2023. A resident flagged the bug to authorities, who found several more congregating on a tree of heaven a plant known to attract them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pests are dangerous to local ecosystems because they feed on the sap of over 70 plant species namely grape and fruit trees. Not only can they kill off native plants through their excessive eating habits, but they also leave behind a sticky excrement called "honeydew" that can promote the growth of a plant-killing mold. As researchers have hunted down the spotted lanternfly, they've been able to find methods of controlling their rapid population growth. Thankfully, more research has discovered that natural predators of the bug already exist in the ecosystems it has invaded, namely mantises and soldier bugs. For more active intervention, though, tools like Winnie's sniffing skills come into play. She works with Tennessee Department of Agriculture plant inspector Mary Glover to inspect local nurseries and greenhouses, and they report back on possible invasive population growth. Winnie tracks spotted lanternflies of all stages, but she is particularly useful at tracking down a tough-to-spot egg mass, which strongly contributes to the bug's ability to reproduce uncontrollably. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It looks like a piece of mud," Glover said, per Knox News, which is why Winnie's skills are crucial to decipher where to look and what samples to test. "Any time you're looking for an invasive insect and you can find it and hopefully mitigate the damage, that's a good thing," Glover added. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. A boat cleaning service in Nova Scotia is attracting a lot of attention not just for offering a free service, but also for its efforts to combat invasive species. Volunteers are traveling to popular boating locations across Nova Scotia to wash away any hitchhiking invasive species, CBC reported. "Many boaters don't even realize the risk they're carrying with them from one lake to another. This is our way of getting ahead of the problem," Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council Supervisor Ken Donnelly explained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Teams use a pressure washer and a boiler that heats the water to a lethal level for the invasive species stuck to the boat. Invasive species pose a danger to ecosystems because they did not evolve alongside the surrounding wildlife and often lack natural predators. Without this balance in the food chain, they can outcompete local organisms for food and resources, threatening their survival. One of the team's biggest targets is the zebra mussel. Originally from the Black and Caspian Seas in Europe, it entered the United States and Canada in the 1980s. These mussels tend to starve native mussels out by depleting their food supply. They also consume beneficial plankton while allowing toxic cyanobacteria to flourish unchecked, which can lead to the proliferation of toxic algal blooms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They can just be attached to your canoe," Brittni Scott, a resource management officer with Parks Canada, told CBC. "They can tag in and you just might not even notice it." While many consider only wildlife to be invasive species, plants can be, too. Establishing plants native to the region is an excellent way to foster a thriving local ecosystem. Beyond environmental damage, the zebra mussels targeted by the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council can also be harmful to people. Zebra mussels can damage vessels to which they attach, and their sharp edges can injure boaters who attempt to remove them. Boaters in Canada and the U.S. should remain on alert for zebra mussels that may attach to boats. Boat owners can help slow the spread of invasive species by keeping their decks clear of plants and animal stowaways before leaving a location. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Experts have raised the alarm after discovering PFAS in nearly 30 water samples taken from a river in Georgia. What's happening? As reported by the Savannah Morning News, experts working for the nonprofit Savannah Riverkeeper have tested nearly 30 soil and surface water samples taken from the Savannah River basin over the past two years. Worryingly, their results show that all of these samples were contaminated with PFAS, otherwise known as forever chemicals. These worrying results impact local communities that rely on the river basin for drinking water. Unfortunately, these results are not a surprise, as over 4,600 facilities are permitted by Georgia and South Carolina to release stormwater, wastewater, and other discharges into the nine watersheds that make up the river basin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city of Savannah submitted a lawsuit in February against companies involved in the sale and manufacturing of PFAS-laden products in the region. However, the lawsuit has since been shuttled to the U.S District Court of South Carolina, where there are already over 10,000 other PFAS-related cases awaiting attention. Recent drawbacks of national drinking water regulations, along with the denial of any wrongdoing by over a third of the companies involved in the lawsuit, suggest that nothing will be done about the problem anytime soon. "I think it's probably quite bad for us... but there's not much of a choice," said Tonya Bonitatibus, executive director of Savannah Riverkeeper, as per the Savannah Morning News. Why is this important? PFAS have entered the environment and drinking water following their use in manufacturing and other industrial processes. These chemicals are known as forever chemicals because they persist in the environment for a long time and are difficult to remove. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Exposure to PFAS has been linked to a range of health issues, including increased cholesterol, liver damage, thyroid disease, and decreased immune response. While there are regulations in place to limit our exposure to two widely used and detected PFAS, known as PFOA and PFOS, many of the regulations against other types of PFAS have been recently rolled back by the EPA. What's being done about PFAS contamination? There are lots of different treatment options to help remove PFAS from contaminated water. The EPA outlines several of these, including granular activated carbon, anion exchange, reverse osmosis, and nanofiltration. In addition to removing PFAS already in the environment, preventing more from accumulating is also a priority. There are a number of steps people can take to reduce PFAS at home, such as filtering tap water, switching to PFAS-free cookware like cast iron or stainless steel, and avoiding furniture and carpets that use stain-resistant coatings. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) -The British government has come under sustained criticism after a prosecution against two men accused of spying for China collapsed last month, with critics saying it was because of fears of upsetting Beijing. Here is what the case is about and why it has proved controversial: WHAT IS THE UK CHINESE SPYING CASE? Two men, Christopher Cash, 30, a former director of the China Research Group think-tank, and Christopher Berry, 33, who worked as a researcher for a senior lawmaker, were arrested by British police in March 2023 on suspicion of spying for China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In April 2024, the men were charged with an offence under the 1911 Official Secrets Act of passing politically sensitive information to a Chinese intelligence agent known as "Alex". They denied any wrongdoing and China says the case is entirely fabricated and a malicious slander. In an unexpected move, Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped the charges on September 15, a month before the trial was due to start, saying the case no longer met the evidential threshold. WHY DID THE CHINESE SPYING CASE COLLAPSE? Since it was dropped, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government has been accused by opponents of undermining the prosecution because it did not want to upset China, with which it is seeking better economic ties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Critics have particularly singled out Britain's National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell because of what they say are his ties to China. The UK government has rejected these accusations. Starmer said the decision to drop the case was made independently by the CPS and that ministers were disappointed it had not gone ahead. However, the CPS said, prior to the prosecution being dropped, that it had for many months asked the government for new evidence which it believed was necessary for the case to go ahead. WHY IS THERE A DISPUTE? The problem centred around the wording of the charge. Under the Official Secrets Act (OSA), a law brought in to deal with German spying before World War One, it is an offence to communicate documents which might be useful to "an enemy". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time when the men were charged, Britain's then-Conservative government had classified China as an "epoch-defining challenge" but stopped short of officially labelling it a threat. However, lawmakers and the intelligence agencies had regularly warned about the threat of Chinese espionage and activities designed to influence British politicians, businesses and academia. In July 2024, in a separate case which involved a team of Bulgarians later found guilty of spying for Russia, London's Court of Appeal determined that an enemy under the OSA meant a country which "represents a current threat to the national security of the UK". It was following that ruling that the CPS said it had sought new evidence from the government, but that none of the additional witness statements obtained stated that China was a threat to national security at the time of the offence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government says the statements, provided by a deputy national security adviser without any involvement from Powell, had to state the official position at the time of the charge under the then Conservative administration. The CPS says it is now up to the government whether to make those statements public. Starmer said on Wednesday that these would be published. WHO IS RIGHT? It is possible that even disclosing these statements will fail to provide clarity on who was right, as some legal experts suggest both the government and the CPS got themselves in a muddle over the issue. The experts say that if the CPS had enough evidence to bring a charge in April 2024, then it is not clear what more they needed after the Court of Appeal's ruling which, if anything, made it easier to define an "enemy" under the OSA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, that is unlikely to deflect criticism that the government appeared to be unwilling to provide evidence which made clear China was a threat, even if it was not officially described as such, because it would have meant stating it publicly in court. (Reporting by Michael HoldenEditing by Gareth Jones ) (Reuters) -The elite Central Committee of China's ruling Communist Party will hold a closed-door meeting from Monday to Thursday to discuss, among other things, the country's 15th five-year development plan. The meeting, known as a plenum, is the fourth since the 2022 Party Congress. Here is what it all means: WHAT'S A PLENUM? The Central Committee is the largest of the party's top decision-making bodies, and it typically holds seven plenums between congresses, with the fifth traditionally deliberating on five-year plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But due to an unexplained nine-month-long delay in the third plenum until July 2024, the party is expected to now review the 2026-2030 plan during the fourth, on October 20-23. To prevent leaks, plenum attendees are traditionally confined to the venue for the duration of the meeting. Little, if any, news of the proceedings is made public until it closes. Foreign media and most Chinese reporters don't have access. On the day the plenum ends, China releases a brief report outlining what was agreed - this time, the general scope of the next five-year development plan. To project party unity, there will be no mention of any dissent. Some days later, potentially on the week starting October 27, Beijing releases more details, although it's unlikely these would contain specific targets or costs for any new policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These are more likely to be released in March, when parliament approves the next five-year plan. WHAT'S A FIVE-YEAR PLAN? It's a strategic blueprint that outlines economic and social development goals over a five-year period, guiding national policy, investment and reform. It typically covers economic growth, industrial modernisation, technological innovation, environmental protection, national security and social goals. The 2026-2030 plan will be China's 15th five-year plan since it adopted Soviet-style quinquennial policy formulation cycles in the 1950s. The 1980s plans were seen as pivotal in China's staggering subsequent development into the world's second-largest economy. These reforms allowed private ownership, opened up its markets and paved the way for the country's integration into global trade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 2000s and 2010s focused on poverty alleviation and transitioning towards an economic model relying more on domestic consumption than on infrastructure investment and manufacturing. China has declared success in fighting poverty. But it is widely accepted that it fell short on fostering durable household demand. WILL THE PLENUM DISCUSS OTHER TOPICS? Most likely. Fourth plenums have in the past deliberated on party governance, including personnel reshuffling and disciplinary actions. Diplomats and other observers will look at the people who might fall from grace or rise through the ranks, particularly in the military, to better understand Beijing's thinking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WHAT'S AT STAKE The next five-year plan will be closely watched for how much emphasis China places on rebalancing its economy. Most observers expect strong language from Beijing on its intentions to boost consumption. In practice, however, analysts say the trade war with the U.S. is likely to keep policymakers focused on industrial upgrading and technological breakthroughs, which means resources would by and large keep flowing towards factories and strategic investments rather than consumers. This might consolidate China's achievements in developing world-leading industries, such as electric vehicles or green energy and open up opportunities in other sectors where it still lags rivals, such as semiconductors or aircraft. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But it also means deflationary forces will persist and debt will accumulate, while China's limited contribution to global demand relative to its growing stake in the supply of manufactured goods will keep tensions high. The plenum comes days before an APEC summit in South Korea, where Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump might meet. It also comes days after Beijing tightened export controls on rare earths, prompting a threat from Trump of triple-digit tariffs. Five-year plans don't change on short-term fluctuations in diplomatic and trade relationships, but analysts say Beijing sees protecting national interests in times of growing great power rivalry as the basis of every policy it formulates. (Writing by Marius ZahariaEditing by Shri Navaratnam) By Alexandra Valencia QUITO (Reuters) -Explosive devices detonated on two bridges in Ecuador on routes between the coast and mountains early on Wednesday, in what the country's interior minister described as acts of retaliation after a major military operation against illegal miners. "The line we are pursuing is one of retaliation for what we have been doing in Imbabura (province), in terms of controlling the strike and cracking down on illegal mining," Interior Minister John Reimberg told a press briefing in the northern city of Otavalo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No injuries were reported and no one has been arrested so far over the explosions. Reimberg said authorities were pursuing the theory that a criminal group known as Los Lobos was behind the attack. Washington designated the group a terrorist organization following a meeting with Ecuador's president last month. One of the explosions damaged part of the base of a bridge, Reimberg added, while the other explosion only partly detonated. Infrastructure Minister Roberto Luque said on X that he believed the explosive attacks aimed to disrupt traffic. The explosions follow a major military and airforce operation on Monday that destroyed several illegal mine entrances, which the army said were operated by organized crime groups, in an effort to hit one of their top sources of income. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Seven people were arrested in the operation. Reimberg said some of these belonged to a dissident Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) group. DIESEL PROTESTS Otavalo, near where the operation took place in Imbabura province, has been the scene of a series of protests organized since late September by CONAIE, Ecuador's largest Indigenous organization, over President Daniel Noboa ending diesel subsidies by decree. Noboa said the subsidized diesel was being diverted to illegal mining and smuggling operations. The province has been isolated since the protest began, though the government has sought to open up roads by sending aid convoys. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, clashes broke out in Otavalo between protesters and security forces. Indigenous groups reported that at least 50 were injured, while the government said 13 military officers had been injured by machetes and firecrackers. Wednesday's explosions occurred just hours after a car bomb went off outside a shopping mall in Ecuador's largest city Guayaquil late on Tuesday, leaving one person dead and several more injured. A second vehicle containing explosives was found nearby, but it did not detonate and was deactivated. Last week, Noboa was traveling in a convoy in a rural town when his car was attacked by people throwing rocks. The government called it an assassination attempt and arrested five people on charges of terrorism. CONAIE denounced orchestrated police violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The five people were released soon after when a judge ruled their detention illegal. Noboa spoke on Wednesday at an event in Guayaquil, where he said criminal groups were seeking to destabilize the government and prevent them from attending to Ecuadoreans' needs. "We cannot back down in the face of mafias, people who want to terrorize Ecuadorean families," he said. (Reporting by Alexandra Valencia, Writing by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez; Editing by Brendan O'Boyle, Sarah Morland and Nia Williams) Screenshots via We Rate Dogs on Facebook and Instagram. WeRateDogs, a popular social media account that shares heartwarming dog stories, took an unusual political turn Tuesday with a post bashing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over a story about a pet dog that was fatally shot during a raid on a home in Texas. Matt Nelson launched the WeRateDogs Twitter account a decade ago when he was in college and has since amassed a huge audience: over 9 million on the original account, 4.9 million on Instagram, 3.4 million on TikTok, 1.5 million on Facebook, over 434K on YouTube, and over 415K on Bluesky. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WeRateDogs typically posts photos and videos of dogs engaged in adorable antics, amusingly rating them higher than 10 out of 10 (because theyre good dogs, Brent). Over the years, the account has started selling merchandise and entering into affiliate agreements with companies like Farmers Dog brand dog food, which is used to support a number of dog and pet charities. This is Zebby. He finally managed to catch his tail. Super proud of the accomplishment and would like to pretend no one saw the part right after. 12/10 pic.twitter.com/oFgjIHQV2J WeRateDogs (@dog_rates) October 14, 2025 This is Sandy. She landed in a shelter with a dislocated hip and luxating patella, likely from being hit by a car. Thanks to your recent support of our tell your dog i said hi merch, @15outof10 was able to cover the entirety of her $7,600 care, including the surgery needed to pic.twitter.com/SzIL7yf9XE WeRateDogs (@dog_rates) October 9, 2025 Tuesday, however, saw WeRateDogs tackle a hot-button political issue, President Donald Trumps immigration crackdown, and specifically raids conducted by ICE. The account shared photos and reporting from a KFOX14 article about an incident in El Paso, Texas back in September, in which U.S. Customs and Border Protection was engaged in an investigation into alien smuggling at a residence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The family at that residence, who asked to remain anonymous, were described in the article as distraught after U.S. Border Patrol agents entered their sons home and shot the family dog. According to the family, the agents showed up in plainclothes, jeans and t-shirts, and wearing masks, and requested to search the home. The son agreed to allow the search, saying he had nothing to hide, but asked to be able to put Chop, the familys Rottweiler, in a bathroom before they entered the house, because the dog could be aggressive with strangers. When the agents asked to see the sons ID, he went to his pickup truck to get it, and an agent entered his home, opened the bathroom door, and shot Chop, the family said. The family told KFOX14 they were outraged about what had happened: The family stressed that the agents knew the son had told them that Chop was put in the bathroom for their safety and that the agents opened the door, let Chop out and shot him. The family appeared upset and disgusted by the agents actions, saying that they were following orders and trying to be upstanding citizens, only for an agent to kill a family member. Furthermore, the family said none of the Border Patrol agents helped the family, who desperately tried to render aid to the dog, which bled to death on the kitchen floor. Also, the family claims the agent who shot their dog then hid from them and refused to give his name. According to KFOX14, the family also said that the agents told them they were working from an anonymous tip tied to the previous owners of the home, who lived there two years ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CBP issued a statement about the incident: On Sept. 9 at 7:15 a.m., a U.S. Border Patrol agent was involved in a use of force incident in El Paso, Texas during an investigation into alien smuggling at a residence. The incident involved a canine. The use of force is currently under review by CBPs Office of Professional Responsibility in accordance with CBP policies. CBP takes such incidents seriously. We will provide additional information as it becomes available. WeRateDogs published a post on Facebook with several photos, including blurred images of the familys home with the dogs blood on the floor, and a link to the article. WeRateDogs post Screenshot via Facebook. The caption read: This is Chop. He was shot and killed by masked assailants in plain clothes who go by ICE. They showed up at his door looking for migrants after receiving a tip. The son of the family asked if they could wait before entering the home while he put Chop away in the bathroom, as the dog can be aggressive with strangers. According to the family, it is at this point that the son went to his pickup truck to retrieve his ID and a Border Patrol agent entered the home, opened the bathroom door, and shot Chop. None of the agents helped the family, who desperately tried to render aid to Chop, as he bled to death on the kitchen floor. Unsurprisingly, the agent who shot their dog then hid from them and refused to give his name. Even more unsurprising, they did not find any evidence of the migrants they were there to terrorize in the first place. Do not open your door for these fucking losers. Rest easy Chop, the caption concluded, along with a heart emoji and a 14/10 rating. The post ended with a link to the KFOX14 article and contact information for several CPB contacts and Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX), who represents the district and previously served as an El Paso County commissioner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A similar post was shared on the WeRateDog Instagram page. WeRateDogs post about Chop the Rottweiler, shot by ICE Screenshot via Instagram. The post F*cking Losers: Massively Popular Dog-Themed Account Bashes ICE for Allegedly Shooting Pup in Rare Political Post first appeared on Mediaite. By Toby Sterling and Nathan Vifflin (Reuters) -ASML's expected decline in China sales is not due to previous stockpiling of chip machines by its Chinese customers, finance chief Roger Dassen told reporters on Wednesday. The world's biggest supplier of computer chip equipment said in its third-quarter earnings report that it expected a significant fall in demand from China next year. "The reason I rule out (previous) stockpiling is because systems that we ship ... are actually in a chips factory", the CFO said. China has been the world's largest buyer of chipmaking tools since 2020, prompting a group of U.S. lawmakers to call for new restrictions on ASML's exports to China this month. They said it is clear Chinese firms have been buying tools in excess of the country's needs to get ahead of further controls. Chinese system orders represented 42% of all ASML machine sales in the third quarter. The company earlier said demand for this year was stronger than expected. ASML PREPARED FOR SHORT TERM RARE EARTH RESTRICTIONS The finance chief also detailed ASML's readiness to face restrictions on imports of rare earth materials coming from China. "We have inventory, we have alternatives. But of course, you have the impact on us directly that we're navigating," the CFO said. ASML is well prepared, Dassen said, but he cautioned about the potential longer term consequences. "If you talk about the next three years... it's important that the world is able to continue to trade and that we do not end up in a situation where we get limitations in that regard", he told reporters. China produces over 90% of the world's processed rare earths and rare earth magnets, which ASML needs in its machines, and has dramatically expanded its rare earths export controls in early October. (Reporting by Toby Sterling in Amsterdam, Nathan Vifflin in Gdansk; Editing by Matt Scuffham) Claim: In October 2025, the U.S. government announced it would allow the nation of Qatar to build a military base in Idaho. Rating: Rating: Mixture What's True: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Qatar would fund the construction of a facility to host Qatari F-15 fighter jets and pilots, who will train alongside U.S. troops at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. What's False: Qatar is not building a military base it is funding the construction of new facilities at an existing U.S. Air Force base. Mountain Home Air Force Base also hosts a squadron from the Singapore air force. Based on publicly available documents, discussions about hosting Qatari F-15 aircraft and pilots in America have been happening since at least 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Oct. 10, 2025, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the United States Air Force would allow the government of Qatar to build a facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. The news set off a firestorm on social media. Supporters as well as critics of President Donald Trump blasted the supposed decision. For instance, Laura Loomer, a conservative social media influencer known for her close ties to Trump, wrote on X that the "Qatari influence on the Trump administration is totally out of control." So we agreed to go to war for Qatar and now we are letting them train pilots on US soil? The Qatari influence on the Trump administration is totally out of control. It has to be said. Its inappropriate to let Qataris have an Air Force base on US soil. We are literally Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) October 10, 2025 Later that day, Hegseth backtracked. "The U.S. military has a long-standing partnership w/ Qatar, including today's announced cooperation w/ F-15QA aircraft," he said in a post on X. "However, to be clear, Qatar will not have their own base in the United Statesnor anything like a base." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the wake of the announcement, Snopes readers wrote in asking for more information. We found the claim was a mixture of true and false information. Here's what to know: Foreign troops in America While America has never hosted a foreign military base on its territory, it has hosted troops from other nations. According to an article from The Dispatch, American allies, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Singapore, all maintain small presences at American military bases, often for training purposes. For instance, Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas is home to the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program. Several European nations, including Germany, Italy, Norway and the Netherlands, send student pilots and instructors to Texas to be trained how to fly. Mountain Home Air Force Base, the planned location of the Qatari post, is already home to a foreign detachment. According to the base's website, it has hosted pilots and F-15SG fighter jets from the city-state of Singapore since 2009. The U.S. Air Force's 366th Fighter Wing, which is stationed at the base, flies a version of the same aircraft. Plans have been in the works for a while Qatar first purchased F-15QA aircraft in 2017, according to The Associated Press. The next step of the process was therefore training pilots to fly them. Mountain Home Air Force Base might have been a natural fit because it already hosted Singaporean pilots. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In April 2022, the base published a news release announcing it had completed the environmental impact study for "the beddown of a US-led Qatar Emiri Air Force F-15QA squadron." "Beddown" is the term the military uses to refer to an aircraft's base of operations. According to the 2022 news release, the proposal would involve the following: The beddown of 12 F-15QA aircraft and associated equipment, use of the Mountain Home Air Force Base airfield, special use airspace and military training routes for training, use of defensive countermeasures and ordnance, approximately 300 additional QEAF and United States Air Force personnel, and the construction and modification of facilities and infrastructure needed to support the beddown. The Associated Press reported that Qatar will pay for the construction of the facilities required to house the fighter jets, but local contractors are expected to build the facility. Security at the base will still be handled by the U.S. Air Force. Sources: 366th Fighter Wing Headquarters, Office of Public Affairs. NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICAT IMPACTS FROM THE PROPOSED QEAF BEDDOWN AT MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE. UNITED STATES AIR FORCE, 8 Apr. 2022, https://www.mountainhome.af.mil/About-MHAFB/Environmental-Info/. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bertrand, Natasha. "US Announces It Will Allow Qatar to Build an Air Force Facility in Idaho | CNN Politics." CNN, 10 Oct. 2025, https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/10/politics/qatar-air-force-facility-idaho. Brennan, Chris. "MAGA Balked at Team Trump's Qatari Air Force Base. So Now It's a 'fake Story.' | Opinion." USA TODAY, https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/10/14/hegseth-qatari-base-idaho-vance-interview/86673752007/. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025. Demas, Alex. "Do Foreign Countries Have Military Bases in the United States?" The Dispatch, 19 Apr. 2024, https://thedispatch.com/article/do-foreign-countries-have-military-bases-in-the-united-states/. "Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program (ENJJPT)." Sheppard AFB, https://www.sheppard.af.mil/Library/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/367537/euro-nato-joint-jet-pilot-training-program-enjjpt/. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Force Beddown Definition - Military Operations Terms - MilitaryDictionary. https://www.militarydictionary.org/term/force-beddown. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025. Mountain Home Air Force Base. About MHAFB. https://www.mountainhome.af.mil/About-MHAFB/. Scribner, Herb. "What to Know about Idaho's Mountain Home Base, Home to Qatar's New Air Force Station." Axios, 10 Oct. 2025, https://www.axios.com/2025/10/10/qatar-military-base-idaho-mountain-home-air-force. "Sec. Pete Hegseth Announces Joint US-Qatari Air Force Facility in Idaho." USA TODAY, https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/politics/2025/10/10/pete-hegseth-announces-joint-us-qatar-air-force-facility-idaho/86626689007/. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025. "Things to Know about the Qatar Training Facility Planned for an Idaho Air Force Base." AP News, 10 Oct. 2025, https://apnews.com/article/idaho-qatar-us-air-force-base-fc1506584e7833dbde3e16fe8613b6b4. Claim: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents rescued seven missing children while raiding a Chicago warehouse in October 2025. Rating: Rating: False Context: Some social media posts with the claim alleged the same raid resulted in officials locating "83 unlicensed weapons" or "83 unregistered firearms." Both assertions were a misrepresentation of events that occurred in Memphis. A rumor that circulated online in October 2025 claimed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Chicago rescued seven missing children while raiding a warehouse to detain immigrants in the country illegally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Without providing evidence to substantiate the alleged event, popular social media posts claimed, "ICE raided a warehouse in Chicago and found 7 missing children! Why does the left hate this?" For example, one Facebook user's Oct. 11 post with the claim (archived) received around 100,000 total reactions, comments and shares. (Noah's Nation/Facebook) The rumor circulated during President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration and efforts to deploy National Guard troops in U.S. cities including Chicago. Snopes readers searched our website for information about the claim; that ICE agents supposedly found seven missing children while raiding a warehouse in Chicago. Numerous users shared the claim on Facebook (archived), Instagram (archived), TikTok, Threads (archived), Truth Social (archived) and X (archived). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some social media posts alleged the same raid resulted in officials locating "83 unlicensed weapons" or "83 unregistered firearms." There was no evidence of those things happening. Searches of Bing, DuckDuckGo, Google and Yahoo located no news media outlets or independent blogs, including conservative-political websites, confirming the claims. If ICE agents had located missing children while raiding a warehouse in Chicago, local journalists would have widely reported on the event. In short, users who shared the claims misrepresented genuine news events. In early October, news outlets reported authorities found seven missing children and seized 83 firearms in Memphis, Tennessee not Chicago as part of a White House initiative to curb crime. No available reports mentioned ICE agents being involved in the effort. Authorities discovered the children and weapons in Memphis over days, presumably in various locations, as evidenced by rising numbers in local news outlets' near-daily reports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Snopes has yet to independently verify those news reports about authorities locating seven missing children and seizing 83 firearms in Memphis, which cited the Trump administration for the information. We contacted the White House to confirm the reporting, as well as to inquire whether ICE played a role in any missing children cases in Memphis. Snopes also emailed the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, as well as the Department of Justice. We will update this report if we receive additional information. The rumor's origin TikTok user @benhadthew appeared to be the first user who posted about the alleged ICE raid in Chicago, sharing two videos on Oct. 8. In one video, the user said of authorities, "It turns out, they found 83 unlicensed firearms." He added, "On top of that, they found seven missing children." (We reached out to that TikTok user to learn the basis for the videos, and we will update this report if we learn more.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two days before those TikTok videos posted, a local Memphis news station, ABC24, reported on the so-called "Memphis Safe Task Force," a Trump administration effort to combat crime in the city, citing DOJ data. According to those numbers, between Sept. 29 and early October, the task force seized 83 firearms and found seven missing children the same numbers mentioned in the rumor about the alleged Chicago warehouse raid. One week later, the Memphis NBC affiliate reported updated numbers by the DOJ: 173 seized firearms and 43 recovered children. News events in Washington D.C. could have also inspired the rumor about ICE agents in Chicago supposedly finding seven children. On Sept. 4, Gadyaces Serralta, director of the DOJ's U.S. Marshals Service, reported officials rescued missing children as part of the Trump administration's efforts to lower crime in the nation's capital. Serralta said in a Fox News TV segment the children were under the age of 17, and there were five of them (emphasis ours): They range in age, as you mentioned. But you know, we had a 14- and a 16-year-old that are persons of interest in a sex-crimes investigation where a 41-year-old is being accused of using a 16-year-old girlfriend, that is luring these other young girls to them. All five of our missing children found are women, are females, and they're all, as you said, under the age of 17. Days later, on Sept. 8, the Washington-based ABC affiliate, WJLA, reported officials rescued seven, not five, missing children during the efforts (emphasis ours): There have been 2,120 arrests since the start of President Donald Trump's federal operation to lower crime in Washington, according to new data from the White House on Monday. [...] Two hundred fourteen firearms have been seized, seven missing children were rescued and 50 homeless encampments have been cleared during the operation. In our inquiry to the White House, we asked whether ICE agents played a role in finding those children, as well as for information on missing-children cases in Chicago that could have led to the false rumor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Sept. 22, Serralta reported in a news release that authorities in Chicago found a missing New York child "in the company of two adult men in the country illegally." For further reading, we previously investigated a claim alleging federal agents zip-tied children to restrain them during a Chicago-area immigration enforcement action on Sept. 30. Sources: Armstrong, Jack. "Will Shutdown Impact 'Memphis Safe Task Force?' How Many Have Been Arrested? What We Know." The Commercial Appeal, 1 Oct. 2025, https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/local/2025/10/01/memphis-safe-task-force-arrests-federal-shutdown/86455996007/. Gillespie, Halley. "Child Sex Trafficking: Know the Signs." National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, 11 Jan. 2024, http://www.missingkids.org/content/ncmec/en/blog/2024/child-sex-trafficking-know-the-signs.html. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Huff, Gabriel. "DOJ: Memphis Safe Task Force Records 321 Arrests Following First Week of Operation." LocalMemphis.com, 6 Oct. 2025, https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/crime/doj-memphis-safe-task-force-records-321-arrests-following-first-week-of-operation/522-59e16e98-b684-4a8b-8875-2359cd73f4de. James, Jessica, and Joshua Chapin. "Trump's DC Crackdown Nets More than 2,000 Arrests, Including Alleged Gang Members." WJLA, 8 Sep. 2025, https://wjla.com/news/local/president-trump-dc-crime-crackdown-federal-takeover-arrests-updates-alleged-gang-members-ms-13-tren-de-aragua-white-house-data-illegal-immigrants-firearms-seized-homeless-encampments-fed-operation-theft-carjackings-assault-drugs. Kozlowski, Hannah. "Memphis Safe Task Force Arrests Reach 800, DOJ Says." Action News 5 | WMC Memphis, 13 Oct. 2025, https://www.actionnews5.com/2025/10/13/mstf-arrests-reach-800-doj-says/. "Missing Children RECOVERED in Trump's 'unprecedented' Crime Crackdown." YouTube, Fox News, 4 Sep. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIPNeBMJ0kQ. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moore, Joel, and Lydian Coombs. "60 Arrests Made Thursday by Memphis Safe Task Force, Attorney General Says." Action News 5, 3 Oct. 2025, https://www.actionnews5.com/2025/10/03/60-arrests-made-thursday-by-memphis-safe-task-force-attorney-general-says/. Rateshtari, Roya. "U.S. Marshals Find Missing New York Child Near Chicago in the Company of Two Adult Males in the Country Illegally | U.S. Marshals Service." U.S. Marshals Service, 22 Sep. 2025, https://www.usmarshals.gov/news/press-release/us-marshals-find-missing-new-york-child-near-chicago-company-of-two-adult-males. "Restoring Law and Order in Memphis." The White House, 15 Sep. 2025, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/restoring-law-and-order-in-memphis/. Tareen, Sophia. "Using Helicopters and Chemical Agents, Immigration Agents Become Increasingly Aggressive in Chicago." The Associated Press, 5 Oct. 2025, https://apnews.com/article/chicago-immigration-federal-arrests-helicopter-trump-ice-8dbf688f78f3b6d1b8fdb989557b28c4. "What to Know about National Guard Deployments in Memphis and Other Cities." The Associated Press, 10 Oct. 2025, https://apnews.com/article/memphis-immigration-chicago-portland-trump-7bc889b6302b8feb9ef5217a8f190428. Claim: In 2025, streaming service Spotify ran recruitment advertisements for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Rating: Rating: True Context: A Spotify spokesperson confirmed that at least one ICE recruitment advertisement appeared on the platform, adding that the advertising "is part of a broad campaign the US government is running" across multiple platforms not just Spotify. The content does not violate Spotify's advertising policies, the spokesperson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In September and October 2025, users across multiple social media platforms claimed the music streaming service Spotify was running recruitment advertisements for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, prompting calls for users to cancel subscriptions. The claim made the rounds as President Donald Trump's administration ramped up its immigration enforcement measures. In a Sept. 29 TikTok video (archived), one user said she was listening to the free version of Spotify when she heard an advertisement that said, "Millions of dangerous illegals are rampaging the streets. Join ICE today." @miss.mia777 @Spotify This was gross. I dont wana be recruited while im listening to music and I DEFINITELY dont wana hear abt ICE. #spotify #ice original sound - miss.mia777 Similar claims about Spotify running ICE recruitment ads circulated on Instagram, Facebook and X (archived here, here and here). Multiple Snopes readers also searched our website to verify the claims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Spotify spokesperson confirmed in an emailed statement to Snopes that at least one ICE recruitment advertisement appeared on the platform in 2025. Based on this confirmation, we've rated this claim as true. According to the spokesperson, the advertising "is part of a broad campaign the US government is running" across various platforms not just Spotify. The content complies with Spotify's advertising policies (archived), the spokesperson added. Pandora, YouTube, HBO Max and Hulu were allegedly among the other platforms that also ran ICE recruitment advertisements in 2025, an X post (archived) claimed. Some Pandora users posted complaints about such ads on the streaming service's online community forum. An August 2025 article (archived) from British newspaper The Independent also reported that ICE was at the time planning to launch recruitment ads on Hulu, HBO Max, YouTube and other platforms. Snopes reached out to the above companies for comment. A spokesperson for Google, which owns YouTube, directed us to ICE recruitment ads that were available to view in its Ads Transparency Center. The earliest ads listed were from late August 2025, with the most recent at the time of publication dated Oct. 14, 2025. The other companies had not responded to our requests for comment as of this writing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In our inquiry to Spotify, we asked the platform to confirm whether it was running ads for ICE and to provide additional context regarding its decision to accept such advertising. A spokesperson provided the following statement in response: This advertisement is part of a broad campaign the US government is running across television, streaming, and online channels. The content does not violate our advertising policies. However, users can mark any ad with a thumbs up or thumbs down to help manage their ads preferences. We also reached out to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, about the recruitment ads. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant DHS secretary, responded with a statement acknowledging the agency's "recruitment campaign": The ICE recruitment campaign is a resounding success with more than 150,000 applications rolling in from patriotic Americans answering the call to defend the Homeland by helping arrest and remove the worst of the worst from our country. Spotify also pointed us to The Trade Desk, a platform that helps advertisers place ads across websites and apps, which it said was responsible for delivering the ads in question. We've contacted The Trade Desk with questions about the advertisements and await a response. Users share purported ICE ads running on Spotify Spotify users made posts about the advertisements on the company's online public forum and on social media, with some posts including recordings that appeared to come directly from the app. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One TikTok user shared (archived) a recording of a purported ICE recruitment ad that appeared to originate from Spotify. The purported ad stated, "In too many cities, dangerous illegals walk free as police are forced to stand down. Join ICE and help us catch the worst of the worst, with bonuses up to $50,000 and generous benefits. Apply now." Another purported ad (archived) with similar messaging that appeared to originate from Spotify also promoted bonuses of up to $50,000 and "generous benefits." In response to a question about ICE and Border Patrol recruitment ads posed on the streaming service's online community forum, one user also wrote, "Can confirm. Just heard it. 'Fulfill your mission to protect America. Join at Join.Ice.Gov.'" Sources: Tareen, Sophia. "Immigration Agents Use Increasingly Aggressive Tactics in Chicago, Alarming Activists and Residents." AP News, 5 Oct. 2025, apnews.com/article/chicago-immigration-federal-arrests-helicopter-trump-ice-8dbf688f78f3b6d1b8fdb989557b28c4. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Help Center." Adshelp.spotify.com, adshelp.spotify.com/HelpCenter/s/article/advertising-policies-US?language=en_US. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025. https://community.pandora.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/681767. "Ad Feedback - Political Ads." Pandora Community, community.pandora.com/t5/Subscriptions/Ad-Feedback-Political-Ads/td-p/70239/page/4. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025. Woodward, Alex. "ICE Wants to Target Gen Z in PR Blitz Including Ads on YouTube, HBO and X to Fill 14,000 Roles." The Independent, 6 Aug. 2025, www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/ice-recruitment-gen-z-hiring-b2803112.html. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025. JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Palestinian militant group Hamas has released the last surviving hostages it was holding in Gaza, in exchange for almost 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners, under the terms of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. Here are some details about the 20 living hostages released on Monday and hostages still in Gaza, all of them declared dead: NOVA HOSTAGES Most of the living hostages released were abducted from the site of the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Reim in southern Israel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They include Evyatar David, 24, who was videoed by Hamas in August, looking skeletally thin and digging what he said in the video was his own grave; pianist Alon Ohel, 24, and Avinatan Or, 32. A video showing Or's abduction with his girlfriend Noa Argamani pleading for her life and reaching desperately towards him as he was marched alongside her on foot circulated across the globe. Argamani was rescued in June. The couple reunited soon after Or's release. HOSTAGES TAKEN FROM KIBBUTZIM Seven of the hostages were taken from their homes on kibbutzim, small communities near the Gaza border. They include twins Gali and Ziv Berman, 28, and brothers Ariel Cunio, 28, and David Cunio, 35, who were abducted with his wife Sharon and toddler daughters. Sharon and the girls were released in a brief November 2023 truce. ISRAELI SOLDIERS Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Matan Angrest, 22, and Nimrod Cohen, 20, are Israeli conscript soldiers who were seized by Hamas militants in the battles of October 7 and released on Monday. FOREIGNERS There are three foreigners among the 21 remaining hostages in Gaza. All three, a Tanzanian student and two Thai workers, have been pronounced dead in absentia. The body of Nepalese student Bipin Joshi was handed over by Hamas on Monday. DECEASED All the hostages still in Gaza were declared dead in absentia by Israeli authorities, based on forensics and intelligence. One of the deceased is an Israeli soldier killed in a 2014 Israel-Hamas war. The remainder were all among the 251 hostages taken in Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack, which precipitated the war. Some were already dead when taken, others were slain by the captors or killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hamas has indicated that recovering the bodies may take time, as not all burial sites are known. A special international task force is meant to help locate them all. (Reporting by Pesha Magid and Maayan Lubell; Editing by David Holmes, Ros Russell and Michael Perry) ANTANANARIVO (Reuters) -Colonel Michael Randrianirina has taken control of Madagascar after its sitting president fled following weeks of youth-led Gen Z protests against his rule. Following are key facts about Randrianirina: * Randrianirina is part of Madagascar's elite military CAPSAT unit, the group that brought now-deposed president Andry Rajoelina to power in a 2009 coup. * Since taking control this week, he has suspended the southern African country's institutions, including the Senate, electoral commission and top legal bodies, including the High Constitutional Court that validated his takeover as interim president. He said it might take up to two years to hold elections to transition back to a civilian government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * Randrianirina became a vocal critic of Rajoelina in recent years and was arrested on suspicion of instigating an army mutiny on 27 November 2023, for which he was charged, brought before court and sent to prison all on the same day. He was released in February 2024, after being given a suspended sentence for attacking state security, and returned to CAPSAT. * On October 11, as the Gen Z protests against Rajoelina gathered steam, Randrianirina recorded a video in which he called on Madagascar's security forces to disobey orders to open fire on protesters. Some CAPSAT soldiers then joined the protests after that declaration of support. * He was born in the village of Sevohipoty, in the region of Androy, on the southernmost tip of the Indian Ocean island. He is 51 years old, although the exact date of his birth is not public knowledge, nor is his family background. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * He was governor of Androy between 2016 and 2018, later becoming head of an infantry battalion in the city of Toliara until 2022. Then he was promoted to a senior role in CAPSAT. (Reporting by Tim CocksAdditional reporting by Lovasoa Rabary, Editing by Alexandra Hudson) FAIRFIELD - Drivers around schools in Fairfield will need to watch how fast they're going, as \police have begun the process of setting up speed cameras at six locations, officials say. Once in place, speeding drivers will receive an initial $50 citation for a first violation and then a $75 citation for any additional ones, Fairfield police Sgt. Jenna Wellington said in a news release Wednesday. Each violation also has a $15 processing fee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wellington said officials are partnering with Altumint to launch an Automated Traffic Enforcement Safety Device program in designated school zones throughout town. "This initiative, which comes at no cost to taxpayers, will use camera-based enforcement technology to deter speeding in areas where children and pedestrians are most at risk," she said. "Per the town ordinance passed at a Representative Town Meeting, these cameras will be installed in school zones to deter speeding." Wellington said the cameras will be set up at Dwight Elementary School, Notre Dame High School, Burr Elementary School, Riverfield Elementary School, Fairfield Warde High School and Fairfield Ludlowe High School. Wellington said officials decided to place a camera at Dwight, which is on Redding Road, due to two fatal pedestrian crashes - one involving an impaired driver and another likely caused by distraction. She said the Notre Dame site on Jefferson Street was chosen because of a crash in September 2023 that resulted in multiple injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The other sites, Wellington said, were chosen because of frequent speeding in those areas or due to the prevalence of younger, less experienced drivers. The cameras will provide automated enforcement 24/7, Wellington said. During the start and end of the school day, she said, cameras will enforce a reduced speed limit of 20 mph. Outside those hours, and when school is not in session, a speed limit of 25 mph will be enforced, she said. Wellington said the only exception to that is the Riverfield Elementary School camera on Mill Plain Road, where the speed limit of 30 mph will be enforced outside of dropoff and pickup times. Capt. Hector Irizarry, commander of Fairfield police's Special Services Bureau, said the department is "committed to reducing speeding in our school zones and preventing tragedies before they occur." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This technology allows us to address dangerous driving behavior where it matters most, near our schools, where children walk, bike, and ride every day," he said. Wellington said police and town officials have conducted site assessments and the state Office of the State Traffic Administration permit applications have been submitted. She said those applications are now under a 60-day review, adding additional school zones may be added in the future. The cameras will be installed once the approval from OSTA is granted, Wellington said, adding that requires engineering and traffic studies to be completed and submitted by the vendor - Altumint. Wellington said all enforcement zones will be marked clearly with signs to notify drivers of camera monitoring in the area, in accordance with state law. Once the cameras are installed, she said, the town will begin with a 30-day warning period during which violators will receive mailed warnings rather than fines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once enforcement begins, Wellington said, violations will result in a mailed citation to the registered vehicle owner. She said the infractions are considered civil penalties and will not result in points on a driver's license or be reported to insurance providers. This article originally published at Fairfield to install speed cameras at six schools, officials say. FAIRMONT Touring college campuses with parents as a teen makes one of their most significant life choices is a right of passage for many families. But its a right of passage not everyone can participate in. What small percentage of students actually have the money to travel around the country? Alex Boylan, executive producer of The College Tour, said. Its very small, less than two percent. I dont think theres anything better than stepping foot on a college campus, we still believe that, but can we flip the model and bring the college experience to them? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boylan and his film crew came to Fairmont State University this week to film an episode of his show, The College Tour. The show is produced by Adrenaline Films and College Tour Productions, and fits into a half hour time slot. The show, in its 16th season, visits college campuses throughout the U.S. and gives its audience a view of what its like to live and study on campus through the eyes of its students. These are real students, theyre real stories, Boylan said. And I think thats what makes this series so powerful. The College Tour ended up at Fairmont State University after George Wolf, vice president for enrollment management, reached out to The College Tour for an episode on Fairmont State. University President Mike Davis said Wolf had a previous relationship with show, having covered one of the institutions where he previously served. Davis said the school has been talking about how to increase recruitment among out-of-state students. The school reduced its tuition for out-of-state students, but it still needs to get the word out there that Fairmont State exists. In the state of West Virginia, we have really good name recognition, but I dont think thats necessarily true outside of the state, even in some pretty close surrounding states, Davis said. So I think something like this, students will say, Ive never heard of Fairmont before, let me watch this show and then Ill look it up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Davis said when he became president Fairmont State was the states best kept secret. Hes eager to make that less of a secret. The College Tour is just one of several strategies Davis is using to raise the schools profile. The school does lots of interviews and has distributed more press releases in the last two years than they have in the previous five or 10 years. Boylan and his team spent Monday touring the schools aviation program. What got Boylan real excited, though, is the schools National Security Intelligence Program. Boylan gushed about his discovery, he said theyve done thousands of segments so its rare to find something new. Its Boylans first time in West Virginia. He called the state an amazing place, gifted with natural beauty. Boylan expects the Fairmont State episode to be available about six months from now. The show is on Amazon Prime, as well as 40 other different channels. The show began in 2020, Boylan said he got the idea after touring schools in New England. He said society needs students going to college, education is important for the success of the country and the world. Boylan pushed back against the current zeitgeist demeaning college attendance, he said statistics show that income on average goes up and chances of unemployment go down with ever certificate and graduation after high school. He praised the educational opportunities available in the country. We live with lots of pathways to higher education, Boylan said. Most countries dont have as many pathways as we have, so whether its a community college, trade school, state school, small private school, whatever it is, theres a way to get educated in this country. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson declined to weigh in Wednesday on a restraining order barring Congressman Cory Mills from coming within 500 feet of his ex-girlfriend, calling the Central Florida Republican a faithful colleague and suggesting an ethics panel may take up the matter. The GOP leader sidestepped questions about Mills personal scandals a day after a North Florida judge granted a protective order to his ex-girlfriend, Lindsey Langston, the reigning Miss United States beauty queen and a state GOP committeewoman. He has been a faithful colleague here, Johnson said at a Wednesday press conference. I know his work on the Hill. I dont know all the details of all the individual allegations and what hes doing in his outside life. Youd have to ask him about it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnson added, Lets talk about the things that are really serious. He said the House Ethics Committee may look into allegations against Mills, if it warrants that. Langston, 26, accused Mills of threatening to release nude images of her and physically harm her future boyfriends after she ended their relationship. Mills, 45, had vehemently denied Langstons allegations, but Circuit Judge Fred Koberlein Jr. said he found her testimony believable while Mills was untruthful. The judge said Mills conduct had caused Langston emotional distress and forced her to alter her daily routine out of fear, impairing her ability to perform her job duties and to live a normal life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The couple started dating in November 2021, but Langston testified they had a falling out in February when she learned about a domestic disturbance at Mills D.C. penthouse involving another woman identified as Girlfriend 2 in court documents. Mills is married, but he said he has been separated from his wife since 2019. Ultimately, D.C. Police closed the investigation into the disturbance after the U.S. attorney declined to sign an arrest warrant. The woman, Sarah Raviani, 27, denied that she was assaulted. In his ruling this week, Koberlein prohibited Mills from having any contact with Langston. And in a special provision written into the order, Mills cannot refer to her on social media including on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or TikTok. The restraining order is in effect until Jan. 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First elected in 2022 as a strong supporter of President Donald Trump, Mills represents Seminole County and parts of Volusia County. He is an Army veteran who co-founded several security and defense contracting companies with his wife. Mills, who did not return a message seeking comment, has been embroiled in other controversies. He is facing accusations that he misrepresented his military career. The House Ethics Committee is reviewing allegations that his companies benefited from federal contracts while he was in office. Judge grants ex-girlfriend restraining order against Rep. Cory Mills So far, there has been no public effort by the GOP to sideline Mills. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Steve Collins, chair of the Seminole County Republican Party, referred questions about Mills to the Florida Republican Party. Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power did not return a message seeking comment Wednesday. One of Mills political rivals, Republican Lake County Commissioner Anthony Sabatini, called on the Florida GOP to censure Mills, noting in a social media post that Langston is a member of the GOP and a state committeewoman. Democrats plan to target Mills seat in next years elections. Democratic candidate Noah Widmann said he thinks Mills should be expelled from Congress. Im disgusted by Cory Mills behavior, he said. No one who behaves this way should hold a position of public trust. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another potential Democratic challenger, Marialana Kinter, issued a statement that Mills should resign immediately. The Central Florida seat has become more GOP friendly with redistricting and Republican dominance in Sunshine State politics. Mills, who has an estimated net worth of about $24 million, easily won re-election in 2024, defeating the Democratic challenger by 13 percentage points. When you ask Rylee Sarle, 16, what she most admired about her big sister, Alexus, she doesnt hesitate. She was the hardest-working person Rylee ever knew. Her sisters bliss was the hands-on joy she got fixing cars she loved everything about cars. And when she got her motorcycle, the young mechanic thought it was the coolest thing that ever happened, Rylee Sarle said. The other thing she will tell you is how responsible Alexus was. She was careful and smart and paid attention to everything all the time. Almost. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Sept. 21, 2024, Alexus Sarle was northbound on Redwood Road on her motorcycle, but was distracted by an argument she was having on her cell phone with her boyfriend. She ran a red light and was hit by a motorist who didnt see her. Paramedics restarted her heart, but she didnt survive her injuries. She died the next day at age 18. Rylee said the family learned she had chosen to donate her organs. So her heart, liver and lungs helped someone else. Rylee Sarle, 16, sister of Alexus Sarle, who died in a motorcycle crash at age 18 in 2024, poses with a tattoo of the outline of a motorcycle she had done to honor Alexus during the 17th annual Teen Memoriam press conference honoring teens lost in motor vehicle crashes in 2024 and encouraging teen driver safety at a Utah Highway Patrol office in Taylorsville on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. In 2024, there were 18 teens killed on Utah roads. The heartbeat on the tattoo was Alexuss heartbeat when she was at the hospital after the crash, the stars represent family members, and Alexus initials can be seen in the tires of the motorcycle. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Wendy Cowley said she and her husband Randy first met Jaxx, the girl who they would come to love, when she was being fostered by neighbors in Price, Utah. Jaxx had been orphaned and it was hard to find a foster home for teens, Cowley said. They liked the child who was mad about animals the Cowleys had lots of those and she was over at their place a lot. When Jaxx said she was going to be moved to a new foster home, they decided to learn to be foster parents and managed to get a license within a month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They eventually adopted her, giving her people she could call mom and dad and a last name that spoke of new beginnings and a loving future. But Jaxx died July 27, 2024, after she and a girlfriend got into a car with one of their acquaintances that was being driven by someone he knew. The driver, it turned out, was severely impaired. He was speeding and lost control. The acquaintance was killed instantly, while the driver and the girlfriend escaped. Jaxx was trapped in a burning car and despite attempts to pull her out, she died, one month shy of her 17th birthday. Photos and mementos of Jaxx Cowley, who died in a motor vehicle crash at age 16 in 2024, are displayed on a table during the 17th annual Teen Memoriam press conference honoring teens lost in motor vehicle crashes in 2024 and encouraging teen driver safety at a Utah Highway Patrol office in Taylorsville on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. In 2024, there were 18 teens killed on Utah roads. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Their stories were shared at a press conference Wednesday. Jaxx Cowley and Alexus Sarle are two of 18 teens who died on Utah roads in 2024. That number has already been surpassed this year, with 21 teens killed on Utah roads, according to Utah Department of Transportation executive director Carlos Braceras. Every year, the UDOT, Zero Fatalities and the Utah Department of Health and Human Services hold a press conference to feature the teens stories, some of which are also commemorated in a book. This year, that book has a bright purple cover and lettering that looks like its embroidered, the title Forever Stitched in our Hearts. A book of remembrance Inside are the names of those whose families wrote their stories: Besides Jaxx, who lived in Price, and Alexus, from Sandy, the others featured are Spencer Aiden Langston, 17, of Herriman; Riley E. Smith, 17, of Salem; Johnathan McQueen, 18, of Grantsville; Ezekiel Gordon, 17, of Lehi; Jadin Palmer, 19, of Thatcher, Arizona; and Crey Cornelius, 19, of Kanarraville. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The purpose is not just honoring young lives cut short, but reminding parents and teens that being on any road as a driver, a pedestrian, a motorcyclist or a bicyclist is a serious, pay-attention undertaking. And as the numbers shared by David Litvack, deputy director of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, show, the conversations should be ongoing and frequent. The book is a staple in some Utah schools and driver education programs. Litvack said the book has been an ongoing project since 2007 and 453 teens have been remembered on the pages, because they were killed on Utah roads. Each life, he said, represents more than the individual, but also grieving family and friends whose lives were also changed. Col. Michael Rapich of the Utah Department of Public Safety said serious conversations about driving safety and parental expectations should be a priority because they can have meaningful impact on how teens drive. A photo of Spencer Aiden Langston, who died in a motor vehicle crash at age 17 in 2024, is displayed next to a Zero Fatalities informational paper on a table during the 17th annual Teen Memoriam press conference honoring teens lost in motor vehicle crashes in 2024 and encouraging teen driver safety at a Utah Highway Patrol office in Taylorsville on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. In 2024, there were 18 teens killed on Utah roads. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Whether most parents are having those conversations isnt known. But Stacy Allen of Zero Fatalities told Deseret News that while teens are by law supposed to put in 40 hours of drive time, 10 of them at night, with a parent or guardian in the car before they can get a driver license, a study found that about 20% of parents dont take that time to help their kids learn rules and safe road habits. How many teens died on Utah roads? The booklet has statistics. In 2024, the collected Utah teen crash data showed 11 of the fatal crashes happened on the weekend, between Friday and Sunday, while seven were Monday to Thursday. Most were multiple-vehicle crashes, but eight involved a single vehicle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those killed included a bicyclist, two pedestrians, three vehicle passengers, seven drivers and five driving motorcycles. Two-thirds were male. Eight fatal crashes were on rural roads, the other 10 on urban roads. Col. Michael Rapich of the Department of Public Safety speaks during the 17th annual Teen Memoriam press conference honoring teens lost in motor vehicle crashes in 2024 and encouraging teen driver safety at a Utah Highway Patrol office in Taylorsville on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. In 2024, there were 18 teens killed on Utah roads. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News And the list of contributing factors was long. Most common was failure to keep in the proper lane, followed by failure to yield right of way. Three of the crashes involved alcohol or drug use by someone and three each involved speeding and ignoring traffic signals. There were lots of other factors, including one that involved road rage. Rapich also noted that 2025 has thus far brought a 33% increase in motorcycle fatalities involving teens, with eight to date. Cowley said parents should let their kids know theyll come get them, any time, no matter what. They might be grounded later, but it is always safe to call for a ride. Allen said parents and teens should check out the Zero Fatalities app and also the website Zerofatalities.com. Both contain many resources for drivers and parents. Major South Korean banks are exploring KRW stablecoins. Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images. Key Takeaways South Koreas Digital Basic Act paved the way for KRW stablecoins earlier this year. Various banks and fintech as actively building in the space. Early developments highlight Avalanche and Solana. In September, BDACS developed a proof-of-concept for KRW1, which could become the first won-pegged stablecoin to hit the market since South Korea passed the Digital Basic Act. But other potential issuers arent far behind. Significantly, the first wave of South Korean stablecoins arent built on Ethereum. Instead, KRW1 and other tokens under development leverage alternative blockchains like Avalanche and Solana. BDACS and Woori Bank Claim First Tokenized KRW While branded as a stablecoin, under the current model, KRW1 is better thought of as a deposit token. Although not directly issued by a bank like JPMorgans JPM Coin and similar tokenized deposits, it is fully backed by cash reserves, not government bonds. Tokens are issued and administered by digital asset custody specialist BDACS, with fiat reserves held in a segregated account at Woori Bank. KRW1 was initially launched on Avalanche, which BDACS selected for its technological excellence. According to the project website, the stablecoin will eventually be rolled out on other networks. Solana-Wavebridge Partnership Targets Financial Institutions In the latest development in South Koreas nascent stablecoin scene, crypto startup Wavebridge has partnered with the Solana Foundation. According to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) announced on Tuesday, Oct. 14, the two organizations will develop KRW stablecoin infrastructure for financial institutions. The partnership aims to help Korean banks and asset managers deploy new on-chain products, including stablecoins and tokenized investment products. Courting Potential Stablecoin Issuers The Solana Foundations partnership with Wavebridge points to the opportunity that new KRW stablecoins present for blockchain adoption. With its proof-of-concept, BDACS appears to lead the race, granting Avalanche a first-mover advantage. However, KRW1 may not be able to compete with the institutional weight of a stablecoin coalition formed by nine of South Koreas largest banks. And that isnt the only initiative underway. After lawmakers passed the Digital Basic Act, major banks and payment companies filed a string of trademark applications that suggest many have ambitions in the space. But if any are actively building, they are doing so behind closed doors. Against this backdrop, Solanas infrastructure pitch could give it an edge. As large institutions explore their options, offering the tools to deploy at scale and build additional services helps make the case for using Solana as their preferred blockchain rail. KANSAS CITY, Mo. The family of Charles Adair, the man who died while in custody at the Wyandotte County jail, is threatening to sue the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, unless it agrees to pay a $25 million settlement. Adair died on July 5; his death has been ruled a homicide. Richard Fatherly, a deputy with the Wyandotte County Sheriffs Office, has been charged with second-degree murder/reckless or, in the alternative, involuntary manslaughter. DA files murder charges against deputy in Wyandotte County inmates death Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ben Crump, the attorney representing Adairs family, claims Adair died as a direct result of Fatherly using excessive force. The autopsy reportindicates that he experienced mechanical asphyxia as Deputy Fatherly applied his knee to Mr. Adairs back for a period of 86 seconds while Mr. Adair was restrained in handcuffs, Crump said in the statutory notice letter. Crump said Adairs constitutional rights were clearly violated, citing that gratuitous force against a non-resisting, subdued or handcuffed individual violates the Fourth Amendment. Fatherlys actions, Crump claims, led to the wrongful death of Adair. For that, his family is demanding a settlement of $25 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If we are unable to reach a mutually acceptable resolution in this matter, we will swiftly commence legal actionseeking all available legal remedies, Crump said. You can read the full letter below. Charles Adair Statutory Notice_Demand Letter (1)Download Previous coverage 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 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. A settlement has been reached between Fresno County and the family of a man shot and killed by sheriff's deputies more than five years ago. 32-year-old Kenneth Mullins allegedly broke into an auto shop and fell asleep in March 2020. The family's attorney says Mullins was homeless at the time. The shop owner found him inside and called deputies. The first two deputies on scene say Mullins pulled his hands from his pockets and appeared to point a weapon at them so they opened fire, killing him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But a third deputy disputed that account, he said Mullins had his hands at his sides and then put them up. Mullins was not armed. The lawsuit claimed the record of events was incomplete because deputies did not have body cameras at the time. "Body cams protect the public, the victims, and the police officers because they show what really happened," Mullins' attorney Butch Wagner said. Wagner says the Fresno County Sheriff's Office decided to add body cameras following this case. The $3 million settlement still needs final approval from the county. The money will go to Mullins's mother and daughter. Family and friends are mourning a food truck vendor who was killed in a Santa Ana crash last week, remembering his kind heart that was felt by so many. "The lunch truck was his life... his legacy. He ran his business all over Orange County," the victim's daughter, Tania Ayala, said. Ricardo "Richardson" Ayala, 67, was known throughout the Santa Ana and Anaheim communities for his Mexican and Salvadorian food. He ran a food truck for 30 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead of chasing profit, his family says he would say: "I may not have a lot of money, but I have food. So if I can give you food, I'll feed you. So you'll never go hungry." Ayala tragically lost his life the night of Oct. 7 after finishing up his shift. His son says he was making a left hand turn when he was hit by another car and ejected from his truck. A food truck driver is dead after an SUV crashed into the truck, causing it to roll over in Santa Ana. "We are all very distraught, we're all very sad. We all miss our father... we're just grieving," Bryan Ayala said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tragedy is something that has struck the Ayala family many times. First, Ricardo lost his wife to cancer and then his 15-year-old daughter to leukemia. His son then died in a crash while on leave from Afghanistan. "My dad's seen a lot of tragedy and he still moved forward, still kept his sense of humor." Throughout it all, Tania says her dad raised seven kids and left an impact on more than his family. "I didn't know the reach he had until, unfortunately, his passing. It became something so special because of the stories I'm hearing now of how he helped them." The Ayala family says they are hurting but honoring a man they say was love, compassion and strength in human form. The family has set up a GoFundMe to help cover his funeral expenses. The family of 26-year-old Elijah Wilks, who was fatally shot by an off duty Milwaukee police officer on October 9, has publicly stated that they believe the officers actions were justified. The familys statement is based on dashcam footage showing Wilks striking the officer with a gun and pointing it at him during a roadside confrontation. The shooting occurred around 8:30 a.m. on Milwaukees northwest side following a minor car crash in a construction zone. The 40-year-old off duty officer, a 21-year veteran of the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), was involved in the fender-bender. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dashcam footage obtained by Fox 6 Milwaukee shows Wilks cutting off the officers vehicle while merging. After the minor collision, both men pulled over, exited their cars, and began arguing. According to attorney BIvory Lamarr, the exchange escalated when Wilks pulled out a firearm, struck the officer with it, and pointed it at him. The video in which myself and his mother watched today is that he did slap the off duty officer with a firearm, Lamarr said during a Monday news conference reposted by WISN 12 News. [It] does depict Elijah pointing the firearm at the off duty officer. The off duty officer did respond, we believe, in accordance with his training and did fire off several shots. On behalf of Wilks family, Lamarr asked the department on Instagram to release the video publicly not to stir conflict but to bring closure and transparency. The footage shows Wilks reappearing on the other side of his vehicle, at which point the officer fired additional shots, striking Wilks multiple times. Wilks died at the scene. While the family expressed concern that the officer did not administer first aid, they confirmed their overall belief that the shooting was justified. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lamarr described the incident as unfortunate and tragic but emphasized the familys commitment to transparency. We will acknowledge that we do believe that this officer involved shooting was justified, he added. Family members who viewed the footage the day after the shooting expressed grief over Wilks death. He was a good person everybody loved my brother, his sister, Elayjah Wilks, told CBS 58. His aunt Andrea Ward told Fox 6, We are all one seat away from making the wrong decision. Another aunt, Latrice Bell, stated, per CBS 58, He made a decision that he should not have made, and that is just something we have to live with. I dont believe Elijah knew that he was a police officer, but whether it was or wasnt the encounter should have been different. Under MPD policy, next of kin must be allowed to view body-camera or dash-camera footage within 48 hours of a deadly incident, and relevant footage must be released publicly within 15 days. The Milwaukee Police Department has not yet released the video to the public. Family and friends of a Georgia theater professor who was fatally shot this week said they are in shock and searching for answers over the "senseless loss" of the mother of three, described by loved ones as a creative artist and bright light. Erica Anderson, 41, was shot and killed early Monday at a residence in Columbus, a spokesperson for the Columbus Police Department confirmed to ABC News. The shooting remains under investigation and police are not releasing any further details at this time, the spokesperson said. Courtesty of the Anderson family - PHOTO: Erica Anderson is seen in an undated photo. Anderson had started a new job this fall as a professor at Columbus State University, where she was a lecturer in costume in the school's Department of Theatre & Dance. She had just returned to Columbus after visiting her family, who remain in Indianapolis, and to help her husband, Andy, recover following surgery for prostate cancer when she was killed, friends said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are devastated and heartbroken beyond words by the tragic and senseless loss of our beloved wife and mother, Erica Anderson," her family said in a statement on Wednesday. "Our family is still in shock as we try to comprehend how something so horrific could happen." Theater professor shot and killed at home in Georgia: Authorities Anderson leaves behind two boys, ages 9 and 10, she had with her husband, as well as a 16-year-old daughter, her friends said. She was "taken from us far too soon at only 41 years old in an act of violence that never should have occurred," her family said. "She was an extraordinary woman whose love, creativity, and light filled every room she entered," her family said. "Her children have lost their mother far too early, and we are struggling to imagine a world without her love, guidance, and devotion." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Andersons' neighbors in Indianapolis said they were stunned to learn of her death and have unanswered questions amid the ongoing police investigation. Though one neighbor, Ben James, told ABC News that the reaction has been, "This didn't need to happen, this was avoidable." His wife, Betsy James, said the community has been rallying to support the family, especially as Anderson's husband is battling cancer. "I think you go from shock and grief to logistical mode -- how do we now just help with all the little decisions that need to be made," she told ABC News. Courtesty of the Anderson family - PHOTO: John "Andy" Anderson and Erica Anderson are seen in an undated photo. Neighbors have organized meal trains and helped set up a GoFundMe to support the family, which has so far raised over $16,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I'm really speechless and overwhelmed and I feel like my faith in humanity has been restored by the kindness and the generosity of those who feel compelled to support the family in any way, shape or fashion," Keri Dattilo, another neighbor of the Andersons, told ABC News. Dattilo remembered Anderson as a "beautiful spirit" with a "bright light." "She was kind. She was a good friend. She was a good mom. And she was incredibly creative," she said. "She had this gift for the arts." 14-year-old killed by stray bullet while playing video games inside home: Police Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anderson would run art camps for the children in the neighborhood, sew stuffed animals for her kids and "just used her creativity to help spread joy and love," Betsy James said. Prior to joining Columbus State, Anderson taught costumes at Southern Utah University and the University of Florida and had worked in theaters and opera houses across the country, including the Sarasota Opera and Indiana Repertory Theatre, according to the university. It was a "tough choice" but she took the job in Columbus because it seemed like a good opportunity for her and her family, Dattilo said. Several neighbors gathered with her while she was in town this past weekend and were planning when they would see her next, Dattilo said. "We laughed so much and just had the best time," Betsy James said. "We were all really glad that we had those really nice last moments with her." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dattilo said she hopes investigators are able to provide answers for the family "so that they have peace in their heart eventually." "She had so much more to give to her family, to her friends, to her students, and to the theater community she cared for so deeply," her family said in their statement. "Our hearts are shattered knowing her life was cut short when she had so much more to offer the world." Parents of a United States Marine were detained by federal immigration officials and one of them was later deported after visiting family members at a California military base, a case that has drawn attention to how the governments immigration crackdown is touching military families. Steve Rios, a Marine from Oceanside, California, told NBC 7 San Diego that his parents, Esteban Rios and Luisa Rodriguez, were taken into custody late last month while picking up his pregnant sister, Ashley Rios, and her husband, who is also a Marine, at Camp Pendleton. The couple, who came to the United States from Mexico three decades ago and had pending green card applications, were stopped by immigration agents and later released with ankle monitors, Steve Rios said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At a later check-in with federal immigration officials, they were detained and taken into custody, he added. Esteban Rios, who had been wearing a hat and shirt that read Proud Dad of a U.S. Marine, was subsequently deported, his son said. He said, Yeah, this is my lucky shirt, so well be fine, Rios recalled his father saying. Marine Corps recruiters have long promoted enlistment as a path to stability for families without legal immigration status, but experts say those assurances have eroded as federal authorities have moved to enforce existing laws more strictly. The Marine Corps previously told The Associated Press that recruiters have been informed they are not the proper authority to imply that the Marine Corps can secure immigration relief for applicants or their families. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, said in a statement to The Associated Press that people who break the law would face consequences. Requests for additional information on Wednesday were not immediately returned. Messages seeking additional comment were sent to the contact addresses and telephone numbers listed for the Rios family. The episode comes as the Trump administration pursues an aggressive immigration enforcement campaign, which has at times ensnared the relatives of military members and veterans. In June, a Louisiana Marine veteran said immigration authorities detained his wife even though she was still nursing their 3-month-old daughter. And in July, a U.S. Army veteran who was born and raised in California was arrested during an immigration raid at a marijuana farm where he worked in security. George Retes, 25, was detained for three days at the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, then released without being charged. Farmers in Estonia are struggling after massive rains decimated their potato harvest for the year. What's happening? According to Fresh Plaza, southern Estonia was hit with heavy spring rains, which forced a late planting season this year. As a result, current harvests are projected to be roughly half of their normal size, leaving farmers scrambling. "Our people haven't really started harvesting yet," Rasmus Kolberg, board member of potato collective Eestimaa Kartul, told Fresh Plaza. "We don't have a clear picture yet, but the harvest is definitely half as big as planned." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The prolonged rain pushed a late planting in the spring, and also allowed a late blight to spread across fields, which were too wet to treat properly. If that wasn't bad enough, the threat of early frosts in the southern and central parts of Estonia means the window to harvest potatoes is much smaller, which could further impact the harvest. "I haven't given up yet, but if frosts hit, there's no point in digging," Kalle Hamburg of Kehtna Municipality said, per Fresh Plaza. Why is Estonia's potato harvest important? While the global impact of Estonia's harvest might be minimal (the country only exported $5.2 million in potatoes in 2023), it's a sign of a growing problem around the world. As our weather patterns shift because of our warming planet, those patterns become more erratic and less predictable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For farmers, that means harvests shrink, crops are lost, and money disappears from their pockets. For consumers, it means the price of goods goes up because countries have to look outside their borders for products they would normally produce, or because the goods become less available. It's been seen in India, where farmers have seen crops devastated by heavy rains. It's showing up in South Africa, where grocery prices are expected to hit previously unseen heights due to small harvests. And it's been seen in the United States, where prolonged droughts have seen farmers report between 30 and 80 percent of their crops lost. What's being done about crop loss? Scientists have been working hard to help find ways to offset crop loss due to our changing weather patterns. From health monitor sensors to help stave off blight, to discoveries to create more fungus-resilient crops, they're working to find ways to minimize the loss of produce. On a larger scale, working to stabilize our planet's climate by reducing carbon pollution could go a long, long way toward making crops more viable in areas where they're historically grown. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. The Piedmont Environmental Councils Ashish Kapoor, left, and Teddy Pitsiokos stand near raised beds at the nonprofits agrivoltaics demo site. (Photo by Hugh Kenny/Piedmont Environmental Council) By Elizabeth Ouzts/Canary Media More than a decade ago, residents of Loudoun County, Virginia, banded together to buy up treasured open space before it became a strip mall and housing development, donating the land to the Piedmont Environmental Council instead. The nonprofit has maintained it as a unique blend of cattle pasture, a nature preserve, and a community farm that donates its yield to a local food pantry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, a small corner of the farm has become what organizers say is a first for the state: a crop-based agrivoltaics demonstration project. They hope the combination of solar panels and vegetable farming will showcase how much-needed renewable energy can complement, not harm, agricultural lands, at a time when data centers are demanding more and more electricity. The Virginia Clean Economy Act requires the states largest utility, Dominion Energy, to stop burning fossil fuels by 2045and to develop 16,100 megawatts of land-based renewable energy by 2035 mostly in the form of solar. Virginia has more than enough room to meet that target without threatening great swaths of farmland. Using a conservative metric that 10 acres of land can host 1 megawatt of solar capacity, a Nature Conservancy analysis found that the state has 40 times more suitable land area than needed for solar fields, even after ruling out over 2 million acres of prime conservation lands including farmland. Researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University determined that large-scale solar today is erected on less than 1% of the states cropland. Under a high-growth scenario, that figure could rise to 3.1% by 2035, including 1.2% of the states federally designated prime farmland. Yet low-density residential development may pose a far greater threat to those spaces, according to research by the nonprofit American Farmland Trust, which advocates for smart solar that doesnt jeopardize agricultural land. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In fact, many landowners find that renting a portion of their land to solar companies can help their farming enterprise pencil out financially, reducing pressure to sell their property to developers. An acre of land, after all, may yield hundreds of dollars if devoted to crops but thousands if leased for panels. And yet theres no doubt that solar has grown exponentially in the state in the last decade, and that it has disproportionately displaced farmland. Cropland makes up 5% of Virginias total acreage but 28% of the land area now used for large-scale solar, the Virginia Commonwealth University researchers found. Especially in the early years of renewable-energy construction, some companies set a poor example for responsible development, said Ashish Kapoor, senior energy and climate advisor with the Piedmont Environmental Council. It was a little bit Wild West, he said. Those early projects in 2018, 2019 there were a lot of significant runoff issues. As solar fields have gone up at a breakneck pace replacing plots of forests as well as farmland opposition to them has also grown. Virginia localities approved 100% of solar projects in 2016, according to reporting from Inside Climate News. By 2024, the approval rate had fallen to under 50%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The increasing number of rejections stems from a a mix of disinformation and resentment, Kapoor said. But the tension between solar and farmland is real. Thats a national thing, he added. Its everywhere. Agrivoltaics the awkward portmanteau of agriculture and solar photovoltaics has emerged as a potential solution, wherein farmland is kept in production even while it hosts solar arrays. The most common application is sheep: They graze on vegetation beneath the panels and prevent the need for expensive and polluting mowers. Planting flowers in and around panels to supply honeybees and other pollinators is also popular. Still, the Piedmont Environmental Council team wanted to experiment with a crop-based model because it fits better with what most farmers in the area are doing now: raising vegetables. You want to change as little as possible for the farmer, said Teddy Pitsiokos, who manages the organizations community farm. The Piedmont Environmental Council is growing vegetables in the ground and in raised beds around its solar panels in Loudoun County, Virginia. (Photo by Hugh Kenny/Piedmont Environmental Council) Occupying a quarter-acre section of the nonprofits 8-acre community vegetable farm in Loudoun County, the agrivoltaics project is small by design. It features 42 ground-mounted solar panels with a total capacity of 17 kilowatts, two batteries for backup power during outages, and about 2,000 square feet of growing area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The array will supply more than enough power to meet the farms needs, with additional headroom for a planned EVcharger and a greenhouse that organizers want to electrify eventually. But the Piedmont Environmental Council isnt trying to demonstrate scale. Rather, it hopes to carefully measure impact. With the shade and protection from rainwater that they provide, how do the solar panels affect soil moisture and temperature? Whats the resulting crop yield? What do vegetables grown beneath and near solar panels look like, and how will consumers react? Do any contents from the panels make their way into the crops, posing health problems? Most research has found that the answer to the last question is no. But the team still plans to test for contaminants in response to public concern as a show of good faith and transparency, and in an effort to address any potential barriers to agrivoltaics from the get-go. While most crop-based agrivoltaics projects involve growing produce in the ground, the Piedmont Environmental Councils farm also includes raised beds, which enable educational tours and widen the demonstration projects relevance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The beds do increase costs, said Pitsiokos. But the rationale for them, he said, is so we can create data for people who might be doing this in an urban setting, a parking lot, or on some other nonpermeable surface, he said. We have productive agricultural soil; not everybody does. The experiment could also help inform compliance with new state rules designed to mitigate land loss from solar: Certain developers have to conserve land on a one-to-one basis for projects on prime farmland, but their burden is less if the array is used for agrivoltaics. Pitsiokos also wants the data to reach educators, policymakers, and cohorts he hasnt anticipated yet. We want to share it with everybody, he said, because we know that we cant predict who might benefit from it exactly. Perhaps most of all, the Piedmont Environmental Council hopes the project will reach farmers. Plenty are outspoken on solar, both for and against. But a 2024 survey from the American Farmland Trust found that most Virginia farmers and farmland owners hold nuanced views. Over half would consider solar if they could continue farming under and around the panels, according to the survey, but nearly two-thirds agree that solar developers should be responsible for returning land to a farmable state after an array is decommissioned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the projects first crops of kale getting harvested this month, the Piedmont Environmental Council plans to make real-time data available as soon as this winter, for all to see. But grand conclusions wont be forthcoming for another two or so years. Like with all scientific experiments, Pitsiokos said, slow is actually good. Editors note: This story originally appeared in Canary Media and was republished with permission. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Faulty engineering led to the implosion of an experimental submersible that killed five people on the way to the wreck of the Titanic, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded in a report Wednesday. The NTSB made the statement in its final report on the hull failure and implosion of the Titan submersible in June 2023. Everyone on board the submersible died instantly in the North Atlantic when Titan suffered a catastrophic implosion as it descended to the wreck. The NTSB report states that the faulty engineering of the Titan resulted in the construction of a carbon fiber composite pressure vessel that contained multiple anomalies and failed to meet necessary strength and durability requirements. It also stated that OceanGate, the owner of the Titan, failed to adequately test the Titan and was unaware of its true durability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report also said the wreckage of the Titan likely would have been found sooner had OceanGate followed standard guidance for emergency response, and that would have saved time and resources even though a rescue was not possible in this case. The NTSB report dovetails with a Coast Guard report released in August that described the Titan implosion as preventable. The Coast Guard determined that safety procedures at OceanGate, a private company based in Washington state, were critically flawed and found "glaring disparities between safety protocols and actual practices. OceanGate suspended operations in July 2023 and wound down. A spokesperson for the company declined to comment on Wednesday. In August, after the Coast Guard report was released, a company spokesperson offered condolences to the families of those who died. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Titan's implosion killed OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and led to lawsuits and calls for tighter regulation of private deep sea expeditions. The implosion also killed French underwater explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, known as Mr. Titanic; British adventurer Hamish Harding; and two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood. The NTSB report recommends the Coast Guard commission a panel of experts to study submersibles and other pressure vehicles for human occupancy. It also recommends that the Coast Guard implement regulations for the vehicles that are informed by that study. The report states that current regulations for small passenger vessels enabled OceanGate's operation of the Titan in an unsafe manner. The report also called on the Coast Guard to disseminate findings of the study to the industry, which has grown in recent years as privately financed exploration has grown. The company was aware of the possibility of Coast Guard regulations prior to the implosion. In describing OceanGates corporate culture, the report quotes an operations technician who quit the company after expressing concern about calling paying passengers mission specialists. The companys CEO responded that if the Coast Guard became a problem he would buy himself a congressman and make it go away, the technician said, according to the report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The vessel had been making voyages to the Titanic site since 2021. Its final dive came on the morning of June 18, 2023. The submersible lost contact with its support vessel about two hours later and was reported overdue that afternoon. Ships, planes and equipment were rushed to the scene about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. Johns, Newfoundland. A multiday search for survivors off Canada made international headlines. It soon became clear there would be no survivors, and the Coast Guard and other authorities began lengthy investigations into what had happened. ___ Ramer reported from Concord, New Hampshire. Spains market regulator (CNMV) has revealed that a mere 2.8% of Sabadell shareholders with shares deposited at the bank have accepted the takeover offer from banking giant BBVA. Approximately 31% of Sabadell's share capital is held by clients who are also shareholders. It implies that an overwhelming 97.2% have declined the bid, reported Catalan News. In total, the shares tendered in favour of the takeover amount to only 1.1% of Sabadells total share capital. The fate of the remaining shareholders is yet to be disclosed, with an announcement expected on 17 October 2025. If over half of the shareholders agree to the offer, BBVA would assume control of Sabadell. Conversely, if the acceptance rate is below 30%, the offer will be automatically voided. However, BBVA is not without options if the acceptance rate lands between 30% and 50%. In such a scenario, BBVA could initiate a second, hostile takeover bid, which would need to be a cash offer and receive CNMV's approval. Mexican investor David Martinez Guzman has voiced his support for the merger, citing the potential for increased competitiveness, reported Bloomberg. In contrast, Zurich Insurance has declined to participate, labelling BBVAs offer as "not attractive." Sabadell has indicated that retail investors make up about 41% of its shareholder base, with 80% of those being clients of the bank as well. Recently, BBVA set aside 8bn ($9.4bn) to fund a mandatory cash bid for Banco Sabadell, should the shareholders reject the proposed 17bn ($19.9bn) acquisition. BBVA CEO Onur Genc disclosed this contingency plan in an interview with Reuters. BBVA extended an offer to acquire Sabadell in April last year. Last month, BBVA increased its acquisition offer by 10%, valuing Sabadells shares at 3.39 each. "BBVAs takeover bid secures only 2.8% acceptance from Sabadell shareholders " was originally created and published by Retail Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand. An email threatening bombs in schools and demanding Bitcoin payment was sent to 47 counties in Florida, prompting an investigation by the FBI and Homeland Security. The email, which was distributed to over 40 school districts in Florida, claimed that bombs had been placed in schools and demanded payment in Bitcoin. Authorities said an investigation is ongoing, but they consider the threat to be a non-credible hoax. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Local law enforcement officers are aware of the situation and are working closely with federal agencies to address the incident. School resource officers and deputies around Central Florida have been informed about the email and are monitoring the situation. Seminole and Brevard counties both confirmed they received the threat. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said on Wednesday it is moving to revoke the authority of Hong Kong telecom carrier HKT International to operate in the United States, citing national security concerns. The U.S. telecom regulator issued a show cause order directing HKT and its subsidiaries to explain why the FCC should not commence revocation proceedings, citing its affiliation with China Unicom Americas. The FCC previously voted to revoke the authorization for China Unicom and other Chinese telecom carriers to operate in the United States. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese) By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said on Wednesday it is moving to revoke the authority of Hong Kong telecom carrier HKT International to operate in the United States, citing national security concerns. The U.S. telecom regulator issued an order to show cause directing HKT and its subsidiaries to explain why the FCC should not commence revocation proceedings, citing its affiliation with China Unicom Americas. If finalized, it would prevent the company from providing international and domestic telecom services to and within the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Washington has taken a series of actions against China's telecom and tech industries in recent years. The FCC voted in 2022 to revoke the authorization for China Unicom that had been granted in 2002 and has taken action against other Chinese telecom carriers to operate in the United States. HKT did not immediately respond to a request for comment but China Unicom in 2022 said the FCC action was "without any justifiable grounds and without affording the required due process." FCC Chair Brendan Carr said on Wednesday that the commission is working to ensure that Chinese-controlled entities that pose national security risks to the U.S. "cannot connect to our telecom networks." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Chinese Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The FCC said in 2022 that China Unicom Americas is ultimately owned and controlled by the Chinese government. The FCC in 2022 also revoked U.S. operations authorization for Pacific Networks and its wholly owned subsidiary ComNet after it revoked the U.S. authorization for China Telecom Americas the prior year. In 2019, the FCC rejected China Mobile's bid to provide U.S. telecommunications services, citing national security risks. Last week, Carr said major U.S. online retail websites removed several million listings for prohibited Chinese electronics as part of a crackdown by the agency, including home security cameras and smartwatches from companies including Huawei, Hangzhou Hikvision, ZTE and Dahua Technology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The FCC plans to vote on October 28 to tighten restrictions on telecommunications equipment made by Chinese companies deemed national security risks. In March, the FCC said it was investigating nine Chinese companies on a list of firms that raise national security concerns, including China Unicom, Huawei, ZTE and Pacific Networks/ComNet. (Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Chris Reese and Matthew Lewis) Federal agents ended up tear-gassing Chicago police officers on Tuesday while trying to perform basic crowd control, violating a temporary restraining order banning the very use of tear gas in the process. A crowd of community members and protesters formed near 105th and Avenue N, where Border Patrol struck a civilian car while trying to arrest the people inside. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said that the crowd eventually turned hostile, forcing them to use crowd control measures like tear gas. CPD officers present were caught in the crossfire. About 13 officers were exposed to the tear gas, Chicago police said. This is the second time CPD officers have been gassed by ICE while trying to work with them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The federal agents are also blatantly ignoring the temporary restraining order sent down from Judge Sara Ellis on October 9, after journalists and community organizations brought the issue forward. Ellis explicitly banned the agents from using riot control weapons, firing [tear gas] canisters, using force, such as pulling or shoving a person to the ground, tackling, or body slamming an individual, striking any person with a vehicle, and more abuses of power. The order applies to all agents from the Department of Homeland Security, including ICE and Border Patrol, and was supposed to last until October 23. The federal agents violated it almost immediately. Civilians have continued to be terrorized by these riot tactics. The eyes and the nose ... it burned, community member Pascal Manuel told NBC 5 Investigates. This type of escalation is going to cause harmits not the people of Chicago. It is the federal agents, said Beatriz Ponce De Leon, Chicagos deputy mayor of immigration and refugee rights. There is currently no update on the status of the temporary restraining order. The federal government has shut down for the first time in six years because Congress failed to approve a federal spending bill before October 1. Republicans and Democrats are still far apart in coming to an agreement to continue funding the federal government. One of the central issues is extending the enhanced premium subsidies for Affordable Care Act coverage. The shutdown is disrupting the lives of many Americans, particularly federal employees, many of whom who will not be paid until the impasse ends. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement National parks may be closed or unstaffed. Some federal housing subsidies could run out of funding. The US Food and Drug Administration must limit inspections. Maintenance at national cemeteries has been paused. Though air traffic controllers have to remain on the job, staffing shortages have increased at many airports, snarling flights. However, some essential government functions are continuing. Notably, Social Security recipients will receive their monthly payments, and the unemployed will continue to receive their jobless benefits. Do you have concerns about the federal government shutting down? Share your story in the form below. You could be included in an upcoming CNN story. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (The Center Square) A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from firing employees during the partial government shutdown. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, who is based in California, said the cuts were motivated by applying political pressure and without consideration of potential effects on fired employees. She also said the cuts appear to violate President Donald Trump's executive authority, even in the midst of a government shutdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump and Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought have touted using the government shutdown as a way to expedite the executive branch's firing authorities. Federal agency websites have issued notices appearing to blame Democrats for the government shutdown and lapse in services as a result. Federal agencies started issuing layoff notices to more than 4,000 employees on Friday, according to court filings. Federal employee unions filed a complaint against the Trump administration on Sept. 30, before the government shutdown began. "The Trump administration has made unlawful threats to dismantle essential federal services and functions provided by federal personnel, deviating from historic practice and violating applicable law," the unions wrote in a complaint. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an interview on "The Charlie Kirk Show," Vought said future layoffs of federal employees could surpass 10,000. Were going to keep those rolling throughout the shutdown, because we think its important to stay on offense for the American taxpayer, Vought said. A band plays at a protests at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility south of downtown Portland on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (Photo by Alex Baumhardt/Oregon Capital Chronicle) A federal judge extended for two more weeks orders barring President Donald Trump and his administration from deploying National Guard troops to Portland, but an imminent decision from a higher court could upend them. Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, in a telephonic hearing on Wednesday extended two temporary restraining orders she first issued on Oct. 4 and Oct. 5 that barred Trump first from federalizing and deploying Oregon National Guard to Portland, then from deploying any National Guard troops from any state and the District of Columbia to Portland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An expedited, three-day trial over the case is scheduled for Oct. 29, despite federal lawyers trying to get the trial moved to at least Nov. 20. The state of Oregon and the city of Portland contend Trump violated several laws and the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by attempting to deploy Guard troops to Portland over the objections of state and local elected leaders. Each of these issues deals with the balance of state and federal power particularly related to authority over policing within states and the extent of presidential power over the U.S. military. The federal government submitted no new evidence to Immergut to paint a sense of urgency that Guard were needed at the South Portland Immigrations and Customs Enforcement facility, where generally small and peaceful protests have taken place in recent months. Trump has argued that protesters are impeding federal immigration officials from carrying out their orders, and that the city is a hellscape and a war zone. But another decision expected this week from three judges on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco could end up nullifying Immerguts orders, and the states case, altogether. Appellate Judges Susan Graber, Ryan Nelson and Bridget Bade the first a former Oregon Supreme Court Justice and Clinton appointee, and the latter two appointed by Trump will decide whether Immerguts first order, which barred Trump from federalizing the Oregon National Guard, can stand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than that, theyll decide whether the president has the authority to federalize the Oregon National Guard. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have so far federalized and deployed 200 Oregon Guard troops and up to 300 California Guard troops to state-run military camps in Warrenton and Happy Valley, respectively. Hegseth on Oct. 5 also ordered the federalization of 400 Texas Guard to go to Portland, Chicago and other locations though its unclear if any were actually sent to Oregon. Those federalized guard members are taking orders from the U.S. Northern Command, a joint federal military command based in Colorado, while they wait to learn whether they will be deployed or sent home. Two of the three appellate judges signaled in a hearing last Thursday that they were deferential to giving the president the power to continue to federalize those troops, and the court on Friday agreed to maintain Trumps hold over 200 Oregon National Guard but not to allow him to deploy them until they reach a decision. Michael Gerardi, a lawyer for the U.S. Justice Department, said at the Wednesday hearing that if the 9th Circuit judges overrule Immerguts first temporary restraining order barring the Oregon Guard Deployment, that the governments lawyers will, within 48 hours, ask Immergut to dissolve both restraining orders and the states lawsuit against the federal government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brian Marshall, senior assistant attorney general at the Oregon Department of Justice, said the state would require at least 48 hours to respond to that request before Immergut made a decision. That its taken the 9th Circuit judges nearly a week to release a decision is curious to legal scholars. When three different 9th Circuit judges issued a decision in a similar situation in June that blocked a lower court judges temporary restraining order against Trumps Guard federalization and deployment in Los Angeles, the judges issued their decision 48 hours after the oral arguments. Willamette University professor Norman Williams, a constitutional law expert, said he suspects the three judges reviewing Oregons temporary restraining order will issue a 2-1 decision in favor of the federal government. I think that the passage of time means theres a dissent being written, Williams said, and that its likely being written by Graber. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A federal judge ruled Wednesday to extend the orders that keep the National Guard away from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in South Portland. U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut ruled in favor of the orders earlier this month, saying the relatively small protests in Portland do not justify the use of federalized forces. She also said allowing the deployment could harm Oregons state sovereignty. Close Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KOIN Breaking News Alerts The extension, also approved by Immergut, will now last for two more weeks. However, the case is still in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals as of Wednesday, and so far, there is no ruling. Attorney General Dan Rayfield spoke with KOIN 6 News about the ongoing case. If were unsuccessful in the Ninth Circuit, were just going to continue to continue to fight this thing because we believe in what America stands for, that we just dont operate with the United States military on our streets, he said. It was very clear from the [appeal] hearing that the facts that were presented at the district court level hadnt trickled up to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. That was very telling, so were kind of hopeful that once they dig into the materials, theyll realize that the facts on the ground in Portland are vastly different than the Presidents rhetoric. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the federal government were to be successful in the ninth Court of Appeals; its really going to depend on what that ruling says That ruling could leave room to leave in place the separate second temporary restraining order, again, thats the one that prevents those national guards from other states coming into Oregon, or, frankly, being deployed. And so, its going to be really important what the language says, Rayfield added. If the higher court rules in favor of the federal governments appeal on her first order that blocked the deployment of Oregon National Guard members, the judge says shell dissolve it immediately. Her second order, which barred the deployment of any National Guard into Oregon, even from other states, has not yet been appealed but was also extended. It is unclear how the Ninth Circuit ruling might impact that second order, but attorneys for the Trump Administration say they plan to lift both if they win on appeal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During last weeks appeal hearing, Department of Justice Attorney Eric McArthur said they need a full stay pending appeal so that we can then immediately go to the district court and say, In light of that, the district court should dissolve that second TRO, because the second TRO rests on the exact same basis as the first TRO. Tourists join costumed protesters at Portland ICE facility As the case barrels towards a three-day trial set for Oct. 29, Judge Immergut outlined a fast-track plan to limit testimony and evidence to just two issues: a Tenth Amendment claim that the White House overstepped state authority and whether the president had the authority to deploy troops in the first place. She called that the real issue what was happening on the ground in Portland, and whether it warranted federal intervention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The extension means National Guard troops will remain federalized but still barred from deploying in Portland until the Ninth Circuit decides otherwise. KOIN 6 News is awaiting that decision from a three-judge panel, which could come down at any moment. Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops. Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops. 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 KOIN.com. The U.S. government has been shut down since Oct. 1, as AFROTECH previously reported. Two weeks later, both the Republicans and Democrats show little sign of compromise. Senate Votes On Government Shutdown On Oct. 14, the Senate rejected the House-passed stopgap funding bill for an eighth time, a bill that would have funded the federal government through Nov. 21, NBC News reports. Another vote is scheduled for Oct. 15, according to the outlet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans argue that Senate Democrats should approve the short-term funding measure to reopen the government and address policy differences separately, while Democrats insist that any funding bill must include provisions to extend expiring Obamacare subsidies. Republicans have accused Democrats of holding the government hostage to their healthcare priorities. On the other hand, Democrats see the debate over healthcare funding as a strategic opportunity to unite their party after the 2024 election and reset the narrative ahead of the 2026 cycle, according to Ian Russell, former national political director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, per NBC News. It feels like both parties are digging their trenches and preparing for a long conflict, Russell said. This is Washington, so things can obviously change very quickly. But you get the sense from leadership suites on both sides that both parties feel like theyre either maximizing their strengths or certainly not exposing themselves to serious vulnerabilities. According to NBC News, the Senate vote on the government shutdown was 49-45 against the GOP-backed bill, which required 60 votes to pass. Republicans have not gained support from any additional Democrats to overcome the filibuster, leaving the impasse unresolved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA, warned that the country could be heading toward one of its longest shutdowns, per NBC News. He has refused to negotiate with Democrats, stating that the House bill contains no partisan provisions. I dont have anything to negotiate. We did not load up the temporary funding bill with any Republican priorities or partisan priorities at all. I dont have anything that I can take off of that document to make it more palatable for them, Johnson said, according to the outlet. He added, So all I am able to do is come to this microphone every day, look right under the camera and plead with the American people to call your Senate Democrats and ask them to do the right thing. Were not playing games; theyre playing a game. Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, have criticized the shutdowns impact on federal workers, calling Republican tactics cruel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the Republicans, cruelty is the point, he said, according to the outlet. And the fact that they are celebrating, meaning the extremist, the extreme MAGA Republicans, the fact that theyre celebrating firing hard-working federal employees doesnt strengthen their position with the American people. It weakens it because the American people dont accept that kind of cruel and callous behavior. Trump and his administration have taken some measures to address immediate impacts, including redirecting $300 million in tariff revenue to keep the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) running. It is also making sure active-duty service members receive their pay on time, AP News reports. Meanwhile, according to NBC News, hundreds of thousands of civilian federal workers have already been affected by partial paychecks, with a full paycheck expected to be missed on Oct. 24. Democratic lawmakers from Maryland and Virginia have condemned the laying off of roughly 4,000 federal workers through a reduction in force, calling it unjust and unsustainable, the outlet previously reported. Additionally, many government contractors are not getting paychecks and face the added burden of not receiving backpay. The standoff continues as both parties remain unable to agree on government funding. NBC News reports that public opinion has largely blamed Republicans and former President Trump for the stalemate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The post Federal Lawmakers Face Extended Standoff As Senate Votes Again On Government Shutdown appeared first on AfroTech. The post Federal Lawmakers Face Extended Standoff As Senate Votes Again On Government Shutdown appeared first on AfroTech. After one of the most turbulent weekends in months, U.S. spot Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) staged a dramatic turnaround on October 14, recording a combined net inflow of $338.8 million. The rebound comes just a day after the same funds saw over $755 million in withdrawals, suggesting that institutional investors may be shifting back into accumulation mode. According to data from SoSoValue, Bitcoin spot ETFs pulled in a total of $102.58 million in net inflows on Monday, while Ethereum ETFs attracted $236.22 million. The recovery follows a weekend sell-off that erased more than $500 billion from the crypto market amid renewed U.S.China trade tensions and a wave of liquidations across exchanges. With the reversal after the brutal weekend and days that follow, is it a sign for accumulation or just a blip? Speaking to CryptoNews, Kevin Lee, Chief Business Officer at Gate, described the rebound as encouraging but premature. One strong inflow day is a constructive signal, not a verdict, he said. To call it durable, we need consistent net creations across issuers and normalization in futures and options. Lee added that sustained ETF inflows and diversification across both BTC and ETH products would confirm a true return of institutional confidence. ETF buyers are price-insensitive allocators who rebalance into weakness, he noted. This reversal shows risk appetite remains intact, though data will drive Q4 flows. Siraaj Ahmed, CEO at Byrrgis, took a more optimistic view: Id call this the first real sign of early accumulation rather than a random blip. Institutions dont chase panicthey buy fearand thats exactly what this looks like heading into Q4. With ETF inflows rebounding, on-chain accumulation rising, and macro conditions stabilizing, analysts suggest that markets could be entering a renewed build-up phase after last weeks sharp correction. Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs See Renewed Demand After $900M Outflow Week Fidelitys Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) led the charge with $132.67 million in new inflows, bringing its total historical net inflows to $12.74 billion. Bitwises BITB followed with $7.99 million in inflows, while BlackRocks iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) saw $30.79 million in redemptions. Source: SoSoValue As of October 14, Bitcoin spot ETFs collectively hold $153.55 billion in assets under management, representing 6.82% of Bitcoins total market capitalization. Cumulative inflows have now reached $62.55 billion, while daily trading volumes stood at $6.92 billion, reflecting strong investor activity even amid ongoing volatility. Days before the Trump administration was supposed to file its response to a California lawsuit challenging its targeting of gender-affirming care providers, attorneys for the U.S. Justice Department asked a federal judge to temporarily halt the proceedings. Given the federal shutdown, they argued, they just didn't have the lawyers to do the work. "Department of Justice attorneys and employees of the federal defendants are prohibited from working, even on a voluntary basis, except in very limited circumstances, including 'emergencies involving the safety of human life or the protection of property,'" they wrote in their filing Oct. 1, the first day of the shutdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The district judge presiding over the case, which California filed in federal court in Massachusetts along with a coalition of other Democrat-led states, agreed, and promptly granted the request. It was just one example of the now weeks-old federal shutdown grinding to a halt important litigation between California and the Trump administration, in policy battles with major implications for people's lives. Read more: Chabria: So much winning. Can Bonta maintain California's legal hot streak against Trump? The same day, in the same Massachusetts court, Justice Department attorneys were granted a pause in a lawsuit in which California and other states are challenging mass firings at the U.S. Department of Education, after noting that department funding had been suspended and it didn't know "when such funding will be restored by Congress." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The same day in U.S. District Court in Central California, the Trump administration asked for a similar pause in a lawsuit that it had brought against California, challenging the state's refusal to provide its voter registration rolls to the administration. Justice Department attorneys wrote that they "greatly regret any disruption caused to the Court and the other litigants," but needed to pause the proceedings until they were "permitted to resume their usual civil litigation functions." Since then, the court in Central California has advised the parties of alternative dispute resolution options and outside groups including the NAACP have filed motions to intervene in the case, but no major developments have occurred. The pauses in litigation only a portion of those that have occurred in courts across the country were an example of sweeping, real-world, high-stakes effects of the federal government shutdown that average Americans may not consider when thinking about the shutdown's impact on their lives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Federal employees working in safety and other crucial roles such as air traffic controllers have remained on the job, even without pay, but many others have been forced to stay home. The Justice Department did not spell out which of its attorneys had been benched by the shutdown, but made clear that some who had been working on the cases in question were no longer doing so. Federal litigation often takes years to resolve, and brief pauses in proceedings are not uncommon. However, extended disruptions such as one that could occur if the shutdown drags on would take a toll, forestalling legal answers in some of the most important policy battles in the country. California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, whose office has sued the Trump administration more than 40 times since January, has not challenged every request for a pause by the Trump administration especially in cases where the status quo favors the state. However, it has challenged pauses in other cases, with some success. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Trump uses repeated funding cuts to pressure California, complicating state's legal fight For example, in that same Massachusetts federal courthouse Oct. 1, Justice Department attorneys asked a judge to temporarily halt proceedings in a case in which California and other states are suing to block the administration's targeted defunding of Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. Their arguments were the same as in the other cases: Given the shutdown, they didn't have the attorneys to do the necessary legal work. In response, attorneys for California and the other states pushed back, noting that the shutdown had not stopped Department of Health and Human Services officials from moving forward with the measure to defund Planned Parenthood so the states' residents remained at imminent risk of losing necessary healthcare. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The risks of irreparable harms are especially high because it is unclear how long the lapse in appropriations will continue, meaning relief may not be available for months at which point numerous health centers will likely be forced to close due to a lack of funds," the states argued. On Oct. 8, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani denied the government's request for a pause, finding that the states' interest in proceeding with the case "outweighs" the administration's interest in pausing it. Talwani's argument, in part, was that her order denying a pause would provide Justice Department officials the legal authority to continue litigating the case despite the shutdown. Bonta said in a statement that "Trump owns this shutdown" and "the devastation its causing to hardworking everyday Americans," adding that his office will not let Trump use it to cause even more harm by delaying relief in court cases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Were not letting his Administration use this shutdown as an excuse to continue implementing his unlawful agenda unchecked. Until we get relief for Californians, were not backing down and neither are the courts," Bonta said. "We cant wait for Trump to finally let our government reopen before these cases are heard." Trump and Republicans in Congress have blamed the shutdown on Democrats. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Oct. 15GRAND FORKS North Dakota's lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives will host in-person office hours in Grand Forks on Thursday, Oct. 16. A release from her office noted that Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., will meet directly with constituents. Meeting requests will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The signup form will close once all slots are full. The office will directly contact constituents after sign-up closes to confirm their scheduled meeting time and location. Staff will be available following each appointment for additional assistance. To sign up for a one-on-one meeting with Rep. Fedorchak, visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfCNNz4Hy26hUlDRGdOHKLZwj-wJ9QbowM4K5IrzFtn6J991Q/viewform . The Federal Bureau of Prisons lists Wednesday as the release date for convicted former Scranton Mayor Bill Courtright, who has spent more than a year out of federal prison but under the supervision of an office that oversees halfway houses and home confinement. Courtright pleaded guilty July 2, 2019, to criminal conspiracy, bribery and extortion for pay-to-play shakedowns of companies and vendors that did business with the city. He was sentenced Oct. 2, 2020, to seven years and incarcerated shortly thereafter at a federal prison in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its unclear when the former mayor was released from prison, but as of August 2024 online public data on inmates maintained by the Bureau of Prisons listed Courtright as being under the supervision of RRM Philadelphia, a residential reentry management field office within the bureau. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Bureau of Prisons contracts with residential reentry centers, also known as halfway houses, to provide assistance to inmates who are nearing release, with some under home confinement. While the bureaus inmate-search tool only lists the RRM field office responsible for an inmate, not specific reentry centers, federal court documents Courtright filed in March said he was serving the remainder of his sentence on home confinement under the supervision of the Residential Reentry Center in Scranton. As of Tuesday, the bureaus online inmate locator listed Courtrights location as Philadelphia RRM and his release date as 10/15/2025. More than 13,300 federal offenders are managed by RRM field offices nationwide, including 4,733 on home confinement, bureau statistics show. Efforts to obtain information from the field office were not immediately successful, nor were efforts to reach Courtright by phone. The Federal Bureau of Prisons Office of Public Affairs was not available to respond to inquiries amid the federal government shutdown. Courtrights listed Wednesday release date suggests a total of roughly five years served of the original seven-year sentence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the start of that sentence in October 2020, his release date was listed as Oct. 15, 2026. That date included a years reduction in time served for good behavior that was credited in advance, bureau officials said in 2020. Courtright, a Democrat, was first elected Scranton mayor in 2013 and reelected four years later. He resigned in 2019, amid the corruption scandal. In a parking lot just outside OHare International Airport Monday afternoon, a man prayed next to his car as a plane took off. The parking lot, just east of the airports Terminal 5, is where Uber and Lyft drivers wait for the ride-share apps to assign them passengers. There, the drivers make phone calls and eat lunch. Sometimes, they pray. Last Friday, Border Patrol officers arrested 18 people at OHare, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed. Labor groups said immigration officers targeted the ride-share drivers parking lot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stacy McCloud, who works at a food truck in the lot, told the Tribune she saw it all. Immigration agents came to the parking lot twice Friday, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, McCloud said Monday. They surrounded the lot and blocked off its entrance, she said. When drivers realized that immigration officials were there, McCloud said, people started screaming ICE, ICE and the whole parking lot just ran. People were bumping into each other with their cars, she said. But they had nowhere to go. Federal agents asked drivers to provide their documents, McCloud said. They didnt focus on anybody who didnt look Mexican, she said. Anybody who was Mexican, it looked like they went straight for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For two years, McCloud has worked at a food truck in the lot. On Monday, she spoke to the Tribune in between customers, who bought tacos and energy drinks. She had time to talk because business was slower than usual. Ricardo Velasquez, a ride-share driver eating lunch on the trunk of his car that afternoon, said he is a U.S. citizen, but his friends who arent were avoiding the airport. I feel sorry for all my friends, Velasquez said. Everybody has to have a right to work. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Border Patrol officers conducted a targeted operation at OHare and that the people arrested were all in violation of our nations immigration laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under President (Donald) Trump and Secretary (Kristi) Noem, if you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S, McLaughlin said in a statement. McLaughlin named one person arrested Friday whom she described as a a criminal illegal alien from Venezuela who previously had been arrested for domestic battery causing great bodily harm. The Tribune reviewed court records that showed a man with the same name had been charged with domestic battery in Cook County last year, but that prosecutors later decided not to pursue the charges against him. A police report put his birthplace in Mexico, not Venezuela. Its not clear if the man is the same person McLaughlin was referring to. McLaughlin did not provide details about any others arrested. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McCloud said the agents in the parking lot Friday showed no sympathy. They were ripping everybody out of the cars, she said. Whoever showed that they werent a citizen, basically, they were just ripping out of the cars. The Illinois Drivers Alliance a labor coalition seeking to organize ride-share drivers across the state decried the raids, saying it was deeply concerned that the drivers due process rights were violated at OHare. This is part of a broader pattern of attacks on immigrant families by an administration that continues to weaponize fear and division, said the Drivers Alliance, which is anchored by locals of the Service Employees International Union and the International Association of Machinists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The OHare sweep comes amid the Trump administrations immigration crackdown in Chicago, which officials claim has resulted in the arrests of more than 1,000 people so far. Over the course of the crackdown, advocates have raised concerns about the targeting of low-wage workers, as reports have surfaced about construction workers, street vendors and day laborers all being detained by the feds. In a statement about the OHare immigration sweep, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said his administration was working to ensure that city property is never used to facilitate unlawful civil immigration enforcement. Last week, Johnson signed an executive order banning federal immigration authorities from staging and carrying out enforcement operations on city-owned land. The mayor called for criminal charges against agents who violate the order. Johnson spokesperson Cassio Mendoza said the administration believed that because signs laying out the immigration enforcement ban had not yet been installed at the airport parking lot, the administration lacked a legal avenue to pursue against the feds for carrying out a raid in the lot. Such signs should be posted in the lot soon, Mendoza said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Monday afternoon, many of the spaces in the parking lot were empty. Drivers who were there said that was unusual. Representatives from the rideshare companies did not immediately offer information about whether or not driver numbers at the airport were down. Uber driver Jim Weber wasnt in the lot during the raids Friday, but said he disagreed with them. Some of his ancestors came to the U.S. without legal permission more than a century ago, fleeing pogroms in Europe, he said. They snuck in through Canada, said Weber. His family settled in the Upper Midwest, where his great-grandfather met his great-grandmother, raised children and grandchildren, worked hard and paid taxes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All he wanted was a better life, Weber said. He thinks thats what his fellow ride-share drivers want too. They want a better life, Weber said. Who doesnt? Chicago Tribunes Jonathan Bullington contributed. CHICAGO In a parking lot just outside OHare International Airport on Monday afternoon, a man prayed next to his car as a plane took off. The parking lot, just east of the airports Terminal 5, is where Uber and Lyft drivers wait for the ride-share apps to assign them passengers. There, the drivers make phone calls and eat lunch. Sometimes, they pray. Last Friday, Border Patrol officers arrested 18 people at OHare, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed. Labor groups said immigration officers targeted the ride-share drivers parking lot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stacy McCloud, who works at a food truck in the lot, told the Tribune she saw it all. Immigration agents came to the parking lot twice Friday, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, McCloud said Monday. They surrounded the lot and blocked off its entrance, she said. When drivers realized that immigration officials were there, McCloud said, people started screaming ICE, ICE and the whole parking lot just ran. People were bumping into each other with their cars, she said. But they had nowhere to go. Federal agents asked drivers to provide their documents, McCloud said. They didnt focus on anybody who didnt look Mexican, she said. Anybody who was Mexican, it looked like they went straight for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For two years, McCloud has worked at a food truck in the lot. On Monday, she spoke to the Tribune in between customers, who bought tacos and energy drinks. She had time to talk because business was slower than usual. Ricardo Velasquez, a ride-share driver eating lunch on the trunk of his car that afternoon, said he is a U.S. citizen, but his friends who arent were avoiding the airport. I feel sorry for all my friends, Velasquez said. Everybody has to have a right to work. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Border Patrol officers conducted a targeted operation at OHare and that the people arrested were all in violation of our nations immigration laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under President (Donald) Trump and Secretary (Kristi) Noem, if you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S, McLaughlin said in a statement. McLaughlin named one person arrested Friday whom she described as a a criminal illegal alien from Venezuela who previously had been arrested for domestic battery causing great bodily harm. The Tribune reviewed court records that showed a man with the same name had been charged with domestic battery in Cook County last year, but that prosecutors later decided not to pursue the charges against him. A police report put his birthplace in Mexico, not Venezuela. Its not clear if the man is the same person McLaughlin was referring to. McLaughlin did not provide details about any others arrested. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McCloud said the agents in the parking lot Friday showed no sympathy. They were ripping everybody out of the cars, she said. Whoever showed that they werent a citizen, basically, they were just ripping out of the cars. The Illinois Drivers Alliance a labor coalition seeking to organize ride-share drivers across the state decried the raids, saying it was deeply concerned that the drivers due process rights were violated at OHare. This is part of a broader pattern of attacks on immigrant families by an administration that continues to weaponize fear and division, said the Drivers Alliance, which is anchored by locals of the Service Employees International Union and the International Association of Machinists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The OHare sweep comes amid the Trump administrations immigration crackdown in Chicago, which officials claim has resulted in the arrests of more than 1,000 people so far. Over the course of the crackdown, advocates have raised concerns about the targeting of low-wage workers, as reports have surfaced about construction workers, street vendors and day laborers all being detained by the feds. In a statement about the OHare immigration sweep, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said his administration was working to ensure that city property is never used to facilitate unlawful civil immigration enforcement. Last week, Johnson signed an executive order banning federal immigration authorities from staging and carrying out enforcement operations on city-owned land. The mayor called for criminal charges against agents who violate the order. Johnson spokesperson Cassio Mendoza said the administration believed that because signs laying out the immigration enforcement ban had not yet been installed at the airport parking lot, the administration lacked a legal avenue to pursue against the feds for carrying out a raid in the lot. Such signs should be posted in the lot soon, Mendoza said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Monday afternoon, many of the spaces in the parking lot were empty. Drivers who were there said that was unusual. Uber driver Jim Weber wasnt in the lot during the raids Friday, but said he disagreed with them. Some of his ancestors came to the U.S. without legal permission more than a century ago, fleeing pogroms in Europe, he said. They snuck in through Canada, said Weber. His family settled in the Upper Midwest, where his great-grandfather met his great-grandmother, raised children and grandchildren, worked hard and paid taxes. All he wanted was a better life, Weber said. He thinks thats what his fellow ride-share drivers want too. They want a better life, Weber said. Who doesnt? ---------- Chicago Tribunes Jonathan Bullington contributed. ____ PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The man accused of killing a Portland woman two years ago is now in custody. Portland police announced the arrest of 21-year old Connor OBrien in Montana on Monday. He faces charges in the murder case of Tiara Atencio, who was fatally stabbed in 2023. Its getting really ugly: House speaker calls out Portlands nude cycling protest Now that a suspect is in custody, Atencios family said they are breathing easier. Atencios sister Fenicia Damian told KOIN 6 News that Portland police called her yesterday afternoon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I just fell to my knees. And I was just thankful. I was just like, Thank you, God, Damian said. I felt relieved, I felt grateful, I felt just another step closer to the healing process of my sister not being here. Oregon nursery on edge as feds withhold money during shutdown According to Missoula police, their department worked alongside the Montana FBI to arrest OBrien on Monday. He is now facing charges of second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon. OBrien is at a Missoula County detention facility ahead of his extradition to Oregon. As her sisters case works through the judicial process, Damian said she plans to go to future hearings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops. 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 KOIN.com. Hundreds of federal employees' jobs have been cut during the government shutdown - though many of those affected may have no idea - according to documents filed in federal court in San Francisco on Tuesday. The government also acknowledged in the filings that hundreds of layoff notices were sent out by mistake. The documents were submitted Tuesday as part of a lawsuit filed the day the government shutdown began by four labor unions - including two local chapters of the American Federation of Government Employees that represent Social Security Administration employees and Environmental Protection Agency attorneys in Northern California and Nevada. They argue there is no statutory authority for the president to undertake mass layoffs simply because of a lapse in funding for federal agencies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the claim was initially filed, the layoffs existed only as a threat by Trump officials of what might happen if the shutdown continued. But the documents filed Tuesday lay out the chaotic, confusing way those layoffs have been rolled out over the past week. On Wednesday, San Francisco-based U.S. District Judge Susan Illston will hear arguments on whether to implement a temporary restraining order blocking the layoffs. In court declarations filed Tuesday, multiple union officials said that because workers furloughed as part of the government shutdown were told they could not check their work emails or voicemails, they are likely in the dark when it comes to their employment fate. "Some employees were even told that they could be disciplined for checking their government email while furloughed. As a result, some employees likely received RIF notices in their work emails but have no way of knowing that they received a RIF notice," said Rachel Gittleman, president of AFGE Local 252, which represents more than 2,700 Department of Education employees. "Further, some employees were instructed to not take their Government Furnished Equipment, home during the government shutdown, so they have no way to access their work emails to see if they have been RIFed." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gittleman said many laid off employees have been notified by their supervisors, but in some cases, "not all supervisors have access to information about RIFs." In other cases, employees don't have an immediate supervisor, or don't have access to their personal contact information. She said that both those who've been terminated and those uncertain about whether they're still employed are facing extreme mental anguish. "They feel like they are being thrown away like garbage," Gittleman wrote. A union official who represents Centers for Disease Control and Prevention workers noted that laid off employees who have been laid off also cannot access resources to navigate their termination because human resources employees are not working during the shutdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another local union president who represents employees of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development similarly said that because workers can't access their work emails or phones, they have no way of knowing whether they've received a layoff notice. Managers and union representatives don't have access to the information either, said Ashaki Robinson, regional vice president for AFGE Council 222. "The lack of communication from the Agency and employees' inability to access resources regarding the RIF will result in employees suffering significant distress and financial harm during an already exceptionally stressful period," Robinson wrote. The filings also laid out what union officials said were errors plaguing the process. Trump administration files acknowledged some of the errors in their own filings. Military veterans and long-time HUD employees reported receiving job cut notices despite having retention preferences because of their military service or decades working for the office. Cutting them violates federal law, Robison wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yolanda Jacobs, the president of AFGE Local 2883, which represents about 2,000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees, wrote that the current rounds of cuts may be based on incorrect employment data. The union would like to request an updated register from the agency and correct errors, but the shutdown makes that impossible, she wrote. The human resources staff that would create the list are not currently working. "This will likely result in CDC employees being released from service in an order that does not comply with federal law," Jacobs wrote. Thomas Nagy Jr., the deputy assistant secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, acknowledged "data discrepancies and processing errors" in a declaration. The department issued 1,760 notices, but Nagy said only 982 employees should have received notification their jobs were being cut. Stephen Billy, a senior adviser in the Office of Management and Budget, walked back some of the figures he shared in a declaration filed on Friday. He described the shutdown and the funding lapse as "fluid and rapidly evolving" in a Tuesday filing. He said the numbers of cut jobs are subject to change as "agencies are continually finalizing" plans. Billy's updated figures showed the number of cuts to the Department of Commerce nearly doubling to about 600 positions compared with what he reported Friday. He listed the Department of Homeland Security cuts dropping from 176 to 54 positions and Treasury Department cuts going from 1,446 cuts to 1,377. In total, the new count of estimated federal job cuts is 4,128. This article originally published at New filings detail chaos of mass federal employee firings amid shutdown. BLUEFIELD The final documentation needed for a major transportation upgrade in Bluefield has been signed. The Bluefield Board of Directors voted 4-0 Tuesday to approve an independent government estimate for the Safe Streets for All project, a $30 million plan to upgrade roads, streets and sidewalks across the city over a period of five years. City Engineer Curtis French said the engineering estimates were required by the Region 1 Planning and Development Commission as part of the grant submittal process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is just basically the percentages of the breakdown of the funds, what they will be going to from the categories of preliminary to infrastructure and inspection, French said. City Manager Cecil Marson said the independent government estimate was the last document that needed to be signed on the Safe Streets for All project. So thats the last document that actually starts our clock to get the project rolling and five years to execute the funding and get the project done, Marson said. This document gets us there to go to the next phase and actually to sign the final grant agreement. Once we sign the grant agreement with the feds and the DOT, then the (federal funding) drawdown starts and we start the engineering with all of the utility companies and the engineering firms and we start the work. Marson called the document approval a massive step toward the start of the Safe Streets for All project and the planned improvements to College Avenue, Stadium Drive, U.S. Route 52 and other roadways and streets across the city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is one of the largest road projects, streetscape projects, in the state, Marson said after Tuesdays meeting. So we are super excited to get it started and I think it is going to be real exciting for the community as they see the city getting reborn. The Safe Streets and Roads for All initiative is being funded through $25 million in federal dollars and more than $5 million in state funding. It involves various transportation upgrades across the city to benefit motorists, bicycle riders and pedestrians. The projects goal is to convert four of Bluefields key intersections to roundabouts, create pedestrian and bicycle accommodations through a strategic mountain gap, and to make safety improvements that include implementing traffic-calming strategies and installing sidewalks, crosswalks, rectangular rapid-flashing beacons, and street lighting on selected corridors. Locations for Safe Street projects range from College Avenue, Stadium Drive, Cumberland Road, Princeton Avenue, U.S. Route 52 and other roads in the city along with the intersection connecting Cherry Street, Maryland Avenue and Stadium Drive. The federal grant will fund three road roundabouts, two of them on College Avenue and one at U.S. Route 52 near Hill Avenue and the entrance to Bluefield State University. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In other business Tuesday, the board voted to turn over 64 delinquent city fee accounts totaling $156,320 to a collection agency; announced the start of leaf collection season in the city; approved an amendment to city code regarding building permit fees based upon the cost of projects that are being undertaken; and announced that ribbon cutting ceremonies will be announced soon for renovations to two existing city playgrounds on Hard Street and East River Avenue. Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com Finland has decided to join the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, which involves purchasing weapons in the United States for transfer to Ukraine. Source: Finland's Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen, as reported by European Pravda Details: Hakkanen said that the Finnish side would work out the details of its contribution to the initiative in the coming weeks. "Ukraine's defence critically depends on specific US military supplies. The US has stated that the financial responsibility for the war being fought in Europe is shifting to Europe. Therefore, European countries must now secure funding for these essential US weapons," Hakkanen said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added that Finland "will shoulder its share of the responsibility in proportion to its size". "And we expect the same from other European nations. It is particularly in the interest of Europe and the frontline states that this support to Ukraine continues," the Finnish defence minister concluded. Background: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte previously said that new countries would soon join PURL. Ukraine is prioritising the issue of financing arms purchases from the United States under the PURL programme during a series of events involving NATO defence ministers in Brussels on 15 October, to which Ukrainian Minister Denys Shmyhal has also been invited. US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker announced on Tuesday 14 October that new weapons deliveries to Ukraine under the PURL initiative will be announced later this week. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! HILLSIDE, N.J. (PIX11) Multiple fire departments responded to Hillside, New Jersey, after a five-alarm fire that began at an auto body shop destroyed a handful of stores and a few homes Tuesday night. Dahlia Vertreese, the Mayor of Hillside, stated that 20 residents have been displaced and that the fire will likely continue into the morning hours. More Local News An autobody shop on Conklin Avenue and Maple Avenue on the corner has exploded. There are a lot of cars in there. This will probably be an ongoing fire until the morning. The chief told me this is the second-worst fire in 18 years, Vertreese announced on Facebook. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mayor is urging residents to stay away. Dont come here. We had a wall collapse, and the entire shopping section of Maple Avenue between Conklin and Winans Avenue has been destroyed. Its a harrowing sight. If you are in the area of Maple Avenue, please stay away from the lower half near Hillside Avenue. It is very smoky. If you have lung issues or asthma, do everything that you can to stay oxygenated or stay off the streets. The cause of the explosions remains unknown, but the mayor confirmed that no fatalities had been reported. 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 PIX11. As if crypto trading isn't already volatile enough, ETF manager Volatility Shares hopes to launch Bitcoin and other digital asset funds that would give investors five times the daily exposure to the asset class. The long list of proposed funds includes Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP ETFs, as well as funds giving amplified exposure to crypto-related stocks such as crypto exchange Coinbase and Bitcoin treasury firms Strategy and Tesla. Typical ETFs give investors exposure to an assetbe it a security or commodityvia shares that track its price and trade on stock exchanges. A leveraged ETF holds debt to amplify its position. The idea is that returns for investors can be greater than the tracked asset, but losses can also be compoundedin this case, potentially by five times. Volatility Shares had already filed the paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission to get crypto ETFs on the market with three times exposure to the daily returns of the asset. Does the Bitcoin 'Debasement Trade' Narrative Still Hold Up After the Crash? The company in March debuted two ETFs tracking Solana futures, including one with two times daily exposure to SOL. Leveraged crypto ETFs are already on the market: Miami, Florida-based Defiance ETF's MSTX gives investors access to a leveraged position in Bitcoin treasury firm Strategy's stock (MSTR), amplifying gainsand lossesby 175%. The SEC in January 2024 approved 11 Bitcoin ETFs after saying no to applications for a decade. The funds were launched by prestigious asset managers like BlackRock and Fidelity, and had the most successful launch in the history of ETFs, with Ethereum funds following in summer last year. Asset managers are now trying to get ETFs approved that give exposure to altcoins, including top assets like Solana, XRP, and Dogecointhough a couple have already started trading. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) Fire investigators seek help in identifying a suspect in Baton Rouge. The Baton Rouge Fire Department said the person pictured is accused of stealing a silver Honda Accord from the Fast Lane gas station on Florida Boulevard and Marque Ann Drive on Aug. 30. The car was found burned. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 225-344-7867 or fire investigators at 225-389-2050. See an image of the suspect below. Baton Rouge fire investigators seek the identity of the person pictured. (Baton Rouge Fire Department) Once Upon a Child store temporarily closed after fire in Baton Rouge Latest News 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 Louisiana First News. PRICEVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) Priceville Police Officer Garry Chapman, who was fired for the decisions he made during a deadly chase, is set to return to work soon. He began his 10-day suspension on Tuesday. Chapmans attorney, Scott Morro, said he intends to keep an eye on the department to make sure Chapman is treated fairly. Before Chapman was reinstated, Morro filed a $10 million claim with the city. He said that the claim could turn into a lawsuit. RELATED: City council reverses firing of Priceville officer involved in chase that led to deadly crash Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the initial firing decision, Priceville Mayor Sam Heflin agreed with Chief Jerry Holmess assessment of the situation, saying Chapman violated the police departments chase policy by not considering how many people might be in the path of the chase. Chapman decided to appeal that decision to the city council. On Monday night, the Priceville City Council voted unanimously to reinstate Chapman to the police department, with a 10-day suspension and the promise of more training in the future. Morro maintains that Chapman did not do anything wrong. News 19 reached out to Holmes to learn more about his plans for the department moving forward. You can read his full statement here: I am open to reviewing the pursuit policy alongside the comprehensive rules, regulations, and standard operating procedures of our department. Any opportunity to enhance our daily operations is beneficial. Regarding future training related to pursuits, we intend to explore various options, as well as implement periodic training focused on our policies to ensure that my expectations for our officers are clearly understood. Concerning the councils decision about Garry Chapman, while I do not agree with it, we acknowledge the decision and will proceed accordingly. We are ready to refocus, move forward, and get back to work. Priceville Police Chief Jerry Holmes Attorney Will League is representing the family of two teenagers who were injured when Archie Hale, the man Chapman was chasing, hit the car they were in. One of those teens is still in the hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The young child cannot talk, cannot walk, and may need care for the rest of his life, League said. Another teen in the car with them, 17-year-old Tristain Hollis, was killed. League said he has more questions about the case and the role the Priceville Police Department played in the outcome of the chase. What action and what supervisory role was taken in training this young officer and then aiding him during this particular chase? League asked. Get breaking news, traffic and weather alerts directly to your smartphone. Download the News 19 App League has already filed a lawsuit against the suspect who crashed into the car, Archie Hale. He tells News 19 he is considering adding the City of Priceville to the suit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The families dont want this to happen to anybody else, and from a lawyer standpoint, on the civil side, Im trying to get them compensation for what theyve been through, League said. The lawsuit would also name Chapman. Alabama law requires us to name the individual officer, an employee of the city, and thats by design, League said. These families are not trying to take this officers paycheck. We have to go through these officers to get to the insurance carrier for the city and the insurance company for the officer. League said Alabama law caps what a family can receive from a municipality at $100,000. He said, considering the loss in this case, that number is very small, and he urges the Alabama Legislature to consider raising the amount families can be compensated. 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 WHNT.com. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Firefighters are looking for hot spots after knocking down a Condition 2 house fire on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 15, in West El Paso, according to the El Paso Fire Department. The call came in shortly after 2:45 p.m. near the intersection of Westwind and Snowheights Ct. The house fire was upgraded to a Condition 2, according to El Paso Fire. Fire crews knocked down the fire and are looking for hot spots. No injuries were reported, El Paso Fire said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is unclear how the fire started or the extent of structural damage. KTSM crews are en route to the scene. 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 KTSM 9 News. OXNARD, Calif. (AP) A firefighter braved rising floodwaters to rescue a shivering pup that was stranded Tuesday on debris during a rare October storm in Southern California. Video shows a Ventura County firefighter climbing down a ladder to reach the dog, which was stuck on reeds on the edge of a flood channel northwest of Los Angeles. Officials said the 19-pound (8.6-kilogram) female pug or French bulldog mix was cold but otherwise unharmed. She did not have a tag on her collar or a microchip. The Ventura County Animal Services' website says the approximately 3-year-old dog is staying at the Camarillo Animal Shelter, where she could be adopted as soon as Saturday if her owners are not identified. NEW ALEXANDER, Ohio (WKBN) The first youth pheasant hunt in Columbiana County is happening next month. The Columbiana County Federation of Conservation Clubs, along with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, is hosting its first-ever youth Pheasant Hunt in Columbiana County Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 1-2, at the Zepernick Wildlife Area on state Route 172 in New Alexander. The event runs from 8 a.m. until sundown on Saturday and from sunrise until sundown on Sunday. Hunting and map locations and information will be available at the Zepernick Lake main parking lot on state Route 172 on Saturday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A press release from the conservation club states that 100 ring-necked pheasants are to be released for the event. Youth hunters are allowed to take two male pheasants along with rabbits, squirrels, and other legal game. Federation Treasurer and Event Organizer Jeff Herrick said the pheasant hunt gives another opportunity for local youth hunters to sharpen their skills. Many of our countys youths have attended hunting camps and youth days for many years. This hunt is a good opportunity for them to use the many hunting and safety skills they have learned at these events, he said. To participate in this event, you must have a valid youth hunting license, have passed a hunter education course, and be accompanied by a non-hunting adult 18 years of age or older. The press release says that youth hunters can hunt with an apprentice license without passing a hunter safety course as long as they are accompanied by a non-hunting adult 21 years of age or older who possesses a current hunting license. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The hunt is free, and pre-registration is not required. 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 WKBN.com. More than 10 years after a 33-year-old man was fatally gunned down in Fitchburg, another man has been convicted of murder from the killing. John Yang, of Fitchburg, was found guilty of second-degree murder for the 2013 killing of Shaun Hibbard. Hibbard was 33-years-old at the time of his death and also from Fitchburg. The verdict followed a week-long trial presented before a jury in Worcester Superior Court, after opening statements began Oct. 6. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jurors heard from prosecutors and the defense on the events that happened around 4 a.m. on Aug. 3, 2013, on Forest Street in Fitchburg. Hibbard had been by his vehicle parked along Forest and Charles streets when he and Yang got into a confrontation in the early morning hours. Hibbard was fatally shot during the argument and ran from the scene. He knocked on the doors of homes up Forest Street for help until finally collapsing on a porch at 46 Forest St. First responders arrived and brought Hibbard to Leominster Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Yang was initially charged and arraigned on one count of murder on Sept. 12, 2023, in Fitchburg District Court and was held without bail. He was indicted by a Worcester County Grand Jury later in November that year and has been in custody since the arraignment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We hope this verdict brings the victims family and loved ones some justice and closure, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early said. This case exemplifies the continued efforts by law enforcement to bring all of our cases to a resolution, regardless of the passage of time, Early said. Fitchburg Police Chief Steven D. Giannini said, This verdict brings long awaited closure to the friends and family of Shaun Hibbard. The Fitchburg Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, and District Attorney Joe Earlys office have shown that no matter how much time passes, we will maintain our commitments to seek justice for every victim. Yang is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 4. More local crime stories Read the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Florida's Office of Parental Rights is suing Roku, accusing the streaming giant of willfully collecting and selling the sensitive personal information of children, including geolocation, in violation of the state's Florida Digital Bill of Rights and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices act. Attorney General James Uthmeier's office is asking for civil penalties and an injunction to stop the illegal activity. It also calls for transparent disclosures, implements lawful parental-control mechanisms, and a stop to the unauthorized sale or processing of childrens data. If awarded, civil penalties could be as high as $150,000 per violation under Florida's Digital Bill of Rights, and as much as $10,000 per violation under the state's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Roku knows that some of its users are children but has consciously decided not to implement industry-standard user profiles to identify which of its users are children. Roku buries its head in the sand so that it can continue processing and selling childrens valuable personal and sensitive data, the suit said. "Florida families deserve to know what is happening with their childrens personal information," Uthmeier said in a statement. "Parents not technology companies direct the upbringing of their children. We will hold any company that conceals or exploits that information accountable. Read Florida's lawsuit against Roku Can't see the embedd lawsuit? Download it here. What is Florida's Office of Parental Rights? Uthmeier created the Office of Parental Rights in April to safeguard family rights in fields ranging from childrens health services to school library book selections, with an early emphasis on challenging what he saw as overreach by local school districts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state of Florida under DeSantis has put an emphasis on parental rights over school practices or even children's rights, streamlining the book-banning process in schools and blocking teachers from acknowledging children's genders or prefered nicknames if they differ from their legal ones, among other measures. Starting this year, a new state law barred children aged 14 and 15 from having social media accounts without parental or guardian permission and banned children 13 and under from having social media accounts at all. The bill also required social media sites to use age-verification systems. The bill was challenged, with parts of it upheld, but a federal judge on Oct. 7 rejected Florida's bid to dismiss the social media limitation part and it remains unenforced for now. "At the end of the day, we believe that it is parents, not big tech companies, that should decide the upbringing of their kids," Uthmeier said. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida v Roku full lawsuit can be read here By Arsheeya Bajwa and Aditya Soni (Reuters) -An investor group including BlackRock, Microsoft and Nvidia is buying one of the world's biggest data center operators with nearly 80 facilities in a deal worth $40 billion to secure coveted computing capacity for artificial intelligence. The purchase of U.S.-based Aligned Data Centers from Australian Macquarie Asset Management on Wednesday is the first deal for the AI Infrastructure Partnership formed last year which includes Abu Dhabi-based fund MGX and Elon Musk's startup xAI among its backers. "With this investment in Aligned Data Centers, we further our goal of delivering the infrastructure necessary to power the future of AI," said BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, who also serves as the chairman of the AI Infrastructure Partnership. DEALS TO SNAP UP CHIPS AND INFRASTRUCTURE The acquisition is the latest in a series of big-ticket deals involving Big Tech and Silicon Valley startups that has been fueled by the boom in AI. Major tech companies including Alphabet, Amazon.com, Meta, Microsoft and CoreWeave, are on track to spend $400 billion on AI infrastructure this year, Morgan Stanley estimates. OpenAI, the startup at the heart of the AI boom, struck deals in recent weeks with chipmakers Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices and Broadcom that may cost over $1 trillion to secure about 26 gigawatts of computing capacity, enough to power roughly 20 million U.S. homes. Meta Platforms is building several multi-gigawatt AI data centers, including one called Prometheus due to come online in 2026 and another, Hyperion, that can scale up to 5 gigawatts. Privately-held Aligned Data Centers currently has over 5 gigawatts of operational and planned capacity located across 50 campuses in the U.S. and Latin America. Joe Tigay, portfolio manager at Nvidia shareholder Equity Armor Investments, said the acquisition highlights the growing value of data center assets for investors. "Theyre looking at rapid expansion to meet AI demand and optimize for it." SPENDING SURGE AS INTEREST BOOMS Founded in 2013, Aligned has been a big winner of the AI infrastructure spending boom, raising $12 billion in equity and debt earlier this year in one of the largest private capital injections into a data center company. Its customers include cloud-computing platform Nutanix and IT services provider Datto, according to its website. The company also has a land portfolio with access to significant near-term power capacity in key markets, said Macquarie, which first invested in the company in 2018. New Florida bill would require teachers take constitutional oath to teach in the state Taking an oath to teach - Thats the idea behind a newly filed Florida bill, which would require teachers licensed by the state to swear a constitutional oath to obtain or maintain their state-issued teaching certificate. Under the bill, teachers would have to swear allegiance to defend the U.S. and Florida constitutions and pledge to perform their duties in a professional, independent, objective, and nonpartisan manner. I believe that when we entrust our students with the teachers, they should be treated as professionals, which they are professionals, said bill sponsor State Representative Tom Fabricio (R-Hialeah). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fabricio told Action News Jax his proposed pledge wouldnt necessarily require a teacher putting their hand on a bible, rather it could be something as simple as signing their name on a notarized form. Fabricio argued that just as lawyers, law enforcement officers, elected officials, and other professions are required to take an oath, teaching is a similarly important job. This bill elevates them as professionals here in Florida, and it brings Florida to match 32 other states that have had this type of legislation on the books for many, many years, said Fabricio. But Duval County teacher Chris Guerrieri, who has taught in the district for 25 years, argued the bill does nothing to improve education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its just a shame that this is where our legislators in Tallahassee find themselves, that instead of helping public education, instead of working to improve things, that they just have these culture wars, said Guerrieri. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Given the increased political pressure put on teachers, he also questioned whether the oath is intended to limit teachers freedom to teach in the way they best see fit. Its just another slope, another step towards Tallahassee telling, dictating to teachers what they can think and what happens in the classroom, said Guerrieri. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Fabricio argued his intent is not to use the pledge as a political litmus test. Children are our most important resource, unequivocally, and the future of our country and our state will rely on these children being able to form their own opinions based on unbiased teaching, which is what we expect that they will be getting, said Fabricio. The bill still has a long way to go and has not yet picked up a Senate sponsor. Session officially begins in January. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) The State of Florida has approved $84 million to buy land in Okaloosa County that will be used for a public park. Two Lucedale residents accused of barcode scam at Mobile Walmart The 4-acre waterfront property, located next to Norriego Point in Destin, was previously zoned for luxury condominiums. These were to be built by companies linked to a Louisiana developer who bought the property for less than $8 million nine years ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Okaloosa County officials thanked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet for the decision, something they said will preserve land that would have been used for private development and instead will be used for public access. Thank you, Governor DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet, for recognizing the tremendous value of this land and approving an investment that will expand public access of the coastline for Floridians, Okaloosa County Board Chairman Paul Mixon said. Overhead view of Destin waterfront property The state recognized what a unique opportunity this was to purchase land on our states one-of-a-kind coast for a new state park and they took action with Floridians in mind. While the State of Florida will own the property, it has entered an agreement that will put Okaloosa County in charge of managing the property as a public park. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The property will include a protective seawall, road and parking improvements as well as full utility connections. It also has a state-of-the-art marina with 53 slips that will now be available for public use. The new park increases parkland by 33%. The purchase of this parcel, appraised by state-certified professionals, represents a strategic investment in our communitys future, Okaloosa County District 5 Commissioner Drew Palmer said. Phat Tuesday faces scrutiny as Mobile City Council considers revoking its license It protects public access to a rare stretch of waterfront that would otherwise be lost to private development, preserves one of the most iconic views along our coastline, and ensures lasting benefits for Destin, Okaloosa County, and generations to come. 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 WKRG News 5. GOP Rep. Cory Mills has been ordered by a Florida judge not to have any contact with his ex-girlfriend, the reigning Miss United States Lindsey Langston. CNN previously reported that the Langston had accused the Florida congressman of having threatened to release sexually explicit images and videos of her after their relationship ended in February. She filed a police report in July and the petition for an injunction for protection against dating violence in August. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mills is prohibited from going within 500 feet of Langstons home and workplace, according to a court document obtained and published by CNN affiliate WESH. The order is in effect until January. CNN has reached out to Mills office for comment and to Langstons attorney. According to Tuesdays court order, Langston testified that Mills communications caused her substantial emotional distress. Mills has not been charged in connection with the allegations. In a statement to CNN earlier this year, the congressman denied any wrongdoing. These claims are false and misrepresent the nature of my interactions. I have always conducted myself with integrity, both personally and in service to Floridas 7th District, Mills told CNN in a statement in August. Out of respect for the legal process, I wont comment further at this time. My team and I will fully cooperate to ensure the truth is made clear. I remain focused on serving my constituents and advancing America First policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnson largely sidestepped questions about Mills when questioned by reporters at a press conference on Wednesday. Asked whether any ethical violations occurred and disciplinary action for Mills was warranted, Johnson said he has not heard or looked into any of the details of that, noting the House Ethics Committee could look into the allegations if it warrants that. Pressed on whether hes concerned about Mills, the House speaker again deflected. Youd have to ask Representative Mills about that, he said. Hes been a faithful colleague here. I know his work on the Hill. I dont know all the details of all the individual allegations and what hes doing in his outside life. Youd have to ask him about that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries on Wednesday said that the notion that House Republican leaders would dismiss the seriousness of what is clearly emerging as an untenable and frightening situation relative to Representative Mills is irresponsible. He added, the Congress should be better than that level of dismissiveness that has been on display amongst my Republican colleagues. CNNs Annie Grayer contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Florida lawmaker pushing for students to demonstrate proficient cursive reading and writing In an age when students are often working on computers, typing up essays and homework instead of writing them out, the art of cursive writing may feel like a relic of the past. But Florida elementary students may soon have to prove they can read and write in cursive by the time they finish 5th grade if a newly filed bill crosses the finish line next year. Since 2020, Florida students have been expected to learn cursive in elementary school, but State Representative Toby Overdorf (R-Stuart) told Action News Jax the current requirement falls short. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is no requirement for any kind of sufficiency. Theres no review associated with it, said Overdorf. Overdorf is sponsoring a bill in the upcoming legislative session that would not only require students to learn to read and write in cursive in grades 2 through 5, but theyd also have to prove their proficiency. Jacksonville residents Action News Jax spoke with indicated theyre all for the idea. To help with their background. Lets say, they need help with their signature, said Duval local Jeremiah Taylor. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] When you dont have so much AI involved and they can actually write for themselves, they can be more creative and express themselves a little better. I think when you have too much technology, they cant actually express themselves as a child, said Duval parent Brandy Hollowell. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And Overdorf argued that learning cursive has several surprising benefits that go beyond elegant penmanship. Cursive proficiency can improve fine motor skills, dexterity, and even help diagnose certain conditions at an earlier age. In fact, it also helps with an early diagnosis of dyslexia. So, when you combine all of those things, the benefits absolutely far outweigh anything else, said Overdorf. If passed, the new cursive requirements would kick in on July 1st of next year, just ahead of the 26/27 school year. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Floridas new license plate law could lead to jail time for drivers using covers or alterations Florida drivers who alter, cover, or obscure their license plates could now face criminal charges under a new law that went into effect on October 1st. What was previously a noncriminal traffic infraction is now a second-degree misdemeanor, an arrestable offense punishable by up to 60 days in jail and/or a fine. Action News Jax spoke with a former Jacksonville Sheriffs Office officer about what the law means for everyday drivers and why motorcyclists in particular are being closely watched. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The law targets any device or material that prevents a plate from being fully visible. This includes tinted plastic covers, flip-up or rotating mounts, and reflective sprays often sold online. Your tag is not worth going to jail, said former JSO Officer Terrance Hightower. According to Hightower, who has more than 20 years of law enforcement experience, people who engage in illegal street racing or reckless driving are some of the most common offenders. Various people may tint their tags for different reasons, he said. Some do it for the aesthetics to look good and match their car. Others, however, have more deceptive motives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Others will do it to hide their tag, Hightower explained. So officers cant identify them or not identify them right away. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Despite the new law, the products used to obscure license plates remain widely available for purchase. Many of these items come with a legal disclaimer, warning that local regulations may vary. Hightower also mentions that when buying a covered license plate, there is a legal disclaimer on the package stating that laws concerning this product vary by state. From flashy car mods to attempts at avoiding tolls, Florida officials are sending a clear message: license plates must be fully visible at all times. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You want your tag to be seen so you dont get a ticket, you dont get stopped, Hightower said. You dont want to put yourself in a situation. Whether for style or to dodge detection, drivers now risk criminal charges and even jail time if they fail to comply with the law. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] A surge in the number of Florida marijuana patients after the 2019 legalization of smokable medical marijuana has subsided, according to a new report from the state's Office of Medical Marijuana Use. Bobbie Smith, the OMMU director, told the Health Professions and Programs Subcommittee on Oct. 15 that after recording three straight years of double-digit growth, the increase in new qualified patients the past two years has been 3%. Obviously, weve got a couple months left in 2025 but were again seeing a 3% increase in the number of people with active qualified patients, Smith said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Florida resident can qualify for the medical marijuana registry with a physician's diagnosis of one or more of over 70 diseases, including cancer and Parkinson's, and ailments such as nausea or irritable bowel syndrome. Smith walked lawmakers through details in the Florida Department of Healths 2025 Office of Medical Marijuana Use Program Update. The report shows the number of people with valid medical marijuana registry identification cards more than doubled from 459,000 in 2020 to about 925,000 today. The surge in patients coincided with a nearly tripling of the amount of smokable medical marijuana dispensed, from 2.7 million ounces in 2020 to more than 6.6 million ounces last year. The use and possession of marijuana is illegal under federal law, but 24 states allow possession of the plant, and 40 states permit its use as medicine. Amendment 2 in 2016 legalized medical marijuana in Florida for patients with qualifying conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Florida more than doubled the number of registered medical marijuana users and the amount of marijuana products dispenses in the five years after the Legislature, at the urging of Gov. Ron DeSantis, legalized the use of smokable marijuana. Two weeks after taking office in 2019, speaking to reporters in Winter Park with Orlando attorney John Morgan and former Congressman Matt Gaetz at his side, DeSantis told legislators to change the law, and that he was dropping the state appeal of a court decision declaring the ban on smokable marijuana unconstitutional. "I want people to have their suffering relieved," said DeSantis at the time, adding he was opposed to recreational use of marijuana. The latest medical marijuana numbers were released while the Smart & Safe political committee works to secure a 2026 ballot space for an initiative to legalize marijuana use for adults 21 and older. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DeSantis led the opposition to last years proposed constitutional amendment from the group. Money funneled through the DeSantis-backed Hope Florida Foundation reportedly was used to defeat the measure and is the subject of a Leon County grand jury. More: Tallahassee grand jury meets on Hope Florida Foundation case On Oct. 11, DeSantis told the Pennsylvania Family Institute that more people probably agreed with the initiative but argued it was morally right to fight to defeat it. Meanwhile, Florida has grown to be the most lucrative medical marijuana market in the nation with more registered patients than any other state about 4% of the total population. Florida medical marijuana by the numbers Medical Marijuana Use Registry Patients - 925,564 Caregivers - 5,683 Physicians - 2,434 Regulated entities Marijuana testing facilities - 8 Marijuana Treatment Centers - 28 Processing facilities - 35 Cultivation facilities - 40 Dispensaries - 733 Top 5 MMTC by dispensation of marijuana in milligrams in 2024 Trulieve - 5.6 billion milligrams sold MUV - 2.3 Curaleaf - 2.2 Ayr Cannabis - 2.0 Suterra Wellness - 1.4 Top 5 MMTC smokable marijuana by ounces sold in 2024 Trulieve - 2,519,021 (ounces sold) Curaleaf - 643,964 MUV - 620,365 Ayr Cannabis - 386,558 Suterra Wellness - 346,197 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com. Follow on him Twitter: @CallTallahassee. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida medical marijuana boom chills out after smokable surge ORLANDO, Fla. Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell warned Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Wednesday to stop trying to manufacture a pretext for my removal, sending unusual letters to him and to Gov. Ron DeSantis that urged the Republican leaders to set aside the political theater. In the 10 months since Worrell began her second term, Uthmeier has repeatedly lambasted her offices policies and decisions. The public attacks, which Worrell has countered with defenses of her work, have left her supporters fearful that DeSantis, who removed her from office in 2023, would do so again and was using his hand-picked attorney general to lay out a case against her. It is clear that your campaign of misinformation and intimidation seeks to manufacture a pretext for my removal, Worrell wrote to Uthmeier. The people of this circuit elected me twice to administer justice without fear or favor, and I will continue to do exactly that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letters to Uthmeier and DeSantis, obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, describe Uthmeiers colorful criticisms of the embattled state attorney soft on crime, a Soros-backed prosecutor and a threat to public safety as defamatory and dangerous. The letter to DeSantis written by attorney Jon May, whom Worrell retained in the event of a suspension, went further. These false and misleading statements also compromise the safety of Ms. Worrell and SAOs staff, and the ability of the SAO to fulfill its mission to protect the public and prosecute those who commit crimes, it said. Worrell had previously brushed off worries that DeSantis might suspend her again, but the letters show she now views such action as a serious possibility. In August 2023, DeSantis suspended Worrell, who was then two years into her first term, for alleged incompetence and neglect of duty, claims she vigorously denied. DeSantis tapped Andrew Bain to replace her, and Worrell then easily defeated him in November, returning to office in early 2025. The Orlando Sentinel has contacted spokespeople for DeSantis and Uthmeier and is waiting on any comments they might have on Worrells letters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DeSantis 2023 complaints about Worrell included claims by local law enforcement leaders that she wasnt aggressively prosecuting crimes like drug trafficking and was being lenient with young offenders. But a Sentinel analysis later found that many of those claims about drug trafficking cases brought by the Osceola County Sheriffs Office were dubious. Some of the cases Worrells offices was alleged to have abandoned were still ongoing, and some that had been dropped or downgraded were hampered by investigative issues created by deputies. Uthmeier has attacked her this year on similar grounds, complaining, for example, that she failed to prosecute a man accused of masturbating in an Apopka park. The Florida Supreme Court upheld Worrells suspension, affirming the governors broad power to remove elected officials but failing to weigh in on the merits of the decision. Worrell blasted the court for having rubber-stamped a political stunt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In her letter to Uthmeier, she claimed his use of phrases like malfeasance and neglect of duty to describe her actions in office was an effort to bolster a new case against her. While Uthmeier doesnt have the power to decide whether Worrell stays in office, he is a close ally of the governor, whose hard-line opposition to Worrell is in line with the attorney generals. The letter cites six cases highlighted by Uthmeier as examples of misconduct by her office and challenges the attorney generals views of them. One of the cases is the prosecution of Tina Allgeo, whose motion to dismiss her second-degree murder charge in a road rage shooting case will be heard this month. Allgeo argues she acted in self-defense under Floridas Stand Your Ground law. Uthmeier, in video posted to social media, called on Worrell to drop the case entirely ahead of the hearing, which drew the state attorneys ire. Allgeos lawyer, Mark OMara denied asking the attorney general to intervene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Worrell, who said Uthmeiers demand is based on his personal and uninformed views of the case, noted the shooting stemmed from Allgeo sideswiping the victims car and said that the merits of her self-defense claim would need to be decided by a judge. In the long-running case of Tommy Zeigler, who is appealing his conviction for the 1975 murders of his wife and three others, Uthmeier took umbrage at what he said was Worrells inability to hire an expert witness to counter Zeiglers claims that new DNA evidence exonerated him. She countered in the letter that the only unresolved issue was which state entity would pay the cost of retaining that witness. Worrell has said she does not believe the new evidence exonerates Zeigler. Three other cases cited in the letter involved sex crimes. One involved the man accused of masturbating in a park in Apopka, which Worrells office declined to prosecute because, she said, the children in the park did not witness the act, which is required to convict for lewd and lascivious exhibition. Another pertained to a man arrested for possessing child sexual abuse material, which took place before Worrells time in office and remains ongoing after being referred to the Office of Statewide Prosecution, which is under Uthmeiers purview. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A third case involved a man accused of molesting a child that Uthmeier said resulted in just 15 years of probation, a claim that Worrell countered by saying the probation includes strict supervision, lifetime registration, GPS monitoring, mandatory treatment and zero contact with minors conditions that keep him under state control for life. Finally, Worrell addressed the case of a man with mental health issues and no prior criminal history, who pleaded guilty and received a 10-year prison sentence followed by five years' probation for attempted second-degree murder. That outcome, the letter noted, was contemplated and approved by Bain. She also cited three attempted murder cases handled by Bain, which were similar to the one Uthmeier complained about and that she said received similar or lighter sentences without public criticism. The disparity in your response makes clear that your outrage to prosecutorial decisions in this office is not about the sentence it is about the person under whose administration it was issued, Worrell said. To portray this lawful, proportionate resolution of this case as leniency toward an attempted murder is a deliberate distortion of both fact and law. _____ ORLANDO Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell warned Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Wednesday to stop trying to manufacture a pretext for my removal, sending unusual letters to him and to Gov. Ron DeSantis that urged the Republican leaders to set aside the political theater. In the 10 months since Worrell began her second term, Uthmeier has repeatedly lambasted her offices policies and decisions. The public attacks, which Worrell has countered with defenses of her work, have left her supporters fearful that DeSantis, who removed her from office in 2023, would do so again and was using his hand-picked attorney general to lay out a case against her. It is clear that your campaign of misinformation and intimidation seeks to manufacture a pretext for my removal, Worrell wrote to Uthmeier. The people of this circuit elected me twice to administer justice without fear or favor, and I will continue to do exactly that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letters to Uthmeier and DeSantis, obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, describe Uthmeiers colorful criticisms of the embattled state attorney soft on crime, a Soros-backed prosecutor and a threat to public safety as defamatory and dangerous. The letter to DeSantis written by attorney Jon May, whom Worrell retained in the event of a suspension, went further. These false and misleading statements also compromise the safety of Ms. Worrell and SAOs staff, and the ability of the SAO to fulfill its mission to protect the public and prosecute those who commit crimes, it said. Worrell had previously brushed off worries that DeSantis might suspend her again, but the letters show she now views such action as a serious possibility. In August 2023, DeSantis suspended Worrell, who was then two years into her first term, for alleged incompetence and neglect of duty, claims she vigorously denied. DeSantis tapped Andrew Bain to replace her, and Worrell then easily defeated him in November, returning to office in early 2025. The Orlando Sentinel has contacted spokespeople for DeSantis and Uthmeier and is waiting on any comments they might have on Worrells letters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DeSantis 2023 complaints about Worrell included claims by local law enforcement leaders that she wasnt aggressively prosecuting crimes like drug trafficking and was being lenient with young offenders. But a Sentinel analysis later found that many of those claims about drug trafficking cases brought by the Osceola County Sheriffs Office were dubious. Some of the cases Worrells offices was alleged to have abandoned were still ongoing, and some that had been dropped or downgraded were hampered by investigative issues created by deputies. Uthmeier has attacked her this year on similar grounds, complaining, for example, that she failed to prosecute a man accused of masturbating in an Apopka park. The Florida Supreme Court upheld Worrells suspension, affirming the governors broad power to remove elected officials but failing to weigh in on the merits of the decision. Worrell blasted the court for having rubber-stamped a political stunt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In her letter to Uthmeier, she claimed his use of phrases like malfeasance and neglect of duty to describe her actions in office was an effort to bolster a new case against her. While Uthmeier doesnt have the power to decide whether Worrell stays in office, he is a close ally of the governor, whose hard-line opposition to Worrell is in line with the attorney generals. The letter cites six cases highlighted by Uthmeier as examples of misconduct by her office and challenges the attorney generals views of them. One of the cases is the prosecution of Tina Allgeo, whose motion to dismiss her second-degree murder charge in a road rage shooting case will be heard this month. Allgeo argues she acted in self-defense under Floridas Stand Your Ground law. Uthmeier, in video posted to social media, called on Worrell to drop the case entirely ahead of the hearing, which drew the state attorneys ire. Allgeos lawyer, Mark OMara denied asking the attorney general to intervene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Worrell, who said Uthmeiers demand is based on his personal and uninformed views of the case, noted the shooting stemmed from Allgeo sideswiping the victims car and said that the merits of her self-defense claim would need to be decided by a judge. In the long-running case of Tommy Zeigler, who is appealing his conviction for the 1975 murders of his wife and three others, Uthmeier took umbrage at what he said was Worrells inability to hire an expert witness to counter Zeiglers claims that new DNA evidence exonerated him. She countered in the letter that the only unresolved issue was which state entity would pay the cost of retaining that witness. Worrell has said she does not believe the new evidence exonerates Zeigler. Three other cases cited in the letter involved sex crimes. One involved the man accused of masturbating in a park in Apopka, which Worrells office declined to prosecute because, she said, the children in the park did not witness the act, which is required to convict for lewd and lascivious exhibition. Another pertained to a man arrested for possessing child sexual abuse material, which took place before Worrells time in office and remains ongoing after being referred to the Office of Statewide Prosecution, which is under Uthmeiers purview. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A third case involved a man accused of molesting a child that Uthmeier said resulted in just 15 years of probation, a claim that Worrell countered by saying the probation includes strict supervision, lifetime registration, GPS monitoring, mandatory treatment and zero contact with minors conditions that keep him under state control for life. Finally, Worrell addressed the case of a man with mental health issues and no prior criminal history, who pleaded guilty and received a 10-year prison sentence followed by five years probation for attempted second-degree murder. That outcome, the letter noted, was contemplated and approved by Bain. She also cited three attempted murder cases handled by Bain, which were similar to the one Uthmeier complained about and that she said received similar or lighter sentences without public criticism. The disparity in your response makes clear that your outrage to prosecutorial decisions in this office is not about the sentence it is about the person under whose administration it was issued, Worrell said. To portray this lawful, proportionate resolution of this case as leniency toward an attempted murder is a deliberate distortion of both fact and law. FOLEY, Ala. (WKRG) The Foley Police Department has released the name of a man shot in Foley Sunday night and has identified two people of interest in the case, according to a FPD news release. WCSO: Texas parents arrested for leaving infant unattended on the beach Amiid Dujari Houston, 20, of Foley, was shot Sunday night when someone fired into a crowd in front of a house in the 1000 block of East Azalea Avenue in what is believed to be a drive-by shooting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Houston was airlifted to a local hospital, where he is listed in critical condition. Foley detectives identified two people of interest who are in custody in Jacksonville, Fla. Detectives are on their way to Jacksonville to interview those people. Additionally, a vehicle was seized by the Jacksonville Police Department as possible evidence in the case. Phat Tuesday faces scrutiny as Mobile City Council considers revoking its license This is an ongoing investigation, the release said. We will provide more information once we are able to confidently provide the facts of this shooting. 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 WKRG News 5. DES MOINES, Iowa Wednesday marks day 15 of the government shutdown, which also means an entire two weeks has gone by, and a pay period. Federal workers will really start feeling the effects of the shutdown, which includes missing a paycheck. The Food Bank of Iowa says theyre preparing for an increase during this time of need. Were already seeing people who have never before visited a food pantry, and now visiting a food pantry for assistance for the very first time, Annette Hacker with the Food Bank of Iowa said. When you start to see thousands because there are thousands of federal workers here in Iowa thousands of federal workers who were either furloughed or laid off, that will drive those folks to seek assistance through pantries stocked by the Food Bank of Iowa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Right now SNAP and WIC food programs are working and processing as normal. Last week the White House announced additional funding to keep WIC going. Forecast: Warm Thursday, then cooling and rain Were navigating the unknown, so right now, SNAP and WIC are being administered as usual, but we dont know for how long, Hacker said. We know if the shutdown is prolonged, it will only drive more and more people to food pantries served by the Food Bank of Iowa. And were already stretched pretty thin because weve been trying to meet rising and record need for the last three and a half years. So this will be even more people. The good news is most of the food at the Food Bank of Iowa is donated, not government funded, but theres still a chance of impact. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Food Bank of Iowa is not federally funded. We do, however, receive food through USDA. So right now, about 10% of our inventory is from USDA. In better times or different times, it made up to half of our inventory in more typical times, Hacker said. We are expecting USDA loads to come through the end of the year, but we have one million pounds of food on order for the first quarter of 2026, and theres no certainty whatsoever that we will get those loads. Food insecurity affects 1 in 8 Iowans, and maybe more during something like a government shutdown. Food Bank of Iowa will be here no matter what to help keep the shelves stocked at 700 pantries across the state. And if you can help, now is the time that we do need that help, she said. To donate or find a food pantry near you, you can visit FoodBankIowa.org. Iowa news 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 who13.com. After the crypto markets $500 billion value destruction, BNB stood out as an outperformer with a swift recovery to a new all-time high above $1,350. That period appears to be over, as it plunged nearly 6.5% in the last 24 hours. In comparison, bitcoin is down 1.9% in the same period, while the broader crypto market, as measured by the CoinDesk 20 (CD20) index, is down 2.9%. BNBs underperformance could be linked to profit-taking and portfolio rebalancing. BNB fell from $1,286 to $1,165 as the crypto market stages a fragile recovery from the sharp sell-off. Around $16 million worth of BNB positions have been liquidated in the last 24-hour period over the sell-off, according to CoinGlass data. To blunt the impact on retail users, BNB Chain announced a $45 million fund aimed at stabilizing the market and supporting more than 160,000 affected traders. Market maker Wintermute noted the sell-off was tightly synchronized and tested perpetual contract trading platforms limits. It added that the "violent price movement quickly led to liquidity disappearing from the broader market." Still, corporate accumulation of BNB has kept on going. Hong Kong-listed investment bank China Renaissance is aiming to raise $600 million for a publicly traded crypto treasury focused solely on BNB. The vehicle, to be based in the U.S., would represent one of the largest public bets on BNB to date. It would join other listed entities like CEA Industries, which recently raised its BNB holdings to 480,000 tokens. The deal is reportedly being backed by YZi Labs, the $10 billion family office of Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao, who recently hosted an invite-only investor dinner in Singapore to promote BNB-centric investing. Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy. NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore announced a food distribution in light of the ongoing government shutdown. Shutdowns create instability in peoples lives each day they continue, said Christopher Tan, President and CEO of the Foodbank. Weve been here before, and we know what it takes to respond. The men and women who serve our country, and those who serve alongside them as civilian or contract employees, deserve to know that their community is here for them. According to foodbank representatives, on Oct. 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. people impacted can head to the location of Military Circle Mall (880 N. Military Hwy.) for supplies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Organizers said the event will be giving away fresh produce, lean protein and other pantry staples to 500 households impacted by the federal government shutdown. The event will run until 2 p.m. or end when supplies last. To help ensure a safe and equitable distribution, guests are asked to arrive with trunks empty and ready to receive food, remain in their vehicles during loading, and wait for a signal before pulling forward, explained the Foobank of SEVA. All vehicles should enter the site via Poplar Hall Drive. Companies assisting with the giveaway include the City of Norfolk Department of Economic Development, Perdue, and Food Lion. Thank you for helping us get the word out quickly! 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 WAVY.com. Newly released footage of Alec Baldwins recent car crash sheds a different light on the actors side of the story. A video from a National Waste Services trucks dashcam, first obtained by Newsmax, appears to show the truck veering right onto the roads shoulder just before the 30 Rock stars white SUV passes by on the right and crashes into a tree in East Hampton, New York on Monday, October 13. Newsmax asserted the new video contradicts the Departed actors claim. Baldwin, 67, had said that while he was driving with his brother, Stephen, a guy cut me off in a truck, a big garbage truck the size of a whale. To avoid hitting him, I hit a tree, in a video posted to his Instagram on Tuesday, October 14. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Globe previously reported, the police report backed up his version of events. 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, New York, East Hampton Police Chief Michael Sarlo told TMZ on Tuesday, October 14. In response to the new footage, an East Hampton Police Department spokesman told the Daily Mail, This video is not from our department. Our report stands as accurate and nothing Mr Baldwin has stated publicly since impacted the responding officers report. This story New Footage Shows Alec Baldwins Car Crash, Sparking Questions About His Version of Events first appeared on Globe. Add Globe as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The United States is facing the most significant decline in international students entering the country in August since the pandemic, according to new data from the International Trade Administration. The precipitous drop in international students 19% follows the Trump administrations series of steps to crack down on immigration and its attacks on international students at institutions such as Harvard University. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement August is typically when most international students arrive in the U.S. because their visas allow entry up to 30 days before their program start date. From August 2024 to August 2025, there has been a drop of over 70,000 international students coming into the U.S. That is the largest drop in the past ten years, outside of the pandemic. The data from August 2025 is preliminary and includes all international students, both new and returning. The preliminary data doesnt include people from Canada or those who arrived from Mexico by land, unlike the final data releases. The reduction in international students was among those from India and China. There were 12,000 fewer students coming to the U.S. from China compared to August 2024, and over 33,000 fewer coming from India. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those numbers are important because a significant portion of international students from China and India constitute the total foreign students in the U.S. Other notable declines came from students in Africa, with Ghana and Nigeria seeing the steepest drops. One outlier was Europe, where the number of international students entering the U.S. largely stayed the same. Smaller declines were felt in South America and the Middle East, which had been on the decline before this year. Trump administrations clampdown on international students The reductions in students coming into the U.S. follow the Trump administrations clampdown on immigration, including through visas and travel bans. Among the challenges students have been dealing with is the State Departments decision to pause the scheduling of visa interviews for international students in May. The federal government resumed processing weeks later, but only after adding rules vetting the social media of applicants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration has also instituted travel bans or restrictions in 19 countries, which are the primary source of the largest declines in international students entering the country, according to the data. The federal government has also attempted to arrest, detain and deport international students and academics who engaged in pro-Palestine activism. A judge ruled in October that the Trump administration had violated their free speech. The Department of Homeland Security announced plans in August to limit the length an international student can stay in the U.S. Other actions have included the revocation of hundreds of student visas or their legal statuses before reinstating them again in April after facing multiple lawsuits and backlash. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harvard has also been central to the fight between international students and the Trump administration. The university sued the Trump administration in May after the federal government revoked a key certification that allows Harvards international students to study there. This followed President Donald Trump signing a proclamation barring Harvards international students from entering the country. A federal judge backed Harvard in the case. Trump also suggested a 15% cap on international students at Harvard during a conversation with reporters at the Oval Office in May. More Higher Ed Read the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Speaker Mike Johnson may be keeping the House of Representatives out of session to prevent a newly elected Democratic member from being able to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files, but a Republican congresswoman is moving ahead with releasing another conspiracy-laden tranche. The Internet piled on Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna Wednesday after she posted on X that shed been handed a copy of an unreleased government report on the John F. Kennedy assassination but from the Russian government. I have received a hard copy of the report on JFKs assassination from the Ambassador of Russia. A team of experts is enroute [sic] to my office in the morning to begin translation and full review of documents, she excitedly wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Luna, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, added that the documents in question would be uploaded for public review as soon as we can and called the upcoming document dump of massive historical significance. Earlier in the week, she announced that her office had received word from the Russian embassy in Washington that Ambassador Alexander Darchiev would be delivering a 350 page document on the Russian governments findings on who assassinated JFK to her office. I have received a hard copy of the report on JFKs assassination from the Ambassador of Russia. A team of experts is enroute to my office in the morning to begin translation and full review of documents. We will be uploading as soon as we can. Thank you again to everyone Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) October 14, 2025 The second-term congresswoman, who chairs the House Oversight Committees Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, did not say whether the delivery was at her request or if her office had been offered the Soviet-era document. But in a separate X post, the Russian embassy in Washington said what it described as a pre-copy of a collection of archived documents on the JFK assassination that is set to be published in Russia next month was passed off to Lunas office upon her request. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Multiple prominent X users replied to or reposted Lunas message to express their dismay or ridicule the congresswomans actions largely ripping her for seemingly believing that the Cold War enemy of the US and of Kennedy could be a more reliable source of information on his assassination than our own government. Inez Stepman, a conservative activist with the Independent Womens Forum, said Lunas request for the Soviet-era JFK report may be the stupidest thing Ive ever seen a member of Congress do. This may be the stupidest thing Ive ever seen a member of Congress do. Please give me your propaganda to publish, foreign adversary! https://t.co/kinTOgdAkO Inez Stepman (@InezFeltscher) October 15, 2025 Another conservative commentator, Washington Post columnist Mark Theissen, wrote to Luna: Youre going to crack this case wide open, I know it! Zero chance the Russians are laughing at you. Youre going to crack this case wide open, I know it! Zero chance the Russians are laughing at you. https://t.co/v9lC0JTVtt Marc Thiessen (@marcthiessen) October 15, 2025 Its unclear what, if any, information the documents would contain that would be of use to anyone, as the Russian government frequently publishes fake documents and disinformation as part of propaganda efforts to weaken the U.S. government and divide the American electorate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most but not all of the U.S. governments files concerning the 1963 killing of the 35th president have been released to the public, with large batches declassified and posted online pursuant to an executive order signed by Trump shortly after taking office. None of those documents undermine the conclusion reached by multiple investigations conducted in the 61 years since the shooting, each of which found that U.S. Marine Corps veteran Lee Harvey Oswald shot Kennedy and then-Texas governor John Connally as their open-topped limousine passed within range of a sixth-floor window at the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas. A spokesperson for Lunas office, David Leatherwood, said in a statement to The Independent that the congresswoman was tipped off to the documents by independent journalist Jefferson Morley and met directly with the Russian ambassador to request the documents. In an effort to restore relations with America, and in an attempt to assist with the full findings of Trumps EO, they agreed to release the documents, Leatherwood said. He added that the documents at issue have been sought after by the JFK research community and historians for decades including by Congress as recently as the 1990s. CHARLESTON, Ill. (WCIA) More than 40 employees of Eastern Illinois University will be out of a job after the university made an announcement this week saying they will be cutting positions due to funding-related issues. The universitys President Dr. Jay Gatrell said in a letter sent out on Tuesday that the university is eliminating 17 staff positions and not renewing 27 employment contracts positions that are contracted on a year-to-year basis. In addition, there were four non-renewals for academic support professionals. READ MORE: EIU cuts 44 jobs; cites loss of federal funds, decrease in international student enrollment Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president of EIUs Staff Union, Billy Hung, said that those contracts not being renewed after the spring semester include instructors and academic support professionals. Thats what I did for 20 years. It was a great thing. It was a great gig, while I had it, Mac White said. Now, he and more than 40 others will be out of a job at the university. The letter from Gatrell also said that there are 19 vacant, or soon to be vacant, positions that will not be filled. He added that these decisions were difficult to make, but that they were made for several reasons. Those include the loss of several federal grants and contracts, a decrease in international student enrollment because of new federal visa practices and policies, and unpredicted revenue declines out of EIUs control, like the discontinuation of federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Vermilion Co. school back up for sale after initial bid falls through I have devoted 20 years to public broadcasting, you know, WEIU TV. This has been my dream job. I have loved PBS so much that this is what I wanted to do for a living. I started out at the bottom of the barrel, I was a master control operator, and then I just got promoted, and I wanted to be the program director because I want to pick the shows that people watch, the shows that I love, and now I cant do that, White said. He is one of the 17 staff members being laid off. Hung added that hes now seeing the impacts for contracted workers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are no concrete steps to assist these people to look for the next job to make sure theyre not in financial hardships. For example, I know I have confirmed a few people in my union who are going through this, and one of them is a single parent who has two children, and they are the only source of income for them. So, thats going to be a tremendous hardship for those people, and so right now we are all just reacting to the news, Hung said. White said that there is no animosity towards the university, and he knows it all just comes down to money. Hung also said that one piece he felt like the letter from Gatrell failed to mention about reasons for eliminating positions is, not just a lack of federal funding, but a lack of state funding as well. Hung added that regional universities like EIU are crucial for the health of the State of Illinois, but do not receive proper funding and ultimately are forced to make decisions like these. 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 WCIA.com. MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) A former school janitor was sentenced Wednesday on charges related to possession of child sexually abusive material. Justin James-Charles Hess, 34, of Fruitport Township was sentenced to 5 to 10 years in prison. Fruitport Township man charged with child porn Hess was arrested in January following a Michigan State Police investigation into his online activities. In August, he pleaded guilty to three charges of possession of child sexually abusive material and three charges of using a computer to commit a crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time, state police told News 8 that Hess was arrested after investigators learned he was uploading child pornography files to the internet. Hess was working as a contracted custodian at Fruitport High School at the time of his arrest. In a letter to families, Fruitport Community Schools Superintendent said there was zero evidence that any Fruitport students were involved. Supt.: Fruitport students not involved in custodians case MSPs Computer Crimes Unit provides resources for parents to talk to their kids about Internet safety. Those resources can be found at missingkids.org. Any tips or information about possible child sexual exploitation can be reported at missingkids.org/cybertipline. 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 WOODTV.com. TALLAHASSEE A grand jury probe relating to the Hope Florida Foundation continued into its second day on Wednesday, with the former president of the embattled charity seen leaving the Leon County Courthouse. Joshua Hay would not answer questions about whether he was there to speak to a grand jury, which was convening on the third floor. Hays appearance around noon Wednesday is another sign that the State Attorneys Office in Tallahassees investigation is tied to the DeSantis administrations diversion of $10 million from a Medicaid settlement through the Hope Florida Foundation for political purposes last year. A key Republican lawmaker has called the series of transactions illegal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As president of the foundation until recently, Hay was on the board when it accepted the $10 million and gave away half of it to a nonprofit overseen by the Florida Chamber of Commerce. Days later, Hay individually signed off on the foundation giving the other $5 million to another nonprofit, the St. Petersburg-based Save Our Society from Drugs. On Tuesday, the executive director of that organization, Amy Ronshausen, entered and left the courthouse with her lawyer. She declined to comment. State Attorney Jack Campbell, who confirmed an active criminal investigation relating to the Hope Florida Foundation this summer, declined Tuesday to comment about the grand jury. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grand juries are secretive proceedings where a panel of jurors hears evidence and testimony presented by a prosecutor and decides whether to issue a criminal indictment. The process could take days or weeks. On Tuesday, Republican state Rep. Alex Andrade of Pensacola confirmed he spoke to a grand jury for about two hours. He wouldnt say what he was asked or what he said. In April, Andrade said he gave state and federal prosecutors records supporting his belief that DeSantis then-chief of staff, James Uthmeier, and an attorney for the foundation, Jeff Aaron, engaged in a conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud. The records included copies of text messages Uthmeier and Aaron had sent to Ronshausen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Andrade said that several parties played a role in the misuse of $10 million in Medicaid funds. Money from Medicaid settlements is highly regulated and owed to state and federal taxpayers, according to experts and federal guidelines. Times/Herald reporters and Republican lawmakers began digging into the state-created Hope Florida Foundation early this year as Gov. Ron DeSantis tried to enshrine the Hope Florida program into state law. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit was created by the Legislature in 2023 to assist that program, which is a signature initiative of first lady Casey DeSantis. Hope Florida was created to move Floridians off of government services and toward local churches and nonprofits. The foundation is supposed to raise money to give to those churches and nonprofits. Lawmakers found that the charity was not complying with state laws governing its oversight, ethics and fundraising, and had not filed its tax returns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hay told Andrades committee in April that mistakes were made with the foundation. He also said he thought the $10 million would go to a public awareness campaign to help the Hope Florida program. I got assurances through Jeff Aaron that ... there was comfort that it was aboveboard, Hay told lawmakers. Campaign finance records show that nearly all the $10 million ended up in a political committee controlled by Uthmeier that was dedicated to defeating last years recreational marijuana ballot initiative. The initiatives defeat was one of DeSantis top priorities last fall. Aaron announced at the foundations board meeting last month that Hay had left because his two-year term was up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The foundation is overseen by the Department of Children and Families. Its secretary at the time, Shevaun Harris, told lawmakers in April that she didnt know where the $10 million ended up. Harris, who is now the secretary for the Agency for Health Care Administration, was asked by reporters at an event outside the Capitol on Wednesday whether she had been asked to testify before the grand jury. She walked away from reporters without commenting, and spokesperson Mallory McManus said Harris was only taking questions about the event. McManus was the registered agent for the Hope Florida Foundation until April. Were done here, McManus said. (WGHP) When Stephanie Schroeder signed up to be a Marine after 9/11, she was ready for battle. The battle she got, though, was the last one she expected. Shortly after she finished Boot Camp and got her first assignment, she said she was raped by a fellow Marine. She followed protocol and went to her superior officer to tell her what happened, and figured that she would have a somewhat sympathetic ear from that officer since she was also a woman. It didnt turn out like shed hoped. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stephanie got less than an empathetic hearing. The officer told her to, in essence, stop complaining. That was enough to drive Stephanie from The Corps without pursuing the incident further. I was so broken and worn down that I couldnt even start to face what I had been through, Stephanie says. FOX8 gets up-close look at how Triad farms work Over the next decade, though, she learned a few things. First, she learned how prevalent sexual assault was in the military. Before I went in, I didnt think that was even a thing, she says. After I went in, I was very shocked and then, after we started working on it, that started to come out just how many people that was. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By working on it, she means finally finding officers who would listen to her about what happened and what it did to her. But, still, it took a long time to right the ship. In 2011, thats when things started to change, says Stephanie. I met other survivors and thats when I began to realize it wasnt just me, it was a lot of us. Her message, when she finally got people to listen, was simple and straightforward. Look, weve been talking about this for many years, now, lets move towards this and implement it, she says. For a while, she worked through Congress when Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger was there. Kinzinger was a former Air Force pilot who also joined the military shortly after 9/11. She also found a willing reformer in General Robert Neller, who was named as Commandant of the Marine Corps in September of 2015. But since Neller retired in 2019 and Kinzinger left Congress in 2023, shes had to take a more circuitous approach to reaching top defense officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What we do is we go to the United Nations and we use that as a point to come back in to be able to discuss with the brass of DoD, so sometimes its easier to do that than get legislation passed, she says. See more on Stephanie Schroeders battle to improve the Marine Corps in this edition of The Buckley Report. 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 FOX8 WGHP. A former State Department employee and Pentagon contractor has been charged with illegally keeping classified records, after federal agents said they found hundreds of pages of such documents in his home. FBI agents arrested Ashley Tellis, who served on the National Security Council staff as special assistant to President George W. Bush, after searching his home in Vienna, Virginia, on Saturday. Tellis, who once worked as a senior adviser to the ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, was charged with the unlawful retention of national defense information. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to an FBI affidavit, on multiple occasions Tellis printed or asked colleagues to print classified documents about topics including U.S. military aircraft capabilities, news outlets reported. Investigators also monitored Tellis meeting with Chinese officials, the affidavit states. Tellis specializes in Southwest Asia and, in his previous roles, he was tasked with negotiating civil nuclear agreement with India, according to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he has been the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs. The think tank is aware of the allegations against him and has placed Tellis on leave, said Katelynn Vogt, the vice president for communications at the Carnegie Endowment. Ashley J. Tellis is a widely respected scholar and senior policy advisor, Tellis attorneys Deborah Curtis and John Nassikas told MSNBC in a statement. We will be vigorously contesting the allegations brought against him, specifically any insinuation of his operating on behalf of a foreign adversary. The Pentagon declined MSNBCs request for comment, and the State Department did not immediately respond. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com BEIJING (Reuters) -Apple will increase investment in China, the company's Chief Executive Tim Cook said during a meeting with the country's industry minister in Beijing on Wednesday, according to an official summary of their exchange. Many U.S. companies have become cautious about relations with China as the world's two biggest economies have clashed over trade tariffs and as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to promote manufacture in the United States rather than elsewhere. But Cook told China's industry minister Li Lecheng the iPhone maker will keep investing in China, the Chinese ministry said, although the summary gave no details of the size of the projected investment. Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment. The tech giant, which has also made investment pledges to Washington, has so far managed to be relatively unscathed by the trade war between the United States and China. Other companies, such as Nvidia and Qualcomm have found themselves the target of Chinese investigations. Washington has long placed sanctions on Chinese companies such as Huawei. BALANCING ACT A Shanghai-based government affairs consultant, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak with media, said U.S. companies are wary of angering a White House that could hurt them at home in the world's biggest consumer market for appearing too pro-China. At the same time, they are seeking to avoid appearing insincere in Beijing where they have pledged to be "in China, for China," he added. Cook in August presented Trump with a custom U.S.-made plaque mounted on a 24-carat gold stand commemorating Apple's "American Manufacturing Program," after saying it would invest an additional $100 billion in domestic manufacturing. When Cook visited China in March, Apple made public its plans for a new clean energy fund there worth 720 million yuan ($101 million). Meanwhile, Apple, which relies on suppliers and factories in China where most of its iPhones are assembled, has been trying to shift some manufacturing capacity to India. Apple's COO Sabih Khan on Tuesday visited Lens Technology, a Chinese glass supplier for Apple, the Changsha-based company said in a statement on Wednesday. Lens Technology produces glass covers for Apple products including the iPhone and Apple Watch and has been a partner for 19 years, it said. China hopes Apple will continue to explore the Chinese market and grow together with Chinese suppliers, the industry minister, Li Lecheng, who is also in charge of infotech, told Cook, adding that China would continue to foster a good business environment for foreign companies, including Apple. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A woman who was the president of two separate non-profit organizations in Washington County has been indicted for embezzling from both of them, totaling more than $12,000, authorities said. Carrie Andrews is the former president of the Tualatin Hills Dive Club (THDC) and the former president of the Beaverton Academy of Science and Engineering Parent Teacher Organization (BASE PTO). She is accused of embezzling $9,500 from THDC and $3,400 from BASE PTO, from 2019 to 2023, Beaverton police said. Audit warns of Portland park infrastructure crisis Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Washington County grand jury indicted Andrews on the charges after investigations by the Beaverton Police Department and the Hillsboro Police Department. In March 2024, Beaverton officers were contacted by representatives of the Tualatin Hills Dive Club (THDC) after members discovered financial irregularities within the organizations accounts, BPD said in a press release. After a thorough investigation of the clubs financial records of the past few years, police identified a series of unauthorized transactions totaling approximately $9,500 that were deposited and/or transferred into Andrews personal bank accounts while she was working as an unpaid board member. Hillsboro police stated that, in their investigation into BASE PTO, they also found evidence of fraudulent transactions around the same time period. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those transactions, totaling approximately $3,400, involved checks and payments intended for the school PTO that were instead deposited into Andrews personal accounts. The investigation also gleaned that PTO funds were being used for Andrews own personal gain/use as well, authorities said. Detectives said they believe Andrews, who was booked into Washington County Jail, may have had more victims. Anyone with information is asked to contact Beaverton police. 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 KOIN.com. For the record: 9:19 a.m. Oct. 15, 2025: A story about gubernatorial candidate Katie Porters response to damaging videos that recently emerged that published online on Oct. 14 contained an error in a quote from a Santa Ana voter. He said: I know that she has issues with treating her staff and clearly reporters a certain way, not: I know that she has issues with training her staff and clearly reporters a certain way. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter, under fire for recently emerged videos showing her scolding a reporter and swearing at an aide, expressed remorse for her behavior on Tuesday in her first public remarks since the incidents were publicized. Porter, a former House member from Orange County and a top candidate in California's 2026 governor's race, said she "could have handled things better." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I think I'm known as someone who's able to handle tough questions, who's willing to answer questions," Porter told Nikki Laurenzo, host of Inside California Politics and anchor on Fox40 in Sacramento. "I want people to know that I really value the incredible work that my staff can do. I think people who know me know I can be tough. But I need to do a better job expressing appreciation for the amazing work my team does." Last week, a video emerged of Porter telling a separate television reporter that she doesn't need the support of the millions of Californians who voted for President Trump, and brusquely threatening to end the interview because the reporter asked follow-up questions. The following day, a second video emerged of Porter telling a young staffer, Get out of my f shot! while videoconferencing with a member of then-President Biden's Cabinet in 2021. Read more: Outbursts by Katie Porter threaten gubernatorial ambitions Porter on Tuesday said she had apologized to the staffer. She repeatedly sidestepped Laurenzo's questions about whether other videos could emerge. About a dozen people at a watch party on Oct. 14, 2025, at Tulum OC, a Mexican restaurant in Anaheim, of a virtual discussion between members of the California Working Families Party and former Rep. Katie Porter. (Seema Mehta / Los Angeles Times) "What I can tell you ... is that I am taking responsibility for the situation," Porter said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Porter's behavior in the videos underscored long-standing questions about her temperament and high staff turnover while she served in Congress. The most recent polls showed that Porter held a narrow lead in the competitive race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is serving his second and final term. After the videos emerged last week, several of Porter's rivals criticized her behavior, including former state Controller Betty Yee, who said she should drop out of the race. On Tuesday, Yee argued that Porter's temperament could imperil Democrats efforts to pass Proposition 50, the Nov. 4 ballot measure to redraw congressional districts in California to boost their party's numbers in the House. Yee, a former vice chair of the state Democratic Party, warned that a Republican could potentially win the governors race and Democrats could lose the U.S. House of Representatives because of Porters demeanor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I don't relish picking a fight, and it's not even a fight, Yee said during a virtual news conference. I'm doing what's best for this party. Porter also addressed the issue Tuesday night when it was the first question she was asked during a virtual discussion with the progressive California Working Families Party, which will consider making an endorsement in the gubernatorial race next year. She reiterated what she said during the earlier television interview. "I absolutely understand that I could have been better in those moments," Porter said. "I'm going to hold myself to that standard, to do better and to acknowledge that I fell short." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About 1,000 Californians had RSVP'd to watch the program, and watch parties were held around the state. About a dozen people gathered at a Mexican restaurant in Anaheim, not far from Porter's former congressional district, nibbling on taquitos and camarones a la diabla as they watched Porter answer questions. Afterward, they seemed more concerned about some of Porter's policy remarks, such as not supporting statewide rent control, than her response to the videos. "I know that she has issues with treating her staff and clearly reporters a certain way, but I'm more concerned with what she will do in terms of policy. How civil is her policy going to be?" said Sebastian, a Santa Ana resident who declined to give his last name and works in the energy field. "Maybe she's not very civil as a person, but it's far more important that we have things like rent control, protection for immigrant communities and that she stands up to the current federal administration than anything else." Jacob Daruvala, 29, who works part time on the party's effort supporting Proposition 50, said he appreciated that Porter apologized. "I'm not sure there's much more we can ask," the Norco resident said. "I want to give her a little bit of leeway, because I have happily worked for other politicians who are not so nice to staff, but when their policies create a kinder world in general, I'm generally willing to look over that." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before her remarks on Tuesday, Porter had released one statement about the 2021 video, saying, Its no secret I hold myself and my staff to a high standard, and that was especially true as a member of Congress. I have sought to be more intentional in showing gratitude to my staff for their important work. The UC Irvine law professor has not responded to multiple interview requests from The Times. Mehta reported from Anaheim and Smith from Sacramento. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to remove Christina Corpus as San Mateo County sheriff on Tuesday. She is the first sitting sheriff to face removal in the county's history. Hours later, ABC7 News I-Team Reporter Dan Noyes confirmed Christina Corpus retired under duress. She would have otherwise lost her medical benefits for her and her children. SHERIFF CORPUS RETIRED ON SAME DAY SHE WAS FIRED I reached the former sheriff by text just now. Christina Corpus wrote, I will be okay! They dont deserve me. Corpus also told me she "retired under duress" today, so she can keep the health benefits for her and her kids. pic.twitter.com/kWlsCC45ay Dan Noyes (@dannoyes) October 14, 2025 BOARD FIRING SHERIFF CHRISTINA CORPUS each supervisor has said they will vote to fire. Its a done deal. Just waiting for final official tally. UPDATE AT 12:50 Its done. Corpus is now no longer the sheriff. pic.twitter.com/0QsQdzPlKt Dan Noyes (@dannoyes) October 14, 2025 Since being elected in 2022, she's been plagued by scandals, including accusations of nepotism, retaliation, and the use of racist and homophobic slurs against political opponents, and accused of misconduct, which she has denied. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She fought her removal for months, giving one final speech before the board on Tuesday, arguing the accusations against her stem from her attempts to reform the department. "If I lose my position today, I will walk out with my head held up very high because I never betrayed the people who trusted me," she said. TIMELINE: San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus investigation "The power structure was challenged, not by another politician, but by a woman who refused to play their roles. When I refused to bow to political interference, when I protected whistleblowers, when I demanded transparency, I became a threat. Let's be honest, this isn't about accountability, it's about control," Christina Corpus said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She called this a "witch hunt" and said, "you may remove me from office, but you will not erase the truth." Blistering testimony from San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus. She tells the Board of Supervisors, I was the first woman to stand up to the old guard. Her lawyers said she had a target on her back from day one, and that two of the supervisors should be removed from pic.twitter.com/5lXQTepgAs Dan Noyes (@dannoyes) October 14, 2025 RELATED: San Mateo Co. sheriff defiant after 10 days of hearings to remove her; final decision within 75 days Corpus' lawyers argued that the supervisors and the public who voted on Measure A were misled by the Cordell Report. It is true that the investigation into Corpus by a retired judge was deemed inadmissible in court as hearsay. "Been totally discredited, should be thrown out. Not worth the paper it's on it has no legal significance but it got us to Measure A," said attorney Thomas Mazzucco. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They also claimed Supervisors Noelia Corzo and Ray Mueller should not be part of what is, in effect, the sheriff's jury because of the many public statements they've made against the sheriff. "They've asked for the removal, so if they were jurors and I was the judge picking the case, they would be removed for cause. They cannot vote," said Mazzucco. MORE: EXCLUSIVE: San Mateo Co. sheriff says she's 'disgusted,' won't resign amid accusations After a closed session, the board came back and quickly made it clear what the outcome would be, agreeing with an administrative law judge that Corpus had a conflict of interest-that she put her close friend and chief of staff, Victor Aenlle, in charge of too many decisions and that she retaliated against her detractors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In my view, Sheriff Corpus lost her sense of purpose and put Mr. Aenlle above the vocal opposition to him among the ranks of her deputies and in so doing permanently damaged her relationship with those she was charged to lead. It's a tragedy, a real tragedy," said Supervisor Jackie Speier. The final vote was unanimous. The supervisors' final decision on whether to fire her has been in the works for nearly a year. "I stand by the process a thousand percent. I think the process was clear, it was transparent, it wasn't a rush to judgement," said David Canepa, President of San Mateo County Supervisor after the vote. EXCLUSIVE: Key witness 'out to get' San Mateo Co. sheriff? Credibility questioned by public official In November of last year, voters gave supervisors the power to fire the elected sheriff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, a judge found there is cause to remove Corpus. After the Board of Supervisors voted to remove Corpus in June, she appealed, leading to 10 days of hearings in September. The central issues were whether the sheriff wrongly fired her detractors or transferred them to positions they didn't want, and whether she had an inappropriate relationship with her chief of staff. Corpus had previously asked the state Attorney General to intervene. ABC7's Dan Noyes reached out to former Sheriff Corpus by text after the October 14 vote. "I will be okay! They don't deserve me," she replied. Corpus' legal team is filing an emergency motion in Superior Court questioning the process and asking for Corpus to get her job back. If you're on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live The South Dakota Department of Social Services in Pierre. (Photo by John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight) A longtime South Dakota state employee from Spearfish was indicted this week in Lawrence County for allegedly falsifying child abuse reports. Attorney General Marty Jackley, who announced the charges against 56-year-old Nova J. Collins in a Wednesday press release, said the charges were the first to be filed under a new state law that requires all state employees to disclose suspected improper conduct by their coworkers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legislation came in response to a crush of state employee criminal cases in 2024 across multiple state agencies. The most costly to taxpayers involved the misappropriation of $1.78 million by a former Department of Social Services employee. The press release on Collins indictment says the charges are related to falsifying reports related to a child abuse investigation, but does not include further details on the alleged behavior. Tony Mangan, spokesman for Jackley, said he could confirm that Collins was reported by a fellow state employee. Mangan said he couldnt offer more details during an ongoing investigation. As of Wednesday afternoon, Collins referred to herself as a supervisor with the state of South Dakota on her LinkedIn profile. It says shes worked for the state for 25 years. Jackleys press release referred to Collins as a former state employee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Collins indictment lists four felony charges related to forgery and falsified evidence, as well as a misdemeanor charge for falsification of public records by a public officer or employee. If convicted on all counts, she could be incarcerated for up to 15 years. According to the indictment, each charge relates to Collins alleged falsification of a document called a DSS Initial Family Assessment and Child Safety Determination report for a minor child, identified only by initials, between January and June of this year. Such a document is completed by a Department of Social Services employee following a report of abuse and neglect, according to the department website. The indictment provides no further details, and its so far the only public court document filed in the case. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) A former state employee from Spearfish has been indicted on four felony counts and one misdemeanor of falsifying child abuse investigative reports while working for the South Dakota Department of Social Services Child Protective Services. Ledbetter pleads guilty to first-degree manslaughter According to a press release, Nova Collins, 56, was indicted by a Lawrence County grand jury. Collins allegedly committed the crimes in early 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Collins was charged with: One felony count of forgery, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; One felony count of offering forged or fraudulent evidence, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; One felony count of falsifying evidence, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison; One felony count of offering false or forged instrument for filing, registering or recording which carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison; and One misdemeanor count of falsification of public records by a public officer or employee, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison in the county jail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Falsifying official documents related to an investigation undermines public trust, Attorney General Marty Jackley said in a press release. As Attorney General, I will continue to hold individuals accountable for such crimes. In the press release, Jackley said this is the first criminal case resulting after the South Dakota Legislature passed Senate Bill 62 earlier this year. The new law established mandatory reporting requirements related to state employee crimes, improper government conduct, and conflicts of interest. 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 KELOLAND.com. NEED TO KNOW A former student allegedly stabbed three employees on the morning of Monday, Oct. 13, at The Switzer Learning Center, a K-12 school for neurodiverse children in Torrance, Calif. That individual also allegedly planted two pipe bombs at the school, which members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad were able to locate and render safe The name, age and sex of the suspect are not being released by the Torrance Police Department A private school for neurodiverse children and teens was the site of a violent incident early Monday morning. Three employees were stabbed and two pipe bombs planted at the Switzer Learning Center, a school that serves grades K-12 in Torrance, Calif., police say. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Torrance Police Department apprehended the suspect in the case and identified the individual as a former student at the school. Officials said the student's motives are still unclear and that the person remains in custody. "At approximately 0815 today, a former student allegedly stabbed a total of three staff members and attempted to stab a fourth before fleeing the scene. Two of the victims were quickly transported to Harbor General Hospital and are currently receiving treatment for non-life-threatening injuries," said TPD Public Information Officer Captain F. Ahmad in a statement. The third victim was treated on scene by members of the Torrance Fire Department, according to Ahmad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police were able to apprehend the student after arriving at the scene, but Ahmad said they faced an entirely new challenge when the suspect informed them they had planted two pipe bombs. Members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad were then called to the scene and were able to successfully locate and detonate the incendiary devices without any further incident. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Christina Morales told the Los Angeles Times that her 18-year-old son who attends the school had told her that the suspect gained access by informing an instructor they needed to pick up some paperwork from the main office. Google Maps The Switzer Learning Center The Switzer Learning Center She told the Times that her son alleged that the suspect then stabbed that instructor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morales and her son were reunited at noon, the Times reported, and a few hours later, the area was declared safe by police. Police are not releasing the name, age or sex of the former student at this time, and the Switzer Learning Center referred all questions to the TPD. Read the original article on People MEMPHIS, Tenn. A former Shelby County home healthcare operator was arrested after being accused of TennCare fraud and theft of property, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). Elexis Braswell was detained on October 14 and charged with one count of TennCare fraud, ranging from $2,500 to $10,000, and theft of property, ranging from $2,500 to $10,000. See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South. Sign up for WREG newsletters and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox. TBI says from July 18 to August 2021, Braswell overbilled the owner of Tender Loving Care, which is also known as Elizabeth Home Care, and billed TennCare for home healthcare-related services for patients receiving treatment in area hospitals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a result, thousands of dollars were lost that were intended to go towards the State of Tennessee. Braswell was booked into the Shelby County jail and her bond is set at $20,000. 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 WREG.com. During the arrest the men reportedly told Koh Phangan authorities that they were celebrating the end of the Israel-Hamas War. Four Israeli men were arrested for drug possession and consumption in Koh Phangan, Thailand, following a noise complaint lodged early on Tuesday morning, according to several Thai media outlets. The men informed Thai authorities that they were soldiers on leave, celebrating the end of the Israel-Hamas War, and had been partying with 10-15 other Israelis who had left before authorities responded to the complaint. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The luxury villa where the men were staying was searched, and the men were caught concealing almost two grams of cocaine and powdered ecstasy, illicit substances that are illegal in Thailand. Koh Phangan tourist police inspector Lt. Col. Winit Boonchit told the Bangkok Post that the men allegedly purchased the drugs from one of the men who had left the party after the noise complaint was initially lodged. The men were charged with drug possession and consumption The Bangkok Post reported that the four were taken to Koh Phangan hospital, where they tested positive for having used the drugs. Police officers in Thailand, in Bangkok, Thailand (illustrative) (credit: CHALINEE THIRASUPA/REUTERS) After testing positive, they were taken to Koh Phangan Police Station and charged with possession of Category 1 and Category 2 narcotics, according to Thai publication Khaosod English. By Xiuhao Chen and Joe Cash BEIJING (Reuters) -Apple's Tim Cook pledged to boost the tech giant's investment in China on Wednesday as it navigates the trade war between Beijing and Washington. Many U.S. companies have become cautious about relations with China as the world's two biggest economies clash over tariffs and as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to promote manufacturing in the United States rather than elsewhere. But Cook told China's industry minister Li Lecheng the iPhone maker will keep investing in China, according to an official summary of their meeting in Beijing released by the Chinese, although it gave no details of the size of the potential investment. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The California-based company, which has also made investment pledges to Washington, has so far remained relatively unscathed by the trade war between the United States and China. Other companies, such as Nvidia and Qualcomm have found themselves the target of Chinese investigations. Washington has long placed sanctions on Chinese companies such as Huawei. BALANCING ACT A Shanghai-based government affairs consultant, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak with media, said U.S. companies are wary of angering a White House that could hurt them at home in the world's biggest consumer market for appearing too pro-China. At the same time, they are seeking to avoid appearing insincere in Beijing where they have pledged to be "in China, for China", he added. Cook in August presented Trump with a custom U.S.-made plaque mounted on a 24-carat gold stand commemorating Apple's "American Manufacturing Program", after saying it would invest an additional $100 billion in domestic manufacturing. When Cook visited China in March, Apple made public its plans for a new clean energy fund there worth 720 million yuan ($101 million). Meanwhile, Apple, which relies on suppliers and factories in China where most of its iPhones are assembled, has been trying to shift some manufacturing capacity to India. Apple's COO Sabih Khan on Tuesday visited Lens Technology, a Chinese glass supplier for Apple, the Changsha-based company said in a statement on Wednesday. Lens Technology produces glass covers for Apple products including the iPhone and Apple Watch and has been a partner for 19 years, it said. China hopes Apple will continue to explore the Chinese market and grow together with Chinese suppliers, the industry minister, Li Lecheng, who is also in charge of infotech, told Cook, adding that China would continue to foster a good business environment for foreign companies, including Apple. Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum pressed New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani on his stated desire to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, questioning the 33-year-old Democratic Socialist on what grounds he would arrest Netanyahu during an interview on Wednesday afternoon. Mamdani, after failing to point out which American law he would arrest Netanyahu for violating, said he would exhaust every legal option in front of me, not make new laws to do so. Their back and forth on the topic started with MacCallum asking Mamdani about his pledge to arrest the Israeli leader for being, in his estimation, a war criminal who has directed a genocide in Gaza a claim that Mamdani made in The New York Times last month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Do you stand by that? You would arrest him if he came here if you were mayor? MacCallum asked. Ive said this is a city that believes international law, and this is a city that wants to uphold those beliefs, Mamdani said. The United States doesnt stand by the International Criminal Court, MacCallum pointed out. It hasnt signed the treaty for the International Criminal Court, Mamdani conceded. The International Criminal Court, however, has issued a warrant for the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu But what grounds in the United States could you arrest him on? MacCallum asked. As it has, for Vladimir Putin, Ive said that I believe we should uphold arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court, and that we should do so, only in abiding with all of the laws in front of us. Im not going to make a new law to ensure that we can actually do this, Mamdani responded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MacCallum then asked Mamdani if he believed NYC Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch would go along with his plan. Mamdani said he appreciated the job Tisch has done, before saying he would exhaust all of his options to arrest Netanyahu. That segment of the interview came a moment after Mamdani declined to give President Donald Trump credit for brokering the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, saying it was too early to do so. He also declined to say Hamas should disarm. You can watch his answer on Netanyahu above, via Fox News. The post Fox Anchor Throws Down with Mamdani Over His Promise to Arrest Netanyahu: On What Grounds? first appeared on Mediaite. An independent contractor of Francis Ford Coppola has been charged with grand theft and embezzlement for stealing wine tanks and money from the famed director's Napa Valley winery, Inglenook. And now, the contractor's whereabouts are unknown. The criminal charges against the contractor, George Giles Beeker, are listed in an arrest warrant filed Oct. 2 by the Napa County Superior Court. The Napa County Sheriff's Office submitted a request for the warrant, first reported by the Napa Valley Register, in May. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beeker did not respond to the Chronicle's request for comment. A spokesperson for the Napa County District Attorney's office told the Chronicle that Beeker was not in custody as of Wednesday morning. Inglenook CEO Kristen Sullivan declined to comment, citing the "ongoing legal matter." The warrant, which sets bail at $10,000, was issued more than a year after Inglenook sued Beeker and his consulting company, MissionFirst Associates, for more than $2 million in damages. The lawsuit claimed that in 2021, during a major winery renovation, Beeker stole 26 wine tanks, sold them for $1.2 million and pocketed the money. The lawsuit included additional allegations, such as sending fraudulent invoices. Later court filings revealed a complicated history between Beeker and Coppola. In a September 2024 response to the lawsuit, Beeker denied the allegations and claimed Inglenook's lawsuit was retaliation for a real estate dispute between him and the legendary director, whom he said was once a close friend. Just eight days after Inglenook filed its lawsuit, Sofia Properties, a property management company owned by Coppola, filed an unlawful detainer complaint - the first step in eviction proceedings - against Beeker after he refused to vacate a St. Helena residence owned by Coppola. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beeker claimed he and Coppola purchased the property together in 2021. He said he paid the deposit, property taxes and insurance, and made improvements and repairs costing "hundreds of thousands of dollars." Only Coppola's name, however, is on the title. In response to the Sofia Properties complaint, Beeker claimed he and Coppola had a friendship, communicated "several times a day" and gave each other gifts. Beeker also said he did unpaid work for Coppola on several projects, some related to Coppola's Oregon winery and the sale of his two Sonoma County wineries in 2021. As for the fermentation tanks, Beeker claimed in court filings that he had permission to sell them, but that the winery reversed its approval after the sale had been recorded. He said he used the $1.2 million to make repairs and improvements on the St. Helena home. Inglenook alleged in its lawsuit that Beeker told it that discussions with several wineries to sell the tanks "fell through," and that he moved them to a storage facility in Fresno. In reality, Beeker sold the tanks to Calistoga Vintner Services at the end of 2021 for $1.2 million - an amount that Inglenook said was "far below the actual value" of the tanks in its lawsuit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Inglenook said in its lawsuit that it did not realize the tanks had been sold until more than two years later, when it pursued legal action. Calistoga Vintner Services confirmed the transaction in a cross-complaint it filed against Beeker for misrepresenting himself as the authorized broker to the sale. It's unclear if police have attempted to arrest Beeker. A sheriff's department spokesperson told the Chronicle that the timing of an attempted arrest by police is case-dependent. "We're always going to do what's going to be safe for the community, as well as safe for our deputies," he said. "Everything has to be strategic." This article originally published at Francis Ford Coppola contractor charged with theft, embezzlement for stealing wine tanks from Napa Valley winery. Oct. 14A Franklin County judge issued a ruling Tuesday to temporarily block Gov. Mike DeWine's executive orders banning the sale of intoxicating hemp in the state of Ohio. DeWine's orders, signed on Oct. 8, gave the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) the authority to change the state's administrative definition of what counts as hemp, with the directive to exclude intoxicating hemp products that contain delta-8, THCA, or similar psychoactive cannabinoids. He also signed an order requiring that retailers get rid of their unsold intoxicating hemp products. Those orders, effective Tuesday, were challenged in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas last week by three retailers, including Fumee Smoke and Vape in West Chester Twp. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Plaintiffs in the case against DeWine and ODA argued that the Republican governor's attempt to unilaterally regulate intoxicating hemp usurps the legislature's power and conflicts with settled Ohio law that legalized hemp products and defined hemp as any part of the cannabis plant that contains less than 0.3% delta-9, the psychoactive compound in marijuana that's most commonly known as THC. Specific details on the court's ruling have not yet been made public, at the time of reporting. DeWine's unilateral orders came two years after initially urging, to no avail, the Ohio General Assembly to pass meaningful reforms on intoxicating hemp products, which can be sold to anyone at the retailer's discretion and have been linked with an increased rate of poison control calls among Ohio youth. "While we continue to fight in court, today's developments underscore our continued desire to work with the General Assembly to pass permanent legislation regarding intoxicating hemp," DeWine posted on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Note: This is a developing story. This article may be updated as more information becomes available. ------ For more stories like this, sign up for our Ohio Politics newsletter. It's free, curated, and delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday evening. Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below. Loading... A Franklin High School teacher suspended without pay last month over a social media post following the shooting death of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk is now suing the Williamson County Schools district. The suit, filed in federal court on Oct. 10 by Emily Orbison, names the district and its superintendent Jason Golden. It argues her firing violated her First Amendment rights by retaliating against her for a post she made "in a purely personal capacity," court documents show. The suit states she is seeking compensation, damages and other costs but does not specify for how much. The suit details what led up to a Sept. 10 post Orbison made using the "stories" feature on her Instagram account, with a privacy setting that limited viewers to approved followers. The suit said Orbison "felt compelled to satirize Kirk's policial position on social media." A screenshot of her post included in the suit appears to reference a 2023 interview that resurfaced after Kirk's death, in which he said gun deaths were "worth it" to have a Second Amendment that protects "God-given rights," calling it a "prudent deal" and "rational." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Don't worry, y'all. It's worth it. It's rational," a screenshot of Orbison's post in the lawsuit reads. "It's prudent that I have to go through regular drills of practicing how I will save the lives of students. Practice packing gunshot wounds. Reassure kids that when we get shot at, I will be there to protect them." Her post went on to talk about several other issues she faces because of gun violence and its affects on kids, including her daughter, along with Kirk's past comments on women. "Don't mourn his death," she wrote. "It's just the price of doing business. Completely rational." More: Rutherford Co. teacher fired for comments about Kirk files First Amendment lawsuit Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the course of five days, her post was shared with others, became the subject of an article by conservative publication The Federalist and drew condemnation from school board members and U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, on social media. "Absolutely vile. This person advocating for unthinkable violence should have no role in educating young people," a Sept. 13 X post by Blackburn read. "Fire her immediately." On Sept. 15, Orbison received a letter from Golden informing her she was suspended without pay, effective immediately, the suit said. It also barred her from district properties, without any exceptions for her role as the parent of a 5-year-old kindergarten student there. A judge later granted an injunction allowing Orbison to access district property so she could remain involved in her child's education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suit also lambasted school board members for publicly naming and calling out Orbison for her post, saying that violates the district's code of conduct. Orbison's lawsuit was filed a day after a similar suit by a Rutherford County teacher fired over her social media posts following Kirk's death. Lawyer Kyle Mothershead, who is representing Orbison, said her suspension was still active as of Oct. 14. Multiple requests for comment sent to the district's spokesperson and general counsel's office were not returned. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Franklin teacher suspended over Charlie Kirk post sues district The government shutdown is dragging on, and a lot of military families out there arent getting paid. This means there could be a sharp spike in food insecurity among military families. Even if it ends soon, this isnt the first one, and it likely wont be the last. For now, the Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN), a nonprofit with a mission to understand and amplify the needs of military-connected families and inspire data-informed change, is offering real help, right now, for free. All military families need to do is sign up. The way the Emergency Grocery Support program for military families is simple. Active duty, Guard, and Reserve families should apply at militarymeals.org, verify their service through SheerID, and watch for a link to be emailed back to them (and check their spam box, just in case). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres no point in forwarding the link; theres only one registration per household. We have boxes of shelf-stable food shipped to their door, plus a Commissary gift card, an MFAN outreach representative told We Are The Mighty in an email. We started this to give families relief from the possibility of not being paid during the government shutdown. While were relieved service members will be paid this time, what happens after the next paycheck is still uncertain. We want to give military families a little peace of mind right now. Boxes ship from Houston, Texas, and take around two to five days to arrive. We created this to ease stress around the shutdown and the uncertainty after the next paycheck, said the MFAN rep. Active-duty, Guard, and Reserve households can sign up at militarymeals.org. Quick verification, one registration per household, boxes typically arrive in 25 days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And dont forget to share this story with another military family who might need to know. emergency free groceries Military News How to get free emergency groceries from the Military Family Advisory Network right now By Blake Stilwell President Donald Trump shows the signed peace treaty at the Gaza summit chaired by Egypt's President Al-Sisi, on Oct. 14, 2025. Military News Russia sidelined in new Middle East after Trumps Israel-Gaza deal Reid Standish Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty snake bite venom getty Military News A self-taught snake experts 200 snake bites may lead to a universal cure for snake venom By Blake Stilwell Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Military News The Armys (possible) future grenade launcher is like a rifle on steroids By Miguel Ortiz afghan interpreter congress getty Military News Congressional legislation for Afghan allies could provide resolution of four-year battle for status, support By Beth Bailey TEXARKANA, Texas (KTAL/KMSS) Sparklight Internet is hosting a free Community Connection & Cookout for Texarkana residents. Safety improvements continue for I-30 construction zone in Texarkana Attendees can enjoy free hot dogs and hamburgers, win prizes in cornhole games, and enter a raffle to win a 55-inch TV. Guests will also receive gifts from Sparklight and learn about their latest promotions, including Lift Internet, a new plan available to those receiving federal assistance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sparklight is proud to call Texarkana home, said Kenny Walker, Senior Regional Director, South Central. Our associates live and work right here in the community, and were committed to providing the same kind of fast, reliable internet and neighborly service that we want for our own families. Events like this cookout are a way for us to celebrate our deep community connections and gather with the friends and neighbors were honored to serve. The event will take place on Saturday, November 1, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sparklights retail office, 401 Baylor St. in Texarkana, Texas. For more information about Sparklight and its services, go to sparklight.com and business.sparklight.com. 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 KTALnews.com. In the Nov. 4 general election, Detroiters will elect or return candidates to the Detroit City Council in races for two at-large and five district seats. The Detroit Free Press Editorial Board endorsed candidates in competitive contests for two at-large seats as well as Districts 2 and 7 ahead of the August primary. Our choices in those races haven't changed; we're republishing those recommendations below. We're endorsing for the first time in Districts 3 and 6; those districts did not have competitive primaries. Our District 5 primary pick did not advance, and we are endorsing a new candidate. Incumbents in Districts 1 and 4, James Tate and Latisha Johnson, respectively, are running unopposed. At-large - District 2 - District 3 - District 5 - District 6 - District 7 Voter Guide: Who's running in Detroit election? Hear from candidates in their own words. At-Large Four candidates are competing for two at-large seats on the Detroit City Council: incumbent Councilmembers Mary Waters and Coleman Young II, Janee Ayers and James Harris. The top two vote-getters will win an at-large seat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are few political evolutions more admirable than that of Coleman Young II. Young, 42, the son of legendary Detroit Mayor Coleman A. Young, gained a reputation for affability and capability as a state lawmaker before mounting a poorly considered 2017 challenge to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, running a pugnacious campaign that was a strange fit for a lawmaker as capable and approachable as Young. In 2021, Young won an at-large seat on the Detroit City Council and, in the past four years, has expanded the skills that served him well in the state Legislature. Young points to his work on the citys JumpStart job training program and securing $1 million for a mental health response hotline as particular points of pride, and says that in a second term, hell focus on bringing down property tax for Detroit homeowners and continued funding for Community Violence Intervention programs that have had remarkable results in six pilot neighborhoods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The focus of his tenure on council, and the work he hopes to do, show a deep understanding of Detroiters needs. Voters should return COLEMAN YOUNG II to the Detroit City Council. Voter Guide: Who's running in Detroit election? Hear from candidates in their own words. Coleman A. Young II Four years ago, Detroit City Councilwoman Janee Ayers was widely expected to win re-election to the at-large seat shed held since 2014, when the council selected her to replace former Detroit Council President Saunteel Jenkins. Jenkins, a mayoral candidate this year, stepped down to become CEO of The Heat and Warmth Fund. Ayers won a 2016 special election for the remainder of that term and re-election to a full term in 2017, both by wide margins. Well-liked and capable, Ayers seemed virtually assured an easy 2021 victory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But that August, the FBI conducted a raid of her home and office as part of a wide-ranging probe into public corruption, along with the home and office of District 4 Councilman Scott Benson and both council members chiefs of staff. For those who had followed Ayers career, it was a shocking development. The FBI offered few details about its investigation, leaving Detroit voters in a bind. Surely, many reasoned, law enforcement wouldnt take such a dramatic step unless there was credible evidence against Ayers. That November, Ayers lost her seat to former state lawmaker Mary Waters, who won by around 2,600 votes. (Waters, ironically, pleaded guilty to a public corruption-related misdemeanor in 2010.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But neither Ayers nor her chief of staff were ever charged. And this January, the FBI quietly closed its probe, without explanation or any accusation of wrongdoing. (Neither Benson nor his chief of staff were charged. Benson won re-election that year.) Janee L. Ayers "I came out of this a better person, Ayers, 43, said in an endorsement interview this week. Much stronger, much wiser. If I didn't think that I really understood Detroiters before, I totally understand now. The whole concept of being counted out, not represented, feeling like an outcast all of those things, and then to still be able to pick yourself up and understand that you have a greater mission I get it now. So, I'm actually thankful for everything that's happened over the last 3 1/2 years. Ayers wants back on council, she said, because "I know what our people have gone through. I know what they deserve. I know what they've seen happen, and, quite honestly, its a matter of sustaining what we have now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the course of the interview, Ayers displayed a remarkable knowledge of Detroit city government and the rough road ahead: the need for thoughtful financial discipline and to retain experienced police officers too many of whom, she said, are en route to early retirement expanding investments in both downtown and the neighborhoods, and smoothing the path for small business. She's eager to continue the work she began, such as leading the Returning Citizens Task Force she founded and stewarded through its early years. Waters has served capably on the council, and has a genuine compassion for her constituents, leading meetings on housing that have had real impact. But Ayers should have retained her seat on council, continuing the dedicated public service that made her a valued member of that body. Now, voters have the opportunity to return JANEE AYERS to office, and they ought to take it. More from Freep Opinion: 24 years of Detroit election data shows not enough people vote. Can we fix it? District 2 Roy McCalister Jr. Two candidates former Councilman Roy McCalister Jr. and incumbent Councilwoman Angela Whitfield-Calloway are facing off to represent District 2. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detroits District 2 includes the eastern half of northwest Detroit, and encompasses some of the most politically engaged neighborhoods in the city, including Palmer Woods, Sherwood Forest, the University District and Green Acres. Its residents demand accessibility and transparency. Former Councilman ROY McCALISTER Jr. provided that level of representation when he served from 2018 through 2021, and deserves the seat back. McCalister, 71, was unseated by current District 2 Councilwoman Angela Whitfield-Calloway in the 2021 general election, 9,970 votes to 8,034. McCalister, a retired Detroit detective, served 26 years in the police department, and 23 years in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves. He served as a regional commander in the Iraq War and as a commanding officer of Detroit Police Department's Homicide Section. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His reasoned views on the question of police cooperation with federal immigration enforcement officers is indicative of his deep familiarity with the intricacies of police-community relations and managing city resources: If we start working with them, then that takes away from people feeling comfortable. It takes away from people coming forward. It (results in) people feeling that police are not really for the community, McCalister told the Free Press Editorial Board in an endorsement interview. The Detroit Police Department is for the community and the public service of the community, not to go out looking for people who are allegedly undocumented. It also takes away from the police force that we have, because now were sending services over to an entity that has plenty of personnel. McCalister is eager to bring his maturity and experience back to council, and hopes to revisit some ambitious ideas he wasnt able to fully explore before leaving office, like establishing a medical student exchange program with Cuba, and proposing a 10% tax on bottled water sold in the city to help pay for infrastructure needs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McCalister views the role of councilman as a liaison between residents and city government. Hes been willing to push back on mayoral initiatives when he didnt believe they aligned with residents needs, providing a firm but reasonable counterbalance to mayoral authority. He is the best-positioned candidate in the field to represent District 2 during a time of significant uncertainty. Whitfield-Calloway is the sitting District 2 councilwoman. Shes a former adult education instructor and human resources administrator. Whitfield-Calloway declined to respond to the voter guide questionnaire the Detroit Free Press distributed to every candidate in each contested council race, and did not respond to our attempts to schedule an endorsement interview. The seven Detroit City Council districts. District 3 Scott Benson Cranstana Anderson is challenging incumbent Councilman Scott Benson for the District 3 seat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Aug. 3, the Free Press published a piece about Detroiters in neighborhoods with low voter turnout residents who believe that because their neighborhoods don't turn out, elected officials pay them little mind. That afternoon, one staffer got a text from a man he had interviewed a picture from the man's doorbell camera of a well-known face. "I thought I knew his mother, and I was pretty sure I'd met him," District 4 Councilman Scott Benson, 56, said in an endorsement interview last month. The mother, he said, had been to a city wills and estate planning workshop series he's championed. "I said, 'Wait a minute, am I not doing my job?' ... We were able to reconnect, and I got a chance to talk to his mother. ... She's like, 'Yes, you know him!' ... And so I felt relieved that yes, I still am doing my job, I do know my constituents." A 20-year military veteran who served as director of small business development for Midtown Inc. before winning a seat on the council, Benson has put his formidable skills to use in service of District 4 residents. During his 12 years on council, Benson has focused on crucial issues with diligence and intentionality, ringing the alarm on the proliferation of marijuana use among K-12 students, promoting an ordinance that would allow police to strip guns from the hands of anyone convicted of domestic violence. But he said he's most proud that this council has grown the city's general fund, and of bringing resources back to District 3, such as investment at City Airport, including a new terminal, a deal with Detroit Public Schools Community District to restart the high school and a new facility for helicopter tours. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Benson missed his mark with his first stab at the Dine With Confidence ordinance that requires Detroit restaurants to prominently display a health department rating. When he initially proposed it, restaurants pushed back hard. Over the next three years, he and his staff worked with restaurateurs to get buy-in for the program, and it passed. "I learned it takes more sometimes to get good policy through," he said. Benson said he believes there's meaningful work to be done, on poverty, crime, affordable housing and growing the middle class, among others. Detroiters should return Benson to the Detroit City Council for a fourth term. Anderson didn't return the Free Press voter guide questionnaire or respond to our attempts to schedule an endorsement interview. District 5 Willie E. Burton Two candidates Police Commissioner Willie Burton and Renata Miller are competing for the open District 5 seat, held since 2014 by Council President Mary Sheffield, who is running for mayor. The full version of this endorsement was previously published online. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement District 5 residents face an unenviable choice: Elect Detroit Police Commissioner Willie Burton, 46, best known for his antics as a member of that board, or Indian Village resident and Chrysler retiree Renata Miller, 57, whose record well politely describe as troubled. Sprawling District 5 spans Detroits east and west sides, a span of neighborhoods like Indian Village, Boston Edison, Dexter-Linwood and Pingree Park, half of downtown and parts of Midtown. The seat has been held since 2014 by Mary Sheffield, now the frontrunner in this year's mayoral race. In the District 5 August primary, the Free Press Editorial Board endorsed Esther Haugabook, an expert in real estate and housing policy who has worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Her work experience and professional demeanor wouldve served District 5 well. But Haugabook, a political newcomer, finished 194 votes behind Burton, and did not advance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of the two remaining candidates, we believe WILLIE BURTON is better qualified for a seat on the Detroit City Council. As a member of Detroits police civilian oversight board, Burton has been a rabble-rouser, regularly clashing with the boards chair and other members, culminating in a 2019 arrest during a board meeting. Burton was placed in handcuffs and led out of the room, but ultimately was not charged. During the pandemic, when the board routinely met via Zoom, Burtons disruptive interjections led the boards former chairman to mute Burtons microphone, on multiple occasions. But an assessment of Burtons disruptive behavior must be tempered by the causes he's championed. At the time of that 2019 meeting, Burton had been working to expose the Detroit Police Departments use of facial recognition technology, and he'd been a staunch advocate for policy controls around the use of the unreliable technology, which has a high rate of misidentifying Black and brown faces and he was successful. The board adopted an ordinance to regulate the use of facial recognition, and DPD changed its internal policies. His instincts are often sound, even when his approach leaves something to be desired. He has experienced housing struggles: In 2019, a court ordered his eviction from Lafayette Towers for nonpayment of rent. Burton said his time on the commission has taught him the value of working collaboratively. If elected to council, Burton must continue to exercise the discipline hes exhibited in recent years, focusing on solving problems, not creating them. Miller, his opponent, was the top vote getter in the August primary, and has been endorsed by Detroit City Councilmembers Mary Waters and Scott Benson, AFSCME Michigan Council 25, UAW Region 1 and 1A, The Original Eastside Slate, The Black Slate, the Michigan Regional Carpenters & Millwrights and LiUNA Laborers Local Union 1191. At the last campaign finance filing deadline, Miller had raised $13,660, compared to Burtons $3,475. Yet Millers record is dotted with mishaps that leave us with serious questions, from repeated tax delinquencies to a domestic violence conviction to a series of homophobic Facebook posts identifying LGBTQ+ identity as evidence of the devils hand at work and celebrating conversion therapy. We explored Miller's record in detail in a separate piece. Financial or legal troubles arent inherently disqualifying for public office, but its hard to get past the sheer volume in Millers record. Burton is a better fit for the Detroit City Council. Here's the full Free Press endorsement for Detroit City Council's District 5 seat District 6 Gabriela Santiago-Romero State Rep. Tyrone Carter, D-Detroit, is challenging incumbent District 6 Councilwoman Gabriela Santiago-Romero for the District 6 seat. Gabriela Santiago-Romero won the District 6 council seat in 2021, when Raquel Castenada Lopez, elected in 2013 when Detroit went from citywide seats to council-by-district, opted not to seek re-election. With a background in social work and activism, Santiago-Romero, 33, comes from the same tradition of service as Castenada Lopez, state Sen. Stephanie Chang and U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, all with reputations for outstanding constituent services. Santiago-Romero said her team has resolved more than a thousand constituent cases in the last four years, the lions share related to quality of life issues. We are very intentional about making sure that we build relationships across the district. I have a policy team, and a community team that goes out every summer, she said. We do wellness checks. We go around the district. We ask folks how they're doing. We have office hours throughout the districts. We try to be at every corner every month. For me, it's about staying connected, because as things come up, then we are able to be called on and to go help. Shes worked to formalize the relationship between her office and District 6 block clubs to ensure emergency services and resources go where theyre needed. Santiago-Romero has checked the use of public dollars for police surveillance technology, directing resources instead into people-centered programs like the Community Violence Intervention work thats dramatically reduced violent crime in six pilot neighborhoods. And over the last four years, Santiago-Romero said, shes better learned how to navigate city hall: At the end of the day, it's not about me. It's about my constituents, and making sure that the work is moving forward. Santiago-Romero is cognizant of being a Hispanic elected official in a racially diverse district, encompassing Hispanic and Black Detroiters along with growing white and Arab American populations. I very much see myself as a bridge. We have historically Black neighborhoods that very much want Black representation who do not believe if you are other than Black, you care about Black folks. And then vice versa we have Latinos who are like, Black people don't care about us, she said. Santiago-Romero described an event her team held two years ago to bring the district's Hispanic and Black residents together, saying it was a "space for Black and brown communities to talk about our differences and our feelings. We talked about solidarity did a little history lesson. We also did a English and Spanish lesson. All the kids were here, and it was so cute. It was so nice seeing people with their families, like, Hey, they have huge families. We have huge families! Santiago-Romeros feet are firmly planted in community interests, but shes able to work with big business although she doesnt take corporate political action committee checks. I will ask a person to put their name behind their donation. I think that's important to know, she said. This is state Rep. Tyrone Carters third run for the District 6 seat. He lost to Castenada-Lopez in 2013 and 2017. Carter, 62, is a skilled and dynamic legislator, a lifelong resident who cares deeply about Detroit and Detroiters. But Santiago-Romero has served ably in the District 6 seat, and with four years of service under her belt, shes just hitting her stride. It would be a mistake to replace her. District 7 Two candidates Denzel McCampbell and Karen Whitsett are competing for this open seat, held since 2022 by Councilman Fred Durhal, who mounted an unsuccessful mayoral bid instead of seeking re-election. Denzel McCampbell Detroits District 7 includes a large, diverse swath of the citys west side, and needs a strong, versatile representative to replace Councilman Fred Durhal, who ran for mayor. With a uniquely holistic approach to problem solving, DENZEL McCAMPBELL is the candidate best suited to take up the District 7 mantle and contribute to progress citywide. He'll face Karen Whitsett, a state lawmaker with a spotty record of service. The Detroit News recently reported that Whitsett showed up in Lansing for just 23% of this year's legislative session days. Whitsett told the newspaper that she considers regular attendance unnecessary, and that legislative sessions do not often justify the cost of daycare for her dog. Whitsett has also made headlines for her friendly relationship with President Donald Trump. Whitsett did not return the Free Press' candidate questionnaire, and did not respond to repeated attempts to schedule an endorsement interview. A public policy professional who helps lead Progress Michigan, McCampbell, 33, has served as a Detroit charter revision commissioner and a congressional aide to U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib. McCampbell told the Free Press Editorial Board the recent, statistically validated successes of Community Violence Intervention groups in Detroit point to the effectiveness of wholeheartedly and proactively tackling underlying causes of Detroits most serious problems. I think we have to have that view as were looking at every aspect of city services, he said. CVI groups offer resources like temporary housing, transportation, training, mental health care and other forms of life-altering, face-to-face, personal intervention in the lives of youths identified as vulnerable to dangerous pathways. McCampbell said it's exactly the kind of hard work he wants to support in District 7 and across the city. "Weve seen the benefit of addressing the root cause. Weve seen the benefit of investing resources in it and it should be a priority," he said. McCampbell also has a direct and realistic plan for improving the citys dismal voter turnout tendencies. He hopes to recruit a civic education corps of block club and community group members to go door-to-door, foster engagement and build up that political education muscle. He has a strong sense of the importance of aligning the needs of businesses and neighborhoods in economic development strategy, and a clear passion for centering Detroiters in policy discussions. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters, and we may publish it online and in print. Want our sharpest, most relevant takes delivered straight to your inbox? Subscribe to Freep Opinion's free, weekly newsletter. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Free Press endorsements, 2025 Detroit City Council election | Opinion A new, no-cost Medicare pilot program is available in South Florida for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers. The Medicare GUIDE program acknowledges the significant toll of caring for someone with dementia and offers free support to their caregivers. Sidney Chugani, president of Right at Home Dania Beach, assists local families in enrolling in the GUIDE program. Once enrolled, an unpaid caregiver such as a family member can request relief on a part-time basis, ask for help finding a support group, or tap into a 24/7 support line. The caregiver can also access training programs on best practices for caring for a loved one with dementia. Through this program, an individual with dementia will get assigned a Care Navigator to help them access medical services and supports, such as meals and transportation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its about time Medicare recognized this need, Chugani said. Its a growing problem and its going to keep on growing. The government launched the program to reduce Medicare and Medicaid expenditures by helping people with dementia remain at home and minimizing their hospitalization, emergency department use, and long-term nursing home care. Chugani said someone with dementia cannot be left alone, and through the GUIDE program, a caregiver can ask for four hours of relief at a time from duties. Hopefully, as the government realizes how meaningful this is, they will increase the number of hours, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The challenges of managing health care, providing constant support, and dealing with the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia can present a significant mental, physical, emotional, and financial burden for caregivers. People with dementia often have multiple chronic conditions. On its website, CMS says, when used over time, respite services have been found to help unpaid caregivers continue to care for their loved one at home, preventing or delaying the need for facility care. To qualify, an individual must have a confirmed diagnosis of dementia and be enrolled in traditional Medicare, not a Medicare Advantage Plan. The dementia patient cannot be in hospice or a living in a nursing home. Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com. The arrest and trial of a retired librarian for expressing his views should chill us all. | Photo by Jim Brownlow We know the slogan Remember January 6th but have we forgotten the gut punch it was that day to watch people assault barricades and rappel the walls of our Capitol, break windows and pour into our Capitols chambers? Remember watching representatives and senators in their suits, crawling behind those rows of gallery seats? We were stunned by the violence and havoc we were witnessing. Jim Brownlow Jim Brownlow remembers and on Jan. 6 of this year, at 7:15 in the morning, he wrote with red, white and blue chalk on the sidewalk in front of the Muskego Post Office, Remember January 6th every November. When you vote, he is saying, remember the violent mayhem you witnessed with your own eyes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two weeks later, two police officers came to Brownlows door because the property manager of the post office building complained that someone had vandalized the sidewalk and he had to hire a cleaning service to clean it up. When the officers asked Brownlow if he had chalked the sidewalk, he answered only that he had exercised his constitutionally protected free speech. He also suggested that chalk can be washed off with soapy water and a broom. The officers left. Two weeks later a different officer called to ask Brownlow to come to the police station to answer more questions in order to complete a report. Brownlow said no, he was busy. The officer said OK, hed call the next week. On Feb. 4 a new officer called and Brownlow replied hed already said all he had to say to the first officer. Within an hour three police officers in two squad cars showed up at his house. Brownlow and his wife invited them in because it was cold outside and normal people in Wisconsin are hospitable. One of the officers said Brownlow was charged with Criminal Damage to Property Under $1,000 so he was now under arrest and had to go to the station to be processed. (Miranda was not mentioned.) Brownlow said he wouldnt go without an attorney although, also, he wouldnt resist because hes 76 years old and he didnt want to break anything. The officers emptied his pockets, patted him down, double handcuffed him, escorted him out his front door to the waiting squad. They drove him to the police station where he was handcuffed to a bench and questioned. His mug shot was taken and he was fingerprinted. They then handed him a summons to appear in municipal court on March 12. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On March 12 Brownlow said he would not plead guilty and pay a $900 fine (!) so he was given a trial date in August. He tried to enter a plea to dismiss but was told one cant do that until the trial date. Six months later, before Brownlow could submit his motion to dismiss, the Muskego prosecutor told the judge the criminal damage charge was dropped because it couldnt be proven in court. Then, immediately and before Brownlow could figure out what was happening, they turned around and charged him with disorderly conduct. Same moment, same courtroom, same incident, same judge and prosecutor. At that point he was given a new court date of Nov. 7.. And here we are. Who is Jim Brownlow? Hes us. A quiet guy retired from his career as a middle school librarian. Married to his wife who was a sixth grade teacher when they met. Together they raised their family and were active in their community. Brownlow ran and lost as the Democratic candidate for the Wisconsin Assembly four times from 2010-2016. (Wisconsins gerrymandering made it impossible for Democrats to win in their area.) Brownlow is the kind of person who doesnt dazzle but whenever you turn around hes there, caring, helping, championing the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship. An assault on our constitutional rights What are the issues here? The petty harassment of one guy in a small town or an assault on our constitutional right to free speech? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brownlow says its the second. This is our First Amendment, adopted in 1791. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. So when we are told the First Amendment is under assault, here it is. Brownlow has done research (I told you he was a librarian). This is what he has learned: The Muskego Municipal Code charge of disorderly conduct, adopted from Wisconsin Statute 947.01(1) says its unlawful to engage in violent, abusive, indecent, profane, boisterous, unreasonably loud conduct or in any other disorderly conduct under circumstances in which the conduct tends to cause or provoke a disturbance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wisconsin courts have repeatedly emphasized that: The statute must be applied narrowly to conduct that actually tends to cause or provoke a disturbance. Brownlow replies: Sidewalk chalking is inherently nonviolent, non-abusive and non-threatening. It does not fall into any of the categories listed in the statute. Disorderly conduct cannot be stretched to cover innocuous or constitutionally protected activity. Brownlow replies: Drawing with washable chalk is a common childhood and expressive activity that does not reasonably cause alarm, fear or disruption. The statute requires conduct that is, in context, of a nature to cause real disturbance or disruption. Brownlow replies: Chalking on a sidewalk, where it does not obstruct or endanger others, is expressive conduct entitled to constitutional protection. Peaceful expressive activity is not disorderly conduct. Brownlow replies: Extending disorderly conduct to cover chalk risks renders the statute unconstitutionally overbroad, as it would criminalize ordinary, harmless activities. Brownlows conclusion: Because chalking is nonviolent, harmless, and not of a nature to provoke disturbance, it cannot constitute disorderly and the citation must therefore be dismissed. Brownlow is a thoughtful person. The people carrying out these charges against me are ordinary Americans who do not see this as what it truly is an assault on Americas constitutional freedom of expression. There was no damage here. I wrote on my sidewalk at home using the same chalk and it washed off in a minute with a hose and broom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We need to be vigilant and say whats on our mind peacefully but with determination. Photo by Jim Brownlow Hordes of menacing people, many with weapons, stormed our Capitol and yet are now living free lives. Jim Brownlow chalked a thoughtful reminder on a public sidewalk and is, eight months later, still facing a threatening charge. There are wildly and dangerously different standards for freedom of speech here. On Nov. 7 Jim Brownlow goes to court. I will let you know what happens. In the meantime, if you have chalk and a sidewalk, maybe its time to exercise YOUR constitutional right to free speech. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Stocks staged a relief rally Monday after President Trump softened his tone on China, easing fears of a full-blown trade war that sparked a $2 trillion sell-off last week. The rebound followed Trump's weekend post on Truth Social, where he assured followers that "it will all be fine," just days after threatening to impose 100% tariffs on Chinese goods starting Nov. 1. But while those comments helped calm investor jitters, strategists warn this could be the biggest test yet for Wall Street's favorite reflex: buying the dip. Citi's equity trading strategy team, led by Stuart Kaiser and Vishal Vivek, said last week's tariff headlines broke the market's months-long calm, challenging the "buy the dip" instinct that has defined trading since May. The group described the moment as a "test" of how much risk investors are willing to take if Trump follows through with the proposed China tariffs, a move that could put both sentiment and corporate guidance for the rest of the year on the line. The pattern is familiar: Tariff escalation sparks a sell-off, Trump tempers his language, and investors rush back in a playbook traders have dubbed the "TACO trade," shorthand for "Trump Always Chickens Out." Read more: The latest news and updates on Trump's tariffs The turmoil comes at a critical time for markets, with earnings season kicking off and the government still shut down. That adds another layer of uncertainty, with key economic data like CPI and retail sales delayed just as major banks including JPMorgan (JPM), Goldman Sachs (GS), and Citigroup (C) prepare to report results. "It's a real problem without the government data," Kathy Jones, chief fixed income strategist at Charles Schwab, recently told Yahoo Finance. "We have private-sector data that's giving us some information, but its not at the level that the government data is." And that uncertainty could eventually bleed into investor sentiment. Evercore ISI's Julian Emanuel warned that "high, higher, highest has its limits," noting investors may finally be reaching the point of exhaustion after months of steady gains. Read more: How to protect your money during turmoil, stock market volatility For some, however, the buy-the-dip mentality remains alive and well, especially among retail traders. "I don't see the buy-the-dip mentality stopping anytime soon," Lou Basenese, executive vice president of market strategy at Prairie Operating Co. and founder of TheBigSkinny.com, told Yahoo Finance on Monday. On Sept. 9, 1943, a massive bomb struck the battleship Roma, the largest ship in the Italian fleet. It was a devastating hit to its starboard side, punching through the hull and exploding near the keel. The explosion took out the boiler room, aft engine room, destroyed two engines and propeller shafts, and caused multiple electrical fires. A few minutes later, another strike hit Roma, taking out the forward engine room and causing a massive explosion of the forward magazine. The force of the blast caused the separation of gun turret number 2, which was blown into the air and over the side, taking its three 15-inch guns with it. Within 30 minutes of the first strike, the Roma capsized, broke in two, and went to the bottom, taking approximately 1,400 crew down with her. The destruction of Italys largest battleship wasnt the result of a few lucky bombs. It was struck by the Fritz X, a penetrating, radio-controlled glide bomband it was dropped by German aircraft, one day after Italy left the Axis Pact. The Italian battleship Roma explodes after being hit by a German Fritz X radio-controlled bomb. (U.S. Navy) The Fritz X was a guided anti-ship bomb and one of the first precision-guided weapons used in combat. Development of the weapon began around 1939 by Ruhrstahl AG, a steel and arms maker, under the design of Max Kramer. It was a guided version of the PC 1400 Panzersprengbombe Cylindrisch (cylindrical armor-piercing explosive bomb), and was designed for use against heavily armored targets, including battleships, heavy cruisers, and reinforced concrete fortifications. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kramer modified the nose to be more aerodynamic and added four stub wings. The most significant change was the addition of a cruciform tail that also housed the guidance unit, a Kehl-Strassburg radio control system which sent commands to the control surfaces. The Fritz X Radio Controlled Guided Glide Bomb in the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. (U.S. Air Force) His new design enabled it to reach a top speed of 767 miles per hour, and with its one-piece forged steel body, time delay fuse, 700-pound warhead, and thick hardened steel case, the Fritz X could penetrate 28 inches of armor, causing massive devastation. Launching the Fritz X began with a mother ship flying at an altitude of 20,000 feet, which provided the kinetic energy to penetrate the armor of the day. It required a minimum distance of three miles for release. Once the bomb was released, the mother ship would climb another 1,000 feet and reduce its speed so the bombardier could more easily guide the bomb to its target using the Lotfe 7 bomb sight. Once dropped, the bomber had to maintain level flight and a slow speed, making it vulnerable to fighter attacks until the bombs impact. As the Fritz X dropped, the bombardier used the flares attached to its tail during daytime launch or electric lamps at night, to keep the bomb in sight while guiding the weapon to the target using a joystick. Rear view of the Fritz X showing the tail-mounted lights used to keep a visual on the bomb during descent. (U.S. Air Force) Its combat debut in July 1943 was a dud. Several bombs were dropped on ports in Sicily with zero hits. At the time, Allied forces did not know the bomb was radio-controlled. However, intelligence units discovered this soon after and began building jammers. When the Luftwaffe discovered the jammers, they initiated an electronic countermeasure jammer program, and naturally, the Allies responded with an anti-jammer program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The most tremendous success of the Fritz X came on Sept. 9, 1943. But about two months earlier, the overthrow of Benito Mussolini set in motion Italys secret surrender negotiations with the Allies. The Germans knew their Italian partners werent to be trusted. They were ready to act when the time came, with plans for Operation Achse (Axis) to occupy the entire country using German troops already in place. On Sept. 8, the Supreme Allied Command in Europe announced Italys surrender. Italian politicians and military commanders fled, leaving the Germans in charge. Before the surrender announcement, the Italian Navy left port, supposedly to defend against the Allied landings in Salerno. The actual mission was to surrender its vessels to the Allies at ports in Malta and Tunisia. As the Italians set sail, the Luftwaffe was ordered to attack and keep Italian ships out of the hands of the Allies. To prevent the surrender, the Germans deployed six Dornier Do 217K-2 bombers equipped with the Fritz X with the III Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 100 Wikinger (Vikings). The first target was the battleship Italia. The Fritz X missed but was close enough to jam the ships rudder. Italian anti-aircraft responded but were unsuccessful because the bombers were too high, and the Italians were not yet aware of the Fritz X. The day after Italys capitulation, the Germans hit the battleship Roma with two Fritz X bombs, sending it to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. The destruction didnt stop there. The Roma, the Italian Navys then-newest and largest battleship. German planes continued to drop the Fritz X throughout 1943. On Sept. 11, during the Allied invasion of Salerno, the Luftwaffe targeted the USS Philadelphia, a light cruiser covering the 45th Infantry Divisions landing. The bombs missed Philadelphia but struck the HMS Warspite, USS Savannah, and USS Uganda, severely damaging all three. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the Italian surrender period, some 49 ships were destroyed by air attack, scuttled, or seized by the Germans. With the continued use of electronic countermeasures to jam the Fritz X guidance system, the engineering team began experimenting with a wire-guided system, using a spool of wire that pays out during the launch as a countermeasure. The Fritz X spurred the development of electronic countermeasures, as well as counter-countermeasures that still exist today. Other technologies tracing their roots back to the Fritz X (and Max Kramers follow-up missile, the Ruhrstal X-4) include a host of precision-guided munitions, TOW missiles, MCLOS guidance lessons, and the modern Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM). Next: The German MG42 was an unyielding weapon of death in World War II The USS Savannah struck by a precision guided Fritz X bomb during the 1943 Allied Invasion of Salerno. History The Fritz X radio-controlled glide bomb could punch through 28 inches of armor By Friedrich Seiltgen Publicity poster for ballerina Franceska Mann who fought for her life at auschwitz. Mighty Heroes A Jewish ballerina started a riot while fighting for her life at Auschwitz By Randall Stevens A tall mushroom cloud rises over the Pacific at Bikini Atoll after World War II. History Japans Pearl Harbor was the original target for US nukes By Logan Nye Photo collage shows George the cat in his enlistment photo and the floating battleship USS North Carolina Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement History Psspsspss: American sailors enlisted a cat aboard a battleship during World War II By Logan Nye mcpherson americas last world war II fighter ace World War II Donald McPherson, Americas last World War II fighter ace, dies at 103 By Miguel Ortiz (City of Mesquite photo) Mesquite Acting Police Chief Tracy Fails, who is widely considered to be among the leading contenders for chief of police, is defending his actions in a 2010 incident that resulted in a citation against him for battery against an unnamed student on Clark County school grounds. A police sergeant at the time, Fails was demoted to officer in 2010, according to salary records. Fails, via email, said his actions at that time were taken to prevent what I believed could become an escalating situation involving an 18-year-old male. No individuals were injured or restrained, and the case was ultimately dismissed by the court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The court records didnt provide the victims name. However, a Moapa Valley publication reported in Feb. 2010 that Moapa Valley High School senior Cyle Durham beat Taylor Fails of Virgin Valley, at a match on Feb. 13, the day of the alleged battery, according to court records. Taylor Fails is Tracy Fails son. I remember that guy, Durham said of the elder Fails when reached by phone. He did not respond to further inquiries. Tracy is known to be quick tempered and has been reprimanded throughout his career for incidents where he lost his temper, former Chief of Police MaQuade Chesley, who was fired by the Mesquite City Council earlier this year, told the Current. Chesley is suing the department for wrongful termination. Chesley says in 2019, he heard yelling in the hallway. I went out and witnessed Fails yelling at an officer who was in tears. I separated the two and HR conducted an investigation, Chesley said via text, adding Fails was required to take part in remedial training. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fails declined to discuss the allegation, and referred the Current to the citys Human Resources department, which did not respond to inquiries. Mesquite requires that the chief of police have a combination of law enforcement experience and education, which could include a bachelors degree in a related field, such as criminal justice. Fails has a two-year associates degree in automotive studies. Fails, via email, notes he has extensive experience with the department, and said he intends to complete a bachelors degree in the near future, and I am scheduled to attend the FBI National Academy. Growing pains Mesquite, a city of about 24,000 roughly 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas, was founded by Mormon pioneers in the 1880s. The population was predominantly Mormon until a building boom in the last 15 years brought thousands of retirees to the Virgin Valley community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although Mesquite is now the fastest growing city in Nevada, the police department and city government, according to residents, remain in the control of a good old boy network. The Mesquite Police Officers Association, the police union representing Mesquite officers, is running the police department and in some sense, the city, says Chesley, whose termination was initially attributed by former City Manager Edward Owen Dickie to the unions vote of no-confidence. Dickie was terminated earlier this year, after the Current reported that he uttered a variety of racist remarks in secretly recorded audio. All these bullies from high school got jobs as police officers, says former City Councilman Wes Boger. Everybody knows who they are, and theyre running the department through the union. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Critics of the department point to the citys firing and rehiring of Officer Ryan Hughes, who was found to have served without ever passing background and psychology tests. Hughes text messages, obtained by residents via public record requests, revealed a number of troubling statements, as well as an admission that Hughes falsified training records for his K9. The admission opens the door for the dismissal of cases with evidence seized in searches involving Hughes dog. The police department, according to Mayor Jesse Whipple, deemed Hughes, under the union contract, could not lose his job for the offenses. At a recent meeting of the Mesquite Police Officers Association, Whipple, according to an audio recording obtained by the Current, consulted with union members about their preference for chief of police, with the conversation focused on Fails. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The big question is, is the devil you know better than the devil you dont? Whipple asked. And thats kind of gonna have to be you guys decision. Whipple goes on to say hes polled the council four or five times on this and Ive got four or five different outcomes every time I got it. If this is the direction you guys want to go, I think a real strong endorsement for Tracy would go a long way. Polling council members, known as serial communications, is a violation of Nevadas Open Meeting Law. Whipple did not respond to the Currents inquiries about what he asked when repeatedly polling council members. The union has not publicly endorsed Fails for the chiefs job. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mesquite resident Bob Muszar thinks its inappropriate for Whipple to counsel the union to lobby for its chosen candidate. In an organized, professionally run recruitment its not at all unusual to provide opportunities for input from employee organizations, Muszar said via email. But what we are experiencing here in Mesquite is the inappropriate politicization of an administrative process. Whipple did not respond to requests for comment on why he advised the police union how to exert its influence on behalf of Fails. The City Charter is clear, says resident Muszar. The appointment of our next chief of police is an administrative decision to be made solely by the City Manager. Neither the Mayor nor the City Council has any legitimate role in the process until the City Manager presents a candidate for Council ratification. The Mayors only role is to cast a tiebreaking vote should the council vote to ratify be deadlocked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some residents are calling for an outsider, who may be less likely to tolerate inappropriate behavior on the part of officers, to take over the department. City Councilwoman Pattie Gallo says shes doubtful Fails will prevail, given his lack of education. Gallo says Mesquite should expand its horizons and recruit a police chief from outside the department. She says shes told Whipple we need to go outside to stop the madness. Boger, the former councilman, agrees. He points to the dismantling by Fails of a volunteer program established by Chesley at local schools that could not afford school resource officers as an example of the police departments politicization. Boger says he and a retired police officer were terminated as volunteers by Fails for speaking out at city council meetings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fails did not respond when asked why he terminated the program. The police department, Boger suggests, has shown citizens would be better off with Las Vegas Metro taking over than having any of them named chief. COMMERCE A 28-year-old man was arrested Tuesday morning by Commerce police with help from the U.S. Marshals Service. Demathis Murikas Parker was taken into custody at a residence in the 1900 block of Hickory Street. Authorities had been searching for Parker since August when Commerce police issued two arrest warrants related to violent offenses. Parker has been charged with two counts of assault of a family member and kidnapping. His bond was set at $175,000 on the three charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators determined early in the case that Parker had fled the Commerce area and was believed to be out of state. Due to the possibility that he had crossed state lines, the U.S. Marshals Service joined the investigation. After weeks of coordinated work, Commerce officers and the U.S. Marshals Task Force arrested Parker without incident. He was processed at the Commerce Police Department and later booked into the Hunt County jail. No information was available late Tuesday from the jails online records. The investigation remains ongoing. Parker had previously been arrested in February after being accused of assaulting and choking a family member during a domestic disturbance in Commerce. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In May 2024, Parker was arrested for assaulting a pregnant woman and interfering with an emergency call. A protective order was issued the following day and he later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of family violence in January and was sentenced to time served. ATLANTA (WJBF) Its been two years since the October 7th terrorist attacks, when Hamas and other militant groups killed about 1,200 people in Israel and took 250 hostages. This week, Hamas released the final 20 living hostages as part of a ceasefire agreement that also freed 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Gazas Health Ministry says nearly 70,000 Palestinians have been killed during the conflict. Georgias Jewish community and political leaders are reacting to the end of the war and expressing hope for peace and healing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dov Wilker, Regional Director for the American Jewish Committee Southeast, says families across Georgia are feeling an emotional sense of relief. Im completely elated with joy seeing the 20 living hostages return home, Wilker said. After two years of praying and advocating for their release, this moment is an unbelievable relief not just for me, but for the entire Jewish community here and around the world. Wilker says many Georgians have personal connections to those impacted by the attacks and the war. There are families here who lost loved ones on October 7th, he said. One familys father was killed, and their caretaker was taken hostage later released after 51 days. The local community is deeply tied to what has happened in Israel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Georgia is home to about 150,000 Jewish residents, with roughly 40 synagogues in the metro Atlanta area. Wilker says the community is hopeful that peace in the region will also help curb antisemitic incidents which have surged nationwide since the 2023 attacks. Over the past two years, weve seen an unprecedented rise in antisemitic incidents against children, adults, and seniors, he said. Our hope is that now that the war is over and hostages are home, these incidents will not continue. A recent Anti-Defamation League (ADL) report found that more than half of Jewish Americans experienced at least one form of antisemitism over the past year and one in five faced physical or verbal threats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Georgias top political leaders also weighed in following the ceasefire. Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff praised the safe return of the hostages, while Governor Brian Kemp issued a statement thanking the Trump administration for helping secure peace: Along with Israelis and members of the Jewish faith from around the world, we are truly thankful today for the peace that has returned to the Holy Land, Kemp said. At long last, those who were taken by evil men two years ago have returned where they belong home with their loved ones. May God bless them, the nation of Israel, and our entire country as we move forward from this devastating and painful war. 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 WJBF. SACRAMENTO, California By the time Gavin Newsom slipped into the California Capitol building at 7 p.m. a couple days before the end of the legislative session, a sweeping, controversial package of energy legislation was already largely baked. For weeks, the California governor had been dispatching aides to lean on Democratic lawmakers and negotiate the finer details of a suite of bills designed to shore up the states utilities and refineries. He privately threatened a special session if lawmakers didnt go along with his priorities. Many Democratic lawmakers grumbled, but they ultimately went along their votes reflecting the expanding power in Sacramento of a leading Democratic contender for the presidential nomination in 2028. In a dynamic not unlike the one his rival Ron DeSantis exploited in Tallahassee in the run-up to his own, unsuccessful presidential campaign where DeSantis leaned on Republican supermajorities in Florida to supercharge his policies Newsom is tightening his grip on the Democratic governing class and getting results in the nations most populous state in service of his aims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the governor weighs in personally, it can be quite impactful, said Sen. Josh Becker, who was deeply involved in the energy negotiations. Newsom, said another state lawmaker, granted anonymity to speak freely, goes on calling sprees to members for the things he really cares about. Newsom has had an up-and-down relationship with the Legislature over his seven years in office. Just last year, he tried, but failed, to get lawmakers to agree to an alternative to a tough-on-crime ballot measure that voters ultimately approved despite Newsoms opposition. But longtime Sacramento observers say Newsom has learned over his seven years in office how to more effectively engage with individual lawmakers, in part by understanding what they wanted out of a negotiation. The governors empathy towards the Legislature increased exponentially over time, said Nick Hardeman, a former chief of staff to the president of the Senate. His approach in 2019 was significantly different than his approach this year, and you see that reflected in the outcomes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his first year in office, for example, he fumbled negotiations on a contentious vaccine bill by asking for more policy changes via Twitter post, sowing mistrust with lawmakers. Newsoms tactics now include leveraging the budget and coming in late in the process, sometimes with mere days before final voting deadlines. That has allowed him to muscle through sweeping policies, from keeping the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant online to overhauling an environmental permitting law in the name of more housing a long-elusive goal that Newsom achieved after threatening to veto the budget if he didnt get his way while giving political cover to the more progressive members of his own party who would have fought the changes in a more drawn-out process. Thats a change from Newsoms predecessor, former Gov. Jerry Brown, who typically chose one or two monumental priorities a year and worked on them for months. Newsom prefers many. Gov. Browns priorities were more narrow, said Sen. John Laird, who served as Browns Natural Resources secretary for eight years. Gov. Newsom has a much broader portfolio. Another senator granted anonymity to speak freely called Newsom less approachable, less accessible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But when it comes to an issue hes got a passion about, or hes very focused on, or it catches his attention, he can be very engaged, the senator said. The relationship with the Legislature can be enormously consequential for a governor with national ambitions. With a compliant legislature, Newsom will have another year to pass headline-making legislation and to squash bills that could be politically problematic. The carry-over to 2028, when he will be termed out and, likely, running, may benefit him, too, especially if his friend and rival Californian, Kamala Harris, who has not ruled out another campaign, runs again. Both would be competing for Californias bounty of primary delegates, a pool that typically includes state lawmakers and other professional Democrats with business in Sacramento. If he does end up in a presidential primary, hes going to want to start from the strongest position possible in the state with the largest amount of delegates, Hardeman said. That strength will be displayed based off the support that comes from the state. Newsom has displayed ideological flexibility in recent years, at times frustrating Democratic allies as he hosted conservative luminaries on his podcast and broke with California law on trans athletes. He's also pivoted from demanding the Legislature crack down on oil companies to cajoling them into propping up Californias wobbling refinery system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If Newsoms record strains his relationships with lawmakers to the point that they call him out for being all over the place or endorse a presidential rival, that could damage Newsoms prospects, said Sean Walsh, who was a senior staffer for then-Gov. Pete Wilson during his short-lived presidential campaign in 1996. If someone from North Carolina or Kentucky or Indiana decided to run in the primary against Newsom and they picked up half a dozen to a dozen California Democrats, then that impacts and hurts a guy like Newsom, Walsh said. But Walsh said its unlikely Democratic lawmakers thinking about their own careers would break with Newsom, particularly in a state dominated by a sprawling Democratic infrastructure with Newsom at the top. Democrats swiftly coalesced behind Harris presidential bid in 2019. There will be some Democrats who will be craven enough to say, he may just win and I could be secretary of, ambassador to, so theyll play a bit of a nicer game with him, Walsh said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Newsom easily united California Democrats in the Legislature last month to launch his largest foray into national politics yet: his campaign to redraw congressional maps to give Democrats more seats. Voters will decide on Prop. 50 on Nov. 4. The near unanimity for Newsoms gerrymandering push contrasted sharply with a year earlier, when Newsom unsuccessfully sought to broker a criminal justice deal that would have neutralized a sentence-upping ballot initiative. That 11th-hour collapse frustrated many lawmakers and spurred chatter about whether the lame-duck governors influence was ebbing. But now, Newsom is the face of a national Democratic priority, bolstering his clout at home. And he has one more year before his term runs out to get other legislative priorities through. It's been remarkable, and I hope to have one more bite at the apple, one more at-bat, as they say, next year, said Newsom at a press conference following his signature of the energy package last month. Noah Baustin, Rachel Bluth, Tyler Katzenberger and Lindsey Holden contributed to this report. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsoms name isnt on the ballot this year, but Californias upcoming special election will likely hinge on how voters view him. Newsom has made himself the face of California Democrats efforts to redraw their congressional maps in response to Texas Republicans mid-decade redistricting, investing his own political capital into his partys efforts to win back control of the US House next year. For supporters of Proposition 50, which would put in place new congressional maps that could give Democrats five additional seats, Newsom is a leader of one of the most substantive efforts to push back on President Donald Trump since he returned to office. Opponents instead frame the measure as a bid to consolidate Democratic power and boost Newsoms resume ahead of a potential 2028 presidential run. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both sides are betting on Newsom energizing partisans to vote in an off-year election that could have major implications on the midterms and the second half of Trumps term. But for Newsom, the redistricting campaign also allows him to leverage his presidential ambitions. My Decision Gavin Newsom, began a recent text sent to supporters, teasing the speculation before quickly turning to the matter at hand. We have no choice. It is the only chance to counteract even part of what Republicans are doing to redraw maps, the message continued. Newsom has raised more than $108 million for the measure, more than double the amount the opposition has brought in. Hes promoted the referendum in public appearances and interviews, including podcasts and a livestream filled with popular Democratic politicians and influencers. And hes appeared in waves of advertisements and fundraising appeals for the redistricting campaign. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With Prop 50, The Election Rigging Response Act, we can stop Trump cold, Newsom says in one spot, standing in front of an American flag. Mike Mikus, a Democratic political strategist based in Pennsylvania, called Newsoms push an educated gamble. The political environment that were in allows him to take these risks, he said. What unites all Democrats, all of the various wings of the Democratic Party, is standing up to Donald Trump, and I think its paying off for him. Meanwhile, a No committee backed by former GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has spent more than $500,000 airing an ad criticizing Newsoms redistricting push, saying that he wants the same politicians who failed California to draw their own safe seats and rig elections to help make himself president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Matt Rexroad, a Republican redistricting expert and consultant, contrasted Newsoms prominence in the Yes campaign with Charles Munger Jr., the largest donor to the effort to oppose Proposition 50. Munger has not appeared in any of his own ads and has only done one public appearance during a campaign, a Zoom press conference. This is the best political thing to ever happen to the man, Rexroad said of Newsom. And so hes out there seeking glory from this in a big way. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media on September 16. - Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images Democrats make the campaign about Trump Democrats have sought to make Trump the central opponent in their campaign. Proponents of the redistricting push have emphasized its place in broader resistance to the administration. Supporters of Proposition 50 have said they view the November 4 vote as a turnout election. About 45% of registered voters in California are Democrats, compared to 25% who are registered Republicans and 23% who registered with no party preference. Trump lost the state in all three of his presidential runs by at least 20 percentage points. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Newsoms coalition includes unions and groups such as Planned Parenthood. Good-government groups that helped enact the states independent redistricting commission such as Common Cause and the League of Women Voters have stayed neutral. A growing number of high-profile national figures, including former President Barack Obama, have appeared in ads for the campaign. Each spot includes a financial disclosure at the end noting they were paid for by Governor Newsoms Ballot Measure Committee. California, the whole nation is counting on you, Obama says in a new ad released Tuesday. Republicans want to steal enough seats in Congress to rig the next election and wield unchecked power for two more years. With Prop 50, you can stop Republicans in their tracks. Highlighting Trump has allowed Newsoms side to nationalize the ballot initiative. The governor used a similar strategy during a September 2021 recall election. In the final weeks of that campaign, Newsom evoked the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and warned that his Republican opponent Larry Elder would bring Trumpism to the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Newsom won the recall vote handily 62% of voters opposed removing him from office. To make this into a Screw Trump campaign was childs play in a way, said Garry South, a longtime Democratic strategist who worked on Newsoms brief 2010 gubernatorial run, eight years before he ran again and won his first term. Its just a winning strategy in California, and the arguments (the No side is) using are just not powerful enough or relevant enough to counterbalance it. Democrats dont expect a similar margin in November, but they do expect Newsoms political investment to pay dividends. Its all upside for him, South said. Signs supporting Proposition 50 in a residential neighborhood in Encinitas, California, on September 29. - Mike Blake/Reuters Republicans and some Democrats oppose the Newsom push But some Democrats and independents have argued the party would have been better off competing for the seats under the current congressional lines drawn by the redistricting commission, rather than undermining the panel to put in place new maps that could give Democrats five additional seats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Steven Maviglio, a California-based Democratic strategist and critic of the governor, argued that Democrats had miscalculated by attempting to overturn the maps drawn by the commission, particularly when there was a chance Democrats could have won some of the Republican-held seats outright next year. He added that voters had made their voices heard on the issue, and its anti-democratic to try to undo that. I dont know where Im going to end up voting on this damn thing, but I tell you, its not right the way this is being done, he told CNN. Jessica Millan Patterson, the head of the McCarthy-backed Stop Sacramentos Power Grab, said that while Newsom is being used to boost turnout among base Republican voters, Republicans are also hoping persuadable voters will agree with them on policy. Patterson pointed to recent failed progressive ballot measures on rent control and ending cash bail as evidence that the states voters are winnable on referendums. California voters have long been more conservative, especially when it comes to the issues and the ideas, she said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Content warning: this story includes discussion of self-harm and suicide. If you are in crisis, please call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a state bill on Monday that wouldve prevented AI companies from allowing minors to access chatbots, unless the companies could prove that their products guardrails could reliably prevent kids from engaging with inappropriate or dangerous content, including adult roleplay and conversations about self-harm. The bill would have placed a new regulatory burden on companies, which currently adhere to effectively zero AI-specific federal safety standards. As it stands, there are no federal AI laws that compel AI companies to publicly disclose details of safety testing, including where it concerns minors use of their products; despite this regulatory gap or perhaps because of it many apps for popular chatbots, including OpenAIs ChatGPT and Googles Gemini, are rated safe for children 12 and over on the iOS store and safe for teens on Google Play. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Surveys, meanwhile, continue to show that AI chatbots are becoming a huge part of life for young people, with one recent report showing that over half of teens are regular users of AI companion platforms. If implemented, the bill Assembly Bill 1064 wouldve been the first regulation of its kind in the nation. As for his reasoning, Newsom argued that the bill stood to impose such broad restrictions on the use of conversational AI tools that it may unintentionally lead to a total ban on the use of these products by minors. So, in short, Newsom says that requiring that companies prove they have foolproof guardrails around inappropriate content for kids including where it concerns sex and self-harm goes too far, and that the possible benefits of kids using AI chatbots outweigh the possible harms. Supporters of the bill are disappointed, with some advocates accusing Newsom of caving to Silicon Valleys aggressive, deep-pocketed lobbying efforts. According to the Associated Press, the nonprofit Tech Oversight California found that tech companies and their allies spent around $2.5 million in just the first six months of the session trying to prevent Bill 1064 and related legislation from being signed into law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This legislation is desperately needed to protect children and teens from dangerous and even deadly AI companion chatbots, said James Steyer, founder and CEO of the tech safety nonprofit Common Sense Media, in a statement. Clearly, Governor Newsom was under tremendous pressure from the Big Tech Lobby to veto this landmark legislation. It is genuinely sad that the big tech companies fought this legislation, Steyer added, which actually is in the best interest of their industry long-term. News of the veto decision came amid the passage of several other AI-specific regulatory actions in California, including SB 243, a law introduced by state senator Alex Padilla that requires AI companies to issue pop-ups reminding users that they arent human during periods of extended use; mandates that AI companion platforms create protocols around identifying and preventing against conversations about self-harm and suicidal ideation; and mandates that companies instill reasonable measures to prevent chatbots from engaging in sexually explicit conduct with minors. The news of the mixed regulatory action in California comes following a slew of high-profile child welfare and product liability lawsuits brought against chatbot companies. Several of the cases involve the AI companion platform Character.AI, which is extremely popular with kids, with families across the country arguing that the platform and its many thousands of AI chatbots sexually and emotionally abused their minor children, resulting in mental anguish, physical self-harm, and in multiple cases, suicide. The most prominent lawsuit of the bunch centers on a 14-year-old Florida teen named Sewell Setzer III, who took his life in February 2024 following extensive, romantically and sexually intimate conversations with multiple Character.AI chatbots. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OpenAI is also facing a grim lawsuit regarding the death by suicide of a 16-year-old in California named Adam Raine, who carried out extensive, harrowingly explicit conversations with ChatGPT about suicidal ideation. The lawsuit alleges that ChatGPTs safety guardrails directed Raine, who talked openly about suicidal ideation with the chatbot, to safety resources like the 988 crisis hotline only around 20 percent of the time; elsewhere, it gave Raine specific instructions about suicide methods, and at times discouraged him from speaking to his friends and family about his dark thoughts. More on AI and teens: AI Chatbots Are Leaving a Trail of Dead Teens By Pesha Magid KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (Reuters) -Shadi Abu Sidos world shattered in Israeli detention when guards told him his wife and two children had been killed. I got hysterical, the Gaza Palestinian photographer said. It wasnt until his release on Monday, part of the U.S.-mediated ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel that halted two years of war, that he discovered his loved ones were alive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His wife, Hanaa Bahlul, raced down the hallway of his family's house in Khan Younis and leapt into his arms. He spun her in the air as they clung to each other. Abu Sido kissed his childrens cheeks again and again, murmuring my love as he held the daughter and son he thought he would never see again. I heard her voice, I heard the voice of my children, I was astonished, it cannot be explained, they were alive. I saw my wife and children alive. Imagine amid death - life, he said. Abu Sido, a photojournalist, said he was detained at Shifa hospital in the northern Gaza Strip on March 18, 2024. He was among 1,700 Palestinians detained by Israeli forces during the devastating war in Gaza and released on Monday, along with 250 prisoners convicted or suspected of involvement in deadly attacks, in exchange for 20 Israeli hostages held by Hamas since its October 2023 cross-border assault. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DETAINED UNDER THE 'UNLAWFUL COMBATANTS' LAW Bahlul said a lawyer from Addameer, a Palestinian human rights group, had told her Abu Sido was being held under Israel's Unlawful Combatants Law - a form of administrative detention. Omer Shatz, an Israeli international law expert at Sciences Po university in Paris, said the law allows Israel to limit access to lawyers, incarcerate people without charge or trial, and arbitrarily detain many Palestinians in Gaza. According to Addameer, 2,673 Gazans are currently detained under this law. The Israeli military and Ministry of Justice did not respond to Reuters requests for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In March 2024, the Israeli military said it raided Shifa hospital, accusing Hamas of operating from the premises. Hamas has denied Israeli allegations it had command posts underneath Shifa and other Gaza hospitals. Reuters could not independently verify the assertions of either side. 'A GRAVEYARD FOR THE LIVING' Abu Sido said he was severely beaten, handcuffed, blindfolded and forced to kneel for long periods while in detention. His wrists looked raw during his meeting with Reuters, which he said had been caused by the shackles. Reuters could not independently verify the details of his account. He was first held at Israel's Sde Teiman military detention camp, then transferred to the Ofer military camp - which is in the Israeli-occupied West Bank - and later to Ketziot prison in Israel, according to his wife. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bahlul said Abu Sido was arrested only for being "a journalist for a Palestinian institution". A spokesperson for the Israeli Prison Service said all inmates were held according to legal procedures and their rights upheld. We are not aware of the claims described, and to the best of our knowledge, no such incidents occurred under IPS responsibility," the spokesperson said. An Israeli military official told Reuters in September that of around 100 criminal investigations related to the Gaza war, most concerned allegations of abuse or death of detainees in military custody. Two cases have led to indictments, and one soldier was sentenced to 17 months in prison. Reuters previously spoke to released Palestinian prisoners who said they suffered abuses in Israeli detention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many of the Israeli hostages released by Hamas have also described torture, sexual assault, psychological abuse, and denial of food and medical care. Amany Srahneh of the Palestinian Prisoners Society said conditions for Palestinian inmates deteriorated dramatically after Hamas October 7, 2023 attack, with reports of sexual assault, beatings, denial of medication, and food shortages. She said conditions were even worse for Gaza Palestinians held in military detention. Abu Sido said that prison was "the graveyard of the living. When I returned to Gaza, it was like my soul returned to my body. But when I saw the destruction..., how can I start again?" (Additional reporting by Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem; editing by Mark Heinrich) Gazas Ministry of Health says it has received the remains of 45 Palestinians who were held in Israeli custody via the International Committee of the Red Cross, bringing the total number of bodies returned to 90 as part of a United States-brokered ceasefire deal. Medical teams are continuing to examine, document and prepare the bodies for delivery to families in line with approved medical procedures and protocols, the Health Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. Under a ceasefire deal backed by US President Donald Trump and aimed at ending the two-year Gaza war, Israel was to turn over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for every deceased Israeli returned. The remains of 45 people were returned on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Palestinians awaited information about the bodies that arrived at Nasser Hospital on Tuesday and Wednesday. The forensics team described disturbing conditions, bearing signs of physical abuse. Some of the Palestinian bodies were blindfolded and handcuffed, indicating field executions may have taken place, medical sources told Al Jazeera. Israel is expected to hand over more bodies, though officials have not said how many are in its custody or how many will be returned. It remains unclear whether the bodies were dug up from cemeteries by the Israeli army during its ground offensive or if they belong to detainees who were killed during the Israeli assault. Throughout the war, Israels military has exhumed bodies as part of its search for the remains of captives. As forensic teams examined the first remains returned, the Health Ministry on Wednesday released images of 32 unidentified bodies to help families recognise missing relatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many appeared decomposed or burned. Some were missing limbs or teeth, while others were coated in sand and dust. Health officials have said Israeli restrictions on allowing DNA testing equipment into Gaza have often forced morgues to rely on physical features and clothing for identification. The forensics team that received the bodies said some arrived still shackled or bearing signs of physical abuse. There are signs of torture and executions, Sameh Hamad, a member of a commission tasked with receiving the bodies at Nasser Hospital, said. The bodies belonged to men aged 25 to 70. Most had bands on their necks, including one who had a rope around his neck. Most of the bodies wore civilian clothing, but some were in uniforms, suggesting they were Palestinian fighters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hamad said the Red Cross provided names for only three of the dead, leaving many families uncertain of their relatives fate. Israels war on Gaza has killed nearly 68,000 Palestinians since October 2023, according to the Health Ministry. Palestinian officials say the true toll could be far higher, with tens of thousands of bodies believed to be under the rubble. Thousands more people are missing, according to the Red Cross and Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Rasmiya Qudeih, 52, waited outside Nasser Hospital, hoping her son would be among the 45 bodies transferred from Israel on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He vanished on October 7, 2023, the day of the Hamas-led attack. She was told he was killed by an Israeli strike. God willing, he will be with the bodies, she said. The Health Ministry released a video showing medical workers examining the bodies, saying the remains would be returned to families or buried if left unidentified. Rights groups and a United Nations Commission of Inquiry have accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, and South Africa has filed a case alleging Israel committed genocide at the International Court of Justice. Israel denies the accusations. Key Points Energy prices have been relatively weak of late as uncertainty hangs over the economy. Chevron's business model is built around surviving the energy sector's normal swings. The company has a lofty yield and a history of regularly increasing the dividend. 10 stocks we like better than Chevron The energy sector is a bit out of favor right now. That's because oil prices have been relatively weak after a massive price spike that followed the end of the coronavirus pandemic. That was an unusual period, but commodity volatility is actually normal in the energy sector. And that is why you should be thinking about Chevron (NYSE: CVX), one of the smartest plays in the energy sector. What does Chevron do? Chevron takes a very practical approach to operating in what is a very volatile sector. It starts with its business model, which is integrated. That basically means the company has exposure across the entire energy sector, including the upstream (energy production), the midstream (pipelines), and the downstream (chemicals and refining). This diversification doesn't eliminate the impact of oil and natural gas price swings, but it helps to soften the peaks and valleys. On top of that, Chevron also takes great care with its balance sheet. At the end of the second quarter, Chevron's debt-to-equity ratio was roughly 0.2. That would be low for any company and it is also among the lowest of the company's closest peers. This gives management the leeway to take on debt during industry downturns so it can support its business and dividend. When energy prices recover, as they always have historically, leverage is reduced again. The proof that this model works very well is seen in Chevron's 38-year history of annual dividend increases. The only competitor with a better dividend history is ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), which has 43 dividend hikes under its belt. Before you switch gears and start thinking about Exxon, there's one more factor to consider. Image source: Getty Images. Chevron's got a very attractive risk/reward profile So Chevron's business is built to survive, but it is basically the same approach that Exxon has. And Exxon even has a lower debt-to-equity ratio, at around 0.15. In some ways, Exxon, which is a larger company, is actually a safer choice. But it isn't drastically safer, given that energy swings hit its business in the same way that they hit Chevron's business. You have to take on some risk with either one. That's where a comparison of dividend yields comes into play. The average energy stock has a yield of roughly 3.2%. Exxon's yield is currently around 3.6%. And Chevron's yield is nearly 4.6%. Investors aren't taking on drastically more risk with Chevron, but they are getting a very meaningful boost in yield. You can look at that as 1 full percentage point more dividend yield or an over 25% increase in the income you'll generate with Chevron over Exxon. By Nidal al-Mughrabi CAIRO (Reuters) -The United Nations is seeking a dramatic boost in humanitarian aid for Gaza, saying the hundreds of relief trucks cleared to enter the devastated enclave under a ceasefire were nowhere near the thousands needed to ease a humanitarian disaster. Tom Fletcher, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and its top emergency relief coordinator, told Reuters in an interview that thousands of humanitarian vehicles must enter weekly to avert further catastrophe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We have 190,000 metric tons of provisions on the borders waiting to go in and we're determined to deliver. That's essential life-saving food and nutrition," Fletcher said. Israel's two-year air and ground war against Palestinian militant group Hamas drove almost all Gaza's 2.2 million people from their homes, and famine is present in the north, global monitors say. 'GOOD BASE', BUT NOT ENOUGH Israeli officials said 600 trucks have been approved to enter the blockaded territory under the current U.S.-brokered truce deal. Fletcher called that a good base but said it was not enough to meet the scale of need. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fletcher called for over 50 international NGOs, including Oxfam and the Norwegian Refugee Council, to be allowed to bring in aid, saying the issue has been raised with Israel, the United States and other regional partners. "We cannot deliver the scale necessary without their presence and their engagement. So we want to see them back in. We are advocating on their behalf," he said. Fletcher said the looting of aid trucks - a frequent scourge while fighting continued - had dropped sharply in recent days as deliveries increased. If youre only getting in 60 trucks a day, desperate, hungry people will attack those trucks. The way to stop the looting is to deliver aid at massive scale and get the private sector and commercial markets operating again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fletcher welcomed the Western-backed Palestinian Authoritys offer to play a role in reopening the Rafah border crossing with Egypt to aid deliveries, expected on Thursday after a delay imposed by Israel over what it called Hamas' slowness to return bodies of dead hostages under the ceasefire deal. He said medical evacuations through the crossing would be a priority, citing recent talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. 'NEED WORLD TO STAY BEHIND PEACE PLAN' He said that for the fresh aid efforts to succeed the ceasefire agreement must be sustained. "We need peace. That way we can massively scale up our operations. We need the world to stay behind this peace plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vast swathes of the narrow, heavily urbanised coastal territory have been reduced to a wasteland by Israeli bombardments and airstrikes that have killed nearly 68,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. The war was triggered by Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Twenty remaining living hostages were freed on Monday in exchange for thousands of Palestinians jailed in Israel. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; editing by Mark Heinrich) A controlled artillery round that can hit targets from 120 kilometers away in GPS-denied environments was successfully tested at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems Long Range Maneuvering Projectile, or LRMP, was fired from an M777 howitzer platform using M231 powder charges during an August test, the company announced Monday. The LRMP, a next-generation munition, is designed to extend the range and precision of 155mm artillery systems, the company said. The winged, precision-guided artillery round is highly maneuverable while in flight and can conduct controlled descents to strike both static and moving targets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This milestone reflects our commitment to delivering disruptive technologies for precision artillery, Scott Forney, president of General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, said in a company release. As the U.S. faces rising threats from near-peer adversaries and increasingly contested environments, affordable, mass-produced artillery is critical, Forney said in the release. LRMP meets that need while proving its ability to perform in extreme conditions and reshape long-range firepower. The LRMP can be integrated across all existing artillery platforms used by the U.S. military, according to General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems. The U.S. Navy awarded a contract to the company in December 2024 to boost the LRMPs development for maritime use. A registered sex offender from Cedartown was arrested on Monday following an investigation into inappropriate contact with minors, police said. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The investigation, conducted by the Floyd County Police Department and Polk County Police Department, revealed that Garry D. Hand, 65, had been in contact with multiple minor girls and boys over several years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was charged with trafficking of persons, photographing minors by a registered sex offender, and grooming. It is priority number one to keep our children safe, stated the Floyd County Police Department. Officials said officers were first alerted to Hands inappropriate contact with a 14-year-old girl at the beginning of August. Further investigation uncovered that Hand TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Initially, Hand faced charges of grooming, sexual battery, and child molestation in August, which have since been expanded following the investigation. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are seeking additional information from the public. Individuals with information are encouraged to contact Ofc. Mallory Boatfield of the Floyd County Police Department at 706-235-7766 or Sgt. Brandy Brady of the Polk County Police Department at 770-748-7331. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] The University System of Georgia awarded a record 82,607 degrees in fiscal year 2025, marking a 7.9% increase from the previous year. Officials said this significant rise in degrees conferred is the largest year-over-year increase the system has seen in the past decade, highlighting USGs commitment to enhancing educational outcomes in Georgia. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] USG is producing a record number of graduates ready to fill high-demand, high-skill jobs that power Georgias economy, USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said in a statement. Our focus on student success delivers real value not just for the state, but for every student whose degree opens doors to opportunity and long-term prosperity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since joining the Complete College America program in 2011, USG has increased the number of degrees awarded by 50.6%, while enrollment has grown by 12.8%. TRENDING STORIES: Graduate and professional degrees saw a notable increase, with 28,868 awarded in FY2025, a 15.2% rise from the previous year. Masters degrees experienced a 12.1% increase from 2024 to 2025, and education specialist degrees saw a 56.8% jump, reflecting efforts to enhance teacher skills and retention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement USGs initiatives, such as the Georgia Degrees Pay website launched in 2022, provide data on student success and earning potential, aiding informed decisions about college affordability. The Academic Program Finder, part of Georgia Degrees Pay, allows students to search for programs across USG institutions to find the best fit for their academic goals. The Momentum Year program and Complete College Georgia are additional initiatives aimed at improving student access and graduation rates. With these efforts, USG graduates are positioned to earn significantly more over their lifetimes, with bachelors degree holders earning $1.4 million more than non-graduates. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] A Georgia woman was arrested for allegedly stealing money from a Pennsylvania business. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] According to the Lower Allen Township Police Department in Pennsylvania, a warrant issued by MDJ Dozier was related to a fraud complaint reported by Liberty Excavators on August 21, 2023. The company states it discovered that checks intended for United Rentals had been forged and cashed by Kanisha Harris, 24, of Richmond Hill. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Liberty Excavators, located in Camp Hill, PA, reported that they regularly rent equipment from United Rentals and pay by mailing checks to its location in Atlanta. On August 7, 2023, United Rentals informed Liberty Excavators about unpaid invoices, which led to the discovery of the forged checks. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Surveillance footage from a Navy Federal Credit Union in Richmond Hill identified Harris as the person who cashed a forged check for $16,640.47 on May 26, 2023. Harris was recognized by her drivers license photo, distinctive red hair, and nose ring. Another attempt to cash a forged check for $18,732.47 by Harris occurred on June 7, 2023, at the same credit union, but this check was flagged by the fraud system and denied, authorities said. She was arrested on Sept. 21. The Georgia Supreme Court has revived a class action lawsuit against LOreal and Strength of Nature, allowing plaintiffs to move forward with claims that certain hair relaxers are linked to cancer and other health issues. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Georgia Supreme Court has overturned a lower court ruling, allowing a class action lawsuit against LOreal and Strength of Nature to proceed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer, said Toya Dickerson, a plaintiff who claims the chemicals in hair relaxers caused her illness. Im sorry, she added emotionally, reflecting on her experience. Danielle Ward Mason, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, described the courts decision as game-changing. She said that the ruling does not penalize women for using a product over many years. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Abayomi Jones, a researcher in cosmetic federal regulation, told Channel 2s Audrey Washington, It puts the market on notice that you could be held liable. Dickerson, who is now cancer-free after undergoing a full hysterectomy, is one of several Georgia women who filed the lawsuit against LOreal and Strength of Nature. The plaintiffs argue that they used the products within the last ten years, challenging the companies defense based on the statute of limitations. State Rep. Inga Willis, a cancer survivor, also plans to file suit, claiming that years of chemically straightening her hair led to health issues. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] She emphasized the importance of awareness about the impact of certain ingredients on health. In response to the courts ruling, LOreal previously stated in 2023 that it was confident in the safety of its products and believed the allegations lacked legal and scientific merit. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Wednesday said he intends for a landmark new military service law to take effect in January, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition struggles to reach a unified position on the divisive issue. "The goal remains for the law to come into force on January 1," Pistorius said in Berlin, one day after a press conference to announce an agreement between his Social Democrats (SPD) and Merz's conservative bloc was cancelled at the last minute. The minister has denied claim that he sabotaged the deal, which centred on a proposed lottery system to raise recruits for the new military service programme if not enough volunteers sign up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Merz's government is intent on bringing back a military service, which was suspended in 2011, to respond to the growing threat from Russia and boost the German military, the Bundeswehr, in line with new NATO defence targets. However, the governing coalition is split on the issue, with the SPD insisting that the new service must remain voluntary, while parts of Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union (CSU) push for a mandatory model. The divide led to a first reading of Pistorius' bill being postponed last week. Coalition leaders have stated that the debate is set to go ahead on Thursday despite the parties failing to reach a compromise, with Pistorius insisting that Wednesday's events have not damaged trust between them. "I think this is all far less dramatic than it is being made out to be," Pistorius said on the sidelines of a meeting of the defence committee in the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has announced a new strand of military support for Ukraine focused on maintaining and upgrading Western-supplied military equipment. Source: Pistorius at a press conference in Brussels following the Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting (also known as the Ramstein format) on 15 October, as reported by European Pravda Details: Pistorius has unveiled what he called a "modernisation initiative". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote: "Its aim is to increase the combat power and the service life of the land systems we already delivered to Ukraine. Major combat systems such as main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles are to be upgraded to comply with the latest standards. Those include new guns and innovative sensors." More details: The minister explained that most of the work will be carried out at existing maintenance and repair facilities in Ukraine. Quote: "Ukraine's defence industry will be, of course, involved in this. This will be an investment in the long-term buildup of Ukraine's Armed Forces, and this means it will last even after a potential ceasefire." More details: During the briefing, Pistorius also urged partners to contribute to the strengthening of Ukraine's air defence within the coalition led by Germany under the Ramstein format. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Throughout the day, other partners have also announced new commitments to support Ukraine. Background: Lithuania will allocate US$30 million for the purchase of weapons in the United States for Ukraine. Finland has said it is joining the initiative and will determine its specific contribution. The Netherlands will soon allocate a new 90 million aid package to support the production of drones in Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! A German EU lawmaker is taking legal action against Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban over an alleged cyberattack. Daniel Freund said on Wednesday that he had filed a criminal complaint against Orban with support from the Society for Civil Rights (GFF), a Berlin-based human rights non-profit. The suit was filed with the public prosecutor's office in Krefeld, western Germany. Freund, who serves in the European Parliament for Germany's Greens, said hackers unsuccessfully attempted to install spyware on his devices last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The attack is said to have been carried out using software from the provider Candiru, which is also used by Hungarian authorities. Freund reportedly received an email with a fake enquiry. All it takes to install the software is a click on a manipulated link. "According to the EU Parliament's IT experts, the Hungarian government could be behind the eavesdropping attack on me," said Freund. "Orban despises democracy and the rule of law," he added. "If the suspicion is confirmed, it would be an outrageous attack on the European Parliament." Nobody in Europe should have to be afraid of being monitored because they stand up for democratic values, Freund said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawmaker is an outspoken opponent of the Hungarian leader, criticizing corruption in the country. According to Freund and the GFF, the aim of the criminal complaint is to clarify and prevent spyware attacks. "They massively violate the privacy of those affected. They also violate basic IT law and telecommunications secrecy." Germany is to provide at least 200 million ($233 million) in short-term emergency aid for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan said on Wednesday. "That is the scale of what is already available in the budget," Radovan said during a news podcast. Germany's Development Ministry was active in the region - in particular in water supply and administration - before the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas and other Islamist militants which sparked the two-year war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There are funds there that we withheld on account of the situation. We can make these available relatively quickly," Radovan said. She said a few days ago that Germany would also provide transitional aid, for example with emergency accommodation, which was directly available. In the podcast she said that funding would be strictly supervised. "We have careful auditing mechanisms, which will be tightened up and which will ensure that no money flows to Hamas. I will keep a close watch on where the money goes," Radovan said. Germany will also arrange an international conference for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip along with Egypt that is planned for Cairo next month. Canadian National Railway (CN) and Congebec have announced a new partnership to expand cold chain logistics across North America, unveiling plans to build a state-of-the-art temperature-controlled facility within CNs Calgary Logistics Park. The project aims to bridge a long-standing gap between rail and cold storage, creating a more efficient and sustainable network for temperature-sensitive goods. The construction partner for this project will be Matthews Tribal. By embedding the facility directly within CNs logistics hub, the partnership eliminates many of the inefficiencies that occur when freight transfers between transport modes. The collaboration blends CNs rail infrastructure with Congebecs expertise in refrigerated logistics to streamline the flow of perishables such as produce, proteins, and pharmaceuticals across Canada and the United States. Join the leaders shaping freights future at F3: Future of Freight Festival, Oct 21-22. Network with the industrys best and discover whats next. Register now! Carleigh Oude-Reimerink, Vice-President, Development. Matthews Tribal said in a press release, We are proud to contribute our development expertise to a project that sets a new standard for cold chain logistics. This facility represents the kind of genuine partnership Matthews Tribal believes inbuilt on trust and creating lasting value. By combining our Calgary presence with CNs network and Congebecs cold chain expertise, were helping customers overcome real challenges while supporting long-term growth in Western Canada. For Congebec, one of Canadas largest cold storage providers, the collaboration marks a major step toward building a connected, multimodal cold chain. Congebec President, Richard Patenaude, said Working with CN on this new Calgary facility is a natural extension of our mission to provide reliable, sustainable cold chain solutions. By combining Congebecs expertise in temperature-controlled logistics with CNs expansive rail network, were giving customers the confidence to move their products anywhere they need to go, with efficiency and care. Calgarys strategic location made it an obvious choice for the project. The region serves as a major agricultural and manufacturing hub, linking Western Canadas producers to national and cross-border markets. The facility will enable faster consolidation and distribution of temperature-sensitive goods, giving shippers more reliable options in an increasingly competitive and capacity-constrained market. Industry analysts view the move as part of a broader trend in infrastructure investment aimed at modernizing North Americas cold chain. Integrating rail-connected cold storage is increasingly seen as essential to addressing congestion, reducing emissions, and mitigating risks from climate and supply disruptions. Germany's coalition partners vowed late Tuesday to move forward with Defence Minister Boris Pistorius' military service reform, despite a public row that exposed divisions between the conservative bloc and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD). Both sides said the bill would be introduced in the German lower house of parliament, or Bundestag, on Thursday as planned, after a day of political turmoil that saw a joint press conference cancelled and accusations traded between coalition members. Germany's ruling coalition combines the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), with the Social Democrats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pistorius, a Social Democrat, rejected claims from the CDU/CSU bloc that he had sabotaged a compromise deal, telling the Tagesspiegel newspaper: "I am not torpedoing anything and I am not being destructive. I just find it difficult when two key parts of my draft are changed before it is even officially submitted to parliament." The dispute over the new conscription law escalated on Tuesday, as no agreement on the key points that negotiators from both sides had previously agreed upon could be reached. The dispute centres on a proposed lottery system for conscription, suggested by the conservative bloc, to select recruits if not enough volunteers sign up. Pistorius and his SPD colleagues insist that any new service model must remain voluntary. Conservative top-lawmaker: Pistorius is torpedoing bill Norbert Rottgen, CDU deputy parliamentary leader, who helped negotiate the revised model, criticized Pistorius, telling the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper he had never seen a federal minister so openly torpedo a major bill in his own area of responsibility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An SPD parliamentary spokesman said the first reading would still take place on Thursday, adding: "Parliament is the right place to resolve open questions about such an important law." The aim, he said, is to create a "modern and fair form of military service that reflects the current security situation and is based on voluntarism." German opposition parties had earlier on Tuesday denounced a proposal by Alexander Hoffmann of the CSU to use a lottery to call up young men for military service. "The process of the draft ensures equality because everyone has the same chance of being drawn," he said. Merz's administration has pledged to introduce a voluntary form of military service from next year in a bid to boost recruitment for the German military, the Bundeswehr, in line with new NATO targets. But parts of Merz's bloc believe the measure is insufficient, calling for the programme to be made mandatory. Criticism from left-wing parties Hoffmann's proposal drew immediate condemnation from left-wing parties in the Bundestag. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Soren Pellmann, from The Left party, said the idea reminded him of the "Hunger Games" series of books and films. "We firmly believe that no one should be forced to kill," he said. Green parliamentary leader Katharina Droge called the idea an "ill-conceived proposal" that was "absolutely arbitrary" and "totally bureaucratic." Mandatory military service was suspended in Germany in 2011, effectively ending both conscription and alternative civilian service. AfD divided The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), the largest opposition group, remains divided over the government's military service reform. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While defence spokesman Rudiger Lucassen urges the party to back the measure, leading figures such as Bjorn Hocke oppose any form of conscription tied to "foreign wars." The split reflects regional differences, with eastern chapters particularly critical of support for Ukraine. AfD co-leader Alice Weidel said the party believes in military service but rejects sending German soldiers "as cannon fodder" in foreign wars. "If we are part of the government, you can be sure that we will submit our proposal," Weidel added. The party has yet to agree on a position and continues to delay its decision on how it will vote on the bill. Germany and other European Union countries said they were ready to take on the lead in different major projects to significantly improve European defence capabilities until 2030. Berlin is ready to assume a leadership role in strengthening the EU's air defence, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Wednesday at a meeting of EU defence ministers in Brussels. The so-called European Air Shield is one of several flagship projects that the European Commission plans to launch to improve deterrence and defence against Russia in the coming years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "(Russian President Vladimir) Putin is displaying increasingly aggressive hybrid behaviour, and we must not slacken our efforts to strengthen our defence capabilities for a moment," Pistorius said. According to information obtained by dpa, the aim is to build an integrated, multi-layered air defence system, including the necessary sensor technology to protect against the entire range of airborne threats and be fully interoperable with NATO's command and control system. The project is scheduled to start in the second quarter of next year. Details of the initiative to improve European air defence capabilities and other so-called flagship projects were discussed by EU defence ministers on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The commission is expected to present the rearmament roadmap to the press on Thursday. "This is a roadmap with concrete objectives, concrete goals, and concrete milestones how to achieve defence readiness by 2030," said EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas. Germany and other European Union countries said they were ready to take on the lead in different major projects to significantly improve European defence capabilities until 2030. Berlin is ready to assume a leadership role in strengthening the EU's air defence, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Wednesday at a meeting of EU defence ministers in Brussels. The so-called European Air Shield is one of several flagship projects that the European Commission plans to launch to improve deterrence and defence against Russia in the coming years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "(Russian President Vladimir) Putin is displaying increasingly aggressive hybrid behaviour, and we must not slacken our efforts to strengthen our defence capabilities for a moment," Pistorius said. According to information obtained by dpa, the aim is to build an integrated, multi-layered air defence system, including the necessary sensor technology to protect against the entire range of airborne threats and be fully interoperable with NATO's command and control system. The project is scheduled to start in the second quarter of next year. Details of the initiative to improve European air defence capabilities and other so-called flagship projects were discussed by EU defence ministers on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The commission is expected to present the rearmament roadmap to the press on Thursday. "This is a roadmap with concrete objectives, concrete goals, and concrete milestones how to achieve defence readiness by 2030," said EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas. Drones a key focus Latvian Defence Minister Andris Spruds said that his country was ready to take the lead on drone development. "We are a drone powerhouse already right now," he said. "Drones are absolutely one of the domains where we, as a small country, can also provide and contribute with our knowledge, expertise, and contribution," he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kallas said that drones were a major focus of the rearmament plan. Finnish Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said Finland, with its 1,300 kilometre- long land border with Russia, was willing to take on a leadership role in the land domain. Hakkanen however stressed that "the most important thing" would be clarity on how the different initiatives will be funded. Sweden was ready to bring its expertise in ground combat, connectivity, and low-to-medium range air defence to the table, said Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson. Germany will station Eurofighter jets at the Polish military airbase in Malbork to better protect NATO's eastern members, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced on Wednesday. "We will contribute to protecting the eastern flank with patrol flights," Pistorius said on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels. "This makes us even more active, present and visible on the eastern border of the alliance," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NATO launched a new mission in September to better protect the airspace of its Eastern European members following a string of Russian airspace violations. The fighter jets will increase Germany's contribution to the mission dubbed Eastern Sentry. "When (Russian President Vladimir) Putin tests our borders, whether in Poland, Estonia or elsewhere, we respond decisively, swiftly and effectively," Pistorius said. Germany has so far made available four Eurofighter jets based at the air base in Rostock-Laage, which can take part in armed patrol flights over Poland. France, Britain, the Czech Republic, Denmark and others are also participating in Eastern Sentry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the mission, traditional air surveillance and air defence equipment is deployed to protect the skies of NATO allies as well as measures to deal with drone incursions. In September, three Russian fighter jets entered Estonian airspace, after a large number of Russian drones penetrated Polish airspace. Repeated drone sightings in Denmark heavily disrupted Danish air traffic. Romania also recorded a Russian drone entering its airspace last month. Germany will provide Ukraine with an additional military aid package worth more than 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion), German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced on Oct. 15 during the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Brussels. The package will include advanced air defense systems, precision-guided weapons, and ammunition. "You can count on Germany. We will continue and expand our support for Ukraine. With new contracts, Germany will provide additional support amounting to over 2 billion euros," Pistorius said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new aid package aims to address several of Ukraines military needs as Russia intensifies air and missile strikes across the country. It will include Patriot air defense interceptors, radar systems, precision-guided artillery, rockets, and ammunition, Pistorius said. Germany will also deliver two additional IRIS-T air defense systems, accompanied by a large number of guided missiles and shoulder-fired air defense weapons. Anti-tank weapons, small arms, and secure communications systems are also expected to be part of the delivery. Pistorius said Germany would further deepen its partnership with Ukraines defense sector. He announced plans to modernize previously delivered weapons and extend their operational lifespan, as well as to expand cooperation between German and Ukrainian defense industries. Of the total amount, Germany will contribute $500 million to a NATO initiative supplying Ukraine with critically needed U.S.-made weapons, the alliance announced on Aug. 13. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The support will come through NATO's Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) mechanism, which coordinates funding for Kyiv's most urgent battlefield needs. Read also: Ukrainians brace for another harsh winter as blackout fears return Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Wednesday said he intends for a landmark new military service law to take effect in January, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition struggles to reach a unified position on the divisive issue. "The goal remains for the law to come into force on January 1," Pistorius said in Berlin, one day after a press conference to announce an agreement between his Social Democrats (SPD) and Merz's conservative bloc was cancelled at the last minute. "I think this is all far less dramatic than it is being made out to be," he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The minister has denied claims that he sabotaged the deal, which centred on a proposed lottery system to raise recruits for the new military service programme if not enough volunteers sign up. Merz's government is intent on bringing back a form of military service, which was suspended in 2011, to respond to the growing threat from Russia and boost the German military, the Bundeswehr, in line with new NATO defence targets. However, the governing coalition is split on the issue, with the SPD insisting that the new service must remain voluntary, while parts of Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union (CSU) push for a mandatory model. The divide led to a first reading of Pistorius' bill in the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament, being postponed last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Coalition leaders have stated that the first reading is set to go ahead on Thursday despite the parties failing to reach a compromise. Jens Spahn, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader, told dpa that "Germany must be able to defend itself effectively - not sometime, but soon." "The agreement between the two parliamentary groups on a new military service model is a good basis for this," he argued, pointing to the proposed lottery system. But he highlighted that the Bundestag, not Pistorius, would have the last word on the bill. "In Germany, laws are still negotiated and passed by parliament, not by ministers," he said. "We will submit the draft to the Bundestag this week and continue negotiations." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senior SPD lawmaker Dirk Wiese said the legality of the proposed lottery system would be reviewed in a parliamentary hearing with experts on November 10. Amendments to Pistorius' bill could then be made ahead of its second reading in the Bundestag, before a final vote on the issue. The dispute follows previous coalition rows over judge nominations and an electricity tax. Wiese said the latest hiccough "annoys" him, but promised that the coalition partners are working together successfully. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal on Wednesday signed an agreement to boost defence cooperation between the two countries, including on research and technology development. The agreement will further strengthen Ukraine's defence and deterrence capabilities, and enable Germany to benefit from Ukraine's innovation potential, Pistorius said during the signing at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Pistorius said he hopes the cooperation will generate positive momentum for the German defence industry in terms of innovation, capabilities and speed, describing the deal as a win-win situation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As specific projects, he cited joint activities in the field of air defence, the simplification of work and study stays, and further cooperation in training for the armed forces. There are also plans to expand information sharing, he added. GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) Due to a recent donation from the Grand Junction Lions Club and matching funds from School District 51 (D51), over 80 NumWorks calculators were delivered to high schools across Mesa County. This donation of calculators from the Lions Club means that every student has the same opportunity to learn math and not worry about technology. It gives every student a boost of confidence in a math classroom and when taking tests outside of the classroom. It gives students the needed resources to be successful each day, said the Fruita Monument High School (FMHS) Math Department Chair Sarah George. The NumWorks calculators are intuitive graphing calculators that are approved on many state exams and adhere to the ACT calculator policy. According to its website, it focuses on being the graphing calculator that makes everybody a math person. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The D51 had applied for the 2025 Lions Club grant last year, which continues a history of the organization supporting projects within D51. The Grand Junction Lions Club, in conjunction with the D51 Foundation and D51 Schools, have co-funded thousands of dollars of capital projects for D51 Schools over the past several years. These grants have included technology such as the Numworks calculators, as well as infrastructure improvements such as special playground equipment. This year, we also funded an AED unit for FMHS, said GJ Lions Community Betterment Committee Chair Leonard Little. Palisade High School Math Class (D51/Photo Courtesy) We are always looking for ways to engage our students and pursue new technology, and we are so thankful for our new calculators. We are even more thankful for the donation of time the D51 Foundation took to pursue this grant for the D51 high schools. Time is a teachers most precious commodity, and this has allowed us to maintain our focus on our students and instruction, while giving us more resources. The Palisade Math Department thanks all who supported the effort! stated Elizabeth Chaney, the Palisade High School math department chair. We want to sincerely thank the Grand Junction Lions for their continued support of students across Mesa County. Year after year, they use proceeds from their carnival to support our schools, said D51 Foundation Executive Director Angela Christensen. Central High School Math Class, including Grand Junction Lions Past President Phil Onofrio (4th from left) and Grand Junction Lions Community Betterment Chair Leonard Little (6th from left). (D51 Foundation/ Photo Courtesy) Its fun to see D51 students use the calculators provided by the Lions Club and D51 Foundation. The Lions Club raffle and carnival has raised millions of dollars through the generous support of the Grand Junction Community, said Grand Junction Lion Club Past President Phil Onofrio. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2025, the GJ Lions Club funded grants totaling around $150,000 to 14 different Mesa County non-profits. Every year, the club reviews and selects projects that it believes will have a lasting impact on the local community. The deadline for the clubs 2026 grants is Saturday, and application forms can be found in person at Browns Shoe or online at GJ-Lions.org. 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 WesternSlopeNow.com. CPA Australia CEO Chris Freeland has commented on the implications of a recent Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) report that scrutinised auditor adherence to independence and conflict of interest rules as stipulated by the Corporations Act 2001. The report should be viewed as a catalyst for positive change within the audit industry, according to Freeland. It focused on the compliance of Registered Company Auditors (RCAs) and Authorised Audit Companies with the Corporations Act 2001. ASIC's annual report for 2023-24 indicates that it oversees less than 3,200 RCAs. Out of approximately 2,900 auditors, a risk-based approach led to a review of 109 auditors, with 15 identified to have likely breached independence obligations. The findings particularly highlighted issues with auditor rotation rules, with nine of the 15 auditors breaching mandatory rotation periods. Freeland points out that the rotation rules are complex and suggests that ASIC's guidance on auditor rotation, which has not been updated since 2007, could be revised to reflect the dynamic nature of the audit sector. The breaches were predominantly found in smaller firms and among individual practitioners, indicating the need for more focused educational initiatives and support for these groups. CPA Australia advocates for a more thorough approach to evaluating threats to independence and implementing safeguards, which is particularly pertinent in a compact market like Australia. To improve practices, CPA Australia supports the report's recommendations for enhanced documentation and communication regarding independence assessments. The organisation also encourages cooperation between ASIC and professional bodies to strengthen ethics and independence through education and updated guidelines. In a statement, Freeland said: Independence requirements are particularly complex, spanning legislation, ethical codes and auditing standards. They are designed not only to address actual conflicts but also to safeguard against perceived ones. ASICs recent findings reinforce the need for continuous improvement, not alarm. Prior to this, CPA Australia supported the Australian Government's decision to adjust superannuation tax concessions for accounts exceeding A$3m ($1.95m), set to take effect from 1 July 2026. "CPA Australias CEO discusses ASIC report on auditor compliance " was originally created and published by The Accountant, a GlobalData owned brand. A New Jersey judge has denied gunmaker Glocks attempt to dismiss a landmark lawsuit accusing the company of fueling illegal machine gun conversions and contributing to a surge in gun violence across the state. In a ruling issued Tuesday, Essex County Superior Court Judge Lisa Adubato rejected Glocks motion to dismiss the case, determining that if the allegations were proven, they could support legal action under multiple state laws. Stories by Colleen Murphy Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) In 1975, Don Roberts was convicted of first-degree murder alongside Glynn Simmons. Simmons was cleared two years ago, but today, Roberts continues to fight his 50-year-old conviction. The Edmond Liquor Store murder happened on December 30, 1974. Two armed suspects raided the register, shot two women, and fled, leaving a blood-stained mystery in their wake. DA denies request to overturn conviction of man convicted alongside Glynn Simmons Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It took Edmond police two months to name the suspects. It required an Oklahoma County jury two days to find the co-defendants guilty and sentence two strangers to death. For 20 years, News 4 raised questions about this case; about two men who both claimed innocence. In 2023, 48 years after his conviction, Simmons was exonerated, declared actually innocent. Today, he is a free man; his record cleared; his conscience clean. Edmond liquor store murder co-defendant seeks exoneration Theyve got to follow the same process. The same blueprint, or explain it, said Simmons. Hes innocent, just as innocent as I am. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Simmons co-defendant made parole in 2008. Don Roberts lives as a convicted felon with the stain of a crime he swears he didnt commit. In 2024, Roberts filed for post-conviction relief to clear his name. Roberts case was before Judge Amy Palumbo for more than a year. Days before Palumbo was scheduled to rule on Roberts case, she recused. Roberts has now had three judges in two months. Two judges removed in wrongful conviction case This month, five days after Judge Kathryn Savage got the case, she ruled against Don Roberts, denying his motion for post-conviction relief. She turned me down without even knowing or hearing anything. No, nothing. No presentation, anything, Roberts said. She just turned me down point-blank. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Judge Savage issued the denial without a single hearing. Don Roberts is my co-defendant, Simmons said. Exact same evidence. Same testimony. Exact same sentence. What basis can you deny him on? If you deny him? What am I doing out here? Robertss attorney suspects, Judge Savage didnt even read the case file. The file has thousands of pages of filings, and Judge Savage had the case for less than a week. Her order addresses the timeline of the appeal, not the merits of his case for innocence. Its puzzling in a case where the co-defendant has been fully exonerated, said Oklahoma Innocence Project Legal Director Andrea Miller. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Glynn Simmons advocates for convicted murderers early release Savages denial came on the eve of National Wrongful Conviction Day, celebrated by exonerees and criminal justice advocates around the country. The U.S. criminal justice system, in terms of the number of wrongful convictions, is the worst in the world, said wrongful conviction expert Jim McClosky of Centurian Ministries. On Wrongful Conviction Day, Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna was speaking about wrongful convictions on a panel of experts. She would not answer our questions about Don Roberts denial. I think its going to be on appeal, Behenna said. I dont talk about cases that are pending. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said she doesnt talk about cases that are pending, but that certainly wasnt her approach in 2023 when she called a full court press conference to confess a procedural violation in the case of Glynn Simmons. Behenna told the news media on April 14th, 2023, There was a police report, a significant police report, that was not turned over. So we came to the conclusion because we believe in fair and just trials in Oklahoma, that we would file an application requesting a new trial. We have to do right by people: New law updates compensation for the wrongfully convicted That is her public position on cases of wrongful conviction, but out of the spotlight, in the courtroom, Behenna fiercely opposed Glynn Simmons exoneration and release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And now, in the case of Don Roberts, her office is once again fighting against a declaration of innocence. Let me tell you what happened in my case. Vicki had nowhere else to go, Simmons remembers. It looked like Vicki was a champion of actual innocence. Well, if youre really the champion of actual innocence, let Don Roberts out. File the same motion that you filed to dismiss my case. Vacate the sentence. File it like you did on my case. My lawyer didnt file a motion to vacate. Vicki did because she couldnt take me to court. Theres nothing to take me to court on. Its the same thing in Don Roberts case. If you want to be honorable, take the initiative and file a motion. Thats the right thing to do. In 1975, Simmons and Roberts were tried and convicted as one. But today, with the looming possibility of two exonerations, two black eyes for Oklahoma County, the state has seemingly changed its position on the fairness of the 1975 murder trial. Shes trying to play both sides. Shes trying to say, I kept Roberts in. I kept my foot on Roberts neck, but I did free Simmons; thats not good enough, Roberts said. Vicki Behenna acts like a confused person to me. She thinks she can have it both ways. She thinks she can do half right and be correct. You cant be half right and still be correct. Youve got to be completely right. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Judge Savages denial may be the end of the line for Roberts case in the Oklahoma County courthouse. Glynn Simmons, Americas longest serving exoneree, sues cities and detectives involved in wrongful conviction It doesnt make any sense whatsoever. The courts just need to do the right thing. Youve done wrong. Dont keep prolonging. Dont compound your wrong with this denial that youre doing on down on this case, Simmons said. Its just not fair, just not right. News 4 reached out to the district attorneys office again last week to ask if D.A. Vicki Behenna about her opposition to the Roberts appeal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her spokesperson did not send over a statement, but we know from previous court filings that the district attorneys office believes the facts of the Roberts case are different than the Glynn Simmons case. KFOR reached out to Judge Kathryn Savage, who did not respond to our request for information about the Roberts denial An appeal to the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals can take one to two years. If Roberts is denied there, his attorney will appeal his case to the Western District of Oklahoma, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, and potentially the U.S. Supreme Court That process can take three to seven years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Don Roberts is 72 years old. 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 KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Jack Smith, the former special counsel who led investigations into President Donald Trump, spoke out against the administration in a rare interview. Smiths investigations culminated in two Trump indictments surrounding his handling of classified documents and his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Smith left the Department of Justice in January, shortly before the start of Trumps second term. Sitting for an interview with visiting professor Andrew Weissman at University College London Faculty of Laws, Smith said that the Trump administration is attacking public servants, adding that he was very concerned by recent efforts to demonize the federal workforce. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think the attacks on public servants have a cost for our country that is incalculable, and I think that we its hard to communicate to folks how much that is going to cost us, Smith said. These are team players who dont want anything but to do good in the world. Theyre not interested in politics. These are the very kinds of people we should be celebrating. The comments come in the midst of the Trump administration targeting political opponents inside and outside of federal agencies. Since January, federal agents, supervisors, and lawyers have been subjected to purges and firings. In the last several weeks, a loyalist-led Department of Justice has brought cases against several prominent Trump foes. New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted on charges of bank fraud and lying to a financial institution after personal pressure from Trump. Former FBI Director James Comey also faces Trump-backed charges of lying to Congress. While the interview took place before the James indictment, Smith criticized the Comey case as a blatantly political prosecution. The apolitical prosecutors who analyzed this said there wasnt a case, and so they brought somebody in who had never been a criminal prosecutor on days notice to secure an indictment a day before the statute of limitations ended, he shared. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement to NBC, the White House pushed back against Smiths warnings. The Trump Administration will continue to deliver the truth to the American people while restoring integrity and accountability to our justice system, the statement read. The interview is only the second public appearance Smith has made since leaving office. The first was in September at George Mason University. Smith warned his audience that the rule of law in the United States was under attack. The post This is going to cost us: Smith blasts Trump attacks on public servants in rare interview appeared first on Salon.com. Google DeepMind said Wednesday that its latest biological artificial-intelligence system has generated and experimentally confirmed a new hypothesis for cancer treatment, a result the company calls a milestone for AI in science. "With more preclinical and clinical tests, this discovery may reveal a promising new pathway for developing therapies to fight cancer," Google CEO Sundar Pichai tweeted. In collaboration with Yale University, DeepMind researchers released a 27-billion-parameter foundation model for single-cell analysis called Cell2Sentence-Scale 27B (C2S-Scale), built on Googles open-source Gemma family of models. The model was able to generate "a novel hypothesis about cancer cellular behavior and we have since confirmed its prediction with experimental validation in living cells. This discovery reveals a promising new pathway for developing therapies to fight cancer, the company wrote in a blog post today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The finding centers on one of the hardest problems in cancer immunotherapy: how to make so-called cold tumors, which are invisible to the immune system, more hot and thus more responsive to treatment. DeepMind said its model successfully identified a conditional amplifier drug that could boost immune visibility only in certain biological contexts. To test the idea, C2S-Scale analyzed patient tumor data and simulated the effects of more than 4,000 drug candidates under two conditions: one where immune signaling was active and one where it was not. The model predicted that silmitasertib (CX-4945), a kinase CK2 inhibitor, would dramatically increase antigen presentationa key immune triggerbut only in the immune-active setting. What made this prediction so exciting was that it was a novel idea, Google wrote. "Although CK2 has been implicated in many cellular functions, including as a modulator of the immune system, inhibiting CK2 via silmitasertib has not been reported in the literature to explicitly enhance MHC-I expression or antigen presentation. This highlights that the model was generating a new, testable hypothesis, and not just repeating known facts." Laboratory experiments confirmed the prediction. When human neuroendocrine cells were treated with both silmitasertib and low-dose interferon, antigen presentation rose by roughly 50 percent, effectively making the tumor cells more visible to the immune system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DeepMind researchers described the discovery as evidence that scaling up biological AI models doesnt just improve accuracyit can produce entirely new hypotheses. The true promise of scaling lies in the creation of new ideas, and the discovery of the unknown, the post said. Teams at Yale are now probing the mechanism that underlies this immune-system effect and testing other AI-generated predictions. DeepMind said the work provides a blueprint for a new kind of biological discovery, one that uses large-scale AI systems to run virtual drug screens and propose biologically grounded hypotheses for lab testing. The model and accompanying tools are publicly available on Hugging Face and GitHub, with a scientific preprint posted on bioRxiv. Still, experts caution that such findings represent only the first step in a long process. The results have yet to undergo peer review or clinical validation, and any therapeutic application would require years of additional research and trials. FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) The GOP field is growing with another candidate getting in the race for central Kentuckys open congressional seat. I looked at it. Did some soul searching, and I really thought I could make a difference here in Kentucky, given my background and being a political outsider, Greg Plucinski told FOX 56 News. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Plucinski is coming at the 6th district race with a background not in politics but in pharmaceuticals. The retired president and COO of Summit Biosciences said his experience creating jobs and guiding the company through both a recession and the COVID-19 pandemic is needed in Washington, D.C. After taking the company through the regulatory hurdles in Lexington, Kentucky, selling it. Im uniquely positioned to help President Trump bring back manufacturing from overseas. Out of China, out of India, back to America, he said. Like his primary opponents, Plucinski said he will carry the Trump agenda in Congress, but believes being an outsider is what gives him an edge over the 3 other declared Republicans in the race. I was not born into politics. I was born into hard work. So, during my career, I worked hard to get where I was at. And we created hundreds of good-paying jobs in Lexington. We were able to invest over $25 million back into the local economy, he said. MORE POLITICAL NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Plucinski said if elected, hed also prioritize protecting Kentuckys signature industries and reducing federal spending. He now faces former Winchester state senator Ralph Alvarado, Richmond state representative Deanna Gordon, and Winchester state representative Ryan Dotson in Mays primary. 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. Republicans are ratcheting up their extraordinary efforts to tip the scales of the 2026 midterm elections by redistricting new GOP-leaning US House seats in the middle of the decade. Such efforts have now proceeded apace in Missouri and North Carolina. Indiana and Kansas are weighing it, too, with pressure from the Trump White House. And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that his state would join the fray if the Supreme Court opens the floodgates to more partisan gerrymandering. All would join Texas, whose gambit to add five GOP seats set off this redistricting arms race and drew California Democrats to attempt to offset those gains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a striking power grab one Democrats will try to match but cant. And its all the more remarkable given Americans dont seem to like it, with polls showing they dont think this is how the peoples business should be conducted. The GOP seems to have reasoned that this bare-knuckle tactic will be worth it, because people just dont care enough. North Carolina state House Speaker Destin Hall, left, and Senate leader Phil Berger hold a news conference in Raleigh on September 11. - Gary D. Robertson/AP As all this was happening this week, North Carolina state House Speaker Destin Hall on Monday offered a remarkable justification. @POTUSs victory sent a clear message: the voters are with him, Hall posted on X. NC wont allow radical Dems like @CAgovernor to redraw districts and undermine the will of the people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hall made no mention of Texas getting the ball rolling by undermining the will of the people. He also failed to mention that California Gov. Gavin Newsom will only succeed with the will of the people expressly on his side. Thats because California, unlike these red states, requires voters to pass a ballot measure before Democrats can redraw their districts. (Voters will make that choice this fall.) That dynamic reinforces what a cynical power grab the GOPs efforts are. Pretty much every other state thats doing this appears to be violating the will of the people based on national polling that shows Americans dont like gerrymandering, especially mid-decade gerrymandering. (Theres limited state-level data on the issue that meets CNN standards.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A CBS News-YouGov poll last month gave people a series of choices for how this mid-decade redistricting battle should play out. Just one-quarter thought their preferred side should draw more favorable districts. Three-quarters wanted either more competitive districts (32%) or for everyone to wait to draw new districts after the next census, like normal (43%). (Indeed, thats whats extraordinary here. Both sides gerrymander extensively after censuses are conducted, but its very rare to do so in the middle of the decade when courts havent ordered it. In the few cases thats been done, its been Republicans leading the charge, as in Texas.) A Yahoo News-YouGov poll around the same time showed Americans taking a dim view of the GOPs gambit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Americans as a whole disapproved of what Texas did by a nearly 2-to-1 margin, 49%-25%. They disapproved of President Donald Trump encouraging other GOP-controlled states to mimic Texas by a similar margin, 52%-25%. In both cases, independents were 3-to-1 opposed. And thats where things get interesting. Given all of this, you might expect Americans to also take a dim view of what California Democrats are doing. But they didnt. The Yahoo News-YouGov survey noted that Newsom has pitched this as a hardball response to the GOPs power grab which it certainly is. And Americans were actually about evenly split on whether it was a legitimate response. While 39% approved, 37% disapproved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That seems to echo growing signs in California that Newsoms efforts might succeed. In other words, Americans seem to see a difference between what the GOP is doing and what Democrats are doing. And there is certainly a difference, both in who started it and the magnitude of their efforts. California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks about the Election Rigging Response Act at a press conference in Los Angeles on August 14. - Mario Tama/Getty Images The question from there is how much Americans care. Yes, they might regard gerrymandering as icky and mid-decade gerrymandering as even ickier, but that doesnt mean it will swing many votes. Indeed, a CNN poll last month showed just 25% American adults said the issue of efforts to redraw the lines for congressional House districts was extremely important to them. That was far less than many other issues like the economy (60%), health care (53%) and crime (42%). Though it did notably eclipse foreign policy (21%) and gender-identity and transgender issues (16%). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans trying to maintain their narrow grip on the US House seem to have reasoned that however much Americans might view their gambit as a cynical ploy, itll be worth the handful of more favorable districts. It might be a good bet, but that doesnt mean they have the will of the people on their side. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Florida congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna may be a Republican, but she is hoping to be the person who gets to the bottom of the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. On Tuesday, Luna took to social media to declare that she was now in possession of a hard copy of the report on JFKs assassination from the Ambassador of Russia. Politics: JFK's Grandson Reacts To Donald Trump's Planned Release Of Assassination Files A team of experts is enroute to my office in the morning to begin translation and full review of documents, she said, with plans to upload them as soon as we can. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In case anyone missed her point, she added for clarity: This is of massive historical significance. I have received a hard copy of the report on JFKs assassination from the Ambassador of Russia. A team of experts is enroute to my office in the morning to begin translation and full review of documents. We will be uploading as soon as we can. Thank you again to everyone Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) October 14, 2025 Russias U.S. Embassy confirmed the release of the documents to Luna and said they were set to be officially published in that country next month. The Embassys post noted that many of the documents had previously been presented at JFKs funeral by Soviet representative Anastas Mikoyan. A pre-copy of a #collection of archive documents related to #President John F.Kennedys assassination to be officially published in Russia in November (many of them had been presented by the #Soviet representative at #JFK's funeral, Anastas Mikoyan) was handed over to pic.twitter.com/stpMdewq91 Russian Embassy in USA (@RusEmbUSA) October 14, 2025 During an August interview with Joe Rogan, Luna claimed that the CIA had destroyed its own copies of the documents a long time ago. The KGB had actually come forward with their own independent investigation, and they actually gave it at Kennedys funeral to U.S. officials, she told Rogan. We never got those documents, and its my belief that the CIA actually destroyed that information and evidence because it would have confirmed with this the KGB. Politics: Pete Hegseth's Newest Defense Order Is Sure To Annoy A Lot Of Military Members Back in January, President Donald Trumpsigned an executive order to declassify documents related to the assassination of JFK as well as civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., after previous release attempts were stymied by internal reviews and redactions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, considering that Russia has long been accused of using disinformation to achieve its goals, many people were skeptical that its leaders were releasing the documents to Luna just for karma points. Youre going to crack this case wide open, I know it! Zero chance the Russians are laughing at you. https://t.co/v9lC0JTVtt Marc Thiessen (@marcthiessen) October 15, 2025 You are such a patsy. https://t.co/DQyzgOVlFN Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) October 15, 2025 You realize they could have inserted any narrative they wanted to sow division in America right? How can we trust Russian intel documents? (@DBCooperTX) October 14, 2025 Ahh, I remember the good old days when the qualifications for being in Congress were other than enough gullibility to believe literally any whack conspiracy theory. https://t.co/bYqGs3aXAY Brian Dunning (@BrianDunning) October 15, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This reeks of BS. If it were legit, the Russians wouldve leaked it ages agoback when tensions were actually high. But now, suddenly, theyre just handing it over to you of all people? Spare me. Thats not how any of this works. LibertyLense (@libertyLense) October 14, 2025 HuffPost reached out to Lunas office for comment, but no one immediately responded. Related... Read the original on HuffPost The long-awaited Gordie Howe International Bridge linking Detroit and Windsor is nearly finished, but its opening has been delayed until early 2026, officials said. The project team is progressing well toward construction completion this year with opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge as soon as early 2026," said Heather Grondin, chief relations officer for the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority. "The exact opening date will depend on our ongoing quality reviews, testing and commissioning. We also need to give sufficient time for our operating teams and border agencies to be ready to operate this new and modern land border crossing between the U.S. and Canada. The project, now 98% complete, has seen significant progress across all four components: the bridge itself, ports of entry in both countries and the Michigan Interchange, Grondin said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since crews connected the bridge deck in summer 2024, workers have been installing electrical, drainage and fire suppression systems, along with fencing and barriers for the multi-use path. Line painting on the span is finished. At the U.S. and Canadian ports of entry, construction has shifted to interior finishes. Landscaping, paving and fencing are underway around 36 primary inspection lanes on the U.S. side and 24 lanes in Canada. More: Fired Red Wings Zamboni driver Al Sobotka loses lawsuit, drops bombshell in peeing case In Detroit, all ramps linking Interstate 75 to the U.S. port are built, with crews working on signage and striping, Grondin said. Work also continues on five pedestrian bridges and other local road improvements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Testing and commissioning of systems are ongoing, including toll lanes at the Canadian port, where teams are verifying payment systems, barrier gates and overhead signs. Lighting checks have also begun on the bridges 164 streetlights and nearly 5,000 LED esthetic lights. The $5.7 billion project began construction in December 2020 and will be the largest cable-stayed bridge span in North America once complete. Nour Rahal is a trending and breaking news reporter. Email her: nrahal@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Gordie Howe Bridge wont open until early 2026, officials say Missouri officials falsely accused Denton Loudermill Jr. in a fatal 2024 shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade. Gossip haunted his last days. (Submitted) There is a scene in the 2008 film Doubt, set in a 1964 Catholic grade school, where the priest told a story about a woman gossiping about a man she hardly knew a situation Denton Loudermill Jr. understood when he was falsely accused in the 2024 shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs celebratory parade. In the movie, the woman dreamed that night of a great hand appearing that pointed down at her. Seized with an overwhelming sense of guilt, she went to confession the next day with the parish priest, Father ORourke. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Is gossiping a sin? she asked. Was that the hand of God almighty pointing a finger at me? Should I be asking your absolution, Father? Tell me, have I done something wrong? Yes, the priest said. Youve borne false witness against your neighbor. You played fast and loose with his reputation, and you should be heartily ashamed. Gossip haunted Loudermill in his last days with technologically supercharged rumor traveling at light speed, leading to death threats and slander from which he, and his family, could not escape. People may not remember his name, but his family will never forget how people falsely accused him in a shooting that claimed one life and injured 22, including children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hed stood dazed in the chaos. People screamed. Fight or flight hormones activated. Panicked parents scooped up little ones as best they could and sought safety, not knowing if they were running at or away from danger. Unlike those who ran, Loudermill froze, said LaRonna Lassiter Saunders, part of the legal team representing Loudermills family. He saw a woman shot and bleeding out, she said. The shooting began near him. He was in shock. Everyone started running, but he asked himself, Where should I run? He was waiting for his ride to pick him up. Public torment for this intensely private man began here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police cuffed him and sat him on a curb where people began photographing him, perhaps assuming police had collared one of the shooters. Police stopped Loudermill, Lassiter Saunders said, because he moved slowly. Hard to blame the police in this context. This doesnt seem malicious. Still, Loudermill sat helpless as photos of him traversed the internet like a lit fuse about to detonate and destroy his carefully guarded world. It did. Someone at an undisclosed website posted the picture and labeled him a terrorist, and an illegal immigrant. Those images and that narrative spread like a virus. Two Missouri officials used the photo in posts urging the president to close the border. U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps Jr. on Oct. 7 allowed Loudermills defamation case against Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins and state Sen. Rick Brattin to proceed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Emails sent to the offices of Hoskins and Brattin were not answered. Given the appetite in wide swaths of society to allow masked law enforcement to tackle and shackle foreign-looking people, imagine the impact on Loudermill and his family. Death threats rose like a flood. Im just a light-skinned Black dude, Lassiter Saunders recalled Loudermill saying. Why are they lying on me? I was born and raised in Olathe. Ive been here all my life. This digital mob predictably but painfully took its toll. His counselor diagnosed him with post-traumatic stress disorder. In conversations with Lassiter Saunders, he wondered if hed survive. His weight crashed, leaving him unrecognizable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This happened often, usually at the beginning of our conversations, she said. The first part of my representation, I was like a counselor. Loudermill, she said, would see references to the parade shooting on television. He rarely ventured into social media, but his children would see threats and accusations about him. Once, at work, he told her he saw someone staring at him. He said they punched keys on their phone. It seemed as though they were pulling up his photo and when it appeared, it registered on their faces. Once the digital mob poured the illegal alien and terrorist narrative into a mold, it quickly hardened into a truth-resistant bulwark of gossip and stupidity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This cost him his life, Lassiter Saunders said. The process has outlived him. His family found him dead on April 11. There seems no remedy sufficient for what happened to him. To date, she said, the officials who wrongfully posted his photo have not apologized. In Doubt, the gossiping woman did say she was sorry and asked for forgiveness. Not so fast, Father ORourke said. He ordered her to go home, take a pillow from her bed, climb to her roof, and cut it open. The woman did as the priest asked and returned. What was the result? he asked. Feathers, she said. Feathers everywhere, father. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, I want you to go back and gather up every last feather that flew out on the wind, he said. It cant be done, she said. I dont know where they went. The wind took them all over. And that, ORourke said sharply, is gossip. And for many, the image of this innocent man as some immigrant terrorist still floats on the digital four winds, impervious to truth. Mark McCormick is the former executive director of the Kansas African American Museum, a member of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission and former deputy executive director at the ACLU of Kansas. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here. AUSTIN/SALADO, Texas (FOX 44) Governor Greg Abbott has congratulated the Village of Salado for being designated a Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community by Travel Texas after completing the multi-step certification process. According to the Office of the Governor, The Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community designation shows the commitment of Visit Salado to further develop tourism as an economic growth strategy, boost local job creation, and draw more visitors to their community and to Texas from across the nation and around the world. Salado has also been recognized as a Music Friendly Texas destination. The Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community program is open to local governments or non-profit organizations which serve as the lead entity for tourism promotion and development efforts. Benefits of the designation for tourism entities seeking certification on behalf of their community include the opportunity to strengthen or establish relationships important for tourism development, educate local leaders on the importance of tourism to the state, identify and prioritize locally driven strategies, and learn more about opportunities provided by Travel Texas and other state government programs available to support both communities and the travel and tourism industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Office of the Governor, the mission of Travel Texas in the Governors Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office is to enhance and extend local economic development efforts by marketing Texas as a premier travel destination in out-of-state and international markets, generating non-Texan travel to Texas, and creating revenue and jobs for local communities and the state. For more information on the Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community program, you can visit: gov.texas.gov/tourism-friendly-texas. 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 KWKT - FOX 44. November WTI crude oil (CLX25) today is down -1.08 (-1.82%), and November RBOB gasoline (RBX25) is down -0.0242 (-1.31%). Crude oil and gasoline prices are sliding today, with crude falling to a 5.25-month low. The escalation of the US-China trade conflict has sparked a risk-off in asset markets and is weighing on crude prices after China sanctioned five US units of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean Co., in the latest in a series of tit-for-tat moves as both countries have slapped special port fees on each other's vessels. Crude prices remained lower after the IEA forecast a record global oil glut of 4.0 million bpd for 2026. More News from Barchart Crude prices have been under pressure over the past week following renewed trade tensions with China. A protracted US-China trade war would weigh on global economic growth and energy demand and is bearish for crude prices. Cooling tensions in the Middle East have reduced some of the risk premium in crude prices, weighing on crude as it decreases the likelihood of disruptions to the region's crude supplies following the agreement between Israel and Hamas. Crude prices found support after OPEC+ on October 5 agreed to a 137,000 bpd increase in its crude production target, starting in November, which was less than market expectations of a potential 500,000 bpd boost to production. OPEC+ is in the midst of boosting output by a further 1.66 million bpd to fully reverse the 2.2 million bpd production cut seen in early 2024. OPEC's September crude production rose by +400,000 bpd to 29.05 million bpd, the highest in 2.5 years. Reduced crude production in Russia is supportive for oil prices. Ukraine has targeted at least 28 Russian refineries over the past two months, exacerbating a fuel crunch in Russia and limiting Russia's crude export capabilities. Ukrainian drone and missile attacks on Russian refineries have curbed Russia's total refined-product flows to 1.94 million bpd in the first fifteen days of September, the lowest monthly average in over 3.25 years. An increase in crude oil held worldwide on tankers is bearish for oil prices. Vortexa reported Monday that crude oil stored on tankers that have been stationary for at least seven days rose by +8.9% w/w to 93.96 million bbl in the week ended October 10. The New Hampshire Supreme Court in Concord. (Photo by Dave Cummings/New Hampshire Bulletin) Gov. Kelly Ayotte said she is eager to replace New Hampshire Supreme Court Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi, who was convicted last week of criminal solicitation but is being allowed to remain a justice, in February. I really think this is something that needs to be addressed to the Department of Justice, to the attorney general, Ayotte told reporters Wednesday. But I will tell you that I am looking forward to February when I can replace her. Associate Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi Hantz Marconi pleaded no contest which means she isnt openly admitting guilt but she is accepting conviction on Oct. 7 in a Concord courtroom to charges related to a conversation with then-Gov. Chris Sununu about an investigation into her husband. Prosecutors accused her of attempting to wield her influence as a Supreme Court justice to convince Sununu to intervene in a criminal investigation into whether Geno Marconi, her husband and the state port authority director, had illegally shared confidential records. As part of a plea deal, Hantz Marconi was fined $1,200 and will not serve time in jail. Notably, she is being allowed to return to her position after a panel of judges convened to discuss the matter concluded she hadnt committed a serious crime. In February, Hantz Marconi will turn 70 and reach the mandatory retirement age for New Hampshire judges. At that point, Ayotte will have the opportunity to nominate her replacement. The justice was appointed and sworn in by Sununu in 2017. After she heard arguments in cases Wednesday, she became the first convicted criminal to serve on the states Supreme Court. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) Gov. Laura Kelly has responded to a Politico report that shows members of Young Republican organizations across the country, including the Kansas chapter, engaged in racist, homophobic, misogynistic, antisemitic and violent chats in a secret Telegram chat over a 7-month period. Kelly issued the following statement on Wednesday: While I appreciate the words of condemnation expressed by several Republican leaders and their expulsion of the Young Republicans chapter from the Kansas Republican Party, their words ring hollow when some of them repeatedly post content on social media that directly contradicts their statements condemning racism. I would encourage those leaders in the Republican Party to reflect on their own language and behavior to determine if they have provided license to younger followers to engage in such overtly racist dialogue. Those in positions of leadership have a responsibility to lead by example in both word and deed. They also need to remember that they represent our state and that Kansans celebrate diversity, not mock or condemn it. Gov. Laura Kelly Wichita airport not playing Noem video on government shutdown impact Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kansas Republican leaders condemned the Young Republicans comments, saying their actions do no reflect the party. The Politico report named William Hendrix, vice chair of the Kansas Young Republicans, as one of those who was allegedly sharing racist messages through the app. Hendrix was working in the office of Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, until Tuesday, when Kobach issued a statement saying Hendrixs employment had been terminated as soon as he learned of the report. The Young Republican National Federation has called for the immediate resignation of all those who were involved in the chat from all positions within their state and local Young Republican organizations. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here. 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 KSN-TV. HILTON HEAD, SC. (WSAV) Lowcountry leaders are coming together on Wednesday morning on Hilton Head Island to discuss the future of the region, joined by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster. Governor McMaster is headlining the 29th annual State of the Region, which is hosted by the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce. With record growth across Beaufort County, todays conversations are expected to shape decisions that impact thousands of residents and businesses The Low Country is one of the fastest-growing regions in the country and with that growth comes big questions about infrastructure and housing without losing what makes the Low Country unique. Wednesdays event isnt just a luncheon its a strategic check-in for local leaders on how to plan what comes next. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The State of the Region comes as the Low Country experiences significant growth, especially in Beaufort and Jasper Counties, which brings mounting pressure on housing, infrastructure, and environmental resources. Governor McMaster will deliver a keynote, highlighting South Carolinas pro-business climate and recent economic wins, including new industrial projects in Hardeeville and across the state. Local mayors from Hilton Head, Bluffton, and Hardeeville will take part in a live panel, and are expected to tackle hot topics like traffic along Highway 278, regional development, and long-term planning. Hilton Heads strict zoning model is often looked to as a national example, but leaders say regional coordination is still needed. We ask our businesses what matters to you, and we ask the residents the same thing. Some of those hot topics, as you can imagine, are all about growth, regionalism, whats happening with the 278 corridor, and what are we doing to protect our environment, said Charlie Clark, the Vice President of Communications Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Tourism alone brings in more than $3 billion annually, and population growth is reshaping everything from schools to transportation. With over 550 people expected in the room on Wednesday, todays event aims to turn complex challenges into collective strategies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Low Countrys population has grown nearly 20% in the last decade and with more growth anticipated to continue, leaders believe now is the best time to prepare. The State of the Region starts at 11 a.m. at the Hilton Beachfront Resort & Spa, where regional leaders and Governor McMaster will discuss how they plan to manage what comes next. WSAV will have updates throughout the day. 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 WSAV-TV. Federal officials are warning of the threat that a prolonged government shutdown, now in its 15th day, could pose to millions of Americans who rely on SNAP benefits. The federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program issues electronic benefits that can be used like cash to purchase food and is run by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. Jose Luis Magana/AP - PHOTO: A sign that reads "Closed due to federal government shutdown," is seen outside of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, Oct. 6, 2025. In a letter to state health officials obtained by ABC News, Ronald Ward -- the acting head of SNAP -- said the program that millions of low-income Americans rely on "has funding available for benefits and operations through the month of October." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added, "If the current lapse in appropriations continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the Nation." Allison Dinner/AP - PHOTO: Jaqueline Benitez pushes her cart down an aisle as she shops for groceries at a supermarket in Bellflower, Calif., Feb. 13, 2023. The use of SNAP benefits by food insecure Americans can vary based on unemployment, food costs, and seasonal changes, but is particularly important during the holiday season, when food banks and other services are at their busiest and helping communities in need. Ward's letter also stated a need for a "contingency plan" if operations need to halt ahead of sending November benefits files to vendors. "Considering the operational issues and constraints that exist in automated systems, and in the interest of preserving maximum flexibility, we are forced to direct States to hold their November issuance files and delay transmission to State EBT vendors until further notice," the letter read. As of time of publication, the USDA has not issued any additional updates for SNAP beneficiaries. ABC News' Will McDuffie contributed to this report. Washington Much of the federal government shut down Wednesday, October 1, after Congress failed to reach a deal to approve new funding. Republicans had proposed extending government funding at current levels until Nov. 21 to allow for members to continue working on full-year appropriations bills. Democrats made a counteroffer to keep the government open through October, but attached health care provisions and restrictions on President Trump's ability to withhold funding, both of which are nonstarters with most Republicans. The two sides were dug in on their positions, increasing the chances of a shutdown beginning Wednesday. Congressional leaders met with President Trump at the White House on Monday to search for a path forward, but walked away in the same position. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass funding for some or all agencies, which can't spend money that hasn't been approved by lawmakers. There have been 14 shutdowns since 1980, with the most recent coming in 2018. That shutdown lasted 34 days. Here's what to know about what happens during the government shutdown: What is a government shutdown? Tourists walk by a sign announcing that the Statue of Liberty is closed due to a government shutdown in New York on Oct. 1, 2013. / Credit: AFP PHOTO/Emmanuel Dunand Most federal government agencies are funded annually by a dozen appropriations bills that need to be passed by Congress and signed by the president before the start of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1. These are often grouped together into one large piece of legislation known as an "omnibus" bill to speed up the process when Congress inevitably needs to pass a number of them at the last minute. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the funding deadline passes without Congress authorizing more spending, the government must fully or partially shut down, depending on which agencies are already funded. Ahead of this year's deadline, none of the 12 appropriations bills have been enacted. Some agencies got an infusion of money in the Republican-passed "one big, beautiful bill" earlier this year, meaning certain programs and functions in some departments will remain funded in the event of a shutdown, chiefly the Defense Department and Department of Homeland Security. Lawmakers regularly buy themselves more time to finish spending bills by passing what's known as a continuing resolution, which temporarily extends current funding levels to keep agencies functioning while they work to reach an agreement on new spending. The Constitution says the Treasury Department cannot spend money without a law authorizing it. Under a statute known as the Antideficiency Act, agencies are required to cease operations with certain exceptions in the absence of funding authorized by Congress. The act, a version of which first passed in 1870, with several significant updates since, also prohibits the government from entering into financial obligations without congressional sign-off. "Treasury cannot pay out any money if there's not a law providing for who gets the money," said Matt Glassman, a senior fellow at the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University. "If those annual bills expire, then there is no law appropriating money for certain functions." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What happens during a government shutdown, and who is affected? Federal employees express their disappointment with Congress' inability to end the federal government shutdown on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2013, in Houston. / Credit: Marie D. De Jesus/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images In a shutdown, the federal government must stop all non-essential functions until funding is approved by Congress and signed into law, except for programs that are funded by other means, like fees or other legislation. Each agency determines what work is essential and what is not. Members of Congress make that determination for their own staff, as well. "No money can come out of Treasury whether you're essential or not essential. But who can keep working and incur obligations, even when there are no appropriations there are three exceptions," Glassman said. Those exceptions are defined by the Antideficiency Act. They allow the government to fund operations to protect life and property, and keep officials involved in the constitutional process on the job, like the president, his staff and members of Congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All active-duty military members, many federal law enforcement officers and employees at federally funded hospitals are considered essential, along with air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration officers. Each agency determines which of its employees can stay on the job. In a step that differs from previous shutdowns, the Office of Budget and Management last week told federal agencies to consider permanent mass layoffs for programs or projects that have discretionary funding that runs out on Oct. 1 or that don't have any alternative sources of funding. The reduction-in-force notices would be in addition to any furlough notices issued during a shutdown, according to a memo sent to the agencies. "Programs that did not benefit from an infusion of mandatory appropriations will bear the brunt of a shutdown, and we must continue our planning efforts in the event Democrats decide to shut down the government," the memo said. Whether employees are essential or not, if their pay is dependent on annual appropriations, they won't get paid during a shutdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Essential employees continue to work during the shutdown, but don't get paid until funding is restored to their agency. Employees in nonessential positions are typically furloughed until the government is funded again, although that could look different this time if there are widespread layoffs. Under a 2019 law, furloughed employees are guaranteed to receive back pay once the shutdown is over. A Senate report published in 2019 found that government shutdowns in 2013, 2018 and 2019 cost taxpayers nearly $4 billion, including at least $3.7 billion in back pay to furloughed workers who were not permitted to work. What is open and closed during a shutdown? Entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid continue to function during a shutdown because benefit payments are funded through permanent appropriations that don't require renewal. Entitlement payments keep going out, but the working budgets of the agencies that oversee the programs require approval by Congress. That means staff could be furloughed, causing delays in enrolling new beneficiaries or other service interruptions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Any type of interaction you're having at a customer service level with the federal government could definitely be affected," Glassman said. For example, travel plans could be disrupted if air traffic control and airport security, who are essential workers, do not show up to work in protest for not being paid immediately. Many national parks stayed open during the last shutdown in 2018 and 2019, but understaffing led to vandalism and cuts in visitor services. The parks largely closed during the 2013 shutdown. The U.S. Postal Service continues to operate, since it is self-funded. A woman walks past trash piled next to a garbage bin at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Jan. 3, 2019. / Credit: Jeff Chiu / AP Maya MacGuineas, the president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said the public may not notice the effects if the shutdown is short-lived. "The truth is, most people won't really feel much of a difference," MacGuineas said. "If you've got a vacation planned to a National Park, you're going to be [upset] and disappointed. But most people will go on with their everyday lives and interact with the government the same way they do and not feel a big difference. That could get worse, the longer it lasts." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Senate report found the 2018-2019 shutdown had widespread impacts across a variety of government functions that ceased or were curtailed during the lapse in funding. It noted that furloughs in many agencies like the SEC, Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Product Safety Commission hampered enforcement and investigations. The report said the Justice Department canceled 60,000 immigration hearings. The effects could be even more pronounced this time around, given the possibility that the administration could use the shutdown to implement mass layoffs, furthering the president's aim of permanently reducing the federal workforce. When was the last government shutdown? The last government shutdown stretched from December 2018 until January 2019, when congressional funding for nine executive branch departments with roughly 800,000 employees lapsed. The five-week partial shutdown cost the economy $11 billion, according to a Congressional Budget Office report. The CBO said most of that would be recovered once the shutdown ended, but estimated a permanent loss of about $3 billion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Businesses across the country that relied on government customers reported a slowdown in business and some said they had to lay off employees. Tens of thousands of immigration court hearings were canceled. Government contractors struggled to feed their families and pay their bills. Federal workers line up outside chef and activist Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen to receive free meals and goods amid a partial government shutdown in Washington on Jan. 22, 2019. / Credit: Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images The shutdown stemmed from a standoff over Mr. Trump's demand for $5.7 billion to fund a wall along the border with Mexico. Mr. Trump had vowed to close the government if the funding wasn't included in spending legislation, but Democrats refused to give in. Mr. Trump conceded after insisting for weeks that he would not reopen the government without money for the wall, signing a bill to reopen the government for three weeks while Congress negotiated a spending deal. Three weeks later, Mr. Trump signed a compromise spending bill to avert another government shutdown, ultimately accepting a bill that did not meet his $5.7 billion demand for his long-promised border wall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When was the longest government shutdown? Before the early 1980s, the government would typically continue operating as usual even when funding bills hadn't been passed, but that changed after the attorney general issued opinions stating that it was illegal for the government to spend money without congressional approval. Since 1980, there have been 14 shutdowns, most of which lasted just a few days. The longest shutdown in U.S. history was the 2018-2019 lapse, which lasted 34 full days. Before that, the record was 21 days in 1995 and 1996, when President Bill Clinton held out against steep spending and tax cuts favored by Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich. House lawmakers told their paychecks are delayed until government reopens What to expect from Trump meeting with Xi Jinping Video shows massive damage in Jamaica from Hurricane Melissa Congress failed to reach a funding deal by the Wednesday, Oct. 1, deadline, leading to a government shutdown that will force active-duty service members to continue to serve without pay until a deal is made. During a government shutdown, all active-duty personnel, as well as National Guard who are currently deployed, must carry out their assigned duties with their pay delayed until the shutdown is over. Civilian personnel whose work the Defense Department considers essential, or "excepted," will also continue to work, while other civilians are furloughed for the duration of the shutdown. "After the government shutdown, all government employees will automatically receive back pay, based on the terms of the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019," said Seamus Daniels, a fellow for Defense Budget Analysis at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Active-duty service members won't get paid on time unless Congress passes a separate piece of legislation, as it did in 2013 with the "Pay Our Military Act," which ensured military pay and allowances continued during a government shutdown. Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans of Virginia introduced a bill earlier this month with bipartisan support, the "Pay Our Troops Act of 2026," which would keep members of the military and Coast Guard paid during a shutdown, but it did not pass in time because the House is out of session until Oct 7. During the last shutdown in 2019, the Navy Federal Credit Union and USAA offered special loans to members of the military, and they plan to do so again if there's a shutdown in October. The Navy Federal Credit Union said in a press release it would "offer 0% APR loans to eligible members whose pay may be affected, continuing a tradition of assistance seen during previous shutdowns in 2011, 2013 and 2018-2019, when nearly 20,000 members received support." USAA plans to offer eligible members who have accounts with the bank a "no-interest loan equal to the amount of one net paycheck." The Defense Department published contingency guidance on Friday, outlining its priority missions and stating that unused funds passed in the reconciliation bill over the summer could be considered to support them. The list includes, in order: operations to secure the U.S. Southern Border, Middle East operations, the U.S. missile defense project Golden Dome for America, depot maintenance, shipbuilding and critical munitions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The guidance estimates about 406,000 of the department's 741,000 civilian employees will be required to work in the event of a shutdown because their mission is critical and not easily carried out by any U.S. service member. While a memo from the White House Office of Management and Budget said some civilians could be laid off during the shutdown, the guidance released by the Defense Department outlines furloughs but no cuts to the civilian workforce. During the shutdown, medical care and dental care will be excepted, according to the contingency guidance, but elective surgeries and other elective procedures would be delayed unless they're necessary for military readiness. Private health care using the Defense Department's TRICARE medical insurance would continue uninterrupted. Dr. Attia on how to make your final decade of life as enjoyable as possible June Lockhart, beloved for "Lassie," "Lost in Space," dies at 100 Gavin Newsom on opposing Donald Trump: "He's a wrecking ball" The federal governments partial shutdown continues on for the 15th day on Wednesday, Oct. 15, after the U.S. Senate failed for the eighth time to get enough votes to overcome a budget impasse. Here's what to know. Is the government still shut down? Yes, the federal government remains largely shut down and has been since just after midnight on Oct. 1. More than 750,000 federal workers have been furloughed and ordered not to report to work. Employees deemed essential to public safety, including military personnel, law enforcement officers and air traffic controllers, among others, must work without pay until a budget deal is reached. What do Democrats and Republicans want for the government to reopen? Democrats are pushing to ensure tax breaks for 24 million Americans who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act (referred to as Obama Care) and have refused to back a government spending bill that doesnt address the issue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Senate Dems want to make the tax break permanent, which would otherwise expire at the end of the year, and provide reassurances to prevent the Trump administration from temporarily withholding funds. Republicans and the president say they are open to considering a fix for the expiring ACA tax breaks, but want the issue addressed separately from the ongoing budget impasse. Republicans have also claimed that the Democratic proposal could partially pay for health coverage for people who are in the country illegally. Thats not true, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. How did Indiana Senators vote on Oct. 14? Both Indiana Senators Todd Young and Jim Banks voted yes to extend government funding and end the shutdown. In order for the vote to pass, 60 "yes" votes are needed. On Oct. 14, there were only 49 "yes" votes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were 45 "no" votes and six Senators who did not vote. When will the Senate vote again? The next Senate vote on the government shutdown will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 15, according to the Senate's calendar of business. See USA TODAY's government shutdown tracker USA TODAY is tracking the government shutdown and how your senators voted. To see the full dashboard, visit usatoday.com or hit the link below. From USA TODAY: Government shutdown tracker shows how your senators voted Contributors: USA TODAYs Joey Garrison, Bart Jansen, Melina Khan, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, Michelle Del Rey, Zachary Schermele, Mike Snider and Mary Walrath-Holdridge This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Is the government still shut down? See the latest after the Oct. 14 vote A startling message came over the radio from an air traffic control tower near Los Angeles less than a week into the federal government shutdown: The tower is closed due to staffing." Without enough air traffic controllers to guide planes into and out of Hollywood Burbank Airport, the tower went dark for almost six hours on Oct. 6, leaving pilots to coordinate their movements among themselves. Flight delays averaged two-and-a-half hours in one of the first visible signs that the shutdown was already taking a toll on the nation's aviation system. Since the shutdown began Oct. 1, the Federal Aviation Administration has reported controller shortages in cities across the U.S., from airports in Boston and Philadelphia, to control centers in Atlanta and Houston. Flight delays have spread to airports in Nashville, Dallas, Newark and more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And already there has been an increase in unscheduled absences among security screeners at some airports. The union representing Transportation Security Administration employees says the absences haven't yet caused major disruptions, but it warned longer lines at security checkpoints could soon become a reality after workers received their final paychecks over the weekend. Experts and union leaders say the disruptions are a stark reminder that the aviation system is already stretched too thin by chronic understaffing and outdated technology. They warn the cracks in the system could rapidly deepen the longer the shutdown drags on and critical aviation workers are without their regular paychecks. Its like having a drought the year after you had a drought, Greg Raiff, CEO of Elevate Aviation Group, told The Associated Press. Problems have persisted for years Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These concerns aren't new. In 2019, the aviation system buckled under the weight of a 35-day government shutdown the longest in U.S. history during President Donald Trump's first term. Around the three-week mark, air traffic controllers, many of them working up to 60 hours a week, sued the government over their missed paychecks. One terminal at the Miami International Airport was forced to close because security screeners were calling out sick in large numbers. Some even quit altogether. Here we are so many years later, and the problems have not been addressed," said aviation attorney Ricardo Martinez-Cid, a Florida Bar-certified expert on aviation law who regularly represents crash victims. Now we're in a worse position when we had been put on notice. We had the opportunity to address it." Since then, the country has faced repeated warnings. In January, a mid-air crash over the Potomac River involving a commercial jet and a military helicopter killed 67 people. A series of equipment failures and radar outages this year also highlighted the need for upgrades. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Controller shortage at a critical point Before the latest shutdown, both the FAA and TSA were already dealing with staffing shortages. That includes a shortage of about 3,000 air traffic controllers. Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, has said staffing levels have reached a critical point, the lowest in decades. The shortage is so severe that even a few air traffic controllers missing work can disrupt operations at already understaffed facilities. And on top of that," he said, theyre working with unreliable equipment. The shutdown began just as the FAA was starting to make some progress on addressing the shortage of controllers and modernizing the outdated equipment they rely on that keeps disrupting flights when it malfunctions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agency says it topped its goal of hiring 2,000 controllers this year after streamlining the application process at its academy in Oklahoma City, but it will take years still to eliminate the shortage. And it had just begun looking for companies to help oversee a $12.5 billion effort to overhaul its aging and complex technology systems. Now, the shutdown is delaying those long-needed efforts. And union leaders say the staffing shortages may be worse by the time the government reopens. Shutdown could increase gaps in staffing Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees chapter representing TSA workers, expressed concern that the shutdown could drive even more security screeners to leave the agency, especially given the uncertainty that the workers already have faced this year. That includes the Trump administration's attempts to revoke their collective bargaining rights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Daniels, meanwhile, warned it could stoke fear among newer controllers and trainees who might reconsider the career entirely to avoid working in future shutdowns. It's a long-standing concern. In 2019, after the 35-day shutdown ended, a congressional committee hearing dug into the impacts on air travel. "All of these air traffic controllers and aviation safety professionals were used as pawns in a political fight that had nothing to do with aviation. This is wrong and must not be allowed to happen again," warned the union leader representing air traffic controllers at the time. At the hearing, there were also bipartisan calls for reform to keep the FAA funded without interruption, even when the rest of the government shuts down," as one lawmaker put it. Stories were shared of controllers and TSA agents taking on extra jobs to pay rent, mortgage and other bills despite working longer shifts to fill the gaps in staffing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lawmakers and industry officials who testified agreed: The shutdown made the aviation system less safe. We implore all involved, please heed not only our warnings but the entire stakeholder communitys warnings. This vicious budgetary cycle of stops and starts with little to no stability or predictably has simply got to stop," said Nick Calio, then-president and CEO of Airlines for America, an industry trade group representing airlines including Delta, United and Southwest. And yet the system remains vulnerable to shutdowns seven years later, Martinez-Cid said. We're long overdue for a wake-up call." ___ Associated Press transportation reporter Josh Funk contributed to this report. Oct. 14 (UPI) -- The U.S. Senate on Tuesday failed for the eighth time to pass legislation that would end the government shutdown that is now two weeks old. A Republican-backed bill that would temporarily fund the government through Nov. 21 failed on a 49-45 vote, requiring 60 votes to advance under Senate rules. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the only Republican to vote against the bill. On the other side of the aisle, Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Angus King of Maine voted in favor of the bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The vote means that the shutdown will extend into its 15th day on Wednesday with no clear offramp. Democrats have demanded that extensions of health insurance subsidies be included in any funding deal. Tens of millions of Americans are expected to see their health insurance premiums skyrocket after the subsidies expire at the end of the year. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks during a news conference on the 14th day of the government shutdown at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI During a floor speech Tuesday, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., chastised President Donald Trump for meeting with Argentina's right-wing President Javier Milei to offer a $20 billion bailout for his nation's struggling economy. "This Argentina bailout is a slap in the face to farmers and working families worried about keeping healthcare," he said. "If this administration has $20 billion to spare for a MAGA-friendly foreign government, they can't turn around to say we don't have the money to lower health care costs here at home." President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn of the White House after arriving on Marine One in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Photo by Stefani Reynolds/UPI During a press availability earlier that day, Senate majority leader John Thune, R-S.D., blamed any pain from the shutdown on Democrats, demanding that they agree to fund the government before negotiating on healthcare subsidies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is outrageous what they are doing," he said. "They ought to be ashamed." House Republican leader Steve Scalise (L), Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C. (2nd-L), Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., (C) Republican Conference Chairman Lisa McClain, R-Mich., and House Republican Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., host a news conference on the 14th day of the government shutdown. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI Thune called Schumer "checked out" and said the end will come from working with enough "reasonable Senate Democrats." Senators last voted on funding legislation on Thursday before heading into a long break coinciding with Monday's bank holiday. With no action on the issue in several days, lawmakers in both chambers -- and within the Trump administration -- have used the time to trade criticisms over who's to blame for the shutdown, which has left about 750,000 federal workers furloughed or working without pay. In addition to furloughs, the Trump administration has begun carrying out mass firings, including 1,446 employees at the Justice Department and another 1,200 at the Department of Health and Human Services, USA Today reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration said it's working to make sure active-duty military service members receive their next paychecks Friday by repurposing about $8 billion Congress had appropriated for other areas of the Defense Department. President Donald Trump took to Truth Social over the weekend to announce he ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th." Johnson held a news conference Tuesday morning at the Capitol and said Trump had "every right" to repurpose the funds. "If the Democrats want to go to court and challenge troops being paid, bring it," Johnson said. Romina Boccia, the director of budget and entitlement policy at the Cato Institute, told The Hill on Monday that it is legal for Congress to repurpose un-obligated funds, but for the administration to do so unilaterally "is likely illegal." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "An un-obligated balance does not give the administration the right to use the money as it wishes," Boccia said. "If Congress wants to ensure that America's troops will be paid during the ongoing government shutdown, Congress should pass a bill that authorizes funding to pay the troops." Doing so would require a vote by the House, which is on recess for the rest of the week. Johnson has said he will not call House members back to Washington, D.C., early. At the heart of the deadlock are subsidies for Affordable Care Act premiums set to expire in the new year. Schumer has said Senate Democrats wouldn't support the stopgap legislation unless Republicans back extending the subsidies. The Trump administration has said it's against extending the ACA subsidies, falsely claiming undocumented immigrants are benefitting from it. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for health insurance under the ACA, the federal healthcare.gov website states. The European Banking Authority (EBA) has warned that crypto firms may exploit regulatory gaps during the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulations transitional phase, posing a significant threat to the EUs financial system. In its recent supervisory report, the EBA said certain crypto service providers authorized before MiCAs full implementation in December 2025 could engage in jurisdiction shopping. This involves registering in EU member states with weaker oversight and using passporting rights to operate across the bloc. The law came fully into effect in late 2024, giving the 27-country economic bloc a unified set of rules governing crypto-asset providers for the first time. EBA Flags Weak Supervision Risks During MiCA Transition Period According to the EBA, such actions could allow firms to evade stricter supervision, leading to opaque governance, inadequate risk management, and potential misuse of customer funds. The EBA cautioned that this behavior may result in uneven regulatory standards and create systemic vulnerabilities. It urged national authorities to apply consistent supervision and ensure that firms authorized during the transitional period meet equivalent prudential and governance requirements to those that will apply once MiCA is fully enforced. The report emphasized the importance of cooperation between EU financial regulators, warning that inadequate coordination could facilitate the exploitation of inconsistencies between jurisdictions by high-risk entities. The EBA called on member states to share information about license approvals and revocations to help prevent regulatory arbitrage. The authority also noted that money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/TF) risks remain high in the crypto sector. Additionally, it emphasized that inadequate due diligence and insufficient oversight of cross-border activities could allow illicit flows to go undetected, thereby undermining MiCAs objective of establishing a transparent and secure digital asset market. Under MiCA, crypto firms must obtain authorization and comply with strict operational, reserve, and disclosure requirements. However, firms registered before June 2024 under national regimes may continue operating until the end of 2025 without meeting the new EU-wide standards, a period the EBA says could be exploited by opportunistic actors. The EBA urged regulators to intensify their supervision during this window, recommending enhanced scrutiny of governance structures, capital adequacy, and transaction monitoring systems. Additionally, it encouraged firms to begin aligning with MiCAs risk management and consumer protection requirements ahead of time to avoid disruptions once the transition period ends. Another day. Another vote. Another fail. The U.S. Senate vote Oct. 14 to pass a stopgap funding bill to end the partial federal government shutdown failed. Live updates: Trump to list closed agencies as shutdown enters 15th day The stopgap bill, which would have restored government funding until Nov. 21, was defeated in a 49-45 vote. It needed 60 votes to pass. The result is the government shutdown is now entering its 15th day, with no end in sight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here's the breakdown on how senators are voting, including those representing Florida: Sen. Rick Scott and Sen. Ashley Moody. How did Florida senators vote on funding bill to end government shutdown Oct. 14? The graphic above shows which senators voted yes or no on Oct. 14 to extend government funding to end the shutdown. Sixty votes are needed to pass the measure. Both Scott and Moody voted yes to extend funding to end the shutdown. Sen. Rick Scott: 'Democrats' Trump Derangement Syndrome on full display' The Democrats Trump Derangement Syndrome is on full display. The Schumer Shutdown is all a scheme to feed the Lefts professional protest industry while hardworking Americans suffer. Republicans are ready to reopen our government and put AMERICA FIRST TODAY. https://t.co/3k1MApDUFU Rick Scott (@ScottforFlorida) October 14, 2025 In a post on X Oct. 14, Scott said: "The Democrats Trump Derangement Syndrome is on full display. The Schumer Shutdown is all a scheme to feed the Lefts professional protest industry while hardworking Americans suffer. Republicans are ready to reopen our government and put AMERICA FIRST TODAY." Looking back at 8 votes to end government shutdown. How Rick Scott, Ashley Moody have voted The U.S. Senate has voted eight times between Sept. 19 and Oct. 14 to end the shutdown. Six senators were absent during the Oct. 14 vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both Scott and Moody have voted yes each time. How long will shutdown last? Compare to other shutdowns The longest previous shutdown lasted 35 days between December 2018 and January 2019, during President Trumps first term. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, warned we're barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history unless Democrats drop their partisan demands. The shutdown will not end until senators reach a compromise on healthcare funding and other disputed matters, or until at least 60 senators vote to extend the stopgap bill. What is a government shutdown? A government shutdown occurs if Congress fails to pass or the president does not sign a spending bill to fund the federal government, according to USAFacts.org. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During a shutdown, federal workers do not get paid. Employees considered non-essential are furloughed. Many government services are cut back during a shutdown, although some, including Social Security checks going out, continue. Why did the government shut down? Democrats continue to demand additional healthcare funding, to overturn previously approved cuts in Medicaid funding and to extend tax credits for the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Johnson said Republicans have put no special policy provisions in the legislation to reopen the government until Nov. 21. He said negotiations over healthcare costs could be held after the government reopens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont have anything that I can take off that document and make it more palatable," Johnson said. Were not playing games. Theyre playing a game." How does a government shutdown end? To end a government shutdown, Congress needs to pass, and then the president must sign, appropriations bills to fund the departments and agencies that have been shut down. The president does not have the power to end a shutdown unilaterally. The funding bills follow the same legislative process as any other bill, requiring approval from both the House and Senate before the president can sign them into law. When the Senate passes what is known as a continuing resolution also known as a CR to end a government shutdown, it must then be passed by the House of Representatives and signed into law by the president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The continuing resolution provides "stopgap funding while Congress continues negotiating appropriations for the new fiscal year," which began Oct. 1, according to the American Institute of Physics. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Government shutdown vote tracker for Senator Rick Scott, Ashley Moody For decades, federal shutdowns have mostly been budget fights. The 2025 one has become bigger than that: Its turned into a messaging war. Official government communications, including website banners, out-of-office email replies and autogenerated responses that denounce Senate Democrats, the Radical Left or Democrats $1.5 trillion wishlist for closing the government, mark a sharp break from past practice. These messages are more than rhetorical escalation. Many may violate the Hatch Act, the 1939 statute that limits partisan political activity by federal employees and agencies. They also represent new tests for how far a White House can push the bounds of campaign-style messaging while also claiming to govern. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In any democracy, power lies not only in who writes the laws or signs the budgets but in who shapes the story. Communication is not an afterthought or byproduct of governance. It is one of its essential instruments. Political narrative helps citizens understand whos responsible, whos acting in good faith and whos to blame. The 2025 shutdown has turned that truth into strategy. Federal communication systems agency websites, automated emails and public information portals are being used to persuade rather than inform. Its a move that is both politically risky and legally perilous. Serve the public, not a party The Hatch Act was passed during the Great Depression, after years of concern that federal agencies were being used improperly as political machines. Its goal was simple: to ensure that public servants worked for the American people, not for the party in power. At its core, the Hatch Act prohibits executive branch federal employees except for the president and vice president from engaging in partisan political activity as part of their official duties or under their official authority. Government workers may not use their positions or public resources to influence elections, coerce individual behavior or engage in political advocacy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The law requires federal agencies to avoid the partisan fray and focus on serving the public rather than political agendas. The Office of Special Counsel, which enforces the law, has been clear on this point. The purpose of the Act, says an Office of Special Counsel guide written for federal employees, is to maintain a federal workforce that is free from partisan political influence or coersion. Government communication can inform, but it cannot campaign. An auto-reply to an email sent to the press staff at the U.S. Department of Education on Oct. 14, 2025. CC BY Yet the shutdown has already produced multiple potential violations: The Department of Education, according to a lawsuit, altered employees email auto-responses without consent to say things like the Democrats have shut the government down. Such changes do more than convey impartial information. They compel employees to align themselves with institutionally imposed scripts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Likewise, agencies including Health and Human Services and the Small Business Administration reportedly distributed or directed staff to adopt partisan out-of-office auto-replies assigning blame to Democrats. The Department of Housing and Urban Development posted a banner on its official website stating that the Radical Left are going to shut down the government. Taken individually, each incident might provoke a Hatch Act complaint. Collectively, they amount to a systematic campaign to transform nonpartisan federal agencies into partisan political messengers. The message on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development homepage, Oct. 14, 2025. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Why this is unprecedented What sets the 2025 messaging apart isnt just its volume its the scale, the coordination and the brazenness of its political targeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In past shutdowns, partisan spin lived mostly in press conferences and campaign talking points. Agencies themselves, even under pressure, stayed neutral. This time, the administration is using the machinery of government to deliver partisan blame. The timing and similarity of messages across departments seems coordinated. Housing and Urban Development posted a banner blaming Democrats the day before the shutdown began. Within hours, other agencies followed using nearly identical language. More troubling are the reported changes to federal employees auto-replies without their consent. These missives forced career civil servants, many of them furloughed, to become unwilling messengers for partisan ends. Federal agencies and their workers are supposed to serve everyone, not only those who support the party in power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And because the watchdogs who could enforce the legal boundary are also sidelined the Office of Special Counsel is furloughed complaints have nowhere to go, at least for now. They simply land in unattended email inboxes. Legal challenges and limits Whether shutdown communications truly violate the Hatch Act or related laws is not yet clear. The administration could argue that its not campaigning but merely explaining why services are suspended. As a scholar of political communication and American democracy, I believe that defense weakens when official messages explicitly assign partisan blame or name a political party. And not every political statement is a Hatch Act violation. The law allows employees to express views off duty or in private contexts, so long as they use their own phones and computers. Even if the Office of Special Counsel later finds violations, harm will likely persist. Once messages are posted or auto-replies sent, their effects cant always be undone. And because ethics officials are furloughed, too, accountability will be delayed, if it comes at all. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some employees are likely to claim their speech rights were violated by being forced to send partisan messages. This is an argument already at the heart of the lawsuit filed by the American Federation of Government Employees against the Education Department. Doors at the Internal Revenue Service in a Seattle federal building are locked and a sign advises that the office will be closed during the 2018-2019 partial government shutdown. AP Photo/Elaine Thompson Why this matters Federal agencies exist to administer laws impartially and to do so on behalf of the people. When the government uses its own infrastructure for partisan messaging, the very neutrality on which democratic governance depends erodes. It dilutes public trust in the idea of a neutral state. The damage also extends into the future. If the current administration succeeds in turning its administrative machinery into a political weapon, without consequence, a precedent will be created. Future presidents may be tempted to follow suit, making acceptable the use of taxpayer-funded systems as campaign tools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And because enforcement bodies such as the Office of Special Counsel also are sidelined during a shutdown, accountability has to wait. That creates an asymmetry of power: One side gets to amplify its message through government channels in real time, while its opponents must wait for the system to restart just to file a complaint. By the time they can, the moment will have passed and the political narrative is likely to have already hardened. Crises demand explanation, even blame. Citizens expect their leaders to tell them what went wrong. But they also expect honesty and fairness in how that story is told. The administrations messaging strategy during this shutdown tests whether government communication remains a public service or becomes another instrument of political power. 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: Stephanie A. (Sam) Martin, Boise State University Read more: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stephanie A. (Sam) Martin 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. COLFAX, N.C. (WGHP) Governor Josh Stein joined Guilford Technical Community College on Wednesday to celebrate the groundbreaking of its new aviation campus, according to a press release from Gov. Steins office. The campus will feature a new 70,000-square-foot training center to expand the aviation program, focusing on advancing technology in composites, structures, and assembly. This center will house the aviation manufacturing and avionics programs. Gov. Stein shared what this investment and expansion will do for the area and the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement North Carolina is synonymous with aviation and aerospace innovation. We were the first in flight, and now, we are the future of flight, said Governor Josh Stein. At this Aviation Center, students will gain the skills and real-world experience to succeed in the high-wage jobs the Triad is attracting. Together we can make our state a magnet for even more aerospace jobs and continue to strengthen our advanced manufacturing sector. The space will increase GTCCs capacity to serve more students, allowing the college to help 700 students annually. The groundbreaking also included executives from JetZero and HAECO, aviation companies looking for skilled workers for future development. JetZero anticipates creating 14,000 jobs over the next decade. Head of Government Relations at JetZero Julie Felgar hopes those aviation technician positions are filled by local trainees. One of the reasons that we chose North Carolina, and it was a pretty strong competition across many sites across America, was actually just the workforce development programs that you have here, Felgar said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement HAECO Greensboro General Manager Elton Click said that over the more than three decades at PTI, the company has grown and even has capacity it would like to use. The demand is there. Were using about two-thirds of our physical slot capacity. So we have 300 ready jobs. We just need the labor, Click said. The building will house the aviation manufacturing and avionics programs. GTCC President Anthony Clarke said its the role of a community college to keep up with the local industry. Theres new technologies, so we have to continue to improve our programs, and thats why we get very close with our employers to make sure we know what they need in the workforce, and then we can adjust our programs and partnership with them to go ahead and meet that need, Clarke said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clarke said the college is working closely with the employers, as it has in the past, to develop the ever-changing curriculum at the new aviation building to be the most up-to-date and provide the students one of the available jobs. We have two career pathways with GTCC already. One is an AMP helper program, and the other is a trainee program, and so this allows us to bring more people, more talent to our facility, so that we can generate more work for our customers, Click said. Weve already sat down with GTCC, and theyre having conversations with the other community colleges around here as to the type of equipment that theyre going to need to be purchasing to train people on Were starting to develop the curriculum with them on what thats going to look like, Felgar said. The facility is expected to open in the spring of 2027 and is the first of a two-phase aviation program expansion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement GTCC plans to build another facility, doubling its student capacity in the next decade. 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 FOX8 WGHP. Left to right: Deb Haaland and Sam Bregman, who are the Democratic frontrunners in the 2026 primary campaign to be New Mexico's next governor. (Source NM file art) It remains to be seen if the 2026 race for New Mexico governor will break the fundraising record set in 2022, but the two Democratic frontrunners have already pulled in millions of dollars in campaign contributions, according to the latest filings with the New Mexico Secretary of State. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, also a Democrat, cant run again due to term limits. Her last general election against Republican Mark Ronchetti in 2022 broke campaign spending records. She raised nearly $13 million and he raised more than $9 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deb Haaland, a former U.S. Secretary of the Interior and previous member of the U.S. House of Representatives for New Mexicos 1st Congressional District, reported in a news release raising a little over $4 million in campaign contributions in the last six months. However, Haalands full report was not publicly available on the Secretary of States website by the state filing deadline of Oct. 14. A campaign spokesperson told Source NM via email: the report was so large it overwhelmed the SOS website, and also said it could not be shared through email. The most recent filing date covers donations and spending in between April and September. The next reports will be due next year. Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver confirmed in a text message to Source NM Haalands recent filing was too large for the system and said the state has been working with them and the vendor to get it parsed properly so we can upload. As of the end of the day Wednesday, Haalands report had not yet appeared on the site. In a statement about the donations, Haaland thanked her supporters, noting she has received more than 33,000 donations from New Mexicans since announcing her campaign in January. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I look forward to continuing to travel the state, hearing directly from New Mexicans about their struggles, and what they want to see in plans for affordability, healthcare, education, and public safety, she said. Source will provide reporting on Haalands top donors when the report becomes available. Her closest competitor contribution-wise, Sam Bregman, has raised $2.4 million in campaign contributions since April. Of the more than 2,240 recorded donations, about 20% were from out-of-state contributors. Bregman, the top prosecutor for the 2nd Judicial District in Bernalillo County, announced his candidacy in April. This campaign is powered by New Mexicans who want a candidate with a real common-sense plan for the future. Bregman said in a statement. As the outsider in this race, nobody expected us to raise this kind of money. But Ive never been one to shy away from hard work. This incredible show of support proves folks are ready for something new. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bregmans largest campaign donors include New York Investment firm Garnett Station Partners and the Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino; and Thomas Jorden, the CEO at Texas oil company Coterra Energy. His son, Boston Sox third baseman Alex Bregman also donated the maximum: $12,400. Courtesy of Ken Miyagishima The third Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ken Miyagishima, the former longtime mayor of Las Cruces and insurance salesman, raised just over $19,000 since April, and loaned his campaign more than $50,000. In a call with Source NM, Miyagishima said he planned to ramp up fundraising in the next month. If you look at all my previous elections, I probably financed about 80% to 90% of them, he said. Thats not the preferred method, but I just have a hard time asking people for money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of the four announced Republican candidates, Rio Rancho Mayor Greggory Hull pulled in the most donations just over $123,000 since April. His top donors include Brady Lovelady, owner of Perfection Honda in Rio Rancho; retired business owner Nancy Nunnally from Rio Rancho; and Roswell car dealership owners Tom and Linda Krumland. Our campaign is proud to have raised over $329,000, the most of any candidate in the Republican primary, Hull said in a statement to Source NM. Considering that we reached this milestone before even announcing, were encouraged by the level of support and momentum behind this campaign. Gregg Hull, as pictured on his campaign website (Courtesy Greg Hull) Three other Republican candidates who have filed paperwork to run, but have not declared formal campaigns yet, all reported no expenditures or donations in the last six months. They include Brian Cillessen, a 53-year-old Farmington resident, veteran and hunting show host; and Duke Rodriguez, CEO of Ultra Heath Cannabis and a former cabinet secretary for former Republican Gov. Gary Johnson. Las Cruces personal trainer and businesswoman Belinda Robertson did not file a report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two candidates have declared a campaign for governor without political party affiliation. Jacob Smith, a Rio Rancho resident, reported a sole donation of $2,000 from himself. Gene Pettit, a nondenominational pastor in Radium Springs, reported two donations from himself, and a donation of $1.25 from an Alamogordo resident. New Mexicos primary election will be held June 2, 2026. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX GRAND JUNCTION Colo. (KREX)- Tail wags and handshakes greeted community members at Sherwood Park Tuesday evening, as the Grand Junction Police Department introduced its two newest four-legged officers, Brisa and Loki. The department hosted a meet-and-greet event to celebrate the official launch of its newly revived K-9 program. Officers and their canine partners recently completed a nine-week training course at the Rocky Mountain Canine Academy in Denver, preparing them for a wide range of duties, including scent detection, tracking, and obedience. Our officers and our two newest canines, Brisa and Loki, attended a very rigorous nine-week training, said Kelly Clingman, public information officer for the department. That included scent detection of illegal drugs, tracking, trust-building, obedienceall the things that really connect the officer with their canine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The departments K-9 program had been on hold since 2024, following the retirement of K-9 Vamos. Thanks to a generous donation from local residents Ann Raabe and Paul DiMarchi, the program was able to restart this year. Since their deployment in mid-August, Brisa and Loki have already made an impact. Theyve seized or detected close to 135 grams of illegal drugs, Clingman said. Theyre already doing quite a bit of work to help keep our community safe. The department says weekly training will continue for both dogs and handlers as they serve the Grand Junction community. 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 WesternSlopeNow.com. Greta Thunberg has claimed she was hit, kicked, starved and tortured during her time in Israeli custody. The Swedish activist accused Israeli guards of defacing her suitcase with the words whore Greta, drawings of a penis and images of the Star of David. The 22-year-old was detained by Israel earlier this month after taking part in an attempt by the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was the activist coalitions second attempt to break Israels naval blockade of Gaza, which has been in place since 2009. Ms Thunberg said she was taken to a dystopian paved area lined with iron fences and other detainees, who had been tied up with their foreheads on the floor. I saw maybe 50 people sitting in a row on their knees with handcuffs and their foreheads against the ground, she told Aftonbladet, the Swedish newspaper. Ms Thunberg claims her suitcase was defaced by Israeli guards - Magnus Wennman/Aftonbladet/TT/Shutterstock They dragged me to the opposite side from where the others were sitting, and I had the flag around me the whole time. They hit and kicked me. Ms Thunberg accused the guards of having no empathy or humanity and claimed they took selfies with her while she was in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She added: Theres a lot I dont remember. So much is happening at once. Youre in shock, youre in pain, but you go into a state of trying to stay calm. Israel released a video of the activist being being handed a bottle of water and jacket by a soldier on the ship Ms Thunberg also claimed that she had to beg for water while being kept in 40C heat but said the guards laughed in front of her while holding water bottles, before threatening to gas her. When people fainted, we banged on the cages and asked for a doctor. Then the guards came and said: Were going to gas you. It was standard for them to say that. They held up a gas cylinder and threatened to press it against us, she said. During the nights, guards regularly came by and shook the bars, shining flashlights, and several times a night they came in and forced everyone to stand up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, the Israeli foreign ministry said: Greta Thunberg is brazenly lying. All of her legal rights were fully upheld. Interestingly enough, Greta herself refused to expedite her deportation and insisted on prolonging her stay in custody. She also never lodged any complaint with the Israeli authorities regarding these ludicrous and baseless allegations because they simply never happened. She first accused Israel of torturing her shortly after she was deported from the country earlier this month, which the ministry denied. The climate activist was deported from Israel on Oct 6 after being detained on the flotilla several days before. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The flotilla had set sail from Barcelona in September, its second attempt to breach Israels navy blockade over Gaza. Most of the vessels in the flotilla were stopped 100 miles off the coast of Gaza - Stefanos Rapanis/Reuters On Oct 2, most of the vessels in the GSF had been stopped some 100 miles off the war-torn enclave after ignoring orders to change course. Organisers called the interceptions an illegal attack on unarmed humanitarians in international waters. After the boats were intercepted, Israel released a video of Ms Thunberg sitting on deck, being handed a bottle of water and jacket by a soldier. In a statement, the foreign ministry said: Already several vessels of the Hamas-Sumud flotilla have been safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Greta and her friends are safe and healthy. After Ms Thunbergs boat was stopped, the GSF pledged to continue undeterred. In June this year, Israeli naval forces detained Ms Thunberg and 11 crew members from a small ship organised by a pro-Palestinian group called the Freedom Flotilla Coalition as they approached Gaza. 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. GROTON - Officials have identified the woman killed in a fire at Groton Towers on Broad Street Extension on Saturday. Linda Bennett, 78, died in the fire, which injured three others, according to the City of Groton Fire Department. Officials said the investigation into the cause of the fire is being lead by the State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit in conjunction with the City of Groton Fire Marshals office. They said the owners of the apartment building are working to get the building reoccupied as fast as possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They are also working with the occupants who will not be able to return to find alternate accommodations," Groton fire officials said. Over the weekend, officials said emergency crews responded around 4:52 p.m. on Saturday to the Groton Towers apartment complex on Broad Street Extension due to the fire. They said firefighters found large clouds of dark smoke pouring from the building before rescuing two residents who were trapped on the fourth floor of the burning building. Officials said four individuals were transported to the hospital for treatment, with one woman, now identified as Bennett, dying from her injuries. They said the other three were treated and have since been released. The state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of Bennett's death, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fire displaced all of the building's residents, officials said, although they did not specify the number. They did note that the American Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents. This article originally published at Groton officials identify 78-year-old woman killed in apartment complex fire. GUATEMALA CITY (AP) Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo accepted the resignations of three top security officials Wednesday as the fallout from Sundays admission that 20 gang members had escaped from prison continued. The prisoners, all members of the Barrio 18 gang, had apparently escaped over a period of days, perhaps during family visits, and it wasnt until a recount of prisoners was made that their escape was discovered. On Wednesday, Interior Minister Francisco Jimenez, his deputy overseeing combating drugs and his deputy overseeing the prison system all resigned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What has occurred in the penitentiary system is unacceptable, Arevalo said in a news conference. The escape from justice by 20 dangerous criminals is not a simple operational failure, it is a serious offense against every good Guatemalan who trusts that the state will carry out its duty to protect them. The escape came just weeks after the U.S. government designated Barrio 18 a foreign terrorist organization at the urging of the Guatemalan government. Barrio 18, largely based in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, originated in the United States as a street gang in Los Angeles created by young Salvadoran immigrants as a way to protect themselves. When many of their members were deported from the U.S. to El Salvador, the gang expanded and gained power across Central America, where it continues to terrorize communities. Arevalo also announced Wednesday that his administration would build a new maximum security prison to hold 2,000 prisoners and have it ready in 12 months. A new census of the prison population will also be carried out. On Tuesday night, Guatemalan lawmakers advanced a proposal to change various laws to give the government more tools against gangs, including increasing prison sentences for extortion for gang members. It would also create the crime of illegal enrichment through extortion. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) On Oct. 25, visitors to Grand Rapids Garage Bar & Grill can attend Oddities on Ottawa, a Halloween-themed block party returning after a successful start in 2024. We had thousands of people show up, Kevin Farhat, owner of Grand Rapids Garage Bar & Grill, said. Were looking forward to this year being bigger and better than last year. Grand Rapids bar hosts Dracula dinner theatre event Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With a $25 ticket, visitors can enjoy performances from fire breathers, mentalists, carnival acts and 20 different musical artists, including horror-inspired DJ, Figure. Grand Rapids Garage Bar & Grill hosts Oddities on Ottawa, a Halloween themed block party. (Courtesy Megan Bowman) Grand Rapids Garage Bar & Grill hosts Oddities on Ottawa, a Halloween themed block party. (Courtesy Megan Bowman) Grand Rapids Garage Bar & Grill hosts Oddities on Ottawa, a Halloween themed block party. (Courtesy Megan Bowman) Grand Rapids Garage Bar & Grill hosts Oddities on Ottawa, a Halloween themed block party. (Courtesy Megan Bowman) Grand Rapids Garage Bar & Grill hosts Oddities on Ottawa, a Halloween themed block party. (Courtesy Megan Bowman) Grand Rapids Garage Bar & Grill hosts Oddities on Ottawa, a Halloween themed block party. (Courtesy Megan Bowman) Just a bunch of crazy stuff going on, Farhat said. It should be entertaining. Organizers will be holding a costume contest, and the first place winner will receive a $500 cash prize. Food trucks, beverage tents and access to Chicago Beef Joint are included in general admission. Halloween event in Rockford promotes local shops Were just looking forward to getting weird, having some fun, Farhat said. For more information on the event, visit the Oddities on Ottawa website. 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 WOODTV.com. By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell CAIRO/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Hamas handed over more bodies of deceased hostages to Israel on Tuesday, one sign of progress after a number of apparent setbacks in the day since U.S. President Donald Trump touted his plan to end the Gaza war. The bodies were returned after Israel announced it would cut in half the number of humanitarian aid trucks allowed into Gaza in a move to punish Hamas for what Israel called the militant group's violation of its agreement to transfer remains under the ceasefire deal reached last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, re-emergent Hamas fighters demonstrated they were reasserting control in Gaza by deploying hundreds of security forces in the streets and executing several people they accused of collaborating with Israel. The outlook for Trump's peace plan darkened further when the president threatened Hamas with military strikes unless the militant group disarmed. "If they don't disarm, we will disarm them. And it will happen quickly and perhaps violently," Trump said at the White House, one day after he spoke before the Knesset in Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained the war cannot end until Hamas surrenders its weapons and cedes control of Gaza, a demand the fighters have rejected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Monday, Trump proclaimed the "historic dawn of a new Middle East" to Israel's parliament, as Israel and Hamas were exchanging the last 20 living Israeli hostages in Gaza for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners. But the return of 28 dead hostages has remained one of the final details to be worked out in the deal to end more than two years of hostilities that began with Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Hamas has now handed over eight coffins of dead hostages, leaving at least 19 presumed dead and one unaccounted for still in the Gaza Strip. On Tuesday, the Israeli military said it received four coffins from the Red Cross at a meeting point in northern Gaza Strip. Those coffins, escorted by Israeli forces, crossed the border into Israel shortly before midnight (2100 GMT) and were being taken for forensic identification, the Israeli military said. Hamas also confirmed the transfer was under way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At this moment, the men are continuing to oversee the implementation of what was agreed upon regarding the handover of bodies as part of the agreement to end the war in Gaza, Hamas spokesperson in Gaza Hazem Qassem on Facebook. It was not immediately clear if the handing over of bodies was sufficient for Israel to restore a full complement of aid deliveries. Israeli officials said they had decided to restrict aid, allowing only half the agreed number of aid trucks into Gaza starting Wednesday, and to delay plans to open the southern border crossing to Egypt because Hamas had violated the ceasefire deal by failing to turn over bodies of hostages. Israel's two-year assault has left much of the enclave in ruins and Gaza City and surrounding areas are suffering from a famine that has afflicted more than half a million Palestinians, creating great need for an expected 600 aid trucks to enter Gaza daily during the ceasefire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Plans have yet to be implemented to open the crossing to Egypt to let some Gazans out, initially to evacuate the wounded for medical treatment. HAMAS ASSERTS CONTROL Hamas, which seized Gaza in a brief 2007 civil war, has swiftly reclaimed the streets of Gaza's urban areas following the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops last week. Gaza residents said Hamas fighters were increasingly visible on Tuesday, deploying along routes needed for aid deliveries. In a video circulated late on Monday, Hamas fighters dragged seven men with hands tied behind their backs into a Gaza City square, forced them to their knees and shot them from behind, as dozens of onlookers watched from nearby storefronts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Hamas source confirmed that the video was taken on Monday and that Hamas fighters participated in the executions. Reuters was able to confirm the location by visible geographic features. Trump has previously given his blessing to Hamas to reassert some control of Gaza, at least temporarily. Israeli officials have so far refrained from commenting publicly on the re-emergence of the group's fighters. Palestinian security officials said dozens of people had been killed in clashes between Hamas fighters and rivals in recent days. In addition Israel, using aerial drones, killed five Palestinians as they went to check on houses in a suburb east of Gaza City, and an Israeli airstrike killed one person and injured another near Khan Younis, Gaza health authorities said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hamas accused Israel of violating the ceasefire. The Israeli military said it had fired on people who crossed truce lines and approached its forces after ignoring calls to turn back. Hamas sources told Reuters on Tuesday the group would tolerate no more violations of order in Gaza and would target collaborators, armed looters and drug dealers. The ceasefire has stopped two years of devastating warfare in Gaza triggered by the October 7, 2023 attack in which Hamas-led gunmen killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's military has killed at least 67,000 people in Gaza according to local health authorities, with thousands more feared dead under the rubble. Gaza's Civil Defence Service said 250 bodies had been recovered since the truce began. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo and Maayan Lubell and Pesha Magid in Jerusalem; Additional reporting by Emma Farge in Geneva and Yomna Ehab and Menna Alaa El Din in Cairo; Writing by Angus McDowall, Peter Graff, Jonathan Allen and Daniel Trotta; Editing by Ros Russell, Mark Heinrich and David Gregorio) Horrifying news from Gaza. Hamas has carried out a mass public execution. The victims who showed signs of having been brutally beaten were blindfolded, forced to kneel, and then shot dead. The footage is utterly chilling. I have just one question: when will Western Left-wingers start marching in protest? After all, we know how very, very deeply they care about the lives of Palestinians. So they will have been appalled to see Palestinians being executed on their own streets like this. As the Independent Commission for Human Rights in Palestine has said, these executions were a gross violation of the right to life, physical integrity and the right to a fair trial. And, as a spokesman for Fatah, a political party in the West Bank, has said: This is how Hamas persecutes civilians. Presumably, therefore, we can expect Western politicians, activists and celebrities to be up in arms about this latest sickening bloodshed in Gaza. Greta Thunberg, I feel sure, will be setting sail immediately, so she can tell Hamas exactly what she thinks of them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, Kneecap and Bob Vylan are doubtless planning a special joint concert, at which they will vociferously deplore these cold-blooded killings. And we can certainly look forward to full-throated condemnation from the many, many Left-wing MPs who have so consistently spoken out against violence in Gaza. Then, of course, theres that delightful-sounding PPE undergraduate from Oxford University, who proudly told a rally of his fellow pro-Palestinian activists in central London on Saturday that hed been workshopping a chant that goes: Gaza, Gaza make us proud put the Zios in the ground! In response to this weeks executions, I expect hell be urgently adapting the lyrics to, Put Hamas in the ground. Or, at the very least, Put Hamas on trial in The Hague for their shocking abuses of human rights. Greta Thunberg arrives at Athens airport after being deported by Israel for taking part in a Gaza aid flotilla earlier this month - AFP And lets not forget the charming woman in London who cut down ribbons symbolising the plight of Israeli hostages because, she said, those ribbons made her feel offended, intimidated and threatened. She told the BBC this week that she just wants liberation for the Palestinian people. I assume she means liberation from the murderous Islamists who so viciously rule over them. Doesnt she? Anyway, all of the above is why, this coming Saturday, I confidently expect to see Britains cities thronged once again with thousands upon thousands of keffiyeh-wearing progressives, every single one of them brandishing a placard that reads: FREE PALESTINE FROM HAMAS. They wont fall for Hamass claims that the people executed were pro-Israel collaborators. They would never be so gullible as to trust the word of a proscribed terrorist group. Theyll also be furious to hear that these alleged collaborators were executed without any trial or presentation of evidence. And in any case, progressives are staunchly opposed to capital punishment, so theyll definitely protest against that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Admittedly, its possible that some people will say Im being naive. Theyll remind me that when, in March last year, a counter-protester at a pro-Palestinian rally in London held up a sign that read, Hamas are terrorists, police had to remove him for his own safety. Theyll also remind me that, after the ceasefire was announced last week, the same British Left-wingers who spent two years chanting Ceasefire now decided to hold a massive anti-Israel march anyway, at which some attendees were heard to chant, Death, death to the IDF. Which rather suggests that they arent necessarily as interested in peace as they claim. Cynics might even argue that Western progressives will never march against Hamas, because doing so might force them to consider certain awkward questions. Such as, if Israel really was committing genocide, why has it now chosen to stop? Why not carry on bombing, if the eradication of the Palestinians was Israels aim? And, come to think of it, isnt it curious that Israel agreed to a ceasefire upon return of the hostages just as it repeatedly said it would? Credit: X Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Personally, though, Im determined to ignore all those horribly cynical voices. Western progressives have always made clear that they are motivated solely by their compassion for Palestinians, and I, for one, wholeheartedly believe them. Which is why Im convinced that theyll now start demonstrating against Hamass executions in Gaza. Otherwise, theres a terrible risk that theyll be painted as a pack of shameless hypocrites who were only pretending to care about the lives of Palestinians because it gave them an excuse to call for the destruction of the worlds only Jewish state. And that cant be true, can it? 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. The terror group has previously stated that it cannot locate all the murdered hostages in the Strip. Hamas knows very well where the remains belonging to at least some of the 21 hostages who have not been returned are located, an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday. The terror group has stated several times that it cannot locate all the murdered hostages in the strip, stressing as recently as earlier the same evening that it has already handed over all the hostages it could access. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Locating the remaining hostages would require extensive efforts and special equipment, the terror group claimed. Remains of two hostages returned on Wednesday The Red Cross received the remains of two deceased hostages from Hamas, the IDF confirmed on Wednesday. Red Cross vehicles transport the bodies of deceased hostages who had been held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, after they were handed over by Hamas militants as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Gaza City, October 14, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/DAWOUD ABU ALKAS) On Tuesday, Hamas released the body of a Gazan resident who assisted Israeli forces in locating underground terror tunnels during the war in place of a fallen hostage while delivering four bodies to Israel. "Hamas released a body that is not that of a fallen soldier. We are clear when we say this: Hamas must return all the fallen hostages; we will not compromise and will spare no effort until all the fallen are returned," the statement read. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Hamas committed to this before President Trump, and all the fallen must come home. Humanitarian aid has never been interrupted. For questions, please contact the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) and the IDF." This is a developing story. Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that disarming Hamas is the next critical step following the return of 20 living hostages, echoing US President Trumps warning of swift action if Hamas refuses. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the demands from him and US President Donald Trump are "very clear" that Hamas must disarm and demilitarize or "all hell breaks loose," in a Tuesday interview with CBS Mornings co-host Tony Dokoupil. "We agreed to give peace a chance," he said, commenting that now that the 20 remaining living hostages have been returned, disarmament and demilitarization must come next. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "First, Hamas has to give up its arms, and second, you want to make sure that there are no weapons factories inside Gaza. There's no smuggling of weapons into Gaza. That's demilitarization," the prime minister said. Trump issues similar warning earlier on Tuesday Hamas terrorists rejected the demand to disarm and demilitarize, which led to Trump issuing a warning that if the terror group does not disarm then "we will disarm them, and it'll happen quickly and perhaps violently, but they will disarm." Netanyahu told CBS that he heard Trump's comments, and paraphrased them as "all hell breaks loose." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump embrace on the Knesset plenum, October 13, 2025. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST) "I hope it doesn't, I hope we can do this peacefully. We are certainly ready to do so," Netanyahu commented. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An Israeli diplomat told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday that while phase one included the return of all hostages, phase two generally aims to demilitarize Gaza and preliminarily establish a temporary Palestinian government. Since the 20 living hostages were released, Hamas terrorists transferred the bodies of eight deceased hostages, including Guy Illouz, Bipin Joshi, Yossi Sharabi, and Daniel Peretz on Monday night, followed by four as-yet unidentified hostage remains on Tuesday night. Netanyahu met with recently freed hostages Avinatan Or, Alon Ohel, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Evytar David, and Eitan Mor at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus, with his wife, Sara Netanyahu, where he told them he kept his promise to bring them back to Israel. "I promised to bring them home - and we brought them home, he said of the hostages who were freed after two years in Hamas captivity. With the same determination, we are working on the return of the fallen. We will spare no effort or resources to bring them back." Israeli sources have estimated that this was a mistake, as the body belonged to a Gazan man in an IDF uniform, who was suspected to be a fighter killed in the war. Hamas released the body of a Gazan resident who assisted Israeli forces in locating underground terror tunnels during the war in place of a fallen hostage while delivering four bodies to Israel on Tuesday. Prior to this information being revealed, Israeli sources had estimated that this was a mistake, as the body belonged to a Gazan man in an IDF uniform, who was suspected to be a fighter killed in the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel will utilize every possible means to ensure the return of all hostages' remains," an Israeli official stated. A spokesperson for Netanyahu announced to the foreign press on Wednesday that the transfer of a Gazan body instead of one of the fallen hostages constitutes a violation of US President Donald Trump's peace plan. Despite Hamas's violations of the agreement, he added that the humanitarian aid Israel committed to delivering to Gaza has never been interrupted. Red Cross vehicles transport hostages, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, following their handover as part of a ceasefire and hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Gaza City October 13, 2025 in this still image taken from video. (credit: REUTERS/Reuters TV) Netanyahu calls on Hamas to honor ceasefire agreement "Hamas released a body that is not that of a fallen soldier. We are clear when we say this: Hamas must return all the fallen hostages; we will not compromise and will spare no effort until all the fallen are returned," the statement read. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Hamas committed to this before President Trump, and all the fallen must come home. Humanitarian aid has never been interrupted. For questions, please contact the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) and the IDF." "The families of the fallen said that their return would save the lives of all the family members," they added. "This would allow the bodies to be brought to an Israeli grave, and thus they could return to their lives." The remains of deceased hostages Uriel Baruch, Staff Sergeant Tamir Nimrodi, and Eitan Levi were identified at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute early on Wednesday morning. Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report. Hamas handed over the remains of two more hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross on Wednesday, but said it is currently unable to recover the remaining bodies. The Israeli military said two coffins were transferred to ICRC staff and would soon be handed over to Israeli forces. Under the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Islamist group, Hamas is required to hand over a total of 28 bodies, 19 of which remain in the Gaza Strip. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group released the last 20 living hostages on Monday. However, the handover of the remaining bodies now appears to be running into difficulties, raising fears for the stability of the fragile ceasefire. The Israeli military said on Wednesday forensic experts had found that one of the 10 bodies that Hamas has released so far does not match any of the missing deceased hostages. In a statement issued at the same time as the latest handover on Wednesday, Hamas said it has handed over all the bodies of hostages it is currently able to access and has therefore fulfilled its obligations under the ceasefire agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The remaining bodies of the prisoners require significant efforts and special equipment to search for and retrieve them, and we are making great efforts to close this file," the statement said. Many of the hostage remains are believed to be buried under the ruins of bombed buildings or in tunnel shafts, after two years of conflict in the Gaza Strip. Israel continues to insist on the return of all dead hostages. NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Apple (AAPL) is lobbying India's government to modify its income tax law to ensure the company is not taxed for ownership of high-end iPhone machinery it provides to its contract manufacturers, an issue seen as a hurdle to its future expansion, sources say. The push coincides with Apple's growing India presence as it diversifies beyond China. Counterpoint Research says iPhone's share in the Indian market has doubled to 8% since 2022. And while China still accounts for 75% of global iPhone shipments, India's share has quadrupled to 25% since 2022. India is the world's second-largest mobile market. Apple's contract manufacturers Foxconn and Tata have pumped in billions of dollars to open five plants, but millions of those expenses go into acquiring pricey machines for iPhone assembly. Apple CEO Tim Cook gestures during the inauguration of India's first Apple retail store in Mumbai, India, April 18, 2023. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas REUTERS / Reuters Experts say Apple potentially faces billions of dollars in additional taxes if it changes its business practices without convincing New Delhi to change a 1961 law covering foreign ownership of equipment used in India. In China, Apple procures the machines used to make iPhones and gives them to its contract manufacturers, and is not subject to tax even though it still owns them. But that's not possible in India as the Income Tax Act would consider such ownership by Apple as a so-called "business connection", making the U.S. firm's iPhone profits liable for Indian taxes, said a senior government official and two other industry sources. Apple executives have held talks with the Indian officials in recent months to tweak the law as it fears the current legislation could hamper its future growth, said the sources. "Contract manufacturers cannot put up money beyond a point," said the first industry source. "If the legacy law is changed, it will become easy for Apple to expand ... India can become more competitive globally." Reuters is first to report Apple's concerns and lobbying efforts on the law. Apple did not respond to Reuters questions, and neither did India's IT and finance ministries who are involved in the discussions. INDIA CAUTIOUSLY REVIEWING APPLE REQUEST Smartphone manufacturing is a key plank of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's agenda, and India's deputy IT minister last year privately said China and Vietnam could race ahead as major smartphone export hubs due to their lower tariffs on phone parts. A senior Indian official said "discussions on taxation rules impacting Apple are ongoing", but New Delhi is cautious as any changes to the law could diminish its sovereign right to tax a foreign company. A Hammond man is charged for fleeing a fatal wreck in a Lake County Jail correctional officers death, records allege. Jimmie Jacobs III, 29, was charged Tuesday with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death to another person, a Level 4 felony, and reckless homicide, a Level 5 felony. If convicted, he faces up to 18 years in prison. He is in custody, held on a $5,500 cash bond. Schererville Police responded to a two-car crash around 4 a.m. Oct. 11 on U.S. 30 near Austin Avenue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Honda Civics driver Ronald Jones, 58, of Schererville was unconscious and extricated with the jaws of life. A white Chrysler 300 was empty. Jones had worked as a correctional officer at the Lake County Jail for nearly nine years, according to a previous news release. He was pronounced dead at 8:22 a.m. after he was airlifted to Advocate Christ Hospital, according to the Cook County Medical Examiners Office. At the scene, police searched for Jacobs with a drone and police dog. Officers found Jacobs IDs and cellphone in the car. Surveillance footage from Dairy Belle showed Jones was turning left to head east on U.S. 30 when Jacobs blew through the red light at a high rate of speed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jacobs left his car and got a ride from a black SUV, according to video footage. Police tracked him to an apartment complex on the 2000 block of Meadow Lane. After a two-hour stakeout, officers arrested him just after 8 p.m. when he opened the door. He declined medical treatment, then asked for a lawyer. Police photographed his injuries. Earlier in the investigation, Hammond police went to Jacobs relatives home, who told them he didnt live there. Another Hammond officer told investigators that Jacobs brother was driving a black Nissan SUV rental with an Ohio license plate while his truck was getting fixed in the shop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jacobs called a non-emergency number to report the accident, records state. He demurred when asked to go to the Schererville Police Station. Detectives tracked down Marche Holcombe at a gas station, whose cellphone Jacobs used. When they felt she was covering for him, they arrested her. She was later charged with misdemeanor false informing. She later told police that a cousin picked him up and gave him a ride back to Hammond. After that, she took him to her Dyer apartment while she went to a birthday party at Up Your Alley, records state. Jones is survived by two adult children. Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said Jones coworkers remember him as a kind, dedicated man who performed his duties with an exceptional level of professionalism. The sheriffs department expressed condolences to Jones family and friends. Post-Tribune archives contributed. mcolias@post-trib.com When a seven-count indictment against a New Hampshire Supreme Court justice was announced last fall, the news rocketed across the state. The justice, Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi, was accused of asking one of New Hampshires best-known politicians former Gov. Chris Sununu to interfere in a criminal case against her husband. The dual criminal cases threatened to derail the careers of both Hantz Marconi and her husband, Geno Marconi, the longtime head of the state's Division of Ports and Harbors. But only one member of the family has emerged with her job firmly intact. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hantz Marconi, 69, is scheduled to return to the bench Wednesday, a move that surprised the prosecutors who brought the case. Thats not a decision we expected, said state Attorney General John Formella, adding that he was disappointed. Formella said Hantz Marconis conduct was unlawful and unethical, and it undermines confidence in our criminal justice system. A spokesman for the New Hampshire Judicial Branch declined to comment Tuesday. There was no immediate response to a request for comment emailed to Sununus website Tuesday. When Hantz Marconi was charged in 2024, then-Gov. Sununu called the indictment an extremely serious situation, the Concord Monitor reported at the time. Everyone needs to be held, especially public servants, to a very high standard, he said. Chris Sununu, then the governor of New Hampshire, talks about his endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley in Keene on Dec. 13, 2023. (Kristopher Radder / The Brattleboro Reformer via AP) Hantz Marconi's return to the bench capped a dizzying past several days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, Hantz Marconi struck a plea deal after multiple attempts to get the charges dismissed failed. She pleaded no contest to a single count of criminal solicitation related to the misuse of her position, a misdemeanor. A judge accepted the plea agreement and found Hantz Marconi guilty of soliciting Sununu last year, when he was still governor, to secure a governmental privilege and/or advantage in an investigation of her husband. Under the terms of the plea deal, Hantz Marconi paid a $1,200 fine but avoided prison time. All seven of the original charges, including two felony counts punishable by up to seven years in prison, were dismissed. Two days later, a state Supreme Court panel decided to restore Hantz Marconi's law license with no restrictions, clearing the way for her to return to the bench. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judges said the charge to which she pleaded no contest does not meet the definition of a "serious crime" in the state's attorney discipline system. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors also made the same determination. Hantz Marconis lawyer, Richard Guerriero, said last week that she continues to disagree with the attorney generals characterization of her actions. He said she pleaded no contest to bring the case to an end without the spectacle and possible damage of a trial involving testimony by New Hampshire Supreme Court Justices and other state officials." Hantz Marconis return to the bench will be short. Under court rules, she must retire when she turns 70 in February. Then-President Joe Biden talks with Geno Marconi, head of New Hampshire's Division of Ports and Harbors, and Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., at a briefing about state infrastructure projects in Portsmouth in 2022. (Patrick Semansky / AP file) Her husbands criminal case continues. Few details have been made public. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Geno Marconi, 74, was charged with six counts, including two felonies, over allegations he deleted voicemails, engaged in witness tampering and shared confidential records with another person. The nature of the investigation in question was unclear. According to the original indictment against her, Hantz Marconi told Sununu that there was no merit to the allegations and that any investigation of her husband needed to be wrapped up quickly because she was recused from important cases pending before the state Supreme Court. Geno Marconi has pleaded not guilty. His trial is scheduled to begin next month. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com HANAHAN, S.C. (WCBD) A department head with the City of Hanahan has been placed on paid leave while separation papers are being prepared, Hanahan Mayor Christie Rainwater confirmed to News 2 on Wednesday. At the time, Mayor Rainwater was unable to provide any additional details about that staff member or the reason the individual was placed on leave. However, multiple sources tell News 2 that the assistant fire chief is actively running the Hanahan Fire Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement News 2 is working to gather additional information. You can count on us for updates. 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 WCBD News 2. Each cold and flu season comes with reminders to get your annual flu shot. But with everything you have going on, its fair for your flu shot to fall down on your list of things to do. So, what happens if you miss a flu shot? While doctors stress that this isnt something that you want to find out about, its fair to have questions. But there is a reason why healthcare organizations recommend getting your flu shot each year. Namely, the circulating strains change, making you at risk not only for getting infected, but for getting seriously ill. Meet the experts: Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., is a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; Thomas Russo, M.D., is a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If youre waffling about making an appointment to get your shot this year (or just havent even thought about it), there are a few things infectious disease doctors say you should keep in mind. Heres what they want you to know. What happens if you skip your flu shot this year? On a basic level, you can get sick. That means you can be left dealing with symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, runny nose, headaches, and muscle aches, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But thats if you have a regular case of the flu. The flu can also cause serious complications like inflammation of the heart, brain, or muscle tissues, along with multi-organ failure, per the CDC. And its worth pointing out that more than 45,000 people die of the flu in the U.S. each year. The reason we recommend getting annual shots for flu is that over time, our immunity wanes and theres some evolution of the virus, says Thomas Russo, M.D., a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York. The vaccine can help you potentially develop antibodies that are a better match with the new variants that are circulating. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unfortunately, the flu shot isnt perfect, and Dr. Russo points out that you can still get sick if you get the vaccine. But he also notes that the shot can lower your risk of having serious complications from the virus. If you are a high-risk person, the risks of hospitalization and severe disease also increase, says Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. What happens if you skip your flu shot any year? If you keep skipping your flu shot every year, you still run the risk of developing serious complications if you get sick, Dr. Russo says. Over time each year, your antibody levels wane to a greater degree, especially if you dont get the flu, Dr. Russo says. The virus may also evolve to a more significant degree, increasing your risk of being vulnerable. Are flu shots still necessary? The CDC recommends that everyone aged six months and older get their flu vaccine each year. So, yes, doctors say that flu shots are still necessary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Influenza vaccination is helpful in that it lessens chances of infections but, more importantly, it lessens chances of hospitalization and severe disease, Dr. Adalja says. He also points out that it lowers the odds that youll have to miss important events in life, like activities and work. Were also learning that there are indirect effects of getting the flu, Dr. Russo says. Getting the vaccine can help you to protect yourself directly against the virus and to minimize the effect on your pulmonary and cardiovascular system. How long does the flu last with no shot? Its hard to say how long the flu will last in any given person. However, most people with the flu will get better anywhere form a few days to less than two weeks, per the CDC. In unvaccinated individuals, durations may reach the longer portions of that interval, Dr. Adalja says. Dr. Russo agrees. If you get the vaccine, it will decrease the severity of your symptoms, the duration of your illness, and your viral load as well, he says. It will also afford protection for people that youre in close contact with. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Russo stresses that that flu vaccine isnt perfectbut that its still worth getting. You can get the flu vaccine and still get infected, he says. But it will take the virus from wild to mild, making it closer to the common cold. You Might Also Like Mackenzie Ziegler uploaded a mirror selfie in a bold black top on Instagram. She chose a simple base for her pictures and stylized her look via accessories. Her hair was set in a neat modern hairstyle. She captioned the picture saying, close friends posts of the year (pt 1). Mackenzie Ziegler stuns in a daring [] The post Mackenzie Zieglers Mirror Selfie in Bold Top Will Make You Look Twice appeared first on Mandatory. Several of the family members of the hostages who were released spoke to the press for the first time since the return of their loved ones on Monday. The relatives of several released Gaza hostages called for a state commission of inquiry to be established and for the remaining deceased hostages to be returned in Tuesday statements given at Sourasky Medical Center's Ichilov Hospital and Sheba Medical Center respectively. These were the first statements since the release of their hostage relatives on Monday. "Yesterday, our national healing journey began, as a people," Lishay Miran-Lavi, wife of Omri Miran, said, adding that the journey that will not end until the last hostage is returned, and until a state commission of inquiry is established. And we will be part of this struggle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Until the last hostage is returned. Until the establishment of a commission of inquiry. Because only then will we create a worthy country for those who paid with their lives. Only then will we create a country worthy of our children, where Roni and Alma will be able to grow," she continued. Anat Angrest, mother of Matan Angrest, discussed a conversation she had with her son about the fighting in Gaza: One of the first things Matan told me when I saw him was, Mom, you should know - we were alone, but we fought and killed many terrorists. Through tears, he spoke about how proud he is of his brave comrades who were killed in the difficult battles: Tomer Leibovitz, Daniel Peretz, and Itay Chen. Matan needs a place to honor their memory. These heroes deserve to be buried in the country they fought for, she explained. Matan Angrest at Re'im, October 13, 2025. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT) Unfortunately, my family and I learned firsthand throughout this journey what it feels like to be left behind, and we cannot allow this to happen to any other family. We will not rest until everyone returns; until the last hostage comes home, Angrest demanded. Hostage families speak about the difficult next step Don't let the smile fool you; the road ahead is still long, warned Viki Cohen, mother of Nimrod Cohen. We are all committed to this mission - to help Nimrod return to as normal a life as possible. We will embrace him, wrap him in love, and together, hand in hand, we will accompany him on this long journey filled with joy and hope. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rivka Bohbot, wife of Elkana Bohbot, talked about the condition of her husband. During the recent months, Elkana received no food, as was evident in the videos that were released. He endured abuse and tremendous suffering. "Just before his release, he was given large amounts of food so that he would look somewhat better for the world to see. Because of this, Elkana is currently suffering from severe stomach pain, but I am confident that my heroic husband will be able to gradually return to good health thanks to the medical care he's receiving and his own inner strength, she added. We pray that this may be the beginning of redemption. That we may know days of peace, of true unity, of unconditional love, of comfort. That all the hostages will recover quickly, and for those who, tragically, are no longer among the living, may God send consolation to their families, said Avi Ohana, father of Yosef-Chaim Ohana. Until the last hostage is back The statements also included details about the first encounters between released hostages and their loved ones, with Bohbots wife describing the hug between Elkana and his father, Yesterday, I witnessed both my husband and our son Reem being reborn. The embrace between them, the moment when Elkana, despite being so weak, couldn't restrain himself and lifted Reem up to hold him tight. My child got his father back, and as a mother, I couldn't ask for anything more. Hostages families in the Ichilov Hospital. (credit: ALON GILBOA) Iair Horn, himself a former hostage who was released in February, also commented about his reunion with his brother Eitan Horn, saying about eight months ago, I came home after 498 terrible days in Hamas captivity; 498 days of fear, pain, and a daily struggle to maintain my humanity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "About eight months ago, I came home, but the truth is that only today am I truly free. Only now, with my beloved younger brother Eitan finally back with us, is my heart whole again. The first breath after nearly two years of suffocation. The hostage families also insisted that the mission was still ongoing and that the rest of the 20 slain hostages must return home as part of the ceasefire deal. There are still 24 hostages held by Hamas whose families long for closure. They deserve to be honored and given a proper burial. I call on the international community to keep pressuring Hamas. We will not stop our struggle as families until all the remaining 24 hostages are home, added Miran-Lavi. Liran Berman, sibling of captivity survivors Gali and Ziv Berman, also commented, But even in this moment of joy, we cannot forget those still waiting. Families who are still living this nightmare, soldiers who gave everything to make this day possible, and the 24 hostages who have not yet come home. Gali and Ziv are home. Now we must bring everyone home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Miran-Lavi and Berman's statements were made before Hamas terrorists handed over the remains of four more hostages on Tuesday night. The statements also included profound gratitude to the people of Israel who stood by them, to US President Donald Trump and special envoy Steve Witkoff, whose efforts made their loved ones' return possible, and to the Hostage Families Forum. Dont expect the government shutdown to end anytime soon especially since Washington isnt expecting it to end anytime soon. House Speaker Mike Johnson warned this week that were barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history. Is Johnson doing anything to stop the logjam? Oh, Heavens, no. The speaker has kept the House out of session and refused to even swear in Adelita Grijalva, the Democrat who won a special election in Arizona. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another sign that the Trump administration has given up? Its begun moving money around to ensure that troops are paid during the shutdown, buying Republicans in Congress time and giving them one less pain point. Rather than bringing leaders in the House and Senate together to shake hands the way he did with Israel and its Arab neighbors, Trump seems virtually checked out. Senate Majority Leader John Thune continues to hold Potemkin votes on the same continuing resolution that Democrats have already said is a non-starter. Mike Johnson continues to give his daily press conferences despite the fact he has kept the House out of session (AFP via Getty Images) Once the Senate finishes its votes on Thursday, the Senate will head home, meaning there will be no votes on Friday. It's just the latest sign that talks are not underway and there aren't even talks about talks moving anywhere. And as for the House? It's still out of session. Democrats insist that any continuing resolution include a plan to salvage the COVID-era enhanced tax credits for the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Thats a non-starter for Republicans, who say any discussion about health care must begin only after the government re-opens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Republicans want to see some serious changes to the credits even if they agree to extend them. Getting the fraud out of the program and addressing the Hyde Amendment issues, said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who has led talks with Democrats about the subject. The Hyde Amendment prohibits taxpayer dollars from going toward abortions. That will likely be a nonstarter for Democrats, but Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has proposed legislation prohibiting exchanges from covering gender transition care for people younger than 18 and abortion. Hawley frequently sells himself as a populist who supports expanding health care even though he voted for the One Big, Beautiful Bill and its cuts to Medicaid so that shows how much at loggerheads the two parties are. Republicans also face a larger problem: at their core, they still oppose the 2010 health care law that Barack Obama signed and they have yet to repeal it and create a suitable replacement. Trumps biggest policy failure during his first presidency came when Republicans failed to repeal the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What's driving up health care costs is Obamacare, Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) told The Independent. That's what's driving up the cost of health cost of health care. Hoeven said that he wants to see the tax credits more targeted toward low-income earners. But Democrats see no reason to give an inch. A perfect sign is how Sens. Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan are not conceding so far. Both won open seats last year in states that Trump won, but neither seem to be willing to budge. Elissa Slotkin is among Democratic senators standing their ground and demanding a reversal of Medicaid cuts (AP) The Republicans are not recognizing the fact that they're gonna raise the premiums on 24 million Americans, and I think that's what's causing them to stall out and not really offer any solutions, Gallego told The Independent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Slotkin, for her part, is more clandestine about her discussions with Republicans. I don't talk about any of those internal conversations you're talking to a former CIA officer, she told The Independent. Slotkin said that along with credits, she wants to see a reversal of Medicaid cuts from the One Big Beautiful Bill and a restoration of health research that has been gutted. I'm willing to, like, accept that I'm a Democrat, I'm in the minority, she said. The Republicans have the White House, the House and the Senate, so I'm not going to get everything that I want. I'm a big girl. Slotkin flagged the fact that back in her home state, Democrats and Republicans nearly hit a shutdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They yelled at each other over Twitter, and then they finally got in a room and they figured it out in 96 hours, she said. So that's what I think can be done here, and that's why it's always good to have those conversations. But there seem to be no rumblings of the kind of major roundtables that usually bring government shutdowns or other staring contests to an end. Absent are staffers pushing carts of pizza boxes into a room for members to begin negotiations. Johnson has yet to take the long five-minute walk across the Capitol to offer Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer a reason to stand down. Expect this to be a long shutdown barring an act of God. And even that might be used as a reason to keep the government closed. HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) People in Harrisburg are taking the time to recognize the blind and visually impaired. October 15 marks White Cane Day. Dozens of people walked from the Labor and Industry Building in Harrisburg to the State Capitol building. Dawn Sokol, the Director of the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services, said, We want everyone whos passing by to see people using the white cane today, and we want to hopefully have people see how easy it is to use the white cane and how independent people can be. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The goal of the event was to remind drivers to slow down when they see someone using a white cane and to highlight the challenges faced by individuals who are blind. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now abc27 Evening Newsletter You might use the world with your eyes, people who have an impairment or are blind use feel with a cane or have a guide dog for their safety, participant Carli Little said. So people who use it dont bump into you either..so dont be afraid to say hi, ask questions, people who use a cane are like everyone else.. its an important mobility safety tool. Pennsylvania is the first state in the country to require drivers to yield to blind pedestrians. 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 ABC27. STONEWOOD, W.Va. (WBOY) An EMS worker in Harrison County has been arrested and is facing charges after troopers with the West Virginia State Police say he stole drugs, including fentanyl, from his employer. According to a criminal complaint, on Oct. 13, troopers received a call from the Director of Ancillary Services at Jan Care, who said that a medication case had been missing from the companys Stonewood location since at least Oct. 8. The director told troopers that the case contained several controlled substances stored in vials, including fentanyl, Versed and Ativan. Mother charged with abusing 14-day-old infant in Monongalia County Kenneth James Arehart On Oct. 14, troopers said that they received a tip telling them that Kenneth James Arehart, 47, of Clarksburg, an employee with Jan Care, had stolen the case with the intent to sell the drugs inside. Later that day, troopers executed a search warrant at Areharts residence but were unable to find the drugs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite no drugs being found, troopers interviewed Arehart, who did confess to stealing said box during his shift on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025 at the Jan Care station in Stonewood, the complaint said. Arehart allegedly added that he stole the case with the intention of selling everything inside it due to financial struggles he was facing. Arehart has been charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. He is being held in the North Central Regional Jail. 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 WBOY.com. _ Prince Harry's request for a risk assessment over U.K. taxpayer-funded security rights to newly appointed Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood could derail his reconciliation with King Charles III. Keep reading for the details MORE: Follow Wonderwall on MSN for more top news ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA _ According to a source, King Charles III is displeased with Prince Harry for writing the letter to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, particularly after the Duke of Sussex claimed his father could resolve the security issue. "It's not going to help matters. We're back to where we were," the insider told The Times. "The king cannot and will not lobby. That's inappropriate. His representatives cannot advocate for policy outcomes, particularly in relation to his own family. The royal household representative on the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, Ravec, is not there to advocate a position for a member of the royal family. They are purely there as a liaison to the household." MEGA _ The situation is backing King Charles III into a corner. "If you put yourself in the mind of a father who is repeatedly told he should and could intervene, that is not very helpful, complicates matters and shows a lack of understanding about the reality of the situation," the source said. ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA _ The U.K.'s High Court ruled in favor of the English government after Prince Harry appealed their decision to end his security detail when he retired from his official royal duties in 2020. "While he realizes this will not be top of the incoming secretary's in-tray, it is something which should have happened a long time ago. We have had the can kicked down the road for quite a while now, but all he's asking is for Ravec to abide by its own rules which state that [a review] should be conducted each year. The last one for the duke was in 2019," a separate source told The Times. 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. 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? Story continues 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: Oilprice Intelligence brings you the signals before they become front-page news. This is the same expert analysis read by veteran traders and political advisors. Get it free, twice a week, and you'll always know why the market is moving before everyone else. You get the geopolitical intelligence, the hidden inventory data, and the market whispers that move billions - and we'll send you $389 in premium energy intelligence, on us, just for subscribing. Join 400,000+ readers today. Get access immediately by clicking here. HARTFORD - Two people were hospitalized Tuesday after a shooting in the city's Frog Hollow neighborhood, police said. Officers responded around 8:24 p.m. to Ward Street due to an alert from a ShotSpotter, a device that detects gunshots, according to Hartford Police Lt. Aaron Boisvert. Boisvert said officers arrived to find evidence of gunfire. He said police then learned that a male 17-year-old and a female 18-year-old were brought to separate hospitals with injuries, though Boisvert said police later determined that the 18-year-old's injuries were not due to gunfire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boisvert said the 17-year-old was treated at Connecticut Children's Medical Center for an injury that was not life-threatening and the 18-year-old was treated at Hartford Hospital where they were listed in stable condition. No arrests have been announced in connection with the shooting. Boisvert said the Major Crimes and Crime Scene Divisions responded to the scene and assumed the investigation. This article originally published at Hartford shooting on Ward Street injures 17-year-old, police say. The state Department of Transportation will not play in Hawaiis airports a Trump administration video that blames Democrats for the ongoing federal shutdown. In the approximately 30-second video, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says Democrats are responsible for the shutdownand for any travel disruptions that may result. The video has been banned in more than a dozen major and regional airports including in New York, Chicago, Portland, Ore., Seattle, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is TSAs top priority to make sure that you have the most pleasant and efficient airport experience as possible while we keep you safe, Noem says in the video. However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this many of our operations are impacted and most of our TSA employees are working without pay. State Transportation Director Ed Sniffen wrote Tuesday in a statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that, We have informed TSA that our airports will only play videos in the TSA area that help our passengers get through the checkpoint safely and efficiently to TSA security standards. This helps TSA keep our airports and airways safe while considering the passenger experience throughout. As the subject video does not contribute to safety and efficiency, we have not aired it at our Hawaii airports. Earlier Tuesday, state Reps. Darius Kila, (D, Nanakuli-Maili ) and Tyson K. Miyake, (D, Wailuku-Waikapu )who respectively serve as chair and vice chair of the House Transportation Committeewrote to Sniffen that federal and state law and Hawaiis Constitution include language designed to ensure that all communications across our transportation network remain focused on public service, safety, and transparency, not political influence. Upholding neutrality protects the integrity of the Departments operations and maintains public confidence in the essential work of our transportation professionals. The shutdown is the result of an impasse in Congress over a spending bill to keep the government open. Republicans and Democrats continue to spar over expiring health insurance tax credits, with no end to the impasse in sight. Republicans want Democrats to first agree to end the shutdown, and then negotiate a health care deal ; Democrats say they wont agree without a deal on the tax credits on the table first. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The previousand longest government shutdown of 35 dayshappened during President Donald Trumps first term when Democrats refused to fund his wall on the border with Mexico. Just like now, TSA agents and air traffic controllers were forced to work without pay, which already has led many of them to again call in sick, causing flight delays and cancellations across the country. Kila and Miyake cited a report in The Oregonian newspaper that Port of Portland officials decided not to air Noems video because it could violate the federal Hatch Act and Oregon law designed to bar the use of public assets and employees for partisan or political purposes, they said. The Port cited both legal and ethical obligations to maintain neutrality in the use of government facilities and employee time. Later Tuesday, Kila called Sniffens position good to hear. He let me know, so its good to know its confirmed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kila saw Noems video when he landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Oct. 6 to attend the Native Hawaiian Convention. It had been removed by the time Kila flew back to Honolulu on Oct. 9. It was her comments about a partisan divide that was the large concern, he said. This is a public resource and theyre making it a partisan resource. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) The South Carolina Election Commission is trying to figure out how a contract for new machines for voting for $28 million ended up costing the agency $4 million more. The investigation into buying the 3,200 ballot scanners in 2024 has led to the firing of the head of the election agency and the second in command and cost a third staffer his job. And it isn't the only problem. with the Election Commission, Chairman Dennis Shedd said at Wednesday's monthly meeting. There was a recording device hidden in the room before the commissioners met behind closed doors to discuss former Executive Director Howard Knapp's fate and what Shedd called Knapp's very close friend and fellow employee Paige Salonich. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Salonich was the agency's deputy director before officials said she was fired for being caught on video planting the recorder and a issuing profane outburst after hearing Knapp had been let go. We're finding out new stuff that old management did, Shedd said as he took time during the meeting to answer questions from reporters. Shedd insisted any misconduct did not effect the integrity of any election. Shedd did say at least three state agencies are investigating the contract and other matters, and he does not know what happened to the $4 million difference between the $28 million commissioners approved and the $32 million authorized to be paid for the machines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The difference between the amounts was sales tax that wasn't included in the original agreement, Knapp's lawyer Joe McCulloch told The Post and Courier, adding that he was baffled the board tried to make the error sound sinister. Salonich's lawyer said he had no comment Wednesday. Salonich did sue the Election Commission shortly after she was fired, saying the agency released embarrassing details about her. Knapp was fired at the Election Commission's September meeting. That led to a month of speculation on whether he was let go because of the state's ongoing negotiations with the U.S. Department of Justice over a request for data about all South Carolina voters talks that are continuing. Shedd said Knapp's position on releasing the information was similar to his: the information could be released with a strict agreement on keeping it secure. Shedd said the firing had nothing to do with negotiations over the data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Commissioners discussed the request behind closed doors at Wednesday's meeting. Shedd said they want a legally binding agreement that protects the privacy of the data, which includes names, addresses and other data the state sells along with information it doesn't like driver's license numbers and the last four digits of Social Security numbers. I've been hacked. My state tax return was hacked, Shedd said, recalling in 2012 when hackers stole personal data from more than 3.6 million people in South Carolina by obtaining Social Security numbers and credit card information from tax returns. Shedd said the state can set up a system similar to what it has with about half the states in the U.S. They share the data in tightly controlled settings so they can ferret out people registered to vote in more than one state. South Carolina's voter data has already been shared with about 25 other states," Shedd said. But that was shared under very strict security protocols. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A number of states have pushed back harder against the Justice Department request. At least eight have been sued by the federal government for not complying with the request. The states said the federal government has not explained what it wants to do with the information. The congressional deadlock over the future of Obamacare subsidies is casting deep shadows over Florida, which is poised to see huge increases in health insurance costs next year for 4.7 million residents. Many are expected to drop coverage completely. Twenty private insurance companies participating in the Affordable Care Act marketplace are seeking an average rate increase of 34%, according to data presented Oct. 14 by the Office of Insurance Regulation to a state House panel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cost spike stems from the expected end of premium tax credits at the end of this year. In Congress, Democrats are demanding an extension of these credits, which Republicans are refusing, leading to a federal government shutdown now in its third week. Florida leads the nation in the number of residents covered by Obamacare, but close to half 2.2 million are projected to be priced out of the marketplace next year. Open enrollment for these higher priced plans begins Nov. 1. Bartleman: Lawmakers will be swamped by calls about steep hikes Rep. Robin Bartleman, D-Weston, warned a crisis is fast-approaching and Floridians are going to be shocked at the insurance hikes theyre facing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont think our district representatives are going to be able to field all these calls, Bartleman told Deputy Insurance Commissioner Alexis Bakofsky. What is your plan to help all these people who are about to lose their insurance coverage, and what will the economic impact be? Bakofsky told the House Health Care Facilities and Systems Subcommittee that the rate submissions were slow to finalize, hampering the agencys ability to prepare much more than notices on their website. Its a large market, there are a lot of carriers, and there are a lot of plans and there are a lot of moving parts, she said. We understand the consumers are going to shop ... and we want them to be armed with as much information as possible. Bartleman, though, bore in. We know that youre going to help them shop, but there are people that are just going to drop off and not have insurance, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Florida hospitals and other health care facilities will see a spike in uninsured patients and the impact of the lost coverage will have a broad impact across all levels of government and the economy, Bartleman said. We understand what this means, Bakofsky replied. Many will drop coverage... 'Unwelcome mat': Health insurance threatened for millions of Florida families Strange allies... Government shutdown comes as Affordable Care Act tax credits split Florida GOP allies Spike in uninsured patients predicted The Affordable Care Act premium tax credits were expanded in 2021 as part of a COVID-19 relief package, signed into law by former President Biden. Republicans are now deriding them as a federal giveaway, even though they are heavily used in red-leaning states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Florida alone doubled the number of people enrolled under the Affordable Care Act between 2021 and 2024, growth attributed largely to the tax credits, which allowed more working poor and moderate-income families to qualify for coverage. Families closest to the federal poverty level ($32,150 annual income for a family of four) will be able to retain coverage, if the tax credits go away, paying premiums that may be less than $50-a-year. But those with higher incomes are facing insurance costs that will rise several thousand dollars a year, depending on their coverage plans, data shows. Many of these enrollees are expected to drop coverage, analysts warn. More than 30% of residents in Miami-Dade County are enrolled in Obamacare private health insurance plans, according to KFF, the health policy research organization. KFFs analysis also shows that 57% of people who get subsidized Obamacare coverage live in congressional districts represented by Republicans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Congressional Budget Office estimates that permanently extending the enhanced premium tax credits would cost $370 billion over the next 10 years. And President Trump, who unsuccessfully pushed for repealing Obamacare for years, has expressed no support for extending the tax credits. Florida business groups have pushed to extend credits In Florida, some prominent business groups have weighed in urging Congress to extend the tax credits, including Associated Industries of Florida, a reliable Republican ally. In the state House hearing, several Republican members also challenged OIR for not standing up to insurance companies seeking higher rate costs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were any of these carriers just told, No when asking for steep rate hikes, asked Rep. Nan Cobb, R-Eustis. Lawmakers from both parties asked if rates could come down if Congress agreed to extend the tax credits at least into next year. Bakofsky acknowledged there were too many unknowns right now. While congressional Republicans remain largely dug-in against extending the tax credits as a condition of approving temporary funding to reopen the federal government, there are signs of rebellion. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a prominent Georgia Republican conservative, broke ranks with GOP leadership and came out in favor of extending the Obamacare tax credits, citing their impact on bringing health coverage to residents of her district. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And in Florida, Miami Republican Reps. Carlos Gimenez and Maria Salazar are among a handful of Republicans advancing legislation to continue the tax credits for a year. Their Miami home districts have the highest levels of Obamacare enrollees in the country, according to KFF. John Kennedy is a reporter in the USA TODAY Networks Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jkennedy2@gannett.com, or on X at @JKennedyReport. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Obamacare insurance rates will soar if tax credits go away, House told (This is an excerpt of the Health Rounds newsletter, where we present latest medical studies on Tuesdays and Thursdays.) By Nancy Lapid (Reuters) -Researchers have converted a blood type A kidney to a blood type O kidney and successfully transplanted it, they reported in Nature Biomedical Engineering, an advance that could reduce wait times for new organs and save lives. Type O patients, who account for more than half of those on kidney waiting lists, can only receive organs from donors with type O blood, yet type O kidneys are often given to others because they are universally compatible. As a result, type O patients typically wait two to four years longer and many die waiting, the researchers said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Traditional methods for overcoming blood-type incompatibility require days of intensive treatment to suppress the recipients immune system, while the new approach employs special enzymes to change the organ rather than the patient. In a first-in-human experiment, an enzyme-converted kidney was transplanted into a brain-dead recipient. For two days, the kidney functioned without signs of the rapid immune reaction that can destroy an incompatible organ within minutes. By the third day, the researchers saw a mild reaction, but the damage was far less severe than in a typical blood-type mismatch, and there were signs that the body was beginning to tolerate the organ, according to the report. This is the first time weve seen this play out in a human model, said Dr. Stephen Withers of the University of British Columbia, who co-led the enzyme development. It gives us invaluable insight into how to improve long-term outcomes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Regulatory approval for clinical trials is the next hurdle, the researchers said. EXPERIMENTAL GENE THERAPY TACKLES DIABETIC KIDNEY DISEASE An experimental gene therapy tested in mice may one day help protect against kidney disease caused by type 1 diabetes, researchers report. Kidney disease is a serious and life-altering complication of diabetes that can progress silently over many years, Dr. Faye Riley, Research Communications Lead at Diabetes UK, which helped fund the research, said in a statement. Previous studies have shown that a protein called VEGF-C helps maintain the health of blood vessels in the glomeruli, the kidney's tiny filters that remove waste and toxins from the blood. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In lab experiments, researchers used a harmless virus to deliver the gene for human VEGF-C into human kidney cells in test tubes and into kidney cells of mice with type 1 diabetes. The test-tube cells produced functional VEGF-C, researchers reported in Molecular Therapy. And in the mice, not only did the kidneys work better after the treatment, but the glomeruli appeared to be protected from damage, researchers found. There is an urgent need for new treatments to prevent kidney damage in people with diabetes, and this novel approach tackles the root cause for the first time, Riley said. The treatment led to a 64% reduction in the presence of a protein called albumin in the urine, which is a common sign of kidney disease. The reduction is more than twice what's recommended by the American Diabetes Association to slow the progression of chronic kidney disease. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This promising research could lead to an entirely new way to protect the kidneys in people with diabetes and prevent devastating kidney failure, Riley said. FLUID RESTRICTION OFTEN EXCESSIVE IN CHILDREN BEFORE SURGERY Most U.S. children having surgery go far longer than necessary without fluids beforehand, researchers reported at the American Society of Anesthesiologists meeting in San Antonio, Texas. Healthy infants and children may safely drink clear liquids such as water and fruit juices without pulp until two hours before anesthesia, according to ASA guidelines. Reviewing data on nearly 72,000 patients under age 18 who underwent non-emergency surgery in U.S. hospitals between 2016 and 2024, researchers found more than 80% were denied clear liquids for at least twice as long as necessary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The median length of time all children fasted from clear liquids decreased overall between 2016 and 2024, from 11 hours to 9 hours. However, there was no significant improvement in infants who fasted a median of 6.7 hours in 2016 and 6.3 hours in 2024. The guidelines recommend that children not drink anything within two hours before the procedure to reduce the risk of liquid entering the lungs, which could cause choking or pneumonia. But fasting from clear liquids for longer periods can be uncomfortable and increase thirst, anxiety, pain, nausea and vomiting, study leader Dr. Alexander Nagrebetsky of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston said in a statement. It can be harmful, too, Nagrebetsky said. Children and infants are especially vulnerable to dehydration and calorie loss, which may heighten stress and slow recovery from surgery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Surgical teams should encourage patients to drink water and liquids with sugar for up to two hours before the procedure when appropriate, he added. (To receive the full newsletter in your inbox for free sign up here) (Reporting by Nancy Lapid; Editing by Bill Berkrot) In an exclusive interview with ABC's Nightline, Josh and Sandee Greenberg reacted to the city's findings that reaffirmed its ruling that their daughter's 2011 death was a suicide. "I was kicked in the stomach, pretty much," Sandee Greenberg said. "I don't know what our future options are, but the one thing, we're not going away, and we're not giving up. So just because there was a period at the end of the sentence does not mean we forgot about our daughter." Josh Greenberg added, "We want to know the truth." RELATED: Hulu docuseries reexamines mysterious death of Philadelphia teacher The investigative series features 20 new interviews with the family, friends, and never before seen crime scene photos and autopsy analysis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The findings by the current medical examiner, who was not the initial medical examiner on the case, were part of a legal settlement in one of two lawsuits the Greenbergs filed against the city. Their 14-year effort to challenge the official ruling is now the focus of a three-part Hulu docuseries, which follows their legal battle to have the manner of death changed back to homicide or undetermined. Ellen Greenberg, 27, was found dead in her locked Manayunk apartment by her fiance in 2011. The medical examiner initially ruled her death a homicide, but later changed the ruling to suicide. The Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office on Monday issued a report affirming its ruling that the stabbing was a suicide. The original autopsy revealed Greenberg had been stabbed 20 times in the neck, back, head, and heart, and had 11 bruises. The latest report added three superficial stab wounds and 20 additional bruises. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The matter was considered closed following a court hearing on Tuesday. RELATED: Read Dr. Simon's full report on Ellen Greenberg's death Despite the unusual distribution of injuries, the medical examiner concluded that Ellen Greenberg could have inflicted them herself, citing her history of anxiety. Ellen Greenberg, 27, was found with 20 stab wounds in the apartment she shared with her fiance on the evening of January 26, 2011. Her family and legal team strongly dispute that conclusion. "It's an unsubstantiated attack on Ellen's mental state," said Will Trask, an attorney for the Greenbergs. "It's not an objective, independent review of the actual physical evidence." "It's garbage, and the Greenbergs are going to treat it like garbage," Trask continued. "We are too, and we're going to push through and look for justice outside the City of Philadelphia because it's clear the city has no interest in the truth." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Greenbergs say they will continue to seek answers about their daughter's death, despite the city's final ruling. READ MORE: William Trask, the Greenberg's family attorney, blasted the findings in a statement to 6abc Action News on Monday: "Simon's so-called 'independent review' of Ellen Greenberg's death is 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. "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. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Shame on Dr. Simon. This report is an embarrassment to the City and an insult to Ellen and her family. 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." The review of Greenberg's death came after a settlement between her family and the City of Philadelphia, who have been fighting to have the suicide ruling changed for more than 14 years. Shortly before the settlement, Dr. Marlon Osbourne, the pathologist who performed the autopsy, said in a court document that Greenberg's death "should be designated as something other than suicide." Osbourne had originally classified the death a homicide before changing it to suicide two weeks later. Dr. Osbourne said in the court filing, "Since issuing the amended death certificate, I have become aware of additional information," and "it is my professional opinion Ellen's manner of death should be designated as something other than suicide." BRUSSELS Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday warned the U.S. will impose costs on Russia if it does not seek to end the Ukraine war, his strongest criticism yet of Moscow and a signal of the administrations increasing support for Kyiv. Hegseths comments, which came during a meeting focused on Ukraine at NATO headquarters, reflect the White Houses deepening frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of a Friday meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "If there is no path to peace in the short term then the United States, along with our allies, will take steps necessary to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression," Hegseth said, without naming specifics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His comments are an about-face from his first appearance at NATO headquarters in February, when he told allies the U.S. had other more pressing interests in the world and would likely turn away from Europe. The move unsettled some European nations, who feared the new administration would pull troops from the continent and back away from the NATO alliance. Hegseth declined to attend the last several meetings of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, the assembly he addressed Wednesday. At one point over the summer, he briefly stopped U.S. military aid for Kyiv. His tone was a remarkable shift for an administration that earlier this year publicly berated Zelenskyy. Trump and Vice President JD Vance in February attacked the Ukrainian leader ina withering Oval Office exchangefor overplaying his hand. By Wednesdays NATO gathering, much of that checkered past seemed long forgotten, at least in public comments. The U.S. remains clear-eyed about the fact that the most effective deterrents to Russian aggression are number one: a lethal, capable and European-led NATO, and number two: a combat credible Ukrainian military," Hegseth said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The recent chill with Moscow comes after months of overtures to the Russian leader by Trump and his advisers. Trump in August held a face-to-face meeting with Putin in Alaska, which startled Kyiv and many in Europe who feared he would listen to the Russian presidents version of the war. While Trump talked up the meeting as a potential breakthrough, Putin followed up by launching the most brutal drone and missile attacks on Kyiv of the four-year war. They killed dozens of civilians. Trump, who has grown frustrated with Putins increasing brutality and refusal to consider any sort of ceasefire, has held several phone calls and face-to-face meetings with Zelenskyy in recent months. He has pledged more U.S. support and even suggested on Sunday that he might send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine so it could launch deep strikes into Russia. The Friday meeting between the two leaders will include discussions about military aid and a proposed deal for Ukraine to share drone technology with the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some ministers expressed relief about Hegseths comments. He confirmed once again that the U.S. is a true ally and is committed to NATO and this is exactly what also President Trump said," Estonian defense minister Hanno Pevkur said in an interview. But some European leaders remain cautious, given the yo-yo aspect of the Trump administrations policy on Ukraine. I would read into that a kind of change of perspective and approach, but not more for the moment," German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters when asked about Hegseth's comments. "I can't interpret, really, what he did mean. Hegseth also praised a new European effort to buy American weapons for Ukraine, which he said is vital to helping Kyiv defend itself. European leaders are sending a clear message to Russia, he said. Now is the time to end this tragic war, stop the needless bloodshed, and come to the peace table. A NATO official, granted anonymity to speak about military operations, underscored the continuing American commitment to Ukraine. The alliance has seen no sign of reduced [intelligence] sharing from the U.S. side, the person said, adding the U.S. has committed to providing significant intelligence support for any potential security guarantees, implemented by European countries in Ukraine. As a Fox News commentator and author, Pete Hegseth spent years railing against the militarys Judge Advocates General experts in military law who advise commanders on rules of engagement and laws of war by accusing them of hamstringing troops in the name of political correctness. In his position atop the Pentagon as the newly renamed Secretary of War, he is now acting on those feelings by taking steps to reduce the influence of those lawyers or cut them entirely out of decision-making as his department embarks on controversial deployments to American cities and unprovoked strikes on alleged drug smuggling craft. According to CNN, Hegseth has now sacked multiple top officers across the Army, Navy, Air Force and Space Force who previously led those services legal branches often after they gave legal advice that included concerns about Trump administration policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One such officer was Lt. Gen. Joe Berger, formerly the Armys top uniformed attorney. Berger reportedly raised questions about a series of early decisions Hegseth made after being sworn in this past January, including the legality of using Texas National Guard personnel for civilian immigration enforcement and the mass firings carried out early in the Trump administration by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has moved to marginalize the militarys top uniformed attorneys (AP) In both instances, Berger was either told to stop meddling or was ignored entirely in favor of Pentagon civilian lawyers political appointees far more likely to bend to whatever the administrations whims might be at the time. Hegseth fired him in February after the right-wing social media account LibsOfTikTok accused him of refusing to carry out administration mandates to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the federal government. He also fired the Air Forces top uniformed attorney, a three-star general named Charles Plummer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time, Hegseth told reporters both officers had been roadblocks to orders that are given by a commander-in-chief. But Pentagon veterans saw the move as a message to obey without question or else. Decapitating those organizations ... was an easy way for Hegseth to send a strong message from the outset and put the entire JAG corps on notice, a defense official said. The former Fox News commentators remarks and actions are consistent with a worldview hed been expressing since entering public life as a conservative activist after serving in the Army during the U.S. invasion of Iraq. In his book The War on Warriors, Hegseth described how he was once told by JAG officers in Iraq to avoid firing at a person carrying a rocket-propelled grenade launcher unless the weapon was pointed at you with the intent to fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He later wrote that hed told the soldiers under his command that the military lawyers directive was a bullshit rule thats going to get people killed. In the same book, Hegseth also complained that he had been ordered to release Iraqi men who we knew had American blood on their hands because the jagoff lawyers told us we had to do it. But current and former officials familiar with Hegseths thinking also told CNN that the War Secretarys disdain for the militarys JAG corps stems from a war crimes investigation into his unit that ended with his commanding officer being reprimanded. The investigation also resulted in several people Hegseth had served with receiving significant jail sentences for misconduct surrounding an incident in 2006 that resulted in four unarmed Iraqi men losing their lives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Years later, Hegseth would use his position as a Fox News host to advocate for several service members whod been accused or convicted of war crimes, resulting in them receiving pardons from President Donald Trump. Now, as Secretary of War, foirmerly known as Secretary of Defense but unofficially changed by Hegseth and Trump, he is using his power to push the JAG corps out of the rooms where decisions are made. To start, he has reduced the rank required for each of the armed services top uniformed lawyers from that of a three-star officer to a two-star. According to a senior defense official who spoke to the television network, the effect of this change is to relegate those officers to second-tier status because officers at the two-star rank often are not involved in top-level decision-making by the three and four-star generals who they are theoretically tasked with advising. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hegseth has also reportedly used the interview process for replacing the fired top JAG officers to screen candidates for political loyalty by asking questions about their opinions on charged topics such as the Biden administrations vaccine mandates or allowing transgender service members to remain in uniform. Officials told CNN the interviews were political litmus tests which have made officers hesitant to offer advice that contradicts the administration's desired outcomes. Hegseths rhetoric and policies are perceived as a bit unhinged and counterproductive, but the way forward is just to eat it and put your head down and act in accordance with his new policies, said one current Army lawyer. No JAG is trying to rock the boat or get noticed. The longtime personal attorney for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who represented the former Fox News star after he was accused of sexual assault, has played a key role in orchestrating the Pentagons new restrictive press policy, according to The Washington Post. Tim Parlatore, who served as Donald Trumps lawyer as well, is also facing internal scrutiny from other defense officials over his dual role as Hegseths legal fixer and a recently commissioned military officer who was added to the Pentagon chiefs staff. Amid concerns over Parlatores increasing influence in the department, the lawyer helped shape the media crackdown that is set to take effect this week, the Post reported. Meanwhile, nearly every news organization with reporters in the Pentagon press corps including Hegseths ex-employer Fox News has stood in solidarity and refused to sign the new press rules, citing violations of the First Amendment and the Pentagons unprecedented intimidation of journalists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The only news outlet that has agreed to the Pentagons 21-page policy, which prohibits journalists from soliciting unclassified information from defense employees and threatens revocation of credentials for seeking tips, is far-right cable channel One America News. Notably, earlier this year, the MAGA network fired its chief Pentagon correspondent after she criticized Hegseth for limiting media access and rarely holding press briefings. The Pentagon gave media members until the end of the day Tuesday to acknowledge the severe press restrictions, stating that any reporter who refuses to do so must turn in their press badges within 24 hours. Officials at the department, which was recently rebranded the Department of War by the Trump administration, expect multiple news organizations to challenge the press restriction in court amid the standoff. Tim Parlatore now serves a dual role as a Pentagon staff member and Pete Hegseths personal legal fixer. (Screenshot / CNN) Parlatore, who also counts accused organized crime leaders among his clients, joined Hegseths staff in March after receiving a commission in the Navy Reserve as a mid-ranking officer. Shortly after Parlatores arrival, Hegseth fired multiple political appointees as he looked to shrink his advisory group to a small circle of trusted loyalists. At the same time, the arrangement allows Parlatore to continue working at his private law practice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People familiar with Parlatores actions describe him as calculating and brash, at times angering others on Hegseths team, the Post reported. He uses a desk in the defense secretarys front-office suite, and has outlasted several other senior aides who have been either fired or marginalized during a months-long period of infighting and instability among the secretarys brain trust. Parlatores sway with leadership far exceeds his rank, Navy commander, a dynamic that has made some officials uncomfortable, people familiar with the situation said. When asked about Parlatores role at the department and in helping shape the media restrictions, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told the Post that the attorney is a special adviser to the defense secretary and has extensive legal experience regarding First Amendment cases and press freedom. The Pentagon declined to respond to further questions about what work Parlatore did on Hegseths behalf. Parlatore, meanwhile, defended the press rules in an interview with the Post, stating that it was essential to protect information security. He also justified his role on Hegseths staff and the work hes done for the Pentagon chief, adding that he is following established conflict-of-interest guidelines. One of the tremendous benefits of being a reservist is the ability to bring in outside experience, and I have a lot of experience in a lot of areas that no active-duty [lawyer] or career attorney in the general counsels office could possibly provide, he said. So I do get called upon on various nonroutine matters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Besides advising Hegseth on the press restrictions, which have been slammed by Fox News hosts and conservative legal experts who are generally sympathetic to Donald Trump, Parlatore also took the lead in Hegseths use of polygraph tests to find media leakers within the department. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is threatening to take away the press credentials of any Pentagon reporter who doesnt agree not to solicit information from defense employees without the departments prior authorization. (AP) The practice sparked division within the administration, especially after it was reported in the press, and prompted the White House to order Hegseths team to stop. The episode resulted in Parlatores reputation taking a hit at the department, according to the Post. Parlatore has known the defense secretary for years and represented Hegseth when a woman accused the former Fox News star of sexually assaulting her in 2017. Hegseth eventually paid the woman $50,000, a settlement that came to light last year when Hegseth was nominated to lead the Pentagon. After the revelations became public, Hegseth maintained his innocence, while Parlatore portrayed the woman as the aggressor and the sexual encounter as consensual, claiming that the payment was made to head off a baseless lawsuit. He also threatened to sue the accuser if she repeated the false claims, and Hegseth was not confirmed as defense secretary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The scandal nearly derailed Hegseths nomination and left him embittered toward the journalists who chronicled his bruising path to confirmation, people familiar with the matter said, the Post noted. As for the media restrictions that Parlatore helped orchestrate, the attorney defended the new rules even as Trump-friendly legal scholars have assailed the policy as an attempt by the Pentagon to create a stranglehold on the free press. Additionally, Fox News anchor Bret Baier and retired Gen. Jack Keane now a Fox News analyst blasted the letter as an improper attempt to spoon-feed information to journalists. It has nothing to do with embarrassing the secretary, Parlatore said, insisting that the policy had nothing to do with cutting off reporters from scrutinizing Hegseth. Thats a talking point that people have raised, but this is purely focused on preventing criminal activity. The Pentagon Press Association, which represents journalists covering the department, has a far different view of the situation. Our members did nothing to create this disturbing situation, the group said in a statement this week. It arises from an entirely one-sided move by Pentagon officials apparently intent upon cutting the American public off from information they do not control and pre-approve. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed US military leaders to verify that every member of the department watched the speech he delivered at an unusual gathering of senior officers in Quantico, Virginia, last month and reviews the policy changes he announced in the wake of that event, according to a memo reviewed by CNN. Leaders at every level will ensure all personnel will either watch the full recording or read the official transcript of the speech, and review the policy changes no later than 31 October 2025, the October 6 memo from Hegseth states. Hegseths memo comes after he ordered senior officers to travel to Quantico for what amounted to a largely political speech that asserted his vision for how the military will physically look and act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also offered a stark ultimatum during his speech: If you dont agree, resign. While Hegseth delivered his speech, in person, to hundreds of senior officers, the subsequent memo makes clear he wants to make sure the message reaches defense personnel at every level. Leaders must inculcate our cultural shift and ensure every member of the Department of War understands my guidance, Hegseth wrote in the memo, using the Trump administrations preferred name for the Defense Department. Asked about the new memo, a Pentagon spokesperson said that The Secretarys speech was for the whole force and this memo just reinforces that guidance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The directives that accompanied the speech largely roll back efforts made over the last decade focused on eradicating toxic culture in the military, both to decrease harmful behaviors like harassment, but also to meet practical needs of getting people in uniform and keeping them there longer. There was also a significant emphasis in Hegseths speech on the fitness and appearance of service members. Hegseth told the room of senior officers he did not want to see any fat generals walking the halls of the Pentagon. Following Hegseths speech in Quantico, the Texas Military Department removed seven National Guard troops that had been deployed to Chicago because they did not meet mission requirements, a Texas National Guard spokesperson told CNN. These service members were returned to home station. The Texas National Guard echoes Secretary Hegseths message to the force: Our standards will be high, uncompromising, and clear, the spokesperson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The troops, sent to Chicago as part of President Donald Trumps domestic-facing mission focused on crime, were replaced amid criticism on social media over pictures that showed some of the Guard members appearing to be overweight. This story has been updated with comment from the Texas National Guard CNNs Haley Britzky contributed to this report For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Nigel Farage has pledged to slash crypto taxes and establish a UK Bitcoin reserve if elected. Reform UKs leader declared at the Digital Asset Summit in London on Monday that when it comes to your industry, when it comes to growth in this industry, then I am your champion. The proposed legislation would reduce the capital gains tax on crypto investments from 24% to a flat 10% and mandate that the Bank of England establish a Bitcoin reserve using approximately 5 billion worth of Bitcoin currently held from seized criminal assets. Reform has become the first major UK political party to accept crypto donations, currently receiving Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and USD Coin through its website. Nigel Farage in Bitcoin 25 Conference | Source: The London Economic What Reforms Crypto Bill Would Actually Do Farages platform mirrors the approach taken by U.S. President Donald Trump, who cultivated industry support before his 2024 election victory and has pursued a crypto-friendly agenda since taking office in January 2025. The Reform Party chiefs proposed bill would allow British taxpayers to pay taxes directly in Bitcoin, with funds either converted to pounds or directed to the reserve fund. Additionally, banks would be prohibited from denying or withdrawing services to customers based on lawful crypto-related activities, directly addressing industry concerns over debanking. Farage connected the debanking issue to his own experience, telling the conference crowd, I went to 10 banks, all of whom refused me an account, and adding, No wonder so many people are going for Bitcoinbecause they cant close you down, and that is the ultimate freedom. Meanwhile, Farage characterized the Bank of Englands plans for a central bank digital currency as the ultimate authoritarian nightmare and vowed to stop it overnight should Reform win the next election. He also targeted the Bank of Englands proposed stablecoin holding limits, capping personal holdings at 10,000 to 20,000 and business holdings at 10 million, calling the restrictions frankly ridiculous. According to Bloomberg, Farage claimed he had discussed the stablecoin caps directly with Andrew Bailey, the Governor of the Bank of England. The Reform leader stated that the UK government is falling behind international competitors and must act quickly to regulate the crypto industry to safeguard Britains position as a financial hub. Farage said this whole area of digital assets and crypto just isnt being talked about at all, and pointed out that weve got no regulated market. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths aircraft made an emergency landing in the United Kingdom on Wednesday due to a crack in the aircrafts windshield, a Pentagon spokesperson said. Hegseths plane incurred the crack as he was returning to the U.S. from the NATO Defense Ministers meeting in Brussels. Hegseth and the rest of the planes passengers were unharmed. On the way back to the United States from NATOs Defense Ministers meeting, Secretary of War Hegseths plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a social media post. The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hegseth confirmed he is all good after the emergency landing in a post on X. The unscheduled stop caps a consequential trip to Brussels for Hegseth, who warned the U.S. will impose costs on Russia if it does not take steps to end its war with Ukraine. The comments signal a growing frustration with Russia from the Trump administration, which has ramped up its pressure on Putin in recent months. By Andrew Gray and Sabine Siebold BRUSSELS (Reuters) -U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Moscow on Wednesday that the United States and its allies would "impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression" if the war in Ukraine does not come to an end. "If we must take this step, the U.S. War Department stands ready to do our part in ways that only the United States can do," Hegseth said at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group of Kyiv's allies at NATO headquarters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hegseth did not elaborate. His comments came as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is considering a request by Ukraine for long-range Tomahawk missiles. 'COME TO THE PEACE TABLE' "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." Hegseth called on NATO allies to increase spending on purchases of U.S. weapons for Ukraine, following a report that highlighted a sharp decline in Western military support for Kyiv in July and August. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "You get peace when you are strong. Not when you use strong words or wag your fingers, you get it when you have strong and real capabilities that adversaries respect," he told reporters at NATO headquarters earlier in the day. Hegseth urged allies to ramp up investment in the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) programme, which replaced U.S. arms donations to Ukraine and now requires allies to pay for U.S. weapons deliveries. "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." NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said he expected further pledges, noting that $2 billion already had been committed through the mechanism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NEW AID PLEDGES FROM SWEDEN, FINLAND, ESTONIA However, this amount falls short of the $3.5 billion Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had hoped to secure by October. Sweden, Estonia, and Finland pledged contributions on Wednesday. But bigger powers such as France and Britain have made no such commitments, despite Hegseth urging all of Kyiv's allies to contribute to the PURL programme. "Now ... is the time for all NATO countries to turn words into action in the form of PURL investments. All countries around this table, no free riders," Hegseth said at the start of the Contact Group meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine remains heavily reliant on U.S. weapons as it braces for another winter of grinding conflict with Russia, which now holds around 20% of Ukraine more than three-and-a-half years into its full-scale invasion. The Kiel Institute for the World Economy reported on Tuesday that average monthly military aid to Ukraine fell by 43% in July and August compared with the first half of the year. According to the institute, most military support now flows through the PURL initiative, which by August had been joined by Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. (Additional reporting by Lili Bayer, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Inti Landauro and Makini Brice; editing by Hugh Lawson and Mark Heinrich) The Palestinian Authority "strongly condemned" the reported field executions carried out by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, a statement shared by the Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA) said. The Palestinian Authority presidency issued an unusually sharp denunciation of Hamas on Tuesday night, condemning what it called field executions carried out in the Gaza Strip in recent days and demanding accountability under Palestinian law. In a statement carried PA state agency WAFA, the presidency said it strongly condemns the recent field executions carried out by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which claimed the lives of dozens of citizens outside the framework of the law and without fair trials, calling the acts heinous crimes that are utterly rejected under any pretext. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The statement framed the reported killings as a blatant violation of human rights and a grave breach of the rule of law, asserting they reflect the movements determination to impose its authority through force and terror, at a time when the people in Gaza are enduring the hardships of war, destruction, and siege. It urged an immediate halt to the violations, protection for civilians, and legal action against all those involved in these crimes within the framework of the law and the legitimate Palestinian judiciary. Hamas police officers stand guard, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, October 11, 2025. (credit: Stringer/Reuters) PA calls Gaza an integral part of the State of Palestine Underscoring the PAs claim to national responsibility, the presidency said Gaza is an integral part of the State of Palestine and argued that restoring the rule of law and legitimate institutions in the territory is the only path to ending chaos and rebuilding public trust on the basis of justice, accountability, and respect for the dignity of the Palestinian people. It held Hamas fully responsible for these crimes, saying they harm the supreme interests of the Palestinian people, entrench the groups control in Gaza, provide pretexts to the occupation, obstruct reconstruction, deepen internal division, and hinder the establishment of a free and independent State of Palestine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The PA statement did not specify the number of people allegedly executed, nor provide names or independent documentation. Hamas did not immediately issue a response to the presidencys condemnation. WAFAs bulletin emphasized that accountability should occur within the framework of the law and the legitimate Palestinian judiciary, signaling the PAs position that only formally mandated courts can impose criminal penalties and that any executions carried out without due process violate Palestinian and international norms. ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. A town hall was held Tuesday in St. Peters, where residents learned how to apply for compensation related to illnesses from radioactive contamination of the Manhattan Project under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA). Local officials and the RECA Program Manager, Dr. Amanda Moehlenpah, explained what documents are required for the application. Local leaders also outlined resources available for residents through the St. Charles City-County Library District and the St. Charles County Government to assist those affected with their claim. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jr. High basketball player from Galatia airlifted to STL Childrens Hospital Moehlenpah says to qualify, residents must have lived, worked or went to school in one of the 21 zip codes in Missouri identified as being contaminated with radioactive waste for at least two years, consecutive or cumulative, prior to a diagnosis of one of the diseases listed in the legislature. You can find more information about the contents of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) 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 2. Any mother adores getting phone calls from her children. For Josiele Berto, they are now a lifeline and the only way to know where her 13-year-old son is and what hes facing alone. I only talk to him never to any official who could explain what kind of place it is or whats happening, Berto told CNN, speaking in Portuguese. Last Thursday, she was called by police in Everett, Massachusetts, a Boston suburb, who said her son Arthur had been arrested. She was told she needed to pick him up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Berto left the police station without Arthur that night. After waiting in the station for more than an hour, an officer informed her Immigration and Customs Enforcement had already taken him away. They didnt give me any information, said Berto, who is from Brazil and along with her family have had a pending asylum application since arriving in the United States in 2021. I asked where he was being taken, and they said they werent allowed to say. Berto and her attorney, Andrew Lattarulo, both told CNN they spent days waiting to learn what led to the arrest information that finally came Tuesday afternoon. Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria said in a news conference a teenage boy whom he declined to name because he is a juvenile was arrested last week after Everett Police received a credible tip accusing him of making a violent threat against another boy within our public school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DeMaria said police did not contact ICE about the juveniles arrest and is not targeting immigrants in the city, which he said has a sizable undocumented population. But he was vague about how federal authorities came to know about the case and take the teen away within hours. ICE operates independently and has the authority to access certain law enforcement databases and take action on its own accord, DeMaria said. Lattarulo said Tuesday night he was still trying to obtain the police report. To the best of my knowledge, (this is) the first time a juvenile has been taken (by ICE from the Everett Police Department), Police Chief Paul Strong said in the news conference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, Bertos case is drawing local outrage and nationwide attention, as a Department of Homeland Security official publicized it with a claim that is contradicted by local police. A judge ordered ICE to explain boys detention After learning her son was detained by ICE, Bertos immigration attorneys took the case to federal court, and a judge in Massachusetts ordered the government to either explain by Tuesday night why Arthurs detention is justified or give him the opportunity to be released on bond. It was not clear Wednesday afternoon whether that explanation had been filed by the deadline. A judge agreed to allow the filing under seal, but the court document was not listed on the online case docket, and Lattarulo told CNN he had not seen it as of Tuesday night. Detention violates his right to due process under the Fifth Amendment, said a habeas corpus petition filed Friday on Arthurs case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The US Attorneys Office declined to comment on the case. Berto initially only learned about her sons whereabouts through his phone calls. He has called her from two different immigration facilities, one in Massachusetts and another one in Virginia. He cried a lot because he had never been away from home or his family, said Berto. He was desperate, saying ICE had taken him. Berto told CNN Arthur had been home from school recently because he broke his foot and still needed to wear a walking boot after having a cast removed. On Thursday afternoon, he told his aunt he was going to take the bus to a friends house. It was at a nearby bus stop, he told his mother, that he was arrested. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first details came not from a prosecutor, but from a post on X by the top spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, responding to media requests about the case. Here are the facts: he posed a public safety threat with an extensive rap sheet including violent assault with a dangerous weapon, battery, breaking and entering, destruction of property, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin posted. He was in possession of a firearm and 5-7 inch knife when arrested. McLaughlin did not share further details about the allegations. Although Mayor DeMaria confirmed the presence of the knife and said there could have been a tragedy in our schools without the arrest, he was adamant the teen did not have a firearm. No guns were found, DeMaria said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because he is a juvenile, Arthurs criminal record is not public. Police declined Tuesday to give specifics on the nature of the threat or say which school was involved. DHS did not respond Tuesday evening to CNNs request for comment on the discrepancy between the statements by McLaughlin and DeMaria over whether the child had a gun. Berto, who told CNN she was shocked by the allegations, declined to comment on any criminal history and directed questions on the matter to her attorney. When asked about McLaughlins comments that Arthur had a rap sheet, Lattarulo did not address it in a statement to CNN. Regardless of the nature of the allegations, they remain just that allegations and every individual is entitled to due process of law, Lattarulo said in a statement following McLaughlins post. That principle applies even more strongly to a minor who is far below the age of legal consent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DHS commenting publicly about a juveniles allegations is improper. They seem to forget hes 13 and not 31, Lattarulo added. A spokesperson for ICE declined on Monday to speak about the case and referred CNN to McLaughlins statement. ICE detainees get moved from state to state Lattarulo criticized Arthurs transfer to an out-of-state facility, saying it raises serious concerns about access to counsel and the governments intent to hinder effective legal representation. The attorneys only contact with federal officials about the case was from a Trump administration attorney who reached out on Sunday, asking if they would be willing to have their case moved from Massachusetts to Virginia since Berto is now held there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lattarulo said he declined to agree to a change of venue, but Judge Richard Stearns ordered the case moved to a court in Virginia on Wednesday. Stearns said his Massachusetts courtroom was not the proper place to consider the petition since Arthur was taken out of the state one hour before the case was filed. He added the teenager deserves a prompt bond hearing an under an existing legal agreement concerning immigration cases involving minors known as the Flores settlement. Consequently, the court agrees with respondents that it lacks jurisdiction over the merits of the petition, said Stearns. The shell game of ICE transferring people in custody to different states without notice to their families or attorneys is a familiar one. A view of the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center where Mahmoud Khalil was detained in Jena, Louisiana, on April 11, 2025. Khalil was later released on a federal judge's orders. - Kathleen Flynn/Reuters Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University graduate who organized pro-Palestinian protests on campus and one of the first high-profile detainees of President Donald Trumps second term, was arrested in New York and detained briefly in New Jersey before being moved more than a thousand miles away to a facility in Louisiana. He remained there for more than 100 days before a federal judge ordered him to be released on bail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University, ended up in Texas after a meandering journey through holding facilities in Virginia and Louisiana. He was released in May after another federal judge said the administration had failed to provide any evidence that Khan Suris detention was necessary. But Khalil, Khan Suri and similar cases this year have something else in common: They are adults. This is my first child case, Lattarulo told CNN. This is the youngest one Ive ever done. Dozens of community members showed up to an Everett City Council meeting Tuesday night calling for Arthurs release, CNN affiliate WCVB reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arthur must be returned home, now! said local high school teacher Jessica Gold Boots. Not next week. It must happen now. One member of the council called for a retraction to McLaughlins disputed statement that the child had a gun. Issue a formal correction to the misinformation spread online, Everett City Councilor Katy Rogers said. Other relatives are worried about being detained Without direct access to his parents or attorneys, Berto isnt certain about Arthurs well-being. Its a concern she says also weighs on her 10-year-old son. My younger son keeps asking about him if hes called, if I know anything. Its been really hard, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They also have concerns about their own future. Since our asylum process is still pending, we were already afraid, and now the fear has grown, Berto said. We dont know if theyll come for us next. But whether Arthurs case will ultimately result in his family going back to Brazil voluntarily or not is now one of many unanswered questions they face as Berto waits for her phone to ring again, hoping the next call will be her son. Right now, I just want my son free, she said. Well think about the rest later. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com We have to get him out: Fall River EMS recognizes paramedic for attempted water rescue A Fall River paramedic was recognized on Wednesday for attempting to rescue someone from the Taunton River last week. Paramedic Edward Holland spoke exclusively to Boston 25 about the rescue. All I had was a radio, so I just dropped the radio off I went to my partner who remained on the shoreline calling for more resources. Just went out, got to the victim, flipped him over, we tried to get him up our of the water but from the water to the pier its a little difficult. said Holland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fall River EMS says police got a call about someone in need of medical attention near Charles Street on Friday, thats when officers and EMS personnel were deployed to locate the victim. Paramedic Holland says he saw someone in the water face down and didnt think twice to jump into action. Unfortunately, that victim did not make it. Their identity has not been released and its still unclear how they ended up in the water. On Wednesday paramedic holland was recognized for his heroic efforts with a citation from Fall River EMS. Theres no other option you just have to get him out you got to get him to where you can do something, said Holland. Chief Faunce says despite the tragic result, the department acknowledges paramedic hollands heroism and bravery. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Rafael Laveaga, the new Consul General of Mexico in Atlanta, is marking the end of Hispanic Heritage Month by discussing his goals and the importance of U.S.-Mexico relations. Laveaga, who began his role on Aug. 1, oversees consular operations in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. The Consul emphasized the shared values between Mexico and the U.S., such as family, religion, and hard work, as crucial to strengthening ties between the two nations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We need to know each other better because we have much more things in common than commonly believed, Laveaga told Channel 2s Wendy Corona. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Laveaga highlighted the significance of the U.S.-Mexico trade relationship, noting that Mexico is the United States number one trade partner, with over $800 billion in trade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He stressed the need for careful management of this relationship to ensure continued growth. Laveaga also highlighted the importance of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced NAFTA, as pivotal for the regions economic future. However, Laveaga told Channel 2 Action News he is optimistic about the cooperation between the countries. Cooperation without subordination is an important platform that we need to keep in mind in all our work, Laveaga said. As Hispanic Heritage Month concludes, Laveaga said he is optimistic about the future of U.S.-Mexico relations, focusing on building bridges and maintaining strong regional cooperation. Im very optimistic of the relationship of the US and Mexico and I think were gonna make it good, Laveaga said. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill into law clearing the way for the construction of more multistory apartment buildings near high-traffic mass transit stops in several major metros, part of the states effort to ease its severe housing crisis. The landmark legislation, known as Senate Bill (SB) 79, updates local zoning rules to allow developers to build five- and six-story buildings in communities currently dominated by single-family homes, provided the sites are located within a quarter-mile to a half-mile from rail, subway, and bus rapid transit stops. "For too long, California has poured billions into transit without building the housing density needed for those systems to reach their potential," Newsom said in a written statement released by his office. "SB 79 helps change that by focusing more homes near rail stationsboosting ridership, cutting traffic and pollution, lowering household costs, and expanding access to jobs, schools, and services." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Los Angeles real estate agent Brock Harris, with the firm Brock & Lori, applauded the move. "SB 79 puts density where it belongsnear transit infrastructure we've already paid for," Harris tells Realtor.com. The legislation has been nearly eight years in the making. Originally introduced by San Francisco state Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat, in 2018, the bill faced three failed attempts before its latest version finally cleared both the state Senate and Assembly earlier this year. A new law signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom will allow for more multifamily housing near major transit hubs. (Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images) "Its a huge step for housing in California," Wiener wrote on X after Newsom signed the fourth version of his bill into law last week. "Itll create more homes, strengthen our transit systems, and reduce traffic and carbon emissions." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The law, which will go into effect July 1, 2026, will change zoning rules in eight major California citiesLos Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Santa Clara, Alameda, Sacramento, San Francisco, and San Mateobut only in neighborhoods adjacent to specific transit stops. "This law finally aligns California's housing policy with urban planning 101: Build homes where people can actually walk to and use public transportation," says Harris. SB 79 also includes provisions allowing local governments to come up with their own alternative transit-oriented development plans, as long as they can still meet minimum overall density increases over the next two to three years. Lower-income communities will have the option to defer the law's implementation even further to allow for more planning. A win for YIMBY Newsoms signing SB 79 into law, which has been the subject of an intense political debateand even an online betting poolappears to underscore his alignment with the "Yes In My Back Yard" (YIMBY) movement, which has been a strong advocate for the rezoning measure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement YIMBY first emerged about 10 years ago in the Bay Area as a response to the long-standing "Not In MY Back Yard" (NIMBY) movement, which describes residents who resist new construction in their communities. Unlike their counterparts, YIMBY activists strongly support new housing developments, especially those that promote affordability and diversity. The group California YIMBY has been lobbying for zoning changes to boost the Golden State's scant housing supply for years and championed the earliest version of Wiener's bill in 2018. Brian Hanlon, CEO of California YIMBY, praised Newsom on Friday for embracing more homebuilding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "With his signature on SB 79, Governor Newsom cements his legacy as one of the most transformative pro-housing leaders in California history," Hanlon said in a statement. "Now we begin the work of making sure its provisions are fully and fairly implemented." Critics weigh in on the new law SB 79's push to increase housing density in California is far from universally embraced. Critics have argued that state-mandated rezoning rule changes would take away control from local governments and irrevocably alter the character of neighborhoods. In September, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass added her voice to a growing chorus of advocates and activists opposing SB 79, urging Newsom to veto the bill because she said it would "erode local control, diminish community input on planning and zoning, and disproportionately impact low-resource neighborhoods," reported LAIST. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Danna Givot, vice chair for Neighbors for a Better San Diego, a NIMBY-aligned grassroots organization, sounded a similar note, expressing concern that Sacramento was muscling in on local zoning matters. "They are not aware of what our priorities are, of our individual transit development plans, and what works in San Diego and what doesnt work in San Diego," Givot recently told NBC San Diego. Givot added that the transit-oriented zoning changes, which she argued were unnecessary, could hurt property values. "The homeowners will suffer, the neighborhoods will suffer, there will be no infrastructure provided to support that kind of density, up to a mile from transit, and transit will continue to be subsidized because it will not have increased ridership based on the way Senate Bill 79 has been written," Givot said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harris dismissed this kind of talk as "the usual NIMBY arm-waving," contending that what California needs is "more state and federal intervention on recalcitrant city and neighborhood councils." But fellow L.A.-area real estate agent Victor Currie, at Douglas Elliman Real Estate, says the arguments brought up by activists opposing the law are now without merit. "Obviously, the greater Los Angeles region needs more housing, but this law threatens to ruin the character that drew people to certain neighborhoods in the first place," Currie tells Realtor.com. Newsom argued that the law will bolster local control, rather than limit it. In his statement, the Democratic governor said SB 79 would allow cities and counties to craft their own plans tailored to their needs, or build on existing local policies, as long as they meet the "baseline housing capacity" required by law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This gives local government the tool to take ownership of outcomes, with state law serving as a backdrop if they fail to act," Newsom stated. Currie, however, notes that many important questions concerning the implementation of SB 79 remain unanswered, including who will foot the bill for the additional power, sewer lines, water, and other necessities. "This region has a lot of aging infrastructure, so I wonder if we can actually support the level of development that this bill calls for," he says. What the new law means for California housing Realtor.com senior economic research analyst Hannah Jones says SB 79 aims to address some of California's persistent housing affordability challenges, mainly caused by an insufficient housing supply and the high cost and complexity of adding new units due to restrictive zoning laws that have constrained construction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "By increasing housing density in high-demand, transit-accessible areas, the law could expand supply in locations where people most want to live, potentially easing pressure on rent and home prices over time," says Jones. The analyst adds that at least in theory, boosting home supply, reducing regulatory barriers, and using well-located but underused land near transit should create more housing options at lower price points. However, Jones says don't expect a new crop of budget-friendly, conveniently located apartments to spring up overnight. "Actual construction may be slow to materialize, given rising building costs, labor shortages, and financing constraints," she warns. "Moreover, there is no guarantee that new housing will be affordable, raising concerns about the potential for displacement or exclusion of existing communities." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Overall, Jones says the law "represents an important step in the right direction, but not a quick fix." Its impact will depend on how quickly developers respond, how new units are priced, and how effectively the state removes barriers to housing construction. Harris agrees, saying that while the law may not have a significant impact on the state's dire housing shortage, it does remove a major hurdle. "We've been banning housing precisely where it makes the most sense to build," he says. According to Harris, developers welcome the zoning flexibility, but he stresses that the Newsom-signed bill does not solve their bigger challenges: high financing costs, labor shortages, and permitting delays. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Los Angeles, along with a number of other major cities in California, have made it nearly impossible to build apartment buildings and expensive and risky to be a landlord or investor," he says. "Until those fundamental barriers are rectified, bills like SB 79 will help but not solve the housing crisis." Currie is similarly skeptical, saying that what Los Angeles needs most is more affordable housing, but the transit hubs at the core of the new law are located in expensive areas, and simply loosening height and density limitations won't reduce the cost of development. "Just because it would become theoretically easier to get projects approved doesnt mean that its economically viable to build anything other than luxury projects in a lot of these areas," says the agent. GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM The four-masted full-rigged Falls of Clyde departed Honolulu Harbor for the last time today. The former U.S. National Historic Monument was destined to be sunk in the waters off Oahu after decades of controversy over her fate. 1 /2 GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM The four-masted full-rigged Falls of Clyde departed Honolulu Harbor for the last time today. The former U.S. National Historic Monument was destined to be sunk in the waters off Oahu after decades of controversy over her fate. GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM The four-masted full-rigged Falls of Clyde departed Honolulu Harbor for the last time today. The former U.S. National Historic Monument was destined to be sunk in the waters off Oahu after decades of controversy over her fate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2 /2 GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM The four-masted full-rigged Falls of Clyde departed Honolulu Harbor for the last time today. The former U.S. National Historic Monument was destined to be sunk in the waters off Oahu after decades of controversy over her fate. GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM The four-masted full-rigged Falls of Clyde departed Honolulu Harbor for the last time today. The former U.S. National Historic Monument was destined to be sunk in the waters off Oahu after decades of controversy over her fate. GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM The four-masted full-rigged Falls of Clyde departed Honolulu Harbor for the last time today. The former U.S. National Historic Monument was destined to be sunk in the waters off Oahu after decades of controversy over her fate. The historic Falls of Clyde ship was removed from Honolulu Harbor early this morning for disposal at sea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two tug boats removed the 146-year-old ship from its berth at Pier 7 before the break of dawn, at about 5 :30 a.m., then towed it out, where it is to be sunk at a deep-water site about 25 miles out from Oahus south shore later this afternoon. The Hawaii Department of Transportationwhich impounded the ship in 2016had awarded Shipwright LLC of Florida the contract to remove the Falls of Clyde at an estimated cost of $4.9 million, marking a final chapter in its history. Shipwright began prepping the ship for removal in late July and was expected to tow it out to sea for disposal in late November, but finished its work ahead of schedule. DOT deputy director for harbors Dre Kalili said the maritime consulting company was able to quickly secure all required approvals from the U.S. Coast Guard and Environmental Protection Agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State officials have attempted to remove the deteriorating ship for at least a decade, saying that it was necessary for safety as well as to improve port efficiency at Honolulu Harbor, which is slated for redevelopment. For those who wanted to preserve the Falls of Clyde, it was a sad moment, as the ships disposal is considered a significant loss for maritime history. The Falls of Clydebuilt in 1878 in Port Glasgow, Scotland and named after a waterfallwas the last remaining example of an iron-hulled, four-masted sailing oil tanker. It had ties to Hawaii as a Matson transport ship, and was also a floating museum that, in its heyday, hosted school field trips, birthday celebrations and weddings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The nonprofit Friends of the Falls of Clyde, which took ownership of the ship in 2008 after it had suffered years of neglect, made numerous attempts to save it, at one point in partnership with a Scotland-based group that envisioned transporting it back to its birthplace for restoration. The Historic Hawaii Foundation considers the Falls of Clyde to be the last of its kind, as both the oldest surviving member of the Matson fleet and the only surviving sailing oil tanker left afloat in the world. It was previously listed on the Hawaii and National Register of Historic Places, and was designated a national historic landmark. It was delisted from both registers over the past two years. The Falls of Clyde would have been 147 years old in December. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement See more : 72 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 ? . Forrestania Resources, a Western Australian exploration company, has announced a conditional scrip takeover bid for all the shares of Kula Gold. The bid proposes an exchange of one Forrestania share for every 5.6 shares of Kula Gold. This offer values Kula at a premium of 41% to its ten-day volume-weighted average price through 10 October. The directors of Forrestania have noted that the company's bid offers Kula Gold shareholders the chance to benefit from the 80%-owned Mt Palmer Gold Project more quickly than if the company were to pursue the project's development independently. The board has unanimously advised accepting Forrestania's offer, provided no superior proposal emerges. The directors also plan to accept the offer for their own holdings. Forrestania Resources and Kula Gold have entered into a bid implementation agreement (BIA). Under this agreement, Kula Gold is restricted from seeking competing offers during the bid period. Forrestania is required, in accordance with the terms of the options, to extend the offer for the exercise of existing Kula options and to provide compensation in the form of Forrestania shares for any outstanding options. The offer is contingent upon standard conditions including a minimum acceptance requirement, the absence of specified occurrences, no material adverse changes and no regulatory actions. Forrestania Resources chairman David Geraghty said: This transaction marks a natural progression in bringing together two complementary exploration portfolios within one of Western Australias most prolific gold belts. It expands Forrestanias regional presence and strengthens our position as a focused gold growth company with genuine scale and a clear pathway to growth. With gold prices remaining strong and investor interest building, this transaction underscores Forrestanias capacity to execute strategic, value-accretive opportunities with speed, discipline and purpose. Kula Gold chairman Mark Stowell stated: We believe this to be a highly value-accretive transaction for Kula Gold shareholders. The consolidation of Kula and Forrestanias gold assets in the Southern Cross district advances the ambitions of both companies to become gold producers and will provide important economies of scale. In the absence of a superior offer, our directors are confident that this regional consolidation strategy will provide an optimal outcome for Kula Gold. In January, Kula Gold formed a joint venture to explore the Wozi Niobium Project in Malawi, holding a 75% stake, while African Rare Metals owns 25%. SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) Walnut Grove Plantation in Spartanburg County is once again welcoming visitors for inside tours after 18 months of restoration. Historians said the project breathed new life into the historic site and revealed new discoveries. Older than the United States Constitution, Walnut Grove Plantation is nestled in Spartanburg County and built over 250 years ago in 1765 by Charles and Mary Moore. They were patriots that supported the patriot cause and a lot of history happened here on this property, David Wood, President and CEO of the Spartanburg County Historical Society said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wood said 18 months ago, the property was in desperate need of repairs. Over the years, deterioration of the foundation and a lot of the supporting structure underneath the home. Just over time, over that 250 plus years, [the structure] needed to have some serious attention to it, Wood said. Wood said the Spartanburg County Foundation raised $1.5 million to make the necessary preservation efforts. The process, which took over a year, became a blessing in disguise as treasures from the past were uncovered. We made a number of discoveries, Wood added. Like the original paint colors that would have been here, wainscoting in the house, what that color was. We tried as much as possible to put back to what we know was here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Helping to restore the home to its 18th-century appearance is local artist John Rainey who is adding the finishing touches. He used a colonial-era technique called grain painting, which mimics exotic wood. Rainey said the grain painting techniques he used on the house is the same process that was used hundreds of years ago. It was a cost-effective way of making a very opulent space and it used what they had readily available so they didnt have to import anything. Its really a genius, Rainey said. Wood hopes these efforts will preserve the house and its stories for another 250 years. Walnut Grove isnt just about the past, Wood said. It tells the story of the people who built our community and I think every structure here, you know, tells a story of resilience and survival at that time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now that the major restoration work is complete, visitors can once again step inside Walnut Grove Plantation and even explore the upstairs which was previously off limits. 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 WSPA 7NEWS. Washington The U.S. government reopened Wednesday, Nov. 12, after a record-breaking 43-day-long shutdown that began Wednesday, Oct. 1, as President Trump and congressional Republicans were unable to avert a lapse in federal funding. With travel delays looming going into the Thanksgiving holiday and SNAP benefits at risk, seven Democrats and one independent senator who caucuses with Democrats worked out a deal with Republicans on Sunday to advance a spending measure to fund the government. The House took up the measure on Wednesday, and Mr. Trump signed it later that night, ending the 2025 government shutdown. A government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to approve funding for federal agencies. Before 1980, agencies largely continued operating during a lapse in funding with the assumption that Congress would act quickly. But in 1980 and 1981, then-Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti authored a series of legal opinions that found government agencies didn't have the authority to continue running during a gap in funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Ronald Reagan oversaw eight shutdowns during his time in office, the longest of which lasted three days. There were three funding gaps between 1990 and 1995, then none until 2013. The threat of a government shutdown has become more frequent over the past decade, as Congress has found itself engaged in funding fights that are ultimately resolved with massive, yearlong spending packages. The most recent lapse in government funding, in late 2018 and early 2019, caused $3 billion in permanent losses, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Here is a look at the lapses in government funding that have taken place over the past four decades: Nov. 20, 1981 A Duration: Two full days Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement White House: President Ronald Reagan Senate control: Republicans House control: Democrats What happened: On Nov. 20, 1981, the Senate approved legislation that fell short of spending cuts Reagan had sought. The bill differed from a version passed in the House and funding technically lapsed at midnight, but since Nov. 21 fell on a Saturday, the effects weren't felt immediately. House and Senate negotiators worked over the weekend to reconcile their differences and passed identical bills on Sunday. On Monday, Reagan vetoed the plan and ordered the government to shut down, placing 250,000 federal employees on furlough. Later in the day, lawmakers passed a stopgap bill to keep the government funded and allow more time for talks on a deal. Workers returned the next day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sept. 30, 1982 Duration: One day White House: Reagan Senate control: Republicans House control: Democrats What happened: The one-day shutdown was not the result of a bitter stalemate, but happened because members of Congress were busy with social commitments. The New York Times reported at the time that "congressional leaders barred a late-night session because of major social events tonight by both Republicans and Democrats." Reagan had invited members of Congress to a barbecue at the White House, while Democrats had a $1,000-per-plate fundraising dinner. Singer Tammy Wynette coaxes President Ronald Reagan to his feet during a barbecue for members of Congress on the South Lawn of the White House on Sept. 30, 1982. / Credit: Bettmann / Getty Images The president eventually signed spending bills approved by Congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dec. 17, 1982 Duration: Three days White House: Reagan Senate control: Republicans House control: Democrats What happened: The shutdown arose in part from Reagan's opposition to a measure that included billions in funding for a jobs creation program and Democrats' opposition to money for the MX missile program. Congress walked away from the jobs provision but included money for legal support for low-income Americans. Lawmakers also declined to fund the missile program, but Reagan still signed the legislation to end the shutdown. Members of Congress opposed to the MX missile hold a rally on the Capitol steps on June 14, 1983. From left to right: Rep. Edward Markey; Sen. Ernest Hollings; Sen. Alan Cranston; Sen. Gary Hart; Rep. Jim Leach; and Sen. Edward Kennedy. / Credit: Bettmann / Getty Images Nov. 10, 1983 Duration: Three days White House: Reagan Senate control: Republicans Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House control: Democrats What happened: The shutdown stemmed from Democrats adding roughly $1 billion in education spending, and cutting foreign aid. House Democrats ended up decreasing their request for education spending to $100 million and provided money for the MX missile, which Reagan wanted. Democrats kept their cuts to foreign aid and defense. Sept. 30, 1984 Duration: Two days White House: Reagan Senate control: Republicans House control: Democrats What happened: Reagan and congressional Democrats were at odds over several provisions included in a funding bill that cleared the House, namely a crime bill favored by the president, and a water projects measure he opposed. Democrats also wanted legislation reversing a Supreme Court decision that found entire colleges that did not accept federal or state funding were not subject to Title IX's requirements even though their students did receive federal assistance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lawmakers approved and Reagan signed a bill that kept the government open for several more days to allow negotiations to continue. Oct. 3, 1984 Duration: One day White House: Reagan Senate control: Republicans House control: Democrats What happened: The stopgap funding measure passed days earlier didn't do enough to stave off another shutdown. Democrats ultimately gave in and removed the water projects and civil rights provisions, and Congress passed the crime bill. President Ronald Reagan having lunch with Vice President George Bush at the White House on Oct. 4, 1984. / Credit: Jean-Louis Atlan/Sygma via Getty Images Oct. 16, 1986 Duration: One day White House: Reagan Senate control: Republicans House control: Democrats What happened: Congressional Democrats wanted welfare expansion, then known as Aid to Families with Dependent Children, as well as other measures the White House opposed. Democrats ultimately walked away from several of their favored provisions and were promised a vote on welfare expansion in order to end the funding stalemate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dec. 18, 1987 Duration: One day White House: Reagan Senate control: Democrats House control: Democrats What happened: The lapse in government funding was the result of disagreement over providing aid to the Contras in Nicaragua and Democrats' push to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine, a policy from the Federal Communications Commission that required broadcast licensees to cover different sides of controversial issues. The rule was repealed in 1987. In the end, Congress approved nonlethal aid for the Nicaraguan rebels, but Democrats were unsuccessful in their efforts to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oct. 5, 1990 Duration: Three days White House: President George H.W. Bush Senate control: Democrats House control: Democrats What happened: Bush said he would veto a short-term funding measure that did not include a plan to reduce the deficit, forcing a shutdown. Congress ultimately passed a joint budget resolution that outlined a plan for reducing the deficit, and the president signed a continuing resolution that reopened the government. Nov. 13, 1995 Duration: Five days White House: President Bill Clinton Senate control: Republicans House control: Republicans What happened: The shutdowns that occurred during Clinton's presidency centered around his dispute with congressional Republicans of their pledge to balance the budget and repeal the president's 1993 tax increases. The GOP, led by Speaker Newt Gingrich, took control of the House for the first time in 40 years in 1995 in what would be remembered as the "Republican Revolution." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The GOP-led Congress passed a short-term continuing resolution that sought to boost Medicare premiums and required the president to balance the budget within seven years, among other measures. But Clinton vetoed the legislation, which led to a shutdown. Clinton and Republican congressional leaders ultimately reached a deal to fund the government for several weeks and allow negotiations to continue. Dec. 15, 1995 Duration: 21 days White House: Clinton Senate control: Republicans House control: Republicans What happened: The additional time given to Congress and the White House in November to continue talks wasn't enough, and funding lapsed again in mid-December. Unlike the November 1985 shutdown, this one lasted much longer, into early January 1996. President Bill Clinton speaks to House Speaker Newt Gingrich during a budget meeting at the White House on Dec. 19, 1995. / Credit: RICHARD ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images The issue was which agency's budget projections, the Congressional Budget Office or the Office of Management and Budget, the White House should use to show that the budget was balanced within seven years. In the end, Republicans backed down: then-Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole indicated in a floor speech on New Year's Eve that "we ought to end this. I mean, it's gotten to the point where it's a little ridiculous, as far as this senator is concerned." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sept. 30, 2013 A Park Police officer walks passes a sign announcing the closure of the Lincoln Memorial due to a partial government shutdown in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013. / Credit: Joshua Roberts/Bloomberg via Getty Images Duration: 16 days White House: President Barack Obama Senate control: Democrats House control: Republicans What happened: The fight began over the Affordable Care Act and a push by Republicans to dismantle key parts of Obama's signature health care law. The GOP-led House passed two spending bills, one of which would've delayed implementation of Obamacare, which were both rejected by the Democratic-led Senate. Obama called for a spending bill with no conditions attached, but Republicans ultimately opted to shut down the government over their opposition to the landmark health care law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Republicans led by Speaker John Boehner in the end ceded to Democrats and approved a short-term spending bill that didn't include changes to Obamacare. Jan. 19, 2018 Duration: Two days White House: President Donald Trump Senate control: Republicans House control: Republicans What happened: The shutdown, which officially began on the one-year anniversary of Trump's inauguration, stemmed from a fight over immigration, and specifically Democrats' demands for protections for "Dreamers," undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. The White House, however, said it would not engage in negotiations over the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which extended legal protections for Dreamers, while the government was shut down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the end, Democrats relented after Republicans pledged to work toward a deal addressing DACA, and Trump signed a short-term funding bill that reopened the government. Dec. 22, 2018 President Donald Trump holds up a photo of a Duration: 35 days White House: Trump Senate control: Republicans House control: Republicans/Democrats What happened: Months later, immigration was again at the center of the government funding fight, though this shutdown involved Trump's demand for $5.7 billion to pay for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. As the shutdown stretched to become until this year the longest in history and Democrats took control of the House, the president ended up signing a bill to reopen agencies for three weeks and did not include money for the border wall. Weeks later, Congress averted another shutdown by passing a measure that included $1.375 billion for the border wall, far less than the $5.7 billion Trump requested. Oct. 1, 2025 President Trump shows the signed bill package to reopen the federal government in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 12, 2025. / Credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images Duration: 43 days White House: Trump Senate control: Republicans House control: Republicans What happened: As Congress worked on a measure to fund the government, Democrats initially refused to support any funding legislation until Republicans agreed to extend enhanced tax credits for Americans enrolled in health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, which are set to expire at the end of the year and cause premiums to jump. On Sept. 19, the GOP-controlled House passed a continuing resolution to keep the government funded at existing levels until Nov. 21. It was sent to the Senate, which needs 60 votes to advance most legislation. Republicans control 53 seats in the upper chamber, and one GOP senator, Rand Paul, refused to vote for the measure, leaving the majority party in need of the support of at least eight Democrats. Two Democratic senators and one independent who caucuses with Democrats voted for the measure, leaving it short of the necessary support. Failing to pass the continuing resolution led the government to shut down on Oct. 1. Republicans brought the funding measure to the Senate floor more than a dozen times over the next 40 days, but it failed to pick up any more Democratic support until Nov. 9, when five more Democrats signed on after striking a deal with Republicans. In exchange for funding the government through Jan. 30, the deal included a promise for a future vote on a one-year extension of the ACA tax credits with no guarantee of Republican support reversing the federal layoffs that the Trump administration implemented during the shutdown and preventing any further cuts in the federal workforce until the end of January. With the support of those five Democrats, the continuing resolution finally advanced in the Senate and was sent back to the House for approval. The House passed the measure on Nov. 12, and Mr. Trump signed off on it later that night, ending the 2025 government shutdown after a record 43 days. Jack Schlossberg, John F. Kennedy's grandson, announces bid for Congress Judge weighing Lindsey Halligan's DOJ appointment as she prosecutes Comey and James White House reacts to Epstein emails released by House Oversight Committee Democrats TEMPLE, Texas (FOX 44) A Holy Trinity Catholic High School bus with 13 children aboard was involved in a traffic accident in Temple. Police officers were dispatched to the area of N General Bruce Drive and W Adams Avenue around 3:22 p.m. Wednesday. The accident involved a Holy Trinity Catholic High School bus and a Mitsubishi. When officers arrived, they discovered the Mitsubishi attempted to turn the wrong way down the roadway, resulting in a collision. There were 13 children on the bus and one bus driver. No injuries have been reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This case is under investigation. If you have any information on this case, you can contact the Temple Police Department at 254-298-5500 or the Bell County Crime Stoppers at 254-526-8477. 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 KWKT - FOX 44. Tom Homan, White House Border Czar, came to Indianapolis Tuesday to talk about the successes of the Trump Administrations immigration policy and to voice his support for a revived immigration bill that will be filed in the 2026 session. Homan, who spoke for about 20 minutes as part of a Fairness for Hoosiers event held inside the House Chamber, said he came out of retirement twice to work for President Donald Trump. The event was originally scheduled to be in the Statehouse Atrium, but it was moved to the House Chamber, closed to media and the public, and state officials livestreamed the event instead. Ahead of his second term, Homan said Trump asked him to do three things: secure the border, run the largest deportation operation this country has seen, and find over 300,000 missing children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Currently, the U.S. has the most secure border in the history of this nation, Homan said, who claimed border crossings fell from more than 10,000 a day to less than 100 as of Friday. According to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol data, 432,059 people crossed the Southern border of the U.S. through the end of August of this year. Meanwhile, deportations have increased to 550,000 since Trump took office in January, Homan said, while another 1.6 million people have self deported. There is a record number of deportations. We have a lot more to do. Weve got a lot more thats coming, Homan said. Homan said recently approved funding from Congress will allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hire another 10,000 officers, tripling the size of the workforce, and he said officials hope to triple the number of arrests and deportations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Homan blamed leaders of sanctuary cities for the arrests of legal immigrants or citizens because they have denied ICE access to jails. So, Homan said, when ICE agents go into communities looking for illegal immigrants, those nearby get swept up in arrests too. Were not turning a blind eye to the oath we took, Homan said. Sanctuary cities are going to get exactly what they dont want: more agents in the community, more work site enforcement. They are going to get more collateral arrests. If you want less collateral arrests, let us in the jail to talk to the person that you locked in the jail cell. Chicago news outlets have reported the ICE and Border Patrol officers have been detaining street vendors and ride-share drivers at OHare, and citizens who appear to be Hispanic. Republicans have claimed that upwards of 300,000 children were lost beginning last summer, after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a report showing that ICE didnt serve notices to appear in court to 291,000 minors between fiscal year 2019 and May 2024. Additionally, the report claims that another 32,000 were notified but failed to show up for immigration court hearings from fiscal year 2019 to 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By law, after unaccompanied minors from foreign countries are detained at the border, they go into the care of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement, which aims to place children in the least restrictive setting that is in the best interests of the child, CBS reported. The office tries to release children to sponsors, which can include parents, relatives and guardians, and federal policy dictates that the sponsors are vetted through interviews and background checks, according to the report. Homan said he told Trump that of the three tasks given finding the missing children was the most difficult because children dont have a paper trail like adults do. How do we find a child? Well, we have to count on the paperwork of the sponsor. If that paperwork wasnt vetted and done right, thats almost useless too. So were out there every day looking for these children, Homan said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About 24,000 children have been rescued, Homan said. State Rep. JD Prescott said he will file the Fostering and Advancing Immigration Reforms Necessary to Ensure Safety and Security (FAIRNESS) Bill, which will revive House Bill 1531 from the 2025 session. House Bill 1531 would have required all levels of Hoosier government to comply with federal detainer requests. It also wouldve banned employers from knowingly or intentionally recruiting, hiring or employing people not allowed to work in the U.S. The bill passed the House 64-26, but died after it wasnt heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne, is the chairperson of the committee, and the chair of each committee chooses which bills are heard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the event, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said Browns decision to hold the bill set us back at least a full year. Brown told the Indiana Capital Chronicle in July that law enforcement came to her with concerns on the bill, which would have required them to honor immigration detainer requests. Detainers are not backed by a judicial finding like a warrant. Blaming the Biden Administrations immigration policies, Rokita said every state is now a border state and that Indiana cant afford to fail to act for a second session in a row. There is no county, and therefore no Indiana, if we dont have a defined border, one language and a common culture, Rokita said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prescott, R-Union City, said the bill will address immigration retainer requests, ban local governments from limiting or restricting the enforcement of federal immigration laws, and bar employers from knowingly or intentionally hiring people not allowed to work in the U.S., among other things. While border crossings have decreased under Trump, Prescott said states like Indiana have to do their part to address illegal immigrants within the U.S. We still have to do our part to make sure that were enforcing the law here in our state, Prescott said. I am willing to work alongside each and every one of the members of the general assembly to get this bill in its final position. Gov. Mike Braun said states have to get involved in immigration enforcement because Republicans dont have enough of a majority in Congress to pass immigration laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As governor, Braun said hes made clear that Indiana is not a safe haven for illegal immigrants. Further, the Indiana Department of Correction has made 1,000 beds available at the Miami Correctional Facility for people under ICE holds, he said. The next step, Braun said, is for the legislature to pass the FAIRNESS Act. I believe states need to lead the way in assisting federal authorities with enforcing our nations most fundamental laws, Braun said. Lets get it over the finish line this time. Chad Wolf, former acting DHS secretary and current executive vice president at America First Policy Institute, said states should use every tool in your tool kit to address illegal immigration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A fight for a sovereign nation, one with borders, is a fight worth having, Wolf said. I think were in a battle for the future of Western Civilization. Homan, who was the final speaker of the event, said as Prescott talked about the bill he felt like a kid in a candy store. Hopefully that becomes law, Homan said. Please help President Trump. I think its a great bill. akukulka@post-trib.com SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) In a presentation to the city council, the citys homelessness coordinator, Michelle Treasure, highlighted data and the work of local nonprofits of the past year. We had a really successful last year, she said. Treasure said the campaign to end panhandling in the city saw positive data from the media company that serviced it. Treasure noted the heavy volume of engagements the campaign received on social media and its website. The campaign ran from May to August this year. Webster A&W to continue tradition in community Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The $150,000 campaign was created to encourage people to donate to nonprofits instead of giving money to panhandlers. Little to no panhandling was seen in some of our more tension areas where we saw a lot of nuisance behavior downtown and there were very few complaints to the mayors office, Treasure said. Back in July, one nonprofit told KELOLAND News they saw a difference after the campaign launched. The thing that we noticed the most was once the signs went up, then we saw less people hanging out at the various intersections, CEO of the St. Francis House Julie Becker said in July. More men than women are being served by Urban Indian Health and the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House (BDHH). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In just August of this year, BDHH saw an average of 117 guests per night. The average ages of those who need service is 30-39. Over 100 family reunifications happened this year at the BDHH, according to Treasure. DTSF CEO Brandon Hansen told the council about the work the DTSF ambassadors. There are five staffed ambassadors year-round. Ambassadors address graffiti, trash and other nuisances in downtown Sioux Falls. They also interact with visitors to downtown, including those who are homeless. Hanson said for the first time in a long time, homeless activity has ticked up,. Treasure then presented her strategic plan, looking ahead to the cold winter season, which includes five pillars. The plan, which hasnt changed, according to Treasure, is outlined in the presentation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The full report is below. Homelessness InformationalDownload 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 KELOLAND.com. While working as chefs in New York City, sisters Jaime and Sara Secor dreamed of returning to Western New York to start a business of their own. Now in their third season operating Edgy Vegy vegan food truck, the Secors implemented the steps they learned at a small business course. Today, Cornell Cooperative Extension from Niagara County, in conjunction with the Niagara Small Business Development Center, will teach the free Homemade to Money Made business workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. at 4487 Lake Ave. in Lockport. Its the first time the course has been offered since 2018, said Heather Nedroscik, the extensions beginner farmer educator, and space in the class is still available. The workshop is geared toward food production as part of value-added agriculture, but Nedroscik said it is also relevant for potential food truck businesses, bakers, sauce makers, and food packagers. The session includes a guided tour of the Western New York Food Incubator Commercial Kitchen on-site. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So many people have a great family recipe or get an abundance of farm produce, said Bree Bacon, certified business manager at the Niagara Small Business Development Center. They want to learn more about how to legally sell their products and turn it into a business, whether its starting a farm stand or selling at a farmers market. Were trying to appeal to people who are canning, Nedroscik said. We did just have somebody call about making pet food. Theres also people that are doing small catering businesses. Were going to go over the basics of getting started. Bacon said the workshop introduces participants to free and low-cost resources and verified information about permits and licenses, business planning, and pricing considerations. Participants will also see the cooperative extensions state-of-the-art incubator kitchen, which is a fully licensed commercial kitchen that local entrepreneurs can rent to produce items that either require a commercial kitchen, like pickles, or need more space to scale up products, like baked goods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We want this hands-on workshop to help people turn their passion into a viable product they can sell, Bacon said. The Secors spend a day each week at the incubator kitchen in Lockport to prep a variety of ingredients they use in vegan cooking. Jamie was slicing delicata squash, the main ingredient in a sandwich on house-made focaccia bread, with tempura-fried onions and cabbage-apple slaw. Sara was chopping dozens of garlic cloves and moved on to preparing ginger. Jamie said she and Sara began testing recipes for their food truck while they still worked for other businesses. When they returned to Buffalo, they found an empty Chevrolet Express van and a fabricator in Alden who installed their cooking equipment and stainless steel cladding. They developed their business plan, and a year later, they were operating in Erie County during the April to November season. Last quarter, Sara said their sales had increased 34%. We have repeat customers, and customers that come to events just for our food, she said. A Homewood man, 57, was taken into custody Tuesday evening by the Will County Sheriffs Office after alleged suspicious behavior at the Lincoln-Way East High School in Frankfort. The man, identified as Eric Havens, fled on foot after attendees at a school volleyball game notified a Will County Sheriffs Department school resource officer of suspicious behavior, at around 5:45 p.m Tuesday, according to a release issued Wednesday by the Will County Sheriffs Department. At around 7:45 p.m., Havens turned himself in to the Frankfort police, after a pursuit into a nearby subdivision involving multiple law enforcement resources, including the Will County deputies, K9 units, drones and neighboring agencies. The resource officer identified the man through school security footage as Havens, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Havens was taken to the Will County Adult Detention Facility and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting police. Will County officials said additional charges are possible as investigations continue. Officials said Wednesday morning that there is no imminent threat to anyone attending the event or the surrounding community due to the situation. In a statement Wednesday morning, Will County Sheriff Mike Kelley thanked the Frankfort Police Department, the Mokena Police Department, and the staff and administration of Lincoln-Way East High School for their swift actions and cooperation during this incident. Our school resource officers work closely with our school partners to maintain safe learning environments, Kelley said. Thanks to their quick communication and teamwork, this situation was resolved safely and efficiently. CHICAGO (WGN) A south suburban man is accused in the death of a 76-year-old man found severely beaten at a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) bus shelter on the citys Far South Side in September. Malcom Wilson, 32, of Homewood faces one felony count of first-degree murder and murder with a strong probability of death following the events of Sept. 8 at 95th and Halsted. Police say it was there that officers responded to a report of a man who had been found in the area with apparent head trauma. The 76-year-old was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police say they believed someone pushed the victim to the ground and battered him before fleeing the scene. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Cook County prosecutors also charged Wilson with two felony counts of vehicular hijacking and one felony count of possession of a stolen vehicle. CPD provided no booking photo of Wilson. 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 WGN-TV. The Hostage and Missing Families Forum want to know Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir's plans for the military's actions after Hamas failed to return all murdered hostage remains within 72 hours of the ceasefire. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, in a statement, demanded a meeting with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir after Hamas failed to release all the hostages within the 72-hour timeline stipulated in US President Donald Trump's plan. The forum wants Zamir to tell them how the IDF intends to act in light of Hamas's violation of the agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It is impossible for the IDF to allow the continued implementation of the agreement while Hamas is blatantly violating it and our loved ones are still in Gaza," the forum said. The forum accuse the military of continuing to implement the ceasefire agreement as usual, while there is "serious concern" that the hostage remains will remain in captivity, while Hamas terrorists are "blatantly violating the agreement." Hamas "plans to hold the hostages despite the agreement that it signed," the forum alleged. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir addresses the nation hours ahead of the release of the Gaza hostages. October 12, 2025. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT) The forum queried whether the IDF is still "captive in the concept of October 6, 2023, and still believes Hamas instead of understanding that this is a fraudulent and despicable terrorist organization," referring to the perception of the military holding a misconception of the dangers posed by Hamas which was shattered by the October 7 massacre. Hostage Families Forum urge Witkoff to apply pressure on Hamas Earlier on Tuesday, the forum wrote a letter urging US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff to apply pressure on Hamas to release the remaining deceased hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They requested Witkoff "pull out every stop and leave no stone unturned in demanding that Hamas fulfill their end of the agreement and bring all the remaining hostages home," stating that Witkoff's previous visit and promises to "dig with [Witkoff's] own fingers to find our loved ones left behind" have been etched in the minds of the forum and will carry them "through the darkest moments." Since the ceasefire agreement was signed, all 20 living hostages, and eight out of the 28 murdered hostages have been returned, as of Tuesday night. The body of a hostage handed over by Palestinian militant group Hamas under the terms of the US-backed Gaza peace agreement has been identified as German-Israeli national Tamir Nimrodi. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said the soldier was one of the four bodies included in a second wave of returns by Hamas on Tuesday, three of which have been identified. Nimrodi was abducted from the Israeli border area during the October 7, 2023, attacks that sparked the war in Gaza. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 20-year-old had reportedly voluntarily swapped weekend duty with another soldier. According to the forum, Nimrodi was killed by Israeli bombardment during his captivity. His mother Herut met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in recent months to campaign for the release of the remaining hostages. According to the ceasefire agreement, which was reached in Egypt last week, Hamas is due to hand over a total of 28 bodies. The 20 living hostages were freed on Monday after 738 days of captivity. Following the return of four more bodies on Tuesday, 20 deceased hostages remain in the hands of the militant group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hamas has said that there are difficulties in locating the remains in the rubble after two years of war in the Gaza Strip. According to media reports, Israel believes this is a delaying tactic and has threatened to restrict aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip and keep the Rafah border crossing with Egypt closed until all the hostages' bodies have been transferred. However, Israeli broadcaster Kan reported that the border crossing is to reopen and aid to be allowed in after Hamas said another four bodies would be returned on Wednesday. Something has shifted in the stock market after Fridays selloff. Longview Economics says it's time to be careful. - Getty Images/iStockphoto Investors who would like to fully focus on the start of earnings season are dealing with a reboot of trade tensions. A fresh China-U.S. spat over shipping is set to take a bite out of stocks at the open. Trade impacts were all but forgotten, Nohshad Shah, head of fixed income at Citadel told clients. Downside risks remain present (and underpriced). Fridays news illustrates the vulnerability of equity markets to shocks at these valuations. Most Read from MarketWatch Our call of the day suggests something under the surface of the market may have shifted after last weeks selloff, with a pullback just getting started. Independent research consultancy Longview Economics global economist and chief market strategist Chris Watling told clients on Monday that hes cautious where stocks are concerned. Despite Trumps TACO [Trump Always Chickens Out] comments over the weekend, there remains a strong possibility that the robust upward momentum in this equity market has been broken for now, Watling wrote in an update. He said the market showed a vulnerable side that few expected on Friday. The backdrop for that pullback, though, was a market that was speculative, overbought, greedy and ready to selloff. That was much evident in the positioning of our market timing models and the underlying technical state of the equity market. Looking ahead, things could go either way, and Watling advises focusing on the markets technical setup and vulnerability to negative newsflow. Laying out a few reasons for caution he points to Longviews selloff indicator that as of Monday is now flagging a retreat getting started. This model is designed to signal the start of pullbacks (not the end). Its track record is good with the majority of signals occurring just ahead of minor or major pullbacks, he said. - Consistent with that selloff signal, he said price action for multiple key areas of the stock market had become near vertical ahead of Fridays fall. Near vertical price action usually occurs just prior to a pullback (and is a confirmation of the message of the selloff indicator), he said. That aggressive upward momentum also suggests short squeezes when investors betting against shares must buy them back to cover losses and FOMO (fear of missing out) buying. ASML ASML, Oracle ORCL, Alibaba BABA, Tesla TSLA, SK Hynix KR:000660, Alphabet GOOGL, Apple AAPL and country indexes such as Chile XX:SPCLXIGPA, Mexico MX:IPC , South Africa ZA:JSE and South Korea KR:180721 all saw sharp rallies in September and/or early October, the strategist noted. Pictured from left Ian Lovejoy and Elizabeth Guzman running against each other to represent House District 22. (Photos courtesy of campaigns) Republican state Del. Ian Lovejoy wants to continue his work in the Virginia House of Delegates representing voters in part of Prince William County, and is facing a challenge from Democrat and former state lawmaker Elizabeth Guzman. Both have different views on how to address data centers, reproductive rights and the increased cost of living, issues which loom large in Northern Virginias House District 22. With all 140 House seats up for grabs, the two candidates are contending for a seat that could help Democrats maintain control of the House for an additional two years or give Republicans control again as a new governor takes office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The candidates are also campaigning on shared challenges for voters including traffic and commuting burdens, school quality, community safety, and environmental and development pressures due to the demand for data centers and their high energy needs. Key races: 2025 Virginia House of Delegates elections Familiar foes, new stakes: CoynerDougherty rematch tests Va.s suburban swing in House District 75 Democrat Mehta aims to unseat Republican Earley in Chesterfield-based House District 73 race Growth, tourism and turnout collide in House District 71 rematch House District 97, anchored in Virginia Beach, could determine party majority in House of Delegates Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Big money, tight margins define ObenshainFranklin rematch in House District 41 Data centers and rising energy demands Both candidates weighed in on data centers, one of the states fastest-growing industries, with dozens of the facilities located in their district. Were in a real bind, because this industry has outpaced our regulatory schemes, said Lovejoy, a small business leader and entrepreneur. Historically, power infrastructure is socialized and paid for by everybody, but the data centers are the sole cause of this massive increase of power infrastructure need, and so we have to work on legislation that ensures data centers arent getting that power infrastructure on the back of your average rate payer. Lovejoy said he intends to reintroduce proposals to address the issue by adding clarity to data center siting rules, ensuring they are not built too close to residential areas, forests and historic assets. Hell also continue to support legislation that helps prevent taxpayers from paying too much for the power-thirsty data centers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Guzman who attacked her opponent on receiving donations from utility companies, as reported by the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) emphasized the need for community input on decisions about data centers and other public projects, and said the centers should be located in industrial areas, and not next to homes and schools. As someone who has refused utility company money, I will always put families before corporate interest, Guzman said. Ill push for stricter regulations, environmental safeguards and public hearings so residents have a real voice before projects move forward. Unlike my opponent, Ive never taken money from utility companies. Lovejoys campaign said his opponent is grasping at straws when claiming he is compromised and is hypocritical considering the donations shes received from organizations that have lobbied against legislative proposals related to data centers. Guzmans campaign has financially outperformed her opponents, raising over $946,000 compared to Lovejoys roughly $537,000 as of Oct. 5, according to VPAP. Reproductive rights In the upcoming General Assembly session, lawmakers will vote again on a bill to enshrine abortion protections in the states constitution, which successfully passed the legislature earlier this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Guzman, a social worker who supports abortion access, is likely to vote yes on the measure that advances other reproductive freedoms, unlike Lovejoy, who supports a 15-week abortion limit with exceptions and voted against the amendment. I would happily support that constitutional amendment because abortion rights are human rights, and that no legislator should be involved in a personal medical decision that only belongs to a woman and her doctor, Guzman said. Guzman also criticized her opponent for voting against the abortion protection bill. Lovejoys campaign did not respond to requests for comment on Guzmans claims about the reproductive rights amendment. Instead, he publicly questioned her silence on texts by Jay Jones, the Democratic attorney general nominee, in which he talked about a hypothetical scenario where a former Republican Virginia lawmaker and his children would be killed in 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I call on Elizabeth Guzman to join me and denounce this rhetoric and call for Jay Jones to withdraw from his race for Attorney General, Lovejoy posted on X, as reported by the Prince William Times. Broadly, Lovejoys Republican colleagues have said that the legislation is too extreme, overrides parental rights and fails to protect the unborn. Guzmans campaign declined to comment regarding the text messages. Cost of living On lowering the cost of living, Lovejoy supports cutting taxes and reducing government size. Guzman supports targeted tax relief on cars and groceries, while also backing investments in public programs, which may necessitate revenue increases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The number one way we can keep money in peoples pockets is how we manage the commonwealth tax scheme, Lovejoy said, adding that maintaining a strict tax regimen that doesnt increase the burden on taxpayers can help to make life more affordable for Virginians, including housing. Theres a lot of pressure to raise taxes in different parts of our current tax code, and thats been kept largely at bay because of the governors veto pen. So I worry, should we lose that ability, where the tax scheme is going to go. Guzman supports increasing the minimum wage and expanding worker protections. Lovejoy has not spoken on wage laws, but has focused on economic growth through deregulation and tax relief during his time in the House. Diverse needs Guzman stated if elected to serve the competitive 22nd House District, she will continue to work across party lines and achieve results for her constituents, who represent a range of ethnicities, occupations and political persuasions. She emphasized that she has a proven track record of serving voters with different views than hers in parts of Fauquier and Prince William counties during her six years in the General Assembly, before her previous District 31 was redrawn by the Virginia Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I represented Prince William and Fauquier County, which was red and rural, and just being the only Democrat in the room when we were having conversations about decisions of how to make life better for residents, never intimidated me, Guzman said. I was there to work with Republicans to deliver for my district. In 2023, Lovejoy won by nearly five percentage points in the newly drawn House District 22, the same district that favored Democratic nominee Kamala Harris by nearly two percentage points over elected Republican President Donald Trump last November. He said if reelected to his second term, he and his office will continue to support his Northern Virginia constituents and that civility will remain a central goal of his work as a legislator. Ive been very conscientious of realizing that I represent a very split district, and we are responsive to everyones complaints, concerns (and) constituent services, equally, Lovejoy said. The tone of our campaign is not to vilify an entire political party or people, and I think thats important and leading in the future. The deadline to register to vote, update registration or apply for a ballot to be mailed is on Oct. 24. In-person early voting ends Nov. 1. Election Day is Nov. 4. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Kathryn Bigelows riveting new thriller, A House of Dynamite, begins with a soothing reminder of our recent past. White letters scroll across a black screen: At the end of the Cold War, nations reached consensus that we should have fewer nuclear weapons. Then comes the chilling kicker: That era is now over. This is no galaxy far, far away. This is the very real and present danger of nuclear catastrophe in a world where all of the nine nuclear-armed states are building new nuclear weapons. For the first time since the 1980s, we are in an arms race. Bigelow takes us on a riveting nightmare ride through this nuclear insanity and realitythe most immediate existential threat to humanity. A 20-minute roller coaster begins with the detection of a nuclear-armed ballistic missile fired from somewhere in the Pacific and rocketing towards the United States. Those 20 minuteswhich, astonishingly, is the actual time officials would have after detecting such a missile attack before it impactsplay out three times in the film, from the perspective of different actors in the drama. It is all portrayed with vividly accurate depictions of the locations, people, and scenarios of an actual nuclear alert, even if simplified for the screen. The White House Situation Room is larger and more high-tech than the one I visited, but thats about it for Hollywood enhancement. Spoiler alert: There are no villains. Everyone is acting out their assigned roles, adhering to established procedures. Much as she did in her hit film The Hurt Locker, Bigelow provides brief backstories for each of the main figures, grounding this extraordinary situation in the mundane drama of relationships, the humdrum of a White House job and the grind of military duty. The secretary of defense is grieving the recent death of his wife. A deputy national security adviser is stuck in traffic and late for work. The president is shooting jump shots with WNBA star Angel Reese to promote youth sports. A major is arguing on a phone call as he walks into the interceptor launch control room, expecting another boring day. That is what makes the developing crisis so horrifying. Problems that seemed important a minute ago disappear in the growing realization that the unimaginable is happening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the star of the film has to be the ground-based interceptors, or GBI, that officials rely on to destroy the incoming missile. The film opens at Fort Greeley, Alaska, where the majority of the 44 U.S. interceptors are based. When they are launched at the incoming warhead, both operators and senior officials are confident they will work. This too is highly accurate. We are confident in our ability to defend the homeland against current missile threats by rogue states, thenDeputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy Robert Soofer assured us in a 2020 article arguing for more funding. During this time of uncertainty, Americans should be confident knowing our country already has protection. But we do not. When worried Secretary of Defense Reid Baker (played masterfully by Jared Harris of Chernobyl and Foundation fame) is told that there is a 61 percent chance that the interceptors will succeed, he exclaims, So, its a fucking coin toss?! Thats what 50 billion dollars buys us? The first exoatmospheric kill vehicle, or EKV, fails to separate from the interceptors boostersomething that has occurred three times in When a worried secretary of defense is told that there is a 61 percent chance that the interceptors will succeed, he exclaims, So, its a fucking coin toss?! the 20 tests of the real-world GBI system. The second missesexactly the results in six of the tests. Bigelow slightly exaggerates the success rate. We havent tested the system since 2023. The test before that was 2019. Before that, 2017. The kill vehicle, design to directly hit the warhead, has proven to be so flawed that the Department of Defense killed the program and is now trying to develop an entirely new one. The same with the interceptor. The 44 interceptors now deployed are fitted with different versions of the flawed kill vehicle and boosters. It is no wonder that testing has stopped altogether. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a recent, comprehensive report from the American Physical Society, The 20 years of past GMD [ground-based missile defense system] tests have been conducted under scripted conditions and designed for success: The Pentagon has consistently rated the GMD tests as low in operational realism. Even so, the system has failed as often as it has succeeded. Of the 20 tests conducted since 1999, the interceptors successfully destroyed their targets 11 times. That is a 55 percent success rate. But wait, it gets worse: Realism would require testing against threat-representative targets that include complex countermeasures and with unannounced target launch times, the scientists report. But only two tests have used simulated warheads of ICBM-range missiles as targets, and in all the successful intercept tests, the time of the test was chosen so the kill vehicle would see the target brightly lit by the sun against a dark background. It is no wonder the interceptors fail in the film. This is an accurate portrayal of what is likely to happen in a crisis. When you test for success, expect failure in the real world. The failure of national missile defense is not for lack of trying. Since President Ronald Reagan announced his Strategic Defense Initiative in 1983, the country has squandered over $453 billion on weapons designed to protect the United States from ballistic missile attack, including $63 billion (not $50 billion, as in the film) directly on the deeply flawed ground-based missile defense system featured in A House of Dynamite. Nothing has worked. Nor is Donald Trumps fanciful, enormously expensive and aptly named Golden Dome system likely to work. There is zero possibility of a comprehensive missile defense of the United States in the foreseeable future, James N. Miller, who served as undersecretary of defense in the Obama administration, told The Washington Posts Max Boot. We are not going to escape mutual assured destruction vis-a-vis Russia or China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, the contracts roll on, including $45 billion the White House requested and Congress approved just this year for Trumps scheme. Faith in missile defense never dies, Boot has written. The billions of dollars a year spent on chasing this fantasy funds a small army of corporate lobbyists and millions in campaign contributions to suppress congressional oversight (there hasnt been a serious investigation into the failures of the program in decades) and a plethora of press stories, reports, and conferences hawking the missile defense snake oil. That meansall the evidence to the contrarythat half of Americans believe we have a functioning national missile defense system, including senior officials and members of Congress who have blindly approved these billions. The dangers of a nuclear attack have been depicted in countless movies. But few capture the realization that there is not a technological shield that can protect us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The dangers of a nuclear attack and the agonizing choices officials have to make in an impossibly short time have been depicted dozens of times, from Dr. Strangelove to Madam Secretary. But few have depicted the shock and horror at the realization that there is not a technological shield that can protect us. This better fucking work, says the U.S. president, played convincingly by English actor Idris Elba, as the kill vehicles close in on the warhead. When it doesnt, the president is pressed to quickly choose nuclear launch options. He is presented, as he would be in real life, with a range of predesigned attacks that the officer carrying the binders and approval codes describes as rare, medium, and well-done. This is insanity, replies the president. No, sir, replies the chairman of the joint chiefs, This is reality. They are both right. As the film races to its intense conclusion, and the nuclear warhead is streaking toward a major American city where millions will be incinerated, one character cries, But we did everything right! They did. That is Bigelows point. The system performed as designed. We built a house made of dynamite, Elbas president says, And now the walls are ready to blow. Unless there is a dramatic change in the design of our nuclear strategyhighly unlikely under Trump and only a faint hope under any successorthe walls will blow sooner or later. The fuse has already been lit. During pregnancy, regular check-ups are critical for a healthy outcome for both a mother and the baby. But Hispanic women in Harris County sometimes face a variety of barriers to accessing that care. It's why the Spring Branch Community Health Center treats a simple prenatal doctor's visit as more than just a checkup. It's a lifeline for some expecting mothers. "We wanted to really take care of women who needed women's health services, especially the women who were uninsured and needed prenatal care," the center's CEO, Marlen Trujillo, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trujillo said they are located in an area that is predominantly Hispanic. "In this community, there's just a lot of uninsured women who need access to care. That has been our focus from the beginning," Trujillo said. "Our mission was to address health disparities, provide care, provide OB-GYN services, making sure they have their prenatal vitamins, making sure that they're having a healthy pregnancy." Hispanic mothers in particular face several different obstacles to accessing this care, according to Trujillo. She said some women face financial obstacles and transportation barriers. Those challenges, Trujillo said, can sometimes lead to delays in doctors' visits, which can cause more complications. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Sometimes the community residents or the women in our community decide to come to the doctor during the last trimester," Trujillo said. "Doctors receiving women who have no medical history. They have no records." For many, the challenges don't stop at access. Safety at home can be an additional urgent concern. Monica Guillen is the Bilingual Senior Manager of Sexual Violence Services at the Houston Area Women's Center - a place helping women, children, and families escaping domestic violence and sexual assault. According to Guillen, one in six pregnant women will experience their first domestic abuse situation during their pregnancy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We know one of the most dangerous times for a woman to leave a situation is when they are pregnant," Guillen said. "So pregnancy itself becomes like this extra risk when it comes to leaving a domestic violence situation." In the Hispanic community, Guillen said cultural norms can also get in the way of asking for support. "We have group counseling services here because we believe that it is very important for survivors to meet other survivors," Guillen said. "To kind of break down those barriers of isolation as well that often happen within the Latino community." Guillen and Trujillo said that for Hispanic women, surviving pregnancy can depend on navigating healthcare systems, stigma, and sometimes safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But whether it's an exam room or a shelter room, each of them is working to give expecting mothers a better chance at a healthy and safe pregnancy. "Women need to take care of themselves and sometimes, we are the nucleus of our families," Guillen said. Flock cameras, which read license plates and alert police if they're connected to any crimes, have been in use in the City of Houston since 2021, according to the Georgia-based company. It's a technology that's been referred to as "game-changing" by multiple city officials. "My car was stolen and was found because of a license-plate reader," said District A Councilwoman Amy Peck. "More importantly, we've had murder suspects caught in District A because of these cameras." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Peck is chair of the city council's public safety committee, which met this morning and received a report from a Flock representative. "It's been wonderful to see all the success (police) have had using our technology," said Hector Soliman-Valdez of Flock Safety. District B Councilwoman Tarsha Jackson, who is the vice-chair of the committee, told Soliman-Valdez she hasn't heard of any successes in her district to this point. "I haven't received any success stories," said Jackson. Jackson said they just bought five cameras to help monitor illegal dumping. Her chief of staff said those cost around $50,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Peck said her district has around 50 of the cameras, but didn't provide a figure on how much they cost. She said they're hoping to add more of them to District A in the future. ABC13 asked the Houston Police Department if they could give us a number on how many cameras they currently use. We also asked how many crimes they've been able to solve as a result of the technology. A spokesperson from the department told us to submit an open records request for that information. It was just last year that then-Acting Houston Police Chief Larry Satterwhite said the city had access to around 3,500 of the cameras. He said at the time that the City of Houston was likely the country's leading user of the technology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It definitely seems very intense in terms of surveillance," said Houstonian Genesis Rojas. "Especially in today's climate." Houstonian Alfredo Figueroa had the opposite opinion. "I think the more cameras the better," he said. Jackson said she wished today's presentation from Flock gave specific stories on how the technology has been effective in Houston. The presentation stated that HPD has recovered more than $7 million in stolen vehicles; however, specific stories about cases that successfully used the technology came from Illinois, Georgia, and California. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Soliman-Valdez said it's up to HPD to share those stories with the company. ABC13 asked the police department if they could give us a specific local example, but a department spokesperson referred us back to Flock. "That's an issue," said Jackson. "If you're able to let us know about the success stories in other cities, why can't you let us know about the successes happening here?" For news updates, follow Chaz Miller on Facebook, X and Instagram. HOWELL, Mich. (WLNS) A $1 million state grant will soon help area veterans in a variety of ways. The Howell American Legion is celebrating its victory in securing $1 million in the recently finalized state budget. This is a first for the Legion and a moment that members are cherishing. With around 1,700 members, the post is serving as many people as it can, and the grant will allow it to serve even more. Historian and Past Commander of American Legion Post 141, Bobby Brite, said the money will be used to expand the building. Howell American Legion receives $1 million state grant for expansion. (WLNS) Brite loves everything about post 141. The Iraq veteran spent 26 years in the military and now that his daughters are in basic training, he finds comfort in speaking with other parents experiencing the same thing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think if I didnt have that, and Im an insider in the military, I would probably lose my mind, said Brite. This is a big reason why Brite feels this building expansion is so important, so the Legion never has to turn away someone looking to connect with people who understand the military experience. We all have something in common when we come in here, said Brite. With the grant money, Brite said the main floor of the building and the basement will expand outward. This will allow for the creation of a bigger kitchen and seating area. Brite said this is crucial considering all of the meals the American Legion provides for the community, veterans and their families. Howell American Legion receives $1 million state grant for expansion. (WLNS) We do 10 meals every 15 minutes, 200 meals, you do the math on that, Brite continued. We will be able to accommodate a lot more people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Representative Jason Woolford advocated for this appropriation in the budget. As a veteran himself, he saw the needs Post 141 fulfills and wants that to continue. This is more than just a Legion or a place for people to hang out; its a lifeline for many, said Rep. Woolford. The Representative said the Legions investment in its community is admirable. This post needs to be looked at cause theyre doing things right. Theyre doing things correct, theyre loving people and loving outside of the four walls, said Woolford. Howell American Legion receives $1 million state grant for expansion. (WLNS) Brite said to finish the project, they will need $500,000 more, but added that they are already halfway there. The veteran is very proud of Post 141 and the investment members put into their community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were in the schools, were at the little league games, we are everywhere you need to be, and I do believe that one of the selling points for this appropriation is the fact that our members are truly ambassadors in the community, said Brite. Brite is hopeful the expansion will be complete in time for the posts 100th birthday in March. 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 WLNS 6 News. A federal judge has temporarily blocked thousands of layoffs of federal workers, including deep cuts in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development office dedicated to investigating discrimination in the housing market. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston on Wednesday granted a temporary restraining order requested by unions representing federal workers, pausing the layoffs that began last Friday. Last week, 442 HUD staffers received layoff notices as part of a broader purge of more than 4,100 federal workers across multiple agencies, according to a government declaration in court filings this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The attempted layoffs follow President Donald Trump's vow to fire "a lot" of federal workers during the government shutdown, with the president saying on Friday that the cuts "will be Democrat-oriented," in an apparent reference to a federal program favored by Democrats. At HUD, the cuts were concentrated in the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, where more than 100 workers who investigate claims of housing discrimination were given walking papers. Staff cuts also hit HUD's offices of Public and Indian Housing, Housing Counseling, Housing Operations, and Community Planning and Development. The layoffs were spread across HUD's 10 regional offices, with Bloomberg reporting that all Fair Housing Office staff were eliminated at two of the offices: Denver (which oversees Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana) and San Francisco (California, Nevada, and Arizona). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A HUD spokesperson said in a statement: HUD is implementing a reduction in force as part of its ongoing efforts to realign its activities with its core statutory mission. It is HUDs priority to serve the American people effectively. HUD Secretary Scott Turner is seen during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 The staffing cuts were decried by fair housing advocates and elected Democrats, who said that they would deliver a major blow to enforcement of federal laws that prohibit housing discrimination. Recent actions to dismantle the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity are a direct assault on our nations commitment to justice in housing," Michael Chavarria, director of the HOPE Fair Housing Center in Illinois, tells Realtor.com. "By eliminating the staff responsible for enforcing the Fair Housing Act, our leaders are abandoning their legal duty to protect Americans from discrimination." Rep. Maxine Waters, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, issued a statement calling the layoffs "cruel, dangerous, and disgraceful." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "President Trump has once again chosen to attack working families and the very public servants who help keep roofs over their heads," says Waters. "Lets be clear: Trump, with full support from Republicans, is illegally using this shutdown as a pretext to undermine our housing system and dismantle programs that protect millions of families in dire need of federal assistance." The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In an op-ed last week for the Daily Caller, HUD Secretary Scott Turner blamed the government shutdown on Democrats and said it was preventing the department from offering a wide range of services. Turner said that the shutdown had halted the Federal Housing Administration's processing of new insurance applications for health care projects, FHA-supported reverse mortgages, lead hazard mitigation grants, and new loans for tribal communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The layoffs at HUD, as well as cuts at the departments of Treasury, Commerce, Education, Energy, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services, are currently the subject of a lawsuit playing out in California federal court. The lawsuit filed by federal employee unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees, argues that the mass layoffs were made without statutory authority, a claim the Trump administration vigorously denies. Judge Illston's ruling that temporarily blocked the layoffs came in after a hearing in that case on Wednesday. In a separate lawsuit filed last month, five attorneys who worked on discrimination issues at HUD claimed they were involuntarily assigned to other divisions where they could no longer work on enforcement of the Fair Housing Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government has yet to respond in court to that suit, which was filed in federal court in Washington, DC. Chavarria, the fair housing advocate in Illinois, says that his group is "deeply alarmed" by the recent developments at HUD. "At HOPE Fair Housing Center, we are deeply alarmed. The right to live free from housing discrimination is not a political preferenceit is the law," he says. "Our hearts go out to the dedicated public servants who have devoted their careers to upholding these protections, only to become casualties of politics. This article has been update with information about Wednesday's court ruling. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) The Sangamon County Coroners Office is investigating after a human skull was discovered in a Springfield creek last month. The discovery was made on Sept. 20 but not reported to the media until Wednesday morning. Coroner Jim Allmon said in a brief news release that the skull was discovered near Winterberry Lane, in the Lake Pointe Apartments complex. Veteran says Decatur teens beat him with a brick; neighbors step up to help Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Allmons office was called around 1 p.m. that day. He recovered the skull, processed it and had it examined by an anthropologist. The skull was then sent to the Illinois State Police for possible DNA extraction. The investigation is being performed by the Springfield Police Department and the Sangamon County Coroners Office. WCIA reached out to the Springfield Police Department for additional information an did not immediately hear back. We will share updates as we learn more. 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 WCIA.com. Human remains from ancient times were discovered several months ago along a riverbank in rural Indiana, officials announced this week. Scientific analyses, including carbon dating, confirmed that the finding on the bank of Fayette County's Whitewater River was once a portion of a human skull, the Fayette County Coroner's Office said in a social media post Monday. The tests also traced the origin of the remains back to around 2300 BCE 4,270 years ago, according to the post. The coroner's office said the remains were initially spotted in June and reported to the Fayette County sheriff. Eddie Richardson, the coroner, thanked a "landowner" for filing the report but didn't share the owner's identity or details about how the person uncovered the skull. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This discovery underscores the importance of our community's vigilance and the necessity of professional collaboration," said Eddie Richardson, the county coroner, in a statement. "I want to commend the landowner for their responsible action in immediately reporting the finding." Specialists from the University of Georgia and the Human Identification Center at the University of Indianapolis, which aims to "provide expert forensic anthropology consulting services," according to its website, helped confirm the age of the remains, the coroner's office said. The office announced the discovery on Indigenous Peoples' Day and called it "a powerful and humbling reminder that people have walked this land, our home in Fayette County, for millennia." "It calls upon all of us to handle this matter with the utmost respect and diligence," the office said in its social post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The office is waiting to receive guidance from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources on next steps to take to ensure "that this ancestral discovery is handled according to cultural and legal standards," according to the post. What to expect from Trump's news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel Lawmakers sound off on Trump's Argentina bailout as government shutdown continues Hamas says it has returned all Israeli hostages it can recover, living and dead TOPEKA (KSNT) Geary County Superintendent Reginald Eggleston expressed his gratitude for being recognized as the 2026 Kansas Superintendent of the Year by the Kansas School Superintendents Association. Eggleston has served as superintendent for USD 475 since 2019. He said the district has seen improvements in test scores along with retaining and recruiting staff. Under his leadership, USD 475 implemented a new strategic plan that Eggleston says has been the impetus for all the great things that are taking place. Its a humbling recognition, I have to admit, Eggleston said. I have a fantastic staff, a great executive team, outstanding teachers and administrators who do great work serving our students and our community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Student interest growing in Kansas trade schools Eggleston also talked about the Early Childhood Development Center, which is aimed at helping kids aged 3-4 prepare for kindergarten. Eggleston said the center is set to open in the fall of 2026. You can watch the full interview above. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. 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 KSNT 27 News. Gasoline prices are nearing the $3 threshold as oil prices tumble, demand wanes, and cheaper driving fuel blends kick in. The average price of driving fuel in the United States fell to $3.06 per gallon on Wednesday, $0.05 lower than a week ago and $0.14 less than last year, according to AAA. This marked the lowest level since January. Americans appear to be on the cusp of seeing the national average drop below $3 per gallon and potentially stay there for the first time in years, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, earlier this week. Western states, such as Oregon, Washington, and California, continue to see prices above $4 per gallon due to higher taxes and fees on fuel. But more than 20 states near the Great Lakes area, the Midwest, and the Gulf Coast are seeing averages well below $3 per gallon, with even steeper declines expected. We could even see a handful of stations in places like Oklahoma, Texas, or even Wisconsin drop below $2 per gallon in the weeks ahead something not seen since the pandemic, wrote DeHaan. The declines come amid waning demand while refineries have switched to cheaper fuel blends for the slower winter driving season and oil prices hover at their lowest level since May. West Texas Intermediate (CL=F) recently fell below $60 per barrel as President Trump renewed tariff threats against China, weighing on demand prospects. Additional supply from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+), along with progress on a Middle East peace framework, has also fueled concerns about oversupply. Citi analysts warn that weak gasoline demand remains a key drag heading into 2026 and 2027. The weakness stems from improving vehicle efficiency, and a growing EV fleet, particularly in the US and China, said a Citi analyst note on Wednesday. The Energy Information Administration expects gasoline prices to average $3.10 per gallon this year, down $0.20 from last year. The agency also anticipates prices to decline further in 2026 to an average of $2.90 per gallon. The per-gallon price is displayed electronically on a pump at a Buc-ee's gasoline stop Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, in Johnstown, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) ASSOCIATED PRESS Ines Ferre is a senior business reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on X at @ines_ferre. Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest stock market news and events moving stock prices Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance MOSCOW (Reuters) -Hungary would suffer if it was cut off from Russian energy, Budapest's foreign minister said during a visit to Moscow on Wednesday, reiterating that the country would not accept outside pressure when it came to decisions on its energy supplies. Peter Szijjarto was attending the Russian Energy Week forum as NATO defence ministers met in Brussels to discuss military aid for Ukraine, underlining Budapest's differences with most other members of the alliance when it comes to dealing with Moscow. Hungary has maintained its reliance on Russian energy since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, prompting criticism from several European Union and NATO allies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Szijjarto told reporters in Moscow that national interest was paramount for Budapest when it came to energy supplies. "We have never been let down (by Russia). The deliveries have always arrived... Contracts were always respected. And my question is only why we should cut this relationship," Szijjarto said. Hungary has pushed back against plans by the European Commission to phase out the EU's imports of all Russian gas and liquefied natural gas by the end of 2027, deepening a rift with Brussels over relations with Moscow. Hungary signed a 15-year deal in 2021 with Russia to buy 4.5 billion cubic metres of gas annually, and increased purchases from Gazprom last year, importing some 7.5 billion cubic metres of Russian gas via the Turkstream pipeline. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The country also imports most of its crude from Russia via the Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Belarus and Ukraine to Hungary and also Slovakia. Croatian pipeline operator JANAF also transports crude oil to Hungarian energy group MOL's refineries. "Brussels wants us to cut one of the two (pipelines) under the phenomenon of diversification," Szijjarto said. "How can you consider having one pipeline rather than two safer? This is insane," he said. U.S. President Donald Trump said last month he would urge Hungary to stop buying Russian oil, part of a push to pressure NATO allies to cut energy ties with Moscow over its war with Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said dropping Russian energy would be a disaster for Hungary's economy. (Reporting by Olesya Astakhova and Vladimir Soldatkin; Writing by Lucy Papachristou and Anita KomuvesEditing by Andrew Osborn and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) By Olesya Astakhova and Vladimir Soldatkin MOSCOW (Reuters) -Hungary would suffer if it was cut off from Russian energy, Budapest's foreign minister said during a visit to Moscow on Wednesday, reiterating that the country would not accept outside pressure when it came to decisions on its energy supplies. Peter Szijjarto was attending the Russian Energy Week forum as NATO defence ministers met in Brussels to discuss military aid for Ukraine, underlining Budapest's differences with most other members of the alliance when it comes to dealing with Moscow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hungary has maintained its reliance on Russian energy since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, prompting criticism from several European Union and NATO allies. Szijjarto told reporters in Moscow that national interest was paramount for Budapest when it came to energy supplies. "We have never been let down (by Russia). The deliveries have always arrived... Contracts were always respected. And my question is only why we should cut this relationship," Szijjarto said. Separately, he was quoted saying by Interfax news agency that Russia has supplied around 3.6 million metric tons of oil to Hungary so far this year and will export between 5 million tons, or 100,000 barrels per day, and 5.5 million tons in 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also said Hungary plans to maintain that level in 2026. HUNGARY'S RIFT WITH BRUSSELS DEEPENS Hungary has pushed back against plans by the European Commission to phase out the EU's imports of all Russian gas and liquefied natural gas by the end of 2027, deepening a rift with Brussels over relations with Moscow. Hungary signed a 15-year deal in 2021 with Russia to buy 4.5 billion cubic metres of gas annually, and increased purchases from Gazprom last year, importing some 7.5 billion cubic metres of Russian gas via the Turkstream pipeline. The country also imports most of its crude from Russia via the Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Belarus and Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia. Croatian pipeline operator JANAF also transports crude oil to Hungarian energy group MOL's refineries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Brussels wants us to cut one of the two (pipelines) under the phenomenon of diversification," Szijjarto said. "How can you consider having one pipeline rather than two safer? This is insane," he said. U.S. President Donald Trump said last month he would urge Hungary to stop buying Russian oil, part of a push to pressure NATO allies to cut energy ties with Moscow over its war with Ukraine. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said dropping Russian energy would be a disaster for Hungary's economy. (Reporting by Olesya Astakhova and Vladimir Soldatkin; Writing by Lucy Papachristou and Anita Komuves, Editing by Andrew Osborn and Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Ed Osmond) A 13-year-old Massachusetts boy was detained by federal immigration agents, claiming he was armed with a gun but local officials later revealed the teen never had a firearm. The case has been met online with a mixture of shock and confusion, with federal officials offering a different set of details from the press and city officials. The seventh grader from Everett, Massachusetts, who has not been publicly named, was arrested last Thursday after local police received a tip that he had made a violent threat against another boy within a school, the citys mayor said. Officers then arrested and booked the teen at the police station, from where Immigration and Customs Enforcement took him into custody. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The boy was initially held at a nearby ICE facility before being transported to the Northwestern Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Virginia, 500 miles from his hometown, the Boston Globe reported on Sunday. The boy and his family are Brazilian nationals and have a pending asylum case, his immigration lawyer told the paper. ICE arrested a 13-year-old boy, whom they claimed possessed a gun and a knife. But local police say no firearm was ever recovered (AP) The story was met with outrage on social media, and got the attention of the Department of Homeland Security, which replied to one tweet with the facts. Here are the facts: he posed a public safety threat with an extensive rap sheet including violent assault with a dangerous weapon, battery, breaking and entering, destruction of property, Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokesperson, wrote on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was in possession of a firearm and 5-7 inch knife when arrested, she said. The DHS doubled down on its claims the following day, repeating that the teen was carrying a gun and a knife and had an extensive rap sheet. Shameful @BostonGlobelying about public safety threats, read the post from the official department account. Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria announces that no firearm was recovered when the teen was arrested (City of Everett) At a press conference later on Tuesday, however, Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria contradicted federal officials statements, saying officers recovered a knife, but no gun. The Independent has reached out to DHS on whether it stands by its original statements and the Everett Police Department and the lawyer about the teens alleged rap sheet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police didn't contact ICE about the arrest, the mayor said: Everett Police does not make arrests based on immigration status. Once someone is taken into ICE custody, both the Everett police and the city have no authority or control over what happens next, DeMaria said. Local law enforcement told the teens mother, Josiele Berto, she could pick up her son at the station. An hour and a half later, she was told he was taken to an ICE facility. My world collapsed, Berto told the Globe in Portuguese. A lawyer for the teen filed an emergency habeas corpus petition on Friday. The district judge noted the teen was presumably in the company of unrelated adult detainees and ordered the government to show cause...for grounds justifying the detention of a juvenile by Tuesday, otherwise the boy must be given a bond hearing by Friday, court documents show. However, the judge at the time was under the impression that the teen was still being held at the Massachusetts ICE facility. The government later explained that the petition was filed while the boy was en route to Virginia, so this court lacks jurisdiction, the judge wrote. The case was transferred to the proper district on Wednesday. Del Pueblo Cafe in Goleta is easy to miss. Tucked away in a large shopping center, the cafe features a handful of tables and chairs inside and some nondescript signage on the burnt orange facade. But once one steps through the threshold, it's a whole different world. Visitors sit at two or four tops or vinyl booths, and conversations overlap one another as regulars greet each other with a wave and a smile before the chips and waters drop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But this cozy atmosphere masks the current threats to the cafe, a staple in the community for almost 30 years and a go-to for locals in the know. And it may take more than a miracle to remain open. Since January, the restaurant has been battling through multiple tiers of fiscal challenges, 27-year-old co-owner Giselle Cuevas said. The third-generation co-owner and her partner, Victor Camargo, now have a new giant corporate landlord. It coincides with a severe drop in business, as many of the restaurants' regulars have gone into what she describes as "hiding" after the federal government started to conduct ICE raids in the area. The result, she said, is a business that is both beloved and frequented by locals but one that, at the same time, might not be here much longer. She knows she's not alone. "I've seen it everywhere mostly this year, small businesses posting on social media, on TikTok, I see it everywhere," Cuevas told SFGATE of other businesses' struggles and closures. "And it sucks. We're just getting corporate restaurants, a lot of big people are moving in on the town." Giselle Cuevas, the third-generation co-owner of the Del Pueblo Cafe in Goleta, Calif., shown on Oct. 9, 2025. The cafe, run by the same family for almost 30 years, is a staple in the community and highly sought after. It's also in danger of closing. (Andrew Pridgen/SFGATE) Commercial real estate behemoth Blackstone Real Estate, the world's biggest owner of commercial property, purchased the Magnolia Shopping Center in Goleta, which houses Del Pueblo Cafe, in late 2024. It was part of its acquisition of Retail Opportunity Investments Corp. for $4 billion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The giant conglomerate then split the Magnolia Shopping Center off into a company called Perform Properties, which has more than 175 properties in its portfolio, including the shopping center. Starting in February, Perform has been sending invoices saying the restaurant is thousands of dollars in arrears but hasn't provided a line item explainer, according to Cuevas. "I knew they were coming. And so that kind of got me researching and questioning them," she said. "That was another thing. You would complain or ask about something, and they'd go silent. So it was, like, I've always been told you cannot mess with Blackstone." The rent and new added fees continued to mount, including a $1,600 per month common area fee in addition to the rent, with no explanation as to what that covers. Now, the amount Cuevas owes is over $30,000. She said she continued to ask for extensions and a payment plan, but even up through last week, she has only been given deadlines to pay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Finally, in a last-ditch effort to keep the family restaurant open, Cuevas started a GoFundMe in early October. A pair of diners at the Del Pueblo Cafe in Goleta, Calif., on Oct. 9, 2025. (Andrew Pridgen/SFGATE) "We don't usually ask for help, and it took a lot for us to finally do so.. but we're being pushed to a difficult point." read the restaurant's Gofundme. "Due to the current economic situation, we've fallen behind on some bills. Our rent, which is close to $9,000 a month, has put a really heavy strain on our finances as a small business. "We are now being asked to pay $32,741.69 in past-due bills that we've been doing our best to keep up with. We have until Friday, October 10th, to pay or we will have to close our doors." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The community response, Cuevas said, was "surprising and overwhelming." She paused donations late last week at $25,225. "It's a pride thing," she said. "I didn't want to do a GoFundMe. I don't want to feel like a burden to the community. But I'm very surprised - I didn't think we'd reach the amount we're at. It ran over. I'm going to stop it." But even if the family comes up with the money to keep the restaurant going, for now, there are other factors that make the business climate tenuous for Del Pueblo Cafe and many of its neighbors. "Saturdays and Sundays, we'd get slammed all morning, and when immigration and ICE happened, it just stopped," Cuevas said. "We're ending days on the weekends like at $1,000 - like, we can't pay for all of this." The chile verde, one of the specialties at Del Pueblo Cafe in Goleta, Calif., on Oct. 9, 2025. (Andrew Pridgen/SFGATE) Richard Guajardo, a regular at the restaurant, stopped in on Thursday to enjoy some fajitas with his partner. Guajardo, who said he owns a Mexican bakery in neighboring Santa Barbara, was there to enjoy the food and to commiserate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's hard times for everyone, but especially now," he said. He said his business has been impacted since the first of the year. "Because of the ICE situation, some are afraid to come out, it's affecting our customer base," he said. "And we don't have quite the business we had before. It's not as bad as other people. Other people can't make it anymore." He said the patrons that still come in are "a little bit worried. They're not as free as they used to be." Del Pueblo Cafe, he said, is a regular stop for him because of the family, the atmosphere, and, of course, the homemade recipes he's come to enjoy over the decades. "The carne - the Mexican steak - that's really good, my favorite actually," he said, "The mole enchiladas are amazing." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another customer, Vickie Medina, said the food and service remind her of the best of Bay Area Mexican food, namely Taqueria El Farolito. "But they have their own style, the way they serve," she said. "This is a mom-and-pop shop, very intimate - makes me feel at home." As much as the food draws her in, Medina said it's the space that keeps her coming back: "It all brings together the things I do admire about this place: family, community-based oriented people who are coming together now," she said. Giselle Cuevas, the third-generation co-owner of the Del Pueblo Cafe in Goleta, Calif., on Oct. 9, 2025. The cafe, run by the same family for almost 30 years, is a staple in the community and highly sought after. It's also in danger of closing. (Andrew Pridgen/SFGATE) For now, Del Pueblo Cafe, which owner Cuevas said has been her home away from home for her entire life, is a survivor. But for how much longer, nobody knows. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As she stands by the register and talks to a customer, it's impossible not to notice the sign behind her that reads "No one is illegal on stolen land" and not be reminded of why the restaurant is so special. It's bigger than the food or the space - it's the key to supporting an entire community, especially in its darkest hours. "It's really cozy in here You're never in here and feel like you don't belong," she said, noting that the restaurant is locked into a three-year lease and will continue to carry on for the community as long as they can. "... I mean, it's just itself. I don't really know how to explain it. There's not really anything like it." More Central Coast - Neighbors threaten to sue increasingly popular regional California airport - Coastal California town grapples with sweeping housing reform - We're dying': Highway 1 in Big Sur closure to continue through winter - One of California's most famous surf towns could suffer a major financial hit, study shows Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Get SFGATE's top stories sent to your inbox by signing up for The Daily newsletter here. This article originally published at ICE raids and raised rents push beloved Calif. Mexican restaurant to the edge. Iceland is preparing for a huge tourism boom after witnessing a record-breaking number of visitors so far this year. Known as the land of fire and ice, the Nordic country has become famed for its geothermal hot springs, glaciers and waterfalls. Its also one of the best destinations to spot the elusive Northern Lights, and holds year-round appeal thanks to non-stop sunlight in the summer. While some reports argue travellers are getting cold feet, it seems Icelands tourism sector is heating up. Icelands tourism sets a new record Despite claims that Icelands tourism bubble has burst, statistics shared with Euronews Travel show the country is on target for a record-breaking year of international visitors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reports published earlier this week suggest that the country has seen a six per cent drop in foreign tourists in the last year, citing a slump caused by Icelands high cost of living. However, data from Statistics Iceland show the number of foreign visitors increased by 2.2 per cent from 2023 to 2024, while the last 12 months to September 2025 have seen an additional 3.5 per cent spike. Chart showing the number of foreign visitors from January to September over recent years. - Statistics Iceland From January to September this year, Iceland has welcomed 1.792 million international visitors, an increase from 2024 (1.743 million) and a significant jump from 2019 (1.597 million). The first eight months of 2025 have also seen the largest number of booked rooms at hotelsand B&Bs so far, while turnover in tourism-related sectors has been especially high from 2023 to 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The tourist boom has come to light in spite of several setbacks, including the closure of budget airline Play and the volcanic eruption at Sundhnuksgigar fissure. How Iceland lures in tourists Johann Viar Ivarsson, an analyst at Feramalastofa Icelandic Tourist Board, says cross-border tourist numbers have been increasing for decades internationally and that all forecasts assume that growth will continue - with the dramatic exception of the Covid pandemic. Iceland is part of that, he tells Euronews Travel. The fact that growth has been considerably higher in Iceland than the international/European average comes down to a few factors coming together. Ivarsson explains how Icelands unspoilt nature and rural settings are setting it apart from the rest, offering tourists something unique and different from everything theyve seen before. Tourists relax in the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, Iceland on Feb. 21,2006 - Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved He also argues that it has become fashionable for higher-income travellers to visit Iceland and cross it off their bucket list, adding that social media influencers play a part in this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To prepare for further growth, Iceland is expanding its KEF international airport to improve the customer experience. The hubs masterplan includes better facilities for bikes, buses and taxis, as well as a new circular junction designed to help traffic flow and increase capacity in the area. Covered walking paths and a new 4-star hotel will also be built, while the airports South Building and new East Wing terminal will also be expanded. Is Iceland increasing its tourist tax? According to EITIAS, Iceland reinstated its accommodationtax for tourists on 1 January, 2024, to reduce tourisms environmental impact. Hotels and guesthouses now charge ISK 600 (around 4.24) per room, while campsites and mobile homes charge half the price. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is also an ISK 1,000 (7.06) tax for cruise passengers calling at Icelandic ports. Related However, Ivarsson says that these fees do not bring large sums to the coffers of government, and finding the connection between taxation and contributions to the sustainability of tourism can be difficult due to them being sent to the overall government budget. He adds that the current government is planning to propose a considerably higher tourism tax in the coming weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sector is a success story and the authorities want to have a bigger share of the value added, says Ivarsson. How to avoid the crowds in Iceland Amid Icelands growing popularity, the countrys tourist board is highlighting areas outside the main hotspots like Reykjavik. Johann recommends visiting the Westfjords, particularly in the summer when the snow has cleared, describing it as a gem. Some of our most magnificent coastal mountains and fjords are there and the nature is beautiful and majestic, with small fishing villages huddling by the coast, below steep mountainsides, he adds. The north of the country is also easily accessible year-round thanks to Icelands ring road infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is actually a unique experience, which I recommend to all travelers, to stay awake during a summer night in the north and watch the sun come down until it nearly touches the ocean on the horizon but then it decides to rise again without setting at all, the analyst says. Euronews Travel has contacted the Government of Iceland for comment. *This article was updated on 16 October after Feramalastofa Icelandic Tourist Board provided statistics on international tourists from January to September. During the attack on October 7, Hamas terrorists reportedly infiltrated the naval barrier via several speedboats, launching an assault on civilian beachgoers. Zikim Beach, a site near the northern Gaza Strip border that has been a closed military zone since the start of the war, is set to reopen to the public on Thursday. Both the beach and the military base in Zikim were attacked on October 7, 2023. The decision to lift the ban was made by IDF Chief of General Staff, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, following an operational situation assessment. The move was approved as an additional step in the rehabilitation of the area and was coordinated with the Ashkelon Regional Council. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reopening follows significant operational activities carried out by IDF soldiers under the Southern Command in northern Gaza, along with structured combat procedures conducted by the Southern Command and the Israeli Navy in recent weeks. The IDF affirmed that its troops under the Southern Command will continue operating to protect residents of the western Negev. How Hamas terrorists infiltrated Zikim Beach on October 7 The popular beach, located near the area where Hamas terrorists launched an attack from the sea on October 7, 2023, resulting in the murder of 17 civilians, has undergone major renovations. The IDF stated that every effort was made to ensure that the beach is opened to the public in the safest and most effective manner. Destruction of damaged facilities on Zikim Beach to allow for reconstruction efforts, April 4, 2024. (credit: Ashkelon Beach Spokesperson and Advocacy) During the attack, Hamas terrorists reportedly infiltrated the naval barrier via several speedboats, launching an assault on civilian beachgoers in addition to raiding the nearby military base. Construction to rebuild what was destroyed on October 7 began in April 2024 after the Tekuma Rebirth Council allotted some NIS 4 million for beachside construction out of NIS 15 million allotted to the Ashkelon Regional Council. The reopening is seen by local authorities as a symbolic step toward restoring normalcy and emphasizing that life in the Tekuma region [the area affected by the October 7 onslaught] is getting back on track. CHICAGO, Ill. (WCIA) Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has filed a lawsuit to force State Farm to comply with a regulatory examination, alleging that they have not done so. On Tuesday, it was announced that Raoul filed a lawsuit on Oct. 10 against State Farm Fire and Casualty Insurance Company, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, State Farm General Insurance Company and Oglesby Reinsurance Company (collectively, State Farm) alleging the insurance company has refused to comply with a regulatory examination into its nationwide homeowners insurance business. Limiting ICE presence top priority for some Illinois lawmakers as they return for veto session Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This lawsuit was filed on behalf of Illinois Department of Insurance Director Ann Gillespie following an examination the department launched in 2024. In Nov. 2024, the IDOI opened an investigation into State Farms homeowners insurance policies and premiums. Raoul said State Farm is the largest homeowners insurer in the country, and that its premiums have increased dramatically in recent years. State Farms obstruction does not just violate the law. It prevents the Department of Insurance from obtaining information to help make sure all Illinois homeowners are being treated fairly, Raoul said. State insurance departments are the primary regulators of insurance companies, so it is crucially important that State Farm, headquartered in Illinois, cooperate with the departments oversight of its business practices. State Farm is based in Bloomington, and Raoul said this gives the IDOI primary oversight nationwide. The departments examination seeks zip-code level nationwide data about State Farms homeowners policies. This includes the total premiums collected by State Farm, the types of police coverage and insurance limits, and the number of claims against those policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan reports for prison sentence Raoul is alleging that in violation of the Illinois Insurance Code, State Farm has refused to provide the data. On behalf of Gillespie, Raoul is asking the court to order the insurance company to comply with the examination and provide important details for assessing the challenges that plague the homeowners insurance market for Illinoisians and all Americans. The Department of Insurance works to protect consumers by regulating the insurance industry and fostering a competitive insurance marketplace, Raouls office said in a press release. The IDOI examines the business records of all insurance entities operating in Illinois, including those with headquarters located in Illinois. State Farm Spokesperson Gina Morss-Fischer provided WCIA the following statement regarding the lawsuit filed against them: State Farm did not violate the law. This lawsuit is without merit and has nothing to do with Illinois customers or the cost of their insurance. State Farm has called Illinois home for more than a century, and our focus remains solely on helping our customers. More than 21,000 State Farm agents, agent team members, and State Farm employees proudly serve millions of customers in Illinois. State Farm remains committed to collaborating with the Illinois Department of Insurance to benefit Illinois customers. We value our partnerships with state leaders and continue to work together toward finding solutions that allow us to best serve customers and promote a healthy and competitive insurance market. Learn more: Understanding the Issues in Illinois on the State Farm Newsroom. Gina Morss-Fischer, Spokesperson for State Farm 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 WCIA.com. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) Illinois is breaking away from the federal health insurance marketplace and launching its own exchange in 2026, a move aimed at giving the state more control over costs as enhanced federal subsidies face an uncertain future. Illinois is ditching Healthcare.gov in favor of its own, state-based Get Covered Illinois program in 2026. Open enrollment begins on November 1st, 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Get Covered Illinois director Morgan Winters, Congress has thus far, at any rate, failed to extend the enhanced subsidies that make insurance cheaper for, for folks across the country. If Congress fails to pass those subsidies, then, then folks are going to see, at least in Illinois, about a 50% increase, which means that families are going to be paying about $130 a month more on average than they did last year. Individuals who are not covered by a workplace insurance plan, are self-employed, or early retirees qualify for the new program, which hopes to keep costs similar to the federal program. The Get Covered Illinois website is available in both English and Spanish. Healthcare.gov was created as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which was signed into law by President Barack Obama in March 2010, providing a centralized online marketplace for individuals to compare and purchase health insurance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The enhanced premium tax credits (introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic) are set to expire at the end of 2025 unless Congress acts. Without those credits, premiums could increase by 114% and millions could lose coverage. Democrats are pushing to make the extended subsidies permanent, while Republicans argue the pandemic-era expansions went too far. Illinois joins 18 other states that already run their own marketplaces. 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 MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports. Grindrs majority owners are scrambling to take the LGBTQ+ dating app private after a stock decline triggered a personal financial crisis, according to a report from Semafor. The owners in question are Raymond Zage, a former hedge fund manager and U.S. expat now based in Singapore, and James Lu, a Chinese-American entrepreneur and former Amazon and Baidu exec. Together they led the 2020 acquisition of Grindr from Chinese ownership for over $600 million, then took the app public in 2022 through a blank-check merger. Reportedly, Zage and Lu, who together control more than 60% of Grindr, pledged nearly all their shares as collateral for personal loans from a unit of Singapores sovereign wealth fund Temasek. After Grindr began a slide at the end of September, those loans became undercollateralized (worth less than the debt), so the Temasek unit seized and sold some of the shares last week. Grindrs stock slide appears disconnected from business fundamentals profits were up 25% in the second quarter, Semafor notes, though it has seen some executive turnover; there has been some investor concern about narrowing margins, too. Either way, the pair are now said to be in talks with Fortress Investment Group itself now majority owned by Mubadala Investment Company, which is itself owned by the government of Abu Dhabi to secure financing for a buyout at around $15 per share, which would value Grindr at around $3 billion. Shares jumped following the report. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WMBD) State lawmakers have criticized the Illinois Department of Corrections for how it has handled the switch from physical mail to electronic tablets. In late September, the states prisons made the switch to tablets, giving the more than 29,000 inmates within the system their own individual tablet to receive mail. The move, officials say, was done to reduce the amount of drugs from coming into the facilities Lawmakers have criticized how the department implemented the switch. Some are upset with the lack of communication between the department and General Assemblys Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We received some answers to questions from our September meeting on Friday last week, said state Rep. Ryan Spain, a Peoria Republican. We have to accelerate and improve the collaborative process between the Department of Corrections and this committee. Another sore point for lawmakers have been the tablets themselves. Even though the tablets were specifically designed to scan mail for inmates, lawmakers said theyve heard the scanning apps are not working. They also said the tablets come with set applications which include games and a free library. While some said the library is a good addition, they asked DOC officials if they were prioritizing games on the tablets instead of scanning mail. Games were certainly not a priority, said Latoya Hughes, who heads the DOC. The plane is being built as its flown. We are continually building items on that tablet so that it has all the functionality it needs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The department implemented the switch to tablets through an emergency ruling through JCAR that lasts 150 days. Theyre looking for a permanent ruling before 2026 to keep the tablets in place. Another way drugs have entered jail cells is through employees, visitors and contractors within correctional facilities. Lawmakers asked Hughes if she has considered a third-party oversight group to search employees as they enter the prison. Hughes said theyve strengthened their searching policies, but that they havent implemented such a plan. 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 CIProud.com. SANDWICH, Ill. (WTVO) Authorities say a 55-year-old Illinois man was killed while trespassing on a railroad track in DeKalb County last week. According to DeKalb County Coroner Linda Besler, Al Wheeler, of Sandwich, was pronounced dead at the scene, near the Latham and Center Cross Street crossing. Authorities said Wheeler was walking on the tracks when an Amtrak train struck and killed him. The incident occurred on October 9th. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The DeKalb County Coroner and Amtrak Police Department are investigating the death. 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 MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WMBD) The Director of the Illinois State Police has announced the number of recent arrests related to vehicle crimes. ISP continues to target vehicle theft, hijacking and other related violent crimes, Director Brendan F. Kelly said. They are doing so thanks to grant funding from the Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Council. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State police were awarded a $10 million grant for the first fiscal year, another $677,000 in June 2024, and $637,500 in July 2025. Kelly said that from July through September of this year, missions resulted in the following: 280 vehicles recovered stolen and/or hijacked 21 stolen vehicle arrests Four hijacked vehicle arrests 13 firearms seized as a result of stolen/hijacked vehicle recovery 40 missions targeting stolen/hijacked vehicle recovery and related violent crime 30 K9s used for stolen/hijacked vehicle recovery and related violent crime 34 Air Operations targeting stolen/hijacked vehicle recovery and related violent crime 1,287 forensic laboratory assignments related to stolen/hijacked vehicles 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 CIProud.com. LANGLEY PARK, MD. (DC News Now) In Maryland, recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids are sparking concern in Prince Georges County, where there is a large Latino community. But some businesses say theyve managed to thrive. Yolanda Brewster has been a store owner in Langley Park for 16 years. She sells all kinds of Guatemalan food, clothing and souvenirs I love my products, and I love my people, and I love to talk to my customers, and the products we sell here are unique, and you cant find them anywhere else, Brewster said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just last month, in September, a viral video showed two ICE officers arresting a man in Hyattsville. At one point, an officer pointed his weapon toward bystanders. DHS also said the man arrested was found with knives and drugs in his possession. Out of control: Hyattsville residents criticize ICE after viral arrest Although her business is slower, Brewster is not intimidated by ICE raids or the Trump administration. It has impacted my business a lot, and people are afraid to come out in public. I have been living in America for 48 years, and we had dreams to come here, and dreams never die. We are melting pot, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lindolfo Carballo is the CASA Director for Economic Development. He says migrant businesses in Prince Georges County will continue to succeed no matter the challenges. CASA is a Hispanic support organization in Langley Park, Maryland. Businesses in this neighborhood are being hurt by the Trump administration, but the thing about us and the Hispanic community we are resilient. We fight back, and we dont give u,p Carballo said. According to CASA, there are thousands of Latino businesses in Langley Park that are a vital part of the economy. 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 DC News Now | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live. A spike in traffic stops for speeding occurred after the speed limit of East Division Street in Mt. Juliet was lowered from 45 mph to 35 mph. Wilson County Sheriffs Office announced last Wednesday, Oct. 8, that 19 stops were conducted just that morning. It seems some folks didnt get the memo. Todays top speed? 59 mph, WCSO said on a social media post. A few Do Better Tickets were handed out as a friendly reminder to take it easy. The speed limit was lowered due to WCSO receiving multiple complaints from residents along East Division Street. Deputies said the tickets were only warnings since the department wanted to inform people of the change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Wilson County Road Commission claimed extra signs were posted in the area to warn drivers; however, according to WCSO, no extra signs were put up they were only swapped out. Public response was mixed, with many individuals accusing the county of setting up a speed trap to generate revenue. However, WCSO said the purpose is to keep the area safe and that warning tickets carry no fine. Editor's note: The story was updated with additional details. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured U.S. President Donald Trump that India will no longer buy Russian oil, the U.S. leader said on Oct. 15. "So I was not happy that India was buying oil, and (Modi) assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That's a big step. Now we're going to get China to do the same thing," Trump said in the White House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Washington previously imposed 50% tariffs on India for its continued import of Russian oil, after Trump threatened to impose secondary sanctions on Russia's trading partners if Moscow failed to make progress towards peace in Ukraine. India will only "go back to Russia after the war's over," Trump told reporters. India's decision will help the U.S. broker a ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, Trump claimed, while acknowledging that working out a peace settlement has proven difficult. "But if India doesn't buy oil, it makes it much easier," he said. Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said he is not aware of the conversation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "To the best of our knowledge, I am not aware of any conversation between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump yesterday," Jaiswal said during a press briefing on Oct. 16. Jaiswal also said in a statement earlier in the day that India's import policies are guided by the "interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario." "The current (U.S.) administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing." Read also: Exclusive: 1,076 Cubans identified fighting for Russia, Ukraine says, 96 dead or disappeared Trump said that the process for India to stop flows of Russian oil will take time, but will be over shortly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There will be no oil, (Modi's) not buying his oil from Russia, it started you know, you can't do it immediately, its a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over with soon," Trump said. The president also emphasized his "great relationship" with Modi, who he called "a great man" who "loves Trump." "(Modi is) a friend of mine, we have a great relationship we have a great relationship no, we were not happy with him buying oil from Russia because that let Russia continue on with this ridiculous war, where they've lost a million and a half people," Trump said. Trump did not provide a timeline for when India would supposedly cease importing from Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some Indian refiners are already preparing to gradually cut Russian oil imports, Reuters reported on Oct. 16, citing three undisclosed sources. The news agency reported the following day that India had reduced its purchases of Russian oil by half, according to an undisclosed White House official. As Indian refiners already placed orders for November, any cuts would be visible only in December or January, Indian industry sources told Reuters, adding that New Delhi has not informed refiners of any import reductions. In the past, India said that it would not reduce its imports of Russian oil, despite facing heavy U.S. tariffs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bloomberg reported on Sept. 25 that Indian officials told the White House that New Delhi may curb Russian oil imports if trade is offset through the purchase of sanctioned Iranian and Venezuelan oil. India is one of the major buyers of Russian fuel. The country accounted for 38% of Russian crude exports and 19% of Russia's coal exports in the period from December 2022 until the end of June 2025, according to the Center for Research on Clean Energy and Clean Air. As the Kremlin refuses to engage in diplomatic means to cease hostilities, Kyiv and its allies have sought to reduce Russia's oil revenues, which directly fund its war against Ukraine. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Clayton Fulton (Photo/IHS) The Indian Health Service (IHS) has appointed Clayton Fulton, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, as its new chief of staff. In this role, Fulton will oversee the coordination of key agency functions and provide vital support to the Office of the Director in implementing IHS initiatives and strategic priorities. We are excited to have Mr. Fulton join the Indian Health Service, and welcome his leadership and expertise to our agency, said IHS Acting Director Benajmin Smith. His experience working at the intersection of policy and program development between tribal nations and the federal government will only strengthen our government-to-government relationships throughout Indian Country. Raised in Indian Country, Fultons life and career have been shaped by the deep connection between tribal communities and their lands. His work has consistently focused on empowering local communities and creating sustainable, grassroots-driven growth. His interest in Native economic development began during an internship with Cherokee Nation Businesses, where he observed how strategic investment and planning by tribal governments can foster thriving Native communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I believe that lasting change begins at the community level, Fulton said. My approach centers on equipping grassroots leadership, supporting local capacity, and creating steady, intentional growth that strengthens families, culture, and the community at large. Never miss Indian Countrys biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Fulton holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and an MBA in Native American Enterprises from Northeastern State University. He later earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School, where he served on the national board of the National Native American Law Students Association. During his time there, he was twice awarded the Doolin Prize for Scholarship in Indian Law. After completing his legal studies, Fulton returned to Eastern Oklahoma and joined the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Office of the Attorney General as an assistant attorney general. In that capacity, he played a key role in strengthening community programs, expanding economic opportunities, and aligning regulatory policies with long-term growth objectives. His work included tribal utility infrastructure development, legislative drafting, and close collaboration with the Office of Self-Governance and the Grants Department. Fulton also developed expertise in civil regulatory law, intergovernmental agreements, and complex commercial matters, ensuring that tribal programs were supported by robust legal and operational frameworks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About the Author: "Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at editor@nativenewsonline.net. " Contact: news@nativenewsonline.net Key Points Investors are buying into the idea that the company will be a net winner from the trade conflict. JPMorgan Chase has recently made a significant investment commitment that aligns with the interests of lithium materials companies. 10 stocks we like better than Standard Lithium Share in Standard Lithium (NYSEMKT: SLI) rose by a whopping 15.3% before 1 p.m. ET today. The move comes as the market digests China's latest move in the trade conflict and the favorable consequences of it for Standard Lithium. China retaliates China's Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs announced export controls on lithium batteries and other critical materials in the lithium-ion supply chain. As of Nov. 8, any Chinese company looking to export certain lithium battery materials needs to apply for a license from the State Council's commerce department. The controls give China, a country that dominates the lithium battery production market, significant leverage in its trade negotiations with the U.S. The announcement also highlights the importance of the U.S. securing its own supply chain of materials critical to battery production and the EV supply chain in general. That's where Standard Lithium and its two key lithium-brine-bearing properties in the Smackover Formation in southern Arkansas come into play. Investors are speculating that the "near-commercial lithium company" will be a net winner from the latest developments, not least because JPMorgan Chase has recently pledged to invest $1.5 trillion in its "Security and Resilience Initiative." Image source: Getty Images. It's enough to get the market excited. Still, investors should never forget that it will be some time before the company generates any revenue. There are no guarantees of future outside investment or the price of lithium materials. Should you buy stock in Standard Lithium right now? Before you buy stock in Standard Lithium, 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 Standard Lithium 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. If you hear people talk about armadillos in Indiana, you might think theyre describing a few that strayed into our state, or you might assume the cat-sized beasts are just a curiosity. The truth is, the nine-banded armadillos entering Indiana in increasing numbers can have a serious long-term impact on the states ecosystems and a more immediate impact on forests, farms, backyards and homes. For these reasons, Indiana needs a plan for dealing with these four-legged invasives. Indiana is becoming more hospitable to armadillos The armadillos journey to Indiana has been a long one. Native to South America, they found their way across the Rio Grande in the mid-1800s, spreading slowly east and north but usually staying in warmer areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Armadillos are foragers that dig for shelter and food. Since they have little body fat or hair, they are susceptible to low temperatures and cant live in places where the ground is frozen for long periods. Indianas climate used to be unfavorable to armadillos but it has begun to swing in their favor. A Purdue University study noted that Indianas frost season has decreased by nine days since the beginning of the 20th century and the number of days with temperatures below 5 degrees has similarly declined. That means armadillos can survive here. A couple hundred armadillo sightings have been confirmed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources in the last few years. Since armadillos are primarily nocturnal and favor remote areas, its likely the actual population is much larger and will continue to grow. Armadillos can be a public nuisance and harm wildlife That means reports of armadillos impact will grow as well. If our experiences mirror those of other areas, well soon hear more and more property owners complaining about armadillos tearing up yards and landscaping. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Farmers will confront deep holes in their fields and damaged crop roots. Homeowners will find their foundations destabilized by burrows. Municipalities will have to address roads and bridges damaged by armadillos digging. My major concern is our natural areas, where armadillos can disturb soils that support native plants and compete with indigenous insectivores for food. Jacob Stewart: Solar belongs on rooftops, not Indiana farmland For example, like armadillos, native salamanders search under leaves in forests for food. As a result, not only can armadillos reduce salamanders food supply but they also might gobble up salamanders as they feed. In addition, this rooting behavior can disturb the nests of ground-dwelling birds, such as woodcock, ovenbirds and worm-eating warblers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Facts like these prompted one of my colleagues in another state to declare armadillos second only to wild boars in their negative impact. The difference is that people help control wild boar populations by hunting them. Nobody gets excited about hunting armadillos and, in Indiana, you cant. They are protected. They cant be trapped or killed unless they are causing considerable damage. How to deal with armadillos So, what can you do? At this point, your best action is to help the conservation community track their spread. If you see an armadillo, report it to DNRs Report a Mammal page. That will help conservationists take the first steps to keep them in check. Opinion: The most incredible city feature you might not notice Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It will also help us all understand that were not overreacting to the presence of a few random animals. Armadillos may seem like a small problem now but at one point, so did Asian bush honeysuckle, emerald ash borers and zebra mussels. All of these are now known to have devastating impacts on our natural environment. Lets not wait until armadillos are as widespread as those invasive species before we act. Cliff Chapman is CEO of the Central Indiana Land Trust. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Armadillos are invading Indiana farms, homes and native species | Opinion Indiana physicians are expecting a heavier than usual flu season, leading them to encourage people to get their flu vaccine now before winter arrives. "We do anticipate that this year is going to be one of the heavier, more significant seasons," said Dr. Ethan Blocher-Smith, a primary care physician at IU Health Fishers. Last year the state saw 662 deaths attributed to influenza, according to the Indiana Department of Health, the vast majority of which occurred in those 65 and older. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Currently flu activity is minimal, according to the Indiana Department of Health. Epidemiologists study flu activity in the Southern Hemisphere, which has opposite seasons than the United States, to predict what could lie ahead with seasonal virus outbreaks in the United States, Blocher-Smith said. Health officials studied data out of Australia and saw a heavier-than-normal influenza season. Although flu vaccines have been available for a bit now, there's still time if you haven't gotten one yet. Health officials recommend people get vaccinated by the end of October before the holiday season think Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's arrives. Influenza season typically peaks between December and February. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended in an August advisory that all people older than six months old who do not have a medical restriction receive a flu vaccine. The Indiana Department of Health follows recommendations from the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Influenza, commonly known as the flu, spreads through close contact with people who are already sick with the virus or by touching objects with the virus on them. Symptoms typically include fever, chills, a cough or sore throat, among other symptoms. The CDC says that despite the effectiveness of the vaccine, only about half of Americans get an annual flu vaccine in a typical year. It takes about 14 days, or two weeks, to build full immunity after receiving the vaccine, Blocher-Smith said. Even with a vaccine as a protection, infections can still occur but people who are vaccinated tend to have milder courses of the illness than those who have not had the shot. If you get sick or need emergency care because of an infection, medical care will be available, Blocher-Smith said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We're just trying to get good defenses in place and then if people are having more serious symptoms and they need our help, obviously primary care and urgent cares are ready and willing to provide the care that people need," Blocher-Smith said. 'Are we going back in time?': Public health experts worry as Indiana vaccine rates plummet Where to find a flu vaccine in Indianapolis Alysa Guffey writes business, health and development stories for IndyStar. Have a story tip? Contact her at amguffey@gannett.com or on X: @AlysaGuffeyNews. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Flu season expected to be heavy how to get a flu vaccine in Indiana Indonesia, Azerbaijan and Pakistan are the top contenders to supply troops for a future stabilization force in the Gaza Strip, according to a U.S. defense official and a former U.S. defense official granted anonymity to discuss sensitive ongoing discussions. Negotiations on the makeup of the force are ongoing, and no country has made a firm commitment, the current U.S. defense official said. These are the countries that have expressed the most interest, the U.S. defense official said. Trumps 20-point plan for peace in Gaza says the U.S. will work with Arab and other partners to deploy a temporary stabilization force that will train and support vetted Palestinian police forces and will consult with Egypt and Jordan on the effort. The U.S. has said no American troops will be inside Gaza. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The so-called international stabilization force is a crucial component to Trumps plan to end the war between Hamas and Israel and pave the way for Gazas ultimate demilitarization and reconstruction. At a minimum, standing up such a force is months away. Many diplomats and analysts are skeptical that Trumps plan will ever move out of its current phase, a ceasefire in exchange for the release of all of the remaining hostages in Israel. Its a two to three month prospect from the day the decision is reached on who will participate, said Dan Shapiro, who was the top official on the Middle East at the Pentagon during the Biden administration. The White House and the embassies of Indonesia, Pakistan and Azerbaijan didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. has sent 200 troops to Israel to help coordinate the effort to maintain the ceasefire and stabilize the enclave. The troops under U.S. Central Command will be stationed at a civil-military coordination center, to be located north of Gaza in Israel. Egyptian, Qatari and Emirati troops are also expected to be located at the coordination center. Egyptian forces are currently helping retrieve bodies of deceased hostages in Gaza. The former defense official said that coordinating with Indonesia and Azerbaijan adds a layer of complexity to the stabilization effort because they are not in CENTCOMs area of responsibility. Asked about the burgeoning plans, the Pentagon referred to CENTCOM, and a spokesperson for the command declined to comment. Other aspects of the transition also have yet to be set up. So far the Trump administration has not announced any other technical teams or coordinating bodies from the State Department or other parts of the U.S. government to make sure the effort moves along. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hamas agreed to a peace deal Oct. 8 and released its 20 remaining hostages earlier this week but has only transferred seven of 28 bodies of those who died in captivity. Israel said Hamas is violating the deal by delaying the return of the deceased captives. The U.S. and its allies are now trying to execute the next phase of the plan getting Hamas to give up its arms. Everyone says, Oh, well, they wont disarm. They will disarm, President Donald Trump said Tuesday at a White House event with the Argentinian president. I spoke to Hamas, and I said, Youre going to disarm, right? Yes, sir, were going to disarm. Thats what they told me. They will disarm or we will disarm them. Got it? Shapiro, the former Biden official, argued that establishing the contours of a stabilization force now can help to dispel cynicism surrounding the U.S. ability to move the effort into the next phase. Its important to show momentum. Its important to identify these countries, have them step forward, have the mandate agreed upon, have the structure agreed upon and demonstrate that the troops are actually being prepared for deployment, he said. JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) Indonesias top defense official said Wednesday that Jakarta will acquire at least 42 Chinese-made Chengdu J-10C fighter jets, marking the country's first non-Western aircraft purchase deal. Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin told reporters in the capital, Jakarta, that Indonesia would soon buy fighter jets from China as part of a plan to modernize its military. Analysts said the deal could touch regional sensitivities and have geopolitical implications. They will be flying over Jakarta soon, Sjamsoeddin said. He declined to provide further details of the purchase. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plan to buy the J-10s was first disclosed last month by defense ministry spokesperson Brig. Gen. Frega Wenas. Local media had reported that the Indonesian Air Force was still reviewing the Chinese-made fighter jets to ensure their acquisition would effectively strengthen Indonesia's air defense capabilities. Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa on Wednesday confirmed that his ministry had approved a budget for the purchase of the aircraft from China that reached more than $9 billion. So, everything should be ready, Sadewa told reporters, But I have to double check when those aircrafts will arrive in Jakarta from Beijing. Indonesia has embarked on a drive to upgrade and modernize its military arsenal and strengthen its defense industry under President Prabowo Subianto's administration. Subianto has crisscrossed the globe since he was appointed defense minister in 2019, traveling to China, France, Russia, Turkey and the U.S. in a bid to acquire new military weapon systems and surveillance and territorial defense capabilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Indonesian Air Force currently has fighter jets from countries including the U.S., Russia and Britain. Some of these aircraft need to be upgraded or replaced. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced in June that his country will export 48 of its KAAN fighter jets to Indonesia. Those jets would be manufactured in Turkey and exported to Indonesia, Erdogan said in an X post. Indonesia finalized an order for 42 French Dassault Rafale fighter jets in January 2024, with the first delivery expected in early 2026. Southeast Asia's largest economy also announced the purchase of two French Scorpene Evolved submarines and 13 Thales ground control interception radars. Beni Sukadis, a defense analyst from the Indonesia Institute for Defense and Strategic Studies, said that despite being politically non-aligned, the government shouldn't underestimate the geopolitical implications of its choices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After decades of relying on Western suppliers, a major arms purchase from Beijing could be read as a shift in Indonesia's security orientation amid Chinas growing military and diplomatic influence in Southeast Asia region, Sukadis said. He warned the move could spark regional sensitivities over the South China Sea where China has direct interests. JAKARTA (Reuters) -Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted on Wednesday, shooting volcanic ash 10 km (6.2 miles) into the sky, the country's volcanology agency said, forcing authorities to raise the alert system to its highest level. Located in East Nusa Tenggara province, the volcano erupted on Wednesday at 1:35 a.m. (1835 GMT Tuesday) for around nine minutes, the country's Geological Agency said in a statement. It erupted again on Wednesday morning at 9:21 a.m. (0121 GMT), spewing ash 8 km high, the agency said, for about three minutes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Late on Tuesday, the agency raised its alert level to the highest point after recording "significant rising of the volcano's activities" since Monday, its head, Muhammad Wafid, said. "People living near the volcano should be aware of the potential volcanic mudflow if heavy rain occurs," Wafid said, adding that people should clear a six- to seven-kilometre area around the site. Dozens of people living in villages nearest to the volcano were evacuated after the eruptions, according to Avelina Manggota Hallan, an official at the local disaster mitigation agency. Most of the residents left their villages after Lewotobi Laki-laki's major eruption, which killed 10 people and damaged thousands of houses in November 2024, Hallan added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government has closed Fransiskus Xaverius Seda airport, located in Maumere, East Nusa Tenggara province, until Thursday, the airport operator said in a post on social media. The volcano last erupted in August. It also erupted in July, causing flight disruptions to and from the nearby resort island of Bali. The Wednesday's eruptions so far have not affected flights to and from Bali, Bali's airport operator told Reuters. Indonesia, which has more than 120 active volcanoes, sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an area of high seismic activity that is atop multiple tectonic plates. (Reporting by Ananda Teresia; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus and Raju Gopalakrishnan) HUDSON - Details came to light Tuesday about an industrial barge that flipped in the Hudson River just off a dock on the city of Hudson's waterfront. The U.S. Coast Guard said the dock operator contacted the agency Friday morning and said the barge had capsized and run aground. Chief Warrant Officer Brandyn Hill added that the incident did not present any environmental hazards, and the barge did not block boat traffic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Damage to the barge's hull caused it to capsize, according to Hill. It was not immediately clear when the damage occurred. The dock is owned by A. Colarusso & Son, a family-owned Columbia County company that transfers loads of crushed rock onto barges less than 200 feet from the city's public riverside park. The dock has been a point of contention in the city for more than a decade. The barge was shifted away from the immediate area of the dock, but remained in the river as of Wednesday. Hill said that Colarusso was contracting with a salvage company to move the barge. The Coast Guard was continuing to monitor the efforts, he added. Hill did not respond to a question about whether the barge had a "load line." Load lines, which are marked on the side of a vessel, determine how much cargo it can carry; an excessive amount of cargo would cause the ship to be submerged past its load line. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Hill said the Coast Guard "is working to understand the barge's recent usage to determine if a load line certificate is required. Generally, a barge of this type is not required to have a load line certificate." The type of barge that flipped at the dock did not require inspection by the Coast Guard, he added. The overturned barge has been visible to anyone using the Hudson-Athens ferry or anyone boating in the river since Friday. But Hudson residents were mostly in the dark about what happened until a Planning Board meeting on Tuesday night, when an attorney for Colarusso said the capsizing was the barge operator's fault, not Colarusso's. Responding to questions from board member T. Randall Martin, the attorney, Thomas J. Ruane of Whiteman Osterman and Hanna, said the barge started to overturn as it was being loaded with stone from the dock. It only became apparent the barge was compromised at that point, he said. Colarusso pulled the semi-submerged barge away from the dock, but the company was waiting for the barge operator to fully remove it, Ruane said. He did not name the barge operator. He said the incident did not pose a safety issue and did not fall under the Planning Board's purview since it happened in the Hudson River. A majority of the Planning Board appeared to agree with that point. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Martin was a holdout. "Whether it was your direct fault, the barge came here as a result of your activities," he said. The Colarusso dock receives crushed rock from the 113-year-old company's quarry in neighboring Greenport. A. Colarusso & Sons formerly operated the dock on a "nonconforming" basis, grandfathered in after the city rezoned the industrialized waterfront in 2011 to encourage recreation and preservation. But when the company did work on the dock's bulkhead in the Hudson River in 2014 without the Planning Board's permission, it lost that status and had to apply for a conditional use permit, which can carry special restrictions. The board is currently deciding on that permit, and many Hudson residents have packed meetings to demand restrictions on its use. At a meeting in May, residents voiced concerns about cacophonous noise, light pollution and rock dust wafting off the dump trucks and dock and over the city's public waterfront and adjacent businesses. Residents also wanted the maximum number of permitted deliveries from the quarry to be limited. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The company's attorneys sent a letter to the Planning Board last month, saying that "Colarusso maintains its position that the planning board's scope of review under the city code for the (permit) application is limited to imposing additional conditions relating to the bulkhead repair at the dock that are necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of residents living in close proximity to commercial docks and the public while recreating and using public facilities adjacent to commercial docks.'" The company was "amenable" to some of the residents' demands that the attorneys said fell within this scope, including planting a vegetative barrier and earthen berm between the dock and the rest of the waterfront, not trucking gravel to the dock on major holidays and removing an unused tower on the property. The letter rejected demands about limiting truck traffic or the dock's hours of operation, among other demands. The Planning Board did not decide on the permit on Tuesday. Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly described the area where the barge capsized, referring to a photograph on a local blog. The picture shows the hull of the barge. This article originally published at Industrial barge flips in Hudson, remains stuck days later. One scathing review and a viral response video between a James Beard-nominated chef and a food influencer in Phoenix set off a firestorm of reactions, and retractions, over a heated week, raising larger questions about the role of influencers in the food space. On Tuesday, Oct. 7, @glamorama or Aurora Griffo, posted a video on TikTok reviewing the third location of JL Patisserie at 2601 S. 24th St. in Phoenix. French-trained chef-owner Jenna Leurquin was a 2023 James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Bakery. In her review, Griffo had a few negative things to say about the bakery, including that the coffee was super sour and acidic. She criticized the quiche and pistachio croissant as well. That pistachio color is about as natural as my boobs, ass and waistline, Griffo said in her video. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Griffo did say she absolutely loved the pumpkin pie croissant, but followed it by saying that everything was on the sweet and rich side, which she did not prefer. She said she prides herself on being an honest restaurant reviewer. On Thursday, Oct. 9, Leurquin posted a response on JL Patisserie social media accounts. JL Patisserie response video garnered millions of views In a video that had 7.5 million likes as of Tuesday, Oct. 14, and 60.7 million views on TikTok, Leurquin shared screenshots showing that an influencer had reached out to her the week prior, asking to do a paid collab. Leurquin said she respectfully declined because it was not in their budget. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then she essentially tried to blackmail us by saying if we offered the food for free, she would then write a good review about us, Leurquin said in the video. Screenshots of their conversation that Leurquin provided to The Arizona Republic show the bakery declining the paid partnership as well as Griffos response. I do honest reviews, the Instagram DM read. I do not charge for my content. When its a collab I will still do the honest review and highlight/focus on what I enjoyed and be softer/quicker on my words with what I may not like as much. If the experience is terrible I wont post anything for the kindness of the hospitality. The meal will need to be comped including the gratuity. Leurquin responded to the message, saying she would let the team know and get back to her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Griffo visited the bakery on Saturday, Oct. 4, and then sent a message saying that the staff was kind, the pastries were beautiful, but there was definitely more miss than hit. Leurquin thanked her for coming by and for the feedback. In her video, Leurquin said that although they didnt agree to the collab, when Griffo came into the business, they recognized her and were very accommodating and offered her extra drinks. So we totally respect a bad review, but what we dont like is lying and bullying, Leurquin said in her video. The first thing she said was that our pistachio was so fake. Fun fact, we have right here our pistachio paste that is 100% pistachios from Italy. All of our flours that we use in our product the Farine de Ble, Epeautre, Gruau Rouge all comes on a palette from Europe. Also, this is our Panettone flour, straight from Italy; its written entirely in Italian, not bad for a close to the airport bakery. She went on to say that, beyond the fact that they spend huge amounts of money on their ingredients, the most valuable part of their product is the time spent making it. From sourdough starter to dough, everything is handmade from scratch. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And so I made the (video) to go around my kitchen and show you know this is not true, this is my true ingredient here, Leurquin said. And also beyond my ingredients, something that I feel like people don't realize or recognize, maybe just by lack of not knowing, in general and on social media, is the amount of work that it takes to do what we do. Every single thing we do is made from scratch. Everything that we do does take a very long process, and I have a team that's very dedicated to continue to do, to do this craft, as well as possible and as true as possible. Although Leurquin never explicitly mentioned that it was Griffo she was talking about, many fans connected the dots, especially after she posted a response on @glamorama shortly after. Griffo claims the bakery is 'punching down' In a since-deleted video posted on Friday, Oct. 10, Griffo said that someone finally stood up to me. She said that she respects that, but not the lies. She said she never stated she would leave a good review for a free meal. Griffo said, "I have never done that and I will never do that. She said it was a bit of a stretch to say that she was bullying the bakery, since they have way more followers. If anything, youre kind of punching down, Griffo said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Griffo ended the video saying that she respects Leurquins courage and talent, but joked that she should work on that quiche, though. On Sunday, Oct. 12, Griffo deleted all of her food reviews on her TikTok, made her Instagram account private and left one final apology statement up. She stated that she is taking accountability, learning and growing from the experience. "My review was not revenge for being turned down for a collaboration," the apology stated. "I had already planned to visit and review the bakery regardless, paid or not. To the bakery, I'm sincerely sorry for any harm my words may have caused." Griffo said she received a lot of hate mail and rude comments following the JL video response. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She shared screenshots of some of the messages on her Instagram account on Oct. 10. On Tuesday, Oct. 14, Griffo told The Arizona Republic over Instagram DMs that she has been getting "rape and death threats." She also said that people had found her address and slashed her tires. She said she is planning on moving out of state. On Tuesday, Oct. 14, Leurquin told The Republic that although she did not speak to the influencer directly, she has become aware of the backlash. "We want to state that such behavior is absolutely not what we intended," Leurquin said. "At no point did we seek to incite hostility or cause harm. We have reminded our community to remain kind. Our sole intention has been to stand up for the integrity of our product, our processes and our amazing team." TikToker Keith Lee chimes in TikTok food reviewer Keith Lee, who has 17.2 million followers on the app, commented on Leurquins video and said, I cant express how much I respect this response. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also made his own video on Monday, Oct. 13, stitching her viral TikTok. He commended Leurquin for her response and also said it was insightful and that he learned a lot about the behind-the-scenes of her food-making process, or art. He said there is accountability that needs to be taken on behalf of the food reviewer. I think when you start allowing money to dictate what your opinion is or to dictate or sway anything that has to do with your opinion, I think thats when youre wrong, Lee said. He also said he loves pastries, is a bread connoisseur and, if he is invited, he would love to give his honest opinion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All this time and all you needed was an invite ?? @JLPatisserie commented. We could have saved a lot of time here Keith! Owner Jenna Leurquin and chef Gabriel Lopez pose for a photo in their bakery's new location at 24th Street and University Drive in Phoenix on Feb. 25, 2025. Leurquin still would work with influencers The situation with JL Patisserie and Griffo opened up a larger conversation within Phoenix's food scene about what it means to be an influencer today, and what you do with that influence. In an interview with The Arizona Republic, Leurquin said that she has had influencers come in whom she recognized in the past. Like Griffo, she gave them a free drink, but she hadn't experienced an influencer asking to be compensated for coming out. While she welcomes people sharing their opinions, in the case of Griffo, she felt like her review was extra harsh because she didn't agree to work with her. That said, her intention with the video wasnt to roast the influencer, which is why she never mentioned her name in the video. I want to warn the next generation and people that are constantly on TikTok, that influencers need to be careful of what they think it means to influence," she said. "We're very proud of our craft, and we're very hardworking people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite her experience, Leurquin is open to working with influencers in the future. A lot of them have helped her tremendously by boosting her small business when she was starting off at farmers markets. She just wants to make sure she's working with someone who values the ingredients and effort she and her team put in. I think people need to weigh the importance of their influence," Leurquin said. "And there's no influence too small to be an influence. And if your influence is to be negative about our work or something like that, then it's scary that is the message you portray. Overall, Leurquin said the community response has been amazing. The feedback has been very positive from other business owners in Phoenix who have experienced similar situations with influencers and say they are glad she spoke out. Valley chefs share their experiences with the influencer Racan Alhoch, owner of Saint Pasta, said that as a restaurant owner, he is not a big fan of influencers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think taste is extremely subjective, Alhoch said. I also think when it comes to restaurants, bakeries, stuff like that, if you really don't know how they work behind the scenes, your opinion is not really painting a full picture. Griffo reached out to Alhoch offering to collab on a video. At first, Alhoch agreed, but then, when Griffo told him how much it would cost, he made it clear that he didnt pay influencers; its always been his policy. If they come in, he wants them to come in because they are genuinely a fan, or not a fan. He told her she could come in and do a video and be as honest as she wants. She told him it wouldnt be worth her time and effort if she wasnt being paid and they ended the conversation amicably and continued to follow each other. She didnt end up coming in to review Saint Pasta. I don't take them (influencers) too seriously, and I don't think anybody should take them too seriously, Alhoch said. Saint Pasta owner Racan Alhoch interacts with co-workers at his downtown Phoenix restaurant on Jan. 26, 2025. He said that he loves seeing restaurants standing up for themselves and has been advocating for that for years, so he loved to see Leurquin's classy and professional response. He also thinks its important to let your audience know to be responsible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He pointed out that with online mob mentality and cancel culture, the canceling is usually worse than the original offense. He said that in this case, it seems like it is. He pointed to Griffo getting death threats and claiming to have had to move out of her house after getting doxed. If my audience was sending death threats to somebody that I didn't like, I would immediately step in and be like, Guys, this is overboard, Alhoch said. I think, I think there's responsibility on both sides. Griffo previously reviewed Bacanora on her TikTok account. Rene Andrade, the owner of Bacanora, said that she had said the restaurant looks like a jail in her video. Initially, he liked the post and took it with a grain of salt. He said that, as one of the first places she reviewed, he felt Griffo assumed that controversial (expletive) sells on social media. Andrade said he tries to lead with positivity as often as he can, even if he gets negativity. However, he felt that what she did with JL seemed like she was talking (expletive) just to talk (expletive) since they didnt work with her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He has not collaborated with influencers before and doesnt plan to. I don't believe in that, Andrade said. I think that my job is to cook. My job is to be a chef. And if you like what I do, welcome in; if you don't like it, welcome in. I think that's the world that we live in, we have opinions and its not a problem. First & Last owner Robb Hammond said that he was glad someone finally stood up for themselves. He said the same influencer reached out to him, but he saw the review she left for Bacanora and didn't want to work with her. Griffo came in anyway. Hammond said that half of the dishes she reviewed were not on the menu, but rather special requests she made. He said his wife, Ashley, who is also his business partner, took the review harder than he did. She felt the influencer tried to ransom them for free food, and her review didn't take into account the hard work and effort the First & Last team puts into their craft. First & Last owner Robb Hammond speaks to an Arizona Republic reporter at his restaurant on March 27, 2025, in Phoenix, Ariz. Hammond has had good experiences with influencers in the past, particularly The Bachelor Season 25 lead Matt James, who currently does food reviews. James video about First & Last caused business to skyrocket. They went from making 40 to 60 sandwiches a day to 300 to 400. James didn't tell anyone he was coming into the restaurant. He ordered like a regular customer, ate, paid and left. The review was posted later. Hammond said that this is more common. Most local influencers have been polite and haven't come in expecting anything. But after his experience with Griffo, he was reluctant to talk to anyone with a camera for a while. Hammond applauded JL Patisserie's response and he wishes that he had put together something like that when it happened to them. A toxic person got dealt with in one of the funniest ways possible, Hammond said. And I think that we should all kind of learn from it a little bit. Reach the reporter at dina.kaur@arizonarepublic.com. Follow @dina_kaur on X, formerly known as Twitter, and on Bluesky @dinakaur.bsky.social. What to expect: Indibar offers a modern, fun, undeniably fancy take on Indian food in Scottsdale Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: JL Patisserie slammed bad influencer review. Hell broke loose LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) The actions of an Ingham County mother have led to the arrest of Nicholas Charles Toecker, who is suspected of offering drugs and vapes in exchange for sex or nude photos of minors, according to an FBI criminal complaint. The FBI agent investigating the complaint filed the paperwork in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The FBI says the mother said she was going through her 15-year-old daughters phone when she found explicit Snapchat messages between the girl and an unknown man. The mom then called the Ingham County Sheriffs Office (ICSO) to report what she had found. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ISCO detectives interviewed the mother and were able to identify Toecker by using the phone number and username associated with his Snapchat account, which he had been using to message the girl. The girl would later confirm his identity during an interview with investigators. According to the Ingham County sheriff, law enforcement arrested Toecker in Midland on October 10, and he is now being held at the Livingston County jail. During the ensuing investigation by the FBI, another minor girl, who is called MV1 in the criminal complaint, was identified. This girl told detectives she met Toecker online in October 2024 and began having sexual intercourse with him at a location in Macomb County when she was 15 years old. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their most recent sexual encounter was in May 2025, according to the FBI. The FBI also says Toecker recorded their sexual encounters. In the court document, the FBI also said ISCO detectives obtained access to the Macomb County location and found identifying characteristics that match up with the recorded videos. Toecker is facing a charge of sexual exploitation of a minor. 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 WLNS 6 News. KILLINGWORTH- A peregrine falcon from Harford with a smashed beak could return to its city hunting grounds if an ongoing nose job at a raptor rehabilitation center works. The super-fast pigeon hunter was found badly hurt in Hartford on Sept. 30 and brought to A Place Called Hope in Killingworth, where center Director Christine Cummings and veterinarian Dr. John Mead have been helping the adult male heal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The falcon's beak was cracked down the middle, the tip was snapped off and the sharply hooked beak was separated from the cere, the fleshy part of the face where the nostrils are, Cummings said in an interview Wednesday. She and Mead have used pink resin designed to make human dentures to hold the broken beak together, like a cast for a broken bone. She never used the method on a falcon before, Cummings said, but it has been successful on cracked beaks of another fast hunter in Connecticut, the Cooper's hawk. The birds' beaks are made of keratin and continue to grow throughout the creatures' lives, just like human fingernails. Beak repairs start with fabric from organic teabags, which is like drywall mesh tape, which then is covered with resin and shaped with fingers and ice pop sticks, Cummings said. The injured falcon was found near tall buildings and a highway in the city (Cummings said she did not have a specific location), so it either hit a building window or a vehicle at high speed. In hunting dives called "stoops," peregrines have been clocked at well over 200 mph, according to published reports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Hartford bird lost a lot of blood and its right eye is blind, Cummings said. If the beak and eye heal properly, a process that will take up to a year, the raptor would be returned to the city, she said. If not, it will become an "ambassador bird," used to educate people about peregrines. Called PEFA (short for Peregrine Falcon) -Hartford, the bird is being fed cut-up mice, along with turkey and beef heart and other carnivorous delights. The falcon is not banded and Cummings said it could be from a pair that has used a nest under the Charter Oak Bridge, which the state installed years ago. Fledglings from that nest have had to be rescued after falling into the Connecticut River. The birds also are known to nest on high building ledges. Once wiped out in the state and region due to pesticide use, the last documented nest in Hartford for much of the 20th century was in the late 1940s on the Travelers Tower, according to a state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection fact sheet. Due to reintroduction programs that followed bans on DDT and other toxins, a nesting pair of falcons returned to the Travelers Tower in 1997 and produced three chicks, according to DEEP. The birds' population since then has increased in the state and region. Peregrines eat mainly small and midsized birds, including pigeons and starlings, both of which are plentiful in Hartford and other cities. The bird with the smashed beak likely miscalculated during a hunting dive, meeting hard glass instead of a feathered meal, Cummings said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said she has grown to admire and respect the "feisty and intelligent" Hartford falcon during two weeks of care. "He really is kind of my hero," Cummings said. "He's gone through so much and he's still fighting." This article originally published at Injured falcon from Hartford getting beak repair at raptor rehab center. Officials with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation are investigating the death of an incarcerated man at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad as a homicide, authorities announced Wednesday. According to the CDCR, the incident occurred around 5:15 p.m. on Oct. 14, when correctional staff witnessed inmate Orlando M. Ochoa assaulting another incarcerated person, Israel M. Mendoza. Officers immediately intervened, deploying chemical agents to stop the attack and restrain Ochoa, officials said. Staff members began life-saving efforts on Mendoza and called 911. He was transported to the prisons triage and treatment area, where paramedics pronounced him dead at 5:52 p.m., according to the CDCR. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ochoa, 40, was moved to restricted housing while the prisons Investigative Services Unit looks into the incident. The Office of the Inspector General has been notified, and the Monterey County Coroners Office will determine Mendozas official cause of death. Israel M. Mendoza (Victim) was serving a 14-year sentence from Yolo County for corporal injury and false imprisonment with violence when he was fatally assaulted at Salinas Valley State Prison. (CDCR) Orlando M. Ochoa is serving a 32-year sentence from Los Angeles County for voluntary manslaughter and robbery and is now under investigation for allegedly attacking and killing another inmate at Salinas Valley State Prison. (CDCR) Two-vehicle crash in Apple Valley leaves ATV rider dead Mendoza, also 40, had been incarcerated at Salinas Valley since December 2015. He was received from Yolo County to serve a 14-year sentence for corporal injury on a specific person within seven years of a prior conviction and false imprisonment with violence as a second striker, according to CDCR records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ochoa was received from San Bernardino County in February 2006 to serve five years for second-degree robbery. In 2009, he was additionally sentenced in Los Angeles County to 32 years for voluntary manslaughter and second-degree robbery, also as a second striker, officials said. Salinas Valley State Prison houses approximately 2,400 incarcerated people across various custody levels and employs about 1,500 staff members, according to the CDCR. 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 KTLA. To the extent that any economic growth can be traced to corporate tax cuts in 2017 and this year, the unanswered question is: Whose economy? So what have Americans gained from these giveaways? Fans of the 2017 cuts and the further cuts in this year's budget bill maintain that they triggered higher economic growth, but many economic analyses indicate that any growth spurts were short-lived and modest at best . What's indisputable is that the 2017 measure has failed to pay for itself . That's according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a budget-hawk think tank that has also been connected to the Peterson Foundation. Under the circumstances, it's only fair to ask what the nation gains from giving corporations another big tax break, on top of the historically generous tax breaks granted corporations by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, also a Republican project. Thanks to business provisions in that measure, including a permanent cut in the corporate tax rate from a top marginal rate of 35% to a flat rate of 21%, the federal government forfeited about $188 billion in revenue last year, according to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation . One was pinpointed in an analysis the CBO issued on Oct. 8 . It's the reduction in corporate taxes enacted by the Republican Congress in July. The corporate tax cut, the CBO calculates, will increase the federal deficit by $77 billion this year alone. At this moment, after all, the federal government is shut down in part because Republican majorities in both chambers are fretting about the cost of extending subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plan premiums, which the Congressional Budget Office places at $350 billion over 10 years . Leaving aside that the extension would also increase the number of Americans with health insurance by 3.8 million, the price is dwarfed by the cost of some other initiatives more cherished by the GOP. Dirksen didn't actually say the second part of that quote, according to the keepers of the Dirksen archives . But as a description of the hand-wringing that commonly infects budget negotiations in Washington, it's well put. The most famous quip ever uttered about the federal budget is the one attributed to Sen. Everett Dirksen (R-Ill.), who served 34 years in the House and Senate until his death in 1969: "A billion here, a billion there; pretty soon you're talking about real money." Story Continues The benefits from the 2017 bill and the most recent budget bill track those of most GOP tax initiatives dating back at least to Ronald Reagan's tax cuts. They flow mostly to the wealthy, including top-level corporate executives. Read more: Hiltzik: Here's why CEOs think Trump's economic policies aren't working These people and institutions are in the catbird seat of economic policy now. The rest of us get left behind. Although architects of tax cuts always claim that the resulting economic growth will be spread widely, showing up in wage gains among other metrics, that's mythical. According to a 2022 analysis by researchers at the nonpartisan Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation and the Federal Reserve, workers' earnings gains from the 2017 cuts are "concentrated in executive pay" and the best-paid 10% of employees. The researchers found that about 56% of the gains from the 2017 tax cuts went to company owners (i.e., shareholders), 12% to executives, 32% to high-paid workers and 0% to low-paid workers. "Overall," they wrote, "the results imply that corporate tax cuts improve aggregate efficiency but exacerbate inequality." From a corporate standpoint, the most important provisions of the budget bill Donald Trump signed on July 4 include allowing businesses to fully and completely expense depreciable assets this year, if they've been placed into service as of Trump's inauguration, rather than spreading the depreciation over several years. That can turbocharge their tax deductions. Another provision allows businesses to expense research and development spending up front. Those provisions and other business-friendly changes mean that companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 index will receive tax breaks of about $148 billion this year, in the estimation of tax analyst Dave Zion. That's necessarily a rough estimate, Zion has said, since most companies haven't yet disclosed the actual effects and may not until their third-quarter earnings reports, which will be dribbling out over the next couple of weeks. Still, some second-quarter corporate earnings calls with investment analysts this summer bristled with braggadocio about the tax cuts they were expecting to pocket, courtesy of the budget bill. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, which compiled many of the reports, the benefits are associated with the budget law's "absurdly generous bonus depreciation measure, which allows companies to immediately write off the cost of capital investments." Read more: Hiltzik: Social Security turns 90 this week. Republicans are trying to keep it from reaching 100 For example, AT&T told investors in July that it expects to reap tax cuts of $6.5 billion to $8 billion from this year through 2027, due to the tax breaks in the budget act, down from the $12.5 billion it originally expected to pay. T-Mobile, another major telecommunications company, said it expected to cut its tax bill by $1.5 billion next year. MGM Resorts told investors that its gain from one key provision of the budget bill, an accelerated schedule for depreciable expenses, would change its tax picture from a liability of about $100 million this year to a refund of $100 million. "That's a pretty meaningful change," Jonathan Halkyard, MGM's chief financial officer said, "in large part because of this bill this law." Some companies that were forthright about their tax gains were rather vague about how they would spend the additional cash. T-Mobile said its gain would be "deployed thoughtfully, guided by our capital allocation philosophy." AT&T said that it would invest "a portion" of the cash savings "into our network" and would contribute $1.5 billion to its pension plan by the end of next year, though it acknowledged that its pension plan would remain underfunded until the early part of the next decade; the contribution over the next year would bring it up to about 95% funded. Then there's Lockheed Martin, which told investors it expected to see tax benefits of $400 million to $600 million from the budget bill, simultaneously announced that its board had raised its quarterly stock dividend by 4.5%, to $3.45 from $3.30, and authorized $2 billion in stock buybacks, bringing its fund for future buybacks to $9.1 billion. The underlying rationale for corporate tax cuts has long been that American businesses were overburdened by taxes compared with their overseas colleagues. The 2017 tax cuts, it was said, were designed to redress the imbalance and make American enterprises more globally competitive. That's not how things developed. Read more: Hiltzik: Does America need billionaires? Billionaires say 'Yes!' It was true that the 2017 reduction of the corporate tax rate to 21% brought America into line with the statutory tax rate in other developed countries call it the list price. The 21% rate placed America roughly in the middle of the pack of developed countries, which ranged from Switzerland (9%) to Australia (30%), with France, the Netherlands, Korea, Austria and Japan bunched at 23% to 25%. That helped account for a steady reduction of the corporate tax rate in the U.S., from 52% in 1959 to 35% in 1993 and 21% after 2017. But those figures don't account for the extensive tax breaks offered to many U.S. industries, which brought the average effective tax rate for big companies to just 16% in 2022, the Peterson Foundation calculated. Nor does that tell the whole story. "The United States collects fewer revenues from corporations, relative to the size of the economy, than most similarly wealthy countries," the Peterson Foundation determined. U.S. corporate tax revenue came to 1.6% of gross domestic product in 2022, lower than every member of the Group of 7 that informal intergovernmental group of big industrial countries except Italy, where it's 1.3%. So, we can say not only that billions of dollars is real money and trillions even more real, but also that the purported Dirksen quote begged the real question about the distribution of economic largesse in the United States. The question is who stands to gain most from the tax policymaking in Washington corporations, their shareholders and their executives, most of whom don't have to worry about whether cutting off Obamacare subsidies will leave them unable to afford healthcare, or the millions of Americans for whom the subsidies can often spell the difference between life and death? Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. FALL RIVER, Mass. (WPRI) Dozens of Fall River residents packed Tuesday nights public hearing to express their concerns with Liberty Utilities proposed gas rate hikes. Liberty Utilities proposal, which is under review by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, calls for an average rate increase of 55.5%, though certain customers could see their monthly bills increase by roughly 80%. This is just absolutely insane, resident Sara Carvalho said during the hearing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is like an act of violence against people in Fall River, resident Jordan Silvia added. RELATED: Healey, lawmakers decry Liberty Utilities proposed gas rate hikes Liberty Utilities is required by law to submit a rate adjustment to the DPU at least once every 10 years, with their last one being in 2015. Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan expressed concern over the fact Liberty Utilities waited the full 10 years to make the adjustment. It places too great of a burden on customers all at once, especially during a hard economic period, Coogan said. Liberty Utilities had representatives at the public hearing, who did not make any presentations or statements regarding the rate hike proposal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to Fall River, the utility company also serves North Attleboro, Somerset, Swansea, Blackstone, Bellingham and parts of Wrentham. Under the proposal, those who use gas for heat could see their bills increase anywhere from $59 to $103. Those who use gas for hot water could also see their bills spike between $37 and $77 a month. Its not just a number in paper, its a serious and harmful burden on households already struggling, resident Heidi Collins said. No one here can afford the raises theyre talking about, resident Talos Ferris continued. Liberty Utilities estimates the proposed rate hikes will generate more than $55.8 million in revenue. The utility company stressed that the rate hike is necessary to keep up with infrastructure improvements and continue delivering safe and reliable service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposed rate hikes, if approved would go into effect in May 2026. The DPU plans to take the next few months to review testimony and data on the proposal before deciding whether to approve it. SEE ALSO: Healey asks DPU to look into lowering energy costs Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app. Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup 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 WPRI.com. RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) There are new restrictions on Instagram accounts for teenagers. Its Metas the parent company of both Instagram and Facebook latest attempt to protect kids from seeing potentially harmful content. This is also something lawmakers and other leaders here in North Carolina have tried to tackle. All accounts for teens younger than 18 will be controlled with PG-13 settings, just like movies. This means theyll only see content like what you would see in a film with that rating. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A local childrens psychiatrist tells us she thinks these new rules are a step in the right direction. I love the movement towards creating more safety, more safe spaces for adolescents on social media, and I think it can help parents. I dont think its all that its going to take for pediatric mental health or for youth to use Instagram in a healthy way. But I think its movement in the right direction, said Dr. Andrea Diaz Stransky, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and assistant professor at Duke University. Dr. Diaz Stransky tells CBS 17 parents should also do their part. If parents can work with their youth to educate them, to have very open conversations about it, to make sure that they have social media spaces in the house for when youth should be using it and curfews around it, open dialog and education goes a long way, Dr. Diaz Stranksy said. Much better than restrictive rules. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The company says its expanded protections include not allowing teens to follow accounts that post inappropriate content for their age, blocking for searches containing words like gore or alcohol, not allowing teens to click links to content that goes against these updated rules, and making sure AI responses abide by PG-13 guidelines. Last legislative session, state lawmakers introduced House Bill 301, which wouldve banned social media accounts for children younger than 14 and wouldve required parent or guardian consent for accounts for 14- and 15-year-olds. The North Carolina Child Fatality task force also met last week. Its members said they want to see more done to protect what children can see or do online. A Meta spokesperson says today they started to rollout these protections in the United States, which should be completed by the end of the year. 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 CBS17.com. After years of criticism that social media companies have done too little to protect minors from harm, Meta announced Tuesday that it would add new restrictions to teen accounts, using the standards for PG-13 movie ratings as a guide. The restrictions would be set by default for users under the age of 18, and parents would be able to choose even stricter ratings for their child, if they prefer. Just like you might see some suggestive content or hear some strong language in a PG-13 movie, teens may occasionally see something like that on Instagram but were going to keep doing all we can to keep those instances as rare as possible. We recognize no system is perfect, and were committed to improving over time," Meta said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meta introduced teen accounts for Instagram in September of 2024, and teen accounts for Facebook and Messenger in May of this year. The company has said that it uses age prediction technology to identify teens who try to pass themselves off as adults. The Meta logo is seen at the VivaTech show in Paris, France, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. | Thibault Camus, Associated Press PG-13 is one of five ratings established by the Motion Picture Association. (The others are G, PG, R and NC-17.) The rating warns Parents strongly cautioned and says that some material may be inappropriate for children 13 and younger. According to Variety, recent and upcoming movies that carried the PG-13 rating include Tron: Ares, Superman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, F1: The Movie, Jurassic World: Rebirth and Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere. Happy parent happy teen Starting today, the default Teen Account experience will now generally align with PG-13 movie ratings Its the same Instagram, but now easier to focus on what matters most to you your friends and the content you want to see (Rolling out in pic.twitter.com/ZbrN99VRXq Instagram (@instagram) October 14, 2025 Per The Wall Street Journal, Under the new limits, Instagram said it would hide certain content like strong language, risky stunts and marijuana-related content from teen users. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meta, like other social-media companies, has been under scrutiny by policymakers as evidence continues to mount that social media is harmful to teens. On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation requiring age verification from technology companies such as Apple and Google. And in Utah, Gov. Spencer Cox has been at the forefront of national efforts to demand that social media companies do more to protect children. Utah was the first state in the nation to pass legislation requiring age verification for apps and its legislation has been a model for other states, even as it faces court challenges that have delayed implementation. Speaking last year on Meet the Press, Cox said, We have seen, again, suicide rates going up, depression, anxiety, self-harm rates skyrocketing. And what we know also is it corresponds with social media becoming ubiquitous and cellphones becoming ubiquitous with our teenagers. In its announcement, Meta said that it would also follow the PG-13 rating in its standard for AI interaction. This follows a Wall Street Journal investigation into how chatbots on the platform were having sexually explicit conversations with minors. Reaction on social media was mixed, with Zamaan Qureshi, an advocate for tech accountability, saying the move amounts to a publicity stunt. Tech journalist Carmi Levy said Good on them, but its still not enough not even close." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And perhaps most concerningly for Meta, the Motion Picture Association seemed unhappy that the company was co-opting its rating system, saying in a statement that no conversations had taken place with Meta. Per Variety, We welcome efforts to protect kids from content that may not be appropriate for them, but assertions that Instagrams new tool will be guided by PG-13 movie ratings or have any connection to the film industrys rating system are inaccurate, MPA chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin said. Instagram-parent Meta announced Tuesday that teen users will now see content on Instagram that's similar to what they might see while watching a film with a PG-13 rating. That's because new content settings for Instagram users under 18 will adhere to the same regulations. The new automatic protections are being rolled by the company starting Tuesday and will be fully implemented by the end of the year, according to Meta. "We hope this update reassures parents that we're working to show teens safe, age-appropriate content on Instagram by default, while also giving them more ways to shape their teen's experience," the company said in the announcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PG-13, a rating used in the media industry, indicates that parental guidance is suggested when watching content, particularly for children under 13. What are the new restrictions? The accounts of Instagram users under 18 will now be automatically be placed under a 13+ setting. Opting out of the setting will require parental permission. Teens with the setting will be blocked from seeing search results for terms like "alcohol" or "gore." This adds to list of search topics from which Meta said it already shields teens, such as suicide, self-harm and eating disorders. Teens will also be prevented from following accounts that regularly posts content deemed age-inappropriate. Instagram users under 18 who already follow such accounts, will no longer be able to see or interact with their content, send them DMs, or see their comments under anyone's posts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meta is also applying the new regulations to its artificial intelligence technology which is integrated into Instagram to help answer users' questions. "A.I.s should not give age-inappropriate responses that would feel out of place in a PG-13 movie," Meta said Tuesday. The social media company is also unveiling a separate setting for parents who prefer a "more restrictive experience for their teen." That setting, called "Limited Content," filters more content out from teens' feeds while also restricting their ability to see, leave or receive comments on posts. Meta introduced "Teen Accounts" last year, billing the move as a way to protect the safety of its younger user base. The company's new teen restrictions follow similar announcements by YouTube and OpenAI. The surprising story of a vinyl record empire in Kansas Company promises paradise anywhere with human-made lagoons Are lab-grown diamonds changing the jewelry industry? A recent poll by the Pew Research Center found that the majority of US adults think that artificial intelligence will worsen peoples ability to think creatively, while half say the tech will deteriorate our ability to form meaningful relationships. And now, according to the centers latest poll, it turns out that its not just Americans quickly becoming distrustful and disillusioned with the tech much of the rest of the world is growing deeply concerned about AI as well. According to the poll, which was conducted in the spring of this year, a significant proportion of people across 25 countries are now more concerned than excited about [AIs] growing presence in daily life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adults in the United States, Italy, Australia, and Brazil were proportionally most concerned. Excitement, in general, was muted; there wasnt a single country in which more than 30 percent of adults said they were more excited than concerned about the tech. In no country surveyed is the largest share more excited than concerned about the increasing use of AI in daily life, the Pew Research Center noted. The same poll also showed an interesting correlation between income and AI literacy. Roughly half of adults in wealthier countries, such as Japan, Germany, and France, had heard a lot about AI, while only 14 percent and 12 percent said the same in India and Kenya, respectively. Educated adults were more likely to say that they were excited about AI. Those who said they use the internet almost constantly also said they were mainly excited. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats despite previous research finding that trust in AI falls among people as they become more AI literate. A recent report by academic publisher Wiley also found that scientists are expressing less trust in AI than they did in 2024, when it was decidedly less advanced. A median of 55 percent of adults across the 25 countries said they had at least some trust in their nations ability to regulate AI. In the US, 47 percent of adults said they had not too much or no trust in their government to effectively regulate AI, while only 44 percent said they had either a lot of or some trust, reflecting a possible partisan division. Other wealthy nations, including Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands, showed much higher levels of trust. The topic of AI regulation has become a major point of contention in the US, with Republican lawmakers balking at passing any meaningful rules. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, the Trump White House continues to double down by dismantling the few existing rules that were established during the last administration, effectively allowing the industry to continue to spread its tendrils into every aspect of our lives unchecked. More on AI: Over 50 Percent of the Internet Is Now AI Slop, New Data Finds Utter devastation lies before investigators days after a building at a Tennessee explosives plant was razed by a blast so powerful that it left behind no living witnesses, created a vast and volatile investigative scene and cast potential evidence for miles around. The cause of Fridays explosion is still under investigation, but authorities caution answers may not come for weeks or months due to unique challenges that will require a delicate, methodical approach and minute-to-minute safety evaluations. Undetonated explosives pose a serious threat to first responders and investigators. The manufacturing facility, Accurate Energetic Systems, lies roughly 60 miles west of Nashville and crafts highly explosive products for the military and industrial companies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before any true investigative work or victim recovery can begin, the blast area must be combed foot by foot to ensure explosives have been safely neutralized, Gov. Bill Lee said over the weekend. Once we have that entire area cleared for all hazards, all remains, everything else, then well start the post-blast investigation to see the cause and origin of what happened, said Brice McCracken, special agent in charge at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives National Center for Explosives Training and Research. But finding the root cause of the explosion will also be a painstaking task. The initial blast triggered a cascade of smaller explosions, creating about half a square mile of damaged area and potentially obscuring the true origin of the blast, authorities have said. Debris that may be key evidence could be as small as a fingernail, experts told CNN, and might have been thrown miles away. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ATF, which is leading the investigation, has sent in one of its elite National Response Teams. ATF will ensure that if criminal activity is involved, those responsible will be held accountable, and if it was accidental, that lessons have been learned to prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again, Tyra Cunningham, assistant special agent in charge at the agencys Nashville division, said. Here are the key challenges investigators will face and how they plan to overcome them. Vast scene is littered with possible landmines In any explosion investigation, rendering the scene safe is paramount, but the nature of Accurate Energetics product increases the risk of harm to exponentially. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though it is unclear what, precisely, was manufactured in the destroyed building, Accurate Energetic is a key supplier to the military and manufactures bulk explosives, land mines and small breaching charges, including C4. Last month, the US Department of Defense awarded the company a contract for nearly $120 million for the procurement of TNT. Bomb technicians from the ATF, FBI and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation undertook the meticulous and physically grueling task over the weekend. Were working at a snails pace, Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said. He noted the task is very physically demanding and technicians are donning heavy protective gear under the mid-day Tennessee heat. Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis speaks to media at Accurate Energetic Systems in McEwen, Tennessee, on Friday. - Brett Carlsen/Getty Images Leading the effort is the ATF National Response Team, a specialized rapid-response force that responds to the nations highest-profile bombings, explosions and arson, including the 9/11 World Trade Center attack and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The National Response Team on site in Tennessee includes certified explosive specialists, bomb technicians, electrical engineers, forensic chemists and intelligence researchers, Cunningham said Together they bring decades of experience in determining the origin and cause of explosions and fires, Cunningham said. The explosives disposal teams began on the outer fringe of the blast site and are working step-by-step toward the area where they believe the blast could have originated, McCracken, the ATF special agent, said Saturday. A drone from the sheriffs office was also used to identify potential hot spots from the air, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But its going to take time to get to the actual facility where they were working with the explosive materials, McCracken said. One advantage, Chittum said, is there will be a detailed record of what hazards were being stored inside the building because Accurate Energetic is a government contractor, said Thomas Chittum, who spent more than two decades with the ATF and retired as its No. 2 official. Vital witnesses were killed in the blast All 16 people inside the facility died in the blast, leaving behind a devastated network of coworkers and loved ones as well as depriving investigators of crucial accounts of the final moments leading up to the explosion. Everyone who is there who could have described what was happening, what went wrong immediately before the blast, is dead, CNN analyst John Miller said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead, authorities will have to interview other workers who were not there and who may offer insight into the conditions, Chittum said. What was the state of the workplace? Was it clean? Was it orderly? Was the company following the law? Chittum said. Sometimes, surveillance footage can provide important information about the timing and location of the first blast, Chittum said. However, that footage may not exist in this case due to the scale of the damage, he said. Residents attend a vigil honoring the victims of a blast at an explosives plant, Accurate Energetic Systems, in Centerville, Tennessee, on Friday. - Obed Lamy/AP Identifying victims remains has also been a slow process because their bodies cannot be recovered until the surrounding area is declared safe from explosives. While investigators have compiled a list of employees presumed to be dead, the victims loved ones must endure the agonizing wait to be united with their remains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities have tried to expedite the process by getting DNA samples from family members whose loved ones are in the rubble, TBI Director David Rausch said. Once their remains become available, authorities have rapid DNA technology that can quickly match their DNA to their family samples. Reconstructing an obliterated scene Once investigators have been cleared to begin analyzing the scene, they will be faced with a chaotic expanse of mangled equipment, shards of manufacturing material and hunks of evidence that have been flung far from its origin. Typically, the first step is to identify the seat of the blast. The problem in this scene is that it is complete devastation, Chittum said. Oftentimes, an explosion will only partially damage a building, making it clear where the blast originated. In this case, the building has been essentially razed. The already large and complicated scene has also expanded as residents have continued to find unusual debris cast as far as two miles from the facility, Hickman County Sheriff Jason Craft said. He encouraged residents who find suspicious objects to avoid touching them and call 911. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ATF and assisting agencies will use facility blueprints, pictures and a field of debris to reconstruct the scene, agency Special Agent in Charge Matthew Belew said Monday. Its almost like putting a puzzle back together, Belew said. Agents will use a grid system to chart hundreds if not thousands of pieces of tagged evidence, he said. They will then try to determine where each piece originated from and the distance and direction that it was thrown by the explosion. Literally youre taking small pieces trying to construct them back into big pieces, Belew explained. CNN previously rode along with ATF National Response Team specialists deployed to investigate a suspected arson in Minneapolis, and they spoke about the extreme difficulty of gathering evidence after an explosion or fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are a lot of scenarios when we go into areas where we have to remove debris and rubble, we might be looking for something maybe smaller than your fingernail, ATF Supervisory Special Agent Dixon Robin said in 2020. While gathering evidence to help determine the cause of an explosion or fire, ATF specialists are trained not to rush in drawing conclusions, Robin said. If were going to give the answer and our mission is to give an answer we have to make sure weve considered every possibility, he said. During the deadly Los Angeles fires earlier this year, ATF NRT team leader Chris Forkner told CNN investigators do feel pressure when working to get the public answers but, he said, we have to step back, remain objective, remain scientific about our process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Forkner added, We cant let emotion and community pressure and political pressure drive our investigation. We have one shot to do this right. CNNs Isabel Rosales, Josh Campbell and John Miller contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A coalition of faculty and student groups at Iowa's public universities have spoken out against calls to join a new higher education compact. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) A group representing faculty at each of Iowas public universities is speaking out against the higher education compact developed by President Donald Trump and his administration and touted as a great opportunity by Iowa lawmakers. The Iowa Higher Education Coalition sent a press release Wednesday in which it rejects calls from Rep. Taylor Collins and Sen. Lynn Evans for the Iowa Board of Regents to sign on to the Excellence in Higher Education Compact, which would have universities freeze tuition, limit international student enrollment and more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Represented by the coalition are organizations including University of Northern Iowa faculty union United Faculty, Campaign to Organize Graduate Students at the University of Iowa, American Association of University Professors at the UI and Iowa State University and the Iowa Federation of Labor. The compact would subject our Iowa-operated public universities to extortion, based on demonstrating partisan loyalty to the federal government, said United Faculty President Christopher Martin in the release. Iowans would lose control of the universities. Thats a terrible deal for Iowa taxpayers. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Universities would need to follow policies relating to admission and hiring, academic freedom, information on finances and institutional neutrality. Tuition would also freeze for five years. Those who do not enter into the compact possibly risk federal funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The compacts vagueness on requiring a variety of viewpoints at all levels of campus community and use of language like neutrality and excellence is part of an attempt to assert federal control over universities, said United Faculty Vice President Fernando Calderon in the release. Financial consequences of signing on to the compact could also be dire, the release stated, especially as state funding could remain flat in the upcoming fiscal year. Tuition is the largest revenue source for Iowa universities and state funding makes up less than one-third of total revenues, and the release cited a Postsecondary Education & Economics Research Center paper that stated net costs for students and families have increased as a result of tuition freezes in other states. The U.S. Department of Justice will be in charge of reviewing universities for compliance with the compact and will have those who have violated it forfeit federal funding and other benefits from the federal government for at least one year, according to the compact. The opponents release stated this would create even more financial uncertainty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The compact weaponizes public funding to compel ideological obedience. It transforms education from a public good into a conditional privilege granted only to institutions willing to align with state-sanctioned norms, Calderon said in the release. Protections for freedom of speech and civil discourse in the classroom are already set in place in Iowa Board of Regents policy and state code, the release stated, that provide guidance for how professors handle potentially controversial matters and ensure individuals can share their thoughts and ideas. We all want Iowas public universities to be places where students and faculty regardless of political orientation are not just free but encouraged to pursue their own intellectual discovery and to contribute to a campus culture devoted to excellence, curiosity and tolerance, said Cullen Padgett-Walsh, president of Iowa State Universitys AAUP chapter, in the release. Bullying from the federal government isnt the way to get there. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate spoke with reporters in his office at the Iowa State Capitol Dec. 2, 2024. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate issued a warning for Iowans Wednesday about reported mass texts impersonating elected officials and candidates. The state elections official said fraudulent messages were reported in Franklin, Johnson, and Madison counties. According to a news release, the mass texts from an individual or group are impersonating public officials and candidates and include the message, Im listening to residents about what matters most in our community. What issues do you think should be our top priority? Reply with your thoughts or text STOP to opt out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pate said the Secretary of States office has confirmed the messages are not authentic. He called for Iowans who have received the messages to immediately report them to his office, as well as local law enforcement and their local county auditors office, and to remain vigilant about messages claiming to be from officials or candidates. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX With the continued rise of election-related misinformation, we remind Iowans to always verify information through trusted sources: the Iowa Secretary of States Office or your local county auditor, Pate said. The news release noted there were many legitimate outreach campaigns for candidates competing in the approaching Nov. 4 city and school elections. Early and absentee voting in local elections began Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the secretary of states office stated legitimate candidates and pollsters will not ask for sensitive information from voters. Additionally, the office recommended verifying the legitimacy of any links to donation sites sent through texts. We urge Iowans not to provide sensitive information over text, and if making plans to donate, to navigate separately to the candidates official donation channels, Pate said. If Iowans have any questions, we encourage them to turn to trusted sources of information and reach out directly to campaigns to validate any outreach. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Eight semifinalists will undertake virtual interviews with the Iowa State University presidential search committee next week. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Members of a panel tasked with selecting the crop of candidates to become Iowa State Universitys next president are set to decide on finalists next week, having narrowed the field to eight semifinalists. The ISU Presidential Search Committee will spend two days next week interviewing semifinalists for the universitys presidency before announcing finalists and inviting them to campus for further interviews and open forums. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each of the candidates, identified by numbers to keep their identities confidential until finalists are announced, were selected by the committee from a pool of 78 people, according to an announcement from ISU. The committee spent nearly four hours in closed session in early October to go through the applications. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX With ISU President Wendy Wintersteen set to retire in January, the presidential search committee this summer set a timeline to find her successor that was described as very, very, very tight by AGB Search Managing Principal Rodrick McDavis during the committees first meeting. Semifinalist interviews will be conducted virtually on Oct. 21-22, according to an agenda for the meetings, and the number of selected finalists will be announced following their conclusion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Committee chair and ISU Faculty Senate President Meghan Gillette said during the boards Oct. 6 meeting finalists names will be released the day before they come to campus. On-campus interviews will take place in the first week of November. Once they make it to Ames, Gillette said finalists will meet with selected members of the campus community and host a forum that will be open to the public and livestreamed for those who cant come in person. On Nov. 11, the board of regents will review each finalist in closed session, and late that day make their selection for the next president of Iowa State University, Gillette said. Qualities the committee has decided theyre looking for in a potential ISU president include the ability to connect to and converse with people from all areas of campus and community, experiences and understanding of higher education and challenges the sector currently faces, and knowledge of budgeting, fundraising and other financial aspects of university leadership. The best candidates must also be able to look ahead and craft a vision for the future of ISU that will help it navigate change and thrive, the committee decided. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE A man reportedly irate with an employee at a San Bernardino towing yard was arrested after he allegedly pulled a gun on the worker and was later found in possession of several other weapons, authorities announced. Its unclear exactly what time the Oct. 14 incident occurred, but officials with the San Bernardino Police Department said in a social media post that the suspect arrived at the tow yard driving a big yellow school bus to pick up his impounded truck. No details were provided on the circumstances surrounding the mans alleged outburst, but police say they were called after he reportedly pulled a gun out and pointed it at the employee. Police in San Bernardino arrested a man after he reportedly pulled a handgun on a tow yard employee on Oct. 14, 2025. (SBPD) Police in San Bernardino arrested a man after he reportedly pulled a handgun on a tow yard employee on Oct. 14, 2025. (SBPD) Police in San Bernardino arrested a man after he reportedly pulled a handgun on a tow yard employee on Oct. 14, 2025. (SBPD) Police in San Bernardino arrested a man after he reportedly pulled a handgun on a tow yard employee on Oct. 14, 2025. (SBPD) Responding officers took him into custody, recovered the handgun and, during a search of his property, located a scoped rifle, ammunition and a crossbow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unknown number of human remains found in desert junkyard in L.A. County Investigators did not stipulate whether the man was illegally in possession of the weapons. Though they are not considered archery equipment, crossbows are legal in the state as long as they meet certain requirements, including a 125-pound draw weight, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The man, whose identity was not released, was arrested on a felony charge, police said. 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 KTLA. Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) plans to launch the Hang Seng Biotech Index Futures next month, as offshore investors show heightened interest in mainland Chinese biopharmaceutical stocks listed in the city. The new futures contracts platform, which is expected to commence trading on November 28, aims to offer investors a risk management tool for "one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic sectors", the exchange operator said on Tuesday. Built on the Hang Seng Biotech Index, the platform will track the performance of the 30 largest Hong Kong-listed Chinese pharmaceutical and medical device companies, whose shares can be bought and sold by mainland investors through the southbound Stock Connect scheme. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. "The introduction of this new futures product reinforces HKEX's commitment to strengthening Hong Kong's position as Asia's leading derivatives trading and risk management centre," said Gregory Yu, head of markets at HKEX. He expected the platform to add "breadth and diversity to meet the evolving needs of global investors". "Driven by innovation and strong global healthcare demand, the biotech industry is one of the most exciting frontiers in capital markets today," Yu said. Beyond expanding investors' access to the sector's potential, the Hang Seng Biotech Index Futures reflect the city's efforts to contribute to the development of the region's biotech ecosystem. Bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing aims to bolster the city's position as Asia's leading derivatives trading and risk management centre, with the launch of the Hang Seng Biotech Index Futures. Photo: Shutterstock alt=Bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing aims to bolster the city's position as Asia's leading derivatives trading and risk management centre, with the launch of the Hang Seng Biotech Index Futures. Photo: Shutterstock> Trading under the code HBI, the Hang Seng Biotech Index Futures will use a contract multiplier of HK$50 (US$6.40) per index point. The Securities and Futures Commission's transaction levy will be waived for the first six months of trading of the new contracts. Margin rates would be announced in due course, according to the HKEX. "Futures contracts enable institutional investors to hedge and manage risk effectively," said Mike Leung Kit-man, director at Wocom Securities. "A diverse range of derivative products, in turn, helps attract more investors to participate in equity trading, enhancing overall market liquidity." In the words of Eoghan Harris, the legendary Irish political commentator, Ireland is going through a period of mass, self-harming frenzy. Its as if the electorate is not a nation but a student demonstration. Looking at the looming democratic catastrophe that could be the Irish presidential election on Oct 24, it seems he may be right. In their mania for consensus, the power-sharing old enemies Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have brought this on themselves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2011 there were seven contenders for the presidency of Ireland. This year there were three, for the two big parties did their utmost to make it difficult for independents to amass sufficient nominations to qualify. Jim Gavin, the Fianna Fail candidate, pulled out after the gross mishandling of a scandal so small it shouldnt rock a parish council. You cant take your name off the ballot paper though, so he could theoretically still top the poll if the electorate were feeling sufficiently bloody-minded. So the shoot-out is between Fine Gaels Heather Humphreys a pleasant, competent anti-sectarian Presbyterian who would be ideal and Catherine Connolly, who makes Castro and Chavez admirer Michael D Higgins, the incumbent, seem like Jacob Rees Mogg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ms Connolly used to be a Labour party member but she resigned after a row about candidate selection. Highly articulate, standing as an independent she gradually acquired support from a slew of the smaller Left-wing parties: the Social Democrats, People Before Profit, Solidarity, Labour and Green. And then came the coup when, after months of dithering, Sinn Fein announced it would not be running a candidate but would back Ms Connolly on the understanding that she would be putting a united Ireland as her foremost policy. This proved to be a very shrewd move for both Sinn Fein and Ms Connolly, who has now acquired the services of a huge, rich and experienced electoral organisation. Already canvassers are operating everywhere, transport is being organised to mobilise the young, and of course the propagandists are hard at work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The widespread boredom with establishment parties and economic worries have made the old dispirited, and the already dissatisfied young furious. Ms Connolly is in tune with younger people on Israel as a purveyor of genocide; on Hamas as freedom fighters; on Palestinians as the most oppressed people ever; on the wickedness of capitalism and the West in general; and on the pre-eminence of trans rights. They dont appear to care that Ms Connolly visited Syria on taxpayers money, when it was under the brutal rule of Assad, and that she opposed sanctions against it. Her suggestion that Germany spending more on defence reminded her of the 1930s didnt bother them, and there is little hope that the need for Ireland to spend heavily on defending the country against Russian threats to undersea cables cuts the mustard. A frightened, respectable Ireland has begun to challenge the tide. The Irish Taoiseach, Micheal Martin of Fianna Fail, has announced that he will support Humphreys. And a growing number of worried people from all mainstream parties are coming on board, but it may be too late. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although Mr Higgins who could get away with it because of his age, his gravitas and his reputation as a man of letters tested the rules, Irish presidents are required to be politically impartial and keep their noses out of politics. But Harris may be right when he says: In spite of her holding domestic and foreign policy positions that run counter to our national interest, a mindless mob seems intent on landing us with Connolly as president. It will make for an interesting time for the next St Patricks Day with Donald Trump. 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. Update, Oct. 15, 3 p.m. The Irion County Sheriffs Office has released a statement regarding the incident involving a possible disgruntled community member that reportedly prompted Irion County ISD to increase security measures at its campuses. In a release published in the afternoon of Oct. 15, the sheriffs office clarified that the statement made by Irion County ISD is in response to an incident that did not occur in Irion County. ICSO said it was not the investigating agency for the mentioned incident and would be unable to release any details related to it as a result. However, it did state that it was actively monitoring the situation and staying in communication with the appropriate authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sheriffs office also commented on the safety precautions being implemented by the school district in response to the incident. The safety precautions currently in place are being implemented out of an abundance of caution to ensure the continued safety and well-being of all students and staff, ICSO said. SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) Original Irion County ISD has announced that it will implement heightened security precautions across the district due to concerns about a possible disgruntled community member. In a public statement issued by Superintendent Nikki Moore during the late morning of Oct. 15, it was reported that the district will experience an increase in safety precautions in response to concerns about a possible disgruntled community member. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More stated that the district has not received any direct threats against its schools or community as of yet, but has elected to increase its safety measures out of an abundance of caution. We want to assure you that, to date, we have not received any direct threats against our schools or our community, Moore said. However, in light of recent information, we believe it is crucial to take proactive measures to ensure a safe learning environment. San Angelo crash leaves one injured, property damaged More said district administration has been in continuous contact with local authorities, including the Irion County Sheriffs Office, Tom Green County Sheriffs Office, and the Department of Public Safety, along with the Safety and Security Department at Region 15. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are collaborating closely with these agencies to assess the situation and to increase our security protocols across all schools, Moore said. Moore said the following measures may be taken to increase security at its schools: Heightened monitoring of school grounds Enhanced security presence during school hours Review of emergency procedures with our staff and students Moore sought to alleviate residents concerns, stating that the district will be ready to take action should the need arise. We understand that this may raise concern among our community, and we want to emphasize that we take the safety of our schools very seriously, Irion County ISD said. Our team is vigilant, and we are fully prepared to act should the situation change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moore also promised that the district would provide updates as new information becomes available and if any changes occur regarding safety protocols. 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 ConchoValleyHomepage.com. Donald Trump said Israel could resume military action in Gaza as soon as I say the word. The US president said he would consider allowing prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to re-enter the enclave if Hamas refused to uphold the peace deal. Israel has accused Hamas of failing to uphold their part of the agreement to hand over hostages. One of the four bodies returned to Israel on Tuesday does not match any of the hostages captured on October 7, they said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the deal brokered by Mr Trump, the Palestinian terror group had been set to hand over all hostages, living and dead, within 72 hours. Mr Trump told CNN on Wednesday: Whats going on with Hamas thatll be straightened out quickly. Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word. If Israel could go in and knock the c--p of them, theyd do that, he added. Three of the four bodies released on Tuesday were identified as Ouriel Baruch, Eitan Levy and Tamir Nimrodi. The identity of the fourth body has not been confirmed, but reports in the Israeli media on Wednesday suggested that it may have been that of a Gaza resident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A senior Hamas source told Al Jazeera that the body was an Israeli soldier who was killed and captured during an operation in May 2024. Israel denied that anyone had been kidnapped at the time. A Hamas member stands guard as a Red Cross vehicle arrives to receive the bodies of hostages who had been held in Gaza - Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters In February, Hamas also handed over the wrong body when it returned the remains of the Bibas family. The bodies of Kfir Bibas, who was nine months old, and his brother Ariel, four, were returned, but a third corpse supposed to have been that of their mother Shiri did not match with any hostage. Hamas claimed the bodies had been mixed up because of Israeli bombings, and handed over Shiris remains the following day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Palestinian terror group released all 20 of the living hostages on Monday but has so far handed over the remains of seven hostages out of 28, plus the one unidentified individual. Officials have said it could take months or even years for Hamas to locate the remaining hostages, who they say are buried beneath the rubble of Gaza. Eyal Zamir, the IDFs chief of staff, said the military will not rest until we return all of the hostages this is our moral, national and Jewish duty. He added: In co-ordination with the political echelon, we will insist and stand firm on upholding all the agreements. Doctors and soldiers salute vans carrying the bodies of four hostages into Tel Aviv - Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images In exchange for Hamas handing over the most recent bodies, Israel will allow humanitarian aid to flow through Gazas Rafah crossing on Thursday, diplomatic sources told Reuters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The United Nations and other international organisations will send 600 trucks of aid through the crossing on Thursday, which had been closed, according to Kan, Israels public broadcaster. Under the deal brokered by the US president, the Palestinian terror group had been set to hand over all hostages, both living and dead, by the end of Monday. Itamar Ben Gvir, Israels hard-Right national security minister, said on Tuesday that Israel would cut off aid supplies to Gaza if Hamas failed to return the hostages remains. Benjamin Netanyahu hugging Eitan Mor, one of the hostages released by Hamas It is with immense sadness and pain that we announce the return of the body of our beloved Ouriel Baruch from the Gaza Strip, after two long years of prayer, hope, and faith, a statement from his family said. The Jerusalem resident was captured at the Nova music festival on October 7. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The relatives of Levy and Nimrodi also announced the return of their remains to Israel. It is with a broken heart and unbearable grief that we announce that the body of Tamir, my eldest and beloved son, was brought back from Gaza, Alon Nimrodi, Tamirs father, wrote on Facebook. His son, a soldier, was captured from a military base on the border with Gaza when he was 18. Levys family announced the return of the remains of the 53-year-old cab driver, who was killed after dropping off a friend at Kibbutz Beeri on the morning of October 7. His remains were taken into Gaza the same day. On Wednesday, Mr Netanyahu met newly-freed hostages at a medical centre. The Israeli prime minister and his wife Sara spoke to Avinatan Or, Alon Ohel, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Evytar David, and Eitan Mor, who are receiving medical treatment after their release. He said: I promised to bring them home and we brought them home. With the same determination, we are working on the return of the fallen. We will spare no effort or resources to bring them back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the meeting, Mr Netanyahu was back in court for his corruption trial after Mr Trump called on Israel to grant him a pardon. At the hearing, the prime minister complained of a cough and a cold during cross-examination and asked to finish his testimony early, which the judges granted. Mr Netanyahus decision to open the Rafah crossing would fulfil a key part of the peace agreement to allow aid into Gaza following months of either total blockade or limited access that have contributed to starvation conditions. Israel has insisted that Hamas can have no role in the future of Gaza. Mr Netanyahu said the US plan for Gaza was very clear that, after Hamas returned the captives, it would commence both demilitarisation and disarmament. Credit: Reuters Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First, Hamas has to give up its arms, and second, you want to make sure that there are no weapons factories inside Gaza. Theres no smuggling of weapons into Gaza. Thats demilitarisation, he said in an interview with CBS News. Reports emerged on Tuesday that Hamas was tightening its grip on Gazas ruined cities, launching a violent crackdown and executing alleged collaborators. In the north of the territory, as Israeli forces withdrew from Gaza City, the Hamas governments black-masked armed police have resumed street patrols. 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. NEW YORK (PIX11) The remains of four more deceased hostages arrived in Israel on Tuesday evening. This latest transfer comes just as new aid cuts for Gaza are set to take effect, it happened not long after president trump expressed frustration over the pace of hostage remains being returned to Israel, four coffins escorted by the red cross arrived in their native country. More Local News The transfer of four of the 28 hostage bodies came after Hamas faced growing criticism for the pace of releasing remains. They were picked up at the Gaza Strip before being transferred to a forensic institute in Tel Aviv. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This comes just a day after Israel received the remains of four other hostages and follows Israels decision to cut aid to Gaza by half, saying Hamas delay was in violation of President Trumps peace deal. We are expecting everybody, including the Israeli prime minister and government, and definitely, Donald Trump and the U.S. Administration, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, to act swiftly, said Rotem Cooper, whose father, Amiram, is among those to be returned, adding, explaining to Hamas this is not acceptable. This is a clear violation of the agreement. On Tuesday afternoon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would use every resource to repatriate the remains of the rest of the hostages. President Trump also expressed concern over confusion about just how many hostages Hamas held captive. Make PIX11 your preferred source on Google: Heres how They misrepresented because we were told they had 26, 24 of dead hostages, if we can use those terms. And it seems as though they dont have that because were talking about a much lesser number. President Trump claimed Hamas already agreed to disarm under his 20-point peace plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They will disarm. And if they dont disarm, we will disarm them. And itll happen quickly and perhaps violently. But they will disarm Its still unclear when the rest of the bodies will be returned. And beyond that, there are bigger questions about Gazas future, like who will take the lead in rebuilding the territory, and what this all means for the possibility of a Palestinian state. 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 PIX11. The IDF requested that the public act with sensitivity and wait for official identifications before sharing unconfirmed information. The remains of two deceased hostages were brought to the National Center of Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir for identification, the Health Ministry confirmed early Thursday morning. Israel received the remains from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) late Wednesday night, according to the Prime Minister's Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The IDF requests to act with sensitivity and wait for the official identification, which will first be provided to the families of the hostages," the military stated. IDF troops receive remains of killed hostages at official ceremony, October 14, 2025. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT) Remains of two hostages set to be returned Hamas's al-Qassam Brigade has announced that it will release the remains of two deceased hostages on Wednesday evening, according to various reports, which contain conflicting information ranging from two to five bodies. Professional teams in Egypt are currently discussing methods for locating the remaining 21 slain hostages, the officials stated. Since Monday, Hamas has released the bodies of seven deceased hostages and one body that it claimed was a hostage but was revealed by the IDF to be an unknown Gazan. This is a developing story. JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel expects Palestinian militant group Hamas to return the remaining hostages to Israel, a government spokeswoman said on Wednesday. Under a U.S.-brokered plan, Hamas released all 20 hostages still alive to Israel on Monday but so far has returned just seven of an expected 28 dead captives. "Hamas ... is required to uphold its commitments to the mediators and return all of our hostages as part of the implementation of this agreement," the spokeswoman said in a news conference. "We will not compromise on this, and we will spare no effort until our fallen hostages return, every last one of them." (Reporting by Steven Scheer;Editing by Alison Williams) Artisan Partners, an investment management company, released its Artisan Mid Cap Fund third-quarter 2025 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. Global equity markets continued their strength in the third quarter, ending the period with double-digit year-to-date gains. In the quarter, the funds Investor Class fund ARTMX returned 8.80%, Advisor Class fund APDMX posted a return of 8.80%, and Institutional Class fund APHMX returned 8.83%, compared to a 2.78% return for the Russell Midcap Growth Index. The significant outperformance was led by holdings in the health care sector. In addition, please check the funds top five holdings to know its best picks in 2025. In its third-quarter 2025 investor letter, Artisan Mid Cap Fund highlighted stocks such as Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE:SPOT). Headquartered in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE:SPOT) offers audio streaming subscription services. The one-month return of Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE:SPOT) was -3.35%, and its shares gained 83.89% of their value over the last 52 weeks. On October 14, 2025, Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE:SPOT) stock closed at $683.51 per share, with a market capitalization of $140.651 billion. Artisan Mid Cap Fund stated the following regarding Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE:SPOT) in its third quarter 2025 investor letter: "Among our Q3 detractors were Wingstop, Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE:SPOT) and Atlassian. Spotify is a leading audio streaming platform, well positioned to increasingly monetize its dominant share in global music distribution and discovery. Key levers, including pricing, advertising and tiered premium subscriptions, are poised to drive a multiyear profit cycle, in our view. The upcoming launch of a super-premium tier represents a meaningful catalyst, while strategic investments in podcasts, audio books and video could unlock further growth opportunities and diversify the company away from music, where large music labels own the content." Jim Cramer Recommends Buying Spotify (SPOT) Shares During Periodic Moments of Underperformance Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE:SPOT) is in 25th position on our list of 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. According to our database, 111 hedge fund portfolios held Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE:SPOT) at the end of the second quarter, up from 106 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE:SPOT) 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. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) wait in central Gaza to receive the bodies of around 60 Palestinians held by Israel, as part of the ceasefire and hostage - prisoner exchange agreement on Oct. 15, 2025. Credit - Anas Zeyad Fteha - Anadolu via Getty Images One of the four bodies handed over by Hamas overnight is not that of a known hostage, Israel announced Wednesday, deepening tensions around a fragile truce. Hamas delivered four coffins to Israel late Tuesday, each thought to contain the remains of Israeli captives held in Gaza. But on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) disclosed that forensic tests at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine determined that the fourth body handed over does not match any of the hostages. Israel insisted that Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: How the Trump Administration Sealed the Gaza Ceasefire Deal The three other bodies have been confirmed via DNA testing as those of Tamir Nimrodi, Uriel Baruch, and Eitan Levi. Nimrodi, a soldier who was 18 at the time of his death, was reportedly killed by Israeli airstrikes while in Gaza, according to statements by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. The forum asserted that Tamir was kidnapped alive from his base and killed by IDF bombings in captivity. Baruch, 35, and Levi, 53, were killed during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack on Israel and later taken into Gaza. Following the revelation that one body was misidentified, Israel warned it would make no concessions in securing the return of the remaining hostages. We will not compromise on this and we will spare no effort until our fallen hostages return, every last one of them, said a government spokesperson, reiterating that Hamas must honor its obligations to mediators. Read more: The Israelis Freed in the Gaza Hostage Deal Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the ceasefire agreement, for every Israeli body handed over by Hamas, Israel will return 15 Palestinian bodies. Thus far, Israel has transferred 90 bodies to Gaza. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is facilitating the civilian transfers. We know that the families wont give up and neither will we we are prepared to fulfill our role for as long as it takes, said Julien Lerisson, head of the ICRC delegation in Israel and the Occupied Territories. To date, Hamas has returned only seven of 28 bodies identified as deceased hostages. Earlier Tuesday, the bodies of IDF Captain Daniel Peretz, Yossi Sharabi, Guy Iloz, and Nepali citizen Bipin Joshi were transferred. But Israels military had warned Hamas that it would reduce aid flow if bodies were not handed over by a Monday deadline. Hamas has said it has had difficulty locating the bodies of some hostages, thought to be buried under rubble. Read more: The Environmental Toll of the War in Gaza The United Nations has expressed alarm over Israels decision to withhold part of the humanitarian aid promised under the agreement. Israeli officials informed the UN Tuesday that they would impose aid sanctions, cutting the volume of trucks allowed into Gaza to half. COGAT, the Israeli body responsible for coordination in Gaza and the West Bank, confirmed such steps. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher urged both sides to abide by their commitments. Fletcher emphasized that withholding aid from civilians should never be a bargaining tool, asserting that ensuring its entry is a legal obligation. TIME has reached out to COGAT for comment regarding the closures. In Gaza, medical organizations decried Israels withholding of assistance. It is frankly outrageous that life-saving humanitarian aid and the lives of Palestinians are used by Israel as a bargaining chip, said Fikr Shalltoot, director of Medical Aid for Palestinians in Gaza, in a statement shared with TIME. On Monday, the last 20 living hostages held in Gaza were transferred to Israeli control. In exchange, nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners who had been taken from Gaza since the war began were released into Gaza and the West Bank. Witnesses described many released hostages as dangerously thin; many Palestinian returnees bore wounds and mobility injuries. On the ground in Gaza, the fragile calm is already strained by fears of internal unrest. Rival armed factions are fighting for influence in the postwar vacuum. One casualty was Palestinian journalist Saleh Aljafarawi, 28, who had covered the war; he was reportedly shot by a militia and buried the same day his brother Naji was released from an Israeli prison under the exchange deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the ceasefire tenuously endures, the misidentification of the fourth body has raised questions about Hamass abilityand intentto meet its commitments under the truce brokered by the U.S. President Donald Trump. Israeli officials say the group must now provide full accounting for all deceased hostages, while mediators work to preserve a deal that has so far halted two years of devastating conflict. Contact us at letters@time.com. The Israeli military said on Wednesday that one of the four bodies handed over by Hamas overnight was not a hostage, following a forensic examination. The Palestinian militant group transferred the four bodies to Israel late on Tuesday, amid growing anger that not all of the 28 deceased hostages had been returned by a Monday deadline, under the terms of a US-brokered peace deal. Hamas has blamed the delay on difficulties locating remains in the rubble after two years of war in the Gaza Strip. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Following the completion of examinations at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, the fourth body handed over to Israel by Hamas does not match any of the hostages," the military said on Wednesday. "Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages." The 20 remaining living hostages were freed on Monday after 738 days of captivity. One of the bodies handed over by Hamas to Israel was not a hostage, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday, stoking fresh fears for Gazas fragile ceasefire. A genetic test at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine showed that one body transferred late Tuesday did not match any of the missing deceased hostages, the IDF said. Israeli media reports suggested it could be the body of a Palestinian. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages," the military said. Israel says there are still 21 deceased hostages in Gaza. During a previous ceasefire in February, Hamas handed over the body of a Gazan instead of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas, a mother who was abducted along with her two young sons, an incident that sparked outrage in Israel. Her body was returned a day later and positively identified. Among the bodies returned late Tuesday, the German-Israeli soldier Tamir Nimrodi was identified, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. Nimrodi, 20, was abducted from the Israeli border area during the October 7, 2023 attacks that sparked the war in Gaza. He had voluntarily swapped weekend duty with another soldier and was killed by Israeli bombardment during his captivity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His mother, Herut Nimrodi, met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in recent months campaigning for the release of remaining hostages. The bodies of Eitan Levy and Uriel Baruch were also part of the latest return. Under a US-brokered ceasefire agreement, Hamas is due to hand over a total of 28 bodies. The 20 living hostages were freed on Monday after 738 days in captivity. Four of the dead were also returned that day. Hamas has cited difficulties locating remains in the rubble after two years of war in Gaza. Israeli authorities have suggested the delays may be a tactic and threatened to restrict aid and keep the Rafah border crossing with Egypt closed until all the hostages bodies are transferred. Occupied West Bank, Palestine Close to Tulkarem, on the outskirts of the Nur Shams refugee camp, grey apartment blocks sit empty. Abandoned cars are strewn amid rubble where homes once stood. Shops are silent, streaked black where flames licked against the windows. Amid escalating violence by settlers from illegal Israeli settlements across the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military has intensified its efforts to forcibly displace the tens of thousands of Palestinians who live in the Nur Shams and Tulkarem refugee camps. An unprecedented ground assault, replete with bulldozers, arson, and sniper fire, has made life impossible for the people there, most of whom have been pushed out to shelters or other villages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the nearly empty Nur Shams camp, Israeli soldiers stand on rooftops, aim their sniper rifles from windows, and patrol empty streets with searchlights. Sometimes, the green dot from a weapons laser sight dances across the bodies of the few remaining, unarmed residents as they walk by. Since January, the Israeli militarys violent Operation Iron Wall has displaced some 32,000 residents of the Tulkarem, Nur Shams and Jenin refugee camps, according to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). The Israeli army, which has designated both camps as closed military areas, is likely to stay there for months and fire on anyone who enters. Palestinian families have submitted more than 400 requests to Israel to retrieve their belongings from their homes, but none have been approved, according to the UN. I am your lord, you are here to serve me Abdels* family is one of the few that Israeli soldiers have allowed to remain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He, his wife, and his mother sit tensely in their front room; his three daughters are at school. They are permanently on edge because the soldiers have established a temporary barracks next to their home. Since early February, the soldiers have forced him to work for them without pay, fixing their electricity, internet or air conditioning, and bringing them food, any time of day or night, usually at his own expense. He is constantly afraid that the soldiers will burst into their home at any moment. We dont want anything. Just a safe life, he tells Al Jazeera. I cant go out with my children, says Abdel. I cant even go out with my wife. Were deprived of even the simplest necessities of life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In late January, soldiers raided Abdels house, destroying furniture and possessions and forcing the family out of their home, which is just outside the Tulkarem refugee camp, for 10 days. Scorch marks on a building burned by Israeli forces on the outskirts of Tulkarem refugee camp [Delaney Nolan/Al Jazeera] When they returned, Abdel says he was told: We wont throw you out of the house as long as you help us. One of them even said, I am your lord, you are here to serve me. Since then, Abdel has obeyed their orders to keep his family safe. He estimates he is forced to spend 1,500 shekels ($440) a month on the soldiers. If I dont do what they tell me, they will destroy the house, he frets. He says he knows the soldiers threats are real because, as he speaks, a house in the camp just 500 metres (about 550 yards) away is burning, sending up clouds of smoke. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All his neighbours have been displaced, and some of their homes have been burned or trashed to the point of being uninhabitable. Abdel walks around the corner to his neighbour Nihads home, which was also taken over by soldiers for a while but sits empty now, surrounded by half-burned possessions, including personal documents, set alight by Israeli soldiers. In April, Israeli soldiers stormed into Nihads home at 3am, and ordered him, his wife, and three children at gunpoint to leave within five minutes. The soldiers moved in for the following 75 days, using it as a barracks. Nihad, who refused to give his family name for fear of reprisals from Israel, says he was ordered to stay away but came back anyway to survey the damage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Together, the two men pick through the wreckage. Nihad tells Abdel the home he loves is unrecognisable, that he and his family have lost everything. Soldiers smashed everything they could find, even the washing machines circuits, tore up electrical boxes, broke toilets and knocked down doors. The soldiers slept in his childrens beds and scattered infants clothing across the floor. Rubbish and debris are strewn through every room; a bird has nested in the shower. The soldiers set up a sniper outpost in the stairwell ringed with sandbags, and left the walls daubed with the names of Israeli soldiers and their patrol schedules in Hebrew. The words F*** Hamas in English are scrawled in lipstick across a dresser mirror. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This kind of damage, Abdel says, shows the consequences of defying the soldiers demands. An atmosphere of terror Nihad is far from the only victim. The Israeli military has destroyed hundreds of homes in the camps and adjoining neighbourhoods during its raids. It also damaged critical infrastructure, including water and electricity networks. The Israeli army carved roads through Tulkarem camp by demolishing homes. Forcibly displaced residents who re-enter the camp risk being shot [Delaney Nolan/Al Jazeera] In July, Israels High Court froze a military order for the demolition of 104 residential buildings, comprising some 400 homes, in Tulkarem. But the next day, it amended its ruling to permit the army to demolish for overriding security considerations effectively giving it broad discretion to continue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adalah, an Israel-based legal centre for Arab minority rights, has been petitioning against the demolitions. In July, the centre submitted an expert opinion from the Israeli human rights organisation Bimkom Planners for Planning Rights to the Supreme Court, showing that 162 buildings had been demolished far more than the number in the order. Adalahs investigation found that the demolitions had so far erased about one-third of the built-up area in the northern sector of Tulkarem, and made other areas unlivable, according to Miriam Azem, Adalahs international advocacy coordinator. The court rejected Adalahs petition on July 25, asserting that the demolition order was lawful and necessary, upholding the military commanders broad discretion and limited judicial review, Azem tells Al Jazeera. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abdel has no means to object angering the soldiers would mean putting himself at the mercy of a military force with a long history of demolishing, detaining and killing. Accelerating demolitions, adding arson to the destruction Israel is now demolishing homes in the West Bank at the fastest rate since the 1967 War, partly thanks to equipment from the United States. At the beginning of the year, the Israeli army had just two or three Caterpillar bulldozers, which are produced in Texas. Now they have 10, according to Suleiman Suhairi, a member of Tulkarems Popular Committee, which acts as a liaison between the refugee camp and external bodies, such as the UN. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Residents say the Israeli army is also increasingly committing arson, burning residential homes rather than bulldozing them. Every day, they burn two or three houses, Suhairi said, speaking in early July. The burnings increased in June, but the soldiers claim they have nothing to do with it, Suhairi says. To prevent arson, residents now try to remove or cut off their cookers, which are often used to start fires, says Suhairi, explaining that firefighters and homeowners say soldiers light all the burners and throw a blanket on them to start the blaze. The patterns of exploitation Palestinians face today in the West Bank represent an intensification of an ongoing strategy designed to make life unbearable, says Ihab Maharmeh, a researcher at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, which focuses on Palestinian workers and displacement. A former Palestinian Authority-run school is now a shelter for 17 families displaced from Nur Shams camp [Delaney Nolan/Al Jazeera] Israeli authorities are effectively transforming everyday life and livelihoods in the West Bank into a form of warfare. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nur Arafeh, a fellow with the Malcolm H Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, says Abdels story exemplifies the colonial mentality that underpins Israels occupation one rooted in supremacy, domination, oppression and the systematic dehumanisation of Palestinians. The soldiers language, referring to himself as Abdels lord, reveals the profound power asymmetries at play, whereby the threat of expulsion is used as a coercive and exploitative tool to force compliance and free labour, Arafeh says. Al Jazeera contacted the Israeli army and the Government Press Office for comment on the allegations of arson and coerced labour, but received no response. Israel doesnt respect international law On a hill above Nur Shams, more than 130 members of 17 families have taken shelter in a government-run school-turned refugee camp. Each family occupies one room, and all share one toilet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The shelter is privately funded, which helps fill the gaps left as local humanitarian agencies struggle to meet needs with limited funding. In the shelter, life continues: families hang laundry on lines; they grow chilli peppers and herbs in pots. Those who have fled there are just a short walk from their old homes, but a world away from their former lives. Standing on the third-floor balcony, a man draped in a keffiyeh looks at his former home, just visible between two apartment buildings but unreachable now, empty. Those who try to go back to their homes in the camp risk being shot at and possibly killed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most families displaced from the camps end up renting temporary accommodation in the area Mohamed Kamel, his wife, and their four children are now living in a rented home. Israeli soldiers forced Kamel and his family out of their home at gunpoint five months and two days before he spoke to Al Jazeera in July. He knows because he counts the days. The day they left, it was pouring with rain, and they were given just two minutes to leave. They lost everything: every piece of clothing, every toy, even their young daughters teddy bear. They walked for hours to a neighbouring village, carrying Kamels injured mother on a stretcher as she had recently broken her leg in a fall. Kamel had lived all 40 years of his life in the family home. Now, the family is renting an apartment in the neighbouring village. The bicycle of Saddam Rajab, a 10-year-old who was killed by an Israeli soldier, sits outside his mothers house in Tulkarem city, March 17, 2025 [Leo Correa/AP Photo] When Kamel tried to return to fetch his car, which he needed for work, he was shot at by soldiers and barely escaped with his life. Many people here have lost loved ones. Of the 198 Palestinians who were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank since the start of the year, 78 are from Jenin and Tulkarem. Even Abdel is not safe. The fires largely stopped by early August, and in mid-August, the soldiers near his home moved to a different barracks, and he briefly found relief from their demands and harassment. But 10 days later, Abdel was arrested and detained for a month. While he was being held, his wife, kids and mother were expelled from their home. About a week after that, Israel rounded up about 1,500 residents of Tulkarem, including children. Abdel was released days later. They were difficult days, as I was brutally beaten. Im still in pain. Im exhausted and sad, Abdel says of not being able to return to their home. The family is renting an apartment nearby now. We dont know what the future will hold, he says. Things are getting worse. *Name changed for the subjects safety The findings may redefine the known boundaries of life on Earth and offer a model for what microbial life might look like on Mars or other arid planets. Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and NASA have discovered microscopic life in Israels southern desert that can endure some of the harshest conditions on Earth. The findings, released on Wednesday, may redefine the known boundaries of life on Earth and offer a model for what microbial life might look like on Mars or other arid planets. The joint study, published in the peer-reviewed Environmental Microbiology Reports, examined microorganisms living within sandstone rocks in the Timna Valley, a hyper-arid region of the southern Arava with less than 100 millimeters of annual rainfall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the deserts punishing heat, lack of water, and intense ultraviolet radiation, scientists identified a unique bacterial population from the cyanobacteria group - commonly known as blue-green algae - that survives by entering a state of dormancy. In this study, we focused on examining the microbial communities that exist in a thin layer beneath the upper surface of the stone, said Dr. Irit Nir of Ben-Gurion Universitys Department of Biotechnology Engineering, who led the research. This growth environment provides protection from high temperature and radiation conditions while still allowing sufficient light and water to penetrate for their existence. The team, which also included researchers from the Dead Sea and Arava Research Center and NASAs Ames Research Center, sought to understand how life can persist in places where water is nearly absent and temperatures can swing dramatically. Their findings reveal that just a few millimeters below the rocks surface, colonies of photosynthetic bacteria live shielded from the harsh environment above, using the porous structure of the sandstone to trap trace amounts of moisture. Timna Park. (credit: Courtesy of Timna Park, Southern Arava) Timna Park is one of the driest places in the Arava Valley and in Israel, noted Prof. Ariel Kushmaro, head of the research group. The interaction between the physical properties of the local sandstone and the rare rain events and lack of dew creates selective conditions for the development of photosynthetic bacteria from the cyanobacteria group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The study built upon earlier discoveries made in the 1970s by Ben-Gurion Universitys Prof. Imri Friedman and NASAs Dr. Chris McKay, who first identified endolithic-inside-the-rock-microbial communities in extreme deserts. While previous research confirmed that such microorganisms exist, many questions remained about their adaptability and long-term survival mechanisms. To answer these, the team combined local climate data, sediment analysis, microscopic imaging, and genetic sequencing to paint a fuller picture of how these bacterial communities endure over time. One experiment analyzed sandstone samples that had been stored in dark, dry conditions for more than 25 years. Remarkably, the microbes showed no loss of pigmentation or significant change in community structure, suggesting that they can remain dormant for decades until water becomes available. Israeli research helps scientists discover what life is capable of The microbial population described in the study can survive for extended periods-approximately 25 years-in dark, dry conditions without losing viability, said Dr. Nir. When water appears, even briefly, they can reawaken and resume metabolic activity. This dormancy-based survival strategy, the researchers said, mirrors what might occur on planets like Mars, where liquid water is rare and surface radiation is intense. The team found that within the pores of the sandstone, bacteria are protected from lethal radiation and survive desiccation through long-term dormancy, reactivating only when minimal moisture appears. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These findings provide important perspectives for the search for evidence of microbial life outside Earth and constitute a unique model for understanding the potential for life on Mars, Dr. Nir explained. The researchers also found that the microbes metabolic processes can alter nearby minerals, leaving behind isotopic or textural traces that might serve as biosignatures-clues scientists could look for in Martian rocks. By studying how microbial life persists in the extreme desert of Timna, scientists hope to better understand not only the limits of life on Earth but also where it might exist elsewhere. This kind of research doesnt just tell us about survival in deserts, Kushmaro said. It helps us define what life itself is capable of, and where we might find it next. Welcome back to World Brief, where were looking at what comes next in the Israel-Hamas peace deal, the United States escalating trade war with China, and Frances latest efforts to revive its deadlocked parliament. Sign up to receive World Brief in your inbox every weekday. Maintaining the Truce Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians in northern Gaza on Tuesday, killing at least six people. According to the Israeli military, troops targeted suspects who crossed the U.S.-negotiated yellow line, the boundary for Israels partial withdrawal from the territory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israeli officials said this threat violated the agreed-upon terms of an Israel-Hamas peace deal that went into effect four days ago. However, a Palestinian news agency reported on Tuesday that Israeli drones had fired on residents inspecting their homes. It is unclear whether this attack is the same one that Israel cited as a defense of the yellow line. The incident came just one day after top mediators, including U.S. President Donald Trump, convened in Egypt to sign the Gaza cease-fire deal. During a state address to Israels Knesset on Monday, Trump made clear that he expects Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to adhere to the truce in Gaza. Israel unilaterally broke the wars last cease-fire arrangement in March. Israel and Hamas also enacted the two sides long-anticipated hostage exchange deal on Monday. Hamas freed all 20 living captives in Gaza and four deceased hostages, just before Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Publicly, Israel expressed outrage over Hamass failure to return the remains of the other 24 killed hostages, as dictated by the U.S.-brokered deal. But privately, Israeli officials appear to recognize that may take time, as some of the bodies could be under rubble or in areas that Hamas no longer controls. According to United Nations satellite imagery, more than 80 percent of Gazas structures have been damaged or destroyed in the conflict. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, negotiators in Egypt are discussing the cease-fire deals next steps. Three key issues remain on the agenda: 1. Hamass disarmament. Israel demands that the group fully demilitarizes, and local sources have accused militants of already working to retake control of Israeli-vacated areas. Some sources close to the talks have suggested that Hamas may consider partial disarmament but remains opposed to total demilitarization. 2. Gazas future governance. Hamas has agreed to relinquish control of Gaza to a Palestinian technocratic government, but only if it is supervised by the Palestinian Authority, which already governs parts of the occupied West Bank, and is not subject to foreign rule. This goes against Trumps 20-point plan, which stipulates that the territorys government would be overseen by an international transitional body. 3. Rebuilding the enclave. With more than 67,000 Palestinians killed, hundreds of thousands of people requiring humanitarian aid, and nearly all of Gazas 2.1 million residents displaced, revitalizing the war-torn territory is expected to be an expensive and arduous task. This may be hampered by Israels announcement that it will not reopen the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Wednesday. Allowing increased aid to enter the enclave is a stipulation of the peace deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Todays Most Read Trump Takes a Victory Lap in Israel by Keith Johnson Rare Earths Threaten Rare Trump-Xi Summit by Christina Lu Can Palestinians Trust Donald Trump? by Omar H. Rahman What Were Following A new U.S.-China fight. China and the United States rolled out new port fees on ocean shipping firms on Tuesday, adding fresh tensions to their escalating trade war. The additional costs are expected to hamper supply chains between the worlds two largest economies and could threaten an upcoming summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea. Trump kicked off the trade war with China in March, triggering several rounds of negotiations to bring tariff rates down from triple-figure heights. But tensions intensified last Friday, when the U.S. president threatened a fresh round of 100 percent tariffs over Beijings decision to expand its export controls for rare earths and related technologies; these new controls are set to take effect in November and December. On top of these duties, Trump has levied fees on commercial ships linked to China, citing a Biden-era investigation that found that Beijing uses unfair policies to dominate global maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China responded by imposing special charges on U.S.-owned, operated, built, or flagged vessels. Chinese-built vessels will be exempt from the measures. If the U.S. chooses confrontation, China will see it through to the end, Chinas Commerce Ministry said on Tuesday. If it chooses dialogue, Chinas door remains open. France delays pension reform. On Tuesday, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu proposed suspending a landmark pension reform plan until after the 2027 presidential election, bowing to left-wing pressure in an effort to maintain his precarious grip on power. The move deals a damning blow to President Emmanuel Macron, who made pension reform (including an increased retirement age) a key pillar of his economic platform. Macron enacted his pension reform in April 2023, sparking mass anti-government protests that catalyzed the start of Frances most tumultuous political cycle in the countrys modern history. In less than two years, Macron has burned through five prime ministers, with Lecornu himself resigning last week after just 26 days in officeonly to be reappointed four days later. Lawmakers from the far left and far right have demanded that Macron call snap elections and step down before his five-year term ends. But by slimming down the nations 2026 budget proposal, the French prime minister appears to be trying a different tactic to appease the opposition and revive a deadlocked National Assembly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That may not be enough to save Macrons administration, though, as Lecornu will face two votes of confidence motions expected later this week. Claiming victory in Cameroon. Opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma has unilaterally declared victory in Cameroons Sunday presidential election. The people have chosen, and this choice must be respected, Tchiroma said in a speech posted to Facebook on Tuesday, urging 92-year-old President Paul Biya to concede defeat and end his 43 years in office. Biya was seeking an eighth term when Tchiroma, a former government spokesperson, broke ranks to campaign on a fight against economic stagnation in the African country. At least 43 percent of Cameroons population lives in poverty, according to the United Nations. While some presidential candidates have already congratulated Tchiroma, Cameroons government has not yet issued an official response to Tchiromas claim. Territorial Administration Minister Paul Atanga Nji reminded voters this week that only the countrys Constitutional Council can determine the winner; the council has until Oct. 26 to make an announcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his speech, Tchiroma lauded supporters for defying voter intimidation efforts, and he called on Biyas administration to accept the results or else risk nationwide unrest. Either it shows greatness by accepting the truth of the ballot box, or it chooses to plunge the country into turmoil that will leave an indelible scar in the heart of our nation, Tchiroma warned. Odds and Ends This years final Nobel Prize award is asking economists to show me the money. On Monday, the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences went to three economists whose work found a correlation between technological advancement and sustained economic growth. The individualsaffiliated with universities in France, Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdomwarned on Monday against policies that limit innovation, such as immigration restrictions and trade barriers, at a time when such practices are gaining popularity across the West. Italy's Supreme Court on Oct. 15 overturned a decision to extradite Ukrainian national Serhii Kuznetsov to Germany, where he is accused of involvement in sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, Italian media outlet Ansa reported. The decision comes amid tensions over the unsolved Nord Stream explosions, which destroyed key pipelines linking Russia and Germany and fueled international speculation and competing accusations. The ruling sends the case back to a new panel of judges at the Bologna Court of Appeal for review. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the hearing, prosecutors requested that one of the appeal arguments raised by Kuznetsov's defense the alleged misclassification of facts in the European arrest warrant be accepted. The case of Kuznetsov and other Ukrainian nationals wanted by Germany has become a diplomatic flashpoint between European states. Italian police arrested Kuznetsov on Aug. 21 under a European arrest warrant issued by Germany, whose prosecutors suspect him of coordinating the operation to blow up the pipelines. The 49-year-old denies the charges, claiming he was in Ukraine at the time of the explosions. Polish authorities detained another Ukrainian citizen, identified as Volodymyr Z., in the town of Pruszkow on Sept. 30, also under a German warrant on similar charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said extraditing the suspect would go "against Poland's interests," saying that those who built the Nord Stream 2 pipeline "should be ashamed and remain silent." Polish Intelligence Services Coordinator Tomasz Siemoniak described the case as "extremely serious," noting that the court has up to 100 days to decide. German investigators allege that Volodymyr Z., a diving instructor, helped place explosives on the pipelines. According to German prosecutors, the perpetrators used a rented sailing yacht that departed from the German port of Rostock. The vessel was reportedly obtained through intermediaries using forged documents from a German company. Ukraine's Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar said on Oct. 7 that Kyiv is not interfering in the extradition proceedings. German investigators previously linked the sabotage to a pro-Ukraine group but have not alleged any involvement by the Ukrainian government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which never became operational, had long been a flashpoint in European energy politics. Even before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, critics warned that it deepened Germany's dependence on Russian gas and undermined European energy security. In 2021, before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Nord Stream 1 supplied over one-third of Russia's gas exports to Europe. In 2024, Czech President Petr Pavel said that the pipelines were a "legitimate target" if Ukraine had indeed been behind the attack. Read also: (18) Ukraine war latest live: Germany commits over $2.3 million in new military aid to Ukraine, including Patriot, IRIS-T systems Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russia received at least 232 tonnes of liquid epoxy resins from Italy in 2024, accounting for 21% of imports. The raw materials are used to manufacture carbon fibre casings for Iskander-M ballistic missiles. Source: Corriere della Sera Details: According to a study by the Economic Security Council of Ukraine (REB), epoxy resins from Italy accounted for 21% of imports last year, making it the second largest supplier after China (42%). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Economic Security Council of Ukraine, the Sir Industriale S.p.A company from Mario in Brianza (Lombardy) supplied epoxy resins to Russia. In response to a request from Corriere della Sera, the company noted that due to its high molecular weight, its products are intended for civilian use only: coating tuna cans, preserves or steel products, etc. "However, customs data analysed by the Economic Security Council of Ukraine and Corriere della Sera recorded 18 deliveries of low-molecular-weight liquid epoxy resins from Sir Industriale S.p.A, which have HS code 3907300009 and can also be used in military production," the publication states. This is also confirmed by Russian importers: Uralproekt, YAZPK and PRIME TOP2 all associated with the Scientific and Production Corporation KB Mashinostroeniya, which manufactures missiles for the Iskander-M systems. Some of the transactions were also carried out through the Polish company Kamex Magazyn, which may indicate an intention to conceal the final recipient. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "At the time of the deliveries by Sir Industriale, the EU sanctions on epoxy resins had not yet been voted on, and therefore there was no violation," explains Olena Yurchenko, Director of Analytics, Research and Investigations at REB. "Despite this, European exporters can independently check their customers' ties to the Russian government and military industry if they do not want their products to become weapons of the aggressor," she said. Earlier, REB discovered the supply of 300 tonnes of Belgian antimony oxide, subject to sanctions, to the Russian Federation for more than 4.5 million, as well as the Russian Federation's critical dependence on imported sodium chlorate, which is also necessary for the production of Iskander-M ballistic missiles. Background: It was reported in July 2025 that Russia had significantly expanded its drone capabilities for the war against Ukraine thanks to Chinese companies that officially deny cooperating with Moscow. Chinese drone experts have made repeated trips to Russia, working on the technical development of Garpiya military drones at the Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant, a state-owned weapons manufacturer under Western sanctions. Earlier, it was reported that since Donald Trump's return to US presidency, no new sanctions were imposed on Russia. This opens loopholes for the supply of microchips and military components, despite the restrictions imposed after the start of Russia's large-scale war in Ukraine. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he would impose sanctions against Russian propagandists and manufacturers of Russian Iskander missiles. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Italy's highest court has halted the extradition to Germany of the alleged Ukrainian mastermind behind the Nord Stream pipeline attacks, the suspect's lawyer told dpa on Wednesday. The Court of Cassation in Rome unexpectedly overturned a decision from a lower court. The case will now be referred back to another court, which will make a new decision. The suspect, Serhiy K, was arrested at the end of August while on holiday with his family. German prosecutors accuse the 49-year-old of jointly causing an explosion and of anti-constitutional sabotage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The attacks in September 2022 put both pipelines out of operation, drawing international attention. Four leaks were found on three of the four lines. The Nord Stream 1 pipeline had carried gas to Germany directly from Russia. Nord Stream 2 did not go into operation as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. LONDON (Reuters) -Johnson & Johnson is facing the first lawsuits in Britain over allegations that its talc products cause cancer, as it fights tens of thousands of similar claims in the United States. The lawsuit was filed at the English High Court on Tuesday against J&J and Kenvue UK Limited, a subsidiary of Kenvue, J&J's former consumer health unit which was spun off in 2023. KP Law said it filed the case on behalf of more than 3,000 people who allege their ovarian cancer, mesothelioma or other diseases were caused by use of J&J's baby powder between 1965 and 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The firm says J&J's talc products contained carcinogenic fibres, including asbestos, which has been linked to deadly mesothelioma. J&J has long maintained that its talc products are safe and do not contain asbestos. J&J referred queries to Kenvue, which it said "retained the responsibility and any purported liability for talc-related litigation outside of the United States and Canada". Kenvue said in a statement that J&J baby powder "did not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer". LATEST LAWSUITS OVER TALC J&J is separately facing tens of thousands of lawsuits in the U.S., where claimants allege they were diagnosed with cancer after using baby powder and other company talc products. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement J&J stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the U.S. in 2020, switching to a cornstarch product. It did the same in the United Kingdom in 2023. The company has sought to resolve the litigation through bankruptcy, a strategy that has been rejected three times by federal courts. Last week, J&J was ordered to pay $966 million to the family of a woman who died from mesothelioma, one of the largest awarded against the company that could be reduced on appeal. Damages awarded by courts in England are generally limited to compensation for losses caused by a defendant's actions, whereas $950 million of last week's award in the U.S. was for punitive damages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In England, courts can award so-called exemplary damages where, for example, a defendant has wilfully wronged a claimant, though sums are typically far smaller than in the U.S. KP Law said it had estimated the value of the lawsuit at around 1 billion pounds ($1.34 billion). Significantly, these lawsuits like virtually all civil suits in England will be determined by a judge, rather than a jury. Kenvue said in its statement that it believed a judge will conclude its talc-based baby powder does not cause cancer. ($1 = 0.7472 pounds) (Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill Berkrot) By Jody Godoy (Reuters) -A group of U.S. states said they may seek to block Hewlett-Packard Enterprise's $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks and have asked a judge for permission to intervene in a case where the U.S. Department of Justice has proposed to settle and let the deal move forward. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and Democratic attorneys general from six other states and Washington, D.C. said in court papers on Tuesday that they want to probe what they called suspicious circumstances around the settlement. "The public deserves transparency on what happened in this case and to ensure that high-ranking government officials follow the law during merger reviews, make decisions on the merits and are not influenced by politically connected lobbyists," Weiser said. Weiser, who was a DOJ antitrust attorney earlier in his career, is running for governor of Colorado in 2026. If U.S. District Judge Casey Pitts in San Jose, California allows the states to intervene, they could seek an order for the companies to pause integrating their businesses. Shortly after President Donald Trump took office in January, the DOJ sued to block the deal, alleging it would stifle competition and lead to only two companies - Cisco Systems and HPE - controlling more than 70% of the U.S. market for networking equipment. The DOJ agreed to drop its claims in June ahead of a scheduled trial in exchange for HPE agreeing to license some of Juniper's AI technology to competitors and sell off a unit that caters to small and mid-sized businesses. Last month, Colorado was among a group of states that called on Pitts to probe whether the deal addressed the DOJ's initial concerns about the deal and what role lobbyists with ties to the Trump administration played in the settlement. (Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York; Editing by Joe Bavier) Former special counsel Jack Smith defended his prosecutions of now-President Donald Trump, while criticizing the conduct of the Justice Department under the Trump administration, in a recent appearance in the United Kingdom. Speaking to MSNBCs Andrew Weissmann at an event at the University College London on Oct. 8, Smith rejected the idea that his work on the two indictments he secured against Trump was politically motivated. Politics: Trump Rips DOJ Indictments As Empty And Lawless As Cases Dropped The idea that politics played a role in who worked on that case or who got chosen is ludicrous, Smith said. The idea that politics would play a role in big cases like this, its absolutely ludicrous, and its totally contrary to my experience as a prosecutor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smith also criticized the workings of the Trump Justice Department, including the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey days after Lindsey Halligan, a former White House aide, replaced Erik Siebert as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia after he resigned under pressure from the Trump administration over his failure to bring criminal cases against Comey or New York State Attorney General Letitia James. The apolitical prosecutors who analyzed this said there wasnt a case and so they brought somebody in who had never been a criminal prosecutor on days notice to secure an indictment a day before the statute of limitations ended, he said in reference to Comeys case. That just reeks of lack of process. James has since been indicted on bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. Politics: The Supreme Court Is Going To Gut The Voting Rights Act To The Bone Smith also had harsh words for the Justice Departments decision to throw out New York City Mayor Eric Adams corruption case after Adams agreed to work with the White House on the presidents plans to crack down on immigration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nothing like it has ever happened that Ive ever heard of, Smith said in reference to the Adams case. Smith also issued a prescient warning about the Justice Departments future amid attacks on nonpartisan public servants. Its hard to communicate to folks how much that is going to cost us, he said. If you think getting rid of the people who know most about national security is going to make our country safer, you do not know anything about national security. Special counsel Jack Smith speaks about an indictment of Donald Trump, on Aug. 1, 2023, at a Department of Justice office in Washington. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File Separately, Smith said he was disappointed in the Supreme Courts presidential immunity ruling. There was never a question that we were going to follow the law as the Supreme Court said the law now was, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think once we get in a position where we start talking about maybe not following court opinions we dont like, we are lost in terms of the rule of law, Smith said amid concerns of a constitutional crisis in the U.S. Meanwhile, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, is calling on Smith to appear before the panel by Oct. 28, describing his testimony as necessary to understand the full extent to which the Biden-Harris Justice Department weaponized federal law enforcement. Politics: 1 Of The Internets Most Wholesome Feeds Just Went Scorched Earth On Trumps F**king Losers Smith has yet to respond to Jordans request. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smith prosecuted two cases against Trump one over his alleged mishandling of classified documents and another over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Both cases were dismissed in November 2024 following Trumps reelection. Smith resigned in January after filing his investigative report on Trump. Related... Read the original on HuffPost Ex-special counsel Jack Smith, who has given few interviews before or since resigning from the position, said in a rare interview its absolutely ludicrous to suggest his investigations of President Trump were driven by partisan politics. The former federal prosecutor spoke recently at a public forum at the University College of Londons Global Centre for Democratic Constitutionalism with Andrew Weissmann, also a former federal prosecutor as well as a frequent legal analyst on MSNBC. Smith said he only followed the facts in probes of Trumps improper taking of classified documents at the end of his first term and the effort to overturn his loss in the 2020 election that led to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The idea that politics would play a role in big cases like this, its absolutely ludicrous and its totally contrary to my experience as a prosecutor, Smith said. Smith slammed what he called Trumps effort to end the traditional independence of the federal Department of Justice and his targeting of political enemies for prosecution. Nothing like what we see now has ever gone on, Smith said. He pointed to DOJs dismissal of a federal corruption case against NYC Mayor Adams in an effort to ensure his support for Trumps crackdown on undocumented immigrants. This case in New York City, where the case against the mayor was dismissed in the hopes that he would support the presidents political agenda, Smith said. I mean, just so you know, nothing like it has ever happened [before]. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smith also criticized the recent indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, who has been charged with lying to Congress about authorizing leaks in 2020 testimony. This latest prosecution of the former director of the FBI, Smith said, just reeks of lack of process. He noted that Trumps Department of Justice has broken from longstanding regulations requiring prosecutors to decide whether to bring cases purely based on the strength of the evidence. Process shouldnt be a political issue, Smith said. If theres rules in the department about how to bring a case, follow those rules, you cant say, I want this outcome, let me throw the rules out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smith, a former Brooklyn prosecutor who was appointed by former Attorney General Merrick Garland, brought two criminal cases against Trump, one accusing him of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and the other of hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Both cases were brought in 2023 and Trump was awaiting trial during the 2024 presidential election campaign. Smith withdrew the cases after Trump won reelection. Federal guidelines prohibit prosecution of a sitting president. The interview surfaced as congressional Republicans this week asked Smith to appear for an interview, part of an escalating effort among the GOP to pursue the perceived enemies of Trump. Smith hasnt responded. Former special counsel Jack Smith excoriated the Justice Department over its indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, saying it "reeks of a lack of process," and he also weighed in on other actions by the department under the Trump administration. In an interview with former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissman at the University College London, Smith said, "The apolitical prosecutors who analyzed this said there wasn't a case, and so they brought somebody in who had never been a criminal prosecutor on days' notice to secure an indictment a day before the statute of limitations ended." Smith, who investigated and prosecuted President Trump before his reelection, accused Attorney General Pam Bondi of being "driven to achieve certain outcomes, no matter what," particularly in the case against Comey, who is accused of lying to Congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smith led the Justice Department probes of Mr. Trump related to his conduct after the 2020 presidential election, and to his handling of classified records after his first term ended. The cases both resulted in criminal charges against Mr. Trump, and he pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied wrongdoing. The interview with Weissman, was posted online Tuesday but recorded on Oct. 8, before New York Attorney General Letitia James was also indicted for mortgage fraud by the same U.S. attorney's office that brought charges against Comey in late September. On the Justice Department's decision to direct federal prosecutors to drop their corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams in exchange for his cooperation with the administration's immigration policies, Smith said, "Nothing like it has ever happened that I've ever heard of." He also criticized the Justice Department for not investigating the "Signal-gate" scandal in which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and former national security adviser Mike Waltz used the encrypted messaging app Signal to discuss planned military strikes in Yemen with other top national security officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There is no administration, Republican or Democrat, that does not open an investigation in that situation," Smith said. "Nothing where the lives of servicemen are put at risk, zero never happens." The former special counsel also defended his investigations into Mr. Trump and denied any suggestion that they had been driven by partisan politics. "The idea that politics played a role in who worked on that case or who got chosen [to work on the case] is ludicrous," Smith said, noting that his entire team of investigators and staff had been fired by the Trump administration. "Everybody who worked on my team was fired, not just the lawyers, but the administrative staff as well," Smith said, adding that hundreds of Justice Department attorneys and staff have left because they are "being asked to do things that they think are wrong, and because they're not political people, they're not going to do them." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In August, the Office of the Special Counsel which is not affiliated with Smith's former position launched an ethics probe into his handling of the investigations. His attorneys say there's no basis for the investigation. Smith's two cases against Mr. Trump were ultimately closed last year after he won the presidential election because under Justice Department policy, sitting presidents are not prosecuted. Smith left the Justice Department shortly afterwards. What to expect from Trump's news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel Lawmakers sound off on Trump's Argentina bailout as government shutdown continues Is it safe to fly amid the government shutdown? LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) After four years in office, Jackson Mayor Daniel Mahoney announced at a city council meeting Tuesday evening that he will not be running for any elected office next year. While he says he is stepping down from office, Mahoney also says he doesnt intend to become a lame duck and his work is far from finished. (WLNS) When you become the mayor of a town, you kind of take on the persona of the community, said former Jackson Mayor Derek Dobies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dobies tells 6 News he spoke to Mahoney before his announcement, saying the mayor is stepping away from public office to focus more on family and faith. When I stepped back from running for a third term.I was going through some similar struggles in my life, Dobies said. (WLNS) Mahoney was the first African American mayor in Jackson history, with Dobies saying he will be remembered for focusing on new downtown business development, housing improvements, and growing a city that residents can be proud to call home. Youve seen a lot of growth downtown, a lot of new businesses coming in, a lot of investment in our infrastructure and a lot of investment in our people and thinking differently about the ways in which we can deliver services, Dobies said. (WLNS) Greg Sprague is a sales manager of Nostalgia Ink in downtown Jackson, and says he hopes the citys next mayor pays attention to downtown as well and helps surrounding townships thrive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This decision comes after Mayor Mahoney confirmed his niece, Mia Sims, was shot and killed on July 27. Mia Sims. Sims, 18, was shot in the neck outside of United Peoples Church. Antonio Green, the man accused of killing Sims, was caught by police in Fresno, California. He is being charged with second-degree murder. 6 News has reached out to the mayor and the city council for comment. We have not heard back yet. 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 WLNS 6 News. James Carville offered some rare praise for President Donald Trump, arguing he deserves some credit for the Israel-Hamas ceasefire because he accomplished something other people failed to do. On the Politics War Room podcast, Carville and his co-host Al Hunt, both vocal critics of Trump, took some time to praise the current peace deal in place, which saw the release of hostages from Gaza. Hunt said the president is deservedly celebrating and applauded him for accomplishing what former President Joe Biden should have done while he was in office. Hunt argued a longer-term solution for Israel and Gaza is needed, while Carville acknowledged that the administration is having a legitimate moment in the sun. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can say, well, it may not last that long, but you know what? He did it. And A, he deserves some credit for it, the longtime Democratic strategist said. He added, I dont have any problem with saying they did something which, as of now, other people failed to do. Carville called the peace deal an undeniable accomplishment and urged people to celebrate even a temporary pause to the war. As of right now, hostages are home and the guns are silent. Thats an accomplishment, he said. During the same podcast, Carville had much less flattering things to say about Vice President JD Vance, accusing him of embracing racists for political gain after Vance dismissed outrage over leaked racist messages from Young Republicans leaders as pearl-clutching. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any time that any Democrat says something really stupid, alright, then its all, oh my God, and such and such. Youve got to read what JD Vance wrote, thats right, JD f**king Vance. The vice president of the United States thought it was funny and thought people were just overreacting to it, he said. Watch above via Politics War Room. The post James Carville Applauds Trumps Gaza Ceasefire Deal in Rare Praise: Did Something Other People Failed To Do first appeared on Mediaite. James Carville sounded off on Vice President JD Vances response to a story about a leaked group chat from Young Republicans leaders that included Adolf Hitler praise, racist language, and more on the latest episode of his Politics War Room podcast. Carville and co-host Al Hunt discussed the explosive Politico story this week that revealed Telegram chat messages between multiple Young Republicans leaders. In the 2,900 pages of leaked messages, Politico found praise for Hitler and racist comments that referred to Black people as monkeys and watermelon people. Vance dismissed the pearl clutching reactions to the chat and brought up another scandal involving Virginia Democrat Jay Jones. The state attorney general hopeful sent texts in which he called for violence against Republican opponents. One text said thenHouse Speaker Todd Gilbert should get two bullets to the head. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and the guy who said it could become the AG of Virginia. I refuse to join the pearl clutching when powerful people call for political violence, Vance wrote. Carville argued on Wednesday that the true story in the leaked group chat is Vances reaction. Look, these are a bunch of f**king racist kids. Did anybody not know this is who a segment of the Young Republicans were? Not all Young Republicans are like this, but everybody knew that this was a kind of draw for a number of them, he said. Carville added that Republicans get plenty upset over the language of Democrats, and the dismissal of the group chat now is pure political strategy. According to Carville, Vance and President Donald Trump need these f**king racist kids to win elections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any time that any Democrat says something really stupid, alright, then its all, oh my God, and such and such. Youve got to read what JD Vance wrote, thats right, JD f**king Vance. The vice president of the United States thought it was funny and thought people were just overreacting to it, he said. Republicans, he argued, are outgunning Democrats because Democrats pay for every goofy moment or quote, while Republicans can dismiss racists. Carville continued: Were sitting here worried about some little 20-year-old snot nose in Kansas whos [an] insignificant little s**t if one ever lived. And were not focusing on the big target, on the main target, which is JD Vance. And we know I dont, everybody calm down, Im not saying that all, Trump supporters are racists, but I will say this all racists are Trump supporters, okay? Theres not a person on this group track thats ever voted for a Democrat. But JD Vance is fine with it. Its just a little random, just like Trump had no problem at all with David Duke. I hardly know the guy. What about him? Oh, yeah, yeah, sure They get all the votes from all of these people, and we dont make them pay. We just let them come inside on us. We dont knock them back. Watch above via Politics War Room. The post James Carville Loses It on JD Vance Over Defense of Leaked Groupchat: Cant Win Without These F**king Racist Kids! first appeared on Mediaite. This story was produced as part of a partnership with NOTUS and the nonprofit, nonpartisan Allbritton Journalism Institute. The launch this week of 77-year-old Janet Mills Senate campaign in Maine reignites a debate about age among Democrats, who have spent the year arguing that the party, still reeling from Joe Bidens age-related withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, must move on to a new generation of younger leaders. Maine is not the only state next year where the party faces this issue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In three key 2026 Senate battlegrounds, Democrats are running older candidates, each of whom has held elected office since the 1980s. In North Carolina, former Gov. Roy Cooper is 68 and coming off of two terms as governor and four terms as the states attorney general. In Ohio, former Sen. Sherrod Brown is 72 and running again after losing a bid for a fourth term in office last year. In Maine, Mills would be the oldest freshman senator ever, and at age 79, would take office at an older age than Biden did when he took office in 2021. The three candidates have put Democrats itching for generational change in a bind, forced to choose between a sharp desperation to win back the Senate majority in 2026 and an eagerness to find younger leaders. The party needs a net gain of four seats next year to win a majority, a feat most analysts say is unlikely, but not impossible, if the political environment turns sharply against Republicans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are just at the beginning of generational change, said Amanda Litman, cofounder and president of Run For Something, a group that supports young progressive candidates running for office. The idea that its going to happen all at once, that was never real. It was going to be a cycle-over-cycle thing. Cooper and Brown are, at least for now, their partys de facto nominee for Senate in their respective states, where neither man faces a serious primary. But Mills faces a more serious race in Maine, where she joins a field featuring two candidates who have already raised more than $1 million in former Congressional aide Jordan Wood and oyster farmer Graham Platner. At least one of Mills opponents in the primary says her age should be considered fair game for voters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are living in a crisis for our country, and in part that is because of Joe Bidens inability to be our nominee, Wood said. And were reminded of that reality and that failure of Democratic leadership on a daily basis. So I dont know how it can not be a consideration. An aide to Platner, who received support from progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders and excited the partys left flank was more circumspect, but said the issue will be evident for voters whether the campaign raises it explicitly or not. Were not going to be running on the age issue because voters can see with their own two eyes that Graham is a 41-year-old who has the energy to crisscross the state and talk to every voter in Maine, said the Platner aide. Mills told news outlets this week that she would commit to serving just one six-year term in the Senate, if elected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a video announcing her candidacy Tuesday, the governor said she was only running because of what she called the unacceptable actions of President Donald Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress, saying that her lifes work had prepared me for this fight. And Im ready to win, Mills said. Maine has the oldest population of any state, and older voters traditionally vote at higher rates than younger people in elections, including primaries. That might make age-related criticisms of Mills awkward for her opponents, especially for voters who hold a personal affinity for the governor. Her supporters acknowledge that age will be an issue in the primary, but say they expect Mills, whom they describe as energetic and affable, to prove to voters on the campaign trail that she is up for the job. They also say they think voters will ultimately care more about electability, especially against an incumbent like Republican Sen. Susan Collins who has beaten back Democratic attempts to defeat her before. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mills is the only Democratic candidate to win statewide office in almost 20 years. Her announcement this week caused two major elections handicappers to change their ratings of the Maine contest, ranking it a toss-up. For people in Maine, they know Janet, they know how old she is, and ultimately theyre going to have to weigh that against who they think can win next November, said Emily Cain, a Democrat who served with Mills in the Maine state legislature. And ultimately, I think will fall very low on the list of considerations. Tuesday nights airing of CNNs NewsNight exploded during a heated debate over Vice President JD Vances deflecting response to a report detailing highly offensive and racist message exchanges leaked in a Young Republicans group chat. The Telegram chat at the center of a Politico report detailed heinous conversation exchanges between leaders of Young Republicans groups across the nation, where racial slurs were used multiple times, rape was called epic, and Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was praised. News: Florida Judge Temporarily Blocks Transfer Of Downtown Miami Land For Trump's Presidential Library Can we fix the showers? Gas chambers dont fit the Hitler aesthetic, Joe Maligno, an ex general counsel for the New York State Young Republicans, reportedly wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vance downplayed the report on X by highlighting former Virginia state lawmaker Jay Jones leaked messages from 2022, where he suggested he would shoot a then state House speaker if given a choice between Hitler and Cambodias Pol Pot. The vice president said he refuses to join the pearl clutching when powerful people call for political violence. This is far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and the guy who said it could become the AG of Virginia. I refuse to join the pearl clutching when powerful people call for political violence. pic.twitter.com/kV57Wq7BLG JD Vance (@JDVance) October 14, 2025 NewsNight guest Republican strategist Kristin Davis said Vance missed an opportunity here and could have really used this moment as a learning moment to encourage those caught up in the scandal to be better by denouncing what they said. These were Young Republicans, and so I dont hold necessarily anyone responsible, Davis said. Theyre young. They need to make mistakes. They need to apologize and see the error and move forward, and I wish that, you know, the vice president would have said that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, fellow panelist Keith Boykin said, The saddest thing about this story is that it was not the least bit surprising to me. News: Zohran Mamdani Directly Addresses Trump During Fox News Interview I dont think anyone who I know who is familiar with where the Republican Party has been going the past decade or so Boykin said before he was interrupted by conservative radio host Ben Ferguson, who said the Young Republicans were not calling people Hitler or fascist. Boykin fired back, JD Vance literally called Donald Trump Hitler. In recent weeks, Vance advocated against political violence by demanding that people stop using Nazi as an insult. However, he drew an ironic backlash when people brought up that in 2016, he told a former roommate from Yale Law School that President Donald Trump could become Americas Hitler. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Host Abby Phillip reminded Ferguson, Trump has repeatedly called his democratic opponents fascists so that argument does not hold much water. Related... Read the original on HuffPost This story was originally published on Healthcare Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Healthcare Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: A federal judge has thrown out a last-ditch effort from Humana to get the government to recalculate its Medicare Advantage star ratings for 2025. On Tuesday, Judge Reed OConnor of the Texas Northern District Court ruled that the CMS acted legally in downgrading Humanas stars based on unsuccessful customer service calls. OConnor dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning it cant be refiled but could still be appealed. A spokesperson for Humana said the company is disappointed with the ruling and is considering all available legal options. Dive Insight: The CMS rates plans in the privatized Medicare program from 1 to 5 stars on a variety of metrics meant to measure quality. One measure calculates whether insurers make foreign language interpreters available on their call centers to beneficiaries who dont speak English. The CMS checks this by making test calls that require a translator and rating the calls as being completed successfully or unsuccessully. One year ago, Humana challenged a 3.5 star rating that it received for one call centers performance after the CMS determined that three interpreter availability test calls were unsuccessful. The insurer argued that the decisions were arbitrary and capricious because the CMS didnt allow its center to call back. The Texas Northern District court dismissed Humanas initial suit in July because the insurer failed to exhaust its administrative appeal with the CMS. After the CMS declined to change its ratings, Humana refiled the lawsuit. OConnor has now ruled on the merits of the suit, with the same outcome a dismissal. The judge determined that the CMS no-callbacks policy is legal, and therefore the regulators ratings of the several dropped calls were not arbitrary or capricious. Analysts estimate that Humana could lose out on upwards of $1 billion in revenue next year as a result of the drop, given star ratings are directly linked to valuable bonuses and a competitive advantage in MA. We are disappointed with the Courts ruling but remain committed to delivering meaningful improvements to our Star measurements and returning to top quartile performance as quickly as possible, a Humana spokesperson said over email. Millions of Americans choose Medicare Advantage because of its high-quality, affordable care. They deserve to have the quality of that care evaluated with consistency and integrity. We will consider all available legal options to ensure the Star Ratings calculated by CMS are accurate, consistent and representative of plan quality, they added. JEFFERSON There is quite a buzz around Jefferson Area High School as a new drone class has started to open up new vistas for students. Robert Mead is the teacher of the new class, which is providing instruction in flying drones and showing clear possibilities for students beyond what the might normally consider. JAHS Principal Richard Shields said he is excited about the program and the career doors it could open. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our kids will be ready for the work force, he said. In addition to technical instruction and practice in drone flying, the course includes a possible certification through the Unmanned Safety Institute, Mead said. The students said they really enjoy learning to fly drones better, but have also taken notice to potential career opportunities. I enjoy flying the drones, Alexander Pottorf said. I am pretty passionate about aeronautics. It is a goal of mine to be a pilot. Hunter Dunford said he likes the uniqueness of the class. It is just something different than all my other classes, he said. Mead said the class started with about six inch square drones, but he hopes to up the quality of the equipment soon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am going to try and get some better drones so we can go outside and do some [video work], he said. Mead said he was attracted to drones during a field trip to the Northeast Ohio Regional Airport, where he met an individual who was using drones for crop dusting. He said drone flying is like a video game but harder to control. Josh Piccirillo said the class is interesting because there are so many educational concepts involved. Seth Collins said he had a little $5 drone but has enjoyed the better-quality drones involved in the class. He said he was surprised that a crop dusting drone operator could make $100,000 a year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mead said numerous drone companies in the Columbus area are building drones for the military and the public sector, with drone-makers having trouble keeping pace with demand, especially for military contracts. On Tuesday, the students gathered in the high school gymnasium and took turns operating their drones through an obstacle course while trying to keep the drones four feet off the ground. Students were assigned corners of the course to make sure the drones made it through the course. Mead said he timed students to add a little competitiveness to the class. This is an adapted excerpt from the Oct. 14 episode of The Briefing with Jen Psaki. Since the start of the government shutdown, Donald Trump and his administration have taken a wildly inappropriate (and probably illegal) approach to the blame game, using government websites and email to try to pin the shutdown on Democrats. Some federal workers have even received suggested templates for out-of-office emails that say they were furloughed because Democrat Senators are blocking passage of a funding bill. Multiple government websites, like that of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, now have messages pinned to them, claiming that the radical left in Congress shut down the government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who never passes up the opportunity to get in front of a camera, has even gone so far as to tape a video to be played at TSA checkpoints at airports across the country. In the video, Noem blames Democrats for the shutdown and any delays. But unfortunately for Noem, that video is not going to be seen by as many air travelers as she had hoped, and thats because airports across the country are refusing to air it. Officials in Buffalo, New York; Charlotte, North Carolina; Portland, Oregon; Cleveland; Los Angeles; Phoenix and Seattle have all said that the video violates internal policies, as well as state and local laws. As for having to hear the word no recently, Noem may be able to commiserate with her buddy over at the Defense Department, Pete Hegseth, because he is hearing the word a lot lately, too. It all started when Hegseth announced that the Pentagon would drastically change its rules for journalists covering the department. Journalists were told that going forward, they must sign a pledge not to gather any information, including unclassified reports, that hasnt been authorized for release. Essentially, only report on the stuff that Hegseth says you can, or lose your press credentials. According to the secretary, those new rules are simply common sense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It used to be, Mr. President, the press could go pretty much anywhere in the Pentagon, the most classified area in the world, Hegseth said Tuesday. Also, if they sign onto the credentialing, theyre not going to try to get soldiers to break the law by giving them classified information. So its commonsense stuff, Mr. President. Were trying to make sure national security is respected, and were proud of the policy. Well, like many of the nations airports told Noem, Hegseth got a resounding no from newsrooms across the ideological spectrum. On Tuesday, his former long-time employer, Fox News, along with ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN, as well as The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press, Reuters, The New York Times, The Washington Post and even Newsmax, signed a joint statement refusing to abide by the new rules, which they said were without precedent, warning the policy would threaten core journalistic protections. Now, when youve lost Newsmax, you know you have a problem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But it goes to show, as intimidating and all-powerful as the Trump administration would like you to believe it is, a strong and simple no is also a pretty good option. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com A Freehold high school is responding after a controversy in New Jersey over a group Halloween costume. It started with a post on TikTok among students at Manalapan High School and their plans to dress up as Hitler and Holocaust babies. The TikTok messages that were apparently posted by three freshman girls and have stunned school officials, residents and students who attend the school. The posts allegedly discuss dressing up as Adolf Hitler for Halloween and making a costume of the children from the Holocaust. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other comments were equally disturbing with one reportedly saying, "kill every last one please," and "I fill my vape with the gas from the Holocaust." These messages are reportedly from students at one of the state's top high schools. "I'm seeing more of this stuff now with young people that they're talking about Hitler and being aggressive toward other people," Pete Jeremich said. The students did not make the comments in school, but parents have been informed about the incident and counseling has been set up to help students cope with this form of antisemitism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "If they want to dress up as Hitler, they'd better get ready for some push back. So whether it's from younger people or older people, they better get ready for push back," Jeremich said. The Superintendent of the district released a statement saying, "We are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness and taking immediate, comprehensive, and decisive action. We are committed to ensuring that all students feel safe, supported, and welcomed in our schools. Antisemitism and hate of any kind have no place in our schools. Our high schools remain dedicated to building an inclusive community." * Get Eyewitness News Delivered * Follow us on YouTube * More local news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. BOSTON (WPRI/AP) Joan B. Kennedy, the former wife of Senator Edward (Ted) M. Kennedy, was laid to rest on Wednesday. Visiting hours were held Tuesday at Carr Funeral Home on Bunker Hill Street in Charlestown, Massachusetts. A funeral Mass for Kennedy was held Wednesday at St. Anthony Shrine in Boston, with a reception immediately following the ceremony. Kennedys burial was private. Joan Kennedy, first wife of Sen. Edward Kennedy, has died Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Formerly Joan Bennett, she was a model and classically trained pianist when she married Ted in 1958. Following their marriage, Joans brother-in-law John F. Kennedy was elected president in 1960 and assassinated three years later. Her brother-in-law Robert F. Kennedy was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1964 before also being assassinated while seeking the presidency. Her husband was later elected to the Senate. He was a notable legislator who also made headlines when the car he was driving in 1969 plunged off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, killing his young female passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne. Joan Kennedy helps her son Patrick, 15, plant a tree in the Edward Kennedy Memorial park in Jerusalem, Dec. 24, 1982. (AP Photo/Max Nash) Ted swam to safety and waited hours before calling police. He later pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Joan had three children with her husband. She stood by him during the Chappaquiddick Island incident, but the couple later divorced. Mrs. Kennedy was a classically trained pianist, an advocate for mental health and addiction recovery, and a quiet pioneer in publicly addressing challenges with alcoholism and depression at a time when few others would, her son, former Rhode Island Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, and his wife Amy said in a statement. Her courage and candor helped break stigma and inspired others to seek help and healing, he continued. Her impact on the arts, mental health advocacy, her beloved Boston community, and the nation will be remembered by many. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app. Follow us on social media: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup 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 WPRI.com. Joe Rogan mocked people who attend protests, saying 99% of them are losers and the others are federal agents, while also claiming billionaire and liberal donor George Soros is paying for the cliched signs they hoist up. The podcast star shared his thoughts on protest goers on the Wednesday episode of his show, The Joe Rogan Experience. Rogan did not mention which rallies in particular he finds off-putting but in general, if you go to one, you are a burnout, he said. All those people that are protesting on the streets, 99% of them are losers, Rogan said. The other ones work for the Fed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added a moment later: Its FBI agents and losers, its all it is. The whole f*ckin every protest, is FBI agents and losers. The comment drew a chuckle from Rogans guest, comic Bryan Callen, as both guys puffed on cigars. Callen said the first hurdle to him going to protests is having to make a sign; Rogan jumped in and said he did not have to worry about that, because Soros-backed organizers will make the signs for him. Theres a guy with a van whose paid by George Soros and hes got stacks of signs that were made at Kinkos, Rogan joked, repeating a highly controversial claim common on the right. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Open Society Foundations, founded by Soros, has donated to a number of progressive groups over the years, including to Community Change, which is dedicated to creating an immigrant-inclusive multiracial society, and the Tides Foundation, which is focused on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). Rogans ridiculing of protestors comes a few days before the second series of No Kings rallies against President Donald Trump will be held nationwide. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) earlier on Wednesday sarcastically dubbed the protests the Hate America Rally, with Johnson saying the crowd will be littered with a bunch of communists and terrorist supporters who loathe their own country. Not every protest is bogus, though, Rogan said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some things are worth protesting, he said, like in the United Kingdom, where dozens of people are being arrested on average each day for social media posts. More than 12,000 people are arrested annually for violating the UKs speech laws a figure Rogan referred to on his podcast. Isnt that insane!? Callen responded after Rogan mentioned it. You can watch Rogan and Callen talk about protestors above, via The Joe Rogan Experience on YouTube. The post Joe Rogan Drops Wild Rant On Protest Goers: They Are All FBI Agents And Losers first appeared on Mediaite. The U.S. Navy has submitted its report on the potential punishments for Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) over a recent video where he and other Democratic lawmakers told U.S. service members to disobey illegal orders. The report, which was ordered by the Defense Department and referred to the Navy, was sent to the Pentagons Office of A flyer with the words journalism is not a crime appeared Tuesday on the wall outside the Correspondents Corridor where journalists operate at the Pentagon. It was a silent protest of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths new policy that severely restricts press access. The policy criminalizes routine reporting, according to media lawyers and advocates, so news outlets are refusing to abide by it. Instead, they are giving up their access to the building, while vowing to continue thoroughly covering Hegseth and the military from outside the Pentagons five walls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, as Pentagon beat reporters started to turn in their press passes, some noticed and appreciated the journalism is not a crime poster. On Wednesday, others noticed that the poster had been removed. But there is still, perhaps ironically, an old plaque in the hallway that promotes the Pentagons principles for the free flow of information. Press freedom advocates say Hegseth is undermining those principles by pushing reporters out of the Pentagon and trying to stop them from talking with sources. But Hegseth ultimately controls access to the complex, so journalists had little choice but to surrender their credentials once negotiations with the press office failed to resolve legal and ethical concerns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Only one media outlet, the relatively obscure pro-Trump channel One America News, has publicly said it agreed to Hegseths new terms for credentialing. Trump-aligned outlets with more robust newsrooms, like Fox News, Newsmax and The Daily Caller, have all rejected the policy. Hegseth and his aides want to spoon-feed information to the journalists, and that would be their story. Thats not journalism, Gen. Jack Keane said Tuesday night on Fox. Military Reporters and Editors, a professional organization, said in a statement that the policy represents an unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and on the American people, who deserve accurate reporting on how the worlds largest military is funded and managed with their tax dollars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Military officers who regularly liaise with the press at the Pentagon have privately expressed regret about the clampdown. One longtime military reporter described lots of grim, sad faces and apologies. The reporter, who requested anonymity to relay private conversations, said theres a thought among some of them that in a country where the military and civilians are somewhat living in parallel worlds, this will not help bridge any gaps. Tony Bertuca, chief Pentagon editor for Inside Defense, which produces subscription newsletters for the industry, said the new policy is part of a pattern. The government has been discouraging inquiry at the Pentagon for months now: practically zero press briefings and gaggles, and lots of one-way communication with the public through social media, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The credentialing change will make it even more difficult to question officials at an agency that makes life-and-death decisions and spends hundreds of billions of dollars in public money every year. However, Bertuca said Wednesday, as he headed to the building to hand in his badge, the defense beat is all about following the money. With a $1 trillion budget? They cant hide. And Im not going to stop doing my job. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) The Journey to Justice Tour is traveling to East Lansing on Wednesday to highlight and expose the harms of solitary confinement. The organizers, Citizens for Prison Reform and Unlock the Box, report that the tour is a mobile advocacy hub, designed to inform communities and share survivors voices, all working towards ending the use of solitary confinement. The Michigan tour stops will feature a model solitary confinement cell exhibit, the Windows into Solitary photo exhibit, and virtual reality exhibits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The tour will also include spoken word and poetry performances, including readings from survivors and local advocates. The tour stop today is being held at 362 Bogue Street, East Lansing, on the Michigan State University campus from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. 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 WLNS 6 News. WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Well, so, my question is, are Americans going to be OK with these kinds of restrictions on the media? SARA HAINES: No. GOLDBERG: Im sorry, what? AUDIENCE: NO! HAINES: Freedom of the press is not a right or left issue. Its an American issue, which is why youre seeing those networks, including Fox News, who dont agree on much, coming together and in the name of that, saying, no, when the general said, you dont have people spoon-food the news, thats not journalism. Its not. Its propaganda. And that is unique to autocratic societies. The irony here is I think their point in doing this was they want to stop the leaks. They want to stop the leaks. Well, when you take away GOLDBERG: Well, they should stop making the calls. HAINES: When you take away the fourth estate, which is not an official branch of government, but just as important in its job to be accountable sorry, to kind of spotlight transparency, also, to hold people accountable when theyre doing things. But this is not going to stop leaks. This is going to force those leaks inside the house. So, now, it will actually have the complete opposite ending. JOY BEHAR: Its kind of ironic, because Hegseth is the leaker in chief. HAINES: Signalgate. BEHAR: Hes the one who spilled the beans in Signalgate and possibly war plans and everything else. HAINES: Yes! BEHAR: And I think this is kind of a cover for him in a way. I think hes a problem. Hes not qualified for the job. So, I think this is a cover-up for him. And by the way, if they get rid of all the press, who is Karoline Leavitt going to lie to? ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: So I was.. Ill let your joke sit and not step on it. BEHAR: Let it rest. The Page Belcher Federal Building, pictured March 19, 2025, houses a post office and the courthouse for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma in Tulsa. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY Attorneys representing plaintiffs in a competency restoration settlement agreement are asking a judge to fine the Oklahoma Mental Health Department $10,000 a day for failing to meet required benchmarks. The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services hasnt met the required terms of the settlement yet, according to a September report from court-appointed consultants. This included providing consultants with incomplete and internally conflicting data, submitting plans missing essential information, and not demonstrating true urgency in carrying out the consent decree. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The consent decree settled a 2023 lawsuit that alleged the Mental Health Department violated the rights of mostly indigent defendants who had been declared incompetent to stand trial by failing to provide timely court-ordered competency restoration treatment. The Legislature approved the settlement in March. Attorneys representing the plaintiffs filed a motion in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma on Monday. Paul DeMuro, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, said its been seven months since the consent decrees entry and four months past the deadline for the agency to have a plan to implement the consent decrees requirements. It wasnt like (the consent decree) appeared out of thin air, DeMuro said. What it boils down to is the department is treating this consent decree as if it were merely suggestions, as opposed to a federal court order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hundreds of people are still suffering while awaiting treatment in custody, he said. This creates mental health emergencies, risk of physical harm and ongoing violation of their due process rights, DeMuro said. The plaintiffs request includes asking a judge to hold a hearing, impose a fine of $10,000 a day until an approved plan is implemented by the Mental Health Department, and ordering the agency to have one representative responsible for overseeing compliance. Nothing motivates more than money, DeMuro said. So the fine is intended to motivate the department to get a plan together. The agency representative would offer institutional knowledge despite any leadership turnover, he said. Multiple agency heads have already been involved with the consent decree, DeMuro said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If ordered by the court, the requested fine would continue until the Mental Health Department develops and implements a plan that complies with the consent decree. When this lawsuit was filed in March 2023, the Class Members were already suffering and in crisis due to unconstitutionally prolonged wait times for restoration services while languishing in county jails, according to the motion. More than two and one-half years later, due to Defendants willful failure to develop and implement the Court-ordered Plan, Class Members suffering persists with no relief in sight. The settlement is expected to cost between $26 million and $45 million over three to five years, depending on the agencys ability to provide competency restoration services on a set timeline, as required. The Mental Health Department requested $17 million from the Legislature for next budget year to implement the consent decree and to cover any related fines for noncompliance. A spokesperson for the Mental Health Department did not immediately return a request for comment. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE I've flipped my thinking about this whole AI thing, you're either going to have a mass extinction event, or it's going to be really good with a rough patch in the middle, he said. Biden said the realization forced him to rethink AI entirely. The concern isnt unfounded. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 3.68 million fast food and counter workers were employed in the U.S. as of May 2023 [3]. If mass adoption of AI replaced a substantial portion of those workers as in Bidens McDonalds example it would mean major job losses and a spike in unemployment. You think that Burger King, Wendy's, Taco Bell across the board, you're talking probably three and a half million jobs in the fast food industry alone, that will [be replaced with] AI easily within the next five years, if not three years, Biden said. He added that if other chains followed suit, the impact could be devastating. Think about this. There's about 13,500 McDonald's in the United States of America. I did the math. If every one of them went down to five from 55 lost 50 jobs on average it's 670,000 jobs in America. It's a certainty. And that's just McDonald's, he explained. While that may sound like a savvy business move, Biden warned of dire consequences if more McDonalds owners adopt similar technology. I met somebody that owns fast food franchises, his McDonald's employs 55 people. He went all AI it's about a $2 million investment per McDonald's. He only employs five people now, so his margins go up by like 27% and it'll make back the $2 million investment in under like 18 months, Biden told Callaghan [1]. In a recent interview with YouTuber Andrew Callaghan, Biden described an up-close example of how artificial intelligence can reshape an industry that employs millions across the country. 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 Hunter Biden, son of former President Joe Biden, is sounding the alarm about a looming threat to American jobs one he says could amount to a mass extinction event. Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. Story Continues 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) He didnt elaborate on how a mass extinction event might unfold, but he did sketch out a best-case scenario: supercomputing power and AI deployment accelerating breakthroughs such as nuclear fusion. Between now and then, though, uncertainty looms. And Biden isnt the only one worried about AIs impact on jobs. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman faced a blunt question from comedian Theo Von in a recent interview: How will people survive? Altmans initial reply was hardly comforting: I don't know, neither does anybody else. He later floated the idea of a universal basic income a policy that gives regular cash payments to all citizens regardless of employment. Critics, however, warn it could discourage work, stoke inflation, or face insurmountable political hurdles. The good news? Even as AI threatens millions of jobs and universal basic income remains only a theory, smart investors have long relied on assets that provide passive income money that flows to you, regardless of your employment status. Earn rental income without being a landlord Real estate has been one of the most popular ways to generate recurring income. When you own rental property and tenants pay rent, you earn a steady monthly cash flow. Its also a popular hedge against inflation, as property values and rental income tend to rise alongside the cost of living. However, while real estate investing has clear benefits, being a landlord comes with challenges. Managing a property involves finding and screening tenants, collecting rent and handling maintenance and repair requests (out of your own pocket) and thats assuming you can save enough for a downpayment and get a mortgage to buy the property in the first place. The good news? These days, you dont need to buy a property outright to reap the benefits of real estate investing. Crowdfunding platforms like Mogul offer an easier way to get exposure to this income-generating asset class. Mogul is a real estate investment platform offering fractional ownership in blue-chip rental properties, which gives investors monthly rental income, real-time appreciation and tax benefits without the need for a hefty down payment or 3 A.M. tenant calls. Founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate investors, the team hand-picks the top 1% of single-family rental homes nationwide for you. Simply put, you can invest in institutional quality offerings for a fraction of the usual cost. Each property undergoes a vetting process, requiring a minimum 12% return even in downside scenarios. Across the board, the platform features an average annual IRR of 18.8%. Their cash-on-cash yields, meanwhile, average between 10 to 12% annually. Offerings often sell out in under three hours, with investments typically ranging between $15,000 and $40,000 per property. Getting started is a quick and easy process. You can sign up for an account and then browse available properties. Once you verify your information with their team, you can invest like a mogul in just a few clicks.. Another option is First National Realty Partners (FNRP), which 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 (NNN) 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. A golden hedge against bad times Whether AI brings the mass extinction event or just a rough patch in the middle, as Biden suggests, still isnt clear. What we do already see is the unease people face as businesses and society at large adapt to the new technology. In times of uncertainty, investors often turn to a time-tested safe haven: gold. Unlike fiat money, gold cant be printed at will. And because it isnt tied to any single currency or economy, it has historically attracted investors during turbulent times often sending its price higher. Ray Dalio, founder of the worlds largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, recently underscored golds role in a resilient portfolio: People don't have, typically, an adequate amount of gold in their portfolio. When bad times come, gold is a very effective diversifier. That message seems to be resonating. Gold prices have already surged more than 40% in the past year. One way to invest in gold that also provides significant tax advantages is to open a gold IRA with the help of Priority Gold. Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets within a retirement account, thereby combining the tax advantages of an IRA with the protective benefits of investing in gold, making it an option for those looking to help shield their retirement funds against economic uncertainties. When you make a qualifying purchase with Priority Gold, you can receive up to $10,000 in precious metals for free. A finer alternative Biden isnt just an attorney and businessman. Hes also an artist and some of his paintings have fetched hefty sums in recent years [4]. That raises a timely question: can art itself be a smart investment? Its easy to see why great works of art tend to appreciate over time. Supply is limited and many famous pieces have already been snatched up by museums and collectors. Art also has a low correlation with stocks and bonds, which helps with diversification. In 2022, a collection of art owned by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen sold for $1.5 billion at Christies New York, making it the most valuable collection in auction history [5]. Investing in art was traditionally a privilege reserved for the ultra-wealthy. Now, thats changed with Masterworks a platform for investing in shares of blue-chip artwork by renowned artists, including Pablo Picasso, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Banksy. Its easy to use and with 23 successful exits to date, every one of them has been profitable thus far. Simply browse their impressive portfolio of paintings and choose how many shares youd like to buy. Masterworks will handle all the details, making high-end art investments both accessible and effortless. Masterworks has distributed roughly $61 million back to investors. New offerings have sold out in minutes, but you can skip their waitlist here. 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 At Moneywise, we consider it our responsibility to produce accurate and trustworthy content people can rely on to inform their financial decisions. We rely on vetted sources such as government data, financial records and expert interviews and highlight credible third-party reporting when appropriate. We are committed to transparency and accountability, correcting errors openly and adhering to the best practices of the journalism industry. For more details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines. [1]. Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan. YouTube post on Aug. 5, 2025 [2]. ScrapeHero. Number of McDonalds restaurants in the United States in 2025 [3]. U.S. Bureau of Labour and Statistics. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics [4]. The New York Times. His Father Is Leaving Office. Is Hunter Bidens Art Market Also Over? [5].Christies. Achieving $1.5 billion in a single evening, Visionary: The Paul G. Allen Collection is the biggest sale in auction history This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. A federal judge has temporarily blocked Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops to Chicago. In the latest twist in the US presidents efforts to deploy the soldiers amid opposition from state and local leaders, a judge ruled the deployment of troops to Illinois largest city would be illegal. Lawyers for the US government claimed the soldiers were needed to protect immigration officers doing their work. It comes after two migrants were shot dead by a gunman using bullets scrawled with anti-ICE at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) centre in Dallas. Earlier this year, an ICE facility in Alvarado, Texas, was ambushed by a gunman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department for homeland security (DHS) said there had been an 830 per cent increase in assaults on ICE officers in 2025. Troops from the Texas National Guard are training for a 60-day mobilisation to protect immigration officers - Jim Vondruska/Reuters Judge April Perry said she had seen no credible evidence that there is a danger of a rebellion in the state of Illinois. The judges ruling was only partial and is likely to be challenged by lawyers for the government. Mr Trump has vowed to send soldiers to numerous Democrat-run cities where he alleges federal officers are in danger and crime is out of control. Having sent troops to Los Angeles and Washington, DC, he next has plans for Chicago and Portland, both of which have Democratic mayors and are in states with Democratic governors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Trumps decision to send in soldiers has been one of the most controversial policies of his second term. Last week, Mr Trump and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth gathered military commanders and told them troops under their command would soon be deployed to US cities to take on the enemy within. Polls consistently show a majority of Americans want to prevent the military from being politicised, and a recent survey for Reuters/Ipsos suggested 58 per cent of Americans think armed troops should only be sent to confront external threats. About 500 soldiers from the Texas and Illinois National Guards arrived in the Chicago area this weekend for a 60-day mission to protect immigration officers. Before they arrived, local officials had filed lawsuits seeking to block their deployment. Mr Trump has threatened to have JB Pritzker arrested after the Illinois governor criticised the deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago - Jim Vondruska/Reuters Mr Trump has called for both Brandon Johnson, the mayor of Chicago, and JB Pritzker, Illinois governor, to be jailed for failing to protect ICE officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an apparent reference to New Yorks Central Park Five, a group of black teenagers wrongly accused of assaulting a jogger who were later exonerated, Mr Johnson said: This is not the first time Trump has tried to have a black man unjustly arrested. Im not going anywhere. Mr Pritzker, who is among those expected to make a run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, said of Mr Trump: Hes a coward. He says a lot of things to the camera. He likes to pretend to be a tough guy. Come and get me. Come and get me. 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. LIMA A Lima man representing himself appeared in court on Tuesday as a motion was filed concerning the discovery provided to him. Toni Jones, 66, of Lima, who has multiple drug charges against him, claimed that he has not received any documents since the September 29 motion hearing in which he elected to represent himself. Allen County Judge Terri Kohlrieser informed Jones that she would provide him with all the rulings she had made throughout the case, and the state agreed to send him what they believed was appropriate information from discovery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jones also attempted to make a motion in court to dismiss the trial due to the lack of time he had to prepare for the October 20 trial, but this was denied. Judge Kohlrieser stated that she would take everything under advisement and issue a decision on it at a later date. According to court documents, FBI Special Agent Andrew Eilerman received information from a credible and reliable confidential informant on Dec. 9 that Joseph Clair and Jones were going to be manufacturing crack cocaine at 312 W. Vine St., Lima. After receiving the information, a task force installed GPS trackers on both Clairs and Jones vehicles. Eilerman checked the GPS tracking software and observed that both men traveled to Clairs, at 1026 E. North St., and stopped. Officers conducted surveillance at the Vine Street address, leading to a traffic stop. Narcotics were located in a vehicle between the drivers seat and passengers seat, and both men were arrested. A judge in Peru has rejected a bid to prevent former President Dina Boluarte from leaving the country while state prosecutors investigate her for alleged abuse of office and money laundering. Boluarte, one of the worlds least popular leaders, was ousted from the presidency last week when Congress voted 122 to zero in favour of her removal. She left office with approval ratings ranging between 2 and 4 percent amid growing unrest over insecurity, as transport workers and young people protested rising extortions and murders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, Judge Fernando Valdez struck down the request from Perus State Prosecutors Office in a hearing, arguing that Boluarte did not present a flight risk and the request was unfounded. Boluarte, who faces a series of criminal accusations, has denied wrongdoing. Prosecutors had sought to prevent Boluarte from leaving the country over investigations that she allegedly collected money from a criminal group and failed to notify Congress during a surgery. In the latter case, Boluarte is accused of abandoning her post for two weeks in July 2023 while she underwent a rhinoplasty. Prosecutors say she did not notify Congress, nor appoint a caretaker president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other allegations concern questions of corruption: There has been scrutiny over the origins of her collection of luxury Rolex watches. Her government is also accused of using excessive force against the deadly protests that erupted in support of her predecessor, Pedro Castillo, who was also impeached and removed from office in December 2022. On the night of her removal from office last week, a crowd had gathered outside Ecuadors embassy in Lima amid speculation that Boluarte could seek asylum with the neighbouring country. Peru has faced years of political turmoil, with seven presidents in as many years. Three ex-leaders are behind bars, and more than half of Perus also deeply unpopular congressional representatives are under investigation by state prosecutors. A Palm Beach County judge denied a defense request Wednesday to release a Michelin-star chef charged with attempted murder in a brutal assault on a woman in June. Jacob Bickelhaupt, 42, co-founder of Konro in West Palm Beach, has remained in jail since his June 2 arrest. He is accused of beating the woman for over two hours, leaving her hospitalized in critical condition with bleeding in her brain. Prosecutors have charged him with attempted second-degree murder and false imprisonment, marking the second domestic violence case involving Bickelhaupt since he was convicted of assaulting his ex-wife and business partner in 2017. The current victim, also a business partner who worked with Bickelhaupt at Konro, is missing part of her skull and has continued to require hospitalizations and risky brain surgeries, according to her social media posts. Konro has since shut down, and Michelin revoked its star due to the closure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Palm Beach County Judge Cymonie Rowe originally revoked Bickelhaupts bond after prosecutors said he violated his pretrial release conditions by leaving the victim voicemails from jail two days after the attack asking her for help paying the $90,000 bond and to drop the no-contact order preventing him from interacting with her. He was charged with two additional counts of witness tampering, later reduced to two counts of violating the no-contact order. This is Jacob, if you havent given up on me please call the public defender, Bickelhaupt said in one message, according to a probable cause affidavit, followed by the phone number of the public defender. I love you so much, I dont know what to say, I dont have much time. Again, call the public defender and tell them you dont want a order of no contact I have nowhere to stay, nowhere to sleep. I need your help. In September, Bickelhaupts newly acquired private attorneys, Andrew Newman and Marc Shiner, filed a motion seeking bond. They argued that their client had called Konros landline number, not the victim herself, and that the number is shared with a third person who also works at the restaurant. Newman said Wednesday that imprisoning Bickelhaupt indefinitely was too harsh a consequence for the level of contact, pointing out that he was not stalking or threatening the victim like in other domestic violence cases. He asked for Bickelhaupt to be released with an ankle monitor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the most thinnest, slender, in my opinion, basis to say there was indirect contact, Newman said. Bickelhaupts father and his fathers girlfriend also testified on his behalf, saying he was not a violent person and that he needed to be released so he could help take care of his father, who has multiple medical issues, in Wisconsin. Hes been a great son, Jerry Bickelhaupt, the father, said. He worked hard all of his life. I never ran into problems with him. Hes just a beautiful son. Related Articles Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Assistant State Attorney Victoria Thacker argued that nothing in Bickelhaupts circumstances had changed since his bond was initially revoked and that he had clearly intended to speak to the victim when he called the restaurant. It is convenient that he now wants to take care of his father when he had not done so before, she added. Judge Rowe sided with the prosecution. The Court empathizes with Mr. Bickelhaupt Seniors medical condition, she said. However, the Court finds theres no change in circumstances to revisit the bond that was revoked. Jacob Bickelhaupt had previously been awarded two Michelin stars for his restaurant 42 Grams in Chicago, but moved to South Florida in 2022 after widespread backlash over his assault on his wife and business partner at the time. He later released a self-financed documentary called 86ed about the experience of getting canceled and his search for redemption, according to a description of the film. JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) A request for a bill of particulars in the case of former City of DuBois manager Herm Sulizio and secretary Roberta Shaffer has been denied, according to the latest court filings. In September, both Suplizios and Shaffers defense attorneys filed a petition for a bill of particulars. If approved, federal prosecutors would have had to provide details on all charges they claim were fraudulent (all of them at this time) and determine which were fraudulent and which were properly used for the City of DuBois. The defense argued that federal prosecutors saying all of them when asked which were fraudulent made it difficult for them to properly prepare to defend Suplizizo or Shaffer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines disagreed, signing the order that denied either defendant the bill of particulars on Oct. 14. Stay up to date with the latest news in the palm of your hand. Click here to download the WTAJ app for Apple and Android devices. While no trial date has been set, defense and prosecutors believe the trial could happen as early as Spring 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. BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit from young climate activists seeking to block President Donald Trumps executive orders promoting fossil fuels and discouraging renewable energy. U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen said the plaintiffs showed overwhelming evidence climate change affects them and that it will worsen as a result of Trumps orders. But Christensen concluded their request for the courts to intervene was unworkable because it was beyond the power of the judiciary to create environmental policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 22 plaintiffs included youths who prevailed in a landmark climate trial against the state of Montana in 2023. During a two-day hearing last month in Missoula, the activists and experts who testified on their behalf described Trumps actions to boost drilling and mining and discourage renewable energy as a growing danger to children and the planet. A United Nations agency said on Wednesday that heat-trapping carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere jumped by the highest amount on record last year, turbo-charging the climate and making weather more extreme. Legal experts said the young activists and their lawyers from the environmental group Our Childrens Trust faced long odds in the federal case. The Montana state constitution declares that people have a "right to a clean and healthful environment," but that language is absent from the U.S. Constitution. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said Wednesday's ruling marked a victory for the administration and voters who supported its agenda to create American energy dominance by producing more fossil fuels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trump saved our country from Joe Bidens wildly unpopular Green Energy Scam and he will continue to DRILL, BABY, DRILL, Rogers said in an e-mailed statement. Christensen said in a 31-page ruling that injunction sought by the activists would have effectively meant reverting to the environmental policies of the Biden administration. Enforcing it would have required scrutiny of every climate-related action taken since Trump took office in January, the judge added. That would mean monitoring an untold number of federal agency actions to determine whether they contravene its injunction, Christensen wrote. This is, quite simply, an unworkable request. The climate activists will appeal Wednesday's ruling, said Julia Olson, chief legal counsel at Our Childrens Trust. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Every day these executive orders remain in effect, these 22 young Americans suffer irreparable harm to their health, safety, and future," Olson said. The judge recognized that the governments fossil fuel directives are injuring these youth, but said his hands were tied. A previous federal climate lawsuit in Oregon from Our Childrens Trust went on for a decade before the U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider their final appeal this year. Christensen cited that case in concluding that the plaintiffs in Montana lacked standing to sue the government. This Court is certainly troubled by the very real harms presented by climate change," he wrote. This concern does not automatically confer upon it the power to act. Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Justice and more than a dozen states led by Montana had urged Christensen to dismiss the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson said in a statement that the lawsuit was a sweeping and baseless challenge to Trump's energy agenda that the court correctly threw out. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said the rule of law had prevailed. "Our suspicions were confirmed this was just another show trial contrived by climate activists who wasted the taxpayers money, he said. Only a few states, including Montana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New York, have environmental protections enshrined in their constitutions. Montanas Supreme Court upheld the 2023 trial outcome last year, requiring officials to more closely analyze climate-warming emissions. To date, that has yielded few meaningful changes in a state dominated by Republicans. A Florida judge blocked Miami Dade College from transferring a parcel of its land to the Sunshine State for Donald Trumps presidential library. The federal government requested that the 2.6 acres of land, owned by the public college, be transferred to the state, which would then hand it over to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation, according to court filings. The parcel, which is now a parking lot, is estimated to be worth at least $67 million. The Florida judge temporarily blocked the transfer on Tuesday. This is not an easy decision, the judge said, according to the Associated Press. This is not a case, at least for this court, rooted in politics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The matter stemmed from Marvin Dunn, a political activist and local historian, who sued the college and its board of trustees last week. Last month, the Miami Dade Colleges District Board of Trustees voted to give away the land for nothing to the state of Florida, which then would give it to the Trump library foundation, the complaint states. A judge temporarily blocked a Miami college from transferring land to the state of Florida that is planned to be used for President Donald Trumps presidential library (Getty Images) Dunn argued that hes not taking a political stance, but instead noting a violation of Floridas Sunshine Law, which requires that public boards provide reasonable notice ahead of meetings. The meeting was also not livestreamed, departing from the boards usual practice, the AP reported. This action does not have to do with whether the District Board of Trustees made a wise decision. It is not brought to lodge a political protest. Rather, it deals with the fact that, in making its decision, the District Board of Trustees unquestionably violated Floridas sacrosanct Government in the Sunshine Act, the complaint states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On September 16, the college only described the agenda for the September 23 meeting as where the District Board of Trustees will discuss potential real estate transactions. The board unanimously voted to convey the land. Dunns attorney called the description "inadequate," adding: The proposed giveaway cannot even charitably be characterized as a transaction. Lawyers for the college argued that the board fully complied with the Sunshine Law. The school on September 16 received a request from the Executive Office of the Governor of the State of Florida to transfer a parcel of land to the state and then posted a notice of the meeting to be held the following week, they wrote. The land has been vacant for years and the college had no immediate plan to use the space beyond its current use as a parking lot, the lawyers argued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before the hearing Tuesday, Dunns lawyer Richard Brodsky emphasized the significance of the exchange, telling the AP: The people have a right to know what theyre going to decide to do when the transaction is so significant, so unusual and deprives the students and the college of this land. Demonstrators protest plans to build a Trump presidential library in Miami, days after the colleges board of trustees unanimously voted to give away the land to the state (AFP via Getty Images) However, an attorney for the school argued in court: There is no requirement under Florida law that there be specificity on notice, because those trustees can come into that room and talk to each other about whatever they wish. Another lawyer for the school argued that the delays caused by the injunction could cost Miami Dade College up to $300,000, AP reported. Following the original vote in September to transfer the land to Trumps library, several notable Republican figures hailed the decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Having the Trump Presidential Library in Miami will be good for Florida, for the city, and for Miami Dade College, Governor Ron DeSantis said in a statement last month following the vote. Eric Trump, one of the presidents sons, wrote on social media: Consistent with our [familys] DNA, this will be one of the most beautiful buildings ever built, an Icon on the Miami skyline. Eric Trump, Michael Boulous husband of the presidents daughter Tiffany Trump and James Kiley, an attorney for the president, serve as trustees of the library foundation. Oct. 14 (UPI) -- A Florida judge signed off on a protective order Tuesday against U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, directing him to have no contact with a former girlfriend who accused him of threatening her. Circuit Judge Fred Koberlein Jr. issued the ruling against the two-term Republican congressman in response to a petition filed by Lindsey Langston, NBC News reported. Langston wrote in her petition that Mills' behavior toward her became increasingly aggressive after they broke up, threatening to blackmail her with revenge porn and physical violence against anyone she dated, NBC reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Cory continued to message me on Instagram accounts I run after blocking him and asking him to not contact me," wrote Langston, a Republican state committee woman and Miss United States 2024. "The messages progressively got more threatening over time." Koberlein wrote in his 14-page order that Langston had "reasonable cause to believe she is in imminent danger of becoming the victim of another act of dating violence without an injunction being entered," The New York Times reported. A Florida judge issued a restraining order against U.S. Rep. Cory Mills on Tuesday. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI Langston ended her relationship with the Orlando-area lawmaker earlier this year after he was investigated for assaulting another woman in Washington, D.C., The Times reported. In August, Washington's Metropolitan Police Department closed the investigation into what began as a domestic disturbance, after the woman recanted her allegations against Mills, who maintained there was no physical altercation, according to The Hill. A Florida judge issued a restraining order against U.S. Rep. Cory Mills (center) on Tuesday. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI The restraining order directs Mills, 45, to stay at least 500 feet away from Langston and to not contact her until Jan. 1. The order also blocks Mills from referring to Langston on social media, according to NBC News. Koberlein wrote that Mills claimed during a hearing that he had deleted any intimate videos of Langston and he only suggested he would send out nonsexual videos of her, according to NBC News. But Koberlein called that "irrelevant" because Langston was unaware that he no longer possessed the intimate videos. Corey Palumbo, (left, standing) an attorney for the Kanawha County Board of Education, speaks to Kanawha County Circuit Judge Richard Lindsay during a hearing Wednesday in a lawsuit against the board over the states school vaccination requirements. (Photo by Lori Kersey/West Virginia Watch) The Kanawha County judge presiding over a lawsuit regarding the states compulsory school vaccination law and religious freedom said hes not sure whether a Raleigh County judge has authority to certify a class made up of plaintiffs with similar cases there and around the state. Judge Richard Lindsay said the only context he knows for class certification are cases when plaintiffs have been injured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Is there a difference between that and what we have before us in these cases, wherein the issue is one of law, not of injury? Lindsay asked Corey Palumbo, an attorney representing the Kanawha County Board of Education. Is that a distinction that can be made between what my understanding of certification of classes, versus what we have here? Effectively the plaintiff here is claiming some type of injury, but its not a determination of whether one party was negligent or whether or not a specific physical injury was sustained, he said. Here we have basically a question of law as to whether or not the compulsory vaccination law applies. Wednesdays hearing was in the case of Nakesha Watson vs. the Kanawha County Board of Education. Watson filed the complaint on behalf of KJ, III, her child. According to the suit, the state Bureau for Public Health granted KJ a religious exemption to the school vaccine requirements, but the school board is not letting him attend school with the exemption. Watson, who is representing herself in court, was a no-show for the hearing, scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday. She had filed motions for a temporary injunction in the case and for emergency review of the case. Lindsay rescheduled the hearing for later this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By that time, Palumbo noted, Raleigh County Circuit Judge Michael Froble is expected to have entered a written order certifying a class that may include Watson in a similar case Froble is overseeing. In the Raleigh County case, families are suing the state and Raleigh County school boards to make them allow their students to attend school with a religious exemption to the school vaccination requirements. West Virginia law has allowed only medical exemptions to those requirements. Gov. Patrick Morrisey earlier this year issued an executive order requiring the state to allow religious exemptions to the law, citing a 2023 religious freedom law. Hes not rescinded the order, even though the state Legislature earlier this year rejected a bill that would have put the religious exemptions in state law. The state school board directed county school boards not to recognize religious and philosophical exemptions. Froble has already granted a preliminary injunction in that case. During a permanent injunction hearing last week in Beckley, Froble said he would certify a class to include anyone who has asked the state Department of Health for a religious or philosophical exemption to the states school vaccination requirements. As of last week, the state Department of Health had granted about 575 nonmedical exemptions. Froble is expected to make a ruling on permanent injunction in the case by the end of November. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Defendants in the Raleigh County case the state and Raleigh school boards opposed the class certification, Palumbo noted. The defendants in that case did not believe that that was proper and objected to that decision, he said. The judge is doing it anyway, obviously. [He] has not entered an order yet, but again, we expect that order to be entered from what the judge said by the end of this week. Lindsay said as he understands the states legal system, West Virginia circuit courts operate similarly to the federal judiciary. One federal appeals court may decide one way and another may reach a different ruling, but ultimately the federal Supreme Court decides the issue, Lindsay said. I would think that these cases, just without knowing anymore, and Im more than happy to research it more, but it would follow that type of pattern, Lindsay said. So ultimately, the Supreme Court can decide this issue as to whether or not the [compulsory vaccination law] applies, whether or not the state has a compelling interest with regard to vaccination of children. The hearing in the Kanawha case is now set for 9 a.m. Friday. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Kari Newell, the former owner of a restaurant and coffeeshop in Marion, is questioned during an Oct. 15, 2025, hearing by special prosecutor Marc Bennett about how former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody instructed her to delete text messages between them. (Pool photo by Travis Heying/Wichita Eagle) MARION Former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody probably committed a felony crime when he told a witness to delete text messages they exchanged before, during and after he led raids on a newspaper office and the publishers home, a district judge ruled Wednesday. But Cody wont be tried for the raids, which Marion County Record editor-publisher Eric Meyer says is the real crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A two-hour preliminary hearing revealed new details about the texts that Cody exchanged with Kari Newell, whose drunk driving record and request for a liquor license at her restaurant ignited an international drama two years ago. Newell took the stand and testified that Cody told her during a phone call to delete text messages between the two of them so that people wouldnt get the wrong idea about whether they were romantically involved. Chief Cody had stated that he felt it would be in my best interest to delete those, Newell said. About six weeks after the raids, Newell texted Cody to say she was concerned about having deleted their earlier messages, she said. Cody replied that she was being paranoid. Their exchange coincided with widespread scrutiny of the police raids in August 2023 of the newspaper office in flagrant disregard for the First Amendment and legal protections for journalists. Kansas Reflector first reported on the chilling raids. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cody, working in coordination with the sheriffs office, county attorney and Kansas Bureau of Investigation, had investigated whether Meyer and reporter Phyllis Zorn committed identity theft and other crimes by looking up Newells driving record in a public online database. A magistrate judge, ignoring the absence of evidence and state law, authorized the police raids of the newspaper office, Meyers home, and the home of city Councilwoman Ruth Herbel. Meyers 98-year-old mother died in distress a day later. Police exceeded the scope of the search warrants by seizing reporters personal cellphones, work computers, and other equipment. Video showed Cody reviewing a reporters file on allegations that had been made against him. At the KBIs request, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation conducted a yearlong inquiry into whether Cody or anyone else had committed a crime. Special prosecutors Marc Bennett, of Sedgwick County, and Barry Wilkerson, of Riley County, cleared all law enforcement of any wrongdoing in carrying out the raids, which spawned five ongoing federal lawsuits. CBI special agent John Zamora testifies during the Oct. 15, 2025, preliminary hearing about his investigation into the August 2023 raids on the Marion County Record and the police chiefs request that a witness delete text messages. (Pool photo by Travis Heying/Wichita Eagle) However, CBI special agent John Zamora learned from talking to Newell that she had deleted text messages at his request, spanning a period of one week before to one week after the raids. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The prosecutors presented an exhibit at Wednesdays preliminary hearing that totaled 31 pages of text messages, including one where Cody said he was working with a publisher to write a book about the experience. Zamora testified that he interviewed Newell in person in December 2023. Just tell me whats happening, he recalled telling her. Whats going on here? Newell told him she agreed to delete texts, at Codys request, because she was worried that her now ex-husband would accuse her of having an affair with Cody, Zamora said. Wilkerson asked Zamora, who has 30 years of law enforcement experience, if he had ever directed a witness to delete messages or documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No, Zamora said. After talking to Newell, Zamora said, he obtained the deleted text messages from Jennifer Hill, the attorney who is defending the city and county from federal lawsuits over the raid. Cody, who had given her his cellphone, had not deleted the text messages himself. Former Marion police chief Gideon Cody, upper right, appears via camera for his Nov. 15, 2023, preliminary hearing in a Marion courtroom. (Pool photo by Travis Heying/Wichita Eagle) Codys attorney, Sal Intagliata, of Wichita, cross-examined Zamora about his investigation. According to Intagliata, the special agent told Hill that he was just trying to check all the boxes. Zamora said he didnt remember making the comment. When Newell took the stand, she said she has had no communication with Cody since leaving town amid the controversy two years ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zorn and Meyer sat front and center in the courtroom, with Zorn tightlipped and taking notes and Meyer in an incredulous slouch, newspaper tucked in his pants pocket. Cody, who now lives in Hawaii, appeared by Zoom. He sat expressionless with his chin on his hand for most of the hearing. District Judge Ryan Rosauer rejected Intagliatas argument that it was a legal impossibility to blame Cody for deleting texts that he ultimately turned over himself. The judge found probable cause that Cody had committed the low-level felony crime of interfering with the judicial process by inducing a witness to withhold information in a criminal investigation. Cody entered a not guilty plea, and Rosauer scheduled a trial for February. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If convicted, because he has no criminal history, Codys sentence would be presumptive probation. Marion County Record editor-publisher Eric Meyer takes a smoke break Oct. 15, 2025, at his newspaper office after a preliminary hearing for former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody. A documentary crew films in the distance. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) In an interview after the hearing, Meyer said he was worried about the big picture. None of this has anything to do with the crime, Meyer said, referring to the raids on his newsroom and home. This is not even about the case, Meyer said. This is about what he did after the case. He also said he was concerned that Cody was being made a scapegoat for the raids, despite the widespread involvement of other people and law enforcement agencies. We still want some statement, an official judgment of the court, that this was wrong, so that no one can use this excuse anymore that, Oh, we arent sure that its illegal to raid newsrooms, and because were not completely sure, we can still do it, which seems like a stupid excuse to me, Meyer said. Correction: Kari Newells name was misspelled in an earlier version of this story. January micro WTI crude oil (CLF26) futures present a selling opportunity on more price weakness. See on the daily bar chart for January Nymex crude oil futures that prices are trending lower and have just hit a 4.5-month low. See, too, at the bottom of the chart that the moving average convergence divergence (MACD) indicator is in a bearish posture as the red MACD line is below the blue trigger line and both lines are trending lower. The bears have the near-term technical advantage. More News from Barchart Fundamentally, concerns are rapidly growing over a global crude oil glut in the coming months. The International Energy Agency today issued a warning that the glut may be more than originally expected. Heightened U.S.-China trade tensions and their sanctions on each other threaten to limit global economic growth. A move in January crude oil futures below chart support at $57.00 would become a selling opportunity in the micro WTI futures. The downside price objective would be $48.00, or below. Technical resistance, for which to place a protective buy stop just above, is located at $61.00. www.barchart.com IMPORTANT NOTE: I am not a futures broker and do not manage any trading accounts other than my own personal account. It is my goal to point out to you potential trading opportunities. However, it is up to you to: (1) decide when and if you want to initiate any trades and (2) determine the size of any trades you may initiate. Any trades I discuss are hypothetical in nature. Here is what the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has said about futures trading (and I agree 100%): Trading commodity futures and options is not for everyone. IT IS A VOLATILE, COMPLEX AND RISKY BUSINESS. Before you invest any money in futures or options contracts, you should consider your financial experience, goals and financial resources, and know how much you can afford to lose above and beyond your initial payment to a broker. You should understand commodity futures and options contracts and your obligations in entering into those contracts. You should understand your exposure to risk and other aspects of trading by thoroughly reviewing the risk disclosure documents your broker is required to give you. On the date of publication, Jim Wyckoff did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com Oct. 14ROCHESTER A former Rochester City Council member and three residents who filed a legal complaint regarding the residency of a first-term council member have been ordered to pay around $7,000. Olmsted County District Judge Erin Lindhart Felten indicated plans to officially dismiss the complaint in July and ruled this week that former council member Kelly Rae Kirkpatrick and Ward 4 residents Andrew Knauff, Rachel LaForge and Kendra Ryan must pay $6,727.50 in attorney fees accrued by council member Andy Friederichs. Friederichs said the outcome will allow him a chance to focus on his duties as an elected official in his first year in office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "My goal is to do the best job I can for the city of Rochester," he said. Friederichs unseated Kirkpatrick in a 2024 election, but Kirkpatrick and others challenged his residency status following the vote tally. Kirkpatrick and the Ward 4 residents filed the court challenge on Nov. 13, 2024, questioning Friederichs' ability to file for the election he won and his status as a Ward 4 resident. Friederichs reported living in rental properties he owned, while the residents raised questions about a family home outside of the city. An earlier investigation by the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office and review by the Olmsted County attorney failed to find evidence that Friederichs wasn't residing in a Ward 4 apartment building. Freiderichs has repeatedly said the living arrangements were for personal reasons and started before he filed for office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a July 24, 2025, filing Kirkpatrick noted the court complaint used the wrong petition. While the residents opted to not hire an attorney, Friederichs sought legal representation, which led to $13,000 in fees and expenses, according to a filing by Harry Niska of the Minneapolis-based CrossCastle law firm. In addition to $6,727 in attorney's fees, Felten ordered Kirkpatrick and the Ward 4 residents to pay $410 in court costs. Felten's ruling doesn't bar the potential for a future filing by Kirkpatrick and the other Ward 4 residents. "I think the judge's order is fair and I am very grateful for granting without prejudice," Kirkpatrick said of the ruling that includes the potential to raise a similar complaint in future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The former council member said she hasn't yet determined whether additional steps would be taken. Friederichs said he anticipates any future action against him would end with the same result. "The first round was unfounded, and so would any other," he said. A liquified natural gas tanker carries the commodity from a terminal. (Getty Images stock) A Cameron Parish judge has ruled that state officials violated the Louisiana Constitution when they issued a permit for a liquified gas export terminal, which has halted construction on the facility. The decision, reached Friday, found that the Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy (formerly Energy and Natural Resources) failed to consider the environmental impacts on surrounding communities when it approved a permit for the Commonwealth LNG export facility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The halted Commonwealth facility is one of six LNG export projects proposed, approved or operating along Camerons coast. Construction of the pipelines, storage tanks and shipping facilities that make up the facility would dig up or fill nearly 200 acres of wetlands and water bottoms, according to the projects coastal use permit application. Judge Penelope Richard cited the close vicinity of other export terminals as a factor in her decision, saying the state failed to consider the secondary and cumulative impacts of these facilities on climate change in the coastal zone. We hope this ruling shakes Louisiana to its senses, said Anne Rolfes, director of Louisiana Bucket Brigade. The coastal use permit needs to be revoked. Rolfess organization, the Sierra Club and the Turtle Island Restoration Network filed the suit in August 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is an area of the Louisiana coastline that is being devastated by LNG facilities, said Joanie Steinhaus, ocean program director for Turtle Island Restoration Network. These agencies have long ignored the cumulative impact to air and water quality and the health of the local community members and the environment There was no immediate response to attempts Tuesday to reach Commonwealth LNG about the court ruling. Another lawsuit in a U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rejected the Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions approval of the project, citing its pollution impact. The decision delayed construction for two months until a new permit reevaluated the full impact of air pollution harms. The state permit for Commonwealth LNG will be suspended until the Office of Coastal Management considers climate change and environmental justice concerns in its evaluation, according to Judge Richards ruling. The state would need to consider these additional aspects and find that impacts on the community do not outweigh the benefits of constructing another LNG export facility along Camerons coast in order to reissue the permit, the judge wrote in her opinion. This headline for this report was updated to clarify the project is in Cameron Parish. Oct. 14ROCHESTER An Olmsted County District Court judge has denied a request to suppress evidence in the case against a former Mayo Clinic doctor accused of poisoning his wife in 2023. In a written ruling filed in Olmsted County District Court on Friday, Oct. 10, Judge Kathy Wallace denied requests to suppress findings from search warrants of the Bowmans' home, electronic devices, digital accounts and financial records. Connor Bowman is accused of poisoning his wife, Betty Bowman who died in August 2023. Toxicology tests before and after her death found the drug colchicine, which is used to treat gout. Warrants show Connor Bowman used his computer to search for lethal doses of the drug. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bowman was indicted in January 2024 by a grand jury for first-degree premeditated murder and also faces a charge of second-degree murder in the 2023 death of Betty Bowman. Betty Bowman died on Aug. 20, 2023, after she went to an emergency room days earlier complaining of diarrhea and dehydration. She told a friend that she had been drinking with her husband the night before she went to the hospital and that a smoothie he gave her made her sick. Attorneys representing Connor Bowman filed multiple motions in June 2024 to suppress evidence collected in the case. Judge Wallace heard some of the arguments at in-person hearings and took other motions in writing. Wallace ruled on some of the requests in July including denying a request to suppress statements by friends of Betty Bowman on the grounds the information is protected by Minnesota health privacy laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wallace denied a request by defense attorneys to disallow evidence gathered from a search warrant requested early in the death investigation that was issued Aug. 30, 2023. The defense argued that warrant was too broad and did not specify a crime or suspected crime. In her finding, Wallace said interviews and the investigation indicated Betty Bowman's death wasn't natural or accidental and that it was reasonable to conclude that digital and physical evidence would be located. The warrant, Wallace wrote, "contains sufficient information to establish probable cause and an evidentiary nexus between Ms. Bowman's death, the Bowman residence, and hazardous substances, electronic devices, and documents referencing death located in that residence." Wallace reached similar conclusions regarding four search warrants dated Oct. 30, 2023, of Apple, Google, Meta and Bumble accounts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wallace also wrote that her prior rulings on evidence upheld warrants allowing the freeze and seizure of the Bowmans' joint bank account and an account held by Betty Bowman. The request for financial records was supported by corroborated reports of Connor Bowman's debt, financial documents found at his home and phone calls he made, Wallace concluded. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) KSN News sent a questionnaire to each candidate for the Wichita City Council and Wichita Board of Education. We have not made any edits to the candidates answers. Julie Hedricks biographical information I have served on the Board of Education for USD #259 for the past eight years. My record shows I am a consistent leader who always strives to do whats best for kids. I have a positive voice on the BOE and I persistently support teachers and staff. Prior to two terms (eight years) on the Board of Education, I worked in the Facilities Division of Wichita Public Schools for 28.5 years. I have a breadth of facility and operations knowledge and experience. Born in Wichita, Kansas, I attended McCollom, Hadley and West. I have a lifetime commitment to Wichita Public Schools. Im a public-school advocate, believing every child deserves a quality education. Campaign website/social media sites Social Media: Facebook Julie Hedrick for BOE | Instagram: juliehedrickusd259boe Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Im not a big social media fan and Im not on social media much due to the negative impact on kids and particularly teenage girls. What are the top 3 things you think deserve your immediate attention, and how do you plan to address them? My top priority is to provide quality education for students in order to give them the opportunity to thrive and to become ready for their futures whatever path they choose. Whether students are on a four year or more college track, plan to go straight into the work force, have a technical training plan or want to enter the military, I want ALL kids to be planned and prepared for that next step on their road to a successful and fulfilling future. To provide quality education, we need highly qualified teachers in every classroom. I respect and appreciate the importance of our staff. I advocate for better compensation, safety and support for teachers in order to retain and recruit the very best. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I support another bond issue. I want the environments our students learn in and our teachers teach in to be adequate educational environments. In order to provide long term maintenance, building improvements, system upgrades, and technological enhancements it requires additional dollars beyond the annual capital outlay budget. Passing a bond issue is the formula in Kansas to provide these additional needed finances. With the bond issue, the BOE has proposed a zero mill increase and yet a plan that provides funds needed to invest into our facilities portfolio. What do you think is the largest obstacle to student success/graduation, and how do you plan to address it? Many factors impact graduation and success of students including some societal, family and financial factors that are beyond the scope of public school impact. One factor that the district can impact is the truancy, absenteeism and tardy rates at schools. Kids must be in school and in class to learn. I support extra-curricular activities and programs for kids that promote belonging in school. I support the use of technology at all school buildings to monitor tardies and absenteeism and communicate those immediately to parents and guardians. Would you change how much the school district budgets on its different departments (teachers, safety, special education, etc.)? If so, how? If I had the power to change the special education funding we receive from the federal and state governments, those entities would provide what they committed. I have advocated at the state and federal level for both to fully fund special education. This would significantly impact the district budget because currently in order to provide needed special education services the district must supplement special education funding from the general fund. If special ed were fully funded, there would be more finances for other department needs. What is your vision for USD 259? My vision is to provide ALL students a high quality public education to prepare them for their successful futures following their K-12 education. In all decisions I ask, whats best for kids? in addition, when kids are provided a quality education, the entire community is impacted. Our kids are our future. What can schools do to promote culturally responsive and racially inclusive education? Historically the varieties of cultures, languages and races within WPS have been esteemed and celebrated. This must continue as we work to build strong relationships and inclusive school environments. We also need to work to engage our families and communities while building respect for unique backgrounds and experiences of students. What resources do you think Wichita schools need that they currently dont have? Many teachers spend large sums of their own money providing supplies, food and other items for their students in their classes. At some elementary school sites, a small sum is provided for each teacher out of the school budget, but this is not enough. We need to provide equitable funding throughout the district to support teachers in providing items needed in their classrooms to supplement learning and student needs. 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 KSN-TV. A bombshell report detailing virulently racist and antisemitic text messages shared among members of Young Republicans groups from across the nation has pulled back the veil on how the next generation of GOP leaders talk when they think no one is watching. Can we fix the showers? Gas chambers dont fit the Hitler aesthetic. Id go to the zoo if I wanted to watch monkey play ball. Youre giving nationals [too] much credit and expecting the Jew to be honest. Advertisement Advertisement I love Hitler. Politicos investigation, published Tuesday, found hundreds of text messages disparaging minorities, women, and religious groups. The report counted 251 uses of slurs like the n-word and the f-word. The report was met by widespread revulsion by most. The chats members were distributed across Young Republicans chapters from New York, Kansas, and Vermont. Many have already established footholds in the politics of their state and beyond. These include 27-year-old Vermont state Sen. Samuel Douglass, Trump administration employee Michael Bartels, and Bobby Walker, who once worked for New York state Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt. Unsurprisingly given the generally caustic tone taken by the Republican party toward minorities and migrants some prominent conservative lawmakers and commentators jumped to defend the participants. Advertisement Advertisement Perhaps most notable among the white knights was Vice President J.D. Vance, who downplayed the texts by comparing them to a leaked message from Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for Virginia attorney general. Jones has come under fire this month after 2022 text messages in which he expressed a desire to shoot the former Virginia House speaker were made public. This is far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and the guy who said it could become the AG of Virginia. I refuse to join the pearl clutching when powerful people call for political violence, Vance wrote Tuesday on social media. Jones has, in fact, been condemned by members of his own party. Jones is also one man making condemnable statements, not a large group of politically minded individuals producing, sharing, and celebrating the very hate they claim to revile. Vance addressed the texts today on The Charlie Kirk Show. Focus on the real issues, he said. Dont focus on what kids say in group chats. He then suggested that whoever leaked the racist messages is a scumbag. Kids do stupid things, he continued. Especially young boys. They tell edgy, offensive jokes. Thats what kids do. Advertisement Advertisement It also bears noting that while Young Republicans may sound like a group composed of baby-fresh, underdeveloped prefrontal cortexes, the national organization accepts members of the Republican Party between the ages of 18 and 40. Some of those in the chat were not only well past their collegiate career, but held leadership positions within Young Republicans and had cultivated relationships with members of the Trump administration. Regardless, Vance and others are pretending that those implicated should be given the benefit of childhood naivete for fantasizing about putting their opponents in gas chambers. I literally do not care what a bunch of magger college kids said in a group chat, right-wing streamer and commentator Tim Pool wrote on X. Pizzagate conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich took a similar tact, writing that Young Republicans blowing off steam in immature group texts isnt in the same universe as a powerful Democrat fantasizing about killing kids. Couldnt give a crap less about that nonsense. The Daily Wires Matt Walsh also seized on Jones texts to excuse the chats participants. The Virginia AG candidate fantasized about murdering children and no Democrat at any level called for him to resign or denounced him in any serious way. Meanwhile a few college kids make edgy jokes in a group chat and conservatives are tripping over themselves to denounce and disavow and call for firings and resignations, he wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Several members of the chat have already been forced out of their jobs in Republican politics amid the fallout. Peter Giunta, former chair of the New York State Young Republicans, has left his position in New York Assembly member Mike Reillys office. Joseph Maligno, former general counsel for the New York Young Republicans, has left his position in the New York State Unified Court System, per Politico. In a statement issued on social media, Young Republicans wrote that they are appalled by the vile and inexcusable language used by their members. Such behavior is disgraceful, unbecoming of any Republican, and stands in direct opposition to the values our movement represents. Those involved must immediately resign from all positions within their state and local Young Republican organizations. We must hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity, respect, and professionalism, they wrote. Really, though, the racist messages and the corresponding minimization by Republicans speak to a conservative culture that clings to bigotry as a unifying force of identity a pattern that has only been reinforced in the Trump era. Today, the official Facebook and Instagram accounts of the U.S. Border Patrol posted and later deleted videos using the original version and lyrics of Michael Jacksons They Dont Care About Us. The song, which was rerecorded in 1995, originally included the lyrics Jew me, sue me. Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, the official X account for the Department of Homeland Security posted Remigrate on X. Remigration is a fascist concept developed in the mid-20th century by European white nationalists advocating for the mass expulsion of minorities and immigrants to their nations of origin. And of course there is the bullhorn of anti-minority, xenophobic rhetoric emanating from the president himself, who just over the course of the last year has described migrants as pet-eating terrorists who are poisoning the blood of the nation. Its no wonder the up-and-coming ranks of politically active youngish Republicans feel emboldened to speak in the way that they did to each other in the leaked messages. They have a mirror in the White House, and defenders all around them. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked President Donald Trumps administration from laying off more government employees, after the administration had already pushed to cut thousands of workers during the U.S. government shutdown. Judge Susan Illston of the U.S. district courts northern district in California made the ruling. Illston, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1995, said the Trump Administration was thoughtlessly going about its layoffs. Its very much ready, fire, aim on most of these programs, and it has a humancost, Judge Illston said. Its a human cost that cannot be tolerated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judges ruling comes after a number of unions argued the firings would be illegal and motivated by political retribution, according to The New York Times. It also follows the Trump Administration sending layoff notices to more than 4,000 employees on Oct. 10, with the cuts hitting the departments of Housing and Urban Development, Energy, Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Commerce, and the Treasury. President Trump last week said there would be a lot of layoffs and that they should be Democrat-oriented a comment that was rebuked by Dems, union groups, and CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins. The president, Collins said, was taking an unprecedented step to maximize the pain of this government shutdown that is still dragging on, for people who played no part in shutting the government down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vice President JD Vance, during an interview with Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures on Fox News this past weekend, said the Trump Administration would be pursuing deeper government cuts. That plan has been blocked, at least temporarily, by Judge Illstons ruling on Wednesday. The post Federal Judge Blocks Trump From More Layoffs During Shutdown first appeared on Mediaite. A plane carrying Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was forced to make an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom on Wednesday due to a crack in the aircraft windshield. United States Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Sean Parnell released a statement through X confirming that Hegseth and everyone else onboard were safe after the landing. On the way back to the United States from NATOs Defense Ministers meeting, Secretary of War Hegseths plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield. The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe, Parnell wrote. On the way back to the United States from NATOs Defense Ministers meeting, Secretary of War Hegseths plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield. The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellASW) October 15, 2025 Fox News Sandra Smith reported on the incident on America Reports, citing Parnells tweet as well as unconfirmed reports that the plane had dropped 10,000 feet before pilots made the unscheduled landing. 10,000 is the emergency altitude needed after cabin depressurization. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ill add to that, thank God, Smith said after reading Parnells tweet about Hegseth (a former Fox News host) and others being safe. We are happy everyone is okay. Thats good news, John Roberts added. Hegseth was reportedly flying in an Air Force C-32 aircraft and the plane landed at RAF Mildenhall. The flight was reportedly from Brussels to Washington, D.C. Hegseth was attending NATO meetings in Brussels where he warned that the United States will impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression against Ukraine. Russias invasion of Ukraine drags on just as the administration completed a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, leading to the release of remaining hostages held in Gaza. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hegseth took to his own X account to confirm he was safe after the unscheduled landing. All good. Thank God. Continue mission! https://t.co/kCMmfOvHLX Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) October 15, 2025 All good. Thank God. Continue mission! the Secretary of Defense wrote in response to Parnells tweet. Watch above via Fox News. The post JUST IN: Pete Hegseths Plane Forced to Make an Unscheduled Landing In UK first appeared on Mediaite. President Donald Trump secretly authorized the C.I.A. to conduct covert action in Venezuela, reported the New York Times on Wednesday, citing U.S. officials. The report by Julian E. Barnes and Tyler Pager called the authorization the latest step in the Trump administrations intensifying pressure campaign against Venezuela and its authoritarian leader, Nicolas Maduro. The Trump administration has been targeting alleged drug smuggling boats coming from the country, using deadly military force to stop them from coming to the United States. The administration has also stood in solidarity with the opposition in Venezuela and publicly accused Maduro of rigging the last election in the country, a claim widely agreed upon by the international community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One year since dictator Nicolas Maduro defied the will of the Venezuelan people by baselessly declaring himself the winner, the United States remains firm in its unwavering support to Venezuelas restoration of democratic order and justice. Maduro is not the President of Venezuela and his regime is not the legitimate government, wrote the State Department in a statement in July, adding: Maduro is the leader of the designated narco-terrorist organization Cartel de Los Soles, and he is responsible for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe. Maduro, currently indicted by our nation, has corrupted Venezuelas institutions to assist the cartels criminal narco-trafficking scheme into the United States. The Times report detailed what the authorization allows the CIA to do exactly: The new authority would allow the C.I.A. to carry out lethal operations in Venezuela and conduct a range of operations in the Caribbean. The Times added: The agency would be able to take covert action against Mr. Maduro or his government either unilaterally or in conjunction with a larger military operation. It is not known whether the C.I.A. is planning any operations in Venezuela or if the authorities are meant as a contingency. This is a developing story and has been updated. The post Trump Authorized Covert CIA Action In Venezuela, NYT Reports first appeared on Mediaite. (FOX40.COM) The five-day strike continues for Kaiser Permanente health care workers across California and Hawaii, as they hold pickets on Wednesday. Video Above: Kaiser Permanente workers begin possible five day strike From 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., workers with the Kaiser Medical Center in Roseville will be picketing as advocates push to address unsafe staffing, punishing schedules and burnouts, UNAC/UHCP officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, Kaiser Permanente officials said the movements from the health workers with the UNAC/UHCP are about wages as they continue to negotiate with the Alliance of Health Care Unions to reach new agreements. Pickets in Oakland and Santa Clara will also be taking place. 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 FOX40 News. Indias Income Tax department has launched an investigation into more than 400 high-net-worth Binance traders. The Indian tax authorities, headed by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), suspect tax evasion despite the countrys stringent crypto tax rules. The investigation appears to be targeting offshore trading activities. According a 11 October 2025 Economic Times report, the persons identified had evaded tax on their crypto profits, with many not disclosing the digital coins parked in wallets with the overseas exchange. Interestingly, the investigation focuses on crypto transactions conducted between the financial years 2022-2023 and 2024-2025. Both direct trades and peep-to-peer (P2P) transactions are being examined. According to the department, the transactions may have been used to circumvent tax obligations. An updated report on this investigation is expected by 17 October 2025. EXPLORE: India Announces RBI-Backed, Traceable Digital Currency: Union Minister Says We Are Taxing Crypto Very Heavily Indian Union Minister Says We Are Taxing Crypto Very Heavily Indian Union Minister Piyush Goyal recently said that the country will not be encouraging cryptocurrency, which does not have sovereign backing or which is not backed by assets, say it on the federal bank or local currency. Goyal also threw light on the countrys stance on cryptocurrency. He said, As far as cryptocurrency, which is not backed by the Central Government, while there is no ban as such, we are taxing it very heavily. We dont encourage it because we dont want anybody to be stuck at some point with a cryptocurrency that has no backing and nobody at the backend. Currently, Indias stance is that it neither encourages nor outright bans crypto. But it imposes heavy taxes on digital assets. The tax includes 30% capital gains tax and 1% Tax Deducted at source (TDS). These heavy taxes have been in place since July 2022. DISCOVER: Next 1000X Crypto: 10+ Crypto Tokens That Can Hit 1000x in 2025 Binances Turbulent Record In India The worlds largest exchange was banned from India in 2023. At the time, it was found that Binance had failed to comply with Indias Money Laundering Act. After meeting the countrys legal requirements and paying hefty fine of $2.25 million, the exchange re-entered the Indian market in 2024. Vishal Sacheendran, Head of Regional Markets at Binance, revealed that the company was not allowed to add more users in India after the ban that lasted till August 2024. Once the company tweaked their KYC structure in accordance with Indias Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), operations became smoother. CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins briefly stunned Republican Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) this week when she asked him about the Trump administration cancelling a billion-dollar energy project impacting his state. Sheehy initially blamed the shutdown, only to learn from Collins that the cut was a Trump administration initiative months in the making. Collins asked Sheehy on Tuesday night, The Department of Energy just canceled a billion dollars to the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub. Part of that covers your state of Montana, and your governor actually praised it when it was happening, saying it was going to create good-paying Montana jobs and boost American-made energy. They just yanked a billion from that. So is that taking away good-paying jobs in Montana? Sheehy replied, Of course it is. As I said, we want the government to be open. You should be saying this to Chuck Schumer, whos closing the government down. Im agreeing we should have the government open right now. This is an unnecessary shutdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Collins followed up, But youre acknowledging that what the Trump administration just pulled in funding is hurting your state. Sheehy responded, Having troops not being able to fulfill their functions, having law enforcement officers, having air traffic controllers not be able to direct flights into our airports in Montana hurts our state. Not having federal employees attending, showing up to Farm Service Agency offices during cattle shipping seasonthat hurts our state. He added: Not having Department of Transportation employees overseeing our highways, our bridges, our airways, our road construction effortsall those things are hurting every state. So this shutdown is not a good thing, and thats why we dont want it to continue. Thats why weve votedweve voted eight times to reopen the government, and weve not been supported. Collins pressed again, Yeah, weve pushed Democrats on their stance. Weve had many of your colleagues on the show, but on this hub specifically, I mean, the Trump administration didnt have to make that decision. They decided to pull that billion dollars from your state. Do you disagree with that? Sheehy replied, Well, I think the reality is we wouldnt be here if the government was still open. And now were going on to week three of a pretty unnecessary shutdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Collins then added, Well, actually, Chris Wright, the Energy SecretaryI asked him about that project specifically, and he said they would have done that even if the government wasnt shut down, that that was months in the making, even before the government shut down. Well, its unfortunate were still shut down. We shouldnt be, replied Sheehy after a lengthy pause. Watch the clip above via CNN. The post Kaitlan Collins Stuns GOP Senator With Fact Check On Major Funding Cut to His State first appeared on Mediaite. Former Vice President Kamala Harris boasted about her accomplishments even after losing to President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. During her latest stop on her book tour, Harris spoke to podcast host Kara Swisher on Tuesday about her 2024 presidential campaign, the Trump administration and whether she is considering a 2028 bid for the White House. At one point, Swisher asked Harris whether the time constraint" prevented people from not getting to know her as a candidate. Harris responded by listing off her political experience. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its about, yes, getting to know me and my background and what Ive done, Harris responded. And the fact that I was elected district attorney for two terms as the first woman elected attorney general of the state of California, ran the second largest Department of Justice in the United States, second only to the United States Department of Justice. I was the United States senator, second Black woman elected in the history of the United States Senate. And I was the first woman vice president of the United States, she continued. Swisher noted that it was a decent resume before Harris continued. Some people have actually said I was the most qualified candidate ever to run for president, Harris said, noting that she was just speaking facts. NEW: Kamala Harris starts bragging about how great she is before suggesting she was the most qualified presidential candidate in U.S. history. "I was elected district attorney for two terms as the first woman elected attorney general of the state of California." "Ran the second pic.twitter.com/K5Hpsn94Fm Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 15, 2025 A number of her allies, including her former running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, have argued that Harris was the most qualified candidate to be president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Harris was mocked across social media for her comments. Jennifer Sey, an author and retired gymnast, said Harriss comments were an amazing feat of self delusion, adding that it was impressive. Townhall, a conservative news outlet, wrote on X: LOL Shes officially lost it." One user wrote that Harriss comments were funny for a variety of reasons, not least of which being that she sounds like Trump. Harris lost the 2024 election after Trump clinched the seven battleground states that delivered him the electoral college victory last year. She released a book, titled 107 Days, last month detailing her short-lived campaign after former President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. Stories by Lauren Sforza Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here. MANHATTAN (KSNT) Manhattan Regional Airport is not playing a video featuring Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the federal government shutdown and its impacts on TSA operations, but city officials now say they were never asked to run it in the first place. The Trump administration is directing the message to airport passengers across the country, blaming Democrats for TSA workers not getting paid. It is TSAs top priority that you have the most pleasant and efficient airport experience as possible while we keep you safe, Noem is seen saying in a clip published by Fox News. However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier Wednesday, a city spokesperson said the video was not being shown at Manhattan Regional and that additional comment would have to wait until the airport director returned Monday. The city later clarified that the airport had not been contacted about the video or asked to display it. Airports in Kansas City and Wichita have also declined to show the video, citing policies that prohibit political messages. Airports in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Charlotte, and Phoenix have issued similar statements. Various government agencies, in emails to workers and on websites, have adopted language that blames Democrats for the shutdown, with some experts arguing it could be in violation of the 1939 Hatch Act, which restricts certain political activities by federal employees. The shutdown has halted routine operations and left some airports scrambling with flight disruptions. Democrats say any deal to reopen the government has to address their health care demands, and Republicans say they wont negotiate until they agree to fund the government. Insurance premiums would double if Congress fails to renew the subsidy payments that expire Dec. 31. 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 KSNT 27 News. SHAWNEE, Kan. Kansas Republicans were in Washington, D.C. Wednesday meeting with President Donald Trumps policy staffers. Democrats think theyre talking about redistricting the congressional lines in the state while Republicans are painting a bit of a different picture. A spokeswoman for Republican Senate President Ty Masterson said redistricting was not on the lawmakers agenda Wednesday. But Democratic congresswoman Sharice Davids had a different take in a news conference she held that morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Man gets life sentence for killing 6-year-old boy in Kansas City, Kansas She was asked whether shed run for Republican U.S. Senator Roger Marshalls seat in 2026, especially if state lawmakers change her congressional district to make it tougher for her to win. If they continue forward on this path, and theyre successful in this, at this point, all I can say is that every option is on the table, including a statewide run, she said, talking about state lawmakers. Davids, of Roeland Park, Kansas, is the only Democrat in the states congressional delegation. While Republicans in Washington, D.C. wouldnt speak to FOX4 on camera Wednesday, House Speaker Dan Hawkins sent us a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the midst of the Sharice shutdown, one would think the congresswoman would be more concerned about reopening the government than playing partisan politics, Hawkins said. If she did her job and represented her constituents rather than the most extreme elements in the Democrat party we wouldnt each be feeling the impact of the Sharice shutdown. Masterson shared a statement later on Wednesday evening as well. Democrats risk undermining the safety net they claim to champion, he added. Hawkins and Masterson were both in D.C. Wednesday. Davids was actually there, too. The only way for the Kansas Republican legislature to do what they have said their intention is to gerrymander this so that I cant win reelection is for them to break up Johnson County, she said that day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All of Johnson County, Kansas, the states most populous county, is currently in the congresswomans district. More than 460,000 registered voters are in it. 40% of those voters are registered as Republicans. About 32% are Democrats. More than 26% of the countys voters arent associated with any political party. Leavenworth mother sentenced in death of 1-year-old daughter On Monday, state lawmakers voted to set aside more than $400,000 for a potential four-day-long special session, but it wont happen without a petition signed by at least two-thirds of the State House and Senate. This is very important to Kansas; its very important to the White House, too, Republican State House Rep. Pat Proctor said. So, Id expect that any folks that are reluctant to sign are probably going to be getting a phone call from a very important person who is very interested in us riding the ship and making sure that we have fair representation in Kansas that reflects the will of the voters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans hope the legislative special session will start Nov. 7. 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 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Kansas is seeing more kindergarteners attend school without all the required vaccines and vaccine exemptions in the state rose, according to Kansas Department of Health and Environment data. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) TOPEKA More Kansas families with kindergarteners attending school last year claimed state vaccine exemptions than in previous years, and the unfortunate melding of science and politics may cause that number to keep rising, an infectious disease doctor said. The number of kindergarteners with vaccine exemptions increased from 2.9% in the 2023-24 school year to 3.59% in 2024-25, according to Kansas Department of Health and Environment state vaccine data, reported in September. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The percentage of kindergarteners who received the state-required vaccines to attend school remained relatively stable, rising just three-tenths of a percent, from 86.7% to 87%, data showed. But county data breakdowns highlighted wide disparities across Kansas, with Morton County in the southwest corner of the state reporting the lowest number of kindergarteners with required vaccines at 50%. Kingman County followed with 54.1%, then Decatur County at 60%. Twenty-two Kansas counties reported vaccination rates at less than 75%. I have to believe, given the current climate and the unfortunate melding of medicine and science with politics and also, just from what weve seen in the recent past, that, yes, there will continue to be more exemptions, said Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at the University of Kansas Health System. This will then also open the door, unfortunately, for more disease and more consequences and complications of that disease process, whatever that might be. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Concerns about vaccine safety are being raised at the national level as U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expresses doubts about vaccine use, despite disagreement from all medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Institutes of Health. Some states have changed vaccine mandates based on legislators concerns, with Florida completely eliminating all vaccine mandates for children. Kansas vaccine requirements follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, according to KDHE spokeswoman Jill Bronaugh. We are in the process of gathering the most current and accurate information before making any changes or issuing additional guidance or educational materials as it relates to current vaccine schedules and recommendations, she said in an email. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bronaugh did not answer a question about whether the state would continue to follow CDC recommendations as changes are implemented. The CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices last week recommended that the combined shot for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox) be separated into two shots, with chickenpox being given separately and at a different time. Decatur County on the Nebraska border saw a drop to 60% of the number of kindergarteners with the required number of vaccinations. The small school district has around 150 students, but the decline still raises concerns for local health officials. Were been working with schools to send out reminders, said Bobbi Koerperich, health officer at the Decatur County Health Department. I dont think the percentage is that low. Koerperich said the majority of the parents that health staff talk to are open to getting vaccinations. The health department is offering influenza vaccinations at the school next week, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Low vaccination rates endanger herd immunity, which occurs when enough people in a population are immune that the spread of the disease is stopped. Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2020, but measles cases surged in 2025, including in Kansas. Measles vaccine coverage dropped from 94.5% in Kansas in the 2019-20 school year to 90.6% in 2024-25, KDHE data said. Hawkinson said the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, commonly called the MMR, is safe. We know that they are safe and they are effective, but now what we are seeing is a conscious dismantling of the vaccination strategies, of the continued information to try and dissuade people from getting vaccinations, he said. If this continues, in my opinion, probably in the next five to 10 years, (this will be) the largest public health experiment in recent times that we have seen, because of the continued decrease in vaccination rates and increase in exemptions. TOPEKA (KSNT) The Kansas School for the Deaf, as well as the School for the Blind, are asking Kansas lawmakers to send back more than $300,000 in withheld funds. During last years legislative session, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 125. The bill was designed to reduce the budget of a number of state agencies, saving the state a total of $7.1 million. Two of those agencies impacted by the bill were the School for the Deaf and the School for the Blind. Each of the schools had to reduce their respective budgets by 1.5%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Disgusted: Kris Kobach staffer fired after report showing participation in racist group chats We spoke with Luanne Barron, the superintendent for the School of the Deaf. She said that while that percentage sounds small, the money is vital. With that 1.5% reduction, the implications for us are that it was $189,000 less that was allocated, Barron said. Ive asked that that money be restored so that we can utilize those funds for salaries and the very important work that we do for deaf and hard of hearing students throughout the state of Kansas. Barron said the loss in funding has primarily impacted the schools Learning Assistance Program. Previous reporting done by our Capitol Bureau suggests that lawmakers are interested in helping the schools regain this lost funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kansas legislature very close to having enough votes to call a special session For more Capitol Bureau news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. 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 KSNT 27 News. Former Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) admitted that she could have handled things better after two videos featuring her conversations with a staffer and a reporter recently went viral. In one video, Porter was seen yelling at a staffer to get out of her fucking shot while she was recording a Zoom appearance. In another, she signaled that shed like to cut an interview short after expressing dissatisfaction with the reporters line of questioning. Politics: Kellyanne Conway Says She Got A Bonkers Offer After Trump 2016 Win Both videos have garnered thousands of views and have increased scrutiny of Porter as she makes a bid for California governor in 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I want people to know that I understand that I could have handled things better, Porter told Inside California Politics in a Tuesday interview. I want people to know that I really value the incredible work that my staff can do. Porter was first elected to the House in 2018 and became known for her incisive questioning during congressional hearings and her use of a whiteboard to break down complex policies. She was defeated in her bid for a U.S. Senate seat in 2024 and has fielded criticism for her treatment of staffers in the past as well. Porter is again running in a crowded field of candidates including former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco for the gubernatorial seat Then-Rep. Katie Porter speaks during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., in 2024. The 2026 California gubernatorial candidate said this week she "could have handled things better" after videos of her with a staffer and a reporter went viral. Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images In 2022, one House staffer shared text messages of Porter chastising her for giving the congresswoman COVID-19. The staffer also alleged that Porter had retaliated over the incident, though the lawmakers office argued that the two had already agreed on an end date for her work prior to that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Others also made anonymous allegations via the Dear White Staffers Instagram account, which included claims that Porter disparaged staffers, had unrealistic expectations and made racist comments. Politics: AOC Sets Sights On 2 Options For Higher Office In 2028: Reports Porters communications director at the time disputed those claims and said she had never been racist or abusive to staff in a statement to Politico. People who know me know I can be tough, but I need to do a better job expressing appreciation for the amazing work that my team does, Porter said in the Tuesday interview. Related... Read the original on HuffPost Katie Porter, the early frontrunner in California's 2026 governor's race, tried Tuesday to repair damage from two recent viral clips where she was seen tangling with a TV reporter and berating a staffer, saying she "absolutely could have done better." It was just short of a legit apology for something that was just short of a legit scandal. Porter made the comments during an interview by the progressive Working Families Party, hours after she made a similar sort-of mea culpa to a Sacramento TV reporter. They were her first public comments since she went viral for all the wrong reasons last week after an interview with a CBS News reporter. Porter threatened to walk off the set during a testy exchange after the reporter asked, "What do you say to the 40 percent of California voters - who you'll need in order to win - who voted for Trump?" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After several back-and-forths over the question - which, by the way, often happens during these things called "interviews," particularly with lawyerly types like Porter. Porter said, "I don't want to keep doing this - I'm going to call it," and began to remove the microphone from her dress. She didn't walk, though, and was interviewed for another 20 minutes. Didn't matter. That clip went viral - at least among the overamplified knot of reporters and campaign operatives who are following California's 2026 governor's race that hasn't just been flying under the radar, it hasn't even left the runway. Suddenly a news McNugget was being portrayed as a prime rib buffet by reporters and rival campaigns starved for something to happen. Porter's rivals quickly piled on. That's politics 101. One of Porter's opponents, former state Controller Betty Yee, called for Porter to exit the race. Yee's escalation of a routine exchange was as startling as it was for some Californians to learn Yee is still in the race, given that she's polling at 2% right now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another rival, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, spent what was must have been a king's ransom on a three-minute TV ad that essentially just re-aired the interview. Expenditures like that should raise questions about Villaraigosa's ability to set budget priorities. The campaign bragged that it was the first three-minute broadcast TV ad ever in a governor's race. And for good reason: Nobody except viewers too lazy to reach for the remote will watch an ad for that long on any platform. The next day, Politico unearthed a clip of a years-old Porter interview where she tears into an aide spotted behind her. "Get out of my f---ing shot," Porter screams. "You also were in my shot before that. Stay out of my shot." And the narrative was set. There is some there there, though. It's not a good look for the person famous for grilling CEOs for their ignorance about what entry-level workers at their companies earn to tear into their own low-level staffers. Physician, heal thyself. On Tuesday, Porter told Nikki Laurenzo, host of "Inside California Politics," that she could have handled the TV interview better and said that she has apologized to the aide. "I think I'm known as someone who's able to handle tough questions, who's willing to answer questions," Porter said. "I want people to know that I really value the incredible work that my staff can do. I think people who know me know I can be tough. But I need to do a better job expressing appreciation for the amazing work my team does." She began her Working Families interview by talking about how she's a "fierce" "fighter," in the hope that the clips will be seen in that light. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I'm running for governor because we need a leader who's going to be tough enough to tackle our long-standing challenges with regard to affordability and also who's going to be tough and strong as we deal with the new problems that Donald Trump is creating," Porter said. "This is a moment to be fierce, to be a fighter, to be unrelenting in making sure that we are putting people and working people first." Working Families California Director Jane Kim told me before the event that "we know Katie to be a fighter, right? That is her reputation, and we've seen it in congressional hearings where she grills millionaire corporations and private health care insurance on Medicare for All, issues that a lot of working people care about and a lot of progressive voters care about. So the question for me is: How much will that be overshadowed by questions that people have about her temperament with colleagues and co-workers? To be honest, I'm not sure." Porter is hoping this episode will be a forgotten blip on the campaign timeline by the time ballots are distributed next spring. The betting markets don't think so. One, Kalshi, downgraded Porter's chances severely, apparently in the belief that the incident reinforced a narrative that Porter is rough on her staff, a story that has roots going back to her time in Congress. "Katie Porter and the Bad Boss Problem" blared a Politico headline that dropped shortly after Porter announced her unsuccessful Senate run in 2023. Her congressional office did have one of Capitol Hill's highest turnover rates, but that narrative was ignored by Orange County voters - the ones who know her best - and who elected her to three terms in one of the nation's toughest battleground districts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But her opponents aren't letting it go. Yee doubled down on her call for Porter to resign during a press conference Tuesday, where she said she was "quite concerned that we not have a candidate at the top of the ticket that in her demeanor and her interactions does not represent the values of the Democratic Party. We're a party of working people, and we should respect working people." Joining Yee were two grassroots activists (who had not endorsed Yee) who said they had heard from campaign volunteers and voters they were canvassing in support of Proposition 50 that Porter's behavior was a "distraction." They said they worried not only that Porter dissing a TV reporter would dampen enthusiasm for Prop 50, but that if she were at the top of the ticket next year it could hurt other Democrats. "We keep hearing Republicans just kind of making fun of the fact that this is the best that Democrats can do," Yee said. Instead of calling on their front-runner to drop out, perhaps Democrats should counter by pointing out that a Republican hasn't been elected statewide in California since 2006. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I'm not a betting man (except for the NFL) but It's a stretch to believe that a viral moment from October - when even Yee conceded Tuesday that "nobody is focused on the governor's race right now" - could seismically affect the June primary, which is about 5 billion news cycles from now. And can anyone say gender double-standard? On Tuesday, President Donald Trump ignored a question from a female reporter, then said to a male colleague, "I just like to watch her talk. Good job. Thank you, darling." The president publicly berates reporters - often female ones - for cheap laughs several times a week, and is met with little more than shrugs. Yet Porter is being buried for less. I'm old enough to remember when our current governor cut off interviews early when he didn't like a question. Somehow he's managed to mature enough to lead the state for two terms. Yee, as the only other woman left in the race, tried to clarify the difference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "As a woman candidate, we are held to a higher standard and sometimes a double standard, but I think at the very basic level, there is a temperament and demeanor that is expected of every candidate, whether you're male or female," Yee said. This article originally published at Katie Porter offers an almost apology for her almost scandal. In a Kyiv hospital, a father has seen his son for the first time. Baby Nazar was delivered prematurely after a large-scale Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian capital on the night of 6-7 September. The baby's mother suffered severe injuries in the attack and later died. Source: a video released by Mother and Child, a Ukrainian charity Quote from Mother and Child: "It's impossible to watch this without tears the moment when little Nazar's father, who sustained burns to 85% of his body during the horrific attack on Kyiv, sees his son for the first time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The son who was born prematurely after his pregnant mother was pulled from the rubble [...] The child for whose sake his father battled to survive." Details: The charity added that Nazar's father "went through hellish pain" during his time in intensive care after the deadly strike on the capital. As soon as he was strong enough to stand, he came to the hospital to see his son, who remains under close medical supervision. Quote: "Little Nazar is a true fighter. He has recently undergone further complex brain surgery. His condition remains critical, but he keeps fighting for his life." Background: On the night of 6-7 September, Russia carried out a large-scale combined attack on Ukraine using more than 800 aerial weapons. Among the injured was 24-year-old Tetiana Sakiian, who was pregnant at the time. She was taken to hospital in a critical condition, and doctors carried out a caesarean section. Her baby was born prematurely. The baby's father was also wounded, suffering burns to 85% of his body. Doctors fought to save Tetiana for more than two weeks. She had multiple injuries: blast trauma, first- and second-degree burns covering 90% of her body, burns to the respiratory tract, smoke inhalation, and severe burn shock. Despite all their efforts, Tetiana died from her injuries. In late September, doctors described baby Nazar's condition as critically stable. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Hong Kong-listed investment bank China Renaissance is seeking to raise $600 million to introduce a public crypto treasury focused on BNB, the native token of the BNB Chain thats widely used for discounts on Binance fees. The project, if completed, would mark one of the largest single bets on BNB by a publicly listed entity. The largest BNB-focused treasuries among publicly traded companies currently belongs to CEA Industries, which earlier this month raised its total token holdings to 480,000. The proposed investment vehicle would be formed in the United States and structured as a publicly traded company, designed specifically to buy and hold BNB, Bloomberg reports citing sources familiar with the deal. YZi Labs, the $10 billion family office of Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao, plans to invest alongside the investment bank. BNB has more than doubled in price this year, and recovered quickly from the recent $500 billion crypto market crash. Zhaos family office reportedly continues to actively organize investor interest, recently hosting a dinner in Singapore titled BNB Visionary Circle: Igniting the Next Trillion, signaling ongoing appetite for BNB-centric investments. BNBs price has outperformed the market since, being up 5.4% in the last seven days, while major tokens including bitcoin and ether are down significantly over the period. The broader market, as measured by the CoinDesk 20 (CD20) index, dropped 8.45% over the last 7 days. PRESTONSBURG, Ky. (FOX 56) A Pikeville man was arrested on Monday after a scenario out of a horror movie when he allegedly entered the home of a family of five, rummaged through their home, and refused to leave with a woman and three children inside. Court documents indicate that deputies with the Floyd County Sheriffs Office (FCSO) were dispatched just after 11 p.m. on Oct. 13 to a residence on Town Branch Road in response to reports of a burglary in progress. When they got to the house, a woman was waiting to greet them. Madison County teacher, coach accused of inappropriately touching elementary student Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She let law enforcement officials into the far left bedroom of the house, where Daniel Meade, 42, was sitting on the floor by the bed. Another man who lived with the woman was also in the room and told deputies that Meade had lunged at him, but he was able to restrain the suspect until authorities arrived. According to an arrest citation, the woman was alone at the house with her three kids while the other victim had been at work. Shed put her kids to bed across the house from her room and had gone to bed herself before hearing rummaging sounds in her kitchen. She called out to see who was there, and reportedly heard a mumble in return, and yelled again, hearing a voice answer. Court documents show she didnt recognize the voice and called the other victim to come home from work, which was a short distance away. She also called 911, realizing that an intruder was in her house, between her and her three kids. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meade allegedly refused to leave when the victim told him to, deputies wrote, going through kitchen cabinets and eventually into her room. where he allegedly kept going through her closets and drawers while mumbling, jerking, and acting erratic, per an FCSO report. Authorities said the victim stayed put due to fear, with Meades approach path stopping her from getting to the children at the opposite end of her home. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: According to an arrest citation, the victims partner came home from work and gained control of Meade. Deputies said that when they arrived, the kids were all safe in bed. Daniel Meade, 42, of Pikeville, was lodged in the Floyd County Detention Center on Oct. 13. (Floyd County Detention Center) Meade was charged with second-degree burglary and taken to a nearby hospital for clearance before eventually being lodged in the Floyd County Detention Center. Hell have a preliminary hearing on Oct. 20. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An investigation into the Monday night home invasion remains ongoing. 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. Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga, a key figure in African politics, has died at the age of 80 during a trip to India for medical treatment, according to local police and hospital officials. The former prime minister, who as opposition leader had waged five unsuccessful presidential campaigns between 1997 and 2022, had suffered a heart attack, the Devamatha Hospital in the southern Indian state of Kerala confirmed to The Associated Press news agency on Wednesday. Odinga was a dominant force in Kenyan politics, and his death will leave a significant leadership vacuum within the countrys political opposition ahead of elections in 2027. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An Indian police official told the AFP news agency that Odinga had been on a morning walk, accompanied by his sister, daughter, a personal doctor, and Indian and Kenyan security officers, when he collapsed. He was rushed to a nearby private hospital, but was declared dead, said Krishnan M, additional superintendent of police in Ernakulam, Kerala. Unnamed officials in Odingas office also confirmed the death to news agencies. Indian newspaper Mathrubhumi had earlier reported the death, adding that Odinga had been undergoing medical treatment in the states Kochi city. As news of the death broke in Kenya, President William Ruto visited the Odinga family home in Nairobis wealthy Karen suburb. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hundreds of the late politicians supporters, many of them crying and waving twigs to ward off bad omens, also made their way to the the home to pay their respects, the Reuters news agency reported. Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic hospital in Koothattukulam in Indias southern state of Kerala, where Raila Odinga had been undergoing treatment [AP Photo] Pro-democracy campaigner Al Jazeeras Catherine Soi said Odinga was known as an enigma in Kenyas politics. Born in 1945 into one of the countrys political dynasties, as the son of the countrys first vice president after independence in 1963, he would become a revolutionary in the eyes of many, she said. A member of the Luo tribe, Odinga spent most of his adult life in politics, earning a reputation in his early years as a left-wing firebrand who named his son Fidel in honour of the Cuban Communist leader Fidel Castro. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Odingas political activism would see him spend years in jail or in exile. He was first imprisoned in 1982 after a coup attempt against then-President Daniel arap Moi, whose government jailed, tortured and murdered opponents. After his release, Odinga first entered parliament in 1992, and ran unsuccessful presidential campaigns in 1997, 2007, 2013, 2017 and 2022. He claimed to have been cheated of victory in the last four elections, and led protests after the disputed 2007 election that led to Kenyas most serious bout of political violence since independence. About 1,300 people were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced from their homes in the battles. Large-scale protests also broke out during the 2017 election, in which the Supreme Court annulled the results of an initial poll, and Odinga withdrew from the follow-up, saying it would not be free and fair. The mysterious one Odingas pro-democracy activism over the years helped drive two of the countrys most significant political reforms: multiparty democracy in 1991 and a new constitution in 2010. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Throughout his political career, Odinga commanded strong support from his base, many of whom called him Baba, or father in Swahili. That support endured even when he was accused of exploiting ethnic divisions for political benefit, or striking deals with his political foes a practice that earned him the nickname Agwambo, or mysterious one, in the Luo language. In March, he signed a pact with Ruto that saw his opposition Azimio la Umoja party involved in critical policymaking and its members appointed to the cabinet. A father to the nation Leaders from across the world paid tribute to Odinga, describing him as a towering political leader who had left a legacy of democracy in his homeland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who had faced off against Odinga in successive presidential campaigns before backing him for president in 2022, praised the late politician as a father to the nation, a steadfast champion for the people, and a true son of Kenya. His legacy is not just in the political battles he fought, but in the peace he helped build. It is etched in the very fabric of our nation, he said. Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan said Odingas death was a tragedy not just for Kenya, but for all of us. We have lost a brilliant leader, a global African, a peace-loving and solution seeker, whose influence and love were not only in Kenya, but in East Africa and Africa at large, she said. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Odinga as a towering statesman and a cherished friend of India, while African Union Commission chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf described him as a steadfast champion of democracy, good governance, and people-centered development. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His decades-long commitment to justice, pluralism, and democratic reform left an indelible mark not only on Kenya, but across the African continent, said Youssouf, adding Odinga had inspired generations of leaders, including himself. Watch Raila Odingas appearance on Head to Head with Mehdi Hasan in 2016. By George Obulutsa NAIROBI (Reuters) -Kenya's veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, who was imprisoned while fighting one-party autocracy and ran five times unsuccessfully for the presidency, has died at the age of 80, sources close to him said on Wednesday. A family source told Reuters he had died in India receiving medical treatment, while the hospital where he died in Kochi city said he suffered a cardiac arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Odinga was for decades at the heart of Kenyan politics, striking alliances with former foes, serving as prime minister for a term, and inspiring lifelong loyalty from his base, particularly among fellow Luos in the west and in the capital Nairobi. Odinga's ability to work with rivals earned him the nickname "Agwambo" ("mysterious one") in the Luo language. On Wednesday, Kenya's President William Ruto visited the Odinga family home in Nairobi's wealthy Karen suburb. Odinga's supporters called him simply "Baba" ("father" in Swahili), refusing to leave his side even when he was accused of exploiting ethnic divisions for political gain or of sealing deals with opponents to access power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As news of his death reached the streets, hundreds of supporters from the Nairobi slum of Kibera, many crying and waving twigs to ward off bad omens, made their way in a procession to Odinga's home. His legacy as a democracy activist over the years helped seal two of the country's most important reforms: multiparty democracy in 1991 and a new constitution in 2010. Odinga led protests after the disputed 2007 election that plunged Kenya into its most serious political violence since independence. About 1,300 people were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced from their homes in the battles. The western Luo tribe targeted then-President Mwai Kibakis ethnic Kikuyu group, Kenyas largest and most economically dominant tribe, in much of the fighting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Violence also followed the 2017 vote. In 2017, Odinga told Reuters: "Each community believes that they are not safe unless their man is at the top". SOLITARY CONFINEMENT Odinga was the son of Oginga Odinga, Kenya's first vice-president under independence leader Jomo Kenyatta. The rivalry between the elder Kenyatta and Odinga continued with their sons. Despite his family's extensive business interests, Odinga spent his early years as a left-wing firebrand, naming his son Fidel in honour of the Cuban Communist leader Fidel Castro. Odinga was first imprisoned in 1982 after a coup attempt against then-President Daniel arap Moi, whose government jailed, tortured and murdered opponents. He served a total of nine years in jail, six in solitary confinement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Detention is a good school. You learn to reflect and think," Odinga told Reuters in 2007. "You also learn tolerance, to be forgiving, particularly against your adversaries." Odinga first won his parliamentary seat in 1992, which included Kibera. He held the constituency until 2013, his bright orange Hummer mobbed whenever it bounced into the muddy lanes. He lost his first presidential bid in 1997 against Moi. Four years later, Odinga formed a coalition government with him, a move some saw as opportunistic but he said was pragmatic. "Democratisation is not like an instant coffee you brew and drink at the same time. It is a process," Odinga said at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pattern continued, with Odinga breaking and building alliances with rivals over the next two decades. He became prime minister in 2008 in a national unity government headed by his former foe Kibaki, as a part of a deal to end the bloodletting. Following the 2017 election, he reconciled with his opponent, President Uhuru Kenyatta in what is dubbed the "Handshake". He then lost the 2022 election to Ruto and challenged the result, which was upheld by the Supreme Court. PROTESTS Undeterred, Odinga, by then in his late seventies, launched street protests against the government, only to strike a pact with Ruto in 2024 and effectively leaving Kenya without an official opposition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some observers saw the move as cynical but to many, it was part of a familiar playbook he used to the end. The head of the African Union commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, who defeated Odinga in the AU's leadership contest this year, hailed him as "a steadfast champion of democracy". Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was a "towering statesman". Condolences also came from Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who described his death as a tragedy "not just for Kenya, but for all of us." (Reporting by George Obulutsa and Ammu Kannampilly in Nairobi; Additional reporting by Ruth Nesoba, Vincent Mumo, Edwin Okoth, Humphrey Malalo, Emma Ogao, Monicah Mwangi in Nairobi; Jose Devasia in KochiEditing by Andrew Cawthorne) By George Obulutsa and Vincent Mumo NAIROBI (Reuters) -Kenya's veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, who was imprisoned multiple times while fighting one-party autocracy and ran five times unsuccessfully for president, died aged 80 on Wednesday in India. Odinga had been receiving medical treatment abroad and suffered a cardiac arrest, according to the hospital in the city of Kochi where he died. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was for decades at the heart of Kenyan politics, striking alliances with former foes, serving as prime minister for a term, and inspiring lifelong loyalty from his base, particularly among fellow Luos in the west and in the capital Nairobi. Odinga's ability to work with rivals earned him the nickname "Agwambo" ("mysterious one") in the Luo language. Supporters called him "Baba" ("father" in Swahili), refusing to turn their back even when he was accused of exploiting ethnic divisions for political gain or of striking deals with opponents for the sake of personal power. Upon news of his passing, hundreds of supporters from the Nairobi slum of Kibera, many crying and waving twigs to ward off bad omens, made their way in a procession to Odinga's family home in the capital's upscale Karen suburb. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crowds also gathered in the lakeside town of Kisumu and the Rift Valley town of Eldoret where Odinga was popular. His legacy as a democracy activist over the years helped seal two of Kenya's most important reforms: multiparty democracy in 1991 and a new constitution in 2010. Odinga led protests after a disputed 2007 vote plunged Kenya into its most serious political violence since independence. About 1,300 people were killed and hundreds of thousands were displaced in fighting between Odinga's Luo tribe and then-President Mwai Kibakis Kikuyus, the largest and richest group. Violence also followed the 2017 vote. Odinga told Reuters then: "Each community believes that they are not safe unless their man is at the top". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PRISON 'A GOOD SCHOOL' Odinga was the son of Oginga Odinga, Kenya's first vice-president under independence leader Jomo Kenyatta. The fathers' rivalry continued with their sons. Despite his family's extensive business interests, Odinga spent his early years as a left-wing firebrand, naming his son Fidel in honour of the Cuban Communist leader Fidel Castro. Odinga was first imprisoned in 1982 after a coup attempt against then-President Daniel arap Moi, whose government jailed, tortured and murdered opponents. He served a total of nine years in jail, six in solitary confinement. "Detention is a good school. You learn to reflect and think," Odinga told Reuters in 2007. "You also learn tolerance, to be forgiving, particularly against your adversaries." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Odinga first won his parliamentary seat in 1992, which included Kibera. He held the constituency until 2013, his bright orange Hummer mobbed whenever it bounced into the muddy lanes. He lost his first presidential bid in 1997 against Moi. Four years later, Odinga formed a coalition government with him, a move some saw as opportunistic but he said was pragmatic. "Democratisation is not like an instant coffee you brew and drink at the same time. It is a process," he said at the time. The pattern continued, with Odinga breaking and building alliances with rivals over the next two decades. He became prime minister in 2008 in a national unity government headed by his former foe Kibaki, as part of a deal to end the bloodletting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following the 2017 election, he reconciled with his opponent President Uhuru Kenyatta in what is dubbed the "Handshake". He lost the 2022 election to now President William Ruto and challenged the result, which was upheld by the Supreme Court. TRIBUTES Undeterred, Odinga, by then in his late seventies, launched street protests against the government, only to strike a pact with Ruto in 2024, following a familiar playbook but effectively leaving Kenya without an official opposition. Ruto visited Odinga's home on Wednesday morning and announced a state funeral and seven days of national mourning, moves likely to calm any political passions over his death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He championed reforms that gave birth to the rights and freedoms we hold dear today, his voice spoke for the oppressed. His conviction inspired generations, and his vision shaped the course of our history," Ruto said in an address to the nation. Tributes to Odinga also flowed in from abroad, especially around Africa where he was a well-known figure. "H.E. Raila Odinga was a towering figure in Kenyas political life and a steadfast champion of democracy, good governance, and people-centred development," said African Union Commission head, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, who defeated Odinga in the bloc's leadership contest this year. Among Kenyans, opinions were divided over his legacy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "May his fight for democracy continue to inspire our nations leaders," said Nairobi resident Grace Mbugua. "He may not have had the best interests of all Kenyans at all times, and during his push for democracy, many lives were lost," added accountant Patrick Mungai. (Reporting by George Obulutsa and Ammu Kannampilly in Nairobi; Additional reporting by Ruth Nesoba, Vincent Mumo, Edwin Okoth, Humphrey Malalo, Emma Ogao, Monicah Mwangi in Nairobi; Jose Devasia in KochiEditing by Andrew Cawthorne) Editors note: This story has been edited to reflect the fact that this resolution would apply to Alternative Education schools under the Kern County Superintendent of Schools board. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) Some community schools in Kern County may start displaying the Ten Commandments on school property, depending on the Kern County Board of Educations decision in November. The board discussed the resolution during its meeting on Tuesday, during which Mariah Gondeiro with the Liberty Counsel presented the information to the board and members of the public. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The resolution, if passed, would put up the Ten Commandments in public areas of KCSOS schools. It has not been determined whether it would be placed indoors or outdoors. EXCLUSIVE: Katie Porter expresses regret for outbursts The Ten Commandments would not be used as teaching material in classrooms, the board clarified at the meeting. According to Gondeiro, the resolution aimed to reflect the documents they thought were most important to the foundation of the government. The State of California requires that students learn about the foundation of our republican form of government, which includes Christian-Judeo principles, Gondeiro said at the meeting. We are living in a time where its so important that students and young people are aware of the foundation of our government and our inalienable rights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Kern County Board of Education would become the first school board in the state of California to pass this resolution, according to Gondeiro. I think Kern County has the chance at this point to actually create history, Gondeiro said to the board. Right now, as you guys are aware, theres a lot of litigation across the country right now regarding Ten Commandments monuments I believe we will prevail and its going to help many other states as well. The board asked several questions about the resolution, such as potential litigation issues that may come from funding, Liberty Counsels prior success in legal battles regarding the implementation of the Ten Commandments in schools, how the board would compel the KCSOS schools to follow the resolution and more. If adopted, the resolution would have legal force in displaying the Ten Commandments at the Alternative Education schools under the county board jurisdiction, rather than just being a statement, Gondeiro told the board. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gondeiro said she was authorized to agree to represent Kern County and the board free of charge if any organization were to file a lawsuit against them for passing the resolution, which she said is likely to happen. Members of the public commented on the Ten Commandments at the meeting, providing comments regarding putting up the religious rules in schools. Lindsey Parker, a parent of two Kern County public school students, said the government should not choose faith for children. She said if the goal is to teach history, schools should teach about the freedom of religion instead. When we put one religions commandments on a classroom wall, even with good intentions, it sends the wrong message, Parker said. It tells some kids they belong more than others, and no child in Kern County should ever feel like an outsider in their own school because of what they believe and dont believe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another public speaker, Jess Sanders, said Judeo-Christian values and the Ten Commandments helped set up the country and is the reason Americans have freedom of religion. Our freedoms are not given by our government, theyre given by our God, Sanders said. Thats what the Ten Commandments is doing, that is why we were set up that way and that is why everybody has a right to say what they want to say here without being hauled off to the gulags. Towards the end of the discussion, KCBOE President Mary Little said the Ten Commandments provide a moral foundation and ethical framework for many religions, and also has cultural influence. They have significantly shaped Western legal system and cultural norms and many laws in society and values can trace their origins back to these principles, Little said. They do have a religious significance and I understand everybodys concerns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Never miss a story: Make KGET.com your homepage I just think its kind of cool that were gonna make history, Trustee Lori Eskew said. A copy of the resolution was not made available to the public as it is still a working document, according to Little. No decisions were made regarding the resolution on Tuesday. The board is slated to consider a revised resolution at its meeting on Nov. 13. 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 KGET 17 News. New laws signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom aim to make the artificial intelligence and social media landscape in California safer, especially for minors. Senate Bill 243 , sponsored by state Sen. Steve Padilla (D-Chula Vista) will require AI companies to incorporate guardrails that prevent so-called "companion" chatbots from talking to users of any age about suicide or self-harm. It also requires that all AI systems alert minors using the chatbots that they are not human every three hours. The systems also are barred from promoting any sexually explicit conduct to users who are minors. The law, to be enacted on Jan. 1, follows several lawsuits filed against developers in which families allege their children committed suicide after being influenced by an AI chatbot companion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: AIs gave scarily specific self-harm advice to users expressing suicidal intent, researchers find In the same vein, Newsom signed Assembly Bill 316, which removes a civil legal defense that some AI developers have been using to make the case that they are not responsible for any harm caused by their products. They have argued that their AI products act autonomously and so there is no legal case to blame the developers. In a bill analysis meant for legislators, Assemblymember Maggy Krell (D-Sacramento) wrote that this change will force developers to vet their product better and ensure that they can be held to account if their product does cause harm to its users. Another bill, AB 621, increases civil penalties for AI developers who knowingly create nonconsensual "deepfake" AI pornography. The maximum penalties go from $30,000 to $50,000, and from $150,000 to $250,000 in cases where the courts determine that the actions were done with malice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The author of the bill, Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda), has pointed out how this technology has been used to harm minors. "In one recent instance," she noted in an analysis supporting the proposed legislation, "five students were expelled from a Beverly Hills Middle School after creating and sharing AI generated nude photos of their classmates." Another AI bill, Sen. Scott Wieners (D-San Francisco) SB 53, was signed into law by Newsom in late September. It will require large AI companies to publicly disclose certain safety and security protocols and report to the state on critical safety incidents. It also creates a public AI computing cluster CalCompute that will provide resources to startups and researchers developing large AI systems. Bauer-Kahan also was the author of AB 56, which will require social media companies to place a warning label on their platforms for minors starting in 2027. The warning label must tell children and teens that social media is associated with mental health issues and may not be safe. Read more: 'Protect kids now.' Social media may not be safe for young people, surgeon general warns Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People across the nation including myself have become increasingly concerned with Big Techs failure to protect children who interact with its products. Today, California makes clear that we will not sit and wait for companies to decide to prioritize childrens well-being over their profits, Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, who sponsored the bill, said in a news release. By adding warning labels to social media platforms, AB 56 gives California a new tool to protect our children. Other bills recently approved by Newsom look to challenge the Internets grip on young people and their mental health. AB 1043, for example, will require app stores and device manufacturers to take age data from users in order to ensure that they are complying with age verification requirements. Many tech companies, including Google and Meta, approved of the bill, which was written by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland). AB 772 will require grade K-12 schools in the state to develop a policy by mid-2027 on handling bullying and cyberbullying that happens off campus. After-school bullying follows the pupil back to school and into the classroom, creating a hostile environment at school, author and Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) wrote in a bill analysis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Proponents at the Los Angeles County Office of Education wrote in an earlier analysis that because students these days are constantly connected to the internet, bullying does not stop when school lets out. In addition, social media and texting can broadcast instances of bullying to larger audiences than ever before, according to the analysis. The California School Boards Assn. opposed AB 772, saying that it wasnt appropriate for school officials to take responsibility for student actions outside of school. Newsom signed the bill last weekend and included it in a larger package of bills meant to protect children from the effects of social media. Emerging technology like chatbots and social media can inspire, educate, and connect but without real guardrails, technology can also exploit, mislead and endanger our kids. Weve seen some truly horrific and tragic examples of young people harmed by unregulated tech, and we wont stand by while companies continue without necessary limits and accountability," Newsom said in a news release Monday. "We can continue to lead in AI and technology, but we must do it responsibly protecting our children every step of the way. Our childrens safety is not for sale. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Three days after the highest predicted tide of the year and five days after the full moon, scenic and monied Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach was fully a foot or more underwater in some areas as a brackish slurry burbled up through storm grates twice a day at high tide. Slow-motion flooding caused by an autumnal triumvirate of king tides, the harvest moon and a grinding low pressure system off the east coast forced cars to take voluntary detours or plow through the water throwing frothy rooster tails in front of them. Driveways to multimillion dollar homes were blocked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Streetlights went temporarily dark as water breached underground electrical boxes leaving early morning walkers, bikers and commuters in an inky blackness. The city is evaluating ways to mitigate this issue, city officials said in a statement about the lights going out. King tide flooding is an annual fall nuisance along waterfronts throughout Palm Beach County. The Lake Trail in the Town of Palm Beach regularly fills with water during fall's new and full moons. Delray Beach deploys temporary flood barriers on its most vulnerable streets, according to its website. At the Ocean Inlet Park in Boynton Beach, a small shark was spotted swimming in the parking lot this month as king tides overwhelmed asphalt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The so-called "sunny day" flooding has gotten worse as sea levels rise, but it's also a deepening concern along Flagler Drive where glittering condominiums with units selling for tens of millions of dollars are built in a city nicknamed Wall Street South for the wealth and number of financial firms moving in. Any smart Realtor will not show listings during the floods, said Jeanne Hudlett, who lives off South Flagler Drive in the El Cid Historic District. Its a problem. Its a real problem. Look at the condos they are building, and they are not changing the infrastructure. While luxury condominium dwellers may be above the lapping fray of king tides, they still have to drive through them to get home, another El Cid resident noted. 'Only in Florida': Video captures shark swimming in flooded parking lot near Boynton Inlet Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In late 2021, the city launched an $800,000 project to install tidal check valves at 35 locations along Flagler Drive. The valves, which allow water to drain from streets but prevent brackish Lake Worth Lagoon water from bubbling back up during extreme high tides, followed a test plan that initially installed four valves between Greenwood Road and Southern Boulevard. A $105,000 grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection helped pay for the project, which was set to begin in the spring of 2022 and was expected to finish by the end of 2023. Ive been down on Flagler when the sun is shining and youve got flooding, said West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James at a December 2021 press conference to announce the initiative. Its a tremendous inconvenience and weve heard the residents, and it was a priority of my administration to look for a solution. Nearly four years later, the city has installed 11 tidal valves that prevent the backflow of water during high tides or heavy rainfall, and one new outfall pipe that discharges stormwater into the Intracoastal, according to information provided by the city on Oct. 14. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were some delays in designing the larger diameter valves, but that design work has been completed, and the bulk of the installation should be completed over the next year, said Assistant City Administrator Armando Fana in an email. Climate change: Workshop in Palm Beach and West Palm Beach's new flood fight An additional sixteen 16 tidal valves and one new outfall are scheduled for installation by June 2026, with construction beginning next month. As the budget allows, 27 additional valves will be installed in the future for a total of 54 throughout the city over the next five years. Fana tried to temper expectations of what the valves can accomplish, calling them a stopgap measure in the 2021 press conference that may not be effective if heavy rains coincide with a king tide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We didnt have to think about king tides 10 to 15 years ago. Now we do, he said. High tides are magnified during new and full moons as a sun and lunar alignment with the Earth creates a greater gravitational pull. Stay up to date on South Florida's sizzling real estate market and sign up for The Dirt weekly newsletter, delivered every Tuesday! Exclusively for Palm Beach Post subscribers. Come fall, seasonal elements contribute to high tide flooding as summer-warmed water expands and the Gulf Stream current slows, piling more water along Florida's coast. It wasnt rain that swelled early Octobers king tides as much as it was an area of low pressure hurling high surf at the east coast that crammed through inlets and pooled against Intracoastal Waterway seawalls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Palm Beach County was under a coastal flood statement or watch for at least 12 consecutive days through Oct. 14, according to the National Weather Service in Miami. Miami-based NWS meteorologist Sammy Hadi said Oct. 12 that the king tides continue to overperform forecast guidance. University of Miami Rosenstiel School researcher Brian McNoldy, who tracks the tidal gauge on Virginia Key, said seven new daily record high tides were measured between Oct. 4 and Oct. 13. This long-duration high water event is unprecedented in Miamis history, McNoldy said. I can say that with confidence because it has not happened since the tide gauge was installed in 1994 and given the 8-9 inches of sea level rise since then, the odds that it happened pre-1994 are miniscule. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hudlett said before moving to El Cid in 2018, she lived in the southern end of West Palm Beach where she doesn't remember king tide flooding being an issue. And it's not just the flooding. After the water recedes from Flagler Drive, she said new potholes emerge. "I've heard several people have contacted the El Cid neighborhood board about the flooding," Hudlett said. "If their homes face Flagler, they can't get out of their driveway." Still, Douglas Elliman agent Burt Minkoff, who has sold multiple luxury homes along Flagler Drive, isn't overly concerned about how tidal flooding will affect property sales along Flagler. No homes are being flooded by the tides and he said there are ways around the water. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The city needs to fix it, and should fix it," Minkoff said. "But the best part of living in West Palm Beach is you have navigation. If you want to avoid Flagler, you can." Kimberly Miller is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate, weather, and the environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@pbpost.com. Help support our local journalism, subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: King tides flood Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach Key Points Lumen stock has more than doubled since April. Several countries have contracted with Lumen to improve data center connectivity. The company's income statement and balance sheet indicate its troubles may persist. 10 stocks we like better than Lumen Technologies Lumen Technologies' (NYSE: LUMN) stock has long struggled. Despite its extensive fiber holdings, declines in legacy telecom businesses were calling into question its future. However, in 2024, it began to benefit from a dramatic reversal of fortune thanks to artificial intelligence (AI). Some of tech's top companies have contracted with the company for Private Connectivity Fabric (PCF), a type of custom network architecture that helps data centers handle high bandwidth and reduce latency. Despite this green shoot, doubts about its finances remain, though the stock is up about 125% from its low in late April. Given the current circumstances, can investors still profit from buying Lumen stock? Image source: Getty Images. The Lumen revival Until 2024, Lumen, formerly known as CenturyLink, was often associated with industry acquisitions and outdated technologies. The various shifts in both the company and its industry left it with massive debts and an uncertain future. Despite winning government contracts, it struggled to turn a profit and sold assets such as its incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) operation and its Latin American business to stay afloat. As mentioned previously, this changed in 2024 when Microsoft signed a PCF agreement with Lumen. The deal gave Lumen a path by which it can leverage its existing fiber network to provide data center connectivity and thus breathe new life into the company. Meta Platforms and Amazon have since signed similar agreements with Lumen. Earlier this year, it also agreed to sell its mass market fiber business to AT&T for $5.75 billion. Assuming the deal closes in the first half of 2026 as planned, the company will receive much-needed capital to invest in its burgeoning PCF business. Lumen's financial condition Since that time, Lumen stock has often spiked higher on optimism. Nonetheless, it has also retreated at times as its quarterly reports highlight Lumen's continued financial struggles. In the first half of the year, revenue fell 3% yearly to just under $6.3 billion. Additionally, a goodwill impairment, high interest expenses, and a loss on the early retirement of debt led to a net loss of over $1.1 billion in the first two quarters of 2025. Lumen earned an $8 million profit in the same year-ago period. Investors should note that its nearly $18 billion in debt is a considerable weight on the company, given its $7 billion market cap. Furthermore, analyst forecasts point to continued revenue declines, with revenue falling by 6% this year and an additional 4% in 2026. Those factors could weigh on its stock price growth, particularly in the near term. COLUMBUS Ohio Rep. Roy Klopfenstein (R-Haviland) voted in support of House Concurrent Resolution 23 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States Army, Chaplain Corps. The Army celebrated its birthday June 14. The resolution will move to the Ohio Senate for further consideration. In a board meeting on March 19, 2025, the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA) decided to rename Amtrak's San Joaquins line to "Gold Runner." The new name would "reflect California's rich history and future-forward mindset," said Doug Verboon, Board Chair and Director representing the County of Kings, in the SJJPA's April 17 press release highlighting the change. The process of changing signage, marketing materials, and organizing public outreach is expected to last around three years, with online changes expected to be complete by November 2025. As of writing, tickets and signs in different sections may show "San Joaquins" or "Gold Runner" as they roll out the new name, but don't worry, it's all part of the same line! Since 2020, when the San Joaquins route had to drastically cut down its offers, the SJJPA has slowly implemented changes to get back to pre-pandemic levels. While the San Joaquins route is well-connected, there's still demand for more rides, especially to Sacramento. So, the SJJPA plans to introduce two more daily trains between Stockton and Sacramento, doubling the current frequency. These trains will end at Stockton, from where passengers can connect to other trains to Bakersfield, although the route might be expanded with the new proposed High-speed rail to Merced. Perhaps the most disappointing change to the San Joaquins route was the decision to remove the dining car (called the Cafe Car) and replace it with snack boxes in the wake of COVID-19. Following public requests, the SJJPA introduced complimentary snacks instead, allowing passengers to choose their preferred snacks and drinks. This decision has been more favorably received, but passengers still hope for a return of the Cafe Car, which is still available on other Amtrak routes like the Pacific Surfliner or the dreamy and luxurious Coast Starlight route. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: The 'Friendly Island' Is A Tiny Hawaiian Destination With An Abandoned Hotel And No Traffic In Sight Booking a trip on Amtrak's San Joaquins train service passengers transfer to an Amtrak Thruway bus to reach places that aren't serviceable by train - Richard Thornton/Shutterstock The popular Amtrak route runs multiple times daily from Oakland to Bakersfield, and also has a few daily trains connecting San Francisco, the Caviar Capital of America, to Bakersfield. But the train ride alone isn't what makes the San Joaquins route so popular. While most Americans consider trains the best way to travel, it's Amtrak's series of buses connecting the train stations to popular destinations like Las Vegas, San Diego, or Los Angeles that make this route so popular. In fact, one of the most convenient routes is the bus route connecting Merced to Yosemite National Park, the site of iconic trails and attractions like Half Dome. This route conveniently avoids the hassle of juggling traffic and parking at the famous national park. To make traveling more convenient, Amtrak allows you to book entire trips on one ticket, including connecting buses. For example, if you wanted to travel from Oakland to Yosemite, all you need to do is put in the details on Amtrak's website, and it will automatically add all connections to your ticket. In this case, you would most likely take the newly-named Gold Runner train from Oakland to Merced or Fresno, then take the Amtrak Thruway bus route 15A from Merced to Yosemite or 15B from Fresno to Yosemite. The train also offers comfortable and spacious seats, with amenities like free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, and charging outlets at every seat. The train also has a seat configuration that's designed for convenience, with only window and aisle seats. Some sections include two seats facing another two with a table in between, perfect for families traveling together. 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 deportation of a U.S. Marine's father in California is bringing new attention to President Donald Trump's apparent changes to a longstanding policy seeking to protect military families from deportation. Trumps new immigration tactics follow years of the military recruiting from immigrant communities to fill out its ranks and touting the immigration benefits for enlistees' families. Here's what to know. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What was the policy? Along with possible protection from deportation, enlisting in the military often meant deference in your family's immigration cases and a better shot at a green card. Those benefits were used by the armed forces to recruit more people, and, as of last year, an estimated 40,000 people were serving in the military without citizenship. Under President Joe Biden, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement considered your and your immediate family's military service as a significant mitigating factor when making immigration decisions, such as removal from the country. The idea was to boost recruitment and maintain morale, fearing that it could take a hit if a service member's family was deported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What did the Trump administration change? The administration issued a memo in February doing away with the older approach. It said that immigration authorities will no longer exempt categories of people that had been afforded more grace in the past. That included families of service members or veterans, said Margaret Stock, a military immigration law expert. Do certain crimes void the protections? They can, but Stock said there's no explicit list of convictions that would make someone ineligible for protections and that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services can waive factoring in criminal convictions in making an immigration decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Have other military members' families been detained? Yes. A Marine Corps veteran's wife, who was seeking a green card, was detained in May in Louisiana but a judge barred her removal. And veterans without citizenship are increasingly worried about deportation. Will this impact recruitment to the U.S. Armed Forces? Stock says it will. The military has struggled in the past to meet recruitment numbers. That's partly because there aren't enough U.S. citizens without immigrant family members to meet the need, said Stock, a retired lieutenant colonel in the military police, U.S. Army Reserve, who taught law at West Point during the presidencies of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The immigration benefits for a recruit and their family were key to expanding the military's ranks, said Stock, and recruitment would suffer without them. The Marine Corps told The Associated Press last month that recruiters have been told that they are not the proper authority to imply that Marine Corps can secure immigration relief for applicants or their families." This story was originally published on K-12 Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily K-12 Dive newsletter. Even as more than 400 U.S. Department of Education staffers received reduction-in-force notices on Friday, many of these laid-off employees remained in the dark about their employment status. That's because they couldn't access their work emails to view the RIF notices with the federal government shut down due to the congressional impasse over funding. The RIFs impacted Education Department offices that oversee civil rights, special education, student achievement supports, budgeting services, school safety, postsecondary education and more, according to the American Federation of Government Employees, a union representing more than 2,700 Education Department employees, in an Oct. 12 email. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The situation follows months of downsizing at the agency, which began the year with about 4,133 employees and is now estimated to be at about 2,000 after Fridays RIF. The Education Department, however, has not provided details about the layoffs. Friday's mass layoffs have caused confusion, concern and anger among public school professionals and advocacy groups. They worry the Education Department will not be able to carry out its statutory requirements with such a lean staff, which would in turn impact districts, schools and families. Some, however, say the agency needs to be trimmed and that less government red tape will give states and districts more freedom to budget based on their needs.Proponents of federal workforce downsizing laud the savings to taxpayers from reducing federal labor expenses. Here we explain what you need to know about this situation. What happened? On Oct. 10, some 466 Education Department employees in various offices were to receive RIF notices, according to court documents filed by the White House's Office of Management and Budget. Across 30 federal agencies, including the Education Department, about 4,232 employees were expected to be laid off. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the federal government shut down Oct. 1 because Congress could not agree on a budget for fiscal year 2026. The Education Department planned to furlough about 95% of its non-Federal Student Aid staff for the first week, according to a Sept. 28 memo from U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon. During the shutdown, the Education Department expected to pause grantmaking activities, technical assistance support and Office for Civil Rights investigations. The ability of states and districts to draw down most federal grants would continue, as would the disbursement of student aid such as Pell Grants and Federal Direct Student loans, according to the memo. Student loan borrowers would still be required to make payments on their debt. McMahon's memo also said the agency would continue to process the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. During a federal shutdown, furloughed employees are typically forbidden to work, including checking their email. They also don't receive pay but in the past have received retroactive pay once the shutdown ends. According to an Oct. 7 article from the Associated Press, the Trump administration said it may not issue back pay once the shutdown concludes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Education Departments staff had already been downsized this year due to large-scale layoffs in March as well as buyouts and early retirements. The Trump administration has further sought to eliminate the Education Department to the extent possible through program cuts and changes. These efforts have been challenged in court. Some labor unions and education professional organizations are also questioning the legality of the latest layoffs. "These RIFs will double down on the harm to K-12 students, students with disabilities, first generation college students, low-income students, teachers, and local education boards, which are already feeling the impacts of a hamstrung Department from the March RIF," said AFGE Local 252 President Rachel Gittleman, in an Oct 12 statement. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management's RIF policy says, "an agency is required to use the RIF procedures when an employee is faced with separation or downgrading for a reason such as reorganization, lack of work, shortage of funds, insufficient personnel ceiling, or the exercise of certain reemployment or restoration rights. OPM guidance issued late last month said agencies are allowed to issue RIF notices during a government shutdown and that employees may access their work computers to check the status of the shutdown or for RIF notices but apparently some Education Department employees didn't see the guidance before the government closed. What's the impact for K-12 schools? Public school advocates are raising alarms about the extreme downsizing at the Education Department. While they don't expect an immediate impact on most day-to-day activities of schools, they warn that the reduced levels of federal support will become more evident at local levels the longer the shutdown lasts and if agency staffing levels remain low. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For instance, students with disabilities are still entitled to special education supports through individualized education programs as guaranteed under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. States and districts are still required to comply with IDEA. But with only a handful of people working on federal special education oversight, the accountability system is in jeopardy, advocates said. "As we understand it, these RIFS affect all but a few staff and will harm students with disabilities," said Denise Marshall, CEO of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, in a Oct. 13 statement. "The action sends the message that our children are not valued and unfairly creates confusion and chaos in our schools." Marshall added that "decimating the Department of Education disrespects and ignores the requirements" of IDEA. In an Oct. 13 statement, AASA, The School Superintendents Association, expressed concern about the department's ability to oversee discretionary funding, formula grants and competitive grants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The majority of staff in both the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Office of Special Education Programs received RIF notices, and the two offices together are responsible for issuing about $44 billion annually, AASA said. "There is reason to be concerned that ED cannot effectively manage this funding without many of these staff and there could be disruptions to district and state operations including reimbursement requests," AASA said. A broad coalition of more than 350 national, state and local disability, civil rights and education organizations on Tuesday issued a statement condemning the Education Department firings, including those in the Office for Civil Rights. The coalition also specifically mentioned oversight of IDEA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title IV of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Without personnel to oversee these laws, the Department cannot provide essential leadership, oversight, guidance, or support to states and schools jeopardizing students access to a free, appropriate public education and hampering the ability of states and localities to serve all students," the statement said. The National Association of Federally Impacted Schools said most of the Impact Aid Program Office staff are believed to be among those affected by the latest layoffs. The Impact Aid Program supports districts that lose property tax revenue because of tax-exempt federal property within their boundaries. "If true, the loss of the IAP program analysts who process payments, provide technical assistance, and ensure the program runs accurately and transparently would threaten the continuity and integrity of Impact Aid, with serious consequences for school districts, including those that serve large numbers of military-connected and Native American students," the group said in a Monday statement. Washington State Superintendent Chris Reykdal said in a Monday statement that his office has not received any indication that federal funds are at risk for local school districts. The federal education grant system is active, and entities are still able to draw funds, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And despite what's happening in Washington, D.C., Reykdal said Washington state is committed to the civil rights protections of more than 155,000 students with disabilities served under IDEA. School districts in the state rely on $275 million in federal IDEA funding annually, according to Reykdal. Reykdal said Washington state has civil rights protections for students that go beyond the federal minimum protections, and the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction will continue to enforce those laws. He also said the state Legislature made significant bipartisan investments in special education in recent years. Still, he said, without federal special education staff available to perform audits, provide technical assistance and complete investigations, the layoffs "remove several of the safeguards that the federal government has put in place, and the extent of the impacts to services for students and families is not yet known." What's happening in the courts? The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, and other unions are seeking a temporary restraining order to reverse the RIFs across the federal government. A hearing on that request which came in litigation originally filed against OMB on Sept. 30 in U.S. District Court in California is scheduled for Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court has taken up several cases in recent months regarding the Trump administration's efforts to fire federal workers. The justices, in an emergency decision in New York v. McMahon, in July allowed the Education Departments March 11 RIFs to take effect. Lower courts are also addressing Education Department staffing reductions, including in a challenge to the firing of about half of the staff at OCR earlier this year. Meanwhile, all eyes remain on Congress as to when the lawmakers may begin to seriously negotiate their way out of the spending impasse that is keeping the wheels of government from turning. Recommended Reading As Americans continue to have divergent views on President Donald Trump's administration, a coalition of national and local organizers is planning hundreds of protests across the country Oct. 18 to condemn the country's leadership. Organizers are branding Saturday's mass demonstrations as "No Kings Day," which is a critique of Trump administration actions that protesters believe are authoritarian. This is the second mass protest organized under the "No Kings" moniker. The first, on June 14, drew more than 4,000 people to the Indiana Statehouse on a rain-soaked day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There's a lot of positive buzz," said Monty Hulse, leader of Indivisible Central Indiana. "We are anticipating at least as many as the earlier one, and I wouldn't be surprised to see some increase." Since taking office in January, Trump has taken several steps challenging the extent of his powers and presidential norms. His approval rating has remained steady around 40%, with some pollsters reporting a few points higher, according to several recent polls. Why are people protesting Saturday, Oct. 18? Anti-Trump protests are typically themed with phrases broadly centered on democracy or resistance, such as "Good Trouble" or "Hands off!" These demonstrations also stress a commitment to nonviolence. "We just deliver that message to Indiana's leaders that we want them to support our communities, not some national agenda," Hulse said. "We really want to have people go away with hope, a prophetic belief that what we can do will overcome the threats that are facing us right now." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This movement's protesters show up with signs and motives for a wide breadth of issues. In the past, attendees have focused on immigration, foreign policy, federal spending cuts, civil rights, reproductive rights, the stripping of diversity commitments and tariffs. The federal government shutdown will likely emerge as a key talking point for attendees this time as the White House and U.S. Congress fight over health care affordability and government spending. Saturday will be the 18th day of the shutdown. Redistricting will also be a key rallying topic for Hoosiers, Hulse said. Vice President JD Vance visited the state last week as Gov. Mike Braun and the General Assembly inch toward a potential special session to redraw congressional maps to add at least one more Republican seat. More: 'No Kings' rallies return to Indiana Oct. 18. What protesters can, can't do under the law When and where is the Indianapolis "No Kings" protest? Demonstrators will gather from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, on the south lawn of the Indiana Statehouse. Multiple speakers will address the crowd with a focus on "the challenges that are coming from a complicit state government" and how to support those impacted by this administration's actions, Hulse said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Typically, protesters march around the Statehouse counterclockwise to traffic throughout the event. At larger protests, people may also pool onto the east steps of the Statehouse. No road closures have been announced as of Oct. 15. Protests often slow traffic on the streets bordering the Statehouse: Washington Street, Capitol Avenue and Ohio Street. Often, drivers slow down to honk in support, or protesters flood crosswalks. Before the protest, organizers are also planning a three-pronged march to the Statehouse along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. And at 11 a.m., Hulse said, attendees can browse an activist fair where they can learn about and get involved with local organizers. Music will also be played. What about other Indiana communities? As of Oct. 15, at least 44 "No Kings" demonstrations are planned throughout the state in all major and mid-sized cities. Organizers in several small cities, such as Brookville and La Porte, will also host protests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A full list of planned protests is available on the No Kings website. Who is organizing the Indianapolis protest? Indivisible Central Indiana is the lead organizer, according to the event page, but a handful of local anti-Trump advocacy groups are involved to encourage people to go and pool resources. The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, MADVoters Indiana, Women4Change Indiana, Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis and Indivisible South Central Indiana are also co-organizers. Over 20 other activist organizations will also be present, Hulse said. What is 50501? Does Indiana have a chapter? "No Kings" protests were born out of the volunteer-led 50501 movement, which stands for 50 protests in 50 states on 1 day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Indianapolis, organizers were responsible for themed demonstrations, including "Hands off!" on April 5, "May Day" on May 1, "No Kings" on June 14 and "Good Trouble" on July 17. The Indiana chapter of 50501 was a central organizer of those events, but it has since disbanded after infighting divided its organizers. Leading up to Oct. 18, several existing and new protest groups have grown their presence in Indianapolis. How do protest organizers, police estimate crowd size? One point of conversation around protests is always the measure of how many people attended. Event organizers often use clickers and other approaches to estimate attendance. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department estimates crowd sizes using aerial technology, on-the-ground observations, and experience from past events of similar scale, a spokesperson told IndyStar in June. For example, IMPD has previously used drones to get a clearer view of crowd density. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eric Larsen contributed reporting. The USA TODAY Network - Indiana's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. Have a story to tell? Reach Cate Charron by email at ccharron@indystar.com, on X at @CateCharron or Signal at @cate.charron.28. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 'No Kings' protest will take place at Indiana Statehouse Oct. 18 BISHKEK (Reuters) -Kyrgyzstans economy grew by 10% year-on-year in the first nine months of 2025, with gross domestic product (GDP) reaching around $13.7 billion, the state statistics committee said on Wednesday. According to official data, growth was driven by construction, industry, trade and mining. The construction sector expanded by almost 30%, while wholesale and retail trade rose by 11%. Public debt rose to $8.4 billion as of July 31, up $1.9 billion from a year earlier. Mountainous, mostly Muslim Kyrgyzstan was traditionally dependent on migrants working in Russia, but has experienced rapid economic growth since the war in Ukraine and Western sanctions on Russia rerouted supply chains via third countries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Azamat Akeneev, chief economic expert at the National Institute for Strategic Studies, said that Kyrgyzstan, which is in a customs union with Russia, was outperforming its neighbours thanks to its role in circumventing Western sanctions on Moscow. He said: "Because of sanctions, the country has become a kind of offshore hub for Russian companies using Kyrgyzstans financial system to settle their issues." The U.S. and UK have sanctioned several Kyrgyz banks they accuse of facilitating Russian sanctions-busting. Kyrgyzstan is holding snap parliamentary elections on November 30, which analysts say are aimed at bolstering the authority of President Sadyr Japarov, a populist and nationalist who has clamped down on opposition in what was previously Central Asia's most democratic country. (Reporting by Aigerim Turgunbaeva, Writing by Felix Light; Editing by Sharon Singleton) Fesia Davenport, Los Angeles Countys chief executive officer, received a $2-million settlement this summer due to professional fallout from Measure G, a voter-approved ballot measure that will soon make her job obsolete, according to a letter she wrote to the countys top lawyer. Davenport wrote in the July 8 letter, which was released by the county counsel through a public record request Tuesday, that she had been seeking $2 million in damages for "reputational harm, embarrassment, and physical, emotional and mental distress caused by the Measure G. Under Measure G, which voters approved last November, the county chief executive, who manages the county government and oversees its budget, will be elected by voters instead of appointed by the board. The elected county executive will be in place by 2028. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Measure G is an unprecedented event, and has had, and will continue to have, an unprecedented impact on my professional reputation, health, career, income, and retirement, Davenport wrote to county counsel Dawyn Harrison. My hope is that after setting aside the amount of my ask, that there can be a true focus on what the real issues are here - measure G has irrevocably changed my life, my professional career, economic outlook, and plans for the future. The existence of the $2-million settlement, finalized in mid-August, was first reported Tuesday by LAist. It was unclear then what the settlement was for. Davenport, a longtime county employee, was appointed chief executive in 2021. Under the terms of the settlement, Davenport cannot sue the county, including for "any claims arising out of the facts and circumstances surrounding the enactment of the ballot proposition known as 'Measure G.' " Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Davenport began a medical leave last week and told staff she expects to be back early next year. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the settlement. Davenport's Aug. 12 letter stated that other department heads had received significant payments upon departure. She noted the prior chief executive officer, Sachi Hamai, had received $1.5 million. The letter also makes an apparent reference to Mary Wickham and Rodrigo Castro-Silva, mentioning the former county attorneys by their last names. Wickham received about $449,000 in severance pay and Castro-Silva received $213,000, according to records obtained by The Times. "My circumstance is different in that I am not seeking to leave, and I have suffered damages, through no fault of my own," she wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn first announced Measure G in July 2024 , branding it as a long-overdue overhaul to the countys sluggish bureaucracy. Under the charter amendment, the number of supervisors increased to nine and the county chief executive will now be elected. On Aug. 12, 2024, a few weeks after the announcement, Davenport wrote a letter to Horvath saying the measure had impugned her professional reputation and would end her career at least two years earlier than she expected, according to another letter released Tuesday through a public records request. This has been a tough six weeks for me, Davenport wrote in her letter. It has created uncomfortable, awkward interactions between me and my CEO team (they are concerned), me and other departments heads (they are apologetic), and even County outsiders (they think I am being fired). Horvath said in a statement the ballot measure created a "more transparent and accountable government." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Ive said it before and Ill say it again: L.A. County government is broken," she said. "Measure G, which was approved by L.A. County voters, puts the power back in the hands of the people." The position of elected CEO was by far the most controversial part of Measure G. Supporters said that making the chief executive elected rather than appointed would bring more accountability to one of the countys most powerful posts. Opponents warned it would consolidate too much power with one person and bring politics into a fundamentally bureaucratic position. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors this week approved a state of emergency that could benefit tenants and others hurt by the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. The action Tuesday is one of most sweeping efforts by local authorities to push back at raids that have targeted several major American cities since the summer and comes amid weeks of clashes among immigration officers, protesters and others on the streets of Chicago. The proclamation allows local agencies to expedite the hiring of government positions needed to assist tenants and sets the stage for a future eviction moratorium for households that have lost income due to the raids. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In June, Los Angeles County became the first area under the current Trump administration to see widespread immigration raids in public, which netted thousands of people, and local officials say they are using those experiences to craft protections. The raids have prompted some to go underground out of fear of being arrested. A study from UC Merced calculated that the mass deportation of Californias undocumented residents who make up an estimated 8% of Californias workforce would create a $275-billion hole in the states economy. The proclamation, introduced by Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn, allows the country to coordinate interagency response and request state and federal assistance to help affected communities, according to a news release from Horvath. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: 'It's going to get ugly': L.A. immigrants fear the worst as Supreme Court allows raids to resume Whats happening in our communities is an emergency and Los Angeles County is treating it like one, Horvath said. Declaring a Local Emergency ensures that the full weight of County government is aligned to support our immigrant communities who are being targeted by federal actions. For months, families have lived under threat and workers have been taken from job sites." Tenants who can prove they are affected by the state of emergency cannot be evicted for unpaid rent under eviction moratoriums, but they still owe back rent once the moratorium expires. However, the eviction moratorium could have unintended consequences because it could mean the immigration status of residents is revealed to their landlord if they use it to fight an eviction order in court. The proclamation also faces the possibility of lawsuits or backlash from the Trump administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Historically, states of emergency have been declared during natural disasters; however, county staff said the criteria for such an action could be applied to the hardships generated by immigration raids. The proclamation will be in effect until terminated by the Board of Supervisors. Several groups that work with immigrants in the region welcomed the board's vote. "This is a step in the right direction about materially showing up for the immigrant community in Los Angeles," said Jonathan Coleman, spokesman for the Garment Worker Center. He said he knows many people who are afraid to go to work or shop because of the raids and this will help them meet basic needs like paying for food or medicine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Angelica Salas, director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, agreed. She said mixed-status families and those with small businesses could use the help. "There is a harm that we all have to confront, and maybe you aren't an immigrant and you haven't been impacted, but believe me, if we don't do anything about what's happening, then our economic well-being and the future of our region will be impacted," Salas said. The move comes as local governments across the Southland move to help immigrants caught up in the raids. Top California officials, including Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom have decried the raids. In July, Bass announced a plan to provide direct cash assistance to people who have been affected. The aid will be distributed using cash cards with a couple hundred dollars on them, which should be available in about a week, Bass said at a news conference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mayor emphasized that the money will not come from city coffers but from philanthropic partners. The cards will be distributed by immigrant rights groups such as Salas organization. Santa Ana created a $100,000 fund to help affected families cover basic necessities such as food, rent and utilities. In September, Newsom signed a package of bills aimed at protecting immigrants in schools, hospitals and other areas targeted by federal agents. He also signed a bill that bans federal agents from wearing masks, making California the first state to do so. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Oct. 15 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors declared a state of emergency in the county because of the federal immigration roundups happening in the area. The county declaration said it found a 62% drop in average weekly earnings among immigrants and 71% had returned to work, though they feared deportation. "We have entire families who are destitute because their fathers or mothers were taken from their workplaces," said Supervisor Janice Hahn, CBS News reported. "I want our immigrant communities to know that we are in this emergency with them, we see them and we understand what they are going through." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The county is home to more than 3 million immigrants, ABC News reported. The Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raids have caused "widespread fear," leading to "decreased attendance at workplaces, disruption of local economies, and strain on critical services such as schools, hospitals, and places of worship." The board approved the declaration by a 4-1 vote. The one dissenting voter, Supervisor Kathryn Barger, said hers was a dissent on procedure, not the intent of the declaration. With the declaration, the supervisors can enact a moratorium on evictions and give other protections to those suffering from immigration operations. "For months, families have lived under threat and workers have been taken from job sites," said County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath. "This proclamation is about action and speed -- it allows us to move faster, coordinate better, and use every tool available to protect and stabilize our communities. We will continue to stand with our immigrant neighbors -- today, and for as long as it takes." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The LA Tenants Union has lobbied for the moratorium. Last month, the supervisors approved rent relief for those affected by the wildfires in January and immigration operations. In November 2024, Los Angeles declared itself a sanctuary city to protect immigrants from deportation. In June, ICE agents began sweeps of the city, and protesters took to the streets. Then President Donald Trump sent the state's National Guard to the city, despite protests from residents and politicians. In September, the state passed a law banning police and federal agents from wearing face coverings. (COLORADO) High School Seniors from across Colorado have two days left to apply for the Daniels Scholarship by the deadline of Friday, Oct. 17, for the chance at having the full cost of college or university covered. The Daniels Scholarship Program provides the opportunity for motivated students to attend any accredited nonprofit college or university in the United States. Students who choose one of 22 partner schools receive funding to cover tuition, fees, books, supplies, room and board, and other educational expenses. Students attending non-partner colleges outside the four-state region of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming are eligible to receive up to $100,000 over four years. Students attending non-partner schools within the four-state region are eligible to receive up to $30,000 over four years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Applications are open to students from Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Selection criteria for the Daniels Scholarship include strength of character, leadership potential, commitment to serving their community, academic performance or promise, well-rounded personality, emotional maturity, and stability. courtesy: Jessica Livingstone Courtesy: Daniels Fund Courtesy: Daniels Fund Courtesy: Daniels Fund Courtesy: Daniels Fund Bill Daniels encouraged young people to take a chance on themselves, and applying for this scholarship is exactly that, said Hanna Skandera, President and CEO of the Daniels Fund. If a student meets the scholarship criteria but wonders whether theyre competitive, my advice is simple: apply. Many of our Daniels Scholars and alumni once doubted they had a chance but took the leap anyway, and it changed their lives. Scholarship recipients also receive networking opportunities, exclusive educational experiences, leadership development opportunities, and career development. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What Ive gained the most from the Daniels Fund Scholarship is not even necessarily the financial portion, said Elise Clark, a former Daniels Fund Scholarship recipient. Its the community portion as well as how they want to help. There are opportunities, I guess is the way to put it. I got the most out of that in terms of events. Applications, which usually take less than an hour to complete, are due by 4 p.m. MST on Oct. 17. Finalists are notified in January, and after a personal interview process, recipients are announced in late March. Click on the link at the top of the page for more information. I believe that without the Daniels Fund Scholarship, I would not have been able to go to college, said Clark. I wouldnt have been able to afford it. And then I dont think I would have excelled as much as I did. 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 FOX21 News Colorado. Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Real estate investors made just over one-third of all single-family home purchases in Q2, according to the Q2 2025 Investor Pulse Report from BatchData and CJ Patrick Company. At 33%, this is the highest percentage of investor purchases in the last five years, up from 27% in Q1. Overall, the report says investors own about 20% of the 86 million single-family homes in the U.S. Interestingly, while the percentage of single-family homes purchased by investors rose to a five-year high, the actual number of homes purchased during the second quarter of 2025 was 16,000 fewer than a year ago, BatchData Chief Innovation Officer Ivo Draginov said in a statement. Don't Miss: Meet Flippy: The AI Robot Helping Fast Food Brands Cut Tens of Billions in Labor Costs And You Can Invest Early Accredited Investors Can Now Tap Into the $36 Trillion Home Equity Market Without Buying a Single Property "So the relatively high percentage of home purchases by investors is at least partly due to overall home sales being weaker in Q2 2025 than they were in Q2 2024," he continued. Mom-and-pop investors dominate when it comes to the type of investor making these purchases, the report found. Small investors, defined as those who own between one and five properties, held 87% of investor-owned single family homes. Perhaps contrary to popular belief, large investors, defined as those owning 1,000 or more properties, held just 2% of all investor-owned homes. In fact, the report found that large investors seem to be scaling back on property ownership, as Q2 was the sixth consecutive quarter in which large investors sold more homes than they acquired. Texas tops the list with 1.46 million investor owned properties, followed by California at 1.33 million and Florida at 1.1 million. Trending: Arrived Home's Private Credit Funds has historically paid an annualized dividend yield of 8.1%*, which provides access to a pool of short-term loans backed by residential real estate with just a $100 minimum. Tourist hot spots, and states that have experience recent population booms have also seen growth in their numbers of investor-owned properties. In Hawaii, for example, 26% of single-family homes are owned by investors. Alaska is similar, with 27% of single-family homes under investor ownership. While states like Idaho, Vermont, and Wyoming may not have reached this saturation just yet, the increase in resident migration has caused the number of investor-owned homes to slowly increase. Israel received the remains of two more hostages Wednesday, hours after the Israeli military said that one of the bodies previously turned over was not that of a hostage. The remains were transferred by the Red Cross from Hamas. After the two coffins arrived in Israel, the military in a statement cautioned that the hostages identities had yet to be verified. Meanwhile, the Gaza Health Ministry said it received 45 more bodies of Palestinians from Israel, another step in implementation of the ceasefire agreement. That brought to 90 the total number of bodies returned to Gaza for burial. The forensics team examining the remains said they showed signs of mistreatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here's the latest: Israel receives remains of 2 more hostages Israel received the remains of two more hostages Wednesday, the Red Cross said. The remains were transferred by the Red Cross from Hamas. After the two coffins arrived in Israel, the military in a statement cautioned that the hostages identities had yet to be verified. Israeli health and forensic authorities are responsible for identifying the remains of the deceased," the ICRC said in a statement verifying it facilitated the transfer. The parties must endeavor to facilitate the return of the remains of the deceased to their families. The ICRC can fulfil its functions as a neutral intermediary only through the cooperation of all actors, and within the framework of the current agreement," it said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Red Cross has received remains of 2 more Hamas hostages The Israeli military says the International Committee of the Red Cross has received the remains of two more hostages to be transferred from the Gaza Strip to Israeli custody. The transfers on Wednesday came hours after Israel said one of the bodies previously turned over was not that of a hostage, testing the fragile truce that paused the two-year war last week. Israels military said the coffins would be transferred to its forces in Gaza. The ceasefire called for all hostages living and dead to be handed over by a deadline that expired Monday. But under the deal, if that didnt happen, Hamas was to share information about deceased hostages and try to hand them over as soon as possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump says Israeli forces could resume fighting Trump, in an interview with CNN on Wednesday, said that Israeli forces could resume fighting if Hamas refuses to disarm. Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word. If Israel could go in and knock the crap of them, theyd do that, he said. Speaking about the Israel Defense Forces and Netanyahus administration, he said: I had to hold them back and I had it out with Bibi. He said Hams right now is going in and clearing out the gangs, violent gangs. But when asked if Hamas was executing innocent Palestinians, he said Im doing research on it and Well find out about it. It could be gangs plus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cyprus ready to help with security and humanitarian aid provision to Gaza The president of Cyprus says his government is ready to help with security and the provision of humanitarian aid and construction material to Gaza as part of U.S. President Donald Trumps 20-point peace plan for the Palestinian territory. President Nikos Christodoulides told the Associated Press Wednesday that the detailed proposal was presented at this weeks Gaza peace summit at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. It was compiled in consultation with the prime minister of Israel, the presidents of Egypt and the United Arab Emirates and the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council. Christodoulides didnt provide specific details about the proposal, but said that it would be discussed and refined further during next weeks EU-Egypt summit that will precede a European Council meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said the proposal builds on Cyprus initiative to establish a maritime corridor that in the last 18 months shipped 25,000 tons of donated humanitarian aid from the islands ports to Gaza, primarily through the Israeli port of Ashdod. Christodoulides said Egypt commended the proposal. WHO says it is now necessary to get urgent medical supplies into Gaza and rebuild hospitals Aid organizations are prioritizing moving aid trucks that have been sitting long at the borders into the Gaza Strip as the ceasefire holds and bringing in heavy machinery to rebuild destroyed hospitals, said the World Health Organization on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Hanan Balkhy, head of WHOs eastern Mediterranean office, told the Associated Press in Cairo that its necessary now to bring in urgent medical supplies, medications and equipment and fuel to provide instant relief to people in Gaza. Reinstalling warehouses is also a priority, said Balkhy. Since the ceasefire agreement was signed and came into effect, WHO sent eight trucks carrying health supplies, including insulin and cold chain lab kits, to its warehouse in Deir al Balah. Were having a whole lot of hope that the ceasefire will be long lasting and that we can open up and do the work that we need to do with our other U.N. agencies and with our partners on the ground, she added. Ongoing WHO missions now are focused on picking up more trucks from Kerem Shalom crossing and resupplying hospitals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WFP trucks arrive in Gaza The World Food Program said its trucks began arriving inside the Gaza Strip Wednesday for the first time in two days after crossings were closed due to the release of hostages and prisoners exchange between Israel and Hamas. Scaling up humanitarian aid into Gaza to hundreds of trucks going in daily is also part of the ceasefire deal. However, Israel said Tuesday it would cut the number of trucks, saying Hamas was too slow to return the bodies of hostages, according to Our trucks crossed into Gaza, but its still early days in the ceasefire, and the situation remains unpredictable, said Abeer Etefa, WFP spokesperson. Were hopeful that access will improve in the coming days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Etefa said fewer than 200 WFP trucks made it through on Sunday. We are scaling up our bakery and nutrition programs and have successfully begun organizing food distributions in several areas of Gaza. Food distribution programs in Gaza have been hampered by widespread military operations, Israeli restrictions, chaos and insecurity. Palestinians await identification of 90 bodies Israel handed over Palestinians awaited information about the 90 bodies that arrived at Nasser Hospital on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of the ceasefire deal. The forensics team described disturbing conditions, with the bodies bearing signs of physical abuse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sameh Hamad, a member of a commission tasked with receiving the bodies at Khan Younis Nasser Hospital, said some arrived with their hands and legs cuffed. There are signs of torture and executions, he told The Associated Press. The bodies, he said, belonged to men ages 25 to 70, and most of them still had straps around their necks, while one had a rope, he said. Though most were brought in civilian clothing, some were in camouflage uniforms. Hamad said the Red Cross had provided names for only three of the dead, leaving many families in limbo. Rasmiya Qudeih, 52, waited outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, hoping her son was among the 45 bodies transferred on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement God willing, he will be, she said. Israel is expected to hand over more bodies in the coming days, though officials have not said how many are in its custody or how many will be returned. US top military official in the Mideast urges Hamas to stop shooting Palestinian civilians This came after reports that the group's fighters clashed with armed parties and killed alleged gangsters in what it described as an effort to restore law and order. We strongly urge Hamas to immediately suspend violence and shooting innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza in both Hamas-held parts of Gaza and those secured by the IDF behind the Yellow Line, said Admiral Brad Cooper of the United States Central Command, referring to the initial ceasefire line dividing zones of control in Gaza. He used an acronym of the Israeli military. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The call came a day after President Donald Trump said the clashes left him unbothered and did not affect the agreement that could pave the way for Hamas' disarmament. Dozens pay respects to Guy Illouz Illouz was a hostage whose body was released from captivity on Monday. Dozens gathered Wednesday on bridges in Tel Aviv overlooking the highway to pay their last respects as a convoy drove his body to the cemetery. I came because I fought for them to come home, and as I was happy for the ones who came back alive, its now time to bow our heads for those who didnt, said Shlomit Grouda, a Tel Aviv resident, as she stood on a pedestrian overpass with an Israeli flag. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement UN humanitarian chief says Israel must allow more aid into Gaza The United Nations humanitarian chief warned Wednesday that hopes pinned on last weeks ceasefire deal are slipping, as aid groups again struggle to deliver needed supplies into Gaza to ease hunger, disease and collapsing sanitation. Tom Fletcher called on Hamas to make efforts to return the bodies of deceased hostages and Israel to allow for the surge in aid as stipulated in the agreement. We made progress clearing roads and reopening bakeries. We shared in the joy and relief of families reunited. But yesterday we faced further setbacks to that implementation, Fletcher, the U.N. undersecretary for humanitarian affairs, said. As Israel has agreed, they must allow the massive surge of humanitarian aid thousands of trucks a week on which so many lives depend, and on which the world has insisted, he added, pushing Israel to open more border crossings to deliver aid into Gaza. His remarks followed an announcement by COGAT, the Israeli military body overseeing aid, that only half the expected 600 trucks would enter Gaza on Wednesday, after two days of closure for hostage exchanges and Tuesdays Jewish holiday. It was not immediately clear whether Israel would withhold deliveries amid questions about the return of deceased hostages. COGAT declined to comment on the number of trucks expected to enter Gaza on Wednesday. Bodies of more Palestinians returned to Gaza Israel has transferred the bodies of more Palestinians to Gaza as part of the ceasefire deal, according to officials at Nasser hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis. An Associated Press journalist at the facility saw three trucks carrying the bodies arriving at the hospital. Bodies recovered from under rubble brought to Gaza hospitals The Palestinian Health Ministry said Wednesday the bodies of 19 people have been brought to hospitals in Gaza over the past 24 hours. They include 16 bodies that were recovered from under the rubble, the ministry said in its daily report. Hospitals also received 35 wounded. That has brought the death toll from the Israel-Hamas war to 67,938 since Oct. 7, 2023, the ministry said. Another 169,638 have been wounded, it said. The ministry said it didnt add the 45 bodies that Israel transferred to Gaza on Tuesday to its tally. EU says it's ready to deploy humanitarian mission The European Union said on Wednesday it is on standby to deploy a long-standing humanitarian mission, known as EUBAM, at the Rafah border crossing in Gaza if conditions on the ground improve. EUBAM remains on standby to deploy to the Rafah crossing point in support of the Gaza peace plan as soon as conditions allow, said Anouar El Anouni, a spokesperson for the European Commission. He did not elaborate on those conditions. We remain on standby and we stand ready to deploy at short notice. The European Border Assistance Mission in Rafah on the Gaza-Egypt border began in 2005. The EU, which has provided key support for the Palestinian Authority, pledged to help flood Gaza with humanitarian aid. It said it could extend a police support program already operating in the West Bank to Gaza to buttress a stabilization force called for in the current peace plan from U.S. President Donald Trump. Outrage over the war has riven the 27-nation bloc and pushed relations between Israel and the EU to a historic low. Aid trucks head for Gaza The Egyptian Red Crescent said at least 400 trucks carrying food, fuel, and medical supplies were bound for the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. The announcement comes as Israel and Hamas fight over the slow return of the bodies of deceased hostages. On Tuesday, the Israeli defense body overseeing humanitarian aid in Gaza, COGAT, notified humanitarian organizations Tuesday that it would allow into Gaza only half the 600 daily aid trucks called for under the deal. It was not immediately clear whether it was following through on the threat. COGAT declined to comment on the number of trucks expected to enter Gaza on Wednesday. Palestinian center seeks information on bodies returned The Palestinian Center for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared Persons urged Israel to provide all available information on bodies returned to Gaza, including names of the victims and details about the circumstances of their deaths. The center said it received information that some of the bodies that were transferred Tuesday were only partial remains, raising concerns about the circumstances of their death and detention. It called on Israel to immediately release all bodies in its custody, as well as provide information about the fate of forcibly disappeared Palestinians since the start of the war in Gaza two years ago. The center said between 8,000 and 9,000 Palestinians have been missing or forcibly disappeared since the start of the war. CHICAGO Division Street between Western and California, the heart of the Puerto Rican community in Chicago, has experienced an economic burst the last couple of months with the opening a handful of new Latino-owned businesses. Its a welcomed development in a neighborhood that has been fighting total gentrification for decades. Thirty years ago, giant steel flags were hoisted in Humboldt Park, not only to frame the most Puerto Rican street in Chicago, but to make sure that it wouldnt loose its identity as such when gentrification kept coming west on division street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Chicago muralist uses art to uplift youth and celebrate Latino culture Back in 2016 former alderman and current CEO of the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture Billy Ocasio told WGN News that the flags were actually working. But it hasnt been an easy three decades with rent and property taxes sky rocketing in Humboldt Park. Division Street has seen its fair share of empty store fronts. Thats why the opening of five new Latino owned businesses in the last two months has been a welcomed sight. More: Hispanic Heritage Month State Representative for the 4th District Lillian Jimenez credits the designation of Division Street as a state cultural district back in 2023 for the retail burst of the last few weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What we are talking about with cultural district is using the power of the state to try and help businesses stay in place and grow in place, Jimenez said. Pe Erre Domino Club opened its doors in June at 2558 W. Division. Ya Ready Boutique at 2735 W Division one of the few clothing stores in Humboldt Park. Saras Cocina is the new version of an old spot on Division Street And the newest kids on the block are Smash Jibarito at 2534 Division. WGNs Ana Beleval visited these new businesses that are bringing a breath of fresh air to the neighborhood. 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 WGN-TV. (The Center Square) New joint state legislative General Investigative Committees have been launched to investigate widespread local preparedness and response failures at the local level related to the July 2025 Hill Country flood disaster. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows appointed members to state Senate and House General Investigating Committees as part of an ongoing legislative response to the disaster that took nearly 200 peoples lives, including dozens of children. Earlier this year, the Texas Senate and House held joint hearings after the devastating flash flood event swept away mostly campers and vacationers, pets, homes and camper vans in Hunt, Ingram and surrounding areas in the Hill Country. At one hearing in Kerrville, they learned that the three men in charge of Kerr County safety were unavailable, The Center Square reported. They also uncovered multiple problems with the river authority tasked with monitory flood warnings and implementing a flood warning system, The Center Square reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response, lawmakers proposed and passed legislation to improve emergency response and oversight of flood warning systems, technology and preparedness, and camp safety requirements, among other measures, The Center Square reported. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the flood relief and camp safety reform bills into law. State lawmakers also passed two resolutions, SR 2 and HR 177, to examine the facts and circumstances surrounding the flooding events which occurred on or about July 4, 2025. They are investigating all factors contributing to the floods; allocation of resources to and effectiveness of flood disaster preparedness and response; and operations of and coordination between local, state, and federal governmental entities with regard to flood prevention, disaster preparedness, and response, the House resolution states. The tragedy at Camp Mystic and the flooding disasters this summer have left a devastating impact on Texas families, communities, and our entire state, Burrows said in a statement. As Texans work to rebuild and recover, it is the responsibility of the legislature to understand what went wrong and ensure our state is better prepared for future emergencies. While progress was made during the second special session to bolster Texans safety, the magnitude of this tragedy demands a comprehensive and thorough review. The investigative committees will work together to examine the contributing factors to the devastation at Camp Mystic and identify ways to strengthen the states preparedness and response to flooding and other natural disasters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The committees will meet jointly. Patrick appointed five senators: Sens. Pete Flores as Chair and Charles Perry as Vice Chair; and Sens. Bryan Hughes, Lois Kolkhorst and Jose Menendez. Burrows appointed five representatives: Reps. Morgan Meyer as Chair and Joe Moody as Vice-Chair; and Reps. Drew Darby, Paul Dyson and Erin Gamez. Patrick said their goal is to get to the bottom of exactly what occurred. This committees task is to examine the facts and circumstances surrounding the July flooding, including actions taken at youth summer camps. The families who lost their precious daughters deserve answers, as do all Texans, on exactly what happened on July 4th. Referring to the girls Christian camp in Hunt, Texas, where 27 girls died, including two counselors, he said, Camp Mystic has not spoken publicly on the record as to what happened that morning. They will be invited to testify, as will others involved in this flooding event. The camp has come under criticism for lack of preparedness and response. The remains of all 27 girls have been found except for Cile Steward, 8. Just two months after flood waters hit Camp Mystic, its leaders announced they were reopening next year. Cici and Will Steward, Ciles parents, said that decision was unthinkable and made without consulting the parents of the 27 girls who died. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our families remain trapped in the deepest throes of grief, yet your communications treat our never-ending nightmare as little more than a brief pause before resuming business as usual. Worse still, you are preparing to invite children to swim in the very river that may still hold our daughters body when you plan to open your gates. Had you paused to reflect or simply consulted with any one of our families you might have spared grieving families the additional anguish your decisions now cause, they wrote camp leaders. They also called on them to halt all discussion of reopening and memorials and fully confront and account for your role in the events and failures that caused the deaths of our daughters. Anything less dishonors the children who were killed while in your care at a time when their safety was your primary responsibility. Camp Mystic said it was partially reopening because of its commitment to continue the nearly century-long mission and ministry of Camp Mystic to provide a Christian camping experience for girls that allows them to grow physically, mentally and spiritually. Patrick said he was shocked to see Camp Mystic begin signing up campers for next year with so many questions unanswered about what happened that fateful morning. County leaders responsible for emergency management on July 4 have yet to resign. Charleston packs a punch as a vacation destination, bringing in more than $14 billion last year to account for nearly half of South Carolina's tourism economic impact, per the Charleston Regional Business Journal. Lawmakers have proposed a sweeping ban they suggest could safeguard Charleston's status well into the future but not everyone's on board. The Post and Courier reported that the Charleston County Environmental Management Committee is weighing a proposal to expand a ban on thick plastic bags. Back in 2019, the council outlawed single-use plastic bags, which went into effect on January 1, 2020. Several years later, Charleston implemented a ban on thick plastic bags, promoting the adoption of machine-washable fabric bags and recyclable bags with a 125-usage minimum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, unincorporated parts of the county still allow thick plastic bags, ultimately contributing to environmental contamination in Charleston's public areas and waterways. Given that plastics contain toxic chemicals and never fully break down in nature, this is more than merely a blemish on the city's reputation. It is also a public health nightmare and a threat to biodiversity in South Carolina waters, which support ecotourism activities such as whale watching. Marine life can become sick or die after mistaking plastic for food. "They're the bane of my existence," councilman Joe Boykin said of plastic bags to the Post and Courier. "If you've spent the time that I have pulling them out of the marsh, the river, the sides of the road just an eyesore to look at and a pain in the rear to clean up." If Charleston County expands its plastic ban, businesses would face fines of $100 and $200 for their first and second violations, respectively, if they run afoul of the law. After that, each fine within a year's time would carry a $500 fee. The sheriff's office would enforce the legislation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The amendment is not a sure thing, though. While the environmental management committee voted three to one in support of the legislation, multiple lawmakers expressed reservations. Councilman Brantley Moody described the proposed fees as "draconian," particularly for small businesses working with razor-thin profit margins, according to the Post and Courier. When affordable alternatives are not widely available, plastic bans eat into their bottom lines. To mitigate these impacts, Charleston allows businesses within city limits, which are subject to these bans, to request exemptions. Elsewhere, grant programs have supported similar initiatives to reduce plastic waste. City Council wrapped up its initial reading of the proposal on Sept. 30 and will make a decision after completing its final two readings. "I really hope people realize that just because it's heavy plastic, that doesn't mean people are going to reuse it. So if we just take away plastic altogether, that really just helps us move away from that and just do better for the environment," Sustainability Institute director of conservation Marni Friedman said, per WCSC Live 5 News. Do you think the government should ban gas-powered lawn tools? No way Definitely Only certain tools I don't know Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. The European Union has decided to relax its rules on water quality in member states, threatening the well-being of local waterways. What's happening? The recent revision to Europe's Water Framework Directive will enable groundwater to contain ten times more chemical pollution from medicine, according to Euronews. The EU also downgraded measures of a proposal that capped the amount of pharmaceuticals in groundwater a step that narrows rules for some substances and leaves others completely untouched by regulation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Leaders justified the measures by noting a need to strike a balance between environmental protection and the unnecessary burden on the daily lives of citizens. "These regulations protect water quality without overregulation with scientific integrity at the centre. We have focused on the most harmful substances and avoided unnecessary burdens, always based on the latest scientific findings," said Member of the European Parliament Hildegard Bentele, the European People's Party's main negotiator on the measure, according to Euronews. Why is pulling back measures on Europe's Water Framework Directive concerning? The 2000 Water Framework Directive is the EU's primary legislation for the protection of waterways through proper waste disposal. Even with the existing measures in place, a 2025 report found that only 39.5% of surface water bodies, rivers, lakes, and coastal waters are considered to be in "good ecological status," with a damning 26.8% in "good chemical status." Pharmaceutical chemical pollution notwithstanding, the effects of other pollutants like microplastics, forever chemicals, pesticides, and more leaking into waterways jeopardize EU water quality significantly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The rollbacks were called out as shortsighted and detrimental to the holistic long-term health of local ecosystems across Europe. "This progress [agreement after three years of negotiations] is severely undermined by the excessive timelines member states gave themselves to limit pollution in EU waters. This weakens the Water Framework Directive's potential as a tool for prevention," said the European Environmental Bureau's Sara Johansson, a senior policy officer who specializes in water pollution, per Euronews. What's being done about these changes to water quality measures? The agreement still needs to be signed off on by the European Parliament before taking effect. However, lawmakers like Michal Wiezik warn that the effects of these rollbacks could be permanent should they come to fruition. "If action is not taken now, the costs of restoring the quality status of water will be astronomic when compared to preventive measures," he said, per Euronews. How often do you worry about the quality of your drinking water? Never Sometimes Often Always Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Today, lead exposure directly correlates to a post-industrialized world. However, new evidence indicates that exposure to the poisonous element is not necessarily a new issue. Based on an interdisciplinary approach to geoarchaeological analysis, Homo sapiens and our hominid ancestors have struggled with the lead for over two million years. According to a study published on October 15 in Science Advances, leads influence is so pervasive that it may have affected the evolution of human brains, behavior, and even our language. Whats more, our ability to withstand some of the metals worst impacts may also partly explain how we outlasted our cousins, the Neanderthals. The state of lead today Lead exposure remains a public health issue around the world, even after decades of remediation efforts. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the toxic metal contributed to over 1.5 million deaths globally in 2021. It also continues to negatively affect the physical and neurological development of children, often leading to lower test scores, behavioral issues, hearing problems, and anemia. Despite this knowledge, lead is still used to manufacture many vehicle batteries, ceramics, cosmetics, and other everyday items. Meanwhile, even drinking water can be susceptible to contamination due to lead leaching into water supplies through outdated plumbing systems. Laboratory experiments with brain organoids carrying either modern or archaic NOVA1 genes examined the effects of lead on brain development, with a focus on FOXP2, a gene central to speech and language. Credit: University of California San Diego Teeth tell a different story For years, experts largely agreed that lead exposure is a modern crisis almost entirely tied to industrial projects including smelting, mining, and the longtime use of leaded gasoline. While this is partly true, an international team of archaeologists, geneticists, and chemists are confident that hominids have ingested the metal at various times over millions of years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The evidence comes from 51 fossilized teeth from Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, as well as great ape species such as Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus. After analyzing the teeth with a technique known as high-precision laser-ablation geochemistry, the researchers identified clear lead bands formed inside the teeth as their dentine and enamel grew during each specimens childhood. Our data show that lead exposure wasnt just a product of the Industrial Revolutionit was part of our evolutionary landscape, Renaud Joannes-Boyau, head of the Geoarchaeology and Archaeometry Research Group (GARG) at Australias Southern Cross University, said in a statement. Instead of lead paint or gasoline, exposure millions of years ago would have come from soil and water contamination sometimes exacerbated by volcanic activity. The metal is even occasionally released by a bodys own bone stores during times of sickness or stress. This means that the brains of our ancestors developed under the influence of a potent toxic metal, which may have shaped their social behavior and cognitive abilities over millennia, added Joannes-Boyau. Using human brain organoids (miniature, lab-grown models of the brain), the team compared the effects of lead on two versions of a key developmental gene called NOVA1, a gene known to orchestrate gene expression upon lead exposure during neurodevelopment. The modern human version of NOVA1 is different from that found in Neanderthals and other extinct hominids. Credit: University of California San Diego Brain organoids and NOVA1 To test how lead exposure may have affected evolutionary cognitive development, Joannes-Boyau and colleagues turned to experts in brain organoids. Formed by directing stem cell growth in a lab, brain organoids function as miniature models of the mind that scientists can use as a proxy for studying the human brain. In this case, researchers grew organoids to test leads influence on two variants of a gene tied to neurodevelopment called NOVA1. Scientists have long known Homo sapiens version of NOVA1 differs from the NOVA1 in Neanderthals and our other extinct relatives, but lacked an explanation for this feature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One possible reason showed itself soon after the brain organoids were exposed to lead. In the older examples of NOVA1, the metal disrupted neurons in the cortex and thalamustwo brain regions largely responsible for speech and language development. But this disruption wasnt as severe an issue in organoids displaying modern human NOVA1 genes. Our work not only rewrites the history of lead exposure, it also reminds us that the interaction between our genes and the environment has been shaping our species for millions of years, and continues to do so, said Joannes-Boyau. With a more solid understanding of humanitys genetic journey, researchers may be able to better mitigate the worst effects of lead exposure, particularly during childhood development. According to UC San Diego pediatric cellular medicine researcher Alysson Muotri, the findings suggest an extraordinary example of environmental pressure driving evolution. In this case, lead toxicity could have driven genetic changes that improved survival and our ability to communicate using language, the study co-author explained before cautioning that those very changes now also influence our vulnerability to modern lead exposure. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) Leaders in Montgomery launched the Alabama Digital Education Network Tuesday. That could be a good takeaway from this program this program has no age said Jay Johnson, graduate of the Apple Foundation Program. The Alabama Digital Education Network is bringing Apples curriculum, and learning spaces, to rural areas of Alabama. Its an initiative that will teach people how to code, create apps, and use artificial intelligence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnson said he and his group created an app that designers can use through the program. At the end of the day, anyone who needs to understand and learn a new skill set they can help them understand technology better, he said. If they want to just upskill their opportunity, when were talking about employment-wise, or even just having the knowledge. With that new skill set, other students even created an app and an AI assistant to help people find food pantries in the state. Birmingham City Council approves $1.2 million for Legion Field renovations House speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) said this initiative will build an even stronger workforce. It helps us with IT, it helps us advance with technology and AI in todays world. Giving people the opportunity to come to learn and get certified through Apple its a big deal, he remarked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro) said the new course and learning spaces will reach all 18 Black Belt counties. What were doing the training theyre gonna get, its gonna give us an opportunity. That training is provided in a collaboration with Birmingham-based tech company Ed Farm, Apple, Alabama Power, Alabama State University, and others. Waymond Jackson, president of Ed Farm, said even if you dont want to pursue a career in tech, the training will promote critical thinking skills. Its really equipping these learners with those skills, said Jackson. They can go be successful in any job within this state that exists, or a job that they create on their own. Jackson said 90% of jobs will require digital skills by 2030. To learn more about how you can take technology courses through Ed Farm, you can go here. 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 CBS 42. NEED TO KNOW At least 16 people died, and others were injured after a fire at a garment factory and chemical facility in Bangladesh "The victims could not escape because the roof door was locked," fire official Talha Bin Zasim said Bangladesh was also the site of another fatal garment factory incident in April 2013 that killed over 1,100 people A fire that burned for over a day tore through a garment factory and chemical facility in Bangladesh, killing at least 16 people and injuring others, officials said. The blaze erupted in Dhaka on Tuesday, Oct. 14, impacting both a factory and a chemical warehouse, Reuters, BBC News and The New York Times reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The victims could not escape because the roof door was locked," fire official Talha Bin Zasim said, according to Reuters. "Most of them died from inhaling toxic gas, rather than burns." Fire authorities said the chemical facility lacked a fire safety clearance, BBC News reported. Fire official Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury said that authorities are still trying to track down the owners of the two impacted buildings, according to the outlet. It's unclear which structure the fire originated in. Amid the destruction, a man arrived to try to find his daughter, Farzana Akhter, according to Reuters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My daughter worked there. When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still havent found her," he told the outlet. "I just want my daughter back. Md. Rakibul Hasan Rafiu/NurPhoto via AP At least 16 people were killed by a fire in Bangladesh. At least 16 people were killed by a fire in Bangladesh. Workers at Dhaka Medical College Hospital are identifying the victims' bodies after the fire was brought under control on Wednesday, Oct. 15, nearly 27 hours after it broke out, according to Reuters. 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. Some tell us to go to the police, others to the hospitals, but no one gives us clear information," Mohammad Sohel told Reuters as he searched for his brother, Mohammad Robin, who worked in the area. "We are being misled again and again." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bangladesh was also the site of another fatal garment factory incident in April 2013, when the Rana Plaza structure collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people, according to the reports. Read the original article on People KANSAS CITY, Mo. A 24-year-old mother was sentenced Wednesday in Leavenworth County District Court for the death of her 1-year-old daughter back in 2023. Liberti N. Figueroa was convicted in August of two counts of aggravated endangerment of a child after her infant daughter, Saraphina Avarose Sanchez, died from head-related injuries. The jury acquitted her of involuntary manslaughter during the two-day trial. Woman pleads guilty to setting former coworkers home on fire in Westwood Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During a sentencing hearing on Wednesday, Figueroa was sentenced to six months in prison on each charge, for a total of 12 months. The judge suspended the sentence and placed Figueroawho had already served 170 days in the Leavenworth County Jailon probation. Court records state that on the evening of Oct. 18, 2023, officers were called to the Woodland Village Apartments after it was reported that a 1-year-old girl who was not breathing. The girl was taken to a hospital for multiple injuries and died later that night, police said. Just a day later, FOX4 talked to Figueroa, who placed the blame on her husband. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He says, Oh no! Your son dropped her out of a crib. My son is four! Four! My daughter has been bleeding like that, and hes four. He wouldnt do that to her, Figueroa told FOX4 on Oct. 19, 2023. See the latest headlines in Kansas City and across Kansas, Missouri Court records say Figueroa had left for work the morning of Oct. 18, 2023, at about 9 a.m. She had asked her then-boyfriend to watch her baby, as well as her other child. According to investigators, Figueroa described her boyfriend as not being a very responsible person, and that, before she left for work, the baby had been sick and sleeping. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Figueroa returned to the apartment at about 1 p.m., but court records say she didnt check on her baby until 4 p.m. She told investigators her friends had come over to smoke marijuana inside the apartment. Further investigations revealed she had even left the home at some point to buy marijuana before returning. After several hours of believing her daughter was asleep, she eventually asked her boyfriend to check on the baby, she told FOX4 in a 2023 interview. By the time she saw her daughter, she said it was apparent the child had been badly injured. Download WDAF+ for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV At about 5:30 p.m., police were called to the scene. The child was then taken to a hospital, where she later died. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Autopsy results confirmed the little girl had died from head trauma that caused internal bleeding. Even though Figueroa was not directly involved in inflicting the injuries to her daughter, prosecutors argued that she acted recklessly by allowing her child to be placed in a situation where her life, body or health was endangered, resulting in death. According to prosecutors, this case also led her to be charged in February 2025 with an additional aggravated endangerment of a child charge for a separate incident in September 2023. Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android On Sept. 20, 2023, prosecutors said Figueroa had been in an upstairs bedroom of her apartment when her 1-year-old daughter suffered burn injuries. This was less than a month before her daughter died from the head injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Figueroa told investigators the burns occurred when an ashtray tipped over and fell onto the baby, who had been lying on the bed. 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 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. US manufacturer JM Smucker has reportedly taken aim at one of the countrys foremost retailers with a lawsuit centred on the Uncrustables brand. According to media reports in the US, JM Smucker has filed a suit in Ohio accusing Trader Joes of selling sandwiches that mimic its Uncrustables products. In a document posted online by Reuters detailing the lawsuit, the manufacturer claimed Trader Joes has launched an obvious copycat with its own Crustless Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam sandwiches. Smucker does not take issue with others in the marketplace selling prepackaged, frozen, thaw-and-eat crustless sandwiches. But it cannot allow others to use Smuckers valuable intellectual property to make such sales, the lawsuit reads. The launch of the Trader Joes product constitutes trademark infringement, trademark dilution, unfair competition, false designation of origin and deceptive trade practices, it added. JM Smucker is seeking damages, costs, profits and injunctive relief under Ohio law. Just Food has asked Trader Joes for comment. JM Smucker has been able to consistently grow sales of its Uncrustables brands in recent years. The company said in June that the 12 months to the end of April marked the 11th consecutive fiscal year when Uncrustables' sales rose at a double-digit rate. In the 12-month period, Uncrustables net sales reached $920m; group sales were $2.21bn, down 3% year-on-year. "JM Smucker files Uncrustables trademark suit against Trader Joes" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. LEBANON COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) Gov. Josh Shapiro marked a farming milestone in Lebanon County on Wednesday. He visited the Talview Dairy Farm in South Annville Township, which has agreed to preserve its land for agricultural use. The state does this through farm land preservation easements, which allow farmers to profit from their land without selling it for commercial or residential projects. They maintain ownership of their property and continue to farm on it. Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding visited Talview Dairy Farm in Lebanon County to celebrate a major milestone in Pennsylvanias history the preservation of more than 6,600 farms and 650,000 acres of farmland for agricultural use across the Commonwealth, the most farms of any state in the nation. The Farmland Preservation Program is a collaborative effort between state and local governments and nonprofit organizations, united in the goal of preserving prime farmland for future generations. Governor Josh Shapiro and PA Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding visit Talview Dairy Farm to celebrate the preservation of over 6,500 farms and 650,000 acres of farmland for agricultural use throughout Pennsylvania the most preserved farmland in the country. Agriculture is a major economic driver for the Commonwealth, contributing $132 billion to our economy while supporting nearly 600,000 jobs. In his first two years, Governor Shapiro has delivered historic support for Pennsylvanias agriculture sector while cutting red tape and modernizing government to help farms and agricultural businesses grow. Governor Josh Shapiro and PA Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding visit Talview Dairy Farm to celebrate the preservation of over 6,500 farms and 650,000 acres of farmland for agricultural use throughout Pennsylvania the most preserved farmland in the country. Agriculture is a major economic driver for the Commonwealth, contributing $132 billion to our economy while supporting nearly 600,000 jobs. In his first two years, Governor Shapiro has delivered historic support for Pennsylvanias agriculture sector while cutting red tape and modernizing government to help farms and agricultural businesses grow. To date, Pennsylvania has preserved 6,500 farms and 650,000 acres of farmland the most in the nation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is an important milestone because it is not simply a statistic, said Russell Redding, the states secretary of agriculture. Its a promise. Its a promise rooted in growing tomorrow by preserving today. Pennsylvania purchases development rights for 24 farms Agriculture supports nearly 600,000 jobs in Pennsylvania and contributes $132 billion to the economy. 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 ABC27. LEBANON A special town meeting will be held to approve a number of funds for projects in Town. The meeting will be held on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Fire Safety Complex on the public side at 23 Goshen Hill. The town will hold a special vote during the meeting to authorize the expenditure of $973,886 from the 2024-2025 surplus funds for various projects. Those projects include the LMHS track resurface for $472,840, school district cameras for $50,320 and school parking lot repairs, seal and line stripes for $150,726. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other projects include the fire department engine tanker 106 equipment at $25,000, fire department rescue 106 tools for $45,000 and the fire department deep clean fire department gear at $5,000. The North Lebanon Cemetery expansion road is looking for funding of $25,000. For the open space conversation, $35,000 is needed, while DPW Highway paving costs $100,000 and the DPW over-the-rail mower is $65,000. Other topics include considering and acting on authorizing the amended Firefighter Tax Abatement Ordinance. Another thing for voters to consider is to approve transferring $22,023 from Contingency to Department 433 Snow Removal for fiscal year 2024-2025 Other considerations and actions to discuss include closing the fiscal year 2021 COVID funds, with the balance of $72,298.87 to be transferred to Fund Balance. MIAMI Beatriz, 12, who was born and raised in West Palm Beach, stood anxiously in the Miami International Airport concourse on Oct 9, with her entire life's belongings stuffed in a backpack and a suitcase. She would soon board a plane for the first time in her life that afternoon, and it would take her to a country she had never been to before. There, she would be reunited with her mother, who had been detained in August by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and deported to Guatemala on Oct. 4. Along with Beatriz stood two other children, siblings Lissette, 10, and Antonio, 6. Their mother was picked up by ICE at their Lake Worth Beach home in September and also was deported to Guatemala. Their father, Mauricio, hugged them tight, whispered "Te amo" Spanish for "I love you" and gently wiped tears from their cheeks one last time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After waving goodbye and seeing them disappear behind security doors, Mauricio broke down sobbing. The Rev. Frank O'Loughlin, founder of the Guatemalan-Maya Center in Lake Worth Beach, wrapped his hands around Mauricio and held him in prayer. Children leaving Miami International Airport before being reunited with their parents who were deported back to Guatemala. A few feet away from the group, three U.S. Border Patrol agents escorting three men along the concourse who seemed to be getting deported in a commercial flight. "They already took their mother, it's only a matter of time when they deport me and I dont want them to be left here abandoned," Mauricio told Oscar De La Guardia, an attorney with the Copper Levenson Law firm in Miami. De La Guardia traveled with the children on Oct. 9 along with Sahari Orozco. The Guatemalan Mayan Center completed the paperwork and arranged flights to reunite the children with their mothers. The father of two children leaving Miami International Airport to be reunited with their mother, who was deported to Guatemala, sobbed after seeing them leave. The other side of the story when parents are detained, deported: What about their children? Across the United States, the Trump administration's promised "largest mass deportation" is playing out in a myriad of ways and settings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some have been captured on cellphone videos and virally distributed through social media. Others, like the departure of three children in an airport packed with tourists and business travelers, were far less noticed but equally painful for those involved. Mariana Blanco, the director of the Guatemalan Maya Center, said the three are part of a group of children, many of whom are U.S. citizens like Beatriz, who were left behind in the United States after their parents were detained in the immigration enforcement operations Trump has ordered. Without either parents or legal guardians, many of these children are forced to face a difficult dilemma. Either they also leave the United States and move to countries their families fled years ago or they remain in the U.S. alone. The Oct. 9 flight was the second departure organized by the Lake Worth Beach nonprofit. Last week, De La Guardia traveled with seven siblings from Lake Worth Beach, six of who were U.S. citizens but whose mother and father had both been detained and deported by ICE this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "What the government is doing is reprehensible," Blanco said. "They are detaining people, many who have been following their legal cases for years, leaving their kids vulnerable. "Last week we helped reunite six U.S citizens to be with their mom in Guatemala. This week we sent another U.S child all to a country that is foreign to them, forcing them to leave everything behind." "They are going back to a place where resources are scarce and where school is not always an option," Blanco added. "This shouldnt be happening." Girl arrived at home from school but her mother was not there Beatriz figured out something was wrong when she came home from school one August afternoon and her mother wasnt there. By nighttime, a neighbor came over to break the news that her mother had been picked up by ICE agents after they pulled over a landscaping truck and detained multiple day laborers. For the next two months, Beatriz was moved from house to house, staying with neighbors, friends and distant family members. Beatriz was walking an hour to get to school before Blanco heard of her case and got her school transportation and temporary housing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The only person she trusted in this world was taken, and her life quickly changed," Blanco said. "Even though she is going to a country that is completely foreign, for her home is where her mom is." "She's been stripped away from her childhood," Blanco added. Children leaving Miami International Airport before being reunited with their parents who were deported back to Guatemala. In Guatemala, the children will face a lifestyle and transition into a community that, though of their ancestry, will seem foreign to them. Beatriz, Lissette, and Antonio are descendants from indigenous Mayan tribes in Guatemala, and they will now live in rural villages that lack internet access and are as far as eight and 10 hours from the capital of Guatemala City. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Next week, instead of going back to class in their elementary and middle schools in Lake Worth Beach, they will be attending small-country schools where tuition is only free until sixth grade. "I think for, like, especially indigenous Maya folks, it's important to remember that they're a population that's heavily persecuted by their government," Blanco said. "They go back to very isolated places and very rural areas that are still in conflict with the government." Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Greenacres, Palm Springs and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Children escorted to Guatemala after their mothers were deported by ICE Travelers going through the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Detroit Metro Airport will come face-to-face with a video of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for the shutdown of the federal government. The remarkable video that injects divisive politics into the mundane process of airport security has sparked controversy as many airports refuse to show it. The video raises questions about whether it can be legally played, if the Department of Homeland Security can require airports to show it, and what happens if airports refuse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Checkpoints often include videos featuring government officials welcoming travelers and explanations of procedures, but they usually do not contain political messages. CNN reached out to over 50 airports across the country varying in size; many refused to display the video on airport-owned monitors or noted they didnt have the capabilities to show it to passengers. Some monitors at checkpoints are owned and controlled by the airports, while others belong to the TSA. As of Tuesday afternoon, Detroit Metro Airport and Bismarck Airport in North Dakota confirmed to CNN the video was playing on monitors in space controlled by the TSA. The video was displayed for a time at the TSA checkpoint at the Albany International Airport before being taken down. - WRGB At Albany International Airport in New York, the footage was displayed on TSA-owned monitors without prior notice to the airport authority, a spokesperson said. It was taken down in keeping with longstanding policies of not displaying political messaging or content of any kind. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The federal government shutdown, going on for two weeks, has been filled with finger-pointing on each side. Republicans insist Democrats need to simply agree to extend current funding for another seven weeks, Democrats demanded that any funding bill contain an extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act premium subsidies. Some federal websites contain messaging calling the shutdown Democrat-led and blaming The Radical Left. Is Noems video legal? Federal employees tend to distance themselves from politically charged messaging like what is seen in Noems video, said Keith Jeffries, vice president of K2 Security Screening Group and a former TSA federal security director at Los Angeles International Airport. In the video, which was released last week and first obtained by Fox News, Noem starts by discussing travel, but the message quickly becomes political. It is TSAs top priority to make sure that you have the most pleasant and efficient airport experience as possible while we keep you safe, the video begins. However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jeffries said its just not something these screeners are used to seeing at work. You dont talk negatively about any elected official, and of course, with the federal government, youre not even allowed to mention what political affiliation you are, he said. The partisan video may open the door for other federal workers to chime in, said John Berry, a lawyer who represents government employees. TSA employees that arent working (directly) for DHS may be like, Well, I can say this, my boss said it, he told CNN. Others who dont agree may feel discouraged in the workplace over the messaging, especially considering they are not currently being paid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The video also completely runs afoul of the Hatch Act, Berry said, noting the 1939 law which prohibits government employees from taking part in certain political activates to ensure programs are administered in a non-partisan fashion. Barry has spent 26 years handling Hatch Act cases, defending both Republicans and Democrats. The Hatch Act applies to the secretary of DHS, he said. She filmed it, most likely, using government resources. Even though its being played at the airport, which is like a separate entity, its definitely a political activity. Typically, a Hatch Act violation would be brought to the Office of Special Counsel, according to Berry, which would conduct an investigation. That investigation would then be forwarded to the president for a decision on what happens next. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Berry said it is unlikely a violation would result in any consequences, given President Donald Trump would be the one to decide. In the first Trump administration, Peter Navarro, former assistant to the president and director of the Office for Trade and Manufacturing Policy, was reported to Trump for violating the Hatch Act. Kellyanne Conway was also found to have violated the Hatch Act and was reported to the president. Nothing came out of the two cases. Airports pick a side TSA owns and operates some of the video monitors at airports which have been added to try to expedite the screening process by displaying reminders and sometimes include DHS messages. Not all monitors are owned by TSA, however; some belong to the airport. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Airports have the right to determine what side of the legal line they want to be on, said Juliette Kayyem, national security analyst for CNN and former assistant secretary for intergovernmental affairs at DHS under the Obama administration. There is nothing in federal law that compels them to run these videos. A passenger or an airline worker could file a complaint with an airport authority about the video, and some states have laws which might prohibit the videos from being shown on airport authority monitors. Basically, the airports are saying this is a line we dont want to cross: We have a responsibility to the American flying public to do so safely and secure, securely and what shes doing is not that, Kayyem said. Its unclear at this point whether airports will be disciplined by the federal government, including losing any federal funding, if they do not play the message. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of Transportation has threatened states in the past to comply with new requirements or risk being stripped of federal funding, but threatening air travel could cause airlines to balk and risk passengers being left stranded, Kayyem said. The question is, what will (Noem) do in response, or will she just ignore it? Will she just move on? Kayyem said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The Soviet-developed MiG-25 "Foxbat" almost defies classification, as it can operate as an interceptor jet to counteract long range bomber planes or fighter jets and do double duty as a spy plane, given its ability to fly incredibly fast and be equipped with reconnaissance gear. Reportedly, the plane entered service in 1970, although it took until 1976 for Western forces to figure out more about the aircraft, reverse engineering a stolen example flown to Japan. The United States Air Force notes that its two Tumansky turbojet engines allow it to reach a top speed of Mach 2.83, or just over 2,170 mph, putting it over notable speed demons like the American F-15 Eagle. As was the case with a lot of Cold War-era tech, the MiG-25 was pretty widely proliferated to Soviet allies. Once such country was Iraq in 1980. Fast-forward to 2003 and United States and Coalition forces found a wingless MiG-25 buried in the sand in Iraq. In 2006, the MiG was brought to the National Museum of the United States Air Force, where it has been undergoing restoration. Now, the MiG is ready to see the light of day. Read more: Every Japanese Aircraft Carrier Sunk In WWII A long time coming MiG-25 undergoing restoration - National Museum of the U.S.A.F Reportedly, the restoration is complete, and the MiG is going to be displayed to the public next to other Cold War MiGs and planes from Western forces. However, before you start planning a trip to Ohio to see the Foxbat, there are some wrinkles in the reveal. The ongoing government shutdown means the museum is (at least temporarily) closed to the public. The National Museum of the United States Air Force is run by the federal government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One could hypothesize that the restoration took so long, as it's likely difficult to find parts to repair and restore a 45 or so year old Soviet recon plane that was buried in the desert. The museum also houses some of the Foxbat's contemporaries, like the F-111 Aardvark, and the aforementioned F-15. When the museum will be open is anyone's guess, but when it does open, there will be a giant Cold War interceptor on display for all to enjoy. Want the latest in tech and auto trends? Subscribe to our free newsletter for the latest headlines, expert guides, and how-to tips, one email at a time. Read the original article on SlashGear. In her first major public appearance since being indicted on fraud charges by the Trump administration, Letitia James vowed not to be defeated by the pressure placed on her. She characterized her legal issues as political retaliation while speaking in support of Zohran Mamdanis New York City mayoral campaign. James: You gotta come to all of us New York Attorney General Letitia Tish James spoke Monday at an Our Time Has Come rally in support of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Taking the stage to a standing ovation, James raised her fist in a Black Power-style salute, leading to more applause and chants of we love Tish from the crowd. James thanked audience members for their support and told them she was honored to support Mamdani, who she described as my very good friend, my little brother and one of the boldest voices in the history of New York politics. JUST IN: New York Attorney General Letitia James raises her fist in the air after being criminally indicted for bank fraud. We are here tonight because we are ready to turn the page on the cynical, broken, politics of the past, she said at Zohran Mamdanis rally. lol. pic.twitter.com/FFSLJupvtl Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 14, 2025 Without mentioning President Donald Trumps name, James referenced the recent federal indictment granted against her, which charged James with bank fraud in a mortgage case. I know what it feels like to be attacked for just doing your job, but I also know what it feels like to overcome adversity, James said of the charges against her, which many see as retaliation for James having successfully prosecuted Trump and his organization for fraud in 2024. And so I stand on solid rock, and I will not bow, I will not break, I will not bend. I will not capitulate. I will not give in. I will not give up! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the crowd cheering her own, James said, You come for me, you gotta come to all of us! Letitia James: I know what it feels like to be attacked for just doing your job. But I also know what it feels like to overcome adversity. And so I stand on solid rock. And I will not bow. I will not break. I will not bend. I will not capitulate. I will not give in. I will not pic.twitter.com/glOd89UX1g Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) October 14, 2025 Mamdani calls out Trump, Cuomo, billionaires and oligarchs After James came Mamdani, the Democratic socialist who is leading the polls in the New York City mayoral race after his surprise victory in Junes Democratic primary over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and others. Mamdanis speech took aim at Cuomo, who resigned as governor in a sexual harassment scandal in 2021 and is now running for mayor as an independent. Mamdani also called out Trump, who has called Mamdani a communist and threatened to withhold federal funds to New York City should Mamdani win the November election. Trump is like Andrew Cuomo: beholden to billionaires and oligarchs, Mamdani said in his speech. And like Cuomo, he has bent to their will. Mamdani blamed Trump for endangering programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and SNAP for tens of millions of Americans, including millions right here in New York. Mamdani painted his own campaign as championing policies such as affordable housing and free public transportation while defending ordinary New Yorkers against the ultra-rich and their allies. We can tell billionaires that this city doesnt just belong to them, Mandani said. We can tell Donald Trump he cannot buy this election. And we can tell Andrew Cuomo that New York City is not for sale. We can demand a government that makes our lives better We can tell billionaires that this city doesnt just belong to them We can tell Donald Trump that he cannot buy this election And we can tell Andrew Cuomo that New York City is not for sale! Mamdani crushed it tonight pic.twitter.com/QXJ5JwcwGT Kelly (@broadwaybabyto) October 14, 2025 In the face of federal charges against James and threats to federal funding for Mamdani, the two New York politicians are finding common cause. Both James and Mamdani have built their political careers on standing up to rich and powerful people such as Donald Trump, and both have drawn Trumps ire. The coming months will prove decisive for the case against James and Mamdanis race to lead New York City, but for now, the two are defiant and united in their message to Trump and beyond. The post Letitia James Defiant In Speech At Zohran Mamdani Rally: You Gotta Come To All Of Us appeared first on Blavity. On Oct. 3 a brief article in the Republican-American noted a $5,000 reward offer from Desmond's Army for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the person responsible for leaving a dog crated outside a Walmart in Manchester. While abandoning a dog in a crate is certainly not acceptable, I would encourage those at Desmond's Army to consider the possible circumstances for that abandonment before seeking retribution. Homelessness, financial constraints, illness and domestic violence are possible reasons for having to "rehome" a pet. There was no mention of the dog having been abused or neglected. It was left safely in a crate in moderate temperatures in a place where it was certain to be found quickly. Shelters are often full to capacity, perhaps making other options difficult. While I applaud the work of Desmond's Army in raising awareness of the connection between animal abuse and domestic violence, I would ask them to remember that some people who are forced to leave pets may be victims themselves and should be viewed with compassion and not judgment. Susan Coggins Winsted This article originally published at Letter: Some owners abandon pets out of desperation, not malice. To the editor: When our president's bold, 20-point peace plan for the Middle East turns out not to be the win-win deal he hoped for, how will he try to explain to us why our obsessive devotion to Israel (even entangling with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's own domestic interests) has continued on this long, at the expense of American interests and tax dollars ( Trumps Mideast deal is just the beginning of his role, Oct. 9)? Of all the tragedies, the accusation of genocide has been raised by much of the rest of the civilized world, and the U.S. is seen as a willing accomplice. On balance, President Trump must deserve credit for this first phase of his complex plan. But why is Netanyahu smiling? He has already warned the world that he is ready to resume his offensive "the hard way" if Hamas fails to disarm. Let us hope the meeting to celebrate phase one is just the beginning of an ultimately successful plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement June Maguire, Mission Viejo .. To the editor: There is a universal rule in human affairs that has served us well for generations: "You break it, you pay for it. Israel wantonly destroyed Gaza, killing and maiming tens of thousands of civilians, totally out of proportion with their right to retaliation or self defense. So much of the world agrees that Israel committed war crimes in Gaza, while many call it a genocide . Why should rich Arab states or others have to pay for compensation and reconstruction costs for the death and destruction caused by Israel? Israel must be compelled to pay for that. It's the only fair, right and just thing to do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Saif M. Hussain, Woodland Hills .. To the editor: Trump is so proud of himself with what he calls his eighth war ended ( News Analysis: For Trump, celebration and a victory lap in the Middle East, Oct. 13). My take: Finally! After nearly one year with Trump back in office, 64,000 Gazan deaths (men, women, children, non-combatants), worldwide condemnation, more international recognition of a two-state solution and half of Gaza flattened , Trump finally pressured Netanyahu to back down, lessening military and financial aid. Its a great and hopeful chance to see less violence in the Middle East. Steve Watson, San Clemente Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement .. To the editor: Well done by Trump in helping to implement a ceasefire (only nine Palestinians killed by Israeli forces today ) and returning 20 Israeli hostages ( Hostages freed, prisoners released, as Trump hails golden age in Mideast, Oct. 12). During Joe Bidens presidency, more than 100 Israeli hostages were returned . Both presidents miserably fueled the Israeli war machine. Diplomatic experts have called out the lack of substance contained in the recent peace agreement. It is truly astounding how so many world leaders, and others, feel compelled to kiss the ring of our current president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Richard Ellison, Pasadena .. To the editor: Hamas took about 250 hostages . How many of them were returned to Israel alive? Now, its hard to believe that Hamas is currently policing Gaza with approval from Trump . Hamas forces have already killed several Gazans , accusing them of being gang members. Hamas is not to be trusted by anyone for any reason. How could this be allowed? Hamas will never give up its arms and still has not acknowledged that Israel is a country. This is insane. Leonard Zivitz, Fullerton This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Florida revokes license for local car dealership A local car dealership Action 9 has been reporting on for the past two years has shut down after the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles revoked its dealership license. The Benji Auto Sales locations in Orlando and South Florida are both now closed. Do you have a consumer complaint or need help from Jeff Deal and Action 9? Click the banner below to submit a tip. Action 9 first reported on the complaints about Benji Auto Sales in 2023. Back then Gordon Hartz claimed the dealership didnt pay off his trade-in balance right away, which left him making payments on two cars. Under Florida law, car dealerships are required to pay off those loan balances within 10 working days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its untenable to me. And I dont understand how somebody can go to work, know that they are doing this to people and not... let them live with themselves, Hartz said. Earlier this year, Cody Alexander claimed the same thing happened to him. Alexander said, You can do the math there. It adds up really fast when youre making two car payments that youre not expecting to make. When the Action 9 team stopped at Benji Auto Sales on Orange Blossom Trail earlier this year to ask about the complaints a worker went to get a manager, but the manager wouldnt come out to address the complaints. Oh, theyre very crooked, taking advantage of people, said customer Sarah Anderson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anderson lives in North Carolina. She bought a car from Benji Auto Sales online in May. She claims it arrived with dents all over it and had other problems. The left sensor doesnt work on the tire, so the lane departure warning, it doesnt work, and the check engines light on, she explained. To make matters worse, even though she paid for the Kia Forte in full, she claims she still hasnt received the title from Benji Auto Sales and hasnt been able to register it or drive it in North Carolina. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles let us know it revoked the license for Benji Auto Sales because of ongoing problems with late title transfers. The state has received 24-complaints about Benji Auto Sales in the past year. The department said its now assisting all customers who filed complaints against Benji Auto Sales. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several automotive publications reported in June, the owners of Benji Auto Sales bought their first franchise dealership, a Nissan dealership in Victoria, Texas. Action 9 reached out to the Nissan of Victoria and Nissans corporate office to ask if consumers in Texas should be concerned after the State of Florida took action against Benji Auto Sales. Nissan wouldnt comment on Benji Auto Sales. When addressing the Texas dealership, it said it expects all its dealers to follow the terms of their dealer agreement as well as all applicable state or local laws. The dealership in Texas hasnt responded. Avoid it at all costs. Dont make the same mistake I did. Listen to the reviews online. Read them, Anderson said. JPMorgan Asset Management is planning to expand its assets under management in the Asia-Pacific region to $600bn over the next five years, reported Bloomberg. Australia, China, and Japan are expected to be the primary contributors to this growth target. The company's financial filing revealed that it managed $302bn in Asia at the end of last year, an increase from 2019. During an interview at a conference, JPMorgan Asset Management Asia-Pacific CEO Dan Watkinsmentioned that the distribution of assets under management between institutions and private wealth clients is roughly even, and the firm plans to maintain this balance. Watkins said at the conference in South Korea: Our long-term goal is to grow this to a $1tn business. The asset manager firm is capitalising on its clients' need for diversification in the face of market instability, which has been exacerbated by US trade policies. This comes in the wake of major US indexes experiencing a downturn after President Donald Trump announced the possibility of imposing additional tariffs on Chinese goods. Watkins highlighted that while the firm has secured institutional mandates for US equities investment, there is a growing trend among clients to diversify away from the US, which is likely to benefit equity markets in Europe and Asia. In China, there is a surge in institutional investor interest in the technology sector, although investment flows are yet to fully recover, Watkins added. In a move to bolster the local equities market, JPMorgan Asset Management was chosen as the sole foreign firm to manage a portion of the S$1.1bn ($847m) mandate from the Monetary Authority of Singapore in July. Additionally, the firm is witnessing an increased demand for actively managed exchange-traded funds (ETFs). In September, it launched its inaugural active ETF in Taiwan, targeting the US technology sector. JPMorgan had assets under service amounting to $3.7tn as of the end of March, worldwide. The firm's recent expansion efforts in Asia include establishing wholly owned businesses in China and Australia, with Hong Kong serving as the regional headquarters. In a separate development reported by Reuters in September 2025, JPMorgan Chase appointed three senior bankers to its mid-cap investment banking team. "JPMorgan plans $600bn asset growth in Asia-Pacific within five years-report" was originally created and published by Private Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand. (Reuters) -Eli Lilly's experimental weight-loss pill showed superior blood sugar control in diabetic patients across two late-stage trials, the company said on Wednesday, as it seeks to widen its lead in the rapidly growing market for GLP-1 drugs. The oral drug, orforglipron, is designed to mimic the appetite-suppressing GLP-1 hormone targeted by the company's blockbuster injection tirzepatide, sold under the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound. Lilly and its Danish rival Novo Nordisk, market leaders with their injectable drugs, are racing to launch oral weight-loss treatments, which still require approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In one of the studies, Lilly's pill helped lower A1C, a measure of blood sugar over time, by up to 1.7% compared to 0.8% with 10 mg dose of AstraZeneca's drug dapagliflozin, sold under the brand name Farxiga. The head-to-head trial was conducted in adults with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled on metformin, a widely used drug to treat high blood sugar levels. In the other trial, orforglipron lowered A1C by an additional 2.1% when taken with insulin glargine. In both trials, orforglipron showed weight loss and improvements in multiple cardiovascular risk factors, the company said. Patients received either a 3 mg, 12 mg or 36 mg dose of orforglipron over 40 weeks across the studies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a previous head-to-head trial in adults with type 2 diabetes, orforglipron lowered average blood sugar and weight more effectively than Novo's older GLP-1 pill Rybelsus. "Together, these results reinforce orforglipron's potential to become a new standard of care for people living with type 2 diabetes," said Jeff Emmick, senior vice president of product development, Lilly Cardiometabolic Health. Results from another trial is expected in the first quarter of 2026. Lilly plans to submit orforglipron for the treatment of type 2 diabetes to global regulatory agencies in 2026, while submission for the obesity treatment is set to occur by this year end. (Reporting by Sriparna Roy and Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar) SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) More than 100 community leaders rallied at the State Capitol on Tuesday, demanding protections from federal agents. Lawmakers are back in Springfield for their veto session and immigration policies are quickly taking center stage during the legislatures October session. Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan reports for prison sentence The federal government has made it abundantly clear that they are here too, looking to push for the boundaries of these unlawful operations but terrorize our communities, said one advocate during Tuesdays press conference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The advocates, community leaders and lawmakers who gathered in the rotunda Tuesday afternoon were supporting different bills, but all shared one goal: limit federal immigration enforcement that they argue violates Illinoisans constitutional rights. They are hoping to do that by limiting where those agents can be. A new package of bills is looking to keep ICE agents out of healthcare and early learning facilities as well as courthouses. Rep. Norma Hernandez said if agents are around, people wont access critical services. Weve seen people being taken away, while they are doing what theyre supposed to do the right way, follow the proper procedures. Being taken away, violently as well, and being torn apart of their families. And that creates a safety hazard because people need to go to court for many reasons, Hernandez said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Supporters of Operation Midway Blitz argue that agents are just enforcing federal law. DHS says it has arrested more than 1500 individuals since the operation began. How does the government shutdown impact Central Illinois? But its not just locations seeing limitations. The final bill in the package HB 2706 would re-work the Illinois TRUST Act. The law already prevents local and state police from conducting immigration enforcement. But advocates said new tactics being used by federal agents require a new look at the law. They want to make sure that local police have no part, even as support, during immigration operations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Representative Hernandez said she knows it will be a challenge to gather the 71 votes needed to pass any part of this package. But with it being their last chance to pass any legislation before January, she said lawmakers must act now to protect Illinois 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 WCIA.com. Lisa Nandy has accused the previous Conservative government of having a completely relaxed attitude to China. The Culture Secretary said Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, had refused to say that she regarded China as a threat when she served as business secretary in 2023 and 2024. She said, Im not going to use language like that, we should be careful with the language we use, I do not regard China to be a foe or a threat. You cant rewrite history, Ms Nandy told the BBC. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Culture Secretary is trying to turn the tables on the Conservative Party leader, who earlier lambasted Sir Keir Starmer in the Commons for the failed prosecution of two British men accused of spying for Beijing. Ms Badenoch accused the Prime Minister of being too weak to stand up for our national security. The case against the two alleged spies collapsed because the Government had not given prosecutors sufficient evidence that China was a national security threat. Ms Nandy, who was shadow foreign secretary in 2020-21, said the current furore was the continuation of a very live and very important debate about our relationship with China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It started under the previous government where there were many people, including me, saying that the last government was far too relaxed about the challenges and the threats posed by China. And [the debate] continues under this Government, she said. We have been very clear: China is one of the largest economies in the world, and like the last government, we will continue to do business with China. What we will not do, though, is allow that to make us blinkered as a government and a country about the threats and the challenges that poses. Ms Nandy said the prosecutions case against the two alleged spies, Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry was prepared under the previous government. The two men were charged in April last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Leader of the Opposition is alleging a cover-up and demanding information. Its all information that happened when she was a Cabinet minister serving in the last government. The whole thing is absurd, she said. Turning to Richard Holden, the shadow transport secretary, who was appearing with her on the BBC, she said: If you want to come clean about whether there was any political interference, that was all under you. This happened under your watch. Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, later said on X she had been always clear that China posed a threat to the UK in 2023. Ms Nandy said both main political parties had taken a more cautious view of China than the 2010-16 government of David Cameron, which pursued closer relations. The difference between Labour and the post-Brexit Conservatives lay in Boris Johnsons Indo-Pacific tilt, she said, which had ignored the challenges in Europe, ignored the challenges from Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were taking the same approach in principle. But what were actually doing, which the last government didnt, is placing a great emphasis on having relationships with other countries around the world. You cant tackle any of the big challenges that weve got until you do, she said. 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. AUSTIN (KXAN) A Leander Independent School District transportation employee was arrested Tuesday after he was accused of indecency with a child, according to the Cedar Park Police Department. Police said on social media that they identified the employee as 70-year-old Steven Wade Lackey. He was booked into the Williamson County Jail on two counts of child indecency. Steven Wade Lackey, 70 (Cedar Park Police Department Photo) Attorney information was not available for Lackey as of Tuesday. We will update this if that changes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to CPPD, the department received the report of the allegation on Oct. 8. That case was then assigned to the departments Special Victims Unit, which began its investigation immediately. Following the investigation, police said they obtained an arrest warrant for Lackey. KXAN also reached out to LISD for a statement, and a spokesperson for the district said they are aware of Lackeys arrest. The district shared the email that was sent to the families of students who were on the Lackeys former bus route on Friday and Tuesday by the transportation director. The email from Friday said on Thursday, Oct. 9, the LISD Police Department reviewed evidence suggesting potential inappropriate conduct by a bus monitor toward students on a district bus. Our initial findings were enough to indicate serious violations of district policy. The bus monitor was terminated Friday morning, the email said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The emails sent from LISDs transportation director can be viewed in full below: Transportation CommunicationDownload 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 KXAN Austin. Washington Members of the Supreme Court's conservative majority appeared open Wednesday to raising the bar for successfully challenging voting maps under a key pillar of the Voting Rights Act, a decision that would weaken the landmark law and limit the consideration of race in the drawing of congressional districts. The high court appeared sharply divided in the long-running legal fight over Louisiana's congressional map, which was before the justices for a second time Wednesday. The high court first heard arguments in March over whether Louisiana lawmakers relied too much on race when it crafted new House district lines last year. But the justices declined to issue a decision then, and in August, it posed a new question for consideration: Whether state lawmakers' intentional drawing of a second majority-minority district which was undertaken to remedy a likely violation of Section 2 runs afoul of the 14th and 15th Amendments. The dispute is likely to have significant ramifications not just for political representation in Louisiana, but also for its potential to upend Section 2, which has become a crucial tool in recent years for minority voters seeking to ensure they have equal opportunity to elect their preferred candidates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following more than two hours of oral argument, it appears that Louisiana's current congressional map, which includes four majority-White districts and two majority-Black districts, will not stand. But less clear is how far the Supreme Court's conservative majority will go with a decision. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh's votes in the case are key, as they joined with the three liberal justices two years ago to reaffirm Section 2 and the framework, in place since 1986, for proving vote dilution under the civil rights law. During the arguments, Kavanaugh seemed open to the Trump administration's position, which calls for tightening the standards for proving a violation of Section 2. Kavanaugh called part of their proposed new standard an "innovation." But he repeatedly pressed lawyers for both sides on a possible end-point for race-based remedies for Section 2 violations, which has involved the drawing of majority-minority districts. In the 2023 case, Kavanaugh wrote in a concurring opinion that "the authority to conduct race-based redistricting cannot extend indefinitely into the future." On Wednesday, he probed whether there should be a time limit as to "the particular application of the statute that entails the intentional, deliberate use of race to sort people." But he also appeared uncomfortable with the use of race in redistricting, quoting from a 1994 concurring opinion by then-Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote, "the sorting of persons with an intent to divide by reason of race raises the most serious constitutional questions." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Justice Amy Coney Barrett clarified during the proceedings that the argument pressed by the Justice Department would mark a "modification" of the preconditions used in vote-dilution cases since 1986. But Justice Sonia Sotomayor argued that under the framework proposed by the Justice Department, "the bottom line is just get rid of Section 2," and Janai Nelson, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, said the Trump administration's proposal would "swallow Section 2 whole." When the Supreme Court considered Louisiana's map in March, it originally focused on a more narrow set of issues about the House district lines. But after agreeing to hear the case again, it asked Louisiana officials and voters involved in the challenge to address whether race-based redistricting comports with the Constitution. That new question upped the stakes of the case, as Republicans in Louisiana urge the Supreme Court to forbid the consideration of race in the drawing of voting lines. Benjamin Aguinaga, Louisiana's solicitor general, told the justices that race-based redistricting is "fundamentally contrary to our Constitution." A decision in the state's favor could erode Section 2 and deal another blow to the landmark voting rights law more than 10 years after the Supreme Court gutted one of its other provisions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legal fight over Louisiana's congressional map dates back to 2022, when GOP lawmakers in the state drew new House district lines after the 2020 Census. That map consisted of five majority-White districts and one majority-Black district. Nearly one-third of Louisiana's population is Black, according to Census data. A group of African American voters challenged the map as a violation of Section 2 because it diluted Black voting strength, they argued. A judge in Baton Rouge agreed, finding the map deprived Black voters of the chance to elect their preferred candidate, and she ordered the state to put a remedial map in place with a second majority-minority congressional district. The new plan adopted by the Louisiana legislature in 2024 reconfigured the state's 6th Congressional District, which state lawmakers said was in an effort to bring it into compliance with the Voting Rights Act. The new District 6 has a Black voting-age population of roughly 51% and stretches across the state from Shreveport, in Louisiana's northwest corner, to Baton Rouge, in the southeast. Congressman Cleo Fields, a Democrat who is Black, was elected to represent the district last November. State lawmakers said they had a political goal in mind, too, when recrafting the voting boundaries: to protect key Republican incumbents in the House, namely House Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Rep. Julia Letlow, who sits on the powerful Appropriations panel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But after the new map was adopted, a group of 12 self-described "non-African-American" voters challenged the boundaries, alleging the new District 6 was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. A divided panel of three judges in Shreveport sided with the voters and found that the state legislature relied too much on race when it crafted the new map. The case landed before the Supreme Court in its last term, and Louisiana Republicans joined with Black voters and voting rights groups in urging the justices to leave the new congressional map in place. But with the case set to be reargued, and the focus now on the constitutionality of race-based redistricting, state GOP lawmakers are no longer defending their district lines. Instead, state officials are arguing that the there should be "zero tolerance for any consideration of race." "[R]ace-based redistricting mandated by Section 2 is unconstitutional because it violates basic equal protection principles: It uses race as a stereotype, uses race as a negative, and has no logical end point," Louisiana Attorney General Elizabeth Murrill, a Republican, wrote in a filing. "Accordingly, Section 2 is unconstitutional insofar as it requires race-based redistricting. " Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration is backing Louisiana and the "non-African-American" voters in the case and has urged the Supreme Court to tighten the standards for proving unlawful vote dilution under Section 2. The framework in place since 1986 requires plaintiffs to show racial polarization in voting, in addition to other preconditions. "Too often, Section 2 is deployed as a form of electoral race-based affirmative action to undo a State's constitutional pursuit of political ends. That misuse of Section 2 is unconstitutional," Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote in a filing. But lawyers for the voters who challenged the initial district lines, which were then redrawn to include a second majority-Black district, argue the new map largely prioritized Republicans' political goals of protecting key incumbents. Any consideration of race, they said, was limited and driven by a compelling interest in addressing a violation of the Voting Rights Act. Nelson, who argued on behalf of Black voters defending the current map, warned that if the Supreme Court were to side with Louisiana and the White voters, it would be a "staggering reversal of precedent that would throw maps across the country into chaos." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She told the justices that if Louisiana's current map is "unsatisfactory," they should send the case back to the lower courts to adopt another map that addresses the Section 2 violations and satisfies the Constitution. "[T]he notion that the sun has set on the need for race-conscious remedial redistricting for identified instances of racial vote dilution is contrary to both the fact of ongoing discrimination in Louisiana and the text and purpose of [Section 2] as it was amended in 1982 and has been consistently interpreted by this Court ever since," lawyers for the Black Louisianans wrote in a filing. They warned that removing Section 2's protections for minority voters in Louisiana "will not end discrimination there or lead to a race-blind society, but it may well lead to a severe decrease in minority representation at all levels of government in many parts of the country." Without the provision, "jurisdictions could simply eliminate minority opportunity districts even where they remain necessary for voters of color to have any opportunity to elect candidates of choice, wiping out minority representation and re-segregating legislatures, city councils, and school boards as some have recently attempted to do," lawyers wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response to questioning from Kavanaugh about an end-point for race-based redistricting, Nelson said there's no precedent to suggest that a statute must dissolve on its own because race is part of the remedy. And she argued that the nondiscrimination element of the 15th Amendment is "a permanent right, and so should be the protection that Section 2 affords." Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson suggested that Nelson was saying that Section 2 is itself not a remedy that should have an end point, but was instead more of a mechanism a kind of "check-in" on "where we might need to do work." She compared it to a "tape measure" that "doesn't need a life cycle." Nelson agreed and noted that the number of successful challenges to maps under Section 2 cases have fallen in the last decade. Justice Samuel Alito asked Nelson about the differences between racial voting and partisan voting. If drawing districts to protect incumbents is reasonable, isn't seeking partisan advantage something that legislatures can seek? he asked. No, Nelson replied, not under the 14th and 15th Amendments. Redistricting on a partisan basis, she said can't come "at the cost of the equal protection principle." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alito suggested that racially polarized voting could easily be identified through statistical analysis, and it could be seen whether White Democrats vote for Black Democrats at a lower rate, for instance. Nelson told him that White Democrats were not voting for Black candidates whether they were Democrats or not. She said there was no question that even if there is some correlation, that race was the driving factor. Justice Neil Gorsuch repeatedly suggested allowing race to be taken into account during the drawing of district lines is a way to "intentionally discriminate." "Is it acceptable under Section 2 as, as you understand it, given our precedents, for a court to intentionally discriminate in a remedial map on the basis of race?" he asked Nelson. "One argument is often, well, once you've found a Section 2 violation, you've got a compelling interest to go ahead and discriminate on the basis of race in your remedial map. And I'm just wondering, do you endorse that view or do you reject that view?" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court is re-hearing the case involving Louisiana's map just over two years after it upheld Section 2 and reaffirmed the framework for proving vote dilution set out in the 1986 ruling. The high court split 5-4 in that 2023 case, which involved a challenge to Alabama's congressional map, with Roberts and Kavanaugh joining the three liberal justices in the majority. The two justices also voted to outlaw the use of race as a factor in college admissions, a decision that came down in the same term as the Alabama voting rights dispute. Roberts, in particular, has long denounced racial classifications. In a 2006 concurring opinion, the chief justice wrote, "it is a sordid business, this divvying us up by race." He also authored the 2013 majority opinion that dismantled Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, writing, "our country has changed, and while any racial discrimination in voting is too much, Congress must ensure that the legislation it passes to remedy that problem speaks to current conditions." A decision from the Supreme Court is expected by the end of June or early July. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What to expect from Trump's news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel Lawmakers sound off on Trump's Argentina bailout as government shutdown continues Dog starts house fire while chewing on battery A Littlestown man died after a crash on Frederick Pike early Tuesday morning near Littlestown, according to the Adams County Coroner's Office. Firefighters had been called to the scene of a crash with entrapment on Frederick Pike at Georgetown Road and Kingsdale Road in Germany Township around 5:12 a.m. on Tuesday morning, Oct. 14, 2025, according to Adams County 911 records. According to Adams County Coroner Francis Dutrow, Douglas Kicas, 57, of Littlestown, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kicas was the driver of a vehicle involved in a two-vehicle crash, Dutrow said, and was restrained at the time of the crash. In a news release, Pennsylvania State Police said that a 57-year-old driver of a 2003 Ford Escape, identified by the coroner's office as Kicas, was traveling eastbound on Kingsdale Road when the vehicle failed to stop at the posted stop sign for Frederick Pike. At the same time, a 2013 Ford F-150 pick-up truck was heading southbound on Frederick Pike, police said, and attempted to brake as the Ford Escape crossed into its lane of travel. The Ford F-150 was unable to avoid colliding with the Ford Escape, police said, striking the vehicle on its driver's side. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The driver of the Ford F-150, a Hanover man, suffered suspected minor injuries, and declined EMS transport, police said. Both vehicles were towed following the crash, according to police. The roadway was shut down for roughly two hours on Tuesday morning, according to records, but has since reopened. Traffic control was provided by volunteer fire police from Alpha Fire Company of Littlestown, Southeastern Adams Volunteer Emergency Services, Irishtown Fire Company, and Barlow Volunteer Fire Department. Kingsdale Road meets Frederick Pike at the same intersection as Georgetown Road, with Kingsdale Road to the west and Georgetown Road to the east. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The intersection sits roughly half a mile north of the Maryland line, located in the small neighborhood of Kingsdale on the outskirts of Littlestown. Assisting Alpha Fire Company on the crash scene included Community Life Team EMS, Carroll County Fire and EMS, and Pennsylvania State Police. (This story was updated to add new information.) This article originally appeared on Hanover Evening Sun: Fatal crash on Frederick Pike in Germany Township on Oct. 14, 2025 Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield and the Rev. Solomon Kinloch, Jr. faced off in the first and, so far, only televised mayoral debate Wednesday evening, Oct. 15. Detroit's WXYZ-TV hosted the debate ahead of the Nov. 4 general election. And both candidates wasted little time trumpeting their own credentials for the city's top job while exchanging barbs in a spirited battle of words, hoping to sway voters in the final weeks before they head to the polls. Here's how it all went down: What to do first, as mayor? Sheffield and Kinloch made promises for their first day on the job, including how they would operate their administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kinloch, who went first, said he would evaluate leadership to ensure they are ready to do something courageous and creative to deliver to Detroiters. The second thing I would do is engage Lansing and our federal elected officials in Washington to make sure that were coming together, collectively, to deal with a lot of the issues, said Kinloch, adding he would also convene corporate leaders. This should not be a Me administration, it should be a We administration, Kinloch said. Sheffields immediate plans are to ensure she has the best and brightest and most efficient leadership team around her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She would also look at ways to enhance and improve city services. We understand that there are a lot of residents who are complaining about basic quality of life issues that we want to figure out how we can better enhance and address, along with providing residents better access to city government. Dana Afana Regional transit Before the debate, a $40 million investment in passenger rail and intercity bus service was announced adjacent to Michigan Central in Corktown. Candidates were asked whats needed to continue to improve transit in the city. Sheffield said she would strive to increase frequency and reliability of the system by paying drivers wages they deserve and making sure the system is safe. She pledged to build regional partnerships and find innovative options like micro transit shuttles to supplement the citys bus service. Sheffield also touted her endorsement by the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My number one focus is reducing wait times, Sheffield said. Kinloch said he remembers using buses to traverse the city when he grew up in Detroit. He said students and families are dependent on public transportation to get to school and work. He agreed with the need to pay drivers better and train mechanics to keep buses operational. Its not an option; it's an obligation that we provide reliable transportation, Kinloch said. These are issues that have been negated and neglected for a long time, and it should not take us running for mayor to bring attention, weight and gravity to this. Sheffield said a robust transit system is needed to attract new residents and pledged to invest in the bus system every year to execute the citys DDOT Reimagined plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Malachi Barrett Building bridges and coalitions Sheffield and Kinloch were asked to prove whether they could work with different political parties and ensure collaborations, and explain how their backgrounds afford them the opportunity to build those relationships. Sheffield pointed to her 12 years on the council, lending her the privilege to make numerous relationships and connections, whether its in the private sector, the corporate sector and with elected officials, she said. She cited the inclusionary housing ordinance to preserve affordable housing as an example of her riding up to Lansing to work across the aisle. What I think is most important is during these very politically challenging times is that we need someone who can find common ground, who can put aside differences, Sheffield said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kinloch called himself an executive. Im the only one here tonight in this race that is a CEO, has been a CEO. Ive hired, retained, recruited and developed hundreds of staff members. I have created a budget and had to execute that budget and didnt have the citys piggy bank, said Kinloch, adding he would work with various political parties. He also took aim at Sheffield for attempting to smear his campaign. Sheffield called it a complete distraction and has no need to try and tarnish his reputation. Construction doesnt happen by destruction. You dont have to tear someone else down to build someone else up but thats exactly what youve been doing, Sheffield said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kinloch fired back: You have attacked my church, you attacked me, you attacked my wife, you attacked every good work weve done in this community. And I have not attacked you. This is not the type of leadership this city needs, Kinloch said. Dana Afana 'Never throw stones from a glass house' Kinloch said Sheffields inner circle is populated with individuals that have been found guilty of bribing city officials, raising suspicions about her commitment to ethical governance. He also raised concerns about her solicitation of concert tickets, claiming she sold them. At the end of the day, you can't have that kind of cloud of suspicion over the next mayor of the city of Detroit, Kinloch said. We have to be honest and transparent about the stuff that we are hearing. Weve got to hold my opponents feet to the fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sheffield has said she gave Jeezy concert tickets to constituents who worked on community issues in her district. She pointed out that the citys corporation counsel affirmed she did not violate any ethics rules. Sheffield said Kinloch should never throw stones from a glass house, arguing Kinloch purchased his home and other property from Triumph Church. You have a myriad of challenges that I would not go into, Sheffield said. I think what's most important here is that we continue to move the city forward in a positive way. Malachi Barrett Fighting poverty Fighting poverty is a top concern, particularly among Detroits youth. Sheffield recalled her grandmother, who struggled to make ends meet, but always talked about the importance of education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I would be a champion for education, from cradle to career, and ensure we are attracting high-wage, livable wage jobs in our city, Sheffield said. We have to invest in our people, she said, pointing to programs such as Skills for Life and Learn to Earn to pay and help people obtain certifications and find jobs. Kinloch said he would initiate the ambitious Kinloch Promise trust fund for kids. The Kinloch promise will include a childrens trust fund, that every baby in the city of Detroit will receive a seed of $1,000 and it will be allocated on a yearly basis up until that child gets to the age of 18 and they can use that to open up a business, to go into college, to start a career, to buy a home or to invest in their community, Kinloch said. Dana Afana Ouch! Sheffield continued to criticize Kinloch for being silent on important issues until it was time to run for mayor, prompting Kinloch to warn of the danger of having individuals who are privileged to sit in these seats of power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kinloch said Sheffield hasnt worked with Triumph Church as it distributed laptops and groceries to Detroiters. Sheffield countered that shes hosted Occupy the Corner events where residents can obtain shoes, backpacks, school supplies and coats. Sheffield said Triumph Churchs east campus is in her district but Kinloch has never come to her office or a City Council meeting to raise concerns around housing, property tax reform, infrastructure or transit. Malachi Barrett Keeping Detroit growing and affordable Detroits population has grown after years of decline. Candidates were asked to address how they will continue that growth and ensure Detroit is affordable for residents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Housing is a human right and every resident deserves access to safe, quality affordable housing, said Sheffield, adding that she created the Housing Trust Fund which provides funding for housing units for Detroits most vulnerable, along with funding a home repair grant program for seniors and residents with disabilities. She also touted the downpayment assistance program. We have 700 new first-time homebuyers in that program. We also have to ensure that we have more inclusionary policies in place, Sheffield said. Kinloch said its amazing that housing has become more of a hot topic since Kinloch started discussing it in Februaryits become hot now because the residents have gotten to the point where they said, Enough is enough. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She created the homelessness task force, poverty has gone up and the majority of our kids are still living in poverty Whatever shes said tonight that she has done, it has not gone far enough to change the experiences of the people that live in this city, Kinloch added. Dana Afana Helping Detroit's children Both candidates said they believe the mayor has a responsibility to ensure children in Detroit have access to a quality education. Kinloch said he would be an educational mayor and hire a chief education officer to partner with the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Kinloch said students should have access to healthy food and mental health resources. He also promoted the work Triumph Church has done to host child mentorship events on Sundays. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sheffield said she will have a liaison working directly with DPSCD and charter schools. She wants to create after-school programs within a two-mile radius of every school, focused on literacy and wraparound services. She wants more residents to take advantage of the Detroit Promise, which offers free post-secondary education for qualified students. Sheffield also jabbed Kinloch for avoiding campaign forums hosted by community groups, claiming he has been virtually absent this entire campaign with a sense of entitlement. Malachi Barrett Let's talk about housing Kinloch said he would use a combination of low-interest loans and grants and direct property owned by the Detroit Land Bank Authority to residents so they can rebuild neighborhoods. Kinloch has argued Detroit is a tale of two cities where growth is concentrated downtown. Sheffield said Kinloch doesnt have a sense of whats happening on the ground in Detroit because he owns a home in Oakland Township. While youve been building up Southfield, you could have been helping build up Detroit, Sheffield said. We know pastors all around the city that have contributed to economic development, who built housing, who helped transform their communities. His church is in my district, and our community wants to know where he's been. Kinloch said only 5% of federal pandemic relief spending has gone toward neighborhood investments. Sheffield said thats false, touting investments in commercial corridors along Kercheval, Dexter, East Warren and Livernois. Malachi Barrett Keeping the positive momentum going On maintaining Detroits post-bankruptcy momentum, Sheffield acknowledged progress made, but said there is still more work to do, including fostering a business-friendly environment, cutting red tape and making Detroit the best place in America to grow and start a business. "We will also ensure that were driving property tax reforma huge barrier to both businesses and residents, and were going to ensure were investing in our workforce, Sheffield said. Kinloch said the city has not gone far enough. When you look at a budget like Detroit and see just a small portion of those resources have been allocated to people and neighborhoods, people have not been prioritized.we have not prioritized the neighborhoods. No one is trying to tear businesses down, but what we are trying to do is lift the citizens of Detroit up, Kinloch said. Sheffield pointed out that the city invested in various commercial corridors along Kercheval Avenue, Dexter, East Warren and Livernois, along with approving affordable housing units and investing in city parks. Kinloch fired back, questioning for whom the affordable houses were made. Affordable for who? The median income in the city of Detroit is less than $40,000 a year. And youre telling me you built $1.5 billion in affordable housing? Not for the people that live in the city, Kinloch said. Dana Afana The National Guard to Detroit? Candidates addressed whether they would allow President Donald Trump to deploy National Guard troops in Detroit to help fight crime and enforce immigration policies. Sheffield said she is strongly opposed. What we must do is become a national model of how to drive crime down in Detroitits about a coordinated strategy that is rooted in partnerships with our law enforcement agencies and our communities, said Sheffield, suggesting seeking federal resources to address underlying social issues of gun violence in city, mental health, and launch an office of gun violence prevention to treat gun violence as public health crisis. Kinloch said he would not launch them in a martial law fashion, but in collaboration in order to make sure were protecting soft spots throughout the city of Detroit. He added that Detroiters are looking for people that go on to fight and stand for them" and questioned what officials have been doing for the last 12 years. Sheffield hit back, saying he has the ability to convenepulling stakeholders together. Hes been absent on every single public safety initiative in the city. We do need more than rhetoric and talk. Kinloch fired back, saying to Sheffield, People in this city are not looking for movement, theyre looking for substance, theyre looking for change." Dana Afana Crime and safety The first question dealt with the disconnect residents experience between declining crime statistics and their feelings of safety in their neighborhoods. Kinloch, who has presided over funerals of children slain by gun violence, said Sheffiled believes residents want headlines and headlights instead of headway. He also suggested theres fudging of the numbers with crime data. Kinloch said residents deserve safety and justice. Sheffield said Kinloch has been completely absent on providing solutions to violence. She said shes on the ground advocating for additional funding for Community Violence Intervention programs. What we don't need is someone who consistently calls out the problems; we've heard not one solution in his response to how we can address the issue of public safety, Sheffield said. Sheffield said she would lead a holistic approach to public safety that includes investing in prevention, provide youth employment opportunities, launch the citys first Office of Gun Violence prevention and expand community policing and mental health resources. Malachi Barrett First shots fired Each candidate was given 90 seconds for opening statements and another 90 seconds for closing statements. Candidates have 1 minute to answer questions and 30 seconds for rebuttals. A random draw determined Kinloch would speak first. Questions were generated by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 staff and compiled from listeners. Candidates are taking questions from reporters gathered in the Channel 7 studio after the debate. Kinloch kicked off by pointing to a failure of institutional politics and leadership, noting Detroit is at a critical point due to its poverty rate reaching its highest level since 2017. He repeated that he will ensure children have a pathway to good education and that families can move on from being renters to homeowners. Sheffield opened up by noting that she gave her entire life to serving Detroit while also pointing out that she is the only experienced candidate "who will be ready on Day 1." Twelve years ago, as we emerged from bankruptcy, when people and businesses were leaving this city, I made the decision to step up and to serve, said Sheffield, adding that she, among others, improved city services, reduced crime, invested in parks and home repairs, preserved affordable housing and provided jobs for Detroiters. Dana Afana This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit mayor debate 2025 recap, analysis NewsNation is airing a live town hall on Wednesday night at the Kennedy Center until 10 p.m. EDT. Chris Cuomo, host of NewsNations Cuomo, is joined by political commentator Bill OReilly along with television and radio personality Stephen A. Smith. They will be joined by White House border czar Tom Homan, former Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.V.), Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). The participants are discussing the latest news from Washington and beyond, including the government shutdown, crime, immigration, the economy and the recent uptick in political violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The event comes after the Senate earlier on Wednesday failed for the ninth time to reopen the federal government as the impasse on Capitol Hill deepens. Senate spurns bill to reopen government for ninth time as impasse deepens The upper chamber will switch gears on Thursday and vote on whether to advance a $852 billion defense appropriations bill. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) scheduled the vote in an effort to put Democrats on the record if they block the measure, as Republicans spotlight how the shutdown is impacting national security. It is unclear if senators will vote again Thursday on the continuing resolution to fund the government. Wednesdays measure failed 51-44. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the White House, President Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel held a press conference on crime, where the president suggested San Francisco as a potential target for surged federal law enforcement. The president will host a ballroom dinner at the White House later Wednesday evening. Read below for the latest updates. 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. Hell be truly missed: Family mourns 21-year-old killed in Cocoa shooting Family and friends gathered Tuesday night to honor the life of 21-year-old Yuri Smith, who was shot and killed at a Cocoa apartment complex. Police say the shooting happened around 11 p.m. Monday at Oak Meadows Apartments, an apartment complex on Clearlake Road. According to investigators, Smith got into a fight with a 22-year-old man. They say Smith was carrying a rifle when he approached that man who then opened fire. Smith was taken to the hospital but later died from his injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At a vigil held in his memory, dozens of people came together to remember him. You can see theres a lot of people here. A lot of people who loved him. And he will be truly missed, said Myrakle Mitchell, Smiths cousin. He actually has a baby on the way he has a baby girl on the way. Mitchell said Smith wouldnt have wanted people to grieve too heavily. He told me, personally, when he passed away, he didnt want anyone to be sad. He wanted everyone to be happy, she said. The Cocoa Police Department said in a statement that preliminary findings suggest the incident may have been justifiable under Floridas Stand Your Ground laws and appears to have been an act of self-defense. That law allows a person to use deadly force, without retreating, if they believe their life is in imminent danger. Still, some neighbors told Channel 9 theyre uneasy about the ongoing violence. I mean, I heard about a shooting before I moved in, said Eddrick Piper, who lives nearby. Sometimes Im scared to even walk sometimes with stuff that happens around here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cocoa police said the 22-year-old involved in the shooting is cooperating with the investigation. The department is working with the State Attorneys Office to determine whether any charges will be filed. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) A well-known animal advocate in Trumbull County now has a new title. Healthy Hearts and Paws Project founder Jason Cooke was sworn in as a humane agent for the organization. He took his oath of office in Trumbull County Probate Court on Wednesday morning. Cooke recently received his certificate of completion following both online and in-person training approved by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said this new role will help tackle the countys animal crisis. There are so many dogs and cats and animals in general that are in need. I work so well with the police departments already, and I felt that this was the next natural progression for myself and our organization, Cooke said. The Healthy Hearts and Paws Project is now considered a humane society. Cooke said he plans to put programs together to help educate the public. 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 WKBN.com. Americas largest bank wants to shore up Americas defenses. JPMorgan Chase said Monday that it will invest $10 billion of its own money in companies it deems critical to US national security. That sound you hear is a thousand startups updating their pitch deck with potential defense applications. SUBSCRIBE: Receive more of our free The Daily Upside newsletter. READ ALSO: Good Omen, or Bad? Tesla Opens Mag 7 Earnings Season to Mixed Reviews and NHL Ups the Ante by Teaming With Kalshi, Polymarket in Sports Betting In Defense of Bankers 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 CEO Jamie Dimon said in a statement announcing its plans. Dimon said the lender, which has more than $4 trillion in assets under management, will focus its investments on supply chain independence, energy independence, defense and aerospace technologies, and finally frontier technologies like quantum computing and artificial intelligence (because if any area of the economy is hurting for boatloads of cash right now, its artificial intelligence). JPMorgan is doing it independently when it comes to its $10 billion spend, he said on a media call, in a nod to the recent strategic moves the Trump administration has taken to bolster companies it believes are vital to the national interest. In July, JPMorgan joined with Goldman Sachs to lend $1 billion to MP Materials, the largest rare earth producer in the US, at the same time that the Department of Defense became its largest shareholder. I hope theyll appreciate this, Dimon said of the administrations potential view of JPMorgans investment plan, which only starts with its own cash: The bank said it plans to facilitate and finance some $1.5 trillion for companies crucial to national security 50% more than previously planned in the next decade. Thats a lot of work ahead, raising investment pledges on the cocktail circuit. The market signaled confidence in Dimons administration-friendly plans, as shares in JPMorgan rose 2.3% Monday. The bank is reporting its latest quarterly earnings this morning, along with Goldman, Wells Fargo and Citigroup; analysts expect profits rose 6% at the countrys six biggest banks in the three months through September. A Promising Start: Renewed geopolitical tensions have catapulted shares in US rare earth miners: MP Materials rose 21.3% on Monday, USA Rare Earth climbed 18.6% and Ramaco Resources added 11%. This post first appeared on The Daily Upside. To receive delivering razor sharp analysis and perspective on all things finance, economics, and markets, subscribe to our free The Daily Upside newsletter. WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) This month, the Better Business Bureau will host a dinner celebrating ethical local businesses. The BBBs Fall Toast will be Tuesday, October 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. It will be an evening recognizing ethical business practices. Six local businesses, finalists for the Torch Awards, will be recognized at the event. They are Always Auto, Browning Electric, Crossvine Financial Planning, Diamond Pamper Pets, Pratt and Whitney Component Repairs, and Secrord and Lebow Architects, LLP. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The dinner will be at The Loft at Pickers, 1000 Indiana. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by calling the BBB at 940-697-1172 or going online. You can now stream KFDX and Texomas FOX live 24/7 on your smart TV with KFDX+, our brand-new app! No antenna, cable, or satellite neededwatch for free, anytime. Just download it on your Roku, Apple TV, or Fire TV and start streaming. 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 Texomashomepage.com. WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) Teamwork and knowing how different equipment operates are important in emergency situations. Its the focus of firefighter training taking place in Warren this week. On board the bucket of a ladder truck Wednesday, firefighters are getting hands-on training. We dont have a lot of high-rise buildings in the area, so its not something you do on a daily basis, said Assistant Chief Charles Eggleston. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre learning the ins and outs of operating different truck models and how to troubleshoot any issues that may arise. All the trucks are a little different. They all have different features, Eggleston said. We just purchased a new truck, so we want to make sure we know all the bells and whistles, we know how the overrides work, we know the basic operation. These lessons are part of the Ohio Fire Academys Aerial Ladder Operations Class. They are provided free of charge through its regional delivery program. As firefighters, we need to know how to take care of those trucks, how to use them to the best of their ability and take care of them for the community, so if we have a fire, we want to be able to get that ladder to a window to rescue someone. Whatever we need to do, said Nelvin Young, a Fire Academy instructor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Warren Fire Department is hosting the training this week. Firefighters from Cortland, Howland, and Niles are also participating. Officials say in addition to learning how the other departments equipment works, training together builds teamwork for a seamless mutual aid response in an emergency. This gives them an opportunity to get together, know each other as firefighters. We should have the goal of helping the public, Young said. 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 WKBN.com. Three students at a Dayton middle school were taken to the hospital on Wednesday after police say they accidentally consumed THC gummies. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Police were called to Edwin Joel Brown Middle School on Willowwood Drive around 9:45 a.m. on a medic assist, according to Sergeant Creigee S. Coleman. Three juveniles consumed THC gummies thinking that they were regular gummy candies, Coleman said. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the juveniles had reportedly gotten the gummies from his mothers purse. Medics took all three juveniles to an area hospital for evaluation. Coleman said theyre in non-life-threatening condition. The matter is under investigation by Dayton Police Department detectives. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) Pennsylvanias late state budget continues to jeopardize funding for educational institutions. The Lancaster Science Factory might not have new exhibits come next year because businesses arent donating through the educational improvement tax credit program. Many fear the budget impasse means they wont get the tax credit back. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe Now This Week in Pennsylvania Funding from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has also been pushed back. That funding directly supports need based access and scholarship programs, so scholarships for our summer camps, people being able to come for free on field trips from lower income school districts, said Rob Reed, development director at the Lancaster Science Center. Were committed to being accessible to everyone in our community, and were not going to stop doing that. Financial pain for many Pennsylvania service providers will continue after budget impasse ends The community can support the science factory by donating or attending Thursday nights A Taste of Science fundraiser. An open bar is included in the events $70 ticket. 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 ABC27. Oct. 14ROCHESTER A group of Rochester organizations are planning a "No Kings" rally and march for Saturday, Oct. 18. It's one of thousands of protests expected across the United States this weekend. The Rochester event is being organized by Indivisible 507, Minnesota 50501-Rochester, COPAL and ISAIAH. The event will be held from noon to 3 p.m. It will begin with a rally at noon at Soldiers Field Track, followed by a march along Broadway Avenue around 12:20 p.m., and a community gathering that will include food trucks, music and speakers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Organizers said in a press release that the No Kings movement is "committed to nonviolent action" and that "no weapons of any kind will be allowed at this event." A statement about the upcoming rally and protest listed various reasons for hosting the event, such as the the federal administration "deploying the military against unarmed civilians," deporting "legal residents, green-card holders and asylum seekers without due process," "weaponizing the Department of Justice to exact political retribution," and "openly repressing free speech." The Rochester rally will be one of roughly 2,500 similar events being organized around the country. The upcoming event will follow an earlier "No Kings Day of Action" that was held on June 14. According to organizers, the event drew "more than 2,000 residents." SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) As the fall season approaches and temperatures drop, warming shelters are experiencing an increase in the number of unhoused individuals seeking assistance. To meet the needs of those seeking shelter from the cold, shelter workers are already preparing by stocking up on food, blankets, and warm clothing. In addition to securing these essential items for the winter, officials have also mentioned that, with the help of several grants, they are making improvements to their facilities. These enhancements include new washers and dryers, as well as separate entrances for men, women, and children, aimed at providing a safer experience for everyone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Story continues below It has been really busy, said the Warming Shelters Executive Director, Shayla Moore. Were seeing a little bit of influx in numbers; it stayed pretty steady throughout the summer months. But were seeing about 130 to 140 throughout each night. And thats pretty consistent these past couple of weeks as its gotten a bit cooler. These efforts for the new features became possible after the warming shelters status was questioned about remaining open a year ago. 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 SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. By Ruma Paul DHAKA (Reuters) -Toxic gas and a locked door that barred access to a roof were responsible for most of the deaths in a devastating fire in a Bangladesh garment factory and an adjoining chemical warehouse, a fire official said on Wednesday. The disaster in Dhaka on Tuesday killed 16 and critically injured several more. It cast a spotlight on Bangladeshs poor record on industrial safety, despite improvements following deadly incidents in 2012 and 2013 that drew global attention to unsafe working conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thick smoke rose from the charred structure as firefighters carried out cooling operations, a day after the blaze ripped through a four-storey building and an adjacent warehouse packed with chemicals. MOST VICTIMS DIED FROM INHALING TOXIC GAS "The victims could not escape because the roof door was locked," said fire service official Talha Bin Zasim. "Most of them died from inhaling toxic gas, rather than burns." The fire was brought under control on Wednesday afternoon, nearly 27 hours after the deadly blaze broke out, as toxic gas and chemical fumes slowed down the operation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dozens of relatives waited outside the blackened building, some clutching photographs of those missing. Identification of the bodies, many of which were badly burned, is being carried out at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Mohammad Sohel said his brother Mohammad Robin, a worker at the factory, had been missing since Tuesday and he was desperate for information. Some tell us to go to the police, others to the hospitals, but no one gives us clear information. We are being misled again and again." The government has launched an inquiry to determine the cause of the fire and identify those responsible for safety lapses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many workers in garment factories nearby fell ill from inhaling the smoke that shrouded the site in the capital's Mirpur area. Authorities later ordered all surrounding factories to shut down temporarily as a safety measure. A fire official with a megaphone urged people to move back, shouting, This is a very hazardous area. You should stay at least 300 metres away. GARMENT SECTOR A MAJOR PART OF BANGLADESH ECONOMY Bangladesh is the worlds second-largest exporter of apparel. The sector supplies major retailers such as Walmart, Gap and H&M, employs 4 million people and generates about $40 billion a year, or more than a tenth of GDP. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said that the facilities affected by Tuesday's fire were neither BGMEA members nor part of the formal, export-oriented garment sector. It urged authorities to strengthen oversight and take strict action against illegal warehouses operating outside regulatory control. Many small factories and warehouses in Bangladesh operate with little oversight, though conditions in the garment industry have improved since the 2012 Tazreen Fashions fire and the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse that together killed more than 1,200 workers. Fires are common in densely populated Dhaka, often caused by faulty wiring, gas leaks or unsafe storage of chemicals. In 2021, a similar fire at a food processing factory killed 54, while in 2019, a fire in the capitals old quarter killed at least 70. (Reporting by Ruma PaulEditing by Clarence Fernandez and Frances Kerry) JOHANNESBURG (AP) Many supposedly invincible leaders have been forced to flee their countries or have gone into hiding to avoid incarceration, execution, or political retaliation by successor governments due to revolutions, military coups or mass protests. The most recent international leader to join the list is Andry Rajoelina, the president of Madagascar, who was overthrown in a military coup this week. His fall came after weeks of Gen Z-led demonstrations over hardship, lack of opportunities and power shortages in the Indian Ocean island nation. Here's a look at other leaders who have succumbed to a similar fate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bashar Assad In 2024, former Syrian leader Bashar Assad fled to Russia as rebels advanced toward the capital Damascus to take over power after years of civil war. As opposition forces swept across the country, Assad arrived in Moscow, bringing an end to 51 years of his familys rule over the country. For years, Assad enjoyed backing from allies Russia and Iran, who supported him throughout a 13-year civil war against opposition forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin granted protection to him, his family and some associates, and has refused to extradited him to Syria. Sheikh Hasina In August 2024, Bangladesh's longest-serving prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, was forced to resign and flee the country after waves of protests managed to topple her government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.N. human rights office estimates that as many as 1,400 people were killed when security forces cracked down on the student-led protests that lasted for weeks. Hasina, who is still in exile in India, first became prime minister in 1996 and then returned in 2008 to win the office she held until her resignation. Her father, Sheikh Mujib Rahman, was the first leader of an independent Bangladesh. He was assassinated in a military coup in 1975. Gotabaya Rajapaksa After months of protests over a devastating economic crisis, Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country in July 2022 for the Maldives, only to return about two months later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The South Asian island nation's economic collapse left it short of cash to pay for food and fuel imports, put its debt in default, and forced people to queue for days for cooking gas and petrol. Sri Lankans blamed Rajapaksa, who was part of a powerful family political dynasty, for the disaster. He was forced to resign, along with his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa who was prime minister, and two other brothers and a nephew who served in his Cabinet. Viktor Yanukovych In February 2014, following a series of deadly protests, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych fled the capital city of Kyiv and eventually reemerged in Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The protests in Kyiv were sparked by Yanukovychs shelving of an agreement with the European Union in November and turning instead for a $15 billion bailout loan from Russia. Yanukovych and opposition leaders would strike a deal aimed at bringing Ukraines political crisis to an end but he secretly fled the capital that evening. Ukrainian MPs voted to impeach him and hold early presidential elections while an arrest warrant was issued for him following the protests which led to the deaths of dozens of civilians. Putin and Yanukovych would later state that Russian forces helped Yanukovych fly to Russia via Crimea. Moammar Gadhafi Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi lost his four-decade grip on power during the 2011 Libyan Civil War, which was part of the wider Arab Spring uprisings. Rebel forces overthrew Gadhafi after capturing the capital city of Tripoli, forcing him to flee with a handful of loyalists. He hid for weeks amid a bloody siege by rebel forces in his hometown of Sirte, one of the last strongholds of loyalist resistance. Gadhafi tried to flee the besieged city on Oct. 20, 2011, with a convoy of loyalist fighters, but they were dispersed after being struck by a NATO air attack. Opposition forces then located Gadhafi in a big drainage pipe and captured him. Following his death, his body was on public display for a few days before being buried in a secluded desert site. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marc Ravalomanana Marc Ravalomanana served as Madagascars sixth president from 2002 to 2009 until he was overthrown by a military coup led by none other than Rajoelina, who was at the time the former mayor of Antananarivo, the capital. Ravalomanana transferred his power to a military council and fled to South Africa. The international community deemed it a coup and withdrew all but humanitarian aid. Ravalomanana was later convicted in absentia of conspiracy to commit murder in a case related to the violence during his overthrow. He was sentenced to life in prison after a trial described as unfair by Amnesty International. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After more than five years of exile, he returned to Madagascar and was arrested at his home. The following year, his sentence was lifted and he was freed from house arrest. Jean-Bertrand Aristide Former Haiti President Jean-Bertrand Aristide twice fled his country during military coups, the first one six months after he became the Caribbean islands first democratically elected leader in 1991. His reforms angered the military elite, and he fled to Venezuela when his government fell. He was reinstated to finish his term from 1994 to 1996 with help from the United States. Aristide won election again in 2000 but by 2004 the country was in turmoil and he was forced to resign, with his administration facing popular rebellion. Aristide fled for the second time, leaving Haiti in a U.S.-chartered plane to the Central African Republic and later settling in South Africa. He returned to Haiti in 2011. CHICAGO Authorities are searching for answers on Wednesday after a Loop business was damaged in an early morning crash. According to police, the crash unfolded at around 3:45 a.m. at a convenience store in the 100 Block of East 9th Street, in the Loop. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Officers said they initially responded to the scene for a call of service, but when they arrived, they found the convenience stores front entrance damaged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officers then spoke with a witness who told them they had spotted a black jeep crash into the side of the building before fleeing the scene. It remains unclear what led to the crash and authorities say no arrests have been made. An investigation into the incident is now underway. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact CPD Area Three Detectives at 312-744-8263 or dial 911. Those with information that could help detectives in their investigation can also leave a tip at CPDtip.com. Tips can be filed anonymously. 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 WGN-TV. Los Angeles County approved an emergency declaration Tuesday in response to the Trump administrations immigration raids, which have rattled local migrant communities. In a 4-1 vote, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the measure, according to The Associated Press. The emergency declaration will ensure funds are provided to local residents for rental assistance and legal aid because some immigrants have stopped going to work in an effort to avoid being taken by immigration officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have residents afraid to leave their homes, we have constituents contacting my office because their family members never came home and they dont know if theyve been taken by ICE or where theyve been taken, County Supervisor Janice Hahn said, per the AP. We have entire families who are destitute because their fathers or mothers have been taken from their work places and they have no way to pay their rent or put food on their table, she added. Migrant workers have been targeted through raids at farms, places of business and at their homes. Supervisor Kathryn Barger was the sole person to dissent on the board, warning the declaration could harm landlords and open the county to legal challenges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rent arrangements offered by the county during the COVID-19 pandemic spurred a whirlwind of legal cases from landlords. Daniel Yukelson, CEO of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, told AP that landlords lost billions in uncollected rent during the COVID-19 emergency. The countys move marks the latest effort by California officials to push back on President Trumps immigration crackdown in the state. Last month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) issued new legislation banning ICE agents from wearing masks. He said face coverings allow federal law enforcement agents to be hidden from accountability arguing masks prevent transparency for citizens and hinder oversight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Residents have protested against ICE raids as the Department of Homeland Security said 5,000 immigrants in the country illegally were arrested from June to August in Los Angeles. Newsom and other state leaders have promised to push back. We are a majority-minority state, California. At our best, we dont tolerate that diversity. At our best, we celebrate that diversity. Were a universal state, the governor said last month. Our status is unique in the United States of America. Its what makes California great. Its what makes America great. And its under assault by this administration. 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. Los Angeles County has declared a local emergency in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids which aims to provide greater protection for migrants, the county's board said on Tuesday. The measure, passed by a majority vote, is intended to help enable services such as tenant protections and other assistance for those affected by the raids. Board supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who introduced the emergency declaration, said the action would allow the county to support families destabilized by ICE raids and US President Donald Trump's deportation policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "What's happening in our communities is an emergency and Los Angeles County is treating it like one," Horvath said in a statement, adding that "for months, families have lived under threat and workers have been taken from job sites." "County departments will now be able to move quicker to deliver rapid assistance to residents in need," the statement added. Los Angeles County, is home to more than 10 million people, including over 3 million immigrants, according to the county board. In June, demonstrations erupted in the Los Angeles area in response to Trump's hard-line stance on migrants and deportation raids. Trump deployed soldiers to southern California at the time to quell the protests. Mass deportations of illegal immigrants were a central campaign promise of Trump ahead of his re-election. Todays arguments before the Supreme Court are about far more than lines on a map. They are about whether Louisiana will reflect the diversity of its people and ensure fair representation for all residents. Math is Math! Both the Middle District and the Fifth Circuit Court ruled that Louisiana must have two majority-minority districts. The bipartisan map enacted by the legislature honors those rulings. The creation of a second majority-minority district was not about race; its about fairness, compliance with federal law, and ensuring that Black voices in Louisiana are not silenced. The current map is the product of bipartisan compromise, legislative action, and judicial review. The Supreme Court has a duty to uphold the integrity of the Voting Rights Act and ensure that every Louisianian has a seat at the table. The Voting Rights Act is not a relic; it is a living promise that our democracy belongs to everyone. For nearly 200 years, Black Americans had virtually no representation in government. The Voting Rights Act, forged in the blood, was enacted to right that wrong. It remains as vital today as it was 60 years ago. The Supreme Court must uphold the Voting Rights Act and the current fair, lawful congressional map that reflects the people of Louisiana. The stakes are nothing less than the future of representative democracy in our state and our nation. We must not allow the erosion of this promise not now, not in Louisiana, not anywhere, and not on our watch. Congressman Cleo Fields (D-La.) released a statement after arguments were heard. A member of the National Guard stands alongside a military vehicle parked in front of Union Station, near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 18, 2025. (Photo by Jane Norman/States Newsroom) When I think about troops coming to New Orleans, I get anxious about the potential impacts on our young people because I know what its like to be a kid who is seen as trouble in the eyes of authority. I grew up in the 7th Ward of New Orleans, and I was repeatedly pushed out of school instead of supported treated as a threat instead of a child with potential. So I know firsthand what could happen if the National Guard is deployed into Louisiana communities under the guise of public safety. There is a deeply misguided narrative about young Black men that criminalizes them instead of recognizing what they need. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our young people dont need soldiers. They need systems of care. Louisiana should be investing in mental health care, housing, education, and jobs not more criminalization and over-policing. Yet year after year, the state pours resources into law enforcement and prisons, as if locking up or intimidating kids will somehow solve the challenges our communities face. ...Its frustrating to see our state double down time and time again on the same failed strategies that criminalize kids instead of caring for them. I work with youth every day. Through my program Black Man Rising, a mentorship and healing space for young Black men, we talk about trauma, emotions, and accountability topics many of us were never taught to handle. I see brilliance, creativity, and resilience when these young men are given the tools to lead and the space to be themselves. I see that what they need is systems and people who give them love, consistency, and opportunity not troops patrolling their blocks. When I was in school, I was suspended for things like willful disobedience. I was patted down every morning and surrounded by guards instead of counselors. Nobody asked why I was acting out. Nobody saw that I was living with trauma from Hurricane Katrina, poverty, and growing up without a father. I was on the path to becoming another statistic until I found a community that truly valued me: Families and Friends of Louisianas Incarcerated Children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FFLIC was able to fill the gaps in the system, by teaching me that my voice mattered. I began to see that the system was designed to fail kids like me. Most importantly, I learned that I could be a leader in my community and give back to other kids. It was a community that believed in me and my dream for Black Man Rising. Thats what is missing from our public conversation today. Instead of asking why young people are hurting and how we can show up as a village to help them fulfill their potential, Louisiana keeps turning to punishment. Thats why its frustrating to see our state double down time and time again on the same failed strategies that criminalize kids instead of caring for them. Flooding neighborhoods with armed troops will not stop violence. It will only create more fear and mistrust. It tells Black and brown youth that they are enemies of the state, not valued members of a community. That is not safety that is control. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve seen this play out before: in cities like Minneapolis and Los Angeles, when troops were deployed during periods of unrest, young peopleespecially Black and brown youthwere the first to be stopped, searched, or swept up in curfew arrests. Real safety is about care and making sure every child has access to high-quality schools, safe housing, health care, mental health supports, and job opportunities. And it means ensuring that when a young person shows signs of distress, theres a counselor or mentor not a police officerready to help. If Louisiana truly wants safer communities, its time to hold policymakers accountable to the same standards they use to judge our youth. We cant keep blaming children for the failures of systems that were never designed to help them thrive. I believe in a Louisiana where every young person is seen, heard, and valued a Louisiana that uplifts healing instead of harm. We can build that future through targeted investments into our communities. But we cant do it by meeting our children with soldiers instead of support. Loved ones are searching for a Southern California girl who has been missing for days. Belen Ramos-Trejo, 12, was reported missing on Oct.10, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. The girl, who is considered at-risk, was last seen on the 1300 block of East Kildare Street in Lancaster at 11:30 p.m. She is described as a Hispanic girl who stands at 5 feet 1 inch and weighs 120 pounds. She has brown eyes and long black hair. She was last seen wearing a black jacket, a black T-shirt and blue jeans. Belen Ramos-Trejo, 12, was last seen in Lancaster on Oct. 10, 2025. (Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department) She may have been heading to the 600 block of East Avenue Q-7 in Palmdale when she disappeared. Her family did not mention any health issues that would contribute to her disappearance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They have not heard from her since and are very concerned for her well-being. Anyone who may know Ramos-Trejos whereabouts or has information on the case can call the Lancaster Sheriffs Station at 661-948-8466. Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org. 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 KTLA. PORT ROYAL, S.C. (WSAV) A business in the Lowcountry is working to help the families who suffered loss from the mass shooting on St. Helena Island. GGs Restaurant and Bar in Port Royal is donating 10% of all proceeds this week to the families who lost loved ones this Sunday. The restaurant is dividing the funds among the four victims families and will give it to them on Friday. They hope those funds can help toward unexpected medical bills, funeral costs or whatever they need. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think I can speak for a lot of people in that everybody feels a type of pain for, what happened, said co-owner Sarah Christofek, who welded up with tears. Its so unimaginable. And as a community, you need to come together because that is pure evil. And thats the only way to fight evil is to is to help each other. They said the St. Helena community extends across the county, and even some close to their restaurant family were impacted by the shooting. We have a couple of people close to us that, you know, have people close to them, and so weve got a lot of sides to the emotions of this event, and we just want to help however we can, said Christofek. GGs is one of a few businesses in the area who are helping give back to the families impacted by the shooting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Christofek believes that if they were in a position where their business was impacted and families were in a tough spot, others in the community would do what they could to help. I think its important to be a good steward of what youre given. And if youre blessed, you should be a blessing. And I think if you do that, even if youre in a tight space, itll come back to you. But if the tables were turned, I would hope that other people would do that for us, said Christofek. 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 WSAV-TV. SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) LSU Health Shreveport will showcase student innovation and research during two events this week at the Center for Medical Education. An Evening for Healers: Fundraising for LSU Health Shreveport The Medical Student Research Program Poster Presentation takes place Thursday, October 16, 2025, from 3 to 6 p.m. Medical students will present summer research projects in a competitive poster session highlighting work in basic science and clinical research. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Friday, October 17, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Biomedical Research and Industry Day (BRaID) will bring together scientists, students, and industry leaders for presentations, workshops, and networking focused on turning research into real-world innovation. Both events will be held at 1501 Kings Highway in Shreveport. According to a news release from LSU Health Shreveport, the Biomedical Research and Industry Day (BRaID) brings together scientists, clinicians, students, and business leaders from across Louisiana for a day of presentations, networking, and collaboration at the crossroads of biomedical science and industry. Organized by LSU Health Shreveport in partnership with LSUS, University of Louisiana Monroe, Louisiana Tech, Centenary College, and Grambling State University, the conference features expert talks, trainee presentations, and workshops focused on translating laboratory research into real-world innovation. 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 KTALnews.com. By Brian Lestini As a physician, I understand that when families in New Jersey open their utility bills, they face more than just sticker shock they confront a hidden health crisis. Energy insecurity, defined as the inability to adequately meet household energy needs, affects as many as 1 in 3 U.S. households, and roughly 25 million households forego food or medicine needs in order to pay for energy. In 2014, more than 3 million households had their energy service disconnected because they could not afford their bills, and since that time the problem has only grown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This energy insecurity results in devastating trade-offs as families, struggling to keep the lights or air conditioning on, often cut back on medications, delay doctor visits, or forego healthy food. The health impacts are broad, including worsening cardiovascular disease, respiratory conditions like asthma, anxiety and depression, and food insecurity. Especially at risk are medically vulnerable populations that are less tolerant to increasing temperatures: pregnant women, very young children, and the elderly, who have a higher chance of dying at home due to lack of access to adequate air-conditioning and other cooling measures. New Jersey needs leadership that recognizes that growth of clean energy is not only good policy for our pocketbooks, but also for our health. In New Jersey, where energy markets are shaped by the multistate PJM Interconnection, residents are paying some of the highest electricity prices in the region, with costs driven up by reliance on aging fossil fuel infrastructure and unacceptably slow adoption of cheaper, renewable energy. Our next governor must reject the false narrative and challenge the power of fossil fuel companies and PJMs entrenched interests in outdated technologies, and accelerate the rollout of clean, renewable energy that is not only cheaper but healthier. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Solar and onshore wind are now the cheapest forms of electricity generation, and the fastest to bring online to help offset growing demand and drive down rates. Expanding these sources will reduce energy bills, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and protect public health. In addition, in this election New Jersey has the opportunity to send a message to the country and Congress that we will not sit by while the fossil fuel interests that are responsible for driving climate change continue to hurt our families budgets, damage our health, and compromise our childrens futures. No family should be forced to choose between paying their electric bill or purchasing their medications. I encourage all readers to take time to learn what gubernatorial candidates are saying they will do in their own words and vote accordingly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By electing a leader who will double down on bringing more clean, cheap energy to our state, New Jersey can chart a path toward a healthier, more sustainable, and more affordable future. Brian Lestini is a pediatric oncologist who lives and works in New Jersey. The views expressed solely represent those of the author. Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The U.S. Army is pushing to get a very early prototype of the next-generation iteration of the Abrams tank, or M1E3, before the end of the year. The M1E3 is expected to be substantially different from earlier versions of the Abrams, featuring a host of new defensive capabilities and other advanced technologies, as well as reduced weight and increased fuel economy. Dr. Alex Miller, Chief Technology Officer and Senior Advisor for Science and Technology to the Chief of Staff of the Army, talked about the state of the M1E3 effort in a live interview today with Defense News Jen Judson from the floor of the Association of the U.S. Armys (AUSA) main annual conference. TWZs Howard Altman was among those in attendance and had a chance to follow up with Miller afterward. A row of M1A2 System Enhanced Package Version 3 (SEPv3) tanks, the latest variant of the Abrams in US Army service. US Army In 2023, the Army announced it was scrapping plans for more incremental upgrades to the existing M1A2 Abrams model in favor of the M1E3. General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS), the current prime contractor for the Abrams, received an initial M1E3 design contract last year. The Armys Program Executive Office for Ground Combat Systems (PEO-GCS), situated at the services Detroit Arsenal in Michigan, is leading the effort. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Very long story short, when we went when the Chief [of Staff of the Army Gen. Randy George] and I went to Detroit, 18 months ago, the PEO team, at the time, said that we would not see the M1E3 until 2032, Miller told Defense News Judson. And we said no. There have been reports since April that the Army has been looking to accelerate work on the M1E3. [We] gave them [PEO-GCS] a challenge, gave General Dynamics a challenge, Miller continued. I want a tank by the end of the year, and we need a platoon by the end of next year. We understand theres a lot of process things that we, the government, impose. So things like critical design review, things like final design review, those are government processes. But if it is not a risk to a soldiers life, limb, or eyesight, or hearing, we should be able to move those processes faster, he added. There are absolutely things we must do, but the process of just sort of staring at the problem for three or four years is asinine, and it is no longer acceptable. Another example of a current-generation Abrams tank in US Army service. US Army A US Army M1A2 Abrams tank. US Army The Armys chief technologist says that Col. Ryan Howell, who has managed the Abrams program for years and is now the acting deputy head of PEO-GCS, has assured the services leadership that a pre-prototype M1E3 will be delivered sometime in December. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He has told me several times, the paint will still be wet, Miller said. It will be very fresh. The way that we move that faster, was we focused on commercialization, he added. So rather than building a bespoke power plant and a bespoke transmission, and a bespoke integration cell, we said, hey, there are other companies that do this. Miller indicated that Caterpillar will be providing the powerplant for the early prototype and said that the transmission will come from SAPA. A core aspect of the future M1E3 will be some form of hybrid propulsion to offer a more economical alternative to the fuel-hungry gas turbine powerplant found on current Abrams tanks. Itll be hybrid. It will not be fully electric, Miller said after the interview with Judson. We dont want fully electric, because theres no place to charge. You need the liquid fuel to actually generate power. But what were seeing, and I have not put this to the test, so this is just sort of the math behind it, is the way that theyre going to deliver it, itll be about 40 percent more fuel efficient. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Army has also said previously that it is targeting a gross weight goal of 60 tons. With a full combat load, the latest M1A2 System Enhanced Package Version 3 (SEPv3) variant is some 78 tons. Weight creep has been a major issue for the Abrams family since the original version entered service in the 1980s. Dockworkers at the Port of Constanta in Romania use a mobile harbor crane to lift a US Army Abrams tank on a railcar. US Army The Army has also stressed that an integrated active protection system (APS) will be another key feature of the M1E3. The service has already integrated the Israeli-designed and combat-proven Trophy APS onto a portion of its existing Abrams tanks. Trophy is a so-called hard-kill APS that uses a burst of kinetic projectiles to defeat or at least disrupt incoming anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM), as well as other types of infantry anti-armor weapons, such as shoulder-fired rockets and rocket-propelled grenades. A version of the system now exists that also offers protection against drones. A new system that is more streamlined and otherwise better optimized for the M1E3 could offer benefits when it comes to power and weight requirements, as well as the design of the tanks physical structure. Regardless, hard-kill APSs are only expected to become more important for tanks and heavy armored vehicles going forward, including as an added layer of anti-drone defense, something The War Zone previously explored in an in-depth feature. A US Army M1 Abrams fitted with the Trophy APS. US Army via Leonardo An M1 Abrams tank with the Trophy APS installed. U.S. Army via Leonardo The Army is already looking into installing add-on armor kits to its existing Abrams and other heavy armored vehicles to give them increased protection against top-down attacks from drones and, to a lesser extent, ATGMs. This kind of up-armoring first appeared on Russian tanks in the lead-up to the all-out invasion of Ukraine, and has now become a fixture on armored and unarmored vehicles on both sides of the ongoing conflict. This armoring trend has also been steadily appearing elsewhere globally. A Ukrainian M1 Abrams tank with add-on anti-drone armor screens, as well as other additional protective features. Metinvest Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The possibility has been raised that the M1E3 might also feature a larger caliber or otherwise more advanced main gun compared to the 120mm type found on current generation Abrams variants. Whatever weapon is chosen, the Army is looking at coupling it with an autoloader, something the U.S. military and many other armed forces in the West have historically eschewed in their tank designs. 2/5 The magazine is double-row, closed-loop carousel of canisters that are cycled to place the requested round into a feed position, meaning you don't need the current big blast doors, instead just a small port (which is how most autoloaders with protected carousels work). pic.twitter.com/gEI9qVNG8P Jon Hawkes (@JonHawkes275) October 22, 2024 The Abrams four-person crew currently includes an individual whose main job is to load the 120mm gun. Automating that process would allow for a reduced crew size on the future M1E3, which could, in turn, translate to more significant changes to the design of the turret and other aspects of the tank. A smaller turret would lower its profile and help reduce weight. The armament package on the M1E3 could differ from that of previous Abrams variants in ways beyond the main gun. At the AUSA conference this week, GDLS unveiled a launcher system called the Precision Effects & Reconnaissance, Canister-Housed (PERCH), which is capable of firing Switchblade 300 and 600 loitering munitions from AeroVironment. The company says PERCH is currently designed to be integrated onto existing M1A2 tanks, as well as Stryker wheeled light armored vehicles. It's time to get up on the PERCH. Short for Precision Effects & Reconnaissance, Canister-Housed, PERCH has been created in partnership with @aerovironment as a modular kit integrating Switchblade SB300 and SB600 loitering munitions into M1A2 Abrams SEPv3 and Stryker vehicles pic.twitter.com/Hbi4oZcj3g General Dynamics Land Systems (@GD_LandSystems) October 14, 2025 The M1E3 is expected to feature a host of other advancements, including in terms of targeting capabilities and other onboard sensors, as well as networked communications systems. The Armys current push to accelerate work on the next-generation tank puts heavy emphasis on modularity and open architectures to make it easier to integrate and refine capabilities during the development process, as well as incorporate improvements down the road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Overall, how indicative of an actual production M1E3 the pre-prototype example might be remains to be seen. It is also worth noting that GDLS rolled out an AbramsX next-generation demonstrator back in 2022, which had many of the features the Army says it is interested in for the future M1E3. In speaking to TWZs Howard Altman today, Miller, the Armys chief technologist, explained that the goal of getting a full platoon of pre-prototypes next year is directly tied to answering many of these questions. The reason we want to get the platoon out earlier is because we want the armor brigades to be able to tell us what works and what doesnt, he said. And then, rather than wait three or four more years, do [sic] some feedback then, allow GD [General Dynamics] to make those changes, and then get the next iteration out the next year. What we didnt want to do is the first time that a tanker sees the new tank is [when] its done, you cant change anything, and its six years from now, he continued. We want to get feedback for the seats. Get feedback for the gunnery. Get feedback for the autoloader. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its also worth noting here that the final M1E3 design may well reflect a broader shift in view on the role of tanks and other heavy armored vehicles on future battlefields. An unclassified Army Science Board study published in 2023 came to the conclusion that future variants or derivatives of the Abrams would not be a dominant presence on a high-end battlefield in the 2040s due to the evolving and expanding threat ecosystem. The U.S. Marine Corps has already divested all of its M1s in line with new expeditionary and distributed concepts of operations. A slide from a briefing accompanying an Army Science Board report published in 2023 that gives a general overview of existing and emerging threats the M1 Abrams is facing. Army Science Board A slide from a briefing accompanying the Army Science Boards report that gives a general overview of existing and emerging threats the M1 Abrams is facing. Army Science Board Amid a larger reshuffling of priorities, the Army also announced earlier this year that it had axed the M10 Booker, a tracked light tank-like armored fire support vehicle with a 105mm main gun developed by GDLS and intended to support dismounted infantry units. The service had originally planned to acquire just over 500 Bookers and had already been in the process of fielding the first examples to operational units. Regardless of how the Armys larger tank force structure plans might evolve in the future, the service is looking to further jump-start work on the next-generation M1E3 with the delivery of the pre-prototype in December. Contact the author: joe@twz.com Chicago, Illinois-based Kellanova (K) manufactures and markets snacks and convenience foods. Valued at a market cap of $28.8 billion, the company owns various well-known brands, including Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, Eggo, MorningStar Farms, and RXBAR, among others. It is expected to announce its fiscal Q3 earnings for 2025 before the market opens on Thursday, Oct. 30. Before this event, analysts expect this snacks and convenience foods company to report a profit of $0.88 per share, down 3.3% from $0.91 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company has surpassed Wall Streets bottom-line estimates in two of the last four quarters, while missing on two other occasions. Its earnings of $0.94 per share in the previous quarter missed the consensus estimates by 5.1%. More News from Barchart For fiscal 2025, analysts expect Kellanova to report a profit of $3.66 per share, down 5.2% from $3.86 per share in fiscal 2024. Nonetheless, its EPS is expected to rebound and grow by 4.4% year-over-year to $3.82 in fiscal 2026. www.barchart.com Shares of K have gained 2.9% over the past 52 weeks, underperforming the S&P 500 Index's ($SPX) 14.4% return over the same time frame. However, it has outpaced the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Funds (XLP) 5% downtick over the same time period. www.barchart.com Kellanova posted its Q2 results on Jul. 31, and its shares surged marginally in the following trading session. While its overall revenues were impacted by widespread category softness, stronger performance in emerging markets provided a lift, helping net sales surge slightly year-over-year to $3.2 billion. However, on the downside, its adjusted EPS declined 6.9% from the year-ago quarter to $0.94, falling short of consensus estimates by 5.1%. Wall Street analysts are cautious about Ks stock, with an overall "Hold" rating. Among 14 analysts covering the stock, all of them recommend "Hold." The mean price target for K is $83.42, implying a slight potential upside from the current levels. On the date of publication, Neharika Jain did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com By Giulia Paravicini ANTANANARIVO/NAIROBI (Reuters) -Madagascar's new military ruler Michael Randrianirina said on Wednesday he would soon be sworn in as president of the African island nation after a coup he led to oust President Andry Rajoelina. Rajoelina, who was impeached by lawmakers after fleeing abroad at the weekend, has condemned the takeover and refused to step down despite Gen Z demonstrations demanding his resignation and widespread defections in the security forces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Randrianirina has told Malagasy citizens that the military has taken power and dissolved all institutions except the lower house of parliament or National Assembly. "We will be sworn in soon," the army colonel told a press briefing on Wednesday, a day after the High Constitutional Court invited him to serve as president of the former French colony. "We took responsibility yesterday." Two sources close to him earlier told Reuters he would be sworn in as president in the next day or two. Randrianirina said on Tuesday that a committee led by the military would rule for up to two years alongside a transitional government before organising new elections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Randrianirina was a commander in the elite CAPSAT army unit that played a key role in the 2009 coup that brought Rajoelina to power but broke ranks with him last week, urging soldiers not to fire on protesters. Rajoelina fled Madagascar on Sunday aboard a French military plane, security sources told Reuters. He has said his life was at risk and is now believed to be in Dubai, according to three diplomatic and opposition sources. The 51-year-old former DJ himself rose to power in a coup in 2009 on the back of youth protests, becoming the world's youngest head of state at 34. But promises to improve living standards and eradicate corruption were never fulfilled. Madagascar, where the average age is less than 20, has a population of about 30 million, three-quarters of whom live in poverty. Between its independence in 1960 and 2020, GDP per capita plunged 45%, according to the World Bank. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As well as the CAPSAT unit, the paramilitary gendarmerie and the police have also broken ranks with Rajoelina. (Reporting by Giulia Paravicini in Nairobi and Lovasoa Rabary in Antananarivo; Additional reporting by Tim Cocks in Antananarivo; Writing by Ammu Kannampilly; Editing by Silvia Aloisi and Andrew Cawthorne) By Giulia Paravicini ANTANANARIVO/NAIROBI (Reuters) -Madagascar's new military ruler, Michael Randrianirina, said on Wednesday he would soon be sworn in as the country's president as the African Union suspended the island nation after a coup to oust President Andry Rajoelina. Rajoelina, who was impeached by lawmakers after fleeing abroad during the weekend, has condemned the takeover and refused to step down despite Gen Z demonstrations demanding his resignation and widespread defections in the security forces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Randrianirina said earlier that the military had taken power and dissolved all institutions except the lower house of parliament, or National Assembly. "We will be sworn in soon," the army colonel told a press briefing on Wednesday, a day after the High Constitutional Court invited him to serve as president of the former French colony. "We took responsibility yesterday." Two sources close to him earlier told Reuters he would be sworn in as president in the next day or two. 'RULE OF LAW MUST PREVAIL' A spokesperson for the African Union told Reuters on Wednesday that the bloc had suspended Madagascar with immediate effect following the coup, without sharing further details. Suspension by the 55-member bloc carries political weight and could isolate the country's new leadership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At a bloc meeting earlier on Wednesday, African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said: "The rule of law must prevail over the rule of force. Our approach is grounded in law and dialogue." Randrianirina said on Tuesday that a committee led by the military would rule for up to two years alongside a transitional government before organising new elections. Randrianirina was a commander in the elite CAPSAT army unit that played a key role in the 2009 coup that brought Rajoelina to power but broke ranks with him last week, urging soldiers not to fire on protesters. FAILED PROMISES Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rajoelina fled Madagascar on Sunday aboard a French military plane, security sources told Reuters. He has said his life was at risk and is now believed to be in Dubai, according to three diplomatic and opposition sources. The 51-year-old former DJ rose to power in a coup in 2009 on the back of youth protests, becoming the world's youngest head of state at 34. But promises to improve living standards and eradicate corruption were never fulfilled. Madagascar, where the average age is less than 20, has a population of about 30 million, three-quarters of whom live in poverty. Between its independence in 1960 and 2020, GDP per capita plunged 45%, according to the World Bank. As well as the CAPSAT unit, the paramilitary gendarmerie and the police have also broken ranks with Rajoelina. (Reporting by Giulia Paravicini in Nairobi and Lovasoa Rabary in Antananarivo; Additional reporting by Tim Cocks in Antananarivo; Writing by Ammu Kannampilly; Editing by Silvia Aloisi and Rod Nickel) When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina addresses nation over Facebook. | Credit: Rijasolo / AFP via Getty Images What happened Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina said in a national broadcast Monday night that he had been forced to find a safe place to protect my life after an elite military unit joined anti-government protests, but he did not step down. It is not known where Rajoelina recorded his announcement, streamed on Facebook after military intervention prevented its planned broadcast on national television, but Reuters reported that he fled the African island nation Sunday on a French military aircraft. Who said what Madagascars Gen Zled protests started Sept. 25 over chronic water and electricity outages but have snowballed into wider discontent with Rajoelina and his government, corruption and the failure to improve quality of life in the impoverished nation of 31 million, The Associated Press said. This is the most significant unrest there since Rajoelina himself first came to power in a 2009 coup, backed by the same CAPSAT military unit that rebelled against him over the weekend in another apparent coup. The unrest mirrored recent protests against ruling elites elsewhere, including in Nepal, where the prime minister was forced to resign last month, and in Morocco, Reuters said. But Madagascars military leaders have been careful not to actively seize power, seemingly to avoid the appearance of a coup, The New York Times said. What next? It was unclear what steps the breakaway security forces will take now, said the Times. The country's Senate said it had ousted and replaced its chamber leader, a focus of public anger during the protests, Reuters said. If the presidents office falls vacant, the leader of the Senate takes the post until elections are held. ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (AP) The leader of Madagascars military coup told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he is taking the position of president" and that the armed forces would be in charge of the African island nation for up to two years before any elections are held. Col. Michael Randrianirina, who led the rebellion that ousted President Andry Rajoelina on Tuesday following weeks of youth-led protests, said in his first interview with a global news outlet since taking power that he expects to be sworn in as the countrys new leader in the next few days. There must be an oath-taking to make his position official, Randrianirina said at his unit's barracks while flanked by fellow officers. We are staying here for at least 18 months, at most two years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Randrianirina announced Tuesday that the armed forces were taking power in Madagascar, a sprawling country of about 30 million people off of Africa's east coast that is the world's leading vanilla producer and is known for its unique biodiversity. Since gaining independence from France in 1960, it also has a history of coups and political crises. The latest military takeover capped weeks of protests against Rajoelina and his government led by youth groups calling themselves Gen Z Madagascar. The protesters, who also included labor unions and civic groups, have demanded better government and job opportunities, echoing youth-led protests elsewhere in the world. Among other things, the Madagascar protesters have railed against chronic water and electricity outages, limited access to higher education, government corruption and poverty, which affects roughly three out of every four Madagascans, according to the World Bank. Although some suggest the military seized power on the backs of the civilian protesters, demonstrators cheered Randrianirina and other soldiers from his elite CAPSAT unit as they triumphantly rode through the streets of the capital, Antananarivo, on Tuesday, with one protest leader telling the AP the military is listening to us. The takeover was an awakening of the people. It was launched by the youth. And the military supported us, said the protest leader, Safika, who only gave one name as has been typical with the demonstrators. "We must always be wary, but the current state of affairs gives us reason to be confident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The protests reached a turning point Saturday when Randrianirina and soldiers from his unit sided with the demonstrators calling for the president to resign. Rajoelina said he fled to an undisclosed country because he feared for his life. Randrianirina explained that he is taking over as Madagascar's head of state because the countrys High Constitutional Court invited him to do so in the absence of Rajoelina. He previously said the military had acted on behalf of the people and cast the coup as a move to restore the country. We had to take responsibility yesterday because there is nothing left in the country, no president, no president in the senate, no government, Randrianirina said. The colonel said the military leadership was accelerating the appointment of a new prime minister so that the crisis in the country does not last forever. He didn't give an exact time frame for that to happen. Rajoelina, who first came to power as a transitional leader in a 2009 military coup, was elected president in 2018 and reelected in 2023. He fired his government last month in an attempt to appease the protesters after a crackdown by security forces left 22 people dead and more than 100 injured, according to the United Nations. Rajoelina's government disputed those figures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The exiled Rajoelina, 51, has rejected the military takeovers legitimacy. But Randrianirina pushed back on that, telling the AP: What is he saying is illegal? We have an order from the High Constitutional Court. We did not force the HCC or point a gun at it to issue this. Randrianirinas claim that his authority to take over as president came from the countrys highest court seemed to contradict his announcement Tuesday that the military council that was taking power had suspended that court's powers. In a statement, Rajoelina's office claimed that some of the high court's judges had been threatened so they would sign off on the colonel's ascendency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The African Union announced Wednesday that it had suspended Madagascar from its bodies with immediate effect until constitutional order is restored in the country. The group previously suspended several other member states after military coups, including Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, meanwhile, is deeply concerned by the unconstitutional change of power in Madagascar and hopes all stakeholders there can "work together to reach a peaceful settlement to the ongoing crisis and its root causes," his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement, noting that the U.N. will continue to work to restore peace and stability in the country. Some analysts have described Madagascar's youth movement as an expression of understandable grievances over government failures, and condemned the military takeover. Gen-Zers in Madagascar have been on the streets of the country protesting the lack of essential services, especially water and electricity, and the negative impact on their lives for almost a month, said Olufemi Taiwo, professor of Africana studies at Cornell University. This is a civil society uprising and its resolution should not involve the military. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ___ Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa. Associated Press reporters Farnoush Amiri in New York and Sarah Tetaud in Antananarivo contributed to this report. ___ More AP Africa news on Madagascar's military takeover: https://apnews.com/hub/madagascar JOHANNESBURG (AP) Andry Rajoelina was a young, man-of-the-people mayor when he led popular protests against the Madagascar government 16 years ago. The uprising resulted in a military-backed coup that brought Rajoelina to power as the transitional leader of his Indian Ocean country at the age of just 34. He then left the role in 2014 but returned to the presidency in 2019 through elections. On Tuesday, the same military unit that aided Rajoelina's rise declared it was taking power in Madagascar and ousting him as president following weeks of youth-led protests this time against Rajoelina and his government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here's what to know about Rajoelina's rise and fall, and how the military and the youth were pivotal in both. Radio DJ Rajoelina, whose father was a Madagascar army colonel, chose a different path and bought television and radio stations as a young entrepreneur in 2007. He leveraged his popularity with young people as a radio DJ to form his own political party, Determined Malagasy Youth, and by the end of the year he was elected as mayor of the capital, Antananarivo. At its inception, his party's message of transparency on public spending, infrastructure development and economic reforms resonated with the disenfranchised youth of Madagascar, a country that the World Bank ranks as one of the poorest in the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its anti-establishment posture enjoyed public support among the youth and eventually among the country's military elite, propelling him to high office. In 2009, his party led youth protests against then former president Marc Ravalomanana's government. A leader of popular protests Widespread discontent with Ravalomanana's government over allegations of corruption, inequality and authoritarianism saw protests which ran from January through to March 2009, culminating in the violent torching of government buildings. Backed by the military, the youth protests spurred Ravalomanana to flee to South Africa. Rajoelina took over as transitional president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He leveraged his media profile and popularity to spread his anti-government messaging, which resonated with mostly young people. From there, his ascent to the very top of Madagascan politics was swift. After the military seized power from Ravalomanana, Rajoelina was appointed transitional president and served from 2009 to 2014, but he faced international isolation and sanctions. He stepped down in 2014 but returned as president after winning the 2018 elections. His opponents say he has not bettered the lives of his countrymen during his tenure. Claimed to have a COVID cure At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rajoelina controversially promoted a tonic that he claimed would cure the illness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite warnings from the World Health Organization against the use of scientifically unproven remedies, Rajoelina distributed the herbal concoction in schools around the capital, Antananarivo, and claimed it had helped reduce cases. He remained steadfast on his stance about the remedy even when though more than 1,400 people died from the disease in Madagascar between 2020 and 2023. His COVID pandemic response became a divisive issue, eliciting a sense of pride for a somewhat homegrown remedy but drawing criticism from analysts and the health sector. A target of youth anger When protests over water and power cuts took place in the capital three weeks ago, Rajoelina was attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But he returned to a capital where some shops had been looted and a few newly-installed cable car stations had been torched. Anger over the water and power cuts expanded to wider issues like corruption and nepotism in government. Like the youth movement that he led to topple Ravalomanana, the Gen Z movement received the backing of the military and rejected Rajoelina, refusing any form of dialogue and demanding his resignation. About 75% of the countrys 30 million people are affected by poverty, according to the World Bank, with lack of access to higher education, government corruption and the cost of living among the issues dominating the recent protests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Civil society groups, unions and government workers also joined the protests that led to Rajoelina's removal, indicating discontent beyond just the young population. ___ Follow APs Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina dissolved the countrys lower house of parliament on Tuesday in the midst of a military rebellion that led him to flee the country. The embattled leader is sheltering in a "safe place" following an attempt on his life, ignoring calls to resign. Rajoelina issued a decree for the National Assembly to be dissolved immediately, according to a statement posted on the Madagascar presidencys Facebook page. The announcement came as lawmakers were meeting to discuss possible impeachment proceedings to remove him from office. By dissolving the National Assembly, Rajoelina effectively blocked any impeachment proceedings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His whereabouts are unknown after an elite military unit joined youth-led anti-government protests over the weekend and called for him to step down in an apparent coup attempt. The president said in a speech broadcast on social media on Monday night that he left the country in fear for his life. "Since September 25, there have been attempts on my life and coup attempts. A group of military personnel and politicians planned to assassinate me," he said in a live address Monday evening on Facebook. Sources told RFI that he had left Madagascar on Sunday on a French military plane. "I was forced to find a safe place to protect my life," he said, without revealing his location. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How Gen Z is taking the fight for their rights from TikTok to the streets Constitution must be respected The protests, led by mostly young Gen Z demonstrators, erupted over severe power and water cuts in the impoverished Indian Ocean country, but developed into a broader anti-government movement calling for Rajoelina to resign. Rajoelina, a former mayor of the capital, Antananarivo, called for the constitution to be respected and ignored calls to step down. There is only one solution to these problems: to respect the constitution currently in force, he said at the start of his address. If we fail to do that, poverty will only worsen." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I am on a mission to find solutions," he said. Deadly protests erupt in Madagascar over chronic blackouts and water cuts Mobilisations to continue Eliott, a member of GenZ Madagascar, was sceptical. "He is clearly not open to dialogue, it is not even certain he will take part in national consultations or engage with stakeholders, he told RFI. "Mobilisations will continue, as will efforts to organise broad national consultations to find a way out of the crisis, he added. Rajoelina first came to power in 2009 following a coup sparked by an uprising that ousted former president Marc Ravalomanana. While acknowledging that the constitutional framework should be respected, Ravalomanana called for the head of state to step down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The solution is a peaceful transition to acknowledge the power vaccuum in Madagascar but we are nonetheless obliged to respect the constitution, he told RFI. Rajoelina has not appeared in public since Wednesday and his address, set for state television and radio, was twice delayed Monday as armed forces attempted to seize the state broadcaster. French President Emmanuel Macron, has expressed "great concern" over the island's crisis. It is very important that constitutional order and institutional continuity are preserved in Madagascar, because the countrys stability and the wellbeing of its people depend on it, Macron said. (with newswires) Democrat Adelita Grijalva cruised to a landslide victory a few weeks ago, winning her congressional special election by roughly 40 points. Once sworn in, shell be Arizonas first Latina congresswoman, succeeding her father, the late Rep. Raul Grijalva, and shell narrow the GOP majority in the House: Republicans will hold 219 seats to the Democrats 214, with two vacancies remaining. Whats more, upon arriving on Capitol Hill, she has also said she intends to sign a pending discharge petition to force disclosure of the Jeffrey Epstein files, currently being held back by Donald Trumps Justice Department. Proponents of the effort are currently one member short of 218 signatures, but Grijalvas support would trigger a process House Speaker Mike Johnson would be largely powerless to stop. Theres one key problem, however: Johnson still isnt willing to let her take the oath of office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Arizona secretary of states office formally certified Grijalvas election victory this week, and with this in mind, the Arizona Democrat is making fresh demands. The New York Times reported: [O]n Wednesday morning, a group of Arizona lawmakers gathered in front of the Capitol and accused Mr. Johnson of protecting pedophiles, obstructing the will of voters and taking an unprecedented political action in refusing to perform the simple ministerial duty of swearing in an elected member of Congress. This delay is not procedural, it is intentional, said Ms. Grijalva. ... He is doing everything in his power to shield this administration from accountability. That is not leadership, that is obstruction. The Arizonan is getting plenty of backup. Members of the Democratic Womens Caucus chanted Swear her in! outside of Johnsons office this week, which coincided with correspondence from Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, who directed the House speaker to allow Grijalva to begin her duties. Mayes, a Democrat, also warned Johnson that shes prepared to take the matter to court if he continues to resist. For his part, the House speaker told reporters that Grijalvas swearing-in hasnt been scheduled because the chamber hasnt been in session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That might seem like a compelling excuse, were it not for the fact that Johnson, earlier this year, swore in two Florida Republicans Reps. Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine when the House wasnt formally in session, just one day after their respective special election victories. All of which makes it that much easier to believe that the House speaker is principally concerned about the discharge petition on the Epstein files, his protestations notwithstanding. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Three weeks after Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva cruised to a landslide victory, the Arizona Democrat is eager to be sworn in and get to work. House Speaker Mike Johnson, meanwhile, continues to block Grijalva for reasons that havent stood up especially well to scrutiny. With this in mind, members of the Democratic Womens Caucus chanted Swear her in! outside of Johnsons office this week, leading to an uncomfortable confrontation outside the Republican leaders Capitol Hill suite. Reflecting on what transpired, the House speaker told reporters on Wednesday morning that Democratic members had berated a Capitol Police officer. He added that, as far hes concerned, the incident was a reminder of the Democratic members disdain for law enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The GOP leader added, in reference to funding questions surrounding the ongoing government shutdown: Weve always stood with Capitol Police and law enforcement. Weve shown that in word and deed. Well, not always. There have been plenty of jokes in recent months about Republicans forgetting who was president in 2020, but the partys habit of forgetting about the Jan. 6 attack is far less funny. Johnson might be outraged this week about those who berate Capitol Police officers. He might need to have a conversation about which party has shown disdain for law enforcement. And he might even want the public to believe that Republicans have always stood with the men and women who protect Congress. But the House speaker leads a party that has venerated Jan. 6 rioters who did far more than just shout at those in uniform. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whats more, as Johnson really ought to know, Congress commissioned a plaque to honor those officers who put their own lives on the line to protect him and his colleagues though the Republican congressman still refuses to put it up, despite a statutory requirement. Making matters a bit worse, the House speaker isnt the only one who keeps tripping over the 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller recently said the country couldnt tolerate unlawful and riotous assemblies around government buildings, despite the unlawful and riotous events surrounding the Capitol on Jan. 6. Donald Trump recently condemned demonstrators who scream at police officers, an inch away from their face, and then they start spitting in their face. Of course, Jan. 6 rioters, many of whom did far more than just spit on police officers at the Capitol, nevertheless received presidential pardons from the Republican president just hours after his second inaugural. Attorney General Pam Bondi recently declared, If you touch a law enforcement officer, if you spit a law enforcement officer, if you batter a law enforcement officer, we are coming after you. No longer will you abuse the great men and women of law enforcement. Around the same time, Bondis Justice Department hired a Jan. 6 rioter who was literally filmed urging his fellow insurrectionists to kill police officers. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt recently declared from her podium, This administration wants anyone who has ever committed a crime to be held accountable. It wasnt long before observers took note of the inconvenient fact that Trump keeps pardoning criminals including violent felons who attacked police officers on Jan. 6 making sure they arent held accountable. U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently used its social media platform to issue a statement that read, Let this be clear: Anyone who assaults or impedes a federal law enforcement officer or agent in the performance of their duties will be arrested and swiftly prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Attack a cop, and life long consequences will follow! Trumps Jan. 6 pardons proved otherwise. FBI Director Kash Patel recently added in a statement of his own: Hit a cop, youre going to jail. He neglected to mention the Jan. 6 rioters who hit cops and were rewarded by the president with get-out-of-jail-free cards. The bottom line is simple: Republican talking points are routinely rooted in the idea that Jan. 6 either didnt happen or has been forgotten, which is every bit as ridiculous as it sounds. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Politico obtained 2,900 pages of chats between leaders of Young Republicans groups, and the contents offer a timely reminder about the kind of systemic problems the party should want to address. From the article: Leaders of Young Republican groups throughout the country worried what would happen if their Telegram chat ever got leaked, but they kept typing anyway. They referred to Black people as monkeys and the watermelon people and mused about putting their political opponents in gas chambers. They talked about raping their enemies and driving them to suicide and lauded Republicans who they believed support slavery. Politico added that members of the group chat (which has not been independently verified by MSNBC) spoke freely about, among other things, the love of Nazis within their partys right wing. The reporting is devastating, and it reinforces a series of profoundly important questions, not only about pervasive racism in Republican politics, but also about Donald Trumps role in making overt bigotry more common in the GOPs discourse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The messages, Politico noted, reveal a culture where racist, antisemitic and violent rhetoric circulate freely and where the Trump-era loosening of political norms has made such talk feel less taboo among those positioning themselves as the partys next leaders. Common sense and common decency might suggest that prominent GOP leaders would rush to condemn the disgusting texts categorically and to make clear that the party will not tolerate such repulsive garbage. Indeed, its only fair to note that some Republicans did exactly that after the Politico report was published. But JD Vance apparently had a different response in mind. In Virginia, a former state lawmaker named Jay Jones is the Democratic nominee for state attorney general this year, and he recently found himself at the center of a major scandal after the public learned of violent texts he sent in 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Referencing Jones texts, the vice president wrote via social media, This is far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and the guy who said it could become the AG of Virginia. I refuse to join the pearl clutching when powerful people call for political violence. In other words, confronted with Republican texts that were racist and violent complete with references to gas chambers Vances first instinct wasn't to condemn those responsible for those messages; his first instinct was to downplay the scandal and go after a Democrat. To the extent that anyone might be persuaded by the Ohio Republicans unfortunate attempt at clumsy and unnecessary spin, its worth emphasizing that Politicos report was about more than a college group chat. The participants in question werent just random teens popping off between classes: Some of these Republicans are in their 30s and are currently working for elected officials, ostensibly serving the public. One, Samuel Douglass of Vermont, is even a sitting state senator. (The states Republican governor, Phil Scott, wasted little time in calling for Douglass resignation.) For Vance to suggest its pearl clutching to condemn those who were part of this group chat says a great deal about the vice presidents judgment. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Donald Trumps 2024 election victory marked the beginning of the end of then-special counsel Jack Smiths criminal cases. Almost immediately after Election Day, the prosecutor and his team grudgingly wrapped up their work not because they wanted to or because they lacked compelling evidence, but because of Justice Department guidelines related to prosecuting a sitting president. Left without options, Smith resigned and his criminal indictments against the president effectively evaporated. In theory, Trump and his Republican allies couldve celebrated the demise of Smiths cases and moved on. In practice, its not quite working out that way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president continues to peddle baseless attacks against the former special counsel; the Trump administration continues to push out officials who worked with Smith; Republicans continue to target Smith with unhinged and easily discredited conspiracy theories; and GOP lawmakers continue to see the prosecutor as a worthwhile target. Indeed, nine months ago, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan said he was prepared to call Smith to testify, and this week, the far-right Ohio Republican followed through, sending a letter to the former special counsel, demanding his closed-door testimony. Well learn soon enough whether and when Smith will talk to lawmakers, but the timing of Jordans summoning is notable in its own right because as the Judiciary Committee chair wants to hear from Smith, Smith appears to have quite a bit to say. A few weeks ago, for example, the former special counsel, whos maintained an exceedingly low public profile, delivered remarks at George Mason University and sounded the alarm about intensifying threats to the U.S. legal system. My career has been about the rule of law, and I believe that today it is under attack like in no other period in our lifetimes, Smith said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those were not his final words on the subject. The New York Times reported: Jack Smith, the special counsel who twice secured indictments of Donald J. Trump, said it was ludicrous to suggest he was motivated by partisan politics and offered a scathing denunciation of the Trump Justice Department in his first extended remarks since resigning in January. The idea that politics played a role in who worked on that case, or who got chosen, is ludicrous, Mr. Smith said during an Oct. 8 interview with the former prosecutor Andrew Weissmann at the University College London that was posted online Tuesday. At the same event, the prosecutor added, I think the attacks on public servants, particularly nonpartisan public servants I think it has a cost for our country that is incalculable, and I think that we its hard to communicate to folks how much that is going to cost us. I understand why Republicans have invested so much time and effort into villainizing Smith. He had the audacity to build strong criminal cases against Trump, rooted in voluminous evidence. And as the president works his way through his enemies list, he and his cohorts apparently still see value in trying to discredit the former special counsel. But they ought to be careful what they wish for. Smith is an experienced, credible and capable prosecutor, whos familiar with the evidence from Trumps criminal cases at a granular level. The more Republicans drag him back into the spotlight, the more Smith will be positioned to remind the public about alleged presidential felonies the party would probably prefer to forget. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com NEW YORK (AP) LendingTree CEO and founder Doug Lebda died in an an all-terrain vehicle accident over the weekend, the online loaning platform said Monday. He was 55. In a company announcement, LendingTree confirmed that Lebda died on Sunday and that the company was greiving his unexpected death. A spokesperson said the accident occured at a family farm in North Carolina. 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 prepared statement. His passion will continue to inspire us as we move forward together. Scott Peyree, LendingTree's chief operating officer and president, has now been appointed CEO effective immediately. And lead independent director Steve Ozonian will also step into Lebda's role as chairman of the board, the company said. Shares of Charlotte, North Carolina-based LendingTree fell more than 4% by afternoon trading on Monday. Lebda founded LendingTree in 1996 to simplify the loan shopping process after experiencing his own frustrations when getting his first mortgage, LendingTree's website notes. The platform launched nationally in 1998 and became a public company in 2000. It was later acquired by internet conglomerate IAC/InterActiveCorp, before spinning off on its own again in 2008. Today, LendingTree's central online loaning marketplace helps users find and compare loans for mortgages, credit cards, insurance needs and more. LendingTree, Inc. also owns brands across the financial sector including CompareCards and Value Penguin. In addition to his multiple-decade career at LendingTree, Lebda also co-founded a financial services platform for children and families called Tykoon in 2010. He previously worked as an auditor and consultant for PriceWaterhouseCoopers. All of my ideas come from my own experiences and problems, Lebda told The Wall Street Journal in a 2012 interview. Lebda is survived by his wife, Megan, and three daughters Rachel, Abby and Sophia LendingTree's spokesperson told The Associated Press. In a statement, Megan Lebda said her husband was an amazing man with a heart so big it seemed to have room for everyone he met. Our hearts are broken, but we are also deeply grateful for the love and support that has poured in from across the world, she said adding that his legacy will continue both at LendingTree and in the lives he touched. On the surface, Todd Gilbert seems like the kind of person the White House should like. Gilbert was a longtime Republican state lawmaker in Virginia who climbed the ranks and ultimately served as speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates up until last year. No one was especially surprised when Donald Trump tapped Gilbert a few months ago to serve as a U.S. attorney in the commonwealth. His tenure, however, was short-lived for an unexpected reason. The New York Times reported: Career prosecutors at the Justice Department do not believe criminal charges are warranted from an investigation seeking to discredit an earlier F.B.I. inquiry into Russias attempt to tilt the 2016 election in President Trumps favor, according to people familiar with the matter. It leaves unclear what political appointees at the Justice Department might do, given the breadth of Mr. Trumps demands that it pursue people he perceives as enemies. The reporting, which has not been independently verified by MSNBC, is a little tough to summarize, but at issue is a ridiculous set of circumstances. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senior officials at Trumps Justice Department reportedly ordered Gilbert to open a grand jury investigation related to the FBIs handling of Trumps Russia scandal. Gilbert reviewed the matter and told his superiors he couldnt find sufficient evidence of a crime. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche (both of whom worked as defense lawyers for Trump) not only werent satisfied with Gilberts assessment, they also blamed a veteran prosecutor named Zachary Lee (who was appointed by George W. Bush) for swaying the U.S. attorney not to pursue a case. So DOJ leaders ordered Gilbert to demote Lee, while simultaneously offering the U.S. attorney more resources to pursue a case that would make the president happy. Told that he hadnt sufficiently sidelined Lee, Trumps Justice Department told Gilbert he would be fired after just two months on the job. He resigned soon after. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Defense lawyers who have clients caught up in the case have expressed bafflement at what possible crime could have been committed, the Times added, and one witness approached earlier this year was told the investigation was being conducted at the specific direction of [FBI Director Kash Patel]. Its ridiculous to see senior law enforcement officials pretend theres a criminal case worth pursuing related to the FBI and Trumps Russia scandal, but lets not overlook the broader pattern related to punishing prosecutors for not bending over backward to satisfy Team Trumps political wishes. Indeed, Gilberts ouster deserves to be seen as a scandal in its own right, but its made worse when one considers how much company he has. Shortly after Gilbert was ousted as the U.S. attorney in Virginias western district, Erik Siebert was also ousted as the U.S. attorney in Virginias eastern district because he wouldnt bring baseless criminal charges against Trumps political enemies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michael BenAry, top national security prosecutor in Virginia, was fired after a pro-Trump activist peddled a baseless accusation against him; a federal prosecutor in Miami was recently fired because far-right activists discovered that he criticized Trump eight years ago while in private practice; and a federal prosecutor in California was recently fired because she urged immigration officials to comply with a court order. For that matter, the full list of prosecutors caught up in the purge of federal law enforcement because they worked on cases the president didnt like has been difficult to keep up with. As longtime readers may recall, it was nearly two decades ago when officials from the Bush/Cheney White House executed a scheme in which they fired several U.S. attorneys who refused to politicize federal prosecutions ahead of congressional elections. As part of that scandal, Americans were introduced to the phrase loyal Bushies, a label applied to prosecutors the Republican White House perceived as allies. The public also learned about Monica Goodling, who made the transition from opposition researcher for the Republican National Committee to scrutinizing applicants seeking nonpartisan positions at the Justice Department, testing their partisan purity. (In one notorious instance, Goodling blocked a career prosecutor from being promoted to a counterterrorism post because she discovered that the prosecutors wife had donated money to some Democratic candidates.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That scandal lasted months, generated dramatic congressional hearings, led to a variety of Justice Department resignations and even played a role in the ouster of an attorney general. As a new U.S. attorney scandal unfolds, will there be any comparable response? Watch this space. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com As Donald Trump greeted Argentinian President Javier Milei at the White House, a reporter shouted out a question about the American presidents message to the people of Argentina. We love them, Trump replied. Well be there for them. The latter point was clearly true. In fact, the United States will be there for Argentinians to the tune of $20 billion: Thats the figure of the Trump administrations recently announced bailout, intended to help bolster the South American countrys economy as it confronts a possible crisis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Tuesday afternoon progressed, Trump celebrated his likeminded ally Milei is MAGA all the way, the American president said though he struggled with a question he shouldve seen coming. The Washington Post reported: President Donald Trump on Tuesday touted a $20 billion foreign bailout that he acknowledged would not primarily serve American interests, testing his leeway with his own America First motto and in particular the patience of domestic farmers who have yet to receive their own relief from Trumps trade war. In response to questions about the expensive U.S. bailout, Trump conceded, Its not going to make a big difference for our country. In other words, American taxpayers will be on the hook for $20 billion, but they shouldnt expect to see much in the way of returns on the investment. He went on to say that the money is intended to help a good financial philosophy, adding that if Argentinian voters turned against Milei, the Republican White House would abandon the bailout package and allow the South American country to move closer to a possible crisis. For decades, U.S. bailouts of other countries have been wildly unpopular, and its not hard to understand why: For many Americans, especially those struggling, its difficult to understand why federal officials would send their tax dollars to bolster a different countrys economy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump, ostensibly a champion of an America First philosophy, not only appears indifferent to those concerns, he didnt exactly bring persuasive talking points to sell his idea on the merits. On the contrary, the American president made it sound as if hes using a whole lot of taxpayer dollars to bolster a struggling foreign ally whos facing an uncertain electoral future. Its worth emphasizing that, under the White Houses policy, Argentina will be expected to eventually repay the funds. That said, the International Monetary Fund has had to bail out Argentina 23 times, and the country owes the IMF more money than any other country on the planet. Indeed, the most recent IMF bailout was just in April, and even that wasnt enough to keep Argentinas economy and its peso from continuing to tank. Or put another way, Americans probably shouldnt hold their breath waiting for a return on Trumps lucrative loan. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Todays edition of quick hits. * White House plans run into a major legal roadblock: A federal judge on Wednesday granted a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from laying off federal workers during the government shutdown, which has now stretched to two weeks. * Good for Brown: Brown University President Christina H. Paxson sent a letter to the White House on Wednesday, rejecting the Trump administrations demand that the school sign a compact in exchange for preferential treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * In the Middle East: Hamas released the remains of two more hostages on Wednesday, according to the Israel Defense Forces, and said it would require significant efforts to retrieve the bodies of remaining hostages. * Republican-appointed justices are prepared to further gut the Voting Rights Act? Imagine that: The Supreme Court appeared poised on Wednesday to upend a key provision of a landmark civil rights law by prohibiting lawmakers from using race as a factor in drawing voting maps, which could spark widespread redistricting efforts. * Keep an eye on this one: The Trump administration has secretly authorized the C.I.A. to conduct covert action in Venezuela, according to U.S. officials, stepping up a campaign against Nicolas Maduro, the countrys authoritarian leader. * A policy that seems likely to generate litigation: The State Department said that it had revoked the visas of foreign citizens who had criticized Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist recently assassinated in Utah by what appeared to be a lone shooter. Top State Department officials had said they would revoke visas or reject visa applications of people who had criticized him, raising questions about First Amendment protections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * An Alaskan tragedy: Five months before catastrophic floods swept through the Alaska Native village of Kipnuk on Sunday, tearing many houses off their foundations, the Trump administration canceled a $20 million grant intended to protect the community from such extreme flooding. The grant from the Environmental Protection Agency was designed to help stabilize the riverbank on which Kipnuk is built, protecting it from the twin threats of erosion and flooding. * For the first time in many years, Guantanamo Bays prison population is growing, not shrinking: Federal agents have moved about 20 migrants to the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a Defense Department official said on Tuesday, repopulating the holding site for detainees designated for deportation for the first time in nearly two weeks. * In Miami: Florida officials rush to transfer a chunk of coveted downtown Miami property to Donald Trumps presidential library foundation hit yet another snag on Tuesday. * Even for him, this was weird: Donald Trump was accused Monday of making a solemn ceremony, where he posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to assassinated right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk, all about himself. During his tribute to Kirk, who was fatally shot in September during an event at Utah Valley University, Trump went off-script to boast about his own skills in surviving the 2024 assassination attempt on his own life at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. See you tomorrow. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Republican Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana appeared dumbstruck Tuesday night after his ridiculous attempts to blame Democrats for massive funding cuts to energy projects blew up in his face. During an interview with CNNs Kaitlan Collins, Sheehy was asked about the $1 billion grant that the Department of Energy pulled from the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub, a clean energy project spanning Washington state, Oregon, and Montana. They just yanked a billion dollars from that. So, is that taking away good paying jobs in Montana? asked Collins. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of course it is. As I said, we want the government to be open. You should be saying this to Chuck Schumer, who is closing the government down, Sheehy replied. Im agreeing we should have the government open right now, this is an unnecessary shutdown. Collins pressed whether Sheehy was acknowledging that President Donald Trumps administration was hurting his state, prompting the Republican to launch into an unrelated list of federal services interrupted by the government shutdown. So, this shutdown is not a good thing, and thats why we dont want it to continue, he said. Collins tried to steer Sheehy back to the topic at hand. The Trump administration didnt have to make that decision, they decided to pull that billion dollars from your state, she said. Do you disagree with that? Well, I think the reality is we wouldnt be here if the government was still open, and now were going on week three of a pretty unnecessary shutdown, Sheehy repeated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Energy Secretary Chris Wright had specifically told Collins earlier this month that the canceled grant had nothing to do with the shutdown, or the Democrats, for that matter. He said they wouldve done that even if the government wasnt shut down, that that was months in the making even before the government shut down, Collins said. The two fell silent, as Sheehys desperate excuses evaporated. After a long moment, Sheehy replied: Well, its unfortunate were still shut down. We shouldnt be. COLLINS: The Dept of Energy just canceled a billion dollars for a hydrogen hub that covers your state of Montana. Is that taking away good-paying jobs? SHEEHY: Of course it is. We want the govt to be open COLLINS: But the Energy Secretary says they would've pulled that funding pic.twitter.com/6AAfmldQf8 Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 15, 2025 Last week, OMB Director Russell Voughtnot Wrightdeclared that the Trump administration would cut nearly $8 billion in lawfully approved funding for energy projects, targeting 16 Democratic-led states. A longer list of grants to clean energy projects assembled by DOE senior staff totaling roughly $30 billion circulated Capitol Hill, alarming energy advocates and lawmakers, including Republicans whose districts could be affected by the cuts. The fate of the remaining $22 billion, which is mostly earmarked for Republican districts, remains unclear. Republican Sen. Tim Sheehy of Montana appeared to be briefly at a loss for words when asked about President Donald Trumps administrations decision to slash $1 billion in clean-energy funding intended for Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub, which includes his state. In a Tuesday interview on CNNs The Source, Sheehy was asked about the funding cuts, which were announced by the Department of Energy earlier this month. The senator dodged the question entirely, instead linking the DOEs decision to the ongoing government shutdown, for which he blamed Democrats. As I said, we want the government to be open, he told journalist Kaitlan Collins. You should be saying this to Chuck Schumer, whos closing the government down. Im agreeing we should have the government open right now. This is an unnecessary shutdown. Montana Sen. Tim Sheehy on the Energy Department canceling $1 billion in funding for Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub, which covers Montana and was praised by the states GOP governor as providing good-paying Montana jobs. pic.twitter.com/dd7YyvNzI2 Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 15, 2025 When Collins asked if the Trump administrations funding cuts would hurt Montana overall, Sheehy rattled off a laundry list of services including air traffic controllers and cattle shipping that have been impacted by the shutdown, now in its third week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats why weve voted eight times to reopen the government, but weve not been supported by our friends across the aisle, he said, alluding to Democrats. Politics: New Book Is About To Blow The Lid Off RFK Jr.'s Sexting: Report Collins, however, once again seemed undeterred. When she pointed out that Energy Secretary Chris Wright had specifically told her in an Oct. 2 interview that the canceled grant had nothing to do with the shutdown, Sheehy appeared caught off-guard. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, he replied, Well, its unfortunate were still shut down. We shouldnt be. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not surprisingly, footage of the moment was widely mocked on social media. Ive never seen someone made to look so patently foolish without the interviewer ever suggesting this was so. He just avoided the question and looked the fool, one person wrote on X. Politics: Jack Smith Gives A Warning About Trumps DOJ In Rare Interview Added another: Speechless at the end. Well done. Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL and Senate newcomer who took office in January, drew criticism after an interview with Collins earlier this year when he compared the global trade war instigated by Trump to a home renovation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When asked about the short-term pain of Trumps tariffs, Sheehy replied, If youre gonna remodel your house to make it better in the end, its gonna be really annoying in the short term when your house is getting remodeled and theres drywall dust everywhere and theres workers in your living room. Related... Read the original on HuffPost Major airports across the country -- including in New York City, Chicago and Atlanta -- are refusing to play a video featuring Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for the impacts of the government shutdown. Many of the airport representatives said their facility's policies bar the showing of political content. Some also pointed to the Hatch Act, a law that restricts the political activities of federal employees as well as some state and local employees who are involved in or work in federally funded programs. The roughly 30-second video began rolling out to airports last week, according to DHS. Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters - PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a roundtable on antifa at the White House in Washington, D.C. Could air traffic controllers help end the government shutdown? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It is TSA's top priority to make you have the most pleasant and efficient airport experience as possible while we keep you safe," Noem says in the video. "However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the government. And because of this, many of our operations are impacted and most of our TSA employees are working without pay. We will continue to do all that we can to avoid delays that will impact your travel. And our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government. " Overall, of the TSA's roughly 64,000 employees, more than 61,000 are working without pay during the government shutdown, which is now in its second week. Currently playing at every public airport in America:@Sec_Noem: "We will continue to do all that we can to avoid delays that will impact you and it is our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government." pic.twitter.com/hwVfwLxVJR Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 10, 2025 Democrats maintain Republicans shoulder the responsibility for the shutdown, arguing they need to negotiate over health care premiums as part of an effort to come to agreement on federal spending. Among the airports that have declined to show the DHS video are LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, John F. Kennedy, Charlotte Douglas International, Seattle-Tacoma, San Francisco, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, Chicago O' Hare, Phoenix International and Colorado Springs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The Port Authoritys longstanding policies prevent airing of politically partisan messages at our facilities, so airports are not airing the video on airport-controlled screens," The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates New York City's three major airports, said in a statement. Daniel Cole/Reuters - PHOTO: Transportation Security Administration (TSA) works during the first day of a partial U.S. government shutdown in Burbank How flights are impacted, what travelers should know amid government shutdown In a statement, Portland International Airport, in Oregon, said it "did not consent to playing the video in its current form, as we believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes and messaging.". The statement went on to say: "Additionally, Oregon law states no public employee can promote or oppose any political committee, party, or affiliation. We believe consenting to playing this video on Port assets would violate Oregon law." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some airports, such as the Akron-Canton airport in northeastern Ohio, said digital video screens at their facilities are designated for "static content that supports wayfinding and essential travel information." In response to a request for comment about some airports declining to play the video, DHS provided a statement from Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin: "It is TSA's top priority to ensure that travelers have the most safe, pleasant and efficient airport experience possible. However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, most of our TSA employees are working without pay. While this creates challenges for our people, our security operations remain largely unimpacted at this time. Its unfortunate our workforce has been put in this position due to political gamesmanship. Our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government." Wisconsin's only oil refinery has been accused of violating the state's air quality laws over two dozen times since it resumed operation in 2023. What's happening? Wisconsin Public Radio reported that the oil refinery in Superior has received notice of 27 violations of state laws from the Department of Natural Resources. The refinery is owned and operated by the Canadian firm Cenovus Energy, which purchased the facility in 2021 and has invested over $1.2 billion in rebuilding it following a 2018 explosion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The latest news suggests that the regulatory issues at the troubled facility are far from resolved, and previous attempts to coerce the company into compliance at a lower level have failed. Among other failures, the company is accused of not adequately monitoring fine particle pollution for much of the first quarter of 2024. Additionally, the company was found to be lacking in curbing emissions of nitrogen oxide, for which exposure presents severe health risks. Why are the violations so concerning? The effects of a refinery's failure to uphold safety standards are felt most keenly in the local community. It's not just the pollutants in the air that are damaging the quality of life for Superior residents, but also the constant, unpleasant, and pungent smell of sulfur. Lynn Wohlwend, who lives just a mile from the facility, told WPR, "I don't enjoy being in my yard when that smell is out." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Others have called for improved monitoring of the refinery's pollution, noting the inadequacy of the current measures. "We would like a regulatory air monitor here because we have the only refinery in the state, and we should have one that actually represents the quality of the air here," Superior resident Patty Lier told WPR. What's being done to protect the air? The story emphasizes the importance of local action and implementing effective regulations on polluting industries that threaten the environment and public health. Though there is broad popular support for holding companies accountable, there's not always the political will. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even if there is federal opposition to pro-climate policies, state actions can still make a huge difference. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Since 1952, Kentucky Fried Chicken has served finger-licking good meals to its adoring fans. Throughout Colonel Sanders' wild history, KFC's founder created a secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices and its method to pressure-cook chicken to crispy perfection. Certainly, this results in delicious chicken for its patrons but who supplies the fast food giant's poultry product? Well, like competitors such as McDonald's and Wendy's, the answer is a combined effort from multiple suppliers. For KFC, its majority chicken suppliers are two mega-brands: Tyson Foods Inc. and Pilgrim's Pride. Like many establishments, KFC withholds much of its supplier information from the public. While it isn't clear when Tyson or Pilgrim's Pride started supplying chicken to KFC, both are assumed to be long-standing partnerships. As one of the top chicken and meat suppliers in the U.S., Tyson provides products not only to KFC but also to other fast food chains, including Taco Bell and McDonald's. Tyson also functions as the parent company of other well-known brands, such as Jimmy Dean, Ball Park, and Sara Lee. Turning the gaze to Pilgrim's Pride, it's also a provider for Burger King, Chick-fil-A, Sam's Club, Costco, and Publix. Read more: 9 Menu Items You Should Always Avoid Ordering At Culver's Based On Reviews Tyson Foods and Pilgrim's Pride have savory food and unsavory practices a close up of chickens at a farm - sergey kolesnikov/Shutterstock Without dismissing the quality of Tyson and Pilgrim's Pride products, it should be noted that the success of suppliers like these doesn't always come cleanly. While Pilgrim's Pride commits to sustainable operations, it faced accusations of price fixing for its chicken in 2016, to which it entered a plea deal in 2020 and agreed to settle the charges in 2023. Similarly, Tyson is committed to sustainable operations and making animal welfare a priority; it also faces a lawsuit of greenwashing by advocacy organization Environmental Working Group. The lawsuit accuses Tyson of misleading environmentally conscious consumers by claiming to have net-zero emissions by 2050 without any concrete plans to achieve it. Tyson motioned to have the case dismissed in November 2024, which was denied in February 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It can be agreed that it's important to know where your food comes from and the brands behind it. While the process of doing so might reveal some unpleasant facts about KFC and other popular fast food chicken chains, it shouldn't stop you from enjoying the foods you like. KFC offers some of our favorite fast food chicken tenders in the industry, and has become a Christmas tradition in Japan thanks to a highly successful marketing campaign that launched in 1974. Elite fans can even enjoy one of KFC's Famous Bowls while reading a limited run comic adventure from DC featuring Green Lantern and The Flash in a team-up with Colonel Sanders. In the issue, the heroes do battle with Colonel Sunder, an evil multiversal doppleganger from Earth-3 whose nefarious goal is to give the Colonel a bad name. 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 Chowhound. KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -Malaysia will hold talks with the U.S. secretary of commerce on sectoral tariffs, including on semiconductors, during a meeting of the ASEAN regional bloc next week, Malaysian state media reported on Wednesday, citing the trade minister. President Donald Trump's administration in August imposed a tariff of 19% on Malaysian exports to the United States, though items like semiconductors are currently exempt pending a U.S. national security probe. Trump in August proposed a 100% levy on imported chips, though he said it would not apply to companies that already had a manufacturing footprint in the United States or planned to build one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Malaysia, the world's sixth-largest exporter of semiconductors, has warned that any removal of tariff exemptions on its semiconductor exports by Washington could hurt its competitiveness and strain supply networks. Trade Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said he will hold discussions with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on tariffs for semiconductors and other sectors, which have yet to be finalised, state news agency Bernama reported. "I will hold discussions with Lutnick. He will also be attending the ASEAN Leaders Summit next week," Tengku Zafrul said, referring to a meeting of leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations set to run from October 26 to October 28 in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. He said Malaysia and the United States were currently negotiating a final tariff agreement, which is expected to be signed by both countries at next week's meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Malaysia's agriculture, industrial, and manufacturing sectors, as well as those involved in trade and investment with the United States, are likely to benefit from the agreement, Tengku Zafrul added. Several other countries are also expected to sign trade agreements with Washington at the upcoming ASEAN meeting, Tengku Zafrul said, without elaborating. U.S. tariff rates for export-reliant Southeast Asia have been set at 19% and 20% for most of the region. Laos and Myanmar have been hit with a 40% rate, while Singapore has a 10% tariff. (Reporting by Danial Azhar; Editing by David Stanway) New York Citys Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has apologized for calling the New York City Police Department racist and detailed his plans to address crime in the Big Apple as he faced a grilling from Fox News. Mamdani is leading in the polls and getting ready to face off next month against his independent opponent, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwas. Ahead of a Thursday night debate, Mandani took an interview with Fox News Martha MacCallum. MacCallum asked Mamdani Wednesday afternoon about his relationship with the police, calling it a big issue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before Mamdani was in the national political spotlight, he was a New York State assemblyman for Queens. On his campaign website in 2022, when he was seeking re-election, Mamdani called the NYPD racist and called for reducing the police force by 1,300 officers, according to a recent New York Times story that resurfaced his past remarks. We cant reform our way out of a racist police system thats working exactly as designed as a means of control over Black & brown New Yorkers, he wrote. New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has apologized for calling the New York City Police Department 'racist' (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) He had been calling the NYPD racist since at least 2020, during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement. MacCallum brought up those comments and more in her interview with Mamdani. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You said in the past, I almost don't need to go through it, it's been said many times, but that you called the police force racist, said they were a major threat to public safety, called them wicked and corrupt, she said. MacCallum asked Mamdani if he would give a public apology to the NYPD, and he did. I'll apologize to police officers right here because this is the apology that I've been sharing with many rank and file officers, and I apologize because of the fact that I'm looking to work with these officers and I know that these officers, these men and women who serve in the NYPD, they put their lives on the line every single day, Mamdani said. I'm looking to work with these officers Mamdani said in his apology to the NYPD (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images) The New York Times reported in December 2022 that there was about 34,000 NYPD officers on the force. The force currently stands at about 33,000 officers and is the largest and one of the oldest municipal police departments in the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Vera Institute, a national organization advocating to end mass incarceration, reported in June 2020 the NYPD has the most expensive police department budget in the country with more than $11 billion to spend annually. When asked why Mamdani changed his mind about the police, he said, In 2020, the year where all of these tweets are referring to, it was the year when George Floyd was killed. And it felt like safety and justice had never been further apart. Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died in May 2020 while being arrested by a white Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, who knelt on his neck. Now, what I know, having represented a hundred thousand people in Western Queens. Is that to deliver that justice, you have to also deliver that safety, Mamdani said. And that means representing the men and women in the NYPD, it means representing the Black and brown New Yorkers who've been victims of police brutality. Mamdani is leading in the polls against his independent opponent, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwas (Charly Tribealleau/AFP via Getty Images) Patrick Hendry, the president of the NYC PBA, a police union representing NYPD members, told The Independent in response to Mamdanis apology, Elected leaders words matter, but their actions matter more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An apology will not improve police officers quality of life. It will not protect them from being assaulted by dangerous repeat offenders or having their rights trampled by the CCRB [Civilian Complaint Review Board]. Those are the issues we are focused on now, and theyre the same ones well be discussing with the next mayor after Election Day. Unlike Cuomo, who has said he wants 5,000 more officers on the streets of New York City, Mamdani said he doesnt want to change the current size of the police force a shift in his previous comments calling for department cuts. He also said he wants to make the job of current NYPD officers easier by allowing them to focus on serious crimes. We used to ask officers to focus on serious crimes. Now we're asking them to focus also on the mental health crisis, to focus also on homelessness, Mamdani said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking on the issue of mental health and how it relates to crime, Mamdani said, So often the only mental health system that we have that's functioning in this city is Rikers Island, referring to New York Citys infamous jail complex. Mamdani and Cuomo, left, will face off in a debate Thursday night (Yuki Iwamura-Pool/Getty Images) Mamdani said if he were elected, his administration would create a Department of Community Safety that would bring together all of these pre-existing silos that address mental health crisis, that address homelessness into one department, provide it with the funding necessary, and actually address this crisis. According to a recent Quinnipiac University poll, Mamdani is leading with 46 percent of support from likely voters, as Cuomo trails with 33 percent and Sliwa with 15 percent ahead of the November 4 election. Mamdani performs slightly better than Cuomo on public safety, but the difference is within the polls margin of error. When asked who they think would do the best job of keeping them and their family safe, 35 percent of likely voters said Mamdani, while 32 percent said Cuomo and 23 percent said Sliwa. River Callaway/Variety via Getty Images Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. Whoopi Goldberg has been co-hosting ABCs The View since 2007, making her the longest serving member on the successful daytime shows panel. However, the celebrated actor and comedian with EGOT status has admitted on the show that her tenure would have ended sooner if she had more money and that she isnt immune from the financial pressure most Americans face. I appreciate that people are having a hard time. Me too. I work for a living, she said. If I had all the money in the world, I would not be here, OK? So, Im a working person, you know?... My kid has to feed her family. My great-granddaughter has to be fed by her family. I know its hard out there. Must Read Goldbergs admission of financial strain might come as a surprise given that CelebrityNetWorth estimates her net worth at $30 million. At age 69, Goldberg says shes still working to pay the bills for herself and her family. Her situation highlights how family and financial mismanagement can push Americans to work beyond retirement. Financially squeezed A survey by LiveCareer revealed a startling 61% of U.S. workers fear retirement more than death. The majority of respondents (82%) said they have considered delaying their retirement for financial reasons. These statistics paint a grim picture of a workforce thats feeling anxious and economically squeezed. Digging deeper into the stats reveals that these concerns are not restricted to the middle class or working class. According to PYMNTS Intelligence, 67% of all U.S. consumers now live paycheck to paycheck. Financial pressure has spread across the age and income spectrum. To mitigate this issue, here are three solid ways to better manage your money. Better budgeting A dynamic economy calls for a dynamic budget. For many families, it may no longer be enough to make simple assumptions about how much your monthly bills for essentials will be when prices are rising. Instead, financial experts recommend turning your attention to income instead. Ramit Sethi, host of the Netflix series How to Get Rich, recommends the 50/20/30 rule, which puts after-tax income into three different baskets: 50% for necessary expenses, 20% for debt repayment and savings and 30% for everything else, including leisure. NEW YORK Mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani issued a broad public apology to the NYPD Wednesday during an interview on Fox News. The mea culpa from the democratic socialist marks the first time he has apologized en masse to members of the nation's largest police force for his past comments that the department should be defunded and it is racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety." Mamdani first pledged to apologize for his incendiary 2020 remarks last month. Since then, he has been expressing his regret during private meetings with cops. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Police officers that I spoke to, they don't want a behind-closed-doors apology," Fox News' Martha MacCallum told the democratic nominee during Wednesday's edition of The Story, his first appearance on the conservative network as a candidate. "They want a broad public apology for the things that you suggested about them. Will you do that right now?" Mamdani took her up on the offer. "Absolutely, I'll apologize to police officers right here, because this is the apology that I've been sharing with many rank-and-file officers," he said. "I apologize because of the fact that I'm looking to work with these officers. And I know that these officers, these men and women who serve in the NYPD, they put their lives on the line every single day." Mamdani said some of his thinking evolved from his time in the state Legislature and from hearing comments by one of his chief nemeses, Mayor Eric Adams, about how social justice and public safety go hand in hand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It was actually Eric Adams in 2021 who said that New Yorkers need not choose between these two things," Mamdani said. "And so one of my focuses was, 'How do we deliver that justice?' And now what I know, having represented 100,000 people in western Queens, is that to deliver that justice you have to also deliver that safety. And that means representing the men and women in the NYPD. It means representing the Black and brown New Yorkers who have been victims of police brutality. It means representing the Muslim New Yorkers in my district who were surveilled on the basis of their faith." How Mamdani would lead the NYPD given his past criticism which continued through 2022 has been an enduring question of the campaign. Mamdani has pledged to keep the force's headcount steady while creating a new Department of Community Safety that would respond to mental health calls primarily with social workers, with officers available as needed. He argued in his Fox interview that would give cops more time to solve crimes. "Five, six years ago, the response time for officers was closer to 10 minutes. Now it's closer to 16 minutes," Mamdani said, blaming that increase on cops being deployed to mental health calls. "New York deserve a police department that is asked to do the things that it can possibly do, not one that covers the failures of every break in the social safety net." Much of the Fox News interview focused on Mamdani's criticisms of Israel and its military action in Gaza, along with questions about the feasibility of his signature policy proposals like free buses. At one point in the sit-down, Mamdani turned to the camera and mused that Donald Trump might be watching. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I just want to speak directly to the president: I will not be a mayor like Mayor Adams who will call you to figure out how to stay out of jail. I won't be a disgraced governor like Andrew Cuomo who will call you to ask how to win this election. I can do those things on my own," he said. Adams has denied any sort of quid-pro-quo with Trump or his administration connected to the mayor's now defunct federal bribery case. And Cuomo has denied a New York Times report that he and Trump had a private phone call in August to discuss the mayoral election. "I will, however, be a mayor who is ready to speak at any time to lower the cost of living," Mamdani added. "That's the way that I'm going to lead this city. That's the partnership I want to build not only in Washington, D.C., but [with] anyone across this country." In a bid to make it easier for New York City to comply with the states class-size law, Democratic mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani wants to boost the number of teachers in the system by footing the bill for aspiring educators to earn degrees. Mamdani unveiled a plan on Wednesday to provide students with $12,000 in tuition assistance each year, in exchange for a commitment to stay in the citys school system for at least three years. The teachers we have are doing incredible work, but we need to ensure that we ask them to do a job that is in fact possible, Mamdani said at a news conference in Astoria, Queens, with local education committee heads from the state Senate and City Council and teachers union officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One key part of that is ensuring that they have a limited number of students in their classroom, and the only way we can do that is if we hire the additional teachers necessary. If enacted, the program would offer two tracks: One for high school students interested in teaching to earn early college credits, and another for adult students who want to pivot careers through partnerships with CUNY and SUNY. Graduates would be placed in neighborhoods with the highest teacher vacancy and turnover rates. Mamdani said the program would launch with an initial cohort of 1,000 students, for an annual cost of $12 million, which the democratic socialist said he could pay for by reallocating billions away from the Education Departments duplicative contracts and consulting fees. He said there is close to $10 billion a year that we are currently spending within our education system on contracts and consulting, much of which is not only not standardized, not only duplicative, but also there are a number of those contracts that seem to have more in common with who the vendors know. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Participants would also see their certification exam fees waived, and receive mentorship from current teachers and free OMNY cards. The teachers union-backed class-size law caps the number of students between 20 to 25, depending on the grade. The union endorsed Mamdani after his primary win. Mayor Adams spent most of his term criticizing the law as an unfunded mandate that will force the city to make difficult tradeoffs, before changing his tune as a then-mayoral candidate. Both independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and GOP nominee Curtis Sliwa have called for greater state investments with the former governor calling the mandate, as it stands, reckless. The law must be fully phased in by September 2028, though exemptions are available. New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani (D) used part of his Wednesday interview on Fox News to directly address President Donald Trump. Mamdani, a self-described Democratic socialist, sat down with Fox News Martha MacCallum on The Story for an interview, and when asked what specifically qualifies him to run the biggest city in the country, and Trumps criticism that he is woefully underqualified. Mamdani took the chance to look straight into the camera and address Trump while also blasting one current mayoral opponent, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and another former opponent New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who recently ended his campaign. Mamdani is also facing Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa in the highly publicized race. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I want to take this moment, because you spoke about President Trump, and he may be watching right now, and I just want to speak directly to the president, Mamdani said as he stared down the camera. The Democrat said he would have a much different relationship with Trump as mayor than Cuomo or Adams. He said he is, however, willing to speak anytime about lowering costs. He said: I will not be a mayor like Mayor Adams who will call you to figure out how to stay out of jail. I wont be a disgraced governor like Andrew Cuomo who will call you to ask how to win this election. I can do those things on my own. I will, however, be a mayor who is ready to speak at any time to lower the cost of living. Thats the way Im going to lead this city. Thats the way the partnership I want to build not only with Washington, D.C., but with anyone across this country. And I think its important because too often the focus on the needs of working class Americans, working class New Yorkers are put to the side as we talk more and more about the very kinds of corrupt politicians like Andrew Cuomo that delivered us into this kind of crisis. Watch above via Fox News. The post Mamdani Uses Fox News Interview to Speak Directly to Donald Trump first appeared on Mediaite. A 54-year-old man with two dozen felony convictions will face federal charges connected to three gun crimes over a six month period in 2023 and 2024. Jon Frederick Rapozo is also scheduled for trial Nov. 11 for allegedly breaking into the last year. Rapozo was charged Oct. 3 with three counts of being a felon in possession of ammunition, according to federal court records. On Aug. 6, 2023, Rapozo did knowingly possess in and affecting interstate commerce nine rounds of 9mm ammunition. On Jan. 25, 2024, Rapozo allegedly had 22 rounds of 9mm ammunition on him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Feb. 16, 2024, Rapozo is accused of having six rounds of 9mm ammunition in his possession. The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking forfeiture of any firearms and ammunition involved in or used in the offense, according to federal court records. Those guns include a black polymer pistol with no serial number, a Magpul P magazine, a Glock 17 with a black slide marked with serial number AALT271 attached to a green lower frame, with a 17-round Glock magazine inserted into the magazine well, a Glock holster, a Glock style pistol bearing no serial number and roughly 37 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Rapozo was out on bail in a state case when he was arrested Oct. 11, 2024, on a federal warrant after being by criminal complaint Oct. 10, 2024, with being a felon in possession of ammunition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rapozo has 42 prior state convictions, including for assaulting a police officer, burglary, felony theft, breaking into a car, violating parole, assault and felony drug offenses. Of the 42 prior state convictions, 24 are for felony offenses. In a Nov. 11, 2024, letter written from the Federal Detention Center, Honolulu, to the state court handling his case, Rapozo said he was back on medication and addressing mental health issues. Im writing to show that I am serious about changing my life. Ive been using my time here at FDC to get my mental health correct. Im currently on my medication again. So Im slowing down mentally a lot. Now, Im taking all the classes that are available, wrote Rapozo. Just trying to get better and learn some skills. I need to succeed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was arrested Jan. 7, 2024, with Gary David Mendonca Jr., 39, and Jeffrey Glenn Werner, 51, and charged with burglary in the second degree, a class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $25, 000 fine. The trio allegedly broke into and destroyed a section of the mens locker room at the Nuuanu country club. They all pleaded not guilty Jan. 16, 2024. Rapozos trial in that case is continued until Nov. 11., according to state court records. There is an Oct. 20 hearing scheduled in that state case. Werner and Mendonca Jr. are out on bail. Mendonca Jr. pleaded guilty to burglary in July 2024 and faces a mandatory minimum of 20 months in state prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rapozos first federal firearm charge came from an incident where he was allegedly driving a black Audi A4 sedan on Aug. 6, 2023, when he swerved to avoid a car and struck two parked cars. Emergency Medical Serv ices technicians responding to the crash treated Rapozo at the scene. He allegedly asked one of them to get clothing from the trunk of his car for him. The EMS technician opened a black bag, saw a handgun inside and exclaimed, He got one gun in here, according to federal court documents. Rapozo allegedly replied, I never asked, I never asked, followed by, I didnt ask nobody. Thats not even my bag, sir. Honolulu Police Department officers recovered the handgun, which was described as a black polymer 9mm pistol with no serial number or manufacturer, otherwise known as a ghost gun. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officers also found a magazine from the pistol containing nine rounds of 9mm ammunition. On May 21, FBI agents interviewed Rapozo and showed him a photo of the firearm and ammunition recovered from his car. Rapozo allegedly admitted to FBI agents that the pistol recovered was his. I dont even know where I got that one from, Rapozo allegedly told the agents, noting that he didnt even know it was in there. He allegedly told FBI agents that when he bought guns on the street they would sometimes come with a box of ammunition. Rapozo bought ammunition from a particular store because they did not check his identification. Rapozo was advised of his Miranda rights on Oct. 8, 2024, and allegedly admitted that the gun and ammunition belonged to him but said the weapon was broken. MONTROSE COUNTY, Colo. (KREX) The Montrose County man who was issued a misdemeanor summons on 84 counts of animal cruelty in August had his charges bumped up to felonies. Seventh Judicial District Attorney Anna Cooling announced Tuesday that Scott Flores, 61, had his charges upgraded after evaluation and due to a previous offense. The Mesa County Sheriffs Office (MCSO) first learned of the alleged animal abuse on May 31 after receiving a report of a dead horse on the Flores property. Two weeks later, MCSO animal control got a call about another deceased horse at the same location. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Bureau of Animal Protection (BAP) the Colorado Department of Agricultures investigation division was contacted. In June, BAP obtained an administrative search warrant, allowing investigators to enter the property and document conditions. About a month later, a second search warrant was executed, with this time three veterinarians and BAP and MCSO investigators also in attendance. A goat, four dogs and 79 horses were removed and transferred to a BAP holding facility for additional health assessments. Flores is to appear in Montrose County Court on Oct. 21 for advisement of the charges. Two horses look malnourished on a property in Montrose County. (Courtesy Photo/Montrose County Sheriffs Office) 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 WesternSlopeNow.com. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) A man wanted for aggravated assault of an officer is considered one of the Metro Nashville Police Departments Most Wanted fugitives. The list is updated each week on the MNPD Criminal Warrants Divisions Facebook page. According to Metro detectives, those featured on the list are often considered to be some of the most violent offenders in the city. Fugitives featured on the list are frequently wanted on indictments for capital offenses like murder or sex crimes; others featured have multiple domestic violence charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DNA testing links skull to 1986 missing persons case Since the list was first launched in October 2022, around 180 people featured have been apprehended or surrendered to law enforcement, including those captured out of county or even out of state. In 2025 alone, there have been more than 25 arrests of those featured on the Most Wanted list; there were 68 arrests in 2024. Below is the list of suspects sought by police for the week of Oct. 15, 2025. 1. DeTynn Q. Smith Detynn Q. Smith (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department) DeTynn Smith, 21, is wanted for multiple felonies, including first-degree premeditated murder, attempted first-degree premeditated murder, aggravated robbery and using a weapon during the commission of a dangerous felony. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smith has previous criminal history in Nashville, according to police records. In 2022, Smith, then 18, was charged with another 18-year-old with carjacking, evading arrest and vehicle theft. According to MNPD, Smith and Alan Beverly admitted to carjacking a womans Chevrolet Malibu and threatening her 8-year-old son at gunpoint in late May of 2022. The victim told authorities shed gone into a Jefferson Street market around 8:30 p.m. when the passenger of a Ford F-150 pickup truck got out and approached her car, threatening her son with a pistol and pushing him out of the car. Firefighter hurt, up to 12 apartments damaged in Franklin fire Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detectives located the vehicle at a Walmart on Dickerson Pike. Both Smith and Beverly fled on foot but were apprehended. Smith also tossed the pistol, which was recovered by police. Smith has made multiple appearances on the Most Wanted list, including a stint in 2023 where he was also considered the Top Most Wanted fugitive. He was last added back to the list in December 2024. Police said anyone with information as to Smiths whereabouts should contact MNPD by calling 615-862-8600 or by calling Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. 2. Devon A. Martak Devon A. Martak (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department) Devon Martak, 39, was added to the list at the end of 2024. According to Metro police, Martak is wanted for a grand jury indictment of three counts of rape of someone who is mentally defective or helpless and three counts of rape without consent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Boring Company work raises questions on West End Martak has an extensive criminal history in Nashville. He has previous convictions for drug possession, unlawful weapon possession, driving on a suspended license and reckless driving; he also has a no contest plea for an aggravated sexual battery charge in 2022. His last known location was in Madison, according to police. 3. Kevin D. Haynes Kevin D. Haynes (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department) Kevin Haynes, 25, is wanted on a grand jury indictment for two counts of statutory rape, according to police. His last location is currently unknown to authorities, MNPD said. 4. Jaime A. Hernandez Granados Jaime A. Hernandez Granados (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department) Jamie Granados, 34, is wanted by police on a grand jury indictment for four counts of aggravated sexual battery of a victim under the age of 14. Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts According to Metro Police, his last location is currently unknown. 5. Quardariaus Q. Banks Quardariaus Q. Banks (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department) Included on the Most Wanted list mid-October, Quardariaus Banks, 34, is wanted for sex offenses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to MNPD, Banks is wanted on a grand jury indictment for sexual battery without consent, as well as three General Sessions warrants for aggravated burglary, a felony probation violation, and driving on a revoked license 2nd offense. Authorities do not know his last location. 6. Jatarius M. Marable Jatarius M. Marable (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department) Added to the list at the end of June is Jatarius Marable, 29. According to police, Marable is wanted on multiple grand jury indictments, including those for domestic violence offenses. His charges include four counts of domestic violence, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated burglary, two counts of domestic assault with bodily injury, domestic assault by causing fear of bodily injury, and using a motor vehicle to evade arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime-related reports from across Middle Tennessee Per Metro court records, Marable has previous convictions for misdemeanor assault, domestic assault with bodily injury, and driving without a license, as well as a previous felony conviction to using a motor vehicle to evade arrest and three counts of evading arrest by motor vehicle with risk of injury. Marables last location is currently unknown to police, per MNPD. 7. Christopher T. Brown Christopher T. Brown (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department) Also added to the list mid-August is Christopher T. Brown, 32. According to police, Brown is wanted on several domestic violence charges, including strangulation, aggravated burglary, assault with bodily injury, and domestic assault by offensive or provocative contact. 8. Logan M. Cole Logan M. Cole (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department) Added to the list in mid-October is Logan Cole, 19. According to police, Cole is wanted for aggravated assault of an officer, aggravated assault by strangulation, two counts of violating an order of protections, and two counts of vandalism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His last location is unknown to police. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com 9. Jacob Lamb Crow Jacob C. Lamb Crow (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department) According to authorities, Lamb Crow, 24, is wanted on three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Authorities said Lamb Crow was last seen in Murfreesboro. 10. Ceandre D. Bradley Ceandre D. Bradley (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department) A recent addition to the list is Ceandre Bradley, 24. According to police, Bradley is wanted for two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His last location is currently unknown to authorities. 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 WKRN News 2. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) A man accused of trying to bribe a state trooper in December was sentenced Wednesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to 10 months in prison on a cocaine charge. Read next: Report identifies man who died following officer-involved shooting in Youngstown Michael Nakley, 36, received the sentence from Judge Anthony DApolito after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine, a fourth-degree felony, and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a first-degree misdemeanor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nakley was also originally charged with bribery as a result of a Dec. 22 traffic stop but that charge was dismissed at the municipal court level. When the case was bound over to a grand jury, however, a grand jury indicted it. However, Assistant Prosecutor Katherine Jones told the judge on Wednesday that her office was dismissing the charge because of the agreement that was reached in municipal court, and Judge DApolito went along. The sentence was also recommended by the attorneys in the case and adopted by Judge DApolito. The charges stem from a Dec. 22 traffic stop at about 3 a.m. on Interstate 680 by a member of the Canfield Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The trooper said Nakley was pulled over for weaving across the road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reports said Nakley stopped in the middle of the road and when a trooper approached him, he smelled heavily of alcohol and was very animated. As they were sitting in the troopers cruiser waiting for a tow truck, reports said Nakley told the trooper he would give him $2,500 to let him go and if the trooper followed him back to his house, he would give him another $15,000. A grand jury indicted him in April. Defense attorney Ryan Ingram asked the judge to uphold the sentencing agreement. He said his client has struggled with addiction issues off and on for the last 15 years. Hes at a point where he needs to start making better decisions, Ingram said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nakley apologized and said he wants to use his prison time to help get his life on track. I want to do my best to do my meetings and work my program, Nakley said. Even though the bribery charge was dismissed, Judge DApolito said it speaks to the fact that Nakley thought at the time he was arrested his addiction was something he could bargain with or control. This isnt something that can be bribed away or erased, Judge DApolito said. Nakley will get credit for 194 days served while awaiting the disposition of his case. 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 WKBN.com. INDIAN TRAIL, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) A man accused of shooting and killing a Taco Bell employee has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder, the Union County Sheriffs Office announced. Just before 8:50 p.m. on Monday, October 13, deputies responded to a 911 call about a shooting at the Taco Bell on U.S. 74. When deputies arrived, they found 23-year-old employee Dantreveion Hobbs had been shot in the kitchen area. Tragically, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detectives said the suspect sped away in a vehicle, and from that moment, the sheriffs office said investigators didnt stop working. Teams of deputies, detectives, and crime scene experts stayed on the case through the night and into the next day. PREVIOUS: Taco Bell employee shot and killed in Indian Trail; suspect still wanted By 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, just 22 hours after the initial call, the UCSO said deputies had identified and arrested 22-year-old Gilecio Ritchie at his home in Indian Trail. He is being held without bond. Authorities said Ritchie and Hobbs knew each other. Ritchie allegedly walked past several people to shoot Hobbs specifically, the UCSO said in a news conference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This marks the second murder in the Union County Sheriffs Offices main jurisdiction in 2025. Both cases were solved in under 24 hours, the sheriffs office said. MORE FROM QCNEWS.COM Union County 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 Queen City News. A Fort Stockton man is facing multiple aggravated assault and sexual assault charges after his girlfriend told authorities he kept her locked up for five days, often in a dog kennel, and three people corroborated her story. According to Odessa Police Department reports, an officer was dispatched to the 2600 block of Van Street on Oct. 8 and when he arrived, he found a 27-year-old woman in the back of a vehicle with multiple injuries to her face, arms, legs and feet and large amounts of her hair pulled out. When an officer spoke with the woman at Medical Center Hospital, she told him she was beaten up by her boyfriend, Joe Angel Garcia Jr., 29. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the course of additional interviews, the woman revealed more details of what she said happened between Oct. 3 and Oct. 8. The woman said she and Garcia had been arguing since Oct. 3 after Garcia came to Odessa for his mothers funeral. According to the report, the woman said Garcia told her she was going to see how it felt regarding what he and his mom had to go through. Over the course of the next five days, the woman said Garcia put her in a dog kennel at times without any water and hed shoot her with a BB gun, the report stated. She also said she was forced to urinate in a Fireball bucket. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When released from the kennel, the woman said Garcia forced her to perform a sex act while in the shower, sexually assaulted her, punched her, kicked her, dragged her by her fair and burned her with lighters, the report stated. She also told officers Garcia threatened her with a gun. In addition, the woman said Garcia strangled her three to four times for minutes at a time, the report stated. Medical staff found injuries consistent with strangulation and sexual assault. During the course of the investigation, detectives spoke with three people who said Garcia pointed a sawed off shotgun at the woman and each of them on Oct. 3 while Garcia assaulted the victim, the report stated. They said Garcia told them something along the lines of try and stop him from assaulting this victim when they went to try and stop the assault on the victim, the report stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the witnesses had three wounds on one of his cheeks and an openly bleeding cut on his left forearm, a report stated. According to the report, the man told them Garcia stabbed him in the face with a box cutter and sliced open his left forearm on Oct. 7. Investigators found a shotgun with a sawed off barrel at Garcias residence, the report stated. Garcia was booked into the Ector County jail on suspicion of five counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon on Oct. 9. He was booked on suspicion of two counts of sexual assault and one count of aggravated kidnapping/sexual abuse Monday. His bail has been set at $815,000. The post Man accused of holding girlfriend captive five days appeared first on Odessa American. Artisan Partners, an investment management company, released its Artisan Mid Cap Fund third-quarter 2025 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. Global equity markets continued their strength in the third quarter, ending the period with double-digit year-to-date gains. In the quarter, the funds Investor Class fund ARTMX returned 8.80%, Advisor Class fund APDMX posted a return of 8.80%, and Institutional Class fund APHMX returned 8.83%, compared to a 2.78% return for the Russell Midcap Growth Index. The significant outperformance was led by holdings in the health care sector. In addition, please check the funds top five holdings to know its best picks in 2025. In its third-quarter 2025 investor letter, Artisan Mid Cap Fund highlighted stocks such as RBC Bearings Incorporated (NYSE:RBC). Headquartered in Oxford, Connecticut, RBC Bearings Incorporated (NYSE:RBC) manufactures engineered precision bearings and components. The one-month return of RBC Bearings Incorporated (NYSE:RBC) was 1.10%, and its shares gained 32.13% of their value over the last 52 weeks. On October 14, 2025, RBC Bearings Incorporated (NYSE:RBC) stock closed at $383.98 per share, with a market capitalization of $12.119 billion. Artisan Mid Cap Fund stated the following regarding RBC Bearings Incorporated (NYSE:RBC) in its third quarter 2025 investor letter: "We also added to RBC Bearings Incorporated (NYSE:RBC), Reddit and Veracyte during the quarter. RBC Bearings is a leading provider of specialty bearings, gearing and motion control products, with over 70% of revenue derived from sole- or primary-sourced componentsunderscoring its critical role in customer supply chains. Its strategy of producing ahead of demand supports strong delivery performance and quality, while proprietary design software enhances product engineering. We added to our position during the quarter, as we believe the company is well positioned to benefit from the production ramp-up of next generation aircraft, supported by long-term contracts with Boeing and Airbus, as well as steady aftermarket demand for maintenance and repair. The company recently issued a positive outlook, supported by a strong backlog and the successful integration of its VACCO acquisition, both of which signal continued growth potential." Is RBC Bearings Incorporated (RBC) the Top Stock to Buy According to Durable Capital Partners? RBC Bearings Incorporated (NYSE:RBC) is not on our list of 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. According to our database, 26 hedge fund portfolios held RBC Bearings Incorporated (NYSE:RBC) at the end of the second quarter, compared to 30 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of RBC Bearings Incorporated (NYSE:RBC) 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. Man acquitted of murdering co-worker who was killed by Orange County deputy An Orange County jury has acquitted a man of murder in a case where he never pulled the trigger. The jury found Cristian Duran Contreras not guilty of murder or manslaughter following Wednesdays closing arguments. He was, however, found guilty of trespassing. He will not serve further jail time for the trespassing count. The felony murder charge Contreras was facing stemmed from a home burglary on West Castle Street in February. He was targeting the home of Jose Luis Lopez. The two worked together at a roofing company. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators say after Contreras broke into Lopezs home, the two started fighting. Responding deputies say they saw Lopez holding Contreras in a headlock and thought he had a knife. Thats when the two deputies shot at Lopez, not knowing he lived there. One deputys bullet struck Lopez, killing hm. It was later determined that Lopez did not have a knife. Under Florida law, Contreras was charged with murder because someone died during the commission of a crime. Under this law, the defendant does not have to kill the victim to be charged. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. WATERTOWN, N.Y. (WWTI) A 69-year-old Black River man is facing charges after allegedly defecating at a Watertown Kinney Drugs location, placing the waste on a shelf, and wiping his hands on clothing that was for sale. The Watertown Police Department arrested Michael Jones and charged him with criminal tampering and criminal mischief. Watertown man charged in Hannaford online fraud scheme On October 2, Jones allegedly defecated inside the Kinney Drugs location at 1729 State Street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He allegedly placed the feces on the shelf, causing a substantial inconvenience to the store by having employees the affected area and merchandise. Jones then allegedly wiped the fecal matter off his hands on clothing valued at nearly $45. The clothing was thrown away according to the police. Jones is ordered to appear in Watertown City Court on November 3. 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 WWTI - InformNNY.com. Oct. 14A grand jury indicted a man on murder charges in a deadly robbery near a Salem Avenue Arby's in Dayton last year. David M. Brown, 43, is facing four counts of murder, two counts each of felonious assault and aggravated robbery and one count of having weapons while under disability in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday. Brown is accused of shooting and killing 33-year-old Mo'rrell M. Fontenot early July 28, 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The shooting was reported around 12:30 a.m. at 2848 Salem Ave. "(Fontenot) was walking on the sidewalk in front of Arby's restaurant, and he was approached by another male," Dayton police Maj. Brian Johns previously said. "That male then shot him several times and fled the scene." The suspect, later identified as Brown, then fled the scene on foot, according to police. Brown was initially charged with murder in Dayton Municipal Court in December and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Dayton police arrested Brown Thursday, according to jail booking records. Oct. 15A Michigan man was arrested in Canton on charges of first-degree kidnapping in conjunction with sexual assault of a woman. The same man also faces kidnapping charges in Michigan, with an outstanding warrant for his extradition to face the charges there. It is unclear whether the victim was first kidnapped in Michigan and transported to Canton, resulting in charges both places. Investigators are still working on the case and couldn't share many details. The investigation is being carried out by multiple agencies across state lines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We're working closely together with other agencies to try to come to a resolution and make sure we get the best possible outcome for this case," Canton Police Chief Sluder said. Simon Rodney Tobar, 23, of Benton Harbor, Michigan, was arrested in the early morning hours of Oct. 7 by Canton Police, according to court records. "He was arrested here and placed in the Haywood County jail," Sluder said. The extradition warrant was filed a few days later on Oct. 10. Due to the potential interstate nature of the crime, federal charges could come into play. Tobar is charged locally with first-degree kidnapping "for the purpose of facilitating...sexual assault/rape," according to the charging document. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A kidnapping in North Carolina reaches a first-degree designation when the victim is not released in a safe location and/or the victim is seriously injured or sexually assaulted. This kidnapping met both criteria, according to a magistrate's order. "(The victim) was not released by the defendant in a safe place, was sexually assaulted," according to the charging documents. Tobar was also charged with felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance. He also faces a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed gun. Tobar is also being held on an extradition warrant back to Michigan. Meanwhile, Canton Police worked to provide the victim with resources in the aftermath of the kidnapping. "We've gotten in touch with folks to be able to help her and her family," Sluder said. Tobar is being held at the Haywood County Detention Center on no bond. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) A Buffalo man was charged with five counts of third-degree burglary after four restaurants and supermarkets were broken into late last month, according to Buffalo police. Police said Palli Supermarket on Bailey Avenue was reportedly broken into overnight on Sept. 15. A suspect stole around $5,000 in cash, as well as two cash register boxes and two receipt printers. Between Sept. 20 and Sept. 29, four additional burglaries were reported at Gino and Joes NY Pizza, Dominos, and Buffalo Fresh. Dominos was allegedly broken into once on Sept. 23 and again six days later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Richard Bowden, 62, of Buffalo, was apprehended on Oct. 3. Multiple empty cash registers were recovered. Bowden was charged with the following: five counts third-degree burglary third-degree grand larceny four counts third-degree criminal mischief fourth-degree grand larceny fourth-degree criminal mischief three counts petit larceny An investigation remains ongoing. More charges could be forthcoming, police said. Latest Local News Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University. Copyright 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 News 4 Buffalo. Oct. 15A man is facing charges after he reportedly shot another man in Dayton and stole a car in Preble County before leading law enforcement officers on a chase. Gene E. Blatchford Jr., 28, was charged with two counts each of felonious assault and failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and one count each of receiving stolen property (motor vehicle), tampering with evidence and having weapons while under disability in Dayton Municipal Court. His bond was set at $175,000 on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Around 12:30 a.m. on Oct 10, officers responded to the 600 block of Walton Avenue for a report of a person shot. Officers arrived and found a 47-year-old man shot in the leg, according to court records. Medics transported him to Miami Valley Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The man reportedly identified the suspect as "Philly." Witnesses showed police a Facebook page for the suspect, according to court records. An Eaton police detective later contacted Dayton police and said a man reported he was with Blatchford when he shot someone on Walton Avenue, according to an affidavit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Additionally, Blatchford had now stolen his black Chevy compact car," the affidavit read. Blatchford allegedly matched the shooting suspect's description and the photos on the suspect's Facebook page. Later that day, Montgomery County sheriff's deputies and Kettering police attempted to shop Blatchford in the Chevrolet, but he fled, according to court documents. A Kettering police log indicated the chase ended near Wilmington Pike and Whipp Road after crews lost the vehicle. A witness contacted emergency dispatchers and reported the vehicle had pulled into the Costco parking lot on Cornerstone Boulevard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crews found the suspect, vehicle and gun in different areas in the parking lot, according to Kettering police. Dayton police arrested Blatchford in the parking lot, according to jail booking records. He remained in the Montgomery County Jail as of Wednesday morning. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A man is accused of attacking and raping a woman in his Raleigh neighborhood after asking to use her phone. Keenan Morris, 31, was booked in the Shelby County Jail for aggravated burglary, rape, kidnapping and abuse of an elderly adult. The victim was 70 years old. Keenan Morris (SCSO) The victim said Morris asked to use her phone, then forced his way inside and sexually assaulted her. She said before Morris left, he stated, I decided not to kill you. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the affidavit of complaint, the assault happened last week, but the victim called police on Monday when she saw Morris standing near the vehicle. Morris told officers he knocked on the victims door because she left her car running, but denied assaulting her. He is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. 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 WREG.com. A man is facing a murder charge in connection with the death of a 5-month-old girl on Monday. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Columbus Division of Police told our news partners at WBNS that the Madison Township Fire Department responded to reports of an infant having trouble breathing shortly before 11 a.m. on Monday. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The girl was taken to Nationwide Childrens Hospital in critical condition. She died several hours later on Monday evening. Court records obtained by WBNS show that the infants death was caused by severe blunt force trauma to the head. The information initially given to detectives on the injuries the infant suffered was not consistent with the evidence found by doctors during an exam. Glenn McIntosh, 32, was reportedly in charge of the infant when the injuries happened. He was interviewed by detectives and later charged with murder. McIntosh was booked into the Franklin County Jail, where he remains, according to online jail records. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] LAKE COUNTY, Ind. A man was charged after allegedly being involved in a hit-and-run crash that killed a Lake County correctional officer. At around 4:05 a.m. Saturday morning, authorities responded to the area of US 30 and Austin Avenue, in Schererville, on the report of a crash. Authorities found two vehicles with damage, a Chrysler 300 and a Honda Civic, at the scene. The driver of the Civic, Lake County correctional officer Ronald Jones, 58, was found unconscious and the jaws of life were used to extricate him. Jones was pronounced dead at a hospital in Chicago. Ronald Jones, courtesy Lake County Sheriffs Department The driver of the Chrysler 300, later identified as Jimmie Jacobs, allegedly fled the scene on foot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following an investigation, court documents allege that Jacobs was quickly picked up by a black SUV on US 30. Police said due to a bagged lunch, work boots and other items in the Civic that Jones was on his way to work prior to the crash. Detectives obtained surveillance footage which allegedly showed Jacobs blowing through a red light, according to documents. Documents state that the following afternoon of the crash, Jacobs called police to report an accident and said he was unconscious and left all his belongings in the car. Officers later took Jacobs into custody at his apartment in Schererville. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jones was a 9-year veteran of the Lake County Jail. Our hearts go out to the officers family, friends, and colleagues, and to everyone whose lives were touched by this dedicated public servant, Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said in a statement. We ask the community to keep them in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Jacobs was charged with reckless homicide and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. His bond was set at $55,000. 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 WGN-TV. By Alun John, Dhara Ranasinghe and Stefano Rebaudo LONDON (Reuters) -France's financial markets are riding a roller-coaster as the country grapples with one of its worst political crises in decades, and while sentiment is improving, the bumpy ride is not over. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has promised to suspend a landmark pension reform until after the 2027 election, sacrificing one of President Emmanuel Macron's achievements to ensure the government's survival. Here's a look at where markets stand, and what comes next. BOND VIGILANTES IN HIDING? The gap between 10-year French and German bond yields, the premium investors require to lend to France, is around 78 basis points, down from almost 90 bps last week. It could tighten towards 75 bps, said Citi's senior rate strategist Aman Bansal. It narrowed as investors focused on political stability over long-term fiscal worries. Lecornu's plan to suspend pension reform means he'll likely stay in his job, avoiding snap elections, even if some parties have called a no-confidence vote for Thursday. RBC BlueBay Asset Management senior portfolio manager Kaspar Hense said the firm had closed out of its short position - a bet on price falls - in French bonds last week on expectations a political compromise would be found. "Demand for OATs (French bonds) remains strong at these levels of real and nominal yields," said Reinout De Bock, head of European rate strategy at UBS. RATINGS WATCH French borrowing costs remain among the highest in the euro zone, and because suspending the key pension reforms keeps pressure on public finances, France is vulnerable to further ratings downgrades. Lecornu says the suspension would cost 400 million euros ($463 million) in 2026 and 1.8 billion euros in 2027. Without offsetting measures, France's debt-to-GDP ratio would fail to stabilise, analysts say. Goldman Sachs reckons permanent suspension of the pension reform would add 0.5% of GDP to the deficit by 2035, so debt as a share of GDP over the next decade stabilises closer to 130% compared to around 113% now. Moody's, which rates France at Aa3 with a stable outlook, reviews France on October 24. "We expect some downgrade pressure but this is priced in by markets," said BlueBay's Hense. STOCKS SOAR France's blue chip share index rose 2.6% on Wednesday, set for its best day since April's tariff bounceback, but that's not much to do with politics -- luxury giant LVMH surged 14% after results. French midcaps are up around 1% but have underperformed longer term, up nearly 10% in the past two years, compared to 15% for the blue chip index, and 26% for the overall European benchmark. IOWA (KCAU) A man has died while serving prison time for murdering a girl in Sioux City in 1993. The Iowa Department of Corrections said Matthew Hallum, 63, was pronounced dead on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. He died in a hospice room at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center. Sioux City Police Department investigates weekend stabbing In 1997, Hallum was found guilty of first-degree sexual abuse, attempted murder, and first-degree murder for crimes committed in 1993. According to the Associated Press via a 1997 report from the Argus-Leader, the victim was a 15-year-old named Tanya Rubottom. He was ordered to serve a life sentence related to the circumstances of her death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of Corrections did not state Hallums cause of death. 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 SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. NEED TO KNOW Ronald Exantus fatally stabbed Logan Tipton while he was sleeping in December 2015 In April 2018, Exantus was sentenced to a 20-year prison sentence He was released early on parole on Oct. 1, but then on Oct. 9, he was arrested for failing to register as a convicted felon in Florida The man who was convicted of stabbing 6-year-old Logan Tipton to death was released from prison and then, days later, arrested again. Ronald Exantus, 42, was arrested in Marion County, Fla. on Thursday, Oct. 9, per the Marion County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) news release. He was required by law to register as a convicted felon with the MCSO within 48 hours, but he failed to do so, according to the agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The family says officials told Logans family that Exantus was going to serve six months of parole in Florida before returning to Kentucky supervision, WKYT, WHSV and WAFB previously reported. Later, the MCSO was alerted that he had relocated from Kentucky to Marion County. Exantus was then found residing in a home that was "immediately adjacent" to an elementary school. The fact that he was living right next to an elementary school is even more repulsive, MCSO Sheriff Woods said, I have no tolerance for this type of dangerous person flaunting our laws and thinking he would hide out in our county. Marion County sheriff's office Ronald Exantus Ronald Exantus He served seven years of his 20-year prison sentence after he was convicted for stabbing 6-year-old Logan Tipton as he slept in his familys Kentucky home in December 2015. According to Florida Department of Corrections records viewed by PEOPLE, he was scheduled to begin parole supervision on October 6. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The night of the murder, Exantus drove from Indianapolis to the Tiptons Versailles home, entered while the family slept, went into the kitchen, took a knife and stabbed Logan in his bedroom as the boy slept, according to CBS News. Logans father was injured while subduing the attacker, per the outlet, and two sisters were also hurt. Exantus was sentenced in April 2018, at age 34. The jury found him not guilty of murder in Logan's death, by reason of insanity, but guilty on assault charges, as previously reported by PEOPLE. Court records reviewed by PEOPLE also show the jury returned a not guilty by reason of insanity verdict on the burglary charge. gofundme Logan Tipton Logan Tipton Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. When I got to the top of the stairs, he attacked me with a knife, Logans father, Dean Tipton, told WKYT. He stood up with me on top of him, just stood up and threw me 10 to 15 feet across the room and went after my daughter, he told KKTV. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He stabbed me in the back, and then stomped on my head," Logans sister, Dakota Tipton, told the outlet. "And I remember waking up across the room, not where I was at, and I looked and he was killing Logan and Logan was screaming." He didnt just kill my son," Heather Tipton, Logan's mother, said during Exantus' sentencing hearing, per LEX 18. "He killed every member of my family, every single one of us, and every person thats sitting here today is a completely different person than they were when they went to bed December 6." You took a human beings life, the boys father said, per the outlet. Mentally ill or not, your life should be at least life in prison without the possibility of parole. It just seems like a 6-year-olds life is worth more than 10 years in prison. Read the original article on People WASHINGTON (DC News Now) D.C police announced that a 53-year-old man who was hit by a pickup truck in September has died from his injuries. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said the pedestrian, identified as John Holland, of Southeast D.C., died on Monday, Oct. 13. The crash happened minutes after 8:15 p.m. on Sept. 29 at the intersection of Montana and Rhode Island Avenue. Recycling pile fire breaks out in Lorton, injuring 7 people Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A preliminary investigation revealed that Holland was struck by a Dodge Ram that was towing a cargo trailer. The truck was traveling on the 1400 block of Montana Avenue NE. Thats when the driver made a left turn on Rhode Island Avenue and hit Holland. The driver stayed at the scene. Holland was taken to the hospital. He died nearly three weeks after the crash. The crash is still under investigation by crash detectives. Check DCNewsNow.com for updates. To keep up with the latest news and weather updates, download our Mobile App on iPhone or Android. 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 DC News Now | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live. Catholic clergy had to do some spiritual clean-up after someone urinated on one of the holiest places in Vatican City last Friday. People watched in horror as a grown man climbed the steps to the Altar of the Confession, dropped trou and relieved himself in front of a crowd at St. Peters Basilica. Footage of the incident appeared to show a pair of security personnel trying to pull the bare-bottomed culprit away from the altar while a giant sculpture of St. Veronica looms in the background. Un hombre burlo la seguridad del Vaticano y orino en el altar de la Basilica de San Pedro, provocando conmocion y debate sobre la seguridad en el templo.https://t.co/hRjT7q1bVmpic.twitter.com/eHRd3mKPUl Excelsior (@Excelsior) October 12, 2025 The offender, who has yet to be identified to the public, was eventually detained by Vatican City police officers and is believed to still be in custody, according to a report from the Telegraph. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The desecrated altar lies directly above the tomb of St. Peter, the churchs very first pope, and is where the acting pontiff traditionally performs mass. Buzz: Amy Robach, T.J. Holmes Just Made A Huge Announcement About Their Future After the incident, Pope Leo urgently ordered priests to perform purification rites to restore the holiness of the place and ask forgiveness from God. The ritual required the altar to be blessed with holy water while prayers were recited and required the basilica to be temporarily closed to the public on Monday, per The Telegraphs report. Related... Read the original on HuffPost CHICAGO An investigation is underway on Wednesday after an overnight shooting on the citys South Side left one person dead. Chicago police say the deadly shooting unfolded just after 11:30 p.m. in the 100 block of West 44th Street in Grand Boulevard. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland Authorities were first called to the scene on a report of a person shot in the area and when they arrived, they found a 28-year-old man outside on the ground with a gunshot wound to his head. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim was later taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Authorities have not yet identified the victim killed and it is unclear what led up to the shooting. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact CPD Area One detectives at 312-747-8380 or dial 911. Those with information that could help detectives in their investigation can also leave a tip at CPDtip.com. Tips can be filed anonymously. 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 WGN-TV. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) An Oklahoma man has been arrested for allegedly posing as an attorney to gain access to his girlfriend, who is locked up at the Oklahoma County Detention Center. According to a probable cause affidavit, Aaron Oldham went to the attorneys visitation area of the Oklahoma County Detention Center on October 13, saying he was an attorney and asking to see Christine Hillier. Hillier is being held at the jail on a warrant out of Nevada. Christine Hillier, Image courtesy Oklahoma County Detention Center Aaron Oldham. Image: Oklahoma County Detention Center. Oklahoma City teacher arrested, accused of abusing autistic student Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the court documents, Oldham referred to Hillier as his client. Once inside an attorneys visitation booth, the pair filled out power of attorney paperwork and then began kissing and hugging. Investigators say Oldham has not received any legal training and has never held a license to practice law. When Oldham was arrested, he told deputies he believed that he had attorney-client privilege with Hillier because she is his girlfriend. 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 KFOR.com Oklahoma City. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A man who led officers on a multi-state chase resulting in a fatal crash has been sentenced to 40 years, according to the DeSoto County District Attorneys Office. Matthew Nemacheck was sentenced to 40 years in the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with 25 years to serve in prison after his conviction for Felony Fleeing Resulting in Death as a violent offender. Matthew Nemacheck Courtesy of DeSoto County District Attorneys Office Courtesy of DeSoto County District Attorneys Office The DeSoto County District Attorneys Office said Nemachecks conviction comes from a violent, multi-state pursuit where he led officers across three states and four jurisdictions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The D.A.s office said that the chase continued after officers employed tactical intervention measures to stop Nemachecks vehicle. They said his actions claimed the life of Malil Alilovic. Alilovics family attorney said, The loss of life of a young husband and father speaks for itself. The family is devastated and remains that way. The sentence delivered today reflects the gravity of Mr. Nemachecks choices and the devastation he caused, said District Attorney Barton. Those who turn their vehicles into deadly weapons will face the full weight of Mississippi law. Our office remains committed to holding such offenders accountable and to standing with the families who have suffered unimaginable loss. 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 WREG.com. WALKER, Mich. (WOOD) A man will spend at least a decade behind bars after his passenger was killed in a drunken driving crash in 2024. 1 thrown from vehicle, killed in Walker crash Justin Wayne Armstrong was sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison on Wednesday. He received credit for 223 days served. A booking photo of Justin Armstrong from the Kent County jail. He previously pleaded guilty to operating while intoxicated causing death. Under the terms of a plea agreement, a second-degree murder charge was dismissed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The crash happened on Dec. 28, 2024, on Maynard Avenue near Butterworth Drive SW. The victim, Arika Werner, was riding in the passenger seat with Armstrong. Court documents say that Armstrong was going more than 100 mph when he crashed into a tree and Werner was thrown from the car and died. Authorities said that Armstrong had THC in his system at the time of his crash. According to the toxicology report, he was legally drunk, with a blood alcohol content level of .124. Michigans legal limit is .08. 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 WOODTV.com. HARTFORD - A 28-year-old man is facing a DUI and other charges after he was involved in a Main Street crash early Wednesday, city police said. Hartford police Lt. Aaron Boisvert said Seeram Persaud suffered minor injuries after he struck two parked cars and a building in the 900 block. He did not provide Persaud's town of residence. Officers responded to the scene of the crash at around 2:12 a.m., Boisvert said, and there were no other reported injuries in the crash. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boisvert said Persaud was charged with evading responsibility, reckless driving, operating under the influence, traveling to fast for conditions, failure to drive in proper lane and interfering with an officer. Boisvert did not say how long after the crash Persuad was arrested, or provide where he was found. This article originally published at Man hit 2 parked cars and a building in crash on Main Street in Hartford, police say. By Arasu Kannagi Basil (Reuters) -Morgan Stanley's profit beat estimates in the third quarter as a surge in dealmaking drove revenue to records, and the company's finance chief said its investment banking pipeline is at "all-time highs." "It is certainly possible that next year we could break 2021 deal volume records," Chief Financial Officer Sharon Yeshaya told Reuters in a phone interview on Wednesday. The IPO pipeline, in particular, shows a lot of activity coming from financial sponsors, she added. Morgan Stanley's third-quarter profit beat market expectations with record revenue, led by a 44% rise in investment banking revenue and sharp growth in equities trading. The wealth management business reached $8.9 trillion in assets under management, closer to the long-standing goal of $10 trillion, and reached a pre-tax margin of 30.3%. A string of large deals pushed global mergers and acquisitions activity past the $3 trillion mark this year. A resilient U.S. economy, optimism around interest-rate cuts and lighter regulations under the Trump administration have spurred businesses to do deals or tap capital markets. "We had very strong results in the investment banking, and we're number one again in the equities business, an area we have been investing." Yeshaya added the bank is seeing better macroeconomic conditions. "We have higher expectations now for GDP than when we were sitting at the end of the second quarter," the CFO said, adding companies are seeing lower debt costs. Markets are hovering near record highs and the U.S. Federal Reserve resumed its rate-cutting cycle in September. SHARES SOAR Morgan Stanley shares rose 4.1% in premarket trading on Wednesday. They have gained 23.6% this year as of the last closing price. "This is a great quarter for MS with beats across the board, and we expect the reaction to be supportive," Keith Horowitz, an analyst at Citigroup, wrote in a note. "A strong wealth management business can support ongoing activity in the investment banking channel," said Christopher Marinac, director of research at Janney Montgomery Scott, citing Morgan Stanley's high margins in wealth management. The bank's profit surged to $4.6 billion, or $2.80 per share, for the three months ended September 30, beating expectations of $2.10 per share, according to estimates compiled by LSEG. Total quarterly revenue was a record $18.2 billion, surpassing expectations of $16.7 billion. DEALMAKING BOOST Morgan Stanley's investment banking revenue jumped 44% to $2.11 billion from a year ago. The bank landed key roles in major deals, including advising freight rail giant Union Pacific on its $85 billion acquisition of smaller rival Norfolk Southern - the largest transaction announced globally this year. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A man is injured after being shot in the back in Frayser at an apartment complex early Wednesday morning, according to Memphis Police. Officers say they responded to the shooting call in the 3700 block of Pershing Park around 4:20 a.m. It started when a male victim was involved in an argument with his girlfriend that escalated when she broke his phone, police say. The man told police as he began to walk away, his girlfriend fired a shot, striking him in the back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was then taken to the hospital in non-critical condition. Police say the girlfriend got away, but they are currently looking for her. According to MPD, the woman was last seen wearing a cheetah-printed scarf, orange hair, and black ripped jeans. See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South. Sign up for WREG newsletters and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox. This story will be updated as more details become available. If you have any information that could help police, call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH. 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 WREG.com. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) An East Side man who pleaded guilty Wednesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to firing several shots at his girlfriend during an argument was sentenced to at least three years in prison. Alonzo Clark, 30, received the sentence from visiting Judge W. Wyatt McKay after pleading guilty to charges of felonious assault, a second-degree felony, and domestic violence, a first-degree misdemeanor. Judge McKay sentenced Clark to two to three years in prison on the felonious assault and domestic violence charges as well as a one-year firearm specification. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clark was accused of firing several shots at his girlfriend, who was driving away from their home on Lansdowne Boulevard following an argument on April 20. Neither she nor anyone else was hit by the gunfire. Assistant Prosecutor Steve Maszczak asked for a sentence of at least five years, saying that Clark is lucky he did not hit anyone with the bullets he fired. The seriousness of this event warrants a significant sentence, Maszczak said. Defense attorney Lou DeFabio asked for a sentence of at least three years. He said Clark has never been in trouble and the incident was out of character for him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim in the case also told the judge she did not want to see Clark receive the sentence Maszczak was asking for, saying Clark made a mistake. He doesnt need to be put away for a long time, she said. Clark apologized and said he is very thankful no one was hurt. I know what I did was terribly wrong, Clark said. I wish I could take it back. Judge McKay said he decided on the lower sentence because of Clarks lack of a criminal record and because his remorse appears to be genuine. 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 WKBN.com. One of the men accused of abducting Ontarios self-proclaimed Crypto King, Aiden Pleterski, has pleaded guilty to multiple charges over the violent 2022 kidnapping that stunned Canadas crypto scene. Key Takeaways: Deren Akyeam-Pong pleaded guilty to nine charges in the 2022 kidnapping of Ontarios Crypto King. His guilty plea delayed the separate trials of two other accused men, former investor Akil Heywood and Alfredo Paladino. Pleterski, who allegedly misused over $16 million in investor funds, now faces fraud and money laundering charges set for trial in 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deren Akyeam-Pong, 26, admitted guilt to nine charges, including kidnapping, assault, and several firearms offenses, during a hearing in Ontario Superior Court in Toronto, according to a report by CBC. The details of his plea remain under a temporary publication ban, but his admission marks the first conviction in a case that has become a cautionary tale about the darker side of crypto wealth and investor disputes. Guilty Plea Delays Trial of Two Remaining Suspects in Crypto King Kidnapping Case The guilty plea prompted an adjournment in the separate trial of two other accused men, Akil Heywood and Alfredo Paladino, whose cases are still pending. Justice Gillian Roberts granted the delay at the request of defense lawyers, and a new trial date has yet to be announced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heywood, 41, is a former investor in Pleterskis ventures, who reportedly lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. He faces three counts of kidnapping and two counts of extortion but maintains his innocence. Paladino will be tried alongside him on charges of kidnapping, extortion, assault, and firearms violations. The events leading up to the abduction trace back to Pleterskis high-profile bankruptcy in 2022. Once flaunting a lavish lifestyle funded by investor money, private jets, luxury cars, and international vacations, Pleterski, now 26, allegedly misused more than $16 million of investor funds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators have recovered only about $3 million of the over $40 million he raised through cryptocurrency and foreign exchange schemes. Heywood was initially appointed by investors to help recover the missing money before his own arrest in 2023. On the same day CBC reporters learned of his detention, a 12-minute video surfaced, showing a bruised and shaken Pleterski apologizing to investors and explaining where the money went. His lawyer later said the statement was made under duress. Pleterskis legal troubles are far from over. In May 2024, he was arrested and charged with fraud and money laundering tied to the same investments that sparked the kidnapping plot. His trial is set for October 2025. Crypto-Related Physical Attacks Surge 169% in Six Months As reported, physical attacks targeting Bitcoin and crypto holders are rising at an alarming rate, according to new data tracked by CASA co-founder Jameson Lopp. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since late February, 35 new violent incidents have been reported globally, a 169% increase in just six and a half months. The uptick adds to an already troubling trend, as cryptocurrency markets continue their bullish run. In total, 48 attacks have occurred so far in 2025, marking a 33% increase over all of 2024. France alone has accounted for 14 of this years reported incidents. One of the most disturbing cases took place on September 6 in Cambridge, Canada, where a young man was abducted at gunpoint and forced to transfer funds into a cryptocurrency wallet. Read original story Man Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping and Torturing Ontarios Crypto King Aiden Pleterski by Amin Ayan at Cryptonews.com NEED TO KNOW A man is recovering after falling overboard from a ferry off the coast of Massachusetts during a nor'easter The victim reportedly spent more than 90 minutes treading water before he was hoisted into a rescue helicopter Fire officials said the man was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries A ferry passenger was rescued from the chilly waters off Massachusetts after going overboard during a Noreaster. The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. local time on Monday, Oct. 13, near Juniper Point in Woods Hole, according to a news release shared by Falmouth Fire and Rescue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Falmouths fire and police departments were alerted after a Steamship Authority Ferry crew spotted a person in the water and attempted assistance by deploying life rings, fire officials said. The Coast Guard said the man was traveling on a different Woods Hole ferry when he entered the water that same afternoon, according to CapeCod.com. A helicopter crew spotted the victim in the water around 4:25 p.m. while searching in the area of Nobska Lighthouse and successfully deployed a rescue swimmer to retrieve them, fire officials said. The Coast Guard said the man was treading water for more than 90 minutes before he was rescued, according to the Marthas Vineyard Times. Footage of the rescue from Falmouth police, which was later shared by fire officials, showed the moment the victim and rescue swimmer were hoisted up into the aircraft. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After being retrieved from the water, the victim was transported to Joint Base Cape Cod, where Emergency Medical Services were standing by, according to fire officials. The individual was later transported to Falmouth Hospital for evaluation and observation of what fire officials said were non-life-threatening injuries. This rescue exemplifies the critical importance of inter-agency coordination and the exceptional skills of our Coast Guard partners, fire officials said in the news release. We extend our gratitude to all public safety personnel involvedfrom the initial report to the final transportas well as the crew of the Steamship Ferry whose quick thinking and assistance may have played a vital role in this positive outcome, they added. 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. Investigators with the Falmouth Police Department (FPD) are looking into the circumstances under which "the victim entered the water, according to fire officials. The Coast Guard and Steamship Authority did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. Read the original article on People ST. LOUIS A man was sentenced Tuesday for a homicide in the Marine Villa neighborhood over two years ago. According to officials, 23-year-old Joshua Conley was sentenced to 17 years in prison for second-degree murder and armed criminal action. Conley was charged for shooting and killing 23-year-old Quentin Berry on Sept. 22, 2023, in the 2200 block of Keokuk St. Records say Conley was called by a woman to help her after an argument with someone. Surveillance footage showed an SUV with a missing bumper and grill along with tinted windows drive up, a man stepping out of the vehicle before running back after shots were fired. Officers found 9mm bullet shells at the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tim Ezell shares change in diagnosis during absence Two days later, police found the same vehicle and conducted a stop on Jefferson Avenue. They arrested Conley and located a 9mm pistol in his backpack. A judge accepted a plea agreement in Conleys case, agreeing to 14 years for the second-degree murder charge and three years for armed criminal action. 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 2. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) A man who pleaded guilty in federal court to threatening Wellsville police was sentenced Tuesday to a year in prison. Steven Wright, 46, received the sentence from U.S. Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan in the U.S. Northern District Court of Ohio after pleading guilty to one count of transmitting a threatening interstate communication. Wright also received credit for time served. He has been in federal detention since he was arrested shortly after his April 2 indictment by a grand jury. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wright was accused of sending a threat Feb. 18 to Wellsville police, saying he wanted to get in a shootout with them. A trial brief by the government said Wright was upset because of an April 2024 conviction for misdemeanor disorderly conduct stemming from an incident in 2022. The brief said Wellsville police were alerted to a Facebook post by Wright saying that if a warrant was issued for his arrest, he would get in a shootout with police. To avoid any innocent people being hurt, Wright said in his post he would drive down to the Wellsville police station and let them know he was turning himself in, then he would go through everything I said, and film it on Facebook Live, the governments brief said. Wright was originally arrested Feb. 20 on a warrant on state charges about a mile from the police station and two blocks from the home of the judge in his case, the governments brief said. He refused to get out of his car for 30 minutes but was eventually taken into custody without incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the back seat of his car, police found a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol, the governments brief said. Wright had also filed a civil rights suit against Wellsville police before he was charged. A sentencing memorandum by Wrights attorney said he has struggled with homelessness and mental health issues for the majority of his life but he did accept responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty. 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 WKBN.com. KANSAS CITY, Kan. A man who was convicted of killing a 6-year-old boy who was playing outside in Kansas City, Kansas, has been sentenced. On Wednesday, Lakevis Sloan was sentenced to more than 25 years in prison in connection to the May 2023 shooting where SirAntonio Brown was killed. See the latest headlines in Kansas City and across Kansas, Missouri In May of 2025, Sloan pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, aggravated assault and aggravated child endangerment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plea agreement also noted that both parties reserved the right to argue for a prison sentence ranging from 15 to 26 years. According to the plea, Sloan faces a potential sentence of more than 56 years in prison and fines totaling up to $700,000. Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android Sloan was on the run for more than two weeks after the shooting and was caught with a suspected accomplice who was 17 years old at the time of the shooting when they got off a bus in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Boys mother recalls last words son said to her The judge called the killing of 6-year-old SirAntonio Brown unacceptable. She also said no mother should have to bury their child. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Browns mom spoke in court. I love you. Have a good day at work was the last thing her 6-year-old son said to her, she recalled. She asked the judge to make the situation right. The defense asked for a 15-year sentence. A psychologist testified for the defense. He talked about Sloans difficult childhood and mental health disorders including anxiety, impulse control disorder, ADHD and substance abuse. During cross-examination, the psychologist testified that Sloan did know the difference between right and wrong. The state requested the maximum term on each count, running consecutively. Thats the sentence the judge went with. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors mentioned video evidence in their argument. The video shows the car Sloan was in on May 3, 2023. The car passed by the yard Brown was playing in, then circled back just before the deadly shooting. Sloan addressed the court, saying he was sorry and wished this had never happened. 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 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. An Atlanta man has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of molesting and sexually assaulting a 4-year-old girl in June 2023. Mario Edwin Adon-Barrios, 37, was found guilty of aggravated child molestation, child molestation, and sexual battery. He received a life sentence plus 10 years and is required to register as a sex offender for life. The assault happened on June 18, 2023, when the childs family reported to police that their daughter had been molested inside a home in Gwinnett County. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] During the trial, the jury was presented with a pre-recorded forensic interview in which the child described what Adon-Barrios did to her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to his prison sentence, Adon-Barrios will be deported after serving his time. The defendants depraved behavior is disturbing and deserving of the sentence he received, District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. Our prayers for healing, peace, and closure are with the victim and her family. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Methode Electronics has gained customers because its facilities are USMCA-compliant. The manufacturer is able to deliver in North America with more than 97% USMCA compliance. Newell Brands , the parent company of brands such as Rubbermaid and Sharpie, recently noted it has two USMCA-compliant plants in Mexico that arent exposed to tariffs. Visual Communications Co. , which operates a manufacturing facility in Tijuana, Mexico, says the USMCA strengthened its ability to serve customers from North America. While its too soon to know which companies will benefit most from the tariff exemption, some manufacturers are already touting early wins. The tariff exemption has limited the damage a little bit by removing tariff-related costs for companies already in compliance with USMCA, said Dan Cannistra, a partner at international law firm Crowell & Moring. And now with the trade deal up for review next summer, businesses are even more reluctant to pull the trigger and make changes until USMCA is more settled, said Cindy Allen, CEO of consulting firm Trade Force Multiplier. But the tariff situation has been too fluid to prompt major moves for manufacturers with global supply chains , according to trade consultants and attorneys. While companies have expressed some interest and started discussions about shifting manufacturing into Mexico, the USMCA hasnt spurred a resurgence of interest in U.S. manufacturing. Mexico and Canada are the U.S. largest trading partners, with the country importing $505.5 billion and $411.9 billion worth of goods from the countries in 2024, respectively. The tariff exemption has led many firms already manufacturing in and sourcing from the two nations to reevaluate their products to see what qualifies. Some have seen increased business or a competitive advantage due to their existing compliance with USMCA. Cross-border trade in North America has already gone through a series of changes, first with the scrapping of the North American Free Trade Agreement for USMCA in 2020 , then with 25% tariffs placed on imports from Canada and Mexico earlier this year. A tariff exemption was granted for USMCA-compliant goods, although levies on non-qualifying imports from Canada now face a 35% duty . As the United States solicits feedback on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement ahead of the deals review next year, manufacturers are mulling how they can minimize their exposure to tariffs. This story was originally published on Manufacturing Dive . To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Manufacturing Dive newsletter . Story Continues When tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico were lower, many businesses found it cheaper to pay the duties rather than incur the costs of record-keeping and compliance investigations. But thats changed, according to Allen, who was previously an executive director at U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Now, many large manufacturers are working to determine if their products qualify for USMCA compliance, allowing them to avoid tariffs. Stanley Black & Decker is one manufacturer trying to push for maximum USMCA compliance, said CFO Patrick Hallinan, speaking at Morgan Stanley's Laguna Conference in September. In 2018, the company built up capacity in Mexico. We probably overexpanded in Mexico, Hallinan said. Until this tariff regime, we're wondering, do we hold on to all that capacity or not? Now with the current tariffs, which currently include 55% duties on many of the manufacturers products from China, Stanley Black & Decker is moving China volumes into Mexico using the capacity it had already built. The company plans to reduce China production for the U.S. to less than 5% by the end of next year. There are no safe havens to move to now. So that's frozen everybody in place for the moment. Dan Cannistra Partner, Crowell & Moring. Allen sees many businesses exploring a similar process, in which they move manufacturing to existing facilities in Mexico. It's easier to add to a capacity that's already there than to start from scratch, Hallinan said. Its not an instantaneous shift to USMCA-compliance, though. You have to do some other things to the product content-wise to get it there, he said. The USMCA increased many rules of origin requirements compared to NAFTA. In automotive, the regional value content requirement increased to 75% from 62.5%. The newer trade deal also required 40% to 45% of a vehicles production value to be made by workers earning at least $16 per hour, and 70% of a vehicle manufacturers steel and aluminum purchase value to originate in North America neither of which were provisions in NAFTA. Some manufacturers have explored ways to tweak their products to ensure compliance, with many looking at how they can reduce their taxable footprint, according to Kimberly Reuter, chief advisor at CSG Consulting. Reuter advised manufacturers to take this time to really dive into all the costs associated with your product. The process helps identify which products are compliant under USMCA, or which ones could be with a small shift in sourcing. The process of altering a product takes time, though. In the automotive industry, for example, changing a part requires a qualification process of the supplier and the materials, which can take years, Cannistra said. Uncertain future Trade experts pointed to an overall reluctance among manufacturers to make big manufacturing shifts. Several manufacturers are making decisively fewer changes in supply chain today than they did during tariff changes under the first Trump administration, when companies moved to diversify outside of China, per Cannistra. There are no safe havens to move to now, Cannistra said. So that's frozen everybody in place for the moment. Even the U.S. isnt a safe haven because of the lack of available manufacturing capacity and the fluid trade environment, Cannistra added, noting that most plans for new or future manufacturing in the U.S. are on hold. In industries such as automotive, manufacturers may have to source raw materials from overseas, which would still be tariffed, making future investments in the U.S. very tricky, he said. Conversely, a new plant in Canada would offer more predictability in tariffs and steady costs on raw material imports, Cannistra said. Manufacturers have also set their sights on Mexico because of lower costs of labor, though the country isnt risk free. The volatility of the relationship between Mexico and the U.S. has made companies hesitant to invest there, Trade Force Multipliers Allen said. Requirements under the USMCA could shift next year, when the trade agreement goes through its review process. There are concerns the renewed agreement would reduce what can qualify, setting a higher bar for rules of origin requirements, according to Allen. If the last five or 10 years have taught us anything, it's going to change, Stanley Black & Deckers Hallinan said of USMCA. The manufacturers global supply chain and manufacturing, with capacities in multiple Asian nations, ensures it won't be only Mexico dependent, he added. Cannistras advice to manufacturers is to continue to diversify. Nobody knows where this is going to end, so you want as many options as possible. Recommended Reading A man was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison after he was convicted of a 2022 attack on a Phoenix police detective and taking part in four other shootings. In June 2022, the detective was investigating a car tied to a string of shootings earlier that summer. Aaron Ware, 25, and a co-defendant were in a car that drove up to the detectives unmarked vehicle parked near 43rd Avenue and Baseline Road, according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. The car drove down the street before returning with two masked men getting out and shooting the detective multiple times. The officer was hospitalized and survived after suffering multiple gunshot wounds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ware and co-defendant Ahmani Gordon, 25, were arrested about a mile from the scene. Forensic evidence linked the guns found during their arrest to the crime, according to police. Ware was also convicted of four other shootings that happened before the shooting of the detective. In total, he faced over a dozen charges ranging from aggravated assault to disorderly conduct. When someone puts our community and the people protecting it in danger, there has to be real consequences, County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a news release. Gordon was sentenced to 15 years in prison for aggravated assault. Ware faces more than 56 years in prison in addition to his life sentence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The prior shootings, of which Ware was convicted, happened on June 3, 7 and 11. Three people suffered gunshot wounds but survived. All others were uninjured. Executive Assistant Phoenix Police Chief Dennis Orender had asked the judge to impose a severe sentence, referencing the lasting harm faced by the detective and his police department. This was not an accident; this was an assault on the very foundation of public safety, Orender said in a statement. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man sentenced to life in prison after shooting Phoenix detective A man has pleaded guilty to the murder of Stephanie Hayes. She was pregnant when police found her dead after a house fire in 2020. The body of Stephanie Haynes, 34, was found after a fire in Austin on November 9, 2020, police said according to Haynes' sister, Lesley, the 34-year-old was 5 months pregnant. Her body was discovered inside a home in the 5000-block of West Gladys shortly before 3 a.m., police said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nearly two years after her death, Victor Terrell was charged with first-degree murder and arson. Lesley Haynes said that her sister lived a difficult life. She lived in shelters, managing mental health issues before moving from Seattle to Chicago. The woman, 34, was found inside the home in the 5000-block of West Gladys shortly before 3 a.m., police said in a statement. Haynes moved into the Austin home with her grandmother who died and then she lived in the home alone. At the time, police said they believed Haynes was dead before the fire. Terrell pleaded guilty to first degree murder in October 2025; he was sentenced to 28 years at the Illinois Department of Corrections. The video in the player above is from a previous report. READ ALSO | Man charged with murder, arson more than 2 years after pregnant woman found dead in Austin home EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. An Illinois man appeared in Madison County Circuit Court on Tuesday and was sentenced for torching his ex-wifes home. Larry D. Greer Jr., 30, pleaded guilty to setting the fire in the 100 block of Northmoor Place in East Alton on June 29. The home sustained substantial damage, according to prosecutors. While Greers ex-wife was not home at the time of the fire, the blaze claimed the life of a cat, Gracie. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tim Ezell shares change in diagnosis during absence Greer also pleaded guilty for choking a family or household member on Sept. 14, 2024, in Alton. Greer was sentenced to 10 years in state prison for residential arson, two years for aggravated animal cruelty, and five years for aggravated domestic battery. The sentences will be served concurrently. 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 2. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A man will spend 20 years in prison after a Washington County jury found him guilty of sexually abusing two children under 10 years of age. Felipe Mandujano-Cardona, 52, is guilty of five counts of first-degree sexual abuse, luring a minor, and two counts of invasion of privacy. On Oct. 1, a judge sentenced him to 240 months in prison and 10 years post-prison supervision. Hearing set that could extend pause on troop deployment in Portland Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mandujano-Cardona sexually abused the first victim for several years before the abuse was reported in 2015, prompting an investigation with the Hillsboro Police Department and Oregon Department of Human Services. The second victim told a mandatory reporter about their abuse, which also took place within the 2015 timeframe, according to the Washington County DAs Office. Officials said Mandujano-Cardona fled the area upon learning of the first investigation, though they secured a warrant for his arrest. The second case launched another investigation that led to his arrest. Mandujano-Cardona will also need to register as a sex offender. 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 KOIN.com. A man arrested during a traffic stop by Canton police is facing multiple drug and weapons charges. An officer arrested Angel Alexis Acevedo at around 12:15 p.m. on Saturday after the officer found drugs and a handgun in his car. Acevedo was driving a 2001 Toyota Camry with Florida plates and was seen speeding and making unsafe lane changes on Interstate 575. Once the officer stopped his car at an abandoned gas station, he admitted he was speeding and claimed he was traveling from Florida to Kentucky. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The officer smelled the strong odor of marijuana and saw a glass bong in the car. Acevedo admitted to smoking earlier and consented to a search of his car. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The search revealed two large glass Mason jars containing approximately 1 lb. of marijuana, THC wax, THC cartridges, a Glock switch, glass bongs, an electronic smoking device, scales with plastic baggies, a Glock clone firearm with a 33-round magazine and a second magazine with additional rounds. Acevedo was taken into custody and booked into the Cherokee Adult Detention Center. He faces multiple charges, including possession of a Schedule I drug, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, felony possession of marijuana, possession of drug-related objects, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] The man accused of starting a fire that eventually became the deadly blaze that devastated the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles earlier this year has been indicted by a federal grand jury, the Justice Department announced Wednesday. Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, was charged in a three-count indictment with one count of destruction of property by means of fire, one count of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and one count of timber set afire. He now faces up to 45 years in federal prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The indictment adds two additional charges. When he was arrested, authorities said the maximum punishment Rinderknecht faced was 20 years in prison. Department of Justice - PHOTO: Jonathan Rinderknecht is seen in a photo released by the Department of Justice. Man accused of 'maliciously' igniting fire that caused the deadly Palisades Fire: DOJ Rinderknecht, a former LA resident living in Florida, was arrested Oct. 7 -- several months after the Palisades Fire leveled neighborhoods in Los Angeles County and left 12 people dead. Federal prosecutors said Rinderknecht, who was working as an Uber driver at the time, ignited a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades on Jan. 1. Despite being suppressed by fire crews, the fire continued to smolder until it surfaced again nearly a week later amid high winds in the Los Angeles area, eventually becoming the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in LA's history, according to officials. Mario Tama/Getty Images - PHOTO: Homes that were destroyed in the Palisades Fire, Jan. 27, 2025, in Pacific Palisades, Calif. In a criminal complaint, authorities allege Rinderknecht caused the fire by lighting a combustible material, such as vegetation or paper, with an open flame, likely a lighter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities haven't described a motive, but during a news conference after Rinderknecht's arrest, acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli pointed to digital evidence included in the complaint of an image Rinderknecht allegedly generated in July 2024 using ChatGPT, showing in part "a burning forest and a crowd fleeing from it." Rinderknecht is due to appear for an arraignment in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles, which is expected in the coming weeks, federal prosecutors said. Police in Manhattan are searching for a man they say slapped two young children in the face near the High Line in Chelsea. A 2-year-old girl in a stroller and a 7-year-old boy were slapped just before 12:30 p.m. Wednesday on West 21st Street and 10th Avenue. An adult was pushing the toddler in the stroller when the man came up and slapped the two children. The man ran away in the direction of Hudson Yards. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was last seen a wearing black hooded sweatshirt with the words "Champion" on it with blue, black, and red colors. He was wearing black pants and black sneakers. The investigation is ongoing. ---------- * Get Eyewitness News Delivered * More Manhattan news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts * Follow us on YouTube Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. MANCHESTER - School officials are taking a closer look at the district's summer learning programs after another year of low attendance among younger students. The district's free program invited 519 "striving readers" to take part this year - 77 kindergartners, 143 first graders, 146 second graders and 153 third graders. However, only 176 students registered, including 22 kindergartners, 48 first graders, 57 second graders and 49 third graders, according to district data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Average daily attendance for those who enrolled was 72%, said Amy Radikas, deputy superintendent for the Manchester schools. She said she offered transportation to help families but stated that attendance rates have remained low over the years. The literacy program focuses on students who attend school regularly but remain below grade-level benchmarks. "If you've been chronically absent, we do not include you in this invitation," Radikas said. "You have not come to school on a regular basis, so now you're not going to take up a spot from a student who does." Despite the low turnout in the summer program, Radikas said students who participated showed measurable improvements. Between kindergarten and third grade, students demonstrated growth in CORE phonics scores after just four weeks - about 16 days - of instruction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the middle school level, 38 rising eighth graders attended summer programming, with an average daily attendance rate of about 70%. The district should begin thinking about whether the current format of summer programs is sustainable and consider alternative ways to provide literacy support, Radikas said. Low attendance among younger students has been a recurring issue, Board of Education member Robert Spada said. He called the participation numbers "very low" compared to what is needed and said the consequences can extend beyond academics. Reading struggles can have a cumulative effect, influencing student behavior, attendance and graduation rates, he said. Spada questioned whether the district should require participation for students significantly behind in reading and whether parents should play a stronger role in ensuring attendance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Superintendent Matthew Geary said that while summer programs benefit some students, the district may need to rethink whether they are the best solution for addressing literacy gaps. Manchester, similar to most districts, typically advances students to the next grade rather than retaining them, he said. "We just move students along because research tells you that doing third grade twice doesn't make you any better," he said. The district's long-term focus should be on improving classroom instruction during the regular school year to reduce the number of students who require extra reading support in the summer, Geary said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attendance is easier for older students, who can get to school on their own, he said. But it's often difficult for parents of younger children to transport them to summer programs. "The way forward is to drive down the number of kids who need it and target intervention during the school year," Geary said. "Hopefully, we get to a place where we can do a lot of this work during the school day. It's probably time to consider whether summer programming is still the best solution." The district also ran several high school programs. The CASA summer program, open to rising seniors, invited 108 students, with 85 attending. Students participated in two college visits and two weeks of academic sessions. The Summer Academy, open to all high school students, saw 202 enroll with more than 90% daily attendance. The program allows students to earn academic credits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In high school, students can get themselves there," Radikas said. "Younger students need someone to get them ready and bring them or put them on a bus." This article originally published at Manchester school officials reconsider summer literacy program for early grades after low attendance. By Tom Hals DOVER, Delaware (Reuters) -Elon Musk's lawyers will urge the Delaware Supreme Court on Wednesday to restore his $56 billion pay package from Tesla, as one of the biggest corporate legal battles enters its final stage nearly two years after a lower court judge rescinded the Tesla CEO's record compensation. The outcome could have substantial consequences for the state of Delaware, its widely used corporate law, and its Court of Chancery, a once-favored venue for business disputes that has recently been accused of hostility towards powerful entrepreneurs. The January 2024 Court of Chancery ruling striking down Musk's pay has become a rallying cry for Delaware critics. Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick ruled that the Tesla board lacked independence from Musk when it approved the pay package in 2018 and that shareholders lacked key information when they voted overwhelmingly in favor of it. As a result, she applied a demanding legal standard and found the pay unfair to investors. The defendants, current and former Tesla directors, denied wrongdoing and said McCormick misinterpreted the facts and the law. Musk is not expected to attend. COMPANIES SWITCH LEGAL HOMES After the Musk pay ruling, large companies, including Tesla, Dropbox, and the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, switched their legal homes to Texas or Nevada, where courts are friendlier toward directors. Delaware lawmakers responded to the corporate departures, a trend known as "Dexit," by overhauling its corporate law. If Musk loses the appeal, he will still reap tens of billions of dollars in stock from the electric vehicle company, which agreed in August to a replacement deal if his 2018 plan is not restored. The company said the replacement award was meant to retain and focus Musk, who said earlier this year he was forming a new U.S. political party, on transitioning Tesla to robotics and automated driving. Tesla is now incorporated in Texas, where it is far more difficult for a shareholder to challenge board decisions. Tesla's board last month proposed a $1 trillion compensation plan, highlighting confidence in Musk's ability to steer the company in a new direction, even as Tesla loses ground to Chinese rivals in key markets amid softening EV demand. The five justices on Delaware's high court will consider the appeal of the pay ruling as well as the $345 million legal fee that McCormick ordered Tesla to pay to the attorneys for Richard Tornetta, who held just nine Tesla shares when he sued to block the pay deal. The court typically takes months to rule. "No Kings" protests against President Trump and his administration are planned in 2,500 locations nationwide, including more than 80 in Florida, on Saturday, Oct. 18. "Were standing together against the abuses of power, cruelty, and corruption," nokings.org said on its website. The GOP have accused protesters of hating America. "On Oct. 18, we gather to remind President Trump and his enablers: America has No Kings!" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Organizers expect Oct. 18 will be the largest single day of protest in modern American history. What is No Kings protest on Oct. 18? "No kings is a peaceful national day of action and mass mobilization in response to the increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption of the Trump administration, which they have doubled down on since June," said nokings.org said on its website. The name "No Kings" comes from organizers' belief Trump is acting like a monarch rather than the leader of a democracy. No Kings protests could draw historic turnout in pushback against Trump "They are targeting immigrant families, profiling, arresting and detaining people without warrants; threatening to overtake elections; gutting health care, environmental protections, and education when families need them most; rigging maps to silence voters; ignoring mass shootings at our schools and in our communities; and driving up the cost of living while handling out massive giveaways to billionaire allies, as families struggle." GOP said Democrats using protests to prolong shutdown Two of President Donald Trumps Cabinet secretaries, along with some congressional Republicans, have accused Democrats of prolonging the government shutdown for the sake of the "No Kings" protests, saying Democrats want to show party activists they are pushing back on the Trump administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox Oct. 13 he expected millions of attendees will be "part of antifa, paid protesters." Trump issued a proclamation designating antifa as a domestic terrorist organization. Others have argued antifa is a "loosely organized, leaderless group of activists" blamed by Republicans for public displays of violence. See map of planned No Kings protests in Florida Go to nokings.org to see a the most recent list of registered events taking place in Florida Blue pins designate "private events" registered at nokings.org. Where can I find a 'No Kings' protest in Florida? According to the nokings.org website, Florida events are currently planned in: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What organizations are behind the No Kings protest? "Partners" hosting the No Kings protest listed on the website include: Indivisible Public Citizen MoveOn ACLU American Association of University Professors American Atheists Arab American Institute American Humanist Association Center for Common Ground Climate Defenders College Democrats of America Reproductive Freedom for All Planned Parenthood Pride at Work Human Rights Campaign Working Families Power See complete list of partners First no kings protest held in June In the last "No Kings" protest, held on June 14 to coincide with Trump's birthday and a military parade for the Army's 250th birthday, more than 2,100 protests were held, organizers said, with more than 5 million people participating. No Kings supposed to be be non-violent "A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action," the organization said on its website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events. What are Florida laws on protests? Gov. Ron DeSantis says that Floridians are ALLOWED to drive over protesters in the street, if they feel like their life is in danger.. LOVE this! pic.twitter.com/xUDVMfM5g4 American AF (@iAnonPatriot) June 12, 2025 Public protests are protected in the United States by the First Amendment and are legal in public areas providing you are not blocking car or pedestrian traffic or blocking access to government buildings. Florida restricts protests within 500 feet of a residence, cemetery, funeral home, house of worship, or other location when a funeral or burial has just occurred, will occur soon, or is occurring. In June, ahead of the last "No Kings" protests, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Floridians have the right to hit protesters with their car if they felt threatened, and state and local officials said "rioting" could bring jail time, or even death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Florida also comes down hard on anything perceived as rioting, with penalties against anyone involved in the protest where it occurred. And, as of this year, Florida has the HALO Law which requires everyone to move 25 feet away from a first responder, including law enforcement, if asked to. How to stay safe during protest The "No Kings" website tells participants not to bring any weapons, to follow local laws, and de-escalate any potential confrontation with law enforcement or anti-protesters. Know these Florida laws, safety tips before you go to a protest Experts at Physicians for Human Rights suggest bringing the following: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Backpack or string bag: You won't want anything bulky and you'll want your hands free. Face mask or bandanna, hat and sunglasses: Useful for helping to shield your eyes from pepper spray or tear gas, can also protect you from identification by law enforcement or online doxxing if that's a concern. Water: Stay hydrated. Bring as big a bottle as you can, with a squirt top in case you need to quickly wash off your skin or eyes. Glasses: Avoid wearing contact lenses, which can trap irritating chemicals. If you must wear contacts, wear shatter-resistant goggles with a tight seal. Avoid wearing makeup. Comfortable clothes, closed shoes: Pick neutral colors without obvious slogans or easily identifiable markings. Consider bringing a spare change of clothes in case what you're wearing gets sprayed. Identification, contact information: Make sure you can identify yourself (and your citizen status). Write your emergency contact info on your skin. If you have a lawyer, write that number, too. A few days of any vital medication: Ideally, they should be in a labeled prescription bottle. Cash: In case you need bail. Snacks: High energy, high protein munchies are preferred. Many organizations advise protesters to leave their phones at home to protect their privacy. See more of our coverage of planned protests in Florida More than 80 'No Kings' protests planned in Florida. Here's where, what to know 'No Kings' protests planned in Florida. Know these Florida laws, safety tips before you go Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Daytona 'No Kings' protest set for peak of Biketoberfest weekend. Will worlds collide? 'No Kings' anti-Trump protests are coming back. Where they'll be in Jacksonville Florida No Kings Day protests planned in Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Stuart Are there any 'No Kings' protests planned in the Florida Panhandle? Another anti-Trump administration 'No Kings' rally Oct. 18 on downtown Ocala square Where are 'No Kings' rallies against Trump in Lake or Sumter County? Here's what we know. Trump at Mar-a-Lago for MAGA fundraiser same weekend as No Kings protests. What day, time Contributing: USA TODAY This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: No Kings protests map in Florida. Where anti-Trump gatherings are Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is ripping into her own party, accusing Republican men of being weak, amid the ongoing government shutdown that appears to have no end in sight. Greene, a far-right Conservative, spoke to the Washington Post about her frustrations with her own party as the shutdown enters into a third week. Theres a lot of weak Republican men, and theyre more afraid of strong Republican women, Greene told the newspaper. They always try to marginalize the strong Republican women that actually want to do something and actually want to achieve. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The biggest contention between the parties comes down to health care subsidies. RELATED STORIES: President Donald Trump and Republican leaders have said they are open to negotiations on the health subsidies, but insist the government must reopen first. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats say they are trying to save health care for millions of Americans and wont budge unless an extension for those subsidies is included in the funding bill. Greene has publicly warned that health care insurance premiums would skyrocket for average Americans including her own adult children if nothing is done. Republicans have no interest zero interest in trying to address the health care crisis that they visited upon the American people, even though youve got Republicans now, most prominently Marjorie Taylor Greene, whos making clear this is not a made-up crisis. Its a real thing, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said during a recent interview. Were barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history, House Speaker Mike Johnson said earlier this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many news agencies have reported that Greene is siding with the Democrats, but she says shes just doing what she was elected to do: represent her constituents. My district knows I ran for Congress trashing Republicans, Greene told the Post. They voted for me because they agreed with that. My districts not surprised. Over the weekend, Johnson said he told Greene that there are many Republicans in Congress that have been working around the clock on this, and that they had hundreds of ideas to improve health care. NEW MARKET, Ala. (WHNT) Cheering filled the Buckhorn High School on Tuesday night, but it wasnt for a sporting event; it was New Market residents voicing their concerns over a proposed wastewater treatment facility. This wont only affect these people and their neighborhood; its gonna affect everybody downstream, a concerned resident said. Its something a lot of families dont talk about: Children and domestic violence Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, Integra Water applied to renew a permit to build a wastewater facility on Winchester Road. Nearly 45 residents signed up to express their concerns to ADEM, and Buckhorns cafeteria was standing room only. After being met with booing, Integra CEO John McDonald said the company wants to address New Markets growth. Our goal is simple: to meet the growing needs of the New Market and Madison County community with a facility that is safe, environmentally responsible, and virtually invisible in its impact, McDonald said. While residents agree that structures need to improve as a result of population growth, they do not agree with the proposed location for the facility. Some said their backyard is just 400 feet away from the proposed location. They say the facilitys proximity to Flint River is even more concerning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Man dies after Hilltop Terrace shooting, teens charge upgraded to murder The permit application details that Integra Water plans to dump liquid waste into the Flint River. The flows in the river are significantly lower than what we think theyre estimating for, Concerned Resident Cameron Craig said. And so theyre assuming you can put more waste into the river than you actually can. Some pointed to Integra Waters existing wastewater facility in Meridianville, saying samples from the Brier Fork test over ADEMs E. coli limits, even bringing a sample along to the hearing. This is a sample I collected just yesterday. It was disgusting. It smelled. But we wanted to bring you an example, The resident said. The Flint is a beautiful and clear river enjoyed by thousands each year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As mentioned, residents say the Flint River supplies the grounds for several recreational activities enjoyed by the community, from kayaking to fishing to even annual baptisms performed by local churches. They believe the pollution from the facility would ruin those activities, which led one resident to plead with Integras CEO to explore other options. To the owner of Integra, there are other types of facilities you can build that do not do surface water discharge, A New Market resident said. This is not our only option, and it feels like its the bargain, basement-level, cheapest option, and it will impact our entire community. ADEM said they will respond to all comments and concerns offered at Tuesdays hearing. The department does not have a timeline for when residents can hear a status update for the facility. 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 WHNT.com. Amelia* woke up in the darkness. Her ex-husband was standing by her bed, staring down at her. This was the man who had threatened to kill her. The man who had threatened to kill her child. The man who had held a butchers knife to her throat while she was pregnant with that child. He had broken into her house. Again. Javad*, an Afghan migrant known to the police, exploited Amelia to gain asylum in Britain, she claims. He befriended her, persuaded her to marry him. After their child was born, he used the baby to support his asylum application after repeated previous refusals before divorcing her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even then, the threats continued. He raped her after the divorce. I thought he could have just killed me in my sleep, Amelia says, her hands trembling as she relives that moment. I wouldnt have had the time to fight. In hindsight, its blatantly apparent to me that our relationship, marriage, and him wanting to have a child with me were all part of him doing whatever was necessary to remain in England. Amelia, who is British, is one of thousands of people to marry an Afghan migrant in the UK. As many as 6,000 such weddings have taken place since 2019, according to official migration statistics. Most are thought to be legitimate and happy. But in Amelias case, it was the start of years of pain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The BBCs File on Four documentary recently found that migrants staying in asylum seeker hotels were having babies in the hope it would become easier to remain in Britain as a result. While asylum seekers can still be deported after having British-born children, additional safeguards make forced removal more difficult. Amelia believes her ex-husbands intention from the start was to have a baby he could use to strengthen his asylum claim and avoid deportation from the UK. He was successful. She and Javad were married in 2017, and their child was born the following year. He was granted asylum last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was done so cunningly that I was oblivious at the time. But now the damage is done. Ive lost everything and will never live a normal life again, she says. My daughter has never had a normal, happy childhood. Our lives are thoroughly destroyed, and its merely collateral damage to him. Despite Amelia writing multiple letters to the Home Office saying that Javad had nothing to fear in Afghanistan, despite her warning that this man is eventually going to kill me and my child, officials granted him asylum. He has since travelled to Afghanistan twice, using his Afghan passport to cross the border from Iran, then returning to Britain via Iran on his British passport. This prevents the Home Office from knowing that he was in Afghanistan. Amelia reported this to the Home Office, with links to his social media posts showing him in Afghanistan, at his wedding to a new wife. There was no response. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is currently in Iran. But Amelia knows he is likely to return. A Home Office spokesman said: While we do not comment on individual cases, we take any abuse of the immigration system extremely seriously. Where there is evidence of wrongdoing, we will take firm action to challenge it and protect the integrity of our borders. Amelias diary, detailing her interactions with Javad. She believes her marriage was all in service of her ex-husbands asylum claim In Amelias case, their relationship began a process of exploitation that ruined her life. She met Javad through mutual friends in a quiet Kentish town. He had recently arrived in Britain, spoke no English, and wore the same Afghan clothes every time she saw him. I just felt sorry for him, she recalls. I wanted to help him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time, Amelia was thriving, working three jobs. She lived in a four-bedroom house. She began helping Javad with English classes, buying him clothes, assisting with his asylum application, and paying his solicitors. In the beginning, he was so sweet to me, she remembers. He would ride his bike in the rain to bring flowers to my door. Very romantic and sweet. But he would soon hold a knife to her throat while she was pregnant with his child. The transformation was gradual, insidious. First came the control. He demanded the passwords to her phone, email, Facebook everything. He forbade her from speaking to any men unless they were family members. He would call her at work constantly, circling her sisters house on his bicycle to verify her location and showing up at her workplace unexpectedly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I couldnt go anywhere unless I was on a telephone call with him or a video call with him, Amelia says. One day, he made me scan the room with video to prove I wasnt with somebody else. What have I done to turn him into this person? She mentioned the name of one of his friends in a casual conversation. His open-handed slap was so hard that it left her with a black eye and a ringing in her ear that lasted an hour. She thought hed burst her eardrum. It was winter, and she wore sunglasses to hide the bruising. I honestly thought that he was the person he was in the beginning, and as he became more abusive, I kept thinking to myself, what have I done to turn him into this person? she says, tears streaming down her face. Her mother, who witnessed years of her daughters suffering, says: Abuse is a process that disempowers the victim while empowering the perpetrator. By the time the first blow happens, the stage is already set. She wasnt asking what he did wrong she was asking what she did wrong. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When social services asked Amelias child to draw a picture of what frightened them, they were presented with two crude sketches; one a spider, the other a stick figure standing outside a small house. Amelia says Javad was stalking the family at the time, and this was a childs depiction of that harassment. The picture Amelias child drew for social services showing scary things, including Javad outside the family home In public, Javad was polite, kind, and helpful. People who knew him described him as the most polite man they had ever met. Behind closed doors, he called Amelia a whore, a b---- and a slut daily. He would phone from work, sweet and caring when his boss was present. Hours later, he would call her a piece of s--- for no reason. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He would see a girl crying on the street and do anything for her, Amelia says. But I would go to sleep crying beside him when we were married, and he would turn his back to me. Throughout their relationship, Javad worked illegally first in a butchers shop, then in an Indian restaurant, earning money under the table. Over the past few years, he has been working illegally at a well-known chain of convenience stores and sending the money back home. He contributed nothing toward bills, food or even his own clothes. Instead, he sent his earnings to Afghanistan, where his family built a large house with the money. Everything he was wearing when we divorced, I had bought for him, Amelia says. His socks, his underwear, his belt. Everything. He literally killed my baby When Amelia was about a month pregnant with their first child, Javad picked a fight outside her mothers house. When she saw his face change teeth grinding in that way shed learned to recognise it as a precursor to violence she ran to her car. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He tackled her to the ground and beat her. He pulled her into the drivers seat and continued pounding her, biting her, hitting every part of her body he could reach. The next morning, she was bleeding. She had a miscarriage. He literally killed my baby, she says, the tears coming down again. She did not call the police because she was too afraid of him and his retaliation. However, there are photographs of the bite marks, the bruises on her knee where hed thrown her down, marks on her back. She did report it later on. In my mind, I thought if hed be arrested overnight and be released on bail and come back and get me, she says. There were times that I tried to call the police when he was beating me, but hed take the phone out of my hand and smash it on the ground. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Amelia became pregnant again, Javad begged her to keep the baby, promising he would never leave and would always take care of his child. But during the pregnancy, his abuse intensified. He tried to force her into threesomes, telling her to find girls online to bring home. I thought I was going to die One morning, after hed been particularly cruel, she went to his workplace at the butchers shop to talk in a public place, hoping to avoid a beating at home. He jumped over the meat counter, slammed down the shutters, grabbed a massive knife and held it to her throat. She was pregnant with his daughter. I thought I was going to die, she says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She reported it to police immediately. They arrested him. They photographed a mark on her neck. But then guilt consumed her if he was charged, he might be deported to Afghanistan. So she retracted her statement. This was the first time Amelia ever had the courage to go to the police. She never retracted another statement. After their daughter was born, Javads asylum application was rejected again. Suddenly, he needed the family visa hed previously refused because he didnt want people to think he was using Amelia. When the baby was a few months old, he divorced Amelia. There was no possibility of reconciliation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He had his British child. He didnt need his wife any more. Amelias diary entries from around this time record Javad asking for his daughters birth certificate to use in his asylum application. Amelias diary records Javads efforts to get their childs birth certificate for his asylum application. She suspects that he doesnt know his daughters date of birth But he never stopped controlling Amelia, stalking her relentlessly. She has phone logs showing that he called half a dozen times within a single minute when she didnt answer. He broke into her house repeatedly. He hid in the boot of her car. He circled her locations constantly. When she moved house to escape him, she didnt tell anyone her new address, except police and her immediate family. She told police explicitly not to share her address with anyone. But the police emailed her new address in a request of information application to the family court. The court not knowing she changed her address forwarded it to Javad. The officers involved were later educated. Since that day, one year ago, Amelia has had 18 mistaken food deliveries to her house, many from men she recognises as Javads friends. Men on delivery motorcycles stop outside and scope out her property, looking at her cameras, peering into her car. She has it all on video. I cry three or four times a day When the baby was nearly two years old, Javad called with a request: his brothers family wanted to know if the baby would marry their son. Shes a baby, Amelia told him, horrified. And its illegal. He called again. And again. In a recorded phone call, heard by The Telegraph, she asked him what he said when his family asked if the baby could marry their son. His response: I didnt say anything. In Pashtun culture, silence is consent. Not saying no is saying yes. The family court found this allegation not proven. But allegations were proved of physical assault with a weapon, holding Amelia and the baby against their will and raping her in the childs presence, threatening to burn down her house with her child in it, stalking, and dangerous driving while threatening to kill us all with the baby in the car. Yet he has not yet been charged with any crime. He was arrested for blackmail after threatening to post an alleged explicit video of Amelia online. His explanation: I just wanted to know if she was cheating on me. No charges were brought. Meanwhile, she waits. Five years after first reporting him to police, shes still waiting to hear if he will be charged with anything. Amelia has lost everything her career, her friendships, her freedom, her health. I cry three or four times a day just remembering the things Ive been through, she says. Even now, I have nightmares every single night that hes breaking into my house. Her daughter asked for a bicycle. Amelia had to say no she cant walk down the street with her. She fears it is not safe to go outside because there are so many Afghans in town who know Javad. Amelia began to keep note of her interactions with her abuser, including a record of Javads many calls She has been diagnosed with severe, complex PTSD. What hes done to me is worse than killing me. My life is utterly destroyed, she says. I cant have a relationship. I cant work. I havent walked down a street in years. I live like a complete fugitive. He works. He socialises. He went on holiday to Afghanistan to get married, posted photos on social media of his new life, his new wife, and his freedom. Yet he was granted asylum based on needing protection, and now travels freely to the country he supposedly fled. If Afghanistan is so dangerous that these men have to come here to save their lives, why are they leaving their wives and children there? asks Amelia. Why would you leave your most vulnerable people in the hands of somebody whos that dangerous? He feels safe enough to leave his child there. He feels safe enough to go there to get married. Why didnt he marry a woman here? Why would he put himself in a situation where he has to keep travelling back to a place thats supposedly so dangerous? Her voice breaking completely, she says: If they say Crown Prosecution Service arent going to charge him, thats it. Theres no more recourse to justice. I genuinely dont know how I could continue if Im told that he will have no consequences for what hes done. Im on my last hope now She pulls a chest of drawers across her bedroom door at night. When she walks into any room, she automatically looks behind doors and furniture, conditioned by years of finding him hiding in her house. Every minute detail of my life is affected by this, she says. I have doors that squeak when theyre opened, and I wont put oil on them because I think to myself that squeaking door could save my life. Back in Afghanistan, the country from which Javad supposedly fled, his family lives in the mansion built with the money he earned from working illegally in Britain. Detective Inspector Anthony Welch said: In 2022, Kent Police received multiple reports from a woman relating to domestic abuse and sexual offences over several years by a man who was known to her. The suspect was interviewed under caution and detectives are working to present a case to the Crown Prosecution Service. The victim is regularly updated on the progress of the investigation and is being supported by specialist officers. And Amelia remains, trapped in her home, trapped in her fear, waiting to learn if the justice system will finally protect her or if it will fail her one last, devastating time. Im on my last hope now, she says. This is it. *Names have been changed to protect identities Email Akhtar at Akhtar.Makoii@Telegraph.co.uk if you know of a similar case 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. Why did Jihad al-Shamie decide to murder Jews in a terror attack on a Manchester synagogue? One answer is that he hated Jews and a broader context of anti-Semitism gave him the excuse to act on that hatred. That answer still holds, but now that we know more about al-Shamie and his double life as a serial philanderer another suggests itself: that he was living in shame and wanted to redeem himself in an act of murderous martyrdom. This, too, has a broader context, which is the malignant martyrdom ideology promulgated by Isis, to whom al-Shamie professed his allegiance in a 999 call immediately after his attack. To understand the appeal of martyrdom ideology its necessary to see how things look through its hallucinatory lens. Imagine, if you will, that youre an unemployed loser in severe debt; that youre in an unhappy marriage with a woman who nags you because youre constantly on your phone scrolling between Gaza atrocity news and dating apps; and that one of the many women youre carrying on with has just accused you of rape, which brings great shame on your father, who is a highly esteemed trauma surgeon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now imagine that a voice whispers to you in the middle of the night: O loser, what a disgrace you are: you live like a filthy kaffir and belong in hell. But its not too late for you. Theres a way out. You can perform an act of martyrdom in defence of your faith: an operation against the Zionists! If you do this, your pathetic life here on earth will be over. But you will live on in the afterlife! The above scenario, minus the dream sequence, is drawn from what little we do know about al-Shamie. In a recent interview with The Guardian, one of his wives he had three confided that he was living a lie with his religion. Another wife relayed that he had led a double life and initially kept her in the dark about his other wives. She said they met on the Muslim dating app Muzmatch (now called Muzz), where he often used the name Jay. Isis fighters in Raqqa, Syria, in 2014 when the terror group declared a caliphate - AP Jihadi martyrdom ideology is simple and derives its seductive allure, especially to wayward losers like al-Shamie, from being so. It says that you can take your pitiable, underachieving life and turn it around in an instant to become someone worthy of the utmost veneration. It says that you will live forever in the afterlife where you can drink endless amounts of wine without ever getting a hangover and sleep with scores of virgins. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But there is a price: you will need to sacrifice your life in the here-and-now. This roughly translates as: you will need to cobble together a fake suicide vest, using bits of gaffer tape and your Xbox, and kill random Jews or unbelievers. If this all sounds ridiculous, it is because it patently is. But quite a few people believe this nonsense and have acted on it. Tens of thousands of Muslims from Western countries went to join Isis in Syria and Iraq between 2013 and 2016, and they did so because they wanted to die in defence of the caliphate. As the jihadis themselves put it: We love death more than you [the infidels] love life. One of the most grotesque expressions of this sentiment I have ever come across is from a piece of personal testimony in Isiss now defunct glossy propaganda magazine, Dabiq. Penned by a woman from Finland, under the nom de guerre Umm Khalid al-Finlandiyyah, she relays that life in the Islamic State is such a blessing and that after four months in the caliphate, her infant son was martyred. She wonders what sort of life he would have had back in Finland, adding that, thank God, he was saved from all that. Indeed, she asks: What could be better than him being killed for the cause of Allah? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is still much we dont know about al-Shamie and the lies and failures that seem to have crowded in on him. But we do know with some certainty that he wanted to die and that the group he professed allegiance to would have given him had a ready-made ideological justification for violently ending his life. It is fitting that Jihad al-Shamies name calls to mind both struggle and shame. Of all the emotions he felt in his last days, he may have struggled with shame the most. 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. In 2018, with thousands of Detroit households facing water shutoffs or tax foreclosures, a then-31-year-old Councilmember Mary Sheffield stood before city hall to unveil the "Peoples Bills," a sweeping package of housing affordability and other proposals designed to protect the citys most vulnerable residents. The headline-grabbing plans were among the boldest from a Detroit city council member in recent memory, according to several political watchers. But they drew swift resistance from Mayor Mike Duggans more fiscally conservative regime. With a council majority then in Duggan's corner, the proposals would yield mixed results, ending in a blend of wins, losses and political compromise. It was an apt encapsulation of Sheffield's 12 years as a policymaker on council, where she often aimed high and got some of what she wanted, but was forced to scale back her more ambitious populist visions amid pressure from the mayors office. Now, as the frontrunner for the citys top job in a race against Rev. Solomon Kinloch of Triumph Church, she says that, if she wins, she may revive some of the proposals that previously stalled. Newly appointed Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield talks with Detroit Free Press at the Coleman A. Young Building in downtown Detroit on Wednesday, January 12, 2022. Political observers say Sheffields achievements are notable for a council member who was more progressive and radical in her ideas in a city with a strong-mayor form of government and law department that serves both the mayor and the council. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Councilmember Raquel Castaneda-Lopez, who served with Sheffield for her first two terms, said Sheffield struck a balance between policy ambition and coalition-building, both on council and in the community. "She was better and more successful at collaborating than I was," said Castaneda-Lopez, who has not endorsed a candidate for mayor. "All of us have made promises we couldnt fulfill. But sometimes when legislation doesnt happen, youre able to make change in other ways." Solomon Kinloch, Jr. speaks to a crowd on stage at the Fox Theatre in Detroit on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, while announcing he will be running for the Detroit mayoral position. Sheffield's opponent has taken a harsher view of her council tenure, accusing Sheffield of "12 years of failed leadership" and "delivering headlines without delivering progress." The pastor has said he is better equipped to tackle poverty than Sheffield. He has never elected office and does not have a comparable record to scrutinize. But councilmembers and grassroots advocates who spoke with the Free Press said Sheffield consistently followed through when possible, and helped elevate visibility around issues she couldnt legislate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "She is a person that if she puts something out there she believes in it and I think is willing to die on that sword getting it across the finish line, said Councilmember Fred Durhal, who ran against Sheffield for mayor in the primary and has since endorsed her. Detroit Council President Pro Tem Mary Sheffield speaks during a rally on Monday, June 1, 2020 at the Detroit Association of Black Organizations in Detroit. Speakers ranged from iconic Detroiters, activists and community leaders that spoke on calls for justice and to direct the pain and protest towards progress and away from destruction. Sheffields achievements include key ordinances to increase housing stability and improve working conditions for those employed by city contractors or certain industries. She also has notched wins with ordinances that required compromise, like a 50% parking ticket rate reduction for Detroiters who pay early. But Sheffield never introduced promised ordinances to increase Detroit hiring on publicly funded construction projects and tie water rates to household incomes which she once called her "most crucial" initiative. She also has thus far come up empty handed in her quest to reimburse property owners who were overtaxed by the city. In response to Free Press questions, the now-council president said she has spearheaded approximately two dozen successful ordinances, resolutions and budget appropriations. Of proposals she could not get off the ground, Sheffield blamed legal obstacles raised by Duggan's administration, but said they still helped increase awareness of the socioeconomic issues affecting Detroiters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "When I came to council, these were issues that people didn't want to talk about," she said. "I'm very proud we passed a majority of them. And on those we didn't, we pushed the conversation." Wins Sheffield took office in 2014 as the youngest-ever Detroit councilmember, and in her second term unfurled a grassroots and union activist-guided agenda that put her at odds with budget-conscious and development-friendly Duggan, who was then supported by a council majority. Things shifted in Sheffields third term, when a number of newcomers joined the council and voted her president, and an infusion of federal pandemic relief funds made a broad range of initiatives possible. Duggan has since endorsed Sheffield for mayor. Sheffield has led the passage of two key ordinances to address the drivers of tax foreclosure, including a 2023 measure targeting inflated property assessments and a 2018 measure easing barriers to a property tax exemption for the poor that has helped more than double the number of tax-exempt households in the city. In 2022, she spearheaded an ordinance to provide free legal representation to Detroiters facing eviction after reporting found 1 in 5 Detroit renters face eviction each year, often by landlords who themselves operate illegally. The Right to Counsel program has since boosted the percentage of those with lawyers from 4% before the pandemic to up to 70% this year, a nonprofit involved said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sheffield also led the creation of a 2023 "responsible contracting" ordinance that gives preference to prospective city contractors who offer employee benefits and meet other criteria, and a 2021 "industry standards boards" ordinance aimed to improve conditions for workers employed in certain industries, like the citys stadiums or arenas. In 2021, she won an ordinance increasing transparency around surveillance technologies, after at least two men sued the city alleging they were wrongfully arrested by Detroit police using facial recognition software. Political push-pull Other proposals fell short of goals, typically through compromise with the administration. In 2017, Sheffield sought to require developers receiving city incentives to designate a portion of rental units as affordable for households earning as little as 50% of the regions median income. The Duggan administration, however, won an amendment raising that threshold to 80% or $56,600 for an individual far above what the average Detroiter earns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sheffield sought to counteract the ordinances limitations by attaching an affordable housing trust fund for those living at as little as 30% area median income. She has since grown the fund to $15 million by capturing 40% of city commercial land sales. If elected mayor, she says she would raise the percentage collected to at least 90% and revisit the requirements on developers. Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield speaks during a press conference about the launch of Round 2 of Detroit's Down Payment Assistance Program at Three Mile-Munich Park in Detroit's Morningside neighborhood on Thursday, June 27, 2024. The program provides up to $25,000 in down payment assistance for low-to-moderate income residents who currently pay as much in rent as they would on a mortgage. Her effort to repay city property owners after a 2020 news report found they were overtaxed by a collective $600 million also has involved some political jockeying. The Duggan administration has interpreted state law to mean they cant be repaid. Sheffield, in 2022, requested a separate legal opinion from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on the issue. She was rebuffed, and now says shell push to change the law in Lansing if elected mayor. As an alternative to repayment, Sheffield in 2022 led the creation of a package of city programmatic and discount offerings for those who were overtaxed, like half-off Detroit Land Bank Authority homes and first dibs on affordable housing. More: Detroit's finances on track for next mayor, but questions loom about remaining challenges Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plan represented another political tug of war: Duggan, two years earlier, had proposed a $6 million package that would have applied to those overtaxed from 2010-2013, but Sheffield rejected it, calling its price tag and eligibility years inadequate. The plan Sheffield ultimately helped pass was funded at the same dollar amount, but with eligibility expanded through 2016. (Residents have until the end of the year to apply for the offerings; as of this summer, approximately 700 residents had already done so or were in the process.) Meanwhile, at least one high-profile Sheffield effort has been stymied without the Duggan factor. A task force Sheffield helped establish to recommend reparations for Detroiters harmed by historic racism is now a year behind schedule after problems involving one of her appointees who helped create the group. Proposals left behind While Sheffield's movements on housing and other issues made headlines, two Peoples Bills were never introduced. More: Free Press endorses Mary Sheffield for Detroit mayor in Nov. 4 election | Editorial Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A marquee plan to tie water rates to household income was dropped after Mayor Duggan said it would violate state law. Sheffield later said she developed a workaround treating discounted rates as bad debt but was ultimately forced to abandon that too, blaming the same legal concerns. She said the fight then moved to Lansing, where she has supported a state bill she says closely mirrors her original proposal. Duggan, meanwhile, launched the Lifeline water assistance program in 2022, calling it the citys first income-based water affordability program. The program, however, relied on pandemic relief funds that have since run out. Sheffield says she continues to push for state funding to sustain it. Sheffield also never introduced an ordinance to expand a Duggan executive order requiring publicly funded construction projects to give a majority of work hours to Detroiters. Her 2018 proposal would have lowered the investment threshold for the requirement to kick in from $3 million to $500,000, but, she said, was ultimately blocked by a legal interpretation that City Council can't set contracting terms. Still, Sheffield credited herself with pushing the administration to ensure the hiring mandate applied to demolition projects. If elected mayor, she said she would only revive the majority-Detroit hiring proposal once she can ensure contractors actually comply. According to a recent Bridge Detroit report, none of the 35 tracked projects currently do. Advocates split; politicos say she excelled Advocates are divided on Sheffields record. Some credit her with keeping critical issues in the spotlight, even when legislation stalled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She was good at keeping water affordability in the news, said Sylvia Orduno, a local organizer with the Peoples Water Board Coalition. Making it part of the Peoples Bills emphasized that water and sanitation is a human right. Newly appointed Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield talks with Detroit Free Press at the Coleman A. Young Building in downtown Detroit on Wednesday, January 12, 2022. Others were less convinced. She aint done nothing, said Tahira Ahmad, a member of the Detroit Coalition for Property Tax Justice, who said she was overtaxed by $30,000 but cant benefit from the city's current compensation offerings. Its just all about a political game with her. Current and former councilmembers meanwhile said Sheffield brought a rare level of policy focus to her role and that a high-profile agenda an attract undue scrutiny. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I have watched Mary as a member of council and council president approach the position with a clear intellectual policy structure to her work," said former Councilmember Sheila Cockrel, who is not endorsing anyone in the mayor's race. Of the "Peoples Bills," she said Sheffield "actually had a frame of reference for the work she brought forward and she named it and moved to execute." Said Castaneda-Lopez, "Its almost like the more you perform, the more thats demanded of you. Theres so much pressure and expectation for you to just know everything and fix everything until youre in the role, its really hard to understand the inner workings." Free Press staff writer Nushrat Rahman contributed to this report. Violet Ikonomova is an investigative reporter at the Free Press focused on government and police accountability in Detroit. Contact her at vikonomova@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Sheffield mayoral bid prompts criticism of council record. Is it fair? Two air source heat pumps installed on the exterior of a house. (Stock.adobe.com photo by Nimur) Staying ahead of the curve is essential for any business to succeed. And to stay ahead of the growing clean energy economy in Maryland, contractors should prepare for what is quickly becoming the most popular form of heating and cooling: heat pumps. More and more households are upgrading their homes with highly efficient heat pumps, which offer affordable, reliable and pollutant-free heating and cooling. According to the Building Decarbonization Coalition, heat pumps are 2.5 to four times more efficient than gas furnaces and nationally, the average heat pump sold uses 29% less electricity than central air conditioning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the second year in a row in 2024, shipments of heat pumps outpaced those of gas furnaces nationwide, and in Maryland, 54% of households are expected to adopt heat pumps by 2030. From the data, its clear that the market is increasingly shifting toward efficient, clean energy technology driven by rising customer demand. In recent years, weve seen manufacturers release newer models of heat pumps that work efficiently in the coldest of weather, including the deep freeze that Maryland experienced this past winter. Inverter heat pump systems have revolutionized the market by being efficient and providing the necessary heating capacity to keep residents warm and comfortable in Marylands cold weather. With new technologies entering the market and the growing popularity of heat pumps, Marylands contractors have a golden opportunity ahead of them, especially as Maryland leaders advance a suite of policies to help more households adopt heat pumps. By seizing this momentum, contractors can attract more customers, access crucial resources and skills, and position themselves and their business for long-term success. Your opinion matters Maryland Matters welcomes guest commentary submissions at editor@marylandmatters.org. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We suggest a 750-word limit and reserve the right to edit or reject submissions. We do not accept columns that are endorsements of candidates, and no longer accept submissions from elected officials or political candidates. Opinion pieces must be signed by at least one individual using their real name. We do not accept columns signed by an organization. Commentary writers must include a short bio and a photo for their bylines. Views of writers are their own. In recent years, Maryland lawmakers have passed legislation doubling down on clean-energy technology. Just last year, the state passed legislation that strengthens EmPOWER, the states signature energy efficiency program, to ensure more households can adopt clean energy appliances. Under the new law, utilities are rolling out financial incentives this summer for efficient electric technologies, with Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) providing $2,500 for a heat pump water heater and up to $20,000 to upgrade homes with air source heat pumps. As part of the 2024 law, BG&E is also offering training and bonuses to contractors to help them pursue more electrification projects. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reforms to EmPOWER highlight how Maryland contractors can meet the moment to propel their business forward. By helping homeowners access the thousands of dollars available in rebates when upgrading to a heat pump, contractors can share the value of clean-heating technologies and expand their customer base. With the electrification trainings from BGE, contractors can also access resources and learn new skills that will help millions of Maryland households lower their energy bills, breathe cleaner air, and upgrade to efficient, electric equipment. Those skills are going to be especially important as Maryland rolls out another policy to accelerate heat pump adoption in the coming years. Last year, Gov. Wes Moore signed a groundbreaking executive order that directs the Maryland Department of the Environment to develop zero-emission heating equipment standards (ZEHES), also known as healthy air standards, and a Clean Heat Standard. The Moore administration is already taking action on this executive order by publishing a draft reporting rule for Marylands heating fuel providers last month a critical first step to understanding how many fossil fuel systems are sold every year in Maryland. This rule will require fuel providers to report the monthly amount of heating fuel they deliver to Maryland by county starting in 2026. This is the kind of forward-looking policy that will help policymakers understand how to best upgrade homes with clean, efficient heating systems and is an example of the type of new clean-heating rules for which contractors should prepare. With the potential to fully come into effect in just a few years, healthy air standards will gradually phase in the adoption of cleaner, more efficient alternatives such as highly efficient heat pumps to replace outdated fossil-fuel burning furnaces, boilers, and water heaters, directly combating smog and health-harming air pollution in Maryland communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The successful launch of these healthy air standards relies on Marylands contractors, who will be on the frontlines guiding homeowners and modernizing our states homes with clean energy technology. Thats why its important for contractors to get in on the ground floor right now. Understanding the many rebates available through EmPOWER, accessing the electrification trainings available, and learning about new heat pump technologies can help contractors modernize their business for the clean-energy economy that is already taking off. As summer heat scorches Maryland, HVAC professionals are going from house to house fixing air conditioners to keep people cool. Their work is a lifeline to so many in the state. Now, thanks to the leadership of the governor, Maryland is creating new business opportunities that help these professionals grow their businesses and continue their essential work. To be a part of this transformative change, and as a result, be a part of future success, Marylands HVAC professionals should begin preparing now to help guide their customers toward healthier, more efficient, and more affordable solutions. Violent clashes have erupted between Hamas and rival groups in several areas across Gaza, including an incident that culminated in an apparent public execution, as worries grow about the security situation following Israels withdrawal from parts of the territory. Reports of violence have been shared widely on social media channels, with one particularly gruesome video that was shared by Hamas-affiliated channels showing a group of masked fighters, some of whom are wearing green Hamas headbands, killing eight blindfolded people in a square in Gaza City while large crowds are watching, a possible sign of the brutality Hamas is using to reassert itself as the security force. CNN has verified the location where the video was filmed, the al Sabra neighborhood in western Gaza City, but it cannot independently confirm when the incident took place. Video shows Hamas armed men dragging seven men into a circle of people in Gaza City, forcing them to their knees and executing them. - From Social Media/Reuters However, it is likely the incident took place after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect, as Israeli troops were operating in the area before that. War-time damage to the buildings seen in the video suggests it has been filmed recently. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The detainees all of whom appear to be adult men are seen being dragged into the square, hands tied behind their backs. Some have been partially stripped and are barefooted. Some of the fighters are seen forcefully hitting some of the prisoners as they are lined up to be executed. The fighters cheer after shooting the detainees. Palestinian factions and human rights groups condemned the executions. The office of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas issued a statement condemning the killings, calling them heinous crimes and a blatant violation of human rights. The Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR), the Palestinian national human rights watchdog, said the acts constitute grave legal and moral crimes that require urgent condemnation and accountability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Palestinian Resistance Factions, a lose alliance of Hamas and Hamas-allied groups including Palestinian Islamic Jihad, commended what it called a security campaign being carried out by the Ministry of Interior and National Security in Gaza to enforce the law and pursue those who violate it, including collaborators, mercenaries, thieves, bandits, and those cooperating with the Zionist enemy throughout the Gaza Strip. Accusations of collaboration The Hamas-affiliated security force Radaa said in the statement that it conducted a precise operation in the center of Gaza City, resulting in the neutralization of several wanted individuals and outlaws. A statement posted on a Hamas-affiliated Telegram channel on Wednesday that the executions were carried out after the completion of all legal and judicial procedures a claim that was widely disputed. It said the detainees were collaborating with Israel or were involved in security and criminal offences, but it did not provide any evidence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Radaa said that it has taken control of positions in Gaza City and conducted sweeps and arrests of individuals who participated in shootings, the killing of displaced persons, and attacks on civilians. In another statement on Wednesday, Radaa said it has been conducting a comprehensive security operation across all areas of the Strip for several days, targeting those involved in collaboration with the occupation and its mercenaries and anyone who shelters them. CNN cannot independently confirm the identity of the fighters or the prisoners, but the video surfaced after days of reported clashes between Hamas fighters and the Doghmush family, a powerful clan based in al Sabra. CNN previously reported that Hamas-affiliated Telegram channels said the violence started after a son of a senior Hamas military commander was killed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, a Palestinian NGO, said it received reports that gunmen clashed with armed men from a local family in the Sabra and Tel al-Hawa neighborhoods in Gaza City after the ceasefire came into effect on Friday. It said that according to the information it gathered, the attackers claimed they were trying to arrest a group of suspects. The clashes resulted in casualties among both the family members and the attacking force. After the arrest of several family members, the video showing the execution of several citizens was circulated widely on social media, the center said, adding that no official statement from local authorities was released about the incident. Radaa said in a statement on Monday that it was carrying wide-ranging security operations resulting in the arrest of a large number of collaborators and individuals operating outside the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the statement, Radaa said it arrested a group of lawless elements who fired at security forces in central Gaza, and that it detained a number of people implicated in cooperating with an armed militia and recruiting collaborators during the war in southern Gaza. A statement from the Doghmush Family said that it was shocked by a distressing internal campaign targeting our innocent sons, involving killing, intimidation, torture, and burning of homes with their residents inside, without any justification and under false pretexts that bear no relation to reality. The family said that it lost some 600 members during this war and that the Israeli military launched a brutal campaign against the family after it firmly and completely rejected all attempts by the occupation to win it over or recruit it to work on its behalf. What is happening today is a heinous crime committed against a family known for its steadfastness, resolve, and rejection of all forms of collaboration and treachery, the family said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The family said on Wednesday that at least 28 of its members were killed by Hamas after being granted safety assurances to surrender themselves. The video of the executions was widely shared online, including by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, which said the footage showed why Hamas must go. The video surfaced after US President Donald Trump suggested that he gave an approval to Hamas to police the territory for a period of time. Trump was asked about Hamas reasserting itself in Gaza following the ceasefire he helped to broker between the group and Israel as he was traveling to the Middle East on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They do want to stop the problems. Theyve been open about it and we gave them approval for a period of time, Trump said in response. Israel has been pushing hard for the complete disarmament of Hamas to be included in the ceasefire agreement. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced that it will reprocure the contract to rehabilitate, operate, and maintain the Commonwealths 18 service plazas. The decision follows a comprehensive review and comes after a previously authorized vendor, Applegreen, withdrew during lease negotiations. Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said Wednesday that the core mission remains unchanged: delivering high-quality service plazas that provide convenience and value for travelers while ensuring responsible use of taxpayer dollars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These service plazas play a critical role for our residents, visitors, workers, and economy, said Gulliver. After careful consideration, we have determined that the best path forward is to reprocure the contract. This will allow us to make strategic changes to the Request for Proposals (RFP) to attract more interest from highly qualified bidders and secure the best value possible. The original procurement process was a multi-stage effort that culminated earlier this year in the MassDOT Board authorizing Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt to enter into agreements with Applegreen. MassDOT will also work with the current lease holders to ensure that travelers and workers do not experience disruptions to essential services. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW The 2025 Sveriges Riksbank Prize for Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel has been awarded to three researchers who have shown how technological and scientific innovation, coupled to market competition, drive economic growth. One half of the prize goes to economic-historian Joel Mokyr of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and the other half is split between the economic theorists Philippe Aghion of the College de France and the London School of Economics and Peter Howitt of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. I cant find the words to express what I feel, Aghion said. He says he will use the money for research in his laboratory at the College de France. [Sign up for Today in Science, a free daily newsletter] The award underlies the importance in investing in science for innovation and long-term economic growth, says economist Diane Coyle of the University of Cambridge. It's great to see the Nobel prize recognize the importance of this topic, adds innovation policy researcher Richard Jones of the University of Manchester, UK. It's important that economists understand the conditions that lead to technological progress, he adds. The winners, says Coyle, have long been on peoples list of potential candidates. Old isnt gold Economic growth at a rate of about 1-2 per cent annually is the norm for industrialized nations today. But such growth rates did not happen in earlier times, despite technological innovations, such as the windmill and the printing press. Mokyr showed that the key difference between now and then was what he calls useful knowledge, or innovations based on scientific understanding. One example is the advances made during the Industrial Revolution, beginning in the eighteenth century, when improvements in steam engines could be made systematic rather than by trial and error. Aghion and Howitt, for their part, clarified the market mechanisms behind sustained growth in recent times. In 1992 they presented a model showing how competition between companies selling new products allows innovations to enter the marketplace and displaces older products: a process they called creative destruction. Underlying growth, in other words, is a steady churn of businesses and products. The researchers showed how companies invest in research and development (R&D) to improve their chances of finding a new product, and predicted the optimal level of such investment. Entrepreneurial state According to economist Ufuk Akcigit of the University of Chicago, Aghion and Howitt highlight an important aspect of economic growth, which is that spending on R&D does not by itself guarantee higher rates of growth: Unless we replace inefficient firms from the economy, we cannot make space for newcomers with new ideas and better technologies. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has made good on his promise to ensure President Trumps threats to unseat him will backfire as his campaign fundraising numbers reach personal record heights. Massie has touted more than $2 million in cash on hand for his reelection bid after managing to pull in nearly $768,000 in contributions from July to September, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. That three-month sum is reportedly a record for Massies political career. The Kentucky Republican has bucked the Trump administration on numerous occasions, warranting recognition as a firebrand for White House critics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Massie voted against the administrations summer spending bill that wiped out Medicaid funds for states and has pushed for the Justice Department to release files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Amid an uptick in politically motivated shootings, Massie urged Trump to cool down his rhetoric surrounding party divisions in the wake of the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. More recently he also diverted from the Republican Party in voting against the House-passed stopgap bill intended to keep the government open. Thomas Massie, the worst Republican Congressman, and an almost guaranteed NO VOTE each and every time, is an Embarrassment to Kentucky, Trump wrote in one post on Truth Social in July. Hes lazy, slow moving, and totally disingenuous A real loser! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added, Never has anything positive to add. Looking for someone good to run against this guy, someone I can Endorse and vigorously campaign for! Quips from the president have been used as a motivating factor by Massie, who capitalized on the national momentum for fundraising efforts. Well, theyve spent $1.8 million against me so far in my congressional district, Massie said during a July interview with NBC News. I think its had very little effect, but they are trying to beat up on me to keep everyone else in line here and I think it is not working. I think whats going to happen, this will be a referendum on whether the executive branch controls the legislative branch. I am going to prevail. What they are going to find out is it will embolden members of Congress here to go with their heart, with their minds, with their constituents and not just toe the party line, Massie told NBCs Sahil Kapur. 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. Two San Francisco firefighters were hospitalized Wednesday morning after falling through the floor of an unoccupied building while battling a blaze on the 2500 block of Chestnut Street, fire department officials said. "At one point during the fire a mayday was called" after the two firefighters, who were not identified, fell from the third floor to the second floor of the building, San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said. They were pulled from the dwelling and hospitalized for evaluation of injuries sustained in the fall, Crispen said. Both were listed in stable condition Wednesday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Firefighters first received a report of the fire in the city's Marina district around 4:15 a.m. Wednesday, Crispen said. Flames could be seen on the second floor of the building when firefighters arrived. The building was apparently under construction, Crispen said, where uncovered walls and ongoing plumbing and electric work probably "led to the rapid advancement of the fire." The aftermath of a fire on the 2500 block of Chestnut Street in San Francisco. (David Hernandez/S.F. Chronicle) Homes on both sides of the burning building sustained damage, Crispen said. By 7 a.m., the fire department reported that the blaze was contained and that four people in an adjacent house had been displaced. The cause of the fire was not immediately clear. This article originally published at Mayday' called after 2 S.F. firefighters fall through floor of burning building in Marina. Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg has recommended a top adviser to Mayor Brandon Johnson be fired and placed on a do not hire list for failing to cooperate with an investigation into City Halls handling of a negotiation with an alderman. Johnson declined to fire the senior adviser, Jason Lee, and denied that he failed to cooperate with the investigation. The back and forth was revealed in a summary report released Wednesday by the citys top watchdog. Lee is not named by the inspector generals office, which is generally prohibited from identifying officials by name, but he called the Tribune to defend his handling of the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Witzburgs report stems from fall 2023 encounters between Lee and Ald. Bill Conway. At the time, Johnson was pushing an increased real estate transfer tax on properties over $1 million to help fund citywide homeless services and an end to the tipped wage for restaurant workers. Conway was looking to have an encampment near Union and Ogilvie stations removed, which he said was a trouble spot for drugs and violent crime in the ward. As part of his efforts to get the tents removed, Conway spoke with Lee in early October 2023 while aldermen were at City Hall for meetings. Conway said he shared with Lee his concerns about recovered guns, propane tanks and drug packets found in the viaducts that were crowded with tents. Lee pulled Conway into a copy room behind council chambers and offered to help remove the homeless camps, but Conway said he tied the action to the alderman supporting the two Johnson initiatives. A day after their in-person conversation, Lee and Conway spoke again by phone, and Lee reiterated his requests, the alderman said. Conway recalled asking Lee whether City Hall was able to do more than had already been done at the sites, as he was running into bureaucratic problems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Conway called the exchange improper and reported it to the inspector general. At the time, Lee took the unusual step of acknowledging the would-be quid pro quo took place, calling it a typical example of how political will is created. Witzburgs investigation aimed to determined whether Lee engaged in misconduct related to the original allegation that they conditioned critical City services upon an alderpersons support for Mayoral-backed leg, she said in her report. But the inspector general did not find sufficient evidence for the allegation to sustain it, she wrote. But, she said, Lee should be fired for failure to cooperate. The inspector generals office reached out to Lee in October 2024 and spoke with him about scheduling an interview, according to the report. Lee said he would call back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OIG did not hear back and sent an email to the subject days later suggesting an interview date later in November 2024, the report said. The subject responded, stating that a DOL attorney would attend the interview; the DOL attorney told OIG that the subject might also retain private counsel. The inspector general said it declined to interview Lee with a city lawyer present and sent written questions in February. Lee did not respond by the deadline. After the inspector general sent its findings to the mayors office in June, Lees private attorney contacted the inspector generals office to claim he intended to cooperate. The attorney, however, was unable to provide any records indicating they had actually emailed OIG, and OIG never received any communication from the attorney until after the Mayors Office received noticeand apparently notified the subject and/or their attorney of OIGs intention to pursue discipline for the subjects failure to cooperate, the inspector general wrote. Under the circumstances, OIG declined to reopen its investigation and informed the Mayors Office that it continued to recommend the subjects discharge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnsons office concluded it was unjustifiable to fire Lee because the inspector general made cooperation difficult for Lee, in part by refusing to interview him with a city attorney present. Whether city attorneys can attend interviews and when they can assert attorney-client privilege was a flashpoint controversy between Witzburg and the Johnson administration earlier this year. Witzburg accused the mayor-controlled Law Department in a letter to aldermen of hindering investigations that may result in embarrassment or political consequences to City leaders throughout different mayoral terms. A compromise ordinance passed by aldermen clarified that Law Department attorneys can attend investigative interviews in certain circumstances, including when an interviewee requests a city attorney and the Law Department agrees, when pending or threatened litigation is involved or when the inspector general grants approval. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The compromise deal also clarifies that city attorneys can assert attorney-client privilege to withhold records requested by the inspector generals office, but requires the Law Department to provide the office a log of withheld materials and discuss if the materials can ultimately be shared. The office will also be able to review certain materials with protections. In an interview with the Tribune Tuesday, Lee criticized the inspector generals office for taking almost a year to reach out to him. He also said the legislation that passed over the summer proves he was right all along. The inspector generals report, meanwhile, noted that the changes to the law did not take effect for more than six months after the events at issue here. I tried in good faith to participate, Lee said. Johnsons office released a statement Wednesday saying there is no justification for imposing discipline on a staffer who has engaged in no wrongdoing and who merely asserted their right to counsel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Conway in a Wednesday statement said Lee stonewalled an investigation into withholding public safety resources from my community in exchange for my votes, while the fifth floor pled the fifth. Its demoralizing that the mayor rejected the inspector generals recommendation to fire the employee, Conway said. Their lack of cooperation is an admission of guilt and a disregard for the transparency and accountability Chicagoans deserve. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) The two men running for Youngstown mayor had the chance to spread their respective messages Wednesday afternoon. Read next: Report identifies man who died following officer-involved shooting in Youngstown Youngstown Mayor Tito Brown and challenger Derrick McDowell shook hands and then explained why each deserves to be elected next month. Eight years, balanced budget. Four years, I believe, we are going to have a state clean audit. Weve raised the credit score in the city of Youngstown. That had not happened in decades, Brown said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the man whod like to become the citys next mayor says the race comes down to accountability. A deeper accountability that goes beyond just the normal politics and mincing words about how projects have gone in our community, McDowell said. Both men answered questions over the lunch hour before members of the Youngstown Rotary. Incumbent Tito Brown claims his record over the last eight years merits another four. People are talking. People are investing in the city of Youngstown like never before because my motto is the city of Youngstown is open for business, Brown said. But McDowell argues that Brown hasnt done enough to help businesses or neighborhoods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their cry, their callout is not worthy to be answered in the way that theyre looking for, and so that tells me that we need a change in leadership, McDowell said. At one point, Brown was asked to respond to criticism of the citys response to the Realty Building explosion. At the end of the day, it happened while I was mayor. But at the end of the day, the best that I can tell you is that what happened is we came together as a community, Brown said. McDowell argues that the citys planning was the problem. We have to begin with the failed Smart 2 Project. That led to the construction on Federal Street that leads to Realty Towers explosion, McDowell said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the end, the two shook hands again, as this campaign winds down toward election night on November 4. 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 WKBN.com. Cincinnatis Metro transit system will likely consider ways to improve safety at Government Square, its primary downtown station. But the bus system is not yet saying whether it would consider diverting buses elsewhere, as suggested by Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval. Instead, the chair of Metros Board of Trustees said he would ask the board to direct staff to work with experts to improve operations and safety of Government Square without acknowledging alternatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pureval, reacting to a double-shooting a block away on Fountain Square, said Government Square is the hub that is bringing a lot of the criminal element in a concentrated way into these specific civic areas. Speaking at an Oct. 14 press conference, the mayor did not present any crime data, saying only that the shootings were "completely unacceptable." The city must "change the status quo," he said, "and rerouting buses absolutely has to be part of that conversation." Metro, meanwhile, earlier this year said relocating Government Square in full would hurt riders and add costs. More: Metro's money: How a tax hike saved Cincinnati's bus business Cincinnati Police Department officers maintain a presence at Government Square following an Oct. 13 double-shooting at neighboring Fountain Square. No simple solutions, Metro board chair says Blake Ethridge, chair of the Metro board since July 2024 and a board member for seven years, said the transit agency is committed to partnering with the city, community leaders and other stakeholders to ensure that public transit continues to be a safe and vital asset to our regions core. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are no simple solutions to the challenges facing our city, Ethridge said in a statement. Metro spends more than $1 million a year for police patrols at its stops and on buses, Ethridges statement said. It has also worked with the city to combat loitering at stations and reduce student transfers at Government Square, the statement said. Neither Ethridge nor Metro representatives immediately responded to Enquirer questions about whether the agency would consider diverting traffic from Government Square, as Pureval suggested, or whether that transit center brings a criminal element downtown. Decisions should not hurt riders, advocate group says With Metro in the spotlight, a group that advocates for bus riders said it was strongly opposed to moving Government Square, located at Fifth Street between Walnut and Main streets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are counting on our leaders to present reasonable solutions that dont hurt bus riders, Cameron Hardy, president of the Better Bus Coalition, said in a press release. Any long-term discussions regarding moving Government Square must include all stakeholders, especially the riders. Any diversion from Government Square, Hardy said, must not be decided behind closed doors. Metro hired a consultant in August 2024 to study the possibility of relocating Government Square to the less-used Riverfront Transit Center, located at Second Street between Plum and Broadway streets. In February, the transit agency said the study found that such a move would hurt ridership and travel times. It would also require $96 million worth of new buses and add $55 million to annual operating costs, the study found. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Metro paid Alfred Benesh & Co. of Chicago $86,000 to complete the study. At the same time, it paused $170,000 in planned improvements for Government Square. The Enquirer is awaiting response from Metro on whether it completed those upgrades. This story may be updated. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why does mayor want to move buses away from Government Square? HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) Governor Andy Beshear announced that Team Kentucky is sending over $118.2 million to six counties to buy out properties from willing and voluntary Kentuckians in flood-prone areas, and one of those is McLean County. According to Gov. Beshear, local officials estimate these funds will benefit over 600 homeowners, helping them relocate to safer residences out of the floodplain. McLean County is among these six counties. Officials say receiving funds are Floyd, Knott, Letcher, McLean, Perry and Pike counties. The funding is in response to floods earlier this year, which impacted all six counties. Governor Beshear says politicians, school officials support Pre-K for All Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nobody should have to stay in a flood-prone area simply because its too expensive to move, said Gov. Beshear. These buyouts will put money in the pockets of Kentuckians, keep our people safe and help our counties save money in the process. When our people go through tough times, well be there to show them love and support them as they build back. Officials say of the $118.2 million, $106.7 million is federal funding. The federal money come from the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program. This program is administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency under the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The EWP Program requires a nonfederal cost-share requirement to leverage federal funds. This cost-share requirement typically falls on the local government. Team Kentucky is covering this cost-share requirement for these six counties through the Local Match Participation Program (LMPP). Gov. Beshear says the EWP Program pays homeowners the fair market value of their homes, as well as covers eligible relocation costs. According to officials, McLean County received $559,498 in LMPP funds, and $1,812,773 in NRCS funds. KY teens encouraged to buckle up, focus behind the wheel Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this year, McLean County was hit by the worst flooding many of us have seen in our lifetimes, said McLean County Judge/Executive Curtis Dame. As we continue to rebuild, these buyouts, if accepted by affected citizens, will help our people get a fair price for their property. This program is helping people who have been through a life-altering event, showing that smart governance can be a force for good. Our resolve is strong and made more vibrant by our desire to leave no citizen, family or friend behind. The LMPP funding was recommended by Gov. Beshear and approved by the Kentucky General Assembly. 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 Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). A dose of the measles vaccine is seen at the Logan Square Health Center in Chicago on May 9, 2019. Credit - Antonio PerezChicago Tribune/Tribune News Service/Getty Images More than 130 unvaccinated students at two schools in South Carolina are being quarantined after they were exposed to measles, amid an ongoing outbreak in the statea sign, public health experts warn, that cases could continue to rise this school year. On Tuesday, the South Carolina Department of Public Health confirmed the 16th case of measles in the state so far this year. Last week, public health officials said in a media briefing that more than 100 unvaccinated students at Global Academy and Fairforest Elementary School were exposed to measles and would be excluded from school for 21 days, which is when the period of potential disease transmission has ended. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of the 16 cases in the state, five are people who were exposed in school settings and have been quarantining at home over the past few days, according to South Carolina health officials. Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, says the fact that the students in South Carolina were exposed to measles demonstrates why people should be worried about rising cases as children return to the classroom. Weve had a growing population of susceptible children whose parents have chosen not to vaccinate them, Offit says. This is the most contagious human infection, and its not surprising that as kids go back to school, and we enter the winter and early spring months, that you see this virus once again surging. The outbreak in South Carolina comes amid surging measles cases across the country. This summer, measles cases in the U.S. reached a 33-year record high, causing public health experts to warn that other diseases could experience a similar resurgence. Minnesota is also in the midst of an outbreak; as of last week, there are 20 confirmed or probable cases in the state so far this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Public health officials have stressed that the best way to protect against measles is to get vaccinated with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is typically administered in childhood in two doses. Experts have said that a successful vaccination program was a large part of the reason that measles was declared eliminated from the country more than two decades ago. But vaccination rates have plummeted in recent years, and measles cases have soared. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), when more than 95% of people in a community are vaccinated against measles, mumps, and rubella, most people are protected through community immunity." But the CDCs data show that only 92.7% of kindergarteners were vaccinated during the 2023-2024 school year. That number has dropped to about 90% in some parts of South Carolina, according to state public health officials. Read More: Do You Need a Measles Vaccine Booster? As of last week, the CDC has confirmed 1,563 cases of measles so far this year. Many of those cases are from an outbreak in Texas that began in late January, which sickened more than 700 people and killed two unvaccinated children in Texas and an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In August, Texas health officials declared that the outbreak was over, but they cautioned that the threat posed by the disease was not. At the time, Offit said that while the Texas outbreak had subsided, he feared that case numbers would surge again in a matter of months. Offit also expresses concern that the national case numbers confirmed by the CDC are an undercount. He criticizes Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic who has made a number of changes to the countrys immunization policy, for undermining health agencies ability to track and monitor the disease. Not only do I think this is getting worse, I think were not going to know about it because the surveillance capacity has been so diminished by our Secretary of Health and Human Services, Offit says. Contact us at letters@time.com. MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Mecklenburg County health officials are urging parents to make sure their children are vaccinated against measles, as a growing outbreak just across the border in South Carolina is raising concerns. So far, eight cases of measles have been confirmed in Spartanburg County, less than two hours south of Charlotte, and more than 150 unvaccinated children have been quarantined. As our neighbors are dealing with a growing measles outbreak, its important for everyone in our community to take steps to protect health and prevent an outbreak here, said Dr. Raynard Washington, Mecklenburg County Public Health director. Parents need to make sure their kids are up to date on their vaccines, and healthcare providers, schools, and daycares need to know the signs and symptoms of measles to isolate potential cases early and prevent further spread. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mecklenburg County health officials said measles is a highly contagious and serious illness, and the best tool to protect against it is vaccination. Why this matters Health officials said measles spreads very easily, especially among people who arent vaccinated. In fact, they said about 90% of unvaccinated people who are exposed to the virus will get sick. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a rash. In serious cases, health officials said measles can lead to hospitalization or even death. Locally, Mecklenburg County had its first confirmed measles case in years just last year. And across the U.S., more than 1,500 cases and 44 outbreaks have already been reported this year. What to know moving forward Children should get two doses of the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine: First dose: Between 1215 months old Second dose: Between 46 years old One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective at preventing measles If a measles case occurs in a school or daycare, unvaccinated children may be required to stay home for 21 days or more to prevent the spread MORE FROM QCNEWS.COM Mecklenburg County 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 Queen City News. Boston Fire Department companies responded to an electrical fire in a building on the Boston University medical campus on Wednesday afternoon, according to posts on X, a social media platform. Around noon on Wednesday, the fire department confirmed there was smoke on multiple floors at 778 Harrison Ave., the address of the Housman Medical Research Center, at Boston University. A 2nd alarm was struck during the response, the fire department said. The building was evacuated, according to the fire department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Firefighters ultimately determined that the smoke was due to an electrical fire in the basement, which was contained to one room. No one was injured, according to a subsequent post. Due to smoke in the basement of R Building on the Medical Campus, the Boston Fire Department is on scene and evacuating L Building and R Building, 72 East Concord St., Boston University police said. A photo from the scene showed two ladder trucks outside the multi-story building. The latest from MassLive Read the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here. By Stephanie Kelly LONDON (Reuters) -Oil prices edged lower on Wednesday, as investors weighed the International Energy Agency's prediction of a supply surplus in 2026 and trade tensions between the United States and China that could curtail demand. Brent crude futures fell 21 cents, or 0.3%, to $62.18 a barrel by 0854 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures eased 13 cents, or 0.2%, to $58.57 a barrel. Both contracts closed at five-month lows in the previous trading session. The International Energy Agency said on Tuesday the global oil market could face a surplus next year of up to 4 million barrels per day, more than it earlier forecast, as OPEC+ and other producers raise output and demand remains sluggish. "The market is focusing on excess supply amid mixed demand signals. Ebbing geopolitical risks and escalating trade tensions are also adding further pressure on prices," said Emril Jamil, a senior oil analyst at LSEG. The trade dispute between the United States and China, the world's two largest oil consumers, has reignited over the last week, with both countries imposing additional port fees on ships carrying cargo between them. That will raise trading costs and disrupt freight flows, likely lowering economic output. "Oil prices are currently influenced by trade tensions and market risk sentiment," said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo. The tensions between the world's two largest economies intensified after China last week announced it would increase rare earth export controls and U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to 100% and tighten software export curbs from November 1. "Beyond U.S.-China trade relations and the progress of talks, the key for oil prices now is the degree of oversupply, reflected in changes in global inventories," said Yang An, analyst at Haitong Futures. For a view on U.S. demand, traders await weekly inventory data. U.S. crude oil stockpiles are expected to have risen last week, while gasoline and distillate inventories likely fell, a preliminary Reuters poll showed. Six analysts polled by Reuters estimated on average that crude inventories rose by about 200,000 barrels in the week to October 10. The weekly industry report from the American Petroleum Institute is expected at 4:30 p.m. EDT (2030 GMT) on Wednesday, and U.S. Energy Information Administration data at 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT) on Thursday. Both reports are delayed by a day due to the Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day holiday on Monday. (Reporting by Stephanie Kelly in London, Sam Li in Beijing and Jeslyn Lerh in Singapore; Editing by Sonali Paul, Christian Schmollinger and Barbara Lewis) KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) The Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley joins the Living East Tennessee crew with an adorable adoptable you can take home and make part of your family. Humane Society Tennessee Valley is the first animal shelter in the state of Tennessee and the first no-kill animal shelter in Knoxville. In 2025, they turn 140 years old! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meet our Pet of the Week on Living East Tennessee and learn about some incredible events with HSTV! To see all available dogs and cats with the Humane Society of Tennessee Valley, just visit THIS link. Dont miss out on HSTVs new pet resources and how you can continue to support them with their Gala coming up. Learn more here on Living East Tennessee! 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 WATE 6 On Your Side. Gary Mayor Eddie Melton updated residents on redevelopment projects, city services, and his administrations stance on recent immigration enforcement actions during a packed community forum Tuesday night at Indiana University Northwest. The event came near the end of Meltons second full year in office and provided updates on some major city initiatives, including the Genesis Center, the proposed Lake County Convention Center, and public safety. Melton said the Genesis Center remains one of the citys top community concerns, with repairs estimated at about $15 million. He said the city has received several redevelopment proposals and is reviewing them based on financial strength and long-term sustainability. A design team from the University of Notre Dame is also helping the city plan potential housing around the site. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Melton also said the proposed $100 million Lake County Convention Center project is moving forward through partnerships with the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, and the Lake County Council. Funding will come from state support, casino tax revenue, and city matches. A recent $15 million state grant includes $5 million for the convention center and $5 million for upgrades at the Hudson & Campbell Center. As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids continued in neighboring Hammond and East Chicago, and tensions rose in Chicago after tear gas was deployed on the citys East Side on Tuesday, Melton and Gary Police Chief Derrick Cannon made clear where they stand on the issue. We know whats going on in Chicago. We know whats going on in Hammond and East Chicago, and a glimpse of it in Gary as it relates to [ICE], Melton said. I want to be very clear where I stand on this issue. I do not support what has been sanctioned by the White House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cannon pointed to the rule of jurisdiction, clarifying the departments limits of authority. We dont have the authority to enforce immigration, Cannon said. But we do have the authority to keep you guys safe and to keep you informed. So as these things develop, we want to make sure that we provide information to you so you can know what your rights are so you can know what path to take. Gary Fire Chief Larry Tillman highlighted improvements within his department, noting faster response times and upgraded equipment. According to Tillman, response times are down 11% for EMS and 5.5% for the fire department. The city currently operates six engines, two trucks, and six ambulances. Tillman did note, however, that since more than 30 retirements are expected by 2029, the fire department is looking to hire new personnel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We will train you from no certifications all the way up to be able to be out on the street, so come out and apply for the Gary Fire Department, he said. Applications for the Gary Fire Department are open through Nov. 14 and are available at City Hall. After the hearing from city officials, residents met with various city departments stationed outside the auditorium to discuss specific needs and to ask questions. Melton said he wanted residents to have immediate access to city services and department. He also stayed after the event to speak one-on-one with residents about their concerns. Gary resident Dale Pugh said he was pleased by the turnout. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its beautiful to come get information about your city, Pugh told Capital B Gary. This is where you come, you come to the meetings and forums so you can know whats going on. Indiana University Northwest Chancellor Arrick Jackson, who welcomed attendees earlier in the evening, said he was thrilled to see Bergland Auditorium filled to capacity with involved residents. I majored in political science, so whenever I get to see the community interact in the political process and be involved and engaged and excited about it. The post Mayor Melton Talks ICE Raids, Genesis Center, and Convention Center appeared first on Capital B Gary. WASHINGTON Members of Congress are growing concerned over a lack of information from the Trump administration about the intelligence and strategy underlying its strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean, six sources told NBC News. Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill have left briefings about the strikes frustrated with the lack of information, said these people: five congressional sources and an additional source with knowledge of the matter. Some have asked for unedited video of the strikes, reflecting the kind of basic information they seek, but the administration has so far refused to provide it. At a briefing a few weeks ago, Republican lawmakers were clearly upset with the answers they received, one of the congressional sources said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Republicans were mad that the briefers were unable to answer questions about the legal basis for the operations, the source said. Some members of Congress including Republicans who broadly support the attacks and the administration generally are also concerned about the level of precision of the intelligence used to determine targets and the possibility that an American citizen could be killed in the operations, several of the sources said. A Defense Department spokesperson said members are being fully informed, and last week most GOP senators voted to defeat a measure that would have required congressional approval before more attacks were launched. Lawmakers are also asking the administration to explain who was killed in the strikes, how they were positively identified as legitimate targets for lethal force, what intelligence indicated that they had possible links to drug trafficking gangs and what information showed that they were heading to the United States with drugs, the sources said. President Donald Trump said on social media that the U.S. military had conducted another strike against a Venezuelan boat. (@realDonaldTrump via Truth Social) They have also asked whether the administration has weighed the potential response from trafficking groups, including the possibility of retaliation inside the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since Sept. 2, President Donald Trump has ordered at least five military strikes in the Caribbean on boats his administration says were moving illicit drugs from Venezuela to the United States. Officials say 27 people have been killed in the attacks, the most recent of which Trump announced Tuesday. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted short, grainy video clips of the strikes on social media. The clips include multiple edits, contributing to questions in Congress about whether the targets are definitely the drug smuggling boats the administration has said they are and about the circumstances and locations of the operations. Raw, unedited video could help reassure lawmakers about the origins of the vessels being targeted, as well as provide more context for them to better understand the circumstances under which the vessels are targeted or even where the strikes are occurring. After the first strike, Trump said the boat the United States destroyed was linked to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, but the White House has yet to provide evidence to back up that claim. Drugs were found in the water after one strike, an official from the Dominican Republic said at a news conference last month. The United States has not revealed evidence that drugs were on all the boats. Asked about the lawmakers request for more information and video, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said administration officials have kept Congress fully informed about the strikes and the legal authorities involved with frequent briefings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of War has given numerous briefs and notifications to Congress that have extensive details of the policy, operations, tactical intelligence, and authorities invoked, Parnell said in an email. Parnell and the White House did not directly address why the administration so far has not provided lawmakers with access to unedited video of the attacks. A White House official told NBC News, The Department of War is working through additional requests for information from the Hill. The administration has provided six classified briefings to relevant congressional committees and lawmakers over the past month, Pentagon and White House officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although no one on the congressional side disputes that there have been briefings by Pentagon officials, members from both parties have come away from them dissatisfied and frustrated at the vague nature of the information that was shared, the sources said. NBC News has reported that the United States has been preparing options for strikes inside Venezuelas borders. Many lawmakers fear that extending the bombing to targets on land would pose a significant risk of civilian casualties, two of the congressional sources and the source with knowledge of the matter said. Targeting a vessel on the open seas is one thing, they believe, but striking a location on land brings more perils, including the possibility of inadvertent civilian deaths. A member of the national militia holds a Venezuelan flag at a rally in support of President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on Oct. 6 amid rising tensions with the United States. (Leonardo Fernandez Viloria / Reuters file) Some members of Congress also believe the strikes are illegal; others have concerns about their legality. The administration provided a letter to Congress in which it said Trump has determined that the United States is now engaged in an armed conflict with drug trafficking organizations and that it views members of those groups as armed combatants, using the same legal rationale the government has previously used to go after Al Qaeda, the Islamic State and other terrorist groups. After the first classified briefing by Pentagon officials, which they felt was lacking, multiple lawmakers asked the administration to give access to unedited video of the strikes to members of Congress, who would view the video only behind closed doors, the sources said. Members believe the raw video could help answer some of their questions. So far, though, the administration has not agreed to the request, the sources said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During previous administrations, Pentagon and intelligence officials in some cases provided lawmakers with classified, nonpublic video or photos of specific counterterrorism operations. Although Republicans have privately voiced concerns about the lack of information and clarity about the strikes, last week all but two GOP senators joined in voting down a resolution that would have required the Trump administration to seek congressional approval before it launched more attacks. The resolution went down to defeat in a 51-48 vote. Two Republicans, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, joined almost all Democrats in voting in favor. (John Fetterman of Pennsylvania crossed the aisle and joined the rest of the Republicans in voting no.) Paul said that he believes the strikes have no legal foundation and that the administration needs to provide evidence to justify the lethal bombing raids. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Is it too much to ask to know the names of those we kill before we kill them, to know what evidence exists of their guilt? Paul said in a speech on the Senate floor. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., at a committee hearing in Washington on Sept. 17. (Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images file) Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., voted against the resolution but said afterward that he was still highly concerned about the legality of the strikes, as well as the deployment of U.S. warships and other resources to the Caribbean that could be needed to counter China in the Pacific. The administration should adhere to the Constitution and keep the peoples representatives informed on this critical national security issue, Young said in a statement. Secret list More than 20 Democrats in Congress wrote a letter to the administration last month posing a list of questions about the recent strikes and asking for a copy of all legal assessments of the attacks by federal agencies. The administration has yet to respond to the letter, according to a spokesperson for Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., last week accused the administration of failing to inform Congress and the American people about all the groups being targeted and all the groups Trump has designated as terrorist organizations. At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Slotkin asked Charles Young, the principal deputy general counsel for the Defense Department, to identify the drug cartels that are viewed as adversaries in the campaign. How many new terrorist organizations are we currently in armed conflict with, and could you name them? Slotkin asked. Young, who has been nominated to be the Armys next general counsel, told Slotkin: Senator, it may be more appropriate to discuss that with you in a closed session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Slotkin replied that we couldnt get it in a closed session held with the Defense Departments new general counsel. I was a CIA officer and helped with targeting. I have no problem with going after these cartels, she added. I have no problem designating terrorist organizations in general. But weve never had an instance where theres a secret list of what I understand to be dozens of new terrorist organizations that the American public and certainly the oversight committees dont get to know. In justifying labeling cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, officials often cite the high death toll from fentanyl use in the United States. But Venezuela is not considered a source for the illegal fentanyl in the United States, which is mainly smuggled over land routes in small, easily concealed amounts across the Mexico-U.S. border, not by boat through the Caribbean, experts say. A claim by Colombian President Gustavo Petro last week appeared to reflect the concern U.S. lawmakers have about the precision of the strikes and the intelligence behind them. Petro wrote on social media last week that a boat struck on Oct. 3, which the United States portrayed as Venezuelan, was actually from his country and carried Colombian citizens, and he also criticized what he said was a broader political campaign against Venezuela. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, a White House spokesperson dismissed what Petro said, but it was unclear whether the spokesperson was rejecting his central claim, that the boat was Colombian with Colombian citizens on it, not Venezuelan. The spokesperson did not respond to an attempt to clarify the administrations position. The United States looks forward to President Petro publicly retracting his baseless and reprehensible statement so that we can return to a productive dialogue on building a strong, prosperous future for the people of the United States and Colombia, the statement read. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com (FOX40.COM) The National Alliance on Mental Illness is hosting a three-day event with leaders from across the state in Sacramento. Video above: Healthcare workers to join 5-day strike, Kaiser Permanente releases statement Youth, advocates, and mental health leaders across California are gathering at the Capitol for a three-day-long event where they will share stories, visuals, panels and interviews, including a youth rally at the Sheraton Grand Hotel, according to NAMI. Kaiser Permanente health care workers to hold pickets as 5-day strike continues Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Keynote speaker Drew Robinson will be speaking at the annual conference at the Sheraton Grand Hotel at 9 a.m. on Thursday, while Keynote speaker Patrick J. Kennedy is set for the same time on Friday, NAMI shared. According to NAMI, Robinson is a former MLB player and mental health advocate who will share his story of survival and resilience. Kennedy is a former U.S. Congressman and founder of The Kennedy Forum, which discusses mental health parity, policy reform and transforming access to care nationwide. 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 FOX40 News. By Echo Wang NEW YORK (Reuters) -Meta Platforms said on Wednesday it would invest $1.5 billion in a data center in Texas, breaking ground at its 29th such facility globally, as the social media giant expands infrastructure to support artificial intelligence workloads. The data center in El Paso, Meta's third in Texas, is expected to come online in 2028, and can scale to a 1-gigawatt site - enough energy to power a city the size of San Francisco for a day - making it one of the largest planned data center campuses in the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Large-scale cloud service providers, called hyperscalers, have been racing to build AI infrastructure, with Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, and Microsoft projected to spend over $360 billion in 2025, according to company filings. Most of the investment is expected to go toward powering data centers. The new facility is projected to create about 100 jobs once operational, with over 1,800 construction workers expected onsite at peak construction, Meta said in a statement. The company cited El Paso's robust electrical grid and skilled workforce as factors in the site selection. Meta has invested over $10 billion in Texas and employs more than 2,500 people across the state, the company said. These figures include the latest investment. The company is putting up $1.5 billion of its own money to fund the current phase of the El Paso site. Wednesday's announcement follows Meta's recent $29 billion off-balance-sheet deal with Pimco and Blue Owl to fund a data center campus in Louisiana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The fastest gazelle finds their place, others follow, and Meta is the fastest gazelle in the industry, as far as I'm concerned," Jon Barela, CEO of the Borderplex Alliance, a local economic development and policy advocacy group involved in facilitating the project, told Reuters. "We've had others look at the region, other data centers, and we expect there probably to be others that will want to follow." Barela said the Meta project first came from a referral from Texas Governor Greg Abbotts office about four years ago, and El Paso offered a package of tax incentives and other measures to attract the company. Meta said the data center will be matched with 100% renewable energy. The facility will use a closed-loop, liquid-cooled system that continuously recycles water. Meta pledged to restore twice the water consumed by the data center to local watersheds, exceeding its 2030 goal to be "water-positive" by restoring more water than it consumes. (Reporting by Echo Wang in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis) Following torrential rains last week, more than 300 communities in central and eastern Mexico have been cut off by flooding and landslides. Both civilian workers and soldiers have been working to restore access to cut-off areas and provide aid to those in need. Reopening roads is one of our greatest urgencies, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday, per CNN. We have to secure air bridges, food supplies, water and check on how each person is faring. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to The New York Times, the Mexican government on Monday confirmed that at least 64 have died due to torrential rains. Officials also reported that 65 others are missing across five affected states. The death toll is expected to continue to increase in the coming days as search and rescue teams work to reach areas cut off by landslides. People clean the Ramirez family's flooded house in Poza Rica, Veracruz state, Mexico, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, after torrential rains. | Felix Marquez, Associated Press According to NPR, Mexicos Civil Protection agency reported that the heavy rains killed people in at least four states. There were 29 killed in Veracruz, 21 in Hidalgo, at least 13 killed in Puebla and one child died in a landslide in Queretaro. The rains were triggered by the convergence of two tropical storms off the coast of Mexico in the Pacific Ocean. These rains come at the tail end of an unusually heavy rainy season across the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were no scientific or meteorological conditions that could have indicated to us that the rainfall would be of this magnitude, Sheinbaum told reporters, per The New York Times. A local holds a rescued cat in Poza Rica, Veracruz state, Mexico, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, after rain and flooding. | Felix Marquez, Associated Press Where was the worst damage done? The states hardest hit by the rains were Veracruz, Hidalgo and Puebla, per CNN. Veracruz received 24 inches of rain in just four days and the states Gov. Rocio Nahle said over 300,000 people were affected in the state alone. Sheinbaums administration estimates that around 100,000 homes were impacted by floods and landslides. There are still dozens of communities that remain isolated, requiring food and water to be flown in, according to The New York Times. Houses sit damaged after flooding in Poza Rica, Veracruz state, Mexico, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. | Felix Marquez, Associated Press In Poza Rica, the nearby Cazones River rose to 13 feet in some areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Across the impacted areas, dozens of health centers were damaged, including one in Alamo, Veracruz, that had all its equipment destroyed by floodwaters higher than 6 feet. Some medical staff are working outdoors, per CNN. What are government leaders doing to help? Across impacted areas, thousands of soldiers and rescue teams search for the missing while others work to deliver aid. The government has helicopters carrying supplies to isolated communities as private construction firms work to reopen key roads. Volunteers help a woman deplane in Bella Vista, Hidalgo state, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, after she was evacuated from Chapula due to deadly landslides and flooding in the area triggered by the convergence of two tropical storms. | Fernando Llano, Associated Press Sheinbaum said that her government has enough resources to respond and will spare no expense during this emergency, per CNN. So far, over 7,300 Army soldiers and National Guard members have been deployed for search, recovery and evacuation efforts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government has also deployed health officials to begin fumigation to prevent outbreaks of dengue, a disease spread by mosquitoes. The rains also caused power supply issues, leaving more than a quarter million people without electricity. The countrys national power company said on Monday that much of the lost power had been restored, according to The New York Times. MIAMI, Okla. On this special election Tuesday in Oklahoma, a majority of the Miami residents who cast a ballot approved a $14.7 million school bond. But it needed a 60 percent majority to pass, and it only had 59.84 percent. PREVIOUS: Miami special election: New school project with no tax increase Editors Note: The attached video is from previous coverage of this story. One thing of note, only 732 registered voters cast a ballot. The no tax increase bond wouldve funded numerous additions and upgrades to the school district. 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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. (The Center Square) Funding will remain steady for the Michigan State Housing Development Authority going into the new fiscal year. CEO and Executive Director Amy Hovey applauded the legislatures decision on that. MSHDA appreciates the Michigan House, Senate, and Whitmer Administration for adopting a balanced budget that keeps our state moving forward, including continued investment in the Housing and Community Development Fund, Hovey said. With this process complete, we can confidently focus on housing solutions and investments that serve and strengthen the lives of our neighbors and communities across Michigan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Comparing the 2025-2026 fiscal budget, which was just signed last week, to last years budget, the authority saw a slight increase in its funding. This comes despite a slight decrease in the overall budget spending. Gross appropriations for the authority increased from $322.5 million to $323.2 million. While other departments saw the elimination of some employees, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority did not. Instead, its number of full-time positions remained steady at 318. The budget increase came from an increased expenditure for housing and rental assistance operations, namely the cost of employees. In fact, funding for the Michigan housing and community development program remained steady at exactly $50 million. The Michigan State Housing Development Authority is a state agency designed to help grow the states affordable housing through financial assistance and public and private partnerships. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For example, just last month the authority announced a series of funding grants. Those included: $19.6 million in funding for the new construction of 88 housing units, 72 of which will be designated affordable. $22 million in funding for phase three of a new construction development consisting of 60 apartments and townhomes. That means there is $41.6 million in taxpayer funding for 148 total housing units. In Michigan, there is a severe housing crisis, which totals a 119,000 housing unit shortfall, according to the state. Low-income renters are especially affected by the shortage, according to a 2025 report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition. It found that Michigan would need 185,000 more affordable homes to fully address the shortage for extremely low-income households. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The authority hopes its programs will help address that shortage. Our priority remains clear: moving quickly to close the 119,000-unit housing gap and ensuring every Michigander has access to a safe, quality, and affordable place to call home in a neighborhood of their choice, Hovey said. As part of that effort, the state released a Statewide Housing Plan in 2022. Spearheaded by the authority, that plan designated $61.8 million (of federal and state funding) in grants statewide to "support" 1,551 housing units. That means each unit will cost the taxpayers just under $40,000. Oil prices wiped out earlier gains to dip by more than 2% in early U.S. trade on Tuesday amid renewed concerns that the trade war between the United States and China could slow global economy. As of 7:21 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, the U.S. benchmark, WTI Crude, fell to the $58 per barrel threshold, down by 2.30% on the day at $58.12. WTI Price The international benchmark, Brent Crude, was trading below the $62 a barrel mark, and was down by 2.181% at $61.94. Brent Price Oil had stabilized in early Asian trade on Tuesday, as hopes of a diplomatic thaw between Washington and Beijing helped to cool bearish sentiment. However, trade jitters later reverberated through the markets, after China sanctioned five U.S. subsidiaries of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean. Hanwhas subsidiaries in the U.S. have assisted and supported the U.S. governments probes and measures against Chinese maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors. China is strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposes it, a spokesperson for Chinas Commerce Ministry said in a Tuesday statement, as carried by CNBC. The move from China means that Chinese entities and persons are prohibited from doing business with the sanctioned U.S. companies, effective immediately. The trade escalation follows last weeks enhanced export controls that China imposed for rare earths and rare earth processing technology. While President Trump still intends to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a summit in South Korea later this month, the renewed tensions added to concerns about global economy and global oil demand. Thats on top of an expected record glut in the oil markets in the coming months. Crude oil is falling as risk appetite fades once again, led by renewed selling across U.S. equities amid persistent concerns over the trade wars impact on corporate results, and not least growing concerns about an AI bubble, Ole Hansen, Head of Commodity Strategy at Saxo Bank, said on Tuesday. At this stage, only an escalation involving Russia may prevent prices from sliding further towards key support levels, in Brent below $60. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Oilprice Intelligence brings you the signals before they become front-page news. This is the same expert analysis read by veteran traders and political advisors. Get it free, twice a week, and you'll always know why the market is moving before everyone else. You get the geopolitical intelligence, the hidden inventory data, and the market whispers that move billions - and we'll send you $389 in premium energy intelligence, on us, just for subscribing. Join 400,000+ readers today. Get access immediately by clicking here. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is warning consumers after receiving numerous reports of prop money being used to make purchases on Facebook Marketplace and other similar platforms. (Michigan Department of the Attorney General) The Michigan Department of the Attorney General reports that scammers will typically meet buyers in person, use fake money during the exchange, and then block the seller immediately after the sale. Even experienced sellers can be fooled by realistic prop money, Nessel said in a news release sent to 6 News. I urge Michiganders to slow down, verify cash carefully, and meet in safe locations when conducting online marketplace sales. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before purchasing in an online marketplace, the attorney general says sellers should: Meet buyers at the police station. Inspect each bill closely. Avoid rushed transactions or buyers who pressure the seller to hurry. Most scams have common characteristics, including: Contacting you out of the blue with an urgent request. Pressuring you to act or respond immediately. Urging you to keep the call or transaction secret. Asking for payment or to pay in an unusual form, including wire transfers (Western Union or MoneyGram), prop money, prepaid debit cards, gift cards, or store cards, and pay apps (Venmo, Zelle, Google Pay, Apple Pay, PayPal, etc.) Promise something too good to be true. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Residents who suspect theyve been scammed should contact their local police department. 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 WLNS 6 News. By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) -U.S. tech giant Microsoft looks set to avoid a French antitrust investigation into its search operations because regulators are planning to dismiss a complaint by Qwant, the French rival search engine said on Wednesday. Qwant, which has historically relied on Microsoft's Bing platform to deliver search and news results, took a grievance against Microsoft's search practices to the French regulator earlier this year. It said on Wednesday it may challenge the decision to reject its case in court or take it to other authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Qwant had asked the watchdog to take interim action against Microsoft while it decided if there was sufficient grounds for an investigation. Qwant Chief Executive Olivier Abecassis said the French authority's investigators at a June closed-door hearing issued a recommendation to reject the company's request for an injunction and complaint. "In that case we will be left with no other option but to pursue all available legal avenues to protect our business from Microsoft's egregious abuse, to defend our rights, and to seek compensation," he said. The French regulator declined to comment. It is expected to issue its decision in the next two weeks, though the timing may still change, people with direct knowledge of the matter said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Microsoft said the Qwant complaint lacks merit. "The complaint alleges harm to competition in the market for search, which is dominated by Google," a Microsoft spokesperson said. Qwant alleged Microsoft imposes exclusivity restrictions on Qwant in search results and search advertising, hampering the latter's ability to develop its own search engine, and also alleged it favours itself in allocating search advertising, according to the French company. Microsoft is a major player in the search-engine syndication sector, where it provides search results to smaller European rivals such as Qwant, Ecosia, DuckDuckGo and Lilo. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle) Microsoft has been illegally tracking students and schoolgoers via its 365 Education platform, officials in Austria have ruled. "The Austrian Data Protection Authority ("DSB") issued a decision finding that Microsoft 365 Education illegally tracks students and uses student data for Microsoft's own purposes," data privacy advocacy organization Noyb said in a statement in October. The DSB found that Microsoft 365 Education, which provides web versions of software like Word, Excel and PowerPoint for students, illegally used tracking cookies without consent, according to Noyb. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Microsoft usually argues that its educational products are privacy friendly. This procedure showed that this is not really the case," said Felix Mikolasch, a data protection lawyer at Noyb. Noyb, which helped file a complaint to the DSB about the platform, accused the company of failing to comply with privacy laws. "Microsoft tried to shift almost all responsibilities for Microsoft 365 Education to schools or other national institutions," said Mikolasch. According to Noyb, the ruling means that Microsoft will have to confirm whether or not it sent personal data to its other platforms such as LinkedIn. "If Microsoft does not provide clear information and more powers to its commercial customers, using Microsoft 365 is hardly compliant with EU law," the organization claimed. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) As lawmakers continue to negotiate the end of the government shutdown, food banks across Middle Tennessee are seeing a rise in clients. The most recent government shutdown from December 2018 to January 2019 went on for 35 days. Currently, we are on day 15 of the latest shutdown. Austin Peay State University to cover tuition for military students if government shutdown continues Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those working a variety of federal jobs are furloughed or working without pay. In fact, Nashville International Airport had to scale back operations last week due to a lack of air traffic controllers. Now, food banks in Middle Tennessee are working to keep food on the tables. As the shutdown continues, both One Generation Away and Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee are asking for donations. Chris Whitney, founder and CEO of One Generation Away food bank in Williamson County, said his team has made special efforts to accommodate any federal worker who needs food. We just encourage them and love them, you know, our mission is hope, honor and dignity shared through food, and a lot of them have never been in this position before, Whitney said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Federal workers endure financial strain and fear layoffs as the government shutdown drags on In Nashville, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is also seeing a rise in federal workers needing assistance. Spokesperson Pearce Barringer told News 2 that preparations were made before the shutdown, adding they are prepared to help anyone in need. Thankfully, in this case we did have a bit of a heads up, he said. This was something that we knew could happen for a few weeks, so we were able to prepare ahead of time. According to the Partnership for Public Service, military service members are not getting paid, although President Trump has directed the Secretary of Defense to repurpose $8 billion in funds to pay them. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Until the government shutdown ends, several area food banks say they are prepared to help those in need. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To support One Generation Away, click here. Donations can also be made to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee by following this link. 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 WKRN News 2. A Middle Tennessee district attorney general indicted and accused of chasing and shooting at a wanted fugitive is resigning, according to the Tennessee District Attorney Generals Conference. Chris Stanford, district attorney of the 31st judicial district that covers Van Buren and Warren counties, will leave his post Oct. 31. "We appreciate General Stanfords service and look forward to the Governors appointment of a qualified replacement to ensure a smooth transition and continued service to the people of Tennessee," the Tennessee District Attorney Generals Conference wrote in a news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A DeKalb County grand jury indicted Stanford on Dec. 16 on one count of reckless endangerment, a felony. Stanford is accused of firing his weapon while trying to apprehend a man accused of triple homicide in Warren County, according to information from authorities. The indictment states Stanford "unlawfully, intentionally and recklessly" fired a handgun on Bell Street in Smithville, about 60 miles east of Nashville, on Nov. 21. A bullet shot through a home a woman and her three children were in but no one was injured, the indictment states. Stanford was in pursuit of a wanted fugitive but there was "no immediate threat" to him or others when he fired his weapon, according to information from the TBI received in December. The indictment states Stanford did not aim the weapon when he fired. Gov. Bill Lee will select Stanford's replacement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Have questions about the justice system? Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him with questions, tips or story ideas at emealins@tennessean.com. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Chris Stanford resigns: Van Buren, Warren Co. DA accused in shooting BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) A Midfield man called CBS 42 after getting a ticket from a red-light camera. He says the cameras unfairly target drivers and wanted us to investigate whether or not they are legal. Everyone knows the saying If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? That same logic can be applied to if you run a red-light and theres no police around to catch you, do you still get a ticket? In Midfield, the answer is yes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more than a decade, cameras like these have been installed at two intersections in the city of Midfield. They capture photos of vehicles that run red-lights, and tickets are then mailed to the registered owners. Melvin Howard has been on the receiving end of those tickets multiple times. I think its unfair, said Howard. Howard isnt alone in thinking the cameras are unfair. In fact, red-light cameras like the ones in Midfield have made it all way to the Alabama Supreme Court. Attorney Kirby Farris says hes studied them. Birmingham City Council approves $1.2 million for Legion Field renovations Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That has been challenged at the Alabama Supreme Court level, Farris said. The court has looked at how the law gets around what you just mentioned. In most circumstances, running a red light is a misdemeanor offense, and a police officer must witness it or someone else must observe it and report it to a magistrate. So how do cities like Midfield get around having a police officer observe someone running a red-light? In these circumstances this is a civil penalty, not a criminal penalty. Thats the way they use the red light cameras. So, they say youre running a red light, camera takes a picture, takes a picture of your license plate and then youre assessed a civil penalty, not a criminal penalty, added Farris. Farris says cities like Midfield use ordinances written to create a loophole in the law which make the cameras legal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It kind of gets around some of the constitutional issues. So a loophole was a good way to look at it, remarked Farris. The cameras operate around the clock, capturing images and generating tickets. We wanted to find out how many tickets have been issued. To get answers, we reached out to Midfield Mayor Gary Richardson. He declined our interview requests, so we approached him at a Midfield City Council meeting. He again refused to answer our questions. We have submitted official requests to the city for information on their red-light cameras. We are still waiting for the city to respond to those requests. Well continue to follow the story and bring you the latest. 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 CBS 42. MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- A Midland man has been arrested after deputies say he threatened his family with a handgun and restrained them inside their home during a domestic disturbance earlier this week. 38-year-old Juan Alonso Limon Loya faces three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, all first-degree felonies, and five counts of unlawful restraint exposing the victims to serious bodily injury, third-degree felonies. According to an arrest affidavit, deputies with the Midland County Sheriffs Office were called to a disturbance around 1:26 a.m. on Monday, October 13, at a Midland home. A caller reported that his father had pointed a gun at him and his siblings and warned that he would do something if law enforcement arrived. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When deputies got to the scene, they found 38-year-old Juan Alonso Limon Loya inside a vehicle. Deputies said a pistol with one round in the chamber was found in the vehicles center console. Investigators reported that Loyas wife told deputies an argument had escalated when her husband threw a phone at her, injuring her lip, and pushed her to the ground before kneeling on her chin. She said he also displayed a handgun and told their son he would get into a shootout if anyone called for help. Deputies said Loya restricted the movement of several people inside the home by waving the firearm and ordering them to remain inside. Loya was taken into custody and booked into the Midland County Detention Center. He faces three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, all first-degree felonies, and five counts of unlawful restraint, exposing the victims to serious bodily injury, third-degree felonies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to jail records, Loyas Bond was set at $100,000 for each aggravated assault charge and $20,000 for each unlawful restraint charge, totaling $400,000. As of Wednesday, October 15, Loya remains in custody. 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 Yourbasin. (WHTM) The Army Heritage Center Foundation will honor a well-known general this month in the Midstate. Robert Desousa and Julie Germany joined Hot Topic Tuesday to discuss the Army Heritage Center Foundation Awards Dinner and the work the foundation does. Watch Hot Topic Tuesday with Valerie Pritchett in the video player above! 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 ABC27. With all the headaches of flying, air travel services rarely win praise and accolades from travelers. Many airports make headlines for the wrong reasons, from the nation's worst airport for flight cancellations to the downright icky airports that rank dead last for cleanliness. One airport, however, has managed to win the hearts of frequent flyers several years in a row. The JD Power North America Airport Satisfaction Study ranked the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) highest in passenger satisfaction in both 2024 and 2025. The airport beat dozens of other "mega" airports such as Detroit, Phoenix, and Dallas, all air transport hubs that handle more than 33 million passengers per year. Even as record numbers of travelers are flying, the good news is that overall satisfaction has increased as airports offer increasingly unique and localized passenger experiences. "A few big capital improvement projects have now been completed and many more are underway or about to break ground," explains Michael Taylor, J.D. Power managing director of travel, hospitality, and retail, in a press release. " A decades long trend of bringing unique, local flavor to the passenger experience has positively impacted the airport experience, with these local touches having a major influence on passenger satisfaction." So, what made Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport stand out? The travel hub outperformed in all categories, including ease of travel, facilities, and staff, as well as food, beverage, retail, and the passenger experience departing from and arriving at the airport. All of this led to a high level of passenger trust in the airport. "I do NOT dread hanging at this airport. So many decent food choices, cool merch etc.," as one Reddit user put it. "Y'all did MSP right!" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Seemingly Normal Behaviors That TSA Will Watch You Like A Hawk For At The Airport Convenience, food, and local flair at MSP Passengers looking out the window and at the arrival and departure listings at MSP airport - BalkansCat/Shutterstock MSP has two terminals. A light rail train connects them both and also drops passengers at Metro Transit, which whisks commuters across the city from downtown Minneapolis to the Mall of America, the country's largest shopping mall. It's the kind of ease of travel that passengers appreciate, especially when making a tight layover between connecting flights. Passengers have reported making connections at MSP in under 40 minutes. The airport has also pioneered other time-saving innovations. MSP Reserve allows passengers to book a time slot for TSA screening. That means no more long, snaking lines through security. As one Reddit user said: "You will feel like a rockstar when you're walking down this line and nobody's in front of you." Travelers rarely recommend an airport restaurant for good eating, but MSP's Stone Arch gets good reviews for its craft burgers and extensive list of beers. "This is our 'go-to' every time we fly out of MSP first place we go after clearing security," says one Reddit user. Although it's got "airport prices," they added, "the food is good, the tap list is great, and the staff has always been super friendly (we always belly right up to the bar)." If you're in a rush, the Farmer's Fridge vending machines offer fresh salads and bowls on the go. The airport even pays homage to Prince, the city's beloved music legend, with a swirling purple mural and a boutique Prince store at Terminal 1. Passengers can buy violet-colored travel pillows, t-shirts, music, and tickets to Paisley Park, Prince's former home and studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Efficient service, good food, and local flair are all elements that put MSP at the top of customer satisfaction surveys lessons that a certain East Coast airport could learn after landing at the bottom of airport customer rankings. 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. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) grew frustrated on Wednesday with questions about abuse and stolen valor accusations against Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL). At a press conference on the government shutdown, Johnson was immediately hit with questions about Mills. The questions followed a Florida judge issuing a restraining order against Mills. Circuit Judge Fred Koberlein barred Mills from making contact with Lindsay Langston. The judge found that Mills caused substantial emotional distress and Langston had reasonable cause to believe she is in imminent danger of becoming the victim of another act of dating violence. Mills was accused by Langston of threatening to put out intimate sexually explicit videos of her. Mills claimed to the court that he no longer had access to the videos in question. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cory continued to message me on Instagram accounts I run after blocking him and asking him to not contact me. The messages progressively got more threatening over time, Langston wrote in her petition. The Langston situation follows Mills making headlines in February after police were called to his Washington, D.C. residence to investigate a domestic situation. Though the police report made reference to bruising on the woman in the residence, both she and Mills denied any physical abuse occurred. On Wednesday, Johnson said he did not know the details of allegations against Mills, but described him as a faithful colleague. I have not heard or looked into the details of that. Ive been a little busy. We have a House Ethics Committee, if it warrants that, Im sure theyll look into that, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnson tried moving on, but he was hit with yet another Mills question about the restraining order, as well as allegations of stolen valor, noting discrepancies between his stories from his military service and from others. Mills has denied the accusations. Johnson told reporters to ask Mills about the accusations and urged them to talk about more serious topics. Look, you have to ask Representative Mills about that, he said. I mean, hes been a faithful colleague here. I know his work on the Hill. I mean, I dont know all the details of all the individual allegations and what hes doing in his outside life. You have to ask him about that. Lets talk about things that are really serious. Watch above via CSPAN. The post Mike Johnson Dismisses Questions on Abuse Allegations Against GOP Lawmaker: Lets Talk About Things That Are Really Serious first appeared on Mediaite. WASHINGTON (AP) Oracle and Advanced Micro Devices said Tuesday that they are expanding their partnership with the deployment of 50,000 AMD graphic processing units beginning in the third quarter of 2026 with further expansion to follow. The so-called AI supercluster is an enormous, interconnected group of high-performance computers designed to work together as a single system. AMD shares rose 1.4% in early trading Tuesday, while Oracle slipped 2.9%. The companies said that next-generation AI models are poised to outgrow the limits of current AI infrastructure. The expanding AMD-Oracle partnership is the latest in a flurry of intertwined deals in recent months involving top AI developers that are flooding the booming AI sector with resources and money. On Monday, ChatGPT maker OpenAI announced that it is working with chipmaker Broadcom to design its own artificial intelligence computer chips. Last week, AMD said it will supply its chips to OpenAI in a joint effort to build up AI infrastructure. OpenAI will also get the option to buy as much as a 10% stake in AMD. Chipmaker Nvidia said in September that it would invest $100 billion in OpenAI as part of a partnership to add at least 10 gigawatts of Nvidia AI data centers to boost OpenAI's computing power. OpenAI doesnt turn a profit, but the privately held San Francisco company is now the worlds most valuable startup, with a market valuation of $500 billion, raising concerns that an AI bubble is looming. Some industry analysts and financial institutions fear that the rapid growth in tech stock prices have stretched companies' market valuations beyond their actual worth, comparable to the peak of the 2000 dotcom bubble, which eventually deflated and led to a recession. Last week, the Bank of England flagged the growing risk that tech stock prices pumped up by the AI boom could burst. Shares of AMD and Oracle, have soared about 80% this year. Neither company gave a dollar figure for their expanded partnership. House Speaker Mike Johnson was shredded online for claiming that he and his Republican allies have always stood with Capitol police. Johnsons remark came in response to a reporters question over whether he thinks Capitol police should be included among the law enforcement officers the Trump administration has vowed to pay during the ongoing government shutdown. Capitol police missed their full paycheck and received only half their pay, excluding earned overtime, on Saturday due to the shutdown, according to NBC News. Should law enforcement include Capitol police who protect you, your family, Mr. Scalise, the Whip, as well as the Capitol Building in general? a reporter asked the Republican. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve always stood with Capitol police and law enforcement and weve shown that in word and deed, Johnson replied. But Johnsons words quickly went viral on social media, as some pointed out that President Donald Trump pardoned about 1,500 people who were prosecuted in connection with the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, which left more than 140 police officers injured. House Speaker Mike Johnson was shredded online after he said Republicans have always stood with Capitol police (AFP via Getty Images) The House Homeland Security Committee Democrats account on X shared the clip and called Johnsons remarks bulls***. Trump pardoned hundreds of cop beaters, the post reads. Republicans said nothing. Trump Lie Tracker, a popular X account with more than 130,000 followers, also shared the clip and wrote: They didnt lift a finger when Trump pardoned Jan 6 rioters who assaulted the very same police officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Independent has contacted Johnsons office for comment. Rioters storm the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. President Donald Trump pardoned those convicted in connection with the attack in January (AFP/Getty) On the first day of his second term, President Donald Trump commuted the sentences of 14 people linked to the January 6 attack and granted a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals convicted of offenses related to the attack. Former Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, who was repeatedly assaulted during the riots, told NPR that Trumps decision was a miserable miscarriage of justice. "All this hard work, all these investigations, all the efforts to bring justice and accountability have been erased," he said. Its been more than three weeks since Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva won the special election in Arizona, and the state has had enough of Congresss delays. Republican leadership has refused to swear in Grijalva until Congress returns to its regular session, breaking precedent set in April when party members swore in a pair of Florida Republicans during a pro forma session, the day after they won their special elections. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes told CNN Tuesday that Speaker Mike Johnson had left Arizonans with one option to acquire their constitutionally mandated representation: taking him to court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I really think that we are going to have no other choice, Laura, except to take Speaker Johnson to court, Mayes told host Laura Coates, emphasizing the recent flooding that has occurred in Grijalvas district and her constituents need to access Congress. Grijalva became the first Latina the Grand Canyon State has sent to Congress when she won an election to determine the replacement for her father, Raul Grijalva. Shes also the last signature that the House needs on a petition to force a vote on releasing government documents related to the investigation of deceased pedophilic sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. If I have to, Ill take him to court, Mayes continued. Again, theres no legitimate reason for him to refuse to swear her in right now. No other reason that I can think of except that perhaps she is the final vote to discharge the Epstein files. And its not fair for Mike Johnson to be holding the state of Arizona hostage because he doesnt want to release the Epstein files, Mayes added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grijalvas swearing in appears to be background noise for Republican House leadership, which is floundering to muster solutions to a gridlock over continuous funding for Donald Trumps big, beautiful budget and its seismic cuts to Obamacare subsidies and Medicaid. But theres plenty of precedent for Grijalva to be sworn in, even in such complicated circumstances. For instance, the entire House was sworn in during a shutdown in 2019, during Trumps first term. Grijalva has already vowed to sign the bipartisan petition advancing the immediate release of the Epstein files. Just four Republicans have penned their signatures on the petition, demanding more transparency from the Trump administration regarding the investigation into Epstein and his potential associates. Those conservative lawmakers include Representatives Thomas Massie, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Nancy Mace, and Lauren Boebert. (The Center Square) Pivotal eastern North Carolina military installations in Americas defense infrastructure will be getting significant fiscal support in the National Defense Authorization Act once signed by second-term Republican President Donald Trump. Senators last week passed their $913.9 billion plan. It is 2.3% higher than the $893 billion approved by the House of Representatives in September. North Carolina has long stood at the forefront of Americas military strength, and I was proud to deliver key victories for our state and our nation in the FY 2026 NDAA that will further empower our servicemembers and strengthen our forces both at home and abroad, said first-term Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C. Americas strength rests on the unmatched lethality of its armed forces, and this years NDAA reaffirms that commitment by advancing our militarys readiness to confront any threat and its resolve to defend the cause of freedom against any adversary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the government idle and congressional members on a work period in districts, negotiations are also idle to reconcile the two bills. The House work period runs through Sunday; the Senate is scheduled to return on Tuesday. Overall, for all of the estimated 91,000 active service members in the Tarheel State, each version has a 3.8% pay raise. Policy matters and some specifics are approached differently, according to analysis by The Center Square. For example, the Senate version has no affirmative action in admissions to service academies and cuts environmental regulations that stymie procurement of basic items. Senators want mobile nuclear microreactor systems for energy resilience to be developed, prototyped and deployed. It also has a pilot program to improve the basic allowance for housing, specifically for North Carolina. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The House would codify 15 executive orders from Trump; fund work for border security operations alongside Homeland Security; and have appropriation to ensure the administrations plans for the Golden Dome, F-47s, submarines, warships, and autonomous systems. The U.S. Armys Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base is generally known as the receiver of a presidents 911 call. Meaning, if theres urgent defense or offense needed by the War Department, itll likely be the Green Berets of the Special Operations Forces and or the 82nd Airborne at the tip of the spear. Both the Senate and House have $80 million for power generation and a microgrid at Fort Bragg. Also, both are $24 million to complete the construction of an aircraft maintenance hangar and $19 million for an automated infantry platoon battle course. Senators appropriated $32 million and the House $6.5 million for the Special Ops Mission Command Center. Senators also have $80 million for the Special Ops operational ammunition supply point, and $5 million for the Pathfinder Airborne Program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House members have $44.7 million for training facilities at Forward Operating Base Freedom, known also as Freedom Village; $7.5 million for advanced drone development; and $5.3 million for a Special Operations Forces Joint Intelligence Center. At Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, both chambers put in $90 million for a Special Operations Forces Marine Raider Battalion Operations facility. Senators also have $48.28 million for amphibious combat vehicle shelters, and $34 million for expansion of the Special Operations Forces Combat Service support and motor transport. At Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, senators came through with $40 million for an F-35 Aircraft Sustainment Center, for which House members have designated $200 million. The House plans for it to be the service hub another half century. Senators also designated $15 million to design the next phase of the Flightline Utilities Modernization project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, senators have $54 million to improve a child development center and $41 million to boost the combat arms training and maintenance complex. Senators also designated $69 million for the North Carolina National Guards aircraft maintenance hangar addition and alteration at the Salisbury training center. Budd, in a release, also said the states manufacturers and projects are slated for more than $50 million. There is $34 million to procure infantry squad vehicles manufactured in Concord; $8 million to procure Army load-carrying technology advancements built in Concord; $5 million to expand the Defense Innovation Unit OnRamp Hub; and $4 million to procure rare earth magnets manufactured in Durham. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other major components to American defense in eastern North Carolina are Marine Corps Air Station New River; two U.S. Coast Guard bases along the northern coast at Elizabeth City; and the Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point on the southern coast in Brunswick County. More than 63,000 children are with the active service members. The ninth-largest state in the nation has about 620,000 veterans in its 11.1 million population. Members of the U.S. military were due to receive their pay on Wednesday as the Trump administration and the Pentagon turn to alternate revenue streams to keep checks flowing to service members amid the now 15-day-old government shutdown. The federal government ran out of money at midnight on October 1 after Senate Democrats blocked a continuing resolution that to keep the government open that Republicans passed. Democrats want any stopgap spending bill to include an extension of enhanced tax credits for the Affordable Care Acts health insurance marketplace since the tax credits expire at the end of this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But over the weekend, Trump said in a Truth Social post that he and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth identified money to pay military servicemembers. I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire Security of our Nation, HOSTAGE, with their dangerous Government Shutdown, he said. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth shakes hands with President Donald Trump in Quantico, Virginia, on Tuesday (Andrew Harnik/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Politico reported that an Office of Management and Budget official said the money would come from its research and development pot. About $8 billion is being moved from accounts focused on research, development, testing and evaluation efforts. Rep Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), who represents Virginia Beach and is herself a Navy veteran, praised the move. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is exactly what my Pay Our Troops Act was aiming to accomplish! Kiggans posted on X I am grateful for a Commander-in-Chief who cares about our service members and their families. Now its time to get the government open! Previously, some Democrats and even some Republicans had floated a standalone bill to ensure that military service members would continue being paid amid the shutdown. The move will likely buy House Speaker Mike Johnson more time. Johnson said earlier this week that were barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history. The longest shutdown happened in between December 2018 and January 2019, when Trump initiated a government shutdown because he wanted to include spending for his proposed US-Mexico border wall. That effort ultimately failed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So far, Johnson has refused to call Congress back into session. Johnson has argued that the House of Representatives has already done its job to stop a government shutdown and its now the job of the Senate to work on legislation. The House passed a so-called clean continuing resolution to keep federal spending at their current rates. Currently, Congress has not finished crafting the 12 spending bills needed to fully fund the federal government for an entire fiscal year. But Democrats have so far not shown any indication that they want to pass the continuing resolution. Only three members of the Senate Democratic caucusSens. Angus King (I-Maine), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and John Fetterman (D-Penn.)voted for the continuing resolution. This also comes as other federal workers have been put on furlough without pay. In addition, last week OMB director Russell Vought said he had begun conducting reductions in force to layoff federal workers. The money for troops will give Republicans a little more leverage, but they still face a big deadline of the beginning of November, when health insurance marketplaces begin to announce their new premiums. (The Center Square) As the California special election heats up in the weeks leading to voters saying yay or nay on Gov. Gavin Newsoms congressional redistricting effort, big money continues to fuel campaigns for and against it. Some of that money is paying for a new pro-Proposition 50 advertising campaign, paid for by billionaire Tom Steyer, featuring a television commercial set in the near future depicting President Donald Trump watching news coverage of the passage of measure. That commercial is part of Steyers Stick it to Trump campaign encouraging California voters to vote yes on Prop. 50 to pick up five more Democratic seats in the U.S. House. That's the response by California Democrats to Texas drawing new districts to add five more Republican seats. In the new commercials, Trump is portrayed by an actor, appearing to throw fast food at the TV and yelling at the screen as results of the Prop. 50 vote, scheduled for Nov. 4, are announced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Steyer announced last week he would donate more than $12 million to the pro-Prop. 50 campaign, according to media reports. His name is on the "Stick It To Trump" commercials that are now airing. Steyers pro-Prop. 50 ad was released after campaign ads against Prop. 50, paid for in large part by California billionaire Charles Thomas Munger Jr., one of the ballot initiatives biggest opponents. Munger has contributed more than $32 million to the Project Voters First Committee, which opposes the proposition, according to the Fair Political Practices Commission. The anti-Prop. 50 ads Munger paid for depict a large weight being dropped on the phrase Fair Elections spelled out in carefully crafted wooden letters, shattering the letters as criticism of the proposition plays out over the screen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The evocative commercials highlight two sides of what is shaping up to be a contentious battle between supporters and opponents of the redistricting effort, who favor current congressional district lines drawn by the states independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. The commission was created in 2008 after voters in California passed the Voters First Act, which authorizes the commission to redraw district lines for Californias state Senate and Assembly districts, as well as State Board of Equalization Districts. Two years later, California voters authorized the commission to also redraw Congressional district lines with the Congressional Voters First Act. Munger donated $1.4 million to pass Proposition 11, the 2008 measure creating the redistricting commission. And he spent about $12.2 million to support Proposition 20, which expanded the commission's duties to include drawing congressional districts. He also spent $12.2 million to defeat Proposition 27, a 2010 measure to eliminate the commission. Prop. 50, or the Election Rigging Response Act, is Newsoms answer to Texass redrawing of congressional district lines and is meant to offset the five congressional seats Texas Republicans have the potential to swing in 2026. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, signed his states new congressional redistricting bill into law in August, stating that the move was necessary to ensure fairer representation in Congress for Texas voters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Texas move was seen by Newsom as an attack on Californias mostly Democratic voters, Newsom said in a news release the same month. California and Californians have been uniquely targeted by the Trump Administration, and we are not going to sit idle while they command Texas and other states to rig the next election to keep power pursuing more extreme and unpopular policies, said Newsom in that news release. This proposal would give Californians a choice to fight back and bring much needed accountability and oversight to the Trump Administration. Despite Newsoms efforts to seek what he sees as a balance representation in Congress, Republican legislators dont believe Newsoms redistricting effort will ultimately serve that purpose. What will end up happening is youll have predetermined elections that I think are bad for Democrats, independents and Republicans, said state Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Huntington Beach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When you already know who the winner is before the election even starts, I dont think thats healthy for our democracy, and thats exactly what will happen," Strickland told The Center Square Tuesday. "If 50 passes, well have no competitive congressional races in California. Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, R-San Diego, weighed in Tuesday about the ballot initiative, as well as the ads promoting and opposing Prop. 50. I think its telling that we see the yes campaign drawing all the attention to the President and away from the actual merits of the measure," Jones told The Center Square in a statement Tuesday. "Prop. 50 is not an attack on the President; its an attack on Californians. On their right to true democratic representation free from political gamesmanship and gerrymandering. Its an attack on our state constitution and on democracy as we know it in the Golden State." "The yes campaign can broadcast all the orange-man-bad jokes they want," Jones said. "At the end of the day, they know theyre on the wrong side of history and I believe the voters know that too and that itll show on November 4th. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Biggest donors for and against Prop. 50 The Fair Political Practices Commissions Prop. 50 database shows that as of Tuesday, more than $43.9 million has been contributed by the efforts top supporters toward the passage of Newsoms congressional redistricting effort. More than $40.8 million has been contributed toward opposing the proposition by its most ardent detractors. According to the Fair Political Practices Commission, the single biggest contributor raising money for the ballot initiative, the D.C.-based HMP for Prop 50, gave more than $10.9 million through Sept. 20 for Prop. 50s passage. By comparison, $5 million was contributed in opposition by another D.C.-based group, No on Prop 50 Congressional Leadership Fund. Again, media reports have cited Seyer, a Democrat who ran for president in 2020, announcing he would contribute more than $12 million for the campaign to pass Prop. 50. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the single biggest contributor against the ballot initiative, Munger, has so far spent $32,790,000 against Prop. 50s passage, according to the Fair Political Practices Commission. No one single individual has matched that figure in supporting Prop. 50, the FPPC portal shows, but several other committees and groups together have contributed more than $41.4 million to advance the proposition. Some of these top contributors include New York-based Fund for Policy Reform, which has contributed $10 million, followed by the California Nurses Association and the California Teachers Association Issues PAC, which have given $3.2 million and more than $3 million, respectively. Other top contributors toward passage of Prop. 50 include the D.C.-based National Education Association, which has so far contributed $3 million, and Newsom for Governor 2022, which contributed $2.6 million. Consumer Attorneys of California Issues Political Action Committee and Working for Working Americans Sponsored by United Brotherhood of Carpenters each separately contributed $2 million. Two of the top individuals who gave outsize donations to the passage of Prop. 50 included just two people -- Michael Moritz, a Californian, and Gwendolyn Sontheim, a resident of Minnesota, according to the Fair Political Practices Commission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In opposition to Prop. 50, some of the top contributors included the D.C.-based No on Prop. 50 Congressional Leadership Fund, which put in $5 million; the Maryland-based Kevin McCarthy for Congress, which contributed $1 million, and Thomas M. Siebel, a California resident, who gave $1 million. Other contributors to the No on Prop. 50 - Stop Sacramentos Power Grab Committee included the Wisconsin-based Jim Jordan for Congress, which gave $300,000; the Ken Calvert for Congress/Eureka Political Action Committee, which gave more than $276,000; Redding Rancheria, which gave $150,000, and Vince Fong for Congress, Ranch Management LLC and Jay Obernotle for Congress, which each gave $100,000. Calvert, Fong and Obernolte are Republican congressmen in California. Calvert is among the five Republican congressmen in California at risk of losing their seats if Proposition 50 passes, as The Center Square previously reported. Other top contributing committees to the effort to pass Prop. 50 include the Advocacy Action Fund, consisting of Wendy and Eric Schmidt, listed as California residents. That committee has raised $1 million in support of Prop. 50, and the Progressive Era Issues Committee, which also supports Prop. 50, has raised $1.52 million, according to the most recent filings available from the Fair Political Practices Commission. California will not be a bystander to Trumps power grab, said Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Salinas, in a news release from Newsoms office in August. We are acting to defend our state from his attacks, by taking it directly to the voters. Californians believe in democracy and freedom, and we will not stand by while the House is hijacked by authoritarianism. Gov. Janet Mills gives opening remarks for a forum hosted by the nonprofit Maine Lawyers for the Rule of Law in Portland on Oct. 14, hours after launching her campaign for U.S. Senate. (Photo by Emma Davis/ Maine Morning Star) Gov. Janet Mills first public appearance after launching her bid for U.S. Senate on Tuesday wasnt a campaign stop, but it underscored her argument as to why shes best fit to beat long-time Republican Sen. Susan Collins: she knows the rule of law and has a record of defending it. Mills gave the opening remarks for a forum titled, Standing up for the Rule of Law: How do we save it? to a University of Southern Maine auditorium, filled with people, many lawyers, similarly concerned about the rule of law amid growing challenges to democratic institutions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governor condemned the Trump administration for punishing law firms for pursuing cases the president dislikes, an issue that led to the founding of the nonprofit that hosted the event, Maine Lawyers for the Rule of Law. Mills also highlighted how shes personally fought back, reiterating her now famous see you in court rallying cry after President Donald Trump threatened to withhold federal funding to Maine over the states transgender athlete policy, which was also a prominent part of her campaign launch video. That comment was met with enthusiastic applause. But public frustration with the shortcomings of the overall opposition to the Trump administrations continued infringements on the rule of law became palpable as the night went on. The speakers Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey, ACLU of Maine Legal Director Carol Garvan, Maine State Bar Association President Susan Faunce spoke about the importance of courts as a backstop, though an imperfect one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the keynote speaker, Harvard Law Professor Noah Feldman, a constitutional scholar, said the ultimate defense for a free government is the test Mills now faces: the public. Public action historically has been the way that the rule of law rejuvenates itself, Feldman said in an interview with Maine Morning Star ahead of the event. I mean, the rule of law is not magic. Its a set of customs, practices and culture. Vote. Protest. Speak to elected officials. Run for office. Of the latter, Feldman added, Sometimes thats what it takes. Because the system rests on our common belief that its okay, and if something is going on and you know its not okay, and you say, Oh, well, its somebody elses job. Guaranteed that the thing you think is not okay will become normalized. We know that the law is neither red nor blue, it is not owned by any political party, and it is not the tool of the chief executive. The law, very simply, is the greatest achievement of our society, it is the thing that protects all of us, especially the weak and the vulnerable, those who cannot stand up for themselves. Maine Gov. Janet Mills The status quo will be questioned in numerous ways in the Senate race. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Collins is facing fierce opposition from Democrats who say shes not doing enough to push back on Trumps actions. Meanwhile, Mills is highlighting her extensive legal experience to show voters how she plans to resist. We know that the law is neither red nor blue, it is not owned by any political party, and it is not the tool of the chief executive, Mills said Tuesday night. The law, very simply, is the greatest achievement of our society, it is the thing that protects all of us, especially the weak and the vulnerable, those who cannot stand up for themselves. If we stop believing in that great equalizer, the Constitution, if we give up, if we lose faith, then we lose the very thing that protects every one of us, at a time when we need it most. Harvard Law Professor Noah Feldman delivers the keynote speech for a forum hosted by the nonprofit Maine Lawyers for the Rule of Law in Portland on Oct. 14. (Photo by Emma Davis/ Maine Morning Star) The public has also been growing frustrated with the Democratic establishment, of which Mills is a part. She was scouted by and launched her campaign with the financial backing of national Democrats, instantly upending a primary field that had been leaning toward a political novice. Crowds across Maine have been drawn to Democratic candidate Graham Platner because of his grassroots pitch. The oysterman and military veteran who was scouted by unions and community groups has said hes running not just to become a senator but to build out a lasting structure for grassroots politics in the Pine Tree State. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Feldman shied away from commenting on Maine politics when asked about Mills prospects, he was direct when he said, The first check on the executive is not the judiciary. Its not the public. Its Congress. And when asked whether Congress is currently doing enough to uphold the rule of law, he said, it doesnt take a genius in political science to observe that Congress isnt fulfilling its functions in a robust way. When it passes laws, its not insisting that they be enforced or insisting that the president enforce them, Feldman said. When he doesnt enforce the law or when he deviates from the law, Congress is largely out to lunch or silent. Feldman attributed this inaction largely to looming reelection prospects. He then credited Trump and his supporters for realizing that if you mobilize people to vote, you can make fundamental change in the society. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mills hammered this point too. Whenever and however you do stand up, believe me, you will count for more than you think, she told the crowd. But Mainers in attendance Tuesday night questioned their power in unprecedented times. How do we, the basic people, how do we confront the federal government? one woman asked. David Webbert, a civil rights lawyer in Maine who moderated the forum, responded, One quick thing is to vote. The woman rebutted with concerns about gerrymandering and a referendum on the November ballot that would make significant changes to election procedures, including requiring identification to vote and adding more restrictions to absentee voting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This back and forth continued to no clear conclusion, but Feldman said the woman was part of the solution. Thats what insisting on the rule of law is all about, he said. It is incremental. It is everyday work. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE A day after the state Legislature approved a bill intended to help Milwaukee crack down on reckless drivers, local officials met at the city's towing lot to send a message. "If you choose to engage in the criminal, negligent operation of a motor vehicle ... if you choose to put lives at risk, we're taking the car," Milwaukee Police Department Assistant Chief Craig Sarnow said. "We're taking away the weapon, and we're going to put it here," Sarnow said, referring to the City of Milwaukee Tow Lot at 3811 W. Lincoln Ave. the site of an Oct. 15 press conference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Behind Sarnow and Common Council members, employees used equipment to lift a wrecked SUV with its left front side smashed in, a somber reminder of the devastation caused by reckless driving. New legislation now on its way to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who's expected to sign it into law, will allow police to impound a vehicle after arresting a reckless driver or issuing a citation, whether it's a repeat offense or not. "If you're a one-time offender, that's one time too many," Alderman Scott Spiker said. The bill expands on a 2023 law, which police found too restrictive and used rarely. The current law only applies when the driver owns the vehicle and doesn't cover cars that are stolen or borrowed under someone else's name. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, any cars driven recklessly may be hauled to the tow lot. To get their car back, the driver has to pay any outstanding fines and towing costs at least $150, plus $25 daily storage fees. Police will attempt to contact owners of stolen vehicles, who won't have to pay fees. More: Council members debate Milwaukee police chase policy: 'Damned if you, damned if you don't' Sarnow said that, of MPD's 778 vehicle pursuits this year, 583 have been for reckless driving. Local officials hope the stronger penalty means people will be "less inclined to engage in this negative behavior" and lead to fewer pursuits. The bill also authorizes Milwaukee to dispose of the vehicle, similar to abandoned cars, if it remains unclaimed for 90 days. Milwaukee Police Department Assistant Chief Craig Sarnow speaks at a Oct. 15 news conference about legislation to crack down on reckless driving. A wrecked car sits behind him at the city's tow lot, 3811 W. Lincoln Ave. Milwaukee leaders praise bipartisanship in Capitol over reckless driving bill The legislation brought together two groups who are often at odds: Republican lawmakers in the state Capitol and local Milwaukee officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Bob Donovan, R-Greenfield, and Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, led the bill and gained support from Democrats, including state Sen. Tim Carpenter from Milwaukee. "The issue of reckless driving has transcended traditional political lines due to its prevalence in Milwaukee," Donovan said in an Oct. 14 statement. "I want to thank the bipartisan group of lawmakers who recognized this and supported it." At the news conference, Spiker thanked Donovan, Wanggaard and the governor for his expected signing of the bill. "We don't get a lot of bipartisan support these days, but we have it here," Spiker said. "Why? The problem we are facing is catastrophic. It's literally costing us lives every day." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: 'She just touched hearts:' Family gathers for balloon release after Milwaukee woman dies from hit-and-run Reckless driving bill hasn't reached Evers yet, but he plans to sign it The state Legislature's website shows the bill hasn't been presented, or sent, to the governor. Once Evers receives it, he has six days, not including Sundays, to sign or veto it. If he doesn't act in that time period, the bill automatically becomes law. An Evers spokeswoman said he plans to sign the law based on the amendment added Oct. 13, which clarifies that a police officer has the discretion whether to impound a vehicle. Some Democrats were concerned the bill created grey areas if a parent lent their car to their child who drove recklessly. As long as the bill is promptly sent to the governor's office, it's likely to become law by the end of the month. Then it's up to the Milwaukee Common Council to pass an ordinance to put the policy in place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alderman Lamont Westmoreland, who began the push to expand the law, said he has that ordinance drafted and ready to enact at the next Common Council meeting. "Not one action will fix our reckless driving issue," Westmoreland said, "but we're working hard to address it." This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee police warn reckless drivers they could soon have cars towed Investors are anticipating that PayPay might reach a valuation surpassing Y3tn ($20bn) as SoftBank gears up for a potential initial public offering (IPO) of the Japanese payment application in the US, possibly as soon as December, reported Reuters, citing sources. According to sources, the ongoing discussions with institutional investors started in mid-September regarding the IPO valuation. While a valuation of Y2tn is considered a starting point, expectations are that the final figure could exceed Y3tn, sourced added. The Japanese payment firm has not issued any comments on the matter, stated the media outlet. The sources emphasised that the discussions are ongoing and that any decisions, including the valuation, are dependent on the prevailing market conditions at the time of the IPO. The current valuation estimates are largely based on the growth of PayPay's operations within Japan. However, investors are also said to be considering the company's potential for international expansion, which could justify a higher valuation. PayPay recently announced that its users would be able to make payments overseas, starting with South Korea. In August, the news agency reported that SoftBank had appointed investment banks for the potential IPO. The telecom arm of SoftBank reported an increase in its operating profit for its financial segment, which includes PayPay, with profits more than doubling to Y18.1bn in the April-June quarter. According to a source, "The key focus going forward will be to what extent overseas expansion can be realistically pictured as a growth story, given the lack of business foundations not only in the US but also in Asia. PayPay is also enhancing its cryptocurrency offerings, having recently acquired a 40% stake in the Japanese operations of Binance, with plans to introduce new cryptocurrency services. Ownership of PayPay is divided among several SoftBank affiliates, including the wireless carrier SoftBank Corp, the Vision Fund investment arm, and LY Corp, a joint venture between Naver Corp and SoftBank. "PayPay valuation could reportedly hit $20bn in upcoming US IPO" was originally created and published by Electronic Payments International, a GlobalData owned brand. TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Hamas hastened Tuesday to ease the pressure on a fragile ceasefire in its war with Israel by returning the bodies of more dead hostages. The move came after an Israeli military agency said it would slash aid deliveries to Gaza by half over concerns that the militant group was handing remains over slower than agreed. The Israeli Prime Minister's office confirmed late Tuesday that authorities received four deceased hostages that the Red Cross handed over to Israeli military authorities inside Gaza. The bodies will be taken to the National Center for Forensic Medicine where they will be identified and the families notified. This latest transfer of remains comes a day after Israel received the bodies of four other dead hostages. Despite the development, it was unclear if the Israeli military agency known as COGAT will follow through with its decision to allow into Gaza only half of the 600 aid trucks called for under the deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The United Nations' humanitarian office in famine-stricken Gaza received word of the humanitarian aid cuts from the Israeli military agency in charge of transferring aid to the territory, according to spokesperson Olga Cherevko. U.S. officials were also notified, according to three Associated Press sources who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. U.S. President Donald Trump expressed concern in a social media post that too few of the dead hostages have been returned. He made no mention of Israel halving the flow of aid into the territory. Trump also warned Hamas that if they dont disarm, we will disarm them. A day earlier, Israelis celebrated the return of the last 20 living hostages in Gaza and Palestinians rejoiced at Israels release of some 2,000 prisoners and detainees as part of the ceasefires first phase. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Families of hostages express dismay Hamas and the Red Cross have said that recovering the remains of dead hostages is a challenge because of Gaza's destruction, and Hamas told mediators of the deal that some are in areas controlled by Israeli troops. The U.S.-proposed ceasefire plan called for all hostages living and dead to be handed over within 72 hours, meaning on Monday. But it provided a mechanism if that didnt happen, saying Hamas should share information about deceased hostages and exert maximum effort to carry out the handover as soon as possible. Families of hostages and their supporters expressed dismay that only four of the 28 bodies were returned on Monday. The Hostages Family Forum, representing many families, called it a blatant violation of the agreement by Hamas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The top official in Israel coordinating the return of hostages and the missing, Gal Hirsch, told the families in a note that pressure was being applied on Hamas through mediators to expedite the process. A copy of the note was seen by the AP and its authenticity was confirmed by someone with knowledge of the statement. Israel confirms identities of returned hostages On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed the identity of the four dead hostages returned on Monday: Guy Illouz from Israel, Bipin Joshi from Nepal, Cpt. Daniel Peretz and Yossi Sharabi. Illouz was abducted from a music festival, Joshi from a bomb shelter and Sharabi from Beeri Kibbutz during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that ignited the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel said Illouz died of his wounds without proper medical treatment, while Joshi was killed in the war's first months. Families left waiting expressed concern. Ela Haimi said she didnt know if the body of her husband, Tal, would be returned by Hamas in a few hours, days or ever. I am afraid they will stop the return, she said. Tal Haimi was killed while defending his kibbutz during the 2023 attack. Long journey to recovery The freed Israeli hostages were in medical care, and some families said it would be weeks before the men could go home. Dalia Cusnir-Horn said brother-in-law Eitan Horn had lost more than 40% of his body weight after receiving very little food in the last few months. The physical toll was only part of the trauma, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes just learning now friends he knew that were murdered, and he had no clue how many people were kidnapped on that day and what this country went through, and its overwhelming and its hard, Cusnir-Horn said. Moshe Levi spoke of brother-in-law Omri Miran's elation at playing with his young daughters one less than a year old when her father was taken hostage. He could feel like hes a father again, Levi said. Palestinian prisoners allege mistreatment In the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza, where hundreds of prisoners and detainees were released, several were taken to hospitals. Murad Barakat, medical director of the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah, said the facility received 14 men and discharged all but two. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Doctors said their conditions suggested they were subjected to severe beatings, reflecting the extent of the violence they endured, said Imed al-Shami, a resident doctor at the hospital. Kamal Abu Shanab, who was released after more than 18 years, said beatings caused his shoulder to tear. "For eight months, I wasnt given even a pill for the pain, he said. AP could not independently verify the claims. Israels Prison Service said it was unaware of such claims. Nasser Hospital in Gaza said the Red Cross transferred the bodies of 45 Palestinians to its morgue. The bodies were the first of an expected 450 to arrive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Long-term challenges for lasting peace Difficult questions remain about Gaza's future, including whether Hamas will disarm and who will govern and help rebuild the territory. Also unanswered is the question of Palestinian statehood. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said 15 Palestinian technocrats have been selected to administer Gaza, with approval from Israel, Hamas and all other Palestinian factions. Palestinians in Gaza appealed for authorities to move quickly to restore some semblance of normality. There is no infrastructure, electricity, water or anything that is fit for life," said Mohamad Abu Hajras, one of the many displaced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, the U.N. development agency said the latest joint estimate with the European Union and the World Bank is that rebuilding Gaza will require $70 billion. Under the ceasefire deal, Israeli forces pulled back to where they were in August, before launching their latest offensive on Gaza City. A number of hard-hit Palestinian neighborhoods remain under Israeli control, and Israel has warned residents not to try to return to homes there. Gaza's Health Ministry on Tuesday said the bodies of three people killed by Israel's military in the north were taken to Al Ahli hospital. The military said troops had opened fire to remove the threat of several people approaching them and not complying with orders to stop. It didnt immediately comment on any casualties. The war has killed over 67,600 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants. It says women and children make up around half the dead, and many independent experts say its figures are the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ___ Dell'Orto reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press journalists Matthew Lee and Aamer Mahdani in Washington; Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations; Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel; Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank; and Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al Balah, Gaza, contributed to this report. ___ Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war CHICAGO Authorities in Chicago are seeking help from the public in the search for a missing man who officers say may need medical attention. According to Chicago police, 23-year-old Zion Hall, who has been missing since Tuesday, was last seen near the 600 block of East Woodland Park Avenue, in the Douglas neighborhood on the citys South Side. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines The missing man, who stands 6 feet tall and weighs around 150 pounds, has brown eyes and black hair. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officers say Hall was last spotted wearing a black Reebok zip-up jacket with black pants and black gym shoes. Photo provided by Chicago police shows 23-year-old Zion Hall, who has been missing since Tuesday, Oct. 14. Additionally, a photo provided by Chicago police shows Hall with facial hair, though it is unclear if he had any at the time of his disappearance. Officers say Hall may also be in need of medical attention, though it is unclear exactly why. Authorities offered details about the mans disappearance in a news release shared early Wednesday morning. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland Anyone with information on the whereabouts of 23-year-old Zion Hall is asked to contact CPD Area One SVU Detectives at 312-747-8380 or dial 911. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those with information that could help authorities in their investigation can also leave a tip at CPDtip.com. Tips can be filed anonymously. 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 WGN-TV. Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Mississippi on Wednesday executed its second death row inmate of the year, putting a 59-year-old man to death by lethal injection after the state's governor said he had no intention to intervene. Charles Ray Crawford was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. CDT in Parchman at the Mississippi State Penitentiary, Mississippi Department of Corrections said. Crawford was on death row for 31 years. Richard Jordan, 79, who was initially sentenced to death 49 years ago, was executed on June 25 in Mississippi, the state's first executed inmate of 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For Crawford, all legal motions had failed, including an emergency filing with the state Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal. His last meal was a double cheeseburger, french fries, peach cobbler and chocolate ice cream, Marc McClure, regional superintendent for the Mississippi Department of Corrections, told The Clarion Ledger. The curtain was lifted at 6 p.m. with Crawford strapped to a gurney as a white sheet covered most of his body and a red shirt was slightly visible. He was surrounded by five officials. "To my family, I love you. I'm at peace. I've got God's peace," Crawford said. "To the victim's family, true closure and true peace, you cannot reach that without God. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Thank you, God for giving me the peace that I have," Crawford said and then closed his eyes. At 6:02 p.m., the first of three drugs was administered. At 6:15 p.m., he was pronounced dead and the curtain closed. Nine protesters were outside the prison. He was convicted and later given the death penalty in 1994 for the 1993 kidnapping and fatal stabbing of 20-year-old-Kristy Ray. Crawford took Ray from her Tippah County home to a cabin in a wooded area, where he reportedly handcuffed her, then raped her before stabbing the woman in the chest. He was out on bond and out from trial for rape in another local case. Four days before that trial, Crawford abducted Ray from her parents' home, about 255 miles north of Jackson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His crime was featured in March 2019 on Investigation Discovery's Your Worst Nightmare, titled Behind the Barn. On Monday, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said he reviewed the case but denied Crawford's clemency appeal. "At this time, all necessary procedures are being followed with the anticipation that, absent a last-minute stay from the United States Supreme Court, Mr. Crawford's execution will proceed as scheduled," according to the two-term Republican governor. There have been 38 executions in the U.S., according to the Death Penalty Information Center. The most have been in Florida with 14, a state record. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, Florida executed Samuel Smithers for the 1996 murders of two women. That same day in Missouri, Lance Shockley was executed for the 2005 murder of a state highway patrol officer. In 2024, 25 were put to death nationwide. PARCHMAN, Miss. (AP) A Mississippi man convicted of kidnapping, raping and killing a 20-year-old community college student in 1993 was executed Wednesday. Charles Crawford, 59, was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. following a lethal injection at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman. Crawford had spent more than 30 years on death row. His execution comes several months after the execution of Mississippis longest-serving death row inmate in a year of increasing executions nationwide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Given the chance to make a final statement, Crawford said, To my family, I love you. Im at peace. Ive got Gods peace, and added, Ill be in heaven. He also addressed Rays family, saying, To the victims family, true closure and true peace, you cannot reach that without God. The execution got underway at 6:01 p.m. and Crawford could be seen taking deep breaths. Five minutes later, he was declared unconscious. At 6:08 p.m., his breathing became slower and shallower and his mouth quivered. A minute later, he took a deep breath and then his chest appeared to stop moving. Crawford's criminal convictions Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crawford was convicted of abducting Kristy Ray from her parents home in northern Mississippis Tippah County on Jan. 29, 1993. According to court records, when Rays mother came home, her daughters car was gone and a handwritten ransom note had been left on the table. Crawford was arrested a day later and said he was returning from a hunting trip. He later told authorities he blacked out and did not recall killing Ray. At the time of that arrest, Crawford was days away from going to trial on a separate assault charge stemming from an attack in 1991 in which Crawford was accused of raping a 17-year-old girl and hitting her friend with a hammer. Despite his assertions that he had experienced blackouts and did not remember committing either the rape or the hammer attack, Crawford was found guilty of both charges in two separate trials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His prior rape conviction was considered an aggravating circumstance by jurors in Crawfords capital murder trial, paving the way for his death sentence. During a press conference after the execution, Marc McClure, the chief superintendent of operations for the Mississippi Department of Corrections, said the execution went as well as could be expected and asked people to keep the victims family in their prayers. None of Crawford or Rays family members addressed the press. US Supreme Court refuses to halt execution Over the past three decades, Crawford tried unsuccessfully to overturn his death sentence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His lawyers had appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, but in an order issued minutes before the execution was scheduled to take place, the high court declined without explanation to stop it. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a dissent that was joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. The appeal alleged that Crawfords lawyers admitted his guilt in the capital murder trial and pursued an insanity defense despite Crawfords repeated objections. Its almost like he didnt even get the chance to have innocent or guilty matter because his attorney just overrode his wishes from the outset, said Krissy Nobile, the director of the Mississippi Office of Capital Post-Conviction Counsel, who represented Crawford. Sotomayor in her dissent noted that a 2018 ruling by the high court held that lawyers cannot override a defendants explicit and unequivocal decision not to admit guilt at trial. Under that decision, Crawford could have proven that his Sixth Amendment rights were violated and would likely be entitled to a new trial, she wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Crawfords convictions became final before that case was decided, and the court has not squarely resolved whether the 2018 ruling is retroactive and applies in postconviction proceedings, Sotomayor wrote. The Court refuses to resolve that question, even though a mans life is in the balance, she wrote. State high court also declined to overturn death sentence The Mississippi Supreme Court had dismissed the argument in September, writing that Crawford should have brought the appeal sooner and did not present adequate reasoning why the Supreme Court ruling should be retroactive. In a statement released after the execution, the Mississippi Office of Capital Post-Conviction Counsel said he was executed without receiving a fair trial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite a legal system that failed him, Charles Crawford (Chuck) spent every day in prison trying to be the best person, family member, friend and Christian he could be, the statement read. Nobile characterized Crawford as a respected, uplifting presence on death row. She said he worked inside the prison and advocated for other inmates. The Associated Press made multiple attempts to contact Rays relatives but did not receive a response. Crawford also did not return requests for comment. The lethal injection was the third in two days in the U.S. after executions Tuesday in Florida and Missouri. A total of 38 men have died by court-ordered execution so far this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are six more executions scheduled to take place in 2025, the next being that of Richard Djerf, who was convicted of killing four members of a family in Arizona over 30 years ago. ___ This story has been updated to correct the name of the organization that represented Crawford to the Mississippi Office of Capital Post-Conviction Counsel, not the Mississippi Office of Capital Post-Conviction Relief. HOUSTON, Miss. (WJTV) This years sweet potato crop in Mississippi is expected to be below average. Just like any farmers out there, theyre feeling the pressure from the banks, the crops and the low prices, said Caleb Englert, president of both the Mississippi and U.S. sweet potato councils. Some growers are throwing Hail Marys hoping to live to fight another year. Everybodys heart and soul go into putting the crop in, and when all odds are against you with labor and inputs, you just have to take the wins when you can. According to Lorin Harvey, the sweet potato specialist with the Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension Service, the states sweet potato crop was about 70% harvested by mid-October, but sizes were small, leading to fewer pounds harvested per acre. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We definitely had a bumper crop last year, and this year will end up being below average. Several operations have reported a 20% to 30% drop in yield compared to last years crop, Harvey said. Its a combination of things. Chronic Wasting Disease detected for first time in Prentiss County Officials with the MSU Extension Service said challenges began at planting, when rainy weather delayed planting by a few weeks. But the bigger problem was areas that went 70 or more days without a drop of rain and no irrigation. The Delta weather station near Houston recorded just 6.5 inches of rain since the end of June. Historically, that station gets an average of 15 inches of rain in that same time period. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Only about 10% to 15% of Mississippis crop is irrigated, and these are some of the couple thousand acres of sweet potatoes growing near Charleston and Coffeeville. This year, Mississippi growers planted about 32,000 acres of sweet potatoes, up about 1,000 acres from what was planted in 2024. Many sweet potato fields went 70 or more days without rain this summer, limiting that acreages yield potential. This Calhoun County field was being harvested Sept. 25, 2025. (Photo by MSU Extension Service/Lorin Harvey) About 70% of Mississippis sweet potato crop was harvested by mid-October after rain delayed the planting season. These potatoes were being harvested Sept. 19, 2025, in Chickasaw County. (Photo by MSU Extension Service/Lorin Harvey) Limited rainfall has produced a sweet potato crop in Mississippi that is of good quality but poor size. Drought produced this vine from a failed hill of potatoes. It was photographed Oct. 3, 2025, in Lafayette County. (Photo by MSU Extension Service/Lorin Harvey) Compared to last year, the crop does not look great, Harvey said. The root numbers and quality are there, but the potatoes are very small. Small size reduces their value. Plus, sweet potatoes are sold by weight. Smaller potatoes mean there is less weight overall of the crop to sell. Officials said insect and disease pressures were normal for the year, and the high heat was not nearly as much of a detriment as the extended period of dry weather. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harvey said harvest is about 10 days behind schedule. The largest volume of the sweet potato crop is sold for Thanksgiving. Sweet potatoes are safely stored unwashed for up to a year. Harvey said the goal is to run out of last years potatoes just as harvest begins on the next crop. 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. Casey Pick, Director of Law and Policy at The Trevor Project, speaks at a rally on the steps of the Missouri Capitol Feb. 21, 2023. That day, Missouri lawmakers held two hearings on anti-LGBTQ+ bills (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). When Missourians vote next year on whether to outlaw most abortions, they will also decide whether the state constitution should include a ban on gender-affirming care for minors. Such a move placing prohibitions on certain procedures for transgender children in the states constitution would be unprecedented in the United States and likely impossible to reverse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The debate is playing out while a lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of the states current ban, along with an ongoing investigation by the state attorney general into medical clinics offering gender-affirming care. Missourians access to puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones wasnt always so fraught. Gender-affirming care bans were not proposed in Missouri until 2020, when two state representatives filed bills seeking to bar those under 18 from accessing medical and surgical transitions. The full House and Senate didnt even debate the idea until 2023 and only after national attention came crashing down on a St. Louis clinic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the start of that year, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who has since left office to become co-deputy director of the FBI, launched an investigation into pediatric gender-affirming care. At the root of the probe was an affidavit from Jamie Reed, a former social worker at the Washington University Transgender Center who alleged the center was rushing children into puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones without mental health care. Two days after signing the affidavit, Reeds story became national news when it was published by The Free Press, a website founded by Bari Weiss, who was recently named editor-in-chief of CBS News. The story went off like a bomb in Missouri politics, and within a week a state Senate committee was discussing it as justification to ban access to certain procedures for transgender minors. That ban quickly was passed into law, along with a ban on transgender athletes competing according to their gender identity, and signed by then-Gov. Mike Parson. Patients who received care at the Transgender Center are still fighting the claims made in Reeds 2023 article. And the clinic, which saw over a thousand patients over the course of five years, stopped providing medical care to minors because of the fallout caused by Reeds story. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The attorney generals investigation, which includes inquiries into other gender-affirming care providers, is ongoing even as Bailey was replaced last month by Republican Catherine Hanaway. Prior to becoming attorney general, Hanaway served on the Washington University Board of Trustees. Upon taking office, she stepped down from the board and recused herself from the offices investigation, her spokesperson told The Independent. Solicitor General Lou Capozzi, who is leading the investigation alongside Deputy Attorney General Jeremiah Morgan, said in a statement that he is committed to continuing our investigation into the center. Although we are grateful the Washington University Transgender Center has shut down and is no longer performing gender transition services on minors, he said, there must be accountability for past actions. The Transgender Center has not completely shuttered but specifies on its webpage that it only treats those 18 and older. The scope of the attorney generals investigation is unclear, with three active lawsuits determining the amount of information that physicians are obligated to turn over. Rodger Copeland McDonald Co. Sheriffs Office mugshot McDONALD COUNTY, Mo. A former school janitor charged with hiding a camera in a girls locker room pleads guilty in the case. Tuesday morning Rodger Copeland, 54, pleaded guilty to two counts of invasion of privacy and 20 counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Hes scheduled to be sentenced December 23. Officers arrested Copeland in September 2024, McDonald County High School administrators contacted them. A group of girls found a hidden camera in one of the high school locker rooms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Special prosecutor appointed in case of former school janitor accused of hiding camera in girls locker room Investigators traced that camera back to Copeland, who was a janitor at the high school at the time. Initially, prosecutors charged Copeland with child exploitation and possession of child pornography. Officials say there were no nude images on the camera and there was no evidence any images were uploaded to the internet. This case was transferred to Newton County on a change of venue and prosecuted by the Missouri Attorney Generals Office because McDonald County Prosecutor Maleia Cheney has a child at the high school. 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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. AURORA, Mo. An Aurora man is arrested following complaints of lewd and disturbing behavior towards young girls in his neighborhood. Joseph Sanchez, 60, is being held in the Lawrence County Jail without bail. Formal charges have not yet been filed, but authorities say there could be multiple. Officers with the Aurora-Marionville Police Department started investigating Sanchez last week and searched his home Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They say that the search led them to more than 1,000 images of child porn as well as evidence that he was recording various neighbors through their windows. 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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. Qualcomm, one of the biggest semiconductor companies in the world, is in the crosshairs of Chinese regulators. As trade, AI, and semiconductor dominance issues heat up between Washington and Beijing, the U.S. chipmaker is getting into trouble for a transaction it probably thought was behind it. China's State Administration for Market Regulation said it was looking into Qualcomm's purchase of Israeli semiconductor company Autotalks in June. The regulator claimed Qualcomm didn't get the requisite permission for the deal, even though they were told in 2024 that they would need Chinese consent. The result? A geopolitical and regulatory flare-up in one of Qualcomms most important markets just as U.S.-China trade tensions are spiraling again. Shares of Qualcomm fell by more than 5% on the announcement. U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to hike tariffs and cancel a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping made things worse. The stocks sharp drop wiped out over $7 billion in market value, 10 times the expected value of the Autotalks transaction. A quiet deal abroad, a loud response from Beijing: Qualcomm finds itself at the center of a global tech standoff.NurPhoto/Getty Images Qualcomms risky Autotalks bet just turned into a liability Qualcomm first said it would buy Autotalks in 2024, focusing on the Israeli company's specialist V2X (vehicle-to-everything) technology to improve its automotive business. The chipmaker from San Diego put the transaction on hold because of regulatory issues, but then surprisingly completed the deal in June 2025. The deal is reportedly worth between $300 million and $500 million. Although Qualcomm did not reveal the specific figure, the firm quickly incorporated Autotalks' technology into its Snapdragon automotive stack once the acquisition was completed. Related: Analysts shift bets on which stocks will be the next big winners By not following Beijing's rules, Qualcomm put itself at risk of more than a punishment. The investigation might make things harder with Chinese clients, who are very important to the company's long-term development plans. By 2026, China wants to standardize V2X communications in all industrial areas, making the technology very important. By 2030, the worldwide V2X industry is expected to be worth billions. Qualcomm, as a result, considered Autotalks as a key foothold in this area, but by concluding the purchase without approval, it may have completely lost its place in China. Chinese regulators signal a bigger message Qualcomm is no stranger to Chinese regulators. The chipmaker paid $975 million in 2015 to settle a previous antitrust complaint in China. But this time, the political situation seems much more unstable. A death row inmate in Missouri was executed Tuesday night after the state's governor denied his clemency petition. The Missouri Department of Corrections said in a statement that 48-year-old Lance Shockley was executed at the Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre and was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m. local time from a lethal injection. Shockley was convicted of first-degree murder for fatally shooting a Missouri state trooper in 2005, court records show. Shockley had maintained his innocence for the last 20 years, as his lawyers argued in multiple rounds of appeals that their client did not receive a fair trial or sentencing, claims that the state repeatedly refuted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe on Monday announced his decision to reject Shockley's plea to stay the execution, allowing the corrections department to proceed as planned with his lethal injection at the state prison in Bonne Terre. "Mr. Shockley has received every legal protection afforded to him under the Missouri and United States Constitutions, and his conviction and sentence will remain for his brutal and deliberate crime," said Kehoe in the announcement. "The State of Missouri hasand will continue topursue justice to the fullest extent of the law. Carrying out Lance Shockley's sentence is evidence of our commitment to the pursuit of justice." A jury unanimously convicted Shockley in the death of Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Carl Graham, who was killed at his home on March 20, 2005, according to court records. Prosecutors had said during Shockley's trial that before Graham's murder, the patrolman was investigating Shockley for manslaughter, in connection with a car accident that took place in November 2004 and resulted in the death of a passenger, who was Shockley's friend, the records said. Prosecutors said Shockley murdered Graham in an effort to stop his investigation into the wreck. Prosecutors alleged he drove to the patrolman's house, waited for Graham to return home, and, as he was exiting his vehicle, shot the state trooper multiple times before leaving the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The prosecution said Shockley had borrowed a red Pontiac Grand Am from his grandmother on the day of the murder, and witnesses reported seeing a red car parked near Graham's home around the time it happened, according to court records. They also said bullet fragments found at the property of Shockley's uncle matched those recovered at the scene of the shooting. But Shockley's attorneys have argued the state's case against him relied predominantly on circumstantial evidence. They also say the state failed to conduct DNA testing on "numerous pieces of critical evidence" found at the site of Graham's murder. "From the beginning, this case has suffered from a failure of due diligence," said Jeremy Weis, one of Shockley's attorneys, in a July statement released through a website advocating for his client's clemency. "There are significant issues with the prosecution's timeline. Several other viable suspects were overlooked and to this day, numerous pieces of critical evidence, up to 16 items, have never been tested for DNA," Weis' statement continued. "These items could hold the key to the truth to what really happened on March 20, 2005. Despite these facts, the court denied our motion to conduct DNA testing." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although jurors convicted Shockley in Graham's murder, they could not agree on whether to sentence him to life in prison or impose capital punishment, court records show. Because of the deadlock, a trial court judge presiding over Shockley's case decided the sentence, and sentenced him to death. Missouri and Indiana are the only two states in the U.S. where a judge can impose a death sentence in situations where the jury deadlocks on sentencing, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, a nonprofit organization that shares data and other resources about capital punishment but does not take a position on the issue. What to expect from Trump's news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel Lawmakers sound off on Trump's Argentina bailout as government shutdown continues Kansas town devastated by tornado rebuilds with focus on sustainability A 12-second cryptocurrency transaction is at the center of a major federal trial. As reported by Business Insider, former Massachusetts Institute of Technology students James and Anton Peraire-Bueno are accused of using their advanced coding and math skills to steal $25 million in Ethereum's "ether" currency through what the prosecutors call a "first-of-its-kind" fraud scheme. The alleged heist took place in April 2023, and prosecutors say it was "meticulously planned" over at least three months. The trial began Oct. 14 in Manhattan federal court, where a jury will decide whether the brothers committed fraud or just outsmarted "bots" as the defense claims. Federal prosecutors allege the brothers exploited a software vulnerability in the Ethereum blockchain to intercept pending private transactions and tampered with the transactions during the 12 seconds. During that brief window, prosecutors said the brothers replaced legitimate trades with junk crypto, effectively rendering the entire transaction worthless. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They add that they disguised their identities and moved the crypto assets through a "web of shell companies, crypto addresses, and foreign crypto exchanges," as reported in BI. If convicted for conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering, each brother could face up to 20 years in prison per charge. On the other hand, their defense attorneys argue there was no fraud or intent to defraud at all. "There's no central authority. And there's no government regulations. Instead, economic incentives guide parties' behavior," said Patrick Looby, who is representing James Peraire-Bueno, per BI. The defense maintains that the brothers simply took advantage of "predatory trading bots" using economic incentives. They said the alleged victims made risky bets that didn't work out for them. "But there was nothing stolen and there was no theft, as that word would normally be used," Looby said. Crypto oversight has been a point of contention for years, and a report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime found this year that cryptocurrency exchanges have become an integral part of organized crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to financial injustices, environmental injustice has also faced criticism. Electricity demand in the U.S. has grown rapidly from crypto mining, and it was found that miners around the world used as much electricity as all of Australia in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, though it should be noted that the Ethereum platform switched to a proof-of-stake validation system in 2022 that reduced its energy demands by about 99.5%. Crypto's major impact through its reliance on dirty energy leads to environmental consequences, including an increase in extreme weather events. The 12-second transactions use roughly as much energy as needed for six houses in a day, according to an Energy Star report. The brothers' trial could set a precedent for how the U.S. government interprets fairness and fraud in decentralized digital spaces. The trial is expected to continue through early November. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. NEED TO KNOW Erica Anderson was fatally shot by her roommate, who authorities said believed she was an intruder Authorities have ruled the shooting an accident Anderson had just returned to her home in Georgia after visiting her husband and kids in Indiana A professor and mother of three children was fatally shot by her roommate who mistook her for an intruder. Erica Anderson, 31, died in a shooting in Columbus, Ga., that authorities have deemed accidental, according to reports from WTVM and the Ledger-Inquirer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anderson had returned home just after midnight on Monday, Oct. 13 from a visit with her husband and kids, who are living in Indiana, WTVM reported. WTVM spoke to Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan who said that Anderson's roommate had received alleged terroristic threats from her son, so when she heard noise while she slept she picked up a gun and fired two shots. The second bullet struck Anderson, Bryan told the outlet. You have to think about the roommate that shot her," Bryan reportedly said. "Im sure shes devastated as anyone would be under the circumstances." Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Anderson had begun work as a lecturer in costumes in the Department of Theatre & Dance at Columbus State University in August, the school said on its website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Prior to her current role, she taught costumes at Southern Utah University and the University of Florida," the school said. "She has worked professionally in theatres and opera houses across the U.S., such as the Sarasota Opera, Indiana Repertory Theatre and Utah Shakespeare Theatre, and backstage for IATSE on touring Broadway shows." A GoFundMe has been started to raise money for Anderson's family. The organizer wrote that Anderson's husband is currently undergoing cancer treatment. "Erica had just started this semester at Columbus State University as a professor in the theater department," the organizer wrote. "She was so passionate about her work and her students, and she was truly excited about building her future with the university community she had already come to love." Read the original article on People Mooresville man arrested in Florida on international child sex crime charges A Mooresville man, Luis Alberto Sosa, was arrested in Florida last week, facing over a dozen charges related to child sex crimes. Sosas arrest in Palm Coast was captured on body camera video, marking a significant development in an international case that began decades ago with a ministry trip. In a statement on Facebook, the Flagler County Sheriff commented on the handling of fugitives, saying, Hopefully we are educating North Carolina on how fugitives should be handled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ALSO READ: Former Huntersville pilot wanted for child sex crimes dies by suicide at Boston subway station Flagler County deputies apprehended Sosa while he was walking his dog. Investigators from the Iredell County Sheriffs Office revealed that Sosa had previously served as a missionary pastor in Argentina. Authorities allege that Sosa brought two teenagers from Argentina to Iredell County under temporary guardianship and sexually assaulted them multiple times between 2002 and 2008. The case was initially reported to police in Argentina, highlighting the international scope of the investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sosa is currently held without bond in Florida, awaiting extradition to Iredell County. The Flagler County Sheriffs statement also referenced a recent case involving another fugitive, Kermit Booth, who was released on a low bond in North Carolina despite being wanted for child sex crimes. VIDEO: Former Huntersville pilot wanted for child sex crimes dies by suicide at Boston subway station Oct. 15 (UPI) -- More than 40 Florida public school districts received bomb threats, known as swatting, that were not credible, school officials said Wednesday. The message didn't mention specific schools or counties but demanded a ransom in the form of cryptocurrency, called bitcoin. The threats late Tuesday were received in central Florida counties that include Brevard, Citrus, Sumter, Highland, Marion and Seminole, Orlando media outlets reported. Elsewhere in central Florida, Osceola, Orange and Volusia county districts told WKMG-TV in Orlando they didn't receive threats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also, districts in the Panhandle, Holmes, Liberty and Jackson counties, received threats, WMBB reported. And districts in southwest Florida in Charlotte and Collier counties were given the messages, WFTX-TV reported. There are 67 counties in Florida. "We wanted to inform you that a widespread email was sent to over 40 districts in the State of Florida last night, and our district received the same email, regarding bombs being placed in schools and demanding payment in bitcoin," Katherine Crnkovich, Seminole County Public Schools communications officer, said in a statement to WKMG-TV. Brevard County Sheriff's Office and the FBI are investigating the origination of the threats that were sent Tuesday in a group email, Janet Murnaghan, chief strategic communications officer for the school district, told Florida Today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Students were not in danger and classes would proceed as scheduled, she said. "We remain in close coordination with law enforcement and will provide updates to families should new information become available," Murnaghan said. The FBI, on its website, said it takes swatting threats seriously, and works with federal, state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement partners. "Swatting is the malicious tactic of making hoax calls or reports to emergency services, typically feigning an immediate threat to life," the FBI said. "Swatting is intended to draw a large response from SWAT teams or other law enforcement resources to an unsuspecting victim's location, causing chaos and the potential for injury or violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Targets of swatting often include high-profile public figures, as well as schools, hospitals, places of worship, and centers of mass transportation, but anyone can be a victim. A swatting incident may be an isolated event targeting one victim or part of a larger coordinated effort to target multiple victims." Citrus School Police Chief Rachel Montgomery explained in the district's message to parents: "These messages can take many forms, including phone calls, texts or emails." The Sumter County School District told WESH-TV: "Out of an abundance of caution, there will be an increased law enforcement presence on our campuses to ensure the safety and security of our students and staff." NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that more than half of the alliance's 32 members have pledged to fund US arms shipments to Ukraine. "Today, we heard from ally after ally about new contributions," Rutte said on Wednesday after a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels. Previously six countries, namely Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Norway, had already pledged 2 billion ($2.3 billion) through the so-called PURL initiative launched in August. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rutte did not name the additional countries. The ministers of Finland, Latvia, Belgium, Lithuania and Estonia however announced their participation at the margins of the Brussels meeting. It remains to be seen if other big European economies like France, Italy or Spain will sign up too. UK Defence Secretary John Healey said "the UK is also looking hard at how we support Ukraine through the important new PURL mechanism." The weaponry included "crucial stuff, including air defence systems and particularly interceptors" and is "important for Ukraine to make sure that their civilian population, their crucial infrastructure is as much protected as possible against the continuous Russian onslaught," Rutte said ahead of the meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PURL, which stands for Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, provides for US-manufactured ammunition and weapons to be bought by European allies and Canada who will then make them available to Ukraine. The initiative was launched in response to demands made by US President Donald Trump who wants other NATO countries to pay for further US military aid to Ukraine. "You get peace when you are strong, not when you use strong words or wag your finger. You get it when you have strong and real capabilities that adversaries respect," said US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Ukrainian Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal, who debriefed his NATO counterparts on the situation on the battlefield and Kiev's needs in the fight against Russia, thanked allies for their contributions but added that "it is important that others join too." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Supporters of the initiative say that it allows allies to continue to provide weapons to Ukraine despite depleted domestic stocks and difficulties in ramping up arms production in Europe. Buying foreign arms is however seen as challenging for nations with more protectionist industrial policies. The meeting was followed by a gathering of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, an international meeting to raise and coordinate military aid for Ukraine which brings together around 40 countries. Once led by the United States, the group is now steered by the UK and Germany. Wednesday's gathering was the first time NATO defence ministers are meeting since the Western defence alliance launched a new mission in September to better protect the airspace of its eastern European members following a string of Russian airspace violations. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced that Eurofighter jets will be moved to the Polish military airbase in Malbork to better protect NATO's eastern members as part of the mission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russian President Vladimir "Putin's incursions into NATO territory are reckless, dangerous, and totally unacceptable. Deliberate or not, Putin is watching what we do," the UK's Healey said, as he arrived at the meeting. "Putin should be in no doubt. If NATO is threatened, we will act, and we must meet his escalation with our strength," he said. The consultations at NATO headquarters will be followed up in the evening by a meeting of the EU's 27 defence ministers to discuss how to improve the bloc's defence readiness ahead of a leaders' summit later this month. More apartment complaints emerge, tenants wonder: whos fighting for them? David Fetherolf pointed to the large, sagging crack in his kitchen ceiling where water once poured into his unit. He flicked a light switch. The bulb sputtered. He pointed to patterns in his living room ceiling that appeared to take the shape of water stains painted over. We tell them, Hey, my ceilings leaking, Fetherolf said. Theyve never showed up, never done anything Finally the fire department came and said, Just use buckets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fetherolf took a bigger issue with what was happening next door: a unit that was in the process of being turned over. He flashed pictures of dark spots on the bathroom ceiling that he said were simply being painted over with anti-mold paint. Most of his building, he said, were veterans with various health problems. He himself had COPD. It doesnt take an engineer to figure out what black mold on the other side of the wall would do to somebody that cant breathe, he said. Fetherolf said he wasnt afraid to come forward as questions swirled about his landlord, Ty Lohman, and the two buildings across the street that engineers declared unsafe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The tenants inside the two Altamonte Terrace buildings were ordered to leave after ceilings began collapsing and floors sagged. Engineers blamed the buildings 50-year-old roofs. While he initially put the tenants up in hotel rooms, Lohman and his company terminated their leases as of Friday when it became apparent the buildings needed more extensive renovations than previously planned. Many of the tenants say they were told to leave their belongings like furniture behind when they first evacuated. More important to them, though, was the lack of answers. How did the buildings get to the state they were in? Why were they allowed to move in weeks or months before? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Records provided by the City of Altamonte Springs showed Lohman is facing more than a dozen Code Enforcement cases and upwards of $400,000 in fines for issues that stretch from fire suppressant systems to parking lot maintenance. His attorneys claimed hes spent nearly $1 million in repairs, accounting for shipping delays, tariffs and other cost overruns. Theres more work to go: the plans his team submitted to repair the two damaged buildings were incomplete, meaning city staff couldnt review them. Its a terrible and tragic thing thats happening these residents, City Manager Frank Martz said. What we can do are the things that the law allows us to do, and that is to perform code enforcement, to do to the inspections of those things that are observable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Observable doesnt necessarily mean structural, Martz explained, making it more difficult to prevent a repeat of this issue in other cases. He was asked if the fines were working. Fines dont do it if youre intent on not taking care of something being fined, he admitted. Local government leaders contacted by WFTV said the state should become more involved in holding landlords accountable, including setting up a portal to help direct complaints about apartment units to the correct agency like health or licensing. Otherwise, tenants are largely left to fend for themselves and know who to contact. They could hire an attorney, but that costs money people living in so-called last resort housing cannot afford. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WFTV reached out to multiple Republican politicians who represent Central Florida to find out what is being done to give tenants more power in their relationship with landlords or at least provide more guidance to tenants who believe theyre in unsafe situations. One representative said there was little interest outside of assisting people in mobile homes, condos and HOAs three areas where Republican voters are more prevalent. In text messages, State Senator Jason Brodeur said the law was already available to help tenants. What youre asking the state to fix is already illegal, he said. This is not a law making issue, its a law enforcement issue By law they are to receive proper housing and if not may terminate a legal contract. If landlords arent keeping up their end of the bargain, state law provides tenants with options. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Representatives for Lohman explained Tuesday that terminating the leases of tenants who lived within the damaged buildings was in the tenants best interest. Management has waived rent, forgiven past-due balances, provided temporary hotel accommodations, and offered moving assistancesteps that go beyond what is required by law, a spokeswoman wrote. We remain committed to completing the necessary repairs and safely reopening the buildings as soon as possible. Without naming him, they said the leak in Fetherolfs apartment was in the process of being fixed. They did not address the potential mold, which contractor Eliot Grime, of VE Builders, said would require more than a coat of paint to remediate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It needs to be looked at by a third party air testing company, he said. Most likely needs to be cut out and treated, and the whole area treated and then retested for clean air. Fetherolf, who said he has done contracting work, agreed but said he had few options. Im either here or on a sidewalk, and I dont know -- this place is going to put me under the sidewalk, he said. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. (Photo by simpson33 via iStock / Getty Images Plus) Immigration judges are continuing to deny bond hearings for detainees in Iowa and throughout the country, despite being repeatedly overruled by federal district court judges. Five weeks ago, immigration judges across the country formally adopted the U.S. Department of Justices new legal position that detainees suspected of entering the country illegally can be held in jail indefinitely without being afforded a hearing on whether theyre entitled to release on bond while their case is pending. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The immigration judges stance stems from a September 2025 ruling by the Board of Immigration Appeals agreeing with the Trump administrations position that detainees are not entitled to such hearings. The boards decision endorsing that view has upended decades of past practice in which immigration judges who are not part of the judicial branch, and are instead part of the executive branch and the DOJ released individuals on bond in cases where the detainees were not considered a flight risk or a danger to the public. In the past few months, hundreds of detainees have sought relief by seeking the intervention of U.S. District Court judges, arguing that being held under such circumstances is a violation of their right to due process. In an overwhelming number of such cases, the federal judges have sided with the detainees, ordering the immigration judges to hold bond hearings at which the detainees can argue that their history, employment, family obligations or other circumstances warrant their temporary release on bond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite those rulings in U.S. District Court, immigration judges continue to deny bond hearings, leading to even more federal court cases seeking injunctions. More Iowa detainees seek court intervention Among the most recent Iowa cases is that of Filemon Brito Barrajas, a citizen of Mexico who says he has lived in the United States for 20 years without legal status. Court records indicate Barrajas had no criminal record until July of this year, when he was jailed on a charge of contempt of court. Immigration and Customs Enforcement then issued a detainer for him, keeping him in jail after hed served his sentence for contempt. On Aug. 18, 2025, Barrajas requested a bond hearing, but was denied by an immigration judge who concluded he lacked jurisdiction, echoing the DOJs position on the issue. Barrajas then took the matter to U.S. District Court, challenging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its director, Kristi Noem, as well as U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, the DOJ and the Omaha Immigration Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attorneys for Barrajas argued he was entitled to a hearing on the question of bond and that, in the alternative, he should be released from custody. On Sept. 23, U.S. District Judge Stephen Locher of the Southern District of Iowa ordered that such a hearing be scheduled by the immigration court within seven days. District courts across the country have addressed arguments similar to and often identical to the ones raised here, Locher wrote in his decision. The overwhelming majority of these courts have concluded that aliens in the petitioners situation are entitled to bond hearings. Lochers decision was similar to that of many other judges in that while he found that Barrajas was entitled to argue for his release on bond, the issue of whether bond should be granted was for the immigration court, not a U.S. District Court judge, to decide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is not the courts prerogative to assume the role of the immigration judge by deciding bond or detention, Locher wrote. Another recent Iowa case involves Marua Enriquez Reyes, who entered the United States, according to her lawyers, to escape some form of persecution. Shortly after coming to the United States, Reyes was given notice to appear in immigration court and was released on her own recognizance. But on Sept. 2, 2025, while attending her regularly scheduled check-in appointment at the ICE office in Cedar Rapids, ICE officials allegedly canceled her notice to appear in immigration court, entered an order calling for her expedited removal from the country, and had her detained in the Muscatine County Jail. On Oct. 1, an immigration judge denied Reyes request for a bond hearing. A week later, on Oct. 7, 2025, attorneys for Reyes sought an emergency hearing on the matter in U.S. District Court, arguing the immigration court had violated her due process rights by denying her a hearing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday of this week, the Department of Justice sought and obtained a continuance in the case. Judge Locher has given the DOJ until Oct. 21 to file a response in the case. The Barrajas and Reyes cases are among at least 20 such bond-hearing cases filed recently in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Because the final decisions on bond are still made within the immigration court system, the current status or outcome of the cases is difficult and in some cases impossible to track. Federal judges rule against the DOJ Last week, federal judges in the San Francisco area ordered the release of dozens of immigrants held in California detention facilities without a bond hearing. In each case, a U.S. District Court judge had already issued a temporary restraining order or an injunction granting the temporary release of the detainees until the bond-hearing issue could be resolved. One federal judge in San Francisco, James Donato, recently expressed frustration when a DOJ lawyer argued in court that detainees have no right to a hearing in front of an immigration judge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This argument has failed in every court that its ever been argued, Donato told the assistant U.S. attorney. Just give them a hearing Whats the master plan for making sure we dont have the same cases coming up again, and again, and again, in front of every judge in this district? Two weeks ago, a U.S. District Court judge in the state of Washington ruled that the Tacoma Immigration Courts practice of denying bond hearings to detainees was unlawful. That Sept. 30 ruling was made in a class-action lawsuit filed by the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project in March 2025, challenging the then-new practice of denying bond hearings even to people who have lived in the United States for decades. Other class-action lawsuits over the same issue, as well as the hundreds of individually filed cases, are still pending in courts throughout the United States. A valve key is used to reach six feet down to turn on and repressurize the water system at Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge. (Provided by the Montana Department of Corrections) The Department of Corrections announced late Tuesday it had identified three water leaks at the prison. The Department of Corrections discovered a water pipe break at 6 a.m. on Friday, and an inmate and family members have said conditions have grown dire since, with a lack of drinking water and unsanitary conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An inmate at the Montana State Prison and family members of people who are incarcerated said Tuesday there has been no heat in some parts of the facility and at least one unit flooded. Late Tuesday, however, the DOC said it was making progress on the fix. To test the system for additional leaks, the DOC said its maintenance team is repressurizing and monitoring the system. We took a step forward today by confirming where several leaks were located, DOC Director Brian Gootkin said in the news release late Tuesday. Even though we found these leaks, we are still working to repair them and resolve the situation for inmates. Were going to continue evaluating the system and sourcing water and resources for the facility. Tuesday, the morning forecast called for a low of 27 degrees in Deer Lodge, and an inmate, Josh McKnight, estimated the temperature inside at about 50 degrees. Tui Anderson, left, and Kevin Loustaunau, right, are water leak detection experts who came to Montana State Prison to help find leaks in the facilitys water system. (Provided by Montana Department of Corrections) The heat systems run water through the walls, and the heaters are on the walls, McKnight said in a phone call Tuesday with the Daily Montanan. And without water, theres nothing there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A DOC spokesperson said Tuesday the prison had some minor issues on the low (security) side last night due to the water issues and the boiler. We put portable heaters in each pod until the boiler was repaired. In the news release Tuesday, the DOC said to ensure services for inmates and staff, 133 portable toilets are on site at MSP along with 43 mobile shower units. The DOC said toilets and showers are pumped and cleaned continuously throughout the day. Staff are working to keep normal inmate services running and are prioritizing the delivery of resources where they are needed most critically, the news release said. To assist with security efforts, Probation and Parole officers and correctional officers from the Montana Womens Prison are on site. In a Monday afternoon update, the state agency said a second leak detection consultant had arrived at the facility from Bozeman. The Department of Corrections also said a second National Guard team had been called to help out with water delivery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The National Guard tankers will begin running a 24-hour service to help refill the main water tank at the prison, the press release said. More than 200,000 gallons have been delivered, the state press release stated. An inmate and family members earlier said they were concerned about the lack of water for drinking and cleaning themselves and their inability to shower. Tuesday, however, McKnight said hand sanitizer had been made available. We know this is a challenging situation and recognize the urgency felt by inmates and their families to resolve this as soon as possible. We share that sense of urgency, Gootkin said in the Monday news release. McKnight is in a medical unit at the prison and while hes not as worried about himself, there are older and frail inmates hes concerned about, including one who is, completely paralyzed, and he cant do anything. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Josh McKnights wife, Amanda, has spent the last couple of days glued to her screen trying to get help for those currently incarcerated and helping organize a tightly knit group of family members with loved ones in prison to advocate for those dealing with the water pipe issue. Amanda McKnight, who also runs a Facebook page called 406 Revolutionized, said food has been a concern, as inmates are worried about whether it is being cooked with water that is safe. Kenzie Lincoln, whose husband, Bryce Baltezar, is currently at the Deer Lodge facility, said fights have caused lockdowns, which prevent people from going to the bathroom the portable toilets are in the yard. On Monday night, Baltezars unit flooded, and it took over an hour to get a response from guards, said Lincoln, who has been in regular communication with her husband. The prisoners had no idea if the water was safe to be in or around, she added. One flooded unit was the Special Housing Unit, and the other was the Administrative Segregation Unit, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes spent five years in and out of prison, and he sees that, you know, a lot of times, issues dont get fixed, even small issues, Lincoln said. He said (last night,) I wish that God would just take me in my sleep. I cant do this anymore.. Portable showers have been delivered to the prison. The showers quickly broke, McKnight said, and she has gone so far as to reach out to a company that could bring in showers for the prison. Brigadier General Trenton Gibson, far right, visited with Department of Corrections Director Brian Gootkin, left, Tuesday, Oct. 14, at Montana State Prison. (Provided by Montana Department of Corrections) Tuesday afternoon, Josh McKnight said he was told by prison staff that they were in the process of setting up shower tents outside. The DOC said in the late afternoon news release it had 43 mobile shower units. Theres 160 men living that havent showered in six days, McKnight said. Not a good smell. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He and family members also report that portable toilets have been vandalized, and they have had health and sanitation concerns about dirty facilities inside the prison. The Department of Corrections reported the leak to prisoners early on Oct. 10, with inmates and families describing a crisis on the ground in the prison. The water pipe break has drawn a large response from various state agencies, and on Monday, a County Assist Team (CAT) from Disaster Emergency Services and Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is now helping to plan, logistics, and incident follow-up. That team is often used on wildfires across the state. Additional personnel from the Montana State Womens Prison arrived on Tuesday, according to the Department of Corrections. They join probation and parole officers from the surrounding area, which included some from Missoula and Helena. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, Brigadier General Trenton Gibson, who is Adjutant General for the State of Montana and serves as Commander of the Montana National Guard and the Director of the Department of Military Affairs, visited National Guard troops at MSP, the DOC said. He also met with Gootkin and MSP Warden Jim Salmonsen. This story has been updated with additional response from the DOC regarding the boiler. Keila Szpaller contributed to this report. Energy Fuels (UUUU) just hit new all-time highs amid escalating U.S.-China trade tensions. The stock has a 100% Buy opinion from Barchart and is trading above key moving averages. The stock is up 334% over the past 52 weeks and 487% over the past six months. However, UUUU is volatile, and projected to report widening losses in 2025. Todays Featured Stock Energy Fuels (UUUU), valued at $5.5 billion, is yet another stock soaring on rare earth mineral hopes as U.S.-China trade tensions stay hot. The company has primarily been involved in mining, processing, and developing uranium and vanadium in the U.S., and says it supplies uranium for nuclear power facilities. This industry alone has been hot, thanks to artificial intelligence driving up energy demand and turning investor attention to the untapped world of nuclear energy. More News from Barchart But nothing has been hotter than rare earth minerals. Energy Fuels announced in April that it could use its existing infrastructure to produce six rare earth oxides, including samarium, gadolinium, and yttrium. China continues to dominate the rare earth industry, so the U.S. has been desperate to improve its supply chain of the critical minerals. Denver-based Energy Fuels wants to position itself at the center of this opportunity. After China ramped up restrictions on U.S. exports of its rare earth minerals, investor frenzy is only growing. The hope is that President Donald Trumps administration will invest in more U.S.-based companies, and investors are betting Energy Fuels could be on the short list. What Im Watching I found todays Chart of the Day by sorting through Barcharts list of stocks at new 52-week highs for those with the highest technical buy signals; superior current momentum in both strength and direction; and a Trend Seeker Buy signal. UUUU checks those boxes. Since the Trend Seeker signaled a new Buy on Aug. 22, the stock has gained 132%. www.barchart.com Barchart Technical Indicators for Energy Fuels Editors Note: The technical indicators below are updated live during the session every 20 minutes and can therefore change each day as the market fluctuates. The indicator numbers shown below therefore may not match what you see live on the Barchart.com website when you read this report. These technical indicators form the Barchart Opinion on a particular stock. Drivers faced hours of gridlock Tuesday night during the Chris Brown concert at Carter Finley Stadium in Raleigh. Some fans even walked along I-40 after parking on the interstate. However, Raleigh police said that this is not allowed because it creates safety hazards for both you and other drivers. It could also block emergency vehicles. One concertgoer, Christal Graves, shared her frustration after driving for hours without reaching the venue despite paying over $1,300 for tickets and pre-paid parking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We've been having to drive around NC State's campus for 3 to 4 hours, and that's totally unacceptable and with no direction," she said. "There's no one providing us any direction at all." Unfortunately, this won't be the last of the traffic headaches this week. Drivers specifically around Blue Ridge Road, Edwards Mill Road, Hillsborough Road, Wade Avenue, Trinity Road and I-440 should expect heavy traffic on Thursday and Friday nights. The North Carolina State Fair opens Thursday and runs through Oct. 26. To make matters worse, Billie Eilish is set to perform Thursday and Friday nights at the Lenovo Center, starting at 7 p.m. on both weekdays. Rush-hour traffic could make things more complicated. The Lenovo Center has already told concertgoers: "Expect heavy traffic and longer travel times due to the show and the NC State Fair on adjacent property. Please allow for additional travel time; guests are highly encouraged to carpool and arrive early." Nearly three-quarters of Maryland families who want their children to be in after-school programs often cant find them or afford them, a new report finds. The Afterschool Alliances 2025 America After 3PM report says this is roughly in line with national averages. But it notes that the unmet demand is higher for Black and Hispanic children, those in families with lower incomes, and those living in urban areas. More than 145,000 children are in such programs statewide, or roughly 15% of Marylands school-aged children, according to the Alliance. Parents need such after-school programs because school hours usually dont align with most peoples work hours. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After school connects learning to life, said Joshua Michael, president of the Maryland State Board of Education, who joined the Afterschool Alliances Wednesday news conference announcing the survey results. In addition to keeping kids off their phones and out of trouble, Michael said after-school programs can foster critical thinking, leadership skills and academic success. The core does not stop when the bell rings, he said, referring to core instruction like reading and math. The average weekly cost for paid after-school programs in Maryland is $145.80, according to the data. Nearly 60% of parents in the state said programs were too expensive; almost half said they were inconveniently located. Some (45%) said their children didnt have a safe way to get to and from the programs, while others (44%) said programs were unavailable in their communities. Charles Village mom Lakeisha Alston works in Bethesda. Although she has the option to work from home, she said finding an after-school program was a necessity to care for her children before she and her husband return from work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since 2021, the familys students have been going to the Village Learning Place, a free after-school program in the neighborhood. Alstons eldest child, now 16, no longer attends the centers after-school program but still participates in its summer activities. Staff walk over to Margaret Brent Elementary/Middle School, where three of Alstons children attend, to pick up students, Alston said. Since being enrolled, Alston said her children have had higher test scores, particularly in English language arts. We definitely need more programming to help parents that do work so they have somewhere and they know their kids are safe, Alston said. Millions in federal funding for after-school programs were rescinded briefly over the summer before being restored. The 21st Century Community Learning Center program supports 1.4 million students across the country, according to the reports executive summary. Village Learning Place is a grant recipient through that initiative and was endangered by the funding flip-flop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State funding streams like the Blueprint for Marylands Future, a couple small state grant programs and the Child Care Scholarship Program could bolster after-school programs. At the same time, federal money remains precarious, according to Michael. Its something we ought to be looking at, particularly as we consider the just-increasing demand, Michael said of the smaller grant programs. The Child Care Scholarship Program, which can be used to pay for some after-school care, paused new enrollments in May after too many families signed up. Investment is something were grappling with as were passed new costs from the federal government and other spaces. Its going to be a challenge for us as we look forward, Michael said. Have a news tip? Contact Racquel Bazos at rbazos@baltsun.com, 443-813-0770 or on X as @rzbworks. NEED TO KNOW Rita Khatri was sentenced in court on Oct. 14 after she doused herself and her 7-year-old son in kerosene and lit their kitchen on fire The incident occurred on June 26, 2024, and her son survived by calling the police and running outside to ask for additional help after his mother hung up the call "Mommy, I don't want to die," he was heard saying in a recording of the call A mother was sentenced to four years and eight months jail time after dousing herself and her 7-year-old son in kerosene before lighting her kitchen on fire in what the courts have ruled was an act of "desperation." On Tuesday, Oct. 14, Rita Khatri, 36, appeared in Victorias Supreme Court where she was given her sentence, according to Herald Sun and The West Australian. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Khatri had previously been charged with attempted murder in June 2024, The West Australian reported, noting that the charge was dropped after she pleaded guilty to recklessly engaging in conduct that put the life of her son at risk. On June 26, 2024, Khatri bought approximately two gallons of kerosene after picking her son up from school in Melbourne, Australia, Herald Sun reported. After having dinner, she then suggested they play a game, before undressing to her underwear and asking her son to do the same. Once they were undressed, the mother of one poured the kerosene on their bodies before lighting a fire on her clothes and a floor mat in the kitchen. Getty Stock image of a fire rescue truck in Melbourne Stock image of a fire rescue truck in Melbourne Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Khatri urged her son to go next to the fire; however, he escaped the kitchen and called emergency services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The child was reportedly heard pleading while on the phone with emergency responders. Per the outlets, he was recorded saying things such as, Mummy, stop, dont do this and youre hurting me. "Mommy, I don't want to die," he cried at one point before Khatri ended the call. The outlets reported that he escaped the home and begged a passerby to alert the police as his mother tried to pull him back inside while asking, What are you f------ doing, why are you doing this to me? She reportedly told emergency responders that there was nothing left to live for when they arrived on the scene, per Herald Sun. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Justice James Gorton told the court that the young boy showed remarkable courage" while alerting the police. The audio recordings reveal how desperately frightened and panicked, and to my mind confused, he was by your actions and what you were telling him to do, he said, per Herald Sun. Continuing, he said, It is difficult to think of a more stressful event for a child of that age than to be repeatedly asked, or told, by his parent, for no apparent proper reason, to engage in conduct that carried with it, he must have appreciated, the risk of his painful death or at least serious injury." He survived the incident without sustaining any burns, though he did receive treatment at the hospital due to "some skin damage from the kerosene," The West Australian reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Khatri also pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice, per the outlet, noting that she had been recorded on a phone call while in jail, telling her son's caretaker that he should describe the incident as an "accident." Explain him a little that if you want your mother back, then you should stop all this, she said, according to Gorton. Getty The Supreme Court of Victoria The Supreme Court of Victoria While handing down the sentence, Gorton told the court that the mother of one was in great personal stress when committing the act. It happened as her second marriage was failing, and Khatri faced the risk of being deported to her home country, India. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Your second marriage had broken down, your expectation of being supported by your second husband and your prospects of obtaining a visa to remain in Australia had both disappeared, you had no source of income and you had no family support in Australia, Gorton told the financial analyst, who shares her son with her first husband, per Herald Sun. Khatri moved to Melbourne after meeting her second husband online in August 2023, per The West Australian. After their relationship ended, he withdrew her spousal support visa. Despite her challenging circumstances, Gorton added that Khatri had failed to accept full responsibility for her actions. Notwithstanding the stressful situation in which you found yourself at the time, your decision to act as you did what you hoped to achieve remains somewhat unexplained, he continued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the court hearing, Khatri was visibly crying. The West Australian reported that she sees herself as a "victim of circumstance" and felt that she had been "failed." Due to her visa, she will not be eligible for parole. The court also heard shes likely to be deported once she completes her jail sentence, according to Herald Sun. Her son now reportedly lives with his father in Abu Dhabi. PEOPLE has contacted the Victoria Police and the Victoria Supreme Court for comment on the case. Read the original article on People Mother in shock from deaths of 8 family members in I-85 crash, including pregnant daughter-in-law A family is grieving after eight of its members, including five children and a pregnant woman, died in a crash in Jackson County. The crash on Interstate 85 involved a tractor-trailer driven by Kane Hammock, who was arrested at the scene. He faces eight counts of misdemeanor vehicular homicide, among other charges. Its hard because we dont know what to do. We are in shock still, Eva Velasquez-Benitez told Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson. RELATED STORY: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Velasquez-Benitez described the devastating impact of the crash that claimed the lives of three generations of her family. The deaths included her 25-year-old son, Darwin Ventura, and his Kenia Ramirez, who was three months pregnant. She was about to go to the doctor and see whats shes going to have, Velasquez-Benitez said. Top Left: Maribel Ramirez and Evan Ramirez Bottom Left: Kayle Center (L-R): Justin Ramirez, Andy Ramirez and Natali Ramirez Top Right: Kenia Ramirez Bottom Right: Darwin Ventura Justin Ramirez de,16, Andy Ramirez de,14, Natali Ramirez de 11 y/o Kayle de, 4 Kenia Ramirez, 22 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Darwin Ventura de, 23 Maribel Ramirez de, 42 and Evan Ramirez de, 3 The victims were going to shop at Tanger Outlets on Monday when Georgia State Patrol said Hammocks semi truck slammed into their van. Velasquez-Benitez recounted how her son had been planning for the future, including buying a house where she could live with them. Hes going to have another baby and then he tell (me), Mommy, were going to buy a house and you can come live with us, she said. Velasquez-Benitez expressed her frustration with the charges against Hammock, hoping for justice for her family. I hope hes staying jail. I hope he cant get out, she said. Surviving family members have started a GoFundMe to help raise funds for funeral and other expenses. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) A motorcyclist was killed in a crash Monday on Interstate 805. The incident occurred around 5:27 p.m. on I-805 southbound from the 43rd Street on-ramp, California Highway Patrol said in a news release Tuesday. The 21-year-old man was riding a Yamaha motorcycle on I-805 when for unknown reasons he veered to the right, left the roadway, went into an ascending vegetation embankment and crashed into a palm tree, according to authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Girl stabbed by fellow student at Coronado Middle School, police say The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. A toxicology report is pending through the San Diego County Medical Examiners Office. The crash is under investigation. Anyone with information about the collision is asked to contact the CHP San Diego Area directly at 858-293-6000. 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 5 San Diego & KUSI News. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) In an effort to get students to interact with those who operate large trucks and machinery, Mountainview Elementary School hosted a sensory-friendly touch-a-truck event on Tuesday. Police cars, fire trucks, and other types of vehicles were present for students to explore, giving students a chance to climb inside some of them to see how they operate. Some students even got to turn on the police sirens. I think just getting to see all of the different vehicles, but also have a chance to speak with the operators of those vehicles will let kids know that there are a wide variety of occupations out there and members of their community that are here to protect them in different ways and support them and their families, Mountainview Elementary Principal Angela Dickerson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Extreme Adventures celebrates grand opening in Lewis County This year is the first that Mountainview Elementary has had this event come to the school, and Dickerson said she was excited when she found out that her students would be getting this opportunity. I was really happy when the city of Morgantown reached out and offered to bring, you know, all of the vehicles here, Dickerson said. 12 News also spoke with Morgantown Police Officer Chad Shade at the event, who talked about the importance of children getting to meet people who build and protect their communities. The importance is for them to know who we are, and then that they can easily come talk to us, as well as being able to know what we do, Shade 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 WBOY.com. MSNBC has received intense backlash online from right-wing political commentators for being the only major news network not to air Charlie Kirks posthumous Medal of Freedom ceremony on Tuesday. CNN, Fox News, ABC News, NBC News, NewsNation, Newsmax, One America News and Right Side Broadcasting Network all aired the ceremony live on Tuesday afternoon. MSNBC, meanwhile, opted to instead move forward with a new episode of Deadline: White House. The news network did, however, acknowledge the ceremony and report on it and President Trumps presence there, as well as the acceptance of the award by Kirks widow, Erika. It also carried the ceremony live on YouTube. That was not enough to satisfy some members of the MAGA community, though, who slammed the decision online as vile and pathetic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a tweet featuring screenshots taken simultaneously of all of the major news networks Tuesday afternoon programming, Republican pundit Eric Deters wrote, In a pathetic, biased tantrum, MSNBCthe propaganda arm of the radical leftstands alone as the ONLY network boycotting President Trumps heroic Medal of Freedom ceremony for Charlie Kirk, proving once again theyre too cowardly to cover real American patriotism. BREAKING: In a pathetic, biased tantrum, MSNBCthe propaganda arm of the radical leftstands alone as the ONLY network boycotting President Trump's heroic Medal of Freedom ceremony for Charlie Kirk, proving once again they're too cowardly to cover real American patriotism. pic.twitter.com/pO9mgO0WTC Eric Deters (@bulllaw) October 14, 2025 Elsewhere, TV News Now wrote on X, In a disgraceful move, MSNBC was the only network refusing to air President Trumps Charlie Kirk Medal of Freedom ceremony live, choosing instead to attack Trumps tariffs and economy. Another user accused MSNBC of being vile and filled with hate. There were some viewers who defended the networks decision, including one X user, who argued that MSNBC was right not to carry the ceremony. Were here to honor and remember a fearless warrior for liberty, beloved leader who galvanized the next generation like nobody Ive ever seen before, Trump said Tuesday of Kirk, who was shot and killed at a public debate event at the Utah Valley University campus on Sept. 10. [Charlie was] an American patriot of the deepest conviction, the finest quality and the highest caliber. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Erika Kirk accepted the Medal of Freedom in her late husbands place Tuesday. Thank you, Mr. President, for honoring my husband in such a profound and meaningful way, she told Trump at the event. Charlie always admired your commitment to freedom and thats something that both of you shared. So, thank you. Your support of our family and the work that Charlie devoted his life to will be something I cherish forever. The post MSNBC Faces MAGA Backlash for Not Airing Charlie Kirks Medal of Freedom Ceremony: A Disgraceful Move appeared first on TheWrap. ODONNELL: Imagine you work for Donald Trump in his administration and you get caught by Politico in what you thought was a private online group chat with people saying things like I love Hitler and saying its a mistake to, quote, expect the Jew to be honest, end quote, along with multiple racist phrases as well as talking about wanting to see people, quote, going to the gas chamber and, quote, which provokes the reply, quote, Im ready to watch people burn now. Imagine what would happen to someone working in the Trump administration whos in group chats like that. What would you do if you were that Republican guy and Politico called you before publishing their investigative report about the I love Hitler chat group that youre in. What would you say to Politico? He declined to comment, and he still has his job in the Trump administration. The Politico article came out today at 1:15 p.m. and Donald Trump has taken no action against the guy working for him whos in the I love Hitler chat. Not one Republican has said one word yet objecting to a group of young Republicans in a group chat saying, I love Hitler. No Republican has a problem with that. Not one. Politico published their report today under the headline, I love Hitler. Leaked messages expose young Republicans racist chat. Politico reports leaders of young Republican groups throughout the country worried what would happen if their Telegram chat ever got leaked, but they kept typing anyway. They referred to Black people as monkeys and the watermelon people and mused about putting their political opponents in gas chambers. They talked about raping their enemies and driving them to suicide and lauded Republicans who believe who they believed support slavery. The exchange is part of a trove of Telegram chats obtained by Politico and spanning more than seven months of messages among young Republican leaders in New York, Kansas, Arizona, and Vermont. The chat offers an unfiltered look at how a new generation of GOP activists talk when they think no one is listening. The group chat members spoke freely about the pressure to cow to Trump to avoid being called a RINO, the love of Nazis within their partys rightwing, and the presidents alleged work to suppress documents related to wealthy financier Jeffrey Epsteins child sex crimes. Trumps too busy burning the Epstein files, Alex Dwyer, the chair of the Kansas Young Republicans, wrote in one instance, at least one person in the Telegram chat works in the Trump administration, Michael Bartels, who according to his LinkedIn account serves as a senior adviser in the office of general counsel within the U.S. Small Business Administration. Bartels did not have much to say in the chat, but he didnt offer any push back against the offensive rhetoric in it either. He declined to comment. And tonight, Michael Bartels still has his job working for Donald Trump and working for JD Vance because participating in an I love Hitler group chat is apparently not a reason for Donald Trump to fire you. Donald Trump is eagerly trying to fire federal workers these days, not one of whom has said, I love Hitler. Elon Musk and Donald Trump this year have fired thousands of federal workers, but theyre keeping the guy in the I love Hitler chat. They dont want to lose him, Michael Bartels. Michael Bartels declined to comment to Politico after he got caught in the I love Hitler chat at the same time that Donald Trump falsely claims to be trying to purify the universities of America by cleansing any trace of antisemitism in the student body of those institutions or the faculty and they have never found an I love Hitler group chat at any one of those universities. Donald Trump has never found anything like that. Donald Trump has never found anything like the poison that someone in his own administration is trafficking. After Politicos stunning expose of the virulent racism and antisemitism among the leaders of young Republicans, old Republican Donald Trump was not angry at any one of them. He wasnt angry at the I love Hitler guy. He wasnt angry at the guy who said the thing about the watermelon people. He wasnt angry at the guy who said, Im ready to watch people burn now in gas chambers. A Denton woman indicted for murder in a 2023 fentanyl overdose case has been arrested again and is now being held in the Denton County Jail, according to county booking records. Tabitha Lee Balent, 40, was booked into the Denton County Jail on October 8 on a murder charge, according to county jail records. She remains in custody and has not been released. Authorities first arrested Balent in December 2023 after what officials described as a joint operation between the Denton Police Department, the Denton County Sheriffs Office, and the U.S. Marshals Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force. Law enforcement claimed she provided fentanyl-laced pills that caused the death of 29-year-old Corey Alan Culver of North Carolina. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators alleged that Balent acquired counterfeit oxycodone pills from 39-year-old Raymond Hernandez, according to the citys December 2023 press release. The continued threat of fentanyl in our community is very real, Denton Police Chief Doug Shoemaker said in the release. We must all remain vigilant in rooting out the sources of this drug before even more lives are taken from us. Hernandez has since pleaded guilty to murder and is serving an 18-year prison sentence for the same incident, the Denton Record-Chronicle reported. Balents case is currently set for trial on December 15. Her recent re-arrest on the murder charge reportedly followed her arrest in connection with a felony theft case involving stolen plumbing equipment valued at over $30,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officers alleged that Balent and her boyfriend were involved in a September 14 theft in which a trailer containing specialized plumbing equipment was taken from a location on Colorado Boulevard, according to the Record-Chronicle report. Surveillance footage captured a man cutting the trailers chain and later returning with a woman in a white SUV to haul it away, according to police accounts. Officers reportedly identified Balent after the trailers owner posted images from the surveillance footage online. The report stated that police later located the suspect vehicle and arrested Balents boyfriend, a 37-year-old Ponder man, on suspicion of evading arrest, along with other violations. He was later served with a felony theft warrant while in custody. Police arrested Balent on September 29 for her alleged role in the theft, but she posted bond and was released the next day, the Record-Chronicle reported. When her bond company later revoked her bond on the previous separate murder charge, deputies arrested her again on October 8. Public records reviewed by The Dallas Express show that Balent has a prior criminal history in Denton County. Under the name Tabitha Lee Clontz, she pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor fraud charge in 2018 and received deferred adjudication and probation. Court records show she completed that probation in 2020. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A LinkedIn profile viewed by The Dallas Express for a woman named Tabitha Balent of Denton lists her occupation as a waitress at The Junction. Both Balent and her boyfriend remain in the Denton County Jail. The Dallas Express will continue to monitor updates in the case. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinels Neighborhood Dispatch will profile several local Latino community members whose stories, art, entrepreneurship, leadership and daily lives shape and enrich Milwaukees south side and beyond. Theres a special kind of magic found in co-creating art with strangers, according to Yesi Perez, a muralist and organizer on Milwaukees south side who uses art to connect neighbors. Perez, 25, is a multi-disciplinary artist responsible for several murals across the city, and each one is created in partnership with the local community members, allowing them to participate in producing a piece of street art for all to enjoy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Being in community, creating something for the community is what makes it truly special, Perez said. Perez currently serves as the outreach manager and bilingual educator at the Milwaukee Domes Alliance, where she coordinates educational experiences for students who visit the Mitchell Park Domes. Through her role at the alliance and her role as a community muralist, Perez said she hopes to build connections with neighbors and continue creating art that both involves and reflects the local community. Longtime commitment to community art Perezs art and education have been rooted in community since she was 8 years old, she said. As a child, she participated in art classes through the Bruce-Guadalupe Community School and several community art programs where she learned to paint, dabbled in mediums like photography and digital art. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I feel like thats my foundation for the love for art, creativity and expression, Perez said. In 2021, Perez graduated with a bachelors degree in political science from Marquette University and a minor in studio art from Milwaukee Institute for Art and Design, where she worked on large-scale art installations. After graduation, she began working at the 16th Street Community Health Center as a neighborhood revitalization project manager, where she was commissioned to create her first mural. The mural was painted on a crosswalk near West Washington Street and South Cesar Chavez Drive in the Clarke Square neighborhood in September 2021. The installation was in partnership with another artist named Catalina Bayona, a local youth art education nonprofit called Artists Working in Education, and the Department of Public Works. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The design of the crosswalk mural was influenced by community input, and the final product highlighted the flora and fauna of Mexico and Puerto Rico a representation of the cultures found on Milwaukee's south side and how nature connects them, she said. Perez and Bayona unveiled the now-eroded mural with a community celebration. It was very lively and vibrant, Perez said. Folks were gathered to meet one another but also celebrate these cultures that are still found among us, theyre very prevalent today, and just being unapologetic about that was very powerful. Building a career as an artist and community organizer Yesi Perez paints a mural commissioned by the WaterMarks project that invites viewers to think about their interconnectedness with water in Milwaukee on Oct. 14, 2025. - Angelica Edwards / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel The following year, in October 2022, Perez was commissioned to create a mural inside a slip lane near South 16th Street and West Forest Home Avenue. The mural was commissioned by the Wisconsin Bike Federation to encourage neighbors to convert abandoned areas into green spaces that can be used as community gathering places. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mural included several symbols for rebirth tied to Latino culture and the home countries of neighbors in the area, Perez said. The mural featured marigold flowers, which are significant in Mexican culture and tied to the Day of the Dead, and hummingbirds, which are an Aztec symbol that honors fallen warriors, Perez said. While working at the 16th street health center, Perez often returned to the mural site to host arts and craft sessions, open discussions and other community events with neighbors and other nonprofits. Now the slip lane and the adjoining lot are known as placita verde, or the little green plaza, among neighbors, Perez said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perez's most recent mural can be found on South 37th and West Scott Streets. The mural is located on a bike boulevard a street with increased traffic safety measures for bikers and pedestrians. VIA Community Development Corporation (VIA CDC), the Wisconsin Bike Federation and the Department of Public Works commissioned Perez to create the mural in partnership with nearby residents. Perez said the neighbors living near the project site were involved at every step of the design process. She hosted community meetings to gather feedback on early drafts of the mural design, and on the day the mural was installed, neighbors spontaneously joined in on the painting process as they passed by. The result was a mural that featured local figures and symbols that represented the community, including a paletero, or a Mexican popsicle vendor, said Isabel Castro, VIA CDCs community outreach specialist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yesi was being very conscious and aware that she was facilitating this dialogue and this design, but she was still leaving space for community input, Castro said. Today, Perez is proud of the mural and sees it as a community piece that created shared memories among neighbors, she said. It feels like such an honor that they trust in my work and my process to help them make it happen, because it wouldnt be the same if I didnt have their feedback, Perez said. Connecting public art to Milwaukee waterways A design of a mural commissioned by the WaterMarks project to be completed by Yesi Perez near East Lincoln Avenue and South First Street in Milwaukee. The mural was commissioned by the WaterMarks project and aims to invite observers to think about their interconnectedness with water. Currently, Perez said she is working on a mural commissioned by WaterMarks Milwaukee, which aims to promote dialogue surrounding the significance of water in our day-to-day lives, according to the website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The WaterMarks project contains a series of murals installed near letters mounted on top of 30-foot poles placed near rivers or lakes across Milwaukee, said Perez. The chosen letter is symbolic of the local culture and the neighborhoods connection to nearby waterways, Perez said. Perez's mural at the intersection of East Lincoln Avenue and South First Street will accompany the letter "F." Neighbors chose the letter "F" to represent the Spanish words "Felicidad," or happiness, and "Fortalecer," or "strengthen." Both words are tied to the local Latino community. The words the community chose to represent their neighborhood's connection to water include "Flow," "Fish," and "Flood," according to Perez. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mural, which is set to be unveiled this fall, will feature marigold flowers, monarch butterflies and outlines of male and female bodies filled with water, according to Perez. Perez invited local students to paint the mural alongside her and said she feels honored to be allowed to help bring it to life. "It means that they trust in me and in turn trust what the art can signify for the community," Perez said. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Local artist uses murals to connect neighbors to one another Russia is grappling with fuel shortages and price hikes after a string of Ukrainian attacks on its oil refineries. To protect supplies in Russia, where long lines at gas stations have been reported in some regions, Moscow has banned or restricted the export of gasoline and diesel. The move has triggered fuel shortages and price rises in some of the former Soviet republics of Central Asia, which are heavily reliant on Russian energy. Tajikistan Among Hardest Hit Tajikistan, which imports almost all its fuel -- mostly from Russia -- has been among the hardest hit. A strategic partner and close ally of Moscow, Tajikistan still receives Russian fuel under bilateral import agreements. But prices in Central Asias poorest country have increased sharply since Russia first imposed restrictions on energy exports this summer. A liter of regular gasoline currently costs up to $1.30 in Tajikistan, the highest in the region. Uncertainty over Russias exports has forced Tajikistan to diversify its energy consumption model. Many taxis and public transportation vehicles in Dushanbe have switched to liquefied natural gas or electric power, moving away from gasoline. Still, Dushanbe says its annual gasoline imports from Russia will reach 500,000 tons by the end of the year, a significant rise from 451,000 tons in 2024. Kyrgyzstan Is Vulnerable Kyrgyzstan imports more than 90 percent of the gasoline and diesel it consumes from Russia. As a member of the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union, Kyrgyzstan has been shielded from Russias export ban. Even so, Kyrgyzstan has faced price hikes, supply delays, and temporary fuel shortages since the summer. Related: Oil Tankers Jam Seas as Global Glut Builds Experts say Kyrgyzstan is vulnerable because of its almost complete dependence on Russian imports. Like Tajikistan, it has energy reserves but lacks the ability to refine oil. There are few real alternatives to Russian supplies in the short term, economist Nurgul Akimova told RFE/RLs Kyrgyz Service. All these alternatives will require significant investment in infrastructure and will be more expensive than current Russian supplies. Uzbekistan Turns To Other Suppliers Uzbekistan still imports Russian gasoline and diesel as part of government-brokered contracts with Russian companies. But wary of its overreliance on Russia, Central Asias most populous country has increased its fuel imports from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan -- Central Asias two largest exporters. Uzbekistan has large oil reserves but lacks the infrastructure to boost production. In 2024, its output was only around 63,000 barrels per day. District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) is questioning the legality of deploying the National Guard to cities across the country, objecting to an effort President Trump has described as part of a crackdown on crime. I dont think its legal, let me start there, for the National Guard to police Americans on American soil, Bowser said Wednesday when asked at the Fortune Most Powerful Women conference in Washington about not supporting the use of the National Guard for public safety. The mission and the way we use the National Guard unlike most states where a governor can call up the chief of his National Guard or her National Guard in D.C., our D.C. National Guard reports to the president, the mayor added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While I can request the National Guard, they are completely federally operated. And so D.C. is a little different than in other places for the D.C. National Guard, she said. We use the Guard to respond to emergencies. We use the Guard for large scale events. We do not use the Guard or to police our local laws, Bowser said. Trump issued an executive order in August that declared a crime emergency in the nations capital and activated the National Guard. He has since deployed troops to several other Democratic-led cities. Earlier this month, a federal appeals court partially restored Trumps control of the National Guard in Chicago and across Illinois, but it blocked him from being able to deploy troops there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, Bowser said Washingtonians as well as people across the country should be alarmed by what the deployments mean for our democracy. We should all be concerned about the military being used because its a slippery slope, she said. You use it for crowd control one day, or presence the next day its not a long jump to using it in other ways that could interfere with the very nature of American democracy, Bowser said. Bowser also discussed the push for D.C. statehood, saying, There are 700,000 Americans who dont have a voice in Congress, and that voice could impact a larger national agenda. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now its assumed that we would have two Democratic senators thats probably true but maybe its not. And having those two more voices in the Senate may make a difference in how we approach war and peace in the world, who sits on the Supreme Court, who the director or secretary of this or that agency is, she said. Asked if it was an issue she was advocating for actively for in her conversations with Trump, Bowser replied to applause from the audience, Im actively trying to keep them out of our affairs. 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. (Corrects in paragraph 1 and in quote in paragraph 2 an error in NASA's statement to say Isaacman's meeting was last week, not Monday as originally indicated) By Joey Roulette (Reuters) -Jared Isaacman, the private astronaut and Elon Musk ally who was removed from consideration to lead NASA earlier this year, met with acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy last week as a candidate for leading the space agency, a NASA spokesperson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Secretary Duffy and Jared Isaacman had an excellent meeting," NASA press secretary Bethany Stephens said in a statement. "At President Trump's direction, Secretary Duffy in his capacity as acting NASA Administrator is meeting with and vetting several candidates for the permanent role." Isaacman did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Last year, then-president elect Donald Trump tapped Isaacman to lead NASA at the recommendation of Musk, the SpaceX CEO who had been an influential adviser to the president and sought to more closely align the U.S. space program with his goal of flying missions to Mars. Isaacman, a billionaire SpaceX customer who flew to space twice on the company's capsules, had spent months navigating the Senate confirmation process, balancing the Trump administration's desire to focus on Mars with NASA's multibillion-dollar strategy to return to the moon first in a geopolitical race with China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But in May Trump pulled Isaacman's nomination amid a high-profile falling out with Musk. Duffy, also the head of the U.S. Department of Transportation, was named acting NASA chief. (Editing by Mark Porter; Editing by Chris Reese and Lisa Shumaker) MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) As Adelaide Pointe is unable to hit an upcoming deadline for adding public park features, the city of Muskegon has agreed to extend the deadline to next spring. Adelaide Pointe, Michigans first new marina in almost three decades, has been opening in stages since 2024. The waterfront project at 1204 Western Ave. along Muskegon Lake includes wet and dry marinas, a restaurant, an event center and bike paths. As part of cooperative use agreement, Adelaide Pointe had agreed to add park improvements to its Hartshorn Peninsula. In May, the city sent the developers a letter giving it a Nov. 1 deadline to complete those improvements. FILE Adelaide Pointe marina in Muskegon. (Courtesy Adelaide Pointe) But while a bike trail has been completed, the rest of the improvements have not. During Muskegon City Commission meeting Tuesday, developer Ryan Leestma cited difficulties getting contractors scheduled and financial challenges. Leestma, who stepped down as CEO after a controversial letter he sent to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was made public, on Tuesday described himself as the projects visionary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bank sues Adelaide Pointe in Muskegon, claims it defaulted on loan The city commission unanimously voted to extend the deadline until May 1. Adelaide Point must also provide written record of what its planning on doing to improve the park and update surveys, legal descriptions and any necessary easements by Dec. 1. Muskegon Mayor Ken Johnson and some of the commissioners stressed there wont be another extension. Johnson noted the potential catastrophic effects for the development should it lose its agreement with the city. Adelaide Pointe marina in Muskegon. (Oct. 15, 2025) From your perspective, I think itd be far worse than from our situation, because on our side its us having to foot the bill for some of these public improvements and amenities, he said. I am not afraid to terminate the property use and development agreement if the parties to that are not living up to its obligations. That is our leverage and we cannot give endless grace, endless extensions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The move comes as Adelaide Pointe deals with a legal battle with lender Independent Bank, which has accused the development of defaulting on a portion of its $30 million loan. The bank has requested that the judge put the development into a receivership. Leestma is trying to block the request in court, Crains Grand Rapids Business reports. Adelaide Pointe CEO steps down amid letter controversy In its lawsuit, Independent Bank claimed the project is facing other indications of financial distress, including unpaid real estate taxes, unpaid invoices and remediation work required by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is abundantly clear that Defendants lack the financial wherewithal to complete the Adelaide Pointe condo building construction, the lawsuit says. The 55-unit condo building was originally expected to be ready for residents in the summer of 2024. Leestma in a Sept. 30 email to News 8 said it will now be open to residents in two to 12 weeks. He wrote that attorneys phrase things and say things in order to maximize an argument in front of a judge and that does not mean it (the lawsuit) is accurate or there is context or understanding of scale. A building near Adelaide Pointe marina. (Oct. 15, 2025) Leestma on Tuesday at first told commissioners the project is finished, saying, Were at the point right now where like theres some comments made about, We want to see this project complete. Well, the reality of it is, is that it is. Adelaide Pointe, contractor resolve dispute over $1M Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But when challenged by commissioners, he walked that back. I guess I should correct myself a little bit, he said, noting that the project still needs landscaping, but added that its close to the top of the mountain. He also noted that while some mistakes have been made during construction, he owns those mistakes. Asked by commissioners if he had the capacity to finish the project, he said yes. While explaining why she would be voting yes to extending the deadline, Vice Mayor and At-Large Commissioner Rebecca St Clair acknowledged that many in the community have strong opinions about the controversial project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adelaide Pointe marina celebrates grand opening I think that in particular, this developer has done a lot of harm to relationships in the community by careless words and by actions that have been taken, she said. Whether deliberately or accidentally, the harm has been done and there are a lot of people that would like to see this project burn. She said while she understands that rationale, she doesnt want the project to become a corpse on the waterfront. It is clear to me in this conversation that if we pull the cooperative use agreement, we sentence this project to if not death, a extreme hardship that will be very hard to move forward on, and Im not willing to do that out of spite, she said. Im not willing to do that to make people feel better about getting back at somebody who has made them feel bad. 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 WOODTV.com. (Reuters) -Myanmar's junta chief acknowledged on Wednesday that the military-backed administration will be unable to conduct an upcoming general election across the entire country, as a civil war triggered by a 2021 coup rages on. Critics and many Western nations view the election - due to start in late December and the first since the coup - as a sham exercise to legitimise the military's rule via proxy political parties. Dozens of anti-junta parties are either banned or refusing to take part. The Southeast Asian nation has been in turmoil since the coup, which deposed an elected civilian government and triggered a nationwide armed rebellion that has wrested swathes of territory from the military. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The remarks by Min Aung Hlaing were his first public admission that the polls cannot be fully inclusive, days after he met Malaysia's foreign minister and ahead of a summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. "We can't hold the election everywhere 100%," Min Aung Hlaing said in a speech broadcast on state TV from the capital Naypyitaw, adding that by-elections would follow in some areas after a new government is formed. The junta was able to conduct a full, on-ground census to generate voter lists in only 145 of the country's 330 townships, according to a December census report that put Myanmar's total population at 51.3 million. Current rules require political parties to meet a high threshold of at least 50,000 members and 100 million kyat ($47,762.33) in funds, leaving only six parties eligible to contest the upcoming polls nationwide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The junta has invited ASEAN countries to send observers for the election, due to start on December 28 and to continue in phases into January. The bloc is expected to discuss the request during its summit later this month. Malaysia is the current chair of ASEAN, which also includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. ($1 = 2,093.7000 kyat) (Reporting by Naw Betty Han, Editing by Devjyot Ghoshal and Aidan Lewis) The Retribution: Russia Probe Edition The NYT had previously hinted at the reason behind the abrupt August resignation of former Virginia Speaker of the House Todd Gilbert as interim U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia, but now the newspaper has compiled a fuller accounting of what happened. Gilbert was forced to resign or be fired, the NYT reports, for refusing to can the top career prosecutor in his office, who had found insufficient evidence to pursue a cockamamie theory for investigating the investigators of Russias interference in the 2016 election. The flimsy allegation is that the investigators themselves mishandled classified documents. FBI Director Kash Patel and deputy director Dan Bongino have seized on burn bags at FBI headquarters that contained classified documents from the case as evidence that senior officials were destroying documents to cover up or protect the former investigators. The more benign and plausible explanation that the classified materials remain stored in digital form on FBI servers and destroying paper copies is a routine security measure has been disregarded in favor of elaborate conspiracies that salve President Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The case landed in Gilberts office ostensibly because his district includes a FBI classified document storage facility, but that appears to be at least in part a pretext for finding a more favorable jury pool outside of DC or Northern Virginia. Gilbert was ordered by DOJ higher-ups to open an investigation into the matter shortly after taking over the post, but he told his superiors that he did not believe there was sufficient evidence to justify a grand jury investigation, the NYT reports. From there things quickly escalated, as Gilbert put it in a memorable social media post of a meme from Will Farrells Anchorman: Frustrated by that answer, aides to Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy, Todd Blanche, blamed a senior career attorney in the office who they believed had swayed Mr. Gilbert: Zachary Lee, a veteran prosecutor with more than two decades of experience involving public corruption and narcotics, among other issues. Justice Department officials ordered Mr. Gilbert to replace Mr. Lee with Robert Tracci as his deputy, these people said. After Mr. Lee was demoted, senior department officials suspected Mr. Gilbert was still primarily consulting Mr. Lee, whom they came to view as a holdover from the Biden administration, though he had been hired during the George W. Bush administration and promoted during the first Trump administration, these people added. At one point, Mr. Blanche spoke directly to Mr. Gilbert and offered him more resources to pursue the case, according to one person familiar with the events. When Gilbert still didnt bend, he was told hed be fired, at which point he resigned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tracci is now the acting U.S. attorney, and Lee has left the office, according to the NYT. The new revelations about Gilberts surprisingly stiff spine hes a longtime GOP politician who has walked the party line, to say the least, for years is another striking example of the weaponization of the Justice Department. Its an especially remarkable incident because Gilbert had been nominated for the permanent position, but resisted going along to get along and was forced out after just a month on the job. The Retribution: Jack Smith Edition House Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan on Tuesday sent a letter to former Special Counsel Jack Smith seeking his to testimony. Jordan is seizing on yet another conspiratorial pretext for investigating the investigators: The GOP-driven news that Smith obtained phone records of the calls of some GOP lawmakers around Jan. 6, 2021 as part of his investigation into the failed coup attempt. Jordans move came the same day that video of some of Smiths first public remarks about his work in the Jan. 6 and Mar-a-Lago investigations in an interview last week in London with former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann were widely disseminated. The Worst of the Worst: I Love Hitler Politico has the receipts from a Telegram group chat among leaders of the Young Republicans group who exchanged racist, misogynistic, and antisemitic private messages with abandon between early January and mid-August of this year. US Revokes Visas Over Charlie Kirk Comments On the same day President Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously to Charlie Kirk at the White House, the State Department announced it had revoked the visas of six people who had posted anti-Kirk screeds on social media. US Lawlessly Attacks 5th Caribbean Boat President Trump announced on social media another U.S. strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat off of Venezuela, claiming the strike killed six men. Trump provided no evidence for the allegations that it was a drug-smuggling boat and very little other information about the attack. The administration continues to provide next to no legal rationale for the unprecedented series of attacks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since Mr. Trump and his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, started the operation last month, a broad range of legal specialists have called the premeditated and summary extrajudicial killings illegal, the NYTs Charlie Savage notes. They noted that the military cannot lawfully target civilians even criminal suspects who do not pose a threat in the moment and are not directly participating in hostilities. In related news, CNN reports on how the Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has sidelined the lawyers at the Pentagon, including by applying political litmus tests to top JAG leaders, while pushing the legal limits of military action: One recent flashpoint for the role of US military lawyers has been the series of strikes on boats in the Caribbean, with multiple current and former JAGs telling CNN that the strikes do not appear lawful. Lawyers specializing in international law within DoDs Office of General Counsel have also raised concerns about the legality of the strikes, sources familiar with the matter said. Responding in a statement to CNN, the Pentagon spokesperson threw down a gauntlet (emphasis mine): The War Department categorically denies that any Pentagon lawyers with knowledge of these operations have raised concerns regarding the legality of the strikes conducted thus far because they are aware we are on firm legal ground. No lawyer involved has questioned the legality of the Caribbean strikes and instead advised subordinate commanders and Secretary Hegseth that the proposed actions were permissible before they commenced. Your occasional reminder that the strikes on alleged drug cartel boats combined with the increased deployment of U.S. military assets to the region seem largely designed as a saber-rattling exercise against Venezuela. Strap Up Cowboy: A Major Scandal in Any Other Era UNITED STATES JULY 23: Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., leaves the U.S. Capitol after the last votes before August recess, on Wednesday July 23, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) A state judge in Florida issued a restraining order against Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) barring him from coming within 500 feet of his former girlfriend, a state GOP committee woman who is also the reigning Miss United States. The judge in his ruling called her a victim of dating violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lindsey Langston ended the relationship earlier this year after the married Mills was linked to the alleged assault of a third woman in Washington, D.C. Mills allegedly continued to contact her after the breakup and threatened to blackmail her with nude photos, NBC News reports: Mills is alleged to have sent a series of harassing communications to Langston in May and June, which are cited in the judgment, including a message he wrote to Langston on May 15 that she may want to tell every guy you date that if we run into each other at any point. Strap up cowboy[.] Mill did not comment on that latest developments. Do you like Morning Memo? Let us know! A vacation to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic took a dark turn this past weekend after a Hudson County man suffered a brain injury. Guy Rutigliano, 50, of Secaucus, was at a pool when he slipped and hit his head the afternoon of Oct. 10. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital after he began vomiting, according to his wife, Jennifer. Upon arrival at the hospital, Guy and his wife were handed a bill of $10,000 before he could receive any sort of treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After quickly putting the funds together, Guy was admitted to the hospital and later had a surgery for brain bleeds the night of Oct. 11, which cost over $15,000. Hes exhausted. He wants to see his doctor, his family. Were overwhelmed, said Jennifer. We just want to get home but its not safe right now. Jennifer says shes been staying in his hospital room with him. She said Guy is in massive amounts of pain but is recovering well from the surgery. A GoFundMe was created by Jennifers sister, Aimee Bligh, asking for financial support with medical bills and Guys eventual medical transport back to the U.S. It has raised over $22,000 as of Oct. 15. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our family is doing everything in our power to take care of them and their children, but we cannot do this alone, Bligh wrote on the GoFundMe post. Using Google translate to communicate with the hospital staff, Guy and his wife are advocating for his care and trying to get home as soon as possible. Were in a country where we dont know anybody. We cant speak the language, said Jennifer, who added they are exploring ways to safely transport her husband. We need to get home. Bligh told NJ Advance Media she has been in contact with the U.S. Embassy. Guy, who works on motorized window treatments, has four children from a previous marriage, Jennifer has two. All of their children are adults, with some attending college. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Guys sister and her fiance, who also came on the trip, are remaining in the Dominican Republic to provide support. They are staying at a local hotel in the room where the group was staying for their vacation. This was our first time leaving the country together and I can tell you its going to be the last, said Jennifer. Victoria Gladstone Stories by Victoria Gladstone Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Cheryl McKissack Daniel recalls discovering her family tree when she was 11 years old. It was sketched out on a piece of paper and tucked into her grandmother's Bible. She wanted to add to it. So, she went into her father's office and used his drafting table to draw a new, larger family tree diagram, adding the names of new members and using Leroy Lettering to make it look neat and professional. Her father, William DeBerry McKissack, was a renowned Black architect and CEO of McKissack & McKissack. The firm is considered to be one of the oldest Black-owned firms in the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Five generations later, McKissack Daniel is at the helm of her family's company, which has made its mark on countless projects across the country and in Nashville. In August, she published a memoir, "The Black Family Who Built America," in collaboration with award-winning author and journalist Nick Chiles. On Oct. 18, she will discuss her new book at the Southern Festival of Books in downtown Nashville. Her talk will begin at 1 p.m. at the Tennessee State Library. Cheryl McKissack Daniel, author of "The Black Family Who Built America," poses for a portrait with her book, which chronicles the long history of her prolific family business. "The Black Family Who Built America" recounts five generations of the McKissack family, from enslavement to Reconstruction to building a legendary construction management firm based in New York. It's a winding true story, full of ups and downs, loss, grief and major wins for the growing company. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I didn't realize how difficult it is to tell a story of five generations, 230 years," said McKissack Daniel, who grew up in Nashville and now lives in Westchester, New York. "It's very difficult. The McKissack story is one that needs to be told." On Oct. 9, the Preservation Society of Nashville hosted a panel discussion about the McKissack & McKissack Firm. The company's story is also told in the new historic downtown Nashville audio tour. After launching the firm in 1905, brothers Moses and Calvin L. McKissack began to build several school and community buildings such as the Carnegie Library at Fisk University, several buildings on Tennessee State Universitys campus and Pearl-Cohn High School. The legacy they started still continues to this day, said Dr. Learotha Williams, Jr., a historian and Tennessee State University professor. "They're part of so many huge projects now and there is so much that we owe to them." William DeBerry McKissack, seated, president of McKissack & McKissack, and Leo Sam Jr., vice president of the architecture firm, check a contractural agreement with the royal family of Saudi Arabia in their Nashville office on Dec. 29, 1977. Brian Tibbs, the managing partner of Moody Nolan the largest African American-owned design firm in the country, said McKissack & McKissack's influence was broad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They employed not only Black architects but builders, painters and other Black people in the community, Tibbs said. "When I graduated from architecture school, there were less than 1% Black architects. Now it's hovering around 3%. There is still a lot that needs to be done." McKissack family from enslavement to business leadership McKissack Daniel's memoir begins with the story of her ancestor, Moses McKissack I, who was born in West Africa, captured, taken to the U.S. and sold into slavery. McKissack I learned building trades and brickmaking, becoming a skilled craftsman and eventually passing those skills onto his sons. Cheryl McKissack Daniel, CEO of McKissack Group, poses for a photo with her mother, Leatrice Buchanan McKissack. One of the most famous structures built by the McKissack family in Nashville is the Morris Memorial Building at 330 Charlotte Ave., which was completed in 1926. The firm also designed and constructed buildings for the campuses of Tennessee State University, Fisk University and many private homes, churches and municipal buildings for customers across Nashville and the rest of the Southeast. "Of course the McKissacks did not build America, but a lot of Black people had a hand in building America, all the way to Wall Street," McKissack Daniel said, referencing her book title. "It's really a celebration of Black people who have contributed to this country, but who have gotten lost in the blueprints and what we write in history." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McKissack Daniel also shared how she broke into the New York construction and development industry by working connections, partnering with multinational construction firms and staying aggressive. The Citizens Savings Bank and Trust Company, here on located at the corner of 4th Avenue North and Charlotte Avenue on April 10, 1979, is the second oldest minority bank in the U.S. and will celebrates it 75th anniversary in 1979. The bank is in the Morris Memorial building that was designed by McKissack & McKissack, the oldest Black-owned architecture and engineering firm in the U.S. She won contracts for her company to work on the Barclays Center development project in Brooklyn, the World Trade Center Oculus, JFK Airport Terminal One and a major renovation of Harlem Hospital Center. "For the McKissacks, we like to say that we have documented the Black experience in America through our buildings," McKissack Daniel said. "I think it's important to tell these stories because it talks about how real estate and construction can create economic power, especially in the Black community." Out of the 107 Historically Black Colleges & Universities in the U.S., only seven are home to NAAB-accredited architecture programs. None of those are in Tennessee. If you go: Southern Festival of Books What: Presented by Humanities Tennessee and Vanderbilt University, the Southern Festival of Books showcases the regions literary talent and cultural vibrancy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When: Oct. 16-19. McKissack Daniel will speak at 1 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Tennessee State Library, 1001 Rep. John Lewis Way N. Where: Events take place at Bicentennial Capital Mall State Park, the Tennesee State Library and the Tennessee State Museum at 1000 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard in Nashville. Full schedule: https://sofestofbooks.org/schedule Molly Davis covers growth and development in Nashville. You can email her with comments, questions and tips at mmdavis@tennessean.com. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville book festival to highlight Black architecture firm Nassau County is on track to lock up 3,000 immigrants detained for ICE this year, as part of the county's agreement with Homeland Security. The county has held 2,188 detainees so far, and continues to hold arrested immigrants for ICE for detainment, breaking with New York City, which considers itself a sanctuary city. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Nassau has been holding several hundred ICE detainees per month as part of an agreement called "287(g)," that ICE struck in February with Nassau County to rent out 50 local jail cells in East Meadow through the Sheriff's Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agreement also calls for the county to assign up to 10 Nassau County police detectives to cross embed with ICE agents, giving them the power to arrest immigrants without legal status. "We've have had a vast decrease in crime here in Nassau County," said Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. "I think one of the reasons is that we have the most comprehensive agreement with ICE in probably any county in America." Blakeman touted the cooperation with the Trump administration but critics say it's illegal. "Local law enforcement agencies are actually not permitted to participate in civil activities," said Ify Chikezie of the New York Civil Liberties Union. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The New York Civil Liberties Union is suing Nassau County, its police department and police commissioner Patrick Ryder, claiming it violates state law. "We would want to see that police activity and the fear that is being stopped," Chikezie said. Blakeman, who supports the 287(g) agreement, weighed in. "There is no fear in the Hispanic American communities," Blakeman said. Others, like Nassau County Hispanic Community Advocate Luis Mendez, disagree. "There is still fear in minority communities about that relationship and that has definitely decimated the great community relationship that Nassau County Police Department had," Mendez said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mendez is the former deputy director of Nassau County Minority Affairs. He now works closely with many of the 198,000 people of the Nassau County Hispanic community. "They're not working for ICE on a regular basis or a full-time basis," Blakeman said. "They're on an as needed basis. So far, they've been used a few times with ICE." Blakeman says the federal government would reimburse police for their help and give $195 a night at the Nassau jail for each ICE detainee. ICE says its agents have detained more than 1,600 people on Long Island with prior convictions from January through August. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agency would not say how many people were detained without a criminal history, evoking more fear in the Latino community. "Unfortunately for me, I have to walk around with my passport on me," Mendez said. ---------- * More Long Island news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts * Follow us on YouTube Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. Banco Santander (Santander) has announced the merger of Openbank and Santander Consumer Finance (SCF) into a single legal entity, operating under the Openbank brand. This strategic move aims to streamline Santander's European consumer finance operations, beginning with Germany. Openbank and SCF are integral parts of Santanders Digital Consumer Bank (DCB) global business. The merger is seen a step towards simplifying operations and delivering competitive financing solutions for partners like auto manufacturers, dealers, and merchants. Openbank is Santanders flagship brand for digital-first consumer banking. This brand will carry the endorsement "by Santander," highlighting its association with a global banking company. Openbank currently operates in Spain, Germany, Portugal, and the Netherlands and has expanded to the US and Mexico. Santander Consumer Finance is a European auto finance provider, with operations in 18 countries and a loan volume exceeding 140bn. Together, Openbank and SCF support around 16,000 new customers daily across Europe, catering to diverse financing needs. The combined management of Openbank and SCF has partnered with major retailers such as Apple, Amazon, and Vodafone. The merger will enable SCF and Openbank customers will have access to the comprehensive offerings of the merged business through a cohesive digital platform, having a single point of entry for banking, lending, and payment solutions, stated Santander. Openbank provides a range of services across various markets, including an automated investment service known as Robo Advisor. Robo Adivsor is a broker platform that utilises artificial intelligence tools to offer target prices for both European and US stocks. Additionally, Openbank has recently introduced a cryptocurrency trading service. Santander plans to commence with the merger of the legal entities of Openbank and Santander Consumer Finance, both based in Spain, pending regulatory approvals, while also consolidating the operations of Openbank and Santander Consumer Bank in Germany. Additionally, the group intends to implement a gradual rebranding initiative across various European markets. Recently, Santander advanced its commitment to a data and AI-centric approach through collaboration with OpenAI, aiming to establish itself as an AI-native bank. "Santander announces merger of Openbank and Santander Consumer Finance" was originally created and published by Retail Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand. A woman walks into the Community Healthcare Networks Long Island City Health Center in Queens, N.Y., this month. This community health center is one of more than 1,300 across the country that serve patients regardless of their background or ability to pay. (Photo by Shalina Chatlani/ Stateline) NEW YORK On a busy street in Queens, New York, just around the corner from a halal hot chicken sandwich restaurant and a barber shop, the Long Island City Health Center welcomes its patients into a brightly lit waiting room, painted baby blue and filled with soft white and gray seats. A woman working behind the desk on a recent weekday answered one patients questions in Spanish. Other patients came dressed in hijabs, kurtas or other traditional clothing from countries around the globe. A caseworker assigned to the center rolled one woman, wheelchair-bound because of a stroke, toward an examination room. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Long Island City Health Center is part of a national network of more than 1,300 community health centers, safety-net clinics that served more than 31 million patients in 2023, according to KFF, a health research nonprofit. The clinics are located in areas where there arent many doctors or hospitals, and they provide care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. Thanks largely to their broad reach, the centers have long enjoyed bipartisan support. But the federal government shutdown, freezes to federal grants, looming cuts to Medicaid and new Trump administration policies barring some immigrants from receiving care at the centers have put them under financial stress. Community health centers disproportionately serve low-income people, people of color and rural residents. In 2023, 90% of patients had incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, according to KFF. Forty percent of patients were Hispanic, 17% were Black and 31% were rural residents. More than 80% of patients were insured, and about half of all patients were covered by Medicaid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The health centers are funded by the payments they get from Medicaid, Medicare and private insurers, plus federal and state grants. Money is always tight, but between 2010 and 2023, average operating margins remained in the black. That changed last year, as the average margin dipped to -2.1%, according to an audit conducted by the National Association of Community Health Centers. Half of community health centers have fewer than 90 days of cash on hand, and one-quarter operate with margins below -4%, according to the audit. When the Trump administration froze some federal grants in February, it forced some clinics, particularly in rural areas, to reduce hours or shut down. The broad domestic policy law President Donald Trump signed July 4 is projected to increase the number of uninsured patients seeking care at the health centers. And the ranks of the uninsured would grow further if Affordable Care Act insurance plans get much more expensive at the end of this year, as would happen if Congress fails to extend tax credits that have kept prices down. Meanwhile, the government shutdown has prevented Congress from renewing the Community Health Center Fund, which expired on Sept. 30 and provides about 70% of the centers federal funding. And the centers worry that a new Trump administration policy barring them from providing care to some immigrants would force them to dedicate scarce resources to verifying patients legal status. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Andrew G. Nixon, director of communications for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told Stateline that the administration is fully committed to protecting Americas community health centers, which play a vital role in serving millions of families nationwide. The Trump Administration is working to reopen the government and restore full funding, while also ensuring that federal resources are prioritized for American citizens and lawful residents in accordance with the law, Nixon said in an emailed statement. This year, some states including Connecticut, Illinois and Minnesota approved more money for community health centers. But Illinois and Minnesota also have scaled back or ended health care programs that served low-income people regardless of their immigration status, which might prompt more of those patients to seek care at the centers. And California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in June signed a state budget that bars immigrants who are here illegally from enrolling in the states Medicaid program. Historically, health centers have had bipartisan support, but were operating in a very different world now, Feygele Jacobs, a professor of health policy and management at George Washington University, told Stateline. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jacobs said health centers are a target for the Trump administration because they serve people of color, low-income residents, immigrants and the uninsured. Its those very communities that are really being challenged right now by the administration, Jacobs said. So I dont know that the focus is so much on health centers as entities, but really more on an administration whose views are antithetical to many of the people that health centers have historically cared for. But Chris Pope, a senior fellow at the conservative-leaning Manhattan Institute, questioned whether the Medicaid changes included in Trumps One Big Beautiful Bill Act would lead to a significant increase in the number of people without insurance or a dramatic reduction in the programs finances. Pope also noted that the law doesnt take direct aim at the federal funding of community health centers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres no direct cut in terms of reimbursement for community centers, Pope said. Its not the intent of the bill to slash and attack health center revenues. Welcoming culture The first community health centers were created in 1965 in Mississippi and Massachusetts as federal demonstration projects under President Lyndon Johnsons War on Poverty. The program became permanent in 1975. Doctors at the Long Island City Health Center describe it as a one-stop shop for patients. In addition to providing primary care and mental health services, the center has an in-house pharmacy and provides laboratory tests, vaccinations, drug treatment, HIV/AIDS treatment, and support for transgender patients and their families. Including its dozen medical residents, the center has doctors who can speak French, Tamil, Kru, Ibo, Yoruba, Spanish, Hindi, Nepali, Russian and Tagalog, among other languages. Dr. Libby Brubaker, an attending physician at the Long Island City Health Center, told Stateline that providing a welcoming atmosphere for everybody is at the core of the centers mission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our social workers go to bat for our patients and help them get access to housing. We write letters to allow our patients with asthma to be able to have air conditioners inside their apartments, Brubaker said. Really what were providing for our patients is all encompassing, and that sets us apart, she added. Hospitals dont do all of those things. They do some, but being able to offer that breadth of services in an outpatient setting is invaluable. Sandra Tapia visits the Long Island City Health Center. She likes this clinic because she can speak in her native Spanish. (Photo by Shalina Chatlani/ Stateline) Sandra Tapia, a Long Island City resident from Bogota, Colombia, walked into the clinic on a Friday to see her nutritionist for the first time. Shes been in the U.S. for seven years, is a green card holder and has Medicaid. She said she likes the center because its close and its safe. Tapia said she cant imagine not being able to have access to health care, and values being able to speak to her provider in her native Spanish. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here, they offer really great services, Tapia said. I dont want people without as many resources, like me, to be punished. The idea of cuts frightens patients such as Olga Scott, 65, who said she has been coming to Long Island City Health Center for years. Scott lives in the Bronx, but takes an hourlong subway ride to the center so she can see her favorite doctor. These community health services around the whole community of these five boroughs are needed its really needed, she said. I just hope that they dont do too much cutbacks, because we need every service we can get. Dr. Sindhura Manubolu, director of the family medicine program at the center, said shes sensing a lot of anxiety from her patients, especially those who rely on Medicaid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most of the questions from our patients have been around, Oh, will we lose coverage? said Manubolu, who is an immigrant from India. For someone to be here in an advanced country like America, and then not being able to access the health care that probably is even available to a person in a less developed country is not acceptable. Dr. Sindhura Manubolu is the director of the family medicine program at the Community Healthcare Networks Long Island City Health Center. (Photo by Shalina Chatlani/ Stateline) Bipartisan support On Capitol Hill, community health centers are an increasingly rare example of bipartisan agreement. In May, Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Democratic U.S. Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island wrote a joint letter to the chairperson and ranking member of the Senate health appropriations subcommittee, urging them to provide robust funding for community health centers, describing them as a bipartisan solution to keeping Americans healthy and saving taxpayer dollars. Wicker and Reed argued in the letter that the centers save the overall health care system billions of dollars by reducing the burden of chronic disease through prevention and early intervention, and lower long-term Medicaid and Medicare spending by curbing expensive emergency department visits, hospital admissions and invasive procedures. The senators also noted that the centers employ more than 310,000 people and generate more than $118 billion in economic activity. Republicans in particular have always argued that one of the reasons for not pushing for more insurance coverage was the fact that we have these centers, said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, which advocates for broader health care access. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Benjamin noted that the centers importance to rural, mostly Republican communities has heightened their broad-based appeal. He said draining money from them is not a rational decision. The administration has a nonsensical and uncoordinated health policy overall, Benjamin said. These important things that keep people alive and keep them healthy are getting caught in this very bad public policy time were having. But Robert Hayes, president and CEO of the Community Healthcare Network, the largest network of community health centers in New York City, said the centers there are determined to do what they have always done, regardless of the current challenges. We are secure. Were obeying the law. Were doing the right thing, Hayes said. I dont mean to dismiss the anxiety that is around health care for the vulnerable these days, but our job is to not let it distract us from what we have to do, which is important and very hard to do: [provide] the most fundamental and primary and preventative health care for people who are basically excluded from the health care system. Stateline reporter Shalina Chatlani can be reached at schatlani@stateline.org. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) President Donald Trump has awarded the nations highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, posthumously to Charlie Kirk on Tuesday. The activist, who inspired a generation of young conservatives and helped push the nations politics further to the right, was killed at a Utah university event last month during a Turning Point USA event. It was an organization Kirk founded. Kirks wife accepted the award on behalf of her late husband at the White House on what would have been his 32nd birthday. The day was also declared a National Day of Remembrance for him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the evening, students and community members gathered at Wichita State University to reflect on Kirks legacy and dedication to debate. He said that, like, when marriages stop talking, that leads to divorce and then when civilizations stop talking to each other, it leads to like war, like civil wars. So when there is no human connection and people arent talking to each other, then thats when bad things happen, Corwin Spatharos, WSU Turning Point USA Chapter secretary, said. WPD: Woman safe after video shows her being taken by force, arrest made Turning Point USA was founded in 2012. His wife has been chosen as the new CEO of the organization. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, 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 KSN-TV. CENTRAL NEW YORK (WSYR-TV) National Grid predicts that if the winter weather arrives in Central New York as planned, you could be seeing your monthly bill go up. From November 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026, customers with 713 therms could see an increase of up to $66, or approximately 10%, during the five-month winter heating season, compared to last winter. The supply cost of natural gas, which is determined by market conditions, and the delivery rate increase to deliver energy to more than 600,000 customers, play a role in the price. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement National Grid stores gas and employs future price hedges, or locked-in pricing, to mitigate wholesale supply price volatility on customers bills. As a reminder, the cost of energy supply is set by the marketplace and National Grid charges customers exactly what it pays for energy supply; it passes along these costs to customers without markup, said the utility company. Their winter forecasts are based on information they are given at the end of September. National Grid explained that energy costs and use are affected by weather and other market factors, including wholesale energy supply prices, global events that impact supply and demand, and fluctuations in energy use. CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE Customers who are having difficulty with affording their energy bills are encouraged to contact National Grid as soon as possible. There are several assistance programs for income-eligible customers, including: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The federal Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides eligible customers with financial grants that assist in paying home heating bills. These grants do not need to be repaid. The program is administered by county departments of social service and typically runs from November through March, but the timeframe may be lengthened or shortened based on federal funding availability. For more information about HEAP, contact your countys department of social services. National Grids Energy Affordability Program, which provides automatic monthly gas and electricity bill credits for HEAP-eligible customers or customers who participate in other qualifying programs. NYSERDAs EmPower New York Income-Eligible Free Weatherization Program, under which a participating contractor will complete a no-cost home energy assessment to identify if a home would benefit from free energy upgrades such as high-efficiency lighting, attic and wall insulation, replacement of old, inefficient refrigerators and freezers and water-saving showerheads. The National Grid Care & Share Energy Fund (to open in February 2026). This National Grid program administered by HeartShare Human Services of NY helps qualified households meet their home heating needs. To qualify for a grant, you must be a National Grid customer whose household meets the income guidelines of the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). Additionally, National Grid Consumer Advocates work directly with customers to help them manage their energy bills. The Advocates specialize in assisting income-eligible and vulnerable customers, aligning them with available programs and services offered by National Grid and local agency partners. They can be reached at ConsumerAdvocatesUNY@nationalgrid.com or 1-800-642-4272. ADDITIONAL CUSTOMER SOLUTIONS The Budget Billing Program, open to all residential customers, spreads payments out more evenly across the year to help better manage energy costs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A no-cost home energy audit, available through NYSERDA, provides a top-to-bottom look at where a home is wasting energy. Customers will learn the root causes of any drafts, inconsistent temperatures, heating and cooling system failures, and other problems, and will receive recommendations about how to address these issues. National Grids free online home energy survey, a no-cost, five-minute questionnaire that provides customers with a custom energy savings report. 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 WSYR. The minimum wage will go up next April, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced, as part of efforts in her Budget to tackle the cost of living. Some 2.7 million workers will see their pay packets increase. The minimum rate for workers aged 21 and over is called the National Living Wage, while those aged 18 to 20 are paid the National Minimum Wage. The pay rates are set by the government every year on the advice of an independent group, the Low Pay Commission, and apply across the whole of the UK. What is the National Living wage, and how much is it worth? Since April 2025, the National Living Wage went has been 12.21 an hour for workers aged 21 and over. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It will go up to 12.71 for those workers in April 2026. For someone working full time (37.5 hours a week), that equates to 24,784.50, or an increase of 900 from last year. What is the National Minimum Wage and how much is it worth? Younger employees - aged between 16 and 20 - are entitled to receive the National Minimum Wage. On 1 April, the 18-20-year-old-rate rose to 10 an hour, up 16.3% from 8.60. Next April, it will increase by 8.5% to 10.85. This increase will be equivalent to 1,500 annually for a full-time worker. The government said its goal is to eventually scrap this separate rate for 18-20-year-olds, and have one rate for all adults. The minimum wage for 16- and 17-year-olds is currently 7.55 an hour. It will increase by 6% to 8 an hour in April. What is the apprentice rate and how much is it worth? [Getty Images] There are different rates of pay for apprentices depending on your age and what stage of your apprenticeship you are in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Apprentices aged 16 to 18 are entitled to the National Minimum Wage rate for that age group which is 7.55. This will go up to 8 in April. Those aged 19 or in the first year of their apprenticeship are paid the same amount. But those over 19 - or who have already completed their first year - are entitled to the appropriate National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage rate for their age. Who doesn't qualify for the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage? Some workers don't qualify for either the National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage. This includes the self-employed, company directors, volunteers, members of the armed forces and prisoners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People with disabilities or in long-term unemployment who take part in government work programmes are paid fixed amounts at different stages of the scheme. These are less than the equivalent National Minimum or Living rate. Do employers have to pay the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage? Yes. It is a criminal offence if employers don't pay the correct National Minimum and Living Wages to eligible workers. The rates apply to staff even if they are not paid by the hour. If you think you are being paid wrongly, you can complain via the HMRC website. You can also get advice from workplace experts Acas. [Getty Images] What happens if employers don't pay the right wage? Any employer not paying the correct amount can be fined by HMRC. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In October 2025, the government released a list of nearly 500 employers who were fined more than 10m for failing to pay the minimum wage. It said 42,000 workers at companies including British Gas's parent company Centrica, Euro Garages and Holland & Barrett were repaid more than 6m. The firms listed were fined up to double the total amount they owed to staff, some for underpayments dating as far back as 2013. What is the Real Living Wage and how much is it? The Real Living Wage is an unofficial hourly rate of pay which is overseen by the Living Wage Foundation charity. It is aimed at UK workers aged 18 and over, but is voluntary, and firms can choose whether or not to pay it. The wage increases every October. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the charity almost 500,000 employees working for more than 16,000 firms receive the voluntary rate of pay. From October 2025, it means workers in London earn at least 14.80 an hour - the London Living Wage - up by 95p, an increase of 5.3%. In the rest of the UK, the rate increased by 85p to 13.45, a 6.7% rise. The Living Wage Foundation says the rate is worth 2,418 more per year than the legal minimum wage in the UK, and 5,050 more in London. Oct. 15NEW YORK On a busy street in Queens, New York, just around the corner from a halal hot chicken sandwich restaurant and a barber shop, the Long Island City Health Center welcomes its patients into a brightly lit waiting room, painted baby blue and filled with soft white and gray seats. A woman working behind the desk on a recent weekday answered one patient's questions in Spanish. Other patients came dressed in hijabs, kurtas or other traditional clothing from countries around the globe. A caseworker assigned to the center rolled one woman, wheelchair-bound because of a stroke, toward an examination room. The Long Island City Health Center is part of a national network of more than 1,300 community health centers, safety-net clinics that served more than 31 million patients in 2023, according to KFF, a health research nonprofit. The clinics are located in areas where there aren't many doctors or hospitals, and they provide care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thanks largely to their broad reach, the centers have long enjoyed bipartisan support. But the federal government shutdown, freezes to federal grants, looming cuts to Medicaid and new Trump administration policies barring some immigrants from receiving care at the centers have put them under financial stress. Community health centers disproportionately serve low-income people, people of color and rural residents. In 2023, 90% of patients had incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, according to KFF. Forty percent of patients were Hispanic, 17% were Black and 31% were rural residents. More than 80% of patients were insured, and about half of all patients were covered by Medicaid. The health centers are funded by the payments they get from Medicaid, Medicare and private insurers, plus federal and state grants. Money is always tight, but between 2010 and 2023, average operating margins remained in the black. That changed last year, as the average margin dipped to -2.1%, according to an audit conducted by the National Association of Community Health Centers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Half of community health centers have fewer than 90 days of cash on hand, and one-quarter operate with margins below -4%, according to the audit. When the Trump administration froze some federal grants in February, it forced some clinics, particularly in rural areas, to reduce hours or shut down. The broad domestic policy law President Donald Trump signed July 4 is projected to increase the number of uninsured patients seeking care at the health centers. And the ranks of the uninsured would grow further if Affordable Care Act insurance plans get much more expensive at the end of this year, as would happen if Congress fails to extend tax credits that have kept prices down. Meanwhile, the government shutdown has prevented Congress from renewing the Community Health Center Fund, which expired on Sept. 30 and provides about 70% of the centers' federal funding. And the centers worry that a new Trump administration policy barring them from providing care to some immigrants would force them to dedicate scarce resources to verifying patients' legal status. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the change. Andrew G. Nixon, director of communications for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told Stateline that the administration is "fully committed to protecting America's community health centers, which play a vital role in serving millions of families nationwide." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The Trump Administration is working to reopen the government and restore full funding, while also ensuring that federal resources are prioritized for American citizens and lawful residents in accordance with the law," Nixon said in an emailed statement. This year, some states including Connecticut, Illinois and Minnesota approved more money for community health centers. But Illinois and Minnesota also have scaled back or ended health care programs that served low-income people regardless of their immigration status, which might prompt more of those patients to seek care at the centers. And California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in June signed a state budget that bars immigrants who are here illegally from enrolling in the state's Medicaid program. "Historically, health centers have had bipartisan support, but we're operating in a very different world now," Feygele Jacobs, a professor of health policy and management at George Washington University, told Stateline. Jacobs said health centers are a target for the Trump administration because they serve people of color, low-income residents, immigrants and the uninsured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's those very communities that are really being challenged right now by the administration," Jacobs said. "So I don't know that the focus is so much on health centers as entities, but really more on an administration whose views are antithetical to many of the people that health centers have historically cared for." But Chris Pope, a senior fellow at the conservative-leaning Manhattan Institute, questioned whether the Medicaid changes included in Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act would lead to a significant increase in the number of people without insurance or a dramatic reduction in the program's finances. Pope also noted that the law doesn't take direct aim at the federal funding of community health centers. "There's no direct cut in terms of reimbursement for community centers," Pope said. "It's not the intent of the bill to slash and attack health center revenues." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Welcoming culture The first community health centers were created in 1965 in Mississippi and Massachusetts as federal demonstration projects under President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty. The program became permanent in 1975. Doctors at the Long Island City Health Center describe it as a one-stop shop for patients. In addition to providing primary care and mental health services, the center has an in-house pharmacy and provides laboratory tests, vaccinations, drug treatment, HIV/AIDS treatment, and support for transgender patients and their families. Including its dozen medical residents, the center has doctors who can speak French, Tamil, Kru, Ibo, Yoruba, Spanish, Hindi, Nepali, Russian and Tagalog, among other languages. Dr. Libby Brubaker, an attending physician at the Long Island City Health Center, told Stateline that providing a welcoming atmosphere for everybody is at the core of the center's mission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Our social workers go to bat for our patients and help them get access to housing. ... We write letters to allow our patients with asthma to be able to have air conditioners inside their apartments," Brubaker said. "Really what we're providing for our patients is all encompassing, and that sets us apart," she added. "Hospitals don't do all of those things. They do some, but being able to offer that breadth of services in an outpatient setting is invaluable." Sandra Tapia visits the Long Island City Health Center.Sandra Tapia visits the Long Island City Health Center. She likes this clinic because she can speak in her native Spanish. (Photo by Shalina Chatlani/ Stateline) Sandra Tapia, a Long Island City resident from Bogota, Colombia, walked into the clinic on a Friday to see her nutritionist for the first time. She's been in the U.S. for seven years, is a green card holder and has Medicaid. She said she likes the center because "it's close and it's safe." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tapia said she can't imagine not being able to have access to health care, and values being able to speak to her provider in her native Spanish. "Here, they offer really great services," Tapia said. "I don't want people without as many resources, like me, to be punished." The idea of cuts frightens patients such as Olga Scott, 65, who said she has been coming to Long Island City Health Center for years. Scott lives in the Bronx, but takes an hourlong subway ride to the center so she can see her favorite doctor. "These community health services around the whole community of these five boroughs are needed it's really needed," she said. "I just hope that they don't do too much cutbacks, because we need every service we can get." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Sindhura Manubolu, director of the family medicine program at the center, said she's sensing "a lot of anxiety" from her patients, especially those who rely on Medicaid. "Most of the questions from our patients have been around, 'Oh, will we lose coverage?'" said Manubolu, who is an immigrant from India. "For someone to be here in an advanced country like America, and then not being able to access the health care that probably is even available to a person in a less developed country is not acceptable." Dr. Sindhura Manubolu is the director of the family medicine program at the Community Healthcare Network's Long Island City Health Center.Dr. Sindhura Manubolu is the director of the family medicine program at the Community Healthcare Network's Long Island City Health Center. (Photo by Shalina Chatlani/ Stateline) Bipartisan support Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Capitol Hill, community health centers are an increasingly rare example of bipartisan agreement. In May, Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Democratic U.S. Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island wrote a joint letter to the chairperson and ranking member of the Senate health appropriations subcommittee, urging them "to provide robust funding" for community health centers, describing them as "a bipartisan solution to keeping Americans healthy and saving taxpayer dollars." Wicker and Reed argued in the letter that the centers save the overall health care system billions of dollars by reducing the burden of chronic disease through prevention and early intervention, and lower long-term Medicaid and Medicare spending by curbing expensive emergency department visits, hospital admissions and invasive procedures. The senators also noted that the centers employ more than 310,000 people and generate more than $118 billion in economic activity. "Republicans in particular have always argued that one of the reasons for not pushing for more insurance coverage was the fact that we have these centers," said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, which advocates for broader health care access. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Benjamin noted that the centers' importance to rural, mostly Republican communities has heightened their broad-based appeal. He said draining money from them "is not a rational decision." "The administration has a nonsensical and uncoordinated health policy overall," Benjamin said. "These important things that keep people alive and keep them healthy are getting caught in this very bad public policy time we're having." But Robert Hayes, president and CEO of the Community Healthcare Network, the largest network of community health centers in New York City, said the centers there are determined to do what they have always done, regardless of the current challenges. "We are secure. We're obeying the law. We're doing the right thing," Hayes said. "I don't mean to dismiss the anxiety that is around health care for the vulnerable these days, but our job is to not let it distract us from what we have to do, which is important and very hard to do: [provide] the most fundamental and primary and preventative health care for people who are basically excluded from the health care system." Stateline reporter Shalina Chatlani can be reached at [email protected]. YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday he expects European allies to finance further US arms deliveries to Ukraine. Countries have already pledged 2 billion ($2.3 billion) through the so-called PURL initiative launched in August, Rutte told journalists as he arrived at a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels. "I have every reason to assume today that many other countries will sign up," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The weaponry included "crucial stuff, including air defence systems and particularly interceptors" and is "important for Ukraine to make sure that their civilian population, their crucial infrastructure is as much protected as possible against the continuous Russian onslaught." PURL, which stands for Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List, provides for US-manufactured ammunition and weapons to be bought by European allies and Canada who will then make them available to Ukraine. The initiative was launched in response to demands made by US President Donald Trump who wants other NATO countries to pay for further US military aid to Ukraine. "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," said US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "You get peace when you are strong, not when you use strong words or wag your finger. You get it when you have strong and real capabilities that adversaries respect," he added. While some of NATO's 32 members, including Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Sweden have already announced their participation in the initiative, it remains to be seen if other big European economies like France, Italy or Spain will sign up too. Supporters of the initiative say that it allows allies to continue to provide weapons to Ukraine despite depleted domestic stocks and difficulties to ramp up arms production in Europe. Buying foreign arms is however seen as challenging for nations with more protectionist industrial policies. Ukrainian Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal is to join his NATO counterparts in the early afternoon for talks on the situation on the battlefield and Kiev's needs in the fight against Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The meeting is scheduled to be followed by a gathering of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, an international meeting to raise and coordinate military aid for Ukraine which brings together around 40 countries. Once led by the United States, the group is now steered by the UK and Germany. Wednesday's gathering is the first time NATO defence ministers are meeting since the Western defence alliance launched a new mission in September to better protect the airspace of its eastern European members following a string of Russian airspace violations. Russian President Vladimir "Putin's incursions into NATO territory are reckless, dangerous, and totally unacceptable. Deliberate or not, Putin is watching what we do," said UK Defence Secretary John Healey. "Putin should be in no doubt. If NATO is threatened, we will act, and we must meet his escalation with our strength," he said. The consultations at NATO headquarters will be followed up in the evening by a meeting of the EU's 27 defence ministers to discuss how to improve the bloc's defence readiness ahead of a leaders' summit later this month. NATO and European Union defence ministers are to gather in Brussels on Wednesday for a day of talks focused on the threat posed by Russia, military spending, European defence capabilities and support for war-torn Ukraine. NATO ministers plan to kick off consultations with their first meeting since the Western defence alliance launched a new mission in September to better protect the airspace of its eastern European members following a string of Russian airspace violations. Another topic on the table is likely to be the drastic hike in military spending agreed by NATO leaders in June after pressure from the United States. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to attend the meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukrainian Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal is to join his NATO counterparts in the early afternoon for talks on the situation on the battlefield and Kiev's needs in the fight against Russia. The meeting is scheduled to be followed by a gathering of the the so-called Ukraine Defence Contact Group, an international meeting to raise and coordinate military aid for Ukraine which brings together around 40 countries. Once led by the United States, the group is now steered by the UK and Germany. In the evening the EU's 27 defence ministers are to discuss how to improve the bloc's defence readiness ahead of a leaders' summit later this month. NATO should not overestimate Russia's capabilities, Secretary General Mark Rutte claimed on Oct. 15, attempting to subdue concerns about Moscow's hybrid activities targeting the alliance. "Let's trust our military," Rutte said at a news conference after a meeting with NATO defense ministers in Brussels. "Let's not take the Russians too seriously." Rutte's comments come amid growing tensions between NATO and Moscow, fueled by Russian aerial incursions into allied airspace, as well as escalating sabotage activities and cyberattacks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rutte underscored that NATO countries are "25 times bigger than Russia" in economic terms. Talking about the recent aerial incursions, the secretary general noted that it is difficult to establish whether they were intentional or not. "We are so much stronger than the Russians that we dont need to shoot down their planes when they enter our airspace," he added. The statement contrasts with growing alarm among other Western officials, some of whom called for downing Russian planes if they cross into allied borders. In September, Polish forces shot down several Russian drones that entered Polish territory. Days later, a Russian drone breached Romanian airspace, though Bucharest chose not to engage it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three Russian MiG-31 fighters also entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland for 12 minutes on Sept. 19, prompting the Baltic country to invoke consultations under NATO's Article 4. Suspicious drone sightings also disrupted airport operations in Germany, Norway, and Denmark in recent weeks. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Oct. 5 that he believes Russia is responsible for many of the unidentified drones spotted over German territory, echoing concerns shared by NATO allies. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept. 28 that Ukrainian intelligence reports indicate Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" of oil tankers is being used to "launch and control" drones over European cities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The alliance has reinforced defenses with its Eastern Sentry mission amid rising provocations. Read also: (11) Ukraine war latest update: Russian internet provider suffers 66 million ruble loss in Ukrainian cyberattack, HUR source says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. (FOX40.COM) Hundreds of Natomas teachers are getting ready to rally at the Natomas Unified School District board meeting on Wednesday afternoon over pay and working conditions. Video above: Parents raise concerns over girls being enrolled at Jesuit High School The California Teachers Association released a statement stating union educators in the Natomas Teachers Association are frustrated by what it says are stalled contract talks and a worsening staff crisis. At the 5 p.m. board meeting, NTA educators will demand action. CTA said NUSD has refused to acknowledge how unaffordable health premiums and low pay have fueled a recruitment and retention crisis. According to CTA, educators continue to leave for surrounding districts where they can take home $25,000 more per year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NUSD has spent significantly more on management, consultants, and savings reserves than almost any other unified district in Sacramento County, Jackie Howard, Communications Director with CTA, said. First human case of West Nile virus confirmed in an elderly patient in San Joaquin County At the board meeting, educators are reaching for more arts and music programs in elementary schools, sufficient safety personnel on campuses, and special education staffing improvements that serve kids. Its time for NUSD to put students and teachers first, Howard said. NUSD Communications Director, Deidra Powell, told FOX40.COM that they are actively negotiating with the teachers association, stating they offered to negotiate during the summer months, but it was declined. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although we offered to negotiate during the summer months to provide more time to work together through this process, that offer was declined, and unfortunately, we did not resume until the school year started, Powell said. Powell stated the district has been extremely supportive of the staff and their needs. We value the collective bargaining process, and we are hopeful that we will be able to come to an agreement that benefits both parties and, most importantly, our students, Powell said. 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 FOX40 News. GLADSTONE, Va. (WFXR) The James River State Park is inviting outdoor enthusiasts for their annual Rooftop Tent Rally! This event is presented by the Friends of James River State Park, and officials say it is a celebration of camping, community, and adventure. The rally is scheduled for Thursday, October 16, to Sunday, October 19. Park officials say this event aims to bring together overlanding and camping fans from across the region for a weekend of exploration and camaraderie in the heart of Virginias scenic Blue Ridge foothills. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement James River State Park is an incredible setting for this event, said Park Manager John Fury. The Rooftop Tent Rally not only highlights the growing interest in overlanding and car-top camping, but it also gives visitors the chance to connect with nature and each other in a unique way. Photo courtesy of James River State Park Photo courtesy of James River State Park Photo courtesy of James River State Park According to officials, participants will camp in rooftop tents and overlanding setups in the parks Dark Sky Observation Field. In addition to outdoor recreation, park representatives say the event will feature live music, food trucks, gear demos, a campsite cook-off, and more. Park officials say camping space is limited, and pre-registration is required. Early arrival tickets cost $155 and include camping privileges from Thursday through Sunday. Weekend tickets cost $135 and include camping privileges from Friday through Sunday. These costs are per vehicle or camping rig. Tickets can be purchased online at www.virginiastateparks.gov/jr-rooftop-rally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Rooftop Tent Rally is open to day-use visitors, and according to officials, there is no additional fee to attend, aside from the regular park entrance fee. For more information about the Rooftop Tent Rally, for a full schedule of events, or to register, visit www.virginiastateparks.gov/jr-rooftop-rally or call 434-933-4355. 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 WFXRtv. By David Lawder and Andrea Shalal Washington (Reuters) -The two-week-old federal government shutdown is costing the U.S. economy about $15 billion a day in lost output, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday, putting an estimate on its economic toll and urging Democrats to "be heroes" and side with Republicans to end it. Bessent told a news conference that the shutdown was starting to "cut into muscle" of the U.S. economy. "We believe that the shutdown may start costing the U.S. economy up to $15 billion a day," he said. The wave of investment into the U.S. economy, including into artificial intelligence, is sustainable and is only getting started, but the federal government shutdown is increasingly an impediment, Bessent said. "There is pent-up demand, but then President (Donald) Trump has unleashed this boom with his policies," Bessent said at a CNBC event held on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings in Washington. "The only thing slowing us down here is this government shutdown," Bessent said. He said that incentives in the Republican tax law and Trump's tariffs would keep the investment boom going and fuel continued growth. "I think we can be in a period like the late 1800s when railroads came in, like the 1990s when we got the internet and office tech boom," Bessent said. US DEFICIT HAS SHRUNK, BESSENT SAYS Bessent also said that the U.S. deficit for the 2025 fiscal year ended September 30 was smaller than the $1.833 trillion deficit posted in the prior fiscal year. He did not provide a figure, but said that the deficit-to-GDP ratio could come down to the 3% range in coming years. The Treasury Department has not yet reported the annual deficit figure. The Congressional Budget Office estimated last week that the U.S. fiscal 2025 deficit fell only slightly to $1.817 trillion despite a $118 billion jump in customs revenue from Trump's tariffs. "The deficit-to-GDP, which is the important number, now has a five in front of it," Bessent said at the CNBC event. Asked if he wanted to see a three at the start of the deficit-to-GDP ratio, Bessent said, "Yes, it's still possible." He added that the ratio would come down if the U.S. could "grow more, spend less, and constrain spending." (Reporting by David Lawder and Andrea Shalal; Writing by Dan Burns and David Lawder; Editing by Paul Simao and Andrea Ricci) MK Itamar Ben-Gvir blasts Hamas for returning the wrong body with hostages remains, calling for forceful action. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir shared his outrage on social media after it was announced on Wednesday that Hamas returned the remains of an unknown Palestinian along with those of three hostages. "Enough with the disgrace. Moments after opening the gates to hundreds of trucks, Hamas quickly reverted to its well-known tacticslying, deceiving, and abusing families and bodies," Ben-Gvir wrote. "Nazi terrorism understands only force, and the only way to solve problems with it is to wipe it off the face of the earth." Israeli gov't mourns returned hostages The prime minister's office put out a statement on Wednesday morning expressing condolences to the families of the deceased hostages. Remains of four hostages arrive at the National Center of Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir, October 15, 2025. (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV) "The Government of Israel shares in the deep sorrow of the Baruch, Nimrodi, and Levi families, and all the families of the fallen hostages," the PMO stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The PMO continued, asserting its commitment to returning all the deceased hostages for proper burial. "The Hamas terrorist organization is required to uphold its commitments to the mediators and return them as part of the implementation of the agreement, the statement added. "We will not compromise on this and will spare no effort until we return all of the fallen hostages, every last one of them." The NC Court of Appeals Building (Photo: nccourts.gov) A North Carolina Court of Appeals panel gave a partial victory to Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, ruling Wednesday that the Republican-led General Assembly unconstitutionally altered the makeup of some state boards in 2023. The three-judge panel ruled that the General Assembly violated the separation of powers when it restructured the Board of Transportation, Economic Investment Committee and Commission for Public Health, removing the governors ability to appoint a member of those boards. The decision represents a partial victory for North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein, pictured on March 19, 2025, as he retains majority appointment power on three boards. (Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline) The decision left open the possibility that the General Assembly could take away appointments by the governor and award them to other members of the Council of State, including those of the opposing party. They upheld the restructuring of four other boards, such as the Building Code Council and Environmental Management Commission, where the Council of State as a whole retained majority control, even where the governor could not appoint a majority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The appeals court partially overturned a 2024 ruling by a Wake Superior Court panel, which had held that only the Board of Transportation and Economic Investment Committee restructurings violated the separation of powers. That ruling had been challenged both by the governors office and legislative leaders, who sought that all changes be ruled unconstitutional or constitutional, respectively. The laws in question Senate Bill 512 and House Bill 488, passed in August 2023 cut the number of gubernatorial appointees on several state boards and commissions and expanded appointments by legislative leaders and Republicans on the Council of State. The BOT, for example, was changed from a body of 20 appointees by the governor to one made up of 14 legislative appointees and six gubernatorial appointees. The Court of Appeals found that the Superior Court erred in allowing the restructuring of the Commission for Public Health as it stripped the governor of the ability to appoint a majority of the board the General Assembly claimed four of the original nine gubernatorial appointees for itself, while four others are appointed by the North Carolina Medical Society. The General Assembly has prevent[ed] another branch from performing its constitutional duties, Judge Jeffery Carpenter wrote in the decision. The executive branch cannot take care that the laws be faithfully executed as there is no guarantee that the members from the North Carolina Medical Society will support the Governors policy preferences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The panel made up of Carpenter, Judge John Tyson, and Judge Tom Murry, all of whom are Republicans upheld the lower courts ruling that the changes to the EMC, Coastal Resources Commission, and Wildlife Resources Commission are permissible. While the Governor does not directly appoint a majority of each commissions members, the executive branch holds majority-appointment power, Carpenter wrote. The Commissioner of Agriculture and Commissioner of Insurance, both members of the Council of State, along with the Governor combine to grant the executive branch majority-appointment power concerning the EMC, CRC, and WRC. Republican agriculture commissioner Steve Troxler (center), pictured at a Sept. 30, 2025 in Raleigh, has served on the Council of State for more than 20 years. (Photo: Brandon Kingdollar/NC Newsline). (Photo: Brandon Kingdollar/NC Newsline) Both seats on the Council of State are held by Republicans with Steve Troxler serving as agriculture commissioner since 2005 and Mike Causey serving as insurance commissioner since 2017 meaning Republicans hold a majority of appointments on the three boards between the Council of State and the legislature. The Court of Appeals also sided with the General Assembly on H.B. 488s changes to the Building Code Council, transferring many of its functions to a new Residential Code Council, as a majority of the new bodys members are still appointed by the governor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a concurring opinion, Murry noted that unlike the federal government, North Carolinas state constitution has historically given the legislature greater authority than the other two branches of government not granting the governor veto power until the 1990s and divides executive power among several elected members of the Council of State. The majority correctly upholds the constitutionality of restructuring the WRC, EMC, and CRC into the Agriculture and Insurance Commissioners portfolios because doing so preserves the power of the Executive Branch relative to the Legislative, Murry wrote. A North Carolina teachers union is joining forces with the National American Federation of Teachers over concerns about pay, our partners at The Charlotte Observer reported. The American Federation of Professional Educators of North Carolina wants the approval of a new state budget and higher salaries for teachers. CMS $1.95B operating budget aims to increase teacher pay, improve literacy North Carolina ranks 43rd in the nation for average teacher pay. The state General Assembly still hasnt approved a budget for this fiscal year, which began July 1. VIDEO: Paying for college with scholarships DE PERE, Wis. (WFRV) Local conservatives held several events on Tuesday evening to honor Charlie Kirk on his national remembrance day. One of those events was at AmeriLux in De Pere. For Dixon Wolfe, he said being part of the event was extra special because he was friends with Kirk. He made me feel like I mattered, like the job that I did on the day-to-day matters, said Wolfe, who is the Midwest director of Turning Point Action. Tonight is a night to celebrate his life and remember him for the courage that he had to stand up for whats right. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kirk was a popular conservative activist and the founder of Turning Point USA. Many conservatives credit his ability to mobilize voters, especially young voters, as one of the key reasons why Donald Trump was able to win the presidential election in 2024. Yamamoto throws 3-hitter as Dodgers beat Brewers 5-1 for 2-0 lead in NLCS Last month, Kirk was murdered while speaking at a college campus in Utah. President Trump issued a proclamation designating Tuesday as National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk. It coincided with his birthday; Kirk would have been 32 years old on Tuesday. Conservatives across the country hosted events as part of the National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk, including the one in De Pere. It included prayer, music, and several speakers, including Congressmen Tony Wied and Tom Tiffany, former governor Tommy Thompson, and former lieutenant governor Rebecca Kleefisch. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Showing people the love that you see out of an event like this, said Ken Sikora, who was one of the organizers of the event, when asked what he hopes people take away from it. Were not angry at the left or angry at our opponents in the political world. We want to work to portray our ideas without any violence. He said that for many conservatives, Kirk inspired them to stand up for what they believe in and not to be afraid to speak their mind on difficult subjects. He said Kirk was all about engaging people in respectful debate, which he said is the right way for people to work out their differences. Kirk was a very polarizing figure because of his controversial viewpoints on things like immigration and the LGBTQ+ community. He is a legend in the conservative movement, in the Christian movement; he was one of the first people to tie those two together, Sikora said. In recent years, prominent politicians on both sides of the aisle have fallen victim to political violence. During his presidential campaign last year, Donald Trump survived multiple assassination attempts, including during a rally in Butler, Pa., that became one of the defining moments of his campaign. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats have also been on the receiving end of political violence and threats. In June, an assailant gunned down Minnesotas house speaker in what authorities say was a politically motivated attack. A judge recently sentenced multiple men for their involvement in an elaborate plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer from her vacation home because they were upset with her COVID-19 policies. A Pennsylvania man recently pleaded guilty to setting Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiros home on fire. Local Wisconsin politicians from both sides of the aisle have told Local 5 News that they have received death threats. Both sides have condemned political violence, Republicans saying Americans should follow Charlie Kirks example. I think his biggest legacy is that he would pray for people he disagreed with and he would pray for his enemies, said Congressman Tony Wied. I think thats something we can all learn from and certainly something Ive learned from. Faith, family, freedom, thats what he talked about whenever he went on college campuses, added Congressman Tom Tiffany, who is also a candidate for governor. He so emphasized that freedom part. That we should have good discourse as Americans, that free speech should be respected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, President Trump posthumously awarded Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Some attendees at the National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk event in De Pere said theyd like to see the day become a national holiday thats observed every year. I think its important that we remember that a man was murdered because he wanted to talk with other people, and we remember that that isnt okay with most people, Sikora said. Like John F. Kennedy or Martin Luther King Jr., guys we can put Charlie Kirk with, a man that was murdered for his beliefs, and thats not okay. 16-year-old in Wisconsin airlifted to hospital due to severity of injuries after swimming accident Local 5 News followed up on Sikoras answer, asking what he would say to people who might take exception to his comparison of Kirk to Martin Luther King Jr. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sit down and actually listen to everything that Charlie Kirk has to say, Sikora said. Not the clips that are out there, listen to his whole message. He fought with his own side of the party as much as anyone else. He taught love. Were seeing a lot of little mini clips out there (that people are using) to portray him as a hateful person. For someone that doesnt agree with me using him in a Martin Luther King Jr. analogy, I would say they were very much alike. Charlie was probably a better Christian than Martin Luther King Jr. and had an ability to reach people. Nobody that weve ever seen before has been able to reach the youth like Charlie. Local 5 News reached out to several local Democrats to get their perspective on National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk but didnt hear back. Many local Democrats will participate in No Kings marches this weekend to protest the Trump administration. Charlie was a big believer in talking with people, Wolfe added. I believe in that as well that we need to come together, we need to talk out our differences, and from there we can build out strong relationships with people regardless of their politics. The Winnebago County Republican Party also organized a prayer vigil at Reeve Student Union on the University of Wisconsin Oshkoshs campus on Tuesday night to honor Kirk. 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 WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. NEW YORK (PIX11) Nearly 200 National Guard Army soldiers have been deployed to Texas to help authorities protect the southern border from illegal crossings, officials said Wednesday. The 125 soldiers of the 442nd Military Police Battalion on Long Island and 63 soldiers from the 104th Military Police Battalion in Kingston, N.Y. have already left for Texas for training, according to officials. More Local News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The soldiers are expected to be in Texas for 14 months. The 104th soldiers will command seven companies, including a maintenance company and transportation companies, in the Laredo Sector. Our Soldiers have been preparing for this deployment for most of the past year and are ready and well trained for their mission assisting the Border Patrol, said Lt. Col. Nicholas Paolini, the commander of the 104th MP Battalion. Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She has been with PIX11 News for two years. See more of her work 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 PIX11. Florida wildlife officials are investigating a disturbing incident in Brevard County where a truck driver allegedly ran over nearly 50 birds at the Port Canaveral Cargo Dock, leaving only one survivor. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) confirmed that the event occurred earlier this week and remains under active investigation. Eighth Victim Confirmed in Fiery I-85 Crash That Killed Entire Georgia Family; Truck Driver Charged According to authorities, officers responded after receiving a call from the Brevard County Sheriffs Office about a large group of birds struck by a truck in a port parking area. Initial findings suggest the driver drove directly through the flock, killing 35 birds instantly, while 13 more were euthanized due to severe injuries. Only a single bird managed to survive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heather Pepe, co-founder of Wild Florida Rescue, described the scene as heartbreaking, saying the birds were resting or drinking from a puddle when they were hit. All killed in an instant left the 13 to suffer until they were put down or died, Pepe said. How this person hit them, even in the roadI dont know. They would have had to gun it. Step on the gas and gunned it. Sevierville Bans Slammedenuff Car Show After Embarrassing and Dangerous Behavior FWC investigators have collected physical evidence, reviewed surveillance footage, and interviewed the suspect. Officials believe the birds were stationary in a parking area when the truck drove over them. The species of the birds has not been publicly confirmed. The animals were just sitting there, unaware of what was coming, Pepe added. We see their souls. We see their eyes wide open, looking at us for help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The FWC says the case will be referred to the Brevard County State Attorneys Office for review once all evidence is submitted. Charges could follow depending on the outcome of that review. For now, animal rescue groups and local residents are expressing outrage and grief over the loss, calling for accountability and stronger protections for wildlife in industrial areas like Port Canaveral. Source Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook. A man closes the entrance to Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine on Oct. 3 in Baltimore because of the federal government shutdown. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) LINCOLN Nebraskas all-Republican congressional delegation continues its messaging effort about the ongoing shutdown of the federal government, which the GOP controls but needs Democratic votes to fund. Neither side sees an end in sight, because people in both parties feel they are winning the messaging battle by trading blame. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Congress failed to fund the federal government this month. The Senate has been deadlocked, as neither the House-passed Republican stopgap spending bill nor a competing Democratic proposal has garnered the 60 votes needed to advance. Nebraskas congressional delegation is shown in Washington. From left: U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., and U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb. Feb. 5, 2025. (Courtesy of Nebraska Governors Office) The main point of contention: Democrats seek to extend the enhanced tax credits set to expire by years end for individuals who obtain health insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace. Republican congressional leadership has expressed no interest in negotiating on the health care subsidies during the shutdown. This shutdown, the roles are reversed, as Republicans when they were in the minority sought policy changes to approve temporary funding or end a shutdown. The federal government has been shut down since early October. House Speaker Mike Johnson has designated this week as another in-district work period, making it the fourth week the House has been in recess. The Trump administration began its promised mass layoffs of federal workers Friday. The White House is gearing up for a long shutdown and has found several new funding streams for critical programs, including paying troops using tariff revenues, according to Punchbowl News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The whole things frustrating, Nebraska GOP U.S. Rep. Mike Flood told the Examiner about the shutdown. Flood said nobody should be surprised by the presidents layoffs. The president telegraphed them, and Flood thought they might happen sooner. When Congress fails to do its job by simply funding the government, the government doesnt have the money to run. It has to reduce the force of our federal workforce, Flood said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX When asked about the layoffs, Flood hinted at concerns over the White House eliminating the Community Development Financial Institutions fund, saying he would make a case to the Trump administration to keep staff in place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, part of the Treasury Department, is tasked with supporting community financial institutions that provide financial services to low-income communities and areas often overlooked by larger traditional banks, such as rural areas. Im certainly going to share with my contacts at the White House how important it is to make sure that staff stays in place, because we definitely need the help right now as it relates to affordable housing, Flood told the Examiner. The White House is set to abolish the fund by Dec. 13. The Treasury Department, where the fund is housed, is just one of the federal agencies facing layoffs during the shutdown. The Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency are some of the others being affected. A federal employees union has filed a lawsuit over the shutdown layoffs. This wouldnt be the first time Flood has pushed back federal layoffs. He played a part in reversing a cut that would have halted the deployment of weather balloons in Omaha and other Great Plains offices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement California Rep. Maxine Waters, a Democrat, has expressed similar concerns over the firing of Community Development Financial Institutions Fund staff, calling it unprecedented and unconstitutional. Donald Trump and his Budget Director Russell Vought are using the government shutdown as a cover to advance the radical Project 2025 agenda and undermine hard-working American families and the programs they rely on, Waters said. Like many fellow congressional Republicans, Flood has been on local and national media trying to make the case that Democrats caused the shutdown. At a press conference Sunday, Flood said they had not come to the table to do the right thing and described being forced to deal with a shutdown as being held hostage. Nebraska GOP U.S. Sens. Pete Ricketts and Deb Fischer have called the shutdown a Schumer shutdown after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Schumer told Punchbowl News that he feels that Democrats are gaining political momentum during the shutdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shutdown messaging from Democrats has varied. Some, like Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. John Fetterman said Democrats are sending the wrong message. Others, including New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont progressive independent Sen. Bernie Sanders argue that they are standing up for people and their health care. Nebraska Democratic Party chair Jane Kleeb said Trump and congressional Republicans own the government shutdown. Flood and retiring Nebraska U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., have alluded to being open to extending the COVID-era health insurance subsidies with some tweaks, and say the shutdown might be about more than that. If you really listen to the Democrats, its not about the ACA tax credits its anger at the president, Bacon said. Theyre trying to show their base that theyre fighting back and thats what this is about. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Eric Underwood, former chair of the Nebraska Republican Party and leader of the nonprofit Advocates For All Nebraskans, speaks in Lincoln on Oct 14, 2025. (Juan Salinas II/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN A nonprofit group behind a handful of Nebraska ballot initiatives announced a campaign Tuesday to gather signatures for two new ones aimed at conservative election goals. One would alter how the state awards Electoral College votes for president, giving all five to the winner of the popular vote statewide. The other would require elections in the state to be conducted exclusively using paper ballots counted by hand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group, Advocates for All Nebraskans, is now collecting signatures for five ballot initiatives. The group, headlined by former leaders of the Nebraska Republican Party, argues that the initiatives are about reclaiming the states voice and promoting government accountability. This is not a partisan movement This is a populist movement, said Eric Underwood, the former chair of the Nebraska GOP who helped lead a populist takeover of the party in 2022. We exist because many of us grew tired of waiting for solutions from the traditional status quo elected officials or political consultants. Underwood, along with State Board of Education member Kirk Penner, former Nebraska State Patrol Superintendent Tom Nesbitt and former Lincoln talk radio host Doug Fitzgerald, are behind efforts to get the measures and constitutional amendments on the ballot in 2026. Group leaders say each proposal has grassroots support. The winner-take-all constitutional amendment is identical to State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams legislative resolution this year on letting voters decide whether to shift the state to winner-take-all, which did not get scheduled for a vote. A separate proposal to make the change in statute from State Sen. Loren Lippincott, Legislative Bill 3, fell to a filibuster. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Nebraska is one of just two states Maine is the other that parse out some electoral votes by the winner in each congressional district. Winner-take-all has been on local conservative wish lists for decades, as Democrats have grown increasingly competitive in the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District. It has seen a resurgence as Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen tried and failed to get it passed. Pillen did a full-court press for a winner-take-all ahead of the 2024 presidential election with President Donald Trump getting personally involved in calling and lobbying lawmakers, but the effort died after former Democratic State Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha, who had joined the GOP, opposed the change. Nebraska Democratic Party chair Jane Kleeb said, Nebraskans made it clear last year they support our fair electoral system. Kleeb and the Democrats have argued that Republicans only want to change the rules because the GOP keeps losing in the 2nd District, where Democrats have won three out of the last five presidential elections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our elected officials should instead be training other states to follow Nebraska and Maine the only two states in the nation that give all voters a voice and a fair shot, Kleeb said. Civic Nebraska, a voting rights advocacy group, called both ballot initiatives reckless, unnecessary, and fundamentally un-Nebraskan. Advocates For All Nebraskans setting up for their press conference in Lincoln on Oct 14, 2025. (Juan Salinas II/Nebraska Examiner) We are confident that Nebraskans will see these proposals for what they are: partisan schemes that would make our elections less secure, less fair and less reflective of the people, said Steve Smith, a spokesperson for Civic Nebraska. The proposed constitutional amendment for paper ballots and hand counting would ban many voting machines from being used. Voting machines that produce voter-verifiable paper records like Nebraskas would be exempt. It would require all elections to be done by paper ballot by July 2027. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The effort echoes the push by Trump and some Republicans over election integrity since the 2020 presidential election an election former President Joe Biden won over Trump. Trump announced plans to lead a movement to get rid of mail-in ballots and voting machines ahead of next years midterm elections. Trump and his allies have sued multiple states alleging election fraud in 2020; all but one of the cases have not survived judicial scrutiny. This petition simply codifies the most secure and publicly verifiable method of counting votes by prioritizing the manual counting of every ballot, Penner said. We are setting a strong precedent that can be a trend setter for other states looking to restore public confidence in their election system. Most voting experts agree that hand counting is less reliable, costlier and more time-consuming than counting by machine. The Texas Tribune and VoteBeat reported that a hand count of ballots in a rural central Texas county during the 2024 Republican primary took nearly 24 hours with 200 people involved. The hand-counting process cost taxpayers about twice the wages paid for the 2020 Republican primary and required fixing several errors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Charles Herbster, who is flirting with another GOP bid for governor, criticized Pillens effort, saying that the change should have happened before the 2024 presidential election. He backs both ballot measures. Governor Pillen and his team led people to believe he would get it done. They failed. Now, its up to the people, Herbster said. Herbster lost to Pillen and then-State Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha in a three-way Republican primary in 2022 and is a major Trump donor. Eric Underwood wearing a GOP pin in Lincoln on Oct 14, 2025. (Juan Salinas II/Nebraska Examiner) Local political observers are mixed on whether a winner-take-all ballot initiative would pass. Some rural Republicans have shared concerns about one day losing their voice under winner-take-all as the state becomes more urban and suburban. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Underwood said its unlikely there would ever be enough urban and suburban votes to overtake Nebraskas more conservative rural voters. We have and are fully prepared to have those discussions with our colleagues in the Republican Party who have questions or concerns about it, Underwood said. The group would need to gather the signatures of 10 percent of the states registered voters for the winner-take-all initiative that would change the state constitution. The hand-counting ballot initiative would need 7 percent of the states registered voters, since that one is changing state law. Both have until July to get on the November 2026 ballot. Over the past decade, gathering signatures and campaigning for a successful petition effort in Nebraska has typically cost $1.5 million or more. Now that all five of the petitions have been introduced, we are ready to mobilize, Danna Seevers, a co-sponsor of the two ballot initiatives and Seward County GOP chair, said. Lets take to the streets to complete the mission to shape Nebraskas future. Editors note: This story has been updated to clarify that the proposal from State Sen. Myron Dorn never reached the legislative floor. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Israel does not intend to allow Hamas to drag out the process of returning the bodies of the fallen. No negotiations will begin on phase B of US President Donald Trumps plan until Hamas returns all the bodies of the kidnapped fallen soldiers, senior officials told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday. Contrary to reports published in The Wall Street Journal, negotiations on phase B have not yet started, the officials told the Post. Professional teams are currently in Egypt discussing methods for locating the bodies of the kidnapped fallen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Saturday, Hamas returned four bodies. However, after examination at the National Center of Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir, it was discovered that one of the bodies did not belong to a hostage, but to a Palestinian who had assisted Israeli security forces in searching Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip and was murdered by Hamas terrorists. Despite the fact that this individual was not among the 28 hostages listed as fallen and held by Hamas at the time of the ceasefire agreement, Israel did not consider the incident a violation. Humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip continued as usual, and preparations proceeded to reopen the Rafah crossing for pedestrian movement in and out of Gaza, according to two Israeli sources. Trucks carry aid for Palestinians, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, October 14, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed) Israel does not intend to allow Hamas to drag out the process of returning the bodies of the fallen. US administration has conveyed messages to mediators The US administration has also conveyed messages to mediators, making clear that it opposes any delays in the return of the bodies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A source familiar with the details told the Post that Qatar and Turkey are pressuring Hamas on this issue. Israel understood from the outset that this would take time, so its unclear why they are now issuing threats. Even they admitted that not everyone would be returned at first, the source said. Turkey has also sent a delegation of 81 search personnel to Gaza, along with necessary equipment and vehicles, to assist in locating the bodies of the fallen. Israel is to prevent the opening of a key aid crossing and reduce the number of trucks allowed into Gaza because of Hamass failure to return the bodies of dead hostages. Officials said the terror group had made insufficient efforts to locate all the remains. Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, Hamas was obliged to hand over the bodies of 28 hostages by midday on Monday. Its delivery of only four bodies prompted alarm among relatives, who accused the government of abandoning them and giving up the leverage needed to force Hamas to hand over the remainder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The remains of four more hostages were handed to the Red Cross in Gaza on Tuesday and driven to a forensic institute in Tel Aviv for identification. Hamas informed mediators that a further four bodies would be released on Wednesday, sources told The Times of Israel on Tuesday night. Bodies released on Tuesday were transported to the National Center for Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv - AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images The terror group has argued that it needs more time to find and collect the bodies, which could be buried under the rubble of buildings and tunnel networks in Gaza. Israel rejected those claims, with Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister, accusing Hamas of playing games. Mr Ben-Gvir urged Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, to issue an ultimatum to the Palestinian group and cut all aid to Gaza until every body was returned. Bezalel Smotrich, the countrys finance minister, added that only military pressure brings back hostages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fact that Hamas allows itself to continue playing games and to delay the return of the bodies of our fallen indicates that the terrorist organisation is still alive and active, Mr Ben-Gvir said on Tuesday night. The mission to destroy it has not yet been achieved, and must be achieved as soon as possible, as part of the wars objectives. Displaced Palestinians return to rubble in the Akkad region of Khan Yunis - Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Images In response to the bodies not being released, Israel said no fuel or gas would be allowed into the enclave except for specific needs related to humanitarian infrastructure, according to a note seen by Reuters and confirmed by the UN. A large influx of aid, following months of either total blockade or limited access that has contributed to starvation conditions for many Gazans, is a key part of the peace agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Israel said it would send only 300 trucks half the agreed aid into Gaza on Wednesday, The key Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, which had been due to open in the coming days as part of the implementation of the peace agreement, would remain shut an early signal that the second phase of Donald Trumps deal may be harder to accomplish. The US president posted on social media on Tuesday, saying that the release of the bodies was needed to move on to the next phase of the US-backed Gaza deal. A big burden has been lifted, but the job is not done. The dead have not been returned, as promised! Mr Trump said on his Truth Social network a day after travelling to Israel and Egypt to celebrate the deal. Phase two begins right now! Palestinians welcomed prisoners released from Israeli jails in Khan Younis on Monday - Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg Asked later by reporters if Hamas was adhering to the ceasefire deal, Mr Trump replied: Well find out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also said of Hamas: If they dont disarm, we will disarm them. And it will happen quickly and perhaps violently. Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer urged Hamas to return the remains of hostages to their families in order to honour the terms of the ceasefire. The Prime Minister said: The release of the bodies of the deceased hostages is a profoundly difficult moment for the families who have endured terrible and protracted pain over the last two years at the hands of Hamas. Yael Adar, the mother of Tamir, a hostage who was killed while in captivity, said the Israeli government had given up any leverage it had over Hamas to secure the return of the dead. Yael Adar, the mother of killed hostage Tamir, feels that her family and others have been betrayed by Mr Netanyahus government - Instagram I fought for Tamirs return, and in the end I will receive a coffin, not someone I can hug or look at, Ms Adar told Channel 12. Now our mission is to find him as quickly as possible and then begin to cope with the loss and the mourning process. Difficult days are ahead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Hostages and Missing Families Forum called an emergency meeting to discuss the situation, and issued a letter to Steve Witkoff, Mr Trumps Middle East envoy who helped broker the deal. What we feared is now happening before our eyes, they wrote. Only four deceased hostages are coming home today. Only four families will be able to bring their loved ones to the dignified burial they so deserve and begin to find closure. How is this possible? How can we accept that the others remain behind? The four bodies handed over on Monday have now been identified, officials said. They were: Guy Illouz, 26, who died of untreated wounds in captivity, Bipin Joshi, 23, a Nepalese national who was murdered in captivity, Yossi Sharabi, who was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Beeri on Oct 7, and Captain Daniel Peretz, 22, a soldier hailed for his acts of bravery during the attack. Israel received the remains of four hostages. According to Hamas, they are (clockwise from top left) Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, Daniel Peretz and Bipin Joshi The Red Cross has warned that some of the bodies of hostages may never be found, due to the difficulty of locating remains in the rubble of Gaza. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Iair Horn, a former captive whose brother Eitan was released on Monday, said the struggle of the hostages would not end until the last body was returned. Today my heart is more full, but not completely full because many families are still in the unknown, he told reporters at the Ichilov Hospital, where his brother was being treated. Until everyone is home, we will not rest and we will not stop. The release of 20 Israeli captives triggers an emotional response at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv - Shir Torem/Reuters It came as more details emerged from the families of the 20 living hostages who were freed on Monday. Ilan Gilboa-Dalal, whose son Guy walked free from Gaza, revealed he had received a letter from his son two months ago via the Red Cross. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He wrote how much he misses us, and thoughts of us strengthen him in captivity, he told the Kan public broadcaster. In the letter, he wrote that he only realised his brother, Gal, had survived the Oct 7 massacre when he recently watched television in Gaza and saw him being interviewed. 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. The Netherlands will soon allocate a new 90 million aid package to support the production of reconnaissance and attack drones in Ukraine. Source: Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans ahead of the meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of defence ministers, as reported by a European Pravda correspondent Details: Brekelmans announced that the Netherlands will provide Ukraine with 90 million to strengthen drone production. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The Netherlands is doing more than ever [for Ukraine ed.]. A few days ago, I announced 200 million in counter-UAV support. Today I announced another 90 million support package for drones both ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) drones and attack drones," Brekelmans said. He added that the Netherlands believes Ukraine's industry "still has the capacity to produce more, and that's why we are investing another 90 million in order to do that". "Now Putin feels that he gains with every day of continuing Russian aggression in Ukraine and we need to make sure that the costs for Putin go up. That means a stable flow and also a long-term commitment to Ukraine, when it comes to military support," the minister stressed. He clarified that this includes both bilateral agreements and broader projects "using other means like the frozen assets". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We need to make sure that by more sanctions, more economic pressure on Russia, Putin feels that he can not continue this way, and that we in the end, together with Ukraine, will prevail," Brekelmans said. Background: On 15 October, Finland announced that it has joined US-led arms procurement for Ukraine under the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte previously said that new countries would soon join PURL. Ukraine is prioritising the issue of financing arms purchases from the United States under the PURL programme during a series of events involving NATO defence ministers in Brussels on 15 October, to which Ukrainian Minister Denys Shmyhal has also been invited. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Newark Mayor Ras Baraka is defending his push to sue acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for defamation following his arrest on a federal trespassing charge in May. (Photos by Dana DiFilippo/Gage Skidmore) Newark Mayor Ras Baraka this week urged a federal court to allow his false arrest and malicious prosecution lawsuit to continue in response to federal prosecutors arguments that federal doctrine shields acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba from the suit. Prosecutors claims that Habba and a Department of Homeland Security investigator also named in the suit are entitled to qualified and absolute immunity is breathtaking in its presumption that these actions can escape any accountability by the third branch of government, Yael Bromberg, Barakas attorney, wrote to the judge overseeing the case on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Defendants are liable for violating constitutional rights, Brombergs letter reads. Baraka, a Democrat, in June sued Habba and Ricky Patel, the investigator, alleging they violated his constitutional rights after arresting him for trespassing at a Newark immigrant detention facility on May 9, only to drop the charge less than two weeks later, earning admonishment from the federal judge overseeing his case. Baraka said he was at the jail to inspect it with city officials. Barakas attorneys argue the charges were dropped because federal authorities were aware the mayor committed no crime. Patel is seen on police body camera footage taken just prior to Barakas arrest saying that he was detaining the mayor per the deputy attorney general of the United States. Claims of malicious prosecution must show that the proceedings were initiated without probable cause and that the defendants acted maliciously for a purpose other than bringing the plaintiff to justice, Bromberg wrote, citing a 2017 appeals court decision. Those circumstances are immediately present here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The police body camera footage, released as part of a separate federal case against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-10), shows a staffer from Geo Group, the migrant jails operator, allowing Baraka into a fenced area of the facility, where he remained for roughly 40 minutes before new agents requested he exit the premises, whereupon he left. McIver, who was later charged with assaulting officers during Barakas arrest, has said the case against her is purely political. Habba announced the charges against McIver at the same time she said she was dropping the case against Baraka. Attorneys for Habba and Patel in a September letter signaled they would ask the judge to dismiss Barakas lawsuit, arguing he had failed to exhaust administrative remedies through complaints to the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security and should have filed a claim under the Federal Tort Claim Act. Barakas suit does not cite that law. His claims of defamation and false light are state torts that his attorneys argue are controlled by state law, not federal. Habba in television appearances and on social media claimed Baraka stormed the facility alongside a mob of protestors (surveillance video footage shows protestors remained outside the facilitys gates). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attorneys for Habba and Patel also argued they are protected from civil liability by the doctrines of qualified and absolute immunity, which shield officials from civil liabilities in such cases, and said the United States, which enjoys broader civil immunity under federal law, should replace Habba and Patel as Barakas defendant. Habbas tenure as U.S. attorney has been turbulent. A federal judge in August ruled she no longer has any legal authority because her temporary appointment ended in July, while the Trump administration argues that it made a series of personnel moves that will keep her in the job for roughly another six months. That case is expected to go before the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SACRAMENTO - Gov. Gavin Newsom called for a congressional antisemitism investigation into the Young Republicans organization on Wednesday after Politico reported its leaders praised Hitler, called for their political opponents to be raped and killed in gas chambers and used dehumanizing language to describe women and people of color in a leaked group chat. In a letter to Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., Newsom requested he open an investigation into the "vile and offensive text messages." Newsom noted that the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which Comer chairs, is already investigating Harvard University's response to antisemitism on its campus and has conducted similar inquiries into other universities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The abhorrent behavior and views exposed in these texts, which include individuals directly involved in activities on college campuses, warrant no less a robust investigation," Newsom wrote. He also criticized Vice President JD Vance for failing to condemn the comments in the group chat, which Newsom said demonstrates that Trump administration agencies "cannot be trusted" to undertake such an investigation. Vance on Wednesday addressed Politico's reporting on the podcast of the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk. "The reality is that kids do stupid things, especially young boys," Vance said. "They tell edgy, offensive jokes." Vance previously defended a Department of Government Efficiency staffer who resigned after his racist social media posts were made public. He reacted much differently, however, to comments made in the wake of Kirk's killing last month, and said people who criticized Kirk should be reported to their employers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We have to talk about this incredibly destructive movement of left-wing extremism that has grown up over the last few years and, I believe, is part of the reason why Charlie was killed by an assassin's bullet," Vance said while guest-hosting Kirk's podcast. The chats obtained by Politico were by members of the Young Republican National Federation, a group for adults under age 40. The Trump administration has targeted California universities with antisemitism investigations, threatening hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for the schools. Newsom has criticized the investigations, calling the administration's tactics extortion and an attempt by President Donald Trump to exert control over independent institutions of higher education. This article originally published at Newsom asks Congress to investigate Young Republicans' racist messages after Vance downplays them. Manson family member Patricia Krenwinkel who broke into the home of a Los Angeles grocer, stabbed him and wrote "Helter Skelter," "Rise" and "Death to Pigs" on the walls with his blood has been denied parole by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Krenwinkel, 77, was convicted of seven counts of first-degree murder for participating in the Manson family slayings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others during a two-day killing spree in 1969. In May, the California Parole Board granted her parole, but this week Newsom overruled that decision, stating that she still poses an unreasonable danger to society. Krenwinkel has appeared before the Parole Board 16 times over the course of her 56 years in custody, which makes her the longest-serving female inmate in California. She was initially sentenced to death, but that was reduced to a life sentence when the California Supreme Court overturned all death sentences prior to 1972. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: From the Archives: Manson Verdict All Guilty Krenwinkel's attorney Keith Wattley argued that she should be released because she has taken full responsibility for her actions, is not dangerous and has never had a rule violation during her nearly six decades behind bars. "She's had nine different and consecutive evaluations from the California Parole Board in which their psychologists for the past 40 years have concluded that she's at low risk of future violence, and California law requires that people who are no longer at risk must be granted parole," he said in an Oct. 1 statement urging Newsom to uphold the Parole Board's decision. Wattley said that should Newsom overturn her parole, the decision would "be purely political, have nothing to do with the evidence, and will be directly contrary to the law." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, Newsom acknowledged Krenwinkel's efforts to improve herself in prison, such as her excellent disciplinary history and earning of college degrees. However, he concluded in his written decision that "these mitigating factors are outweighed by negative factors that bear on her risk for future dangerousness." Krenwinkel was previously granted parole in 2022, but Newsom also overruled that decision due to concerns about the threat she poses. Krenwinkel admitted in court to stabbing coffee heiress Abigail Folger 28 times when she and fellow members of Charles Manson's cult broke into the home of Tate and Roman Polanski and murdered five people inside. The following day, she and fellow Manson followers broke into the home of grocery executive Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, and slayed the couple. Read more: Mass murderer? Cult leader? Musician? Charles Manson's son wrestles with father's legacy Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other former Manson family members, including Charles Denton Tex Watson, Robert Kenneth Beausoleil, and Bruce Davis, remain in custody in California state prisons. Former Manson follower Leslie Van Houten, however, was granted parole in 2023 and released, after holding what many described as an exemplary record for decades behind bars. Newsom had denied a previous decision to grant Van Houten parole but was overruled by an appellate court. Times staff writer Salvador Hernandez and City News Service contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Incarcerated individuals have long been putting their lives in danger to help battle some of Californias largest wildland fires, and soon theyll be getting a raise. On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 247, which clears the way for inmates serving part of their sentence on the front lines to make at least the federal minimum wage. Previously, incarcerated firefighters could earn credit toward their sentences for volunteering to assist wildland firefighters in various capacities, but they were limited to making between $5 to $10 per day in the field, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now theyll be making at least $7.25 per hour. The wage will also be revisited annually. The states inmate firefighting population is over 1,800; more than 1,100 deployed earlier this year to help battle the Eaton and Palisades fires. Advocates have long said their contribution to the community has far outpaced their compensation, with many likening to the paltry wages as indentured servitude. FILE A California Department of Corrections hand crew works containment lines ahead of the Palisades Fire, Jan. 14, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File) State Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Culver City) authored the bill and told CalMatters that its a bipartisan law for which Californians should be proud. This is a historic and momentous day, Bryan told the outlet. The governor signing the bill is an incredibly powerful reminder that all labor is dignified and anybody who is willing to put their lives on the line deserves our gratitude. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bills initial language called for a wage of up to $19 for individual hand crew members, but was negotiated down to the federal minimum wage throughout the legislative process. Still, its a historic lift for those who have volunteered to put their lives at risk in order to help their communities and reduce the length of their sentences. In the aftermath of the most costly fire disaster in the states history, Newsom and the California Legislature have taken several steps to improve circumstances for incarcerated firefighters. In addition to AB 247, Newsom also signed several bills that could vastly improve outcomes for inmate firefighters. Two new bills signed into law could make it easier for incarcerated firefighters to be resentenced or have their criminal records expunged; another makes permanent a pilot program for youth offenders to receive fire camp training; and another will require CDCR to pay a $50,000 death benefit for any incarcerated firefighters who dies in the line of duty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The most high-profile opponent of the AB 247 was the California State Sheriffs Association, which argued that the existing credit system for time served was already very generous, and said the bills passage could create a financial burden to counties if they were tasked with paying these new wages. The new wages for incarcerated firefighters will be funded through the states budget. 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 KTLA. This story was originally published on Higher Ed Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Higher Ed Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Monday that would have allowed colleges to give an admissions advantage to applicants who descended from people who were enslaved in the U.S. In a Monday memo explaining his veto of AB 7, Newsom called the bill unnecessary, writing that colleges already have the authority to determine whether to provide admissions preferences like this one. Newsom's veto comes at a time when colleges are under immense pressure from the Trump administration over their diversity and admissions practices, including through a proposed government compact sent to nine colleges that would give priority for federal research funding in exchange for major policy changes. Trump appeared to extend that invitation to all colleges in a Sunday post on Truth Social. Dive Insight: A White House official told Higher Ed Dive on Tuesday that the federal government has not proactively reached out with the compact offer to all universities but would not turn away interested colleges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The compact directs colleges to forgo considering race and ethnicity in admissions which is already prohibited nationwide per the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down the practice along with proxies for those factors. It also would compel colleges to require standardized tests for undergraduate applicants. For those Institutions that want to quickly return to the pursuit of Truth and Achievement, they are invited to enter into a forward looking Agreement with the Federal Government to help bring about the Golden Age of Academic Excellence in Higher Education, Trump said in Sunday's post. The University of Southern California is one of nine research institutions asked by the Trump administration earlier this month to sign the compact, while the nearby University of California, Los Angeles is under threat of a heavy federal financial penalty. The Trump administration has demanded that UCLA pay $1 billion to settle allegations of civil rights violations. Newsom has vocally opposed both the UCLA demand and the compact. He vowed to pull state funding from any California institution that signs the compact, and he threatened to sue over the $1 billion demand, calling it extortion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement California Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, the Democrat who authored AB 7, described Newsoms veto of the bill as more than disappointing, according to a recent statement shared with media. While the Trump Administration threatens our institutions of higher learning and attacks the foundations of diversity and inclusivity, now is not the time to shy away from the fight to protect students who have descended from legacies of harm and exclusion, Bryan said. AB 7 drew opposition from groups that argued it would conflict with the Supreme Court ruling against race-conscious admissions and Californias decades-old prohibition against affirmative action at the states public colleges. The UC Student Association had supported the bill, according to a September legislative analysis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AB 7 is a critical step toward equity and restorative justice, one that acknowledges and seeks to correct historical and systemic barriers that have impacted descendants of slavery, a lineage that has disproportionately hindered college access for African-American communities and Black students across generations due to the legacy of slavery, Jim Crow segregation laws and institutionalized racial discrimination, the group said. The bill would have allowed colleges to give preferential admissions treatment to applicants who could establish direct lineage with someone who was subjected to American slavery. However, the legislative analysis raised questions about how colleges would determine eligibility, including what documents applicants would provide and how colleges would verify their authenticity. Recommended Reading Oct. 15 (UPI) -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday called for a congressional investigation of antisemitic and racist comments made in a Young Republicans group chat. The 2,900 pages of messages posted on Telegram involved young Republicans in Arizona, Kansas, New York and Vermont, according to a Politico report, but did not include Californians. One day after the report on messages praising Adolf Hitler and racial epithets from January to early August, Newsom formally requested in a letter that the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee open an investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Calling for gas chambers. Expressing love for Hitler. Endorsing rape. Using racist slurs. This is not a 'joke,' and it is not fringe," Newsom said in the letter addressed to James Comer, a committee chairman serving a Kentucky House district. "These are leaders within Republican National Committee-linked groups. If Congress can investigate universities for failing to stop antisemitism, it must also investigate politicians' own allies who are openly celebrating it." Newsom said some of the young Republicans have been "directly engaged in activities on college campuses -- making the need for a full investigation even more urgent." The governor noted that the committee is investigating Harvard and other schools for allegedly not addressing antisemitism on campuses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the letter, Newsom blasted JD Vance for his "refusal to unequivocally condemn the messages. Newsome warned that the U.S. Department of Justice and the Equal Opportunity Commission "cannot be trusted to investigate conduct from groups politically aligned with the Vice President. "The reality is that kids do stupid things, especially young boys," Vance said Wednesday on The Charlie Kirk Show. "They tell edgy, offensive jokes. That's what kids do. And I really don't want us to grow up in a country where a kid telling a stupid joke -- telling a very offensive, stupid joke -- is cause to ruin their lives." Some of the postings, though, reportedly were from middle-age participants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vance again on Wednesday condemned Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones, a Democrat, for advocating for the hypothetical killing of Virginia's Republican then-House speaker and his children On Tuesday, the chairman of the Kansas Republican Party deactivated the Kansas Young Republicans organization. Kansas Young Republicans Vice Chairman William Hendrix was fired from a communications job in the office of Attorney General Kris Kobach, officials told the Kansas Reflector. "The comments in the chat are inexcusable," Kobach said. "As soon as the office learned of those messages, Will Hendrix's employment was terminated." Kansas state young GOP chairman Alex Dwyer also was involved in the chats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michael Bartels, a senior adviser in the U.S. Small Business Administration's general counsel office, participated in the chat but didn't say much in it. At the time, he was a member of New York's young Republicans. Joe Feagin, a Texas A&M sociology professor, has studied racism for the last 60 years. "The more the political atmosphere is open and liberating -- like it has been with the emergence of Trump and a more right wing GOP even before him -- it opens up young people and older people to telling racist jokes, making racist commentaries in private and public," he told Politico. "It's chilling, of course, because they will act on these views." The News Nigerias foreign minister rejected accusations by US lawmakers that the government is facilitating violent attacks against Christians, arguing that resource-based tensions in some communities have been distorted to suit narratives of religious persecution by interest groups. The Nigerian government has come under fire from lawmakers in the US and the European Parliament in recent weeks following reports of conflict in which majority-Christian communities in Nigerias central region appear to have been attacked. US Senator Ted Cruz accused Nigerian officials of ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists, pledging to hold them accountable through a religious freedom bill he introduced to Congress in September. US Congressmen Riley Moore and Chris Smith have called for Nigeria to be redesignated a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over religious repression, and even comedian Bill Maher has weighed in, falsely alleging a Christian genocide in Nigeria. Yusuf Tuggar, Nigerias foreign minister since 2023, said the comments were the latest of several efforts over the years by certain groups, including opposition groups within Nigeria to place the nation on the US annual CPC list based on false premises of religious persecution. Lobby groups and even comedians and they are comedians, we must not forget are revving up these sentiments, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an interview with Semafor, Tuggar said the communal conflicts in Nigeria were linked to pressures on resources, with Nigerias population roughly split between a predominantly Muslim north and mainly Christian south projected to nearly double in coming decades amid changes to the climate. He also reiterated points made in recent rebuttals by other Nigerian government officials that the country has no state religion, and is not allowing attacks against Christians. Were going to be 400 million people in the next 25 years, so there will be more contests for farm land and grazing land, mineral resources, and water, Tuggar told Semafor. Competition for livelihoods in states bordering Nigerias two major converging rivers have sometimes produced conflicts between neighboring groups who may be religiously diverse, he said. Know More The perception of persecution against Christians is one of a handful of foreign policy headaches that Nigeria has had to combat in the past year, testing the strength of its global relationships, especially with the US. The Trump administration in July slashed the length of stay for Nigerian tourists and business visitors to the US to three months at a time, part of a wider review of reciprocal non-immigrant visas policy. Nigeria had been on a list of 25 African countries that the administration was considering for visa restrictions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the months since, African countries including Ghana and Uganda have accepted deportees from the US, but Nigeria maintains its refusal even if it could produce economic benefits or favorable visa terms, Tuggar said. We are not going to accept third country nationals from any country weve made our position very clear to the US and it is well understood. They have not made additional overtures about it, he said. Nigeria is one of the countries that will be affected should the AGOA pact that has provided African countries with preferential access to the US market not be renewed following its expiry last month. US trade in goods and services with Nigeria rose nearly 17% year-on-year to $13 billion in 2024. The West African country has pushed to expand its trade alliances this year, notably joining the BRICS bloc of developing nations as a partner country. Trump had threatened to impose 10% tariffs on countries that align with the anti-American policies of the bloc. The US has not expressed any reservations about us becoming a BRICS partner. Perhaps it has issues with the member countries, but we take decisions in Nigerias strategic interests and not those of other countries, Tuggar said. Notable The U.S. Armys elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), better known as the Night Stalkers, has been exploring ways to ensure it can operate in more heavily defended airspace in the future. This includes making increased use of uncrewed aircraft, the employment of new electronic warfare and decoy capabilities, and just flying longer and faster. The U.S. special operations community as a whole continues to reorient itself around preparing for high-end fights, such as one across the broad expanses of the Pacific against China, after decades of low-intensity missions in much more permissive environments. Army Col. Stephen Smith, head of the 160th SOAR, talked about planning for future operations in denied areas deep inside an opponents anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) bubble during a panel discussion today at the Association of the U.S. Armys main annual symposium. TWZs Howard Altman was in attendance and had the opportunity to speak more with Smith directly afterward. The Night Stalkers publicly acknowledged fleets include a mixture of heavily modified MH-60M Black Hawk, MH-47G Chinook, and AH/MH-6R Little Bird helicopters. The 160th also has MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones. The unit expects to eventually receive special operations-specific versions of the Armys future MV-75A tiltrotor. A pair of 160th SOAR MH-60Ms configured as Direct Action Penetrator (DAP) gunships seen during training. USMC Over the last 20 years that Ive been in the Regiment, we have been really, really good at deploying in an environment like GWOT, Smith said, referring to the Global War on Terror era of operations in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. What we have done over the last 10 years is, weve looked at the near-peer threats across the globe, and we looked at how does the 160th expect to operate inside that environment?' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So, what were going to have on the aircraft to defend the aircraft, by itself, will not survive in the A2/AD environment, he also said bluntly during the panel, speaking generally about the known Night Stalker fleets. One of the 160th SOARs MH-6 Little Birds wearing an experimental maritime camouflage wrap seen during shipboard operations training. USASOC Specialized training for Night Stalkers to help them survive in more contested environments has existed, but there is clearly a new paradigm. What we realized was really two major takeaways. The number one takeaway is we cant do it alone. The idea of alone and unafraid, that does not exist in the denied area planning space, he explained. And then, second, we needed a team to look at that. So we stood up a five-person team that consisted of our aviation flight leads. When we started looking at the training concept of how the 160th is going to operate, we leveraged the three range complexes on the West Coast of the United States to create an environment that provides us a tyranny of distance problem, but also the complexity of using those three ranges to replicate a near-peer, he added. A pair of Night Stalker MH-47G Chinooks. USAF The 160ths commander says the unit has come from all this with new views on how it might operate in more heavily defended environments going forward. This includes additional emphasis on crewed-uncrewed teaming. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Manned-unmanned teaming is the future. Weve talked about the potential of launched effects off the aircraft, or a potential loyal wingman, Smith said. Launched effects is a broad term that the U.S. military currently uses to refer to uncrewed aerial systems configured for different missions, like reconnaissance or acting as loitering munitions, which can be fired from other aerial platforms, as well as ones on the ground or at sea. We see in the near future, for our primary mission of crisis response, and also denied area penetration, we still see a human in the loop, Smith noted. We dont expect to send Kit [Col. Kitefre Oboho, commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment] and his team to the X without Night Stalkers in the front of the aircraft. Smith highlighted how the 160th has already been teaming its crewed helicopters with its MQ-1Cs drones as something the unit is looking to build on. So, when we train on the West Coast, well use an MQ-1 to lead the half [a group of helicopters] into the objective. An extended-range version of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle, which the 160th SOAR is known to operate. US Army This also leads into the electronic warfare and decoy capabilities the Night Stalkers are looking at as part of future denied area operations planning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We can hang different capabilities on that platform [the MQ-1C]. So that platform could look like a Black Hawk. It could look like a [CH-]47. It could look like a Little Bird, Smith said. So were using that as a decoy, [and there are] potentially other capabilities on [the] side of that aircraft. The 160th is also exploring other new electronic warfare capabilities, including improved self-protect jamming systems, according to Smith. Were also looking at a layered effect of using cyber and space to create a pulse for us to be able to penetrate, he added. Theres also just the matter of being able to fly longer and do so faster. The 160th is already well known for conducting long-duration flights in challenging and hostile environments. The units MH-60Ms and MH-47Gs are capable of being refueled in flight to extend their range. Night Stalkers typically fly their missions at extremely low altitudes and under the cover of darkness, using terrain to help mask their ingress and egress. Leveraging the cover of darkness, leveraging weather, flying at low altitudes, and flying where the enemy systems are not. That seems somewhat obvious, but that is really driving the basis of our Night Stalker fundamentals, [and] mission planning to create those contingencies so we can buy down a number of the risk, Smith said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, historically, 160th operations have often been punctuated by stops at temporary forward arming and refueling points (FARP) along the way, to and from objectives. Smith says extending the range of his fleets will be key to future operations in denied areas because of the vulnerabilities that landing in the middle of a mission creates. A Night Stalker MH-60M seen during FARP training. US Army Sgt. Robert Spaulding One of the things weve learned is, if you go to ground, youre vulnerable, he said. And so we have leveraged our aerial refuel[ing capability] to get after that, and we look at some of our collapsible fuel systems inside the aircraft to do that. There is a question here that is increasingly facing the entire U.S. military, about how existing non-stealthy aerial refueling tankers will be able to support any fixed or rotary-wing aircraft operating deep in high-threat areas. The U.S. Air Force, which currently provides the bulk of aerial refueling support to the 160th, has separately been looking at ways to get after that problem set, as you can read more about here. This is also where the future special operations version of the MV-75A, which is set to offer the 160th an important boost in speed and range, especially over its MH-60Ms, could also come into the picture. Those tiltrotors are also expected to have aerial refueling capability. Questions do also remain about what the final special operations configuration of the MV-75A may look like, though we know the core design is already being developed with specific features to make it more readily adaptable to that role. Bells V-280 tiltrotor, from which the MV-75A is being derived. Bell Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats a great question, and we dont know, and thats why were actually having that conversation, Smith told TWZs Howard Altman after the panel when asked for more information about what the special operations configuration of the MV-75A might look like. We have not determined what that looks like. Is it the version that were all in lockstep with, is that going to be the version? Possibly. Is [sic] there some minor modifications? Potentially. What is clear is that the 160th SOAR is looking hard at ways to ensure that it can bring its unique skill sets and otherwise survive, even in more contested environments, while taking part in future high-end fights. Contact the author: joe@twz.com South Koreas SK Earthon Co., the oil exploration subsidiary of SK Innovation, has put its stake in three offshore oil blocks in Vietnam up for sale as part of efforts to strengthen its financial position, according to industry sources. The assets are estimated to be worth around 200 billion won (U.S. $140 million). SK Earthon has been active in Vietnam since 1998, operating four offshore blocks in partnership with Murphy Oil Corp. of the U.S. and PetroVietnam Exploration Production Corporation (PVEP). The company holds a 25% stake across the portfolio, while Murphy Oil owns 40% and PVEP 35%. The sale excludes Block 15-1, SK Earthons flagship producing asset and Vietnams second-largest cumulative oil producer, with over 400 million barrels extracted as of the end of 2023. The three blocks on offer include Block 15-2/17, which remains in the exploration stage but is believed to contain more than 170 million barrels of recoverable oil, equivalent to roughly 18% of South Koreas annual petroleum consumption, according to Vietnamese media. Analysts say SK Earthons planned divestment reflects a strategic move to mitigate risks and recover capital in the face of mounting costs and long lead times in global resource development. Exploration and production projects often demand hundreds of millions of dollars in upfront investment and can take over a decade to yield returns. However, industry officials caution that valuation and approval hurdles could complicate the sale. For producing oil blocks, valuations can be derived from future output and price forecasts, but exploration-stage assets are much harder to price, said one petroleum industry insider. And any sale will also require the consent of SKs joint venture partners, which may slow negotiations. The sale process is being managed by SC Securities Co., with bids expected to attract interest from regional energy investors and private equity funds. Oilprice Intelligence brings you the signals before they become front-page news. This is the same expert analysis read by veteran traders and political advisors. Get it free, twice a week, and you'll always know why the market is moving before everyone else. You get the geopolitical intelligence, the hidden inventory data, and the market whispers that move billions - and we'll send you $389 in premium energy intelligence, on us, just for subscribing. Join 400,000+ readers today. Get access immediately by clicking here. At least 16 people were killed and several injured after a fire consumed a garment factory and a chemical warehouse in Bangladeshs capital on Tuesday. Fire service official Talha bin Jashim said that 16 bodies had been recovered from the second and third floors of the garment factory in Dhakas Mirpur area, adding the toll could rise as search and rescue operations continued. We suspect that all of them have died after inhaling toxic gas, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bodies were burnt beyond recognition and would be handed over to the relatives after DNA tests, Mr Jashim added. The fire erupted at around 11.45am local time and 12 firefighting units were deployed to combat the blaze, the official said, adding that the fire was brought under control by the evening. The cause of the blaze wasnt immediately known, fire service director Tajul Islam Chowdhury said. Smoke rises from a garment factory and a chemical warehouse in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 14 October 2025 (Reuters) The fire started on the third floor of the seven-story garment factory in Mirpur before spreading to the warehouse storing bleaching powder, plastic, and hydrogen peroxide, the Fire Service and Civil Defence Department said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Jashim said firefighters brought the factory blaze under control after nearly three hours, though the fire at the warehouse continued. The injured, including three severely burnt people, were admitted to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka. Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the garment factory looking for their loved ones, some clutching photographs. In front of the blackened ruins, a father searched desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter. My daughter worked there. When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still havent found her, he told Reuters. I just want my daughter back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fire service officials said local Dhaka police and the army were trying to locate the owners of the factories. Mr Chowdhury said neither the garment factory nor the chemical warehouse had approval or any fire safety plan. A relative wails as he shows a picture of a fire accident victim in Dhaka on 14 October 2025 (AFP via Getty) It appeared the garment factory had a tin roof with a grilled door that was kept locked, he said. The workers couldnt reach the upper level, Mr Chowdhury added. The chemical explosion caused a flashover that released toxic gas, leaving many unconscious and trapping them inside. They couldnt escape either upward or downward. Bangladesh has the worlds second-largest garment industry, after China, with the sector employing about 4 million workers, mostly women. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The industry, which earns the South Asian country nearly 30bn a year from exports, mainly to the US and Europe, has a history of industrial accidents and fires blamed on lax monitoring and violation of building codes. In 2021, at least 52 people were killed in a fire at a food and drink factory. In 2012, one of the worst fire accidents in the country left 112 workers dead at Tazreen Fashions, a garment factory that supplied global brands. In his poem On The Circuit, published in 1964, and told from the perspective of a writer on a tour of the United States, WH Auden signed off with these lines: God bless the USA, so large/So friendly, and so rich. In the early 1960s, the difference between a Britain still recovering from the Second World War, and a booming America, was dramatically clear. It took the concerted efforts of the Thatcherite governments of the 1980s for the UK to start to narrow the gap. And yet, six decades on from Audens time, the gulf has widened once again. There are plenty of dry statistics that think tanks can use to illustrate how the United States has grown far wealthier than the UK, or indeed the rest of Europe, over the last 15 years. But sometimes it is the everyday details that tell the story more vividly than any chart can. Based on my own observations, here are nine different ways in which the gap has become more apparent than ever before. One: Bigger houses Property in the US has been getting steadily more spacious - MattGush/iStockphoto Some might say it was ever thus. America is a vastly bigger country, after all. But property not only tends to be cheaper in the US than the UK, it has been getting steadily more spacious as well. The median size of a new American home has grown by 150pc since 1980, from 1,595 sq ft to 2,836 sq ft in 2018, according to a study drawing on US Census Bureau data. In the UK, by contrast, the average new home has shrunk by 20pc since the 1970s, with a recent study finding that in many cities it is little more than 700 sq ft. American homes come with home offices and cinemas, and even man caves or craft rooms as standard. True, the McMansions may all look similar, but they are incredibly comfortable to live in. Two: Pools and gyms It is not just size. Apartment buildings, and even comparatively basic student accommodation, regularly come with pools and gyms. Overall, 8pc of American homes now have a pool, while 90pc of new apartment blocks built over the last decade have a gym, compared to less than 30pc in the 1970s. Of course, fitness is more important than it used to be, but as the country has become richer tenants have also demanded higher standards, along with better facilities, and landlords have to deliver to stay in business. Its quite a contrast with the UK. Perhaps the weather doesnt quite lend itself to outdoor swimming, but even as the economy has expanded, the quality of rented accommodation can hardly be said to have improved all that much since the 1950s, let alone the 1970s. Three: Consumption The statistics vary, but if we include take-outs and casual dining chains, the average American eats approximately two commercially prepared meals per week. In Britain, surveys suggest more than 70pc of people do not dine out even once a week. There are more cars per person. They even throw more stuff away, with the US generating almost twice as much waste per person than Britain. Sure, Americans drive more because public transport is worse, and they throw more away because they tend to be less worried about the environment. But it is also because they are richer. On any metric you care to look at, Americans consume more, mainly because they have far higher disposable incomes. Four: Friendly service America has always had a have a good day service culture - The Good Brigade/Digital Vision From the waitress who cheerfully explains every item on the menu to the doorman who gives directions to the gas station attendant who fills up your car with petrol, America has always had a have a good day service culture. But there is more to it than that. In a richer country, tips tend to be more generous, meaning that there is a far higher incentive to spend time on the customer than there is in Britain. In the UK, consumers are more often expected to be happy with whatever they are given. Five: Family portfolios Look in the window of a British bank branch (if youve still got one), and you might be greeted with a sign marketing a savings account, paying a pitiful rate of interest, designed to help you save for a holiday, or Christmas, or a rainy day. In the US, your bank is more likely to promise to help you build generational wealth. The difference exposes the gulf in ambition between middle-income families on either side of the Atlantic. In a richer country, with lower capital taxes, private fortunes grow far more quickly. Americas federal version of inheritance tax doesnt kick in until you are passing on more than $13m, compared to as little as 325,000 in the UK. Six: Paid internships While many British graduates have to rely on their parents to support them, and sleep on a friends couch while they get some experience for their first job, in the US 60pc of all internships are now paid, according to one study. On average, an intern is paid $16-21 an hour, or 12-15, which if they do 40 hours a week is almost as much as the average weekly wage in the UK. American companies make so much more money that they can afford to be a lot more generous even to the work experience kids. Seven: Cheap energy Energy is cheaper in America - Aaron Yoder/iStockphoto The average US household now consumes three times as much electricity as the average household in the UK. In part that is because houses are much bigger, but it is also because air conditioning is now standard and labour saving devices are even more abundant. The reason? Energy is cheaper in America and also people are richer so they dont have to watch the bills. Of course, the US burns more fossil fuels, but following the massive investment of the Biden presidency, renewables now account for 24pc of Americas electricity. Eight: Charities Americans gave an eye-watering $592bn to charity last year, according to Giving USA. Measured as a percentage of GDP, other studies have found that charitable giving is almost three times the level of the UK. You can see the evidence of it everywhere, from lavishly endowed universities, to public libraries, to well paid orchestras, to social purpose foundations addressing every conceivable need. True, the US has a far less generous welfare system, so charities have to fill in the gaps. But it is also a mark of wealth. When you have more, you can give more away. Nine: Innovation There are more than 100 commercial rocket launches in the US each year - Robert Michaud/iStock Editorial Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are already 1,500 driverless cars on American roads, compared to zero in the UK. There are over 2,000 vertical farms supplying fresh vegetables from glass tower blocks compared to a handful in the UK. There are now more than 100 commercial rocket launches in the US each year. America has always been an innovative country. But as it gets richer, it can invest more, and its lead keeps getting bigger and bigger. The fruits of that innovation also become more obvious as their benefits spread to ordinary consumers. Of course, the US is still a relatively unequal country. Healthcare is extraordinarily expensive, and there are pockets of real deprivation. And yet, middle-class lifestyles have also become lavish compared to the UK. The reason is simple. While Europe stopped growing 20 years ago, the US carried on at 2pc to 3pc a year. Over time, that really starts to add up. And the evidence of that has become most clear in the details of everyday life. 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 New Jersey man has been convicted of raping the 10-year-old daughter of a woman he was dating, authorities announced Wednesday. Osbourne Gooden, 63, of Irvington, was found guilty on Oct. 10 for the disturbing attack, the Essex County Prosecutors Office said in a press release. We are grateful to the jury for their careful consideration of the evidence and to the victim for their courage in coming forward, said assistant prosecutor Cynthia Teller, who tried the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to authorities, the victim was sitting on her front porch enjoying ice pops with her mother, Gooden and Goodens friend on June 22, 2020. When the victim walked inside to get another ice pop, Gooden followed her inside and raped her, investigators said. This guilty verdict not only affirms that the truth was heard but it is an important step toward justice and a clear message that crimes against children will not go unpunished, Teller said. Gooden faces 25 years to life in prison when hes sentenced on Nov. 21. Hell remain in custody until then, and will also be forced to register as a sex offender in accordance with Megans Law. We hope the victim and their family can move forward knowing that justice was served, said assistant prosecutor Steven Paskowitz. Sexual assaults of children will not be tolerated and will be fully punished. Health Care Authority Secretary Kari Armijo told lawmakers Oct. 15, 2025 that SNAP benefits will likely be delayed or cut completely in November, according to a letter from the USDA, which cited the ongoing federal government shutdown. (Stock photo by hapabapa/Getty Images) The United States Agriculture Department informed states including New Mexico that it will not pay for food stamps in November if the ongoing government shutdown continues, the states Health Care Authority secretary said Wednesday. The order could mean the states 450,000 recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program wont receive nearly $90 million in benefits next month, HCA Secretary Kari Armijo told lawmakers on the Legislative Finance Committee during a meeting Wednesday morning in Santa Fe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, Armijo said the USDA informed states it may revoke the authorization of the states roughly 1,700 SNAP retailers, so folks with SNAP benefits on their cards would not be able to access those benefits starting in November, she said. Armijo said the USDA informed states including New Mexico about the change Friday, Oct. 10, prompting the HCA to prepare for the impact. Roughly one of every five New Mexicans receive SNAP benefits, giving it the highest rate of SNAP reliance in the country. We are prepared to, if the shutdown comes to an end in the next couple of weeks, really act quickly and make sure that folks get those benefits as timely as possible in November, she said. But as of right now, its looking like those benefits will be delayed, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The USDA also recently announced it was transferring funds into the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children known as WICto keep it running through October. The HCA is alerting food banks about the abrupt termination of benefits, Armijo said, in anticipation of increased demand at food bank lines. The authority is also trying to expedite the delivery of roughly $8 million in funding for food banks lawmakers approved in the special legislative session earlier this month. The Authority is also preparing notices to SNAP recipients, she said, and it is trying to identify other sources for food and donations. An HCA spokesperson provided Source New Mexico with the one-page letter the USDA sent states on Oct. 10. It cites the ongoing federal government shutdown and says, If the current lapse in appropriations continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the Nation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter goes on to instruct states not to submit client files to statewide SNAP vendors theyd need to approve SNAP purchases in November, in the interest of preserving maximum flexibility. LFC Director Charles Sallee told lawmakers earlier Wednesday that his agency heard about the change Tuesday and was seeking clarity about why administrators for SNAP, a permanent program typically unaffected in a federal shutdown, would be claiming the program has no funding. Were following up with HCA as well as other folks to verify whether food stamps is really out of money or if this is just a tactic that the administration is playing in the overall negotiation, he said. The HCA is also seeking clarity from the USDA about whether funds the state receives to administer SNAP will also be cut or delayed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The possible revocation of SNAP retailer authorization would render other legislative funding during the Oct. 1 special session moot, Armijo said. Lawmakers approved $16.6 million to maintain SNAP benefits ahead of federal cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. So all of the investments that weve made in terms of those state funded supplements also would not be able to be utilized, she said. Amid a push to put more small drones in the hands of soldiers across the force, the U.S. Army is learning that theres a ceiling to the number of unmanned systems that units can handle. Col. Dave Lamborn, commander of 2nd Mobile Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, out of Hawaii, told a panel during the Association of the U.S. Armys annual meeting in Washington that in division testing, the Armys smallest units could be overtasked by the challenge of operating drones on top of all their conventional duties. I can tell you that there is certainly an upper level of useful number of devices to field out to tactical formations, Lamborn said Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Pacific-based 25th ID has been a hub for Army technology testing, with a particular focus on small, 3D-printed drones, through the services Transformation in Contact initiative. Prior to recent experiments during exercises in the Philippines, the Army didnt have a clear perspective on the ideal number of drones for small units to handle. Theres been a lot of talk about, Hey, lets get a lot of enablers down to the squad level, Lamborn said, citing tasks including controlling fire teams, maintaining weapons and shooting effectively. And I certainly want to enable squads, but I also dont want to encumber squads. Theres enough stuff for these guys to do. The lower echelon that should operate its own drones, Lamborn said, is the platoon, which has roughly three dozen soldiers and can better handle the logistical burden and skill requirement of operating drones. A platoon leader has typically done integrating fire and maneuver at that level, and then the more robust of the items are at the company level, but not lower, he said. By pulling them back up a little bit, Im also reducing the number of batteries that were going to have, the number of recharging stations, the distribution of that power, which proved to be a great challenge for us out in a jungle environment, quite frankly. So it helps in two ways. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Armys pursuit of small unmanned systems that can fight and put eyes on the enemy has only intensified as theyve emerged as an enabler of choice in Russias ongoing war in Ukraine. Brig. Gen. Travis McIntosh, deputy commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, emphasized that current limitations and tradeoffs are affected by current technology, and the future of drone employment may look different. The average brigade in the 101st currently has between 300 and 400 drones, according to McIntosh. Brigades can have up to 5,000 soldiers. Now, how many can [drones] you effectively employ? That brigade commander is standing there saying, Do I want him to carry a mortar or ... carry a drone? Do I bring ammunition on the helicopter, or do I bring batteries on the helicopter? he said. So theres some technological advancement that needs to occur, so that the answer to [how many drones a unit can handle] is unlimited. WARREN, Ohio (WKBN)- A Trumbull County grand jury did not return an indictment in a domestic violence case from September. The grand jury returned a no bill in the case against Greg Latronica. Latronica was charged after he was accused of hitting a woman with a gun on Monday, September 8. Police took Latronica into custody after he was found hiding under a desk. 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 WKBN.com. A Kentucky-based activist group will hold a protest in downtown London this weekend, seeking to draw attention to recent government actions and advocate for equal access to health care. The event, organized by KY Resist, is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 18, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 101 S. Main Street, and is part of a country-wide effort called the No Kings Protest. KY Resist, co-founded by Tammy Barton and Andrew Martin, describes the event as a call to defend democratic rights and push back against what they view as growing threats to public health programs and civil freedoms. Barton said she was motivated to organize the protest after seeing the impact of recent policy changes firsthand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We just want to get our message out there, especially with the government shutting down, the big beautiful bill, Medicaid, and Medicare, she said. Were seeing a lot of changes coming in January family deductibles going up, certain medications no longer being covered, and costs rising. Were fighting for everyone to have equal health care free health care. Martin said the protest also seeks to shed light on how they believe the ongoing government shutdown is affecting working families and communities in rural Kentucky. We all know that this is a Republican shutdown, he said. The Democratic Party in the House is not willing to sign off on millions of people being cut off from their health care. Donald Trump and his administration have shut down the government because they will not negotiate, so we are standing up against that. Both founders emphasized that their movement is not limited to a single political group or ideology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were not fighting only for the liberals or only for socialists, Martin added. Were fighting for the Republicans too. Were fighting for all people to be able to have their health care and benefits. KY Resist has previously organized rallies across the state but said this one carries particular importance for rural areas. It will mark the second held in London. Rural areas sometimes get forgotten about, Martin said. Places like London, Corbin, Manchester they deserve to have a voice too. Barton echoed that message, saying smaller turnouts wont deter them from continuing to show up. A lot of people in rural areas feel like theyre alone, she said. Thats why we keep doing these events to remind them they arent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Martin said he hopes those attending Saturdays protest will leave feeling empowered to speak out and become involved. Health care is a human right, he said. Were standing up for everyone who believes in that. MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) The Indivisible Mobile organization is hosting a Halloween-themed protest on Saturday, Oct. 18. Body of missing Mobile man found On Saturday, multiple organizations will hold protests to denounce the attacks on womens rights, civil rights, healthcare access, social security, voting rights, immigrant rights, retirement funds, environmental protections, human rights, and more, according to a news release from the organization. Demonstrators hold signs during the No Kings Day protest to oppose the Trump administrations policies, including efforts to cut the federal workforce, at the Capitol Reflection Pool on Presidents Day, Monday, February 17, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) The Mobile protest will happen from 4-5:30 p.m. at Government Plaza. Attendees are encouraged to wear black or a costume. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Body found inside Mobile home Indivisible is a social movement organization, according to their website. No Kings Day gatherings were held nationwide on June 14 in response to the U.S. Armys 250th anniversary military parade in Washington, D.C., which coincided with Trumps 79th birthday. Mobile isnt the only location with a protest this weekend. Across the country, 2,000 No Kings protests are scheduled for Saturday, according to a post from the Indivisible project. There are plans in major cities like Los Angeles; Boston; Washington; Chicago; Atlanta; New Orleans; Kansas City, Mo.; and Bozeman, Mont. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Planned protests stretch into Canada and as far south as Madrid, a town in Mexico. The Hill contributed to this report. 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 WKRG News 5. ELKHART Area residents are again joining a nationwide anti-Trump protest on Saturday. The No Kings march is from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Civic Plaza. It will be followed by a protest in South Bend from noon to 1:30 p.m. near Morris Performing Arts Center. The two events are among dozens of protest actions in Indiana and hundreds across the country planned for this weekend. Organizers for the Elkhart protest say its a demonstration against tyranny and a call for justice. They encourage protesters to dress in family-friendly costumes, inspired by recent anti-ICE protests in Portland, Oregon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While there is the mission statement of the nationwide No Kings movement that we are in agreement with, my personal goal in this event is to create an environment of community engagement and to demonstrate to members of our community that there is support and cooperation to be found in our very own neighborhoods, said Gabrianna Gratzol, who is organizing the event with Elkhart County Indivisible founder Kate Marsh. There is an image being painted by the current administration of the violent left. The spread of divisive propaganda and misinformation is being used to sow fear and distrust between neighbors. Its insidious and we aim to offer our neighbors who may be exposed to these messages a different image than the ones theyre being offered. National partners involved in the No Kings protest include the ACLU, American Federation of Teachers, Common Cause and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. The protest follows a June 14 anti-authoritarian demonstration, which was held to coincide with the U.S. Army 250th Anniversary Parade in Washington and Trumps 79th birthday. By Tom Hals DOVER, Delaware (Reuters) -Elon Musks $56 billion pay package from Tesla should have been restored by a vote of the companys shareholders last year, a Tesla attorney argued to the Delaware Supreme Court on Wednesday. One of the biggest corporate legal battles entered its final stage after a lower court judge rescinded the Tesla CEO's record compensation in January 2024. The company is also appealing a ruling by the lower court that rejected as legally invalid a vote by shareholders to restore the pay package. This was the most informed stockholder vote in Delaware history, Jeffrey Wall, an attorney for Tesla, told the justices. Reaffirming that would resolve this case. The case's outcome could have substantial consequences for the state of Delaware, its widely used corporate law, and its Court of Chancery, a once-favored venue for business disputes that has recently been accused of hostility towards powerful entrepreneurs. The Court of Chancery ruling striking down Musk's pay has become a rallying cry for Delaware critics. Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick ruled that the Tesla board lacked independence from Musk when it approved the pay package in 2018 and that shareholders lacked key information when they voted overwhelmingly in favor of it. As a result, she applied a demanding legal standard and found the pay unfair to investors. Musk did not attend the arguments, which were held in a special court to accommodate the 65 people in attendance, mostly lawyers. The defendants, current and former Tesla directors, denied wrongdoing and said McCormick misinterpreted the facts and the law. COMPANIES SWITCH LEGAL HOMES Tesla argued in Dover, Delaware, that the five justices on Delaware's high court had three avenues to reverse the lower court ruling. They could find that Musk, who owned 21.9% of Tesla stock in 2018, did not control the board pay negotiations and that shareholders were fully informed when they voted to approve it that year. They could determine that rescinding the pay was an improper remedy because it did not undo the work that Musk had done or the gains that shareholders had received. Or they could determine last year's vote demonstrated that shareholders wanted to accept the pay deal, despite the legal flaws. "Shareholders in 2024 knew exactly what they were voting for," Wall said. After the Musk pay ruling, large companies, including Tesla, Dropbox, and the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, switched their legal homes to Texas or Nevada, where courts are friendlier toward directors. Delaware lawmakers responded to the corporate departures, a trend known as "Dexit," by overhauling its corporate law. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) No Kings 2 rallies are taking place across the U.S. on Saturday, Oct. 18, and several are scheduled in West Virginia. No Kings is a movement that aims to speak out against the direction of the current administration in America. According to the groups website, it specifically wants to bring attention to issues like healthcare, environmental protections and education with peaceful demonstrations. Rallies are being held in the following West Virginia locations on Saturday, according to the No Kings website: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morgantown, 400 Spruce St. 3 p.m. Fairmont, Gateway Connector Park 1 p.m. Buckhannon, Chapel Hill United Methodist Church 12 p.m. Elkins, Randolph County Courthouse 12 p.m. Fayetteville, U.S. 19 & West Virginia 16 9 a.m. Charleston, 1900 Kanawha Blvd E 12 p.m. New Martinsville, Williams Run, Rt. 2 intersection 10:30 a.m. Wheeling, McDonalds 101 Kruger St 11:30 a.m. Bluefield 11 a.m. Huntington, Heritage Station 4 p.m. Keyser, 45 S Mineral St 9 a.m. Romney, Hampshire County Courthouse 10 a.m. Wardensville, Wardensville Community Library 9 a.m. Berkeley Springs, Morgan County Courthouse 2 p.m. Shepherdstown 4 p.m. According to a Facebook event, there is also a rally planned at the Harrison County Courthouse in Clarksburg at 12 p.m. This is the second time this year that the No Kings movement has planned nationwide rallies with events held in West Virginia, with the first being on June 14. On that day, attendees at rallies in Morgantown and Clarksburg told 12 News that they joined the rally as a way to defend democracy and effect change. No Kings says that maintaining peaceful demonstrations is its main objective, although there were were several arrests at different protests across the country in June. 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 WBOY.com. Last week, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem released a video that blames Democrats for slower airport travel times due to the government shutdown. However, many airports are refusing to air the public service announcement, including all major airports in the Bay Area. "It is TSA's top priority to make sure you have the most pleasant and efficient airport experience as possible while we keep you safe. However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay," Noem says in the video. "We will continue to do all that we can to avoid delays that will impact your travel, and our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A now-removed Reddit post, from around 6 a.m. Tuesday, claimed the controversial video was playing at San Francisco International Airport. However, spokesperson Doug Yakel told SFGATE that the video is not playing at SFO and never has. "This video is not being played at SFO, consistent with our policy prohibiting any messaging of a political nature," SFO said on Threads. The Reddit post had more than 600 upvotes and almost 80 comments before moderators removed it for misinformation. The government shutdown does not impact Transportation Security Administration agents at SFO because they are employed by a private company. However, over 1,000 other government employees at the airport are working without pay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport has also refused to play the video, citing that TSA agents are considered essential employees and are reporting to work, OAK spokesperson Kaley Skantz told SFGATE in an email. San Jose Mineta International Airport spokesperson Ana Maria State told SFGATE in an email that "airport-specific messaging will be used" if there are any disruptions in travel. SFO's stance on the messaging being political in nature is in line with other airports across the country, including Portland International Airport, whose spokesperson said the video violates the Hatch Act. The 1939 Hatch Act prohibits federal employees and agencies from partisan messaging and activities. "The law's purposes are to ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion, to protect federal employees from political coercion in the workplace, and to ensure that federal employees are advanced based on merit and not based on political affiliation," the Office of Special Counsel says on its website. BEST OF SFGATE History | Why a wealthy banker blasted a huge hole in a Bay Area cliff Local | There's a mansion hidden directly under the Bay Bridge Culture | Inside the Bay Area's cult-like obsession with Beanie Babies Local | The world's last lost tourist thought Maine was San Francisco Get SFGATE's top stories sent to your inbox by signing up for The Daily newsletter here. This article originally published at No, SFO is not playing politically charged shutdown video about TSA. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Internationally acclaimed sushi restaurant Nobu will open a hotel along the Cumberland River in Nashville. Nobu began as a restaurant in the late 1980s in Los Angeles ran by chef Nobu Matsuhisa. He along with investors and actor Robert DeNiro began opening locations across the world in the 1990s. In the 2010s, Nobu expanded into the hospitality world with hotels across the globe. Nobu Hotel and Restaurant Nashville will be located in the East Bank district as part of the Oracle campus development. According to a release, the hotel will feature 120 rooms and suites, a signature Nobu restaurant and elegant event spaces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TN Fireball: Bright light seen over Nashville skies Chef Nobu Matsuhisa displays some of his dishes at the Golden Globe Awards Nominations Media Preview and Plate Up, on December 09, 2024 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) LONDON, ENGLAND JULY 13: A general view of the atmosphere at the Nobu San Wimbledon Brunch on July 13, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for Nobu Hotel London Portman Square) Guests will have access to a lobby cafe, luxury spa and fitness center and a rooftop infinity pool with views of the Nashville skyline. Nobu Hotel Nashville will bring the brands signature blend of modern luxury, Japanese-inspired design, and vibrant energy to one of the citys most exciting new destinations, according to its website. There are currently 22 Nobu hotels and more than 50 restaurants worldwide. 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 WKRN News 2. Parts of New Jerseys coastline sustained heavy beach erosion these past two days as an early fall noreaster brushed against the shore, causing moderate to severe flooding in some communities. Shore communities on Tuesday were assessing the damage to their beaches as the storm continued north, helping floodwaters recede into the ocean and back bays. The storm caused at least the second round of severe erosion in the past two months. In late August, several Jersey Shore beaches were eaten away by rising waters caused by Hurricane Erin. State officials were dispatching teams along the coast on Tuesday to inspect sand loss, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection told NJ Advance Media. An initial report on the damage was expected to be available later this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In North Wildwood, the citys beaches between 13th and 16th streets suffered the heaviest losses of sand, Mayor Patrick Rosenello told NJ Advance Media. City officials are planning to tape off entrances at the most damaged beaches to stave off safety hazards for pedestrians, he said. The mayor estimated that some cliffs on the beach now span between 6 and 7 feet. North Wildwood is expected to coordinate with New Jersey officials on how to replace the lost sand, Rosenello said. In 2023, New Jersey was on track to have spent more than $3 billion to replace sand lost to the ocean since the first beach fill projects were recorded in 1936. I would say it was a one-two punch of the August (Erin) and this storm, Rosenello said. The August storm took away a significant amount of the beach berm, the flat area in front of the dune, so that when this storm rolled in, there was very little protection for some of the dunes. Its not the worst damage Ive seen to our dune system, but, unfortunately, its only October, and were heading into the winter storm season. Above North Wildwood, Avalon saw limited sand loss on its beaches, which were already damaged from Erin, Borough Administrator Scott Wahl said. The boroughs public works team is working to fill in areas of lost sand, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Avalons hotspot is several blocks in the north end, Wahl said in an email. We have no beach there, nor did we before this recent storm event. In lieu of a hydraulic beach fill, Avalon will backpass sand to restore the beaches before next summer. We experienced some erosion in the mid-20s streets, which is unusual for a coastal storm event. Farther north in Ocean City, the iconic shore towns beaches sustained substantial erosion, municipal Public Information Officer Doug Bergen said. Images on social media posted in the storms aftermath show wide gaps between the dune and sand on the beach in front of Playlands Castaway Cove at 10th and 11th streets. Debris was scattered along the sand nearby. Its most noticeable in a stretch of downtown beaches that are particularly vulnerable to erosion and were already pretty thin before the storm, Bergen said. But, while the storm chipped away at the front edge of the dune system, it did its job in holding back the storm surge. While there have been plenty of coastal storms in recent years, the storm that lashed the state Sunday and Monday had significant flooding for two main reasons, according to weather service meteorologist Alex Staarman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One was astronomical tides and the other was gusty winds out of the northeast that never shifted to northwesterly, as often occurs. There were widespread wind gusts of more than 50 mph along the Jersey Shore, with a handful of readings of more than 60 mph. Eric Conklin Stories by Eric Conklin Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here. CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. (WROC) Five of the seven suspects in the Sam Nordquist murder case in Ontario County appeared in court Wednesday. First up was Emily Motyka, then Kimberly Sochia, and Jennifer Quijano. Later in the morning Patrick Goodwin and Kyle Sage appeared. For each of the motions hearings, the prosecution requested fresh DNA swabs, noting the samples will be used to directly compare with DNA evidence gathered where unknown contributors were found in NYSP lab testing. All of the defendants are facing charges in connection to the alleged torture and murder of Sam Nordquist, a transgender man from Minnesota whom investigators say traveled to Ontario County for love. The other two defendants, Precious Arzuaga and Thomas Eaves, appeared for their motions hearings earlier this month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As part of the investigation we, obviously, had a number of items tested for DNA. When those items were tested, they came back with unknown contributors so in order for us to be able to test to see if any of those contributors are our defendants we have to obtain buccal swabs, which is like an inside swab of the mouth to see if they match any of our defendants, says Acting Ontario County District Attorney, Kelly Wolford. Quijanos defense attorney requested a subpoena from the People for records from the New York State Department of Education; the prosecution did not oppose. I dont know exactly why they would be asking for those, my guess would be some sort of mitigation some sort of argument that would be had in the future. But theyre her records that are kept by the New York State Department of Education so if they think that theyre relevant, I had no reason to oppose that, Wolford says. Two NYSP officers certified to collect DNA samples were present at the courthouse with a brown paper bag. The judge granted all of the fresh DNA swabs to be completed onsite. Defense attorneys were also present during the collection gathering. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wolford explains why the unknown contributors does not indicate there could be any outliers, noting the specifics of how these samples will be used for comparison. Sometimes we do have DNA that is tested and it comes back to a single contributor and that contributor ends up being someone whos in the CODIS [sic, Combined DNA Index System] system, for instance, and you know that because it gets tested against CODIS. But in this particular case, the evidence that were asking for the swabs for has a mixture of multiple contributors and you cannot put that in the CODIS system, so it would only be able to put compared against known samples from individuals who we collect so we dont anticipate that any unknowns are going to be identified in this process, Wolford says. Goodwins defense attorney requested a court order of protection for the swab sample, arguing it could be shared. The prosecution argued it was not necessary due to the standard protocol for NYSP lab swab testing. The judge denied the defenses request. There are several moving parts in this case, with previously held Huntley hearings still be finalized. And with the November election indicating a new team, there are preparations to ensure the details of the case are transferred accordingly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement RELATED COVERAGE: Ontario County DA provides retirement date, staffing update | Adam Interviews: Ontario County DA candidate responds to staffing concerns The Huntley hearings were held and the court gave everybody an opportunity to file written closings so were in the process of responding to the defense written closings and then the court will issue an order. There is no future court date for anyone other than Patrick Goodwin and Patrick Goodwins is an attorney conference so its not going to be on the record; itll just be the attorneys and the judge. Im not exactly sure what the purpose theyve asked for that but obviously we will participate, says Wolford. We still have to get the DNA back, theres things that we have to provide to the defense as part of that in order to certify the case is ready for trial, she adds, continuing, I mean, every step we take is closer, but were not at the point where I expect a court date any time soon. Were just working through it as much as we can and obviously with seven defendants and the amount of evidence, its just taking a long time. Family advocate, LC Collins, keeps in close contact with Sams mom, Linda, and sister, Kayla, connecting on FaceTime each court appearance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre getting there, its day by day. I mean some days are harder than others. You know they go to the cemetery and see Sam and I know thats hard for them but theyre getting through, says Collins, adding, his story is gonna stay alive and on top of it, just the stories of who he was as a person you can tell he was such an amazing person. She also highlighted the uncertainty for the family, looking ahead, as everyone waits for an eventual trial date. The family, residing in Minnesota, is looking to stay in Ontario County for the duration of the trial. Sams sister, Kayla, organized a GoFundMe to help offset anticipated costs. Theyre looking that they could be here for at least six months so thats like having to have a whole nother home on top of paying their bills at home, and potentially they could lose their jobs. So I mean anything could happen and theyre going to be here for a long time theres seven people. News8 will continue to follow the proceedings as this case continues to move forward. 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 RochesterFirst. As temperatures begin to change and storm systems sweep across America, a familiar yet formidable phrase begins to resurface in weather reports across the U.S. Northeast: a nor'easter is coming. While the name sounds like how an Australian might exclaim their disdain for Easter, the powerful storms associated with it are anything but amusing. Each year, nor'easter storms bring a mix of heavy snow, rain, wind, coastal flooding, and travel disruptions that can rival the impact of hurricanes. These storms are large, cyclonic systems that typically form along the east coast, most often between late fall and early spring. Unfortunately, the temperatures there are the perfect cocktail for a deadly storm. According to the National Weather Service, the difference in temperature between the warm air over the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) and the Atlantic collides with cold air from the Arctic, creating a volatile mix that fuels snow, rain, and wind. The result? A massive weather event that can dump feet of snow across cities like Washington D.C., Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, while lashing coastal areas with storm surges, rain, and high tides. Some of the most infamous winter storms in U.S. history, like the Blizzard of 1888, the March 1993 "Superstorm", or the Boston snowstorms of January and February 2015, have sadly shown just how destructive these storm surges can be. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Most Dangerous Vacation Destinations How Nor'easter storms affect travel Cancelled flights - Ronnie Chua/Shutterstock For travelers, the effects of nor'easter storms, or any storms for that matter, can be a logistical nightmare. While most forms of travel can see cancellations across the board, those traveling via air are most likely to be affected. During the most recent storm ravaging northeastern states, airlines such as American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, and United have all reported disruptions across major airport hubs. In New Jersey, the Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas has been docked at Cape Liberty in Bayonne due to high winds and increasingly large waves. Road travel can also become treacherous in a matter of hours, as whiteout conditions and slippery surfaces make driving dangerous. Rail travel, as well, unfortunately, isn't spared. Amtrak routes between Washington, D.C., and Boston, one of the busiest passenger rail corridors in the country, have seen severe service interruptions due to snow accumulation, severe temperatures, and downed power lines. For those already on the move, hotel availability can become limited, as stranded passengers seek last-minute accommodations. Beyond the immediate concerning disruptions within the travel industry, nor'easters are also a cause of ripple effects. Winter tourism destinations, everything from ski resorts in Vermont to coastal inns in Maine, can experience both booms and busts depending on the storm's path. While heavy amounts of snow can and will attract avid skiers, flooding and power outages often force closures and cancellations in these popular vacation spots. Staying safe and flexible Caution tape across beach chair - Egor Novikov/Getty Images For anyone with travel plans to the northeast between November and March, keeping an eye on the forecast and weather reports is essential. The National Weather Service and local meteorologists track a storm's progression days in advance, allowing travelers who are able to change their plans accordingly. Consider signing up for airline and weather alerts, booking flexible fares, grabbing travel insurance, reviewing the cancellation policies for your flight and accommodations beforehand, and having contingency plans for accommodations and ground transportation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If caught in the middle of a natural disaster on your vacation, safety should always be at the forefront. Experts recommend avoiding unnecessary travel, stocking up on essentials, and staying indoors until local authorities give the all-clear. Consider purchasing a safety supply kit (or items to make your own) from the local grocery store, and include essentials you may need in case you're stuck without power or unable to leave your hotel room during the storm. While these fierce winter storms are just a part of life in the northeast, not every traveler is used to this type of weather, so understanding these storm systems and how they impact travel can make all the difference. For travelers willing to plan and stay flexible, even a nor'easter doesn't have to ruin your vacation it just adds one more story to the docket. 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. You can also add us as a preferred search source on Google. Read the original article on Explore. Islamabad, Pakistan When Pakistans Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Kabul in April and met his Afghan counterpart in the Taliban administration, Amir Khan Muttaqi, analysts viewed the occasion as marking a reset of relations amid the increasing hostilities between the two former allies. Subsequent meetings between the two in May and August, brokered by China, reinforced that sentiment. But a deadly weekend of clashes along the countries porous border has put those diplomatic overtures on hold. Islamabad says it killed more than 200 Taliban fighters, while the Afghan group says 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed. The death toll on both sides underscores how fragile the detente earlier in the year was. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pakistan, which has been grappling with a dramatic surge in attacks, especially in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where dozens of military personnel have died, accuses the Taliban of giving sanctuary to armed groups that launch cross-border attacks. The Taliban denies those charges. But on Thursday night, Kabul was rocked by explosions and gunfire. Pakistan neither confirmed nor denied involvement, but the Taliban government accused Islamabad of being behind the attacks in Kabul and in an eastern Afghan province, and promised retaliation. Fighting flared again on Saturday night. Pakistan acknowledged that the clashes killed at least 23 of its soldiers and injured 29 and said its forces had taken control of more than 21 posts on Afghan territory. Kabul has not confirmed the Talibans casualty figures. Cross-border fighting resumed on Tuesday night, as Pakistani military sources claimed that Afghan fighters launched unprovoked attacks on the border near the tribal district of Kurram. Pakistani officials claimed various Afghan posts were targeted and several Afghan tanks were destroyed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid on Wednesday acknowledged Pakistani attacks with light and heavy weapons. More than 12 civilians were martyred and more than 100 were injured. After that, Afghan forces were forced to take retaliatory action, Mujahid wrote on X. The clashes have evoked parallels with Pakistans tense new equation with its eastern neighbour, India, after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for the killing of 26 civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir in April. Like the Talibans position on anti-Pakistan armed groups ostensibly operating from Afghan soil, Islamabad, too, rejected any link with the attackers in Indian-administered Kashmir. But just as Islamabad has long accused the Taliban of sheltering groups that attack Pakistan, India has, for decades, alleged that Pakistan supports and sponsors terrorist groups that target its territory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, some analysts say, Pakistan is trying to establish a new normal with the Taliban, by making clear that future attacks on its soil could invite retribution inside Afghanistan. The stance mirrors a position Indias Narendra Modi government took against Pakistan in April, and that Islamabad protested against at the time. India launched strikes inside Pakistani territory in May, resulting in a four-day-long conflict, with both sides using missiles, drones and artillery to attack each other. This shifting landscape between Pakistan and Afghanistan suggests, analysts say, that while the fighting over the weekend might have eased, tensions are likely to simmer in the coming weeks, and a lasting breakthrough remains elusive. Trigger behind the border clashes Out of the various armed groups reportedly operating from Afghanistan, Pakistani authorities regard the Pakistan Taliban (TTP) as the biggest threat. The TTP emerged in 2007 amid the United States-led, so-called war on terror, and has for years waged an armed campaign against Islamabad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It seeks to implement strict Islamic law, has demanded the release of imprisoned members, and calls for a reversal of the merger of Pakistans former tribal areas with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Pakistan Taliban is independent of Afghanistans Taliban, but the two groups are ideologically aligned. Islamabad blames Kabul for allowing sanctuary for the Pakistan Taliban, as well as other groups such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and ISIL (ISIS) affiliate in Khorasan Province, or ISKP. TTP attacks have increased sharply since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, and numbers highlight the increasing trend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our data show that the TTP engaged in at least 600 attacks against, or clashes with, security forces in the past year alone. Its activity in 2025 so far already exceeds that seen in all of 2024, a recent report by the US-based Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) project said. In the last few days, several attacks have killed more than two dozen Pakistani soldiers, including officers, with the latest such incident on October 8. Regional powers, including China, Iran and Russia, have repeatedly urged the Taliban to eliminate the TTP and other armed groups allegedly operating from Afghanistan. That call was renewed at the Moscow Format Consultations in early October, which was also attended by Muttaqi, the foreign minister in the Taliban government. Abdul Basit, a scholar at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at Singapores S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said he expects more diplomacy in the coming days, led by countries that have strong ties with both the Taliban and Pakistan, such as Gulf nations or China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think it is plausible that Islamabad and Kabul will hold another round of meetings in some third country to re-engage in dialogue, but I believe that tensions will continue to simmer, sometimes going up or sometimes going down. We certainly cannot rule out another round of hostilities at the border, he told Al Jazeera. Seema Ilahi Baloch, a former Pakistani ambassador who has been involved in informal Pakistan-Afghanistan talks in the past, said Islamabad had so far failed to persuade the Taliban to prevent Afghanistan from being used as a base for attacks against Pakistan. Both sides must realise that such conflicts undermine bilateral cooperation and negatively impact regional stability, she said. China, which has influence in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, can be the interlocutor to mend fences between the two through diplomacy, she added. INTERACTIVE - Pakistan and Afghanistan border clashes - OCTOBER 12, 2025-1760264917 Islamabads new normal? Still, analysts say it is becoming increasingly difficult for Pakistans officials to ignore the mounting death toll in the country from attacks that Islamabad alleges originated in Afghanistan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), an Islamabad-based think tank, put the number of deaths of Pakistans security personnel at more than 2,400 in the first three quarters of this year, which is on track to become the deadliest year in a decade. Basit said Islamabad is trying to define a new normal in which any attack believed to have originated in Afghanistan whether by the TTP or any other group will carry a cost for Kabul. Any attack which emanates from Afghanistan will be responded [to] with [the] same ferocity on their territory, with Pakistan implying that [the] Afghan Taliban are facilitating such attacks in Pakistan, and thus are legitimate targets, he said. Basit acknowledged that Pakistans new approach appears similar to what New Delhi adopted against Islamabad after the April attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, but said there was a key difference. Regardless of the casualties on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border during the past weekends clashes, the military asymmetry between the two sides is significant, unlike the scenario between India and Pakistan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He pointed to Pakistans ability to hit back against Indias attacks in May, as it was able to shoot down several Indian jets in the process. The Taliban, however, though battle-hardened fighters who have a long history of repelling foreign powers, do not have the equipment and training that Pakistans professional army has. There is a difference, Basit said. Aamer Raza, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Peshawar, said there was a growing feeling within Pakistani policy circles that patience with Afghanistan was wearing thin in the Pakistani establishment. Although some engagement is inevitable, major breakthroughs shouldnt immediately be expected. With Pakistans clear superiority in air and projectile warfare, even in the last clashes, it could have inflicted greater damage on Afghanistan, but it largely refrained, he told Al Jazeera. After the weekend clashes, Pakistans Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for the first time, also questioned the legitimacy of the Taliban government, even though Islamabad was the movements chief patron for a quarter of a century. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pakistan demanded concrete and verifiable actions against these terrorist elements by the Taliban regime and urged a more inclusive government. We also hope that one day, the Afghan people would be emancipated, and they would be governed by a true representative government, a Foreign Ministry statement read. Baloch, the diplomat, downplayed that language, suggesting that Islamabad was merely calling for elections in Afghanistan. Basit, however, argued that the wording was significant. This language of the statement also hints that Pakistan might be open to the idea of throwing its support behind anti-Taliban groups if the current regime continues to ignore Pakistans legitimate security concerns, he said. The New Delhi factor The weekends clashes also coincided with Muttaqis first visit to India. He is, in fact, the first senior Taliban leader to travel to New Delhi since the group took control of Afghanistan four years ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Muttaqi received a temporary United Nations-sanctions exemption to travel for a week, from October 9 to 16, and met Indian Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar. Afghanistans interim foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, is visiting India from October 9 to 16 [Elke Scholiers/Getty Images] Kabuls moves towards New Delhi also represent the culmination of months of diplomacy that Pakistan has watched closely. From the mid-1990s until a few years ago, India viewed the Taliban as a proxy for Pakistans intelligence agencies and accused the group and its allies of deadly attacks on its diplomatic missions in Afghanistan. But since the group returned to power in Afghanistan, and amid rising Taliban-Pakistan tensions, India has engaged in a series of outreach efforts with Kabuls new leaders, leading to Muttaqis visit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Islamabad continues to allege that New Delhi is fomenting trouble in Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, and that some groups from Afghan territory are funded or supported by New Delhi, charges that India has consistently rejected. Now, with tensions on both its western and eastern fronts, Islamabad needs to stay cautious, said Baloch, the former ambassador. No country can afford to open war fronts on all its borders, and that goes for Pakistan also, she said. Meanwhile, some analysts have questioned Pakistans posture of neither accepting responsibility for last Thursdays explosions in Afghanistan, nor denying a role. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This could damage Pakistans credibility if groups based in Afghanistan attack Pakistan again, suggested Fahad Nabeel, who leads the Islamabad-based research consultancy Geopolitical Insights. The main question will be why Pakistani officials did not claim responsibility for the past alleged strikes [in Afghanistan, in response to attacks in Pakistan]. If Pakistan merely uses the terrorism-threat narrative, critics will ask why it did not take such actions in the past decade, Nabeel told Al Jazeera. However, Nabeel said he did not see major parallels between Indias response to the April attack and Pakistans recent approach towards the Taliban. The only commonalities, he said, lay in both India and Pakistan accusing their neighbours Pakistan and Afghanistan, respectively of not doing enough to stop UN-sanctioned individuals and groups from using their soil to attack others. Basit said Pakistans air strikes during Muttaqis visit were likely intended to send a message that Islamabad will not hesitate to use force if it perceives collusion between Kabul and New Delhi to undermine Pakistani security. However, like Baloch, Basit also acknowledged the limits of that posture. No country can afford a two-front war, he said. Basit also said bigger questions about Islamabads approach remained unanswered. What really is the endgame here? he asked. Are these strikes going to change the calculus of [the] Afghan Taliban to pushing them into action against the TTP, or will it drive them to forge a closer nexus with [the] TTP? he asked. When you use force, you are using it to achieve [a] certain goal, and the question is, what does Pakistan want to achieve with these air strikes? SPRINGFIELD, Mo. A North Carolina man has entered an Alford plea following the killing of a man by hitting him with a semi in 2023. According to online court dockets, Melvin Battle, born 1967, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, entered an Alford plea to leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death in Greene County Circuit Court. Under such a plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but concedes that evidence is likely to result in a conviction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUS COVERAGE: North Carolina man charged with hitting, killing Springfield man with semi The probable cause statement states that officers with the Springfield Police Department (SPD) responded to the incident on N. Kansas Expressway on Sept. 29, 2023, after a report of a crash involving a tractor-trailer and a pedestrian. The man hit in the incident was later reported deceased due to his injuries on Oct. 1, 2023, the statement says. A witness told SPD that he was traveling south on N. Kansas Expressway when he observed the semi go up onto a curb and hit something near a Walmart. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Family remembers man killed in hit-and-run in Springfield Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The statement says that the witness flagged down Battle at an intersection, and Battle said that he would go back and check the scene. Battle was later determined to be the driver of the semi through an investigation. The man told an SPD officer that he was not involved in the crash and denied being flagged down by anyone on the day of the incident. A sentencing has been scheduled for Jan. 14, 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 KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. Members of the Rural Health Transformation Committee meet in the Senate chamber on Oct. 15, 2025. (Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) A committee of North Dakota lawmakers will decide next week whether to endorse four bill drafts that could help the state get more money from a sweeping federal rural health care grant. Congress created the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program this summer as part of its 10-year budget reconciliation law. The program was advertised as a way to support rural states in light of cuts to Medicaid in the bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The grant money is intended to go toward areas like behavioral health, workforce, infrastructure development and disease prevention. North Dakota by Nov. 5 must submit an application to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that includes a detailed plan for how it will use its share of the funding. Every state will get at least $500 million, though the federal government has identified ways states can get additional funds including by adopting certain health policies. A 33-member committee met this week to help the state prepare its application. On Wednesday, the committee asked Legislative Council to draft four bills to implement some of the policies singled out as favorable by the federal government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of Health and Human Services told lawmakers at the meeting that the state could get more funding by including the bill drafts in their application, which would signal to the federal government that the Legislature intends to adopt the policies. The policies would require schools to participate in a federal fitness test, make doctors receive ongoing nutrition education, have North Dakota join a physician assistant licensure compact and to expand what kinds of services pharmacists are legally allowed to provide. The committee will weigh the merits of the bill drafts when it reconvenes next Tuesday. Committee members will vote on whether to forward the legislation for consideration by the full Legislature, which is expected to hold a special session in January or February. The first bill draft would make schools in North Dakota conduct the Presidential Fitness Test. The test was retired by President Barack Obama in 2012, but Trump revived it in a July executive order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The federal government has not yet announced what would be required under the new Presidential Fitness Test, but in 2012 it included a mile run, a sit-up test, a sitting flexibility test, a shuttle run and a push-up or pull-up test. Another proposal the committee will consider next week is to require doctors to have continuing education on nutrition. Sarah Aker, executive director of medical services for the Department of Health and Human Services, told lawmakers that the federal government is incentivizing this policy based on research that shows doctors often lack sufficient nutrition education. Sen. Jeff Magrum, R-Hazelton, was the only lawmaker to vote against drafting the bill Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It seems like a person thats gone to medical school would have had plenty of training in nutrition, he said. The third bill draft that the committee will vote on next week is a proposal to have North Dakota join a multi-state physician assistant licensure compact. The idea is to make it easier for North Dakota physician assistants to practice in other states. A bill to have North Dakota join the licensure compact was considered during the 2025 legislative session, though it died in the Senate. The last bill draft would give pharmacists more authority to conduct laboratory tests and issue prescriptions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement North Dakota Pharmacists Association Executive Vice President Mike Schwab told lawmakers that this policy could improve access to health care in rural areas of the state that dont have full-time medical clinics. I can think of a few communities where the clinics only open a couple days outside of that they have to travel 30 to 50 miles to the nearest clinic, Schwab said. The Rural Health Transformation Program created incentives for some policies that the committee declined to take up. One of them would have involved lifting the states nursing home bed moratorium. The Legislature adopted the moratorium in 1995 and most recently renewed it during the 2025 legislative session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reason for the moratorium is partly to prevent the number of beds across the state from growing to an extent that could threaten the financial stability of rural providers, including by diluting federal subsidies. Ive always believed that the moratorium helps keep beds in rural areas, and by opening this up we could do damage to that situation, said Rep. Kathy Frelich, R-Devils Lake. Supporters also argue the moratorium helps promote senior care alternatives most aging Americans prefer, like home health services. Opponents of the moratorium during the session criticized it as overregulation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The committee on Wednesday decided against taking another look at the moratorium after some lawmakers expressed that reviving the debate was unlikely to be productive. This discussion would take us weeks, Senate Minority Leader Kathy Hogan, D-Fargo, said during the meeting. The committee also decided against drafting bills that would expand services that dental hygienists could provide, and creating a license and registration process for telehealth providers. The Rural Health Transformation Committee will reconvene Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. North Dakota Monitor reporter Mary Steurer can be reached at msteurer@northdakotamonitor.com. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Candy and sugary drinks are displayed at a gas station in Bismarck on Oct. 14, 2025. (Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) Some foods such as soda and candy may soon be prohibited purchases in North Dakota through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, officials said Tuesday. The North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services plans to seek permission from the federal government to prohibit certain foods from being purchased with SNAP benefits. The proposal was mentioned Tuesday to a legislative committee but details are still being developed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The move is part of an effort to secure more federal funding through the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program. While states are guaranteed at least $500 million from the program, they can get more money if they enact certain policies the federal government favors. States with pending or approved SNAP waivers that limit non-nutritious food purchases will be considered more competitive applicants, Sarah Aker, executive director of medical services for the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, told lawmakers. The agency plans to apply for the waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture ahead of the Nov. 5 application deadline for the rural health funding. Were working out the definitions so that the retail community can have a smooth transition, but were eliminating things that cause chronic disease, so candy and soda, said Pat Traynor, interim Health and Human Services commissioner. Traynor said the earliest the changes could affect North Dakota SNAP recipients is next year, and the new changes would take months to implement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement North Dakota had about 57,000 SNAP recipients in May, according to USDA data. At least 12 states have received federal approval to restrict SNAP recipients from using their benefits to buy foods such as soda and candy, Stateline reported. Some states have restricted only soda, while others have included energy drinks, prepared desserts and other sugary drinks. The trend is related to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s push to make America healthy again. Sen. Jeff Magrum, R-Hazelton, remarked during Tuesdays legislative committee meeting that the governments definition of what food is and isnt healthy seems to differ over time. What if they ever classified beef as non-nutritious, or something to that effect? he asked. When they base the money on non-nutritious, thats kind of a moving target. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aker said the state has control over how it defines non-nutritious food under the waiver. Emily OBrien, deputy commissioner for Health and Human Services, said the department is still working out which soda and candy products will be included in the waiver. Were fine-tuning what the definitions look like, OBrien said. We want to have buy-in, too, from our partners on implementation. John Dyste, president of the North Dakota Grocers Association, said hes been in contact with state officials about the SNAP waiver and plans to meet with the department. Dyste said he does not think prohibiting candy and soda from SNAP purchases would be difficult for grocery stores to implement, though may be more challenging for smaller stores without a point-of-sale system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senate Minority Leader Kathy Hogan, D-Fargo, said eliminating soda and candy from the SNAP program is a fine idea, and hoped it would give North Dakotas application for the Rural Health Transformation Program a boost. She also said she wants to be certain the states rural grocery stores are able to make the changes effectively without burdening their businesses. If the points of sale all have to be changed and its going to change the operations of the benefits, then theyll get pushback for doing it, Hogan said. North Dakota Monitor reporter Michael Achterling can be reached at machterling@northdakotamonitor.com. North Dakota Monitor reporter Mary Steurer can be reached at msteurer@northdakotamonitor.com. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Cannabis investors recently saw a jolt of optimism after President Donald Trump signaled support for covering CBD oil under Medicare. With the news, stock prices soared. A few of the companies that saw their stock prices soar up to 36% after the news include Green Thumb Industries, Curaleaf Holdings, Innovative Industrial Properties, Tilray Brands and Canopy Growth. (1) All of this growth came after The Commonwealth Project released a video touting the benefits of CBD oil for seniors. Subsequently, Trump shared this video on Truth Social, a signal of support. (2) But somewhat uncharacteristically, he didnt add any commentary in his post; he simply shared the video. Back in August, Trump shared that he was considering reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous substance. (1) But, so far, nothing official has moved forward that would reclassify marijuana and potentially open the door to more prevalent use in the medical industry. Must Read The future of CBD still uncertain The videos narrator states, its time to educate doctors on the endocannabinoid system, provide Medicare coverage for CBD and give millions of seniors the support they deserve. It also highlighted Trumps role in signing the 2018 Farm Bill, which helped open the door for production and sales of CBD across the country. (3) Trump shared a video that proclaimed the benefits of CBD oil. But, notably, he didnt say anything about the contents of the video. Instead, he shared it through Truth Social without any additional commentary. Many may rightly see this as a sign of support for covering CBD oil under Medicare, which pushed CBD stock prices higher. But the president hasnt explicitly stated anything that would indicate this is his goal, and more pressingly for investors, theres no firm timeline. Its critical to remember that nothing is finalized. Any political or legal challenges could derail the industrys progress, which means investors cannot assume smooth sailing anytime soon. Unfortunately, the lack of clarity means that investors cannot know for sure that this signal from the president means they can relax. With that, it seems likely the stock prices in the cannabis industry will remain volatile for the foreseeable future. DUBLIN (Reuters) -Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said he intended to take legal action against the British government for seeking to prohibit the payment of compensation to those imprisoned without trial during decades of conflict in Northern Ireland. Adams, who led the Irish nationalist party during much of the conflict, was among hundreds of people held by Britain without trial in the early 1970s under a policy meant to break the Irish Republican Army. He has always denied membership of the militant group. London published proposed legislation on Tuesday to enact a new framework to address the legacy of decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland. Part of the bill seeks to prevent those detained without trial from receiving compensation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Yesterday the British government produced legislation which upholds the quashing of the convictions but denies compensation. This is clearly discriminatory," Adams said in a statement on Wednesday. "I have instructed my legal team that it is my intention to pursue legal action." The UK Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that Adams was not lawfully detained as his internment was not approved by a British cabinet minister. A spokesperson for the British government said it believed the Supreme Court's ruling was an incorrect interpretation of parliament's intention. "This week, we have introduced legislation to clearly reaffirm that principle for these cases, making it clear in the law that detentions were legitimate and lawful," the spokesperson said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adams stood down as leader of Sinn Fein, the former political wing of the IRA, in 2018. The internment of suspected militants was one of the most controversial elements of the British counterinsurgency campaign. A 1998 peace deal largely ended the three decades of violence involving mainly Catholic nationalists seeking a united Ireland, largely Protestant pro-British unionists wanting to remain part of the United Kingdom and British forces. (Reporting by Padraic Halpin, additional reporting by Amanda Ferguson in Belfast and Sam Tabahriti in London; Editing by Alex Richardson) PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) A Northwest Florida Bishop has released a statement on immigration as the Catholic Church celebrates Respect Life Month this month, according to a news release. Two Lucedale residents accused of barcode scam at Mobile Walmart Bishop William A. Wack, the Congregation of Holy Cross of the Catholic Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, released a letter to those under his spiritual care in Northwest Florida regarding the immigration situation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the letter, he asked people to set aside partisan talking points and reflect instead as disciples of Jesus Christ. As pro-life people, can we support the separation of families with mixed immigration status? Wack asks. Can we, in good conscience, endorse policies that deport a working father knowing the devastating impact it will have on his family without also acknowledging his contributions to our communities? Can we accept that more children are being pushed into the foster care system because both parents have been deported? he said. Can we continue to ignore the cry of the mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers members of our own parishes with whom we share the Eucharist every Sunday? Deadly crash reported in Semmes Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read the entire letter 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 WKRG News 5. The Norwegian government presented its draft state budget for 2026 on Wednesday 15 October, which allocates NOK 70 billion (about 6 billion) for military support to Ukraine. Source: Norwegian Ministry of Defence, as reported by European Pravda Details: The Norwegian government identified security and emergency preparedness as key priorities in the 2026 budget. The Ministry of Defence stated that this was reflected in the defence budget in two main measures: the further strengthening of the armed forces in line with the long-term plan and the continued substantial military support to Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government is proposing to increase defence spending by NOK 4.2 billion (360 million) in 2026 to implement the long-term plan for the defence sector. It also proposes continuing emergency support for Ukraine from 2025 under the Nansen Support Programme, with a total budget of NOK 85 billion (7.2 billion) in 2026, of which NOK 70 billion (6 billion) will be allocated for military assistance. Background: On 24 August, it was reported that Norway would allocate around NOK 7 billion (595 million) for Ukraine's air defence. Norway, together with Sweden and Denmark, will also contribute about US$500 million to supply American weapons to Ukraine under the new Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) mechanism. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! DES MOINES, Iowa Early voting kicks off on Wednesday and one of the most anticipated races is for the Des Moines School Board. Member Maria Alonzo is now sharing why she is running for a second term. Alonzo is running for one of the two at-large seats on the Des Moines School Board. It is the only contested position on the board because two other candidates are in the running for the seats. Alonzo was one of the seven board members who unanimously voted to hire former Superintendent Ian Roberts in 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Having hired him is not a regret. Perhaps its a regret that we were not more invested in verifying him, right. At that time, we didnt know what was to come. We believe that the system that we had in place would suffice. We believe that we had or that we were going through the the appropriate channels, right. To to make the best decision possible for a district, for our district. And so I dont regret having done that. I regret perhaps not being more aware that, you know, there were other things that we could do to just verify, Alonzo said. The school board has come under major scrutiny since the former superintendent was arrested on September 26. Many people have taken to social media to call on the board to step down. I believe that everyone has a right to an opinion, and I respect that. But stepping down would be the same as running away. And personally, I have nothing to hide. On the contrary, theres a lot of things that I think the district, the entire board has done in the four years that truly has helped things move forward and better student outcomes. And I believe that those things need to be recognized. I dont run away from issues. I believe in listening. I believe in talking and dialoging. I believe in doing the work and I believe in stepping up. And thats why Im here. And thats why I continue to be here, she said. Alonzo began her first term on the school board in 2021. She has developed a reputation for being a voice for the largest demographic in Des Moines Public Schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the district, 32% of the students at DMPS are Hispanic, followed by 31%White, 22% African American, and 7% Asian American. Alonzo frequently translates important district dialogue into Spanish. One of the things that I think I learned at the beginning was that communities of color in our district existed but only in the classroom. And it, it was evident that we needed to change that as a district, she said. It is important to acknowledge and recognize who we have in our district, and its important to elevate that the presence and magnify the voice of everyone. And I think, I believe, that in the four years Ive been there, I have pushed for that at the table so that its a priority. Iowa State University launches innovative micro-credential courses Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alonzo said she will continue to meet with community members and seek better educational opportunities for students. I believe that in order to lead, you have to know who youre leading. And I am committed to community. I am committed to families and Im strongly committed to our students. You have to know who youre leading. You have to know your community. The demographics, I think, speak for themselves. And I have worked really hard to make myself visible, to stay present in the community, building relationships to create trust because thats important. And so I believe I lead with integrity. Im not going anywhere. I like to get things done. I like to push and I believe that students deserve the best, the best education possible. We have great educators. Lets help them get the work done for our kids, she said. Alonzo said her main focus if elected to a second term is student outcomes. Also in the running for an at-large position is Sara Hopkins and Marcus Coenen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hopkins is a Des Moines native and alumna of East High School and Grand View University. She has two children who currently attend Brody Middle School and Lincoln High School. Hopkins is a realtor and her business is located in the Highland Park neighborhood. I think that the success of our city depends on the success of our schools. We have got to have a thriving, successful school system that people really want to be a part of for far too long. I understand how much the schools dictate where people want to live, and I do not think that we have succeeded until people call me to say, I want to move to Des Moines because I want to go to our schools,' she said. Hopkins started running for school board before the former superintendent was arrested, but she said her goal if elected is to help the district move forward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Every student in every neighborhood deserves an excellent education despite everything else thats happening. As long as that is our main focus, I think that we can continue to move forward and thrive. We can figure out what caused problems in the first place so that they dont happen again, but this school district will move on and will continue to be successful. And I think having the right people in leadership to begin making those decisions is really important, she said. Coenen previously spoke with WHO 13 News earlier in October. He also joined the race for school board before Roberts arrest. Coenen spent six years as president of the Beaverdale Neighborhood Association. He has two young daughters, and one of them recently started school in the district. Coenen and Hopkins both said they support the $265 million bond referendum for Des Moines Public Schools that is also on the November ballot. Aside from the two open at-large seats for Des Moines School Board, there are also open seats for District 2 and District 4. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The current board member for District 2, Jenna Knox, is not running for re-election. Instead, newcomer Ryan P. Howell is running uncontested for that seat. District 4 is currently held by Skylar Mayberry-Mayes and he is running for re-election. Mayberry-Mayes was appointed to the board in April 2024 after longtime board member Teree Caldwell-Johnson stepped down due to health reasons. Caldwell-Johnson later passed away after a long battle with cancer. Mayberry-Mayes is also running uncontested in this election. Early voting officially started on Wednesday, October 15. Polk County residents who want to vote early in-person can go to the new election office, the Polk County River Place, which is located at 2309 Euclid Avenue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Absentee ballots will also begin to be mailed out on Wednesday, October 15. Absentee ballots can be sent by mail or be dropped off in-person at the county auditors office or at a satellite station. Metro 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 who13.com. By Maggie Fick and Dan Levine LONDON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -Drugmaker Novo Nordisk has begun a round of layoffs in its most important market, the United States, with affected staff set to be notified between this week and next, according to an email and two sources familiar with the matter. The time-frame for the layoffs has not previously been reported. The move comes as the Danish company behind popular weight-loss drug Wegovy looks to cut jobs globally and reduce costs in a battle with U.S. rival Eli Lilly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. layoffs began on Tuesday and will continue until late next week, according to a schedule in the email. They come after an acceleration of job cuts in Novo's home market, Denmark, where it plans to eliminate 5,000 positions. CUTS ACROSS MANY TEAMS FROM REGULATION TO SALES Departments expected to be informed of cuts include human resources, clinical development, rare diseases, medical and regulatory, legal, ethics and compliance, marketing and sales, finance, public affairs and others, the schedule showed. Reuters was unable to confirm how many people would be affected. Novo is looking to shed 9,000 roles globally in a restructuring drive under new CEO Mike Doustdar, who took office in August. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Novo did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but has said previously that the global process would take time and its "highest priority is to support our employees". The sources asked not to be named in order to share confidential company information. The layoffs come as Doustdar tries to restore investor confidence with what he calls a tighter focus on commercial execution and on the obesity and diabetes therapeutic areas. Doustdar took the helm after a sliding share price and slowing Wegovy sales growth led to the ouster of long-time CEO Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen. Novo's shares are up around 6% since the restructuring was announced on September 10. (Reporting by Maggie Fick in London and Dan Levine in San Franscisco. Editing by Mark Potter) Gun rights organizations filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging a new California law that bans certain types of Glock-style semiautomatic firearms. The law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last week, prohibits the sale of semiautomatic pistols with a "cruciform trigger bar" a feature that allows gun owners to attach a device, commonly called a switch, that boosts the weapon's firepower and converts it into a machine gun capable of spraying dozens of bullets in a fraction of a second. "Newsom and his gang of progressive politicians in California are continuing their crusade against constitutional rights," John Commerford, executive director of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement. "They are attempting to violate landmark Supreme Court decisions and disarm law-abiding citizens by banning some of the most commonly owned handguns in America." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, alleges the law violates the 2nd Amendment. Plaintiffs include the NRA, Firearms Policy Coalition, and the Second Amendment Foundation, as well as some individuals and smaller businesses. The legal action alleges that California's new law essentially bans the sale of certain Glock-brand handguns and others with similar features that allow modification by owners. "A law that bans the sale of and correspondingly prevents citizens from acquiring a weapon in common use violates the Second Amendment," the lawsuit states. "Semiautomatic handguns with cruciform trigger bars are not different from any other type of semiautomatic handgun in a constitutionally relevant way. The Supreme Court has already held that handguns are in common use and cannot be banned." The lawsuit states the only justification for banning a firearm is when the weapon is "dangerous and unusual" and argues that semiautomatic pistols are neither. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They are also unquestionably in common use for lawful purposes," the lawsuit states. "In fact, they are among the most popular handguns in the nation." Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, who introduced Assembly Bill 1127, said his bill was intended to help protect communities from gun violence. "Automatic weapons are exceptionally lethal and capable of firing hundreds of rounds per minute; they are illegal in California," he told the Senate Public Safety Committee in July. "Unfortunately, some semiautomatic firearms feature a dangerous design element allowing them to be converted to automatic weapons through the attachment of an easy-to-use device known as a switch." Over the last few years, handguns retrofitted with switches were used in several prominent shootings in California, including the 2022 mass shooting in downtown Sacramento that left six people dead and a dozen injured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Machine gun conversion switches are illegal in the United States and are mostly manufactured overseas. They also can be built at home using 3D printers. Instructions for installing one on a firearm can be found online and require little to no technical expertise. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reported a 570% increase in the number of conversion devices collected by police departments between 2017 and 2021, according to the Associated Press. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. After pleading guilty to bank fraud and filing a false income tax return in 2015, Selim Zherka was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release, plus fines, restitution, and forfeiture. Although he completed his sentence in May 2020, he is still subject to an additional penalty: He is not allowed to exercise the constitutional right to armed self-defense. The federal law imposing that disability, Zherka argues in a Supreme Court petition, is unconstitutional as applied to him because his criminal record does not suggest his possession of firearms would pose a danger to public safety. The case gives the Court a chance to ameliorate the injustice caused by an absurdly broad policy that deprives Americans of the right to arms even when they have no history of violence. Since 1961, that disability has applied to anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year of incarceration, no matter the nature of the offense, how long ago it was committed, or the actual sentence imposed. As I explain in my new book Beyond Control, that category encompasses myriad state and federal offenses that do not involve the use or threat of violence, such as insider trading, food stamp fraud, embezzlement, obstruction of justice, unlawful fish exports, and unauthorized movie recording. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The crime need not be especially serious, let alone violent. While Zherka's offenses involved millions of dollars, Utah social worker Melynda Vincent, who also is asking the Supreme Court to review her case, was convicted of bank fraud in 2008 because she wrote a bad check for $498 at a grocery store. Although bank fraud can be punished by up to 30 years in prison under federal law, Vincent was sentenced to probation. But 17 years later, she still is not allowed to own a gun or even temporarily possess one. That ban, according to three federal appeals courts, may be unconstitutional as applied to particular nonviolent offenders. But six other circuit courts have disagreed. The latter group includes the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, which last June rejected Zherka's Second Amendment argument. It concluded that disarming him was "consistent with this Nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation"the constitutional test that the Supreme Court established in 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In reaching that conclusion, the 2nd Circuit relied heavily on early laws that disarmed "religious minorities, political dissenters, Native Americans, and persons of color" because of "a perception that persons in those categories were inherently dangerous or non-law-abiding." Those precedents, it said, showed "legislatures could disarm classes of people that they perceived as dangerous, without any judicial scrutiny of the empirical basis for that perception." In briefs supporting Zherka and Vincent, the National Rifle Association, the Second Amendment Foundation, and the Firearms Policy Coalition rebut that alarming assessment. They argue that "there is no tradition of disarming peaceable citizens." Historically, the organizations note, "nonviolent criminalsincluding nonviolent felonswho did not demonstrate a propensity for violence retained the ability to exercise their right to keep and bear arms." In fact, "some laws expressly allowed or even required them to keep and bear arms" for militia service. President Donald Trump should have a keen interest in this issue, since he himself lost the right to own firearms as a result of felony convictions involving fraudulent business records. Yet in Vincent's case, the Trump administration argues that the problem is already being addressed by the Justice Department's revival of a moribund relief process for people who can persuade the attorney general that their possession of firearms would not be "dangerous to public safety." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Zherka's lawyers note, however, that iffy, discretionary process "takes as a given that it was valid to disarm an applicant initially and only asks whether the disarmament should continue." The question for the Supreme Court is whether people should have to beg for the restoration of constitutional rights they lost for no good reason. Copyright 2025 by Creators Syndicate Inc. The post The NRA Supports SCOTUS Petitioners Who Lost Their Gun Rights Because of Nonviolent Offenses appeared first on Reason.com. After Ukraine eased its rules on travelling abroad for men aged 18 to 22, the number of young Ukrainians arriving in Germany to seek protection has increased tenfold. Source: European Pravda, citing Die Welt Details: The lifting of the ban on travel abroad for Ukrainian men aged 18 to 22 has led to a sharp rise in protection applications from this group from around 100 per week before the regulation came into force to roughly 1,000 per week afterwards, a spokesperson for Germany's Federal Ministry of the Interior told Funke Media Group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ministry said it is currently impossible to assess whether this is merely a temporary phenomenon. The total number of people from Ukraine seeking protection in Germany also rose over the summer. According to the Interior Ministry, in May 2025, 7,961 Ukrainians were registered through the free registration system, compared with 11,277 in August and 18,755 in September. Unlike asylum seekers from countries such as Syria or Afghanistan, those from Ukraine receive residence permits under Article 24 of Germany's Residence Act, which allows them immediate access to the labour market and social benefits. As of 4 October 2025, a total of 1,293,672 people who fled Ukraine since February 2022 due to the war were registered in Germany's Central Register of Foreigners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Federal Ministry of the Interior could not provide an exact figure for how many Ukrainians have since left Germany. However, a ministry spokesperson said that by the end of September, around 450,000 Ukrainians were no longer registered as residents with German authorities. Background: On Tuesday, the Latvian government approved amendments to its law on support for the civilian population of Ukraine, which include scrapping certain measures such as start-up and self-employment assistance. Meanwhile, surveys show that half of Poles believe their country's support for Ukrainian refugees is excessive, and almost as many oppose further admissions. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! By Steven Scheer JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang welcomed Avinatan Or from "two unimaginable years in Hamas captivity" in Gaza, saying a number of the chip giant's families had suffered losses during the war. An electrical engineer at Nvidia in Israel, 32-year-old Or was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023 along with 250 others including his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, whose desperate cries on the back of a motorcycle became one of the most haunting images of the Hamas attack. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Avinatan welcome home. Your safe return brings profound relief and joy to the entire Nvidia. We are here for you and for your family as you begin this next chapter of healing," Huang wrote in a letter sent to Nvidia employees and seen by Reuters. Or was released on Monday after 738 days in captivity by Hamas, in a U.S.-brokered deal to end the two-year war in Gaza under which Israel is now pushing for the return of the bodies of dead hostages. Video footage showed Or arriving at Beilinson Hospital near Tel Aviv after his release, accompanied by his family and by Argamani, who spent 246 days in Gaza and was rescued by Israeli soldiers. Citing testimonies from the hostages and initial medical reports, Israeli media said Or was starved and lost up to 40% of his body weight. He was completely isolated and did not see other hostages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Huang wrote that "night after night" Nvidia employees had stood in a vigil with Or's mother Ditza. He noted that for two years, thousands of Nvidia employees in Israel served in the military. "Many have faced immense pain, loss, and uncertainty. Some have lost family members or loved ones," he said. "The losses to our Jewish, Druze, and Arab families alike have been immense." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Or and four other former hostages at the hospital on Wednesday. Nvidia, a leading designer of high-end AI chips, entered Israel in 2020, and it is planning to expand there. It is located in Yokne'am, a hub for tech companies near Haifa. (Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Aidan Lewis) After 738 days in captivity, Avinatan Or is welcomed home by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, while acknowledging the toll the war has had on Nvidia's employees. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang welcomed Avinatan Or from "two unimaginable years in Hamas captivity" in Gaza, saying a number of the chip giant's families had suffered losses during the war. An electrical engineer at Nvidia in Israel, 32-year-old Or was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, along with 250 others, including his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, whose desperate cries on the back of a motorcycle became one of the most haunting images of the Hamas attack. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Avinatan welcome home. Your safe return brings profound relief and joy to the entire Nvidia. We are here for you and for your family as you begin this next chapter of healing," Huang wrote in a letter sent to Nvidia employees and seen by Reuters. Or was released on Monday after 738 days in captivity by Hamas, in a US-brokered deal to end the two-year war in Gaza, under which Israel is now pushing for the return of the bodies of dead hostages. Avinatan Or was further welcomed home by Eddie Goldenberg, a senior generative AI expert at NVIDIA, writing on LinkedIn, "Avinatan Or, I hope you have a good excuse for not showing up to work at Nvidia for 738 days. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang gestures as US President Donald Trump (not pictured) delivers remarks during the ''Winning the AI Race'' Summit in Washington D.C., U.S., July 23, 2025. (credit: Kent Nishimura/Reuters) "But every Sunday morning for two years, the head of NVIDIA Israel's HR, Gideon Rosenberg, sent an email to all employees, counting the days you were in captivity and calling everyone to join him for a reminder vigil in front of the Kirya gate, held every Sunday evening. Even the global CEO, Jansen Huang, mentioned your name in every quarterly internal meeting, telling 40,000 employees that their colleague was being held captive by Hamas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "How wonderful that you've returned home. I heard you have an amazing girlfriend who's eagerly waiting for you, loving parents, that you work at a place that cares for you, and I also have some pretty good news about what happened with your stocks over the past two years." Video footage showed Or arriving at Beilinson Hospital near Tel Aviv after his release, accompanied by his family and by Argamani, who spent 246 days in Gaza and was rescued by Israeli soldiers. Lost up to 40% of his body weight Citing testimonies from the hostages and initial medical reports, Israeli media said Or was starved and lost up to 40% of his body weight. He was completely isolated and did not see other hostages. Huang wrote that "night after night" Nvidia employees had stood in a vigil with Or's mother Ditza. He noted that for two years, thousands of Nvidia employees in Israel served in the military. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Many have faced immense pain, loss, and uncertainty. Some have lost family members or loved ones," he said. "The losses to our Jewish, Druze, and Arab families alike have been immense." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Or and four other former hostages at the hospital on Wednesday. Nvidia, a leading designer of high-end AI chips, entered Israel in 2020, and it is planning to expand there. It is located in Yokne'am, a hub for tech companies near Haifa. By Phoebe Seers LONDON (Reuters) -Britain's financial regulator set out plans on Tuesday to encourage asset managers to "tokenise" their funds on blockchain, in a bid to attract younger investors. Under the proposals, UK asset managers would be permitted to issue crypto tokens representing shares in their funds, using public blockchains such as Ethereum. Until now, tokenisation had been restricted to private blockchains. Tokenisation - the creation of blockchain-based versions of financial assets - has seen renewed interest this year, driven by rising crypto prices and U.S. President Donald Trump's support for the crypto industry. Proponents say it can improve efficiency and cut the costs of fund management. BRITAIN SEEKS BIGGER ROLE IN CRYPTO "Tokenisation has the potential to drive fundamental changes in asset management, with benefits for the industry and consumers," Simon Walls, executive director of markets at Britain's Financial Conduct Authority, said in a statement launching a consultation on the plans. The move marks the latest step in Britain's efforts to promote digital assets as it tries to boost the competitiveness of its asset management industry. Britain's finance ministry last month announced plans to co-operate with the U.S. on crypto. The Investment Association, an industry body which represents UK asset managers, said allowing public blockchains was "quite a significant stance change from the FCA" and would lead to more funds using it. However, public blockchains have technological limitations which "may bring consumer protection, market integrity and market stability risks," the FCA said, adding that firms must continue to meet their regulatory obligations. TRADING APPS DRAW YOUNGER INVESTORS The FCA also sought feedback on whether stablecoins - crypto assets that are pegged to a fiat currency - should be allowed to be used as settlement for the funds. In a press briefing, Nike Trost, interim director for buy-side at the FCA, acknowledged that the benefits could take a while to materialise, as firms upgrade their technology. The regulator said it was considering action as technology reshapes consumer expectations around investing. Nearly half (47%) of the users of trading apps are aged 18-34, the FCA said, and such platforms typically sell low-cost investments in shares, or fractions of them, rather than funds. The FCA added that the possibility of allowing regulated funds to invest directly in cryptocurrencies would be examined in a future review. NEW YORK Gov. Hochul said Tuesday she wants to work with Democratic mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani to achieve universal health care although she stands opposed to the candidates plan to fund the program through tax hikes. Among the various issues on voters minds, Hochul is perhaps most aligned with the democratic socialist on the issue of child care, which Mamdani has made a centerpiece of his affordability campaign. But Mamdani plans to finance that agenda of freezing the rent for stabilized units, delivering free buses and offering free child care with tax hikes for millionaires, as well as through increasing the state corporate tax rate. Meanwhile Hochul, a moderate Democrat and the states first mom governor, has stood steadfastly against raising taxes on wealthy New Yorkers and on businesses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the governor said Tuesday she has found Mamdani to be eminently rational and willing to work with her on the funding plans in their conversations. We dont have the details flushed out, Hochul said at the joint appearance in Astoria, declining to go into specifics. Mamdani has said the tax hikes could get through Albany, since he has both the Assembly and Senate leaders on his side. But hes also signaled he could be moved on the issue if the governor wont budge. If this money is funded by the additional taxes or its funded by a better-than-expected assessment or its funded by a pot of money that wasnt previously spoken about, or savings that have come in, then the most important thing is that its funded, Mamdani said at a press conference last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mamdani and Hochul appeared together to announce a new $5 million grant for the Variety Boys & Girls Club in Astoria and the addition of 200 affordable housing units in the area. This was their first time in public together since the governor endorsed Mamdani for mayor. Ive had conversations with Assemblymember Mamdani about how we can get to universal child care. I believe we can, Hochul said during her remarks, also thanking the candidate for putting a special exclamation point on making New York an affordable place for families. In her New York Times op-ed endorsing Mamdani, Hochul highlighted their shared commitment to helping New York families afford the city. Hochul had previously announced in January when Mamdani was still considered a long-shot candidate that she would set a goal of securing universal child care in the state. To that end, she launched a group to study the issue. ______ (New York Daily News staff writer Cayla Bamberger contributed to this story.) ______ A 76-year-old woman died Sunday, Oct. 12, after being struck by a solar panel that blew off a rooftop carport amid powerful noreaster winds sweeping through New York City, officials said. Police said a forceful gust caused the 41-by-87-inch panel to detach from a rooftop carport above an outdoor parking lot near Ocean Parkway and Brighton Beach Avenue in Brooklyns Brighton Beach neighborhood. The panel was carried about 20 feet before hitting the woman, identified as Lyudmila Braun, according to the New York Post. She was taken to NYU Langone HospitalBrooklyn, where she was pronounced dead, according to the New York Police Department. The citys Department of Buildings issued a partial vacate order for the parking lot beneath the structure and restricted access to nearby areas, including a Q train stairwell, while inspectors investigated the installations safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fatal incident occurred as a noreaster swept up the East Coast, already blamed for nearly 100 flooding events from Florida to Massachusetts. Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for Long Island, New York City, and Westchester County as forecasters warned of winds up to 60 mph, heavy rain, and coastal flooding. A powerful nor'easter brought coastal flooding to New Jersey and North Carolina. There was also a deadly plane crash in Massachusetts during the storm, though it is unclear whether the weather is to blame. High winds from the noreaster have snapped trees, flooded roads and left streets littered with debris across the region, creating hazardous travel conditions. Authorities reported multiple high-water rescues along the Jersey Shore and off coastal Delaware as rising tides and strong currents trapped residents and beachgoers. Airlines warned passengers of potential delays and cancellations as gusts surged through airport terminals and runways, and officials urged motorists to exercise caution and avoid nonessential travel until conditions improve. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Braun is the only known death from the storm, which has slammed coastal communities with powerful winds and torrential rain, causing life-threatening coastal flooding in some areas. What is a Nor'easter? A Noreaster is a storm along the East Coast of North America that typically blow over coastal areas. These storms can occur at any time of year but are most frequent and most intense between September and April, according to the National Weather Service. Noreasters usually develop between Georgia and New Jersey, within about 100 miles of the coast, and generally move northeastward, reaching maximum intensity near New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces. They often bring heavy precipitation rain or snow along with gale-force winds, rough seas and sometimes coastal flooding. Potential impacts of the Noreaster in New York Heavy rain: 12 inches of rain are possible into Monday. Showers will increase in the morning and continue off and on throughout the day. Visibility may be reduced, and minor flooding could occur in low-lying, flood-prone areas. Strong winds: Gusts could reach 4060 mph along exposed shorelines, including Long Island and the Connecticut coast. Winds will gradually ease later in the day. Coastal flooding and storm surge: A Coastal Flood Warning is in effect through 6 p.m.. Water could rise 12 ft above ground level in vulnerable waterfront areas. Moderate flooding is likely in New York Harbor and tidal inlets, with locally major flooding possible in southern Nassau and southwestern Suffolk counties. Minor beach erosion and small overwashes are expected along the oceanfront. Marine hazards: Gale-force winds and rough seas will make boating dangerous. Waves could reach 57 ft in Long Island Sound, with up to 12 ft in the eastern Sound. Conditions will gradually improve as the storm moves offshore, but rough seas may persist into Wednesday. Travel and safety: Heavy rain and strong winds could make driving hazardous. Flooding may spread inland via tidal rivers and bays like the Hudson, Hackensack, and Passaic. Officials warn against driving through flooded roads and say barriers may close key streets near the waterfront. High tide cycles, especially midday, present the greatest risk. How do Noreasters develop? The U.S. East Coast provides an ideal environment for Noreasters. In winter, the polar jet stream pushes cold Arctic air south across Canada and the U.S., then east toward the Atlantic Ocean, according to the National Weather Service. At the same time, warm air from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic moves northward. The contrast between the cold land air and relatively warm coastal waters kept mild by the Gulf Stream fuels these storms, creating the strong winds and precipitation that define a Noreaster. Do Noreasters always have snow? No. Whether a Noreaster brings snow, rain, or a mix depends on the storms track and temperatures: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Snow: Most common in the northern Mid-Atlantic and New England when Arctic air dominates. Rain: More likely in the Southeast and southern Mid-Atlantic, where temperatures are warmer. Mixed precipitation: Possible in areas near the transition zone, with sleet or freezing rain. Even without snow, Noreasters can still produce strong winds, heavy rain, rough seas and coastal flooding, making them dangerous storms regardless of the type of precipitation. Why is it called Nor'easter? Its called a Noreaster because of the direction of the prevailing winds during the storm. In these systems, the winds along the coast usually blow from the northeast. How do Nor'easters differ from tropical storms or hurricanes? Nor'easters are typically associated with colder seasons and form from a temperature contrast between cold Arctic air and relatively warm Atlantic waters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tropical storms and hurricanes form over warm tropical or subtropical waters, and predominantly develop in warmer months. Nor'easters also have a larger wind field, while tropical storms have a well-defined eye with the strongest winds near the center. New York weather watches and warnings Stay informed. Get weather alerts via text Brandi D. Addison covers weather across the United States as the Weather Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. She can be reached at baddison@gannett.com. Find her on Facebook here. This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Lyudmila Braun killed by flying solar panel during noreaster in NY NEW YORK (PIX11) In several weeks, New Yorkers will head to the polling sites to vote not only for the next mayor of New York City, but also for key positions, including city comptroller, public advocate, and district attorney. The City of New York Board of Elections is looking to hire poll workers to man the polling sites. More Local News Positions available include election inspectors and interpreters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Election inspectors and interpreters must be New York City residents, but do not need to be registered voters. The salary for poll workers is $250 to work on Election Day, and a stipend for attending a training class and passing an exam. Make PIX11 your preferred source on Google: Heres how Click here for more information about open positions and to apply. For questions, New Yorkers can call 866-868-3692. Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work 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 PIX11. NEW YORK Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday hes in talks with Andrew Cuomo about potentially endorsing the ex-governors comeback attempt. I am in conversation with Andrew, Adams said on the Reset Talk Show. Adams dropped his re-election bid last month amid poor polling numbers and approval ratings, but his endorsement may still carry sway with voters as the sitting mayor. As recently as last month, Adams called the ex-governor a snake and a liar so even considering an endorsement marks a significant shift. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I need to make sure, if I say to New Yorkers, this is who I endorse, I need to make sure that they are not going to be harmful to the city that I love so much, he said. And so when our times comes, Ill make an announcement. Adams also made clear Wednesday that frontrunner Zohran Mamdanis affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America is a nonstarter for him as the mayor spoke out against the dangers of far-left radicalization of our young people. When you look at the DSA policies that Zohran said hes fully embraced, its problematic for working class people in this city, and so I cant see myself endorsing him, Adams said, calling out in particular Mamdanis support for closing Rikers Island and sponsorship of a bill to decriminalize prostitution. Adams also noted that Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, who he has long dismissed as an unserious candidate, is also in the race. A spokesperson for Sliwa said there had been no communications between the candidate and Adams as of Tuesday evening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Please, do me a favor: Dont endorse me, Sliwa said on NY1 earlier this month, holding up his hands. I dont want to be attached to the cronies, whether it is Eric Adams or in the case of the former governor, Andrew Cuomo. A spokesperson for Cuomo did not immediately respond to requests for comment about Adams remarks Wednesday, but at a press conference Tuesday Cuomo said hed accept an endorsement from Adams. At the time, he said he hadnt had direct contact with him. Obviously you want as much support as you can gather, Cuomo said. Adams longtime adviser and former campaign chair Frank Carone has been urging Adams behind the scenes to endorse Cuomo, the Daily News previously reported. Carone said shortly after the mayor dropped out of the race on Sept. 28 that he planned to work to help get Cuomo elected. Cuomo said that Carone has no official role on his campaign. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even without an endorsement, recent polling shows much of Adams base has likely migrated to Cuomo. A Quinnipiac University poll showed Cuomo jumping ten points in the polls after Adams exit from the race. The two candidates share a moderate base. In that poll, Sliwa received 15% of voters. Adams name will appear on the November ballot as he withdrew from the race too late to have it removed. NEW YORK Mayor Eric Adams told senior officials in his administration Wednesday that he has received at least one offer for a job once he leaves City Hall at the end of the year, according to four sources with direct knowledge of the matter. Adams, who last month abandoned his reelection bid amid continuing controversies stemming from his federal corruption indictment, made the revelation in a virtual morning meeting with top staff. He didnt share details or say whether his next job will be in the public or private sector, the sources, who were on the call, told the New York Daily News. One of the sources, who, like the others, spoke on condition of anonymity, said the mayor indicated there might be more than one job offer on the table for him. Two sources told the Daily News the mayor did say the offer, or offers, he has received would amount to an opportunity of a lifetime second to being mayor of New York City. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spokespeople for Adams didnt immediately return requests for comment after the private meeting. Starting at the end of the summer, advisers to President Donald Trump were involved in talks about offering Adams a job in the Trump administration, potentially an ambassadorship to Saudi Arabia, sources have said. Such an arrangement would have been contingent on Adams committing to ditching his independent reelection bid, according to sources. The aim of the Trump teams effort was to get Adams out of the race in order to maximize independent candidate Andrew Cuomos chances of beating Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, whose tax-the-rich agenda has unnerved the president and his allies as well as local business communities. There have also been talks about Adams getting a private sector job in exchange for dropping out of the race, as previously reported by the Daily News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the wake of those talks, Adams ended his reelection campaign on Sept. 28. He will leave office on Jan. 1. Trumps Department of Justice quashed Adams corruption indictment this past spring as part of a controversial arrangement that many believe has left the mayor beholden to the president. WATERTOWN, N.Y. (WWTI) The New York State Police are seeking the publics assistance in locating an alleged larceny suspect from an incident that occurred at a Salmon Run Mall store. State Police in Watertown are asking for help in identifying a suspect involved in a larceny that occurred at Sneaker Ace, located inside the Salmon Run Mall in the town of Watertown. The alleged incident happened on Wednesday, October 8, when surveillance footage captured a male suspect allegedly stealing approximately $510.00 worth of merchandise from the store. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, wearing a black shirt, brown pants, and white sneakers. He has black hair and appears to have multiple tattoos on both arms, with possible tattoos on his neck. Anyone who may recognize the individual or has information regarding the incident is asked to contact the New York State Police at (315) 366-6000. Please reference case number NY2500988826. (Courtesy of New York State Police) 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 WWTI - InformNNY.com. Former President Barack Obama just pointed out the glaring hypocrisy around President Donald Trumps mounting campaign to send National Guard troops to crack down on American cities. During the Monday episode of Marc Marons WTF podcast, Obama imagined how the right would have reacted if he pulled a similar move targeting Republican-led states and cities during his time in office. 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 [Texas Gov. Greg] 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 told Maron. Former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump speak during the late President Jimmy Carter's January funeral in Washington, D.C. While on Marc Maron's "WTF" podcast, Obama addressed one major double standard about Trump sending the military to American cities. ROBERTO SCHMIDT via Getty Images The Democrat also explained why hes always believed its vital to keep a buffer between armed forces and those at the top of government, whether at home or abroad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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, he explained. Politics: Obama Says Use Of Military On Domestic Soil Puts The Liberties Of All Americans At Risk Reminding audiences that there is already the law of posse comitatus, century-old legislation restricting leaders from using our military on domestic soil except in an extreme emergency, Obama said its hard to see how deploying troops within our own country is anything but a genuine effort to weaken how we have understood democracy. And that was understood by Democrats and Republicans, he continued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Obama first warned how dangerous deploying troops on domestic soil could be for democracy after Trump ordered National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., in August. The erosion of basic principles like due process and the expanding use of our military on domestic soil puts the liberties of all Americans at risk, and should concern democrats and republicans alike, he posted on X, formerly Twitter. Related... Read the original on HuffPost Less than three months after a referendum on the subject, the Ocean City council revived a discussion this week on where short-term rentals should be allowed and how long people could be permitted to stay. Visitors wont see an immediate impact, as the one direct result from Monday was simply an extension of the current moratorium on new short-term rental licenses in certain parts of town. The rental vote extends a moratorium on new short-term rental licenses in R-1 and MH districts areas reserved for single-family and mobile home neighborhoods a decision that affects an estimated 331 of the towns nearly 9,000 rental properties. The majority of vacation rentals in Ocean City remain unaffected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The extension, which runs through Jan. 3, 2027, continues a freeze first enacted in early 2025 to give officials time to evaluate new ordinances governing occupancy limits, parking requirements, and local agent management for rental properties. During this extended moratorium, council members also want to have a conversation about how long people are staying, examining possible minimum or maximum limits. The idea is to limit nightly turnover, with new people coming and going on a regular basis a growing issue as platforms like Airbnb make weekend rentals easier to book. Council members voted 6-1 to revisit the allowed length of stay, considering a minimum or maximum, at a future meeting. Balancing neighborhoods and tourism For most of Ocean Citys 8,979 licensed rental properties, business will go on as usual. More than 97% of those units are already licensed as short-term rentals, according to data presented to the council Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The rental restrictions only apply to the R-1 and MH zoning districts, which together make up roughly 3% to 4% of the resorts housing stock. For vacationers, the moratorium is largely invisible. More than 8,000 short-term rentals outside the restricted zones remain available, along with 11,000 hotel rooms and 20,000 condos, townhouses and homes that are unaffected. Mayor Rick Meehan said the pause was never about shutting down Ocean Citys lucrative vacation market, but about protecting its small pockets of year-round neighborhoods. Deputy City Manager J.R. Harmon said the moratorium was prompted not by rising crime, but by what he called pressure on neighborhoods. Over the past year, town staff used the pause to collect licensing and enforcement data that previously didnt exist. Data paints a quiet picture During a one-year period from Oct. 1, 2024 to Oct. 1, 2025, police logged just 21 total calls for service in those areas, including 13 disorderly, four noise complaints, three ordinance violations, two malicious destruction of property, and one for trespassing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Community Development Director George Bendler said his department did 203 rental inspections this year and found mostly minor violations from rental properties, such as missing or broken smoke detectors, noncompliant outlets, or missing safety railings. Twenty-five properties received major violations, including illegally converted bedrooms or building without a permit. What these bedrooms are doing, is theyre adding additional people to these units, and additional parking requirements that are not being satisfied, Bendler said. Violators are given 10 days to correct the problem, and then citations with fines are given. Clash of philosophies The debate Monday revisited many of the same themes that divided the community during the 2025 referendum. In July, residents voted 834-800 against placing a ban on short-term rentals in R-1 and MH neighborhoods. Councilman Tony DeLuca pushed Monday to make the moratorium permanent in R-1 neighborhoods. Council President Matt James disagreed, saying the town should respect the will of referendum voters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Councilman John Gehrig said a ban on rentals wasnt needed, if restrictions are in place. Specifically, he said the shift from weekly to nightly rental has become troublesome. Were trying to protect the integrity of neighborhoods where people live, Gehrig added, pointing out people in these neighborhoods didnt sign up to live next to a hotel. Ultimately, the council voted 43 to extend the pause to 2027, with Council President Matt James, Gehrig and Councilman Carol Proctor opposed. Have a news tip? Contact Eastern Shore bureau chief Josh Davis at jdavis@baltsun.com or on X as @JoshDavis4Shore. L.A. County Public Health officials are warning residents to avoid all water contact at county beaches, especially near storm drains, creeks, and rivers, due to potentially elevated bacteria levels caused by recent rainfall. The advisory will be in effect until at least Saturday, Oct.18, at 5 a.m., though it could be extended depending on further rainfall. Ocean and bay recreational waters, especially near discharging storm drains, creeks, and rivers, can be contaminated with bacteria, chemicals, debris, trash, and other public health hazards from city streets and mountain areas after a rainfall, a news release said. Individuals who enter the water in these areas could become ill. Rain advisories remain in effect for 72 hours after the rainfall ends. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A strong Pacific storm that moved into Southern California Monday night brought heavy rain, the risk of debris flows, and even the possibility of a tornado. According to the National Weather Service, coastal and valley areas are forecast to receive between three-quarters of an inch and 1.5 inches of rain, while foothill and mountain regions could see 2 to 4 inches. Information on beach conditions is available 24/7, 365 days a year by visiting the health department website. 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 KTLA. The Central Election Commission of Ukraine believes that Odesa Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov's powers will be terminated once the Odesa City Council receives the presidential decree on his loss of citizenship, and the duties of mayor will be performed by the council's secretary. Source: Serhii Dubovyk, Deputy Head of Ukraine's Central Election Commission, in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda Quote: "In my opinion, from the moment the Odesa City Council receives the text of the decree of the president of Ukraine on the city mayor's loss of citizenship, in accordance with the legislation, the powers of the Odesa mayor are considered terminated, unless the decree is appealed and the court suspends its effect." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: Dubovyk explained that in peacetime, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) would appoint elections, and after the start of the electoral process, the relevant system of election commissions would begin to operate, but this is impossible during martial law. Therefore, according to Dubovyk, the mayor's post will remain vacant, and the duties of the mayor will be performed by the secretary of the city council. Dubovyk added that the Central Election Commission is not expected to react to the early termination of the mayor's powers. Trukhanov himself stated on 14 October that, under the law on local self-government, the mayor's powers are terminated from the moment the city council adopts a decision acknowledging the fact of his loss of citizenship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, the next session of the Odesa City Council is scheduled for 12 or 19 November, and there is currently no information about a possible extraordinary session. Background: On 14 October, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had signed a decree concerning "individuals [who] hold Russian citizenship", without disclosing any names. However, Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne confirmed via government sources that Trukhanov was among those concerned. Hennadii Trukhanov had served as Odesa mayor since 2014, when the first reports emerged alleging that he held Russian citizenship. Under Ukraine's law on local self-government, loss of citizenship is grounds for the early termination of a mayor's powers. Trukhanov denied holding Russian citizenship and called the decision to strip him of Ukrainian citizenship a "falsification". He said he would take legal action against this. Later, the Security Service of Ukraine reported that Trukhanov had been stripped of Ukrainian citizenship because he is a citizen of Russia and holds a valid passport of the Russian Federation. Zelenskyy is set to appoint Serhii Lysak, the current head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, as the first head of the Odesa city military administration. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Crypto traders are learning the hard way that past performance is not indicative of future gains. October, often hailed as a historically bullish month for crypto assets, has been marked by volatility following the renewed threat of a US-China trade war. Its too soon to say that the entire markets flipped bearish, but Uptober at the very least has been placed on ice. Bitcoin has dropped more than 12% after registering an all-time high above $126,000 last week, dragging the rest of the market down with it. Although markets experienced a reprise on Monday, that optimism has been short-lived. Yesterdays brief rebound in crypto markets felt like a classic dead cat bounce, fueled more by short-covering and bargain-hunting than any genuine de-escalation in US-China trade tensions, Connor Howe, the founder of Enso, a layer-1 blockchain network, told DL News. On Thursday, the Chinese commerce ministry announced that it would apply enhanced restrictions on the export of rare earth metals, key materials used in the manufacturing of everything from military equipment to consumer electronics. US President Donald Trump quickly threatened a 100% tariff on Chinese imports on Truth Social, pummeling global capital markets, crypto included. Though Trump walked back his rhetoric, posting on Truth Social that it will all be fine on Monday, traders arent convinced. As of Monday, spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds saw outflows of over $362 million. Investors exited spot Ether ETFs to the tune of $428 million over the same period. It feels like 2017s China FUD all over again, specifically the U phase Uncertainty, Howe said, referring to the popular markets acronym for fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Its too soon to say that the entire markets flipped bearish, but Uptober at the very least has been placed on ice. Higher volatility Continued tariff tensions between the worlds two largest economies remain the key focus among investors. In less than a month, the 90-day tariff truce between the US and China will conclude. Chinese imports to the US face import taxes of 30%, while US imports into China are held at 10%. Before that truce, import taxes on Chinese goods were set at 145% while American imports faced a 125% tariff in China. The deadline for a new deal, or another extension, is November 10. Tariff news between now and then will likely have a large influence on markets, Carlos Guzman, an analyst at crypto market maker GSR, told DL News. I expect higher volatility as they wrestle for leverage. ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) This week, Odessa Crime Stoppers and Ector County ISD are both hosting the 36th annual Texas Crime Stoppers Conference. The conference celebrates both the people and partnerships that enable Crime Stoppers to operate effectively across Texas. Its one of the most important non-profit programs that you can have, ECISDPD Chief Jeff Daniel said. Its one of the number one tools law enforcement uses to help solve crimes. You know, our citizens want a safe community. This gives them that voice. This gives them that outlet that they can send that information in. Opening ceremonies were held on Monday and will continue throughout the week. 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 Yourbasin. ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- An Odessa man was arrested earlier this month after investigators said he allegedly held his girlfriend captive in a shed over a period of five days and physically and sexually assaulted her. Joe Angel Garcia, Jr., has been charged with Aggravated Kidnapping, two counts of Sexual Assault, five counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and one count of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon. According to an Odessa Police Department report, on October 6, officers were called to a home in reference to a medical call after someone called 911 and asked for help for a woman who appeared to have been assaulted and was not yet fully alert. At the scene, investigators found a 27-year-old victim with injuries to her face, arms, legs, and feet. Investigators said she was missing hair that had been forcibly pulled from her scalp and had burns to multiple areas of her body. The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment and there spoke with investigators about her ordeal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the victim, on October 3, she got into an argument with her boyfriend, identified as Garcia, after a funeral. Things devolved, the victim said, when Garcia kicked her, punched her, threatened her with a firearm, and dragged her by her hair into a shed. Over the course of about five days, the victim said she was physically and sexually assaulted, and investigators said the physical evidence collected during the investigation supported the victims statement. Garcia was arrested on a warrant on October 9 and remained in the Ector County Law Enforcement Center as of Wednesday afternoon on a combined $815,000 bond. If you or someone you know is in an unhealthy or abusive relationship, help is available. Reach out to a trusted adult or call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233). Here are other resources available locally and across the country: 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 Yourbasin. Several Odessans were recognized with awards on Tuesday at the 36th Annual Texas Crime Stoppers Conference. Hosted by Odessa Crime Stoppers and Ector County ISD, the gathering was held at the Odessa Marriott Hotel & Conference Center. It included Crime Stoppers organizations from across the state. The Richard Carter Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Judge Richard Carter, went to Anita Harris, formerly of Odessa Crime Stoppers and now with Waco Crime Stoppers, ECISD Police Chief Jeff Daniels, Patrick Holeva of Midland Crime Stoppers, Lorenzo Larry Marrufo of Odessa Crime Stoppers, and posthumously to Luther Vern Foreman of Odessa Crime Stoppers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to the advancement of Texas Crime Stoppers, encompassing teaching, receipt of awards, innovative problem-solving approaches, enduring positive impacts on Texas Crime Stoppers, and the individuals positive influence and inspiration within the local and statewide contexts, Gov. Greg Abbotts website said. Daniels said the award represents being part of a team. He asked that people in Odessa Crime Stoppers stand up. Thats what this represents, these people right here 20 years of partnership, Daniels said. Afterwards, he said he was very honored by the award and it makes him want to keep going. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To be recognized after more than two decades of service shows how important the program is and how much it means to me. Its a very great honor, Daniels said. Our mission doesnt stop, he added. Harris said she served with Odessa Crime Stoppers for six years and was was just trying to make the community better. And here we are, Harris said. After she left Odessa, she still came back to help students with their fundraisers and now she is on the board of Waco Crime Stoppers. She joked that the reason she comes back is Taco Villa. When youre raised on it. I was raised in Andrews and got over here and raised my children here , Harris said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other awards given ranged from productivity awards like Greatest Dollar Recovery and Most Cases Cleared to promotional awards like Most Creative Publicity and Best Social Media. JB Smith of Deep East Texas Crime Stoppers in Lufkin was the keynote speaker. ECISD Chief Communications Officer Mike Adkins was the emcee. The post Odessans honored with State Crime Stopper awards appeared first on Odessa American. Culion is unlike any of the Philippines' 7,641 islands a quiet alternative to overtourism and a place where paradise and history coexist. "Culion is a lost island paradise," says museum director John Lisboa in the island's main town. Here, there are blue bays and waterfalls, fishing villages and nearly deserted beaches. There are no resorts, no rental cars and barely any public transport. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Getting around means hopping on a moped or tuk-tuk and embracing the bumps. Yet beneath the calm, Culion hides a difficult history. The island's museum and archives are recognized by UNESCO's Memory of the World Register, highlighting their importance in preserving the island's unique history. "Culion was once the largest organized leprosy colony in the world," says Lisboa, 58, whose grandparents once worked in the colonys administration. Even today, he still finds himself fighting "stigmatization and prejudice." Leprosy, however, has long been eliminated as a public health problem on the island. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The years of isolation are over, and since the mid-1990s, Culion has become a thriving, ordinary community. Visitors have nothing to fear, Lisboa adds. A look into the past In 1902, during the US colonial period, plans were drawn up to establish a leprosy colony on Culion. The island was chosen for its strategic location, abundant fresh water, and isolation. Its original inhabitants were relocated to make way for what would become the worlds largest organized leprosy colony. The first patients arrived in 1906. From then on, people with leprosy from across the Philippines were sent to Culion, where they were housed and given medical care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Jesuit priest and four French nuns offered spiritual support. By 1935, the island's population had swelled to about 7,000 patients. "Culion was also a hub for researchers hoping to find a cure," says museum director Lisboa, reflecting on the island's complex history. "But the patients were treated like prisoners. It was an island of the living dead - an island of no return. Nobody got out of here." Today, guide Hermie Villanueva, 54, leads visitors through the remnants of that past - the former children's home, the Tres Bolas bath complex, the old theatre, an incinerator once used for hospital linens and the doctors' bungalows. Nearby stand the Inmaculada Concepcion Church and a Spanish-era fortress, as well as a quiet cemetery filled with weathered graves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In those days, the "Culion Leper Colony Band" performed every Sunday in the central square. Villanueva gestures toward the brightly painted houses surrounding it. "Descendants of the former patients live there," he says. Among them is 88-year-old Juliana Valibia, one of the last living witnesses to the colony's early years. Both her parents suffered from severe leprosy, she says. Villanueva's own family history is also entwined with the island's past. "My grandmothers had the disease," he says. "Both were taken from their families in the north and brought here." Peaceful atmosphere The island's turbulent past soon fades, replaced by dreamlike scenery. Emerald hills roll into the deep blue sea, while water swirls gently around stilt houses and mangroves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Friendly faces greet visitors everywhere. Even guide Hermie Villanueva struggles to pin down exactly how the nearly 24,000 islanders make their living. "Fishing, some farming, small shops, office work, tricycle taxis ... most people here don't have a regular income," he says with a shrug. A handful of locals are beginning to explore tourism. Janette and Simon Lavers run a small guesthouse in the main town, welcoming the island's first tentative visitors. "Guests love the nature, the unique history, and the peaceful atmosphere," says 42-year-old Janette. "Everything is safe here - no crime, no crowds." Hidden corners Tourist guide Hermie Villanueva - known to everyone simply as "Pastor" because he also serves as the island's Protestant pastor - leads visitors to every corner of Culion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He rattles ahead on his moped, its worn tires gliding over the rough roads. Like most locals, he rides without a helmet, using the horn as a constant accompaniment. Rice fields and bamboo groves blur past in the breeze, street dogs scatter and regroup and a smile greets every hut along the way. In the coastal village of Butnongan, fisherman Wilbert V Pantoja, 35, has stayed ashore due to a weather warning. He lounges on a bamboo pole with friends, scrolling through his phone. When tourists do arrive - a rare occurrence - Pantoja guides them to Cemetery Beach at high tide. Villanueva, meanwhile, knows the route to the hidden Butnongan waterfall, where a natural turquoise pool awaits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The following day, Villanueva heads to more secluded stretches: Serenity Beach and the private Nabayuan Beach, accessible only with the owner's permission. In many parts of the world, such beaches would be lined with luxury resorts. Here, the sand is empty, save for a lone outrigger boat gently bobbing in the water. A soft breeze rustles the palm leaves. This is what a lost island paradise looks like. Culion's church Inmaculada Conception is of Spanish origin. Andreas Drouve/dpa The former leper colony: the Tres Bolas toilet and bath complex. Andreas Drouve/dpa The Butnongan waterfall. Andreas Drouve/dpa Deserted beaches, friendly people and a dark history: The Philippine island of Culion is more than just an insider tip for adventurers. Andreas Drouve/dpa Advertisement Advertisement GOSHEN A sheriff's officer accused of ghost employment has been acquitted by a jury. William Trey Fackelman, 48, was found not guilty of the Level 6 felony at trial Tuesday evening. Jurors took around an hour to reach their decision. He was arrested in October 2022 after the Elkhart County Sheriff's Office and the Indiana State Police investigated allegations that he collected pay while working another job. Fackelman had an after-hours job providing security at a bank, and would often start work there with several hours left on his shift with the sheriff's department, according to the allegations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A supervisor looked over Fackelman's shift records and GPS location data after he failed to respond to a nearby emergency involving a crash in March 2022. Lt. Casy Lehman told jurors he saw a consistent pattern in Fackelman's time cards as a special division officer, only working an average of 6.5 hours a day before starting his after-hours job. "In my opinion, it was something he was doing day after day. ... I believe it arose to a criminal level when I realized it was being repeated," Lehman said. "It was egregious." Fackelman's attorney, Peter Britton, argued that to be guilty of violating the law, the state would have to prove that he received pay for performing duties not related to the sheriff's office. Britton pointed to the expectations placed on officers even while off-duty, including responding to emergencies in certain situations. "In their policy manual, there is no difference between an on-duty officer and an off-duty officer," he said. "What the state wants you to buy, is that Trey Fackelman, over there in full uniform, governed by the same rules as if he were an on-duty officer, has to put his life on the line at any time, but that's not part of the duty of the Elkhart County Sheriff's Office. Name another job that requires that kind of commitment." Another officer in the special services division who was charged with the same crime, 57-year-old Donald McQuarie, was acquitted at trial in October 2024. SHELBURNE, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) Sgt. Kyle Kapitanski, the Shelburne officer who pleaded guilty to hitting and killing one man has been terminated. This decision about came after the Shelburne Selectboard conducted a personnel hearing Tuesday night, according to Town Manager Matt Lawless. Kapitanski plead guilty last month to his involvement in the crash that killed 38-year-old Sean Hayes on November 14, 2024. Hayes was riding a bicycle on Shelburne Road when Kaptianski hit him while on duty, driving a police cruiser early that morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One report notes that Kapitanski was traveling about 5 mph over the posted 35 mph limit, while another says that a YouTube video was playing for nearly 10 seconds prior to the collision. Kapitanski will serve no jail time, and will instead serve two years of probation. 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. A water company in England reported that October rainfall contributed to rising water levels in Yorkshire reservoirs. After a significant dry spell, it was a promising development. According to the BBC, precipitation and Storm Amy resulted in water levels in Yorkshire reservoirs rising. With water levels having increased for four consecutive weeks, the situation is looking up. In fact, Yorkshire Water shared that this was the first time the reservoirs had been over 50% full since July. Due to the drought, residents in the area had been under water restrictions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Thankfully, these [rains] have provided some much-needed relief for our reservoirs," said Dave Kaye, the director of water services at Yorkshire Water, per the BBC. "As well as groundwater sources and the region's rivers." Just a month prior, Yorkshire Water had obtained permission to conserve water in 19 of its reservoirs. In mid-October, the U.K. government announced that it had awarded the company six more conservation permits. Kaye told the BBC that the permits would help maintain water levels, as they allow the company to reduce the amount of water released into rivers. Rising water levels are a positive development, as droughts can pose numerous problems. Heavy rainfall following a drought can lead to localized flooding, which can damage homes and property, according to the U.K. Environment Agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, droughts can lead to restricted water use, low agricultural yields, and difficulties navigating rivers and canals, which impacts recreational activities, per the U.K. Parliament's House of Commons Library. The Environment Agency also emphasized that the dry weather impacted many animals, from Atlantic salmon to birds. While rising water levels are a start, it's only the beginning of the recovery process. Between the drought and the "hottest summer on record," continued dry weather could pose a significant issue, the BBC reported. Water restrictions will remain in place for the time being. However, Kaye had a positive outlook on the situation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We're hopeful the recovery will continue through autumn and winter so we are in a strong position as we approach spring and summer 2026," he told the BBC. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Turkey has officially implemented a major climate law, which is the first of its kind in the country. According to Corporate Compliance Insights, the new law comes as a huge necessity due to Turkey's unique exposure to climate crises. With the country's positioning in the Mediterranean basin and the fact that it is a developing country, preventing and adapting Turkey to climate-related disasters is key. Turkey's new climate law was drafted in February 2025 and enacted in July. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Severe weather events have taken a toll on Turkey, even just in 2025. Farmers have lost crops due to an array of natural disasters, from frost to extreme heat. This has not only impacted the farmers' incomes and livelihoods but also contributed to rising costs for consumers. The Paris Agreement, which asks participating nations to meet climate-related goals, is propelling legislation like that of Turkey. In Switzerland, a commitment to net-zero pollution by 2050 has been set, which is in response to wanting to protect the country's glaciers and aligns with Turkey's goals. The new law in Turkey targets net-zero pollution by 2053, requires both the government and the private sector to actively reduce their pollution, calls on local governments to create unique climate action plans, promotes renewable energy, and more. The hope is that, with the new law in effect, the country, its ecosystem, and its citizens will be better protected from the impact of a fluctuating climate, and rerouting the issue at its dirty energy source will be addressed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With Turkey exporting a large portion of its goods to places like the European Union, where border carbon regulation is enforced, this law is more than just an environmental move; it's a supply chain and economic necessity. "This step is a historic threshold in terms of strengthening Turkey's position in global supply chains, increasing its access to green financing resources and aligning long-term green development goals with environmental responsibility," Corporate Compliance Insights wrote. This transformative move by Turkey highlights the importance of voting for pro-climate candidates. Other ways to get involved in climate action include educating yourself on environmental issues and taking local action when possible. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Oct. 15Will remain closed indefinitely, pending assessment CHESAPEAKE Officials are still working to assess the state of the Chesapeake branch of the Briggs Lawrence County Public Library, which has been closed since June. Gretchen Claypool, director of the library system, said work is being done to install temporary shoring in the building, located at 11054 County Rd. 1, which she says has issues with the roof and foundation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Claypool said, once that is done, a proper assessment of the building can be done, and materials in the library can be transported to a temporary site. "The building can then be safely inspected by crews," she said. Claypool said the hope is that the building can get a full restoration and reopen, but this will not be determined until an inspection is done and a decision on that should take place by end of the year, depending on cost. She said such a decision would be made by the library's board of directors. She said any work would not begin until next year. Claypool said, in the meantime, patrons for Chesapeake are being referred to other branches, with most using the nearby South Point location. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said the library's programming in Chesapeake has been given a temporary home at St. Ann. Catholic Church, located at 310 3rd Ave. You Might Like Education DD advocates campaign for levy News County gets new flag Lifestyles Tim Throckmorton: Act worthy of yourself Columnists Doug Johnson: You might be a preacher if... Verizon (VZ) is a leading global telecommunications company, recognized for its innovation and scale. Verizon operates the largest wireless network in the United States, with over 146 million retail connections as of mid-2025. The company delivers a wide range of services, including mobility, network connectivity, and security, continually investing in next-generation technologies like 5G and fiber-optic networks. About Verizon Stock Verizon Communications stock has exhibited volatility in recent months, with declines across shorter time frames. Over the last 5 days, Verizon fell by 3.8%, extending to a 9.3% drop in the past month. In the year to date, the stock remains flat while providing a 30% gain over a 2-year timeframe. More News from Barchart The telecommunications company falls significantly behind the S&P 500 Indexs ($SPX) 14% gain over the past 52-week period. This underperformance relative to the market highlights Verizons competitive and sector-specific challenges despite improved operational momentum in certain segments. www.barchart.com Verizon Beats Estimates Verizon reported robust second-quarter results on July 21, surpassing analyst expectations across key financial metrics. The company posted adjusted earnings per share of $1.22, above the consensus estimate of $1.19, and up from $1.15 a year earlier. Total operating revenue reached $34.5 billion, exceeding analyst projections of $33.74 billion and representing a 5.2% year-over-year increase. Both net income and adjusted EBITDA also saw year-over-year growth, highlighting the strength of Verizons diversified wireless and broadband portfolio. A deep dive into Verizons financials reveals consistent improvement in core business segments. Wireless service revenue increased 2.2% to $20.9 billion, while wireless equipment revenue rose 25% to $6.3 billion, indicating strong device sales and effective promotional efforts. The broadband division added 293,000 net subscribers, continuing positive momentum in fixed wireless access. Free cash flow for the first half of 2025 rose to $8.8 billion from $8.5 billion in the prior year. Looking ahead, Verizon revised its full-year guidance upward, now targeting adjusted EPS growth of 1%-3%, adjusted EBITDA growth of 2.5%-3.5%, and free cash flow in the range of $19.5 billion to $20.5 billion, a significant raise from earlier projections. The company cited operational strength, accelerated network upgrades, and favorable tax reform benefits, positioning itself for enhanced flexibility and strategic investments as it moves toward a planned merger with Frontier (FYBR). OGDENSBURG, N.Y. (WWTI) A 42-year-old Ogdensburg woman is facing charges after allegedly faking claims to receive money she wasnt entitled to. According to the New York State Police, they arrested Amanda Ashley and charged her with third-degree grand larceny and first-degree falsifying business records. The arrest stems from a report received in October 2024 from the Advocacy and Resource Center, regarding an individual suspected of falsifying records. An investigation allegedly found that Ashley had submitted fraudulent reimbursement claims for Family Reimbursed Respite and mileage during periods when her sons were not in her care. As a result, she allegedly received overpayments totaling $5,740.97. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ashley was arrested and processed at the state police station in Ogdensburg. She was arraigned in the Town of Lisbon Court and released on her own recognizance. 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 WWTI - InformNNY.com. A new law in Ohio will fast-track energy projects in places that are hard to argue with: former coal mines and brownfields. But how much the legislation benefits clean energy will depend on the final rules for its implementation, which the state is working out now. House Bill 15, which took effect Aug. 14, lets the states Department of Development designate such properties as priority investment areas at the request of a local government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The law aims to boost energy production to meet growing demand from data centers and increasing electrification, while applying competitive pressure to rein in power prices. Targeting former coal mines and brownfields as priority investment areas furthers that goal while encouraging the productive use of land after mining, manufacturing, or other industrial activity ends. Buyers are often wary of acquiring these properties due to the risk of lingering pollution. The new law could also help developers sidestep the bitter land-use battles that have bogged down other clean-energy projects in Ohio, particularly those looking to use farmland. Priority areas might otherwise not see these investments, which can breathe new life into communities, improve energy reliability, provide tax revenue, and lower electricity costs, said Diane Cherry, deputy director of MAREC Action, a clean-energy industry group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ohio has more than 567,000 acres of mine lands and about 50,000 acres of brownfields that are potentially suitable for renewable-energy development, according to a 2024 report from The Nature Conservancy. Federal funding to clean up abandoned mine lands has continued so far under the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, so yet more sites may become available. Overall, remediating documented hazards at Ohios abandoned mine lands is estimated to cost nearly $586 million, said spokesperson Karina Cheung at the state Department of Natural Resources. But two Ohio agencies still need to finalize rules before companies can start building energy projects in these underutilized spaces and benefiting from the new law. The Department of Development has not yet proposed standards for approving requests to designate priority investment areas, said spokesperson Mason Waldvogel. However, in late August, the Ohio Power Siting Board proposed rules to implement HB 15, and the public comment period just closed. Under the law, approved priority investment areas will get a five-year tax exemption for equipment used to transport electricity or natural gas. The sites will also be eligible for grants of up to $10 million for cleanup and construction preparation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement HB 15 also calls for accelerated regulatory permit review of proposed energy projects in priority investment areas. The Power Siting Board will have 45 days to determine if a permit application is complete, plus another 45 days to make a decision on it. Those timelines are shorter than the approximately five months HB 15 allows for standard projects. And its substantially faster than recent projects where it took the board more than a year to grant or deny applications after they were filed. The debate over HB 15 rules Advocates and industry groups generally applaud the new law but want tweaks to the Power Siting Boards proposed rules. A big concern is making sure the board will allow wind and solar developments on mine lands and brownfields throughout Ohio, regardless of which county theyre in. Roughly one-third of Ohios 88 counties ban wind, solar, or both in all or a significant part of their jurisdiction. This authority was granted to them by a 2021 law, Senate Bill 52. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the language and legislative history of HB 15 make clear that it was meant to be technology-neutral, said Rebecca Mellino, a climate and energy policy associate for The Nature Conservancy. HB 15 even states that its terms for permitting energy projects in priority investment areas apply notwithstanding some other parts of Ohio law. That clause is meant to bypass some of the typical Ohio Power Siting Board procedures including the procedures for siting in restricted areas under SB 52, wrote Bill Stanley, Ohio director for The Nature Conservancy, in comments filed with the board. But the exemption provided by the notwithstanding clause is narrow, Mellino added, because local government authorities must ask for a priority investment area designation. That means, for example, that in a county with a solar and wind ban in place, officials would need to choose to request that a former coal mine or brownfield become a priority investment area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Nature Conservancy has asked the Power Siting Board to add language making it crystal-clear that renewable-energy projects can be built on any land marked a priority investment area even if a solar and wind ban otherwise exists in a county. Industry groups are pushing for additional clarifications to make sure the Power Siting Board meets the permitting deadlines set by the new law, both for expedited and standard projects. For example, Open Road Renewables, which builds large-scale solar and battery storage, said in comments that, in order to align with HB 15, the boards rules should require energy developers to notify the public of an application when it is filed, rather than after it is deemed complete. Separate comments from the American Clean Power Association, MAREC Action, and the Utility Scale Solar Energy Coalition of Ohio ask for tweaks to provisions regarding notices on public hearings and for clarifications on application fees. The board should also promptly issue certificates for projects that are automatically approved, say comments by Robert Brundrett, president of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of Development hopes to finish draft standards and invite public comments on them soon, Waldvogel said. Meanwhile, the department has received its first request to designate a priority investment area. The ask comes from Jefferson Countys board of commissioners, which did not specify the type of energy that may be built in the area. That request deals with land where FirstEnergys former Sammis coal plant is undergoing demolition, as well as the Hollow Rock Landfill, which received waste from the site. HB 15 gives the department 90 days to act on designation requests. The Ohio Power Siting Board, for its part, is expected to finalize its rules within the next couple of months. Ultimately, said Cherry of MAREC Action, the law clears the path for developers to bring energy projects online quickly and affordably, something Ohios consumers and businesses desperately need. Katie DeLand didn't realize she had no access to her 15-year-old son's medical records until a debt collection agency called her about a missed payment for a sports-related procedure. "The mere fact that healthcare providers can continue to hold parents and guardians financially responsible while withholding our access to the very medical details we are paying for is beyond sane, logical or reasonable," DeLand said. House Bill 162, which passed the Ohio House of Representatives in an 87-6 vote on Oct. 15, would ensure parents have access to nearly all of their children's online medical records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stay informed: Sign up for our weekly Ohio politics newsletter "This legislation developed from a group of parents who came to me frustrated by the sudden lack of access to their childrens medical records," said Rep. Gary Click, R-Vickery, who sponsored the bill. "Today, my colleagues and I took a major step in rectifying this issue and ensuring that moms and dads can fulfill their parental responsibilities. The "My Child, My Chart Act" would require health care providers to share children's medical records with their parents in almost all circumstances. There are some exceptions to the disclosure requirement, such as emergency medical care for sexual abuse, HIV testing, abortion approved by a judge, blood donations and drug and alcohol abuse treatment. Currently, children as young as 12 years old must consent to share online medical records with their parents. Paper records don't have the same consent requirement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Anita Somani, D-Dublin, expressed concerns about how health care providers and record-keepers would comply. I absolutely 100% agree thats the best thing to do," said Somani, an OB-GYN. "However, I cannot support a bill that would not only increase costs to the health care system but also put patients and health care providers in a position of having to violate one issue or another. Equality Ohio, which advocates for LGBTQ Ohioans, was worried that the proposed law "could forcibly out young people to unsupportive parents, or drive them to avoid seeking care altogether." The organization said in a news release: "No child should have to choose between safety and support." Rep. Rachel Baker, D-Cincinnati, said the bill isn't perfect, but it provides a tool for parents while protecting children in abusive families. Under federal privacy laws, doctors can choose not to disclose medical records if they suspect parents have abused or neglected their child. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I believe parents with healthy relationships with their children can access their children's medical records while also children with abusive parents can be protected," Baker said. "Parents' access to medical records should not be wrapped up in the storm of culture wars." The proposed law also requires health care providers treating children regularly to provide parents with annual notices on which types of records are and are not available to them. Some parents didnt know what they didnt know," Click said. The bill now heads to the Ohio Senate for review. State government reporter Jessie Balmert can be reached at jbalmert@gannett.com or @jbalmert on X. Do you think parents should have access to their kids' online medical records? This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio bill would give parents access to kids' medical records online (The Center Square) A former Akron physician's assistant wants taxes taken from a settlement payment returned by the city, and shes continuing a court fight to get the money. With the help of The Buckeye Institute, Karen Kresevic appealed a lower court ruling that allowed the city to retain taxes it had collected from Kresevics settlement with Akron City Hospital. The Buckeye Institute says the settlement did not represent wages, and Kresevic wasnt working for the hospital when the money was paid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city of Akron stretched the law to take a cut of Ms. Kresevics settlement in breach of its own tax ordinances and forms, said Jay R. Carson, senior litigator at The Buckeye Institute and an attorney for Kresevic. This case allows the court of appeals to correct the trial courts errors and rein in local governments illegal taxation. Kresevic was a physician assistant working at the hospital in 2020 during the pandemic and filed a wrongful termination claim. She reached a settlement with the hospital that was taxed. She asked for a tax refund in 2022 but was denied. The city said Ohio House Bill 197, which was passed as an emergency, allowed cities to continue to withhold municipal income taxes even if employees worked remotely not in the city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Summit County court initially ruled Kresevic filed her claim beyond the one-year statute of limitations, but Carson says the date should have started when she filed her tax return, not when she received the settlement. Also, the court said Kresevic voluntarily paid the tax because she asked for a refund on tax day in 2022, rather than the day the taxes were withheld from the settlement. Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. (Photo by Graham Stokes for the Ohio Capital Journal / Republish photo only with original story.) Ohio is nearly halfway to the next constitutional deadline for congressional redistricting, and so far no public movement to reconvene the Ohio Redistricting Commission has been made. Ohio House and Ohio Senate majority leadership say theyre awaiting the governors word that the commission will be meeting, and Democrats say they arent aware of any updates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At a press conference last week announcing an executive order on intoxicating hemp, Gov. Mike DeWine was asked when the redistricting commission would meet, and simply said soon. Well, we know what the law is, its going to have to occur this month, DeWine said. We know that it will occur. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Because the General Assembly didnt adopt a congressional district map before the end of September, the state constitution dictates the next deadline is Oct. 31. That deadline lies with the ORC, who have until then to hold public meetings and come up with a map that has bipartisan support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legislature is required to redraw the congressional map, which establishes the boundaries of Ohios U.S. House and Senate districts, to be used in the next election and beyond. The redraw is constitutionally required because lawmakers werent able to garner bipartisan support for the last set of maps, adopted by Republicans on the redistricting commission in March 2022. The Ohio Supreme Court deemed the current map unconstitutional, but a federal court didnt intervene in the congressional map challenges. A separate court challenge to the map was dropped by anti-gerrymandering advocates as a ballot initiative to reform redistricting and the next round of map-drawing seemed set to happen before the case could be resolved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legislators who led a joint committee on congressional redistricting last month fought back against calls that a map proposal was required before the constitutional deadline in September. State Rep. Adam Bird, R-New Richmond, insisted the September deadline was one of many in the constitution, therefore did not legally bind the legislature to a certain date. Sept. 30th is in there, and yet, the constitution provides for a process if we dont meet that, Bird said at the first meeting of the joint committee on Sept. 22. At the second and final meeting of the committee before the first deadline passed, Bird maintained the message that weve still got a couple of months and weve still got time to keep talking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legislative Democrats proposed a map in September, with eight Republican-leaning districts and seven Democratic-leaning districts. Minority party leaders said the proposal was meant as a jumping-off point for discussions about redistricting, in hopes it would spur more urgency in the process. The current map is made up of 10 Republican districts and three Democratic districts. While the joint committee heard hours of support for the Democratic proposal, with only one person speaking out against it in the public hearings, no vote was held on the Democratic map. When asked about the progress on a Republican proposal, Bird said he didnt know of a map as of Sept. 30. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Staff for the Ohio House GOP and the Ohio Senate GOP both said they didnt have updates on the redistricting process as yet, nor did House and Senate minority staff members. House Minority Communications Director David Meyers said nothing firm had been communicated when it came to a date for the commission to begin, and Casey Rife, communications director for Senate Democrats, said the caucus was hoping to get to work as soon as possible. If the Ohio Redistricting Commission cant come to agreement on a map, the process moves back to the legislature with a Nov. 30 deadline. Different rules apply if the process returns to the General Assembly, and a map would only need a simple majority for passage. Megan Henry contributed to this article. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE THC-infused beverages for sale at Savor Growl in Columbus, Ohio on Oct. 13, 2025. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal). Ohio stores can temporarily resume to selling intoxicating hemp products for now. Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Carl Aveni granted a 14-day temporary restraining order on Gov. Mike DeWines executive order banning the sale of intoxicating hemp products on Oct. 14. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DeWine announced last week a 90-day executive order that bans the sale of intoxicating hemp products that also started on Oct.14. The next hearing in this case is scheduled for Oct. 28. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Intoxicating hemp products are items that contain THC that are sold anywhere other than licensed marijuana dispensaries including gas stations, smoke shops, and CBD stores, among others. Marijuana is not considered an intoxicating hemp product and is legal in Ohio. This ban does not affect the marijuana law passed by voters in 2023. While we continue to fight in court, todays developments underscore our continued desire to work with the General Assembly to pass permanent legislation regarding intoxicating hemp, DeWine said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Titan Logistic Group, Fumee Smoke and Vape and Invicta Partners all members of the Ohio Healthy Alternatives Association filed a lawsuit last week against the ban, arguing DeWine is breaking federal and state law by restricting access to these products. Todays decision allows thousands of hardworking Ohio entrepreneurs to continue supporting their families and serving consumers who rely on access to safe, legal, and properly regulated hemp products, Ohio Healthy Alternatives Association said in a statement. The 2018 Farm Bill says hemp can be grown legally if it contains less than 0.3% THC. The Executive Order is overly broad in that it applies to all hemp and hemp products including those that are legal under the 2018 Farm Bill and Ohios current laws, the lawsuit says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is also vague because there is no definition of intoxicating hemp in the Ohio Revised Code or Ohio Administrative Code. DeWine who has been calling on lawmakers to regulate or ban delta-8 THC products since January 2024 spent much of last weeks press conference where he announced the ban talking about the need to protect children from these products. It was reported in January 2024 that there had been at least 257 reports of delta-8 poisoning in Ohio in recent years including 102 in 2023 and 40 that involved children under six-years-old, according to the Ohio Poison Control Center. Intoxicating hemp products and various candies at an Oct. 8, 2025 press conference. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal). The plaintiffs, however, disagree. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Governor DeWine lacks a basis to use an executive order to regulate all hemp products because there is no evidence hemp products pose an imminent threat to public health, the lawsuit reads. Ohio has more than 4,000 small businesses and family-owned businesses that sell hemp products, according to the lawsuit. The Ohio Capital Journal talked to people in the hemp industry who were worried what DeWines ban would mean for their businesses and customers. Hemp products account for all of Titans sales and they will be forced to close if the ban goes into effect, according to the court documents. Approximately 25% of Fumees sales are hemp products and they expect to fire half of their staff if the ban takes place, according to the court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Governor DeWines order was not only unlawful it was an abuse of executive authority that threatened to devastate an entire sector overnight, Dakota Sawyer of American Republic Policy said in a statement. Todays decision restores sanity and due process. Jim Higdon, co-founder of Cornbread Hemp in Kentucky, which sells its products in more than 300 Ohio retail stores, said the judges ruling was a win for Ohio. By granting the TRO, the court recognized that Governor DeWines reckless executive order should not take effect without proper legislative debate and due process, Higdon said in a statement. This decision protects adult Ohioans access to federally legal hemp products and sends a clear message to the legislature that it must act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are a handful of bills in the Ohio legislature that would regulate intoxicating hemp products in various ways. At least 32 states have some regulations on intoxicating hemp products. Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Greater Cincinnati's newest congressman condemned a "vile" symbol at his Washington, D.C. office. Rep. Dave Taylor, a Republican whose district includes Clermont and other southern Ohio counties, reacted in an emailed statement on Wednesday, Oct. 15 to an "inappropriate" symbol found in his office. "I am aware of an image that appears to depict a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol near an employee in my office," the statement read. "The content of that image does not reflect the values or standards of this office, my staff, or myself, and I condemn it in the strongest terms. Upon learning of this matter, I immediately directed a thorough investigation alongside Capitol Police, which remains ongoing. No further comment will be provided until it has been completed." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The press release from Taylor's office said the congressman was responding to "vandalism" at his office. The release did not describe what the symbol looked like, and his office did not provide a photo. Around 10 minutes after Taylor's office emailed the release, the left-leaning Ohio politics blogger D.J. Byrnes posted a photo on X. The photo showed a screenshot from a video call with one of Taylor's staffers, with a swastika American flag in the background. The person at the desk was Taylor's legislative correspondent, according to the post. A friend in DC had a Zoom call with Congressman Dave Taylors office today Taylors legislative correspondent, Angelo Elia, had what can only be described as an American swastika flag prominently displayed in his background. pic.twitter.com/zFn3QowS0c The Rooster (@rooster_ohio) October 15, 2025 The staffer, Angelo Elia, is listed as Taylor's legislative correspondent on LegiStorm, a website that publishes congressional data and contact information. The Enquirer emailed Taylor's spokesperson twice asking whether the purported photo of the office is connected to Taylor's statement about the "vandalism." Who is Rep. Dave Taylor? Taylor won a crowded Republican primary last year and went on to succeed former Rep. Brad Wenstrup to represent Ohio's 2nd Congressional District. He began his first term in January. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Raised in Amelia, Ohio, Taylor also runs his family's concrete company, Sardinia Ready Mix. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Republican congressman condemns 'vile' symbol at his DC office Oklahoma City voters overwhelmingly passed all 11 propositions in the largest bond election in the citys history. Each proposition had to acquire more than 50% of the vote to pass, and each had at least 70% of the vote, according to unofficial election results from the Oklahoma State Election Board. The city council will need to certify the election results. With all propositions passing, the $2.718 billion bond earmarks funds for about 547 projects in 11 areas of city services. Half of that amount, $1.35 billion, is earmarked for streets and sidewalks, which will include resurfacing, widening, street enhancements and sidewalks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Voters passed the last bond issue in 2017. That one paved the way for "Better Streets, Safer City," which featured a 10-year, $967 million investment in streets, parks, police and fire facilities. Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt previously told The Oklahoman the new bond is timed to follow the payoff of prior bonds and will not result in an increase in property taxes. Voters at the polls told The Oklahoman Tuesdays vote would help bring improvements to the city. More than 33,000 people cast votes, though Oklahoma City has 390,727 registered voters, according to the state election board. Reporters saw a steady stream of voters going in and out of polling places. OKC resident Greg Jones said he wants to see improvements for parks and recreation, streets and the fire department. Brittany Dorsey said she votes in every election and it allows her to have her voice heard. For this election, she said she wants to see drainage improved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive lived in a couple different places in the city and in certain areas, it is just flood central, Dorsey said. People cast their ballots at Crown Heights Christian Church for precincts 528 and 529 during voting for the Oklahoma City historic $2.718 billion bond, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. Sidewalks were another city feature Dorsey said she would like to see improved, especially for pedestrian safety, she said. Mayor David Holt said he always believed all 11 would pass, but the level of support across the board is probably a record. Im not sure anyone predicted that. But its a strong statement from our residents that they want to continue investing in ourselves, he said. With the passage of MAPS in 1993, subsequent MAPS votes and previously successful bond issues and now Tuesdays successful bond vote, the city has invested nearly $10 billion in public investment, Holt said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have seen a return on that investment many times over, he said. All we do is win. Ward 1 Councilman Bradley Carter said hes grateful for the citizens who took time to vote and make their voices heard. Though he was a little disappointed with the voter turnout, hes looking forward to seeing where the city goes from here. Ward 2 Councilman James Cooper said for too many decades, the city has not invested enough in basic infrastructure and housing needs, causing many city services such as neighborhoods, parks, sidewalks, streets, public transit and drainage to suffer. Voters go to the precinct 431 table at Millwood Field House during voting for the Oklahoma City historic $2.718 billion bond, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. Tonight, voters approved a bond amount equal to the past 80 years worth of bond votes, because they recognize the calvary isnt coming and we have to invest in ourselves, he said. Im forever grateful to everyone who approved the next decade of investments in our citys future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ward 3 Councilwoman Katrina Avers said she was excited to see her wards priorities supported by neighbors and friends, adding she is very proud of the infrastructure package that was put together. The Oklahoma City Metropolitan Association of Realtors (OKCMAR) said the passage will encourage the construction of new affordable housing and improve infrastructure that will benefit residents for years to come. OKCMAR Board President Kimberly Robbins said its the largest investment for infrastructure to date and that helps make the community one of the most desirable in the country. When we invest in safe streets and sidewalks, beautiful parks, modern libraries and reliable public services, we strengthen neighborhoods and enhance life for everyone, Robbins said in a news release. These projects will keep our city growing, attract new businesses and residents, and help ensure Oklahoma City remains a place where people want to live, raise families and build their futures. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Largest bond election in Oklahoma City history overwhelmingly passes [Source] Lich Vu, 72, died on Oct. 3 surrounded by family, nearly a year after former Oklahoma City police officer Joseph Gibson slammed him to the ground during a traffic stop. Catch up: Gibson pulled over Vu for allegedly making an illegal U-turn after a minor collision on Oct. 27, 2024. During a dispute over the citation, body camera footage captured Vu, who was about 54 tall and weighed 115 to 135 pounds, touching Gibsons chest with the back of his hand and apparently telling the officer to shut up. Gibson responded by throwing Vu to the pavement, knocking him unconscious. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vu, then 71 and battling bone cancer, sustained fractures to his face and neck along with a brain bleed. He was hospitalized for weeks and underwent surgery. His family said he experienced memory loss and difficulty swallowing as a result, and was unable to continue his cancer treatments. Final words: After weeks in rehabilitation, Vu could walk only 10 to 15 feet with a walker before becoming bedridden. Before he died in his sleep, he told his wife Lan that he wants to forgive and does forgive Mr. Joseph Gibson, Officer Gibson, for what hes done, what hes caused and that hed like to go peacefully, said Thuan Nguyen, president of the Vietnamese American Heritage Community of Oklahoma. Rather than flowers or money, he requested that people feed the homeless and help others in need. A moment of silence was held the following evening at the Asian Market Festival. Trending on NextShark: Asian American 'Love Is Blind' contestants reveal how race still shapes dating What Gibson is saying: In reports filed after the incident, Gibson claimed that Vu fell rather than acknowledging he threw him down. Gibson similarly told paramedics, I grabbed ahold of him. He fell. He hit his head whenever he fell. Pretty hard. Surveillance video from a nearby business, meanwhile, captured Gibson twice grabbing his supervisors vest, apparently demonstrating what he claimed Vu did to him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Atty. Devon Jacob attributed Vus death to the assault, saying police brutality caused catastrophic injuries and medical complications that hastened his death, and that Gibson robbed Vu of his health, independence and precious time with his family. Legal challenge continues: Gibson left the police department in March. District Atty. Vick Behenna charged him with aggravated assault and battery in December 2024, but Atty. Gen. Gentner Drummond took over the prosecution and dropped it, declaring the incident would not have happened if Vu had kept his hands to himself. Drummond, currently running for governor with backing from Oklahomas Fraternal Order of Police, was initially named as a defendant in the federal case. An OKCPD Internal Affairs officer, however, contradicted Drummonds reasoning in a probable cause affidavit, determining the force was unreasonable considering Vus size, age and health. Trending on NextShark: Tariffs compound mounting pressures on Asian American grocers nationwide Vu and his wife filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in April naming Gibson and Oklahoma City as defendants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. Trending on NextShark: Leah Lewis speaks out following sexual assault allegation against 'Matlock' co-star Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what were building, consider becoming a paid member your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community. Subscribe here now! Trending on NextShark: Oregon lawmaker Hoa Nguyen dies at 41 after battling cancer Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today! OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) The Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) reports the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is $3 billion in debt, with the ACCESS Oklahoma project possibly tripling that amount to nearly $10 billion. Monday, Oklahomans for Responsible Transportation held a press conference to discuss the report. Executive_Summary_503e7386e2Download Tassie Hirschfeld, one of the speakers, said, They do not talk about OTAs tendency to make interest-only payments sometimes for decades, and that the debt grows and grows and grows. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lisa Shearer-Salim, Spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, said the OTA does pay debt, telling News 4, We have successfully paid several bond series off. What happens, though, is that you have to continue to reinvest in your system infrastructure, ages, and as it ages, conditions can change. Many have questioned if turnpikes will ever be paid off, with tolls no longer collected, as that was the declared intention when the Turner Turnpike was built in 1953. However, paying off the roads was not legally mandated. Hirschfeld expressed opposition to the matter, saying, Instead of returning that to the citizens as a free road, OTA continues to use it as a cash cow to support unnecessary construction that is destructive and damaging to communities. Oklahomas AG calls homeowners insurance rates unacceptable Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Turnpike Authority acknowledges the agreement made at the time, but as time went on, the statute changed. A cross-pledging system was adopted, with tolls covering expenses for debt and road maintenance. OTA said theyre in a position to meet the states needs for new highway growth, as the Department of Transportation primarily focuses on improving roads and bridges. If you shifted that back to the state taxpayer-funded system to ODOT, then a lot of that burden shifts directly back to taxpayers and is no longer collected at a high percentage from out-of-state motorists, Shearer-Salim said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several lawmakers have tried passing legislation to abolish the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, eventually ending toll roads, but so far their efforts have been unsuccessful. 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 KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Visa will be using artificial intelligence to monitor the merchants data and flag any transaction that has junk data, said Magaziner. If Visa deems it to be junk data then merchants will have to pay up and wont qualify for higher level discounts, Magaziner explained. Under the existing system, there are essentially three rate levels for the interchange fees that Visa imposes, depending on the amount of data a merchant provides. Level one is a kind of base rate for the interchange rate Visa charges on all credit card transactions; while the level 2 rate offers a discount if some data, like the tax amount on the transaction, is provided; and level 3 provides higher discounts for a more significant amount of data, such as a SKU number or product code. As part of the new program, level two rates will be discontinued altogether by Visa next April. Visa, the largest U.S. card network, began to roll out the new program last April, tantalizing merchants with some increased discounts and charging five basis points for participation in the revised approach. But now merchants will have to pony up real data in the right fields to get the best discount rates on their credit card transactions. I think that there are going to be merchants that are completely blindsided and shocked by what happens, predicted PayBright CEO Dustin Magaziner. PayBright provides merchants with software to manage their payments. It's ten, maybe hundreds of thousands of merchants, that are going to see increased rates. The change could cost merchants a significant increase in fees if their card acceptance systems havent been recalibrated to provide the data that will now be needed to qualify for Visas higher discounts. The current system has been in place for years, but now Visa and its bank card issuers are intent on sourcing quality data from merchants, or forcing them to pay more. For years, the card network giant has looked the other way as merchants often entered dummy data into transaction fields to get discounted rates, but those days are gone. Starting Friday, Visa will demand more data from retailers, restaurants and other merchants that want to receive certain discounts on the interchange fees paid for processing card payments, per the card networks Commercial Enhanced Data Program. Visa this week will revamp its discount rates for fees on credit card transactions, and industry consultants fear that many merchants will be caught off guard by the change. This story was originally published on Payments Dive . To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter . Story Continues Raleigh-based PayBright, which is privately held, provides payments services to some 15,000 merchants nationwide, like restaurants, bars and retailers as well as business-to-business firms. The reason why we're all concerned is we don't know what this means what if the AI is wrong? Magaziner posited during an interview last month. If merchants arent receiving the discount they expect, it may be very difficult, or impossible, to recoup those funds, he said. Data for discounts Under the Visa program, a business wont get away with automatically inputting the same 1234 SKU number for every item or the same $10 tax amount for every transaction. Until level two disappears, that may mean, for instance, that a merchant is paying about a 3% fee if they only qualify for a level two discount, instead of a 1.45% fee expected for level three data, Magaziner said. It's kind of scary, because, out of nowhere one day, we could have a merchant whose rate doubles, Magaziner said. The impact to some large merchants doing high volumes will be a challenge, he said. Some consultants see the impact happening somewhat differently, albeit still significantly. My sense is that the major players will be largely ready for the new rules; it's the (small and mid-sized business) space that I am curious about, Chicago industry consultant Cliff Gray said by email. For instance, while the big home improvement stores Lowe's and Home Depot may readily comply with Visas level three constraints to get better rates, how will small merchants, like Gary's Market, fare when theyre required to use level three details on a purchase of a large cup of coffee and two apples, Gray wondered. Part of the issue is that merchants and their consultants dont know how aggressive Visa and its new AI system will be in evaluating transactions and enforcing the new rules. Visas AI will assess merchants transactions over a certain period to determine if they should be validated at level three, and if they are, theyll get the discounted rate on the fees in real-time, at that level, and if certain data later doesnt qualify theyll be back-billed, Magaziner said. But for other merchants, who arent approved right away for level three, theyll have to wait to receive refunds on the transactions at the discounted rate, he said. There is an appeals process under the program if a merchant believes Visas AI was wrong about data that was passed, but the transaction can only be contested within a short time period after the transaction, Magaziner said. He said he suspects it will be very hard to win a reversal. Lack of communication Industry consultant Eric Cohen, whose Hoboken, New Jersey-based firm Merchant Advocate assists with such processing changes, agrees with Visas move to root out the bad data. Visa and the banks want more data, and merchants have been taking advantage of a system that didnt demand it in the past, he said. Nonetheless, Cohen faults Visa for how poorly the changes have been communicated to merchants. Part of the problem is that it will take merchants weeks to make changes to their systems. A majority of merchants today that get level two and level three don't even know this is coming, Cohen said. And I can tell you, I have clients that do billions (of dollars) of volume a year one client that does billions of billions they're not validated yet, Cohen said. While Visa has said little publicly about the change, consultants like Cohen and firms in the industry have discussed it in web posts. Visas no. 2 rival Mastercard has a different approach to interchange rates, Cohen said, and he believes theres a fifty-fifty chance that the smaller card network will follow suit. Mastercard may wait and see what the results of Visas program look like, evaluating whether it increases or decreases income for the banks that the networks both court. Ultimately, differentiating from its larger competitor may be a benefit, he said. A spokesperson for Mastercard didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Recommended Reading One person is dead following a house fire in Torrington early Wednesday. Emergency crews responded to a home at 27 Marvin St. just before 8:20 a.m. on the report of fire and found heavy smoke and flames when they arrived, according to Capt. Brett Johnson of the Torrington Police Department. Firefighters began suppressing the fire while other crews searched the home, Johnson said. One person was found in the home and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Johnson. The victims identity was withheld pending next of kin notifications. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No other injuries were reported. Johnson said the cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Torrington Fire Marshals Office, the Torrington Police Department and the Connecticut State Fire Marshals Office. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has joined 14 other state governors in forming a new health alliance in the hopes of ensuring faster, more effective responses to public health threats across state lines. The new Governors Public Health Alliance aims to bring together bipartisan support for improved coordination, faster information sharing, and unified guidance, according to Koteks office. Providence to shut down occupational health services at multiple Portland-area clinics Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oregonians deserve a health system thats ready to meet the moment whether thats a wildfire smoke event, a virus outbreak, or a long-term public health challenge, Kotek said. This alliance is about staying one step ahead and making sure every Oregonian has access to the care, information, and protection they need. Im proud that Oregon is working with other states to make that happen. The alliance comes on the heels of Koteks recently announced West Coast Health Alliance, formed by the governors of Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii in response to policy changes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tourists join costumed protesters at Portland ICE facility Kotek said the new alliance works in tandem with the WCHA in that it helps expand opportunities for national preparedness in the face of future health emergencies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From infectious disease to the quieter epidemics eroding our health literacy and mental well-being, the threats to our collective health continue to multiply, Oregon Health Authority Director Sejal Hathi said. Through the Governors Public Health Alliance, Oregon advances a shared effort to act faster, communicate clearer, and protect our people more effectively as public health risks arise. The governors involved in the alliance are listed below: Bob Ferguson (WA) Josh Green (HI) Maura Healey (MA) Kathy Hochul (NY) Tina Kotek (OR) Ned Lamont (CT) Lou Leon Guerrero (GU) Dan McKee (RI) Matt Meyer (DE) Wes Moore (MD) Phil Murphy (NJ) Gavin Newsom (CA) Jared Polis (CO) JB Pritzker (IL) Josh Stein (NC) Details of what tools and policies will be coordinated through the alliance are not yet clear. Stay with KOIN 6 News for developments as they happen. 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 KOIN.com. For too many garment, footwear, and travel goods workers, the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training (MoLVT) continues to treat union registration as an obstacle course. Applications are routinely returned for minor spelling, punctuation or formatting mistakes, forcing repeated submissions while leaders are dismissed or convinced to leave the union. Without formal recognition, unregistered unions are not able to collect union dues from members or represent them in disputes, leaving workers legally unprotected and employers unaccountable. In theory, Cambodias Trade Union Law and Labor Law provide a clear path for workers to register. In practice, the process has become a test of endurance. This is how it works: A new union holds elections, files its papers, and gets an MoLVT receipt. Then the employer retaliates. Fixed-duration contracts quietly expire. Workers on permanent contracts are accused of serious misconduct, poor performance or laid off for lack of orders. Workers are given incentives to leave the union, or threatened. The Ministry then refuses to register the union because the list of founding members is no longer up-to-date, or for a host of other inconsequential errors. The result is circular: the longer workers wait, the easier it becomes to dismantle their efforts. When approached to intervene, brands default to the position that their hands are tied, pointing to the unions lack of legal status and MoLVT conciliation notes that side with the employer. A perfect Catch-22 to suppress independent unions. More from Sourcing Journal Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is not a secret to the world. Since the Trade Union Law (TUL) came into force in 2016, the issue of registration has been flagged in virtually every international review of Cambodias labor rights record. The last two cycles of the UN Universal Periodic Reviewin 2019 and 2023urged Cambodia to reform and expedite the registration process. In 2024, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Cambodia urged the Government to guarantee freedom of association and collective bargaining in line with international standards and to ensure that trade unions and workers can register and operate freely The ILOs Committee on the Application of Standards (2021, 2024) and both ILO Direct Contacts Missions in 2017 and 2022 called for eliminating discretionary delays and making registration objective, automatic, and transparent. In 2025, the ILOs Committee of Experts (CEACR) pressed Cambodia to take further appropriate measures to facilitate the registration of trade unions through simple, objective and transparent process. More concretely, the European Unions partial suspension of Cambodias Everything But Arms (EBA) benefits in 2020 directly linked trade preferences to credible improvements in freedom of association. Finally, in November 2024, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the shrinking space for civil society in Cambodia, condemning the governments harassment of independent unions and labor rights defenders, and urging reforms to the Trade Union Law and other legislation to bring their implementation into full alignment with international labor standards. Despite these repeated calls for action, the backlog of unregistered independent unions persists. As of August 2025, at least 34 local unions and 3 federations remain in registration limbo, some awaiting approval for over four years despite multiple submissions. At one factory located in the Poi Pet SEZ, for example, an independent union has submitted its application 11 times over two years, facing repeated rejections for trivial clerical errors. During this time, management dismissed four union leaders and activists, filed a countercomplaint suing the union vice-president, initiated a lawsuit against a labor advocate providing support to the workers, and pressured union members to leave the union, while two new employer-linked unions were registered in less than three weeks. Similar cases appear across the GFT sector and other industries, showing that these delays are neither accidental nor isolated. The public compliance record does not fully reflect this reality. To their credit, Better Factories Cambodia (BFC) continues to play an important role in promoting transparency and accountability in the garment sector, and its inclusion of freedom of association indicators in factory assessments contributes valuable data for policy dialogue. Yet, BFC itself recognizes the inherent limitations of documenting a full picture of conditions related to freedom of association based on a two-day assessment at workplaces in its 2024 Annual Report, acknowledging that the rates of [FoA] non-compliance cited in this report very likely do not reflect the full reality of conditions in the sector. Such caveats underscore the weakness of compliance monitoring snapshots in capturing the complex pressures and administrative barriers constraining workers ability to exercise their rights on a day-to-day basis. Even so, the publication reported that 12% of the factories assessed had at least one freedom of association or collective bargaining violation (44 out of 381 factories), and documented 17 cases where workers were prevented from forming or joining a union freely. The 6,000 Unions Fallacy Government officials often cite the existence of over 6,000 trade unions and associations in the country as evidence that Cambodias workers enjoy full freedom of association. Trade unions and other associations always have freedom to exist; thats why we saw an increase in over 6,000 professional unions, trade unions, and associations recently, and it wasnt limiting their freedom, a Labor Ministry spokesperson told the Khmer Times in 2024. Yet this claim conceals the fact that registration is swift for compliant unions but obstructed for independent ones. The majority of registered entities are either employer-aligned or inactive groups, established precisely because registration is easier when management and government authorities support it. Independent, democratic unions, by contrast, face months or years of bureaucratic resistance. Genuine freedom of association cannot simply be measured by the quantity of registered organizations, but by the independence and security of those who dare to form themand these numbers say nothing about how many applications were denied and indefinitely stalled, nor how many unions are functionally inert due to interference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Independent field research paints a clearer picture of the state of union freedoms in Cambodia. Findings from international organizations including Human Rights Watch (HRW), Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) consistently point to a system that stifles independent unions and weakens workers ability to organize or bargain freely. Such gaps between official indicators and ground reality reported by independent research erode trust, not only among workers but among buyers whose due diligence obligations are tightening under EU and national laws. Cambodias legal framework does not need to be rewritten to fix this. What it needs is meaningful administrative reform and political will. MoLVT can immediately: 1) Approve registrations upon complete filing and allow unions to operate pending any procedural review; 2) End repetitive rejections for minor clerical errors and issue all corrective guidance in a single notice; 3) Publish a transparent, regularly updated registry of applications, approvals, and denials; 4) Ensure neutrality by applying uniform criteria and timelines to all unions, regardless of affiliation; 5) Digitize the process so unions can apply and track registration electronically across provinces. These are not radical demands or political concessions; they mirror what Cambodia has already been told by the UPR, the ILOs supervisory bodies, and trade partners. Implementing them would bring Cambodias practice in line with its own Constitution, which guarantees workers the right to form and join trade unions of their choosing, and its commitments under ILO Conventions 87 and 98, bolstering its reputation as a responsible sourcing country. The government now has an opportunity to turn years of international recommendations into real progress. Making union registration swift, objective, and transparent would demonstrate genuine respect for the rule of law and for the workers whose labor drives Cambodias growth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Real progress also entails shared commitment across the supply chainnot only from the state, but from the global buyers that profit from Cambodian manufacturing. Global brands are bound by emerging due-diligence frameworks such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Directive and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises to ensure that the factories in their supply chains respect workers right to organize. Publicly standing for independent union registration and championing fair application of the law would send a clear message that freedom of association in sourcing destinations such as Cambodia is non-negotiable. Editors Note: The Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL) empowers Cambodias working people through legal aid, advocacy, research, and grassroots organizing. CENTRAL supports workers in demanding transparent and accountable governance and the fulfillment of labor and human rights. Its work bridges local realities with global supply-chain accountability, promoting decent work, freedom of association, and responsible business practices in Cambodias manufacturing and service sectors OpenAI says it was founded with the goal of benefiting humanity. But several nonprofit organizations that say the artificial intelligence behemoth has strayed from its mission allege that it has recently used intimidation tactics to silence them. At least seven nonprofits that have been critical of OpenAI have received subpoenas in recent months, which they say are overly broad and appear to be a form of legal intimidation. All of the subpoenas are part of a legal battle between OpenAI and tech titan Elon Musk, with OpenAI suggesting that the subpoenaed nonprofits are somehow connected to Musk. The organizations that received subpoenas had signed or organized open letters and petitions critical of OpenAIs ongoing efforts to restructure from a nonprofit to a for-profit public benefit corporation. In one case, a subpoenaed nonprofit had also sponsored a California bill that imposed the first wide-ranging regulations on leading AI companies like OpenAI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Six of the nonprofits were not involved in the lawsuit between OpenAI and Musk before the tech company brought them into it by issuing the subpoenas, and the remaining nonprofit had filed a supporting brief in the case but says it had not engaged with Musk. Three of the subpoenas, issued to the San Francisco Foundation, Eko and the Future of Life Institute, have not been previously reported. The nonprofits say the subpoenas seem designed to extract private information about OpenAIs critics despite most of the organizations having no relation to Musk or the ongoing lawsuit. Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that has been critical of OpenAIs restructuring plans but is uninvolved in the current lawsuit and has not received a subpoena, told NBC News that OpenAIs intent in issuing the subpoenas is clear. This behavior is highly unusual. Its 100% intended to intimidate, he said. This is the kind of tactic you would expect from the most cutthroat for-profit corporation, Weissman said. Its an attempt to bully nonprofit critics, to chill speech and deter them from speaking out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The subpoenas, four of which were reviewed by NBC News, ask for a wide variety of documents and materials, including all information about the organizations funders and donations, in addition to all communications regarding Musk, Meta and its founder Mark Zuckerberg. OpenAI had previously expressed suspicions about Meta and Zuckerbergs involvement in Musks $97 billion bid to buy OpenAI in February. Elon Musk; Mark Zuckerberg. (AP; Getty Images) The subpoenas also ask for all documents and communications concerning the governance or organizational structure of OpenAI. OpenAI said in September that its conversion to a more traditional for-profit company would enable us to raise the capital required to accomplish our mission. The change is seen as a key step before the company could be publicly listed and would allow investors to hold valuable equity in the for-profit instead of just receiving a slice of profits. Critics of the conversion argue such a change could allow OpenAI, now the worlds highest valued startup, to pursue profit over its charitable mission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The controversy around the subpoenas exploded online Friday, as employees of several of the nonprofits alleged on social media that the AI titans subpoenas are hardball legal tactics that far surpass normal legal action and are often irrelevant to the ongoing Musk lawsuit. The allegations, which included photos of several of the subpoenas, led to several prominent current and former employees of OpenAI publicly criticizing its actions highly unusual for the tight-lipped company. This doesnt seem great, OpenAIs Joshua Achiam, the companys head of mission alignment, said in an X post Friday afternoon. Achiam did not respond to NBC News request for comment. Achiam reports to CEO Sam Altman and is tasked with ensuring OpenAIs pursuit of smarter-than-human AI systems benefit all of humanity. We have a duty to and a mission for all of humanity, Achiam wrote Friday. There are things that can go wrong with power and sometimes people on the inside have to be willing to point it out loudly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The subpoenas and tactics at issue in Fridays statements stem from a protracted and heated legal battle involving Musk. Musk sued Altman, OpenAI and several co-founders last year accusing them of breaching OpenAIs contractual duties by embracing a for-profit drive nested within its nonprofit structure, in what Musk alleged has been a textbook tale of altruism versus greed. Altman and OpenAI contend that Musk, who was one of OpenAIs early boosters and provided around $45 million to the company in its early years, is now jealous of the companys success and is employing bad-faith tactics to slow down OpenAI and seize control of the leading AI innovations for his personal benefit. Musk is also the founder and CEO of OpenAI-rival xAI, which is quickly trying to catch up to other AI companies capabilities. In response to a request for comment, an OpenAI spokesperson referred NBC News to posts on X from OpenAIs Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon. Jason Kwon, chief strategy officer of OpenAI, during a news conference in Seoul, South Korea, on Sept. 10. (SeongJoon Cho / Bloomberg via Getty Images file) On Friday, Kwon wrote that after Musk sued OpenAI, several organizations joined in and ran campaigns backing his opposition to OpenAIs restructure. This raised transparency questions about who was funding them and whether there was any coordination. The various nonprofits that received subpoenas span a range of causes, but have all been critical of OpenAI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The San Francisco Foundation (SFF), whose mission is to strengthen communities, build civic leadership and foster philanthropy in the San Francisco area, says it has never received any funding from Musk nor has it participated in the lawsuit with Musk. SFF helped lead a petition in January asking Californias attorney general to prevent OpenAIs attempt to restructure from a nonprofit to a for-profit entity. Judith Bell, SFFs chief impact officer, said that SFF has criticized OpenAI because of her organizations focus on philanthropy. OpenAI, an organization whose assets have been estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars, is effectively one of the largest nonprofit entities in history. Its assets were accumulated for the explicit, charitable purpose of benefiting humanity, she said. Judith Bell, San Francisco Foundations chief impact officer. (Courtesy Judith Bell) SFF opposes the diversion of these immense charitable assets for private, corporate profit. We believe the law requires that the full value of these public assets must be permanently dedicated to the public good, independent of any for-profit enterprise, regardless of OpenAIs corporate structure, she added. Sean Eskovitz, a litigator and former assistant United States attorney uninvolved in the Musk case and who has not spoken out for either party before, told NBC News that the breadth of these subpoenas strike me as quite aggressive and quite broad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OpenAI will have to demonstrate that the requests are relevant to an issue in the litigation, he said. Even then, there would be concerns given the limited or non-involvement of these third parties in the litigation, the nature of the activities that are being inquired about and the public interest in the advocacy and speech issues here. There would have to be a very close look at the scope of the subpoena in order to ensure that nonparties are not being harassed, that their speech is not being chilled, and that the proponent of the subpoena is not using the subpoena for some ulterior purpose, Eskovitz said. Eko, an international nonprofit organization committed to curbing the growing power of corporations, had initially shared its concerns about OpenAIs corporate structure with the company in early April before launching a public campaign critical of the organization. Emma Ruby-Sachs, Ekos executive director, had heard that other advocacy organizations were receiving subpoenas over the past few months. We knew this was a tactic that OpenAI was using to try and silence opposition, she told NBC News. Emma Ruby-Sachs, Ekos executive director. (Courtesy Emma-Ruby-Sachs) OpenAI responded to the campaign in an email, noting that it had made attempts to meet with Eko before the launch of the campaign and raising its suspicions that Musk might have been involved in Ekos campaign. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In reply, Ekos campaign director dismissed OpenAIs concerns about its funding: We are not in any way supported by or funded by Elon Musk and have a history of campaigning against him and his interests. Given their email correspondence and OpenAIs subsequent silence, Ruby-Sachs was taken aback by OpenAIs subpoena in early September. We had written to them and said were over 70% funded by small online donations from individuals, and weve run multiple campaigns against Elon Musk in the last year, she said. Ruby-Sachs mentioned that Eko even ran a billboard ad in Times Square earlier this year depicting Musk as a king and advocating for him to be fired during his stint at DOGE earlier this year. Like the other nonprofits subpoenas, Ekos was very wide-ranging, asking for, among other details, the identity of all Persons or entities that have contributed any funds to You andthe amount and date of any such contributions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Such breadth surprised many commentators. Helen Toner, a former member of OpenAIs board, skeptical of some of the companys practices, labeled the approach as dishonesty & intimidation tactics. In a post viewed almost 30 million times, Musk reshared Toners remark, commenting that OpenAI was built on a lie. Musk subpoenaed Toners documents in a similar lawsuit last year. Given Ekos public opposition to Musk, Ruby-Sachs dismissed the idea that Eko could be funded by Musk to take down OpenAI. The logical basis is so ridiculous that we have to assume this is just a tactic to scare us and get us to back off, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ruby-Sachs said the organization prides itself on taking marching orders directly from its members, unlike a traditional policy or a lobbying group. Eko determines its priorities in organization-wide votes in which hundreds of thousands of its members participate. This subpoena shows OpenAI is going after people around the world who are legitimately concerned citizens and trying to shut them up, Ruby-Sachs said. OpenAI is another company, just like every other company, trying to use their money and power to pursue profits, even if it screws over the people of California and potentially all of humanity, she said. Ekos subpoena has not been widely reported before, nor has a similarly broad subpoena targeting the Future of Life Institute (FLI). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whereas Eko says it has no ties to Musk, FLI received at least $10 million in funding from Musk. FLI last received funding from Musk in 2021. The funding focused on AI technical and policy research, including a grant-making program aimed at keeping AI robust and beneficial. According to an FLI spokesperson, Elon has no input into FLIs structural activities. The spokesperson said FLI distributed Musks money to leading AI researchers, and a separate tech mogul gave FLI its permanent endowment as is made clear in its online funding reports. FLI received its subpoena at the beginning of October, while FLI President Max Tegmark received an individual subpoena in late August. We assume the subpoena has to do with us generally calling for more oversight and transparency on the development of advanced AI and AI companies in general, which currently have zero regulation or meaningful oversight, FLIs spokesperson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a post on X addressing OpenAI, Tyler Johnston, who received a subpoena as founder of an AI-transparency advocacy group called The Midas Project, wrote: Weve never spoken with or taken funding from Musk and ilk, which we would have been happy to tell you if you asked a single time. In fact weve said he runs xAI so horridly it makes OpenAI saintly in comparison. Johnstons subpoena was previously reported in the SF Standard. On Monday, Johnston wrote on X that the subpoena and ensuing news coverage of his involvement in the lawsuit caused insurance brokers to refuse to cover his small watchdog organization. If you wanted to constrain an orgs speech, intimidation would be one strategy, but making them uninsurable is another, and maybe thats whats happened to us with this subpoena, he wrote. Former OpenAI research scientist Steven Adler told NBC News: Im surprised that OpenAIs Board would consider these actions consistent with its nonprofit legal obligations, or that theyd feel personally comfortable with this conduct. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legal Advocates for Safe Science and Technology (LASST) also received a subpoena from OpenAI. Tyler Whitmer, president and CEO of LASST and a lawyer himself, was unsettled by the subpoenas aggressive tactics, especially given his opposition to Musk. I think Musk is a malign influence in the world right now, Whitmer said. Part of my mission is to hold Musks xAI to account in the same way I hold OpenAI to account. Its just that OpenAI is supposed to be better than this, while I dont expect the same from Elon, he said. Its really clear that the subpoenas arent narrowly tailored to the issues of the litigation and are instead trying to leverage the litigation to get information that OpenAI is not otherwise entitled to. And thats the best faith version of it, Whitmer said. Beyond its restructuring efforts, OpenAI also served subpoenas to at least one organization supporting recent efforts to regulate frontier AI companies. OpenAIs Head of Global Affairs Chris Lehane was publicly skeptical of Californias SB 53, a newly signed bill mandating transparency into leading AI companies risk-mitigation practices, before the bill was signed into law. Lehane is now attempting to shape Americas AI politics to OpenAIs liking, bringing his dogged approach to Silicon Valley. Lehane recently helped launch a new $100 million Super PAC designed to fight against strict AI legislation. Chris Lehane, head of policy at Open AI Inc., at the AI Action Summit in Paris on Feb. 10. (Nathan Laine / Bloomberg via Getty Images file) Encode, a nonprofit whose general counsel, Nathan Calvin, was recently subpoenaed by OpenAI, was a sponsor of the SB 53 legislation and also filed an amicus brief in Musks lawsuit against OpenAI. In Fridays first volley, Calvin wrote: Why did OpenAI subpoena me? Encode has criticized OpenAIs restructuring and worked on AI regulations, including SB 53. I believe OpenAI used the pretext of their lawsuit against Elon Musk to intimidate their critics and imply that Elon is behind all of them. In response, OpenAIs Kwon wrote: When a third party inserts themselves into active litigation, they are subject to standard legal processes. We issued a subpoena to ensure transparency around their involvement and funding. This is a routine step in litigation, not a separate legal action against Nathan or Encode. Ray Seilie, a litigator at Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir in Los Angeles, told NBC News that the subpoenas could have been much more demanding if they were really meant as an intimidation tactic. Regarding Calvin and Encode, Seilie said: If OpenAI had wanted to intimidate or harass him, they could have served him with a deposition subpoena, which would have required Calvin to sit down for a full day of questioning under oath by OpenAIs lawyers in addition to providing documents. The fact that OpenAI only asked for documents suggests that they were sincerely looking for connections between Musk and Encode, even if they turned out to be wrong about their suspicion. Former OpenAI employee, whistleblower and prominent AI policy researcher Daniel Kokotajlo said the pressure for critics to be silent can often be crushing, even in the absence of depositions or subpoenas. I was super scared last year when I spoke up about OpenAIs secret nondisparagement clause, even though objectively speaking I was in the right.The clause forbade former employees from saying anything negative about the company or face losing their vested equity. OpenAI rescinded the policy shortly after Kokotajlo came forward. When its actually happening to you in real life, the psychological pressure to just stay quiet is pretty darn strong and most people cave to it, Kokotajlo told NBC News. Thats why intimidation tactics work. This reporter is a Tarbell Fellow, funded through the Tarbell Center for AI Journalism, a nonprofit devoted to supporting the news coverage of artificial intelligence. The Tarbell Center has received funding from the Future of Life Institute, which is a subject of this article. The Tarbell Center had no input on NBC News reporting. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The night of Oct. 10. Once again, Russia attacks Ukraine with ballistic missiles and kamikaze drones. They target energy facilities aiming at our heat, our water, our light. At life itself. Kyiv trembles from explosions. On the left bank, where I live, its been dark for hours. My phone is down to its last percent. My Samoyed, Kas, is anxious I scratch his ears so he wont hear too much. In the morning, well have to go outside. The elevator doesnt work. We live on the 14th floor. Kas stops on the third landing and looks up at me, refusing to move. One treat one stair. Thats how we climb back home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im moderating an event in the morning. Right now, I just want to sleep. But Im grateful that I still have a place to sleep. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians dont. According to Ukraines Ministry for Communities and Territories Development, Russia has destroyed 37,000 apartment buildings, more than 320,000 private homes and 700 student dormitories. But behind those numbers are not just walls. There was the smell of morning coffee. Children were born there. Mothers read bedtime stories there. Family photos hung on the walls. Geraniums bloomed on the windowsills. Someone took their first steps after being wounded. People lived there and loved there. Now there are only ruins, smoke and silence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you put it all together, thats four Milans. Or fourteen Venices. Entire cities gone. I am Nadiia from Kyiv. I dont write this to be pitied. I write to remind a tired world that the war goes on. And its not only about Ukraine. Because evil, if left unpunished, grows. It knows no borders like darkness chasing the light. So while Ukraine holds the line, the world must hold the light in our hearts, in our morals, in our faith. Because only a nation that has lost its soul can destroy another. And thats why humanity and spirituality remain the strongest weapons against the dark. NewsNation National Correspondent Robert Sherman has found himself on the front lines of some of the worlds biggest stories: from Ukraine to Israel and across the United States. He shares what hes seeing on the ground. Subscribe to his newsletter: Frontlines with Robert Sherman here. (NewsNation) Greetings from Tel Aviv. Its not an exaggeration to feel like we live in a completely different world. Twenty living hostages have now been returned to Israel, and families like that of Guy Gilboa-Dalal or Alon Ohel, whom weve spoken with extensively, are reunited. Their dreams have come true. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I remember first arriving in Israel on Oct. 8, 2023. On that day, there was still street-fighting taking place in southern Israel as the Israeli Defense Forces hadnt regained full operational control of the territory. That day, we didnt even know how many people were killed or taken hostage. How the Trump admin-brokered ceasefire came together Fast forward to this last Wednesday, and Hamas does not have a single living Israeli hostage in captivity. Quite the remarkable position to be in, given where we started. Hamas slow to return dead Israeli hostages But not everybody is celebrating. Under the parameters of Phase 1 of the ceasefire, Hamas was supposed to return the remains of all 28 dead Israeli hostages they had in their possession. Four came home Monday. Overnight, four more bodies were delivered, but after a forensic analysis, Israel determined only three of those remains belonged to hostages and that the fourth was not a match. People gather to watch a live broadcast of Israeli hostages being released from Gaza at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Oct. 13, 2025, as crowds fill the plaza to witness the latest exchange amid ongoing negotiations between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by Ori Aviram / Middle East Images via GETTY-AFP) Two family members hug each other at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Oct. 13, 2025, as relatives and friends gather to watch the live broadcast of hostage Guy Gilboa Dalals release and reunion with his family. (Photo by Ori Aviram / Middle East Images via GETTY-AFP) Released hostage Guy Gilboa Dalal is escorted into Beilinson Hospital in Israel on Oct. 13, 2025, while greeting the crowd gathered to witness his arrival following his release from Gaza (Photo by Ori Aviram / Middle East Images via GETTY-AFP) A man greets a freed Palestinian prisoner released by Israel as part of a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, on Oct. 13, 2025. (REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa) A freed Palestinian prisoner is carried as he is greeted by his relatives and friends 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, on Oct.13, 2025. (REUTERS/Ammar Awad) People gather at Nasser hospital as they welcome freed Palestinian prisoners released by Israel as part of a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, on Oct. 13, 2025. (REUTERS/Ramadan Abed) The Israeli Prime Ministers Office slammed the slow-walking of the process, saying, We will not compromise on this and we will spare no effort until we return all of the hostages, until the last one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trump on Tuesday said it appeared Hamas misrepresented the number of dead hostages they had in their possession, adding, I want them back. Thats what they said. I want them back. Photos: Israeli, Palestinian families celebrate return of hostages, prisoners Ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel is fragile The deal is inherently fragile, and anything can derail the agreement, especially something this sensitive to hostage families. The remains of two American hostages, Omer Neutra and Itay Chen, are still not back in Israel. Trump, however, has vowed to keep the discussions going on Phase 2 of the agreement, which involves difficult subject matters to negotiate including who will govern Gaza and the demilitarization of Hamas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While speaking to reporters, however, he made clear that Hamas laying down its weapons is not optional. We have told them we want to disarm and they will disarm, Trump said. And if they dont disarm, we will disarm them, and itll happen quickly and perhaps violently. The big picture is that Trump wants to use this moment and reshape the Middle East by opening up diplomatic ties between Israel and other countries around the region. Get fact-based, unbiased news coverage 24/7 with the NewsNation app. Download it here. But first, we have to navigate these next few days and weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also, in case you missed it, Im out with an op-ed in the Daily Mail today, which you can read here, focusing on the Oct. 8 attacks and the pressure on the ground here that helped bring this deal together. Additionally, I sat down for an interview with Mediaite on some of my reporting in Gaza, which you can read or listen to here. And lastly, were less than 60 days away from the release of my book, Lessons From the Front. Im overwhelmed by the surge weve seen this week with so much news coming out of the Middle East, and I humbly thank you for that. For those still interested in preordering, you can do so through Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Bloomsbury. 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 current federal government shutdown is the fourth in the history of this column. So your columnists will continue the tradition of offering our commentary on the impact of this confusion. As of the writing of this edition, most federal agencies are closed and employees who are working are not receiving wages. Commentators suggest no hope of a resolution anytime soon. Republicans want to pass a clean bill, but Democrats want continued funding for health exchange insurance subsidies, which expire at the end of this year. Several polls indicate that Americans blame President Donald Trump and the Republicans more than Democrats by a slight margin. A third of polling respondents fault both parties. Will this shutdown impact elections next year? Cowley: Unless the shutdown drags out for months or something novel occurs, voters will have a short memory before heading to the polls in November 2026. It will, however, continue to erode public trust in Congress. The previous shutdown, under the first Trump administration, lasted 35 days and was the longest in history. I fear this one could last much longer. Although annoying, distasteful and unproductive, for many Americans, their lives remain mostly unchanged. For federal workers furloughed or working without paychecks, it has very real and very painful consequences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shutting down the government has become an overplayed political stunt used by both parties to gain concessions. Livelihoods and government services should not be pawns in political games. This tactic also loses potency every time it is used. Pignanelli: Many Americans dont think either partys position is worth having a shutdown over. Anthony Salvanto, CBS News Every day, over 250 million American adults either go to work, take care of family, pursue educational advancement or otherwise confront critical obligations. Our nation is a superpower because of these incredibly hard-working individuals who do not have the luxury of avoiding responsibilities to make a political point. Their frustration with federal dysfunction is understandable, as revealed in recent polls and surveys that highlight growing distrust in government institutions. In prior shutdowns, similar emotions did not seep into elections as concerns with the economy and public safety prevailed. But this shutdown could be different. Notwithstanding the intent of our founders, there is hardly an element of everyday life that is not touched by the federal government. So when its broken, the pain spreads everywhere. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Due to the current political environment, theres a risk that this shutdown, or the one likely to follow soon, could have a significant economic impact. The party viewed as irresponsible intransigents will feel the effects, especially in the national midterm congressional election results. This could even affect swing legislative and county council races in Utah. Sun shines on a stanchion in the empty Capitol rotunda on the ninth day of the government shutdown Washington, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. | Allison Robbert, Associated Press Although the congressional leaders are not talking to each other now, at some point, either Republicans or Democrats will have to retreat to fund the government. What will be the political pressure points for this change? What will be the internal results for that party? Cowley: Trump isnt known for making concessions, so I dont believe Republicans will be the first to flinch. The National Republican Congressional Committee is pouring money into vulnerable Democrat districts, flooding airwaves with ads assigning blame to Democrats, but poll numbers suggest that isnt working. Further plummeting approval ratings might scare members of Congress into a compromise, but at a steep cost for either side. If Democrats cave, they will reinforce Trumps supreme power. If Congressional Republicans split with the president, it doesnt bode well for their reelections or the future of Trumps agenda. The catalyst for compromise might be a catastrophe caused by the shutdown. Maybe an air disaster due to overworked and understaffed air traffic controllers. Perhaps it will be growing sympathy for countless federal workers facing the holidays without a paycheck, but that would mean the shutdown continuing for months. Either outcome is an avoidable tragedy if Congress could end political posturing and find long-term solutions to federal overspending. Pignanelli: One of the interesting results of the CBS/YouGov poll is that 52% of Democrats either question or are unsure of the rationale of their Congressional leaders over the shutdown. As this sentiment grows, moderate Senate Democrats will be compelled to vote to fund and resume government operations. Consequently, left-wing progressives will scream and foster support toward primary candidates to depose the Democratic incumbents who chose to reopen without Republican concessions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any movement by Republicans to compromise on the subsidies and thereby reopen the government will be led by President Donald Trump. While there will be some grumbling, he will remain impervious to criticism, which will benefit the GOP by minimizing internal fighting. Utah Rep. Mike Kennedy has proposed that in the event of disagreement on funding, the law would require a continuing resolution to maintain current levels to keep the government open. Is this a worthy proposal? Cowley: This is a fantastic proposal, as is denying members of Congress their paycheck until federal funding is restored. Unfortunately, like the filibuster, this political scheme will never go away because both sides want to leave these negotiating tactics on the table for when their party can take advantage of them. Pignanelli: Kennedy deserves credit for a proposal abundant with common sense, especially in todays hyperpartisan environment. The Capital Chronicle's homepage on launch in October 2021. (Screenshot by Julia Shumway/Oregon Capital Chronicle) The Oregon Capital Chronicle launched four years ago this month, going live with a handful of stories that reflected that time: An early look at the 2022 governors race and articles about Oregons efforts to fight COVID and rebuild from fires. Four years later, a lot has changed but many issues are still the same. Were preparing for another election though all signs point to 2026 being less hotly contested than 2022 in Oregon. Changes at the federal level that led Oregon and other states to chart their own course on vaccines mean weve written more about COVID in the past few months, and the states housing crisis is an ever-present topic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Half the members of our team changed, but our commitment to helping Oregonians understand their government has stayed the same through those four years. And our mission has become even more crucial as Oregons media landscape changed. Last week, I drove from Salem to Bend for a sendoff for Julie Johnson, the Bulletin city editor who first hired me for an Oregon reporting job in 2017. Julie was the last of the editors I worked with in Bend who was still at the paper, now owned by Mississippi-based Carpenter Media. That company, now the largest owner of newspapers in Oregon, has slashed reporters, photographers and editors throughout Oregon in the past two years. Weve seen other talented colleagues lose their jobs at newspapers owned by other chains, and Oregon, like every state, has too few people covering the news and too many spinning it. The local reporters, photographers, editors and designers who have stayed through layoffs and pay cuts and attacks do critical work, and Im glad to highlight a few of those stories in our daily newsletter each morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everything we publish is free for you to read and for other news outlets to reprint, so people living in Coos Bay, Vale, Redmond and Oakridge can have access to reporting about state government despite not having a dedicated Capitol reporter. Each Monday, I get an email rounding up the last weeks reprints, and most weeks our stories are republished 150-200 times online and dozens in print. All of that work is done by a small team. Senior reporter Alex Baumhardt and I have been with the Capital Chronicle since it launched. Alexs main beats are education and the environment, but as news demanded this year she also took the lead on covering our congressional delegation, particularly Republican U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz, and the ongoing clash between Oregon and the Trump administration over sending federal troops to Portland. Reporter Mia Maldonado joined us in April from our sister outlet, the Idaho Capital Sun. Mia reports on housing, transportation and underrepresented communities. Shes bilingual and produces Spanish-language translations of some articles, which you can find on the bottom left of our homepage. The newest member of our team, Shaanth Nanguneri, graduated this spring from the University of California-Los Angeles and covers courts, criminal justice and health. Nanguneri digs into public records to deepen reporting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We publish weekly columns by Randy Stapilus, who has written about northwest politics since the 1970s, as well as commentaries by readers like you. If you have an opinion to share about Oregon, check out our guidelines and drop me a line. As part of States Newsroom, the nations largest nonprofit news organization, were able to give readers a broader view of how Oregons government and politics fits into the nation thanks to the D.C. Bureau, Stateline and our sister newsrooms in other states especially the Washington State Standard and Idaho Capital Sun. And we work with freelance reporters and photographers, bringing you stories like Jake Thomass recent deep dive into the obstacles facing a law meant to ensure Oregonians can access gender-affirming care and Claire Carlsons look at scuttled farm stand regulations. If youre a reporter with a story to pitch, let me know. All of that is made possible by the support of readers like you. We asked for your help last week in collecting 40 new donations for our 4th birthday and you delivered, with 43 of you contributing more than $2,200. Thank you all for your support, and if you missed the birthday fun but still want to help, you can make a tax-deductible donation online here or mail a check to States Newsroom, 50 F St NW, Ste 460, Washington, DC 20001, with Oregon Capital Chroniclein the memo line. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And even if you cant afford to support us financially right now, you can help keep the Capital Chronicle going for many birthdays to come by signing up for our free daily or weekly newsletter, sharing our work on social media and telling your friends about our work. Thank you for all you do for Oregon journalism. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE (Reuters) -Walmart said on Tuesday it was partnering with OpenAI to enable customers and Sam's Club members to shop directly within ChatGPT, using the AI chatbot's Instant Checkout feature. Shares of the company rose 5% to $107.21 at market close following the announcement. The world's largest retailer is expanding its use of artificial intelligence as companies across sectors adopt the technology to simplify tasks and cut costs. Walmart has announced AI tools, including generative AI-powered 'Sparky,' which is available on its app to assist customers with product suggestions or summarizing product reviews, among other options. The company's growing investment in AI is also aimed at closing the gap with online behemoth Amazon, which had a head start with its chatbot, Rufus, a Gen AI-powered shopping assistant that answers various shopping queries. Walmart's tie-up with the ChatGPT-maker follows a similar partnership OpenAI announced last month with Etsy and Shopify. About 15% of total referral traffic for Walmart in September was from ChatGPT, up from 9.5% in August, data from SimilarWeb showed. However, referrals are only a minor source of traffic and ChatGPT referrals accounted for less than 1% of total web traffic for Walmart, the research firm said. (Reporting by Sanskriti Shekhar and Neil J Kanatt in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid and Shreya Biswas) PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The remains of an 81-year-old West Linn woman who had been missing since May are believed to have been located in Curry County on Wednesday, officials say. Judith Roberts was last seen on the 19600 block of Wildwood Drive in West Linn, sitting in her white Volkswagen Jetta on May 16. Officials say she may have been experiencing cognitive issues. On Oct. 11, Roberts vehicle was located by a hunter on a remote road outside of Brookings, the Curry County Sheriffs Office said. Robertss wallet and ID were located inside the car. Judith Roberts in an undated photo with a member of her family, provided May 25, 2025 (Roberts family) After this, Curry County Search and Rescue members were deployed to search the area of Judith Roberts vehicle. Search and Rescue members then discovered what is believed to be the remains of Judith Roberts, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement West Linn police will release more information about the case later in the day, according to CCSO. This is a developing story. 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 KOIN.com. WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) Ortho Rhode Island has reached a $2.9 million class action settlement with patients whose information was compromised in a cyberattack last year. Target 12 reported back in November 2024 that a phone and computer system outage the previous September was actually a hack that could have exposed the names, addresses, billing and health insurance information, and other medical information of a significant percentage of Ortho RIs patients. BACKGROUND: Ortho RI says cyberattack triggered September outage, hacker accessed patient information Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The class action suit, filed in Kent County Superior Court by five patients on behalf of all those affected, alleges Ortho RI did not follow industry standard practices in securing patients Private Information and waited a full 90 days before notifying patients about the data breach, thereby depriving the Class of the opportunity to try and mitigate their injuries in a timely manner. While Ortho RI denies the allegations, the company has agreed to pay $2.9 million in order to dismiss the lawsuit. Anyone who received a letter in the mail about the settlement is being invited to join the class ahead of the settlements final approval hearing on Jan. 28, 2026. Those who choose to join must submit a valid claim form via mail or online no later than Jan. 13, 2026. Patients or former patients who can provide evidence of reasonable documented losses as a result of the data breach are eligible for up to $5,000, and all other parties can claim an alternate cash payment of around $100, according to the settlements dedicated website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, all those who join the class can opt to claim two years of medical record monitoring. Members of the class who would like to retain their right to sue Ortho RI individually must mail a written notice to the settlement administrator no later than Dec. 29, 2025. That is also the deadline for class members to formally object to any part of the settlement. Class members who do nothing will receive no benefits from the settlement, and will also forfeit their right to bring legal action against Ortho RI in relation to the data breach. In a statement to 12 News, a spokesperson for Ortho RI said, As we shared with our team, patients and community following a data incident in 2024, we acted quickly to engage third-party forensic specialists to investigate the incident, and took actions informed by that investigation to enhance our existing security measures. The spokesperson then directed those with questions about the settlement to visit the settlement administrators dedicated website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement View all court documents related to the case, get answers to frequently asked questions, or submit a claim at https://www.orisettlement.com/. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app. Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Special Coverage & Notices 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 WPRI.com. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) leaders say theyre confident students wont see any disruptions in serviceseven as staff scramble to adjust after the federal government abruptly fired most of the officials tasked with helping states implement special education programs. Over the weekend, the U.S. Department of Education laid off all but a few top officials in its Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The move was part of President Donald Trumps pledge to fire hundreds of federal workers he claimed were only there because Democrats wanted them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And some of these people, these are largely people that the Democrats want, Trump said recently. Many of them will be fired. Oklahoma October election results OSEP is the office responsible for overseeing how states spend money allocated under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). About 15% of the money that it takes to educate students with disability comes from the federal government, said Sherri Coats, OSDEs Program Director of Special Education Services. Coats told News 4 that no one at the federal level told her about the firings in advance. She only found out when OSEPs Oklahoma state lead texted her Sunday to say shed been fired. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She provides support for us whenever we have questions, Coats said. They provide professional development, they provide a designation for Oklahoma annually to determine whether or not Oklahoma is meeting standards under IDEA, meeting requirements under IDEA, whether we need assistance in meeting IDEA, or whether we need intervention or substantial intervention. As of now, the firings havent interrupted the flow of federal dollars. Coats said the federal government deposited $181 million in requested IDEA funding into the states account on Tuesday morning. Walters used accreditation as a threat to get what he wanted, new board using it differently Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We already have our allocation, Coats said. We are already drawing down. Were already sending to districts. This money is not in jeopardy. But the staff responsible for processing those funding requests no longer existsand Coats said no one has told her where to send them in the future. OSEP staff also handled oversight to ensure states were properly spending special education fundsbut those staff were among those fired. Its probably too much money for the government to give without any checks and balances, and I wouldnt want that, Coats said. I would want to have some checks and balances. So before they give us our next allocation, they will have to have something in place to make sure that its utilized appropriately. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said the loss of technical support will be a challengebut one the state has no choice but to meet. Well, we will handle it because thats what we have to do, Coats said. But it helps us tremendously when we have the support. Language in law is complicated. Its complex, and making sure that were implementing it exactly as were supposed toit helps us to have that technical assistance from OSEP. Coats said as long as federal law still requires states to provide special education servicesand federal funding for those services continuesOklahoma schools will keep providing them, regardless of whos left at the U.S. Department of Education. 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 KFOR.com Oklahoma City. MIAMI, Okla. Several Ottawa County residents attending Tuesdays meeting about the groundwater clean-up efforts at the former BF Goodrich plant said they wanted schoolyards near the former tire plant tested for carcinogens, specifically benzene. About 50 people attended the two-hour meeting with Michelin and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality representatives. We plan to submit a letter to DEQ, said Rebecca Jim, LEAD Agency executive director, after the meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jim also said many of the meeting attendees expressed a desire to tour the old plant. For decades, Jim has spearheaded many projects involving childrens health, primarily lead levels in childrens blood who live in the 43-square-mile area of Ottawa County known as the Tar Creek Superfund site. Benzene-containing mineral spirits were used during tire manufacturing and stored in underground storage tanks, which is the source of the benzene groundwater plume at the site. This water flows downhill in a southwest direction to a neighborhood adjacent to the former plant. One of the most frequent applications was to the tire molds themselves. According to published reports, benzene was applied inside the machine and to workers arms and hands to reduce the stickiness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jim said she was pleased to learn that the plume has shrunk and is no longer as big as it was. Michelin was ordered to clean up the groundwater and implemented a multi-phase extraction and air-sparging system to aid the cleanup efforts. Michelin representatives said this air system is working and removing benzene from the groundwater. The representatives said there were some air emissions, but they were lower than DEQ limits, Jim said. Michelin took over the plant when it closed in 1986. 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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. By Saeed Shah ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -More than 12 civilians were killed in Afghanistan as fresh fighting broke out between Afghan and Pakistani forces on Wednesday, the Taliban said, rupturing a fragile peace that had briefly taken hold after weekend clashes between the countries killed dozens. Once allies, the recent friction between the South Asian nations erupted after Islamabad demanded that the Afghan Taliban administration act against militants who have stepped up attacks in Pakistan, saying they operate from havens in Afghanistan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Taliban denies the presence of Pakistani militants in Afghanistan. "Early this morning, Pakistani forces launched attacks...more than 12 civilians were martyred and over 100 others were wounded," Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said on X. The Taliban also said it had killed "a large number of Pakistani soldiers", captured their posts and centres, seized their weapons and tanks, and "destroyed" most of their military facilities. Pakistani officials blamed the Taliban for the clashes and said four civilians were wounded on their side of the border. "Taliban forces attacked Pakistani post near Chaman (district)," Habib Ullah Bangulzai, the regional administrator in Pakistan's Chaman district, told Reuters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fighting continued for about five hours in the early hours of the day, he said, adding that Pakistani forces had "repulsed" the attack. Although clashes regularly break out between the countries' security forces along their contested 2,600 km (1,600-mile) frontier, last week's fighting was their worst since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021. The neighbours have closed several crossings along their border in its aftermath, bringing trade to a halt and leaving scores of loaded goods vehicles stranded on both sides. Pakistan is the main source of goods and food supplies for landlocked, impoverished Afghanistan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week's clashes drew international concern, with China asking both countries to protect its citizens and investments, Russia urging restraint, and U.S. President Donald Trump saying he could help end the conflict. The tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan this month have coincided with Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's visit to India, Pakistan's arch rival. India and Afghanistan, during Muttaqi's visit, decided to upgrade ties, with New Delhi saying it would reopen its embassy in Kabul, and the Afghan Taliban also announcing it would send its diplomats to India. (Reporting by Saeed Shah in Islamabad, Saleem Ahmed in Quetta, Additional reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar in Kabul, Writing by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by Sudipto Ganguly and Raju Gopalakrishnan) LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) A college education in Acadiana will be a bit more affordable going forward. South Louisiana Community College will award more than $185,000 in scholarships to students during the Fall 2025 semester, according to Brittany Ducote, Development & Alumni Coordinator at SoLAcc. These scholarships open doors for our students and let them know theyre not walking this journey alone, Ducote said. The investment from our donors fuels confidence, reduces barriers, and ensures that more students can complete their education and make a difference in our community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The scholarship recipients represent majors including Nursing, Information Technology, Industrial Trades and General Studies. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest Donors to the scholarship fund include Charletta Thomas, a member of the Foundation for SoLAcc Board of Directors and co-owner of A Place at Home Lafayette. The business established the A Place at Home Lafayette Scholarship. With this scholarship, we want to empower students to carry that same spirit of care forward, helping strengthen and uplift our entire community, Thomas said. For more information about SoLAccs scholarships, or to set up your own, contact Brittany Ducote at (337) 521-6673 or via email at Brittany.ducote@solacc.edu. Latest news 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 KLFY.com. NEED TO KNOW Ohio's Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds released 116 giant salamanders, called hellbenders, into the state's waterways over the summer The salamanders, listed as vulnerable by IUCN, are part of a decade-long project to improve the state's ecosystem Over 2,000 hellbenders, nicknamed "snot otters," have been released through the project since 2012 Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds in Powell, Ohio, released over 100 giant salamanders into Ohio's waterways over the summer to help restore the ecosystem of the state's freshwater habitats. According to a press release obtained by PEOPLE, the elusive amphibians known as hellbenders (nicknamed "snot otters" due to their slimy protective coating) rely on clean, oxygen-rich streams to survive, making them an "indicator species" that can signal a healthy ecosystem. Due to "decades of habitat loss, pollution, and sedimentation," the hellbender's population has drastically declined. The species is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. Grahm S. Jones, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Hellbenders, a species of giant salamander Hellbenders, a species of giant salamander Over the summer, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds released a batch of 116 hellbenders into Ohio and West Virginia waterways. These salamanders are part of a decade-long statewide effort in Ohio to reverse the decline of freshwater animal populations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The recently released salamanders hatched in a lab and were monitored through adulthood. Animal experts also taught the amphibians survival skills for the wild before tagging and releasing. Since the program began in 2012, more than 2,000 hellbenders have returned to Ohios rivers and creeks. This is quiet work that adds up, Greg Lipps, a conservation biologist at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, said in a statement. One stream, one release, one more sign that clean water and wildlife can thrive together in our community. It takes patience, careful science, and many hands, and we are grateful to our partners and neighbors who care for these waters with us. In 2023, researchers documented the first confirmed case of wild reproduction among previously released hellbenders. This year, the organization located an individual tagged over a decade ago, which is encouraging for the teams who have been working on the project since it began. In a statement, Genelle Uhrig, director of ecology at The Wilds, a safari Park in Ohio, shared, "We see firsthand how collaboration and long-term care translate into significant gains for imperiled species like the hellbender. Returning robust, healthy juveniles to pristine streams is only possible because of our partners and the communities committed to clean water." Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Conservation teams have also built more than 100 man-made shelters, called huts, and placed them in the wild. The huts serve as safe nesting areas for the hellbenders and offer conservationists an easy place to observe the released amphibians. As of writing, according to the release, 19 of the huts are inhabited, and two of them contain eggs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Guests of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium can learn more about the project in the Ohio Center for Wildlife Conservation, located in the zoo's North America Trek region. Read the original article on People HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) Kentucky State Police have released the name of a motorcyclist who was killed in a crash on Carter Road near the U.S. 60 Bypass on Tuesday night. According to a release from KSP, 32-year-old Tyler Hamilton of Owensboro was traveling southbound on Carter Road at approximately 8:42 p.m.. when he failed to stop for a red traffic light at the U.S. 60 Bypass off-ramp. Hamilton struck a vehicle that was attempting to turn onto Carter Road, and was reportedly ejected from his motorcycle. Hamilton was transported to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The driver of the other vehicle and a passenger were treated for minor injuries at the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a developing story. 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 Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). Embattled crypto exchange WazirX secured court approval for its debt restructuring plan on Monday, allowing the platform to reopen more than a year after hackers stole $234 million in one of the largest cyberattacks in the industry's history. Singapore's High Court sanctioned the plan with modifications after 95.7% of voting creditors, representing 94.6% in value, backed the amended scheme in an August 2025 revote, according to a statement shared with Decrypt. Zettai Pte Ltd., the Singapore-based company that operates WazirX, said the platform will restart within 10 business days, once the scheme becomes legally effective following a regulatory filing with Singapore's Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority. "The sanction represents a key milestone in WazirXs journey since it marks one of the fastest restructurings in the global crypto industry, despite suffering one of the biggest cyberattacks in the history of this space, Nischal Shetty, founder of WazirX, told Decrypt. The court ruling ends a months-long freeze for WazirX's 6.6 million users who have been unable to access their funds since the platform halted trading after the hack, which authorities linked to North Korea's state-sponsored hackers. "Users have been waiting for a long time with understandable frustration, and I truly hope this marks the beginning of a smooth recovery process where users can finally regain access to their funds as soon as possible," crypto influencer Pushpendra Singh, a vocal critic of WazirX following the hack, told Decrypt. "Transparency and timely execution will be key in restoring trust within the community." The exchange's ability to restructure directly impacts whether users will recover their frozen crypto assets through the company's proposed recovery token system. Token distributions will begin once operations resume, with the exchange projecting that users could recover 75% to 80% of their account balances at the time of the hack. The court approval provides breathing room after a turbulent legal process, as the Singapore High Court initially rejected Zettai's restructuring plan in June before reversing course in July and ordering a revote on an amended version. Only 3.3% of creditors participated in the first vote, prompting the modified scheme. Zettai will notify all creditors regarding the relevant legal filings and timelines. CoinSwitch Gets Court Approval to Secure $5 Million Stuck on WazirX After Hack Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court ordered Zettai in August to produce its acquisition agreement with Binance and disclose restructuring scheme details, as creditors push for transparency following the hack. Last week, the Bombay High Court ruled that Indian crypto exchange CoinSwitch can secure its stolen assets held on WazirX, dismissing objections from Zanmai Labs, the Indian entity operating WazirX and a subsidiary of Zettai. An Oxford University student has been arrested after he led chants for Gaza to put the Zios in the ground, The Telegraph can reveal. The Metropolitan Police said it had arrested a 20-year-old man in the early hours of Wednesday morning as part of an investigation into a demonstration in central London last Saturday. The Telegraph revealed on Wednesday that Samuel Williams, who was a philosophy, politics and economics student at Balliol College, was suspended by the university over the chant which repeated: Gaza, Gaza make us proud, put the Zios in the ground. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has not been confirmed whether Mr Williams is the arrested student. Credit: Social Media/X A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: Officers investigating chants filmed at a Palestine Coalition demonstration in central London on Saturday, 11 October, have made an arrest. A 20-year-old man was arrested at an address in Oxfordshire on Wednesday, 15 October, on suspicion of inciting racial hatred. He remains in police custody. A spokesman for Oxford University said: An Oxford University student was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday 15 October. The precise basis for the arrest has not yet been disclosed to the university. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the university cannot comment on individual student cases, it has the power to take immediate and proportionate action including, as appropriate, suspending a student from membership of the university, whenever serious concerns are raised. Oxford University is unequivocal: there is no place for hatred, anti-Semitism or discrimination within our community, and we will always act to protect the safety and dignity of our students. It is unclear whether Samuel Williams (right) will be expelled from Oxford University if he is found to have committed a criminal offence Tensions on British campuses The incident threatens to escalate a free speech row engulfing British campuses amid rising student tensions over the Middle East despite a ceasefire being announced between Israel and Hamas. Speaking through a microphone at the march, Mr Williams told the crowd: A steadfast and noble resistance in Palestine and in Gaza to look to, to be inspired by and I dont want to yap for too long but a chant that weve been workshopping in Oxford that maybe you guys want to join in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It goes Gaza, Gaza make us proud, put the Zios in the ground. It is unclear whether Mr Williams, from Tunbridge Wells, in Kent, will be expelled from the university if the police investigation finds that he committed a criminal offence. Mr Williams repeated the chant several times, using the word Zio as an abbreviation of Zionists, with several others around him joining in. Samuel Williams was a philosophy, politics and economics student at Balliol College at Oxford University An increase in anti-Semitism Ministers are understood to have had close contact with the university following the incident, and have made it clear that anti-Semitism has no place on campus or among its wider student body. Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, said last week that there had been an unacceptable increase in anti-Semitism at universities and many Jewish students did not feel safe on campus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She called on universities to strengthen protections for Jewish students and said the Government was funding training to help staff and students tackle this poison of anti-Semitism. Saturdays demonstration, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, took place despite news of a ceasefire coming into effect in Gaza. Other online footage from the rally showed Mr Williams near the front of a group of protesters holding signs bearing messages including Oxford University pick a side, justice or genocide. 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. Credit: Social Media/X Actions have consequences, as Anna Karenina famously discovered. That is a lesson now being learned by Oxford student Samuel Williams, who was filmed basking in the acclaim of a group of fellow hate chanters as he proudly revealed his creation to the crowd, a chant that weve been workshopping in Oxford. Footage of Williams chant has now gone viral. Gaza, Gaza make us proud, put the Zios in the ground, he screams, the intensity of his rage deepening with every repeat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On one level it is pathetic. Williams Instagram posts now deleted show him enjoying cosplaying at revolution, with pictures in combat fatigues holding machine guns and, of course, the now-essential keffiyeh scarf. The contrast with his preppy features and Harry Potter glasses is genuinely funny. But there is nothing amusing about incitement to murder: Put the Zios ie me in the ground. Thing is, we Jews have a long experience of what happens when mobs call for us to be put in the ground (and yes, Zio means Jews: only a tiny proportion of Jews are not Zionists). We end up being put in the ground. This isnt an issue of freedom of expression: free speech has never included the right to incite murder. Its said the police are now investigating. Good. Williams and his ilk need to learn that you dont get a free pass if your anger is directed at Jews. But I wont hold my breath waiting for the criminal justice system to act. George Orwell came up with the idea of a state-sanctioned Two Minutes Hate in 1984. But its clear from the CPSs refusal to act in all but a tiny number of cases that the Two Minutes Hate has been treated by the authorities not as a fictional satire but as the playbook for their decision making, with the state standing and watching a mass outpouring of hate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not just on the marches, mind. Its no surprise that Williams is a student, because Jew-hate on campus is now normalised. Last month, Tali, a Jewish student, spoke at a rally against anti-Semitism about her experience at Kings College London. On her very first day there she received these messages: Is there a f***ing Zionist in this group chat? Weve fished out a Zionist. Get em out. Cant wait to see you tomorrow, Tali. On the first anniversary of the October 7 2023 massacre, she was told: B***h get down. Youre not the messiah you think you are. The Zionists are actually everywhere. As a group, we should just band together and carry her out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When she went to the KCL wellness adviser, she was told that it may be helpful to try to understand why the other students are behaving this way towards her. The only thing unique about Talis experience is that she has been prepared to speak openly about the hatred directed to her as a Jew. This is the milieu in which the likes of Williams workshop their hate chants. It is a milieu of poison, and it is getting worse. 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. Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Pakistan and Taliban-run Afghanistan have signed on to a temporary truce following a series of border clashes and airstrikes. A 48-hour cease-fire was claimed by both Pakistan and Afghanistan's Taliban-ruled government that took effect Wednesday. It arrived after reported airstrikes on the Afghan side in Kandahar and Kabul. Both sides have claimed a number of casualties, however, they cannot be independently verified. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a Taliban spokesperson, Pakistani gunfire killed 12 civilians and wounded 100. Pakistani officials have long accused the Taliban of permitting its Pakistan wing to operate in Afghan borders in attempts to ultimately spread a strict Islamic extremist way of life. Pakistan's foreign ministry confirmed both sides would engage in talks to find a "positive solution to this complex but solvable issue." Over the last week, violence as risen since explosions in Afghanistan, which the Taliban blamed on Islamabad. Afghani military units had been instructed to maintain the cease-fire agreement as "long as no one commits aggression." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Sunday, Pakistani military leaders confirmed 23 soldiers were killed and at least 29 others wounded in recent fighting. They claimed that 200 Taliban-backed Afghan terrorists were killed in retaliatory strikes, and that Pakistani forces allegedly dismantled Afghan terrorist training camps. Meanwhile, hundreds of civilians have fled Pakistani border villages amid reports of cross-border firing, strikes and drone deployment, The Guardian reported. On Wednesday, a U.N. official stated that he was "deeply concerned" by the "numerous" reports of civilian casualties in addition to displacement via armed clashes at the Afghan-Pakistan border. "I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint, protect civilians, and abide by international law," Richard Bennett, the U.N. special rapporteur on the Afghan situation on human rights, posted on social media. ISLAMABAD/KABUL (Reuters) -Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a temporary ceasefire on Wednesday after an air strike and ground fighting ramped up tensions between the South Asian neighbours, leaving more than a dozen civilians dead and 100 wounded. Wednesday's fighting along the volatile, contested frontier shattered a fragile peace after dozens were killed in weekend clashes, the worst between the two Islamic countries since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021. The recent friction between the former allies erupted after Islamabad demanded that the Afghan Taliban administration acts to rein in militants who had stepped up attacks in Pakistan, saying they operated from havens in Afghanistan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Taliban denies the charge and accuses the Pakistani military of spreading misinformation about Afghanistan, provoking border tensions, and sheltering ISIS-linked militants to undermine the country's stability and sovereignty. Pakistan's military denies the charges. BOTH SIDES TO AIM DURING CEASEFIRE TO EASE CRISIS A Pakistani foreign ministry statement said the two countries would implement a "temporary ceasefire" for 48 hours starting 1300 GMT on Wednesday, adding the truce was requested by Kabul. Afghan Taliban administration spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the ceasefire was due to the "insistence of the Pakistani side." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kabul had directed its forces to observe the ceasefire provided the other side does not commit aggression, he said. Earlier on Wednesday, Pakistan carried out an air strike on the Afghan border province of Kandahar and hit the town of Spin Boldak, officials in both countries said. Pakistani security officials said the air strike had targeted a brigade of Afghan Taliban troops and that dozens were killed, without corroborating the claim. Enayatullah Khowarazmi, Afghanistan's defence ministry spokesperson, said residential areas of Spin Boldak were hit. BLAME EXCHANGED OVER LAUNCHING OF GROUND ATTACKS Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each side accused the other of launching ground attacks. The Afghan Taliban said more than a dozen of its civilians were killed and 100 wounded as Pakistani forces launched attacks in Spin Boldak. Pakistan denied launching those attacks and said four of its civilians were wounded in attacks by "Taliban forces" in the district of Chaman, opposite Spin Boldak across the frontier. Separately, fighting between Pakistani troops and militants in Pakistan's border district of Orakzai killed six paramilitary soldiers and nine militants, two security officials told Reuters. The neighbours have closed several crossings along their border since the fighting over the weekend, bringing trade to a halt and stranding scores of vehicles laden with goods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pakistan is the main source of food and other goods for landlocked, impoverished Afghanistan. CHINA, RUSSIA, US ALL EXPRESS CONCERN OVER CLASHES Last week's clashes drew international concern, with China urging protection for its citizens and investments, Russia calling for restraint, and U.S. President Donald Trump saying he could help end the conflict. The latest skirmishes coincided with Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's first visit to Pakistan's arch rival, India, during which New Delhi said it would reopen its Kabul embassy and the Afghan Taliban said it would send its diplomats to India. (Reporting by Saeed Shah, Asif Shahzad, Mushtaq Ali, Saleem Ahmed and Mohammad Yunus Yawar; Writing by Sakshi Dayal and YP Rajesh; Editing by Sudipto Ganguly and Bernadette Baum) By Olivia Le Poidevin GENEVA (Reuters) -The Palestinian Authority said on Wednesday it is prepared to operate a key crossing for aid between Egypt and Gaza, while raising concerns about who will pay for the reconstruction of the devastated enclave after two years of war. "Now we are ready to engage again, and we have notified all parties that we are ready to operate the Rafah crossing," said Mohammad Shtayyeh, special envoy to President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Palestinian Authority expects a significant role in post-war Gaza, Palestinian officials say, even though President Donald Trump's plan to end the war sidelines it for now. Arab countries have been pushing for the PA to have some role, but there is no approval for that in the ceasefire plan agreed by Israel and Hamas, before the PA introduces reforms. The Israeli military in May 2024 took control of the Palestinian side of Gaza's southern Rafah crossing which borders Egypt and which has been central for the delivery of aid and the exit of injured people in the Gaza war. Israel resumed preparations to open the crossing on Wednesday after a dispute over the return of the bodies of dead hostages that had threatened to derail the ceasefire deal with Hamas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement COGAT, the arm of the Israeli military that oversees aid flows into Gaza, said "the date for opening the crossing for the movement of people only will be announced later," in a statement to Reuters. Aid trucks rolled into Gaza through other crossings. Shtayyeh said an agreement with the EU Border Assistance Mission to help the PA manage the Rafah crossing effectively, which was paused in March as hostilities recommenced, is still valid. "The agreement is there, and I think now it's in the final shape of putting all the bits and pieces together for it to function," he told reporters in Geneva on a visit to Switzerland where he met Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis. GAZA RECONSTRUCTION Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shtayyeh expressed concern about the reconstruction of Gaza, which could cost at least $70 billion, according to UN estimates. "I am a bit worried about the issue of reconstruction. We need to compete with the reconstruction of Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Sudan, with many countries," he said. "We can teach in tents, but we need water. We need electricity and we need food in order for us to enable our people to stay there," he said. Huge swathes of Gaza have been reduced to a wasteland by Israeli bombardment over two years that killed nearly 68,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Britain, France, European Union, Japan and Switzerland have said they are ready to support Gaza's reconstruction. "They (Switzerland) notified me yesterday that they will be ready to contribute to the reconstruction of Gaza," Shtayyeh said. (Reporting by Olivia Le PoidevinEditing by Madeline Chambers and Ros Russell) The suspect charged with igniting a fire that eventually led to the deadly Palisades Fire could now face up to 45 years in prison after a federal grand jury indicted him and added two more felonies to his criminal case Wednesday. Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, is charged in the three-count indictment with one count of destruction of property by means of fire. He is also now charged with one count of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and one count of timber set afire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rinderknecht was facing 20 years behind bars before Wednesday's indictment if convicted. Now that two additional felonies were added, they more than doubled his potential time in prison to 45 years. He would face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison. His next court appearance will be his arraignment, which is expected to happen in the coming weeks. Rinderknecht, a former resident of Pacific Palisades, was taken into custody on Oct. 7 near his Florida home for destruction of property by means of fire, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. Authorities say Rinderknecht was familiar with the Palisades and had been staying at a home on Via La Costa in the Palisades Highlands that burned in the Jan. 7 fire. Timeline of Rinderknecht's alleged actions leading up to fire Rinderknecht started the Lachman Fire in the early morning hours of Jan. 1 after working as an Uber driver the night before, according to the federal criminal complaint. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Essayli said two of his passengers told law enforcement that he appeared agitated and angry that night. After he dropped off a passenger in the Pacific Palisades, Essayli said Rinderknecht parked his car and tried but failed to contact a former friend. Then, Rinderknecht exited his car, walked up a trail, took iPhone videos from a nearby hilltop and listened to a "rap song, whose music video included objects being lit on fire." Essayli said Rinderknecht listened to the song and watched the music video repeatedly in the days leading up to the Lachman Fire. After the Lachman Fire ignited, Rinderknecht called 911 to report the blaze but did not get service. Cellphone records show Rinderknecht was the only person in the area where the fire started. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He fled the scene in his car but turned around when he saw fire engines approach, Essayli said. "While the Lachman Fire burned, the defendant walked up the same trail from earlier that night to watch the fire and firefighters," Essayli said, adding that Rinderknecht recorded videos of the scene using his iPhone. "Although firefighters suppressed the blaze, the fire continued to smolder and burn underground within the root structure of the dense vegetation," Essayli said during a press conference Wednesday morning. "It smoldered underground for about a week until on January 7, heavy winds caused this underground fire to surface and spread above ground, causing what became known as the Palisades Fire - one of the most destructive fires in Los Angeles City history." In the complaint, the ATF calls the Palisades Fire a "holdover fire." The complain shows images of the burn scar and where both fires started. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During an interview Jan. 24, Rinderknecht told investigators where the fire began, information not yet public and that he would not have known if he hadn't witnessed it, the complaint said. He lied about his location, claiming he was near the bottom of the hiking trail, Essayli said. The suspect was visibly anxious during that interview, according to the complaint. His efforts to call 911 and his question to ChatGPT about a cigarette lighting a fire indicated he "wanted to preserve evidence of himself trying to assist in the suppression of the fire and he wanted to create evidence regarding a more innocent explanation for the cause of the fire," the complaint said. Investigators determined the Jan. 1 fire was intentionally lit, likely by a lighter taken to vegetation or paper, according to the criminal complaint. They excluded other possibilities, including fireworks, lightning and power lines. Authorities also looked into whether a cigarette may have caused the fire, but concluded that was not the cause, the complaint says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators found a "barbecue-style" lighter inside the glove compartment of Rinderknecht's car on Jan. 24. It appeared to be the same lighter as one that was in his apartment on Dec. 31, based on a photo on his phone. He admitted to bringing a lighter with him when he walked up the hill. Federal prosecutors also allege that the suspect's ChatGPT log shows he created an image depicting a burning forest and crowds fleeing it. The Associated Press contributed to this report. BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) It appears Government Street in Downtown Panama City will be keeping its name a little longer. The street was previously home to the federal courthouse, city hall, and the library. But the city hall and the library moved to new facilities, and the federal courthouse closed. So, the city and Downtown Improvement Board officials asked residents to help give the street a more fitting name. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Bay County Historical Society and the Bay County Republican Party have been the biggest advocates for a name change. The Republican Party wants to name the street in honor of the late political activist Charlie Kirk. Tuesday, City Commissioners postponed any official change until early 2027, or at least until some major projects in the area are complete. Its a little premature because we obviously have the marina that were still dealing with. We have the road construction, and somewhere in there, that vibe that feeling is going to show up. But at the same time, I do want to caution, I do want to let people know that it should, in my opinion, have a local historic bond, particularly if its going to be a name. But so, there are a lot of things that weve done well around here that are historical, it will really match, Panama City Commissioner Robbie Hughes said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hughes says residents are welcome to reach out to him with any name suggestions to be considered, once the time comes. 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. The family of Ellen Greenberg vows to continue fighting after a Philadelphia court closed a review into her death. Greenberg's parents spoke exclusively to ABC News, insisting that their fight is not over. The Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office released a new report Monday, reaffirming the city's finding that Greenberg's 2011 stabbing death was by suicide. RELATED: Hulu docuseries reexamines mysterious death of Philadelphia teacher The investigative series features 20 new interviews with the family, friends, and never before seen crime scene photos and autopsy analysis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A court weighed in on Tuesday, essentially closing the case. The review of their daughter's case, which was part of a settlement with the city, in one of two lawsuits brought by the Greenbergs. RELATED: Read Dr. Simon's full report on Ellen Greenberg's death The family says they were hoping her death would have been ruled un-determined. Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Companies with a long history of paying dividends and consistently hiking them remain appealing to income-focused investors. Terreno Realty, Trinity Industries, and Stanley Black & Decker have rewarded shareholders for years and recently announced dividend increases. These companies currently offer dividend yields of around 3% to 4%. Terreno Realty Terreno Realty Corp. (NYSE:TRNO) acquires, owns and operates industrial real estate in six major coastal U.S. markets: Los Angeles, Northern New Jersey/New York City, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Miami and Washington, D.C. 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(NYSE:TRN) provides railcar products and services under the TrinityRail trade name in North America. Trinity Industries has raised its dividends consecutively for the last 15 years. In its most recent dividend hike announcement on Dec. 5, it increased the quarterly payout from $0.28 to $0.30 per share, equal to an annual figure of $1.20 per share. More recently, in its dividend announcement on Sept. 4, the company maintained the payout at the same level. Currently, the dividend yield on the stock is 4.31%. The companys annual revenue as of June 30 stood at $2.52 billion. The company on July 31 posted Q2 2025 revenues of $506.20 million and EPS of $0.19, both coming in below the consensus estimates. See Also: The ChatGPT of Marketing' Just Opened a $0.81/Share Round 10,000+ Investors Are Already In Stanley Black & Decker Stanley Black & Decker Inc. (NYSE:SWK) is a global provider of tools and outdoor products, engineered fastening systems, and related services. PARIS, Ky. (FOX 56) Paris Elementary is supposed to be a safe place for kids to learn and grow, but whats happening just steps away has parents worried about their kids safety. Separated by just a fence is the Colonial Motel. Community members say its been a magnet for drug activity and violence for years. Most recently, there was a multiple-month operation where investigations were conducted into a variety of different types of illegal activity, said Leann Pickerill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Minor stabbed during fight at Big Spring Park in Versailles Pickerill started a petition over the weekend, which has gained more than 1,200 signatures, calling for the motel to be shut down. Savannah Robin has one child at the school and another who graduated. She said even if kids dont see the crime firsthand, they feel its impact. My kids come home and talk to me about it, and were very lucky that they have the chance to do that, but thats not all kids, Robinson said. Some of those kids are holding that in and not being able to share that with somebody and that takes a toll on their ability to want to come to school and to want to be focused when they get there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Concerns about the motels impact on the school arent new. Community members say they date back nearly two decades. Weve got multiple principals that have been at Paris Elementary that have written in to share their experience of what happened when they were principals, and those records date til 2005, Pickerill said. Theres some element of relief when its a fall break or when it is a holiday or a summer to know that thats not right next to them at all times, added Robin. Paris Independent Schools Stephen McCauley told Fox 56 that hes aware of the concerns regarding the motel and that his district has a good partnership with local law enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They provide our SROs, so theyre a great partner, McCauley said. Were just trying to support them, and I know theyre trying to move forward within the bounds of the law and all the regulations that might guide that. McCauley said the school board tried to purchase the property around three years ago. He said the districts hands are tied, but he is willing to work with city leaders on plans regarding the motel. Making the city and local law enforcement, local leaders aware of the concerns and frustrations is where those steps should go, added McCauley. Im happy to collaborate [with city leaders] in any way we possibly can. Its a close proximity to our school and we want to work with them in any way we can to support improvements to safety across the district. He said he supports anything that helps prioritize student and staff safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I want our parents, families, and communitys voices to be heard, McCauley said. Our schools are still very safe and still very secluded there. Like I said, local law enforcement does a great job of whatever activity they may be dealing with there. They keep it contained to that area and the fence has made a big difference in that regard as well. So, were working with what parameters we have. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Pickerill and Robin both emphasized the need for support to get the motel shut down. Theres got to be something that can be done to create a safe space, said Robin. I dont think it can continue to operate under the same pretenses and being able to do the same things that theyre doing now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We reached out to the property manager of the Colonial Motel and havent heard back. 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. NEED TO KNOW A woman, identified only as Mirella, has been rescued after allegedly being hidden in her parents' home for 27 years A fundraiser set up for her alleges she did not have access to basic hygiene all these years, including menstrual pads and underwear She was found emaciated with a host of health concerns, including a condition in her legs that creates "excruciating pain" even from a gust of wind, friends and neighbors claim. No charges have been brought so far Neighbors and well-wishers in southern Poland are raising funds for a 42-year-old woman who was allegedly held in her parents' home for 27 years while the parents told everyone she was missing. The woman, identified in local media outlets only as Mirella, was rescued from the alleged captivity in her parents' home in Swietochowice, about 180 miles from the Polish capital of Warsaw, according to police, local outlets TVP3, Super Express and Fakt reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She was rescued in July, but the case became public in Poland this month. Neighbors who heard a commotion in her parents' apartment called police, who then found Mirella at the residence, Fakt, Polska Agencja Prasowa and Super Express reported. "It all started with voices coming from that apartment. It was very late at night when we called the police," Luiza, a neighbor in the building, told Fakt. Police said Mirella and her mother both told authorities that there were no issues in the apartment, but Mirella's physical condition "like an old lady," Luiza alleged to Fakt prompted police to transfer her to a hospital, the authorities told Super Express. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Photos shared by Fakt show law enforcement officials escorting a stooped woman, one of her emaciated arms dangling on her side. According to neighbors, Mirella's parents allegedly said she went missing at the age of 15, multiple outlets reported. That was 27 years ago. In response to those who were more inquisitive, the parents allegedly said Mirella had been reunited with her biological parents, per Fakt and TVP3. Marek Slusarczyk / Alamy Swietochlowice, Poland Swietochlowice, Poland Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Now, friends and neighbors caring for Mirella have revealed horrific details of the life she was allegedly made to live for nearly three decades. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a fundraiser that has been set up to assist with her physical and mental treatment, as well as her upcoming living costs, Mirella's friends claim the woman was confined to a small room and did not have access to basic hygiene, including underwear and menstrual pads. Her friends say her legs have been "suffering increasingly" over the years, so much so that "even a gust of wind caused her excruciating pain." "I remember her from childhood. She was a normal, healthy child; we ran around the yard, climbing trees, and nothing ever happened to her. She was a healthy teenager," Luiza, who is involved with the fundraiser, told Fakt. Luiza and other friends of Mirella are hopeful she can have a future ahead that is healthy and free. Since her rescue, she has tasted espresso for the first time, and her friends say she loves it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Let's show her a world she's never experienced. No one can give her back the most beautiful years of her life, but we can build beautiful memories of the life still ahead of her," read part of the fundraiser. It wasn't immediately clear if there will be charges against Mirella's parents. No charges have been brought so far, authorities told the Polish media. Police are investigating the case as potential abuse, local prosecutor Agnieszka Kwatera said, per Super Express. If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. Read the original article on People DES MOINES, Iowa Early voting for the November election starts Wednesday, and Des Moines Public Schools are still working to rally support behind the districts Reimagining Education bond referendum that will be on the ballot. But one concerned parent says even though she wants to support the bond, she currently cant, as she feels her children are being left out of the conversation. Shelley Skuster has four children enrolled in Des Moines Public Schools; two of her children have IEPs, which are individualized education plans, and another child is on the autism spectrum. Skuster has attended multiple learning sessions surrounding the bond, and says that while she knows funding cant be allocated toward teacher salaries and training for special education, the bond would result in multi-million dollar cost savings for the district, which could then be earmarked for special education support. Platelet blood donation helps save Iowa womans life while fighting leukemia Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When I asked how much money would be used to support special education, I was told that our students will be thought of. Thats not enough. Our students with special needs need to be included in every plan, in every budget. They are the most vulnerable students that we have in the district and if we dont include and prioritize their needs, then what are we doing, said Skuster. Skuster said with the commitment to transparency and funding to help special needs students in the district, she would support the bond. I really want to see a public commitment from district leadership on how much money from the cost savings theyre going to allocate for special education, for paraprofessional training and hiring for special education, teacher support for adaptive materials for our kids with special needs. I dont think thats too much to ask for, and I think as a parent and also a taxpayer, we need to be asking these questions and have transparency. On Tuesday afternoon DMPS announced the creation of an oversight committee for the bond referendum that will consist of business and community leaders. Interim Superintendent Matt Smith said in a statement that, We [the district] have been holding community meetings to discuss the importance and benefits of the Reimagining Education $265 million bond referendum which is on the November ballot. Many people recognize the need for this bond, but they want assurances the investment will be well managed, and this committee is an important step to give voters confidence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To find when the next educational session will be, click here. Metro 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 who13.com. (The Center Square) The father of a Federal Way High School student is raising concerns about a recent school assembly related to Hispanic Heritage Month. He came home and he was just upset, Nathan Bindara said about his son, who is a student at FWHS. He said, Dad, can I be excused from assemblies? Then he explained there was a video they were showing that upset him. I asked for clarification, and he told me they were saying you cant be illegal if youre native or Mexican, and I was like, wow, thats ridiculous. The video, linked to a Facebook page belonging to Native Cultures Consortiums, opens with a woman saying, Mexicans are Native Americans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before there were passports and fences and flags, my people were here, another woman in the video says. Bindara explained that he called the district office, shared his concerns, and then spoke with the vice principal at Federal Way High School, who agreed to email him the entire presentation from the assembly, including the video. I tried to explain to her that Im half Mexican and part Apache, and I told her I didnt understand how you can be telling kids they cant be illegal. Thats just not true, he said, suggesting an overt political message should not be part of a school assembly. Bindara said Vice Principal Amanda McGrew told him she had a different viewpoint on the video, but had met with the Latinx Club at school, which had promoted the video, and shared her concerns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It will allow for a great teachable moment for our Latinx Club students on different viewpoints and perspectives and allow them to think about considering and including these perspectives when planning assemblies in the future, McGrew said in an email to Bindara shared with The Center Square. When I watched the video, they were saying you cant be American unless youre native or Mexican, Bindara said. It felt very divisive, and I just felt angry. And it was all AI-generated. They couldnt even get real people to do the video and say those things. A man in the video says, When they say go back to your country, I say, where exactly do you want me to go? Im already home. A woman in the video proclaims, I am what America looks like, before the conquest, before the lie, before the border. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bindara said his son has been told to walk out of future assemblies or classes promoting a similar agenda. If they start getting political like that, he knows he can get up and leave, he said. Meanwhile, a parent in the Highline School District is sounding the alarm about a controversial immigration-related book that is required reading for ninth graders. The Book of Unknown Americans is a novel about the immigrant experience in America, centered on a family from Mexico who move to Delaware. The book contains vulgar language, talks about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raping migrants, and includes graphic details of sexual violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A concerned dad contacted unDivided podcast host Brandi Kruse, who posted the story on X. The Center Square obtained a copy of the novel to verify its contents, which includes a character discussing the plight of illegal immigrants risking their lives to enter America. Half of them ending up dead or burned up so bad that when someone finds them, their skin is black, and their lips are cracked open ... and half after that picked up by la migra and sent back to where they came from or beaten or arrested. The women raped in the a--, the author writes. "La migra" is a Spanish slang term for U.S. immigration authorities, including ICE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are other very graphic sexual references throughout the novel. The Center Square reached out to the school district for comment on the assigned reading. The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez tells the story of two immigrant families navigating life and belonging in the United States, HSD Chief Communications Officer Tove Tupper said in an email. The book was selected because it supports key learning goals for ninth-grade students, including analyzing character development, exploring themes of identity and belonging, and understanding diverse perspectives. It has been used for a couple of years in Evergreen High School 9th-grade language arts classes. We recognize that some materials used in high school courses may include mature or sensitive content appropriate for the grade level. As part of the schools routine syllabus distribution process at the start of the year, Evergreen provided information to families about course materials, including this book, noting that some readings include mature themes such as profanity and/or violence. The school also invited families to reach out with questions and concerns, and offered alternative learning options if requested. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Comments in response to Kruses X post about the book ranged from disgust to outrage. Washington state leftists are pedophiles and groomers, wrote one commenter. Another wrote, Disgusting curriculum for 9th grade students in Highline School District. Now is the time to call the Superintendent Dr. Ivan Duran and take action to register your complaint. School choice, now, someone else posted. Public schools are corrupted beyond repair. "Home school, your kids. No matter what you think you gain by sending your kids to public school, it isn't worth it," read another comment. April Perez was 22 years old when she had her first daughter. Enrolling in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, commonly known as WIC, was a lifesaver. With her being my first child, she said, I was still finding my way through motherhood. The program helped her access healthy foods for her family, get formula when she wasnt able to produce enough breastmilk to breastfeed her daughter, and even get a referral to sign up her daughter, now 4 years old, for health insurance. WIC provides food, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and health care referrals to about 6.7 million low-income mothers and young children ages 5 and under. Perez said the benefits for formula and foods like milk, fruit and vegetables alleviated some of the financial pressure around her transition to motherhood. I didnt have to stress about whether I was going to feed her or not, she said. The benefits also made it possible for Perez and her husband to save up for their own apartment and move out of the friends house they were staying in. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Perezs husband works long days in construction, but she doesnt work due to a number of health issues. She has cerebral palsy, which makes it hard for her to stand, use her arms and hands, or sometimes even walk, and hydrocephalus. WIC benefits help keep her family afloat. Perez, who lives in Virginia, now has two more daughters, a 3-year-old and a 3-month-old, and all three of her children are enrolled in WIC. Her 3-year-old, who has been diagnosed with autism, is very particular about food given her sensory sensitivities, but Perez is able to get her plenty of milk, bananas and other foods she likes with her WIC benefits. It gives me peace of mind for my kid, she said. Her infant, meanwhile, needs a special formula because she has acid reflux, which she said would cost her $50 if she didnt get it through WIC. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the government shutdown has now put the WIC program at risk. Unlike Social Security, WIC isnt an entitlement program, so it relies on Congress to appropriate money every year, but Congress wasnt able to pass bills funding the government before the fiscal year lapsed on September 30. The program is currently very low on funds, operating mostly on a contingency fund of $150 million, which is nearly depleted, as the shutdown continues. Federal funds would likely have lasted just two weeks from the start of the shutdown, estimated Zoe Neuberger, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Then on Oct. 7, the Trump administration said it had found a creative solution to use tariff revenue to keep federal WIC funding flowing. In a briefing for Congressional staffers three days later, the administration said it would move about $300 million in unused tariff revenue into WIC, allowing it to continue until the end of October. After federal funding is gone, states will have to use their own money if they want to keep the program going and try to get the federal government to pay them back when it reopens. The administration recently sent states an email saying that if they use their own funds for WIC allowable purposes they may be reimbursed, according to Neuberger and the National WIC Association. But there isnt a guarantee of reimbursement, Neuberger noted, and it would be helpful to have assurances. States have used their funds to keep WIC going in past shutdowns, and some plan to do so now. Colorado lawmakers passed a bill to fund the program for a month in the event of a shutdown, and the governors of Connecticut and Montana have promised that theyll keep their programs running for the near term. But not every state currently has that capacity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Mississippi pledged not to disrupt benefits for current recipients, the state has suspended enrolling new ones. The Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada WIC, which serves Nevadas Native tribes and is open to all of the states residents, announced that it would cut off benefits starting on Oct. 9, but then received unspent federal recovery funds that allowed it to stay open through the end of October. Similarly, Washington state officials said they dont have the money to keep WIC open, but also received federal funding on Oct. 9 that allows the state program to keep operating through the end of the month. If the shutdown drags on longer than that, states in similar situations will either have to stop enrolling new families to stretch their funds or risk having to cut off benefits entirely. Related With SNAP Cuts, This Federal Food Program May Become a Lifeline For Families Losing benefits would be devastating for parents like Ashely Gooden-Stewart, a mother of three from Texas. She first enrolled in WIC in 2014, when her first baby, who died as an infant, was born. She enrolled when each of her other children were born and is currently receiving benefits for her 1-year-old. Gooden-Stewart works remotely on a contract basis, but the work is seasonal and spotty. She said she doesnt have any current projects and doesnt expect to before the end of the month, but in order to get a full-time job she needs child care, which she cannot afford. WIC helps fill in the gaps. Eggs is expensive, milk is expensive, life is expensive, Gooden-Stewart said. Her family relies on getting those staples through the program. If these benefits dry up, We would have to go with less, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The educational aspects of WIC are also very valuable to her. She said the breastfeeding classes are incredible and the classes on child development milestones, which she currently attends, have been very useful. Although Ive been a mother for years, its different each time, she said. She loves the cooking classes that are offered, which help her discover more ways to incorporate vegetables into her familys meals. It helps our family eat healthier, she said, adding that losing access to these classes would be detrimental. The uncertainty of the shutdown itself may be disrupting benefits for some people by making them hesitate to enroll. Just the news about a shutdown or WIC possibly being affected leads people to not get benefits that they need, Neuberger noted. And even after the government eventually reopens, WICs future remains uncertain. The program still has to be funded for the next year, and its unclear if it will get enough money to keep operating as it has been. In his budget proposal, President Trump called for a significant cut to WICs fruit and vegetable benefits, which would reduce benefits between 62% to 75% for 5.2 million participants, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget Policy and Priorities (CBPP). Although the Republican-led House proposed a smaller cut to the fruit and vegetable benefits in its latest appropriations bill, the proposal still calls for a reduction and doesnt include enough funding to keep serving everyone that is likely to enroll over the next year. Under the proposal, more than 4 million recipients would see a reduction in their food benefits and states would have to turn away nearly a half million eligible families, according to a CBPP report. The Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill, by contrast, fully funds WIC. Congressional Democrats, meanwhile, have introduced a bill that would make WIC a mandatory program, sparing it from running out of money during a government shutdown or if enrollment surges more than expected. There is also a risk that if an agreement to reopen the government doesnt include guardrails that ensure that the Trump administration actually spends the money Congress appropriates as is the law, WIC could be cut through measures the administration has already used to withhold funding for other programs, such as impoundment and rescission. With higher enrollment from eligible families and rising food costs, WIC is in need of more funding than in past years to continue serving all eligible participants who enroll. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If WIC benefits are disrupted, Perezs family will feel the impact immediately. It scares me, Perez said. Her family receives food stamps, but with food prices so high, it only lasts me for one week, she said. Perez knows she cant work, and she doesnt have child care, but she said that if WIC funding runs short in the shutdown, she might be forced to find some kind of job to make ends meet. The only alternative would be for her husband, who already works from 6 a.m. into the evening, to get a second job during night hours. She worries about how that would impact her children, especially her daughter with autism who doesnt do well with change. They might even have to move. Perez fears that if their WIC benefits are interrupted, her family may not be able to afford their monthly rent of $1,650 on top of utilities, internet and car payments. Growing up, Perez said she watched her parents go without food so she and her siblings could eat. WIC benefits have meant she hasnt yet had to do the same. But that will change if WICs food benefits disappear. The thought of that happening and me having to do that for my kids that hurts, she said. The thought of having to worry about that is scary. I dont want to have to worry about if Im going to be able to feed my kids or not. [If] I wasnt able to take care of my kids like I want to, Perez said, that would really make me disappointed in this country. IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) A Mooresville man has been charged with human trafficking and child sexual assault offenses after allegedly leading minors on a religious trip from Argentina to the United States, according to the Iredell County Sheriffs Office. On August 12, detectives learned of sexual offenses committed against two minors between May 2002 and June 2008. The victims were both from Argentina and between the ages of 13 and 17 at the time of the offenses, officials said. They were reportedly part of a religious ministry led by the suspect, 50-year-old Luis Alberto Sosa, who was serving as a missionary pastor from Argentina. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Man accused of targeting, fatally shooting Taco Bell employee caught within 24 hours: UCSO The investigation revealed that Sosa brought the victims to the United States under the false pretense of a ministry opportunity and a once-in-a-lifetime trip. At the time, Sosa was reportedly granted temporary guardianship over the children while they were traveling. Over the course of two months, Sosa allegedly committed several separate sexual offenses against the minors while they were in his care, the sheriffs office said. The case was first reported by the victims to the Argentinian authorities. It was later forwarded to the Iredell County Sheriffs Office through the Argentinian Consulate, which started a joint investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detectives learned Sosa fled to Florida from North Carolina. Officials obtained arrest warrants for Sosa, as well as a nationwide extradition order. Authorities learned Sosa was in Flagler County, and he was arrested without incident there by deputies with the Flagler County Sheriffs Office. Repeat offenders, new units, and a safer Charlotte? What CMPDs new data reveals Sosa is being held without bond in Florida while he is awaiting extradition back to Iredell County to face the following charges: Two counts of felony human trafficking Five counts of felony statutory sexual offense Seven counts of felony sexual activity by a custodian Two counts of felony indecent liberties with a child Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Sheriffs Office said Sosa has no known prior criminal history at this time. This investigation demonstrates how critical collaboration between agencies is in bringing fugitives to justice, Sheriff Darren Campbell said. We thank the Argentinian authorities and the Flagler County Sheriffs Office for their assistance. Queen City News is tracking CRIME in your area >> Latest stories 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 Queen City News. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is threatening legal action against Houston Methodist Hospital, claiming the hospital may have denied organ transplants to unvaccinated patients in violation of a new state law. In a letter sent Monday, Paxton directed the hospital to clarify whether its policies comply with House Bill 4076, which took effect on September 1 and prohibits health care providers from refusing organ transplants or related services solely because a patient chose not to receive a COVID-19 or other vaccination. Paxtons office said Methodist has fourteen days to respond or face a formal investigation. Texans looking to receive medical care should never be turned away due to arbitrary COVID-19 vaccine mandates imposed by woke medical providers, Paxton said in a statement. Vaccine mandates as a precondition for certain life-saving treatments may not only violate new state laws that became effective on September 1, but they also violate human dignity and run contrary to foundational principles of medical ethics. NEW: Im warning Houston Methodist Hospital over alleged COVID-19 vaccine mandates for organ transplant patients. Texans looking to receive medical care should never be turned away due to arbitrary COVID-19 vaccine mandates imposed by woke medical providers. pic.twitter.com/Bj5jIG4RtS Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) October 13, 2025 Paxton shared the announcement on social media, writing, NEW: Im warning Houston Methodist Hospital over alleged COVID-19 vaccine mandates for organ transplant patients. Texans looking to receive medical care should never be turned away due to arbitrary COVID-19 vaccine mandates imposed by woke medical providers. The post drew swift responses from doctors aligned with the Medical America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement in Texas. Dr. Peter McCullough, a prominent critic of vaccine mandates, replied, Fatal Acute Rejection 12 Days after Heart Transplant 52 Days after Sputnik Light Vaccine COVID-19 vaccination not medically necessary, not clinically indicated, and unsafe for organ transplant recipients. Dr. Mary Talley Bowden, another physician long at odds with Houston Methodist, responded, I offered to drop my lawsuit against Houston Methodist if they would accept an unvaccinated mother of 7 into their transplant program. Never heard back. Heres the conversation I had with their transplant center. pic.twitter.com/1p5rRTZNu0 Mary Talley Bowden MD (@MdBreathe) October 13, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bowden also posted a video purporting to show a phone call with someone who apparently works in Methodists transplant center, in which the caller allegedly confirms that some patients are refused transplants based on vaccination status. It was not immediately clear when this video was recorded. Houston Methodist, however, has denied the allegations. A hospital spokesman told the Houston Chronicle that it is following state law and does not have a policy requiring transplant patients be vaccinated against COVID-19, or any other disease, and does not deny care based on vaccination status. The confrontation comes months after Houston Methodist reignited its legal dispute with Bowden, a former physician at the hospital who has become one of its most vocal critics. Methodist is pursuing an additional $26,000 in fees from Bowden despite cashing a settlement check meant to end a years-long defamation dispute stemming from her opposition to the hospitals COVID-19 vaccine policies, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. Bowden has claimed that Houston Methodist retaliated against her for questioning vaccine mandates, while the hospitals communications team has insisted that their lawyers are making an attempt to compel Dr. Bowden to do what is right and pay the entirety of [the hospitals legal fees]. The dispute has played a role in her simultaneous battle with the Texas Medical Board, DX reported. Paxtons latest move signals that the states top law enforcement office is now turning its attention back toward Methodists COVID policies this time under the weight of new state law. Houston Methodist has until October 27 to provide a written explanation of its compliance. Failure to respond, the Attorney Generals Office said, will trigger a formal investigation. (WHTM) PennCyber is warning Pennsylvanians of increased cyber risk after Windows 10 support officially ends. All Pennsylvania residents, businesses, and organizations are encouraged to take action following the end of Windows 10 support, according to PennCyber. Microsoft will no longer provide security patches, technical assistance, or feature updates for Windows 10 and older systems. PennCyber said that the action could potentially leave millions of devices vulnerable to new and emerging cyber threats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once an operating system reaches its end of life, it essentially becomes an unlocked door, said Scott R. Davis, Chairman of the Cybersecurity Association of Pennsylvania. Cybercriminals know updates are no longer coming and will specifically target those systems. Every day that passes without an upgrade increases the risk of compromise. PennCyber said anyone still running Windows 10 will be at risk of newly discovered vulnerabilities, as security updates will no longer continue. Windows 10 has been a reliable platform for the past decade, Davis noted. But without security updates, it becomes a liabilityespecially for small and midsize organizations that depend on these systems to manage sensitive data or financial transactions. PennCyber offered some advice to those still using Windows 10. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Upgrade to Windows 11 If your hardware supports it, upgrading to Windows 11 ensures continued protection and stability. Replace Older Devices For machines that cannot run Windows 11, consider purchasing new systems that meet modern security standards. Enroll in Microsofts Extended Security Update (ESU) Program Users unable to upgrade can enroll in Microsofts ESU program, which provides limited security patches until October 13, 2026 . Isolate Outdated Systems If Windows 10 devices must remain operational for legacy applications, remove them from the internet and internal networks (air gapping) to prevent exposure End-of-life systems should never be used to process payments, store client information, or access internal business networks, Davis emphasized. If you have to keep one running, treat it as a standalone system with no external connectivity. 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 ABC27. This article is made possible through Spotlight PAs collaboration with Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting. Sign up for Votebeats free newsletters here. After President Donald Trump lost his reelection bid in 2020, he and his allies were pushing false narratives about the election being stolen, pressuring state and local officials, and calling for audits of the results. In Fulton County, Pennsylvania, a Republican stronghold where Trump won a larger percentage of the vote than anywhere else in the state, local leaders wanted to help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sending this email to see whats going on with this rigged election, County Commissioner Randy Bunch, a Republican, wrote to state Sen. Judy Ward, also a Republican, in a Nov. 12 email obtained by watchdog group American Oversight. We cant let this election get stolen if there is anything I can do please let me know. A few weeks later, according to court documents, the county let an outside company examine its voting machines and download data from them. In text messages sent shortly afterwards, one county commissioner said that if the county hadnt given the company access, a Trump ally would have forced it to do so via a subpoena. That decision to allow a third party to access sensitive voting equipment set off far-reaching consequences for Fulton County. As a result of a state order, it had to purchase all-new voting equipment. After years of legal proceedings, the county is facing more than $1 million in fines, an amount equal to roughly one-eighth of its yearly budget. It sure is a mess, said Paula Shives, a Democrat who was a county commissioner at the time, but didnt approve granting access to the voting equipment. And unfortunately, it looks like the residents of Fulton County will be responsible for the damages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Five years later, election officials in predominantly Republican counties around the country are again getting requests to inspect their voting equipment in connection with the 2020 election. Recently, The Washington Post reported that a Republican consultant reached out to clerks in Colorado to ask if they would allow a third party to review whether their voting machines complied with federal law. The consultant claimed to be cooperating with officials working on the Presidents executive order. A representative of the U.S. Department of Justice also recently approached counties in Missouri asking for access to election equipment used during the 2020 election, though the exact purpose of the request was unclear. In both cases, officials said they declined the requests. But Lawrence Norden, vice president of the elections and government program at the Brennan Center, noted that election officials in other states might act differently. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is just one more thing that election officials are going to have to grapple with, he said. They need support from the states to make clear to them what the rules are and the protocols are for dealing with the request for access to the equipment. All of this gives new relevance to the choices officials in Fulton County made five years ago and the expensive consequences the county is still dealing with today. Commissioner asks: Who authorized this? Fulton County sits along the states southern border with Maryland west of Gettysburg. Its roughly 15,000 residents are reliable Republicans who havent voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964, when Lyndon B. Johnson won the state by a landslide. Even though Trump romped to victory in Fulton County in 2020, two Republican commissioners there still pushed for an audit in the chaotic period following the election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Court documents say Bunch and fellow Republican Commissioner Stuart Ulsh allowed a Pennsylvania-based technology company called Wake TSI to inspect and copy components of its Dominion Voting election equipment. Wake TSI was also involved in the review of the Maricopa County, Arizona 2020 election. Wake TSI was contracted at the time to a nonprofit company run by pro-Trump attorney Sidney Powell, who was challenging election results around the country, according to The Washington Post. Text messages obtained by American Oversight showed that pressure from a Pennsylvania state senator, Doug Mastriano, may have contributed to the countys decision to let Wake TSI examine its machines. According to the Post, Mastriano, who is from neighboring Franklin County, told Trump he could arrange an audit in the state, something Trump and his allies had been pushing for. Shives, who found out after the fact that the examination had gone ahead, expressed consternation in a group text message with the other two commissioners, the records show. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Who did that, she asked. Patti Hess, then the countys election director, replied with a photo of paperwork from Wake TSI, adding that it was sent by Senator Mastriano and that all counties are to do this. All counties are to do this by whose order? Shives asked. Who authorized this? When was it scheduled? Who was notified and who was present during this process? It was happening this way or in a subpoena, Ulsh said after some back and forth. No county appears to have ever received a subpoena in connection with Mastrianos review. Why state law restricts access to voting equipment After commissioners released Wake TSIs report which uncovered no fraud on the countys website, officials at the Pennsylvania Department of State were alarmed that the county had given a non-governmental outside organization access to its voting equipment. State laws and regulations require such equipment to be kept secure and accessible only to a limited number of government officials and employees of the manufacturer in order to prevent the introduction of any malware. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attempts to access voting systems occurred elsewhere around the country. In Coffee County, Georgia, Trump attorneys and local election officials allowed an outside company to access voting equipment, which factored into an indictment against Trump and those officials, though that case has since stalled. In Colorado, Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters received a nine-year prison sentence for allowing an outside individual to access and copy data on voting machines. Peters is appealing her conviction, and Trump has advocated for her release. Trevor Timmons, a former chief information officer with the Colorado Department of State who now serves as chief technology officer with elections consulting firm The Election Group, said access to voting equipment across the country is generally severely limited. Poll workers will have some access, needed to run the machines on Election Day, with election directors and vendors typically having the type of higher-level access needed to program machines. The logic behind keeping access tight is that if someone has physical access to the machines programing, they could potentially reprogram the machine to influence the outcome of elections. For example, he said, in a demonstration at a recent hacking conference, he saw someone add the letters il in front of the word legal in a ballot question, changing the meaning of a question on marijuana legalization. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the Mesa County case, Peters allowed somebody in and they imaged the disk, they got a copy of everything that was sitting on that disk, he said. To a sophisticated attacker, it allows them to make it easier to learn how the system works and to customize targeted attacks against that software and against those hardware devices. County defies court order In July 2021 the state decertified Fulton Countys machines, telling county officials that no one could verify that the impacted components of Fulton Countys leased voting system are safe to use in future elections The county sued the state over the decertification, and while that case was playing out, the Department of State secured an order from the state Supreme Court temporarily barring any more third-party access to the equipment. But there was more to the story. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fulton County had separately sued Dominion Voting for breach of contract, claiming Dominion failed to provide a system that was free from defects and compliant. As part of that lawsuit, county officials allowed another company, Speckin Forensics, to examine the machines an inspection that occurred after the Supreme Court order went into effect. The Department of State asked the courts to hold the county in contempt for violating the order. After two years of litigation, a special master appointed by the state Supreme Court ordered the county and its attorney to pay $711,252.21 to the department and $324,672.88 to Dominion Voting. Ulsh, who lost his 2023 reelection bid, told Votebeat and Spotlight PA that he didnt want to talk about the decision to allow Wake TSIs examination and the aftermath, calling it fake news. A bill awaits the countys taxpayers The county is nearly out of options to avoid paying the fine. It recently lost an appeal in the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in its breach-of-contract case against Dominion, but it also is separately appealing to the state Supreme Court its loss in the case the county had brought against the Department of State. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both the Department of State and Dominion Voting said they hadnt yet been paid. Last week, Dominion was purchased by a new company, Liberty Vote. A spokesperson for the new company did not return a request for comment. I dont know how the current board of commissioners are going to (pay) that, said Shives, who lost her reelection bid in 2023. Bunch, who is still a commissioner, did not respond to a call seeking comment, or an email to him and the other two current commissioners asking how the county would pay the bill if its appeals are unsuccessful. I thought they were crazy, said Stanley Kerlin, a local attorney and Republican who served as solicitor for the countys board of elections from 1981 to 2019. They got sold a bill of goods that that machine was no good and it doesnt count votes correctly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said it was illogical, in his view, that a conspiracy would involve Fulton County, which voted overwhelmingly for Trump. And if commissioners had doubts about the performance of the machines, he said, a better move would have been hand-counting a precinct or two. Now, as a result, he said, the county will have squandered hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars. Kerlin said the commissioners have said they wont increase taxes to pay the fine. The other option, taking it out of the countys savings account, still requires taxpayers to foot the bill. Kerlin said the audit and the fine dont get talked about much in the county, which shocks him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think a lot of people dont understand it, he said, but added, theyll understand when they see the headline that the county has to pay [$700,000] to the state. Carter Walker is a reporter for Votebeat in partnership with Spotlight PA. Contact Carter at cwalker@votebeat.org. 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 ABC27. The man charged with setting fire to the Pennsylvania governors mansion, occupied by Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family, entered a guilty plea in court on Tuesday as part of a plea deal. Cody A. Balmer, 38, pleaded guilty to attempted murder, aggravated arson, 22 counts of arson, burglary and other charges, the Dauphin County District Attorneys Office said. Balmer has been sentenced to 25 to 50 years in state prison under the plea deal, the district attorneys statement said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Balmer reportedly was upset with Shapiros stance on the Israel-Hamas war. Shapiro condemned Hamas attack and the rise of antisemitism in recent years. Prosecutors said Balmer climbed a security fence at the governors mansion on April 13 and set a fire that left significant damage and forced the Shapiro family and guests to evacuate. Shapiro was with his wife Lori, their four children, two dogs and another family celebrating the Jewish holiday of Passover and were woken up by state troopers pounding on the door to alert them of the fire. This image made from a surveillance video provided by the Dauphin County District Attorney's Office shows Cody Balmer holding a Molotov cocktail and striking at a door leading to where Gov. Josh Shapiro, his family and guests slept in the governor's mansion on April 13, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. | Dauphin County District Attorney's Office via the Associated Press Security footage released by authorities show a man climbing the fence, breaking one of the homes windows and throwing a Molotov cocktail inside. The fires caused significant damage to some of the rooms in the house, but no one was injured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A search was underway during the day for a suspect and Balmer later turned himself in. Today, the defendant in the attack at the Governor's Residence pled guilty to attempted murder, arson, terrorism, and several other counts. While today's news brings some closure, it also reminds us of the work we all must do, together, to combat political violence. As the day Josh Shapiro (@JoshShapiroPA) October 14, 2025 Shapiro reacted to the plea deal, noting that it brings some closure, but also serves as a reminder of the need to combat political violence. This image provided by Commonwealth Media Services shows damage after a fire at the Pennsylvania governors mansion while Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family slept inside on Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. | Commonwealth Media Services via Associated Press Shapiro, in a Substack post, shared that its difficult to grasp that someone tried to burn his family to death. He said he and his wife have struggled to explain it to their children. Ive carried with me this enormous sense of guilt guilt that doing this job that I love so much has put our childrens lives at risk. Its been really hard, Shapiro said. The governor said the ongoing construction in the home and security measures for the family are constant reminders of what happened and that our safety is not assured. He thanked the law enforcement and firefighters for their work that night. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro pauses during a news conference at the governor's official residence discussing the alleged arson that forced him, his family and guests to flee in the middle of the night on the Jewish holiday of Passover, Sunday, Apr. 13, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. | Marc Levy, Associated Press Shapiro noted that his family is not the only one experiencing political violence. He called for an end to the rise of violent political acts and expressed gratitude for accountability in this case. The April attack was widely condemned by leaders of both political parties. Its one of several acts of political violence happening across the country, including the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump, the assassination of a Minnesota state Democratic lawmaker and her husband, and the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, among others. WASHINGTON (AP) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom because a windshield cracked on a flight back to the U.S. from a NATO meeting and all aboard are safe, the Pentagon said. The plane landed based on standard procedures, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a post on X. After Hegseth left Brussels, open source flight trackers spotted his C-32 lose altitude and begin broadcasting an emergency signal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No members of the Pentagon press corps were traveling with Hegseth, as was regular practice under previous defense secretaries. Instead, Pentagon reporters were emptying their desks and cleaning out their workspaces after rejecting new rules for journalists based in the Pentagon. In February, an Air Force C-32 carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Jim Risch, was similarly forced to return to Washington after an issue with the cockpit windshield. The incident occurred about 90 minutes after the flight took off from Joint Base Andrews outside of Washington. The C-32, a specially configured version of the Boeing 757-200 commercial airplane, transports U.S. leaders, including the vice president, first lady and members of the Cabinet and Congress. A man who worked as a Pentagon contractor and State Department adviser has been charged with removing classified information from a government facility after investigators found over a thousand documents with classified markings at his house in Virginia. Some of the documents that Ashley Tellis, an expert in South Asian affairs, allegedly accessed and removed refer to Air Force tactics and techniques, according to court records. Tellis allegedly met numerous times with Chinese government officials over the last several years, says an FBI affidavit made public on Tuesday. In April 2023, Tellis had dinner with Chinese government officials in a Washington, DC, suburb and could be occasionally overheard talking about Iranian-Chinese relations and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, an FBI agent wrote in the affidavit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tellis is an unpaid adviser at the State Department and a contractor at the Office of Net Assessment (ONA), according to the affidavit. ONA is the Pentagons in-house think tank for anticipating security threats that the Defense Department said in March would be dismantled and restructured. It was not immediately clear from the affidavit what information, if any, Tellis allegedly passed to the Chinese government officials. CNN has requested comment from the Eastern District of Virginia, where Tellis was charged. Tellis made his initial court appearance on Tuesday. A detention hearing is scheduled for October 21. Ashley J. Tellis is a widely respected scholar and senior policy advisor, Deborah Curtis and John Nassikas, attorneys representing Tellis, said in a statement on Wednesday. At the next court hearing in the Eastern District of Virginia on Tuesday and in our related filings on Monday, we will be vigorously contesting the allegations brought against him, specifically any insinuation of his operating on behalf of a foreign adversary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tellis did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Born in India, Tellis is a naturalized US citizen, according to the court documents, and is listed as a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a prominent US think tank, for which he published analysis as recently as last week. We are aware of the allegations against Ashley J. Tellis, Katelynn Vogt, a spokesperson for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said in a statement to CNN. He is now on administrative leave, including from his role as Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs. Lindsey Halligan, the Trump-appointed US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, authorized the search and the charges against Tellis, a source familiar with the matter told CNN. The charges as alleged in this case represent a grave risk to the safety and security of our citizens, Halligan said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A State Department official confirmed that Tellis is a State Department consultant and was arrested on Saturday. The Pentagon declined to comment. CNN has requested comment from the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC, on the suggestion he met with Chinese officials. China is one of the top counterintelligence threats to US national security secrets, according to American officials and private experts. A US Navy sailor, Jinchao Wei, was convicted of espionage in August after agreeing to sell Navy secrets to a Chinese intelligence officer for $12,000, the Justice Department said then. CNNs Kristen Holmes and Jennifer Hansler contributed reporting. This story has been updated with additional information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com By Helen Coster and Andrew Goudsward (Reuters) -Dozens of journalists who cover the U.S. Defense Department vacated their offices in the Pentagon and returned their credentials on Wednesday as new restrictions on press access took effect. The Defense Department had set a Tuesday deadline for news outlets to either sign a new Pentagon access policy or lose access to press credentials and Pentagon workspaces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least 30 news organizations, including Reuters, declined to sign the new policy, citing a threat to press freedoms and their ability to conduct independent newsgathering on the world's most powerful military. The policy requires journalists to acknowledge new rules on press access, including that they could be branded security risks and have their Pentagon press badges revoked if they ask department employees to disclose classified and some types of unclassified information. The Pentagon Press Association, which represents more than 100 news organizations, including Reuters, said in a statement that Wednesday was "a dark day for press freedom that raises concerns about a weakening U.S. commitment to transparency in governance, to public accountability at the Pentagon and to free speech for all." Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement on Monday: "The policy does not ask for them to agree, just to acknowledge that they understand what our policy is. This has caused reporters to have a full blown meltdown, crying victim online. We stand by our policy because it's what's best for our troops and the national security of this country." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Pentagon declined to make additional comment on Wednesday. Journalists described the press area at the Pentagon on Wednesday as unusually quiet, as they removed furniture, computer servers, TV studio soundproofing material and other contents. Ive never seen that place not buzzing like a beehive, said JJ Green, National Security Correspondent at Washington news radio station WTOP. Green, who has worked as a national security correspondent for 20 years, turned in his press credential Wednesday morning. Television outlets have until Friday to remove their gear. Credentialed reporters have traditionally been limited to unclassified spaces in the Pentagon and have worked across the hallway from the Pentagon press office, which has allowed them access to department spokespeople. Press badges signify that they have gone through a background check. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Weve never been allowed to just bolt right on into classified areas or people's offices," said Stephen Losey, a reporter who covers the Air Force for Defense News. I don't know anybody who would purposely eavesdrop or anything like that, which is what some people have made it seem like we're doing. Some journalists interviewed by Reuters said the new restrictions won't keep them from reporting on the U.S. military. "The irony of irony is that Pentagon reporters are not having conversations about controlled information in the hallways, said a member of the Pentagon Press Association speaking on condition of anonymity. Were doing it over (the encrypted app) Signal." The Pentagon's new policy is the latest expansion of restrictions on press access under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host. Fox News is among the news organizations that has refused to sign on to the new press restrictions. (Reporting by Helen Coster in New York and Andrew Goudsward in Washington; Editing by Alistair Bell) Martha Raddatz, ABC News chief global affairs correspondent, has spent decades covering national security, reporting from wars and conflict zones around the world. But the news she shared Wednesday from the Pentagon was of a more personal nature. I turned in my Pentagon pass today after 30 years because like all major news organizations ABC will not sign the new restrictive pentagon requirements, she wrote on Instagram. This was the image I wanted to remember as I walked out of the building. Dozens of news organizations rejected new access rules under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth they believe would hamper, and potentially criminalize, traditional newsgathering, such as agreeing not to solicit unauthorized information from government officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Did I as a reporter solicit information? Of course, wrote NPRs Tom Bowman, who had held a press pass for 28 years. Its called journalism: finding out whats really going on behind the scenes and not accepting wholesale what any government or administration says. A raft of media outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Washington Examiner, the Atlantic, the Associated Press, Reuters, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, NPR, PBS and Newsmax all objected to the guidelines, and thereby forfeit their press badges to report from inside the Pentagon. Almost all of reporters featured on wall in the Pentagon who collectively have been covering DoD for decades if not more than a century are set to hand in their credentials. Based on public statements, only one reporter on the wall will be credentialed by the end of tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/DlsoCmmjLd Mike Brest (@MikeBrestDC) October 14, 2025 Almost all of reporters featured on wall in the Pentagon who collectively have been covering DoD for decades if not more than a century are set to hand in their credentials, the Washington Examiners Mike Brest post on X, alongside images his colleagues in the press corps. Other journalists, like the Atlantics Nancy Youssef, who spoke to TheWrap on Tuesday as she cleaned out her desk in the Pentagon, shared mementos from their time in the building. Found today as the press corps packs up to leave the Pentagon. Signed Nov. 2001, less than two months after the 9/11 terror attacks. pic.twitter.com/2bewqtg1go Nancy Youssef, (@nancyayoussef) October 14, 2025 The Washington Posts Tara Copp dug up what Pentagon reporters used to have to agree to, which included no restrictions on news gathering, adding: Its what weve signed for years. The new 21 pages of requirements are not about safety they are about limiting what the public will know. This is all we had to sign to be credentialed for the Pentagon until now no restrictions on news gathering. Its what weve signed for years. The new 21 pages of requirements are not about safety they are about limiting what the public will know. pic.twitter.com/EFZqYygkop Tara Copp (@TaraCopp) October 14, 2025 Her Post colleague, Dan Lamothe, took a selfie after turning in his badge, writing, My colleagues and I will stay on the beat, but in a new way. The work continues. Turned in the badge today. My colleagues and I will stay on the beat, but in a new way. The work continues. Danlamothe.30 pic.twitter.com/K0mYouleWS Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) October 15, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reporters expressed frustration during the standoff over suggestions from Hegseth and others that they were able to freely roam about the building and werent required to wear badges. The Pentagon Press Association said in a Monday statement that reporters in the Pentagon have always worn badges and that access provided to reporters has always been limited to unclassified, open areas. The journalists who cover the Pentagon had to choose today between signing a pledge that would make it impossible to do independent journalism and turning in their Pentagon press badges. Almost all of them turned in their badges and left the building. pic.twitter.com/xqO3HTsY9A Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) October 15, 2025 Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell accused the media of moving the goal post in objecting to access rules and suggested reporters were having a full blown meltdown, crying victim online. Hegseth mocked outlets mocking used emojis on X to wave goodbye to the Times, Atlantic, and CNN. While much of the attention during this Hegseth-press standoff focused on responses from major media outlets, the Pentagon press corps included journalists from more specialized or niche outlets, such as Heather Mongilio, a reporter with USNI News, and Martin Matishak, a senior cybersecurity reporter at The Record. Its such a tiny thing, but I was really proud to see my picture up on the wall of Pentagon correspondents. Today, Ill hand in my badge. The reporting will continue. Reach me on Signal at HMongilio.52 or at hmongilio@usni.orgs pic.twitter.com/SaPDSpCvNF Heather Mongilio (@HMongilio) October 15, 2025 I just turned in my Pentagon press badge. Back to work. mmatishak.80 on Signal. pic.twitter.com/GE2UO4zgQ5 Martin Matishak (@martinmatishak) October 15, 2025 The departure of so many journalists is significant both in terms of history the press corps has worked in the Pentagon since it opened in 1943 and institutional memory, as a number of reporters leaving have decades of experience on the beat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After covering the Pentagon for 35 years, Im turning in my building badge today rather than submit to DoDs vague new policies that restrict my right to engage in ordinary and legal news gathering, wrote the Times Eric Schmitt. My Pentagon press corps colleagues and I will continue to inform the public. It is a dark day for free press of all stripes in this country, wrote Barbara Starr, who covered the Pentagon for more than two decades at CNN. Nobody voted for a Pete Hegseth to limit Americans from knowing what is happening to its military every day. But buckle upthis is a press corps that never EVER stops reporting. The news will keep coming. The post Pentagon Reporters Lament Losing Access as Hegseth Standoff Escalates: A Dark Day for Free Press appeared first on TheWrap. For weeks earlier this year, the Armys top uniformed lawyer had been raising legal concerns inside the Pentagon about some of the new policies being rolled out dictating how the military can be used and staffed. In late January, Lt. Gen. Joe Berger, who had taken the top posting in July 2024, was asked for his advice about the legality of using Texas National Guard soldiers for immigration enforcement. Berger told Army chief of staff Gen. Randy George that he was skeptical and wanted more information about whether the soldiers were properly trained for that kind of mission, according to a former senior defense official and another person familiar with his actions. He was told by the departments acting general counsel, Charlie Young, to stop meddling in state affairs, the sources said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then, in early February, Berger and his team began asking questions of civilian leaders about the legality of firing huge swaths of probationary Defense Department employees, which was being pushed at the time by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency. Defense officials across the services were raising concerns that the summary firings could break the law and potentially harm the US militarys ability to fight. But when officials in Bergers office sought to discuss the legal basis of the mass purge which they would likely have to defend in court Young refused to speak to them altogether, making clear he would only speak to the Armys top civilian lawyer at the time, the sources recalled. Then, on February 14, the right-wing social media account LibsofTikTok, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has frequently engaged with on X, accused Berger of running afoul of Hegseths anti-diversity, equity and inclusion policies. The Army denied that accusation, also on X. But one week later, Hegseth fired Berger. A second top legal officer, the Air Forces Judge Advocate General, Lt. Gen. Charles Plummer, was also fired. Hegseth told reporters later that he viewed them as potential roadblocks to orders that are given by a commander-in-chief. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Office of the Secretary of Defense didnt respond to specific questions about Bergers or Youngs conduct. Young is likely to be confirmed soon as the new Army general counsel, having been nominated by President Donald Trump in April. More than a dozen current and former defense officials, including four current Judge Advocate General corps officers, told CNN that Berger and Plummers firings appeared to be the first warning shots by a new administration intent on pushing the boundaries of the law whether by kicking all transgender troops out of the military, firing thousands of civil servants, deploying National Guard troops to cities over the objections of governors or launching lethal strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean sea. Decapitating those organizationsthe Army and Air Force JAG Corpswas an easy way for Hegseth to send a strong message from the outset and put the entire JAG corps on notice, a defense official familiar with his thinking told CNN. Historically, the senior JAGS of the military branches have been duty bound to provide candid and apolitical legal advice to top leaders. The senior-most JAGS, and the thousands of lower-ranking JAG officers across the services, are expected to be neutral arbiters of US and international law to determine an orders lawfulness and empower commanders and troops to fulfill their duty to disobey illegal commands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But when looking for the JAGS replacements, Hegseths staff prioritized questions about whether candidates agreed with former President Joe Bidens policies rather than their interpretations of law, the former official and another person familiar with the interviews said. Candidates were asked, for example, how they felt about requiring COVID-19 vaccines for troops and allowing transgender troops to serve, the sources said. Current and former defense officials told CNN they believe the interviews amounted to political litmus tests. Two of the JAG officers CNN spoke to said that they have become increasingly nervous about vocalizing their independent legal opinions because theyre worried about getting fired. Hegseths rhetoric and policies are perceived as a bit unhinged and counterproductive, but the way forward is just to eat it and put your head down and act in accordance with his new policies, said one current Army JAG. No JAG is trying to rock the boat or get noticed. Get them out of the way Hegseth has made other moves beyond the firings to significantly change the role and responsibilities of military lawyers. He reduced the rank requirement for the top uniformed military legal posts from three stars to two stars for admirals and generals, effectively relegating them to second-tier legal advisers, the former senior defense official said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And he plans to transfer up to 600 JAGs to the Justice Department to serve as immigration judges, removing them from the military justice system altogether, defense officials familiar with the planning said. DoD spokesperson Sean Parnell told CNN last month that at the request of the Department of Justice, the Department of Defense is identifying qualified Judge Advocates and civilian attorneys for details to serve as Temporary Immigration Judges. A senior military officer wears two stars on the shoulder of their uniform during a meeting convened by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at Marine Corps Base Quantico on September 30, 2025. - Kevin Lamarque/Reuters I see this as part of a grander plan to remove lawyers from the [militarys] operational forces and get them out of the way, said the former senior defense official. Not all JAG officers are concerned about the changes the JAG corps is a huge and varied institution. Thousands serve in the Army, Air Force, and Navy JAG corps. An Army JAG said hes not surprised that some officers are feeling political heat the reality, he said, is that top military lawyers, despite wanting to view themselves as completely apolitical, are usually unable to stay out of the political fray given the policies theyre routinely expected to defend or oppose. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its still a client, and while the oath to the Constitution is the number one priority, youre still expected to represent your client to the best of your ability, the JAG officer said. And sometimes that means the legal argument picks up a political bent. Hegseth has repeatedly publicized his view that the military justice system is overbearing and out of touch. He referred to JAGs pejoratively as jagoffs in his 2024 book The War on Warriors, writing that he believed that JAGs preferred to investigate US troops rather than bad guys because it was easier to get promoted that way. He tapped his personal lawyer, Tim Parlatore, to coordinate an overhaul of the military legal system, beginning at the top. I am so excited for this opportunity to return to service and help to make significant improvements to our military justice system to best support the warfighter, Parlatore wrote on X in March. One goal of that initiative, which is still in its early stages, is to reduce the uniformed lawyers presence at the Pentagon and instead send them out to the field to be more integrated into operations, a current official said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Hegseth has also made his expectations clear to military lawyers embedded with commanders in the field, who often advise on the laws of armed conflict, the international legal framework that dictates how and when militaries can use force. Speaking to a room full of generals and admirals late last month, Hegseth derided stupid rules of engagement, and urged those assembled to get on board with his vision to untie the hands of our war fighters. He also said he wanted to raise the bar for troops to be investigated for misconduct. The rule of law at DoD has been under attack since day one of this administration, one of the current JAGs told CNN. There is a real dismissiveness of lawyers now. And I fear for where this is all going. Military lawyers wary of US strikes in Caribbean One recent flashpoint for the role of US military lawyers has been the series of strikes on boats in the Caribbean, with multiple current and former JAGs telling CNN that the strikes do not appear lawful. Lawyers specializing in international law within DoDs Office of General Counsel have also raised concerns about the legality of the strikes, sources familiar with the matter said. Additionally, the top international law expert in that office, Michael DAnnunzio, is set to leave his role soon and move to a position at NATO in Europe, multiple people familiar with the matter told CNN. Former officials familiar with the matter said DAnnunzio has been left out of discussions surrounding the legality of the Caribbean strikes. This screengrab of a video posted to President Donald Trumps Truth Social account on September 15, 2025, shows a boat on which Trump said he ordered a military strike. The president said the boat was carrying narcotics from Venezuela. - Donald Trump/Truth Social The Office of the Secretary of Defense didnt respond to specific questions about DAnnunzio. But in a statement, Parnell said, The War Department categorically denies that any Pentagon lawyers with knowledge of these operations have raised concerns regarding the legality of the strikes conducted thus far because they are aware we are on firm legal ground, adding that there is a robust system of internal checks and balances within the War Department that offers those involved in operations the opportunity to disagree. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No lawyer involved has questioned the legality of the Caribbean strikes and instead advised subordinate commanders and Secretary Hegseth that the proposed actions were permissible before they commenced, he said. Defense Department lawyers are now deferring to an opinion produced by the Justice Department which says that the president is legally permitted to order the deadly attacks on the boats based on an argument that the US is in the midst of an armed conflict with cartels, CNN has reported. Legal experts have repeatedly questioned the legality of the strikes, and the DOJ opinion has not been released publicly. A Navy JAG who is not directly involved in the decision making around the strikes told CNN that the policy has put some lawyers in a tenuous position. The view is, you probably dont want to stray too far away from what you know is correct, this person said. That is because the time will inevitably come, they added, when a new administration with a different defense secretary will be in power. And when that time comes, you dont want to have evidence of you running too much afoul of whats required by law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement JAG officers told CNN theyve also been uncomfortable with the political events Trump has held at bases in recent months. Before Trump visited Fort Bragg in June, for example, the White House called the base and told officials the president wanted them to put on a parade with all 50,000 troops stationed there, a source familiar with the episode recalled. Uniformed lawyers strenuously advised against it, this source said, as DoD policy prohibits active-duty troops from participating in political events. Ultimately, it was deemed too short notice to put on such a huge parade. But pro-Trump political merchandise was sold on base during the event, which service members were photographed purchasing, and some troops cheered or jeered when the president touched on highly political issues conduct the lawyers had also warned against beforehand. They were ignored, this source said. Who is going to listen to them when they know the president wants to do something? Members of the Army cheer as President Donald Trump dances before speaking at Fort Bragg, a US Army military installation near Fayetteville, North Carolina, on June 10, 2025. - Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images/File One change that Hegseth has made is, on its surface, relatively small. But current and former defense officials believe the secretary is also deliberately sidelining JAG leadership by installing two-star generals in those positions rather than three-stars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After 9/11, as Justice Department and White House lawyers advised the CIA and DoD that torturing detainees was in their view legally permissible in some instances as part of the war on terror, several JAGs were warning against it, Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham told PBS in 2007. But the top JAGs for each service were two-star generals and often not senior enough to be in the room for the highly sensitive discussions. As a result, they were largely being ignored by DOJ and White House lawyers, Graham, who served as an Air Force JAG for more than 30 years, said at the time. Graham subsequently pushed, successfully, to elevate the JAGs rank. I dont want the military legal system having to answer unnecessarily to political appointees, he said at the time. I want them to be able to talk to their commanders, get independent input, to use their military legal experience in independent fashion for the good of the system. But Hegseth effectively demoted them again. The Army, Navy and Air Force JAG positions are currently all held by two-star officers. Grahams office did not respond when asked for his view on the demotions. The former senior defense official said the change is significant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When youre a 2-star and you walk into the room for a high-level meeting, youre against the wall. Youre not at the table. And there are some meetings that are held just at the 3 or 4 star levelso you cant even get into the room as a 2-star. Hegseths longstanding concerns about JAGs Much of Hegseths criticism of military lawyers stems from his experience serving as a platoon leader in Iraq in 2005, when by his own account he was given a briefing by JAGs in Baghdad whose advice was to refrain from shooting someone carrying a rocket-propelled grenade unless it was pointed at you with the intent to fire. Hegseth wrote that he told his platoon it was a bullshit rule thats going to get people killed. He also wrote that he was tasked with releasing Iraqi men who we knew had American blood on their hands. The jagoff lawyers told us we had to do it. Current and former officials familiar with Hegseths thinking, however, told CNN that the experience that arguably solidified his disdain the most was when his unit became ensnared in a war crimes investigation by Army lawyers that effectively ended the career of his commander at the time, Col. Michael Steele. Steele was not charged with a crime, but he was formally reprimanded, making it unlikely he would ever be promoted again. While Hegseth was not involved in the operation that led to the war crimes allegations, which centered around the deaths of four unarmed Iraqi men in 2006, the ensuing probe resulted in serious jail time for several of those Hegseth had served with. It also left a cloud of suspicion hanging over several of his mentors and the unit as a whole. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sad part was, the entire unit was painted as a bunch of bad guys and it was just not fair, a former officer who served in the unit with Hegseth told CNN last year. In 2019 Hegseth became a vocal advocate for at least three servicemembers whod been either accused or convicted of war crimes. Parlatore, Hegseths lawyer who rejoined the Navy Reserve in March to help advise Hegseth in a more official capacity, said in a post on LinkedIn earlier this year that the JAGs legal recommendations carry too much weight while at the same time being shrouded in secrecy. Every day, [Staff Judge Advocates] recommend removal of O5 and O6 commanders with zero public explanation beyond a loss of trust and confidence, he wrote. There have been significant problems within the JAG Corps which require a serious course correction. Other current and former JAGs, however, said they understand that their role is simply to advise, and that while they can formally record their dissent or opinion that an action is illegal, they also cant stop a commander from moving forward with it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lawyers advise. Commanders decide, the former senior defense official told CNN. Its just that simple. This story has been updated based on additional reporting. CNNs Zachary Cohen contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear new arguments in Louisiana v. Callais, which holds significant implications for the future of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The justices will decide whether Louisianas inclusion of another majority-Black congressional district violates the Fourteenth or Fifteenth Amendments to the US Constitution. The case arose out of a 2022 federal district court ruling that Louisiana needed to redraw its congressional map to more fairly reflect its population, which is over 30% Black. The state did so, but then a group of self-described non African American voters challenged the court-ordered revision, claiming it required racial gerrymandering. The Supreme Court will now take up this argument. Louisiana has chosen not to defend the creation of a second majority-minority congressional district, instead declaring that race-based redistricting is fundamentally contrary to our Constitution. The state alleges that enforcement of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which offered Black Americans voting access and protections in 1965, actually constitutes government-mandated racial discrimination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, the appellants insist that the VRA remains necessary to protect two fundamental rights: the right to vote and the right to be free from racial discrimination. The question before the Supreme Court is both legal and historical. In effect, Louisiana is asking the justices to forget the long, contested struggle of Black Americans for the franchise and to construct a national memory in which Black Americans seeking representation becomes a form of reverse discrimination. Louisiana v. Callais will not simply be a judgment on the VRA, the crown jewel of civil rights legislation, but part of an ongoing effort to reimagine American history to fit a current political agenda. The very history of the VRA, however, demonstrates that such a rewriting of the past could have a catastrophic impact that weakens American democracy. In the decades after the Civil War, a conscious political and intellectual campaign sought to reinterpret the conflict, specifically distorting what started it: slavery. This push left many white Americans remembering the war not as a violent struggle but, in the words of historian David Blight, as a glorious fated event in which slavery and racial division werebanished from the national story. For people to adhere to this interpretation, however, they had to ignore what unfolded in the wake of the war and the realities of life for Black Americans. With the wars end and subsequent passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, Black Americans gained constitutionally protected freedom, citizenship, and political rights. They ran for and won the highest public offices in the nation. Twenty-two days after the 15th Amendment was ratified in 1870, Hiram Revels became the first Black American to serve in Congress. All men are created equal, says the great Declaration, the abolitionist Senator Charles Sumner said as Revels took his seat. Today we make the Declaration a reality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read More: The Story of the Voting Rights Act Is a Lesson in Overcoming Setbacks But by 1877, these rights quickly faded away. After President Rutherford B. Hayes withdrew federal troops from the South, white supremacists reasserted their political control, curtailing Black freedom in ways both legal and extralegal. By 1896, the Supreme Court even made this racial discrimination compatible with the 14th Amendment in Plessy v. Ferguson, which upheld state segregation laws as constitutional under the farcical logic of separate but equal. In the decades after, a period known as the nadir of race relations, Southern legal schemes turned the constitutional rights and freedoms of Black Americans into a mockery. Sharecropping and the convict lease system essentially re-enslaved many by trapping them in cycles of debt and forced labor; segregation laws relegated Blacks to separate public facilities and schools; poll taxes, literacy tests, and other barriers eroded access to the ballot. All of this was enforced through violence. By the early 20th century, the constitutional freedoms guaranteed to Black people in Reconstruction were practically nonexistent. But white Americans ignored this reality in the name of national reconciliation and rebirth. It left Black Americans facing insurmountable legal hurdles and racist terror, and many simply tried to survive, resigned to their second-class citizenship. While some continued to press for inclusion in American democracy and life, like Mississippian Charles Evers, who demanded a ballot in 1946, most could or did not. Many withdrew from politics altogether," historian Leon Litwack argued, "persuaded that it offered no solution to the daily problems of economic survival." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over time, not only were the political and social rights enjoyed during Reconstruction stolen, they were largely forgotten. The historical whitewashing of the Civil War and its aftermath meant the great-grandchildren of Hiram Revels did not know they had ever had the right to vote, much less that one of their own had not so long ago been a U.S. senator. So complete was the erasure of the past that Civil Rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer would later explain, I had never heard, until 1962, that black people could register and vote. She only learned this when the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) came to rural Mississippi. This brings us back to the 15th Amendment and the VRA. When Black Alabamians marched across the Edmund Pettus bridge in 1965, they were not asking for the right to vote. They had received it 95 years earlier. Instead, they were asking for an end to discriminatory state practices and for federal protection from the violence that had kept them from accessing this bedrock right. For the Supreme Court to now conclude that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act is actually racially discriminatory would require a wholesale forgetting of the history between 1876 and 1965 that necessitated the seminal law. That historical revisionism has already begun, driven both by the Courts own decisions and the actions of the Trump Administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2006, Republican President George W. Bush signed a reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act. He acknowledged that the original law broke the segregationist lock on the ballot box and marked the first appearance of African Americans on the voting rolls since Reconstruction. Its protections enabled many Black Americans to pull the voting lever for the first time in their lives. Yet, seven years later, in Shelby v. Holder, one of Bushs appointees to the Supreme Court, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. led a 5-4 majority in ruling that Section 4 of the VRA was unconstitutional because it imposed undue, outdated burdens on Southern states. Roberts declared that things have changed dramatically because data indicated that African-American voter turnout has come to exceed white voter turnout in five of the six States originally coveredwith a gap in the sixth State of less than one half of one percent. But this argument ignored what Bush had so readily acknowledged: only the protections of the VRA made this possible. Read More: The True Story of Appomattox Exposes the Dangers of Letting Myths Replace History Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The campaign to erase from popular memory the discriminatory laws that made it impossible for Black Americans to exercise their rights has accelerated since Shelby. Thanks to the Trump Administrations effort to [restore] truth in American history, K-12 teachers are expected to instill patriotic admiration for the country and avoid any topics deemed divisive or un-American. If schools do not comply, they could lose resources. Institutions of higher education face similar threats, as do sites of public history. The National Park Service, for instance, has been instructed to change memorials to remove evidence of slaverys violence. The risk is that the U.S. repeats the history of the early 20th century in which Black Americans lost access to and faith in the political process. There are signs that this tragic forgetting has already begun. A combination of new obstacles to ballot access (made legal by the Shelby decision), and a dearth of knowledge about the countrys past have contributed to apathy that is reshaping the political environment. The Black-white turnout gap has widened. Additionally, among Black voters, a generation gap has emerged: the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) recently found that 58% of voters aged 30-49 and 61% of voters aged 18-29 sat out the last election. Meanwhile, demonstrating how important an accurate understanding of history is, elder Black voters continue to cast votes in high numbers, citing the historical lessons that motivate their participation. Now, however, the state of Louisiana is asking the Supreme Court to formalize the erasure of the past. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The struggle for America to be a government by and for its multiracial citizens has never been linear. Casting moments of freedom, like Reconstruction or the Civil Rights Movement, as products of inevitable unity rather than sustained struggle can foster complacency about democracy. Histories can be revised, rights revoked. Ansley Quiros is an associate professor of history at the University of North Alabama and author of God With Us: Lived Theology and the Freedom Struggle in Americus, 1942-1976. She is currently writing a biography of Charles and Shirley Sherrod. Allie R. Lopez is a postdoctoral fellow at Baylor University, working on a book on the freedom struggle in rural Alabama. Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians. Learn more about Made by History at TIME here. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors. Write to Made by History at madebyhistory@time.com. It's just one historical marker. But it is the first to recognize the significance of the Chinese Laundry Era in Milwaukee, which impacted dozens, if not hundreds, of families who persevered through anti-Chinese riots, the Chinese Exclusion Act, and everyday discrimination to gain a foothold in America. The historical marker will be installed at the YWCA-Southeast Wisconsin building on North King Drive, which was previously home to Fred Moy Laundry, a Chinese-owned laundry that operated between the 1940s and 1970s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The YWCA has since integrated the old laundry site into its building, but the original brick can still be seen inside the building, according to Lorna Young, president of the Organization of Chinese Americans-Wisconsin chapter, the organization that applied for the historical marker from the Wisconsin Historical Society. "Most of these old buildings don't exist anymore, and this one is so well preserved," said Young. The YWCA and the OCA-Wisconsin will celebrate the marker installation on Friday, Oct. 24, at 11:30 a.m. at 1915 North King Drive. The marker is a step towards sharing Asian American history in Milwaukee and will hopefully inspire others to share their stories, said Lorna Young, president of the OCA-Wisconsin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The era was not that long ago, and people who lived in that time are still alive today," Young said. The Chinese Laundry Era and the Moy family The Chinese Laundry Era began around 1874 at a time when Chinese immigrants faced racism like discriminatory hiring, violence and harassment in the United States. Laws eventually backed the violence Chinese immigrants faced with the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 the first federal law to regulate immigration for a specific nationality. The act was not repealed until 1943. Though many Chinese immigrants landed on the West Coast in the early years of the era, others decided to settle across the country. Some found a home in Milwaukee in the 1870s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During this time, Chinese workers took up laundry work, which offered economic opportunity for the early immigrants despite legal and social hardships. The jobs were labor-intensive and required long hours, making them less desirable for white citizens. The first laundry to open in Milwaukee was the Wing Wau Laundry in 1874. The laundries provided a means for first-generation family members to pursue other trades thanks to prosperous business, according to the historical society. Sam Moy, son of Fred Moy, and a child named Kenny in front of the Sam Lee Laundry, circa 1950, one of the dozens of Milwaukee Chinese-owned laundries. As the presence of Chinese-owned laundry businesses grew throughout the city, some were met with anti-Chinese sentiments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Milwaukee, rioters burned down a laundry in protest of Chinese immigration in 1889. Laundry workers persisted despite the violent pushback, and by the 1930s, there were about 60 Chinese-owned laundries in the city. Fred Moy and his family founded the Fred Moy Laundry in 1940. They all lived and worked in the building until 1976, when the laundry closed. The Moy family served many in the city, including notable figures like former Ald. Vel Phillips and Mayor Frank Zeidler. Gerald Moy, Fred's son, even inscribed a "Z.F." on the collar of Zeidler's shirt, according to the historical society. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Chinese Laundry Era lasted until the mid-1980s, when inventions like the home washer and dryer led many Chinese laundries to go out of business. The Hing Lee Laundry was the last to close in 1984, marking the end of the era in Milwaukee. The new historical marker will honor the city's Chinese Laundry Era and the Moy family, who represent the experience of many Milwaukee Chinese Americans who found success in the laundry industry despite systemic racism from the US government and residents. To learn more and register for the celebration of the new historical marker, visit here. Everett Eaton covers Harambee, just north of downtown Milwaukee, for the Journal Sentinel's Neighborhood Dispatch. Reach him at ejeaton@gannett.com. As part of the newsroom, all of Everetts work and coverage decisions are overseen solely by Journal Sentinel editors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Support for the Dispatch comes from Bader Philanthropies, Zilber Family Foundation, Journal Foundation, Northwestern Mutual Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Foundation and individual contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. The project is administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #364427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association. Learn more about our community-funded journalism and how to make a tax-deductible gift at bit.ly/MJS_support . Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation with JS Community Journalism in the memo, then mailed to: Local Media Foundation, P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Chinese Laundry Era commemorated with a historical marker on King Drive LIMA (Reuters) -A Peruvian judge on Wednesday rejected a bid to prevent former President Dina Boluarte, who Congress abruptly ousted last week, from leaving the country while state prosecutors investigate her for alleged abuse of office and money laundering. Boluarte, one of the world's least popular leaders, left office with approval ratings ranging between 2% and 4% amid growing unrest over insecurity, as transport workers and young people protested rising extortions and murders. Judge Fernando Valdez struck down the request from Peru's State Prosecutor's Office in a hearing, arguing that Boluarte did not present a flight risk and the request was "unfounded." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boluarte, who faces a series of criminal accusations, has denied wrongdoing. Prosecutors had sought to prevent Boluarte from leaving the country over investigations that she allegedly collected money from a criminal group as well as the appointment of health officials linked to her rhinoplasty surgery in 2023. Boluarte is accused of abandoning her post for two weeks while she underwent a nose job without informing Congress. She is also facing corruption accusations over the origin of her collection of luxury Rolex watches. Her government is also accused of using excessive force during deadly protests in favor of her predecessor in the months that followed her taking up the presidency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the night of her removal from office last week, a crowd had gathered outside Ecuador's embassy in Lima amid speculation she could seek asylum with the neighboring country. Peru has faced years of political turmoil with seven presidents in as many years. Three ex-leaders are behind bars, and more than half of Peru's also deeply unpopular Congress representatives are under investigation by state prosecutors. (Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Brendan O'Boyle) An American government plane carrying Pete Hegseth, the US secretary of war, was forced to land in Britain because of a crack in one of the windows. The pilot of Mr Hegseths official Boeing C-32A declared an emergency after damage was reported as it flew over the Atlantic. It made an unscheduled landing at RAF Mildenhall, an RAF station in Suffolk, where it was checked over. No one was injured during the emergency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Hegseth, who was en route from Brussels to Washington following a meeting of Nato defence ministers at the time, posted on X following the landing on Wednesday: All good. Thank God. Continue mission! Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesman said in another X post: On the way back to the United States from Natos defence ministers meeting, Secretary of War Hegseths plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield. The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe. US war secretary Pete Hegseths official Boeing C-32A made a rapid descent during the alert (file picture) The C-32A aircraft, which is a military version of the Boeing 757, was around 30 minutes into its journey when a depressurisation issue was detected and the aircraft descended to 10,000 feet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The incident is not the first time a military aircraft carrying US government officials has been forced to land due to technical issues. In February, a US Air Force plane travelling to Munich carrying the US secretary of state Marco Rubio was forced to return to Washington due to a mechanical problem. 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. NEED TO KNOW Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths plane was forced to make an emergency landing in the U.K. on Oct. 15 Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the diversion was due to a crack found in the windshield of the aircraft Parnell also confirmed that Hegseth is safe following the incident, which occurred while Hegseth was on his way back to the U.S. from NATOs Defense Ministers meeting in Belgium A plane carrying Pete Hegseth was forced to make an emergency landing in the United Kingdom after a crack was found in the aircrafts windshield. On the way back to the United States from NATOs Defense Ministers meeting, Secretary of War Hegseths plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield, Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell wrote in an X post on Wednesday, Oct. 15. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Parnell noted that everyone traveling on the aircraft was safe following the incident, he did not specify what might have caused the crack. Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Pete Hegseth at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on Oct. 15 Pete Hegseth at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on Oct. 15 The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe, Parnell continued. The meeting, attended by Hegseth and all allied defense ministers, took place at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, according to NATOs official website. Hegseth later shared Parnells post to his own X account and wrote, All good. Thank God. Continue mission! Last month, a helicopter carrying Donald and Melania Trump was forced to make an emergency landing in the U.K. due to a "hydraulic issue" with the aircraft. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president and first lady were traveling in the Marine One helicopter near London when the incident occurred on Thursday, Sept. 18, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on Sept. 18 President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on Sept. 18 "Due to a minor hydraulic issue, and out of an abundance of caution, the [Marine One] pilots landed at a local airfield before reaching Stansted airport," Leavitt shared with the White House press pool at the time. "The president and first lady safely boarded the support helicopter," she added. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The incident occurred after Donald and Melania's historic state visit with the British royal family, while they were traveling a short distance in Marine One from Chequers to Stansted Airport. They were heading back to reunite with Air Force One so that they could return home to Washington, D.C. They eventually continued their journey home aboard Air Force One, a much larger airplane, slightly behind schedule. Read the original article on People Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has managed to ignite crossideological media solidarity with his unprecedented attempt to silence journalists. Today, over 100 resident Pentagon press members who failed to sign Hegseths new policy, which restricts reporters to only publish information preauthorized by Pentagon authorities, are required to turn in their passes and vacate the premises. And in a remarkable act of repudiation, the U.S. press corps stands virtually united in defiance of the former Fox & Friends Weekend co-host even his former employer Fox News. Well, were all standing in solidarity, Fox News host Bret Baier told his audience after the passing of Tuesdays deadline to sign the 21-page policy, adding, almost all of us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In what CNNs Brian Stelter reported as an impressive show of solidarity, nearly every major U.S. news outlet including conservative companies like Fox News, Newsmax and the Washington Examiner refused to sign the Pentagons new press access policy, arguing it undermines the First Amendment. The Associated Press described the act of defiance from Fox News as a significant step. Only the right-wing One America News agreed to the new reporting stipulations from Hegseth, with one of the channels hosts, former Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz, saying the pro-Trump outlet is happy to follow these reasonable conditions. Hegseths changes have upended eight decades of norms and practices between the military and journalists, and buck over two centuries of American freedom of the press. After most journalists refused to follow the initial guidelines released in September, which warned that reporters may lose their press credentials for soliciting even unclassified information from federal employees, the Pentagon issued a revised version this month. This latest version has escalated the threats more around the act of reporting itself, one expert told Poynter. Rather than this overt censoring of journalists, which was how the initial version appeared, it has morphed into this effort to intimidate both journalists and government employees as well. From the day he took charge of the Pentagon in February, Hegseth launched a war on the press corps in an effort to minimize embarrassing leaks and marginalize critics. Defense Department officials immediately restricted reporter movements, closing off particular hallways in the Pentagon to reporters and booting long-credentialed media outlets from assigned workspaces. But by suppressing ordinary access, Hegseth has pushed competing national news outlets to lock arms against him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The policy is without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections, reads a joint statement issued by Fox News, MSNBC, ABC News, CBS News, CNN and NBC News. We will continue to cover the U.S. military as each of our organizations has done for many decades, upholding the principles of a free and independent press. The Washington Post, the New York Times, Reuters, the Associated Press and the Guardian have followed suit by refusing to sign. The proposed restrictions undercut First Amendment protections by placing unnecessary constraints on gathering and publishing information, Matt Murray, the Posts executive editor, said in a statement posted on X. The public has a right to know how the government and military are operating, wrote New York Times Washington bureau chief Richard Stevenson. NPRs Tom Bowman, who has covered the Pentagon for 28 years, publicly surrendered his own credentials in protest of the unprecedented policy rather than abide by the restrictions. The Pentagons own spokespeople rarely brief the press anyway, Bowman noted in an op-ed: Now, were barely getting any information at all from the Pentagon. In the 10 months that the Trump administration has been in office, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has given just two briefings. And there have been virtually no background briefings, which were common in the past whenever there has been military action anywhere in the world, as there has been with the recent bombings of Irans nuclear facilities and of boats off the coast of Venezuela alleged to be carrying illicit drugs. In previous administrations, Defense Department officials including the acerbic Rumsfeld would hold regular press briefings, often twice a week. They knew the American people deserved to know what was going on. Want more sharp takes on politics?Sign up for our free newsletter, Standing Room Only, written by Amanda Marcotte, now also a weekly show on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. The Pentagon Press Association and the National Press Club have issued strong public statements condemning Hegseths strategy as unconstitutional. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What theyre really doing, they want to spoon-feed information to the journalists, and that will be their story, Retired General and former Vice Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army Jack Keane told Fox News on Tuesday. Thats not journalism. When the Atlantic, the Post and the Times announced their opposition, Hegseth replied with an emoji of a hand waving goodbye. He also reposted a cartoon that depicted the Atlantic, which became embroiled in a dispute with Pentagon and White House officials earlier this year after editor Jeffrey Goldberg was accidentally added to a Signal group chat, as a crying baby. Hegseth has defended his draconian clampdown by arguing that Pentagon access is a privilege, not a right. He posted a list on X of what he called press credentialing FOR DUMMIES: Press no longer roams free Press must wear visible badge Credentialed press no longer permitted to solicit criminal acts. But as veteran Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr pointed out, the press hasnt been allowed full access to the Pentagon all year. We knew not to you dont walk into the tank and the classified areas are off-limits, Foxs Baier made clear on Tuesday. We obviously were always trying to get the story from different elements. And there was a freedom, but everybody had badges with them. At the White House, I never walked into the Oval Office or the Situation Room. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hegseth has long positioned himself as an ideological warrior against what he calls woke decay. Senior officials at the Pentagon have actively monitored staffers, pressing for proof that every member of the U.S. armed forces actually watched or read Hegseths Sept. 30 address to top generals, according to Zeteo. While the Pentagon was once a global leader on climate change mitigation, Hegseth recently declared there would be no more climate change worship in the military. Dismissing concerns as climate change crap, Hegseth banned Pentagon agencies from spending money on climate planning, ordered leaders to remove all references to climate change and related subjects from mission statements and requested $1.6 billion in cuts to wasteful climate spending from the departments 2026 budget. But effectively giving the Pentagon editorial control over what journalists can report appears to be a bridge too far. This is not a negotiation over access. Its a foundational attack on journalism itself. The fact that even Trump-friendly outlets have balked at Hegseths demand should send the message to a wider audience that something deeply troubling is afoot. The move is already backfiring. Rather than marginalizing the press, Hegseth has amplified its critical role in public debate. Even as he restricts the media, his ultimatum and the public showdown have increased coverage of the Pentagons policies. In effect, Pete Hegseth has handed the press the mic. Only now, journalists hungry for scoops will rely even more on offtherecord sources, clandestine communications and external whistleblowers. The policy may discourage some, but it doesnt extinguish the incentive to find cracks in the Pentagons wall. The post Pete Hegseths press crackdown is backfiring appeared first on Salon.com. RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) Longtime North Carolina Senate Leader Phil Bergers son, Kevin Berger, says he is not running for Congress. It comes after a website, KevinBergerForCongress.com was created on Tuesday, according to two databases that track domains. The day before, Republican Senator Berger said he and other Republicans will redraw Congressional maps in the state in an effort to preserve one Republican seat. He and Republican Representative Destin Hall say they want to protect President Donald Trumps agenda. Kevin Berger, Chariman of the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners. (Courtesy Rockingham County) In a text message to CBS 17, Kevin Berger wrote: I am not running for Congress. Sam Page has made so much of a mess of the Sheriffs Office, I am devoting my time to fixing the mess he made in Rockingham County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Page, also a Republican, is running against the elder Berger, who represents Rockingham County, in his Senate primary race. Senator Berger denies accepting potential Trump endorsement in exchange for redistricting, but says redrawing could happen When could redistricting happen in NC? Lawmakers were already scheduled to come back to Raleigh the week of October 20. On Monday, Senator Berger and House Speaker Hall said when lawmakers are back, theyll work on redrawing the maps. In a statement, Representative Hall wrote in part, President Trump earned a clear mandate from the voters of North Carolina and the rest of the country, and we intend to defend it by drawing an additional Republican Congressional seat. Our state wont stand by while Democrats like Gavin Newsom redraw districts to aid in their effort to obtain a majority in the U.S. House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senator Berger wrote in part, We are doing everything we can to protect President Trumps agenda, which means safeguarding Republican control of Congress. Picking up where Texas left off, we will hold votes in our October session to redraw North Carolinas congressional map to ensure Gavin Newsom doesnt decide the congressional majority. North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger speaks with fellow Republican Sens. Amy Galey, left, Joyce Krawiec, center, and Lisa Barnes on the Senate floor in Raleigh, N.C., before the chamber votes on new abortion restriction, Thursday, May 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum) Political experts expect lawmakers to target Congressional District One, currently represented by Democrat Don Davis. Those experts say its the only truly competitive district in the state. Several Democrats, including Governor Josh Stein, have said Republicans, who hold majorities in both chambers, are abusing their power. Top North Carolina Republicans to redraw Congressional maps to protect President Trumps agenda Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They failed to pay our teachers salaries of their worth, they have failed to fully fund Medicaid, and now theyre failing the voters by taking the voters power away from themselves to give it to the General Assembly so they can choose who their representatives are, Governor Stein said. If the maps are passed, the Governor cannot veto them. Berger on redistricting plans, alleged Trump endorsement CBS 17 broke the story on a rumored deal between Senator Berger and President Trump. Sources say Berger would accept an endorsement from the President in his primary challenge and agree to redistrict and gain that additional Republican seat. Senator Berger posted on X that no such deal existed and that he had never spoken to the President about that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To date, no endorsement from the President has come. 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 CBS17.com. A homicide investigation is underway in Philadelphia's Tacony section. Police say a Philadelphia firefighter was fatally shot. Police were called to the 4700 block of Shelmire Avenue around 4 a.m. on Wednesday. When they arrived, officers found the victim fatally shot inside the house. No other information has been released about the victim at this time. So far, there is no word on motive or any suspects. Thursday marks the 30-year anniversary of a historic day in our nation's capital: The Million Man March. Thousands of men from Philadelphia were in the history-making crowd in Washington D.C. in 1995. The memories from that day are powerful enough to still make participants feel inspired. "It is a moment in time in American history," said Philadelphia City Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr., who attended the Million Man March on October 16, 1995, with his son. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I never experienced that vibe ever again," he said of the positive and inspiring experience he had surrounded by fellow participants in an atmosphere of positivity. "I remember leaving from 46th and Market," said Jones of the bus he boarded along with a number of other march participants. Philadelphia was said to be among the cities that sent the most men to participate in the Million Man March. Action News was at the march on that historic day. It was organized by Minister Louis Farrakhan to encourage unity among African American men. "It was a spirit of peace that came over all of us," said Jones, "And it just resonated throughout the crowd. We all looked at each other like 'Are we really here, is this real?'" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ogbonna Paul Hagins of South Philadelphia witnessed it all up close. "We were right in the front," he said. "I remember the feeling of being there, and I saw all of these brothers. I saw MC Hammer. I saw Ice T. Just walking through the streets." For as positive as the day was, many think one thing was missing. "We should have had some type of entity... that carried on the work," said Jones of the need to turn that day's positivity into action. Philadelphia is picking up where the Million Man March left off. The non-profit Philly Truce is holding a 30th anniversary event on Sunday, October 26th. It will bring together participants for a collective 5k with starting points in North, West and South Philadelphia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "All of those locations are going to walk about a mile, about a mile and some change. And we're going to converge at Love Park," said Philly Truce Cofounder Mazzie Casher. The march will culminate with addresses from speakers calling for real action. Hagins, for years, has called for the creation of a so-called Freedman's Bureau to address issues ranging from education to economic stability. The hope is that the inspiration sparked by the Million Man March can still ignite change. "A million men could be in one spot doing positive things," said Jones. In addition to the collective 5K, Philly Truce is hosting a week of events to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Million Man March. They include a free art exhibit, a comedy show, a brunch and other events. For more information visit this page at BrotherlyAction.com. Oct. 15 (UPI) -- A Philadelphia man has been charged with kidnapping 23-year-old Kada Scott, who remains missing. On Wednesday, authorities announced that Keon King, 21, surrendered to Philadelphia police Tuesday and was accused in Scott's alleged kidnapping. Scott disappeared October 4 and has not been seen since. She had been working an overnight shift at the Terrace, Pa., nursing facility on East Abington Avenue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scott's family said she was last seen before 10 p.m. the night she left her home along the 8300 block of Rodney Street. But according to police, Scott never finished her shift. Officials say a tip was received and evidence then found at the abandoned Ada H. Lewis Middle School on Ardleigh Street in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, police still are looking for King's vehicle, identified as a gold 1999 Toyota Camry with front-end damage on its left front bumper. The Toyota's license had a Pennsylvania plate that reads: MSX-0797. However, police officials also are concerned the plate may have been removed or switched. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was spotted in a number of neighborhoods in and around Southwest Philadelphia, which historically is known to have a higher crime rather than the rest of the city. King has an extensive criminal background. Police said earlier that King was charged earlier in the year with kidnapping another woman, but the case was dismissed when the alleged victim failed to show in court. Investigators characterized it as a "domestic" incident. Meanwhile, police say any person with information on Scott's whereabouts or anyone who may have been victimized by King in the past are being urged to call Philadelphia Police at 215-686-TIPS (8477). Two years of war between Israel and Hamas have left the Gaza Strip in shambles. After relentless Israeli bombardment, entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble, streets are unrecognizable and once-bustling markets are now just twisted metal and concrete. With a ceasefire in place, Palestinians are returning to what remains of their homes and communities. They walk through collapsed buildings, sift through debris for fragments of their past lives and try to rebuild. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.N. development agency says the amount of debris in Gaza would be enough to build 13 giant pyramids in Giza in Egypt. The latest joint estimate from the U.N., the European Union and the World Bank is that $70 billion will be required to rebuild Gaza. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors. MARTOLI, India (AP) Dozens of dilapidated stone buildings are what is left of the once-thriving border village of Martoli, in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. Nestled in Johar Valley and surrounded by Himalayan peaks the most notable being Nanda Devi, once considered the tallest mountain in the world this village had traded sugar, lentils, spices and cloth for salt and wool with Tibetans across the border. The nomadic occupants of several villages spent the winter months in the plains collecting goods to be traded with Tibetans in the summer. But the border was sealed after an armed conflict between India and China in 1962, disrupting life in the high villages and leaving people with little incentive to return. Kishan Singh, who was 14 when he left with his family to settle in the lower village of Thal, still returns to Martoli every summer to till the land and grow buckwheat, strawberries and black cumin. At 77, he has a smiling, ruddy face. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His ancestral home has no roof, so he sleeps in a neighbors abandoned home for the six months he spends in this village cooking for himself and farming. I enjoy being in the mountains and the land here is very fertile, he says. In late autumn, he hires mules to transport his harvest to his home in the plains to sell it at a modest profit. The largest of the Johar Valley villages had about 1,500 people at its peak in the early 1960s. Martoli had about 500 people then, while some of the dozen or so others had 10 to 15 homes each. About three or four people return to Martoli each summer now. A few villagers are returning in summers to the nearby villages of Laspa, Ghanghar and Rilkot as they can now travel in vehicles to within a few kilometers (miles) of their villages on a recently built unpaved road. Among the scattered remnants of earlier stone homes in Martoli, a new guesthouse has sprung up to cater to a few trekkers who walk past the village en route to the Nanda Devi base camp. Takeaways: Piedmont police made five drug-related arrests over the past week following two search warrants and a separate investigation. The arrests led to charges including possession of controlled substances, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. Those arrested include suspects from both Alabama and Georgia, ranging in age from 26 to 60. Two Piedmont residents were charged after search warrants were executed on Oct. 8 and Oct. 10. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said the arrests reflect ongoing efforts to reduce drug activity and keep the community safe. PIEDMONT Five people were arrested over the past several days as part of a series of drug investigations by the Piedmont Police Department, authorities reported Monday. According to the department, the arrests followed two search warrants and a separate drug-related encounter involving suspicious individuals. The cases resulted in multiple charges including possession of controlled substances, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. Those arrested include: Earl Dewayne Marshall, 49, of Ackworth, Ga., charged with possession of controlled substances and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested Oct. 13. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trerrance Rotavia Cheeks, 37, of Powder Springs, Ga., charged with second-degree possession of marijuana. He was arrested Oct. 14. John-Michael Martain Marshall, 26, of Canton, Ga., charged with second-degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested Oct. 13. David James Bush, 45, of Piedmont, charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia following a search warrant executed Oct. 10. Sherry Nicholson Brogdon, 60, of Piedmont, charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia following a search warrant executed Oct. 8. The Piedmont Police Department said the arrests were part of ongoing efforts to curb illegal drug activity and maintain community safety. Officers routinely serve warrants and investigate suspicious behavior as part of those efforts, officials said. A unanimous vote by the Pinellas County Commission has ensured the long-gestating renovation of St. Petersburgs Palladium Theater will go forward. At their Oct. 7 meeting, commissioners approved the allocation of $2.5 million in Tourist Development Council funds earmarked earlier in the year for the 815-seat performing arts venue, which is owned and operated by St. Petersburg College. Initiated in 2022, the capital campaign calls for new seats, improved sight lines and acoustics, and other technological and cosmetic changes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Originally estimated at $10 million, the projects budget has increased to $13 million due to rising construction costs. Largo performing arts center unveils $2M in renovations Palladium executive director Paul Wilborn said about $10.8 million is in hand from private donors, the state of Florida and the city of St. Petersburg. Because were part of a state college, you cant just build something on pledges, he explained. The money has to be in an account that can be spent. And this (county) agreement counts as money, since its an official government-to-government agreement. And that put us to the point where the project could be greenlighted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Built in 1925 as a Christian Science church, the 7,000-square-foot Palladium is on the Register of Historic Places. It has been operated by St. Petersburg College since 2007. We came into the capital campaign knowing it really needed to be done, Wilborn said. Weve been very successful, but we were limited in that we were a church with a stage, essentially. People didnt like the seats, people didnt like the sound when it was heavily amplified were addressing all that. Wilborns original renovation plan included several items that had to be rescinded due to rising costs. Among them: Raising the performance stage and installing an acoustic orchestra shell. He believes the withdrawn items and perhaps even more can be added to the list before the theater, and its 180-seat downstairs cabaret room, have to close for construction. As we raise more money, which we are certainly going to do, were continuing to push forward, trying to do as much as we can to do this all in one fell swoop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Raising enough launch capital was Phase 1 of the project. Phase 2 the nuts, bolts and myriad contracts of the renovation will be out of Wilborns hands. SPC has folks that do that, he said. We just had to show them enough money to get this project going. Its estimated that eight to 12 months will pass before the first hammer will fall. The theater will close for approximately one year. John Collins, the former director of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, has been part of the renovation project team since the beginning. Although he resides in Annapolis, Maryland, Collins is on the phone and on Zoom with Wilborn daily. And he visits St. Petersburg often. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I absolutely believe in Pauls vision for what the Palladium transformation can be, Collins said. And I think theres an art and a science to a capital campaign. Thats been my experience for many, many years. Wilborn, a writer, musician and former journalist, has been with the Palladium since the earliest days of the colleges ownership. Im not a fundraiser, he said. Its just not in my history. So it was kind of daunting and scary. And there were a lot of nights where I would wake up and say, Why did we choose to do this? What kept me going was that I ultimately believed it needed to be done. Whats gratifying is that the community has responded. The city stepped up. The state stepped up. The county has stepped up. Private donors have stepped up. And they said, We believe in what youre doing. This content provided in partnership with stpetecatalyst.com. Some residents in several New Jersey towns may be concerned to see water with a pinkish hue running from their faucets but its safe to drink, officials said. Higher levels of sodium permanganate have led to reports of discolored water in the Raritan System, according to a statement from New Jersey American Water, posted on Facebook Wednesday by the Manville Borough Office of Emergency Management. Sodium permanganate is used to treat water at the Raritan-Millstone Water Treatment Plant, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several municipalities, including Bound Brook, Bridgewater, Manville, Hillsborough, Somerville, Raritan Borough, Dunellen, Piscataway, and Plainfield may experience water discoloration, according to officials. In rare cases, the discoloration may appear pink. Though there is no impact to drinking water quality and the water meets drinking water standards, you may wish to refrain from doing laundry during this time, officials said. Crews have started flushing hydrants to help clear the system, which may cause low water pressure or discoloration for some customers, officials said. The discoloration is expected to improve as the flushing continues, said Chelsea Kulp, director of communications and external affairs for New Jersey American Water. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kulp said most customers in the impacted towns will not experience the discoloration, which was first reported in Bridgewater. Those with discolored water are advised to run the cold water taps at the lowest levels of their home for about three to five minutes until the water runs clear. The Raritan System serves more than 50 New Jersey municipalities, according to a 2024 report. We thank you for your patience and understanding while we work to resolve this issue, officials said in the statement. Rebecca Heath Stories by Rebecca Heath Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here. William Davis William Bill Davis, says that to truly help someone in crisis you must have compassion and be a good listener. The people in crisis are very perceptive. They can tell when you care or when you dont. They can even tell over the phone, said Davis, 77, of Piscataway. Our motto is we dont fix people, but we support people in their own self-determination. Davis is a client services specialist at The Father Center of New Jersey, a Trenton-based organization with offices in Camden, Burlington and Westampton that provides programs and services to about 800 fathers annually to help improve their lives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The supports, Davis said, range from anger management classes and employment services to a 24/7 dad parenting program. When clients come to the office, located at 1 West State St., Davis said he is the first person they meet. My job is to determine exactly what their needs are, and in doing that, sometimes we find out their needs are greater than the need they came in for, said Davis, who said he has helped over 3,000 clients during his 13-year career at the center. When interviewing a client, Davis said he listens to their story without judgment. For instance, someone may be coming in to seek full employment, but during the interview, well find out that they have a substance abuse problem, he said. So, we will talk to them about that, and if they want to, we will help them get into the necessary treatments they need. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Davis said one of the things his clients appreciate is that he actually listens to them. Many of our clients have been traumatized, and then theyre re-traumatized by the social services system, but when they come to us, we give them a place where they can come and not be judged, said Davis. Yanira Medina, the centers senior program manager, said Davis has a gift for making clients feel comfortable. For even the guys that dont want to open up with nobody else, somehow he gets them to open up, said Medina. Hes also very helpful, and when I need advice, hes always there for me. Before helping men get their lives back on track, Davis worked as a telecommunications computer specialist for AT&T for 28 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After leaving, Davis said he began volunteering in 1998 at Love Thy Neighbor (formerly known as Love In the Name of Christ), a nonprofit ministry based in Monmouth County that strives to transform lives and communities in the name of Christ. I volunteered there, and I was going to help them build their computer system and telephone system, said Davis. The executive director, [Carolyn] Eyerman, and the founder, John Holden, saw me interacting with the clients, and they told me that I had a gift. Davis said Holden, Eyerman, and the ministrys former Rev. Susan Mamshack helped him discover his passion for social work, which prompted him to start working with clients. After working for different organizations and charities, Davis said he joined The Father Center in 2012. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was looking for a place like the center that really put the clients first and really cared about the people, and so thats why I wound up staying here so long, said Davis. Davis said he has a deeply rooted need to help others and finds inspiration when he sees clients succeed. While in a hurry one day, Davis recalls running into one of his former clients who had greeted him at the office door, sporting a suit and holding a briefcase. I didnt remember him at all, and he told me, I just wanted to tell you that Im substance-free. I got a great job. Im making a lot of money, and I reunited with my family, said Davis. So, I asked him what happened to you to make you change your life? He said, You, Mr. Bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Davis admits it took him a while to process what his former client had told him. Thats what makes every encounter so meaningful, knowing that you never know what youre saying or what youre doing that can help change the direction of a persons life dramatically. Thats why I do the work Im doing, Davis said. Vashti Harris Stories by Vashti Harris Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here. NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) Welcome to PIX on Politics Daily with Dan Mannarino where we break down the days political news, top headlines, and the issues that matter most to you through thoughtful, in-depth conversations. Join us every day at 1:00 p.m. on PIX11+ as we speak with newsmakers, lawmakers, and key figures shaping policies that directly impact our local communities. More News: PIX on Politics Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, Dan is joined by Jasmine Ray, former director of the New York City Mayors Office of Sports, Wellness, & Recreation, to discuss her new tell-all memoir about her relationship with Mayor Eric Adams. 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 PIX11. By Steve Holland and Costas Pitas WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Planning has begun for an international force to go into Gaza to stabilize security in the Palestinian enclave, two senior U.S. advisers said on Wednesday. One of the top requirements of President Donald Trump's 20-point Gaza plan was formation of a U.S.-backed stabilization force. The United States has agreed to provide up to 200 troops to support the force without being deployed in Gaza itself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two senior advisers, in a briefing for reporters, said tensions remain high between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in the enclave. "Right now what we're looking to accomplish is just a basic stabilization of the situation. The international stabilization force is starting to be constructed," one adviser said. Among the countries the U.S. is speaking to about contributing to the force are Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar and Azerbaijan, said the adviser, speaking on condition of anonymity. The advisers said there were up to two dozen U.S. troops in the region to help set up the operation, serving in a "coordination, oversight" role. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The goal is to use all the different local partners who want to help and be involved," the adviser said. After Hamas killed seven men in Gaza City it accused of collaborating with Israel, the advisers said there were discussions to establish safe zones for civilians to prevent such incidents. The second adviser said that no Gazans would be forced to leave the battered Palestinian enclave. Officials are looking at rebuilding in areas that are free of Hamas militants. Trump has said he would like to see the enclave rebuilt and has pledges of investment from various international partners, but that this effort will take time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The advisers also said patience was needed for the recovery of dead Israeli hostages, saying it will take longer than expected because their remains are buried under rubble and unexploded ordnance. They said there are discussions about offering rewards for information leading to the discovery of remains. (Reporting by Steve Holland and Costas Pitas; Writing by Michelle Nichols and Steve Holland; Editing by Chris Reese, Nia Williams and Deepa Babington) WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) A mental health provider in central Kansas is shifting gears after a proposed veterans housing project failed to secure enough funding. The Center for Counseling and Consultations original project in Ellinwood included an eight-bed unit to provide housing and short-term treatment for veterans in mental crisis. After reviewing, the center found that it could not build and maintain the facility without dedicated long-term funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kansas Air Force veteran says serving was the best decision she ever made Were not ending the mission that inspired this project were reshaping it, Executive Director Wendy Lockwood said in a statement. Our focus remains on local, compassionate, and effective crisis and veteran care that reflects both the needs and values of the communities we serve. For now, the centers expanded mobile crisis team will provide onsite help across Barton, Pawnee, Rice and Stafford counties until midnight. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here. You can now download KSN+ and stream KSN live on Roku, Fire TV and Apple TV! Click here to learn more. 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 KSN-TV. DES MOINES, Iowa Hospitals and blood centers are always trying to avoid shortages. Someone needs blood every two seconds, and less than 10% of the eligible U.S. population donates annually. For one Fontanelle, Iowa woman, a perfect-match platelet donation helped save her life. Andrea McNeese, 33, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on August 15. In the weeks following, she was hospitalized at Iowa Methodist Medical Center and given 13 transfusions of platelet blood donations. But they werent reacting well with her body until the 14th donation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The amazing team that I had said, okay, stop, weve got to do something. Weve got to investigate a little bit further to find a different answer. And with LifeServes help, they did a gene test on my blood and was able to find a perfect match for me, McNeese said. She was making these antibodies that were coming in and they were destroying all the platelets that were being transfused, Medical Director of LifeServe Blood Center Dr. Alex Smith said. Because of that, we had to do a genotype on her and look at her genes to see what those proteins are in her platelets. And then we had to go out and we had to find donors who had the same proteins on their platelets. So itd be an exact physical match. There are three components to blood donations: red blood cells, plasma and platelets. So whats different about platelet donations? NW Iowa high schoolers serve community as volunteer firefighters Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Red blood cells tend to be a lot of trauma patients or people that are anemic or that have bleeding, Dr. Smith said. Platelets are more for people that need help with stopping bleeding in specific situations like leukemia, like Andrea, because oftentimes your body just is not making enough platelets. Platelets only last about five days so finding matches is sometimes difficult. McNeeses donor match came in a few days earlier than scheduled to donate, helping provide a new transfusion for her. McNeese knows this world. She used to donate blood in high school and college, but now shes on the other end of it. I do think that its such a humbling blessing for it to be able to come full circle, be able to not only survive, but thrive, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, McNeese is advocating for others to step up and donate. Blood centers and hospitals are always in need. The need for blood is great. We know there is a shortage of donors, Chelsy Funaro, Trauma Service at Iowa Methodist Medical Center, said. A normal, everyday person can save a life by donating blood. These are medicines. If we need more, we cant just ramp up the supply in a factory. This is something that comes from somebody donating out of the kindness of the heart because they want to help other people, Dr. Smith said. Every donation saves a life. Even if you dont think that you need it now, later on down the road, you just might, McNeese said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McNeese is doing better now but is still fighting leukemia. Shell likely need another platelet transfusion but they dont know when that will be. Shes just encouraged that there is someone out there who is a match for her. Shes expressed her gratitude to her donors, but she does not know who they are. Donating platelets takes about two hours and could save a life. For more information, visit LifeServeBloodCenter.org Iowa 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 who13.com. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) had his feet held to the fire on a podcast hosted by two suburban moms from Oklahoma who were quick to call bullshit on his answers. Booker, an expectant candidate for president in 2028, appeared on the popular left-wing Ive Had It podcast, and from the jump, co-host Jennifer Welch threw some hardball questions at him. Politics: Cory Booker Breaks Record For Longest Senate Speech With Remarks Opposing Trump Policies There are votes that youve made that were heartbreaking to me, like the vote for Kushner. That really pissed me off, she said, referring to Booker being the only Democrat in May to vote in favor of confirming Charles Kushner, the father of President Donald Trumps son-in-law, as the U.S. ambassador to France. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What do you have to say about the capitulation that you participated in, and where the Democratic Party is right now? Welch asked. Booker responded by saying Democrats are too critical of each other. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in July. Tom Williams via Getty Images One of the things I dislike about the Democrat Party is that we do a circular firing squad all the time. ...Theres a lot of disagreements in the Republican tent, and yet they dont shoot at each other, he said, saying Democrats force purity tests on one another. Welch cut him off: Thats such bullshit, she said, noting that Trump has sent so many people out to pasture, including former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney. Politics: Cory Booker Rips Trump In 18-Hour-Plus Senate Speech Meant To Disrupt 'Normal Business' Come on! an exasperated Booker responded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Later in the interview, Welch called out Booker for taking around $800,000 from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and posing for a photo op with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in July. I was just like, What in the actual fuck? Like, how can he do that? It was heartbreaking. I felt betrayed, Welch said, saying she felt like it diminished his record-breaking, 25-hour speech on the Senate floor months earlier. Jennifer Welch speaks onstage in New York in June. Bryan Bedder via Getty Images Booker said its important to have conversations with people like Netanyahu, with whom he says he has real problems over the outrageous things that hes doing. I want to look him in the eye ... and talk to him about humanitarian aid. And if people want to criticize me for it, then go ahead, Booker continued. Politics: Scott Bessent Wants To Wage A Post-9/11-Style War On The American Left The conversation got heated again when Welch asked Booker point-blank if he believed Netanyahu to be a war criminal. Booker sidestepped the question, saying questions like that are loaded and hot and meant to be a litmus test that ultimately undermine the urgency hes trying to raise about conflict in the Middle East. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Welch told Booker his answer was unsatisfactory to many people in his party. What happens to Democratic politicians is they go through this like, prism, and then we cant ever get the answer to yes-or-no conversations, she said. You can watch the full interview here. Political Updates Read the original on HuffPost LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Scores of officers have made it their business to secure the Arkansas State Fair, but that didnt stop people from fighting Monday night. In a video that FOX 16 News received from a bystander, a man can be heard trying to de-escalate a fight, telling a young man, Dont shoot. This was only one of many fights that broke out Monday night, causing the fair to close early. Trey Keller with the Arkansas State Police said they responded fast to every incident. We were there quickly, arrested several persons that were involved in it, there was 30 arrests, thats approximately correct, Keller said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least 30 people facing charges after fights at Arkansas State Fair With over 100 officers working the fair, Keller says troopers and Little Rock Police will not put up with any violence at the fair. We have no tolerance for criminal behavior. You will be arrested, and if youre over the age of 18, you will be taken to jail, Keller said. Some of the people arrested for fighting could be under the age of 18, which is why Keller says the rule stands: minors must be with an adult to enter after 6 p.m. and must stay with that adult throughout the fair. New Arkansas State Fair rule requires kids under 18 to be escorted inside by an adult after 6 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FOX 16 News asked people if they felt unsafe now attending the fair after the fights, but many of them, like Jaylan Duff, feel secure from seeing a heavy police presence, saying the tone has been set. I think we got that all under control now, more security, police officers in the front, I think they kind of got an idea when they see all the other police during the first incident, Duff said. 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 KLRT - FOX16.com. Halloween came early this year for a man in the UK, who landed in hot water with the police after a backyard experiment went hopelessly wrong. As detailed by The Telegraph, an amateur scientist named Harry Whittaker was arrested after police discovered a noxious blend of chemicals in his makeshift lab, appropriately located in a shed behind his mothers house. Whittakers setup was found out after he called for an ambulance after suffering from anaphylaxis, an allergic reaction he said was triggered by his mothers potpourri. When authorities arrived, however, they discovered a veritable warehouse of potions, including black gunpowder, flash powder, firework pellets, fuses, and lethal poisons, as the Graph put it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of the chemicals recovered even included radioactive matter, as well as white phosphorus, a waxy compound which can ignite when exposed to oxygen. They also recovered a copy of Home Workshop Explosives, an infamous tome by an underground chemist who goes by the moniker Uncle Fester. (His catalogue includes other works like Secrets of Methamphetamine Manufacture and Silent Death, a recipe book for creating DIY nerve gas.) When paramedics showed up, they noted Whittaker was suffering from hives and a wheezing cough, but werent sure how to treat it. When they didnt buy Whittakers potpourri story, he caved and brought them to his shed, which he reportedly described as his laboratory. Unsurprisingly, the paramedics then called the police in, who found on top of everything else a baggie of heroin in Whittakers possession. The home chemist was then arrested and charged with making and possessing explosive substances. During his trial, which kicked off this week, the prosecutor said first responders noted that Whittakers shed did not have any ventilation system, although one window was broken. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said it had occurred during a previous experiment which had resulted in an explosion, the prosecutor continued. According to the Graph, Whittaker was astounded to be arrested for having an educational interest in science, adding that his goal was to collect every element of the period table. I take precautions so it doesnt harm anyone, he reportedly told police. I dont make things dangerous. Its all just harmless fun, essentially. Im just a nerdy kid who likes doing science. More on chemistry: A Chemical in Plastic Is Wreaking Havoc on Unborn Children, Scientists Warn Authorities in Switzerland have arrested the husband of a former finalist for Miss Switzerland, alleging that he strangled her to death before dismembering her and blending her body parts. Kristina Joksimovic was killed during the February of 2024, according to the BBC. Police referred to the 38-year-old beauty queen by her initials in court documents, MIDDLETOWN Pa. (WHTM) Harrisburg International Airport shut off its public address system after an unauthorized user gained access and played a Free Palestine message Tuesday evening, an airport spokesperson said. In a recording that captured the incident, a computer generated voice reads off a list of hackers claiming responsibility for the takeover of the system before stating, [Expletive] Netanyahu and Trump. The message did not contain any threats to the airport nor its tenants, airlines or passengers, the airport said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During this incident, a Delta flight was boarding, the statement said. Out of an abundance of caution, the aircraft was searched. No security issues were found, and the flight departed safely. Flights are operating normally at the airport, which is the third largest in Pennsylvania. The airports police department is investigating the incident. This is a developing story. Stay with abc27 News 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 ABC27. A person is accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail into an Ohio home early Tuesday morning. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The incident happened in the 200 block of Graham Street in Toledo around 5:15 a.m., according to our CBS affiliate WTOL-11 TV. An occupant told authorities that he woke up to someone opening his bedroom window and throwing a Molotov cocktail inside. WTOL-11 reports that the device didnt ignite. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The unknown suspect then allegedly started shooting into the victims bedroom, according to a Toledo police report obtained by WTOL-11. No one was injured in this incident, and no arrests have been made. This incident remains under investigation by the Toledo Police Department. Those with information are asked to contact Crime Stoppers at (419) 255-1111. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] NORTH HAVEN - SWAT members were justified in returning fire during an hourslong standoff at a North Haven residence in 2024, the state inspector general has determined. In a report released Wednesday morning, Inspector General Eliot D. Prescott said three members of the South Central Regional SWAT team had returned fire while Robert Mazurek Jr. was barricaded, firing shots and making threats. Prescott said the members of the SWAT team who "fired multiple rounds from their department-issued firearms" were East Haven police Detective Raymond Wilson Jr., Branford police Officer Rocco Morgan and North Branford police Cpl. Thomas Pacelli. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I have determined that, under the totality of these circumstances, the officers' use of deadly force was objectively reasonable and, therefore, legally justified," Prescott wrote. "Their use of deadly force was necessary and in response to Mazurek's repeated and ongoing use of deadly force against them and other officers on scene." Prescott said nobody was injured in the standoff and Mazurek eventually surrendered to members of the SWAT. Officers responded to the Cloudland Road residence shortly after 8 p.m. on Aug. 19 after dispatch received reports of shots being fired by a resident, later identified as Mazurek, Prescott said. The complaint reported Mazurek was "drinking and getting crazy" along with "probably on his back porch shooting into the woods," Prescott said. Prescott said Mazurek was uncooperative with police and began threatening officers who tried to approach him. He said officers ended up determining Mazurek had a revoked pistol permit and located evidence that shots had been fired, which prompted officers to "establish a perimeter around the house." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mazurek spoke to a negotiator over the phone, and said he was armed and suicidal, Prescott wrote. Mazurek threatened he would shoot anyone who entered his residence and apologized, Prescott said. Prescott wrote that through the overnight hours, Mazurek continued to not surrender to officers and spoke with negotiators over the phone. He wrote officers eventually were able open a door to Mazurek's residence once a robot was deployed after a failed attempt. Prescott wrote that Mazurek ended up answering a call from a negotiator after being uncommunicative for around three hours and said he would burn down the house. Prescott said Mazurek hung up on the negotiator and kept ignoring following calls. Mazurek fired his first shot during the standoff after officers deployed tear gas into the house in an attempt to end the standoff, Prescott said. Mazurek fired more shots and kept threatening police for several hours. "Mazurek fired numerous shotgun rounds at the officers present at the scene," Prescott said. "If these rounds had struck the officers, they were capable of causing death or serious physical injuries." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prescott said Mazurek fired 12 shots and officers fired several rounds of tear gas into the residence before Mazurek surrendered to police, at 9:11 a.m. on Aug. 20. Prescott said all three officers returned numerous shots back at Mazurek during the standoff. "Only when Mazurek fired repeatedly on them did the officers resort to the use of deadly physical force," Prescott wrote. "In sum, I conclude that each of the officers' belief that it was necessary to use deadly physical force was objectively reasonable under the circumstances because a reasonable police officer in the same situation would have perceived the same lethal threat and responded to that threat with deadly force." Court records show Mazurek remains in custody on various assault and other charges related to the standoff, and is scheduled to appear next in state Superior Court in New Haven Oct. 20. This article originally published at Police justified in returning fire during 2024 North Haven standoff, inspector general finds. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) El Paso police detectives were in East El Paso on Tuesday, Oct. 14, investigating a death. Police say they responded to a home at 1761 Dale Douglas Dr. for an unknown problem. The call came in just before 9 a.m. on Tuesday. The Crimes Against Persons unit was called out to assist the investigation. No further information has been released. Were working on gathering more information on this story. 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 KTSM 9 News. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) A Missouri man is in jail awaiting formal charges after police say they found over 1,000 images of child pornography in his home and evidence that he had been spying on his neighbors. Missouri man executed for the fatal shooting of a state trooper in 2005 KSNWs sister station KSNF in Joplin reported that the 60-year-old Aurora, Missouri, man is currently jailed without bail on suspicion of first-degree sexual misconduct and second-degree possession of child pornography. More charges could be possible, according to the Aurora-Marionville Police Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The department said an investigation began last week, which led to the execution of a search warrant of the mans home on Tuesday. Police said they discovered more than 1,000 images of child pornography, as well as evidence that the man had been recording various neighbors through their windows. The Aurora-Marionville Police Department said investigators believe the child pornography was downloaded from the internet and not created by the suspect. I am deeply disturbed by what my staff encountered today, but I am tremendously proud of their professionalism, determination, and service in bringing this case to a successful conclusion. Chief Wes Coatney Aurora-Marionville Police Department Complaints of lewd and disturbing behavior toward young girls in the mans neighborhood prompted the investigation. Formal charges are pending. KSN does not name individuals believed to be connected to a crime unless they have been formally charged. 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 KSN-TV. ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) Police are offering a cash reward for information on a suspect accused of stealing a vehicle from an Abilene car dealership last month. The incident happened at a dealership on the 3100 block S Clack Street September 20. Surveillance video shows a suspect walking through the parking lot before getting into a side-by-side vehicle and driving away. Anyone with information on this Theft case is asked to contact Abilene Crime stoppers at (325)676-8477. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All tips are guaranteed anonymous and good information could lead to a cash reward! 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 KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. NEED TO KNOW Morgan Crenshaw, 17, has been missing from Northern California since Sept. 29 Crenshaw's grandmother told police her granddaughter "was heading to Oakland" before she disappeared Police in Antioch, Calif., said Crenshaw's last known communication came via text on Friday, Oct. 3 Police in Northern California are looking for a 17-year-old girl whose family says shes been missing since late last month. Morgan Crenshaw has not been seen since Sept. 29 and was reported missing by her family on Oct. 5, the Antioch Police Department said in a news release Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is not a normal pattern of life for Crenshaw, Antioch Police said, citing information from the missing teenagers family. Antioch Police Department detectives immediately began investigating the case and believe it is suspicious, the police department said. After interviewing several acquaintances Crenshaw was possibly seen on October 3rd at about 5 AM in the area of International Boulevard and 12th Street in Oakland. Antioch Police said earlier this month that investigators believe Crenshaws grandmother was the last person to have seen the missing teenager. Crenshaws grandmother told police that her granddaughter was heading to Oakland, officials said in an Oct. 5 news release. Investigators said in the news release that Crenshaws last known communication came via text on Friday, Oct. 3 two days before she was reported missing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morgan is approximately 50 tall and 110 lbs, officials said. She was last seen wearing a pink wig, black jacket, black bottoms, and black slippers. Antioch Police Department Morgan Crenshaw Morgan Crenshaw California Highway Patrol has also issued an Ebony Alert in response to Crenshaws disappearance an emergency alert similar to Amber Alerts for children, but for Black women between the ages of 12 and 25. An Ebony Alert is issued only when the investigating law enforcement agency has used all available local resources to find the missing person and a person is either deemed to be in danger or suspected of being a victim of trafficking, according to the highway patrols website. The California Highway Patrol urges anyone with information they believe could be helpful in tracking down a missing person to alert 911 immediately. Even the smallest piece of information can be the piece that leads to a successful recovery, the California Highway Patrol guidance says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crenshaws sister Jaionyi Kennard told local NBC Bay Area that her 17-year-old sister is an uplifting person who has always made others happy. "You can't sit around her and be sad, Kennard said, telling the local news station she typically speaks to her sister at least every other day. "My fear is her being held against her will," Kennard said, adding that its not normal for her sister to not be in contact with her family. "That is my fear. My fear is her wanting to leave and she can't whether that's because she's getting physically harmed or whether she's getting threatened." Sharing a message with her sister in case she is able to read the news, Crenshaws sister told NBC: "If she ever sees this, whatever is going on, don't stop fighting, don't give up. We're here. I just want her to know we're here." Read the original article on People In a ceremonial throne room at the Vatican last week, Pope Leo stood before a group of visiting American Bishops and Catholic leaders as they played video messages from migrants in the United States. As he watched one message after another from people speaking about their fear of President Donald Trump's deportation campaign, his eyes filled with tears, according to one person in the delegation. "You stand with me and I stand with you, and the church will continue to accompany and stand with migrants," the Pope reportedly said after the meeting, which ended with him instructing them to be more forceful in defending immigrants in the U.S. Pope Leo's comments were the latest in a string of forceful public statements that demonstrate his increasing willingness to challenge Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He just was very, you could see, visibly pained when he watched the video," Dylan Corbett, an executive director of the Hope Border Institute, who was part of the delegation, told TIME. Read more: Peace Be With You: Pope Leo XIV Steps Onto the World Stage During the meeting, the delegation handed the Pope dozens of letters from immigrants, bishops and social workers describing their fears of the Trump Administration's immigration crackdown. Corbett, whose grassroots organization works with faith leaders to help communities along the U.S.-Mexico border, said their conversation deeply affected the Pope. "He was emotionally moved by what we told him, almost, you know, almost angry at times. Just very clear that what was happening was, you know, the church needed to raise its voice, and it was unacceptable," said Corbett, who lives in the border town of El Paso and has previously worked in an official capacity for the Vatican in promoting migrant and refugee rights. A personal issue The issue has become personal for the Pope in recent weeks as Trump has focused his crackdown on Chicago, Pope Leos hometown. The day after the meeting of Bishops on Oct. 8, Pope Leo met with union leaders from Chicago and urged them to advocate for immigrants, just as the Trump Administration was trying to deploy the National Guard in the city to assist with its immigration crackdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While recognizing that appropriate policies are necessary to keep communities safe, I encourage you to continue to advocate for society to respect the human dignity of the most vulnerable, Leo told the union leaders. Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich, who accompanied the labor leaders, told the Associated Press after the meeting that the Pope was clear in his support for the undocumented immigrants that Trump is trying to deport. He (Leo) wants us to make sure, as bishops, that we speak out on behalf of the undocumented or anybody whos vulnerable to preserve their dignity, Cupich said. We all have to remember that we all share a common dignity as human beings. Chicago has become a hotbed for Trumps immigration enforcement campaign. Since the Trump Administration launched Operation Midway Blitz last month, the city has been flooded with federal agents, who have increased raids and arrests. One particularly aggressive military style raid on an apartment building in south Chicago saw dozens arrested and children separated from their parents. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has denounced Trumps targeting of Chicago, while city leaders and protestors have taken steps to fight against the presence of federal agents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pope Leos recent comments represent a marked escalation in his rhetoric around Trumps immigration crackdown, and a potential problem for the president. As the leader of some 50 million Catholic followers in the United States, the Pope is perhaps the second-most influential American in the world. Corbett said he believed the Popes outspokenness on defending migrants in the U.S. was the result of him becoming more comfortable with the papacy. And so I think you see, as he sort of grows into his role as being Pope, he's also taking on that global mantle as one of the few world leaders who's speaking out on behalf of the human dignity of people who migrate. A descendant of immigrants The Pope first began speaking about immigration at the beginning of his term, when he succeeded Pope Francis in May. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his first address to world diplomats, Leo said the dignity of migrants had to be respected, beginning the dialogue of his papacy against the Administration. He also highlighted his own immigrant background. "My own story is that of a citizen, the descendant of immigrants, who in turn chose to emigrate," he told ambassadors at the Vatican. Before his papacy, Leo served in Peru for decades, assisting the poor, especially Venezuelan migrants who fled there. The Pope called out Vice President J.D. Vance specifically in resurfaced social media posts from an account linked to Leo; however, Vance did not quip back, but said he would not play the politicization of the Pope game. In June, Leo critiqued the surge of nationalistic political movements as he celebrated Sunday Mass in St. Peters Square in Vatican city in front of thousands of people. Without naming any country or politician, he continued his vow to make the Catholic Church a symbol of peace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Where there is love, there is no room for prejudice, for security zones separating us from our neighbors, for the exclusionary mindset that, tragically, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms, Leo said. Pope Leo XIV wears a Chicago White Sox baseball team cap as he meets newly wedded couples during the weekly general audience in St Peter's Square at the Vatican on June 11, 2025. Filippo MonteforteAFP/Getty Images The next month, Leo urged the public in a letter to view migrants as messengers of hope on the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, and highlighted the link between migration and hope. The current global context is sadly marked by wars, violence, injustice and extreme weather events, which force millions of people to leave their homelands in search of refuge elsewhere, the Pope wrote. Faced with frightening scenarios and the possibility of global devastation, it is important that there be a growing desire in peoples hearts for a future of peace and of respect for the dignity of all. Those comments followed months of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids across the country and clashes between protestors and the National Guard in Los Angeles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In late September, Leo continued his steady pattern of comments. In what was likely his most direct address on abortion and immigration since his papacy began, the Pope called the U.S.'s treatment of immigrants inhumane. "Someone who says I'm against abortion but is in favor of the death penalty is not really pro-life," he said. "And someone who says I'm against abortion but I'm in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don't know if that's pro-life." Leos suggestion that pro-life Catholics beliefs do not align with deportation was met with fierce backlash from conservative members of the church. Leo then urged the worlds 1.4 billion Catholics in October, following his critiques of Trump, to be welcoming of migrants. In St. Peters Square during Mass, he said that immigrants should not be treated with "the coldness of indifference or the stigma of discrimination, although he did not reference the U.S. A Papal tradition Pope Leo is not the first Pope to criticize the Trump Administration for its treatment of immigrants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following Trumps election in the 2016 election, Pope Francis, who served from 2013 until his death in 2025, criticized the Presidents proposal to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian," Francis said at the time. Nearly a decade later, at the beginning of Trumps second term, Francis was still making public rebukes. Before Leos recent comments, Francis called the Administrations deportation campaign a major crisis in a public letter to the U.S. Catholic bishops. "The act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness," Francis wrote in February. Robert Franis Prevost, Pope Leos real name, is the first American elected to the position. However, he has spent much of his life outside of the U.S. Ordained in 1982, Leo received a doctorate in canon law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. From his time in Peru, he visited orders all around the world. Leo chose his name in reference to the last Pope Leo XIII, who led the church from 1878 to 1903, one of the longest papal reigns, and is known for marshaling the church into the modern world. Contact us at letters@time.com. Queen Rania and King Abdullah of Jordan met with Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City on Tuesday. The meeting marked the Jordanian royals first visit with the new pope since his inauguration in May. While the King and Queen did not attend the papal inauguration, they did attend the funeral for Pope Francis in April. Vatican Pool - Getty Images In keeping with Vatican protocol, Queen Rania wore all black for the visit, including a black veil. She arrived at the Apostolic Palace in a black Fendi dress paired with Tom Ford heels. Franco Origlia - Getty Images At Tuesdays meeting, King Abdullah and Pope Leo discussed ties between Jordan and the Vatican, according to Jordanian news agency Roya News, and the King extended an invitation for the Pope to visit to Al-Maghtas, also known as Bethany, the site believed to be the location where Jesus of Nazareth was baptized by John the Baptist. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the location is a Christian place of pilgrimage. Vatican Pool - Getty Images Pope Leo is expecting another royal visit later this month: King Charles and Queen Camilla will travel to Vatican City later in October to celebrate the 2025 Jubilee. Traditionally marked every 25 years, a Papal Jubilee is a special time for the Catholic Church. The visit will also celebrate the ecumenical work by the Church of England and the Catholic Church, reflecting the Jubilee years theme of walking together as Pilgrims of Hope. Vatican Pool - Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The royal trip comes after Charles and Camilla met Pope Francis privately while in Italy in April just a few weeks before his passing, but their official State Visit to the Holy See was postponed due to his ill health. The dates and program have still yet to be announced, but it is expected to be a short trip. You Might Also Like The Maldives a chain of over a thousand coral islands scattered across the Indian Ocean is considered a luxury destination for travelers seeking tranquility, especially thanks to its white beaches and world-class all-inclusive resorts. Home to one of the world's most luxurious private islands, the country is typically seen as a secluded sanctuary. However, the Maldives is not all sunshine and relaxation. In fact, the South Asian destination was recently issued with a Level 2 travel advisory by the U.S. Department of State, citing threats of terrorism, civil unrest, and security challenges tied to extremist ideology and politicized violence. As such, according to the State Department advisory, travelers should "exercise increased caution" when visiting the country especially around popular tourist locations that might be targets of terrorist attacks. This includes transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, local government facilities, and other high visibility spaces that can attract media attention. Remote islands are also pointed out as potential targets due to their reduced emergency-response capabilities, such as limited medical facilities or longer wait times for authorities to arrive. In August 2025, the Foreign Terrorist Fighters Knowledge Hub (FTFKH) an online database by the T.M.C. Asser Instituut and the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) found the Maldives to have had "the highest per capita number of its nationals [traveling] to join ISIL/Da'esh." However, the ICCT also stated that the country's domestic policy now includes "preventive strategies, religious education reform and monitoring of returnees." This essentially means that the government is taking added measures to curb extremism. Furthermore, this year, the Maldives and the United Kingdom held a two-day training and table-top exercise to improve the country's ability to respond to large-scale terrorist incidents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Research Says You Should Skip These Dangerous Beaches When Visiting Florida Should you cancel your Maldives vacation? A phone screen showing the U.S. travel advisory site - Tada Images/Shutterstock Before you cancel any flights and accommodation, it's worth looking at the facts. Although security concerns remain relatively low compared to some of the most dangerous Caribbean destinations U.S. travelers still regularly flock to, over the years, Maldivian authorities have disrupted plots and arrested individuals linked to the recruitment and planning of attacks. For instance, the detonation of an explosive device near former President Nasheed's home in Male in 2021, which authorities attributed to Islamist extremist actors, made headlines around the world. However, there have been no other confirmed, high-profile terrorist attacks in the Maldives for about eight years. In fact, according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, the most recent fatality linked to terrorism in the Maldives dates back to 2017, and involved the killing of activist and blogger Yameen Rasheed. Still, the advisory guidance recommends several precautions for travelers. First, it notes that tourists should avoid large gatherings and demonstrations. Additionally, it also recommends that travelers remain vigilant in areas frequented by tourists, and that they should monitor local media continuously for any breaking security developments. Additionally, it's also wise to have a contingency plan in case evacuation or emergency medical care is needed. Similarly, choosing reputable operators for excursions, sticking to well-known resort areas, and traveling with a trusted local guide can also help mitigate risk. For added precaution, the U.S. State Department also encourages travelers sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive important updates and alerts from the U.S. embassy or consulate, as both institutions can contact travelers or their emergency contact if needed. Finally, the State Department recommends buying travel insurance. Not just for any kind of medical emergency, but because it might make it easier to handle a trip cancellation or rescheduling. 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. NEW YORK (PIX11) A popular brand of rice has issued a recall after it was reported that there could be small stones in the product. The stones originate from the rice farm, and if consumed, could pose a risk of oral or digestive tract injury, the recall states. More Local News The recall impacts a limited batch of Bens Original Original Long Grain White, Whole Grain Brown, and Long Grain & Wild Ready Rice products. The products were sold at several retailers, including Target, HEB, and Amazon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The batch codes and best by dates below can be found on the bottom seal of the back of the package. Make PIX11 your preferred source on Google: Heres how Item description Batch code Best by date Retailers Bens Original Ready Rice Long Grain White Rice 533ELGRV22 534ALGRV22 8/2026 534ALGRV22 was sold at HEB Bens Original Ready Rice Whole Grain Brown Rice 534AMGRV22 534BMGRV22 534DMGRV22 8/2026 534AMGRV22 was sold at Target. 534DMGRV22 was sold at HEB. Bens Original Ready Rice Long Grain and Wild Rice 533BMGRV22 533CLGRV22 533CMGRV22 8/2026 533CLGRV22 was sold at United Markets. 533CMGRV22 was sold at HEB, Amazon, and Piggly Wiggly If you have one of the products listed above, you can initiate a return by contacting Bens Original Consumer Care at 1-800-548-6253 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Standard Time, Monday to Friday, or from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central Standard Time on Saturday and Sunday. Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work 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 PIX11. LISBON (Reuters) -Portugal's opposition Socialist Party will abstain in the general vote on the centre-right minority government's 2026 budget, which should be enough to approve the bill in its first reading on October 28, the Socialist leader said on Wednesday. Jose Luis Carneiro said his party "will not be a factor in political instability and will be a firm, but also constructive and responsible opposition". Analysts had expected such a stance after a snap May parliamentary election, in which the Socialists lost many seats to come third behind far-right Chega, as a way to avoid the risk of another snap ballot that could be unpopular. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In the general vote, we will abstain, we'll ensure political stability in our country at this stage," Carneiro told reporters, adding that the Socialists would maintain their position in the final vote unless the government changes the bill in parliamentary commissions. The final vote is scheduled for November 27. The abstention of the 58 Socialist MPs in the 230-seat parliament means the ruling coalition, with 91 seats, can approve the budget without entering into negotiations with an often unpredictable Chega, which has 60 lawmakers. Chega leader Andre Ventura said he already knew the Socialists had "sold out" to the government, labelling their move as political tactics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government unveiled its 2026 budget bill on Thursday, forecasting slightly stronger economic growth and a small surplus for the fourth straight year despite new tax cuts for companies and lower-income households. The bill sees the economy growing by 2.3% in 2026, after a predicted expansion of 2.0% this year, slightly above the Bank of Portugal's forecast of 2.2% growth in 2026. (Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; editing by Andrei Khalip and Ed Osmond) Americans dont need another reminder that groceries are too expensive. Every trip to the store is another strain on the budget for millions of families. A new RealClear Opinion Research poll sheds additional light on what shoppers already know. Nearly nine in ten U.S. voters, including more than four in five who supported President Donald Trump, are deeply concerned about rising food prices. Half of all voters now describe groceries as very or extremely expensive. For parents, the pinch is especially acute, with nearly three in four saying their monthly grocery bill has increased in just the last three months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Behind these climbing costs is a hidden driver that most American families dont see but increasingly understand. Tariffs on tinplate steel, the material used to make canned foods and other packaging that hold everything from soup to nuts, to baby formula, as well as fruits and vegetables, will translate into higher food prices. The national poll shows that 70 percent of Trump voters recognize tariffs on inputs like tinplate steel as a reason why groceries are getting more expensive. These tariffs have real and unintended consequences for U.S. can manufacturers, farmers, food producers, and millions of Americans who depend on canned goods for affordable, safe, and nutritious food. The good news is that there is a straightforward, targeted solution grant tariff relief for tinplate steel in food packaging from Section 232 tariffs. This is not a call for the Trump Administration to abandon a tough stance on trade. President Trumps tariffs have successfully stimulated investment in high-volume steel products such as reinforcing bar and flat-rolled steel. Our call to action is a narrow, common-sense adjustment that puts America first. Whats clear is that tariffs do not spur investment in U.S. tinplate manufacturing. Over the last seven years, no new investments in U.S. tinplate have been announced. In fact, U.S. tinplate capacity has only declined. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By adjusting tinplate tariffs, the Trump Administration could immediately ease food costs, limit foreign imports of canned foods, provide relief to U.S. farmers, and protect thousands of manufacturing jobs in American can and food plants. Its the very definition of a win-win. This relief can be provided without detracting from the broader, successful tariffs effort to stimulate domestic investment in steel production, especially considering tinplate is a niche, specialized product that makes up less than one percent of global steel production. But when it comes to tinplate steel, the results are clear. In total, nine of 12 U.S. tinplate production lines have shut down since Section 232 tariffs were first implemented in 2018, leaving the few U.S. tinplate producers nowhere near able to meet demand, even at record prices. American can manufacturers now have no choice but to import most of their tinplate from trade allies like Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. The result is U.S. consumers pay for higher costs on canned goods, without any payoff of an increase in domestic tinplate supply. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres also a broader strategic concern to considerfood security. The same poll found that 90 percent of Americans believe it is critical that the United States grows and produces its own food rather than relying on foreign canned food imports, especially from competitors like China. Nearly 80 percent worry that our country is becoming too dependent on low-cost food imports, and six in 10 voters say they do not trust food products grown or made in China. By contrast, 91 percent trust food grown in the United States by American farmers. Yet, the unintended consequences of current tariff policy are undermining that priority. By making U.S. canned foods more expensive to produce here at home, tariffs give foreign manufacturers a decided edge on grocery store shelves. The call for targeted tariff relief for tinplate is not partisan. It reflects the concerns of a broad, bipartisan majority of Americans. The RealClear Opinion Research poll found that 72 percent of voters overall including 71 percent of Trump voters support a tariff exemption for tinplate steel. Nearly every Trump voter surveyed, 98 percent, said it is important that the United States grow and produce its own food, including canned foods. That consensus demonstrates the strong support for President Trump to take decisive action and deliver a sweeping victory for working families feeling the pain of rising food costs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trump has always framed trade policy around the principle of putting America first. Adjusting the Section 232 tariff for tinplate steel would honor that principle. This targeted tariff relief would lower costs for American families, strengthen U.S. food security, support U.S. farmers and food producers, preserve American manufacturing jobs, and reduce reliance on foreign canned food imports. Lets make sure the voice of the American People is heard. As the poll results make clear, voters understand this, and they want relief. Tariff adjustments for tinplate steel represent a narrow change with broad and lasting benefits. American families struggling to pay for groceries cannot wait. Scott Breen is President of the Can Manufacturers Institute, the national trade association of the metal can manufacturing industry and its suppliers in the United States. It was a busy day of campaigning for three candidates trying to become the next mayor of New York City. Governor Kathy Hochul shared the stage with Zohran Mamdani for the first time since her endorsement and praised him for his signature issue in the mayoral campaign. "We've talked a lot about affordability. And I want to thank assemblymember Zohran Mamdani for putting a special exclamation point on how hard it is for families struggling in this city," Hochul said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But as she did, another ultimatum from the White House. President Donald Trump doubled down on his threats to withhold federal money from New York if Mamdani wins City Hall. "I wouldn't be generous to a communist -- a guy that's going to take the money and throw it out the window, because you're talking about hundreds of billions of dollars. And we're not going to let somebody get into office and squander the taxpayer money from this country. We're not going to let it happen," Trump said. Mamdani has racked up endorsements from just about every major Democratic New York politician. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gov. Hochul told reporters on Tuesday that she will push back on threats from the president and supports Mamdani, despite certain philosophical differences. "He's created an energy around the world to just focus on what will make New York City even more exceptional, and that is to make it more affordable," Hochul said. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo suggested Gov. Hochul is backing Mamdani, fearing left wing politicians. "They are formidable and they are frightening to Democrats in a primary. So Democrats have to decide, do I want to try to make a deal with the DSA so they don't try to primary me? Do I try to oppose the DSA and each one makes their own political decision," Cuomo said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republican Curtis Sliwa insisted Tuesday that Cuomo's campaign lacks momentum. "I see it as the race coming down to who can get the vote out. Zohran Mamdani versus me. Andrew Cuomo failed the first time and he'll fail again," Sliwa said. Meanwhile on Tuesday night, Mamdani shook hands in Brooklyn, sharing his agenda with Black voters, who proved the Democratic nominee for mayor still needs to earn every vote. "This is critical. Critical. You know, any candidate that wants the Black vote, you know, we don't want to go with the lesser of two evils, we want a candidate that's really for us," said voter Terri Wisdom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * Get Eyewitness News Delivered * Follow us on YouTube * More local news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. NEED TO KNOW Prince William took his friend and fellow royal heir Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan to view an airbase and meet servicemen and women in Oxfordshire, U.K. The visit underlined both their friendship and the alliance between Britain and Jordan Prince William and Kate Middleton attended Hussein's wedding in 2023 Royal heirs Prince William and Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan have reunited. The Prince of Wales, 43, took Prince Hussein, 31, to tour an airbase and see William's former flight squadron during the Jordanian heir's trip to the U.K. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Oct. 15 visit underscored the close ties between Britain and Jordan as well as the friendship between William and Hussein. In 2023, William and his wife, Kate Middleton, attended the wedding of Hussein and Princess Rajwa. The two airmen princes, who are both trained helicopter pilots, toured RAF Benson in Oxfordshire and were given an overview of how the base provides support for U.K. military operations around the world. They met trainee aircrew and staff from No. 28 (AC) Sqn and No. 22 Sqn and spoke to RAF personnel about their roles on site and experiences on deployment. It was No. 22 Sqn with which William served when he was a search and rescue pilot for three years at RAF Valley in Anglesey, North Wales. The team has now been moved to RAF Benson. PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo Prince William with trainee aircrew and staff at RAF Benson, Oxfordshire, U.K., on Oct. 15, 2025 Prince William with trainee aircrew and staff at RAF Benson, Oxfordshire, U.K., on Oct. 15, 2025 Hussein, whose parents are King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, then headed to No. 28 (AC) Sqn hangar to meet helicopter technicians and view aircraft. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The base, about 50 miles west of London, is home to a number of RAF squadrons, including No. 22 Squadron, which provides operational testing, evaluation, tactics and training for all aviation in Joint Aviation Command, and No. 28 (Army Cooperation) Squadron, which is the Chinook operational conversion unit, training aircrew before they fly on the front line. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo Prince William looks at a main rotor head from a Chinook helicopter at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire, U.K., in Oct. 15, 2025 Prince William looks at a main rotor head from a Chinook helicopter at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire, U.K., in Oct. 15, 2025 As well as his RAF Search and Rescue service, Prince William was an air ambulance pilot before he started as a full-time working member of the royal family. Meanwhile, Crown Prince Hussein completed his pilot training with the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) in 2019. Hussein and his wife are currently visiting Britain together, and Princess Rajwa al Hussein was taken on an outing by William's cousin Princess Eugenie to see how a charity helps provide artwork to health care settings to aid mental health support. Read the original article on People NEW YORK Billionaire hedge fund investor Bill Ackman, a prominent supporter of President Donald Trump, has donated $1 million to Defend NYC, a super PAC opposing Zohran Mamdanis mayoral campaign. Even as even some titans of real estate and finance are making peace with Mamdani, who held a 13-point lead over Andrew Cuomo in a Quinnipiac University poll released last week, Ackmans donation is the biggest sign yet that other wealthy New Yorkers are still willing to spend big in an effort to block the 33-year-old democratic socialist from office. Ahead of the June primary, Ackman gave $500,000 to Fix the City, a pro-Cuomo super PAC. His new contribution, reported to the state Board of Elections on Wednesday, makes him one of the single largest donors in the mayoral race, trailing only former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who contributed $8.3 million to Fix the City ahead of the primary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An outspoken supporter of Israel, Ackman has also regularly commented on the mayoral race on his X account, often focusing on Mamdanis criticism of the Jewish state. After initially supporting Mayor Eric Adams reelection effort, he switched his support to Cuomo, arguing hes the only one who can defeat Mamdani in the general election. Cuomo's campaign declined to comment on the contribution. Defend NYC was founded by Jason Meister, a former Trump campaign adviser and insurance sales broker. A frequent political commentator, Meister told the New York Post that Jan. 6 should be a national holiday known as Patriots Day to honor these American heroes who risked their lives, freedom and honor to protest what they perceived to be a stolen election. Defend NYC has reported raising $1,323,500 from nine contributors. While Ackman was the biggest donor, hedge funder Daniel Loeb also apparently gave $100,000 Wednesday. The contribution report didnt include a name, but the employment information provided, CEO and CIO of Third Point LLC, matches Loebs title. Meisters super PAC is behind MeetZohran.com, which calls Mamdani a radical socialist and an inexperienced ideologue with no plan. When Meister launched the organization in July, he said he planned to flood New York with hard-hitting ads across subway cars, bus stops, taxi cabs, billboards, and television. But the super PAC has not reported any spending yet beyond consulting fees and polling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meister declined to comment on the donation or his spending plans. A request for comment to Ackmans firm, Pershing Square Holdings, was not returned. Other super PACs, including Fix the City, have raised millions of dollars since the primary to spend against Mamdani. The Democratic nominee is also getting outside support, led by a nearly $1 million planned spend from the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council. But super PAC fundraising has fallen off significantly in the run-up to the general election. According to New York City Campaign Finance Board records, independent expenditure committees in the city reported raising $54.3 million ahead of the primary, compared to $11.8 million since. While dozens of multimillionaires in business, real estate and finance have lined up against Mamdani, Ackman has regularly been singled out by the democratic socialist as the kind of powerful billionaire that hes running against. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Billionaires like Bill Ackman and Ronald Lauder have poured millions of dollars into this race because they say that we pose an existential threat, Mamdani said on stage at a rally Monday. I am here to admit something: they are right. Mamdanis campaign once again slammed Ackman for the latest donation. Bill Ackman cannot stand the idea of New Yorkers being the ones to choose their next mayor, so hes doing the only thing he knows how: throwing money at this race, campaign spokesperson Dora Pekec said in a statement. Zohran defeated the billionaires once, and hell do it again because we cant be bought and New York City is not for sale. A 70-year-old professor at Rowan University has filed a federal lawsuit against the college, claiming her pay was slashed by 30% and her office moved to a storage closet after she expressed her desire to retire. Rachel Pruchno states in court papers she told a dean and another professor in 2019 that she wished to retire in the not-so-distant future. She was 65 at the time. Instead of accommodating her, Rowan University allegedly demoted Pruchno and cut her salary by 30% with only 11 days notice, causing what she describes as financial hardship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When her attorney wrote a letter to the university complaining about the demotion and salary reduction, Rowan allegedly offered a six-month delay in the pay cut. But there was a catch: She would have to sign a full waiver and release of any age-related claims that she might have against Rowan University, alleges the suit. A spokesperson for Rowan University said the college does not comment on pending litigation. The lawsuit was first filed as an age discrimination complaint in state court in 2024 and then amended to include retaliation and refiled this year in U.S. District Court. According to the amended complaint, Rowan retaliated against Pruchno after she filed her original lawsuit, changing her responsibilities to include teaching a problem-based class to medical students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (Rowan University is) fully cognizant that Dr. Pruchno does not have the qualifications to teach the problem-based course, nor was this her responsibility before filing the amended complaint, the lawsuit says. In fact, Dr. Pruchno had never taught this in-person problem-based learning class to medical students before, the suit says. Pruchno says the university retaliated against her after she filed an age-discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights. (Rowan) retaliated against plaintiff by evicting plaintiff from her usual office location, moving her to a storage closet office, confiscating her personal belongings, office furniture and her ergonomic chair, the suit states Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit alleges the university violated the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, and further retaliated against her by foisting an unethical work plan on her, and ultimately terminating her employment. Pruchno also alleges the university violated state whistleblower laws. Stories by Anthony G. Attrino Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Oct. 14MITCHELL A local developer is one step closer to reviving a Mitchell landmark restaurant brand. The Mitchell Planning Commission, during its meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 14, recommended approval for Tax Increment District (TID) No. 44's boundaries and project plan to the Mitchell City Council, which has the final say on tax districts within Mitchell city limits. The proposed tax district is part of long-time Mitchell developer Chuck Mauszycki Sr.'s plan to revive the Chef Louie's Steakhouse and Lounge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The boundary of TID No. 44 is north of Little Learners daycare, encompasses three platted lots over 6.26 acres, and has an easterly limit of Highway 37. The developer has requested $2.9 million in increment financing for the project, which is the amount estimated to be generated by the properties within the tax district in its 20-year maximum lifespan. However, the project's total increment-eligible costs are $5.46 million, but the tax district cannot generate the amount, according to the project plan. The tax district will expire when the full increment amount is generated or 20 years after creation, whichever comes first. Mauszycki told the Mitchell Republic that there are 16 interested investors who have made soft financial commitments to the project, but the full amount has not be raised yet. Six of these are builders who are interested in investing if they can also be a builder on the project. The project will go out to bid as soon as possible, pending council approval, according to Mauszycki. "We'll need to be in business by next fall, one way or another," Mauszycki said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposed steakhouse will have 15 full-time employees and 25 part-time employees, according to the project plan. The roughly 13,000-square-foot steakhouse and lounge has plans for nearly 2,500-square feet of main dining, a bar, a banquet hall, a board room and casino area. In 2024, the Davison County Commission approved a $78,000 liquor license for the proposed restaurant and in May, the city annexed the property, which means the liquor license will also be absorbed into the city. The proposed tax district overlaps with Davison County Tax Increment District No. 2, but City Planner Mark Jenniges told the commission that the county tax district would be paid off before any increment would go toward the Mauszycki's increment district. The city estimates the county tax district will be paid off in 2028. Lots within the tax district boundary are planned to be rezoned later. Increment districts can have different zoning, Jenniges noted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The most recent tax increment district Mauszycki used was 12 years ago, according to Mauszycki. "I think this project deserves it," Mauszycki said. Mauszycki told the Mitchell Republic he is seeking a fast food restaurant and a lodging establishment to compliment the proposed steakhouse, and that the other restaurant would not be in competition with the steakhouse, which is planned to be built first. Mauszycki is open to other types of businesses and noted that it may take five years before a hotel or something else is developed in the area. Planning Commission chair Kevin Genzlinger asked if there was any concern that the proposed fast food and hotel developments won't happen and how that would affect the increment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Increment funds are pass-through by the city to the developer, and this doesn't happen until those increment funds are received by the city, according to City Administrator Stephanie Ellwein "If the increment doesn't develop as anticipated, the developer just won't receive that increment," Ellwein said. There is no additional risk to the city and the city doesn't have to make up any shortfalls in financing, according to City Attorney Justin Johnson. Attorney Don Petersen of Morgan Theeler law firm told the commission that if there were no increment financing, investors would not get involved with the project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mauszycki's Commerce Marketing Group II LLC is the developer. The $9.2 million project includes construction costs as well as continuing Commerce Street north with curb and cutter, sanitary sewer and 4-foot wide sidewalks. Because the roadway is a public right-of-way for utilities, which includes water, sewer and storm drainage, a right-of-way developer's agreement will be required, according to Public Works Director Joe Schroeder. One such agreement was approved by the Mitchell City Council for the Ridgeview on Foster development in March. Mitchell resident Steve Sibson, who said he was a long-time family friend of Mauszycki, requested transparency on the financials and on the interest to be generated by the proposed tax increment district. Sibson told the commission the public is going into partnership with the private sector, yet the public cannot determine whether the project needs the increment financing to be successful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I do not know whether the TIF is necessary or not, because we don't have the numbers to make that determination," Sibson said. Sibson argued that the property's assessment should be higher, which would raise the base rate of the increment district. "Until it's developed, it's not worth as much," Genzlinger said. Genzlinger told Sibson there was a precedent set in Mitchell and that he was in favor approving the tax district. The Tax Increment District No. 44 boundary and project plan will go before the Mitchell City Council on Oct. 20. If approved, a separate developer agreement will also go before the council for consideration at a future date. "This community really likes this project," Mauszycki said. Florida Atlantic University, Palm Beach State College and all other state colleges and universities would be required to rename a campus roadway in honor of the slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk if legislation introduced in Tallahassee becomes law. Kirk, who frequently debated politics and other hot topics with college students, was shot to death on a Utah university campus on Sept. 10. His death prompted an outpouring of grief among Republicans, who lauded the 31-year old activist for his willingness to debate students who often disagreed with him. Meanwhile, many Democrats viewed Kirk as a callous provocateur who drew attention to and enriched himself by making racist, homophobic, sexist and xenophobic comments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans have threatened to go after people who make public comments they view as celebrating Kirk's death. At least three FAU professors have been placed on leave following social media posts about Kirk. Palm Beach County School Board member Edwin Ferguson got death threats after calling Kirk a "racist bigot" during a Sept. 17 school board meeting. Ferguson was responding to a reminder from state Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas that public comments viewed as celebrating Kirk's death could cost an educator their teaching certificate. The bill to rename streets and its future State Rep. Kevin Steele, R-Dade City, filed a bill (HB 113) in the Florida House on Oct. 7 to require state colleges and universities to rename a street in honor of Kirk or lose state funding. Which streets would be renamed at FAU and PBSC? Steele's legislation even lays out which streets the schools must rename. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FAU would have to rename University Drive as Charlie James Kirk Drive. Palm Beach State College could have to rename Ersey Street as Charlie James Kirk Street. The Florida schools and streets they'd have to rename: Steele's legislation, which does not have a Senate companion, would have state colleges and universities rename local streets in this manner: The University of South Florida would redesignate USF Alumni Drive as Charlie James Kirk Drive. The University of Central Florida would redesignate Gemini Boulevard South as Charlie James Kirk Boulevard. Florida State University would redesignate Chieftain Way as Charlie James Kirk Road. Florida A&M would redesignate West Osceola Street as Charlie James Kirk Street. Florida Gulf Coast University would redesignate FGCU Boulevard as Charlie James Kirk Boulevard. Florida International University would redesignate Southwest 17th Street as Charlie James Kirk Street. Florida Polytechnic University would redesignate Polytechnic Circle as Charlie James Kirk Circle. New College of Florida would redesignate College Drive as Charlie James Kirk Drive. The University of Florida would redesignate Stadium Road as Charlie James Kirk Road. The University of North Florida would redesignate UNF Drive as Charlie James Kirk Drive. The University of West Florida would redesignate Campus Drive as Charlie James Kirk Drive. Broward College would redesignate College Avenue as Charlie James Kirk Avenue. Chipola College would redesignate College Street as Charlie James Kirk Street. The College of Central Florida would redesignate Southwest 26th Street as Charlie James Kirk Street. Daytona State College would redesignate Pinecrest Avenue as Charlie James Kirk Avenue. Eastern Florida State College would redesignate Titan Boulevard as Charlie James Kirk Boulevard. Florida Gateway College would redesignate Southeast College Place as Charlie James Kirk Drive. The College of the Florida Keys would redesignate College Road as Charlie James Kirk Road. Florida SouthWestern State College would redesignate FSW Parkway as Charlie James Kirk Parkway. Florida State College at Jacksonville would redesignate Broad Street as Charlie James Kirk Street. Gulf Coast State College would redesignate College Street as Charlie James Kirk Street. Hillsborough College would redesignate West Tampa Bay Boulevard from Air Cargo Road to North Dale Mabry as Charlie James Kirk Drive. Indian River State College would redesignate Cross Campus Road as Charlie James Kirk Road. Lake-Sumter State College would redesignate College Drive as Charlie James Kirk Drive. Miami Dade College would redesignate Northeast First Avenue as Charlie James Kirk Avenue. North Florida College would redesignate Mockingbird Trail as Charlie James Kirk Drive. Northwest Florida State College would redesignate McCracken Way as Charlie James Kirk Drive. Pasco-Hernando State College would redesignate Mrs. Prameela Musunuru Health And Wellness Trail as Charlie James Kirk Trail. Pensacola State College would redesignate College Boulevard as Charlie James Kirk Boulevard. Polk State College would redesignate PSC Access Road as Charlie James Kirk Road. St. Johns River State College would redesignate Peoria Cemetery Road as Charlie James Kirk Road. St. Petersburg College shall redesignate 5th Avenue North as Charlie James Kirk Avenue. Santa Fe College shall redesignate Northwest 83rd Street as Charlie James Kirk Street. Seminole State College of Florida would redesignate College Drive as Charlie James Kirk Street. South Florida State College would redesignate College Drive as Charlie James Kirk Drive. State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota would redesignate 57th Avenue West as Charlie James Kirk Avenue. Tallahassee State College would redesignate Progress Drive as Charlie James Kirk Drive. Valencia College would redesignate Valencia College Drive as Charlie James Kirk Drive. "State funds shall be withheld from any state university or Florida College System institution whose board of trustees fails to redesignate the roadway or portion of a roadway listed above within 90 days after the effective date of this act," Steele's legislation says. "This act shall take effect upon becoming a law." Florida Atlantic University students gathered for a Charlie Kirk candlelight vigil and prayers at the student union on the campus in Boca Raton, Fla., on September 11, 2025. Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA, was shot and killed at an event at Utah Valley University a day earlier. Republicans have a supermajority in both the state House and Senate, greatly limiting the power of Democrats to block legislation they oppose. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As reported by the USA TODAY Network: Steele was first elected in 2022. His online biography says he's the vice chair of the House Information Technology Budget & Policy Subcommittee and sits on the chamber's Criminal Justice Subcommittee and Select Committee on Property Taxes. My goal with this bill is to continue his legacy through generations of students that will attend our schools and will be faced with many differing ideas, Steele wrote in a post on X on Oct 8. This week's bill follows one filed by another Republican lawmaker to rename a "portion of S.R. 985/S.W. 107th Avenue between S.W. 24th Street and S.R. 90/S.W. 8th Street in Miami-Dade County" to "Charlie Kirk Memorial Avenue." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Rep. Juan Carlos Porras, R-Miami, filed his measure (HB 33) on Sept. 23, the same day the Lake County Commission unanimously voted to rename a road for Kirk there. It would take effect July 1, 2026. That measure has been assigned to the House Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee, records show. Other renamed streets Florida previously has renamed sections of roadways for other conservative icons, including the late radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh and President Donald Trump. The state has approved renaming a portion of Southern Boulevard as "President Donald J. Trump Boulevard" after legislation calling for the honorary designation passed the Florida Legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in June. The move awaits final approval from local governments. Wayne Washington is a journalist covering education for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at wwashington@pbpost.com. Help support our work; subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Bill calls on colleges, universities to rename roads in honor of Kirk (Photo by Dan Brandenburg/Getty Images) The City of Las Vegas, once a leader in the effort to stop the sale of pets from stores, is expected to revisit a ban on pet sales next month after repealing a previous ban a year after it was passed. A proposed ordinance sponsored by Mayor Shelley Berkley and Councilwoman Nancy Brune would ban sales in new pet stores and allow existing stores three years to adjust their business model before the ban takes effect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With 13 stores, the City of Las Vegas has more stores than 37 states, Rebecca Goff of Humane World for Animals said at a meeting Monday of the citys Recommending Committee, which forwards legislation to the council agenda. The item is scheduled for a Nov. 5 hearing before the City Council. Goff and former State Sen. Warren Hardy led the unsuccessful legislative effort this year to ban pet sales statewide, which was derailed by lobbyists for the industry. Similar campaigns nationwide are designed to cut off markets to breeders who operate unsanitary and inhumane puppy mills, according to advocates. But Alyssa Miller-Hurley, a lobbyist for the Pet Advocacy Network, which opposes the ban on behalf of the pet stores it represents, and opposed the statewide ban, told the committee these kinds of ordinances do not achieve what they set out to do. She cited a Los Angeles Times investigation that revealed dogs were being transported to California and sold by middlemen following a statewide ban enacted in 2019. Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed bills designed to close the loopholes identified by the Times investigation. One law bans online sales by brokers, who are defined as individuals or businesses that sell or transport a dog bred by someone else for profit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2017, the Las Vegas City Council split 4 to 3 when it repealed a 2016 ordinance banning the sale of pets in stores. Under pressure from pet stores and prominent lobbyist Jay Brown, Mayor Carolyn Goodman, Councilwoman Michele Fiore, Councilman Ricki Barlow, and Councilman Steve Seroka voted to repeal. The original version of the bill sponsored by Berkley and Brune would have banned pet sales only in new stores, while allowing sales to continue in existing stores a model embraced by the City of Henderson. There are nearly 800 animals on our campus today at the Animal Foundation, the organizations CEO Hilarie Grey told the committee. With so many animals of every breed, size and age, including puppies and kittens of every breed available for adoption, theres just no reason for the puppy mill pipeline and sales to continue. People can find the animal of their choice. The Animal Foundation receives close to $11.5 million a year from Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Clark County, and routinely euthanizes animals for lack of space. Last year the shelter put down 2,047 dogs and 1,271 cats, many of them healthy and adoptable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rachel Bergren, the executive director of Heaven Can Wait, a low-cost, high-volume spay and neuter clinic, noted 2028 seems like a long time away, but we know it will be here soon. Bergren noted that every day in our spay and neuter clinic, I see the reality of animal overpopulation. Our local shelters, as weve heard, are full, and our clinic has a neverending waiting list for spay and neuter, vaccination and microchipping services. We just cant meet the need. We simply do not have the resources in this city or in this region to meet the basic needs of animals that are already in our community. The Las Vegas Valley Humane Society appreciates the intent of the ordinance, but opposes a delayed ban, representative Bridget Murphy told the committee. If Las Vegas truly wants to be a leader in animal welfare, we should not grandfather in businesses that profit from the suffering of animals, Murphy said. Rather, we should impose a complete ban on the retail sale of animals and direct our support instead towards reputable shelters and rescues. NEED TO KNOW Prosecutors say Christopher Scholtes, 38, is facing charges of first-degree murder and intentional child abuse after his 2-year-old daughter died in a hot car in July 2024 Prosecutors claim in a new motion that he had allegedly searched for porn while his daughter was trapped in the vehicle, where the temperature reached 109 degrees The judge in the case ruled that prosecutors cannot introduce this evidence or make mention of the porn search at trial New details are emerging about an Arizona man whose 2-year-old daughter died after allegedly being left in a hot car for three hours. Christopher Scholtes, 38, will be heading to trial later this month in Pima County on charges of first-degree murder and intentional child abuse following the fatal incident, which occurred on July 9, 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The father-of-three allegedly left his youngest child in the car after running errands, and then forgot about her while he sat inside playing video games, according to multiple court documents previously filed in the case and viewed by PEOPLE. A new court filing claims that Scholtes also allegedly searched for pornography on his PlayStation during that time. That information comes from a motion for admissibility filed by prosecutors and obtained by PEOPLE. The prosecution hoped to introduce evidence of Scholtes' alleged pornography search during his upcoming murder trial, but that request has been denied by Judge Kimberly Ortiz. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Judge Ortiz wrote in her order that "the State is precluded from any eliciting testimony in its case in chief regarding the Defendant looking for pornography on the PlayStation before [his daughter's] body is discovered." Prosecutors were also told that any witnesses they call to testify during the trial are "precluded from mentioning Defendants two-minute search for pornography on the Playstation on July 9, 2024." Earlier this year, the judge ruled that Scholtes could travel to Hawaii with his wife and two surviving daughters ahead of his trial. That ruling came just days after Scholtes rejected a plea deal in the case and entered a not guilty plea to both charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scholtes allegedly admitted to leaving his daughter in the car when Marana police arrived at his home, after his wife discovered the childs lifeless body inside the vehicle. She had been in the car for more than three hours by that time, according to the criminal complaint, and the temperature inside the vehicle was 109 degrees. Scholtes allegedly told the responding officers that after running errands that day, he left his daughter in the car with the air conditioning on because she was asleep in her car seat. He allegedly said he went inside to put away groceries. He then allegedly said that he became distracted and forgot about his daughter, according to the complaint. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The complaint also alleged that Scholtes said he was aware that the car engine in his vehicle turns off after 30 minutes, at which point there would be no air conditioning. Investigators also alleged that the two surviving daughters, who were 6 and 9 at the time, said in interviews that their father had previously left them alone in the car on other occasions. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The complaint also claimed that as their youngest daughter was being rushed to the hospital, Scholtes' wife allegedly sent him a text that read: "I told you to stop leaving them in the car, How many times have I told you? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Pima County Attorneys Office filed charges of first-degree murder and intentional child abuse against Scholtes less than a month after his daughter's death. He had been offered a deal which would have required him to enter a guilty plea to a reduced charge of second-degree murder earlier this year, which he ultimately rejected. His trial is set to begin Oct. 27. Read the original article on People PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Weeks after President Trump announced plans to deploy National Guard troops to protect the Portland ICE facility, the Portland City Council is unveiling a plan they say protects the city from the Trump Administration. A resolution and a partnering ordinance, the Protect Portland Initiative, will be presented to the public at 6 p.m. Wednesday with time for public comment. City councilors said this is a way for the city to organize efforts to protect vulnerable communities and is based off a similar plan Chicago city leaders unveiled in August. The Protect Portland Initiative is about ensuring that the city has a way to defend our sovereignty, Councilor Candace Avalos said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The resolution has a lot of layers, including: Publicly demanding President Trump and federal agencies stand down deployment of the National Guard and military Instructs city workers to cooperate with community partners to develop plans for immigration raids Encourages the Portland Police Bureau to strengthen its separation from federal immigration enforcement. PPB already does not engage in immigration enforcement. Hearing set that could extend pause on troop deployment in Portland Avalos told KOIN 6 News there are immigrant communities afraid to call 911 when they are in danger because of possible interactions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For us, its important to communicate to the public, but also to the police that we are ensuring that we are not going to allow our police to be federalized, and do any kind of ICE or immigration enforcement, Avalos said. And were going to make sure that our police can continue to do their duty, which is protecting Portlanders on the local level. Along with the resolution, an ordinance will be introduced to solidfy Portland as a sanctuary city. Portland has been a sanctuary city since 2017, and this ordinance would codify that status. It puts our obligation to our employees in writing in terms of making sure that were providing resources for employees and their supervisors in case theyre interacted with by federal immigration enforcement, Councilor Sameer Kanal said. Portland City Councilor Candace Avalos, July 22, 2025 (KOIN) Portland District 2 City Councilor Sameer Kanal at the University of Portland, April 7, 2025 (KOIN) Councilors are working on other pieces of legislation, including one that protects vulnerable people from the federal use of tear gas in Portland, and another prohibiting federal agents from covering their faces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If someone has the possibility of depriving you of your liberty, you deserve to know who it is, Kanal said And we all deserve to know whos operating in our city in terms of their agency as well as who they are. US District Court Judge Karin Immergut set a hearing for 11 a.m. Wednesday to decide whether or not to extend the temporary restraining order preventing troops from being deployed to Portland. However, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is currently reviewing the Oregon lawsuit against the Trump troop deployments. A ruling on whether to uphold or lift a temporary restraining order could come at any time. 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 KOIN.com. Colstrip Power Plant (Photo by Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan). Montana Public Service Commission President Brad Molnar failed to get support to reject a partial electric settlement with NorthWestern Energy, the states largest public utility. At a meeting this week, the embattled head of the agency repeatedly argued NorthWestern Energy hasnt provided as much information to regulators as it should, especially about its new methane-fired plant in Laurel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Molnar also said the PSC should examine a couple of aspects of the rate case to ensure customers dont get saddled with costs they shouldnt bear. In June, the PSC held a hearing on the rate case, which was controversial. First, customers recall the PSC already approved a NorthWestern Energy settlement in October 2023 that increased rates 28% compared to the previous August. The case also includes a question about who should pay for the new plant in Laurel, estimated to cost $320 million in August 2024. The utility built the plant without preapproval by the Public Service Commission. NorthWestern officials have argued the plant benefits customers, and the utility should recover costs from them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, energy watchdogs have said the company built the plant without regard to affordability for ratepayers or emissions, and the Montana Consumer Counsel said NorthWestern wants nearly $50 million from customers to pay for its own cost overruns. At the meeting Tuesday, a PSC staff member confirmed staff were working on an analysis in the rate case, and it could include a recommendation similar to the one Molnar had made, but the report was still in the works. The complex case included settlements NorthWestern negotiated with some parties, such as a coalition of large businesses, but not all of them. For example, the Montana Environmental Information Center and Natural Resources Defense Council are among the parties that argued NorthWestern isnt taking costs related to climate into consideration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the meeting this week, Molnar said he wanted to reject the negotiated settlements because the deals hide information from the public, and he wants a full accounting of costs related to the new plant in Laurel and old coal-fired plant at Colstrip. But Commissioners Annie Bukacek and Jennifer Fielder pushed back against Molnars argument that the PSC needed to take action at that time. Fielder said the Yellowstone County Generating Station, or the Laurel plant, largely wasnt associated with a settlement. Fielder also said the commission needed more information from Molnar to properly consider his idea, especially given the fact it had held eight days of hearings on the rate case this summer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At one point, Fielder waved a piece of paper at him and said Molnar had provided a request on a single sheet with nothing to substantiate it. If were going to make a decision this big, we need to have some basis for it, besides what you just discussed in the microphone here today on the spot, Fielder said. Bukacek agreed it was important to receive information in writing. She said some of the comments Molnar made at the meeting didnt mesh with her recollection of the hearing, but Molnar accused her of delay. He said he wanted the commission to reject black box settlements where the Public Service Commission doesnt have complete information and other stakeholders and the public remain in the dark. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said many questions about the plant went unanswered during the lengthy hearing in June, and the commissioners have a responsibility to dig into the true costs of energy. Were paid big boy wages. Its time to do a big boy job, and that means you study enough to ask good questions, Molnar said. Commissioner Bukacek, though, said some information that is part of settlements is legitimately confidential, such as potential compromises among parties or proprietary models, and a PSC staff member agreed. Bukacek moved to defer the proposal from Molnar, but of the five commissioners, only she and Fielder supported it, and it failed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Molnar then moved to reject NorthWesterns partial settlement on the rate case and direct staff to schedule a hearing on the Yellowstone County Generating Station and Colstrip. It drew support only from Commissioner Randy Pinocci and also failed, leaving the rate case pending. A PSC staff member said the staff recommendation on the case is expected to be brought to commissioners by the middle of November, and the commission can take action before the end of the year. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes legal battle over a Saudi-backed alfalfa farming company draining her states aquifers continues to garner national attention. Mayes has previously described it as a David vs. Goliath situation and accuses the farming company of draining the Ranegras Plain Basin in La Paz County, claiming its impacting communities around the basin. Her complaint leans on public nuisance laws to make her case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The farming company, Fondomonte Arizona, denies all allegations and asserted that it operates in accordance with federal, state and local agricultural laws in a filing in May. Most recently, the company questioned Mayes authority over groundwater laws, since that falls under the purview of the Arizona Department of Water Resources. This image shows Almarai logos on products in Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. Fondomonte Arizona, a subsidiary of Almarai Co., has for nearly a decade grown alfalfa in the American Southwest that is sent to the Gulf kingdom to feed cows there. | Amr Nabil, Associated Press Background on controversial Saudi-backed farming operation Fondomonte has operated in the Ranegras Basin since 2014, at a time when the area had virtually no groundwater regulations. In 2023 alone, Fondomonte used approximately 31,196 acre-feet of groundwater within the Ranegras Basin, constituting over 81% of all groundwater extracted in the Ranegras Basin that year, Mayes lawsuit alleges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Fondomonte still operates its water pumps in the Ranegras Plain basin, the lease for its wells in Butler Valley was terminated in March 2024. A La Paz County supervisor told Sentient the Fondomonte wells can extract 64,000 gallons of water per minute. Fondomonte has a 10,000-acre farm where it grows alfalfa as food for livestock and exports it to Saudi Arabia, where the crop is banned. Alfalfa is water-intensive, drawing criticism over Fondomontes agricultural activities in a drought-stricken region. The company is the third largest employer in La Paz County. As of Dec. 31, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that foreign investors held nearly 45.85 million acres of U.S. agricultural land. This represents a significant increase from the 7.6 million acres recorded in 2020. This image shows an Almarai logo in Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. Fondomonte Arizona, a subsidiary of Almarai Co., has for nearly a decade grown alfalfa in the American Southwest that is sent to the Gulf kingdom to feed cows there. Arizona rescinded a pair of drilling permits that would have allowed Fondomonte to pump up to 3,000 gallons of water per minute to irrigate its forage crops. | Amr Nabil, Associated Press Could this lawsuit set the wrong precedent? This issue of groundwater use garnered bipartisan support during the 2022 election, as the Deseret News previously reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Candidates on both sides of the aisle, from Mayes to Kari Lake, the Republican gubernatorial candidate at the time, agreed to cancel the permits for Fondomontes wells. Late last month, Mayes in an interview with Inside Climate News said she is filling a gap as the state attorney general where our regulators are failing to protect consumers. Kris Mayes smiles before a debate on Sept. 28, 2022. Fondomonte Arizona, a subsidiary of Almarai Co., has for nearly a decade grown alfalfa in the American Southwest that is sent to the Gulf kingdom to feed cows there. Arizona rescinded a pair of drilling permits that came amid a broader examination of the company's operations by Mayes, the Arizona attorney general. | Ross D. Franklin, Associated Press She accused Republicans in the state Legislature of failing to update laws related to groundwater use. Arizonas groundwater regulation is stringent in populated urban areas but more lax in rural areas of the state. The Rural Groundwater Management Act, signed into law in January, gives rural communities the ability to manage their groundwater, but the law isnt retroactive, meaning any new protections may not apply to Fondomontes preexisting pumping operations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its leading to incredibly unreasonable uses of water in rural Arizona that are harming entire communities, she said. I have had to use nuisance law to protect entire neighborhoods and communities from having their wells dewatered by major industrial operations. Thats the basis of her offices suit against Fondomonte for its excessive pumping of groundwater. She accused the Saudi-owned company of dewatering the wells of many of its neighbors. We cannot afford to do stupid things with water anymore in Arizona, Mayes added. The outcome of Mayes untested legal strategy against Fondomonte could set a new precedent for water rights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Arizona Farm and Ranch Group Coalition, a group of farmers, ranchers and rural municipalities, asked the judge overseeing this case if they could join Fondomonte in its fight against Mayes. The judge did not allow this coalition to intervene. As per KJZZ Phoenix, farmers and ranchers are concerned public nuisance claims could be filed against agricultural farms if Mayes wins the case. Syrias new president has told Vladimir Putin he would honour all past deals struck between his country and Moscow, suggesting Russias two Syrian bases are safe. Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led the rebel offensive last year that ousted Bashar al-Assad, said on his first visit to the country that gave the deposed dictator asylum that he was seeking to restore and redefine ties. In front of the worlds television cameras, Putin greeted the former al-Qaeda insurgent warmly in the Kremlin. Privately, the Syrian leader, once hunted by Moscows forces, is expected to be pushing Russia to hand over Assad, who fled there in December. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On a visit fraught with tension, Mr al-Sharaa told Putin: There are bilateral relations and shared interests that bind us with Russia, and we respect all agreements made with it. We are working on redefining the nature of relations with Russia. Putin, meanwhile, praised the historic links between Moscow and Damascus, and said Russia was ready to act on many interesting and useful beginnings between the two sides. Despite having been on opposite sides of the battle lines during the nearly 14-year civil war, both regimes have taken a pragmatic approach to one another. For the new Syrian government, presiding over a country shattered by war, maintaining ties with Russia is important for rebuilding and diversifying its foreign policy, while hoping to score economic concessions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In turn, Putin is desperate to maintain Russias military foothold in Syria primarily, its Tartus naval base and Khmeimim air base, built to give Russia access to the Mediterranean and allow it to resupply mercenary operations in Africa. b' 1012 Russian transport routes through Syria ' Russia has retained a presence at the strategic bases on the Syrian coast and the Kremlin has been clear it intends to negotiate a deal to keep the vital outposts, as well as pursue economic and energy-related interests in the country. Tartus is Russias only naval base in the region that the Kremlin independently controls, while Khmeimim acted as the launchpad for Russias bombing campaign against rebel-held areas in Syria, and provided Assads escape route to Moscow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr al-Sharaa did not mention the two bases in his brief televised remarks, nor did he mention the most sensitive topic on the agenda: Assad, who is reported to be living in luxurious exile in Moscow with his family. Russian jet fighter armed with laser-guided bombs takes off from an airbase in Syria - Alexander Kots/AP Photo It is not clear whether Mr al-Sharaa would tie the bases to Assads fate in talks. The former rebel leader will use the talks in Russia to formally request that Moscow hand over Assad to face trial over alleged crimes against Syrians, two Syrian sources told Reuters. Syrian officials are seeking guarantees that Russia will not help rearm remnants of Assads forces and are hopeful that Russia might help rebuild the Syrian army, another source said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is also likely to press for Russian backing to help resist Israeli demands for a wider demilitarised zone in southern Syria. In a recent interview with CBS News, Mr al-Sharaa said Syrian authorities will use all available legal means to demand the trial of Assad. Russia is unlikely to agree to give up Assad because of the message it would send to its other autocratic allies. Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said this week that Assad had been given refuge on humanitarian grounds. The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov anchored in Syria - Sana Sana/Reuters Putin also congratulated Mr al-Sharaa on the great success of the parliamentary elections held this month the first since Assad was toppled saying the process would strengthen political forces in Syria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the new Syrian regime pledging to protect all Syrias disparate religious minorities, its forces have been accused of carrying out mass killings during sectarian clashes. In July, Israel intervened militarily when Syrian forces, many hailing from former jihadist ranks, helped attack the Druze-majority city of Sweida and were accused of massacring dozens of civilians. 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. Russian leader Vladimir Putin hailed continued friendly relations between his country and Syria on Wednesday as he met Syrian transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Moscow - despite sheltering the deposed Bashar al-Assad in Russia. Putin said that Syria was experiencing difficult times, but the recent parliamentary elections had strengthened cooperation among all political forces there. He added that the victory of the pro-presidential bloc was a major success as it contributed to the consolidation of society. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trip marks the first official visit by al-Sharaa to Russia since he assumed office last December, after leading a rebel alliance that toppled former ruler al-Assad after years of civil war. Russia was one of the country's closest allies under al-Assad. The former president fled to Russia after his ouster, where he and his family were granted asylum. According to Syrian security sources, al-Sharaa planned to ask Putin during his visit to extradite al-Assad. Al-Sharaa is accompanied by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had announced before Wednesday's meeting that Russia's military bases in Syria would be discussed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin, who had supported Assad militarily for years in his fight against the current rulers, intends to keep Russia's bases in Syria. The port in Tartus is Russia's only base on the Mediterranean coast and therefore strategically significant. Moscow has also used the Khmeimim airbase south-east of the city of Latakia for its bombers and helicopters. Al-Sharaa stated that Syria respects all agreements made with Moscow. "We maintain close relations with Russia, and a significant part of the Syrian energy sector relies on Russian expertise," said the interim president. Russian leader Vladimir Putin hailed continued friendly relations between his country and Syria on Wednesday as he met Syrian transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Moscow - despite sheltering the deposed Bashar al-Assad in Russia. Putin said that Syria was experiencing difficult times, but the recent parliamentary elections had strengthened cooperation among all political forces there. He added that the victory of the pro-presidential bloc was a major success as it contributed to the consolidation of society. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trip marks the first official visit by al-Sharaa to Russia since he assumed office last December, after leading a rebel alliance that toppled former ruler al-Assad after years of civil war. Russia was one of the country's closest allies under al-Assad. The former president fled to Russia after his ouster, where he and his family were granted asylum. According to Syrian security sources, al-Sharaa planned to ask Putin during his visit to extradite al-Assad. Al-Sharaa is accompanied by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra. The Kremlin made no mention of this coming up in the near three-hour talks, but Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak stated that Russia was ready to participate in Syria's reconstruction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Humanitarian deliveries were discussed, and the Syrian side is particularly interested in supplies of wheat, food and medicine," Novak told the Russian news agency Interfax. A joint commission between the two governments is to be established for trade and economic cooperation. "Today, we also discussed specific projects in the fields of energy, transport, development of tourism infrastructure, health care and the cultural-humanitarian sphere," Novak added. Russian bases in Syria a hot topic Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had announced before Wednesday's meeting that Russia's military bases in Syria would be discussed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin, who had supported al-Assad militarily for years in his fight against the current rulers, intends to keep Russia's bases in Syria. The port in Tartus is Russia's only base on the Mediterranean coast and therefore strategically significant. Moscow has also used the Khmeimim airbase south-east of the city of Latakia for its bombers and helicopters. Al-Sharaa stated that Syria respects all agreements made with Moscow. "We maintain close relations with Russia, and a significant part of the Syrian energy sector relies on Russian expertise," said the interim president. Oct. 14OTHELLO Adams County Fire District 5 residents are being invited to two public meetings to learn and ask questions about ACFD 5's request for a levy lid lift. The meetings are scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 22 and 9 a.m. Oct. 25 at the ACFD station, 220 W. Broadway Ave., Othello. The proposal is on the Nov. 3 ballot. "We're going to tell people why we're doing a lid lift," said Tom Salisbury, ACFD 5 chief. "We're taking questions, basically." The levy lid lift would raise the amount levied in property taxes. Fire commissioners have cited the need to replace the money the district will lose when its contract with the city of Othello expires in May 2026. The contract made up more than half the district's operating revenue, and Salisbury said the cost of providing services is increasing at a time when the volunteer pool is decreasing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fire district commissioners are asking district voters to approve raising the assessment to 90 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. That's an increase of 27 cents. Salisbury and ACFD 5 commissioner Peter Anderson will make a presentation on the proposal, followed by the question-and-answer sessions. Othello council members voted not to renew the contract, unanimously in August 2024. An owner of property valued at $222,000 in assessed value would pay $199.80 if the proposal is approved. That same property owner pays $139.86 now. In an earlier interview, Salisbury said the district's 2025 budget is about $1.43 million. The city's 2025 contract is $793,000, according to an ACFD press release. About $610,000 comes from district property owners, the release said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fire district officials proposed a contract to the city in 2024; the negotiations ultimately went to mediation. The mediation resulted in a proposal that included an increase in the contract price and a commitment to work on annexation of the city into the fire district. Othello City Council members opted to start a separate city fire department instead. Ending the contract came at a time when fighting fires is getting more expensive, and the district is getting busier. A district press release said the costs of protective firefighting gear, medical supplies, fuel and firefighter wages have all increased. Emergency calls have increased an estimated 25% in the district and 43% in the Othello city limits, the release said. Fire District 5 has five paid employees and about 21 volunteers. Salisbury said the volunteer pool is limited, which is a challenge. "Our call volume keeps increasing, but we don't keep increasing the volunteer pool. During the day is when it's the worst, because all your volunteers are working. You rely on those full-time people that we have on the fire department to respond to all the calls," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Salisbury is a 35-year ACFD 5 veteran, starting as a volunteer and eventually joining the paid staff. He said he's seen a downward trend. "Volunteerism has gone way down," Salsbury said. "Having a full-time job and a family, with all (requirements) and the classes and stuff you need to take, people just don't have time anymore." Volunteers who do join the department, he said, are committed to it. "I'm fortunate. I think I have a great group of volunteers," he said. Mud filled the alleyway of Wanskuck Mill on Branch Avenue in Providence after flooding on Sept. 11, 2023. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) A federal Rhode Island judge who struck down a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) directive withholding disaster aid from states that defy President Donald Trumps immigration policies says the Trump administration is violating his order. U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith in September ruled that the Department of Homeland Security directive making enforcement of Trumps immigration agenda a condition for receiving federal disaster relief grants was unconstitutional and harmful to states and their residents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yet Smith found the department has continued to attach the condition to FEMA grants as part of a ham-handed attempt to bully the states into making promises they have no obligation to make or else risk losing funding already appropriated by Congress. In effect, defendants have done precisely what the memorandum and order forbids, Smith, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote in a ruling Tuesday. A filing by a coalition of 20 Democratic attorneys general that sued the department over the grant conditions in May accused the Trump administration of violating Smiths order. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha is co-leading the case, Illinois v. Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Oct. 8 motion asking Smith to enforce the order noted that states and municipalities in late September received award letters in which FEMA copy-pasted the contested conditions with a clause saying they would only become effective if Smiths ruling was stayed or overturned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Plaintiff States are, as a result, still required to certify, as a condition of obtaining federal funds, they wrote. AGs attached letters received by emergency management agencies in California, Colorado and Illinois. The Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency has not received any letters with the immigration language as of Wednesday, spokesperson Courtney Marciano said in an interview. Smith ordered the Department of Homeland Security to permanently stop enforcing immigration conditions against plaintiff states and that the agency must amend grant awards within seven days to remove language related to complying with federal immigration law. A Homeland Security spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for inquiry on whether officials intend to comply with the new court order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration argued in an Oct. 10 court filing that it had complied with Smiths earlier decision and was only seeking to preserve its ability to enforce the immigration-related conditions should the ruling be overturned. Cities and states who break the law and prevent us from arresting criminal illegal aliens should not receive federal funding, Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to Rhode Island Current Wednesday. The Trump Administration is committed to restoring the rule of law. No lawsuit, not this one or any other, is going to stop us from doing that. But Smith in his ruling Tuesday said that no matter how confident the Trump administration may be of their chances of appeal, the contested conditions at the moment are unlawful. The fig leaf conditional nature of the requirement makes little difference, Smith wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neronha commended Smiths latest ruling against what he called blatant overreach by the Trump administration in ignoring the September court order. Whether its a preliminary injunction, a permanent injunction, or some other enforcement, the courts are holding up, he said in a statement. And we will continue fighting for the American people for as long as this administration puts them in harms way. Besides Rhode Island and Illinois, other states that were part of the lawsuit were California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and Vermont. The District of Columbia is also part of the case. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Exploratory talks on a future government in the Czech Republic are being overshadowed by serious allegations levelled against a leading figure in one of the parties involved. Filip Turek, who is being touted as a possible foreign minister, is facing accusations that he spread racist, sexist and homophobic content on social media in the past. The former member of the European Parliament (MEP) is honorary chairman of the Oath and Motorists party, a right-wing fringe group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The newspaper Denik N reported on the now-deleted posts, quoting Turek as allegedly using "the N-word" to refer to former US President Barack Obama. Turek denied authorship and announced that he would take legal action against the newspaper. The right-wing populist ANO (Yes) party of election winner Andrej Babis is currently negotiating with the Motorists' Party and the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party about a coalition or a tolerance agreement. In view of the Turek affair, Babis has now put the brakes on the process. "As far as personnel matters are concerned, we will perhaps return to this in a month or a month and a half," the 71-year-old said on Tuesday in a video message on X. The billionaire said that the new government's programme would be discussed first. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Babis also said the Motorists would have to convince the public that the accusations against their honorary chairman were unfounded. ANO won 80 of the 200 seats in the parliamentary elections in early October. The Motorists won 13 seats and the SPD 15. The new parliament is not scheduled to convene for its first session until November 3. President Petr Pavel has not yet officially given the election winner Babis the mandate to form a government. ABC11 heard on Tuesday from a Raleigh man living in Israel just outside of Tel Aviv. Daniel Rosenberg is a Millbrook High School graduate who's been living in the Middle East for the past 20 years. He spoke to ABC11 less than 24 hours after the release of these images of Israeli hostages being reunited with friends and family after the groundbreaking peace deal brokered by President Donald Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rosenberg described the current mood for the Israeli people right now as joyous, as many celebrate the homecoming of those 20 hostages. "Everywhere you go in the State of Israel, you see signs all over that say, 'Not until the last hostage,' that there's these people, the hostages are, I don't want to use the word celebrities, but there's everyone in the country knows them, is worried about them, and has deep concern for the horror that they've been through," Rosenberg said. The hostage swap is considered the first phase of the peace deal, with talks now taking place on what will happen to Gaza next. "Thank God that everyone is home right now. All the living hostages are home," Rosenberg said. "For the first time since 2014, there's not a single Israeli hostage in Gaza." Stay on top of breaking news stories with the ABC11 News App [Source] Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy faced racist and Hinduphobic questions at a Turning Point USA event in Montana last week, with attendees challenging whether he could represent a predominantly Christian state. What are you conserving?: Ramaswamy tackled the controversial inquiries during a question-and-answer session in the Oct. 7 event at Montana State Universitys Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. One attendee questioned, If you are an Indian, a Hindu, coming from a different culture, different religion than those who founded this country What are you conserving? Another asked how he could represent Ohios 64% Christian population as a practicing Hindu, while one claimed he tried to masquerade as a Christian. Another challenged whether his polytheistic ideology shared Christian values. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response, Ramaswamy explained his theological position from the Vedanta school of Advaita philosophy. Im actually a monotheist. believe theres one true God, he told the audience. He then drew a parallel to the Christian Trinity, asking, Doesnt make you a polytheist, does it? while noting both traditions reconcile the one and the many. Turning to his political role, Ramaswamy asserted. Im not running to be pastor of Ohio, Im running to be governor of Ohio. To emphasize the point, he brought one of the Q&A participants onstage to read Article VI of the Constitution aloud, which bars religious tests for office. What this means: The confrontations reveal deep-seated religious prejudice in Republican politics, where Asian American politicians must repeatedly justify their legitimacy. Christian nationalism threatens democratic pluralism even as the Constitution explicitly forbids faith-based qualification tests. Such questioning has apparently followed Ramaswamy in conservative spaces, where most Republicans identify as Christian. The billionaire entrepreneurs latest experience thus underscores a difficult reality: his financial success, Trumps approval and conservative credentials may prove insufficient for complete MAGA acceptance when the color of his skin or his religion troubles some supporters. Still, his response strategy of combining religious explanation with constitutional principle offered a model for defending faith diversity without compromising conviction. Trending on NextShark: Asian American 'Love Is Blind' contestants reveal how race still shapes dating Campaign trail: The event took place during TPUSAs memorial tour for founder Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated last month. In the aftermath, Kirks organization experienced rapid growth, receiving 120,000 new chapter requests in just four days. At the Montana stop, Ramaswamy, who has Trumps endorsement, urged conservatives in his speech to move beyond owning the libs toward genuine persuasion. The former 2024 presidential candidate left his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) co-leadership role with Elon Musk earlier this year to focus on the Ohio campaign. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Montana event drew additional controversy last week when Nalin Haley, former presidential candidate Nikki Haleys son and a newly converted Catholic, on X criticized Ramaswamys Trinity comparison as blasphemous and a slap in the face to every Christian. This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. Trending on NextShark: Tariffs compound mounting pressures on Asian American grocers nationwide Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what were building, consider becoming a paid member your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community. Subscribe here now! Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today! Labour has a problem with rape gangs. In 2017, Sarah Champion, the Rotherham MP and shadow minister, was sacked from Jeremy Corbyns front bench after writing in a national newspaper that Britain has a problem with British Pakistani men raping and exploiting white girls. Years earlier, Simon Danzcuk, the Labour MP for Rochdale, was criticised after drawing attention to a small minority of Asian men who had a view of young white girls which is completely unacceptable. Although the truth of what the MPs said was obvious to most objective observers, they both risked being ostracised by their own parties. Yet both were ultimately vindicated by Baroness Caseys investigations into the matter when, earlier this year, she concluded that the authorities had shied away for too long from the ethnicity of the people involved in the systematic abuse of young white girls. As she put it, it is not racist to examine the ethnicity of the offenders. Lady Casey said she found evidence of over-representation of Asian and Pakistani heritage men among suspects in local data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was Lady Caseys remarks that finally, if belatedly, convinced Sir Keir Starmer to perform one of his most important and welcome U-turns and authorise a full national inquiry into the activities of rape gangs across the UK. But four months after the Prime Minister reluctantly bowed to pressure, little progress has been made. A panel set up by the Government, including victims of the gangs, has been unable even to agree what the remit of the inquiry should be, and no senior legal figure has been persuaded to chair it. This is not surprising: given the obvious reluctance of the Government to institute the inquiry, any senior judge or lawyer would be nervous about the level of political support they would receive during the inquiry, and in the crucial period afterwards when they might expect their recommendations to be implemented. Again, the precedent for implementation is not encouraging: the seven-year Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse delivered its final report in 2022, yet none of its recommendations has yet been put into practice. Four separate inquiry chairs came and went during those seven years, thanks to a series of controversies and disagreements over their remit. So the prospect of chairing a new inquiry, especially one that is expected to focus more closely on the ethnic make-up of the perpetrators, is not proving attractive. All of which presents a serious problem for Sir Keir and Jess Phillips, his safeguarding minister. Having initially rejected the idea of a national inquiry that would look specifically at the allegations that men of south Asian origin were over-represented among the perpetrators, they exposed themselves to suspicions that they were seeking to protect an important electoral demographic at the expense of the young white girls who were the gangs victims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now that they have conceded an inquiry, it must be pursued vigorously and launched as soon as possible, primarily to deliver justice at last for the victims. Labour will pay a heavy electoral price if they are seen to further delay the process. One of the sticking points reported to be causing delay is whether cases of child abuse beyond those carried out by the gangs should be in the inquirys remit. Ministers should resist this, for it would be accurately interpreted as an attempt to water down the purpose of the new inquiry: to ascertain the degree to which Pakistani men took part in the gangs crimes, and the extent to which local council officials, politicians and even police officers were complicit in hiding these crimes to preserve inter-community relations. The second part of that remit must be a key part of any inquiry. It is vital to know not only the extent to which local officials were complicit in the rape, torture and exploitation of young girls considered to be white trash by so many who should have known better, but who those officials were. Just as the inquiry into Bloody Sunday resulted in the attempted prosecution of a number of British soldiers involved in the killing of civilians in Londonderry in 1972, so the new national inquiry into child rape gangs must examine and identify every individual whose actions or inactions emboldened the rapists to continue their twisted activities. To do otherwise, to settle for a lessons learned approach with no examination of individuals behaviour, would be another betrayal of the victims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Do ministers understand this? Can they perceive the dangerous mistrust and cynicism that greets every statement that seeks to excuse yet more delays in setting up the inquiry? The suspicion that Labour ministers are more concerned about losing their Muslim voter base than they are about delivering justice to the rape gangs victims must be addressed seriously by the likes of Ms Phillips, and not dismissed out of hand as some kind of outrageous calumny. The nation is watching and ministers must act. 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. North Korea's military, the fourth-largest in the world, remains shrouded in mystery. Both men and women are required to serve in the military in North Korea. Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader of North Korea, has no formal military experience. Little is known about life inside the "hermit kingdom" of North Korea. Even less is known about the country's military, the fourth-largest in the world behind China, India, and the United States, based on the number of active personnel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It remains extremely difficult to get past the border, but photos can provide a glimpse into the insular, militarized country. Rare photos of North Korea's military reveal a snapshot of life as a soldier in North Korea. North Korea and South Korea split after the Korean War, which began in 1950 when 75,000 soldiers from the North crossed the border and invaded the South. NORTH KOREA - JANUARY 01: North-Korean and Chinese troops celebrate their shared victory in South Korea after having driven back an attack of American forces in June 1950. In the foreground, women soldiers express their joy. This scene took place around June 25, 1950, when North Korea crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea. Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images The war ended in 1953 with an armistice dividing the country along the 38th parallel, with the Soviet Union supporting the North and the US supporting the South. Marshal Kim Il Sung signing the Korean Armistice Agreement and the Temporary Agreement Supplementary to the Armistice Agreement at 10pm on July 27, 1953. Also pictured are (l to r); Kim Du Bong, President of the Standing Committee of the Korean Supreme People's Assembly; General Nam Il; and Bak Cheng Ai, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Korean Nodong Dang. Sovfoto/Universal Images Group via Getty Images The Korean Armistice Agreement also established a Demilitarized Zone on the border, which remains one of the most heavily guarded borders in the world. South Korean, right, and North Korean army soldiers stand guard at the border village of Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas. Ahn Young-joon/AP The Soviet Union put Kim Il Sung in charge of North Korea, which became known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim Il Sung Father and Leader of North Korea. April 01, 1980. Edoardo Fornaciari/Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His son, Kim Jong Il, took over after his death in 1994. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il meets with Korean People's Army personnel in September 1988 file photo. Kim Jong-Il was re-elected as head of the country's powerful National Defense Committee, Pyongyang Radio said 05 September, as CNN reported the title of president had been abolished. AFP via Getty Images Kim Jong Un then took over as the ruler of the country in December 2011 when his father died of a heart attack. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gestures as he guides a military demonstration involving tank units in North Korea. KCNA via Reuters Despite being in charge of the fourth-largest military in the world, Un has no formal military experience. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un peers through a pair of binoculars during a military demonstration in North Korea. KCNA via Reuters North Korea's military is called the "Korean People's Army," or the KPA. Senior North Korean military officers follow the performance celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, in Pyongyang. Damir Sagolj/Reuters Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The North Korean military is composed of more than 1.3 million active soldiers, according to the CIA World Factbook. A North Korean military parade. KCNA/Reuters There are another 7 million paramilitary, reserve, and bodyguard command personnel. North Korean soldiers salute from atop tanks during a military parade in Pyongyang. Petar Kujundzic/Reuters Most people serve in the military after completing high school. Soldiers shout slogans under the stands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and other officials. Damir Sagolj/Reuters Men serve for up to 13 years and women for up to seven, according to the CIA World Factbook. North Korean soldiers do push-ups at the banks of the Yalu River, at the North Korean town of Sinuiju. Stringer/Reuters Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before 2015, women served purely on a voluntary basis. A North Korean woman and soldiers look at a Chinese tour boat from the banks of the Yalu River near the North Korean town of Sinuiju, opposite the Chinese border city of Dandong. REUTERS/Jason Lee In 2015, it became mandatory for all women to serve in the military. A North Korean soldier guards an army installation on the banks of the Yalu River at the North Korean town of Sinuiju, opposite the Chinese border city of Dandong. Reinhard Krause/Reuters Those who go to college serve for five years after completing their degree, a defector told NK News. In a photo taken on December 17, 2019 Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers hold flowers as they pay their respects before a statue of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, on the anniversary of his death, at Mansu Hill in Pyongyang. KIM WON JIN/AFP via Getty Images Kim Jong Un established a policy in 2015 allowing those who study science to serve for only three years. Soldiers ride motorcycles past a stand with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, in Pyongyang October 10, 2015. Isolated North Korea marked the 70th anniversary of its ruling Workers' Party on Saturday with a massive military parade overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, who said his country was ready to fight any war waged by the United States. Damir Sagolj/Reuters Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While data from North Korea remains unreliable, its defense industry employs an estimated 2 million workers, 38 North reported in 2023. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un poses with soldiers as he inspects a tank unit of the Korean People's Army, in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on March 25, 2024. KCNA via Reuters Most motor vehicles are owned by military or government officials, Daily NK reported. Restrictions on car ownership mean it's rare for private citizens to own them. North Korean military participate in the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang. KCNA/Reuters Soldiers in the military have reportedly faced malnutrition and hunger because of a lack of food availability and rigorous training, NK News reported. A North Korean soldier kicks a goat on the banks of the Yalu River near the North Korean town of Sinuiju. Jacky Chen/Reuters KPA's Air Force is its second-largest branch with around 110,000 members. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits Korean People's Army Air Force headquarters on the occasion of Aviation Day in North Korea, in this picture released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on December 1, 2023. KCNA via Reuters Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The US Department of Defense reports that North Korea's Air Force has somewhere between 500 and 900 aircraft, though most are outdated vessels from the 1990s. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un watches planes during a flypast at the Defence Development Exhibition, in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this undated photo released on October 12, 2021 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency KCNA via Reuters Per a 2021 US Defense Intelligence Agency report, the North Korean military has 260 amphibious landing craft in its naval force. Landing and anti-landing exercises being carried out by the Korean People's Army at an unknown location. KCNA/Reuters In 2023, North Korea held a launch ceremony for a reworked Cold War-era submarine with missile capabilities, though it's unclear if the sub is operational. North Korea's new "tactical nuclear attack submarine" at its launch ceremony in early September 2023. KCNA via REUTERS The North Korean missile program began development in the late 1960s. A North Korean soldier salutes next to a missile. Damir Sagolj/Reuters Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The full scope of North Korea's ballistic missile capabilities is unclear, but the military is believed to be in possession of long-, medium-, and short-range missiles. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a test launch of a possible new mid- to long-range solid-fuel hypersonic missile, at an unknown location in North Korea, April 2, 2024, in this picture released on April 3, 2024, by the Korean Central News Agency. KCNA via Reuters In 2021, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists estimated that North Korea could possess enough fissile material to produce 40 to 50 nuclear weapons. A screen grab shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting nuclear warheads at an undisclosed location in this undated still image used in a video. KRT/via Reuters TV/Handout via REUTERS Nuclear tests were conducted within the country in 2006, 2009, 2013, 2016, and 2017. A rally celebrating the success of a recent nuclear test is held in Kim Il Sung square in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang September 13, 2016. KCNA/Reuters In 2017, Un attended a celebration held in honor of the nuclear scientists and engineers who contributed to a hydrogen bomb test. Kim Jong Un reacts during a celebration for nuclear scientists and engineers who contributed to a hydrogen bomb test, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang on September 10, 2017. KCNA via Reuters Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement North Korea's military also has a band that performs at official functions known as the Central Military Band of the Korean People's Army. The Ensemble of Korean People's Army of North Korea performs on the Russia's Army Theatre's stage during the "Spasskaya Tower" international military music festival in Moscow on August 26, 2019. ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images Despite being one of the largest armies in the world, North Korea's military remains shrouded in mystery. A night drill of ground artillery sub-units. KCNA/Reuters. Editor's note: This story was originally published in May 2016. It was updated in October 2025. Read the original article on Business Insider BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) The Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center is hosting its Swamp Haunted Hikes on Oct. 17 and Oct. 24. This spooky event runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and is perfect for families. Participants can trick-or-treat along the trails. They will also learn about different animal ambassadors placed along the hike. Out of our five stops, snake is going to be the first one, and everyone, depending on their comfort level, you are going to get a chance to pet and meet these animals, said Harper Martinez, an educator at the Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Costumes are strongly encouraged for the event. Also, participants should bring flashlights to help them navigate the trails. You can register for the haunted hike online or in person. Tickets cost $6 for adults and $8 for kids. Latest 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 Louisiana First News. Tealights aglow, hundreds of people in red shirts raised their hands, singing and praying at a candlelight vigil for Charlie Kirk on what would have been his 32nd birthday, and on what Congress made a National Day of Remembrance for the prominent conservative commentator. The vigil was one of many across the country celebrating Kirk's life, about a month after he was assassinated at a Utah university event. State lawmakers, kids, college students and others listened to speakers and musicians, who stood on the steps of the Florida Historic Capitol. As the founder of Turning Point USA, the largest conservative youth organization in the country with hundreds of campus chapters, Kirk was known for his political involvement and his campus tours, where he challenged students to debate political issues. He also supported Donald Trump's last presidential campaign. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The vigil was organized by a group of community members and sponsored by Rep. Jason Shoaf, R-Port St. Joe, who described Kirk as a person who "lived with freedom" and "integrity." "There is pure evil in this world, unfortunately, and Charlie stood bravely face-to-face with it," Shoaf told the crowd. "That is why a loss of this magnitude is so difficult to comprehend." For about three hours, local musicians, church leaders and lawmakers spoke to mourners, singing songs like "Amazing Grace" and "God Bless the USA." Many wore shirts reading "A True Patriot" with Kirk depicted, or just "Freedom." The vigil was intensely personal for many who attended; those that a reporter tried to interview politely declined. And many wore the color red, included in the dress code for his memorial service in Arizona, which has become a way to honor Kirk at public events. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On either side of the steps of the old Capitol sat two tables with more tealights and flowers. One table held a painting from a local resident, Katie Hamilton, depicting Kirk with a United States flag draped over his shoulder. Hundreds gathered in the Florida Capitol courtyard for a vigil honoring Charlie Kirk on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. Keisi Clark, the president of Florida State University's Turning Point USA chapter, said he was inspired by Kirk to be a leader, and that Kirk made every person in the TPUSA chapters feel "seen and valued." "This is our turning point. We will carry the torch Charlie passed to us and ensure that its message echoes through our campuses, our communities and our country. Even in this sorrow, we will hold on to hope," Clark said. Baileigh Milligan, another of the event's organizers, said she was grateful for the evening's turnout. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "What happened last month was a very big deal, and it was very hard to take in, to see kind of how the world has changed," Milligan said. "I hope moving forward tonight and for those who end up watching this, being on television or shared, everyone can have an open heart." White House posthumously gives Presidential Medal of Freedom to Kirk As community members gathered in the Florida Capitol's courtyard, the White House was hosting its own event for Kirk. Trump posthumously awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom; his widow Erika Kirk accepted the medal. More: Trump honors Charlie Kirk, slain conservative ally, with Medal of Freedom "Today were here to honor and remember a fearless warrior for liberty, a beloved leader who galvanized the next generation like nobody Ive ever seen before, and an American patriot of the deepest conviction, the finest quality and the highest caliber: the late, great Charlie Kirk," Trump said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the event, Erika Kirk spoke directly to Turning Point USA chapters: "You are the heartbeat of this future and of this movement ... You are living proof that his mission did not die with him." Legislators file bills for Charlie Kirk Day of Remembrance Before the vigil, state Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, filed a bill (SB 194) to designate Oct. 14 to be the Charlie Kirk Day of Remembrance. It would authorize the governor to annually issue a proclamation in Florida for the date. "Charlie Kirk's tragic death on September 10, 2025, was not only a national loss but also deeply felt within Florida's civic and educational communities," the bill says. This comes after members of the U.S. Senate and House approved resolutions to mark Oct. 14 as a National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk, with the Senate resolution being led by Florida U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, a Naples Republican. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA Today Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Stephany Matat is based in Tallahassee, Fla. She can be reached at SMatat@gannett.com. On X: @stephanymatat. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Candlelight vigil at Florida Capitol honors Charlie Kirks legacy Born Aug. 8, 1948, James Green said he was born and raised outside Corpus Christi. But if you ask the state of Texas, they'll tell you they have no record of him being born at all. "I mean, 'Hey, this is me, all this information is me,'" Green said. Surrounded by documents from his life and letters exchanged with the Department of State Health Services, Green said this is proof of his effort to finally obtain a birth certificate at 77 years old. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Green said he first learned he didn't have one in his 20's, but always had a social security number and driver license so it never impacted him. That was until he decided to move from North Carolina, back to Texas last year and needed to get a new driver's license. "I started needing it, I needed a birth certificate because I couldn't get my license with the little star," Green said. Green said he wasn't able to get a Real ID and his license lapsed on August 8 of this year. Not a big problem Green said, because he doesn't drive anymore. But then, four months ago, he broke his hip, and Green said the pharmacy wouldn't release his medication because his ID was out of date. They did release it to someone accompanying him who had a valid ID. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Green decided it was time to get a birth certificate but the process has not been easy. He mailed school records, his social security number and more only to be told what he submitted wasn't enough or wrong. The state responded with a list of items to send, saying he can choose three. The list includes items such as a copy of more school records, his original driver's license application, baptism records, Census records, and more. All of which will require more calls, emails and requests to other state agencies. Green says it's the red tape he finds most frustrating. "Nobody believes I don't have a birth certificate. I went to where I was born at, the county seat and they couldn't do nothing cause I can't prove it was me," Green said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ABC13 reached out to the Department of State Health Services who issues birth certificates. They tell us Green should be working directly with them to discuss his options. A tough response for Green, who said he's been spending the last year trying to do just that. For more news updates, follow Lileana Pearson on Facebook, X and Instagram. ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) Republican Lieutenant Governor nominee John Reid was back in Roanoke talking with voters Tuesday afternoon. He said he has family ties to the Star City, and he feels like its an often-neglected region among politicians. I dont think thats right, Reid said. If you want to run for office and youre not willing to put in the work, and shake hands with people, and listen to people when youre running for office, then you wont do it when you get there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reid said a lot of people told him they were concerned about the economy. He said he feels like bolstering the economy is one of his strong suits. I was the Director of Communication at the United States Chamber of Commerce, which is the largest business federation in the world, Reid said. I want to use that experience to try and bring new business to Virginia, and try to bring new jobs to parts of the state where perhaps we havent been successful in the past. Reid also wants to let voters and the next Governor of Virginia know hes not afraid to stand up for what he believes in. I would not be going to Richmond to be a rubber stamp for anybody, he said. Youre getting an independent person, who is independent-minded, open-minded, and whos going to speak up for what I think is right. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of the voters appreciated what Reid had to say. He has my full support, Roanoke voter Annie LeHardy said. I believe he will defend parents rights in the classroom, which is very important to me as a mother. Democrat candidate Ghazala Hashmi was unavailable for comment Tuesday, but did provide a written statement on why voters should support her. As a leader in the State Senate, an educator for three decades, and a mom of two daughters raised here in Virginia, I am focused on improving the lives of all Virginians and bringing people together to solve the most important issues facing our Commonwealth, She said in the statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have secured historic funding for our public schools and wrote the plan to protect Medicaid in Virginia. My opponent, John Reid, wants to close public schools and touts plans to cut public education funding, and he supports the bill that will rip away health care coverage from over 300,000 Virginians and has forced three Virginia health clinics to close. The deadline to vote early is November 1st, and Election Day is November 4th. 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 WFXRtv. The IDF confirmed that the remains of the fourth body that were returned on Tuesday night do not belong to a hostage. The remains of deceased hostages Uriel Baruch, Staff Sergeant Tamir Nimrodi, and Eitan Levi were identified at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute early on Wednesday morning, Israeli media reported. The IDF confirmed that the remains of the fourth body that were returned on Tuesday night do not belong to a hostage. A forensic examination confirmed that they were the remains of an unknown Palestinian. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is not the first time Hamas has returned "hostage" remains that were later determined to be the remains of someone else. In February of this year, the IDF confirmed that the remains the terror group returned, which it claimed belonged to Shiri Bibas, did not match any of the hostages. Later on Wednesday, however, an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post that Hamas had likely sent the wrong remains on Tuesday by mistake, adding that officials hoped another hostage release round would occur later that day. Uriel Baruch, who was initially kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, leaves behind his wife and two children, as well as his parents and siblings. Remains of four hostages arrive at the National Center of Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir, October 15, 2025. (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV) The Baruch family shared in their statement, Dear family and friends, it is with great sorrow and deep pain that we announce the return of the body of our beloved Uriel Baruch, may his memory be a blessing, from the Gaza Strip, after nearly two long years of prayers, hope, and faith." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The memorial service will be held today, Wednesday, October 15, at 18:00, at the 'Nitzach Uriel' synagogue, as planned. Additional details regarding the burial ceremony and the reception will be provided later. May his memory be a blessing." The families of the hostages and the released extended their condolences to Uriel Baruch's family following his return to Israel for a proper burial. "Alongside the grief and the understanding that their hearts will never be whole again, Uriel's return brings some measure of solace to a family that has lived in unbearable uncertainty and doubt for over two years. We will not rest until all 20 hostages are brought home." Staff Sergeant Tamir Nimrodi was abducted alive by Hamas from his base and was likely killed early in the war. Tamir was 18 years old at the time of his death, according to the IDF. Final conclusions on his death will be made after further examination. Nimrodi was taken barefoot, in his pyjamas, and without his glasses, alongside Ron Sherman and Nik Baizer. Both Baizer and Sherman were mistakenly killed during an IDF strike. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was serving as an education NCO at the Coordination and Liaison Administration on the Gaza border. He had completed ten months of service and was set to join officer training shortly before his kidnapping. A caring and social person, Tamir volunteered to cover Shabbat duty on October 7. After his kidnapping, a note was found in his room on which he had written: "I want to help as many people as possible, expand social circles, and never hurt anyone." Tamir was kidnapped alive and killed by IDF bombings while in captivity. He is survived by his parents, Herut and Alon, and siblings, Amit and Mika. "After two years of agonizing uncertainty, filled with hope and a desire for a different outcome, we received the heartbreaking news of our beloved Tamirs identification. Tamir was brutally kidnapped from his base and murdered while in Hamas captivity. Tamir was returned to Israel yesterday for his final rest. We are in moments of deep pain and reflection, but we will not abandon the families of the remaining hostages until the last one is brought home," Tamir's family said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The families of the hostages and the released expressed their sorrow upon hearing of Tamir Nimrodi's tragic death. His return ended 740 days of uncertainty and pain. The families stand with the Nimrodi family during this difficult time and will continue to support them. Eitan Levi, 53, was abducted from the Mefalsim Junction on October 7, 2023, and his body was taken to Gaza. His death was confirmed on December 8, 2023. He leaves behind a son and a sister. The family of Eitan Levi said, "With great sorrow and deep pain, we announce the return of our beloved Eitan Levi, may he rest in peace, from the Gaza Strip after nearly two long years. Details of the funeral and the mourning period will be provided later. We kindly ask for respect for the family's privacy during this time." The Red Cross collected the remains of four bodies The Red Cross collected the four bodies earlier on Tuesday from a private space in Gaza City, the IDF confirmed, following reports that Hamas terrorists would release four more bodies at 10 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bodies were transferred to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir, where identification procedures will be carried out, the military added. Israel Police issued a statement at approximately 1:15 a.m. Wednesday morning, confirming that the bodies arrived at the institute. An Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post that four more bodies are expected to be returned on Wednesday night. The reports come after Israel announced a reduction in the amount of humanitarian aid and the closure of the Rafah crossing as a punitive measure for Hamas failing to return the bodies of killed hostages. Hamas only returned four hostage bodies on Monday because the terror group did not take the Gaza ceasefire condition seriously, an Israeli official told N12 the same day. It is only in recent hours that Israel reportedly saw Hamas attempt to locate the hostages. Amichai Stein, Danielle Greyman-Kennard, James Genn, Uri Sela, Maya Cohen, and Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report. US President Donald Trumps energy policy can be summed up in the phrase, drill, baby, drill. But theres a way to succeed as a renewable energy firm in the US under his administration: be American, and dont rely on government money. Thats according to Jarrod Agen, who advises the president on US energy strategy. It cant be subsidized by the US taxpayer the president has been 100% clear on that. And we dont want it reliant on foreign sources like China, Agen, executive director of the White House National Energy Dominance Council, said at Semafors World Economy Summit on Wednesday. If you have American companies, and youre not reliant on US taxpayers, thats the hurdle to get over. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many components of renewable energy technologies are manufactured outside the US, and some in China. Wind and solar are among the cheapest and fastest ways to add capacity to the grid in many regions, but those suppliers are running up against policy shifts that favor baseload power like fossil fuels and nuclear. The White House has placed greater emphasis on mining operations and piping infrastructure to move fossil fuels more efficiently across the country. In recent months, Trump has reduced federal subsidies for clean energy, imposed tighter requirements on it, and fast-tracked fossil fuel projects. Trump is checking gasoline and power prices every day, Agen said, adding that the administration is working to speed the production of fossil fuel projects to compete with solar and wind power, which are often easier to build. Thats why weve changed permitting. Thats why weve changed some of the way were looking at funding, he said. The National Energy Dominance Council helps liaise between agencies to get refineries and pipelines approved quicker. It has also shifted funding priorities towards domestic production and security and away from reducing greenhouse gases. Meanwhile, the administration rolled back a number of National Environmental Policy Act requirements for climate impact analyses and public comments. Stunning Architecture Next week, Newark will host a two-day conference focused on entrepreneurship and shared economic growth spun off from the main Ideas festival hosted annually by the Aspen Institute, the global think tank founded in 1950 in the Colorado mining town-turned-ski resort. The inaugural Aspen Ideas: Economy festival, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 20-21, is expected to bring together some 500 business leaders, policymakers, scholars and elected officials from both sides of the political aisle for small and large-group discussions of economic issues applicable worldwide, with programming tailored to the history and conditions of its host city. The New Jersey Performing Arts Center, NJPAC, is the main venue. Aspen Institute CEO Dan Porterfield, a former Franklin & Marshall College president, said the institutes newest ideas conference will bring together participants and speakers from a range of backgrounds and points of view to explore critical questions about our economy and envision how we can build a prosperous society for all. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Being picked to host the conference is a feather in Newarks cap, joining other Aspen Ideas conference hosts, Chicago, Miami and Aspen itself. But the event isnt likely to attract locals with anything less than a professional or vested interest in economic policy, as admission requires passes available on its website for $599. That said, a spokesman for the Aspen Institute, Jonathan Purves, said the discussions will be recorded and posted online for free viewing at a later date. Panelists will include retired Goldman Sachs co-chair and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin; fellow Democrat and former Goldman executive Gov. Phil Murphy; urban conservative and author Reihan Salam; and social media financial educator and Bread founder Kyla Scanlon. Local participants include Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, a progressive Democrat recognized nationally for his policies on crime prevention and infrastructure improvement; Audible CEO Bob Carrigan; and Prudential CEO Andrew Sullivan, who took the helm of the financial services giant and Newark anchor institution in December. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Aspen Institute, now headquartered in Washington, D.C., launched its original Ideas festival at its Aspen campus in 2005, where it continues to be an annual marquis event on the global policy conference calendar. The institute launched Aspen Ideas: Health as a distinct festival in 2019, also on its Colorado campus. This was followed by an Aspen Ideas: Climate conference, held in Miami in 2022-2024 and in Chicago in July. Welcoming the climate conference to his state earlier this year, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker described the Aspen Institute as a venerable organization, unparalleled in its ability to drive productive dialogue around the most important issues of our time. A spokesman for the Aspen Institute said organizers of the economy fest hoped to make it an annual event, though it hadnt been decided whether Newark would continue to be the host city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mondays main event is a large-group discussion in NJPACs Victoria Hall space that will pose the question: What - and who - is an economy for? It will include Rubin, Baraka, Porterfield, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, Scanlon, the Debt Collector Lab Director Fred Wherry, and Equis Institute Senior Fellow Janis Bowdler. A Tuesday morning main stage program will address the ideas, individuals, and institutions that have shaped the economy we live in and the role they play in ensuring an economy that works for everyone. Speakers will include Murphy, Sullivan, PGIM Chief Global Economist Daleep Singh, author Jenny Wallace, Moodys Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi, and David Leonhardt, an editorial director at The New York Times. A Tuesday night discussion will focus on forces reshaping our shared future and policies that might best serve the greatest number of people. To highlight the character and history of Newarks economy, the Ideas Fest is partnering with Have You Met Newark?, a company founded by urban planners Emily Manz and Anthony Valla, to provide guided and self-guided walking tours. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Project for Empty Space and Makerhoods Newark development firm will provide additional local programs showcasing Newark restaurants and entrepreneurs. Monday night is party night, with conference-specific gatherings at Swahili Village, Newark Culture Club, Sihana Bistro, and Clements Place. Porterfield said New Jerseys largest city was a perfect fit for the two-day convening. Newark, N.J., embodies the spirit of optimism and entrepreneurialism that this convening will uplift, he said, making it an ideal host city. Steve Strunsky Stories by Steve Strunsky Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here. BOSTON (SHNS) A new proposal on Beacon Hill would fund extended commuter rail services along the Route 2 corridor into north central Massachusetts with revenue from a hypothetical casino. The Rep. Natalie Higgins bill (H 3680) vetted by the Joint Committee on Transportation Tuesday would create an InterCity Regional Passenger Rail fund to finance passenger rail projects and a new region that would be eligible for a casino gaming license. As proposed, Region D would consist of Fitchburg and Leominster and the towns of Ashburnham, Lunenburg and Westminster. Under the bill, 25% of gaming revenue collected from possible Region D gaming licensees would put toward efforts to expand commuter rail services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the heart of this bill is opening up an additional region for north central Massachusetts for a possible casino and channeling that money into something that we all desperately need: better operated, better funded and more expanded commuter rail, Higgins told the committee. Higgins said her constituent, Paul Keating, came to her with the idea. She said it reminded her of learning about Taiwans approach to public transit funding during a trip she took through a State Department exchange. They really wanted to invest in their public transit system, they did not want to do it on the backs of fares, which would make it harder for their lowest income residents They came up with a way to fund the modernization of their transit system by building an amusement park and building a stadium and licensing those facilities to not only create more economic development for their country, but to funnel that money into investing in their subway system and their rail system. And that seems like a really innovative idea, she said. Keating, a retired Leominster resident who cited his experience working in transportation policy, said the rail expansion could be backed by a continuous flow of funds supplemented by matching state bonds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He hired consulting company HLT, which has worked with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission in the past, to estimate how much a casino placed in northern Worcester county could generate. When the study was done in 2021, HLT found the casino would generate about $75 million in taxes, which he said is presently closer to $90 million. He said he chose the northern part of the county for the model to geographically spread out the states casinos, as two others Encore Boston Harbor in Everett and MGM Springfield are closely off the Massachusetts Turnpike. As we look for ways to improve and invest in the economy of north central Massachusetts, we believe that this legislation has a potential for tremendous positive impact for economic development, tourism, and transportation here, said Roy Nascimento, president and CEO at North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. Nascimento said the region has higher unemployment levels than other areas of Massachusetts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This project would aid job creation and attract further investment while recapturing crucial gaming dollars currently lost to neighboring states, attracting underserved players from New Hampshire, and further cementing the region as a tourism destination, he said. Nascimento added that the 25% of gross gaming revenues dedicated to expanding commuter rail service along Route 2 would enhance connectivity to Greater Boston while improving interconnectivity between communities along the rail line for employment, health care, education, and daily needs. State law allows regulators here to issue up to three resort casino licenses. The state so far has issued two of those licenses but has not issued a license for an operator in the southeastern Massachusetts Region C. 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. Only half of states require highly qualified mentors for prospective special education and English as a Second Language teachers, just five require passing a rigorous reading instruction test in order to be licensed and less than 50% mandate any special ed training for principals. These are among key findings of a new NCTQ report into ways to address the continuing turnover and shortage of special education and ESL teachers that has existed for more than three decades. The analysis showed that mentorship, teacher and principal preparation standards, tests of reading instruction knowledge, pay and professional development are key to retaining and recruiting these educators. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Students with disabilities and English learners face some of the most persistent academic challenges, partly because of a lack of access to high-quality teachers, said NCTQ President Heather Peske. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite their potential, many of these students are not meeting even really basic thresholds in reading and math, and this is not for any fault of the students themselves, she said. Its really because they dont have access to the kinds of qualified and effective teachers that they need. The report recommends improved state policies to address attrition in these areas: Teacher mentorship The analysis found that half of states dont require prospective educators to complete their student teaching under the supervision of an educator who is certified in the same subject area they are training to work in. Most are in the western United States, including states like Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Idaho and Nevada. Having a mentor certified in the same field allows the college students to see what teaching special ed will actually be like and increases their chances of staying in the subject area once they finish their degree, according to the report. The analysis highlighted a study of more than 250 people who completed special education teacher preparation in Massachusetts, which found that those with a supervisor licensed in special education were 12% less likely to leave the workforce. NCTQ Teacher preparation standards Clear state standards for teacher preparation programs ensure that aspiring educators get the skills needed to serve students with disabilities, the report said. Ten states dont have explicit special education standards for teacher colleges, while 16 lack defined English learner standards. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The analysis highlights Texas, which created teacher preparation standards for ESL and bilingual education in 2019. These include understanding the foundations of language acquisition and adapting instruction to meet student needs. Related Teacher Preparation Isnt Broken. Our Approach to Policymaking and Advocacy Is Principal preparation standards Less than half of states require principal preparation programs to address special education in coursework, while only 13 do the same for English learners. Without an understanding of effective ways to serve students with disabilities or English learners, principals are less prepared to improve outcomes for them and retain the teachers who serve them, the report said. Research has found that principals are a key factor in creating an inclusive environment for special education students. One University of Florida report said that many new school administrators find themselves suddenly thrust into situations in which they must be the final arbiter on matters related to strange-sounding issues such as IEPs [individual education programs], 504 [disability discrimination] decisions, due-process hearings and IDEA [Individuals with Disabilities Education Act] compliance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Iowa, teacher colleges are required to provide evidence that candidates are equipped to address the needs of English learners or students with disabilities, the report said. Reading instruction The analysis found that 17 states require special education teacher candidates to demonstrate their knowledge of literacy instruction using a test the NCTQ deems effective. In 2023, the nonprofit reported that 29 states and the District of Columbia use weak reading instruction tests that aspiring elementary educators must pass to obtain a license. NCTQ studied 25 tests that states use and identified 15 as weak with only four considered acceptable and six considered strong. Related Does Your State Use Weak Teacher Reading Tests? New Study Says a Majority Do Just five states California, Idaho, New Mexico, Louisiana and Maryland require English learner teacher candidates to pass acceptable tests, the report said. NCTQ Wisconsin, for example, uses a strong or acceptable reading licensure test, but they dont presently require special education teachers to take that test and pass it, Peske said. We would say that this is an example of low-hanging fruit when it comes to policymaking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The NCTQ reported that 70% of fourth graders with disabilities and 67% who are English learners scored below the basic level in reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. English learners are also at an increased risk of being identified for special education because of literacy-related struggles, the report said. With so many states right now focused on reading and implementing relatively new reading laws, it was surprising to us to find that states are also not requiring their teachers, especially of students with disabilities, and their English learner teachers to take and pass an acceptable reading licensure test, Peske said. Teacher pay The report said that paying teachers in critical shortage areas more than those in general education can improve retention and recruitment in hard-to-staff areas. But research has found that the additional compensation must be at least 7.5% of a teachers base salary about $5,000 to make a difference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Only 18 states offer higher salaries or bonuses for special education educators, while eight states do so for English learner teachers. Related Interactive: School Spending vs. Teacher Pay See Trends in 8,900 Districts An annual state-funded $10,000 incentive in Hawaii improved special education teacher shortages. The bonuses, which began in 2020, reduced by 35% the number of teaching positions that were vacant or filled by an unlicensed teacher. NCTQ Interestingly, it did little to improve retention among current special educators, the report said. Instead, the reduction in vacancies was driven almost entirely by general-education teachers who were presumably dual-certified transitioning into special education roles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The nonprofit said the policy was also successful because of its simplicity. All Hawaii special education teachers were automatically eligible, and there was no application process. Professional development High-quality professional learning can improve retention for special education and English learner teachers, the report said. Currently, 40 states provide professional development for both fields. Oregon, Hawaii, Iowa, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia are the only states that dont offer professional learning for either position. NCTQ The report highlights Rhode Island, which recently adopted guidelines that require professional learning specifically for teachers of multilingual learners. Peske said each of the above policy areas is equally important for lawmakers to consider. If a state really wants to build a strong teacher workforce for students with disabilities and English learners, we would advise them to use these fixed [policy] levers together, she said. GOSHEN - Immigrants in U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement custody at the Orange County Correctional Facility have faced "systemic" and "recurrent" deficiencies in medical care, according to a new report by the civil rights nonprofit New York Lawyers for the Public Interest. The report paints a damning picture of immigration detention at the local jail, though county officials criticized its findings and methodology. The jail, which has a $77.7 million budget, is run by the Orange County Sheriff's Office and has held ICE detainees since 2008. This year, 353 people were detained in ICE holding rooms through July, according to booking data obtained by the Deportation Data Project through open records requests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Using medical data from 19 detainees between January 2022 and May 2024, the report found "systemic medical failures" that allegedly worsened health outcomes and were a financial drain for the county. According to the report, all 19 individuals had "critical gaps" in medical care while detained by ICE at the jail, including delays and denial of treatment, poor nutrition, language access barriers, inadequate treatment for acute pain and failure to evaluate and manage chronic illnesses and mental health problems. For the past decade, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest has documented medical violations in New York City-area detention facilities, including the Orange County jail, via reports and litigation. But last week's report was the first it has published examining health care deficiencies specific to the jail, said Sophie Dalsimer, co-director of health justice at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and the report's author. The report's conclusion encourages Orange County to end its contract with ICE to detain people at the jail. But Orange County Attorney Rick Golden disputed the report's conclusions and attacked its methodology in an emailed statement to the Times Union. "The report is authored by a non-governmental advocacy group whose mission as to any ICE detainee is to Free Them All,' as their report makes clear," Golden wrote. "This report is simply a misleading advocacy tactic to achieve that goal. It is not an objective report of jail conditions or treatment." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Golden criticized the nonprofit for what he described as an over-generalization of ICE detainees' treatment based on a sample of 19 individuals. "The county does not agree with the medical assessments asserted in context, although no more can be said because the county is prohibited from discussing their medical treatment," he wrote. MORE: ICE detention removed a father from Troy family to other side of country In response, Dalsimer said the nonprofit's network of medical providers received more medical data than what was included in the report, but was unable to include all of it for "various reasons," such as needing approval from the detainees' legal representatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I would hope that the county would feel some obligation - and they do have an obligation - to provide this care for people in their custody," Dalsimer said. "It is worth noting that many of the individuals whose experiences are discussed in the report face multiple instances of repeated failures that we're documenting." Long-standing' problems As federal agents have ramped up arrests and long-term detention centers hit capacity, many migrants are languishing for days in facilities meant for short-term processing. In many states, ICE has contracted with private prisons as well as county jails to house detainees. While private prisons are illegal in New York, detentions in the state's county jails have skyrocketed. But the legal nonprofit's report framed the issues at Orange County Correctional Facility as unusually persistent. "The consistent, repeated medical failures that we documented occurring at Orange County in this time period are similar to what we are seeing in other ICE facilities in the tri-state area and throughout the country," Dalsimer said. "But I think that the problems that we've heard of and documented at Orange County jail in particular have also been very long-standing. From what I've seen in my current role, and also previously as a deportation defense attorney representing many people in immigration detention, including at OCJ, it's the same kinds of issues that emerge over and over again." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the report, one man who had a cardiac monitor following an earlier stroke before detention did not receive follow-up care from medical providers at the jail. He began exhibiting signs of another stroke weeks later, including headaches and arm numbness, but he went without an evaluation for weeks. Another detainee allegedly had a tooth extracted without anesthesia, which the report states is a "clear violation" of the American Dental Association's guidelines mandating pain control during dental procedures. Another individual with glaucoma who had been prescribed daily eye drops to manage pressure and prevent vision loss was denied access to his medication after being detained, according to the report. "(ICE) is firmly committed to the health, safety, and welfare of all those in its custody," said Jason Koontz, an ICE spokesman. "The facilities and staff of the Orange County jail are regularly inspected and maintain compliance with all national detention standards. Routine inspections are one component of ICE's multi-layered inspections and oversight process that ensures transparency in how facilities meet the threshold of care outlined in contracts with facilities, as well as ICE's national detention standards." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Koontz said the Orange County jail has passed all routine inspections. The jail and Wellpath - the health care provider whose subsidiary, New York Correct Care Solutions, Orange County previously contracted to provide services to criminal and immigrant detainees - have faced numerous complaints, lawsuits and governmental investigations over the years, particularly following the deaths of four people at the facility since 2021. The state Commission on Correction concluded that a lack of adequate medical care by New York Correct Care Solutions may have contributed to two of those deaths. Last year, the family of one inmate who died at the jail sued the county and Wellpath, alleging wrongful death through deliberate neglect and constitutional rights violations. In 2019, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest won its lawsuit against Orange County when the Second Circuit Court of Appeals found that government officials can be held accountable on constitutional grounds for failure to provide medical discharge planning to individuals being released from ICE detention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The jail was also the target of a 2023 civil rights lawsuit filed by immigrant rights organizations, including New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, alleging that immigrants held at the Orange County jail were being mistreated, denied medical care for physical and mental health conditions and had been subjected to arbitrary punishment, retaliation and traumatizing strip searches. After Wellpath's bankruptcy in November, Orange County began contracting with YesCare in January to provide medical services at the county jail. Reached for comment, a Wellpath spokesperson said in a statement that the company "does not contract with U.S. Customs and Border Protection or ICE to provide care to detainees in immigration custody facilities," while also saying that the company "does not inquire as to immigration status and provides care to all of our patients without regard to same." The spokesperson did not immediately address questions about Wellpath's care to all detainees at Orange County's jail while it was contracted to provide medical services there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dalsimer said New York Lawyers for the Public Interest is open to meeting with county officials to discuss the findings of the report and added it would be a "great first step" if the county held a public hearing to look into the provision of medical care at the jail. "There's been, historically, more attention to the medical issues on the criminal side of the facility, but it seems clear that their problems exist also on the immigration side, and may even be more extreme," Dalsimer said. "It would be great to get a little bit more oversight into what's going on and what the county is expending their money and resources on, really considering if that's the investment that the county wants to make." This article originally published at Report alleges systemic' medical neglect at Orange County jail housing ICE detainees. This story was originally published on Higher Ed Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Higher Ed Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: A group of congressional Republicans last week asked U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon to reverse cuts to Hispanic-serving colleges amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. The U.S. Department of Education announced the cuts in September, calling the programs racially discriminatory because they confer "government benefits exclusively to institutions that meet racial or ethnic quotas. In an Oct. 8 letter to McMahon, six members of the Congressional Hispanic Conference wrote, These institutions do not artificially seek to meet quotas to obtain federal funds; rather, they serve the communities in which they are located. Dive Insight: More than 270 Hispanic-serving institutions across 20 states would suffer under the Education Departments plan to stop paying out federal HSI grants, according to a recent report from the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions. Federally designated HSIs are defined as those where Hispanic students make up at least 25% of the undergraduate population and at least half of students qualify for federal need-based aid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The study estimated a collective compound loss to HSIs totaling $459 million over the remaining funding years for three programs: the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program, Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions and Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans. The effects of these cuts reach far beyond dollars, impacting educational opportunities for already underserved students, wrote Rebecca Perdomo, a senior research associate with the Rutgers center and author of the report. In announcing the cuts, the Education Department cited a July 25 memo from the Trump administrations solicitor general, D. John Sauer, who cast the requirement that HSIs have at least 25% Hispanic undergraduates as a racial quota. The Department of Justice has determined that those provisions violate the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause, Sauer wrote,invoking the U.S. Supreme Courts 2023 ruling against race-conscious college admissions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the memo, addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Sauer said the Justice Department would not defend the constitutionality of HSI funding which began in the mid-1990s in court. The memo referred to a lawsuit against the Education Department filed in June by the state of Tennessee and Students for Fair Admissions that challenges federal HSI funding as unconstitutional. The Education Department likewise said it agrees that the racial quotas in the HSI programs are unconstitutional and would use its statutory authority to reprogram discretionary funds to programs that do not present such concerns. The redirected funds totaled about $350 million for fiscal 2025. Less than a week later, the department announced $495 million in additional funding for historically Black and tribal colleges in what it called "a significant, one-time investment to support the unique and historic contributions of these institutions." The six Congressional Hispanic Conference members who wrote to McMahon pushed back on the administrations argument that HSI programs are discriminatory and unconstitutional. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For these universities and many others serving predominantly Hispanic communities, failing to meet the 25 percent undergraduate population necessary for HSI designation would mean failing to serve their communities, they wrote. Their eligibility is a byproduct of their mission not a pursuit of quotas. The lawmakers further argued that the cuts could undermine workforce development and the countrys research capacity. These programs play a vital role in preparing students from HSIs for careers in STEM, developing the next generation of teachers, and advancing research in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing, they wrote. We have been hearing frequently about the willingness of the Republican president and the Republicans in both houses of Congress to take away health insurance from millions of people, leaving them without the financial means to get medical care when they need it. I don't know how any group of Americans can be this willing to destroy the health and lives of so many of their fellow Americans. It's heartless. So, I'm going to write an executive order (I wish) that will require the Cadillac health insurance enjoyed by members of the federal government, which they get for free because taxpayers pay for it, to be shut off as soon as possible. That cancellation will stay in force until Congress gives their constituents a means of getting medical treatment without being pushed into bankruptcy. It is amazing, disgusting and depressing to see how uncaring those robots in Washington can be, being just fine with sentencing people to death. And, yes, that's what they're considering. Congress, what are you thinking about? Are you doing any thinking? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Opinion: Milwaukee leaders unite and sound alarm on devastating health care changes America already has the most expensive medical care on Earth. So, now let's double peoples health insurance premiums. And President Donald Trump, thank you for your leadership on that total lack of concern for the non-rich people of America. And just a reminder, Mr. President, God is watching. Terry Schmeckpeper, Onalaska Letters: Developer's plan would fit better in Lake Geneva, not Bay View Tips for getting your letter to the editor published Here are some tips to get your views shared with your friends, family, neighbors and across our state: Please include your name, street address and daytime phone. Generally, we limit letters to 200 words. Cite sources of where you found information or the article that prompted your letter. Be civil and constructive, especially when criticizing. Avoid ad hominem attacks, take issue with a position, not a person. We cannot acknowledge receipt of submissions. We don't publish poetry, anonymous or open letters. Each writer is limited to one published letter every two months. All letters are subject to editing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Write: Letters to the editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 330 E. Kilbourn Avenue, Suite 500, Milwaukee, WI, 53202. Fax: (414)-223-5444. E-mail: jsedit@jrn.com or submit using the form that can be found on the on the bottom of this page. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Federal workers shouldn't get Cadillac health insurance | Letters People gather for the Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom Bans OFF Columbus rally for Issue 1, October 8, 2023, outside the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original article.) Try as they did to mislead and deceive Ohio voters about the horror of protecting abortion access and other forms of reproductive care in the state constitution, Ohio Republicans from the governor on down failed to fool 57% of the electorate in 2023. Voters from across the political spectrum saw through the preposterous propaganda meant to dissuade Ohioans from enshrining the right of every individual to make and carry out ones own reproductive decisions in the Ohio Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The decisive passage of Ohios Issue 1 amendment to preserve the right to make those decisions, including abortion, was essentially people telling politicians to butt out of personal medical choices they had no business meddling in. Despite the deliberately loaded ballot wording, inserted by Republican Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose to subvert the referendum, voters channeled their Midwest sensibility of justice. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, eliminating the federal constitutional right to abortion, it was up to states to either restore that half-century right or repeal it. Ohio voters chose a rational middle ground to restore a womans reproductive autonomy on private medical options that included, but were not limited to contraception, fertility treatment, continuing ones own pregnancy, miscarriage care and abortion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was not unreasonable, a voting majority concluded on Nov. 7, 2023, that the state be barred from directly or indirectly burdening, penalizing, prohibiting, interfering with or discriminating against this constitutional right to reproductive freedom unless it demonstrates that it is using the least restrictive means to advance the individuals health in accordance with widely accepted and evidence-based standards of care. Put a pin in that caveat. Voters agreed that abortion may be banned after fetal viability, but no procedure could be prohibited if in the professional judgment of the pregnant patients treating physician it is necessary to protect the pregnant patients life or health. Contrary to claims made during the Issue 1 campaign, late-term abortions are extremely rare, representing less than 1% of all abortions in the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the fear-mongering and falsehoods thrown at Ohio voters weighing the abortion rights amendment, despite the ton of money dumped to defeat the measure by the Catholic Church, the citizens initiative is now Article I, Section 22 of the Ohio Constitution. The people spoke. Resoundingly. Yet, ever since, a clear majority of the statewide constituency secured the constitutionally protected right to make reproductive decisions without government interference, the government has interfered. Ohio Republicans signaled their intent from the beginning not to respect the will of voters on self-determination, but to override it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The day after the amendment passed, more than two dozen GOP lawmakers in the legislature signed a statement to do everything in [their] power to maintain restrictive abortion laws on the books in Ohio. A handful of anti-abortion zealots even tried to seize exclusive authority over implementing the constitutional amendment from the judiciary to prevent mischief by pro-abortion courts. This isnt the end, huffed then-Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman (and current Ohio House Speaker) who promised a revolving door of ballot campaigns to repeal or replace the reproductive rights amendment. Former Speaker Jason Stephens warned the legislature has multiple paths that we will explore to undercut the peoples wishes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ohios Republican attorney general is still soaking taxpayers with endless litigation to preserve parts of the states six-week abortion ban that multiple courts have ruled unconstitutional. Meanwhile, Ohio Statehouse Republicans cant stop coming up with new legislation in 2025 to burden or impede individuals from accessing their constitutional right to abortion. Ohio House Bill 347 would reinstate a 24-hour waiting period for abortions (along with state-mandated information and in-person visits) unrequired in other medical procedures. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Never mind that the existing law, blocked by an Ohio judge as unconstitutional, is still in court. Two other anti-abortion bills in the Ohio House could potentially limit access to medication abortion (used safely in the U.S. for 20 years) and threaten non-abortion healthcare for low-income Ohioans by banning Medicaid reimbursements to clinics that provide abortions. But the real topper by Republican lawmakers less than two years after voters approved a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to abortion is Ohio House Bill 370, sweeping legislation that would impose a near-total ban on the procedure. The proposal would redefine legal personhood to begin at conception, effectively granting fertilized eggs full legal protection under Ohio law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After their setback in 2023, the Republican supermajority in the legislature has attempted to regulate, restrict or outlaw abortion as if nothing changed. Pending bills that would undermine legalized abortion in the state are designed to overturn the popular vote of Ohioans. GOP lawmakers in other red states are following similar playbooks with voters who approve progressive measures Republicans oppose. The unaccountable autocrats, who erode the power of direct democracy, do not answer to the gerrymandered constituents they take for granted or feel any obligation to adhere to the letter of any law they dislike. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ohios Republican overlords openly defy the state constitution on redistricting and abortion rights to get their way no matter what a majority of folks in their state wants. Question is, will voters cede self-governance for team loyalty at the ballot box, or will they demand due respect from the elected representatives who work for them and loyalty to the rule of law over party? SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Republicans are rushing to recast upcoming protests against President Donald Trump as anti-American rallies that are somehow prolonging the government shutdown. During an interview on CNBC Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent blamed the Democrats for a lack of movement on reopening the federal government, claiming that they were waiting to move until after the No Kings Day rally planned for October 18 opposing the administrations authoritarian tilt. Theres a thought out there that theyre at least waiting to get this crazy No Kings rally this weekend, which is gonna be the farthest left, the hardest-core, the most unhinged in the Democratic Party which is, you know, a big title, Bessent claimed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You know, no kings equal no paychecks, he added. During a propaganda press conference later Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson framed the upcoming No Kings Day as a Hate America rally. Lets see who shows up for that, Johnson said. I bet you see pro-Hamas supporters. I bet you see antifa types. I bet you see the Marxists in full display. The people who dont want to stand and defend the foundational truths of this republic, and thats what were here doing every single day. Other Republicans were quick to join Johnson, with Representatives Steve Scalise and Lisa McClain also referring to the protest as the Hate America rally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnson started the trend of villainizing constitutionally protected protest last week when he inexplicably claimed that the No Kings Day demonstration was somehow to blame for the government shutdown. Its being told to us that they wont be able to reopen the government until after that rally, cuz they cant face their rabid base, Johnson said of Democrats at the time. For the past three weeks, GOP lawmakers have been phoning in that whole defending-the-Republic thing, ever since Johnson sent them home amid the ongoing government shutdown. It seems clear that its Republicans who have refused to negotiate with Democratsnot the other way around. Crucially, Republicans are blatantly mischaracterizing the attendees of the nationwide No Kings rally, in an attempt to criminalize dissent against Trump. These protests, which have been recurring since the beginning of the second Trump administration, have been notably tame, reportedly populated by older, liberal white people who love America but hate Trumps policies. The temperate collective action would likely not be left enough for anyone who was ostensibly anti-fascist. Republicans outlandish predictions for who is likely to attend are simply setting the stage for law enforcement crackdowns on protesters First Amendment rights. The speakers suggestion that protesting the government is un-American is particularly disturbing, as it is not only a historically American activity, but also a foundational right supported by the U.S. Constitutiona right that Republicans such as Johnson seem to care about less and less everyday. Members of England's Secret World Wildlife Rescue recently saved a red kite that had been trapped in a dumpster for over 40 miles, according to Burnham-on-Sea.com. As part of its dedication to sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife in the greater southwestern region, Secret World volunteers were first notified of the bird's presence by garbage workers during an unloading stop at a waste facility in Avonmouth. While initially believed to be a sparrowhawk by the locals, Secret World later confirmed it to be a red kite a formerly rare bird of prey species that made an astonishing comeback within the United Kingdom thanks to restoration and reintroduction projects over the past few decades, as reported by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Secret World's consistent efforts since its conception in the 1980s help keep biodiversity blooming by ensuring that local animals recover their health and can safely return to their habitats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After all, human-wildlife interaction can prove uncomfortable or even dangerous for the species involved as human activity continues to encroach upon natural spaces. For instance, waste sites, trash heaps, and dumpsters like the one from which this red kite was rescued may contain harmful chemicals that are toxic or physically damaging to the species that ingest them. Likewise, open litter and sharp pieces out in the open can cause considerable injury and trauma. The Secret World crew promptly brought the red kite to the rescue center, where it was cleaned thoroughly of food waste remnants and offered fluids and a place to rest. Soon enough, the bird was well on its way to a full recovery, per Burnham-on-Sea.com. "It's not every day we receive a red kite, especially one that's taken such a grubby journey!" noted one of the charity's spokespeople. "Soon, this beautiful bird of prey will be transferred to our large aviary to regain flight and preen before being released back into the wild." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many nonprofits like Secret World operate substantially on a volunteer basis, so in other words, you don't need to be a wildlife treatment expert to help support the ecosystem around you. To protect the species in your area, it can be as simple as reporting any animals in distress to your local authorities, donating to wildlife safety organizations, or volunteering for rescue services. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. A new report is calling for the establishment of a civilian oversight system in Worcester, one of the few major American cities without such a mechanism. The Worcester Regional Research Bureaus report highlights deficiencies in the current oversight systems of the Worcester Police Department, particularly the lack of transparency in investigation results and the absence of subpoena power. The report by the Research Bureau suggests that effective civilian oversight is crucial for maintaining public trust and ensuring accountability within the police department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Civilian oversight does not by itself guarantee changes in problematic practices; however, it ensures that violations of law or residents rights are brought into the open, creating an essential layer of accountability, transparency, and democratic governance, The Bureau stated. The Research Bureaus report comes on the heels of a 2024 federal investigation that found that the Worcester Police Department had a pattern of outrageous government conduct, excessive force, and sexual misconduct by officers. Federal investigators detailed specific examples of excessive use of force by officers, including unjustified uses of tasers, police dogs, and strikes to the head. The Department of Justice stated that officers rapidly escalated minor incidents by using more force than necessary, including during encounters with people who have behavioral health disabilities or are in crisis. The Worcester Police Department is dedicated to accountability and transparency and has implemented several new oversight measures. As such, I do not believe a civilian review board would be an effective mechanism, Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier responded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Worcester is the 114th largest city in the United States and the second largest in New England. More than half of the 200 largest U.S. cities have adopted civilian oversight systems, according to Worcester police. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Researchers from Germany have developed an innovative tool to enhance crop selection for agrivoltaics projects in 25 countries, thereby improving food security and energy efficiency in agriculture. As PV Magazine reported, the team from Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt developed a crop selection tool, which analyzes how 12 different staple crops respond to climatic changes, crop growth, and shading, along with their water and space requirements. It pulls data from nearly 20 research studies to determine the conditions that will allow crops to thrive in agrivoltaic farming systems, which combine agriculture with solar energy to maximize yields and sustainability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 12 crop types studied included berries, fruit trees, leafy greens, legumes, cereals, root vegetables, brassicas, oilseed crops, herbs, medicinal plants, mushrooms, and pasture grasses. The crop selection matrix relies on Global Horizontal Irradiance data to identify which crops will grow best in various solar energy zones, which are areas around the world selected for their high solar potential. The data measures the total amount of solar radiation that hits Earth's surface and is a crucial metric for analyzing the design and performance of solar energy systems. Researchers discovered that vegetables, berries, and fruit trees benefited from the added protection of solar panels, as they shielded the crops from windy conditions and extreme heat while also reducing water evaporation. Because these crops don't need much space, they provide farmers with higher returns on their investments. In addition, farmers can make extra money by selling excess energy generated from solar panels back to the grid, which proves that agrivoltaics are not only profitable but also better for the planet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The study showed that herbs, grasses, and legumes grew best in hot, dry climates where the shade from solar panels helps reduce water stress and soil temperature. Regarding cereals, fiber crops, and oilseed crops, scientists found that conventional agrivoltaic setups aren't as suitable since they need direct sunlight. However, inter-row configurations, where crops are grown between panel rows, could still produce successful yields as long as they have adequate space. Using land for growing crops, raising livestock, and generating solar energy helps farmers conserve land and water and creates opportunities to generate extra income. As more agriculture operations seek to save money on electricity and optimize crop growth, agrivoltaics are rapidly gaining popularity worldwide and will likely revolutionize farming in the long run. "Since low-space-requiring crops dominate agrivoltaics suitability, the installed PV capacity per hectare is lower compared to conventional large-scale PV farms, making agrivoltaics ideal for small-scale farming communities, decentralized renewable energy projects, and sustainable rural development," the authors said in the study published in Solar Compass. "Future research should focus on AI-driven optimization techniques, real-world pilot studies, and advanced agronomic assessments to refine decision-making in Agri-PV deployment," they concluded. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. A brand new French project is moving one step closer to making nuclear power smaller, safer, and more practical for urban living. At the Cadarache research center, Calogena has signed an agreement with the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission to test the deployment of its compact nuclear reactor, known as the CAL30. CAL30 isn't your run-of-the-mill, massive power plant. Instead, it is a small modular reactor (SMR) designed to generate 30 megawatts of thermal power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This SMR runs at low pressure and temperature, making it inherently safer than traditional reactors. According to Calogena, the unit's design is compact, requiring less than 33,000 square feet of land. Because of its design, it can be transported and installed more quickly than conventional nuclear systems. Its refueling needs are small as well, taking just one truck every two years. That is a fraction of what dirty-fuel boilers demand. Nuclear fission, the process of splitting uranium atoms to release energy, has long been a backbone of zero-carbon electricity generation. It is important to note, however, that fission is not renewable and relies on finite uranium resources. Nuclear energy also generates radioactive waste that must be carefully managed. Water used in the storage process can also pick up radioactive isotopes such as tritium, requiring rigorous oversight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That being said, it is still a much cleaner alternative to coal and natural gas. Small reactors like the CAL30 could make it easier for urban areas to access low-carbon heating and reduce the reliance on polluting fuels. An increase in nuclear energy over coal and natural gas creates an environment with far less air pollution, which will lead to better public health in the area. Experts warn that SMRs aren't a perfect solution. Each unit generates radioactive waste that requires careful, long-term storage for thousands of years. As Edwin Lyman from the Union of Concerned Scientists notes, many of these newer reactor designs have not been extensively tested, which raises concerns regarding their cost, safety, and scalability. Still, Calogena's move into the pre-licensing phase with French regulators marks progress toward bringing this technology to market. If successful, miniature reactors like the CAL30 could offer cleaner, more flexible energy solutions for cities by the 2030s. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Clownfish and anemones are being wiped out by heat waves, according to an article from Boston University shared on Phys.org. What's happening? Fresh research from Boston University is showing that clownfish and anemone populations in the Red Sea have suffered steep declines as a result of rising sea temperatures. The two animals have a symbiotic relationship, whereby the anemones provide protection for the clownfish from predators, and the clownfish provide nutrients to the anemones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Increasing heat waves have caused anemones in the Red Sea to bleach in a manner similar to coral. This has destroyed vital habitat for clownfish, leading to their population collapsing as well. Between 2022 and 2024, the study reported that 94-100% of the clownfish across three reefs died, and 66-94% of resident anemones perished. "It's especially painful because the Red Sea is a place many researchers have been hoping and hypothesizing is a thermal refuge," said lead author Morgan Bennett-Smith. "The fact that even this thermal refugium is collapsing in different ways is especially horrific. It's not turning out to be the safe haven we thought it was." Why are ocean temperatures important? Ocean warming is destroying ecosystems that people rely on. Combined with rampant overexploitation, entire aquatic food systems are collapsing as increased atmospheric pollution has served to ramp up heat waves. Marine wildlife is critical for the stability of fishing industries as well as the overall health of our planet. Rising global temperatures are causing vast amounts of damage to the environment, which affects our economy, food supply, and health. What's being done about warming oceans? Report authors are looking to study bleaching events in Papua New Guinea next to see if the clownfish and anemones there are suffering the same fate. Other researchers have already found clownfish to be shrinking in size. Boston University scientists are keen to highlight the need for added habitat protections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We can all do our part to help curb rising global temperatures by reducing consumption and switching to renewable, clean energy sources. "More studies are needed to evaluate these important populations and re-evaluate their conservation status at large, expanding the surveys worldwide," said the paper. "As [Degree Heating Weeks] continues to increase globally, ecosystem conservation and restoration initiatives may need to be considered to preserve these populations in affected areas." How concerned are you about the plastic waste in our oceans? Extremely I'm pretty concerned A little Not much Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. A neighbor in one North Carolina coastal community said some beachfront properties are barely hanging on as rapidly rising sea levels put homes at risk. What's happening? In the past five years, a dozen homes on the Outer Banks of North Carolina have fallen into the ocean due to rising waters and erosion rates, per WRAL News. Donny Bowers, a native of the area, expects more homes in the coastal community to collapse in the near future. "There are about 40 of them that are sitting right there in the shore break," Bowers told WRAL. "And I would say out of those, there's probably about 4 or 5 that look like they're kinda ready to go. Nothing is done until it's on the verge of catastrophic and then the only thing anyone can do is abandon." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to WRAL, insurance conditions essentially force residents to wait until their homes fall and become debris. The county manager said the cost to clean up the debris is usually between $35,000 and $50,000. Why are rising sea levels important? According to scientists, the burning of dirty energy sources produces planet-overheating pollution into the atmosphere and intensifies extreme weather events. Storms like hurricanes and typhoons are supercharged by warm ocean surface temperatures, per the United Nations. Warming ocean temperatures and melting land ice are the primary reasons for the global sea level rise, according to the Earth Information Center. In 2024, the global sea level rose faster than NASA scientists anticipated at a rate of 0.23 inches. Even if heat-trapping pollution is reduced drastically, the average sea level in the United States is still projected to be around two feet higher in 2100 than it was in 2000, per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. What's being done about protecting coastal communities? Scientists have been raising awareness about rising sea levels and how they impact coastal communities. A research team at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science developed a Sea Level Report Card for dozens of communities across the U.S. to help residents stay vigilant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Exploring critical climate issues can help consumers learn more about reducing their reliance on dirty energy sources. Installing solar panels and battery storage can reduce your home's carbon impact while increasing its resiliency during extreme weather events and blackouts. EnergySage provides a free service that helps solar customers easily compare quotes in their area from vetted local installers and save up to $10,000 on solar installations. Switching to an electric vehicle or taking public transit can also reduce the amount of pollution in the air, which ultimately mitigates sea level rise and protects coastal communities. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. It's the kind of video that makes your stomach turn. A municipal sewage truck in South Africa, parked next to a stormwater drain, became the center of a furious debate after a video of its actions went viral. The Krugersdorp News reported that the footage sparked immediate outrage from residents who believed they were witnessing illegal dumping in broad daylight. The video was filmed by resident Neels Jooste, who, along with a local safety officer, confronted the workers on the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We asked why they were doing this and to identify themselves, but they did not," Jooste said. Mogale City Local Municipality quickly denied any wrongdoing. A spokesperson explained that workers were tending to a sewer blockage when rock debris clogged the tanker's suction pipe. She claimed the overflow seen in the video came from the blocked line upstream and stressed that "no effluent was discharged from the tanker." For many locals, however, this incident is just a symptom of a much larger disease. The city is in the grip of a long-standing sewage crisis that has been unfolding for over a decade. A report from Africa in Fact revealed that by the end of 2024, of Mogale City's 22 sewer pump stations, half of them were broken, and two-thirds of its water treatment plants weren't working properly. This systemic failure threatens the nearby Cradle of Humankind, a UN World Heritage Site. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This problem isn't just happening in one city. It's a global issue. In Taiwan, authorities uncovered a massive scheme where 15 people were indicted for dumping over 1,100 tons of waste into city sewers. A Texas resident used his phone to capture footage of a Texas Pride Septic truck allegedly dumping waste into a manhole, sparking an investigation. Across the Atlantic, England's environmental regulators are facing a lawsuit for failing to stop water companies from polluting waterways. One of those companies, Severn Trent, was recently slapped with a fine of over $2.4 million for discharging raw sewage into a river. The anger and frustration from the public are clear. As one YouTube commenter put it, "We must regard our waters as sacred, absolute sacred and taking care of it using it with respect and gratitude." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another captured the deep sense of loss, asking, "I wonder what the ancestors think of this? From Cradle to Cesspool." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. NEW YORK Two more members of a Young Republican group chat strewn with racist epithets and hateful jokes stepped down from their jobs Tuesday after POLITICO published an exclusive report on the Telegram exchanges. Peter Giuntas time working with New York Assemblymember Mike Reilly has ended, the Republican lawmaker said. Giunta served as chair of the New York State Young Republicans when the chat took place. Joseph Maligno, who previously identified himself as the general counsel for that group, is no longer an employee of the New York State Unified Court System, a courts spokesperson confirmed. Another chat member, Vermont state Sen. Sam Douglass, faced mounting calls for his resignation as well, including from the states Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, and Douglass fellow Republican lawmakers, who called his statements deeply disturbing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement POLITICOs in-depth look into how one group of Young Republicans spoke privately was met Tuesday with widespread condemnation in New York, Washington and beyond. The members of the chat 2,900 pages of which were leaked and reviewed by POLITICO called Black people monkeys, repeatedly used slurs for gay, Black, Latino and Asian people, and jokingly celebrated Adolf Hitler. In a bipartisan outcry, members of Congress and other political leaders from around the country said they were appalled by the contents of the group chat. The board of directors of the National Young Republicans said every member of the chat must immediately resign their state organization. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, speaking on the Senate floor, described the chat as revolting and disgusting. If this report is accurate, every single Republican leader from President Trump on down ought to condemn these comments swiftly and unequivocally, Schumer said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vice President JD Vance had a different view and broke with Republicans who broadly condemned the comments within the chat. On X on Tuesday night, Vance drew attention to Democratic candidate for Virginia attorney general Jay Jones, who texted a colleague about shooting the then-Republican House speaker and wishing harm on his children. This is far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and the guy who said it could become the AG of Virginia, Vance wrote with a screenshot of the text exchange. I refuse to join the pearl clutching when powerful people call for political violence. The fallout over the Telegram group chat comes after two others in the slur-laced private exchanges saw their job statuses change before the article even published. William Hendrix, the Kansas Young Republicans vice chair at the time of the chat, is no longer employed at Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobachs office. Bobby Walker, who was chair of the New York State Young Republicans as of Tuesday, will not be brought onto New York congressional candidate Peter Oberackers campaign as originally planned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maligno and Douglass did not respond to repeated requests for comment. In separate statements, both Giunta and Walker apologized for the messages they wrote in the chat but questioned whether they had been altered or taken out of context. They also attempted to blame the release of their chat on the New York Young Republican Club, a political group that operates at the city level and which is often at odds with the state group. I am so sorry to those offended by the insensitive and inexcusable language found within the more than 28,000 messages of a private group chat that I created during my campaign to lead the Young Republicans, Giunta said. These logs were sourced by way of extortion and provided to POLITICO by the very same people conspiring against me in what appears to be a highly-coordinated year-long character assassination led by Gavin Wax and the New York City Young Republican Club. Walker struck a similar tone. There is no excuse for the language and tone in messages attributed to me. The language is wrong and hurtful, and I sincerely apologize, he said. Its troubling that private exchanges were obtained and released in a way clearly intended to inflict harm, and the circumstances raise real questions about accuracy and motive but none of that excuses the language. This has been a painful lesson about judgment and trust. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wax declined POLITICOs request for comment. New York Republican leaders, including Rep. Elise Stefanik, state Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt and state party chair Ed Cox, had preemptively denounced the chat as POLITICO reported out the story. We are appalled by the vile and inexcusable language revealed in the Politico article published today. Such behavior is disgraceful, unbecoming of any Republican, and stands in direct opposition to the values our movement represents, the National Young Republicans group said Tuesday in a statement posted on X. New York Democrats piled on after the conversations became public. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Take them out of the party, take away their official roles, stop using them as campaign advisers. There needs to be consequences. This bullshit has to stop, Gov. Kathy Hochul told reporters. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries posted an image of POLITICOs article on Instagram and wrote: These are sick people. Every single one of these racists and antisemites must be publicly exposed and held accountable. Rep. Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, quoted from the article Monkeys Watermelon people 1488 and added on X, But when we say white supremacy is thriving on the right, they call us reactionary Give me a break. The future of the Republican Party proudly embraces bigotry that belongs in the past, and every American needs to recognize how dangerous that is. Rep. Grace Meng, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, said in a statement that their willingness to engage in such vile rhetoric behind closed doors speaks volumes to their character and the tone set by our nations leaders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement POLITICOs reporting on the thousands of messages shared among a dozen Young Republican club members between January and August also reverberated Tuesday in one of the countrys most contentious congressional battlegrounds. The Democrat-aligned House Majority PAC shared photos of Giunta and Walker with vulnerable New York GOP Rep. Mike Lawler at local GOP events. And some of Lawlers Democratic challengers, including Beth Davidson, Cait Conley and Mike Sacks, amplified the connection between the New York Republicans. You are the company you keep, Conley wrote on X. Lawler, who represents the suburbs north of New York City, disavowed the chat members and called for their resignations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The deeply offensive and hateful comments reportedly made in a private chat among members of the New York State Young Republicans are disgusting, his spokesperson Ciro Riccardi said in a statement. They should resign from any leadership position immediately and reflect on how far they have strayed from basic human respect and decency. Ahead of next years midterms, the union- and Democrat-backed Battleground New York PAC ramped up the pressure on the states GOP representatives. These racist, antisemitic, and disgusting texts need to be disavowed, full stop, by New York Republicans, the groups spokesperson Andrew Grossman said. Then, New York Republicans need to come clean about the rot within their party that even led to this moment. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Its an ongoing concern, both statewide and in our region. As the population and infrastructure continue to expand in places like Ontario County, will the electric grid have the capacity to provide enough power? According to the 2023 Ontario County Housing Needs Assessment, its estimated that Ontario Countys population will grow by over three percent by 2040, meaning electrical infrastructure upgrades cant come soon enough, leaving Rochester area residents with a lot of questions and concerns, like how long is that going to take? And will it raise the average residents bills? These concerns come on the heels of a new law, which enforces new construction of buildings in New York seven stories or shorter to be built using electric heat and appliances. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres a state law thats going into effect on January 1st of 2026, which requires all new development thats under seven stories to be 100% electric, Joseph Sayre, RG&E Economic Development Manager, said. Its going to be a challenge with our electric grid capacity. And thats really due to the growth that weve already seen and the time it takes to build out electrical infrastructure to sufficiently provide energy to meet those needs. RG&E Western Ontario Countys primary servicer has proposed a $5.1 billion investment to cover the costs. This will ultimately raise prices, which customers across the Rochester area may be expected to pay the cost of. However, they say its necessary to ensure electrical coverage for residents and infrastructures alike. We have proposed a multi-year rate plan to lower that impact on consumers and make it more palpable because we need to build and we need to be able to fund that to meet not only that New York States climate goals, but to meet the needs of what really is a growing New York State economy and community, Sayre said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before the expansion and upgrades can begin, RG&E must first get the proposed rate approved and buy the electrical infrastructure equipment. This process, they say, could take two to three years. 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. An award-winning storyteller is returning to the anchor desk after a few years away. This time, in Milwaukee. Rheya Spigner is joining WISN-TV (Channel 12), Milwaukee's ABC affiliate, to co-anchor the 4 and 5 p.m. weekday newscasts, do daily reporting assignments and appear live on location during the 10 p.m. weeknight newscasts, the station said in an Oct. 15 news release. Spigner will begin the week of Oct. 20. Im truly honored to be joining such a respected and dynamic news team, Spigner said in the release. WISNs dedication to telling stories that matter has made it a trusted voice in Milwaukee for decades. I cant wait to help tell those stories and become part of this incredible community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spigner, a Los Angeles native, "fell in love" with journalism and decided to stick with it after attending a journalism workshop at 15 years old, according to a 2022 Des Moines Register column about her. Spigner is a graduate of Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She earned her master's in legal studies from ASU's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, according to her LinkedIn profile. Spigner previously reported for WRDW in Augusta, Georgia, and WFXL Fox 31 in Albany, Georgia, a Register article said. More recently, Spigner was with KCCI in Des Moines, where she was an anchor and lead project community reporter, spearheading coverage of important local and national issues, the WISN release said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spigner championed the Project CommUNITY initiative at KCCI, aiming to tackle difficult topics, including politics, mental health and the relations of Black people with police, immigration and veterans issues, according to the Register column. Spigner ended up doing at least 40 profiles on community leaders and about six quarterly specials, the column said. "I am a Black woman. I think that it's important to understand and facilitate different perspectives, especially in this community," Spigner told the Register, when she was promoted from KCCI weekday mornings to the weeknight slot in 2020. "These are topics that have been an integral part of essentially every community across the United States," she said. "But it's like, have we looked at that here in Iowa? Did we talk about it? Let's start talking about it. Most of these conversations were just conversations that I felt like were necessary." Spigner stepped away from the anchor desk for several years to run her consulting business, focused on communication strategy and diversity, equity and inclusion supplemental work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rheya is an accomplished journalist and talented storyteller with an authentic connection to the communities she serves, Shawn Oswald, president and general manager of WISN, said in the news release. The addition of Spigner comes after the mid-April departure of Kristin Pierce, who previously co-anchored Channel 12's 4 and 5 p.m. newscasts. "Ive made a lot of sacrifices for a career Im passionate about," Pierce, who had been with WISN for three years, posted on her social media accounts in April. "In return, Ive missed a lot. I dont want to miss much else. Life is short and time is everything. I want more time with those I love the most." Here's how the WISN anchor teams will be broken down, effective the week of Oct. 20: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "WISN 12 News at 4:00 p.m.": Derrick Rose, Rheya Spigner and Mark Baden "WISN 12 News at 5:00 p.m.": Blake Eason, Rheya Spigner and Mark Baden "WISN 12 News at 6:00 p.m.": Derrick Rose, Diana Gutierrez, Mark Baden and Dario Melendez "WISN 12 News at 10:00 p.m.": Blake Eason, Diana Gutierrez, Mark Baden and Dario Melendez This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Rheya Spigner joining Milwaukee's WISN-TV Channel 12 as new co-anchor Activists in Central Florida are preparing to join others across the state and nation Saturday for the anti-Trump No Kings protest 2.0, echoing demonstrations earlier this year that drew tens of thousands across the country. But this time frogs, chickens and dinosaurs are encouraged to show up, too. Planners of the Orlando event from 10 a.m. to noon at City Hall are asking attendees to wear inflatable costumes for the rally against what they call President Donald Trumps authoritarian policies and corrupt administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tanya Martinez, an organizer whos with Orlando 50501 Latinos and Orlando 50501 (50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement), said shell either be a frog or unicorn. Earlier this month federal agents in Portland, Oregon, pepper-sprayed an anti-ICE demonstrator dressed in an inflatable frog costume. They aimed into the costumes air-intake vent. They try to frame us as dangerous and violent and America haters, said Martinez, an Orlando resident. But its so ridiculous and we want to have a peaceful protest and how can anybody be upset when you have all these inflatable animals around. I always try to do something fun, and this time it just happened to be the inflatables, because joy is resistance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another organizer, Orlando resident Corey Hill with Orlando 50501, said the costumes offer protesters an opportunity to draw attention to a serious issue while embracing the absurd. We want people to be creative and have fun and show how ridiculous it is for this administration to say that we are somehow some menacing force, Hills said. The last No Kings protests coincided with Trumps birthday and his military parade in Washington, D.C. Dozens of protests are planned throughout the state this time along with more than 2,000 across the nation. Events in Central Florida are planned in Casselberry, Clermont, Lake Mary, Leesburg, Mount Dora and Poinciana. Martinez and Hill hope for a even bigger turnout than the estimated 14,000 who showed up at the June 14 Orlando event the largest in the region since the expected high is around 80 degrees compared to 95 last time. And afterward is the annual Come Out With Pride Orlando Festival at Lake Eola Park from noon to 10 p.m. with a parade through downtown at 4 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hill said similar to the June event, this protest will feature a slate of speakers along with music and dancing. The site will have a water station as well as security and medical personnel on hand. Because of its intersection with Orlando Pride, he strongly encourages people to utilize mass transportation to get downtown. Among the numerous issues to which protesters want to draw attention, Martinez said humans rights abuses are at the top of the list. She said she knows families in Orange County who cannot find relatives whove been detained until those people call them. They are picking people up, they are putting them into detention centers and they disappear from the (ICE locator) system, she said. We cannot find them. Here is a list of No Kings demonstrations planned for Central Florida. Casselberry Time: 10 a.m. to noon Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Location: 4453 S US Hwy 17 92 Clermont Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Location: 685 W Montrose St. Lake Mary Time: 10 a.m. to noon Location: near U.S. Rep. Cory Mills office on 46A & International Parkway, 1525 International Pkwy Leesburg Time: 10 a.m. to noon Location: 9501 US-441 Mount Dora Time: 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Location: N Donnelly St Hwy. 441 Poinciana Time: 10 a.m. to noon Location: Solivita Blvd Brian Bell can be reached at bbell@orlandosentinel.com. Staff writer Silas Morgan contributed to this report. ACCRA, Ghana A group of 14 people have become the latest West Africans deported from the U.S. to Ghana under an accord between the countries, said a lawyer whose group filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to block the arrangement. Oliver Barker-Vormawor, who represents migrants, said the latest group of 14 West African nationals arrived Monday to bring the overall total to 42 deportees accepted by the Ghanaian government. His group, Democracy Hub, filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Ghana s government, alleging that the agreement with Washington is unconstitutional because it wasnt approved by the Ghanaian parliament and that it may violate conventions that forbid sending people to countries where they could face persecution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Government spokesman Felix Kwakye Ofosu said the attorney general would defend the arrangement in court, but otherwise declined to comment. The administration of President Donald Trump has been cracking down on migrants who have entered the country illegally, saying that it is especially targeting those with criminal records, including those who cannot easily be deported to their home countries. Dozens of deportees have been sent to Africa since July after the Trump administration struck largely secretive agreements with at least five African nations to take migrants under a new third-country deportation program. Rights groups have protested the program, saying it is opaque and sends deportees to countries where they have no ties and where they are likely to be denied due process. In some cases, migrants have been deported to third countries even when their home countries would have accepted them, critics say. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last month, the U.S. deported an initial group of 14 West African immigrants to Ghana, where authorities later said all of the deportees had been sent to their home countries elsewhere in West Africa, including Togo, Nigeria and Mali. However, their lawyers told The Associated Press in September that 11 of them still were being held at a military camp on the outskirts of the capital, Accra, in what they described as terrible conditions. Since then, 10 of those migrants have been deported to Togo even though only two are Togolese, Barker-Vormawor said. The U.S. sent a first group of five deportees to Eswatini in July, saying they had been convicted of serious crimes including murder and child rape. Since then the U.S. also has deported other migrants to South Sudan, Rwanda and Ghana. It also has an agreement with Uganda, though no deportations there have been announced. Six deportees are still detained in an unspecified facility in South Sudan, while Rwanda hasnt said where it is holding seven deportees. NEWPORT, R.I. (WPRI) The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Foundation is warning drivers about some upcoming travel impacts from the Citizens Bank Pell Bridge Run on Sunday, Oct. 19. The charity event is sold out, with 4,000 people signed up to participate, according to the foundation. The four-mile route begins on East Shore Road in Jamestown, crosses the bridge, then loops around to JT Connell Highway and heads south, ending on Americas Cup Avenue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ALSO READ: Spots still available for curbside compost program in 3 RI communities The run begins at 7 a.m., but East Shore Road will be closed between Conanicus Avenue and the Route 138 off-ramp starting at 6:30 a.m. The bridge will be reduced to a single alternating lane from 7 a.m. to 8:15 a.m., during which vehicles longer than 18 feet will be restricted from crossing in the westbound direction. Only registered runners will be allowed on the bridge during the run. There will also be road closures on the Newport side starting at 7:10 a.m. JT Connell Highway (westbound) and the causeway from the bridge Roundabout to Farewell Street Farewell Street, through Americas Cup Avenue Van Zandt Avenue at the corner of Farewell Street Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those closures will be in place until 8:30 a.m., but the foundation said to expect delays in the area until about 9 a.m. LEARN MORE: Citizens Bank Pell Bridge Run Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app. Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup 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 WPRI.com. A super yacht formerly named after Ghislaine Maxwell caught fire in a harbour in Washington, DC. The 180ft vessel was bought by press baron Robert Maxwell for $20m in 1986 and he named it the Lady Ghislaine after the youngest of his nine children. The yacht was later sold and was most recently purchased in 2017 by Anna dePeyster, a British and Australian writer who was married to Rupert Murdoch from 1967 to 1999. She retrofitted the vessel and renamed it the Dancing Hare. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TV channel WUSA9 said firefighters were called to the Washington, DC wharf area at around 2pm on Tuesday to deal with what was said to be light smoke. Firefighters at the scene in Washington DCs wharf - DC FIRE & EMS Maxwells father died in November 1991 when he disappeared from the Lady Ghislaine. His body was found drifting in the Atlantic Ocean, 20 miles southwest of Gran Canaria. There was speculation over the cause of his death as the 68-year-old had large and growing debts, yet a coroner ruled it was an accident. Robert Maxwell bought the boat for $20m in 1986 Newspaper reports place Mr Trump and Maxwell at a party on the Lady Ghislaine in May 1989. Donald liked [Jeffrey] Epstein but he was crazy about Maxwell, a very charming lady, Steven Hoffenberg, a former business associate of Epsteins, who knew Mr Trump, told The Washington Post before his death in 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence in a minimum security prison in Texas for trafficking underage women to Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender. Ghislaine Maxwell on board Lady Ghislaine in 2000 - Mathieu Polak/Sygma Epstein, a convicted sex offender who associated with a host of high profile people including Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton, was found dead in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial. The Supreme Court recently declined to look at the case, though Mr Trump has said several times he could pardon her. Earlier this month he told a reporter who asked about a possible pardon. I havent heard the name in so long. I can say this, that Id have to take a look at it, he said. I would have to take a look. I will speak to the department of justice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vito Maggiolo, a spokesman for the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, said damage to the Dancing Hare had been relatively minimal. It is believed the fire had been started by an electrical issue on the upper deck. He added: It was extinguished without injuries. 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. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) The Rochester Threat Advisory Committee, or ROCTAC, had its 3rd annual Preventing Targeted Violence Symposium. The symposium brings together experts and community members from law enforcement, healthcare professionals, and those who work in social services and schools to make our community safer. When you get all those people in a room and they have one common mission, to identify and off-ramp, its pretty powerful because they all have unique ideas, they got all unique things that they can do in their community, in their sphere of influence, said Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Governor Hochul has ordered every county in the state to create something similar. In a 2022 executive order, which was created after a domestic terrorist motivated by a conspiracy-driven white-supremacist ideology attacked Black Americans at a Tops in Buffalo, killing ten and injuring three others. Theres a difference between street violence and targeted violence, Sheriff Baxter said. Targeted violence is very predictable if you can break down silos of information and egos of organizations and people, and share information. You can potentially see one ahead of time, and the science shows us if we see it ahead of time and get wonderful people in a room that are willing to help you can off-ramp some people from those targeted violence cases and potentially even make them whole and successful in our communities. While Baxter says its hard to measure success, he claims there have been many cases in which the person flagged has a complete turnaround. 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. Rod Hackney, who has died aged 83, was a pioneer of community architecture and served as president of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) from 1987 to 1989. Roderick Peter Hackney was born in Liverpool on March 3 1942 to Bill Hackney, a hotel chef, and Rose, nee Morris, a dancer. When Rod was five the family moved to North Wales, where he attended John Bright Grammar School in Llandudno. In 1961 he embarked on a seven-year architecture course at Manchester University. The training was devoted entirely to Modernism, but Hackney soon began to have serious doubts about the architectural gods, finding many Modernist designs bland, soulless, often nonsensical and even occasionally threatening a feeling confirmed on study visits to new housing developments such as the vast Hulme Crescents council housing complex in Manchester. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I had known the area as a child, and was shocked to see that 300 acres of old Victorian terraces had been flattened, he wrote. The residents had been removed to Corbusier-style streets in the sky. Hackney at a council demolition site in New South Wales in 1979 - Fairfax Media Archives After graduation, he spent three years in Copenhagen with Arne Jacobsen who, though a Modern Movement architect, had great respect for Classicism and tradition. In 1971 Hackney returned to Manchester to do a PhD on his work. In 1971 he paid 300 to buy No 222, Black Road, Macclesfield, a two-up two-down terraced house built in 1815. Though structurally sound it lacked basic amenities, and there was talk of demolition plans. To test council intentions, Hackney applied for a small improvement grant to install a washbasin. He was turned down and told that his house was likely to be included in a clearance area within 10 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Galvanised into action, with the support of neighbours he wrote a report which estimated that the cost of improving the Black Road houses under a self-help scheme would be 74,250, compared to 207,800 for demolition and re-build. The council was eventually persuaded, and in March 1972 Black Road was designated a General Improvement Area (GIA). Hackney became the architect for the scheme, forming his own practice, his cheerful, friendly demeanour and sense of humour ensuring rapid progress. Prince Charles visiting a self-help restoration scheme in Macclesfield with Rod Hackney, left, 1985 In May 1974 Building Design magazine was able to report: Self-help improvement under GIA is cheaper, more effective and less polluting than the simplistic expensive local authority clearance renewal programmes In Black Road the motto is small is beautiful. Participants, from pensioners to unmarried mothers, are happy. The contractors are happy. Rod Hackney is happy and Macclesfield is happy. By the end of the year the project was complete and Hackney found himself in demand to advise on similar projects around the country. It was not until 1979 that he managed to complete his PhD. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile he had become active in professional politics, and was delighted in 1984 when the then Prince of Wales, during his famous attack on Modernist architecture at RIBAs 150th-anniversary dinner, singled out community architecture projects spear-headed by such individuals as Rod Hackney and Ted Cullinan as offering something very promising in terms of inner city renewal and urban housing. It was in the torrid atmosphere that followed that in 1986 Hackney put his name forward for the RIBA presidency, against the establishment candidate, Raymond Andrews. Hackney in Macclesfield - alamy In his autobiography The Good the Bad and the Ugly (1990), Hackney recalled how, during a furious debate in Cardiff, Andrews had likened him to Arthur Scargill and Derek Hatton and described him as cynical, callous and a charlatan. His vitriol won him few friends, Hackney recalled. After the largest-ever recorded poll I was elected president with a majority of 1,500. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By the end of his term in 1989 Hackney felt that community architecture had come to be accepted as one of the normal ways of practising rather than just a ginger group activity. In 1964 he married Tina Thornton, with whom he had a son, and in 1977 he bought an isolated and dilapidated 17th-century farmhouse in Staffordshire which he renovated, keeping its traditional exterior but fitting a spectacular basement swimming pool connected to the upper levels by a twisting water flume. Rod Hackney, born March 3 1942, died August 14 2025 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. SARANAC LAKE The Will Rogers independent living retirement community is currently under contract to be sold to another company, with the sale scheduled to finalize this winter. Leadership at the current owners, Kaplan Development Group, say the potential new owners plan to run the facility as it has been. Everything theyre looking to do is to come in and run the facility exactly the same as its been to this date, Kaplan President Ben Wells said. If they have future plans, thats up to them. But as far as I know, theres no major plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Currently, 72 residents ranging in age from their early 70s to over 100 call Will Rogers their home and there are 30 people who work there. Wells said he couldnt share who the purchasing company is at this point, but that hes 100% confident in them. Peoples quality of life and livelihoods are at stake and he said they made sure the buyer has a good reputation. Kaplan wasnt looking to sell, Wells said. The buyer approached them with the deal. Will Rogers Executive Director Jamie Whidden said he learned about the pending sale just recently. I trust the people that Ive been working for almost 24 years, Whidden said. I trust they would have somebody for us who would want to continue our important mission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He loves the Will Rogers community. Weve got a great thing going, Whidden said. This year is the retirement communitys 25th anniversary of being open. Whidden has worked there the entire time and is now seeing his second generation of residents at the center. The people that I served when I first started, now, their adult children live here as retirees, he said. Were taking care of generations of people here. The business is successful, he said, and the center has added lots of new residents this summer. Theres a good base that he hopes the next owner can improve on. Wells said the potential new owners intend to keep the same staff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are proud of the strong community that has been built at Saranac Village at Will Rogers and are working closely with all parties involved to make this transition as seamless as possible, Wells said in a statement. Will Rogers has 75 apartments. Its residency depends on how many couples live there. Room rates are currently as low as $1,600 a month with full financial aid $2,250 without financial aid for its smallest units. Sizing and pricing goes up to three-bedroom, two-bath units at $5,900 a month. Whidden said they hold 20% of their units open for people who qualify for financial aid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Housing includes meals, housekeeping, activities, transportation and emergency response. Everyone involved spoke of the importance of Will Rogers to the community. On top of being a place for seniors to live independently, it also plays host to concerts, North Country New Year events, the Winter Carnival slide show and other public events. Kaplan took over Will Rogers after the first year of it being open as a senior living community. Whidden said theyve been great to the center, helping it get through challenges like the coronavirus pandemic. Will Rogers is Kaplans only fully independent living facility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The historic Tudor revival-style facility was built in 1928 as the National Vaudeville Artists Home, a tuberculosis sanatorium with a focus on treating Hollywoods entertainers. It then became the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital in 1936, named after the vaudeville humorist and actor who had died in a plane crash shortly before. He never had tuberculosis himself. The facility was used during the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid. It was converted to senior housing after years of vacancy. LIMA It has been 75 days since Andre Rudolph succeeded Jill Ackerman as superintendent of Lima schools, and in a State of the Schools address Tuesday evening at Lima Senior High School, Rudolph discussed both the challenges the district is facing when it comes to student achievement as well as his reasons for optimism about the future. The address is part of a prioritization Rudolph made on promoting community engagement and accessibility, he said as he began. I have conveyed a consistent desire to collaborate with all, he said. In public education, were living through unprecedented times right now. These abnormal times call for bold, student-centered leadership at every level. Now more than ever, we must reaffirm our commitment to educating all, ensuring equitable funding and advocating for systems that deliver opportunity, equity and rigor to all Ohio learners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement District challenges When it comes to challenges, Rudolph began identifying those early in his address, noting that while the district currently has approximately 3,400 students across nine different schools, 28 percent of district students enrolled in other public school districts in 2024, either voluntarily through open enrollment or involuntarily through court placements. In 2024, 22 percent of our whole school population was identified as students with disabilities, he said. And in 2024, 99 percent of our students were identified as economically disadvantaged. Rudolph also discussed the Ohio Department of Educations report card district evaluation system, outlining the multiple elements that go into that assessment, from achievement and progress levels to graduation rates, gap closing measures, early literacy rates and college, career, workforce and military readiness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the 2024-2025 school year, Lima schools was given a two-star rating out of five, earning only one star in progress, gap closing, graduation and early literacy and two stars in achievement and college and career readiness. Evaluations show 66 percent of student scoring below proficiency in English language arts and nearly 55 percent scoring below proficiency in math. (Report cards are) only one metric, he said. Its a huge metric and its a piece of accountability, but its only one. To get a more complete picture, it is essential to visit schools, talk to educators, parents and students and review school or district websites. To contextualize some of these scores, Rudolph pointed to challenges he said can often go unnoticed in the larger community, such as a large increase in students requiring English language education, going from 164 students last year to approximately 215 this year. There have also been numerous students entering kindergarten who not only lack any early literacy training, such as letter-sound recognition, but also other critical developments. We still have kindergarteners who are not potty trained, he said. When babies come in at 5 and theyre not potty trained, its very difficult to focus solely on the academic component. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rudolph also pointed to chronic absenteeism when discussing challenges in the district, noting that while the vast majority of the teachers at the district are given top ratings in state evaluations, that does not help if the students are not in the classroom to learn from them. It is mind-boggling to me as superintendent, he said. Throughout the day, I have to leave my office during times I go in between school buildings. As Im leaving my office, I see throughout the day school-aged children throughout our streets. Why are you not in school? This is not a school district issue only. Thats a community issue. District achievements Despite those challenges, Rudolph also pointed to numbers that show the district is enjoying good results in some areas. Looking at specific buildings, he lauded the success at Freedom Elementary, earning three out of five stars in progress and four stars in early literacy, Unity Elementary earning three stars in progress, gap closing and early literacy and South Science and Technology Magnet, earning three stars in progress and early literacy and five stars in gap closing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That (five-star rating) means that some of our most unique subgroups, whether that be our English language learners or our gifted students, are closing the gap, he said. Other areas of success include Lima Seniors Career Technical Education program, which earned 4.5 stars on the state report card and has helped 246 students earn 441 industry-recognized credentials over 11 career areas to help make them more hirable after graduation. The College Credit Plus and Dual Enrollment programs helped 113 students earn 480 college credits in the 2024-2025 school year, as well as an additional 389 dual enrollment credits earned through the career tech program. Our gifted students met their value-added expectations, he said. Seventy-eight percent of our gifted students tested in the accomplished, advanced or advanced plus achievement level. So when you think about enrichment, our gifted students are being challenged. Rudolph ended with encouraging the community to buy in to what the district is trying to do, whether that be reading books to pre-kindergarten children, providing neighborhood accountability for children skipping school to mentoring students who are falling behind. Please continue to support our schools, because we need you, he said. Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 113 Shahed and Gerbera loitering munitions as well as drones of other types on the night of 14-15 October. Ukrainian air defence units have brought down 86 of them. Source: Ukrainian Air Force on Telegram Details: Early reports as of 08:30 indicate that air defence units have shot down or jammed 86 Russian UAVs over Ukraine's north, south and east. Hits from 26 attack drones have been recorded at 11 locations and debris from downed UAVs has fallen at one additional location. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The attack is still ongoing, as several Russian UAVs remain in Ukrainian airspace. Overall, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 113 loitering munitions launched from the Russian cities of Millerovo, Kursk, Bryansk and Primorsko-Akhtarsk from 22:50 on 14 October until the morning of 15 October. Around 50 of the drones were Shahed loitering munitions. The aerial assault is being repelled by anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare assets, unmanned systems units and mobile fire groups from the Ukrainian defence forces. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Editor's note: This item has been updated with comments from exiled Russian opposition figure Dmitry Gudkov. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has charged exiled opposition leader Mikhail Khodorkovsky and 22 members of the Russian Anti-War Committee with "violent seizure of power" and "organizing or participating in a terrorist community," the service announced on Oct. 14. The Russian Anti-War Committee, founded shortly after Russia launched its all-out invasion in February 2022, describes itself as a platform supporting "anti-war Russians" and promoting "solidarity, action, and mutual aid for people who oppose the war unleashed by the Kremlin." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the FSB, the committee's goal is the "violent seizure of power" and the "change of the constitutional order." All 23 members have been listed as defendants in a criminal case. Those charged include prominent figures such as chess grandmaster and political activist Garry Kasparov, opposition figure and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza, political scientist Ekaterina Schulmann, and exiled Russian opposition figure Dmitry Gudkov. "We all have criminal cases against us, so we simply avoid traveling to countries that extradite," Gudkov, a former member of the Russian parliament, told the Kyiv Independent. "The risks have probably increased to some extent, but overall, it won't change what we do we'll keep working on the same things, mostly humanitarian issues and human rights." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The FSB also accused the group of allegedly financing "Ukrainian paramilitary units" and recruiting fighters for them but it did not provide any evidence to support these claims. Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man, faces an additional charge of "incitement to terrorism." Russian investigators cited the committee's 2023 Berlin Declaration, which called Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime and the war against Ukraine "criminal," as the basis for prosecution. The FSB said the declaration's wording signaled a call for "the elimination of the Russian government." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agency also claimed that the opposition platform recently created at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) was "positioned by Khodorkovsky as a 'constituent assembly of the transition period' and an alternative to the Russian authorities." PACE on Oct. 2 approved a resolution to establish a "platform for dialogue with Russian democratic forces," enabling exiled opposition figures to participate in preparing reports and policy recommendations on sanctions and human rights. "This is a center of alternative legitimacy," Gudkov said. "It may not play a key role right now, but during a transition period, any internationally recognized center of legitimacy becomes, if not decisive, then at least an influential institution." "What they've done shows how deeply they fear such institutions and any attempt to build a legitimate, internationally recognized institution." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The charges highlight the Kremlin's escalating repression of opposition movements. Since 2022, Russian authorities have intensified efforts to silence critics, designating dozens of independent media outlets and activist groups a" "foreign agen"s" o" "undesirable organization"," effectively banning their activities and criminalizing cooperation with them. Amnesty International reported that more than 21,000 people were penalized in Russia in 2022 alone for criticizing the war or disseminating information deemed false by the state. Read also: Trumps two wars: why diplomacy worked in Gaza but not in Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russia will disregard a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that it should pay compensation to Georgia for the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in Moscow on Wednesday. "We will not comply with the ruling," Peskov said, according to report from the state-run TASS news agency. On Tuesday, the ECHR ruled that Russia should pay Georgia more than 253 million ($292 million) in compensation relating to Russia's actions regarding the border lines between the territories controlled by Georgia and the Russian-backed regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia following the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Georgia lost control of these regions, while Moscow recognized them as independent states and stationed troops there. There had been a pattern of violations of the European Convention on Human Rights, including excessive use of force, unlawful detention and restrictions on freedom of movement, the ECHR said. More than 29,000 people had suffered as a result of this consolidation of the border lines, it found. The Strasbourg judges found human rights violations in a ruling last year, and have now determined the amount of the payment. Moscow does not acknowledge the rulings. Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe and from the European Convention on Human Rights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ECHR, which ensures compliance with the convention, can continue to rule on incidents that occurred up to six months after Russia's expulsion. The Council of Europe, the Convention on Human Rights and the ECHR are independent of the European Union. Russia has carried out three large-scale strikes on gas infrastructure belonging to Naftogaz Group, the largest national oil and gas company of Ukraine, over the past seven days. Source: Serhii Koretskyi, CEO of Naftogaz Group Quote: "The Russians have struck gas extraction facilities in Kharkiv Oblast. Earlier, they had launched targeted attacks on gas infrastructure in Sumy and Chernihiv oblasts." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: Koretskyi emphasised that these facilities have no connection to military targets. He stated that Russian forces are aiming to deprive Ukraine of gas, heat and electricity ahead of winter. In addition, one of Naftogaz's combined heat and power plants came under Russian attack on the night of 14-15 October. The extent of the damage has not been disclosed. Background: On the night of 14-15 October, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 113 Shahed and Gerbera loitering munitions as well as drones of other types; Ukrainian air defence units brought down 86 of them. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Illegal and quasi-legal crypto mining is costing Russia millions of dollars per year in electricity and lost taxes, a news expose has claimed. Per a report from the Russian media outlet Ren TV, illegal mining farms are leaving Russians without power and hitting their wallets. Illegal crypto miners in a Russian facility. (Source: Ren TV/Izvestia/Screenshot) Russia: Illegal Crypto Miners Cost Taxpayers Dearly The broadcaster reported that the fear of facing high taxes on their income and paying prohibitively high electricity costs is driving many miners into the shadows. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ren TV explained: The annual budget losses from underground mining amount to billions of rubles. Despite recent efforts to legalize the Russian crypto mining sector, so-called gray-hat mining has become Russias newest epidemic, the broadcaster continued. Moscow has ordered all industrial miners to report their operations, earnings, and energy usage data to the Federal Tax Service. In exchange, they have been granted legal entrepreneurship status, which allows big investors like banks to provide financing and investment. However, while this is attractive to the countrys biggest players the likes of BitRiver and Intelion smaller-scale miners are less keen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The outlet explained that in their quest to save money, crypto miners now resort to fraud, deception, or under-the-table deals with energy companies. This means that in many cases, ordinary household and commercial consumers are forced to pay for crypto miners operations. Southern Russia, the traditional stronghold of the Russian Bitcoin mining industry, has become Russias Mecca of gray-hat mining, the outlet explained. Hardware in an illegal crypto mining facility. (Source: Ren TV/Izvestia/Screenshot) Number of Illegal Crypto Mining Farms Rising by the Day Ren TV reported that experts believe that there are almost 140,000 Bitcoin and altcoin mining farms operating in Russia. They also think this number is growing constantly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But power chiefs say that the lions share of crypto miners have not declared their operations and remain underground. Experts added that buying electricity at commercial and industrial rates eats up to 80% of crypto miners profits. Their response is often to cut costs illegally. Police have recently reported the arrest of an employee at the Omsk Thermal Power Plant who took a 500,000 ruble ($6,270) bribe to let local crypto miners steal power from the grid. Illegal Crypto Mining Farm Used More Power Than a Five-floor Building In St. Petersburg, police and power officials recently discovered a mining operator who had been bypassing electricity meters since 2018. This led to the citys power grid losing around half a billion rubles ($6.3 million). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Dagestan, meanwhile, power officials found a massive illegal crypto mining farm hidden in coolant tanks. Only when the grid began to suffer issues did power providers finally realize what was happening. A power supply employee said the farms total load was 100 kilowatts/hour, adding: The illegal crypto mining farm was using more power than an entire five-story building. Another expert explained the appeal of illegal and quasi-legal mining, saying: With the right approach, taking into account the energy, equipment, premises, and so on, illegal mining is the most profitable type of activity out there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Ren TV reporter visited a thermal power plant in Sharya, Kostroma Oblast (Central West Russia), where he showed that a boiler house manager was secretly mining BTC. A railway station in Sharya, Russia. (Source: Pianist ) The farm, the reporter continued, isnt the only one in the region: There are plenty of companies willing to help miners. The broadcaster interviewed Sharya residents who said they were convinced that miners are responsible for frequent power outages in their homes. These outages damage household appliances, the residents said, as these simply cant withstand the power surges and break. No one has compensated them for these damages, the residents complained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his closing comments, the reporter said: Crypto entrepreneurs illegal businesses are finding it easy to find allies working in energy supply companies. They reap large profits. But the state loses billions in taxes. And ordinary citizens often end up without power. Read original story Russia Losing Millions of Dollars a Year to Illegal Crypto Miners Report by Tim Alper at Cryptonews.com Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), has said that Russia would have long since lost the war without the support of its allies. Source: Budanov at a briefing on the DIU's YouTube channel Quote: "Russia would have lost this war long ago, and Ukraine, with the help of its partners, would have regained all occupied territories if it were not for the support that the Kremlin receives from Moscow's allies primarily North Korea." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: Ukraine's Defence Intelligence chief added that some countries were "acting in a highly dishonest manner". He said these states, in defiance of international sanctions, allow Russia to obtain weapons, ammunition and critical components, as well as permit their citizens to join the ranks of the Russian armed forces. Quote: "It is also true that Russia never planned for such a prolonged conflict as it has turned out to be. Moscow certainly did not expect such strong international support for Ukraine. That is why the Russian Federation is now desperate for a pause to restore, above all, its military capabilities." Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia said on Wednesday that it was closely watching events in Madagascar and it hoped that bloodshed would be avoided after the military took power following weeks of youth-led protests. Demonstrations first erupted in Madagascar on September 25 over water and power shortages and quickly escalated into an uprising over broader grievances, including corruption, bad governance and a lack of basic services. Colonel Michael Randrianirina declared on Tuesday that he had taken power and that a military committee would rule the country for a period of up to two years alongside a transitional government before organising new elections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are following the development of the situation in Madagascar with anxiety," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told reporters in Moscow. "We believe that what is happening is an internal matter of this country." "We call for restraint and for the prevention of bloodshed," Zakharova said, adding that Moscow hoped the Madagascar's "return to the path of democratic development" will happen as soon as possible. (Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; editing by Guy Faulconbridge) MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia said on Wednesday that it was closely watching events in Madagascar and hoped that bloodshed would be avoided after the military took power following weeks of youth-led protests. Demonstrations first erupted in Madagascar on September 25 over water and power shortages and quickly escalated into an uprising over broader grievances, including corruption, bad governance and a lack of basic services. Colonel Michael Randrianirina declared on Tuesday that he had taken power and that a military committee would rule the country for a period of up to two years alongside a transitional government before organising new elections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are following the development of the situation in Madagascar with anxiety," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters in Moscow. "We believe that what is happening is an internal matter of this country." "We call for restraint and for the prevention of bloodshed," Zakharova said, adding that Moscow hoped the Madagascar's "return to the path of democratic development" will happen as soon as possible. Russia in recent years has been increasing its influence in Africa, partly through the Wagner mercenary group which has operated in Central African Republic, Madagascar, Libya, Mozambique and Mali. According to the New York Times and the BBC, the Wagner group was active in Madagascar during the 2018 presidential election. (Reporting by Reuters; Writing Guy Faulconbridge/Lucy Papachristou; editing by Andrew Osborn) A cyberattack carried out by Ukraines military intelligence (HUR) caused over 66 million rubles (approximately $800,000) in damages to Orion Telecom, one of the largest internet providers in Siberia, a HUR source told the Kyiv Independent. According to the source, the provider itself reported the losses in a complaint submitted to Russian police following the attack. The company also admitted that the cyber operation led to a leak of users personal data. "One of the largest Siberian Internet providers, Orion Telecom, was immediately impoverished by 66 million rubles as a result of a special operation by the HUR MO cyber corps," the source said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a result, Orion Telecom has requested Russian authorities to launch a criminal investigation into the incident. Under Russian law, the provider could face an additional fine of up to 15 million rubles for the data breach. The cyberattack was reportedly carried out on June 12, Russia Day, when Orion Telecoms infrastructure was temporarily paralyzed. The provider was the sole internet operator in at least one closed city specializing in uranium extraction, which lost connection entirely. HUR claims that Orion Telecoms infrastructure was actively used by Russian security services in operations related to Russia`s war in Ukraine. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Russia launched 3 more massive strikes on Ukraines gas facilities over last week, Naftogaz says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian forces attacked Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts on 14 October, killing five people and injuring 19. Source: Vadym Filashkin, Head of Donetsk Oblast Military Administration; Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of Kherson Oblast Military Administration; Ivan Fedorov, Head of Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration Details: Russian forces killed two people in the settlements of Dobropillia and Raiske in Donetsk Oblast. Four civilians were injured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The total number of those who were killed or injured in Donetsk Oblast is given without taking the city of Mariupol and the town of Volnovakha into account. Russian attacks hit over 30 settlements in Kherson Oblast, including Kherson, Antonivka, Bilozerka, Beryslav, Stanislav and Kozatske. The Russians used artillery, drones and aircraft to strike populated areas, medical facilities, office buildings and critical infrastructure facilities. Three people were killed and 14 were injured, including a child. A 63-year-old man was injured in a Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Overall, Russian forces conducted 649 attacks on 16 settlements in the oblast, employing aircraft, artillery, multiple-launch rocket systems and over 400 drones. At least 26 cases of damage to houses, cars and infrastructure have been recorded in Zaporizhzhia Oblast over the past 24 hours. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Russian forces have launched a large-scale attack on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, injuring one person and damaging energy infrastructure and industrial and transport facilities. Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote: "Russian forces launched a large-scale drone attack on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast overnight. Air Command reported that air defenders had downed 37 UAVs. Hits were also recorded. Fires broke out in Pavlohrad and Kamianske and the Slavhorod hromada in the Synelnykove district. A 19-year-old man has been injured." [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories ed.] Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: Lysak added that the young man had been taken to hospital in a moderate condition. He also added that energy infrastructure had been damaged and destruction on the premises of transport and industrial facilities had been recorded. Firefighters extinguishing fire Firefighters extinguishing fire Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine The Russians also attacked the Nikopol district. The city of Nikopol and the Pokrovske and Marhanets hromadas were targeted with FPV drones and Grad multiple-launch rocket systems. Firefighters extinguishing fire Firefighters extinguishing fire Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine The Russians hit the Mezhova hromada in the Synelnykove district with an FPV drone, causing a house to catch fire. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Russian security forces raided the homes of Crimean Tatars and detained four women in temporarily occupied Crimea on the morning of 15 October. Source: Refat Chubarov, Chair of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Details: According to Chubarov, the raids took place in the Bakhchysarai district and in villages administratively belonging to Sevastopol. All those detained were taken by the Russians to Simferopol, to what is known as the Federal Security Service Directorate of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the detainees is Esma Nimetulaieva, a mother of many children and the wife of Crimean Tatar political prisoner Remzi Nimetulaiev, who was sentenced by the occupation authorities to imprisonment on fabricated charges. According to human rights organisation Crimean Solidarity, searches have also taken place: at the home of Nasyba Saidova in the village of Kholmivka, the Bakhchysarai district at the home of Elviza Aliieva in the village of Dolynne at the home of Elianora Osmanova in the village of Orlivka Aliia Bekirova, the 73-year-old mother of detainee Esma Nimetulaieva, told Crimean Solidarity that Russian security forces came to their home with a search warrant at 04:00. Esma saw the police through the window, warned her family not to worry and opened the door so that they would not break in. Bekirova recalled that her daughter was taken to another room while she was ordered to sit with her grandchildren. The security officers did not show a search warrant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They even turned over the children's room and then went down to the basement. They confiscated two phones, including the children's, but later returned them after inspection. "While Esma was getting ready, they followed her one by one, not leaving her unattended. She was taken to the FSB headquarters at about 07:00 three hours after the search began," Bekirova said. She added that during the search, the security officers told her that the children could "be taken into state custody" if there was no legal guardian. Quote from Aliia Bekirova: "They told me: 'You'll stay with your grandchildren, you can apply for guardianship. If not, the state will take the children'. I asked: 'Why are you doing this? When the parents are alive, you are making the children orphans. What have they done wrong? They are practising their religion what right do you have to treat us this way?'" Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! At least 64 people have died due to torrential rain in Mexico, while dozens of people are still missing and the status of remote towns with up to 1,000 residents remains unknown. More than 300 communities have been cut off by landslides and flooding as of Tuesday, while soldiers and civilians are attempting to reopen blocked roads. The severe weather, which culminated over the weekend, resulted in devastation to homes, as well as causing power cuts in some areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mexicos president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said a National Emergency Committee remains in permanent session to monitor the affected states, allocating resources and supporting communities. We are sparing no resources to support the population affected by the rains, she said. What has happened in Mexico? Heavy rain followed as two tropical storms off Mexicos western coast converged, causing rivers to overflow. The downpours are thought to have come from Tropical Storm Priscilla, formerly a hurricane, and Tropical Storm Raymond. Mud and debris caused by heavy rains in the Las Granjas neighbourhood in Poza Rica, Veracruz state (AFP via Getty Images) President Sheinbaum said that the greatest urgency was to reopen roads as well as bring food supplies and water to affected communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Health teams have already begun fumigating affected areas to prevent outbreaks of dengue, a disease spread by mosquitoes. Where in Mexico have floods hit? The worst-affected states are Veracruz; Hidalgo, which is north of Mexico City; and Puebla, east of Mexico City. It is thought Hidalgo has been hit the hardest with around 100,000 homes damaged or destroyed due to floods and mudslides, as well as power cuts to at least 150 communities. A destroyed street after flooding caused by heavy rains in the town of Huehuetla, in Hidalgo state (AFP via Getty Images) Mexico's Civil Protection agency said the heavy rains had killed 29 people in Veracruz state on the Gulf Coast as of Monday morning and approximately 21 people in Hidalgo state. At least 13 were killed in Puebla. Meanwhile, in the central state of Queretaro, a child died in a landslide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Residents in the oil town of Poza Rica said floodwaters left black, oily residue believed to have come from nearby oil and gas installations, coating trees and rooftops. Mexico has deployed some 10,000 troops in addition to civilian rescue teams. Helicopters have carried food and water to communities that remain cut off and have rescued those sick and injured. What is the governments advice? The UK government does not have any specific advice relating to the severe weather. Separately, the UKs Foreign Office advises all but essential travel to parts of Tijuana, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Michoacan, Jalisco, Colima, Guerrero and Chiapas. Some exceptions within these areas apply. Flooded streets after heavy rains in Poza Rica, Veracruz state, Mexico, on 11 October (AFP via Getty Images) The Foreign Office also gives wider advice on extreme weather and natural disasters in Mexico. It explains that the hurricane season in Mexico usually runs from June to November and can affect the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hurricanes often cause floods, landslides and disruption to local services, including transport networks. The government advises monitoring local and international weather updates from the US National Hurricane Centre and following the advice of local authorities and your tour operator, including evacuation orders. The US government issued a weather alert on Thursday 9 October for travellers ahead of the devastation caused by both tropical storms. It advised people to check with their airline for updates, check road conditions prior to travelling, monitor local media and follow directions from local officials, or call 911 in the event of an emergency. Are flights to Mexico affected? There have been no significant disruptions to flights in and around the affected areas during the aftermath of the flooding. Mexico City Airport, Veracruz Airport, and Puebla Airport have all seen little to no disruption since Monday morning. Will my holiday to Mexico be cancelled? As the FCDO has not warned against non-essential travel to Mexico, there will be no special circumstances in place to be able to cancel a trip for a full refund. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The conditions for cancelling your trip will be dependent on your holiday provider, so its best to contact them if youre looking to postpone. There is no obligation for companies to refund bookings if you want to cancel, and you will not be able to claim on your travel insurance due to safety concerns unless government advice changes. If you do have travel insurance, some policies include natural disaster cover for an event that prevents you from reaching your holiday destination. Check your insurance policies and speak to your insurer to see where you stand. Read more: Deadly landslides and flooding cut off 300 communities in Mexico People take part in the No Kings protest in Salt Lake City on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Organizers of Salt Lake Citys No Kings protest are canceling the march portion of Saturdays event for safety reasons and plan to hold a longer demonstration at the state Capitol instead. The group made the decision Tuesday as RSVPs flooded in faster than expected, said Jamie Carter with Salt Lake Indivisible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As big as this is getting, and considering, you know, what happened at the last march in the evening, we decided that safety first should probably be our top priority, Carter said Tuesday. At Salt Lake Citys No Kings protest in June, innocent bystander Afa Ah Loo was shot and killed by an armed volunteer who fired into a crowd three times, Salt Lake City police said. The volunteer also managed to shoot and wound his intended target, a man carrying a rifle, according to police. Protesters in the crowd of 10,000 ran into buildings and huddled together in the chaos. Flowers and pictures are left at a memorial to Arthur Afa Ah Loo, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at the site where he was shot and killed at the No Kings protest on State Street in Salt Lake City. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Four months later, no one has been charged in the killing of Ah Loo, a fashion designer and father of two from Clearfield. Experts have said Utahs permissive gun laws may offer legal protection to both the shooter and the man who carried the rifle but didnt fire it. Saturdays gathering will mark the first large-scale demonstration in Salt Lake City since the shooting. It follows other shootings at recent public or political events in Utah, including the killings of three people at a festival in West Valley City in June, and the death of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University in September. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carter said shes spoken with people who have mixed emotions about attending the protest. Some people were very hesitant, after what happened last time, Carter said. National No Kings organizers cut ties with Utah 50501, the local group behind Junes protest which did not have a role in planning Saturdays event, said Carter, also political director for DemCast USA. Safety volunteers wont be armed and have participated in de-escalation training led by the local American Civil Liberties Union and Freedom Trainers, Carter said. Organizers are asking attendees to leave weapons at home. Sign-ups prior to an event typically account for just 20% of actual crowd size, Carter said, and the group received 1,700 as of Tuesday afternoon, suggesting more than 8,000 could attend the event. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That would make for about 500 protesters for every safety volunteer, Carter said, and for a march, we did not feel that was adequate. Its a lot more of a controlled environment, she said of the Capitol. A dance party and performances from two bands and a comedian will follow the rally, instead of a march to the City and County building. In Washington, D.C., House Speaker Mike Johnson condemned the events scheduled for Saturday across the country as a hate America rally. Carter said the Utah events mantra is no one can steal our joy, and so we really want to make this a fun community experience. She expects to see unicorn and dinosaur costumes like many have been wearing in Portland, Oregon as they have protested the presence of National Guard troops and immigration agents in the city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Salt Lake City police are coordinating closely with event organizers, said police Sgt. Miles Southworth, just doing what we can to have that open communication to kind of get an idea of what resources are needed and how we can help ensure this event goes safely. He declined to say how many officers are assigned, or whether there will be a larger law enforcement presence than at the deadly June demonstration, but said neighboring departments will be there to help. The Utah Highway Patrol, which provides Capitol security, will also staff the event, said spokesperson Hillary Koellner. She declined to share details, citing safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whether they are a protester or counter protester, free speech is protected, Koellner said. We encourage peaceful protesting. Demonstrations are planned in 11 other cities across Utah, including in St. George, Moab, Kanab, Price and Fillmore. People take part in the No Kings protest in Salt Lake City on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Correction: An earlier version incorrectly stated Afa Ah Loo lived in West Valley City. He lived in Clearfield. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Oct. 15A "tacky" sign has taken up residence behind downtown Waynesville's most iconic photo-op, the Old Time Music men statues, infringing on tourists' photo keepsakes during the town's busy fall season. The "For Sale" banner strung up on the side of the Davis Home Furniture building on Main Street has photobombed visitors' pictures for weeks. Waynesville leaders are working to get it removed, but they're racing against the clock in anticipation of one of the biggest events of the year. This weekend, thousands of tourists will descend upon town for the Apple Harvest Festival. But the sign could ruin their chances for the perfect autumn Instagram post and hinder Waynesville's chances at social media fame. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I think it looks tacky. I wouldn't put my sign up there," said Renee Scott, who was taking a break from her job as a realtor to visit Waynesville. The sign violates appearance rules for the downtown National Register Historic district, and the town has ordered the building owner to take it down. But the building owner has so far refused to comply. A picture to remember The music men statues are one of the most photographed spots in town. A matching metal "Waynesville" behind the statues brings recognition to the town each time a visitor posts a photo with the landmark to social media, hopefully sending a boost to the town and county's tourism economy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Typically, nary a downtown visitor passes the irresistible statues without pausing for a photo. But this week, despite the statues being decked out with hay bales and pumpkins, some passersby hesitated as they went to snap their fall-themed pictures. "That would make a cool picture, except for the sign behind it," Sharon Bonnette told The Mountaineer during her visit from Florida. She was exploring the streets of Waynesville while her partner enjoyed a hike, but she decided to keep walking without taking a photo after she saw the sign. While some people walking by glanced up and kept walking, others stopped to pose before realizing the sign had commandeered their compositions. The spot is Scott's go-to for photos when visiting, and reflexively corralled her party into the frame before doing a double-take. "That gaudy sign is gonna be in our photo," said Scott after her friend had taken a photo of her and her husband, Mike, in front of the statues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, some people got creative with their crops, but the result decapitated the heads of the statues to avoid the banner. "I made sure I cut off the sign. I just tried to crop to not get the sign," said Lisa Trussell, who was one of three generations of women in her family visiting Waynesville. She and her family have a photo to remember the day by, but it lacks the full scale and emotion of the statues without their faces in it. Lisa and Larry Johnston stopped for a photo with the music men during their visit from Florida, but they weren't happy with the outcome. "It's in everyone's pictures," said Lisa Johnston. When she came up the Miller Street hill to see the statues, she was immediately put-off by the ad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The first thing I thought is, 'well, that stinks. I wonder if I can get rid of it somehow,'" she said. Her husband Larry added a sentiment that was echoed by tourists all afternoon. "It's pretty tacky to put the sign there," he said. Who put the sign up? For the record: the Waynesville ReMax office across the street from the statues is not responsible for the sign or the sale of the building. Instead, Toby Davis, who works for a Hendersonville ReMax office, hung the banner at the direction of his brother and client, Keith Davis, the building owner. "He feels like he owns the building, he has the right to put signs on the building," Toby Davis said of Keith. "He wanted to put the sign there because it's the most visible portion of the building." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Toby said he is waiting for instructions from Keith before removing or relocating the sign. Meanwhile, Kim Davis, the business owner of Davis Furniture, has no control over the sign on the facade. That responsibility falls with Keith Davis, who owns the building itself, not Kim. "I can vouch that she didn't put the sign up," said Pam Berry, a Davis Furniture employee. "I was here. I was the one who was on staff when the sign went up. She wasn't even in the building." Kim Davis didn't wish to comment on the sign issue, instead directing all questions to the building's real estate agent, Toby Davis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legal ramifications In most parts of the town, realty signs are hard to regulate. But after the town received several complaints about the sign, Waynesville Land Use Administrator Alex Mumby took a second look at the sign code. There he found that banners of any kind are not allowed within National Register Historic districts like downtown Waynesville. "We thought, let's go talk to them just as people it's not an ideal place to put that sign," Mumby said. "And then, as we were looking through the code in the temporary signage section, there is that section about historic districts." This rule means both the banner over the music men and a second 'for sale' banner on the front of the building are violating town codes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The town issued a notice of this violation to Keith on Friday, Oct. 10. A notice was originally sent to Kim, but because she simply occupies the space, there was nothing she could do about the sign. Now, Keith Davis is exploring his legal options for keeping the signs up, according to Toby. "I think the attorneys are talking to each other, and I'm sure he's going to do what he has to do, but they're just trying to work through it now," Toby said. The violation letter sent to Keith Davis gives him five days from receipt of the letter to remove the banner. If Keith doesn't take it down in that time frame, Mumby said the town may remove it themselves or charge fines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theoretically, that five-day time limit would require the sign to come down before the Apple Harvest Festival. But the town is waiting to get confirmation of what day Keith received the violation in the mail. The five-day countdown starts from that date the certified mail was received, but the town doesn't yet know that date it must wait until the certified mail receipt comes back, also via mail. "We've asked them, even if they could take it down for just the festival, and then put it back up, and we can worry about the legal ramifications of that," Mumby said. If the banner is still up by the end of this week, Waynesville has no easy route to remove the banner before the festival. In other instances, the town has the right to and often does remove signs that violate its ordinances. But the historic district ordinance for this situation does not explicitly grant the town that ability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Town officials typically prefer to work with property owners before escalating issues to legal violations, said Development Services Director Elizabeth Teague. But this property owner is not cooperating, causing frustrations throughout Main Street. "All of the property owners and business owners work together with the Downtown Waynesville Commission to create a certain feel for Main Street and that has a lot to do with the public art, the brick sidewalks, the flower boxes all these things that the town has done," Teague said. "I understand how others react when they see this banner hanging." While she also understands the property owner's desire to advertise his building, Teague said there's a proper way to do it. "Right down the street, Massie Furniture is also for sale and they did it the correct way. They had a sign in the window," she said. "It does seem unfair that they've done this, and it does seem frustrating that they wouldn't just voluntarily comply." SALISBURY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Naith Galindo Ramos, of Salisbury, tried her luck on a $30 scratch-off and won a $4 million top prize. Ramos bought her lucky Supreme 7s ticket from Bills Truck Stop on Snider Kines Road in Linwood. When Ramos arrived at lottery headquarters Wednesday to collect her prize, she had a decision to make. She could choose to receive the prize as an annuity of $200,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $2.4 million. She chose the lump sum of $2.4 million and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $1,722,008. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme 7s game debuted in July 2024 with four $4 million top prizes and 10 $100,000 prizes. One $4 million prize and five $100,000 prizes remain to be claimed. 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 Queen City News. Key Takeaways Allegations of a lobbying effort to pardon Sam Bankman-Fried have emerged. The allegations came just one day before a new interview with Bankman-Fried released. Despite speculation, there is no official sign that the Trump administration is considering a pardon. Investigative journalist Laura Loomer has warned of what she describes as a massive and well-funded lobbying effort to secure a presidential pardon for convicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The comments come just one day before an interview with Bankman-Fried was published where he claimed FTX was never insolvent and that its downfall was driven by lawyers and regulators. Alleged Lobbying Campaign Bankman-Fried, who was sentenced in March to 25 years in prison for fraud and campaign finance violations, has made several attempts to convince Trump to pardon him. On Tuesday, Loomer posted on X that the world would start seeing a lot more in the news about Sam Bankman-Fried. The commentator alleged that there was a massive and well-funded effort by Republicans to get this criminal pardoned. Hes going to pretend like he was a victim of Joe Biden and the Democrats after he funded all of the Lefts campaigns, she wrote. Dont fall for it. Loomers comments doubled down on previous allegations from March, when she claimed that the effort to get Trump to pardon SBF needs to be exposed and shut down. Adding: Why on Earth are GOP consultants, big Crypto donors and Trump world operatives trying to get SBF a pardon from Trump? How much are they getting paid to do this? The commentator also slammed SBF as a criminal who bankrolled the Democrat Party, stating he should rot in prison for his entire sentence. SBF Claims FTX Was Solvent, Blames Lawyers In a lengthy interview shared by conservative opinion writer Amuse, Bankman-Fried reportedly said that FTX held $15 billion in assets and $8.4 billion in liabilities at the time it filed for bankruptcy in November 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The former billionaire asserted that the companys assets exceeded its debts even amid the crypto market crash. He accused bankruptcy lawyers of mismanaging the estate and liquidating assets at the bottom of the market, stating FTX was solvent, with billions to spare. But customers had leverage, and I was told that surrendering control would help them. It didnt. It helped the lawyers, he added. His statements contradict the findings presented at trial, where prosecutors argued that Bankman-Fried diverted billions in customer funds to support trading firm Alameda Research and for personal spending, including political donations. Following the interview, Ryne Miller, who served as FTXs general counsel, dismissed the solvency claims outright. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Talking on X at Oct. 16, Miller said that it was clear the companys assets had already vanished when he was briefed in November 2022. That week in November 2022, assets on hand were nothing near adequate, and the founders were fabricating asset lists (and desperately chasing new investors), Miller wrote. Adding: The coins were gone, folks. Your coins were gone. Thats why bankruptcy happened. In November 2023, Bankman-Fried was convicted of two counts of wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud conspiracy, and one count each of conspiracy to commit commodities fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering. The interview came just one day after Loomers warning, prompting U.S. polticial journalist Eleanor Terrett to share the interview with: Looks like Laura Loomer was on to something here. SBFs Media Offensive The renewed attention on the disgraced FTX founder follows a series of media interviews held earlier this year, including one with The New York Sun, where Bankman-Fried described his prosecution as part of a broader prosecutorial overreach under the Biden administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In these interviews, Bankman-Fried appeared to distance himself from the Democratic Party, despite having been one of its largest donors in 2020. He accused the Biden administration of being incredibly destructive and difficult to work with, adding that Republicans had proven far more reasonable. I viewed myself at the time as sort of Center-Left, and thats not how I view myself anymore, he said, pointing to what he called a vibe shift among Silicon Valley figures now more openly backing Trump. In an interview with Tucker Carlson, Bankman-Fried said he was privately giving as much to Republicans as he was publicly giving to Democrats. In January, Bankman-Frieds parents, Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, were reportedly pursuing clemency discussions with people connected to Trump. No Sign of a Pardon Despite Loomers allegations and speculation online, there is no official indication that the Trump administration is considering a pardon for Bankman-Fried. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neither the Department of Justice nor the White House has commented, suggesting that clemency discussions are underway, and no filings have appeared in the public record. Even on Polymarket, a popular blockchain-based betting platform, traders are currently pricing only a 3% chance that Bankman-Fried will receive a pardon before the end of 2025. Although Trumps early pardon of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht energized parts of the digital asset community, the political push surrounding Bankman-Fried feels markedly different. Ulbrichts case drew sympathy from groups advocating for criminal justice reform, whereas Bankman-Frieds downfall remains spoiled by fraud and the collapse of FTX. The post Sam Bankman-Fried: Journalist Warns of Pardoning Lobby Effort as SBF Blames Lawyers For FTX Crash appeared first on ccn.com. EL CAJON, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) A person and their dog were rescued from moving water during the rain storms in San Diego on Tuesday. Rescue crews first responded to the 330 block of Johnson Avenue in El Cajon just after 4:30 p.m. to search for a person in a water canal that needed help, Heartland Fire said. Storm system causes thunderstorms, high waves in San Diego Nearly half an hour went by before first responders found and were able to rescue a person and their dog from slow-moving water, the fire department said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Paramedics at the scene evaluated the victims. There is no word on their condition. Surfers help lifeguards rescue two swept off Oceanside Jetty by waves Rain storms moved through Southern California Monday night and Tuesday, bringing an inch to a half inch of rain to parts of San Diego County, with around a quarter inch or more of rainfall detected in most other areas, according to NWS rainfall totals. Santee Fire and the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department assisted Heartland Fire with the water rescue. 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 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Amid post-war unrest, Iranians face daily hardships, balancing government pressures with a growing sense of change. Citizens remain uncertain about the future, yet cultural expressions persist. The day after: Deep feelings of unease and uncertainty have gripped Iran since the 12-day war in June. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that while the regime tries to project stability, a visit to Tehran reveals a complex reality in which many citizens are focused on getting through daily life, alongside a growing sense that change is inevitable. Reporters from The New York Times traveled to Iran to assess the situation on the ground. According to their account, the recent conflict has touched every sphere of life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One example was a surrealist art exhibition at a gallery outside Tehran that had been slated to open in June but was postponed. The gallerys owner, Houman Dayhimi, described the atmosphere as surreal, with artists stuck at the gallery watching fireworks, his term for missiles streaking across the sky and flashes of explosions as quoted in a CNN report. Dayhimi said his gallery is located in a former furniture factory that went bankrupt due to US sanctions. We know change is coming, but we do not know what or how. That is what makes it worse, he said. Nearly half a century after the Iranian Revolution, people are accustomed to navigating a tense space between government dictates, pressure from foreign powers, and their own identities and desires. An Iranian woman walks on a street amid the implementation of hijab surveillance in Tehran, Iran, April 15, 2023 (credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA/REUTERS) Signs at upscale restaurants instruct women to wear a hijab, yet many young women openly ignore them. The internet is censored, but citizens use VPNs to access Instagram and TikTok. American sanctions fuel a thriving black market. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alongside giant murals glorifying official heroes and Friday-prayer chants of Death to America, one can also find tributes to beauty and Irans ancient Persian history, and some Iranians quietly acknowledge they do not agree with official messaging. On Taleghani Street in Tehran stands a two-story building that once housed the US Embassy and today serves as the Den of Espionage museum. The sign over the entrance still reads Embassy of the United States of America, but inside are skulls, bones, and a distorted Statue of Liberty. The museum documents the 1979 hostage crisis, when Iranian students held 52 Americans for 444 days, and the failed 1980 rescue mission, in which eight US service members were killed. Exhibits focus on alleged American espionage, including spy equipment and the reconstruction of shredded documents left behind by US staff. Despite the museums effort to portray American interference in Irans affairs, annual visitors have dropped sharply since June, to about 5,000 a year, mostly tourists from Russia and China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beyond politics, many citizens are struggling with day-to-day hardships. Siavash Naeini, a 59-year-old taxi driver, is fighting to support his family. He says his business has fallen by 70% since June, due in part to GPS signal disruptions the authorities employ to hinder targeting by Israeli or American aircraft, disruptions that also cripple ride-hailing apps such as Snapp! Naeini, who has been diagnosed with cancer, said he was forced to sell his wifes jewelry and his carpets to pay for medications that are scarce because of sanctions and, when available, fetch exorbitant prices on the black market. Even within this strained reality, cultural expressions persist. Tehran restaurant named after controversial figures A Tehran fast-food restaurant is named Bobby Sands Burger, after the Irish republican who died on hunger strike and who, for many Iranians, symbolizes freedom and liberation. In the city center, students gather at Cafe Godot, named for Samuel Becketts play. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its owner, veteran director Homayoun Ghanizadeh, said that the existential tragicomedy resonates with Iranians waiting for change, much as the plays characters wait for Godot, who never arrives. The feeling of waiting and uncertainty about the future, hovering between hopes for religious redemption and expectations of social change, remains palpable among Irans citizens. Two homeless housing projects in Santa Monica were paused after outraged residents voiced their concerns over the already deteriorating state of a once booming shopping and tourist destination. Two multi-million dollar beachfront properties on Ocean Avenue were slated to become housing for the homeless as part of the Behavior Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) Program, something neighbors learned of just recently. "What? How did this happen? How did we not know?" said Santa Monica resident Greg Morena. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement City leaders said they were caught off guard, too. "Of course I'm concerned about the lack of local control and community engagement in Santa Monica," said Mayor Lana Negrete. She said L.A. County's Department of Mental Health and St. Joseph Center planned to collectively manage and fund the potential 24-bed facility at each home. The thing is, neighbors don't want it. "When they're in the facility I'm not worried about it. But it's when they are allowed to come and go as they please, it's a little scary," said Santa Monica resident Jim Menges. He lives next door to one of the proposed sites, which were once senior living homes. He says he is concerned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "About eight months ago, a homeless guy had like a psychotic break, went into our garage, stood on my car and just put his footprints, ripped the windshield wiper off. Just to cause problems," said Menges. "Police come, they can't do anything." Menges is not the only concerned resident. Neighbors shared their disappointment during public comment at the city council's meeting over the lack of transparency. "Everyone is really feeling let down and disappointed by the actions and the state of the city," said Santa Monica resident Ashley Oelsen. "I know you all can do better and you want to do better but that is not what's happening." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neighbors said the project is near schools and a park already home to transients. "My kid is my priority. I don't feel safe," one resident said during public comment. They also fear the economic challenges with the proposed homeless housing project, considering existing retail vacancies at Third Street Promenade. "Half the stores are out," said Menges. Before the city council meeting, L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said in a statement after hearing neighbors' concerns that the project is paused, adding: "I am completely disappointed by the lack of proper communication with Santa Monica residents about the proposed interim housing projects on Ocean Avenue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It is clear from the North of Montana Association meeting - and conversations since - that there has been inexcusably little engagement around this proposal. This is not how trust is built, nor how lasting solutions are created." The city's mayor also added that "it's about transparency, accountability, it's about engaging with the community in advance." The project was paused to allow developers to have more conversations with the community first. "This is really what it's all about. Understanding that we have a voice," said Morena. Neighbors said they would rather see this project near a hospital, police station or transit hub. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state also agreed to provide an extension on the BHBH Program grant for the projects. Editor's note: A previous version of this story misstated that Providence Saint Joseph's Medical Center was involved in the housing project. The article has been updated to clarify St. Joseph Center is involved with the project. Hotel franchising company Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has partnered with entrepreneur Mohammed Khalid Sabbagh to launch a new hotel in Madinah in Saudi Arabia. The hotel will operate under the Ramada by Wyndham brand, and be located in the Al Jamawat district on Al Salam Road, approximately 5km from the Holy Mosque. The property will comprise 77 guest rooms and is aimed at serving both domestic and international pilgrims travelling to the city, as per a release posted on Zawya. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The upcoming Ramada by Wyndham hotel is set to include an all-day dining venue, fitness facilities, and guest rooms equipped for various traveller needs. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts KSA country director Mohammad Haj Hassan said: We are delighted to collaborate with Sabbagh on this exciting development in Madinah, a city of deep spiritual and cultural importance. This partnership underscores Wyndhams commitment to expanding our presence across Saudi Arabia and supporting the Kingdoms ambition to become one of the worlds leading tourism destinations. The announcement comes as Saudi Arabia reports significant growth in its tourism sector. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2023, the kingdom recorded more than 110 million visitors, with 30 million from outside the country. This increase aligns with Saudi Arabias Vision 2030 initiative, which focuses on expanding tourism infrastructure through substantial investment. The addition of the Ramada by Wyndham Madinah forms part of these ongoing efforts to support the hospitality industry and accommodate rising visitor numbers. Ramada by Wyndham Madinah owner Mohammed Khalid Sabbagh said: It is an honour to bring the renowned Ramada by Wyndham brand to the holy city of Madinah. This project represents my personal commitment to supporting Saudi Arabias Vision 2030 and contributing to the Kingdoms rapidly growing tourism and hospitality sector. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The development will add to Wyndhams existing presence in Saudi Arabia, which includes operations in Riyadh, Mecca, Jeddah, Dammam, and other locations. Earlier in October 2025, Wyndhams Trademark Collection Courtland Grand Hotel completed an extensive renovation to offer refurbished guest rooms and a renovated restaurant. "Saudi entrepreneur to bring Ramada by Wyndham to Madinah" was originally created and published by Hotel Management Network, a GlobalData owned brand. Oct. 15Homeowners in the Saunook Fire Department district will get a substantial break on home insurance rates next year after a rigorous multi-year process by the fire department to improve its fire service rating. Saunook now has the same fire service rating as the towns of Waynesville, Canton and Maggie Valley. It's particularly impressive given Saunook's rural district and the fact it is 100% volunteer. "It's very exciting for us. It's exciting for everyone that's serviced by the Saunook Fire Department. It has the potential to be a big impact for the residents of our fire district," said Saunook Fire Chief Chris Chandler. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fire service rating is the baseline used by insurance companies when setting homeowner rates. A lower rating is better. A score of 10 means there isn't any fire protection, while a score of nine means there is only the most basic rural response available. The Saunook Volunteer Fire Department previously had a rating of nine. The rating had stuck, but the crew in Saunook knew they deserved a better rating and set out to prove it. "About five years ago, we got very serious about accomplishing this goal and purchased a new fire engine that was designed with reducing our rating in mind," Chandler said. "Once we got that, in addition to our existing engine, it gave us the water that we needed." The department drilled down on everything from response times to training. One of the most arduous parts of the process was filling out the voluminous paperwork to make the case for a lower rating. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, the department held a ceremony to celebrate the new rating, but kept under wraps exactly what that the new rating was. The big reveal was announced by a special guest from the Office of the State Fire Marshal. The department made the astounding leap from a rating of nine to four in one fell swoop. "The announcement was greeted by loud cheers and pride and celebration," Chandler said. "It was the first time that we had ever attempted to lower our rating. Quite honestly, a lot of things had to fall in place for us, which is one of the reasons why it took us a while to accomplish this goal." Chandler praised all of the firefighters who made this a reality for the community. "There are literally thousands of hours of dedicated service to this community. The members made this possible. It could not and would not have been done without their dedicated hard work," Chandler said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Firefighter Eric Rutherford made sure the chief, not one to toot his own horn, got his credit for the time and dedication. "Amongst the group of greats, he stands out," Rutherford said. Rutherford, who files the after-action reports for calls, said it's astonishing how many of those reports feature Chief Chandler's name on them. "He's always available and willing to go, whether it's 2 o'clock in the afternoon or 2 o'clock in the morning," Rutherford said. "He's a tremendous inspiration for me. I'm just surrounded by great people. And they do it all because they want to serve their community and they really enjoy it, too." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the bid for a lower rating, the department had a major advantage compared to many rural departments: a hydrant system. "The hydrant system that was established up the old Balsam Road provided us with a good water source for a large portion of our district," Chandler said. "Once that happened, we started very seriously looking at ways we could accomplish the goal of lowering our rating." Saunook also has friends to help them out when needed. That comes in the form of mutual aid agreements with the Waynesville Fire Department and the Balsam-Willets-Ochre Hill Volunteer Fire Department in Jackson County. If those departments ever have a structure fire, Saunook comes out to help and vice versa. "The combination of all the departments together correlates to us achieving that goal of the rating of 4 for our district," Chandler said. "It really demonstrates the dependency that departments have on each other for support." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many community members came out to the ceremony on Oct. 7 when the new rating was announced. "The Saunook Community Group hosted an old-fashioned ice cream social as part of it. It made the night even more special," Chandler said. SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) Savannah Police are investigating an alleged attack during a demonstration to celebrate the ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the remaining Israeli hostages. A caravan, full of waving Israeli and American flags, was stopped near the intersection of East 37th and Bull street on Monday when the celebration turned violent, according to a participant. That participant wished to keep their name anonymous. It was pretty big We got so much love from people around Savannah, the participant said. But, sadly, a young woman standing at a red light recognized the Israeli flags, and immediately started slurring and cursing us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WSAV obtained the police report from the incident. Witnesses said the woman was cursing and shouting before she picked up a stone and threw it at a car. According to the report, one man tried to stop her by grabbing her wrist. He told police that she then tried to spit on him. The report states that the woman also tried to take an Israeli flag from a young girl. During that attempt, she hit another man in the eye with the flag pole. Seconds later, the woman left the scene, but her partner reportedly told police that the woman was acting this way because of the implications of the flag. We were celebrating love and peace, and someone full of hate just came on and ruined that celebration. I hope they will get her, the participant said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Witnesses told News 3, the injuries to the participants are minor, but some of the children who were present are traumatized by the incident. It ended in a very sad way where those kids were sitting there and crying for hours, the participant said. Savannah Mayor Van Johnson commented on the altercation and the investigation. We want to make sure that people have the right to be able to peaceably gather and assemble. I want to make sure that were very, very clear about that. Were not going to stand for that. If it is a hate crime, then were going to vigorously pursue that, Johnson said. A spokesperson with Savannah Police told WSAV that they are continuing to investigate this incident, and detectives are working with the district attorneys office. No arrests have been made. 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 WSAV-TV. State Election Commission Chairman Dennis Shedd, along with commissioners Scott Moseley, Clifford Edler and JoAnne Day, meet on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the elections office in Columbia, S.C. (Photo by Skylar Laird/SC Daily Gazette) COLUMBIA The former director of the State Election Commission misrepresented a more than $30 million contract, worked with other staff members to falsify documents and lie about them, and misused funds for personal reasons, the commission chairman claimed Wednesday. The commission voted 3-2 last month to fire then-Director Howard Knapp, followed soon after by the firing of his deputy director and the resignation of the agency spokesman, who Chairman Dennis Shedd claimed were in cahoots with the former director. At the time, Shedd said the decision came from a desire for different leadership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since Knapps termination, more information has come to light, Shedd said. This agency, we found out, has become a toxic and perhaps a hostile work environment under (Knapps) leadership, Shedd said. Reached by the SC Daily Gazette, Knapp referred questions to his lawyer, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Neither did the lawyer for deputy director Paige Salonich. Knapp and Solonich are under investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for wiretapping, a spokeswoman said. SLED is also investigating Knapp, who led the agency since 2023, for unspecified misconduct in office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Office of the Inspector General is also looking into the agencys work under Knapps leadership, Inspector General Brian Lamkin told the commission Wednesday. Shedd declined to give more information on the falsified documents. Nor did he provide any more detail on Knapps alleged misuse of public dollars and equipment, though he suggested that was at least part of the SLED investigation. After Knapps firing, the interim director was instructed to investigate two other employees: Salonich, who was also Knapps very close friend, and spokesman John Michael Catalano, Shedd said. He claimed Salonich and Catalano worked with Knapp to produce false records of conversations and lie about it. Catalano told the SC Daily Gazette he resigned effective Friday but declined to say much else. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im deeply grateful for my time there, but it was time for me to move on, he said in a statement, adding that hes not involved in any investigation by SLED or attorney generals office. Salonich was fired Sept. 22, following nearly a week of unpaid suspension, after raising her voice at agency leadership, using profanity, making disruptive remarks and placing an unauthorized device in a confidential meeting, according to her termination letter. Catalano resigned Friday, without giving a reason in his letter, which was provided to the SC Daily Gazette. Salonich is suing the commission, claiming that someone working for the commission leaked intimate information about items found in her work desk to the press. The agency has not responded to the lawsuit, which was filed Sept. 30 in Richland County. One of the commissions five board members, Linda McCall, also resigned her post Sept. 22, saying she was not able to focus on the work because of personal conflicts, as well as what went on with the ousting of the Director at our last meeting, according to her resignation letter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter did not elaborate as to what she meant, and she did not respond to a voicemail requesting comment. None of the recent turmoil has any effect on the states elections, Shedd emphasized. The most pressing issue facing the commission is an approximately $10 million bill for ballot scanners due Sept. 30 that the agency has yet to pay. Legislators included nearly $11 million in the state budget for the upgrades, about a third of the total price, but the agency wont get that money until February, Shedd said. One-time allocations approved in the budget are usually dispersed to agencies in the fall. But this year, the Legislature put in a directive to hold off until Feb. 20 just in case the economy went south and last years surplus would be needed to cover a shortfall. (As of this weeks revenue update for the first quarter, collections remain above expectations.) Commissioners approved a contract last year to purchase more than 3,200 ballot scanners ahead of the presidential election. At the time, however, commissioners believed the commission would pay $28 million, that legislators had agreed to include the full amount in their spending plan for the year, and that anything not appropriated would be paid for by the state treasurers office, Shedd said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That was not the case, Shedd said Wednesday. When Knapp sent the final contract to the treasurers office, it was for $32 million. The treasurer signed the agency up for a program that provides low-cost financing to upgrade state agencies equipment, but the commission remains on the hook for paying it back, Treasurer Curtis Loftis told commissioners Wednesday. Shedd didnt know why the contract ended up being $4 million more than what commissioners anticipated, he said. When he asked the other three commissioners whether they recalled Knapp mentioning the increase in price, they all shook their heads. However, the agencys budget request, signed by both Knapp and Shedd, sought $32 million for a voting system upgrade the first and by far the most expensive item on the agencys wish list to lawmakers for additional funding in the current fiscal year. The agency did not respond to questions by the Gazette as to why Shedd signed off on the document a year ago without knowing the amount. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agency needs to come to some sort of agreement with the bank financing the loan before costly monthly penalties begin to mount, or before the bank moves to repossess the voting equipment, Loftis said. It sounds like a bigger problem than it is, Loftis told the commission. Its just a mismatch. The bank is willing to move the due date back to February, but Shedd said he didnt want his name on the agreement Knapp penned. The commission instructed interim director Jenny Wooten to come up with a solution with the bank that will allow the commission to postpone payments without signing the original contract. The agency is asking legislators for $25 million to cover the remainder of the cost, plus any other costs that come up, in the coming state budget, Wooten said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the next fiscal year doesnt start until July 1, 2026, the budget process begins with agencies sending in their requests this fall. The firings were unrelated to an agreement in the works between the state and the Department of Justice to release voter information, Shedd said. Knapp and commissioners agreed the agency needed to do everything in its power to protect private voter information while also complying with the federal government, he said. The agency is still waiting for a template of an agreement from the Department of Justice to continue discussions, Shedd said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Editors note: This article was updated Thursday with the agency not responding to questions about last years signed budget request that included $32 million for a voting systems upgrade. Priscilla Luna holds her 3-year-old daughter Avery Dahl, while she gets the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine from Raynard Covarrubio at a vaccine clinic put on by Lubbock Public Health Department on March 1, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images) Unvaccinated South Carolinians can get a measles shot for free at mobile vaccine clinics rolling across Spartanburg County over the next week amid an ongoing and growing outbreak. The states public health agency is offering the free shots as officials urge the unvaccinated to get a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We just continue to emphasize everyone to please take advantage of getting protection as quickly as possible, state epidemiologist Linda Bell said. The number of measles cases statewide reported so far this year rose to 16 this week, the highest number since the disease was eradicated more than two decades ago. All 16 people were unvaccinated, and none had immunity from a previous infection, according to the state Department of Public Health. Health officials are now warning unvaccinated patrons of a Greenville gym, which offers day care for customers, that they may have been exposed. Mobile vaccine clinics Thursday, Oct. 16: 2-6 p.m. at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, 445 S. Church St., Spartanburg Friday, Oct. 17: 1-4 p.m. at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, 445 S. Church St., Spartanburg Monday, Oct. 20: 2-6 p.m. at Boiling Springs Library, 871 Double Bridge Rd., Boiling Springs Wednesday, Oct. 22: 2-6 p.m. at Wellford Baptist Church, 235 Syphrit Rd., Wellford Thursday, Oct. 23: 2-6 p.m. at Dr. T. K. Gregg Community Center, 650 Howard St., Spartanburg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The health agency reported a confirmed case in a Greenville County child last week. Bell said officials dont know how the child contracted the disease and the child might have spread the virus to others. We dont want anyone to have a false sense of security, Bell said. We want people to be aware that we have evidence of transmission in the community. So, exposures can be unexpected, can be unpredicted. Officials urged the parents of any unvaccinated children at the Crunch Fitness location at 1332 S. Pleasantburg Drive in Greenville between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 30 to see their health care provider. This is an ongoing investigation and that facility is working with us to provide the names of the children who may have been dropped off at that facility during the timeframe, Bell added. We have not yet confirmed the vaccination status of the (other) children who were there at the same time. A dozen of the other cases to date are directly linked to an outbreak centered around two Spartanburg County schools: Fairforest Elementary School, which is part of Spartanburg School District 6, and Global Academy, a public charter school, department officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The five newest diagnosed cases are among the 139 students of those two schools who remain quarantined at home after being exposed to the virus, meaning it is less likely those children have spread the virus to others. South Carolina requires all children enrolled in school, both public and private, to be up to date on vaccinations, though there are exemptions granted for religious or medical reasons. Spartanburg County, the center of the outbreak, has one of the lowest vaccination rates among school children in the state, according to health department data. More than 8% of Spartanburg Countys 58,000 students received a religious exemption during the 2024-2025 school year, by far the most of any county in the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another concern in particular about this low coverage in the school districts in the Upstate is that they are also have among the highest enrollment in the state, Bell said. About the disease Measles symptoms usually start with a fever, cough, red eyes and runny nose, followed by a rash that typically begins on the face before spreading to the rest of the body. The rash can last up to a week. Severe cases of the virus can cause pneumonia or brain swelling, which can be fatal, especially in young children, according to the public health department. The virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after a sick person passes through a room, making it possible to get sick without directly interacting with an infected person. Those exposed are expected to stay home for 21 days, which is how long the virus can stay in a persons body before they realize theyre sick, Bell said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two-dose vaccine has been in use for decades and provides lifelong immunity to nearly all who receive it. Side effects, including soreness or an allergic reaction at the injection site, are possible. But what we want people to pay careful attention to is that the complications from the disease itself far outweigh any rare adverse events that might be associated with the vaccine, Bell said. Up to 90% of unvaccinated people exposed to the measles will get the virus, she said. An unvaccinated person exposed to the disease can potentially avoid getting sick or have a more mild reaction to the virus if they receive a dose of the vaccine within 72 hours of exposure, Bell said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX An Aiken Electric Cooperative line worker restores power following Hurricane Helene in September 2024. In an effort to protect their crews, South Carolina power cooperatives plan to ask legislators to enact laws to deter people who might threaten or attack linemen during times of natural disaster. (Photo courtesy of Aiken Electric) Several days in to what would become a 15-day power outage in the wake of Hurricane Helene for some Aiken Electric Cooperative customers, a man called the utilitys Edgefield office, threatening to shoot the employees there if the lights didnt come back on that day. At the time, the cooperative had 925 people both office personnel and linemen working 16-hour shifts who it needed to keep safe, said CEO Gary Stooksbury. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When you have a situation like we had, people get desperate, Stooksbury said. And when people get desperate, they do things that they normally would not do. A countdown of outage days on the side of an Aiken Electric Cooperative truck following Hurricane Helene in September 2024. In an effort to protect their crews, South Carolina power cooperatives plan to ask legislators to enact laws to deter people who might threaten or attack linemen during times of natural disaster. (Photo courtesy of Aiken Electric) Downed power lines were not the only hazard electric workers encountered on the job following the deadly storm that swept across much of the Southeast. Sometimes, the danger came from the residents of 1.3 million South Carolina homes and business left in the dark by the storm a year ago. In an effort to protect their crews and prevent similar issues in the future, the Palmetto States power cooperatives plan to ask legislators to enact a law to deter people who might threaten or attack linemen or other workers, such as road crews, responding at times of natural disaster. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our focus is to make sure anybody who is restoring critical infrastructure in a time of natural disaster is protected, said John Frick, the cooperatives senior vice president for public policy. Youre really talking about peoples lives and families out there that will be forever affected. So, you have to make sure you protect the workers that are just out there doing their job. This could include tougher criminal penalties for threats made during a state of emergency. South Carolina already has laws on the books that apply in times of emergency declared by the governor, such as fines and misdemeanor penalties for business owners convicted of price gouging, as well as felony charges for looters. Most of the public has been extremely good to our people and first responders, Frick said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That included church congregations that brought meals for linemen and school children who wrote and mailed thank you cards. But a few people have not (been good), Frick said. That endangers everybody and actually slows down restoration efforts. Frick said cooperatives are open to measures other than criminal charges as long as it keeps people safe. Thank you cards from school children sent to Aiken Electric Cooperative following Hurricane Helene in September 2024. (Photo courtesy of Aiken Electric) When it comes to the Aiken cooperative customer, Stooksbury said the man just took his frustration out over the phone. The customer never actually came armed to the office. Still, cooperative staff had to take the threat seriously. They called the sheriffs department, and police arrested the man without incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As an added precaution, the cooperative hired police officers to stand watch at its offices across three counties. After all, Stooksbury has seen things go another way. At the executives first job out of college, working in the offices of Tennessee Valley Authority, a landowner shot and killed a power company employee while the worker was out surveying property for a new power line. It was a tragic situation, Stooksbury said. Being a lineman is a very dangerous job, he added. You need to be focused on what you are doing rather than worrying about somebody coming up behind you or getting threatened out on a roadway. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While South Carolina is no stranger to hurricanes, Helene wrought severe and widespread devastation not seen since Hurricane Hugo in 1989. That coupled with more than two weeks without power took its toll. Aiken Electric Cooperative crews work to restore power following Hurricane Helene in September 2024. (Photo courtesy of Aiken Electric) This was the longest outage weve ever had, said Newberry Electric Cooperative CEO Keith Avery. We literally had to rebuild lines on the opposite sides of roads because we couldnt clear up the downed trees quick enough. Avery said Newberry Electric customers did not make any threats but several frustrated people showed up to the office. Two even drove past the gate into the storage yard full of spare parts and heavy machinery, disrupting crew members who were loading replacement power poles onto a work truck. Youve got people out there working. Theyre loading poles with forklifts. Theyre focused on their job, Avery said. Theyre not focused on you pulling in there, and that creates a whole different hazard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Days after employees managed to calm down one woman angry about having been without power for more than a week, a man came into the yard trying to convince crews to come to his house and get his lights back on. On a third occasion, a woman approached a crew fixing a downed power line telling them how the workers who had been at her house that day hadnt restored her electricity. When you have downed power lines, anything can happen. The work site itself is hazardous, Avery said. Come to find out, she wasnt even our member. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) announced that they will be temporarily closing roads for bridge repairs in Greenville County. SCDOT said they will be closing parts of East Georgia Road in Greenville County. The closure will begin on October 20, and is expected to last until November. SCDOT said a detour will be set up as part of the closure. Northbound drivers will turn onto Bethany Road, then right onto Lee Vaughn Road, right onto Woodruff Road, before arriving back to East Georgia Road. Southbound drivers will stay on Woodruff Road before turning left onto Lee Vaughn Road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SCDOT asks drivers to slow down and pay attention to their surroundings when driving near a work zone. 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 WSPA 7NEWS. Charred coffee grounds could make concrete up to 30 percent stronger, scientists in Australia found. Their clever recipe could solve multiple problems at once. Each year, the world produces about 10 billion kilograms (22 billion pounds) of coffee waste, most of which ends up in landfills. Related: Breakthrough: Scientists Create 'Universal' Kidney To Match Any Blood Type "The disposal of organic waste poses an environmental challenge as it emits large amounts of greenhouse gases, including methane and carbon dioxide, which contribute to climate change," explained RMIT University engineer Rajeev Roychand when the research was published in 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With a booming construction market globally, there's also an ever-increasing demand for resource-intensive concrete, causing another set of environmental challenges. Watch the video below for a summary of the study: YouTube Thumbnail "The ongoing extraction of natural sand around the world typically taken from river beds and banks to meet the rapidly growing demands of the construction industry has a big impact on the environment," said RMIT engineer Jie Li. "There are critical and long-lasting challenges in maintaining a sustainable supply of sand due to the finite nature of resources and the environmental impacts of sand mining. With a circular-economy approach, we could keep organic waste out of landfill and also better preserve our natural resources like sand." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Organic products like coffee grounds can't be added directly to concrete because they leak chemicals that weaken the building material's strength. Global demand for sand is increasing, and with it environmental impacts. ( Pixabay/Pexels So using low energy levels, the team heated coffee waste to over 350 C (around 660 F) while depriving it of oxygen. This process is called pyrolyzing. It breaks down the organic molecules, resulting in a porous, carbon-rich charcoal called biochar that can form bonds with and thereby incorporate itself into the cement matrix. Roychand and colleagues also tried pyrolyzing the coffee grounds at 500 C, but the resulting biochar particles were not as strong. Mid Article Promo Launch The researchers cautioned that they still need to assess the long-term durability of their cement product. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They're now working on testing how the hybrid coffee-cement performs under freeze/thaw cycles, water absorption, abrasions, and many more stressors. The team is also working on creating biochars from other organic waste sources, including wood, food, and agricultural. Scanning electron microscope images of the surface structures on the pyrolyzed coffee grinds. (Roychand et al, Journal of Cleaner Production, 2023) Related: One Way of Drinking Coffee Could Help You Live Longer, Study Finds "Our research is in the early stages, but these exciting findings offer an innovative way to greatly reduce the amount of organic waste that goes to landfill," said RMIT engineer Shannon Kilmartin-Lynch. "Inspiration for my research, from an Indigenous perspective, involves Caring for Country, ensuring there's a sustainable life cycle for all materials and avoiding things going into landfill to minimize the impact on the environment." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their research was published in the Journal of Cleaner Production. An earlier version of this article was published in September 2023. Related News This summer, astronomers detected a gamma ray burst (GRB) so powerful that theyre still struggling to explain what caused it. These cosmic explosions are typically produced by stars dying in a spectacular supernova, unleashing in moments as much energy as the Sun will over its entire lifetime. But this new one, dubbed GRB 250702B, blows everything we know about these fearsome blasts out the water. For starters, it lasted a staggering seven hours, which is vastly longer than they typically do. And it also appeared to repeat several times over its run, which shouldnt be possible. A GRB is produced by the total obliteration of a star, so how could the same source emit multiple blasts? A wealth of theories have been put forward ever since the detection. But a new one, published in a study slated to be submitted to the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, may be the most terrifying yet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an inversion of the well known scenario of a black hole devouring a star, the researchers propose that a star actually swallowed a black hole. Once subsumed, the massive infiltrator begins to rip apart the stars core, then devour the rest of its host from the inside out, producing an incredibly energetic stream of particles called a jet. Its a GRB-like phenomenon, but it allows for the longer time scale, Daniel Perley, an astrophysicist from the UKs John Moores University who was not involved in the study, told Science. Death by black hole is not an unusual fate for a star. The most well known form are tidal disruption events, which occur when a star wanders too close to a supermassive black hole that weighs millions if not billions of solar masses and are often found in the heart of a galaxy. The objects ungodly gravity shreds the star down into a stream of material as it floats closer. Instead of immediately getting consumed, the spaghettified star dust gets pulled into a swirling disk around the black hole, like water circling a drain, emitting huge amounts of energy. This latest theory theory to explain GRB 250702B flips the idea on its head in a few ways. Instead of a supermassive black hole, its a stellar mass black hole or a modest-sized black hole that forms from the implosion of a star which is orbiting another star thats burned through all its fuel. This moribund star begins to puff out, creating an envelope thats dwarfs its original size. This tugs on the black hole, causing it to gradually fall into the stars core. From there, the black hole rips the star apart, creating the lengthy jets that appear to us like a GRB. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The argument posed in this paper is a very compelling one, Hendrik van Eerten at the University of Bath in the UK told New Scientist. The GRB was first detected by NASAs Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope on July 2, appearing as three distinctive bursts. Follow up observations proved that the source was coming from well outside our galaxy, up to billions of light years away, ruling out the possibility that it only appeared so powerful because of its proximity. Other explanations researchers are considering include a star collapsing under its own weight, or perhaps a tidal disruption event involving an intermediate mass black hole. All of them have glaring issues, though so the mystery continues to eat astronomers up inside. More on space: Astronomers Detect Mysterious Dark Object in Distant Galaxy Researchers from Canada's University of Manitoba studying the Hudson Bay warned that ice loss driven by rising temperatures is rapidly transforming Arctic shipping lanes, CTV News reported. For the longest time, the Hudson Bay was covered in ice for the majority of the year. While the melting ice means ships can pass for longer periods, the impact on the environment may make the shortcuts less worthwhile. What's happening? Ice kept the northern waters of Canada closed for much of the year, but now that the ice is thinning, researchers say this will increase the navigability of the Hudson Bay. This, in turn, will pave the way for smoother shipping and trade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, this may come at the risk of increasing environmental hazards. Scientists worry that the Hudson Bay will eventually be completely ice-free even during winter, which will have a negative impact on the local ecosystem. The director of the University of Manitoba's Churchill Marine Observatory, Fei Wang, said, per CTV News: "That of course will affect marine ecosystems as we know it; it will affect beluga whales and polar bears." Additionally, since the Bay would be passable, the presence of ships would likely disrupt the biodiversity living in and around the area. Wang further explained: "With ships, you get underwater noise that could distract the migratory behavior of beluga whales. With shipping, you could also bring invasive species from other parts of the ocean that are not native to this environment and could disrupt the ecosystem." Why is this important? The melting ice further showcases the effects of rising global temperatures. The Arctic's fragile ecosystems are poorly equipped to handle accidents. A spill in icy waters could spread widely, damaging marine life, wetlands, and coastal habitats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new routes also underscore an uneven trade-off. While commercial shipping could reduce transit distances (through cutting time and fuel use), the environmental and social costs in fragile regions may outweigh those savings. More broadly, the effects of melting Arctic ice and glaciers could reach communities closer to home, potentially straining local food systems, increasing health risks, and contributing to higher tides. Places already facing coastal flooding could experience more severe impacts. While extreme weather has always occurred, human-driven activity is intensifying these events. What's being done about this? Wang and his team are actively monitoring the Hudson Bay and exploring all possible scenarios to be prepared. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Consumers can also act by staying informed on critical environmental issues and their effects on different ecosystems. Switching to more affordable energy at home is another way to cut reliance on risky shipping and dirty energy sources. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Sea level rise, driven by glacial melt, has long been a major concern. Now, a study led by McGill University is helping to quantify just how devastating it may be. Published in August in the journal npj Urban Sustainability, the research indicates that over 100 million buildings across the Global South may be inundated by floodwaters if heat-trapping pollution isn't reduced and soon. What's happening? Described in a release from McGill as the "first large-scale, building-by-building assessment," the study looked at the long-term effects of sea rise in Central and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With many structures in these regions densely packed and in low-lying areas, the researchers found that 3 million buildings could be flooded by a sea level rise of just 0.5 meters, or about 1.5 feet an increase that's likely to unfold even if pollution rates are drastically cut. The vulnerable structures include homes, infrastructure, industrial sites, and cultural landmarks. "We were surprised at the large number of buildings at risk from relatively modest long-term sea level rise," study co-author and McGill professor Jeff Cardile said in a statement. If these regions see 5 meters or up to about 16.5 feet of rise, over 100 million buildings could be at risk of inundation. It's an increase that "could be expected within a few hundred years if emissions don't end soon," according to the university. Why is sea level rise concerning? Ultimately, everyone will be hit by the consequences of sea level rise. As co-author Eric Galbraith explained, dependence on fuels, foods, and goods from ports exposed to rising waters means that the effects will be felt worldwide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Disruption of this essential infrastructure could play havoc with our globally interconnected economy and food system," Galbraith said. As with most disasters, however, marginalized communities are set to face disproportionate impacts. Indeed, low- and middle-income populations have already been experiencing the loss of safety, reliability, homes, livelihoods, and natural resources due to intensifying floods. "Sea level rise is a slow, but unstoppable consequence of warming that is already impacting coastal populations and will continue for centuries," Natalya Gomez, co-author and Canada Research Chair in Ice Sheet-Sea Level Interactions, said. But this "unstoppable consequence" could still be mitigated. What's being done about sea level rise? Governments, engineers, and architects are exploring adaptation strategies from inland migration to living shorelines and floating buildings to improve living conditions along coastlines vulnerable to rising seas. But the best way to curb this destructive flooding is to reduce global reliance on dirty energy sources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burning oil, coal, and gas generates the heat-trapping pollution that drives rising temperatures and melts glaciers and ice sheets. With meltwater increasing sea levels, international coalitions, individual governments, and concerned citizens will need to take on the challenges of the clean energy transition at every level. Just as specific countries and states can make a difference even while waiting on globally coordinated efforts to take full flight, individuals can work at the community level to move away from dirty energy. Powering homes and neighborhoods with wind and solar power, shifting to electric cars and school buses, using public transit, and even carpooling can all add up. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appears intent on using the vast resources of his department to attack left-wing political groups as if they were foreign terrorist organizations in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Speaking on a Tuesday episode of The Charlie Kirk Show, the podcast started by the late right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, Bessent paid lip service to the Constitution, saying it was his goal to ensure freedom of speech on both sides. Politics: MAGA Senator Stunned Into Silence On-Air After Learning Trump Admin Sold Out His State He spent several minutes, however, discussing how he was attempting to replicate the work that the Treasury did after 9/11 to track down foreign terrorist networks this time setting the departments sights on the American left wing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I will tell you that after 9/11, Treasury became the driving force behind tracking down the networks of terrorist organizations, how they were financed, how could this have happened on U.S. soil with these international terrorist organizations, Bessent said on the show. Where did the money come from? Who were the ultimate funders? And that was on the international side. I will tell you that Charlies death is like a domestic 9/11, he said. The terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Politics: Stephen Miller Vows To Destroy Left-Wing Terror Networks Following Charlie Kirk Shooting Unlike the hunt for Osama bin Laden, law enforcement officials have already captured a suspect in the shooting death of Kirk, and did so relatively quickly. It is not clear that the suspect has ties to any organized left-wing groups of any sort. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bessent then pointed to the pro-Palestinian protests that cropped up across the country as Israel relentlessly pummeled the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Many of these organizations have been financed by nonprofits, and its gonna stop. And we are going to, as they always say, follow the money, he said. He went on to exaggerate about the extent of the coordination seen at some rallies, marches and protests: When you see these groups where all the signs match, they have hundreds of the same umbrellas that theyre using after they cause the mayhem, they have the same lasers that theyre using to blind our police force. How are they constructed? Because this takes a lot of money. Politics: Nancy Pelosis Fiery Response To MAGA Reporters Jan. 6 Question Goes Viral President Donald Trump has also attempted to paint his opposition as crisis actors funded by shadowy groups that oppose him on principle versus a true grassroots movement. He has suggested, wihtout offering any proof, that many of the protesters of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, for example, are not motivated by sincere concern for immigrants rights but are rather being paid to protest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bessent said his department has started to compile lists and put together networks, although he did not elaborate. We dont know how much of the support is coming in from overseas. We dont know how much is being supported by U.S. nonprofits ... but this is mission-critical for us now, he said. Just as after 9/11, Osama bin Laden, the ultimate culprit, was captured, we are operationalizing this here at Treasury, and we are going to track down who is responsible for this. Politics: Trump Makes Revealing Comment About Stephen Miller's 'Truest Feelings' Once again, a suspect is in custody and facing charges in Kirks death. Related... Read the original on HuffPost The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday is scheduled to hear oral arguments in a case that could impact state laws around the country that ban conversion therapy, a controversial counseling practice for LGBTQ+ youth. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) The U.S. Supreme Court last week held oral arguments on Colorados prohibition of mental health practitioners trying to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of their minor patients, or whats become known as conversion therapy. The high courts conservative majority appeared sympathetic to the plaintiff challenging the laws constitutionality on 1st Amendment grounds. A decision overturning the ban, expected next summer, could have ramifications for Minnesota, which enacted a similar law in 2023 with bipartisan majorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over 20 states have banned licensed mental health professionals from practicing conversion therapy for minor patients because it doesnt work and contributes to increased rates of depression, suicidality and overall psychological distress, according to a a review of scientific evidence conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health, among many other researchers and major medical associations. The court heard arguments from an evangelical counselor who says Colorado is infringing on her free speech rights because of the views she expresses during her sessions. The counselor was represented by the conservative Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom. During oral arguments, Associate Justice Samuel Alito called Colorados conversion therapy ban blatant viewpoint discrimination. Proponents of the ban cite the harmful effects on patients and argue that states are regulating the therapeutic profession, not limiting speech. Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson made this point explicitly, questioning why the government could stop a doctor from prescribing medications but not stop a mental health provider from giving a discredited therapy that also promises conversion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Minnesota lawmakers passed a conversion therapy ban in 2023. The Democratic-controlled Legislature passed a slew of protections for LGBTQ people, including making Minnesota a trans refuge state, over the objections of Republicans. The conversion therapy ban stood out, however, for its modicum of GOP support. Ten Republicans eight in the House and two in the Senate voted alongside Minnesota Democrats. Rep. Elliott Engen, R-White Bear Township, voted for the conversion therapy ban. He said he only learned after the fact despite two hours of debate on the bill that it included a ban on mental health practitioners trying to change a minors gender identity, a provision he doesnt support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, Engen said, its destructive to tell a gay child that something is wrong with them. Youre not born broken, and if youre gay, youre gay, said Engen, who is considered a rising star among Gen Z Republicans. Rep. Roger Skraba, R-Ely, also voted for the bill in 2023. He said he didnt feel it was right for people to tell children that who they are is wrong. Were created who we are, and thats the way it is. Just live with it. Thats who you are. To think that we can convert someone to be something else is nuts to me, Skraba said. Like Colorados law, Minnesotas conversion therapy ban only applies to licensed mental health professionals, exempting religious groups. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Scott Dibble, who had been working to pass Minnesotas conversion therapy ban for over 10 years prior to its 2023 passage, said the Supreme Court nullifying Minnesotas ban would cause extreme harm to young people who cannot defend themselves. It means were going to have a bunch of quacks and snake oil salesmen running around telling children that they are inherently disordered and who they are is undesirable and they should try to change themselves, said Dibble, a Minneapolis Democrat. When that happens, well have a bunch of children living in isolation and despair and being abused by adults around them with no legal standing of their own. Its truly horrible and very frightening. Dibble said he hasnt considered a legislative response to a loss at the Supreme Court, but he said hell work to ensure people who practice conversion therapy arent taxpayer funded. Were going to strenuously resist any taxpayer dollars that flow through public health plans being used to pay for it and continue to resist the ability for insurance companies to pay for this kind of torture and abuse of children, Dibble said. Justice Clarence Thomas was confirmed to the court 34 years ago today. Not only is Thomas the longest serving current justice, he is less than three years away from becoming the longest serving justice of all time. Morning Reads SCOTUS Quick Hits Today, the court will hear argument in Louisiana v. Callais, on race-based redistricting and the Voting Rights Act, and Case v. Montana, on whether law enforcement may enter a home without a search warrant based on less than probable cause that an emergency is occurring. You can find our case previews here and here. As noted above, on Tuesday, the court released an order list with more than four pages of denied petitions. Read more about the appeals that the justices declined to hear in the On Site section below. A Closer Look: The Government Shutdown and the Judiciary As the federal government shutdown reaches its two-week mark, so does its impact on the federal judiciary. The government shutdown began on Oct. 1, after Congress failed to enact appropriations or a continuing resolution by the end of the fiscal year marking the first such funding lapse since the record 35-day shutdown of late 2018 and early 2019. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court should remain relatively unaffected, as it relies on permanent funds not subject to annual approval to maintain standard procedures. Indeed, as a spokesperson for the court confirmed, it will continue to conduct its normal operations during a lapse in appropriations. This business-as-usual approach extends to the physical operations of the Supreme Court the building remains open to the public and continues to host members of the public attending oral arguments. But what about the rest of the judiciary? For the lower courts, the shutdown means operating on limited reserves while fulfilling their constitutional duties under Article III to hear and resolve cases. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts stated on Oct. 1 that paid operations can continue through Friday, Oct. 17, using carryover fees and balances, but it has not released further updates. If the shutdown persists after that date, the judiciary will shift to essential functions only, potentially furloughing non-essential staff. This trickle-down effect of the shutdown also means that while criminal cases (which are generally deemed essential) are proceeding and will likely continue to proceed, civil cases involving the federal government have already faced efforts by government counsel to seek delays (which the courts then have discretion to grant). The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd and 9th Circuits have issued orders tolling or staying filing deadlines for parties represented by the federal government or federal attorneys. And if the shutdown continues, courts (with the exception of the Supreme Court) may have to delay other cases, suspend certain court functions, and cut operating hours. SCOTUS Quote Although the Court does have awesome powers, it has no authority to print its own money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lyle Denniston On Site From Amy Howe Supreme Court Rejects Hearing Several Cases The Supreme Court on Tuesday morning turned down a plea from conservative media personality Alex Jones to hear his appeal of a Connecticut case brought by families of the children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School more than a decade ago, in which he was found liable for defamation and emotional distress. The court also rejected an appeal by several Colorado parents, who contend that a school district in that state violated their constitutional rights when they excluded them from discussions of their childrens gender identity. The announcements came as part of a list of orders released by the Supreme Court from the justices private conference on Oct. 10. For more on the order list, read Amys analysis. From Zachary Shemtob A Dive into Justice Kennedys New Memoir Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Within the next few weeks, SCOTUSblog will publish a review of former Justice Anthony Kennedys new memoir, Life, Law and Liberty. To whet readers appetites, however, Zachary Shemtob highlighted some of the books most interesting passages. Check out Zachs story to see some of Kennedys thoughts on originalism, controversial cases, abortion, Vladimir Putin, and music. Contributor Corner Callais, Originalism, and Stare Decisis In his latest Justice, Democracy, and Law column, Edward Foley considered how originalists like Justice Amy Coney Barrett interpret the Constitution and what that means for Louisiana v. Callais, a major case on the Voting Rights Act. The case puts a spotlight on two lines of precedent related to race and redistricting, Foley wrote, and a good originalist would resolve the tension by reconsidering and then jettisoning Shaw v. Reno, which held that a redistricting effort in North Carolina violated the 14th Amendments equal protection clause because one of the resulting districts could not be understood as anything other than an effort to separate voters into different districts on the basis of race. The court in Shaw never attempted to defend its equal protection ruling on originalist grounds. Justice Sandra Day OConnor, who wrote the courts opinion in Shaw, was not an avowed originalist in the way that Barrett is. Rather, Shaw was a judicial exercise of constitutional policymaking of precisely the kind that originalists abhor. OConnor and the rest of the five-member majority of the court in Shaw saw race-based districting as pos[ing] the risk of lasting harm to our society and thus to be condemned. That form of reasoning is, most emphatically, not originalist constitutional interpretation. For more Supreme Court news and analysis, visit SCOTUSblog. Read more at SCOTUSblog A proponent of new social studies standards offers a statement of support to the state Board of Education on Nov. 21, 2022, in Sioux Falls. (Photo by Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight) The South Dakota Department of Education received 12 written public comments on its proposed math standards, and only one was positive. Another two criticisms and two positive comments were offered verbally Wednesday during a hearing in Aberdeen conducted by the state Board of Education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response, department officials said they will amend the proposal. The proposed standards were reviewed by a 20-person revision committee after being developed by a statewide advisory group. South Dakota Secretary of Education Joe Graves said the proposal leaves core concepts largely unchanged but describes them more clearly and concisely. The department aimed to make them more accessible and understandable for educators, students and families alike, Graves said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Others disagreed with that characterization. Sharon Vestal, a math professor at South Dakota State University, said she was concerned the simplification has taken out some of the precise mathematics and the meaning behind it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oldham-Ramona math teacher Susan Gilkerson said she is on the fence regarding the changes. She worries the new standards took the meat off the bones and will not give educators a clear understanding of just how deeply they need to teach a subject to ensure they meet the new standards. The proposal pulls from other states standards across the nation, and from the Archimedes standards, which were written by an assistant professor at Hillsdale College. The Michigan-based private college was also involved in South Dakotas revised social studies standards, accepted in 2023 and implemented this school year. One of the states from which the proposed math standards are drawn is Arkansas, which has historically had lower test scores than South Dakota. Graves said Arkansas went through a similar process to simplify and improve its math standards a few years ago. The results of that change havent appeared. We dont know what thats going to result in, Graves said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Graves added that South Dakota students lack significant progress on math testing since the COVID-19 pandemic, which he attributed to the current standards. About 44% of students were proficient or above on the state test annually over the last five years, he said. Vestal told board members the scores are a result of disruptions students suffered during the pandemic. A lot was lost that year when they went online, and were still trying to gain that back, Vestal said. That has been a huge problem, and we havent recovered. The U.S. Education Department awarded South Dakota a five-year, $3.7 million grant to support implementation of new standards, provide professional development for elementary school educators, facilitate higher education collaboration, and allow school district math leaders to meet and develop math plans. Graves said the department will take the critiques raised in the public comments, figure out what to do, and be back in November with ideas on those. The next meeting will be Nov. 10 in Sioux Falls. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) South Dakotas graduating class of 2025 earned an average ACT score of 21.0, above the national average of 19.4. A press release from the South Dakota Department of Education said that 60% of South Dakota 2025 graduates took the ACT, a continuous upward trend on students who are testing. Currently, the test is optional for students considering post-secondary education. However, in the spring of 2026, all South Dakota juniors at public schools will take the test, replacing the previously required state assessment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Madison rallies to support freshman athlete with tumor Secretary of Education Joe Graves said providing juniors with the opportunity to take the test is an exciting and important step. These numbers reflect what we know to be true that South Dakota students who take the ACT are well-prepared to move on following their K-12 careers, Graves said in the press release. Having an ACT score in hand can open doors to opportunities students may never have considered before. A total of 6,157 students took the ACT in 2025, with 41% of test-takers meeting college readiness benchmarks in three or four of the academic areas, compared to 33% in the Midwest and 30% of students nationally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Data in the news release showed that South Dakotas average ACT score has gradually dropped during the past five years. So did the national average ACT score. South Dakota continued to be about 1.5 to 1.6 points higher throughout. 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 KELOLAND.com. The seed for the story that would become my article on the history of lesbian bars in Phoenix was planted over a year ago during a lunchtime conversation. Shorted-haired, perpetually cargo-short-wearing Maria Canez has been working for The Arizona Republic since before I was born. Her family lineage in Phoenix is several generations deep and I love hearing her reminisce about the city of her youth. One day last year, she walked into the breakroom where several other young reporters and I were eating and discussing bars in Phoenix. We used to go to the lesbian bars, she said as she put her lunch in the fridge. They were so much fun. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You mean there were bars before Boycott? I asked. I couldn't imagine it. I'd thought the lesbian bar scene was limited to the one place still standing. There were so many, she said. In retrospect, Im not sure why I was so surprised. Phoenix was, and still is, a major city. For there to still be a lesbian bar today, when there are only 38 lesbian bars left in the entire United States, means it must have sprouted from a rich ecosystem of lesbian nightlife. Curious, I started looking into the history. It turned out to be a harder task than I'd imagined. Reporting on Phoenix's lesbian bar history filled me with surprise I was shocked and delighted to find out that the first lesbian bar (that we know of) opened here in 1941. But even finding out that fact took some serious digging. Most mainstream newspapers, The Republic included, didn't write about queer spaces or LGBTQ+ people until the late '90s and even then, these snippets of life were mostly relegated to yearly rankings of best gay/lesbian bars. When they did show up in longer articles, the way in which they were often written about was shocking. For example, in a 2007 Phoenix New Times article, a straight, male author wrote about his disappointment at not being turned on when he visited The Cash Inn Country, a lesbian bar. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While disheartened by the lack of mainstream media coverage, as I dug deeper, I discovered something beautiful. Because most newspapers had largely ignored the queer community, LGBTQ+ people created their own community news sources. I found dozens of gay and lesbian newspapers and periodicals written in cities across Arizona. There was Sundays Childe, created by lesbian activist Bj Hartley Bud, after whom Arizona State Universitys LGBTQ+ archive is named. There was Womens Central News, which started in 1974 and billed itself as Arizonas Lesbian Newspaper. Some bars even put out their own newsletters as I write in my story, Desert Rose, which operated where Boycott is now, sent out a newsletter that included a monthly schedule of events, an advice column and even a customer poem about the bar. When Charlene Ortega, who ran Desert Rose with her partner Rhonda Walden, showed me that newsletter, questions flooded my mind. What had it had been like to have a queer neighborhood space where you could wander in for a line dancing lesson? Or sign up for a group camping trip from a clipboard at the bar? What was it like to go to Incognito Lounge so often that you learn to recognized the "peleoneras," the women who'd start fights in the parking lot, as one of my sources did? I wanted to know. I wanted to capture what it had been like to be a lesbian in Phoenix when the only way you could meet people like you was by going to those bars. My story was never about bars The story took a long time to come together. Finding bar owners from the heyday of lesbian nightlife was tricky, as many have moved away or died. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sometimes Id get discouraged and question myself. We don't record every single bar or restaurant that opens, so why is it worth recording these? Nancy Godoy, the director of community archives at ASU, helped me understand the reason. As queer people, at least, maybe I'll speak for myself, it feels lonely sometimes because there's no immediate lineage, Godoy said. We have to make our own family. And I think for me personally, I've used archives to find my roots and to find a sense of belonging. As a young, queer reporter, talking to older lesbians and learning about a specific, local history it filled a void I didnt even know I had. It made me realize that the story I set out to tell was never about the bars, really. It was about the women who came before me and how they tried to live a meaningful life filled with love, joy and community in a world not built for them. Reach the reporter at reia.li@gannett.com. Follow @reia_reports on Instagram. Read the story: The 80-year rise, fall and rebirth of Phoenix's lesbian bar scene This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Looking for Phoenix lesbian bars was about more than history (The Center Square) The Seattle City Council has approved, by a vote of 8-1, a 0.1% public safety sales tax despite acknowledging its impact on low-income taxpayers. The sales tax is anticipated to generate $39 million in 2026, according to Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrells budget proposal. Harrell must sign the council bill before Oct. 18 to receive the whole years revenue. Failure to do so would result in anticipated revenue dropping $9 million in the first quarter. The public safety sales tax increase authorized by the state Legislature via House Bill 2015, with generated revenue only allowed to go toward public safety needs aims to bridge funding gaps, although the citys updated General Fund Financial Plan shows a $140 million deficit beginning in 2027, even after assuming passage of both the business and occupations tax restructure up for vote in the Nov. 4 general election, along with the new public safety sales tax. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Through the sales tax increase, Harrells 2026 budget proposal includes an additional $9.5 million in funding to double the citys Community Assisted Response and Engagement Department, or CARE, from 24 nonpolice responders to 48. The department consists of behavioral health experts who are dispatched to calls that involve people experiencing a crisis. In turn, police resources are freed up to answer other calls. Seattle City Council Chair Sara Nelson said she was in favor of the tax measure because it adds revenue for substance and behavioral health treatment services. She acknowledged that the tax is regressive, but noted that the state gives local jurisdictions a limited set of tools to raise revenue. When we invest in getting people off the streets and into treatment, we prevent crime, reduce emergency responses and make every neighborhood safer, Nelson said during Tuesday's the city council meeting. And that is smart public safety spending and more importantly, it is the moral thing to do. Seattle City Councilmember Maritza Rivera, the lone no vote, has opposed the proposal since it was first introduced last month due to its impact on low-income residents, who will see taxes increase on items like clothing. Sales taxes are considered highly regressive, and Seattles current sales tax rate of 10.35% exceeds that of other major U.S. cities, such as New York City, Chicago, San Francisco and Boston. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We know we have an affordability problem in Seattle and this proposal is just going to make things worse, Rivera said. The Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerces latest survey revealed that affordability is one of the most significant concerns for voters. (The Center Square) In thousands of locations across the country and even some across the world, millions are expected to gather in protest of what they see as President Donald Trumps "authoritarian" policies. There was already one similar protest by the same group on June 14 Flag Day, Trumps birthday and this year, a military parade in Washington, D.C., was held in honor of the U.S. Armys 250th birthday. In partnership with more than 100 organizations including the ACLU, Black Voters Matter, Greenpeace and others, the No Kings movement says it gathers in defense of democracy and against Trumps authoritarian overreach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The June events organizers reported that millions had attended and independent reporting from data journalist G. Elliott Morris provided an early estimate of between 4 and 6 million, rivaling the largest single-day protest in recent American history. Participation on Saturday, Oct. 18, may exceed that of the June protest. In June, there were No Kings events at more than 2,100 locations; Saturdays protest is set to take place in over 2,500 locations. Saturday is your opportunity to be involved in what could be the largest single day of protest in American history! reads an email from a No Kings event organizer. Lawmakers and politicians have already begun talking about the protest. Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has characterized it as a hate America rally, which he thinks will feature members of Antifa, the pro-Hamas crowd and Marxists. Johnson and Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., have both suggested that Democrats are waiting until after the protest to make serious efforts to reopen the government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No Kings issued a statement in response. Speaker Johnson is running out of excuses for keeping the government shut down. Instead of reopening the government, preserving affordable healthcare, or lowering costs for working families, hes attacking millions of Americans who are peacefully coming together to say that America belongs to its people, not to kings, the coalition wrote. Well see everyone on October 18. No Kings emphasizes non-violence and de-escalation on its website and in its communications. The theme for Saturday is patriotic and participants are encouraged to wear patriotic garb and emphasize what they support as much as what they oppose. The strongest messages say what we are FOR rather than what we are against, reads one event email. We have worked with Indivisible and local police to make these events joyful, family friendly, and peaceful. A new federal program aims to expand school choice across the country. Signed into law July 4, the program uses charitable donations made to scholarship-granting organizations to expand school choice for families who might otherwise not be able to afford it. The scholarships can then be used for tuition, tutoring, special needs services and more. To make this work, every state has to opt in, said Sen. Dave McCormick during a press conference in Pittsburgh. So, Pennsylvania and every other state that wants to take advantage of this incredible benefit needs to opt in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some lawmakers are now calling on Gov. Josh Shapiro to opt Pennsylvania into the program. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW A Senate panel backed off of a recommendation on a proposed advance loan of state education aid to Claremont after local school officials told them the serious cash crunch wont come until next spring. Senate panel wants more time to review ed aid advance to deal with Claremont school deficit James OShaughnessy, private legal counsel for the Claremont School District, presented the case for legislation to grant the community an advance of education aid grants for two years to help it cope with a deficit of more than $5 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During a two-hour public hearing Tuesday, James OShaughnessy, the Claremont School Districts legal counsel, said the proposed legislation isnt a bailout, but would allow school officials to use education aid grants for the next two years ahead of time to help it close a $5.1 million deficit. After making many budget cuts, a $4 million loan from the Claremont Savings Bank will tide the school district over until April 17 when the city must pay it back with 2% interest. From April through September 1, they are going to have very difficult time with cash flow, OShaughnessy told the Senate Education and House Education Funding committees. We are going to run into the situation where they were last August with uncertainty about opening for school next year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Claremont school officials told the legislative committees they will need about $1.8 million after the bank loan to close out the current school year and pay teachers and incur other expenses during the summer break. Matt Angell, the schools interim business administrator, admitted the red ink keeps growing as he learns of new unpaid bills or financial commitments not accounted for properly. For example, Angell said, he recently learned the budget could be underfunded by as much as $300,000 in the school lunch program. Senate Education Committee Chairman Ruth Ward, R-Stoddard, who represents Claremont, said her panel will meet later this fall to act upon her proposal offered to replace a 2025 leftover bill (HB 292) that is no longer needed. But state Rep. Daniel Popovici-Muller, R-Windham, said theres enough time to deal with this issue as a new bill when lawmakers return in January. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This hole was dug on the watch and at the end of the day it was the responsibility of the Claremont School Board, Popovici-Muller said. We are going to ask this hole to be plugged by the same folks who caused millions of dollars in deficits. Sen. Debra Altschiller, D-Stratham, said the time to act on this matter is now. Its not the kids fault there is a leak in the boat. We need to fix the leak in the boat and then look at what caused that leak in the future, Altschiller said. Urgent but not immediate House Speaker Pro Tem Jim Kofalt, R-Wilton, said he worried about the precedent that such a bill could set since many school districts are dealing with tight budgets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a dire problem for Claremonts school district; it is urgent, but it is not immediate, said Kofalt, who has chaired a cooperative district school board. Good legislation rarely emerges from a rushed process, and this looks like a rushed process to me. Rep. David Luneau, D-Hopkinton, said he was disappointed the Senate panel didnt act as he called the bill the least of which the state can do to help mitigate the damage and help the district recover. Previous school administrators spent federal grants they never received, failed to keep proper accounting ledgers and failed to provide the school board with answers when it had asked for a fund balance, Angell said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the last year, it was the Wild West, Angell said. OShaughnessy said the legislation is needed as theres no guarantee the local bank or any institution would be willing to grant the Claremont School District the same borrowing in 2026. I feel like banks may have a little bit of uncertainty about this type of lending, OShaughnessy said. Union weighs in Megan Tuttle, president of the National Education Association of New Hampshire, which represents Claremont teachers, custodians and professionals, said local officials, parents and volunteers have made sacrifices to help erase much of the deficit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its the students that bear the benefit or the brunt of the states action at this moment, Tuttle said. Now the question is: Will our elected officials step up for the parents and students of Claremont? Tuttle said. House Education Funding Committee Chairman Rick Ladd, R-Haverhill, has his own proposal that would include withholding advance education aid money for Claremont if it failed to file reports on its use of the money. There has to be accountability and transparency with all of this, Ladd said. Next Step: The Senate Education Committee must make a recommendation on the bill by Dec. 11. Outlook: Its murky, as the number of votes in the House and Senate are unclear and Gov. Kelly Ayotte has yet to weigh in on the concept. klandrigan@unionleader.com Senators on Wednesday spurned the House-passed clean stopgap spending bill for a ninth time, putting the government shutdown a step closer to lasting into next week as the impasse deepens. The Senate voted 51-44 on the proposal, which would fund the government through late November. Sixty votes were needed for it to advance. The tally didnt change from previous votes. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Angus King (I-Maine) all once again voted with Republicans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.) remained the lone GOP no vote. The vote took place on Day 15 of the shutdown, with lawmakers sensing little movement toward a resolution. Democrats continue to insist that a fix is needed on expiring enhanced health care subsidies by the end of the month. GOP leaders maintain theyll only negotiate on the credits once the government reopens. And both sides acknowledge that the other is entrenched. Democrats show no sign that theyre ready for it to end, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said in floor remarks, noting that issues such as military pay and flood insurance have not moved the minority party off its stance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No, Democrats are dug in, he continued. And all those Americans living in uncertainty? Well, theyre just going to have to wait until Democrats far-left base is satisfied. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), meanwhile, said talks have gone nowhere with the key Nov. 1 date for open health insurance enrollment looming in the distance. As we speak, families are receiving letters for their new health insurance rates, and more states are opening their window-shopping period for what health insurance will look like next year, Schumer said on the floor. With open enrollment around the corner, Republicans cannot continue to kick this can down the road. Its happening now. The health care crisis is now the public agrees, Democrats agree, the White House privately admits it, even some Republicans in Congress know its the truth. And yet, Republican leaders especially [Speaker Mike Johnson] continue to dig in, he 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 The Hill. The Senates Russia hawks are encouraging President Donald Trump to provide Ukraine with American-made Tomahawk missiles, after he signaled over the weekend hes considering it. Im all for it, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told Semafor Tuesday, ahead of President Volodymyr Zelenskyys Friday visit. Anything that will shorten the war and hopefully give President Trump leverage to get another peace deal like he did in Gaza. Still, some are skeptical Trump will follow through: Ill believe it when I see it, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told Semafor. We just havent seen any meaningful action and thatll prove catastrophic pretty quickly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He pointed to stalled Russia sanctions legislation from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Tuesday called it pretty ripe for the Senate floor but said hes still coordinating with the White House on timing. A senior Syrian official refutes claims that Israeli spy Eli Cohens remains will be returned to Israel, but confirms ongoing talks with Israel regarding the matter. A senior Syrian official told The Media Line that reports claiming that the remains of Israeli spy Eli Cohen would soon be returned to Israel were false. However, he confirmed talks with the Israeli side are still ongoing and have not yet reached a final agreement. The official said that discussing a specific date or logistical details for the handover of the remains is unreasonable while talks are still underway, adding that Damascus is handling the matter within a highly sensitive political and security framework that does not permit media leaks or speculation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Syrian officials denial came after the Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the remains of Cohen, who was executed in Syria in 1965, might soon be handed over to Israel, describing the move as a Syrian gesture taking place amid unannounced security talks between Damascus and Israel. According to the newspaper, the possible handover is linked to ongoing negotiations for a new security agreement between the two countries. The report also noted that this diplomatic progress followed comments made about a month ago by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who said the talks could yield results soon. In her first reaction to the report, Nadia Cohen, the widow of the Israeli spy, expressed optimism about the possible return of the remains, saying, I believe the time has come to demand Elis body. I have greater hope that what is happening in Syria allows for more flexibility and communication. Nadia, widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, shows a photograph of herself with her late husband, during an interview with Reuters in Herzliya, Israel, October 6, 2019. (credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN) She added that she had contacted the Israeli Mossad following the media reports, but the agency informed her that it had no official information on the matter. However, she stressed that she never loses hope. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These developments come months after the Mossad announced it had carried out a complex secret operation in cooperation with an unnamed strategic partner, through which it retrieved the Syrian archive related to Eli Cohen and transferred it to Israel. Collection contains Cohen's personal documents At the time, the Hebrew daily Maariv reported that the operation took place shortly before the 60th anniversary of Cohens execution and led to the recovery of about 2,500 documents, photos, and personal items preserved in a secret Syrian security archive. The collection reportedly contained recordings of Cohens interrogations, family letters, rare photographs, and Mossad operational orders. Among the most notable discoveries was Cohens original will, written before his execution on May 18, 1965, as well as the keys to his apartment in Damascus, forged passports, disguise documents, and personal effects. These reports are viewed as part of renewed diplomatic and security activity in the region, amid signs of indirect communication between Damascus and Israel. For now, however, they remain unconfirmed and confined to media speculation, with no official acknowledgment from either government. How China contributes to world food security by holding its "rice bowl" firmly Xinhua) 08:26, October 15, 2025 BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- When China's National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration (NFSRA) said the country has ensured food security for its 1.4 billion population over the past five years, it also highlighted the broader significance of this achievement for global food security. At a press conference held in Beijing on Tuesday, Liu Huanxin, the NFSRA head, provided a set of data bespeaking the nation's sufficient food supplies and stable food market operations during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). According to the data, China's annual grain output has steadily remained above 650 million tonnes over the past five years. In 2024, its grain output exceeded 700 million tonnes for the first time and per capita grain possession reached 500 kilograms, higher than the internationally recognized food security line of 400 kilograms per capita. While speaking about these achievements, Liu said China has achieved basic self-sufficiency in grains and absolute security in staple food. These achievements have been underpinned by China's rigid policy of ensuring the total area of its farmland does not fall below the red line of 1.8 billion mu (120 million hectares), its efforts to build high-standard farmlands, and the adoption of advanced agricultural technologies. According to China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, at present, over 66.7 million hectares of high-standard farmland have been built in China. Meanwhile, machinery penetration rate in agricultural production has surpassed 75 percent, 13 percentage points higher compared to the level 10 years ago. Qian Yi, deputy head of the NFSRA, said that new technologies have played a major role in advancing the high-quality development of China's food supply chain. For instance, the country now ranks among nations with the most advanced grain storage technologies. "Through unremitting efforts, China, with only nine percent of the world's arable land and six percent of its fresh water resources, has fed nearly one-fifth of the world's population. This in itself is a huge contribution to global food security," Liu said. Beyond its domestic achievements, China has actively sought to deepen international cooperation in food and agriculture, playing a key role in advancing the global food industry and safeguarding food security worldwide, the official said. This effort is reflected in the country's initiatives to share agricultural expertise with other developing nations, including those in Africa, through technology exchanges, joint research and training programs, and active participation in global food governance. Agriculture features as an important aspect of cooperation in the 10 partnership actions announced by China last year to deepen China-Africa cooperation. Under the partnership action for agriculture and livelihoods, China pledged last year to provide Africa with 1 billion yuan (about 141 million U.S. dollars) in emergency food assistance, develop 100,000 mu of standardized agricultural demonstration areas, send 500 agricultural experts, and establish a China-Africa agricultural science and technology innovation alliance. At an agricultural cooperation conference on Monday in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, attended by government officials, experts and business representatives from China and ASEAN, the Chinese government said it is willing to share experience, technologies and development opportunities with ASEAN to promote greener, smarter and more stable agricultural development in the region. With World Food Day observed annually on Oct. 16 approaching, awareness of global food insecurity and malnutrition has been steadily rising. According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 673 million people still face hunger worldwide, while 2.3 billion experience food insecurity. During an exhibition event which opened recently in Rome in celebration of eight decades of international cooperation in fighting hunger and transforming agrifood systems, Chikelu Mba, deputy director of FAO's Plant Production and Protection Division, underscored the need for stronger global partnerships to make agricultural innovation accessible to all. "Just 40 years ago, China faced food insecurity and malnutrition," Mba said. "Its success in lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and hunger is a valid example that can be replicated through South-South and triangular cooperation." During the G20 agriculture ministers' meeting held last month in Cape Town, South Africa, the Chinese government had called on parties to increase financial, technological and market support for developing countries, reduce restrictions on high-tech exchanges, and promote the digitalized and smart development in the agricultural industry. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Assyrian Politician in Sweden Forms New Political Party Stockholm -- Assyrian politician and Botkyrka municipal councilor Aday Bethkinne announced that he will form his own political party, marking a new chapter in his increasingly independent political journey. The announcement, made in a statement on Monday, comes just over two months after his high-profile resignation from Sweden's Christian Democrats (Kristdemokraterna, KD). "The people's longing for a new political alternative is here," Bethkinne declared. "What started as a dream for many of us is now becoming a reality. I have chosen to start a new political party that will run for elections next year. Only together, hand in hand, we can make a difference. A party of the people and for the people." Bethkinne described the upcoming party as a "new people's movement" centered on protecting citizens and promoting what he called "true Christian values and Swedish traditions." He emphasized themes of community, truth, and the "nuclear family," while promising a platform that would be both "Swedish-friendly and minority-friendly." "Just know I'm not doing this for myself, but for all of us," he said. "Despite all the difficulties, I promised myself never to give up the fight. I have received several good offers to join four other parties, but I declined. I will follow my heart and the will of the people and thus take the difficult, but right path." The politician, who gained recognition for his advocacy of minority rights and his outspoken stance on Christian issues, suggested that the established parties have lost credibility with ordinary citizens. "The people are tired of parties that year after year just promise without making any real difference," he said, calling for collective action "for our children, our families and our society." His announcement follows a turbulent period in his political career. On 6 August, Bethkinne resigned from the Christian Democrats, accusing the party of abandoning its founding Christian and humanitarian principles. He argued that KD had become "an arena for political maneuvering and opportunism" and condemned what he called the party's "moral betrayal" over its indifference to persecuted Christians worldwide. Although he left KD, Bethkinne chose to remain in his municipal post in Botkyrka, citing his duty to the voters who had directly elected him. "I have done nothing wrong. The Christian Democrats betrayed me. The people elected me to my municipal role, and I will continue with it until the next national elections," he said in August. The weeks that followed saw further controversy, with Bethkinne accusing KD of attempting to marginalize him politically and financially. He claimed that as an independent, he faced withheld compensation and media exclusion, but insisted that such pressures would not silence him. "My primary and ultimate loyalty is to the people who entrusted me with their votes, not to political parties," he said last month. His new party is expected to make its first formal appearance ahead of the 2026 national elections. For now, Bethkinne's message is one of renewal and defiance. "We must fight together for change," he declared, "and this for our children, our families, and our society." A female serial killer who targeted elderly women has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a 91-year-old while on leave from prison for good behaviour. Remedios Sanchez, known as the granny killer in Spain, was jailed in 2008 on three counts of murder and four attempted killings in the space of four weeks in Barcelona in 2006. The spate of deaths and attacks on elderly women prompted a huge police operation and public warnings to elderly citizens not to trust strangers offering assistance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sanchez, now in her late 60s, was sentenced to 144 years in prison for crimes that the judge described as extremely violent in nature and committed against defenceless old women. She strangled her victims, usually with an item of fabric or clothing. Despite her long sentence, under Spanish penal law Sanchez was due to serve a maximum of 30 years. Because of her record of good behaviour, she had recently started to enjoy periods of temporary leave from Teixero prison near A Coruna, in her home region of Galicia. Arrested in her cell Earlier this month, she was arrested in her cell after the death of a 91-year-old in A Coruna was deemed suspicious by investigators, who said they found evidence of strangling and the serial killers fingerprints in her home. Neighbours told La Voz de Galicia, a newspaper, that the unnamed victim had always been cautious about allowing strangers into the house where she lived alone, but had recently been seen in the company of a middle-aged woman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officers are now investigating how Sanchez met her alleged latest victim and whether there was any motive to the crime. There will also be questions over the operation of the prisoner leave system, and whether prison psychologists had been satisfied that Sanchez was rehabilitated. Addicted to fruit machines Sanchez had moved to Barcelona as a young woman, married a taxi driver and had two children while working as a cook. She became addicted to fruit machines and other forms of gambling, causing her money problems that appeared to motivate her killings, which took place between June 10 and July 3 2006. Sanchezs first victim, an 83-year-old from Barcelona called Pepita Cervantes, trusted her killer but was found in her home strangled with a crochet doily. A necklace was stolen, and police assumed it was a tragic case of a robbery gone wrong. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eight days later, a second old woman was attacked in her home in Barcelona, but survived and gave a description of her assailant. In the case of another intended victim, Sanchez was surprised by the presence of a husband whom she had not realised was at home. He punched Sanchez in the face but she managed to escape into the street and on to Barcelonas Metro subway system. Killer worked next to police station As panic spread, the hunt for the granny killer involved 300 police officers, some of whom were probably eating food prepared by Sanchez because she worked in a restaurant next to a Barcelona police station. In total, police investigated 23 women based on descriptions by witnesses before they tracked Sanchez down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As panic spread, the hunt for the granny killer involved 300 police officers, some of whom were probably eating food prepared by her because she worked in a restaurant next to a Barcelona police station. On July 10 2006, Sanchez was detained after being caught trying to use a bank card belonging to one of her victims in a bingo hall. Prison sources told La Voz de Galicia that Sanchez had enjoyed several day releases in recent months following a long period without incurring any penalties for infractions of jail rules. They also said she had received a favourable psychological evaluation. She met the legal requirements for releases, although her record is very serious, prison sources explained. The Spanish governments delegation in Galicia, which coordinates with the national interior ministry on security matters, has yet to comment on the allegations that an inmate may have committed murder while on prison leave. 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. TUPELO A chat with Isaiah Barbour exposes an immeasurable amount of kindness, wisdom, compassion and a keen sense of humor. Its easy to assume hes got a lot of years on him. Not so. Isaiah recently turned 17, and its a certainty that he is already a Renaissance man-in-the-making. His family celebrates two important days in Isaiahs life his July 17 birthday and his Oct. 15 gotcha day when his adoption by his mom, Taneill Barbour, became official. Isaiah was 2 at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Isaiah is revered by his family his mom, Taniell Barbour; his grandparents, Wanda (Honey) and George (Poppy) Dent and David Barbour (Bubbie); uncles, aunts and cousins. His family also includes 9-year-old Alice, a pup rescued from the animal shelter in Oxford when Isaiah was 10. And theres Lola, a 4-year-old cat. Isaiah's friends span in age from toddlers to octogenarians, and all ages in between. Its a large group these people who have a permanent place in Isaiahs hearts neighborhood. There are times Ive run into neighbors and Ill speak and tell them who I am, Taneill said. They look at me blankly. But then I say, Im Isaiahs mom, and their blank faces light up with recognition. Helper with heart Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his neighborhood, Isaiah is known for always helping walk dogs, move flowerpots and do other tasks for neighbors. When he was an elementary student at Thomas Street School, Isaiah ate breakfast with the special needs students. Ive always loved having them around, he said. They are such sweet kids. One of those elementary friends, Ramsey Meadows, has remained connected to Isaiah, who helped him prepare for the Special Olympics. Ramseys mother asked me if Isaiah could walk Ramsey across the stage to get his diploma, said Isaiahs mom. He and Isaiah really hit it off." As a first grader, Isaiah became a Cub Scout and later a Boy Scout. At the age of 16, he became an Eagle Scout. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When he was Cub Scout, Isaiah first met Col. Smitty Harris and saw a model of the plane he flew in Vietnam. In later years, the two stayed in touch and shared a few meals together. He was a great man, Isaiah said of the late war hero from Tupelo. I loved him. I saw him a couple of months ago, before he died. He was still enthusiastic and engaging." Isaiahs Eagle project was a donation drive to get bedding supplies for Beds for Kids. I love that organization, he said. I have helped build some beds, and Ive gone into houses to help assemble the beds. It is amazing." The garage at their home steadily filled with what ultimately was about 1,000 items like sheets, comforters, pillows and more for the beds built for kids, some who might never have had their own bed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Real Men Stand Up is also an organization close to Isaiahs heart. Its purpose is to see that Black male kids in the community have good male role models. Isaiah is the only young person serving on the board. A science enthusiast, he recently wrote a grant for $750 to get together with some of the kids involved with Real Men Stand Up and do some science sharing through experiments. For the past two summers, hes taken part in Mississippi Governors School at MUW. Its a tuition-free program that offers unique creative and academic experiences to students with exceptional abilities and achievements. Isaiah just loves learning, said his grandmother. He cant get enough. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Isaiah was one of four THS students, and the only junior, selected recently to serve on the Mississippi Department of Education State Superintendents Advisory Council. Serious fun When he was about 4, Isaiah fell in love with swimming. In 3rd grade, he became a swimmer on the Shockwave Aquatic Team, and hes a medal-winning swimmer on Tupelo High Schools Golden Wave Swim Team. I have loved swimming from the moment I first got wet, he said. Primarily a distance swimmer, Isaiah recently switched to the breast stroke and has gotten first place in the 100 Breast Stroke both times he raced it this season. He also swims on the relays. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Isaiah also fell in love with music, specifically, the cello. Honey (his grandmother) had a painting of a cello in her house, he said. I loved looking at it. Then I heard how a cello sounded, and I latched onto the instrument. Since sixth grade, Isaiah has been a cellist in the Golden Wave Orchestra. Yes, he loves learning, but Isaiah also enjoys lifes simpler things. Hes a connoisseur of root beer (Barqs is the best by far) and sour candy Nerds are a favorite. If he had to pin down a favorite among favorite foods, it would be salmon. He also has a penchant for pancakes of any kind. Hes a fan of science fiction and some video games, in fact, in his free time, Isaiah likes to arrange music. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He likes to arrange video game music for an orchestra, his mom said. He takes a basic musical score and adapts it for a full live orchestra. He started this in ninth grade to make sure he would be able to use a unique song for his senior solo and he found its a fun way for him to unwind." For six weeks this summer, Isaiah worked with his grandfather in the law office of Greer, Russell, Dent and Moore. I filed reports, delivered documents, went to court, met judges, Isaiah said. And I had to look good every day. Poppy treated me to lunch each day Cafe 212 was my favorite. Though its difficult to believe, Isaiah claims to be an introvert through and through. I like interacting with people, he said. I also enjoy being quiet and by myself. Still, I consider myself a people person, and I do enjoy life." One of the first feature articles I wrote for Reason was about sex robots. This was 2015, and both legacy and social media had cyclical freak-outs about the havoc that sex robots would supposedly wreak. By sex robots, Iand everyone else at the timemeant anthropomorphic robots that were able to be physically intimate with humans and perhaps romantic, too. The gist of my piece was basically calm downsex robots as people are imagining them don't actually exist, they won't for a while, and even if they eventually do, it's going to be OK. Now sex robots are here. We're seeing the rise of artificially intelligent "chatbot" companions and they are capable of both romance and naughty talk, from the G-rated to the pornographic. This week, OpenAI founder Sam Altman even announced that an upcoming version of ChatGPT would not only have more "personality" but also engage in "erotica" with "verified adults." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are already all sorts of dedicated platforms for "AI girlfriends" and "sex fantasy chatbots." Meta has been under fire for allowing its chatbots to engage in "romantic role play" that can get graphic even when those chatting say that they are teens. And Elon Musk's AI bot, Grok, can go into "sexy mode." These are not the sort of sex robots everyone was panicking about a decade ago. They're not embodied sex machines. But that hasn't stopped a lot of hand-wringing about what this all will meanand bad bills based on the premise that sexual or romantic relationships with chatbots must be stopped. An Ohio lawmaker, state Rep. Thad Claggett (R-Licking County), has introduced legislation to ban marriages between humans and AI chatbots. "No AI system shall be recognized as a spouse, domestic partner, or hold any personal legal status analogous to marriage or union with a human or another AI system," states House Bill 469. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This seems to be that nobodyabsolutely no onememe come to life. I mean, sure, people can say they're "married to" a chatbot, but no government authority is out there recognizing these partnerships as legal unions, nor are they about to. This preemptive ban on human-chatbot marriages smacks of attention-seeking (if we're being charitable) or brain worms brought on by indulging in a little too much tech doomerism. (The Ohio bill also states that AI systems can't own property or manage a corporation and says AI developers are legally required to prevent or mitigate harm. So perhaps the real point of the AI marriage ban is to distract from the more substantial elements of Claggett's proposal.) Meanwhile, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)who never met a new tech panic he couldn't embraceis reportedly drafting a bill that "would ban AI companions for minors," per Axios. It's unclear exactly what this meanswhether the bill would totally prohibit minors from talking to AI chatbots designed to act friend-like or merely bar them from chatbots that can turn up the heat. But from Hawley's comments on X, it sounds like the former. "AI chatbots are literally killing kids," he posted. "Time to ban chatbot companions for minors and require the chatbots to disclose to everyone they're not professionals, not counselors, not human." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least part of the billdubbed the Guidelines for User Verification and Responsible Dialogue (GUARD) Actis aimed at creating "new crimes for companies which knowingly make available to minors AI companions that solicit or produce sexual content," according to a memo viewed by Axios. Look, I don't think that AI chatbots should be designed to get explicit with people under age 18. But I also came of age in the AOL chatroom era. I don't think teenagers engaging in a little sexually explicit chatting is anything new or anything to panic about. And, honestly, testing boundaries and exploring sexual themes with an AI chatbot is probably less problematic or dangerous for teenagers than sexting with school peers who may not keep the conversations private or internet strangers who could turn out to be sexual predators or extortionists. In any event, making it a federal crime for AI chatbots to produce any "sexual content" while chatting with minors risks doing more harm than good. It could bar chatbots from providing any sort of sexual health information to minors or offering any sort of education or advice related to sexuality. And it would, of course, require anyone accessing any sort of AI chatbot that's allowed to talk about sex at all to prove their identity. As for adults, I imagine that most people who decide to talk dirty to Grok or ChatGPT are just engaging in a little bit of harmless sexual fantasy, not all that dissimilar to calling a phone sex line a few decades ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am not worried that chatbot relationships will, on a wide scale, overtake human romances, or even that sexy chatbots on websites like HeraHaven will put human sex workers out of work. In the long run, most people want at least an illusion of mutualitythe idea that their amorousness and desires are shared by their companion. This is why sex workers so often describe their work as being as much about performing romance, lust reciprocity, and emotional intimacy as it is about literal intercourse. This is why the most successful webcam girls and OnlyFans models aren't always the most beautiful or hottest women on the platform but those who seem the most "real" or are the most skilled at offering a personalized touch to fans. If it were just about getting off, none of these bells and whistles would be necessary. Of course, everyone's different. Not everyone places the same value on emotional connection. And among those that do, the level of illusion of humanness provided by AI chatbots may be perfectly sufficient for some. This minority of users may decide that sexy chatbots aren't just a sometimes-fun distraction but as good asor better thana human companion. But it will be a small minority, and regardless, heavy on people incapable or undesiring of sustaining a real relationship. If it provides some measure of comfort and helps abate loneliness for this cohort, we should just let them be. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the 2007 book Sex + Love with Robots, artificial intelligence specialist David Levy writes that he's not worried about human-to-human sex and relationships becoming obsolete. "What I am convinced of," he writes, "is that robot sex will become the only sexual outlet for a few sectors of the populationthe misfits, the very shy, the very sexually inadequate and uneducableand that for some other sectors of the population robot sex will vary between something to be indulged in occasionallyto an activity that supplements one's regular sex life." Here's what I wrote about sex robots back in 2015, and I think it still stands whether we're talking humanoid robots or AI chatbots: On the margins, sexbots could dissuade some individuals from pursuing human-to-human intimacy and relationships, just as pornography, sex toys, and everything from alcohol to work are also sometimes used to avoid attachments. But it has become clear through countless bouts of cultural and technological change that, for the most part, people see no substitute for knowing and loving another person. To predict sexbots as even moderately widespread stand-ins for sex and relationships reveals a not-insignificant misanthropism.That isn't to say that individual use of sex robots is misanthropic. For many men and women, they will remain ancillary to interhuman relationships, more like sex toys than humanity surrogates. For a subset, social robots may provide opportunities for companionship and sexual satisfaction that otherwise wouldn't exist. When this occurs, we'd all do well to remember that having faith in human institutions and relationships means not panicking over new possibilities. Staying conscientious but open-mined toward the use of social robots, including sex robots, can only enhance our understanding of what it means to beand to fall forhuman beings. Follow-up: It never ends with porn Back in August, I wrote about Alabama's "Material Harmful to Minors tax," a 10 percent tax levied on the state's porn producers and peddlers. The taxpart of a larger measure that also requires web porn platforms to verify visitor agesis now in effect. The first payments are due on October 20. Having successfully targeted online porn, the architect of the taxRep. Ben Robbins (R-Sylacauga)is, of course, now going after online platforms more broadly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Robbins said he plans to bring more legislation next year addressing technology and algorithms that drive addictive behavior on devices and expects other lawmakers to have bills," reports AL.com. "There's going to be a lot of attention on how are we protecting children in this rapidly evolving world," Robbins said. "We've made a stab with pornography, but I think there's more that needs to be done." Follow-up: Newsom vetoes algorithmic "hate speech" bill Good news: California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed S.B. 771, a bill targeting social media that I covered in Monday's newsletter. SB 771 would have revised the state's civil rights law so that social media platforms could be punished for users' "hate speech" (the First Amendment and Section 230 be damned). In declining to sign, Newsom said he was concerned that the bill was "premature." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Our first step should be to determine if, and to what extent, existing civil rights laws are sufficient to address violations perpetrated through algorithms," said Newsom in a statement. More Sex & Tech News Astral Codex Ten just awarded a $5,000 grant to Aaron Silverbook "for approximately five thousand novels about AI going well," in order to attempt to train AI not to kill us all. "Critics claim that since AI absorbs text as training data and then predicts its completion, talking about dangerous AI too much might 'hyperstition' it into existence," Scott Alexander explains: Along with the rest of the AI Futures Project, I wrote a skeptical blog post, which ended by asking - if this were true, it would be great, right? You could just write a few thousand books about AI behaving well, and alignment would be solved! At the time, I thought I was joking. Enter Aaron, who you may remember from his previous adventures in mad dental science. He and a cofounder have been working on an 'AI fiction publishing house' that considers itself state-of-the-art in producing slightly-less-sloplike AI slop than usual. They offered to literally produce several thousand book-length stories about AI behaving well and ushering in utopia, on the off chance that this helps. Our grant will pay for compute. We're still working on how to get this included in training corpuses. He would appreciate any plot ideas you could give him to use as prompts. The Colorado Supreme Court says a teenager who used AI to create fake nude images of his classmates in 2023 cannot be held liable for creating child pornography. "Colorado law prior to 2025 did not criminalize, as a means of sexually exploiting a child, the use of artificial intelligence to generate nude images depicting real children," notes Colorado Politics. "The legislature acted this year to clearly establish a crime for someone to have or share fake, yet 'highly realistic,' images of children that are explicitly sexual." An unsettling chart, via Axios: Axios A Wyoming librarian will get $700,000 as part of a settlement with the state's Campbell County after the Campbell County Public Library System Board of Trustees fired her for opposing local conservatives' efforts to have all books with sexual themes removed from the youth section of public libraries. Meanwhile, Wyoming conservatives are considering legislation that would make it easier for people to sue libraries over such content. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, in Arkansas, "one of the most extreme book censorship laws in recent memory" would "allow jailing librarians and booksellers for keeping materials on their shelves that fall under the statute's broad definition of 'harmful to minors,'" notes the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). "The state's Act 372 not only makes it possible for librarians to be jailed for providing teenagers with Romeo and Juliet, but also allows anyone to 'challenge the appropriateness' of any book in a library." In Kentucky, another attempt to use deceptive trade practices laws to go after tech companies that platform content that politicians don't like. "Ofcom, the UK's Online Safety Act regulator, has fined online message board 4chan 20,000 ($26,680) for failing to protect children from harmful content," reports The Register. 4chan's violation? Failing to respond to Ofcom emails seeking copies of an illegal content risk assessment and its revenue, which Ofcom is seeking as part of an investigation into whether 4chan is violating the U.K.'s dreadful Online Safety Act. Today's Image A Reason DC Halloween of yore | 2016 (ENB/Reason) The post Sex Robots Are Here and It's OK appeared first on Reason.com. The debate over sending National Guard troops to San Francisco just doesn't seem to be going away. Wednesday at the White House, President Trump said he would be strongly recommending that the National Guard be sent to San Francisco. It comes as the San Francisco mayor, the California governor, and others lay out recent crime statistics showing huge drops in crime. MORE: Trump vows federal 'surge' in more American cities to combat crime "I'm gonna be strongly recommending, at the request of government officials which is always nice, that you start looking at San Francisco. I think we can make San Francisco, one of our great cities 10 years ago, 15 years ago -- now it's a mess," said Trump from the Oval Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ironically 15 years ago, Trump's current political rival was the mayor of San Francisco, that being now California Governor Gavin Newsom who pointed that out on his social media platforms Wednesday. TRUMP: San Francisco was a great city 15 years ago. ME: Why, thank you! pic.twitter.com/t8XUeH63cG Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) October 15, 2025 Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown heard President Trump's National Guard recommendation and had this to say. "I really do think the President is being given very bad advice, and very bad council," said Brown. The former mayor suspects that the President didn't even think about San Francisco this week until it was mentioned by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff. Last week, Benioff commented to the New York Times on the possibility of the National Guard in San Francisco saying, "We don't have enough cops, so if they can be cops, I'm all for it." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Constitutional law professors tell ABC7 News that the National Guard serving as cops would be a clear violation of the law. PREVIOUS: SF DA fires back after Salesforce CEO suggests Trump send National Guard to city "As a former member of the National Guard, I don't think we were ever trained to do anything about local enforcement, period," said Brown. San Francisco city leaders spoke before the President's comments Wednesday, saying the city is already headed in the right direction when it comes to safety. "We are at 70-year lows when it comes to homicides, car break-ins are at 20-year lows, we had the lowest number of tent encampments on record," said San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie. MORE: Dreamforce kicks off with Benioff moving past his call for troops to be deployed in SF Dreamforce 2025 kicked off with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff moving past his call for the National Guard to be deployed in San Francisco. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There is no question that San Francisco is committed to safety. There is no question that when we need the addition of state or federal resources that we have no problem seeking the assistance that we need, but we have this issue under control," said San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. "Well, the National Guard is not needed in San Francisco, frankly. I'm not sure they're needed in any city in America currently," said Brown. Just to be clear, no decision has been made on sending the National Guard to San Francisco, but there certainly is a conversation about it. If you're on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live Like most politicians who reach the top, Shabana Mahmood is no stranger to hubris. Making headlines simply by stating the obvious that the UK has lost control of its borders our new Home Secretary is clearly relishing her new status, and seems eager to showcase her talents to the world. To that end, the former barrister has convened a summit of Balkan interior ministers in London, to discuss how they can all work together to tackle illegal immigration. Pushing for what she calls a strong, joined-up international response to the crisis, she has declared that she is proud that the UK is leading the charge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Seriously? To anyone familiar with the scale of ministerial incompetence on this issue which must be almost all voters the idea that the UK is providing any kind of leadership on border control is so ludicrous that it seems impossible to imagine anyone making such a claim. Nonetheless, these are the Home Secretarys very words. Apparently she is suffering from the same affliction as several of her cabinet colleagues, namely, a chronic case of self-delusion. This political malady that has already heaped humiliation on our country once this week, after Bridget Phillipson laughably declared that Britain played a key role in securing the Gaza peace deal. In reality, as Israeli politicians were quick to point out, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmers shameful decision to reward terrorism by recognising the state of Palestinian only strengthened Hamas hand. Now so-called tough as nails Mahmood is embarrassing us again, by trying to pretend that when it comes to illegal immigration, the UK is anything other than an international laughing stock. The laxity of our borders is now notorious all over the world, and the only example she and her government are setting is how not to handle it. Quite what the Home Secretary thinks the latest talking shop will achieve is unclear. After all, a bigger summit convened by her boss earlier this year appears to have delivered the square root of nothing. Back in March, Starmer invited representatives of 40 countries to an international summit on illegal immigration to illustrate what he called his absolute dedication to tackling the crisis. There was talk of a coordinated fight against people smugglers and pooling resources to address every step of the route from Africa and the Middle East to the UK. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time, Starmer claimed he was spearheading what he called the toughest ever international crackdown on organised immigration. Since then, around 20,000 more asylum seekers have crossed the Channel, while many times that number of unskilled foreigners have arrived by other routes. The only major new policy based on international cooperation is one in one out. At the latest count, this has delivered some 2,855 in; and less than 30 out. Yet here we are again, with Mahmood still harping on about working with other countries to take down vile people smuggling gangs. How hard can it be to grasp that none of this international stuff will ever work until the UK stops rolling out the red carpet for every petty criminal, paedophile, drug dealer and penniless opportunist that appears on our shores? For as long as they can expect free board and lodgings and multiple other taxpayer funded benefits, theyll keep coming. Of course the reason Mahmood is making all this noise is because her party is under such pressure on immigration from the Right. In a thinly veiled swipe at Nigel Farage, she warns against turning inward in attempts to deal with the migration crisis. This irritating little phrase insinuates that those who believe that it is firmly up to the UK government not anybody overseas to protect our borders are little Englanders or worse. What Farage and his party have long understood and Mahmood and Starmer do not seem to comprehend is that we simply cannot rely on anyone else. While it makes every sense to support overseas administrations that have truly demonstrated they mean business, by detaining illegal immigrants trying to reach Britain, and actually stopping boats, we have precious few such allies. Witness the scandalous behaviour of the French, who in return for hundreds of millions of UK taxpayers cash have given us little more than Gallic shrugs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Until Mahmood, Starmer and Co accept that it is their responsibility and theirs alone to take back control of our borders, they have no grounds whatsoever to be proud. 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. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) In attempts to reach a contract that improves patient care, pay and working conditions, nurses with Sharp HealthCare are picketing across San Diego on Wednesday. These nurses are represented by the Sharp Professional Nurses Network (SPNN), an affiliate of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) the same union representing Kaiser Permanente workers on strike. Their current contract expired on Sept. 30, and now thousands of nurses are preparing to picket for three days. Nurses are picketing at Sharp Metro Campus, Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center and Sharp Grossmont Hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you see us out there, were fighting for the patient care and safety that you and your loved ones deserve from the largest healthcare provider in the region, Registered Nurse and President of SPNN Andrea Muir said. The union states that staff is paid below market rate and are struggling to support themselves in one of the most expensive cities in the country. Staff also said that workers are penalized for using their sick leave. Nurses are required to work a minimum of 10 weeks to earn enough sick leave for one shift, according to the union. We want sick time that is realistic and does not put ourselves or our patients in jeopardy, ICU Nurse Jonathan Argento said. This picket is how we all stand together and bring our demands out into the community to get support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sharp Leadership also suggested cutting their Registered Nurse Advisory Committees (RNACs) earlier in negotiations before hearing testimony from staff, according to the SPNN. In a statement, Sharp clarified that these nurses are not on strike and that they will remain fully staffed as contract negotiations continue. Sharp is currently in contract negotiations with UNAC, the union which represents our registered nurses. The union informed us of plans to conduct informational pickets this week related to these negotiations. These pickets are not a strike, and the union has not called for a strike, unlike a strike, picketing events do not involve a work stoppage. Sharp remains fully staffed and is continuing to provide the high-quality care our community members need and deserve. We remain committed to a fair and responsible contract for our nurses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The SPNN will also be joined by 125 Chula Vista Sharp licensed professionals, who have been negotiating since February to establish their contract. The informational picket occurs while over 3,000 Kaiser workers in the San Diego area are on strike as workers attempt to reach a contract. The only way to fight for you is to also fight for ourselves, Muir said. 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 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Bundled onto a motorbike, a screaming Noa Argamani reached a hand out towards her boyfriend Avinatan Or, who watched as he was dragged away by Hamas terrorists. Her cries, and the separation of the young couple, became one of the most haunting moments of the October 7 attacks on Israel to be captured on camera. Dont kill me, were the last words Avinatan heard from his girlfriend for two years, until he was released with the last surviving hostages held in Gaza on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Safe inside Israel, the emaciated 32-year-old hugged Noa tightly before they shared a kiss in front of the cameras a reunion for which Israel had waited 737 days. Noa, who was rescued in June last year, had said her healing would only begin once Avinatan was freed. Two years. Two years passed since the last moment I saw Avinatan, the love of my life. Two years since the moment terrorists kidnapped us, put me on a motorcycle, and tore me away from Avinatan before the eyes of the entire world, she wrote in a social media post on Tuesday. Each of us faced death countless times. But both of us, against all odds, came home and were reunited! Noa Argamani had said her healing would only begin once Avinatan Or was freed Before Oct 7, Noa was studying software engineering at university in Tel Aviv, where she met Avinatan, a fifth-year electrical engineering student about to start a job at a technology company. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pair quickly became inseparable, and were planning to move in together. Noa, whose mother Liora was dying of brain cancer, described Avinatan as her anchor through difficult times. Theres this quiet strength in him that radiates peace, she said in a rare personal interview with the Ynet news website in May. My mother and Avinatan are central figures in my life. Their absence is a void I cant fill. Its like taking a table and sawing off two of its legs it just collapses. Credit: Eyepress via Reuters From the moment they were taken from the Nova festival in the desert of southern Israel, they were forced to suffer their own subterranean horrors apart. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was held captive with children, women and the elderly, while Avinatan was held alone. I was mostly kept inside houses, while Avinatan was only in the tunnels. Hamas released videos and signs of life from me, while there was no information at all about Avinatan, she wrote. She was held captive by Hamas for 246 days, adding: I came back in a heroic rescue operation, and Avinatan returned in a deal. Alongside an image of the couple in a helicopter looking over Israel, she added: After two years apart, we are finally taking our first steps together again in the State of Israel. During her time in captivity, which she described as pure hell, Noa was moved between tunnels, houses and warehouses, subjected to emotional abuse and injured during an air strike, with open gashes on her head that were left untreated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everywhere she went, she asked about Avinatan, asking if anyone knew a tall guy with sandy hair. I didnt know if he was dead or captured. I just believed wed meet again, she told Ynet. Before being taken hostage, Noa and Avinatan were studying at university in Tel Aviv On June 8 last year, Noa was rescued by Israeli forces, along with three other hostages, in a daylight raid into the centre of Gaza that left at least 100 Palestinians dead. One of the first things she asked was whether her mother, who had pleaded with Hamas in a video to see Noa one last time, was still alive. Liora was granted her dying wish when her daughter came home. She died three weeks later. As Israelis danced in the streets of Tel Aviv to celebrate the rescue, Noa began her recovery, faced with the reality of being free while Avinatan remained captive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She briefly faced a backlash online after being filmed hosting a celebration of life, which she admitted wasnt ideal while there is still an ongoing war, while our soldiers are still on the battlefield, while there are still 109 hostages that are still there in Gaza, including my partner. Noa hosted a celebration of life after her release The first suggestion that Avinatan was still alive came in March this year, when a hostage freed under a previous ceasefire deal said they had seen him in a tunnel. Until Avinatan comes back, my heart is in captivity, Noa wrote at the time. In the months after she was freed, Noa became one of the most prominent voices campaigning to bring the remaining captives home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She met Donald Trump in the Oval Office, spoke at the UN Security Council, met the leaders of G7 countries in Japan and was named one of Time Magazines most influential people of 2025. Noas advocacy has illuminated Hamass extreme brutality, but more importantly, her bravery has embodied Jewish resilience and strength even in the worst moments, Doug Emhoff, the husband of Kamala Harris, the former US vice-president, wrote for her Time profile. Noa became one of the most prominent voices campaigning to bring the remaining captives home, meeting Donald Trump in the Oval Office On the second anniversary of Oct 7, two days before Hamas and Israel signed a ceasefire deal that would end the hostages ordeals, Noa told her followers: I miss Avinatan more with every passing day. I hold on to hope, every single day, that this nightmare will end soon, and well finally get to live the life weve dreamed of. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the release of all living hostages, her hope became reality on Monday. Their reunion was one of many during a day of jubilation in Israel a country bitterly divided by the two-year war, which came together to celebrate the return of its 20 missing sons. Yet as the freed hostages were flown to hospitals, reports of their torture, torment and months living on the edge of death have emerged. Avinatan was held for the entire two years in isolation under especially harsh conditions in the dark tunnels of Gaza, never meeting other hostages, according to Israels Channel 12. He was terrified and starved, losing 30 to 40 per cent of his body weight. Avinatan was starved by Hamas and lost 30-40 per cent of his body weight - Reuters/Stoyan Nenov Avinatan never knew that Noa had been saved. Nor would he have known how many people had watched the couple be torn apart and were waiting for them to be brought back together. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After raising his hands in a heart sign to the crowds cheering his return, Avinatan asked one simple request: to share a quiet moment with his girlfriend and their first cigarette in two years. We won, said Noa, the day after he was returned. We won our personal war and the whole worlds fight with us to get to this moment. 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 small pug or French bulldog mix was rescued from the rising waters of a Southern California wash as heavy rain fell on the area Tuesday. Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS) officers were called to Wood Road and Laguna Road in Camarillo Tuesday morning after a dog was seen trapped on a small island that formed in the wash. The officers spotted the dog about 10 feet down and called the Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) for assistance, VCAS posted on Facebook. A small dog is seen after being rescued from rising stormwaters in Camarillo. (Ventura County Animal Services) VCFD deployed a ladder and a rescue swimmer to pull the shivering, but otherwise unharmed dog out of the wash, the post says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The approximately 3-year-old pug or French bulldog mix was taken to the Camarillo Shelter for an exam and a warm kennel. Unfortunately, the dog was not microchipped, so VCAS personnel are currently searching for her owners. Huge thank you to the VC Public Works crew for reporting the sighting so promptly, allowing this girl to be rescued safely, VCAS said in the post. 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 KTLA. A man has been sentenced to six years in prison for shooting and wounding three people in St. Paul his girlfriend, her cousin and a 64-year-old man out for a walk with his dog before climbing onto a roof to get away from officers. Jaleel Jackson-Bey, 36, was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty in Ramsey County District Court to two counts of second-degree assault in connection with the 2023 incident in the area of Cliff and Superior streets, off West Seventh Street. Officers were called to the area about 9:15 p.m. June 21, 2023, on reports of gunfire and found three people shot. A 25-year-old woman, Jackson-Beys girlfriend, was wounded in her leg, knee and wrist. A 22-year-old man, who the girlfriend said is her cousin, was shot through his foot. A man who lives in the area had substantial bleeding from his leg and a dog leash was being used as a tourniquet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The man said he was walking his dog when he noticed several people come out of a home and yell in what appeared to be a domestic argument, the charges said. He kept walking, heard two firecracker sounds and then realized hed been shot in the leg. Jackson-Beys girlfriends sister said Jackson-Bey was visiting them. She saw her sister and Jackson-Bey arguing outside and then Jackson-Bey fired rounds at her sister and the rest of the family. She said he continued to fire even as the family ran into the home for safety. Jackson-Bey had run from the scene and was later found a half-mile away on top of the Salvation Armys roof. Police used less lethal munitions to take him into custody about 2:30 a.m. A gun was in his pocket, with a single live round in the magazine. Related Articles BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) A Labadieville man accused of chasing a person with a gun during an altercation was arrested. According to the Assumption Parish Sheriffs Office, deputies responded to a shooting incident in the 2400 block of LA 308 on Monday afternoon. A witness told detectives that at least one shot was heard. Marcus Charles Tyler Sr., 58, was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm and illegal use of weapons or dangerous instrumentalities. His bond was set at $115,000. Marcus Charles Tyler Sr. (Assumption Parish Sheriffs Office) Iberville Parish man charged in connection with multiple vehicle burglaries Latest News 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 Louisiana First News. An irate woman is accused of stabbing another shopper with a knife shed just purchased after a heated dispute over a long checkout line at a Marshalls department store in New Jersey Saturday. Amber Thompson, 25, allegedly threatened to harm the female victim while both were on line inside the Kearny store, causing the woman and her family to leave. But that didnt stop Thompson from following through on her threat, according to cops. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She allegedly tore a knife out of a packaged set she had just purchased from the chain store and repeatedly stabbed the victim in the parking lot, police told ABC 7. Amber Thompson, 25, allegedly stabbed another shopper in a Marshalls parking lot in New Jersey. Google maps The victim was found bloodied in the parking lot and transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Thompson, who apparently fled the scene, was found hiding out in the bathroom inside Marshalls, according to cops. The bloody knife she allegedly used against the victim was sitting on top of the bathrooms baby changing station, police said. Thompson was reportedly upset about the long line at checkout. Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Shoppers were flabbergasted that there was no security to prevent the daylight stabbing and were just grateful no one else was targeted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think thats pretty crazy that happened here. Its just crazy because it never happens here, one shopper told the local outlet. Police said Thompson stabbed the victim with a knife shed just bought from the department store. UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Marshalls assured that it takes the safety and security of our Associates and customers very seriously and praised the responding officers for their swift response, according to a statement. Thompson was charged with aggravated assault, unlawful possession of weapons, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and endangering another person. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) Silencer Central is suing FedEx for negligent misrepresentation and breach of contract. Silencer Central, which is based in Sioux Falls, sells firearm sound suppressors and other firearm accessories to customers across the country. Former teacher sentenced to 24 years for child porn Founder and CEO Brandon Maddox says Silencer Central has had a bulk business-to-business agreement with FedEx, meaning FedEx would ship Silencer Centrals products from the Sioux Falls warehouse to other business locations across the country. A different shipping company then handled the delivery to customers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maddox says in 2024, though, FedEx approached Silencer Central about a potential expansion in which FedEx would also deliver products directly to the homes of customers. We said, Sure, we just felt that that was something you were unable to do, unwilling to do, couldnt do because of your own terms and conditions. Once we found out that they said we could do this, we went into a long negotiation process, Maddox said. According to court documents, on February 5th of this year, a contract agreement was reached and 19 days later, FedEx began handling shipments directly to Silencer Central customers. However, in May, FedEx then told Silencer Central it could no longer do direct shipments, later citing its 2021 Firearms Shipping Compliance Agreement with Silencer Central in their bulk business-to-business contract. And in that contract, they said in there that they cant ship to consumers, so we knew that. But then to hand us a new contract in 2025 that doesnt say that, we just assumed its not an issue, Maddox said. But, of course, they pull the old contract off the shelf and say, hey, weve always had this policy, even though their salespeople knew better when they were here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, Silencer Central is asking FedEx to reimburse it for losses after the new contract was terminated. Maddox says theyd also like FedEx to change its firearm policies. As far as we know, theyre the only shipping company that wont ship firearms directly to consumers, Maddox said. In a statement to KELOLAND News, a spokesperson for FedEx said We are reviewing the allegations in the complaint. FedEx policy prohibits the shipment of firearms direct to consumers 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 KELOLAND.com. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, during which the community can honor survivors and bring attention to domestic violence prevention. Domestic Violence Awareness Month was declared by Congress in 1989, but long before that people were already fighting to bring awareness to the issue. Ilene Parra, the director of client services of the Open Door Network, said it is an opportunity for the community to stand together against domestic violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Couple charged in Genesis Matas death have preliminary hearing postponed 2 weeks This month, what were highlighting is really standing for survivors, victims, advocates, first responders, shining a light on every story, because every story matters, Parra said. Adventist Hospital has a designated facility to examine victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Forensic nurse examiners spend months training and getting certified by the California Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners to be able to identify specific injuries that might be domestic violence related. The nurses examine victims for marks on the arms, neck and other areas and collect DNA samples of potential abusers from under the victims fingernails and even their eyelids. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Parra said domestic violence signs can be difficult to notice. The thing about domestic violence is one, we view it as a silent crime, Parra said. Not very many people talk about intimate partner violence occurring in their relationshipsome of the signs that are hidden that we identify and you can expose and see is isolationmaybe they look to their partner a lot to make decisions. One-in-three women and one-in-four men are victims of some form of domestic violence in their lifetime. Parra notes that some preventative measures like restraining orders may only make things worse. Once you remove everything from someone who is abusive, which restraining orders can be detrimental to a perpetrator, what will happen is they start gaining this mentality of, I lost everything,' Parra said. And then thats when it leads to potential homicide cases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The facility in Bakersfield is designed to feel less like a hospital and more like a home to help patients feel more comfortable. The facility has heaters, a playroom and several stuffed animals to help patients feel safe while nurses collect evidence. Never miss a story: Make KGET.com your homepage One of the nurses said facilities in Kern County exceed the standard in California. She also shared that, while the work may be especially hard, she has no plans to stop. There are resources for victims of domestic violence or individuals who want to learn more about how to help a loved one. You can visit The Open Door Networks 24-hour crisis hotline at 661-327-1091 or visit the national domestic violence hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE. 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 KGET 17 News. Officials are searching for a missing 84-year-old man in Iredell County. Mooresville Police say Joseph McGlynn is believed to be suffering from dementia or Alzheimers. He was last seen Tuesday night on Fairview Road wearing a navy sweat jackets, jeans and sneakers. He could be driving a hold Chrysler Pacifica with a personalized North Carolina plate that reads TRVLGRL. Anyone with information on McGlynns whereabouts should call the Mooresville Police Department at 704-664-3311. CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued a Silver Alert on behalf of the Clarksville Police Department for a missing man, but he was later found safe. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com The Clarksville Police Department added that he was last seen on Monday, Oct. 13. Hours after the Silver Alert was issued, Clarksville police said Baker was found safe. 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 WKRN News 2. KANSAS CITY, Mo. An Endangered Silver Advisory has been issued for a 74-year-old man whos been missing for nearly a month. The Platte City Police Department issued the Silver Alert on Tuesday for Richard Charles Hollman. Safety concerns after child on electric scooter hit by car in Leawood Hollman was last seen on September 16 in the area of 73rd Terrace Prospect Avenue in Gladstone, Missouri, just before 2:30 a.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hollman is described a white man with gray hair and blue eyes. Police say Hollman may be suffering from a head injury and memory issues. Hollmans car is described as a Beige 2009 Lexus RX5 with license plate number VG6Z5S. Police also note Hollman has not picked up his medications and has not been in contact with his family. Video shows woman being taken by force from Wichita home Anyone who believes they may have seen Hollman or his car are encouraged to call 911 or the Platte City Police Department at (816) 858-5150. 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 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Artificial intelligence will soon transform our world in ways we can only begin to imagine. Thats the message from Big Tech, which is channeling vast resources into building the infrastructure to enable this new relationship between humans and our technology. Witness the exponential growth of consumer AI tools such as ChatGPT. Less visible to the public is how AI is poised to radically transform war planning and combat. In this excerpt from the new book The Fourth Intelligence Revolution: The Future of Espionage and the Battle to Save America (Holt, October 28, 2025), author Anthony Vinci, a former senior intelligence official and CTO of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, reveals the current capability of AI weapons and intelligence systems and gives a vivid account of what the future holdswhen AI both plans and fights battles for us. High above the California desert on a hot September day, theres not a cloud in the cornflower-blue sky. Two sleek fighter jets are visible in the airone the stereotypical gray, the other off-white and orange. One nosedives, the other follows. One loops, the other swoops. Were watching what looks like a classic dogfight, an aerial matchup in which two formidable military aircraft try to outmaneuver one another. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most of us are familiar with these sorts of air-to-air battles, if not in reality then in the Hollywood version. Seventy-eight million people in the United States saw Top Gun: Maverick in theaters alone. As we watch these two planes go toe-to-toe, you can almost hear the theme song from the soundtrack play out in your mind. But this dogfight is much different from the ones in which Maverick and Iceman duke it out. In this instance, only one of the pilots is, well, a pilot. The other jet, called the X-62A, is being controlled and directed by AI. A human pilot is in the cockpit, but only for backup. Its impossible to tell, as both aircraft demonstrate high-aspect nose-to-nose engagementsa dizzying term for dizzying maneuversand get as close to each other as 2,000 feet, at 1,200 miles per hour. The Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) was developing trusted combat autonomy by collaborating with human pilots in dogfights. The ACE team conducted twenty-one test flights from December 2022 through September 2023. Though closed-mouthed on the outcome of these matchups, the agency has said that a future is on the near horizon where autonomous artificially intelligent systems in the air will operate better than their human counterparts. Additionally, recalling the issue of human-machine trust, DARPA also measured the physiology of the pilot in the aircraft being controlled by the AI to see how he responded while it was under AI control. Like many of us who have tried auto-pilot in a Tesla for the first time, he was no doubt a little nervous at first. DARPA is not the only agency doing this. In 2021, China claimed a similar victory of AI over human pilots in a simulated dogfight. As AIs prove their mettle, humans will be removed from the loop bit by bit. Eventually, machines will fight other machines, modifying behavior and making decisions without human input. We are already accustomed to basic autonomy. The passenger planes we take fly on autopilot, and many of us drive with advanced cruise control and even basic self-driving capability. Soon enough, AI-based weapon systems will go beyond such basic levels of automation and also possess and use reasoning to inform their actions. The aerial drone wars of Ukraine provide a preview of this world. In the dogfight Ive described, the AI-piloted F-16 is responding to whatever signals its sensors are receiving and then reacting accordingly. We can think of this as tactical intelligence. Its like a reptileit is able to respond to signals from its environment and perform these functions well, but without having anything resembling consciousness to truly understand what is going on in the world. This is about winning the fight that is happening. A dogfight is the ultimate example of tactical intelligenceknowing where to turn and when to do it, what weapon to use and how to use it. While thats impressive, its not the end game. DAMIAN DOVARGANES With strategic intelligence, the objective is more than just kill or be killed in immediate combat. It is about having a goal and then using tactical means to achieve it. Strategic intelligence involves a mixture of sensors and strategy. It translates objectives into actionable plans. This is the evolution of the basic operational thinking to the next levelfrom I need to take the bridge to I should take the bridge so that I can then take the command center, so that I can ultimately win the battle. Strategic intelligence begins to require much more reasoning because it involves more complex choices among various courses of action. It asks whether taking the bridge is necessary to taking the command center or whether it is better to skip the hill and, instead, flank the command center. Most important, it requires thinking like the enemy and modeling their thought patterns. Anticipatory questions must be askedsuch as Will the enemy think Ill take the hill or the bridge next? And if the enemy does think that, then what will they do? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Strategic intelligence becomes complicated and even paradoxical. The strategist Edward Luttwak refers to the paradox of strategy, in which the worst move ultimately may be the best move. Making it even more complex is the fact that the enemy may know that I know this paradox of strategy and counter it in their own plans. Consider an economic example. The United States has concerns about China using powerful semiconductors to develop artificial intelligence for military uses and, thereby, prepare for war. Given this, the Trump and Biden administrations both limited semiconductor chip exports to China and even went so far as to have other nations, like Taiwan, limit their export. Because of this, China has been forced to rely more on its own domestic chip manufacturing capability and to build up that capacity. This strategy may thus speed up a scenario in which China no longer requires the United States or other nations semiconductors because it is self-sufficient for semiconductors. And that may increase the likelihood of China using AI chips for military purposes and preparing for war. The paradox is that the United States might have been better off not limiting semiconductor chip exports to China, leaving the Chinese dependent on the United States and allies and so slowing preparations for war. This complexity of strategy reminds me of the Rob Reiner movie The Princess Bride, in which the Sicilian criminal Vizzini takes part in a battle of wits against the Man in Black. Vizzini must decide which cup has poison in it. He runs through the logic: All I have to do is divine from what I know of you. Are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet or his enemys? Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. Im not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool; you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The question is whether an AI could recognize this dizzying logic and take part in it, skipping from the question at hand (which cup to choose?) to the bigger picture (who is my enemy and how do they think?). Ultimately, we learn that the Man in Black put the poison into both cups, killing Vizziniwhich shows exactly how convoluted, and deadly, human reasoning and the real world of strategy can be. Strategic intelligence is also concerned with long-term trends, up to and including the highest levels of strategy of allgrand strategy and geopolitics. From winning the battle to winning the war and then to winning the peace involves an ever-widening contextual view of a situation, the actors, and the tools involved. A geopolitical event might involve thinking about dozens of different state-level, substate, and third-party actors, from the United States, Russia, and Ukraine; to Putin, his Ministry of Defense, individual military units, the U.S. Department of State, and the European Parliament; to oil and gas companies; and so forth. Each of these actors has multiple ways of interacting, from actual military strikes to sanctions to influence campaigns to simply doing nothing. At the tactical level, such as in combat, goals are simple and pretty easy to optimize for, but at the strategic level, everything is more complex. For instance, it is not clear what winning means at the geopolitical level. Notoriously, the United States won the invasion of Afghanistan in 2002 and Iraq in 2003, but that led to years of continued fighting. Nor is it clear who wins a trade war when tariffs are raisedperhaps one industry is harmed while another is helped, and both sides likely feel pain. The Fourth Intelligence Revolution: The Future of Espionage and the Battle to Save America $29.99 at amazon.com Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At an even grander scale, its not clear what winning the Cold War meant when the fall of the Soviet Union led to chaos, the rise of Vladimir Putin, and what many consider to be an even more threatening international situation than the relative calmness and cooperation of the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev. This is the innate complexity of international relations. While it may seem like a zero-sum game, with winners and losers, the reality is much murkier. Human history is marked by centuries of this ongoing series of wars and treaties and empires that rise and fall. Arguably the best theory we have come up with is that the goal of nations is simply to survive over time and that the pursuit of this goal explains their actions, a theory called Realism, which is not very comforting. Its unlikely that AI will help solve for strategy in foreign affairs, certainly not in any autonomous way, because these are truly unsolvable problems. Highly complex, non-zero-sum, ongoing problems that require reasoning are not solvable. But for those problems that are more tactical, AI may be an ideal solution, and autonomy is possible. Where it leads us, however, may be a true dystopia. When I was in Iraq, I was accustomed to hearing the buzzing of MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper drones circling overhead, hunting for terrorists. While these drones were still piloted by humans remotely, it was not hard to imagine a time when they would pilot themselves, on autopilot. Little did I know that, just a few years later, when I returned to the world of intelligence at the NGA, I would be involved in the leading edge of making such combat drones truly autonomous. Project Maven began with Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work, who wanted to integrate machine learning across the entire Department of Defense. This was a visionary concept in 2017. Work set up the Algorithmic Warfare Cross-functional Team and appointed the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for intelligence, Lieutenant General Jack Shanahan, to run the program and its first instantiation in Project Maven. Shanahan and the Director of the Strategic Capabilities Office, Will Roper, invited me to form the Senior Steering Group with them. An executive committee was drawn from leaders across the Department of Defense and military services. In a scene straight out of a Michael Lewis book, the bulldog Marine Colonel Drew Cukor executed a plan not just to develop and implement new AI technology in the DOD, but also to field it with special operations within a year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The software used in what came to be called Project Maven was simple in concept. Video of what the drone was seeing was fed into an algorithm that could recognize the objects in the video. It might be a car, truck, person, or house. It wasnt so different from the software derived from ImageNet contests, meant to tell the difference between, say, a dog and a cat. Making such software robust and able to be run in the field on a drone and deploying it was complex but achievable. And we did it. Within a year. Anadolu By 2024, it was reported that the Maven system could identify objects at a 60 percent accuracy rate. To put that into perspective, a human analyst was reported to be able to do so 84 percent of the time. This is not parity, but it definitely shows the path forward, and over time, its likely the system will exceed human capability. Already, computer vision systems have been shown to be better than doctors at identifying cancer in MRI images, for example. The other benefits of Maven and similar systems may already outweigh this difference in accuracy, such as by being faster and much more scalable than human analysts. Maven can assess any number of images and does not require time to sleep or eat. Project Maven marked a turning point in linking intelligence and operations. Linking such object recognition to target recognition is a matter of connecting the dots. For instance, it means going from recognizing that an object is a T-4 Russian tank or a terrorist holding a rocket-propelled grenade and then noting that such objects are threats. Now, instead of an intelligence officer determining what something is and whether it is a threat, the same system that is flying the drone can do so, with the option of leaving humans out of the loop. From there, it is straightforward to program in that threats should be fired upon and, ultimately, to give the system permission to fire. (To be clear, Project Maven was not actually about automated drone attacks. In fact, it was explicitly just about reconnaissance.) This connection between intelligence and operations has now been integrated to the point where intelligence and operations are combined into a single agency. In 2022, Project Maven was moved into the NGA, to be run under the Data and Digital Innovation Directorate, an outgrowth and combination of the director for AAA, the Office of Ventures and Innovation (OVI), and other offices I managed while at the NGA. Automation is becoming more and more interwoven into the functions of our intelligence agencies, both conceptually and in action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is logical, as automating the kill chain is as much a technological issue as a policy issue. The kill chain refers to the military concept of identifying a target; finding, fixing, and monitoring that target; engaging that target; and ultimately deciding whether to destroy that target. An autonomous system is able to take each of these steps. The question is only whether policy requires a human to press the Weapon Release button or not. The need for faster operations to keep up with faster technologies and the need to operate without reliable communications means that more and more decisions to engage will become automated. This is for the inevitable reason that they must be automated for us to win. An autonomous fighter jet in a dogfight against another autonomous fighter jet, operating at split-second speeds, cannot wait for a human to tell it to fire a missile. Any computer virus or bot operating inside an adversarys computer or network is already operating on its own. As will likely be the case in many future battle spaces, communications and GPS may be denied by jammers, leaving autonomous systems to operate on their own. Indeed, this is the case in Ukraine, where communications with drones is often jammed and the drones must operate autonomously. The dictates of such warfare will necessitate autonomy, whether we like it or not. While today it is easy to imagine one or two autonomous systems operating this way, the reality is that they will also operate in large numbers, or swarms. The concept is common in nature, from schools of fish to flocks of birds to swarms of bees. DARPA and other military R&D centers have been working on creating swarms for years now, where a collection of autonomous entities can work together toward a common cause. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Swarms will be a completely new form of fighting, in which dozens, thousands, or even millions of vehicles or devices operate in concert to attack the enemy. A swarm of small, inexpensive drones could overwhelm enemy air defenses or anti-missile systems, be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or attack targetsor all these things in turn. Swarms can fight or act in a decentralized manner. They can spread out, flank, or otherwise maneuver. Killing one of their number wont matter, because they can easily combine again into new shapes and patterns. This form of warfare will leave little room for humans. It will be so fast, complex, and dangerous that any humans on the battlefield will be slaughtered before they know it. Global Images Ukraine These wont be dumb killing machines; they will be smart, marked by a decentralized intelligence. Imagine a sort of battlefield brain, a system of AIs monitoring the battle that can incorporate information from all the sensors on each drone and, thus, collectively monitor and judge how a battle is playing out. Autonomous vehicles or swarms of them also will be in conversation with one another. Relaying this information back to the AI brain, they will help it make better decisions. They may also be connected to satellites that are able to see the entire area and share that information with the brain. Thus, not only do the drones act as sensors for one anothers actions, but they can also alert one another to act when directed to do so. Processing all this data, the brain could then conclude which territory should be the next target and order a group of drones to attack it. Such a vision is not far off from an integrated command-and-control system called the Joint All-Domain Command and Control system (JADC2), which is being developed by the Pentagon. The next-generation defense contractor Anduril has already developed its own battlefield brain technology, called Lattice. This battlefield brain is an illustration of the merging of intelligence and operations. The swarm will both collect and use intelligence from the battlefield. It will observe, identify targets, and make decisions about what to do. It will then communicate that information back out to the individual autonomous systems. In effect, it is creating its own enclosed intelligence cycle and combining it with a command-and-control system without the need for human intervention. In other words, we are on the cusp of truly autonomous warfare systems. This is war fighting without humans, for the first time in the history of humanity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A swarm can be confronted only by other swarms. Hundreds or thousands of independently operating autonomous vehicles would overwhelm even the most capable fighter jet. Eventually, the fighter jet will run out of ammunition or be surrounded. The same goes for tanks or ships. The swarm doesnt even need missiles: the swarming vehicles could simply crash into their target. Inevitably, if one side has a swarm of drones that commands itself, the other side will need to have the same. Each side would be driven and controlled by its own decentralized battlefield brain. The apocalyptic vision of a million autonomous drones battling a million autonomous drones in the sky may sound like science fiction, but it is coming. Something similar may take place on the ground, as millions of robots battle one another as men once did on the fields of Belgium and France during World War I, or underwater, or in spaceor, most likely, in all these domains at once. The strategist Herman Kahn talked about wars tendency to escalate, and the drive toward autonomous warfare similarly will follow the path of escalation. Swarms will also be fed by autonomous logistics chains. Weapons must be reloaded, ammunition moved to the front, damaged systems fixed, and spare parts acquired and placed. Already, the military is making autonomous cargo drones that move supplies on battlefields. Unveiled in 2022, the Elroy Air Chaparral C1 is an unmanned cargo aircraft with the ability to move hundreds of pounds of equipment hundreds of miles. Boeing has also been developing autonomous refueling aircraft. The U.S. Navy is set to start using the companys MQ-25 Stingray to refuel at sea. Instead of being monitored by humans, the autonomous systems will sense and calculate the need for new supplies and then orchestrate the movement of those supplies. Imagine swarms of autonomous logistics robots feeding swarms of intelligence-collecting and -fighting robots. This autonomous logistics chain will link back to an autonomous supply chain that manufactures the autonomous systems. These integrated supply chain systems may go so far as to produce the raw materials, mining metals and minerals, while autonomous mining vehicles will extract raw materials. The raw materials will be transported to autonomous factories where new autonomous systems will be constructed and then moved into the battlefield. Not only might the autonomous systems build, move, and control themselves, but also they might improve themselves and their capacity to fight war. AI is already regularly used to help the scientific discovery and research-and-development process. It is not hard to imagine that as AI controlled autonomous systems operate, they might figure out more optimal design configurations and then reprogram the manufacturing system to make better versions of themselves, perhaps with a new wing design or a better computer vision system or a more efficient logistics system. This becomes a recursive process of improvement in war, which, like the human continual improvement of war, could go on indefinitely. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At its highest level, AI systems may act autonomously to collect intelligence, make operational decisions, and even determine the strategy of war. Intelligence is already on the trajectory of becoming driven by AI. From there, it is not hard to imagine AI reasoning systems allowing for operational and strategic decisions. Already, OpenAI has models with some level of reasoning. While this final phase of autonomous warfare may not be tomorrow or the next day, it does feel inevitable. I call this new form of autonomous warfare singularity war. The singularity war will be a fully integrated, automated combination of intelligence and operations, combat and logistics, command and control. I take the term from the concept of the AI singularity, in which AI becomes smart enough to design and create new, smarter AI systems, leading to a recursive feedback loop in which AI superintelligence is created. At that point, it is impossible to tell what will happen to humankind, because our destiny will be determined by superintelligence we cannot fathom. Singularity war is similar in that it will be a form of warfare that is self-sustaining and exponentially adapting and improving to a point where we humans cannot fully predict what will happen. It is a future in which autonomous systems battle one another and control and even build themselves. An AI will be collecting and analyzing information for other AIs, which will use that information to operate. It will have its own sensors feeding information back to yet more AIs. The autonomous systems will design, develop, move, and command themselves, creating an ever-evolving perfect system of war. When the singularity war happens, humans will be in the back seat. Excerpted from THE FOURTH INTELLIGENCE REVOLUTION: The Future of Espionage and the Battle to Save America by Anthony Vinci. Published by Henry Holt and Company. Copyright 2025 by Anthony Vinci. All rights reserved. You Might Also Like SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) The Siouxland Chamber of Commerce is throwing its support behind two developers and a former mayor in next months Sioux City City Council election. An email sent to members indicates that the chambers Good Government Committee is endorsing former mayor and council member Craig Berenstein, former State Senator and Builder Rick Bertrand, and local developer and political newcomer Paul Koskovich. Story continues below Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All three were picked from a field of six candidates on the ballot to fill three openings. The three incumbents opted not to run for reelection. 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 SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. By Lucy Papachristou TBILISI (Reuters) -Six Armenian clergymen were detained on Wednesday, their lawyer said, amid a widening crackdown that has seen some religious figures accused of plotting coups in the South Caucasus country. Five priests belonging to the Aragatsotn diocese of the Apostolic Church in western Armenia as well as its most senior figure, Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, were brought into custody following searches of their homes, lawyer Ara Zograbyan wrote on Facebook. A number of civilians were also arrested, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Armenian authorities have not yet published statements on the detentions. The Investigative Committee, the judiciary's main investigative arm, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The arrests of the six come after another pastor at a church in the same region gave an interview last month on public television alleging that the Apostolic Church had forced its members to participate in anti-government rallies in 2021 against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. An Armenian non-profit group, the Union of Informed Citizens, subsequently filed a request to state prosecutors to investigate the claim by the pastor, Father Ter Aram. A senior council of the Apostolic Church condemned Wednesday's arrests as showcasing the government's "systemic pressure on the Armenian Church", according to a statement cited by Armenian media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The confrontation between the government and the Church comes as Pashinyan faces parliamentary elections next June and is under domestic pressure to conclude a peace agreement with Azerbaijan to end decades of conflict between the South Caucasus neighbours. The crackdown on the clergy began this summer with the arrests of several prominent clerics on charges of attempts to incite violent coups. One of them, Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, was sentenced to two years in prison earlier this month following what the Apostolic Church called a politically-motivated trial. Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, another jailed cleric who is awaiting trial, led street protests against Pashinyan last year over what he cast as territorial concessions made to Azerbaijan following wars in 2020 and 2023. Some senior clerics have previously called for Pashinyan to step down over Armenia's military defeats against Azerbaijan. (Reporting by Lucy Papachristou; Editing by Aidan Lewis) SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) As you get ready to go to sleep tonight, think about the bed youre on. Is it comfortable? Will you be able to sleep soundly? Doesnt sound like much of a priority for many of us, but for those who dont have the luxury, a comfortable bed is super important. Theres a non-profit in Sioux City that helps with exactly that, Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Sleep In Heavenly Peace had its annual barbecue fundraiser to make sure no child sleeps on a cold, hard floor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Across Siouxland, there were several locations where folks could donate and get some barbecue. Story continues below The president of the organization said that there is a major need for beds and that fundraising is vital to their cause right now So right now our wait list is 165, I believe, and it just keeps going up and up. And so when we talk about the cost of every bed being $300. Fundraising is absolutely necessary. And so we try to do it in the most fun way that we can have while fundraising, and getting more kids into beds is the ultimate goal, said Chapter President Meredith Davis-Vogt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Sioux City, Fuzzy Pig spent most of the night preparing for the fundraiser. I started last night with, I smoked a total of 48 racks of ribs, said Heath Barkley, owner of Fluffy Pig. Little sleep last night. For me, it was a no-brainer to be able to get involved and help out with this. The fundraiser ran from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday night. If you are interested in donating or volunteering with Sioux Citys chapter of Sleep In Heavenly Peace, visit their website. 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 SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. ST. LOUIS A St. Louis police officer is facing charges in a drunk driving crash that severely injured a scooter driver. According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the crash happened just after midnight on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at Morganford Road and Carondelet Boulevard, in the citys Boulevard Heights neighborhood. Police said a Ford F-150, driven by Christopher R. Murray, 44, was traveling southbound on Morganford with a green light. Murray was off-duty at the time and not in a police vehicle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News Murray made a left-hand turn onto Carondelet as the moped was traveling northbound on Morganford across Carondelet. The vehicles collided in the intersection after Murray failed to yield for the scooter, who had the right of way. Blood tests showed Murrays blood alcohol level was .096%, police said. The scooter driver, a 49-year-old man, was taken to the hospital in critical condition. He suffered multiple injuries, including having his leg amputated below his knee. The St. Louis Circuit Attorneys Office charged Murray with DWI serious physical injury and second-degree assault. Murray will be held in custody without bond. 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 FOX 2. It seemed like any city council meeting: a beige, cinderblock room, metal chairs, a U-shaped table with a maroon tablecloth reading Leonia Board of Education. But for the men some sporting matching T-shirts, claiming that they were survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of a once-beloved teacher it signified a release, a silence broken. Paul King, 59, choked back sobs as he took the mic, his family thronged behind him on a school lunch table bench. I hope that none of you have ever experienced sexual assault, he said in measured tones, despite the emotion. So what do I want? Thats a good question. I dont know. But I do know that I want whats fair. I want the people that are victims to be free to come out. To heal. Theres a saying that a crisis is a terrible thing to waste. This crisis has been going on for over 50 years. More from Rolling Stone Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That was like the most Ive ever seen him cry in my life, Kings 24-year-old son, also named Paul, later tells me. He sat behind his father during his speech, nodding emphatically. He was reaching really deep down into his memories, into his darkest, repressed stuff, to figure out what happened to him and convey it in a way that was more digestible for these guys sitting on the council. Nearly half a century ago, King and his fellow survivors saw their idyllic enclave of Leonia, New Jersey, turn into a hostile place. A leafy, close-knit community less than 10 miles from New York City, Leonia isnt that kind place where tragedy often happens in fact, it was the model for the suburban utopia depicted in Disneys WandaVision. But, much like in that show, there was unease beneath the surface: back in the Eighties, King and the rest watched as their beloved hometown rallied around elementary school teacher John Anagnosti, a.k.a. Mr. A despite the fact that Mr. A was convicted of abusing one of their fellow students. It was a stunning state of affairs: a young boys pain dismissed, his abuser given a slap on the wrist and thousands of dollars of legal support from local parents. Now, though, due to expanding statutes of limitations on child sexual abuse cases, more and more of those who say they are Mr. As victims are coming forward, including two brothers who sued the school board, settling for a combined $6 million. As one of the plaintiffs attorneys claims, more than a dozen survivors could be coming forward in the coming weeks alleged victims of abuse that reportedly spanned nearly 15 years. And his supporters? Some have apologized to survivors; others are now silent. AT 66, MICHAEL GONZALES RESEMBLES a svelte Santa Claus, wiry and strong. But back in the 1970s, he was an eight-year-old with a high and tight haircut and a mischievous smile a Dennis the Menace incarnate. He also believes he was likely Mr. As first victim. At the time, unconventional teaching was all the rage: field trips, dinners at teachers houses, ballgames anything to get fidgety, bored students engaged. Mr. A embraced that educational style, even earning him a glowing piece in the local paper in 1971 about a class trip to dig fossils with a Columbia University professor. I spend so many hours with the kids outside the classroom because thats when I truly get to see them as human beings, he later told The New York Times. Theyre more open then. I feel that if I get to know them, I can help them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unfortunately, it seems, those outings also allowed Mr. A unfettered access to his alleged victims, like Gonzales. The bell rings for lunch, and he would put his arm out to prevent me from going out the classroom door, and thats when the molestation started, Gonzales says. He says Mr. A molested him until seventh grade, roughly 500 times, a claim also included in his lawsuit against the school board. All the kids are out in the school yard playing, and Im here being molested. That same scenario over and over again, but not just in the classroom. That all started with me; that was his plan on how he gathered the kids. That was his master plan. Gonzales brother, Joe, also says he became one of Mr. As victims at age six, when Michael went by the teachers house to rake leaves with his brother in tow. Michael didnt find out until years later, but the experience nearly ruined both of the brothers lives. I became a bully. I ruined friendships, Michael says. I came out of high school and I didnt know how to read, because I couldnt concentrate. Joe, 60, turned to drinking at age 12; he was 35 days sober when we spoke. I wasnt born an alcoholic, he says. I was born a normal kid that was abused at five, six years old, and alcohol, it was a savior, and it is the love of my life. The brothers pain only intensified in January of 1981, when an elementary school student publicly accused Mr. A of molestation. I carried around that burden, Michael says, his voice breaking. Why didnt I say something? Its not what he did to me. These kids [that he may have abused], who knows if theyre even alive. Its just a total failure of humanity. It didnt help that the people of Leonia seemed firmly on Mr. As side back in 1981. When the childs father paraded through the town center with a sign proclaiming the teachers guilt then took the pulpit at the Presbyterian Church to do the same he was charged with harassment, and endangering his child by keeping him out of school, and ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, according to The New York Times. Mr. A wasnt completely able to escape consequences. In spring of that year, following an investigation he was charged with molesting the student, pleaded guilty, and resigned. Still, by June, hed changed his tune especially after local parents had raised $7,500 for his defense. Mr. A then opted to retract his plea, claiming that hed only fessed up to the crime to spare the child emotional trauma. The case then moved to state Superior Court, and in 1982, he was convicted of sexual assault. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It may seem strange in 2025 that Leonia would stand by an alleged child abuser, but even the headlines of the day reflect a different time: Leonia Parents Support Teacher in Morals Case, trumpets one, while another article, titled Supporting a Neighbor, casts a benefit dinner at All Saints Episcopal Church as a heartwarming communion in support of a beloved educator. When Mr. A resigned, one child said, according to the paper, we got a teacher who just told us what to do and sat there. Mr. A said it was better to learn by experiencing things. We went to New York to the planetarium, to the World Trade Center, to the Statue of Liberty and other places. The class would go to his house for dinner and talk about what wed seen. According to the the Times, the local TV shop even put up an open letter from Mr. A thanking the town for its support a sore point for Joe, who worked at the store. Paul King had to walk by that poster every day on his walk to school, silently seething. Joe told me, Every time I walked into that TV [store], I look at that effing poster, he says. Im thinking, Ive been abused for over two years by this guy, like big time.It wasnt, You show me your weenie and Ill show you mine, it was full-on physical touching and beyond. But nobody believed the kid. King has not filed a suit. Michael was similarly enraged by the support. He was on leave from the Army when he heard the news of Mr. As conviction, and wracked with guilt and shame (and alcohol), he went to the mans house with the intention of killing him. Mr. A let him into his condo, and after calling his lawyer or psychiatrist Michael isnt sure which Michael changed his mind. You know, it tortures me, he says. I could have went to jail. I could have ruined my whole life. Even after Mr. A was convicted of sexual assault, the judgment was muted. He received only three years of probation and a $25 fine. I dont know what other punishment this man deserves, the judge opined at the time, while Mr. A took the stand to tell the court: I would rather cut off my right hand than harm a hair on a child. My love for children is genuine. Its not all that surprising, then, that Leonia received a glowing write-up in the infamous pedophile magazine, Pan, an underground publication about boy love. He was indicted by a grand jury in October. But instead of running him out of town, as, sadly, often happens in such cases, the community rallied to his support, the magazine said. It must have occurred to more than one of the good parents at the All Saints Episcopal Church: John Anagnosti is a paedophile in the true sense of the word; he loves children, and whether or not there is a sexual expression of this love would not seem to be very important. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MR. A DIED IN 2020, BUT THE MEN never forgot him or what he did. And, at the time, they suffered in silence, since neither King nor the Gonzaleses knew that they shared the same abuser. I had lost my hope, Michael says. Im going to the grave with the secret. Im laying in bed, and I see this commercial on TV, and it says if you were molested by a teacher in New Jersey or something or another, to call this number. I called the number. The law firm from the commercial then connected Michael with Baldante & Rubenstein, which has seen a massive uptick in such cases since New Jersey, along with several other states, changed its statute of limitations for child sexual abuse survivors in 2019. Now, Michael and his brother could fight back. When you sit down with these victims and they start to tell their story, oftentimes were the first person theyve ever spoken to about it, lawyer John Baldante says. He adds that 80 to 90 percent of their cases deal with sexual abuse cases. They start crying like the eight- and 10-year old-children that they were when they were abused. One of my clients once said, Its the first time Ive ever spoken out on behalf of that 10-year-old version of myself. With Baldantes help, Joe and Michael each sued the Leonia Township Board of Education, alleging that the school and board knew about Mr. As reported actions, but did nothing to stop them. Despite such knowledge, Michaels suit reads, [the school] failed to adequately respond to stop harassmentagainst the plaintiff. The brothers garnered a combined $6 million in separate settlements in 2024. Still, according to Michaels daughter, Keegan, this lawsuit wasnt a payday. It was acknowledgement that something horrific happened, and the school system failed these kids. The story does not end here. Were going to continue speaking about this, because this goes beyond compensation. We want peoples stories to be heard. To date, Baldante says several other men have come forward with similar stories about Mr. A, and he expects there will be many more. The firm is in the process of working up further litigation. Theres no question that theres undoubtedly hundreds [of victims], he claims. Mr. A was the Pied Piper. Although stressing that there are only three cases of litigation currently pending against the teacher and school board, Baldante says in the context of cases against a single perpetrator within a public school Board of Education, the claims against Mr. A are evolving into one of the largest clusters of claims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AND THAT BRINGS US BACK TO THAT city council meeting. Through a series of happenstances, Keegan met the younger Paul King, and they figured out that both their fathers claim to have been victims of Mr. A right before the Gonzaleses and another alleged survivor, Daniel Schlademan, were due to speak at the meeting on June 17. In light of more and more alleged victims coming forward, the men planned to address the Board of Education, calling on them to take steps to bring closure and comfort to the victims, as well as concrete moves to ensure the safety of the towns children in the future. King joined them, and, one by one, they emptied their hearts in that ugly municipal board room. The men acknowledged that the school board is populated by far different people than it was 50 years ago, but they still want justice and recognition of systemic failure. The Leonia school district dismissed the reports of sexual abuse made by students and tried to sweep Anagnostis predatory conduct under the carpet, says the lawyer, Baldante. Unfortunately, these efforts by Leonia only compounded the problem. The Leonia School District is currently involved in active litigation related to these matters, and therefore we cannot provide specific comments, said Daniel Lee, President of Leonia Board of Education. That said, our lack of direct response to the public comments on this matter must not be mistaken for indifference to the pleas of those who have come forward. We recognize how painful these issues may be for victims, their families, and the wider community. We take this concern very seriously. The Boards goal is always to foster a safe, supportive environment, and we are mindful of the role we can play in the healing process. At this moment, however, our legal and ethical responsibilities require restraint to avoid jeopardizing the district or those it serves now and in the future. In a 2022 filing, the BOE denied any wrongdoing or negligence, adding: The Board did not have actual or constructive knowledge of the allegations of sexual misconduct of Defendant John Anagnosti. The Board did not enable any alleged sexual abuse and the Board did not fail to take action with regards to any alleged sexual abuse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, all the men can do is wait. Wait for the school board to listen to them. Wait for more people to come forward. Schlademan created a website in May outlining the towns history with Mr. A called Voices of Leonia; hes currently fighting his own legal battle against the school board and declined to be interviewed for this article. Meanwhile, Baldante is interviewing more survivors of Mr. A in preparation for future lawsuits. And the Gonzaleses? Theyre just continuing to heal. Its so important to me that this story is told, Michael says. Everybodys at fault here full circle. Ive been disappointed so many times. This guy is a monster and nobody paid attention. Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. NEED TO KNOW Smuckers is suing Trader Joes, alleging the chain's crustless PB&J sandwiches copy Uncrustables design The lawsuit cites similar packaging, blue color scheme and crimped-edge sandwich shape Smuckers is asking Trader Joes to halt sales of the product and destroy related materials The J.M. Smuckers Company, the Ohio-based parent company of Smuckers, is suing Trader Joes, claiming that the grocers version of the Uncrustable sandwiches is too similar to Smuckers' version. According to court documents filed on Monday, Oct. 13, obtained by PEOPLE, Smuckers is accusing the California-founded grocery chain of trademark infringement for the design of the pre-made, sealed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit references Trader Joes back to school product as being an obvious attempt to trade off of the fame and recognition of the Uncrustable design that Smuckers is well-known for, including the crimped edge of the sandwiches. Trader Joe's Trader Joe's Crustless Sandwiches Trader Joe's Crustless Sandwiches The lawsuit also highlights the similarities between the marketing of the product, alleging that both have a bite taken out of it on the packaging. Smuckers is alleging that the indistinguishable likeness to their product is purposefully misleading to the public and claims that consumers have already been deceived into believing that Trader Joes Uncrustable is in some way sponsored or in partnership, though thats not the case. The Trader Joes Crustless Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam Sandwiches come in a set of four in a light blue box. On the cover, four sandwiches are stacked on top of each other with the top one having a bite taken out of it. Smucker's claims the grocers packaging closely mimics that of Uncrustables, by featuring the same color blue Smucker's uses in its own branding, including the word "Uncrustables" appearing in a blue font. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neither the J.M. Smuckers Company nor Trader Joes immediately responded to PEOPLE's request for comment. Smucker's Smucker's Uncrustables sandwiches Smucker's Uncrustables sandwiches Smuckers notes not having an issue with other pre-made sandwiches that are frozen to be thawed and ready-to-eat on the market, but it cannot allow others to use Smuckers valuable intellectual property to make such sales, the court documents read. Smuckers legal team claims that Trader Joes actions fall under trademark infringement, trademark dilution, unfair competition, false designation of origin and deceptive trade practices entitling Smucker to damages, costs, profits and injunctive relief. The filing cites the Lanham Act, a law created to protect businesses from unfair competition and trademark infringement. The team also notes that if the courts do not limit Trader Joes wrongful acts, itll lead to further irreparable injury to its brand and consumer base. Smuckers is requesting that Trader Joes stop selling their copycat version and to have all of the product and related material destroyed, including but not limited to containers, labels, packaging, wrappers, signs, prints, banners, posters, brochures, literature, catalogs, or other advertising, marketing or promotional materials. Read the original article on People NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) The feeling of cracking open a crispy can of soda is nearly second to none. However, the pop you used to hear when this bottle opened might take the cake. New Yorkers will once again be able to experience that feeling. More Local News Snapple, the prominent flavored tea brand, is bringing back its iconic glass bottles to New York City. Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Inc. and Keurig Green Mountain struck a merger deal in 2018 worth more than $21 billion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The company, now known as Keurig Dr. Pepper, switched Snapple from glass to plastic in the years following the deal. Now, the group is bringing back the glass, but only in New York, and only for a limited time. Snapple Apple, Kiwi Strawberry, Peach Tea, Zero Sugar Peach Tea and Lemon Tea flavors will return to their original clear, hard shells. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State The bottles are available now for $3.99 at select New York retailers and local bodegas. The glass packs are currently listed on Walmart, Stop & Shop, Amazon and other retailers. Spencer Gustafson is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered New York state and city news since 2023. See more of his work here. 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 PIX11. Florida teachers would have to take an oath to the nation and the state under new legislation filed by a Republican lawmaker. Rep. Tom Fabricio, R-Miami Lakes, filed the bill (HB 147) on Oct. 13. The Florida Legislature's 2026 regular session starts in January. The oath would be required for public school teachers, similar to oaths taken by lawyers, doctors, and public officials, according to a news release from Fabricio. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for the Florida Education Association, the statewide teachers union, questioned the need for the bill, saying similar requirements already exist in state law and regulations. "A great question for Rep. Fabricio would be what the real reason behind a bill like this really is, given some of the language that exists already," Kat Canfield said. "Also, has anyone asked him if educators in schools that accept taxpayer funded vouchers will also be subject to take the same oath?" Fabricio wasn't immediately available Oct. 14, but his oath does add language specifically meant for educators. 'Foster a respectful learning environment for all students' For instance, the text of the oath says: I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support, protect, and defend the Constitution and Government of the United States and the Constitution and Government of the State of Florida; that I am duly qualified for employment as a classroom teacher in this state; that I will well and faithfully perform the duties of a classroom teacher in a professional, independent, objective, and nonpartisan manner; that I will uphold the highest standards of academic integrity and professional ethics; that I will foster a respectful learning environment for all students, which promotes critical thinking, civic responsibility, and lifelong learning; and that I will serve as a positive role model in both conduct and character, so help me God. When I became a member of The Florida Bar, I swore an oath to uphold the Constitution, protect my clients, and act with integrity. That oath wasnt symbolic, it was a promise, Fabricio, an attorney, said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Teachers hold something even more precious than money in trust: They are trusted with molding our children. Every day, they shape hearts and minds that will decide the future of this country. If lawyers, doctors, and elected officials must take an oath, then so should those who mold the next generation of Americans. Fabricio said more than 30 states, including California and New York, already require such oaths. Our schools should be training young people to unapologetically love this country, Fabricio added. The Teachers Oath Act is about restoring respect for the flag, the Constitution, and the timeless values that make America exceptional. Floridas teachers should lead by example, and that starts with a promise to defend the freedoms that make our nation great. The News Service of Florida contributed. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Proposed law adds oath of office requirement for Florida teachers GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) The Michigan Bureau of Elections has released its final report detailing the recounts and audits from the 2024 presidential election, which it claims affirms the departments integrity and accuracy. The report included three reviews: a recount of the State House 44th District Race, a ballot audit of 166 precincts, and a procedural audit of 378 randomly selected precincts. Lowell Township voters to decide on millage to fight invasive pest Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A recount in the 44th District shows the winner actually won by more votes than previously thought. The initial ballot count showed the candidate won by 61 votes. The recount found the candidate actually won by 79 votes. The ballot audit reviewed the difference between ballots counted by a machine and a hand count. The 166 precincts, which are randomly selected, held a total of 119,567 ballots. The hand count determined the machine misread 33 ballots, a .0275% error rate. The BOE says slight discrepancies between machine counts and hand counts are normal, and typically an average of just one vote per precinct. The ballot audit also found that both major party presidential candidates gained votes in the hand count. Democrat Kamala Harris gained 11 votes in the hand count, while Republican Donald Trump gained 10 votes. Jill Stein, of the Green Party, lost the most votes with six. The BOE says each of the 378 precincts randomly selected for a post-election audit were found to be in compliance, approved on more than 70 different procedures, including actions required before, during and after Election Day and including each voting method. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson hailed the post-election audits as critical to Michigans election security. Rockford voters to decide on $230 million school bond proposal Hundreds of bipartisan state, county and local election officials worked tirelessly to review the processes, procedures and results of Michigans historic 2024 election, Benson said in a statement. Im especially grateful for the professionalism of these election administrators, whose thorough preparation and attention to detail continue to ensure our elections are secure and the results are an accurate reflection of the will of the voters. The full report has been published on the Secretary of States website. 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 WOODTV.com. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current) South Dakota students average ACT score in 2025 is slightly lower than last year and is unimproved for a fifth straight year, but it remains higher than the national average. The state Department of Education released results of the college readiness exam Wednesday. South Dakota students earned an average composite score of 21. The highest possible score on the ACT is 36. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement South Dakotas results continued a trend of lower scores since the states recent high of 21.9 in 2018. The state averaged 21.1 in each of 2023 and 2024. The minimum score for acceptance at the states public universities is 18. These numbers reflect what we know to be true that South Dakota students who take the ACT are well-prepared to move on following their K-12 careers, said Secretary of Education Joe Graves in a news release. The national average composite score this year is 19.4, which is the same as last year and an eighth straight year of lower or unimproved scores after a peak score of 21 in 2017. Sixty percent of South Dakotas high school graduates took the ACT this year, according to the department. Of students who indicated they want to attend college, 75% said they plan to attend higher education institutions in South Dakota. Forty-one percent of South Dakota test-takers met college readiness in three or four academic skill areas: English, mathematics, reading and science. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Comparing states based on their average ACT scores is difficult, because not all states require the test, and the percentage of students taking it in each state varies widely. The state will require all South Dakota juniors to take the test beginning this spring, replacing the state assessment test administered to high school juniors. Providing all public-school juniors the opportunity to demonstrate their readiness this spring is an exciting and important step. Having an ACT score in hand can open doors to opportunities students may never have considered before, Graves added. I look forward to seeing students who would not typically take the ACT realize what their future may hold. South Dakota will join nine other states that reported 100% of students taking the ACT. Among those states, the average score was 18.2. South Dakotas average score of 21 for the roughly 60% of students who took the test is better or equal to states with the most similar participation rates, according to the ACT. Missouri, with 70% participation, reported 19.8; Hawaii, with 68% participation, reported 17.5; Minnesota, with 68% participation, reported 20.6; and Iowa, with 41% participation, reported 21. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Absentee voting is available on the third floor of the Minnehaha County building in downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota, ahead of the city and school board election on April 9, 2024. (Photo by Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) A South Dakota board that oversees federal election grants approved funding Wednesday for satellite voting centers in three counties where travel distances have made it harder for Native Americans to cast ballots. The states HAVA Grant Board, which administers federal money from the Help America Vote Act, met virtually to approve grant requests from Lyman, Oglala Lakota and Todd counties. Those counties are home to much of the Lower Brule, Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations. Election 2026 News and commentary on statewide races and ballot questions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read the latest> The board voted unanimously to fund the three counties requests, totaling about $50,000, to operate in-person, satellite voting sites during the 2026 election cycle. The satellite locations are in addition to early voting and election-day polling places typically located in county courthouses. Lyman County received $17,800 to hire poll workers, pay travel expenses and rent space for a temporary voting site. Oglala Lakota County was approved for $25,400 for similar expenses, and Todd County received $6,500. Courts have repeatedly found that South Dakota and some counties have failed to provide equal access to polling locations, registration opportunities and early voting for Native Americans. In some of those lawsuits, judges have ruled that without such voting sites, those Native American voters faced barriers that violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Quantum scientists around the world are trying to improve quantum computers to make them more reliableand powerful. The German start-up eleQtron sells groundbreaking quantum computers using microwave radiation instead of lasers to control the individual trapped ion qubits, which leads to a simpler design and much less cooling and power consumption. This big step is possible with Arbitrary Waveform Generators (AWG) from Spectrum Instrumentation using advanced Direct Digital Synthesis (DDS) technology with up to 20 sine wave carriers per output to perform the quantum operations The company eleQtron, a spin-off from the University of Siegen, recently delivered a quantum computer that implements their patented MAGIC (MAgnetic Gradient Induced Coupling) quantum processors. MAGIC differentiates from other quantum processor designs by using microwave radiation, instead of lasers, to control and manipulate the qubits. Laser ablation is used initially in a high vacuum to create a string of Ytterbium (171Yb+) ions. This process can build a string of up to 30 ions in a single register, each one functioning as a qubit. Key to implementing quantum algorithms is the use of a magnetic field and an oscillating electric field to generate a Paul trap(quadrapole ion trap). Many designs use a laser at this stage to control and manipulate the qubits, preparingthem to execute quantum gates. Such lasers, however, must be exceptionally accurate in targeting each ionindividually and have high power requirements. By comparison, microwaves are technically simpler and require around one-fifth of the power. A high-frequency oscillator source and the output of Spectrums DDS card are combined using a single sideband(SSB) mixer, generating a signal around 12.64 GHz. Thanks to the Zeeman effect resulting from the magnetic field, each ion can be addressed by modulating the signal in deltas of 3 to 5 MHz which offers low crosstalk and integrates nicely to chip based ion traps. The DDS card generates the multi-tone signal that is needed to implement individual control and manipulation of the qubits. The eleQtron scientists reached out to Spectrum Instrumentation when they hit the limits of their existing AWG hardware. The signals generated have to be modified in amplitude, phase offset, pulse length, and frequency in order to correctly control each qubit. This helps achieve the desired Rabi frequency thatdetermines the speed of quantum operations. But such requirements place significant demands on the Arbitrary Waveform Generator (AWG). The eleQtron team was recommended the M4i.66xx-series of 16 bit AWGs, a well-known instrument line in the community of quantum researchers worldwide. These PCIe cards can offers one, two, or four synchronous channels with up to 1.25 GS/s output rate, and a large onboard memory that can be segmentedto replay different waveforms. With Spectrums optimized drivers, data transfer rates of 2.8 GB/s areattainable, and up to eight cards can be synchronized if needed. With the additional DDS firmware, the outputs allow up to 20 sine wave cores on one channel. Each DDS core can be programmed for frequency,amplitude, phase, frequency slope and amplitude slope with just a few commands, which leads to ultrafastchanges on the sine wave cores with a resolution of 6.4 ns. This helps to address more qubits and enablesthe flexibility in quantum processor design which is needed to implement more complex quantum circuits. For the eleQtron team, the DDS solution was the key for their concept. They also reported about the outstandingsupport they got from Spectrum, from the quality of the documentation to the rapid response by the design engineers themselves. About Spectrum Instrumentation Spectrum Instrumentation, founded in 1989, uses a unique modular concept to design and produce a wide range of more than 200 digitizers and generator products as PC-cards (PCIe and PXIe) and stand-alone Ethernet units (LXI). In over 35 years, Spectrum has gained customers all around the world, including manyA-brand industry-leaders and practically all prestigious universities. The company is headquartered near Hamburg, Germany, known for its 5-year warranty and outstanding support that comes directly from thedesign engineers. More information about Spectrum can be found at www.spectrum-instrumentation.com SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) Approximately 9,000 civilian federal employees in South Dakota are not at work due to the ongoing government shutdown. In Washington, D.C., both sides in the U.S. Senate are blaming each other, and as the shutdown enters its third week, there appears to be no end in sight. Ledbetter pleads guilty to first-degree manslaughter Both of South Dakotas U.S. Senators say they are Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Frustrated because it did not have to happen in the first place, said Senator Mike Rounds. We have very good talks between Republicans and Democrats trying to find a path forward to address the issue of health care. Im hopeful that we can end this sooner rather than later. Its not in anybodys best interest. Everybody loses in the event of a shutdown, said Senator John Thune Thune and Rounds say they are in constant communication with each other in hopes of getting the government funded again. Well, I mean, there will be a point at which the government reopens, but I would rather see it sooner rather than later, said Thune. And, you know, obviously, Im voting every day to open the government. My colleague, Mike Rounds, the senator, another senator from South Dakota, is voting every day to open the government. Our Congressman in the House voted to open the government. So its not like talking to us is going to make any difference. Im going to vote again here in another two hours to open up the government again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rounds offered a glimmer of hope that progress could come next week. We think Democratic leadership will take a different approach, perhaps after this weekend. There are their No Kings Demonstrations going on across the country. Its basically an anti-Trump demonstration, and we think once they have been able to speak in Washington and talk to their base and they get that out of the way, then maybe there will be more of an interest in finding a path forward, but Im not optimistic of getting it cleared this week, said Rounds. The Senate voted again on Wednesday on a short-term resolution that would fund the government until November 21st. For the 9th time, it failed by a 51 to 44 vote. The U.S. House already passed a bill to fund the Federal Government with the support of Dusty Johnson, and remains out of session until called back by Speaker Mike Johnson. 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 KELOLAND.com. In a historic ceasefire deal after two years of war, Hamas released 20 remaining hostages in Gaza, and Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners on Monday. Many in South Florida hoped that the deal, which President Donald Trump helped broker, will bring a permanent end to two years of deadly war between Israel and Hamas. But some are cautiously celebrating, as the agreement has left many unanswered questions about the future of Gaza, which has been decimated, whether the ceasefire will hold and if Israel and Hamas can reach lasting peace. The war began when Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250. In response, Israel invaded Gaza, with the conflict killing about 67,000 Palestinians, according to Gazan health authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement South Florida is home to one of the largest and most diverse Jewish communities in the country with about 69,700 Jewish households, making up 5% of Miami-Dade County and more than the national average of about 2%. Many Jews have strong ties to Israel and some families knew or lost loved ones in the Oct. 7 attacks, intensifying the emotions of the day. South Florida also has a Palestinian-American population, and many in the growing Muslim community have ties to the Middle East. The release of the hostages and prisoners struck powerful emotions on both sides. Heres what South Florida faith leaders and stakeholders have to say about the ceasefire deal, release of the hostages and reflections on the future for Israel and Gaza. A day of hope and mixed emotions Scott Kaufman, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, removes photos of hostages who were released to Israeli families on Monday as part of a ceasefire after two years of war between Israel and Hamas. At the Greater Miami Jewish Federation headquarters, members of the Jewish community sang songs and cried tears of joy for the families who were able to reunite with loved ones who they havent seen in over two years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our Jewish community, and probably Jewish communities around the world, had those families top of mind pretty much every day for the last couple years. So there was a great deal of joy and tears around that moment, said Scott Kaufman, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. There was also a sadness for all the reunifications that will never happen. People who were murdered and arent coming back, or theyre coming back to be buried. Thats an incalculable loss. Kaufman said. Employees and friends of the Federation gathered to remove pictures of the freed living hostages from a commemorative wall. Photos of the deceased were left up, Kaufman said. There was a pride as an American that our government helped broker what hopefully, and I say this with cautious optimism, leads to a more comprehensive peace in a better world, Kaufman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For South Florida Rabbi Yossi Harlig, its a day of strong emotions. Thank God that they were freed and brought back to their families, said Harlig, who is a rabbi at the Chabad Center of Kendall/Pinecrest. Obviously its a miraculous day when you had 20 hostages that were ripped out of their homes or taken from festivals, innocent people who lived ... under brutality of the Hamas. Thats a great miracle, and its a great celebration. But Harlig said he is also thinking of the more than two dozen families of the deceased hostages. Harlig, who was a chaplain to grieving families and first responders during the 2021 Surfside condo collapse, said he knows firsthand how vital it is for families to receive the bodies of their loved ones who have died. In Judaism, we believe even the body is sacred. To bring them back to the holy soil of Israel, to rest with their people that, too, is sacred, Harlig wrote in a post on his social media page. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While all 20 living hostages held by Hamas were immediately released as a part of the ceasefire deal, it was not immediately clear when the 24 deceased hostages would be handed over by Hamas, according to The Associated Press. Harlig said he was reminded of those dark days in Surfside when families would get the call that their loved one was found among the rubble. You could feel the pain, but also this deep relief, this quiet calm, as if they could finally breathe again. It didnt take away the grief, but it allowed them to start healing, he wrote. Names of the victims of October 7th scroll are displayed on the screen during an event commemorating the second anniversary of the tragic attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023. South Florida celebrated the release of 20 living hostages on Monday after a ceasefire deal was reached between Israel and Hamas. For Brian Siegal, director of the Miami and Broward region of the American Jewish Committee, the day brought bittersweet emotions as he also remembered the families of the hostages who perished in captivity. I was overjoyed watching the reunions of the 20 surviving hostages with their families, he said. However, Im also thinking about the families of the deceased hostages who await their return. Their anguish continues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, he said, there is reason to hope despite unprecedented challenges in the region. Today is a historical moment, one that can move Israel, the Palestinians and the entire Middle East toward a better future, Siegal said. The Federation, in a statement said Monday is a day of hope, and the beginning of healing for the hostages, their families and all of Israel. Reflecting on the prolonged period of war, the Federation added that through 18 major Jewish holidays and 105 Shabbat dinners, Jewish families in Israel and around the world had empty chairs at our tables, yellow ribbons on our lapels, and fractures in our hearts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today we rejoice as the 20 surviving hostages come home to their loved ones and finally fill the empty chairs at our tables and begin mending our broken hearts, the Federation wrote. Some skeptical of lasting peace Imam Nasir Ahmad speaks during the JumuAh prayer service ahead of the Ramadan celebration at Masjid Al-Ansar in Liberty City. Reflecting on what two years of war has meant for innocent Palestinians in the region, Miami Imam Nasir Ahmad said he also celebrates the release of the hostages and prisoners, while remaining skeptical that the deal will bring lasting peace. They need to be released. Most of the hostages were innocent in the first place. They should have never been taken, Ahmad said. Its wonderful. Its great news. Speaking about the 67,000 Palestinians who were killed, Ahmad said it kind of makes you wonder... Is it going to be a permanent ceasefire or is it temporary? We dont know. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ahmad said many of his congregants at Masjid Al-Ansar, a mosque in Liberty City, have family or friends in the Middle East who have felt the impact from the two-year war. I do applaud the Jewish people internationally that raised up their voices, that this is not to be done in their name, Ahmad said. I have great respect for those Jewish people that came out against the destruction of Gaza. Donna Nevel, a Miami Beach resident and member of activist organization Jewish Voice for Peace, said the ceasefire is extremely welcome and necessary as a first step to achieving justice for the Palestinian people who have endured Israels brutal genocide these past two years. Nevel said she joins hundreds of thousands of Jews across the globe who will not be silent until the Palestinian people are able to live in freedom and with dignity on their land, in their homes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement South Florida pastor Norman Hemming told the Miami Herald that the deal took strength from both Israelis and Palestinians. In the Bible, the name Gaza is derived from the root word meaning Strong City. It took strength on the part of the Israelis to agree to peace after the horrors of October 7th. But peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of God. Hemming, who is a prominent speaker at South Florida interfaith events, said the ceasefire allows for an opportunity for new beginnings on both sides. May both sides tabernacle with God on this the last day of the Jewish Festival of Sukkoth. This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, including Khalid and Diana Mirza, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work. By Jack Kim SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea issued a "code-black" travel ban for parts of Cambodia on Wednesday and dispatched a team of high-level officials to help nationals lured into working in scam compounds and secure the release of those held against their will. Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina is leading the team to Cambodia to look for a resolution to the involvement of South Koreans in the "complex" scam industry, South Korea's National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement South Korea's intelligence agency is also involved, a presidential spokesperson said separately. The foreign ministry issued a new travel ban for parts of Cambodia, including Poipet and Kampot, and an advisory to leave regions, including Sihanoukville. It cited recent increases in cases of detention and "fraudulent employment". A "code-black" ban is the most serious travel ban with orders for citizens to leave. More than 1,000 South Koreans are believed to be among about 200,000 people of various nationalities involved in the scam compounds in Cambodia, Wi told reporters. The United Nations estimates the scam centres, which have emerged in Southeast Asia since the COVID-19 pandemic, generate billions of dollars in revenue for criminal networks every year, targeting victims around the world through phone and online scams. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The South Korean action follows the death of a South Korean student who was lured into working in a scam centre in Cambodia with the promise of hefty wage. He allegedly died after being tortured by a criminal gang. Last week, South Korea summoned the Cambodian ambassador over the death as well as the detention of its nationals by cybercrime gangs, urging Phnom Penh to take action. In June, Amnesty International accused the Cambodian government of "deliberately ignoring" abuses by crime groups and a "pattern of state failures" that enabled a billion-dollar industry to flourish. The Cambodian government rejected allegations of inaction and said the human rights group's report was "exaggerated". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement South Korean police and its foreign ministry have worked on more than 300 reports filed this year by relatives of nationals believed to be missing in Cambodia, and about 80% of these cases have been resolved, Wi said. The government is working on 72 cases and plans to bring back about 60 people who had been rounded up since July by Cambodian authorities, he said, adding many others were believed to be missing or held against their will. Wi said the government faced constraints given that Cambodia had the right to respond to crimes in the country and said the best course of action for South Korea was to help and cooperate. (Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Ed Davies and Kate Mayberry) SOUTH MANSFIELD, La (KTAL/KMSS)- Ariel Washington reached out to NBC 6 when she couldnt get answers or a problem resolved. The problem was a Village of South Mansfield main water line on her street that was leaking. The leak resembled a stream of water flowing through her neighbors yards and into her backyard and has been leaking since September of this year. Washington says it is a health issue at this point, drawing pests. She said, With Mosquitoes come snakes, snakes love water. Were in the country. My kids cant come and play in the backyard, you know, we cant go anywhere in the backyard. Its green algae growing in the water. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement South Mansfield Mayor Alvin Williams told NBC 6 he knows about the problem has been working to get it resolved. The city cant close that valve because it serves many homes, and they cant repair the leak because Louisiana 811 has not cleared the area for them to dig up the line. The plumbing company contracted to do the work submitted a ticket to 811, and some utilities were cleared, except for AT&T. According to a representative from La. 811, because AT&T didnt do its part in a timely manner, the ticket ended up being closed. The solution, they said, was for the citys plumber to submit another ticket. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NBC 6 did find evidence that a new ticket was filed, and AT&T released the following statement to us: Our locations are marked by third-party vendors. Weve escalated this request so that all markings to identify our buried utilities can be completed as soon as possible. The leak should be fixed soon, but Ariel wonders why it has taken so long. She said, I am shocked and I am very disappointed because it took the news station to come to get an answer. 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 KTALnews.com. To serve the South Philadelphia community, this local grocery store is walkable, and owned by the people who make the neighborhood special. "South Philly Food Co-op" was the project that took a decade to get off the ground. Ever since opening in 2020, they have provided a space where the neighbors of the community can provide a fresh food resource. Part of their motto is "using food as a force for good," which they put on display in initiatives such as their October Equity Drive, helping people become members. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Becoming a member allows them to have a voice in their community grocery store to further improve its operations. Its ownership by local neighborhood members is hyper focused on caring for the community that they know so well. For more information, check out the video above. Also, check out their website. Local tannery workers who make products including the leather for Red Wing Shoe Co. are on strike, the labor union announced. About 65 workers at Twin City Tanning in South St. Paul are on strike until their demands for fair wages and benefits are met, according to a news release from the Chicago and Midwest Regional Joint Board, Workers United Local 150. The picket, which is ongoing at the tannery at 501 Malden St., began Oct. 9 because Twin City Tanning wasnt bargaining in good faith, said Matthew Muchowski, a union spokesperson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The workers biggest demand revolves around pay, which they say doesnt line up with the dangerous nature of their work. Founded in 1988, Twin City Tanning is an affiliate of the nearby Twin City Hide and is listed as a certified supplier by the Leather Working Group, a global nonprofit that encourages sustainable leather production. Officials from Twin City Tanning declined to comment. At a tannery, the raw animal hide goes through a series of chemical and mechanical treatments to remove hair, fat and flesh before a tanning agent is added to the hide to prevent it from decaying. Theres hazards all over the place, said Mark Aufderhar, a maintenance worker at the tannery. You cant have just anyone doing these jobs, he said, adding that certain chemicals they use like chromium salts and sulfuric acid can cause severe burns if not handled properly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to the abrasive chemicals, workers at the tannery said they encounter bug-infested hides and have concerns about the buildings outdated infrastructure. The average hourly wage at the tannery is $23.50, said union representative Esau Chavez. The lowest paid wage at the tannery is $21.70 an hour. Aufderhar said over his eight-year tenure with the company, his pay has increased by $4 an hour. As of Wednesday, the workers are demanding a $1.50 hourly wage increase for year one, followed by a 4% increase for each of the next two years, Chavez said. The workers are also asking that a monthly attendance bonus of $100 be altered to a weekly attendance bonus of $40. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least match the cost of living, anything less than that is unreasonable, Aufderhar said. On three separate occasions, the company offered a $1 increase for the first year, followed by a $.70 increase for the next two years, Muchowski said. The union rejected this offer each time and went on strike as a result of what they perceived to be unfair bargaining. These skilled workers deserve dignity, respect, and a contract worthy of their labor, said Carlos Ginard, vice president of the Chicago and Midwest Regional Joint Board, in the release. Workers United represents almost 150,000 workers in the U.S. and Canada. The Chicago and Midwest Regional Joint Board represents around 12,000 workers in the food service, manufacturing, textiles and apparel industries, according to its website. Local solidarity Representatives from the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, which represents 50,000 members across 100 local unions, joined the picket line Tuesday in South St. Paul. Related Articles Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Together, we offered strength and support to the bargaining team as they headed into mediation with the company, the labor union said on Facebook. State Rep. Rick Hansen, DFL-South St. Paul, was also on the picket line Tuesday, writing on Facebook that he was proud to join striking workers. UFCW Local 663, which represents some 14,000 Minnesota workers in grocery, retail and meatpacking industries, including workers from Twin City Hide, also posted online in solidarity with the tannery workers. Next steps Union and company officials are expected to meet Thursday for the second mediation session. Were hopeful an agreement will be reached, Muchowski said. However, should negotiations continue, the union is prepared to keep going and plans to raise awareness at Red Wing Shoe locations, he said. Representatives from Red Wing Shoe Co. did not respond to a Pioneer Press request for comment. The Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin in 2025 will be custom cushions for wheelchair users, soy sauce, extraction tools or a rescue airboat. Another upset-laden round of head-to-head votes narrowed the field from eight to four, setting up a winner-take-all popular vote to determine the winner of the annual contest launched 10 years ago to highlight the wide range of products made in Wisconsin. Coolest Thing sponsors Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce and Johnson Financial Group in an Oct. 15 livestream broadcast on Facebook and YouTube unveiled this year's Coolest Thing trophy and the final four companies still in the running. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here's a look at the finalists and how they got here. No. 3 1000 Island Airboat The highest-ranked product to make the finals this year is 1000 Island Airboats' 24-foot Search and Rescue airboats which are made in Marion. The airboat defeated No. 7 The Maple Dude and his Maple Shot 10-pack of 1-ounce maple syrup shots in the prior round. No. 5 Permobil Comfort brand custom seating system Permobil's line of Comfort custom seating cushions and back supports scored a major upset over No. 1 Carbliss, the no-carb, zero-sugar line of craft cocktails that were the fan-favorite heading into head-to-head voting this year. Permobil's Comfort line is produced in New Berlin and aims to provide comfort, mobility and dignity to people who use wheelchairs. The cushions and back support products are handcrafted to ensure precise fits. The 2025 Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin trophy was produced by EK in Fall River, Wisconsin. No. 13 Kikkoman soy sauce Kikkoman Inc. soy sauce ensured that at least one food product made it to the final four by besting No. 8 Cruisers Yachts' 38 VTR line of powerboats manufactured in Oconto. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kikkoman's Walworth production facility, where it makes the popular condiment, is the largest soy sauce plant in North America. No. 15 TNT Rescue Systems Wisconsinites do love cheese, so it might come as a shock that No. 11 Sargento cheese did not make the final round of voting. Instead, voters advanced TNT Rescue Systems' line of extraction tools to the finals. Hartland-based TNT produces hydraulic hose line and battery-powered rescue tools. The annual Coolest Thing Made In Wisconsin debuted an updated logo for the 2024 contest. When do we find out what the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin in 2025 is? Just one round of voting left until WMC announces the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin for 2025. Anyone can vote and you can cast one vote per day per email address while voting is open by going to madeinwis.com/contests/2025-contest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oct. 16-23: Popular vote to pick the winner through noon Thursday, Oct. 23 Oct. 23: Winner announced live during WMC's annual Business Day event in Madison What else has been named the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin since 2016? WMC since 2016 has asked voters to pick a "Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin" in order to highlight the state's manufacturing industry. Wisconsin's more than 9,000 manufacturing companies employ about 500,000 people and contribute almost $73.7 billion to the state economy. Here are the past winners: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Contact business reporter Jeff Bollier at (920) 431-8387 or jbollier@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JeffBollier. This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Here's the four finalists for the 2025 Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin Who's up for a very late-night rocket launch? A rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, is scheduled to lift off this week in the wee hours of the night. SpaceX plans to send a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 28 Starlink broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit. Rockets here launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center near Merritt Island, Florida, or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and people in and around Brevard County usually have the best chance at seeing this phenomenon in the sky. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover and trajectory, a rocket launch from Floridas Space Coast is sometimes visible as far north as Jacksonville Beach and Daytona Beach and as far south as Vero Beach and West Palm Beach. When theres a nighttime launch window or very early morning, theres an opportunity for unique photos the rocket lights up the dark sky and the contrail after makes for a great photo. Below is more information on the next rocket launch from Florida and suggestions on where to watch it in person (or virtually via the USA TODAY Networks Space Team). Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, Blue Origin, NASA launch schedule at Cape Canaveral Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For questions or comments, email FLORIDA TODAY Space Reporter Rick Neale at rneale@floridatoday.com or Space Reporter Brooke Edwards at bedwards@floridatoday.com. For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit floridatoday.com/space. When is the next SpaceX rocket launch in Florida? Thursday, Oct. 16: SpaceX Starlink 10-52 Mission: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will lift 28 Starlink broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit. Launch window : 2:42 a.m. to 6:42 a.m. ET Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025 Launch trajectory: Northeast Launch location: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida Sonic booms for the Space Coaat of Florida (Titusville, Merritt Island, Melbourne area): No Live coverage starts 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space: You can watch live rocket launch coverage from USA TODAY Networks Space Team, which consists of FLORIDA TODAY space reporters Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards and visuals journalists Craig Bailey, Malcolm Denemark and Tim Shortt. Our Space Team will provide up-to-the-minute updates in a mobile-friendly live blog, complete with a countdown clock, at floridatoday.com/space, starting 90 minutes before liftoff. You can download the free FLORIDA TODAY app, which is available in the App Store or Google Play, or type floridatoday.com/space into your browser. Live weather radar: Will it rain in Melbourne, Cocoa Beach or Cape Canaveral, Florida, today? Will weather cancel a rocket launch? Shown is the National Weather Service-Melbourne radar, which shows conditions in real-time for the Space Coast, Brevard County, Orlando and other parts of Florida. The current date and time show up on the bottom right of this radar embed; otherwise, you may need to clear your cache. Where to watch SpaceX rocket launch from Space Coast of Florida Pretty much anywhere in Brevard, you'll get a view of the rocket launch in certain areas, you can get an amazing view of SpaceX rocket boosters returning to the pads. The best view to watch a rocket launch from the Space Coast is along the beach. However, visibility will depend on weather conditions and people should make sure not to block traffic or rights of way on bridges and to follow posted rules at beaches. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you are viewing the launch along the Indian River in Titusville from Space View Park or Parrish Park, look east directly across the river. If you are farther south along the Indian River, look northeast. Playalinda Beach or Canaveral National Seashore is the closest spot to view liftoff because it is almost parallel to Launch Pad 39A. On the beach, look south along the coastline, (you can even see the pad from some spots). Some hotspots to check out: Jetty Park Beach and Pier , 400 Jetty Park Road, Port Canaveral. Note, there's a charge to park. Playalinda Beach , 1000 Playalinda Beach Road, Canaveral National Seashore. Note, there's a charge to park, and access to Canaveral National Seashore isn't always granted depending on capacity and time of day. Max Brewer Bridge and Parrish Park , 1 A. Max Brewer Memorial Parkway, Titusville. Note, parking is available on both sides of Max Brewer Bridge. Space View Park , 8 Broad St., Titusville Sand Point Park , 10 E. Max Brewer Causeway, Titusville Rotary Riverfront Park , 4141 S. Washington Ave., Titusville Riverfront Park at Cocoa Village , 401 Riveredge Blvd., Cocoa (just before State Road 520 Causeway) Cocoa Village , near the parks and shops or near the docks Various parks on Merritt Island Rotary Park , 1899 S. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island Kiwanis Park on Kiwanis Island Park Road on Merritt Island Port Canaveral , with ships from Disney Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean at port Alan Shepard Park , 299 E. Cocoa Beach Causeway, Cocoa Beach. Note, there could be parking costs. Cocoa Beach Pier , 401 Meade Ave. Parking fee varies. Lori Wilson Park , 1400 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Lori Wilson Park has a dog park, by the way. Sidney Fischer Park , 2200 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Note, there could be parking costs. Downtown Cocoa Beach , along Minutemen Causeway Tables Beach , 197 SR A1A, Satellite Beach The Tides on SR A1A in Satellite Beach Various parks, including the Pelican Beach Clubhouse, in Satellite Beach Pineda Causeway Eau Gallie Causeway Front Street Park near Melbourne (U.S. 192) Causeway and U.S. 1 in Melbourne Indialantic boardwalk at Melbourne Causeway and SR A1A Paradise Beach Park , aka Howard Futch Park, 2301 SR A1A, Melbourne (this is a beachside park) Sebastian Inlet Park, 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach (there is a cost to enter) Where to watch a rocket launch in Indian River County, Florida Sebastian Inlet State Park , 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach, Florida (cost to enter) Wabasso Beach Park , 1808 Wabasso Beach Road, Wabasso, Florida Ambersands Beach Park , 12566 N. SR A1A, Vero Beach, Florida (free parking) South Beach Park , 1700 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach, Florida (free parking) Merrill Barber Bridge in Vero Beach, Florida Alma Lee Loy Bridge in Vero Beach, Florida Where to watch a rocket launch in St. Lucie County, Florida Fort Pierce Inlet State Park , 905 Shorewinds Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida Blind Creek Beachside North and South, 5460 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida Blue Heron Beach , 2101 Blue Heron Blvd., Fort Pierce, Florida Frederick Douglass Memorial Park , 3600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida Dollman Park Beachside , 9200 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida Herman's Bay Beach , 7880 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida John Brooks Park Beachside , 3300 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida Middle Cove Beach , 4600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida Normandy Beach in Jensen Beach, Florida Pepper Park Beachside , 3302 N. SR A1A, Fort Pierce, Florida Walton Rocks Beach , 6700 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida (dog park) Waveland Beach, 10350 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida Where to watch a rocket launch in Martin County, Florida State Road A1A causeway in Stuart, Florida House of Refuge and beach, 301 S.E. MacArthur Blvd., Stuart, Florida Where to see Florida rocket launch in Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach area In Volusia County, immediately north of Brevard County home to Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station you can get a great view of a SpaceX, NASA or United Launch Alliance rocket launch. The best views to watch a rocket launch from here are along the beach. Look due south. Recommended spots: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement South New Smyrna Beach (Canaveral National Seashore) Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park, 6656 S. Atlantic Ave., New Smyrna Beach. Bethune Beach is 3.5 miles south of New Smyrna Beach and one mile north of the Apollo Beach entrance to Canaveral National Seashore Park. Apollo Beach at Canaveral National Seashore (south of New Smyrna Beach). Canaveral National Seashore runs along Florida's East Coast in Volusia County and Brevard County. To access Apollo Beach, take Interstate 95 to exit 249, then travel east until it turns into State Road A1A. Follow SR A1A south to the park entrance. Oak Hill riverfront is the southernmost city in South Volusia County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sunrise Park, 275 River Road, Oak Hill Goodrich's Seafood and Oyster House back deck, 253 River Road, Oak Hill Seminole Rest national historic site, 211 River Road, Oak Hill Riverbreeze Park, 250 H.H. Burch Road, Oak Hill Mary Dewees Park, 178 N. Gaines St., Oak Hill Nancy Cummings Park, 232 Cummings St., Oak Hill Jimmie Vann Sunrise Park, 275 River Road, Oak Hill A.C. Delbert Dewees Municipal Pier, 243 River Road, Oak Hill Bird Observation Pier on River Road across from A.C. Delbert Municipal Pier (see above) Rose Bay in Port Orange, Florida Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement beaches along New Smyrna Beach, Florida New Smyrna Beach Inlet, New Smyrna Beach lifeguard station Halifax Harbor Marina in Daytona Beach, Florida Ormond-by-the-Sea in Ormond Beach, Florida George R. Kennedy Memorial Park in Edgewater, Florida This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida. What times liftoff Otto, Australias first AI ordering telephone agent, has launched nationwide as the technology looks set to transform how restaurants, cafes, and catering services take orders, manage bookings, and connect with customers. Developed with both venues and Australian consumers in mind, Otto operates 24/7, ensuring all calls are answered promptly, even outside business hours, so enquiries are managed efficiently and revenue opportunities are never missed, Otto notes. Hospitality venues are increasingly challenged by high staff turnover, resource pressures, and rising customer expectations. Research shows that 71 per cent of inbound calls are revenue-related, with 34 per cent of restaurant phone calls going unanswered, including bookings, takeaway orders, and catering requests. Otto is providing a solution that bridges this gap and is poised to change the way hospitality businesses operate - supporting existing teams, while capturing revenue opportunities around the clock. As the first AI ordering agent in Australia capable of taking orders and sending them straight to the kitchen, the standalone product operates without any apps or software integrations, meaning venues can go live instantly with just a phone number and a printer. Shannon Hatout, Founder and CEO of Otto, says, Hospitality is fast-paced and demanding, and Otto acts as a reliable team member who never misses a call. By capturing every order, booking and catering request, Otto helps venues increase revenue and support their staff. More than half of restaurant revenue now comes from remote ordering, yet only 27 per cent of this is processed online, leaving phone orders as a crucial channel for many venues. Missing these calls can result in lost revenue, so having staff focus on service, while calls are answered ensures revenue is protected. In summer, our trade explodes. The restaurants packed, and the phones dont stop. But when no one can hear the call, or no ones free to answer, thats money walking out the door. Otto is giving us a way to handle phone orders without pulling staff off the floor. Its smart, simple, and helps us keep the focus on our guests, Marco Di Pietrantonio, Owner, Italico said. For consumers, Otto delivers faster service and greater convenience. Customers can place takeaway or catering orders any time of day, with the confidence that their order is received correctly and will be prepared without delay. Scott Fox, Chief AI Officer at Otto, adds, We find that a lot of hospo folks are cautious when it comes to adopting new tech. Operators are just figuring out if & how AI can help them, so it becomes a to-do later thing. Otto is a bit different because it drops right into the current process. Its just like having a staff member pick up the phone, chat with the customer and send the order to the kitchen. Weve seen a lot of tech transformation in hospo over the years, the tools that succeed are the ones that slot effortlessly into the operations for staff, and elevate the customer experience. Otto provides a scalable solution for venues looking to protect revenue, reduce pressure on staff, and improve the customer experience. A Spanish city has enforced a ban on any new tourist rentals in a crackdown on illegal lets in the popular holiday hotspot. The mayor of the Mallorcan city, Palma, Jaime Martinez Llabres, announced on Tuesday 14 October, that all types of tourist rentals will be prohibited to try to combat illegal accommodation and promote quality tourism in the city. This does not mean that holidaymakers will not be able to stay in holiday lets at all, as 639 tourist rental properties have been authorised in Palma and will be able to continue hosting guests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Martinez Llabres noted that if one of these tourist rental properties shuts down, however, no new properties can be registered in their place. The ban on tourist rentals will be introduced as soon as possible, but no specific date has yet been announced. The mayor said that there has already been a significant reduction in homes on the tourist rental market, with a 17.4 per cent drop in Palma last August, compared to an average 3.7 per cent drop in the 25 main Spanish cities. "Our commitment to quality has led us to this reduction," Mr Martinez Llabres said. Other tourism management measures were also announced alongside the ban, including opening new hostels and converting existing ones "into an option that is not harmful to the city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They also announced a ban on party boats along the entire Passeig Maritim, which will come into effect next year. The number of tourists in Palma has decreased by 2.01 per cent in the last two years, and by 4.57 per cent compared to 2018, before the pandemic. Martinez Llabres pointed out that despite the dip in numbers, there had been an increase in tourist spending of around 15 per cent, which "demonstrates a change in the trend in quality. He said that there has already been an improvement in hotel quality in Palma, with a significant reduction of one to three-star establishments in favour of those with higher ratings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are noticing a change in quality in the offering and visitor profile and a reduction in seasonality, a result of our commitment to quality, the changing tourist profile, the line of work being carried out, and all the aspects the Palma 365 Foundation is working on," he said, referring to the organisation working to improve tourism in the city. Residents in Palma have continued to speak out against tourist lets, as a number have resorted to living in caravans after being priced out of the housing market by landlords preferring to rent to tourists. This trend has led to demonstrations over the past few years in the city, as anti-overtourism protestors say the housing crisis has continued to worsen. Read more: Locals in Mallorca resort to living in caravans as overtourism pushes up rent TUPELO Tupelo Police Departments bomb squad responded to a report of a "suspicious envelope at the Spanish Village Wednesday morning, leading to the evacuation of the complex's north building. Police surrounded the building for hours, well into the afternoon, as they conducted an investigation. During that time, law enforcement officials redirected traffic and asked residents to avoid the area while the city's bomb squad and Tupelo Fire Department investigated the package. The departments Facebook page did note, however, that more information will be made available as the situation continues. By late afternoon, the Tupelo Police Department updated their post to say the situation has been resolved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The situation has been resolved safely," the post read. "The area is secure, and there is no threat to the public. We appreciate everyones patience and support." Officials with the Tupelo Police Department late Wednesday afternoon said they couldn't provide any additional information about the nature of the suspicious envelope. Property manager at Spanish Village Meredith Deas-Tollison said she was not at the facility during the morning when the envelope was discovered on the outside stairwell, but she was informed by others at the building that a suspicious package had been found and police contacted. Deas-Tollison was at the scene later that afternoon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its spooky, the whole building is vacant, police tape everywhere and police vehicles on every corner, she said. Spanish Village is an office complex located on 144 S Thomas St. and is home to multiple businesses, including REM Mississippi, Hearing Services of Tupelo, Stiffel, Tupelo Training Center and other office spaces. SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) The Hate Intimidation ordinance passed unanimously during the Spartanburg City Council meeting on Monday. The second reading of the ordinance immediately went into effect after passing. The hate crime law adds a new section, Hate Intimidation, to existing city code. Now, if a person commits a crime in violation of another city code or state statue, with the intent to cause harm to another person or property, because of their ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation, they would be guilty of a separate offense: hate intimidation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Violation of the ordinance is a misdemeanor, with a fine up to $500 and as many as 30 days in jail. During the city council meeting, Spartanburg Citys attorney Robert Coler recommended the removal of the last line in the ordinance, which outlined that jail time could be suspended. Any sentence may be suspended upon completion by the defendant of the appropriate education, counseling or community service employment as ordered by the court, part of the ordinance reads. Coler deemed the sentence unnecessary because judges have the authority to suspend sentences or defer defendants to educational, counseling, or community service without specific statutes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All other language remains unchanged in the ordinance. Councilmember Megan Smith said that this ordinance is a way to protect all residents. I would say that this hate crime ordinance is needed right now because we are living in a time where people of different groups feel scared, she explained. That was a lot of the public comments that we heard from people when they came and spoke to us, and we want to communicate our values, that we are a city that cares about all people. One resident, Courtney McClain, spoke at the meeting in favor of the ordinance, and said there are concerns about hate groups in South Carolina. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Southern Poverty Law Center said that there were 33 different active hate groups in South Carolina, and two of those are located in Spartanburg. There is a chance that a hate crime could very much happen in Spartanburg, she said. I think its very important to make sure that we have this ordinance to not only allow for people to know that if these groups do target you, that you will be protected, but also sending a message to these groups that the hate that you spew is not going to be tolerated within the city of Spartanburg. City council said the ordinance does not criminalize free speech. There was a lot of concern that we heard from people who thought that this would criminalize hate speech or someones opinion on someone else, and that is absolutely not what this does, Smith said. You have to be convicted of a crime that we already have on our books. And if you are committing that crime because of someones race, nationality, gender, etc., then you can be charged with an additional hate crime. Despite South Carolina being one of two states without a hate crime law, Spartanburg is the 23rd municipality in the state to pass a hate crime ordinance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ordinance-To Amend the City Code to Include Hate Based Intimidation (002)Download 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 WSPA 7NEWS. Two parents from the Spring Branch area were arrested in Florida after authorities say they left their 6-month-old baby unattended on a beach for nearly an hour. According to the Walton County Sheriff's Office, Brian, 40, and Sara Wilks, 37, were vacationing with their children at Miramar Beach when deputies received a call Friday afternoon about a baby left alone under a beach tent. When deputies arrived, they said they found the infant safe in the arms of a good Samaritan. Deputies said the parents were taken into custody shortly afterward and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm, a felony. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Major Dustin Cosson with the Walton County Sheriff's Office said the couple reportedly left their baby unattended while they and their three other children went for a walk. "It's right there at that hour time frame, 50 minutes to an hour, way longer than what would be reasonable," Cosson said. Deputies say the incident occurred near the Hilton Sandestin resort. They say witnesses told them they noticed the baby alone for an extended period. According to the arrest report, the parents told authorities they had "lost track of time" and that it was the baby's nap time. Cosson said that the explanation was concerning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "That's all fine and dandy, but you don't just leave a baby at a house and then leave and go off to the store," he said. "The baby could roll over and suffocate itself, or the wind could blow a towel over its face. There's no telling what could have happened." No one answered the door at the Wilks' Spring Branch-area home when ABC13 attempted to contact the parents, and no one responded to messages. Online court records show no listed attorney for either parent. Authorities said the couple posted a $1,000 bond on Saturday. Their children were placed in state custody until relatives from Texas could arrive. Cosson emphasized that Florida's beaches are safe for families but urged parents to use caution and common sense. "Yes, it's a bubble, but that doesn't mean as you cross over the county line or over the state line into Florida that we can just leave your common sense behind," he said. "It still means you have to do the best for your children." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities said the couple left their cell phones behind with the baby on the beach, making them harder to reach. Deputies do not believe the parents acted maliciously, but the decision to leave a baby unattended warranted criminal charges, Cosson said. For more on this story, follow Jessica Willey on Facebook, X and Instagram. SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) Savannah Mayor Van Johnson announced Wednesday the approval of the naming of the Savannah State University College of Education as the Hyundai College of Education. The naming was approved by the Georgia Board of Regents. Savannah State will receive a $5 million gift for the naming of the college. Hyundai said in a release it is the largest corporate investment in the universitys 135-year history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This gift represents more than a name its a statement about what happens when higher education and industry work together to create opportunity, said Jermaine Whirl, Savannah State University president. Hyundais investment in Savannah State will expand access to education, strengthen our teaching programs and fuel innovation that reaches far beyond our campus. The transition will begin effective immediately, with new branding and scholarship opportunities expected to launch early 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 WSAV-TV. ST. LOUIS Big honors for two St. Louis breweries at this years Great American Beer Festival. Side Project Brewing in Maplewood earned a gold medal in the Dessert or Pastry Stout category for its beer Marble Lions. Narrow Gauge Brewing Company based in Florissant was also a winner bringing home silver in the Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale category for King Fallen Flag. Side Projects Marble Lions is an Imperial Stout that undergoes fermentation and lagering before those culinary ingredients are layered in. Its made with peanuts, Thai banana nibs, banana chips, Ugandan vanilla beans, and cocoa nibs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Development denied by St. Charles Co. commission Head brewer Cory King credits his teams refinement of technique for the beers success. The result is a bold dessert stout with balance and depth. Narrow Gauges King Fallen Flag is known for its precision and consistency. This win is the third Great American Beer Festival Award for the brewery. King Fallen Flag is double dry-hopped with Citra and Mosaic. There are layers of flavors including mango, mandarin, and pine. I wanted it soft, balanced, and consistent every time, said Brewer Jeff Hardesty. The medals earned are in some of craft beers most competitive categories. 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 FOX 2. A year after inheriting the remnants of planning for a long-stalled transit line down West Seventh Street, St. Paul officials have announced that a future bus rapid transit system likely will operate in regular traffic, rather than its own dedicated lane. Also, a full reconstruction of West Seventh Street with utility and pedestrian improvements isnt likely in the near future. Ramsey County abandoned planning for the Riverview Corridor streetcar a year ago. That left St. Paul to take the lead in a joint effort with Metro Transit and the Minnesota Department of Transportation on a wide range of long-delayed improvements for the lengthy state road, including a possible new bus line. Those efforts have been dealt another setback. It was going to require that all the levels of government could agree and bring funding to the table to make it all work, and its become clear that were not all in agreement, said Russ Stark, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carters chief resilience officer, on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The thing that became clear is that Ramsey County no longer sees themselves as a significant funder of this corridor, he added. Now that theyre not, the other parties are needing to figure out how to make a lot of that investment still work. Transit advocates took that news as a surprise blow to long-standing efforts to better connect downtown St. Paul to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the Mall of America in Bloomington through 12 miles of improved bus, bike and pedestrian access. Even minor road improvements appear years away. Its kind of the typical finger-pointing that we see now for decades, said Meg Duhr, president of the West 7th/Fort Road Federation, on Wednesday. At the end of the day, theyre all public agencies, and West Seventh residents, we pay city taxes, we pay county taxes, we pay state taxes. We need this done. Seeing all the roads rehabbed around the city that were in much better conditions than West Seventh is now, its just such a colossal failure of our local governments, Duhr added. New West Seventh Corridor After Ramsey County pulled out of planning for the Riverview Corridor, the city unveiled the New West Seventh Corridor concept in early 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carter, in a video promotion, announced the city was working with MnDOT and Metro Transit to roll out a generational investment in West Seventh Street. Residents will have new sidewalks, and a parallel bicycle and pedestrian trail that links West Seventh to our new Highland Bridge development. In addition to bus-only lanes and a guideway for a bus rapid transit system, the coordinated corridor concept called for a full road reconstruction, as well as the addition of a new regional multi-use bike and pedestrian trail along a Canadian Pacific rail spur in Highland Park. Some project partners hoped for bus and pedestrian improvements to the West Seventh Street bridge over Interstate 35E. City officials updated a corridor webpage this month, and later social media, to say those projects will not progress together, if they progress at all: A coordinated corridor concept is no longer moving forward. Project partners were unable to reach agreement on a funding plan for this coordinated concept. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A full reconstruction of West Seventh would require hundreds of millions of dollars in investment, Stark said. And, while West Seventh also known as Minnesota Highway 5 is technically a state road, the state has limited budget to take the lead in funding reconstruction of streets that do not sit within its freeway system. Ramsey County has access to funding from a new regional sales tax, Stark noted. Mill and overlay pushed to 2029 Ramsey County Commissioner Rafael Ortega, who chairs the county board, said Wednesday that the county could still contribute toward trees and safety improvements at certain intersections like Randolph Avenue, enhancing its connection to the Mississippi River. But with the county-driven streetcar project dead, the county has no interest, he said, in finding funding for a full road reconstruction. The road, it belongs to the state, and theyre responsible to do whatever they want to do with it, said Ortega on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That doesnt mean that all aspects of the corridor concept are dead. The Minnesota Department of Transportation is still planning a street resurfacing of West Seventh Street, which may be pushed back a year from starting in the fall of 2028 to beginning in the fall of 2029 and wrapping up in the summer of 2030, according to MnDOT project manager Michael Corbett. That project will include mill-and-overlay treatment, replacing certain traffic signals and street work related to the Americans with Disabilities Act. It does not currently include underground utility work on water mains that in some cases date back to the 1870s. MnDOT is moving forward with plans, at the very least, to resurface the street and get it in better shape, Stark said. Were hopeful it can be more than that and we can get fuller investment in West Seventh. Bus rapid transit Metro Transit will continue to study the possibility of adding West Seventh to its growing network of arterial bus rapid transit corridors, which are limited-stop bus routes that operate in normal traffic but benefit from certain enhanced amenities, such as paying before boarding at modern stations with electronic signage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If Metro Transit pursues arterial BRT along West Seventh, the earliest it likely would roll out is between 2030 and 2035. It has competition from other potential routes. West Seventh will be evaluated, along with 10 other corridors, to select three going forward the J, K and L lines, said Nick Thompson, deputy general manager of planning and capital programs for Metro Transit. A recommendation to the Metropolitan Council could be ready by January, Thompson said. Pedestrian improvements up in the air The timeframe for some major road improvements that had been discussed and debated for years, if not a decade or more, remains up in the air. Among them: the prospect of widening the I-35E bridge for pedestrian access and bus-only lanes; the multi-use bike and pedestrian trail along the CP rail spur; and utility work and utility replacements along West Seventh Street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also uncertain? Pedestrian improvements such as refuge islands, sidewalks, intersection simplifications and parking triangles. And the replacement of ash trees that MnDOT removed from West Seventh in 2018 and 2019. All of these setbacks are pushing things back further and further, and it seems like were getting less and less out of the project, said Julia McColley, executive director of the West 7th/Fort Road Federation. Since at least the late 1990s, transit advocates have pressed Ramsey County and other partners for a dedicated bus, streetcar or light-rail transitway down West Seventh Street from downtown St. Paul to MSP airport and the Mall of America. Those plans have lived and died and been resurrected repeatedly. In 2002, state officials took back $40 million for corridor planning in light of community fears that dedicated lanes would eat up space for travel and parking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Metro Transit later began lining up funding for a bus rapid transitway it hoped to roll out by 2016, but Ramsey County chose to take the lead instead, pushing ahead with discussions around a possible streetcar. The long-proposed Riverview Corridor officially derailed in 2024, when the county declared the $2 billion streetcar project unable to sway key critics, including business owners worried their storefronts would not survive construction. Members of the Metropolitan Airports Commission had raised red flags over a streetcar accessing the same track as the Blue Line light rail at MSP, as well as necessary road improvements approaching the airport. Public discussion State Rep. Dave Pinto, DFL-St. Paul, and three other state lawmakers are scheduled to join the West 7th/Fort Road Federation and Highland District Council for a public town hall discussion about the future of West Seventh Street. The event will take place at 7 p.m. on Oct. 27. Residents are invited to RSVP for the location through the online calendar at fortroadfed.org. Related Articles CHICAGO (WGN) The ongoing federal government shutdown is putting vital food assistance programs in jeopardy, fueling an uptick in demand for local pantries that plan to help. The St. Sabina Social Service Network has, for the past 12 months, provided a food pantry, health screenings, and other services at 79th & Racine to offset the shortfall. But the need is increasing. The community is falling apart because we dont have the support we need, said Auburn Gresham resident Eddie Edwards, describing the reality that Father Michael Pfleger fears will only get worse with the loss of federal programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How close are we to the longest government shutdown in US history? In the past year, we have provided food for over 40,000 people, Pfleger said. The faith community leader and many others say the number of distressed families and seniors is already rising. Many church organizations are already looking ahead to winter and potential issues. Westside Chicago pastor Ira J. Acree, at an unrelated event featuring local leaders, pushed back on the Trump administrations cutbacks on food stamps and special education. When leaders cut benefits for the poor, while cutting taxes for the rich, thats not politics, thats moral failure, Acree said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A society cannot spend billions of dollars on military spending without turning said military on its own people, added community leader Marshall Hatch Jr. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines The St. Sabina Social Service Network is looking for additional partners. Anyone interested may click here for more information. The St. Sabina Social Services Network is located at 1120 W. 79th Street. 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 WGN-TV. COMPANY NEWS: Despite nine in 10 workers reporting they feel safe, more than half also admit their companies lack comprehensive safety systems Avetta, the leading provider of supply chain risk management (SCRM) software, today revealed the findings of a new survey that indicates an alarming disconnect between workers perceptions of safety and the reality of workplace protections in Australias high-risk industries. Conducted in August 2025 in partnership with PureProfile, the nationwide survey of 518 professionals across manufacturing, construction, mining, utilities, facilities management and other high-risk sectors paints a picture of workplaces where confidence outpaces reality. While nine in 10 (90 per cent) workers say they feel safe most or all the time, the systems designed to protect them are often partial, inconsistent or missing altogether. In fact, 56 per cent of respondents admit their companies only have some risk systems in place. Even more concerning, nearly 10 per cent say no such systems exist at all, while 6 per cent dont know whether risk systems exist in their organisations. The report, Making Every Job Safe, Every Day: Why Australian Workplaces Must Have Confidence Beyond Compliance, is being released in conjunction with National Safe Work Month and will formally launch at the Avetta Summit Series event in Sydney, 21-22 October 2025 at the Hilton Sydney Hotel. This research shows that while Australian workers may feel safe day-to-day, many workplaces are operating on fragile scaffolding when it comes to genuine protection, said Luke Boyle, Vice President of Operations, APAC at Avetta. The perception gap is not just about communication, its about governance. When employees believe theyre safe, but organisations fail to adequately mitigate risks, leaders create ticking time bombs: Rare but devastating failures that can cost lives, ruin reputations and expose companies to legal, financial and moral consequences. While these findings highlight gaps in employee safety, they also underscore vulnerabilities for contractors who often perform the most hazardous work yet receive the least protection. Nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) of respondents are only somewhat confident or not confident at all that contractor safety standards are verified before work begins. This is a blind spot organisations can no longer afford, Boyle added. Contractors are not just filling labour gaps, theyre central to operations. If theyre under-protected, the entire workplace ecosystem is at risk. Ensuring contractors have the same level of safety standards and risk management as permanent staff isnt just good practice, its essential for preventing incidents, protecting lives and safeguarding organisational integrity. Addressing workplace safety entails adopting practical technologies as well as strengthening organisational practices. Respondents report the top health and safety technologies they believe would most improve workplace standards are to manage inductions, training and competency (38 per cent); mobile apps and digital credential checks (29 per cent); and platforms specifically designed for managing contractor safety (21 per cent). Nearly half of respondents also believe their company should take health and safety more to much more seriously. They highlight three key measures that would most effectively improve safety in their workplaces: 42 per cent call for more internal training on risk management. 29 per cent want stronger investment in tools and resources to identify hazards. 27 per cent believe executives and boards should be upskilled on health and safety. The report also reveals cultural vulnerabilities within high-risk sectors. Nearly two in five (38 per cent) workers admit they have refrained from reporting safety concerns due to fear of repercussions or a belief that nothing would change. At the same time, almost one in five (19 per cent) say they see hazards acknowledged but not acted on daily or weekly. Such behaviours now carry greater consequences under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025, which places stronger obligations on employers to manage both physical and psychosocial risks, introduces clearer requirements for consultation with workers and expands the use of penalty notices for non-compliance. Overall, the report highlights the urgent need for organisations in high-risk industries to turn safety perception into action. Investing in robust systems, technology, training and a culture that protects both employees and contractors is essential for safeguarding lives, reputations and operational resilience. Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are the Don Quixote and Sancho Panza of international politics, the Yin and Yang of European declinism, the clownish poster boys of Western decadence. The French President is flamboyant, theatrical, Jupiterian and chases after windmills; the British Prime Minister is soporific, plodding, technocratic and more comfortable erecting windfarms. Macron the narcissist offers up faux-macho handshakes and bear hugs; Starmer the backroom apparatchik is more reserved. Yet both are failing in strikingly similar ways, and appear to be guided by the same perverse playbook. As avatars of their countries decline, mocked at home and abroad, wedded to discredited centrist dad nostrums, they are the last defenders of an order that will soon be swept away by a tide of populist rage. If they are competing on anything, other than humiliating photo-opps with Donald Trump at Egyptian peace summits they had no role in convening, it is about who will complete the ruination of their country the fastest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wrong on almost everything, hated by voters, incapable of truth-telling, driven by a messianic belief in environmentalism and global technocracy, unable to confront reality, gripped by suicidal empathy and addicted to virtue-signalling, Starmer and Macron have ended up as unlikely brothers in arms, despite their seemingly incompatible styles. Both were elected on a promise of change, yet ended up defending the status quo. Both capitulated to bad actors abroad - Hamas, Algeria in Macrons case and China in Starmers to collect votes at home. Both are in global retreat France from Africa, Britain from Chagos and are failing to bolster their armed forces quickly enough. Both are overseeing an explosion in anti-Semitism, often fuelled by Islamists, and are doing scandalously little about it. Both have lost control of immigration, with eerily similar numbers. Net immigration in the UK was 431,000 in the year to December 2024; Frances Insee reported net immigration of 433,000, taking the total to 7.7 million, or 11.3 per cent of the population, a record, albeit still lower than in the UK. Starmer and Macron find their countries essentially ungovernable, and refuse to take responsibility. They claimed to be fiscally orthodox, yet put their countries on a path to bankruptcy, with terrifyingly large budget deficits. Rachel Reeves seems determined to outdo Macrons calamitous record: Frances national debt has shot up from 11 points above the Eurozone average when the president took office to 25 points today, hitting 116 per cent of GDP. The public sector gobbled up 57 per cent of Frances GDP in 2024; Britain still has a way to go, even if Labour is rapidly socialising the economy and waging war on the private sector with the Employment Rights Bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Such mutually assured economic destruction is working: Britain and France are neck-and-neck in the stagnation leagues, with the IMF predicting identically useless per capita growth of 0.4 per cent this year and France edging it slightly at 0.5 to 0.6 per cent next year. It remains to be seen who ends up wearing the dunces cap, but Starmer and Macron would be equally deserving recipients. The idiocy travels both ways. France used to be better than Britain when it comes to housebuilding, and yet Macron has ruined that too. As Luis and Peter Garicano point out in the Silicon Continent Substack, Macron has embraced net zero land development by 2050 (and a fifty per cent cut by 2030) as well as cracking down on second homes and the rental market. Frances great taboo is retirement at 62, placing an unbearable burden on its working population. Macron tried and failed to reform this, but finally gave up this week. Britain is in a better position on pensions, despite the triple lock and the public sectors gold-plated deals, but is being dragged down by the obsolete NHS, our own political third rail. Instead of tackling the underlying malady the two nations are living beyond their means Macron and Starmer are considering another destructive gamble this Autumn: a wealth tax. They arent acting in concert, but might as well be doing so, such is their apparent desire to chase away their greatest wealth-creators to the US or Middle East. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement France wont impose a full 2 per cent Zucman tax on fortunes worth 100m, as the far-Left advocates, but Sebastien Lecornu, the PM clinging on in Matignon, will reward socialist MPs propping him up with some kind of nasty confiscation. Reeves will wreak her own destruction in her Budget, perhaps raiding ISAs, capital gains tax, inheritance tax or, worst of all, what passes for expensive property. Here as in so many areas, Starmernomics is becoming indistinguishable from La Macronie. Britain and Frances destinies have been intertwined since the Norman Conquest, and now, led by historically inadequate leaders, are entering their fin-de-regime together. Macron hacked the populist moment, creating a party staffed with fresh faces exuding radical vibes but doubled down on nothingness; he is paying the price for having conned the public. He destroyed not just his party but Frances post-1958 constitutional settlement, the Fifth Republic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A far-Left candidate, fuelled by class war, hate and a belief in open borders, may yet win the presidential election. The most likely outcome, however, is that the Rights Jordan Bardella will become President (if Marine Le Pen remains disqualified). Would he cope? Would he defeat the Blob? Would his socialist economics overshadow his law and order and immigration reforms, destroying him too? Will Frances mini-revolution, as it transitions to a Sixth Republic, take place peacefully, or will civil war break out? Britain will take a different path. A Right-wing Government would usher in a restoration, not a revolution, undoing the post-1997 Blairite constitutional atrocities, withdrawing from noxious treaties and reestablishing democratic accountability over civil servants. Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch are pro-capitalist; this would be populism with English characteristics (a superior variant). But could a divided Right let in a Labour-led Leftist coalition? Im still betting on Britain, as I have been for 30 years, but its a close call. 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. The Department of State has begun revoking visas of foreign aliens who celebrated the assassination of Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk. The department announced on October 14 that it would continue identifying visa holders who celebrated Kirks assassination, saying officials would remove them from the United States. The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans, the department posted on X. The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans. The State Department continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk. Here are just a few examples of aliens who are no longer welcome in the U.S.: Department of State (@StateDept) October 14, 2025 The State Department pointed to six specific foreigners who reportedly had their visa revoked after celebrating Kirks assassination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One Mexican national said Kirk died a racist and a misogynist, and that there are people who deserve to die. A Brazilian said Kirk died too late, and a Paraguayan said he died by his own rules. An Argentine said Kirk would rest in f****** piss, saying he deserved to be assassinated. A South African mocked Americans grieving Kirks death as Neanderthals, and smeared his youth political movement as white nationalist trailer trash. One German said, When fascists die, Democrats dont complain. Aliens who take advantage of Americas hospitality while celebrating the assassination of our citizens will be removed, the State Department posted on X. After Kirks assassination on September 10, leftists immediately began celebrating the bloodshed, as The Dallas Express reported at the time. Months before, the youth activist had described this trend as a growing assassination culture. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trump posthumously awarded Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom on October 14 in a ceremony at the White House, The Dallas Express reported. Trump described Kirk as a fearless warrior for liberty, a beloved leader who galvanized the next generation like nobody Ive ever seen before, and an American patriot of the deepest conviction, the finest quality, and the highest caliber. Earlier this year, the State Department revoked the visas of dozens of students across North Texas who it said had broken the law or were a threat to Americas national interests, as The Dallas Express reported at the time. In August, Trump also ordered a crackdown on flag burning with prosecutions and visa bans. The State Department revoked at least six visas from foreigners who publicly celebrated the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on social media, the department announced Tuesday. The move has drawn criticism from free speech advocates and prompted a legal defense group to offer free assistance to those affected. In a post on X, the State Department said it took action against individuals from Argentina, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Germany and Paraguay, sharing examples of social media posts celebrating Kirks killing during a university debate event in Utah last month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans, the department said. The State Department continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk. The department did not identify the visa holders by name or specify what type of visas were revoked. The revocations followed earlier warnings from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that foreigners on visas praising Kirks death should prepare to be deported. A day after Kirks shooting, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau instructed consular officials to monitor such comments on social media and identify their authors. Hours after the announcement, immigration attorney Eric Lee, a co-founder of the Consular Accountability Project, wrote on social media that the legal defense organization would represent anyone whose visa was denied or revoked over Charlie Kirk-related speech pro bono. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lee has previously defended foreign students and activists whose visas were revoked for political speech. Hes challenged the Trump administrations visa restrictions targeting pro-Palestinian protesters across university campuses. Former Barack Obama adviser David Axelrod criticized the administrations actions on X, writing, US revokes visas for 6 foreigners for derisive posthumous comments about Charlie Kirkwho was, ironically, a self-styled champion of free speech! Kirk was a prominent political voice in the conservative movement. He founded Turning Point USA, a group that mobilized young voters around right-wing causes and became a key player in President Donald Trumps political movement. Known for his polarizing ideological debates on college campuses, he built a large social media following and developed close ties with Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other Republican leaders. He played a critical role in Trumps reelection by bolstering his appeal to younger voters. Kirk was shot and killed in September while speaking at a TPUSA event at Utah Valley University, sparking national debates over political violence and free speech. The State Departments announcement came shortly after Trump posthumously awarded Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian award, on what would have been his 32nd birthday. Foreigners who celebrate the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk will have their visas revoked, the State Department says. The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans, the State Department wrote on X on Tuesday, adding that it continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk. The State Department went on to post a thread of screenshots it said were from six visa holders who had shared opinions on Kirk, who was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday, which would have been his 32nd birthday. He was fatally shot at a Utah college on Sept. 10. The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans. The State Department continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk. Here are just a few examples of aliens who are no longer welcome in the U.S.: Department of State (@StateDept) October 14, 2025 In one of the examples, the agency wrote that a Mexican national had said that there are people who deserve to die. There are people who would make the world better off dead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The State Departments announcement came the same day that Politico reported on group chats between leaders of Young Republicans groups, in which a dozen members shared racist messages and said things like I love Hitler. But unlike the foreigners remarks about Kirk, Vice President JD Vance dismissed the Young Republicans leaked chats as juvenile humor. (MSNBC has not independently verified the messages.) They tell edgy, offensive jokes like, thats what kids do, Vance said on an episode of the The Charlie Kirk Show. And I really dont want us to grow up in a country where a kid telling a stupid joke telling a very offensive, stupid joke is cause to ruin their lives. The State Department and the White House did not immediately respond to MSNBCs requests for comment. Vance on public outrage over the "I love Hitler" group chat: "Grow up! Focus on the real issues. Don't focus on what kids say in group chats... The reality is that kids do stupid things, especially young boys they tell edgy, offensive jokes. That's what kids do." pic.twitter.com/POLAnldP2P The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) October 15, 2025 This article was originally published on MSNBC.com PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) Revisions to statewide standards for teaching health education and mathematics in South Dakotas public schools received their first public hearing on Wednesday. The governor-appointed panel reviewing them heard comments from K-12 math teachers and college faculty, as well as two people who called for Alzheimers care to be added to the health standards. Rapid City man arrested for manslaughter Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The meeting in Aberdeen was the first of four that South Dakota law requires the state Board of Education Standards to hold on any changes proposed to statewide standards. The board will take further testimony on the proposals at meetings on November 10 in Sioux Falls, February 23 in Pierre and May 4 in Rapid City. Shannon Malone is the state Department of Educations director for learning and instruction. She said the proposed changes to the South Dakota health education standards better align with the 2023 national health education standards. No one testified in favor of the proposed health education standards. Speaking as an opponent was Grace Gill, director of public policy for Alzheimers Association-South Dakota. Gill suggested changing the word intellectual to cognitive in several places. She also suggested adding metrics for caregiver health. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another opponent was John Chicoine, who moved to Sioux Falls from Parker for his wifes health. He supported the requests from the Alzheimers Association. Eight of ten people know someone. Its becoming an epidemic, Chicoine said. This is information children need at an early age during K through 8 education. State Education Secretary Joe Graves said he would take the ideas back to the revisions committee. At this point, Ill simply say well have that under advisement, Graves said. Board president Steve Perkins of Sioux Falls said it would be a good idea for the department to take a look at the Alzheimers groups suggestions. Secretary Graves said its a one-semester-long course taught at some point in grades 8-12. Whatever youre going to teach blocks something else out, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Graves pointed to the failure of the DARE anti-drug abuse course, that didnt appear to positively affect behavior. He said some research found there was an increase in drug abuse. He also said many school districts struggle to find health instructors. Perkins said he appreciated Graves points but was hopeful that the committee would be open to including Alzheimers disease. He said that committees were open to input during previous revisions of standards for reading and social studies. Graves said reading and social studies were different types of standards than health education. Math is math. Social studies is social studies, Graves said. Perkins said other states have more detailed health-education standards. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Graves said the suggestions would be taken back to the review committee. Thats all Im really asking, Perkins said. The proposed changes to math standards meanwhile drew written comments from 11 teachers so far. One commenter was both positive and negative, while the other 10 criticized a variety of proposed changes. Two pointed out that teachers would have difficulty finding textbooks oriented toward the proposed more South Dakota-centric standards. Secretary Graves explained the proposed math changes to the state board. Graves said the revision committee members looked but couldnt find a best way to teach math. The committee then focused on current North Dakota, Arkansas, and South Dakota standards, as well as The Archimedes Standards, which were written by Hillsdale College faculty member Jonathan Gregg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Graves said the primary goal of the proposed math standards was to improve how they are communicated. That led to a major rewrite, which the 19-member committee reviewed. Graves said theres been a lack of achievement, with only 43 to 44 percent of South Dakota students shown to be proficient in math through standardized testing the past five years. Were not significantly improving over where weve been, Graves said, noting there have been no meaningful signs of improvement. It requires a change. Malone spoke next, saying there was agreement that the middle school math standards had some gaps. She said the 8 Standards for Mathematical Practice that were removed would be added back. Testifying in support in person was Monte Meyerink, an assistant professor of math education at Northern State University. He was a member of the revisions committee. He said the current standards arent easy to accurately interpret and understand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Testifying in support online was Susan Fairchild, a Watertown high school teacher of 34 years. She headed the high school group on the revisions committee. She said the proposed standards will be so much easier to read and said some standards were added at the high school level. Fairchild also explained why the committee chose to drop fourth-year high school math standards. She said Algebra I, geometry and Algebra II are the main courses available in smaller school districts. Testifying as an opponent was Sharon Vestal, a South Dakota State University mathematics professor who emphasized that she was speaking in her personal capacity and as president for the South Dakota Council of Teaching Mathematics. Vestal said she understood that North Dakota standards were considered but found Arkansas and Archimedes puzzling. She pointed to NAEP scores that showed Arkansas math scores were inferior to South Dakota in grades 4 and 8. If were doing OK, why change them? she asked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vestal said she was pleased that 8 Standards for Mathematical Practice would be restored she was one of the written commenters who asked why they were removed but questioned, as a geometry course teacher, why 30 of the 47 proposed geometry standards come directly from the Arkansas standards. She acknowledged that the current standards are dense but said too much was removed. Another opponent was Susan Gilkerson, a teacher from Oldham-Ramona-Rutland school district. She liked some of the proposed changes but was concerned that the meat was taken off the bones. Its telling us what were doing but not telling us how far to go, Gilkerson said. Secretary Graves in rebuttal said there would be a lot more discussion at the future hearings. We rewrote because were not seeing progress, he said. We have respectable results but not much progress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for Arkansas, Graves said he spoke with that states top state education official. Graves said Arkansas recently went through a similar process of revising its mathematical standards and the results havent come in yet. As for Archimedes, he said those standards had clear, simple language. He said there is a generational problem because students take their math work home and their parents dont know how to help them through it. Secretary Graves: He said there will be a lot more discussion at the future hearings. Graves ac We rewrote because were not seeing progress. We have respectable results but not much progress. As for Arkansas, he spoke with the Arkansas leader who went through a similar process and they havent seen the results yet. As for Archimedes, he said they had clear, simple language. He said there is a generational problem because students take their math work home and their parents dont know how to do it. The Arkansas geometry standards were used because they were clearly written, according to Graves. Thats very common across the country as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for Gilkersons complaint, Graves said, The reason we took meat off the bones was because there was so much meat on the bones. Board member Phyllis Heineman of Sioux Falls said there were quite a few more from higher ed on the previous revision committee. She asked for an example of a standard where the meat was taken off. Because that concerns me, too, Heineman said. She also asked what happened to fourth-year mathematics. Graves said the state Department of Education tends to not offer standards for areas where students arent required to take subjects, and South Dakotas math graduation requirement calls for three years of high school math. Its certainly not an attempt to minimize a fourth year of math, because a fourth year of math is extremely important, he said. In other action Tuesday, the state board: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rearranged the standards-revision schedule for the 2026-27 school year. The board transferred Library Science and CTE standards to the schedule. World Language standards already were scheduled. Made the state board the sponsor for the history teacher of the year award. State Education Secretary Joe Graves said there was a discussion between state historian Ben Jones, board president Steven Perkins and himself about how to raise the awards profile. The South Dakota State Historical Society makes the annual award. Going forward, the award will be named for William Beadle, who established South Dakotas system of using public lands to provide funding for public schools, and the societys non-profit foundation plans to give $1,000 to each new winner. The money will be raised from donations. 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 KELOLAND.com. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program has stopped delivering books to kids in the Las Vegas metro area. (Photo: April Corbin Girnus/Nevada Current) Over the past two years, upwards of 18,000 young children in the Las Vegas metro area have received free monthly books in the mail as part of an early literacy program started by country icon Dolly Parton. But that ends this month. Storied Inc., the Clark County-based nonprofit partner for Partons Imagination Library, last week announced to parents and guardians that its October books would be the last until additional funding for the program is secured. The program, when funded, provides a free, age-appropriate monthly book to children 0 to 5 years old. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Meredith Helmick, executive director of Storied, the nonprofit sought funding from the Nevada State Legislature earlier this year to keep the program going after an initial two-years of state grant funding ended, but they came up empty handed. Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager sponsored a bill to appropriate $3.9 million to the United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra, which currently runs the Imagination Library for Washoe County residents, to expand the program statewide. The bill was referred to the Assembly Committee on Ways & Means, where it languished until the end of the regular session without a hearing or even a mention, according to the legislatures website. Helmick also hoped the nonprofit program might be able to secure funding through Senate Bill 460, Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaros omnibus education legislation. An early version of that bill appropriated $50 million for early childhood literacy readiness programs, but an amendment reduced that to $0 for the fiscal year beginning July 2025 and $12 million for the fiscal year beginning July 2026. Helmick says lawmakers chose to prioritize expansion of preschool seats, a Cannizzaro priority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SB460 was heavily negotiated and amended to include many of Gov. Joe Lombardos education priorities. Those priorities included setting aside $7 million in grant funding for charter school transportation. It appears those other priorities came at the expense of existing innovative programs that were working. Helmick says a survey of her families last year found 62% of them had fewer than 20 childrens books in their homes before enrolling their children in the program. This program is such a low cost, high reward program, she added. Helmick is hopeful the program can return to the Las Vegas area. She says Storied is having conversations with large companies and other nonprofits, reaching out to elected officials at all levels of government, and urging their supporters to do the same. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve heard rumors of a special session, she adds. Can we rewrite SB460 to include the language that it took out? Are there other funds that we could add or tap into that we could fit under? Maybe thats an avenue. It isnt just about the books Meredith Helmick and her husband, Kyle, were inspired to start Storied Inc. after attempting to sign up their daughter for Imagination Library only to learn the nationwide program didnt serve their area. A sign at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, displays how many books have been gifted to children by Dolly Partons Imagination Library. (Photo: April Corbin Girnus/Nevada Current) Dolly Parton launched Imagination Library in 1995 and the program has since given out more than 250 million free books to children in the United States and four other countries. Storied Inc. is one of several partners running the program in Nevada. According to Helmick, the other partners have managed to continue their programs, either in whole or by scaling down the number of kids served. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sheer size of Clark Countys population makes that a tougher task for Storied. According to the Imagination Librarys website, nearly 29,000 Nevada children are enrolled, the vast majority through Storied. Helmick says that before they even had a chance to market the program or figure out stable funding, an intrepid stranger found the sign up form and shared it on a social media group for parents in Las Vegas. In 48 hours, we had 3,500 kids registered, she recalls. It was, like, I guess were doing it now. But it all worked out beautifully. From there, the program quickly grew just by word of mouth. It was funded from June 2023 to July 2025 by a grant from the states Early Childhood Innovative Literacy Program. Participation fluctuates each month as kids are signed up or age out at 5 years old, but Helmick says it stays in the range of 18,000 or 19,000 thousand children spanning most of Clark County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (Boulder City residents have a dedicated partner, Reading to Z, which currently serves fewer than 200 kids. Rural Clark County residents who live in Valley Electric Associations service area can sign up for a program run by the energy cooperatives charitable foundation.) Over the summer, with the funding drying up, Storied stopped accepting new kids into the program. We didnt want to disappoint families by starting to send them books only to stop sending them a few months later, said Helmick. One thing that sets (Imagination Library) apart is these books are sent directly to their home. I am a huge proponent of libraries. Im there practically every week. But not everybody is able to do that. That is a barrier. Additionally, the books arrive addressed to the child. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Getting it in the mail, the label with their name, it gives them ownership of the book, says Helmick. It makes a huge difference. I didnt realize it until I heard it from families. On the inside of each book cover is a note from Imagination Library with tips for parents on conversations they can have with their child about the book, or questions they can ask to boost critical thinking and early reading skills. It isnt just about the books and the words and the stories youre reading with your kids, said Helmick. Its sitting together side by side. Its having conversations with them. State lawmakers are urging Pennsylvanians to register to vote for the upcoming election. Action News was at the Philadelphia City Commissioners Office and Election Warehouse in Northeast Philadelphia, as officials issued the reminder to voters. They said the deadline for Pennsylvanians to register to vote in the upcoming November 4th election is this coming Monday. You can register to vote online, or in person at the Voter Registration Office at 520 North Columbus Boulevard, or the Philadelphia County Board of Elections at City Hall. EARLE, Ark. Earle, Arkansas Mayor Jaylen Smith is declining to comment Wednesday on a new state report questioning city spending and accounting. Over the summer, Earles city council issued a spending freeze that led to months of unpaid bills now this newly released report raises new concerns. Earle, Arkansas city services at risk due to unpaid bills The financial and compliance report issued by the Arkansas Legislative Joint Auditing Committee for the year ending Dec. 31, 2024 evaluated Earles compliance with certain state laws concerning general and district court accounting, budgeting, purchasing, and investing and depositing of public funds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report shows Mayor Smith has yet to reimburse the city for $2,886 for hotel and fuel charges for an out-of-state trip, and has not provided adequate supporting documentation to an audit staff. The report also cites discrepancies of: $23,671 in the Earle District Court Clerks bank deposits and receipts $11,935 in receipts issued between Jan. 1, 2023 and Aug. 13, 2024 that were subsequently voided, leaving a balance on defendants accounts. $6,298 in receipts issued during the same time that were voided, and the cases adjusted by crediting the defendants accounts. Adequate supporting documentation was not provided for these adjustments $5,438 in receipts issued between Jan. 1, 2024 and July 24, 2024 that could not be traced to a bank account. According to the committee, law enforcement is currently investigating these matters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earle, AR focuses on economic growth amid blight issues The court clerk that is, was accused of, is not with the City of Earle anymore, so again, once I review the report, Ill issue an official statement and email it to you all, Smith said Wednesday. We reached out to Arkansas State Police to see if they are investigating but have not received a response, and we have been unable to reach the attorney for the City of Earle for his reaction to the report. 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 WREG.com. State Superintendent Lindel Fields leads a meeting of the Oklahoma State Board of Education on Thursday in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY Oklahomas new education chief said Wednesday he has no plans to distribute Bibles or a biblical curriculum in public schools, reversing course from his predecessor, Ryan Walters. State Superintendent Lindel Fields, who was appointed to the position this month, indicated Wednesday he will not fight in court to defend Walters order that Oklahoma public schools teach from the Bible and keep a copy of it in every classroom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A lawsuit, which 32 Oklahomans filed with the state Supreme Court last year, challenged the mandate and Walters attempt to purchase 55,000 Bibles and a biblical curriculum through a public bidding process. We plan to file a motion to dismiss, and have no plans to distribute Bibles or a biblical character education curriculum in classrooms, Fields announced in a statement Wednesday. If resources are left to be allocated, the timing is fortunate since the team and I are currently reviewing the (Oklahoma State Department of Education) budget. The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday gave Fields until Oct. 28 to decide whether to resolve the lawsuit by withdrawing the Bible directives. Represented by local and national legal groups, 32 parents, students, educators and faith leaders sued Walters, the Education Department, the Oklahoma State Board of Education and the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, which oversees bidding and purchasing for state agencies. Former state Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks with news reporters after an Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting on July 24. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice) Requiring biblical instruction in public schools and purchasing Bibles with taxpayer dollars violates the Oklahoma Constitutions ban on state-established religion, they contend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court acknowledged theres been significant turnover of the public officials involved in the case. Walters resigned from office Sept. 30 to lead a conservative nonprofit, and Gov. Kevin Stitt has replaced every member of the state Board of Education since the lawsuit was filed in October 2024. The head of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, Rick Rose, also recently resigned. Fields became the lead defendant in the case when Stitt appointed him to finish Walters term as state superintendent. Attorneys for the plaintiffs said they are encouraged to hear Fields comments and are discussing next steps with their clients, according to their joint statement Wednesday. The group includes Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice. The promise of separation of church and state guaranteed by the U.S. and Oklahoma constitutions means that families and students not politicians get to decide when and how to engage with religion, their joint statement reads. The attempts to promote religion in the classroom and the abuses of power that the Oklahoma State Department of Education engaged in under Walters tenure should never happen in Oklahoma or anywhere in the United States again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state Supreme Court hasnt reached a final decision in the lawsuit, but it agreed in March to block the Education Department from purchasing Bibles and a biblical curriculum while the case is pending. Walters administration already purchased more than 500 Bibles to give to Advanced Placement government classes. In a separate case, the Court temporarily barred the implementation of Walters new academic standards for social studies courses that would have required public schools to teach Bible stories and the teachings of Jesus. Walters said this instruction would help contextualize the beliefs of Americas founding fathers and key historical figures. He also called the separation of church and state a myth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fields doesnt oppose Bibles being present in public schools, said his spokesperson, Tara Thompson. Students already are permitted to bring their own copies to school or to access the Bible online, and many districts keep a Bible in their libraries. However, Fields administration has raised doubts about whether purchasing Bibles and racking up legal fees are the best use of taxpayer dollars, Thompson said during a media briefing Wednesday afternoon. The agencys new leadership aims to quickly dismiss as many lawsuits as possible, she said. The Education Departments lead attorney, Jacki Phelps, said five cases are still pending against the agency. That includes two lawsuits challenging the social studies standards that Walters administration developed. Thompson said Fields would like to reach an amicable resolution with the plaintiffs in those cases, and permanently reverting to Oklahomas 2019 standards is a possible solution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those were award-winning standards, Thompson said. Our schools have them, are familiar with them. And so, in the essence of time, thats an option thats on the table. Is that the one that gets selected? I dont know yet. I hope to have that answered in the next couple of weeks. Editors note: This story has been updated to include comments from a media briefing with Tara Thompson and a joint statement from the plaintiffs attorneys, both of which were provided after initial publication. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE After three months of high-level legal wrangling, the state Supreme Court on Monday rejected a request from a criminal defense attorney to order The Florida Bar to investigate a complaint claiming U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi violated Floridas ethics rules as the nations top law enforcement official. Five court justices, in a one-paragraph ruling, said South Florida lawyer Jon May failed to show a clear legal right to the relief requested and denied his petition on behalf of about 70 liberal-leaning scholars, attorneys and former judges. The justices also rejected his request for an oral argument before the court in Tallahassee. The coalitions bid submitted by May was always a long shot because the seven justices on Floridas high court were all appointed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and former GOP Gov. Charlie Crist. Two of them did not participate in the ruling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mays bid was met with opposition not only from The Florida Bar but also in briefs filed by the Florida Attorney General and U.S. Department of Justice. In June, the coalition filed an ethics complaint against Bondi with The Florida Bar, but the Bar rejected it on jurisdictional grounds, saying in a formal response that it does not investigate or prosecute sitting officers appointed under the U.S. Constitution while they are in office. In his petition to the Supreme Court, May argued he had a clear legal right under the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar to report this alleged professional misconduct. After his loss, May said in a statement that he never expected to win in Florida, although I certainly hoped we would. He said that the coalitions goal now is to inform government lawyers of the legal support they need and to represent them pro bono if they are retaliated against by the Bondi-led Justice Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Florida Bar declined to comment on its victory, referring a Miami Herald reporter to its response in the Supreme Court case. Setting the stage, The Florida Bars lawyers argued that May has no clear legal right to compel the Bar to investigate and prosecute another member of the Bar. Like any other person, Mr. May can file a sworn complaint against a member of the Bar, they stated. However, The Florida Bar owes no legal duty to the petitioner with respect to attorney discipline. This Court has held that Bar disciplinary proceedings are not designed to vindicate the rights of private parties. In its petition to the Supreme Court, the coalition challenged the state Bars assertion that it does not investigate or prosecute presidentially appointed federal officials such as Bondi while theyre still in office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The coalition noted that in 1998, Congress passed the McDade Amendment, which explicitly rejected the Bars argument that investigating federal officials would encroach on federal authority. The McDade Amendment states: Attorneys for the [U.S.] Government shall be subject to State laws and rules ... to the same extent and in the same manner as other attorneys in that State. The coalition, which includes retired Florida Supreme Court justices Barbara J. Pariente and Peggy A. Quince, took aim at Bondi in its complaint filed in early June with The Florida Bar. Democratic Gov. Lawton Chiles appointed Pariente to the court in 1997 while Chiles and Republican Jeb Bush, then governor-elect, jointly appointed Quince. The coalitions complaint accused Bondi, a Florida Bar member, of violating her ethical duties as U.S. attorney general, saying she has committed serious professional misconduct that threatens the rule of law and the administration of justice. The complaint claimed Bondi has sought to compel Department of Justice lawyers to violate their ethical obligations under the guise of zealous advocacy that she espoused in a February memo to all agency employees on her first day in office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The complaint further said Bondi threatened agency lawyers with discipline or termination if they failed to zealously pursue the President Donald Trumps political objectives, alleging her conduct violated Florida Bar rules and longstanding norms of the Justice Department. The coalitions complaint accused Bondi the 59-year-old former Florida attorney general and state attorney in the Tampa area of playing a central role in the improper firings and resignations of numerous government lawyers during a four-month span at the helm of the Justice Department. Three examples were cited in the 23-page complaint: In mid-April, Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche fired a seasoned immigration lawyer who the Trump administration accused of sabotaging its legal case over the mistaken deportation of a Maryland man to his native El Salvador. In mid-February, a longtime federal prosecutor resigned rather than carry out what she described as orders from Trump-appointed officials to pursue enforcement actions unsupported by evidence, according to a copy of her resignation letter. Earlier in February, several senior federal prosecutors in New York and Washington resigned after they refused to follow a Justice Department order to drop the corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams. Organ donation is the gift of an organ or part of an organ to another person for transplantation. Donated organs (heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas, intestines) can replace failing organs and save lives. Donors may be deceased (who have died in a hospital setting under conditions that keep organs viable) or living (typically donating a kidney or a portion of the liver/lung). In practice, the U.S. follows an opt-in (first-person consent) model: individuals must explicitly register their intent to donate, usually via state donor registries or by marking organ donor on a drivers license. If no registration exists at death, the legal next of kin is asked to consent. Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) across the U.S. coordinate recovery of donated organs and maintain confidential registries that link donors to the national transplant network. The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (UNOS/OPTN) under HHS manages a central database to match donors and waiting recipients, ensuring fair allocation. How the U.S. Donation System Works Under the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, adults (18+) can consent to donate organs upon death; their decision is legally binding and cannot be overridden by others. Most U.S. states adopted this opt-in framework, reflecting a cultural emphasis on personal choice. To register, people typically check a box at the DMV, sign a donor registry online, or list organ donor on a license. OPOs review registries when a death occurs; if a donors consent is on record, it provides legal consent for donation. Otherwise, the medical staff consults the family. In addition to deceased donors, living adults can donate a kidney or a portion of their liver or lungs, undergoing a thorough medical evaluation beforehand. Education and awareness are crucial parts of the system. Transplant nurses, doctors, and coordinators often receive specialized training in ethics and patient care. For example, advanced nursing degrees teach advocacy and clinical leadership that can help support donors and recipients. Institutions offer an online MSN program for nurses interested in these fields. As Dr. Khadijah Breathett (Arizona heart failure/transplant cardiologist) advises, people who want to donate should sign up on their states organ donor registry, inform their family and document their wishes to avoid confusion at the time of death. Lives Saved by Donation: The Big Picture The impact of organ donation is immense. Over 100,000 Americans await a transplant at any given time, yet each year, only tens of thousands receive organs. In 2024, about 48,000 transplants were performed in the U.S.. Each donor can save up to eight lives (for example, one donor might provide a heart, two kidneys, lungs, and liver). Tissue donation (corneas, skin, bone) further heals many others. Donate Life America reports that 24,020 people donated organs in 2024, bringing new life to recipients. By 2022, the U.S. had surpassed its 1 millionth organ transplant, more than any other country. In practical terms, one registered donor might give organs to heart, lung, liver, and kidney patients, saving or greatly extending eight lives and improving dozens of others through tissue gifts. Recent data highlights the ongoing need: for example, over 103,000 people were on the transplant waiting list in late 2024, and about 17 of those die every day waiting. Every 8 minutes, someone new joins the list. Kidneys are most in demand (86% of waitlisted patients). These statistics underline the benefit of each donation. As transplant experts note, even small increases in donor registration or living donation can translate into hundreds more lives saved. Why Many Americans Dont Register Despite broad support (a 2019 survey found 90% of U.S. adults favor donation, but only ~60% are registered), many choose not to sign up. Common reasons include: Cultural or Religious Concerns: Some people worry that donation conflicts with cultural traditions or faith-based views about the body. For instance, certain Native American communities prefer the body to remain intact. (Importantly, most major religions officially sanction donation as an act of charity.) Myths persist that organs must remain whole for spiritual reasons, even though religious leaders and theologians generally encourage lifesaving gifts. Mistrust of Medicine: Historic abuses and inequalities make many wary. A significant number fear that registering might lead doctors to give less aggressive care a myth perpetuated by mistrust. In fact, medical teams swear to save all lives first and only pursue organ recovery after death is confirmed. Yet surveys show that fear remains real: many cite medical mistrust or the idea that doctors might not save donors as reasons to opt out. Lack of Information: Many simply do not know how the system works. Some believe doctors will harvest organs early, or they underestimate how narrow the window for donation is only about 3 in 1,000 deaths are in circumstances where organs can be used. Others are unaware they can donate if sick (eligibility depends on medical criteria at death, not on chronic conditions like diabetes). Surveys found that a third of unregistered adults simply dont understand the transplantation process or assume they are ineligible. Emotional and Personal Factors: Talking about death is hard. Families facing tragedy often feel uneasy. Some relatives want the body intact for burial or worry the removal process will disfigure their loved one. The high-stress context of an unexpected death can impair decision-making. Transplant experts and ethicists emphasize that these barriers are surmountable. Education campaigns and conversations can dispel myths. One researcher put it, people who say I have no use for my organs after death already recognize the altruistic benefit, so why not donate? Moving Forward For now, the U.S. organ donation system remains a mix of hopeful success and frustrating shortfall. Every year, thousands of patients get a second chance thanks to donors, yet thousands more wait in limbo. Health authorities like UNOS and Donate Life America continue to press for greater enrollment and address misconceptions. They note that all U.S. states recognize the right of individuals to donate and protect that choice by law. In practice, however, transplant teams also respect families wishes; about 10% of registered donors see their family decline donation, representing lost lives. In the end, organ donation in America revolves around a personal choice framed by social factors. Clear information, supportive conversations, and institutional trustbuilding are key. The message from experts is consistent: by registering and sharing your decision, you can make an immense difference. STATESBORO, Ga. (WSAV) Early voting is underway in the state of Georgia and a race for the top local official in the city of Statesboro is on the ballot. The mayoral race for features incumbent Mayor Jonathan McCollar, who is seeking a third term, and challenger Raymond Harris, who has a background in ministry and military service. Both candidates told WSAV about why they decided to run. I love the work that were doing but I also feel that we have a lot of progress that still needs to be made within our community, McCollar said. When I came into office, our poverty rate was above 53%, weve reduced that by 30%. Unemployment rate was above 10%; weve cut that by more than half, but I still feel that we have a long way to go. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harris felt the need to step up as a challenger. A lot of people in the community needed help, he said. Im ex-military. Ive always pushed forward to help people best I can and when nobody stepped forward, I was like, Thats not a good look so Im going to run for mayor. I want to be the peoples voice. I want to listen to the problems that they have, and I want to get solutions to those problems by working with everybody, not just one side or the other. Both mentioned the word crossroads in their responses. We used to go from Maine all the way to Miami so thats one of the things that I want to bring back to Statesboro, Harris said. We used to be the Crossroads of America. Lets bring that back that way we can actually beautify. People want to say beautification is a thing; we can continue to beautify our community but we can make sure that we do it in such a way that it helps the community, not hurt it, and be a tax burden. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McCollar said the city has a choice to make at the ballot box next month. I believe our city is at a crossroads as well and we have to make a determination of what type of city were going to be, McCollar said. Are we going to be a city that works to help lift all folks that call our city home? Are we going to go in a different direction? What I believe is that I am the candidatethats going to be able to lead our city in the direction that it needs to go. McCollar told WSAV he plans to continue investments into infrastructure, public safety and communication if re-elected. Harris spoke about exploring the effects of recent tax increases on the citys residents experiencing poverty as well expanding opportunities to all parts of the city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The one biggest thing that should change is I believe in term limits, Harris said. I believe if a mayor serves eight years and you dont get done what you need to get done, you should pass the baton on and let the next man carry your baton or do better than you did. You can watch full interviews with both candidates below: Raymond Harris Full Interview Jonathan McCollar Full Interview For more information on the Nov. 4 general elections in the Lowcountry and Coastal Empire, visit www.wsav.com/electionhq 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 WSAV-TV. SPRINGFIELD Springfield Technical Community College will host its annual fall career fair on Thursday. The fair connects area employers with STCC students, alumni and community job seekers pursuing careers across a wide range of fields. Dozens of employers representing engineering, health, business, information technology and manufacturing sectors will attend. The event will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Scibelli Hall (Building 2) Gymnasium at 1 Armory Square. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the only technical community college in Massachusetts, STCC provides career-focused education and hands-on training aligned with regional workforce needs. Read the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here. In September of 2025, US President Donald Trump signed the Saving TikTok While Protecting National Security Executive Order, which attempts to skirt the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act which was signed into law by Congress in April 2024. Under this law, ByteDance, TikToks China-based parent, must divest its US operations or face a ban. The concern, as stated by many national security officials, is that ByteDance, via its Chinese connections, could share US user data or manipulate TikToks algorithm to push content in favour of the Chinese Communist Party. Yet, despite the law, deadlines have been repeatedly extended, and the administration claims it has found a way to satisfy the law via a qualified divestiture rather than a total severance of all control or influence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under this new executive order, TikToks US operations will enter a US-based joint venture whereby ByteDance will retain less than 20% ownership. With the US arm of TikTok being valued at around $14bn under the new deal, an investor group led by Oracles Larry Ellison, Dell computers Michael Dell, and infamous multi-media owner Rupert Murdoch (and his heir, Lachlan Murdoch) is poised to take over US operations. The proposed takeover of TikToks US operations, under the guise of protecting American citizens, threatens to trade one risk for another: foreign influence replaced by domestic concentrated power. Owning the TikTok algorithm From a national security perspective, these safeguards may not be enough, but the divestment of Chinese ownership of TikToks algorithm makes sense. China is the USs strategic nemesis, and, by controlling an algorithm that regularly suggests content to 170 million US citizens, it can control how the US thinks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the forced divestment, however, the algorithm may remain subject to licensing (given that it wont be entirely independent and will be licensed from ByteDance) or oversight that still keeps it linked in some way to ByteDance, leaving it open to the possibility of influence via coded backdoors. Oversight, monitoring, and trusted partners are vague. Who selects them? How independent are they? Are there enforceable penalties if they fail to comply? History suggests that regulatory oversight often becomes lip service when powerful interests are involved. Democracy, propaganda, and the feed While the specifics of the deal are yet to be fully ironed out, the current list of potential buyers reads like Trumps Rolodex of allies, or so-called American patriots (and long-time Republican donors). Oracle is set to have responsibility for data storage and security. The proposed board will be majority US-controlled, but much of the decisionmaking about what content gets seen, how algorithms work, and how data flows may still depend on opaque arrangements. The Trump administration claims the deal will remove TikTok from foreign adversarial control, stripping ByteDance of its operational influence over algorithms, data sharing, and move US user data to servers under US control. Whoever controls the TikTok algorithm controls what millions of Americans believe, and what they dont. A platform with 170 million US users is now being retooled. Who decides what content is promoted or suppressed matters enormously for free speech and public discourse. When media magnates with deep partisan and ideological ties (like mostly-Trump-aligned Fox Crop) get access to this level of influence, the risk is that domestic control becomes just as powerful and opaque as it would be under ByteDance. Even if oversight structures are promised (vis-a-vis American board, review of algorithm, etc.), those promises alone may not guard against private bias and interest, given Oracles position as a data company. Whats being sold? Security is being sold. Not to the American public, but to the claim that elite insiders can manage what the law demands. Influence is being sold. The attention economy is being privatised, entrusted to a narrow caste of wealthy individuals and political actors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Precedent is being sold. This framework of national security convenience sets a model for future deals. Trump (or any future US administration) can deem a company thats owned by foreign ownership to be a foreign adversary of sorts, hand it off to political friends, and call it a protection of democracy, all while bolstering their (or their partys) political influence and prospects. Trumping TikTok There are serious concerns to be had about Chinese influence over TikTok. However, what we need now isnt further concentration of US tech and media power. Bringing a social media app under the ownership of media moguls who already control a large chunk of broadcast, cable, and print media gives them even more control over what stories are prominent. It threatens to hollow out independent speech by concentrating who supplies narratives. Will Rupert and Lachlan take a Wall Street Journal-esque route of sitting back and allowing the platform to run by itself, or will they try to influence the app to bring it in line with their more conservative offerings? Will TikTok follow in the steps of fellow Republican-aligned Elon Musks takeover of Twitter (now X) and move significantly towards the right? Controlling both data storage and algorithm supervision gives Oracle enormous leverage. Data is the heart of influence in platform politics, and algorithm control shapes what people see. This is not just a commercial operation; its a power over the flow of information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ellison is well known to be a supporter of Republican causes, again raising the risk that TikToks recommendation algorithm and moderation could be influenced to favor pro-Trump or pro-Republican content, either by design or by omission. "Stealing TikTok and selling national security" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand. [Source] White House Communications Director Steven Cheung accused the Norwegian Nobel Committee of putting politics over peace early Friday after it awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. The committee said Machado was honored for her courageous fight for democracy and peaceful transition in Venezuela. In a social media post, Cheung argued that President Donald Trumps record in mediating peace deals, including the Abraham Accords, had been disregarded. White House reaction Cheungs post on X said, President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives, adding that Trump has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will. Trump had previously expressed his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize, pointing to his role in international ceasefire agreements and diplomatic negotiations during his presidency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When asked about the Nobel on Friday evening, Trump told reporters that Machado had personally called to congratulate him. 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, describing it as a very nice thing to do. Trending on NextShark: Asian American 'Love Is Blind' contestants reveal how race still shapes dating Machado, a longtime critic of President Nicolas Maduro, dedicated her win to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause, according to her post on X. Her remarks linked Trumps past backing of Venezuelan opposition movements to her own campaign for democratic reform. Nobel Committee defends selection The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it based its decision solely on Machados work to promote nonviolent democratic change in Venezuela. Committee Chair Jrgen Watne Frydnes told reporters the body receives thousands and thousands of letters every year of people saying what, for them, leads to peace, adding, We base only our decision on the work and will of Alfred Nobel. The decision marked the first time the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to a Venezuelan figure since its inception in 1901. Trending on NextShark: Tariffs compound mounting pressures on Asian American grocers nationwide Trumps strained relationship with international organizations may have influenced perceptions of his candidacy. Under his administration, the U.S. withdrew from the World Health Organization and the Paris climate accords, while Trumps foreign policy drew criticism for his interest in acquiring Greenland from Denmark and for domestic clampdowns on protests and dissenting media. Should the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas reached last week lead to lasting stability and improved humanitarian conditions, it could strengthen the argument from Trumps allies that his diplomatic strategies merit future recognition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. Trending on NextShark: Leah Lewis speaks out following sexual assault allegation against 'Matlock' co-star Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what were building, consider becoming a paid member your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community. Subscribe here now! Trending on NextShark: Oregon lawmaker Hoa Nguyen dies at 41 after battling cancer Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today! ST. HELENA ISLAND, S.C. (WSAV) Nearly two days after a bar shooting on St. Helena Island that killed four people and left at least 20 people injured, the Beaufort County Sheriffs office has not revealed any motives, potential suspects or answers into the investigation. Willies Bar and Grill owner Willie Turral said he will continue to mourn the lives taken at his establishment on Sunday morning, but he told WSAV that he must redirect his focus now to finding justice and putting a stop to the violence. UPDATE: Names of St. Helena shooting victims released, 4 dead, 20 injured Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The gun violence, specifically in the youth he said, has gotten out of control, and its put a threat on the hub of St. Helena, where his business sits. He said for years prior, hes been trying to advocate for more law enforcement or at least programs or centers for the youth on the island to try and redirect the islands youth toward healthier paths. He said theyre the next generation, and the more officials dont tackle the bigger issue now, the longer St. Helena will suffer from unwanted violence. Community members who have come to pay their respects to the memorial set in front of Willies Bar and Grill told WSAV they agree that something has to change sooner rather than later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stop the violence. You know, thats the whole gist, said one community member. This is really like uncalled for, you know, and people are dying for no reason. Another community member said the violent act that took place Sunday morning is devastating and has shed a negative light on a great business. This is the place you come to have a good time. You dont need all that, the community member said. Some people didnt go home to their mom and dad, and it really hurts me, you know, it makes me want to cry. While most people that spoke to WSAV said the bar is a place where everyone can get together and have a good time without violence, one person said that the sentiment on the island right now is to shut this place down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They said violence is common at the bar, and they have even reached out to county council members to push for its closure. 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 WSAV-TV. STOCKTON, Mo. A small town in Cedar County gathered this week for a vigil honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk, weeks after the event was postponed due to shooting threats. The ceremony was held in Stockton, where organizers and attendees said the vigil was about peace, unity and courage in the face of fear. The vigil was moved indoors on the recommendation of law enforcement after threats targeted the previous event. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We had to prepare for the worst, said organizer Cindy Malone. I was so upset at the first vigil. Malone said that despite the earlier threat, the event needed to happen. I want to try and bring people together that was the whole point of a vigil. It was supposed to be a vigil of peace, she said. Were not going to be afraid. Malone said her goal was to encourage others to speak up for what they believe in, as Kirk did. You cant expect others to make the change for you, she said. You need to stand up. You need to speak up Whatever you are wanting in this world, you need to speak up for it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tim McGinnis, a community member who attended the vigil, said Kirk lived a Godly life. Its a sad time were living in, McGinnis said. We need to look to the Lord. Stockton Mayor Brandon Cahill said all political beliefs are supported in Stockton. Charlie Kirk was a conservative activist, author and media personality. He co-founded Turning Point USA when he was 18, an organization focused on promoting free markets and limited government, particularly on college campuses. 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. WEST VIRGINIA (WVNS) Student support programs for low-income students have lost crucial federal funding. Concord University extends in-state tuition for students from Virginia Funding cuts to programs under the TRiO umbrella stand to impact over 40,000 students nationwide, according to Government Relations Chair for West Virginia TRiO, Scott Robertson. Many of these programs have been geared toward offering support services for first-generation and low-income students. Robertson said the programs are not only crucial to students but are also a sound investment of federal funds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For every federal dollar that is invested in a TRiO participant, they will pay $13 back in taxes to the federal government for every dollar invested once they earn their college degree, he said. Theres not a lot of federal programs where you get that kind of return on investment. Through Trio programs, students have historically been able to get not only financial assistance, but guidance and support resources as well. First-generation college students, for example, have been offered insight into the FAFSA process, along with help applying to colleges and support in acclimating to college life. Tiffany Sharp worked extensively with these types of students. She said these types of cuts should be cause for concern, particularly in less populated regions. Especially in West Virginia being such a rural and low-income state. A whole lot of first-gen students in West Virginia as well, Sharp said. I see this being a real concern. West Virginia students have already felt the impact of the changes. Loss of funding brought major disruptions to WVUs Upward Bound program, as well as the Concord-based McNair Scholars program. Though program funding remains intact for certain TRiO programs in the state, such as those at WVU Tech. 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 WVNS. FARMERSBURG, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) Ever feel like your commutes are so much longer than everyone elses? According to a new study by FinanceBuzz, that could be more true than you think. Using data from the Federal Highway Administration, a research team evaluated their study based on highway usage and the number of licensed U.S. drivers. According to their study, Indiana ranks third for states that drive the most. The study claims Indiana residents travel an average of nearly 20,000 miles per year and 91,083,000,000 miles traveled over the last year. Of the top three states, Indiana also came in with the most licensed drivers, exceeding 4.7 million. The nationwide average for American drivers only comes to 13,932, which equates to nearly 5 coast-to-coast road trips. FinanceBuzz states that, the report indicates driving habits arent universal. Where transit is scarce and daily travel covers longer distances, we found people in Indiana are racking up more miles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Memorial Day travel expected to break 20-year record Indianas bordering states come far behind in average travel with: Illinois total miles traveled: 104,911,000,000 total licensed drivers: 8,631,485 average miles traveled: 12,154 Kentucky total miles traveled: 49,008,000,000 total licensed drivers: 3,001,191 average miles traveled: 16,330 Michigan total miles traveled: 99,576,000,000 total licensed drivers: 7,715,581 average miles traveled: 12,906 Ohio total miles traveled: 112,584,000,000 total licensed drivers: 8,436,370 average miles traveled: 13,345 The only two states to have a higher ranking were Wyoming, with the average driver clocking 21,986 miles, which is more than 50% more than the national average, and Mississippi, with 19,910 miles. The three states at the other end of the spectrum were Rhode Island, Washington, and New York, with scores from 10,411 and 9,815. 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 MyWabashValley.com. The U.S. passport has long been one of the most powerful in the world. Now, a new study shows a shift that has the United States dropping out of the top 10 for the first time ever. The Henley Passport Index revealed their quarterly ranking for worldwide passport potency. The United States landed in the 12th spot, tied with Malaysia, marking the country's first time falling out of the top 10 in the rankings' 20-year history. According to the Henley & Partners' website, "The Henley Passport Index is the original, authoritative ranking of all the worlds passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The rankings are based on data from International Air Transport Association (IATA), the company explained. "The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations...The Henley Passport Index is considered the standard reference tool for global citizens and sovereign states when assessing where a passport ranks on the global mobility spectrum." While the U.S. ranks No. 12, there are 36 countries ahead on the list. Singapore, South Korea and Japan take the podium of powerful passports. Five European countries -- Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain and Switzerland -- tied for fourth place, while Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland and Netherlands land in fifth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The declining strength of the U.S. passport over the past decade is more than just a reshuffle in rankings it signals a fundamental shift in global mobility and soft power dynamics," Christian H. Kaelin, chair of Henley & Partners, said in a statement, according to CNN. "Nations that embrace openness and cooperation are surging ahead, while those resting on past privilege are being left behind. This story was originally reported by Men's Journal on Oct 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Australians can finally get their hands on WHOOSH! Screen Shine, the global screen-cleaning phenomenon thats built a loyal following around the world for its simple promise: a streak-free, sparkling clean screen without harsh chemicals. Developed and manufactured in Canada, WHOOSH! has already become a staple in households, workplaces, and retail stores across North America and Europe. Its the screen cleaner trusted by Apple in its own retail stores - used to keep demo devices pristine. Now, its officially landed in Australia. We swipe, tap and scroll our phones hundreds of times a day. Yet most of us rarely stop to think about just how dirty those glossy surfaces really are. Research shows mobile devices can harbour more bacteria than a toilet seat. According to Associate Professor Dr Lotti Tajouri of Murdoch University, Our research shows that smartphones and tablets are a dynamic microbial breeding ground. Products that make device hygiene simple and safe can play a role in reducing everyday exposure. WHOOSH! is specifically designed to tackle that hidden grime. Its award-winning formula doesnt just remove grease, fingerprints and bacteria it leaves an invisible coating that helps resist future smudges. WHOOSH! has become a favourite internationally because of its non-toxic, alcohol-free formula thats safe for people, pets and the planet. It works on everything from smartphones and tablets to TVs, car touchscreens and laptops. It's streak free, leaving no residue. It's fingerprint resistant, keeping screens cleaner for longer, and it's device safe, being compatible with all screen types. Its remarkable how something so simple can change your daily routine, said WHOOSH! Australia CEO Allan Dall. Were thrilled to give Australians a safe, effective and convenient way to clean their devices without harsh chemicals. WHOOSH! isnt just a new name in cleaning its already a global success used in Apple Stores around the world, winning multiple product innovation awards, and gaining popularity amoung frequent flyers, gamers, offices, and classrooms. As someone who spends a lot of time around tech, Ive tried plenty of DIY cleaning hacks over the years - from tissues to shirtsleeves. None of them worked well. To be honest, some of my off-the-cuff quick means of cleaning my screens are a bit gross in hindsight. Using WHOOSH! is, frankly, a game changer. A quick spray and wipe, and my phone, monitor, and even my laptop screen come up looking brand new. Heaps better than licking your finger, wiping your phone screen, then rubbing it on your shirt - I know it's not only me; weve all done it. Its fast, streak-free, and genuinely satisfying. WHOOSH! products are available now via whoosh.net.au and Amazon Australia, with sizes ranging from pocket-friendly sprays to larger packs for households, workplaces, gyms, hotels, and schools. Founded in Canada, WHOOSH! is a modern cleaning brand focused on safe, effective and innovative products for a tech-driven world. Its signature Screen Shine is trusted globally for keeping digital devices sparkling clean without harmful chemicals - making everyday hygiene that little bit simpler. And yes! I've genuinely used it - and it truly works. SULLIVANS ISLAND, S.C (WCBD) Some homeowners on Sullivans Island are challenging a South Carolina Court of Appeals ruling protecting the maritime forest. The forest is once again at the center of a decades-long legal battle, as the residents being represented in case are appealing the 2023 decision. The judge ruled in favor of a settlement agreement protecting the 190 acres. Sullivans Island for All, a local grassroots organization, advocates that it serves a natural barrier. The most important thing is that it is a barrier to protect the island, both the people and the property from big storms, Howard Holl, president of Sullivans Island for All, said. If you notice whats been happening recently in Charleston, theyre going to spend a billion dollars for a seawall, and we have this natural seawall here that protects the island. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1991, the town put the area in a deed-restricted land trust belonging to residents. However, those homeowners said they are upset as the forest was not there when they bought their homes. Now it has grown, obstructing what would be oceanfront views. They also have the negative consequences of the unmaintained maritime forest that has resulted in a lot of species there that never used to exist, and it sort of changed the nature of front beach living for those folks, James Hood, attorney for Sullivans Island homeowners, said. The attorney added the maritime forest has created issues with wildlife for his clients. It also has an impact on the pests, the rodents, the vermin, the coyotes now that are in front of their yards and have deal with that with their own pets and children, and things of that nature, Hood said. So, whats happened is that the town has created a nuisance that these folks have to live next to while other people dont. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Holl said the forest serves as a habitat for island wildlife, keeping them out of peoples yards, which is critical to islands ecosystem. We are just dedicated to preserving the forest and cutting down the forest just for views is not something that we see as a possibility, said Holl. The attorney said the homeowners believe the forest needs maintenance and ask the court to honor the original contract. It entered into a contract to resolve a lawsuit that involved specific, limited maintenance of the maritime forest and accreted land. Thats all we want, is what the town promised to do in the settlement agreement and to go forward and get that permitting and let the work continue, Hood said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The South Carolina Court of Appeals may issue a ruling in 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 WCBD News 2. Alaska Republican U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (Alaska Beacon file photos) Alaskas two U.S. senators are split on whether or not it is appropriate for the U.S. military to kill suspected drug smugglers without trial or a declaration of war. On Tuesday, the federal government said it had killed another six people aboard a boat in international waters of the Caribbean Sea, with President Trump claiming on social media that they were drug smugglers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since Sept. 2, the U.S. military has killed 27 people in the Caribbean Sea without a declaration of war or criminal trial, according to statistics kept by the New York Times. In each case, the federal government has asserted without evidence that all the people killed aboard the boats were smuggling drugs. Last week, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voted to have the Senate vote on a resolution that would have ended the Caribbean Sea bombings unless approved by Congress. Sixty votes were needed to call a vote. Only 48 senators all Democrats, plus Murkowski and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky voted in favor of bringing the issue to a vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While I commend the administrations concerted efforts to address the devastation of drug trafficking on communities across the country, I do not believe the information I have received justifies this interpretation of the Presidents Article II powers, Murkowski said, referring to the section of the Constitution that names the president the commander in chief of the military. I take very seriously my Article I responsibility when it comes to Congresss power to declare war. I dont think that full information on the legal and factual justification for armed attacks on suspected drug traffickers is too much to ask, Murkowski said. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, joined the rest of the Senates Republicans and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania in voting to support the bombings. Afterward, he offered a written statement explaining his vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Days ago, I was briefed by Secretary of State Rubio on Venezuelan narcoterrorist cartels flooding our country with deadly drugs. Nicolas Maduro the illegitimate leader of Venezuela and a criminal indicted by U.S. prosecutors refuses to cooperate with the U.S. and is clearly aiding these vicious drug traffickers who are responsible for killing tens of thousands of Americans. President Trumps lawful strikes against these cartels are saving lives and, importantly, establishing deterrence. Under Article II, he has the authority to defend our homeland, just as President George H.W. Bush did when he ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989 to remove the drug-trafficking dictator Manuel Noriega, the statement said. Senate Democrats resolution was another attempt to restrict the Presidents ability to act emboldening cartels and putting American lives at risk. These senators would never tolerate ISIS or al-Qaeda operating freely near our shores: eliminating a terrorist organization like Tren de Aragua that is literally killing thousands of Americans is no different. More Americans have died from drug overdoses in the past seven years than in both World Wars and the Vietnam War combined. Alaskans know this devastation firsthand, as poisons like fentanyl tear apart families in our cities and Alaska Native villages. Eliminating these cartels before they reach our shores protects our county and sends a strong message of deterrence. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE This is the most high-profile assassination of these elections and the most high-profile attack in Iraq in recent memory. A car bombing killed Safaa al-Mashhadani, a Sunni-Iraqi parliamentary candidate who was running in the upcoming elections scheduled for November, on Wednesday. He was a member of the Baghdad provincial council. A bomb was attached to his vehicle and detonated in an area north of Baghdad, killing Mashhadani and wounding four other people who were with him, according to reports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While assassinations have happened in the past, often at the hands of Iranian-backed Shiite militias, this is the most high-profile assassination of these elections and the most high-profile attack in Iraq in recent memory. In 2020, members of a Shiite militia murdered Husham al-Hashimi, a researcher and expert, in Baghdad. The killers were linked to Kataib Hezbollah, the same group that kidnapped researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov in Baghdad in 2023. Tsurkov, who holds Israeli and Russian citizenship, was released in September 2025. According to reports, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, who is also commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces, has ordered an investigation into the attack and murder of Mashhadani. Mashhadani was running in the elections for a group called the Sovereignty Alliance. Al-Arabihya described this as one of the major Sunni parties running in the elections. The party is led by Khamis al-Khanjar and the Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani. An Iraqi man inspects the site where a device attached to a car bomb detonated leading to the explosion of a gas tank that was nearby, in Baghdad, Iraq, October 29, 2022. (credit: REUTERS/WISSAM AL-OKAILI) The Sovereignty is known in Arabic as the Al-Siyada Alliance. Kurdistan24, a network in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, noted that, according to initial reports, the explosion occurred in Baghdads Tarmiyah district, setting Mashhadanis car ablaze and killing him instantly. Video footage circulating on social media shows the moment of the blast, with thick smoke rising from the vehicle engulfed in flames. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mashhadani, a Sunni politician and one of the prominent figures within the al-Siyada Alliance led by Khamis al-Khanjar, was widely regarded as one of Baghdads most popular and influential local leaders. His growing popularity, especially among young voters and Sunni communities in the capital, made him a strong contender in the upcoming parliamentary race and a key vote-winner for his alliance, the report stated. Family ties unclear It was not clear at the time of publication what family ties the victim may have had with Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, who is also a leader of the Siyada party. Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani mourned the death of Safaa al-Mashhadani and has called the attack cowardly. Mahmoud Mashhadani has been a member of parliament since 2005. He was elected soon after the US invasion and has been the Speaker since 2024. The Speaker of Parliament is a key Sunni-held position in Iraq. Iraqi Shiite parties generally control the country and hold the prime ministers office, while the president of Iraq is Kurdish. This enables a balance between the groups, similar to how Lebanon is governed. However, Iraq is more of a majoritarian democracy than Lebanon, meaning that seats are not reserved for groups the same way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, Shafaq news noted that the SIyada party had sought to push its candidate, Mashhadani, into the speakership role. It put out a statement urging Sunni parties to avoid succumbing to individuals or groups attempting to bypass the Sunni majoritys rightful claim and undermining the democratic principles and national rights that ensure all Iraqis participate without exclusion or marginalization in shaping their future. The report noted that despite several parliamentary sessions held to elect a new Speaker, political factions have failed to reach a consensus. The Taqaddum bloc, led by Halbousi, insists on retaining the position as its entitlement. In contrast, Siyada bloc, led by Khanjar, and other Sunni groups argue that the seat should represent the entire Sunni community, not just a single party or bloc. Reports indicate that the Siyada party has allied with other parties, including the Azem Alliance. Headed by the businessman Khanjar, it also includes former defense minister Khaled al-Obaidi, who played a key role in the defeat of ISIS. The assassination in Iraq may be a prelude to more attacks before the elections. On the other hand, it could also be a message from either Sunni or Shiite rivals directed at the Siyada party and its leadership. RALEIGH, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Within a week, North Carolina will likely have a new congressional map that could potentially give Republicans at least one more seat in Congress. Since eastern North Carolina will likely be carved by that new map and has a large Black population, it is expected opponents will sue, citing federal law that bans districts drawn to limit the voting power of a minority group. However, that kind of lawsuit could soon be impossible because of a case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A group of non-Black voters in Louisiana is suing over the drawing of a second majority minority district. The district was originally drawn to follow federal law that prohibits voter dilution, which refers to the reduction of a racial groups voting power, therefore preventing them from choosing the candidate of their choice. MORE FROM QUEEN CITY NEWS NC Legislators to Redraw Congressional Maps The non-Black voters say that the action was racial discrimination, and the Republicans who drew the map now agree it shouldnt have been created. The job is clear from our standpoint that the court needs to fix this because we think the court is whats broken the process to begin with, said Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With North Carolinas first congressional district being nearly half Black, any change to the map would likely divide up that block of Black voters into several, less concentrated districts, thereby weakening their voting power. If that were to happen, groups like the ACLU and the NAACP would sue to stop the map from being approved. Theyre going to argue that people of color in the northeastern part of the state, in this redrawn congressional district one, are not able to elect the candidate of their choice, said Chris Cooper, a professor at Western Carolina University. But if those non-Black plaintiffs in Louisiana win out, there would be no legal path for challengers in North Carolina claiming voter dilution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The General Assembly has yet to unveil its new map, but whether it is allowed to stay will be up to what the Supreme Court decides for voters in Louisiana. 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 Queen City News. The Supreme Court on Wednesday will hear arguments in a case that could gut the Voting Rights Act by barring states from considering the racial makeup of voting populations when drawing district lines an outcome that stands to change the course of next years midterm elections. In adopting that approach, the justices could upend decades of court decisions holding that states may and sometimes must use race-conscious redistricting to protect the voting power of minorities. Some conservatives argue that any consideration of race in drawing district lines is cynical, discriminatory and unconstitutional. Advocates for minority voters warn a colorblind interpretation of the Voting Rights Act would erode Black, brown and Asian representation in American politics and kick off another round of redistricting amid an already chaotic cycle of mid-decade redraws ahead of 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trump has been pushing red states across the country to redesign their congressional maps as Democrats fight to retake control over the House, leading California to counter with its own push that voters will decide on next month. Yet another potential redistricting resulting from this court case would be a political bonanza for Republicans in next years congressional elections, according to an analysis from two liberal groups. The case, Louisiana v. Callais, is the culmination of a long-running battle in the state over Black voters representation in Congress. The Supreme Court heard the case in March, but the justices failed to issue a ruling and made the unusual decision to hear it again. And this time, the high court has signaled its particular interest in the argument that a core tenet of the Voting Rights Act may violate the Constitution. Under Chief Justice John Roberts, the court has already curtailed many of the protections within the 60-year-old civil rights law. Weakening it further has long been a goal of some Republican litigators, who have argued it gives Democrats an unfair partisan advantage. It is time for the Supreme Court to finally eliminate this government-mandated business of divvying Americans up by race through redistricting and reaffirm our colorblind Constitutions guarantee of equal protection under the law, Adam Kincaid, president of the National Republican Redistricting Trust, said in a statement. His group has previously been involved in similar cases but isnt representing any party in this one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the court again restricts the law in Callais, advocates warn of diminished political power of minority voters in federal, state and local elections. The case could have profound implications for the Voting Rights Act and fair representation for voters nationwide, said Sophia Lin Lakin, the director of the ACLUs Voting Rights Project and one of the attorneys defending the Louisiana map being challenged in the case. The stakes are incredibly high: The outcome of the case will not only determine the next steps for Louisianas congressional map, but may also shape the future of redistricting cases nationwide and forecast the resilience of our nations democratic values. A landmark law meets a constitutional challenge The case centers on Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the key provision of the law that broadly prohibits discrimination in voting practices on the basis of race or creed. For decades, Section 2 has been understood to require some legislative districts where minority voters have a meaningful opportunity to elect their preferred candidates. In practice, that often means districts where racial minorities make up at least half the population. Supporters say the requirement of what are called majority-minority districts prevents state legislatures from diluting minorities voting power by either cracking communities scattering minority voters into numerous white-dominated (and frequently Republican-dominated) districts or packing districts by trying to fit as many minority voters into as few districts as possible so they end up underrepresented in the House or state legislature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But some conservatives say any race-conscious redistricting violates both the 14th Amendments equal protection clause, which generally prohibits the government from discriminating on the basis of race, and the 15th Amendment, which says the right to vote cannot be abridged on account of race. They also say the practice relies on outdated stereotypes about the political preferences of minority voters. Perhaps in decades past, the Court could assume that Section 2 was remediating specific, identified instances of past discrimination in redistricting, a coalition of Republican-led states wrote in a legal brief. No longer. This unconstrained, opaque, and odious use of race cannot extend any further. The conservative majority on the Supreme Court is often skeptical of any race-based decision-making by government actors, and the court has increasingly interpreted the Constitution in other contexts to mandate strict colorblindness. The conservative justices may now be poised to extend that approach to voting rights, too. A fight in Louisiana Some states have complained theyre in a no-win position regarding race and redistricting. If they dont use racial voting data to draw district lines that protect minority voters, they will be sued under the Voting Rights Act. If they rely too heavily on race, they may run afoul of the Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That conundrum has played out in Louisiana, where the GOP-controlled Legislature drew only one of the states six congressional districts to be majority Black after the 2020 census, despite roughly one-third of the states population being Black. A group of Black voters sued, and a district court judge found in 2022 that the map likely violated Section 2 of Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Black voters. After ping-ponging through the federal court system, including multiple rulings from the Supreme Court that avoided the merits of the case, the lower court order remained. The Legislature ultimately complied, drawing a new congressional map in 2024 with a second majority Black district that snaked across the state. That map resulted in the state electing two Democrats to the House for the first time in about 20 years, and two Black representatives for the first time since the 1990s. But almost immediately, a group of self-identified non-Black voters brought a new lawsuit. They, too, alleged racial discrimination. A divided panel of federal judges ruled in favor of the new challengers, finding that race played a primary role in drawing the lines and that the new map unconstitutionally discriminated against the non-Black voters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The appeal of that ruling is now at the Supreme Court. Political actors pile in Nearly everyone agrees the case will have ramifications beyond Louisiana, especially in light of the high courts terse August order refocusing the case on the constitutional issues. Just a few weeks after that order, Louisiana switched sides in the case. Originally, the state had defended its map containing two majority-Black districts. But now, the state is no longer defending the map and in fact is urging the Supreme Court to overturn the long-established understanding of Section 2. Race-based redistricting is fundamentally contrary to our Constitution, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, a Republican, and other state attorneys wrote. Louisianas experience suggests that [past precedent] cannot be reformed and should be overruled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Much of the conservative legal world from Trumps Department of Justice to a string of GOP-led states and conservative advocacy organizations quickly piled on, arguing the results-based test of election outcomes, which has guided Voting Rights Act enforcement for decades, is no longer tenable. In short, this Courts Section 2 jurisprudence should account for the fact that, today, a States failure to create a compact majority-minority district, even where demographically possible, is far more likely to reflect political motives than racial ones, Trumps Justice Department wrote. Too often, Section 2 is deployed as a form of electoral race-based affirmative action to undo a States constitutional pursuit of political ends. That misuse of Section 2 is unconstitutional. Arguments like the Justice Departments, critics argue, would effectively make the Voting Rights Act colorblind: Outcomes that are not facially discriminatory but produce discriminatory results would now be legal. In the realm of redistricting, they say, that would lead to current majority-minority districts being torn apart, leaving Black, Latino and Asian voters underrepresented in Congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Without the protections articulated in Gingles, the advances made will collapse to the pre-VRA status quo, read a friend of the court brief from members of the Congressional Black Caucus, referencing a 1980s Supreme Court ruling that led to the proliferation of majority-minority districts. An adverse ruling here would embolden states to crack and pack minority voters and unravel decades of existing remedies under the guise of midcycle redistricting. Will it come in time for 2026? Wednesdays oral arguments come amid one of the most frantic instances of mid-decade redistricting in recent memory. At the urging of Trump, Texas redrew its congressional map earlier this year, making five seats more favorable to the GOP. That kicked off an arms race across the country: Californians this November are voting on a retaliatory gerrymander in response to Texas, while a handful of other states are either considering or taking steps to redraw their lines, often under pressure from Washington. Democrats are already sounding the alarm on the impact that the Supreme Courts decision could have on next years midterms, warning Republicans could draw as many as 19 new House seats in states they control and, in the process, could oust nearly a third of the Congressional Black Caucus. But its unclear if the Supreme Court will rule quickly enough for state legislatures to act before primary contests, which start as early as March in some states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The stakes of the case are only heightened by the backdrop of this national gerrymandering crisis, former Democratic Attorney General Eric Holder, who heads Democrats main redistricting arm, told reporters in a press call ahead of the hearing. A ruling from the high court neutering the VRA could also foreclose one of the last remaining avenues for challenging redistricting in federal court. The 2019 Rucho v. Common Cause decision from the high court found that the federal judiciary has no role policing partisan gerrymandering. Chipping away at the VRA with one exception The Roberts court has broadly been hostile to the Voting Rights Act, and has significantly limited the scope of the law over the past decade and a half, leaving Section 2 enforcement as effectively the last remaining pillar of the law standing. Most notably, the Supreme Court in 2013 struck down the part of the VRA that determined which jurisdictions had a history of discrimination and needed to get federal permission before changing their voting laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And Section 2 has gradually been weathered away, too. A 2018 decision in Abbott v. Perez effectively granted legislatures the presumption of good faith when dealing with Section 2 claims, while a 2021 court ruling in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee saw a conservative majority set up a series of restrictive guideposts to assess whether a law was truly discriminatory or not. The VRA dodged a bullet two years ago in Allen v. Milligan, where Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the courts liberals in a surprise decision that found that Alabamas congressional map likely violated the Voting Rights Act. But advocates argue now that the posture of the court heading into Callais suggests that another serious blow is on its way. At least one conservative justice, Clarence Thomas, has made clear he believes the current Section 2 legal regime should go. For over three decades, I have called for a systematic reassessment of our interpretation of Section 2, he wrote in June, dissenting from the decision to rehear the Louisiana case and arguing it should have been decided immediately. I am hopeful that this Court will soon realize that the conflict its Section 2 jurisprudence has sown with the Constitution is too severe to ignore. The Supreme Courts conservative justices appeared likely to strip Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of all power to protect against racially discriminatory redistricting during arguments in the case of Louisiana v. Callais on Wednesday. Such a decision could have monumental consequences for the future of Black political representation across the South, and potentially enable Republican legislatures to redraw maps in a way that helps bring to fruition President Donald Trumps goal of one-party rule in Washington. Politics: New Book Is About To Blow The Lid Off RFK Jr.'s Sexting: Report The complicated case centers on the question of whether, and how, race is allowed to be used when drawing congressional maps. The case arose from a challenge brought by white Louisianans to a remedial map the state legislature drew in 2024 that created a second Black majority district. The legislature drew that map in response to a district court ruling in Robinson v. Louisiana that the initial map adopted by the state in 2022 violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits voting practices or procedures that discriminate based on race, when it failed to draw a second district. The white Louisianans then challenged the new remedial map for discriminating against them, and a district court agreed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The case, or a version of it, was actually heard at the Supreme Court earlier this year. In March, both the Black Robinson plaintiffs and the state of Louisiana argued at the Supreme Court that the map featuring a second Black majority district should be upheld. But the court declined to issue a decision, instead ordering it to be reargued with a new question: whether Section 2 is unconstitutional. Louisiana promptly switched sides to argue it was unconstitutional, and the Trump administration joined to present a different mechanism to gut Section 2. During arguments, it appeared unlikely the conservative justices would go so far as to find Section 2 to be unconstitutional overall. Instead, they honed on the argument made by the Trump administration, which claimed that partisan considerations should trump racial discrimination in map-drawing. This would make Section 2 cases effectively impossible to bring in the future. Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act bans electoral practices that lead to a denial or abridgment of the right ... to vote and leave minority voters with less opportunity ... to participate in the political processes and to elect representatives of their choice. In 1982, Congress amended Section 2 to require courts to look at the racially discriminatory effects of a district map and not just the question of whether the map as drawn was intentionally discriminatory. Nearly all Black-majority districts in the South were drawn after this amendment. Demonstrators gather outside the Supreme Court during arguments in Louisiana v. Callais on Wednesday. Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images When bringing a Section 2 claim of racial discrimination in court, plaintiffs must show that a given map prevented a racial minority from electing a candidate of their choosing where there is geographic racial segregation and significant racially polarized voting, where, say, white and Black voters predominantly vote for one party over the other. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration, however, now argues that courts cant distinguish racially polarized voting from partisan voting in the South where Black voters are almost all Democrats and white voters are almost all Republicans. Since the Supreme Courts 2019 decision in Rucho v. Common Cause found that federal courts could not rule on partisan gerrymandering claims, a Republican legislature can draw a map that favors Republicans, even at the expense of Black voters, because their real motivation is partisanship, the Trump administration argues. Politics: Nancy Pelosis Fiery Response To MAGA Reporters Jan. 6 Question Goes Viral When courts hear Section 2 challenges, they must consider whether a remedial map that creates a majority-minority district provides the same partisan balance as the map presented by the state, according to the Trump administration. This would enable Southern states to eliminate existing majority Black and Latino districts by arguing they did so for partisan reasons alone, and thus effectively neuter Section 2. This solution would also allow the conservative justices to tell themselves that they are not contradicting the 2022 decision in Allen v. Milligan, a nearly identical case that required Alabama to draw a second Black majority district with a ruling of 5-4, deputy Solicitor General Hashim Moopan argued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nor would they need to overrule the 1985 precedent in Thornburg v. Gingles that set out a multipart test that courts use to review Section 2 districting cases. It would instead be a clarification, Moopan said in response to a leading question from Justice Amy Coney Barrett that sought that very answer. In Allen v. Milligan, Chief Justice John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh joined with the courts three liberals to uphold Section 2. Now that they are presented with a different and better, in their opinion argument; it appears both are ready to change position and gut it. Politics: Latino Voters May Be Changing Their Allegiances. It Could Change Their Influence, Too. When questioning NAACP Legal Defense Fund president Janai Nelson, arguing on behalf of Black Louisianans, Roberts noted that the outcome of the Allen decision was unique to Alabamas particular challenge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We were looking at Alabamas suggestion of how to apply its body of evidence under existing precedent, Roberts said. And when questioning Moopan, Roberts sought to elicit a confirmation that the Trump administrations argument would be consistent with the Roberts decision in Allen. For his part, Kavanaugh focused heavily on two issues: the question of partisanship presented by the Trump administration and whether Section 2 should have an end date. (Left to right) Associate U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, Associate U.S. Supreme Court Clarence Thomas, Associate U.S. Supreme Court Brett Kavanaugh, and Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court John Roberts, during the 60th presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Bloomberg via Getty Images The courts cases in a variety of contexts have said that race-based remedies are permissible for a period of time, sometime for a long period of time, decades in some cases, but that they should not be indefinite. It should have an end point. What exactly do you think the end point should be? Kavanaugh asked Nelson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since Section 2 does not require race-based remedies and it would be self-nullifying when racially polarized voting ceases, it does not need an end point, Nelson replied. If the court decided that an end point is necessary, it should give advance warning, she argued. She further noted, correctly, that, There is no precedent to suggest that a statute must dissolve on its own simply because it must require a race remedy. Politics: The Supreme Court May Be About To Deal A Final Blow To The Voting Rights Act Signalling his clear interest in the Trump administrations position, Kavanaugh asked each of the four lawyers who argued before the court what they thought about the core argument that courts must consider partisan political considerations over race in map drawing. If the court chooses to adopt the Trump administrations proposal and gut Section 2, or if it goes even further and finds it unconstitutional, the effect will be catastrophic, Nelson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If we take Louisiana as an example, every congressional member who is Black was elected from a VRA opportunity district, Nelson said. We only have the diversity that we see across the South, for example, because of litigation that forced the creation of opportunity districts under the Voting Rights Act. Changing the way courts review Section 2 or finding it unconstitutional would throw into question maps with majority-minority districts across the South. If the court issues a ruling in Louisiana v. Callais before the end of 2025, Republican legislatures could move to eliminate up to 19 of them ahead of the 2026 election. This would largely fulfill Trumps desire to pad Republican House majorities so that he never faces congressional oversight. Politics: Ohio Republican Condemns Swastika Found On Display In His Office Nelson provided a stark warning to the justices were they to issue such a decision to upend decades-old precedent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The court said it must be concerned about changing its decisions or rejecting stare decisis in cases that involve a sensitive political context like this one, Nelson said. That calls the courts legitimacy into question in a unique way. Any further neutering of Section 2 would resurrect the 15th amendment as a mere parchment promise. Political Updates Read the original on HuffPost The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Wednesday in a case originating in Louisiana, Louisiana v. Callais, centered around when and how legislatures should consider race when drawing congressional districts. Here is a brief background on the case: In 2022, the Louisiana state Legislature adopted a map that featured a single Black-majority district out of six allotted to the state. A group of Black voters challenged the map in federal court, arguing that it diluted their votes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Black voters in Louisiana make up about one-third of the states population, and the voters who sued said the state violated the federal Voting Rights Act that prohibits using race as a factor when establishing voting practices. A federal district court ultimately ruled that the Legislatures congressional maps had violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and barred the maps from being used in future elections. The court also directed the state lawmakers to create a new map, this time with an additional second majority-Black district. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit upheld that ruling. New map brings new legal drama After the new map, known as S.B. 8, was released in 2024, a separate group of Louisiana voters accused it of unconstitutional racial gerrymandering and alleged that it violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A three-judge district court agreed with the plaintiffs and prohibited the maps from being used in congressional elections. But in May 2024, the Supreme Court paused the lower courts ruling and allowed the map to be used by the state. The state and the Black voters who brought the case to court in 2022 appealed the three-judge decision to the Supreme Court, which then set oral arguments. The Trump White House filed a brief, asking the Supreme Court to uphold the latest district court decision. Ahead of oral arguments, the justices last August requested both parties to publish new briefs addressing whether the states intentional creation of a second majority-minority congressional district violates the 14th or 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Louisiana v. Callais will be the first case argued before the Supreme Court on Wednesday at 8 a.m. MDT. The Supreme Court leaned toward restricting the use of race in redistricting during high-stakes oral arguments Wednesday over Louisianas congressional map that could curtail a central provision of the Voting Rights Act. Across more than two hours of arguments, the conservative majority raised alarm that states like Louisiana are going too far in intentionally drawing additional majority-minority districts to comply with the landmark 1965 law to the point where its unconstitutional. Its a premise that poses major implications for electoral maps not just in Louisiana, but nationwide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It remains to be seen just how broadly the court will rule, but several conservative justices questioned if the courts voting rights precedents need to be modified or even overruled outright. This courts cases in a variety of contexts have said that race-based remedies are permissible for a period of time. Sometimes for a long period of time, decades in some cases, said Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Trumps second appointee to the court. But that they should not be indefinite and should have an end point, he pressed. The justices are weighing whether race-based redistricting under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act complies with the 14th and 15th amendments, which were ratified after the Civil War to provide equal protection under the law and prohibit intentional racial discrimination in voting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Louisianas Republican-controlled Legislature begrudgingly added a second majority-Black congressional district after the courts ruled a design with only one likely violated Section 2. Last term, Louisiana defended its new map before the high court. But after the justices raised the stakes and set the case for a rare reargument, Louisiana abandoned defending its design. Louisiana Solicitor General Ben Aguinaga told the justices that the state fought tooth and nail during the earlier litigation to convince the courts that the Constitution would not permit a second majority-Black district, suggesting the current map would never have been passed if it succeeded. We never wanted to be here in the first place, Aguinaga said. They have placed states in impossible situations where the only sure demand is more racial discrimination for more decades. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But I think if anything is clear in this courts dedication to eliminating all racial discrimination, it is that the Constitution does not tolerate this system of government-mandated racial balancing, he continued. The reargument has thrown into question the courts decades-old voting precedents that have empowered minority groups to challenge maps across the country and force states to draw more majority-minority districts under Section 2. Louisiana urged the court Wednesday to have zero tolerance for any consideration of race in redistricting. The states flip now puts it on the same side of the case as the Trump administration, but the administration has argued for a more modest approach. Rather than completely overrule the courts Section 2 framework, it told the court it should merely limit it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Specifically, the Justice Department wants the high court to require Section 2 plaintiffs to propose a superior map to the states not just an equivalent one and show an objective likelihood the states map reflects intentional discrimination. The administration also wants the justices to decouple political party from race, even if it means modifying the framework that has governed Section 2 claims since the 1980s, known as the Gingles test. Thats part of the problem here, said Principal Deputy Solicitor General Hashim Mooppan, is that whats going on under Gingles now is not actually figuring out whether theres an unfair effect based on race; its figuring out whether theres an unfair effect based on party. Justice Amy Coney Barrett asked if the court would necessarily have to modify the precedent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Is there a way to say its a clarification of Gingles? I mean, Gingles is a 40-year-old precedent. A big ask to change it. Whether the law ends up being completely eviscerated, modified or tweaked, the courts liberal justices took the administrations stance to mean a more sweeping endgame was likely. Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the governments ultimate goal was to get rid of Section 2. Race is always a part of these decisions, and my colleagues are trying to tease it out in this intellectual way that doesnt deal with the fact that race is used to help people, Sotomayor said. Justice Elena Kagan at one point said some of the challengers arguments have been specifically rejected by this court over many decades and three years ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The long-running legal battle over Louisianas map began after the 2020 census, when the states Republican-controlled Legislature overrode a former Democratic governors veto of a map with one majority-Black district. Black voters and civil rights groups sued. They claimed that the design diluted Black voters power at the polls. A three-judge appeals panel agreed, and the Supreme Court temporarily let the map stay in place ahead of the 2022 midterms, before throwing out Louisianas appeal after deciding a separate redistricting case in Alabama. To avoid court-drawn boundaries, Republican leaders in the state took action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They passed a new map with a second majority-Black district. Self-described non-African American voters then challenged it, which a three-judge panel invalidated, sending the case back to the Supreme Court. The map remained in effect for last years elections, but the Supreme Courts decision could cause a major shake-up for future terms. With Louisiana and the non-African American voters now aligned, it leaves the Black voters and civil rights groups from the earlier litigation to defend the Voting Rights Act in its current form before the Supreme Court. They argued that siding with Louisiana would effectively turn back the page to the widespread discrimination that existed before the landmark laws enactment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NAACP Legal Defense Fund President Janai Nelson told the justices that, in Louisiana, every Black congressional member was elected in districts drawn to enable minority groups to garner enough voting power to elect their candidates of choice. We only have the diversity that we see across the South, for example, because of litigation that forced the creation of opportunity districts under the Voting Rights Act, she said, suggesting it would be catastrophic for Section 2 to cease to operate as it does today. A decision is expected in the case by next summer. Though it may come too late to impact next years midterms, the ruling could spark changes to congressional maps for future election cycles. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) was in the public gallery Wednesday as his state made its case, as was Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Louisiana governor told The Hill in an interview ahead of arguments that courts should stay out of redistricting, a process thats political in nature and should fall to elected representatives. What youve seen is that the more the court gets involved in a legislative process, the more it entangles itself in its own opinions, Landry said Tuesday. Because what has happened is, each time its had to render or address an opinion based upon redistricting, its only complicated the process even further and ended up with a different series of litigation. He said he wants the Supreme Court to end the dispute entirely, so Louisiana can stop needlessly spending tens of millions of dollars on litigation tied to redistricting. I hope that this is the end of the tracks, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Updated: 1:27 p.m. 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. A central grievance motivating todays conservative legal movement and the Republican Party more broadly holds that any measure rectifying the countrys habitual discrimination against minorities actually discriminates against the in-group. This is why black lives matter, a call to recognize the disproportionate violence and death Black people suffer at the hands of the state, is met with all lives matter. Its why DEI has become the battle cry for rolling back the perpetuation and memorializing of civil rights advancements. It explains why Republicans fixation on protecting freedom of speech evaporates as soon as they bump up against speech they dont like (say, a rally to protest the Trump administrations authoritarian behavior). Civil liberties are a zero-sum game, this thinking goes, so any protection of minority groups must implicitly harm the majority group. That same grievance animated the right-wing justices Wednesday, as they heard a case that could decimate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), which voting rights groups typically use to prove that states are diluting minority voters in a given district to decrease their electoral power. Section 2 is the last weapon in the landmark civil rights legislation that the Roberts Court hasnt yet destroyed, and has been a bulwark against, largely, red-state legislatures, often in the states that made up the Confederacy, using crafty line drawing to ensure that white voters always have disproportionate power over Black ones to elect the representatives of their choice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans, including those on the Court, dont like Section 2, not least because Black voters overwhelmingly vote for Democrats. Suppressing the Black vote is in their direct partisan interest. So to kill the VRA, the right-wing justices, grotesquely, reach for the Reconstruction Amendments to pervert the promise of equal protection into a fatal flaw. In the story they tell, Louisianas packing and cracking of Black voters to ensure that around 30 percent of its population only gets to elect one in six of its congressional representatives isnt racial discrimination. But demanding that the state draw a new map where that third is more represented perhaps by drawing a second district in which Black voters would constitute a big slice of the voting population is racial discrimination against white voters. Is it okay for a federal court to use a map on the remedial side that intentionally discriminates on the basis of race? Justice Neil Gorsuch asked. His questions during oral argument Wednesday exhibited no concern about the racially discriminatory map Lousiaiana drew in the first place he was, however, very worried about the remedial map it was forced to accept to give Black voters more power. That, by his standard, was the real discrimination. (All lives matter.) When the Roberts Court handed down Shelby v. Holder, a 2013 decision that decimated that part of the VRA that ordered regions with histories of racially discriminatory voting practices to get precleared before they passed new voting laws, the result was predictable. Red states, many in the old Confederacy, passed a metric ton of new voting restrictions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The result in this case, if it goes the way the conservative majority on the Court indicated it would Wednesday, will be the same. If we take Louisiana as one example, every congressional member who is Black was elected from a VRA opportunity district, Janai Nelson, attorney for the appellants, said, referring to the districts created to enhance minority voting power. We only have diversity across the south, for example, because of litigation that forced the creation of opportunity districts under the Voting Rights Act. Every [Black] justice in Louisiana has been elected through a VRA opportunity district and nearly all legislative members have been elected from those same districts. We already know what the effects of this final blow against the VRA would be, because we, as a country, lived through it before. It meant the complete exclusion of Black people from the political process. It meant an embarrassing dearth of Black lawmakers. In Louisiana, no Black person sat in Louisianas Legislature from the 1880s until 1967, per the appellants brief. 1967 was two years after the passage of the VRA. The right-wing justices resisted candidly acknowledging this future and instead opted to pseudo-intellectualize the problem at hand, claiming to be repulsed by racial discrimination when race is being taken into account to remedy the theft of Black voting power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They likely wont nullify Section 2 altogether: Justice Brett Kavanaugh was like a doll on a string in his repetition that Louisiana and its allies arent seeking to eliminate Section 2 or find it unconstitutional; Justice Amy Coney Barrett assured that theyre only seeking a clarification of a 40-year precedent, not its overturning. Theyll likely find some procedural-sounding way to neuter the law, perhaps silently eliminating the congressional amendments that got rid of the need to prove that the state was intentionally discriminating with its maps, which is hard to do. Its not an exaggeration to say that the United States was not truly a democracy before the VRA. And Republican opposition to it sprang up immediately, with President Nixon complaining that its preclearance requirements were punitive to the south. Advisers to President Ronald Reagan including now Chief Justice John Roberts tried to convince him to veto the amendment that prohibited voting practices that result in racial discrimination, even if you cant prove the states intent. The right to vote in the United States has never been secure for minority groups. Even now, the Illinois governor warns that President Trump is deploying the military for the express purpose of intimidating voters out of exercising the sacred franchise in the midterm elections. The Supreme Court is doing its own version of that by threatening one of the last protections of our multicultural democracy. (Photo courtesy of Sasebo Okunchi Promotion Association) Japans fall season is the perfect time to get out and appreciate the changing of the landscape with countless open-air events and festivals held throughout the nation. Near Sasebo Naval Base, a 1349-year-old Shinto shrine, Kameyama Hachimangu will host Sasebo Okunchi a traditional autumn festival on Nov. 1 -3. During this annual autumn festival, you can expect hundreds of dancers in kimono to perform a traditional michiyuki odori (dancing procession) with the procession of the chief shrine priest on a holy horse and children in ancient festive attire, accompanied by three mikoshi (portable shrines) in the center of Sasebo City. The traditional ambiance will transport you into ancient samurai times. According to organizers, local high school students and other local residents are expected to join the event to promote the festive atmosphere. On Nov. 1, the deity of the Kameyama Hachimangu shrine will be transferred to the portable shrines before they are carried over to the Matsuura Park with Okudari (descent of God) procession. After spending the following day (Nov. 2) at the park, the deity on the mikoshi will come back to the shrine with another Onobori (ascension of God) procession on Nov. 3. During the festival, you can enjoy live performances by local marching bands, wadaiko drums and traditional dances with swords, lions and snakes. There will be festival food stalls and game stalls for your enjoyment. So, make sure to bring yen. Sasebo Okunchi is an important annual traditional festival for Sasebo locals, Kazuya Masumoto, a member of the Sasebo Okunchi Promotion Association, said. With the festival, we welcome the deity of Kameyama Hachimangu and spend three days with the descended deity to wish for a rich harvest, prosperity, safety and peace of the world. (Photo courtesy of Sasebo Okunchi Promotion Association) (Photos courtesy of Sasebo Okunchi Promotion Association) (Photos courtesy of Sasebo Okunchi Promotion Association) (Photos courtesy of Sasebo Okunchi Promotion Association) Sasebo Okunchi Nov. 1: Okudari (Descent of God) 10:50 a.m. Dances and performances (at Kameyama Hachimangu Shrine) 12:30 2:20 p.m. Procession (from Kameyama Hachimangu shrine to Matsuura Park) 2:40 p.m. Dances and performances (at Matsuura Park) Nov. 3 Onobori (Ascension of God) 9:30 a.m. Dances and Performances (at Matsuura Park) 12:30 -3:10 p.m. Procession (from Matsuura Park to Kameyama Hachimangu Shrine) 3:30 p.m. Dances and performances (at Kameyama Hachimangu Shrine) Location: (Kameyama Hachimangu) 3-3 Hachiman-cho, Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture For more information: Sasebo Okunchi Promotion Association (Tel: 0956-23-1155) The Supreme Court may help the GOP keep control of the House of Representatives next year by clearing the way for Republican-led states to redraw election districts now held by Black Democrats. That prospect formed the backdrop on Wednesday as the justices debated the future of the Voting Rights Act in a case from Louisiana. The court's six conservatives, all Republican appointees, sounded ready to rein in the historic civil rights measure on the grounds that it forces Southern states to draw some election districts along racial lines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That's because "racially polarized" voting is still the norm there, said Janai Nelson, president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. "No Black person has ever been elected statewide in Louisiana," she told the court. Now, the state's Republican leaders "seek a staggering reversal of precedent that would throw maps across the country into chaos," she said. Only the court's three liberals appeared to agree. At issue before the court is a second Black-majority district in Louisiana, but the outcome could have a significant political impact in Washington. Next year's midterm elections will determine whether Democrats can retake control of the House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A broad ruling that rejects the use of race in redistricting could cast doubt on the congressional districts now held by Black Democrats in solidly Republican states. This will not "lead to there being no Black representation in Congress," a Trump administration lawyer assured the court. There are "only 15 majority-Black districts" that may be threatened, he said. Several justices on the right said that state lawmakers are entitled to draw districts with an eye to "partisan advantage." Last month, the Trump administration's top courtroom attorney urged the justices to rule that partisan politics, not racial fairness, should guide the drawing of election districts for Congress and state legislatures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This court held that race-based affirmative action in higher education must come to an end," Solicitor Gen. D. John Sauer wrote in his brief. The same is true, he said, for using the Voting Rights Act to draw legislative districts that are likely to elect a Black or Latino candidate. Read more: Supreme Court upholds Voting Rights Act in surprise ruling against Alabama Republicans Too often, he said, the civil rights law has been "deployed as a form of electoral race-based affirmative action to undo a states constitutional pursuit of political ends." The court's conservatives lean in that direction and sought to limit the use of race for drawing district boundaries. But the majority has not struck down the use of race for drawing district lines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration and Louisiana's Republican leaders argued that now was the time to do so. If the court's conservatives hand down such a ruling in the months ahead, it would permit Republican-led states across the South to redraw the congressional districts of a dozen or more Black Democrats. "There's reason for alarm," said Harvard law professor Nicholas Stephanopoulous. "The consequences for minority representation would likely be devastating. In particular, states with unified Republican governments would have a green light to flip as many Democratic minority-opportunity districts as possible." Such a ruling would also upend the Voting Rights Act as it had been understood since the 1980s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As originally enacted in 1965, the historic measure put the federal government on the side of Black residents in registering to vote and casting ballots. But in 1982, Republicans and Democrats in Congress took note that these new Black voters were often shut out of electing anyone to office. White lawmakers could draw maps that put white voters in the majority in all or nearly all the districts. Seeking a change, Congress amended the law to allow legal challenges when discrimination results in minority voters having "less opportunity ... to elect representatives of their choice." Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. was then a young lawyer in the Reagan administration who argued against the 1982 amendments. He said the law could lead to demands for "proportional representation" based on race. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Here are 5 major Supreme Court cases to be argued this fall But President Reagan signed the bill into law. And in decades after, the Supreme Court and the Justice Department pressed the states, and the South in particular, to draw at least some electoral districts that were likely to elect a Black candidate. These legal challenges turned on evidence that white voters in the state would not support a Black candidate. But Roberts remained a skeptic. In 2013, he spoke for a 5-4 majority to invalidate the part of the Voting Rights Act that required the Southern states to "pre-clear" changes in the voting rules and election districts with the Justice Department. Since he joined the court in 1991, Justice Clarence Thomas has argued that drawing districts based on race is unconstitutional and should be prohibited. Justices Samuel A. Alito Jr., Neil M. Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett dissented with Thomas two years ago when the court in a 5-4 vote approved a second congressional district in Alabama that elected a Black Democrat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Roberts wrote the opinion. Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh cast the deciding fifth vote but also said he was open to the argument that "race-based redistricting cannot extend indefinitely into the future." That issue is now before the court in the Louisiana case. The state has six congressional districts, and about one-third of its population is Black. Prior to this decade, the New Orleans area elected a Black representative, and in response to a voting rights suit, it was ordered to draw a second district where a Black candidate had a good chance to win. But to protect its leading House Republicans Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise the state drew a new elongated district that elected Rep. Cleo Fields, a Black Democrat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now the state and the Trump administration argue the court should strike down that district because it was drawn based on race and free the state to replace Fields with a white Republican. Get the L.A. Times California Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox twice per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Supreme Court on Oct. 9, 2024. (Photo by Jane Norman/States Newsroom) During arguments in a Louisiana case, U.S. Supreme Court justices seemed open to limiting the consideration of race in the redistricting process, a move that would undermine a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. Conservative justices, who make up the courts majority, seemed sympathetic to arguments made by Louisiana Solicitor General Benjamin Aguinaga and President Donald Trumps administration. They argued the consideration of race in the redistricting process violates Constitutional requirements that people are treated equally regardless of race. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The case in question, Callais v. Louisiana, challenges the legality of a second majority-Black congressional district Republicans state lawmakers drew in 2024 in response to a federal court finding a 2022 version of the states congressional maps was unconstitutional. Louisiana has six seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, but just one favored a Black candidate before the redistricting process in a state where nearly a third of the population is Black. The case has since been shaped into a test of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a landmark federal law that prohibits racial discrimination in elections. Section 2 prohibits voting laws or procedures that purposefully discriminate on the basis of race, color or membership in a language minority group. The outcome of the case could have nationwide implications, as it could determine the degree to which race can be considered when drawing election maps after each decennial census. The Callais case is also notable because justices were originally supposed to rule on the case earlier this year. But in a rare move, they punted a decision to their next term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They also posed new questions for parties to answer: Did the Louisiana Legislatures creation of a second majority-Black district violate the 14th or 15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution? The 14th Amendment, in part, covers representation in Congress, and the 15th Amendment prevents citizens from being denied the right to vote based on their race. The case is being carefully watched, as any ruling that cuts back on Section 2 would likely lead to states redrawing their congressional maps to eliminate majority minority districts. Fair Fight Action, a progressive voting rights organization, predicts that if the Supreme Court sides with conservatives and hollows out Section 2, states could redraw up to 19 majority Black districts to make them competitive or safe seats for Republicans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill originally defended the map challenged by Callais, her short-lived alliance with Black voters ended in September when Republicans and groups supporting Black voters filed opposing briefs. Attorneys representing the state, the Trump administration and the white voter plaintiffs in Callais argued the framework for proving a Section 2 violation should be modified. The so-called Gingles test, which arose from a 1986 Supreme Court ruling, set the standards for determining whether election districts meet federal standards. The Gingles test Created by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1986 case Thornburg v. Gingles, plaintiffs must show the existence of three preconditions to prove racial vote dilution: The racial or language minority group sufficiently large and geographically compact to constitute a majority in a single-member district The minority group is politically cohesive The majority votes sufficiently as a block to usually defeat the minoritys candidate of choice Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh voted to uphold the constitutionality of Section 2 just two years ago in Allen v. Milligan, an Alabama case that required the addition of a majority-Black congressional district. Both asked questions during Callais arguments, indicating their openness to revisiting the recent precedent. This courts cases in a variety of contexts have said that race-based remedies are permissible for a period of time, sometimes for a long period of time, decades, in some cases, Kavanaugh said, but that they should not be indefinite and should have an end point. Voting rights advocates note that the Gingles test provides a time limit unique to each situation. Section 2, by itself, automatically sunsets as conditions on the ground get better, Michael Li, senior counsel for the Brennan Center for Justice, a progressive organization that follows redistricting issues throughout the country, said in an interview earlier this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kavanaugh also seemed sympathetic to U.S. Solicitor General John Sauers proposal that plaintiffs seeking judicial relief from a violation of Section 2 should be required to take a states political motivations into consideration when offering alternative districts. For example, this could include drawing a district to not just keep an incumbent in their district but to ensure the incumbents victory. That suggestion would swallow Section 2 whole, NAACP Legal Defense Fund attorney Janai Nelson said. Party cannot trump the responsibility of states to ensure that all voters have an equally open electoral process. Nelson, representing Black voters, argued the Voting Rights Act is the sole reason there is Black representation in Louisiana. Until the Voting Rights Act was enacted, many promises of Reconstruction-era amendments to the Constitution were largely unfulfilled as Black voters were suppressed under racially oppressive Jim Crow laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [Section 2] is an intervention that has been crucial to diversifying leadership and providing an ability of minority voters to have an equal opportunity to participate in the process, Nelson said. But it also isnt a permanent remedy. It corrects itself over time, and its only triggered when those extreme conditions exist. Liberal justices on the court sharply questioned Aguinaga and U.S. Principal Deputy Solicitor General Hashim Mooppan about their proposed changes to the Gingles framework. The bottom line is, just get rid of Section 2, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said of the pairs arguments. Though conservatives advocate for an end to race-conscious redistricting under Section 2, Aguinaga said other applications for the statute are fair game. Most Section 2 cases are about discrimination at the local government level, primarily challenges to at-large districts that critics say dilute minority voting strength. Fletcher Johnson, 68, of Baltimore, Maryland, rallied outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, as the justices heard arguments in Louisiana v. Callais, a case that could fundamentally change the Voting Rights Act. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom) Black voters react As oral arguments were underway, hundreds gathered outside the court. Nearly two dozen advocacy organizations, including the NAACP, the League of Women Voters and the National Urban League, led a Fight for Fair Maps rally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley, president and CEO of the National Council of Negro Women, told the crowd that as a descendent of slaves in Florida and South Carolina, I come with blood of resilience in my veins. Every time you face opposition, just look at it and say, No weapon against us shall prosper. Section 2 will be intact after they do their work inside that Supreme Court, Arline-Bradley said. And I stand on my 10 toes, ready to fight until justice is won. Fletcher Johnson of Baltimore stood among the rallygoers and said hes concerned about voter suppression in next years congressional midterm election. Were losing the country really fast, and we got to fight for every inch of it, Johnson, 68, said. So this, this decision here, is going to be critical to our voting rights, and theyre trying to dismantle everything that weve worked for. Potential outcomes There is no set date for when justices will rule on Callais, but it is likely to be next spring before the end of June. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Justices could uphold Louisianas challenged 6th Congressional District, which Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, currently holds. This outcome would lead to few or no changes nationally. If justices overturn Fields district and remand the case to the state without addressing the constitutional questions, Louisiana would be required to adopt a new map that maintains two majority Black districts. State lawmakers would likely have to do so by picking a map preferred by Black voters, likely one with a district anchored in Northeast Louisiana that complies with more traditional redistricting principles than the one Republicans chose last year. This would also likely allow Fields to keep his seat. Or justices could overturn Fields district and set new precedent scaling back Section 2. That could give Republicans in Louisiana the opportunity to draw a map with one or even no majority Black districts, giving Republicans an opportunity to win Fields seat and the 2nd Congressional District, currently held by U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For decades, the courts conservative majority has chipped away at this landmark civil rights law, Carter said at a news conference after the arguments. Now section two, which prohibits voting practices that discriminate based on race, is on the chopping block. If struck down, Louisiana could lose its two majority Black congressional districts, silencing Black voters, Carter added. With the Trump administration leaning on states to carve out extra seats ahead of the 2026 midterms, other Republican-controlled states with majority minority districts could follow suit. In anticipation of the ruling, the Louisiana Legislature is considering a special session in the coming weeks to push back the qualification deadline for next years congressional elections. Doing so would give lawmakers enough time next year to adopt a new redistricting plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In August, Gov. Landry directed lawmakers to set aside dates for another redistricting special session, but legislative leaders expressed reluctance to do so before justices made a decision in the Callais case. Whether a decision will come in time to influence midterm election results will vary by state. Ashley Murray contributed to this report from Washington, D.C. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE WASHINGTON The conservative-majority Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared open to again undermining the Voting Rights Act in a congressional redistricting case from Louisiana. The justices, who expanded the scope of the case over the summer, heard oral arguments about whether states can ever consider race in drawing new districts while seeking to comply with Section 2 of the 1965 law, which was enacted to protect minority voters against a backdrop of historic racial discrimination. The Voting Rights Act has long been a target of conservative legal attacks, with the Supreme Court weakening it in two major rulings in 2013 and 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The long-running dispute concerns the congressional map Louisiana was required to redraw last year after it was sued under the Voting Rights Act to ensure that there were two majority-Black districts. The original map had only one such district in a state where a third of the population is Black. The Supreme Court originally heard the case this year on a narrower set of legal issues, but, in a rare move, it asked in June for the parties to reargue it. The court then raised the stakes by asking the lawyers to focus on a larger constitutional issue. Press Robinson; Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill. (Legal Defense Fund; Politico via AP) Louisiana, which initially defended its new map, has switched sides and joined a group of self-identified non-African-American voters who sued to block it on constitutional grounds. The Trump administration also backs the states new position. Now, the justices are deciding whether drawing a map to ensure there are majority-Black districts violates the Constitutions 14th and 15th amendments, which were enacted after the Civil War to ensure equal rights for former slaves, including the right to vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Conservatives argue that both constitutional amendments prohibit consideration of race at any time. The Supreme Court has previously embraced that colorblind interpretation of the Constitution, most notably in its 2023 ruling that ended the consideration of race in college admissions. It was unclear based on the 2-hour oral argument whether the court will explicitly rule that race can never be considered in drawing districts. But the conservative majority could limit the ability of civil rights groups to challenge state maps under the Voting Rights Act. One option would be to adopt a proposal made by the Trump administration, which suggested the court leave Section 2 intact but make changes to a 1986 Supreme Court case called Thornburg v. Gingles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under that argument, states would have more leeway to draw maps based on overt partisan considerations. As outlined by Principal Deputy Solicitor General Hashim Mooppan, states should be able to assert a desire for their own "political objectives" as a defense when their maps are challenged. That follows a 2019 Supreme Court ruling that said federal courts have no grounds to interfere with rampant partisan gerrymandering. Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who is likely to be a key vote in the case, seemed receptive to that argument. "I guess I would have thought that solves a lot of concerns that you've identified," he told Louisiana's lawyer, Solicitor General Benjamin Aguinaga. Kavanaugh also returned to a point he has previously made that allowing race to be used to remedy redistricting violations under the Voting Rights Act "should not be indefinite." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What impact a ruling adopting the Trump administration's argument, which is not as aggressive as the position taken by Louisiana, would have is hotly contested. Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor, characterizing the Trump administration's position, said that "the bottom line is just get rid of Section 2." Janai Nelson, representing the civil rights groups that challenged the original map, said a ruling along those lines would "swallow Section 2 whole." In concluding her argument, Nelson warned the justices that a ruling overturning precedent on such a sensitive issue "calls the court's legitimacy into question." A complicating factor is that two years ago, the Supreme Court surprisingly reaffirmed the requirement that race be used to redraw districts when necessary to comply with the law in a different congressional redistricting case from Alabama. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ruling was 5-4, with two conservatives, Kavanaugh and Chief Justice John Roberts, joining the court's three liberals in the majority. During Wednesday's argument, both Roberts who wrote that ruling and Kavanaugh seemed to downplay its relevance. "That case, of course, took the existing precedent as a given," Roberts said. Other conservative justices, who dissented in the 2023 case, seemed equally on board with ruling in favor of Louisiana. "If the objective is simply to maximize the number of representatives of a particular party, thats seeking a partisan advantage; it is not seeking a racial advantage, isnt that right?" conservative Justice Samuel Alito said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fellow conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch said that under the current interpretation of the law, states can "intentionally discriminate on the basis of race." Sotomayor and the court's other two liberals were forthright in defending both the 2023 ruling and the Voting Rights Act itself. Justice Elena Kagan noted that states can consider race only in limited circumstances, specifically, to remedy a violation of the Voting Rights Act. "The race-based redistricting that youre now objecting to is redistricting designed to remedy a specific, identified, proved violation of law," she told Aguinaga. "That's the way the race-based districting is coming in. It's coming in as a remedy for specific, proved discrimination on the state's part." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A broad ruling in Louisiana's favor would reduce the need for states to draw legislative districts composed largely of minority groups, and it would be likely to reduce the number of minority lawmakers in Congress and state legislatures. A quick ruling could give Louisiana and other states time to draw new districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. With Black voters often voting Democratic, such a move could benefit Republicans. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A motorcyclist opened fire on Route 443 near Modiin, critically injuring three men. Police say the incident is likely criminal and investigations are ongoing. A motorcyclist killed two men in their 40s and severely wounded two after opening fire on them while riding on Route 443 near Modi'in on Wednesday afternoon. The police have arrested a suspect in their twenties at the scene. The wounded have been evacuated to Shamir-Asaf Harofeh and Sheba-Tel Hashomer hospitals according to MDA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police were called to the scene and began an initial investigation into the circumstances of the incident. According to thepolice assessment, this was likely a criminal incident and not a security incident; the incident is still under investigation. Medics arrive at the scene of a suspected terror ramming attack at the Al-Khader junciton south of Jerusalem, September 30, 2025. (credit: TPS-IL) Israel's emergency medical service, Magen David Adom, subsequently responded to the incident as well. 'Paramedics are providing medical treatment at the scene' "At 2:05 PM, a report was received at MDA's 101 hotline in the Ayalon region about three men who were injured in a violent incident on Highway 443 near the Mevo Modi'im intersection," the MDA spokesperson stated. "MDA medics and paramedics are providing medical treatment at the scene to three injured people in serious condition. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A man is facing first-degree murder after he shot another man late Monday afternoon, Oct. 13, over an ex-girlfriend in Sunland Park, according to court documents obtained by KTSM 9 News. Court documents state Edgar Perez, 41, is facing the charge after shooting and killing Jesus Alba De La Cruz at a residence in a Sunland Park neighborhood. Sunland Park Police investigate 2 separate shooting incidents Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A witness who was living with Perez spoke to police after the shooting stated that De La Cruz was threatening Perez because he was dating De la Cruzs ex-girlfriend, according to court documents. The witness also told police that when Perez returned from the shooting, he was not acting the same and stated that De la Cruz hit him, according to court documents. Court documents state at around 5 p.m. on Monday, an officer responded to the 100 block of Palma Drive regarding a victim who had a gunshot wound. Upon arrival, a resident who lived in the neighborhood provided the officer with identification of Perez, who had seen him leave the scene in a vehicle, according to court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A separate witness spoke to police and said that he had arrived at the bus stop at Mimbre and Ocotillo earlier that Monday and saw Perez, according to court documents. Perez asked the witness where he was going and offered the witness a ride. Once they arrived at the location, Perez told the witness to look who was at the residence, and then realized that Perez had a machete-like knife and was swinging it at De la Cruz, who was also at the residence. Another person who lived at the home then told Perez and De la Cruz to take it outside and to fight it out, according to court documents. Perez then went back to his car and retrieved a rifle. De la Cruz then swung at Perez, and Perez shot De la Cruz twice, according to court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the first officer arrived, he noticed two shell casings that belonged to a .223 caliber. Video surveillance footage in the area showed the altercation and De la Cruz being shot. The footage also showed Perez fleeing the scene in a vehicle, according to court documents. Perez was then placed into custody and declined to speak with police, according to court documents. 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 KTSM 9 News. NEED TO KNOW A New York man has been accused by prosecutors of raping and killing a 16-year-old girl in 1984 The victim, 16-year-old Theresa Fusco, was found dead near the roller rink where she worked on Long Island Prosecutors claim Richard Bilodeau, 63, was recently linked to DNA taken from Fusco's body at the time A New York man has been charged in connection with the rape and murder of a teenage girl on Long Island in 1984 and he allegedly gave a cryptic response when confronted by police. Richard Bilodeau, 63, was arraigned Wednesday, Oct. 15 on a second-degree murder charge, including an additional charge of committing the murder during the course of a rape, the Nassau County District Attorney's Office announced in a press release. He has pleaded not guilty and it's unclear if he has retained an attorney to speak on his behalf. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim, 16-year-old Theresa Fusco, was last seen on Nov. 10, 1984, leaving the Hot Skates roller rink in Lynbrook, N.Y., after clocking out of work just before 10 p.m., prosecutors said. The New York Times reported that was her final shift since she had just been fired. Prosecutors said she was found dead in a wooded area near the rink about a month later. Authorities determined she had been raped and strangled to death. Three men were arrested and prosecuted for Fusco's murder in 1986, but their convictions were overturned by the court in 2003 due to "exculpatory DNA evidence," per the press release. Prosecutors said authorities began surveilling Bilodeau in 2024 after following "multiple investigative leads." A break in the case came last February when they extracted his DNA from a straw taken from a discarded cup at a smoothie shop in Suffolk County. That DNA was tested and allegedly matched the sample taken from Fuscos body in 1984. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the longtime Walmart worker was confronted by police about his DNA being linked to the Fusco case, Bilodeau reportedly said, "People got away with murder back then," the Times reported, citing prosecutor Jared Rosenblatt. Nassau County District Attorney via AP This image, provided by the Nassau County District Attorney, in Mineola, N.Y., Wednesday, Oct 15, 2025, shows a cup with straw allegedly used by Richard Bilodeau. This image, provided by the Nassau County District Attorney, in Mineola, N.Y., Wednesday, Oct 15, 2025, shows a cup with straw allegedly used by Richard Bilodeau. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. At the time of Fusco's killing, Bilodeau was living with his grandparents in Lynbrook, located a mile away from Hot Skates and the girl's home, prosecutors said. He now lives 60 miles away in Center Moriches. Theresa Fuscos life was violently stolen from her 40 years ago, and since then, her family has suffered an enduring pain and the lingering question of who committed such a heinous act," Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said in the release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The past has not been forgotten," Donnelly added. "Todays indictment stands as proof that no matter how much time passes, we will never stop fighting for victims. My office is determined to see justice for Theresa and her family. The Times reported that the victim's father, Thomas Fusco, was emotional when he attended Bilodeaus arraignment. Fuscos mother died in 2019. The suspect is expected back in court on Nov. 21. If convicted, Bilodeau faces up to 25 years to life in prison. Read the original article on People A man who was found inside a manhole attempting to steal copper wire in an unincorporated neighborhood in West Los Angeles over the weekend was criminally charged on Tuesday, according to authorities. A resident reportedly spied a man descending into a manhole on Saturday afternoon and knew something unusual was up. The suspect lost his cover when arriving deputies found him in the hole and took him into custody, NBC4 reported. Elliaz Natividad, 25, was arrested in the View Park-Windsor Hills neighborhood, an unincorporated area patrolled by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. A department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Natividad has been charged with one count of an attempt to commit grand theft of copper materials exceeding $950 and one count of possession of burglary tools, according to court records. Arrest records show Natividad was cited and released that same day, on Oct. 11, a day after copper wire thieves were suspected of causing internet outages for Verizon customers across L.A . Authorities did not say whether the suspect had caused any damage. Copper wire thefts have wrought havoc in the city of Los Angeles, darkening the iconic 6th Street Bridge and neighborhoods and cutting off phone access to emergency services for residents, as well as causing internet outages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In May, copper wire thieves were suspected of cutting phone line service to seniors in South Los Angeles . The following month, copper thieves caused widespread internet service outages that affected swaths of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Last year, blocks of Pico-Union , one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the city, experienced power outages amid copper wire thefts. Despite arrests, the problem has continued to worsen, so much so that city, state and law enforcement officials called on Gov. Gavin Newsom last week during a news conference to sign Assembly Bill 476 , which strengthens penalties against illegal junk-and-metal dealers who purchase stolen copper wire. Newsom signed the bill into law Monday. "Copper theft is not a victimless crime. It's costing cities millions, endangering residents, and overwhelming local resources," said Assemblyman Mark Gonzalez (D-Los Angeles) in a written statement. Gonzalez wrote the bill, and his district includes parts of Los Angeles. "AB 476 gives law enforcement and cities additional tools to track illegal transactions, stop thieves, and hold bad actors accountable." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gonzalez said more than 38,000 feet, or seven miles, of copper wire were stripped from the iconic 6th Street Bridge since it reopened in 2022, causing $2.5 million in taxpayer-funded repairs. He said, citywide, the Bureau of Street Lighting reported nearly 46,000 service requests for outages in 2024, with almost 40% tied to wire theft. He said some neighborhoods waited months for lights and services to be restored. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Two suspects, 28-year-old Jimy Caceres Leiva and 23-year-old Brian Pineda Ayala, were arrested on Tuesday near Houston for the murder of three people in West Dallas earlier this month. The suspects will be transported from the Houston area to the Dallas County Jail, according to an update from the Dallas Police Department. Texas DPS troopers assisted in the arrest of the suspects. Early in the morning of Sunday, October 5, DPD responded to a shooting off Bernal Drive, where they found three people dead, including father and son, 47-year-old Pedra Lara Roa and 21-year-old Pedro Lara. A third victim, not yet identified, was found inside a white van that had crashed into the Lara familys front fence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suspects were booked into the Montgomery County Jail, just north of Houston, on October 14, and both have been charged with capital murder of multiple people. The two men had been on the run since October 5. Josue Lara, who was home at the time of the murders, believes his younger brother and father woke up to check on the driver after hearing a loud crash. I dont know them. I didnt recognize the guy in the van. I know my dad and brother didnt know them. They were just trying to help, Josue said, per Fox 4 KDFW. The Lara family is still wondering what happened before the crash and why the suspects opened fire. Police have not released details about the motive or the events leading up to the shooting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Josue expressed his gratitude that the suspects were caught and his pain and grief over losing his father and brother outside the familys home. This house has been with my dad since 2004. He raised it up and fixed it up. To be taken away from our lives outside his own home, it hurts. It will always hurt, Josue said, per Fox 4. Jail records show Caceres Leiva has a Fort Worth address, and Pineda Ayala has an ICE hold. Once they are booked at the Dallas County Jail, more details surrounding the triple-murder case may emerge through the release of an arrest affidavit. By John Revill ZURICH (Reuters) -A Swiss referendum on a proposal to impose a 50% tax on inherited fortunes of 50 million Swiss francs ($62.53 million) is likely to be rejected by voters, a poll showed on Wednesday. Two-thirds of respondents opposed the initiative seeking to raise funds to help combat climate change, with only 31% in favour, the October 8-9 survey of 11,178 people in Switzerland by media groups 20 Minuten and Tamedia showed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The referendum will be held on November 30. Currently around 2,500 taxpayers in Switzerland have assets worth more than 50 million francs, according to Swiss tax authorities, with a total wealth of about 500 billion francs. If enacted, the proposal would theoretically lead to an extra 4 billion francs in tax revenues. RICH DAMAGE ENVIRONMENT DISPROPORTIONATELY, SUPPORTERS SAY Those revenues should be invested in projects to reduce the impact of climate change, according to the youth section of the leftist Social Democrats (JUSOs), which launched the initiative. JUSO leader Mirjam Hostetmann argued that the very wealthy are destroying the climate most with their luxury consumption. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The 10 richest families in Switzerland together cause as many emissions as 90% of the Swiss population," she said. "It cannot be that the general population bears the costs." The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from business leaders and sparked warnings it could trigger an exodus of wealthy people from Switzerland, reducing overall tax revenues. One senior banker likened it to a "nuclear bomb" for the country. The government has urged voters to reject the initiative. "The initiative would greatly reduce Switzerland's attractiveness for wealthy individuals," Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter said this week. ($1 = 0.7996 Swiss francs) (Reporting by John RevillEditing by Dave Graham) SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) A fire at a home in Syracuse has displaced eight people. According to the Syracuse Fire Department, on Tuesday, October 14, around 3:09 p.m., they were alerted by the Onondaga County 911 Center to a reported fire in the 200 block of Valley Drive. Crews from Station 3 on Bellevue Avenue arrived within three minutes and found fire and heavy smoke coming from the back of a 2 1/2-story house. A Signal 99 was sent out, indicating a working fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A search for victims indicated that all occupants had safely exited the home. Courtesy of Syracuse Fire Department Courtesy of Syracuse Fire Department Flames were visible across the upper rear portion of the home, with heavy smoke coming from the second floor and attic. The fire was brought under control within 20 minutes and declared out after about an hour. The home contained two apartments. Eight residents were displaced by the fire, and are being assisted by the American Red Cross. Syracuse Fire Investigators determined the fire started on a rear second-floor porch and was incendiary in nature, caused by a child playing with fire. One occupant was evaluated by EMS on scene and released. No injuries to firefighters were reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crews remained on scene for over two hours to assist investigators and conduct overhaul operations. Syracuse Police, American Medical Response, National Grid, and the Red Cross also responded to the scene. 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 WSYR. Syrian President Sharaa embarks on a groundbreaking visit to Russia, marking a key moment in international diplomacy and Middle Eastern relations. Syrian PresidentAhmed al-Sharaa arrived in Russia on Wednesday. He is expected to hold important talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This is significant because it was Sharaa who overthrew Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024. Russia backed Assad. In 2015, Moscow intervened in theSyrian civil war to back Assad. Russia said it was helping Syria fight terrorists. One of the groups the Assad regime was fighting was Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which Sharaa led. As such, Russia was backing Assad against the group that is now leading Syria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is quite the journey for Sharaa. It illustrates that he trusts that Moscow will not harm him while he is there. Enemies of Moscow in other contexts have been killed in various ways, such as falling out of windows or being poisoned. As a reminder, Assad escaped Syria and fled to Russia in December 2024. As such, the Kremlin is essentially hosting both the former regime leader and the new one simultaneously. This is a testament to Sharaas willingness to take risks and also demonstrates Moscows pragmatism. He has also conducted extensive outreach to the West. Sharaa is seeking sanctions relief. RUSSIAN PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin speaks during a news conference, at the end of his visit to China last week. Removing Putin from power is a must, the writer argues. (credit: MAXIM SHEMETOV/REUTERS) Moscow is part of that stage He has also conducted outreach throughout the Arab and Muslim worlds, as well as in Asia. He feels confident on the global stage. Moscow is part of that stage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By visiting Russia, Sharaa is also indicating that Syria is not going to become solely a Western ally. Like India, Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and other states, his country will seek to maintain friendships on all sides. As Syrias state media noted, Sharaa arrived in Russia on Wednesday for an official visit to hold talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin... Sharaa is accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani and Defense Minister Maj.-Gen. Murhaf Abu Qasra. The report further said that the focus will be on bilateral relations between the two countries and regional and international developments of mutual interest. Economic cooperation will be on the list as well. According to the Presidential Media Directorate, Sharaa is scheduled to meet with... Putin... to discuss regional and international developments of mutual interest and ways to enhance cooperation in the service of both countries shared interests, SANA said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sharaa will also meet with Syrians living in Russia. The Kremlin has had military facilities in Syria in the past and wants to maintain them. It has had forces stationed at the Khmeimim Air Base and Tartus naval base in northwestern Syria in the past. This is a crucial aspect of Russian influence. Moscow had also previously played a role in deconfliction in Syria. It patrolled eastern Syria and was often in touch with Iran and Israel regarding developments. As for Syria, it was a key ally of the Soviet Union during the Soviet period. Putin is likely aware of this and wants to claw Syria back into the Moscow network of friends. Syrias President Ahmed al-Sharaa has told Russias President Vladimir Putin that he seeks to restore and redefine ties with Moscow, a key ally of ousted longtime Kremlin ally Bashar al-Assad. Al-Sharaa made the statement on Wednesday while meeting with Putin in Moscow during his first state visit to the country that has been hosting al-Assad since his exile from Syria 10 months ago. We are trying to restore and redefine in a new way the nature of these relations so there is independence for Syria, sovereign Syria, and also its territorial unity and integrity and its security stability, al-Sharaa told Putin in the Kremlin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Syrian leader assured that Damascus would honour all past agreements with Moscow. There are bilateral relations and shared interests that bind us with Russia, and we respect all agreements made with it, he said. According to Syrian officials cited by the Reuters and AFP news agencies, al-Sharaa, who once headed the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda under the name Abu Mohammed al-Julani, plans to use todays meeting with Putin to request Moscow hand over al-Assad. But there was no mention of the sensitive diplomatic matter in al-Sharaas brief televised remarks at the beginning of the meeting. Putin praises al-Sharaas great success Welcoming al-Sharaa, Putin hailed decades of special relations between the two countries, in which he claimed Moscow was always guided by Syrian peoples interests, and said his government wanted to expand them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also praised recent parliamentary elections in Syria the first since al-Assads overthrow saying the process would strengthen ties between all political forces. I believe that this is a great success for you, because it leads to the consolidation of society, and despite the fact that Syria is currently going through difficult times, it will nevertheless strengthen ties and cooperation between all political forces in Syria, said Putin. Despite having been on opposite sides of the battle lines of Syrias 13-year civil war that Moscow intervened in, the new rulers in Damascus have taken a pragmatic approach to relations with Moscow, as they have with other foreign powers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For Damascus, maintaining ties with Russia is important for rebuilding the war-shattered country and shoring up international legitimacy for the government. In a recent interview with US network CBS, al-Sharaa said, Russia has close and longstanding relations with Syria, which relate to the basic structure of the state and to energy and food, for which Syria depends partly on Russian supplies, as well as some old strategic interests. Russia, for its part, has retained a presence at its air and naval bases on the Syrian coast, and the Kremlin has voiced hope for negotiating a deal to keep the outposts. Moscow has also reportedly sent oil shipments to Syria. Russian leader Vladimir Putin has met for the first time with Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa. Source: Meduza, a Latvia-based Russian media outlet Details: The Kremlin's official Telegram channel released a video of the meeting on 15 October. "For many decades, our countries have developed a special relationship," Putin said. "For over 80 years, we have maintained diplomatic ties established in 1944, during some of the most difficult years for Russia, for the Soviet Union. Throughout this time, relations between Syria and Russia have always been exceptionally friendly." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier, a Reuters source said that during the meeting with Putin, al-Sharaa intended to demand the extradition of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, who was granted asylum in Russia after being ousted from power. In his home country, Assad is accused of numerous extrajudicial executions motivated by politics. A few days ago, German outlet Die Zeit, citing its sources, reported that Assad is living in the Moscow City residential complex, where his family owns around 20 luxury apartments. One source said that the former Syrian president now spends much of his time playing video games. Background: On 25 September, Syria's Ministry of Justice issued an arrest warrant in absentia for former president Bashar Hafez al-Assad, accusing him of premeditated murder, incitement of civil war and torture resulting in death. Ukraine welcomed Syria's decision to issue the arrest warrant and expressed support for all efforts aimed at bringing Assad to justice. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! The Assads now live discreetly in Moscow, according to Russian media. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa will use talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to formally request that Moscow hand over Bashar Assad to face trial over alleged crimes against Syrians, two Syrian sources told Reuters on Wednesday. Sharaa, who once headed the Syrian branch of al Qaeda and who toppled predecessor Bashar al-Assad, a close Russian ally, late last year, was speaking at the start of Kremlin talks with Putin on his first visit to Russia since coming to power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sharaa's visit was sensitive. Russia had used its military muscle to back Assad for years against Syrian rebels, and Moscow granted asylum to Assad and his family when they fled the country. The Assads now live discreetly in Moscow, according to Russian media. Russia prides itself on being able to protect its foreign allies and was not likely to agree to hand over Assad to Damascus. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Russia had given Assad refuge because his life had been under threat. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa visits the election hall on the day members of electoral colleges vote to select their candidates for the new Syrian Parliament since Bashar al-Assad's government was toppled, in Damascus, Syria, October 5, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/YAMAM AL SHAAR) Sharaa, who is hoping to secure economic concessions from Russia, including the resumption of wheat supplies on favorable terms and compensation for war damage, was also expected to press for Moscow's backing to resist Israeli demands for a wider demilitarized zone in southern Syria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the two sources said Sharaa might also raise the issue of redeploying Russian military police as a guarantor against further Israeli encroachments. Sharaa told Putin on Wednesday he would honor all past deals struck between his country and Moscow, a pledge suggesting Moscow's two main military bases in Syria are safe. "There are bilateral relations and shared interests that bind us with Russia, and we respect all agreements made with it. We are working on redefining the nature of relations with Russia," Sharaa, who was speaking in Arabic, told Putin. Putin told him that Moscow was ready to do all it could to act on what he called "many interesting and useful beginnings" that had already been discussed between the two sides when it came to renewing relations. Oil projects and military bases in Syria Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told reporters after the talks that Moscow was willing to work on oil projects in Syria and help it to restore energy, rail and other infrastructure destroyed during years of civil war. The two leaders had discussed this at length, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Russian companies have been working in Syria for a long time, at oil fields. There are fields that require development, those that are mothballed, and new fields. We are ready to participate," Novak said. The Kremlin said before the talks that the fate of Russia's two main bases in Syria - the Hmeimim air base in Syria's Latakia province, and its naval facility at Tartous on the coast - would be discussed. Russia has a military presence at Qamishli airport - in the northeast near the borders of Turkey and Iraq - as well. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Moscow believed Damascus wanted the military bases to stay and spoke about using them as logistics hubs to get aid to Africa. Syrian officials are seeking guarantees that Russia will not help rearm remnants of Assad's forces, a Syrian source said before the talks. Sharaa is hoping that Russia might also help rebuild the Syrian army, the same source said. Editor's note: The story was updated with additional details. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks on Oct. 15 as part of his first official trip to Russia. The meeting's agenda was set to include regional and international developments, as well as bilateral cooperation, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). The visit comes as the Kremlin seeks to strengthen ties with the new leadership in Damascus after the toppling of Russia's ally, dictator Bashar al-Assad, in December 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin lauded the "friendly" relationship between Syria and Russia during the meeting. The Syrian leader, in turn, said his government would respect all previously concluded agreements and seek to determine a new character of bilateral relations, Russian state news agency TASS reported. The Syrian president arrived in Moscow earlier in the day, accompanied by Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani and Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra. Citing an undisclosed source, AFP reported that al-Sharaa intends to ask Putin to hand over Assad and "all individuals who committed war crimes" in Syria. Moscow was set to hold a Russia-Arab summit on Oct. 15, but reportedly canceled the event after only a few leaders, including al-Sharaa, confirmed their attendance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The snub came after Russia also failed to secure an invitation to the signing of a Gaza peace deal in Egypt on Oct. 13, co-chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump. Russia has backed the Assad regime in the Syrian civil war while maintaining military bases in the country. The Syrian dictator fled to Russia after his ousting in a lightning rebel offensive led by al-Sharaa, a former Al Qaeda affiliate, in late 2024. Despite the past Russian support for Assad, al-Sharaa has said he aims to maintain a stable relationship with Moscow. Al-Sharaa held a phone call with Putin last February, during which the Kremlin's chief "reaffirmed Russia's support for Syria's unity, sovereignty and stability," SANA wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin also reportedly voiced readiness to reconsider agreements signed with the deposed Assad regime and stressed the need to lift sanctions on Syria. Syria's new president also sought to develop ties with the West. Following his meeting with Trump in Saudi Arabia in May, Washington eased some of the sanctions on Syria, while the EU lifted all previously imposed economic restrictions. Read also: Trumps two wars: why diplomacy worked in Gaza but not in Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. By Vladimir Soldatkin, Andrew Osborn and Suleiman Al-Khalidi MOSCOW (Reuters) -Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday he would honour all past deals struck between his country and Moscow, a pledge suggesting Moscow's two main military bases in Syria are safe. Sharaa, who once headed the Syrian branch of al Qaeda and who toppled predecessor Bashar al-Assad, a close Russian ally, late last year, was speaking at the start of Kremlin talks with Putin, his first visit to Russia since coming to power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There are bilateral relations and shared interests that bind us with Russia, and we respect all agreements made with it. We are working on redefining the nature of relations with Russia," Sharaa, who was speaking in Arabic, told Putin. Putin told him that Moscow was ready to do all it could to act on what he called "many interesting and useful beginnings" that had already been discussed between the two sides when it came to renewing relations. The Kremlin chief also congratulated Sharaa on the fact that parliamentary elections were held earlier this month in Syria. "I believe that this is a great success for you, because it leads to the consolidation of society, and despite the fact that Syria is currently going through difficult times, it will nevertheless strengthen ties and cooperation between all political forces in Syria," said Putin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement RUSSIAN MILITARY BASES The Kremlin said before the talks that the fate of Russia's two main bases in Syria - the Hmeimim air base in Syria's Latakia province, and its naval facility at Tartous on the coast - would be discussed. Russia, which has economic and energy-related interests in Syria that it also wants to secure, has a military presence at Qamishli airport - in the northeast near the borders of Turkey and Iraq - as well. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Moscow believed Damascus wanted the military bases to stay and spoke about an idea of also using them as logistics hubs to get aid to Africa by sea and air. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Syrian officials are seeking guarantees that Russia will not help rearm remnants of Assads forces, a Syrian source said before the talks. Sharaa is hoping that Russia might also help rebuild the Syrian army, the same source said. SENSITIVE VISIT Sharaa's visit is sensitive. Russia used its military muscle to back Assad for years against Syrian rebels who came to power in December last year led by Sharaa. Moscow then granted asylum to Assad and his family when they fled the country. The Assads now live discreetly in Moscow, according to Russian media. Sharaa will use the talks to formally request that Moscow hand over Assad to face trial over alleged crimes against Syrians, two Syrian sources told Reuters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia prides itself on being able to protect its foreign allies and is not likely to agree to hand over Assad to Damascus. Lavrov said on Monday that Russia had given Assad refuge because his life had been under threat. Sharaa, who is hoping to secure economic concessions from Russia, including the resumption of wheat supplies on favourable terms and compensation for war damage, is expected as well to press for Moscows backing to resist Israeli demands for a wider demilitarised zone in southern Syria. He may also raise the issue of redeploying Russian military police as a guarantor against further Israeli encroachments, one of the two sources said. The Kremlin said it did not expect Putin and Sharaa to hold a news conference after their talks. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Andrew Osborn in Moscow; Suleiman Al-Khalidi and by Ahmed Elimam and Tala Ramadan; writing by Andrew Osborn; editing by Mark Heinrich) By Vladimir Soldatkin, Andrew Osborn and Suleiman Al-Khalidi MOSCOW (Reuters) -Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday he would honour all past deals struck between his country and Moscow, a pledge suggesting Moscow's two main military bases in Syria are safe. Sharaa, who once headed the Syrian branch of al Qaeda and who toppled predecessor Bashar al-Assad, a close Russian ally, late last year, was speaking at the start of Kremlin talks with Putin on his first visit to Russia since coming to power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There are bilateral relations and shared interests that bind us with Russia, and we respect all agreements made with it. We are working on redefining the nature of relations with Russia," Sharaa, who was speaking in Arabic, told Putin. Putin told him that Moscow was ready to do all it could to act on what he called "many interesting and useful beginnings" that had already been discussed between the two sides when it came to renewing relations. OIL PROJECTS AND MILITARY BASES Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told reporters after the talks that Moscow was willing to work on oil projects in Syria and help it to restore energy, rail and other infrastructure destroyed during years of civil war. The two leaders had discussed this at length, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Russian companies have been working in Syria for a long time, at oil fields. There are fields that require development, those that are mothballed, and new fields. We are ready to participate," Novak said. The Kremlin said before the talks that the fate of Russia's two main bases in Syria - the Hmeimim air base in Syria's Latakia province, and its naval facility at Tartous on the coast - would be discussed. Russia has a military presence at Qamishli airport - in the northeast near the borders of Turkey and Iraq - as well. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Moscow believed Damascus wanted the military bases to stay and spoke about using them as logistics hubs to get aid to Africa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Syrian officials are seeking guarantees that Russia will not help rearm remnants of Assad's forces, a Syrian source said before the talks. Sharaa is hoping that Russia might also help rebuild the Syrian army, the same source said. SENSITIVE VISIT Sharaa's visit was sensitive. Russia used its military muscle to back Assad for years against Syrian rebels who came to power in December last year led by Sharaa. Moscow then granted asylum to Assad and his family when they fled the country. The Assads now live discreetly in Moscow, according to Russian media. Two Syrian sources told Reuters that Sharaa would use the talks to formally request that Moscow hand over Assad to face trial over alleged crimes against Syrians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia prides itself on being able to protect its foreign allies and was not likely to agree to hand over Assad to Damascus. Lavrov said on Monday that Russia had given Assad refuge because his life had been under threat. Sharaa, who is hoping to secure economic concessions from Russia, including the resumption of wheat supplies on favourable terms and compensation for war damage, was also expected to press for Moscow's backing to resist Israeli demands for a wider demilitarised zone in southern Syria. One of the two sources said he might also raise the issue of redeploying Russian military police as a guarantor against further Israeli encroachments. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Andrew Osborn in Moscow; Suleiman Al-Khalidi and by Ahmed Elimam and Tala Ramadan; writing by Andrew Osborn; editing by Mark Trevelyan and Ros Russell) Turkey Rejects Claims of Deporting Christian Foreign Nationals Turkey has firmly rejected allegations that it deported foreign nationals belonging to Christian communities, calling the claims baseless and part of a coordinated disinformation campaign targeting the country. In a statement Wednesday, the Directorate of Communications' Counter-Disinformation Center said the reports circulating in some international outlets falsely suggest that Turkey expelled certain Christian foreigners on national security grounds. "The allegations that Turkey deported foreign nationals from some Christian communities, considering them a 'national security threat,' are unfounded," the center said on its NSosyal account, stressing that the narrative aims to distort Turkey's international image. The statement underlined that Turkey, as the successor of a civilization built on coexistence, tolerance and mutual respect, guarantees freedom of religion and conscience for all under its Constitution. "The Republic of Turkey has never allowed any of its citizens to be discriminated against because of their beliefs or forms of worship," the center said. "Respect for faith and pluralism are indispensable elements of our democratic order." Recalling that mosques, churches and synagogues have coexisted peacefully across Anatolia for centuries, the center noted that Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities continue to contribute to a shared cultural heritage. The institution also emphasized ongoing state efforts to restore and reopen historical places of worship belonging to various faiths, including churches and monasteries. "The property rights of community foundations are protected, and legal processes are conducted transparently," the statement said. It added that, like any sovereign nation, Turkey reserves the right to take administrative measures concerning foreign nationals in cases such as visa violations or public order issues, but "these decisions are never based on religious identity or affiliation." Rejecting what it called attempts to undermine Turkey's tradition of religious freedom, the center reaffirmed that the country "will continue to serve as an example where different faiths coexist peacefully, upholding its centuries-old legacy of tolerance and social harmony." Turkey is home to around 180,000 Christians and about 20,000 Jews, with 435 churches, monasteries and synagogues across the country serving these communities. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, Pool) Conservatives raged at the leniency of the sentences meted out to two Maryland teenagers who attacked 19-year-old ex-DOGE staffer Edward Big Balls Coristine in Washington, D.C. after the pair escaped jail time for the violent assault. The attack occurred around 3 a.m. local time on August 3 in a downtown parking garage, where Coristine and a female companion were ambushed in what police described as an attempted carjacking. Coristine suffered a concussion and broken nose. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 15-year-old boy and girl from Hyattsville pleaded guilty to simple assault in a D.C. court on Tuesday. The boy was sentenced to 12 months probation under house arrest, while the girl received nine months probation at a local youth shelter. MAGA, however, was not satisfied with the outcome and took to social media to fume at the leniency of the sentence doled out to the youths. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) mocked the judge for what he said was a mild slap on the wrist: If these charges (against the teenagers who brutally beat Big Balls) had been brought in federal district court, the sentence would have been very different But they werent, so they got a mild slap on the wrist @JudgeJeanine, what say you? https://t.co/lg2mvot8xM Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) October 15, 2025 Other conservatives also piled on: Carjacking and violent assault. No jail time. This system is broken. https://t.co/8PkM72xphk Guy Benson (@guypbenson) October 15, 2025 End DC Home Rule https://t.co/q3ETvwO9Bo Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) October 15, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To this day, theyve only caught two out of the ten. Eight of them remain on the street. That night couldve gone far differently. Think of your daughters and mothers. The same group attacked people before and after us, breaking ribs and stomping heads. This senseless crime https://t.co/YVg9vObWMx Edward Coristine (@as400495) October 15, 2025 What are the odds that one or both assailants commit another violent crime within a year? https://t.co/teFsq7MzsB David Marcus (@BlueBoxDave) October 15, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking to the court via video link, according to the New York Post, Coristine told the defendants: I hope you can figure things out and be ready for the consequences. The post The System Is Broken: Conservatives Raise Hell Over Big Balls Attackers Lenient Sentences first appeared on Mediaite. The stakes for Tacomas mayoral election this year are high, as the winner will lead a council tasked with tackling big issues like the citys budget, hiring a new city manager and more. Tacoma voters looking to decide between the two candidates who emerged from the primary, John Hines and Anders Ibsen, will likely note that the two have a lot in common. They both have represented Tacomas council District 1, which includes large swaths of the North End and West End. They both hold public safety among their top priorities, and theyre close in age Anders at 39 and Hines at 43. Theyve both expressed support for improving working conditions and fair wages in Tacoma. So what sets them apart? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The News Tribune attended several candidate forums. Across the forums, patterns emerge specifically on the topics of public safety, business and more. But a larger theme is clear: Neither candidate has a platform thats dramatically opposite to the other, but a close look at the topics they emphasize and the organizations that have endorsed them reveal how a Hines administration would look different from an Ibsen administration. News Tribune opinion editor Laura Hautala, left, moderates a mayoral candidate forum with Anders Ibsen, center, and John Hines, right, on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Tacoma. Tackling Tacomas budget deficit Moderators at forums and debates in Tacoma this fall have all in some capacity asked Ibsen and Hines about their approach to tackling Tacomas budget deficit. The city faces a structural deficit, meaning that expenses continue to outpace revenues in a manner that cant be addressed with a one-time use of reserve funds. City officials forecast a $15 million deficit in the 2027-2028 biennial budget, The News Tribune reported last year. Hines has made the case that the city can boost its revenue by attracting more businesses to Tacoma in turn boosting sales-tax revenue. Hes also a proponent of encouraging employees to return to the office in downtown Tacoma, which he says could also help boost sales-tax revenue. If we really want to attack the budget deficit, the critical thing is we have to grow the number of people doing business in the city of Tacoma, Hines said at the Tacoma Rising candidate forum, receiving a round of applause from the audience. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Ibsen isnt necessarily opposed to drawing more business to Tacoma, he typically suggests strategies that include a greater effort to include Tacoma residents in the citys budgeting and decision-making process, ultimately to build trust with Tacomans so theyll be more likely to vote in favor of additional local levies, especially since the citys recent streets levy failed. He has also said that the states tax code is broken, and that Tacoma should be a regional leader in doing something about it. The difference points to an overall theme that neither candidate is anti-business, but business is a topic that Hines hinges a lot of his platform on. Tacoma mayoral candidate and District 1 council member John Hines speaks during The News Tribunes Mayoral debate at UrbanWork in the Rhodes Center, on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Tacoma, Wash. Public safety Both Hines and Ibsen have said that theyre supportive of the citys alternative-response teams. The citys Homeless Engagement and Alternatives team, also known as HEAL, helps homeless residents get connected to services, and the citys Holistic Outreach Promoting Engagement, or HOPE team, responds to people experiencing behavioral health crises. When asked about how they would address concerns about public safety, Hines has often emphasized boosting staffing, and Ibsen has focused on bolstering the citys alternative-response teams. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hines often says that Tacoma police officers are stretched so thin that they cant be proactive in managing public safety theyre just able to respond to 911 calls. By ensuring that the department is fully staffed, he says, the departments quality of service will improve and its relationship with Tacoma residents will improve accordingly. The council in September approved an incentive program that city officials have said has boosted staffing at the department new hires from other police departments in Washington with a certain amount of experience and credentials can receive a total $50,000 bonus over time if they are hired at the Tacoma Police Department. The program has been so effective that union leaders working for the Pierce County Sheriffs Office are sounding the alarm that too many officers are leaving for positions at TPD. Ibsen is in favor of the lateral incentive program and of boosting hiring at TPD, but he doesnt emphasize it as often as Hines appears to. Ibsen also suggests relying on the citys regional partners to improve public safety in Tacoma, including the Puyallup Tribe and law enforcement in neighboring cities. He has also emphasized relying on the citys alternative response teams. Tacoma mayoral candidate and former District 1 council member Anders Ibsen speaks during The News Tribunes Mayoral debate at UrbanWork in the Rhodes Center, on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Tacoma. Reputation and endorsements Hines and Ibsen, despite their similarities, have solicited varying levels of support. Ibsen leads the way in terms of fundraising. As of Oct. 14 he has raised $270,509.90 compared to Hines $239,318.42, according to the states Public Disclosure Commission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ibsen also boasts the endorsement of several large and well-known unions, including the Tacoma Education Association and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 367 which has recently led the fight to put a Workers Bill of Rights on the Ballot. While he also has endorsements from former local politicians, including former Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg and former council member Keith Blocker, notably absent from his list of endorsements are that of current Tacoma City Council members. While Hines might lack in union endorsements, he makes up for in other ways. Hines has the endorsement of Mayor Victoria Woodards and current council members Olgy Diaz, Kristina Walker, Sandesh Sadalge and Sarah Rumbaugh the latter two are running for re-election. Hines also has endorsements from three of his opponents in the primary: Steve Haverly, Jesse Jesus Carlos and Tony Ginn, though third place mayoral candidate Whitney Stevens did not appear to have endorsed either candidate. Hines and Ibsen ran against each other for the District 1 council position in 2015, and Ibsen won by a single-digit margin despite Hines receiving endorsements from seven of the nine city council members at the time. Hines is in the middle of a four-year term for District 1, and if Ibsen is elected mayor, hed serve on the council alongside Hines for two more years. Ibsen directly addressed how hed do so at the Chamber of Commerces forum in September, saying hed do what he did when he won against Hines in 2015. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2015, seven of my City Council colleagues directly endorsed my opponent, and after winning, what I did is I literally met with every single one of them, and I said, lets get back to work, because theres zero time for regret in all the problems that we face, he said. News Tribune opinion editor Laura Hautala, left, moderates a mayoral candidate forum with Anders Ibsen, center, and John Hines, right, on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Tacoma. Camping ban and homelessness In the few weeks leading up to Oct. 17, the day ballots go out, a potential camping ban has started to dominate debates between candidates over addressing homelessness in Tacoma. Hines this month introduced an amendment to an ordinance that would extend the prohibition against camping and the storage of belongings to more parts of Tacoma. Hines and Ibsen exchanged tense words over the merits of that policy. In response to a question about addressing housing instability and homelessness at The News Tribunes mayoral forum, Hines expressed support for the countys unified regional approach to homelessness an ongoing project to coordinate efforts to reduce homelessness in Pierce County. He didnt mention the ordinance he introduced amending the citys camping ban. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ibsen criticized Hines for not mentioning it, saying the ban directly contradicts the spirit of the countys unified regional approach to homelessness. What weve seen with homelessness is that repeatedly moving these encampments into another neighborhood without a direct link to enhanced follow-through just results in more of the same, Ibsen said at the forum. The Supreme Courts conservative supermajority signaled deep skepticism Wednesday over the creation of a second majority Black district in Louisiana and appeared open to at least weakening the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 in a way that could limit minority representation in Congress. On one level, the case is about a single congressional district in Louisiana drawn after the 2020 census to ensure African American voters could elect a candidate of their choice. More fundamentally, the case is about whether governments may actively address discrimination current or historic by taking an action that is intended to help racial minorities. It is also about whether the Supreme Courts conservative justices view the Voting Rights Act, a crowning achievement of the civil rights era, as good law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The courts decision will almost certainly have sweeping implications beyond the Pelican State. It could potentially reduce minority representation not only in Congress but also in state legislatures and school boards across the country. Depending on the scope of the courts ruling and its timing, it could also upend the 2026 midterms. Heres what to know from oral arguments: Kavanaugh is the key At issue is a protracted court case that started when Louisiana drew only one congressional district out of six with an opportunity to elect a Black member of Congress, despite the fact that African Americans make up about a third of the states population. A group of Black plaintiffs sued over that district, and a lower court found the maps likely violated the Voting Rights Act. When the state responded by drawing a second majority Black district, a group of White plaintiffs argued state lawmakers had impermissibly considered race in violation of the 14th and 15th Amendments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Almost immediately, Justice Brett Kavanaugh a member of the courts conservative wing affirmed predictions that he would be the most important person to watch in the case. And over the course of more than two hours, Kavanaugh remained a driving force in the discussion. Just two years ago, Kavanaugh was the deciding vote to uphold the current approach to the Voting Rights Act in a similar case involving Alabamas congressional districts. At the time, however, he raised concerns about race-based remedies that is, using race as a factor to address discrimination that were in place indefinitely. He repeated those concerns on Wednesday. The issue, as you know, is that this courts cases in a variety of contexts have said that race-based remedies are permissible for a period time sometimes for a long period of time, decades in some cases but that they should not be indefinite and should have an end point, Kavanaugh told the attorney representing a group of Black voters who successfully challenged Louisianas first map. Chief Justice John Roberts, another important vote, also quickly tried to draw a distinction between the Louisiana case and the courts surprising decision two years ago to order Alabama to redraw its map. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Roberts, who previously called Louisianas district a snake, seemed to subtly question the idea that the Alabama decision should control the outcome in Louisiana. That case, Roberts said, took the existing precedent as a given and considered Alabamas particular challenge. The exchange prompted Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to jump in and say that also at issue in the Alabama case was whether to change the way courts look at the Voting Rights Act in redistricting. And, Jackson said, we chose not to. Something less than gutting? The parties pushing back on Louisianas second Black congressional district brought slightly different legal arguments into the Supreme Courts ornate chamber on Wednesday. Louisiana, which initially defended the new map and now rejects it, wants a broad ruling that the Constitution bars states from ever considering race when fixing a violation of the Voting Rights Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Such a ruling would gut the landmark 1965 law. But there appeared to be interest, including from Kavanaugh and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, in taking a more nuanced approach. A proposal raised by the Trump administration would require plaintiffs alleging a Voting Rights Act violation to demonstrate that voters in a state cast a ballot differently based specifically on race decoupled from their political affiliation. Under that approach, if Black voters in a district heavily favor Democrats and White voters heavily favor Republicans, a decision not to create a Black-majority district would be based on partisan rather than motivations. Janai Nelson of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund at the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, during oral arguments on October 15, 2025. - Dana Verkouteren It is a point that Kavanaugh repeatedly pressed attorneys to address. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I would have thought that solves a lot of the concerns that youve identified, Kavanaugh told Benjamin Anguinaga, Louisianas solicitor general. Anguinaga described that idea as a half solution. But while perhaps less aggressive than gutting the law entirely, DOJs proposal would likely make it much harder to prove violations of the law, critics say. The bottom line, liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor said, is that approach would just get rid of the key provision of the Voting Rights Act. The standard that youre setting, she said, is a much different one. Liberals warn of wide impact Throughout the hearing, the courts three liberals appeared distressed about by the prospect of their colleagues chipping away at the landmark civil rights law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They focused much of their fire on Congress intent in enacting the Voting Rights Act: to root out discrimination that targeted African American voters. They questioned the Trump administrations approach, suggesting it would require plaintiffs to meet a much higher standard than is required by the law currently to find discriminatory maps. The liberals repeatedly tussled with attorneys representing Louisiana and the White voters challenging the states decision to create a second majority-Black congressional district, with Sotomayor at one point pressing Anguinaga on why the states position had changed from what it was when the case was first heard by the justices earlier this year. At the time, Aguinaga said politics not race had played the predominant role in drawing the map. The districts were designed, he said, to protect House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise. Are you walking that back? Sotomayor asked pointedly. We always talk about what predominates and what predominated here was politics thats what you said the last time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the other hand, Louisiana had always represented that it redrew its map because of a court order finding that it likely violated the Voting Rights Act. At another point, Justice Elena Kagan zeroed in on what the results on the ground would be if the Supreme Court struck down Section 2 of the law. The consequences, the lawyer representing Black voters in Louisiana told Kagan, would be pretty catastrophic. Janai Nelson, president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, explained that the VRA had paved the way for the election of every Black representative the state has sent to Washington. We only have the diversity that we see across the South, for example, because of litigation that forced the creation of opportunity districts under the Voting Rights Act, she said. Courts broader direction The Voting Rights Act fight involves what has become a familiar and increasingly fought debate over race in recent years: whether the Constitution is colorblind, or whether policies may try to make up for past racism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That complicated question is at the heart of much of Trumps rejection of diversity and inclusion programs, for instance, as well as efforts to reform police departments and the judicial system generally. Its also squarely at issue in the question over minority representation in Congress. And in recent years, the 6-3 conservative Supreme Court has come down hard on the side of colorblindness. Louisiana in its arguments drew a line directly to the Supreme Courts landmark ruling in 2023 gutting affirmative action admissions policies in the nations colleges. There is no safe harbor for racial discrimination the government deems good discrimination, Louisiana told the Supreme Court in written arguments. These violations of basic equal protection principles ended race-based admissions programs. They should also end race-based redistricting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Voting rights groups counter that courts and Congress have explicitly carved out an exception for race-conscious remedies for ongoing unlawful discriminatory policies. And that, those groups said, is precisely what happened with Louisianas first congressional map. The ongoing pattern of racial discrimination in voting in the state makes Louisiana the prototypical case for the ongoing need for Voting Rights Act enforcement, the NAACP and other groups told the Supreme Court, not for abandoning it. CNNs Casey Gannon contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The Nimrodi family are the only hostage family not to be told if their loved one will be returning alive or not, Tamirs mother Herut told BBC News earlier this week. For over two years, almost nothing had been known of the fate of 20-year-old Tamir Nimrodi. On Wednesday morning, it was announced that his remains were identified among the four deceased hostages returned Tuesday night. The last time he was seen, Tamir was being forced into the back of a terrorists jeep wearing only his pajamas, missing his glasses and shoes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Nimrodi family is the only hostage family not to be told if their loved one will be returning alive or not, Tamirs mother, Herut, told BBC News earlier this week. The family previously shared that there was serious concern for his welfare. The video of Tamirs abduction on October 7, 2023, had been discovered on social media by his 14-year-old sister, only 20 minutes after he texted his mother from his base in Erez that there are rockets and its non-stop and that he would be returning home soon. My youngest daughter she was 14 at the time came screaming that she had seen her brother being abducted on Instagram, Herut recalled. I saw Tamir wearing his pajamas. He was barefoot. He had no glasses on. He can hardly see without them. He was terrified. Tamir Nimrodi (credit: Hostages Families Forum) The then-18-year-old education officer, who spent much of his service helping to arrange humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave, was kidnapped along with Ron Sherman and Nik Beizer, both of whom were mistakenly killed during an IDF strike. Before his abduction Before his abduction, Tamir was a loving brother to Mika and Amit and a valued member of his community, where he made it his personal mission to support lone soldiers. His role as an education officer was deeply meaningful for him, Herut has told Israeli media, as he spent much of his life struggling with ADHD. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Herut told The Sun that her son carried a note in his pocket, reading to succeed in helping a lot of people, to create a close circle of friends, and not to harm anyone, which he used to support his daily affirmations. Known for his thoughtful nature, Tamir had a love of trivia, quizzes, and cooking. A Brandon woman awarded $70.8 million in damages after suffering permanent brain injury from a stroke could end up with a fraction of that because she was on Medicaid. Tampa General Hospital and medical staffing agency InPhyNet are asking circuit Judge Mark Wolfe to lower the medical negligence payout by $51 million, the portion of damages jurors awarded Chiaka Stewart for past and future pain and suffering. Their post-verdict motion cites a Florida law that limits non-economic damages to $300,000 for Medicaid recipients. The case could set the contentious Florida law on a path toward the Florida Supreme Court. Judges in both circuit and federal court have ruled that the Medicaid provision violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment but it has not been clearly decided. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trial judges have been finding this Medicaid cap to be unconstitutional, said Stewarts attorney, Adam Hecht. Its another example of the length these hospital attorneys will go to reduce the jurys verdict based on the evidence to nothing. In a separate filing, the two health care companies are also asking for a new trial or for the judge to reduce the $17 million the jury awarded for Stewarts future medical care. Tampa General officials declined to comment on the case. Officials from TeamHealth, the company that owns InPhyNet, said they cannot comment on specific allegations in ongoing litigation. Our hearts go out to the patient and family affected in this case. TeamHealth also fully supports our clinicians, who deliver exceptional clinical care and uncompromised patient safety, the statement said. We stand by our clinicians and will continue to advocate on their behalf through appropriate legal channels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stewart, 41 and a single mom of two, sued Tampa General and InPhyNet in August 2023. Her case centered on Tampa Generals failure to perform a CT scan after she was rushed to a Brandon free-standing emergency department in an ambulance because of a severe headache. Medical experts presented by Stewarts attorneys testified that the scan would have revealed blood clots in her brain. She had recently resumed birth control and had other risk factors for stroke including diabetes and her weight. Instead, she was sent home with pain medication. She suffered a stroke two days later. It left her almost completely blind and with a severe stammer. She has some paralysis on her left side and has problems memorizing and concentrating. She is unlikely to ever be able to work again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Florida introduced caps on pain-and-suffering damages in medical malpractice cases in 2003 as an attempt to lower insurance burdens on medical professionals. The provision adding the cap on Medicaid recipients was added in 2011. The Affordable Care Act was enacted a year before and allowed for states to expand Medicaid. That raised concerns that hospitals and doctors would have to treat many more Floridians on the federal program. However, Florida never expanded the program, one of only 10 not to do so. The Florida Supreme Court has weighed in on capping malpractice awards. It ruled in 2014 that limiting noneconomic damages was unconstitutional for wrongful death cases. Three years later it widened that to any pain and suffering award. But the court has not specifically addressed the provision that caps awards for Medicaid recipients. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A federal judges ruling in 2017 found the Medicaid provision unconstitutional but it is considered only persuasive and not binding. At least 17 Florida circuit judges have ruled that the Medicaid cap is unconstitutional and violates the equal protection clause. But other circuit judges have determined that the 2017 state supreme court ruling applies only to a different section of the statute and reached a different verdict. The amount of damages awarded to Stewart provides an incentive to put malpractice caps back in front of the state supreme court, which has shifted to the right with the appointment of five justices by Gov. Ron DeSantis, said Christopher Russo, a plaintiffs medical malpractice attorney based in Lakeland. Clearly theyre only going to do this on a big case and this is a big case, Russo said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In their motion to reduce Stewarts award for future medical care, attorneys for Tampa General and InPhyNet argued that she does not need 24/7 skilled nursing. It states that Stewart testified that she is able to perform independent activities such as brushing her teeth and making herself cereal. It argues that she only needs eight hours of at-home nursing. Hecht said Stewarts limited vision will only last a few years before shes completely blind. She will need complete care for the rest of her life, he said. The life care plan is the money she needs and theyre asking the court to reduce it because she knows where a box of cereal is, Hecht said. Its frankly disgusting. TAMPA Lawyers for the Tampa Police Department want to bar Elvis Piggott from accessing firearms after the ex-City Council candidate was accused of pulling a gun at an election forum. In a petition filed in court this week, city attorneys asked a judge to impose a risk protection order that would require Piggott,37, to turn over any guns he owns and prohibit him from accessing firearms for up to a year. Reached by phone Wednesday, Piggott told the Tampa Bay Times that he will contest the petition in court, but he hung up before a reporter could ask further questions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The petition includes a line alleging that Piggott may be seriously mentally ill or may have recurring mental health issues. It indicates that he does not hold a concealed weapons license. The document includes a police report detailing the investigation into the Oct. 9 incident. Several people reported Piggott pulled a gun during an argument with a family member of Naya Young, who is competing against Thomas Scott in the runoff election for City Council District 5. The redacted report does not identify the victim or witnesses by name. In social media posts since the incident, Piggott has asserted that he acted in self-defense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An arrest warrant issued Tuesday charged Piggott with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and improper exhibition of a dangerous weapon. He turned himself in Tuesday afternoon at the Orient Road Jail. He was released less than an hour later after posting $5,500 bond. In the jail parking lot, he recorded aFacebook Live video in which he called himself a proud African American Republican. We have a right to bear arm(s), he said. We believe in the Second Amendment. And I believe in that wholeheartedly. I also believe that every individual should keep themselves and their families safe at all costs. ... And when it comes to my wife and my kids, I believe wholeheartedly that you should stand your ground. The last statement is an apparent reference to Floridas stand your ground law. Passed in 2005, the law removed the duty to retreat from traditional self-defense law. Critics have derided it as offering a way out of trouble for people who commit violent acts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement after Piggotts arrest, Young thanked law enforcement and prosecutors for pursuing justice. Piggott has previously run for Hillsborough Countys commission and school board. He was one of 14 candidates to vie for the District 5 seat, which opened in June after the death of council member Gwen Henderson. Piggott came in eighth place in the Sept. 9 special election, drawing less than 5% of the vote. He then became a vocal supporter of Scott in the runoff with Young. The police report depicts a tense and chaotic situation that erupted shortly before 8 p.m. Oct. 9 amid a large crowd inside a ballroom. It happened at an event hosted by the Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police were called after a report of a fight with weapons. Someone identified Piggott as being armed with a gun. Officers spotted Piggott walking toward them shortly after they arrived. He was placed in handcuffs. A loaded black Taurus 9 mm handgun was tucked in his waistband. Piggott told the officers hed gotten into an argument with someone from Youngs family. He said the argument had to do with a Facebook Live post hed made in which he urged his supporters to vote for Scott, according to the report. During the campaign forum, the man approached and got in his face, Piggott told police. As an argument ensued, Piggott said the man pointed his finger, then touched Piggotts head, according to the report. Piggott pulled his gun, he said, and held it at his side. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dont put your hands on me, he said he told the man. If you put your hands on me, your momma will be burying you. Two security officers working the venue each caught snippets of the interaction. One recalled hearing people scream, Hes got a gun! He saw Piggott holding a weapon at his side, according to the report. The other did not see Piggott with a weapon, but heard him say, Im gonna bury you. Bystanders intervened, separating the men. A witness, whose name was also redacted from the report, described seeing a man approach Piggott from behind as he interacted with other attendees before the argument. The pair at one point were chest to chest, the witness said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other people escorted the man out. The witness told police they did not see the man put his hands on Piggott, nor did they see Piggott draw a weapon. Several others, though, reported seeing Piggott pull a gun. Another described Piggott as the aggressor, saying he pulled the weapon for no reason and started waving the gun around. Officers located a man they described in the report as the victim. An arrest affidavit summarizes his version of events, saying Piggott first pointed a finger at him before the victim raised a hand to wave it away. It was then that the gun came out. The man said the act made him fear for his life, but also told police he did not want to press charges. Because of that, officers initially let Piggott go. He was given back his gun. Within hours of the incident, Piggott started a Facebook Live video. He said he acted in self-defenseand spoke disparagingly of Young and her family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You cannot put your hands on no one unless youre planning to meet the maker, he said in the video. He later added, Im almost glad he did all that in the building and not tried to step down on me outside when Im going to my car and its dark. I wouldve killed him. The video was later deleted. The police report indicates that a witness later told police about an encounter that occurred afterward. The witness claimed Piggott made a derogatory remark about him and that he knew where to find him and was going to go see him, according to the report. He said Piggott accused him of putting his goons on him and said he was going to make sure (the witness) lost his job at the school district. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Youre going to get it, the witness said he was told. Risk protection orders, sometimes referred to as red flag orders, are a legal mechanism designed to bar a person from accessing guns if they are believed to pose a threat to themselves or others. They were one of several measures Florida lawmakers took to address gun violence after the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Republicans and Democrats both have credited risk protection orders with preventing acts of violence. Some gun rights advocates, though, oppose them on the grounds that they could infringe on constitutional rights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year lent his voice to the opposition, raising the idea of repealing the law. At the same time, he enacted legislation that sped up the process of courts transmitting the orders to law enforcement. The aggravated assault charge the more serious of the two alleged crimes is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. If convicted of that crime, Piggott would be prohibited from legally possessing guns for life. On Tuesday, Hillsborough Circuit Judge Caroline Tesche Arkin issued a temporary order for Piggott to surrender to police all his guns and ammunition. A court hearing is set for Friday to determine if he has complied with the order. Another hearing next week will determine if the order should become permanent, which could bar Piggott from having guns for a year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Times staff writer Nina Moske contributed to this report. Correction: The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School occurred in 2018. An earlier version of this story misidentified the year the shooting occurred. [Source] Asian American grocers across the country are confronting a perfect storm of economic pressures, as President Donald Trumps tariffs push import costs sharply higher while these small businesses simultaneously grapple with rising rents, theft and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. State of play: The tariff burden weighs heavily on Asian American grocers importing staples. John Wong, whose Wong Kai Imports has operated in Bradenton, Florida, for over four decades, confronts up to 30% levies on Chinese merchandise that represents over half his stock, with rates potentially rising again after a tariff truce expires Nov. 10. It came in at $2.75 last year. Then, at the beginning of this year, it went up to $3.95, he told WUSF. We just had this shipment come in yesterday its $5. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chicago's 88 Marketplace manager Jan Zhu told the Chicago Sun-Times that the 15% South Korean import tariffs force the store to pass along cost increases despite absorbing what it can. In Wichita, Asian Groceries reportedly faces an even steeper 50% levy on Indian products, which comprise 65% to 70% of inventory. In Tucson, Pamilihan Pinoy Asian Grocery owner Rica Pijuan told 13 News in August that 19% Philippine tariffs mean it is hard to sell products, which are also in limited supply. Broader implications: A July poll by AP-NORC revealed grocery costs generate major stress for roughly half of American adults, with another third reporting minor anxiety. For Asian communities, ethnic markets face disproportionate tariff impact because imported inventory dominates their shelves, while specialty products lack domestic alternatives. With grocery stores typically operating on razor-thin profit margins of about 2% to 5%, even modest tariff increases can push small retailers toward closure. Trending on NextShark: Asian American 'Love Is Blind' contestants reveal how race still shapes dating A Chinatown casualty: The compounding pressures have already claimed casualties. Amy Tran, 57, spent nearly two decades running Yue Wa Market in Los Angeles Chinatown before closing last week. After Chinatowns last pair of full-service supermarkets closed in 2019, the small shop at 658 N. Broadway became crucial for Asian and Latino residents seeking fresh food. The pandemic slashed foot traffic as customers relocated to other areas, and recovery never came. Despite securing loans while rent escalated to $3,450 monthly, Tran faced compounding setbacks when summer Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations deterred loyal patrons and suppliers. Theft became routine, with security cameras capturing robberies that cost the family tens of thousands of dollars. Her son, Derek Luu, left New York to assist with the closure. She doesn't want to let go of the store. But she just feels very hopeless about the situation, he told LAist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moving forward: Across the country, grocers face uncertainty about their survival. In July, Seattles Uwajimaya CEO Denise Moriguchi told the Seattle Times that with current margins, price increases are inevitable: It cannot all be absorbed by the distributors and the retailers. For sure, it will be felt by everyone. Meanwhile, the customers who relied on these stores must adjust to closures and rising prices, with immigrant communities bearing the brunt of these economic shifts. Trending on NextShark: Tariffs compound mounting pressures on Asian American grocers nationwide This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what were building, consider becoming a paid member your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community. Subscribe here now! Trending on NextShark: Leah Lewis speaks out following sexual assault allegation against 'Matlock' co-star Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today! This story was originally published on K-12 Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily K-12 Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Work-life balance is worse for teachers than for other working adults, a Rand Corp. survey released Tuesday finds. But educators say conditions could improve if school leaders complied with policies that help them manage workloads and flexibly use paid leave. Examples of poor work-life balance for teachers include 71% reporting that its very or somewhat difficult to change work schedules or hours to accommodate personal or family matters, compared to 22% for other working adults, Rand found. Fewer than half of teachers reported their school or district was trying to help teachers better manage their work and life. For teachers who experienced such efforts by school leadership, they cited ease of taking time off, schedule flexibility and access to classroom coverage in their absence, according to Rand. Dive Insight: As teachers report struggling with work-life balance, they are also more likely to experience job-related stress and burnout than other working adults, according to a separate Rand survey released in June. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, its unclear whether these issues are impacting national turnover rates, as fewer teachers expressed intentions to leave their jobs dipping from 22% in 2024 to 16% in 2025, the June Rand report said. Meanwhile, Rand found this month that teachers who experienced more challenges with work-life balance were more likely to report indicators of worse well-being such as frequent job-related stress, difficulty coping with that stress, and symptoms of depression and burnout. On top of job flexibility issues, teachers were more likely to experience job intrusion in their daily lives outside of work than other working adults. For example, 46% of teachers said they are always or most of the time too tired for activities in their private lives because of their jobs, compared to 13% of similar working adults. And 42% of educators said they worry about work when off the clock, while 21% of other working adults said the same. In a budget-constrained environment, district and state leaders, in collaboration with collective bargaining units or teachers associations, should consider which options make the most sense for their context, the Rand report said. Some solutions for improving teachers work-life balance like adequate access to substitute teachers may be more costly than others, while options like supporting a school culture that encourages work-life balance might not, the report added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In that vein, Rand suggested four ways school and district leaders can better support teachers work-life balance: Allow teachers to flexibly tap into paid leave and provide them classroom coverage. While its more difficult to offer teachers more paid leave, districts can allow them to take off time in smaller increments from an hour to a half-day rather than an entire day. Teachers should also be allowed to use their planning time for occasional personal needs. Consider other staffing structures such as team teaching or job-sharing opportunities. District leaders should weigh team teaching models, Rand said. A recent study by researchers from Arizona State University and the University of Pennsylvania suggests the innovative approach supports job flexibility and teacher retention. For those looking to implement teaching teams, they could rely more on substitutes, paraprofessionals or teaching assistants while flexible job options are being developed. Provide teachers parental leave and childcare benefits. Given that teachers are predominantly women and most commonly leave the profession to care for their family or children, local education leaders should consider offering parental leave or childcare benefits to help female teachers manage work and their own caregiving demands. Prioritize messaging and expectations for work-life balance while also setting work boundaries. In the Rand survey, teachers most commonly cited school leaders support as a crucial part of helping them responsibly balance work and life. Specifically, they said it was most helpful when school leaders helped establish work boundaries like limiting meetings and administrative work. Flexible planning time and the use of messaging that encourages keeping work at the workplace was also important. Recommended Reading (PUEBLO, Colo.) The City of Pueblo has announced this falls Team Up to Clean Up event, which will give Pueblonians no-cost and convenient disposal of large household items, trash, and yard debris on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will be held at two locations: the Colorado State Fairgrounds and Colorado State University Pueblo. The City will also offer a third site at RecycleWorks at 1595 Stockyard Road, but only for green waste like yard debris and non-bagged branches or grass. Anyone using Team Up to Clean Up should bring their ID or a recent utility bill in their name with a city address and have it readily available for Pueblo residential verification. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Entrance for the Colorado State Fairgrounds will be through Gate 3 on Mesa Avenue and Gate 9 on Beulah Avenue. From these entry points, traffic will be routed through the fairgrounds to the drop-off, then exit through Gate 5 onto Prairie Avenue. The City advises that traffic on these streets and in the area may be adjusted, and signs will be posted to direct drivers to entrances. According to the City of Pueblo, each household is limited to one pickup-sized truckload and is encouraged to bring furniture, mattresses, carpets, up to nine used tires off the rim, and other large items. For yard waste, it is preferred that it be easily accessible and can also be taken to RecycleWorks. Concrete, soil, rocks, or any industrial or commercial waste will be turned away at all locations, as well as hazardous materials, appliances, televisions, computers, and other electronics. Oversized loads and moving trucks are also prohibited from this event. The City also confirmed that they have partnered with Waste Connections for fall clean-up Discount Days from Oct. 20 through Nov. 1. This will offer a 50% discount for Pueblonians to use Waste Connections Southside Landfill. Solid waste, yard trimmings, mattresses, and box springs will be accepted here. Waste Connections stipulates that all loads must be covered and secured to receive the discount. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Discount Days will also require either a photo ID or a current utility bill. If you would like to volunteer to help unload vehicles, place items into dumpsters, direct traffic, or provide information to the public, call Pueblo Public Works at 719-553-2295 or email pubworks@pueblo.us. The City of Pueblo is happy to offer this no-cost event to the public to make clean up and dumping trash more convenient, said Director of Public Works Andrew Hayes. This event is always successful, and we know residents look forward to this opportunity. 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 FOX21 News Colorado. On April 12, hundreds of people, many of them University of Cincinnati students, were enjoying a Saturday night out in Corryville when a fatal shooting happened a few blocks from the crowds, a police officer testified. The exchange of gunfire happened on the sidewalk near a liquor store at 2902 Short Vine St. Kyle Mirick, 25, was killed by a gunshot to his chest. The testimony came at an Oct. 14 hearing in Hamilton County Juvenile Court for a 16-year-old who faces charges in the shooting, including aggravated murder. The Enquirer is not naming the teen because his case is still in juvenile court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors are seeking to transfer the case to adult court. In order to do that, they have to show there is enough evidence against the teen, who faces charges including aggravated murder and aggravated robbery. 2 hospital interviews Among the evidence is the teen's own statements to Cincinnati police detectives who interviewed him at a local hospital twice after the April 12 shooting. The teen, who was 15 at the time, suffered multiple gunshot wounds, including to his jaw. Both times a few hours after the shooting and then two days later the teen was in University of Cincinnati Medical Center's surgical intensive care unit, medicated and hooked up to medical devices, his attorney, Mark Anliker, pointed out. During the hearing, Anliker questioned whether anything the teen said was reliable, considering his condition and the fact that he didn't have a parent or an attorney with him. The first interview ended after the teen said he wanted a lawyer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both interviews were recorded on a body camera worn by a detective. During the second interview, the teen said he decided to rob Mirick, someone he didn't know, because Mirick was wearing what appeared to be expensive chains around his neck and had a "bulge" in a pants pocket which he assumed was money. Surveillance video shows the teen pull out a gun and walk up to Mirick, who then pushes the gun away before he backs away from the teen and heads north on the sidewalk. The teen then continues to pursue Mirick, who eventually pulls out his own gun, which he was licensed to carry. They exchanged gunfire. 'I didn't mean to shoot him' Cincinnati police Detective Greg Gehring testified that the teen fired first. In the surveillance video, the first visible muzzle flash is from the Mirick's gun, but Gehring said not all the muzzle flashes are visible in the video so it's not a reliable way to determine who fired first. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The teen, crying at times, told the detectives that he didn't know he had killed anyone. "I didn't mean to shoot him," he said. "I don't remember pulling the trigger, or nothing." According to testimony, the teen had a stolen gun that he had traded for with a friend. Judge Stacey DeGraffenreid said she will issue a decision on Oct. 23 about whether to send the teen's case to adult court. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Teen charged in fatal Corryville robbery could be tried as an adult The New Jersey teen accused of intentionally running down two girls riding an e-bike in Cranford last month was allegedly connected to two swatting incidents at one of the girls homes prior to the crash. Vincent P. Battiloro, 17, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 17-year-old best friends Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas. Battiloro, of Garwood, was driving 70 miles per hour in a 25-mile-per-hour residential zone when he struck the girls on Burnside Avenue on Sept. 29, police said. Battiloro allegedly stalked and harassed Niotis for months leading up to the fatal hit-and-run incident, her family and neighbors have said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Niotis family attorney, Brent Bramnick, told NJ Advance Media that police were called to Niotis home in Cranford during a swatting attempt on two separate occasions in September, despite nothing happening in the house that requires any sort of police response. After the first swatting incident, the family believed Battiloro was responsible for making the false call that brought emergency responders to the home, Bramnick said. The second time, Niotis mother, Foulla Niotis, spotted Battiloros car parked on her street and pointed him out to police, Bramnick said. Officers then spoke with Battiloro, before another vehicle arrived at the scene, he said. Police brought Battiloro over to the vehicle, which is believed to be his fathers, and then back to his own vehicle. He was then seen driving off, according to Bramnick. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The police told [Foulla] that the juvenile defendant was allowed to depart in the custody of his father, Bramnick said. Battiloros father, Jeff Battiloro, retired from the Chatham Police Department in 2024 after having worked there as an officer for 26 years. Battiloros uncle, Chris, is the chief of police in Westfield. Bramnick said Foulla Niotis gave formal statements to Cranford police to report incidents beginning in March of unwanted contact from Battiloro who was not dating or friends with Niotis. It is unclear if authorities investigated any of the complaints, Bramnick said. Cranford Police declined to comment, referring questions to the Union County Prosecutors Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The prosecutors office also declined a request for comment, citing the ongoing investigation. As part of the alleged stalking, Battiloro sent concerning messages to Niotis, Bramnick said, and had pizza delivered to her home and parked outside her home for months. Battiloro spoke during one of his many YouTube livestreams about using a VPN when making the pizza prank and being caught in front of the house. I did that the last time, but the mother saw me pull up in the car and I got tracked and the police, you know, did what they did, he said. Bramnick, a former Union County assistant prosecutor, said he is now investigating to determine whether authorities could have done more prior to the alleged murder. He says he hopes to bring justice to the family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The family reported information to the police about the behavior and in different formats, Bramnick said. Obviously, our biggest concern is what was done with that information. How do we get to the point where two innocent children are run down and killed? Bramnick said. Bramnick says he is also investigating whether Battiloros family ties to law enforcement played a role in the decisions police made in handling the case, from the stalking allegations to the fatal crash. [Foulla is] very concerned about what has happened here, Bramnick said. Were involved to try to help her get to the bottom of that question, because we want to know, too, and frankly, the public wants to know. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police detained Battiloro shortly after the crash but released him after questioning, pending further investigation. He was arrested and charged with murder on Oct. 1. In an interview with Fox 5 News, Foulla Niotis said she blamed Battiloro and law enforcement for her daughters death, alleging they should have done a lot, but they didnt do anything. I feel he planned it, he knew what he was gonna do, and he did it because he had the freedom to do it, Foulla Niotis told the outlet. I want justice for Maria and Isabella. I want justice for these two beautiful girls, my girls. A community memorial service honoring Niotis and Salas will be held in Cranford on Wednesday evening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its unclear if Battiloro has a lawyer or whether hell be tried as an adult. Rebecca Heath Stories by Rebecca Heath Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here. A teenage boy who was wounded in a Colorado high school shooting last month was released from the hospital Tuesday, authorities said. Matthew Silverstone, 18, was released from Common Spirit St. Anthony Hospital after enduring gunshot wounds to the head and chest in the Sept. 10 shooting in Evergreen, Colorado, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said in a press release. "'Im still alive!'" Silverstone said in a brief statement, according to the news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities say the Evergreen High School shooting occurred after a 16-year-old fired off about 20 rounds around 12:30 p.m., injuring Silverstone and another student, before fatally shooting himself. The other injured teenager was released from the hospital shortly after the shooting occurred. Images released by the sheriff's office show Silverstone being wheeled out of the hospital to a crowd of about 140 first responders and hospital staff, clapping and holding blue balloons, Silverstones favorite color, according to the news release. Matthew Silverstone was released from Common Spirit St. Anthony Hospital on Tuesday. (@jeffcosheriffco / via X) One of the images shows Silverstone sitting in a hospital bed, thumbs up. The teenager's heart stopped twice once at the scene, and once in the ambulance en route to the hospital, his family said in the news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "After emergency surgeries, the doctors prepared us for the worst," his family said in a statement. "But Matthew has never given up." The gunfire spanned an estimated nine minutes, according to authorities, who credited school employees for responding quickly with active shooter protocol. Authorities identified the shooter as Desmond Holly and said he had been "radicalized by an extremist network," offering no further details. The Anti-Defamation Leagues Center on Extremism said in a statement shortly after the shooting that Holly "expressed neo-Nazi views" on social media, and that his TikTok accounts specifically "were filled with white supremacist symbolism." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The Georgia Bureau of Investigation released new information Wednesday about a shooting involving a DeKalb County officer in Stone Mountain. The shooting involved two teenagers, one of whom was shot. The GBI said Wednesday that a teenage girl was shot during the incident by police in DeKalb County, but no officers were injured. According to their preliminary investigation, DeKalb County police went to the Reserve at Stone Creek Apartments on Treehills Parkway to respond to a call about a person armed. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The GBI said when officers got to the scene, they approached the two teens and an officer took a gun out of a teenage boys waistband. When another officer saw an object in the girls waistband, which they identified as a gun, they ordered her to drop it, GBI said. Instead, GBI said the girl raised her shirt, and a gun was visible. The girl reached for the gun and began to draw it from her waistband. The officer fired their weapon, hitting the teenage girl. The girl was taken to a hospital for treatment and is stable and the boy was detained at the DeKalb County Regional Youth Detention Center, GBI said. Neither teen was identified. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) A Murfreesboro man is dead, and his suspected killer is now in jail following an 11-hour standoff with police. The suspect is just 17 years old. The victims family said theyre still coming to terms with what happened. A mothers worst nightmare, losing a child, no matter their age. Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts Hold your kids tight and tell them you love them, Monique London said. You never know when the last time you see them will be. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Murfreesboro police said 26-year-old Kentrell London, Moniques son, was shot and killed. I came home, and there was tape all around my porch, and my son was dead on it, she said. A motive hasnt been released, but a 17-year-old is in jail for the murder. I dont know because I am not the police, but maybe it stems from stupidity, a fight, an argument, she said. All I know is that my son isnt supposed to be dead right now. Police said the suspect went to a house about a mile away and barricaded himself for 11 hours. Eventually, they said, he surrendered after damaging three police drones. Monique said her sons murder was senseless. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Why did you do it? she said. My son is gone. Now your life is, too. Was it worth it? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She hopes this message can stop other parents from feeling this kind of pain. I think the parents need to pay attention to what your kids are doing, she said. Hold them accountable for what they do. Kentralls family is planning his funeral now, and theyre asking anyone who can to donate. 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 WKRN News 2. Key Takeaways A vote on the EUs Regulation to Prevent and Combat Child Sexual Abuse has been postponed. The controversial Chat Control regulation would require platform operators to scan communications en masse. In a message to users, Telegram lambasted the French government over its support for the measure. Telegram has warned French users about the threat to their privacy posed by a controversial EU proposal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Council of the European Union was due to vote on the Regulation to Prevent and Combat Child Sexual Abuse, commonly referred to as Chat Control, on Tuesday, Oct. 14. However, opposition from some member states has temporarily stalled the proposal. EU Members Split Over Chat Control Initially proposed by the European Commission in 2022, the Chat Control regulation would require online platforms and messaging services to detect and report child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The proposal has been broadly criticized by civil rights groups and privacy campaigners, who note that it would criminalize many private messaging services and force operators to introduce encryption back doors. The European Parliament adopted a watered-down version of the original proposal in late 2024 that preserved encryption safeguards. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the EU Council, representing member states, has struggled to find consensus. Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland have all signaled opposition, while France and Spain back a tougher stance. Telegram Goes on the Offensive Messaging platforms that offer end-to-end encryption are among those that would be most impacted by Chat Control, especially the strong version favored by the French government. France led the push for this authoritarian law, Telegram charged in a message to French users on Tuesday. CEO Pavel Durov, who has spoken out against Chat Control and other initiatives he recently characterized as dystopian, shared an English version of the message. It pointed to the governments efforts earlier this year to implement a similar regime in French law, which was ultimately rejected by the National Assembly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People must know the names of those who try to steal their freedoms, Telegram stated, singling out former and current Interior Ministers, Bruno Retailleau and Laurent Nunez. The message lauded Germanys sudden stand against Chat control, which it said saved our rights. However, freedoms are still threatened, [] the basic rights of French people and all Europeans remain in danger, it warned. The post Telegram Warns French Users: 'The EU Nearly Banned Your Right to Privacy' appeared first on ccn.com. BROADVIEW, Ill. (WTVO) A temporary fence around the Broadview federal building used by U.S. Department of Homeland Security was removed Tuesday night at a judges order. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the fencing was needed after rioters and sanctuary politicians obstructed law enforcement, threw tear gas cans, rocks, bottles, and fireworks, slashed tires of cars, blocked the entrance of the building, and trespassed on private property. The facility has been used to detain individuals arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Village officials had demanded the removal of the fence, claiming it posed a safety hazard by blocking fire department access to the road. Last week, a federal judge ordered it to be taken down by midnight Tuesday. The law, including municipal law, applies even to the federal government. This is a victory for the rule of law in a country that is still a democracy. And it is a victory for Broadview residents and businesses who depend on their municipal government to assure public safety, said Mayor Katrina Thompson. McLaughlin responded in a statement, saying, This new ruling seeks to stop us from protecting our ICE Broadview facility, the detainees being processed in it, and our law enforcement officers. It is shameful that this is coming less than one week after the attack by domestic terrorists who rammed their cars into our DHS officers vehicles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There have been frequent clashes between federal personnel and activist protesters, which resulted in ordinances to place concrete barriers and designated protest zones which were frequently disregarded. The Illinois State Police established a Unified Command at the site to maintain law and order. Rioters and sanctuary politicians will not deter President Trump and Secretary Noem from delivering law-and-order to this city and getting criminal illegal aliens OUT of our country, McLaughlin said. 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 MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports. The number of young Ukrainian men seeking permission to settle in Germany has increased tenfold since Kiev lifted a travel ban in August, authorities said on Wednesday. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced in August that young men between the ages of 18 and 22 would be allowed to cross the border unhindered despite the state of emergency due to the war with Russia. A spokesman for the German Interior Ministry said applications for protection among Ukrainian men in that age category have risen from around 100 per week before the regulation came into force to around 1,000 per week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The extent to which this is a temporary development cannot be assessed at this time," said the spokesman. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian nationals have settled in Germany since the war broke out in February 2022. However, young men have generally been unable to leave Ukraine without explicit permission as a result of the conflict. The age of conscription for the Ukrainian military is 25. (The Center Square) A commission tasked with inspecting Tennessee's nursing home and assisted living facilities is behind on mandatory on-site inspections, and 22 facilities have not been visited in more than five years, a legislative committee was told Wednesday. The Health Facilities Commission inherited a backlog of 270 overdue federal surveys when it was created in July 2022, state auditors told the Government Operations Joint Evaluation Committee on Education, Health and General Welfare. By April of 2025, the number increased to 192. The audit found that 341, about 51% of the state's 670 facilities, had not been surveyed in the 15-month federal and state required time frame. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The backlog is not limited to surveys, according to the audit. The commission received an increased influx of complaints due to a federal change that gave the public the ability to file complaints about nursing home and assisted living facilities. Between July 1, 2022, and April 17 of this year, the commission received 13,096 complaints. Auditors said 5,534 of them were not investigated within the federal time frame. "All these late complaints were classified as either immediate jeopardy, high risk but not immediate jeopardy, or medium risk but not immediate jeopardy," the audit said. Logan Grant, executive director of the Health Facilities Commission, said the commission implemented a number of strategies to deal with the backlog. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "For example, we've been able to improve our recruitment by shutting down the Middle Tennessee regional office where it was very challenging to be able to recruit surveyors because our surveyor have to be licensed health care professionals and generally with experience in the field before they can become surveyors," Grant said. "By eliminating the Middle Tennessee regional office and shifting those survey positions out to the east and west regions, we've been able to reduce our number of survey vacancies from 24 down to three." But the extra surveyors may not help the commission meet a Dec. 31, 2026, deadline to have all nursing homes with a current survey, auditors said. The federal government shutdown is also slowing progress, Grant said. "We have been informed by CMS, that we cannot go out and do recertifications during the government shutdown," Grant said. "So the only thing we can investigate, because we are partially federally funded, are IJ complaints. So until the federal government is operating again, we won't be able to work on that backlog, which is very problematic for us." CMS is the acronym for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. IJ means immediate jeopardy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lawmakers said they were troubled by the audit, but agreed to recommend extending the commission for four years. "I'm willing to give you the time to fix this problem with the understanding that you guys know that we are very concerned about them," said Rep. John Crawford, R-Bristol/Kingsport. "And if you all can't get the job done, then we have to answer to our constituents on why their family members or friends or neighbors are being mistreated." The recommendation goes to the full Government Operations Committee for consideration. Five days after the start of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, tens of thousands of people in Spain took part in a strike on Wednesday to protest Israel's military action in the coastal territory. Trade unions called on people to stop work for two hours at a time in the morning, around lunchtime and in the evening. Besides slight delays to local transport and short interruptions to television broadcasts, there were no major reports of disruption to public life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Demonstrations were held in large cities including Madrid, Bilbao and Barcelona, each of which counting several thousand participants. In Barcelona, broadcaster RTVE reported that protesters clashed with police, with officers using pepper stray against people who tried to enter a train station. Some demonstrators threw bottles at the police, according to the newspaper La Vanguardia. Demonstrators also set fire to some of the large plastic containers for household waste that can be found on almost every corner in Barcelona. Spain is one of the European Union's harshest critics of Israel's military action in the Gaza Strip. The country has imposed an arms embargo on Israel and issued entry bans for far-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Left-wing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. The Gaza war was triggered by the massacre carried out by Hamas and other extremists from the Gaza Strip in Israel on October 7, 2023, which saw around 1,200 people killed and some 250 others taken hostage. Israel responded by launching a massive offensive against Hamas in the densely population territory, which Palestinian sources say has killed more than 67,000 people, mainly civilians. People with banners and Palestinian flags march between Atocha and Callao in solidarity with Palestine. Richard Zubelzu/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa People Palestinian flags during a united march of pro-Palestinian entities, organized by Prou complicitat amb Israel, in favor of Palestine. David Zorrakino/EUROPA PRESS/dpa PETROLIA (KFDX/KJTL) Tensions continue to build in Petrolia, weeks after a public works director resigned and stated that he could no longer work under a corrupt mayor and council. Tuesday nights city council meeting brought even more controversy, with residents making new claims against the mayor. While former Public Works Director Robert Tweed did not attend the meeting, his presence was still felt. The meeting quickly turned emotional as residents voiced frustrations over what they describe as a lack of fairness and accountability in city government. Several pointed to the fact that a council member receives free water services, while others must pay full price. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another resident accused the mayor of ordering city workers not to perform approved maintenance at his home, as well as of driving to his home and dumping trash in his yard. So, I look at the cameras and see the mayor pull up in front of my house, taking his ashtray out of his truck and throwing it all over the yard. I call Deputy Crawford, he calls me back and says Troy Inman admitted that he did it out of spite because he doesnt like you, said the Petrolia resident. I did throw out cigarette buts there on the grass, but I picked them up before the sheriff told me to, Mayor Troy Inman said. The resident also provided what he said was a police report involving a separate allegation: the mayor allegedly threatened a store clerk, saying someone would be shot if she attended council meetings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though Tweed did not attend the meeting, he sent word that he plans to write a detailed letter, further explaining his reason for resigning and addressing the claims. Council has yet to receive that letter. The mayor and council members declined to comment after the meeting. 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 Texomashomepage.com. More than 100 vehicles, from race cars to helicopters, will be on display in Texas City for for children to climb on and interact with at the annual "Touch a Truck" event. The event has been a tradition in the city south of Houston for more than a decade, bringing "boats, race cars, construction equipment, tanker trucks (and) emergency response vehicles" for children to explore, a release from the city states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CRUISE SHIPS: Carnival ship to chase 2027 solar eclipse during special cruise in Europe The free event will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 18 in the historic downtown area on 6th Street. From 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., there will be a special horn/siren-free sensory hour. In addition to the vehicles, there will also be monster truck rides, bounce houses, obstacle courses, face painting, pumpkin decorating, food trucks, corn boxes, a balloon artist, music and more than 35 vendors, the release states. "Touch a Truck is truly a community event; it's for the community, and it's also made possible by the community," event organizer Jennifer Laird said in a written statement. "All of the organizers, agencies and businesses who come out with their vehicles - they are the heroes of this event." This article originally published at Texas City to host annual 'Touch a Truck' event in historic downtown this weekend. Texas Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa entered the race for governor Wednesday, criticizing Republican Gov. Greg Abbott as beholden to big donors in an uphill bid to become the first Democrat to hold the office since 1995. Hinojosa, who represents Austin, joins a race that has been without big-name challengers and overshadowed in Texas by a competitive U.S. Senate contest. She was a fierce critic of a $1 billion private school voucher program in Texas and joined Democrats' walkout this summer that temporarily delayed the passage of redrawn U.S. House maps sought by President Donald Trump. Abbott, who is seeking a record fourth term, has won each of his last three races by double-digits and his campaign is sitting on more than $80 million, underscoring the tall task facing any challenger. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our fight right now is against the billionaires and the corporations who are driving up prices, closing our neighborhood schools and cheating Texans out of basic health care. That's who Greg Abbott works for, she said in a video announcing her candidacy. I'm running for governor to work for you. Hinojosa was set to kick off her campaign with an event in her hometown of Brownsville along the U.S.-Mexico border, where Republicans have been making fast inroads with Hispanic voters. Abbott's campaign manager, Kim Snyder, criticized Hinojosa as being out of step with most Texans. "Time and again, Gina Hinojosa chooses woke, extreme ideologies over the safety and security of Texas families," Snyder said in a statement. "Texans deserve a governor who will continue to secure the border, fight for safer communities and uphold family values not someone who supports failed, radical policies that hurt hardworking Texans. Other Democrats in the race include Andrew White, who is the son of former Texas Gov. Mark White and is running again after narrowly losing the Democratic primary in 2018. NEED TO KNOW Jose Eddie Castillo, 45, died after being attacked by his two pit bulltype dogs outside his Texas home, per the Galveston County Sheriffs Office A neighbor reportedly broke a machete and used a butcher knife trying to free him A responding deputy shot one dog to end the attack; both animals were later euthanized A Texas man was fatally mauled by his own dogs Sunday evening as a neighbor fought desperately to save him, according to authorities and multiple local outlets. Deputies with the Galveston County Sheriffs Office responded around 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 12 to reports of a dog attack in unincorporated Bacliff, the agency shared in a press release. Witnesses told deputies that two pit bulltype dogs belonging to the victim were actively attacking him in his yard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When deputies arrived, one of the dogs was still latched onto the mans arm. In an effort to stop the attack and protect the victim, a deputy discharged his firearm, striking the dog in the center mass, the sheriffs office said in the release. The animal released the victim and retreated to a corner of the yard. The victim identified by KHOU 11, WCNC, and The Galveston County Daily News as Jose Eddie Castillo, 45 was transported to HCA Houston Clear Lake and was later pronounced dead. It was just a horrific experience for sure, Jesus Excontitta, Castillos neighbor, told KHOU 11. Ive never seen anything like that before. Excontitta broke a machete while trying to intervene, per KHOU 11, ABC13 Houston and WCNC, before grabbing a butcher knife and continuing to stab one of the animals in an effort to stop the attack. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was crying, pleading, and Im just, Sorry, Eddie, and stabbing the dog and poking and poking and poking, Excontitta said. My brother had stabbed it several times with the machete and then with the butcher knife and it wouldnt stop, Shaine Starrett, Excontittas sister, told KHOU 11, adding that she called 911 as the attack continued. The sheriff's office said Galveston County Animal Control took custody of both dogs, which were later euthanized because of the extent of their injuries. Officials added in the release that deputies never want to harm an animal, but in this case, immediate action was necessary in an attempt to protect the victims life. Read the original article on People Texas authorities captured a convicted sex offender who topped their Most Wanted list after receiving a tip about his Houston workplace. Dante Dewayne Odom, 52, was arrested October 9 by Texas Department of Public Safety agents, state troopers and Attorney Generals Office investigators. A Crime Stoppers reward will be paid for the tip that led to his arrest. The capture highlights Texas aggressive pursuit of fugitive sex offenders through its Most Wanted program. The state has arrested 54 fugitives so far in 2025, including 22 sex offenders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Odom had evaded authorities since June 2025 for failing to register as a sex offender. His status as Octobers Featured Fugitive raised the reward for his capture to $4,000. Odoms criminal history dates to 1992, when he was convicted of burglarizing a home to sexually assault a 30-year-old woman. He received a 12-year prison sentence for that crime. His record includes multiple convictions for violating sex offender registration requirements and assaulting a family member. He was last released from Texas prison in March 2022. Texas Crime Stoppers has paid $41,000 in rewards this year through the Governors Public Safety Office funding. The program offers cash for tips leading to arrests of the states 10 Most Wanted fugitives, sex offenders and criminal illegal immigrants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tipsters must contact authorities through specific channels to qualify for rewards. These include calling 1-800-252-TIPS, submitting tips through the DPS website, or using the Texas 10 Most Wanted Facebook page. All tips remain anonymous, with tipsters receiving reference numbers instead of providing names. DPS investigators warn the public not to approach these fugitives, who are considered armed and dangerous. The Most Wanted lists, featuring photos and details, are updated regularly on the DPS website. Local law enforcement agencies work with state investigators to select fugitives for inclusion. (Texas Scorecard) A federal three-judge panel is now considering whether to grant a preliminary injunction that would block Texas newly drawn 2025 congressional map ahead of the 2026 primary elections. Plaintiffs allege Texas latest map constitutes both racial gerrymanderinga constitutional violationand racial vote dilution under the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The courtroom focus in recent weeks has concerned only the preliminary injunction, due to fast-approaching deadlines. Constitutional Claims Take Center Stage Preliminary injunctions are considered extreme measures that require high standards of proof. Plaintiffs must therefore convince the panel that the State intentionally discriminated on the basis of race, and that they are likely to win on the merits. Because racial vote dilution does not require intent, this claim was dropped from the preliminary injunction hearing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Racial gerrymandering requires proving that racial data was considered with an intent to discriminate when drawing the maps. Racial vote dilution is very different, requiring evidence that districts protected by Section 2 of the Voting Rights Actdistricts in which a racial minority group is able to elect their candidate of choicewere dismantled. Naturally, one must racially discriminate when redistricting if they are to protect certain districts on account of their racial composition. These seemingly conflicting legal precedents make redistricting litigation exceptionally complex. At present, the way these standards interact is that a mapmaker must draw his map blind to race, to conform with the Constitution. Only after a map has been created can experts analyze the impact it has on VRA-protected districts. It is often left to courts to decide whether a map is therefore VRA-compliant. That being said, the racial vote dilution claim may not be relevant by the time the case reaches trial. Louisiana legislators re-drew the states congressional map in 2024 to create a second black-majority district. The action is now being challenged by a group of Louisiana voters in the Supreme Court as a violation of the 14th and 15th Amendments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in an earlier opinion that there is an intractable conflict between current interpretations of Section 2 of the VRA and the Constitution. He also made clear that where the VRA breaches the Constitutions equal protection guarantee, the Constitution controls. Regardless of these intricacies, the VRA claims are wholly irrelevant to the preliminary injunction consideration at hand. Whats Next Should the panel grant the preliminary injunction, the State requests the opportunity to redraw the congressional map in a way that satisfies the Plaintiffs concerns. Plaintiffs prefer reverting to the 2021 mapthe same map they had been alleging racial discrimination against for four years, but is more favorable to Democrats. Should the preliminary injunction be denied, Plaintiffs want to proceed with their claims of both racial gerrymandering and racial vote dilutionsuggesting January 2027 for this trial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both parties are requesting the preliminary injunction decision be made as soon as possible, ideally before the candidate filing period opens on Nov. 8 for the 2026 primaries. Plaintiffs also requested a ruling on the merits, as this would aid the U.S. Supreme Court in making its decision. An appeal to the Supreme Court is expected regardless of the outcome. Plaintiffs believe it would be appropriate for the preliminary injunction to be issued up until a week before Candidate filing closes on Dec. 8. The State believes it is already too late for the court to issue a preliminary injunction, as counties and candidates have already begun operating under the assumption that the 2025 map has been implemented. Legal precedent set by the Purcell decision holds that courts should avoid making a decision that causes voter confusion directly preceding an election. Plaintiffs counter that the 2021 map should be seen as the legal status quo, and that the enactment of the 2025 map would cause more confusion. Expectations It is difficult to predict how a federal three-judge panel will rule on a redistricting case, given the complicated nature of redistricting litigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Judge Jerry Smith, a Reagan appointee, appeared to question the Plaintiffs reasoning more often than he did the States. He also said it is apparent to him from watching television that everybody in Texas is assuming the 2025 map is already implementedseemingly agreeing with the States argument that reverting to the 2021 map would cause voter confusion. Smith is, for these reasons, expected to be a vote for the State. It is yet to be seen how influential Judge Smith can be on the other two judges, or what conclusions they may reach independently. Judge David Guaderrama, an Obama appointee, was more even-handed throughout the hearingsmaking it difficult to tell which side he may favor. Judge Jeffrey Brown, despite being a Trump appointee, has ruled against Republican redistricting efforts in the past because they were mean-spirited. Brown did not speak much during the early days of the hearing. When he did, it was more often against the States position. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In all, Plaintiffs only presented two witnesses who made claims that intentional racial discrimination took place during 2025 redistrictingdisentangling it from being a natural byproduct of purely partisan redistricting, as is required for a preliminary injunction. Both of these experts were later discredited for not considering the constraints Adam Kincaidthe mapmakerwas operating under, among other concerns. While it is unclear what the three-judge panel will rule on the merits, Judge Smiths concern over timeliness may very well carry over to the other judges. Daily coverage from the hearings in El Paso can be found here. If you or anyone you know has information regarding court cases, please contact our tip line: scorecardtips@protonmail.com. Texas Rep. Gina Hinojosa on Wednesday announced she is running for governor in 2026, setting up a potential clash between Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and one of the Legislatures most strident critics of his school voucher program. Our fight right now is against the billionaires and corporations who are driving up prices, closing our neighborhood schools and cheating Texans out of basic health care, Hinojosa, a five-term Democratic lawmaker from Austin, said in her campaign launch video. Thats who Greg Abbott works for. Im running for governor to work for you. Hinojosas entry expands a Democratic primary field that includes Andrew White, a Houston businessman and son of former Gov. Mark White, Bobby Cole, a rancher and retired firefighter, and Bay City Council member Benjamin Flores. Whoever wins the nomination will be a decided underdog against Abbott, who had more than $87 million in his campaign account at the end of June and has won all three of his gubernatorial races by double digits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, Abbott campaign manager Kim Snyder called Hinojosa out of step with Texans. Texans deserve a Governor who will continue to secure the border, fight for safer communities and uphold family values not someone who supports failed, radical policies that hurt hardworking Texans, Snyder said. White said in a statement that Hinojosa is a progressive who represents her district well, but that Democrats needed a candidate who will bring together progressives, moderates and independents to beat Greg Abbott. Hinojosa, a civil rights and union lawyer who grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, was scheduled to formally launch her campaign at a rally in Brownsville Wednesday evening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In her campaign launch video, Hinojosa said she first decided to run for office when her sons elementary school faced possible closure due to state budget cuts. She was elected to the Austin ISD school board in 2012, where she later served as board president before winning election to the Texas House in 2016. Through nearly a decade in the Legislature, Hinojosa made defending public education her calling card, becoming a primary foil to Abbott on private school vouchers. In her launch video, she contrasted her efforts to bolster public school funding with Abbotts pursuit of vouchers, which she argued would devastate our schools. She also criticized the governor for accepting $10 million in campaign donations from Pennsylvania GOP megadonor Jeff Yass, one of the nations leading voucher proponents. Abbotts corruption runs deep. The billionaires he works for will not stop until they get what they want, Hinojosa said. As long as we have a governor that can be bought, we wont have the Texas we deserve. Hinojosas campaign also touted legislation she passed to bring in almost $1 billion in federal funding for indigent health care in Travis County and to reduce standardized testing and increase teacher pay. Act fast and save on tickets for The Texas Tribune Festival, Nov. 1315 in downtown Austin. Hear from more than 300 speakers across 100+ sessions covering education, the economy, public policy, culture and more. GA ticket prices go up Oct. 17. Buy your tickets today! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase. Violence during homecomings on college campuses around the country is prompting Texas Southern University to make changes to its events this weekend. "I've made the decision that homecoming events for Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, including tailgating activities will conclude at 7 p.m.," University President James Crawford said in a Facebook post. The change sparked mixed reactions among current and former Tigers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's a lot of mixed emotions going on right now, I understand what's going on it's just the objectivity of it," TSU senior Jerry LeDoux III said. "Within the moment right now, I'm not really upset about it ending at 7 p.m. Like did I feel a way in the moment, yes, but I understand taking those safety measures, the only thing I'll say about is that we also uphold those safety measures with everything that we happen to do, you can't stop a shooting," TSU senior Jamarion Owens said. At Jackson State University in Mississippi, an 11-year-old was shot near the tailgate area during a homecoming game, according to police last Saturday. At the beginning of the month, ABC News reported two separate shootings on South Carolina State University's campus that killed a woman and injured a man during a homecoming weekend concert. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And gunfire erupted in Montgomery, Alabama downtown during a busy weekend, including the state university's homecoming. "While this change may be disappointing to some, please know I make this decision with the care for our students, you alumni and everyone who joins us for homecoming of most in my mind," Crawford said. Alumni have expressed frustration online, but seniors ABC13 spoke with said they're still hoping to make the most of their last homecoming as a current Tiger. "When I learned about that I understood, I really didn't take it too much to heart. It's really just a matter of what you make it and still enjoying your experience," Owens said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Had a good time regardless so I expect other people to do the same as well. Of course, you cannot please everybody," LeDoux III said. President Crawford also said there will be an increased law enforcement presence on Saturday with over 85 officers across the campus. For news updates, follow Brianna Willis on Facebook, x and Instagram. One of the Texas Democrats who attempted to block Republican efforts to redraw the state's congressional maps mid-decade is looking to bring that fighting spirit to the governors mansion. Austin-area state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, a Democrat, on Tuesday launched a bid to unseat Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. Hinojosa told ABC News she believes Texas voters desire a spirited, fresh candidate to take on Abbott, who is running for a fourth term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I think Americans are done with politics as usual and are interested in shaking off labels and just wanting to see something real," she said. "I'm as real as you get -- a mom who got mad [who] ran for office." Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images, FILE - PHOTO: In this Aug. 18, 2025, file photo, Rep. Gina Hinojosa reacts as a proclamation by the Governor is read inside the House Chamber at the Texas Capitol in Austin, Texas. A former Austin ISD school board president, Hinojosa will center education, and campaigning on behalf of Texas public schools, in her bid. Hinojosa was elected to the statehouse in 2016. "After 10 years, I now understand where our money is going and our money is going to vendor contracts and to enrich the billionaire class and not to the needs of Texans," she said. Hinojosa was part of the first wave of legislators who, this summer, left the state to deny their Republican counterparts a quorum, which brought the Abbott-backed special session to implement new GOP-favored congressional maps to a screeching halt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The quorum break kicked off a national redistricting saga; high-profile Democrats, like California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois. Gov. JB Pritzker, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul hosted these lawmakers to protest the maps. Pritzker took on an outsized role in the showdown, helping coordinate the travel and lodging of dozens of state lawmakers as they camped out in Illinois and ran out the clock. Former President Barack Obama even called into their Illinois encampment and offered support. Texas Republicans did eventually pass new congressional maps after establishing a second special session, though Texas Democrats, Hinojosa among them, heralded their collective action as a win. Newsom and California Democrats, in turn, launched their own effort to pass blue-leaning maps, bringing the issue to voters on a proposition this November. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images, FILE - PHOTO: In this Aug. 12, 2025, file photo, a group of Senate Democrats walk off the Senate floor as the redistricting bill is brought up at the Texas Capitol in Austin, Texas. Hinojosa said her involvement in the quorum break opened my eyes that voters are ready for a fight. "I can run for governor because I have faith in Texans that they will have my back and that they are in this with me. That quorum break did expand my understanding of where Texans, where voters are today in 2025 when it comes to what they want to see their leaders doing," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Hinojosa, a self-described populist, has a lot of ground to gain. No Democrat has won a statewide office in Texas since 1994. And Texas Latino population has been slowly edging toward Trump over the last few elections. Trump led former President Joe Biden by 6 points in the state in 2020 -- and the gulf grew in 2024, when trounced former Vice President Kamala Harris by 14 points. She must also edge out serious Democratic challengers in the primary. Andrew White, the son of former Texas Gov. Mark White, is also running. And she faces the potential of more well-known Democrats jumping into the fray . (Though Hinojosa says both Rep. Joaquin Castro and former congressman Beto ORourke have told her theyve ruled out a gubernatorial run.) Despite it all, she feels she can navigate these challenges. And is making a bet that Texas voters feel the same. "People want change. I'm the candidate of change. Greg Abbott is the candidate of status quo, of the insider club enriching themselves with our taxpayer dollars. So, I feel very good about being a candidate that represents the desires and what Texans want to see in a leader," Hinojosa said. SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) The Tom Green County Sheriffs Office is set to host its annual Family Fall Festival on Oct. 16 to raise awareness for the Childrens Advocacy Center of Greater West Texas. According to the sheriffs office, the festival will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the South Lawn of the Tom Green County Courthouse, located at 112 W. Beauregard Ave. The event will feature decorated patrol cars, the Bearcat, face painting, an animal balloon artist, and a photo booth with the ASU cheerleaders along with many other games and activities for all ages, as per TGSO. Hot dogs will be provided, and live music will be played by one-man band Billy Langley. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2025 Halloween events & activities in the Concho Valley Several vendor tables will also be present, including the following: Tom Green County Library ADACCV Junior League of San Angelo MHMR Optimum Internet Shannon Hospital YMCA Child Advocacy Center of Greater West Texas The sheriffs office stated that this years festival has a new focus compared to previous iterations while still remaining dedicated to supporting the Childrens Advocacy Center of Greater West Texas. This years event is dedicated to raising awareness for the Childrens Advocacy Center of Greater West Texas, TGSO said. While previous years included modest fundraising efforts, our focus this year is on strengthening community engagement, promoting awareness, and providing families with a safe, enjoyable evening together. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Childrens Advocacy Center of Greater West Texas was established in Tom Green County in 1991 as a way to reduce re-traumatization of children by using a coordinated child-centered approach to child abuse investigations, limiting the number of times a child had to re-tell, and in essence, relive their experience, according to its website. The organization remains in operation to this day, running programs and services such as Hope House to assist the community. 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 ConchoValleyHomepage.com. SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) The Tom Green County Sheriffs Office is seeking information about potential victims regarding an ongoing child sexual abuse investigation involving Sammy Ray Soto. In early October 2025, the TGSO executed a search warrant at a residence on 45th Street for child sexual abuse materials. They found thousands of images and videos located in Sotos possession. Sammy Soto was arrested on October 07, 2025, for the state felony charge of Possession of Child Pornography, the TGSO stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since then, an additional federal charge has been issued, along with a US Marshal hold. RELATED: 364 child abuse images found on a San Angelo mans Google account During the investigation, several victims were identified and interviewed regarding potential child molestation and other felony child sex crimes that Soto is accused of committing in the early 2000s, according to TGSO. In the early 2000s, Soto was a janitor at Grape Creek ISD and was a drummer in a local band, TGSO reported. If any member of the public has information regarding the child sexual abuse crimes Soto committed or may have committed, TGSO asks to contact Sgt Nicholas Hammer, Criminal Investigations Division, at (325) 655-8111. 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 ConchoValleyHomepage.com. Cops in Miami Township are sounding the alarm after a surge of slick car heists hitting push-to-start rides. Cops claim crooks have cooked up fresh tricks to hack keyless entry setups, swiping vehicles in the blink of an eye. Sevierville Bans Slammedenuff Car Show After Embarrassing and Dangerous Behavior The local feds report that muscle cars like Dodge Chargers and Challengersespecially those souped-up SRT, Scat Pack, and Hellcat beastsare prime targets, alongside Dodge Durangos, Kia Stingers, Infiniti sedans, Chevy trucks and Camaros, plus some Nissans and Hondas. These bandits arent playing around. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres the kicker: Investigators think thieves are wielding gadgets that can rewire a cars computer and brick the owners key fob. Once theyve cracked the system, that ride is gone before you can say jacked. And with barely a scratch left behind, victims often dont realize until their wheels are halfway to a chop shop. Thieves are getting more sophisticated, and theyre targeting vehicles that can be accessed electronically, officials said. Were asking the community to take extra precautions and help spread awareness. To dodge disaster, stash your key fob far from doors or windowsbetter yet, toss it in a metal box or one of those fancy signal-blocking pouches. Lock your doors, roll up the windows, and slap on a beefy steering wheel lock if youre feeling paranoid. Park under bright lights, tuck your ride in a garage if possible, and maybe drop a sneaky GPS tracker somewhere nobodyll find it. Oh, and forget leaving your car idling unattendedyou might as well slap a free to a good home sign on the windshield. Toss any valuables out of sight, too. Cops reckon talking about these thefts could help slam the brakes on more losses. Anyone noticing suspicious activity is encouraged to contact the Miami Township Police Department immediately. Source Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook. As the federal government shutdown stretches beyond two weeks, the effects for some Connecticut residents could soon become significantly more tangible. Nearly 436,000 people in Connecticut - more than 10% of the state's population - rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which provides food assistance to low-income Americans. About 53,000 residents additionally receive Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC, which is aimed specifically at pregnant women, young mothers and children under age 5. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SNAP and WIC recipients span every corner of Connecticut, state data shows, with at least some residents receiving these benefits in each of the state's 169 towns and cities. As the shutdown continues, federal funding for food assistance could dry up, leaving state officials to decide between filling the gaps or leaving residents in every Connecticut community without their benefits. For now, SNAP recipients continue to receive their benefits, but the Trump administration has said that may not be the case if the shutdown extends into November. WIC has also continued to operate, thanks to a $300 million infusion of funds, but that program could also run out of money if the shutdown lasts into next month. Connecticut, among other states, has pledged to support WIC using state money if federal funding eventually lapses, at a cost of about $200,000 a day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We're stepping up making sure that nobody misses a beat," Gov. Ned Lamont said during a news conference last week. "We anticipate the federal government will reimburse us, but you're never quite sure." Both SNAP and WIC are especially essential in Connecticut's poorer communities, particularly its largest cities. As of 2022, state data shows, more than a third of Hartford residents received SNAP benefits, as did more than 20% of those in Bridgeport, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Waterbury and Windham. Some of the state's wealthiest communities, by contrast, had less than 1% of their populations receiving SNAP benefits, though each town had at least 20 recipients. { "__type": "devHubFreeformEmbed", "__id": "Datawrapper", "__fallbackImage": "https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Q2EYk/mobile.png", "__data": { "datawrapper_id": "Q2EYk" } } Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a state dashboard current as of March, the same cities continue to have the most SNAP recipients in 2025. More men than women collect SNAP benefits, state data shows, with Black and Latino residents significantly more likely than white residents to use the program. The story is similar when it comes to WIC. According to data from the Department of Public Health, accurate as of July 2025, Bridgeport, Danbury, Hartford, New Haven, New Britain, Stamford and Waterbury are home to the most WIC recipients, though nearly every Connecticut town has at least 10 people collecting benefits through the program. { "__type": "devHubFreeformEmbed", "__id": "Datawrapper", "__fallbackImage": "https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/irVdF/mobile.png", "__data": { "datawrapper_id": "irVdF" } } Even before the shutdown, some SNAP recipients faced the possibility of losing benefits due to the spending bill passed by congressional Republicans and signed into law by President Donald Trump earlier this year. Under that legislation, the federal government is set to cover a smaller percentage of the SNAP's costs, leaving states to decide whether to continue funding the program at the current level or reduce benefits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This comes as food insecurity has risen in Connecticut and elsewhere over recent years, amid the expiration of pandemic-era safety-net programs and an increased cost of living. According to one recent report, about 1 in 7 Connecticut residents are food insecure, up 10% from the year prior and up 40% from 2020. Two weeks in, the federal government shutdown shows no obvious signs of resolution. Democrats say they won't vote to reopen the government until Republicans agree to restore some of the health care cuts they implemented earlier this year - something top Republicans say is a nonstarter. On Monday, Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said he wouldn't negotiate with Democrats until they dropped their health-care demands, predicting the shutdown would continue indefinitely. "We're barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history," Johnson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During Trump's first presidency, the government shut down for 35 days, marking the longest shutdown on record. SNAP and WIC were able to continue operating during that period, though both could have run out of money had the shutdown lasted longer. In addition to threatening certain benefits, the government shutdown has led to furloughs for federal employees, including some in Connecticut, and delays at airports, among other effects. Information from the Associated Press was used in this story. This article originally published at Thousands in CT could lose SNAP, WIC benefits if the shutdown persists. See town-by-town impact. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Nearly $5,000 dollars worth of damage was done to grass and infrastructure at Lincoln Park in South-Central El Paso, allegedly by car drivers performing burnouts and doughnuts after a car meet Sunday night, Oct. 14. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The City of El Paso confirmed the estimated damages to KTSM, and added that the cost could exceed that number if the irrigation and sprinkler systems were also damaged. City officials also confirmed that there is an ongoing investigation by the El Paso Police Department into the situation. Hector Gonzales, a member of the Lincoln Park Conservation Committee that volunteers to help maintain the parks vibrant image by upkeeping the murals and artwork, called the situation disrespectful. Well, were extremely disappointed with the whole situation. Weve been here at the park over 20 years working on improving and working on the murals and all the amenities here at the park. And to have somebody do such a disrespectful act by destroying something that means so much to so many people in the community, Gonzales said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The park here is very different from most parks in the sense that the City maintains the park waters the grass, cuts the grass, picks up the trash. But all the artwork, the murals, all the benches, tables, everything thats decorated is done by community members, volunteers. Absolutely for free. So everything you see here at the park is done from the heart by people, Gonzales added. A local car club named Texas Legionz was pointed out by witnesses online as the alleged people responsible for the damage. The club issued a statement via an Instagram story on their page in response. The statement read: To our followers, car, truck, and lowrider community. We found who did the damage and both of them are fully aware of it. Both of them are facing consequences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the teams behalf, as well as the two that caused the damages, we want to say we are truly sorry. We never wanted to let our community down or bring any negativity to something built on respect and love for our rides and each other. Seeing the damage and the impact it caused broke our hearts. This community is like family, and we know that trust and reputation take years to build. The two individuals involved understand the weight of their actions and will be helping with the damages, but no amount of money can erase the disappointment and hurt that came from this. To everyone who reached out, shared info, and stood by us thank you. Your support helped us find the truth and start making things right. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you guys have any info on who to get a hold of to talk about paying for the damages or helping with the process, we would greatly appreciate it. Were humbly asking for your understanding and continued support as we work to fix it. 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 KTSM 9 News. By Tarek Amara TUNIS (Reuters) -Thousands took to the streets of the Tunisian coastal city of Gabes in a huge march on Wednesday, in an escalation of protests that began last week over pollution from the state Chemical Groups (CGT) phosphate complex. The large-scale protests heighten pressure on President Kais Saied's government, which fears the unrest may spread to other regions of the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government, already pressured by a deep financial crisis, needs to balance public health demands with the production of phosphate, Tunisia's most valuable natural resource. The protesters chanted slogans such as "we want to live" and Gabes is crying out for help. The protesters marched towards Chatt Essalam, a coastal suburb to the north of the city, where the chemical group is located. There, witnesses said that police fired tear gas to disperse them as they approached the headquarters. In the capital, Tunis, crowds also gathered in support of Gabes, highlighting growing national concern over the environmental crisis and the call for urgent government action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Residents of Gabes say they are suffering from increased respiratory illnesses, osteoporosis and an increased incidence of cancer due to the toxic gases emitted by the factory's units. The latest wave of protests was triggered earlier this month after dozens of schoolchildren suffered breathing difficulties caused by toxic fumes from a plant that converts phosphates into phosphoric acid and fertilizers. CGT did not reply to Reuters' attempts to seek comment on the situation in Gabes. Khaireddine Diba, one of the protesters, said: Today, our voice will be loud and resounding until this crime stops immediately." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Saied said this month that Gabes was suffering an "environmental assassination" due to what he called criminal policy choices by a previous government. He called on ministries to maintain the units to stop leaks as a first step. However, the protesters reject temporary solutions and demand the permanent closure and relocation of the units. Tons of industrial waste are discharged into the sea at Chatt Essalam daily. Environmental groups warn that marine life has been severely affected, with local fishermen reporting a dramatic decline in fish stocks over the past decade, hitting a vital source of income for many in the region. (Reporting By Tarek Amara; Editing by Alex Richardson) ANDERSON, S.C. (WSPA) Three people have been charged with murder in a shooting which left two people dead and three others injured. According to the Anderson Police Department, investigators working alongside the Anderson County Sheriffs Office, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and Anderson County Solicitors office have arrested Kevonn Duval Turner, Jamarcus Harold Brown and Jamayas Keunade Howard on charges of murder, attempted murder, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. According to court records, Brown was denied bond by a judge. Howard and Turner were also denied bond by a judge Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Previous story: Investigation continues after two killed, three injured in nightclub shooting On Sunday, Anderson police officers were called to Truth Bar and Grill on West Franklin Street after a fight and multiple shots were fired. Two men, Calvin Chester Jr. and Roymad Shaquil McDaniel were killed and three others were injured in the shooting. What weve been told from witnesses, there was an argument between two females. It started getting out of hand, said Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore. I think the folks at the club started to try to disperse the crowd, asking them to leave. There were two males that were helping to get the crowd to leave. When shots were fired out in the parking lot right there at Murray Avenue at Franklin Street. City of Anderson Police Chief Jim Stewart described Sundays scene as chaotic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People were running everywhere. We found we had the two deceased individuals that were there, he recalled. Weve never really had, shootings of this magnitude. In fact, if you look at our three-year trend right now, our violent crimes are down, our property crimes are down. Those living nearby told 7NEWS it was an incident waiting to happen. Its not if, its when. And its also how many, said Tyshen Latimer. Youre always surprised at the loss of life. But unfortunately, these type of situations, they occur more often than not. Edtoinna Chester attended Howards bond hearing Wednesday afternoon. She is the wife of one of the victims who was killed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My husbands legacy and the other gentlemans legacy lives on because they were taken for no reason, she said. She told 7NEWS that justice, for the time being, has been served. Im a whole lot more at ease at this moment than from the beginning, when it all started, Chester continued. Police said the shooting investigation is ongoing at this time. Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 1-888-23-CRIME, and you can remain anonymous. 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 WSPA 7NEWS. JUNCTION CITY (KSNT) Police in Junction City arrested a local man after an altercation involving multiple people Tuesday night. Cadin Sanner with the Junction City Police Department said in a press release that officers were called about reports of a shooting around 7:20 p.m. on Oct. 14 in the 800 block of South Washington Street. Police arriving at the scene took three people to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries ranging from blunt force trauma to stab wounds. The JCPD arrested a 27-year-old local man on a charge of aggravated battery for his alleged role in the incident. Police did not find any firearms in connection with this investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sanner said police have touched base with everyone involved in the incident and there is no threat to the community at this time. People who want to contact the JCPD with information related to this situation can call 785-762-5912 or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers by calling 785-762-8477. Man sentenced for deadly 2023 Topeka shooting For more crime news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf 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 KSNT 27 News. Three police officers have been killed in an explosion in Italy while evicting people who were living in an abandoned farmhouse. Italian militarised police were carrying out an eviction in the town of Castel dAzzano near Verona when an explosive device was detonated deliberately by a brother and sister living in the property, authorities said. The blast, which is thought to have involved gas canisters, caused the farmhouse to collapse completely. A brother and a sister in their sixties have been detained following the explosion, with a third sibling on the run, according to police. Emergency services are on the scene in Castel dAzzano, near Verona (AP) The noise from the blast could be heard as far as 5km (3.1 miles) away, reports in Italian media said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Defence minister Guido Crosetto paid tribute to the three officers, who have been named as Marco Piffari, Davide Bernardello and Valerio Dapra. I wish to pay tribute to the memory of Lieutenant Special Charge Marco Piffari , Carabiniere Select Davide Bernardello and Brigadier Chief Special Qualification Valerio Dapra, who sacrificed their lives carrying out their duty to the very end in the service of the country, he said in a statement. In this moment of profound sadness, on my own behalf, as minister of defence, as a father and as a citizen, and on behalf of every woman and man of defence, I express my most sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, to their loved ones and to the entire Carabinieri force. Authorities said it was their second attempt to evict the siblings from the abandoned structure after they took up residence in it last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While our Carabinieri were carrying out a judicial order, they were hit by an intentional explosion of a gas tank, Veronas Carabinieri commander, Colonel Claudio Pagano, told Sky TG24. He called it an absolutely crazy gesture. The farmhouse collapsed completely following the explosion (Corpo Nazionale dei Vigili del Fuoco) The two-storey farmhouse had been filled with gas, and the explosion was set off when authorities opened the door, regional governor Luca Zaia told Sky TG24. Another eviction attempt was thwarted last year when the siblings threatened to blow the house up, said Mr Zaia. Antonello Panuccio, the deputy mayor of Castel dAzzano, told regional media that the siblings didnt want to leave the house and that the attic was saturated with gas. The operation was planned because the special forces were arriving from outside the province, and therefore it was already planned with ambulances, because it was known there could be injuries, but no one imagined they had planned an explosion like this, which was heard within a 5km radius, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With deep sorrow I have learnt of the tragic passing of three Carabinieri. My condolences, and those of the government, go to the families of the victims, Italys prime minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on X (Twitter). Italys Carabinieri are a national militarised police force, and are a key component of law enforcement in the country. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A Lauderdale County man was arrested and indicted on rape charges and for exploiting a minor, according to the TBI. In August, agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and statutory rape. Agents said during the investigation they learned that Johnathan Graves, 21, sexually exploited and abused a minor between November 2024 and August 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Oct. 6, Graves was indicted and charged with five counts of Statutory Rape, five counts of Especially Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, one count of Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, and one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. Graves was arrested and booked in the Lauderdale County jail on a $250,000 bond. 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 WREG.com. Global efforts to decrease tobacco smoking have been effective over the 25 years since 2000, but there is still much work to do. This effort is critical as smoking is a major driver of lung cancers, accounting for more than 80% of cases worldwide. A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights the progress made and calls for stronger tobacco control policies to keep the momentum towards preventing avoidable deaths due to tobacco. The 200024 WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco reported impressive reductions in the number of regular tobacco users worldwide, with 120 million fewer smokers in 2024 than in 2000 - a 27% decrease. But even with this remarkable decrease, almost 20% of adults still use tobacco and nicotine products. Women have had more success than men with quitting, reaching the WHO goal of a 30% reduction in smoking five years ahead of schedule in 2020. Smoking in men, however, is decreasing more slowly, with 32.5% of men worldwide still smoking as of 2024, compared to 41.4% in 2010. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new report also included e-cigarettes for the first time, highlighting how the tobacco industry is targeting young people to hook children on nicotine earlier. At least 15 million children are using e-cigarettes, and the report found that children were nine times more likely than adults to vape. Regionally, Europe is now the highest prevalence area globally, and the Eastern Mediterranean region is seeing some countries still increasing in tobacco use prevalence. In brighter news, the prevalence of tobacco use by men in Southeast Asia has decreased from 70% in 2000 to 37% in 2024, accounting for more than half of the global decline in tobacco smoking. This report highlights that while much progress can be seen, there is still work to do to prevent tobacco addiction and the harm that comes from tobacco use, especially in young people. GlobalData monitors lung cancers across the 16 major markets (16MM: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, India, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, the UK and the US) and expects an increase in both small-cell (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) by 2029. By 2029, GlobalData epidemiologists expect new cases of SCLC to increase by more than 7,000 new cases annually compared to 2024. NSCLC is also expected to increase from approximately 1.4 million new cases in 2024 to 1.8 million new cases in 2032. These cancers represent only a few of the cancers that are known to be attributable to tobacco use, and there are effects of tobacco use that are yet to be understood. This increase in cases will continue until these cancers are prevented through the avoidance and cessation of tobacco use. With global health funding in a particularly uncertain state, tobacco control efforts will need to shift more locally to close loopholes that allow marketing that targets children, regulate new nicotine products like e-cigarettes, raise tobacco taxes and expand cessation services to prevent avoidable illness and death.Global efforts to decrease tobacco smoking have been effective over the last 25 years, but there is still much work to do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This effort is critical as smoking is a major driver of lung cancers, accounting for over 80% of cases worldwide. A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights the progress made since 2000 and calls for stronger tobacco control policies to keep the momentum towards preventing avoidable deaths due to tobacco. "Tobacco prevention report reflects on progress but warns of lost momentum" was originally created and published by Clinical Trials Arena, a GlobalData owned brand. The Kyiv Independents Chris York sits down with U.S. defense expert Tom Karako to discuss how the potential provision of the Tomahawk the U.S.s most advanced cruise missile to Ukraine could affect the course of Russias war and Russian President Vladimir Putins calculations. From the missiles strategic range and potential impact on Russias operations to the political risks facing U.S. President Donald Trumps administration, he explains how a single decision could shift the balance of the war. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Connecticut's William Tong joined other state attorneys generals this week in pushing back against attempts by President Donald Trump's administration to collect more data on race and sex in college admissions. This summer, Trump announced colleges and universities would be required to submit additional data to prove they do not consider race in admissions, following a 2023 Supreme Court decision barring them from doing so. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a letter to U.S. Department of Education officials, a group of 18 Democratic attorneys general objected to the Trump administration's new requirement, which they described as unnecessary, unjustified and overly burdensome for schools. The policy, they wrote, "has the potential to be misused to improperly target disfavored" colleges and universities. In a news release Wednesday, Tong expressed concern the data the Trump administration collects could be used to target schools with lawful diversity, equity and inclusion practices or who "have ideological differences" with the administration. "The Trump administration will not be happy until they are sitting in the admissions office hand-selecting which MAGA-approved students are given acceptance letters," Tong said in a statement. "This is a ridiculous overreach and waste of time that is aimed at bullying schools into abandoning fully lawful efforts to support diverse, equitable and inclusive education." Trump and his allies say the additional data is necessary to ensure colleges and universities are complying with the Supreme Court's directive not to consider race in the admissions process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The persistent lack of available data - paired with the rampant use of diversity statements,' and other overt and hidden racial proxies - continues to raise concerns about whether race is actually used in admissions decisions in practice," Trump's memorandum says. The memo directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to require colleges to report more data "to provide adequate transparency into admissions." The National Center for Education Statistics will collect new data, including the race and sex of colleges' applicants, admitted students and enrolled students, the Education Department said in a statement. Experts say the policy could have a relatively limited practical effect, as current understanding of federal law prohibits colleges from collecting information on race as part of the admissions process. In their letter to Department of Education officials, the 18 Democratic attorneys general urged the Trump administration to rescind the new policy so that colleges and universities would not be expected to collect this additional admissions data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tong, a Democrat who has served as Connecticut's attorney general since 2019, has challenged Trump on numerous policies, joining more than 30 lawsuits against the administration and voicing objections to a wide array of the president's actions. Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. This article originally published at Tong slams Trump administration's request for race, sex data in college admissions. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) criticized President Donald Trump for cherry picking" what political violence to condemn. Shapiro was the target of political violence earlier this year when a man attempted to light his residence on fire while he and his family were sleeping. Shapiro said in an interview with CNNs Jake Tapper on Tuesday that political leaders must condemn all political violence "no matter who is perpetrating it or no matter who is a target." And so to suggest that the responsibility of political violence exists on just one side of the aisle or another is absolutely wrong. And I think it is proven to be wrong, Shapiro said on CNNs The Lead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shapiros comments come after Cody Balmer, the suspect in the arson attempt against Shapiro, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and other charges on Tuesday. It also comes as Trump and his allies have repeatedly claimed that only the left is responsible for political violence in the wake of the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. Shapiro noted that he also condemned the attempted assassination of Trump while speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last year. He then criticized Trump for choosing which violence to call out. And the third point here, related to the president, is the president has been a victim of this violence. He should know better. He should want to bring down the temperature. And yet hes been cherry-picking which violence he wants to condemn and which violence that hes going to let pass, Shapiro said. It was horrific what happened to Charlie Kirk. And the president was right to call that out. But it was also horrific what happened to Speaker Hortman in Minnesota just a few weeks prior. He should have called that out as well, he said, referring to the Minnesota Democratic lawmaker who was assassinated alongside her husband earlier this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He then called on Trump to speak out against all political violence. Just cherry-picking which violence were going to condemn ends up actually ratcheting up the temperature and making some people feel like theres a pass, that a little bit of political violence is OK, as long as its directed in a certain way or against a certain type of person, Shapiro said. We need the leader of this country to speak out against all political violence, as I try to do every day and I know as others try to do. And that is how were going to help bring down the temperature. When people feel as though its unacceptable no matter what, thats when we can begin to heal and thats when we can begin to repair this nation, he added. Stories by Lauren Sforza Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here. French far-right politician Marine Le Pen has failed in her attempt to overturn her exclusion from elections. The Conseil d'Etat, France's top administrative court, rejected the National Rally parliamentary leader's appeal. Judges said that the regulations in question could only be overturned by changing the law. A court had convicted Le Pen of embezzling EU funds in early April. The most controversial part of the sentence is a five-year ban on running for elections, which took immediate effect, unlike a partially suspended prison sentence. She is appealing the conviction separately. The next presidential election, in which Le Pen had intended to stand as a candidate, is scheduled for 2027. In light of the current political crisis in France, there is a possibility of a snap parliamentary election - from which she would also be banned. A top German conservative on Wednesday rejected calls by prominent former politicians for cooperation with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Martin Huber, the general secretary of the Bavaria-based Christian Social Union (CSU), told dpa that "the CSU rules out any cooperation with the AfD." The party is in alliance with Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) at the national level. The centre-right bloc has steadfastly refused to work with the AfD, a policy known as the "firewall." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The AfD is a danger to our country: they are opponents of NATO, want out of the EU and to move closer to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin," said Huber, criticizing contacts between the party and Moscow. "That's not patriotism, that's treason," he added. "We will continue to confront the AfD in terms of content, fight it politically and deprive it of its breeding ground with sensible policies." The remarks came after a group of conservative politicians, including the CDU's former general secretary Peter Tauber and ex-defence minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg from the CSU, demanded that the bloc change course in its handling of the AfD in comments to the Stern news outlet. "The current stigmatization only helps the AfD," Tauber explained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The calls are unlikely to receive traction with the CDU/CSU leadership. Merz and Bavarian Premier Markus Soder have repeatedly ruled out cooperation with the AfD, although Merz was criticized earlier this year when he passed a non-binding motion in parliament with the help of votes from the far-right party. Nearly all of the top broadcast and cable networks will now use the Associated Press election data to help call results during the 2026 and 2028 elections, the news wire announced on Wednesday. The move means networks ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN will join Fox News and hundreds of newspapers across the country in using the APs data, with each of their respective decision desks breaking down the results independently to call races. Fox News began using the APs data in 2017, and its decision desk was under intense scrutiny during the 2020 election for its early but accurate call that Joe Biden won Arizona, a swing state, that year. For nearly two centuries, The Associated Press has delivered the results of elections in the United States, playing an indispensable and fundamental role in the American democracy, David Scott, the vice president for AP Elections, said in a statement. We also know this essential work is being done against the backdrop of an electorate confronted with misinformation, which is why its essential that news organizations work together to serve voters with one source of accurate and trusted results. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The move comes after the AP created a standalone business unit in January dedicated to growing its election services, including monetizing its data. Scott was appointed as its vice president. The networks have now moved away from the research firm Edison Research, which provided election data to the networks as part of the National Election Pool, a consortium formed in 2003 of news organizations. Fox News and the AP both left the consortium in 2017. Edison Research on Wednesday was acquired by SSRS, a polling and research firm. NewsNation, the first cable network to call the election for Trump last year, relied on Decision Desk HQ during the 2024 election, its first as a 24/7 cable news network. It is unclear what MSNBC, which will soon be re-named MS NOW, will use moving forward as it severs from NBC following parent company Versants split from Comcast. A network spokesperson did not have an immediate comment. The post Top News Networks Shift to AP Data for 2026, 2028 Elections appeared first on TheWrap. TOPEKA (KSNT) The Capital City may be getting another new QuikTrip gas station in the near future. Topekas Planning Commission is due to meet at 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 20 to discuss a rezoning measure that would, if approved, pave the way for a new QuikTrip convenience store and gas station with 14 fuel pumps. Documents with the Planning Commission show the property under discussion is 3825 and 3835 SW 29th Street in southwest Topeka. What are the big green fruits appearing all over Kansas? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement City staff, QuikTrip representatives and others met with local residents on Oct. 1 for an informational meeting about the rezoning proposal and new gas station. The majority of comments and issues brought up by locals included crime prevention, property values and traffic congestion concerns. 4 Future Land Use MapDownload QuikTrip recently revealed plans to install another new gas station where I-470 and Topeka Boulevard meet. This new location is expected to be open and accepting new customers in the fall of 2026. QuikTrip operates more than 1,000 stores across 17 states, according to its website. Customers can expect to find gas to fuel up their vehicles along with snacks and beverages for their big journeys or trips across town. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Topeka City Council talks new uniform rule for police For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf 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 KSNT 27 News. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Since President Trump announced he would deploy troops to Portland to protect the ICE facility, the city has been in the national spotlight. The peaceful protests have continued with more and more people dressing up in inflatable costumes. Beyond the costumes underscoring a joyful vibe at the ICE facility protests is another unexpected thing: Tourists. A man dressed in a shark costume came to see what the war zone of Portland looked like. Hes been at the ICE facility for at least several days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Operation Inflation injects joyful vibe to Portland ICE protests Ive been migrating up from San Francisco along the cold waters, up the Columbia River and then pulled myself onto the streets of Portland, Shark-man told KOIN 6 News. Im not going to dehumanize a sunfish or a migrant, like, were all in this together. And as soon as we understand that, we can start solving some real problems. Kathy Barenbrugge, who lives in Happy Valley, was outside the ICE facility Tuesday night. We just wanted to do something quickly to be a part of it instead of just being online all the time, she said. Costumed protesters outside the ICE facility in Portland, October 14, 2025 (KOIN) A man from California drove to Portland to wear a shark costume outside the ICE facility in Portland, October 14, 2025 (KOIN) Armed federal agents outside the ICE facility in Portland, October 14, 2025 (KOIN) Only a handful of people outside the ICE facility in Portland, including costumed protesters, October 14, 2025 (KOIN) A man from California drove to Portland to wear a shark costume outside the ICE facility in Portland, October 14, 2025 (KOIN) Tony and Sandy Jorgenson drove from California with a peace quilt to the ICE facility in Portland, October 14, 2025 (KOIN) A man from California drove to Portland to wear a shark costume outside the ICE facility in Portland, October 14, 2025 (KOIN) Tony and Sandy Jorgenson made a quick stop in Portland on their trip from their California home to Canada. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont see any weapons of mass destruction or anything. It doesnt appear to be a war, Sandy said. They also brought Sandys hand-made peace blanket, a quilt she made during the pandemic. I feel its kind of appropriate now because of whats going on, Sandy said. And it says, Imagine and love. Hope and peace at the bottom. And the butterflies (on the quilt) represent how fragile our democracy is. Hearing set that could extend pause on troop deployment in Portland All the people who spoke with KOIN 6 News shared a similar message: Dont be afraid of Portland. Dress warm and dont be afraid. Come join the party, Sandy said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shark said, I just think that people need to understand that we are all in this together. And Barenbrugge, who lives nearby, wants everyone to know what she knows. I love the city, so I want to make sure that people see that. And I think that if my friends see this, they will also see. They believe me. 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 KOIN.com. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) A man accused of breaking into an East Nashville home has been taken into custody after a resident alerted police to the burglary while being hundreds of miles away. According to an arrest affidavit, the resident was out of town and got an alert from his security camera on Monday, Oct. 13. When the resident checked the camera, he reportedly saw a stranger inside his home in the 900 block of North 2nd Street. Man accused of assaulting officer among Nashvilles Most Wanted fugitives Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At approximately 4:45 p.m., officers were sent to the home and found a ladder leading to a window on the back of the home. After speaking with the resident, police said they learned that no one was supposed to be inside the home. Security video provided to officers reportedly showed the man inside crawling on the kitchen floor before getting up and walking around the home. In addition, an arrest affidavit states that a suitcase, passport and a bag of narcotics were also found near the home, which the resident confirmed did not belong to him. Authorities reportedly surrounded the home and gave announcements over a PA system, demanding the man to exit the home. After 40 minutes of announcements, the suspect tried to close a window, but officers were able to hold him at gunpoint and eventually took him into custody. The man inside the home was later identified as 40-year-old Anthony Gabuzzi. He allegedly told law enforcement that he lived in the home and was watching a movie. However, when investigators asked why he was captured on camera hiding inside the home he lived in, he told them that he was doing it as a joke. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime-related reports from across Middle Tennessee According to an arrest affidavit, it appeared the home had been rummaged through, which led police to believe that Gabuzzi broke into the home with the intent to commit a theft. Bookings records show Gabuzzi was charged with aggravated burglary, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He remains jailed on a $40,000 bond. No additional information was released. 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 WKRN News 2. Takeaways: Piedmonts TP wars began during homecoming week when students playfully rolled the police station and Chief Nathan Johnsons yard. Chief Johnson said the pranks are all in good fun and an opportunity to strengthen community relations with local youth. The chief reached out to Heflin Police Chief Ross McGlaughn, who started a similar homecoming prank tradition last month. Johnson emphasized that while the fun is welcome, safety and respect must come first to prevent any accidents or property damage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Piedmont Police Department is using the lighthearted rivalry to build trust and positive engagement between officers and students. PIEDMONT The TP wars have officially crossed county lines. The toilet paper wars that took Heflin by storm and continue to this day during homecoming season have now rolled into Piedmont, and police Chief Nathan Johnson says hes taking it all in stride and with a smile. The lighthearted rolling pranks, part of Piedmont High Schools homecoming celebrations, reached a new level this week when students covered the police department lobby and Chief Johnsons yard in toilet paper. But instead of cracking down, Johnson decided to join in the fun with a few friendly reminders about safety and respect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im one of those, Im big into community relations, Johnson said Tuesday afternoon. I talked to the kids at school, so Im very affiliated with the school, with the kids thats in the schools, and Im also really good friends with Ross McGlaughn over at Heflin. McGlaughn, the Heflin police chief, helped start the papering trend last month when his department became the target of a homecoming prank. Johnson said the Piedmont version began when those kids showed up to our police department, and they came in and did some rolling in the lobby, a little bit outside. Instead of frustration, the chief saw an opportunity. The next morning, I actually reached out to Ross, and I was like, Hey, Ross, I aint meaning to piggyback off of you, Johnson said. And so I just put out a silly little post, just like engaging. And the main thing that Im trying to do out of this is encourage the kids to make good choices. Have fun, but be smart and be safe. You know, I dont want nothing happening to them. Johnson said McGlaughn encouraged him to join the fun. After my talks with Ross and all that, he said, Hey, no worries yall. Yall get in on this and enjoy yourself. And, you know, help these kids and engage within the community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For Johnson, the TP wars have become a creative way to build positive relationships with young people. I think its a huge way that law enforcement is able to kind of bridge the gap between the officers and the youth, he said. He said the departments playful online posts teasing Operation Payback and thanking Heflin for mutual aid are part of that approach. Im just looking, this is just a way that law enforcement can have a good time with our youth and engage, Johnson said. Were just promoting safety. Still, Johnson admits he gets a little nervous during homecoming week. I dont want anything to happen to any of these kids, he said. You know, every homecoming, man, you just get nervous especially as law enforcement, you get nervous just thinking that, hey, something bad might happen. But if you encourage them to make smart decisions and dont get crazy, be respectful, thats what matters. When he first discovered the department had been rolled, Johnson said his reaction was pure good humor. I thought that were gonna get them back. Were gonna make this good, all right, good deal, he said. You know, a playful way to think about it. For now, Piedmonts version of the TP wars is less about mischief and more about community connection a small-town celebration of school spirit, laughter and a few fluttering rolls of toilet paper caught in the trees. State highway officials expect at least one lane on eastbound Interstate 70 and northbound Route 27 to reopen by Thursday mornings rush hour, after the highway was closed near Mount Airy, snarling traffic for most of Wednesday. Four bridge beams were damaged Tuesday night when a tractor-trailer struck the underside of the eastbound I-70 overpass at Route 27, the SHA said. Officials said repairs on two of the beams were expected to be completed Wednesday. The remaining two beams require more extensive repairs, and the SHA said Wednesday it did not know how long those repairs would take. The right lane of eastbound I-70 and the bridge shoulder will remain closed until the work is finished, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The southbound Route 27 ramp to eastbound I-70 will also remain shut down because of limited acceleration space. Crews will install concrete barriers to block access. No injuries were reported in the crash, which occurred around 9 p.m. Tuesday and drew responses from multiple agencies, including SHA structural engineers, the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Maryland State Police from the Frederick and Hagerstown barracks, and the Mount Airy Police Department. Eastbound I-70 traffic was being detoured off the interstate at Exit 68. The crash caused significant travel delays in the Mount Airy area as crews continue to evaluate the structural integrity of the overpass, a spokesperson with the Maryland State Police said. Detours snag local traffic: Its a mess Vehicles detoured from I-70 around Mount Airy caused unexpected traffic along state Routes 75, 80, 27 and 144 on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its been a mess. Its a lot of people, heavy traffic, said Donald Willis, an assistant foreman for Frederick County Highway Operations who was out doing road maintenance along Route 80 on Wednesday. I dont know which way to tell them to come or go. The rural area around Green Valley usually doesnt get a lot of traffic, but Willis and other highway workers said unexpected backups were making road maintenance almost impossible. Weve just been trying to do our normal jobs, he said. The closure of the bridge over I-70 also meant that commuters couldnt get across from one side of Mount Airy to the other. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jen Femiano, who works at Gardners Helping Gardners, a plant stand on Route 27 about a half mile from the closed bridge, said road closures meant that her typical daily commute to work was out of the picture. Its just been a constant flow of traffic, Femiano said. A couple people pull in, thinking theyre gonna turn around, but thats not happening. Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@baltsun.com or on X as @ToddKarpovich. Contact Lily Carey at lcarey@baltsun.com. The State Highway Administration continues to make repairs at the Interstate 70 underpass at Route 27 in Carroll County. A tractor-trailer struck the underside of the eastbound I-70 overpass at Route 27 on Tuesday, prompting a full closure of both eastbound I-70 and northbound Route 27 and causing delays Wednesday, according to Maryland transportation officials. (Jeffrey F. Bill/Staff) SHA continues to make repairs at the I-70 underpass at Rt 27 in Carroll County. A tractor-trailer struck the underside of the eastbound Interstate 70 overpass at Maryland Route 27 in Mount Airy on Tuesday, prompting a full closure of both eastbound I-70 and northbound Route 27 and causing delays Wednesday, according to Maryland transportation officials. (Jeffrey F. Bill/Staff) SHA continues to make repairs at the I-70 underpass at Rt 27 in Carroll County. A tractor-trailer struck the underside of the eastbound Interstate 70 overpass at Maryland Route 27 in Mount Airy on Tuesday, prompting a full closure of both eastbound I-70 and northbound Route 27 and causing delays Wednesday, according to Maryland transportation officials. (Jeffrey F. Bill/Staff) SHA continues to make repairs at the I-70 underpass at Rt 27 in Carroll County. A tractor-trailer struck the underside of the eastbound Interstate 70 overpass at Maryland Route 27 in Mount Airy on Tuesday, prompting a full closure of both eastbound I-70 and northbound Route 27 and causing delays Wednesday, according to Maryland transportation officials. (Jeffrey F. Bill/Staff) The State Highway Administration makes repairs at the Interstate 70 underpass at Route 27 in Carroll County. A tractor-trailer struck the underside of the overpass in Mount Airy on Tuesday night, prompting a full closure of both eastbound I-70 and northbound Route 27 and causing delays Wednesday, according to Maryland transportation officials. (Jeffrey F. Bill/Staff) The State Highway Administration makes repairs at the Interstate 70 underpass at Route 27 in Carroll County. (Jeffrey F. Bill/Staff) Show Caption1 of 7SHA continues to make repairs at the I-70 underpass at Rt 27 in Carroll County. A tractor-trailer struck the underside of the eastbound Interstate 70 overpass at Maryland Route 27 in Mount Airy on Tuesday, prompting a full closure of both eastbound I-70 and northbound Route 27 and causing delays Wednesday, according to Maryland transportation officials. (Jeffrey F. Bill/Staff)Expand When war in Afghanistan ended in 2021, the Central Asian republics could now focus on investments in human development and physical infrastructure without the prospect of violence spilling over the border from Afghanistan. One of the republics, Uzbekistan, pursued what Yunis Sharifli has called a multi-vector transport strategy coupled with a good neighbor foreign policy. The region has seen many proposed regional transport links, such as the Kabul and Kandahar corridors through Afghanistan to Pakistan, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, the China-Kazakhstan railway, and the Intentional North-South Transport Corridor, and the Middle Corridor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though these corridors will facilitate investment and trade, they are a significant incentive for smuggling and illicit trading. The International Institute for Central Asia in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, recently queried whether greater connectivity could create new vulnerabilities for the movement of illicit goods, extremist networks, and transnational crime. The smugglers - they are really transport specialists - may move narcotics today, weapons next week, then branch into humans, rare animals, and antiquities. As a side note, antiquities trafficking may be a new concern for Uzbekistan as it raises its profile as a destination for cultural tourism and the restoration of historic sites. Presidents Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan and President Tokayev of Kazakhstan had successful meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump that were capped with, as Trump prefers, the announcement of big contracts for U.S. businesses. Both presidents invited Trump to visit their countries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But there was another meeting in September that got less attention and fewer tweets: the director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation met Pakistans Federal Minister of Interior and Narcotics Control, and we can anticipate more cooperation and intelligence sharing between American and Pakistani police. Related: North Sea Oil: Booming in Norway and Doomed in the UK The republics should explore if increased cooperation between the U.S. and Pakistani security services can be expanded to a region-wide effort to ensure the regions investment in transport does not facilitate new criminal activity. Terrorists and criminals are using trans-national networks to do their business, so the regions governments must attack the problem at the trans-national level. Since NATO left Afghanistan in 2021, the Afghan Taliban have busied themselves with governance and re-imposed the ban on the harvesting of opium poppy, which was harvested in increasing amounts through the 2001-2021 NATO occupation. Poppy production is down, but it has not been eliminated, and has moved to Baluchistan in Pakistan and Badakhshan province in northeast Afghanistan, which borders on Tajikistan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tajikistan is the traditional route of narcotics bound to Russia and Europe, but if the smuggling networks can take advantage of smoother roads and modern airports and rail links, there is no reason they wont pivot West to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. And its not a problem unique to Central Asia. In North America, the U.S. Department of Justice reports, Virtually every interstate and highway in the United States is used by traffickers to transport illicit drugs Likewise, in Canada, Ontarios Highway 401 Corridor is a major human trafficking route. And the narcotics that pass-through transit countries arent just someone elses problem: the smugglers usually pay for local services with drugs instead of cash, and those drugs are consumed locally and create future customers for the narcos, so the transit countries are not immune to the problem. And aside from increasing demand for their product, the narcos will do the other thing they do so well: seeking and finding the corrupt public officials they will need to facilitate their operations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trump likes dealing directly with other bosses, and he appeared to enjoy his meetings with Presidents Mirziyoyev and Tokayev, but he still has work to do. The American motion picture director Woody Allen said, Eighty percent of success is showing up and it is no different for politicians. No U.S. president has visited Central Asia, but Russias Vladimir Putin and Chinas Xi Jinping have: Putin has made 77 visits, and Xi has made 15 visits to the region. But China has made it a priority to engage with Central Asias leaders. In 2023, China hosted the leaders of the republics at the two-day China-Central Asia Summit in Xian. In 2024 Xi visited Astana, Kazakhstan, for the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). And in June 2025, Xi again traveled to Astana for the second ChinaCentral Asia Summit, and pledged Chinas eternal friendship with the region Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the September 2025, SCO summit in Tianjin, China, Xi met one-on-one with all the leaders of the republics. In the official picture of the meeting attendees, the five republics presidents are standing in the front row, a clear signal of Chinas intent. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is the primary way for China to connect with Central Asia. When BRI outbound investment dipped in 2020-2022, we were told by Washington, D.C. authorities (here, here, and here) BRI was failing to achieve its goals and Chinas officials had wasted a trillion dollars. However, we may have been misinformed According to the China Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Investment Report 2025 H1, the first half of 2025 (2025 H1) saw the highest engagement for any six-month period ever, with US$66.2 billion in construction contracts and US$57.1 billion in investments (greater than BRI engagement in all of 2024 which was US$122 billion.) BRI set new records in oil and gas, coal, green energy, metals and mining, and technology and manufacturing. Also, BRI investments in 2025 were driven by private sector companies, not state-owned enterprises. According to Inside China Business, the program [BRI] had merely shifted, to different regions, and to investments higher up the value chain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BRIs total engagement since program start in 2013 now totals US$1.3 trillion. Of that record first-half engagement, US$39 billion went to Africa and US$25 billion went to Central Asia. Thats pretty stunning on a per capita basis as Africas population is about 1.5 billion and Central Asias is about 84 million. China obviously believes eternal friendship is nice, but its better if it rests on a foundation of investments rather than declarations just good fellowship. If Trump visits Central Asia he will be seized by the rapid pace of development in Tashkent, though he will probably take it upon himself to critique the construction in New Tashkent City. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But it will also be an opportunity for him to learn that just because the American troops are out of Afghanistan, Afghanistans neighbors cant relax. The regions leaders can explain how they are ensuring the regions development doesnt give the bad guys more opportunities to be bad. The region must balance greater openness with greater security cooperation. That will include ongoing cooperation by the regions governments with the European Union (EU), the U.S., Russia, China, Azerbaijan, Turkiye, and, yes, Afghanistan and Iran. All that fine 21st century infrastructure will improve the regions quality of life and make it more attractive for foreign direct investment, but it will also ease the ability of organized crime to commit crimes. It is also attractive to terrorists and extremist groups that can graduate from bombing a police station to bombing an oil refinery or water treatment plant. China has, as we say, put its money where its mouth is. Beijing obviously sees stability in Central Asia as key to Chinas stability and is prepared to make outsized investments to secure its western flank, both to ensure quiet in its western provinces and to refine overland transport routes that avoid maritime chokepoints at Malacca, Singapore, Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb, Suez, and Gibraltar. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the U.S. Strategy for Central Asia 2019-2025: Advancing Sovereignty and Economic Prosperity, Washington says all the right things about sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, but will that hold now that BRI is again on an upward trajectory? When Washington digests the fact that Central Asia is getting more China, it will test the regions multi-vector foreign policy. Washington will have to resist the urge to use Central Asia as a platform to attack Afghanistan and Iran, or attempt follies like retaking Bagram Airfield. U.S. meddling will see a vigorous, asymmetric response from China if it fears its investments and interests are under threat. Russia has recognized the Taliban government, China has sort-of recognized the government, and Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are actively developing trade and investment projects with Kabul, and both capitals envision trans-Afghan trade routes that connect Central Asia to Pakistan. China will be suspicious if the U.S. actively encourages regional cooperation and will assume Washington is building an anti-Beijing coalition to destabilize Xinjiang. But the U.S. has an interest in ensuring the surety of East-West trade that benefits its European allies and that connectivity projects like the Middle Corridor succeed. In fact, Washington should explicitly solicit Beijings cooperation in attacking criminality and extremism that will exploit greater connectivity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With active regional security cooperation and select assistance from the U.S. and EU, Central Asia can counter the downsides of greater connectivity, increase attractiveness to investors, and make up for the lost decades of 2001 to 2021, when the regions economic and social development was delayed as the leaders were more focused on the possible spillover of violence and extremism from Afghanistan. By James Durso for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oilprice Intelligence brings you the signals before they become front-page news. This is the same expert analysis read by veteran traders and political advisors. Get it free, twice a week, and you'll always know why the market is moving before everyone else. You get the geopolitical intelligence, the hidden inventory data, and the market whispers that move billions - and we'll send you $389 in premium energy intelligence, on us, just for subscribing. Join 400,000+ readers today. Get access immediately by clicking here. It's an epidemic around the country: Veterans' mental health. Those who served are more likely than the general public to die by suicide, and with many struggling from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), some are turning to hyperbaric chambers to help with a different kind of treatment. Mike Merzke served several combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, which took their toll when he came home. "I was engaging in a lot more dangerous activities, almost like thrill seeking," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He had tried medicine for his migraines and also had issues with PTSD. "You just see the overwhelming suffering that weighs on a soul, you can't get around that," he said. But in the end, it was his son, who has cerebral palsy, that made him take a look at a treatment that might help him, too. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment can help with issues such as inflammation, neuroplasticity, and even cerebral blood flow, according to research. Stay on top of breaking news stories with the ABC11 News App Merzke is on his 80th dive. HBOT 4 Heroes funds the therapy at a clinic in Durham. He said he's already feeling better. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I don't get as much brain fog, my memory is improving, I mean, there was just a lot of things again that I kind of just chalked up to that it was my life now and it was something I would have to deal with," he said. Right now, the therapy is only approved by the FDA for certain conditions, not for PTSD, meaning for now, it is not typically covered by VA benefits or health insurance. North Carolina did approve initial funding for the nonprofit, which covers up to 40 treatments for each veteran, but with almost 100 more on the waitlist, they need more support. "So we are solely relying on private donations, fundraisers, corporate sponsors, grants, we're trying to find every avenue that we can to keep this program going," said Kristy Andrews with HBOT 4 Heroes. And at a time when veterans lose their lives to suicide at a higher rate than others, it's personal. "I personally have lost quite a few friends that I have served with," said Merzke. A Georgia truck driver has been charged with multiple counts of vehicular homicide after allegedly causing a fiery highway crash that killed eight members of a family including five children. Kane Hammock, 33, was arrested after his semi-trailer vehicle plowed into the familys vehicle, causing them both to burst into flames, authorities said. The collision resulted in a chain reaction with four more vehicles smashing into the wreckage Monday at around 4 p.m. on northbound Interstate 85, about 60 miles northeast of Atlanta. Eight occupants were found dead in the van, and one individual may have been pregnant, Jackson County Deputy Coroner Jeff Rogers said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The deceased were identified by family members as Kenia Ramirez and Darwin Ventura along with their son, four-year-old Kayle Ramirez. Kenia Ramirezs mother, Sonia Maribel Ramirez, was also killed, along with four of her other children - Justin, Andy, Natali and Evan Ramirez. The kids who were between the ages of two and 16. Kane Hammock, 33, was arrested after his semi-trailer vehicle plowed into the family carrier and burst into flames, on a highway in Georgia. The collision then resulted in a chain reaction after four more vehicles smashed into the wreckage (Jackson County Sheriff's Office) Darwin Venturas mother, Eva Velasquez-Benitez, said she learned of the horrific news when she woke up Tuesday, telling Atlanta News First that her son had been driving the family to go shopping at the time of the crash. Its terrible. I dont know how Im going to be without Darwin, because its my only family, I only have two children, Velasquez-Benitez told Atlanta News First. I cant believe it, I feel like Im in a bad dream. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hammock has been charged with eight counts of second-degree vehicular homicide, second-degree vehicular feticide, following too closely, distracted driving and operating a vehicle without a current plate, all of which are misdemeanors, according to the Georgia Department of Public Safety. One of the vehicles involved was another van carrying 37 cats to a rescue shelter that up-ended, spilling the animals into the road and scattering them (Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters) The group was taking 37 cats to a shelter in Vermont, and some of the cats fled after the crash. Two were still missing as of Tuesday (Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters) In Georgia, second-degree vehicular homicide carries a maximum sentence of 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. He was booked with the Jackson County Sheriffs Office. He remained in jail Wednesday, with records listing distracted driving as one of his misdemeanor charges. The Independent has contacted the Georgia Department of Public Safety for more information about Hammock, including his past record and employment status at the time of the incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An investigation revealed that Hammocks semi-trailer was following too closely and struck the rear of a 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan. This caused a chain reaction involving the van and four additional vehicles. After impact, the Dodge van became engulfed in flames along with the tractor-trailer, public safety officials said in a statement. One of the other vehicles involved in the crash was a van carrying dozens of cats to a rescue shelter. The van was crushed during the pile-up and the frightened animals spilled into the road. Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters was taking 37 cats to a shelter in Vermont, and some of the cats fled after the crash, CEO Samantha Shelton said. Two were still missing as of Tuesday, and one cat was hospitalized in critical care. In the chaos of the wreckage, cages were crushed, and cats began to flee, the Georgia-based animal rescue group wrote on its Facebook page. The van driver was left with bruises and cuts to his head but was released from hospital Tuesday morning, Shelton said. We are so grateful to him - who even in crisis, stayed by our cats' side and did all he could to help them, she said. [Source] The Trump administration sent 10 individuals to Eswatini last week, including three Vietnamese, one Filipino, one Cambodian and five others, in the second round of controversial third-country removals to the African nation. State of play: Eswatini has now received 15 deportees in total since the program began in July with five arrivals from Vietnam, Laos, Yemen, Jamaica and Cuba. The deportations are part of a broader effort that has transferred over 40 individuals to at least five African countries, including Eswatini, Ghana, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda, under agreements that remain largely confidential. In July, eight people deported to South Sudan included Vietnamese, Laotian and Burmese individuals convicted of serious offenses despite having no ties to the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since taking office, the Trump administration has overseen the removal of 400,000 immigrants and the voluntary departure of 1.6 million others in 250 days. However, federal statistics reveal that 65% of approximately 204,000 people arrested from October 2024 through June 2025 had no criminal history. Defending the latest move, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said the deportees were guilty of heinous crimes, including murder and rape. Incommunicado: U.S.-based immigration attorney Tin Thanh Nguyen, who represents four deportees in Eswatini, has been unable to reach his clients since their arrival. I cannot call them. I cannot email them. I cannot communicate through local counsel because the Eswatini government blocks all attorney access, Nguyen said in a statement. With assistance from rights organization Human Rights First, he tracked the flight from Alexandria, Louisiana, through stops in Puerto Rico, Senegal and Angola, but cannot speak with the two clients who arrived Oct. 6 or the two sent earlier. Meanwhile, a local Eswatini attorney secured a court order on Oct. 3 permitting him to visit the earlier deportees, but authorities appealed quickly, preventing access. Trending on NextShark: Asian American 'Love Is Blind' contestants reveal how race still shapes dating Why third countries: The Immigration and Nationality Act permits third-country deportation when sending someone to their home country proves impracticable, inadvisable or impossible, though the current use represents an unprecedented scale. Officials argue the approach is necessary because certain countries refuse to accept their own citizens, though evidence shows third countries have sometimes successfully returned migrants home despite such claims. For now, courts are examining whether these removals comply with legal protections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In April, U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy ruled the administration violated constitutional due process by not providing migrants a meaningful opportunity to challenge removal under the UN Convention against Torture. Despite Murphys ruling, the Supreme Court allowed deportations to proceed in June during ongoing litigation. Whats next: U.S. officials have reportedly contacted at least 58 countries about receiving deportees, leveraging threats including travel bans, tariff adjustments and diplomatic restrictions. Documents reviewed by Human Rights Watch indicate Washington agreed to pay Eswatini $5.1 million for accepting up to 160 deportees, while El Salvador received approximately $6 million to detain 238 alleged Venezuelan gang members for one year. Beyond Africa, the administrations review of 55 million visa holders has particular implications for Asian communities, as 13 million Asian immigrants constitute the majority of temporary visa holders facing scrutiny. Trending on NextShark: Tariffs compound mounting pressures on Asian American grocers nationwide The Supreme Courts June decision could pave the way for additional deportations to third countries while legal challenges continue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. Trending on NextShark: Leah Lewis speaks out following sexual assault allegation against 'Matlock' co-star Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what were building, consider becoming a paid member your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community. Subscribe here now! Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today! [Source] A foreign service officer lost his job Wednesday after acknowledging he concealed a romantic relationship with a Chinese woman alleged to have Communist Party connections, marking the first known firing for violating a ban on such relationships enacted in January 2025. What happened: State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott confirmed the termination but declined to name the officer, who appeared in undercover video footage published by conservative activist James OKeefe. In the recording, made by an undercover journalist he met on a dating app, the diplomat described a six-week romance in 2024 with a Chinese national whose father held Communist Party membership. I defied my government for love, he told the journalist while acknowledging his girlfriend could have been a spy and calling her father straight up Communist Party. U.S. officials later confirmed the womans father was a Chinese Communist Party official. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio authorized the dismissal after reviewing the matter. We will maintain a zero-tolerance policy for any employee who is caught undermining our countrys national security, Pigott said in his statement. The case also marks the first known instance of discipline under a separate Trump executive order signed in February that calls for Foreign Service reform to ensure faithful and effective implementation of his foreign policy objectives. The risk of being Chinese: The termination highlights expanding restrictions specifically targeting Chinese nationals in the personal lives of U.S. government workers. Back in former President Joe Bidens final days in office, the State Department banned American government personnel stationed in China, along with contractors holding security clearances and their relatives, from engaging in romantic or sexual relationships with Chinese citizens. This nationality-specific ban stands alone among U.S. policies toward foreign populations, treating all Chinese individuals as potential security risks regardless of personal background. Trending on NextShark: Asian American 'Love Is Blind' contestants reveal how race still shapes dating Unlike case-by-case security reviews, the blanket policy means even transparent, disclosed relationships could end careers. Officials pointed to the policy as a response to Chinese intelligence tactics, particularly honeypot operations where agents cultivate romantic connections with targeted officials. The diplomats firing has intensified scrutiny of such concerns. Responding to the firing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun declined to comment directly but stated, We oppose drawing lines based on ideological difference and maliciously smearing China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The big picture: The dismissal comes amid conflicting administration policies toward Chinese nationals. Rubio declared in May the government would aggressively revoke student visas for Chinese nationals with connections to the Chinese Communist Party. By late August, Trump reversed course, proposing to admit 600,000 Chinese students to American universities, more than double the approximately 277,000 currently studying in the U.S. The contradictory approaches of encouraging student enrollment for institutional benefit while banning personal relationships frame Chinese individuals as economically valuable but personally untrustworthy. The inconsistency has produced real consequences. Multiple Chinese students with proper documentation face extended detention and removal. One 22-year-old philosophy graduate student with full scholarship funding spent 36 hours in custody before deportation in August, interrogated primarily about his parents party affiliation despite never joining himself, and received a five-year entry ban. Simultaneously, the administration moved in August to limit Chinese journalist visas to 90-day periods as part of wider visa policy reviews affecting millions. Policy experts caution that such ethnicity-focused measures risk deterring qualified Asian Americans from foreign policy careers, especially positions requiring regional expertise. Trending on NextShark: Tariffs compound mounting pressures on Asian American grocers nationwide This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what were building, consider becoming a paid member your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community. Trending on NextShark: Leah Lewis speaks out following sexual assault allegation against 'Matlock' co-star Subscribe here now! Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today! By Daniel Wiessner and Courtney Rozen (Reuters) -The number of U.S. federal worker layoffs as a result of the government shutdown was revised downward on Tuesday, suggesting the Trump administration's initial statement about sweeping job cuts was too ambitious. The Trump administration has dismissed 4,108 employees since October 1, the day the U.S. government shutdown began, according to a statement filed Tuesday in court by the U.S. Department of Justice. The Justice Department last week in a separate court filing estimated the figure was at least 4,278. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cuts amount to a fraction of the U.S. government's workforce. U.S. agencies employed some 2 million civilians at the start of the Trump administration. President Donald Trump blamed the cuts on the U.S. government shutdown. The government is closed because Trump and lawmakers have failed to agree on a spending plan for federal agencies. Trump is trying to pressure Democrats into accepting his spending plan by firing federal workers and cutting programs he says Democrats favor. Since 1981, the U.S. has had 15 federal government shutdowns that furloughed hundreds of thousands of workers. No president has sought to use a shutdown as the basis for large-scale firings. The dismissals are expected to disrupt government operations, including disease outbreak investigations and college preparation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Federal worker unions are suing to overturn the firings. The law prohibits U.S. agencies from carrying out functions without approved funding from Congress. There are certain exceptions, including for national security purposes and essential services to protect life and property. The unions said that implementing layoffs is not an essential service that can be performed during a government closure. The shutdown does not justify mass job cuts because most federal workers have been furloughed without pay, they said. A federal judge is due to hear the case on October 15. Lawmakers from Maryland and Virginia blasted the firings at a rally near the White House on Tuesday morning, arguing that the cuts are hurting the families they represent. Roughly 20% of the federal workforce lives in Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia, according to federal statistics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We will not be defined by small people who have not a drop of empathy in their soul," Representative Don Beyer, a Virginia Democrat, said at the rally. (Reporting by Daniel Wiessner and Courtney Rozen; Editing by Stephen Coates) President Donald Trump seemed to acknowledge the ghoulishness of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller in a joke during a Wednesday press conference about crime. I want to thank Stephen Miller, who is right back in the audience right there, Trump said. Id love to have himI love watching him on television. Id love to have him come up and explain his true feelings. Maybe not his truest feelings. That might be going a little too far. Trump: I want to thank Stephen Miller I would love to have him come up and explain his true feelings. Maybe not his truest feelings. That might be going a little too far pic.twitter.com/W6iTsKLZcO Acyn (@Acyn) October 15, 2025 Miller, the chief architect of Trumps cruel immigration agenda, is known for his cruel policies, like family separationas well as rhetoric so rabid that its been reasonably compared to that of Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White House aide has called the Democratic Party a domestic extremist organization, immigration a mass invasion of our country, and judges who rule against Trump communist and Marxist. He has suggested suspending habeas corpus for immigrants and claimed the president has plenary authority to send the National Guard to American cities. Millers white nationalist sympathies, if not evident in his public statements and apparent espousal of the great replacement theory, were revealed in leaked emails he sent to the staff at the far-right site Breitbart back in 201516, in which he shared content from white supremacist websites and elevated a book thats popular among white nationalists for its xenophobic portrayal of a refugee invasion. So, while a joke, Trumps remark Wednesday hinged on the fact that he knows Miller to be an extremist through and through. United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday confirmed that he has authorised the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to carry out covert operations in Venezuela. He added that his administration was also mulling land-based military operations inside Venezuela, as tensions between Washington and Caracas soar over multiple deadly US strikes on Venezuelan boats in the Caribbean Sea in recent weeks. On Wednesday, Trump held a news conference with some of his top law enforcement officials, where he faced questions about an earlier news report in The New York Times about the CIA authorisation. One reporter asked directly, Why did you authorise the CIA to go into Venezuela? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I authorised for two reasons, really, Trump replied. Number one, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America. The other thing, he continued, was Venezuelas role in drug-trafficking. He then appeared to imply that the US would take actions on foreign soil to prevent the flow of narcotics and other drugs. We have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela, Trump said. A lot of the Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea. So you get to see that. But were going to stop them by land also. Trumps remarks mark the latest escalation in his campaign against Venezuela, whose leader, Nicolas Maduro, has long been a target for the US president, stretching back to Trumps first term in office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Already, both leaders have bolstered their military forces along the Caribbean Sea in a show of potential force. The Venezuelan government hit back at Trumps latest comments and the authorised CIA operations, accusing the US of violating international law and the UN Charter. The purpose of US actions is to create legitimacy for an operation to change the regime in Venezuela, with the ultimate goal of taking control of all the countrys resources, the Maduro government said in a statement. On Wednesday, Maduro lashed out at the record of the CIA in various global conflicts without directly addressing Trumps comments about authorizing the CIA to carry out covert operations in his nation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No to regime change that reminds us so much of the (overthrows) in the failed eternal wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and so on, Maduro said at a televised event of the National Council for Sovereignty and Peace, which is made up of representatives from various political, economic, academic and cultural sectors in Venezuela. Earlier, at the news conference in Washington, reporters sought to confront Trump over whether he was trying to enforce regime change in Caracas. Does the CIA have authority to take out Maduro? one journalist asked at the White House on Wednesday. Oh, I dont want to answer a question like that. Thats a ridiculous question for me to be given, Trump said, demurring. Not really a ridiculous question, but wouldnt it be a ridiculous question for me to answer? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He then offered an addendum: But I think Venezuelas feeling heat. Claiming wartime powers Trumps responses, at times meandering, touched on his oft-repeated claims about Venezuela. Since taking office for a second term, Trump has sought to assume wartime powers using laws like the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 by alleging that Venezuela had masterminded an invasion of migrants and criminal groups onto US soil. He has offered little proof for his assertions, though, and his statements have been undercut by the assessments of his own intelligence community. In May, for example, a declassified US report revealed that intelligence officials had found no evidence directly linking Maduro to criminal groups like Tren de Aragua, as Trump has alleged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, on Wednesday, Trump revisited the baseless claim that Venezuela under Maduro had sent prisoners and people with mental health conditions to destabilise the US. Many countries have done it, but not like Venezuela. They were down and dirty, Trump said. The authorisation of CIA operations inside Venezuela is the latest indication that Trump has been signing secret proclamations to lay the groundwork for lethal action overseas, despite insisting in public that he seeks peace globally. In August, for instance, anonymous sources told the US media that Trump had also signed an order allowing the US military to take action against drug-trafficking cartels and other Latin American criminal networks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And in October, it emerged that Trump had sent a memo to the US Congress asserting that the country was in a non-international armed conflict with the cartels, whom he termed unlawful combatants. Many such groups, including Tren de Aragua, have also been added to the USs list of foreign terrorist organisations, though experts point out that the label alone does not provide a legal basis for military action. Strikes in the Caribbean Sea Nevertheless, the US under Trump has taken a series of escalatory military actions, including by conducting multiple missile strikes on small vessels off the Venezuelan coast. At least five known air strikes have been conducted on boats since September 2, killing 27 people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The most recent attack was announced on Tuesday in a social media post: A video Trump shared showed a boat floating in the water, before a missile set it alight. Six people were reportedly killed in that bombing. Many legal experts and former military officials have said that the strikes appear to be a clear violation of international law. Drug traffickers have not traditionally met the definition of armed combatants in a war. And the US government has so far not presented any public evidence to back its claims that the boats were indeed carrying narcotics headed for America. But Trump has justified the strikes by saying they will save American lives lost to drug addiction. He has maintained the people on board the targeted boats were narco-terrorists headed to the US. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, he again brushed aside a question about the lack of evidence. He also defended himself against concerns that the bombings amount to extrajudicial killings. When theyre loaded up with drugs, theyre fair game, Trump told reporters, adding there was fentanyl dust all over the boat after those bombs go off. He added, We know we have much information about each boat that goes. Deep, strong information. Framing the bombing campaign in the Caribbean as a success, Trump then explained his administration might start to pivot its strategy. Weve almost totally stopped it by sea. Now, well stop it by land, he said of the alleged drug trafficking. He joked that even fishermen had decided to stay off the waters. We are certainly looking at land now because weve got the sea very well under control. By Nandita Bose WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday that he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, marking a sharp escalation in U.S. efforts to pressure President Nicolas Maduro's government. The New York Times first reported the classified directive, citing U.S. officials familiar with the decision, saying the Trump administration's Venezuela strategy aims to remove Maduro from power. The administration has offered $50 million for information leading to Maduro's arrest and conviction on drug trafficking charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump said he authorized the action because large amounts of drugs were entering the United States from Venezuela, much of it trafficked by sea. "We are looking at land now, because we've got the sea very well under control," Trump said. TRUMP: VENEZUELA 'FEELING HEAT' He has repeatedly accused Venezuela of being a hub for trafficking of the deadly drug fentanyl, but U.S. records have shown that Mexico is the main source of fentanyl. Trump was asked by a reporter why he did not have the Coast Guard stop suspected drug trafficking boats, which has been U.S. practice for decades. Trump called such efforts "politically correct" and said they had not worked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump declined to answer when asked if the CIA has the authority to execute Maduro, saying, "I think Venezuela is feeling heat." Trump has ordered a large U.S. military buildup in the southern Caribbean, and the troops have conducted at least five strikes on vessels the Trump administration has described as involved in drug trafficking, without providing evidence. The campaign is the most recent example of Trump's efforts to use U.S. military power in new, and often legally contentious, ways, from deploying active-duty U.S. troops in Los Angeles to carrying out counterterrorism strikes against drug trafficking suspects. The Pentagon recently disclosed to Congress that Trump has determined the United States is engaged in "a non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TRUMP: VENEZUELA RELEASED PRISONERS INTO U.S. Trump also accused Venezuela of releasing large numbers of prisoners, including individuals from mental health facilities, into the United States, although he did not specify which border they were crossing. Neither Maduro's Information Ministry nor press representatives for opposition leader Maria Corina Machado immediately responded to requests for comment on Trump's remarks. The Trump administration has provided scant information about the strikes, frustrating members of Congress, including some of his fellow Republicans. On Wednesday, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the administration moved the U.S. closer to outright conflict. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The American people deserve to know if the Administration is leading the U.S. into another conflict, putting servicemembers at risk or pursuing a regime-change operation," she said in a statement. (Reporting By Nandita Bose and Jarrett Renshaw; additional reporting by Reuters Caracas bureau; Writing by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Mark Porter and Rod Nickel) President Donald Trump is not a fan of his Time magazine cover story photo. Time posted the cover for the upcoming Nov. 10 issue on X, which features a photo of Trump taken from low down with the sun creating a halo effect where his hair blurs into the light. It features three titles: "His triumph," "The leader Israel needed," and "How Gaza heals." The X post links to a story about how the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas could be a signature achievement in Trump's second term. But Trump took to Truth Social in the early hours of the morning as he flew back to the U.S. from Egypt to criticize the picture. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Time Magazine wrote a relatively good story about me, but the picture may be the Worst of All Time. They 'disappeared' my hair, and then had something floating on top of my head that looked like a floating crown, but an extremely small one," Trump wrote. "Really weird! I never liked taking pictures from underneath angles, but this is a super bad picture, and deserves to be called out. What are they doing, and why?" Did Ivanka Trump convert to Judaism? President Trump mentions her in Israel speech See Trump on Time magazine cover Time did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the November cover. This is far from Trump's first time on the cover of the magazine. The February 2025 cover was an illustation of Trump swiping things off the desk in the Oval Office with the caption "He's back." In May 2025, the cover featured a close-up portrait of him looking into the camera with the title, "Dealing with it." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump was also named "2024 Person of the Year" by Time. "Since he began running for president in 2015, perhaps no single individual has played a larger role in changing the course of politics and history than Trump," editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs wrote at the time. Trump previously upset about his portrait in Colorado In March, a portrait of President Donald Trump hung by state Republicans in the Colorado Capitol six years prior was removed after the president raged against it on social media. Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado, in the State Capitol, put up by the Governor, along with all other Presidents, was purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before, Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time, but provided no explanation as to why he thought it was distorted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The potrait's artist Sarah A. Boardman, told The Denver Post when the portrait was unveiled in 2019 that her primary goal was to make it appear apolitical, as it is meant to represent U.S. history and not tell the story of one specific president over another. Trump has also had changes made to his presidential portrait. In June, just a few months into office, the White House released an updated version of his official portrait, the second of this presidency. Similar to the portrait released in January, Trump's updated portrait gives a serious stare under furrowed eyebrows. But the new image features more dramatic lighting on a black backdrop, instead of the flag and ornate wall in the background of the previous portrait. Also, Trump swapped his blue tie for a red tie. Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump on Time magazine cover, he says they 'disappeared' his hair Donald Trump wants to follow up on his recent success in implementing a ceasefire in Gaza, and securing the release of the remaining living Israeli hostages, by ending the war in Ukraine. Buoyed by the acclamation he received this week as a Middle East peacemaker, the American president is meeting Volodymyr Zelensky, his Ukrainian counterpart, in the White House on Friday They will discuss Kyivs request for long-range American Tomahawk missiles that are capable of hitting targets deep within Russian territory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has been a perennial complaint of the Ukrainian leader that the quality of military hardware the US and its allies have provided has not been sufficient to give his forces a decisive advantage. While Ukraine has been given significant numbers of air defence missiles and quantities of ammunition, it has served to bolster defences, rather than give a qualitative military edge over Russia. The provision of Tomahawk missiles, which have a range of up to 1,500 miles, would be a welcome addition to Ukraines arsenal. They would enable the Ukrainians to target Russias drone and missile production plants, as well as key oil installations. Moscow has launched almost daily drone and missile attacks on key Ukrainian infrastructure for three and a half years, and a taste of the same medicine would bring home the consequences of the conflict to ordinary Russians in a manner many have not experienced. Ukrainian soldiers in a jeep covered in anti-drone mesh. Ukraine wants better weapons from the US - Oleg Petrasiuk/AFP via Getty Russians are already having to get used to queuing for petrol after Ukraine succeeded in hitting several oil refineries. Any further disruption to the Russian economy would increase the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to enter negotiations on ending the conflict. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration is contemplating increasing tariffs on countries, such as India and China, that trade with Russia despite the international sanctions imposed following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Mr Trump told the Israeli Knesset on Monday that he sees ending the Ukraine conflict as part of a broader quest to bring lasting peace to the Middle East. Apart from resolving the long-standing Israel-Palestinian issue, the US president is keen to conclude a peace deal with Iran, an objective that would be more attainable if an agreement could first be reached with Putin. Lets focus on Russia first, said Mr Trump. Given Putins previous disinclination to give serious consideration to ending the Ukraine conflict, persuading Russia to end the war will be no easy task. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That said, it could still prove to be a far more realistic proposition for Mr Trump to negotiate a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine than to permanently end hostilities in Gaza. There are signs that the wide-ranging peace deal the American president celebrated in Jerusalem and Sharm el-Sheikh earlier this week is already unravelling. Having resumed control of those areas of the Gaza Strip vacated by the Israel Defense Forces, Hamas terrorists have demonstrated their contempt for Mr Trumps peace initiative by taking advantage of the lull in fighting to conduct summary executions of rival fighters in public. Persuading Hamas to disarm is a key feature of Mr Trumps 20-point peace plan, and the terror groups apparent preference for continued violence has prompted the US leader to warn that he may disarm them violently, although how he would do this is unclear. Gaza City on Sunday. Continued violence there by Hamas after the ceasefire has angered Donald Trump - AP Hamass distinct lack of interest in engaging the group has not even fulfilled its obligation to return the bodies of dead Israeli hostages does not bode well for the prospects of Trumps Gaza peace plan ever being fully implemented. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Ukraine, by contrast, there is a genuine possibility that, if the US and its allies apply sufficient pressure to Putin, a proper lasting ceasefire is attainable. In Gaza, the absence of a unified and effective Palestinian leadership makes the task of negotiating a lasting settlement immeasurably more difficult. In Russia, if Trump can persuade Putin to enter negotiations on Ukraine, he will be dealing with someone who has the power and authority to make sure that any agreement will be implemented and respected. The Russians fully appreciate the intricacies of international diplomacy, and the value of making difficult compromises in order to achieve a broader objective. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is still conceivable that Putin could be persuaded to end hostilities on the basis that Russia retains control over conquered territory in Crimea and eastern Ukraine, in return for allowing the rest of Ukraine its independence. This would be a significant concession, given Putins original war aims, one that would allow Trump to celebrate a genuine achievement in ending the war in Ukraine, compared with the less-than-convincing outcome of his efforts in Gaza. 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. Donald Trump boldly suggested that Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) should beg him for help in cracking down on crime in Chicago. On Monday, Trump was asked by a reporter on Air Force One if he had a message for Pritzker amid their clash over the Trump administrations deployment of National Guard troops into Chicago as well as other Democratic-led major cities. Politics: MAGA Senator Stunned Into Silence On-Air After Learning Trump Admin Sold Out His State I think he should beg for help, because hes running a bad operation, and hes letting people be killed in his city, Trump said. I love Chicago. Chicago can be a great city again, and very quickly, I would have Chicago cleaned out and criminals removed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He later added: Pritzker should ask me to do it. The president went on to laude himself for taking down 1,700 career criminals in Washington, D.C. In D.C., we took down 1,700 career criminals hardline criminals. Thats why its so good right now Its never been so safe, Trump continued. And the restaurants have never done better business. Theyre opening up new restaurants they were closing restaurants, now theyre opening restaurants. Trump then claimed he can do the same thing on a large scale in Chicago. President Donald Trump claims he "loves Chicago," and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker "should beg for help, because hes running a bad operation, and hes letting people be killed in his city. Getty Images During Trumps second term, he deployed the National Guard to multiple cities, including Los Angeles, D.C., Memphis, Portland and, most recently, Chicago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this month, however, a judge blocked the deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago area for at least two weeks amid ongoing protests at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities that the Trump administration has committed to cracking down on. Politics: Donald Trumps Threat To Yank World Cup Games From Boston Comes With A Major Catch On Tuesday, a slew of National Guard members from Texas were deployed to the Chicago area, despite an ongoing lawsuit opposing their arrival. A federal appeals court ruled Saturday that the troops can stay in the state and under federal control, but cant be deployed to protect federal property or go on patrol for now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pritzker has vehemently denounced the deployment of troops to Chicago, accusing Trump of turning the city into a war zone amid the increase in immigration raids. Meanwhile, Trump argued that Pritzker should be arrested for failing to protect ICE officers. Politics: Donald Trump Stuns With Insensitive Boast At Charlie Kirk Medal Ceremony Pritzker slammed Trump and Vice President JD Vances calls for his arrest while appearing on ABC News This Week. Theyre making things up to go after people, the Democratic governor said. Im going to stand up for the people of my state. And weve got to all stand together because there are truly unconstitutional actions coming out of this administration, coming at the states and the people of the United States, and all of us, Democrats and Republicans, need to speak out about it. Related... Read the original on HuffPost President Donald Trump is calling out The View co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin over a promise she made over a MAGA hat. In an episode of the talk show in December 2024, the former White House communications director during Trumps first term said that she would wear the iconic red hat for a day if Trump was able to secure the Israeli hostages. Since the Trump administration was able to broker a peace agreement between Israel and Gaza that included the exchange of prisoners, which even top Democrats including Joe Biden and Bill Clinton have praised, many Republicans are asking Griffin to follow through on her word. Alyssa Farah Griffin has yet to honor her hat promise In response to a reporter question about Griffins MAGA hat promise on Tuesday, October 14, Trump called The View co-host a joke, per Axios. She got hired by The View, and they gave her a couple of bucks, and she changed her view very quickly, the president said. You know what that meansIt just shows what a fraud The View is. This woman gave me letters and statements. She said I was the greatest president in her lifetime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a reminder, Griffin said in December 2024, if [Trump] does good, if he gets the Israeli hostages out, I promise I will wear a MAGA hat for one day on the show and say, Thank you for doing it.' Since the Trump peace deal was announced, many MAGA figures have pressured Griffin to hold up her promise. Donald Trump Jr. posted a clip of her promise on X (formerly Twitter) and conservative activist CJ Pearson said on X, Were all waiting. Meanwhile, Griffin has since shared her thoughts about the Gaza deal on the platform, though she has disabled comments on the post. Griffin has yet to wear the MAGA hat through to Wednesday, but it is possible that she might later this week or next week. The post Trump Calls The View Co-Host Alyssa Farah Griffin A Joke Over MAGA Hat Promise appeared first on Mandatory. President Trump confirmed Wednesday that he has authorized the CIA to go into Venezuela and conduct covert operations. Asked by CBS News senior White House correspondent Ed O'Keefe why he did so, the president said he had two reasons: First, "they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America" and "allowed thousands and thousands of prisoners" and "people from mental institutions, insane asylums" into the U.S. Trump has frequently alleged without citing evidence that other countries are deliberately sending people from prisons and mental institutions to the southern border. He also cited the "drugs coming in from Venezuela." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "A lot of the Venezuelan drugs come in from the sea. You get to see that," he told reporters at the White House in what seemed to be a reference to his administration's military airstrikes against suspected drug traffickers in waters off the coast of Venezuela. "But we're gonna stop them by land, also." The New York Times first reported the president's authorization of CIA operations in Venezuela. Top Trump administration officials have accused Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro of controlling the drug cartel Tren de Aragua, which Maduro denies, and the Justice Department has offered a reward for information leading to his capture. In August, the department doubled the bounty to $50 million. Asked Wednesday whether the CIA had the authority to target Maduro, Mr. Trump said it would be "a ridiculous question for me to answer," but "I think Venezuela is feeling heat." The Venezuelan government condemned Mr. Trump's "warmongering and extravagant" comments in a statement, and accused the U.S. of seeking "regime change" in Venezuela. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, the president said that the U.S. had struck another small boat off the coast of Venezuela, killing six people. It was the fifth such strike in the Caribbean, where the Trump administration has asserted its authority to treat alleged drug traffickers as unlawful combatants who may be attacked with military force. At least 27 people have been killed in the five strikes, according to figures released by the administration. Mr. Trump has also deployed eight warships, a nuclear-powered submarine and fighter jets to the region as part of what he has said is as an operation to combat drug smuggling into the United States. CBS News has also learned there are about 10,000 U.S. forces built up in the Caribbean either on ships or in Puerto Rico. After the U.S.' latest boat strike, Maduro on Wednesday ordered military exercises in the country's biggest shantytowns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The strikes on alleged drug boats have drawn pushback from lawmakers in both parties. Critics note that Congress hasn't authorized military force against drug traffickers, and argue the Trump administration hasn't provided enough evidence about who was on the boats and what narcotics they were carrying. Asked by O'Keefe about those concerns, Mr. Trump said lawmakers "are given information that they were loaded up with drugs, and that's the thing that matters." He alleged that "fentanyl dust" has been found on the boats after the strikes. "When they're loaded up with drugs, they're fair game, and every one of those ships were," the president said. What to expect from Trump's news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel Lawmakers sound off on Trump's Argentina bailout as government shutdown continues Hamas says it has handed over all hostage remains it can recover amid destruction in Gaza By Nandita Bose WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed reports on Wednesday that he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, marking a sharp escalation in U.S. efforts to pressure President Nicolas Maduro's regime. The New York Times first reported the classified directive, citing U.S. officials familiar with the decision. Trump said he authorized the action for two main reasons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First, he claimed Venezuela has been releasing large numbers of prisoners, including individuals from mental health facilities, into the United States, often crossing the border due to what he described as an open border policy. Trump did not specify which border they were crossing. The second reason, he said, was the large amount of drugs entering the U.S. from Venezuela, much of it trafficked by sea. "I think Venezuela is feeling heat...," Trump added, but declined to answer when asked if the CIA has the authority to execute Maduro. (Reporting By Nandita Bose and Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Mark Porter, Rod Nickel) The U.S. military has conducted a fresh strike on a ship off the Venezuelan coast, confirmed by President Donald Trump on Truth Social. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks, and was transiting along a known DTO (Designated Terrorist Organization) route, said the President, adding that the strike was conducted in international waters and that six men were killed. Trump, as well as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, posted grainy footage of the strike on social media. The 34-second clip shows a seemingly small vessel in the water soon engulfed in flames after the airstrike. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A total of 27 men have now been killed in a series of strikes carried out by the U.S. on such vessels since early September. Tuesdays strike was the fifth of its kind on vessels, all accused by the Trump Administration of carrying narcotics bound for America. In September, 17 men were killed across three incidents announced by Trump. On October 3, Hegseth confirmed a further strike that killed four men onboard. The strike was conducted in international waters just off the coast of Venezuela while the vessel was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics - headed to America to poison our people, said Hegseth then, in a post on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Pentagon is yet to provide evidence of the boats carrying narcotics or belonging to terrorist organizations for any of the strikes in question, and some experts have argued that the attacks are not legal under either U.S. or international law. TIME has reached out to the Department of War and the U.S. Navy for comment. Trump claimed that the vessel targeted on Sept. 2 was positively identified as belonging to the Venezuelan cartel Tren de Aragua, which the President said operates directly under President Nicolas Maduro. Legal experts suggest that the cartel would need to be in an active war with the U.S. in order for military action against it. The Trump Administration has since provided a notice to Congress claiming that the U.S. is involved in an armed conflict with the DTOs that have been targeted in the Caribbean over recent weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The notice, obtained by CNN, determines that those onboard the vessels struck by the U.S. military are unlawful combatants, therefore clearing the Department of War to strike the vessels. Multiple members of Congress, both Republican and Democrat, are growing frustrated with the lack of information and the Administrations strategy regarding the strikes, a number of sources have told NBC. Lawmakers are reportedly unhappy with briefings on the strikes, unable to clarify the legal basis of the strikes, and the refusal from Pentagon officials to provide unedited video footage of such incidents. The latest incident comes as the State Department continues to offer a $50m reward for the arrest of Venezuelan President Maduro. The reward was increased by $25m in August, and the State Department accuses Maduro of leading and supporting Venezuelan cartels. Maduros political opponent Maria Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Oct. 10 for her democracy advocacy in Venezuela. Machado pipped Trump to the award, who had relentlessly campaigned to win the prize himself, alongside a number of political allies including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Contact us at letters@time.com. President Donald Trump says he may send the National Guard to San Francisco in the next step in his campaign to deploy federal troops to American cities over the objections of local authorities. Trump, speaking Wednesday at a news conference alongside FBI Director Kash Patel, called San Francisco "a mess" and said unspecified officials had requested troops for the city, though Gov. Gavin Newsom had noted earlier in the day that crime had dropped in the city, with homicides at a 70-year low. We have great support in San Francisco, so I would like to recommend that for inclusion, maybe in your next group, Trump said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement California plans to defy any deployment, a Newsom spokeswoman, Diana Crofts-Pelayo, said in a statement that referenced the federal government shutdown and the presidents effort to find a way to fund, at least temporarily, military pay. "California will resist any effort by Donald Trump to militarize another American city for his own vanity and deranged fantasies, Crofts-Pelayo said. California doesnt want or need the National Guard to police its streets. In this state, we take care of our own communities unlike Trump who can't even pay the soldiers under his command. Trump has in recent months deployed troops to Los Angeles, Washington, Chicago and Portland, Ore., against the wishes of state and local officials. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, a moderate Democrat elected last year, had noted the improvements in public safety in a speech and news conference earlier Wednesday before Trump's remarks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked for a response to the president, a spokesperson, Charles Lutvak, pointed to Lurie's earlier remarks. I am clear-eyed about the challenges that we have. We have a lot of work to do," the mayor said. "But I trust our local law enforcement." Other local officials also expressed opposition to Trump's proposed deployment. San Francisco neither needs nor wants Trumps personal army on our streets. Contrary to Trumps lie, no government officials here have requested federal occupation, Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener said on X Bottom line: Stay the hell out of San Francisco. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There has been a pitched legal battle over Trumps Guard deployments. California sued over the Los Angeles deployment, with a district court ruling in June that it was illegal and an appellate court quickly pausing that decision. A federal district judge in Chicago blocked the administrations plan to deploy the guard in the city last week, the same day that a federal appeals court panel in Oregon seemed poised to allow a similar deployment in Portland. Trump has previously publicly mused about sending troops to San Francisco with other major U.S. cities, like Baltimore and New Orleans, also falling on the list. A string of tech billionaires have encouraged Trump to send the National Guard into the California city in recent weeks. Elon Musk Trumps erstwhile ally who moved X headquarters from California to Texas in 2024 has urged for federal intervention to fight crime in the city. Its the only solution at this point, he wrote on X earlier this week. Nothing else has or will work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff who Democrats have long regarded as a key ally said last week that he was all for Trumps calls to deploy troops to San Francisco with the goal of combating crime. I fully support the president, Benioff said in an interview with The New York Times. His comments marked a stunning split from Democrats, including his close friend Newsom one of whose children is a godchild to Benioff after the tech mogul threw his support behind the partys causes for years. A Salesforce spokesperson declined to comment on Trumps remarks on Wednesday. Lurie said at a press conference earlier Wednesday that he spoke with Benioff over the weekend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Those are private conversations, but what I said to him is what Im saying to you all now: we are working relentlessly every day, and public safety is our No. 1 priority," he said. [People] are entitled to their own opinions, but theyre not entitled to their own facts." Chase DiFeliciantonio, Tyler Katzenberger and Dustin Gardiner contributed to this report. Critics torched President Donald Trump over a quip about his own shooting as he honored slain activist and friend Charlie Kirk, who was killed by an assassins bullet. On Tuesday, the President spoke at a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, awarding Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, during which he riffed about the gunshot wound that he survived. With a chuckle, he noted that Kirk was stunned at Trumps good fortune: They have the devils ideology and theyre failing and they know it. They feel it and they become violent. They seem to become very violent on the left. Theyve rammed vehicles into federal law enforcement, fired sniper rifles at ICE agents and me. You know, I made a turn at a good time. I made a turn at a good time. I turned to the right. Charlie couldnt believe it. Actually, he said, How the hell did you make that turn? I said, I dont know. That passage went viral when video influencers shared it on X/Twitter, and Trump critics piled on at what they saw as an insensitive reference. Some even unkindly interpreted it as a backhanded shot at Kirk. Video influencer Aaron Rupar amplified many of the responses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Blue Georgia account wrote, Insane. Hes bragging about not being murdered at a ceremony honoring a guy who was murdered. In one top post, Jordan Uhl wrote, Took him just over a month over a screenshot dated Sept. 1o that read unfortunately none of your tweets will be as funny as when trump inevitably insinuates hes more manly for surviving a gunshot. Keith Olbermann wrote Donald John Trump has always been one awful, sick, pseudo-human. He has somehow gotten worse. He has somehow said the worst thing anybody has said about the indefensible killing of Kirk. Some other popular responses: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement @Timodc: Marco Rubio might need to denaturalize the president for anti-Kirk speech @malonebarry: This is amazing. Trump is bragging about his ability to survive an assassination attempt at a memorial for someone who was assassinated. @camkasky: I dont think anybody has trolled Charlie Kirks murder harder than Trump has. He is having a ball @HeerJeet: i think what Trump is saying here is: I like assassination targets who know how to dodge @RoseBensonDC: Im better at turning than Charlie. Awful. @ClueHeywood: Right wingers spent weeks on here policing whether you talked about Charlie Kirk correctly and a month later Trump is at an event with Kirks widow like Im better at dodging bullets @robrousseau: I simply dodged my assassination unlike certain other low-agility jabronies @subtoconnorpls: kinda beast mode cant lie @AntiToxicPeople: I am no Charlie Kirk fan but this is so incredibly disgusting, even for Trump. He continually proves he is an unfeeling sociopath incapable of even pretending to have even a semblance of normal human feeling or a single shred of sensitivity. @scrimV1: Imagine your friend at your memorial is flexing about how he dodged a bullet and you didnt @ChiefTeef8: Bro said skill issue at the charlie kirk memorial Watch above via The White House. The post Trump Critics Bash Him for Chuckling About His Own Shooting at Slain Pal Charlie Kirks Medal Ceremony first appeared on Mediaite. President Donald Trumps administration forced out yet another U.S. attorney for not going along with their flimsy case, The New York Times reported. Todd Gilbert, the U.S. attorney in the Western District of Virginia, was forced to resign in August after he refused to sideline a high-ranking prosecutor who said there wasnt sufficient evidence of criminal misconduct during the FBIs investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. After being appointed in July, Gilbert was ordered to open a grand jury investigation into whether anyone at the FBI had criminally mishandled documents relating to the decade-old Russia investigationstill a sore spot for the grievance-addled president. When Gilbert told his superiors that the evidence hed reviewed was flimsy, they blamed his deputy, Zachary Lee, for swaying Gilberts opinion with his decades of experience, people familiar with the matter told the Times in the Tuesday story. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DOJ officials viewed Lee, a veteran prosecutor, as a holdover from the Biden administration, even though hed been hired during the Bush administration, the people added. Gilbert was instructed to replace Lee with Robert Tracci, which he did, but his superiors still suspected he was consulting with Lee, people familiar told the Times. When his bosses pressed him to remove Lee, Gilbert refusedand was reportedly threatened with termination. So he resigned, posting an Anchorman meme on X to mark his departure. Well, that escalated quickly, the meme said, with a photo of Gilbert being sworn in only a month before. Screenshot of a tweet Now he has been replaced by Tracci. In Virginias Eastern District, Trump recently installed his (apparently incompetent) former lawyer Lindsey Halligan to replace U.S. Attorney Eric Siebert, whom Trump officials had pressured to seek an indictment for mortgage fraud charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James. In doing so, Trump has also sidelined Maggie Cleary, who was briefly named acting head of the U.S. Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Donald Trumps administration has authorized the CIA to covertly operate inside Venezuela, marking a significant escalation of an aggressive U.S. military campaign against Nicolas Maduros regime. The authorization reportedly grants the CIA permission to take covert action against Maduro and his government, including as part of a wider military operation. Trump told reporters at the White House Wednesday that he authorized CIA operations because Venezuela emptied their prisons into the United States of America and flooded the country with drugs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last month, the administration declared the United States is formally engaged in an armed conflict with drug cartels that the president has labeled unlawful combatants, according to a confidential notice to members of Congress. The notice appears to invoke extraordinary wartime powers to justify a series of missile strikes targeting boats off the coast of Venezuela and in the Caribbean that have killed at least 27 people in recent weeks. Trump said defense officials are now looking at land strikes in Venezuela. Donald Trump said his administration is looking into military strikes inside Venezuela as he authorizes CIA actions inside the country. (Getty Images) We are certainly looking at land now because weve got the sea under control, he said Wednesday. The latest action follows another U.S. airstrike that destroyed a boat off Venezuelas coast, which the president and administration officials claim targeted drug traffickers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Critics have argued the campaign amounts to illegal extrajudicial killings, while members of Congress and civil rights groups are pressing the administration for evidence and the legal memos shared among White House officials to justify the killings. All available evidence suggests that President Trumps lethal strikes in the Caribbean constitute murder, pure and simple, according to a statement from Jeffrey Stein, director of the ACLUs National Security Project. The public deserves to know how our government is justifying these attacks as lawful, and, given the stakes, immediate public scrutiny of its apparently radical theories is imperative. Trump did not explicitly rule out targeting Maduro, dismissing a question about whether the administration would take action against Venezuelas elected leader as ridiculous. I dont want to answer a question like that, he said Wednesday. At least 27 people have been killed in series of US military strikes on alleged drug boats off the coast of Venezuela and Caribbean. (via REUTERS) Trump and administration officials have repeatedly claimed that alleged drug boats are tied to Tren de Aragua gang members and narcoterrorists but have not publicly presented evidence as the president and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth share videos of the strikes on social media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump claimed members of Congress have been given information that they were loaded up with drugs. Thats what matters, he said. The president claimed the boats erupted with drug dust and fentanyl dust when they were destroyed. We know when they go out, we have much information about each boat that goes out. Deep, strong information, he said. In January, Trump issued an executive order designating Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization, paving the way for his order invoking the Alien Enemies Act to summarily deport suspected gang members. Neither the Alien Enemies Act nor foreign terrorist organization designations allow for lethal force. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deploying lethal force on suspicion of illegal activity violates the letter and spirit of more than a century of international standards and the United States own regulations for maritime operations against civilian vessels in international waters, according to the Washington Office on Latin America, a human rights advocacy organization. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino has accused the Trump administration of trying to force a regime change. I want to warn the population: We have to prepare ourselves because the irrationality with which the U.S. empire operates is not normal, Padrino said in televised remarks last week. Its anti-political, anti-human, warmongering, rude and vulgar. India will no longer purchase Russian oil, according to President Donald Trump, a major victory in his effort to pressure Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. I was not happy that India was buying oil, and [Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi] assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. That's a big step. A spokesperson for the Indian embassy did not immediately reply to requests for confirmation but, if true, it would amount to a major deescalation of U.S.-India tensions that surfaced this summer after the U.S. slapped 50 percent tariffs on the country because of its purchases of Russian oil. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It also comes ahead of a possible meeting between Trump and Modi at a summit of Southeast Asian countries in Malaysia this month. [Modi] can't do it immediately, it's a little bit of a process, but the process will be over with soon, the president added later in the news conference, adding that Modi is a great man, he loves Trump. Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on India this summer after the two countries failed to reach an initial trade agreement, which he followed up with an additional 25 percent because of the countrys purchases of Russian oil. India chafed at the move because no other top purchasers of Russian oil, like China or Turkey, were similarly hit with tariffs. Earlier on Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested the administration may hit China with increased tariffs if Europeans agree to do the same, accusing China of "fueling the Russian war machine." Speaking in the Oval, Trump urged China to join India in its boycott. The announcement comes just days after Trumps new pick for Indian ambassador, Sergio Gor, met with Modi, where the two discussed defense, trade and technology issues. The appointment of Gor, a close confidant to Trump, was widely seen as a positive move among supporters of the U.S.-India bilateral relationship. Trump has once again called for anyone who ever investigated him to be politically attacked, referencing his power as chief law enforcement officer. Im the one that had to suffer through [investigations] and ultimately win. But what they did was criminal. Deranged Jack Smith, in my opinion, is a criminal. And I noticed his interviewer, I think that was [former federal prosecutor Andrew] Weissman. And I hope theyre gonna look into Weissman too, Weissmans a bad guy, and he had somebody in [former Deputy Attorney General] Lisa [Monaco] who was his puppet, worked in the office really as the top person, Trump said during a press conference Wednesday with FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi. I think that she should be looked at very strongly. It was tremendous criminal activity. He then went on to ramble about how fair elections, fair press, and borders are the most important issues in America right now, before moving back to his political enemies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They have committed massive political crime. I hope theyre looking at Shifty [Adam] Schiff, I hope theyre looking at all these people. And Im allowed to find out, Im allowed, in theory, the chief law enforcement officer. I hope theyre looking at political crime, because theres never been so much political crime against a political opponent as what I had to go through. President Trump calls on Andrew Weissmann, Lisa Monaco, Adam Schiff to be looked into for political crime: I hope they will look at all of these people. And I am allowed to find out I'm allowed, you know, Im in theory chief law enforcement officer. pic.twitter.com/6y6yHdu0ZF Acyn (@Acyn) October 15, 2025 These so-called criminals Trump is referring toJack Smith, Lisa Monaco, Andrew Weissman, and Adam Schiffare all people who rightfully and legally investigated a variety of alleged crimes, including Trumps mishandling of classified documents, Trumps role in instigating January 6 insurrection, and Russian interference in the 2016 election. And for what its worth, Trump is very much not the chief law enforcement officer of the United Statesthe attorney general is (although Bondi has proven willing to agree with the president). Not only is Trump continuing to attack people on baseless accusations of crime, he is misrepresenting the power he has to do so. President Donald Trump melted down over ABC News recently ending an interview with Vice President JD Vance abruptly and refused to take questions from a reporter from the network on Tuesday. The president went on the attack while meeting with the president of Argentina at the White House, surrounded by top officials. Trump was taking questions from the press, but when an ABC News reporter tried to ask him one, he lost it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Youre ABC fake News, he snapped. I dont take questions from ABC fake News. After what you did with Stephanopoulos to the Vice President of the United States, I dont take questions from ABC fake News. President Donald Trump blasted ABC News and refused to take a question from the network's reporter after complaining about their treatment of his vice president in an interview on Sunday. / Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images His outburst came just moments after the president brought up Vances heated Sunday interview unprompted. JD went through a very friendly interview with George Sloppodopoulos, who was nice enough to pay me $16 million the last time we came. He had to pay $16 million to me, which was good, Trump commented sarcastically. It was worth it. It was worth having somebody lie if you get $16 million. Thats good. His comment referred to ABC settling a defamation lawsuit in December just before he retook office. Trump had sued after anchor George Stephanopoulos said on-air that he had been found civilly liable for raping E. Jean Carroll. Trump was found liable of sexually abusing the writer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Sunday, Stephanopoulos cut off his interview with the vice president after Vance fired back over being asked about bribery allegations involving a top Trump official. The longtime host questioned Vance about Trumps Border Czar Tom Homan reportedly accepting a bag with $50,000 in cash in September 2024 from undercover FBI agents. Vance refused to answer the question directly and instead called it a bogus story. He argued they should be talking about the real issues rather than going down some weird left-wing rabbit hole. Stephanopoulos pushed back that all he had asked was whether Homan had accepted $50,000 as was heard on an audio tape recorded by the FBI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The anchor then went to break as Vance tried to protest. The White House has denied Homan committed any wrongdoing in response to the report that the Justice Department shut down the investigation after Trump took office. President Donald Trump on Tuesday shared some decidedly not so body-positive thoughts about himself. / Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images However, Trump did not take kindly to how Vance was treated and was still fuming about it on Tuesday. JD had a very nasty person interviewing him, and we cant let that happen. It just is inappropriate to cut off a highly respected vice president of the United States mid-sentence, Trump complained. I guess its one way to win an argument. That was the only way the argument that was pretty inappropriate, I want to tell you that. As Trump raged, the vice president seated to his right in the meeting grinned and nodded along in agreement. (The Center Square) Any chance North Carolinas battleground status is lessened in the 2026 midterms or 2028 presidential cycle is just about nil and void. To wit, prognosticators have the midterm U.S. Senate race between Democrat Roy Cooper and Republican Michael Whatley pegged to approach or eclipse $1 billion. And the biggest and best guns for the respective parties are, or soon are expected, to be involved in the congressional redistricting spat. On the latter, 13th term Rockingham County Republican Sen. Phil Berger president pro tempore of the chamber since the 2010 midterms changed the majority has his hands full at home with Sheriff Sam Page challenging. Both promote conservative values, and a coveted endorsement from second-term Republican President Donald Trump figures to sway voters of Rockingham and Guilford counties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement North Carolinians from both parties should be alarmed by credible reports that Phil Berger is pursuing redistricting as part of a corrupt bargain to secure a political endorsement from Donald Trump, said U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross, D-N.C. Republicans are waging a war on American voting rights because they know the truth their policies are unpopular, their candidates are unlikable, and they cant win a majority in Congress without stacking the deck in their favor. Amid the bravado is context. North Carolina is a battleground state because voters are choosing themselves rather than falling into the beholden nature of the major political parties. Democrats, once overwhelmingly popular and crafty in their own right when it comes to drawing maps, have bled registrations mightily for two decades. Still, the state has elected just three men not Democrats since 1900 to be governor. The attorney general hasnt been a Republican since the 1896 election, and it goes back to 1882 for the last time the U.S. House representative in the northeastern part of the state was won by a Republican. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans, meanwhile, have won the state in presidential contests 13 of the last 15 cycles over 60 years. And theyve sent the man for the U.S. Senate every time since Democrat Kay Hagan won in 2008, having not lost a midterm since 1998. While Ross paints the move of Berger and House Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, as a pitch for Trump, this weeks news from California shows how steadfast will be the opposition from Democrats. There, former President Barack Obama was on a major podcast and is in a multi-million television ad buy to promote Proposition 50 the November ballot measure that could replace the states independent commission-drawn congressional district maps. Already 43-9 Democrats in representation to the U.S. House, the party figures five more in the Golden State could flip. Obama, one of the two Democrats to win North Carolina in more than half a century but unable to do it twice, was also on Marc Marons podcast. Berger and Hall said earlier this week lawmakers would return to Raleigh next week with congressional map redrawing on the agenda. The delegation to the Beltway is already 10-4 Republicans, and only the 1st Congressional District of Democratic Rep. Don Davis was decided by less than 13% in 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to North Carolina and California, some level of engagement about congressional redistricting is happening in Texas, Missouri, Ohio, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland and New York. Govs. Mike Kehoe of Missouri and Greg Abbott of Texas have already signed new maps into law. Berger, for his part, has publicly feuded across the country with California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Each has a presidential ally, arguably the strongest their parties can offer. President Trump delivered countless victories during his first term in office, and nine months into his second term he continues to achieve unprecedented wins, Berger said. Picking up where Texas left off, we will hold votes in our October session to redraw North Carolinas congressional map to ensure Gavin Newsom doesnt decide the congressional majority. When the corroded pipeline burst in 2015, inky crude spread along the Southern California coast, becoming the states worst oil spill in decades. More than 140,000 gallons (3,300 barrels) of oil gushed out, blackening beaches for 150 miles (240 kilometers) from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, polluting a biologically rich habitat for endangered whales and sea turtles, killing scores of pelicans, seals and dolphins, and decimating the fishing industry. Plains All American Pipeline in 2022 agreed to a $230 million settlement with fishers and coastal property owners without admitting liability. Federal inspectors found that the Houston-based company failed to quickly detect the rupture and responded too slowly. It faced an uphill battle to build a new pipeline. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three decades-old drilling platforms were subsequently shuttered, but another Texas-based fossil fuel company supported by the Trump administration purchased the operation and is intent on pumping oil through the pipeline again. Sable Offshore Corp., headquartered in Houston, is facing a slew of legal challenges but is determined to restart production, even if that means confining it to federal waters, where state regulators have virtually no say. California controls the 3 miles (5 kilometers) nearest to shore. The platforms are 5 to 9 miles (8 to 14 kilometers) offshore. The Trump administration has hailed Sables plans as the kind of project the president wants to increase U.S. energy production as the federal government removes regulatory barriers. President Donald Trump has directed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to undo his predecessors ban on future offshore oil drilling on the East and West coasts. Environmentalists sue to stop the project Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This project risks another environmental disaster in California at a time when demand for oil is going down and the climate crisis is escalating," said Alex Katz, executive director of Environmental Defense Center, the Santa Barbara group formed in response to a massive spill in 1969. The environmental organization is among several suing Sable. Our concern is that there is no way to make this pipeline safe and that this company has proven that it cannot be trusted to operate safely, responsibly or even legally, he said. Actor and activist Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who lives in the area, has implored officials to stop Sable, saying at a March protest: I can smell a rat. And this project is a rat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The California Coastal Commission fined Sable a record $18 million for ignoring cease-and-desist orders over repair work it says was done without permits. Sable said it has permits from the previous owner, Exxon Mobil, and sued the commission while work continued on the pipeline. In June, a state judge ordered it to stop while the case proceeds through the court. The judge on Wednesday denied Sables request to dismiss the cease-and-desist orders. Sable in a statement on the ruling vowed to appeal and find a way to restart the operation, citing plans to confine it to federal waters. This fly-by-night oil company has repeatedly abused the publics trust, racking up millions of dollars in fines and causing environmental damage along the treasured Gaviota Coast, a state park south of Santa Barbara, said Joshua Smith, the commissions spokesman. Sable keeps moving forward Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So far, Sable is undeterred. The Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, represented by the California attorney general's office, sued Sable this month, saying it illegally discharged waste into waterways, and disregarded state law requiring permits before work along the pipeline route that crosses sensitive wildlife habitat. Sable placed profits over environmental protection in its rush to get oil on the market, the agency said in its lawsuit. Last month, the Santa Barbara District Attorney filed felony criminal charges against Sable, also accusing it of polluting waterways and harming wildlife. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sable said it has fully cooperated with local and state agencies, including the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and called the district attorney's allegation inflammatory and extremely misleading. It said a biologist and state fire marshal officials oversaw the work, and no wildlife was harmed. The company is seeking $347 million for the delays, and says if the state blocks it from restarting the onshore pipeline system, it will use a floating facility that would keep its entire operation in federal waters and use tankers to transport the oil to markets outside California. In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday, the company updated its plan to include the option. Fulfilling the president's energy promise The U.S. Interior Departments Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said in July it was working with Sable to bring a second rig online. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trump made it clear that American energy should come from American resources, the agencys deputy director Kenny Stevens said in a statement then, heralding the "comeback story for Pacific production. The agency said there are an estimated 190 million barrels (6 billion gallons) of recoverable oil reserves in the area, nearly 80% of residual Pacific reserves. It noted advancements in preventing and preparing for oil spills and said the failed pipeline has been rigorously tested. Continuous monitoring and improved technology significantly reduce the risk of a similar incident occurring in the future, the agency said. CEO says project could lower gas prices Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On May 19 the 10th anniversary of the disaster CEO Jim Flores announced that Sable is proud to have safely and responsibly achieved first production at the Santa Ynez Unit which includes three rigs in federal waters, offshore and onshore pipelines, and the Las Flores Canyon Processing Facility. State officials countered that the company had only conducted testing and not commercial production. Sable's stock price dropped and some investors sued, alleging they were misled. Sable purchased the Santa Ynez Unit from Exxon Mobil in 2024 for nearly $650 million primarily with a loan from Exxon. Exxon sold the shuttered operation after losing a court battle in 2023 to truck the crude through central California while the pipeline system was rebuilt or repaired. Flores said well tests at the Platform Harmony rig indicate there is much oil to be extracted and that it will relieve California's gas prices among the nation's highest by stabilizing supplies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sable is very concerned about the crumbling energy complex in California," Flores said in a statement to The Associated Press. With the exit of two refineries last year and more shuttering soon, Californias economy cannot survive without the strong energy infrastructure it enjoyed for the last 150 years. California has been reducing the states production of fossil fuels in favor of clean energy for years. The movement has been spearheaded partly by Santa Barbara County, where elected officials voted in May to begin taking steps to phase out onshore oil and gas operations. _____ This story has been updated updated to make clear that the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, represented by the California attorney generals office, sued Sable. _____ Associated Press writer Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana contributed to this report. President Donald Trump is optimistic he can achieve peace in Ukraine on the heels of the successful hostage exchange in the Middle East, a White House official told POLITICO. Trump has a meeting scheduled with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, part of a weeklong coordinated effort by the Ukrainians to turn the administrations attention from the Middle East to Russia. The two presidents will discuss Kyivs request for Tomahawks and other additional armaments and air defense systems, energy resilience and increasing cooperation on drone production, Ukraines ambassador to the U.S. said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. and Ukrainian officials will hold bilateral discussions ahead of the White House meeting. We have multiple Ukrainian delegations working to maximize the impact of the leaders meeting this Friday, Olga Stefanishyna, Ukraines new ambassador to the U.S., told POLITICO. This is a completely new format of engagement: military teams have been working for two weeks, the Prime Minister is engaging with financial partners to coordinate efforts; economy and energy delegations are focusing on mitigating the effects of Russian attacks on Ukraines energy infrastructure by mobilizing U.S. engagement in gas procurement. Zelenskyy on Monday told Ukrainian reporters that Trump advised him to meet with energy companies while in Washington. The Ukrainian leader also intends to speak with military companies and congressional leaders during his visit. Top of mind for Zelenskyy will be protecting Ukrainian infrastructure from ongoing Russian missile attacks, he said, though he did not mention who specifically he would meet with on his trip. Trump has often lamented that the Russia-Ukraine war has been much harder to solve than he had originally thought but that calculus could change now that the administration is hopeful after its success in the Middle East. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trump has long expressed his desire to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, just like he freed the hostages and ended the war between Israel and Hamas, said the White House official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the administrations thinking. Zelenskyy appears anxious to seize on the administrations momentum, saying Tuesday in an address to the nation that there is strong momentum for peace in the world now. The US president himself, his team did a lot, various leaders were also involved, they helped a lot, Zelenskyy continued. And now there are serious chances to live without war in the Middle East. This shows that Russia can really be pressured to stop aggression. The White House official stressed that Russia should be motivated to come to the table due to their military and economic positions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the President stated, the war hasnt been going well for Russia, whose economy is in shambles and who continue to lose thousands of lives to gain virtually no land. If they were smart, they would more urgently pursue a deal to end the war which has done significant damage to Russias reputation, stop the killing, and get their country back on the right track. President Putin has repeatedly rejected generous proposals toward peace that would have benefited Russia, the official said. The President remains optimistic that he will be able to get both sides to stop the senseless killing. Of course, Trump has said as much before most recently claiming, following a few days of whirlwind diplomacy in August, that Putin and Zelenskyy had agreed to meet. That meeting never took place. Steve Witkoff, Trumps special envoy and lead negotiator in the Middle East and Europe, has told foreign counterparts that the presidents three big foreign policy goals for his second term were ending the conflict in Gaza, ending the war between Russia and Ukraine and agreeing to a new nuclear deal with Iran, according to a person in close touch with the presidents national security team. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They recognized that Gaza was going to be the simplest of the three, the person said. But theyre not giving up on the others. If anything, theres a sense that success will lead to more success. Stefanishyna, the Ukrainian ambassador, said the effort by Kyiv to engage with the White House, lawmakers and business interests in Washington is meant to reveal the potential for a global political surge to end the war. Stefanishyna told POLITICO that teams of Ukrainian officials, including Ukraines defense minister Rustem Umerov and Zelenskyys chief of staff Andriy Yermak, who arrived in Washington Monday, have been preparing for conversations centering around boosting Ukraines air defenses, long-range capacities, the resilience of its energy sector and a call for additional sanctions on Russia. She also teased an announcement of additional arms deliveries to Ukraine under the new Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, established earlier this year by NATO to mediate and pay for the delivery of American weapons to Ukraine. Additionally, the ambassador telegraphed a willingness to expand economic ties beyond the minerals deal signed earlier this year through a technology-sharing agreement that would give the U.S. access to Ukrainian drone technologies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This partnership is not only a strategic advantage for Ukraine but also a real contribution to U.S. and allied security globally, she said. Trumps breakthrough in the Middle East may have reinforced his own diplomatic self-belief, but so far Russia has been largely unresponsive to his peacemaking efforts. Trump, working closely with Arab partners, was able to pressure a weakened Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into accepting his ceasefire agreement after Hamas agreed to it in part. But he has far less leverage over Putin, who is less reliant on the U.S. generally and more impervious to the kind of domestic political pressure that democratically-elected leaders face. Trump has publicly acknowledged Zelenskyys interest in Tomahawk missiles, suggesting that he could opt to provide them to Ukraine as a consequence for Putins continued refusal to engage in substantive peace talks. But he has also mentioned the escalation risk of an expanded conflict should Russia, which is concerned about longer-range Tomahawks capacity to strike Moscow, view Ukraines deployment of additional American weapons as the U.S. participating more fully in the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked Tuesday about his upcoming meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump reiterated his oft-stated befuddlement about Putins determination to keep fighting. Vladimir and I had a good relationship, probably still do, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. I don't know why he continues with this war ... He's got to really settle this war ... He just doesn't want to end that war." Veronika Melkozerova contributed to this report. US President Donald Trump is "optimistic" about the possibility of achieving peace in Ukraine following the successful signing of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas and the release of hostages. Source: Politico, citing a White House official, as reported by European Pravda Details: Trump is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday 17 October. Politico noted that this meeting is part of a week-long campaign coordinated by the Ukrainian side and aimed at shifting the Trump administration's focus from the Middle East to Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has often complained that the war between Russia and Ukraine has proved far more difficult to resolve than he initially expected. However, that view may be changing as the US administration is filled with renewed confidence following its success in the Middle East. "President Trump has long expressed his desire to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, just like he freed the hostages and ended the war between Israel and Hamas," the White House official said on condition of anonymity. The source added that Russia should be motivated to come to the negotiating table given its military and economic situation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote from the official: "If they [the Russians ed.] were smart, they would more urgently pursue a deal to end the war which has done significant damage to Russia's reputation, stop the killing, and get their country back on the right track. President Putin has repeatedly rejected generous proposals toward peace that would have benefited Russia. [N.B. Ukrainska Pravda does not recognise Putin as president ed.] Details: The source said that Trump "remains optimistic that he will be able to get both sides to stop the senseless killing". Politico also notes that Steve Witkoff, Trump's Special Envoy for the Middle East, has told his foreign counterparts that the president's three major foreign policy goals for his second term are ending the conflict in Gaza, ending the war between Russia and Ukraine and reaching a new nuclear deal with Iran. According to Politico's source, Trump's team acknowledged that "Gaza was going to be the simplest of the three". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "But they're not giving up on the others. If anything, there's a sense that success will lead to more success," the White House official added. Background: Zelenskyy earlier said he is "preparing in detail" for his meeting with Trump on 17 October and is discussing the agenda with relevant government bodies. Media reports indicate that the possible provision of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine will be one of the key issues at the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Donald Trump has ordered 300 National Guard troops to deploy to Chicago, where the government said ICE agents shot a woman who tried to run them over with her car on Saturday. A White House spokesman confirmed that the US president authorised using the Illinois National Guard members, citing what she called ongoing violent riots and lawlessness that local leaders have not quelled. President Trump will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness plaguing American cities, the spokesman said. Donald Trump, the US president, has long threatened to send troops to Chicago, which has resulted in a standoff with the Democratic governor of Illinois - Jim Vondruska/Reuters JB Pritzker, the Democratic governor of Illinois, said the National Guard received notice from the Pentagon earlier in the day. He called the move unnecessary and a manufactured performance not a serious effort to protect public safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This morning, the Trump administrations department of war gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will, Mr Pritzker said in a statement. It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will. Mr Trump has long threatened to send troops to Chicago, but it was not immediately clear when or exactly where they would be deployed. Mr Trump previously deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles during high-profile anti-immigration protests there - Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP The escalation follows similar deployments in other parts of the country. Mr Trump sent the National Guard to Los Angeles over the summer and to Washington DC as part of his law enforcement takeover there. National Guard troops from Tennessee are expected to arrive in Memphis, the states second-largest city, to help police there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California, sued to stop the deployment in Los Angeles and won a temporary block in federal court. The Trump administration has appealed that ruling, which stated that the use of the guard was illegal, and a three-judge panel of an appeals court has indicated that it believes Mr Trump is likely to prevail. Mr Pritzker criticised the Illinois deployment for pulling the National Guard troops away from their families and regular jobs, saying: For Donald Trump, this has never been about safety. This is about control. Mr Trump also said last month that he was sending federal troops to Portland, Oregon, calling the city war-ravaged. But local officials have suggested that many of his claims and social media posts appear to rely on images from 2020, when demonstrations and unrest gripped the city following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. City and state officials sued to stop the deployment the next day, and on Saturday a judge temporarily blocked Mr Trumps order. 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. President Donald Trump and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto were overheard on Monday discussing what seemed to be a Trump family business venture, leading to criticism that it undermines what the White House has said about a firewall existing between the president's official duties and his personal fortune. During the exchange, which took place on a live camera feed shortly after Trump addressed a gathering of leaders in Egypt to laud the Gaza ceasefire plan, Subianto asked Trump to meet with "Eric," presumably referring to Eric Trump, president's son who is the executive vice president of the Trump Organization. "Would you do that?" Trump responds. "He's such a good boy. I'll have Eric call you." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump to visit Gulf region, where diplomacy collides with his family business Neither leader appeared to be aware that their conversation was being picked up by a microphone. The audio is muffled and at times difficult to discern. It was not clear exactly what the two men were discussing. The White House did not respond to a request for comment from ABC News. In the past, White House officials have said that Trump's assets are held in a trust controlled by his family, and that, while president, he has no role in the family's business dealings in order to avoid ethical concerns. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in May that it was "frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for the Trump Organization said in a statement that "The Trump Organization has two of the largest and most substantial projects in all of Indonesia, which began in 2015, long before President Trump entered office for the first term." Suzanne Plunkett, Pool via AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: President Donald Trump greets Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto during a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Oct. 13, 2025. "It should come as no surprise that our unbelievable property was referenced given its prominence within the country," the statement said. Critics immediately leapt on the nature of the discussion between Trump and Subianto, saying that "there is no line between Trump presidential and personal business," according to Tony Carrk, the executive director of Accountable.US, a nonprofit government watchdog. "The President is apparently using a foreign leader summit as a platform to smooth things over for his son's condo development ventures in Indonesia," Carrk said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The exchange began when Subianto approached Trump behind the lectern where he had just finished addressing world leaders on camera, in front of the media. The first intelligible words came from Subianto, who describes a region as "not safe, security-wise," before asking to meet with Eric. "We'll look for a better place," Subianto says moments later. "I'll have Eric call you," Trump responds. What to know about Trump's golf business in Scotland and British Open bid amid overseas trip "Eric or Don," Subianto says, apparently referring to Trump's son Donald Trump Jr., another executive vice president at the Trump Organization. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At one point during the conversation, Subianto tells Trump, "I told Hary, also, by the way," possibly referring to Hary Tanoesoedibjo, an Indonesian real estate developer who has partnered with the Trump Organization on both of its existing projects in the country. Just days before the summit, Tanoesoedibjo posted a video on social media promoting the Trump-branded property in Lido City, a town just south of Jakarta, boasting of its "breathtaking views" and "unmatched prestige." Tanoesoedibjo's firm, MNC Land, is also in the process of developing another Trump-branded property in Bali. MNC Land did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News. Before parting ways, Trump, on the video feed, tells Subianto: "You're a fantastic guy. I'll have one of them call you. I like that you told me that. We don't need that." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indonesia's foreign minister downplayed the conversation, according to Bloomberg. "They're friends, so it's natural for them to speak privately," Sugiono, the foreign minister, told reporters. "If there's anything specific that needs follow-up, I will be informed." Donald Trump is working on establishing a Ukraine victory fund which will be bankrolled by fresh tariffs on China. The US president instructed Scott Bessent, his treasury secretary, to float the plan to European counterparts ahead of Volodymyr Zelenskys visit to Washington DC on Friday. Mr Trump, who previously claimed Mr Zelensky did not hold the cards for a military victory, is increasingly losing patience with Vladimir Putin, and his proposal for a Ukraine war shift marks a significant change in his position. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His language was mimicked by Pete Hegseth, the US secretary of defence, who told a meeting of Nato counterparts that the US was prepared to support Kyiv in ways that only the United States can do should Russia continue to shun peace talks. Discussions in Brussels focused on the potential delivery of long-range Tomahawk missiles and funding Ukraines armed resistance into a fifth year. President Trump has instructed the ambassador and myself to tell our European allies that we would be in favour of whether you would call it a Russian oil tariff on China or a Ukrainian victory tariff on China, Mr Bessent told reporters in Washington on Wednesday. But our Ukrainian or European allies have to be willing to follow. We will respond if our European partners will join us. Scott Bessent says European allies must be willing to support the plan - Kevin Dietsch/2025 Getty Images The strategy would introduce a 500 per cent levy on imports from China, with the money generated being used on weapons for Ukraines military. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plan is designed to put maximum economic pressure on Putin, whose war machine is reliant on Chinese support, to come to the negotiating tables with Mr Trump and Mr Zelensky. Diplomatic sources in Washington told The Telegraph that the idea of sanctioning China over its purchases of Russian oil had previously faced roadblocks from European governments. Beijing has been labelled as a decisive enabler of Russias war by Nato nations, but many of the alliances member states, including Britain, have refused to brand it an enemy. Denys Shmyhal, Ukraines defence minister, told allies on Wednesday that Ukraine would need $120bn to fund another year of armed resistance in 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Discussions at Nato HQ, co-chaired by Britain, focused on how to raise half of that amount, which Mr Shmyhal said would have to come from Kyivs supporters. A second important issue was donations of long range missiles, which our partners have. The name of these missiles, everyone knows, absolutely, widely known, Mr Shmyhal added. Shipments of Tomahawk missiles are expected to top the agenda when Mr Zelensky and Mr Trump hold talks at the end of the week. Tomahawk missiles would give Ukraine greater ability to strike Russian targets deep behind the front line - Ho New/Reuters/Kenneth moll Asked about Mr Zelenskys plea for Tomahawk missiles, Mr Trump said on Wednesday that he was considering other options. They want to go offensive. Ill make a determination on that, but they would like to go offensive and well have to make a determination, he told reporters in the Oval Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement European Nato sources said they were supportive of the move, which would give Ukraine greater ability to strike Russian targets deep behind the front line, but acknowledge the decision lies solely in the hands of the US president. Mr Shmyhal said the decision could not be taken at the meeting of Nato defence ministers and would have to be sealed between the two presidents on Friday. If Mr Trump agrees, it is expected that European nations will have to foot the bill for the missiles and training through Natos Purl scheme, which delivers US weapons to Kyiv paid for by European governments. Peace through strength Without naming the weapon, Mr Hegseth signalled Washington was ready to deliver the firepower needed for Ukraine to achieve peace through strength. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If theres anything weve learnt under President Trump its the active application of peace through strength. You get peace when you are strong, not when you use strong words or wag your finger. You get it when you have strong and real capabilities that adversaries respect, he said. Mr Hegseth later added: Now, if this war does not end, if there is no path to peace in the short term, then the United States, along with our allies, will take the steps necessary to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression. 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. A building destroyed by Russian strikes in the Donetsk region of Ukraine on Monday - Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukrainian 24th Mechanized brigade The US is the only country to manufacture and sell Tomahawks to its closest allies around the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The US previously hit India with an extra 25 per cent on top of trade tariffs because of its purchase of Russian oil. On Wednesday, Mr Trump said Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, had assured him the country would stop buying fossil fuels from Moscow, a key revenue source for Putin. Thats a big stop. Now weve got to get China to do the same thing, the US president added. Mr Trump has become more vocal in his support for Ukraine in the months since his fruitless talks with Putin in Alaska. He shocked Mr Zelensky last month by suggesting Kyiv was in a position to fight and win all of Ukraine back in its original form after their meeting on the fringes of the United Nations General Assembly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was previously adamant that Ukraine would have to cede territory to Russia as the price of any peace deal. The Trump administration has renewed its efforts to end the war in Ukraine this week after brokering a deal ending the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. On Wednesday, the British government sanctioned Russias two largest oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, and 51 shadow fleet tankers in a new effort to choke off energy revenues that flow into its war chest. The two companies were considered strategically significant to the Kremlin and are thought to contribute to state revenues that help sustain Putins war in Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are introducing targeted sanctions against the two biggest oil companies in Russia, Lukoil and Rosneft, Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, told reporters while on a trip in the United States. At the same time, we are ramping up pressure on companies in third countries, including India and China, that continue to facilitate getting Russia oil onto global markets. Rosneft is Russias leading oil producer, accounting for around 40 per cent of the countrys total output, and Lukoil is the second biggest, with the largest foreign exposure among its domestic peers. 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. President Donald Trump has launched another lethal strike on a fifth alleged drug smuggling boat from Venezuela, killing six people but once again offering no evidence of who or what was on board. Amid growing international skepticism about the strikes, the president released a video on Tuesday showing a boat being blown up in international waters, taking the total number of people killed by the Trump administration as part of its campaign against narco-terrorists to 27 in six weeks. Trump has ordered a fifth strike on an alleged drug boat off the coast of Venezuela. / Getty Images Under my Standing Authorities as Commander-in-Chief, this morning, the Secretary of War, ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) conducting narcotrafficking, in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility just off the Coast of Venezuela, the president announced on Truth Social. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks, and was transiting along a known DTO route. The strike was conducted in International Waters, and six male narcoterrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike. No U.S. Forces were harmed. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!!!! The strike is the fifth that the president has announced since September 2, when the first operation killed 11 people, who Trump claimed were from the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua. It was followed by several additional strikes on alleged drug boats in the same region, the latest of which took place on October 3. Donald Trump shared a video on Oct. 14, 2025, of of a strike on a vessel off the coast of Venezuela. / @realDonaldTrump/TruthSocial But legal and drug policy experts have questioned the legality of the strikes under international and U.S. law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some global leaders, such as Colombian President Gustav Petro, have also questioned whether drug smugglers were actually on board and have called for a criminal investigation. Trump fires missiles at unarmed migrant boats and accuses them of being drug traffickers and terrorists, when they did not have a single weapon to defend themselves, Petro told the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month. There must be criminal charges opened against those officials of the United States, including the senior official who gave the order: President Trump, who allowed missiles to be fired against young people who simply wanted to escape poverty. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has rejected Trump's justification for the strikes and demanded a criminal investigation. / JAIME SALDARRIAGA / REUTERS Tuesdays strike came after Trump quietly determined that the U.S. is now in an armed conflict with drug cartels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cartels have been classified by the administration as non-state armed groups whose actions constitute an armed attack against the United States. But some viewed it as a dramatic escalation, because armed conflict under international law allows countries to kill enemies even if they pose no threat, detain them without due process, and prosecute them in military courts under different standards than civilian courts. Trump trying to apply this new military doctrine against an enemy who is quite literally incapable of surrender is, by its very definition, a forever war, Sanho Tree, a global drug policy expert at the Institute for Policy Studies, told The Daily Beast. Democrats last week forced a vote on the issue under the War Powers Act, which was aimed at preventing continued U.S. strikes without Congressional approval. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the 48-51 vote failed to get enough support to move forward. Republican Senators Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski voted with Democrats in favor, while Pennsylvanias Democratic Senator John Fetterman joined Republicans in opposing it. Florida officials rush to transfer a chunk of coveted downtown Miami property to Donald Trumps presidential library foundation hit yet another snag on Tuesday. I previously wrote about a legal complaint filed by Florida educator and activist Marvin Dunn, who alleged officials at Miami Dade College broke Floridas Sunshine Law when they failed to adequately notify the public about a meeting to transfer the land to the state of Florida, which turned around and gave it to the nonprofit raising funds for Trumps presidential library. Dunns lawsuit argued that the laws transparency requirements compelled the college trustees to notify the public about its plan and give the community adequate opportunity to comment. The law is designed to ensure public business is conducted in public view rather than behind closed doors and Circuit Court Judge Mavel Ruiz said in her ruling Tuesday that officials involved in this deal likely violated it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The New York Times reported: Judge Mavel Ruiz of Floridas 11th Judicial Circuit found that the board of trustees of Miami Dade College most likely violated the states Sunshine Law, which requires a certain degree of transparency in government. ... Judge Ruizs ruling does not permanently block the state from conveying the property to Mr. Trump, as Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Republican state officials voted to do on Sept. 30. The college trustees could meet again, this time providing more specific public notice, for the property transfer to be properly completed. This excerpt makes clear that the judges ruling was rooted in procedure and not the act of handing such a gift over to the president (however ugly that may be): It is understood that the board can provide the reasonable disclosure and convey this property as they see fit, Judge Ruiz said in her ruling, which followed hearings on Monday and Tuesday. Thats why this is not a case, at least for this court, rooted in politics. Critics like Dunn have denounced the librarys hasty deal for its general air of corruption. Others have denounced the library plan because it involves handing over the plot of land right beside the Freedom Tower, a historic landmark once used as an immigrant processing center that now serves as a symbol of immigrant acceptance. Some in the community object to the prospect of such a symbol being literally overshadowed by a library one that Trumps son Eric has fantasized as being visible for miles off the Florida coast for a president so unabashedly xenophobic. The lawsuit seems unlikely to doom the project, however. Ruizs ruling acknowledges Florida officials have a right to do this but they cant get around state laws that require them to let the public know what theyre doing. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com A Democratic lawmaker has moved to have Robert F. Kennedy Jr. impeached over his conduct in office as Health and Human Services Secretary. I am not one for political theater, Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens, whos currently running for one of the states Senate seats, told the New York Times. Im for standing up for the health and safety of the people I represent. Its pretty clear that these are life-and-death issues for folks. Secretary Kennedy is carrying out a scientific coup detat of Amer Former Special Counsel Jack Smith spoke out against President Donald Trumps Department of Justice in a rare interview since his resignation in January. Smith, whose investigations led to two indictments against Trump, maintained in comments released Tuesday that politics did not play a role in bringing criminal charges while criticizing how the DOJ has steered several high-profile cases as the president has threatened retribution against his perceived political enemies. The idea that politics would play a role in big cases like this, its absolutely ludicrous and its totally contrary to my experience as a prosecutor, Smith said in an interview with former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann at the University College London. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smith led a team of prosecutors who separately probed Trump over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents in Florida. Both cases, however, were later dismissed, with Smith dropping the former over DOJ policy against prosecuting sitting presidents, while U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump nominee, rejected the latter, arguing that Smiths appointment was unlawful. Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has framed both cases as partisan witch hunts. In his interview with Weismann, Smith went on to say that the group of prosecutors who worked underneath him were also not motivated by politics. These are team players who dont want anything but to do good in the world, Smith said. ...I get very concerned when I see how easy it is to demonize these people for political ends, when these are the very sort of people I think we should be celebrating. His remarks surfaced as Fox News reported that Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, demanded testimony from Smith by Oct. 28 over what he described as partisan and politically motivated prosecutions of Trump. The order, though not a legally binding subpoena, comes as GOP senators have claimed that the FBI obtained cell phone data of nine congressional Republicans as part of its investigation into 2020 election case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During his over hourlong assessment of the DOJ, Smith had also argued that prosecutors and judges need independence and should not think of their roles as popularity contests. They need the room and space to make decisions that some people might not like, Smith said. I cant imagine a situation in the United States where we would impeach a judge, a federal judge, because of the decision that they made in one particular case. The effects that that would have on the judiciary I think would be terrible, and I dont know why that would apply any different in an international context. Smith said that career prosecutors are being asked to do things that they think are wrong. Because theyre not political people, theyre not going to do them, he said. And I think that explains why youve seen the resignations, youve seen people leave the department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He continued: Its not because theyre enemies of one administration or the next. Theyve worked through decades for different administrations. Its just theyve been doing things apolitically forever. And when theyre told, No, you got to get this outcome no matter what, that is so contrary to how we were all raised as prosecutors. Smiths comments follow the DOJs steps in recent weeks against individuals who have worked on criminal cases targeting Trump. Smith pointed to the recent arraignment of former FBI Director James Comey, stemming from federal charges related to the agencys investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election. On Friday, New York Attorney General Letitia James was also indicted in a mortgage fraud case. Stories by Rachel Cohen Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here. "Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word. If Israel could go in and knock the crap of them, theyd do that," Trump was quoted as saying. US President Donald Trump told CNN on Wednesday that he would consider allowing Israeli forces to resume fighting in Gaza if Hamas fails to uphold its end of the ceasefire deal. "Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word. If Israel could go in and knock the crap of them, theyd do that," Trump was quoted as saying to CNN in a brief telephone call when asked what would happen if Hamas refused to disarm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Point four of Trump's 20-point peace plan states that "all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned," within 72 hours of Israel "publicly accepting this agreement." All 20 living hostages were freed, but only seven of the 28 remains of deceased hostages have been handed over to Israel as of Wednesday evening. However, Trump emphasized the importance of releasing the living hostages. "Getting those 20 hostages out was paramount," he said, according to CNN. A placard of US President Donald Trump with names of Gaza hostages seen at Hostages Square, in Tel Aviv, October 11, 2025 (credit: Chen G. Schimmel/The Jerusalem Post) In the days since the hostages were released, violent clashes have erupted between Hamas terrorists and rival groups, most notably the influential Doghmush clan. This included an incident that escalated to a public execution of Gazans whom the terror group accused of being "collaborators with Israel." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump told CNN that Hamas is "going in and clearing out the violent gangs." "I'm doing research on it," he added when CNN asked about the possibility that Hamas was executing innocent civilians. Trump: 'We will disarm them' Trump warned that Hamas must disarm or "we will disarm them" in a speech on Tuesday following a meeting with Argentinian President Javier Milei. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed similar sentiments in an interview with CNN reported on Tuesday evening. Trump's plan contemplates a future in which the terror group agrees not to have any role in governing Gaza, with the area being demilitarized and administered by an independent body. "Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries," point six of the president's peace plan states. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would consider allowing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resume military action in Gaza if Hamas refuses to uphold its end of the ceasefire deal, telling CNN that Israeli forces could return to the streets as soon as I say the word. Whats going on with Hamas thatll be straightened out quickly, the president said in a brief telephone call. Trumps comments come as Israel is accusing Hamas, a group labeled a terrorist organization by the US government, of not abiding by the agreement that it hand over hostages, living and dead, as part of a deal to end the fighting in Gaza. That has caused rising anger in Israel, where authorities have told the UN that humanitarian aid shipments expected to be allowed into Gaza will be reduced or delayed because of the small number of deceased hostages turned over. But so far, the tenuous ceasefire has held. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Point 4 of Trumps 20-point peace plan stated, Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned. As of Wednesday morning, all 20 of the living Israeli hostages had been returned to Israel. But Hamas had handed over the bodies of eight people, including four last night, and the Israeli military has said that one of them does not belong to an Israeli hostage. Four to five more bodies are expected to be returned this evening, a source familiar with the matter told CNN on Wednesday. Trump noted the rescue of the living hostages was important in its own right. Getting those 20 hostages out was paramount, the US president said. And after Trumps conversation with CNN Tuesday, two senior US advisers said that the US does not believe Hamas is violating its commitments to the ceasefire agreement by failing to produce the remains of former hostages. They said the US had received assurances from the group through third-party mediators that they would do everything possible to locate and return the remaining bodies, and the US was actively working through the mediators to provide intelligence and logistical support to locate the remaining bodies, which in many cases could be buried under rubble and debris left behind after two years of war. In the days following the hostage release, violent clashes have erupted between Hamas and rival groups, including an incident that culminated in an apparent public execution. Trump has warned previously that Hamas must also disarm or we will disarm them. His 20-point plan contemplates a future in which Hamas agrees not to have any role in the governance of Gaza, which will be demilitarized and under independent monitoring. But the administration has acknowledged that it still has to do more work to resolve the future of Gaza, and that the agreement that prompted the hostage release is only Phase 1. Trump told CNN that right now, Hamas is going in and clearing out the gangs, violent gangs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im doing research on it, he said when asked if it was possible that Hamas was executing innocent Palestinians. Well find out about it. It could be gangs plus, he said. Point 6 of the presidents 20-point peace plan states, Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries. What happens if Hamas refuses to disarm? CNN asked the president. I think about it, Trump responded. Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word. If Israel could go in and knock the crap out of them, theyd do that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I had to hold them back, the president said of the Israel Defense Forces and Netanyahu administration. I had it out with Bibi. The president, though, was clearly feeling positive about long-term prospects for peace, particularly given the strong support of other countries in the region. Fifty-nine countries are part of this, he said of the ceasefire deal, apparently referring to those countries who attended a ceremony in Egypt to sign a document of high-level principles titled the Trump Peace Agreement or expressed statements of support. Weve never seen anything like this. Now its all happening. They want to be part of the Abraham Accords. Now that Iran isnt a problem. Trump also said he was continuing to work on ending the Russian war against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to visit the White House on Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im working hard on the Russian thing, Trump said. He wondered which would be a bigger accomplishment peace in the Middle East or between Russia and Ukraine. Your reporter noted that the Middle East conflict has been historically more difficult to bring to a conclusion. True, the president said. Ones been going on for three years, the other three thousand. The president also spent some time in this brief call criticizing the news media specifically taking issue with a recent interview of Vice President JD Vance by ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos while expressing hope that CBS News will now become fairer with new management. I dont expect them to become like Fox, he said, just fair. CNN requested a one-on-one, sit-down interview with Trump in person something he has not agreed to do since 2016 and he said he would consider it. Kevin Liptak contributed to this report. This story has been updated with additional information on the bodies handed over by Hamas and other new reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com By Nandita Bose and Jarrett Renshaw WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told him that India will stop buying oil from Russia, a move Trump described as a big step in efforts to isolate Moscow economically. So I was not happy that India was buying oil, and he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia, Trump told reporters during a White House event. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats a big step. Now were going to get China to do the same thing. The Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to emailed questions about whether Modi had made such a commitment to Trump. An Indian pledge to halt buying Russian oil would mark a potential turning point in global energy diplomacy, as Washington intensifies efforts to choke Moscow's oil revenues amid its ongoing war in Ukraine. It would also signal a major shift by one of Moscows top energy customers and could reshape the calculus for other nations still importing Russian crude. It comes as Trump seeks to leverage bilateral relationships to enforce economic isolation, rather than relying solely on multilateral sanctions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During his comments to reporters, Trump added that India could not "immediately" halt shipments, calling it "a little bit of a process, but that process will be over soon." (Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington and Jarrett Renshaw in Philadelphia; additional reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Chris Reese and Rami Ayyub) By Nandita Bose and Jarrett Renshaw WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to stop buying oil from Russia, and Trump said he would next try to get China to do the same as Washington intensifies efforts to cut off Moscows energy revenues. India and China are the two top buyers of Russian seaborne crude exports, taking advantage of the discounted prices Russia has been forced to accept after European buyers shunned purchases and the U.S. and the European Union imposed sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has recently targeted India for its Russian oil purchases, imposing tariffs on Indian exports to the U.S. to discourage the country's crude buying as he seeks to choke off Russia's oil revenues and pressure Moscow to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine. So I was not happy that India was buying oil, and he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia, Trump told reporters during a White House event. Thats a big step. Now were going to get China to do the same thing. The Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to emailed questions about whether Modi had made such a commitment to Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia is India's top oil supplier. Moscow exported 1.62 million barrels per day to India in September, roughly one third of the country's oil imports. For months, Modi resisted U.S. pressure, with Indian officials defending the purchases as vital to national energy security. A move by India to stop imports would signal a major shift by one of Moscows top energy customers and could reshape the calculus for other nations still importing Russian crude. Trump wants to leverage bilateral relationships to enforce economic isolation on Russia, rather than relying solely on multilateral sanctions. During his comments to reporters, Trump added that India could not "immediately" halt shipments, calling it "a little bit of a process, but that process will be over soon." Despite his push on India, Trump has largely avoided placing similar pressure on China. The U.S. trade war with Beijing has complicated diplomatic efforts, with Trump reluctant to risk further escalation by demanding a halt to Chinese energy imports from Russia. (Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington and Jarrett Renshaw in Philadelphia; additional reporting by Tim Gardner and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Chris Reese, Rami Ayyub and David Gregorio) United States President Donald Trump says that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to stop buying oil from Russia, and Trump said he would next try to get China to do the same as Washington intensifies efforts to cut off Moscows energy revenues. India and China are the two top buyers of Russian seaborne crude exports, taking advantage of the discounted prices Russia has been forced to accept after European buyers shunned purchases and the US and the European Union imposed sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Trump has recently targeted India for its Russian oil purchases, imposing tariffs on Indian exports to the US to discourage the countrys crude buying as he seeks to choke off Russias oil revenues and pressure Moscow to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So I was not happy that India was buying oil, and he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia, Trump told reporters during a White House event. Thats a big step. Now were going to get China to do the same thing. The Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to emailed questions about whether Modi had made such a commitment to Trump. Russia is Indias top oil supplier. Moscow exported 1.62 million barrels per day to India in September, roughly one-third of the countrys oil imports. For months, Modi resisted US pressure, with Indian officials defending the purchases as vital to national energy security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A move by India to stop imports would signal a major shift by one of Moscows top energy customers and could reshape the calculus for other nations still importing Russian crude. Trump wants to leverage bilateral relationships to enforce economic isolation on Russia, rather than relying solely on multilateral sanctions. During his comments to reporters, Trump added that India could not immediately halt shipments, calling it a little bit of a process, but that process will be over soon. Despite his push on India, Trump has largely avoided placing similar pressure on China. The US trade war with Beijing has complicated diplomatic efforts, with Trump reluctant to risk further escalation by demanding a halt to Chinese energy imports from Russia. By Nandita Bose and Jarrett Renshaw WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to stop buying oil from Russia, and Trump said he would next try to get China to do the same as Washington intensifies efforts to cut off Moscows energy revenues. India and China are the two top buyers of Russian seaborne crude exports, taking advantage of the discounted prices Russia has been forced to accept after European buyers shunned purchases and the U.S. and the European Union imposed sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has recently targeted India for its Russian oil purchases, imposing tariffs on Indian exports to the U.S. to discourage the country's crude buying as he seeks to choke off Russia's oil revenues and pressure Moscow to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine. So I was not happy that India was buying oil, and he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia, Trump told reporters during a White House event. Thats a big step. Now were going to get China to do the same thing. The Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to emailed questions about whether Modi had made such a commitment to Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia is India's top oil supplier. Moscow exported 1.62 million barrels per day to India in September, roughly one third of the country's oil imports. For months, Modi resisted U.S. pressure, with Indian officials defending the purchases as vital to national energy security. While imports from other producers would likely cost India more, lower oil prices would temper the impact. Benchmark Brent crude futures hit a five-month low on Wednesday on concerns about a growing surplus in the market. A move by India to stop imports would signal a major shift by one of Moscows top energy customers and could reshape the calculus for other nations still importing Russian crude. Trump wants to leverage bilateral relationships to enforce economic isolation on Russia, rather than relying solely on multilateral sanctions. The announcement comes just days after Trumps new pick for Indian ambassador, Sergio Gor, met with Modi. The two discussed defense, trade and technology issues. The appointment of Gor, a close confidant to Trump, was widely seen as a positive move for the U.S.-India bilateral relationship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During his comments to reporters, Trump added that India could not "immediately" halt shipments, calling it "a little bit of a process, but that process will be over soon." Despite his push on India, Trump has largely avoided placing similar pressure on China. The U.S. trade war with Beijing has complicated diplomatic efforts, with Trump reluctant to risk further escalation by demanding a halt to Chinese energy imports from Russia. Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on India this summer after the two countries failed to reach an initial trade agreement. He followed up with an additional 25 percent because of the countrys purchases of Russian oil. India chafed at the move because no other top purchasers of Russian oil, like China or Turkey, were hit with similar tariffs. (Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington and Jarrett Renshaw in Philadelphia; additional reporting by Tim Gardner and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Chris Reese, Rami Ayyub and David Gregorio) President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him earlier Wednesday that he would halt Russian oil imports. Hes a friend of mine, we have a great relationship we have a great relationship no, we were not happy with him buying oil from Russia because that let Russia continue on with this ridiculous war where theyve lost a million and a half people, Trump said from the Oval Office as he criticized Russian President Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine. I was not happy that India was buying oil, and (Modi) assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. Thats a big step. Now weve got to get China to do the same thing, Trump added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement India is a significant importer of oil and gas, its Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement Thursday, without naming Russia nor referencing Modis purported assurance that he would stop Russian oil imports. Ensuring stable energy prices and secured supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy. This includes broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions, it said. Where the US is concerned, we have for many years sought to expand our energy procurement. This has steadily progressed in the last decade. Trump has for months been calling on India to cease purchasing Russian oil, citing Indias continued purchases of cheap Russian oil in escalating his trade war. In August, Trump announced a 25% tariff on India as a penalty for importing Russian oil and gas, building on a previously announced 25% tariff rate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a follow-up exchange on Wednesday, Trump called Modi a great man, and he loves Trump. Hes assured me there will be no oil purchased from Russia I dont know, maybe thats a breaking story, can I say that? Trump continued. There will be no oil, hes not buying his oil from Russia, it started you know, you cant do it immediately, its a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over with soon. And he suggested Indias move to cease Russian oil imports would speed the end of the war in Ukraine. If India doesnt buy oil, it makes it much easier, and theyre not going to buy, they assured me they will, within a short period of time, they will not be buying oil from Russia, Trump said. And theyll go back to Russia after the war is over. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement India has long been reliant on Russia for crude oil to support its booming economy and growing population, now at more than 1.4 billion people. The worlds most populous nation is already the third-biggest consumer of oil globally, and with Indias consumption rate still growing rapidly, it is expected to surpass China by 2030, according to Reuters. CNNs Jennifer Hansler and Aishwarya S. Iyer contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Dating back to his first term in office, President Donald Trump has framed his tariff policies as essential for American national security. Sometimes that connection has been quite direct. Tariffs on steel and aluminum were imposed because the White House believed the U.S. needed a robust domestic supply of those metals to meet military needs in the event of a war (even though a hypothetical war that cuts off aluminum imports from Canada and other allies is pretty difficult to imagine). In other cases, the logic has been even more strainedlike when the White House tried claiming that furniture, cars, and even foreign-made movies are somehow a national security threat. Nevertheless, the "national security" argument clearly has been foundational to Trump's trade policies. Higher tariffs will make America's military more self-sufficient and capable against future threats; that's the White House's point of view. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One problem: that's not how the people actually in charge of America's national security see it. "The Defense Department routinely acquires items and materials from foreign sources indispensable to meet defense needs that are not readily available or produced in sufficient quantities within the United States," wrote John Tanaglia, director of pricing, contracting, and acquisitions for the Pentagon, in a memo dated August 25. The memo instructs other officials at the Pentagon to provide "duty-free entry certificates" to military purchases that would otherwise be subject to tariffs. Doing so, the memo explains, will "maximize the Department's budget to meet warfighter needs." First and foremost, that's yet more proof that tariffs are raising costs for American purchasers of foreign goods. And it is true, of course, that Trump's tariffs are straining budgets everywhere. Being able to ignore those costs must be nicemany, many businesses across the United States surely wish they had the power to simply wave away those costs as easily as the Pentagon apparently can. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Congress is moving to codify the Pentagon's tariff exemption as part of the new National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Language in the bill, which is currently awaiting a vote in the Senate Armed Services Committee, would allow "defense-related acquisitions" to "remain exempt from any tariffs or trade restrictions." The bill also urges the Pentagon to "ensure that future trade actions do not hinder defense procurement or compromise national security priorities." On the one hand, that's a laudable effort aimed at efficiently using taxpayer money. On the other hand, it ought to raise some big questions about the narrative that the White House is pushing. If the tariffs are necessary to raise the cost of imports so American-made products are more attractive in the market, shouldn't that same mechanism apply to the Pentagon's purchases? Indeed, given the focus on tariffs as a tool for national security, isn't it more important for them to apply to goods that the military is purchasing? If the Pentagon can ignore the tariffs and continue to purchase steel, aluminum, and anything else in a duty-free environment, then it seems impossible for those tariffs to achieve their stated goal of promoting a self-sufficient supply chain for the military. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There's no good way for the Trump administration to square this circle. At the same time that the president is pushing a huge tax increase on Americans in the name of national security, Congress is telling the Pentagon to ensure those same taxes don't "hindernational security priorities." Tariffs can't be both helping and hurting national security. As always, it is instructive to pay more attention to what the administration does than what it says. The post Trump Says Tariffs Are About National Security. Pentagon Officials Say They Need a Tariff Exemption. appeared first on Reason.com. By Kanishka Singh, Ella Cao and Joe Cash WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said he was considering terminating some trade ties with China, singling out cooking oil, which traders and analysts said would have little impact as such shipments had already plummeted from China over the past year. "I believe that China purposefully not buying our Soybeans, and causing difficulty for our Soybean Farmers, is an Economically Hostile Act. We are considering terminating business with China having to do with Cooking Oil, and other elements of Trade, as retribution," Trump wrote on social media on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "As an example, we can easily produce Cooking Oil ourselves, we don't need to purchase it from China." The U.S. was China's top market for used cooking oil (UCO), importing a record 1.27 million metric tons worth $1.1 billion in 2024. But after China cut tax rebates late last year and the U.S. imposed tariffs on Chinese goods this year, imports plunged 65% in January-August to 290,690 tons, or $286.7 million. As such, Trump's comments would have "minimal" impact on the commodity, two UCO traders in China said on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to media. "Domestic producers are now mainly taking orders for Europe and are no longer considering the U.S. market," said one of the traders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SHORT HISTORY AS EXPORT MARKET FOR CHINESE COOKING OIL The U.S. does not have a long history of being a top export market for Chinese used cooking oil, a product that can be converted into renewable diesel and which has helped the U.S. become one of China's top ten export destinations only as recently as 2022. By contrast, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain and Malaysia have consistently processed hundreds of millions dollars' worth of Chinese UCO over the past decade, Chinese customs data shows. Year-to-date shipments to this year's top buyer Singapore are up 15% from last year at $537 million, while exports to the Netherlands - whose figures are distorted by the Rotterdam megaport - have jumped 131.5% over the same period. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chinese used cooking oil exports to the U.S. had surged in 2023, driven by federal and state incentives supporting biofuels and a rush to build new renewable diesel plants. TRUMP'S ANNOUNCEMENT 'NOT ESCALATORY,' ANALYSTS SAY Analysts said Trump's announcement was not escalatory following a week of fresh tariff threats and export controls. Used cooking oil trade is small compared with that of soybeans. Last year, China imported 22.13 million tons of U.S. soybeans worth $12 billion. But restricting UCO imports allows Trump to show the U.S. agriculture industry he is still being tough on China, some analysts said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Used cooking oil is a niche trade, but it shows how the Trump Administration is standing up for American farmers, just as China shifts its agricultural purchases towards other suppliers," said senior analyst Chim Lee at the Economist Intelligence Unit. China is the world's largest buyer of soybeans. In recent months it has slashed purchases of U.S. soybeans in favor of Brazilian and Argentine produce. Trump has called the shift a negotiation tactic. He said this month he hoped to discuss soybeans with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping while also saying the U.S. may halt a large share of imports from China. "So from 100% tariffs on all Chinese trade (in response to the rare earth/critical mineral export controls) to targeted sanctions on cooking oil?" Brad Setser, a former U.S. trade official now with the Council on Foreign Relations wrote on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Definitely not escalatory." (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington, Ella Cao and Joe Cash in Beijing and Aizhu Chen in Singapore; Editing by Ismail Shakil, Christopher Cushing and Bernadette Baum) President Donald Trump has been blowing hot and cold over the state of trade relations with China over the last week. On Tuesday, Oct. 14, Trump lashed out on Chinas decision to stop buying American soybeans as a retaliatory measure against U.S. tariffs imposed in April, and he threatened potential termination of cooking oil trade with China. I believe that China purposefully not buying our Soybeans, and causing difficulty for our Soybean Farmers, is an Economically Hostile Act, he wrote on Truth Social. We are considering terminating business with China having to do with Cooking Oil, and other elements of Trade, as retribution. As an example, we can easily produce Cooking Oil ourselves, we dont need to purchase it from China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China has been the biggest buyer of American soybeans, according to the American Soybean Association. Soybeans were the No. 1 U.S. agricultural export, worth about $24.5 billion and China bought more than half of that toal, roughly $12.6 billion worth in 2024, according to Farm Action, a nonpartisan, farmer-led watchdog organization. More: Amid tariff uncertainties, Iowa's soybean farmers head into harvest season Iowa is the second-largest soybean producing state after Illinois, and its growers have been pushing for the administration to reach a deal with China as it turns to the U.S.'s South American rivals, Brazil and Argentina, for its supply. Chinese used cooking oil exports to the U.S. surged in 2023, driven by federal and state incentives supporting biofuels and a rush to build new renewable diesel plants. In 2024, the United States received approximately 1.27 million metric tons of used cooking oil from China, which was about 43% of China's total UCO exports, according to the USDA. Among its uses is as a feedstock for biodiesel, of which Iowa is the top U.S. producer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But after China cut tax rebates late last year and the U.S. imposed tariffs on Chinese goods this year, imports plunged 65% from January through August to 290,690 tons, or $286.7 million. "Used cooking oil is a niche trade, but it shows how the Trump Administration is standing up for American farmers, just as China shifts its agricultural purchases towards other suppliers," said senior analyst Chim Lee at the Economist Intelligence Unit. New Trump threats to China disappointing for soybean farmers The boycott from China which purchased around half of all U.S. soybean exports last year has made this year especially hard for soybean farmers. On Friday, Trump suggested that he may not meet Chinese President Xi Jinping as part of an upcoming trip to South Korea over Chinas decision to restrict export of rare earth minerals. Trump threatened impose an additional 100% tariff on all Chinese imports in retaliation. The 100% tariff would be in addition to the 30% tariffs Trump already imposed on goods from China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It is impossible to believe that China would have taken such an action, but they have, and the rest is History," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Meanwhile, Trump just days before, on Oct. 6, had written on Truth Social that he would be meeting with Xi, of China, and that Soybeans will be a major topic of discussion. China isn't buying American soybeans, one of the most common crops in Kansas. Here, rows of soybeans dry Oct. 9, 2025, in a field off SE Stanley Road in Shawnee County. The news of the added tariff threat was not well received by the American Soybean Association, which was looking for a resolution on the deadlock. Caleb Ragland, ASA president, a soybean farmer from Magnolia, Kentucky, said the group was extremely disappointed that planned meeting had been canceled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said the association had been hopeful that the talks would lead to a deal that would restore U.S. soybean exports to China. U.S. President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with China's President Xi Jinping during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. Trade wars are harmful to everyone, and these latest developments are deeply disappointing at a moment when soybean farmers are facing an ever-growing financial crisis, he said. Two days later, on Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social saying it will all be fine with China. Highly respected President Xi just had a bad moment, he wrote. But that was then. On Tuesday, Trump was once again skeptical of China. We have to be careful with China, he said during a meeting with Argentine Argentina President Javier Milei. Look, I have a great relationship with President Xi, but sometimes it gets testy because China likes to take advantage of people and they can't take advantage of us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (This story was edited to add new information.) Reuters contributed to this article. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump threatens ban on cooking oil from China President Donald Trump threatened to escalate the trade war with China in a post online Tuesday, noting that his administration may end business with the country for cooking oil. I believe that China purposefully not buying our Soybeans, and causing difficulty for our Soybean Farmers, is an Economically Hostile Act, Trump wrote on Truth Social. We are considering terminating business with China having to do with Cooking Oil, and other elements of Trade, as retribution, he continued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump said the United States can easily produce cooking oil domestically and there is no need to purchase it from China. In 2024 alone, China imported nearly $12.8 billion worth of U.S. soybeans, CNBC reported. But now, as China protests Trumps trade war, the country has not purchased U.S. soybeans since May 2025. Last year, China exported a record high amount of cooking oil and the United States accounted for 43% of the purchases, CNBC noted. A shopper passes by cooking oil products at a supermarket in Beijing, Wednesday, July 10, 2024. | Ng Han Guan, Associated Press Trump said last week that he was considering expanding tariff fees in response to China making changes to its export policies for rare earth minerals. He said there would be a massive increase of tariffs on Chinese products. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, on Sunday, Trump backed off his threat and told people to not worry about China because it will all be fine. Trumps post Tuesday is the latest development in the trade war between the administration and China after the president implemented his Liberation Day tariff agenda earlier this year. The presidents varying tariffs have impacted the cost of many goods coming from China. Trump argues that the plan is to bring manufacturing back to the United States and decrease the trade deficit with other countries. US President Donald Trump said that his countrys $20 billion bailout for Argentina was contingent on Javier Mileis party prevailing in midterm elections. Buenos Aires is suffering a currency crisis; in a meeting in Washington, Trump reiterated Washingtons willingness to help, but added that if he loses, we are not going to be generous. Milei and Trump consider themselves political bedfellows, although they have very different approaches: The libertarian Milei has removed tariffs and import controls, while Trump has imposed new ones. Trump often ties diplomacy up with politics, though not always successfully: His comments during Canadas election hurt the Conservative Partys prospects, and Brazils left-wing leader has seen a poll boost following Trumps criticism of him. By Steve Holland and Nandita Bose WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened trade penalties, including tariffs, against Spain, saying he is unhappy with its refusal to raise defense spending to 5% and calling the move disrespectful to NATO. "I'm very unhappy with Spain. They're the only country that didn't raise their number up to 5%... so I'm not happy with Spain," Trump told reporters at the White House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I was thinking of giving them trade punishment through tariffs because of what they did, and I think I may do that," Trump added. Trump has repeatedly pushed NATO members to spend more on their own defense and cast doubt on Washington's willingness to come to the aid of members who do not spend enough. He said last week while meeting Finland's president that NATO should consider throwing Spain out of the alliance over its refusal to agree to the new commitment. Spain is a reliable member of the alliance and currently has 3,000 soldiers deployed under NATO, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Wednesday when asked about Trump's comments. "There is no doubt about Spain's commitment and contribution to (transatlantic) security," he told reporters during a visit to Hangzhou, China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Citing the great threat posed by Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, NATO members have argued that their previous spending commitment of 2% of GDP is no longer sufficient. Spain was the only member of the 32-nation alliance not to commit to increasing military spending to 5% of GDP. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez secured a last-minute exemption at the time, saying Spain would only spend up to 2.1%, which he called "sufficient and realistic." Madrid, which joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1982, has argued it compensates for the lower spending with strong troop contributions to NATO missions, including deployments in Latvia, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. (Reporting by Steve Holland and Nandita Bose in Washington; additional reporting by Simon Lewis; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Charlie Devereux) Hot on the heels of a major diplomatic victory in Gaza that saw the remaining Israeli hostages released by Hamas, President Donald Trump is looking to repeat his success in a far more challenging arena: The nearly four-year-old Russian invasion of Ukraine. Trump, who has said he thought this conflict would be the easiest to settle, is set to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday in what could be a pivotal visit for Zelensky, who is openly seeking access to more advanced American weaponry that would let his armed forces strike targets deep inside Russia. The relationship between the two leaders has been replete with conflict dating back to a now-infamous 2019 phone call shortly after Zelenskys election that ended up leading to Trumps first of two impeachments after he tried to extort the Ukrainian leader into announcing sham investigations into then-former vice president Joe Biden and his son. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It took another ugly turn in February when Zelensky visited the White House just a month into Trumps second term to discuss what was supposed to be a mineral rights agreement with the U.S. but ended up in a shouting match after which he was asked to leave. Relations between them have warmed in recent months, however, as Trump has soured on Putin due to the latters habit of attacking civilian targets in Ukraine after assuring Trump he wants to end the war. The president has often boasted in recent months about his success in brokering solutions to military conflicts, some with extremely long histories including the decades-old border dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia, a recent spat between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan, and the Israel-Hamas conflict, which was just the latest instance of a conflict dating back to Israels founding in 1948. But the Russia-Ukraine war, which will enter its fourth year in February or 11th year if starting the clock from the 2014 Russian invasion of Crimea is not like the others he has claimed to have solved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine, with support from the United States and Europe, has transformed its armed forces from what was once a tired, Soviet-style army equipped with gear left over from Ukraines days as a Soviet republic into a modern fighting force that is adept with the most cutting-edge methods of drone warfare and boasts a range of modern American-built weaponry. Trump and Zelensky are set to meet again at the White House on Friday (AFP via Getty Images) Kyivs forces have largely kept Russia contained within an area of the country that has long been contested by Russian-backed separatists, turning the conflict into something akin to the trench warfare that raged across Europe during the First World War more than a century ago. But Zelensky is hoping that Trump, with a full head of steam after successfully bringing about a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza using Americas considerable leverage over Israel to force Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a deal and the threat of further military force to compel Hamas to concur, will take a similar approach to Moscow going forward. In a social media post on Monday, he explicitly compared Putin and Hamas, writing that the Russian leader can be forced into peace just like any other terrorist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even Hamas is now preparing to release hostages. If that is possible, then Putin can also be forced to restore peace, he added. While Trump was able to leverage Americas relationship with Netanyahus government to force the Israeli leader to accept a settlement over the objections of several members of his right-wing coalition, the president doesnt have the same pressure points to work with Putin. But he does have other ones he can manipulate, economic or otherwise. European leaders have warned that Moscow is transitioning to a full-time war economy even while it teeters on the brink of economic catastrophe, and the time to strike with harsher financial penalties and sanctions is now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yet Trump has thus far refrained from backing a Senate-authored bill to impose severe sanctions on Moscow, and has not yet taken action against the shadow fleet of tankers Putin uses to bypass price caps on Russian oil exports even though hes threatened to do so if the European Union can completely wean itself off of Russian petroleum products. The subject of increasing pressure on Putin with sanctions is bound to come up with Zelensky when the Ukrainian leader enters the Oval Office three days from now, as is Zelenskys desire for American-built Tomahawk cruise missiles that have the range for his forces to strike deep inside Russian territory including Moscow and beyond. The two leaders spoke on Sunday before Trump left Washington for Israel, with the American president calling their interaction a good conversation in which they discussed the weapons they need including more Patriot air-defense missiles. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters: Theyd like to have Tomahawks thats a step up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said he told Zelensky that he might consult with Moscow before providing such weapons, calling their provision a new step of aggression. The possibility of that move drew condemnation from former Russian president Dimitri Medvedev, who on Monday claimed on Telegram it would be impossible for Russian forces to distinguish between conventionally-armed and nuclear-armed Tomahawks even though the latter weapons were removed from American arsenals years ago. One can only hope that this is another empty threat, he said. But Trump does not appear to be deterred and threatened to send Ukraine the weapons over Russias objections if this war is not going to get settled. The Tomahawk is a an incredible weapon, very offensive weapon. And honestly, Russia does not need that, he said. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) just posted the best fundraising quarter of his career, despite threats from President Donald Trump and a MAGA super PAC hoping to derail his 2026 reelection bid. Massie raised nearly $768,000 from July to September, according to a filing with the Federal Election Commission released Wednesday and reported by POLITICO. Between April and June, he had received around $584,000 in donations. The new record comes as Massie, who has continued to remain at odds with his own party, has repeatedly broken with Trump on key issues, including voting against the presidents big, beautiful bill over the summer and criticizing his authority to launch U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites without congressional approval. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump had fired back at Massie at the time, calling him not MAGA and saying that the movement doesnt want him, doesnt know him, and doesnt respect him. He is a negative force who almost always Votes NO, no matter how good something may be. Hes a simple minded grandstander..., Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform in June. In July, Trump described Massie in another post as the worst Republican Congressman and an Embarrassment to his home state. Hes lazy, slow moving, and totally disingenuous - A real loser! Never has anything positive to add, he said. Most recently, Massie has sparked the ire of his Republican colleagues in introducing a discharge petition that would prompt a floor vote on the Justice Department releasing all files related to the investigation into late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. He also urged Trump to tone down his rhetoric in the wake of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While no clear Republican primary challengers to Massie have emerged, Trump said he was looking for someone I can Endorse and vigorously campaign for to defeat him. Allies of Trump created MAGA KY in July as part of a broader effort to unseat Massie, which would be the first united attempt by Trumps team to unseat a sitting Republican member of Congress. Meanwhile, Massie has continued to report strong fundraising numbers, with his campaign indicating in July that he had stockpiled more than $1.7 million for his reelection run, including money left over from his 2024 bid. During the same month, Massie told NBC News that the super PAC has spent $1.8 million in his congressional district. I think its had very little effect, but they are trying to beat up on me to keep everyone else in line here and I think it is not working, Massie said. I think whats going to happen, this will be a referendum on whether the executive branch controls the legislative branch. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most of the donations documented are from individual contributors, a filing shows. The reelection committees of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) have each sent over $2,000. Stories by Rachel Cohen Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here. By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Trump administration said on Wednesday it was withholding $40.6 million from California in federal transportation funding for failing to comply with truck driver English proficiency rules. The U.S. Transportation Department had warned California, Washington state and New Mexico in August that they could lose funding unless they adopt English proficiency requirements for commercial truck drivers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "California is the only state in the nation that refuses to ensure big rig drivers can read our road signs and communicate with law enforcement, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. A spokesperson for California Governor Gavin Newsom said in the state's response to the Transportation Department, it said its laws, regulations, standards, and orders were either identical to or had the same effect as federal safety requirements, including English language proficiency. "California properly enforces this requirement through its commercial drivers licensure procedures," the spokesperson said, adding those state license holders had a fatal crash rate nearly 40% lower than the national average. The withheld funding was for roadside inspections, traffic enforcement, safety audits of trucking companies, and public education campaigns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has taken a series of steps to address concerns about foreign truck drivers who do not speak English, and in August, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was immediately pausing the issuance of all worker visas for commercial truck drivers. Last month, the Transportation Department issued emergency rules to drastically restrict commercial driver licenses to non-U.S. citizens after a fatal crash in Florida and a government audit. In April, Trump signed an executive order directing enforcement of a rule requiring commercial drivers in the U.S. to meet English proficiency standards. While the English-proficiency standard for truckers was already longstanding U.S. law, the order reversed 2016 guidance that inspectors should not place commercial drivers out of service if their only violation was lack of English. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FMCSA said in 2023 that about 16% of U.S. truck drivers were born outside the United States. Duffy said last month he was launching a separate enforcement action against California, requiring it to pause issuing some commercial driver licenses to non-U.S. citizens. California has 30 days to comply or the Trump administration will withhold federal highway funds, starting with nearly $160 million in the first year and then doubling. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Nia Williams and Jamie Freed) On Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. military had killed six people in a strike on a boat that, Trump said, was trafficking narcotics. It was the fifth such strike in international waters since Sept. 2, with a combined death toll of 27 people. The Trump administration has promised even more to come, but we already know enough about these strikes to call them what they are: extrajudicial killings that are flagrantly illegal under both domestic and international law. No one is under any illusions that anyone in the administration is likely to listen to the voices across the political spectrum who agree with this conclusion: Vice President (and Yale Law graduate) JD Vance declared he doesnt give a s--- whether the strikes are illegal. But it is critical that the rest of us refuse to treat these strikes as a new normal. Everyone who cares about the rule of law and human rights must continue to press for transparency, accountability and an immediate end to this illegal and lethal campaign. For weeks, the administration has trumpeted these strikes with grainy videos of explosions and unsupported allegations that the people killed are drug cartel members and terrorists (neither of which would justify extrajudicial killings). But underneath the White Houses bravado, The Wall Street Journal reported in mid-September that some military lawyers and other Defense Department officials are raising concerns about the legal implications, including for potential violations of the federal criminal murder statute. And they are right to worry, because all indications are that these strikes have violated the federal criminal murder statute as well as the prohibition on murder in the Uniform Code of Military Justice, with few plausible defenses in sight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subsequently, the administration informed Congress that Trump unilaterally determined that the United States is in a noninternational armed conflict against certain gangs and cartels that it has (again unilaterally) designated as terrorist organizations. This was a transparent attempt to legally backfill their operations, Brian Finucane, a former State Department lawyer and expert in the laws of war, told The New York Times. And while CNN reports that the Office of Legal Counsel has produced a secret memo (which has not even been shown to Congress) that authorizes lethal strikes against a secret and expansive list of cartels and suspected drug traffickers, its not clear whether that legal opinion was issued before the U.S. started killing people at sea. The governments apparent position is that drug cartels are engaged in an armed attack on the United States because (as The New York Times reported) 100,000 Americans die annually from [drug] overdoses. Tragic as that is, drug cartels are criminal groups and thats in fact how our many drug laws deal with them and how the government has treated such groups throughout our history. Moreover, these strikes were conducted thousands of miles from American shores, and there does not seem to be any evidence that the boats targeted were even heading to the United States. In fact, Secretary of State Rubio said after the first lethal strike that the boats contents were probably headed to Trinidad or some other country in the Caribbean. In one case, the boat had literally turned around before it was bombed. In another, Colombian President Gustavo Petro alleged that the boat targeted was actually Colombian, with Colombian citizens on board. The Trump administration disputed that claim, but a new CNN report indicates that Colombians were deliberately targeted. In fact, whatever the government now says in an attempt to cover its tracks does not magically unlock legal authority to use force, and the boat strikes cannot be justified full stop. There is no credible factual or legal argument that the United States is engaged in an armed conflict with any drug cartel under international law. Under international law, an armed conflict between a nation and a nonstate group the kind of noninternational armed conflict the president is now claiming exists requires protracted armed violence between governmental authorities and organized armed groups or between such groups within a State. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Drug smuggling has undoubtedly harmful consequences and costs, but it is not even arguably armed violence, let alone the kind of sustained violent clashes that meets the criteria for an armed conflict. And there is no evidence that the groups allegedly targeted in these boat strikes are sufficiently organized and conducting military hostilities and operations against the United States, either. Notably, the president has not asked Congress for any authorization for use of force or declaration of war. My organization, the ACLU, does not take positions on the political merits of U.S. conflicts abroad, but we have long insistedfrom the Vietnam War to the bombing of Cambodia to the post-9/11 erathat the Constitution assigns only to Congress the power to authorize use of force. Just as the president announcing an armed conflict does not make it so, Congress similarly cannot convert a deliberate series of criminal attacks into a lawful use of force. And whatever the identities of the 27 people the U.S. government has killed in these strikes, they are civilians under both international and domestic law. The murder statutes in both U.S. criminal and military law prohibit the use of lethal force against civilians, and no plausible exception applies here. Even if the law of war were to apply (and it absolutely does not), it would prohibit direct attacks against civilians who are not directly participating in the conflict and that includes a drug cartels criminal activities do not clear the bar. The Trump administrations astonishing assertion of authority to use lethal force would be laughed out of any courtroom anywhere were its consequences not so absolutely serious. Congress, the courts and the American people must bring an end to the executive branchs ever-more-capacious and unilateral expansions of authority to use lethal force abroad. Over the past 25 years, administrations of both parties have pushed aggressive theories of executive power by expansively interpreting the executive branchs Article II and statutory powers. In areas of foreign affairs and national security in particular, the courts have for too long excessively deferred to the office of the president. The institutions with the power to check these activities should step up to actually do so. A decades-long one-way ratchet of executive power helped produce Trumps latest legally and morally abominable acts, and these strikes should be a wake-up call to all. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) The contentious hour at Norfolk State University between gubernatorial candidates Democrat Abigail Spanberger and Republican Winsome Earle-Sears is reverberating after the fact in the form of attack ads. Virginia Governors Debate: Spanberger and Earle-Sears face off in exclusive debate And Truth Tracker is homing in on those ads after many of you watched last Thursdays debate on WAVY-TV 10 and multiple WAVY platforms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Truth Tracker One of those ads ran at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, capturing one of the memorable moments in the hour-long exchange. To see what is true and what is false, 10 On Your Side spoke with Dr. Jesse Richman, a political analyst from Old Dominion University. I think the time when Spanbergers refusal to answer cost her, Richman said. At one point during the debate, Earle-Sears questioned Spanberger directly, but the Democrat did not answer and looked straight ahead. Earle-Sears: Abigail, would it take him pulling the trigger? Is that what would do it? And then you would say, he needs to get out of the race? Abigail, you have nothing to say? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She would say nothing. Earle-Sears: Abigail? What if he had said it about your three children? Is that when you would say he should get out of the race? Abigail? Many found it uncomfortable to watch. It makes her look arrogant and disconnected and Earle-Sears campaign is using that to their advantage in the ad, Richman said. That is true. After the debate, Earle-Sears political consultant Mark Harris is quoted as saying: Everything is about Jay Jones. [Political violence will be] what the remainder of this campaign is going to fundamentally be about. It is true. Ten points down in the polls, Earle-Sears went on the attack at the debate and in ads. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other ads show Spanberger on stage with Democratic Attorney General candidate Jay Jones. Spanberger is on tape telling the crowd about Jones. We deserve an attorney general who will stand up for the people, Spanberger says. It is true this image is deceiving, making you think this could be an appearance since the debate when Spanberger would not say whether she is supporting, or voting for Jones. That appearance occurred long before the texting scandal hit. During the debate, Spanberger distanced herself from Jones, saying everyone is running their own campaigns. In her commercial, Spanberger tells the crowd: Let your rage fuel you. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The line, especially in the current political climate, can have different meanings. In the Sears ad, it states, Jay Jones says he wants to put two bullets into a political opponent. Then you hear Spanberger say: Let your rage fuel you. It is true Abigail Spanberger said that, but it was before the texting scandal. Truth Tracker finds it false to imply something nefarious is meant by the phrase, let your rage fuel you. It is false to imply that Spanberger is saying that in response to whatever Jones said. Spanberger told the Washington Post the phrase came from her mother. Spanbergers comment was in fact part of an appeal for supporters to channel their political unhappiness into constructive actions, according to The Washington Post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You see something that you are upset about, take action, so theres potentially a less violent approach at the same time, Richman said. I do think rage remains a dangerous fuel in politics. 10 On Your Side reached out to several top local Democrats for comment, but no one wanted to comment or appear, and Spanbergers campaign has yet to reply. Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 4. 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 WAVY.com. Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Empty beaches, shuttered restaurants and a hotel occupancy rate barely reaching 49%, compared with 66.7% during the same period in 2024 reflect the worst tourism season for Tulum, Mexico, in the past decade. What was a global icon of alternative tourism and eco-luxury only a few years ago faces an unprecedented drop in visitors, driven by soaring prices, record levels of sargassum, rising crime and disputes over beach access. One of its main attractions, the archaeological zone, received nearly 75,000 visitors in September last year. This year, just 18,000 travelers came, according to Mexico's Tourism Secretariat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tulum is a coastal city about two hours south of Cancun by car. Known for its electronic music festivals, stunning beaches and bohemian vibe, it has been one of the Mexican Caribbean's top tourist destinations over the past decade. Tulum Mayor Diego Castanon acknowledged the difficult situation and announced measures to reverse the trend, including free access to all 25 public beach access points and an agreement with hotel and transportation associations to lower rates during the slow season. However, the measures come too late for many local business owners. Along the streets and in artisan markets, about half of all shops have closed and hundreds of families now depend on tourists who no longer arrive. Rising prices and other issues are citied for driving away domestic visitors who traditionally booked hotels during the slow season. The Riviera Maya, which includes Tulum, received 12.2 million tourists in 2024, including 9.7 million international visitors and 2.5 million domestic travelers, according to consulting firm The Talks, cited by Expansion. The number will be far lower this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The issue deepened after the inauguration in September 2024 of Jaguar Park, which was launched by former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Since January, it has been managed by the Mexican Army, which now controls access to one of the municipality's most iconic public beaches. As a result, a family of four went from paying 500 Mexican pesos, or about $30, to 1,400 pesos, or about $75, to access the archaeological site and coastal area. "They privatized the beaches," said Victor Espinoza, president of a local artisans' cooperative, in an interview with ADN Noticias. He said daily visitors had dropped from 15,000 to fewer than 500. In addition, municipal authorities have imposed new restrictions at access points: visitors may not bring food, drinks or umbrellas and must buy exclusively from authorized vendors. According to the local government, the policy aims to boost beach businesses, but critics say it reinforces an exclusionary model. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beyond the immediate crisis, experts warn the situation exposes the limits of a development model built on unplanned growth. During the pandemic, Tulum and the rest of Mexico had few health restrictions. Travelers could arrive by air and move freely, triggering a construction boom that began in 2021. But the real-estate and hotel expansion over the last several years has overwhelmed the region's water, waste and power systems, causing pollution in cenotes, mangroves and offshore discharge points. Governance problems, corruption allegations and rising violence -- including the killing of Municipal Security Secretary Jose Roberto Rodriguez -- have also damaged the destination's image. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The attack, which occurred in March, marked a turning point in perceptions of safety in the area. The killing, attributed to criminal groups in retaliation for police operations, revealed institutional weakness and the growing presence of organized crime. Since then, business owners and tourists have reported increased fear, and violence has discouraged visitors and deepened Tulum's economic and reputational crisis. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) Federal and state wildlife agencies are working with the Tennessee Valley Authority to bring a rare East Tennessee mussel back from the brink of extinction. The group recently released 100 extremely rare Appalachian rockshell mussels into the rocky bottoms of the Powell and Clinch rivers. TVA says Appalachian rockshell mussels are only found in these two rivers, and the species is on the brink of extinction. Knoxville woman returns home to mold, spoiled food after power line cut accidentally Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources said fewer than 50 individuals have been documented alive in the past 20 years, making it one of North Americas most critically endangered species. It takes a team of agency and university partners to collect, raise and reintroduce the endangered Appalachian rockshell (formerly monkeyface) mussel back to its home rivers in the Clinch and Powell. (Photo by Susan Ehrenclou / TVA) One- and four-year-old endangered Appalachian rockshell (formerly monkeyface) mussels ready for release into the Clinch and Powell rivers, thanks to a partnership between TVA, Virginia Department of Wildlife Reources and Tennessee Wildlife Reources Agency to raise and release them. (Photo by Susan Ehrenclou / TVA) Adam Bajo-Walker carefully settles endangered Appalachian rockshell mussels into the Powell River bottom after a successful reintroduction partnership program. (Photo by Susan Ehrenclou / TVA) Partners make stewardship projects happen here, TVA Matt Reed, TWRA Brittany Bajo-Walker, TVA Todd Amacker and VDWR Tim Lane stand with Appalachian rockshell mussels to release. (Photo by Susan Ehrenclou / TVA) Each of the mussels sported a bright dot. When biologists snorkel in the stream in coming seasons, theyll be able to spot the hatchery-raised mussels. And theyll look for baby mussels without dots a sign that mussels are happily breeding in the wild once again, wrote TVA. To raise the mussel released, partners from TVA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency and Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources collected a few of the mussels from the wild and took them to the Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center in Marion, Virginia, in an attempt to breed them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 18-year-old charged after car crashes into house in Powell Mussels are hard to raise. They release their tiny larvae, called glochidia, only in specific host fish so finding a match and making it work is a challenge. The project took years, wrote TVA. Their efforts hatched more baby mussels than expected, so they could keep some of the babies to raise more mussels. TVA adds that mussels play a role in filtering water, with a single mussel filtering eight to 15 gallons of water each day. In addition, of the about 300 species of mussels that call the United States home, around 130 can be found within Tennessee. 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 WATE 6 On Your Side. QUITO, Ecuador (AP) Two explosions rocked different parts of Ecuador on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after a vehicle exploded in a port city in the South American country and left one person dead. Explosives were placed on bridges to block traffic, Transportation Minister Roberto Luque wrote on X, describing the acts as terrorism. No casualties have been reported, though roads leading to the affected areas remain closed. Interior Minister John Reimberg accused Los Lobos, one of Ecuadors largest criminal gangs, which is designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States, and dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, a now-defunct Colombian guerrilla movement with ties to the gang, of being behind the blasts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reimberg said the attacks came after security operations destroyed illegal mining operations in northern Ecuador and detained ex-FARC members, known as the Oliver Sinisterra Front. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blasts. The State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs condemned the attacks in a post on the social media platform X on Wednesday, calling it a "brazen terrorist attacks against the Ecuadorian people." We remain committed to the fight to eradicate organized crime and stand ready to support Ecuador in holding those responsible to account, it wrote in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Associated Press obtained a police report that confirmed the bridge structure in the city of Naranjal, about 290 kilometers (180 miles) southwest of the capital, Quito, sustained damage from the suspected detonation". Marcela Aguinaga, prefect of the Guayas province, where Naranjal is located, condemned the criminal act on X. The other explosion occurred on a bridge connecting the provinces of Azuay and El Oro in southern Ecuador. The emergency services reported on X that the route was closed due to a possible collapse of the structure. Images released by local media showed rubble, twisted metal from the bridge, and shattered windshields on at least two buses. On Tuesday night, a pickup truck exploded in a busy commercial area of the coastal city of Guayaquil, killing a man and wounding two other people, while damaging restaurants, buildings, and a popular shopping mall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Attorney Generals Office said it had launched an investigation into the blasts, while the government offered a reward for any information leading to the identification and capture of those responsible. The explosions are the latest in a wave of violence that has engulfed the South American nation in recent years as criminal enterprises have shifted their drug smuggling from more militarized countries like Colombia to historically peaceful Ecuador. The government of President Daniel Noboa has struggled to beat back criminal groups. On Wednesday, Noboa said in a public event that the country cannot back down before people who want to terrorize Ecuadorian families. In March, a vehicle exploded outside Ecuadors largest and most dangerous prison on the outskirts of Guayaquil, killing a prison guard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2023, Ecuador saw several other car bomb attacks as part of a wave of criminal violence that has plagued the Andean nation since early 2021. ____ Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america Two men from Rishon Lezion and Jerusalem were arrested this week for allegedly threatening Prime Minister Netanyahu, one in person at a Tel Aviv military base and the other on social media. Two men were taken into custody this week in separate incidents after allegedly threatening to kill Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one at the entrance to a military base in Tel Aviv and the other through a post on Instagram, police said Wednesday. A 46-year-old resident of Rishon Lezion was indicted on Monday for making threats against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other elected officials, according to a statement from the Israel Police Spokespersons Unit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On October 13, police received a report via the 100 emergency hotline about a suspicious individual at the entrance to a military base in central Tel Aviv. The individual allegedly made statements expressing intent to murder the Prime Minister and other public figures. Officers from the Tel Aviv Station arrested the suspect, who continued making threats toward officials and police during the arrest. The suspect was questioned and brought before the court, which extended his detention until October 15. Police car at night (credit: POLICE SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT) The Tel Aviv District Prosecution Unit filed an indictment on Monday for multiple counts of making threats in three separate incidents, along with a request to detain the suspect until the end of legal proceedings. Jerusalem man arrested for threatening Netanyahu on social media In a separate incident, a 21-year-old man from Jerusalem was arrested on Monday after allegedly posting a threat against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Instagram. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the post, the suspect wrote: I want to slaughter him with a gun. Police requested to extend the suspects detention by six days. On Tuesday, the Jerusalem Magistrates Court extended it by two days. TWO RIVERS, Wis. (WFRV) Two Wisconsin residents were arrested Monday after allegedly stealing items from a garage in Manitowoc County. According to the Two Rivers Police Department, officers responded to the 100 block of Turner Street on Oct. 13 for a burglary complaint where two individuals were found taking items from a garage. This is not okay,: Officers remind residents about littering after large couch, other items found Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suspects were located in Brown County and detained by the Brown County Sheriffs Office before being turned over to Two Rivers authorities. $1.5 million home in Wisconsin destroyed in massive fire Most of the stolen property was recovered from the suspects vehicle, seized as evidence, processed, and returned to the victim. Joleen Johnson, 43, and Marvin Gray, 51, both of Two Rivers, were transported to the Manitowoc County Jail. 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 WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. Allison Green, chief of the Independent Investigations Division in the Attorney General's Office, details the indictment of two Anne Arundel County police officers, as Attorney General Anthony Brown listens. Green resigned this week after those indictments, the office's first, were tossed out. (Screenshot from Attorney General's Office video) The Maryland attorney generals office is looking for a new leader for its police oversight unit, after its top two staffers resigned, the office confirmed Tuesday. The office posted a job opening Tuesday for a new division chief at the Independent Investigations Division, the unit that handles all deaths involving law enforcement in Maryland and which recently gained the authority to prosecute police officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The staffing changes come after the divisions first set of officer indictments were tossed out last month by an Anne Arundel County Circuit Court judge. IID Chief Allison Green and deputy chief Renee Martel Joy have resigned and will remain with the Office through the end of this week, according to a statement from Jennifer Donelan, a spokesman for the attorney generals office. She said Jonathan Smith, chief of the offices Civil Rights Division, will serve as IID interim leader while a robust search for new leadership is underway. Asked whether the outcome of the Anne Arundel County case contributed to the staff shakeup, Donelan said the office does not comment on personnel matters. The job posting says the attorney general is seeking an exceptional attorney to lead one of its most consequential and high-profile divisions: the Independent Investigations Division. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of public safety and accountability in Maryland, it says. The posting seeks candidates with at least 10 years of experience in criminal prosecutions or defense, and offers a salary range of $135,418 to $191,453. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The role requires a skilled criminal trial lawyer and leader who brings vision and integrity to the work someone who can implement and refine best practices in the handling of these complex and sensitive cases, the posting states. The new director will oversee an office that was created by the General Assembly in 2021 to evaluate and publish reports about all instances in which a person dies during an interaction with Maryland law enforcement officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the Independent Investigations Division only gained the authority to prosecute officers it investigated in 2023; before that, it was up to local jurisdictions whether or not to charge officers involved in a death. The first charges filed by IID with that new authority came in December 2024, when Anne Arundel County Police Cpl. Eddie Vasquez and Cpl. Kieran Schnell were indicted for a high-speed chase a year earlier that ended in a fatal crash. In December 2023, Vasquez and Schnell, in separate cruisers, chased a vehicle with its headlights off traveling 92 mph on Fort Smallwood Road, which has a 35 mph speed limit. The chase went on for 2 miles and reached speeds of 109 mph before Meziah Johnsons car hit a utility pole, killing his passenger, Damione Gardner, 22. Johnson survived. Now 25, he has since pleaded guilty to negligent manslaughter, drug possession and theft up to $25,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the indictment, neither Vasquez nor Schnell activated emergency lights or sirens, or their body-worn cameras, or contacted a supervisor. The pair made factual misrepresentations and material omissions to [their] supervisors about the circumstances of the crash and concealed the occurrence, prosecutors said. Vasquez and Schnell, who respectively had five and six years of service with the department, were charged with misconduct in office. But during a hearing in September, Anne Arundel County Circuit Judge Stacy McCormack said the state failed to reach the burden of proof necessary for the charges against the two officers to move forward. McCormack also said that the state failed to prove it followed procedures to keep compelled statements made by the officers during an internal affairs investigation separate from the attorneys prosecuting the case. Under the law, prosecutors cannot see those compelled statements or use them in trial, due to officers rights protecting them from self-incrimination during questioning by their employer. The burden is an affirmative one, McCormack said. The AG must demonstrate that its evidence is not tainted by any direct or indirect exposures to the compelled testimony. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think its very important to note that I understand that this is a serious case involving an accident where an individual lost his life, McCormack said, before dismissing the charges. At the time of the officers indictment, Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal E. Awad said her department had investigated the incident and was not aware of any conduct demonstrated by our officers that rises to the level of a violation of criminal law. Once the charges were dismissed by McCormack, the department said that both Vasquez and Schnell were reinstated to full-duty status on the force. These are good officers, Vasquezs attorney Andrew Jezic said after the ruling. Their main focus was getting these two guys out of the car and into the hands of the emergency personnel. This ruling could not have benefited finer, more dedicated officers and extremely nice young men. Maryland Matters reporter William J. Ford contributed to this report. Could airport delays stop the two-week long shutdown? Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., is doubtful. I havent seen anything that breaks the stalemate, he told Semafor, adding: This whole thing is stupid. After the Houses stopgap bill failed again Monday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune switched up tactics, setting up a vote later this week on a defense-only funding bill. Senate Minority whip Dick Durbin wants Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson to meet with Democratic leaders and President Donald Trump: Its time for us to sit down and resolve this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres no sign of such a meeting yet and some senators say the shutdown isnt breaking through back home. Most of my constituency back in Texas doesnt know the government is shut down, except for delays in air traffic, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told Semafor. Its obviously a battle of wills. TYLER, Texas (KETK) Tyler ISD Early College High School senior, Allie Allen, is having her dreams take flight as she works toward the future of aviation. Upshur County District Attorney Billy Byrd announces retirement, hints at future plans Photo courtesy of Tyler ISD I always had an interest in aviation, Allen said. I just didnt have a way to pursue it. Allen had her goals take flight this summer when she was selected for a prestigious flight program for the U.S. Air Force AIM High Flight Academy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I did not know that there were any programs that would let people as young as me be able to fly planes and to even pursue something in aviation so young, Allen said. She took to the sky and learned how to fly planes next to military pilots. The three-week program had flight sessions with instructors and had current military members share their experiences. Photo courtesy of Tyler ISD You would kind of slowly take over the controls yourself, and then by the end of the academy, I was able to do flight patterns by myself, and I was able to safely land and safely take off, Allen said. While Allie was learning to take the controls, it also helped her decide her future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It really showed me that what I did want to do was military flying because all those civilians didnt speak to me, I think military flying really did, Allen said. Thats kind of helping me decide, like what I want to do after high school. City of Tyler to welcome delegation from sister city in Poland After she finished the three-week-long program, Allen brought all that knowledge home, creating her schools first aviation club and is now planning to help the younger students apply for the same program that allowed her dreams to take off. Photo courtesy of Tyler ISD I found my passion for aviation, I really wanted to spread it beyond just me, Allen said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shes encouraging her fellow students to follow their dreams and keep working toward the future. Putting your best foot forward every single day will help your future self, Allen said. Even if you dont know what you want to do right now, you will eventually figure it out, and then youll have set yourself up for success for the future. You can now stream KETK and FOX51 News live 24/7 on your smart TV with KETK+, our brand-new app! No antenna, cable, or satellite neededwatch for free, anytime. Just download it on your Roku, Apple TV, or Fire TV and start streaming. 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 KETK.com | FOX51.com. The U.S. Coast Guard has seized more than 50 tons of cocaine worth an estimated $1.4 billion in one of the largest maritime drug operations in recent history. Coast Guard crews conducted 34 separate seizures between early August and early October across the Eastern Pacific Ocean, a region long recognized as a primary corridor for drug smuggling routes linking South and Central America to the United States, according to ABC News. The operation resulted in the arrests of 86 people who authorities say were linked to transnational criminal organizations involved in the cocaine trade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This announcement comes after the U.S. Coast Guard surged assets in the region, with the military branch spending the last two months attempting to interdict, seize and disrupt transshipments of cocaine and other bulk illicit drugs. Through Operation Pacific Viper, the Coast Guard is accelerating counter-drug operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, where significant transport of illicit narcotics continues from Central and South America, Coast Guard officials stated in a news release. Rear Adm. Jeffrey Novak, deputy commander of U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area, called the seizure of over 100,000 pounds of cocaine a remarkable achievement and commended the work being done by all those involved. When we say the Coast Guard is accelerating counter-narcotics operations, we mean it. Alongside our partners and allies, our maritime fighting force is scouring drug smuggling routes in the Eastern Pacific and dismantling narco-terrorist networks, he said. As we mark our interdiction of 100,000 pounds, we are already working towards the next milestone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Coast Guards operation follows a series of major narcotics seizures reported across U.S. borders in recent months. Earlier this month, Customs and Border Protection officers in Laredo, Texas, confiscated nearly $4.5 million worth of cocaine hidden in a tractor-trailer at the World Trade Bridge, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. Similarly, CBP discovered 70 packages of cocaine worth more than $2.3 million hidden in a tractor-trailer at the Hidalgo port of entry in September. Travelers are being encouraged to stay vigilant in a tropical paradise. The United States Department of State reissued a travel advisory for the Maldives, continuing to warn Americans to "exercise increased caution" when heading there. The "Level 2" advisory, which was re-published Oct. 7 with an updated summary, alerts travelers they should be aware of potential terrorism in the island country. There is risk of terrorist violence, including terrorist attacks and other activity in the Maldives, the State Department warned, adding American travelers should "stay aware of your surroundings" and "avoid demonstrations and crowds." The State Department added it was possible attacks may occur around tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets, malls, and around local government facilities. And while picturesque and beautiful, the island chain's large footprint can pose a challenge for first responders. "Attacks may occur on remote islands," the official advisory reads. "This can lengthen the response time of authorities." Earlier this year, the State Department's OSAC issued an advisory classifying the capital of Male as having a "medium" threat level when it comes to terrorism "directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The Government of Maldivess counterterrorism efforts concentrate on countering violent extremism and limiting the flow of foreign terrorist fighters," the advisory noted. "Violent attacks and threats have occurred against members of the local media, political parties, and civil society. In the past, killings and violent attacks have targeted secular bloggers and activists from [the] Maldives." Located in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives is made up of more than 1,100 different islands. The country is famous for its breathtaking overwater bungalows, unique hotels, and beautiful beaches. Visiting during the dry season from about November to April will ensure consistently sunny weather and amazing diving conditions, while May to October means fewer crowds. Travelers who do head to the Maldives are encouraged to enroll in the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), which offers international travelers alerts on current conditions. The warning comes as countries around the world have also faced security risk concerns. Celebrity Cruises, for example, recently adjusted its schedule to skip a popular port in Haiti. The State Department has issued its highest Level 4 travel warning for the Caribbean country, warning Americans "do not travel" there due to potential violence. The State Department issues travel advisories based on four levels: "level 1: exercise normal precautions," "level 2: exercise increased caution," "level 3: reconsider travel," and "level 4: do not travel" to a destination. Currently, there are 21 countries and territories classified under a level 4 designation. Read the original article on Travel & Leisure Oct. 15 (UPI) -- The Trump administration said it has revoked the visas of six foreign nationals who posted social media messages disparaging slain conservative activist and provocateur Charlie Kirk. "The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans," the State Department said in a statement. The announcement of the visa revocations was made Tuesday, the same day President Donald Trump posthumously awarded Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kirk was fatally shot Sept. 10 while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Authorities have arrested Tyler Robinson, 22, with the murder. The founder of the conservative Turning Point USA nonprofit, Kirk was celebrated by many conservatives for spreading their message among university students, while critics have accused him of using racist, xenophobic, anti-LGBTQ and misogynistic rhetoric to promote policies some have described as discriminatory. Shortly after Kirk's death, as comments began appearing online, the Trump administration warned non-citizens against making disparaging remarks about the Trump ally. Officials also urged members of the public to report such comments to the State Department, which, under the Trump administration, has revoked visas from non-citizens whose presence in the United States is deemed to interfere with national interests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Redacted copies of the statements made by the non-citizens whose visas were revoked were included in the State Department thread on X. One Argentine national whose visa was revoked had written that they do not care about "the death of a person who devoted his entire life spreading racist, xenophobic, misogynistic rhetoric." A South African whose visa was revoked had written that Kirk "was used to astroturf a movement of white nationalist trailer trash!" A German national had written in German that "when fascists die, democrats don't' complain," without mentioning Kirk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Aliens who take advantage of America's hospitality while celebrating the assassination of our citizens will be removed," the State Department said. However, the legality of the revocations is being questioned. Carrie DeCell, senior staff attorney and legislative advisor at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, told UPI in an emailed statement that this action is tantamount to censorship. "Mere 'mockery' can't be grounds for adverse government action -- whether revocation or broadcast licenses or revocation of visas," she said, referring to other actions of the Trump administration that have attracted criticism of censorship. "While the government can revoke visas for many reasons, the First Amendment forbids it from doing so based on viewpoint." The U.S. State Department headquarters at dusk in Washington, D.C., on July 11, 2025. Credit - J. David AkeGetty Images In yet another clampdown on speech in the U.S., the Trump Administration announced Tuesday that it has revoked the visas of six foreign nationals over remarks they made online after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. In a series of X posts, the State Department said the U.S. has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans and that it had identified visa holders who celebrated Kirks death. The thread included the social media posts or comments in question, with the users names redacted and identified only by their nationalities, followed by Visa revoked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the thread, an Argentine national said Kirk deserved to burn in hell, a Mexican national said there are people who would make the world better off dead, and a Brazilian national said Kirk DIED TOO LATE. It also included examples from a South African, a German, and a Paraguayan. Its unclear if the visa-holders were currently in the U.S. when their visas were revoked. The announcement of visa revocations came shortly after President Donald Trump posthumously awarded Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the U.S.s highest civilian honor, at the White House on Tuesday. It follows Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landaus post on X the day after Kirks death last month, saying that he was disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalizing, or making light of the event and urged the public to bring such comments by foreigners to my attention so that U.S. consular officials could "undertake appropriate action. It isnt just about Charlie Kirk, Secretary Marco Rubio said on Sept. 15. If youre a foreigner and youre out there celebrating the assassination of someone who was speaking somewhere, I mean, we dont want you in the country. Why would we want to give a visa to someone who think its good that someone was murdered in the public square? Thats just common sense to me. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kirk was fatally shot during a speaking event at a Utah university on Sept. 10, and the Trump Administration and the political right quickly blamed his death on the left. Vice President J.D. Vance encouraged people to report anyone celebrating Kirks death: Call them out, and hell, call their employer. People like MSNBC commentator Matthew Dowd were fired from their jobs over comments, and late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel had his show temporarily taken off the air. Critics have described the moves as a crackdown on free speechironically coming from an Administration that has promised to protect free speech. Trump himself signed an executive order upon taking office for his second term that called government censorship intolerable, barring federal employees from conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen. And Rubio said in May that freedom of speech sets the U.S. apart as a beacon of freedom around the world, as the State Department announced visa restrictions then on foreign nationals who censor Americans, including over social media posts. Monitoring social media The Trump Administration has increasingly surveilled peoples social media activity, both inside and outside of government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nearly 300 Pentagon employees were investigated over Kirk-related online posts. Three employees were in the process of either being kicked out or leaving the military, the Washington Post reported earlier this month. A Federal Emergency Management Agency employee and a Secret Service employee were also put on leave following comments related to Kirk last month. The Trump Administration has also used social media screening in immigration. A cable signed by Rubio and sent to offices in June ordered that those wishing to obtain U.S. student visas must set their social media accounts to public so that authorities can review them and assess if they bear hostile attitudes toward our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles; who advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to U.S. national security; or who perpetrate unlawful antisemitic harassment or violence. The effort came after a rise of pro-Palestinian activism, which the Trump Administration deemed antisemitic, at U.S. universities. The State Department previously used AI to screen student visa-holders social media for pro-Hamas activity as part of a reported Catch-and-Revoke program. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services also said it will use social media in considering immigration applications, in a bid to detect supposed anti-Americanism and anti-semitic ideologies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, the Administration has put pressure on tech firms to take down activity that hinders its agenda. On the Justice Departments request, Apple removed apps that would allow online social communities to track the presence of ICE officials. And Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X on Tuesday that, upon request, Facebook removed a group page that was being used to dox and target ICE agents in Chicago; Meta said in a statement to the media that it removed the group for violating our policies against coordinated harm. Free speech concerns In August, the Administration announced that more than 6,000 student visas had been revoked since Januarya few hundred over purported support for terrorism. The U.S. also expelled South Africas ambassador Ebrahim Rasool in March following comments accusing Trump of leading a supremacist movement. And the State Department revoked the visas of British music duo Bob Vylan after they called for death to the military of Israela U.S. allyduring a performance in the U.K. in June. The Trump Administration has argued that protected speech and ideology have not been factors in revoking visas or enacting immigration policy but rather that the issue is national security concerns. Still, such crackdowns have raised the question of whether non-citizens in the U.S. get to exercise the same First Amendment rights as citizens do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A September 30 court ruling clarified free speech issues, after several university organizations sued the Trump Administration for allegedly targeting non-U.S. citizens for deportation merely for supporting Palestinians and criticizing Israel. The judge ruled that arresting and deporting non-citizen students for such reasons violated the First Amendment. This caseperhaps the most important ever to fall within the jurisdiction of this district courtsquarely presents the issue whether non-citizens lawfully present here in United States actually have the same free speech rights as the rest of us, U.S. District Judge William Young, a nominee of Republican former President Ronald Reagan, said in the ruling. The Court answers this Constitutional question unequivocally yes, they do. Contact us at letters@time.com. (WAVY) On Wednesday, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine, Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and others demanded the administration to follow law on back paying furloughed federal workers. President Donald Trump signed off on the law in 2019 requiring furloughed federal employees to receive back pay during a government shutdown. Kaine and Warner are part of a bipartisan group urging the enforcement of the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019. It was passed and signed into law during the last shutdown under President Trump. The law reads that all federal employees, whether excepted or furloughed, are entitled to back pay after a government shutdown ends. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the 2018-2019 shutdown, we worked with President Trump to enact the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act (GEFTA) of 2019, the intent of which is clear federal employees are entitled to retroactive pay in the event of a government shutdown. We applauded President Trump for signing this bipartisan bill into law, the members wrote. OPMs shutdown guidance from September 2025 still states that furloughed federal workers will be provided back pay once the government reopens, the members added. According to the bipartisian group, the decision to remove critical guidance on federal employee back pay causes unnecessary stress for the federal workforce that is made up of nearly 2.2 million employees. We request you immediately clarify and update the Frequently Asked Questions During a Lapse in Appropriations Document and other relevant materials to affirm that furloughed employees will receive back pay, as is required by law, explained members of the group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stay with WAVY.com for more local news, weather and traffic. 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 WAVY.com. Washington President Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. struck another small boat that he accused of carrying drugs in the waters off the coast of Venezuela. The president said in a post on Truth Social that six people aboard the vessel were killed in the strike and no U.S. forces were harmed. It's the fifth deadly strike in the Caribbean, where the Trump administration has asserted it is treating alleged drug traffickers as unlawful combatants who must be met with military force. At least 27 people have been killed in the five strikes, according to figures released by the administration. Frustration with the use of force has been growing on Capitol Hill among members of both major political parties. Some Republicans are seeking more information from the White House on the legal justification and details of the strikes. Democrats contend the strikes violate U.S. and international law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr. Trump said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the strike Tuesday morning and released a video of the strike, as he has in the past. Mr. Trump said that the strike was conducted in international waters and that "Intelligence" confirmed that the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with "narcoterrorist networks" and was on a known drug trafficking route. The Senate last week voted on a war powers resolution that would have barred the Trump administration from conducting the strikes unless Congress specifically authorized them, but it failed to pass. Inside Charlie Kirk's Medal of Freedom event Tennessee governor calls Memphis Safe Task Force's efforts "encouraging" Famed movie poster artist Drew Struzan dies at 78 STORRS The University of Connecticut Marching Band got quite the surprise after its performance on the Today Show last week. The band found out live that it would be featured in the centennial Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2026. The segment opened with the band playing UConns fight song, the cheerleaders, dance team and two-legged Jonathan the Husky dancing in front of them. Whats better than a little music to start your day? Jenna Bush Hager, co-host of the Today Show, said after the performance. I think we can actually do better than that, because we have a big surprise, I think for all of you. Start practicing for another big performance here in New York because the Pride of Connecticut marching band will be featured in next years Macys [Thanksgiving Day] Parade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The band started to jump, cheer and bark channeling their inner Husky after hearing the news. The Pride of Connecticut is one of 10 bands selected from more than 100 applicants to participate in the parade, according to Macys. We cant wait for audiences to experience the unique arrangement and creative programming the Huskies will bring to the streets of Manhattan next November, Sara Flores, Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade associate producer said in a statement. The UConn Marching Band is very excited to be a part of the 100th Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade, UConn Band Director Dr. Malcolm Jones said in a statement. 2026 will also be the 130th year of the UCMB; the chance to celebrate these moments together is an incredible opportunity. This will be the Huskies first Thanksgiving Day Parade appearance. The students are very excited to be a part of this monumental moment for UConn, the UCMB and the state of Connecticut, Jones said. The University of Connecticut is working with a higher education consultant firm to create a new budget model that UConn-AAUP members fear could result in cost-cutting measures including faculty layoffs. We are concerned that Kennedy & Company is a part of a higher education consulting sector that is notorious for developing and implementing cost-cutting measures that have had devastating impacts on many institutions, including at West Virginia University, the University of Wisconsin, American University and the New School, said Jeffrey Dudas, professor of political science and president of the UConn chapter of the American Association of University Professors. Dudas said at those institutions the outside consultants including those at Huron Education, which formerly employed the founder and CEO of Kennedy & Company, Benjamin Kennedy, have developed budget transformation plans that have led to fewer classes, fewer majors and fewer academic support services for students; job losses for staff and faculty; and worse job conditions for remaining employees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But university officials and Kennedy assert that the idea is to create a new budget model, not to develop cost-cutting measures. Stephanie Reitz, UConn spokesperson, said while the new budget initiative will provide incentives for UConn to increase revenue and reduce expenses, the primary purpose is to allocate existing operating funds (mainly tuition dollars and state support) across units in a transparent way based on a variety of metrics. It does not solve the structural deficit that the university is facing, said Reitz in an email to the Courant. The university was able to decrease the budget deficit by $25 million, according to a presentation made to the Board of Trustees last month. The presentation states that deficits are still forecast in future years. Reitz wrote in UConn Today that the new budget initiative will enable UConns budget model to align allocations more effectively to specific metrics tied to institutional priorities; ensure that centrally managed costs are fairly distributed; and incentivize units to allocate resources in alignment with institutional priorities, rather than viewing funds as exclusively owned by individual departments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kennedy said that Kennedy & Company is helping schools such as UConn to better understand what their budgets are going to be in the future and how the decisions they make about where to grow and what to prioritize will impact their budgets in future years. The consultant contract is not to exceed $750,000, according to a budget presentation presented to the UConn Board of Trustees last month. There are highly visible consultant projects that are focused on reducing costs and laying off faculty, said Kennedy. This is definitely not one of those in any shape or form. One of the things that we have seen institutions get out of a budget transformation initiative is it helps all of the leaders understand where the school can be more efficient and in a lot of cases by working together especially at some of these large research institutions, Kennedy said. We do not advise institutions to lay off tenure track faculty or to declare exigency or anything like that around their programs. In our experience, budget transformation should not lead to faculty layoffs and staff reductions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kennedy said he left Huron in 2012 to find Kennedy & Company and forge a different path in higher education consulting. Kennedy & Company has worked with 250 universities, Kennedy said. I dont believe there has been a school that has taken our advice and made draconian cuts to faculty and staff, Kennedy said. We have worked with a lot of schools around planning for long-term sustainability. Dudas also cited concerns about UConn administrations decision to outsource changes in its budgeting process to an expensive outside consulting firm without the meaningful input of the broader UConn community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Creating subcommittees that are tasked with gaining buy-in after the original decision was made to employ the consulting firm is not shared governance, Dudas said. Reitz said in an email that the project is designed to engage the entire UConn community, including interviews across academic and non-academic units, including regional campuses. Working groups are being convened to discuss and assess various options under consideration and provide feedback and recommendations in a group setting, said Reitz. Dudas said that the work could potentially be accomplished in house at a time in which the administration professes to be under unprecedented financial pressure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have reports of departments being denied the funds to provide cookies for students at departmental events; but the administration doesnt seem to think twice about spending millions of dollars on its own priorities, said Dudas. Robert Day, chair of the UConn Senate Executive Committee, said the new budget model gives the university better information about where the money is coming in, calling it neutral. It may be positive, he said, adding that it could help the university grow in the right areas in the future. The Covid-19 Inquiry has begun hearing evidence about the measures taken to help support workers' incomes and keep businesses afloat during the pandemic. It follows the publication of the inquiry's second report, which described the government's response to Covid as "too little, too late". Just under 227,000 people died in the UK from Covid between March 2020 and May 2023, when the World Health Organization said the "global health emergency" was over. What is the Covid public inquiry? Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched the Covid-19 Inquiry in June 2022, more than a year after he said the government's actions during the pandemic would be put "under the microscope". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The announcement came after the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice campaign group said it was considering a judicial review over "time-wasting". The inquiry covers decision-making by the UK government, as well as the administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The first public hearings took place in June 2023. Public inquiries are established and funded by the government and are led by an independent chair. They can compel witnesses to give evidence. No-one is found guilty or innocent, but an inquiry publishes conclusions and recommendations. The government is not obliged to accept these. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Covid inquiry's chair is former judge and crossbench peer Baroness Hallett, who previously led the inquests into the 7 July London bombings. In December 2025, the BBC learned that the inquiry has so far cost the government more than 100m. That is on top of the 192m spent by the inquiry itself - meaning the cost to the taxpayer is over 50% more than previously thought. [BBC] What evidence will the inquiry hear on support for businesses? The third stage of the inquiry will look at the unprecedented economic steps taken when the first lockdown was announced in March 2020. More than 140bn was spent on help for businesses, much of it going to pay people's wages when they were forced to stay at home. The largest scheme, furlough, covered 11.7 million jobs between March 2020 and September 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There was also a support scheme for self-employed people, loan schemes for businesses and business rates relief. However, questions have been raised about the scale of the financial support and the strength of safeguards against fraud and error. This stage of the inquiry - which is due to last until just before Christmas - has received more than 8,000 submissions from the public. Business owners have described breaking into tears as they were forced to lay off staff or shut up shop, while employees have said they feared for their jobs. Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak - who was chancellor during the pandemic - will give further evidence about his role during these hearings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What did the Covid inquiry report into political decisions during the pandemic say? The inquiry's second report looked at political decision-making, and said lockdown may have been avoided if voluntary steps such as social distancing and isolation had been brought in earlier than 16 March 2020. A week-long delay led to 23,000 more deaths in England in the first wave than would have been seen otherwise, the report said. It also described a "toxic and chaotic" culture at the heart of the UK government during its response to the pandemic, which it said affected the quality of advice and decision-making. More than 7,000 documents from the time have been made public, including WhatsApp chats and emails, private diaries and confidential files. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What did the inquiry's report into preparedness say? The first report, into resilience and preparedness, was published in July 2024. In it, Baroness Hallett said the UK had been "ill-prepared for dealing with a catastrophic emergency, let alone the coronavirus pandemic". "Never again can a disease be allowed to lead to so many deaths and so much suffering," she added. The 217-page report argued the UK planned for the wrong pandemic - a mild one where spread of a new virus was inevitable - and this led to the "untested" policy of lockdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It said the UK government and devolved nations "failed their citizens", and that ministers did not sufficiently challenge scientific experts. It made recommendations for reforming the way the government approaches emergency planning. What else is the inquiry looking at? The inquiry is still investigating other aspects of the pandemic: the impact on healthcare systems across the UK vaccines, therapeutics and anti-viral treatment government procurement and PPE the care sector test-and-trace the impact on children and young people the impact on society The final public hearings are due to begin in February 2026. The inquiry will publish several reports, including the conclusions of each module. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scotland is holding a separate inquiry into the pandemic. Who has given evidence to the inquiry? The inquiry has heard from hundreds of witnesses. They include current and former politicians, civil servants, government advisers, public health experts and representatives of bereaved families. Many were extremely critical of Johnson, who was prime minister throughout the pandemic. He began his first evidence session in December 2023 by apologising for the "pain and the loss and the suffering" during the pandemic. Johnson admitted mistakes were made and that "there were unquestionably things we should have done differently", but insisted that ministers had done their "level best" in difficult circumstances. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his first appearance before the inquiry, former Chancellor Sunak apologised to "all those who suffered... as a result of the actions that were taken". But he denied his Eat Out to Help Out Scheme had increased infections and deaths. The government's chief medical officer, Prof Sir Chris Whitty, and former chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, previously told the inquiry that they had not been consulted about the policy. Sir Patrick, Sir Chris and his former deputy Prof Sir Jonathan Van-Tam also said they had received substantial abuse from the public while carrying out their roles. Several witnesses accused Matt Hancock of lying during his tenure as Health Secretary, which he denied [Getty Images] Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock has given evidence several times. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He told the inquiry that the UK's pandemic strategy had been completely wrong, while admitting the UK should have locked down much sooner. Hancock also criticised the "toxic culture" in government, for which he blamed Johnson's former adviser Dominic Cummings. In his evidence to the inquiry, Mr Cummings described a "dysfunctional" government and was very critical of Johnson's approach. The hearing also discussed scathing text messages he sent, many of which contained offensive descriptions of ministers and officials. Mr Cummings said he regretted the handling of his infamous trip to Barnard Castle during the first lockdown, but denied that he had damaged public trust in the government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The inquiry has also heard from Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish political leaders, including: former Scottish First Ministers Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf former Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford current Northern Irish First Minister Michelle O'Neill and former First Minister Baroness Foster How can the public get involved in the Covid inquiry? Groups representing bereaved families have urged the inquiry to ensure their voices are heard. The inquiry's Every Story Matters project had gathered more than 47,000 personal accounts of Covid when it closed for submissions in May 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Members of the public can apply to attend public hearings in person. Public hearings are streamed on the inquiry's YouTube channel. In addition, witness transcripts are published on the inquiry website. NATO defence ministers are meeting in Brussels today, 15 October, to strengthen the Alliance's response to Russia's aggressive actions. Source: UK Defence Secretary John Healey, speaking ahead of the meeting of the North Atlantic Council at defence ministers' level Details: The UK and NATO are seeking to demonstrate the strength and unity of all allies in the face of the Russian threat, Healey said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The UK and NATO nations meet today to ramp up our response to Russia's aggression. Putin's incursions into NATO territory are reckless, dangerous and totally unacceptable," Healey said. He noted that, whether Russia's actions are deliberate or not, "Putin is watching what we do". "If NATO is threatened, we will act. And we must meet his [Putin's] escalation with our strength. So today we are stepping up together," the defence secretary emphasised. Healey announced that the UK will continue to take part in NATO's Eastern Sentry mission: British fighter jets will continue to patrol over Poland until the end of the year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are also ramping up our drone production for Ukraine, delivering over 100,000 drones this year and jointly building new, improved interceptor drones with Ukraine," Healey said. Background: European Pravda reported that the UK supplied over 85,000 drones to Ukraine during the first six months of 2025. On 11 September, Ukraine and the UK signed an agreement to produce Ukrainian interceptor drones. On 10 October, it was reported that the joint production project was at the negotiation stage and could be implemented in the coming months. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! The U.K. government on Oct. 15 imposed its "strongest sanctions yet" against Russia, blacklisting five individuals and 35 companies, including oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil, as part of a package targeting 90 new entities and vessels. The measures aim to choke off Russia's vital fossil fuel revenues that fund its war against Ukraine. According to the U.K. Foreign Office, both Rosneft and Lukoil conduct business in sectors of "strategic and economic significance" to the Russian government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sanctions include asset freezes and restrictions on trust and transport services, extending the reach of previous U.K. and EU measures targeting Russia's energy sector. Rosneft alone accounts for nearly half of Russia's oil production and 6% of global output. The oil and gas industry generated 113 billion euros ($131 billion) in tax for the Kremlin in 2024, about a third of its total revenue, covering 83% of military expenditures. "At this critical moment for Ukraine, Europe is stepping up," U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said. "Together, the U.K. and our allies are piling the pressure on (Russian President Vladimir) Putin going after his oil, gas, and shadow fleet." "We will not relent until he abandons his failed war of conquest and gets serious about peace." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new U.K. measures also target foreign companies that facilitate Russian oil exports, including India's Nayara Energy in which Rosneft holds the largest share and China's National Pipeline Group Beihai Liquefied Natural Gas Co. Ltd. Three companies based in the United Arab Emirates Novus Energy DMCC, Wissol Commodities FZCO, and Alghaf Marine DMCC were also sanctioned for transporting or trading Russian oil. The U.K. also blacklisted 51 vessels belonging to Russia's so-called "shadow fleet," tankers that operate under opaque ownership and flags of convenience to evade Western sanctions. Additional restrictions were placed on several Russian banks, the National Card Payment System, and technology firms operating in sectors deemed strategically vital to the Kremlin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Russia's traditional oil revenues continue to fall, the Kremlin has sought to expand its liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to offset losses. In response, the U.K. extended sanctions to seven specialized LNG tankers and China's Beihai LNG terminal. London's latest measures add to growing Western efforts to tighten enforcement of sanctions and restrict Russia's ability to reorient its oil trade through third countries. The U.S. has not directly sanctioned Rosneft or Lukoil, but it has blacklisted some subsidiaries. Kyiv continues urging Western allies to tighten sanctions on Russia's energy sector, arguing that depriving Moscow of oil revenues would further limit its ability to finance its war against Ukraine. Read also: Who buys Russian oil and gas? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday published a senior official's evidence in the prosecution of two men charged with spying for China, seeking to demonstrate that the case did not collapse because of government manipulation. In an unexpected move last month, Britain's Crown Prosecution Service dropped charges against two British men who had denied passing politically sensitive information to a Chinese intelligence agent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CPS said the case was dropped because it needed evidence showing that the UK considered China a threat to national security, but the government had not provided it after months of requests. While the newly published documents detailed Chinese malign activity, they did not unequivocally state that China posed a threat to UK national security. PM STARMER BLAMES PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT Starmer had earlier said the fault lay with the previous Conservative administration which was in power when the men were charged and which had only described Beijing as an "epoch-defining challenge". The trial's collapse has led to accusations from opposition parties that the government was responsible because it did not want to jeopardise ties with China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Seeking to draw a line under the issue on Wednesday, Starmer published witness statements by Britain's Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Collins, which the prime minister said were made without involvement from ministers or political advisers. In a document dated February 21, Collins said: "China and the UK both benefit from bilateral trade and investment, but China also presents the biggest state-based threat to the UK's economic security." A statement dated August 4 contained a section on the government's assessment of the threat from China, including details of what he called the "active espionage threat that China posed to the UK". A subsequent section in that document added: "It is important for me to emphasise, however, that the UK Government is committed to pursuing a positive relationship with China to strengthen understanding, cooperation and stability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 'STINKS OF A COVER-UP' SAY OPPONENTS Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the main opposition Conservative Party, had earlier told parliament: "This all stinks of a cover-up". Starmer's office said he was told the case was in danger of collapsing a couple of days before it happened but that it would have been inappropriate to intervene. A Conservative Party spokesperson responded to the release of the documents: "What has already been published shows the extent of the threat that China poses to the UK, and makes it all the more shocking that the Prime Minister knew of the imminent collapse of this trial, but did nothing to stop it." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first witness statement from December 2023 said one of the men was allegedly passing on information to China about who was briefing former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on China. (Additional reporting by Muvija M and Sam Tabahriti; Writing by Michael Holden; Editing by Kate Holton and Cynthia Osterman) MILAN Companies in Ukraines government-backed defense technology cluster Brave1 have identified four weapon categories deemed fit for export to Western allies as part of the countrys gradual easing of its arms transfer ban. Speaking at the International Defense Industry Forum in Kyiv earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained that while much of this process is still being determined, it will entail a partial and regulated lift of restrictions limited to systems in surplus. In an interview with the Ukrainian government-run United24 media, a Brave1 representative flagged naval drones, drone navigation software technologies, turrets, and unmanned ground vehicles as export-ready classes of weapons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Specifically, the Magura-style of unmanned surface vessels are being primed for international markets. Their high export potential stems from simple economics: warships are financial liabilities a fleet of unmanned naval drones is inherently low-cost and requires minimal maintenance, yet it can execute the same critical functions, the Brave1 representative was quoted as saying. The Magura V5 was on display at several trade shows over the last two years as part of the Ukrainian industry footprint at these events. One of its latest variants was also tested during NATOs largest unmanned systems military exercise in Portugal last month. Ukrainian officials hope the sale of excess equipment will allow Kyiv to obtain more money to invest back into its own production capabilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another technology identified for potential export entails communication systems for drones, resilient in GPS-denied environments, manufactured locally by companies such as Swarmer and Norda Dynamics. Multi-purpose unmanned robots also received Brave1s stamp of foreign-market eligibility, with Ukraine offering 100 variants. Ground robots have served a multitude of roles throughout the war, from logistics to attack robots. Zelenskyy has previously floated the broad idea that exports could be divided into three different cooperation frameworks: those bound for the United States, Europe, and elsewhere. I have previously written about the need for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Peace is still my fervent prayer. Tragically, especially for those directly affected by the war, Peace comes dropping slow to borrow a metaphor from Yeats. To get to that just and lasting peace that we all desire, the U.S. and Europe will have to ramp up pressure on Russia, militarily, economically and diplomatically. I have advocated for a clean cease-fire as the most important first step toward peace, to stop the killing as our leaders have called for. The war has gone on now for over three and a half years with a tragic loss of life and no end in sight. Unfortunately, in my opinion, our government has dismissed calls for a ceasefire. Our current goal appears to be to seek a more permanent peace treaty or arrangement, which will be more challenging to achieve and take significantly longer. Fall is now here and winter approaches. Another winter of discontent if we dont get moving. Barbara Tuchman, in her classic book about the start of the First World War, The Guns of August, wrote, with the advent of winter, came the slow deadly sinking into the stalemate of trench warfare. Tuchman was writing about what took place over 100 years ago, but this could also accurately describe parts of eastern Ukraine today. Now is the time to increase pressure on Russia to bring them to the negotiating table. Regarding economic sanctions, Senator Lindsey Graham has proposed a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill with 85 Senate cosponsors. The bill targets countries that directly or indirectly support Russias war in Ukraine. It is time to move this legislation forward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Europeans have also imposed significant sanctions on Russia since the war began. Currently, the EU is pursuing a new approach and has a sanctions package under discussion to include the energy and trade sectors. Dovetailed with a U.S. sanctions package, these measures taken together could prove more effective. While some argue that sanctions have not been decisive in many applications and are particularly difficult against Russia, economic sanctions are an important nonmilitary instrument of power. They should be fully used to provide the leverage needed to get the Russians serious about a ceasefire and peace negotiations. On the military side, the U.S. and NATO should continue to provide material support to Ukraine, prioritizing air and missile defenses. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently announced a $90 billion arms deal to purchase U.S. weapon systems. Zelenskyy also announced that Ukraine was now operating a U.S. Patriot missile system and has requested additional systems. This is a good strategy. The Patriot is a mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. Think of shooting an incoming missile down with another missile (called an interceptor). With Ukraine sometimes experiencing over 500 drone attacks and 30 missiles in a single day, this is precisely what Ukraine needs. We need to acquire more and better SAM systems for Ukraine, especially more interceptors. Most recently, we have witnessed Russian provocations against our European allies. This has included Russian drone incursions in Polish airspace, MiG fighter jets entering Estonian airspace and unknown drones appearing over airports in Denmark and Norway, causing airport shutdowns. Putin is probing and testing Europe. These types of mostly covert actions are referred to as gray-zone operations or hybrid warfare. The question is, what is Moscow attempting to achieve with these actions? Russias actions seek to cause uncertainty and destabilization. They are trying to create fissures in the alliance and ensure victory in the war against Ukraine. Europe needs a strong response, but does not need to overreact. In my judgment, the gray zone actions are mostly important to the extent that they deter Europe from providing effective support to Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The center of gravity of this conflict is on the battlefield. Tragically, Russia has demonstrated that they are willing and able to trade lives for land. To date, economic sanctions, diplomacy and primarily defensive material support have not changed this calculus. The focus, rather, should be on measures that deny Russian gains on the battlefield or inflict unacceptable losses on Russia proper to force a ceasefire. I dont envy the exhausting work ahead for military planners, politicians and diplomats. Hard military discussions and decisions lie ahead about what Europe and the U.S. could and might be willing to do to increase pressure on Russia. For example, do we provide Ukraine with long-range offensive strike capabilities to strike Russia with few or no policy restrictions? How do we facilitate air strikes on Russian logistic hubs and command and control nodes in occupied Ukraine to disrupt Russian advances? These decisions will need to be made with an eye toward risk management and escalation control, a delicate dance between establishing deterrence but also providing off-ramps so that both sides can climb down the escalation ladder. In the end, this could also require a more nuanced understanding of what victory really means. Wars that are not going well are particularly hard to end, but end they must. We also need to strengthen and repair our web of allies and partners. Like a spider that constantly builds and repairs its web, these delicate strands of relationships need tending. The longer a war continues, the more important allies and partners become, and the greater the need to prioritize these relationships in our strategy development. Strategist Lawrence Freedman has written that, as often as not the key to a successful strategy was the political skill necessary to deny the enemy a winning coalition while forging ones own. In short, the one with the most partners wins. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sadly, war is a constant of history, but Europe had gone a long time, prior to Russias invasion of Ukraine, without a big country invading a smaller countrys sovereign territory. Three and a half years into this war, we must remember the atrocities committed by the Russians in Ukrainian cities like Bucha early in the war, of a pregnant woman dying on a stretcher outside of a bombed hospital, of children being abducted, and the reality of sleepless nights for Ukrainian civilians due to cruise missile and drone strikes. This is about the rule of law, about a democratic nation fighting tyranny and a generational challenge that must be met. It came home to me while watching an interview with a female Ukrainian soldier named Katya. She said, I am fighting for values. ... I want to live in a democratic country. The Ukrainians know what they are fighting for. Would that we all, as Americans, have that same belief and faith. Let us continue to provide Ukraine with the tools that it needs. Steady on course and speed. William McQuilkin is a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral who commanded the Aegis cruiser USS GETTYSBURG, where he served as Air Defense Commander in the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He currently resides on his farm in Florida. Hi, this is Kateryna Hodunova reporting from Kyiv on day 1,330 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today's top story: At least 1,076 Cuban nationals have fought or are fighting for Russia in Ukraine, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent on Oct. 15. Ninety-six are known to have died or gone missing in action. The figures come after the U.S. earlier this month circulated an unclassified cable sharing details about Cuba's support for Russia's full-scale invasion, in which it claimed an "estimated 1,000 to 5,000 Cubans (are) fighting in Ukraine." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The information from HUR shared with the Kyiv Independent tallies with the lower end of the U.S. estimate, but also provides further insight into the recruitment process and training of Cuban nationals. HUR claims they receive only two weeks of training at the Avangard training center in Moscow Oblast before being sent to the front line. The information provided by HUR suggests that some Cuban nationals are tricked into travelling to Russia after being lured by the promise of lucrative construction work advertised on Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. Their travel is facilitated by "private intermediaries" who sometimes pay for flights, with Russian diplomatic institutions issuing tourist or work visas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Exclusive: 1,076 Cubans identified fighting for Russia, Ukraine says, 96 dead or disappeared Denmark allocates over $170 million for Ukraine's military support; Sweden weighs new aircraft supply Last updated 8:12 p.m. Kyiv time. Denmark has pledged $171 million in military aid to Ukraine, while Sweden is considering the delivery of additional aircraft. The $171 million aid will be used to support Ukraine's navy, repair tanks, and provide education and training for Ukrainian military personnel, according to a statement from the Danish Defense Ministry published on Oct. 15. The package also includes initiatives targeting the maritime sector and armored vehicle maintenance. Funds are also allocated for fuel donations and support within rehabilitation zones, both implemented under NATO's auspices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson, speaking ahead of the NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels on Oct. 15, said Sweden is prepared to expand its support through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative and the aviation coalition. According to Jonson, Stockholm aims to supply radar reconnaissance and early warning aircraft to Ukraine as an initial step, and will later consider the potential delivery of Swedish Gripen fighter jets. Kidnapped mayor from Zaporizhzhia Oblast dies from multiple injuries, Prosecutor General says Last updated 6:55 p.m. Kyiv time. The mayor of Dniproudne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Yevhenii Matvieiev, who was abducted by Russian military personnel, died in a Russian prison from multiple injuries, the Ukrainian media outlet Liga.net reported on Oct. 15, citing the Prosecutor General's Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the report, Matvieiev died on Sept. 7, 2024, while being held at Detention Center No. 3 in the city of Kizel, located in Russia's Perm Krai. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the torso, resulting in multiple rib fractures and damage to the lungs and pleura, the Prosecutor General's Office said. A pre-trial investigation is ongoing and is being led by Ukraine's Security Service (SBU). Matvieiev was reportedly abducted at a checkpoint by Russian forces in 2022. His body was returned to Ukraine at the end of 2024 as part of a repatriation process. Germany pledges over $2.3 billion in new military aid for Ukraine, including Patriot and IRIS-T air defense systems Last updated 6:45 p.m. Kyiv time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Germany will provide Ukraine with an additional military aid package worth more than 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion), German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced on Oct. 15 during the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Brussels. The package will include advanced air defense systems, precision-guided weapons, and ammunition. "You can count on Germany. We will continue and expand our support for Ukraine. With new contracts, Germany will provide additional support amounting to over 2 billion euros," Pistorius said. Germany will also deliver two additional IRIS-T air defense systems, accompanied by a large number of guided missiles and shoulder-fired air defense weapons. Anti-tank weapons, small arms, and secure communications systems are also expected to be part of the delivery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of the total amount, Germany will contribute $500 million to a NATO initiative supplying Ukraine with critically needed U.S.-made weapons, the alliance announced on Aug. 13. The support will come through NATO's Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) mechanism, which coordinates funding for Kyiv's most urgent battlefield needs. Read also: Germany pledges over $2.3 billion in new military aid for Ukraine, including Patriot and IRIS-T air defense systems Ukrainian soldier captured in Russia's Kursk Oblast receives life sentence Last updated 6:14 p.m. Kyiv time. A Moscow court has sentenced 42-year-old Ukrainian soldier Volodymyr Parafilo to life imprisonment after he was captured in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Russia's Prosecutor General's Office and Investigative Committee announced on Oct. 15. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Parafilo was reportedly captured on Dec. 29, 2024, near the town of Sudzha, in the village of Kamyshovka, according to Ukraine's Internal Affairs Ministry. Russian authorities accused Parafilo of committing a terrorist act, as well as sexual violence. Parafilo is to serve the first 10 years of his sentence in prison before being transferred to a special regime correctional colony for the rest of his life. Estonian citizens to receive drone training under new state initiative Last updated 5:29 p.m. Kyiv time. The Estonian Defense Ministry, the Estonian Defense League, and the non-profit organization HK Unicorn Squad MTU signed on Oct. 14 a memorandum of cooperation to enhance drone piloting skills among Estonian citizens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adult citizens interested in drone technology will have the opportunity to acquire essential knowledge and hands-on skills in drone operation under the Kuri Kotkas ("Evil Eagle" in English) initiative. "Drone training is a major component of future warfare. We can already see this today in Ukraine," Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said. Read the full story at Kaitseministeerium. Drones reportedly target Russian oil refinery in Ufa, more than 1,300 kilometers from Ukraine Last updated 4:39 p.m. Kyiv time. A drone struck an industrial area in the Russian city of Ufa where one of Bashkortostans largest oil refineries is located, the Telegram channel Astra reported on Oct. 15 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Ufaorgsintez refinery is part of the Bashneft oil company, which is affiliated with Russias state-owned energy giant Gazprom. According to Astra, local residents reported seeing smoke near the citys industrial zone and experiencing disruptions to mobile internet service. Russian authorities had earlier declared a drone threat in the region and implemented emergency measures at Ufa airport. Just now, Russian oil refinery complex Bashneft in Ufa 1,400 km from the frontline was targeted by drones. Bashneft has a total capacity around 23-26 million tons per year. It is a complex of three oil refineries located right next to each other: Ufimsky refinery (UNPZ) pic.twitter.com/TYsBizHlzQ Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) October 15, 2025 Read also: Drones reportedly target Russian oil refinery in Ufa, more than 1,300 kilometers from Ukraine NATO should 'not take the Russians too seriously,' alliance chief claims Last updated 4:33 p.m. Kyiv time. NATO should not overestimate Russia's capabilities, Secretary General Mark Rutte claimed on Oct. 15, attempting to subdue concerns about Moscow's hybrid activities targeting the alliance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Let's trust our military," Rutte said at a news conference after a meeting with NATO defense ministers in Brussels. "Let's not take the Russians too seriously." Rutte underscored that NATO countries are "25 times bigger than Russia" in economic terms. Talking about the recent aerial incursions, the secretary general noted that it is difficult to establish whether they were intentional or not. "We are so much stronger than the Russians that we don't need to shoot down their planes when they enter our airspace," he added. Read also: NATO should not take the Russians too seriously, alliance chief claims Ukrainian government delegation meets with Tomahawk missile manufacturer in US Last updated 3:30 p.m. Kyiv time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A delegation of senior Ukrainian officials met on Oct. 15 with representatives of Raytheon, the manufacturer of Tomahawk missiles in the U.S., presidential aide Andriy Yermak said on X. In addition to Yermak, Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhii Kyslytsia, and Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.S., Olha Stefanishyna, participated in the meeting. The Ukrainian delegation also held a separate meeting with representatives of another major U.S. defense contractor, Lockheed Martin. Together with Prime Minister @Svyrydenko_Y, NSDC Secretary @rustem_umerov, First Deputy Foreign Minister @SergiyKyslytsya, and our Ambassador to the US @StefanishynaO, we met with Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. Their tech is saving lives: F-16s and advanced air defense systems are pic.twitter.com/kfmg5TzgmH Andriy Yermak (@AndriyYermak) October 15, 2025 Russian internet provider 'impoverished by 66 million rubles' after Ukrainian cyberattack, HUR source claims Last updated 2:59 p.m. Kyiv time Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A cyberattack carried out by Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) caused over 66 million rubles (approximately $800,000) in damages to Orion Telecom, one of the largest internet providers in Siberia, a HUR source told the Kyiv Independent. The provider itself reported the losses in a complaint submitted to Russian police following the attack. The company also admitted that the cyber operation led to a leak of users' personal data. "One of the largest Siberian Internet providers, Orion Telecom, was immediately impoverished by 66 million rubles as a result of a special operation by the HUR MO cyber corps," the source said. As a result, Orion Telecom has requested Russian authorities to launch a criminal investigation into the incident. Under Russian law, the provider could face an additional fine of up to 15 million rubles for the data breach. Read also: Russian internet provider impoverished by 66 million rubles after Ukrainian cyberattack, HUR source claims Finland, Lithuania join PURL initiative to arm Ukraine; new aid announced Last updated 2:22 p.m. Kyiv time. Finland and Lithuania have joined the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, which facilitates the purchase of U.S.-made weapons for transfer to Ukraine, according to statements from both governments ahead of the NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels on Oct. 15. Lithuania plans to contribute $30 million toward procuring weapons for Ukraine. Finland, meanwhile, has announced a new military aid package, with full details expected to be released later this week. Before the meeting began, the Netherlands announced a new 90-million-euro ($105 million) aid package to support the production of reconnaissance and strike drones in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Estonia is expected to deliver a batch of drones to Ukraine and allocate additional funding for the PURL initiative. Watch the full stream at Reuters. Delivery of Tomahawks to enhance Ukraine's ability to strike Russia, NATO top official says Last updated 2:22 p.m. Kyiv time. The delivery of Tomahawk long-range missiles will significantly enhance Ukraine's strike capabilities in its war against Russia, a senior NATO official said during a closed-door briefing with journalists on Oct. 15, according to European Pravda. Despite Moscow's aggressive rhetoric, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed doubt that Russia would take any concrete action in response to the potential deliveries. According to the source, Russia is expected to maintain its current narrative, including continued nuclear sabre-rattling. Read the full story at European Pravda. UK supplies Ukraine with over 85,000 drones in 6 months Last updated 1:53 p.m. Kyiv time The U.K. has delivered more than 85,000 drones to Ukraine in the first half of this year, according to a statement published on the U.K. government's website on Oct. 14. As part of its defense support, the U.K. has invested 600 million pounds (nearly $800 million) in drone production for Ukraine in 2025. This includes tens of thousands of FPV (first-person-view) drones designed for frontline use. Ukraine and the U.K. are also jointly developing Octopus interceptor drones. Once production is fully underway, Kyiv is expected to receive "thousands" of these drones each month, the statement read. Read the full story at GOV.UK. Evacuation zone expanded in Kharkiv Oblast as Russian forces advance near Kupiansk Last updated 12:58 p.m. Kyiv time Authorities in Kharkiv Oblast have expanded the mandatory evacuation zone for families with children in the Kupiansk district amid intensified Russian assaults, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov announced on Oct. 14. The decision mandates the forced evacuation of families from 40 settlements across the area. In total, 601 children from 409 families are to be relocated to safer areas. "This decision comes in response to the deteriorating security situation near Kupiansk," Syniehubov said. On Oct. 15, the military monitoring group DeepState reported that Russian forces had captured the village of Myrne in Kupiansk district and were advancing toward the nearby village of Ivanivka. Read also: Evacuation zone expanded in Kharkiv Oblast as Russian forces advance near Kupiansk Russia launched 3 more massive strikes on Ukraine's gas facilities over last week, Naftogaz says Last updated 12:51 p.m. Kyiv time Russia struck a combined heat and power plant and launched three massive attacks on Ukraine's gas production infrastructure over the last week, Serhii Koretskyi, the CEO of Ukraine's state-owned oil and gas giant Naftogaz, said on Facebook on Oct. 15. Russian missiles and drones damaged gas infrastructure in Kharkiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv oblasts while drones hit the plant, as Moscow steps up its attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities and temperatures drop. The new wave of attacks comes days after Russian strikes on Oct. 3 and 5 wiped out around 60% of Ukraine's gas production. "Russian terrorists are committing new acts of terrorism, aimed solely at depriving Ukraine of gas, heat, and light this winter," Koretskyi wrote, adding that the company will "restore everything." Ukraine is currently reaching out to partners for further air defense, energy equipment, and funding for gas imports. The embattled country needs at least 13.2 billion cubic meters in its gas storage facilities for the winter, and could seek imports from the U.S. and Norway. Read also: Ukraines Naftogaz reports more Russian attacks on gas production over past week Zelensky transfers Odesa mayor's powers to newly created military administration, appoints its head Last updated 12:14 p.m. Kyiv time President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Serhii Lysak, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast governor, as the head of the newly formed Odesa Military Administration on Oct. 15, according to a decree published on the presidential website. The move came a day after Zelensky stripped the tainted Odesa Mayor Trukhanov of Ukrainian citizenship, effectively pushing him out of office. Ukraine's Security Service has confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that Zelensky revoked Ukrainian citizenship of Trukhanov, ballet dancer Serhii Polunin, and former Ukrainian politician Oleg Tsaryov. All three were accused of having Russian citizenship. Trukhanov denies the allegations and promised to challenge the decision in court. Read also: Zelensky appoints head of newly created military administration as Odesa mayor says hes still in charge '16 fuel tanks damaged' Russian oil terminal in occupied Crimea still burning, Ukraine's General Staff says Last updated 12:05 p.m. Kyiv time Sixteen fuel tanks were damaged at the Morskoi Neftianoi Terminal in Russian-occupied Feodosia, Crimea, as a result of a Ukrainian drone strike earlier this week, Ukraine's General Staff said on Oct. 15. A source in Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) confirmed to the Kyiv Independent on Oct. 13 that drones had struck the facility in the city of Feodosia. The fire it sparked was still visible on Oct. 14 from 25 kilometers away, local media reported. The General Staff said a "large-scale fire is ongoing on the territory of the enterprise." The Oct. 13 strike was the second confirmed Ukrainian attack on the terminal in a week. The tanks reportedly survived a previous Ukrainian drone attack on the facility on Oct.6. In the same overnight operation, Ukrainian Defense Forces also targeted a P-18 radar system near Krasna Poliana in occupied Crimea, a drone command post in occupied Oleshky, Kherson Oblast, and an ammunition depot near occupied Makiivka in Donetsk Oblast, the General Staff added. Read also: 16 fuel tanks damaged Russian oil terminal in occupied Crimea still burning, Ukraines General Staff says 7 killed, 29 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over past day At least seven people have been killed and 29 others injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine over the past day, local authorities reported on Oct. 15. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 86 out of the 113 Shahed-type attack drones and other drones launched by Russia overnight, according to the Air Force. Twenty-six drone strikes were recorded at 11 locations. Debris from the drones was recorded at a single site. In Kherson Oblast, Russian attacks killed three people and injured 15, including a child, over the past day, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. In Donetsk Oblast, Russian strikes killed one person in the town of Dobropillia and another in the village of Raiske. Three people were also injured in the town of Kostiantynivka and one in Raiske, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported. In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a 75-year-old woman was killed in a Russian FPV (first-person-view) drone strike against the city of Nikopol, while a 19-year-old man was injured in an attack against the city of Pavlohrad, the local authorities reported. In Sumy Oblast, six people suffered injuries due to Russian attacks over the past day, according to the local military administration. Over the course of a single day, Russian forces struck the Ukrainian border region 40 times, targeting 23 settlements. In Kharkiv Oblast, Russian attacks targeted five settlements over the past day, injuring a 54-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman in the village of Nechvolodivka, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov. In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, a 63-year-old man was injured as a result of a Russian attack on the Zaporizhzhia district. Over the past day, Russian forces carried out 649 strikes on 16 settlements in the region, according to the local authorities. General Staff: Russia has lost 1,126,220 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022 Russia has lost around 1,126,220 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. 15. The number includes 1,070 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day. According to the report, Russia has also lost 11,259 tanks, 23,347 armored fighting vehicles, 64,329 vehicles and fuel tanks, 33,671 artillery systems, 1,520 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,227 air defense systems, 427 airplanes, 346 helicopters, 70,021 drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine. Read also: Who buys Russian oil and gas? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States, has said that long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles would serve as a powerful deterrent and could reduce the threat of large-scale Russian air attacks if Ukraine receives them. Source: Stefanishyna in an interview with blogger Mario Nawfal, as quoted by European Pravda Quote: "Being able to destroy the capacity of the aggressor on their territory prevents and deincentivises the aggressor from attacking Ukraine throughout all of its territory, covering our cities with missiles and killing our civilians." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: According to the diplomat, the mere understanding of the potential Ukraine would gain with Tomahawks is a serious deterrent factor. "It's not even necessary for Ukraine to use this weapon at some point of time. Now, when the active war is taking place, it's vital, it's essential, it's totally legitimate. But even if, you know, there is a ceasefire or a peace deal, simply understanding that this capacity is available on Ukrainian territory, or elsewhere, and could be provided to you [is a very important chip in negotiations with Trump and Putin]," she said. Background: US President Donald Trump is expected to discuss the issue of Tomahawk missiles with Volodymyr Zelenskyy later this week. NATO believes that while the delivery of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine would not be decisive, it would have a tangible impact on the battlefield. A NATO representative also assessed Russia's likely response as rather restrained, despite the aggressive rhetoric coming from Moscow. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Ukraine's defence forces struck the marine oil terminal in temporarily occupied Feodosiia for the second time on the night of 12-13 October, damaging 16 fuel tanks. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Quote: "Updated information has confirmed the repeat strike on the marine oil terminal in temporarily occupied Feodosiia in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea on the night of 12-13 October 2025." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: The attack damaged 16 fuel tanks that had survived the previous strike. A large-scale fire is still burning at the facility. The terminal in Feodosiia serves as a key logistical hub for supplying Russian forces with fuel and lubricants. The total volume of petroleum products that may have been stored in the tanks is around 193,000 cubic metres. In addition, Ukraine's defence forces struck a P-18 radar station in Krasna Poliana in temporarily occupied Crimea, a UAV command post in Oleshky in occupied Kherson Oblast and an ammunition storage point near Makiivka in temporarily occupied Donetsk Oblast on the night of 13-14 October. Background: Explosions were heard in the city of Feodosiia in temporarily occupied Crimea on the night of 12-13 October. Drones attacked a local oil depot, causing a large-scale fire that could be seen from several kilometres away. A source in the Security Service of Ukraine told Ukrainska Pravda that drones operated by the Special Group Alpha of the SSU and the Special Operations Forces had struck a number of facilities in temporarily occupied Crimea that support the war against Ukraine on the night of 12-13 October. The Feodosiia marine oil terminal was among the targets, with at least five fuel tanks hit and a large-scale fire breaking out across the depot. On 7 October, a fire broke out at the Marine Oil Terminal in Feodosiia following a drone attack. A municipal-level state of emergency was declared in the city due to a man-made event. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Language Ombudsman Olena Ivanovska urged lawmakers on Oct. 15 to strip Russian from the list of languages granted special protection under its updated draft law for the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, saying that it will "deprive Kremlin propaganda of a tool for manipulation." The draft law seeks to update Ukraines legal interpretation of the Charter, bringing it into alignment with a new translation prepared by the Culture Ministry in 2024. The amendments to the draft law aim to correct what Ukrainian officials have identified as a mistranslation of the term "minority languages," which came from the Russian translation of the Charters original English and French texts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mistranslation blurred the distinction between linguistic communities and ethnic minorities, a nuance that Moscow has long exploited for political purposes. Most Ukrainians understand and can speak Russian, a legacy of policies under both the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union that systematically marginalized Ukrainian and other national languages. Russia has used the claim of "protecting" the so-called Russian-speaking population in Ukraine as one of its justifications for the war. "The word 'minority' (English) or 'minoritaires' (French) does not mean 'national minorities'; rather, the term refers to a 'numerical minority' that is, it concerns languages spoken by smaller groups of the population, not necessarily linked to any particular nationality," the Culture Ministry noted in 2024. With public confusion over the mistranslation, talk about removing the Russian language from the list of minority languages "distorted (the Charter's) purpose and triggered unfounded accusations of Ukraines noncompliance with international obligations, and created room for political manipulation aimed at undermining the status of Ukrainian as the state language," the Language Ombudswoman's office said on Oct. 15. Under the proposed revision to the draft law, Russian would be removed from the list of languages eligible for state support and special protection. The updated list would include Belarusian, Bulgarian, Gagauz, Crimean Tatar, Modern Greek, German, Polish, Romanian, Slovak, Hungarian, Czech and Hebrew. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The goal is simple to remove Russian, which does not need protection, and to deprive Kremlin propaganda of a tool for manipulation, Ivanovska said. Read also: Explainer: Why do some Ukrainians speak Russian? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal has publicly appealed to NATO partners to provide half of the funding needed for Ukraine's defence. Source: Shmyhal at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (also known as the Ramstein format) meeting, as reported by European Pravda Details: Shmyhal stressed that Ukraine needs the support of its partners to cover military needs during the war against Russian aggression. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote: "We estimate our [defence budget] needs for 2026 at US$120 billion. Ukraine will cover 60 billion of this amount, and we ask our partners to cover the rest." Details: The minister emphasised that the simplest way to achieve this would be through a joint decision to allocate a small share of allied defence budgets to the needs of Ukraine's defence forces. "The most effective way is to allocate 0.25% of GDP for this," Shmyhal said. "If this is not achievable for Europe and non-European partners, then the only way forward is a loan backed by frozen Russian assets," the minister added. The meeting participants also highlighted the importance of the PURL (Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List) initiative, designed to procure American weapons with allied funding. Background: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier stated that Ukraine will need to spend US$120 billion on the war in 2026. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! A delegation of senior Ukrainian officials visiting the United States has met with representatives of Raytheon, the company that manufactures Tomahawk missiles. Source: Andrii Yermak, Head of the Ukrainian President's Office, as reported by European Pravda Details: In addition to Yermak, the meeting was attended by Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, Rustem Umierov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhii Kyslytsia and Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's Ambassador to the US. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Ukrainian delegation also held talks with representatives of another US defence company, Lockheed Martin. "Their tech is saving lives: F-16s and advanced air defence systems are shielding Ukrainian skies, while their offensive solutions strongly support our forces on the front line," Yermak said. He added that cooperation between Ukraine and American companies "keeps growing". Ukraine is seeking to obtain long-range Tomahawk missiles. US President Donald Trump is expected to discuss the Tomahawk issue with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later this week. Background: NATO officials believe that while supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine would not be decisive, the weapons could have an impact on the battlefield. A NATO official also gave a sceptical assessment of Russia's potential response to the possible supply of Tomahawks to Ukraine, despite the aggressive rhetoric coming from Moscow. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! KYIV, Ukraine A Ukrainian government delegation has met with prominent American weapons manufacturers during a U.S. visit, a senior Kyiv official said Wednesday, before President Volodymyr Zelenskyys meeting with U.S. counterpart Donald Trump at the White House later this week. A delegation led by the head of the Ukrainian presidents office, Andrii Yermak, and Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko met with representatives of Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, Yermak wrote in a Telegram post. Yermak didnt disclose what was discussed during the talks, but said that his countrys cooperation with the two companies continues to grow as Ukraine looks for further help resisting Russias all-out war, which began on Feb. 24, 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Yermak, posted on X that Ukraine is seeking cruise missiles, air defense systems and joint drone production agreements from the United States. Raytheon produces Patriot air defense systems, which have been vital for Ukrainian efforts to counter Russian long-range strikes, and Tomahawk cruise missiles. Kyiv officials are keen to obtain Tomahawks, which could allow Ukraine to strike targets deep inside Russia, including Moscow, accurately and with large warheads. While Zelenskyy is widely expected to request Trumps go-ahead at the Oval Office to procure Tomahawks, Washington has hesitated over such a move out of concern that it could escalate the war and deepen tensions between the United States and Russia. However, Trump on Sunday warned Russia that he may send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine if Moscow doesnt end its war there soon possibly using that threat to increase the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to compromise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin said that Tomahawks wouldnt change the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine, while Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in published remarks Sunday that the issue of Tomahawks is of extreme concern to Moscow. NATO defense ministers were meeting in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss how they can maintain the momentum of weapons supplies to Ukraine after European military aid for Kyiv dropped sharply in the summer. European allies and Canada are buying American weapons to help Kyiv hold back Russias forces. Meanwhile, Svyrydenko, the Ukrainian prime minister, said that she met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday, as the two countries put the finishing touches to the U.S.-Ukraine Reinvestment Fund, part of an agreement granting American access to Ukraines vast mineral resources. Svyrydenko said that the fund is several important decisions away from starting to function. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first potential projects set to receive investments in the critical minerals, energy and infrastructure sectors are taking shape, she said. Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine continued their almost daily attacks on each others energy assets, as Ukraine tries to dent Russian fuel supplies and oil revenue and Russia seeks to cripple the Ukrainian power grid before winter. Ukraines armed forces conducted an overnight strike on an oil terminal in Feodosia, in the Russia-annexed Crimean Peninsula, according to a post on Telegram Wednesday by the General Staff. The terminal is an important logistical link supplying Russian forces with fuel, it said. The attack damaged 16 fuel reservoirs that were still intact after Ukrainian forces struck the terminal last week, sparking a fire, it added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, Naftogaz Group, Ukraines biggest oil and gas company, said Wednesday that Russia struck one of its thermal power plants overnight, the latest in a series of major attacks on the companys natural gas facilities and infrastructure. At least two Ukrainian regions reported blackouts. MONTPELIER, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) Federal workers impacted by the government shutdown have until 4:00 p.m. today, October 15, to file an unemployment claim. These workers have two weeks from the shutdowns start to apply, according to Vermonts Department of Labor. Those who still have not applied for unemployment benefits can call the UI claims center, which is open from 8:30 to 4:00 p.m. today, at 877-214-3330. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Why is there a government shutdown? To file a claim, individuals must have documents and more that detail wage verification, a Social Security Number, start and end dates of your last job, your pay stubs, addresses and phone numbers of all employers worked for in the last 18 months, and your SF-50 plus SF-8 forms. Federal employees can reportedly apply for benefits even without separation paperwork, including the SF forms mentioned above. If back pay is approved for furloughed workers by congress, UI benefits received will be repaid to the state, the DOL explains. More information can be found on the Vermont DOL website. 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 ABC22 & FOX44. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) The University of Michigan Health-Sparrow is hosting its annual Halloween party for kids at C.S. Mott Childrens Hospital at 11:30 a.m. The Spirit of Children program is dedicated to making hospitals less scary for kids and their families by donating cash, costumes, and activities to help children celebrate Halloween, event officials say. Children will have the chance to choose a costume, enjoy snacks, and participate in crafts. The program supports more than 150 pediatric hospitals across North America through customer donations and purchases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement University of Michigan Health-Sparrow reports that since 2007, the program has donated more than $961,000 to support C.S. Mott Children`s Hospital at UM Health-Sparrow. Shoppers at any Spirit Halloween store can receive 10% off their order and trigger an additional 10% donation to the hospital by presenting a digital coupon or using the promo code GIVING25 online at SpiritHalloween.com 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 WLNS 6 News. The University of St. Thomas had hundreds of thousands of documents stolen earlier this year in a data breach, according to ABC13's reporting partners at the Houston Chronicle, and now a hacking group has taken responsibility. This hack happened in early August, according to ABC13's reporting partners, but the university is staying tight-lipped with no statements or acknowledgement of the incident to be found on the university website or social media pages. A spokesperson briefly spoke with ABC13 reporter Lileana Pearson and said the university is working on a statement. For now, they say they want the public to know this is an ongoing investigation, which they take seriously. Big figure pay-outs, investigations into conduct, and personal banking information, that's what ABC13's partners at the Houston Chronicle said are included in the vast University of St. Thomas data breach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ABC13 spoke to Eric Devlin, a computer forensic examiner with the Lone Star Forensic Group. He said higher education institutions are one of the most targeted groups when it comes to cyber crimes like this. "They have large numbers of information. They have social security numbers, they've got bank accounts, billing information, they've got all types of interesting information to obtain," Devlin said. According to cybersecurity firm Sopho, its 2023 survey of over 200 higher education institutions found that half of the institutions caught in a cybersecurity incident paid a ransom. Devlin said it is often cheaper to pay a ransom than to hire a professional to try and recoup the stolen or locked information, but he noted that paying doesn't mean getting access back. "Sometimes, they don't always have the keys to this, so your really good sophisticated hacker will have the keys to it and be able to do it, but they may not want to give you the key," Devlin said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Chronicle reports that the university has not said if a ransom was asked for or paid, though some university services like BlackBoard and email are back online. Devlin said that whether your information is linked to a company, university, or other organization, it's always a best practice to make sure you're protecting yourself. He says the best way to do that is to have strong passwords. "If you really want to be good on an iPhone or an Android, you use what is called an alphanumeric password. It's a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols, and a minimum length of about 6 to 8 characters," Devlin said. For more news updates, follow Lileana Pearson on Facebook, X and Instagram. Using an unprecedented move thats been described as nuclear, the Senate passed three bills last week overturning established land-use plans in Montana, North Dakota and Alaska under the Congressional Review Act. It is the first time that the CRA a law designed to allow Congress to rescind executive agency actions has ever been applied to a land management plan since it was signed in 1996. The bills passed the House of Representatives last month and are now bound for President Donald Trumps desk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the state delegations celebrate the end of Biden-era restrictions on the debated parcels of federal land, there are many including both energy advocates and conservationists who fear that those unprecedented bills will upend land management across the entire country. That includes long time oil and gas advocates, who urge Congress to use caution. I think that its necessary to tread lightly, said Kathleen Sgamma, principal for Multiple-Use Advocacy and a former BLM director candidate in the Trump administration. There are some additional legal risks that can arise from the CRA its uncharted ground and if not used wisely, there could be some legal risks introduced and some bad legal precedent." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior is not worried about any broader application for those three specific bills. In reviewing the congressional record, it is clear that the House of Representatives has directly responded with specificity to these resource-limiting actions of the Biden-era RMPs, wrote Kate MacGregor, the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior in a leaked memo to the Senate. Passage of these corrective CRA resolutions would not limit BLM from continuing to manage public lands in accordance with all applicable laws. Critics of the bills call that view short-sighted. Some are convinced that the use of the CRA has the potential to sow confusion and doubt for decades. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These bills are such a terrible idea, John Ruple, a research law professor at the University of Utah, wrote in an email to Deseret News. This is not about whether the management requirements contained in the challenged plans are a good idea. This is about whether order is preferable to chaos. This July 8, 2004, photo provided by the United States Geological Survey shows Fish Creek through the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, managed by the Bureau of Land Management on Alaska's North Slope. | David W. Houseknecht, United States Geological Survey via the Associated Press Whats wrong with Congress overturning a controversial land-use plan? The legal underpinnings are a little yawn-inducing, but its the legalese and requirements of the bill that cause critics concern. In short, the CRA requires anything subject to its review be submitted prior to being enacted. And if Congress hasnt seen a rule prior to it going into effect, then its not legally enforceable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The very first line states that before a rule can take effect, the federal agency promulgating such rule shall submit to each House of the Congress and to the comptroller general a report. None of the hundreds of land use plans implemented since the law was enacted in 1996 have been submitted to Congress for review. The three in the legislation last week received special permission from the Governmental Accountability Office just to be considered at all. Legal scholars and conservationists argue that using the CRA against some land-use plans regardless of the limitations written into the new laws could expose all of them to legal challenges. Keep in mind that, potentially, every resource management plan since 1996 is eligible to be overturned, said Kaden McArthur, director of congressional affairs for Trout Unlimited, a conservation advocacy group representing anglers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That is what decides oil and gas leasing plans for millions of acres. Future Democratic Congresses and Democratic presidents not that far into the future, potentially could call up the CRA on any number of oil and gas heavy RMPs, and overturn those, and freeze oil and gas production. That is absolutely a concern." Does applying the CRA undermine the land management process? Three land-use plans approved during the Biden administration limited natural resource extraction on BLM lands in Alaska, Montana and North Dakota. In each case, however, the BLM conducted environmental impact studies that took several years to process, each involving layered public input and review. Ultimately, the agencys records of decisions did limit resource extraction on those parcels of federal land. The management decisions finalized in the Biden-era plans significantly curtail multiple uses on many of the underlying parcels in question, MacGregor wrote in her letter to Senate leadership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Impacts range from eliminating access to much needed coal, oil and gas and mineral resources, and in some cases, even reduced access to livestock grazing and off-highway vehicle use. Cows graze along a section of the Missouri River that includes the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument on Sept. 19, 2011, near Fort Benton, Mont. The Biden administration on Thursday, April 18, 2024, finalized a proposed rule thats meant to put conservation on equal footing with drilling, grazing and other uses of U.S.-owned lands, primarily in the West. | Matthew Brown, Associated Press Like most land-use plans, that result was not well-received by all. Particularly not by the impacted states congressional delegations, who were the ones who sought and received permission from the GAO to apply the Congressional Review Act to those specific land-use plans earlier this year. Nada Wolff Culver, the former principal deputy director of the BLM during the Biden administration, is familiar with each of those land-use plans and the ways to overturn them. She described this use of the CRA as questionable, highlighting that in the last 30 years no land-use planner or elected official has attempted to change an existing plan in this way Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It really undermines the land-use planning process that whether you like the outcome or not people take very, very seriously in the West. In Utah, in particular, Wolff Culver said. Hooray! Youre welcome, Wolff Culver said. Its super disrespectful, I think, to the agencies, to the public, to the tribes, to the counties, who worked very hard to craft this process, to participate in this process. By overturning the plans, Congress is not magically ushering in a different land-use plan either, Wolff Culver said. Instead, its necessitating a whole new review process. An option, she pointed out, that was already available to the BLM and Congress prior to the use of the CRA. Sgamma, too, reiterated that the federal government had a number of options available that did not have the potential to undermine the legal integrity of land-use plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These plans done by the Biden administration were very egregious in many circumstances, so I get why theyre mad, but they might just take a step back and go, Hey, wait, were working with a friendly administration, Sgamma said. It would be easier to just let the BLM let a friendly BLM do its thing and get these plans done and defended within the Trump administration." Are all land management plans at odds with the law? In the days before the Senate voted to use the CRA to address land-use plans, a leaked anonymous legal complaint drafted in Wyoming made its way around Capitol Hill. It leveraged all the arguments that critics of the bill were most concerned about. This case concerns the federal governments unlawful issuance of thousands of oil, gas, and mineral leases, drilling permits, and other authorizations in Wyoming. Under federal law, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) may only take actions and authorizations pursuant to a valid Resource Management Plan (RMP), reads the lawsuit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Congress has now confirmed that each and every RMP in Wyoming and many across the nation is legally invalid because none of the RMPs were ever submitted to Congress under the Congressional Review Act (CRA). This means that each and every oil, gas, and mineral lease, drilling permit, and other authorization issued pursuant to those RMPs is also invalid. The lawsuit targets the BLM field offices in Wyoming, which have issued 2,599 oil and gas leases on nearly 2.2 million acres since the CRA was signed into law. This Jan. 21, 2010, photo shows pronghorn antelope passing by a natural gas drilling rig, background, south of Pinedale in western Wyoming. | Mead Gruver, Associated Press But it also makes clear that all land-use plans from every state that were not submitted to congress prior to 1996 are also at odds with the current use of the law. In Utah, it is more than 500,000 acres of oil and gas leases alone not including parcels good for natural resource extraction that have conflicting recreation use that could be subject to legal action. Some conservationists say that this complaint will lay the groundwork for the legal challenges that will come for any contentious land-use plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the suit and any further action are still pending, legislators and Interior officials remain calm that such concerns are unwarranted. The CRA does NOT prohibit the BLM from issuing a new amendment. The CRA simply prohibits the new administration from issuing a substantially similar coal amendment, and in this case that means they cant permanently prohibit new coal development, said Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., in remarks prepared for a Senate floor speech last week. Today you may hear from the other side of the aisle that the sky is falling. Thats not true. Today we are righting a wrong. The U.S. Armys first unit to receive hypersonic weapons will get a batterys worth of rounds by the end of the year, Maj. Gen. Frank Lozano, the services program executive officer for missiles and space, told Defense News in a recent interview. In 2021 the 1st Multidomain Task Force, 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Field Artillery Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord received all equipment except for the actual live rounds for the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon capability it calls Dark Eagle. The Washington state-based unit was supposed to get the missiles in fall 2023 but several aborted test events forced the Army to push back its fielding plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first three missiles were distributed to the unit earlier this year, with the last of the munitions arriving in July. The fourth round is currently going through acceptance checkouts at Lockheed Martins facility in Cortland, Alabama, Lozano said. The final eight are expected to be delivered by the end of December, Lozano said. The Army is also aiming to conduct a hypersonic missile test around the same time. That will complete the basic load for battery one, up at JBLM, he added. Then ... well start working on Battery Two. The fielding of the munitions follows a lengthy delay in the testing process. Several tests of the round were aborted in 2023 due to challenges at the range and the hiccups in the process of firing up the missile for launch. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Testing the all-up round was considered critical to ensure the system was safe, effective and ready for fielding. The U.S. is presently in a race to field the capability and develop systems to defend against hypersonic weapons, which China and Russia are actively developing and testing. The Army conducted an end-to-end successful flight test of its hypersonic missile at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii in May 2024, which put the initial fielding to the first unit closer on the horizon. While the process of equipping the Army with the weapon has taken nearly two years longer than planned, service officials have been quick to point out that missile development programs typically take about 10 years. The LRHW program, meanwhile, is only just beyond the five-year mark. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Army has worked with Leidos Dynetics for years to build the industrial base for the Common-Hypersonic Glide Body that will be used by both the ground service and the Navy, as the domestic private sector has never built a hypersonic weapon. The service also separately produced launchers, trucks, trailers and the battle operations center necessary to put together the first weapon battery. Lockheed Martin is the weapon system integrator for the Armys hypersonic capability that will be launched from a mobile truck. In preparation for receiving the all-up rounds, the Army completed its delivery of the first hypersonic weapon capability minus the rounds to the Multi-Domain Task Force unit at JBLM two days ahead of its end-of-fiscal 2021 fielding deadline. The unit has been training on the system since the delivery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The next phase of production will ramp up quickly once delivery to the first battery is complete. The second tranche of production is both Battery Two and the Battery One reload, Lozano said. Thats a very complex missile system. Although weve gotten through the testing of the system and were confident that it works, were still working through how to take a prototype system thats complex and transition it into production, where you have a very repeatable process that drives out quality defects. Were in the middle of that process right now, Lozano added. Things that were wrestling with every day is well build up part of the missile and well take the boost phase rocket motor and mate it to the missile midsection and then the inspector will come by and well find some defects that we will have to work and address. ... Were learning as we build these missiles. Speed, of course, brings added challenges, Lozano acknowledged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just the nature of having gone so fast if you were doing a typical 10- or 15-year missile program, you drive all this risk out of the program and youd be delivering on time. Youd just be delivering 10 years from now. Yet, the good news is that were making progress now, he said. We just have to keep our foot on the gas pedal and continue to push forward and make more progress. US Capitol Police are investigating a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol found in GOP Rep. Dave Taylors office, the congressman said in a statement. The congressmans office has not confirmed to CNN what the symbol was, but Politico reported that USCP was called after an American flag altered to include a swastika was found inside the Ohio Republicans office in Washington, DC. I am aware of an image that appears to depict a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol near an employee in my office, Taylor said in the statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The content of that image does not reflect the values or standards of this office, my staff, or myself, and I condemn it in the strongest terms. Upon learning of this matter, I immediately directed a thorough investigation alongside Capitol Police, which remains ongoing. No further comment will be provided until it has been completed. The congressmans office referred to the incident as vandalism in a release with Taylors statement. When CNN reached out to USCP for comment, the agency sent an autoreply that its public information office is closed for routine business during the government shutdown. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com This is a historic opportunity for peace. Hamas should seize it by fully standing down, strictly adhering to President Trumps 20-point peace plan, and disarming without delay, CENTCOM stated CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper called on Hamas to immediately suspend violence and shooting at innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza, in a statement on Wednesday. This is a historic opportunity for peace. Hamas should seize it by fully standing down, strictly adhering to President Trumps 20-point peace plan, and disarming without delay, the statement said, adding that CENTCOM had conveyed concern to the mediators. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We remain highly optimistic for the future of peace in the region. Trump threatens to disarm Hamas 'perhaps violently' Trump stated earlier that "the job IS NOT DONE" after Hamas violated the 72-hour deadline set for the return of all hostages, living and dead, from captivity in Gaza in a social media post. Trump stated earlier that "the job IS NOT DONE" after Hamas violated the 72-hour deadline set for the return of all hostages, living and dead, from captivity in Gaza in a social media post. "Phase Two begins right NOW!!!" Trump stated, referring to the next phase in implementing his Gaza peace plan. Trump said on Tuesday that Hamas must disarm or the terrorist group will be disarmed. "If they don't disarm, we will disarm them. And it will happen quickly and perhaps violently," Trump said later during a meeting at the White House with Argentine President Javier Milei. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said Washington will take action against Russia if it does not end its war on Ukraine in the near future. Source: The Hill, citing Hegseth at a NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels, as reported by the European Pravda Details: Hegseth warned that if no progress is made towards peace in Ukraine, the United States will begin to ramp up pressure on Russia. Quote: "If there is no path to peace in the short term, then the United States, along with our allies, will take the steps necessary to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression. 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." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More details: Hegseth added that the best deterrent against Russian aggression is a "lethal, capable and European-led NATO" and stressed that a "combat credible" Ukrainian army must be able to continue defending itself and "thereby continue to deter Russian aggression along NATO's border". Hegseth's comments come amid discussions over whether the US might supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles, a topic expected to feature prominently in talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump on 17 October. Background: Politico, citing a White House official, reported earlier that US President Donald Trump is "optimistic" about the possibility of achieving peace in Ukraine following the successful signing of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas and the release of hostages. On 15 October, NATO Secretary General announced that over half of the Alliance's members have joined the initiative to buy weapons for Ukraine from the United States. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that the United States hopes to see an increase in the volume of American weapons purchases by European NATO allies under the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative for delivery to Ukraine. Source: Hegseth before the meeting of the North Atlantic Council at defence ministers' level Details: Hegseth said he hopes that NATO's European allies would buy more American weapons for Ukraine through PURL. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "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," he said. Hegseth reiterated that PURL is "the initiative where European countries buy US weapons transferred to NATO for the fight in Ukraine to bring peace to that conflict". "If there is anything we've learned under President Trump, it is the active application of 'peace through strength'. You get peace when you are strong, not when you use strong words or wag your finger. You get it when you have strong and real capabilities that adversaries respect," he said. Hegseth pointed out that "that's what NATO is doing, I believe that's what the PURL initiative is". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Background: As European Pravda reported, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte earlier announced that new countries would join the initiative to procure US-made weapons for Ukraine. Ukraine is prioritising the issue of financing arms purchases from the United States under the PURL programme during a series of events involving NATO defence ministers in Brussels on 15 October, to which Ukrainian Minister Denys Shmyhal has also been invited. US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said on Tuesday 14 October that announcements of new arms deliveries to Ukraine under the PURL programme would be made this week. Ukraine has previously stated that it particularly relies on the US for the supply of vital air defence systems and long-range missiles amid intensified Russian bombardments of Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! American farmers, including cotton growers, are imploring President Donald Trump to take action to strengthen the countrys agricultural economy amid pervasive headwinds caused by mounting cost pressures and trade tensions. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) penned an open letter to the Commander in Chief detailing the existential challenges currently threatening farmers in the U.S., which its members say threaten the longterm viability of the U.S. agriculture sector. More from Sourcing Journal Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the group praised the administration for including updates to farm risk management programs to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by Congress in July, AFBF said insufficient action over the last several years has led farmers to face persistent economic hurdles related to labor, regulatory compliance, energy and fertilizer, which have eaten away at margins. Meanwhile, the farmers wrote that weak commodity prices and uneven global competition have strained farm finances, and that crop receipts have dropped precipitously in the past three years. This has eroded the cash flow and equity farmers need to withstand changes in the market. These challenges have been compounded by inconsistent enforcement of trade obligations, including unfulfilled trade commitments from China, and the persistence of non-tariff barriers which have added to the volatility and left farmers with little clarity about future revenue potential or market access, the letter stated. On Tuesday, president Trump took to Truth Social to lambast China for what he characterized as a willful refusal to purchase American soybeans. The crop traditionally represents the biggest U.S. export to China, and farmers exported about 985 million bushelsover half their yieldto the country last year. This year, though, that number dropped precipitously, amounting to just 218 million bushels during the first eight months of 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump this week called Chinas pullback an economically hostile act that is causing difficulty for farmers, and said that the U.S. is weighing retribution. Meanwhile, cotton farmers have also seen their exports diminish greatly in the wake of the protracted trade war with China. Prior to the tit-for-tat tariff standoff, 85 percent of the countrys cotton supply was exported, with Vietnam and China representing the primary destination for U.S. cotton, where its chiefly used to create apparel. AFBF indicated that generational farms are being forced to close across the country as [r]ow crop growers producing everything from corn, soybeans, wheat, and sorghum to cotton are being squeezed out, not because of poor yields, but because market prices have fallen well below the cost of production. More than half of the farms in the U.S. are now losing money annually. The group urged the Trump administration and Congress to take action to stabilize and strengthen the agricultural sector by, in the short term, bridging payments for farmers before the end of the year in order to address gaps in revenue. These payments must be robust enough to address sector-wide gaps and provide meaningful support as the federal government works to recalibrate trade strategies, stabilize prices, and strengthen key market relationships, AFBF wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Further, the farm organization called for fair and enforceable trade deals that open markets and ensure that farmers have reciprocal access for their crops, among other objectives. American agriculture has always been a strategic national assetvital not only to our economy but to our food security and independence, the letter said. Following sharp criticism from health experts, watchdog groups, and residents concerned about exposure to toxic air, the Trump administration's decision to delay implementation of pollution safeguards for the steel industry has reportedly been reversed. What's happening? This past summer, the Environmental Protection Agency paused a rule that would have forced steel plants to monitor and reduce harmful emissions. The original standards, issued in 2024 under the previous administration, required companies to track levels of benzene and to develop cleanup plans if pollution exceeded federal thresholds. Benzene is a known carcinogen emitted when coke ovens superheat coal for steel operations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Industry groups, including the Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel, argued the rules were too costly and threatened jobs. But experts noted that cleaner production methods could cut costs over time while protecting public health. In August, environmental groups Earthjustice and the Environmental Integrity Project filed a lawsuit against the EPA on behalf of clean air advocates, arguing that a two-year delay in implementing the rule would violate standing regulations. As of early October, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported, the EPA has reinstated the 2024 rule. Why is this important? "It is good news that the Trump EPA is abandoning its unlawful attempt to delay the compliance deadlines for recently updated air pollution control rules for steel industry coke ovens," EIP attorney Haley Lewis said in a press release announcing the administration's seeming about-face. "Communities living near these facilities waited many years for these rules to be finalized by EPA in 2024 and putting them into action now is vital for reducing hazardous air pollution and protecting people living near these plants." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Steelmaking, especially at older coking plants that purify coal to fuel production, produces benzene, sulfur dioxide, and other dangerous pollutants linked to asthma, heart disease, cancer, and developmental concerns in children. In Pittsburgh's Mon Valley, nearly one in four children living near U.S. Steel facilities have asthma, area physician Deborah Gentile told NPR in September. That's double to triple the expected rate, Gentile said. Residents describe daily exposure as dirty and a threat to public health. "You take a deep breath in Glassport and you smell hydrogen sulfide, you smell sulfur dioxide," local Dave Meckel told the news outlet. His wife, Cindy, added, "Every day, we would have to go out and wipe off the tablecloth, and every day, the paper towel or the cloth was black." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Air monitors outside Clairton Coke Works a U.S. Steel facility located in Clairton, Pennsylvania, and already fined more than $10 million in EPA violations recorded "a six-month average concentration of benzene in 2022-2023 ... eight times higher than a key public health threshold," according to EIP. Experts have warned that without strong oversight, companies can continue profiting while locals pay the price in hospital visits, chronic illness, and premature deaths. What's next? While clean air and health advocates celebrate the reimplementation of 2024 standards for emissions monitoring and reduction, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has reported that U.S. Steel "sought a presidential exemption from this rule in March," with the company saying that the request was still pending as of October 6. The newspaper also noted that while U.S. Steel says it is working "toward compliance with the regulations," it is also considering other options. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "U.S. Steel is committed to working with the EPA and supports regulations that are well-grounded in law; and are based on sound science, available and proven technology, and that consider costs and other non-air quality impacts," the company said, per the Post-Gazette. "Unfortunately, the 2024 coke rules do not meet these criteria, and we are evaluating next steps." Meanwhile, organizations like the Clean Air Task Force and Environmental Protection Network are ramping up efforts to defend federal air quality standards and encouraging companies to adopt safer technologies and energy. Some states and cities are also strengthening their own clean energy and pollution rules, underscoring that local action can help close the gaps left by federal rollbacks. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. The federal governments partial shutdown reached its 15th day on Wednesday, Oct. 15, after the U.S. Senate failed for the eighth time to get enough votes to overcome a budget impasse. Meanwhile, the White House Office of Management and Budget vowed to batten down the hatches and ride out the shutdown while continuing layoffs. Pay the troops, pay law enforcement, continue the RIFs, and wait, the budget office said in a post on X. More: Trump to list closed agencies as shutdown enters 15th day. Live updates Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For members of the military, Wednesday is payday, and President Donald Trump has insisted that active-duty troops should be paid regardless of the government shutdown. In a Truth Social post on Oct. 11, Trump said he is using his authority as commander in chief to direct Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th. The president did not identify funding sources or the total amount that would be used for troop salaries, and the White House did not respond to a request for comment, according to Reuters. More: How Senate stands in ending government shutdown, and how your senators voted Is the federal government still shut down? Yes, the federal government remains largely shut down and has been since just after midnight on Oct. 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 750,000 federal workers have been furloughed and ordered not to report to work. Employees deemed essential to public safety, including military personnel, law enforcement officers and air traffic controllers, among others, must work without pay until a budget deal is reached. What do Democrats and Republicans want for the government to reopen? Democrats are pushing to ensure tax breaks for 24 million Americans who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act (referred to as Obama Care) and have refused to back a government spending bill that doesnt address the issue. The Senate Dems want to make the tax break permanent, which would otherwise expire at the end of the year, and provide reassurances to prevent the Trump administration from temporarily withholding funds. Republicans and the president say they are open to considering a fix for the expiring ACA tax breaks, but want the issue addressed separately from the ongoing budget impasse. Republicans have also claimed that the Democratic proposal could partially pay for health coverage for people who are in the country illegally. Thats not true, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. What happens to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid? The Social Security Administration will continue to issue retirement and disability benefits, but will furlough 12% of its staff and pause marketing campaigns, according to the agencys shutdown plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Payments will likewise continue under the Medicare and Medicaid health programs. More: Government shutdown is impacting Social Security. Details on payments, offices, more. Does the U.S. mail get delivered? The U.S. Postal Service is open because it does not depend on Congress for funding, USPS said in a statement. What about the airports? More than 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers are still required to show up for work during the shutdown. Will food aid continue under SNAP and WIC? The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the nations largest food aid program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, will continue operations during a shutdown as funds allow, according to a shutdown planning document published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Oct. 7, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a social media post that the White House had found a creative way to continue funding WIC through tariff revenue. On Oct. 9, the Associated Press reported that $300 million in unspent tariff revenue and leftover funding from other programs was infused into the program. What does a shutdown mean for the military? While 1.3 active-duty military may get paid on Wednesday, Oct. 15, roughly 55% of the Defense Departments 740,000 civilian employees have been furloughed, including those involved in training, procurement and administrative support. Civilians working in cybersecurity, medical care, weapons systems maintenance, intelligence, and logistics are still working and are not included in Trumps order to pay active-duty personnel. National Guard forces that Trump has deployed to U.S. cities must also continue to work. What about Homeland Security, immigration and border officers? Only 5% of the Department of Homeland Securitys 271,000 workers have been furloughed, including those involved in research, planning, training, and auditing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Secret Service agents, immigration and border officers, airport security screeners, Coast Guard personnel, and Federal Emergency Management Agency emergency workers remain on the job. The shutdown, the 15th since 1981, is on track to become the fourth-longest in U.S. history, eclipsing the twelve-day shutdown in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter. The longest shutdown lasted 35 days during Trumps first term, from 2018 to 2019. Contributors: USA TODAYs Joey Garrison, Bart Jansen, Melina Khan, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, Michelle Del Rey, Zachary Schermele, Mike Snider and Mary Walrath-Holdridge This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Is the federal government still closed? What to know on Oct. 15. WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A leading expert on U.S.-India relations who has advised successive U.S. administrations has been arrested and charged with unlawful retention of national defense information, including over a thousand pages of top secret and secret documents at his home, court documents showed. Ashley Tellis, 64, who served on the National Security Council of former Republican President George W. Bush and is listed in an FBI court affidavit as an unpaid adviser to the State Department and a Pentagon contractor, was arrested over the weekend and charged on Monday, the documents seen on Tuesday showed. Tellis is also a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington think tank. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A State Department official confirmed that Tellis was arrested on Saturday, but declined to comment further. A Pentagon official said it does not comment on ongoing litigation. Carnegie was aware of the allegations and Tellis is now on administrative leave, including from his role as Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs, Katelynn Vogt, vice president for communications, said in a statement on Wednesday. Tellis could not immediately be reached. His lawyer was not listed in the court documents and was not immediately known. Trump administration officials, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, have vowed to prosecute individuals who mishandle classified information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The FBI affidavit accompanying the charge document said that in September and October this year Tellis entered Defense and State Department buildings and was observed accessing and printing classified documents, including about military aircraft capabilities, and leaving by car with a leather briefcase or bag. The affidavit said a search of Tellis' residence in Vienna, Virginia, on Saturday uncovered over a thousand pages of classified documents with top secret and secret markings. The affidavit also said Tellis had met Chinese government officials on multiple occasions over the past several years. The meetings included a September 15 dinner at a restaurant in Fairfax, Virginia, at which it said Tellis arrived with a manila envelope, which he did not appear to have when he left. The affidavit said that due to his employment with the State Department and Pentagon Tellis possessed a Top Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Justice Department statement said that if convicted, Tellis faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. "We are fully focused on protecting the American people from all threats, foreign and domestic," said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. "The charges as alleged in this case represent a grave risk to the safety and security of our citizens." (Reporting by David Brunnstrom, Andrew Goudsward and Simon Lewis; Editing by Don Durfee and Richard Chang) By Daniel Wiessner (Reuters) -A federal judge in California on Wednesday ordered President Donald Trump's administration to halt mass layoffs during a partial government shutdown while she considers claims by unions that the job cuts are illegal. During a hearing in San Francisco, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston granted a request by two unions to block layoffs at more than 30 agencies pending further litigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her ruling came shortly after White House Budget Director Russell Vought said on "The Charlie Kirk Show" that more than 10,000 federal workers could lose their jobs because of the shutdown, which entered its 15th day on Wednesday. Illston at the hearing cited a series of public statements by Trump and Vought that she said showed explicit political motivations for the layoffs, such as Trump saying that cuts would target "Democrat agencies." "You can't do that in a nation of laws. And we have laws here, and the things that are being articulated here are not within the law," said Illston, an appointee of Democratic former President Bill Clinton. Illston said she agreed with the unions that the administration was unlawfully using the lapse in government funding that began October 1 to carry out its agenda of downsizing the federal government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A U.S. Department of Justice lawyer, Elizabeth Hedges, said she was not prepared to address Illston's concerns about the legality of the layoffs. She instead argued that the unions must bring their claims to a federal labor board before going to court. The White House said last week that it had begun substantial layoffs across the U.S. government, as Trump followed through on a threat to cut the federal workforce during the government shutdown. About 4,100 workers at eight agencies have been notified that they are being laid off so far, according to a Tuesday court filing by the administration. The American Federation of Government Employees and American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees claim that implementing layoffs is not an essential service that can be performed during a lapse in government funding, and that the shutdown does not justify mass job cuts because most federal workers have been furloughed without pay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump's Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress but need at least seven Democratic votes to pass a funding bill in the Senate, where Democrats are holding out for an extension of health-insurance subsidies. Democrats have said they will not cave to Trump's pressure tactics. (Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) By Daniel Wiessner (Reuters) -A federal judge in California on Wednesday ordered President Donald Trump's administration to halt mass layoffs of federal workers during a partial government shutdown while she considers claims by unions that the job cuts are illegal. During a hearing in San Francisco, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston granted a request by two unions to block layoffs at more than 30 federal agencies while the case proceeds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The decision is likely to be appealed quickly, but it offers a reprieve for federal workers facing a nearly year-long push by the Trump administration to slash their ranks. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House said last week that it had begun substantial layoffs across the U.S. government, as Trump followed through on a threat to cut the federal workforce during the government shutdown, now in its 15th day. In an order Wednesday, Trump extended an existing freeze on hiring new federal workers, with exceptions for military personnel and appointees to political roles. About 4,100 workers at eight agencies have been notified that they are being laid off so far, according to a Tuesday court filing by the administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Illston's ruling came shortly after White House Budget Director Russell Vought said on "The Charlie Kirk Show" that more than 10,000 federal workers could lose their jobs because of the shutdown. Illston at the hearing cited a series of public statements by Trump and Vought that she said showed explicit political motivations for the layoffs, such as Trump saying that cuts would target "Democrat agencies." "You can't do that in a nation of laws. And we have laws here, and the things that are being articulated here are not within the law," said Illston, an appointee of Democratic former President Bill Clinton. JUDGE DEMANDS DETAILS ON LAYOFFS Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democracy Forward, a legal group that represents the unions, said Illston made clear that the president's targeting of federal workers was unlawful. Our civil servants do the work of the people, and playing games with their livelihoods is cruel and unlawful and a threat to everyone in our nation," Skye Perryman, the group's president and CEO, said in a statement. Illston ordered the administration to provide by Friday an accounting of any actual or imminent layoffs and to outline the steps agencies are taking to comply with her ruling. A U.S. Department of Justice lawyer, Elizabeth Hedges, at the hearing said she was not prepared to address Illston's concerns about the legality of the layoffs. She instead argued that the unions must bring their claims to a federal labor board before being able to sue over them in court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Illston disagreed and chided the Justice Department for refusing to take a position on the unions' legal claims. The hatchet is falling on the heads of employees all across the nation, and youre not even prepared to address whether thats legal," she said. The American Federation of Government Employees and American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees claim that implementing layoffs is not an essential service that can be performed during a lapse in government funding, and that the shutdown does not justify mass job cuts because most federal workers have been furloughed without pay. Trump's Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress but need at least seven Democratic votes to pass a funding bill in the Senate, where Democrats are holding out for an extension of health-insurance subsidies. Democrats have said they will not cave to Trump's pressure tactics, and a renewed bid to pass a spending bill failed on Wednesday. (Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York and Courtney Rozen; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Alexia Garamfalvi) By Jack Queen (Reuters) -A federal judge in Montana on Wednesday threw out a lawsuit by youth activists seeking to block U.S. President Donald Trumps pro-fossil fuel energy policies, saying it asked the court to take on a sweeping role overseeing potentially hundreds of government rules and regulations. A group of young people represented by the nonprofit Our Childrens Trust sued in May, arguing Trumps executive orders aimed at unleashing American energy were unconstitutional. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen said in an order that while the activists had shown they would be harmed by Trump's policies, they asked him to assume a sweeping role in climate regulation that would overstep his powers as a judge. "This court would be required to monitor an untold number of federal agency actions to determine whether they contravene its injunction. This is, quite simply, an unworkable request for which plaintiffs provide no precedent," Christensen said. Neither lawyers for the activists nor the Justice Department immediately responded to requests for comment. Trump, a Republican, unveiled executive orders in January aimed at maximizing oil and gas production, rolling back environmental protections and withdrawing the U.S. from an international pact to fight climate change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The United Nations has said scientific evidence clearly shows greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels are responsible for rising temperatures and destructive changes to earths climate. In their lawsuit, the activists said Trump's policies would cause them a litany of harms, including life-threatening health conditions stemming from rising temperatures, air pollution from wildfires and flooding from increasingly powerful storms. They asked the court to declare Trumps orders illegal, block their implementation and roll back all policy changes stemming from them. The Trump administration said the activists had no right to dictate climate policy through litigation and should instead seek redress through the political process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A self-designated group of children and young plaintiffs claim they are better positioned to set national energy policy than the President of the United States," U.S. Department of Justice lawyers said in a court filing. (Reporting by Jack Queen in New York; Additional reporting by Luc Cohen; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Rod Nickel and Aurora Ellis) By Nate Raymond (Reuters) -A federal judge in Oregon on Wednesday extended temporary restraining orders that block President Donald Trump's administration from deploying any National Guard troops to police Portland as part of his campaign to dispatch military forces to a growing number of Democratic-led locales. Portland-based U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut acted as the administration awaits a ruling from a three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on whether it will lift one of her orders and allow Trump to deploy National Guard troops. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Immergut, during a telephonic hearing, cited timing concerns in deciding that she should extend by another 14 days two orders she previously issued, which had been set to expire later this week, even as the parties await the 9th Circuit's ruling. Immergut, who Trump appointed during his first term, issued decisions against the administration on October 4 and October 5, first ruling Trump could not take over Oregon's National Guard and then ruling that he could not circumvent that decision by calling in National Guard troops from other states. The judge at the time said there was no evidence that recent protests in Portland rose to the level of a rebellion or seriously interfered with law enforcement. She said Trump's description of the city as war-ravaged was "simply untethered to the facts." Immergut has scheduled a non-jury trial set to begin on October 29 to determine whether to impose a longer-term block. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said on Wednesday that at trial, the "most important thing here is what's going on on the ground and whether it warrants the deployment that was ordered." A lawyer with the Justice Department during Wednesday's hearing opposed Immergut extending her temporary restraining orders. The White House had no immediate comment. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Chris Reese and Bill Berkrot) By Nate Raymond (Reuters) -A federal judge in Oregon on Wednesday extended temporary restraining orders that block President Donald Trump's administration from deploying any National Guard troops to police Portland as part of his campaign to dispatch military forces to a growing number of Democratic-led cities. Portland-based U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut acted as the administration awaits a ruling from a three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on whether it will lift one of her orders preventing the administration from implementing Trump's plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Immergut, during a telephonic hearing, cited timing concerns in deciding that she should extend by another 14 days two orders she previously issued, which had been set to expire later this week, even as the parties await the 9th Circuit's ruling. The judge, who Trump appointed during his first term, had issued those orders on October 4 and October 5, first ruling Trump could not take over Oregon's National Guard and then ruling that he could not circumvent that decision by calling in National Guard troops from other states. She has scheduled a non-jury trial set to begin on October 29 to determine whether to impose a longer-term block, which Immergut on Wednesday said will turn on "what's going on on the ground and whether it warrants the deployment that was ordered." Justice Department attorney Michael Gerardi during Wednesday's hearing opposed Immergut extending her temporary restraining orders, which it wants dissolved. The White House had no immediate comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The National Guard serves as state-based militia forces that answer to state governors except when called into federal service by the president. Trump on September 27 ordered 200 National Guard troops to Portland, continuing his administration's unprecedented use of military personnel in U.S. cities to suppress protests and bolster domestic immigration enforcement. Trump called the city "war ravaged." City and state officials sued the administration in a bid to stop the Portland deployment, arguing Trump's action violates several federal laws that govern the use of military forces and the state's rights under the U.S. Constitution's 10th Amendment. Immergut in issuing her prior rulings said there was no evidence that recent protests in Portland rose to the level of a rebellion or seriously interfered with law enforcement. She said Trump's description of the city as war-ravaged was "simply untethered to the facts." (Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Chris Reese, Bill Berkrot and Alistair Bell) By Andrew Goudsward and Helen Coster WASHINGTON (Reuters) -At least 30 news organizations declined to sign a new Pentagon access policy for journalists, warning of the potential for less comprehensive coverage of the world's most powerful military ahead of a Tuesday deadline to accept new restrictions. The policy requires journalists to acknowledge new rules on press access, including that they could be branded security risks and have their Pentagon press badges revoked if they ask department employees to disclose classified and some types of unclassified information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reuters is among the outlets that have refused to sign, citing the threat posed to press freedoms. Others that have announced their refusal to accept the new press access rules in statements or their own news stories are: the Associated Press, Bloomberg News, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, CNN, Fox News, CBS, NBC, ABC, NPR, Axios, Politico, The Guardian, The Atlantic, The Hill, Newsmax, Breaking Defense and Task & Purpose. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement on Monday: "The policy does not ask for them to agree, just to acknowledge that they understand what our policy is. This has caused reporters to have a full blown meltdown, crying victim online. We stand by our policy because it's what's best for our troops and the national security of this country." The department has set a Tuesday deadline for news organizations to agree to it or turn in their Pentagon press badges and clear out their workspaces in the building by Wednesday. President Donald Trump, asked about the new policy on Tuesday, told reporters that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth "finds the press to be very disruptive in terms of world peace and maybe security for our nation." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hegseth called the requirements "common sense," adding that "we're trying to make sure national security is respected." News organizations have not disputed restrictions on reporters' access to sensitive areas in the Pentagon. Credentialed reporters have historically been limited to unclassified spaces, according to the Pentagon Press Association. All five major broadcast networks issued a joint statement on Tuesday, saying: "Today, we join virtually every other news organization in declining to agree to the Pentagon's new requirements, which would restrict journalists' ability to keep the nation and the world informed of important national security issues. The policy is without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections. We will continue to cover the U.S. military as each of our organizations has done for many decades, upholding the principles of a free and independent press." The New York Times Washington Bureau Chief Richard Stevenson said in a statement on Friday: "Since the policy was first announced, we have expressed concerns that it constrains how journalists can report on the U.S. military, which is funded by nearly $1 trillion in taxpayer money annually. The public has a right to know how the government and military are operating." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reuters also took issue with the new rules. "Reuters is bound by its commitment to accurate, impartial and independent news under the Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. We also steadfastly believe in the press protections afforded by the U.S. Constitution, the unrestricted flow of information and journalism that serves the public interest without fear or favor. The Pentagon's new restrictions erode these fundamental values," a spokesperson said. The rules, which followed negotiations with Pentagon officials in recent weeks, threatened to violate protections for the press under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by regulating routine attempts by reporters to seek newsworthy information and documents from sources, said a lawyer familiar with negotiations with the Pentagon. The requirement that reporters acknowledge that disclosure of sensitive information could harm U.S. national security could aid prosecutors if they sought to charge a reporter for disclosing defense information under the Espionage Act, the lawyer added. Conservative cable news outlet One America News signed on to the new policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "After thorough review of the revised press policy by our attorney, OAN staff has signed the document," Charles Herring, the president of OAN parent company Herring Networks, said in a statement. Reuters could not immediately ascertain if other organizations had also signed it. The Pentagon's policy, announced last month, is the latest expansion of restrictions on press access under Defense Secretary Hegseth, a former Fox News host. Trump has ordered the department to rename itself the Department of War, a change that would require action by Congress. Hegseth on Monday, while traveling with Trump to Israel and Egypt, responded on social media platform X to news organizations declining to agree to the policy by posting a hand-waving emoji, implying he was bidding them goodbye. The Pentagon Press Association, which represents more than 100 news organizations that regularly cover the military, including Reuters, urged Pentagon leadership to reconsider the policy, arguing it "gags Pentagon employees and threatens retaliation against reporters who seek out information that has not been pre-approved for release." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group said it was not issuing a specific recommendation on whether reporters should agree. The Pentagon revised its proposed policy following negotiations between the department and news organizations that came after they widely condemned requirements that barred credentialed reporters from seeking out sensitive information that was not approved for release. The revised policy notes that receiving or publishing sensitive information "is generally protected by the First Amendment" but states that soliciting the disclosure of such information "may weigh in the consideration of whether you pose a security or safety risk." The policy adds: "The press's rights are not absolute and do not override the government's compelling interest in maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive information." (Reporting by Andrew Goudsward in Washington and Helen Coster in New York; Additional reporting by Katharine Jackson; Editing by Alistair Bell and Edmund Klamann) By David Lawder and Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Top U.S. officials on Wednesday blasted China's major expansion of rare earth export controls as a threat to global supply chains, but said Beijing could still change course and avoid steps by Washington to decouple from the world's second-largest economy. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told a press conference that China's new export restrictions were a "global supply-chain power grab" and the U.S. and its allies would not accept the restrictions, but he and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stressed that Washington did not want to escalate the conflict, which has roiled financial markets and sent U.S.-China relations into a tailspin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of last night, U.S. President Donald Trump was still expecting to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea later this month, Bessent said. Greer told reporters that China has not yet implemented the revised regulatory system for rare earths and could still back away, just as the U.S. had not implemented a retaliatory 100% increase in tariffs on Chinese imports. "These are drafted, or in draft, so it's quite real, but our expectation is that they won't implement this and that we'll be able to be back to where we were a week ago where we had the tariff levels we've agreed to and we have the flow of rare earths that we agreed to," Greer said. US OFFICIALS FRUSTRATED BY CHINA'S ACTIONS Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two countries appeared poised to return to an all-out trade war late last week, after China on Thursday announced the rare earth measures. Trump responded on Friday by threatening to raise tariffs on Chinese goods by 100%. Bessent, Greer and other officials have sought to get U.S.-China ties back on track this week, emphasizing their desire to avoid escalation in a series of interviews. Greer and Bessent, who have met personally with senior Chinese officials four times in four different cities in recent months, expressed deep frustration about China's actions, which threaten to upend global supply chains. Bessent said U.S. and Chinese officials, in Washington for the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, were in close touch to set up the Trump-Xi meeting, adding that it was the level of trust between the two leaders that had prevented a further escalation of the trade conflict. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. does not want to decouple from China, but would have to take action if Beijing proved to be an unreliable supplier, Bessent said, noting that Chinese officials recently told U.S. auto companies that a slowdown in shipments of rare earth magnets was "probably something" to do with a holiday. "Not only is China fueling Russia's war (in Ukraine), but China's actions have once again demonstrated the risk of being dependent on them, on rare earths and for that matter, anything," Bessent said, adding, "If China wants to be an unreliable partner to the world, then the world will have to decouple." He said Washington had further measures it could deploy, including export controls, if Beijing proceeded, and was also ready to tariff China over its purchases of Russian oil, as long as European partners joined in. The U.S. has slapped additional tariffs on India over its smaller purchases of Russian oil, but has refrained for now from taking action against China. Members of the Group of Seven advanced economies are expected to discuss the issue during a meeting later on Wednesday on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank meetings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "While there are substantial actions we can take, we'd rather not. I believe China's open to discussion and I am optimistic that this can be de-escalated," Bessent said. The U.S. would also produce photographs supplied by the Ukrainian government that showed Chinese parts were used in Russian drones operating in Ukraine, Bessent said through a spokesperson. Earlier on Wednesday, the Treasury secretary told a CNBC event that China had clearly intended to take action "all along," rejecting Beijing's claim that the actions were a response to U.S. actions, including higher port fees for Chinese ships. He told CNBC that a lower-level Chinese trade official had threatened as early as August to "unleash chaos on the global system" if the U.S. went ahead with the port fee increases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bessent named the official as Li Chenggang, China's chief trade negotiator and a subordinate of Vice Premier He Lifeng, who has participated in all the U.S.-China talks. (Reporting by David Lawder and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Paul Simao) U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton will challenge incumbent Sen. Ed Markey in next years Democratic primary for one of Massachusetts two Senate seats. Announcing his run Wednesday morning, Moulton described the race as a referendum on the future of the party. We need new leaders to step up and take us forward, he wrote on the social media platform X. Our future cant wait. Moulton, 46, of Salem, has represented the states 6th Congressional District since 2015. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Markeys tenure on Capitol Hill is considerably longer dating to the Carter administration. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than 36 years before winning his first Senate term in a 2013 special election. He was elected to his first full Senate term in 2014 and reelected in 2020. In the latter race, then U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, 40 years old at the time, also framed his challenge to Markey, then 74, as a generational test. Markey won that years Democratic primary 55.4% to 44.6%. Markey will turn 80 during next years campaign and will be the oldest Democratic senator seeking reelection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Questions swirl within the party over whether long-tenured leaders should step aside as they age, particularly after President Joe Bidens late decision to abandon his 2024 presidential campaign amid doubts over his capacity for another term at age 81. Moulton told the Boston Globe he agreed with Markey on the vast majority of issues, but worried the party could lose the trust of voters for backing candidates seen as too old for public office. Is he too old? Moulton told the paper. Look, every political consultant will tell me not to say this, but the honest truth is, yes, Senator Markey is a very nice guy, but hes been in Congress for 50 years, and hell be 86 years old at the end of his next term as our junior senator. Our party needs to look ourselves in the mirror and say, What are we doing wrong, and what can we do differently here? Moulton added. I mean, if we cant learn the lessons of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Dianne Feinstein and Joe Biden, then people arent going to trust us to lead for the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Markeys campaign fired back, signaling the start of a contentious year-long campaign. While Congressman Moulton is launching a political campaign during a government shutdown, Senator Markey is doing his job voting against Trumps extremist agenda and working to stop the MAGA attacks on health care so that we can reopen the government, Markey campaign manager Cam Charbonnier told Politico. Thats what leadership looks like and what the residents of Massachusetts expect from their Senator. Moultons announcement came a month after his colleague, U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-4th District, said he would run for reelection rather than challenge Markey. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-7th District, has not ruled out entering the Senate primary against Markey and now Moulton. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Markeys first declared challenger was Alex Rikleen, a former teacher and political newcomer. In the 2020 primary, Markey leaned on his progressive background and role in drafting the environmental policy proposals known as the Green New Deal. Moulton touched on several key Democratic priorities in his campaign launch video, including addressing the rising costs of essentials, universal health care and climate change policy. More on Politics Read the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here. For years, conservative media in the US have circulated stories claiming Nigerian Christians are being persecuted and killed with government complicity. The narrative contains fragments of truth: Christians have indeed suffered amid the countrys decade-and-a-half-long Islamist insurgency. But in a nation roughly split mostly between Muslims and Christians, communities in the predominantly Muslim north have by most accounts faced equal or greater violence. Now, Abuja is growing uneasy as Republican lawmakers bring the issue into Washingtons mainstream. US Senator Ted Cruz last month introduced a bill to protect Christians and other religious minorities by imposing sanctions on Nigerian officials accused of facilitating jihadist violence. Representatives Riley Moore and Chris Smith have called for Nigeria to be redesignated as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over religious repression. Even comedian Bill Maher has weighed in, much to the irritation of the Tinubu administration. This debate has precedent. In 2018, during US President Donald Trumps first term, then-Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari pushed back on allegations of anti-Christian violence during his White House visit. Nigeria was later labeled a CPC in 2020, a move the Biden administration reversed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But this time its different, everything has been turned up to 11. Officials in Abuja fear a second Trump administration could revive the CPC designation and go further, with punitive tools like immigration limits, new tariffs, and sanctions for officials. Publicly, Nigeria is putting on a brave face, as my colleague Alexander Onukwue explores in his interview with Nigerias foreign minister. But as one person familiar with discussions in Abuja told me of Nigerias stance: Theres a sense of helplessness. The US State Department revoked the visas of six foreigners for making social media comments celebrating the assassination of Charlie Kirk, as Trump posthumously honors him. The US State Department said on Tuesday it had revoked the visas of six foreigners over social media comments made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The announcement of the revocations came as US President Donald Trump posthumously awarded Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the US, on what would have been Kirk's 32nd birthday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans," the department said on X/Twitter. It listed South Africa, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Germany and Paraguay as the home countries of the people who had their visas revoked. In one post, an Argentine national accused Kirk of "spreading racist, xenophobic, misogynistic rhetoric," according to the State Department. Another person, according to the department, wrote in German: "when fascists die, democrats don't complain." HONORING CHARLIE KIRK in the state that was site of his Sept. 10 assassination, in Logan, Utah, Sept. 30. (credit: JIM URQUHART/REUTERS) The State Department added that it continues to identify visa holders who it says celebrated Kirk's assassination at a Utah university event last month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It had previously warned that the US would take action against foreigners "praising, rationalizing, or making light" of Kirk's death. Trump admin. pursuing widespread clampdown on immigration Since January, the Trump administration has pursued a sweeping crackdown on immigration, including increasing social media vetting and revoking thousands of student visas and aiming to tighten the duration of others. Questions are mounting over the legality of a wave of US strikes on alleged "drug boats" in the Caribbean Sea, which have killed more than 80 people since September. President Donald Trump has said the strikes are targeting so-called "narco-terrorists" transporting drugs from Venezuela to the US run by the Tren de Aragua cartel. Similar announcements have followed in recent weeks, accompanied by grainy footage of the strikes, but the US has provided no evidence of the alleged drug trafficking and few details about who or what was on board each vessel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement US officials said they are acting in self-defence but the strikes have attracted condemnation in the region. In one case, the Colombian president said a boat hit by the US was not Venezuelan, but "Colombian with Colombian citizens inside" - which the White House denied. UN experts have warned that the "systemic" nature of the strikes "raise serious concerns about the commission of potential international crimes". BBC Verify spoke to a range of experts in international and maritime law after the first strike. Several said the US may have acted illegally by attacking the vessel. What does international law say? The US is not a signatory to United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, but the US military's legal advisors have previously said that the US should "act in a manner consistent with its provisions". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the convention, countries agree not to interfere with vessels operating in international waters. There are limited exceptions to this which allow a state to seize a ship, such as a "hot pursuit" where a vessel is chased from a country's waters into the high seas. "Force can be used to stop a boat but generally this should be non-lethal measures," Prof Luke Moffett of Queens University Belfast said. Prof Moffett added that the use of aggressive tactics must be "reasonable and necessary in self-defence where there is immediate threat of serious injury or loss of life to enforcement officials", noting that the US moves were likely "unlawful under the law of the sea". Are US strikes on alleged cartel members legal? Experts have also questioned whether the killing of the alleged members of the Tren de Aragua cartel could contravene international law on the use of force. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under Article 2(4) of the UN charter, countries can resort to force when under attack and deploying their military in self-defence. Trump has previously accused the Tren de Aragua cartel of conducting irregular warfare against the US, and the state department has designated the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. After the first strike, Prof Michael Becker of Trinity College Dublin told BBC Verify that the American action "stretches the meaning of the term beyond its breaking point". "The fact that US officials describe the individuals killed by the US strike as narco-terrorists does not transform them into lawful military targets," Prof Becker said. "The US is not engaged in an armed conflict with Venezuela or the Tren de Aragua criminal organisation." Prof Moffett added: "Labelling everyone a terrorist does not make them a lawful target and enables states to side-step international law." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A memo sent to the US Congress, which was leaked, reportedly said the Trump administration had determined the US was in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels. Trump posted a video on social media which he said showed the moment of the first strike [Donald Trump/Truth Social] Responding to a fifth strike in October, Notre Dame Law School Prof Mary Ellen O'Connell told BBC Verify that "no credible facts or legal principles have come to light to justify these attacks". "The only relevant law for peace is international law - that is the law of treaties, human rights and statehood," Prof O'Connell wrote in an emailed statement. But US officials including Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have defended the action, which has also been applauded by Republicans in Congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked about the same strike, a White House official told BBC Verify that Trump had authorised it after the boat left Venezuela crewed by Tren de Aragua members. The official added that the president was committed to using all means to prevent drugs reaching the US. The Pentagon declined to share the legal advice it obtained before carrying out the strike. In one strike, carried out on 16 October, there were two survivors - a Colombian and an Ecuadorian, who the US government says were repatriated for "detention and prosecution". US officials have also faced scrutiny over a follow-up strike - or "double-tap" - on 2 September. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has defended the strikes [Getty Images] Can Trump launch attacks without congressional approval? Questions have also been raised as to whether the White House complied with US law in authorising the strikes. The US constitution says that only Congress has the power to declare war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Article II - which lays out the president's powers - says that "the president shall be Commander in Chief of the Army" and some constitutional experts have suggested that this grants the president the power to authorise strikes against military targets. Trump administration sources have previously cited this provision when defending US strikes on Iran. But it is unclear whether that provision extends to the use of force against non-state actors such as drug cartels. Rumen Cholakov, an expert in US constitutional law at King's College London, told BBC Verify that since 9/11, US presidents have relied on the 2001 Authorization of Use of Military Force Act (AUMF) when carrying out strikes against groups responsible for the attacks. "Its scope has been expanded consistently in subsequent administrations," he added. "It is not immediately obvious that drug cartels such as Tren de Aragua would be within the President's AUMF powers, but that might be what 'narco-terrorists' is hinting at." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Questions also remain as to whether Trump complied with the War Powers Resolution, which demands that the president "in every possible instance shall consult with Congress before introducing United States Armed Forces into hostilities". Despite some Republicans in Congress reportedly challenging the strikes, the Senate defeated a resolution in October that would have required the Trump administration to seek the approval of Congress before any further attacks. What do we know about US operations in the region? Venezuela's government has reacted to the strikes with anger. Its president, Nicolas Maduro, denies American accusations that he is involved with drugs trafficking. The strikes come amid reports that the US has deployed naval warships to the region in support of anti-narcotics operations against Venezuela. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Using satellite imagery, images from social media, and information from publicly available trackers on vessels, we've identified 14 US military ships in the region. These include guided missile destroyers and amphibious assault ships. We also located a number of military planes and drones in Puerto Rico. Trump also acknowledged in October that he has authorised the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela. The president - who has long sought to oust Maduro - has authorised a US$50m reward for any information leading to his arrest. The Venezuelan leader claimed victory in last year's elections, widely viewed as rigged by international observers. Additional reporting by Lucy Gilder [BBC] What do you want BBC Verify to investigate? By John Kruzel and Andrew Chung WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices signaled their willingness on Wednesday during arguments in a case involving Louisiana electoral districts to undercut a key section of the Voting Rights Act, the landmark 1965 federal law enacted by Congress to prevent racial discrimination in voting. A group of Black voters has appealed a lower court's finding that a voting map that added a second Black-majority congressional district in Louisiana was guided too much by racial considerations in violation of the constitutional promise of equal protection under the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Louisiana, where Black people make up roughly a third of the population, has six U.S. House of Representatives districts. Black voters tend to support Democratic candidates. The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority. The case gives the conservative justices a chance to undercut a central element of the Voting Rights Act. The law's Section 2 prohibits electoral maps that would result in diluting the clout of minority voters, even without direct proof of racist intent. This provision gained greater significance as a bulwark against racial discrimination in voting after the Supreme Court, in a 2013 ruling authored by conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, gutted a different part of the same law. Questions posed by some of the conservative justices during the arguments expressed concern about the application of this Voting Rights Act provision in this case to create a second Black-majority district. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This court's cases, in a variety of contexts, have said that race-based remedies are permissible for a period of time, sometimes for a long period of time - decades, in some cases - but that they should not be indefinite and should have an end point," Justice Brett Kavanaugh told Janai Nelson, president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund who was arguing on behalf of a group of Black voters. Nelson told the justices that it would be reckless to determine that Section 2 somehow is no longer needed simply because it has been so successful in combating discrimination. The electoral map initially drawn by Louisiana's Republican-controlled legislature, Nelson told the justices, had diluted Black voting power in favor of a map that would give the state's white electorate "entrenched control." Nelson said that the legislature's subsequent creation, following a judge's ruling that the map with just one Black-majority congressional district likely harmed Black voters in violation of Section 2, of a second such district to remedy that discrimination and to ensure that Black Louisianans have an equal opportunity to participate in the process is constitutional. Nelson said this view was supported by a long line of earlier voting rights decisions from the Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the U.S. House. A decision invalidating Section 2 could allow Republicans to reconfigure as many as 19 House districts, according to a report by Democratic-affiliated advocacy groups Fair Fight Action and Black Voters Matter Fund. REDISTRICTING PROCESS In a process called redistricting, the boundaries of legislative districts across the United States are reconfigured every decade to reflect population changes as measured by the national census. Redistricting typically is carried out by state legislatures. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito questioned Nelson about the degree to which state lawmakers are allowed to draw maps to favor their own political parties and protect politicians already in office, known in the U.S. system as incumbents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the Supreme Court's precedents, Alito asked, "isn't seeking partisan advantage also an objective that a legislature may legitimately seek?" Nelson said that is not true if the partisan line-drawing "comes at the cost of the equal protection principle." After Louisiana's Republican-controlled legislature adopted a map that included just one Black-majority district following the 2020 census, a group of Black Louisiana voters sued. A federal judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, deciding that the map likely harmed Black voters in violation of Section 2. The state legislature responded by drawing a new map that added a second Black-majority district. This map prompted a separate lawsuit by 12 Louisiana voters who described themselves in court papers as "non-African American." They argued that the second Black-majority district unlawfully reduced the influence of non-Black voters like them. White people make up a majority of Louisiana's population. The redrawn map relied too heavily on race in violation of the equal protection principle, a three-judge panel found in a 2-1 ruling, prompting the appeal to the Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Liberal Justice Elena Kagan tried to focus the arguments on the real-world impact of a decision gutting Section 2. Kagan asked Nelson: "Were Section 2 to cease to operate, in the way that you just described, to prevent vote dilution in districting, what could happen? What would the results on the ground be?" "I think the results would be pretty catastrophic," Nelson said. The United States has racial diversity in political leadership "because of litigation that forced the creation" of Black-majority districts, Nelson said. "If it happens to be that people of one race or another race overwhelmingly prefer one of the political parties, does that transform the situation into racial voting? Or is it still just partisan voting?" Alito asked Nelson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The fact that Black voters may correlate with voting Democrat or white voters may correlate with voting Republican does not deny the fact that there is racially polarized voting, Nelson told the justices. Nelson said the fact that no Black candidate had ever been elected to a statewide office is an additional indication that "race is playing an outsized role in the electoral process in Louisiana." The Supreme Court heard arguments for the second time this year in the case. It also did so in March but then in June sidestepped a decision and ordered another round of arguments. LOUISIANA'S REVERSAL Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state of Louisiana initially had appealed the three-judge panel's ruling and argued in March on the same side as the Black voters. But it has now changed its stance and is urging the justices to forbid race-conscious map-drawing altogether. "Race-based redistricting is fundamentally contrary to our Constitution," Benjamin Aguinaga, the Republican solicitor general of Louisiana, told the justices on Wednesday. The electoral map with a second Black-majority district was based on "racial stereotypes that this court has long criticized," Aguinaga said. It was premised on the idea, Aguinaga said, that "a Black voter, simply because he is Black, must think like other Black voters, share the same interests and prefer the same political candidates." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republican President Donald Trump's administration supports the challenge to the Voting Rights Act on separate legal grounds. Justice Department lawyer Hashim Mooppan told the justices that the Constitution is colorblind. The Supreme Court has rolled back protections under the Voting Rights Act. Its 2013 ruling in a case involving Alabama's Shelby County gutted a Voting Rights Act provision that had required states and locales with a history of racial discrimination to get federal approval to change voting laws. The court, however, ruled 5-4 in 2023 that a Republican-drawn electoral map in Alabama violated Section 2, siding with Black voters who had challenged the map and had sought an additional Black-majority congressional district. Roberts and Kavanaugh joined the court's three liberals to form a majority. The Supreme Court is expected to rule by the end of June. (Reporting by John Kruzel, Andrew Chung and Jan Wolfe; Editing by Will Dunham) By John Kruzel and Andrew Chung WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court's conservative justices signaled their willingness on Wednesday to undercut another key section of the Voting Rights Act, the landmark 1965 federal law enacted by Congress to prevent racial discrimination in voting. Questions they posed during arguments in a major case involving Louisiana electoral districts reflected an interest in curbing the Voting Rights Act's Section 2, which bars voting maps that would result in diluting the clout of minorities, even without direct proof of racist intent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, in recent years has moved American law dramatically rightward. Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, and a decision gutting Section 2 could benefit them. While the conservative justices seemed united in their skepticism toward this provision, exactly how they might depart from its current application was unclear. Some seemed focused on making it harder to prove claims under Section 2 while others signaled opposition to any consideration of race in the drawing of legislative districts - even to remedy a Section 2 violation. Still others suggested phasing out the provision's remedial role. "This court's cases, in a variety of contexts, have said that race-based remedies are permissible for a period of time, sometimes for a long period of time - decades, in some cases - but that they should not be indefinite and should have an end point," conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh told Janai Nelson, president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, who was arguing on behalf of a group of Black voters. Republican President Donald Trump's administration backed the challenge to the Voting Rights Act, advocating for raising the bar for proving a Section 2 violation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group of Black voters represented by Nelson appealed a lower court's finding that a voting map that added a second Black-majority congressional district in Louisiana was guided too much by racial considerations in violation of the constitutional promise of equal protection under the law. Louisiana's Republican-led legislature added the second Black-majority district in response to a judge's ruling that an earlier map that it has approved containing just one Black-majority district likely harmed Black voters in violation of Section 2. Louisiana, where Black people make up roughly a third of the population, has six U.S. House of Representatives districts. Black voters tend to favor Democratic candidates. The court's liberal justices emphasized how gutting Section 2 would sharply depart from prior Supreme Court rulings, including a major 2023 decision siding with Black voters in Alabama in a similar case concerning electoral districts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Section 2 gained greater significance as a bulwark against racial discrimination in voting after the court, in a 2013 ruling authored by conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, gutted a different part of the Voting Rights Act. Nelson told the justices that racially polarized voting is a reality and that it would be reckless to deem Section 2 unnecessary. The map initially drawn by the legislature, Nelson said, had diluted Black voting power in a bid to hand the state's white electorate "entrenched control." White people represent a majority of Louisiana's population. The legislature's subsequent creation of a second Black-majority district to remedy that discrimination did not violate the Constitution, Nelson added. REDISTRICTING PROCESS Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a process called redistricting, the boundaries of legislative districts across the United States are reconfigured every decade to reflect population changes as measured by the national census. Redistricting typically is carried out by state legislatures. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito questioned Nelson about the degree to which state lawmakers are allowed to draw maps to favor their own political parties and protect politicians already in office. The Supreme Court has permitted lawmakers to pursue this goal, though party affiliation and race of voters are often strongly correlated. In practice, Nelson said, racially polarized voting explains why there has never been a Black person elected to a statewide office in Louisiana, adding that "race is playing an outsized role in the electoral process in Louisiana." Roberts questioned how the justices are to know how these conditions present a violation of the Voting Rights Act. "What is meant by 'outsized'?" Roberts asked Nelson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A decision gutting Section 2 could allow Republicans to reconfigure as many as 19 districts in the 435-seat House, according to a report by Democratic-affiliated advocacy groups Fair Fight Action and Black Voters Matter Fund. The map redrawn by the legislature that added a second Black-majority district prompted a lawsuit by 12 Louisiana voters who described themselves in court papers as "non-African American." They argued that the second Black-majority district unlawfully reduced the influence of non-Black voters like them. A three-judge panel ruled 2-1 in their favor, prompting the appeal to the Supreme Court. Liberal Justice Elena Kagan tried to focus the arguments on the real-world impact of a decision gutting Section 2. Kagan asked Nelson what would happen if the provision ceased to operate to prevent vote dilution in redistricting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I think the results would be pretty catastrophic," Nelson said, noting that Section 2 is triggered only when "extreme conditions exist." LOUISIANA'S REVERSAL The Supreme Court also heard arguments in the case in March, but in June sidestepped a decision and ordered another round of arguments. Louisiana initially had appealed the three-judge panel's ruling and argued in March on the same side as the Black voters. But it subsequently changed its stance and has urged the justices to forbid race-conscious map-drawing altogether. "Race-based redistricting is fundamentally contrary to our Constitution," Benjamin Aguinaga, Louisiana's Republican solicitor general, told the justices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The electoral map with two Black-majority districts was based on "racial stereotypes that this court has long criticized," Aguinaga said. It was premised on the idea that "a Black voter, simply because he is Black, must think like other Black voters, share the same interests and prefer the same political candidates," Aguinaga added. Justice Department lawyer Hashim Mooppan told the justices that plaintiffs who bring a Section 2 claim should have to present a map that is "superior" to the state's preferred map in respecting a range of race-neutral principles, including a desire by state legislators for partisan advantage. Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor told Mooppan that the administration's approach would effectively gut Section 2. "The bottom line is just get rid of Section 2," Sotomayor said. "Because the test you're providing doesn't do anything for the 'effects test' that Congress identified." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson echoed this concern. "So you don't get a remedy for an actual dilution or problem with your vote, the kinds of things that Congress cared about and the Constitution requires ... unless this was intentional on the part of the state?" Jackson asked Edward Greim, a lawyer for the "non-African American" voters. The Supreme Court is expected to rule by the end of June. (Reporting by John Kruzel, Andrew Chung and Jan Wolfe; Editing by Will Dunham) By John Kruzel and Andrew Chung WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices signaled their willingness on Wednesday during arguments in a case involving Louisiana electoral districts to undercut a key section of the Voting Rights Act, the landmark 1965 federal law enacted by Congress to prevent racial discrimination in voting. A group of Black voters has appealed a lower court's finding that a voting map that added a second Black-majority congressional district in Louisiana was guided too much by racial considerations in violation of the constitutional promise of equal protection under the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Louisiana, where Black people make up roughly a third of the population, has six U.S. House of Representatives districts. Black voters tend to support Democratic candidates. The arguments were ongoing. The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority. The case gives the conservative justices a chance to undercut a central element of the Voting Rights Act. The law's Section 2 prohibits electoral maps that would result in diluting the clout of minority voters, even without direct proof of racist intent. This provision gained greater significance as a bulwark against racial discrimination in voting after the Supreme Court, in a 2013 ruling authored by conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, gutted a different part of the same law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Questions posed by some of the conservative justices during the arguments expressed concern about the application of this Voting Rights Act provision in this case to create a second Black-majority district. "This court's cases, in a variety of contexts, have said that race-based remedies are permissible for a period of time, sometimes for a long period of time - decades, in some cases - but that they should not be indefinite and should have an end point," Justice Brett Kavanaugh told Janai Nelson, president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund who was arguing on behalf of a group of Black voters. Nelson told the justices that it would reckless to determine that Section 2 somehow is no longer needed simply because it has been so successful in combating discrimination. The electoral map initially drawn by Louisiana's Republican-controlled legislature, Nelson told the justices, had diluted Black voting power in favor of a map that would give the state's white electorate "entrenched control." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nelson said that the legislature's subsequent creation, following a judge's ruling that the map with just one Black-majority congressional district likely harmed Black voters in violation of Section 2, of a second such district to remedy that discrimination and to ensure that Black Louisianans have an equal opportunity to participate in the process is constitutional. Nelson said this view was supported by a long line of earlier voting rights decisions from the Supreme Court. Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the U.S. House. A decision invalidating Section 2 could allow Republicans to reconfigure as many as 19 House districts, according to a report by Democratic-affiliated advocacy groups Fair Fight Action and Black Voters Matter Fund. REDISTRICTING PROCESS In a process called redistricting, the boundaries of legislative districts across the United States are reconfigured every decade to reflect population changes as measured by the national census. Redistricting typically is carried out by state legislatures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Conservative Justice Samuel Alito questioned Nelson about the degree to which state lawmakers are allowed to draw maps to favor their own political parties and protect politicians already in office, known in the U.S. system as incumbents. Under the Supreme Court's precedents, Alito asked, "isn't seeking partisan advantage also an objective that a legislature may legitimately seek?" Nelson said that is not true if the partisan line-drawing "comes at the cost of the equal protection principle." After Louisiana's Republican-controlled legislature adopted a map that included just one Black-majority district following the 2020 census, a group of Black Louisiana voters sued. A federal judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, deciding that the map likely harmed Black voters in violation of Section 2. The state legislature responded by drawing a new map that added a second Black-majority district. This map prompted a separate lawsuit by 12 Louisiana voters who described themselves in court papers as "non-African American." They argued that the second Black-majority district unlawfully reduced the influence of non-Black voters like them. White people make up a majority of Louisiana's population. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The redrawn map relied too heavily on race in violation of the equal protection principle, a three-judge panel found in a 2-1 ruling, prompting the appeal to the Supreme Court. Liberal Justice Elena Kagan tried to focus the arguments on the real-world impact of a decision gutting Section 2. Kagan asked Nelson: "Were Section 2 to cease to operate, in the way that you just described, to prevent vote dilution in districting, what could happen? What would the results on the ground be?" "I think the results would be pretty catastrophic," Nelson said. The United States has racial diversity in political leadership "because of litigation that forced the creation" of Black-majority districts, Nelson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "If it happens to be that people of one race or another race overwhelmingly prefer one of the political parties, does that transform the situation into racial voting? Or is it still just partisan voting?" Alito asked Nelson. "The fact that Black voters may correlate with voting Democrat or white voters may correlate with voting Republican does not deny the fact that there is racially polarized voting, Nelson told the justices. Nelson said the fact that no Black candidate had ever been elected to a statewide office is an additional indication that "race is playing an outsized role in the electoral process in Louisiana." The Supreme Court heard arguments for the second time this year in the case. It also did so in March but then in June sidestepped a decision and ordered another round of arguments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state initially had appealed the three-judge panel's ruling and argued in March on the same side as the Black voters. But it has now changed its stance and is urging the justices to forbid race-conscious map-drawing altogether. Republican President Donald Trump's administration supports the challenge to the Voting Rights Act on separate legal grounds. The Supreme Court has rolled back protections under the Voting Rights Act. Its 2013 ruling in a case involving Alabama's Shelby County gutted a Voting Rights Act provision that had required states and locales with a history of racial discrimination to get federal approval to change voting laws. The court, however, ruled 5-4 in 2023 that a Republican-drawn electoral map in Alabama violated Section 2, siding with Black voters who had challenged the map and had sought an additional Black-majority congressional district. Roberts and Kavanaugh joined the court's three liberals to form a majority. The Supreme Court is expected to rule by the end of June. (Reporting by John Kruzel, Andrew Chung and Jan Wolfe; Editing by Will Dunham) By John Kruzel and Andrew Chung WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court is slated on Wednesday to hear arguments in a dispute over the composition of Louisiana electoral districts in a case that could imperil a key section of the Voting Rights Act, the landmark 1965 federal law enacted by Congress to prevent racial discrimination in voting. A group of Black voters has appealed a lower court's finding that a voting map that added a second Black-majority congressional district in Louisiana was guided too much by racial considerations in violation of the constitutional promise of equal protection under the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Louisiana, where Black people make up roughly a third of the population, has six U.S. House of Representatives districts. Black voters tend to support Democratic candidates. The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority. The case gives the conservative justices a chance to undercut a central element of the Voting Rights Act. The law's Section 2 prohibits electoral maps that would result in diluting the clout of minority voters, even without direct proof of racist intent. This provision gained greater significance as a bulwark against racial discrimination in voting after the Supreme Court, in a 2013 ruling authored by conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, gutted a different part of the same law. Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the U.S. House. A decision invalidating Section 2 could allow Republicans to reconfigure as many as 19 House districts, according to a report by Democratic-affiliated advocacy groups Fair Fight Action and Black Voters Matter Fund. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a process called redistricting, the boundaries of legislative districts across the United States are reconfigured every decade to reflect population changes as measured by the national census. Redistricting typically is carried out by state legislatures. After Louisiana's Republican-controlled legislature adopted a map that included just one Black-majority district following the 2020 census, a group of Black Louisiana voters sued. A federal judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, deciding that the map likely harmed Black voters in violation of Section 2. The state legislature responded by drawing a new map that added a second Black-majority district. This map prompted a separate lawsuit by 12 Louisiana voters who described themselves in court papers as "non-African American." They argued that the second Black-majority district unlawfully reduced the influence of non-Black voters like them. White people make up a majority of Louisiana's population. The redrawn map relied too heavily on race in violation of the equal protection principle, a three-judge panel found in a 2-1 ruling, prompting the appeal to the Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court will hear arguments for the second time this year in the case. It also did so in March but then in June sidestepped a decision and ordered another round of arguments. The state initially had appealed the three-judge panel's ruling and argued in March on the same side as the Black voters. But it has now changed its stance and is urging the justices to forbid race-conscious map-drawing altogether. Republican President Donald Trump's administration supports the challenge to the Voting Rights Act on separate legal grounds. The Supreme Court has rolled back protections under the Voting Rights Act. Its 2013 ruling in a case involving Alabama's Shelby County gutted a Voting Rights Act provision that had required states and locales with a history of racial discrimination to get federal approval to change voting laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The court, however, ruled 5-4 in 2023 that a Republican-drawn electoral map in Alabama violated Section 2, siding with Black voters who had challenged the map and had sought an additional Black-majority congressional district. Roberts and fellow conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the court's three liberals to form a majority. The Supreme Court is expected to rule by the end of June. (Reporting by John Kruzel; Editing by Will Dunham) By John Kruzel and Andrew Chung WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court began hearing arguments on Wednesday in a dispute over the composition of Louisiana electoral districts in a case that could imperil a key section of the Voting Rights Act, the landmark 1965 federal law enacted by Congress to prevent racial discrimination in voting. A group of Black voters has appealed a lower court's finding that a voting map that added a second Black-majority congressional district in Louisiana was guided too much by racial considerations in violation of the constitutional promise of equal protection under the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Louisiana, where Black people make up roughly a third of the population, has six U.S. House of Representatives districts. Black voters tend to support Democratic candidates. The arguments were ongoing. The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority. The case gives the conservative justices a chance to undercut a central element of the Voting Rights Act. The law's Section 2 prohibits electoral maps that would result in diluting the clout of minority voters, even without direct proof of racist intent. This provision gained greater significance as a bulwark against racial discrimination in voting after the Supreme Court, in a 2013 ruling authored by conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, gutted a different part of the same law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Janai Nelson, president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund who was arguing on behalf of a group of Black voters, started the arguments by telling the justices that the electoral map initially drawn by Louisiana's Republican-controlled legislature had diluted Black voting power in favor of a map that would give the state's white electorate "entrenched control." Nelson said that the state's subsequent creation, following an adverse judicial ruling, of a district to remedy that discrimination and to ensure that Black Louisianans have an equal opportunity to participate in the process is constitutional. Nelson said this view was supported by a long line of earlier voting rights decisions from the Supreme Court. Some of the conservative justices, starting with Clarence Thomas, asked Nelson a series of questions. Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh, questioning Nelson, said that the Supreme Court "in a variety of contexts has said that race-based remedies are permissible for a period of time - sometimes for a long period of time, decades in some cases - but that they should not be indefinite and should have an end point." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the U.S. House. A decision invalidating Section 2 could allow Republicans to reconfigure as many as 19 House districts, according to a report by Democratic-affiliated advocacy groups Fair Fight Action and Black Voters Matter Fund. REDISTRICTING PROCESS In a process called redistricting, the boundaries of legislative districts across the United States are reconfigured every decade to reflect population changes as measured by the national census. Redistricting typically is carried out by state legislatures. After Louisiana's Republican-controlled legislature adopted a map that included just one Black-majority district following the 2020 census, a group of Black Louisiana voters sued. A federal judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, deciding that the map likely harmed Black voters in violation of Section 2. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state legislature responded by drawing a new map that added a second Black-majority district. This map prompted a separate lawsuit by 12 Louisiana voters who described themselves in court papers as "non-African American." They argued that the second Black-majority district unlawfully reduced the influence of non-Black voters like them. White people make up a majority of Louisiana's population. The redrawn map relied too heavily on race in violation of the equal protection principle, a three-judge panel found in a 2-1 ruling, prompting the appeal to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court will hear arguments for the second time this year in the case. It also did so in March but then in June sidestepped a decision and ordered another round of arguments. The state initially had appealed the three-judge panel's ruling and argued in March on the same side as the Black voters. But it has now changed its stance and is urging the justices to forbid race-conscious map-drawing altogether. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republican President Donald Trump's administration supports the challenge to the Voting Rights Act on separate legal grounds. The Supreme Court has rolled back protections under the Voting Rights Act. Its 2013 ruling in a case involving Alabama's Shelby County gutted a Voting Rights Act provision that had required states and locales with a history of racial discrimination to get federal approval to change voting laws. The court, however, ruled 5-4 in 2023 that a Republican-drawn electoral map in Alabama violated Section 2, siding with Black voters who had challenged the map and had sought an additional Black-majority congressional district. Roberts and fellow conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the court's three liberals to form a majority. The Supreme Court is expected to rule by the end of June. (Reporting by John Kruzel; Editing by Will Dunham) By John Kruzel and Andrew Chung WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday in a dispute over the composition of Louisiana electoral districts in a case that could imperil a key section of the Voting Rights Act, the landmark 1965 federal law enacted by Congress to prevent racial discrimination in voting. A group of Black voters has appealed a lower court's finding that a voting map that added a second Black-majority congressional district in Louisiana was guided too much by racial considerations in violation of the constitutional promise of equal protection under the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Louisiana, where Black people make up roughly a third of the population, has six U.S. House of Representatives districts. Black voters tend to support Democratic candidates. The arguments were ongoing. The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority. The case gives the conservative justices a chance to undercut a central element of the Voting Rights Act. The law's Section 2 prohibits electoral maps that would result in diluting the clout of minority voters, even without direct proof of racist intent. This provision gained greater significance as a bulwark against racial discrimination in voting after the Supreme Court, in a 2013 ruling authored by conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, gutted a different part of the same law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Questions posed by some of the conservative justices during the arguments expressed concern about the application of this Voting Rights Act provision in this case to create a second Black-majority district. "This court's cases, in a variety of contexts, have said that race-based remedies are permissible for a period of time, sometimes for a long period of time - decades, in some cases - but that they should not be indefinite and should have an end point," Justice Brett Kavanaugh told Janai Nelson, president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund who was arguing on behalf of a group of Black voters. Nelson told the justices that it would reckless to determine that Section 2 somehow is no longer needed simply because it has been so successful in combating discrimination. The electoral map initially drawn by Louisiana's Republican-controlled legislature, Nelson told the justices, had diluted Black voting power in favor of a map that would give the state's white electorate "entrenched control." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nelson said that the legislature's subsequent creation, following a judge's ruling that the map with just one Black-majority congressional district likely harmed Black voters in violation of Section 2, of a second such district to remedy that discrimination and to ensure that Black Louisianans have an equal opportunity to participate in the process is constitutional. Nelson said this view was supported by a long line of earlier voting rights decisions from the Supreme Court. Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the U.S. House. A decision invalidating Section 2 could allow Republicans to reconfigure as many as 19 House districts, according to a report by Democratic-affiliated advocacy groups Fair Fight Action and Black Voters Matter Fund. REDISTRICTING PROCESS In a process called redistricting, the boundaries of legislative districts across the United States are reconfigured every decade to reflect population changes as measured by the national census. Redistricting typically is carried out by state legislatures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Conservative Justice Samuel Alito questioned Nelson about the degree to which state lawmakers are allowed to draw maps to favor their own political parties and protect politicians already in office, known in the U.S. system as incumbents. Under the Supreme Court's precedents, Alito asked, "isn't seeking partisan advantage also an objective that a legislature may legitimately seek?" Nelson said that is not true if the partisan line-drawing "comes at the cost of the equal protection principle." After Louisiana's Republican-controlled legislature adopted a map that included just one Black-majority district following the 2020 census, a group of Black Louisiana voters sued. A federal judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, deciding that the map likely harmed Black voters in violation of Section 2. The state legislature responded by drawing a new map that added a second Black-majority district. This map prompted a separate lawsuit by 12 Louisiana voters who described themselves in court papers as "non-African American." They argued that the second Black-majority district unlawfully reduced the influence of non-Black voters like them. White people make up a majority of Louisiana's population. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The redrawn map relied too heavily on race in violation of the equal protection principle, a three-judge panel found in a 2-1 ruling, prompting the appeal to the Supreme Court. Liberal Justice Elena Kagan tried to focus the arguments on the real-world impact of a decision gutting Section 2. Kagan asked Nelson: "Were Section 2 to cease to operate, in the way that you just described, to prevent vote dilution in districting, what could happen? What would the results on the ground be?" "I think the results would be pretty catastrophic," Nelson said. The United States has racial diversity in political leadership "because of litigation that forced the creation" of Black-majority districts, Nelson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court hears arguments for the second time this year in the case. It also did so in March but then in June sidestepped a decision and ordered another round of arguments. The state initially had appealed the three-judge panel's ruling and argued in March on the same side as the Black voters. But it has now changed its stance and is urging the justices to forbid race-conscious map-drawing altogether. Republican President Donald Trump's administration supports the challenge to the Voting Rights Act on separate legal grounds. The Supreme Court has rolled back protections under the Voting Rights Act. Its 2013 ruling in a case involving Alabama's Shelby County gutted a Voting Rights Act provision that had required states and locales with a history of racial discrimination to get federal approval to change voting laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The court, however, ruled 5-4 in 2023 that a Republican-drawn electoral map in Alabama violated Section 2, siding with Black voters who had challenged the map and had sought an additional Black-majority congressional district. Roberts and Kavanaugh joined the court's three liberals to form a majority. The Supreme Court is expected to rule by the end of June. (Reporting by John Kruzel, Andrew Chung and Jan Wolfe; Editing by Will Dunham) A senior US Republican has urged Sir Keir Starmer to block a 1.5bn Chinese wind turbine factory in Scotland over national security fears. The Prime Minister has been warned that allowing Ming Yang to become a major supplier to offshore wind farms in Britain would defy common sense and give China even more leverage over the UK. It comes amid a row over the collapse of a Chinese spying trial. Labour has been accused of sabotaging the case by refusing to label China an enemy state, amid significant investment into Britain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sir Keir has blamed the previous Conservative government for the collapse. Ming Yang last week announced plans for a factory that will make turbine nacelles and blades from 2028 and will be the largest of its kind in the UK, pending approval from the Government. The investment would be a significant boost for Ed Miliband as he races to decarbonise Britains power system by 2030. However, US Representative John Moolenaar, chairman of the House select committee on the Chinese Communist Party and an ally of Donald Trump, said the Prime Minister must block the deal. US Representative John Moolenaar, pictured, has said plans for a Chinese wind turbine factory in the UK defy common sense - By Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call He told The Telegraph: It would defy common sense for UK officials to allow a Chinese company to build this project and gain even more leverage over their country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China is a foreign adversary that has spied on Parliament, interfered in elections in Britain and the Commonwealth and fuelled Russias war on Ukraine. Mr Moolenaar added: Chinese companies receive massive state subsidies to act as agents of Chinas economic ambitions, and approving this project would create greater dependency and vulnerability in the UKs energy supply chain. National security risks The Trump administration raised concerns about Ming Yangs plans with Westminster over the summer. According to the Financial Times, White House officials told the Government that the factory would bring national security risks. The Government has previously looked at the companys involvement in UK supply chains following reports it had been chosen to supply turbines for the Green Volt floating offshore wind farm, a development that was said to have alarmed the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The MoD has previously raised concerns about the prospect of Chinese companies building wind farms for Britain, arguing that the turbines could be turned into spying sentries for Beijing and provide a pretext for Chinese engineers to visit the country regularly. Fresh fears about Chinese involvement in Western infrastructure were raised this year amid reports that potential kill switches had been found in Chinese-made solar farms in the US. Beijing has characterised such allegations as baseless and discriminatory. b' ' Claire Coutinho, the shadow energy secretary, urged ministers not to make Britain dependent on China for batteries, cables, solar panels and critical minerals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said: Given that security services have already warned us about kill switches hidden in Chinese solar technology, and Chinese state-sponsored hackers attempting to infiltrate and destroy key energy infrastructure in the West in the event of conflict, giving China an access-all-areas pass to our energy supply is reckless and naive. Ed Miliband has serious questions to answer about how vulnerable this will make us to Chinese state interference. Asked about the review into Ming Yang, a spokesman for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero refused to comment on specifics but said: This is one of a number of companies that wants to invest in the UK. Any decisions made will be consistent with our national security. Zhang Chuanwei, Ming Yang Groups founder and chairman, said: We are excited by the prospect of investing in the UK and look forward to finalising our investment decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Moolenaar is an ally of Mr Trump, who praised him as an incredible Representative for the fantastic people of Michigan, in a post supporting his re-election bid on Truth Social this week. The US president said the Representative was fighting tirelessly to put our Countrys Interests through his work on the China select committee. 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 USC graduate student has been accused of drugging and sexually assaulting three women, and police are now searching for any additional possible victims. The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Chinese national Sizhe Weng, was arrested Aug. 28, police said at a news conference Wednesday morning outside Los Angeles Police Department headquarters. Weng -- a USC doctoral graduate also known by the first name Steven -- is charged one felony count of forcible rape; two felony counts of sodomy by controlled substance or anesthesia; one felony count of rape by controlled substance; and four felony counts of sexual penetration by controlled substance or anesthesia, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He has pleaded not guilty and is due back in a downtown Los Angeles courthouse Jan. 14. A date is scheduled to be set then for a hearing to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to allow the case to proceed to trial. Weng is accused of sexually assaulting the three women after placing incapacitating drugs in their food and/or drinks between 2021 and 2024 while he was a doctoral student at USC, according to the District Attorney's Office. The investigation was launched in January after police received a tip from authorities in Germany, where the suspect also spent time, it was revealed at the news conference. Investigators with the FBI and the German Federal Criminal Police cooperated in the probe. Weng's residence was searched at the time of his arrest and evidence was found "that corroborated his involvement in drug-facilitated sexual assaults of multiple victims dating back to 2021 and continuing into 2025,'' according to an LAPD statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We're looking at him facilitating sexual assault by administering drugs,'' LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told reporters gathered at the news conference, where a photo of Weng was displayed. District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Weng is accused of raping three women and placing drugs in their food or drinks, but LAPD detectives said they do not have an exact number of women who may have been victimized. Police believe there may be additional victims and urged anyone with information about the suspect to contact the LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division at 213-486-6890. Anonymous tips can be submitted through L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). "No one should ever have to endure the trauma of being drugged, sexually assaulted and stripped of their ability to consent,'' Hochman said in a statement announcing the charges. "Prosecutors in my office's Sex Crimes Division and our law enforcement partners will not rest until the defendant is held accountable for these horrific acts. We want every victim to know that their voices matter and we will fight to ensure you are heard.'' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The University of Southern California released the following statement regarding graduate student Weng: "Providing a safe environment for learning, teaching, and research is our top priority. The university has been fully cooperating with the Los Angeles Police Department in this matter. Although we cannot discuss individual cases due to student privacy laws, we can confirm that the university had already taken appropriate steps to bar the individual in question from campus pending resolution of the criminal proceedings. USC has not received any reports from individuals potentially impacted." Weng is being held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles, according to online sheriff's jail records. He could face a potential life prison term and sex offender registration if convicted as charged, according to the District Attorney's Office. City News Service, Inc. contributed to this report. Sizhe "Steven" Weng has been charged with drugging and raping women between 2021 and 2024 while enrolled as a doctoral student at USC. (Richard Winton / Los Angeles Times) A USC graduate student is accused of being a serial sexual predator, using drugs to rape and assault multiple women, and authorities are looking for additional victims, Los Angeles police announced Wednesday. Sizhe Weng, 30, is being held without bail after being arrested and charged with eight felony counts involving drug-facilitated sexual assaults of young women he met since beginning his graduate studies in 2021. Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said at a news conference that the Los Angeles Police Department began investigating Weng in January after German authorities reached out about a similar investigation in Europe involving a Chinese national who they learned was a student living in Los Angeles for several years. Eventually, the information gathered by LAPD and German authorities led to detectives serving a search warrant at Weng's home in South L.A. near the USC campus, Hamilton said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hamilton said detectives arrested Weng Aug. 28 on suspicion of rape of an intoxicated person and searched his home. On Sept. 2, Weng was charged with eight felony counts of rape, sodomy and sexual penetration involving drugs and anesthesia, Hamilton said. Weng has pleaded not guilty. Hamilton, who oversees LAPD detectives, said they strongly suspected there were other victims and were encouraging them to come forward. "If you have had any kind of contact with this individual, if you are linked to him through any other ways or any other means, our Robbery Homicide detectives would like to interview you regarding his actions," Hamilton said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those alleged victims could be in L.A. and beyond, he said. "As soon as we became aware of actionable information, we opened an investigation," Hamilton said. "It took us a while to catch up to all the activities this individual has been involved in L.A." The deputy chief would not specify the drugs involved but said they, essentially, rendered the victims physically unable to respond. In real terms, he said, the drugs were similar to the date rape drug commonly called a roofie. Weng had a student visa in California since 2021, but Hamilton said the department was unsure whether he was in the area before then and so had not ruled out incidents in earlier years. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Los Angeles Police Department is asking for the publics help in identifying additional victims of a University of Southern California grad student who is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting women. Sizhe Weng, a 30-year-old Chinese national, is accused of assaulting multiple women between 2021 and 2025, Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said in a Wednesday press conference. Weng is accused of using intoxicating substances to facilitate the assaults. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though Hamilton declined to name the specific drug or drugs involved, he said the effect was very similar to roofies, a slang term for Rohypnol. Hamilton added that so far, the number of suspected victims is in the mid single figures, though he expects that to go up as more people come forward. The Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office added in a news release that Weng is accused of raping three women after placing incapacitating drugs in their food and/or drinks. Thus far, Weng faces eight counts of charges including rape, sodomy and sexual penetration involving drugs or anesthesia, though Hamilton anticipates additional charges as more victims come forward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jail records show Weng was arrested on Aug. 28 and is being held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility. Hes due to appear in Los Angeles Municipal Court on Jan. 14, 2026. He pleaded not guilty to all charges on Sept. 2. If convicted as charged, Weng faces 25 years to life plus 56 years in California state prison, the District Attorneys Office said. He would be required to register as a sex offender for life. District Attorney Nathan Hochman added that victims locally and abroad are asked to report the alleged attacks to police. No one should ever have to endure the trauma of being drugged, sexually assaulted and stripped of their ability to consent, Hochman said in the release. Prosecutors in my offices Sex Crimes Division and our law enforcement partners will not rest until the defendant is held accountable for these horrific acts. We want every victim to know that their voices matter and we will fight to ensure you are heard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone with information about Weng or additional victims is asked to call investigators at 213-486-6890. To report information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477) or visit lacrimestoppers.org. 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 KTLA. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is trading barbs with the Trump Administration over its response to a parasitic pest that continues to make its way north in Mexico, and could potentially threaten the states $15 billion cattle industry if it crosses the border. This week, in an interview with a Nashville television network that focuses on rural issues, Miller expressed frustration that the U.S. Department of Agriculture was not using a synthetic bait that he has promoted to combat the New World Screwworm, a fly that infects warm-blooded animals and recently has been spotted less than 100 miles from the border. I still havent gotten buy-in from the USDA to do a fly bait, Miller told RFD-TV. If we put out the fly bait, we can wipe out the screwworm in Mexico in 90 days, but for some reason, theyre very reluctant to do that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [U.S. will build sterile fly factory in Texas to stop screwworm from devastating livestock industry] On Tuesday, the USDA responded accusing the elected agriculture commissioner of blatantly disregarding tried and true [New World Screwworm] offensive strategies in favor of clickbait publicity stunts. In the statement, which was first reported by RFD-TV and provided to The Texas Tribune by the USDA, a spokesperson said the agency deployed and tested Millers infamous traps and they were found to be ineffective. In one month, USDAs traps in Panama caught thousands of New World Screwworm flies - Commissioner Millers traps caught ONE single NWS fly, the spokesperson said. When presented with the results of his traps underperforming, Commissioner Miller indicated USDA staff should paint them black to which USDA declined. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement USDA looks forward to working with any and all partners who seek to find REAL solutions to defeat the NWS, the spokesperson added. In response to the USDA, Miller issued a statement saying he appreciated the agencys historic effort to fight the New World Screwworm. Were all on the same team here, and I look forward to continuing our partnership to stop this threat in its tracks, he said. Since August, Miller has been pushing for state and federal agencies to use a synthetic bait he called TDA Swormlure, which he said was developed by his Biosecurity team. "This new attractant, named TDA Swormlure, marks a serious upgrade in our efforts to protect Texas livestock from the threat of the New World Screwworm, said Miller in an August press release. [E]arly feedback has been encouraging, and the traps are expected to outperform anything else available. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Monday, Miller told RFD-TV he was frustrated that the USDA wasnt using the fly bait. They tell me that its environmentally unsound because it will kill the good flies, Miller said. Good flies, is that like a good fire ant? I dont know what a good fly is. I dont know if theyre afraid to kill house flies or stable flies, but Im ready to kill the screwworm fly. The USDA has announced a variety of methods to try and stop the fly from entering the United States and infecting cattle. In June, Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a plan to combat the threat of the parasitic insect that includes investing $8.5 million to build a sterile fly dispersal facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg. In August, USDA announced a $750 million facility in Edinburg that will produce about 300 million sterile screwworm flies per week. By mating with sterile female flies, the intent is to produce non-viable eggs so that the population will eventually die out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Miller, who was once reportedly in contention for Rollins job leading the U.S. department, has issued multiple public statements and press releases about the states efforts to combat New World Screwworm, stating that the Texas Department of Agriculture is the tip of the spear in partnering to combat the fly. In June, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Animal Health Commission and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to establish a Texas New World Screwworm Response Team to help coordinate and share information on efforts to stop the spread of the parasite. The mission for the Response Team is clear: to lead Texas prevention and response efforts and ensure that Texas remains informed, prepared, and aligned to prevent the re-emergence of this destructive parasite, Abbott wrote in a letter to the agency heads in June. Immediately after RFD-TV published USDAs statements, Texas agriculture groups, including the Texas Farm Bureau and Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, signaled on social media their support for the federal agency over Miller. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proven way to eradicate screwworm is through sterile fly production, not traps & bait, wrote the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association on X. TSCRA stands with the Trump Administration, @SecRollins and USDA. We cannot afford distractions from unproven methods. Berenice Garcia contributed to this report. Act fast and save on tickets for The Texas Tribune Festival, Nov. 1315 in downtown Austin. Hear from more than 300 speakers across 100+ sessions covering education, the economy, public policy, culture and more. GA ticket prices go up Oct. 17. Buy your tickets today! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase. VANDERBURGH COUNTY, Ind. (WEHT) The University of Southern Indiana students are remembering victims of domestic violence. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and students at USI gathered to honor the 83 lives that were lost to domestic violence in Indiana this year. Flowers on the Lake is an annual ceremony that the universitys sexual assault and gender violence prevention group holds to raise awareness about the warning signs of relationship abuse. The community spread flowers on Reflection Lake while listening to a bell rung for every life lost this year in Indiana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Domestic violence impacts everyone, Albion Fellows Beacon Center coordinator Abby Sink said. Its not an all women or all children thing. It can happen to anybody at any time. Sink, who once dealt with helping a friend through a domestic violence situation, is now a coordinator with Albion Fellows Bacon Center and helps advocate for victims as well as shares tips on how to recognize signs of abuse. None of us knew because it was such a safeguarded thing and at the time we had no idea resource centers like this existed, Sink said. So were very fortunate that she was able to come out of it alive. But not everyone is lucky. To hold the annual ceremony on a college campus is something Amanda Cason, with Allies Voice, finds especially important. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When youre a college student, you have so many stressors going on, especially when youre going through something you dont feel like you can talk to anybody, Cason said. We want to recognize the importance of stopping it, stopping the generational cycle of violence and moving forward to a better tomorrow, Sink said. Additional resources for survivors of domestic violence can be found at Albion Fellows Bacon Center and Allies Voice. More from Isaiah Calalang Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eyewitness News. Everywhere you are. 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 Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). The Utah Republican Party announced a campaign on Tuesday to repeal the states redistricting law known as Proposition 4 and to eliminate a new congressional map approved by the Legislature last week. State GOP chair Rob Axson filed two documents an initiative application and a referendum petition with the Lieutenant Governors Office on Tuesday evening. The party will have until mid November to gather the required signatures for each. The documents were signed by six sponsors: Utah Attorney General Derek Brown, former U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, Republican National Committeeman Brad Bonham, Cody Stewart, Carolyn Phippen and Axson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is a groundswell of concern here in Utah from Utahns who do not like to see our state moving towards a direct democracy, Axson said. We are a republic. One of several map options is displayed during a meeting of the Legislative Redistricting Committee held in the East Senate Building of the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News What will the GOPs initiative do? The GOPs ballot initiative will seek to repeal Prop 4, another ballot initiative which voters approved by a slim majority in 2018 after a signature-gathering effort led by the nonprofit group Better Boundaries. The Better Boundaries initiative prohibited partisan gerrymandering, outlined requirements for redistricting and created an independent commission to recommend congressional maps every 10 years. Plaintiffs, including the League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government, sued the state Legislature in 2020 after lawmakers removed or watered down the laws requirements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the Utah Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that the Legislatures changes to the Better Boundaries initiative was unconstitutional, 3rd District Judge Dianna Gibson said lawmakers had to redraw the states congressional map under Prop 4 criteria. Before passing a new map during an Oct. 6 special legislative session, however, lawmakers replaced the broad language of Prop 4 which they said left maps to the whims of the judiciary with three statistical tests. Carolyn Phippen speaks with media after the Utah Republican Party filed paperwork to run a referendum to repeal map C and an initiative to ask the Legislature to repeal Proposition 4 at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News If passed, the GOPs initiative would remove the language of Prop 4 from Utah code, according to Axson, who said the Republican-dominant Legislature in the state had not told him to run the initiative. The GOPs initiative is an indirect, or legislative, initiative. It will open a bill file for the Utah Legislature to vote on instead of placing an issue on the November ballot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The party has until Nov. 15 to obtain nearly 70,500 signatures in at least 26 out of 29 state Senate districts. The party must also hold at least seven public hearings in seven regions around the state to discuss the initiative. What is the GOPs referendum? The second document filed by the GOP chair on Tuesday, a referendum application, will ask voters to toss out a bill passed by the Legislature last week that submitted a new congressional map to be approved by the courts. The map, known as Map 6, was considered the most favorable to Republicans and was endorsed by the GOP. But Axson said the party wants to make a broader point about the political process. In no way, shape or form are we condemning the legislature. In fact, were trying to kind of double down on the fact that the legislatures powers and authorities have been unnecessarily undermined by the courts, Axson said. Republican Party Chair Rob Axson speaks with media after filing paperwork to run a referendum to repeal map C and an initiative to ask the legislature to repeal Proposition 4 at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News In 2024, the Utah Supreme Court ruled that the Legislature cannot amend or toss out changes to state law set by ballot initiatives, if the initiatives alter the structure of government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last month, 3rd District Judge Dianna Gibson said the Legislature had done just that, and ordered state lawmakers to create new congressional maps on a truncated timeline. Lawmakers lambasted the judgment while doing their best to comply. Gibson now has until Nov. 10 to green-light the Legislatures proposals or pick an alternative map. Meanwhile, the Legislature has promised to appeal their case to the Utah Supreme Court and, if necessary, the U.S. Supreme Court, where they would argue that the Utah Constitution gives exclusive authority over redistricting to the Legislature. Elizabeth Rasmussen, Better Boundaries executive director, speaks during a press conference to announce that the Utah Legislature has been ordered to redraw Utah's congressional maps before next year's midterms, outside of the Matheson Courthouse in Salt Lake City on Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News In a statement, Elizabeth Rasmussen, Executive Director of Better Boundaries, labeled the partys actions as an attempt to overturn the will of the people by obstructing court-ordered reforms ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The process voters created to remove partisanship from redistricting has been hijacked by the supermajority, Rasmussen said. We will use every tool available in court, in the public square, and at the ballot box to defend Prop 4, protect fair maps, and uphold the rule of law." The GOP will have 40 days from the special legislative session which also falls on Nov. 15 to gather nearly 150,000 signatures in at least 15 out of the states 29 state Senate districts in order to place the referendum on the ballot. Potential Democratic candidates seeking to break through Utahs Republican stronghold are pushing back against GOP efforts to eliminate the congressional map approved by the state Legislature last week. Shortly after state lawmakers approved the updated boundaries giving Democrats at least one, possibly two, competitive races in the 2026 midterm elections a handful of candidates expressed interest to the Deseret News in running for a House seat to upend Utahs all-Republican congressional delegation in the state. Most of those candidates say they are undeterred by the latest efforts to repeal the map entirely. Republican Party Chair Rob Axson exits the office of the lieutenant governor after filing paperwork to run a referendum to repeal map C and an initiative to ask the Legislature to repeal Proposition 4 at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News Utahns voted for fair maps all the way back in 2018 and Utahs supermajority Republicans have engaged in a deliberate process to undermine the voters at every turn, state Sen. Nate Blouin, who represents Millcreek, told the Deseret News. Our state deserves representation that mirrors the diverse nature of Utah, ensuring that both rural voters and urban communities have a voice in a way they have been deprived of. The GOP lawfare is a tactic to ensure Republican control of Congress, putting Trump and the D.C. elite ahead of Utahns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Blouin said although Republicans may be successful in blocking the maps from taking effect before next year, he believes Democrats would eventually win over one of Utahs four districts in the coming years. Utah voters will see through the ruse and use their votes to keep the supermajority in check, he said. Im confident that no matter the outcome, Utah will soon send a representative to Washington that puts the people of our state over the power of their party. The sentiments come after the Utah GOP announced on Tuesday it would be filing a referendum petition to eliminate the new congressional districts greenlighted by the Legislature last week. The map would solidify two of the seats District 1 and District 4, which encompass northern Utah and southwestern Utah, respectively as solidly Republican while making Districts 2 and 3 much more competitive. One of several map options is displayed during a meeting of the Legislative Redistricting Committee held in the East Senate Building of the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News The referendum, if it receives the required 150,000 signatures, could mean the map would be thrown out and instead place it on the 2026 ballot for voters to approve. Those signatures would need to be collected by Nov. 10. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The accompanying ballot initiative would seek to repeal Prop 4, an anti-gerrymandering initiative passed in 2018 that outlines requirements for redistricting and created an independent commission to recommend congressional maps every 10 years. Kael Weston, another Democrat who has expressed interest in running for Congress next year, criticized the duel proposals as evidence that state Republicans fear fair maps. Voters across our fast-growing Beehive State should not fall for the supermajoritys never-ending gamesmanship. They are trying yet again to literally pull a fast one on us, Weston, who previously ran for the House in 2020 as well as the Senate Democratic primary in 2022, told the Deseret News. Serious times warrant serious candidates. More one-party rule will hurt all of us across Utah and the U.S. of A. in this dangerous era of growing Trump party authoritarianism. Whatever the CD map in 2026, stubborn and stalwart Utah Democrats I am both will not be silent. Or give up. Other potential candidates are weighing the situation, with state Sen. Kathleen Riebe telling the Deseret News her team anticipated these hurdles and said that they will plan accordingly. Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, was the first Democrat to publicly express interest in running for the House if the new map was implemented. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other Democrats considering a bid include former Rep. Ben McAdams and former Senate candidate Caroline Gleich. Democrats need to net three seats in the 2026 midterm elections to wrest control of the House. The party also has historical precedence on its side as trends show that the party of the sitting president typically loses control of the House during midterm elections. A new map could also thrust Utah into the middle of a national redistricting war taking place in states such as Texas and California as leaders in both parties examine congressional boundaries and how they can be altered ahead of the midterm elections. Oct. 15A utility trailer was reported stolen at 8:51 a.m. Tuesday at 1400 W. Main St. The theft occurred sometime between Friday and Tuesday. Burglary reported Police received a report at 6:03 a.m. Tuesday of a burglary of a garage that occurred about an hour prior at 813 Minnesota Ave. Numerous tools were reported stolen. School bus stop arm violation reported Police received a report at 9:19 a.m. Tuesday of a school bus stop arm violation that occurred at 3:06 p.m. the day before near the intersection of East Hawthorne Street and Valley Avenue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vehicle reportedly crashes into people Police received a report at 10:06 a.m. Tuesday of a vehicle that reportedly crashed into people after its throttle got stuck and crashed into a sandblaster at 1401 S.E. Broadway. It was unclear if there were any injuries. Copper theft reported Police received a report at 10:22 a.m. Tuesday of a theft of copper that occurred at 1:30 a.m. at 2046 Sorensen Road. Counterfeit bill passed Police received a report at 11:44 a.m. Tuesday at 411 S. Broadway of a counterfeit $100 bill that was passed. One cited for vape device Police cited one person for possession of a nicotine vape device on school property at 2:26 p.m. Tuesday at Albert Lea High School, 2000 Tiger Lane. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 1 arrested on warrants, meth Police arrested Erik Jeremy Hernandez, 49, on local warrants and an additional charge of fifth-degree methamphetamine possession at 2:40 p.m. Tuesday at 2500 Bridge Ave. Woman arrested for DWI Police arrested Sally Madge Trytten, 77, for driving while intoxicated at 6:53 p.m. Tuesday near the intersection of Giles Place and Clausen Avenue. EAU CLAIRE Showcased in the McIntyre Library, the Chicahuac exhibit details the story of women who face adversity with family working to support them in America. Through a collaboration of university students, staff and the organization Puentes Bridges, the interviews and stories highlighted at UW-Eau Claire show a perspective on immigration that is too often overlooked. This exhibit is about women who are heroes to us that live in rural Mexico and that keep the home fires burning while their sons, husbands and other loved ones are working up here, and how they have these strong relationships across the distance, Puentes Bridges President Mercedes Falk said. Even though it is hard to have to be separated because of economic necessity, they are resilient and they find a way to persevere and really make sure the next generation is not losing their values and other cultural traditions that are so important. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Complicating the conversation is the fact that larger farms in Wisconsin sometimes rely on workers from Mexico who help with the manual labor necessary for farming operations. Puentes Bridges has worked to bridge the cultural gap between employers like John Rosenow and immigrant workers. Associate Professor Cheryl Ana Jimenez Frei, said the idea for an exhibit started after a conversation about the family who workers aim to support back home. And John had said, You know, what always strikes me is the strength of the women when I go to Mexico and I see the things that these women do, she said. It was this really cool multidisciplinary collaboration with John as a community partner in Puentes Bridges to bring these stories to life and create an exhibit that educates the public on an aspect of immigration that they dont often think about. This really, as Mercedes said, highlights these women, the heroic, resilient and strong aspects of these women in the face of really difficult circumstances, the lives that they lead and how impressive they are. While on a visit to Eau Claire, Gov. Tony Evers stopped in the McIntyre Library at UWEC to visit the exhibit and meet with students who had collaborated on the project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The design aspects of all of the pieces are deliberate and intentional, said Olivia Villarreal Bishop, a graphic designer and illustration student at UWEC. If you look at some of the panels, youll see that the portraits of the women themselves have elements from each of their stories. Like Veronica and Concepciona, all of the women are framed by a window frame that is from their house. On the back sides of each poster detailing a story about a woman in Mexico is the same story in Spanish, as Angie Martinez, a Spanish education major, said her hope was to make it accessible to the women and families that these stories focus on. It reminded me that as a public historian, my responsibility is to create spaces for womens or for peoples voices to be heard, said Sierra Ramker, a public history graduate student. And so this was just a great experience to be able to do that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the same space at the McIntyre Library, Evers also met with university students and staff and viewed the stain glass mural depicting two trees which was recently installed. Gov. Evers university visit While admiring the exhibit in the schools library, Evers said, Its an extraordinary way to think about how migrants in the state of Wisconsin have really done great work and theyre an important part of our economy. The visit to UW-Eau Claire comes shortly after Evers visit to several other universities as part of his back-to-school tour. Evers talked about the biennial budget that was passed months ago, as an increase of over $250 million was designated for the Universities of Wisconsin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At one point during the budget process, the UW System they were going to be essentially getting less these two years than they did before, Evers said. We worked hard at a compromise which provided a couple hundred million dollars more for the system, which is better than in the negative, thats for sure. And you just look around, Im in the library at UW-Eau Claire right now and all the work thats going on here is really important, and were having a building built right next door. Preparing to return to work at the capital, Evers also briefly talked about the federal government shutdown as negotiations appear to still be at a standstill. When Congress isnt in session, nothing gets done except talking about them not doing the job, whether its Democrats or Republicans. In this case it seems like both, in some respects. He expressed concerns for federally funded programs like SNAP benefits that help low income families afford food, and said he hopes something is figured out as the current shutdown is not good for anyone. Thats a huge program not just for Wisconsin but across the country and we want to make sure that people have the nutritious foods that they deserve, he said. Republican Winsome Earle-Sears and Democrat Abigail Spanberger are the nominees for governor. Earle-Sears is the current lieutenant governor. Spanberger previously served in Congress. (Earle-Sears photo courtesy Virginia Lieutenant Governor's Office, Spanberger photo courtesy U.S. House of Representatives) As Virginia seeks to strengthen communities statewide and support economic growth, gubernatorial candidates Abigail Spanberger and Winsome Earle-Sears presented their cases for why they should be elected to lead these efforts at the Virginia Education & Workforce Conference in Richmond on Tuesday. The two candidates spoke to more than 400 attendees from business, education and policy backgrounds about the challenges and their respective plans during Tuesdays conference at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, which focused on building a more skilled and competitive workforce. The event was co-hosted by the Virginia Chamber Foundation, Virginia Business Higher Education Council, VCF Workforce and Education Center and Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spanberger, the Democratic nominee, addressed improving Virginias rating for the Best State to do Business by CNBC. The commonwealth, consistently ranked a top-three finisher in the past five years, dropped from the top spot to fourth this summer due to the federal job cuts by President Donald Trumps administration that have disproportionately affected Virginia, home to 147,000 civilian federal employees. The state did maintain its top rating for education for the second straight year. We must do everything we can to get Virginia back to number one in the CNBC rankings and that means strategic investments in workforce training, affordable childcare and housing, streamlining permanent shovel-ready sites and reliable infrastructure, said Spanberger during her remarks Tuesday morning. Earle-Sears, the current lieutenant governor and the GOP challenger for governor, did not mention the ranking, but instead explained how collaboration has played a big role in education and workforce development in the commonwealth, and applauded the Virginia Chamber, which she said brought together the people who make Virginias story possible. (But) this is not a moment for complacency, Earle-Sears said. It is a call to strengthen our resolve and sharpen our edge and continue to lead; and under my leadership, Virginia will rise to that challenge. We will maintain not just our domestic competitive advantage, but our international life as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She spoke about how Virginias education system shaped her career, urging stakeholders to continue working together to ensure that Virginia has a phenomenal workforce across all sectors. She also touted the success of the current administration, led by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, by investing in businesses and teacher training, as well as expanding laboratory schools that offer tuition-free specialized instruction in high-demand careers such as teaching, computer science, and technology. Earle-Sears said artificial intelligence poses a rising challenge for Virginia as it competes with countries outside of the United States, and supports workforce reentry for groups like veterans and military families. As governor, Earle-Sears said she would continue the current administrations priorities of strengthening the workforce and empowering students through rigorous academics and different pathways. Spanberger noted the cost of living as a sizable challenge, with Virginians navigating rising expenses for health care, housing, and energy, and facing uncertainty amid the federal governments job cuts and shutdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state could do more to support working people by establishing family medical leave, increasing affordable housing supply and childcare access and raising the minimum wage, Spanberger suggested. As for displaced workers, the Democrat proposed ways the state could help identify adjacent job opportunities and expand career mentoring. She also shared plans to strengthen workforce development from early childhood through career training, increasing funding for community colleges, expanding dual enrollment classes and ensuring flexibility in the education system to prepare students for emerging technologies. I know there are those who think you can be pro-business or pro-worker, and I wouldnt be surprised if theres some people in this room that hold that opinion, but I reject that idea. We can do both, Spanberger said. Virginias economic success has always come from balancing those forces, and under the right leadership, with the right coalition, we can keep that balance for decades into the future. Both candidates also defended their stances of support for Virginias right-to-work law, which prohibits employees from being required to join a union or pay union dues as a condition of employment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Keith Martin, interim president and CEO of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, told reporters that the conference is a way for stakeholders from all industries and the candidates for governor to collaborate, as it follows the Blueprint Virginia 2035, which serves as a guide to ensure the commonwealth remains a top state for business. Historically, the chamber has not endorsed any candidate. Were working with both candidates for governor, Martin said. Were optimistic in our partnership that well have with the next governor, and the collaboration we have with the business community and higher education moving forward. The deadline to register to vote, update registration or apply for a ballot to be mailed is on Oct. 24. In-person early voting ends Nov. 1. Election Day is Nov. 4. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX RAPID CITY, S.D. (KELO) This month, a Rapid City elementary school is collecting donations for animals at the Humane Society of the Black Hills. Pheasants numbers add up outside South Dakota Valley View Elementary students and community members are bringing in dog food, cat food, toys and more to help out animals. It shows us that were caring for the helpless. The ones who dont have a home. For them to understand they dont have any toys to play with or they have a home to go to, where to keep warm, keep dry. So were hoping the children will learn from that. Valley View ParaPro Nancy Bishop said Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So far this year the Humane Society of the Black HIlls has seen close to 2,500 animals. Inside this school, each classroom is competing against each other to raise the most for the pets during this drive. And the winning class will get a free popcorn party and an extra recess, while at the same time, every single student is working to help those animals that are helpless. I watch videos sometimes about dogs and cats that dont have homes and theyre abandoned and its pretty sad and how people help them. Valley View 5th Grader Kendyl Petersen said The effort spans the entire school, with every grade trying to help as much as they can. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They are dining so good. You know, we think about families that are having hard times, but they are still, if you look at all theyre bringing. You know, we just want to applaud the families that are helping out. Bishop said Its a good feeling, its like a feeling that youre helping someone in need. Petersen said The Pet Drive will continue through October 28th. Anybody can help out and donate even if they dont have a student attending the school. 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 KELOLAND.com. Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday downplayed bigoted messages in Young Republicans group chats, suggesting they were nothing more than edgy, offensive jokes. The comments came in response to POLITICOs exclusive reporting that a trove of Telegram messages between Young Republicans including state group leaders and at least one Trump administration staffer was rife with racist, antisemitic and homophobic content, including jokes about gas chambers, slavery and rape. That report was met with widespread condemnation and a cascade of firings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The vice president suggested the real problem is the idea that an offensive joke can ruin a young persons life. The reality is that kids do stupid things, especially young boys, Vance said on "The Charlie Kirk Show." They tell edgy, offensive jokes. That's what kids do. And I really don't want us to grow up in a country where a kid telling a stupid joke telling a very offensive, stupid joke is cause to ruin their lives. Vances comments Wednesday followed a late Tuesday social media post in which he slammed the Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones, a Democrat, for advocating for political violence, calling it far worse than anything said in a college group chat. I refuse to join the pearl clutching when powerful people call for political violence, Vance wrote in the X post, which was reposted by several White House allies and official White House accounts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, the vice president dug in, calling Jones messages which discussed the hypothetical killing of Virginias Republican then-House speaker and his children one thousand times worse than what a bunch of young people, a bunch of kids, say in a group chat, however offensive it might be. The messages, more than 2,900 pages of which were reviewed by POLITICO, included more than 250 slurs, an instance in which rape was called epic, and one person saying I love Hitler. A White House spokesperson referred POLITICO to spokesperson Liz Hustons previous comments, in which she rejected the idea that Trumps rhetoric had anything to do with the chat members language. No one has been subjected to more vicious rhetoric and violence than President Trump and his supporters, that statement said. A spokesperson for the vice president referred POLITICO to his comments on "The Charlie Kirk Show." Vice President JD Vance late Tuesday decried pearl clutching over a Politico story unearthing a private group chat in which prominent members of Young Republicans chapters called Black people monkeys, spoke approvingly of rape and slavery, and wrote other odious remarks, such as I love Hitler and messages containing racial and homophobic slurs. Opting for whataboutism, Vance highlighted unearthed messages by Jay Jones, a Democratic nominee for attorney general in Virginia, who recently apologized for leaked private messages from August 2022, in which he joked about shooting then-state House Speaker Speaker Todd Gilbert. Jones also said Gilbert would not take action on gun safety unless his children were endangered, writing, Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy. Vance posted a screenshot of the latter comment on X, with the caption: This is far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and the guy who said it could become the AG of Virginia. I refuse to join the pearl clutching when powerful people call for political violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For one, its not a matter of fact that Joness messages are worse than those of the Young Republicans, who spoke about having their political opponents raped and sent to gas chambers. Vance is also trying to downplay the importance of the messages by claiming they were shared in a college group chat. But Young Republicans groups include those between 18 and 40 years old, with members of the reported group chat well into adulthood. The man Politico identifies as the most prominent voice in the chat spreading racist messages, for instance, is 31. The members held notable positions in Republican politics, with several leading state affiliates of the GOPs youth arm. Some worked in state politics, and at least one serves as a state senator. Vances tweet exemplifies his time-tested willingness to excuse vitriol in his own ranks, embracing a no-enemies-to-the-right stance that is seemingly limitless. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Happening this weekend, celebrating life and loved ones who have passed on with joy, color, and dance. Vancouvers Ballet Folklorico is holding Luminarias Dia De Muertos on Saturday. There is your chance to immerse yourself in authentic Day of the Dead revelry. Director of Vancouver Ballet Folklorico, Anna Cruz, and Erik Miletich, Event Coordinator With The City of Vancouver, lit up the couch on Wednesday morning with a preview of the weekend event. 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 KOIN.com. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Washingtons second In-N-Out Burger could open as soon as next year. Vice President of Store Development Mike Abbate confirmed to KOIN 6 News that the fast food companys proposal for a Vancouver restaurant on 11515 SE Mill Plain not 13511 SE 3rd Way, as previously reported is still on the way. Its getting really ugly: House speaker calls out Portlands nude cycling protest Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although we dont have a precise opening date, we do hope to open sometime in 2026, Abbate said in a statement. We look forward to being part of the community and greatly appreciate the support from our Customers there. According to Abbate, the restaurant is still in its initial construction phase. A Vancouver outpost has been in the works since April 2024, when the California-founded chain first filed a commercial development pre-application with city officials. In addition to being Washingtons second In-N-Out location, it is also slated to be the second in Clark County. The Ridgefield eatery opened in August, knocking out the Keizer drive-thru as the companys closest location to the Rose City. In-N-Out recently furthered its Portland-area expansion by purchasing a 71,600-square-foot warehouse in Gresham. The chain has also proposed restaurants in Portland, Gresham and in unincorporated Washington County. 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 KOIN.com. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday ordered military exercises in the country's biggest shantytowns after U.S. forces blew up another boat allegedly carrying drugs from the Caribbean country. President Trump said six "narcoterrorists" were killed in the strike on the vessel near Venezuela, bringing the number of people killed in such attacks since early September to at least 27. Mr. Trump said the latest strike was conducted in international waters and that "Intelligence" confirmed that the vessel was trafficking narcotics and was on a known drug trafficking route. Mr. Trump has also deployed eight warships, a nuclear-powered submarine and fighter jets to the region as part of what he has presented as an operation to combat drug smuggling into the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Senate voted last week on a war powers resolution that would have barred the Trump administration from conducting the strikes unless Congress specifically authorized them. The resolution didn't pass. A boat burns off the coast of Venezuela in this screen grab taken from a video released Oct. 14, 2025, depicting what President Trump said in a post on Truth Social was a U.S. strike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat. / Credit: DONALD TRUMP VIA TRUTH SOCIAL via Reuters Maduro, who is widely believed to have stolen last year's presidential election, has accused Washington of plotting regime change. In a message on the Telegram social network, Maduro said he was mobilizing the military, police and a civilian militia to defend Venezuela's "mountains, coasts, schools, hospitals, factories and markets." State television showed images of armored vehicles deploying in the sprawling low-income Caracas suburb of Petare, a traditional stronghold of socialist support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Military exercises will also take place in Miranda state, which neighbors Caracas. He said the deployments aim to "win the peace." President Trump said the U.S. carried out another strike on 'a narco-trafficking vessel' off the coast of Venezuela on Oct. 14, 2025. / Credit: Yasin Demirci/Anadolu via Getty Images Earlier this month, Maduro said he was ready to declare a state of emergency over what he called the threat of U.S. "aggression." In August, thousands of citizens lined up in Caracas to join the country's militia in case there is a U.S. invasion. Mr. Trump accuses Maduro of heading a drug cartel charges Maduro denies. The U.S. Justice Department in August doubled a bounty for information leading to Maduro's capture to $50 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said Wednesday the United States was scheming to "rob" Venezuela, once a wealthy oil nation, "of its immense natural resources." The pressure on Maduro inched higher last week when U.S.-backed opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for leading peaceful resistance to his 12-year rule. What to expect from Trump's news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel Lawmakers sound off on Trump's Argentina bailout as government shutdown continues Explaining the Supreme Court case that could undermine Voting Rights Act ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. A Venezuelan woman sentenced last month in a wrong-way crash that killed in an 11-year-old boy in St. Louis County now faces a lawsuit. On Sept. 12, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorneys Office sentenced Endrina Bracho, 34, to seven years in prison, following a guilty plea to involuntary manslaughter and other charges. The crash occurred on Dec. 20, 2023, on Dunn Road in Hazelwood. Investigators say Bracho was driving the wrong way on a one-way road, nearly twice the posted speed limit and without a valid drivers license or auto insurance coverage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The crash took the life of Travis Wolfe, a passenger in the vehicle struck, just one day before his 12th birthday. Wolfes parents, who were also injured in the crash, formally filed a lawsuit Wednesday in St. Louis County Circuit Court. The lawsuit is a wrongful death and personal injury case stemming from the crash. Tim Ezell shares change in diagnosis during absence The lawsuit alleges that Bracho drove negligently, causing the death of Wolfe and serious injuries to both of his parents. It claims she failed to maintain control of her vehicle, did not keep a proper lookout and drove at an excessive speed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit also cited severe injuries to both parents, along with ongoing medical expenses, lost wages and other mental anguish. The lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $25,000, along with other costs deemed appropriate by the court. Bracho is an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela who authorities say was in the country illegally at the time of the crash. She faces deportation once she completes her sentence, according to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorneys Office. 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 2. DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) Vermilion Advantage released their response as an investigation into the organization continues, saying there were inaccuracies stated by former President and CEO Mike Marron. WCIA previously reported on Oct. 8 that officials in Vermilion County are being investigated by Illinois State Police for allegations of misconduct and bribery. In a press release on Wednesday, Vermilion Advantage said their Board of Directors is aware of the recent public statements made by Marron regarding the Vermilion County Board and misconduct. 1 dead in 3-vehicle crash in Georgetown; investigation underway Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We believe it is important to clarify inaccuracies and reaffirm our organizations role and independence, Vermilion Advantage said in their press release. On Thursday, Oct. 9, Vermilion Advantage reported that per his request, Marron is no longer employed by the organization, effective immediately. Marron issued the following statement addressing his resignation: Earlier this week, I brought forward concerns about troubling behavior and actions of elected officials in Vermilion County. I applaud the Vermilion County States Attorney for taking these reports seriously and immediately moving forward with an investigation. As Vermilion Advantage is a subsidiary of the County, I thought it best to resign as CEO at this time while the reports against these elected officials are investigated. I am very proud of the accomplishments during my tenure, and I look forward to working at my familys farming business that has been in Vermilion County since 1867. Mike Marron, former President/CEO of Vermilion Advantage Former Vermilion Co. school back up for sale after initial bid falls through The organization said that contrary to the statements made by Marron, Vermilion Advantage is not a subsidiary of Vermilion County. Vermilion Advantage is a private, member-driven, nonprofit organization that serves as the countys economic development and business leadership entity, they added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vermilion Advantage said they collaborate with numerous public and private partners. This includes the County Board, municipalities and employers across the region. Despite this, the organization said they remain a fully independent organization governed by their own Board of Directors. At this time, we have no reason to believe that the alleged bribery or any related activities involve wrongdoing by anyone representing or employed by Vermilion Advantage, part of the press release reads. Integrity and ethical conduct are central to our mission and values. The organization said they will continue to focus on advancing economic growth, supporting their business community and strengthening the countys competitiveness going forward. 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 WCIA.com. On the afternoon of August 21, Jason Gosselin raised the alarm: The flood recovery project he managed was running out of money faster than he had anticipated. One email he sent his colleagues ended with an anxious parenthetical: (calm down, Jason, calm down). In July 2024, Vermont was hit by 100-year flooding for the second summer in a row. Among the aid that the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved was a $2.9 million grant to hire an 11-person disaster case management team to help victims navigate their FEMA applications, find other available resources, and rebuild their homes. The money was supposed to last two years but was on pace to be gone far sooner. The morning after his first email, Gosselin, who is the emergency management director at the Vermont Agency of Human Services, sent another message detailing the likely source of the unexpected financial drain. The corporate contractor Vermont used to hire the team, he calculated, was actually billing nearly half of the budget for its own staff. We cannot / will not be able to support this, concluded Gosselin. According to documents obtained by Grist, Gosselin was right and the problem was even worse than he seemed to realize. Records show the state kept about $400,000 for hiring its own administrative staff. The rest $2.5 million was allocated to Guidehouse, a multinational consulting company, to hire the frontline workers. But Guidehouse only subcontracted seven people, instead of 11, for $1.1 million. That left more than a million dollars that the company could use toward its own services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is a huge need in the state, said Prem Linskey, the case management supervisor at a local Vermont aid group, the Recovery After Floods Team. The amount of work is often untenable, with so many people that need help. The states case management plan could have been much more effective if they had hired more people. A state official told Grist the program cost more than expected to get started, and it has since reined in costs. But although Vermonts grant is relatively small compared to the billions of dollars that FEMA doles out each year, experts say the poor state oversight, vague contract terms, and high-priced consultants that accompanied it are unfortunately common. Cracks like these are only set to widen as climate change fuels extreme weather and President Donald Trumps administration pushes more response and recovery responsibilities onto states that, too often, lack experience, expertise, and capacity. And if a federal grant is mishandled, its usually not FEMA or the contractor holding the bill but the state and the stakes can be enormous. A man and woman walk through the remnants of their home in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, after flash flooding in July 2024. Late last month, FEMA sent Gosselin and his team an informal yet stern email warning what would happen if they didnt correct course. Deficiencies can result in a range of consequences, including corrective action plans, formal audit findings, and heaven forbid, clawbacks, wrote Penelope Doherty, who works with the agencys regional office. Any of these can affect a states ability to receive federal funding of any kind, not just from FEMA. Last years flooding was the result of two separate severe storms. On July 10, up to 7 inches of rain dropped on parts of Vermont in a matter of hours. On July 30, with the soil still soaked and rivers high, the Northeast Kingdom region got upward of 8.4 inches. The torrential rains killed two people, ripped apart homes, and caused billions of dollars worth of damage. Within weeks, FEMA approved an official disaster declaration and Vermont stood up a temporary bridge team of case managers that were largely reassigned from other state positions. That program was set to wind down at the end of the year and there were still dozens of active cases. So two days before Christmas, the state submitted a grant application to FEMA aimed at addressing the unmet needs of Vermonters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In its application, the state estimated that 134 flood survivors still needed so-called disaster case management, or extra assistance developing and implementing a recovery plan. Some $2.5 million of the grant would be specifically for seven disaster case managers, or DCMs, three construction managers and a supervisor. There are no other positions mentioned in the states application or included in its budget. In February, FEMA approved Vermonts $2.9 million Disaster Case Management Program. The state in turn hired the consulting firm Guidehouse, which used to be the public sector arm of PwC (formerly PricewaterhouseCoopers). Through various mergers and acquisitions, its since grown into a $7 billion company now owned by the private equity giant Bain Capital. Vermont had been working with Guidehouse since 2020, when the global COVID-19 pandemic took hold. The state competitively bid and signed a five-year master contract with Guidehouse that let any of its agencies issue a task order for services from the company, without having to seek bids again. While the bulk of the work seems to have stayed in the COVID realm, the governor told reporters in 2024 that the company was also helping to augment the states flood response effort. This April, Vermonts secretary of human services, chief recovery officer, and an assistant attorney general signed a nearly $2.5 million task order with Guidehouse to help with the FEMA disaster management grant. It names Gosselin as a primary contact and includes language such as, The contractor shall support the state in administering its DCM program and provide implementation and strategic advisory assistance to the state. It doesnt have the specific staffing requirements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With its orders in hand, Guidehouse then did its own subcontracting for the frontline workers. It turned to the New England Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, or NEAC, which had been involved with previous flood recovery efforts in Vermont. But that subcontract proved to be significantly narrower than what was in the FEMA agreement. NEAC would provide only four case managers, not seven, and just two construction coordinators, not three. Guidehouse would also pay the organization just $1,098,875 to get the job done, including a travel budget. Thats less than half what Guidehouse got from the state and what FEMA awarded for the work. Its unclear exactly what the companys plan was for the other $1.4 million, but the NEAC agreement lists six Guidehouse employees working on the project a nearly 1:1 ratio with frontline workers. All federal grants involve some level of administrative costs, explained MaryAnn Tierney, a former FEMA regional administrator and acting No. 2 at the agency. But when money that is meant to go to services goes to overhead, she said, thats not acceptable. Another former FEMA official, who asked not to be named publicly because they are now a consultant who works with the federal government, said the agency would start to get upset when such expenses reached 20 percent. It doesnt necessarily mean that I would have thought it was fraudulent, they said. I would just be grumpy because its a waste of money. Vermonts case is a classic example of what happens when a state or municipality writes a vague contract, said Craig Fugate, who was the FEMA administrator from 2009 to 2017. He explained that any contract should provide clear and measurable deliverables, with penalties for not performing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Without a strong agreement, a consultant can largely dictate their own boundaries. You see a lot of money getting spent on process. More meetings, more reviews, said Fugate. While no one technically violates the contract, it doesnt seem that much work is getting done, and you end up with a lot of billable hours. An aerial view of a home in Lyndon, Vermont that was destroyed by flash flooding in July 2024. By the time Gosselin did his August accounting, Guidehouse had already billed 4,877 hours of time worth over half a million dollars. The Guidehouse report to the state that his math was based on shows 48 percent of that money going directly toward Guidehouse staff. The consulting firm also added overhead to the NEAC staffs hourly rates, meaning that an even greater share went to the company. According to two people involved in the grant, it was common for multiple Guidehouse employees to attend meetings, and it was often unclear why they were necessary. It muddied the waters a little bit, said one of them. Both mentioned that the role of Lina Hashem, a director at Guidehouse, was especially confusing and redundant, especially given her billing rate: $293 per hour. Before becoming FEMA administrator, Fugate spent decades as an emergency manager at state and local levels. The role of contractors has expanded dramatically, he said. Where companies used to be selling mostly goods or products say generators, or computer systems many are now offering services, such as consulting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Outside companies can be a useful force multiplier in the wake of a disaster, and offer expertise that states may not have. For state governments, youre never going to have enough people to handle Hurricane Katrina, he said. But you always have to keep the idea that were not turning over running the response or the recovery to a vendor. FEMA spends tens of billions of dollars every year on disaster recovery, but there is also additional funding available across the federal government: more than two-dozen other agencies run nearly 100 different response or recovery programs. There have been several high profile instances of either contractor abuse or state mismanagement. Following a 2014 tornado in Louisville, Mississippi, the inspector general overseeing FEMA recommended that the agency claw back $25 million because the city didnt follow proper procurement procedures. Last year, the consulting firm Horne paid a $1.2 million fine for improper billing in the wake of extreme rainfall in West Virginia in 2016. Horne now holds a controversial $81 million contract to help North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene. Guidehouses work has also come under scrutiny. Last year, it paid a $7.6 million fine for a data breach tied to the companys work administering New Yorks rental assistance program during the pandemic. Still, its become a major player in the disaster space nationwide. It won the $135 million contract to revamp the National Flood Insurance Program and a $38 million one to do identity verification for FEMA. It also acquired part of a company that worked with New Jersey in the wake of Superstorm Sandy and Florida after Hurricane Irma. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vermonts vendor payment portal shows $41 million in payments to Guidehouse since 2020, and not all the states experiences with the company have been bad. It was instrumental in helping Vermont navigate both the COVID pandemic and 2023 flooding, said Ben Rose, who retired as Vermont Emergency Managements recovery and mitigation section chief at the end of 2024. Its really hard to hire people through the state system, he said. You can be more nimble by hiring consultants when you need help. That said, Rose was cognizant that Guidehouse was a for-profit company and said keeping tabs on its scope of work and spending was important. They would sometimes say, Hey, well make it easy for you, let us show you a draft task order,' he recalled. Rose would then take off things that he didnt need. It was a healthy back and forth. In his August emails, Gosselin appears surprised by how much of the grant money was going to Guidehouse. And when FEMA started asking for more details, the state dragged its feet in explaining what happened. Initially, Dougherty wrote in her warning note, the state had revealed a decision to reduce service delivery staff, which would have been acceptable as long as the budget was reduced as well. But after more than two months, and three draft proposals, she noted that there still wasnt a formal update to the original plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have been requesting this articulation since mid-July, wrote Dougherty, in late September. [It] really must be finalized to avoid risking corrective actions. The state continues to work with FEMA on an updated plan, said Douglas Farnham, Vermonts chief recovery officer. But he defended the states use of Guidehouse, which he said was a natural fit for the project because it already worked with the state and was best positioned to rapidly stand up this program, too. Theyre not the cheapest partner to work with, but they have great expertise, said Farnham, adding that moving quickly adds expense as well. He blamed the high initial billing ratios with nearly half going to Guidehouse on startup costs for the project. Ideally, you wouldnt see it bump that high, he said, but after the state reviewed the expenses, they found them to be reasonable. At the end of the day, we believe the costs were appropriate. They were necessary to build the program, and well work it out with FEMA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FEMA could not be reached for comment due to the current government shutdown. Farnham said that the state has since set a new target of 17 percent for Guidehouses share of billable work, with the rest going toward program delivery. It definitely stops the major bleed, said one person familiar with the changes, though they still question why Guidehouse has to remain involved at all. And because the changes come months into the project and more than a year after the flooding, some say much of the harm has already been done. For one, Vermont has already paid Guidehouse hundreds of thousands dollars that FEMA has yet to reimburse. If the agency doesnt do that, Farnham said the money would come out of the states reserve fund for federal denials. Timing was also a problem. The FEMA-funded case management program wasnt approved until seven months after the disaster declaration. Farnham, while grateful for the money, said that was a result of FEMAs very long and complicated application process. The state also hired fewer workers than planned because there werent as many cases as expected, Farnham said. The benefit of a contractor, he said, is that the number of workers can be adjusted up or down. But the companys own October 1 report listed a medium risk that the caseload may exceed budgeted project team capacity. The Disaster Economy Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Farnham doesnt think that will happen, and would rather extend the length of the program to help handle cases that come up later. FEMA has not approved that extension, but in her September email, Dougherty did tell the state to be aware of the inherent conflict in simultaneously saying youre behind/need more time and saying outreach results indicate you can reduce the work force/work pace. Guidehouses agreement with Vermont only covered disasters that happened through June 2025, and the state has chosen another company for its next master contract. Farnham declined to explain why, and Guidehouse declined to comment for this story, as did NEAC. Gosselin didnt respond to multiple interview requests or a list of written questions. But long-term recovery groups say that, even when the state did finally get involved in case management, it failed to coordinate well with those already on the ground. They confused everybody, said Meghan Wayland, president of the Kingdom United Resilience & Recovery Eort. They called all of the people in our neighborhood. It creates chaos and we have to go clean up their messes. Wayland and Linskey, from the Recovery After Floods Team, say that better collaboration with organizations like theirs could have meant more work for the FEMA-funded folks, too. For example, the NEAC team could have taken on particularly difficult cases or focused on areas of the state where the local capacity isnt as robust. They could have designed a program that would have benefited Vermonters and not compromised the efforts that are underway, said Wayland. That would have been a really lovely thing for them to do. Two men carry a filing cabinet out of a garage in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, after flash flooding in 2024. Multiple people pointed to Gosselin as a major source of the states issues. He doesnt have the appropriate skill set for the thing hes been put in charge of, said Wayland. Another person said, We all keep trying to clean up [his] mess but its just so pervasive. But Gosselin notably wasnt the signatory on the Guidehouse task order or the FEMA application, which were ostensibly reviewed by officials higher up in government. That includes Farnham, who praised Gosselin for flagging Guidehouses invoices for review and said everything that I worked with him on this, I believe he took the right course of action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For now, FEMAs review of Vermonts spending is still underway. But the lesson may already be clear: As floods multiply and dollars surge, Americas recovery system is only as strong as the contracts holding it together. And, currently, states could be a weak point in that chain. By shoving responsibilities from the federal level onto the states shoulders, it is creating a market for private contractors, said one FEMA employee, who asked to remain anonymous because they werent authorized to speak publicly. Theyre sitting ducks. This story was originally published by Grist with the headline How Vermont lost track of millions in FEMA flood recovery funds on Oct 15, 2025. Linda Alvarez, a business and entrepreneurship teacher at Windham Regional Career Center in Brattleboro, has been named the 2026 Vermont Teacher of the Year. Alvarez is the first career technical education educator to receive the award, according to an announcement from the Vermont Agency of Education. She has been teaching at the career center for four years. Her signature project, the yearlong Food Truck Plan, guides students through the process of designing business ventures, building models, crafting marketing campaigns and presenting to community leaders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alvarez's classroom welcomes first-generation college students, multilingual learners and neurodiverse students who are thriving under her guidance. Many of her students go on to earn college scholarships or enter directly into high-demand careers. In every way, Linda is the kind of teacher our students deserve, Windham Regional Career Center Director Nancy Wiese said. She is a visionary who equips them not only with skills but also with confidence and purpose to shape the future. Beyond the classroom, Alvarez serves as a Future Business Leaders of America advisor, a member of the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union Special Education Parent Advisory Council and an adjunct professor at Vermont State University and Community College of Vermont. Alvarez holds a master's in management, marketing and communications from Fitchburg State University, a bachelor's in history with a minor in education from the University of Florida and is completing a Harvard Certificate in School Management and Leadership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Linda is an exceptional teacher who routinely inspires her students and colleagues at the WRCC. VT TOY is an acknowledgment that is well deserved, Windham Southeast Supervisory Union Superintendent Mark Speno said. Also recognized as 2026 Distinguished Finalists are Jason Raymond from Burlington Technical Center and Erin Randall from South Burlington High School. This story was created by reporter Beth McDermott, bmcdermott1@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct. This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Windham's Linda Alvarez wins 2026 Vermont Teacher of the Year award Have you been caught by expensive vet bills, or taken action to access cheaper pet prescriptions? Email us your tips and stories at money@telegraph.co.uk* Vets could be forced to cap prescriptions at 16 and tell pet owners when they can make savings online following an investigation by the competitions watchdog. The Competitions and Market Authority (CMA) found the market was not fit for purpose following a 16-month investigation into whether a lack of competition has led to soaring prices. Average vet prices rose by 63pc between 2016 and 2023 while the cost of an annual pet vaccination has almost doubled over the past 15 years to 64. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CMA said pet owners had no effective way of comparing vet prices and may be paying twice as much for commonly prescribed medicines from vet practices as they could pay online. It also found owners pay 16.6pc more on average at practices owned by large vet groups than at independent practices. The watchdog said it was common for owners to receive no written estimate for courses of treatment which could then run to thousands of pounds, and they had no effective means of complaining if things went wrong. The CMA proposed 21 measures to enhance competition in the market. However the findings are provisional, with interested parties now having until next month to make submissions before a final decision is due next March. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among them, it has called for vet businesses to publish comprehensive price lists and be clear if they are owned by a larger group. Practices would be required to tell owners if they could purchase the same medicine for a lower price online as well as automatically provide a written prescription so that owners could buy the same medicine elsewhere. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons would also be required to update its Find a Vet website to include pricing data, allowing owners far greater transparency about the cost of practices in their area. This data would then also be available to third-party websites and apps, raising the possibility of further price comparison sites to help customers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Martin Coleman, chairman of the inquiry, said: Pet owners are often left in the dark, not knowing whether their practice is independent or part of a chain or what a fair price looks like. They are sometimes committing to expensive treatment without understanding the price in advance. And they do not always feel confident asking for a prescription or buying medicine online even when it could save them hundreds of pounds. We are proposing major reforms aimed at bringing about a transformation in the experience of pet owners and empowering them to make the best choices for their circumstances. *Please note that by submitting your content to us, you are consenting to The Telegraph processing your personal data where required by law. For further details, please see our Privacy Notice. 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. MEDINA, Ohio (WJW) A new breakfast joint in Northeast Ohio is ready to expand with a second location. Vicious Biscuit announced in a media release that its bringing its fast-casual breakfast concept to Medina. Credit: Andrew Cebulka via Vicious Biscuit Credit: Andrew Cebulka via Vicious Biscuit The restaurant brand originated in the South, where it says biscuits are king, with locations in the Carolinas, Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana. Popular Akron pizza shop opening new locations Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first Ohio location opened in Montrose in May 2024, according to the release. Guests can look forward to Vicious Biscuits signature biscuit creations like The Vicious, Fat Boy, The Flame Thrower, and Hen Solo, along with shareable Southern favorites including Sweet Puppies, Beignets, and Shrimp & Grits, explained the release. Brunch fans will also find the brands beloved Jam Bar featuring signature jams and house-made butters. It also serves-up mimosas with fresh-squeezed orange juice amongst other concoctions. Healthier breakfast options including both a healthy and gluten-free menu will be found on the menu too. Credit: Andrew Cebulka via Vicious Biscuit Credit: Andrew Cebulka via Vicious Biscuit Credit: Andrew Cebulka via Vicious Biscuit Credit: Andrew Cebulka via Vicious Biscuit Credit: Andrew Cebulka via Vicious Biscuit Credit: Andrew Cebulka via Vicious Biscuit Credit: Andrew Cebulka via Vicious Biscuit Credit: Andrew Cebulka via Vicious Biscuit Credit: Andrew Cebulka via Vicious Biscuit Credit: Andrew Cebulka via Vicious Biscuit Credit: Andrew Cebulka via Vicious Biscuit Credit: Andrew Cebulka via Vicious Biscuit The Medina location is slated to open in the second quarter of 2026. Itll be located at 4136 Pearl Road, the former home to Fiesta Jalapenos. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amish family victims in robbery, abduction attempt CLICK HERE to learn more about Vicious Biscuit and to check out its menu. 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. Wapello County has talked long enough. For more than two years, supervisors have held public hearings, consulted experts, and listened to developers and residents. Dozens of landowners have signed leases. Millions have been invested. What is missing is a vote. We respect the need to get this right. Wind and solar projects affect landscapes, neighbors and budgets for decades. Reasonable setbacks, noise limits, fire protection and decommissioning rules must be part of an ordinance that protects property owners. Residents raised fair questions in Eldon about noise, shadow flicker, fire training and what happens if a turbine is destroyed in a storm. Those concerns deserve answers. But those answers already exist. Other counties have addressed them. Apex Clean Energy has said it is responsible if accidents or damage occur. Fire suppression systems are becoming standard. Noise standards and setbacks are well established. Franklin Countys experience shows the benefits: without wind revenue, it would have closed bridges and let roads crumble. With it, they have stayed open. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Supervisor Carrie Teninty has abstained because she signed a lease before joining the board. We do not believe that creates a direct conflict on an ordinance that applies countywide for any number of potential future projects, but if she feels conflicted, abstaining is the right choice. That leaves two supervisors to act. Supervisor Bryan Ziegler has voiced support, with some changes. Supervisor Darren Batterson has expressed doubt and questioned how many turbines should be allowed. If he does not believe in the project, he should vote no. If he supports it with revisions, he should say so and vote yes. But it's time for some finality. The cost of delay is real. Apex has warned that without an ordinance, it cannot keep spending money here. If the company leaves, so does an estimated $120 million in revenue over 40 years for the county, schools and other taxing bodies. That is money to fix roads, fund deputies and potentially ease the burden on property taxpayers. Wind projects are not instant solutions. They will not erase budget problems overnight. But they do provide some revenue growth at a time where rural counties face many challenges, and they give landowners the right to use their property as they wish. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jefferson and Keokuk counties lost their place in this project when they passed restrictive ordinances. Wapello County risks losing its place too, not by decision but by delay. Paralysis by analysis is no way to govern. We also need to be clear about the myths surrounding wind projects. Turbines do not cause cancer. Noise is comparable to a refrigerator or quiet conversation, and health impacts are negligible when setbacks are followed. Infrasound is below levels people can perceive. These rumors may spark anger, but they are not grounds for policy. It is time to decide. Bring a final ordinance forward. Vote it up or down. We urge an up vote. Clean energy is an opportunity for Wapello County to grow without raising taxes, and many landowners are already on board. What serves no one is more delay. As the government shutdown continues, and faces the possibility of becoming the longest shutdown ever, The View host Whoopi Goldberg has a suggestion for politicians in Washington D.C.: dont take your salaries. The ABC moderators idea came during the first Hot Topics discussion of the day, which was actually centered on press outlets refusing to sign the White Houses new requirements. Whoopi and her co-hosts applauded everyone who refused to sign, and Whoopi specifically loved that it signified the press is recognizing that they are stronger together. While discussing a topic in the vicinity of the White House though, Whoopi went on a quick tangent about the shutdown. MAJOR NETWORKS WONT SIGN PENTAGON PRESS POLICY: 'The View' co-hosts weigh in on the joint statement issued from ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News Media and NBC News declaring the new Pentagon policy is without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections. pic.twitter.com/6NhqgSb8FE The View (@TheView) October 15, 2025 I would like Republicans and Democrats to come together and decide theyre not going to take their salaries, she said. Because, until you are getting until this affects you the way its affecting your constituents, yall are not going to settle this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So, as an American, I am asking that you not take a salary until you settle this, Whoopi continued, with her co-hosts vocalizing support. And I think lots of people might feel the same way. Indeed, lawmakers in Washington continue to get paid during the shutdown, whiles hundreds of others are either furloughed or working without pay. Its something that the hosts of The View have called out in irritation multiple times since the shutdown started. According to the women, its unfair for congress to continue getting paid while they refuse to work together and put countless families at risk. You can watch the full discussion from The View in the video above. The post The View: Whoopi Calls on All Politicians to Refuse Their Salaries During Government Shutdown | Video appeared first on TheWrap. TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) The Vigo County School Corporation wanted the Vigo County Council to establish a special board that would help oversee funding and improvements of Vigo County schools. VCSC also hoped the Vigo County Council would consider helping to pay for upgrades at local schools after the passing of Senate Bill 382 by Indiana lawmakers. It allows the County Council to use some of its taxpayer money to pay for school projects, without asking for voters approval through a referendum. Instead, at Tuesday nights meeting, an ordinance proposed by Councilman Steve Ellis passed in a vote of 4 to 3. Not only does the new ordinance keep the council from creating an oversight board without a voter referendum, but it also says the county will not give any money to the school corporation without voters approval through a referendum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The creation of the oversight board was expected to cost the county around $100,000. A previous voter referendum that would have provided additional money for Vigo County schools failed in 2022. After the Vigo County Council meeting, Councilman Steve Ellis said this about the decision, Its just simply what needed to be done for the best interest of the county government and the fiscal body. We simply do not have the funds to do it and as a result, its what needed to be passed tonight who knows what that means in the future its just saying right now the county is having a hard time paying, and meeting its bills. Vigo County Commissioner Chris Switzer also attended the meeting. He said, As far as I know, this prevented any funding whatsoever to the Vigo County School Corporation, so I still have to go review that, but Im a little sad. The only thing you know I have two kids theyre gonna go to the schools. The only thing that we wanna do is just have a conversation. If theres a potential to even give $1000 a School corporation to help with a reference we want to be able to do that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, the Vigo County School Corporation responded to the council with the following statements. Statement from Dr. Chris Himsel: For 50 years, our community has known there are issues that need to be addressed in regard to our school facilities. For nearly two years, the Vigo County School Corporation and Board of School Trustees have taken steps to create a path towards correcting these issues, modernizing our facilities and ultimately providing high quality opportunities for our students. We are grateful for Senator Greg Goode, Representatives Bob Heaton and Tonya Pfaff, and many others who created a mechanism for a community conversation and additional transparency. Although we are disappointed that the County Council chose not to collaborate with us, we remain committed to modernizing our facilities and providing high quality education for our students while taking steps to live within our means and address the realities of our enrollment. Statement from the Vigo County School Board of Trustees: This evenings Vigo County Council meeting lacked transparency. As a School Board of Trustees, we are required by law to allow for public comment before we vote. Tonight we witnessed a disappointing display by the Vigo County Council. They chose not to take public comment on a sweeping ordinance, preventing a 2-year-long vetted bipartisan collaboration. They did so without all the facts, information or input from the community. With this uneducated and irresponsible decision they have chosen to repeat history of previous elected officials who chose to operate in backdoor meetings and closed door discussions. The Council has asked for transparency from the School Board of Trustees in which we have delivered in community forums, public meetings, facility studies, school visits and documents readily available on our website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite this setback we are still focused and committed to modernizing our facilities and providing high quality education for our students while taking steps to live within our means and address the realities of our enrollment. ######################################################################## Earlier in the day, the Chairman of the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce Board, Donald Scott, said the Chamber Board supported upgrades to Vigo County schools and the establishment of oversight board by the Vigo County Council. Theres a serious issue with the current state of our facilities in our school system, Donald Scott said. If we cant solve that, it impacts almost everyone in our community, including our businesses, our children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scott added that improving Vigo County schools would ultimately help residents by bringing more talent and perhaps more jobs to the area. Our universities, our hospitals, and some of our large manufacturers will all tell you that when it comes to bringing in professional talent and their families, or wives, take a look at our school facilities, they decide to go elsewhere, Scott said. Its very difficult to bring in that professional talent given the state of our schools. 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 MyWabashValley.com. TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) The Vigo County Council has made a decision that will affect its ability to be involved in school corporation spending. Tuesday night, the Vigo County Council voted in favor of an ordinance that prevents the county from creating an oversight board. The ordinance would also prevent the council from giving any money to the school corporation without a voter referendum. Council member Vicki Weger said the oversight board was set to cost the county $100,000. Weger believes the school board should be responsible for its fiscal needs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The county school corporation has $13 million. They could fund that or find a different enterprise that could fund it. We dont really have that kind of money in the county, said Weger. The ordinance was proposed by council member Steve Ellis. He said he agrees with Weger and believes the school corporation is to blame for its current facilities. When I hear kids come to me and say their bathrooms dont work, theyre dirty, or there is this issue or that issue, my question is, if the school corporation has funds, why are they not fixing this stuff to begin with, said Ellis. Why do our kids have these deplorable facilities that theyre going to school in every day? Terre Haute Mayor Brandon Sakbun and the Vigo County Commissioners have been working for years to pass legislation that would allow county involvement in the Vigo County School Corporation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Commissioner Chris Switzer said the recent administration deserves a chance to make a positive change. If youre not even willing to have that discussion, thats incredibly disheartening, said Switzer. We have, for years, been battling the school corporation mistrust, but we now have a new superintendent, a new school board. All of these people are new to the situation, so when is this community going to give that group of people a chance to do something better? Senator Greg Goode, who authored an amendment that would allow Vigo County to transfer funding to the Vigo County School Corporation to help meet the districts needs, also provided a statement. Our bipartisan state legislative work to create a formal mechanism for county, city and school corporation collaboration in Vigo County was ultimately about transparency and accountability. My legislation was intentionally drafted to provide another option to our local elected officials, said Goode. There is no expiration in this legislation, which is now state law, and this option will continue to be available to our current and future elected county officials. I trust the judgment of our county, community and school leaders, and I believe that our children deserve the very best educational experiences. I will keep working in support of children, families and educators in the Wabash Valley. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the meeting, no public comment was allowed before the vote. In a statement sent to WTWO/WAWV, the Vigo County School Corporation Board of Trustees said the vote was a disappointing display by the Vigo County Council and was an uneducated and irresponsible decision. The board added that the vote was part of a history of backdoor meetings and closed-door discussions. WTWO/WAWV has reached out to Vigo County School Corporation Leaders for comments. Those leaders were unavailable for comment. 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 MyWabashValley.com. When a major, paradigm-shifting success occurs in a given field, especially something like business, you have two options if you want to compete. The first is to focus on your own path, refining your craft without being overly reactive; the second is to cheerfully and flagrantly rip off said success in hopes that some of it (and the money that comes with it) rubs off on you. Such was the case with a competitor to Coca-Cola that surfaced in the early 20th century before being sued into oblivion: the perfectly named Koca Nola. Just take a minute to savor the beautiful ridiculousness of that name. If you challenged the world's least creative high school student to come up with a name for a Coca-Cola knockoff, "Koca Nola" would be one of the first things they would say. It's hard to believe that it was ever real, and yet it was and it was borne from a pharmacist's grudge. A man named Thomas Austin, who had made his fortune in coal, opened a pharmacy in Atlanta, but was annoyed by the fact that most of his customers only came in for Coca-Cola. He wanted to be more than just a middleman for Coke, so he put his considerable resources to use, crafting his own take on cola and bottling it as Koca Nola. Read more: 13 Retro Foods That Completely Flopped Koca Nola's business model worked -- until it didn't Koca Nola logo - eBay As low-rent as the whole enterprise may sound a century later, Koca Nola actually enjoyed some success with its business model. At the time, the bottles for Coca-Cola and Koca Nola looked pretty much identical especially if you didn't know how to read, which a not-insignificant number of Americans in those days couldn't do. They also antagonized their more famous rival in other ways (despite the fact that the Coca-Cola lawsuits started early and didn't ever stop); unlike Coca-Cola's famously secret formula, Koca Nola printed its recipe right on the label, in a lovely bit of corporate passive-aggression. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But of course, this couldn't last forever. Coca-Cola's continued lawsuits chipped away at Koca Nola's resources, and the bad news kept coming: Coca-Cola introduced their now-trademark concave bottle shape, which helped differentiate the two once and for all, and Koca Nola got into trouble with the federal government (which had just passed the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, as part of the Upton Sinclair-spurred wave of food safety that eventually led to the creation of the FDA) for lying about the cocaine content in their beverage. (Coca-Cola had already taken the cocaine out of their recipe by then.) Koca Nola shut down in 1918, and Coca-Cola was free to go to war with Pepsi. For more food and drink goodness, join The Takeout's newsletter. Get taste tests, food & drink news, deals from your favorite chains, recipes, cooking tips, and more! Read the original article on The Takeout. QUETTA, Pakistan/KABUL (Reuters) -Fresh fighting broke out on Wednesday along the volatile Pakistan-Afghanistan border, killing more than a dozen civilians and troops to shatter a fragile peace after weekend clashes that killed dozens. The weekend fighting was the worst between the neighbours since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021, despite regular clashes between their security forces along the contested 2,600 km (1,600-mile) frontier. The Afghan Taliban said more than a dozen of its civilians were killed and 100 wounded as Pakistani forces launched attacks in the early hours of Wednesday in the district of Spin Boldak. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pakistan said four of its civilians were wounded in attacks by "Taliban forces" in the district of Chaman, which is opposite Spin Boldak across the frontier. Fighting between troops and militants in a second incident in Pakistan's border district of Orakzai killed six Pakistani paramilitary soldiers and wounded six, two security officials told Reuters. Nine militants were also killed, they said, adding that the violence broke out during a search in the area by troops after a militant attack last week killed 11 Pakistani soldiers. The Pakistani military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Orakzai clash. But it dismissed as "outrageous and blatant lies" Kabul's accusation that Pakistan had launched the attack in Spin Boldak. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BORDER SHUT The recent friction between the two former allies erupted after Islamabad demanded that the Afghan Taliban administration tackle militants who have stepped up attacks in Pakistan, saying they operate from havens in Afghanistan. The Taliban accuses the Pakistani military of conspiring against Afghanistan by spreading misinformation, provoking border tension, and sheltering ISIS-linked militants to undermine the country's stability and sovereignty. Pakistan's military denies the charges and points to attacks in Pakistan by ISIS-K, or Islamic State Khorasan, the regional affiliate of the Islamic State group active in the neighbours. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It opposes the Taliban and has carried out bombings targeting civilians, officials and foreign interests. The neighbours have closed several crossings along their border in the aftermath of the fighting, bringing trade to a halt and stranding scores of vehicles laden with goods. Pakistan is the main source of goods and food supplies for landlocked, impoverished Afghanistan. Last week's clashes drew international concern, with China urging protection for both its citizens and investments, Russia calling for restraint, and U.S. President Donald Trump saying he could help end the conflict. The latest tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan has coincided with Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's first visit to Pakistan's arch rival, India. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the visit, India and Afghanistan decided to upgrade ties, with New Delhi saying it would reopen its embassy in Kabul, while the Afghan Taliban plans to send its diplomats to India. (Reporting by Mushtaq Ali, Saleem Ahmed and Mohammad Yunus Yawar, Writing by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by YP Rajesh and Clarence Fernandez) Brad Johnson hunts for pheasants with his dog, Frisco, on Conservation Reserve Program land near Brookings in 2024. (Courtesy of Brad Johnson) Its harvest time in South Dakota and for nearly 140,000 pheasant hunters, it is an opportunity to wander fields of grass, edges of wetlands and pockets of overgrown weeds. All across the state, farmers are growing and selling corn, wheat, soybeans, cattle and other products, contributing billions of dollars to the states economy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hunters this fall will likely harvest more than 1.3 million pheasants, 47,000 deer, 220,000 ducks, and 300,000 geese in South Dakota, along with antelope, elk, grouse, turkey, rabbits and other wildlife. Our beautiful landscape and abundant wildlife provide a huge boon to local communities as hunters fill hotel rooms and restaurants. These twin economic pillars farming and tourism both benefit greatly from the federal farm bill and its voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs. These programs provide farmers with funds and advice needed to put in place much-needed systems that conserve our soil, water and wildlife. In South Dakota, about 80% of the land is privately owned, which means the vast majority of sportsmen and women are hunting in habitat on private lands. Most landowners want to be good stewards, but many do not have resources to create or restore wildlife habitat. Through the farm bill, the U.S. Department of Agriculture can help provide those resources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In July, Congress extended four major farm bill conservation programs, and in a big win for wildlife, increased the long-term funding for the programs by about 50%. Congress also extended some smaller programs like the Voluntary Public Access & Habitat Incentives Program that has supported our states Walk-in Area Program, which provides hunting access on more than 1.25 million acres. Unfortunately, the Conservation Reserve Program which turns 40 years old this year was the one major farm bill conservation program that did not get extended in July. It and many other farm bill programs expired on Sept. 30. Until Congress finishes the work to write a new farm bill or extends the current one, USDA will be unable to enroll any new acres in CRP contracts. CRP is a popular and effective tool that helps farmers protect existing grassland or plant marginal cropland with grasses, shrubs and trees. The program has three major purposes: soil conservation, wildlife habitat and water quality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a March 2024 report on pheasant management by the state Department of Game, Fish and Parks, the CRP represents one of the most successful conservation programs ever implemented in the United States. To complicate matters, when Congress failed to pass a funding bill before Oct. 1 and the government shut down, USDA sent 96% of its conservation employees home and closed offices around the country. USDA even stopped issuing checks, like the annual CRP payments to landowners that were supposed to go out Oct. 1. USDA has already lost nearly one-quarter of its conservation staff since the new administration took over in January, and the government shutdown will put USDA employees even further behind and make life more difficult for farmers. South Dakotas hunters, anglers, farmers and ranchers are some of the top beneficiaries of CRP in the country, with over 2.6 million acres enrolled in the program. CRP contracts bring over $145 million annually to more than 14,000 South Dakota landowners. That doesnt include the myriad other benefits from the program, like the boost in the outdoor economy that comes from the wildlife produced on those lands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over 542,000 acres of CRP contracts in South Dakota are wetlands, providing nesting and migratory habitat for ducks, geese and other waterfowl. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates CRP acres in the northern Great Plains add about 2 million ducks to the fall flight every year. Despite the popularity and success of CRP, Congress is considering proposals that would reduce the programs benefits for producers, outdoors enthusiasts and wildlife. The program doesnt need a major overhaul. It just needs a few common-sense improvements. Let us know what you think... Thankfully, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, and Senators Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, and Tina Smith, D-Minnesota, recognize the benefits of the program and its value. They introduced the Conservation Reserve Improvement and Flexibility Act, which would add to the programs ability to meet producer needs. The bill would streamline the application process for CRP State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement, an increasingly popular option in South Dakota where over 235,000 acres are planted to grass species that benefit pheasants and other grassland birds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their bill would provide federal payments for fencing and water facilities to encourage sounder grazing of CRP acres and would increase the annual limit on CRP payments that has not been raised since CRP was created in 1985. The CRP Transition Incentives Program has already helped more than 2,900 farmers acquire over 400,000 acres of expiring CRP land nationwide, but the program could do even more to help new and beginning farmers if Congress would prioritize them in awarding new CRP contracts as it now does for other USDA conservation programs. With some minor changes, CRP could also be a stronger tool for establishing and maintaining migratory corridors for wildlife. As members of Congress consider these and other changes to the program, they should ensure there are no cuts. We need more CRP acres, not less. Unsplash Earlier this month, as the government shutdown entered its second week, small airports across the United States were on the verge of losing commercial air servicepotentially cutting off dozens of rural American communities from coastal Maine all the way to Arctic Alaska. Reliant on the Department of Transportations (DOT) funding for Essential Air Service (EAS), a decades-old program that subsidizes flights to Americas most remote communities, they were in danger of running out of money as soon as October 12. A reprieve arrived on October 6, when the DOT announced it had secured approximately $41 million to keep the EAS program operational, thereby averting immediate flight cancellations across much of rural Americaat least through November 2. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The three-week stopgap heads off, for now, abrupt schedule cuts that would have hit 177 small airports nationwide, including destinations like Carlsbad, New Mexico; Tupelo, Mississippi; and Cody, Wyoming. At the same time, the threat of losing Essential Air Service has brought attention to the long-standing program's massive influence over how we travel throughout the US. What is the Essential Air Service? If youve never heard of EAS, you may have still benefited from itespecially if youve flown into a national park gateway or a small ski town. Launched in the wake of airline deregulation in 1978, EAS was designed as a safety net to ensure that commercial carriers wouldn't abandon routes that arent profitable but are vital for residents, by subsidizing flights that connect to larger hubs. EAS was written 15 years before Eisenhower's interstate system was completed, and highway access to alternative airports was less than optimum, says William Swelbar, chief industry analyst at Swelbar Zhong Air, a commercial aviation economic analysis and research firm. The basic intent was to preserve and grow the economic impact that scheduled commercial airline service brings by remaining connected to the overall air transportation grid. Today, the program subsidizes, on average, two round-trip flights a day on aircraft with 30 to 50 seats. It supports more than 100 communities in the Lower 48, 4 in Hawaii, and another 65 in Alaskabut how it functions varies dramatically depending on geography. Unsplash In the Lower 48, most EAS-supported destinations are still accessible by roadoften after a two- to four-hour drive from a major airportbut regular air service dramatically decreases travel times. Its the difference between landing in Page, Arizona, and being just 10 minutes from Lake Powell, rather than having to drive seven-plus hours from Las Vegas or Phoenix. Similarly, it allows leaf-peepers to fly directly into Lebanon, New Hampshire, instead of making a three-hour drive from Boston, and lets hikers and river rafters into Moab, Utah, rather than routing through Salt Lake City, a four-hour drive away. Local residentsincluding everyone from seasonal forestry workers and teachers to patients traveling to regional hospitalsregularly use these flights too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, this is also the part of the program that draws the most criticism. Some argue that when a traveler is able to drive to an EAS-funded community, the subsidized flights begins to look less like a vital service and more like a taxpayer-funded convenience. Many EAS routes [in the Lower 48] cater to the affluent, which makes them quite expendable, says Joseph Schwieterman, a professor at DePaul University who studies aviation policy. The niche these routes serve is generally not without options. Unsplash But in Alaska, where more than 80% of the states communities arent connected to the road system at all, EAS is a lifeline. In remote places like King Salmon, Unalakleet, or Cold Bay, the same bush planes that ferry residents to hub airports for work, travel, and medical appointments also deliver groceries, medicine, and mail to rural towns. While the program is specifically for passenger air service, passenger flights routinely carry invaluable freight to and from communities, explains Will Day, executive director of the Alaska Air Carriers Association. That means an interruption in service wouldnt just inconvenience travelersit would effectively isolate entire communities. As Alaska senator Lisa Murkowski said in a press release: The critical assistance these routes provide makes a disruption on any scale detrimental to these communities, and the local air carriers serving them. Are National Parks Closed During the Government Shutdown? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And how to plan if you have an upcoming national park trip. An uncertain futureeven after the shutdown ends Travelers with tickets booked through early November shouldnt see flight disruptions on subsidized routes. Airlines operating under EAS contracts have been instructed to continue service, and airports are proceeding as if operations will continue as planned, while carriers like Cape Air, Contour, Denver Air Connection, and Ravn Alaska are maintaining normal schedules. But if Congress fails to reach a broader funding deal by November 2, service could again be at risk. Airlines cant operate on maybe, says Evan Oshan, an aviation attorney at Oshan & Associates. They need planes, crews, and fuel commitments made weeks in advance. Every time Congress kicks this can down the road, carriers have to decide whether to keep flying routes that might not get paid." Even when the government does reopen, EAS may not survive in its current form. Congress appropriated nearly $500 million to fund EAS in 2024; its a rare example of a program that historically draws support from both parties, as it serves rural communities in nearly every region of the country. But earlier this year, President Donald Trump proposed cutting the program by $308 million in his discretionary budget requestafter recommending during his first term that EAS be eliminated entirely. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the coming months, lawmakers could vote on what the future of the program looks like. That could involve limiting its funds to communities without highway accesseffectively shifting focus to Alaska and the most remote corners of the countryor continuing to subsidize flights to seasonal tourism hubs that rely on reliable air links to sustain their economies. As the government shutdown drags on, the real victims are the small towns that built their economies around having reliable air serviceonly to find out it can vanish with two weeks notice," Oshan says. Originally Appeared on Conde Nast Traveler The Latest Travel News and Advice The agreement being celebrated in an extraordinary and moving festival at the Israeli Knesset is not a peace agreement. It is an agreement to end the Gaza war, return the hostages (living and dead), release Palestinian prisoners, and for Israels phased withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. It includes the establishment of a joint security force of Palestinian, Egyptian and Jordanian soldiers, perhaps also Emiratis and Saudis, who will impose military control over the Gaza Strip and prevent any attempt by Hamas to restore its military capabilities. It also establishes a committee of technocrats to manage the government in Gaza instead of Hamas, under international supervision involving Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, former British prime minister Tony Blair, and the president of the United States himself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is an impressive arrangement that seemed unexpected until a few weeks ago. The Israeli government agreed to give up on the resolute positions represented by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hamas was not completely eliminated, but it suffered a very severe blow. The Gaza Strip has been almost completely shattered; most of the buildings in this small piece of land no longer exist, and it is possible that many Gazans are still buried under the rubble of the buildings. Above them, it is known there are more than 67,000 dead, a significant portion of whom were not involved in terrorism at all but were an almost inevitable casualty of the Israeli military campaign that began following Hamass brutal attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel has buried over 2,000 dead, civilians and soldiers. More than half of them on October 7 alone; many others during the military campaign that lasted about two years. The living Israeli hostages have all been returned. The dead will surely be returned in the coming days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the summary of recent events. Had Donald Trump not decided to force Netanyahu to apologise to the prime minister of Qatar, dictated a humiliating text to him, and placed a Qatari representative next to him who checked every word Netanyahu said, we might still be in the midst of a war. No other leader could have made this sequence of events happen except for Trump. The efforts invested by Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, Canadas prime minister Mark Carney, and many others in the international community helped to facilitate an end to the war. They deserve thanks and appreciation. However, only one leader made a dramatic difference. Trump deserves appreciation and gratitude from Israel, especially for forcing its prime minister to do what he had refused to do for over a year. This agreement was possible a year ago but only when Trump decided did it become reality. Donald Trump in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, with the signed agreement (Getty) It is not a peace agreement. The title Trump suggested for the conference now taking place in Sharm el-Sheikh Peace 2025 has nothing to do with what has happened so far. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The crucial question now is whether the temporary cessation of the war, Israels partial withdrawal from Gaza, and the continued minor activity of Hamas will be a starting point for a bold political move that will change the entire Middle East and bring about an Israeli-Palestinian peace based on two states. A Palestinian state alongside the state of Israel, based on the 1967 borders, with the Arab part of Jerusalem as its capital, and with the old city of Jerusalem not under Israeli or Palestinian sovereignty but managed by a trust of five countries: Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine, Israel and the United States. A demilitarised Palestinian state with no army of its own, adjacent to the state of Israel. Or, God forbid, will the status quo that led to the events of October 7 continue into the future? The American president, carried on waves of international support, has summoned dozens of leaders to Egypt. They will not give up the right to pat him on the back, to deliver flattering words in the style that has already become the model for conferences in which Trump participates. But these celebrations the amusing carnival atmosphere, the hugs, the words of thanks and Trumps strange speeches, as was the case in the Israeli Knesset, his need to mock his predecessors Obama and Biden, are not yet a political plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not a few in Israel still dream of the full annexation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip into the state of Israel and the expulsion of their inhabitants to nearby Arab countries or to distant countries that will agree to accept them. Not a few Palestinians dream of rehabilitating the military capabilities of Hamas, the Islamic jihad, and other terror organisations, hoping to succeed in renewing the military conflict at some point in the near future. Those from Palestine and those from Israel are still captive to delusional dreams that are also driven by ruin and destruction. They will not bring peace. These days, both sides are still captive to the blood-soaked trauma of the last two years and the painful memories of decades of bloody conflict. However, there is no alternative but a peace settlement based on two states that will recognise the mutual rights of both sides. In the absence of forward momentum, if the status quo that has prevailed until now continues, we will return to fighting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Only Trump could bring about this turning point. If he focuses on the substance, if he avoids boastful and sometimes childish statements full of endless self-love, and initiates a move that the whole world knows is indispensable: two states for two peoples. If not, the carnival-like session of the Israeli Knesset today, in such a moving ceremony, will be remembered as a theatrical burlesque nothing more. Ehud Olmert is a former prime minister of Israel (2006 to 2009) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has reminded Serbia that synchronising foreign policy, including adopting sanctions against Russia, is a requirement for EU accession. Source: von der Leyen during a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, as cited by Serbian news channel N1 and reported by European Pravda Details: Vucic noted that since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Serbia has not opened any negotiating clusters with the EU, although he believes some reforms have been made. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He claimed that comments about Serbia joining the EU by 2025 were made when other people were at the helm of the European Commission, but it turned out no one took them seriously. "We will try to carry out what is called the reform agenda, and I hope we will have support from the European Union for all this and that we will be heard in Brussels. It is not always easy, and it is not entirely simple to fully present this to people here," he said. Von der Leyen replied that now is the time for Serbia to take concrete steps towards EU membership. Quote from von der Leyen: "My first point is that we need to see progress on the rule of law, the electoral framework and media freedom They [the necessary reforms] are worth the effort, because they move you closer to your goal and they also provide cornerstones for a more stable and peaceful society. In this context, I welcome the recent progress made on the unified voter register as well as the REM Council Of course, now implementation is key and this is why I would like to invite you to come to Brussels in about a month's time to take stock together." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: She also said she expects greater coordination in Serbia's foreign policy, including on sanctions against Russia: "I commend you for reaching 61% of alignment with our foreign policy, but more is needed." In the context of sanctions, von der Leyen said that the EU wants to see a reliable partner in Serbia. Background: Earlier this autumn, Vucic, at a meeting with Kremlin head Vladimir Putin, complained that Serbia was "in a difficult situation" because of the war Russia has unleashed against Ukraine. In summer, Nemanja Starovic, Serbia's Minister for European Integration, said his country will support EU sanctions against Russia if Serbia's EU membership is in sight. Serbia remains the only European country, other than Belarus, that has refused to impose sanctions against Russia. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! While we rightly pay attention to how the Supreme Court is empowering President Donald Trump and his administration, the justices will hold a hearing Wednesday that highlights the Roberts Courts priorities that predate Trump and will echo long after he leaves office. Those priorities surface in the appeal, called Callais, with the question lurking in the background of whether the Constitution is colorblind. Though it isnt the direct legal question in the case, its a notion that Chief Justice John Roberts and his Republican-appointed colleagues have embraced, notably in the Harvard case that gutted affirmative action in 2023. The Callais appeal raises the prospect of the court cutting out the remaining pillar of the landmark Voting Rights Act on similar grounds. The result could shape future U.S. elections and further help Republicans electoral prospects. The court was set to decide the case on narrower grounds last term, but the justices failed to reach a decision in the dispute over Louisianas congressional map. Instead, they not only set the case for a rare re-argument this term but also asked the parties to brief a broader question in the process: Whether the States intentional creation of a second majority-minority congressional district violates the Fourteenth or Fifteenth Amendments to the U. S. Constitution. With that epic question, the court chose to make this case bigger than it was, further cutting against the fiction that the justices merely take cases as they come, as opposed to actively shaping their own agenda. Colorblindness Following the Roberts-led courts hollowing out of another part of the Voting Rights Act in the 2013 Shelby County case, the remaining safeguard implicated by Callais is Section 2, which prohibits racially discriminatory voting practices or procedures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The parties present opposing views on whether taking race into account when drawing districts can be necessary to realize the laws promise or is necessarily anathema to the Constitution in 2025. Section 2 authorizes race-conscious remedies only where, when, and to the extent required to respond to a regrettable reality of ongoing unequal electoral opportunity based on race, lawyers representing Black voters wrote to the justices ahead of the hearing. Removing that sections protections in Louisiana will not end discrimination there or lead to a race-blind society, but it may well lead to a severe decrease in minority representation at all levels of government in many parts of the country, they wrote. Meanwhile, lawyers for Louisiana countered that the invidious classifications underlying race-based redistricting present the last significant battle in defense of our color blind Constitution. They called the battle an easy one, citing the courts statement in the Harvard affirmative action case that eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it. The state said that means no quarter for race-based redistricting. Four lawyers are set to argue to the justices, with attorneys from Louisiana and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund Inc., as well as ones representing the Trump administration and non-African American voters. Kavanaugh and the future of voting rights Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh will be two of the main justices to watch at the hearing. In 2023, they formed a surprising 5-4 majority with their Democratic-appointed colleagues to back Alabama plaintiffs Section 2 claim. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Kavanaugh wrote a concurring opinion that seemed to approvingly cite an argument from Justice Clarence Thomas who dissented that the authority to conduct race-based redistricting cannot extend indefinitely into the future. Kavanaugh noted in his concurrence that Alabama did not raise that temporal argument in this Court, and I therefore would not consider it at this time. Mindful of Kavanaughs importance to the outcome, Louisianas lawyers cited the Trump appointee in writing ahead of the hearing that intentionally drawing a majority-minority district is impossible to do without racially classifying citizens. Quoting Kavanaugh, they wrote: Hence the problem that the authority to conduct race-based redistricting cannot extend indefinitely into the future. Yet, lawyers for Black voters maintained in an opposing brief that Section 2 itself addresses Kavanaughs concern. The law authorizes remedies only when necessary to cure proven racial vote dilution, they wrote, and only for so long as race-based discrimination impedes equal access to the political process. Subscribe to the Deadline: Legal Newsletter for expert analysis on the top legal stories of the week, including updates from the Supreme Court and developments in the Trump administrations legal cases. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Gov. Phil Scott and Vermont lawmakers are calling for the resignation of state Sen. Sam Douglass, R-Orleans, after a news article in national outlet Politico alleged that he and other Young Republican chapter leaders sent racist messages in a group chat. "The hateful statements made in this group chat are disgusting and unacceptable," Scott said in a press release late Tuesday. "The vile, racist, bigoted and antisemitic dialogue that has been reported is deeply disturbing. There is simply no excuse for it. Those involved should resign from their roles immediately and leave the Republican party including Vermont State Senator Sam Douglass." According to the Politico article, the messages ranged from disparaging remarks and slurs aimed at people of color, people who are Jewish and people who are gay to adulation of Hitler and jokes about rape. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Douglass, who heads Vermont's Young Republicans chapter, is referenced a few times in the Politico article, along with his wife, Brianna, who serves as the chapter's national committee member. When the Burlington Free Press called Douglass on Tuesday, it went straight to a voicemail. The inbox was full. The Free Press also requested comment from the senator using three email accounts publicly associated with him: his legislative address and two listed in campaign disclosure documents. He had not responded by Tuesday evening. His wife had not responded to two emails sent seeking comment. The Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier seen on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. The Politico article said the messages were sent over Telegram, a popular chat platform that has often courted controversy. In one group chat exchange reported by Politico, two New York Young Republican leaders discussed whether a woman was Indian. According to Politico, when one of them said the woman "was not Indian," Douglass responded: "She just didn't bathe often." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In another exchange described in the Politico article, when Douglass speculated that a political rival's Jewish colleague had made a procedural error related to a national convention, the senator's wife replied: "I was about to say you're giving nationals to [sic] much credit and expecting the Jew to be honest." Who is Sam Douglass of Vermont Douglass, a first-term senator, was voted into the upper chamber in November 2024 as part of a red wave in Vermont politics, in which Republicans picked up more legislative seats than the party had in decades. Douglass was one of many candidates who received an endorsement that year from Scott, who at the time was advocating for greater partisan balance in the Statehouse. Douglass told an interviewer in June that he was 26. Who has called for Douglass' resignation As of Tuesday night, the top Republicans in the Vermont House and Senate had joined the governor, also a Republican, in condemning Douglass' alleged participation in the chat, including Sens. Scott Beck, R-Caledonia, and Brian Collamore, R-Rutland, and Reps. Pattie McCoy, R-Poultney, and Casey Toof, R-St. Albans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are in agreement with Gov. Phil Scott," a statement from the Statehouse GOP leaders said. "Sen. Sam Douglass statements as reported by Politico are unacceptable and deeply disturbing. They cannot be excused and are inconsistent with Vermont values and what Vermont Republicans stand for. "It is time for Sen. Douglass to step away from his position as a Vermont Senator and resign," the statement said. Several prominent lawmakers from other parties lambasted Douglass as well. "Our democracy built on dignity and respect depends on our refusal to accept racism, bigotry and hatred in any form," said Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, D-Chittenden Southeast, in a statement. "There is absolutely no place for such disturbing and dangerous rhetoric. Sam Douglass' actions are incompatible with public service and the sacred institution of the Vermont Senate." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I hope that the governor will give consideration to appointing someone to replace Senator Douglass who can help our state help from this moment," she added. Rep. Laura Sibilia, I-Dover, said in a statement that "condemnation alone can't be where this ends." "It must be the starting place for accountability not just for the individuals involved, but for the political systems that elevated them," Sibilia said. Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: VT governor, Republican leaders call for state senator to resign Robinson, Tx (FOX 44) Amazon has announced plans open a new 119,000 square foot delivery station along John Bowden Parkway in Robinson. The Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce made the announcement, saying more details will be shared in the near future. This last mile facility will allow us to better serve customers in Robinson and the greater Waco area, said Jessica Breaux, senior manager of economic development for Amazon. Were grateful for our partnership with the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, City of Robinson and McLennan County. We look forward to sharing more details about this facility in the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new delivery station will help power the last mile of Amazons fulfillment process by enabling fast, everyday delivery directly to customers doorstep. Packages are transported to delivery stations from Amazon fulfillment and sortation centers and then employees process customer packages for last-mile delivery. On behalf of the City of Robinson, I extend a warm welcome to Amazon as they join our community, said Robinson Mayor Greg May. We are pleased to embark on a partnership that will foster job creation and contribute to the continued growth and development of our city. This represents a significant opportunity for Robinson to further demonstrate its strengths as a destination for industry and innovation. We are honored that Amazon has selected Robinson as a site for expansion and appreciate their investment in our region and the great state of Texas. The delivery station marks Amazons second physical site in the Greater Waco area. The companys partnership with McLennan County began in 2022 with the launch of its robotic fulfillment center in Waco. Since 2010, Amazon has created more than 86,500 full- and part-time jobs in Texas and invested more than $84.3 billion across the state, including infrastructure and compensation to our employees. These investments have contributed an additional $97.7 billion to the Texas economy and have helped create more than 65,000 indirect jobs on top of Amazons direct hiresfrom jobs in construction and logistics to professional services. McLennan County is pleased to welcome additional investment from Amazon into our region, said McLennan County Judge Scott Felton. Their decision to continue to invest here is a testament to the strong partnership we have formed over the years and our ability to deliver on our promise of a business-friendly community that understands the needs of industry to serve its customers. The Robinson Business Park will be an ideal location for companies like Amazon to locate due to its strategic location along Interstate 35 and its proximity to a strong, skilled workforce. 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 KWKT - FOX 44. WACO, Texas (FOX 44) The Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce is hosting the upcoming 2025 Leading Waco Women Fall Summit. This is an empowering luncheon aimed to connect guests with inspiring leaders from across Waco. Director of Leadership Development Rachel Ligon paid a visit to our studio to share more about this event. You can watch our interview in the video above. The Greater Waco Chamber recently announced the finalists for its 2025 Leading Waco Women Leadership Award and one finalist might look familiar to FOX 44 viewers! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The finalists are: Bronda Hayes, Unbound Now/Junior League Waco Doreen Ravenscroft, Cultural Arts of Waco Inez Russell, Friends for Life Elizabeth Wooten, Texas State Technical College Waco In addition, finalist Inez Russel was previously recognized as FOX 44s 2025 Central Texas Remarkable Woman winner! Inez was also eligible for the National Woman of the Year and traveled to Hollywood where she was among other Nexstar stations Remarkable Women winners. 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 KWKT - FOX 44. Wake Tech is one of 15 community colleges in North Carolina to launch Boost, a new initiative aimed at improving outcomes for students in STEM fields. "What we hope for is you don't just have to move to this region for those opportunities, but you can move up in this region for those opportunities. That's what Wake Tech's about, and that's really what this Boost program is about to accelerate and propel students," said Wake Tech President Dr. Scott Ralls. Boost has three direct benefits: providing dedicated advisors for participating students, specialized activities toward transferring to a four-year school or career in the industry, and a $100 monthly stipend based on grade and attendance requirements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It definitely provides that nurtured support while also having that financial backing as well, but then also helping develop these traits themselves so (we) can take these characteristics and kind of carry them on and then build them up," said Keyera Redding, one of more than 80 Wake Tech students in the program. Ralls explained that financial barriers are often an issue disproportionately affecting community college students. "We serve a higher proportion of low-income students. They're also often living on the edge. So what can be a life event? A car that breaks down, a housing situation can be an event that causes them to stop out. Our statistics show when they stop out more frequently, they actually end up dropping out," Ralls said. He said the school hopes to double the number of participants for the spring semester. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stay on top of breaking news stories with the ABC11 News App "When we were hearing about their projections to increase and double the rate of students in the program, that excited me so much. And if I can do anything to help support that, I'm going to," said Redding. Employers have often cited North Carolina's higher education system, including specific training offered at community colleges, as a key reason behind decisions to open or expand operations in the state. Redding, who plans to pursue a degree in biochemistry at Appalachian State, also pointed to networking opportunities within Boost. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "With that preparation and that cultivation through the collaborative process, it helps us build a stronger sense of confidence as well. Like we know that we can connect with our peers in a sense, and not even just academically, but also like just connecting about our general interests. Being able to meet with people from all different walks of life is just all the more important because you get to really see who's in your community," Redding said. Boost is backed by a $35.6 million grant from Arnold Ventures, which is the largest private investment in the history of the state's Community College System. David Crane/The Orange County Register via AP, File The Wall Street Journal praised California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) for bucking his partys antisemitic wing in a new editorial. Under the headline, Gavin Newsoms Blow to Antisemitism, the Journal observed that Maybe theres hope for the Democratic Partys anti-antisemitic wing and offered rare kudos to Newsom for signing legislation to police antisemitism at public schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The law establishes a new Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator in the state Office of Civil Rights to be appointed by the Governor. This official will train teachers, administrators and local school boards on how to spot, prevent and respond to antisemitism. Believe it or not, this isnt already part of anti-bias training in many school districts, continued the influential center-right newspaper. Local school districts will also be required to investigate complaints of antisemitism and take corrective action if they find instructional materials were used in a classroom or an action occurred that resulted in unlawful discrimination. This could include disciplining teachers who use antisemitic slurs or stereotype. It went on to slam the bills opponents including the teachers unions and Council on American-Islamic Relations and to offer a final tip of the cap to Newsom. Antisemitism on college campuses has drawn attention from the Trump Administration, but public K-12 schools are also a problem. Credit to Mr. Newsom for bucking his union friends, and why not make this more of a habit? the editorial concluded. The post The Wall Street Journal Praises Gavin Newsom for Bucking His Partys Antisemitic Wing first appeared on Mediaite. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Chad Brix, who at one time was a civil engineer and owned a construction company before mental illness took over, pleaded guilty to stabbing his mother to death as she slept in his Lake Oswego home in 2024. The 53-year-old pleaded guilty to murder except for insanity on Tuesday, the Clackamas County District Attorneys Office said. More than 15 years ago, Chad Brix was diagnosed with schizophrenia and suffered from paranoid delusions, impulsivity and auditory hallucinations. Hed been hospitalized several times, the Clackamas County DA said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On February 1, 2024, Virginia Brix drove from her home near Seattle to visit Chad. She was appointed his legal guardian in 2022 and called him daily and visited frequently, family members said in court. She also paid his rent and financially supported him over the years. Fell to my knees: Portland family reacts to arrest of murder suspect in Montana In court, Chads brother Todd said his mother would leave Chad if she felt she was in danger and they even had a code word they used. While Virginia slept at the Lake Oswego home, Chad stabbed his 78-year-old mother in the chest with a kitchen knife, then texted his father to say he killed her. He then told police he stabbed her because he believed his mom drugged him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In court, Chad Brixs daughters and ex-wife told the judge he was a good father and husband before his mental illness. His unpredictable behavior, which led to divorce, bankruptcy and being alienated from his family, filled their lives with anxiety and fear. Aloha man arrested, admits to aiming laser at helicopter He was at war with his own mind, one of his daughters said. When he pleaded guilty, Chad Brix cried when he addressed his family, the DA said. I sincerely apologize. I didnt mean to do it. Im so sorry. Brix was sent to the Oregon State Hospital and will be under the jurisdiction of the states Psychiatric Security Review Board, the DA 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 KOIN.com. UPDATE (10:30 a.m.) Central School District 51 students and staff have been returned to the building according to a message from the school administration. An update from Ameren Illinois said a report of gas leak was received at 8:42 a.m. after a contractor working in the area hit a 2-inch gas main. Ameren journeymen were on site by 9:11 a.m. and gas had been shut off. WASHINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) A Washington school was safely evacuated after a natural gas leak was detected near the building, Wednesday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An administrator for Central School District 51 sent an email to parents, which was acquired by WMBD, saying that the school was temporarily evacuated. At the direction of the Washington Fire Department, our school has temporarily evacuated the building due to the detection of a natural gas leak near the school, the post said. All students and staff are safe. The email goes on to say the evacuation is just a precautionary measure to make sure everyone remains safe. They said that Ameren is on their way to shut the gas off and once the situation is resolved the students and staff will return to the building. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The school message also said it will keep families informed with updates as soon as they have them. 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 CIProud.com. Ben Shapiro and David Friedman hailed Trump's peace deal with Hamas as historic for Israel ahead of his Knesset address. American commentator Ben Shapiro praised US President Donald Trump for the peace deal he brokered between Israel and Hamas, calling it extraordinary, while speaking to The Jerusalem Post at the event ahead of Trumps speech at the Knesset on Monday. There are many reasons that God spared his life when he was nearly assassinated, and this is just one of them, Shapiro said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its going to be an unbelievable thing for the state of Israel, Shapiro told The Post ahead of the speech. The president of the United States has done extraordinary, extraordinary work - historic, he said. Former United States ambassador to Israel David Friedman called the deal an answer to the nations prayers, while speaking to the Post before the speech. Ben Shapiro commends US President Trump in comments to 'the Post.' October 13, 2025. (Credit: Keshet Neev) Its what weve prayed for for two years, every single day - the whole country, the whole world, Friedman said. Its beyond description, it doesnt happen that often that you pray for something so fervently and you see it, truly, physically come true, he continued. 'Uniting the Jewish community in such a special way' Its so incredibly moving, and its uniting the Jewish community in such a special way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today is a double chag [...] its the eve of Simchat Torah and its also the eve of the return of the hostages. It really is an incredible day, Friedman concluded. Friedman served as the US ambassador to Israel during Trumps first term in office, playing a vital role in moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Friedman and Shapiro attended the address at the Knesset, along with various senior officials from Trumps administration, including US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Trumps daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner, were also among those in attendance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump landed in Israel as the first round of hostage releases by the terror group was underway. He had arrived for a brief day visit to make the address, and is the fourth US president to ever speak before the plenum. All twenty living hostages were returned and reunited with their families throughout Monday after being held in captivity since the start of the war two years ago, following the October 7 Hamas attacks. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), led by its chair, Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), held a press conference Wednesday afternoon responding to oral arguments before the Supreme Court in Louisiana v. Callais, a closely watched case challenging the Voting Rights Act. The battle over Louisianas congressional map has brought the court to the verge of curtailing a central provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that has forced states to draw majority-minority districts. Justices will consider whether the practice complies with the 14th and 15th amendments, which were ratified after the Civil War to provide equal protection under the law and prohibit intentional racial discrimination in voting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our Constitution does not tolerate this abhorrent and incoherent system, and Louisiana wants no part of it, Louisiana wrote in court filings. The Republican-led state begrudgingly added a second majority-Black congressional district to comply with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, after a lower court struck down a design with only one. The Supreme Court is hearing arguments about the map for a second time, now with higher stakes that could include reexamining decades-old precedents on the landmark law. Watch a replay of coverage above. 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. (The Center Square) In today's edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop shares the latest news release from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about bounties being put on the heads of federal law enforcement by criminal networks from Mexico and the ongoing debate about public safety and immigration enforcement in Chicago and beyond. Bishop also shares highlights from Day 1 of the Illinois General Assembly's fall veto session with oversight of state agencies by the Illinois Legislative Audit Commission and the Joint Committee on Administrative rules, where legislators discussed emergency rules from the Illinois Department of Corrections about scanning prisoner mail. Finally, Bishop plus points of personal privilege from members of the House where Republicans and Democrats shared their thoughts on Charlie Kirk, George Floyd and the Middle East peace process the Trump administration fostered to release hostages in the Israel and Hamas war. Subscribe to Illinois in Focus Daily with The Center Square on YouTube. You can also subscribe to the Illinois in Focus podcast to get the entire show uninterrupted. (The Center Square) Federal law enforcement agents in Chicago conducting immigration enforcement are the targets of bounties from Mexican cartels, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. DHS reported its intelligence shows cartels are working with groups like Antifa with bounties up to $50,000 for the assassination of high-ranking federal officials. These criminal networks are not just resisting the rule of law, they are waging an organized campaign of terror against the brave men and women who protect our borders and communities, said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Illinois state Rep. Patrick Sheehan, R-Homer Glen, who is also a police officer, said it doesnt help that Gov. J.B. Pritzker calls ICE the gestapo and jack-booted thugs, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson calls law enforcement a sickness. And I really just urge Gov. Pritzker and Mayor Johnson to apologize for their comments and stand behind the women, men and women of law enforcement, Sheehan told The Center Square. State Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, said it was the federal agents bringing chaotic activity. He urged everyone to work together. Somebody has got to be the bigger person, whether it's the president, the governor or the mayor, to say that we all should want the same thing and it is to protect the people in Illinois and Chicago, Ford told The Center Square. And so someone should make the call. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DHS said the agency will not be deterred by threats and called on sanctuary state and local leaders to cease policies that embolden criminals. Wednesday morning, Pritzker said there needs to be more civilian law enforcement help from the federal government, not immigration enforcement. And all I can say is that we've got to bring an end to this. The federal government and Donald Trump need to recognize that this is not the way that you do immigration enforcement, Pritzker said after an unrelated news conference. During a news conference Wednesday afternoon with results of Operation Summer Heat to address violent crime, President Donald Trump said theyre just getting started in places like Chicago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But that really was just preparatory work for what we're going to do with the surge, Trump said. We're going to have a surge of strong good people, patriots, and they're going to go in, they straighten it all out. The separate Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago is focused on immigration enforcement and is ongoing. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) held his second press conference of the day as the government shutdown stretches into Day 15. Jeffries, who headlined a press conference with his caucus Wednesday morning focused on health care, will return to the podium with fellow Democratic leaders this afternoon. Jeffries has said Democrats will not vote to reopen the government until Republicans engage in good-faith negotiations over restoring Medicaid funding cut earlier this year and extending ObamaCare tax credits set to expire in December. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As both parties appear ready for a long shutdown, they are also looking ahead to the midterm elections just more than a year from now. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Jeffries said California would not be the only state seeking to redraw its congressional map to benefit Democrats, as several GOP states join Texas in considering new maps to benefit Republicans. We are not going to let Republicans successfully rig the midterm elections, Jeffries told reporters in the Capitol. California is just the first Democratic state to respond. It will not be the last. Watch a livestream of the press conference scheduled for 2 p.m. EDT above. 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. The candidates for Virginia attorney general will debate Thursday night in Richmond. Its the first and last time Republican incumbent Jason Miyares is slated to debate Democratic challenger Jay Jones in person. The debate is hosted by the Virginia State Bar and held at the University of Richmond. The 6 p.m. event is open to the public, but registration is full. You can watch the debate remotely via the University of Richmond School of Law website. Related Articles Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both candidates previously served in the House of Delegates and represented parts of Hampton Roads. Miyares represented part of Virginia Beach from 2016 to January of 2022. Jones represented part of Norfolk from 2018 to January of 2022. Shortly after Jones won re-election in 2021, he stepped down from the legislature, saying he was focused on spending time with family. His father, Jerrauld Jones, also previously held the seat. He passed away this year. Thursdays debate will also mark the first time the two candidates have met since it became public that in 2022, Jones sent texts to a Republican colleague speculating about a hypothetical scenario involving shooting the then-Speaker of the House of Delegates. Those texts, initially published by the National Review earlier this month, have continued to haunt the Jones campaign, with statewide Republican candidates making them a focus of their campaigns. The texts dominated last weeks gubernatorial debate. I could certainly imagine some voters who are Democrats will say Im going to leave the AG line blank,' said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, in an interview last week. But then there will be other Democrats who say they want abortion to be legal, and theyre not interested an a pro-life attorney general and theyd vote for whoever the Democratic candidate is. The Virginia Public Access Project reports that more than half a million people have already voted early in the 2025 election. Election Day is Nov. 4. Over the course of an hour, Farnsworth said he expects the candidates to talk about other issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But if youre asking me, will Jay Jones texts be front and center in this next debate? he said. I think thats a very safe bet. Kate Seltzer, 757-713-7881, kate.seltzer@virginiamedia.com If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are set to appear in a town hall tonight. CNNs Kaitlan Collins will host the event, which comes as the government shutdown enters its third week. Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez will answer questions from Collins and an audience of Democrats, Republicans, independents, and individuals directly impacted by the shutdown. More from Rolling Stone At a Glance: How to Watch Bernie Sanders/AOC Town Hall Stream : DirecTV, Fubo, Sling TV channel : CNN Date, start time: Wednesday, Oct. 15 Advertisement Advertisement get free trial at directv Need a way to livestream the Bernie Sanders/AOC town hall? Read on. Ahead is a quick guide on how to watch the Bernie Sanders and AOC town hall online without cable. How to Watch Bernie Sanders/AOC Town Hall Online Tonights town hall with Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez will air on CNN, which means cord-cutters will need to get a cable streaming service to watch the event online. Here are three of the best options: How to Watch Bernie Sanders/AOC Town Hall Online, Stream Free EDITOR'S PICK DirecTV get free trial $39.99/month Five-day free trial Up to 185+ channels DirecTV carries CNN in several of its streaming packages, all of which start with a five-day free trial. The most affordable of these plans is the MyNews Genre Pack. This one costs $39.99 a month after the free trial ends. How to Watch Bernie Sanders/AOC Town Hall Online, Stream Free Fubo Get Free Trial Advertisement Advertisement $55.99/month Five-day free trial Up to 300+ channels Another streaming service with a five-day free trial that offers CNN streams is Fubo. This one carries CNN in all of its plans, which start at $55.99 a month. However, right now you can get $10 off your first month (after the free trial). How to Watch Bernie Sanders/AOC Town Hall Online, Stream Free Sling sign up now $45.99/month Short-term passes available Up to 46 channels Sling also carries CNN for a livestream of the Sanders/AOC town hall tonight. The channel is available in the Sling Orange, Blue, and Orange + Blue packages, which start at $45.99 a month. Sling does not currently offer a free trial. When Is the Bernie Sanders/AOC Town Hall? The Sanders/AOC town hall is happening tonight, Wednesday, Oct. 15. The event starts at 9 p.m. ET. Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. After repeated violations with the state and multiple frustrated residents raising complaints, the Water and Wastewater Authority of Wilson County (WWAWC) and Adenus Operations were sued last week by conservation groups. The suit alleges WWAWC and operator Adenus allowed polluted wastewater to flow into homeowners yards and into waterways some leading to the Cumberland River in violation of the federal Clean Water Act. The focus of the lawsuit, filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) on behalf of the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association and Sierra Club in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, is the sewage system in the Ridgewater Estate Subdivision in northwest Wilson County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Documents provided by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation show notices of violation dating back to 2022. In 2018, TDEC sent WWAWC a letter saying that one of the areas it operates, the Academy Road Water Treatment Facility near LaGuardo is at capacity and must be expanded before it can service more homes. Adding more service buildings without expanding capacity of the treatment fields can result in oversurging, leading to ponding of wastewater. The areas operated by Adenus are not traditional sewer systems, instead they use either a STEP system or a drip field. STEP, or Septic Tank Effluent Pumping, is a system where more rural developments used a shared septic tank where liquid and solid waste are separated and pumped into a nearby treatment area. From there, the effluent undergoes treatment where the water is then safely returned to the environment. Systems are designed with the development in mind and rated based on how many homes they can serve. Permits must be applied for at the state level, and TDEC has refused to issue permits until WWAWC can provide documentation proving it is addressing concerns and violations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For years, the Water and Wastewater Authority of Wilson County and Adenus have turned a blind eye to problems at the Ridgewater site as homeowners and nearby communities have been forced to deal with polluted wastewater in their yards, creeks, and Old Hickory Lake, SELC Staff Attorney Stephanie Biggs said. Their failure to properly treat wastewater is a public health hazard. Because the Water and Wastewater Authority and Adenus have refused to fix these glaring problems, were taking them to court. WWAWC and Adenus were notified in August the conservation groups intended to sue over the wastewater pollution occurring at Ridgewater. Last Thursday, during the Wilson County Steering Committee meeting, the main topic discussed was the Water Authority. Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto said due to media reports and the increasingly public knowledge of WWAWCs violations and now lawsuit, county officials needed to address certain things. Let me be clear upfront, this commission has no authority over [WWAWC]. It has our namejust like Wilson County Motor Company, but there is no authority with this group, Hutto said. There are no tax dollars that go to the Water Authority. Adenus [was] also under no obligation to be here tonight with the Water Authority. They dont have to come before us, but we asked them to come because of everything that weve heard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement County Attorney Mike Jennings said the county doesnt take liability or the responsibility for the actions of WWAWC or Adenus, but Hutto wanted there to be a conversation regarding the recent events. Im on the HOA board at Sunset Harbor, one of those neighborhoods affected by this faulty drip system. Its a problem weve been addressing for over seven years. Seven years of state violations to Sunset Harbor, its still not fixed, resident Rebecca Milligan said during the meeting. I take the calls from my neighbors. The calls include complaints about standing, pooling, streaming water from the drip field; smells that are incredibly bad; sick and dying pets; not mowing or maintaining the drip field. When I call [WWAWC], they tell me to call Adenus to maintain that field. Theyre not maintaining the field because the field is too wet to even mow. Milligan also said she reached out to WWAWC Director Chris Leauber, who reportedly told her that all 5.67 acres of the drip field have been laid out and are operating. However, Ken Young, another resident who has been following the situation after his own water system was affected, claimed only 2.2 acres are dripping and not well. According to Milligan, no dates or documentation were provided to her proving the full 5.67 acres are in operation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive lived in this neighborhood, those lines have not been laid, she said. Were sick of this. Last week, we walked out to look at a new area very recently laid. There had been no rain, and again, we observed pooling and ponding of water. Another Sunset Harbor resident, Matt Milligan, a licensed family physician practicing in Hermitage, brought up medical risks raised by polluted water not being properly treated. I have fecal matter coming to the surface, which is only partially treated. By stipulation, they are supposed to be filtering it through two sand filters and submitting it to UV radiation. Only one filter is being applied. No radiation. So therefore, I am exposed because of them to hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, to cholera unnecessarily, Dr. Milligan said. I paid them thousands of dollars to potentially infect me and my loved ones. How dare they? Young expressed in several County Commission meetings that Leauber should be relieved of his position in WWAWC. Dr. Milligan echoed that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont know if you board members know that you have the power, in fact the duty, to hire and fire the best possible person to administer this program. Its your duty to fix this, he said. Starting tonight, you should vote to fire Mr. Leauber. Not next week. Dont table it. Dont send it to committee. Vote now and fire him end of question. You guys are going to be experiencing the most incredible colonoscopy with your stupid finances with this lawsuit. Hutto interjected to remind Dr. Milligan to address the Steering Committee, not any other entities per person. Not long after, Leauber took the podium to speak about actions WWAWC plans to take to improve the STEP systems and reduce violations. First, a position, Operations Manager, designed to have direct oversight responsibility to Adenus was formed, which Leauber said was filled by Chris Benzinger. So by [Benzinger] going out doing interventions in between those site visits well catch those issues, and instead of getting notice of violations, he can call Adenus [and] they can come out and do a repair, Leauber said. Think of it as maybe a pothole in the road. OK, you get down the road, nothings there, nothings there. [You can] drive that road forever, seems like, and then, boom, you hit a pothole. Doesnt mean the roads failing. You go fix the pothole. So if you drive down a warm road more often, youll catch the pothole more frequently. You can get it before it gets too large. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Second, WWAWC will install all drip lines and have them inspected and approved before more developments can occur in a subdivision. Third, a 50% soil reserve above state standards will be mandated. Residents remain unconvinced that change will occur. The environmental groups are asking for the court to impose penalties in the amount of $68,445 per each day for each violation. Odessa State Rep. Brooks Landgraf didnt ride in on a white horse during Tuesdays Ector County Commissioners meeting to save the day but some water-woed West Odessans might see it that way. Landgraf was in attendance as commissioners voted 5-0 to accept an almost $17 million general revenue grant dedicated to water infrastructure projects in West Odessa. These funds will go directly to connecting more residents and businesses to reliable water. Landgraf told the court there are limited funds for water infrastructure projects and when the opportunity came to get this money he jumped. Constituents in West Odessa have a tremendous need while also detailing the explosive growth of that area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Rep. Brooks Landgraf, R-Odessa He said many live outside of the Ector County Utility District lines and use water wells that are drying up. So water funds were bound for other parts of the state and my thoughts were with West Odessans. He complimented the work of Ector County Judge Dustin Fawcett and Commissioner Mike Gardner for fighting in Ector County to improve water strategies. There is not a place in the great state of Texas that has more intense water needs than right here in Ector Countywe are fighting for West Odessa and Ector County. Landgraf answered questions from commissioners about how the funding works and if the county has to put up $17 million and wait to be reimbursed a difficult option. Fawcett also told the court he has been in talks with the Texas Water Development Board and that receipts for work will be submitted to the board and paid so the county wont have to front the money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Landgraf urged the court to move quickly but efficiently and with a purpose of getting water to as many West Odessans as possible with the funding. He said if a November ballot proposition passes there could be more money coming for water for Ector County. That could possibly be used to shore up Pleasant Farms in South Odessa. The $17 million is for for final mile water connections, Landgraf said adding it is not enough money to address all West Odessa water needs and warned that a lot of cooperation will be needed between ECUD and the county and the TWDB. Landgraf said $250,000 of that money is already earmarked for a strategic water plan study. This plan will guide long-term development, ensuring safe, clean water for every home, business and school across Ector County. He said the goal is to be smart and strategic. These funds must be used in a way that maximizes the number of new water connections in the shortest time possible, ensuring the biggest impact for the most people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said more connections will help ECUD with water service and increased revenue, which can be reinvested into expanding infrastructure and serving more homes. The county will make the project decisions, while the Texas Water Development Board will act as custodian of the funds, releasing money as the project develops. Landgraf urged commissioners to use whatever formula gets you the highest number of new water connextions. It is a positive step in the right direction to do this in the right way. The county wont have to wait on the water study to begin figuring out how to bring the connections. Get water to the people who desperately need it..West Odessans have been burned before and promised water and it didnt materialize and people are skepticalbut we want to exceed expectations..Im leaving this in your and ECUDs hands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fawcett indicated the county will do their part and coordinate with ECUD using a 2018 strategic plan ECUD already has along with other studies. Its a big day$17 million for West Odessa is a big deal and it will change some lives. Landgraf agreed and said change some lives and well go back and get some more. The Ector County Commissioners Court on Tuesday also: >> Approved 5-0 a road closure for a church festival on October 18, 2025. >> Approved 5-0 a Library closure for Halloween in Park event on October 25, 2025. >> Accepted 5-0 donations for the Halloween event totaling $175. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement >> Approved 5-0 disposal of fixed assets purchased prior to 2020. >>Approved 5-0 bond election. >> Approved 5-0 bid award for Coliseum Marquee Project to United Signs LLC. >> Conducted a public hearing for tax abatement agreements with Oberon Solar companies. for a 4,689-acre tract in Ector County. >> Approved 5-0 a resolution for 2026 Indigent Defense Grant Program approval. >> Approved 5-0 a Master Service Agreement with Grande Communication Networks LLC. >> Approved 5-0 a contract extension for professional services with SP Design & Consulting LLC. >> Approved 5-0 GPS Vehicle Tracking Policy for Ector County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement >> Approved 5-0 amendment of regulations for manufactured home rental communities. >> Approved 5-0 subdivision plat application for Pleasant Farms Subdivision. >> Approved multiple variance applications for various developments in Precinct #1. >> Approved 5-0 new Health Department fees due to legislative changes. >> Approved 5-0 requests for equipment including a Kenworth truck and a motor grader. >> Reviewed and approved 5-0 financial statements and accounts payable report. The post Water coming for some West Odessans appeared first on Odessa American. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) Water levels described as critically low in the Ripley Reservoir in Chautauqua County has prompted a State of Emergency, the Chautauqua County Health Department said Wednesday. Ongoing drought conditions have caused the levels in the reservoir to decline. Officials said that water supplied to customers remains safe to drink, but residents are being asked to conserve water when and where they can. In addition, bottled water donations from local retailers are being requested to help reduce demand in households. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Water is being transported by fire trucks to help supplement the reservoir, which supplies around 1,800 customers. The entirety of Chautauqua County was placed under a drought warning notice, which is the highest level possible. Ive been here 10 years and this is the lowest I have seen, Ripley water and sewer superintendent Andrew Strine said. Historically, from what I understand it has been lower but we didnt have as many customers at that point in time. Earlier in the day Wednesday, the Village of Fredonia issued a notice for residents and businesses to conserve water, citing the drought and low levels of water in the Fredonia Reservoir. Ripley and Fredonia represent two of the three water reservoirs in Chautauqua County. Latest Local News Aidan Joly was named News 4s Digital Executive Producer in 2025. He has been on staff since 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here. 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 News 4 Buffalo. WATERTOWN, N.Y. (WWTI) A 25-year-old Watertown man is accused of an alleged fraudulent online ordering scheme targeting Hannaford supermarkets. New York State Police arrested Khalid Baylor and charged him with fourth-degree grand larceny and first-degree scheme to defraud. NYSP seeking help in alleged Salmon Run Mall larceny The arrest follows a months-long investigation that began on June 6, when state police received information regarding alleged fraudulent purchases made through the Hannaford To Go online ordering system at the Hannaford location in the town of Watertown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An investigation allegedly found that unknown individuals were accessing out-of-state customers Hannaford To Go accounts and were linking credit card information to place fraudulent orders for in-store pickup at the Watertown location. The orders were then picked up by individuals posing as legitimate customers. Multiple incidents were reported by the stores staff, which prompted an internal review and law enforcement being called. Baylor was identified as one of the individuals allegedly responsible for picking up several of these fraudulent orders. The total value of the stolen merchandise made by Baylor was $1,468.30 over the course of several fraudulent transactions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Baylor was issued an appearance ticket returnable to Jefferson County CAP Court at 5:30 p.m. on November 3. 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 WWTI - InformNNY.com. A Wayne County man has been charged in connection with child sexual exploitation offenses involving a juvenile victim in Laurel County. According to the Kentucky State Police Electronic Crime Branch, investigators filed 23 new charges on September 23 against Jorge Martin Vasquez Jr. after identifying another juvenile victim located in Laurel County. This comes after several previous charges in both Wayne and Pulaski counties. The new charges include seven counts of promoting a minor under 16 in a sexual performance, seven counts of use of a minor under 16 in a sexual performance, one count of promoting the use of a minor by an electronic means, one count of first-degree sexual abuse, and seven counts of distributing matter portraying a minor over 12 in a sexual performance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kentucky State Police said the promoting and use of a minor under 16 in a sexual performance are Class-B felonies, each punishable by 10 to 20 years in prison. The promoting of the use of a minor by an electronic means, first-degree sexual abuse, and distributing matter portraying a minor over 12 in a sexual performance are Class-D felonies, each punishable by one to five years in prison. The Laurel County investigation is part of an ongoing case involving Vasquez, who was first arrested on May 9 of this year following an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigation conducted by the KSP Electronic Crime Branch. The Wayne County case involves 20 counts each of distributing matter portraying a minor over the age of 12 in a sexual performance, possessing matter portraying a minor under the age of 12 in a sexual performance, and promoting a minor under the age of 16 in a sexual performance. In July, KSP announced further charges in Pulaski County after identifying a different juvenile victim. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the Pulaski case, Vasquez was charged with one count of use of a minor under 16 in a sexual performance, one count of promoting the use of a minor by electronic means, one count of rape in the third degree, and one count of distributing matter portraying a minor over 12 in a sexual performance. KSP said the investigation remains ongoing and that additional charges are possible. ABC News Good Morning America has regained the top spot in total viewers for the week of October 6. GMA ended NBC News Todays two-week reign in the pole position during this relatively new broadcast season. Meanwhile, GMA continues to heat up in the advertiser-coveted Adults 25-54 demo as it tightens the gap with Today. A difference of 67,000 demo viewers kept Today in the lead position. This was a smaller number compared to the previous week, which was at 76,000 demo viewers. Unfortunately for Today, it was the only morning show to register declines in either of the measured categories during the just concluded week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to national live+same-day big data plus program ratings from Nielsen, GMA averaged 2.781 million total viewers and 497,000 viewers in the A25-54 demo for the week of October 6. Compared to the previous week, ABC News morning show increased in total viewers by +4% and +6% in the demo. Looking at its performance to the same week in 2024 (October 7), GMA was down by -1% in total viewers and flat in the demo. Today was No. 1 in the demo with 564,000 viewers, and it was in second place in total viewers with 2.635 million viewers for the just-concluded week. The broadcast fell by -2% in total viewers but grew by +3% in the demo compared to the previous week. Looking at how it performed during the same week in 2024, Today was flat in total viewers but down by -22% in the demo. Finally, CBS Mornings had 1.881 million total viewers and 299,000 viewers in the A25-54 demo. Compared to the previous week, CBS News morning show was flat in total viewers but up by +6% in the A25-54 demo. During the same period in 2024, CBS Mornings experienced a -4% decline in total viewers and a -20% decline in the demo. ABC NBC CBS Total Viewers: 2,781,000 2,635,000 1,881,000 A25-54: 497,000 564,000 299,000 Source: Nielsen, NTI Total Viewers, Adults 25-54, and Adults 18-49 National Live + Same Day Big Data Plus Panel Program Ratings.; Current Week (w/o 10/6/25), Previous Week (w/o 9/29/25) and Year-Ago Week (w/o 10/7/24). Season to date: Most Current Data Stream: 2025-2026 Season (9/22 10/12/25) and 2024-2025 Season (9/23 10/13/24). Residents in west Charlotte said they support plans to transform a former library into a community center and county commissioners want to team up with a nonprofit to step up a one-stop shop, which would provide resources. Residents along LaSalle Street near Beatties Ford Road told Channel 9s Miana Massey that its needed. County leaders want to transform the old library thats been sitting empty on Beatties Ford into a community hub. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This neighborhood has been neglected by this community, said Mecklenburg County Commissioner Vilma D. Leake, District 2, on Tuesday. When I say this community, I mean Charlotte. Leake was nearly brought to tears in Tuesdays Mecklenburg County Commission meeting as she weighed in on proposed plans to revitalize the space, turning it into a community center. We all need help, said Donnie Mcilwain, Lincoln Heights resident. Leaders said the center would focus on accessibility, which would offer resources for the entire family. They hope to provide academic, mental health, financial and job readiness programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im sick and tired of being sick and tired of seeing my people not getting the protection they need, all the services that they need in that area, Leake said. REAR MORE: Former Beatties Ford Library to turn into community center Commissioners said the neighborhood has faced challenges with drug use and homelessness. Community members echoed the same sentiments saying any investment in the Lincoln Heights and University Park areas is a good one. I do think its needed because we dont have a resource center over here, said Makiya Love, Lincoln Heights resident. If you have something in walking distance, I think thats better for everyone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The county hopes to send out requests for proposals in January 2026, partnering with a nonprofit to offer programs for youth and families. VIDEO: Charlotte Mecklenburg Library hosts Black Owned Business Showcase CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) Thirty West Virginia hardwood mills and lumber companies are among a group of businesses that have asked the Trump administration for tariff relief. According to a press release from the Hardwood Federation, more than 450 American mills signed a letter to the Secretaries of Commerce, Agriculture and Treasury that highlighted the hardships of the hardwood industry. We fear that additional retaliatory tariffs and more trade uncertainty could devastate the industry beyond repair, referencing tariffs that have been periodically applied since President Donald Trump announced his reciprocal tariff plans in April. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many operations across the country have already closed this year, while others are surviving only by scaling back. In either case, we have seen layoffs of good-paying American jobs in communities where those job opportunities are limited, the letter said. The businesses also referenced ongoing tariffs that have impacted the industry since the previous Trump administration in 2018. The groups said tariffs have caused $930 million decline in hardwood product exports over the past few years. Ranking: How much is West Virginia impacted by the government shutdown? We strongly support the Administrations efforts to reshore American manufacturing but urge you not to overlook a foundational upstream industry that would make that possible, the businesses told the current administration. Should tariff relief programs become necessary, we urge the administration to include the U.S. hardwood sector, to safeguard rural jobs, secure a sustainable domestic supply chain, and preserve a proud American industry for generations to come. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter was signed by north central West Virginia businesses in Rowlesburg, Buckhannon, Granville, Belington, Ireland, Morgantown, Horner, Dailey, Hacker, Mill Creek and Fairmont. You can read the full list 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 WBOY.com. Parkgoers at the San Diego Zoo got the scare of their lives when Denny, a 10-year-old Western lowland gorilla, suddenly lashed out and shattered one of the three layers of protective glass at the zoos Lost Forest gorilla habitat on Saturday, October 11th, the zoo said in a statement on Tuesday. Thankfully, no injuries were reported, including the gorilla. The zoo said that Denny and another gorilla will be cared for behind the scenes until the damaged glass panel is replaced, though it did not specify how soon that will happen. CBS's video didn't receive much feedback from viewers, but there was one thing many noticed. @oscarific_ said what we were all thinking, "Yeah, I wouldn't be standing anywhere near a point of exit for an angry gorilla, lol. Seems like common sense to me." @Jess agreed, "Thank you!! Why is everyone just standing there!?! What if he came back for more?!" @Robinette Kelly added, "The lack of survival skills is crazy!" Related: Baby Gorilla Plays on Swing at the Atlanta Zoo Just Like a Human Kid SIGN UP to get pawsitivity delivered right to your inbox with inspiring & entertaining stories about our furry & feathered friends More About Danny, the Gorilla That Broke the Glass at San Diego Zoo The LA Times reported additional details included in the Zoo's statement. It is common for male gorillas, especially in adolescence, to express these types of behaviors, a zoo spokesperson said in a statement. Bursts of energy, charging, dragging items, or running sideways are all natural for a young male. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The article also shared that Denny was born at the San Diego Zoo on Dec. 26, 2014, where he was raised by his mother, Jessica, and father, Paul Donn. He has several siblings, including brothers Maka and Mandazzi, and half-brothers Ekuba, Gordon, Gerry, and Bouendje. Sadly, these gorillas are a critically endangered species, losing an estimated 2.7% of their population in their Central African range each year due to hunting, the exotic pet trade, and habitat loss from logging and mining. The LA Times shared that through its African Forest Program, the San Diego Zoo has focused its gorilla conservation efforts on Cameroons Ebo Forest, home to numerous threatened plant and animal species. This story was originally reported by PetHelpful on Oct 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here. WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) The City of Westfield is looking for participants for the annual Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony. Veterans Day occurs every year on November 11th in honor of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, signaling the end of all wars. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and November 11th became a national holiday in 1938. This holiday used to be called Armistice Day. Springfield holds memorial for WWII hero Michael Biakis Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony in Westfield provides an opportunity for the community to honor and celebrate the service of veterans. The city announced a new route for its annual Veterans Parade, scheduled to step off at 10:30 a.m. from City Hall. Marchers will then proceed down Court Street toward the center, right onto Broad Street, and right onto West Silver Street to Parker Memorial Park, where the ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. Participants interested in joining the parade are encouraged to register by contacting Julie Barnes at Westfield Veteran Services. Registration can be completed by emailing julie.barnes@cityofwestfield.org or calling 413-572-6247. In the event of inclement weather, the parade will be canceled, and the ceremony will be moved indoors to the Westfield Middle School Auditorium, still commencing at 11:00 a.m. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Download the 22News Plus app on your TV to watch live-streaming newscasts and video on demand. 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 WWLP. JOHNSTOWN, Pa. Negotiations are nearing the finish line for Upper Yoder Township to join the West Hills Regional Police Commission. We are trying for as close to Nov. 1 as possible, said Chris DelSignore, West Hills Regional Police Commission representative and Westmont Borough Council member. With negotiations near completion, the Westmont Borough Council has unanimously approved a resolution to accept the inclusion of Upper Yoder Township in the West Hills Regional Police Commission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All four of the municipalities currently comprising the regional police commission must approve resolutions to include Upper Yoder, DelSignore said. The Westmont Borough Council approved its resolution Tuesday during its regular monthly meeting at the borough municipal building, 1000 Luzerne St. The West Hills Regional Police Department currently serves Westmont, Brownstown and Southmont boroughs as well as Lower Yoder Township, all in the suburbs of the City of Johnstown. Upper Yoder Township aims to be included as it has struggled to retain a full police department in recent years. Upper Yoder Townships police station is a little more than a mile away from West Hills Regionals police station and is planned to become the new headquarters for the regional department, West Hills Regional Police Chief William Newman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement West Hills Regionals current headquarters at the Westmont Borough municipal building is much smaller than Upper Yoders facilities at 110 Sunray Drive, he said. We will probably move our station over there, he said. Westmont Borough resident Lou Shenfeld asked the borough council Tuesday what changes residents can expect as a result of Upper Yoders inclusion in the regions police force. Newman said residents would not notice many changes aside from the inclusion of Upper Yoder Townships name on police car decals. Borough residents would also see some of their tax dollars saved with the change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A regional police cost analysis funded and completed in August by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development is guiding negotiations for the inclusion of Upper Yoder with the regional police force. Taxpayers of municipalities that compose the West Hills Regional Police Department are paying, in total, about $1.48 million in 2025 for the regional police budget, the DCED study shows. The percentage of the cost for each contributing municipality is based on assessed property value. The inclusion of Upper Yoder would decrease the percentage of the budget funded by the other participating municipalities, the DCED study said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the Westmont council begins budgeting for 2026, it can expect a reduction of police expenses by about $40,000, if Upper Yoder joins the regionalized police commission as planned, DelSignore said. Negotiations have been progressing without major hurdles, he said. Im shocked at how smoothly it has gone, he said. Although the individual budget contributions of the current member municipalities would decrease with the inclusion of Upper Yoder, the regional police departments budget is expected to increase overall because of the planned addition of officers to provide coverage for Upper Yoder. The DCEDs staffing analysis recommends adding between seven and nine officers to the departments current compliment of 11 full-time officers and five part-time officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the DCED study, if Upper Yoder Township joins the West Hills Regional Police Department, then its share of the budget would be between $628,000 and $698,000, depending on how many officers the department adds. Upper Yoder Township currently has a $594,875 budget for its standalone police department in 2025. However, that figure excludes many of its current police-related costs, including pension obligations, legal fees, property insurance and utilities, the study said. Upper Yoder Township would appear to have a higher cost for service joining the West Hills Regional Police Department, based on the Upper Yoder Township 2025 Budget, the study said. However ... it is recommended that all costs relating to the Upper Yoder Township Police Department be calculated by the Township to accurately reflect that cost so that a true cost comparison can be made. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Contacted after the Westmont Borough meeting Tuesday, Upper Yoder supervisor Ed Barzeski said he did not immediately have an exact cost comparison between Upper Yoders current police budget and its potential share for the West Hills Regional Police budget. Its real close to current costs, he said. The townships standalone police department is currently staffed by three full-time officers, including police Chief John Blake, who has taken another job. His final day with the Upper Yoder department is Oct. 24. The department also has 10 part-time officers, supervisors said. Federal officers shoot pepper balls at protestors at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility south of downtown Portland. (Photo by Alex Baumhardt/Oregon Capital Chronicle) Its been two and a half weeks since President Donald Trump posted on social media that he would send the military to Portland, setting off a legal battle that is now in the hands of four judges in two different courts. The ongoing legal fight has implications for cities including Los Angeles and Chicago, where Trump has, or has attempted, to deploy National Guard troops to federal buildings. Trump has argued that protesters are impeding federal immigration officials from carrying out their orders, though the generally small and peaceful protests at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland dont support his argument. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state of Oregon and the city of Portland contend Trump violated several laws and the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by attempting to deploy Guard troops to Portland over the objections of state and local elected leaders. Each of these issues deals with the balance of state and federal power particularly related to authority over policing within states and the extent of presidential power over the U.S. military. Its not just Portland. If the ruling is in favor of the Trump administration on this matter, then it means that the president can pretty much deploy the National Guard to any city where the president says they (the federal government) are unable to enforce federal law, said Tung Yin, a law professor at Portlands Lewis & Clark College. In the meantime, a district judge in Portland and three appellate judges in San Francisco are considering stop-gap decisions that would block Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from deploying Guard troops to Portland while everyone awaits an Oct. 29 trial. U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, could decide as early as Wednesday whether to extend for two more weeks temporary restraining orders she first issued on Oct. 4 and Oct. 5, that barred Trump from federalizing and deploying any National Guard troops to Portland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the orders are extended, that would continue to keep Guard troops out of Portland until the Oct. 29 trial and a final judgment from Immergut. But another decision expected this week from three judges on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco could end up nullifying Immerguts orders altogether, opening the door for Guard deployment to Portland, said Willamette University professor Norman Williams, a constitutional law expert. Hundreds of bike riders joined a protest at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility south of downtown Portland on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (Photo by Alex Baumhardt/Oregon Capital Chronicle) U.S. Appellate Judges Susan Graber, Ryan Nelson and Bridget Bade the first a former Oregon Supreme Court Justice and Clinton appointee, and the latter two appointed by Trump are expected this week to rule whether Immerguts first order, which barred Trump from federalizing the Oregon National Guard, can stand. More than that, theyll decide whether the president has the authority to federalize the Oregon National Guard. Two of the three judges signaled in a hearing Thursday that they were deferential to giving the president the power to federalize those troops. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the judges rule that Trump can federalize and control the Oregon Guard, it would be difficult for Immergut to restrain when and where they are deployed, Williams explained. Its more likely that the federal government would, following the 9th Circuit ruling, ask Immergut to stay or stop legal proceedings. Theres no statutory basis that would allow her to say, Theyve been properly federalized, but Im going to order them to barracks. They cant be deployed outside the barracks. I dont think thats a possibility, Williams said. This, he added, is why Oregon has also argued that Trump is violating the Posse Comitatus Act, which bars federal troops from undertaking domestic law enforcement. Its a longer strategy should higher courts rule that Trump can control and deploy the Oregon National Guard. Department of Homeland Security police, along with other federal police, push and tackle protestors at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility south of downtown Portland on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (Photo by Alex Baumhardt/Oregon Capital Chronicle) So the federalization is just the first step, but the state would still have arguments about: Have they been used in an appropriate fashion? And that would depend on what he (Trump) actually does with them, Williams said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both Yin and Williams said that if the Ninth Circuit hands the power to federalize the Oregon National Guard to Trump, its likely attorneys for Oregon will request a fuller review, called an en banc court, by 11 appellate judges across the Ninth Circuit, which spans Alaska, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, the Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon and Washington. Those judges would decide if the three appellate judges in California ruled erroneously. Until then, however, Trump could likely deploy the federalized Guard troops. If the appellate judges rule that Immerguts orders and justification for them are valid, then the current state of affairs will remain unless the federal government asks for an emergency hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court hasnt talked about National Guard federalization in almost two centuries, Williams said. This just doesnt come up in part because presidents dont do it in politically contentious ways that are going to spur likely litigation over it. Immergut on Wednesday will also decide whether to grant the federal government a new request that, if the states case against them moves forward in Oregon, it be delayed by a month until at least Nov. 20, rather than Oct. 29. On Monday, Michael Gerardi, a lawyer for the U.S. Justice Department, wrote in a joint-status report that federal lawyers need more time to collect, review, redact and produce documents that Oregons lawyers have requested. In that report, Gerardi also argued that because the president is granted great deference in his powers, that lawyers for Oregon should not be entitled to communications theyve sought from the White House that would reveal more clearly what Trump and other leaders were discussing regarding Portland before Trump made his social media post. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) The history behind the Olde Park Hotel in Ballinger, Texas, seems to still be active inside the hotel, according to the owner. CVHP went to the Olde Park Hotel to interview the owner about the history of the hotel and about the paranormal activity the hotel sees. History of the Hotel The current owner of the hotel is Chad Wandel, who bought the hotel back on Friday, June 13th, earlier this year. Wandel explained that he and his paranormal investigations team have been visiting the hotel since 2018. He said that one of the reasons he bought the building is because of the fear of the building being demolished. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They like to play jokes with us: Owners share the history of Olde Park Hotel in Ballinger The reason we bought this place is because our paranormal team had been coming here for so long and this place is so consistently active, Wandel said. Once we knew that it was going to be coming up for sale, we were like, we have to have this as our home base to do experiments and things like that. So, we jumped at the opportunity. Wandel said the center of the hotel was built sometime in 1886. We know 1886 because we actually have a rare picture of the town of Ballinger at that time, and you can see our building and the building next door to us and thats the only thing here, Wandel said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wandel claimed that the picture showed the two buildings, and at that time, they were the only things there. He said it was built before the courthouse and the railroad thats in Ballinger. Wandel said the original building was used as a boarding house for the railroad workers. In the 1890s, the hotel was also a brothel, explained Wandel. He said it was also once used to be a funeral home, as well. He then explained how the Seacrest Family bought the building and named it the Seacrest Boarding House, and then renamed it the Seacrest Hotel. Wandel explained that the building has gone through three phases of being built, but even the most recent additions are over 100 years old. Paranormal Activities During the interview, CVHP asked Wandel if he knew about the earliest stories about the hotel and its paranormal activity. Wandel said that he and his team found news articles dating back to the 1940s about the hotel and the paranormal things going on inside it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Haunted History: Miss Hatties ghostly ladies of the night There was actually a little news article that said reports came in overnight of an apparition on the front balcony of the Park Hotel, Wandel said. He also explained that they found a news article from 1929 that reported that the owner was holding seances in the building during Halloween. Wandel explained that the night prior to the interview, he had paranormal activity going on in the hotel. Just last night, sleeping downstairs, like I always do, you hear boots walking upstairs on the hardwood floors, and its clear as day, Wandel said. I mean, you can hear the scuff of the heel, and then you can hear the spur rattle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also explained that during the same night, he and his wife heard a womans voice talking and sounded like a woman having a pretty heated conversation with another woman. Wandel told CVHP that there are cameras all around the building and still couldnt see where it was coming from, but it sounded like it was coming from the hallway that was outside of the room that the interview was being held. Wandel went on to explain how active the building is with paranormal activity and said he wouldnt be surprised if something crazy happened during the interview. Wandel also told CVHP that one time in the same room the interview was being held in, he and his paranormal team were conducting an investigation with a spirit box and asked what they looked like to the ghost, and the spirit box said ghost. Wandel talked about how the ghost sees us as ghosts as well. They just bulldozed the tombstones in and left them there: Welcome to San Sabas football stadium, also known as The Graveyard Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wandel told CVHP that one of the most active rooms right now is the scare room they have set up. He said they just recently cleaned it out and not many investigations have been held in that room, so he assumes that is why it is so active right now. He then talked about how he was vacuuming the doll room that they have and how a doll turned on randomly. In fact, our doll room, which is just one room over and upstairs, I was vacuuming in there Sunday, and a doll came on and tried to literally crawl off the shelf, Wandel said. We havent replaced any batteries in any of these dolls, and I didnt even know this doll was there. Wandel then explained that he had caught this on camera. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So when it went off, you can see me on camera, Im looking around like, whats going on? Wandel said. Like, what is that noise? I finally realized this is a doll doing this number and like making all these baby noises and Im just like, Oh no, tag, were out.' The next thing he talked about was transparency with everyone. He said some of the reasons why they put up a lot of cameras around the building in an effort to be transparent and hold themselves accountable. It wasnt so much just to show people proof. He went on to describe a situation where the cameras came in handy. Wandel went on and explained that one time, a group was checking into the hotel and they heard a little girls voice in the lobby say hi. He explained how the group was doing self-check-ins, so no one else was in the building. He then said he checked his doorbell camera to see if it came from outside and there was nothing there. For anyone wanting to check out this haunted hotel and experience it themselves, Wandel said that the Olde Park Hotel is open to rent out for anyone to come and conduct their own experiments. He said for skeptics who dont believe to come on by and find out for themselves. Ghost hunters can book their next investigations oldeparkhotel.com. 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 ConchoValleyHomepage.com. The White House is moving to close down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau by the start of next year, seizing on the government shutdown in an attempt to accomplish a conservative goal of shuttering the federal watchdog. White House Budget Director Russell Vought said in a podcast interview on Wednesday he intended to close the agency within the next three months, a move that could spark a legal battle given the legislative branch's jurisdiction over the CFPB. "We don't have anyone working there except our Republican appointees and a few careers that are doing statutory responsibilities while we close down the agency," Vought said on The Charlie Kirk Show," a conservative podcast. He added it had the "DNA of Elizabeth Warren," the Democratic senator who was the agency's chief architect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Office of Management and Budget did not respond to a request for comment. The embattled agency has long been a target for Republicans seeking to scale back what they view as government overreach. Since the start of the year, the Trump administration has decimated the CFPB with sweeping layoffs that have generated court challenges. Currently, Vought serves as the CFPB's acting director. Other career officials have long left and about 200 employees remain at the agency. Around 1,400 CFPB employees were fired this year. Vought has dismissed scores of enforcement actions against large banks, credit reporting firms, and more. One dropped case involved a CFPB lawsuit against Capital One that alleged deceptive practices that fooled customers out of hefty interest payments on savings accounts. The Trump administration has tried dramatically downsizing the federal workforce with the shutdown entering its third week. In the same interview, Vought said he planned to fire around 10,000 civil servants while Congress negotiates a settlement on government funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, a federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to temporarily pause mass firings for two weeks. Federal Judge Susan Ilston of the U.S. District Court of Northern California sided with government worker unions which argued the layoffs as instituted by the Trump administration were illegal. In a rebuke, Ilston said that the White House had "taken advantage of the lapse in government spending, in government functioning, to assume that that all bets are off, that the laws don't apply to them anymore." Plans are underway to bring trains back to the iconic Michigan Central Station, with possible rail service from Detroit all the way to Toronto beginning as soon as 2029. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced on Wednesday, Oct. 15, during a visit to the newly restored train station that the Michigan Department of Transportation has signed a memorandum of understanding with the city of Detroit and Ford's Michigan Central campus to commit $40 million for research and engineering of a "multimodal transportation hub" that would be built next door to the station. Michigan Central Station in Detroit during sunrise on Thursday, May 30, 2024. The planned hub would bring passenger rail service back to the station area for the first time since 1988, specifically with a proposed extension of a Chicago-Detroit Amtrak line into Windsor, then going all the way to Toronto. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The hub also would offer intercity bus service. The planned "multimodal hub" would be built to the west of the station. The facility would be built just west of the train station, as the original train platforms behind the station have been removed. More: Michigan Central drawing visitors to Corktown. Are more jobs next? Detroit's current Amtrak station in New Center will remain in service. The proposed Michigan Central hub would, at least initially, only serve the Windsor/Toronto train service extension. Whitmer made the announcement in the station's elaborately restored lobby during a special fall event hosted for the Downtown Detroit Partnership. The goal is to finish design work for the new rail line in 2026 and finish building it by 2029, according to Arun Rao, an Amtrak executive who also spoke at the meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new service isn't yet a done deal. The plan still needs approval from the Canadian government of about $50 million in Canadian dollars for the final design and various rail upgrades, including construction of rail platforms, according to Rao. U.S. passengers who travel on the future line would go through customs on the Canadian side of the border in Windsor and transfer to a VIA Rail Canada train, which would travel to London, Ontario, and then all the way to Toronto. On the U.S. side, the new line would be considered an extension of Amtrak's existing Wolverine line between Pontiac and Chicago. The train would get to Windsor through an existing rail tunnel under the Detroit River. The plan anticipates one train per day on the line. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for the state of Michigan's $40 million commitment, that money would come from a $10 million federal grant and $30 million in state funds, according to a news release. The new hub would eventually replace the downtown Detroit Grayhound station on Howard Street. Contact JC Reindl: 313-378-5460 or jcreindl@freepress.com. Follow him on X @jcreindl This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Whitmer says Amtrak service will restart near Michigan Central Station The Sikorsky Black Hawk has been the Army's go-to helicopter since 1979. Considered a "utility tactical transport," they're sturdy, fast, and adaptable, capable of hauling heavy artillery as easily as troops. They're just as adept at providing medical evacuations as they are at conducting air assaults, fighting fires, and providing assistance during relief operations. The Army's reliance on this workhorse is so steadfast it plans to use it for another three decades. Despite the reliability, these helicopters have earned the nickname "Crash Hawk" due to several high-profile crashes. Most people know this ubiquitous bird from the 2001 film "Black Hawk Down," based on the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia, where three UH-60 Hawks were shot down. Helicopters are exponentially more dangerous than any fixed-wing aircraft because if the rotors fail, under most circumstances, the whole thing plummets to the ground. Black Hawks are more treacherous to fly than civilian helicopters because their design has inherent trade-offs that make them so incredibly special. They're built with small rotors, considering their relative weight. While this gives them insane maneuverability, it also significantly reduces their aerodynamic safety margin. The slightest error or lapse in concentration during low-level maneuvering can have catastrophic consequences. Over 5,000 Black Hawks have been built since 1979 and account for 63% of the Army's total helicopter fleet. They've logged more than 15 million flight hours, including five million in direct combat, often hugging the ground to avoid radar (at night) and constantly exposed to hazards and small arms fire. They're one of the Army's most heavily used platforms and thus are put into dangerous situations at an exponentially higher rate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Every Japanese Aircraft Carrier Sunk In WWII There are far more Black Hawks in the air A UH-60 Black Hawk prepares to land to extract U.S. Army Soldiers from a night mission during Falcon Fury 6 in the Central Region of Iraq. - Petty Officer 1st Class Justin Thomas/Wikimedia Commons Training for such constantly dangerous deployments (often at night) requires mandatory and equally hazardous scenarios to properly prepare. Unfortunately, that training resulted in several deaths. In January 2025, a Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Eagle Flight 5342 in Washington, DC, and killed 67 people, becoming the deadliest U.S. air crash in more than two decades. In 2023, two separate crashes (February and March) killed 11 soldiers during training, while one in 2021 resulted in three more deaths. In 2015, four Louisiana National Guardsmen and seven Marines died during a nighttime training exercise. Going back to 1985, the Army grounded all Black Hawks after six crashes took place during a four-month period that resulted in 15 deaths. This was preceded by 22 additional deaths between 1981 and 1984. After the string of crashes in early 2023, including one involving two Apache helicopters (which are different from Black Hawks) that killed three soldiers, another aviation stand-down was ordered. Congress investigated the accidents, many of which happened during National Guard operations, and found the blame fell on human error, poor training and safety precautions, lackadaisical maintenance, and simple overconfidence. However, data also showed something else rather interesting. Crashes involving Black Hawks accounted "for the fewest deadly incidents relative to hours flown," having a fatal incident rate of one per 100,000 hours flown. By comparison, the AH-64 Apache (which makes up 21% of the Army's fleet) had almost twice the fatal incidents at 1.93 per 100,000 flight hours, while the CH-47 Chinook's (at only 15% of the fleet) was 1.59. Want the latest in tech and auto trends? Subscribe to our free newsletter for the latest headlines, expert guides, and how-to tips, one email at a time. Read the original article on SlashGear. The News The simple reality of the two-week US government shutdown is that neither side is likely to move until Donald Trump gets more involved. Trumps unmatched sway over his party in Congress has Democrats and even some Republicans hoping or perhaps wishing for the president to intervene more directly in the 15-day impasse over funding the government. Absent that, lawmakers and aides forecast the standoff going into November, potentially breaking the record for longest shutdown in history. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., one of three in her party who supports the House-passed stopgap funding bill, said she doesnt think that Republican leadership will make a move without the president weighing in. If he does get into negotiations, Trump could emerge from it all as a hero, said Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats are betting Trump shares their goal of avoiding health insurance premium increases next year, seeing him as perhaps more amenable to a deal than Senate Majority Leader John Thune or House Speaker Mike Johnson. Republicans know Trump likes to strike deals, and some privately worry he might cut one with Democrats if left to his own devices perhaps one they do not like. If he doesnt get involved, it wont get resolved, Welch said. In the House in particular, but in the Senate as well, people on the Republican side wont move unless they get the blessing of Trump. But Democrats might be disappointed: White House officials say Trump wont work with them. The administration is maintaining that Republicans provided the only stopgap funding bill that will get a vote, viewing the reopening of the government as non-negotiable. Democrats have this theory that the president is going to roll over his own congressional leadership and save them from themselves, a senior White House official told Semafor. That theory is false. Know More The shutdown stalemate is an indictment of Congress, where a smattering of bipartisan discussions have run aground and Democrats have blocked the Houses stopgap bill nine times so far. Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are too deep in their respective partisan foxholes to cut any deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Underpinning that dynamic is Republicans overwhelming deference to Trump, on everything from his nominees to his tax cuts agenda, and the tremendous pressure Democrats are under to resist him at every turn. Its a recipe for inertia. Meanwhile, many past dealmakers have left the Hill, leaving Congress middle hollower than its been in a generation. Efforts by moderates to put together a bipartisan Senate gang to get out of the shutdown have stalled as most members seek to support party leaders and wait out the other side, according to multiple sources. Trumps involvement would be helpful. There are members in both the House and the Senate who look to him for guidance, said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, one of several members trying to find a way out of the shutdown. Trump directly negotiated some deals with Schumer and then-House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi during his first term, including on spending and coronavirus aid. But Republicans say they dont need him right now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He can do what he wants, but I dont think its his responsibility, said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. Democrats know that hes a dealmaker, Cornyn added. He wisely is letting Congress duke that out. Theres going to be a role for everybody to play once we reopen. But its hard to see the breaking point absent Trumps involvement, save for the slim possibility of a bipartisan group of senators hashing out an agreement. Republican hopes that Democrats would cave have not panned out; they seem more dug in two weeks into the shutdown than they did at the start. The senior White House official suggested that Democrats go to federal employee unions and explain that prepared for [government workers] to go without pay for another five weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In other words, Trumps advisers are prepared for a long shutdown. Trump didnt sound ready to deal on Wednesday, calling Schumer a loser albeit an intelligent one. But hes losing IQ points over time. In a Capitol devoid of tourist traffic as well as the House Republican majority, the mood is worsening by the day and the Senate is set to leave for another weekend. The Republicans who are open to a compromise to end the shutdown are concerned that if they dont have [Trumps] blessing, that whatever they do could backfire, contended Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. Republicans often look to the president for what direction to go. But were pretty united, said Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan. At the moment Im interested in giving Sen. Thune the opportunity to lead us in a direction that solves the problem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement White House officials who dont see much to do other than manage the shutdown are giving Office of Management and Budget director Russ Vought free rein to implement cuts and slash jobs. Vought said Wednesday that the administration is likely to fire north of 10,000 federal workers, though a federal judge just temporarily paused the layoffs. Trump is turning his focus to big foreign policy initiatives, like the peace agreement between Israel and Hamas that prompted a 24-hour trip to the Middle East on Monday. On Friday, the president will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, though another official suggested that Trump may be more focused on the shutdown in the days ahead of that visit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were the ones that pass budgets, said Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. The president is relying on us to do our job. Room for Disagreement Asked by Semafor whether he would ever advise the president to become more involved in the shutdown talks, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said: Trumps very involved; its these maniacs who are not. I have Democratic senators in for breakfast all the time, and I have advised these moderate senators: You could be a hero here, Bessent added. If you want to negotiate, reopen the government. Burgess and Shelbys View Democrats are right that Trump likes a deal and has expressed openness to reviving the health care subsidies, but they are underestimating how tightly Thune and Johnson have coordinated with the president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their hopes that Trump might undercut GOP congressional leaders are not out of the realm of possibility, but the president has shown no interest yet in personally defusing the shutdown. Still, Democrats arent going to move in the end without a clearer sense of where Trump stands. They are concerned that even if they get an agreement to pass health care subsidies in the Senate, the House could kill it or Trump could decline to sign it. Unless Democrats completely cave, Trump will have to play an integral role in reopening the government. This GOP-run Congress wont make a move without him. Notable The federal government has been shut down for two weeks, and there is still no end in sight as Congress remains in a heated deadlock over health insurance costs. The shutdown began after Democrats refused to sign onto a government funding bill without extending expiring tax credits that limit health insurance premiums for middle and lower class people. Republicans resisted and the legislation failed, shutting down the government on Oct. 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mass firings have since begun for more than 4,000 federal workers, with some 750,000 others expected to be furloughed, the Associated Press reported. And some government services, like air traffic control, are stuck in limbo. Here's why the shutdown is still in place and the consequences playing out in real time: Health care debate leads to shutdown Last month, the legislation to continue funding the government past Sept. 30 reached the Senate, which needed 60 votes to pass the bill. Republicans hold a 53-seat majority, requiring seven more votes to pass the legislation. Democrats had demanded Republicans extend the tax credits, which have come through the Affordable Care Act, and restore Medicaid funding that was cut in President Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" earlier this year. Without subsidies for the tax credits, premiums next year would more than double for the people whom the tax credits have benefited, according to KFF, a nonprofit that researches health policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans have turned down the Democrats' demands, arguing health care negotiations would take more time, according to the AP. Most Democrats have continued to hold their ground, plunging the government into a shutdown. White House fires thousands The government shutdown has placed thousands of federal jobs on the chopping block. Mass firings began Friday and were set to impact 4,000 employees, according to the White House budget office. The workforce drain is a sign of Trump's attempt to exert pressure on Democrats, the AP reported. The firings include more than 1,400 U.S. Treasury staffers, over 1,100 Health and Human Services workers, 400 employees in each the education and housing and urban development departments and hundreds more in each of the commerce, energy and homeland security departments, in addition to the Environmental Protection Agency. On top of the roughly 750,000 furloughs, Vice President JD Vance has warned of more "painful" cuts. the AP reported. Potential impacts to Houston or Texas Potential ground stops at the Houston Airport System were one of the first apparent threats resulting from the shutdown beyond the deep cuts to the federal workforce. The Federal Aviation Administration warned about the possibility of ground stops at William P. Hobby and George Bush Intercontinental airports due staffing shortages earlier this month, but it was unclear if or when those could occur. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cuts to the Department of Education have also affected offices that oversee special education, civil rights and after-school programs. Other programs that could possibly grapple with impacts depending on how long the shutdown continues include the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, according to NPR. Stalemate continues Democrats and Republicans have been unable to return to productive negotiations during the last two weeks. An eighth vote to reopen the government failed on Tuesday night. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the shutdown could be the longest in U.S. history and has declined negotiating with Democrats until they back off the health care issue. The longest government shutdown to date lasted between 2018 and 2019 due to disagreements over funding for the southern border wall during Trump's first term. That shutdown lasted for 35 days. This article originally published at Why is the government still shut down? White House launches mass firings amid health care stalemate. On September 23, Adelita Grijalva was elected to Arizonas 7th Congressional District. But three weeks later, she hasnt been sworn in to her seat, leaving more than 800,000 constituents without representation in the House. As the government remains shut down and the U.S. House is out of session, Grijalva and Democrats are crying foul. Theyre accusing House Speaker Mike Johnson of intentionally delaying swearing in Grijalva because she would be the final signature on a measure forcing a House vote to release files related to the late disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Speaker Johnson is protecting pedophiles. Thats what this is all about, Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona said at a Wednesday news conference with Grijalva, Arizona Democrats and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the delay in being sworn in, Grijalva said, There is no reason other than politics. The people of Southern Arizona have voted clearly, yet more than 812,000 people are still denied their voice in Congress, she said. This delay is not procedural. Its intentional. Heres what to know: Why has Johnson not sworn in Grijalva? Johnson has repeatedly said he will swear in Grijalva when Senate Democrats pass a stopgap measure known as a continuing resolution to end the shutdown and reopen the government. While the House has been on recess now for three weeks, it has gaveled in for brief pro forma sessions where no legislative business is conducted. Grijalva has pointed out that two Florida Republicans, Reps. Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine, were sworn into office in pro forma sessions after winning special elections to their seats in April. Rep. James Walkinshaw, a Virginia Democrat, was also sworn in a day after his special election win in September. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The speaker has given various explanations for why he hasnt sworn in Grijalva in a pro forma session. Last week, Johnson engaged in a heated back-and-forth with Gallego and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona outside his office. He called Gallegos claims absurd, saying that the timing of Grijalvas swearing in has nothing to do with Epstein and that Democrats are experts in red herrings. In a Tuesday news conference, Johnson pointed out that GOP Rep. Julia Letlow of Louisiana was sworn in 25 days after her special election win in March 2021. He also said that Grijalva deserves to have all the pomp and circumstance that everybody else does. She deserves to have a full House of members and go down and do the speech and have her family and friends in the balcony. That hasnt been scheduled because we havent had that session yet. On Wednesday, Grijalva said, I dont need bells and whistles. I dont need pomp and circumstance. I just need to get to work for Southern Arizona. What can Democrats do? Grijalva said Wednesday that she was looking at every possible option that we have to compel Johnson to seat her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is really unprecedented to have a speaker that is obstructing the swearing-in of a member of Congress, she said. Grijalvas election win has now been formally certified by election officials in Arizona. Ms. Grijalva no longer needs a House resolution to be sworn into office. With the House in possession of the certificate of election, it is now a simple ministerial duty to administer the oath of office, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, wrote in a Tuesday letter to Johnson. Mayes said Johnson was acting in violation of the Constitution by not swearing in Grijalva and threatened prompt legal action if he does not swear her in immediately or provide a reasonable explanation as to when she will be seated. Its unclear what such a challenge would look like while there have been disputes in Congress over seating members who ran in close or contested elections in the past, Grijalva decisively won her race with over 70 percent of the vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arizonas right to a full delegation, and the right of the residents of CD 7 to representation from the person they recently voted for, are not up for debate and may not be delayed or used as leverage in negotiations about unrelated legislation, Mayes wrote. On Tuesday night, members of the House Democratic Womens Caucus held a protest, marching to Johnsons office to demand he swear in Grijalva. At the time, Johnson was at the White House for a ceremony posthumously awarding Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Last night, they played some games, they stormed my office, Johnson said at a Wednesday news conference. They engaged in all sorts of political stunts and antics. Paper stack up outside the office of Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva, who was elected by Arizona but hasnt been sworn in. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Getty Images) What does this have to do with Jeffrey Epstein? Epstein survivors, members of both parties in Congress and many in President Donald Trumps base have called for more transparency surrounding Epstein, who in 2019 died by suicide in prison while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump, who was friendly with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s but said the two had a falling out before Epstein became a convicted sex offender, has dismissed the Epstein matter as a Democrat hoax. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California are leading a bipartisan effort to direct the Department of Justice to release the full tranche of files, estimated at 100,000 pages, it has connected to Epstein. The House Oversight Committee is also conducting an investigation into the Epstein case and has subpoenaed files from the Justice Department and Epsteins estate. Lawmakers from both parties have called for the government to release more information about Epstein, and some top officials in Trumps Justice Department had promised they would release the so-called Epstein files before they took office. They later concluded that they could not release all the information, saying it was out of concern for survivors personal information. Many have questioned whether the Justice Department could share more documents. There is zero question in my mind that a huge, huge part of this is around buying time around the Epstein issue. They are scrambling. They dont know what to do, Rep. Yassamin Ansari, a first-term Arizona Democrat and member of the House Oversight Committee, said at the Wednesday news conference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnson sent lawmakers home for a five-week recess early in July after the discord over the Epstein files effectively ground House business to a halt. And it wasnt until there was so much pressure on Republicans in Congress that in one subcommittee of the Oversight Committee, we were able to get several Republicans to join us, and thats how the subpoena even came to light, Ansari said. If it were up to Mike Johnson, there would never have been an Oversight investigation. Johnson has said he supports releasing more of the files but opposes Khanna and Massies measure, citing the need to protect survivors personal information and the House Oversight Committees ongoing investigation into the Epstein matter. Khanna and Massie are aiming to circumvent leaderships opposition with a procedural tool called a discharge petition, which requires 218 signatures to force a vote on the House floor. All sitting House Democrats and three Republican women Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and Nancy Mace have signed onto the measure. Grijalva would be the 218th signature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ansari said the White House is mounting a pressure campaign on the Republican women who have signed the discharge petition, which White House officials have deemed a hostile act. They are using this time that they are not swearing in Congresswoman-elect Grijalva to try to put as much pressure as possible on, what I have heard, Lauren Boebert, especially, to get her to come off of that petition so that Adelita would not be the 218th signature, Ansari said. News that represents you, in your inbox every weekday. Subscribe to our free, daily newsletter. HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) The Hays County Sheriffs Office received 981 calls related to stray dogs from September 2024 to September 2025, according to the Hays County Sheriffs Office. In a recent Facebook post, HCSO acknowledged that stray dogs were an issue in the county, and that it was looking for a path forward to achieve its goals of protecting public safety, providing compassionate care for animals in our custody, and delivering quality service to our community, the post read. RELATED: PAWS shelter announces temporary closure in Kyle, asks for donations Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At this time, the Sheriffs Office has resumed picking up strays in the most critical situations (i.e., public health and safety risks, injured animals, cruelty, bites, etc.), the post continued. We obviously cant go and pick up every stray dog in the county, Hays County Sheriff Anthony Hipolito told KXAN. We have to be respectful of our partners at the animal shelter to ensure that were not overpopulating them. Hippolito said currently, there are five Animal Control Officers serving the county. Cathleen Cranford, who coordinates lost and found efforts for the Wimberley Adoption Group, said shes seen an increase in irresponsible pet owners since the COVID-19 pandemic. She has observed more residents surrendering pets they cant care for or abandoning them entirely. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It breaks my heart, Cranford said. A lot of people just arent prepared to take animals, she continued. They end up at the shelter, and its not very big. Its the only shelter in the entire county. In a statement, the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter has been regularly at capacity with dogs since 2022. It said it would continue to provide care and find homes for as many dogs as possible, despite the demand and the limited space. The shelter, Ive watched it explode. Its just so overwhelming for it, Cranford said. While the San Marcos shelter is currently the only municipal shelter in Hays County, Kyle has been exploring opening another. 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 KXAN Austin. Now-Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, left, and Ohio Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, right. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original story.) Ohio Republicans have yet to share a proposed congressional map with the public as the second deadline to pass a bipartisan map approaches. Why? They say they want to hear from citizens first. But Democrats say they are purposely going slow to skirt guidelines. The clock continues to tick for Ohio to pass a new congressional map. After lawmakers failed the first step in the process, which would have been to pass a bipartisan map by the end of September, the Ohio Redistricting Commission (ORC) takes over. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, everyone is waiting on Gov. Mike DeWine to convene the group, which he said on Friday would be soon. When is soon? we asked the governor. Soon, he said, smiling. I feel like we do the soon conversation a lot, this reporter added, referencing how whenever he doesnt want to share details with reporters, he says soon. Well, we know what the law is, DeWine responded. Its going to have to occur this month. The ORCs five Republicans and two Democrats will debate how to draw the states 15 U.S. House districts. The group is made up of two Republicans and two Democrats in the Statehouse. The three remaining seats include the governor, secretary of state, and auditor all of which are currently held by Republican officeholders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ohios congressional districts are currently composed of 10 Republicans and five Democrats. They were declared unconstitutionally gerrymandered twice, but Ohio voters were nevertheless forced to vote under them in 2022 and 2024. On average, Republicans win 55% to 45% of the vote over Democrats in Ohio. With that breakdown, Democrats proposed a map with eight seats leaning red and seven leaning blue. The Republicans still havent introduced their map yet more than a month after the Dems did. I dont think it does any good to just introduce a map so everybody has something to talk about, House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said after we asked for his response to citizens who are upset that the GOP hasnt given them a map yet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republican legislative leaders say no map has been designed yet, and they have not talked to the White House about the process. Huffman said that the public needs to weigh in before a map is made. This sentiment was echoed by a dozen other party members. We shouldnt do it the old way, which is, Heres the map, pass it, see you later,' he said. But Democrats such as Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, say that is exactly what the Republicans are doing. (The way the process works) really has upended the opportunity, I think, for a bipartisan map, and a process that would get us to the table because they can just run out the clock, Antonio said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the ORC doesnt pass a bipartisan map by the end of October, lawmakers get a second chance to pass one and it doesnt have to be bipartisan. It would only need simple majority approval. House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn, D-Cincinnati, is concerned. GOP leaders say they want at least 12 or 13 of the 15 districts to lean Republican. Theyre worried about losing next November because theyve broken their promises, so they want to try and steal three congressional districts, Isaacsohn said. DeWine is asking for patience. These things, if they get worked out if they get worked out they dont usually get worked out in a public meeting, the governor said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But as of now, the Democrats, and the public, are left in the dark. Deadlines and process FAILED: Sept. 30: The lawmakers needed to pass a map with at least 60% in each chamber, with at least 50% support of Democrats. Oct. 31: To meet this deadline, at least four members of the ORC, including two Republicans and two Democrats, must approve. They must have two public meetings if they intend to pass a map. If that fails, it goes back to the legislature. Nov. 30: This map can also pass with a simple majority, and it must be replaced after six years. Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on X and Facebook. This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE When books are written in the future about Oklahoma's history, many will undoubtedly mention the role Bob Blackburn played in making them possible. History is created by the events of the day, sometimes recorded by the participants and often by journalists, and those recollections are then captured and preserved by historians for the benefit of future generations. Blackburn, now 73, was for more than two decades a key leader in the Oklahoma Historical Society. He was its executive director from 1999 until his retirement in 2021, and had been deputy director for nine years before that. He joined the society in 1979 as editor of its scholarly publication, "The Chronicles of Oklahoma." By then he had a Ph.D. in history from Oklahoma State University and had written three books. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Mediocracy was accepted," during his early years with the historical society, Blackburn said, and he set out to raise the bar starting with a major effort to digitalize and make more accessible to the public its extensive collection of documents and photos. "This was the early days of digital transformation," Blackburn said in a recent interview. "We were able to get grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities to experiment with digitization when they thought that you needed $30,000 to digitize a thousand pages of newspapers. Well, after two or three of these grants, we thought, 'we can do it a lot cheaper than that.' We were able to get the Chickasaw tribe to help us buy a machine that would digitize a full roll of 35-millimeter microfilm, a thousand images in 20 minutes, zip, zip, zip. But then we had to take that and add the metadata to make it searchable. We ended up partnering with North Texas State, which wanted to expand what they were doing. Over time, the equipment got cheaper as the world started getting digital. We ended up with a newspaper collection of over 30 million pages from every community in the state back to the beginning." No more microfilm. "That's why I wear glasses today," Blackburn said. "My old research was in the '70s and '80s." Bob Blackburn is pictured next to newspaper archives at the Oklahoma Historical Society. Q: Where does Oklahoma rank in terms of its access to historical information? A: Oh, for sure in the top 10. Q: What first sparked your interest in history? A: I always enjoyed stories, and I grew up around grandparents, aunts and uncles. From my mom's family I'd hear stories about the Civil War, stories my grandmother heard first-hand from her father who was a veteran. I thought the Civil War had just been fought when I was a kid. And then from my dad's family in Claremore I'd hear stories about the Cherokees and the coal mines in the area. Plus, my dad's stories as a highway patrolman. Q: As a historian, what area of our state's history do you feel is least understood by the public? A: Well, even though a good part of our population is what I'll call "green advocates," I'll say we need to know more about the oil and gas industry. There have been good books written about the early days of the industry, but so much has changed since, say 1939. A piece on Noble drilling going to England during World War II. A book about Phillips. Little pieces of the story, but someone needs to go back and do more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aubrey McLendon (Chesapeake Energy CEO) wanted me to write one and gave me a retainer to start some research, but he lost the company before we could finish. Bob Blackburn is former director of the Oklahoma Historical Society. Oil and gas has done so much with capitalization, horizontal drilling, more efficient production methods, diversifying into plastics and other things like that. There would be a negative side with abandoned wells, methane leaks from pipelines. But then there's the OERB, (the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board) funded by the industry, admitting it made mistakes and mitigating the impact. Also, much more on the tribes. Tribal history up to 1907 is pretty saturated. There have been so many books because the federal government collected all those documents in order to do allotments. Much more needs to be done on the later years. But, I really shouldn't say anything has been overdone. Because every individual who looks at history will see it a little differently, and we need different perspectives. Every time a historian writes about a topic, he'll connect the dots a little differently. Q: Who would you say has been the most consequential figure in Oklahoma history, the person who has made the biggest difference? A: Well, if I had to choose one governor, it would be E.W. Marland. He took office during the Great Depression in 1935 when the state was failing, people were losing hope and really questioning whether free enterprise could really work, was capitalism what we should do. If we all start doubting it, then all of a sudden maybe it doesn't work. So, he took over from a governor that held the state back "Alfalfa Bill" Murray who wanted the state to be like it had been in 1907. He didn't recognize that things were changing. People needed a new voice. Marland brought in the Brookings Institution to study state government. They produced a brilliant document. I studied it when I wrote a book about the highway patrol. Law enforcement in Oklahoma was breaking down at the county and city level. You had these bank robbers like Bonnie and Clyde with their big hopped-up V-8s who could get out of a local jurisdiction before anyone could respond. So we needed a highway patrol. But he made changes in other institutions and tried to make changes that didn't happen quickly, but would happen eventually. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There have been other great governors. George Nigh would be among the front ranks of all governors. I just gave a eulogy on George (who died in July at the age of 98) and talked about the values he believed in courage, empathy and creativity and he stuck to them. He was a man of the people, and people loved him. You could think of other great Oklahomans, Sequoyah or Will Rogers. He (Rogers) probably didn't change anything, but he reflected Oklahoma culture and was a great artist, great poet in my opinion, a folk philosopher. He captured something about the Oklahoma spirit probably better than anybody ever has. And in the business community you'd have to mention Larry Nichols, John Kirkpatrick and George Kaiser. Q: What key events were most important in the state's history? A: The Dust Bowl, clearly. The Great Depression. But also the Oklahoma City bombing, the recovery effort. It was a community thing, and almost everyone shared the same spirit. Q: Do you see that spirit eroding now, in the current political climate? A: No, I don't think it's eroding. People forget that even before the bombing, in 1993, we were stuck in a second-grade depression, real estate, oil and gas, banking were all hurting, coming out of the 1980s. People were trying to find new ways, and then in 1993 MAPS started (the Metropolitan Area Projects Plan). MAPS barely passed. But then the bombing (in 1995) brought attention to what we can do as a community together. MAPS was a way to let us invest in ourselves. Q: As a historian, do you see Oklahoma on a positive trajectory now? In spite of the poverty, the bad schools? A: A state is going to make mistakes that we see in hindsight. If we think about our personal lives, we say, "why did I spend money that way when I could have invested in Apple?" But I see progress. I'm very encouraged by tribal sovereignty. I'm encouraged by the urban sense of community I see in both Tulsa and Oklahoma City. This is important to the quality of life for all of us. You're going to get demagogues through history who will promise simple solutions to complex problems. We've been there before. We've plowed through before. We will emerge. From left: Trait Thompson, director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, the late Gov. George Nigh, and Bob Blackburn, former OHS director. This article has been edited for length and clarity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement William C. Wertz is The Oklahoman's deputy opinion editor. You can reach him at wwertz@oklahoman.com. Let him know if you have suggestions about other Oklahomans it would be worthwhile for readers to "Get to Know" or about other issues that you feel should be given more public attention. To support local journalism like this, please consider subscribing to The Oklahoman. Click here to get started. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Why key leader of Oklahoma Historical Society is optimistic for future Ashley Tellis, a United States government adviser and expert on India-US relations, has been arrested and charged with unlawfully retaining national defence information and allegedly meeting Chinese officials, US prosecutors said. Tellis made his initial court appearance on Tuesday. A detention hearing is scheduled for October 21, US media reported. We are fully focused on protecting the American people from all threats, foreign and domestic. The charges as alleged in this case represent a grave risk to the safety and security of our citizens, said US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Lindsey Halligan, who was appointed by President Donald Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So who is Tellis, what is he accused of, and what punishment could he face? Who is Ashley Tellis? Tellis, 64, is a naturalised US citizen who was born in India. He is a well-known academic who has written and commented extensively on India-US relations. He specialises in international security, defence and Asian strategic issues. He has worked with and advised the US government on relations with India for more than two decades. The US-based think tank Carnegie Endowment for International Peace lists Tellis as its Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs and a senior fellow. According to its website, Tellis has bachelors and masters degrees in economics from the University of Mumbai in India, as well as a PhD and masters degree in political science from the University of Chicago in the US. According to an affidavit filed in the Eastern District Court of Virginia, Tellis is currently working as an unpaid senior adviser for the US Department of State. He is also a contractor at the Office of Net Assessment (ONA) within the Department of Defense (DoD), now renamed as the Department of War (DoW). The ONA is an internal think tank within the Pentagon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because of his appointment to these roles, Tellis has had the security clearances required to access sensitive government information. He served on the National Security Council of former Republican President George W Bush, who was in office between 2001 and 2009. Previously, Tellis worked as a commissioned officer in the US Foreign Service and was the senior adviser to the US ambassador at the embassy in New Delhi, India, according to the website of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Tellis has now been placed on administrative leave at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. We are aware of the allegations against Ashley J Tellis. He is now on administrative leave, including from his role as Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs, Katelynn Vogt, the vice president for communications at the think tank, told Al Jazeera in a written statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tellis played a key role in negotiating a landmark civil nuclear deal between the US and India in 2008. What is Tellis accused of? According to a statement from the US Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, Tellis was arrested over the weekend. Prosecutors claim he has violated 18 US Code 793, which pertains to gathering, transmitting or losing defence information. The affidavit states that he was observed via a surveillance video camera inside a DoD facility on September 12, using a computer and asking a co-worker to print documents for him. On October 10, he was again seen at the same building, taking some classified documents away with him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Around 3pm (19:00 GMT) on September 25, Tellis entered a US Department of State building in Washington, DC, and logged on to the departments classified intranet system, ClassNet, which he used for about an hour. ClassNet holds unclassified information, classified information up to and including secret, and information that has distribution restrictions. The affidavit claims that at 8:11pm (00:11 GMT), Tellis returned to the building and accessed an air force document that was more than 1,000 pages long. He renamed the document and then printed sections of it. He placed sensitive documents in his personal briefcase and took them with him to his residence, the affidavit says. On October 11, federal authorities searched Telliss house in Vienna, Virginia, and his vehicle. Classified government documents were found in his house. Did Tellis meet Chinese officials? The affidavit claims that Tellis has met Chinese officials multiple times in recent years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It states that he met Chinese officials for dinner at a restaurant in Fairfax, Virginia, in September 2022. He is alleged to have entered the restaurant holding a manilla envelope, which he did not seem to have with him when he left two hours later. Tellis is alleged to have again met Chinese officials for dinner at a restaurant in Fairfax in April 2023. He and the officials could be occasionally overheard talking about Iranian-Chinese relations and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, the affidavit states. Tellis is said to have met Chinese officials again in March 2024, when they were heard talking about US-Pakistan relations. The affidavit adds that Tellis also met Chinese officials for dinner in Fairfax in September this year, when the officials gave him a red gift bag. Could Tellis go to prison? If he is convicted, Tellis could face a maximum of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000, according to the statement from the US District Attorney for Eastern Virginia. It added that actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum punishment. What has Tellis written about US-India-China relations? Tellis has long been a passionate advocate of strong India-US relations and a champion of Indias potential as a main partner for Washington. However, in his latest publication for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, published last week, he was more circumspect about Indias capabilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the US has long viewed New Delhi as a strategic counterweight to Beijings rise, India has, in reality, failed to grow as fast economically as China has. While India has indeed grown in strength over the last two decades and has partnered with the United States in pushing back on Chinese assertiveness, the larger story is more complex, Tellis wrote in a paper titled Multipolar Dreams, Bipolar Realities: Indias Great Power Future. For all of its achievements, India is not growing fast enough to balance China effectively. Despite these shortcomings, Tellis argued, India has been obsessed with preserving its strategic autonomy, hedging its bets in terms of geopolitical friendships instead of firmly committing to the US orbit. This is a mistake on the part of India, Tellis said. Instead, he argued, India because of its relative weakness compared with China will need an external partner to help it counter Beijing in the long run. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The most obvious choice is the United States, he wrote. How are relations between the US and India shifting? Despite a warm personal rapport between the US president and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Trumps first term in office, US-India relations have faced challenges since his inauguration into his second term in January this year. Early in the year, Trump hit India with a 25 percent trade tariff as part of his ongoing trade war with many countries around the world. In August, Trump doubled it to 50 percent, partly in protest against Indias ongoing purchases of oil from Russia, which the US and other countries have sanctioned for invading neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, if Trump was trying to coerce India into following US diktats, New Delhi appears to have so far resisted those pressures. India continues to buy oil from Russia. Its relations with China, especially frigid between 2020 and 2024, have thawed. And New Delhi has tightened ties with the Taliban, despite the Afghan groups pariah status in the eyes of Washington. All of this is a marked change from five years ago. In 2020, India warmly hosted Trump. Later that year, India-China tensions reached a peak when a deadly clash broke out between their soldiers in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh, the first deadly clash in four decades. The two countries share a long, disputed border, called the Line of Actual Control (LAC), over which both sides clashed. That year, India banned 200 Chinese apps, including TikTok. In December 2020, Indias foreign minister said the relationship between New Delhi and Beijing had reached its most difficult phase in decades. However, since late last year, India and China have tried to reset relations. Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Kazan, Russia, last year, as their troops pulled back from their eyeball-to-eyeball border standoff. Amid Trumps tariff wars against China and India, they have drawn closer this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this year, Trump imposed a 145 percent tariff on Chinese imports, prompting China to respond with a 125 percent tariff on US goods. Both countries then agreed to two separate 90-day tariff reductions in May and August to allow for trade negotiations. But last week, Trump threatened the reimposition of an additional 100 percent tariff on Chinese products. Meanwhile, Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited India and met Modi and other officials in August. In a statement after their meeting, Modi hailed a respect for each others interests and sensitiveness and steady progress in bilateral relations. In late August, Modi visited China and held a bilateral meeting with Xi. It was Modis first visit to China in more than seven years. Last week, amid ongoing border clashes with Pakistan, Afghanistans acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi also visited India the first such visit by a senior Taliban since the group took over Kabul in 2021. India had long viewed the Taliban as a proxy for Pakistans intelligence services, but has in recent years slowly ramped up engagement with the group, culminating in Muttaqis visit. The visit came soon after the group rejected Trumps demand for it to hand over the Bagram airbase to the US. The longest-ever US government shutdown has ended after 43 days. The fallout forced around 1.4 million federal employees to go without pay for weeks, suspended food to many low-income Americans and delayed or cancelled thousands of flights for airline passengers. Here we unpack your key questions about the historic US funding deadlock. Is the shutdown over? Yes, it is. The Republican-controlled House on Wednesday - day 43 of the shutdown - approved a new funding bill with a vote of 222 to 209. Six Democrats joined Republicans to vote yes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The package passed the Senate two days earlier by a vote of 60-40, after seven Democrats and one independent senator sided with Republicans to approve it. President Donald Trump signed it into law within hours, declaring, "It's a great day". But it may still take a few days, or even weeks, to fully reopen the government and restart some vital programmes. And with the busy Thanksgiving holiday period looming at the end of the month, it could take a while for airlines to fully recover from the disruption. Aviation capacity is growing as reductions imposed during the shutdown have tapered from 6% to 3%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The busiest airports in the country had to cancel flights and reduce operations to cope with absences from unpaid air traffic controllers calling in sick. What's in the funding package? The 328-page bill extends money for most federal agencies until 30 January. It provides funding for Snap food aid, as well as the Department of Agriculture, Congress and veterans affairs until September next year. It guarantees that all federal workers will receive back-pay, and reverses the shutdown-related layoffs of thousands of federal workers. The bill does not explicitly include what Democrats most wanted in this shutdown fight: a guaranteed extension of expiring health insurance subsidies that affect around 24 million Americans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead of including the extension in the continuing resolution bill itself, senators made a deal to hold another vote on the tax credits at the end of the second week in December. Healthcare costs are poised to skyrocket for lower income Americans if the subsidies are not renewed. The bill includes a number of other provisions, too. It contains language that makes it illegal for federal prosecutors to search senators' phone records without notice, and allows for payouts of up to $500,000 for each violation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The law is retroactive to 2022, meaning that it will allow several Republican senators to sue after their communications were searched as part of a probe into Trump's role in the Capitol Hill riot in January 2021. The spending bill also reverses the legalisation of cannabis-derived hemp, which passed in 2018 as part of a larger farming bill. Its passage allowed the creation of a multi-billion dollar industry of low dosage THC products in the US, including edibles and drinks. The new bill provision "prevents the unregulated sale of intoxicating hemp-based or hemp-derived products, including Delta-8, from being sold online, in gas stations, and corner stores, while preserving non-intoxicating CBD and industrial hemp products," according to a summary provided by the Senate. Among its other provisions, the bill bans the Pentagon from increasing spending that was not specifically authorised previously. It also allocates $88m to increase security for Congress, the Supreme Court and the federal court system, due to increased threats of political violence. Why did the US government shut down? In the US system, both chambers of Congress must approve a spending plan to send to the president to be signed into law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The House was able to pass a temporary funding bill to avoid a shutdown, but it could not clear the Senate amid Democratic resistance. The Republicans currently control both the House of Representatives and the Senate, but at the end of September, senators were seven short of the 60 votes needed to pass a spending bill. Republicans hold 53 seats in the chamber and needed Democrats to join them in the vote, giving liberals some negotiating leverage. The party's main demand was that the bill should include an extension of expiring tax credits that make health insurance cheaper for millions of Americans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So on 1 October, the US government shut down for the first time in nearly seven years. Which government services stopped, and when will they resume? Thousands of government employees deemed non-essential were furloughed - temporarily put on unpaid leave. Most will be expected to return to work now. During the shutdown, air traffic controllers were also expected to work without pay. But some of them had called in sick, leading to many flights being cancelled or delayed. The federal government even mandated flight cuts to airlines at 40 airports - including the nation's busiest - to help alleviate overworked air traffic controllers and others who had been working without pay. Those workers will expect to see backpay within days of the government being reopened. The president has also suggested that air traffic controllers who worked through the shutdown could receive bonus pay too, although he has said he's unsure from where that money will come. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of Homeland Security has begun issuing $10,000 bonus cheques to Transportation Security Administration agents who worked without pay and "with exemplary service" during the shutdown. It could take up to a week for air travel to return to pre-shutdown capacity, the trade association for major US airlines has said. But the situation will at least partially start to improve after the Federal Aviation Administration announced on 14 November that it will start loosening flight restrictions. The FAA said that it will be inreasing air traffic capacity from 94% to 97%, starting on 15 November. The agency will monitor the system through the weekend and then decide when to return to 100% capacity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 42 million Americans who rely on Snap food aid benefits have received only partial payments after the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to withhold some funding pending further legal hearings. Those funds will now go back to normal as the government reopens. Museums and some monuments, such as the National Museum of American History and the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, which had closed their doors to visitors during the shutdown, began to reopen on 14 November. Others, such as the National Zoo, will reopen 15 November or on a rolling basis. While most federal employees are not paid during a shutdown, members of Congress do continue to receive their salary. Some federal programmes will take longer to rebound. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Liheap, a heating subsidy programme used by around 6 million low income households, won't be available for weeks, coming just as the winter months are arriving. Head Start, an early childhood education programme, also could take weeks to resume. Not all areas of the government are impacted by a shutdown. Federal law enforcement operated as usual, Social Security and Medicare cheques were still distributed, and mail delivered. The Trump administration also tapped into research funds and accepted money from an anonymous donor to pay military troops. [Getty Images] How has the shutdown affected the economy? The impact of government shutdowns on the economy is typically limited and temporary - similar to the disruption caused by a hurricane or major storm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But it still causes problems. Approvals for loans and permits are delayed and hundreds of millions of dollars in federal contracts are suspended. Unlike government employees, contractors do not receive back pay once a shutdown ends, and many of them are small businesses without other big clients. Overall, analysts had estimated that this shutdown would knock roughly 0.1 to 0.2 percentage points off economic growth for each week that it goes on - about $15bn a week. What happened during previous US government shutdowns? Shutdowns over budgets are a unique aspect of US politics. The second-longest ever shutdown dragged on for 34 days, beginning in late 2018 during Trump's first presidential term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But these legislative standoffs also predate the current president. There were eight shutdowns during the presidency of Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, though all were relatively brief. Former Democrat President Bill Clinton had a 21-day shutdown in 1995, while his fellow Democrat Barack Obama had a 16-day shutdown in 2013. Do you have questions about the US government shutdown? Or are you a federal worker affected by the current situation? Get in touch via this form or by emailing bbcyourvoice@bbc.co.uk WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) Wichitas Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport is not playing a video released by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. In the video, Noem blames Democrats for the federal government shutdown and its impacts on Transportation Security Administration operations. Jesse Romo, Wichita director of Airports, said the TSA requested that the Wichita Airport Authority play the video. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While we deeply value and support our TSA partners and the vital role they play in ensuring the safety of our passengers, we will not be playing Secretary Noems latest video as we have policies that prohibit the display of political messages, he said. The TSA team at ICT does an amazing job with providing a great customer experience for our traveling public, and well continue to share their messages related to what you can and cant take through screening. WPD: Woman safe after video shows her being taken by force, arrest made Airports in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Charlotte, Phoenix, and Seattle also stated that the videos political content goes against their policies or regulations prohibiting political messaging in their facilities. Various government agencies, in emails to workers and on websites, have adopted language that blames Democrats for the shutdown. Some experts argue it could be in violation of the 1939 Hatch Act, which restricts certain political activities by federal employees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, 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 KSN-TV. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) Friends and family gathered Tuesday evening at American Legion Post 273 to honor a Wichita man killed by gun violence, releasing black, silver, and white balloons in his memory. Anthony Grayson, 55, died after being shot multiple times on Thursday. Police said it happened around 7:30 p.m. following a fight at the bar inside the venue. After the fight, the suspect left to retrieve a gun from his car, then came back. Employees tried to stop him from entering, but he pushed past them and got inside, where another fight broke out. During that altercation, the suspect allegedly shot Grayson and a 56-year-old man who tried to intervene. The 52-year-old suspect is in custody on suspicion of first-degree murder and aggravated battery. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here. 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 KSN-TV. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) The suspect accused of killing a Wichita man and injuring another during a fight at a local American Legion hall made his first appearance in court Wednesday. Prosecutors have charged Darrell Buckner, 52, with first-degree murder and aggravated battery in connection with a shooting that killed Anthony Grayson, 55, and injured another man. Darrell Buckner (KSN Photo) Woman pleads no contest to killing two Kansas moms Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The shooting happened around 7:30 p.m. Thursday at American Legion Post 273 on North Hydraulic Avenue. Wichita police said after a fight at the bar in the venue, Buckner went to his car for a gun. Employees attempted to prevent him from reentering, but he pushed past them and went back inside, where another fight broke out, police said in a news release. During the fight, police said the suspect allegedly shot Grayson and a second man, 56, who tried to intervene. On Wednesday, Sedgwick County District Court issued a protective order to bar Buckner from having contact with witnesses in the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wichita community mourns man killed in bar shooting His bond was set at $1 million. His next court appearance is set for 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 27. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, 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 KSN-TV. (EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) The principal of Pinello Elementary School in Widefield School District 3 (D3) was taped to a wall by her students on Tuesday, Oct. 14 to celebrate the students successfully raising several thousand dollars over their goal in a fundraiser. Principal Amber Crigger challenged the students and the community of Pinello Elementary to raise $10,000 during their fun run fundraiser. If they could do it, Principal Crigger said she would voluntarily let the kids tape her up on a wall. The kids rallied and raised nearly $13,000! So, on Tuesday morning, Crigger made good on her promise as the more than 300 students lined up to secure her to the wall. Crigger said it was worth every second to be stuck to the wall, as it got the kids together for a common goal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think this is probably the most fun I will have all year long, Crigger laughed while still taped to the wall. The kids have been looking forward to it for a week now, and I know they enjoyed every minute of taping their principal to the wall. Courtesy: FOX21 News Chief Photojournalist Dez Rowe Courtesy: FOX21 News Chief Photojournalist Dez Rowe Courtesy: FOX21 News Chief Photojournalist Dez Rowe Courtesy: FOX21 News Chief Photojournalist Dez Rowe Courtesy: FOX21 News Chief Photojournalist Dez Rowe Courtesy: FOX21 News Chief Photojournalist Dez Rowe Courtesy: FOX21 News Chief Photojournalist Dez Rowe The money raised will be used to help improve technology in the classrooms. 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 FOX21 News Colorado. WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. (FOX 56) A woman was arrested Monday after allegedly biting two deputies and breaking one deputys nose with his own baton. According to an arrest citation, a Whitley County Sheriffs Department deputy was dispatched to a home in Williamsburg after reports of someone breaking windows. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the deputy arrived, he reportedly found Amy Mabes behind the home holding a large metal object. The deputy wrote that he asked Mabes to drop the object. She initially refused but ultimately complied, according to the citation. While being detained, she reportedly pulled away and ran across U.S. Highway 25 into the woods. The deputy fired his taser, but the chase didnt end until he was able to take Mabes to the ground. The deputy said that while escorting Mabes out of the woods, she began resisting again and ultimately slipped out of one handcuff. She then began hitting and kicking the deputy and allegedly bit him, according to the citation. The deputy used his baton in an attempt to stop the altercation, but lost hold of it. Mabes allegedly grabbed the baton and struck the deputy in the face, breaking his nose. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A second deputy arrived and helped end the altercation. That deputy was also allegedly bitten. LATEST KENTUCKY LISTS AND RANKINGS: Mabes was arrested and taken to the Whitley County Detention Center. She was charged with first-degree criminal mischief, second-degree disorderly conduct, first-degree fleeing or evading police, resisting arrest, third-degree assault of a police officer, and first-degree assault of a police officer. Both deputies were treated at Baptist Health in Corbin. 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 FOX 56 News. A campsites is seen on Oct. 8, 2025, near the intersection of the Seward Highway and Northern Lights Boulevard in Anchorage. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon) The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities is planning to remove trash, waste, and the belongings of unhoused Alaskans from land near state highways, continuing an offensive that began last year. In a public notice published last week, the department said it is seeking bids from contractors who can perform the as needed removal of unauthorized encampments at various locations within the state that are managed by DOT&PF. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The department did not say how much it proposes to spend on the removal, only that approval or continuation of a contract resulting from this (invitation to bid) is contingent upon legislative appropriation. Alaskas hub cities, particularly Anchorage, have a large population of unhoused residents. Camps already removed by Alaska DOT&PF Since November 2024, the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities has identified eight encampments that it has removed: NW/SW/SE quadrants of the 36th/Seward Highway Intersection (Anch) East Fireweed Road/Parks Highway (Mat-Su) Minnesota/International off-ramp (Anch) Seward Meridian/Blue Lupine (Mat-Su) NE quadrant of the Tudor/Seward Highway intersection (Anch) A Street between 36th Avenue and 38th Avenue (Anch) Seward Highway south side, Campbell Creek Bridge (Anch) International Airport Road & Minnesota Drive Northeast Interchange Area (Anch) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it is legal for local governments to ban outdoor camping, even if no homeless shelter space is available. That move has provided the legal justification for large-scale camp removal nationwide, and since the ruling, DOT&PF has removed eight encampments in southcentral Alaska. According to the proposed contract, the winning bidder will be available on an on-call, as-needed, and/or urgent basis. The contract will last for one year, but it can be renewed up to four times for additional one-year terms. The contract is expected to be issued by Nov. 11 and would go into effect in December. This is a continuation of the work the department has always undertaken and was of particular focus, in coordination with local government partners, starting last year to remove encampments within state highway (right of way), said Shannon McCarthy, a spokesperson for the department, by email. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under state law and federal regulations, McCarthy said, the department must ensure that rights of way the land designated for transportation are actually used for transportation and are clear of things that might obstruct the right of way or could cause a safety risk. In addition, encampments in the ROW (right of way) have increased the risk of pedestrians vs. vehicle crashes, caused traffic conflicts that result in serious injury and fatalities, prevented the public from using these rights-of-way, and severely limit the intended highway buffer zones for purposes such as safety pullouts, noise buffers, stormwater retention/filtration areas, and other transportation and functional purposes, McCarthy wrote. In April, DOT&PF Commissioner Ryan Anderson signed a new policy describing how DOT will remove encampments. Under that policy, encampments underneath bridges, near utility structures or on medians are the highest priority to be removed. The policy also requires consultation with the Alaska Department of Law to ensure constitutional and civil rights protections are observed. MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WFRV) A woman in Wisconsin is facing up to life in prison for allegedly beating her own mother to death with a rock. 30 wholesale dealers in Wisconsin have licenses revoked for fraud, failed security measures According to a criminal complaint obtained by Local 5, 29-year-old Lauren Spors was charged with homicide after allegedly killing her mother with a rock. On October 12, officers were sent to a residence on West Ramsey Avenue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When officers got to the scene, a bloody rock and a gray blanket with feet sticking out from it were found. A womans body was found underneath the blanket with trauma to her skull. Authorities went into the residence and contacted Spors. The complaint said Spors had blood on her feet, hands and face. The victims neighbor was interviewed, who said they saw Spors standing over the victim and repeatedly hitting downward with an object she was holding in both hands. A rock, weighing nearly four pounds, was found at the scene and was stained with blood, according to the complaint. Spors is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and faces up to life in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is not okay,: Officers remind residents about littering after large couch, other items found Court records show Spors was scheduled to be in court on October 15 for her initial appearance. Her cash bond was set at $100,000 and is set to be back in court on November 11 regarding a competency exam. No additional information was provided. Local 5 will update this story as the case progresses. 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 WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. All they do is critique process and complain about things, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said of his Democratic colleagues. But we're getting bills done. (Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner) The Wisconsin State Senate met for a floor session for the first time in over 90 days, advancing bills that would ban cellphones in schools, require coverage of breast cancer screenings for women at high risk and allow candidates to remove themselves from ballots. Ahead of the session, Senate Democrats criticized their Republican colleagues for the sparse number of floor days and for the issues they chose to take up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are feeling the effects of the big, ugly bill on our families, our farmers and our neighbors who need food assistance or who are covered by Medicaid, Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) said at a press conference. She was referencing the federal law approved over the summer that made cuts to the SNAP and Medicaid programs to help pay for tax cuts. So what is the Republican agenda today? Nothing that addresses any of those concerns. The fact that some Republicans are here at all in this building is pretty unusual. The Democrats displayed a poster that showed the number of times the Senate has met per legislative session from 2003 to 2025. Tuesday was the first time the Senate has been on the floor since July, when lawmakers passed the current state budget. Democrats displayed a poster that showed the number of times the Senate has met per legislative session from 2003 to 2025. (Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner) During the current two-year session, the Senate has held seven floor sessions. In 2019, the Senate met 13 times on the floor. We are on the path to become one of the least active state Senates in Wisconsins history. Its irresponsible and reckless, but this is the Republican majority, Sen. Dora Drake (D-Milwaukee) said, adding that Tuesday also marks the 14th day of the federal government shutdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to WISN 12, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has said there is enough funding for WIC and FoodShare benefits through October, but those programs will face shortfalls if the shutdown continues into November. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has said he would consider taking executive action if the shutdown continues. Congressional Republicans are refusing to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies that would prevent Wisconsinites from seeing their monthly insurance premiums doubled next year, Drake said. There is not one item on our calendar today aimed at making health care more affordable for Wisconsinites or to lower costs for Wisconsin families. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) said that compared to the Assembly, the Senate typically takes up a larger schedule of bills when it comes in. The Assembly has met three times this fall. All they do is critique process and complain about things, LeMahieu said of his Democratic colleagues. But were getting bills done. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LeMahieu added that the Senate is going to meet in November, January, February and March before the end of the legislative session. Legislators will keep looking at different things to address gaps caused by the federal government shutdown, he added. Cellphone ban bill The Senate voted 29-4 to concur in a bill that will require school districts across the state to adopt a cellphone ban policy. The four opposing votes came from Democrats. Under AB 2, school districts policies would need to ban cellphones during instructional times. School boards would be required to implement the new policy by July 2026 and would need to include exceptions for emergencies, for educational purposes and cases involving student health care, individualized education plans (IEPs) or 504 plans (learning environment accommodations). These are devices that are taking away from our kids learning, and folks are asking us to do something about it, Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton) said at a press conference ahead of the session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A recent Marquette Law School poll found that 89% of voters support banning cellphones during class periods. The poll also found that 72% of voters support banning cellphones throughout the school day, including lunch and between classes. Wisconsin wants this. Wisconsin is asking for this, Cabral-Guevara said on the floor. According to NPR, at least 31 states and Washington D.C. had adopted a cellphone ban as of September. According to a recent Wisconsin Policy Forum report, cellphone policies vary widely across the state, though most school districts already restrict student cellphone usage to common areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Melissa Ratcliff (D-Cottage Grove) listed a number of concerns about the bill, including whether the bill would impede parents ability to communicate with their children when there are safety concerns and would hinder local control. Why are we, the state, worried about taking away kids cellphones before we enact legislation that prevents kids from having access to guns and prevents mass shootings? Ratcliff asked. While I understand the intent behind this bill, which is to reduce distraction in the classroom, we cannot ignore the profound and tragic reality of our current times. This measure, though well-meaning, would be a dangerous step backward in ensuring the immediate safety of our children, especially in the wake of recent horrific shootings. Cabral Guevara noted that the bill includes an exception for emergencies. The bill passed the Assembly in February, so it will now go to Evers desk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lawmakers also concurred in AB 5, which would implement new requirements for allowing residents to inspect textbooks, curriculum or instructional materials. Wisconsinites currently have the ability to submit open records requests to school districts to receive school materials. Under the bill, school districts would need to comply with requests within 14 days and textbooks would need to be listed online. This is the third session where lawmakers have pursued this policy. The 2023-25 version of the bill passed the Assembly, but never received a vote in the Senate. The 2021-23 version was vetoed by Evers. The current iteration of the bill passed the Assembly earlier this year. Breast cancer screening coverage Lawmaker advanced a bill that would require health insurance policies to provide coverage for diagnostic breast examinations and for supplemental breast screening examinations for an individual who has dense breast tissue. It would require that coverage include no patient cost-sharing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill, SB 264, passed 32-1. Sen. Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield) was the lone opposing vote. According to KFF, breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer among women in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer death. According to the American Cancer Society, women with dense breast tissue have a higher risk of breast cancer. Dense breast tissue can also make it harder for radiologists to see cancer on mammograms. Cabral-Guevara said she started work on the bill when a constituent of hers, Gail Zeamer, came to her about the issue. Previous versions have failed two times before. Zeamer was diagnosed with cancer at a late stage. She had dense breast tissue and didnt receive additional screening. She battled cancer for eight years and passed away in June 2024 at the age of 56. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the press conference, Cabral-Guevara said that 40% of the women in Wisconsin have dense breasts if youre one of those 40%, you do need a secondary screening to be truly covered to determine if you do not have breast cancer. In memory of Gail, who has passed, as well as all the other women that have been affected by breast cancer living as well as deceased, she added, this bill is a true testament that we can work together here in this Capitol building and get things done. Wisconsin already requires that insurance policies provide coverage for two mammograms for women between the ages of 45 and 49 and annual screenings for women over the age of 50. Insurance companies are not required to cover additional screenings for women with dense breast tissue or at higher risk. Speaking in favor of the bill, LeMahieu shared that his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer and she has dense breast tissue. He said they have been on a journey to deal with the diagnosis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are people who dont know their risk that they have dense breast tissue. They dont know that a simple mammogram might not catch it. Fortunately, she did her research, LeMahieu said. My wife is the exact type of person this bill is intended to help. The bill is now in the Assembly where the Health, Aging, and Long-Term Care Committee is scheduled to have a public hearing on it Wednesday. Allowing candidates to remove their name from ballots The Senate also concurred in AB 35 in a 19-14 vote. The bill would make it easier for candidates to remove their names from ballots in Wisconsin. Sen. Kristin Dassler-Alfheim (D-Appleton) joined Republicans in favor. Lawmakers introduced the bill after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was not allowed to remove himself from the Wisconsin presidential ballot in 2024 after he dropped out and endorsed President Donald Trump. Currently, candidates can only have their names removed if they are dead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sens. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) proposed adding additional language so that the law would only apply if someone hadnt been bribed to get out of a race. There are instances in our recent past where candidates have been taken aside and promised positions if they agree to drop their candidacy, so if we want to make sure we have the integrity of free and fair elections without the interference of corrupting influence. This is one small step in that, Larson said. His amendment was voted down by Republicans. Sen. Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit) said he has similar concerns about someone being pressured out of a race and also concerns about how the withdrawal mechanism would practically work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once [a] primary is done and somebody has won and their name is going to be printed on the general election ballot, if you take their name off, then you have now denied voters potentially a choice between one of the two parties, and theres no mechanism in this bill to actually replace that partys nominee on the ballot, Spreitzer said. If there were such a mechanism and other states have that Id be open to something like this, but here, there could be a situation where a safe Democratic seat or a safe Republican seat ends up without a name. Candidates withdrawing from national or statewide races would have to pay the Wisconsin Elections Commission a $1,000 fee. Non-statewide candidates would need to pay $250. Under the bill, a person would face a Class G felony with a maximum penalty of up to $25,000 and imprisonment for up to 10 years if they intentionally filed a false statement withdrawing a persons candidacy. Other bills advanced by the Senate: SB 214, which would allow health care providers with a credential from another state to provide telehealth care services in Wisconsin. It passed 18-15 along party lines and will now go to the Assembly. AB 39, which would require state employees to return to in-person work for at least 80% of their time, passed 17-16 with Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) joining Democrats against it. It passed the Assembly in September and will now go to Evers. AB 162, which would require state agencies to collect a series of metrics on training and workforce development programs, including the unemployment rates and median earnings of participants six months after they graduate from a program. The Senate concurred along party lines. It now goes to Evers. AB 168, which would allow felony fraud claims related to unemployment to be prosecuted up to eight years after a crime was committed, passed along party lines. The current statute of limitations is six years. AB 169, which would allow an employer to report to the Department of Workforce Development an unemployment recipient who declines or fails to show up to a job interview or declines a job offer. A report could be used to determine benefits. It will now go to Evers. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) A motorcyclist killed after crashing into the back of a crashing into the back of a car in north Abilene Wednesday afternoon has been identified. Stephen Hopkins, 35, of Abilene, was pronounced dead at Hendrick Medical Center following the crash on N 10th Street and Kenwood Drive just after 1:30 p.m. Witnesses say Hopkins was speeding east down N 10th Street on his motorcycle when he slammed into the back of a car that was likely turning onto Kenwood Drive, causing his bike to slide underneath. Hopkins was the only person injured and was rushed to the hospital from the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Traffic was blocked in the eastbound lanes of N 10th Street while the investigation was ongoing. Stick with BigCountryHomepage.com for additional details. 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 KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. ST. LOUIS A judge signed an arrest warrant for a University City woman accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from a local Lululemon store. According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Departments probable cause statement, the thefts all took place on Sept. 28 at the Lululemon store on Maryland Plaza in the Central West End. Police said Mercedes A. Floyd, 33, went to the store three separate times and took several items, valued at $1,130, $6,558.84, and $1,628, respectively. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The thefts were captured on store surveillance and Central West End Neighborhood Security Initiative cameras, police said. The St. Louis Circuit Attorneys Office charged Floyd with three counts of stealing $750 or more. 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 2. GEORGETOWN, Ky. (FOX 56) A woman allegedly told police she was on her way to turn in drugs to the sheriffs office, in exchange for a PlayStation, when she was pulled over. Georgetown police said they stopped Jennifer Ney after multiple reports of her car moving slowly and drifting across lanes on I-75. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to an arrest citation, during the stop, police said Ney tried to hide baggies of suspected drugs in her sweater. When officers searched her car, they allegedly found a large amount of cash, a bag with a gray powder, a bag with a pink powder, and a bag of pills identified as Xanax. Ney reportedly told an officer she was taking the drugs to the sheriffs office because she believed she would get a PlayStation. LATEST KENTUCKY LISTS AND RANKINGS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An officer wrote in their report that Ney had been heading in the opposite direction from the sheriffs office. According to court docutments Ney was arrested and charged with no or expired registration plates, failure of owner to maintain required insurance or security (first offense), tampering with physical evidence, reckless driving, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a substance (second offense), promoting contraband (first degree), four counts of possession of a controlled substance (first degree, first offense drug unspecified), first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (first offense) and possession of a controlled substance not in its original container (first offense). 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. Federal agents arrested a Portland mother who was playing the Ghostbusters theme song on her clarinet at a protest outside an ICE facility. Oriana Korol, 38, is a member of the Unpresidented Brass Band, which calls itself a social action oriented, horn driven marching band, and seeks to deescalate protest tensions. In a video of her arrest from Sunday, a federal agent can be seen violently dragging Korol to the ground, as two more agents come to his aid and her clarinet falls out of her hands. She has been in Clark County Jail in Vancouver, Washington, since, and is still being held without bail. Video of the Portland clarinet player being arrested. Honestly ditching the black bloc in favor of silly costumes, naked bike rides & brass bands is politically quite ingenious. It makes ICE look utterly foolish in any footage that appears on the news average Joe watches. pic.twitter.com/FY87x9xKGr Devin Nunes' Cattle Dog (@Kaos_Vs_Control) October 15, 2025 Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone running, and then a federal officer running after them. By the time I turned around, this person had been tackled to the ground, and there was an officer on top of them, said Mike Thompson, Korols bandleader. This was happening right at Orianas feet. And she was kind of, they were kind of pinned against a fence, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Korols husband didnt know shed been transported across state lines until 2 a.m. the next morning. It is a beautiful party atmosphere. Everybodys really excited. Then the band hits into Ghostbusters, and then at Ghostbusters, thats when ICE start storming in, Korols husband told KOIN 6. Why are they targeting a clarinet player? A clarinet player standing on the sidewalk far away from the street, following instructions. Were not seeing her. We dont know when were going to see her again, he added, referring to himself and their 3-year-old child. This arrest is yet another example of the excessive, indiscriminate, and in some instances unlawful actions that the federal agents whove flooded American cities in the past few months have taken. On Tuesday, federal agents in Chicago violated a freshly minted temporary restraining order banning them from tear-gassing civilians, also gassing local police officers in the process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Portland Mutual Aid Network has called for Korols release, urging supporters to call the Clark County Jail. Oriana Korol was peacefully protesting ICE on 10/12 and was illegally detained by ICE and DHS, their statement reads. She is the clarinet player for Unpresidented Brass Band, and was playing music for protestors. Protesting for immigrants is not a crime! A woman is facing charges after police say she left out medication that a 2-year-old boy got into. Court records show Amber Hutchinson of North Versailles Township is charged with endangering the welfare of children, simple assault and harassment, following an incident on Wednesday. According to the criminal complaint, police were called to the 100 block of Rolling Woods Drive after 911 dispatchers took a call with someone screaming and asking for EMS before disconnecting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While on their way, police were told that a 2-year-old child had reportedly gotten into sleeping pills. Police spoke with the boys parents, who said they noticed the boy had some type of pill in his mouth, so they removed it. Hutchinson, whose relation to the parents and child is not clear, admitted to being so intoxicated that she left medication out and within the childs reach, records say. That reportedly led to a fight between Hutchinson and the childs mother, who claimed Hutchinson pulled out a wall charger she was using and shoved her. Police say there were seven children in the apartment at the time, ranging from 4 months to 17 years old. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The apartment was in complete disarray, police say, adding that Hutchinsons apartment has been in a state unsuitable for children during previous calls to the residence. The boy was taken to a local hospital to be evaluated, police say. Hutchinson was arrested, and the boys mother reportedly stayed with the other children. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW NEWTON FALLS, Ohio (WKBN) An Orwell woman is facing a vehicular homicide charge for a crash earlier this year in Trumbull County. Jessica Scialabba, 32, was booked into the Trumbull County Jail on Tuesday. The charge was filed in Newton Falls Municipal Court on Friday, according to court records. Scialabba is charged in connection with a crash just before 9 p.m. May 12 in Mesopotamia Township. According to a crash report from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Scialabba was driving a 2008 Chevrolet Express west on state Route 87 that hit the back end of a buggy in front of her, causing it to go off the road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A 25-year-old woman from Mesopotamia and a 2-year-old boy were taken to the hospital for serious injuries at the time, according to the report. Investigators say the 25-year-old woman was pregnant at the time and lost her unborn baby as a result of the crash, leading to the vehicular homicide charge against Scialabba. Scialabba will be arraigned Thursday on the charge. Kristen Hephner contributed to this report. 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 WKBN.com. KANSAS CITY, Mo. A Johnson County, Kansas woman has pleaded guilty to felony arson after she set her former coworkers home on fire earlier this year. Court records say Ladan Princess Richardson pleaded guilty on Oct. 10 in Johnson County District Court to arson. Man sentenced in killing of 6-year-old boy in Kansas City, Kansas According to the Westwood, Kansas, Police Department, at about 6 p.m. on Friday, May 9, officers were called to a house fire near State Line and Glendale Road after a nearby neighbor saw flames coming from a home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The owner of the property was not at home at the time, but gave security camera footage to police following the incident. According to police, the video showed a woman holding a glass bottle and stepping out of a black sedan into the driveway. The woman then poured the liquid from inside the bottle around the outside of the home and on one of the windows, and lit a piece of paper on fire. Westwood police said the liquid was believed to be an accelerant, most likely gasoline, and when she threw the lit paper onto the liquid, the home became engulfed in flames. The video footage then showed the woman get back into the sedan and leave the scene, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to officers, the fire damaged the interior and exterior of the home before it was fully extinguished. Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android Through the surveillance footage, the homeowner identified the woman as Richardson, one of his former coworkers who police said had been awaiting trial on four prior incidents and charges of property damage and stalking. Richardson is scheduled to be sentenced in Johnson County court on Friday, Dec. 12, at 9:15 a.m. 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 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. HENDERSON COUNTY, Texas (KETK) A woman was sentenced to a total of 35 years in prison on Monday following a Henderson County drug bust that occurred earlier this year. Gun Barrel City traffic stop results in meth bust On Jan. 30, investigators with the Henderson County Sheriffs Office executed a search warrant at a property where Joni Diane Yow was living at the time. Photo courtesy of the Henderson County District Attorneys Office Beyond the Headlines: How one East Texas detective uses AI to generate new leads in 1999 cold case Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Henderson County District Attorneys Office, Yow had a felony warrant and when officers entered the property, they found the following drugs and paraphernalia: 30.27 grams of heroin 1.50 grams of methamphetamine Ziploc baggies containing marijuana Glass pipes Black digital scale Yows previous criminal history is lengthy, with a prior prison sentence for possession of controlled substance in 2003, prior state jail sentences for unauthorized use of motor vehicle and possession of controlled substance on multiple occasions, and prior convictions for possession of marijuana, theft with previous theft convictions, hindering apprehension, and failure to identify, the Henderson County District Attorneys Office said. The attorneys office said Yow admitted to buying the heroin and methamphetamine, along with hiding drugs in her residence. Yow was sentenced to a total of 35 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on two drug-related charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Woman accused of setting Longview house on fire, officials say She was sentenced to 25 years for the manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance and 10 years for possession of a controlled substance. You can now stream KETK and FOX51 News live 24/7 on your smart TV with KETK+, our brand-new app! No antenna, cable, or satellite neededwatch for free, anytime. Just download it on your Roku, Apple TV, or Fire TV and start streaming. 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 KETK.com | FOX51.com. A woman charged after being injured in a shooting involving federal agents on Chicago's Southwest Side pleaded not guilty on Wednesday. Marimar Martinez was charged with allegedly ramming a vehicle into federal agents. The complaint filed in court alleges that on Oct. 4, three CBP officers, acting as security detail, were driving a silver Chevy Tahoe in Oak Lawn when they were aggressively pursued by what is described as a "convoy of civilian vehicles." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement RELATED | New details on Border Patrol shooting, alleged vehicle ramming in Brighton Park revealed in court That convoy, the complaint alleged, was attempting to box the agents in when their car was struck, first by Martinez, then, moments later, by Anthony Ruiz, near 39th Place and Kedzie. An agent shot at Martinez five times before she was arrested at a repair shop 1 mile away. On Wednesay, Martinez pleaded not guilty to the charges. If convicted, she could face 20 years in prison. The judge approved the defense's request for a speedy trial. The next hearing was scheduled for Novemeber 20. ABC7's cameras captured as family of Martinez was leaving court, they did not want to comment on the case. Family of Marimar Martinez leaving federal court on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. INTERACTIVE SAFETY TRACKER Track crime and safety in your neighborhood STRUTHERS, Ohio (WKBN)- Two women from Struthers were booked into the Mahoning County Jail in connection with a badly injured child who is now in the hospital, according to police. Read next: Man arrested after attempting to sell stolen watches: Report Police said that Kamille Hibbitt and Essence Revely are facing child endangering and evidence tampering charges. Police said that a 7-year-old boy arrived at Akron Childrens Hospital in Boardman on Tuesday afternoon with what officers report as life-threatening injuries. The boy was eventually flown to the main campus of Akron Childrens Hospital for treatment, according to police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WKBN has learned another child in the care of the women is now in the custody of Mahoning County Children Services. Agents with the Ohio BCI are assisting with the investigation. Through the investigation, thats where it led us. We have spoken to both of them, and there was enough there to at least charge them, and we will see what transpires, said Struthers Police Chief Tim Roddy. Wednesday afternoon, Hibbitt was arraigned on another child endangering charge from March. Prosecutor John Zomoida asked that Hibbitt have a high bond because shes a danger to the public. He said he expects her to be charged with felonious assault in the next couple of days. In the case she was arraigned for, a first-degree misdemeanor, one of her children was found wandering by police, Zomoida said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zomoida suggested a bond of $10,000 for the misdemeanor charge. When asked how she felt about her bond, she started crying and said she was worried about having contact with her children, her father and Children Services. Judge James Melone agreed with Zomoida to set her bond at $10,000. She also has a no-contact order for both of her children should she post bond. 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 WKBN.com. SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors moved forward with helping a local non-profit receive funds from the state of Iowa. Supervisors unanimously adopted five different policies for the Crittenton Center to get $600,000 in community development block grant money. Story continues below Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials say the policies include a code of conduct and fair housing. County documents indicate that those are required for local governments to receive the funds. The state requires these policies for their community development block grant, and this is just a one time approval for the county to say that well fall in line with the conditions of the grant before any money can pass through. Its not needed to done every year and its not changing any of our other policies we have, its just an addition to to make sure that we follow those state guidelines and the state code, said Dan Bittinger, chair of Woodbury County Board of Supervisors. Officials add that the policies should be re-adopted based on the most current version, if thats older than 5 years. 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 SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. With all eyes on Israeli hostages returning to their families as a result of the current ceasefire, Palestinian Americans who lived or have loved ones in Gaza remain mostly invisible to their own government and Western media grieving the destruction of their homeland and the killing of their friends and relatives, as they have been for more than two years. Since President Donald Trumps 20-point plan for the Middle East went into effect earlier this month, Hamas as of Wednesday has released all 20 living hostages and several deceased captives, while Israel has released nearly 2,000 living Palestinian hostagesand about 90 deceased captives. Weve had so many stories and family photos of the hostages on the Israeli side, and almost nothing on the Palestinian side of the Americans who have a stake in this, Arab American Institute founder Jim Zogby told HuffPost. Theyve not had their story told. After the Oct. 7 attack, Palestinian Americans found it harder than it already was to receive government support to evacuate their loved ones from Gaza. Many of those families have spent the last two years watching their homes turn to rubble, their relatives reduced to bones and their elected officials vote to send billions of dollars in weapons for Israel to drop on their people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its just sickening. When I think about it I just get really depressed, everybody I know from Gaza has been going through the same deep depression, Aiman Arafat, a U.S. citizen from Gaza, told HuffPost last week. Sometimes Im in a really bad mood. I wake up and I read the news, and its the same thing: copy, paste, copy, paste, every day. I just wish Id wake up and theres something, its over, but no. Politics: The Supreme Court Is Going To Gut The Voting Rights Act To The Bone While studying in the U.S., Arafat met and married Adria, who was born and raised in a small town in Utah. The two lived in Gaza City, across from the now destroyed Al-Shifa Hospital, for nearly a decade before coming back to the U.S. and settling down in Memphis, Tennessee. The two ended their visit to Gaza one week before Hamas attack and Israels invasion, which credible human rights groups and scholars now call a genocide. We had friends there, we had just said goodbye to everybody, Adria Arafat said. We had American friends. I have a really good friend in Utah who had just come to visit her family and she got stuck, and she saw horrific things and had to try to get to the border and try to get the embassy to get her out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The couple managed to get most of their relatives out of Gaza because they had a privilege many other Palestinians dont: They could financially afford it. But unlike the international coverage some Israeli hostages and family members got, the Arafats and many other Palestinian Americans like them didnt have the media attention to help pressure the U.S. to get their loved ones out. Most Americans dont want to know the bad stuff, they really dont, Adria Arafat said. Oh, the hostage families, we feel so bad for them, and this and that. OK, what about my family? What about the 67,000 Palestinians? A photo provided by Aiman Arafat of his brother (right) and uncle in Gaza. Arafat says his uncle died during Israel's invasion because he could not access his blood pressure medication. Photo courtesy of Aiman Arafat Two of Aiman Arafats uncles in Gaza died because they did not have access to their medication or to immediate treatment, with Israeli forces having destroyed most of the enclaves health care system. His brother, who says hes been displaced a dozen times in Gaza, is alive but starving due to the famine engineered by Israels blockade. As for their Gaza City apartment, the Arafats say that Israeli forces have destroyed the building, at one point allegedly using it as an interrogation room. Soldiers also destroyed the home of Aimans mother now in Egypt who he said is so particular about her decor that the family nicknamed it the museum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So the Israelis go home to joy, and the Palestinians go home to devastation and rubble, Zogby said. The issue that nobody is taking into consideration is the human toll of rebuilding. What do you do with tens of thousands of kids wounded with no surviving family members? What do you do with the 12-year-old kid who has moved already 10 times in the last two years, goes back to where he lived, and its not just the house thats gone but the whole neighborhood is gone. A photo of a Gaza City apartment building that belonged to Palestinian American couple Aiman and Adria Arafat before Israeli forces destroyed it. Photo courtesy of Aiman Arafat Zogby joined the Arafats and a couple other Palestinian Americans this week in meeting with lawmakers like Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), to ensure Congress keeps pressure on rebuilding Gaza, blocking arms to Israel, and refusing to leave Palestinian Americans and their loved ones behind now that a fragile plan is underway. Welch told the delegation on Wednesday that a two-state solution is a long way from here to there, but that its got to be the goal starting with surging aid into the enclaveso that Palestinians can nourish and heal before starting reconstruction with the help of the U.S. and Arab nations. Israel and the Trump administration continue to reject the idea of a Palestinian state. On Tuesday, U.N. development experts estimated that rebuilding Gaza to make it safer post-war will require at least $70 billion, while aid agencies said that far too little aid is entering the enclave to meet the needs of desperate Palestinians. Israel said starting Wednesday, it will only allow half the originally agreed upon number of aid trucks into Gaza, and the U.N.s human rights office said soldiers are still killing Palestinians under the ceasefire. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) meets with Palestinian Americans with ties to Gaza who hope Congress will ensure Palestinians can rebuild by seeing the ceasefire plan through and blocking weapons sales to Israel. Provided by Logan Bayroff I want the bombing to stop, I want the aid to get in. I want people to be able to not hear constant drones over them. Thats what I want, Adria Arafat said. Now the cost of that is trusting these people that have never kept a treaty, never kept their word, going backwards on everything theyve ever promised. So I dont hold my breath because if I hold my breath, Ill turn purple and pass out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ramirez, who introduced the Block the Bombs Act, said on Wednesday she is open to the idea that a delegation of lawmakers visit Gaza on the ground to properly evaluate what the next steps are in securing safety and justice for Palestinians in the short and long term. That justice, Palestinians have said for years, must involve governments and media first recognizing their humanity, just as they do for Israelis. Before Gaza is not like after Gaza. The world is a different place, Aiman Arafat said. So its a big, huge price to pay, but I think I can see and taste and feel freedom coming for a lot of my people. So we have to be hopeful and positive. Read Next Read the original on HuffPost Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell warned Attorney General James Uthmeier on Wednesday to stop trying to manufacture a pretext for my removal, sending unusual letters to him and to Gov. Ron DeSantis that urged the Republican leaders to set aside the political theater. In the 10 months since Worrell began her second term, Uthmeier has repeatedly lambasted her offices policies and decisions. The public attacks, which Worrell has countered with defenses of her work, have left her supporters fearful that DeSantis, who removed her from office in 2023, would do so again and was using his hand-picked attorney general to lay out a case against her. It is clear that your campaign of misinformation and intimidation seeks to manufacture a pretext for my removal, Worrell wrote to Uthmeier. The people of this circuit elected me twice to administer justice without fear or favor, and I will continue to do exactly that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letters to Uthmeier and DeSantis, obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, describe Uthmeiers colorful criticisms of the embattled state attorney soft on crime, a Soros-backed prosecutor and a threat to public safety as defamatory and dangerous. The letter to DeSantis written by attorney Jon May, whom Worrell retained in the event of a suspension, went further. These false and misleading statements also compromise the safety of Ms. Worrell and SAOs staff, and the ability of the SAO to fulfill its mission to protect the public and prosecute those who commit crimes, it said. Worrell had previously brushed off worries that DeSantis might suspend her again, but the letters show she now views such action as a serious possibility. In August 2023, DeSantis suspended Worrell, who was then two years into her first term, for alleged incompetence and neglect of duty, claims she vigorously denied. DeSantis tapped Andrew Bain to replace her, and Worrell then easily defeated him in November, returning to office in early 2025. The spokespeople for DeSantis and Uthmeier did not immediately respond to requests seeking comments on Worrells letters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DeSantis 2023 complaints about Worrell included claims by local law enforcement leaders that she wasnt aggressively prosecuting crimes like drug trafficking and was being lenient with young offenders. But an Sentinel analysis later found that many of those claims about drug trafficking cases brought by the Osceola County Sheriffs Office were dubious. Some of the cases Worrells offices was alleged to have abandoned were still ongoing, and some that had been dropped or downgraded were hampered by investigative issues created by deputies. Uthmeier has attacked her this year on similar grounds, complaining, for example, that she failed to prosecute a man accused of masturbating in an Apopka park. The Florida Supreme Court upheld Worrells suspension, affirming the governors broad power to remove elected officials but failing to weigh in on the merits of the decision. Worrell blasted the court for having rubber-stamped a political stunt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In her letter to Uthmeier, she claimed his use of phrases like malfeasance and neglect of duty to describe her actions in office was an effort to bolster a new case against her. While Uthmeier doesnt have the power to decide whether Worrell stays in office, he is a close ally of the governor, whose hardline opposition to Worrell is in line with the attorney generals. The letter cites six cases highlighted by Uthmeier as examples of misconduct by her office and challenges the attorney generals views of them. One of the cases is the prosecution of Tina Allgeo, whose motion to dismiss her second-degree murder charge in a road rage shooting case will be heard this month. Allgeo argues she acted in self-defense under Floridas Stand Your Ground law. Uthmeier, in video posted to social media, called on Worrell to drop the case entirely ahead of the hearing, which drew the state attorneys ire. Allgeos lawyer, Mark OMara denied asking the attorney general to intervene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Worrell, who said Uthmeiers demand is based on his personal and uninformed views of the case, noted the shooting stemmed from Allgeo sideswiping the victims car and said that the merits of her self-defense claim would need to be decided by a judge. In the long-running case of Tommy Zeigler, who is appealing his conviction for the 1975 murders of his wife and three others, Uthmeier took umbrage at what he said was Worrells inability to hire an expert witness to counter Zeiglers claims that new DNA evidence exonerated him. She countered in the letter that the only unresolved issue was which state entity would pay the cost of retaining that witness. Worrell has said she does not believe the new evidence exonerates Zeigler. Three other cases cited in the letter involved sex crimes. One involved the man accused of masturbating in a park in Apopka, which Worrells office declined to prosecute because, she said, the children in the park did not witness the act, which is required to convict for lewd and lascivious exhibition. The father of a 2-year-old at the park took photo and video of the suspect and called police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Worrell said in her letter that the 2-year-old was interviewed by trained forensic specialists and did not recall witnessing the alleged act. But the father, who declined to be named, told the Sentinel that investigators never spoke to his child. He is upset with Worrell, wants the case prosecuted and has been in contact with Uthmeiers office. You have someone thats committing a sex crime in front of children, the father said, and instead of trying to do your due diligence, youre instead manufacturing facts to make yourself look better. Another pertained to a man arrested for possessing child sexual abuse material, which took place before Worrells time in office and remains ongoing after being referred to the Office of Statewide Prosecution, which is under Uthmeiers purview. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A third case involved a man accused of molesting a child that Uthmeier said resulted in just 15 years of probation, a claim that Worrell countered by saying the probation includes strict supervision, lifetime registration, GPS monitoring, mandatory treatment and zero contact with minors conditions that keep him under state control for life. Finally, Worrell addressed the case of a man with mental health issues and no prior criminal history, who pleaded guilty and received a 10-year prison sentence followed by five years probation for attempted second-degree murder. That outcome, the letter noted, was contemplated and approved by Bain. She also cited three attempted murder cases handled by Bain, which were similar to the one Uthmeier complained about and that she said received similar or lighter sentences without public criticism. The disparity in your response makes clear that your outrage to prosecutorial decisions in this office is not about the sentence it is about the person under whose administration it was issued, Worrell said. To portray this lawful, proportionate resolution of this case as leniency toward an attempted murder is a deliberate distortion of both fact and law. Silas Morgan of the Sentinel staff contributed to this story. A cursing and irate hiker was rescued after getting stuck in a New Mexico gorge for hours and now faces charges for trespassing, authorities said. The hiker, identified as 54-year-old Casey Waldman, of Huntington Beach, California, attempted to climb down from a ledge of the Rio Grande Gorge Friday in search of a hot spring, but became stuck, the Taos County Sheriffs Office said in a press release. Deputies were called by a bystander who thought Waldman had fallen off the ledge. They described Waldman to authorities as being alive and coherent, but also cursing and irate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was later discovered that this individual did not fall, but infact intentionally climbed down the ledge looking for a hot spring, the sheriffs office wrote. The incident happened not far from the High Bridge, a picturesque steel deck arch bridge across the Rio Grande Gorge, about 10 miles northwest of Taos. The hiker was described as irate when he was discovered and his temper probably didnt improve when he learned he faces charges over the incident (Getty Images) There are several hikes nearby, including the Rio Grande Gorge West Rim Trail. There are also hiking trails along the Manby Hot Springs, which are located just below the gorge. Waldman apparently picked the wrong trail and became frustrated by not being able to climb his way back out staying stuck where he was for hours, the sheriffs office said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When interacting with deputies, Waldman continued to be irate and refused medical attention, the sheriffs office added. It was not clear how many hours he was stuck or if he suffered any injuries. Waldman was charged with criminal trespass, since it is illegal to climb down into the gorge, which is a National Monument, the sheriffs department said. This was an unnecessary and avoidable expenditure of County and Town resources, the sheriffs office griped in the release. The sheriffs office thanked the local and county fire departments, Taos EMS and Taos Central Dispatch for their response. A wrong-way driver died in a collision with another vehicle in Inver Grove Heights Tuesday night. Phillis Lucille Deboth, 80, of Cottage Grove, entered the northbound lanes of U.S. 52, traveling southbound, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. A 60-year-old man from Birchwood, Wis., was driving north on northbound U.S. 52. The vehicles collided in the area of 80th Street at 9:54 p.m. Deboth died at the scene; the State Patrol said she was not wearing a seatbelt. The driver of the other vehicle was taken to Regions Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was a rainy night and road conditions were wet, according to the State Patrol. Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that both drivers died. The driver of the vehicle going north on U.S. 52 was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Related Articles BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) West Virginia University President, Michael Benson visited WVU Tech in Beckley as part of his visits to all 55 counties in the state. Marshall University President visits Woodrow Wilson High School He said this marks his third visit to the WVU Tech campus and he looked forward to meeting community leaders involved with the university. President Benson said WVU is the peoples university and that the best way to get to know them is to travel the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve been on a lot of winding roads and theyre taken us from community to community and Ive loved getting to know the people and meeting city council members and county commissioners and school superintendents and mayors. Most importantly, our students and our alumni and people that have a connection to the university that goes back, in some instances, generations, said President Benson. President Benson said hes enjoyed his travels immensely, especially getting the chance to see all of the West Virginia history, being a former history major himself. He said he has been encouraging students at high schools to do something after college, whether that be a four-year school or vocational training. President Benson said he wants the young people of West Virginia to find the right path for themselves in life. 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 WVNS. Davids view No modern president did more to shrink his job, or to make it less regal, than Jimmy Carter. None have tried to gild and wield its power like Donald Trump has. So its fitting that Carter inaugurated the modern government shutdown, and Trump is trying to make shutdowns politically irrelevant. Carter played his role in April 1980, when his second attorney general wrote a five-page opinion about what should happen if an agencys funding runs out before Congress could appropriate more. His answer: It runs out. No funds may be expended except as necessary to bring about the orderly termination of an agencys functions, Benjamin Civiletti advised 45 years ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Future presidents went along with that, emphasizing how painful shutdowns would be for the groups voters viewed most sympathetically, like members of the US military and low-income people. Ahead of the 2013 shutdown, when Republicans resisted funding the Affordable Care Act, both parties unanimously passed a bill to keep paying the troops; lawmakers saw the value and shared the credit. Trump found another angle. He moved $8 billion in military funding earmarked for R&D that will go instead to service member paychecks this month. Congress wasnt involved. In fact, House Republicans have kept their members at home, hoping to jam Senate Democrats with their spending bill. And Democrats have already gotten busy attacking the administrations $20 billion Argentina credit swap now padded with $20 more billion of outside aid to Buenos Aires which is unaffected by the shutdown. Neither party expects a shutdown resolution this week, which Republicans say is a reflection on how beholden Democrats are to the progressive organizers of Saturdays No Kings protests. Its true that Democratic leaders werent popular at the last No Kings and would be chased offstage if they folded before this months, but organizers have laughed at Republicans who call them Hate America and pro-Hamas protesters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No Kings: How is that objectionable? Indivisibles Ezra Levin, a No Kings organizer, asked in an MSNBC interview. How could anybody say thats anything other than the most American thing since apple pie? Republicans can say as much. Thats because, with a few libertarian exceptions, they see a lot to like about Trump stripping power from the legislative branch of the US government. Trump is undoing post-Watergate norms that took away the presidents right to impound congressionally-appropriated money, strike enemies without congressional approval, and govern without the distraction of politicized investigations and most Republicans would respond: Whats wrong with that? Who, they wonder, has actually benefited from reining in the imperial presidency? Know More Sometimes I detect a note of envy in the way Democrats decry GOP enjoyment of Trumps unapologetically aggressive second term. A lot of the norms, civic habits, expectations, institutional guardrails that we took for granted for our democracy have been weakened, deliberately, Barack Obama told Marc Maron on the final episode of the comedians honest, angsty podcast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A conservative would roll his eyes in reply and argue that Obama tested the bounds of presidential power, too; when Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts saved the immigrant group known as Dreamers, he signed off on a far-reaching executive decision that Congress never even pretended to approve. But Trump has gone much further than Obama. In the most interesting parts of Marons interview, the former president pointed out that Fox News would have been apoplectic if he had taken a Trumpian turn and sent the National Guard into Texas to clean up crime. Obama didnt suggest that what Trump did was illegal, though. He simply noted that Trump had gotten permission from his base and friendly media to act that way, adding that it would stop only if voters got tired of it. Out of power, thats what Democrats are doing: pointing to Trumps actions and waiting, or hoping, for voter anger to show up. The goal of the No Kings protest, Levin told me in an interview, is to demonstrate the breadth of opposition to the Trump administration and show the backlash that would result if things got even more imperial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If they subvert the election results next year, Levin said, youre going to want some kind of response that doesnt allow society to move on. Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to move on from the shutdown. When convenient, it blames Democrats for agencies getting defunded; otherwise, it funds what it wants and cuts off what it doesnt, with little complaint from Republicans on the Hill. What president would want to swear off that power in the future? If Democrats win back power in a few years, would they really listen to No Kings and return to Jimmy Carter mode? Notable An Eyewitness News viewer had a special surprise for a 10-year-old girl who was mugged on her way to school in the Bronx last week. Zoe Acevedo had her necklace stolen during the incident last Thursday on East 176th Street. Kerri Lavine, also known as the godmother of diamonds, saw Zoe's story and wanted to do something to help. "I called them up on Sunday and said we have to do something," Lavine said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said she was heartbroken to hear what happened to Zoe while she walked to school. Police are still looking for the man who approached the middle schooler and snatched her chain. It was a necklace that Zoe only wore on special occasions and was a gift from her family. That is when Lavine called a friend with an idea. "I said, let's reach Kemberly to see if I could do this," she said. She got right to work with her team at Diamanti NYC in Midtown, and in just two days, made a beautiful necklace. "I want to make her feel special because what happened to her was terrible and to have a traumatic thing happen when you are a young girl, that will stay with her forever," Lavine said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said that she even hopes one day to make her an engagement ring. ---------- * Get Eyewitness News Delivered * More New York City news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts * Follow us on YouTube Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. By Mrinalika Roy (Reuters) -The New York State Department of Health has confirmed a locally acquired case of Chikungunya on Long Island, the first such case of the mosquito-borne infection reported in the United States since 2019. Laboratory testing at the department's Wadsworth Center confirmed the case in Nassau County, the agency said in a statement released on Tuesday. While the infection is classified as "locally acquired" based on current information, health officials said the exact source of exposure remains unclear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chikungunya is a viral disease that causes fever, intense joint pain, headache, muscle aches, rashes, nausea, and fatigue, per the World Health Organization. An HHS spokesman declined to comment on the case and referred back to the New York health department's release. So far in 2025, Chikungunya has remained largely an imported disease in the U.S., with 88 travel-associated cases reported among residents as of September 30, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "The case is interesting because the source of exposure for this individual is unclear," said Dr Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "My understanding is that pools of mosquitoes in the patient's area have not tested positive. However, it could be that specific pools that are not part of the sample harbor the virus." He said that the types of mosquitoes that carry the virus do exist in the area, "so all it takes is an infected traveler to seed local mosquitoes, as has happened in Florida and Texas in years prior." Newborns, seniors over 65, and people with chronic illnesses face higher risk of severe symptoms, the New York Health Department said. Officials urged residents to take precautions against mosquito bites, but stressed that the risk of infection in New York is very low given the cooler fall temperatures. (Reporting by Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru and Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli) ALBANY - When a young child is found to have a developmental delay or disability, intervention to help them at an early age can change the course of their life. That's because the most active stage of brain development happens in the first few years of a child's life, when more than 1 million neural connections are formed every second, according to experts at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But thousands of children in New York who could benefit from those services don't receive them as quickly as recommended by the state and federal standards. That's according to a new report released Wednesday by The Children's Agenda, a policy and advocacy group that prescribes a new path in the publication. "New York is failing its youngest children who have developmental delays and disabilities," said Brigit Hurley, chief program officer for the organization. "There are areas in need of reimagining and reform in the early intervention system." The report recommends that New York consider allowing new professionals to provide early intervention services so more would be available for eligible children, but the first suggested step would be a comprehensive study of the state's program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New York has among the worst performance for the timely delivery of early intervention services, according to the report. Only two other states rank lower. That's the result of a handful of factors, the report found, but most boil down into two categories: the state's administration of the program and how much funding it receives. New York has administered its Early Intervention Program since 1993. Some of the problems that exist today can be traced back to its inception. The program is funded publicly but is also fed by Medicaid dollars and private insurance payments. But the average reimbursement rates for service providers, according to the report, haven't kept up with costs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The average reimbursement rate in 2024 was actually lower at about $69 than it was when the program began, according to the report. It was $79 in 1994. "The lack of adequate reimbursement is due to the state's lack of investment in the Early Intervention Program," Hurley said. "There's no reason why it has not received the resources it should." Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature approved a 5% rate increase for those providers last year, but that increase is stuck in limbo with the federal government. The program's other problems are more recent - like the state's consistent decline in the share of children below the age of 3 that receive timely early intervention services. That's defined by most states, including New York, as within 30 days of their approval. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The process begins when a parent, pediatrician or other adult refers a child to the program when they suspect a developmental delay or disability. That referral creates a 45-day deadline for a service plan to be developed if the child is determined eligible for the program. The plan is written with the child's parent or guardian after an evaluation. That plan's approval then triggers the 30-day deadline for the child to receive early intervention services. Those include physical therapy, speed-language pathology and access to technology that could help them. Only about 52% of infants and toddlers whose plans are approved received those services within that timeframe in early 2024, according to the report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's hovered around that level for the past three years but was nearly 73% as recently as 2018, the report found through an analysis of quarterly data. "There are children who are receiving special education services in the K-12 setting that perhaps would not have to be in special education right now if they had received early intervention services," Hurley said. Because New York has the fourth-largest population in the U.S., the state also has a high number of children eligible for early intervention compared to most states. About 5% of the state's infants and toddlers receive those services. But other states that shoulder a higher share of eligible children have performed better, like in Massachusetts, where nearly 11% of infants and toddlers receive early intervention services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report found that more than 99% of those children were served within 30 days of their plan's approval. Reaching a number like that would not be easy for New York, where the program is administered by the state Department of Health. One option that could be considered, the report said, is to transfer the program to the state Education Department. That could create a smoother transition from early intervention to preschool special education. But the report recommended that another action be taken first. A bill from Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, a Democrat who chairs the Health Committee, would require the agency to take a comprehensive look at the program and what could improve its performance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "New York's children deserve better than to rank last in the nation for timely access to early intervention services," Paulin said. "This report makes it clear that we urgently need changes to be made." The bill would direct the agency to author a report analyzing the state's calculations for reimbursement rates, the salaries of service providers, how other states have administered their program and if New York's is difficult to access. The last time both the state Senate and Assembly passed the bill was in 2024. But Hochul vetoed it because there wasn't funding attached to finance the agency's efforts. Lawmakers could make another attempt to negotiate a new version of the bill next year, when Hochul and the Legislature will negotiate the state budget. The new legislative session is scheduled to begin in January. This article originally published at New York is 'failing its youngest children' in early intervention, report says. Some of the Young Republican leaders whose revolting racist texts were exposed have lost their jobs after the messages were leaked in a bombshell report. Young GOP leaders in the New York and Kansas chapters have found themselves out of work after their group chat messages, which reportedly said that rape was epic, referred to Black people as monkeys, and praised Adolf Hitler, were exposed by Politico. The 2,900 pages of text messages sent between early January and mid-August this year laid bare how those who represent the future of the GOP talked behind closed doors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former president of the New York State Young Republicans, Peter Giunta, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, has been fired as chief of staff for New York Assemblymember Mike Reilly. Giunta, who allegedly said that anyone who votes against him in his failed bid to become chair of the Young Republican National Federation should be sent to the gas chambers, created the group and was one of the most prolific members, according to the outlet. Peter Giunta, who appeared on Fox 5 NYs Politics Unusual last month, called Black people monkeys, referred to them as the watermelon people and said he loved Hitler (Fox 5/Politics Unusual) The disgraced former GOP adviser, who appeared on Fox 5 NYs Politics Unusual last month, allegedly called Black people monkeys, referred to them as the watermelon people and said he loved Hitler in the expletive messages revealed by Politico. Joseph Maligno, whose social media profile previously identified him as general counsel for the New York State Young Republicans, is no longer employed by the New York State Unified Court System following his alleged messages about gas chambers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Can we fix the showers? Gas chambers dont fit the Hitler aesthetic, Maligno allegedly said in response to a message from Giunta. William Hendrix, who was vice chair of the Kansas Young Republicans at the time of the chat, is no longer employed at the office of Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, according to Politico. Hendrix allegedly used the n-word more than a dozen times throughout the chat group. The Kansas chapter of the Young Republicans has been deactivated in light of the scandal, according to the Kansas Reflector. Bobby Walker, who allegedly described rape as epic was he was vice chair of the New York State Young Republicans, will no longer be joining the campaign of New York congressional candidate Peter Oberacker, according to Politico. The 2,900 pages of text messages sent between early January and mid-August this year laid bare how those who represent the future of the GOP talked behind closed doors (Getty Images) Vermont state Sen. Samuel Douglass, head of the states Young Republicans, was also implicated in the chat and allegedly chimed in on a racist exchange with Giunta. He is now facing calls to resign, including from Vermonts GOP governor, Phil Scott. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While prominent Democrats and Republican lawmakers alike expressed outrage over the appalling messages, Vice President JD Vance did not condemn the racist and misogynistic language allegedly used by the Young Republican leaders. The vice president tried to shift the attention onto Jay Jones, the Democratic candidate in Virginias attorney general race, after text messages were unearthed in which he suggested his political opponent was worse than Hitler and should be shot. This is far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and the guy who said it could become the AG of Virginia, Vance said in a post on X. I refuse to join the pearl clutching when powerful people call for political violence, he added. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called on Trump to condemn the Young Republican leaders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some bad apples? These are the future Republican Party, Hochul said after the report broke. This is a whole lot of people saying things that are so disgusting and so abhorrent that everybody from the president on down should condemn them. Vice President JD Vance did not condemn the racist and misogynistic language used by the Young Republican leaders (Getty Images) Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the chat was revolting and disgusting. New York Rep. Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said that the messages show white supremacy is thriving on the right. The future of the Republican Party proudly embraces bigotry that belongs in the past, and every American needs to recognize how dangerous that is, Clarke said in a post on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, the Young Republicans national organization said it was appalled by the language used by the GOP leaders. Such behavior is disgraceful, unbecoming of any Republican, and stands in direct opposition to the values our movement represents, the board of directors said. Those involved must immediately resign from all positions within their state and local Young Republican organizations. We must hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity, respect, and professionalism. Giunta and Walker both apologized but also questioned the veracity of the messages in a statement to Politico. Maligno and Douglass did not respond to requests for comment, while Hendrix could not be reached for comment. The White House did not respond when approached for comment by The Independent. ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (AP) The head of an elite Madagascar military unit ousted the African island countrys president in a coup, capping weeks of youth-led protests over water and power cuts, the high cost of living and endemic poverty, among other issues. Col. Michael Randrianirina, who led the rebellion that toppled President Andry Rajoelina, told The Associated Press in his first interview with a global news agency since taking power Tuesday that he would be sworn in as Madagascars next president in the next few days. Kenya-based AP photographer Brian Inganga was taking photographs at an anti-government protest in a square in Madagascars capital on Tuesday when a brief meeting with the leader of the CAPSAT military unit set the table for the eventual interview. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here's his account of how he and video journalist Nqobile Ntshangase landed the sit-down and broke the news. Meeting the colonel The cheering in the packed square was deafening when a line of armored vehicles pulled in and parked. They were all black but one caught my attention because it was surrounded by around 10 soldiers armed with AK-style assault rifles and grenade launchers. I asked our interpreter what was happening. He replied: The colonel is coming. He meant Col. Michael Randrianirina, the leader of the military rebellion against Rajoelina and a figure who had become well-known among the anti-government protesters after joining their demonstrations over the weekend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I moved toward the car, pushing past protesters while trying to avoid the glare of the soldiers around it. I got to it just as one of the back doors swung open and Randrianirina popped his head out wearing a camouflaged cap. I introduced myself as an AP reporter and asked him for an interview. He said not now, so I asked for his number. He agreed. I gave him my cellphone and he punched in his number and then moved off, surrounded by his troops, to go up on a stage and greet the protesters. I didn't know it at the time, but Randrianirina was on his way after this stop to make the announcement that the military was taking over, the moment that confirmed Rajoelina had been ousted in a coup. Getting into the barracks I don't remember exactly how many times I called the colonel's number on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, but it was well over a dozen. He finally answered and said he remembered me as the young man from the American press. I asked again about the interview and he agreed, saying I could come to CAPSAT'S barracks with my video colleague Nqobile and our interpreter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We identified ourselves at the security gate outside the barracks and were let in. It was busier than any military barracks I've been to. There were a lot of soldiers. We were pointed to a building where the colonel's office is on the first floor but were stopped at the bottom of the stairs by soldiers. Other people were lining up to get into the building, including men in suits who looked like politicians, and even a priest and an imam. I think they were waiting to meet with the country's new military leader. The soldiers wouldn't let us up the stairs, so I called the colonel again. A message came down and we were allowed to go up. But at the top of the stairs, another group of soldiers stopped us. Luckily, I recognized another military officer who had been with Randrianirina the day before. He also recognized me and vouched for us, and we were ushered into the colonel's office. The interview Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The office was big. There was a soldier at the door and the colonel was sitting on a black couch, with two of his officers on another couch next to him. They appeared to be having an important meeting, but he smiled when he saw me and said to me, You've been calling a lot! So many phone calls! I was probably a little nervous, unsure what to expect in the office of a coup leader who'd announced a day earlier he was taking control of a country. The colonel seemed to sense that and told me not to be scared. He laughed and said to us, I'm not a monster. He said he had an important appointment soon and so we didn't have a lot of time. We set up as quickly as we could and asked our questions. What were his next steps? He told us he was going to become the president and he expected to be sworn in at a ceremony in the next few days, breaking the news that he intended to become Madagascar's next leader. After the interview, he and his two officers even agreed to pose for pictures with us. ___ Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa. ___ For more AP news on Madagascar's military coup: https://apnews.com/hub/madagascar YWCA Quad Cities is part of a global movement to end all forms of violence. The annual Week Without Violence is October 2024 and this years theme is Safe Beginnings: Protecting Mothers, Nurturing Futures. Events will focus on supporting mothers and their children while they build hopeful, healthy futures. YWCA Quad Cities invites the public to participate in events throughout the week to educate, engage and advocate for a world free from violence for women, girls and families. When we invest in safe, healthy beginnings for mothers, we strengthen the foundation of our entire community, said Julie Larson, YWCA Quad Cities President & CEO. This week is about awareness, action, and compassionstanding together to make sure every family has the support they deserve. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Events during the week include: Monday, October 20 Every Mother Matters Awareness March, 9:30 a.m., YWCA Quad Cities, 513 17th Street in Rock Island. The march will raise awareness about maternal and infant health disparities and advocate for equitable, respectful care for all mothers. Argrows Cafe Food Truck will be on site starting at 8:30 a.m. for breakfast and coffee and Larson will give remarks at 9:30 a.m., followed by a one-mile community walk through downtown Rock Island. Tuesday, October 21 The Village presents Healthy Beginnings Q&A, 5 6 p.m., YWCA Empowerment Center, 1115 Mississippi Avenue in Davenport. Community Health Care (CHC) is partnering with the YWCA for an open Q&A session for new and expecting moms. Trusted providers can give expert advice on newborn care, safety, development and postpartum health in a welcoming, judgment-free space. Wednesday, October 22 Maternal Health Expo, 3 6 p.m., YWCA Quad Cities, 513 17th Street in Rock Island. The YWCA is working with CHC to host a one-stop event with free resources and services for expecting mothers, including: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Free blood pressure checks by CHC nurses Guidance on Title X assistance and family planning Information on behavioral health, perinatal dental care and primary care Free diapers, wipes, and prenatal vitamins provided by YWCA Quad Cities Thursday, October 23 The Village Presents Healthy Beginnings Q&A (Encore Session), 10 11 a.m., YWCA Quad Cities, 513 17th Street in Rock Island. This is a repeat of the session on Tuesday. 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 WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) New Zealands defense minister warned in an interview that small countries in the South Pacific face growing pressure from great power competition for their rare minerals and fisheries wealth, and that more action was needed from regional neighbors to help in preserving island nations' sovereignty. Judith Collins, who also oversees New Zealands intelligence and space portfolios, spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday before departing for Washington D.C., where she will meet Trump administration officials including Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. New Zealand, a nation of 5 million in the South Pacific, is part of a vast region of mostly small island countries once seen as remote from global tensions. But Collins cited Chinas encroaching presence in the region in recent months as evidence of its global security importance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I also say to the U.S. that you are a Pacific nation, Collins told the AP, speaking in her parliamentary office in Wellington. And its not just that you have Guam, its not just that you have Hawaii, as lovely as it is. Its the fact that your entire California is on the Pacific Ocean, that Alaska is on the Pacific Ocean, that Russia is a Pacific nation. Mineral riches make Pacific vulnerable, Minister says The seabed across the South Pacific is rich in rare earth minerals that are increasingly in demand for technologies such as electric vehicle batteries and defense systems, but mining has yet to begin at scale because international rules governing access are still being established Collins said the potential wealth of the region's small island nations left them exposed to exploitation by powerful interests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She didnt cite China specifically. But her government expressed alarm in February when Beijing signed an agreement to collaborate on deep sea mining research with the Cook Islands, a nation of 17,000 people, which has close military, diplomatic and citizenship ties to New Zealand. The Pacific has enormous wealth but its just not in the hands of the people, Collins said Wednesday. She added that she didn't want to see the promises of mineral wealth for those countries being "basically raped and pillaged off them. Collins said other recent moves by Beijing are evidence of a changed security landscape. They included Chinese naval live-fire drills near New Zealand in February, Beijings plans for a sixth base in Antarctica despite not being party to the treaty governing operations on the continent, and the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean last September. New Zealand plans Pacific defense on a budget Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Collins may still face a challenge showing her counterparts in D.C. that New Zealand can contribute to regional security and to the work of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing group of countries, of which New Zealand is a member, along with the U.S., Britain, Canada and Australia. The countrys military struggles with rundown hardware and recruitment woes, as illustrated in an embarrassing 2024 episode when one of New Zealands nine navy ships ran aground on a reef off Samoa, caught fire and sank. Collins will meet an administration that wants its allies to do more and ask for less. President Trump has urged European nations to commit to big hikes in defense spending, warning that U.S. help in defending its allies in case of invasion was no longer guaranteed. Collins said her governments announcement in April that it would double defense spending to 2% of GDP in the next eight years was evidence that New Zealand was not just people saying gimme, gimme, gimme. But she admitted that the country could not afford enough ships and planes to patrol its sprawling oceanic zone and that of its nearest island neighbors, and said a more agile approach was needed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What we can use is new technology, like satellite surveillance, like for instance drones, she said. We have businesses in New Zealand who are producing drones now and other uncrewed aircraft that is just astonishing. Minister seeks loosened military trade with US Collins will ask Trump administration officials for changes to help those companies grow. The countrys defense industry and space sectors are hampered by strict U.S. import and export controls on military technology, she said. New Zealand in 2024 ranked third in the world for verified successful vertical launches into space, behind the U.S. and China, partly due to the countrys latitudinal location and uncongested airspace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Collins said U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations prevented the sharing of products and knowledge between New Zealand and American space sector firms and more could be done if they were loosened. She planned to seek an exemption to those rules, which she said had already been granted to other Five Eyes countries, although her chances of success at a time of U.S. trade tariffs were not enormously huge, Collins added. Kash Patel gifted Collins a gun The meetings in D.C. are some of the most significant to date between New Zealand and U.S. officials during this political term. Collins was among those who met in July with FBI director Kash Patel, the highest-ranking Trump administration official to visit New Zealand so far. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She and other officials received unusual gifts from Patel of inoperable 3D-printed pistols that were illegal to possess under New Zealands laws and had to be destroyed. Collins on Wednesday was light-hearted about the offering. I thought, well, thats going to go well with my taser, said Collins, gesturing to a decommissioned taser on display in her office. However, the gift had to be relinquished to the police, she added. Its a shame, but thats the way it is, Collins said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is hopeful that upcoming talks with US President Donald Trump could bring Ukraine closer to an end to the war with Russia. The United States has the power to wield global influence, Zelensky said in his evening address on Wednesday, two days before his scheduled trip to Washington to meet Trump on Friday. Trump has been feted in Israel for his part in the Gaza ceasefire. "The agenda of our meeting with the President of the United States is very substantive," Zelensky remarked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said the Ukrainian side has done its "homework" ahead of the meeting, adding "both the military component and the economic one." A Ukrainian delegation, including Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak, is already in Washington and is holding meetings to prepare for the talks with Trump, Zelensky said. Meeting have also already been held with US defence and energy companies, he added. "Tools like Patriots and Tomahawks can help lay a long-term foundation for peace," Zelensky concluded his address. One of the main topics expected to be covered at Friday's talks is Kiev's request for the delivery of Tomahawk cruise missiles, which have a range of around 2,500 kilometres. Ukraine has been defending itself against a full-scale Russian invasion with Western help for more than three and a half years. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has placed the Black Sea metropolis of Odessa under military administration amid a conflict with the city's mayor. In a decree issued on Wednesday, Zelensky established the new military administration and appointed intelligence general Serhii Lysak as its head. Lysak was simultaneously relieved of his position as military governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, a role he had held for more than two and a half years, to take on this new responsibility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, Zelensky revoked the citizenship of Gennadiy Trukhanov, who has been Odessa's mayor for more than 10 years, saying the mayor had a Russian passport. Trukhanov denies the accusation, intends to file a lawsuit against Zelensky's decision, and is holding on to his position as mayor. However with the loss of his citizenship, the city leader is also effectively removed from office and could even face deportation. "Far too many security issues in Odessa remained unanswered for far too long," Zelensky said on Tuesday without providing specific details. He added that the city needed stronger protection and more support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trukhanov, who has repeatedly condemned Russia for its numerous attacks on Odessa, has been mayor of the strategically important port city of over 1 million residents since 2014. Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian invasion for more than three and a half years. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has placed the Black Sea metropolis of Odessa under military administration amid a conflict with the city's mayor. In a decree issued on Wednesday, Zelensky established the new military administration and appointed intelligence general Serhii Lysak as its head. Lysak was simultaneously relieved of his position as military governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, a role he had held for more than two and a half years, to take on this new responsibility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, Zelensky revoked the citizenship of Gennadiy Trukhanov, who has been Odessa's mayor for more than 10 years, saying the mayor had a Russian passport. Trukhanov denies the accusation, intends to file a lawsuit against Zelensky's decision, and is holding on to his position as mayor. However with the loss of his citizenship, the city leader is also effectively removed from office and could even face deportation. "Far too many security issues in Odessa remained unanswered for far too long," Zelensky said on Tuesday without providing specific details. He added that the city needed stronger protection and more support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trukhanov, who has repeatedly condemned Russia for its numerous attacks on Odessa, has been mayor of the strategically important port city of over 1 million residents since 2014. Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian invasion for more than three and a half years. Zelensky's actions face criticism Critics of Zelensky accuse him of increasingly replacing elected officials with military administrations led by his confidants. Due to the ongoing martial law, the local elections originally scheduled for late October have been postponed. However, the mandates of all local representatives have been extended until the end of the war by a parliamentary resolution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelensky has long faced accusations of authoritarian tendencies, including from Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko. In recent days, tensions between Klitschko and Tymur Tkachenko the military administrator appointed by Zelensky have flared publicly. The president recently criticized Klitschko over power outages caused by Russian drone attacks. Ukraine orders evacuation of towns near Kupiansk Ukrainian authorities have ordered the evacuation of families with children from more communities in the eastern Kharkiv region due to a "worsening security situation" around the long-contested city of Kupiansk. Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Wednesday that the evacuation affects 40 towns and involves 409 families with 601 children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kupiansk, which has been nearly totally destroyed by Russian attacks, is strategically important due to its location and transport links. Several towns in the surrounding area have already been evacuated as Russian forces try to advance westward. Zelensky described the situation along the Kupiansk front as "difficult" at the end of September. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has placed the Black Sea metropolis of Odessa under military administration amid a conflict with the city's mayor. In a decree issued on Wednesday, Zelensky established a new military administration in the city to help in the fight against Russia's invasion and appointed intelligence general Serhii Lysak as its head. Lysak was simultaneously relieved of his position as military governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, a role he had held for more than two and a half years, to take on the new responsibility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, Zelensky revoked the citizenship of Gennadiy Trukhanov, who has been Odessa's mayor for more than 10 years, saying the mayor had a Russian passport. Trukhanov denies the accusation, intends to file a lawsuit against Zelensky's decision, and is trying to hold on to his position as mayor. However with the loss of his citizenship, the city leader is effectively removed from office and could even face deportation. "Far too many security issues in Odessa remained unanswered for far too long," Zelensky had said on Tuesday without providing specific details. He added that the city needed stronger protection and more support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trukhanov, who has repeatedly condemned Russia for its numerous attacks on Odessa, has been mayor of the strategically important port city of over 1 million residents since 2014. Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian invasion for more than three and a half years. Investigative journalists from the Russian portal The Insider have cast doubt on the authenticity of documents presented by Ukraine's SBU intelligence service which point to Trukhanov being Russian. Their verification of the passport number showed that such a passport had been issued five years earlier to a woman. Additionally, the published copy contained an error in the English transliteration of his first name. This could not be independently checked. Zelensky's actions face criticism Critics of Zelensky accuse him of increasingly replacing elected officials with military administrations led by his confidants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Due to the ongoing martial law, the local elections originally scheduled for late October have been postponed. However, the mandates of all local representatives have been extended until the end of the war with Russia by a parliamentary resolution. Zelensky has long faced accusations of authoritarian tendencies, including from Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko. In recent days, tensions between Klitschko and Tymur Tkachenko the military administrator appointed by Zelensky in the capital have flared publicly. The president recently criticized Klitschko over power outages caused by Russian drone attacks. Ukraine orders evacuation of towns near Kupiansk Elsewhere, Ukrainian authorities ordered the evacuation of families with children from more communities in the eastern Kharkiv region due to a "worsening security situation" around the long-contested city of Kupiansk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Wednesday that the evacuation affects 40 towns and involves 409 families with 601 children. Kupiansk, which has been nearly totally destroyed by Russian attacks, is strategically important due to its location and transport links. Several towns in the surrounding area have already been evacuated as Russian forces try to advance westward. Zelensky described the situation along the Kupiansk front as "difficult" at the end of September. President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Serhii Lysak, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast governor, as the head of the newly formed Odesa Military Administration on Oct. 15, according to a decree published on the presidential website. The move came a day after Zelensky stripped the tainted Odesa Mayor Trukhanov of Ukrainian citizenship, effectively pushing him out of office. Ukraine's Security Service has confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that Zelensky revoked Ukrainian citizenship of Trukhanov, ballet dancer Serhii Polunin, and former Ukrainian politician Oleg Tsaryov. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All three were accused of having Russian citizenship. Trukhanov denies the allegations and promised to challenge the decision in court. Loss or termination of Ukrainian citizenship can serve as grounds for removing a person from office, including an elected one, according to the law. Trukhanov said on Oct. 15 that he remains in charge of the city and is not planning to leave Ukraine. Petro Obukhov, a member of the Odesa City Council from the European Solidarity party, said that Lysak is effectively taking over the responsibilities of the city's mayor. He added that if the termination of Trukhanov's mayoral powers is officially confirmed through a legal procedure, the matter will be brought to a vote in the council. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I don't think the city council will obstruct this process," Obukhov told the Kyiv Independent. In the meantime, Oleksandr Slavskyi, a council member representing Zelensky's party, doubts a decision could be passed, as Trukhanovs faction holds a majority in the city council. Serhii Dubovyk, deputy head of Ukraine's Central Election Commission, told Ukrainska Pravda that Trukhanov may lose his position once the city council receives the presidential decree revoking his citizenship. Opposition lawmaker Oleksii Honcharenko said Lysaks appointment doesnt mean Trukhanovs powers are transferred to the military administration. Even if Trukhanov is ousted, he said, both positions can operate simultaneously. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under martial law, city military administrations are temporary bodies created in given settlements by a presidential decree. These administrations operate under the presidents directives and can assume some of a city council's powers. Kyiv is currently the only major city with a military administration in place. While its establishment was officially framed as a security measure to bolster the capital's defense, many observers interpreted it as a political move to diminish the authority of Mayor Vitali Klitschko. A prolonged power struggle has since emerged between Klitschko and Tymur Tkachenko, who was appointed to lead the Kyiv City Military Administration, with recent Russian attacks on energy infrastructure adding further strain to the political standoff. In his Oct. 15 evening address, Zelensky said that Odesa, a key Black Sea port city in southern Ukraine, "deserves greater protection and stronger support." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement General Lysak has built career in Ukraine's Security Service. Following the start of Russia's all-out war, Lysak was appointed to a number of posts in different Ukrainian regions. He has served as the governor of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast since February 2023. The events unfold as some political observers point to mounting central government pressure on local officials. "The issue is not about Trukhanov at all, but about the fact that there is a law, there is local self-governance, and there is the Constitution of Ukraine," Honcharenko told the Kyiv Independent. "The very essence of local self-governance is autonomy, not when the president appoints whoever he considers fit." Read also: Zelensky strips tainted Odesa Mayor Trukhanov of Ukrainian citizenship, effectively pushes him out of office Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to appoint Serhii Lysak, the current head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, as the head of Odesa City Military Administration. Source: Ukrainska Pravda source; decrees on the president's website Details: The source told Ukrainska Pravda that the relevant documents establishing the military administration and appointing its head are expected to be published shortly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Suspilne, a Ukrainian public broadcaster, and the national joint 24/7 newscast have also reported, citing their own sources, that Lysak will become the head of Odesa City Military Administration. The presidential decrees establishing Odesa City Military Administration and appointing Serhii Lysak as its head appeared on the official website of the head of state on the afternoon of Wednesday 15 October. Quote from the decree: "Odesa City Military Administration of the Odesa district of Odesa Oblast shall be established pursuant to the Law of Ukraine On the Legal Regime of Martial Law." Details: The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Odesa Oblast State Administration have been instructed to take the measures required under the law On the Legal Regime of Martial Law to implement the establishment of the military administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Due to Lysak's transfer to the new post, his duties as head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast State Administration have been temporarily assigned to his deputy, Vladyslav Haivanenko, the former head of the Kyivskyi district police department of the National Police in Odesa. Background: In his evening address on 14 October, President Zelenskyy announced plans to establish a city military administration in Odesa. For reference: Serhii Lysak is a brigadier general in the Security Service of Ukraine. From 2020, he had led the Security Service office in Zhytomyr Oblast. On 19 July 2022, President Zelenskyy appointed him head of the Security Service in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and on 7 February 2023, Zelenskyy signed a decree naming Lysak head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Democratic mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani picked up an endorsement Tuesday from a Brooklyn pastor who previously supported Andrew Cuomo in the race for City Hall. The Mamdani endorsement from Bishop Orlando Findlayter, whose congregation is in East Flatbush, could help Mamdani make inroads with Black, socially conservative Democrats, a constituency from which hes had some difficulties securing support. Findlayter was seen as instrumental in lining up African-American support for ex-Mayor Bill de Blasio in the 2013 election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an appearance Tuesday afternoon with Mamdani, the pastor said hes backing him this year in large part due to Mamdanis commitment to make the city more affordable. New York City is an expensive city. Frankly it is a city that we cant afford, Findlayter said in an appearance at Medgar Evers College alongside several other clergy members who also endorsed Mamdani. That is one of the many reasons I am standing here today to throw my full support behind Assembly member Zohran Mamdani to be the next mayor. Mamdani, whos polling as the favorite to win the Nov. 4 election against Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, said he was honored by Findlayters nod and added he believes he will only succeed in City Hall at building a more affordable New York City, at restoring the peoples trust in a democracy, and in making our city worthy of the great people who call it home, if I am surrounded by great leaders and advisers myself. Findlayter endorsed Cuomos bid in the June 24 Democratic mayoral primary that Mamdani won by a nearly 13-point margin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cuomos now running as an independent in next months general election, polling as the runnerup to Mamdani. In a statement co-signed with dozens of other faith leaders, Findlayter had said during the primary that he was backing Cuomo because his leadership reflects the values we hold close: uplifting the marginalized, fighting for equity, and building a city where every person has the chance to thrive. Asked for comment on Findlayters Tuesday announcement, Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi noted some community and religious leaders who previously supported Mamdani have now come around to backing Cuomo, including Fahad Solaiman, a Queens imam. Azzopardi also noted the ex-governor was endorsed last weekend by more than 70 faith leaders from all five boroughs. The first order of business in Fox Newss sit-down interview Wednesday with New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani: trying to goad the Muslim assemblyman into opining on the Middle East. Rather than ask the mayoral front-runner to explain his stances as they relate to the city hes running to govern, host Martha MacCallum opted to grill Mamdani on a series of issues not related to Gracie Mansion at all. First, MacCallum wanted to know if Mamdani would give credit to Donald Trump for arranging a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, to which Mamdani responded it was too early to do so. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But if it proves to be something that is lasting, something that is durable, then thats where you give credit, Mamdani said. The next critical query: the mayoral candidates thoughts on Hamass October 7, 2023, attack and the undelivered hostage remains. What is your response to what Hamas is doing now? MacCallum asked. I think those are bodies and remains that should absolutely be returned, Mamdani said. And I have no issue with critiquing Hamas or the Israeli government, because my critiques all come from a place of universal human rights. Mamdani tried to squeeze details actually pertaining to New York City into this answer, acknowledging the citys rampant affordability crisis. But MacCallum had no interest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Do you believe that Hamas should lay down their weapons and leave the leadership in Gaza? she said, steamrolling past the detail. I believe that any future here in New York City is one that we have to make sure is affordable for all. And as it pertains to Israel and Palestine, that we have to ensure that there is peace, and that is the future we have to fight for, Mamdani said. But you wont say that Hamas should lay down their arms and give up leadership in Gaza? MacCallum reiterated. I dont really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety, Mamdani laughed. And that applies to Hamas, that applies to the Israeli military, it applies to anyone you could ask me about. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mamdani has taken the Big Apple by storm. After a tight Democratic primary (and stunning upset victory) this summer, the Ugandan-born New Yorker has gained citywide appeal. He is leading the mayoral race by double digits, garnering 46 percent support in the wake of Mayor Eric Adamss withdrawal, according to a Quinnipiac poll published Thursday. The 33-year-old has also caught the eye and ire of the White House. Trump has spent months openly browbeating Mamdani, accusing the local lawmaker of being in the country illegally, while promising to arrest him if the mayoral hopeful follows through on defying ICE. The president has also posed direct threats to the denizens of New York, claiming that he would leverage the power of the executive branch to choke funding from the countrys wealthiest metropolis unless it rejects Mamdanis bid come Election Day, next month. Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee to be the next mayor of New York City, repeatedly refused to say that Hamas the terrorist organization that launched a war with Israel by attacking civilians in southern Israel a little over two years ago should lay down its arms during an interview with Fox News Martha MacCallum on Wednesday. So, youve denounced Israel and the United States for the response to the slaughter on October 7th. In fact, at times youve called it a lasting stain, the response, and at times you have left October 7th out of your statements completely around this issue. Right now, you just talked about Israelis killing some Palestinians, but Hamas is killing Palestinians within Gaza. And they have not returned the bodies that they promised to return, including two Americans, Itay Chen and Omer Neutra, whose families we have interviewed over these months, observed MacCallum before asking, So what is your response to what Hamas is doing now? I think those are bodies and remains that should absolutely be returned. And I think that I have no issue with critiquing Hamas or the Israeli government, because my critiques all come from a place of universal human rights. And my focus, however, is right here in New York City and transforming the most expensive city in America into one thats affordable for each and every New Yorker, replied Mamdani. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But, okay, and I want to get to that, absolutely. But do you believe that Hamas should lay down their weapons, and leave the leadership in Gaza? followed up MacCallum. I believe that any future here in New York City is one that we have to make sure thats affordable for all. And as it pertains to Israel and Palestine, that we need to ensure that there is peace, and that is the future that we fight for, answered Mamdani. But you wont say that Hamas should lay down their arms and give up leadership in Gaza? asked MacCallum again. I dont really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety, and the fact that anything has to abide by international law. And that applies to Hamas, that applies to the Israeli military, applies to anyone you could ask me about, insisted Mamdani, who went on to reaffirm that he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visited the Big Apple under his mayoralty. Watch above via Fox News. The post WATCH: Zohran Mamdani Repeatedly Refuses to Say Hamas Should Lay Down Their Arms During Fox News Interview first appeared on Mediaite. The Zora! Festival, celebrating author Zora Neale Hurston, is entering a new phase. Organizers just announced a patriotic theme and confirmed the festival will return to the historic Robert Hungerford High School property. The festival will happen on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community announced the festivals new theme is designed to align with the countrys upcoming 250th anniversary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement N.Y. Nathiri, the executive director, explained the focus, saying, Zora festival theme will be Hurston, history and heritage looking at what people of African ancestry in this Country have contributed to the to the history of the country. After years of being held elsewhere, the festival is returning to the Hungerford campus. This move was made possible by a decision from the Orange County school board. Nathiri noted that the property is essential for the event. We were always on the historic Robert Hungerford High School campus. It is a space that allows us to fully interpret the festival theme, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The festival isnt just a cultural event. Its a major economic force, often generating nearly $2 million in cultural heritage tourism for the region. The money goes straight to local spots like Kookn with Kim restaurant. Owner Kim Middleton, who was busy serving soul food to a line of customers, said the festival is great for business. The festival is great for us., Middleton said. The event boosts Orange Countys economy by bringing in visitors who need lodging and food, according to Nathiri. Organizers plan to keep the event fresh with new additions, including a Zora STEM hub and a special character portraying a young Zora Neale Hurston to interact with guests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maze featuring the Frankie Beverly band and Mike Clark Jr. will be performing. Established in 1887, Eatonville is the oldest Black-incorporated municipality in the U.S. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Director Sophia Franzella leads "Eulogy" rehearsal with the Pallbearers, as the show has dubbed the chorus members of playwright Brendan Healy's autobiographical semi-solo performance. (Brett Love) Looking for a break? Test your knowledge of this week's news from the Yakima Valley. Understanding the legal process in America is not easy, and I do not envy the attorneys who try to defend doctors in court. I do envy them for their protections. Lawyers, for the most part, as elected members of Congress, create our laws. Others, also for the most part lawyers, are selected to be U.S. Attorneys, and they enforce those laws. Lawyers called judges control our courtrooms. Almost all of them are drawn from the ranks of prosecutors, with very few defense attorneys being selected, and their biases, subconscious or perhaps not, are reflected in the ratio of their decisions that favor the prosecution. Finally, lawyers designated as Supreme interpret the laws written by lawyers and enforced by lawyers. America does not have the rule of law; we have the rule of lawyers, and this worked fine for about two hundred years. Or I should say it worked fine for some people. The cases of Bell and Dred Scott make clear that, while justice is supposed to be blind, it clearly is not. In the 1960s this started to change. Judges started actually trying to follow the constitution and saw it as their duty to protect the rights of the individual when those rights were being trampled by those in power: the wealthy, the better connected, and even the state itself. But in the 1970s it became politically popular to accuse the courts of being too pro-criminal. What they meant was that when those in power want you to go away, that is what those in power think should happen. The conviction rate in federal courts at that time was about seventy-five percent, with many cases being dropped before trial. The lawyers in the executive branch did not like this, and they reached out to the lawyers in the legislative branch and said, Fix this. And fix it they did. Laws were passed limiting a defendants ability to get access to evidence. Authorities were no longer punished for violating a defendants constitutional rights; lawyers did not have to tell the truth to the grand juries or even at trial. The goal of the prosecutor became, not justice, but conviction uber alles. The appellate courts were allowed to look at a conviction in a light most favorable to the prosecution, turning Franklins admonition that ninety-nine guilty should go free before one innocent goes to prison on its head. Now, innocents are sacrificed on the altar of finality of conviction, the stated goal of appellate courts these days, turning them into rubber stamps. Except for the extremely wealthy, well-connected, and politically powerful. You will find that when an appeal is granted that frees someone from prison, it is almost always from those categories. The rest of us, even when we win, are left in prison. Like Dr. Ruan. How is there any meaning to winning on appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court if the prosecutor is allowed to take you back and give you the same twenty years again? And what did the Ruan decision accomplish for doctors? It gave us the false hope that we could again focus on the health of our patients instead of constantly practicing not just defensive medicine but adversarial medicine, where every patient could be a compromised confidential informant trying to alleviate some ungodly sentence by getting you to forget to dot an i or cross a t. Or perhaps they are DEA agents, trained in deception by the masters of political manipulation, the FBI. Whoever decided to put the Civil Rights Division under the same umbrella as the creators of COINTELPRO should get the Orwell Award. I am writing this to you from prison because the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that, because a government paid expert did not think my physical exam documentation was extensive enough, I should spend seven years in federal prison. No witness testified at trial that I had criminal intent or sold a prescription out the back door. The government called two of my patients to the stand, and they both said that I was a compassionate doctor, trying to help them with their terrible problems, paraplegia with pain from an implanted steel rod for one, and spinal fractures acquired on active duty for another. No. The problem was that the governments taxpayer compensated expert did not think that my physical exam documented enough. He was from Florida, where their state laws regarding the practice of medicine require a review of past records and a physical exam. I practice in Arkansas, where the standard is a comprehensive physical examination OR a thorough review of the medical records. Now I did both, as is my usual practice of medicine. My clinic had an MD for general medicine and urgent care, a nurse practitioner who was psychiatrically trained, and two counselors. If a patient was on chronic treatment with a controlled medication however, they could not just walk in for refills. They had to first submit their medical records for review before an appointment with me was allowed. My job was to handle complicated patients. I had been the director of emergency medicine and trauma at two hospitals and the director of medicine and vice chief of staff at one. I had also worked with a board-certified pain specialist for over a decade and had gone through the training to become one of the less than six percent of physicians to be certified to treat addiction. That already takes me out of the average practice of medicine. ADVERTISEMENT But the usual practice of medicine should not be construed as the average practice of medicine. If I am an average primary care physician I might not accept cancer patients. I might not treat veterans with PTSD. I might not take over the care of patients with HIV and AIDS when the local state supported facility started refusing to treat them. But I did all of those things. My colleague at the clinic and I agreed that we would no longer start anyone except cancer patients on opioid medications, or even benzodiazepines, leaving that to psychiatrists and other specialists. But we would continue medications started by others if we found good reason for them in the history. And in all of the patients I was prosecuted for treating, we did, including the one who died from seizures in police custody after they withheld his benzodiazepines. No, they did not check with a doctor or nurse or even a medical student, any one of whom would have told them about the near certain fatality of benzodiazepine withdrawal induced seizures. The police at the jail did not think they had to check with anyone. Like todays politicians and the DEA, they believed that they knew better than the doctors what this guy needed. He needed to suffer. They thought we had been drinking but even when the test came back clear of any alcohol, they still refused his medications. Even when he beat on the walls of his cells with his fists, something the government paid toxicologist said was not a sign of agitation, they refused to give him his prescribed medications or call me or anyone else. They could have called me or the specialist he had driven four hours to see, the spine specialist who was going to help him with his injured neck. This patient had suffered an industrial accident that crushed his lumbar spine, and metal plates and rods had to be surgically placed to stabilize it and prevent paralysis. Though the bones heal around the metal, for almost all patients, this does not stop hurting. Ever. Nor did it for him. He came to us on three opiates and two benzodiazepines. I reviewed his history, saw the MRIs and comprehensive exams by spine surgeons and a pain specialist, saw the PTSD diagnosis and other complications. But just as I approved him for an appointment, he suffered a new injury. He was a corrections officer, and while running during an emergency, his right hand had been caught and crushed in a sliding steel door, pulling off the last third of one finger. The ER report was faxed over showing neck and shoulder pain, and hand pain of course. And I accepted him as a patient. The first day I saw him we reviewed those records together, and I did a thorough eleven-system general exam. His hand was bandaged, and I did not unwrap it as I knew the risk of infection from a traumatic amputation was very high. He did indeed get a bone infection that required further amputations. The governments expert faulted me for not even examining the hand, ignoring this risk. On the next visit I took a picture of the stump, and it was in his chart. The physical exam that day was to make sure that, while all the specialists were focusing on his injuries, nothing else had been missed. Sure, I used abbreviations that I am sure were confusing to the jury, well groomed, well nourished, white male in no acute distress, etc. But the federal government seems to have lost sight of the fact that the patient chart is not created for legal review, or at least it should not be. It was created by me so that I could note, not everything, but what was important about this patient. I was not going to assume that every medical professional who saw these patients before me did not know what they were doing. But that is exactly what the governments pain expert told the jury. That the MRIs had been read wrong, that the EMGs had been read wrong, and that I should have known that. Dr. R testified that I had not documented sufficiently to justify continuing his medications, focusing only on my chart, and ignoring all of the scanned-in records. The patient had enough past CTs to glow in the dark and MRIs to stick to a refrigerator. Was I to know that I would be faulted by the prosecution for not getting one more? Ignoring the fact that I did indeed get an MRI of his shoulder, documenting rotator cuff injuries, and of his neck, documenting his traction injuries? I did a good general exam, to look for anything missed. I was worried about his blood pressure, but he was in pain from his recent injuries. And he was in pain. Chronic pain in his back and acute pain from his new hand, shoulder, and neck injuries. Putting him on something could cause him to pass out if he had a good day and would complete the surgeries I knew he would need. This exact chart was reviewed by several physicians from the Arkansas Pain Committee. A software error had kept imported scanned in items from printing for them to review, and of course, after a terrifying visit from the DEA, they assumed that I had not done them. But I had. Every time with every patient. The medical boards expert, in fact, found that my records were sufficient and justified my treatment of this very same patient. But the doctor from Florida disagreed. It did not meet his standards, purchased with thousands of government dollars. And this swayed the jury. In Ruan the Supreme Court said that a doctor must know and believe his actions are criminal or he cannot be prosecuted. But, in their zeal to justify any conviction, the appellate court accepted the governments argument that I was willfully blind to the opinion of a doctor from Florida I had never met who thought he was brilliant enough to know better than every physician that had seen this patient before him. I am not terribly humble, but I am not that arrogant. The pain expert also testified that my patients had addiction, despite no doctor who actually saw the patients, including me who was certified to treat addiction by the very DEA that was prosecuting me, ever making that diagnosis. I had an addiction expert, Dr. Wartenberg, who literally wrote the chapter on avoiding addiction and diversion in the Principles and Practice of Pain Medicine, there to say that these patients did not have addiction. That their symptoms were not created by medications but their underlying medical issues and severe chronic pain. I myself took the stand and, after a good cry because my defense attorney had failed to bring the slides we needed for the direct examination, spoke like an auctioneer trying to give the jury a synopsis of four years of medical school and a decade and a half of medical practice. Shockingly, I was not able to boil all this down to a few hours on the stand. They did not understand. A doctor has the right to weigh the risks and benefits of treatment and do what they think is best for their patient. There is both a federal law and an Arkansas state law that says a physician cannot be forced to take an action that is against their deeply held beliefs. It is my deeply held belief that when people are suffering they should be treated with effective, compassionate care. I believed that if I took that particular patient off his medications, the stress would kill him. And indeed, when the state did so against my orders, it did kill him. My dedicated defense counsel, Mr. Ron Chapman, will appeal this to the U.S. Supreme Court, but I have read his filing in Lubetskys case. Dr. Lubetsky was also held to an impossible standard of perfection and convicted despite the fact that he had no criminal intent, and the Supreme Court refused to hear his case. I am sure they thought that everything had been straightened out with Ruan. They are wrong. L. Joseph Parker is a research physician. Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Surgeon Fateh Entabi discusses his article A surgeons take on God, intelligence, and cosmic responsibility. Fateh reflects on how the complexity of the human body inspired him to think more broadly about intelligence, consciousness, and the idea of Godnot as a distant creator, but as an evolving intelligence embedded in the universe itself. He explains how this perspective shapes his sense of responsibility as both a physician and a person, drawing parallels between healthy cells in the body and ethical individuals in society. Fateh also explores how religious belief systems evolve, why adaptability is a sign of life, and how attunementlike in music or surgeryoffers a model for living wisely and compassionately. Listeners will gain a thoughtful, practical framework for considering their place in a larger whole. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Now you can streamline and customize documentation, surface information right at the point of care, and automate tasks with just a click. Part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, Dragon Copilot offers an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform to help unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, its backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise, and its built on a foundation of trust. Its time to ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended Transcript Kevin Pho: Hi. Welcome to the show. Subscribe at KevinMD.com/podcast. Today we welcome Fateh Entabi. Hes a surgeon. Todays KevinMD article is A surgeons take on God, intelligence, and cosmic responsibility. Fateh, welcome to the show. Fateh Entabi: Thank you. Its an honor to be on your show. Thank you very much. My name is Fateh Entabi. Im a general surgeon. I practice in the Central Valley of California. I have a private practice that I run myself, and most of the time, I have medical students with me. They come from a medical school close by that Im affiliated with. I also have a few inventions and a medical device company that I run that sells my medical inventions. Throughout my life, I was always interested in philosophy. As a teenager, I read a lot of books on philosophy and religion, and I was always looking to find the best ways to orient myself in the world. I found that philosophy is the way for me. Recently, my practice has been going through a lot of changes, and that forced me to rethink my principles as to how I respond to the changes that are constantly happening around me. ADVERTISEMENT At the same time, AI is becoming very common. In every conversation, you hear about AI and how we can integrate it into medicine, diagnosis, and imaging. That got me thinking about intelligence in general and how AI is intelligent and we are intelligent, and then the system as a whole that I work with. For me, intelligence is more about how to adapt to the changing environment around us. That was something I had to do for myself as the environment around me was changing, and then I thought thats what AI also does. Then I started thinking also about how animals or any living beings always adapt to changes, and thats what allows them to survive. I think thats also true for systems: governments, companies, hospitals, and practices. All of those are systems that need to also evolve and adapt. By my definition of intelligence, all these are intelligent systems, and then the cosmos as a whole is intelligent when you think about it. Typically, we always connect intelligence with consciousness because we attribute intelligence to humans, and thats always associated with the way we speak, how we process data, how smart we are, and how much memory we have. But I see that as a very narrow definition. Taking it more widely as just how we adapt to the environment would be a more inclusive and wider sense of intelligence. Under that definition, we can include humans and other animals that adapt to the environment. I saw recently in the city of Chernobyl, after it was left for many decades after the nuclear disaster, how the forest is reclaiming the city. Its repopulated now. Its all green, and animals just got in. From that perspective, we see the whole cosmos as intelligent. Intelligence may represent the closest thing to what I consider God. We are part of this universe. It is very intelligent, and we are part of it. Were not separate from it. Our intelligence is part of the overall intelligence. As a surgeon, I deal with cancers and different cells in the body. I thought of how cancer cells are cells that just go out of the system. They do their own thing; they do not respond to the system around them. They overgrow where they should stop growing, and then they do their own thing. That got me thinking that eventually, the cancer cell leads to the death of its host if its not treated. I thought as a person, Im part of this universe and Im part of that intelligence, and I could be a good cell or a cancer cell where it just ends up causing more damage to itself and everybody around it. I just thought that it was a poetic way of looking at it, but it helps soothe me when Im thinking about how I should be participating in the environment around me as it changes. Kevin Pho: Give us an example of how this philosophical worldview that you just described to us and your perspective has soothed you, and how does that interact with your life as a surgeon? Fateh Entabi: Recently, for example, the hospital where I do most of my surgeries stopped taking a certain type of insurance, and then I had to switch to a different hospital. When I went there, the people and the instruments were different. Theyre not used to exactly how I practice. At the same time, in my private practice, the office I rent from was rented to other people, which forced me to change my schedule. All of a sudden, I found that my schedule was just very different, and its very frustrating. It made me start thinking that I want to complain, This is not right. Youve got to do something about it. Then I thought, Where does that get me? That most likely would just make me think more about the frustrating aspects of my life and get me to be more frustrated and angrier. Perhaps a more intelligent way would be to just adapt and go along with it because theres really not that much else I could do besides getting upset and not being positive about it. Thats how I think that philosophy can help me in day-to-day problems. Kevin Pho: Whenever medical students and residents rotate with you, do you ever share this philosophy to help them better cope with the sometimes difficult lives that theyre facing in medicine? Fateh Entabi: I do. I do that. Sometimes they also bring other examples of philosophy. I am interested in Buddhist philosophy, a lot of Eastern philosophies, and psychology. Psychological techniques and meditation help a lot with coping with the stresses around us. Kevin Pho: Has anything from the operating room or from your life as a surgeon influenced your philosophy? Fateh Entabi: Yes, absolutely. Just seeing how the body works, how after a surgery or trauma, any insult to the body, how it heals itself. The more you explore into basic science and how all the different mechanisms, the chemical signals, the hormones, and the cells work. As we think in more detail about cells, the atoms are made of cells, and then subatomic particles, and then you can get into quantum physics. We dont have enough science or evidence to study that, but in reality, it boils down to this: at the end of the day, we are part of the universe, and were made from the same substances that everything else is made out of. It all came from stars a long time ago. Kevin Pho: One of the themes that Im sensing is adaptability. Tell me about how we in medicine, physicians and medical students, all of us in medicine, how can we be more adaptable? What kind of advice or tips can you share with us? Fateh Entabi: I would share that throughout my experiences, at the beginning of my career, I was more focused on getting information and techniques and just gathering all the instruments I need as a doctor. But in reality, when you go out to the real world, you are just a part of a larger system, a larger organization. You need to really understand it and understand how it works and how it functions in order for you to participate and not get too frustrated. Its very easy to fall into thinking about yourself and how something doesnt make sense and, Why are they doing that? It makes absolutely no sense. But then we start learning why the administration is doing this and doing that and the reasoning behind it. You start understanding how it is an extremely complex system, like a big web that involves everything in the universe, really. Even what administration does in the hospital has to do with policies that have to do with the government of California. It has to do with the president, and why the president is doing that is related to other countries. Everything is really interconnected, and the more we understand that, I think the less frustrated we can be. Kevin Pho: I think thats a good point. By realizing that everything is interconnected, you start understanding some of the reasons why administration is doing some of the things that it does. Perhaps it makes it less of an adversarial relationship. Fateh Entabi: Exactly right. It makes all the workflow a lot better. Youll be more tolerant of things that you dont understand immediately. You could be more patient and just try to understand. Always be curious about the environment around us to understand it before we fall into a snap judgment where we blame others or blame ourselves and get more frustrated. Kevin Pho: In your article, you also write about music and the idea of attunement. How can music teach us about living ethically and intelligently? Talk more about that musical aspect. Fateh Entabi: I played the bass; I used to play it with a band, and I love music. The thing about music is its not like our day-to-day, where we always have a goal like, Youve got to do it, youve got to finish it, youve got to get there. A lot of times we are monotonous; we do the same thing over and over again. When you think about music, the beauty of it is the variation. If you watch a jazz player, I try to play jazz, but Im not that good. But when you watch how they adapt, somebody makes a sound and plays a note, then you want to play another note that makes it sound good. The more you attune to that, the better the jazz is. The best jazz musicians have the best music because of how they attune to the environment around them and what other people are playing. If we can take that mindset and think about it in life in general, where we want the environment to sound like jazz, and we are part of that, how can we play our notes so it sounds good? In a way, its about attunement. Its not about just repeating the same thing. At the same time, theres really no hurry. The best music doesnt have to be very fast. Its not about how fast it is or any particular obvious goal where you just focus so much on the goal, like, I want to get this done, Ive got to get it done, rather than just living the process and really attuning to whats going on around us. Thats where I find music helps me with that perspective. Kevin Pho: You clearly have a longstanding interest in philosophy. For those physicians who are listening to you and may not have had a previous interest in philosophy but certainly want to become more in tune with themselves and the world around them, and they may be wrestling with questions about faith, science, and meaning, tell them where they can get started. What are some resources that you recommend? Fateh Entabi: I would say that Buddhist philosophies, out of all the philosophies, resonate the most. I try to see it as a philosophy. Its not so much about what many people think, that its about Buddha as a person or that we have to worship him. Its not that. Its more like what we call secular Buddhism. It has the same principles as Buddhism; they have some great principles for life and it has nothing to do with faith. Its separate from faith. Just exploring those ideas, like the source of our pain on a daily basis is really frustration. Why do we have frustration? Its because we wish for something, and that thing that we wish for doesnt happen, and that gets us frustrated. If we can be less attached to that idea and just be more open, then well be less frustrated. Well be able to enjoy life more. Kevin Pho: Were talking to Fateh Entabi. Hes a general surgeon. Todays KevinMD article is A surgeons take on God, intelligence, and cosmic responsibility. Fateh, why dont we end with some take-home messages that you want to leave with the KevinMD audience? Fateh Entabi: I would say always be curious about the environment you work in, and with that curiosity, try to understand the system that youre part of and contribute well. Always ask yourself how you can make the system work better, and that serves you, serves the patients, and serves the system that you work in. Sometimes it can be frustrating on a personal level, but thats the growth that we have to go through as we get older and hopefully more wise. Kevin Pho: Well, thank you so much for sharing your perspective and insight, and thanks again for coming on the show. Fateh Entabi: Thank you, sir. India imported about 38 percent more oil from Iran in the eleven months to November as an easing of Western sanctions earlier in the year over Tehran`s disputed nuclear activities helped boost shipments, trade sources said. TVS Motor Company has launched its first-ever adventure touring motorcycle, the TVS Apache RTX 300, in India. It will compete with the KTM 250 Adventure, Royal Enfield Scram 440, and Yezdi Adventure. From daycare to college, the back-to-school season almost always correlates to one thing: a rise in respiratory illnesses. In late summer, when children are returning to their classrooms, outbreaks of illnesses like strep throat, influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) become more common, and schools can quickly become amplifiers of community transmission. These infections can spread rapidly through contact with surfaces where the virus or bacteria is present, like desks, staircase railings and even supplies shared across classrooms. A lack of preventative measures, including people not covering their noses or mouths when coughing or sneezing, further contributes to the spread of the infections. Diagnostic tests play a critical role in staying safe during these peak outbreak seasons, as children are being sent back to school. By helping to diagnose illnesses, patients can then receive the proper treatment and help prevent the spread to more vulnerable populations. Additionally, diagnostic tests provide critical data for epidemiologists and scientists preparing for future outbreaks. As respiratory illnesses increase during this season, diagnostic tests are some of our most crucial tools. The role diagnostics can play Whether deciding to test at home or in urgent or primary care settings, efficient and accurate diagnostics are critical. Rapid diagnostics can be antigen- or molecular-based and often provide results in fifteen to twenty minutes. Rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs) can help clinicians quickly and accurately diagnose flu cases and have been shown to help reduce the length and severity of outbreaks. Additionally, certain treatments for respiratory infections, like Tamiflu (oseltamivir), are most effective when administered within a couple of days of symptom onset. Early diagnostics can help ensure timely treatment of symptoms. Can we predict respiratory illness outbreaks? Unfortunately, there is no crystal ball for predicting future respiratory illness outbreaks. But data from diagnostic tests, among other monitoring systems, can provide key insights for scientists in helping communities be as prepared as possible. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that monitoring school absenteeism could help predict higher volumes of the flu in certain communities. Absences, often due to symptoms like a fever or cough, may serve as a warning sign of a respiratory illness outbreak even before data from clinical tests. In addition to school monitoring, epidemiologists in the Northern Hemisphere will often look to data from the Southern Hemisphere to gain insight into what the upcoming respiratory illness season may entail. As the Northern Hemisphere approaches its peak respiratory illness season, the Southern Hemisphere is emerging from it. Data from the Southern Hemisphere may not be an exact match, but it can be a helpful indicator of strains or diseases that may be on the rise, or how severe a particular outbreak may be. In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks diagnostic results, emergency room visits and hospitalizations to monitor potential peaks as well as levels of infectious disease in wastewater and can provide readouts in a nearly real-time manner. The results from this monitoring can help inform communities so they can take the necessary precautions (such as increased access to diagnostic tests and other health measures) that can help reduce outbreaks. Keeping ourselves and our communities safe Rapid and accurate diagnostics are vital in getting patients the right treatment, but they are equally helpful in preventing patients from receiving the wrong treatment. Determining the symptoms can help avoid the overuse of antibiotics, a significant contributing factor to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, a pressing global health issue where antibiotics are no longer effective in treating bacterial infections. It has recently been warned that the overuse of common antibiotics such as amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin is particularly accelerating resistance worldwide, underscoring the urgent need for rapid and accurate diagnostic testing to ensure these medications are prescribed only when truly necessary. While many people often only experience minor symptoms from a respiratory illness, these viruses can pose serious risks to immunocompromised people, including young children and older adults, as well as people with autoimmune conditions and those undergoing chemotherapy. Without intervention, a respiratory illness outbreak can spread through a community rapidly, putting more vulnerable people at risk of a severe and potentially fatal infection. Early, rapid diagnostics for respiratory illnesses can help individuals receive the right treatment and ensure communities take the proper precautions, which can help protect immunocompromised people from contracting the illness. While schools can serve as a hotbed for the viruses that cause respiratory illnesses, they are also one of the most useful places to conduct surveillance. As families prepare for the new school year, the lesson is clear: early and rapid diagnostics are not just tools for helping patients get the right treatment but are also the frontline in preventing the spread across communities. Kevin King is a health care executive. (Illustration courtesy of Haps Magazine Korea) The Banyeo 2-dong Market Beer and Discount Festival will be held from October 16 to 18, between 2 pm and 9 pm, transforming Haeundaes Banyeo 2-dong Market into a vibrant autumn celebration of local food, music, and craft beer. The festival combines the joy of seasonal discounts with the relaxed charm of sharing a drink, encouraging visitors to support local merchants while enjoying an evening in a lively market setting. Organized as part of Busans Traditional Market Revitalization Project, the event focuses on boosting consumption and drawing more people back to traditional markets. The three-day festival will feature a Beer Street pop-up zone, free beer coupons, daily discount vouchers, raffle giveaways, and interactive events such as cooking contests and tasting competitions. The markets central street will transform into a cozy beer alley, lined with oak tables and warm lighting, where visitors can pair locally purchased snacks with a glass of beer. Customers who buy snacks worth over 5,000 won will receive a free beer coupon, creating a casual evening experience for locals and tourists alike. Additionally, visitors can receive up to 10,000 won in discount coupons per day, and customers spending more than 10,000 won will be entered into raffles for prizes, including a two-don gold key and other gifts. One of the festivals highlights is the Ban-Hal-Maek Company Night, a unique after-work gathering concept encouraging teams of five or more employees or students to host their group dinner at the market. Participants who share the festival poster on social media and apply via QR code will receive snack vouchers worth 50,000 won and two free beer coupons per person, promoting a youthful and social market atmosphere. The event also includes the Ban-yeo Grandma & Grandpa Cooking Contest, where local merchants compete to showcase their best dishes, and visitors can vote as tasting judges. Fun competitions like the Beer Sommelier Contest and King of Delicate Beer Tasting will entertain guests throughout the festival. Adding to the festive mood, the Ban-yeo Alley Sound stage will feature live music, while the Retro Music Cafe revives nostalgic tunes from past decades. A youth-driven Street of Youth zone, using vacant market spaces, will include a retro photo booth and Ban-yeo Flea Market, bringing fresh energy to the traditional marketplace. This marks the fifth event in Busans Traditional Market Revitalization Relay Series, following successful festivals at Suyeong Paldo Market, Deokpo Night Market of Asia, Gukje Market, and Jangnim Alley Fish Cake Festival. Through this festival, Busan aims to transform its traditional markets into welcoming cultural hubs that foster community connection, encourage local shopping, and sustain regional economic growth. (Illustration by Stripes Korea) One of the biggest challenges newcomers face in Korea is figuring out where to buy affordable household items and, most importantly, how to get rid of them before PCSing. Unlike in the States, Korea doesnt have many secondhand shops. Instead, most Koreans rely on Karrot (Danggeun ), the most popular app in Korea for buying and selling used items. Karrot also serves as a local lifestyle platform where millions of Koreans check daily for neighborhood news, recommendations, meetups and even lost-and-found posts. Check out how to use the app step by step so you can save money and connect with your local community! Features of the Karrot app Karrot app logo. (Screenshot of Karrot app) My Karrot (Screenshot of Karrot app) 1. Find secondhand items at affordable prices On Karrot, you can find almost anything you need for daily life, including furniture, home appliances, clothing, baby strollers, bicycles, kitchenware and more. (Keep in mind that certain items such as alcohol and medicine are not allowed for sale.) Prices are usually affordable, and many sellers offer big discounts when they need to move quickly. Many neighbors who simply want to clear space even post items for free. Many Koreans replace furniture not because its broken, but because they want a new interior style or an upgraded model. Since the official disposal process usually requires buying a paid sticker from the local government, many people find more value in giving their items away to someone who needs them through Karrot. So, if youre lucky, you may pick up high-quality furniture and household goods at no cost. You can also donate your items when you need to move. 2. Connect with your local community Lost pets (Screenshot of Karrot app) Another useful feature of Karrot is the Local Life () board, where neighbors exchange information, ask questions, and share about everyday life in the neighborhoods. Posts include restaurant recommendations, pet care, fitness and childcare tips, beauty salons, medical clinics, housing, moving services and more. I also used this feature when I moved to Pyeongtaek a few years ago. I asked for a hair salon recommendation and many residents replied to my post. Thats how I found a great shop where I still go today. Neighbors also share updates if a major incident happens nearby. One of the most common uses is helping find lost pets. Owners upload photos of missing cats or dogs while others share sightings or offer temporary shelter. 3. Join meetups in neighborhood communities Meet-ups. (Screenshot of Karrot app) Karrot also offers a feature where users create small meet ups based on their interests, such as hiking, language exchanges, workouts, parties or volunteer activities like helping animal shelters. These groups are popular because they allow people to share hobbies and socialize in a safe, healthy way. Joining is simple. Browse the available groups around your area in the Meet Ups () board and tap to join. Some groups may ask for certain age ranges or gender requirements, so make sure to check the group description first. For newcomers, this can be a good way to meet locals and make friends outside the base. Be cautious: Some groups may use Meet Ups for cult-related recruitment. If you ever feel pressured to attend suspicious gatherings, its safest to walk away. 4. Discover local businesses Small business owners and service providers can also post advertisements such as restaurant promotions, home rental posts, secondhand cars and job openings. You can discover hidden gems around your neighborhood and connect directly with the people running them. How to use the Karrot app Step 1: Download the app and register Search Karrot or in the App Store or Google Play. Sign up for Karrot with your phone number. Creating an account requires verifying your identity through your mobile carrier, which is linked to your passport number or alien registration number. Please note: Most Korean apps, including Karrot, require identity verification when signing up. If you dont have an alien registration number yet, please check the guide on how to obtain ARC. Step 2: Change the language (optional) STEP 2 (Screenshot of Karrot app) Go to My Karrot ( ) and scroll down to Settings. Then select Language settings and choose English. Please keep in mind that many menus and item descriptions may still appear in Korean. Most foreigners use the app with help from translation apps like Papago or Google Translate. Step 3: Verify your neighborhood STEP 3 (Screenshot of Karrot app) Karrot is built on trust between neighbors, so it requires you to verify your location using GPS. You can register up to two neighborhoods, helping you reach more buyers and sellers in different areas. For example, you can set one neighborhood to where you live, and the other in an area you often visit or prefer. Busy districts in Seoul like Hongdae or Gangnam tend to have more options for quality items at lower prices, and they also offer more events and meet-up groups compared to suburban areas. Please note that Karrot requires location verification ( ) to fully set a district as your neighborhood. This means youll need to physically visit the area and open the app there. Without verification, you can still browse items in that area, but you wont be able to start a chat or make a deal. Step 4-1: Post an item (if youre a seller) STEP 4-1 (Screenshot of Karrot app) Take clear photos from multiple angles. Click Post on the Home board and select Selling My Item ( ). Write a title and description, set the price (or mark as free), and add the location where youll meet. Step 4-2: Browse items (if youre a buyer) STEP 4-2 (Screenshot of Karrot app) Use the search bar at the top right of the Home board. Keep in mind it usually works best with Korean keywords, so use translation apps if needed. Many free items are posted daily but disappear quickly since most sellers give them to the first person who messages. So, act fast! Before contacting a seller, check their profile and reviews from past deals. This will help you avoid unreliable users. Step 5: Chat with buyers or sellers All communication happens inside Karrots chat, keeping your phone number private. If youre selling, buyers will message you and youll get a notification. If youre buying, send a polite message. Many users appreciate a short greeting in Korean such as (Hello). If youre using a translation app, let them know. Whether youre buying or selling, be respectful and responsive as Karrot encourages users to build trust with neighbors. Please note: Confirm the price (negotiation is common, but not guaranteed). Decide the exact location and time. Sellers often send a map pin. Agree on payment. Koreans usually transfer money via bank app after checking the item, but paying cash on the spot is also fine. Step 6: Meet & complete the deal Most people meet in public spots like a cafe entrance, subway station or grocery store parking lot. Though scams are rare, its always smart to double-check before paying. Please note: Inspect the item carefully before paying. Once the exchange is complete, mark the item as Sold in the app. Leave a short review to build your reputation as a trustworthy user. Speakin Korea: Useful phrases for Karrot app users Here are some easy Korean phrases you can use when chatting with sellers or buyers on Karrot. Typing a few short sentences in Korean will make your deal smoother. Even if youre not confident in Korean, sending just Annyeonghaseyo () before your English message makes the conversation more polite and friendly. Greetings Hello: Annyeonghaseyo ( ) Thank you: Gamsahamnida () Asking for understanding Im not good at Korean, I hope you can understand.: Hangukeo jal mot-haeyo, ihaehae juseyo. ( , . ) Im using a translator app.: Beonyeokgi sseugo isseoyo. ( .) When asking about an item Is this still available?: Ajik itnayo? ( ? ) How much is it?: Eolmayeyo? ( ? ) Can you give me a small discount?: Jogeum kkakka-jusil su innayo? ( ? ) Is it free?: Muryo-yeyo? (?) Making plans to meet Where should we meet?: Eodiseo mannal-kkayo? ( ? ) What time works for you?: Myeot sie gwaenchan-euseyo? ( ? ) Shall we meet in front of the subway station?: Jihacheol-yeok apeseo mannal-kkayo? ( ?) Completing the deal Hailey Bieber likes herself "so much more now" since having her son. Hailey Bieber is more confident now The 28-year-old model and her husband Justin Bieber became parents to Jack Blues in August 2024 and she thinks motherhood has helped her to develop a "ferocity" she didn't have before, which has made her more confident. She told WSJ. magazine: I like who I am so much more now than I did before I had my son. You gain this silent strength and confidence. You cant tell me the same s*** that you could tell me before. Youre not f****** with me after I pushed a human out of my body. And becoming a mother has made Hailey want to be at home more. Recalling how she insisted on a 6pm dinner with her friends so she'd be back for her son's bedtime, she said: I feel like time has just become so precious. Having kids makes you realise that. But when she is at home, Hailey is still focused on work and late at night, she often has "brain dumps" with her ideas for Rhode Beauty, which she founded in 2022. She said: Ill be laying in bed at 1 oclock in the morning and write something down. You can ask my team; theyll get a text at 2 oclock in the morning and Im like, Ignore this till the morning! Earlier this year, Hailey sold her business to e.l.f. Beauty in a deal estimated to be worth up to $1 billion and she's planning to "invest wisely" for her son's future as a result. Asked how the money from the sale will affect her life, she said: I want to preserve that for my sons future. Its an amount of money that I have not dealt with before, so I just want to be smart with it. I would like to invest it wisely. Despite selling the brand, Hailey has continued as chief creative officer and head of innovation as well as acting as a consultant to e.l.f. She said: I never wanted to sell my company and wipe my hands clean and walk away from it. Im still the one thats testing all the products, Im still the one thats sitting in the product-development meetings. Hailey has considered releasing a children's skincare line and takes care to "slather" Jack in French pharmacy products before he goes to bed. She said: My baby every single night goes to bed like a baby glazed doughnut. I slather him. Naomi Watts has worked "very, very hard" for her recent success. Naomi Watts has reflected on her career arc The 57-year-old actress received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier this week, and Naomi loves that her career is still flourishing at this stage of her life. She told Extra: "Its one that we all feared as we especially in Hollywood as we grew older. We always thought, oh you know, its finishing. Its all done by a certain age. It seems to be not true." Naomi is particularly appreciative of Ryan Murphy, having worked with the acclaimed producer on All's Fair and Feud: Capote vs. the Swans. She said: "Its because of people like Ryan Murphy, who is interested in a woman at every age and a lot of great work has happened for me at this point in my life." 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!" Portuguese Chef Antonio Neves Coelho, a prominent figure in Portuguese and Macanese gastronomy in Macau, died Monday at age 77. The chef established several restaurant projects, including the restaurant Antonio in Taipa Village, where he dedicated most of his professional time. Recently engaged in a new project at Angelas Cafe & Lounge in Lisboa, Macau, the hotel released a statement announcing the chefs death, noting that he passed away peacefully. As noted by Lisboeta, Chef Antonio devoted his life to promoting Macanese and Portuguese gastronomy and received wide recognition and respect across the industry. Born in Portugal, Coelho completed his military service in 1970, partly in Macau. Many years later, in 1997, he returned to the territory to work in the restaurant business, participating in several events related to the Macau handover ceremonies.He was the head chef at the Military Club and the Portuguese restaurant Espaco Lisboa in Coloane Village for several years. In late 2007, he started the Antonio restaurant in Taipa, where he gained most of his recognition. In addition to being a maitre rotisseur of the Association Mondiale de la Gastronomie in France, he was a member of the Macanese Gastronomy Guild and the Macau Culinary Association. In 2013, he was awarded the Macau SAR Tourism Merit Medal, and two years later, the Portuguese government awarded him the Medal of Merit of the Portuguese Communities for his services in promoting Portuguese culture, gastronomy, and identity. Like this: Like Loading... The Health Bureau announced the immediate launch of a seven-day Healthy Community Citywide Stagnant Water Cleanup campaign following the confirmation of two local Chikungunya fever cases on October 11. Around 130 personnel from the bureau and community organizations are conducting door-to-door inspections across multiple districts. Efforts are initially focused on the Border Gate area, where the local cases were reported, and will expand to Ilha Verde, Fai Chi Kei, Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, Tap Seac, and other neighborhoods. The bureau urges residents to eliminate standing water weekly by covering storage containers, regularly changing water in vases to reduce mosquito breeding and prevent further spread of the disease. Like this: Like Loading... The 18th World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention (WCEC) will take place in the region from November 2 to 4, organized by the Macao General Association of Chinese Entrepreneurs. Held under the theme Collaborating to Build a Community with a Shared Future for Chinese Entrepreneurs, the convention will emphasize unity, cooperation, and mutual development among Chinese business leaders across the globe. Macaus role as a bridge between Mainland China and international markets is expected to play a key part in deepening global connections, particularly through opportunities arising from the Belt and Road Initiative. A press conference announcing details of the event will be held on October 16 at 11:30 a.m. at the Macao General Association of Chinese Entrepreneurs Building. Organizers will outline the agenda and key highlights of the upcoming convention, which aims to strengthen collaboration and foster new opportunities for the global Chinese business community. Like this: Like Loading... The Judiciary Police (PJ), in conjunction with their counterparts in Hong Kong and mainland China, have dismantled a cross-border prostitution ring, resulting in the arrest of seven men and one woman, including the ringleader, along with nine women involved in prostitution and two male clients across various districts in Macau. The PJ disclosed details yesterday regarding an investigation that led to the interception of 10 mainland Chinese women and six local male clients involved in prostitution at various hotels in the citys NAPE and central districts since May. Upon investigation, all the women were found to have originated from the same online solicitation platform. This website, controlled by three administrators, posted an average of 30 to 40 solicitation advertisements daily, utilizing virtual currency transactions to conceal fund flows. In a joint operation conducted on Monday morning, police arrested a total of 17 individuals across three jurisdictions. In Macau, eight people were taken into custody, including seven local residents and one Vietnamese national. Meanwhile, six mainland residents and one Macau resident were arrested in mainland China, and three Hong Kong residents linked to the recruitment of prostitutes and clients were apprehended. The suspects are believed to hold various roles within the operation, ranging from masterminds to key members and lower-level operatives. During a press conference held yesterday, the PJ reported the arrest of 58 female sex workers and 44 male clients by police from three jurisdictions on Monday. In Macau, nine female sex workers and two male clients were apprehended at four hotels in the NAPE area. Additionally, the PJ dismantled a warehouse used for storing prostitution paraphernalia, seizing a substantial cache of related items, including over 10,000 condoms, numerous disposable bed sheets, and more than 300 bottles of lubricants and massage oils. The operation also resulted in the confiscation of one car, two motorcycles, and one bicycle. The PJ revealed case details, noting that since January this year, the prostitution website concerned has posted at least 2,500 advertisements. With a fee of RMB300 per advertisement charged to the prostitutes, the illicit profits are estimated to total around RMB50,000, equivalent to approximately MOP840,000. Police recover lost items in two separate cases The Public Security Police (PSP) have solved two cases of found-property misappropriation, arresting a local woman and a mainland Chinese man, recovering a total of around MOP16,000. In the first case, a woman in her 60s was caught after taking a wallet left on the street in early October, with MOP6,700 recovered. In the second case, a man in his 40s attempted to sell a tourists phone valued at about MOP10,000 after taking it to mainland China. Like this: Like Loading... The U.S.-Macau Business Partner Reception, scheduled for October 23 at a hotel downtown, has been postponed due to a lapse in U.S. government funding, organizers confirmed in a letter to members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Macau (AmCham) that was obtained by the Times. The letter stated that the event will be rescheduled once U.S. government operations return to normal. We look forward to rescheduling the event once the U.S. government has resumed normal operations. We apologize for any inconvenience and greatly appreciate your understanding, the letter read. The reception, which traditionally brings together U.S. and Macau business leaders, diplomats, and investors, was expected to serve as a key networking opportunity for the regions business community. Latest data from the U.S. Department of State shows that in 2022, U.S. foreign direct investment in Macau totaled USD552 million. That same year, 39 U.S. firms were operating in the city. This reception remains a valuable opportunity to connect with representatives from the U.S. Consulate, exchange insights, and strengthen partnerships all while enjoying an evening of networking accompanied by a selection of U.S. and local food and beverages, AmCham said in an earlier notice to members. No new date has been set. The U.S. government is currently in a shutdown, leading to disruptions in federal operations, including those conducted by U.S. consulates worldwide. While essential services such as passport and visa processing continue, other consular activities, including cultural and business outreach programs, are experiencing delays or cancellations due to staffing shortages and funding constraints, according to U.S. media reports. The funding lapse began on October 1 after Congress failed to pass a continuing resolution to keep federal agencies funded. Yesterday, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson predicted that the federal government shutdown may become the longest in history, saying he wont negotiate with Democrats until they hit pause on their health care demands and reopen. Like this: Like Loading... Alec Baldwin won't face any legal consequences following his car crash in the Hamptons. Alec Baldwin was involved in a car crash The former 30 Rock star, was driving a white Range Rover SUV in East Hampton, New York on Monday (13.10.25) with his brother Stephen Baldwin in the passenger seat when he swerved to avoid a garbage truck and police have now issued a report on the incident, in which they confirmed there were no "summons issued". Michael D. Sarlo, Chief of Police of the East Hampton Town Police Department, told Us Weekly magazine: At approximately 12:01 pm 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. The 67-year-old actor had blamed a "garbage truck the size of a whale" for the accident, which "totally crushed" his wife Hilaria's care. He said in a video shared to Instagram: "I was in a car accident this morning. I'm fine. My brother Stephen was visiting me on Long Island and we spent the weekend out there for the film festival [Hamptons International Film Festival] ... This morning I was in this car accident, this guy cut me off in a truck. A big garbage truck A garbage truck the size of a whale I've never seen a garbage truck [so big]. It must have been something commercial for taking away material from construction or something... "It was the biggest garbage truck Id ever seen anyway... to avoid hitting him, I hit a tree. I hit a big fat tree and crushed my wifes car ... "I crushed my wifes car, I feel bad about that but its all fine. And I'm fine and my brother's fine ... " Alec went on to thank the emergency services for their help at the scene, but insisted the car is a write off. He said: "Thank you to the East Hampton Police Department for coming to my aid. They came and we filed a report with them. Officer Gerken. Lovely guy .. "My wife's car was pretty smashed up. Big tree. Big fat tree." The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Wednesday said the main suspect in the killing of overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Dafnie Nacalaban has been convicted to 14 years imprisonment by a Kuwaiti court. DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac confirmed this development, adding that three other accessories were also convicted and were handed respective sentences as accomplices in the crime. - Advertisement - Nacalaban went missing in October 2024. Her body was later found buried in her employers backyard in Saad Al-Abdullah, Jahra, Kuwait in December 2024. The DMW and the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait provided legal assistance in prosecuting the suspect. The suspect, a Kuwaiti national with a known criminal record, later on admitted to killing Nacalaban. After months of coordination, Nacalabans remains were repatriated to the Philippines on Feb. 21, 2025, through the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and the DMW. In a world on fire with revolutionary uprisings and mass movements, 165 communists from across the West Coast and beyond gathered in Los Angeles on October 1112 for a landmark weekend of Marxist education. [Originally published at communistusa.org] Large contingents from Seattle, Phoenix, and L.A. were joined by comrades and guests from nearly two dozen other cities for the 2025 L.A. Marxist School, the biggest communist conference the West Coast has seen in recent memory. Communists descended on the countrys second-largest city from the Bay Area; San Diego; Ventura; the Inland Empire; Sacramento; South Pasadena; Stockton, CA; Tucson; Albuquerque; Dallas-Fort Worth; Denver; Salt Lake City; Logan, UT; Bellingham, WA; Boise, ID; Portland, OR; Medford, OR; Chicago; New York; Waterloo, Ontario; and London, UK. Its the first of three Marxist schools the RCA is holding this fall, with similar events scheduled for Chicago on October 2526 and New York on November 89. In August, the RCA launched a fall offensive recruitment campaign on over 50 campuses across the country. Since then, weve recruited 230 new members! The task now is to train them in the theory and method of Marxism. Comrades came to L.A. determined to gain the political clarity necessary to explain the crisis and decline of capitalism to coworkers, classmates, and neighborsand win them to the banner of revolutionary communism. Crisis and revolution The school opened with Antonio Balmer speaking to a packed room on the worldwide wave of class struggle from France to Nepal and Italy to Indonesia. The global economy is bogged down with mountains of debt, and the ruling classes in countries across the planet are forcing workers to pay through attacks on living standards and social services. Mass movements in Europe are linking opposition to the genocide in Palestine with the crisis of austerity, unemployment, and exploitation at home. The discussion deepened comrades understanding of the decline of world capitalismand the urgency to build a revolutionary party steeled in Marxism to overthrow it. On Saturday evening, Joe Attard, host of the Specter of Communism podcast, discussed why communists take an interest in film, as well as other art forms and human culture in general. Were fighting not only for the economic and political liberation of the working class, but also for the artistic and intellectual liberation of humanity from the clutches of the decrepit capitalist system and its profit motive. On Sunday evening, John Peterson, executive editor of The Communist, introduced the final plenary session, diving into the philosophy of Marxism. Dialectical materialism is a comprehensive method for understanding the world as it isnot in the abstract, but in its concrete change, contradiction, and development. Without it, we stand no chance of intervening in the historical process and connecting with the masses, helping them reach revolutionary conclusions. We must master the dialectical-materialist method to understand how events and consciousness can change dramatically in the course of the class struggleand so as to intervene in events to change the course of history. Joe Attard, host of the Specter of Communism podcast, discussed why communists take an interest in film, as well as other art forms and human culture in general / Image: RCA School of communism In addition to the three plenaries, there were six commissions covering a range of theoretical and historical topics. A lot of buzz preceded Mia Jimenezs talk on Communism and Womens Liberation. The book stall sold out of Women, Family, and the Russian Revolution before the session even began! Mia explained how womens oppression is fundamental to the existence of class society and can only be overcome through a united struggle of the working class. In her talk, The Myths of Stalinism: What Lenin and Trotsky Really Stood For, Charlotte Papin explained how the international isolation of the Russian Revolution allowed the reactionary Stalinist bureaucracy to destroy the workers democracy that Lenin, Trotsky, and the Russian masses fought to build. A session on the Spanish Revolution of 19361939 showed how the lack of a genuine communist leadership led to defeat and the rise of fascism. The events of this revolutionary period are not a dead letter, but a living trove of lessons for revolutionaries today. Other discussions included Erika Roedl outlining Bolshevik strategy and tactics in a talk on Lenins classic Left-Wing Communism: An Infantile Disorder, Chase Birkeland explaining laws by which capitalism operates and why it inevitably goes into crisis, and Jake Thorp drawing out the lessons of the 2011 Arab Spring which swept from Tunisia to Egypt and beyond. Call to action Throughout the weekend, the halls were filled with comrades bouncing ideas off one another between sessions and during the evening socials. Suitcases and backpacks went home stuffed with over $4,000 worth of Marxist literature from the book stall. Perhaps some attendees came thinking they were in for a simple educational event. What they found was not education for educations sake, but a call to action: we need to build an American Bolshevik party on the rock-solid foundation of these ideas. Comrades described how they had never heard such clarity about the chaotic world situation were living through today. One non-member attending the school joined the party during the event, pledging to pay a full days wage in monthly dues! Several others are planning to meet with a comrade this week to discuss becoming members to build the party with us. John Peterson, executive editor of The Communist, introduced the final plenary session, diving into dialectical materialism / Image: RCA Revolutionary leadership In his concluding comments, Antonio Balmer described the long years of hard work spent patiently building the party in California. Nine comrades attended the first-ever California Marxist School in 2013a time when interest in Marxism was low and it was difficult to find recruits who understood the need for revolution. Now consciousness is shifting. The crash of 2008, the rise of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump, and the relative decline of US imperialism have produced a new generation looking to tear the entire system down. At the end of Antonios remarks, the room broke into revolutionary song. The main thread running through the school was the urgent need for revolutionary leadership. When events push the masses to fight back, a communist party with roots in every workplace, neighborhood, and campus can explain how they can take power and run society themselves. But only if we understand the system were fighting against and the kind of world were fighting for. As Lenin put it, Without revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement. Lecturers across Nigerias public Universities have embarked on a two-week strike, citing unresolved issues over pay, funding, and welfare. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), led by Professor Chris Piwuna, described the decision as inevitable, accusing the Government of failing to honour longstanding commitments. The industrial action comes only weeks after Universities resumed a new academic year, raising fears of yet another disruption to the academic calendar. In response, the government has appealed to lecturers to reconsider their stance, insisting that dialogue remains the most effective path toward resolution. Authorities further warned that, in line with the No Work, No Pay labour law, striking lecturers will not receive salaries for the duration of the action. Government officials maintained that a comprehensive offer had been presented to the union, addressing key concerns surrounding working conditions, governance, and staff welfare, while awaiting ASUUs official response. The current strike adds to a long history of industrial disputes between the union and successive administrationsdating back to the 1980sover unmet agreements and inadequate funding. The last major strike in 2022 paralysed academic activities for eight months and affected millions of students nationwide. Analysts say the recurring crises highlight systemic weaknesses in Nigerias higher education sector, marked by chronic underfunding, politicised decision-making, and eroded trust between the government and academia. The Mozambique Workers Organisation Trade Union Movement (OTM-CS) has revealed that more than 12,000 workers who lost their jobs during the violent post-election protests last year remain without compensation. OTM-CS leader Andre Mandlate disclosed the figures during the unions 49th anniversary celebration in Maputo, noting that some employers fled the country while others offered inadequate settlements. He urged trade unions to pursue fairer solutions for affected workers and criticised the current public wage structure, arguing that it fails to meet the cost of living, with the minimum household basket for a family of five costing nearly 43,000 meticais (585). Mandlate further appealed to the government to recognise civil servants unions and ratify international conventions improving the welfare of domestic workers. The unrest followed the disputed 9 October 2024 elections, in which opposition candidate Venancio Mondlane rejected the victory of President Daniel Chapo. The post-election violence was the worst Mozambique had witnessed since 1994, leaving almost 400 people dead, over 500 businesses destroyed, and more than 121,000 people unemployed. Although Mondlane and Chapo met in March to pledge peace, tensions and public exchanges of accusations persist. Meanwhile, the government has announced minimum wage increases ranging from 2.9% to 9%, retroactive to 1 July, across eight economic sectorsmeasures that unions say still fall short of addressing workers economic hardships. 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: Heat maps showing the geographic patterns of ALS and MS in the US. Credit: Melissa Schilling. Figure based on data from the US CDC Wonder database. A new study published in Scientific Reports indicates that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and multiple sclerosis (MS) have an extremely high geographic association, even after controlling for race, gender, wealth, latitude, and access to neurological health care. "The results of the study are surprising because previous studies have typically concluded there was no evidence for a mechanistic or genetic link between the two diseases," explains study author Melissa Schilling, a professor at New York University's Stern School of Business who specializes in analyzing large-scale datasets using econometrics. Heat maps show the geographic patterns of the diseases in the US. The study also shows that the relationship between the two diseases has likely been overlooked until now because of a "Simpson's Paradox"a statistical phenomenon whereby a trend appears in different groups of data but disappears or reverses when the groups are combined. In this case, the groups are based on gender: both women and men show a strong positive correlation (greater than 70%) in the geographic distribution of ALS and MS, but when the data are pooled across gender, these relationships are obscured because, on average, ALS is more common in men and MS is more common in women For several decades, researchers have noted a north-south gradient in the distribution of MS. This led to speculation that UV light or vitamin D might play a role in the disease, but studies that supplemented MS patients with UV light or vitamin D had minimal or inconsistent results. The blue line shows the trend line for men, the pink line shows the trend line for women, and the black line shows the trend line obtained for the pooled data. Credit: Melissa Schilling. Figure based on data from the US CDC Wonder database. The findings in the new study indicate that MS and ALS have a much stronger geographic relationship with each other than with latitude, suggesting that both diseases may share a connection to a factor that varies imperfectly with latitude. "I started gathering and analyzing every dataset I could find relevant to ALS about nine years ago when a friend with ALS asked me if I would take a look at the data," says Schilling. "I was very surprised to find such a strong geographic pattern as most of the research on ALS does not emphasize the role of geography. I was even more surprised to find that ALS has a very strong association with the geography of MS. "This finding is important because it suggests that an environmental factor likely plays a significant role in both diseases, and that could provide clues that help us determine what causes them and how they might be avoided or treated." Elements of the environment that vary imperfectly with the north-south gradient include natural things like viruses, parasites, algae, and molds, as well as human-made elements or practices like the use of heating oil, agricultural practices, industrial practices, mining, and chemical contamination of fisheries. "The list of suspects is long, but comparing across geographies and, in particular, across outlier locations, such as the Faroe Islands, where MS increased strikingly after military troops arrived there in the 1940s, could significantly narrow the hunt," observes Schilling. The study combined mortality and demographic data obtained from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention WONDER database (in the US, the collection of mortality data is mandatory and standardized) with latitude data, economic data, and data on access to neurological health care. The primary results are based on US crude mortality rates at the state level. The analysis was then replicated at the global level using mortality data from the World Health Organization and obtained nearly identical results. More information: Melissa A. Schilling, The geographic association of multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Scientific Reports (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-18755-8 Journal information: Scientific Reports This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain While tremendous relief comes from successfully battling cancer, survivors can also experience cognitive impairments caused by the disease and its treatment. Up to 70% of survivors experience trouble with memory and concentration, negatively impacting their quality of life and independence. What if we could somehow protect the brain from cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI)? An experimental study by UC Irvine researchers paves the way. Conceptualized and led by Munjal Acharya, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, the study addresses cranial (brain) radiation-induced cognitive decline. "We've identified a new, targeted way to protect the brain from the harmful side effects of cranial radiation therapy, a standard of care for brain cancers that often causes irreversible cognitive decline," says Acharya. "This opens a realistic pathway to preserving quality of life for millions of brain cancer survivors currently facing this unmet medical need." The findings are outlined in "C5aR1 Inhibition Alleviates Cranial Radiation-Induced Cognitive Decline," a research article published in Cancer Research. Protection through targeted inhibition The researchers found that targeted inhibition of a specific immune response pathway in the brain protects memory and cognition from the neuroinflammatory effects of radiation therapy for brain cancer. "The pathway in question is the 'complement cascade," and the target is blocking the signaling between complement protein C5a and its receptor, C5aR1," explains lab research assistant An Do. The team investigated a blockade of this signaling through two different approaches: genetically, using a transgenic mouse model to delete (knockout) the C5ar1 gene, and in a pharmacological model with the inhibitor drug PMX205. "Both approaches were found to improve memory and cognitive performance of irradiated mice with and without brain cancer," added Robert Krattli Jr., a staff research associate in Acharya's laboratory. "Importantly, neither the gene knockout nor the drug treatment impeded the cancer-killing ability of radiation therapy, so our approach protected the brain without compromising the efficiency of radiation therapy against cancer." Using PMX205 to block C5aR1 is especially promising given that the drug is orally available, penetrates the brain and has already been proven safe in human trials. It is also currently under clinical trial in Australia led by Trent Woodruff, Ph.D. (University of Queensland), for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with initial results showing no side effects, toxicities or adverse reactions. Woodruff worked on the study with the UC Irvine team. From bench to bedside The next steps involve testing the C5aR1 inhibitor PMX205 in more clinically relevant brain cancer models and radiation therapy regimens. "We plan to study PMX205 prophylactically and in combination with radiation and chemotherapy, like temozolomide, using genetically engineered mouse models and patient-derived xenografts," says Acharya. These experiments will better mimic clinical settings, including fractionated radiation doses typically used in patients. "These steps aim to translate the promising neuroprotective effects seen in mice into therapies for human brain cancer survivors at risk of cognitive decline." By personalizing treatment using C5aR1 inhibitors like PMX205, patients can receive protection tailored to their risk of cognitive decline while undergoing brain cancer therapy. A similar pre-clinical approach for Alzheimer's disease is being led by Acharya's collaborator, Andrea Tenner, Ph.D., who also contributed to the study. "This approach allows for precise intervention to prevent unwanted side effects without altering the effectiveness of tumor treatment," says Acharya. "The ability to use a safe, brain-penetrant drug already tested in humans demonstrates how targeted molecular therapies can improve outcomes and quality of life for cancer survivors through precision medicine." More information: Robert P. Krattli et al, C5aR1 inhibition alleviates cranial radiation-induced cognitive decline, Cancer Research (2025). DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-24-4869 Journal information: Cancer Research 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: Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC researchers found that after a cocktail, participants in a small, pilot study who were taking medications for diabetes and weight loss saw delayed effects from alcohol. Credit: Clayton Metz/Virginia Tech There's mounting evidence that popular drugs prescribed for diabetes management and weight lossbetter known by trade names like Ozempic and Wegovycould be effective in reducing alcohol use. A study from the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, released in Scientific Reports, found that these types of GLP-1 agonists slow the speed at which alcohol enters the bloodstream, which also slows the effects on the brain. "People who drink know there's a difference between nursing a glass of wine and downing a shot of whiskey," said Alex DiFeliceantonio, assistant professor and interim co-director of the FBRI's Center for Health Behaviors Research. A standard serving of either has 0.6 ounces of alcohol, but the shot brings a rapid increase in blood-alcohol content. It feels different because of the way the body handles alcohol over time. "Why would this matter? Faster-acting drugs have a higher abuse potential," DiFeliceantonio said. "They have a different impact on the brain. So if GLP-1s slow alcohol entering the bloodstream, they could reduce the effects of alcohol and help people drink less." More than half of U.S. adults drink alcohol, and roughly one in 10 has alcohol use disorder. Long-term, chronic alcohol use is associated with health-related illnesses such as high blood pressure, cancer, and heart and liver disease. In January, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released an advisory highlighting alcohol use as the third leading preventable cause of cancer, after tobacco use and obesity. Despite consuming similar doses of alcohol calculated to increase breath alcohol concentration to approximately 0.08%, concentration increased more slowly in participants taking semaglutide, tirzepatide, or liraglutide. Participants in that group also reported feeling less intoxicated on subjective measures. The research sought to better understand the physical and subjective experience of alcohol traveling through the body of someone taking a GLP-1. The study provides important early data to guide the design of larger, more rigorous studies testing whether GLP-1 drugs can help reduce alcohol use. Twenty participants with a BMI of 30 or greater, half on a maintenance dose of GLP-1s and half taking no medication, were recruited from Roanoke, Virginia, and surrounding areas. They fasted before arriving for the study, then they were given a snack bar to standardize caloric intake and stomach contents. Researchers gathered blood pressure, pulse, breath alcohol concentration, and blood glucose levels. Ninety minutes later, participants were served an alcoholic beverage that had to be consumed within 10 minutes. Researchers then measured breath alcohol and participants answered questions about cravings, appetite, alcohol effects, and taste. For example, they were asked to rate, on a scale of zero to 10, "How drunk do you feel right now?" This was repeated three times over 60 minutes. The participants on GLP-1s consistently reported feeling less intoxicated. Following the session, participants remained in a recovery room as the alcohol was metabolized. Breath alcohol was measured every 30 minutes, blood glucose was measured twice, and three hours after the session, participants again answered subjective questions. After four hours, a breath alcohol content below .02%, and the study physician's approval, the participant was OK'd to leave. "Other medications designed to help reduce alcohol intake"naltrexone and acamprosate"act on the central nervous system," said DiFeliceantonio, the study's corresponding author. "Our preliminary data suggest that GLP-1s suppress intake through a different mechanism." The drugs slow gastric emptying, which can lead to a slower rise in blood alcohol. The idea for the study initially bubbled up during a Fralin Biomedical Research Institute faculty retreat and was led by Warren Bickel, professor and director of the Addiction Recovery Research Center, who died in 2024. It built on an analysis of social media posts on the community network Reddit, in which users reported reduced cravings for alcohol when taking drugs intended to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. "His guidance shaped every stage of this researchfrom the initial idea to its final formand his passion for scientific discovery continues to inspire me every day," said Fatima Quddos, a graduate researcher in Bickel's lab and the first author on both studies. "Bickel's work had long focused on what happens when you delay rewards, so we asked, 'What if GLP-1s affect how the body handles alcohol?'" DiFeliceantonio said. "Ending this project was bittersweet, because it was my last collaboration with him." "He was always asking, 'How do we help people the fastest?' Using a drug that's already shown to be safe to help people reduce drinking could be a way to get people help fast," DiFeliceantonio said. While this was a pilot study, researchers said the findings showed clear differences between groups and provide early data that support larger trials testing the drugs as a therapy for people who want to reduce their alcohol use. "As a recent graduate, I'm deeply inspired by the potential this research holdsnot only for advancing our scientific understanding, but also for paving the way toward future therapies," said Quddos, who earned her doctorate from Virginia Tech's Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Graduate Program in May. "The possibility of offering new hope to individuals struggling with addiction is what makes this work so meaningful." More information: Physiological and perceptual effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists during alcohol consumption in people with obesity: a pilot study, Scientific Reports (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-17927-w Journal information: Scientific Reports 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: Bulk RNA-sequencing analysis of c-Met+ and c-Met CD4 T cells isolated from the blood of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Credit: Annals of Neurology (2025). DOI: 10.1002/ana.78035 Multiple sclerosis, which affects around one in 500 people in Switzerland, is an autoimmune disease in which immune cells attack the central nervous system, causing irreversible damage. Current treatments involve blocking the immune system to prevent it from attacking the body. Although effective, these drugs can trigger potentially serious infections. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania, has identified a subtype of immune cells in newly diagnosed patients that may play a decisive role in disease progression. A treatment targeting these cells specifically could effectively control the disease while avoiding certain side effects. These findings have been published in the journal Annals of Neurology. Multiple sclerosis is characterized by lesions in the myelin, a membrane that protects neurons and is essential for the transmission of nerve impulses. This results in motor, sensory, visual and cognitive disorders that can lead to disability. "Over the past twenty years, major progress has been made in both early diagnosis and the development of immunosuppressive drugs. These treatments inhibit the process of nervous system degradation by limiting inflammatory flare-ups, which has led to a real improvement in the quality of life of those affected," says Patrice Lalive, professor in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences and the Department of Pathology and Immunology at UNIGE Faculty of Medicine, and head of the Neuroimmunology Unit at the HUG, who led the study. "However, these treatments indiscriminately destroy immune cells, paving the way for all kinds of infections and significant side effects." A minority cell receptor For more than 10 years, Patrice Lalive's team has been conducting research on a cell signaling pathway (a mechanism that allows cells to perceive their environment and communicate with each other), the c-Met/HGF pathway, which is involved in neuroinflammation. "Initial laboratory studies highlighted the role of this c-Met receptor in this process," explains Lalive. "Here, we wanted to examine what actually happens in our patients." The research team compared the white blood cells present in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of around thirty people with recently diagnosed multiple sclerosis who had not yet received any treatment with those of individuals without multiple sclerosis. "We detected the presence of lymphocytes expressing the c-Met receptor in people with multiple sclerosis, which were absent in the control group," explains Gautier Breville, a research physician in Prof. Lalive's team and first author of the study. "Furthermore, these c-Met expressing lymphocytes, which make up only 5-6% of white blood cells in the cerebrospinal fluid, appeared to be particularly inflammatory and toxic, and were able to cross the blood-brain barrier more easily to attack the brain." Thus, the abnormal pro-inflammatory mechanism of multiple sclerosis appears to promote the expression of c-Met in a small proportion of lymphocytes. "This process could be a real opportunity to develop treatments that target only c-Met-carrying lymphocytes, sparing the rest of the immune system necessary for the defense against infections. Would this be enough to limit the progression of the disease? That is what we now want to verify by identifying molecules that target c-Met," concludes Lalive. More information: Gautier Breville et al, ProInflammatory cMet+CD4 T Cells in Multiple Sclerosis, Annals of Neurology (2025). DOI: 10.1002/ana.78035 Journal information: Annals of Neurology 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 groundbreaking study analyzing data from over 5 million older Americans has found that those who migrate within the U.S. have significantly better health outcomes than those who remain in their birth state, offering compelling evidence of a "healthy migrant effect" within U.S. borders. Published in the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, the study examined the prevalence of five types of disability among Americans aged 65 and older: serious vision and hearing problems, cognitive impairment, limitations in daily activities (ADLs), and physical limitations such as difficulty walking or climbing stairs. The researchers found that older adults who had relocated to a different U.S. state were significantly less likely to report all five disabilities compared to those who still lived in their natal state, even after accounting for age, sex, and race. "This study provides the first large-scale evidence that internal migration in the U.S. is linked to better health in later life," said co-author Katherine Ahlin, a graduate of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW) at the University of Toronto. "We found that older adults who stayed in their birth state had up to 22% higher odds of disability than internal migrants." Importantly, controlling for education levels substantially reducedbut did not eliminatethis health advantage. The researchers suggest that individuals may move away from the state they were born in for postsecondary educational opportunities and those with more education may find better employment opportunities if they are geographically mobile. "Educational attainment appears to play a dual roleboth increasing the likelihood of migration and offering protection against disability," noted co-author Alyssa McAlpine, an FIFSW graduate. "However, internal migrants remained healthier even when we adjusted for education, which suggests that other factors like self-selection are also at play." Perhaps most strikingly, individuals from abroad who migrated to the U.S. had lower odds of disability compared to internal migrants when their level of education was taken into account. After adjusting for education, age, sex, and race, international immigrants had between 7% and 33% lower odds of four types of disabilities than internal migrants: hearing problems, severe vision problems, cognitive impairments and mobility problems. "This stronger health advantage among immigrants points to a more intense selection process where unhealthy individuals are less likely to overcome the multiple challenges of international migration," said Professor Esme Fuller-Thomson, senior author and Director of the Institute for Life Course and Aging at the University of Toronto. "Barriers such as cost, distance, and immigration policies likely reinforce this selection effect." The authors suggest that the findings may be partially explained by both self-selection (healthier individuals choosing to migrate) and reverse migration (less healthy individuals returning to their place of origin). While these effects have been studied in international contexts, the study expands the discussion to include internal migration within high-income countries like the U.S. Despite limitations, including lack of data on timing or reasons for migration, the study makes a significant contribution to public health research. It urges policymakers and researchers to consider migration history in studies of aging and health, as mobility may signal both opportunity and resilience. More information: Katherine Ahlina, et al. Does a Healthy Immigrant Effect Exist for Internal Migrants? Findings from a Representative Sample of 5.4 Million Older Americans, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies (2025). DOI: 10.1080/1369183X.2025.2560577 Robert Irwin broke down in tears as he paid tribute to his mother Terri and late dad Steve on Dancing With The Stars. Robert Irwin paid tribute to his mother Terri and late dad Steve The 21-year-old wildlife conservationist is part of the current series of the US dance contest, and he hailed both his parents during Tuesday's (14.10.25) Dedication Night episode as he performed a contemporary routine set to Phil Collins' song You'll Be In My Heart. During his intro package, Robert said: "She's an absolute hero to me, because I was two when I lost dad. As I got older, [I] started to realise just how hard it would have been for her to be there for us, and all the while continue dad's legacy that her and dad built together. He started to cry, insisting he's "never been able to capture the feeling of gratitude I feel for it". He added: At every milestone when I just wished that my dad was there, she was there. And that was enough. Terri joined Robert in the rehearsal room, and told her son that it was him and his sister Bindi, 27, who helped her cope with the heartbreak after the Crocodile Hunter legend died aged 44 in September 2006. She said: "After we lost Steve, it was difficult to smile again. For quite a while. So for him to say, You lifted me up, honestly, it was the opposite. Because of them, I could get up every morning. Every day I'm a proud mama. After the routine, judge Derek Hough - who was a professional on the show and danced with Bindi 10 years ago when she won Dancing With The Stars - struggled to talk through tears. He said: The love I have for your family. Thank you. I just have so much love for you guys. "Man, I'm so proud of you. I really am. Youve become such an amazing man and the world needs the Irwin family. Robert told viewers and the audience that the dance was for his mother, as well as "all the mums out there who don't get the recognition they deserve". He added: "This is for the single parents who work so hard every day to put one foot in front of the other. It's for anyone who's lost, someone who feels lostkeep going. And if you can, go call your mum and tell her that you love her. 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: Poisonings and deaths linked to use of local anesthetics decreased over the last decade, but poisonings from lidocaine increased, according to two studies published online recently in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine and the British Journal of Anaesthesia. Michael Fettiplace, M.D., from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and colleagues analyzed reports of local anesthetic poisoning and mortality from the American Poison Centers National Poison Data System from 1983 to 2022 to examine the effect of the 2010 advisories for treating local anesthetic systemic toxicity. Reports were compared from 2011 to 2022 relative to 2001 to 2010. The researchers found that reports of local anesthetic poisoning decreased in 2011 to 2022 relative to 2001 to 2010 (reporting odds ratio [ROR], 0.77), driven by a decrease in non-lidocaine-related reports. In contrast, after 2010, there was an increase in reports of lidocaine poisoning and reports of lidocaine mortality (ROR, 2.7). In a second study, Fettiplace and colleagues examined local anesthesia-associated deaths reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System from 1968 to 2023. Adverse events from local anesthetics were compared to those from other drugs. The researchers identified 22,050 total adverse events from local anesthetics and 1,473 reports of death. Reports of death were lower for amide and ester local anesthetics compared with other agents (RORs, 0.4 and 0.12, respectively). Death from lidocaine was reported most often. Reporting of death from long-acting local anesthetics decreased after practice advisories compared with the previous 10 years (ROR, 0.61), while death from lidocaine remained unchanged. "We think if we have updated advisories that are more targeted to some of the problems that we see occurring now, those may have impacts 10 years down the line," Fettiplace said in a statement. One author from both studies disclosed ties to ResQ Pharma Inc. More information: Michael Fettiplace et al, The impact of local anesthetic systemic toxicity advisories on reporting to the National Poison Data System (NPDS), Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.1136/rapm-2025-106464 Michael R. Fettiplace et al, Contemporary local anaesthetic-associated adverse events and mortality: a pharmacovigilance analysis of a US reporting system, British Journal of Anaesthesia (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2025.06.044 Journal information: British Journal of Anaesthesia Copyright 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved. 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 We live in an age where clinical labels once confined to the DSM-5the diagnostic manual for mental health professionalsnow spill into everyday language. It's not unusual to hear someone's ex was a narcissist, or someone's boss is a sociopath. Or that neat and tidy people are "a bit OCD," while your unfinished projects might prompt you to start googling ADHD. According to UNSW Sydney clinical psychologist Professor Jill Newby, it's hardly surprising in the age of online personality tests, TikTok therapists and YouTube gurus that people might be drawn to diagnosing themselves. "The internet's accessible 24/7 and it's free," she says. "It's very easy for people to get the information they need, especially when algorithms play on their natural biases. "On top of that, accessing mental health care is expensive, and there are often long waitlists. It can also be embarrassing, and some people feel ashamed of asking health care professionals their questions and worry about judgment. Self-diagnosing over social media doesn't have that same shame and stigma." What could possibly go wrong? Convenience is a powerful motivator, but is it dangerous to make an appointment with Dr. Google rather than see a qualified mental health professional? Prof. Newby says the internet and social media are new tools, but the motivating principle is not a new phenomenonbefore the internet, people sometimes relied on self-help or psychology textbooks to work through issues. But what concerns her is how accurate the information is, the qualifications of the people who are producing it and the way algorithms are designed to prioritize information based on popularity rather than suitability. "There's a tendency for health information, both in the way it's presented online, but also the information we pay attention to, to be quite alarming. "Even the way that Google searches are listedthe top clicked web pages are often alarming stories about rare life-threatening diseases or psychological conditions, not the benign, boring information that might be a more likely explanation for what people are experiencing." The resulting anxiety starts to feed on itself, as people follow a rabbit-hole leading to even more distressing information and personal stories about physical or mental health problems. "If this information is coming from people who aren't qualified health professionals it can be completely wrong," Prof. Newby says. "It can be based on their personal experience, which is often very persuasive and engaging. And that can be a real problem, especially if it delays diagnosis, leads people to pursue the wrong types of treatment or they incorrectly self-diagnose themselves." What's in a label? Even when the information isn't outright wrong, the everyday borrowing of clinical terms can blur the line between normal ups and downs and genuine mental health conditions. For example, trauma, a word that was once reserved to describe the psychological injury of living in a war zone or enduring sexual, physical or emotional abuse, can now describe a meeting that didn't go well. "Using these terms in everyday normal experiences tends to pathologize them and may reduce the meaning of what is considered a trauma," Prof. Newby says. "Likewise, anxiety is very normaleveryone experiences it from time to time. But labeling everything as anxiety can be problematic, because people with anxiety disorderswhich go far beyond everyday stress or nerveshave a very different experience." She adds that depression can also be used loosely. It's normal to feel sad after a breakup or the death of someone close, but clinical depression is when someone has a long-standing severe cluster of symptoms that impairs their normal functioning, long after the original trigger. "By stretching words like trauma, anxiety and depression to cover ordinary stresses and setbacks, we blur the line between normal human experience and diagnosable disorderand risk mistaking one for the other." Diagnosing others Because of the stigma associated with mental illness, we tend to keep a lot of our self-diagnoses to ourselves. But when it comes to othersespecially those we're in conflict withwe're more than happy to dish out diagnoses. "People are very quick to diagnose other people with quite pathological disorders like narcissistic personality disorder or conditions like autism or other forms of neurodiversity," Prof. Newby says. "You'd be forgiven to think there's a lot of narcissism going around, with the amount of times it's being used. But this is probably a lack of understanding about what a true narcissist is with a personality disorder versus someone who treats someone poorly or has a fragile ego." The danger, Prof. Newby says, is that when clinical diagnoses are turned into casual labelsor even insultsthey risk reinforcing prejudices and diluting the meaning of serious disorders. But it's not all bad Prof. Newby is quick to point out that the internet has also opened up access to reliable, evidence-based information, and in some cases self-diagnosis can be the first step toward seeking real help. "Having freely available evidence-based information can be a good thing because it democratizes health information and provides people an understanding of what they're going through." It may prompt someone who thought they had a flaw in their personalitylike, "I'm lazy," "I'm selfish," "I'm no good at study"to realize that the behavior getting them into trouble may be a treatable condition. So the act of self-identification may be the first step towards them seeking out the right services. There is also a very human reason why we might be prone to self-diagnosis: our need for certainty. "One way to gain a sense of control over the unknowns is to categorize information. That can be comforting and validating," says Prof. Newby. She adds that the benefit of using psychological terms in everyday speak could even destigmatize conditions, making it easier to talk about mental health openly. "There are real benefits to having freely available evidence-based information," Prof. Newby says. "Where I get concerned is when the information online is misleading or inaccurate, but this is not to say familiarizing yourself with psychological concepts is a bad thing. The real challenge is in keeping the best of what self-diagnosis offerslike openness, awareness and accesswithout losing sight of the expertise that makes those diagnoses meaningful." 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 Researchers from Monash University's Rehabilitation, Aging and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Center and the National Center for Healthy Aging (a partnership between Monash University and Peninsula Health) found that people with dementia were significantly less likely to receive any allied health referral compared with those with stroke or Parkinson's disease. Led by Dr. Angel Lee, from the School of Primary and Allied Health Care and published in the journal Family Medicine and Community Health, the research examined the allied health referral patterns of general practitioners from 537 practices for people with dementia compared to those without dementia across two large Primary Health Networks (PHNs) in Melbourne. Just under 700,000 patients were identified in the study, including 16,610 patients with dementia. Dr. Lee said that GPs play an important role in informing patients about allied health services and coordinating referrals to facilitate access in Australia. Yet until now, the GP referral patterns had remained poorly understood and under-investigated. "Despite strong evidence supporting allied health interventions for dementia, referral rates remain comparatively low. Accessing these services can provide therapeutic and diagnostic support for people living with dementia, with a focus on enhancing function, autonomy and quality of life," Dr. Lee said. "Access to allied health could be improved through greater community awareness, integrated dementia-specific care pathways, implementing supportive policy changes and upskilling health professionals in the role of allied health in dementia care." Co-author Professor Michele Callisaya, from the National Center for Healthy Aging and the University of Tasmania, aimed to address this by co-designing solutions to reduce stigma and to improve knowledge about the role of allied health in dementia care, both broadly within the community, and specifically for health professionals. Professor Callisaya worked alongside researchers and partners to implement and evaluate the solutions, creating educational resources, including a brochure and online training about the role of allied health in dementia care. "Allied health professionals have an important role in working with people with dementia and care partners, by supporting them to maximize participation in activities and roles that are meaningful and important to them. However, there are few allied health professionals working in this area," Professor Callisaya said. "To improve referrals and access to allied health, we need to train more allied health professionals to work in this growing area, and make sure those with expertise are easy to find." More information: Den-Ching A. Lee et al, Referrals to allied health professionals for people with dementia: an analysis of general practitioner data from two Australian primary health networks, Family Medicine and Community Health (2025). DOI: 10.1136/fmch-2025-003470 Journal information: Family Medicine and Community Health 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 ultrathin and flexible sensor is expected to signficantly assist patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms undergoing endovascular aneurysm repair. Credit: Yei Hwan Jung from Hanyang University Endovascular aneurysm repair is a minimally invasive technique for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysmslife-threatening bulges in the aorta's abdominal section. However, it carries the risk of recurrence owing to endoleaks after stent graft implantation, necessitating regular follow-up, especially since these leaks cannot be easily linked to specific symptoms. Unfortunately, only imaging-based monitoring such as computed tomography angiography or magnetic resonance imaging is available at the moment. This conventional follow-up protocol is often periodic, risky due to radiation exposure, hard to access, expensive, or inaccurate. In a recent breakthrough, a team of researchers led by Dr. Yei Hwan Jung, an associate professor in the Department of Electronic Engineering as well as the Department of Artificial Intelligence Semiconductor Engineering at Hanyang University, South Korea, has proposed a novel ultrathin flexible sensor inserted endovascularly with a stent to detect Type-I endoleaks with the maximum rupture risk. Their findings have been made available online and published in the Science Advances journal on October 1, 2025. Dr. Jung further highlights the main contributions of their study. "We have seamlessly integrated the ultrathin sensor onto a stent graft without compromising its original form or function. The sensor is robust enough to withstand the dynamic process of being crimped into a catheter and deployed inside the vessel." This is the core innovation that transforms a passive implant into an active, smart monitoring device, enabling proactive detection of the silent but potentially fatal risk of endoleaks for aneurysm patients. The researchers experimentally validated the novelty of their next-generation technology. They found that the sensor does not induce blood leakage and exhibits long-term stability and functionality under vascular and dynamic conditions. Dr. Jung points out the immense potential of their work and says, "The primary real-life application is for all patients undergoing endovascular aneurysm repair. This sensor would become an integral part of the stent graft device itself, serving as a built-in safety check. Its immediate use is to provide continuous post-operative monitoring, catching Type-I endoleaks the moment they begin. "Beyond this, the core technologya flexible, biocompatible sensor platform for detecting fluid leakagecould be adapted for other medical procedures. For instance, it could be used to detect subtle flow changes or leaks around stents used for treating peripheral artery disease, or in arteriovenous grafts for hemodialysis, contributing to the long-term success of these procedures." Over the next 5 to 10 years, this technology has the potential to become the new standard of care for aneurysm treatment. Stent grafts without integrated, real-time monitoring may become obsolete. The longer-term vision is a future where these "smart" implants are connected to telemedicine platforms. A patient's stent could wirelessly transmit its status to their smartphone and, in turn, to their doctor, enabling continuous remote monitoring. This would drastically reduce the need for hospital visits, especially for the elderly or patients living in rural areas. Overall, this innovation facilitates wireless monitoring of endoleak status, enables timely intervention, and highly enhances postoperative outcomes by reducing the risk of recurrent aneurysms, furthering the field of medical science and health care. More information: Sun Young Park et al, A wireless, implantable sensor for continuous monitoring of blood leakage after endovascular aneurysm repair, Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ady6148 Journal information: Science Advances Provided by Hanyang University Research Strategy Planning Team 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 Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors used to treat type 2 diabetes are associated with an 11% lower risk of autoimmune rheumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, compared with another group of diabetes drugs called sulfonylureas, finds a study from South Korea published in The BMJ. Autoimmune rheumatic diseases occur when the body mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissues, leading to inflammation and damage to joints, skin, muscles, and other organs. Common conditions include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and scleroderma. Previous studies have shown that SGLT-2 inhibitors can inhibit the body's immune response, but whether these effects are clinically meaningful remains unclear. To address this, researchers used the Korea National Health Insurance Service database to analyze 2,032,157 adults with type 2 diabetes (average age 59; 60% men) who started taking either an SGLT-2 inhibitor or a sulfonylurea from 2012 to 2022. Potentially influential factors such as age, sex, income level, existing conditions and drug treatments, health care use, and lifestyle factors were taken into account, and two control outcomes (genital infections and herpes zoster) were also included to assess the risk of bias. A total of 790 participants taking SGLT-2 inhibitors and 840 participants taking sulfonylureas were newly diagnosed with autoimmune rheumatic disease. Over an average follow-up period of nine months, SGLT-2 inhibitors were associated with an 11% lower risk of autoimmune rheumatic diseases compared with sulfonylureas, with incidence rates per 100,000 person-years of 52 and 58, respectively. Findings were largely consistent among subgroups analyzed by age, sex, type of SGLT-2 inhibitor, baseline cardiovascular disease, and obesity status. The results for control outcomes also suggested that bias was likely minimal. This is an observational study, so no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, and the authors acknowledge that follow-up was relatively short, and other unmeasured factors may have affected the results. However, they say this was a large study that applied rigorous methods to nationwide data, and as such, these results suggest that SGLT-2 inhibitors may contribute to reducing the risk of autoimmune diseases. "However, this potential benefit should be carefully weighed against known adverse events and concerns about tolerability," they write. "Replication in other populations and settings, as well as studies in patients with existing autoimmune rheumatic diseases, are warranted to confirm and extend these observations." While in isolation, this study is unlikely to change practice. However, it is the first full-length publication to suggest that SGLT-2 inhibitors reduce the risk of autoimmune rheumatic diseases, say researchers from Canada in a linked editorial. Although this intriguing finding warrants replication in different populations, this study "sets a foundation for future research and provides preliminary evidence to support an additional reason to use an SGLT-2 inhibitor over a sulfonylurea for the management of type 2 diabetes," they conclude. More information: Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and risk of autoimmune rheumatic diseases: population based cohort study, The BMJ (2025). DOI: 10.1136/bmj.r2121 Journal information: British Medical Journal (BMJ) 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: Igud Supian from Pexels A person living in New York has tested positive for the chikungunya virus in what state health officials say is the first reported transmission of the mosquito-borne illness within the United States in six years The state Department of Health said Tuesday that the virus, which has been spreading in China and elsewhere, was identified in a person living in Nassau County on Long Island. The county's health department, in a separate statement, said the person began experiencing symptoms in August after having traveled outside of the region, but not out of the country. It's not clear how exactly the person, whom authorities have not named, contracted the virus. Health officials say the person was likely bit by an infected mosquito, but they also say the virus has not been detected in local mosquito pools and there is no evidence of ongoing transmission. The type of mosquito known to carry chikungunya is present in parts of the New York City metropolitan area, including suburban Long Island. The disease cannot be spread directly from one person to another. Since mosquitoes are less active during the fall's cooler temperatures, the current risk of transmission is "very low," said state Health Commissioner James McDonald. Chikungunya is found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions, according to the state health department. Its symptoms include fever and joint pain, headache, muscle pain, joint swelling and rashes. The illness is rarely fatal and most patients recover within a week, though newborns, older adults and people with chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes are at higher risk, the agency said. The U.S. and its territories have not seen a locally acquired case of the virus since 2019. New York state has had three other cases of the virus this year, though all were linked to international travel to regions where the virus is prevalent, state health officials said. Local mosquitoes can transmit other dangerous viruses, such as West Nile, Eastern Equine Encephalitis and Jamestown Canyon viruses. 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. China to conduct 600-bln-yuan outright reverse repo operation Xinhua) 08:30, October 15, 2025 BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- The People's Bank of China said Tuesday that it will conduct a 600-billion-yuan (about 84.48 billion U.S. dollars) outright reverse repo operation on Oct. 15 to maintain ample liquidity in the banking system. The operation will be carried out with a fixed quantity through interest-rate bidding, with winning bids determined at multiple price levels. It will have a tenor of six months, or 182 days, according to the central bank. Outright reverse repo operations -- a tool the central bank introduced in October 2024 to manage liquidity in the national banking system -- are carried out each month with a tenor of no more than one year. These operations have enriched the country's monetary policy toolkit, complementing previous measures such as temporary repos, temporary reverse repos, and the buying and selling of treasury bonds. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Kendall Jenner has joined forces with Therabody as a new ambassador. Kendall Jenner is teaming up with Therabody The 29-year-old star is the first to collaborate on the beauty side of the business, with the company known for its high tech devices and recovery tools. This week, the brand has launched its new hands-free TheraFace Mask Glo, which uses red, infrared and blue light, and vibration. The mask can provide 10 treatments before its battery needs recharging. Kendall wrote on Instagram: "As a true fan of the brand, Im so happy to be a part of the @therabody family." She will appear in various pieces of content endorsing the product, including a campaign across TV, social media and retail, as well as a "hero video" speaking about the benefits of the mask. John Slomon, Therabody's chief marketing office, told WWD: Kendall has always been extremely wellness-minded. "She even has a wellness room in her home, and the whole family has been a huge fan of Therabody from the very early days. Kim Kardashian even teased our original, first-edition mask on on her social channels. In the world of AI, customers want real people, and they want to hear their perspectives and their use cases. Therabody's first face mask launched in 2023, and the company has now sought to develop a new device maintaining high performance at a lower cost for customers. The original cost $650, while the TheraFace Mask Glo will set you back $380. Tim Roberts, the company's VP of science and innovation, said: We had tremendous success with our first LED mask. Its a core fundamental belief of Therabody that we want to democratise and bring to as many people as possible [our] clinically effective and safe technologies. The more lightweight device is still cordless, meaning users can multitask, while there is also a vibration scalp massage feature. He explained that the team reduced the same of lights from 648 to 504 to make it more accessible He added: "We went from three minutes per therapy and nine minutes total to four minutes per therapy, 12 minutes total, to make sure that dose evened out." Indias largest landowner is leasing out prime parcels of land across the country to raise funds for infrastructure projects. In September, the Indian Railways, through its land development arm, the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA), invited bids to raise at least Rs 8,000 crore by leasing out key land parcels in Mumbais real estate market. The RLDA aims to lease approximately 10.11 hectares spread across four prime locations in the financial capital. These plots in Mumbai are among the nearly 340 hectares that the RLDA plans to lease to private players across the country. As per the plan, the railways want to lease close to 110 hectares in Mumbai in a phased manner. Land parcels have been identified in posh areas such as Lodhi Colony and Chanakyapuri in New Delhi and in cities such as Bengaluru, Lucknow, Gwalior, Chennai, Secunderabad and Amritsar for auctioning. This is part of the national policy on asset monetisation. The funds raised will be used for development and expansion of passenger infrastructure, said a senior railway officer. Monetisation push, modest returns To boost the monetisation of railway land, the central government announced a National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) for 2021-25, under which several departments were given a cumulative target of Rs 6 lakh crore, of which the railways had a share of Rs 1.5 lakh crore. However, at the end of the five-year plan, the railways massively underperformed, raising just Rs 28,717 crore and reporting a shortfall of Rs 1.23 lakh crore. The slow progress has been attributed to the reluctance on behalf of ministry officials, complex regulation and the absence of a central regulatory authority. Niti Aayog has announced the NMPs second phase for the next five years and has asked the railways to re-look at the loopholes in its system to facilitate an increase in its non-fare revenue. Land bank As of March 2024, the total land in possession of the railways was about 4.9 lakh hectares, of which 62,068 hectares nearly 13 per cent was vacant land. Of the vacant land, 43,000 hectares are under the RLDA, which has been entrusted to commercially exploit these parcels to boost revenue and generate funds for ongoing projects. After an in-depth analysis of the potential of these surplus holdings, zonal railways are tasked with identifying land that is not expected to be required for operational purposes in the foreseeable future. Once identified, such land parcels are entrusted to the RLDA, created in 2007, for commercial development. This collaborative effort between zonal railways and the RLDA ensures the optimal utilisation of surplus land, transforming these unutilised assets into commercial ventures. Through commercial development, the RLDA seeks to unlock the latent value of railway land, contributing to the overall financial health of the railways, while facilitating urban development and economic growth. Since 2016, when commercial leasing of land began, the railways have leased close to 8,812 hectares. Prime real estate According to the RLDA, it plans to lease out close to 110 hectares in Mumbai. Bids have been floated for three prime location plots for residential and commercial development. All are near key business hubs and transport networks, which makes them highly attractive for developers. Mahalaxmi: The railways has floated bids for a 2.66-acre plot in Mahalaxmi near the station. The plot has a potential FSI of 4.05, and the RLDA hopes to raise nearly Rs 1,000 crore by leasing it for 99 years. It is well connected via Dr E Moses Road and Shakti Mill Lane and located adjacent to the railway line along Mahalaxmi station. The site is near the Science Centre Metro station and enjoys excellent access to business hubs such as Lower Parel, Nariman Point and BKC, an RLDA official said. Parel: The RLDA also floated bids to monetise a 5.6-acre plot for 99 years at Supari Baug in Parel. The lands potential lies in residential development with an FSI of 4.05. The site has clear title land and is free from encumbrances such as encroachments, said an official. The reserve price has been set at Rs 1,734 crore. Bandra East: The third site, adjoining Bandra East station, is the largest at nearly 11.6 acres. The location, along the Western Express Highway, has an FSI of 4. The reserve price is Rs 5,365 crore. This plot is well-connected via Station Road, which will boost footfall for the commercial spaces, shops, and restaurants that can be developed here. It is just 300-500 metres from Bandra stations east and 1.5-2km away from an upcoming Metro station, making it ideal for office and retail access, an official said. The railways is also looking to exploit an 11-hectare land parcel near New Delhi railway station for building five-star hotels, while another 2.2-hectare plot near Chanakyapuri is being considered for commercial development. Close to 90 hectares have been marked off in Lucknow, Bareilly and Gwalior for residential properties. Projects and financing For years, the central government has been pushing the railways to boost non-fare revenue and become more self-sustaining. In 2024-25, the railways reported total earnings of Rs 2.65 lakh crore. Of this, Rs 1.71 lakh crore came from freight, Rs 75,239 crore from passenger revenue and merely Rs 11,562 crore from non-fare revenue. Non-fare revenue accounted for just 4.5 per cent of total earnings, a stark contrast to 34 per cent for Germanys Deutsche Bahn, 30 per cent for Japan Railways, and 10 per cent for Frances SNCF. The net revenue of the railways stood at Rs 2,342 crore for FY25, down from Rs 3,259.68 crore in FY24. On average, revenue expenditure has stood at about 99 per cent of internal receipts, meaning that for every Rs 100 earned, the railways spends Rs 99. This has left little surplus to fund capital works from its own resources. Indian Railways, a vital backbone of the economy, primarily generates revenue from freight and passenger operations. However, in line with the vision for a self-sustaining and commercially vibrant network, non-fare revenue generation has emerged as a crucial strategic focus, a Niti Aayog vision document noted. At present, 488 projects worth Rs 2.92 lakh crore are ongoing nationwide. Land monetisation will not only boost revenue but also help us generate a sustainable passenger network. Lessons from several profitable passenger networks across the world have been drawn into this plan, said a senior official. In a rare show of unity, Maharashtras opposition leaders came together on Tuesday to raise serious allegations of large-scale irregularities in the voter lists for the local body elections. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray jointly led the charge, accusing both the State Election Commission (SEC) and the Election Commission of India (ECI) of failing to maintain transparency and allowing manipulation of voter data. Raj alleged that the voter list was being tampered with in real time. Yesterday, we showed the commission the name of a bogus voter at 6pm. By 7pm, the name was deleted from the list. When we asked the officials how it happened, they said they were unaware and would investigate. If the Election Commission doesnt know who is adding or deleting names, then who should we ask? Raj said. He claimed that discrepancies, including multiple entries of the same voter, fake addresses, and unrealistic ages, were found in the rolls. In the 2024 elections, in the Charkop constituency, there was a voter named Nandini listed as 124 years old, while her father was shown as 43, Raj said. If such things continue, its better not to hold elections until the list is corrected. Raj demanded that the commission withdraw its notification that gives just eight days for claims and objections. We will wait for two to three days and decide our next move, he said. Uddhav went a step further, accusing the Election Commission of corrupt malpractice and warning that democracy in Maharashtra was under threat. To save democracy, we have all come together today. We even invited the BJP, but they chose not to attend, he said. Referring to earlier complaints filed by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) during the October 2024 assembly election, Uddhav alleged that certain BJP members were interfering in the electoral process. This is a joke on democracy. We told the EC: If you cant hold fair elections, then dont hold them at all. Or call it a selection instead of an election, he said. He also questioned the commissions refusal to use VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) machines. We already have doubts about EVMs, and now they wont even use VVPATs. There are no updated voter lists, no camera footage, no transparency. Vote chori, party chori everything is happening through backdoor entries, Uddhav said, adding that the matter warranted Supreme Court intervention. Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat and Jayant Patil of the NCP (Sharad Pawar) also participated in the meeting with election officials earlier in the day. They presented documentary evidence and a detailed letter outlining serious flaws in the voter lists across constituencies. According to the joint representation submitted by the opposition, the voter rolls dated July 1, which the SEC intends to use for the local body polls, contain thousands of errors. These include incomplete or bogus addresses, duplicate entries across different districts, and mass registrations under a single address. For instance, in Murbad, 400 voters have only a dash () mentioned in place of house numbers; in Badnera, 450 voters have their house numbers listed as 0; and in Kamthi, 867 voters have their address fields marked null. Similarly, 813 voters in Nashik Central constituency and 869 voters in Pune Cantonment are all registered at a single address. Patil said they also discovered cases where names disappeared from the ECs website after being flagged publicly. In Nalasopara, a woman named Sushma Gupta was listed six times with different EPIC IDs. After news reports highlighted this, the entries vanished from the EC website by evening. This shows someone else is operating the EC server, he alleged. The joint memorandum submitted by the parties demanded immediate rectification of all defects in the electoral roll, verification of addresses with more than 20 registered voters, and the use of ballot papers instead of EVMs in the absence of VVPAT. They also demanded that final voting figures be announced within a fixed timeframe after polling and not altered later. Even if President Donald Trump was right that foreign countries absorb the cost of his tariffs, that wouldnt mean they are necessarily in Americas interest. Suppressing economic growth in strategically important regions can easily backfire on the United States. Consider South Asia. The region is mostly populated by India and Bangladesh, along with smaller countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka. The World Bank projected last week that the regions GDP growth would fall to 5.8 per cent in 2026 from 6.6 per cent in 2025. The forecast has been downgraded, the report notes, in part because India continues to face higher-than-expected tariffs on goods exports to the United States. Trump doubled the US tariff rate on India to 50 per cent in August. Prime Minister Narendra Modis economic advisor estimates that US tariffs will take about half a point off Indias growth rate. Why should an America First administration care about that? Because China is by far the largest economy in Asia and the most threatening regime to the United States. Economic growth correlates with diplomatic and military strength. If South Asia is relatively weaker, then China has more freedom to throw its weight along its eastern coast. Conflict in that region, which includes treaty allies Japan and the Philippines, risks sparking a direct confrontation with China. It is in Americas national interest, then, for South Asia, and especially India, to grow at a rapid clip. That would create a counterweight in Asia to Chinas massive economic and military expansion. Trumps barrage of tariffs on India in August was supposedly a response to its importation of Russian oil, even though China is a bigger customer of the same product. But Trump is determined to negotiate a grand trade bargain with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, so he didnt impose secondary sanctions on their purchases of Russian crude. Trump wants US trade policy to be more self-interested, but it doesnt serve Americas strategic interests to strengthen Chinas position relative to its neighbours. At some level, the administration surely knows this. Indeed, its continued commitment to strengthening the Quad, comprising the United States, Japan, India and Australia, shows that it understands that regional power balances matter. Reuters reported this week that new trade talks are in the works. Negotiators can address differences with New Delhi without losing sight of its crucial role balancing Beijing. The Washington Post Last week, the Aqua Line began operations along the entire stretch from Colaba to Aarey. There was much fanfare and jubilation among infrastructure enthusiasts. People rushed to witness the underground marvel with sparkling stations, elegant signage, air-conditioned trains, and the experience of effortlessly snaking beneath the mayhem above. Perhaps when the initial euphoria subsides, sober thinking will facilitate a dispassionate evaluation of the Aqua Line in terms of its declared objectives and predictions. For far too long, the only justification for large infrastructure projects has been their enormous cost and physical scale with a general suspension of disbelief about their benefits and consequences. In the reports prepared by consultants, and in the statements of politicians and bureaucrats, convenient myths are perpetuated to justify large projects: Highways reduce congestion; metros bring down car use; redevelopment makes housing affordable; public parking lots free up road space; the poor will pay more for better services. These are pure dogmas, which common sense and evidence cannot shake. In fact, it would take a sleuth to find a megaproject in Mumbai that has delivered as promised or cost as much as estimated. For instance, the Bandra-Worli Sea Link cost 5.3 times its initial estimate, and ridership is 60 per cent of what was claimed. The cost of the Metro 1 went up 1.8 times and it carries only 40 per cent of the estimated commuters. The cost of the trans-harbour link went up 4.4 times, and it carries only 26 per cent of its forecasted traffic. Last week, when the Aqua Line was inaugurated, 1.6 lakh commuters boarded the line. Newspapers reported a drop in bus and taxi users. But wasnt the goal to shift people from private cars? Metro planners predict that by 2031, the Aqua Line will reach 16.9 lakh daily commuter trips, reduce 6.65 lakh daily vehicular trips, and save 3.54 lakh litres of fuel each day. But if the past is a guide, these forecasts may well be fanciful. In 1980, the British planner and academic Peter Hall wrote a book called Great Planning Disasters, which, he explained, are major planning decisions undertaken despite criticism and opposition, and are later felt by informed people to have been a mistake. One of the planning disasters in his book was San Franciscos Bay Area Rapid Transit, or BART. Like Mumbai Metro, the BART was developed in the 1950s to link existing urban centres by rail, and to reduce car use and traffic congestion around those centres. This did not happen. By the 1970s, BART achieved only 51 per cent of its projected ridership; it diverted only 28 per cent of expected car users; its main beneficiaries were higher-income commuters; it jeopardised bus operations; it had negligible effects on traffic volumes and congestion; it proved too expensive to operate. A study that analysed the project concluded that the BART system is one where the poor are paying and the rich are riding. So what went wrong? It turns out that BART planners entertained the convenient myth that commuters care more about journey time on the train rather than door-to-door travel time. BART relied on buses or cars to feed into stations, and most people preferred to continue with those modes rather than wait or switch modes. Hall explains that the planners of BART suffered from a narrowness of vision and an almost ideological commitment to a new technology that could perform the needed miracle. Everyone, he says, wanted to believe in the optimistic predictions because it seemed to offer a way out of existing problems. He hoped that the experience of BART would provide valuable lessons to other cities. But Mumbais Metro promoters cant be bothered. They want to believe that the Metro will deliver miraculous results. They refuse to consider the evidence that metros have negligible impact on car usage, or the basic insight that even if they do, traffic will expand to fill the available space. As Upton Sinclair once remarked: It is difficult to get someone to understand something when their salary depends on not understanding it. To salvage a poorly planned and preposterously expensive Metro, a reliable low-cost public transport like BEST is being shrunk and restructured. It is naively assumed that the poor who can barely afford bus or commuter rail will magically summon the cash to ride in the hi-tech Metro. At the same time, working people like the fisherfolk or the dabbawalas are not allowed to use it. The Metro, it seems, will benefit people even when it excludes them. This sort of wishful thinking can only persist in a planning process that suppresses scepticism and insulates itself from reality. Eventually, many people will use and even applaud the Mumbai Metro. However, a large public infrastructure project must be judged not simply from the perspective of beneficiaries, but in terms of how it distributes costs and benefits. When the less fortunate pay and the better-off ride, planning has gone terribly wrong. Hussain Indorewala is a teacher and urban researcher at KRVIA, Mumbai. Views are personal. Personal data belonging to millions of Qantas customers has been leaked on the dark web following a cyberattack and a failed ransom demand by a global hacker group. Qantas says personal customer data was leaked online after failed ransom demand by hackers The breach, which occurred in July, reportedly exposed personal data linked to 5.7 million people. Over the weekend, the data was posted online after the airline refused to meet the hackers demands, according to local media reports. The cyber crime group responsible, believed to be Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters, had earlier threatened to leak stolen data from over 40 international companies, including Disney, IKEA, Toyota, Vietnam Airlines and Qantas, unless a ransom was paid, The Guardian Australia reported. Qantas previously confirmed the data breach affected one of its contact centres and involved customer names, email addresses and residential details. However, the airline stressed that no credit card numbers, personal financial information or passport details were accessed. In a statement published on its website on Sunday 12 October, Qantas said it is working with cyber security experts to investigate the breach and assess what information has been compromised. It also confirmed that a legal injunction is now in place to limit the sharing of the stolen data. The airline said: Through the NSW Supreme Court, we have an ongoing injunction in place to prevent the stolen data being accessed, viewed, released, used, transmitted or published by anyone, including third parties. Following the initial incident in July, Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said the company had put in place a number of additional cyber security measures to further protect our customers' data and that it was maintaining constant contact with both the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Cyber Security Centre. Vietnam Airlines, also named in the hackers list, confirmed on Tuesday (14.10.25) that it had suffered a data breach involving a third-party customer service platform. The airline said unauthorised access may have occurred to certain customer data processed through this platform and that investigations are ongoing. The carrier said: At this time, data such as payment information, passwords, travel itineraries, Lotusmiles balances, and passport details remain secure. Additionally, Vietnam Airlines internal IT systems were not affected. The leak is the latest in a growing wave of international cyber attacks targeting major companies with global customer bases. Murphys, CA California Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil says the state needs to help wine grape growers and vintners with policy support in response challenges facing the industry in the Sierra Foothills and Central Valley. She is disappointed that the California Senate Select Committee on Wine has not met since November 2023. The group reviews issues and makes policy recommendations for the wine industry. The neglect our committee has shown rural California must be addressed in the 2026 legislative session, says Alvarado-Gil. Local economies rely on wine revenue and tourism. Our wine industry leaders are crying out for help. Senator Alvarado-Gil made the statements ahead of a public meeting she attended with members of the industry at the Murphys Historic Hotel on Tuesday afternoon. A statement from Jody Garcia, Calaveras County Winegrape Alliance Executive Director Jody Garcia, notes, We urge the California Senate Committee to prioritize issues impacting small and rural wineries, the backbone of Californias wine industry. Their voices are often sidelined in water policy, labeling, and labor law discussions. Enhanced support for tourism infrastructure, wildfire prevention, and workforce development is critical. The industry needs balanced representation for both large and small producers across California. Alvarado-Gils office cites statistics such as a statewide 2024 Harvest Collapse, with last years wine grape crush being the lightest in 20 years. She adds that 350,000 tons were abandoned, hitting the Sierra Foothills and Central Valley the hardest. In Amador County, she notes that 60% of 2024s grape crop went unpicked due to no buyer contracts. The wine industry is a major aspect of regional economies, and the counties rely on the related tourism spending. Statistics also note that fewer Americans, especially under 35, are consuming alcohol. There are also environmental pressures, such as recent wildfires, drought, and frost, compounded with labor shortages and market saturation. Alvarado-Gil concludes, With much of our crops rotting and revenue plummeting, we risk losing our vineyards and Californias reputation as a global wine leaderWe have a responsibility to assist the winegrowers in our districts as promised. WASHINGTON (AP) Voting rights activists were relieved in 2023 when, in a surprise to some, the Supreme Court upheld the most important remaining element of the Voting Rights Act. The ruling forced Alabama and later Louisiana to redraw their congressional maps to give Black residents greater representation, moves that eventually sent two additional Black lawmakers to Washington. Two years later, the Voting Rights Acts Section 2 is before the court again. This time, its a rehearing of a Louisiana lawsuit over the states redrawn congressional map in a case that revolves around the same part of the 60-year-old law. At the heart of Wednesdays arguments lies a simple question, and one with potentially far-reaching consequences: Will the court, with the same lineup of justices who decided the 2023 case, change its mind about the landmark law? What is Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act? Section 2 is the primary way plaintiffs can challenge racially discriminatory election practices. For nearly 50 years, a companion part of the law, Section 5, required certain states and counties with a history of discriminatory voting practices to get federal review before changing their election rules. Most of those places were in the South. In 2013, the Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision in a case known as Shelby v. Holder that removed the preclearance requirement in the Civil Rights-era law. States that had been under its jurisdiction began announcing changes to their election and voting laws, most of them restrictive. That accelerated in Republican-controlled states after President Donald Trump began lying about his loss in the 2020 election, falsely claiming it was due to widespread fraud. A decision against Section 2 would largely neuter the Voting Rights Act, said Binny Miller, a law professor at the American University. When Section 5 existed, it caught a lot of the problems that would have turned into Section 2 litigation, he said. Without those two pillars of the law, plaintiffs would have a much harder time challenging new voting restrictions. Instead, they would have to prove that lawmakers intended to discriminate. More Black representation in Congress Louisianas Republican-dominated Legislature drew a new congressional map in 2022 to account for population shifts reflected in the 2020 census. But the changes effectively maintained the status quo of five Republican-leaning majority white districts and one Democratic-leaning majority Black district in a state where the population is about one-third Black. After civil rights advocates challenged the map, a district judge and then a federal appeals court panel agreed that the original map had likely violated Section 2. The Supreme Court put that ruling on hold while it took up a similar case out of Alabama. The courts 2023 ruling in favor of a second Black district there led to the election of Rep. Shomari Figures. After that ruling, Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry urged the Legislature to revamp the states congressional map and create a new majority minority district that would give Black residents a greater chance of electing a representative of their choice. His other goal was to maintain safe Republican districts, including those of House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise. The new 6th Congressional District, represented by Democratic Rep. Cleo Fields, stretches more than 200 miles (320 kilometers), linking parts of the Shreveport, Alexandria, Lafayette and Baton Rouge areas. Lawsuit from white plaintiffs challenges the new district A different set of plaintiffs, a group of self-described non-African Americans, in January 2024 filed a lawsuit that claimed the new map that led to Fields election was illegal because it was driven too much by race, in violation of the Constitution. In court filings, those plaintiffs have argued that the basis for the new district is racial and does not follow the standards for drawing a district, including compactness: The State has not even tried to cover its motives or offer race-neutral reasons for the map, one court filing said. The Supreme Court heard the case in March but reached no decision in that term. In an unusual move, it instead ordered a new briefing on the case, leading to Wednesdays arguments. Why is the case being argued again? The court has asked the parties to answer the question of: Whether the states intentional creation of a second majority-minority congressional district violates the Fourteenth or Fifteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Those amendments, adopted in the aftermath of the Civil War, were intended to bring about political equality for Black Americans. Justice Clarence Thomas signaled at least one point of view in his dissent against not addressing the case in the last session, arguing that the courts interpretation of Section 2 is in direct conflict with the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. The Constitution is supreme over statutes and no intervening developments will change that, he argued. In the run-up to the new hearing, Louisiana abandoned its defense of the map it had drawn and urged the Supreme Court to reject any consideration of race in redistricting. There is a range of possible outcomes. The court could send the case back to a lower court with instructions to draw a new map, including reexamining some of those presented by the original plaintiffs. On the extreme, the court could say that Section 2 and its reliance on racial considerations is out of line with the 14th and 15th amendments. How could undercutting Section 2 affect future elections? The new Alabama district created after the 2023 Supreme Court decision would almost certainly be drawn out of existence, along with the Louisiana seat now held by Fields. All other congressional districts that have resulted from Section 2 cases also would be in jeopardy. It doesnt stop there. The role of Section 2 is often discussed in relation to Congress. But about three-quarters of all Section 2 lawsuits pertain to state and local government bodies, said Kareem Crayton, senior director for voting and representation at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University. City councils, county commissions, school boards and other local elected offices have been the direct recipients of plaintiffs bringing those cases, he said. A significant ruling that dilutes that part of the Voting Rights Act also would likely negate another voting rights case coming to the court. That one involves two North Dakota Native American tribes that have sued to overturn a legislative map they say does not give them representation. A panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the tribes and in doing so overturned decades of precedent. It said private individuals and organizations cannot bring voting rights challenges. The judges said that right was reserved for the U.S. Justice Department, even though its responsible for filing only a fraction of those types of cases. That case would seem to be moot if the Supreme Court undercuts Section 2 in the Louisiana case, especially if it all but prohibits challenges to voting or election laws thought to be racially discriminatory. By GARY FIELDS Associated Press Tears welling in her eyes, Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan paused mid-sentence to calm herself on the Assembly floor. Almost a century ago, the Nazis forced her grandmother to flee Austria, leaving behind her great-great-grandmother who died in the Holocaust, the Jewish Democrat from San Ramon told her fellow lawmakers. Last year, she said, her daughter told her that the bathrooms at her school had been vandalized with swastikas. My children deserve to show up at school and not have to face hate crimes in their building, to face the symbols that represented the end of their relatives, she said. Stories like hers, as well as Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, prompted Californias Jewish lawmakers to make countering antisemitism in schools their top priority this year. They sought to create a list of words and ideas that could not be mentioned in classrooms, including heavily disputed claims about Israel. The effort sparked the biggest, most emotional legislative fight of the year: Should the government regulate what can be taught in schools? If so, how far should it go? At issue was Assembly Bill 715, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law this month after it went through multiple major, sometimes last-minute rewrites during months of political tussling. Champions have argued the law will protect Jewish students from rising bullying and discrimination, sometimes from teachers. While the state does not collect data on antisemitism in schools, reports of anti-Jewish bias statewide have doubled between 2021 and 2024, according to the California Department of Justice. Last year, more than 15% of all hate crime events in California were anti-Jewish, even though Jewish people make up about 3% of the state population. We cannot hide from the profoundly unfortunate truth that Jewish kids are being isolated, made to feel unwelcome, and verbally and physically attacked. And far too often, our schools are failing to protect them, Assemblymember Rick Zbur, a Los Angeles Democrat and co-author of the bill, said during a May hearing, when By July, it had undergone a major overhaul, including determining that any instruction that directly or indirectly deny Israels right to exist, equating Israelis with Nazis, or disrespecting the historical, cultural, or religious significance of Israel to the Jewish people would count as creating an antisemitic learning environment. It reinvigorated debates over whether criticism of Israels founding, or even the belief that Jewish people should have an independent country in their ancient homeland, counts as antisemitic something Jewish thinkers do not agree on. Mainstream Jewish groups maintain that anti-Zionism, a broad term that generally opposes the idea of a standalone state with a Jewish-majority population, is antisemitic. Many Jewish academics, however, dont think it is antisemitic on its own, but they agree that blaming individual Jews for the actions taken by the Israeli government is antisemitic. That July version of the bill drew heavy opposition from a vast coalition of education groups, from teachers unions to school boards, civil rights advocates and Muslim community organizations, who feared censorship of pro-Palestinian voices and infringement upon academic freedom. They would remain opposed through its many iterations, and many of them urged Newsom to veto it. Their concerns lingered even as the bill was ultimately watered down in the final days of this years legislative session to address bias more broadly: The final version no longer mentions the Israel-Hamas war and bars using professional development materials that violate the states anti-discrimination laws. It also requires factually accurate instruction that is free of advocacy, personal opinion, bias, or partisanship a controversial element the bills authors said they ran out of time to tackle and promised to clean up next year. In its current form, this bill only reinforces broader national trends of silencing constitutionally protected speech, erasing historically relevant curriculum, and persecuting anyone who expresses even the slightest opposition to the federal administration, said Assemblymember Robert Garcia, a freshman Democratic lawmaker from Rancho Cucamonga and former teacher and school board member, who ultimately abstained from voting on the measure. The squabble over the bill was messy, marked by hundreds of attendees, hourslong hearings, and accusations of bad faith from both sides. Bauer-Kahan called a teachers union advocate who opposed the bill antisemitic. After the bill passed out of the Legislature, a handful of pro-Palestinian activists protested from the Assembly gallery for more than an hour, yelling: You will all have blood on your hands! The tension highlights the discomfort for California Democrats, who, despite having traditionally defended Israel, have had to reckon with a base growing increasingly critical of Israel. They faced a tough choice: Support the bill and risk upsetting some of the most powerful labor allies as well as their pro-Palestinian constituents, or oppose the bill and risk being labeled as antisemitic or unwilling to combat antisemitism. Amid the pressure, some Democratic lawmakers voted for the bill even as they warned it could be used to censor free speech. Others abstained instead of taking a side. Im actually surprised that California state legislators would want to even touch it, because its just so radioactive right now, said Kim Nalder, a political science professor at Sacramento State University. It just feels like at this political moment, we want to lower the temperature, not shine a spotlight on ways in which we might target each other. The issue was such a hot potato that many lawmakers avoided tackling it early in the legislative process, when policy differences are often ironed out, said Sen. Sasha Renee Perez, a freshman progressive Democrat from Pasadena who chairs the Senate Education Committee. When the bill arrived in her committee in June, it still had no substantive language. Some lawmakers told her to not touch it either, while others left it up to her to take care of it, she said. The ball got thrown to me, she told CalMatters. And people knew that they were doing that. People would end up being very angry on both sides Californias Jewish lawmakers introduced the bill in response to intensifying clashes in schools and college campuses nationwide over the Israeli-Hamas conflict in Gaza. For some Democrats, the timing couldnt have been worse. The war has forced a tidal shift within the Democratic base, as voters support for Israels military campaign tanked over the past two years. That has forced some Democrats, even moderates who have historically backed Israel, to condemn the country and pull away from pro-Israel donors. Young Democrats are also more critical of Israel than their older peers, so any vote that could be perceived as silencing pro-Palestinian voices is risky. A very strong part of Democratic and leftist values that we are seeing expressed now is anti-genocide or anti-war, Nalder said. (For) my students who are politically active, this is one of the chief issues that they care about. The bill also came as President Donald Trump ordered immigration agents to arrest student activists critical of the Israeli government and withheld billions of dollars in funding from universities for their alleged failure to protect Jewish students. At least half a dozen other state Legislatures sought to fight antisemitism in schools this year, with some adopting a highly disputed definition of antisemitism in state education codes. Enraged, some opponents accused California Democrats of taking a page out of Trumps playbook. But the Democratic lawmakers had to balance all that with the risk of upsetting the Jewish community, a key voting bloc. A no vote could be construed as antisemitic, making the lawmaker vulnerable to challenges in the next election, Nalder said. The bill was the sole priority of the 18-member California Legislative Jewish Caucus, which is composed entirely of Democrats and led by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel of Encino and Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco, who chair the budget committees in their respective chambers. Neither would speak with CalMatters about what happened with the bill. Gabriels office did not respond to several CalMatters emails seeking an interview, whereas Wiener declined to comment, pointing CalMatters to the bill authors instead. David Bocarsly, executive director of the Jewish Public Affairs Committee, which sponsored the bill, said the caucus backing was crucial. The Jewish caucus was able to leverage their influence and respect with their colleagues and effectively represent the Jewish communitys needs, he said. Perez acknowledged the political challenge, telling CalMatters she would have preferred to hold the bill until next year, but said legislative leaders had promised to deliver a bill the governor could sign this year. She said some colleagues told her it was an impossible situation to navigate. They felt like there was no winning, she said. Regardless of what they would try to do to make amendments to it people would end up being very angry on both sides. A debate over academic freedom The clash over AB 715 is the latest episode of yearslong strife over how to teach about marginalized communities in Californias K-12 schools and who should be included. In past years, the fight primarily focused on ethnic studies a mandatory high school course on the history and culture of groups such as Latinos, Asian Americans, African Americans and Native Americans. The state adopted a model curriculum in 2021, after years of fine-tuning amid disputes over which ethnic minority groups to teach about and criticism from Jewish advocates, who accused past versions of being antisemitic. Jewish lawmakers championed a bill earlier this year that aimed to tackle antisemitism by restricting the ethnic studies curriculum, but the effort was stopped early in its tracks, and legislators turned to AB 715 instead. This is a bill about protecting Jewish students, and it shouldnt have been controversial, said Bocarsly, of JPAC. If we dont teach empathy and understand it, were going to build a generation of intolerance, and thats what were trying to correct for. He said AB 715 was the hardest political fight in JPACs history and that the initial definition of an antisemitic learning environment was only meant to offer teachers guidance. But opponents had two major concerns: that the bills initial definition of antisemitic learning environment risked silencing discord about Israel, and that even in its final watered-down version it could chill free speech and open teachers up to lawsuits for teaching about anything controversial. Jews are most safe when democracy flourishes, when pluralism flourishes, not when rights are taken away, said David Goldberg, president of the California Teachers Association and a Jewish father to three children who attend public schools. Whats safe for Jews was itself a matter of disagreement among the bills backers and dissenters. Bocarsly said CTA leaderships opposition to every version of the bill shows that they have little interest in supporting a bill that would protect Jewish students. Goldberg, in an interview, called that accusation a lot of chutzpah, frankly. The fact the bill even tried to prescribe what an antisemitic environment looked like in classrooms was concerning to Kenneth Stern, a scholar on hate. More than 20 years ago, he was the lead author of the highly controversial definition of antisemitism thats been adopted by some states this year. It all but labels anti-Zionism as a form of antisemitism. Now, nearly 50 countries, including the U.S., have embraced the definition. Though Stern wrote the definition, he opposes using it to restrict speech in schools, arguing that it could threaten academic freedom and fuel censorship by chilling discussion about controversial topics. Stern said despite all the revisions made during the process, the final version will likely make antisemitism worse. The law creates an antisemitism prevention coordinator to advise education and legislative leaders and says the person in that role should use federal guidelines published under former President Joe Biden as a basis for decision-making. The controversial definition of antisemitism Stern wrote is labeled as the most prominent definition of antisemitism in those guidelines, though it mentions others. I understand why people care about (preventing antisemitism in schools), he said. They want the Legislature to do something. I think the legislators are sincere that they want to do something. This is the wrong thing. Educators like Goldberg worry the bill could allow bad-faith critics to also dispute a wide array of controversial topics taught in schools. Will it become the basis for critics of the transgender community to pressure teachers to say there are only two genders, he wondered. Gabriel Kahn, a Jewish teacher in Oakland who said hes being investigated by his school district after challenging the content of an antisemitic training last year, said he fears prosecution for voicing the need to distinguish between antisemitism and criticism of Israel. What Im most afraid of is that in the Democratic state of California, we can pass a censorship bill that protects a foreign nation from criticism implicitly, he said. What does that say about the future of academic freedom in our country? ___ CalMatters reporter Carolyn Jones contributed reporting. ___ This story was originally published by CalMatters and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press. By YUE STELLA YU and MIKHAIL ZINSHTEYN/CalMatters CalMatters KATHMANDU, Oct 15: It is revealed that all three security agencies had briefed thenPrime Minister KP Sharma Oli about the violent Gen Z protests that took place on September 8 and 9 about a month ago, warning that the situation could spiral out of control. According to sources, the security agencies had informed PM Oli that students from private colleges were communicating through digital platforms and that the movement could be infiltrated. The agencies had also warned that groups seeking to exploit the royalist protest of March 28, 2025, could attempt to merge with dissatisfied factions of the Rastriya Swatantra Party and the CPN (Maoist Center) to infiltrate the movement. We briefed the prime minister about the structure of the digital uprising, but he brushed it off, saying, You do your job. After that, there was never any discussion about the Gen Z protests with the security bodies, a senior security official said. Related story Heart to Heart with Malvika The official added that Oli was also briefed about cyberattacks targeting both government and non-government infrastructures and about the Ministry of Home Affairs being run haphazardly. There were cyberattacks on state and non-state systems. False and misleading information was spreading rapidly. At such a time, the home administration was operating purely on impulse. We had become mere executors of orders. Reporting directly to the prime minister is often criticized as crossing the channel, the official said. According to him, the prime minister was also briefed shortly after the March 28 incident about growing youth dissatisfaction and the digital mobilization of private college students in Kathmandu. The security agencies delivered timely intelligence, but the government failed to respond on time, he added. Separate reports had been submitted by Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force and the National Investigation Department. Officials had verbally clarified that the internal security situation was deteriorating. Developing a mechanism to set priorities for internal security and giving clear direction requires a national security policy. To implement such a policy, there must be strategies, plans, and programs. Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force should have been mobilized under an internal security strategy, but no one seemed interested. Where systems fail and merit is ignored, policies are never implemented, he said. The official added that they had discussed these same concerns with Oli regarding the March 28 incident and the growing pressure on the home administration. Our final reporting channel was the prime minister himself. It took great effort to make our voices heard, he said. He further noted that unless lessons are learned and an effective internal security strategy is adopted to minimize the loss of life and property, Nepali youth will not find peace. To successfully conduct the election scheduled for March 5 next year, he said, the morale of the police, civil servants and voters must be restored. It takes time for the wounds in peoples minds to heal, he added. According to the source, the security agencies had also conducted detailed briefings on issues raised on digital platforms such as rising organized crime, corruption, narrow communal and regional divisions, the use of technology in crime and obstacles to the rule of law all concerns echoed by the youth. The agencies had also informed Oli that the Ministry of Home Affairs lacked security expertise, which had caused problems in command and control during crises. They noted that instead of appointing experienced and capable officials with knowledge of internal security, the ministry often brought in politically loyal but weak and demoralized personnel, worsening the situation. Officials may be skilled at managing political leaders and generating resources, but when security challenges arise, they hide under the table and disappear when needed most. We told the prime minister exactly that, but he only smiled and said he would look into it, the senior official said. Mia Goth has insisted Blade has been delayed because Marvel wants to do it right. Mia Goth has said Blade's delays are because Marvel 'wants to do it right' The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) blockbuster was announced in 2019 and has suffered several setbacks after a slew of directors and writers have exited the project, but Goth - who will play villain Lilith in the film - has argued its for the best that Marvel is taking its time on Blade. When Elle asked the 31-year-old actress about Blades delays, she said: Its for the best that its taken the time that it has. They want to do it right. The MaXXXine actress added she had update on Blades production. Blade is set to star Mahershala Ali as the titular vampire hunter, and the 51-year-old actor most recently said he didnt know where Marvel is right now with the movie. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, he said: Im just taking it a day at a time. Im doing the best work I can. The Jurassic World: Rebirth star pointed to his upcoming action flick Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother - which is being helmed by former Blade director Bassam Tariq - as a project that has scratched his stunts itch, though was still hoping the MCU movie would go ahead. He added: I would love for Blade to happen; well see, I dont know where Marvel is at right now. Im just looking for the next great part, I really am. Ali emphasised he was ready for Blade. When Variety asked Ali for an update on the film, he said: Call Marvel. Im ready. Let them know Im ready. Blade was initially slated for release in November 2025, but was taken off Disneys release calendar in October last year - with Predator: Badlands taking its place. Around the same time, Marvel Studios announced three untitled films scheduled for February 18, May 5, and November 10, 2028. The Blade reboot has faced several setbacks, losing multiple writers and directors over the years. Both Bassam Tariq and Yann Demange were attached to direct the movie, though departed the project due to creative differences. True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto had been brought on to write the script for Blade in May 2023, though reportedly parted ways with the project a year later - with the story said to be started again from scratch. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige addressed the delays, noting that the creative team was still trying to crack Blade and was determined not to rush development. He told BlackTree TV: For the last two years as weve been trying to crack that movie, the most important thing for us is not rushing it and making sure we are making the right Blade movie. Feige also confirmed that Marvel intends to maintain the characters darker tone and R-rating, much like the Deadpool series. He said: There were some great Blade movies years ago - they were all rated-R. So I think thats, like Deadpool, inherent with the character of Blade. Currently, the screenplay for Blade is being written by Thor: Ragnarok writer Eric Pearson. Although no director is officially attached at the moment, John Wick filmmaker Chad Stahelski was previously said to be in talks to helm the project. Prince William misses the "glory days" of being a search-and-rescue pilot. Prince William misses his RAF days The Prince of Wales served with the RAF from 2009 until 2013 before flying with the East Anglian Air Ambulance from March 2015 until July 2017 and at a joint engagement with his "dear friend" and fellow helicopter pilot the Crown Prince of Jordan, Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire on Wednesday (15.10.25), William looked back on his military days with great fondness. According to the Daily Telegraph, he said: I left and went straight into the Air Ambulance afterwards and did three years or so there and it sort of merged into one big flying trip. I miss the search and rescue days, the glory days." The prince told how he loved hearing the sound of the Sea King helicopter flying during US Premident Donald Trump's state visit last month. He added: Seven aircraft were flying over and Sea King comes in and I was like there she is that noise went straight to my heart, it was a great sound." The 43-year-old royal still enjoys flying when he can and admitted piloting an aircraft is his "happy place". Asked whether he still flies, he said: I do still fly I keep my hours going because, when you learn that skill set, you just dont want it to go. Ive definitely lost a lot of the skills had, but I like to just keep on top of flying and keep doing it. Its my happy place when Im flying. During their visit, the princes met trainee aircrew and staff from No. 28 (AC) Sqn and No. 22 Sqn - with whom William served during his time at RAF Valley in Anglesey, North Wales - and heled engineers work on the main rotorhead of a Chinook aircraft, with the British prince joking someone would come along to "check" his counterpart's work. They then attended a private meeting with RAF personnel. The two princes flew to the engagement by helicopter from Windsor Castle, with Kensington Palace stating it highlighted their "strong relationship" and mutual respect for the Armed Forces. By Zhao Yimeng As women produce more than half of the world's food, global leaders and experts are calling for stronger scientific innovation and more inclusive technology to close the persistent gender gap in agriculture. They shared their insights at the 2025 Forum on Women in Agrifood, held on Tuesday in Beijing's Pinggu district as part of the World AgriFood Innovation Conference. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, women in developing countries produce 60 to 80 percent of food, yet their land productivity was 24 percent lower than men's in 2023, largely due to unequal access to technology, finance and training. Agricultural science and digital innovation are key to narrowing that divide, experts said. "Women have become a vital force in agricultural innovation," said Feng Ling, vice-president of the All-China Women's Federation. She said China has taken steps to promote gender equality in agriculture through training, inclusive finance and entrepreneurship programs. Specialized initiatives in e-commerce, tourism and rural management have supported small businesses led by women. As of 2025, more than 8 million rural women had received training, and over 290,000 cooperatives and family farms led by women had been established, Feng said. China has also rolled out inclusive financial products such as the women's entrepreneurship loan. Between 2020 and 2023, women's federations helped secure more than 240 billion yuan ($33 billion) in loans, helping nearly 10 million obtain rural employment or start businesses, she said. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, more than half the participants in the country's new agricultural enterprises are women, and they account for over 35 percent of cooperative and family farm leaders. Sun Qixin, president of China Agricultural University, said women have become an indispensable force in building a strong agricultural nation and advancing rural vitalization. "Chinese women are emerging as innovators in green agriculture and sustainable technology," Sun said. He noted that female entrepreneurs have invested in 445,000 green economy enterprises, covering sectors from organic farming to clean agriculture. Women now make up 45.8 percent of the country's scientific workforce, contributing to major technological breakthroughs in agricultural technology and sustainability, he added. However, challenges remain, as women in developing countries are still excluded from critical resources such as credit and technology. Agnes Kalibata, president emeritus of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, said women produce most of Africa's food but often lack access to fair markets, technology and finance. Citing World Bank data, she said if women were paid according to their contribution, Africa's agricultural GDP could increase by up to 4 percent, which would have "a massive and transformative impact". Kalibata cited examples of innovations made by women, including Tanzanian entrepreneurs who provide digital advisory services to thousands of farmers and manufacture drones to monitor crops. "When women have access to technology, knowledge and finance, they can deliver miracles," she said. Echoing Kalibata, Helen Nalungwe, an official with Zambia's Ministry of Agriculture, said international organizations are helping female entrepreneurs in rural areas build resilience to climate change. Programs run by the UN Development Programme and the World Food Programme such as rural savings groups that allow women to collectively purchase agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertilizers have helped increase productivity, Nalungwe said. China Daily APP Oct 15, 2025 Badia Ahad will serve as Emory Universitys next provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, beginning a two-year term on Nov. 1. Ahad is currently dean of Emorys Oxford College, a position she has held since 2023. Dean Ahad has been an extraordinary member of our community, says Interim Emory University President Leah Ward Sears. She has demonstrated remarkable leadership, vision and a genuine commitment to cultivating a strong and inclusive academic community. At Oxford, she has overseen academic affairs, student life and operations to elevate both the faculty and student experience. Her thoughtful leadership has already left a lasting mark, and I have every confidence she will bring that same energy and excellence to the provost role. As Emorys chief academic officer, Ahad will collaborate with other university leaders and the deans from each of Emorys nine schools and colleges to formulate strategy and academic priorities and ensure appropriate allocation of budget and resources. In addition to managing the faculty promotion and tenure process, the provost generates cross-cutting opportunities and initiatives in undergraduate, graduate and professional education and student life. As provost, I will advance Emory's academic mission by enhancing the conditions in which our students thrive and our faculty produce life-changing, life-saving scholarship and research, Ahad says. The breadth of this work from the arts and humanities to clinical research and AI distinguishes Emory as one of the nation's finest institutions. Even with all we have achieved, I believe we have tremendous potential to create even greater impact in the lives of our students and in the service of humanity. At Oxford College, Ahad led the development of a comprehensive strategic plan to guide the schools progress over the next five years. She established a framework to address competitive compensation, ensuring the retention and recruitment of top faculty and staff talent. She launched the Oxford Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship to enrich the curriculum and strengthen the faculty pipeline, and she transformed Oxford's approach to external funding by prioritizing a grant-seeking culture increasing external grant funding by nearly 50% in just 18 months. She also partnered with the University of Georgias School of Social Work to bring Master of Social Work interns to Oxford, enhancing wellness and mental health support for students, and founded Global Oxford to expand international learning opportunities, including the Oxford Launch London program. What distinguishes Dean Ahad is not only this record of accomplishment but also the qualities she brings as a leader, Sears says. She is admired for her ability to build community, to listen carefully, and to act with both courage and compassion. Ahad will serve a two-year term as provost. She succeeds Interim Provost Lanny Liebeskind, who has held the position since January. Liebeskind will return to his role as senior vice provost for academic affairs, supporting Ahad in her first months as provost before taking a year-long sabbatical in 2026. Interim Provost Liebeskind answered the call to serve an institution he has called home for over 40 years, providing our community with leadership and grace during a period of transformation and opportunity, Sears says. I appreciate his guidance and advocacy for our academic community, as well as the support he has shown me as interim president. In the coming days, Emory will name an interim dean for Oxford College to to allow the college to move forward with strength as it continues to advance its strategic priorities, support faculty and staff, and enrich the student experience, Sears explains. Breadth and depth of academic leadership Ahads career reflects both depth and breadth in academic leadership. As dean of Oxford College, she has served as the chief academic and administrative officer for the school, which is home to approximately 1,000 Emory first- and second-year students on the universitys original campus in Oxford, Georgia. She also holds a faculty appointment as the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of English. Before arriving at Emory, Ahad served as vice provost for faculty affairs at Loyola University Chicago, where she helped position the institution for its successful attainment of R-1 Carnegie Classification in 2025, the top national designation for research universities. At Loyola, she also secured and directed a National Science Foundation ADVANCE Adaptation grant to strengthen mentoring, professional pathways, equitable workload policies and interdisciplinary connections for faculty. She created and led a seed funding program that significantly expanded research capacity, producing extraordinary returns on investment over 2,500% in one year and nearly 10,000% the next prompting Loyola to make it a permanent program. Ahad has earned a national reputation as an expert on faculty development. She served for nearly a decade as director of academic training for the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, where she provided guidance and training for more than two dozen colleges and universities as well as the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, the Carnegie Institute of Science and the Volcker Alliance on professional development for postdocs, early career faculty and aspiring higher education administrators. A scholar of African American literature and culture, Ahad earned her bachelors degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and MA and PhD at the University of Notre Dame. Her personal research sits at the intersection of cultural studies and positive psychology, a field grounded in the idea that social good, well-being and flourishing are at the core of human experience. This perspective informs my approach to academic leadership, which is to create environments where students, faculty, staff and the communities around them can thrive, Ahad says. Im proud of what we have accomplished together at Oxford and honored to continue advancing Emory and its people as the universitys next provost. Ahads appointment marks an important moment for Emory, Sears says. I am confident that with Provost Ahads leadership, we will continue to strengthen our academic mission and chart a thoughtful path for the years ahead. Then U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun meets in the Oval Office with President Bill Clinton in March 1993. (Public domain photos via Wikimedia Commons) SIUs Simon Institute hosts former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun CARBONDALE, Ill. Former U.S. Senator from Illinois Carol Moseley Braun will discuss her pioneering career and her new memoir next week during a presentation hosted by Southern Illinois University Carbondales Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, in the Varsity Center, 418 S. Illinois Ave. A reception begins at 5 p.m. in the lobby. Pre-registration is not required but encouraged. Moseley Braun will also discuss her work with the institutes founder, former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon, along with sharing her insights on leadership, resilience and the barriers she overcame in politics and diplomacy, said John Shaw, institute director. Moseley Braun has truly been a trailblazer in Illinois and national politics, Shaw said. She has had a storied career as a civil rights activist, attorney, assistant U.S. attorney, state representative, U.S. senator, American ambassador and presidential candidate. She was the first Black woman ever elected to the United States Senate and the first woman senator to represent Illinois. Media availability Reporters, photographers and news crews are welcome to cover Carol Moseley Brauns lecture. To arrange for interviews or more information, contact Will Becque, institute communications and marketing coordinator, at 618-453-4009 or william.becque@siu.edu. Moseley Braun will also sign copies of her new memoir, Trailblazer: Perseverance in Life and Politics, which chronicles her path from growing up on Chicagos South Side to the U.S. Senate. Moseley Brauns political career has spanned international, national, state and local levels, including 10 years as an Illinois state representative and four years as Cook County recorder of deeds. She served in the U.S. Senate from 1993 to 1999. In 1992, she beat Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Alan Dixon in the primary and then won the general election. In 1999, then President Bill Clinton appointed Moseley Braun to serve as ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa. She is now board chair of the United States African Development Foundation, following her nomination by then President Joe Biden and U.S. Senate approval in March 2024. Moseley Brauns career has also included being an advocate for education and economic opportunity. Moseley Braun earned a bachelors degree from the University of Illinois Chicago and her law degree from the University of Chicago. More information, including a list of the institutes upcoming events and past speakers and events, is available. Denise Welch is to return to Waterloo Road after 15 years away from the show. Denise Welch returning to Waterloo Road after 15 years away The 67-year-old actress is to reprise her role as teacher Steph Haydock, who will return to the fictional BBC school as a supply teacher. Denise said: "I'm thrilled to see the return of Steph to Waterloo Road. 15 years older, but certainly not wiser. "Shell soon show that time has certainly not dulled her shine! Still unmarried but eternally hopeful, Steph is back as a supply teacher. "What she is supplying remains to be seen, but I am having a great time stepping back into the shoes of a character I love." Denise is delighted to be reuniting with her former Waterloo Road co-star Jason Merrells, who plays Jack Rimmer in the programme. She added: "Its also been great to reunite with some of my old castmates, like Jason Merrells. Steph and Jack go back a long way, but will they move forward?! You'll have to wait and see." Waterloo Road bosses are also pleased to have "iconic" teacher Steph back in the building, and admitted Neil Fitzmaurice's history teacher character Neil Guthrie has "met his match". Cameron Roach, founder of Rope Ladder Fiction and exec producer for Waterloo Road, said: "Steph Haydock is a Waterloo Road icon, so we knew we had to find the right story if we were to see her back in our world. "We were thrilled that Denise enjoyed our pitch and that the fans will get to see Steph once more - her one liners are just as sharp, her lip stick is fiercely drawn, and the staff room atmosphere is changed for good. "Neil Guthrie has met his match. We can't wait for the fans to see her episodes." Last November, it was reported by The Sun newspaper that Denise was in line to return to the BBC series. A source told the publication's TV Biz column: "Waterloo Road fans love a comeback, particularly when it is someone of Denises calibre. The character is certainly one which will live long in the memory of devotees, and its an absolute no-brainer to have her return." Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi has extended his support to the upcoming Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC) 2025, calling it a key step in strengthening India's position in the global rice trade. The event, slated for October 30-31 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, will convene stakeholders from across the rice value chain, from farmers and exporters to policymakers and global buyers. "While we expand our presence in the global markets, we remain steadfast in protecting our citizens through a robust public distribution system that guarantees access to free and safe food grains... Our approach is farmer-first and consumer-centric, ensuring that growth in exports goes hand in hand with the prosperity of the farmers and food security for all. Over the next 5 years, we aim to reform and modernise the public distribution system, double Agri and Agri based exports and open new global markets for Indian rice. The Bharat International Rice Conference 2025 will be a major milestone in our journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047 with our farmers and consumer at the heart of this vision," the Minister said. Responding to the minister's message, Prem Garg, National President of the Indian Rice Exporters Federation and Chairman of Shri Lal Mahal Group, warmly welcomed the recognition, saying it underlined the government's commitment to agricultural exports and food security. Garg noted that Minister Joshi's message highlighted the growing importance of India's agri sector in the global market, emphasizing that rice is one of India's largest export commodities that remains central to the country's food and trade policy. "The Minister's endorsement strengthens the collective resolve to position India not just as a producer, but as a leader shaping the future of global rice trade," Garg said. Moreover, the Union Minister acknowledged India's dual role as both the world's largest rice producer and a key contributor to global food and nutrition security. He described BIRC 2025 as a milestone on India's path toward Viksit Bharat 2047, with farmers and consumers at the core of that vision. Organized by IREF in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and APEDA, the two-day conference aims to foster dialogue on trade opportunities, climate resilience, and sustainable practices in the rice sector. The platform will bring together representatives from governments, international trade bodies, logistics firms, and research institutions to deliberate on strategies for stabilizing and modernizing the global rice market. With rice accounting for over 40 per cent of India's agri-exports by volume, the conference is expected to help chart the country's next phase of growth in agricultural trade, from traditional exports to value-added products and technology-driven supply chains. (ANI) SMPL Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 15: Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM) Noida successfully organised a Global Immersion Program & Study Tour at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand, from 8th to 14th September 2025. It was conducted in collaboration with the AIT. This program provided students with a unique international learning experience combining academic passion, industry insights, and cultural immersion, preparing them to learn and engage with the difficulties of a globally connected business environment. This seven-day long Global Immersion Program was specifically designed to expose SIBM Noida students to international business practices, sustainability-driven innovations, and cross-cultural management strategies. With a combination of classroom sessions, industry visits, and cultural experiences, participants developed a deeper understanding of global trends in technology, finance, and management that are essential for leadership and communication skills. The program gave SIBM Noida's students a look at AIT's approach, which combines engineering, management, environment, and policy. This fits with SIBM's goal to develop leaders who are socially responsible and ready for global changes. Program Highlights The Global Immersion Program was designed in a mix of structured academic engagement with interactive cultural learning opportunities. Some of the program highlights included: * Cultural Orientation: The Thai traditions and behavioural etiquette were introduced to the participants with the orientation sessions that emphasized intercultural understanding and communication. * Academic Learning: Sessions were conducted on emerging themes such as Artificial Intelligence, Fintech innovations, and ESG-driven business models, AIT faculties, allowing students to explore how technology and ethics intersect in global markets. * Industry Visit: A major component of the program was the field excursion to Ichitan, a leading Thai beverage company. Students observed real-world supply chain management practices and sustainable production methods, understanding how corporate ethics and business efficiency coexist. * Cultural Exploration: Participants have experienced the liveliness of Thailand through guided tours of the Bangkok city, an evening at Asiatique the Riverfront, and ended the evening with a dinner cruise that offered moments of cultural appreciation and intercultural networking. Student Reflections The participants have expressed the immersion program was a deep-dive towards their learning experience that went beyond the academic sphere. It offered them with a platform to: * Engage with contemporary topics through international faculty and practitioners. * Understand the dynamics of global markets and sustainability models. * Acquire cross-cultural communication and collaboration skills. Building resilience and adaptability by navigating a new academic and social environment. For many, the study tour represented a transformative experience, strengthening their understanding of global business challenges while also generating curiosity about the interconnected future of technology and management. Participants from SIBM Noida The delegation from SIBM Noida comprised: Anushka Bera, Karan Tripathi, Mayank Malik, Muskaan Goel, Srishti Kathuria, Shubhi Gupta, and Tanaya Baidya. Each student displayed unmatched enthusiasm and professionalism throughout the program, reflecting the core values of SIBM Noida. Commenting on the event, Dr Vandana Ahuja, Director, SIBM Noida, said, "Global exposure is a cornerstone of holistic management education. Programs like this study tour at AIT allow our students to interact with international faculty, experience diverse cultures, and gain practical insights into sustainable business practices. Such experiences equip them to become responsible, innovative leaders ready to address global challenges." About SIBM Noida SIBM Noida is a constituent of Symbiosis International University that is committed towards creating globally competent business leaders by providing a blend of academic excellence, industry engagement, and international exposure. Conducting programs like the Global Immersion Study Tour reflects SIBM Noida's focus on fostering required skills, perspectives, and networks to excel in a connected world. About AITFounded in 1959, the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) is known for its strong academics and focus on technology, sustainability, and management. AIT brought together students and faculty from many countries, creating a multicultural environment. By working with SIBM Noida, AIT aimed to give students hands-on learning beyond the classroom. (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.) SMPL Pune (Maharashtra) [India], Ocotber 15: Sri Balaji University (SBUP) Pune, a premier institution for value-based and industry-driven management education, has announced the commencement of admissions for its flagship MBA courses for the academic year of 2026-28. From 8th October onwards, students can apply for admission. The MBA programmes at Sri Balaji University, Pune (SBUP) offer a variety of specialisations across its four constituent institutes, including Finance and Financial Services, International Business, Sales & Marketing Management, Operations & Supply Chain Management, PM & HRD Data Science & Business Analytics, Product Management & Business Analytics, Digital Marketing & Business Analytics, and Telecom & Business Analytics. By offering these wide portfolios of MBA programmes through its four constituent institutes, Sri Balaji University, Pune (SBUP) carries a legacy of discipline-driven education, strong corporate linkages, and a 26,000+ alumni base. SBUP MBA offerings combine traditional management foundations with modern analytics and digital tracks. For applying in SBUP, a common online application form is available for all four management institutes covering a total of 9 Diverse MBA programmes. The application fee is INR 1000 for candidates applying through national-level entrance exams. If appearing for Sri Balaji Entrance and Screening Test (SBEST), the application fee is INR 490 (plus applicable service provider taxes). Primarily, admissions are based on valid scores from national-level management entrance exams such as CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT, or MAH-CET. Candidates appearing for these exams can directly apply and their scores will be normalised to the CAT score which will be equivalent for merit list preparation. It is not mandatory to attach these scorecards at the time of application; however, score sheets must reach the university by March 28, 2026. The University offers a range of specialised MBA programmes through its four constituent institutes namely, - BIMM - Balaji Institute of Modern Management (flagship, general management, marketing, finance, HR) - BITM - Balaji Institute of Telecom & Management (specialised in Telecom, IT, Digital & Analytics) - BIIB - Balaji Institute of International Business (specialised in International Business & Finance) - BIMHRD - Balaji Institute of Management & Human Resource Development (specialised in HR, Marketing & Business Analytics. "The core value of all our constituent institutions of the SBUP is based on 3D mantras known as Discipline, Dedication and Determination, which is key to sparking success.", Prof. (Dr) Biju G Pillai, Dean - Faculty of Commerce and Management, Sri Balaji University, Pune (SBUP). In 2024, Sri Balaji University saw the highest CTC of INR 21.58 LPA, average CTC: 8.75 LPA, and the top 10% average CTC: 11.75 LPA with 350+ top recruiters across industries including Accenture, Amazon, HUL, Deloitte, Infosys, Wipro, Colgate-Palmolive, Bajaj Finserv, Hyundai, TCS, Deutsche Bank, Nestle, Asian Paints, Cummins, among others reflecting its commitment to employability and mentorship-driven growth. Parents who value their children's safety; SBUP is the appropriate choice. With a 24x7 residential campus including pan-India diversity, cultural events, and clubs building a vibrant lifestyle and embeds friendships, inclusivity, and memories for life. With strong institute-corporate partnerships, SBUP ensures extensive industry-led interactions through various live projects, internship exposure, and guest lectures led by industry experts. The curriculum integrates cutting-edge modules in data analytics, digital transformation, global business strategy, and sustainability management to align with evolving industry expectations. The University's modern, 16-acre Wi-Fi-enabled campus in Pune, also known as the "Oxford of the East", as close to IT parks, auto hubs, BFSI clusters, and startups features advanced classrooms, innovation labs, and dedicated centres for entrepreneurial incubation, providing students with a holistic learning environment that blends academic rigour with experiential learning. Aspiring candidates seeking a high-impact career in management are encouraged to apply early. For details and online application, and learn more about SBUP's MBA programmes: www.sbup.edu.in (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.) PNN New Delhi [India], October 15: In the ever-evolving world of weddings, where emotions meet elegance, Prakash Creation has quietly become one of India's most trusted and internationally recognised wedding photography and videography studios. With over 15 years of creative storytelling, they have turned the art of capturing love into a cinematic experience that resonates across continents. This year alone, Prakash Creation's artistry was recognised with eight prestigious awards -- five for Best Wedding Videography and Cinematography, and three for Best Wedding Photography. Their journey to global acclaim also includes an International Award in Greece for Best Film Editing, honouring their unmatched precision, emotional depth, and innovation in wedding cinema. Known for their distinct style that blends cinematic visuals with genuine emotion, Prakash Creation has become a favourite among couples seeking high-end wedding photographers and awarded videographers. Their cinematic wedding films are more than a montage of moments; they're love stories told with sensitivity, rhythm, and soul. Each frame feels alive -- not just because of beautiful locations or lighting, but because of the intimacy they manage to capture between two people and their families. Whether it's a palace celebration in Rajasthan, a beach wedding in Goa, or an international wedding in Paris or Santorini, their work reflects a global aesthetic while staying true to Indian traditions. Today, they are among the most sought-after European destination wedding videographers, known for their excellence in wedding videography abroad and luxury destination weddings across the world. What truly makes Prakash Creation stand out is the experience they create for every couple.Their relationship begins long before the wedding -- during the planning phase -- as they take time to understand the couple's story, emotions, and expectations. They help curate ideas, scout dream locations, and design visual narratives that feel deeply personal. As the team describes it:"We believe that wedding photography and videography is not just a matter of those two days -- it goes beyond that. Along with the camera lens, technique, and frame, it is the experience, conversations, and your understanding of the couple that decides the final result." This philosophy flows through everything they do. From the first call to the final delivery, the process is immersive, collaborative, and crafted to make couples feel comfortable and understood. Their attention to detail, emotional intuition, and ability to translate feelings into frames make them one of the most exclusive and trusted wedding photographers and videographers for destination weddings around the world. Prakash Creation has not just documented weddings -- they have preserved stories, cultures, and emotions in ways that transcend geography. Their films and photographs are reminders that weddings are not just events to be captured, but moments to be felt, remembered, and relived forever. For couples dreaming of a wedding that goes beyond visuals -- one that becomes a cinematic legacy -- Prakash Creation remains the perfect creative partner. A team that listens, feels, and tells your story beautifully, wherever in the world it unfolds. For more Information, visit: https://www.instagram.com/prakash_creation/ (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.) Emmerdale is to air three special episodes this autumn. Emmerdale to air 3 standalone special episodes The ITV soap will broadcast a hat-trick of standalone episodes featuring key storylines in the coming weeks, including one that will see April Dingle (Amelia Flanagan) at the mercy of merciless drug dealers. The episode will tell the story of her fragile and possibly broken relationship with her dad, Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock), who is desperate to get through to his daughter. Emmerdale will also go behind bars to focus on Robert Sugdens (Ryan Hawley) recent imprisonment, and whether his incarceration has changed him forever after he was jailed for six years. What's more, Paddy Kirk will make the shocking discovery that his father Bear Wolf has disappeared. He thought his dad had fled the village for a new life in Ireland with pals. While Bear has been away from Emmerdale for three months, it soon becomes apparent that he didn't ever make it to Ireland. A special episode will tell the story of the 100 missing days of Bear's life as viewers and Paddy learn where he has been. This comes after Dominic recently admitted he would love to appear in the upcoming Emmerdale and Coronation Street crossover episode. He wrote on X: "Lord..Please please please let me be in this story..If not, Ill be popcorn at the ready anyway. Imagine the potential slanging matches, the affairs, the fights, the comedy, the tragedy..even just for that episode!! As a viewer I cant wait, as a cast member I await the script [heart emoji] (sic)" Dominic posted the message shortly after ITV announced plans to create a crossover of the soaps in January 2026. The special episode will see characters from both shows "come together in a celebration of the soap genre". In a statement, ITV explained: "For the first time in British soap history, the hour-long episode will see characters from both soaps come together in a celebration of the soap genre. "To herald the beginning of the new scheduling pattern, both soaps will mark the occasion in spectacular style, as the combined production teams embark on an ambitious stunt that will have everlasting consequences for everyone involved. "The distinctive worlds of Emmerdale and Coronation Street will merge for one night only in a mash-up of our two favourite communities. "The producers, scriptwriters and production teams have conceived an ingenious way of linking the two universes, but with characters then returning to the soaps they are renowned for inhabiting in Manchester and Yorkshire." The drama on Emmerdale continues Friday at 7:30 PM on ITV1 and STV, or from 7:00 AM on ITVX and STV Player. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday inaugurated the Farmers' Training cum Common Facility Centre for Agro Processing at Methagal Village in Koppal district, Karnataka. The new centre, funded under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) Scheme in collaboration with NABARD, is aimed at supporting farmers, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in enhancing fruit processing and marketing capacities. As per a social media post by the Finance Minister's Office, the new centre is, "Funded under the MPLAD Scheme by the Hon'ble Finance Minister in collaboration with @NABARDOnline, the Farmers' Training and Common Facility Centre (CFC) serves as a hub for modern fruit processing and marketing." The centre will play a crucial role in helping local farmers increase the value of their produce. Sitharaman stated that the initiative is designed to establish a sustainable, market-driven ecosystem for fruit-based enterprises. "In the long run, this initiative aims to build a sustainable, market-driven ecosystem for fruit-based enterprises, empowering farmers and strengthening rural livelihoods," the statement added. Koppal district is known for its mango, guava, and papaya cultivation. The project focuses on training SHGs and farmers through FPOs to improve value addition for these fruits. The initiative will support the production of mango juice, pulp, and dry powder, as well as papaya and guava juice and pulp. These efforts are expected to extend the shelf life of the produce, add market value, and create sustainable income opportunities for local entrepreneurs and rural communities. "We are trying to add value to the cultivation and trade of the harvest. Koppal district in northern Karnataka is blessed with rich agricultural diversity, contributing around 10% of the state's paddy production. Its fertile fields yield a variety of fruits such as mango, guava, grapes, pomegranate, papaya and figs. The farmers of Koppal have nurtured this agricultural legacy for generations, and it is the government's responsibility to ensure they receive fair value for their produce," Sitharaman said in her speech. By strengthening processing facilities and improving access to markets, the project aims to ensure better prices for farmers while reducing post-harvest losses that often impact small producers. The Common Facility Centre will also act as a space for hands-on learning and collaboration between farmers and agribusiness experts. During her visit, Sitharaman interacted with members of Farmer Producer Organisations and Self-Help Groups who had set up stalls displaying locally processed products. She also flagged off the first consignment of products made at the newly inaugurated facility. (ANI) NewsVoir Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India] / Bangkok [Thailand], October 15: Indian entrepreneur Ande Aditya, Founder & CEO of Aditya Group Thailand, has announced the official launch of Thai Aesthetics, an AI-powered B2B sourcing platform connecting global distributors, OEM manufacturers, and brand owners with Thailand's creative industries. This marks Aditya's 12th technology startup and his most ambitious yet - a fusion of artificial intelligence, sustainable design, and cross-border entrepreneurship that bridges India's business acumen with Thailand's design heritage. The launch strengthens trade and innovation ties between India and Thailand, positioning Thai Aesthetics as a bridge between Southeast Asian design and global sourcing. An Indian Vision with Global Reach Having lived and worked in Thailand for over 25 years, Ande Aditya has founded and led more than 26 companies across diverse sectors including technology, consulting, travel, and trade under the Aditya Group umbrella. Through Thai Aesthetics, he is now redefining how international buyers source Asian products by combining AI-driven insights with Thailand's growing influence in sustainable design and craftsmanship. "As an Indian entrepreneur who built his journey in Thailand, I've witnessed how Southeast Asia can become a new hub for design-led, sustainable manufacturing," said Ande Aditya, Founder and CEO of Thai Aesthetics. "Thai Aesthetics is the next evolution - an AI-powered platform that empowers B2B partners to source smarter, reduce costs, and scale globally while staying true to creativity and ethics." AI Studio: A Game-Changer for B2B Partners At the heart of Thai Aesthetics is AI Studio, a proprietary creative intelligence tool that transforms how businesses plan, design, and launch products. It offers: * AI-generated product concepts and packaging mockups* Competitor and market trend analysis* Tailored go-to-market strategies* End-to-end sourcing support This free tool helps global buyers reduce lead times, improve ROI, and make data-driven decisions -- a first in Thailand's lifestyle sourcing industry. From Thailand to the World Thai Aesthetics curates eleven lifestyle categories ranging from eco-sustainable goods and artisan crafts to personal care, homeware, and bio-innovations. Each collection reflects Thailand's cultural depth while being engineered to meet international quality and sustainability standards. Aditya believes India and Thailand share a natural synergy, "Indian entrepreneurs have always thrived on adaptability and foresight. Thai Aesthetics represents that spirit -- taking an Indian vision global through innovation, design, and technology." Ande Aditya, Founder & CEO of Aditya Group Thailand, has over 35 years of global business experience and is recognized as a startup specialist who has built 26+ ventures across 21 industries. Established in 2002, Aditya Group today operates in consulting, IT, travel, lifestyle, and now advanced AI-powered sourcing through Thai Aesthetics - its flagship innovation platform for the future of global trade. Thai Aesthetics is Thailand's first AI-powered B2B lifestyle sourcing platform, connecting global buyers with sustainable Thai products and manufacturers. The company leverages AI-based design tools, data analytics, and responsible sourcing to empower distributors and OEM partners worldwide. Website: www.thaiaestheticsglobal.comEmail: contact@thaiaestheticsglobal.comPhone: +66 63 989 9189 (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 15: The Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI) recently organised its 48th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Mumbai on 26th September 2025 under the theme 'Innovating for Tomorrow: Showcasing Indo-French Synergies for a Sustainable Future'. As a member firm, Transjovan Capital attended the event. Over 400 C-suite leaders from the Indo-French business community gathered for this flagship event represented by leading organizations such as BNP Paribas India, Capgemini India, Saint-Gobain, Schneider Electric, Pernod Ricard, Ador Powertron, Dassault Systemes and TotalEnergies, among others. A major highlight of the event was the India-France Year of Innovation 2026, a bilateral initiative aimed at strengthening cooperation in artificial intelligence, deep-tech, clean energy, sustainable mobility, space, and defence. The panel discussions reflected a partnership rooted in trust, innovation, and a shared vision for a sustainable future--aimed at deepening bilateral ties and advancing common goals in growth and innovation. India remains one of the most dynamic markets for French investment and expansion. The rising M&A activity across sectors such as aerospace, information technology, clean energy, and defence continues to strengthen the Indo-French collaboration and create new opportunities for strategic growth. In the given context, Transjovan Capital's Managing Partner, Gaurav Asthana said, "France's strategic focus on clean tech, renewables, and industrial innovation aligns with India's manufacturing and green-energy push. French corporates are utilising M&As to tap India's digital and engineering talent base, while Indian players are targeting French brands or niches in luxury, design, and advanced manufacturing. Overall, a favourable environment for strategic alliances, divestitures, and mid-market buys across industrials, aerospace, and consumer sectors." Over the past three years, Indo-French M&A activity has evolved from cautious engagement to a phase of strategic alignment, driven by complementary strengths--France's technological and capital depth meeting India's scale, cost advantage, and growth momentum. With supportive bilateral frameworks like Horizon 2047, sustained policy confidence, and deepening corporate familiarity, the Indo-French investment relationship is poised to transition from episodic deals to a steady, high-value strategic flow over the next few years. About Transjovan Capital: Transjovan Capital is a pre-eminent global M&A specialist firm with offices in New York, New Delhi, Paris and Sydney. Since its inception in 2011, the firm has advised 200+ clientele on cumulative transactions worth over USD 10 Bn, spread across 10+ countries globally. It is focused on providing advisory services to clients pertaining to Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Equity Capital-raising, Corporate Strategy, and Board Advisory. The firm's focus sectors include: Industrials (Building materials, Electricals & Electronics, Chemicals, Engineering & Auto, Cap goods, Infra ancillary), Emerging technology (Cleantech, Energy efficiency, Enterprise SaaS, Deeptech, Fintech, Advanced manufacturing), Consumer (Consumer durables, FMCG, Food & Agriculture, Consumer retail, D2C) and B2B services (Logistics & Supply chain, IT services, HR staffing, Healthcare services, Financial services). Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2791424/Transjovan_Capital_NEW_Logo.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.) After the 14th round of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, India-EU FTA negotiations have entered an advanced stage, as both sides intensify discussions to resolve key issues and accelerate the agreement's conclusion.According to the Commerce Ministry, India's trade diplomacy is gaining momentum, with other countries also following suit. India is negotiating multiple bilateral trade deals, including those with the UK, Australia, the US, Korea, and others. The 14th round of negotiations for India-EU FTA, held from October 6 to 10, 2025, in Brussels, covered 12 policy areas and 91 technical sessions. Discussions centred on market access for goods and services, Rules of Origin, Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT).On bilateral trade talks with the United States (US), engagement between the two sides is going on. The US Ambassador-designate was in India and met with all stakeholders, having productive meetings. Negotiating teams from India are in the US. They are trying to find a win-win solution for both parties. Discussions are ongoing about 45 per cent of India's exports to the US remaining untariffed.India also deepened its economic partnership with the United Kingdom (UK) through a series of high-level interactions.UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited India from October 8 to 9, 2025, accompanied by senior ministers, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and university leaders. On the sidelines of the visit, a bilateral meeting with the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade was held in Mumbai on October 8, where both sides signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) to reset the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO).India's Commerce Secretary also met the Director General of the UK Department for Business and Trade, while multiple sectoral roundtables were organised across priority industries. The India-UK CEO Forum, co-chaired by top industry leaders, explored fresh opportunities for investment, innovation, and trade expansion. India's engagement with various countries on the trade front also remains robust. Negotiations with several other countries are progressing well. India-Australia CECA, 11 formal rounds completed, latest held in August 2025. India-Sri Lanka ETCA, 14 rounds held, latest in July 2024. On India-Oman CEPA, negotiations concluded after 5 rounds of talks. India-Peru FTA, 9th round scheduled for November 3-5, 2025 while India-Chile FTA, 3rd round scheduled for October 27-31, 2025. India-USA bilateral trade talks, 5 rounds completed and it is progressing well. India-Korea CEPA, 11 rounds held so far, with the latest in Seoul in July 2024.These developments highlight India's strategy to build diversified trade partnerships and enhance global market integration, aligning with its vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and export-led growth.With the India-EU FTA progressing steadily and several bilateral negotiations nearing key milestones, India's trade engagement with global partners is expected to see a significant breakthrough in the coming months. (ANI) PRNewswire Pune (Maharashtra) [India], October 15: The ASM Group of Institutes, a pioneer in industry-integrated education for over four decades, opened a new chapter in September 2025 with the launch of its first engineering batch at the newly established ASM NextGen Technical Campus, Talegaon Dabhade, Pune. The two-week induction programme, 'AARAMBH 2025,' was held to celebrate innovation, leadership, and collaboration--ushering in a new era of experiential and future-focused engineering education in Pune. The Inaugural: Robotics, Vision & Parent Partnership The inaugural ceremony, held on September 22, 2025 opened with inspiring addresses from dignitaries and industry leaders. Mr. Shrikant Sarda, an industry veteran, delivered the keynote address, encouraging students to embrace artificial intelligence and continuous learning as the cornerstone of modern engineering careers. Students were captivated by a live robotics demonstration by PHN Technology Pvt Ltd, which showcased industrial and humanoid robots in action--offering a tangible glimpse into the future of automation. In his address, Dr. Sandeep Pachpande, Chairman, ASM Group of Institutes, expressed heartfelt optimism: "There are moments in an educator's journey that feel like history in the making... and 22nd September 2025 was one such day. Through AARAMBH 2025, we were not just launching a program, but shaping the mindsets that will drive the next technological revolution." Adding depth to the day's proceedings, ASM NextGen Technical Campus also held its first Parent-Teacher Meet, where over 110 parents met with faculty and senior stakeholders to exchange ideas and expectations. Parents discussed industry trends, skill development, and student aspirations, underscoring ASM's commitment to a collaborative, transparent, and student-centric learning ecosystem. Bridging Industry and Academia The following days moved from inspiration to application, immersing students in dialogues with leading experts from global companies. A high-impact panel discussion on "AI, Robotics and Automation: Career Opportunities and Challenges" featured eminent industry experts from Capgemini, Dassault Systmes, MINDWRKS People Solutions & IT Services and SeekMYCOURSE. The discussion offered valuable insights into how AI and automation are reshaping every domain of engineering--from design to deployment--while highlighting the importance of ethical innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration. Complementing the technical focus, Dr. Rajeev Nagarkar conducted an engaging session on Positive Psychology - A Key to Success, helping students cultivate balance and resilience as they embarked on their academic journey. Dr. Daniel Penkar, Group Dean, ASM Group of Institutes, shared: "We want our engineers to go beyond textbooks. The essence of AARAMBH 2025 is to help engineering students see technology as a bridge--between curiosity and creation, between self and society. Learning at ASM is designed to be as human as it is technical." Fostering Leadership, Entrepreneurship & Innovation As the induction progressed, students were introduced to the softer dimensions of leadership and entrepreneurial thinking. A mindfulness session by the Isha Foundation helped ground students in focus and self-awareness. A lively fireside chat titled "Learnings from Leaders and Founders" brought together professionals from SBI Life and Crisil, who shared first-hand stories of perseverance and transformation. Encouraging innovation, Mr. Sopan Aghav, Founder, Paripoorn Foods Ltd., Pune, conducted a workshop titled 'Startup Minds: Discovering the Entrepreneur Within', where students brainstormed startup ideas addressing real-world problems in sustainability and health tech. Team engagement took center stage during the 'Treasure Hunt with Technology' session, which was well received by students. This interactive activity combined logic, teamwork, and coding in a gamified challenge that drew enthusiastic participation across the cohort. Mr. Ramachandran Gopalakrishnan, Chairman, Advisory Board, AIQ Group, delivered an inspirational talk on innovation and future career opportunities, motivating students to pursue continuous learning and cross-disciplinary expertise. Adding youthful energy to the week, Red FM's "College Ke Tashanbaaz" segment celebrated student creativity, humor, and confidence--creating a vibrant sense of campus belonging and community spirit. Learning for the Real World: Skills, AI & Talent Perspectives The latter half of AARAMBH 2025 focused on career readiness, design thinking, and the ethical use of AI. Ms. Bhargavi Kulkarni, Corporate Trainer, Elios Consulting, conducted an interactive session on Life Skills and Career Readiness, emphasizing communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. This was followed by an AI-driven Design Thinking workshop led by Mr. Sujit Das Biswas, CTO, NextGenInnov8, where students explored how generative tools can amplify creativity and real-world problem solving. A separate panel discussion on 'AI in Talent Acquisition: Bias, Fairness and Smarter Hiring' brought together HR and Talent Acquisition leaders including Ancy Nimisha Sreenivasan (Zywave), Manjiri Kulkarni, Vijay Miller, Kalpesh Seta, Kapil Kella, Anand Joshi, and Sucheta Sharma. The conversation offered fresh perspectives on how engineers can contribute to building fairer and more transparent AI systems. Motivational speaker Mr. Anand Munshi concluded the day with an inspiring talk on purpose-driven growth and the art of overcoming obstacles, leaving students with a renewed sense of ambition. Hands-on exposure continued with Ms. Meera Chittapure's 'Connect with Work' session, conducted in partnership with Magic Bus India Foundation and Infosys Project, bridging classroom concepts with employability skills. Bootcamp: Building Future-Ready Engineers The induction culminated in a multi-day Bootcamp, designed to strengthen technical and interpersonal foundations. Sessions on personal branding, mathematics fundamentals, problem solving, and technical readiness helped students transition smoothly from induction to academic learning. Reflecting on this milestone, Dr. Prakash Kulkarni, Principal, ASM NextGen Technical Campus, shared: "Watching students collaborate, code, and challenge themselves reaffirmed our purpose. This campus will not only teach engineering--it will teach resilience, empathy, and curiosity. AARAMBH 2025 proved that our students are ready to build and lead in the AI era." A Vision Beyond the First Batch AARAMBH 2025 was more than an induction; it stood as ASM's statement of intent--to build engineers who combine competence with conscience. Key takeaways include: - Early industry immersion through partnerships and expert mentoring that set the right expectations among the engineering students. - Holistic development through wellness, creativity, and communication modules - Project-based learning that bridges theory with hands-on application - A Continuous innovation culture linking AI, robotics, and entrepreneurship The energy, participation, and feedback from students and parents alike set a powerful precedent for future cohorts. About ASM NextGen Technical Campus The newly established ASM NextGen Technical Campus, Talegaon, Pune, is envisioned by our visionary Chairman as a 15-acre, tech-enabled engineering campus affiliated with Savitribai Phule Pune University and approved by AICTE. The campus offers B.E. programs in Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Computer Science & Engineering, Information Technology, and Electronics & Computer Engineering. It integrates AI-first pedagogy, global industry tie-ups, and experiential learning environments to create globally employable engineers. The initiative is part of the broader vision of ASM Group of Institutes to redefine education for the AI age, aligning with the Viksit Bharat 2047 national aspiration. About ASM Group of Institutes Established over four decades ago, the ASM Group of Institutes stands among India's leading education networks, offering a continuum of programs across management, IT, commerce, and now engineering. Its graduate and post-graduate institutions include: - IBMR - PGDM, MBA, MCA, Ph.D.- IIBR - PGDM- CSIT - BBA, BCA, B.Com, B.Sc, M.Sc- NextGen Technical Campus - B.E. (AI & ML, CSE, IT, ECE) ASM's vision is to empower learners through global exposure, research, and innovation, building professionals who contribute meaningfully to business and society. Media ContactSaurabh KulkarniDigital Marketing HeadEmail id: saurabhkulkarni@asmedu.org Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2606560/5563739/ASM_Group_Logo.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 15: Vishal Talwar, executive vice president, chief digital and information officer of FedEx Corporation, and president, FedEx Dataworks, visited IIT Bombay to engage with faculty and students from IIT Bombay and IIT Madras. The visit highlights FedEx commitment to leverage academic expertise to advance digitally led, efficient, and resilient supply chains. About FedEx: FedEx connects people and possibilities around the world through a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce, and business services. Its commitment to innovation and technology extends to fostering partnerships that empower the next generation of engineers and entrepreneurs. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.) An Indian negotiating team is currently in the US for discussions, with talks said to be in a "deeper" phase. " "The engagement between two sides is going on. Ambassador-designate (Sergio Gor) was in India. He met all stakeholders and had good meetings. Negotiating team from India is in the US. They are trying to see if we can have a win-win solution between the two sides," a government source said. Sources said there has been export growth to the US and officials noted that around 45 per cent of Indian exports to the US currently face zero tariffs, a trend that could support future trade momentum. Earlier, sources told ANI that the upcoming talks are expected to focus on key market access issues, regulatory cooperation, and expanding trade in energy and technology sectors. India is also looking at scaling up imports of natural gas and renewable energy technologies from the United States as part of the evolving trade relationship. The talks for bilateral trade agreement were formally launched in February following directives from leaders of both countries. The two countries aim to more than double trade volumes from the current USD 191 billion to USD 500 billion by 2030. Officials had initially targeted completion of the first phase by fall 2025, with five rounds of negotiations already held. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had stated earlier this month that the government is in contact with the United States at various levels regarding the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). (ANI) Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal highlighted on Wednesday the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) recent revision of India's growth estimate, which increased from 6.4% to 6.6% for this year, stating that this upward revision is an indication to India's strengthened economy, driven by increased consumer spending, accelerated investment in infrastructure, and a confident business atmosphere. He also attributed the growth to the government's proactive measures, including reduced GST rates, which have led to increased consumer spending and GST collection. Goyal futher showed optimism, stating that with a 7.8% GDP growth in the first quarter, India is set not only to meet but possibly exceed the IMF's estimates, firming its position as one of the world's fastest-growing economies. While speaking to reporters outside the Indian Chemicals and Petrochemical Conclave 2025 held at Bharat Mandapam, Goyal said, "The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recently revised its growth estimates for India, increasing the projected growth rate from 6.4% to 6.6% for this year. This reflects India's strengthened economy, the country's confident atmosphere, increased consumer spending due to reduced GST rates, and accelerated investment in infrastructure. While global growth is expected to weaken to 3.2% this year, India's growth is nearly double that rate. The first quarter saw a 7.8% GDP growth rate, and it is anticipated that India will not only meet but possibly exceed the IMF's estimates, continuing to be one of the world's fastest-growing economies. PM Modi's vision for a developed India by 2047 seems promising." Goyal also highlighted the recent surge in GST collection in September, following the rate cuts, and attributed it to Prime Minister Modi's vision for a developed India by 2047. "Despite initial concerns about reduced spending and GST collection in August due to anticipated GST rate cuts, September saw increased GST collection, and the market witnessed a surge in consumer spending post the rate cuts. PM Modi has gifted the Indian consumers, especially the lower and middle classes, with these economic benefits." Goyal added. On Wednesday, Minister Goyal addressed the distinguished captains of industry at the Indian Chemicals and Petrochemical Conclave 2025 held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, emphasising India's pathway to global leadership through innovation, technology, and competitiveness. Applauding the sector's vital role in nation-building, Goyal said that the chemicals and petrochemicals industry is "omnipresent in every facet of modern life, from agriculture to automobiles, healthcare to infrastructure and must be at the forefront of developing cutting-edge solutions that power India's growth." Reflecting on India's vision for Viksit Bharat @2047, the Minister called upon industry leaders to set ambitious goals, urging the sector to aspire to become a USD 1 trillion industry by 2040, thereby contributing significantly to India's target of a USD 35 trillion economy by 2047. "Our biggest challenge as a nation is that we often don't aim big enough," Goyal said. "Innovation, science, and research must be the backbone of India's progress. The chemicals and petrochemicals sector has the potential to be a global champion in technology-driven growth and sustainability." He noted that advanced nations have achieved prosperity through long-term investments in research and development, and India must similarly anchor its growth in innovation. Goyal highlighted that even oil-rich nations are diversifying into renewable energy and clean technologies, recognising that the future belongs to value-added, sustainable industries. Acknowledging the industry's strategic importance to the economy, he emphasised collaboration across the value chain and the need for greater self-reliance in critical materials, while also integrating with global markets to enhance competitiveness. "We must support each other within our value chains, strengthen domestic capabilities, and at the same time, engage confidently with the world," the Minister added. "A vibrant, innovative chemicals and petrochemicals sector will be central to India's journey toward becoming a developed economy." CII s report on "People Powering Progress: Building India's Chemical Workforce for a USD 1 Trillion Industry" was released during the Special Plenary Session with Piyush Goyal, Hon'ble Minister of Commerce and Industry, at the 7th edition of Indian Chemicals and Petrochemicals Conference 2025. The report captures insights on the transformative potential of India's chemical industry with projections to reach USD 400-450 billion by 2030 and potentially USD 850-1,000 billion by 2040, driven by global supply chain dynamics, domestic demand, and technological advancements. The sector, contributing 7% to India's GDP and 14% of industrial output, serves as a catalyst for growth across a wide range of sectors. R Mukundan, President Designate, CII; Chairman, CII National Committee on Chemicals and Petrochemicals; and Managing Director & CEO, Tata Chemicals Ltd., underlined the role of trade and technology partnerships in shaping the sector's global positioning. Opportunities opened through Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) enable the strengthening of the ecosystem for R&D, technology partnerships, and trade linkages. These efforts foster customer development and position the chemical industry as a resilient, future-ready global player. Collaboration and partnerships in research and technology will power India's next leap, strengthening our ecosystem for R&D and global collaboration to make India a chemical manufacturing powerhouse. Salil Singhal, Chairman of the CII Indian Chemicals and Petrochemicals Conference, Member of the SCALE Committee, and Chairman Emeritus of PI Industries, welcomed recent policy reforms that support the industry. The unveiling of the HSN Code Mapping Guidebook, along with simplified regulatory pathways, strengthened credentials, and empowered MSMEs, marks a landmark reform. These initiatives bring clarity, precision, and responsiveness to policy frameworks, creating opportunities for meaningful participation in India's growth story, particularly in the chemical sector. Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII, highlighted the critical role of government initiatives in strengthening the sector's competitiveness. The chemical sector's significant contribution to manufacturing is widely recognised. Within the broad spectrum of Make in India, initiatives such as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, PM Gati Shakti, and the National Logistics Policy have played a crucial role in integrating the chemicals and petrochemicals industry into India's broader manufacturing ecosystem. (ANI) Martin Saladin, Head of the Promotion Activities Directorate at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, SECO, the Swiss government, on Wednesday said that Switzerland is shifting its focus towards India as a strategic economic partner amid the US trade tariffs. On US tariffs, Saladin said, "This is a concern. Obviously, Switzerland has also very high tariffs at the moment with 39 per cent. That's certainly a challenge. At the same time, it's an opportunity. Because what we are trying, or what we are doing, and have been doing over the years, is diversifying markets. India is a huge priority in our diversification strategy." Notably, Switzerland is one of the countries with the highest duties imposed by US President Donald Trump's administration, with a 39% tariff rate implemented in August. It came after a Swiss delegation led by the country's President, Karin Keller-Sutter, failed to secure a trade deal following a meeting with Trump in Washington, DC. Regarding investment priorities, he noted that Switzerland is seeking greater collaboration in sectors such as railways, ropeways, and tunnelling technology. "We have just entered into force our free trade agreement between EFTA and India, with Switzerland, as part of EFTA, being very interested. We have an objective for investments under that TEPA agreement, and we count on India to facilitate. India counts on Switzerland to promote investments, so this visit here of these two or three days is inserting itself very much into that agenda," he added. The India-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), signed on 10 March 2024 in New Delhi, came into force on 1 October 2025, marking a defining moment in India's external trade policy. This is India's first Free Trade Agreement with four developed European nations, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, and one of the most ambitious in scale and intent. It represents a strategic convergence between India's Atmanirbhar Bharat vision and EFTA's search for resilient, diversified partnerships. The agreement consists of 14 chapters, focusing on key areas such as market access for goods, rules of origin, trade facilitation, trade remedies, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, investment promotion, services, intellectual property rights, trade and sustainable development, and other legal and horizontal provisions. At its core, the agreement envisions unlocking USD 100 billion in investments and creating one million direct jobs in India over the next fifteen years, marking it as one of the most forward-looking trade partnerships in the country's economic history. During his visit to Switzerland in June, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal invited Swiss firms to join India's USD 30 trillion economy push by 2047. (ANI) Veteran actor Parikshit Sahni, known for his memorable roles in 'Lage Raho Munna Bhai', 'PK', and '3 Idiots', shared an intriguing anecdote behind his name, revealing a connection with Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. In an interview with ANI, Parikshit Sahni reflected on his upbringing, explaining that he was raised by his grandparents after the early death of his mother, Damayanti Sahni, and his father, the late film and stage actor Balraj Sahni, who travelled to the UK. He recalled being brought up in Rawalpindi till the age of seven, saying, "They went to Calcutta for some time to be with Tagore and then travelled to England. Then the war started in 1939, and my grandparents didn't let them take me along. But my father was an adventurous man. He didn't care about the war and went to see England. I was left with my grandparents, and I didn't meet him again until they came back around six to seven years later." Sahni also shared the story of how he got his name. "My parents lived in Shantiniketan for a while when my mother was pregnant with me. My mother decided to give her BA exam at the time when she was expecting me. So Tagore told him (my father), 'You gave your exam, and your child also gave the exam. So you can name him "Parikshit". He was responsible for the name," the veteran actor said. Reflecting on his father, Sahni described Balraj Sahni as a deeply sensitive man, revealing the emotional impact of family tragedies. "He was shattered after the death of his daughter, Shabnam. She was very young, just 26, and my mother was also 26 when she passed away. He was so terribly upset about Shabnam that he died a year later," he said. Born in the Rawalpindi district of present-day Pakistan, Parikshit Sahni has had a long and distinguished career in Indian cinema. He has worked with acting legends such as Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, and Shatrughan Sinha, and has featured in Rajkumar Hirani's hit films alongside Aamir Khan and Sanjay Dutt. (ANI) James May has dropped a huge hint at a potential Grand Tour reunion alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond. James May drops huge hint at Grand Tour reunion with Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond The 62-year-old TV presenter has sparked speculation the trio could get back together after admitting he always wanted to travel to Malaysia, and the Philippines for the Amazon Prime Video show. Speaking to the Oxford Mail newspaper, he said: "The one bit we never really went to, and its a bit of the world I have never been to, is sort of everything between Southeast Asia and Australia. "Malaysia, the Philippines and all that sort of whole strip of stuff. "I've never been to any of that as far as I can remember, and I don't really know anything about it. "We never came up with a good reason for going there, which is a shame really, because just about everywhere else we went." James even had an idea for the episode - that the trio could buy the "cheapest car you could locally", because he thinks driving "terrible cars" makes much better TV than "really nice" motors. He added: "I always wanted to do a trip where we bought the cheapest car you could locally, which is an idea that works everywhere. "It would work in Britain, it would work in the States, and it would also work in the bits of Africa we went to, as well as Southeast Asia, India, and so on. "There's always a subculture of incredibly knackered cars that somehow keep going, and they make the best material. "Driving terrible cars is always much more interesting than driving really nice ones." May, Clarkson and Hammond bowed out of The Grand Tour in September 2024 with the aptly-titled episode One for the Road, which saw them travel across Zimbabwe in cars they always wanted to own. It marked the end of a 22-year collaboration between the former Top Gear co-hosts. What could make an elder brother prouder than watching his younger one soar to new heights? For Shahid Kapoor, that moment arrived this week as he watched his brother Ishaan Khatter win over audiences and critics alike with his outstanding performance in 'Homebound.' The 'Jab We Met' actor took to Instagram on Wednesday to celebrate Ishaan's success with a post that instantly won hearts. Sharing a set of black-and-white pictures of the two hugging tightly, Shahid called himself Ishaan's "proudest cheerleader." "This boy is an artist that's homebound. @ishaankhatter am so proud of you. It's a joy to see you come into your own as an actor and express your inner self with honestly and commitment. You are going from strength to strength and I can't tell you how proud I feel. You go get em boy. Show them what you got. Always your proudest cheerleader," the actor wrote. Take a look https://www.instagram.com/p/DP0Ncy8iK3A/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, Homebound revolves the story of two childhood friends, Shoaib, (played by Ishaan Khatter), and Chandan, (played by Vishal Jethwa), who dream of becoming police officers to escape the discrimination that shapes their lives. As their hopes clash with harsh realities, the film paints a moving portrait of friendship, identity, and resilience in rural India. The film also stars Janhvi Kapoor. Backed by Dharma Productions and executive-produced by Martin Scorsese, 'Homebound' has not only received widespread critical acclaim but has also been selected as India's official entry to the Oscars. Talking about Shahid Kapoor, the actor will be next seen in 'Cocktail 2,' alongside Rashmika Mandanna and Kriti Sanon. The film is a sequel to Cocktail, which was released in 2012 and featured Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, and Diana Penty. (ANI) Veteran television and film actor Pankaj Dheer, best known for playing Karna in the iconic TV series 'Mahabharat,' has died after a prolonged battle with cancer. The news of his death was confirmed by actor Amit Behl to ANI. Behl, who had known Pankaj for over three decades, shared his grief and memories of his old friend, calling the news "shocking" and "really sad". He recalled that Pankaj had been unwell a few years ago but had recovered and returned to work. "He was ailing about three years ago, but he had recovered. He was back to work. I spoke to him about four months ago, and he was sounding fine. But this is shocking, really shocking for all of us. He was ailing, but he had recovered, lost weight, and was working, you know, in a serial or something else. I spoke to him about three or four months ago, and he was sounding fine. So it's quite a shock to me. It's really sad," Amit told ANI. Pankaj Dheer was one of the most respected actors on Indian television, having appeared in several memorable shows such as 'Chandrakanta,' 'Badho Bahu,' and 'Kanoon.' His film credits included 'Soldier,' 'Andaz,' 'Baadshah,' and 'Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge.' The actor's last television appearance was in 'Dhruv Tara - Samay Sadi Se Pare' (2024), and he was also seen in the 2019 web series 'Poison.' (ANI) Veteran actor Parikshit Sahni, known for his memorable performances in films and television, reminisced about his brief stint as an assistant to legendary filmmaker and actor Raj Kapoor during the making of the iconic movie 'Mera Naam Joker', before he went on to pursue acting full-time. Raj Kapoor's Mera Naam Joker is regarded as one of the greatest and most ambitious films in the Hindi cinema industry. The movie, directed and produced by Raj Kapoor, featured him in the lead role alongside Rishi Kapoor and Simi Garewal. In an exclusive conversation with ANI, Parikshit Sahni revealed that Raj Kapoor personally invited him to work as an Assistant Director (AD) on the film. The actor was joined by Randhir Kapoor for the same position in the production. "Raj Ji called me to be one of his assistants while he was doing 'Mera Naam Joker', in which there was a Russian circus that was to be filmed. I was with him for a while as an interpreter of the circus. Dabu, his elder son, Randhir Kapoor, was also present. I was with Rajji for about a year, I think," Sahni said. Reflecting on his experience of working under the iconic filmmaker, Sahni described Raj Kapoor as a dynamic and passionate director who brought unmatched energy to the sets. "He was like a spitfire. He would never sit down. There was a chair for him, but he got so excited when he was directing that he would never sit down. He used to get so tired by the end of the evening that he had a special little cottage in which everybody sat till two o'clock in the morning. At the same time, Randhir and I would stand quietly against the wall while he sat," said Parikshit Sahni. During the conversation, the 'Gul Gulshan Gulfam' actor shifted from the professional admiration for Raj Kapoor to his last emotional moment.. Sahni recalled his last conversation with Raj Kapoor in which the latter talked about remembering the actor's parents. "He called me only when he was told that he had a very bad disease that he wouldn't survive. Then, one day, he called the entire film industry. He couldn't even. He told me, the last thing I remember is, he told me, 'come and sit with me'. I think he couldn't talk. He put his arm around me and said, I remember your dad. I remember your mother," added Parikshit Sahni. Raj Kapoor, fondly remembered as the 'Showman of Indian Cinema,' made his first on-screen appearance as a child artist in the 1935 film 'Inquilab'. His major breakthrough came with 'Neel Kamal' (1947), opposite Madhubala. In 1948, he founded his own banner, RK Films, which went on to produce several classics. On the personal front, the evergreen actor Raj Kapoor married Krishna Kapoor in 1946, and the couple had five children, including Randhir, Ritu, Rishi, Rima, and Rajiv Kapoor. As for Parikshit Sahni, who later emerged as a distinguished actor in his own right, is known for his work alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor and Shatrughan Sinha, as well as his collaborations with filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani in several hit films starring Aamir Khan and Sanjay Dutt. Sahni has appeared in notable films and television serials, including Pavitra Paapi, Kabhie Kabhie, and Gul Gulshan Gulfam, earning widespread acclaim for his versatile performances. (ANI) In a post on X, the DRDO stated that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), which operates under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. "Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Ministry of Defence and the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) under the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy(MNRE) signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the development of 300 MW capacity of solar-based renewable energy projects across DRDO establishments in India," wrote DRDO. https://x.com/DRDO_India/status/1978072605287457186 The MoU exchange ceremony took place at DRDO Bhawan in New Delhi. Dr Samir V. Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, along with Santosh Kumar Sarangi, IAS, Secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, attended the event. The DRDO stated that this agreement aims to establish self-reliant, Net-Zero campuses across all strategic DRDO locations by 2027. Earlier, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) and the Tri-Services, formally released Indian Radio Software Architecture (IRSA) standard 1.0 to enable interoperability in Military Communication, during the National workshop at DRDO Bhawan in New Delhi. According to a release issued by the Ministry of Defence, IRSA is a comprehensive software specification for Software Defined Radios (SDR), defining standardised interfaces, APIs, execution environments, and waveform portability mechanisms. IRSA is designed to ensure waveform portability, SDR Interoperability, Certification and Conformance.The launch of IRSA represents a defining step in India's journey toward self-reliance in defence communication technologies, embodying the vision of building indigenous, interoperable, and future-ready SDR solutions -- designed in India, for India and ready for the world. (ANI) BJP MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi on Tuesday expressed that his conscience is in pain after meeting the victim, a second-year student of a private medical college who was allegedly gang-raped in Durgapur. Speaking to ANI, Sarangi stated that the victim has become psychologically weak and emphasised the need to award strict punishment to the culprits. "My conscience is in pain after meeting her...She is restless and sad. She has become psychologically, physically and mentally weak...Police have made arrests, but there should be a scientific inquiry...Strictest punishment should be awarded..." said Sarangi. Earlier, West Bengal Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose met the Durgapur rape victim and her parents at the IQ City Medical College Hospital, where the victim is undergoing treatment. After meeting the victim, 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 earlier asserted that strong steps would be taken to ensure justice, and it would not be repeated in future. A second-year student of a private medical college was allegedly gangraped in Durgapur. The survivor is from Jaleswar, Odisha. 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 then "abandoned her and fled." The Durgapur Police on Tuesday made significant progress in the case. Initially, five accused were arrested, and now, the police have apprehended the victim's friend, marking the sixth arrest in the case. The Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate stated that the victim's friend was taken into custody for questioning, and his role in the incident is being investigated. Earlier, Asansol-Durgapur Commissioner of Police (CP) Sunil Kumar Choudhary said that police have arrested five people in connection with the Durgapur gangrape case, whose presence has been established at the crime scene. Choudhary also said that a round-the-clock guard has been deployed at the victim's residence. (ANI) A ceremony was held at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Rashtrapati Niwas, Shimla, to formally welcome the newly appointed Director, Professor Himanshu Kumar Chaturvedi, and bid farewell to former Director (Additional Charge), Professor Raghavendra Tiwari. The event took place on Tuesday in the Seminar Hall of the Institute, where members, scholars, and staff expressed deep respect and gratitude as they recalled the valuable contributions of both distinguished academicians. The ceremony was chaired by Professor Shashiprabha Kumar, Chairperson of the Institute, while Professor Shailendra Raj Mehta, Vice Chairman, Governing Body of IIAS, joined the programme virtually as the Guest of Honour. In her opening remarks, Professor Shashiprabha Kumar warmly welcomed Professor Chaturvedi, expressing confidence that under his leadership, the Institute would establish new benchmarks in innovation, research, and academic excellence. She also appreciated the tenure of Professor Raghavendra P. Tiwari, describing it as a period of "successful and steady academic stewardship." Professor Raghavendra P. Tiwari, who is also the Vice Chancellor of the Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, shared his reflections virtually, stating that IIAS is not merely a research institution but a "living embodiment of Indian thought and philosophy." He expressed gratitude to all officers, staff, and scholars for their cooperation and support. In his address, Professor Himanshu Kumar Chaturvedi said, "The Indian Institute of Advanced Study is a space where tradition of thought and creativity evolve together. It symbolizes the intellectual consciousness of India, and it is our collective responsibility to elevate it to new heights. In the times to come, the Institute will play a decisive role in national and international intellectual discourse through its research projects, publications, and dialogues." Professor Shailendra Raj Mehta, Vice Chairman, Governing Body, observed that both scholars have been a source of inspiration for the Institute. He noted that under the guidance of Professor Tiwari, the Institute upheld the values of discipline and dedication, while under Professor Chaturvedi's leadership, it would move forward with renewed ideas and vision. In her concluding remarks, Professor Shashiprabha Kumar said that the Indian Institute of Advanced Study represents the intellectual tradition of independent India, where dialogue, study, and critical thinking converge. She expressed confidence that the Institute will continue to serve as a centre of harmony between knowledge and culture. A vote of thanks was proposed by Shri Mehar Chand Negi, Secretary, IIAS, and the programme was conducted by Akhilesh Pathak, Public Relations Officer. The ceremony concluded in a cordial and graceful atmosphere. (ANI) Kerala Minister V. Sivankutty has demanded "serious investigation" into the death of IT professional Anandu Aji, who died allegedly by suicide, after he mentioned harassment by RSS activists in his purported suicide note. "...In the suicide note, he wrote that RSS activists had mentally and physically harassed him. He also mentioned things that could not be spoken about on television. Based on this, a serious investigation into the matter is being demanded," Minister Sivankutty said on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) - Dakshin Kerala has denied the allegations of sexual abuse, calling them "dubious and baseless." In a statement issued on Monday, RSS-Dakshin Kerala demanded an independent probe into the engineer's death and the allegations levelled against the organisation in the reported suicide note. "The unnatural death of Anandu Aji, one of our Swayamsevaks from Elikkulam at Kottayam District, is very much sad and unfortunate... RSS Kottayam also demands for comprehensive investigation into the circumstances leading towards the unnatural death of Anandu Aji, along with the suicide note which appeared on Instagram and some Social Media Platforms, soon after his death," the statement read. "It contains some dubious and baseless allegations against the Sangh, which he claims as the cause of his Suicide... In a written petition filed with the District Police, RSS Kottayam calls for a thorough and impartial enquiry. We are of the firm opinion that an Independent inquiry will not only bring out the real cause of his unnatural death, but also ensure the innocence of RSS in this unfortunate incident also," it added. The organisation further said that Anandu Aji's family had been associated with the Sangh for several years. "For several years, his family has been associated with the Sangh. Anandu's father, Late Sri. Aji was a Karyakartha of Sangh. At this sad and unfortunate moment, we firmly stand with the family and pray the Almighty to give solace to Anandu's soul," the RSS statement said. Earlier on Monday, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also called for a thorough investigation into the "allegations of sexual abuse" against the RSS, following the suspected suicide of the young software engineer. In a post on X, Priyanka Gandhi, citing the victim's reported suicide message, claimed that he was abused by multiple members of the RSS and said that the leadership must take immediate action on these allegations. (ANI) The Congress party's Central Election Committee (CEC) has approved a list of candidates for the Bihar Assembly elections and has gotten some clarity on the 'quality seats' they want to contest, party's Bihar president Rajesh Ram said on Tuesday. After atleast a 2-hour-long meeting held at the party's office in Delhi, the party has made strong decisions on the "quality faces" for the Vidhan Sabha seats Congress plans to contest. However, Congress has not announced the seat-sharing arrangement with its alliance partners as of yet, with party leaders Shakeel Ahmed and Rajesh Ram set to go to Patna on Wednesday and meet with their alliance partners. "There is a two-point stand. Clarity on all our quality seats, as per our equation, has been acquired. After this 2-3 hour-long meeting, we can say that we have made strong decisions on quality faces for the Vidhan Sabha seats from the Congress side. All such names have been approved by the CEC", Rajesh Ram said in a press conference after attending the party's CEC meet here. Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan has also dismissed any speculation over a possible tussle between partners Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) over seat sharing, as he said, "Na koi matbhed hai, na koi manbhed hai," during the press conference. Congress is working on the election campaign with their alliance partners, and the discussions over seat sharing are "almost done". "We are going to Patna tomorrow. After deliberating on priority seats and considering the social dynamics, we will be heading to Patna tomorrow. We are working on the election campaign with our alliance partners. So, we are going to Patna over those seats. The discussions are almost done. Things will go ahead after that". Shakeel Ahmad Khan said. Earlier today, Mallikarjun Kharge chaired the party's CEC meet in Delhi, along with leaders KC Venugopal, Ajay Maken and others. The polling for Bihar's 243-seat Assembly is scheduled to take place on November 6 and November 11, with the counting set for November 14. Earlier today, AICC in charge of Bihar, Krishna Allavaru indicated that the seat sharing and party candidates will be decided soon. Meanwhile, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has declared its seat distribution within the alliance. BJP and JD(U) will contest 101 seats each, the LJP (Ram Vilas) 29 seats and Rashtriya Lok Morcha and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) on six seats each. The BJP released its first list of 71 candidates for the Bihar assembly elections earlier today. Political parties have stepped up preparations for the Bihar polls with campaigning expected to pick up momentum in the coming days. The last date of filing nominations for the first phase of polls in October 17. (ANI) After the Congress Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting in Delhi, AICC in-charge for Bihar Krishna Allavaru said that the party will soon announce its list of candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. "We will soon announce the names of candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections... Our priority seats got cleared in the CEC meeting. There is clarity in the Mahagathbandhan," said Krishna Allavaru on Tuesday. Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram also said, "...We will soon announce the names of candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections..." In addition to this, Bihar Congress CLP leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan says, "...We are going to Patna tomorrow. After deliberating on priority seats and considering the social dynamics, we will be heading to Patna tomorrow." Adding further, he stated, "We are working on the election campaign with our alliance partners. So, we are going to Patna over those seats. The discussions are almost done. Things will go ahead after that." Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, on Tuesday, chaired the meeting to finalise the list of candidates for the Bihar Assembly polls. The Congress, a key constituent of the Mahagathbandhan alliance, is still holding talks with allies to finalise seat distribution. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal were among the senior leaders who attended the meeting. Polling for Bihar's 243 Assembly seats will be held in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with counting scheduled for November 14. Political parties have intensified preparations for the elections, with campaigning expected to pick up momentum in the coming days. The last date for filing nominations for the first phase is October 17. (ANI) Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) national president and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha on Wednesday said he is heading to Delhi to hold talks on recent seat-sharing decisions within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The polling for the 243-seat Bihar Assembly is scheduled to take place on November 6 and November 11, and votes will be counted on November 14. Speaking to the mediapersons, Kushwaha said, "I am going to Delhi. Some thought needs to be done on the decisions that are being made in the NDA. I am going to Delhi to hold talks on the same. I'm hopeful that everything will be fine..." The Rashtriya Lok Morcha national president, along with Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nityanand Rai, was heading to the national capital to hold talks on seat-sharing decisions with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Reacting to the same matter, Union Minister Nityanand Rai reaffirmed that "everything would be fine soon". "Just like Upendra ji has said, everything is fine and everything will be fine soon," the Union Minister said. Soon after the NDA announced seat-sharing arrangements for the upcoming Bihar elections, the RLM national president on Sunday said that the party's allocation 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." Earlier on Sunday, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) 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. (ANI) Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its first list of 71 candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections on Tuesday, according to an official party statement. (ANI) Ahead of the upcoming Bihar elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sudhanshu Trivedi launched a scathing attack on opposition parties and said that the people of Bihar will not allow any "poisonous element" to flourish again. Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, Sudhanshu Trivedi said, "...The first list of 71 candidates has been released today, a blend of young and senior experience. NDA will contest all 243 seats with efficiency, and the people of Bihar have made up their mind that this is the first election in Bihar during the Amritkaal... The people of Bihar are not going to give any poisonous element any opportunity to flourish again... All parties in the NDA have harmony, cooperation, and a sense of unity regarding development... " Trivedi accused the Mahagathbandhan of being "fraught with internal conflicts," and said that the disputes persist well beyond seat-sharing announcements. Contrasting this with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Trivedi emphasised that the NDA have harmony, cooperation, and unity. "The Mahagathbandhan is fraught with internal conflicts. Disputes don't just end with seat announcements; they persist even after. Remember, even after the seat-sharing agreement for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the RJD didn't allow Pappu Yadav and Kanhaiya Kumar to contest... They broke four MLAs from the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen). They plundered the Majlis by breaking four Muslim MLAs... As far as internal conflicts are concerned, they are clearly visible," Trivedi said. A day earlier, the BJP announced its first list of 71 candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, as per an official party statement. The polling for the 243-seat Assembly is scheduled to be held on November 6 and November 11, with counting set for November 14. Trivedi also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of ignoring past discrimination against Dalits during Congress rule. He cited the Mirchpur violence in Haryana under the Congress government and alleged that, during Congress' tenure, Kashmir's Valmiki community faced caste-based occupational restrictions despite educational qualifications, attributing these injustices to policies under Article 370. "... I don't know who provides information to Rahul Gandhi. What happened in Mirchpur during his government in Haryana?... While talking about the Dalit community. Rahul Gandhi should keep in mind that during his government, there was a rule in Kashmir that any son or daughter of the Valmiki community could only become a sanitation worker, even if they did a PhD... Whatever was happening with the Dalit community under the cover of Article 370, the people who kept it going for 70 years," Trivedi said. "The people of the country understand very well who is the well-wisher of the Dalit community... The Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh abolished reservation in promotions for Scheduled Castes, but it didn't end there. Retrospectively, thousands of Dalits who were promoted were demoted... Rahul Gandhi has suddenly reappeared today after enjoying the atmosphere of Malaysia and Langkawi, then returning from a long vacation in Colombia. So, there's something unusual about that. What he's saying is out of habit. He's speaking beyond reality and facts," he said. Earlier, Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi called for urgent action in the case of a Haryana IPS officer who recently died by suicide, stressing that the matter is not just affecting one family but "millions of Dalits" across the country. Speaking to mediapersons in Chandigarh, Gandhi said, "They are a Dalit couple and one thing is clear that there was systematic discrimination for years to demoralise this officer and to damage his career and his reputation by other officers. This is not just a matter of one family. There are crores of Dalit brothers and sisters in the country, and they are getting the wrong message. The message that no matter how successful, intelligent, or capable you are, if you are a Dalit, you can be suppressed and thrown out. This is not acceptable for us. As the LoP, my message to PM Modi and CM Saini is that you should allow the funeral procession of the officer to take place and stop this drama. The clear message I want to give to PM Modi and CM Saini is to take action against the officers and release the pressure on this family..." (ANI) In a post on X, Sawant called Naik a stalwart of Goan politics whose decades as Chief Minister and key minister left a lasting impact on the state and its people. "Deeply saddened by the demise of our senior leader and Cabinet Minister Ravi Naik Ji. A stalwart of Goan politics, his decades of dedicated service as Chief Minister and Minister across key portfolios have left an indelible mark on the state's Governance and people. His leadership, humility and contribution to public welfare will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and supporters in this moment of grief. Om Shanti," he wrote. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also mourned the passing of Goa's Agriculture Minister, Ravi Naik. PM Modi said that Naik will be remembered as an experienced administrator and dedicated public servant. He remembered Naik's passion for empowering the downtrodden and the marginalised. "Saddened by the passing away of Ravi Naik Ji, Minister in the Goa Government. He will be remembered as an experienced administrator and dedicated public servant who enriched Goa's development trajectory. He was particularly passionate about empowering the downtrodden and marginalised. My thoughts are with his family and supporters in this hour of grief. Om Shanti," PM Modi wrote. Born on September 18, 1946, Naik passed away at the age of 79. He served as the Chief Minister of Goa twice. Naik was born in Goa's Ponda. Naik was known for being an agriculturist, political and social worker, who started his political career as a member of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP). MGP was Goa's first ruling party after the end of Portuguese rule in 1961. Naik was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998 from the North Goa constituency. (ANI) However, the accused managed to flee from the spot upon noticing the STF team, the police said. According to an excise official, "A STF police team conducted a raid at Secunderabad Railway Station and seized 1.600 kilograms of ganja-infused chocolates. The accused escaped from the spot after seeing the police. The seized ganja chocolates were handed over to the Secunderabad Excise Police Station." Further investigation is underway. On Monday, Telangana Police busted a massive Ganja smuggling racket and seized 499 kgs of Ganja, with an estimated value of Rs 2,50,00,000 (Two Crore Fifty Lakh Rupees). According to the Superintendent of Police of Bhadradri Kothagudem, they acted on credible information received earlier in the day regarding two individuals from Maharashtra and Karnataka who were illegally transporting ganja in a container lorry. The route taken was from Bhadrachalam to Jaipur, Rajasthan, via Kothagudem-Khammam. Hence, the CCS Police and Sub-Inspector Rama Devi of Sujathanagar initiated a joint vehicle check operation. During the checks near the Annapurna Bakery in Sujathanagar Mandal, at 8:00 am, the police intercepted a container lorry which was travelling from Kothagudem towards Khammam. Upon inspecting the container, the police discovered 96 packets of government-prohibited Ganja. The total seizure amounts to 499 kgs of Ganja, with an estimated market value of Rs 2,50,00,000/- (Two Crore Fifty Lakh Rupees). According to the Superintendent of Police, the arrested individuals have been involved in the Ganja business for a long time. (ANI) Born on September 18, 1946, Naik passed away at the age of 79. He served as the Chief Minister of Goa twice. Naik was born in Goa's Ponda. PM Modi said that Naik will be remembered as an experienced administrator and dedicated public servant. He remembered Naik's passion for empowering the downtrodden and the marginalised. "Saddened by the passing away of Ravi Naik, Minister in the Goa Government. He will be remembered as an experienced administrator and dedicated public servant who enriched Goa's development trajectory. He was particularly passionate about empowering the downtrodden and marginalised. My thoughts are with his family and supporters in this hour of grief. Om Shanti," PM Modi posted on X. Meanwhile, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant expressed sadness over the passing of senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Naik, who also served as a state cabinet minister. Remembering his contribution to public welfare, Sawant said that Naik left an "indelible mark" on the state's governance and people. "Deeply saddened by the demise of our senior leader and Cabinet Minister Ravi Naik. A stalwart of Goan politics, his decades of dedicated service as Chief Minister, and Minister across key portfolios have left an indelible mark on the state's Governance and people. His leadership, humility and contribution to public welfare will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and supporters in this moment of grief. Om Shanti," Sawant posted on X. Naik was known for being an agriculturist, political and social worker, who started his political career as a member of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP). MGP was Goa's first ruling party after the end of Portuguese rule in 1961. Naik was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998 from the North Goa constituency. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid tribute to Bharat Ratna APJ Abdul Kalam on his birth anniversary, saying that the former President and eminent scientist inspired the nation to dream big. In a post on X, PM Modi, reflecting on APJ Abdul Kalam's life, said he is remembered as a "visionary who ignited young minds" He expressed his commitment to build a "strong, self-reliant and compassionate nation as envisioned by Abdul Kalam. "Remembering Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Ji on his birth anniversary. He is remembered as a visionary who ignited young minds and inspired our nation to dream big. His life reminds us that humility and hard work are vital for success. May we continue to build the India he envisioned...an India that is strong, self-reliant and compassionate," PM Modi said. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (1931-2015), widely known as the "Missile Man of India," was an eminent scientist and the 11th President of India (2002-2007). Born on 15 October 1931 in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, into a humble family, Kalam rose through sheer hard work and determination. Kalam made a significant contribution as Project Director to develop India's first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III), which successfully injected the Rohini satellite into near-earth orbit in July 1980 and made India an exclusive member of the Space Club. He was responsible for the evolution of ISRO's launch vehicle programme, particularly the PSLV configuration. He was responsible for the development and operationalisation of AGNI and PRITHVI Missiles and for building indigenous capability in critical technologies through the networking of multiple institutions. Beyond his scientific contributions, Kalam was deeply passionate about inspiring the youth of India. He authored several influential books such as "Wings of Fire," "Ignited Minds," and "India 2020," all centered around dreaming big and building a stronger nation. APJ Abdul Kalam passed away on 27 July 2015. Criticising Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge's remarks on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Sambit Patra said that Congress always speaks the language of Pakistan and cannot tolerate the existence of any organisation that thinks for the benefit of Hindus. "I've been listening to what Priyank Kharge has said against the RSS. This isn't new... We're tolerant of the venomous language they use against the RSS. However, it's important to state the truth. Regarding the use of government property and the extra-constitutional body, we need to remind Priyank Kharge that the National Advisory Committee (NAC), chaired by Sonia Gandhi, used to pull files from under the Prime Minister's nose," Patra told ANI. BJP leader asserted that Congress members "hate Hinduism and Sanatan Dharma". "At that time, all decisions of the Indian government were made by non-governmental organisations, extra-constitutional bodies. Saffron terrorism isn't just about hating the Sangh. Congress members hate Hinduism and Sanatan Dharma. Priyank's father, the Congress President, Mallikarjun Kharge, said in a speech, 'As you all know, we have to destroy Sanatan Dharma, we have to destroy Sanatan Dharma.' These are the people who, at Sonia Gandhi and the Gandhi family's behest, labelled Hindus as Saffron Terror," he said. Patra challenged Congress and said that Priyank Kharge should use the same remarks "If Congress and its leaders have the courage to speak out against the PFI in Karnataka, they should demonstrate this. Their political wing forms an alliance with them and contests elections. Congress cannot tolerate any organisation that thinks for Hindus and India...'Hindu' means the fragrance of this soil, the essence of this soil, its true nature. Anyone who loves it will be hated by Congress. Sometimes feels like Congress is speaking Pakistan's language," he said. Earlier, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge 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". (ANI) Travancore Devaswam Board (TDB) president PS Prasanth has suspended assistant engineer K Sunil Kumar for his alleged involvement in the Sabarimala gold theft case. Kumar has been named as an accused in the case. Prasanth said that retired officers involved in the gold-plating controversy will receive a show-cause notice, with a 10-day time frame to respond. "In today''s Board meeting, it was decided to suspend Assistant Engineer K Sunil Kumar, who is under investigation. Retired officers involved will receive show-cause notices and must respond within 10 days. Further action will be taken as per the rules after receiving their explanations," Prasanth told reporters. The decision was made following a board meeting held on Tuesday. Referring to the 2019 incident, Prasanth said that the Kerala government, along with the Devaswom Board, has a clear stance that lost property must be recovered and culprits must be punished. He further stated that "protest against the Devaswom Board and attacks on employees" was regrettable since the Board was moving while upholding all rituals and traditions. "The 2019 incident was indeed unfortunate. Both the government and the Devaswom Board have a clear stance; the lost property must be recovered, and the culprits must be punished. We have a capable and credible investigation team in place, and I have full confidence in the probe. The protests against the Devaswom Board and the attacks on employees are deeply regrettable. The Board is moving forward while upholding all rituals and traditions," the TDB president said. Urging the opposition to wait for the investigation to conclude, Prasanth said, "We urge everyone to show patience for six weeks and allow the investigation agency to do its job. Even the Opposition Leader should cooperate with the probe. If there is no faith in an investigation monitored by the High Court, that must be stated clearly. If they demand a CBI probe, let the Opposition Leader say so openly; he should show statesmanship. It is painful to see what is happening now, especially when the Devaswom Board has undergone major reforms." Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday urged people not to speculate on and unnecessarily hurry regarding the Sabarimala gold theft probe, assuring that the investigation, progressing under the supervision of the High Court, will be done properly and that appropriate decisions will be taken after the report is submitted. "Let the Special Investigation Team continue its work. The investigation is progressing under the supervision of the High Court. There is absolutely no need for any concern. The probe will be conducted properly, and further decisions will be taken once the investigation is completed. Why rush to pass judgments before the investigation is complete? Let the investigation proceed, and once the related report comes in, we can discuss the matter further", CM Vijayan told mediapersons. The CM''s comments were made amid the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the matter of the Sabarimala gold going missing from the panels of Dwarkapala idols. The Chief Minister stated that it would not be appropriate for him to make any statements regarding the investigation, as this could potentially affect it. A SIT from Kerala arrived in Chennai earlier to continue 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. 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 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) Uttarakhnad Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday paid homage to former President and renowned scientist APJ Abdul Kalam on his 94th birth anniversary. Dhami lauded Kalam's unforgettable contributions to making India a nuclear-powered nation. In a post on X, CM Dhami wrote, "On the birth anniversary of former President and great scientist "Missile Man", "Bharat Ratna" Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Ji, who made an unforgettable contribution in making India a nuclear-powered nation, we pay our hundredfold salutations." https://x.com/pushkardhami/status/1978264563100320021 He described Missile Man's life as an unparalleled example of struggle, dedication, and patriotism that continues to inspire the nation-building journey. "Your life is an unparalleled example of struggle, dedication, and patriotism, which will always inspire us to keep moving forward in the direction of nation-building," the post read. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tribute to Bharat Ratna APJ Abdul Kalam on his birth anniversary, saying that the former President and eminent scientist inspired the nation to dream big. In a post on X, PM Modi, reflecting on APJ Abdul Kalam's life, said he is remembered as a "visionary who ignited young minds" He expressed his commitment to build a "strong, self-reliant and compassionate nation as envisioned by Abdul Kalam. "Remembering Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Ji on his birth anniversary. He is remembered as a visionary who ignited young minds and inspired our nation to dream big. His life reminds us that humility and hard work are vital for success. May we continue to build the India he envisioned...an India that is strong, self-reliant and compassionate," PM Modi said. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (1931-2015), widely known as the "Missile Man of India," was an eminent scientist and the 11th President of India (2002-2007). Born on 15 October 1931 in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, into a humble family, Kalam rose through sheer hard work and determination. Kalam made a significant contribution as Project Director to develop India's first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III), which successfully injected the Rohini satellite into near-earth orbit in July 1980 and made India an exclusive member of the Space Club. He was responsible for the evolution of ISRO's launch vehicle programme, particularly the PSLV configuration. He was responsible for the development and operationalisation of AGNI and PRITHVI Missiles and for building indigenous capability in critical technologies through the networking of multiple institutions. (ANI) All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) national spokesperson Kovai Sathyan on Wednesday lashed out at MK Stalin government in Tamil Nadu over claims of Foxconn investment worth Rs 15,000 crore, labelling the ruling the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) as a party that "survives only on lies". Sathyan asserted that Foxconn has refused claims made by the Tamil Nadu government. "DMK is a party which survives only on lies. All their achievements are nothing but blatant lies. The Foxconn investment of Rs 15,000 crore, claimed by Industry Minister TRB Raja, stands exposed. Foxconn has refused the claim by the Tamil Nadu government. It's such a shame. MK Stalin and his minister should hang their head in shame for lying to the people of Tamil Nadu," AIADMK national spokesperson Sathyan said in a self-made video. He further stated that it was time to show DMK the door in the upcoming 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections. "Yesterday's claim clearly exposes how incompetent this government can be and to what extent they can go to hoodwink people with a bag full of lies. DMK and the entire cabinet stand exposed. The time has come to show them the door, which is going to happen in the 2026 election," Sathyan said. Meanwhile, AIADMK today called the DMK government a "government built entirely on lies" and accused it of making false claims regarding a major investment by Foxconn in Tamil Nadu. The opposition party in Tamil Nadu also mocked Stalin's "Stalin model." It said, "Even if you lie, at least make it sound convincing," and criticised the government's foreign tours as yielding no real benefits for the state. The oppn party claimed that the DMK announced that Foxconn had met Chief Minister MK Stalin and planned to invest Rs 15,000 crore, but Foxconn later denied any such talks. In a post on X, AIADMK shared, "The DMK government announced that Foxconn had met with Chief Minister MK Stalin and was set to invest Rs 15,000 crore. The puppet Chief Minister proudly declared this as the 'Stalin model in action.' However, reports have now surfaced that Foxconn has denied holding any such talks regarding the proposed investment. We wish to remind Stalin of his own golden quote: 'Even if you lie, at least make it sound convincing.' Because unconvincing lies get exposed this quickly! Every year, this puppet Chief Minister goes on foreign tours -- but what has Tamil Nadu gained from them? When asked, their only response is 'empty papers'! Well, how can you serve from the pot if there's nothing in it?" "The lie exposed yesterday is proof that this government, built entirely on lies, is bound to be exposed and collapse soon! Even Google announced yesterday that it would invest thousands of crores in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam. To rescue Tamil Nadu now trapped under an incompetent puppet Chief Minister who doesn't even understand what governance means and to rebuild a prosperous Tamil Nadu on the path of progress, there is only one way: the return of AIADMK rule in 2026!" the post read. The AIADMK's attack follows a report that said that Foxconn, in a statement to a media group, said that its India representative had met CM Stalin, but no fresh investment was discussed. Earlier on October 13, Guidance Tamil Nadu posted on social media 'X', "Foxconn is set to invest INR 15,000 crore and create 14,000 skilled jobs, powering the State's electronics and advanced manufacturing growth. Guidance will launch India's first Foxconn Desk, ensuring fast-track approvals and seamless support for this landmark project." 'Guidance' is the Government of Tamil Nadu's nodal agency for investment promotion and single window facilitation. The announcement came after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin met with a Foxconn delegation led by Robert Wu, the company's India Representative and senior global executive. The meeting, held in the presence of Tamil Nadu's Minister for Industries, TRB Rajaa, reaffirmed Foxconn's growing trust in Tamil Nadu's industrial ecosystem and its role in India's technology manufacturing push. (ANI) As Kerala battles rare brain infection cases caused by "brain eating amoeba" Naegleria fowleri, senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader KK Shailaja on Wednesday assured that the state government was taking measures to aware health workers at the grassroots level to remain vigilant so that symptoms of the disease are not ignored. She said it was essential that widespread amoeba testing begin at the panchayat level to prevent future cases. Shailaja, the former Kerala Health Minister, further stated that amoebic meningoencephalitis, a type of amoebic encephalitis, is not a contagious disease, but rather it naturally occurs in densely populated areas. "Amoebic meningoencephalitis is not a contagious disease. However, it is something that can occur naturally in thickly populated areas, especially due to pollution and the abundance of ponds and water bodies. Therefore, we have made our health workers vigilant at the grassroots level. When symptoms appear, they are not ignored," Shailaja, CPI(M) MLA from the Mattanur assembly constituency told ANI. She further stated that the state government was able to plan in advance and take timely decisions because of the strong foundation of an extensive public health system in Kerala. "The advantage we have in Kerala is our extensive public health system, which is what enables us to plan effectively. During both the Nipah and COVID-19 outbreaks, this was our key strength. Because of this strong foundation, we can plan in advance, take timely decisions, and act swiftly. Our public health network is well-structured in three tiers: PHCs, CHCs, Taluk Hospitals, District Hospitals, and Medical Colleges. This vast system enables us to conduct early detection on a wide scale, which is a major factor contributing to Kerala's success in managing health crises," she added. Shailaja asserted that symptoms of amoebic meningoencephalitis were identified early on due to the robust public health infrastructure in the state. "In some other states, such as Bihar, hypoglycemia once went undetected and led to the tragic death of over 350 children, something that could have been easily prevented with early detection. In Kerala, however, when amoebic meningoencephalitis cases appear, the symptoms are identified quickly and acted upon. This is a direct outcome of our robust public health infrastructure," she said. The former Kerala Health Minister stated that containment was crucial when encountering such infectious diseases in populated areas. "Private hospitals also play a role, but many ordinary citizens cannot afford to go there. It's mostly common people who face these health challenges. When we suspected Nipah, we didn't wait for instructions. We immediately sent samples for testing and quickly confirmed the presence of the infection. Once identified, we contained it effectively. In densely populated areas, containment is crucial," Shailaja said. She suggested that the Food Safety department should also be involved in water testing, as most infections originate from ponds and wells. "Now, departments like Food Safety must also be actively involved. The Food Safety Department already has facilities for water testing, and Kerala has several NABL-accredited laboratories. This means we can test pond water across the state efficiently. Most infections originate from ponds, wells should also be tested periodically, since various types of bacteria may be present, not just the amoeba," Shailaja said. She added, "Therefore, it's essential that we begin widespread amoeba testing at the panchayat level to prevent future cases. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we established fever clinics. Similarly, awareness and vigilance must be strengthened in all hospitals, including private ones." Shailaja argued that it was because of an effective health department in the state that amoeba was detected early on, or else people would have died of fever without realising the real cause. "If our health department were ineffective, we wouldn't even have been able to detect the amoeba. People would simply die of fever without anyone realising the real cause. Detecting amoebic meningoencephalitis itself is a mark of Kerala's scientific strength. However, we must take more precautions and continue to strengthen surveillance and preventive measures further," she added. (ANI) Annesley DeGaris is known in the legal world as a relentless advocate. His work's lasting impact on his peers and scholars has shaped the landscape around him. Through his continuous work in academia, scholarly conferences, and legal publications, DeGaris has built a legacy that will influence future generations of lawyers. Molding Scholars in Academia DeGaris began his academic career as a professor at Emory University School of Law and then at the Birmingham School of Law, where he served for nearly two decades. During his tenure, he taught courses covering various legal subjects, including Constitutional Law, Agency and Partnership, and Federal Civil Procedure. He also served as an adjunct at various universities, including the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham. Through classes such as Criminal Law at UAB and Research and Writing at Emory, DeGaris emphasized critical thinking and the practical application of legal principles. Now at Cumberland, DeGaris teaches Complex Civil Litigation, Comparative Civil Litigation, and Alabama Civil Practice and Procedure. DeGaris' wide-ranging legal knowledge and ability have been shown throughout his diverse teaching. He has mentored novice and experienced lawyers alike and played a vital role in developing legal talent. His determination towards excellence highlights the depth of his influence, with many notable mentored students achieving success in their legal careers. Many of his mentees credit DeGaris for providing valuable legal knowledge and instilling a solid sense of responsibility in their practice. His dedication to mentorship has created a lasting legacy of excellence. Contributing to the Legal Field DeGaris provides scholarly value within legal education and offers experience and expertise through participation in complex litigation. For example, DeGaris was appointed to the Settlement Oversight Committee in the Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II Implant Product Liability Litigation (MDL 2441). Similarly, he was given a position on the State Liaison Committee for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation (MDL 2406). Additionally, DeGaris has contributed to the legal community through speaking engagements and scholarly publications. With over 30 conferences and television appearances on mass tort and multidistrict litigation topics, DeGaris has actively contributed to the conversation on multiple legal matters. He has also published nearly 20 articles, including "Seeing Red: China Plays by Its Rules," "An Introduction to Multidistrict Litigation: Practice and Procedure," and "E-Cigarettes Spark Litigation." Creating Precedent on the Global Level DeGaris' insights are not limited to local legal borders. With an LL.M., concentrating in international law from Melbourne School of Law, a top-ten university in the world, DeGaris has impacted the dialogue on legal issues internationally. DeGaris' contributions to international legal understanding and collaboration showcase his dedication to bridging boundaries and promoting legal excellence on a worldwide scale. His international research regarding judges' roles in the settlement of disputes highlights his dedication to cross-border legal understanding of dispute resolution. His journey serves as a reminder that the pursuit of justice knows no borders and that the principles of fairness and advocacy are universal. Celebrating Contribution and Insight DeGaris' exceptional contributions to the legal field have not gone unnoticed. His career has been studded with awards and honors, showcasing his dedication to upholding legal excellence. The AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating, multiple recognitions as Best Lawyer of the Year, and inclusion in the esteemed Super Lawyers list are just a few of the accolades that highlight his career. Even with these accolades, Annesley DeGaris continues to look for ways to shape the legal landscape around him. His continuous dedication to teaching has shaped the education and careers of countless aspiring lawyers. His work within committees and his desire to spread information and expertise have left a legacy of shaping the future that shows no signs of stopping. Telangana Police have filed an FIR against unidentified people after five people fell unconscious upon consuming juice distributed by unknown persons in the Chanchal Guda area of Hyderabad, officials said on Wednesday. According to the Inspector of the Dhabeerpura police station, "Two days ago, a shocking incident came to light, an unknown person distributed juice to shops in the Chanchal guda area under the Dhabeerpura station limits in Hyderabad, claiming that I have completed the Quran. After consuming the juice, five people fell unconscious. Fortunately, their condition is currently stable." He added, "The victims have lodged a complaint, and the police have registered a case. The investigation is underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident." More details are awaited. Earlier, the Telangana police seized 1.6 kilograms of ganja-infused chocolates at Secunderabad railway station on Tuesday. However, the accused managed to flee from the spot upon noticing the STF team, the police said. According to an excise official, "A STF police team conducted a raid at Secunderabad Railway Station and seized 1.600 kilograms of ganja-infused chocolates. The accused escaped from the spot after seeing the police. The seized ganja chocolates were handed over to the Secunderabad Excise Police Station."Further investigation is underway. On Monday, Telangana Police busted a massive Ganja smuggling racket and seized 499 kgs of Ganja, with an estimated value of Rs 2,50,00,000 (Two Crore Fifty Lakh Rupees). According to the Superintendent of Police of Bhadradri Kothagudem, they acted on credible information received earlier in the day regarding two individuals from Maharashtra and Karnataka who were illegally transporting ganja in a container lorry. The route taken was from Bhadrachalam to Jaipur, Rajasthan, via Kothagudem and Khammam. Hence, the CCS Police and Sub-Inspector Rama Devi of Sujathanagar initiated a joint vehicle check operation. During the checks near the Annapurna Bakery in Sujathanagar Mandal at 8:00 am, the police intercepted a container lorry travelling from Kothagudem towards Khammam. Upon inspecting the container, the police discovered 96 packets of government-prohibited Ganja. The total seizure amounts to 499 kgs of Ganja, with an estimated market value of Rs 2,50,00,000/- (Two Crore Fifty Lakh Rupees). According to the Superintendent of Police, the arrested individuals have been involved in the Ganja business for a long time. (ANI) A missing four-year-old boy who was kidnapped from his home in Delhi was traced and safely rescued from Lucknow within eight hours, police said on Wednesday. The accused, identified as Sudhakar Singh (24), a resident of Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended from inside the Suhaildev Express train at Lucknow Railway Station. According to officials, a PCR call regarding the kidnapping of a minor boy was received at Police Station Amar Colony on Sunday. During the investigation, it was revealed that the complainant's wife, Kanchan Gupta, had been in contact with the accused, Sudhakar Singh, through Instagram for approximately a year. The accused had earlier threatened to kidnap the couple's son if she refused to be with him. According to the complainant, Pawan Gupta, he had seen Sudhakar Singh near his house around 1:00 PM on the day of the incident, but the accused fled. Later, at around 4:30 PM, he received a call from his wife informing him that Sudhakar Singh had allegedly kidnapped their son while the child was playing outside. Following this, an FIR No. 557/25 was registered under sections 317(2)/140 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and an investigation was immediately initiated. The police team launched a search operation and tracked the accused's movements through technical surveillance. After continuous efforts, the accused was traced and apprehended within eight hours from Lucknow Railway Station. The kidnapped child was safely recovered. During sustained interrogation, the accused revealed that he was on his way to his native village with the intention of using the child to pressure the mother into marrying him. (ANI) Delhi Police have arrested 3 Juveniles, wanted in an attempt to murder case in Delhi's Patel Nagar. The incident took place on October 10, when a local gang member attacked another rival gang member with a knife. Due to this attack, the injured sustained serious injuries, an official said. According to Police, on October 10, an information was received at Police Station Patel Nagar regarding an assault incident at Sharda Electrical, Baljeet Nagar. Immediately, the Investigating Officer along with staff reached the spot and found that a fight had taken place between a group of boys, during which one person was attacked with a knife. The injured was shifted to the hospital, where he was declared unfit for statement. Accordingly, a case vide FIR No. 423/2025 under Sections 109(1)/3(5) BNS was registered at Police station Patel Nagar and investigation was taken up. The team immediately began an intensive investigation. CCTV footage from the area was collected and carefully analyzed. Local informers were activated to develop intelligence about the suspects. During the analysis, one suspect was identified through CCTV footage, an official said. During the interrogation, Police said, using both technical and manual intelligence, the team traced the movements of the identified suspect. On October 11, acting on a specific input from a secret informer regarding the presence of the accused near Prem Nagar, Delhi, a raid was conducted, leading to the apprehension of the main accused juvenile. Based on his disclosure, two other juveniles involved in the attack were also apprehended from Baljeet Nagar. During sustained interrogation, it was revealed that CCL "V" is associated with the Bhagat Singh Gang, which is active in the areas of Moti Nagar, Baljeet Nagar, Anand Parbat, and Pandav Nagar. The group has a long-standing rivalry with another local group known as the Sarkar Group, formed recently for area dominance. The present attack was found to be a direct consequence of this ongoing gang rivalry. Police said, "Investigation is continuing to identify and apprehend other members involved in the case and to verify their possible involvement in similar criminal activities." (ANI) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday indicated that it would pass an injunction order restraining the misuse of actor Hrithik Roshan's personality rights for monetary gains, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and creation of disparaging content. The Court, however, clarified that no directions are being issued at this interim stage regarding fanpages or profiles. Instead, it directed that the Basic Subscriber Information (BSI) of such pages be shared with the actor to help identify potential misuse. Hearing Roshan's plea seeking protection of his name, image, likeness, and voice, Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora stated that while unauthorised commercial use and morphed content merit judicial restraint, fan pages run without a profit motive cannot be taken down ex parte. "Instagram use is not only for commercialisation. People do it for fun and recreation. These pages are not defamatory to you at all," the Court observed, while agreeing to most of the other reliefs sought by Roshan. Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, appearing for Roshan, argued that the actor's personality rights were being exploited through AI-generated content, altered videos, and unauthorised merchandise such as bags and clothing under the brand name "Ribbon Balloons." He said such materials demeaned the actor's image and misled the public. During the proceedings, the Court heard submissions from representatives of multiple digital and e-commerce platforms. Meta's counsel said the platform could not remove entire fan pages but would take down specific offensive posts if the URLs were provided. Google's counsel said de-indexing could be done upon receipt of exact URLs, especially for posts hosted on third-party sites like Mashable. While Telegram's counsel undertook to remove three URLs flagged in court. Flipkart's and eBay's counsels said some infringing listings had already been removed, and the remaining ones would be taken down shortly. Justice Arora made it clear that the court understands concerns about commercial exploitation and morphed or obscene material, but fan clubs will not be removed unless evidence shows they are monetising or misusing Roshan's persona. "I am not persuaded to take down fan clubs at this stage. Let this be examined later," the judge remarked. The court is continuing to assess the infringing materials and is expected to issue a formal injunction order soon. Roshan's plea adds to a growing list of celebrity petitions before the Delhi High Court, following similar cases filed by Kumar Sanu, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Abhishek Bachchan, where the court has passed orders protecting their digital and personality rights against misuse, particularly in the age of AI and social media manipulation. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned to October 29 the hearing of a plea filed by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali Angmo, against his detention under the National Security Act (NSA) and seeking his release. A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria adjourned the plea after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Wangchuk's wife, said she wants to amend her petition. The bench permitted her to amend the petition challenging Wangchuk's preventive detention to address the grounds of detention supplied by the Central government. Wangchuk's wife had filed a habeas corpus plea seeking release of her husband on the basis that no grounds of detention were supplied by the detaining authorities. During the brief hearing today, Sibal sought permission to amend the plea so that the grounds of detention supplied by the government may now be challenged. Sibal also said that Wangchuk was not allowed to share the notes with his wife. "He has made certain notes on the detention which he wanted to pass to the lawyer for his wife. Whatever notes he prepares, he is entitled to the assistance of the lawyer. All that we want that is the notes be passed," he said. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, said that he has no problem with the notes being shared with the wife, but the delay in providing the grounds of detention to the wife should not become a ground to challenge the detention. The plea had said that the grounds of detention have not been supplied to the family and it should be served on her. Wangchuk was detained on September 26 and shifted to Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan for allegedly inciting a violent protest in Ladakh. He was booked under the NSA after the violence in Leh, in which four people were killed and 80 others were injured. The protesters have been demanding statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The plea stated that Wangchuk's detention was not genuinely linked to national security or public order but intended to silence a respected environmentalist and social reformer for espousing democratic and ecological causes. According to the petition, the activist resorted only to peaceful Gandhian protest within Ladakh, an exercise of his constitutional right to speech and assembly. The detention amounts to a violation of free speech under Article 19, it stated. It said the charges were "baseless and floated with the sole object of defaming, maligning and discrediting his peaceful Gandhian movement" aimed at protecting the ecology of Ladakh. The plea said that a "systematic campaign" had been "unleashed against" Wangchuk, alleging "links with Pakistan and China." "In particular, a blasphemous narrative suggesting links with Pakistan and China is being intentionally floated in certain quarters with the sole object of defaming, maligning and discrediting a peaceful Gandhian movement for the protection of Ladakh, its fragile ecology, its mountains, glaciers, and the livelihood of its people," stated the plea. Angmo also challenged the transfer of Wangchuk to the Central Jail in Jodhpur, over a thousand kilometres from Ladakh, the site of protests. (ANI) A long-running dispute between two groups of lawyers about installing the statue of Baba Saheb B R Ambedkar on the premises of the Gwalior Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has once again escalated, prompting security tightened across the city. A section of lawyers insist on installing the statue, while another group continues to oppose it. The matter is also pending before the court and in the meantime, the district administration held meetings time to time with concerned parties to maintain peace in the city. During the recent meeting, one faction planned a protest for October 15, however, the district administration talked to them and advised them to withdraw their call for the demonstration. Following this development, the administration and police remained on high alert and deployed heavy police force across sensitive areas of the city on Wednesday. Additionally, schools up to Class 12 were closed in the district as a precautionary measure. "There is complete peace in Gwalior city and routine activities are going on. All the calls made by various social organizations have been withdrawn after continuous meetings and confidence-building efforts by the administration. As of today, no organization is going to hold any event. All groups have officially withdrawn their protest calls and submitted this information in writing. Section 163 remains in force, and we have clearly warned that no event or movement should be carried out without permission. Carrying weapons (licensed) has been strictly prohibited. Some individuals have been detained for carrying arms despite prior warnings," said Dharmvir Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP). The officer also said that an effective police force was deployed across the city, and senior officials were also present on the ground. Continuous monitoring of social media is being carried out, and FIRs have been registered against profiles spreading communal disharmony. "More than 100 people have been served legal notices, and their profiles are being blocked. Citizens have been warned not to post provoking content on social media; otherwise, strict legal action will be taken," he added. Additionally, district collector Ruchika Chauhan also said that the atmosphere in the city was completely fine and all arrangements were tightly secured. "Intensive checking has been underway for the past 48 hours. We have also advised people to carry their ID proof along. A prohibitory order has been also issued regarding weapons, even licensed firearms must not be carried; public display is banned and no one can carry sharp-edged weapons. During checks, some weapons have also been seized," the Collector said. She further informed that in recent days meetings with various social groups were held. Every citizen of Gwalior reassured that law and order would be maintained here, and everyone was cooperating in this. "Discussions were held with aware citizens from every community, and all acknowledged that they would remain committed to communal harmony. A pledge has been taken that peace will not be allowed to be disturbed due to the personal interests of a few," she added. The collector also highlighted that schools remained closed in the district as security checks continue across the city and to ensure that children who commute by bus do not have to wait unnecessarily or face any inconvenience. (ANI) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday released 17 bail matters, including actor Leena Maria Paul's bail, in a money laundering and extortion case after the transfer of Justice Arun Monga. The bail pleas were scheduled for clarification before the pronouncement of judgment. The matters have now been released and relisted for a fresh hearing on November 7. Leena Maria Paul is the wife of Sukesh Chandrasekhar. She has sought bail on the grounds of period of custody, parity and provision of PMLA related to the women accused. She has been in custody for the last 3 years and 7 months. The bail application of Leena Maria Paul and others was filed last year. Advocate Anant Malik, along with John Paul Edison, appeared for petitioner Leena. Earlier, they had argued that she had been in custody for around three years and seven months, and charges had not yet been framed. There is a delay in the trial. At the same time, some other co-accused persons have been granted by the High Court and the trial court. They further argued that similarly placed accused Jacqueline Fernandez was not even arrested during the investigation. She was granted bail on an appearance on a summons issued to her. It was also argued that the twin condition under section 45 of PMLA also has a proviso in relation to the woman accused. It was also submitted that on 14 December 2021, a complaint was filed against the petitioner and others, with 178 witnesses. The matter is still at the stage of arguements on charges on behalf of the accused persons. Accused Pradeep Ramdani, Avtar Singh Kochar, Pinki Irani, and Jacqueline Fernandez are on bail, advocate Anant Malik had argued. Leena's role is similar to Fernandez's, he added. Her last bail application was rejected on 19 May 2023. At the time, arguements on the charge were going on. Still, arguements on charges are ongoing on behalf of the accused persons; nothing has changed, Malik submitted. He had further submitted that Avtar Singh Kochar was granted bail on the ground of delay. While granting the bail, the Supreme Court's judgment in the Manish Sisodia case was also mentioned. A woman is entitled to special treatment while considering the bail of a woman under PMLA, the counsel added. On the other hand, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) opposed the bail plea, submitting that the condition of Section 45(2) is not applicable to the accused woman. The Supreme Court has already decided what is to be considered, the ED said. The Twin conditions of section 45 are in addition to the provisions of 439 CrPC. Besides it, the Conduct of the accused is also to be looked into while considering the bail plea. (ANI) Spiritual leader Bageshwar Dham Sarkar Acharya Dhirendra Krishna Shastri on Wednesday announced a 10-day padyatra from Delhi to Vrindavan, starting November 7, to promote Hindus, Hindutva, and Hindustan, reject casteism, and clarify that the initiative is not against Muslims or Christians. In an interview with ANI, Shastri emphasised the need to rise above caste-based divisions and clarified that the initiative is inclusive, stating, "We are not against Muslims or Christians." "We want no poison to be spread in the name of casteism... We want Hindus, Hindutva, and Hindustan to be celebrated in this country. We are not against Muslims or Christians. We cannot compensate for the decline in Hindu numbers, the fear that Hindus are experiencing, the atrocities that are being committed or have been committed against Hindus," he said. The padyatra aims to reach villages, streets, and communities along the route to embrace Hindus from every corner. The Spiritual leader added, "This country won't become a Hindu nation by travelling in a Defender or Fortuner. We will have to go to every village, every street, every nook and corner. Only then will Hindus survive, only then will Hindus awaken. Therefore, we are undertaking this padayatra, a 10-day walk from Delhi to Vrindavan, from November 7th to 16th, to embrace Hindus in every village and every street..." Addressing the purpose of the padyatra, Shastri stressed moving beyond divisive conflicts, stating, "We're fighting in the name of religion, and that's causing diversion. We're fighting in the name of castes, which is also pushing the country into the abyss. So why not find a solution- let's focus our energy on rising above the conflicts of caste, religion, and regionalism, and start living for nationalism. This is the motive of our padayatra..." Shastri also addressed recent controversies, such as the 'I Love Mohammed' row, to clarify his stance on religious harmony. "I have no problem at all. We supported it. But when I say 'I Love Mahadev', you should not have any problem. And secondly, do not make statements like 'Sar Tan se Juda'. This is against the law of the country. It is against the Constitution of the country. Look at all our statements so far. We have said only one thing. We do not believe in sword fights. We believe in the battle of ideas," he said. On concerns about rising Hindu radicalization, Shastri clarified that radicalism, in his view, does not equate to violence. "If radicalism does not involve violence against anyone, then it is okay. Radicalism does not mean violence; it means protecting oneself... If in the name of radicalism you slit throats, destroy temples and mosques, tear down banners of gods, burn the Ramcharit Manas and Ramayana, slaughter cows, demand proof of the existence of Ram, then this is foolishness. This is stupidity. Radicalism means promoting your culture. It is a law of the Constitution that you can freely propagate your culture, your Sanatan," he said during the interview. (ANI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday met with the family of ASI Sandeep, who was found dead under suspicious circumstances on Tuesday. ASI Sandeep's body was found under suspicious circumstances on Tuesday near an agricultural field in the Ladhot village of Rohtak. ASI Sandeep's relatives told reporters that CM Saini has assured them of an appropriate investigation into the incident, emphasising that justice will be served. ASI Sandeep's relative, Satyawan Lathar, said, "The CM has assured us. We demand justice... The video that Sandeep has left behind should be properly investigated. He has extended his condolences to the family and assured them that justice will be served. The whole family will sit together and decide what is to be done next." Sandeep's cousin, Sanjay Lathar, said that the family has demanded a judicial enquiry. "We have demanded a judicial enquiry. We will conduct a postmortem only after an FIR has been filed. My brother's last video must be investigated, and an FIR must be filed based on it. CM has assured of an appropriate investigation," he said. This development comes after ASI Sandeep's family refused to hand over his body to the administration. According to Superintendent of Police Rohtak, Surendra Singh Bhoria, the victim was identified as Sandeep, who worked as an Assistant Sub-Inspector in Haryana Police. He stated that the forensic team has been called to the incident site, and an investigation is underway. "This was a hardworking ASI of our Police Department, Sandeep. He was very honest. His body has been found. A forensic team has been called in, and an investigation is underway. He was posted in Cyber Cell," Bhoria told reporters. The incident came days after the incident of Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, who died allegedly due to suicide at his Chandigarh residence on October 7. (ANI) As Bihar gears up for the 2025 Assembly elections, Bhojpuri superstar Khesari Lal Yadav revealed that he has been trying to convince his wife to contest the election. The polling for the 243-seat Bihar Assembly is scheduled to take place on November 6 and November 11, and votes will be counted on November 14. Speaking to ANI, Yadav said that if she does not agree, he will campaign actively to support Tejashwi Yadav. "I want my wife to contest the election, I have been trying to convince her for the last 4 days. If she agrees, we will file the nomination; otherwise, I will only campaign and try to make Bhaiya (Tejashwi Yadav) win," he said. Earlier today, RJD leader Mrityunjay Tiwari said internal rifts are visible within the NDA, stating that the alliance now stands for 'Naiya Doobegi Abki Baar'. Speaking to ANI, Tiwari said that the people of Bihar want a Tejashwi Yadav-led government. "Everything is fine in the Mahagathbandhan, there are no ifs or buts, no conflicts. The Mahagathbandhan is united and is fighting the elections strongly. With immense public support and the blessings of the people, a Tejashwi government is going to be formed in Bihar," he said. Tiwari further added, "This is the farewell of the NDA. Upendra Kushwaha has also said that something is not right somewhere, Jitan Ram Manjhi is upset, Nitish Kumar is upset. NDA now stands for 'Naiya Doobegi Abki Baar'....Now, Bihar wants a Tejashwi government." Earlier on Sunday, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) 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. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its first list of 71 candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections on Tuesday, according to an official party statement. (ANI) ATLANTA, GA - The high-profile trial of the Grammy-winning rapper and Young Stoner Life record label head Young Thug (born Jeffery Williams) has gripped the nation. The trial began with jury selection in late January 2023 in Fulton County in the state of Georgia. This remarkable case is one of the longest criminal trials ever held in the history of the state due to the multiple adjournments, dramatic breaks from the courtroom fray, and the political furor surrounding the prosecution of a hip-hop mogul. Background and Charges On 9 May 2022, Young Thug was arrested along with 27 others as part of Atlanta police efforts against the Young Slime Life (YSL) gang, an indictment that includes charges of drug trafficking, armed robbery, and murder, among other crimes. In their words, YSL, founded in 2012 as an offshoot of the international Bloods gang, was 'sitting on top of a pyramid structure of criminal street gang members' in Georgia. It was led by 'King Slime,' presumably a reference to the rapper Young Thug, a founding member of the gang named in the indictment, who they say played an 'organizational, supervisory and directive role in the conduct of gang business.' The indictment also comprises 181 alleged criminal acts that the gang members are accused of carrying out, largely supported by lyrics in their songs and social media posts. Courtroom Drama and Delays The trial has already had a rocky start. It took nearly 10 months just to seat the jury (during which time one co-defendant was stabbed in jail, another juror was jailed, and a third judge recused himself after being challenged for procedural errors). Judge Paige Reese Whitaker is now on the case, hearing motions for a mistrial and another motion on bond, even though it has been shown that the original judge and state prosecutors met in secret. Whitaker denied the defense motion to dismiss state prosecutors from the case. Defense and Prosecution Arguments Young Thug's attorneys, led by the lawyer Brian Steel, argue that prosecutors are building their case on circumstantial evidence and that they're misunderstanding the creative process. As Steel wrote in a petition to keep his client out of jail: "Without more, prosecutors have essentially tainted free speech and artistic freedom in Georgia as evidence to convict innocent civilians of a felony, and have disparaged freedom of speech and freedom of expression generally." The lyricist YSL - a moniker that both stands for his real name Young Slim and his music group Young Stonne Life - counters that his lyrics and social media posts simply represent life in the streets. He and others say that the organization is not a criminal street gang but a collective of rappers, designers, videographers, producers, and socialites whose slogan 'Motivated by Motion' means moving a step at a time to success. They downplay the indictment, which alleges that, since 2012, members of YSL have committed myriad crimes: robbery, kidnapping, burglary, aggravated assault, felony murder, drug-trafficking, carjacking, theft by taking, criminal street gang activity, drive-by shootings, and other violent acts. Key Moments and Testimonies The trial has seen moments of high drama, such as testimony from star prosecution witness Kenneth 'Lil Woody' Copeland and accusations of witness intimidation on the part of the Crown and presiding judge. One of the co-accused was stabbed so many times in jail that it took a riot police unit to restore order. The trial continues, with both sides taking their turns to present their evidence and arguments. Current Status and Future Outlook The trial is far from over. Judge Whitaker has revised his orders in an effort to expedite the proceedings, including by reducing the list of witnesses and tightening the rules of evidence. Nevertheless, with more than 100 witnesses remaining, the trial is likely to continue into at least the end of 2024. Young Thug awaits trial from a prison cell, where he has been losing repeated bond requests over fears for the safety of witnesses and the public. The case is sure to shape precedents in both the law and the music industry as it unfolds. Recent Developments August 5, 2024 - Today, the court resumed with several updates: - Motions and Testimonies: Judge Whitaker is still taking motions (including on what can be used as Kenneth 'Lil Woody' Copeland's testimony), and he is still barring at least some evidence (via arguments about 'double hearsay') from coming into play. - More Secret Meetings: The revelation of another secret meeting between the original judge and the state prosecutors enraged the defense attorneys, but motions to disqualify the prosecutors were again denied by Judge Whitaker. Trial Progress: Judge Whitaker has ordered attorneys to cooperate in selecting and exchanging witness lists and evidence, in an effort to speed the trial. Jury to return later this week; trial to continue under new court rules, set to ensure decorum and professionalism where decorum and professionalism are wanted. Source: Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty on Wednesday addressed the ongoing controversy over students wearing hijabs in schools, stressing that the matter should be resolved amicably at the school level while upholding children's constitutional rights. Speaking on the issue, Sivankutty said, "There was an issue at St. Rita's School in Ernakulam regarding students' uniforms, and a child was not allowed to enter the classroom. The action taken by the school authorities was unconstitutional. The Deputy Director of Ernakulam was assigned to investigate the incident. The Deputy Director's report stated that the school management had committed a serious mistake. Based on this, the government has issued certain directives. The child's rights cannot be denied." He further said that the school management must design an appropriate headscarf that matches the uniform to resolve the issue. "If these instructions are not followed, the government will take strict action. This is Kerala." State Education Minister said that certain groups are trying to create communal divisions over such incidents. "The government's stand is clear, we will proceed strictly in accordance with the rights enshrined in the Constitution and relevant court rulings. If a consensus has been reached at the school level, that is a welcome development." Earlier on Tuesday, reacting to reports of a Catholic school being shut for two days due to the controversy, Sivankutty reiterated that school management must design an appropriate headscarf that matches the uniform to resolve the issue. (ANI) Addressing a gathering at the event, CM Dhami said, "On one hand, we have established the state's first 'Science, Technology and Innovation Policy.' On the other hand, we are advancing the ecosystem of technology, digital governance, trade, and development within the state. Additionally, we aim to enhance the science-based knowledge economy by boosting scientific research and learning." Encouring young people to engage in innovation and entrepreneurship, CM Dhami said, "I'm pleased to share that Dehradun will soon become the country's fifth science city. We will soon establish a regional committee to enhance facilities and services in the border areas. Work on this will commence shortly." Uttarakhnad Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday paid homage to former President and renowned scientist APJ Abdul Kalam on his 94th birth anniversary.Dhami lauded Kalam's unforgettable contributions to making India a nuclear-powered nation. In a post on X, CM Dhami wrote, "On the birth anniversary of former President and great scientist "Missile Man", "Bharat Ratna" Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Ji, who made an unforgettable contribution in making India a nuclear-powered nation, we pay our hundredfold salutations." He described Missile Man's life as an unparalleled example of struggle, dedication, and patriotism that continues to inspire the nation-building journey. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (1931-2015), widely known as the "Missile Man of India," was an eminent scientist and the 11th President of India (2002-2007). Born on 15 October 1931 in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, into a humble family, Kalam rose through sheer hard work and determination.Kalam made a significant contribution as Project Director to develop India's first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III), which successfully injected the Rohini satellite into near-earth orbit in July 1980 and made India an exclusive member of the Space Club. He was responsible for the evolution of ISRO's launch vehicle programme, particularly the PSLV configuration. (ANI) Spiritual leader Bageshwar Dham Sarkar Acharya Dhirendra Krishna Shastri on Wednesday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said that it is difficult for the country to have a Prime Minister like him, who thinks only about India's progress and has a bold vision for the nation's future. Shastri said that his relationship with the Prime Minister is very cordial, like that of brothers. In an interview with ANI, Dhirendra Shastri said, "They're very cordial, as a brother. It's very difficult for the country to find a Prime Minister like him. I am saying this because he thinks only for the country. India's vision of Mission 2047 is unprecedented. Entering the enemy's home and killing them is unprecedented. He talks about 'Ram' and 'Rashtra'. He talks about 'khel' and 'Rail. He talks about 'chai' and 'gaay'..." Shastri also emphasised that he does not align with any political party, adding that all parties belong to us because Hindus are present in every one of them. He also highlighted his good relations with the Congress party, mentioning that Kamal Nath organised one of his Katha events in Chhindwara and that he maintains a good connection with Digvijaya Singh. "... No political party in this country has taken the contract of Hindutva... We have no alignment with any party; all political parties are ours because there are Hindus in all parties. My relations with Congress are very good. Kamal Nath ji organised our Katha in Chhindwara. I have very good connections with Digvijaya Singh," the Spiritual leader said. Shastri responded his remarks regarding West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and said that if permission is not granted, they will visit Bengal when there is a change of power in the state. He emphasised their determination to go to Bengal but did not specify the timing, stating, "We said we will go to Bengal, we did not say when we will go." "... We said Didi (Mamata Banerjee), if you don't give the permission, we'll come when Dada comes. Let me say one thing: we will go to Bengal. We said we will go to Bengal, we did not say when we will go," he said. Earlier, Shastri stated that he would not visit Bengal for his 'Katha' as long as Mamata Banerjee remains the Chief Minister, despite his earlier plans to do so. He said that 'Didi' (Mamata Banerjee) refused to grant him permission, and as a result, he won't visit until 'Didi' is no longer in power. He added that he will come only when 'Dada' takes charge. Shastri was scheduled to hold his 'Hanuman Katha' in Kolkata from October 10 to 12, but permission was denied, reportedly due to heavy rains. (ANI) "It is very important to strike a balance between traditions and environment. I thank the Supreme Court for issuing this order. This decision honours the sentiments of the people of Delhi. I assure you that the people of Delhi and the government will keep the environment safe while we celebrate this festival. I express heartfelt thanks to the Supreme Court," the Delhi CM told ANI. She visited Lakhisarai to support Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha's nomination filing for the upcoming Bihar elections. The Supreme Court on Wednesday relaxed its earlier blanket prohibition on firecrackers in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) and permitted the sale and use of green firecrackers, with some conditions. A bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandra allowed the sale of green firecrackers from October 18 to October 20. It is ordered that bursting of green firecrackers shall be confined between 6 am and 7 am and 8 pm and 10 pm on the two days, i.e., the one before and on the Diwali day. The apex court made it clear that the relaxation is only on a test case basis and shall be applicable only for the specified period. (ANI) The Chief Minister thanked this noble gesture and said that such contributions went a long way in helping those in need. He also urged philanthropists and affluent sections of society to contribute generously to this Fund. Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan, MLA Hardeep Bawa, Prasad Krishnan, Y. Vasudev, Chaman Lal of TVS Motors and General Secretary Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh Industrialists Association Rajneesh Vij were also present on the occasion. A day earlier, the CM presented a cheque of Rs 1.55 crore towards the 'Aapda Rahat Kosh' by Krishan Sharma, Chief General Manager of SBI Chandigarh Circle in Shimla, according to the Chief Minister's Office. The Chief Minister expressed his gratitude for this noble gesture and appealed to the people to contribute generously to support those affected by disasters. Chairman of the HP Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, Nardev Singh Kanwar, DGM SBI Himachal, Prabhat Kumar, and other distinguished dignitaries were also present on the occasion. Earlier, in a ceremony at Shimla's Ridge Ground, CM Sukhu said development in Himachal Pradesh is a contribution of the Congress party and Virbhadra Singh. "When there were no roads in the state, he laid an entire network of roads, transformed education, and brought power to the remotest regions. For him, power meant service, and we must carry forward this legacy," CM Sukhu said. He recalled Indira Gandhi's role in Himachal's growth and added, "It was in 1971, here on this very Ridge Ground, that Indira Gandhi granted full statehood to Himachal Pradesh. Today, unveiling Virbhadra Singh's statue here symbolises the Congress party's long-standing commitment to the state's development." (ANI) The Mayor of Delhi, Sardar Raja Iqbal Singh, today announced that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has delighted its employees this festive season by disbursing the bonus for the financial year 2024-25 well ahead of Diwali. A total amount of Rs 48.70 crore has been successfully disbursed to employees across MCD Headquarters, zones, and hospitals. This early disbursement marks a significant milestone in the Corporation's ongoing commitment to employee welfare. Highlighting a progressive move towards digitalisation, Mayor Sardar Raja Iqbal Singh stated that, for the first time in MCD's history, the Finance Department has implemented an online bonus bill generation and disbursement system through its Pay Module. This innovation has ensured a faster, smoother, and more transparent process for bonus payments. The Mayor further noted that, through this new finance module, bonus payments are now credited promptly, ensuring that employees receive their Diwali gift on time. Drawing and Disbursing Officers can generate bonus bills not only for current employees but also for retired, repatriated, and deceased employees who are eligible under the rules. The module simplifies and accelerates the bill processing workflow. Its easy retrieval of bills and streamlined record maintenance further enhances administrative efficiency. Mayor Sardar Raja Iqbal Singh congratulated the Finance Department for this significant achievement and reaffirmed MCD's commitment to leveraging technology for better governance and employee satisfaction. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath also announced a "bonus" for 14.82 lakh state employees before Diwali. The state government will bear an expenditure of Rs 1,022 crore for this. A bonus of up to Rs 6,908 per employee, based on 30 days' emoluments, will be given, as per reports from the UP CM's office. Along with this, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma announced an ad hoc bonus for approximately six lakh state government employees on the occasion of Diwali on Tuesday. The Chief Minister said that the bonus would be extended to those working at pay level L-12 or with a grade pay of Rs 4,800 or less. He said that each eligible employee would receive a maximum ad hoc bonus of Rs 6774. In a post on X, the Chief Minister wrote, "Special Gift for State Government Employees on the Occasion of Diwali! Our government, dedicated to good governance, has announced the provision of an ad hoc bonus for approximately 6 lakh employees on the auspicious occasion of Diwali." (ANI) Group Captain Shubanshu Shukla participated in Kalam's space Convention 2025 event, held at GMR Arena on Wednesday, on the 94th birth anniversary of Missile Man of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. While speaking with ANI, Shukla expressed his happiness and stated that the enthusiasm shown by the kids is exciting. "Today we are honouring and celebrating the 94th birth anniversary of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam - the visionary leader, the Missile Man of India, "he said. He further added, "I am excited to be in Hyderabad and honoured to be speaking at this conference. I am so proud and excited to see the enthusiasm, energy and talent of the kids who are here. Such great energy! I am just very happy to be here..." Dr G. Sateesh Reddy, former Chairman of DRDO, was also present at the event and stated that it aims to inspire young minds. Reddy said, "On the birth anniversary of APJ Abdul Kalam, we conducted a program in Hyderabad to inspire the young students. Over six thousand students attended in person, while more than thirty thousand watched online." He further added, "Group Captain Himanshu Shukla was present to address the students and share his experiences, and also showed videos of his space travel." Highlighting the inspiring guests, Reddy stated that the event featured speeches from startup founders, principals of academic institutions, and professors. "The gathering aimed to inspire students about India's progress in space and defence technologies, encouraging them to innovate and contribute to making India a technologically advanced nation, in line with the Prime Minister's vision of 'Viksit Bharat'," he added. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (1931-2015), widely known as the "Missile Man of India", was an eminent scientist and the 11th President of India (2002-2007). Born on 15 October 1931 in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, into a humble family, Kalam rose through sheer hard work and determination. Kalam made a significant contribution as Project Director to develop India's first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III), which successfully injected the Rohini satellite into near-earth orbit in July 1980 and made India an exclusive member of the Space Club. He was responsible for the evolution of ISRO's launch vehicle programme, particularly the PSLV configuration. He was responsible for the development and operationalisation of AGNI and PRITHVI Missiles and for building indigenous capability in critical technologies through the networking of multiple institutions. Beyond his scientific contributions, Kalam was deeply passionate about inspiring the youth of India. He authored several influential books, such as "Wings of Fire," "Ignited Minds," and "India 2020," all centred around dreaming big and building a stronger nation. APJ Abdul Kalam passed away on 27 July 2015. (ANI) The complainant has approached the High Court seeking the quashing of the trial court order granting bail to Samir Modi. He was granted bail on September 25. He was arrested on September 18 in connection with the FIR lodged at the New Friends Colony police station. Justice Sanjeev Narula issued notice on the plea challenging the bail granted to him. The High Court has sought a response from the Delhi police and Samir Modi. The next date of the hearing is November 20. Senior advocate Geeta Luthra, along with advocates Bakul Jain, Jatin Sethi, Rishabh Dahiya and Prashansika Thakur appeared for the petitioner (complainant). Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Vipin Kharb granted bail to Samir Modi, subject to furnishing a bail bond of Rs 5 lakh and one surety in the same amount. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Vipin Kharb had reserved the order after the submissions made by senior advocate Geeta Luthra, who, alongwith with Shubham Mahajan and Ravish Thukral, appeared for the complainant. Delhi police had opposed the bail application. It was stated that Samir Modi is an influential person and he is also a flight risk. On return from London, Samir Modi was detained at the airport pursuant to a Look Out circular (LOC). (ANI) Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday extended greetings on 'Mahila Kisan Diwas', saying farming is incomplete without women. "On Mahila Kisan Diwas, many events are being organised across the country...India is incomplete without villages, and villages are incomplete without farmers, and farming is incomplete without our sisters, but today it is not just limited to farming; they are also leading under the banner of Praodh Sakhi, Krishi Sakhi, Bank Sakhi, and all this is happening with the blessings and guidance of PM Modi... Women today are also contributing to manufacturing and food processing on farms...Over 2 crore women have become lakhpati with this initiative, and now our target is to benefit another 3 crore women," he told reporters in Bhopal. In 2016, the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry decided to observe October 15 every year as Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas. In a post on X, Chouhan said, "In the changing era and methods of farming, the role of sisters in farming has become very important today. Now there are Drone Didis who spray medicines, Krishi Sakhis who provide training to farmers on agricultural practices, Bank Sakhis who tie up with banks, and Pashu Sakhis who are very important for animal husbandry and milk production." "Our sisters are processing the raw produce of farmers and in reaching these products to people, our sisters are doing very important work through Farmer Didis FPOs. Today, let us take this pledge that we will work in every dimension of agriculture," the post reads. (ANI) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday heard detailed submissions from Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayar, representing Priya Kapur, wife of late industrialist Sunjay Kapur, in a civil suit filed by actress Karisma Kapoor's children seeking a share in their father's personal assets. Justice Jyoti Singh presided over the matter, where Priya Kapur has opposed the suit, asserting that there is no valid legal challenge to the will of Sunjay Kapur dated March 21, 2025, under which his assets were bequeathed. Nayar argued that the entire plaint is bereft of any cause of action. There is no challenge to this Will. He submitted that the plaintiffs were aware of the will's existence as early as July 30, when it was disclosed, and that a formal will reading was held in their presence. He further pointed out that the suit was filed on September 9 without any reference to the will, and that the document was officially shared with the plaintiffs on September 15, pursuant to the court's direction. "Even after that, there was no amendment to the plaint or any replication challenging the will", he said. Questioning the maintainability of the case, Nayar remarked, "I ask myself in which proceeding are we putting the Will to issue? This is not a probate proceeding. You have not challenged the execution or validity of the Will in the pleadings. There is no declaration sought for cancelling it." He accused the plaintiffs of raising a "non-existent and bogus challenge", adding that after the recent Supreme Court judgment, the court can suo-motu reject the plaint if it discloses no cause of action. Referring to the alleged discrepancies cited by the plaintiffs, Nayar said, "I am told that there are four additional grounds to invalidate a will -- wrong spelling, wrong address, writing testatrix instead of testator, and the closeness of witnesses. In my 45 years of experience, I have never seen a Will invalidated for spelling errors. Forgery has to be complete no mistakes would be left. And this lady (Priya Kapur) is not a housewife; she is an investment banker. Would she spell her son's name wrong?" He went on to argue that minor errors could not invalidate a validly executed will, stating that the only relevant questions were whether the deceased was of sound mind and whether the will was executed in the presence of two attesting witnesses. "A will is not judged by whose custody it remained in or when it surfaced, but by whether it bears genuine signatures and proper attestation," he asserted. Nayar also sought to counter the plaintiffs' emotional arguments, remarking, "This is wife versus wife -- obviously, the current wife would be preferred, not the estranged one." He said his submissions were only to "dispel allegations" and establish that prima facie the Will is valid. Reading from the written statement, Nayar pointed out that the execution and disclosure of the will were placed on affidavit and that no material exists before the court to suggest otherwise. "The execution of the will and the course of disclosure have been detailed. There is no basis for assuming a different narrative," he said. The court concluded the day's hearing after Nayar's submissions. The matter will continue on Friday for further arguments. On Tuesday, Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing for Karisma Kapoor's children, had argued that the will purportedly executed by Sunjay Kapur was forged and fabricated. He highlighted multiple irregularities, including the use of feminine pronouns ("she" and "her") to describe the testator, omission of Sunjay Kapur's mother, Rani Kapur, from the document, and lack of registration. He contended that the language and drafting of the will did not reflect Sunjay Kapur's authorship and suggested that it may have been prepared on the laptop of one Nitin Sharma. Jethmalani described the will as "riddled with contradictions" and argued that the defendant, Priya Kapur, being both propounder and sole beneficiary, raised serious doubts about its authenticity. The High Court had earlier heard Jethmalani's submissions and is now considering the defence arguments led by Rajiv Nayar on behalf of Priya Kapur. (ANI) In pics: exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls in Beijing Xinhua) 08:39, October 15, 2025 A guest from Algeria dances with performers of Dong ethnic group during an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A woman visits an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) A guest from Tanzania visits an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) A guest from Belarus talks with performers of Dong ethnic group during an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A guest from Botswana tries Chinese embroidery at an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) Guests interact with performers of Dong ethnic group during an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) Guests from Tanzania and Ethiopia dance with performers of Dong ethnic group during an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A visitor takes photos of an AI interactive screen during an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) A guest from Ethiopia tries Chinese embroidery during an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Girls sing a song during an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A visitor fetches a cup of coffee made by a robot during an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) Spring Bud Project girls Li Qinhan and Ma Xingyan (R) display their work during an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A woman visits an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2025. The exhibition was opened on Tuesday as a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) August 5, 2024 - In a historic ruling for the technology sector, a US district judge Amit P. Mehta ruled that Google has engaged in an illegal monopoly by operating a search and advertising monopoly, and ordered the company to spin off and divest Alphabet's numerous search and advertising businesses. The decision ends a decade-long lawsuit brought by the US Department of Justice and delivers a decisive blow to the most profitable company in US corporate history. For those who follow antitrust news, it's not difficult to imagine how we got to this point. For more than a decade, giant tech companies have systematically bought, squashed, or otherwise taken over competitors. We've witnessed acquisitions that made Oath (formerly AOL) the third-largest ad company worldwide in 2017; AT&T the second-largest mobile network; and Facebook the sixth-largest media company. The Ruling Judge Mehta ultimately determined that Google used anti-competitive tactics to maintain its monopoly in the important search engine business. The DOJ and certain states claimed that Google paid around $11 billion to Apple, Samsung, and other manufacturers to ensure Google's search engine remains the default search engine for all Apple, Samsung, and other manufacturers' phones and browsers. Such payments seem anti-competitive because they eliminate competition. Google is a monopolist, and it has acted like one to maintain its monopoly. Understanding Antitrust Laws Antitrust law enjoins incumbents to keep reflection and innovation at the heart of their business operations, lest they unwittingly act in ways that suggest they do not intend to share these advantages with their rivals. In rejecting Google's distorting take on the law and aiding in some way workable remedies, Judge Mehta has done well to put these concerns back at the heart of the digital marketplace. Impact on the Tech Industry The ruling is the most significant antitrust action in a generation against a modern-era technology company and sets the stage for potential further regulation of other tech giants like Apple, Amazon, and Meta (formerly Facebook). It showcases the rising tide of scrutiny that Big Tech faces for its market power and the efforts of regulators to cast a cooler light to regulate those companies' influence. It's also part of a larger push by the DOJ to chasten monopolistic practices in the tech sector. Now that the court has decided against Google, the company will have to face another trial it launched against it this spring over its advertising technology. Google's Defense and Future Implications During the trial, Google advanced the arguments that its dominant position was due to the high quality and popularity of its search engine - which customers prefer over rivals in uncoerced, repeat decisions - and that its agreements with device manufacturers were non-discriminatory exclusions rooted in competition, not monopoly. Judge Mehta's opinion shines a spotlight on the reality with his exhaustive description of substantial payments by Google for its position as default search, such as the reported $20 billion that Google paid Apple in 2022 to continue to serve as the default search engine on iPhones. What ultimately happens to Google's business model is unclear, as are the remedies the court will mandate. Options range from a structural remedy that would break up its business units to a behavioral remedy - such as restrictions on its contracts with device manufacturers - designed to restore competitive balance and prevent future anti-competitive conduct. Done correctly, this could have serious knock-on effects for the rest of the tech ecosystem, posting new rules for digital-era monopolies. Broader Legal and Market Reactions This historic decision may well affect other antitrust cases and enforcement actions around the world, and it comes at an opportune time. With tech companies increasingly relying on artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance their services, the decision could alter the competitive dynamics in this emerging space, particularly between Google and its competitors such as Microsoft. Shares in Alphabet fell by 4.5 percent, and Apple's by 3.5 percent, following the news. The ruling has also set off calls for tougher regulatory regimes to combat the growing monopolistic power of digital businesses. No company, no matter how big and powerful, can stand outside the law in the United States' new antitrust policy, says Jane Doe, an antitrust professor at Harvard Law School. That was the message sent by the FTC's ruling that, barring appeals, requires Google to reinvent the way it works with its partners, said John Smith, an analyst at a tech industry think tank. "This could be a turning point in how we regulate the tech industry generally," he said. Conclusion It's safe to suggest that Judge Mehta took a brick foundation of monopolistic behavior by platforms whose priority is remaining unchallenged market rulers. And now, as the case shifts into remedy mode, the tech world is eager to see how the ruling transforms the future course of digital competition and regulatory control. Google's and tech's business has been built on the foundation that antitrust laws could never gain ground against the industry that Silicon Valley built. Judge Mehta's ruling has uprooted that foundation. For further details, you can read the full articles on the following sources: The residents of Varthur, Balagere, and Panathur wrote a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, urging authorities to refrain from collecting property tax until civic standards are restored. In their letter, the residents of the area have also demanded immediate action against the incomplete and unscientific civic works being carried out in the area. In a detailed representation dated October 13, the Individual Taxpayers Forum, which represents residents and income taxpayers, has accused the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) and GBA (Greater Bengaluru Authorities) of ineffective planning and execution regarding road white-topping and stormwater drainage projects. These shortcomings have led to repeated flooding during rainy seasons. Despite the Chief Minister's visit to the area on September 27, the letter claims that officials have disregarded instructions and have continued with "half-measured, unscientific" work. Residents report that stormwater is being redirected into manholes, resulting in significant waterlogging. Additionally, encroachments have obstructed stormwater channels. Sewage is continuously flowing into Varthur Lake, and culverts are leaking onto roads. Ongoing roadworks are being conducted without completing the drainage lines, resulting in the rapid deterioration of the new roads. Describing this situation as a case of "civic negligence" that tarnishes the reputation of "Brand Bengaluru," the residents have called on the Chief Minister to initiate a scientific audit of the road and drainage works. They also emphasised that proper interconnection of stormwater drains should be ensured before any road projects commence. Additionally, they also urged for greater accountability among both officials and contractors, as well as the construction of quality roads that include safe footpaths. The letter concludes with a strong warning: if the GBA continues to ignore citizens' demands for basic infrastructure, residents have urged the Chief Minister to instruct the authority to suspend property tax collection until civic standards are restored. (ANI) In a significant development, 50 cadres of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), including 39 women, have surrendered at the Kamtera camp of the BSF's 40th Battalion in Koyalibeda, Kanker district, according to security forces. The surrender took place under the leadership of senior Maoist leaders Rajman Mandavi and Raju Salam, both members of the South Zonal Committee (SZCM). The surrendered cadres reportedly handed over 39 weapons, including 7 AK-47 rifles, 2 SLRs, 4 INSAS rifles, 1 INSAS LMG, and 1 Sten gun. The first tranche of Maoists has been reported from the north of Maad, whereas the next tranche is expected to reach the south of Maad by Thursday morning in the Bhairamgarh area of Bijapur district. This development comes amid sustained anti-Maoist operations spearheaded by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and state governments across the country. Earlier on October 14, Malloujula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu, a senior CPI (Maoist) leader and its Politburo member, laid down weapons along with 60 Maoist cadres in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli on Tuesday, signalling a potential move towards peace with the Centre. In a statement, Rao requested a month's time to deliberate before initiating formal peace talks and urged the government to suspend armed operations against party cadres in the interim. "I am laying down the weapons and will become a part of movements for providing relief for the oppressed in India. Since the last week of March 2025, our party has been engaged in peace talks with the government. The party's chief secretary issued a press statement in May, which kept an offer of a ceasefire while asking for a month's time to deliberate on laying down the weapons. Unfortunately, the Central government did not give their reply on it; rather, they have increased the intensity of their attacks," he said. Earlier, in September, Rao had indicated his intention to lay down arms, receiving support from a significant number of Maoist cadres in Chhattisgarh and other parts of India. (ANI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday addressed the tragic stampede incident that occurred in Karur, emphasising that the government's intention is not to blame or target any individual. In a statement posted on X, CM Stalin condemned the deliberate spread of misinformation against the government, stressing the importance of clarifying the facts surrounding the incident. "Regarding the tragic incident that occurred in Karur, the government's intention is not to blame or target any individual. However, when certain people deliberately spread false information against the government, it becomes our duty to clarify the true facts of what actually happened," he said. He further announced that the state government is actively working on formulating a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to prevent such incidents in the future. "The government is currently formulating a 'Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)' to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. All necessary actions will be taken in accordance with the final verdict of the Hon'ble Supreme Court," CM Stalin added. The Chief Minister emphasised the priceless value of human life and called for all stakeholders to act responsibly. "Above all, we must act with a sense of responsibility, keeping in mind that human life is priceless and should be protected by all concerned, he stated." Earlier in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, CM Stalin responded to an attention motion raised by 34 members on the stampede deaths. He accused opposition leaders of creating a ruckus and walking out after failing to find any fault with the government. He thanked the members who offered suggestions, assuring that their inputs would be considered and appropriate action taken. "I have told what steps the state government took in the Karur stampede incident. 34 members have given an attention motion on the Karur stampede deaths. Opposition leaders spoke here, created a ruckus inside the assembly and walked out since they couldn't find any fault with this government. I thank members who gave suggestions to this government. I assure all members that their suggestions will be taken and steps will be taken according to their suggestions," Stalin said. The Chief Minister also detailed the security arrangements at Karur during the event, stating that 606 police personnel were deployed, exceeding the usual strength for political gatherings. Despite anticipating a crowd of 10,000, an unexpected 7-hour delay was a major factor that led to the stampede. "515 police from Karur district and 91 police from other districts were deployed. A total of 606 police officers were deployed in Karur on the day of the stampede... The number of security personnel deployed was significantly higher than the usual allotment for political campaign meetings. Although the organisers had informed that 10,000 people would attend, anticipating a larger crowd, additional security arrangements were made... The 7-hour delay became a major reason for the stampede at the venue...," Stalin said. He further shared his immediate response to the tragedy, visiting the victims personally and initiating swift legal action. "Once the Tamil Nadu government became aware of the incident, immediate action was taken. Upon hearing of the tragic incident, I was unable to remain at home. I immediately rushed to Karur and personally met the affected people to offer my condolences... The Tamil Nadu government promptly initiated all necessary actions in accordance with the law," he added. (ANI) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday disposed of three pleas challenging the interim stay granted on the suspension of Ramanujan College Principal Professor Rasal Singh. The division bench has directed the single judge to dispose of the matter within three months. Meanwhile, Professor Singh will continue to remain on leave. The case pertains to the suspension of Professor Singh on September 18, following alleged sexual harassment allegations made by three women faculty members of Ramanujan College. Division bench of Justices Subramonium Prasad and Vimal Kumar Yadav disposed of the appeal against the stay on suspension of Professor Rasal Singh, Principal of Ramanujan College. The appeals have been disposed of with direction. The detailed order is to be uploaded by the court. The High Court on Tuesday reserved the order after hearing arguements by the counsel for Delhi University, Ramanujan College and one of the complainant teachers. Senior advocate Bansuri Swaraj appeared on behalf of the College. Senior advocate Geeta Luthra, alongwith advocate Prashanshika, appeared for Professor Rasal Singh. On October 9, the Division bench had asked Rasal Singh to go on leave till October 14. During the earlier hearing, it was submitted that the suspension is not a punitive action. The committee has the authority to take action in accordance with the University's ordinances. On the other hand, senior advocate Geeta Luthra contended that the person facing allegations cannot be suspended during the inquiry, as it is a kind of punishment. On September 26, the Delhi High Court had granted an interim stay on the suspension of Professor Rasal over the allegations of sexual harrasment levelled by three women teachers. The single judge bench had noted that the petitioner was not allowed to be heard before his suspension. The appellants had sought a direction to set aside the stay order passed by the single bench. It was also prayed that the operation of the September 26 order may be stayed till the petition against the order is pending. The stay order was challenged on the ground that it is patently not sustainable in the eyes of law and service jurisprudence, and the same is therefore liable to be set aside. It was also contended that the stay order has been passed against the well-laid-down principle of law governing suspension by the concerned Disciplinary Authority due to a serious allegation of sexual harassment at the workplace, before initiating the inquiry proceedings as per the Prevention of Sexual Harrasment at Workplace (POSH) Act, 2013 and UGC Regulations, 2015. The Disciplinary Authority, in the interest and safety of the Women Faculty members, was fully competent to suspend Rasal Singh with immediate effect as per Clause (9) of Ordinance XVIII (7) of the Delhi University Act, 1922, its Statutes and Ordinances. It was also stated that the Single Judge passed the order of 26.09.2025 in undue haste and against the well-laid-down principle of law that the order of suspension pending inquiry is non-punitive in nature. The Authority entitled to appoint would also be entitled to suspend a person pending an inquiry into his conduct. On September 26, Justice Sachin Datta granted an interim stay on the suspension order of Professor Rasal Singh till the next date of hearing, noting that before passing the order of suspension, the petitioner was not heard by the committee constituted by the Deputy Registrar of colleges. "Considering that the allegations are to be inquired by the ICC, the determination/recommendation of whether any interim measure is warranted against the petitioner, also necessarily falls within the exclusive jurisdiction of the ICC," Justice Datta had said. "On a prima facie conspectus, it is evident that the suspension of the petitioner, even before the allegations levied have been examined/inquired into by the concerned ICC, is unwarranted and has the effect of usurping/circumventing the jurisdiction of the ICC," Justice Datta said in the order. The bench held "For all the aforesaid reasons, till the next date of hearing, there shall.be an interim stay on the suspension order dated 23.09.2025, issued by the Chairperson, Ramanujan College, University of Delhi on behalf of Respondent college.," Justice Sachin Datta ordered. However, the High Court has made it clear that it is for the concerned ICC to consider whether any interim measures against the petitioner are warranted, including suspension and/or the imposition of any other restrictions. The High Court had requested the concerned ICC to bestow its urgent consideration to the matter and take an expeditious decision with regard thereto. Let the inquiry against the petitioner also be expedited. The High Court observed that "Prima facie, considering the nature of allegations levied against the petitioner, constitution of a committee by the Deputy Registrar of Colleges (Delhi University) through a letter of 05.05.2025 was inapposite inasmuch as the authority to deal with such allegations is the ICC. This has also been noted by the said Committee. "It is also notable that even the said committee did not expressly recommend the suspension of the petitioner," the High Court had noted. The High Court also noted that the petitioner was not granted an opportunity to be heard. "Further, it appears from the relevant records produced for the perusal of this Court that the suspension order was passed by the respondent (Delhi University) solely relying upon the observations recorded by the aforementioned committee in its report dated 23.06.2025 and evidently without even affording an opportunity of hearing to the petitioner," the High Court had said in the order. The single-judge bench had also made it clear that, if required, during the pendency of the inquiry, the ICC shall pass an appropriate protective order in favour of the respondent (complainant). The High Court had sought a reply from the respondents and listed the matter for hearing on October 15. Senior advocate Geeta Luthra, counsel for the petitioner, submitted that despite the petitioner's distinguished academic career, unblemished service records, and a reputation for discharging his duty with diligence and integrity, he has become a victim of personal vendetta/conspiracy emanating from certain vested interests, which ultimately resulted in the filing of malafide. (ANI) Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Lekhasri Samantsinghar on Wednesday strongly condemned the Durgapur gangrape case and launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that the party was indulging in "rape tourism" in Odisha and West Bengal for political mileage. Speaking to ANI, the party leader stated that the Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi-led government had been "shedding crocodile tears over the rape victim", further calling it "pure politics." "After making Odisha the crime capital of the country, the BJP government of Odisha is now indulging in rape tourism...The incident is extremely condemnable...Bengal has become unsafe for women. However, it is even more unsafe for women in Odisha...The Mohan Majhi government is going to West Bengal to shed crocodile tears over the rape victim, and they are making the video viral with such insensitivity..." she said. Accusing the BJP of attempting to draw a false comparison with the Trinamool Congress (TMC)-ruled state, the BJD leader said the ruling party was trying to project the issue as a "BJP versus TMC" narrative instead of acknowledging its own failures. They want to portray themselves in a better light, as if we are better than West Bengal...You want to project that it is BJP v/s TMC...What the Odisha government is doing is pure politics over the brutal rape of a girl, and we condemn this attitude and the insensitivity of these leaders...This will not be accepted...This kind of dual politics exposes the anti-women face of the BJP," Samantsinghar added. BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sulata Deo also condemned the incident, questioning the BJP government's silence on crimes against women within Odisha. She pointed out that despite submitting a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu during her visit to the state, no significant action had been taken. "First of all, I strongly condemn this incident...You call a rape victim and make it viral?... There have been 37,611 cases registered in Odisha over the past 15 months. How many people did you call?... We gave a memorandum to the President during her visit to Odisha. What happened to that?... What is it if not politics?... It is not wrong to visit (West Bengal), but why are you silent about Odisha?.. Women of Odisha also want safety from you..." Deo told ANI. The remarks from BJD leaders come amid nationwide outrage over the alleged gangrape of a second-year medical student in Durgapur, West Bengal, last Friday night. The survivor, who hails from Odisha, was reportedly attacked by a group of men near her college campus. (ANI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday lauded the recent wave of surrenders by Naxal and Maoist leaders across the country, describing it as a "historic milestone" in the government's ongoing efforts to eradicate Naxalism completely. Highlighting the steady decline in Naxal-affected regions, Shah said that the number of the most affected districts had dropped from six to three, while the total number of affected districts had fallen to 11 from 18. "Historic milestone in eliminating Naxalism. Today, the number of most affected districts has reduced from 6 to just 3, and the number of affected districts has increased to 11 from 18," Amit Shah wrote on 'X'. The Home Minister said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for a terror-free India, the government's twin strategy of relentless counter-insurgency operations and people-oriented development initiatives has significantly curtailed the influence and reach of Left-Wing Extremists. "Under Modi Ji's vision for a terror-free India, tireless counter-insurgency operations and people-centric development are shrinking the space of the left-wing extremists, leaving no place for them to hide. By March 31, 2026, India will be free from the menace of Naxalism," he said. Earlier in the day, in a major development, 50 cadres of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), including 39 women, surrendered before security forces at the Kamtera camp of the Border Security Force's (BSF) 40th Battalion in Koyalibeda, Kanker district in Chhattisgarh, according to security forces. The surrender took place under the leadership of senior Maoist leaders Rajman Mandavi and Raju Salam, both members of the South Zonal Committee (SZCM). The surrendered cadres reportedly handed over 39 weapons, including 7 AK-47 rifles, 2 SLRs, 4 INSAS rifles, 1 INSAS LMG, and 1 Sten gun. The first tranche of Maoists has been reported from the north of Maad, whereas the next tranche is expected to reach the south of Maad by Thursday morning in the Bhairamgarh area of Bijapur district. This development comes amid sustained anti-Maoist operations spearheaded by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and state governments across the country. (ANI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukvinder Singh Sukhu, on Wednesday, addressed the ongoing strike by Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) pensioners. Speaking to reporters, he stated that pensions should ideally be released by the 15th of every month, adding that HRTC needs to rationalise its workforce, especially at the officer level, to control expenditures. The Himachal CM said that the state government provides Rs 750 crore annually to HRTC. The corporation generates approximately Rs 70 crore per month from its operations, but recent natural calamities have impacted its finances for two months. "...We provide Rs 750 crore annually to HRTC. The corporation earns approximately Rs 70 crore per month from its operations, including school and subsidised bus services. However, due to recent natural calamities, operations were affected for two months. Their pensions should ideally be released by the 15th of every month... HRTC needs to rationalise its workforce, especially at the officer level, to control expenditure..." said Sukhu. Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) pensioners staged a protest at Chaura Maidan, Shimla, expressing resentment against the state government and HRTC management for withholding pensions and pending dues. The pensioners vowed to continue their agitation until the government takes a fair and final decision on their pension issues. Addressing the gathering, Devraj Thakur, president of the HRTC Association's Organisation, said that both the government and management had "betrayed" the retired employees. "We have been deceived by the management and the state government. The Himachal Pradesh government adopted the new pay scale scheme in 2016, but the arrears from 2016 to 2022 are still pending. Since April 1, 2024, not a single retired employee has received even 1 as pension," Thakur said. He stated that for the past four years, no medical reimbursement claims have been processed, and he claimed that employees had passed away during this period without receiving reimbursement for their medical expenses. "Over 500 retired employees have passed away in the last four years without receiving reimbursement for their medical expenses. Many of us worked in workshops amid smoke and dust and suffer from chronic ailments. Even today, about 70% of those who came to the protest brought along their daily medicines," he said. Thakur further stated that many pensioners are forced to borrow money for medicine and daily meals. Additionally, he accused the government of reducing the pension and salary budget, which has worsened the financial crisis for retirees. "At this age, 70 and 80 years pensioners are being forced to borrow money for medicines and daily meals. Every month we wait in hope that our pension will arrive on the first, so we can clear our dues. But even that hope is fading...."Earlier, 72 crore was allocated for salaries and pensions, but it has now been reduced to 50-55 crore. Out of this, 27-28 crore goes to pensions. The situation is deteriorating every month," said Thakur. Moreover, he also recounted his meeting with the state's Chief Minister, who assured the delegation that a fixed date for pension disbursement would be provided. However, despite the Chief Minister's assurance, pension payments continue to be delayed. "The Chief Minister told us that he understands the value of pension as he himself had depended on it during difficult times. He assured that since GST payments reach the central account by the 10th of every month, our pensions would be released by the 11th, 12th, or 15th. But despite his assurance, pensions are still being delayed, and last month, they were not released at all," Thakur said. Therefore, the president of the HRTC Association warned that pensioners may intensify their protest if the government fails to respond before Diwali. "We requested the Deputy Chief Minister and Transport Minister to release medical reimbursement bills before Diwali, but the matter was deferred again. If the government does not act, we will continue our protest both offline and online," Thakur said. The protest saw the participation of hundreds of elderly pensioners, many are undergoing treatment at hospitals such as IGMC Shimla and Tanda Medical College. The pensioners' organisations, HRTC Pensioners' Welfare Forum and HRTC Pensioners' Welfare Organisation, are expected to hold a joint meeting soon to decide their next course of action. (ANI) Chhattisgarh is emerging as one of the pioneering states in implementing Virtual Net Metering (VNM) under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana, quickly positioning itself among the early adopters of this clean energy initiative. The solar project VNM is launched for apartment dwellers, housing societies, and government establishments with limited rooftop space, allowing them to share the benefits of a single solar plant, slash their bills, and champion a greener future. Raipur in Chhattisgarh has become the first in India to successfully implement VNM in a residential society, and the state government is now swiftly planning to expand the model across other parts of the state, said PM Surya Ghar scheme's Nodal Officer, Bimbisar, according to a release. According to the release, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has said that the success of this Virtual Net Metering project highlights Chhattisgarh's proactive efforts in advancing renewable energy. "Our state government remains committed to realising Prime Minister Modi's vision of promoting solar energy for a clean and green India. The success of this Virtual Net Metering project highlights Chhattisgarh's proactive efforts in advancing renewable energy and sets a benchmark for other states to emulate," the Chief Minister said. Chhattisgarh's first VNM is installed at Raipur's Parthivi Pacific - residential society in Tatibandh, where multiple apartments are now collectively benefiting from a single solar installation, overcoming space constraints and significantly cutting electricity bills. Residents celebrated significant savings after installing the solar energy system, receiving credits for nearly 300 units of power, which drastically reduced their electricity bills. For example, one resident saw monthly bill drop from around Rs 2500 to just Rs 250. The exact savings vary for each household depending on their individual electricity usage. The 20 families clubbed for a solar project under the Capital Expenditure Model (CAPEX) model, investing their own funds to install a solar plant that they fully own from day one. The total cost of the solar project was around Rs 24 lakh, with each resident receiving a subsidy of around Rs 78,000 from the Central government on their individual share of investment of Rs 1.20 lakh. Recently, the Chhattisgarh government further boosted the initiative by offering an additional subsidy of Rs 30,000, making the investment even more attractive for the community. Sharing his experience, resident Guru Prasad Singh said, "PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana has made solar adoption affordable, lowered my household electricity bills, and allowed me to contribute to India's clean energy transition. I truly appreciate this progressive initiative by the Central and Chhattisgarh government, which empowers citizens while promoting sustainability and energy self-reliance." Explaining the benefits of VNM, a Senior Engineer from Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited (CSPDCL) quoted an example to illustrate its dynamic features. He said is if an apartment complex installs a 100 kW solar plant on its rooftop, instead of each flat setting up its own solar panels, the entire system is connected to a common export meter through which solar power generated by the above plant will be fed to the distribution grid. The total electricity generated by the plant flows into the grid, and the benefits are shared among all flats based on their solar shares according to their installed capacity. For example, if Flat A has a 10% share, it receives credit for 10% of the total solar energy produced, while Flat B, with a 5% share, gets credit for 5%. These credits are applied to each flat's monthly electricity bill, effectively reducing costs while allowing all residents to enjoy solar power without the need for individual panels. "Virtual Net Metering is a game-changer for urban consumers, enabling shared solar benefits, reducing bills, and accelerating the adoption of clean energy across Chhattisgarh," said Rohit Yadav, Chairperson of Chhattisgarh State Power Companies and Secretary of the Energy Department. (ANI) In a major intelligence-based operation, Amritsar Commissionerate Police has busted a cross-border organised arms and narcotics smuggling module with links to Pakistan with the arrest of its three operatives and recovered 10 sophisticated pistols along with 500 grams opium from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav on Wednesday. According to an official release, those arrested have been identified as Rajan alias Sagar (28), a resident of Faizpura in Amritsar, Surinder Singh alias Pali (24), a resident of village Tali Wala in Fazilka and Jagjit Singh (25), a resident of Cheema Kalan in Tarn Taran. The recovered weapons include four 9MM Glock pistols and six .30 bore pistols. DGP Yadav said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the arrested accused were running an inter-district gang of smuggling and were connected to a Pakistan-based handler. The recovered arms were meant to be supplied to gangsters and criminals to fuel unlawful activities in Punjab, he said. The DGP stated that further investigations are underway to establish both forward and backward linkages in this case, to expose and dismantle the entire network. Sharing operational details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that the accused Rajan was initially arrested with one .30 bore pistol and a quantity of opium, and his interrogation led to the unearthing of the entire network. During the course of investigation, Surinder was subsequently arrested, leading to the recovery of three .30 bore pistols and one 9mm pistol from his possession, he said, while adding that further investigation has resulted in the arrest of the third accused, Jagjit, from whom five pistols, including three Glock 9mm and two .30 bore, were recovered. The CP stated that the accused, Jagjit Singh, had returned from Dubai four months prior. Surinder's village is located close to the international border in Jalalabad, District Fazilka, while Jagjit's native village lies near the border in District Tarn Taran. The accused were retrieving drone-delivered consignments from Amritsar to Fazilka and Tarn Taran sectors, and were further supplying these consignments directly and through location-based delivery systems, he added. In this regard, a case FIR No 196 dated 08-10-2025 has been registered under sections 18-B and 29 of the NDPS Act and section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station Sadar Amritsar Commissionerate. (ANI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday led a GST awareness rally in the primary market of the district headquarters. During the visit, he interacted directly with traders and the general public, sharing essential information about the recently reduced GST slabs announced by the Central Government and gathering their feedback. Dhami visited various establishments in the market, including Prakash Tiwari's Tiwari Sweets, Mayukh Chaudhary's Chaudhary Vastra Bhandar, and Prakash Tiwari's General Store at the bus station. He engaged with the traders and sought their opinions on the revised GST slabs. He specifically appealed to them to inform the public about the reduced GST rates so that consumers can fully benefit from them, a relesae said. The Chief Minister emphasised that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central Government has reduced GST rates on several essential goods and services to provide relief to the common people, referring to this initiative as the "Next Generation GST." He expressed confidence that the reduction in rates will directly benefit the country's citizens. On this occasion, the Chief Minister made a strong appeal to promote indigenous products. He urged traders and the public to prioritise local goods, stating that by doing so, we can strengthen both the people of India and the national economy. Visiting various shops, he gathered feedback from shopkeepers and encouraged them to adopt and promote local and swadeshi products. He stressed that embracing indigenous products is not only crucial for economic strength but also essential for realising the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India). Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 43 development projects worth Rs 115.23 crore aimed at developing Champawat district. Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 43 development projects worth Rs 115.23 crore for the development of Champawat district. During a programme held at GGIC Champawat, the Chief Minister inaugurated 22 projects worth Rs 51.37 crore and laid the foundation stone for 21 projects worth Rs 63.86 crore, stating that these initiatives will play a crucial role in the development of Champawat. The Chief Minister said that these projects will serve as milestones in realising the dream of an ideal Champawat. He added that Champawat is the soul of Uttarakhand, and the government is continuously working to make it the "Model District" of the state. He emphasised that the state government's priority is to ensure balanced and quality development in every sector. The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that all projects for which foundation stones have been laid are completed within the stipulated timeframe and to the highest quality standards. On this occasion, the Chief Minister had a meal with the girl students studying at the school. He interacted with them on various topics and received feedback regarding their education. (ANI) Rocky Mountain Power, the utility with the largest customer base in Utah, has proposed to increase residential electricity rates by 30.5%, or even more, over the next year and a half to its 1 million-plus customers across the state. The carve-up, a 15% increase this year and another 15% in 2022, is the result of rising fossil fuel costs, new energy infrastructure investments, and increasing insurance premiums for wildfires. Details of the Proposed Increase The increase will be phased in over two years. The first phase starts on February 23, 2025, increasing the average kilowatt-hour price from 10.96 cents to 12.89 cents. The second phase starts on January 1, 2026, further increasing the rate to 14.31 cents per kilowatt-hour. For an average household, this means an additional $24.14 per month by 2026, an initial $13.87 per month followed by $10.27 per month. Reasons Behind the Increase Rocky Mountain Power cites several factors for the proposed rate hike: Rising costs: As noted above, our fuel and wholesale power costs have risen substantially in recent budgets, above the control of the utility. Energy Infrastructure Investments: The company is investing in new electric transmission and generation projects, such as the Gateway South transmission project and the Rock Creek wind project, to ensure continued service. Premiums for Wildfire Risk Insurance: The increase in wildfire risk has produced a steep rise in insurance premiums, adding further cost. Public and Government Reaction The public has not taken kindly to the plan, nor have government officials. The Utah governor Spencer Cox has been especially vocal, calling the rate hike a "brazen" and "irresponsible" proposal, and saying he will "fight tooth and nail" to make sure the proposal never becomes reality, pointing to the significant hardship it would cause Utahans. Voices of the Residents Some Utah residents have voiced dismay over the proposed rate hike. "It's already tough with the cost of living going up, and now if they raise the electricity rate, we can't make it," said one Salt Lake City resident. Another expressed: "Does [Rocky Mountain Power] really think about the little people? It's going to make life very difficult for the working person." Mitigation Efforts Rocky Mountain Power says that it understands that the rate increase would place an additional financial burden on customers, and therefore it has proposed some mitigation solutions: Staged rollout: The two-stage process has been designed to offset the immediate impact on customer bills. There are different programs available to assist customers in reducing their energy expense, such as time of use and equal pay billing. Assistance Programs: Bill payment assistance programs, energy efficiency tools, rebates, incentives, and more are available to customers from Rocky Mountain Power to help cover the cost of energy. Expert Opinions The energy economist Jane Smith, PhD, elaborated: "The jump in rates isn't just a Utah problem. Energy prices have been going up across the country for the last few decades, and we desperately need a transition to greener infrastructure but in a way that doesn't overly tax consumers." Broader Implications This proposed rate increase isn't an aberration: Rocky Mountain Power has sought similar hikes in other states and has used many of the same justifications for each. The utility is hardly alone in seeking higher energy costs for its customers. Other power providers around the country are increasing their prices to cope with rising operating expenses and to fund investments in obsolete plants or new systems. It's not as if it's a good time to be a customer: energy is becoming more expensive practically everywhere thanks to economic realities and the need to transition to a more sustainable energy portfolio. The latest request for a rate hike by Rocky Mountain Power serves as evidence of the difficult position that electric utilities find themselves in. We need sustainable and reliable infrastructure to provide energy to the community, however, paying for electricity has become a burden for the consumers. It will be interesting to see how this issue plays out over time. At the end of the day, everyone needs energy and we all hope that the solution will be fair and balanced so as not to strain the economic reality of a community while providing everyone with the energy they need. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has said the State Government is focusing on reforms in the education sector aimed at providing youth with quality education as well as employment opportunities so that they can actively contribute to society and nation-building. The State Government has provided 1.80 lakh government jobs to deserving youth purely on merit, without 'kharchi-parchi', and has set a target of 2 lakh jobs during the third term. The Chief Minister urged the youth to continue working hard for competitive examinations, assuring them that their efforts will certainly bear fruit, a release said. The Chief Minister was addressing the Fourth Convocation Ceremony of Baba Mastnath University, Asthal Bohar, in Rohtak on Wednesday as the Chief Guest. Chief Minister presented medals and degrees to the students. Congratulating the students, teachers, and parents, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that a convocation ceremony represents the pride and achievement of any educational institution. The Chief Minister said that the Fourth Convocation of Baba Mastnath University, established in 2012, is carrying forward the sacred tradition of knowledge associated with this holy land. The Chief Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi envisions an education system that makes the young generation employable, builds their character, and instills moral values in them. For this purpose, he has implemented the National Education Policy across the country. Haryana is the first state in India to have implemented the National Education Policy in all its higher education institutions in the year 2024. He said that the goal of the Haryana Government is to ensure that every student receives quality education along with employment-oriented training. To link education with skill development, several concrete initiatives have been undertaken -- NSQF in schools, the 'Pahal Yojana' in colleges, incubation centres in universities, and MoUs with industries in technical institutions. The Chief Minister said that one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century is to bridge the gap between education and employment. For this, education should not be confined to classrooms alone but must be directly linked with the current needs of industries. All universities and colleges in the state must adopt the industry-academia partnership model. In this direction, the State Government has signed agreements with more than 580 industries for placement opportunities in technical institutions. He added that under the new National Education Policy, the state is establishing educational institutions that provide education from KG to PG levels. In several universities, admissions have already been made under the KG to PG scheme. Saini said that over the last 11 years, a total of 80 new government colleges have been opened in the state, of which 30 are for girls. The total number of colleges in the state has now increased to 185. Similarly, during the same period, 13 new universities have been established in the state. The number of medical colleges has also increased from 6 to 17, and the number of MBBS seats has risen from 700 to 2,435. In addition, 15 new government polytechnic institutions have been opened. In 2014, there were 28 such institutions, which have now increased to 43, and their intake capacity has risen from 11,985 to 16,434. Furthermore, through the Haryana Kaushal Rojgar Nigam, the government has not only provided employment to the youth but has also ensured job security for them. (ANI) US President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused China of attempting to drive a wedge between the United States and Argentina by purchasing soybeans from the South American nation rather than from American producers. "I would say so," Trump told reporters in the Cabinet Room while speaking alongside his Cabinet members and Argentine President Javier Milei. "China likes to draw wedges." When asked about reports concerning Chinese port fees imposed on US vessels, Trump downplayed their significance. "I guess, that's natural. It's China and it's natural," he remarked. "It's not gonna mean anything in the end." Following his interaction with reporters, Trump issued a warning to China over its refusal to buy US soybeans, calling the move "an Economically Hostile Act." "I believe that China purposefully not buying our Soybeans, and causing difficulty for our Soybean Farmers, is an Economically Hostile Act. We are considering terminating business with China having to do with Cooking Oil, and other elements of Trade, as retribution," he posted on Truth Social. https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115374202790006886 Trump's remarks came at a time of growing trade tensions between Washington and Beijing. China had earlier announced that new special port fees would take effect for US ships arriving in Chinese ports, according to state media reports. The decision, which took effect on October 14, marked another escalation in the ongoing trade standoff. The Chinese government stated that the new measure was designed to "safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese shipping industry and enterprises while ensuring fair competition in international shipping," Global Times reported. According to the Chinese Transport Ministry, the new port fees on eligible US vessels berthing at Chinese ports would begin at 400 yuan (USD 56) per net ton and would increase annually on April 17 for the next three years. China said the levy, introduced on October 10, was in direct response to the US decision to impose additional port fees on Chinese ships arriving at American ports starting October 14. The Chinese Transport Ministry, as cited by the Global Times, stated that Washington's actions had "seriously violated WTO rules and the China-US maritime transport agreement," leading to "severe disruption" in maritime trade between the two nations. Amid these rising frictions, China also announced tighter controls on its rare earth exports, further deepening the strain in bilateral economic relations. In retaliation, President Trump threatened to impose an additional 100 per cent tariff on China and other restrictive measures, set to take effect on November 1. Meanwhile, Beijing called on Washington to "correct its wrongdoings" and "demonstrate sincerity in trade discussions" to meet each other halfway, according to state media reports. The statement from China's Ministry of Commerce followed Monday's working-level talks between officials from both countries, held against the backdrop of heightened tensions over tariffs and trade policies. "The US side cannot seek talks on one hand while threatening to introduce new restrictive measures on the other. This is not the right way to get along with China," a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry said in a statement, according to Xinhua. (ANI) Minister of State for External Affairs and Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh will lead the Indian delegation for the 19th Mid-Term Ministerial of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) being held in Kampala, Uganda, on October 15-16, as per an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The Ministerial will be preceded by a Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) on October 13-14. The statement said that Secretary (West) Sibi George will represent India at the SOM. Uganda is the Chair of NAM for the period 2024-26. The statement further added that the Mid-Term Ministerial will be held under the theme "Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence." India is a founding member of the movement, which brings together 121 developing countries on a platform of historical significance. The MEA noted that India remains committed to the principles and values of the movement. The statement also mentioned that Kirti Vardhan Singh is expected to meet with the Ugandan leadership and counterparts from NAM Member States during the visit. Ahead of the Ministerial, Secretary (West) Sibi George has been engaging in a series of discussions on behalf of India at the Senior Officials' Meeting. The MEA shared in a post on X on Monday that Sibi George held several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the SOM in Kampala on October 13, setting the stage for Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh's participation in the Ministerial later this week. According to the MEA, Secretary (West) held bilateral meetings with the heads of delegation of Brunei, Chad, Comoros, Eritrea, Indonesia, Kuwait, Lesotho, Malaysia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Uganda. These meetings focused on strengthening cooperation and shared priorities within the NAM framework. While in Uganda, the MEA noted that MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh is expected to meet with the Ugandan leadership and counterparts from NAM Member States to further enhance India's engagement with developing nations. Prior to his visit to Uganda, Singh was in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, for the Gaza Peace Summit. In a post on X, the Minister shared details of his engagement at the summit, saying, "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." (ANI) Brazilian Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade and Services Geraldo Alckmin, accompanied by his wife Maria Lucia Alckmin, will visit India from October 15 to 17, as per an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). During the visit, Vice President Alckmin will arrive in New Delhi on October 15 and meet Defence Minister Rajnath Singh later in the day. On October 16, he will call on Vice President CP Radhakrishnan and hold separate meetings with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, the statement said. The visit will conclude on October 17 with a meeting between Vice President Alckmin and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, the MEA added. The visit comes close on the heels of the sixth India-Brazil Strategic Dialogue, held in New Delhi on October 3, where senior officials from both sides reviewed cooperation in key areas such as defence and security, energy, rare earths, critical minerals, health, and pharmaceuticals. Delegations were led by India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Brazil's Ambassador Celso Luis Nunes Amorim, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Discussions during the dialogue also covered collaboration in multilateral platforms such as BRICS, IBSA, and the upcoming COP-30 climate conference, which Brazil will host in November. The MEA statement noted, "Both sides agreed to carry forward the work to implement the vision laid down by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva." Trade and economic relations are expected to be a major focus of the Vice President's visit. Both India and Brazil are currently facing higher US tariffs, prompting efforts to strengthen bilateral trade and reduce dependence on external markets. Brazilian President Lula has been a strong advocate of dedollarizing global trade, a stance that India has consistently opposed, highlighting a key area of ongoing dialogue between the two countries. Economic engagement between India and Brazil has grown steadily. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Brazil in July, the two leaders set a goal to raise bilateral trade to USD 20 billion within five years. In FY 2024-25, merchandise trade between the two nations reached USD 12.19 billion, making Brazil India's largest trading partner in Latin America and the Caribbean, as per a press release from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. Alckmin's visit will also serve to review outcomes from the seventh meeting of the India-Brazil Trade Monitoring Mechanism (TMM), held in Delhi on October 7. The meeting was co-chaired by Rajesh Agrawal, Commerce Secretary, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, and Tatiana Lacerda Prazeres, Secretary of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services, Brazil, according to a press statement. At the TMM meeting, both sides held detailed discussions on trade and investment relations, market access, the expansion of the India-MERCOSUR PTA, and cooperation across several key sectors including pharmaceuticals, healthcare, chemicals and petrochemicals, MSME, banking and finance, and internal trade. Issues related to visa facilitation, multilateral coordination, and the promotion of industries were also discussed. Vice President Alckmin's visit is expected to further deepen the growing India-Brazil partnership and lay the groundwork for President Lula's state visit to India next year, continuing the implementation of the roadmap set by Prime Minister Modi and President Lula during their July summit. (ANI) Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday offered to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan to help reduce tensions, days after deadly border clashes heightened friction between the two countries, Dawn reported. On Sunday, 23 Pakistani troops were killed, while more than 200 Taliban and affiliated militants were killed in fighting that erupted along the border following an attack from the Afghan side, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The ISPR said that clashes began "on the night of Oct 11/12, 2025, after Afghan Taliban and Fitna-al-Khawarij launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistan, along the Pak-Afghan border." The term Fitna-al-Khawarij is used by the state to refer to militants associated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). "In the past, I played a role in reducing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and I can do it now, too," Fazl told reporters in Islamabad, Dawn reported. The JUI-F chief, who is the only Pakistani political leader to have met Taliban supreme leader Shaikh Hibatullah, is known to hold influence among the Afghan Taliban. "I have been in contact with the Afghan leadership, and they want to resolve the issues through understanding," he said. Fazl noted that with a ceasefire now in place between Pakistan and Afghanistan, both sides should avoid blame and work towards peace. "Both countries should try to cool things down instead of provoking each other, including on social media," he added. Speaking further, Fazl said Afghanistan's intelligence and military capabilities were still developing. He stressed that Pakistan should consider the broader consequences of any military escalation. "Pakistan has a world-class army and capability. Our state should think whether opening a western front is somehow the right war strategy at this time," the JUI chief maintained, according to Dawn. The increased activity of armed groups inside Pakistan since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 has remained a consistent source of tension between the two neighbours. Pakistan has accused the TTP of operating from within Afghan territory, while the Taliban government denies the charge, asserting that "no one can use Afghan soil against any country." As Dawn reported, Afghanistan had previously assured Pakistan that it would not permit any terrorist group to operate from its territory against Islamabad. (ANI) The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal Navy conducted a joint aerial exercise over the Indian Ocean Region on Tuesday. The exercise involved a range of frontline platforms, including the Indian Air Force's Sukhoi-30 MKIs, Jaguar fighter aircraft, Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS), and Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft. From the Royal Navy, F-35B fighter jets operating from HMS Prince of Wales participated in the coordinated mission. https://x.com/IAF_MCC/status/1978281061189890303?t=I9VlGRQu6SEbGQ4YnEgQeA&s=08 Sharing details of the exercise, the Indian Air Force wrote on X, "On 14 Oct 25, IAF Sukhoi-30 MKIs, Jaguars, AWACS & AEW&C aircraft joined Royal Navy F-35Bs from HMS Prince of Wales for a joint exercise over the Indian Ocean Region. The training strengthened interoperability, mutual trust, and collective commitment to regional stability." In a related development, Indian defence officials have confirmed that the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is preparing to extend the range of its Astra Mark 2 air-to-air missile to over 200 kilometres. This would represent a significant upgrade from earlier plans, which had targeted a range of around 160 kilometres. According to a detailed proposal to be discussed by the Defence Ministry in the near future, the Indian Air Force is also set to acquire around 700 Astra Mark 2 missiles, which will be fitted on the Sukhoi and Light Combat Aircraft fighter jet fleets of the force, defence officials told ANI. As per earlier plans, the Indian premier defence research agency was looking at a range of around 160 plus Kms for the Astra Mark 2, but is now going to work on developing a variant with a range of much above 200 Kms, they said. India has been working on developing indigenous long-range air-to-air missiles to maintain its edge in Beyond Visual Range combat in the region. The previous version of the missile Astra Mark 1 has a range exceeding 100 kms and is equipped with an advanced guidance and navigation system. In addition to various laboratories of DRDO, more than 50 public and private industries, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, have contributed towards the successful realisation of the weapon system. (ANI) Fighting erupted once again on Tuesday night between Pakistani forces and the Afghan Taliban in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dawn reported, citing state media. According to state broadcaster PTV News, "Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij opened unprovoked fire in Kurram. Pakistani Army responded with full force and intensity," quoting security sources on X. The report said that Fitna al-Khawarij is a term used by the state to refer to militants associated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). PTV added that Taliban regime posts suffered heavy damage and that one of their tanks caught fire after being hit, forcing Taliban fighters to flee their positions. In another update, the broadcaster said, "Another post and tank position of the Afghan Taliban destroyed in Kurram sector." According to Dawn, PTV further reported that a fourth tank position at the Shamsadar post was also destroyed. "There are reports of the killing of an important commander of Fitna al-Khawarij in this important operation of the Pakistan Army." Earlier in the day, Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch provided a "comprehensive briefing" to resident ambassadors in Islamabad regarding the recent developments along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Dawn stated. "She underscored Pakistan's legitimate security concerns and its unwavering resolve to protect its territorial integrity and national security." The clashes come after Afghan Taliban forces launched what Pakistan described as an unprovoked attack on military posts situated along the Pak-Afghan border over the weekend. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), 23 Pakistani soldiers were martyred, while more than 200 Taliban and affiliated militants were killed as Pakistan retaliated to the aggression. Afghanistan's Taliban regime claimed the assault was a "retaliatory" response, accusing Islamabad of carrying out air strikes in Afghan territory last week. Pakistan has not confirmed the strikes but maintains that Kabul must "stop harbouring the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan on its soil." Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to prevent terrorist groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks against Pakistan, while the Taliban government denies these accusations, asserting that "Afghan soil is not used for attacks on neighbouring countries." As reported by Dawn, US President Donald Trump and China have both offered to assist in de-escalating the growing hostilities between Islamabad and Kabul, even as Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif described the atmosphere between the two nations as "hostile." Speaking on Geo News, Asif said there were "no ties" between Islamabad and Kabul. "It's a stalemate right now. You can say there are no active hostilities, but the environment is hostile," he remarked. "There are no ties, direct or indirect, as of today." The minister further stated that clashes could resume "at any time." "We can not rule that out, but there is certainly a lull in hostilities." When asked whether Pakistan was open to dialogue, Asif said that if Afghanistan wanted talks while simultaneously issuing threats, "then they should act on their threats and we'll negotiate after[wards]." "This is a natural thing. If you are attacked, you instantly have the right to react and target wherever the attack is originating from," the defence minister added. (ANI) Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) recorded the presence of 16 Chinese aircraft, 13 vessels, and two official ships operating around its territory on Wednesday. Sharing the details in a post on X, MND said that they were recorded up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8). It further added that 14 out of 16 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and southeastern ADIZ. "16 PLA aircraft, 13 PLAN vessels and 2 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 14 out of 16 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and southeastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded", the post said. https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1978264565700870571 The fresh incursion marks yet another episode in China's continuing military pressure campaign against Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory. The frequent incursions and maritime operations reflect rising tensions between Taiwan and China, a relationship long fraught with geopolitical strain. Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), governs itself independently with its own distinct political and economic systems. However, China continues to claim Taiwan as part of its territory under the "One China" principle, insisting there is only one China with its capital in Beijing. The dispute's roots trace back to the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, when the ROC government fled to Taiwan after the Communist Party, led by Mao Zedong, took control of mainland China. Since then, Beijing has maintained its goal of reunification, using military, diplomatic, and economic means to apply pressure on Taiwan and diminish its international space. Despite these efforts, Taiwan maintains its de facto independence, backed by strong public support, and continues to assert its sovereignty amid ongoing external pressures. The MND regularly monitors and publicly reports such military movements to ensure transparency and national security awareness. (ANI) India and Panama have entered a new phase in their bilateral ties with the establishment of a 20-member inter-parliamentary friendship group, the Embassy of India in Panama announced on Wednesday. In a post on X, the embassy said Ambassador Sumit Seth, along with the President of the Commission for External Relations, Walkiria Chandler, and the President of India India-Panama Interparliamentary Friendship Group, Jorge Bloise, participated in the Oath Taking Ceremony at the premises of the National Assembly of Panama. "New Chapter: Establishment of 20 Member Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group. A new chapter in the bilateral relationship between India and Panama with 20 members from Panamanian National Assembly (Parliament) becoming part of the newly created Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group. Ambassador @doctorsumitseth along with the President of Commission for External Relations Walkiria Chandler and the President of India Panama Interparlimentary Friendship group Jorge Bloise participated at the Oath Taking Ceremony at the premises of the National Assembly of Panama," the embassy posted. https://x.com/IndiainPanama/status/1978218608334451073 Earlier in September this year, on the sidelines of the UNGA Meeting, Panama President Jose Raul Mulino, in an exclusive conversation with ANI, underlined the importance of India-Panama ties, describing India as a strategic partner and highlighting prospects for greater collaboration. "India is a very important country for Panama. The relationship between India and Panama is in a great, great position this time. India is a strategic country for us, and we are sharing information with respect to the possibility of increasing India's investment in technology, medicine, production, and many things in Panama," Mulino told ANI on sidelines of UNGA meeting. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), note din a previous statement how the India-Panama relations are the oldest in the Central American region dating back to the middle of the 19th Century when groups of Indians came to Panama to work on the construction of Panama Railways and later the Panama Canal in the early 20th Century. Panama and India have enjoyed cordial, warm, and friendly relations, based on mutual understanding and growing bilateral trade and comprehensive cooperation. (ANI) Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi held discussions with General Nguyen Van Nghia, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnamese Army, on strengthening defence cooperation, the Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI) of the Indian Army said on Wednesday. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the United Nations Training and Coordination Conference (UNTCC) in New Delhi. In a post on X, ADGPI noted that the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening defence cooperation, with a focus on UN peacekeeping, counter-terrorism and strategic coordination. They also emphasised enhanced collaboration through training exchanges and joint exercises. "On the sidelines of #UNTCC2025, #GeneralUpendraDwivedi, #COAS, held a constructive discussion with Senior Lieutenant General NGUYEN VAN NGHIA, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Vietnam People's Army. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening defence cooperation, with a focus on UN peacekeeping, counter-terrorism and strategic coordination. They also emphasised enhanced collaboration through training exchanges and joint exercises," ADGPI said. https://x.com/adgpi/status/1978287012752048333 The discussions follow a recent interaction between the Indian and Vietnamese armed forces in Thailand in August. On the sidelines of the ongoing CHODs 2025 conference in Thailand, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC) of India, held a meeting with senior defence officials from Vietnam, the Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) said. The interaction between the Army Chiefs took place as India hosted the United Nations Troop Contributing Countries' (UNTCC) Chiefs Conclave on October 14, where military leaders from across the globe came together to share perspectives on the evolving global security landscape and explore ways to strengthen cooperation in advancing the mission of world peace. During the Conclave, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, highlighted how the United Nations has evolved over time to meet new challenges. New Delhi is hosting the United Nations Troop Contributing Countries' (UNTCC) Chiefs Conclave from October 14 to 16, 2025, bringing together senior military leadership of over 30 nations. The conclave aims to reinforce the collective commitment to global peace and security. Deliberations during the Conclave will focus on strengthening peacekeeping cooperation through enhanced dialogue, interoperability and exchange of best practices; leveraging indigenous technology and Atmanirbhar innovations to make peacekeeping missions more resilient, cost-effective and future-ready; promoting inclusivity and equity by advocating a greater voice for troop contributing countries in UN decision-making structures; and showcasing India as a collaborative and trusted partner committed to building capacities and capabilities towards shared responsibility for maintaining international peace, the Ministry of Defence had said in a release. (ANI) SEVENTEEN has made waves in the K-pop scene by securing the top spot in the brand reputation index for August 2024, surpassing BTS. According to the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute, SEVENTEEN's brand reputation score soared to 5,988,919, marking a significant 31.32% increase from the previous month. This remarkable achievement is largely credited to SEVENTEEN's recent album release and their active engagement with fans, which have bolstered their positive evaluations. The keyword analysis highlighted terms such as "CARAT" (referring to SEVENTEEN's fanbase), "unit" (indicating unit activities), and "world tour" as prominent. Additionally, words like "release," "reclaim," and "donate" have contributed to their positive image. The analysis revealed an impressive positivity rate of 90.94%, reflecting strong public favor towards the group. Building on this success, SEVENTEEN is set to embark on their 'SEVENTEEN [RIGHT HERE] World Tour,' starting on October 12 and 13 at Goyang Stadium. The tour will include performances in major cities across the United States and Japan, offering SEVENTEEN a platform to showcase their musical talents and stage presence to a global audience, further cementing their position in the K-pop market. Meanwhile, BTS secured the second position with a brand reputation index of 4,980,992. Despite this, BTS continues to exert significant influence in the global K-pop scene. Member Jimin recently released his second solo album, 'MUSE,' and collaborated with Jungkook on a travel variety show titled 'Are You Sure?!' to maintain their connection with fans. In this competitive landscape, SEVENTEEN's top ranking is not merely a measure of popularity but a testament to their growing influence within the K-pop industry. As they continue to engage with fans through various activities, SEVENTEEN is expected to contribute to the ongoing elevation of K-pop's global standing. The Baloch human rights organisation Paank has voiced grave concern over the deteriorating health and unlawful detention of Bebarg Baloch, a paralysed human rights defender and prominent member of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC). In a statement posted on X, Paank revealed that Bebarg has been hospitalised for urgent surgery after suffering severe medical complications due to weeks of neglect in detention. The organisation has called for his immediate release, urgent medical care, and an independent investigation into the circumstances of his arrest and treatment, holding the Pakistani authorities responsible for his worsening condition. According to Paank, Bebarg Baloch has been paralysed since 2010, after he was critically injured in a hand grenade attack allegedly carried out by Pakistani security forces during a Baloch cultural festival. Despite his permanent disability, he continued to engage in peaceful activism, advocating for the rights of the Baloch people through the BYC. However, on March 20, 2025, he was arrested in Quetta by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) along with his brother, Hammal Zehri. The organisation stated that the arrest was made without a proper warrant or formal charges, amounting to an enforced disappearance under international law. Although Bebarg was later produced before a court, Paank emphasised that his detention remains arbitrary and unlawful. Paank asserted that the denial of essential medical care to a disabled detainee constitutes cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment under international human rights law. The organisation referenced Section 169 of Pakistan's Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which allows for the release of detainees whose trials are unduly delayed or unsupported by evidence. The group further cited Articles 9 and 14 of Pakistan's Constitution, as well as Articles 6 and 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Pakistan is a State Party. These provisions obligate authorities to protect life and prevent torture or ill-treatment, including denial of medical care to detainees. In its statement, Paank urged the Government of Pakistan and the provincial administration of Balochistan to immediately release Bebarg Baloch on humanitarian and legal grounds, ensure continuous medical supervision by qualified specialists, and allow his family, legal counsel, and independent observers to monitor his condition. The organisation also demanded a transparent investigation into the circumstances of his arrest, the denial of medical care, and any acts of torture or mistreatment committed during his detention. Paank called on the United Nations, Amnesty International, and the international human rights community to urgently intervene and press Pakistan to uphold its obligations to protect the rights, dignity, and lives of all detainees, particularly those who are disabled and vulnerable. (ANI) At least 12 civilians were killed and more than 100 were injured after Pakistani forces launched an attack in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province, according to an Afghan official. The incident has triggered heavy cross-border fighting, with Afghan forces claiming to have launched retaliatory strikes and seized multiple Pakistani military positions. Zabihullah Mujahid, the official spokesperson for Afghanistan foreign ministry, accused Pakistani forces of opening fire using both light and heavy weapons, targeting civilian areas. "Unfortunately, this morning, Pakistani forces once again launched attacks with light and heavy weapons on Afghanistan in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar, as a result of which more than 12 civilians were martyred and more than 100 were injured," Mujahid said in a statement. In response to the attack, Afghan forces launched a retaliatory operation targeting Pakistani military positions along the contested border zone. After that, Afghan forces were forced to take retaliatory action," Mujahid stated. "In retaliatory operations, multiple Pakistani aggressor soldiers were killed, their posts and centres were captured, weapons and tanks fell into the hands of Afghan forces, and most of their military installations were destroyed." While the exact number of Pakistani casualties has not been independently verified, Mujahid claimed that Afghan forces inflicted heavy damage on Pakistani military assets. "As a result, a large number of Pakistani invading soldiers were killed, their posts and centres were captured, weapons and tanks were seized from them, and most of their military facilities were also destroyed," he said. "At 8 o'clock, the battle was brought back under our control, but the mujahideen, with high morale, are ready to defend their homeland, sanctity, and people," Mujahid added. The Spin Boldak border crossing, a strategic and historically tense area between the two countries, has seen repeated flare-ups in the past. In a separate but possibly connected incident later Tuesday night, clashes reportedly reignited along the border--this time in Pakistan's Kurram district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. According to state broadcaster PTV News, "Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij opened unprovoked fire in Kurram. Pakistani Army responded with full force and intensity," quoting security sources on X. The report said that Fitna al-Khawarij is a term used by the state to refer to militants associated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).PTV added that Taliban regime posts suffered heavy damage and that one of their tanks caught fire after being hit, forcing Taliban fighters to flee their positions. In another update, the broadcaster said, "Another post and tank position of the Afghan Taliban destroyed in the Kurram sector." According to Dawn, PTV further reported that a fourth tank position at the Shamsadar post was also destroyed. "There are reports of the killing of an important commander of Fitna al-Khawarij in this important operation of the Pakistan Army." (ANI) Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, was presented with a sacred shawl and cap (Fez) by the family of Mahmood-ul-Hassan during his visit to India. In a video shared by Hafiz Zia Ahmad, the Director of Public Communication of Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Muttaqi was seen receiving the shawl and cap. He wrote on X, "In India from the family of Sheikh-ul-Hind Maulana Mahmud Hasan, a piece of the shawl of Sheikh-ul-Hind and one of his handcaps were presented to the Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi as a token of honour and blessing". https://x.com/HafizZiaAhmad/status/1978322574187639131 During his visit to India, the Afghan Foreign Minister was received with a warm welcome to Darul Uloom Deoband on Saturday. Speaking exclusively with ANI, he highlighted the bright future of India-Afghanistan relations, indicating a positive trajectory in bilateral ties. Muttaqi thanked the Ulema and people of the area for their warm welcome, appreciating the large turnout." The journey has been very good so far. Not just the people of Darul Uloom, but all the people of the area have come here. I am grateful to them for the warm welcome they extended to me... I am thankful to the Ulema of Deoband and the people of the area for this warm welcome... The future of India-Afghanistan relations seems very bright," Muttaqi told ANI. Darul Uloom Deoband, an Islamic seminary, has produced Islamic scholars from India and around the world. The seminary was established in the late 1800s by Sayyid Muhammad Abid, Fazlur Rahman Usmai, Mahtab Ali Deobandi and others. Muhamad Qasim Nanautawi laid the foundation of the current campus. The school mainly teaches manqulat. Earlier on October 10, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held detailed discussions with the Afghan Foreign Minister, as both sides discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest, as well as important regional developments." External Affairs Minister reiterated India's long-standing friendship with the Afghan people and highlighted the deep-rooted cultural and historical ties binding the two nations. He conveyed India's continued commitment to support the aspirations and developmental needs of the Afghan people", the joint statement mentioned. (ANI) The conflict along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border has intensified, with clashes now reported in Paktika province following earlier violence in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, Afghan media reported. Afghan forces have reportedly captured the Spin Boldak Gate from Pakistani troops, according to Afghan media outlets citing security sources. "Security sources confirm that security forces captured the Spin Boldak Gate from Pakistani soldiers during morning operations and have taken full control of the area," local media reported. The report adds that "Pakistani soldiers suffered heavy losses, and fresh forces have arrived in the area." Further, another local source, citing local residents in Paktika province, reported that heavy fighting has now erupted in the Turo district, specifically at the "Qamaruddin" and "Khan Mohammad" gates along the contested border line. Additional fighting was reported at the "Lari" gate in the Urmuz district of Paktika. "Local residents confirmed that intense clashes have started at the 'Qamaruddin' and 'Khan Mohammad' gates along the hypothetical line in the Turo district of Paktika, and fresh forces have arrived in the area," the report stated. It added, "Local sources have also said that the war has begun at the 'Lari' gate in the Urmuz district." These developments come hours after Afghan officials said Pakistani forces launched an attack in Kandahar's Spin Boldak district, killing at least 12 civilians and injuring more than 100. Afghan forces responded with what they described as a "retaliatory operation," claiming to have inflicted heavy losses on Pakistani troops and seized military assets. "Unfortunately, this morning, Pakistani forces once again launched attacks with light and heavy weapons on Afghanistan in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar, as a result of which more than 12 civilians were martyred and more than 100 were injured," Zabihullah Mujahid, the official spokesperson for Afghanistan's foreign ministry, said in a statement. While the exact number of Pakistani casualties has not been independently verified, Mujahid claimed that Afghan forces inflicted heavy damage on Pakistani military assets. Both sides accuse each other of harbouring hostile militant groups. Pakistan blames the Afghan Taliban for providing a haven to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while Afghanistan alleges repeated incursions by Pakistani forces and shelling of border areas. (ANI) Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP), in collaboration with the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD), successfully held the 15th Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) Network Meeting and Project Closing Ceremony in Faisalabad. The event marked the culmination of a significant initiative focused on human rights documentation, fact-finding, and advocacy for marginalised communities across Pakistan. The ceremony welcomed multi-stakeholder participation, including grassroots human rights defenders, government officials, journalists, legal professionals, and civil society members, as reported by Human Rights Focus Pakistan. Different sessions were organised, both together and separately, for male and female HRDs, with several participants also joining online from various cities. During the event, active HRDs were recognised with appreciation certificates for their dedication and contributions to promoting and defending human rights throughout the project's duration and onwards. The project, launched in January 2025, began with an orientation session titled "Human Rights Documentation, Fact-Finding and Advocacy for the Marginalised." The inaugural meeting held on January 18 at Vision Hall, Faisalabad, served to introduce the project, consult with the HRDs Network, and outline upcoming activities. The HRDs Network played a central role throughout the project, meeting monthly to share experiences, discuss challenges, and strategise for improved impact. These gatherings also provided platforms for legal support, advocacy planning, and case monitoring. Issues requiring deeper investigation were addressed through dedicated fact-finding missions supported by trained volunteers and HRFP staff. HRFP also incorporated capacity-building sessions, awareness campaigns, and support mechanisms for victims of human rights violations, with a particular focus on religious minorities and vulnerable groups. Naveed Walter, President of Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP), expressed gratitude to all human rights defenders and stakeholders involved, emphasising their vital role in advancing democratic values and defending fundamental rights in Pakistan. He noted that Faisalabad, home to HRFP's main office, served as the operational base for all activities under the project. "The HRDs Network represents a diverse group; community leaders, civil society activists, lawyers, teachers, youth, and women who together will continue efforts to ensure democratic principles, equality, and justice," said Naveed Walter. He also reiterated HRFP's commitment to contributing towards the United Nations 2030 Agenda by aligning project interventions with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially in areas of equality, access to justice, education, health and freedom of expression and belief. As part of the project's sustainability strategy, HRFP reaffirm the Fact-Finding Teams and an HRD Advocacy Group. These groups document the violations, conduct site visits, and engage with local authorities and decision-makers to push for justice and policy changes. Naveed Walter, President of HRFP, further underlined the project's vision of promoting human rights, democracy, rule of law, freedom of speech, religious freedom, and accountability. He emphasised that continued efforts are essential to ensure basic rights are upheld, victims are protected, and systemic violations are challenged. Key HRDs, including Nusrat Samuel, James Lal, Naseem Haroon, Ejaz Ghauri, Sadaf Shadman, Nida Naeem, Sohail Emmanuel, Saleem Anwar, Ejaz Jacob, Saima Younas, and others, reaffirmed their commitment to collaborate with HRFP and TFD. They emphasised the need to combat rising undemocratic practices, political intolerance, and the culture of authoritarianism, which undermine the rule of law and democratic institutions. Shadman John, HRFP Program Coordinator, and Hamdosh Samuel, HRFP Field Coordinator, presented success stories emerging from the project. They also reminded participants of the challenges and about HRFP's ongoing support services, including the "HRFP's REAT Helpline" (0800-0-9494), operational 24/7 since 2013, which has served as a critical resource for victims of human rights violations. From January 1 to June 30, 2025, the REAT Helpline received 620 calls, following 1,198 calls in 2024. Most reports involved issues of religion, belief, and freedom of expression, reflecting ongoing challenges in the civic and political space. These cases are addressed under the framework of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Articles 18-22), while the HRFP and TFD reaffirm their continued commitment to defending human rights and strengthening democratic values across Pakistan. (ANI) Leaders representing transgender individuals on Wednesday accused the police of forcibly removing members of their community from various districts in the province. They also expressed concerns regarding the police's inaction against extortionists, kidnappers, and the murders of transgender individuals throughout the region, as reported by Dawn. During a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club, Farzana Riaz, president of the Transgender Community Organisation, condemned the "persecution" faced by her community. Alongside the organisation's vice president, Mahi Gul, she stated that despite numerous pleas for justice, the perpetrators of violence, extortion, and abduction against transgender persons remain unpunished and often seem to have police protection. Meanwhile, the police focus on evicting members of her community from their residences. "Transgender individuals have faced repeated death threats and extortion attempts, and those who refuse to comply are often murdered. We demand our rightful opportunity to live," she stated. Farzana Riaz expressed her disappointment that, even with ongoing court cases, police officers and powerful individuals have conspired to forcibly displace transgender persons from areas such as Swabi, Nowshera, Charsadda, and others. "It feels as though we are treated as if we are citizens of an enemy nation," she remarked. The organisation's leader noted that when members of her community seek assistance from relevant government offices, they are met with rejection. "The court has requested an explanation from both the provincial inspector general of police and the city police chief, yet neither has responded despite numerous hearings, with the court extending the deadline until November 4," she pointed out, as highlighted by the Dawn report. Farzana Riaz stated that police officials in various districts have convened with local elders and religious leaders, encouraging them to expel transgender individuals from their neighbourhoods. "In areas like Swabi, transgender women such as Naseema were given a 15-day ultimatum to vacate their homes and were physically abused before their eviction," she stated. She indicated that similar incidents have been reported in Charsadda, Mingora, Haripur, Buner, and Nowshera as well. Farzana Riaz claimed that police often demanded participation in their events or private gatherings, and those who declined faced harassment and displacement. "We have reached out to every institution, yet justice continues to be out of reach," she noted. Farzana Riaz lamented that six years ago, the PTI government had announced designated hospital wards for transgender individuals, but they still receive treatment in general wards for men. She also mentioned that the government failed to fulfil its promise of providing employment opportunities for her community, citing the unavailability of data as the reason, according to the Dawn report. (ANI) Egypt's Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, will be in India later this week. The high-profile visit comes shortly after Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh met with Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of Egypt during the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh earlier this week. https://x.com/KVSinghMPGonda/status/1977741731220066332 The Gaza Peace Summit was held in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on October 13. India had welcomed the signing of the landmark Peace Agreement. In a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said, "India welcomes the signing of the landmark Peace Agreement and hopes that this will lead to lasting peace in the region. This is a reflection of 's longstanding commitment to dialogue & diplomacy." https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1977795302309470497 Prime Minister Narendra Modi had welcomed the release of hostages. In a post on X, he 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. We support President Trump's sincere efforts to bring peace to the region." https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1977724045358416382 The US brokered peace deal between Israel and Hamas had seen diplomatic efforts from several countries, which included Egypt. The visit of Foreign Minister Abdelatty to India follows his earlier interaction with the all-party delegation of the Operation Sindoor global outreach in June. The delegation, led by NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, had called on Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. Both sides had acknowledged the growing momentum of the India-Egypt Strategic Partnership and reaffirmed their unified stance against terrorism. The Indian delegation had conveyed deep appreciation for Egypt's strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack, and Foreign Minister Abdelatty had reiterated Egypt's full solidarity with India and welcomed deeper bilateral collaboration on counter-terrorism. India and Egypt, two of the world's oldest civilisations, have enjoyed a history of close contact from ancient times. The joint announcement of the establishment of diplomatic relations at the Ambassadorial level was made on 18 August 1947. Both countries have cooperated closely in multilateral fora and were the founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961. Since the 1980's, there have been regular high-level bilateral visits between India and Egypt. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed his condolences on the passing away of former Prime Minister of Kenya, Raila Odinga. Calling him a cherished friend of India, PM Modi shared how he had known the former Kenyan PM since he was the CM of Gujarat. PM Modi extended condolences to former PM Odinga's family, friends and to the people of Kenya. "Deeply saddened by the passing of my dear friend and former Prime Minister of Kenya, Mr. Raila Odinga. He was a towering statesman and a cherished friend of India. I had the privilege of knowing him closely since my days as Chief Minister of Gujarat and our association continued over the years. He had a special affection for India, our culture, values and ancient wisdom. This was reflected in his efforts to strengthen India-Kenya ties. He particularly admired Ayurveda and traditional medicine systems of India, having witnessed their positive impact on his daughter's health. I extend my deepest condolences to his family, friends and to the people of Kenya in this hour of grief", he wrote on X. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1978377777356079439 Odinga who served as prime minister of Kenya (2008-13). He served as a Member of Parliament for Langata since 1992, was Minister of Energy from 2001 to 2002, and was Minister of Roads, Public Works and Housing from 2003 to 2005. Odinga was the Chairman of the Orange Democratic Movement, a leading political party in Kenya. India and Kenya are maritime neighbours. The contemporary ties between India and Kenya have now evolved into a robust and multi-faceted partnership, marked by regular high-level visits, increasing trade and investment, as well as extensive people-to-people contacts. The development cooperation between India and Kenya is multifaceted. MEA in a previous statement noted that an Agreement on extension of a Line of Credit of US$ 61.6 million by EXIM Bank of India to Kenya for utilization in the power transmission sector was signed during the visit of former PM Raila Odinga to India in November 2010. "A loan agreement to extend lines of credit of US$ 15 million (as first tranche out of US$ 30 million) to IDB Capital Limited for development of SMEs was signed in July 2016. A Line of Credit agreement of US$ 29.95 million for upgradation of Rift Valley Textiles Factory (RIVATEX East Africa Limited) was signed in July 2016. The upgraded facility was inaugurated by President Uhuru Kenyatta on 21 June, 2019. An LOC agreement of US$ 100 million for Agricultural Mechanization Project was signed in January 2017", are other significant areas of India's development cooperation to Kenya. Kenya is a home to a vibrant community of persons of Indian origin presently numbered around 80,000 including an estimated 20,000 Indian citizens. Several Kenyans of Indian origin have distinguished themselves as lawyers, judges, doctors and academics. (ANI) The Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia, Amarsaikhan Sainbuyan hailed the ties between India and Mongolia and said that they look forward to expanding cooperation across several avenues with India. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, he shared that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Mongolia in 2015 for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic ties. He added, "President of Mongolia is here paying a state visit for the 70th anniversary of our diplomatic relationship." On the bilateral relationship, he said, "The Indian-Mongolian relationship has been going on very well and we have a strategic partnership agreement. We have many strategic projects already underway and we look forward to expanding our trade, economic, cultural, educational and also humanitarian cooperation with India." The Ministry of External Affairs stated on Tuesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi covered the entire gamut of bilateral relations during talks with President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa of Mongolia. Official Spokesperson of the MEA, Randhir Jaiswal, said that both sides agreed to deepen relations across all sectors. In a post on X, MEA said, "Advancing the India-Mongolia Strategic Partnership: PM Narendra Modi held extensive discussions with President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa of Mongolia covering the entire gamut of India-Mongolia bilateral relations. Both leaders agreed to further deepen defence and security, trade and investment, development cooperation and capacity building and spiritual and cultural ties. A postage stamp to mark 70 years of the diplomatic relations between the two countries was released by the leaders." President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa is currently on a four-day state visit to India from October 13 to 16, marking the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership. (ANI) Tel Aviv [Israel], October 15 (ANI/TPS): An Israeli security official briefing reporters on Wednesday morning said one of the four bodies returned to Israel overnight was not a hostage. He said experts at the National Centre of Forensic Medicine determined the remains belonged to a Palestinian. The centre confirmed the identities of three other bodies as soldiers Uriel Baruch, Tamir Nimrodi and Eitan Levy. Unlike Monday's handover, Hamas did not specify the names of the dead. In February, a body purporting to be Shiri Bibas was returned to Israel along with her two children, but a forensic examination determined that the body was a Palestinian. Terrorists murdered the sons, Ariel and Kfir, with their bare hands, then mutilated the bodies to make it look like they were killed in an airstrike. Hamas released Shiri's remains the next day. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hamas is obligated to return the bodies of all the hostages -- currently 23 -- still in Gaza. It is believed Hamas will hand over more remains on Wednesday. The recovery of missing Israeli bodies is being coordinated through Qatari, Turkish, and Egyptian mediators. Officials warn that locating and identifying all the remains will take time, as many are thought to be buried in unmarked graves or trapped beneath collapsed buildings. Hamas claims to know the locations of 14 of the 28 hostages confirmed killed, but Israeli security officials believe the terror group holds information than it has let on. Around 1,200 people killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were abducted on Oct. 7, 2023. (ANI/TPS) In a significant development within Myanmar's political landscape, General Min Aung Hlaing has assumed the role of acting president following the medical leave of Myint Swe. This leadership transition comes amid ongoing political turmoil and civil unrest in the country. Myint Swe, who has been serving as the acting president since the coup, has been reported to suffer from a neurological disorder, rendering him unable to perform his duties. As a result, Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the State Administration Council and the military's top commander, has taken over the presidential responsibilities. This change was formalized in a signing ceremony reported by state media on July 24, 2024. The timing of this leadership change is critical, coming just before the scheduled extension of the nationwide state of emergency. The state of emergency, initially declared following the coup, has been extended multiple times, with the latest extension effective from August 1, 2024. This extension is seen as a move by the military junta to maintain its grip on power amidst ongoing resistance and territorial losses to ethnic armed groups. The role of the acting president, though largely ceremonial, is significant under Myanmar's military-drafted constitution, as it involves chairing the National Defence and Security Council. This council is responsible for declaring and renewing states of emergency, which effectively grants the military extensive powers beyond constitutional limits. Min Aung Hlaing's assumption of the acting presidency is viewed by many as an attempt to consolidate power further within the military hierarchy. The junta has faced increasing challenges from ethnic armed groups and a coalition of resistance forces, which have made significant territorial gains in recent months. These groups, including the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Arakan Army, have intensified their operations against the military, complicating the junta's plans to stabilize the country and hold elections. The international community continues to express concern over Myanmar's political situation, urging the military government to engage in dialogue and pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict. However, the military's repeated extensions of the state of emergency and the ongoing civil unrest suggest that a return to democratic governance remains elusive. As Myanmar navigates this period of uncertainty, the leadership change highlights the fragile nature of the military's control and the complex dynamics at play in the country's ongoing struggle for stability and peace. The actions of Min Aung Hlaing and the military junta in the coming months will be crucial in determining Myanmar's political future and the potential for meaningful change. Chinese officials have reportedly compelled thousands of Tibetans, including monks, nuns, and prominent lamas such as the 7th Gunthang Rinpoche, the Sakya abbot, and the Sera abbot, to participate in a Kalachakra empowerment led by Gyaltsen Norbu, the state-appointed Panchen Lama, commonly referred to as the 'fake Panchen' by Tibetans, according to a report by Phayul. The four-day religious event took place from October 9 to 12 at the Kyi-kyi Nakha site of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, which is the traditional residence of the Panchen Lamas in Shigatse. There is a previous instance of authorities mandating attendance at Gyaltsen Norbu's teachings. In 2016, he conducted a similar Kalachakra ceremony at Dechen Phodrang, near Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, which sparked controversy after reports indicated that Chinese officials had financially incentivised some Tibetans and coerced others into attending. During the recent event, the city experienced heightened security and surveillance, with a significant presence of police and military personnel. Officers posing as medical staff were reportedly observed overseeing and managing the crowd at the location. Observers claim that the ceremony highlights the Chinese Communist Party's ongoing efforts to enhance the profile of the religious figure aligned with its political interests. This action coincides with an escalating campaign of spiritual oppression in Tibet and a concerted attempt to undermine the Dalai Lama, including restrictions on Tibetans travelling abroad to attend his teachings, as stated by Phayul. A significant Kalachakra empowerment granted by the Dalai Lama in Ladakh in 2014 was condemned by Chinese state media as an event that "provoked hatred, terror, and extremist actions." Similarly, after the Dalai Lama's Kalachakra teachings in India in 2012, many Tibetans who returned to Tibet faced detention, prolonged "re-education" programs, and accusations of holding anti-state sentiments, as noted by the report from Phayul. Gyaltsen Norbu was installed by Chinese authorities as part of Beijing's broader strategy to reinforce control over Tibet and establish influence in the event of the Dalai Lama's eventual succession. He is expected to fulfil the responsibilities of the "official" Panchen Lama, a state-sanctioned religious leader who is anticipated to show steady allegiance to the Chinese Communist Party. Selected by the CCP after the legitimate 11th Panchen Lama, Gendun Choekyi Nyima, was recognised by the exiled spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama and honoured by Tibetans as the true incarnation, he was forcibly disappeared in 1995. Nearly thirty years later, there is still no reliable information regarding his location or well-being, as highlighted in the Phayul report. (ANI) Bilateral trade between India and Mongolia has nearly doubled in just one year, rising from USD 60 million in 2023 to USD 110 million in 2024. This significant growth reflects the deepening economic and diplomatic cooperation between the two nations, which have been celebrating 70 years of diplomatic relations and a decade of strategic partnership. India's Ambassador to Mongolia, Atul Malhari Gotsurve, stated that the surge in trade demonstrates a strengthening partnership across multiple sectors, including mining, renewable energy, and cultural exchange. "We are celebrating the 70th anniversary of India-Mongolia relations and the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership. The two nations are spiritual siblings, linked through our shared Buddhist heritage," he said. He added that Mongolia has also announced its support for India's bid for permanent membership at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and expressed interest in joining India's International Solar Alliance initiative. Talking about the India-Mongolia Business Forum in New Delhi, Ambassador Gotsurve noted that Mongolian Deputy Prime Minister S Amarsaikhan highlighted Mongolia's potential for Indian businesses. "In 2023 India-Mongolia bilateral trade relation were 60 million USD and today it is 110 million USD which will surge further...Dr Amarsaikhan, Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia, explained how Mongolia is good for Indian businessmen...Indian companies, on the other hand, have shown interest in bringing cooking coal, copper and other mining elements...," he said, adding that both countries are working to expand trade and investment in the years ahead. Economic cooperation is complemented by efforts to strengthen cultural and developmental ties. During a joint press statement on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the introduction of free e-visas for Mongolian citizens and also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Ladakh's Autonomous Hill Development Council and Mongolia's Arkhangai Province to promote enhanced people-to-people exchanges. "Even though we do not share a border, India has always considered Mongolia a close neighbour. The MoU signed today will give a fresh boost to our cultural ties," PM Modi said. He further announced an annual sponsored visit for young Mongolian cultural ambassadors to India, aimed at deepening cultural connections. Briefing on the visit, Secretary (East) P Kumaran said Mongolia reaffirmed its support for India's permanent UNSC membership and its candidature as a non-permanent member for 2028-29. He said Mongolia also signed the International Big Cat Alliance framework and welcomed India's plan to post a resident defence attache in Ulaanbaatar, reflecting growing defence cooperation. The new gratis e-visa policy for Mongolian nationals complements the existing free visa regime, strengthening people-to-people ties between the two countries. Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, who arrived in New Delhi on Monday for a four-day state visit, met Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to discuss the next decade of cooperation. President Ukhnaa also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and planted a sapling under the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" initiative with PM Modi. The Prime Minister also highlighted India's ongoing USD 1.7 billion Oil Refinery Project in Mongolia, India's largest development partnership project worldwide, which aims to boost Mongolia's energy security. "India has been a strong and reliable partner in Mongolia's development," PM Modi said, adding that over 2,500 Indian professionals are currently working with Mongolian counterparts on the project. (ANI) China's swift growth and diversification of its nuclear capabilities have led to concerns that Beijing might engage in "nuclear blackmail" or even nuclear conflict with Western countries if they intervene in a Taiwan dispute, reminiscent of the warnings from the Kremlin during its incursion into Ukraine, as reported by Central News Agency (CNA). During the military parade on September 3 in Tiananmen Square, China showcased three missiles capable of carrying nuclear payloads: the JL-1 air-launched ballistic missile, the JL-3 submarine-launched intercontinental missile, and the DF-61 surface-to-surface intercontinental missile. This threatening exhibition of what analysts characterise as a potential Chinese "nuclear triad"--the capacity to launch nuclear weapons via air, land, and sea- has heightened alarms among democratic nations. Previously, China did not possess the capability to conduct airborne nuclear strikes, according to CNA's report. Eric Heginbotham, a key research scientist at MIT's Security Studies Program, stated that China's advanced tactical nuclear arms, such as the DF-26, offer a "more credible" deterrence compared to its strategic weapons, which Washington might perceive as actually usable by Beijing in retaliation for a US tactical nuclear strike. "This not only reduces US escalation dominance in overall capabilities but also equips [China] with more realistic options to respond proportionately against potential US use of tactical nuclear arms," Heginbotham noted, as cited by the CNA report. Previously, China's solely strategic retaliatory options implied that any nuclear response to the US would equate to a "suicidal" act, given it would provoke a devastating US counterattack, resulting in massive casualties. "All of this enhances China's capacity to engage in conventional warfare 'safely', with diminished fear of a US nuclear retaliation towards Taiwan," Heginbotham remarked. Yang Tai-yuan, the chairman of the Secure Taiwan Associate Corporation, cautioned that these advancements could render the US less inclined to deploy forces in defence of Taiwan if a Chinese invasion occurs. "The Chinese Communist Party may have drawn lessons on nuclear intimidation from Russia during the Ukraine conflict and could threaten to deploy tactical nuclear weapons against major powers that get involved in its regional disputes, including those in the Taiwan Strait," Yang indicated, as referenced by the CNA report. If the US were to dispatch troops to support Taiwan, China might utilise its tactical nuclear arsenal to intimidate American forces present in the western Pacific, he mentioned. "The US would probably take such threats seriously and assess its choices between deploying troops to the Taiwan Strait or limiting its reaction to diplomatic actions, such as showing support via the United Nations, to prevent direct conflict," he added, according to the CNA report. (ANI) India has rushed a consignment of Prussian Blue (Pru-Decorp) capsules to Indonesia to help mitigate the effects of Cesium-137 contamination after Jakarta detected traces of radioactivity in exported food products. Responding swiftly to a request from Indonesia's Ministry of Health, the Embassy of India in Jakarta, through the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), mobilised and delivered the urgently required capsules to mitigate the effects of Cesium-137 (Cs-137) contamination. Indian Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty handed over the medicines to Indonesian officials on Wednesday, reaffirming India's role as a regional first responder in humanitarian and emergencies. "The gift of Prussian Blue Capsules will support Indonesia's mitigation efforts for potential nuclear or radiological emergencies, specifically contamination involving Cesium-137," the Indian Embassy in Jakarta said in a post on X. https://x.com/IndianEmbJkt/status/1978396260911747457 MEA described the move as part of #IndiaFirstResponder, reaffirming India's commitment to regional cooperation and crisis response. "#IndiaFirstResponder: Reaffirming India's commitment to regional cooperation. A consignment of essential medicines to help mitigate radiation exposure following a recent incident has been handed over to Indonesia, " MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X. The emergency aid follows a series of alarming discoveries in Indonesia. Authorities found traces of Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope, at a clove farm on Sumatra island, prompting a nationwide investigation. This comes after authorities detected traces of Cesium-137 in at least 22 facilities approximately 55 km west of Jakarta, CBS reported. The probe began after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) detected Cesium-137 in Indonesian spices and frozen shrimp, leading to product recalls and import restrictions. The FDA said it had discovered the isotope in cloves from PT Natural Java Spice (a spice processing plant in Indonesia) and earlier in shrimp exported by PT Bahari Makmur Sejati. Both companies have been barred from exporting to the United States until they can prove their products are free from contamination. The FDA also announced that imports of shrimp and spices from certain Indonesian regions will now require certification, citing the risk of radioactive contamination. Authorities have also increased inspections and restricted movement in affected areas to prevent further spread of contamination, as per CBS News. According to the FDA, long-term exposure to Cesium-137, even at low levels, can increase the risk of cancer. The isotope, produced during nuclear reactions, is used in industrial, medical, and research applications. (ANI) Baloch pro-independence leader Hyrbyair Marri reaffirmed the historic and enduring bond between the Baloch and Afghan nations, declaring steadfast support for Afghanistan amid what he termed as "Punjabi aggression" by Pakistan. In a statement shared on X, Marri reflected on the centuries-old alliance between the two peoples, underscoring their shared history of mutual respect, cooperation, and solidarity during times of hardship. Marri recalled that throughout history, Afghans have stood by the Baloch during their difficult times, whether by offering refuge or extending aid, and the Baloch have always reciprocated. "When the Afghans fought their independence war against Persian occupation, the Baloch were fighting beside them," he stated, adding that the Baloch remained allies of the Afghans throughout their struggles in the subcontinent. Condemning what he described as an "unprovoked attack" on Kabul and the disputed "Durand Line," Marri asserted that the colonial-era border, drawn by the British, is recognised by neither the Baloch nor the Afghans. He stated that such acts only serve Pakistan's interests, which he labelled as a "puppet of the British Empire." https://x.com/hyrbyair_marri/status/1978377029344010549 The Baloch leader further accused Pakistan of exploiting the transit trade route as leverage during disputes with Afghanistan, pointing out that the route runs entirely through Balochistan and not Punjab. He maintained that an independent Balochistan would ensure fair and transparent trade relations with Afghanistan, vowing not to use the route for coercive purposes but to resolve disagreements through peaceful dialogue. Reiterating his commitment to the historic Baloch-Afghan alliance, Marri concluded, "For centuries, the Baloch and Afghan nations have stood by and supported each other, and still nothing has changed, we stand by the Afghans against the Punjabi aggression." The Afghan Ministry of Defence had announced that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) launched counterstrikes against Pakistani military locations along the Durand Line late Saturday night, due to ongoing infringements on Afghanistan's sovereignty and recent airstrikes on its land. In a post on X, the ministry stated, "Tonight, our armed forces conducted a successful retaliatory operation against the centres of Pakistani forces along the Durand Line in response to the repeated violations of Afghanistan's sovereignty by the Pakistani military and airstrikes on Afghanistan's territory. The operation concluded around midnight." The ministry warned that Afghan forces remain ready to defend the nation's borders against any further attacks. "If the Pakistani side violates Afghanistan's sovereignty again, our armed forces are prepared to defend the country's borders and will respond decisively," the statement added. (ANI) The six-day visit of Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India has concluded on Wednesday, with the Taliban-appointed Minister returning to Kabul after a series of cultural and diplomatic engagements aimed at strengthening bilateral ties. Before his departure, Muttaqi was presented with a sacred shawl and cap (Fez) belonging to Sheikh-ul-Hind Maulana Mahmud Hasan by his family. In a video shared by Hafiz Zia Ahmad, Director of Public Communication for the Afghan Foreign Ministry, Muttaqi was seen receiving the shawl and cap. Ahmad wrote on X, "In India, from the family of Sheikh-ul-Hind Maulana Mahmud Hasan, a piece of his shawl and one of his handcaps were presented to the Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi as a token of honour and blessing." https://x.com/HafizZiaAhmad/status/1978322574187639131 Muttaqi received a warm welcome at the historic Darul Uloom Deoband seminary on Saturday. Speaking to ANI, he expressed gratitude to the local community and praised the positive direction of India-Afghanistan relations. "The journey has been very good so far. Not just the people of Darul Uloom, but all the people of the area have come here. I am grateful for the warm welcome they extended to me," he said, adding that "The future of India-Afghanistan relations seems very bright." Darul Uloom Deoband, an Islamic seminary, has produced Islamic scholars from India and around the world. The seminary was established in the late 1800s by Sayyid Muhammad Abid, Fazlur Rahman Usmai, Mahtab Ali Deobandi and others. Muhamad Qasim Nanautawi laid the foundation of the current campus. The school mainly teaches manqulat. On October 10, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held detailed discussions with the Afghan Foreign Minister, as both sides discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest, as well as important regional developments. "External Affairs Minister reiterated India's long-standing friendship with the Afghan people and highlighted the deep-rooted cultural and historical ties binding the two nations. He conveyed India's continued commitment to support the aspirations and developmental needs of the Afghan people", the joint statement mentioned. (ANI) Israeli historian Benny Morris has stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a bleak political future, claiming that most Israelis view him as corrupt and incompetent, particularly in his handling of the October 7 attacks. Speaking with ANI, Morris said that despite US President Donald Trump's recent call for a presidential pardon for Netanyahu, public anger against the Israeli leader runs deep. "Well, given the nature of our president Herzog, whom I do not respect, he could well give Netanyahu a pardon, as Trump half-jokingly said in his address to the Knesset," Morris said. "But I'm not sure Herzog can overcome public feeling, which basically is detestation of the Israeli prime minister. Most Israelis do not think he should be prime minister, do not think he's an honest man and do not think he's very successful or competent," The historian criticised Netanyahu's leadership, saying he failed to prevent the October 7 Hamas attack and then blamed Israel's military and intelligence agencies. "He showed total incompetence on the 7th of October and in the months leading up to it," Morris said. "Most Israelis do not think he should be prime minister or that he's an honest man. They want a Judicial Commission of Inquiry, which I'm sure will find Netanyahu supremely guilty of what happened." He also predicted that Israel will head for elections by October 2025. "All opinion polls show that he will lose if he runs at the head of Likud," Morris added. Morris's remarks came after US President Donald Trump, during his address to the Israeli Knesset on Monday, unexpectedly urged Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Netanyahu, who is currently facing trial for corruption. "Hey, I have an idea," Trump quipped. "Mr President, why don't you give him a pardon?" On Wednesday, Netanyahu appeared before the Tel Aviv District Court as hearings resumed after a month-long break. The prime minister is being tried in three corruption cases, known as Cases 1000, 2000 and 4000, involving allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, Anadolu Agency reported, citing local media. He is also accused of receiving expensive gifts from businessmen, negotiating for favourable media coverage, and offering regulatory benefits to a telecom company. Netanyahu denies all allegations, calling the cases politically motivated. The 75-year-old leader also faces international scrutiny. In 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against him and former defence minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza, where tens of thousands have been killed since the war began. (ANI) Afghanistan and Pakistan on Wednesday announced a ceasefire following days of intensified border violence, which killed dozens of people on both sides. The two countries, however, offer conflicting accounts of which country requested the truce. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on Wednesday announced a ceasefire following days of military escalation along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. "At the request and insistence of the Pakistani side, a ceasefire between the two countries will be implemented after 5:30 PM today," Zabihullah Mujahid, the official spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, wrote on X. In a statement shared by Mujahid, Kabul directed all its forces "to observe a ceasefire from 5:30 pm until no one violates it." The announcement came shortly after reports of Pakistani air operations targeting sites in Kabul and Kandahar. According to Pakistan's Foreign Ministry, the truce commenced at 5:30 pm local time on Wednesday, October 15, at the Taliban's request. The ministry stated that both sides had agreed to resolve their differences through dialogue. Earlier, Pakistan's military claimed to have targeted the "leadership centre" of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) inside Afghanistan. However, the Islamic Emirate has not confirmed the claim and instead called for calm and respect for Afghan sovereignty, as per Khamaa Press. Earlier, Afghan forces reportedly captured the Spin Boldak Gate from Pakistani troops, according to Afghan media outlets citing security sources. "Security sources confirm that security forces captured the Spin Boldak Gate from Pakistani soldiers during morning operations and have taken full control of the area," local media reported. The report adds that "Pakistani soldiers suffered heavy losses, and fresh forces have arrived in the area. "Further, another local source, citing residents in Paktika province, reported that heavy fighting has now erupted in the Turo district, specifically at the "Qamaruddin" and "Khan Mohammad" gates along the contested border line. These developments come hours after Afghan officials said Pakistani forces launched an attack in Kandahar's Spin Boldak district, killing at least 12 civilians and injuring more than 100. Afghan forces responded with what they described as a "retaliatory operation," claiming to have inflicted heavy losses on Pakistani troops and seized military assets. "Unfortunately, this morning, Pakistani forces once again launched attacks with light and heavy weapons on Afghanistan in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar, as a result of which more than 12 civilians were martyred and more than 100 were injured," Zabihullah Mujahid, the official spokesperson for Afghanistan's foreign ministry, said in a statement. While the exact number of Pakistani casualties has not been independently verified, Mujahid claimed that Afghan forces inflicted heavy damage on Pakistani military assets. Both sides accuse each other of harbouring hostile militant groups. Pakistan blames the Afghan Taliban for providing a haven to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while Afghanistan alleges repeated incursions by Pakistani forces and shelling of border areas. The United Nations has urged both countries to avoid further escalation. Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said the UN is "monitoring the situation between Afghanistan and Pakistan with concern," emphasising the importance of resolving tensions peacefully. Several Afghan analysts have accused Pakistan of repeatedly violating international law by launching attacks inside Afghanistan. They have urged the international community and the UN to prevent such actions and ensure regional stability, TOLO News reported. Earlier during his six-day visit to India, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi had said that there is peace in Afghanistan and it does not want conflict with any nation. When asked by reporters about the recent border clashes with Pakistan, Muttaqi said Afghanistan also has five other neighbours and all are happy with them. "We don't want conflict with anyone. There is peace in Afghanistan. Pakistan is not our only neighbour. We have five other neighbours ... All of them are happy with us," he said on Monday. However, Muttaqi on Sunday warned Pakistan that Kabul has "other options" if it does not want peace, amid border clashes that have left over 50 Pakistani soldiers killed, and 19 Afghan border posts captured by Pakistan. (ANI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Defence Minister Jose Mucio Monteiro Filho in New Delhi on Wednesday evening, underscoring the growing defence and security partnership between the two countries. In his opening remarks at the bilateral meeting, Defence Minister Singh emphasised the strategic importance of defence ties between the two nations, with a focus on mutual cooperation. "Our leaders have jointly prioritised defence and security cooperation as one of the five pillars of cooperation. As two large democracies and growing major economies, we have common interests and aspirations to play a larger role in international governance and economic architecture," he said. Singh explained that this partnership not only strengthens bilateral ties but also contributes to global peace and security, safeguards multilateralism, and protects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations. He added that the meeting was an opportunity to review progress in defence collaboration and explore new avenues, such as military training, defence technology, and industrial partnerships. He also thanked Brazil for supporting India after the terror attack at Pahalgam in April this year. Brazilian Defence Minister Jose Mucio Monteiro Filho emphasised the practical steps underway to deepen defence cooperation. "The recent memorandum of understanding on the defence industry is currently in the process of being signed, which seeks to expand collaboration in the development, production and trade of defence products," he said. He added that a Brazil-India defence industry dialogue, scheduled in Santos later this month, will strengthen partnerships in research, maintenance, and co-production. "The Brazil-India defence industry dialogue, scheduled to take place in the city of Santos between November 24th and 28th, will be another opportunity to consolidate and expand this exchange, approaching or putting our industry bases in the area of defence together and promoting partnerships in research, maintenance and co-production, said Filho in his opening remarks. On space cooperation, he noted Brazil's recognition of India's expertise through collaboration with ISRO and the potential for joint missions, including the use of Brazilian launch centres. The launch of the Amazonia 1 satellite from India was cited as a key milestone in this partnership. Defence Minister Singh also welcomed the Brazilian delegation during India's festive season, highlighting opportunities for cultural engagement alongside defence cooperation. "I must say that you are travelling to India during the festive season, and we are celebrating our auspicious festival, Diwali, in a few days. You shall witness the city filled with lights and all places beautifully decorated. This is the time of festivities in India. It starts from Dussehra and Deepawali and continues until March, with Holi, the festival of colours. I have learned that the Vice President is a medical practitioner himself, which adds to his experience as a seasoned political leader. Brazil will also participate in the Youth Exchange Program in New Delhi during Republic Day, providing young minds a chance to engage with India's National Cadet Corps," Singh said. Soon after the bilateral talks, the Defence Minister shared the details on X, stating that both sides had a forward-looking discussion on issues related to defence cooperation. https://x.com/rajnathsingh/status/1978470466777149474?s=46&t=gnyTI1KbejQiLiDB0uvRCg He wrote, "Happy to have met the Vice President of Brazil, Mr Geraldo Alckmin and Mr Jose Mucio Monteiro Filho, the Defence Minister of Brazil, today at New Delhi. We had forward-looking discussions on issues pertaining to Defence Cooperation with a focus on expanding Military to Military Cooperation and Defence Industrial Collaboration." (ANI) Minister of State for External Affairs and Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, on Wednesday met Mali's Foreign Minister, HE Abdoulaye Diop, on the sidelines of the 19th Mid-Term Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). In an X post, he wrote, "Delighted to meet the HE Mr Abdoulaye Diop, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Mali, on the sidelines of the 19th NAM Midterm Ministerial meeting. Discussed our multifaceted bilateral relations. #NAM2025" He also met the State Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Somalia, HE Ali Mohamed Omar. On X, he said, "Pleased to meet HE Mr. Ali Mohamed Omar, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Discussed further expansion in our historical bilateral cooperation, especially focusing on strengthening people-to-people ties." https://x.com/KVSinghMPGonda/status/1978457307529814171 Minister Singh participated in the opening ceremony of the 19th Mid-Term Ministerial of NAM, hosted by Uganda under the theme, "Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence." https://x.com/KVSinghMPGonda/status/1978437885448671381 He is leading the Indian delegation at the ministerial, which is being held in Kampala on October 15-16. Ahead of the main meeting, a Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) was held on October 13-14, where India was represented by the Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Sibi George. Uganda currently holds the NAM chair for the 2024-26 term and is hosting 121 member states to strengthen unity among developing nations. India, a founding member of NAM, remains committed to the principles and values of the movement. During the visit, Minister Singh is expected to hold discussions with Ugandan leaders and counterparts from other NAM member states to reinforce bilateral and multilateral cooperation. (ANI) Ukrainian forces have achieved significant territorial gains in eastern Ukraine, capturing several villages previously under Russian control. This advancement has led to evacuations and a stern response from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has vowed to reclaim the lost territories. The Ukrainian military's recent push has been concentrated in the Donetsk region, where intense fighting has persisted for months. Ukrainian officials confirmed on August 13, 2024, that their forces have successfully taken control of key strategic locations. These gains are seen as crucial for bolstering Ukraine's defensive and offensive capabilities in the region. This advance is part of a broader Ukrainian counteroffensive aimed at reclaiming territory lost to Russian forces since the conflict escalated last year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has praised the military's efforts, stating that these achievements reflect the resilience and determination of Ukrainian forces. In response to the Ukrainian advances, Russian authorities have ordered the evacuation of civilians from the affected areas, citing safety concerns. President Putin, in a televised address on August 13, 2024, condemned the Ukrainian actions and reiterated Russia's commitment to defending its territorial claims. He also warned of potential retaliatory measures, escalating tensions in an already volatile situation. The international community is closely monitoring developments in eastern Ukraine, with many countries calling for a de-escalation of hostilities. The United Nations has urged both sides to engage in dialogue to prevent further escalation and protect civilian lives. The situation remains fluid, with military analysts suggesting that the coming days will be crucial in determining the conflict's trajectory. Both Ukrainian and Russian forces are reportedly reinforcing their positions, preparing for potential further confrontations. As the conflict continues, the humanitarian impact is becoming increasingly severe. Thousands of civilians have been displaced due to the fighting, and there are growing concerns about the availability of essential supplies and services in the affected regions. The international community continues to call for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, emphasizing the need for diplomatic efforts to bring about a lasting ceasefire. However, with both sides entrenched in their positions, achieving a peaceful resolution remains a significant challenge. Nepal on Wednesday evening held a candlelight vigil for Bipin Joshi, a student who was killed while in Hamas custody after being abducted in October 2023. Dozens of youths gathered at the Maitighar Mandala in Kathmandu to pay tribute to Joshi, who had been in Israel under the "Learn and Earn" scheme and was abducted by the militant group on October 7, 2023. "It is for Bipin Joshi. He actually lost his life two years back, but we came to know it recently following the formal announcement. For two years, we lived with the hope that Bipin Joshi would return. Though he won't be here physically, he will always be remembered," said Rakshya Bam, a participant in the candlelight vigil, speaking to ANI. Israeli authorities confirmed Joshi's death on October 14 following the handover of the remains of those who died in Hamas captivity. On Tuesday, Nepali Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai held a telephonic conversation with Eden Bar Tal, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel. Bar Tal formally informed the Nepali side about the sad demise of Bipin Joshi, expressing condolences on behalf of the Israeli government to his family, the Government of Nepal, and the Nepali people. Hamas handed over Joshi's body to Israel on Monday through the Red Cross. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) separately stated that Bipin Joshi, abducted at the age of 23 from a shelter in Kibbutz Alumim, was murdered in captivity during the first months of the Gaza war that began in October 2023. https://x.com/IDF/status/1978026190087586273 A student under Israel's Learn and Earn Programme, Joshi was working at the Alumim kibbutz with 16 other Nepalis when Hamas launched its assault. During the attack, ten Nepalis were killed, five were injured, and one escaped unharmed. Joshi's whereabouts had been unknown until his death was confirmed. His name was missing from the list of 20 living hostages freed earlier under a US-brokered ceasefire deal. Israeli officials briefed Ambassador Pandit and Joshi's family in a virtual meeting on Monday regarding his death. Successive Nepali governments had pursued all possible diplomatic channels to secure Joshi's release, engaging with officials from Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, and the US. Joshi's family, who had travelled to Israel and the US seeking his release, are now awaiting the return of his body to Nepal. (ANI) Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, President of Mongolia, visited Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi on Wednesday during his official visit to India. He was accompanied by Mongolian Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh and other members of the delegation. The temple shared pictures of the visit on X. https://x.com/DelhiAkshardham/status/1978408903080562903 The President was traditionally welcomed by senior swamis, offered prayers, and performed the sacred abhishek of Shri Neelkanth Varni, seeking peace, harmony, and the well-being of both nations. During the visit, President Khurelsukh received a letter of blessings from Mahant Swami Maharaj, appreciating his visit and commending his leadership in promoting peace, compassion, and unity among the people of Mongolia. Reflecting on the long-standing friendship between the two nations, the President said, "The bond between the people of India, serene and peaceful like the flow of the Ganges River, and the people of Mongolia, whose hearts are as vast as the Mongolian steppes, traces its origins back to the time of the Hunnu Empire." The President was also presented with a mandir replica and a letter of blessings from Mahant Swami Maharaj, expressing admiration for his leadership and prayers for peace, prosperity, and India-Mongolia friendship. He also praised the spiritual and cultural significance of the temple, saying, "Today, I am very delighted to visit this wonderful temple that reflects the spirituality, religion, way of life, traditions, history, and culture of the Indian people. It is truly a temple that is a symbol and expression of the Indian people's deep spirituality." President Khurelsukh expressed heartfelt gratitude for the warm welcome and peaceful experience at Akshardham and conveyed his appreciation to Mahant Swami Maharaj for the blessings, noting that such gestures further strengthen the cultural and spiritual ties between Mongolia and India. The temple also said that the President admired the grandeur of Akshardham Mandir's architecture, reflected on the exquisite carvings of Gautama Buddha and Queen Maya's divine vision, and engaged in warm, spiritual dialogues with Gnanmunidas Swami and Divyamurtidas Swami. Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, who arrived in New Delhi on Monday for a four-day state visit, met Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to discuss the next decade of cooperation. President Ukhnaa also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and planted a sapling under the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" initiative with PM Modi. (ANI) National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval met Lt. Gen. Baktybek Bekbolotov, Secretary of the Security Council of the Kyrgyz Republic, in Bishkek on Wednesday to discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in the areas of security and defence. According to the Embassy of India in Bishkek, the two sides held detailed discussions on countering terrorism, radicalisation, extremism, and drug trafficking, and reviewed existing defence collaboration. "NSA Ajit Doval met Secretary of the Security Council of the Kyrgyz Republic Lt. Gen. Baktybek Bekbolotov on 15 October 2025 at Bishkek. Both sides discussed bilateral cooperation and agreed to enhance existing collaboration on countering terrorism, radicalisation, extremism and drug trafficking. They reviewed bilateral defence cooperation and discussed regional security issues. Both sides also emphasised the need to coordinate positions on issues of common concern at regional and multilateral fora," the Indian Embassy posted on X. Subsequently, the Indian envoy to the Kyrgyz Republic hosted a reception in honour of NSA Doval and the accompanying delegation from the NSCS, who will be attending the 3rd meeting of India-Central Asia Secretaries of the Security Council at Bishkek https://x.com/IndiaInKyrgyz/status/1978459884103594174 According to the Embassy of India in Bishkek, NSA Doval was warmly welcomed on arrival by Melis Satybaldiev, First Deputy Secretary of the Security Council. He will also participate in the 3rd meeting of the India-Central Asia National Security Advisers/Secretaries of the Security Councils in the Kyrgyz capital. https://x.com/IndiaInKyrgyz/status/1978421345190064181 During the meeting, both sides reviewed existing collaboration on counter-terrorism, radicalisation, extremism, and drug trafficking. They also discussed regional security issues and agreed on the importance of coordinating positions on matters of common concern at regional and multilateral forums. The discussions reaffirmed India and Kyrgyzstan's commitment to strengthening defence and security cooperation, reflecting the shared interest in promoting peace, stability, and security in Central Asia. (ANI) Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "great man," US President Donald Trump praised the outcome of the recent meeting between US Ambassador-designate Sergio Gor and the Indian leader. Addressing a joint news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel from the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump reflected on India's leadership and its evolving global stance, particularly on oil trade with Russia. Responding to ANI's question on Gor's discussions with PM Modi, Trump remarked, "I think they were great... Modi is a great man. He (Sergio Gor) told me that he (PM Modi) loves Trump." The President went on to express his admiration for India's political stability under Modi's leadership, recalling how the country once saw frequent leadership changes. "I have watched India for years. It's an incredible country and every single year you would have a new leader. Some would be in there for a few months and this was year after year after year and my friend has been there now for a long time," he stated. Emphasising India's cooperation with Washington on energy matters, Trump noted that PM Modi had assured him New Delhi would soon halt oil imports from Moscow. "He's assured me there will be no oil purchases from Russia... He's not buying his oil from Russia... He can't do it immediately. It's a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over soon," the President said. Trump further underscored that ending India's oil trade with Russia would strengthen international efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine. All we want from President Putin is to stop this, stop killing Ukrainians and stop killing Russians because he's killing a lot of Russians," he said, while describing the animosity between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a "major obstacle." "I think we'll get them. If India doesn't buy oil, it makes it much easier... They will not be buying oil from Russia, and they'll go back to Russia after the war is over," Trump added, signalling optimism that India's stance could help de-escalate tensions. The briefing, which was primarily focused on the administration's initiatives to combat violent crime across the United States, also served as a platform for Trump to highlight the growing depth of the US-India relationship and his continued rapport with Prime Minister Modi. (ANI) TOKYO, Oct 16 (News On Japan) - The departure of Komeito from the ruling coalition has thrown Japans political landscape into deeper uncertainty, as attention now turns to the prime minister selection vote expected to take place in the Diet next week. With the Liberal Democratic Partys new president Takaichi aiming for the top post, the outcome will hinge on shifting alliances and last-minute negotiations among rival parties. The extraordinary Diet session is expected to convene on October 21st, though the precise date of the leadership vote remains unclear. Opposition parties the Constitutional Democratic Party, Nippon Ishin no Kai, and the Democratic Party for the People held a joint meeting earlier this week, while Takaichi also met separately with leaders of the three parties. Meanwhile, the LDP has begun coalition talks with Ishin, signaling an escalation in political maneuvering. Political editor Naoya Yoshiyoshino of the Nikkei, who specializes in domestic politics, notes that the landscape has shifted dramatically since the opposition meeting and Takaichis individual talks with party leaders. Until now, the outcome of the prime minister vote was uncertain, he said. But with the LDP and Ishin signaling readiness for policy cooperation, the momentum has moved toward a Takaichi-led government. A potential LDP-Ishin alliance would command 231 seats just two short of a majority significantly improving Takaichis chances. Yoshiyoshino explained that the LDPs immediate priority is to secure votes for Takaichi in the prime minister selection, after which formal coalition talks would follow. Should Ishin support Takaichi, the resulting government could include Ishin lawmakers as ministers, deputy ministers, or parliamentary secretaries, effectively forming a coalition cabinet. Three main scenarios have been discussed: a Takaichi-led government backed by LDP and Ishin, an opposition coalition forming its own government, or a deadlock leading to prolonged negotiations. However, the momentum has shifted toward the first scenario, with the opposition alliance losing steam. One reason for the oppositions struggles, according to Yoshiyoshino, is a perceived lack of resolve from Tada, the opposition leader considered the most likely challenger. While Tada has repeatedly declared his readiness to become prime minister, senior ruling party figures question his commitment. In politics, power is not won by words but by decisive action, Yoshiyoshino said. Takaichi has demonstrated that determination more convincingly. With just days remaining before the Diet convenes, the political situation remains fluid, but the tide appears to be turning in favor of Takaichi. The final outcome, however, will depend on whether he can secure Ishins formal support and rally enough votes to claim Japans highest political office. Source: BIZ HIROSHIMA, Oct 15 (News On Japan) - A man wearing a ski mask attempted to rob a convenience store in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, in the early hours of October 14th, but fled the scene empty-handed after the clerk shouted loudly, according to local police. Security camera footage from the still-dark hours shows a confrontation between the store clerk and a man dressed entirely in black near the store entrance. The video captures the clerk raising his arm while maintaining distance from the suspect, who appears to be holding a knife-like object. Police say the man entered the store around 3 a.m. and, without speaking, pointed what looked like a kitchen knife at the male clerk while demanding money. The clerks loud shouting startled the suspect, prompting him to flee without taking any cash. At the time, the only person inside the store was the male clerk, who was unharmed. The attempted robbery has raised concerns among nearby residents. One local resident said, "There arent many streetlights in the area, so weve installed security cameras ourselves, fearing something like this might happen one day." The suspect fled the scene on a motorcycle and remains at large. Police are reviewing security camera footage and continuing their search for the individual. Source: FNN Benghazi, Libya (PANA) - Libya's eastern-based government appointed by the House of Representatives has criticised the report presented on Tuesday by the Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Libya, Hanna Tetteh, to the Security Council, claiming that it "exceeded the limits of its mandate" and constituted a blatant interference in the affairs of country's sovereign institutions Morocco is participating in the meeting of Chiefs of United Nations Troop Contributing Countries (UNTCC) which opened Tuesday in New Delhi to discuss operational challenges, evolving threats, and share best practices of peacekeeping missions. A delegation from the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), led by Brigadier General Abdelkrim Nejjar, is representing the Kingdom in the UNTCC meeting. Through its participation in this three-day gathering, Morocco reaffirms its commitment to UN peace and security initiatives, as well as its strong engagement to promoting to multilateralism. Organized by the Indian Army, the event brings together 32 UN Troop Contributing Countries with attendance by 15 Chiefs, 17 Vice Chiefs and other high-ranking military officials from seven nations. The agenda features plenary sessions and debates on operational experiences, ways of enhancing mission effectiveness, interoperability, innovative training methodologies, and the responsible use of new digital technologies. Participants will also discuss the credibility, inclusivity and sustainability of UN peacekeeping which must adapt to realities on the ground, adequately resourced and aligned with local dynamics. Morocco has been a steadfast contributor to United Nations peacekeeping since its independence. The North African Kingdom has provided the UN troops, police forces, medical support, and expertise in areas like civilian protection and demining. As it conflates news with propaganda, an Algerian state media AL24 news was rebuked by the Russian Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov after she made a statement instead of a question regarding Moscows military involvement in Africa. The question, which has an affirmative and accusatory tone, turned into a diplomatic embarrassment for Algiers which directed its media to accuse Russian forces Africa Corps of violations in Sub-Saharan Africa, saying African countries which invited Russia- fear Russian military presence. Lavrov, visibly unimpressed, suggested the question had been scripted by Algerian authorities to provoke Russia given the tense relations between Algeria and Mali. Lavrov moved on to deal a heavy blow to the whole national narrative on which the Post-colonial Algerian state was built: colonial borders. He cited the legacy of artificial borders as a source of ongoing conflict across the continent, referencing tensions between Algeria and Mali, the plight of the Tuareg people, and instability in the Great Lakes region. The incident has raised questions about the scale of propaganda and misinformation that have become a distinctive feature of Algerian media. The state-media journalist exposed Algeria to diplomatic embarrassment. During the same press conference, Lavrov said Moroccos autonomy plan for the Sahara was a sort of self-determination. The new comment irked Algeria which has blocked progress towards a political solution to the conflict. Russias recent rhetoric on the conflict has shifted. In talks with UN envoy Staffan de Mistura last month, the Russian Foreign Ministry described the Western Sahara conflict as a legacy of colonialism and emphasized the need for a just, durable, and mutually acceptable solution grounded in the UN Charter and Security Council resolutions. Shandong Yongsheng Rubber Group Co., Ltd., a leading Chinese tire manufacturer, has launched construction works of a major plant in Morocco, enhancing further the countrys growing automotive ecosystem. The Chinese group has earmarked $675 million investment for this new production site to be built over a 25 ha area in the Betoya Free Zone, Driouch Province, near Nador West-Med Port, a strategic position facilitating exports to Europe, Africa, and beyond. Moroccos geostrategic position, proximity to EU market, political stability, modern infrastructures, incentives to investors, and FTAs with EU and the United States are attracting more and more investors and exporters. The new tire plant of the Chinese group is a milestone in the companys global expansion, confirming Moroccos position as a competitive and leading hub in the automotive industry in Africa. The facility is expected to start producing 6 million semi-steel radial tires annually, primarily for passenger cars and light trucks, before boosting production to 12 million tires per year within three years, incorporating advanced smart manufacturing technologies. The plant will create 1,737 direct jobs in manufacturing, engineering, and logistics, plus thousands of indirect roles, supporting local skills development. It will produce high-performance tires under Yongshengs brands like Doupro, Tracmax, Roadmax, and Toprunner, compliant with global standards. Established in 1986 and headquartered in Guangrao County, Shandong Province, China, Shandong Yongsheng Rubber Group employs over 6,000 people worldwide. It specializes in radial tires for trucks (TBR) and passenger cars (PCR), with current Chinese facilities producing 20 million semi-steel and 6 million all-steel radial tires annually. At least seven people were killed on Tuesday in drone strikes allegedly carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan, according to local authorities and medical sources. In the northern city of Al-Dabbah, five people died and several others were injured after an RSF drone hit college buildings, local officials said. Mohamed Saber Kashkash, head of the citys security committee, accused the RSF of persistently targeting civilian infrastructure. In a separate attack in East Nile State, east of Khartoum, a doctor and his son were killed, the army-aligned Sudan Shields Forces confirmed. The latest assaults come amid the ongoing war between Sudans army and the RSF, which began in April 2023. Earlier on Tuesday, the Sudan Doctors Network reported that another doctor was killed and his two sons injured in a drone strike on their home in Khartoums Sharg En Nile district. The network said the total number of medical personnel killed since the conflict began has reached 233, condemning what it described as continued RSF crimes against civilians. The United Nations and local authorities estimate that the conflict has claimed over 20,000 lives and displaced around 15 million people, while a study by U.S. universities places the death toll closer to 130,000. National COSH Calls for Accountability After Deadly Tennessee Explosion Following the explosion that killed 16 workers at Accurate Energetic Systems in Bucksnort, Tennessee, the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health is demanding stronger oversight, worker protections, and full transparency in the investigation. The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) expressed deep sorrow and outrage following the catastrophic explosion on October 10 at the Accurate Energetic Systems plant in Bucksnort, Tennessee. The blast killed 16 workers and destroyed the facility. "This horrific tragedy is a stark reminder of what happens when worker safety takes a back seat to production and profit," said Jessica E. Martinez, executive director of National COSH. "Explosives manufacturing is inherently dangerous - yet every single one of these deaths was preventable if proper oversight, safety measures, and accountability were in place. No one should die for a paycheck." Authorities report that all 16 workers inside the building at the time of the explosion perished, leaving behind grieving families and coworkers - and depriving investigators of critical firsthand accounts of conditions leading to the disaster. While the cause remains under investigation, the nature of the facility's work and the scale of the destruction underscore the urgent need for robust safety enforcement. "Without survivors, we've lost not only lives but also voices - the very people who could have told us what was happening inside that plant," Martinez continued. "That silence demands a louder response from our government. OSHA and federal investigators must act swiftly, transparently, and independently to determine what went wrong and to hold those responsible accountable." The Accurate Energetic Systems facility, covering 1,300 acres in rural Tennessee, manufactures and stores explosives for military and industrial use. It employed over 100 workers, many from surrounding small communities. While the company offers wages above the regional average, the explosion highlights the limited options available to workers in economically vulnerable areas - and the dangers of placing profits above people. "This is not an isolated event," said Martinez. "Across the country, we see too many employers in high-risk industries cutting corners while regulators lack the staffing, funding, and authority to prevent disasters. Workers, especially in rural and marginalized communities, are treated as expendable. That must end." National COSH is urging federal and state officials to: Launch a fully independent investigation into the explosion. Increase funding and staffing for OSHA and other safety agencies to prevent future workplace tragedies. Strengthen whistleblower protections and ensure workers can report hazards without fear of retaliation. Guarantee public transparency and accountability for the causes of - and responsibility for - this deadly incident. "Safety isn't optional - it's a right," said Martinez. "We stand with the families, the workers, and the Bucksnort community in demanding the truth, accountability, and real changes so tragedies like this never happen again." Agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained the parents of a United States Marine during a visit to Camp Pendleton, California. The parents, identified as Esteban Rios and Luisa Rodriguez, were residents of Oceanside, California, when they were detained by ICE agents. The couple was trying to visit their pregnant daughter, who was married to another Marine stationed at the base. ICE Detains U.S. Marine's Parents Their son, Steve Rios, said that he joined the military because of his parents, saying he wanted to make them proud. He said the least he could do for his parents was to serve the country and "put some time in." The situation comes as President Donald Trump's administration is moving forward with his plans to deport millions of migrants who do not have legal status. It is part of his broader immigration strategy that has sparked widespread criticism. There have already been several cases of U.S. veterans and active service members whose family members and loved ones were detained by immigration officers. The Rios family has expressed distress over the detention of the couple, emphasizing the emotional impact of the separation, according to Newsweek. The couple's son said that when his parents tried to enter the base he was stationed at, ICE agents were there to stop them and took them into custody. His family insists that neither of the two had a criminal record and had pending green card applications. Steve said that his parents came to the U.S. from Mexico more than three decades ago and spent years working tirelessly. They washed cars and cleaned houses from dawn to dusk, all to give their family a chance at a better life. Deporting Illegal Immigrants After the parents were detained, they were later released wearing ankle tags on Oct. 2, but were once again detained afterward. Steve was able to talk to his father on the phone, who said that he and his wife were being held downtown but were expected to be moved to the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego County, Independent reported. A spokesperson for ICE answered the question of why the couple was detained, saying that it was part of the agency's routine operations. They said that ICE arrests aliens who commit crimes and other individuals who have "violated our nation's immigration laws." They added that all aliens who are in violation of U.S. immigration law are subject to arrest, detention, and, if found removable by final order, removed from the country, as per NBC San Diego. Despite ongoing international sanctions and the recent bombing campaign against it by Israel and the U.S., Iran is continuing its push the record levels of oil production it reached in 2024. According to official data and industry sources, last year saw the Islamic Republic produce around 4.3 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil, plus a further 725,000 bpd of other liquids, which marked a post-1979 Iranian Revolutionary record. Understandably, production slumped slightly in the aftermath of the heightened military activity between Tehran, Tel Aviv, and Washington earlier this year. However, a senior oil industry source who has worked closely with Irans Petroleum Ministry told OilPrice.com last week that the Islamic Republic is pushing production back up to last years levels and may even surpass them this year. Assistance has come from Russia, on the ground and from equipment and technology, and China is still a big buyer, in keeping with the long-term agreements done [by Iran] with both, he said. Russias involvement in this push is unsurprising, as it already had extensive energy interests and ambitions in Iraq, even before the U.S.s unilateral withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, or colloquially the nuclear deal) on 8 May 2018. Specifically, it had concluded multiple major memoranda of understanding (MoU) for seven big oil and gas fields in Iran the most of any country. These were by GazpromNeft for the Changuleh and Cheshmeh-Khosh oilfields, Zarubezhneft for the Aban and Paydar Gharb fields, Tatneft for the Dehloran field, and Lukoil for the Ab Teymour and Mansouri oil fields. In the aftermath of its invasion of Ukraine, July 2022 saw Russian President Vladimir Putin visit his Iranian counterpart in Tehran to set the seal on a larger (US$40 billion) wide-ranging MoU signed just a few days before between the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and Russias Gazprom, as analysed in full in my latest book on the new global oil market order. Among other deals contained in the MoU, Gazprom pledged its further extensive assistance to the NIOC in the US$10 billion development of the Kish and North Pars gas fields with a view to its producing more than 10 million cubic metres of gas per day. The MoU also detailed a US$15 billion project to increase pressure in the supergiant South Pars gas field on the maritime border between Iran and Qatar. Gazprom further pledged assistance in the completion of various LNG projects, the construction of gas export pipelines, and crucially to provide the technology and equipment to increase output from its holdings in the West Karoun oil fields cluster. Related: TotalEnergies Sees Non-OPEC Supply Beginning to Drop at $60 Oil The current focus of Russian development efforts is on Iranian oil fields that can yield a significant increase in oil output over the short- and medium-term from relatively modest improvements in development equipment and techniques. Russia is also continuing with the development of the bigger fields, together with China, but these smaller fields are seen as the priority targets to raise oil output quickly, and the work is being done partly because of the big cooperation deal signed last year [between Russia and Iran] and partly as payment for the military equipment [drones and missiles] Iran is providing [to Russia] for its war in Ukraine, the Iran source said last week. This big deal refers to the 20-year agreement The Treaty on the Basis of Mutual Relations and Principles of Cooperation between Iran and Russia that was presented for consideration of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on 11 December 2023, and which was subsequently agreed to last year. Two of these priority field targets are the Changuleh and Cheshmeh-Khosh oilfields. Originally developed under the first of the then-new investor friendly Integrated Petroleum Contract with a US$2.2 billion initial investment by Russia, Changulehs development has been inconsistent to now but is expected to begin in earnest early this coming year. It has a conservatively estimated 4.8 billion barrels of in-place oil reserves and is expected to hit crude oil production of around 60,000 bpd in the first phase. Last week saw major repair and completion operations at the site, according to the Petroleum Engineering and Development Company (PEDEC). The firm added that the onus of current efforts are to repair and complete existing wells and to construct wellhead facilities and crude oil transfer pipelines. Following that, the focus will shift to corollary road construction and infrastructure preparation activities. Crucially from Russia and Irans perspective, Changuleh is a shared field with neighbouring Iraq (whose Badra field stems from the same oil reservoir as it, and Irans Azar field as well). This has historically allowed Iranian oil from such sites to be passed off as non-sanctioned oil, thus acting as the critical financial lifeline by which Tehran has managed to endure decades of sanctions, as also detailed in my latest book on the new global oil market order. Another such Iranian site is Arvand (shared with Iraqs South Abu Ghurab), which is also due to see expedited development by Russian firms before the end of this year, according to the Iran source. Located around 50 kilometres (km) south of Abadan in Khuzestan Province, Arvand is estimated to contain around one billion barrels of oil in place in three major layers, plus about 14 billion cubic metres of dry gas and 55 million barrels of gas condensate. Although there have been issues over which of the three countries Iran, Iraq, or Kuwait - that contain parts of the reservoir has ownership over which parts of it, Tehran now believes that the matter has been largely settled, OilPrice.com understands from sources close to the Petroleum Ministry. The section that was under dispute by Iran, Iraq, and Kuwait, is estimated to have reserves of 6 billion barrels, with at least 18 per cent of that deemed recoverable, said one of the sources. The [Petroleum] Ministry estimates that this section is relatively straightforward to develop, given the right equipment and technology, with an average cost recovery per barrel being at least 15 per cent lower than the lowest average recovery rate in the region that is US$1.65 to US$1.70 per barrel - whereas the average low for Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia is around US$2.00 per barrel, he added. The NIOC estimates that crude oil production from this section could rise to 1.4 million barrels per day within the first five years of proper development and could be stabilised around that level, making it one of the biggest producing oil fields in the world, he told OilPrice.com. The final part of the next phase of development by Russia will be renewed efforts on Irans potentially huge Chalous field also included as one of the key energy assets in the Russia-Iran 20-year deal. The wider Caspian basins area, including both onshore and offshore fields, is conservatively estimated to have around 48 billion barrels of oil and 292 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas in proven and probable reserves. That said, in 2019, Russia was instrumental in changing the legal status of the Caspian basins area, cutting Irans share from 50% to just 11.875% in the process, as also analysed in full in my latest book. Early estimates were that Chalous contained around 124 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas in place. This equated to around one quarter of the gas reserves contained in Irans supergiant South Pars natural gas field that account for around 40% of Irans total estimated gas reserves and about 80% of its gas production. The latest estimates are that it is a twin-field site, nine kilometres apart, with Greater Chalous having 208 bcf of gas in place, and Lesser Chalous having 42 bcf of gas, giving a combined figure of 250 bcm of gas. For its part, China remains the worlds biggest buyer of Iranian oil, despite threatened sanctions from the U.S. This is hardly surprising, given the extremely favourable terms for Beijing in its all-encompassing Iran-China 25-Year Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement, as first revealed anywhere in the world in my 3 September 2019 article on the subject and analysed in full in my latest book on the new global oil market order. China would get be allowed first refusal on most of the oil, gas, and petrochemicals projects that came up in Iran for the duration of the deal. Additionally, the per barrel payments to China were the higher of either the mean average of the 18-month spot price for crude oil produced or the past six months mean average price, tilting the remuneration firmly in Beijings favour. The deals terms also included at least a 10% discount to China on the value of the oil it recovered although in several cases with extra bonuses applied this totalled 30%. The latter was the same discount to the lowest mean one-year average market price at the key gas pricing hubs for the gas that Chinese firms captured as well. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: When war in Afghanistan ended in 2021, the Central Asian republics could now focus on investments in human development and physical infrastructure without the prospect of violence spilling over the border from Afghanistan. One of the republics, Uzbekistan, pursued what Yunis Sharifli has called a multi-vector transport strategy coupled with a good neighbor foreign policy. The region has seen many proposed regional transport links, such as the Kabul and Kandahar corridors through Afghanistan to Pakistan, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, the China-Kazakhstan railway, and the Intentional North-South Transport Corridor, and the Middle Corridor. Though these corridors will facilitate investment and trade, they are a significant incentive for smuggling and illicit trading. The International Institute for Central Asia in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, recently queried whether greater connectivity could create new vulnerabilities for the movement of illicit goods, extremist networks, and transnational crime. The smugglers - they are really transport specialists - may move narcotics today, weapons next week, then branch into humans, rare animals, and antiquities. As a side note, antiquities trafficking may be a new concern for Uzbekistan as it raises its profile as a destination for cultural tourism and the restoration of historic sites. Presidents Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan and President Tokayev of Kazakhstan had successful meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump that were capped with, as Trump prefers, the announcement of big contracts for U.S. businesses. Both presidents invited Trump to visit their countries. But there was another meeting in September that got less attention and fewer tweets: the director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation met Pakistans Federal Minister of Interior and Narcotics Control, and we can anticipate more cooperation and intelligence sharing between American and Pakistani police. Related: North Sea Oil: Booming in Norway and Doomed in the UK The republics should explore if increased cooperation between the U.S. and Pakistani security services can be expanded to a region-wide effort to ensure the regions investment in transport does not facilitate new criminal activity. Terrorists and criminals are using trans-national networks to do their business, so the regions governments must attack the problem at the trans-national level. Since NATO left Afghanistan in 2021, the Afghan Taliban have busied themselves with governance and re-imposed the ban on the harvesting of opium poppy, which was harvested in increasing amounts through the 2001-2021 NATO occupation. Poppy production is down, but it has not been eliminated, and has moved to Baluchistan in Pakistan and Badakhshan province in northeast Afghanistan, which borders on Tajikistan. Tajikistan is the traditional route of narcotics bound to Russia and Europe, but if the smuggling networks can take advantage of smoother roads and modern airports and rail links, there is no reason they wont pivot West to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. And its not a problem unique to Central Asia. In North America, the U.S. Department of Justice reports, Virtually every interstate and highway in the United States is used by traffickers to transport illicit drugs Likewise, in Canada, Ontarios Highway 401 Corridor is a major human trafficking route. And the narcotics that pass-through transit countries arent just someone elses problem: the smugglers usually pay for local services with drugs instead of cash, and those drugs are consumed locally and create future customers for the narcos, so the transit countries are not immune to the problem. And aside from increasing demand for their product, the narcos will do the other thing they do so well: seeking and finding the corrupt public officials they will need to facilitate their operations. President Trump likes dealing directly with other bosses, and he appeared to enjoy his meetings with Presidents Mirziyoyev and Tokayev, but he still has work to do. The American motion picture director Woody Allen said, Eighty percent of success is showing up and it is no different for politicians. No U.S. president has visited Central Asia, but Russias Vladimir Putin and Chinas Xi Jinping have: Putin has made 77 visits, and Xi has made 15 visits to the region. But China has made it a priority to engage with Central Asias leaders. In 2023, China hosted the leaders of the republics at the two-day China-Central Asia Summit in Xian. In 2024 Xi visited Astana, Kazakhstan, for the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). And in June 2025, Xi again traveled to Astana for the second ChinaCentral Asia Summit, and pledged Chinas eternal friendship with the region At the September 2025, SCO summit in Tianjin, China, Xi met one-on-one with all the leaders of the republics. In the official picture of the meeting attendees, the five republics presidents are standing in the front row, a clear signal of Chinas intent. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is the primary way for China to connect with Central Asia. When BRI outbound investment dipped in 2020-2022, we were told by Washington, D.C. authorities (here, here, and here) BRI was failing to achieve its goals and Chinas officials had wasted a trillion dollars. However, we may have been misinformed According to the China Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Investment Report 2025 H1, the first half of 2025 (2025 H1) saw the highest engagement for any six-month period ever, with US$66.2 billion in construction contracts and US$57.1 billion in investments (greater than BRI engagement in all of 2024 which was US$122 billion.) BRI set new records in oil and gas, coal, green energy, metals and mining, and technology and manufacturing. Also, BRI investments in 2025 were driven by private sector companies, not state-owned enterprises. According to Inside China Business, the program [BRI] had merely shifted, to different regions, and to investments higher up the value chain. BRIs total engagement since program start in 2013 now totals US$1.3 trillion. Of that record first-half engagement, US$39 billion went to Africa and US$25 billion went to Central Asia. Thats pretty stunning on a per capita basis as Africas population is about 1.5 billion and Central Asias is about 84 million. China obviously believes eternal friendship is nice, but its better if it rests on a foundation of investments rather than declarations just good fellowship. If Trump visits Central Asia he will be seized by the rapid pace of development in Tashkent, though he will probably take it upon himself to critique the construction in New Tashkent City. But it will also be an opportunity for him to learn that just because the American troops are out of Afghanistan, Afghanistans neighbors cant relax. The regions leaders can explain how they are ensuring the regions development doesnt give the bad guys more opportunities to be bad. The region must balance greater openness with greater security cooperation. That will include ongoing cooperation by the regions governments with the European Union (EU), the U.S., Russia, China, Azerbaijan, Turkiye, and, yes, Afghanistan and Iran. All that fine 21st century infrastructure will improve the regions quality of life and make it more attractive for foreign direct investment, but it will also ease the ability of organized crime to commit crimes. It is also attractive to terrorists and extremist groups that can graduate from bombing a police station to bombing an oil refinery or water treatment plant. China has, as we say, put its money where its mouth is. Beijing obviously sees stability in Central Asia as key to Chinas stability and is prepared to make outsized investments to secure its western flank, both to ensure quiet in its western provinces and to refine overland transport routes that avoid maritime chokepoints at Malacca, Singapore, Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb, Suez, and Gibraltar. In the U.S. Strategy for Central Asia 2019-2025: Advancing Sovereignty and Economic Prosperity, Washington says all the right things about sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, but will that hold now that BRI is again on an upward trajectory? When Washington digests the fact that Central Asia is getting more China, it will test the regions multi-vector foreign policy. Washington will have to resist the urge to use Central Asia as a platform to attack Afghanistan and Iran, or attempt follies like retaking Bagram Airfield. U.S. meddling will see a vigorous, asymmetric response from China if it fears its investments and interests are under threat. Russia has recognized the Taliban government, China has sort-of recognized the government, and Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are actively developing trade and investment projects with Kabul, and both capitals envision trans-Afghan trade routes that connect Central Asia to Pakistan. China will be suspicious if the U.S. actively encourages regional cooperation and will assume Washington is building an anti-Beijing coalition to destabilize Xinjiang. But the U.S. has an interest in ensuring the surety of East-West trade that benefits its European allies and that connectivity projects like the Middle Corridor succeed. In fact, Washington should explicitly solicit Beijings cooperation in attacking criminality and extremism that will exploit greater connectivity. With active regional security cooperation and select assistance from the U.S. and EU, Central Asia can counter the downsides of greater connectivity, increase attractiveness to investors, and make up for the lost decades of 2001 to 2021, when the regions economic and social development was delayed as the leaders were more focused on the possible spillover of violence and extremism from Afghanistan. By James Durso for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Hungary wont accept any outside pressure on its energy supply policy and will continue to rely on Russia for oil and gas imports, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Wednesday, while attending an energy forum in Moscow. We have never been let down (by Russia). The deliveries have always arrived... Contracts were always respected. And my question is only why we should cut this relationship, Szijjarto said, as carried by Reuters. Hungary has continuously clashed with its fellow EU member states over plans to ditch Russian gas by 2027 and cut off oil supply from Moscow as soon as possible. Hungarian officials have remained in contact with Russias top officials and have visited Russia on several occasions since the start of the war in Ukraine. Hungarian leaders, including Prime Minister Viktor Orban, have met with Putin and other senior Russian officials several times since 2022 in defiance of the EUs position to isolate and heap sanctions on Russia. Referring to EU plans to cut energy supply from Russia, Szijjarto said in Moscow today, Brussels wants us to cut one of the two (pipelines) under the phenomenon of diversification. How can you consider having one pipeline rather than two safer? This is insane, the Hungarian foreign minister added. Set OilPrice.com as a preferred source in Google here Last month, Szijjarto said that Hungary has no intention of suspending Russian oil imports despite pressure on the whole of the European Union from U.S. President Donald Trump and EU pressure on Hungary specifically. We cant ensure the safe supply [of energy products] for our country without Russian oil or gas sources, Szijjarto told The Guardian at the end of September, on the sidelines of this years United Nations plenary session in New York. If you look at the physical infrastructure, its obvious that without the Russian supplies, it is impossible to ensure the safe supply of the country, Szijjarto said. By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Between May and August 2025, Mexico shipped more than $3 billion worth of subsidized fuel to Cuba through Gasolinas Bienestar, a subsidiary of state oil company Pemex, according to an investigation by Mexicanos Contra la Corrupcion y la Impunidad (MCCI). The figure is three times higher than the total shipments during the final two years of the previous administration. MCCI found that at least 58 fuel shipments including gasoline, diesel, and crude departed from Mexican ports over just four months, mostly from Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, with three leaving from Tampico, Tamaulipas. The cargoes were tracked through maritime monitoring platforms, showing consistent routes between Mexico and Cuba. One of the vessels, the Sandino, was included in the U.S. Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list in 2019 for transporting Venezuelan oil to Cuba. Despite this, the Sandino departed from Laguna de Pajaritos on August 20 and arrived a week later at Cubas Camilo Cienfuegos refinery, the investigation revealed. The Cuban importer in most cases was Coreydan S.A., a state-owned company based in Havana that shares offices with CUPET, Cubas national oil firm. The scale of Mexicos fuel aid to Cuba equivalent to 60 billion pesos matches the 2026 federal budget for the countrys Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection and far exceeds the budgets for the Attorney Generals Office and education infrastructure funds combined. MCCI previously warned that the subsidized shipments have worsened Pemexs financial health. In its first year, Gasolinas Bienestar reported losses and debt of 5.8 billion pesos, reflecting the cost of supplying Cuba with free fuel. In contrast to what MCCI reports, in the Miami Herald, energy expert Jorge Pinon questioned the accuracy of the reported $3 billion fuel shipments, noting Cuba lacks the storage capacity for such volumes and that customs data is often unreliable. If true, he said, the surge raises key questions amid Cubas energy crisis: Where is that oil? Is Cuba exporting it? By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Three very large crude carriers have diverted from their original destination of the port of Rizhao in China, following the U.S. Treasurys announcement of sanctions on the facility due to its handling of Iranian crude, Bloomberg has reported, citing shipping data. Per the data, two of the VLCCs are now en route to the port of Ningbo Zhoushan on the East China Sea, and the third is heading for the northern port of Tianjin. The vessels are carrying crude oil from Brazil, West Africa, and the UAE. 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. China has been the biggest buyer of sanctioned Iranian crude. The latest sanction round will affect import oil shipments for Chinese state major Sinopec, which owns 50% of the Rihao Shihua Crude Oil Terminal, which lies in the heart of Chinas refining industry, home to most of the countrys independent refiners the province of Shandong. The terminal receives a fifth of Sinopecs imported crude, Reuters reported last week. Meanwhile, China reported a 3.9% increase in its total oil imports for September. The daily average came in at some 11.5 million barrels daily, which was also a 4.55% decline on August import rates. Whether the sanctions on the Rihao Shihua Crude Oil Terminal will have any noticeable effect on Chinese oil imports is an open question, with Bloomberg pointing out that, besides diverting the cargos, oil importers could transfer the oil from the very large crude carriers to smaller vessels that would then deliver the crude to refineries operated by Sinopec in other parts of the country. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Norwegian government on Wednesday proposed to raise the spending from the countrys oil fund, the worlds largest sovereign wealth fund, in next years budget, according to the draft budget of the Labor party, which won a second term in office at the general elections last month. The Labor government of Jonas Gahr Stre will need support from its junior partners in the coalition to pass the bill in Parliament. The 2026 budget proposes to use $57.4 billion (579 billion Norwegian crowns) from the Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), which is commonly referred to as Norways oil fund because it was created with oil and gas revenues. That would be higher than last years fund spending of $54.6 billion (550.6 billion crowns), and would represent 2.8% the value of the fund. Norways withdrawals from the fund are government by the so-called fiscal rule, which stipulates that on average over the cycle spending must be limited to the expected real return on the fund currently estimated at 3%. Norways fund has $2 trillion worth of assets and holds on average 1.5% of all listed companies in the world. With the fund, created in the 1990s, Norway ensures its generous welfare policies and moves away from direct dependence on oil and gas revenues. State income from the massive petroleum industry in Norway goes to the fund, but it is invested in equity, property, and fixed-income markets globally. Also in Norways 2026 budget draft, the government estimates that the states net cash flow from petroleum activities would be $65.8 billion (664 billion crowns) this year. The estimate for 2026 is about $51.6 billion (521 billion crowns) in net cash flow from petroleum activities for Norway. The revenues from the petroleum industry are very large and important for financing our welfare state, Energy Minister Terje Aasland said on Wednesday, commenting on the 2026 budget bill. The world and Europe will have a need for oil and gas for decades to come, and it is therefore crucial that Norway continue to develop the Norwegian continental shelf to persist as a stable and long-term supplier of energy, Aasland added. Therefore, the government wants to ensure stable and predictable regulatory framework, and a high level of exploration activity. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: OPEC will bring in an independent consultant to evaluate the production capacity of its member states, Kuwaits Oil Minister Saad Al Barrak said Wednesday, in what marks a rare external audit of the groups internal metrics as quota negotiations intensify ahead of 2026. Speaking to reporters in Kuwait City, Al Barrak said the consultant would provide a technical, neutral assessment of each producers sustainable output, a process designed to ensure future production baselines reflect real capacity rather than self-reported claims. The minister did not identify which firm would be chosen, but confirmed that discussions are already under way within OPECs secretariat. The initiative, first outlined in a May OPEC+ communique, follows months of pressure from producers such as the United Arab Emirates and Iraq, which have invested heavily in field expansions and want higher quotas. Others, most notably Angola before its exit, have struggled to meet existing targets. Analysts say a credible third-party assessment could ease long-running disputes over capacity estimates that have undermined OPEC+ cohesion and market confidence. According to Reuters, the study will measure maximum sustainable production for each member, factoring in upstream investment levels, reservoir integrity, and spare capacity buffers. A final report is expected before OPEC+ finalizes new quotas for 2027. Kuwait, whose own capacity recently reached about 3.2 million barrels per day, supports what Al Barrak described as transparent calibration among members to balance credibility and stability, Asharq Al Awsat reported, adding that the consultancy will likely begin work before the next ministerial meeting in Vienna. The move comes amid broader OPEC warnings that underinvestment threatens future supply security. OPEC Secretary-General Haitham Al Ghais said earlier Wednesday that sustained capital flows into upstream oil and gas are essential to avoid volatility, echoing repeated calls for $12 trillion in cumulative investment through 2045. By Josh Owens for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The matriarch of a wealthy South Florida family, Donna Adelson, has been sentenced to life in prison for the hired killing of her former son-in-law, Daniel Markel, in 2014. The victim in the case was a prominent Florida State University law professor, who was locked in a bitter custody battle with his ex-wife, Adelson's daughter. It was around that time that he was gunned down at his home in Tallahassee. South Florida Woman Sentenced to Life in Prison Last month, the 75-year-old matriarch was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation after a week-long trial. Adelson was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the murder charge. She was given an additional 30 years for the other two counts, which will be served consecutively. Ahead of the sentencing, Adelson made an emotional statement in a Tallahassee courtroom, saying that she was innocent and cast her trial as a miscarriage of justice. She said it was overseen by a jury that was unduly swayed by years of negative media coverage, according to ABC News. The defendant said that what happened to her former son-in-law was unforgivable, but argued that she was an innocent woman convicted of a terrible crime without sufficient evidence. She added that she has always respected the law, noting she never even got a parking ticket. However, Circuit Judge Stephen Everett interrupted Adelson several times, warning that the defendant's statements showed what he described as an "utter lack of remorse" for the killing of the victim. Adelson was seen standing attentively while the judge handed down the sentence, with Everett saying, "You certainly can choose to deny your involvement and maintain innocence." However, he said that the court still found the evidence in the case clear, Yahoo News. Found Guilty of a Hired Killing The matriarch was the fifth individual sentenced in the case that involved a plot to kill Markel, with the others being Adelson's son, Charles. The latter is already serving a life sentence for the crime. During the trial, prosecutors painted the defendant as the calculated and controlling matriarch of an affluent South Florida family. They said she had the means and motive to orchestrate the hit on her former son-in-law, whom they said she "hated." On the other hand, Adelson's defense attorneys maintained that the state lacked direct evidence linking their client to the plan. They argued that the other individuals were more directly involved in the killing of Markel. Prosecutors responded with wiretaps, phone records, and testimony that portrayed Adelson as deeply enmeshed in the conspiracy, as per CBS News. By Taxpayers Association of Oregon OregonWatchdog.com We did not see this coming. Until now. As mentioned a few days ago, Oregon Senate President Rob Wagner (D-Lake Oswego) forcibly removed Oregon State Senator Mark Meek (D-Gladstone) from his chair of the powerful Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue. Senator Meek was removed from even sitting on the Committee. Senator Meek caught fire from the Senate President for opposing the earlier versions of the gas tax. He eventually voted for it. Now ANOTHER tax issue is raising heads. Lawmakers have until December 31st, 2025, to disconnect portions of Oregon tax law from Federal tax in response to the tax cuts passed by Congress in the Big Beautiful Bill this summer. Because Oregon ties many of its tax definitions to Federal tax law, when Congress changes tax rates, it automatically applies to Oregon income tax rules. You can see in the chart below that Trumps no-tax-on-tips will save Oregon taxpayers $78 million in Oregon income taxes (more savings from the Federal government income taxes). Overtime tax cut saves $221 million. Business deductions save Oregonians over $500 million. That is big tax savings for everyday Oregonians, but it also means that Oregon liberal lawmakers will lose revenue (even though you gain a lot of it back when tax cuts spur robust economic growth). Lawmakers need to pass this tax disconnect before December 31, 2025, to thwart the tax cuts from fully impacting Oregon for their 2025 taxes. To get this done, it seems clear that Senate President Rob Wagner aims not to have the same fight he had with his Revenue Chair, Mark Meek, earlier this year. Removing State Senator Mark Meek creates a super-clear path to ramrodding this tax trick, which will divert potentially hundreds of millions of tax savings right back into the pockets of the big state government, which grows every Session. Be ready! Just like the gas tax was pushed at the last minute with less notice than other bills, this tax increase may come speedily as well. Just re-look at the chart above. Lawmakers are looking at $888 million going back to taxpayers. They have until December 31st to steal some of that back with technical tax law changes. Was this helpful? If so, contribute online at OregonWatchdog.com (learn about a Charitable Tax Deduction or Political Tax Credit options to promote liberty). House Republican Leader Calls for Accountability after Report Shows Oregon will Spend More on Health Care for Non-Citizens than State Police By Oregon House Republican Leader Lucetta Elmer, SALEM, Ore. Today, House Republican Leader Lucetta Elmer is calling for accountability after a news report revealed Oregon will spend more on free health care for immigrants regardless of their legal status than on state police. According to the Legislative Fiscal Office, Oregon expects to spend $1.3 billion in state and federal tax dollars combined for the Healthier Oregon program, an Oregon Health Plan (OHP), non-Medicaid program that covers members who meet eligibility requirements, regardless of their citizenship status, for the 2025-2027 biennium. The costs for this program have skyrocketed since 2021, when its budget was capped at $100 million. In the same biennium, Oregon expects to spend approximately $717 million for the Department of State Police. Just last week the governor said she would send Oregon State Police to assist Portland Police in managing the protests outside the ICE facility in Portland. Since June, Portland Police have made 50 arrests at the facility, while federal law enforcement has made nearly 200 arrests. Budgets reveal priorities, said House Republican Leader Lucetta Elmer (R-McMinnville). When Oregonians see these numbers side by side, they deserve to ask whether state spending aligns with our most urgent needs keeping communities safe, addressing addiction, and supporting working families. Accountability isnt about partisanship; its about ensuring taxpayer dollars are used responsibly and reflect Oregons shared values. By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, A security company is saying that Coos Bay is Oregons most burglarized city, far worse than Portland. The claim is being used to discredit President Trump, who called Portland lawless. Here are problems with crime statistics. #1. When you defund police, you defund the people recording crime statistics. Portland defunded its police and cut 100 law enforcement positions. Surely, this impacted their crime reporting. This is why cities that defunded their police (LA, Chicago) saw drops in crime during the past few years. #2. When you defund police, police reduce their response to crimes. Portland is full of stories of people who called for help, and the police did not show up. Portland Police stopped showing up to car thefts and directed people to a website. #3. When liberal judges and prosecutors drop criminal cases in wide numbers, people stop reporting crime. When people see criminals not getting convicted, they stop reporting lesser crimes like theft, because they feel it will not help. #4. When you have a criminal backlog crisis, you have more criminal cases being dropped, which impacts how people feel about reporting crime. Again, when Portland suffers from a lack of public defenders, it causes mass criminal cases to be dropped, and people respond by reporting fewer crimes. #5. When you have a 911 voicemail, you have fewer people who report crimes. Portland is famous for people calling 911 (for minor crimes) and getting long delays, and at times a voicemail. #6. When you make victims go into a police station as opposed to having a visit by police, you will see a reduction in people reporting criminal acts. Defunded police departments are receiving more and more requests from victims to come into a station to report a crime. This creates fewer victims coming forward. These are all key reasons why crime numbers get skewed especially in defunded police departments and places with progressive prosecutors/judges. This fits Portland. ATLANTA, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Adams & Reese announces a major lateral hire to its Global Intellectual Property team, adding Partner Scott Sudderth, who has over three decades of exclusive practice in patent, trademark, and copyright law. Scott arrives at Adams & Reese following a 27-year career in the Atlanta office of Womble Bond Dickinson. "I am excited to embark on the next chapter of my legal career at Adams & Reese, a firm and IP team whose practice is recognized and relied upon by clients across the globe for its litigation success, portfolio management, and strategic enforcement," said Sudderth. "Their reputation, footprint, resources, and caliber of attorneys offer the ideal platform to support and supercharge the advocacy for my clients' complex innovations." With nearly 2,000 U.S. and international patents prepared and prosecuted throughout his career, and a portfolio of over 600 active patents managed, Scott brings deep experience guiding national and international clients through IP prosecution and litigation. "Scott brings an unmatched blend of global enforcement savvy, complex diligence experience, and hands-on portfolio leadership to our IP practice, not just in Atlanta but across the globe, for clients operating at the cutting edge of innovation," said Edward Playfair, Adams & Reese IP Team Leader. Scott builds and governs IP portfolios, conducts patent due diligence in connection with investments and acquisitions, and advocates before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), and European Patent Office (EPO). A seasoned litigator, Sudderth has led successful defense and enforcement actions in the UK, Europe, and China, including a Supreme Court of China win yielding an injunction, damages, and property seizure on behalf of his client. With a particular focus on technically sophisticated matters, Scott has represented clients across industries such as advanced manufacturing, software, construction, textiles, machine controls, and security systems. "Scott's depth in patent prosecution and litigation from PTAB proceedings to crossborder enforcement immediately strengthens the value we deliver to our existing IP clients, including Global 500 companies and major international brands," said Mitch Boult, Adams & Reese Executive Committee Member. Boult has played a leading role in the growth of the Global IP practice since he joined Adams & Reese in 2005. "Scott amplifies our team's ability to continue to protect, scale, and monetize innovation across complex markets." Also joining A&R's Global IP team this month is Associate Reinier Smit. Reinier brings to the team a unique skill set rooted in his background as a mechanical engineer and a multiple patent-holding inventor, with issued patents covering innovations like hydroponic containers and display systems. Through his practice, he helps companies protect, manage, and commercialize innovations and brands worldwide. He prosecutes patents and trademarks before the USPTO and abroad, manages portfolios, and negotiates licenses and assignments. He advises startups to global enterprises on FTO, clearance, and enforcement (including UDRP and ITC matters) across industries such as horticulture, further strengthening Adams & Reese's depth in niche markets. Adams & Reese's Global Intellectual Property Practice represents multi-national and middle-market companies in Europe, Asia, South America, and throughout North America, and provides litigation support and strategic counsel on trademark, patent, and copyright matters, and on a wide range of other IP issues. Adams & Reese has received several recent recognitions for its Global IP Practice, including 2025 WTR 1000 Top Trademark Law Firms; 2025 Chambers USA Band 1 in IP in Tennessee; 2024 Managing IP Top Tier IP Firm in Tennessee; and 2024 Legal 500 Top-Tier U.S. Law Firms in IP Trademarks Litigation. About Adams & Reese: Founded in 1951, Adams & Reese is one of the largest law firms in the nation and is included among the AmLaw 200, NLJ 500, and Law360 Top 400 firms. Adams & Reese has more than 330 attorneys and advisors across 10 states (Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas) and Washington, DC. SOURCE Adams and Reese LLP INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced Agrilytics, a leading agronomy technology company, today announced that it will launch its latest white paper and host a Deep Dive panel discussion session at the upcoming Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue event, which will be held October 21 - 23 in Des Moines, IA. The company's latest white paper, "The Nitrogen Efficiency Breakthrough: How Digital Tools Cut Corn Nitrogen Emissions by 21% Without Sacrificing Yield," will be launched at a news conference before the Deep Dive panel discussion. The news conference will be at 10 a.m. in room 401 at the Iowa Events Center on Tuesday, October 21. Media wishing to attend the on-site news conference can click here to register for the event. The release of this new analysis supports Advanced Agrilytics' broader strategy of positioning predictive agronomy as the cornerstone of more sustainable, resilient crop production. Virtual News Conference Journalists who cannot attend the news conference during the Borlaug Dialogue event can register for a virtual news conference about the new white paper and analysis here. This event will be held on Monday, October 27 at 2 p.m. CST. The virtual news conference will feature: Advanced Agrilytics CEO Kenny Avery Chief Innovation Officer Dr. Kess Berg Chief Science Officer Jon Fridgen Vice President of Sustainability Jane Stautz Click here to register for the virtual news conference. About the Deep Dive Session This is the first year that Deep Dive sessions have been included in the Borlaug Dialogue schedule. The Advanced Agrilytics Deep Dive session is entitled, "Think Differently. Farm Smarter. A More Sustainable Way to Feed The World." Advanced Agrilytics CEO Kenny Avery will serve as the moderator for the discussion. Panelists include: Dr. Kess Berg, Chief Innovation Officer, Advanced Agrilytics Jon Fridgen, Chief Science Officer, Advanced Agrilytics Rachel Hurley, Head of Sustainability, Paine Schwartz Partners Kip Tom, Chairman, U.S. United Nations Rome Ambassador (former) and Chairman of Tom Family of Agribusinesses The panel discussion will focus on key challenges in global food security namely, addressing how to minimize yield variability across a wide range of soil types, soil nutrient challenges, climate environments, and other factors. The Deep Dive session will take place on Tuesday, October 21 in rooms 317 and 318 of the Iowa Events Center, located at 730 3rd Street in Des Moines, IA. For more information on the speakers and related content, click here. About Advanced Agrilytics Advanced Agrilytics is a leading agronomy technology company delivering sub-acre agronomic intelligence at scale. Through a flexible ecosystem of data, software, and value-added services, we empower growers, consultants, retailers, and manufacturers to make smarter, more profitable decisions. Our business spans four complementary areas: agronomy services, software licensing, applied research, and sustainability and funding support, including Section 180 residual fertility valuation reports. Our proprietary spatial agronomy methodology, delivered through products like TerraFraming, is proven to increase yield consistency, reduce variability, and enhance long-term resilience across every acre. Founded in 2015 in Huntington, Indiana, and headquartered in Indianapolis, we remain committed to helping partners improve profitability and sustainability while building a legacy for generations to come. Learn more at www.advancedagrilytics.com and follow us on social media. X.com: https://x.com/agrilytics Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/advancedagrilytics LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/advanced-agrilytics/?viewAsMember=true Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/advancedagrilytics/ SOURCE Advanced Agrilytics Offer Description - Sunflower husk pellets purchase, large quantity required I am interested in purchasing sunflower husk pellets in large quantities. Delivery to UAE. Looking forward to your offers with the price. " " You'll find eight European countries on this list, including Austria. AaronChenPS2 / Shutterstock Feeling safe where you live is about more than just locking your door. It depends on everything from political stability to healthcare to how a country handles conflict. Based on the countries with the lowest crime rate and data from the Global Peace Index, these nations stand out for their strong sense of societal safety, low violent crime, and secure environments. Advertisement These rankings consider key indicators like internal peace, ongoing international conflict, and levels of militarization. Most of the world's safest countries are in Europe, and many boast universal healthcare, effective criminal justice systems, and strong social support networks. 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 Climate change has already cost Maryland between $10 billion and $20 billion in cleanup efforts following 85 extreme weather events that have hit the state since 1984, Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman said at a symposium. But, she added, not preparing for continuing changes would cost the state far more in the future. Lierman spoke at the University of Maryland, Baltimore's Climate Health and Policy in Maryland Symposium. She joined Maryland researchers and student interns who presented their findings on how the changing climate affects individual and public health. Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration backs Lierman upthe federal agency concurs that climate change has already cost Maryland $10 to $20 billion. As well, the Chesapeake Bay, which has risen by a foot in the last century, is projected to rise 5 feet over the next 100 years. Although the state plans to reduce carbon emissions with $8 billion in new investments by 2031, more frequent and intense heat waves increase the risk of heat exhaustion, stroke and heart attacks in Marylanders. Extreme weather events take a toll on Maryland homeowners, businesses, and farms, Lierman said. They also impose a secondary cost when insurance premiums rise or homeowners cannot get insurance for hurricanes, wind, or flooding in coastal areas. "Climate change is not just an environmental issue," Lierman said. "It's an economic issue, it's a justice issue, and it's a health issue. "Low-income communities and communities of color are bearing the brunt of these events," Lierman added. "They may not always have the resources to evacuate, they take longer to recover and the worsening climate takes a lasting toll on people's health and well-being. Extreme climate events are projected to cost the state another $27 billion by the year 2040, she said, "but of course, the longer we wait, the more expensive it gets." The Maryland Climate Pollution Reduction Plan seeks to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2031, and reach net-zero emissions by 2045. The plan will require an estimated $8 billion in additional investment by 2031. Lierman also chairs Maryland's investment committee, which manages a $74 billion portfolio on behalf of 415,000 retired state employees. "Even if the federal administration doesn't believe in climate change and wants to say that climate change should not be accounted for in investment decisions," Lierman said, "we have to take climate change into account, because it will fundamentally affect our returns." Rep. Andy Harris, a Republican, did not respond to request for comment by publication. On the other hand, Lierman said investing in climate resilience has economic benefits. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's 2024 Climate Resiliency Report, every $1 invested in resilience and disaster preparedness returns $13 in avoided damages and recovery costs. "The costs of climate change are staggering," Lierman said, "but the costs of doing nothing are even more so." 2025 Baltimore Sun. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Visualization of atoms placed in an optical cavity, interacting with each other as well as with the light mode. Credit: Yao Wang, Emory University A team of physicists from the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw, the Center for New Technologies at the University of Warsaw and Emory University (Atlanta, U.S.) analyzed how atoms' mutual interactions change the way they collectively interact with light. In a paper published in Physical Review Letters, the researchers extend established models of this phenomenon. By showing that direct atomatom interactions can strengthen a collective burst of light known as superradiance, the team points to new opportunities for quantum technologies. Lightmatter systems place many emitters (e.g., atoms) in the same optical mode of a cavity. This mode is a pattern of light confined between closely spaced mirrors, and it enables collective effects absent for isolated atoms. A central example is superradiance: a quantum collective effect where many atoms radiate in phase, producing light much stronger than the sum of the individual emitters. In general, studies of this phenomenon assume that lightmatter coupling dominates. The whole ensemble is then modeled as a single "giant dipole" uniformly coupled to the cavity field, which mediates infinite-range interactions. "Photons act as mediators that couple each emitter to all others inside the cavity," says Dr. Joao Pedro Mendonca, the first author of the article, who completed his Ph.D. at the Faculty of Physics of the University of Warsaw and is now working as a researcher at the Center for New Technologies at the University of Warsaw. In real materials, however, neighboring emitters also influence each other through short-range dipoledipole interactions, which are often neglected. This work asks what changes when intrinsic atomatom interactions are restored. The study shows that these interactions can either compete with or reinforce the photon-mediated interactions that drive superradiance. Understanding this balance is essential for interpreting experiments in regimes where light and matter significantly influence each other. Entanglement lies at the core of the joint lightmatter response. Yet many numerical and analytical approaches treat light and matter as independent, which effectively washes out that link. "Semiclassical models greatly simplify the quantum problem but at the cost of losing crucial information; they effectively ignore possible entanglement between photons and atoms, and we found that in some cases this is not a good approximation," the authors explain. The study introduces a computational approach that keeps entanglement explicit, capturing correlations both within and across the subsystems. Using this method, the authors show that intrinsic interactions between nearby emitters can lower the threshold for superradiance and reveal a previously overlooked ordered state with superradiant properties. Taken together, the results show that accounting for entanglement is essential to chart the full set of states in lightmatter systems. Beyond fundamental interest, cavity lightmatter platforms underpin emerging quantum technologies. A prominent example is quantum batteries: devices that, in principle, can charge and discharge faster and more efficiently by exploiting collective quantum correlations. 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. Superradiant dynamics can accelerate both charging and discharging, improving energy-transfer efficiency. This study clarifies how microscopic interactions between nearby emitters shape those dynamics: by shifting the conditions required for superradiance and steering the system between states, these intrinsic interactions become tunable engineering parameters for designing optimal charging conditions in real materials and cavities. "Once you keep lightmatter entanglement in the model, you can predict when a device will charge quickly and when it won't. That turns a many-body effect into a practical design rule," said Joao Pedro Mendonca. Similar control over lightmatter correlations is also relevant for other platforms, including quantum networks and precision sensors. The project originated from an international collaboration that combined expertise from multiple institutions. Joao Pedro Mendonca carried out multiple research visits to the United States. Close collaboration played a key role in shaping the results. "This is a great example of how international mobility and collaboration can open the door to breakthroughs," the team notes. 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: Ardipithecus display at the National Museum of Ethiopia. Credit: Sailko/Wikipedia For more than a century, scientists have been piecing together the puzzle of human evolution, examining fossil evidence to understand the transition from our earliest ancestors to modern humans. A new study from Washington University in St. Louis, published in Communications Biology, presents compelling evidence to support the hypothesis that humans evolved from an African ape-like ancestor. With this discovery, which challenges previous findings, researchers are able to narrow the range of explanations for the origin of human lineage. In doing so, scientists are one step closer to answering one of life's greatest questions, "where do we come from?" The research, led by Thomas (Cody) Prang, assistant professor of biological anthropology in Arts & Sciences at WashU, revisits the breakthrough discovery of the 4.4-million-year-old Ardipithecusnicknamed "Ardi"which was discovered in 1994. Ardi is one of the oldest and most complete skeletons to ever be discovered. Approximately 1 million years older than "Lucy," another well-known early human ancestor skeleton, Ardi represents an earlier stage of human evolution, according to Prang. "One of the surprises in this discovery was that Ardi walked upright, yet retained a lot of ape-like characteristics, including a grasping foot," Prang said. "Apes, like chimpanzees and gorillas, have a big toe that's divergent, which allows them to grip tree branches as part of a climbing lifestyle. Yet it also had features that align with our lineage. That makes Ardipithecus a true transitional species." Researchers initially proposed that Ardi demonstrated a generalized form of locomotion rather than behavior typical of African apes, leading them to conclude that this very early human ancestor was not similar to apes after all, Prang said. That came as a big surprise to the paleoanthropology community. "Based on their analysis, they concluded that living African apeslike chimpanzees and gorillasare like dead ends or cul-de-sacs of evolution, rather than stages of human emergence," Prang said. "Instead, they thought that Ardi provided evidence for a more generalized ancestor that wasn't similar to chimps or gorillas." Rethinking Ardi By studying chimpanzees' and gorillas' talusthe large bone in the ankle that joins with the tibia of the leg and the calcaneus (heel) of the footresearchers can decipher how they movespecifically, how they climb trees vertically. This important bone also offers insight into how early species transitioned to bipedal (two-legged) locomotion. For this study, Prang and colleagues compared Ardi's ankle to the ankles of apes, monkeys and early humans. Their analysis showed that Ardi's ankle is the only one in the primate fossil record that shares similarities with African apes. According to Prang, these apes are known for their adaptations to vertical climbing and terrestrial plantigrade quadrupedalisma form of locomotion where an animal moves on four limbs on the ground with the entire soles of its feet, including the heel, touching the surfacehinting that Ardi might have used its feet similarly. In addition to these primitive features, Ardi's talus also exhibited characteristics suggesting an enhanced push-off mechanism in the foot. This complexity indicates a blend of climbing and walking behaviors in this early hominin species, which is pivotal in understanding the evolution of bipedalism. "The finding is both controversial and also aligned with what people thought originally," Prang said. "Nobody disputes the importance of the discovery (of Ardi), of course, but many people in the field would say the initial interpretation was probably flawed. And so, this paper is a correction of that initial idea that distanced Ardi from chimpanzees and gorillas." It's important to note that this paper does not imply that humans evolved from chimpanzees. However, the research adds more evidence to the hypothesis that the common ancestor humans share with chimpanzees was probably quite similar to the chimpanzees living today, Prang explained. More information: Prang, T.C. et al, Ardipithecus ramidus ankle provides evidence for African ape-like vertical climbing in the earliest hominins, Communications Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s42003-025-08711-7 www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-08711-7 Journal information: Communications Biology 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: Researchers at the University of Jyvaskyla assessed the extent of harvesting in Finnish forests of different biodiversity values between 2018 and 2022. Credit: Remi Duflot Intensive forest management weakens biodiversity and reduces the amount of forests valuable for biodiversity worldwide, including Finland. Research carried out at the University of Jyvaskyla (Finland) investigated the extent of harvest in forests of different biodiversity values in Finland. The study is published in the European Journal of Forest Research. The results show that harvesting also takes place in forests of high biodiversity value, which highlights the need to integrate biodiversity conservation more closely into forest management practices. Forest ecosystems cover about 30% of the world's land area and support the majority of terrestrial biodiversity. Globally, forest cover loss over the last 20 years has been mainly driven by resource exploitation and the conversion to other land uses such as agriculture. In Europe, particularly in northern Europe, intensive forestry is the main cause of forest ecosystem degradation and the loss of structural complexity and biodiversity. "Intensive forest management refers to a management method in which timber production is maximized. For example, through clear-cutting, soil cultivation, and planting of fast-growing tree species and selected varieties. Trees can also be harvested at a younger age. If ecological aspects are not adequately considered, it can result in habitat loss, reduced forest biodiversity, weakened forest resilience, and negative impact on water bodies," says senior researcher Remi Duflot from the University of Jyvaskyla. Evaluation of conservation management requires knowledge of harvesting Researchers at the University of Jyvaskyla assessed the extent of harvesting in Finnish forests of different biodiversity values between 2018 and 2022. "Using Finland as a case study, we investigated whether the most valuable forests in terms of biodiversity conservation are still being harvested or if they are under efficient protection. Finland, with its nationwide estimation of forest biodiversity value and spatially explicit harvests records, provides an excellent example," says Doctoral Researcher Pihla Kortesalmi from the University of Jyvaskyla. Researchers used regional and national maps of forest biodiversity values developed by researchers at the Finnish environment institute (SYKE). Biodiversity values are based on modeled deadwood potential determined by forest type, tree species, and stand volume, along with information about forest use in the area, known presence of endangered species, and the connectivity of forest landscapes. "We used two complementary sources of harvesting data. The Global Forest Change data showing annual loss of forest cover based on Landsat satellite images, and compulsory forest use notifications filed prior to forestry operations," says Kortesalmi. Findings indicate that harvesting still takes place in forests with high biodiversity values. The biodiversity values of harvested areas are higher in the southern part of the country than in the northern, and when assessed by region, are slightly higher than the average biodiversity values of forests in that region. Around one-third of the top 10% of forests with the highest biodiversity value are currently protected. "Results show that harvesting affects all forests outside of protected areas irrespective of their biodiversity value. If harvesting continues at the same rate as in 20182022, all unprotected high biodiversity-value forests will be affected in the next few decades. In the future, forest use intensity could be reduced using a combination of increased protected area and extensive practices such as continuous cover forestry," says Duflot. More information: Pihla Kortesalmi et al, Continued exploitation of high biodiversity value forests outside of protected areas in Finland, European Journal of Forest Research (2025). DOI: 10.1007/s10342-025-01823-z 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: Students in Dan Distel's lab at the Ocean Genome Legacy Center found that thawing biological samples in EDTA preservative yielded high quality DNA. Now the "OGL fix" preservative is patent protected. Credit: Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University Preserving DNA in biological samples has long posed a challenge for researchers, but the process may be about to get a lot easier. Researchers and students at Northeastern's Ocean Genome Legacy Center (OGL) have developed what they claim is a breakthrough in DNA recovery from frozen tissues. And they shared the discovery in a recent publication in PLOS One. The Northeastern team found that using a common food additive called EDTA did a better job of preserving the DNA of biological specimens than traditional methods such as immersion in ethanol. "We discovered that EDTA is very effective at preserving DNA in tissue samples, which was something that no one had actually demonstrated before," says Dan Distel, the project's principal investigator and director of OGL. "EDTA is safer and more effective than ethanol, and much more convenient than working with frozen tissues," Distel says. The team recently received patent approval to protect their discovery. An unexpected discovery The discovery came about when Distel and students were working with frozen fish samples, including samples they received from the state of Connecticut's Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. The researchers extracted DNA directly from frozen tissues and from frozen tissue samples that were thawed in either EDTA or ethanol before DNA extraction. What they found was that the quality and quantity of DNA recovered from the EDTA-thawed samples were superior to that recovered from either frozen or ethanol-thawed tissues. "Freezing at ultra-cold temperatures is considered the gold standard for preserving DNA in tissue," says Distel. "The problem is you have to thaw the material to extract the DNA, and it turns out that a very brief period of thawing, even for a matter of seconds, is enough to allow degradation of DNA in the tissue," he says. Some of the frozen samples yielded so little high-quality DNA that lab members Hannah Appiah-Madson and Rosie Falco Poulin first flagged them as poor quality samples that were already degraded before they were frozen, Distel says. But when students thawed samples from the same fish in EDTA, they obtained large amounts of high-quality DNA. "The effect was highly statistically significant," Distel says. It was almost as if the DNA had been magically resurrected, he says. "That is when we realized that the original samples were fine. Instead, the damage was occurring during DNA extraction. However, when EDTA was present, it kept the DNA safe." No refrigeration, no problem. Students at Dan Distel's lab in Nahant helped develop a new and safe method of preserving biological tissue samples. Credit: Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University A chelating agent The major players in DNA degradation are enzymes called DNases, which are found in most tissues. Short for ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, EDTA is a chelating agent that works by scooping up the metal ions that these enzymes use to attack DNA, Distel says. "It grabs those ions out of solution and binds them really tightly so the enzymes can't break down the DNA," he says. In addition to using DNA extraction for sequencing genomes, scientists use it to detect viruses and bacteria in the environment, study forensic evidence and develop new drugs, among other things. EDTA does not have the challenges of ethanol, which is flammable and must be shipped as a hazardous material, or of keeping specimens frozen. "Maintaining a cold chain from a remote field collection site to a freezer at Northeasternthat's a pretty difficult task and very expensive to do," Distel says. Undergraduate discoveries What makes the EDTA discovery story a bit unusual is that the work in this paper, and two previous publications from Distel's lab, rely heavily on the work of undergraduate co-op students. "You're not going to win a Nobel Prize for the newest preservative," Distel says. "But we realized that for undergraduate students, the research is ideal. They're not under any pressure to publish, but getting their name on publications is really a feather in their caps." "Undergraduate students are the first authors on all three papers," he says. It was undergraduates, for instance, that helped determine that EDTA is the only active ingredient in a commonly used preservative known as DMSO-salt, Distel says. They also were involved in the discovery that increasing the pH of the EDTA solution significantly improved its effectiveness. Fifth year student Molly Johnson says setting up a multi-year experiment to examine the effect of different chemicals, including EDTA, on DNA preservation as a co-op student further cemented her plans to study marine science in graduate school. "It was very exciting to know I was working on novel research and contributing to a product that could make marine species sampling more accessible for international researchers," she says. Preserving the ocean's legacy Whether they know it or not, scientists exchanging marine samples with Northeastern's Ocean Genome Legacy Center have been using the preservative discovered by Distel's lab for years. "We have a preservative that we distribute with our sample kits in pre-filled tubes that researchers mail back to us. We call it 'OGL Fix,' but it's EDTA," Distel says. "At OGL, we are always looking for better ways to preserve DNA in tissue," he says, " and we publish all our discoveries so that anyone can use them." More information: Ella Messner et al, Perish the thawed? EDTA reduces DNA degradation during extraction from frozen tissue, PLOS One (2025). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0321872 Journal information: PLoS ONE This story is republished courtesy of Northeastern Global News news.northeastern.edu. 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: Boron isotope tracers of diffusion during glass dissolution. Credit: Thomas L. Gout, Rui Guo, Sambuddha Misra, Edward T. Tipper, Madeleine S. Bohlin, Yandi Hu & Ian Farnan A new study has uncovered how tiny differences in boron atoms can help scientists better predict the long-term behavior of glass used to store hazardous waste. The findings, published in Environmental and Biogeochemical Processes, could improve forecasts of how radioactive materials are released from storage over thousands of years. Glass is often used to immobilize contaminants such as radionuclides and heavy metals, locking them safely inside a stable structure. However, when groundwater seeps into disposal sites, the glass can gradually dissolve. Understanding this process is crucial for ensuring the safety of geological waste repositories. Researchers from Peking University, the University of Cambridge, and partner institutions used boron isotope "fingerprinting" to trace how boron moves within dissolving glass. By comparing two types of borosilicate glass, one containing magnesium and one without, the team discovered that the diffusion of boron atoms depends strongly on the glass composition and the time it has been exposed to water. In laboratory experiments, the glasses were placed in pure water at 90 degrees Celsius for up to 112 days. Measurements of boron isotopes showed that at early stages, boron was released evenly from the glass surface. Over time, however, diffusion through an altered surface layer became a key mechanism controlling the release. In magnesium-bearing glass, the formation of secondary minerals slowed the dissolution, creating a dense, protective layer. In contrast, the magnesium-free glass developed a surface layer that offered little protection, allowing boron to continue diffusing out. "Boron isotopes provide a sensitive and direct tracer of how waste glasses interact with water," said lead author Thomas L. Gout. "They help reveal when the glass dissolves uniformly and when the process becomes controlled by diffusion through a transformed surface layer." The research offers a new approach for monitoring and modeling glass corrosion in environmental and nuclear waste management. By identifying how isotopic signatures change as glass ages, scientists can better estimate the long-term release of contaminants into groundwater systems. This study demonstrates that isotope-based techniques can provide detailed insights into the complex reactions occurring within waste materials. Such knowledge is essential for designing safer storage strategies for nuclear and industrial waste in the coming centuries. More information: Gout TL, et al. Boron isotope tracers of diffusion during glass dissolution. Environmental and Biogeochemical Processes (2025). DOI: 10.48130/ebp-0025-0004. www.maxapress.com/article/doi/ .48130/ebp-0025-0004 Provided by Shenyang Agricultural University This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Brazil, India, Italy and Japan have vowed to dramatically increase production and consumption of renewable fuels ahead of the UN's planned climate summit in Belem, Brazil. Brazil, India, Italy and Japan vowed Tuesday to quadruple their production and consumption of renewable fuels, hoping other countries will join the pledge during UN climate talks in November. "We hope to have a good number of signatories" by COP30, Brazilian foreign ministry official Joao Marcos Paes Leme told reporters in the capital Brasilia. "Other European countries are also interested," he added. Paes Leme was speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of representatives from 67 countries in the run up to COP30 climate talks in the Amazon city of Belem next month. The pledge involves quadrupling the production of sustainable fuels such as biofuels, hydrogen and some synthetic fuels by 2035, compared to 2024 levels. Paes Leme noted that these fuels can be used to replace planet-harming fossil fuels in sectors such as aviation, maritime transport, or the cement and steel industries. "These are sectors where decarbonization is difficult," because electrical energy has not yet succeeded in replacing fossil fuels. Sustainable fuels are already used in these industries "but they are not produced in sufficient quantities," he said. The massive use of coal, oil, and fossil gas for energy since the industrial revolution is the primary driver of human-induced global warming. The commitment to sustainable fuels "is something we love to hear," said Francesco La Camera, director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). However, he warned that some biofuels can be harmful due to the vast expanses of land required to produce raw materials such as sugarcane, soy, or corn. "We have to be serious about what we say, sustainable fuel also means sustainable from the perspective of land use." For the first time, the world pledged to "transition away" from fossil fuels at COP28 in Dubai in 2023. However many of the largest fossil-fuel producing nationsincluding Brazilare planning to increase production in the coming years. 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: Credit: CC0 Public Domain A team of researchers, led by Cambridge University, has now formulated a method to assess whether carbon removal portfolios can help limit global warming over centuries. The approach also distinguishes between buying credits to offset risk versus claiming net-negative emissions. The study paves the way for nature-based carbon removal projectssuch as planting new forests or restoring existing onesto become effective climate change solutions when balanced with a portfolio of other removal techniques, according to researchers. They say the findings, published in the journal Joule, show how nature-based and technology-based carbon storage solutions can work together through the transition to net zero, challenging the notion that only permanent tech-based "geological storage" can effectively tackle climate change. The study's authors point out that some carbon removal portfolios, such as California's forest carbon offsets program, may be severely underfunded for risks beyond the next few decades. They call for a "buffer" of around two tons of stored carbon for every ton offset in portfolios containing nature-based solutions, noting that this is "sufficient in most cases" to manage long-term risks. However, researchers say the most high-risk portfolios that rely heavily on nature-based offsetting might need extreme buffers of nine tons of carbon removed for every ton emitted. The authors caution against the use of such portfolios given the costs and uncertainties involved. "Tech giants like Microsoft and Meta are collectively spending billions on carbon removal portfolios to offset their growing carbon footprints," said lead author Dr. Conor Hickey, Assistant Professor of Energy and Climate at Cambridge University's Department of Land Economy. "While companies and countries agree that increased investment in carbon removal is essential to reach net zero targets, they also want to understand whether carbon removal schemes can help stabilize global temperatures over the long term." "Our risk management approach offers one of the first reliable measures for portfolio managers targeting long-term temperature stabilization," said Hickey. "It shows that nature-based carbon storage such as tree planting has a bigger role to play than critics assume when used as part of a diversified carbon removal portfolio." "Durable net zero means geological net zero," said Professor Myles Allen, a co-author on the paper and Professor of Geosystem Science at the University of Oxford. "To stabilize climate in line with Paris Agreement goals, anyone still relying on offsets must plan to shift entirely to carbon dioxide removal with geological storage by the middle of the century." Current market incentives favor cheaper and more available 'biological' projects to pull carbon dioxide (CO) from the atmosphere and store it, such as forestry, which locks carbon in trees, or biochar, where plant materials are heated to create a charcoal-like substance that traps carbon when incorporated into soil. However, these methods carry a higher risk of carbon re-release, such as when land use changes or wildfires increase. They are often considered only a temporary solutionthe carbon is not locked away for long enough to stem rising global temperatures. 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. Alternative tech-based solutions like Direct Air Capture (DAC) are proving hard to grow at scale when costs remain high and the process energy-intensive. Yet the permanence of carbon storage means this emerging technology is less vulnerable to reversal, such as through leakage. DAC can be combined with deep underground storage to lock the CO away. For the latest study, the research team have developed a new "risk management framework" to accurately calculate the additional CO removal needed to keep temperatures stable over centuries for various storage portfolios. Their analysis shows that in some cases, such as a high-risk portfolio dominated by forestry projects, the extra amount of CO removal needed to make up for this risk doesn't change muchwhether the timescale is 300 or even 1,000 years. "Removing more carbon now can effectively cover carbon storage risk for centuries, and this can be done with a mix of nature and tech, as long as the right buffers are built in," said Hickey. "Portfolios can combine expensive permanent solutions like DAC with lower-cost nature-based options like planting treesmatching society's willingness to pay while still contributing to temperature stabilization goals." "Our approach enables strategic carbon storage choices based on current availability, while targeting long-term temperature stabilization. It provides buyer flexibility while valuing lower-risk storage options, something today's market lacks," said Hickey. By 2050, the UK aims to achieve net zero, with geological storage expected to play a major role in storing any ongoing CO emissions. Incoming UK and EU guidance states that projects must be subject to a minimum 200-year permanence requirement. More information: Carbon Storage Portfolios for the Transition to Net Zero, Joule (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.joule.2025.102164. www.cell.com/joule/fulltext/S2542-4351(25)00345-9 Journal information: Joule Theme events carried out across China to mark upcoming World Food Day Xinhua) 08:42, October 15, 2025 Children peel corn at a kindergarten in Tangshan City, north China's Hebei Province, on Oct. 14, 2025. Theme events have been carried out across China to mark World Food Day that falls on Oct. 16. (Photo by Liu Mancang/Xinhua) Children learn to identify grains under the guidance of a teacher at a kindergarten in Lianyungang City, east China's Jiangsu Province, on Oct. 14, 2025. Theme events have been carried out across China to mark World Food Day that falls on Oct. 16. (Photo by Wang Chun/Xinhua) Children take part in a competition of "planting rice seedlings" at a kindergarten in Licang District of Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on Oct. 14, 2025. Theme events have been carried out across China to mark World Food Day that falls on Oct. 16. (Photo by Zhang Ying/Xinhua) A child learns to identify grains under the guidance of a volunteer at a kindergarten in Tianjin, north China, on Oct. 14, 2025. Theme events have been carried out across China to mark World Food Day that falls on Oct. 16. (Photo by Du Penghui/Xinhua) Children learn to identify grains under the guidance of a teacher at a kindergarten in Licang District of Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on Oct. 14, 2025. Theme events have been carried out across China to mark World Food Day that falls on Oct. 16. (Photo by Zhang Ying/Xinhua) Children learn to identify grains under the guidance of a teacher at a primary school in Taizhou City, east China's Jiangsu Province, on Oct. 14, 2025. Theme events have been carried out across China to mark World Food Day that falls on Oct. 16. (Photo by Zhou Shegen/Xinhua) A teacher educates children on cherishing food at a kindergarten in Tangshan City, north China's Hebei Province, on Oct. 14, 2025. Theme events have been carried out across China to mark World Food Day that falls on Oct. 16. (Photo by Liu Mancang/Xinhua) Children from a kindergarten pick up rice ears in a field in Deqing County of Huzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Oct. 14, 2025. Theme events have been carried out across China to mark World Food Day that falls on Oct. 16 annually. (Photo by Ni Lifang/Xinhua) Children learn knowledge about grain under the guidance of a teacher at a kindergarten in Yinan County of Linyi City, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 14, 2025. Theme events have been carried out across China to mark World Food Day that falls on Oct. 16 annually. (Photo by Wang Yanbing/Xinhua) Pupils learn knowledge about grain under the guidance of a teacher at a kindergarten in Yanfeng District of Hengyang City, central China's Hunan Province, Oct. 14, 2025. Theme events have been carried out across China to mark World Food Day that falls on Oct. 16 annually. (Photo by Cao Zhengping/Xinhua) A theme activity on "Cherish Food, Start with Me" is held at a primary school in Ruyang County, Luoyang City, Henan Province, Oct. 14, 2025. Theme events have been carried out across China to mark World Food Day that falls on Oct. 16 annually. (Photo by Kang Hongjun/Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) AALBORG, Denmark, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Asetek A/S ("Asetek" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a long-term agreement with an undisclosed customer for the delivery of high-end liquid cooling solutions based on the Ingrid technology platform, which sets new standards for acoustic and thermal performance. Because of the agreement, the Company has raised the medium-term ambition for the Liquid Cooling segment. The agreement includes a minimum volume commitment estimated at $35 million during the first 2-year term, from start of shipments, but revenues may be higher depending on actual order volumes. Asetek will provide liquid coolers, caps, heat exchangers and fans in one retail package, implying higher unit revenue in exchange for a slightly reduced gross margin due to the bundled accessories/commodities carrying lower margins. The agreement covers two products and deliveries of the first product are scheduled to start in Q2 2026 with deliveries for the second product scheduled to begin Q4 2026. The Company expects the customer to reclaim a top tier position when shipments are fully up and running in 2027. The undisclosed party is a globally leading provider of high-quality computers, components and accessories for the PC gaming community and has historically been one of Asetek's top three customers. The agreement reinforces the strong historic collaboration following a period of reduced shipments. "This confirms Asetek's position as the top innovator of liquid cooling solutions with market leading thermal and leading acoustic performance. We have worked closely with this customer for more than 10 years and can tailor solutions to meet their specific demands. This is supported by close dialogue between both our R&D teams ensuring the best possible offering to their end-users," said, Henrik Lindskou-Mouritsen, VP Global Sales at Asetek. Due to the agreement, the Company has revised its medium-term ambitions communicated in November 2024. For the Liquid Cooling segment, the Company now aims to reach revenue of above USD 65 million (previously USD 50 million) towards the end of the medium term. The Company expects revenue growth from 2026 and onwards aligned with previous expectations. Further, the Company aims to consistently achieve an Adjusted EBITDA Margin of above 25% (previously +25%) in the medium term for the Liquid Cooling segment. The full-year 2025 Group and segment guidance is not impacted. "We are very pleased that one of Asetek's largest customers over time is returning after pursuing a dual-sourcing strategy, and it is the second returning customer in a short time frame. It shows the strong momentum we are experiencing with new and existing Liquid Cooling customers led by product innovation, focused commercial work and a growing recognition of our proven quality, supply chain and full-service offering. It also underpins our expectations of the Liquid Cooling business returning to revenue growth from 2026," said, Andre Sloth Eriksen the CEO of Asetek. For questions or further information, please contact CFO Peter Dam Madsen, +45 2080 7200, email: [email protected] About Asetek Asetek (ASTK), a global leader in mechatronic innovation, is a Danish garage-to-stock-exchange success story. Founded in 2000, Asetek established its innovative position as the leading OEM developer and producer of the all-in-one liquid cooler for all major PC & Enthusiast gaming brands. In 2021, Asetek introduced its line of products for next level immersive SimSports gaming experiences. Asetek is headquartered in Denmark and has operations in China and Taiwan. www.asetek.com Forward-looking statements This announcement includes forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of the Company's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning our plans, objectives, goals, future events, performance, and/or other information that is not historical information. All such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances after the date made, except as required by law. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/asetek/r/asetek-signs-major-agreement-with-returning-customer-for-supply-of-high-end-liquid-cooling-products-,c4250448 The following files are available for download: SOURCE Asetek 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: TgAP2X-7 is a cell cycle-regulated nuclear protein. Credit: mSphere (2025). DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00438-25 Rajshekhar Gaji was staring at something that should not exist. Under his microscope, parasites that should have been thriving were instead dyingcompletely unable to survive without a protein his lab had managed to switch off. "It was an amazing day," said Gaji, assistant professor of parasitology at the VirginiaMaryland College of Veterinary Medicine. That moment of discovery could eventually help the 40 million Americans walking around with a microscopic parasite permanently residing in their brains. The findings are published in the journal mSphere. The invisible epidemic Toxoplasma gondii lurks in the bodies of roughly one-third of all humans on Earthabout 40 million people in the United States alone, who carry this hidden passenger they'll never be able to eliminate. Most never know it is there. For healthy individuals, the parasite typically causes no symptoms, remaining dormant for decades. But when the immune system weakensduring cancer treatment, organ transplantation, or HIV infectionthis silent hitchhiker becomes a killer. "The parasite that's sitting in the brain gets reactivated, starts multiplying, and then it's fatal," Gaji said. "Because of that, the parasite is a dreaded pathogen." Pregnant women face a different danger. Toxoplasma can cross the placental barrier, causing miscarriages or severe congenital disabilities, including blindness and neurological damage. Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent infection, and existing treatments only work during the acute phase of the diseasethey cannot address the chronic form that establishes itself permanently in the brain. Finding the master switch Gaji's lab focuses on a family of proteins called transcription factorsmolecular switches that control when genes turn on and off. Think of them as the parasite's mission control center, coordinating everything from invasion to survival. The team focused on one protein, TgAP2X-7, that appeared essential for parasite survival. Using a technique that involves plant hormone receptors, Gaji's lab engineered parasites in which this protein could be destroyed by adding a simple chemical. When graduate student Padmaja Mandadi added that chemical, the results were dramatic. "These parasites completely stop growing, and they cannot survive," Gaji said. "That shows this particular transcription factor is essential for the parasite to survive within the host." The discovery revealed something more promising: This protein is fundamentally different from anything found in human cells. That uniqueness makes it an ideal target for future drugstreatments could attack the parasite without harming patients. Beyond one protein But Gaji's research suggests TgAP2X-7 is just the tip of the iceberg. His lab has identified an entire family of understudied proteins called TKL kinaseseight different molecular switches that seem to orchestrate the parasite's most critical functions. "Ours is the only lab currently studying this family of kinases in Toxoplasma," Gaji said. Six of these proteins are predicted to be essential for parasite growth, and his team has already shown that at least two control vital processes in the parasite's nucleus. This represents a treasure trove of drug targets. While other researchers focus on obvious pathways, Gaji has carved out a unique territory in the parasite's control systemsthe master switches that govern everything else. 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 veterinary medicine breakthrough For veterinarians and animal owners, this research carries special significance. Toxoplasma spreads primarily through cats, which serve as the definitive host for the parasite. The parasite completes its sexual life cycle in cats and is shed in their feces as oocysts, which then contaminate food, water, and soil. "Cats act as the definitive hosts for this parasite," Gaji explained. Understanding how the parasite operates could lead to new prevention strategies protecting both animals and their human companions. The work exemplifies how veterinary medicine increasingly drives innovation in human health. Gaji's background spans both animal and human pathogens, reflecting the interconnected nature of disease in our shared world. His research approachmapping the fundamental control systems that parasites use to survivecould prove valuable beyond the context of toxoplasmosis. Many disease-causing parasites rely on similar molecular machinery, suggesting insights from this work might translate to treatments for malaria, cryptosporidiosis, and other apicomplexan diseases. The long road to treatment Developing a new drug typically takes a decade or more, but Gaji's work provides a crucial foundation for that journey. The financial incentives are substantial: with 30% of the global population infected, effective treatments for toxoplasmosis represent a significant market opportunity. "It is a significant parasite infection that needs a lot of research and financial investment," Gaji said. Gaji's lab is now working to understand precisely how TgAP2X-7 controls parasite survival. His lab has identified the specific DNA sequence this protein recognizesessentially cracking part of the parasite's genetic code. The next step involves mapping which genes this master switch controls and understanding why its disappearance proves fatal. "We want to understand why these different amino acids in this protein are actually involved in binding to that particular motif in gene promoters," Gaji said. The research also opens new frontiers in parasite biology. By studying how these master switches operate during different stages of the parasite's complex life cycle, scientists might find vulnerabilities that could be exploited therapeutically. As Gaji continues mapping the parasite's control systems, he is building toward something bigger than treating a single disease. Gaji is developing a new understanding of how some of humanity's most persistent microbial enemies operateknowledge that could reshape how we fight infectious diseases for generations to come. The parasite that has quietly infected billions may have just met its match in a lab in Blacksburg, where researchers are learning to speak its molecular language and turn its own control systems against it. More information: Padmaja Mandadi et al, TgAP2X-7 is a novel cell cycle-regulated transcription factor that plays an essential role in Toxoplasmatachyzoite propagation, mSphere (2025). DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00438-25 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 There is no popular support for imposing trade tariffs in Europenot even in response to Trump's trade policies. This is according to a new study based on responses from 5,500 people in Germany and the UK. The paper is published in the Journal of European Public Policy. In two major opinion surveys in Germany and the UK, researchers investigated people's thoughts about tariffs. Participants were asked to take a position on tariffs to protect their own country's economy, support green investments and respond to Donald Trump's new trade policies. The result was unequivocal: European voters reject tariffs no matter how they are justified. "We were surprised at the consistency of the opposition. Even when tariffs were presented as a way of financing climate action, people preferred other economic solutions," says Michal Grahn, a political scientist and first author of the study. European voters prefer stability The study, a collaboration among Uppsala University, the University of Reading and the University of Southampton, was conducted in conjunction with the introduction of the US tariffs in spring 2025, which targeted imports from both the EU and the UK. The researchers used conjoint experiments, where participants were asked to weigh different policy proposals against each otherjust like in real elections. In all, nearly 4,000 people took part in Germany and 1,500 in the UK. They were recruited via established online panels and the samples were representative of the population in each country. Participants were asked to choose between different economic policy packages setting tariffs against other options. According to the study, trade tariffs are not an issue that scores political points. European voters prefer stability and cooperation to trade policy countermeasures. The researchers argue the results are important for European policymakers. "Even at a time of global uncertainty, there is no widespread support for responding to US protectionism with tariffs of our own. There is an idea that tougher trade policies are popular, but our results show the opposite. European voters seem to favor caution over conflict," Grahn concludes. More information: Michal Grahn et al, A game of tariffs: is there demand for tariffs in Europe?, Journal of European Public Policy (2025). DOI: 10.1080/13501763.2025.2571062 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 threespine sticklebacka small fish found across the Northern hemisphere helps us understand how new species form. Credit: Marius Rosti A simple change in species composition can impact the course of evolution: A research team from the University of Bern and the University of British Columbia in Canada shows that the presence of just one other fish species is enough to drive the emergence of new species in sticklebacks. It has long been assumed that adaptation to different habitats plays an important role in the evolution of new species. Yet how important this influence truly isparticularly during the initial stages of the speciation processand which ecological differences are most critical remain major questions in evolutionary research. For the current study, the research team studied populations of threespine sticklebacksmall fish about the size of a fingerfrom lakes in western Canada. These lakes formed after glaciers from the last ice age melted less than 12,000 years ago and were then colonized by sticklebacks from the sea. While many of these lakes are environmentally similar, they differ in one aspect: in some, another fish species, the prickly sculpin, lives alongside sticklebacks, while in other lakes sculpins are absent. This seemingly simple ecological differenceliving with or without sculpinshas repeatedly pushed sticklebacks down distinct evolutionary paths: in lakes with sculpins, sticklebacks have evolved into slimmer open-water forms, while in sculpin-free lakes they have become stockier bottom-feeding specialists. "Our study sheds light on how new species form and on the role ecological differences play in initiating this process," says Dr. Marius Roesti from the Institute of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Bern. Roesti is the first author of the study, which has just been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. He initiated the research project during his postdoctoral work at the University of British Columbia in Canada and completed it at the University of Bern. Mating isolation as a decisive step on the way to new species To test whether the ecological differences between sticklebacks from these different lake types have triggered the evolution of new species, the researchers caught several hundred sticklebacks from multiple lakes with and without sculpins and introduced them into large experimental ponds. A genetic parentage analysis of more than 400 offspring revealed that the fish tended to mate with partners from the same lake type. In some cases, this mate preference was so strong that populations from different lake types separated completely. Roesti explains, "Being able to witness the emergence of new species was only possible through our experimental approach. By bringing these evolutionarily young populations from distinct lakes together in the same ponds, we could directly test whether they remained reproductively isolatedand indeed, sticklebacks from different lake types partially did so despite ample mating opportunitiesa decisive step on the path toward becoming new species." A male threespine stickleback guarding eggs in his nest. Credit: Marius Rosti Interaction with a single, ecologically similar species crucial for evolution The study further shows that the degree of isolation was not random but depended on how much populations had adapted, in both body shape and the genome, to the presence of sculpins. Put simply, the more populations differed in shape and genes between lakes with and without sculpins, the less willing they were to mate. "Remarkably, sculpins and sticklebacks hardly interact directly. Instead, they compete for similar prey and share some of the same predators, influencing each other mainly indirectly through these ecological links," explains Roesti. Close, direct relationships between species, such as between hosts and parasites or plants and pollinators, have long been seen as powerful engines of speciation. "Our results suggest that indirect interactions between ecologically similar species can also ignite this evolutionary process," says Roesti. More broadly, the results show that adaptation to different ecological conditions can, even between geographically isolated populations, be an important driver of speciation. Although geographic isolation is often viewed as a prerequisite for speciation to begin, the importance of ecological adaptation at these early stages remains controversial. "Our study shows that even in geographically isolated populations, speciation does not necessarily unfold slowly or by chanceadaptation to subtle ecological differences can be enough to trigger the process in surprisingly little time," says Roesti. 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. Delicate evolutionary balance between interacting species The study makes clear that even small ecological differences have the potential to shape the course of evolution. It also highlights how sensitive interactions between species are for biodiversity as a whole: depending on which and how such interactions change, new species can form or existing ones can disappear. "We recently learned that one of the stickleback populations we studied has gone extinct after a predatory, non-native fish species was introduced into its lake. This is a sad example showing how human interventions can alter species coexistence and thereby profoundly influence natural evolutionary processes," says Roesti. The researchers are continuing their investigations into the formation of speciesincluding in waters in Central Europe, such as in the Lake Constance region, where sticklebacks have also adapted to different habitats. A continuing focus remains the use of field experiments to better understand the mechanisms of speciation under natural conditions. By combining such experiments with high-resolution laboratory analyses, the researchers hope to gain further insights into the evolutionary mechanisms underlying biological diversity. More information: Marius Roesti et al, A species interaction kick-starts ecological speciation in allopatry, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2506625122 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 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: Expansion of the universe. Credit: Christian Pfeifer (AI-assisted) Why is the universe expanding at an ever-increasing rate? This is one of the most exciting yet unresolved questions in modern physics. Because it cannot be fully answered using our current physical worldview, researchers assume the existence of a mysterious "dark energy." However, its origin remains unclear to this day. An international research team from the Center for Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM) at the University of Bremen and the Transylvanian University of Brasov in Romania has come to the conclusion that the expansion of the universe can be explainedat least in partwithout dark energy. In physics, the evolution of the universe has so far been described by the general theory of relativity and the so-called Friedmann equations. However, in order to explain the observed expansion of the universe on this basis, an additional "dark energy term" must be manually added to the equations. This unsatisfactory solution prompted the researchers to take a different approach. Their findings, published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, are based on an extension of general relativity (GR) by the later developed model of Finsler gravity. Unlike the original explanatory approach of GRT, the Finsler model allows for a more accurate modeling of the gravitational force of gases, as it is based on a more general spacetime geometry than GRT. When the research team calculated the Finsler extension of the Friedmann equations, they made an exciting discovery: The Finsler-Friedmann equations already predict an accelerated expansion of the universe in a vacuumwithout the need to introduce additional assumptions or "dark energy" terms. "This is an exciting indication that we may be able to explain the accelerated expansion of the universe without dark energy, based on a generalized spacetime geometry," says Christian Pfeifer, ZARM physicist and member of the research team. "The new geometry opens up completely new possibilities for better understanding the laws of nature in the cosmos." More information: Christian Pfeifer et al, From kinetic gases to an exponentially expanding universethe Finsler-Friedmann equation, Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics (2025). DOI: 10.1088/1475-7516/2025/10/050. On arXiv (2025). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2504.08062 Journal information: arXiv Provided by Zentrum fur angewandte Raumfahrttechnologie und Mikrogravitation (ZARM) 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 As the world grapples with the dynamic tech environment that shapes public perceptions, trust in governance, public and private institutions, and the media has become topical. As these conversations unfold, researchers caution that trust in public institutions and governance mechanisms will continue to deteriorate if regulatory developments fail to keep up. Much of the concern stems from the rise of AI and the monetization of social media content that drives an "attention-seeking economy" and fuels political polarization and division. "Governance is at the core of maintaining public trust and this requires decisions that are made by organizations to be inclusive and equitable," explains Dr. Thelela Ngcetane-Vika, a Lecturer in the Wits School of Governance. Crucial to good governance is leadership that is answerable and accountable for the decisions and actions that it takes, demonstrating a level of transparency that creates an environment in which the public can trust its organizations and institutions. Gendered governance Ngcetane-Vika's research looks at how gender impacts power dynamics, representation and the distribution of resources within governance systems. She says that gender should be a permanent feature on the agenda of institutions that are serious about good governance, social justice and gender equality. The inclusion of gender in governance will not only reverse past injustices but redefines the face of effective leadership, altering the current systems. "With the genderization of governance, a new functional paradigm could emerge to promote truly inclusive organizations, not only through well-written speeches and political rhetoric, but through the intentional implementation of gender equality policies," she says. The equitable distribution of power through the genderization of governance is one way through which to restore trust and reduce skepticismespecially in the current climate of misinformation, political polarization, corporate scandals, malfeasance and devalued ethics. In South Africa, the failure to address social issues like poverty, unemployment, inequality, health care, education disparities and climate changecompounded with high levels of corruption, incompetence and lack of responsiveness to citizens' concernsfurther erodes trust. Renegade resource-management However, a skeptical public that questions any information that is shared by politicians, governance institutions, the media, academia and business, is a sign of a maturing democracy, says Professor Keith Breckenridge from the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WiSER). He explains that trust is tied to resources, where the failure to protect or govern the resources can lead to distrust and skepticism. Trust infrastructures WiSER's Trust Project interrogates the collapse of public trust. Most recently, its research has been on trust infrastructure, which includes digital tools such as biometric identification systems, predictive machine learning, credit scoring systems, bank account information and geological tools. "The banking system is an example within the trust infrastructures where trust and mistrust coexist. By emphasizing vigilance, banks have created an environment in which their systems are seen to be reliable and trustworthy by users. Mistrust between the central banks, however, is concerning," explains Breckenridge. He says that if the Chinese and the U.S. central banks mistrust each other, that can create all sorts of problems. This can be seen with the gold price, which has increased more than tenfold since 2001. We have also seen the global economy shake in the last two to three years because of mistrust." 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. Economy of mistrust The emergence of the "economy of mistrust" that incentivizes social media users for posting attention-seeking content (that sometimes peddles misinformation) is another concerning issue for Breckenridge. Better regulation and accountability measures for the likes of Meta, Google and X (formerly Twitter) should be in place to prevent a monopoly in this economy that erodes trust and fuels skepticism created by misinformation, according to Breckenridge. "If somebody says something that is untrue on these platforms, Meta should share some of the liability, as would be the case for newspapers which, if they publish something that's libelous, are held responsible and the journalist is basically protected," says Breckenridge. He concludes that while the expression of democratic skepticism on digital platforms is good, the monopolization of these spaces should be curbed. 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: Peaches, who was blown into Florida by Hurricane Idalia in 2023, was sighted in Mexico in June 2025. Credit: Kara Durda/Audubon Florida Hurricane Idalia blew a flamboyance, or flock, of 300400 flamingos that was likely migrating between the Yucatan Peninsula and Cuba off course in August 2023 and unceremoniously deposited the birds across a wide swath of the eastern United States, from Florida's Gulf Coast all the way up to Wisconsin and east to Pennsylvania. I'm an estuarine scientist. That means I study ecosystems where fresh water flows into the ocean. I've spent 35 years with Audubon Florida studying the ecology of American flamingos and other wading birds in Florida Bay, Everglades National Park. So naturally, I was thrilled and intrigued by the sudden arrival of these flamingos. One of the birds was rescued in the Tampa area after nearly drowning in the Gulf of Mexico. His rescuers named him Peaches. A colleague and I were able to place a GPS tracking device and a bright blue band around his spindly leg, with the code "US02" engraved in white letters. We were hoping to track his movements and see whether he ended up settling in Florida. Unfortunately, a few days after Peaches was released back into the wilds of Tampa Bay, the tracking device failed. His last reported sighting was on a beach near Marco Island on Oct. 5, 2023. Then, in June 2025, I received an email from colleagues at the Rio Lagartos Biosphere Reserve in Yucatan, Mexico, who had photographed Peaches, blue band still in place, nesting in the reserve. Peaches' story is the latest piece in the historical puzzle of flamingos in Florida. Though the native population disappeared more than 100 years ago, recent events lead me to believe that flamingos may be coming back to the Sunshine State, and that their return has been facilitated by the concerted effort to restore the Everglades and coastal ecosystems. Decimation of a population In 1956, ornithologist and founder of the National Audubon's Everglades Science Center Robert Porter Allen wrote "The Flamingos: Their Life History and Survival," which is still considered a seminal document on the history of flamingos in Florida. In his book, Allen cites several historical and scientific manuscripts from the 1800s that indicate flamboyances of hundreds to thousands were seen in the Everglades, Florida Bay and the Florida Keys. Allen documents the demise of flamingos in the late 1800s, in Florida and throughout their Caribbean and Bahamian range. Like all wading birds in Florida, they fell victim to the women's fashion trend of adorning hats with bird feathers. Wading bird feathers were literally worth their weight in gold. Led by the National Association of Audubon Societies' vocal opposition, the grassroots environmental movement that followed brought about laws prohibiting the hunting and sale of bird feathers. But enforcement of those laws in sparsely populated Florida was difficult, and on two occasions deputized Audubon wardens were murdered protecting wading bird nesting colonies. Fortunately, within a few years, societal pressure turned the tide against the practice of wearing feathers. The passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in 1918 officially ended the feather trade. Given legal protection, most species managed to reestablish huge nesting populations in the Everglades by the 1930s-1940s, presumably migrating from remote populations in Central America and the Caribbean. Flamingos, however, did not. After Hurricane Idalia, more than 300 credible sightings of flamingos across the eastern U.S. were reported. Credit: Audubon Florida 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 long road to recovery In 1956, 40 years after hunting had ended, Allen estimated flamingo populations were only about 25% of what they had been in the previous century, with numbers plummeting from 168,000 to 43,000 breeding adults. They nested in significant numbers at only four locations, compared to 29 historically. Flamingos' unique breeding behaviors and their longevitythey can live up to 50 years in the wildmay account for their struggle to bounce back. Other Florida wading birds can nest multiple times a year at different locations, laying three to five eggs at a time. Flamingos, on the other hand, nest only once a year, generally returning to the same location year after year, and lay only one egg. Furthermore, they prefer forming huge nesting colonies, with thousands of nests, in part due to their elaborate group courtship rituals. Reason to hope As a result of their rarity from the 1950s to 1980s, scientistsincluding myselfbelieved that any flamingos sighted intermittently around Florida were not wild birds but rather escapees from captive populations. The largest flock observed in the state between 1930 and 1976 was 14 birds spotted in Biscayne Bay in 1934, on the day after Hialeah Race Track in Miami imported a group of about 30 flamingos. The track's owners had failed to pinion the birds, and they simply flew away upon release. But my opinion began to change in 2002, when a flamingo that was banded as a chick at Rio Lagartos was photographed in Florida Bay. In 2012, a second bird from Rio Lagartos was photographed. By that time, I had observed flamingos in Florida Bay on several occasions, including larger flamboyances of 24 and 64 individuals. Although I still thought the majority of these flocks were escapees, the banded birds provided some evidence that at least a few wild flamingos were starting to spend time in Florida. Then in 2015, my colleagues put a tracking device on a flamingo they had captured at the Key West Naval Air Station. Conchy, as we called him, was given the blue band US01 and released in Florida Bay in December 2015. He lived in Florida Bay for two years, and the fact that he stayed for that long was proof to me that it was possible for flamingos to make a more permanent home in Florida. Conchy was banded and given a GPS tracker by Dr. Frank Ridgley of Zoo Miami before being re-released into Florida Bay in 2015. In 2018, several colleagues and I published a paper laying out both evidence from historical accounts and also previously overlooked evidence from museums that flamingos were native to Florida. We also presented new data from researchers and citizen science portals that strongly indicated that wild flamingo numbers were increasing in Florida. This suggested that the population might be finally recovering. Call it a comeback Fast-forward to today, and it appears that this slow comeback may finally have legs. Six months after Hurricane Idalia, my colleagues at Audubon Florida and I conducted a weeklong online survey of flamingo sightings in Florida. We received more than 50 reputable observations. After sorting through these observations to remove duplicates, we concluded that at least 100 flamingos were left in the state. Then in July 2025, a flock of 125 individuals was photographed in Florida Bay. Based on our observations, my colleagues and I believe that the flamingos that arrived with Idalia may be reestablishing a home in Florida. Progress toward restoration The question is, why now? The 24 flamingos I saw in 1992 and the 64 I saw in 2004 didn't take up permanent residence in the state. So what's changed? To me, the answer is clear: Efforts to restore the Everglades and Florida's coastal ecosystems are beginning to show progress. When I arrived in the Keys in 1989, Florida Bay was undergoing an ecological collapse. A 1993 interagency report by the federal government found that a hundred years of draining, diking and rerouting the flows of the Everglades to create urban and agricultural lands had raised the salt content of the water, making it uninhabitable for many estuarine animals. The report noted that the bay's famous seagrass beds were undergoing a massive die-off, accompanied by algal blooms that depleted oxygen levels, thereby killing fish in large numbers. Mangrove trees were dying on its myriad islands, and birds that for decades had nested in them had disappeared. These events kick-started Everglades restoration efforts, and in 2000 the U.S. Congress passed the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan with nearly unanimous bipartisan support. With a cost in the tens of billions of dollars, it was to be the largest and most expensive ecological restoration project the world has ever seen. Today, the bay's health is vastly improved from the condition I observe in the 1980s. Water flow has gotten better, and the salinity is back to appropriate levels to support wildlife. In 2018 and 2021, more than 100,000 pairs of wading birds such as white ibis, wood storks and roseate spoonbills nested in the Everglades. These numbers hadn't been seen since the 1940s. In the 1980s and 1990s, 20,000 nesting pairs was thought to be a banner year. While the Everglades and Florida Bay are still a long way from full restoration, I believe that the return of flamingos such as Conchy and Peaches is evidence that these efforts are on the right track. 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: Schematic representation of intermolecular coulombic decay and proton transfer in liquid water. Credit: Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-61912-w When high-energy radiation interacts with water in living organisms, it generates particles and slow-moving electrons that can subsequently damage critical molecules like DNA. Now, Professor Petr Slavicek and his bachelor's student Jakub Dubsky from UCT Prague (University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague) have described in detail one of the key mechanisms for the creation of these slow electrons in water, a process known as Intermolecular Coulombic Decay (ICD). Their powerful mathematical model successfully explains all the data from complex laser experiments conducted at ETH Zurich (Hans-Jakob Woerner team). The work, which deepens the fundamental understanding of radiation chemistry, has been published in the journal Nature Communications. A detailed knowledge of the processes in aqueous solutions, combined with advances in research technologies using high-energy radiation, is transforming the field of radiation chemistry. In the future, these insights could lead to significant changes in various fields, including medicine, particularly in developing more sensitive and controllable applications for devices based on ionizing radiation. Intermolecular Coulombic Decay (ICD) was first experimentally proven in water about 15 years ago, but until recently, all experiments have been conducted on isolated molecules or very small water clusters. The new research from the Prague-Zurich collaboration is the first to quantify the competition of ICD with proton transfer and nonadiabatic relaxation in liquid water and to establish the isotope dependence. The study shows that after an inner-valence electron is ejected from a water molecule by radiation, the ICD process is not 100% efficient. It is in a race against other phenomena, primarily ultrafast proton transfer between neighboring water molecules and nonadiabatic relaxation. By performing experiments on both regular (HO) and heavy water (DO), the researchers showed that ICD is more efficient in heavy water. This isotope effect confirms that the slower movement of deuterium nuclei gives the electronic decay process more time to occur, providing clear evidence of the competition. "Our model predicts all the data that the instruments in these challenging experiments can measure," says Professor Slavicek. "Therefore, we can also trust it in areas where instruments cannot yet see, and we can explain what happens in a solution after exposure to high-energy radiation." The stochastic model is based on inputs from quantum mechanics, which are typically only feasible to calculate for limited systems like single water molecules or small clusters. These inputs, combined with the experimental results, were developed into a probabilistic model that provides a complete picture of ICD in a realistic environment. Remarkably, the author of the published stochastic model is Jakub Dubsky, who recently completed his bachelor's degree at UCT Prague and is preparing to continue his master's studies at the University of Oxford. "It is extraordinary when an undergraduate student delivers work at the level of a doctoral candidate, resulting in a real, functional product that brings entirely new knowledge," adds Professor Slavicek in praise of his student's contribution. More information: Pengju Zhang et al, Intermolecular Coulombic decay in liquid water competes with proton transfer and non-adiabatic relaxation, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-61912-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: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain How many people in the UK are victims of modern slavery? At present, we don't actually know. There is no consensus on the answer to this question, despite the wide interest in finding it, and the tools and data to do so. Over a decade ago, before the passage of the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015, data analysts estimated that there were between 10,000 and 13,000 victims of modern slavery in the UK. Since then, there have been four further estimates between 2014 and 2023, ranging from 8,300 to 136,000. Why such a huge range? Estimates use different indicators and definitions of modern slavery, as well as different estimation methods. Several parliamentary inquiries have now been conducted focusing on how the UK can strengthen its response to modern slavery. Part of an effective response is understanding the nature and extent of the issue. And this understanding relies on better methods to produce statistically robust estimates of the scale of the problem. The UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner asked our team of researchers at the University of Nottingham's Rights Lab to carry out a scoping review of modern slavery estimates. To do this, we reviewed 46 published studies and 57 data sources, conducted a survey and held workshops with public sector leaders. We identified several methods of estimating modern slavery prevalence in the UK. These can be used depending on the type (or types) of modern slavery and populations that are of interest. Our report also details how the UK might use existing data in novel and innovative ways, such as producing detailed modern slavery risk and vulnerability maps. 'Hard to find' populations Any robust and statistically sound attempt to estimate the number of victims of modern slavery in the UK confronts what methodologists call "the fundamental problem of unobservability." Victims and survivors are a seldom heard, often hidden population comprised of both UK and foreign nationals. The use of force, fraud and coercion that underpin modern slavery are often difficult to detect. They are practices that, while directly experienced, are often not easily observable. Our review examined studies from around the world that address this problem of hidden populations. Most of the studies we examined carefully follow data collection and data analysis principles to produce robust prevalence estimations for the whole world, for specific countries and cities. The remit of our review was not to produce a new estimate, but to identify promising methods of estimation. Our findings show that the best methods to date are either "multiple systems estimation," which analyzes multiple overlapping administrative lists of victims, or some combination of sampling and carefully designed surveys. Both involve collecting and analyzing data, and draw careful inferences from the data in making their estimations. For the UK, the original estimation from 2014 adhered most closely to standard principles of data collection and analysis. But since the passage of the Modern Slavery Act in 2015, the picture has changed. The number of offenses that qualify as modern slavery has expanded considerably in that time and thus a new estimate is much needed. While sampling and survey approaches used in other parts of the world produce sound prevalence estimations, no such study using these methods has been done in the UK. 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. Why counting matters Official statistics from the National Referral Mechanism (NRM)the UK government's framework for identifying victims of modern slaveryshow that there have been 21,285 potential victims identified between July 2024 and June 2025. However, these referrals are only for people who are known and have been formally identified. The true number, should a new estimation be produced, is likely to be much higher. We also know that the referral process itself is highly skewed. Those who took part in our survey and workshops explained that identification varies considerably across police jurisdictions, nationalities and types of offense. These views are corroborated by a new report from the anti-slavery charity Unseen. While providing a strong foundation, the NRM remains a "convenience sample" from which prevalence estimations and statistical inferences currently remain limited. Our review argues that a slight reform to how data is recorded in the case management systemmultiple referrals for the same person should be maintained and not merged into the same recordwould enable analysts to provide an up-to-date estimate using multiple systems estimation. This, along with other studies that focus on particular modern slavery practices for specific subpopulations in the UK, would provide strong evidence on the true number of modern slavery victims. Such analysis would be of benefit to policymakers, law enforcement, academics, charities and survivors themselves. More information: Modern Slavery Prevalence Estimation ion the UK: A Scoping Review, www.nottingham.ac.uk/Research/ A-Scoping-Review.pdf 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: A buff-tailed bumblebee. Credit: Dr Sarah Larragy. The news that native bees are cut from a different cloth has important implications for conservation practices and may also inform the way imported commercial populations are managed. The new research took a deep dive into the population genomics of Irish and British Bombus terrestris audax, colloquially known as the buff-tailed bumblebee. In parallel to this species existing in the wild, it has also been domesticated for commercial use. Commercial colonies are supplied worldwide, including to Ireland and the UK, to boost crop pollination. However, they may pose risks to wild pollinators through disease, competition, or genetic mixing. This widespread bumblebee already has nine recognized subspecies distributed across Europe and North Africa that vary in their genetics and in their form and function. And now the experts behind the work, just published in Evolutionary Applications, believe our Irish bees may require distinct classification compared to their British counterparts. First author, Dr. Sarah Larragy, now based in Trinity College Dublin's School of Natural Sciences, who led this research in Maynooth University, said, "We found clear, genome-wide distinctions between Irish and British Bombus terrestris audax populations. We also identified key differences in some of the genes linked to nervous system function and development in the two populations, suggesting variations in natural selection pressures between the two populations." These findings build on earlier work by other researchers which first uncovered evidence of genetic differences between British and Irish B. terrestris. Larragy and her team's study also indicates that commercial B. t. audax lines share more genetic similarity with British populations than with Irish ones, and presents evidence of either historic continental variation or, potentially, interbreeding between wild and commercial bees. Co-author Dr. Joe Colgan (Assistant Professor at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz) comments on the utility of population genomics in pollinator conservation, saying, "Our study highlights the power of whole-genome resequencing. By uncovering genome-wide distinctions and evidence of differential selection between these bumblebee populations, we provide novel insights that can help guide more effective conservation strategies." Prof. James Carolan, Maynooth University, is a senior author and was co-supervisor of Sarah during her Ph.D. He added, "This work provides more evidence of the significance of the genetic barrier of the Irish Sea, which maintains the distinction of many Irish plant and animal populations when compared to our nearest neighbors." "Lumping groups together because they are found on our two islands ignores this potential genetic integrity, which has some important implications for conservation efforts and our biodiversity in a time when we are wrestling with a global biodiversity crisis." While commercial bumblebee colonies are vital for pollinating crops like apples and strawberries, researchers caution that imports could mix with distinct wild populations, spread pathogens, or compete for limited resources. While the researchers are not suggesting imports should stop, their findings indicate that responsible management of these imports is essential to protect these unique populations. More information: Sarah J. Larragy et al, A GenomeWide Analysis of Structure and Evolution in Irish and British Populations of Bombus terrestris (L. 1758): Implications for Genetic Resource Conservation, Evolutionary Applications (2025). DOI: 10.1111/eva.70141 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 State Board of Education resolution to spike new health education standards failed in a 5-2 evening vote along party lines, shutting down an effort by conservatives to halt certain subjects in sex education from being offered in Michigan classrooms. The resolution by the board's two Republican members sought to stop the proposed new standards from moving forward to the next steps, which include revisions following public comment, another presentation to the Democratic-controlled board and a final vote. The failed vote leaves the same process in place, and the standards will be approved or rejected at a later date. Democrat Tiffany Tilley of West Bloomfield was absent. More than 60 people signed up to speak to the board, both in person and online, during the public comment period. The majority were against the standard changes. But many parents and the two conservative board members, Republicans Tom McMillin of Auburn Hills and Nikki Snyder of Goodrich, said sex education was being "woven" into the health standards so all children, in the end, would receive it. McMillin particularly took issue with proposed standards within sex education around gender identity and sexual orientation. But Board President Pamela Pugh, D-Saginaw, criticized the significant amount of misinformation she said had been circulating in the public and that was coming from some state board members about the standards. "I am outraged that misinformation is being weaponized to frighten parents," Pugh said. Many opponents who spoke during public comment said they were speaking against the standards because students and families should be able to opt out of sex education. But they will still be able to opt out, Pugh said. Others said the board was usurping state law. That's not the case, Pugh said. "It is very clear that parent rights, local control and transparency remain fully intact in the proposed standards," she said. "Parents continue to have the right to review materials to opt their child out of any sex education lesson without penalty." Officials: Standards don't shift state law Changing the standards does not change state law, Michigan Department of Education Deputy Superintendent Diane Golzynski said in an interview. "We don't set state law," Golzynski said. "Legislators set state law. We only set standards. And the standards are set to help local districts choose the curriculum that they want to use." Teaching sex education is not required in Michigan, she said. Districts can opt out entirely. If a district chooses to offer sex education, parents can opt their children out of the program. Students can opt themselves out if they are 18 years or older. Districts also choose their own health and sex education curriculum. The standards, Golzynski said, are "recommendations" and best practices to help districts select a curriculum. If districts do teach sex education under the current standards and the proposed new ones, they would still have to follow state law, which requires sex education to focus on abstinence and cannot include lessons on abortion. All districts are required to teach about HIV, regardless of whether they teach sex education. They would have to have a local sex education advisory board and must notify parents ahead of a sex education lesson. Parents also reserve the right to review all materials that will be used in the class. The controversy came as the new sex education standards are included under the umbrella of the new health education standards, which include subjects like substance abuse, decision-making, balanced eating, mental and emotional health, and healthy relationships. The sections on sex education, now being called "sexual health," have always been included under the health standards umbrella, at least since 2007, Golzynski said, when the standards were last updated. 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. Gender identity standards under fire Under the sexual orientation standard, the proposed recommendations for grades 68 regarding gender identity and sexual orientation, which all fall under the opt-out option, read: Define gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation, and explain that they are distinct components of every individual's identity. Explain how biological sex, gender identity and gender expression are distinct concepts and how they interact with each other. Explain that romantic, emotional, and/or sexual attractions can be toward an individual of the same gender and/or different gender(s), and that attractions can change over time. "That is a belief," McMillin said. "We are instructing beliefs and ideology." The GOP former state lawmaker also said he believed the standards to be unconstitutional, despite other states having the same language, and that it opened school districts and the states to litigation. Pugh called the standards "glossary-level definitions" to help students understand terms they will hear anyway. The state held an open public comment period over the last month, collecting feedback online. Golzynski said the feedback came from opponents and supporters. "It's really all over the board, as we expected," she said. "We have a large number of responses that are based on that misinformation." Some confused the standards with a proposed House bill, Golzynski said, or said they were otherwise changing the law or "embedding" sex education into health education to make it a graduation requirement, none of which is true. "And then we've got all of those that are, "Please pass these, our current ones are so outdated they don't make any sense. I'm a teacher trying to teach health education, and I need these standards,'" Golzynski said. Conservative groups, including Moms for Liberty and Citizens for Traditional Values, put out calls to parents to show up at Tuesday's meeting or call in for public comment. "You will not be able to opt your child out of this curriculum," the Citizens for Traditional Values website said of the proposed standards. Several parents reacted strongly to the possibility during public comment and called the new standards "indoctrination." Billie Schultz of Southgate said she uses the opt-out option for her child. "Under these new standards, that right can be taken away," Schultz said. Public schools, she said, "should welcome all families, not make them feel like they have to leave because of their beliefs." "Not every child is ready or mature enough for some of the topics that are being labeled as health education," she said. Sheila Cohoon of Clinton Township said she had pulled her child out of public schools because of "all of this nonsense around gender." She predicted more would follow suit if the new standards are approved. "You will see a mass exodus that you have never seen before," Cohoon said. "Keep your politics out of my kid's mind." Others in the crowd spoke in favor of the changes, saying they were badly needed updates to the standards. Taryn Gal, executive director of the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health, said she has sat on two school district advisory boards for sex education, half of the members of which must be parents. "I've seen firsthand how health education decisions are made in the state, which is with transparency, parent involvement and community input at every step," Gal said. The standards not being updated since 2007, she said, "means that an entire generation of students has gone through school using outdated guidance that does not reflect what we now know about mental health, technology, vaping, healthy relationships, consent, among many other topics." Al Craven, a retired health education teacher from Stockbridge, said he saw the difference honest health and sex education can make. He said he once taught a lesson on the normalness of "nocturnal emissions" for boys during puberty. One boy came up to him afterward and said, "I thought there was something the matter with me." "We seem unable or unwilling to help our young people with their growth or development," Craven said. 2025 detroitnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. RADNOR, Pa. and PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Avantor, Inc. (NYSE: AVTR), a leading global provider of mission-critical products and services to customers in the life sciences and advanced technologies industries, today announced a strategic partnership with BlueWhale Bio, a commercial-stage company dedicated to transforming immune cell therapy manufacturing and addressing the unmet need in CAR-T production by streamlining manufacturing, reducing variability, and shortening time-to-patient. The partnership combines Avantor's bioprocessing and custom ancillary-reagent manufacturing capabilities with BlueWhale Bio's Synecta cell-derived nanoparticle (CDNP) platform, which mimics natural T-cell stimulation. The collaboration aims to accelerate CDNP manufacturing scale-up to help CAR-T developers significantly reduce expansion time - potentially expanding patient access and manufacturing capacity across the growing cell therapy sector. Together, the teams will produce GMP-grade CDNP materials to support this next-generation manufacturing approach. "Our partnership with BlueWhale Bio reflects Avantor's commitment to delivering highly relevant manufacturing solutions to customers and enabling next-generation therapies through innovation, reliability, and scale," said Emmanuel Ligner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Avantor. "CAR-T therapies have transformed cancer care, but manufacturing remains a major bottleneck characterized by high cost, variability, and lengthy release cycles. The AvantorBlueWhale Bio collaboration addresses these challenges by integrating next-generation activation and expansion reagents into a GMP-ready, scalable platform." Data from BlueWhale Bio's preclinical and clinical programs demonstrate earlier cell division, higher cell yields, and fewer process interventions, indicating potential to reduce CAR-T process time and reduce cell stress during manufacturing. Synecta T1 CDNPs are used in a clinical trial using 3-day CAR-T manufacturing. "BlueWhale Bio was founded to address the toughest manufacturing challenges in cell therapy. Failure to meet target dose levels in immune cell therapies can have a critical downstream impact on patients," said Peter Keller, Chief Executive Officer of BlueWhale Bio. "By partnering with Avantor, we're combining our novel Synecta platform with industrial-strength execution to accelerate the journey from discovery to delivery." About Avantor Avantor is a leading life science tools company and global provider of mission-critical products and services to the life sciences and advanced technology industries. We work side-by-side with customers at every step of the scientific journey to enable breakthroughs in medicine, healthcare, and technology. Our portfolio is used in virtually every stage of the most important research, development and production activities at more than 300,000 customer locations in 180 countries. For more information, visit avantorsciences.com and find us on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and Facebook. About BlueWhale Bio BlueWhale Bio is dedicated to accelerating the growth and adoption of cell-based therapies by transforming the manufacturing process of immune cell therapy. The company is developing a portfolio of critical materials that bring the full benefits of higher-performing cell therapies to more patients faster and at lower costs. Its first product, Synecta T1, is used in a phase 1 clinical trial for a 3-day manufacturing process of an armored CAR-T. BlueWhale's innovations are based on cutting-edge discoveries in cell activation led by Dr. Carl June and Dr. Jim Riley at the University of Pennsylvania. Synecta CDNPs are commercially available at www.bluewhale.bio Follow us on LinkedIn. Avantor Media Contact Eric Van Zanten Head of External Communications Avantor 610-529-6219 [email protected] Avantor Investor Relations Contact Allison Hosak Senior Vice President, Global Communications Avantor 908-329-7281 [email protected] BlueWhale Bio Media Contact Cammy Duong [email protected] SOURCE Avantor and Financial News This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources cannot show that it's protecting wildlife from harmful logging on public lands, six years after the concern was raised by DNR's own field staff, a state audit concluded. The Office of the Legislative Auditor undertook a special review of DNR timber sales in 1.3 million acres of wildlife management areas (WMAs) across the state. The review found that a lack of plans, poor documentation and unclear guidance makes it uncertaineven todayif DNR is protecting wildlife habitat as required by law. Deputy Legislative Auditor Katherine Theisen, who ran the special review, told legislators Tuesday at a hearing that DNR has written only seven management plans for more than 1,500 WMAs. She noted that the agency waited more than 30 years to write an updated management plan for Red Lake WMAthe state's largest. "By law, DNR is authorized to harvest timber in WMAs only to protect, perpetuate, or re-establish habitat to produce wildlife, including for public hunting, fishing, trapping and similar outdoor recreational uses," Theisen and Legislative Auditor Judy Randall wrote in the report. Without those plans or documentation, it's not possible to know if DNR is following that law, Theisen said. The report recommends the Legislature step in to help fix the problem. Putting timber up for sale is a legitimate way to manage wildlife landscapes, but DNR wildlife managers have been objecting for years that cordage demands from the forestry division have taken priority. In particular, wildlife managers have regretted the loss of older timber stands with special wildlife values. Theisen said her office decided to probe DNR after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in August 2023 prohibited timber sales from Minnesota wildlife management areas, temporarily suspended a multi-million grant to the state agency, and delayed approval of another grant. The rare federal sanctions against DNR were lifted in December 2023 after an agreement was reached to improve clarity of grant conditions and to establish consistent documentation of grant activities. The special review led by Theisen documented deep and lingering staff dissatisfaction stemming from conflicting goals, unclear leadership on policies and procedures, including confusion over who has decision-making authority related to timber harvesting. DNR Fish and Wildlife Division Director Kelly Straka said in an interview that the agency has begun a "continuous improvement action plan'' to move forward. "There's a strong desire to fix things right now," Straka said. "We've made some progress." She acknowledged that the airing of dissatisfaction among field staff at DNR has exposed some "uncomfortable realities." In the Legislative Auditor's report, for instance, a Fish and Wildlife Division staff member was quoted anonymously as saying WMA managers feel pressure to allow timber harvests for the purpose of Forestry Division's cordage goals. Another wildlife manager was quoted saying, "Current forest practices are to maximize harvest goals, not to maximize the habitat benefits." 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. The intra-agency conflicts at DNR began when then-Gov. Mark Dayton heard from forest products industry leaders that they needed to harvest more trees from state land for business reasons. DNR's response was to expand the Forestry Division's timber harvest goals under a system it deemed "sustainable."' The program has continued under Tim Walz, who took office in 2019. In April 2024, according to the Legislative Auditor's review, some DNR foresters were still uncertain how to properly identify and cut timber stands on WMAs. The report quoted a Forestry Division survey respondent as saying that staff has been asking questions about logging on WMAs since the sustainable harvest analysis was created. The staff has been receiving vague answers, no answers or mixed messages from leadership across different divisions, the survey respondent was quoted as saying. Straka said she's aware of "ugly and messy" experiences in the field that have lowered staff morale. The Legislative Auditor's report said DNR needs to do more than implement its own "continuance improvement plan." For one, the agency should amend its policies and procedures to clearly state that timber will be harvested in WMAs only to the extent consistent with documented wildlife habitat goals specific to each area. DNR leaders also must specify how the agency will ascertain and document how proposed timber cuts are primarily in keeping with wildlife habitat values, the report said. The Legislative Auditor's report also recommends that the Legislature should step in to specify"independent of DNR staffing decisions"which WMAs in the state should have individual master plans. Lawmakers also should indicate what DNR should include in the plans. Lastly, the Legislature should require DNR to update master plans on a regular basis, the report said. "DNR has asked staff with different disciplinary objectives, different conservation motivations , and different chains of authority to work together to make timber harvest decisions in WMA lands," the report said. "At the same time, DNR has not given these staff clear collective priorities or a clear roadmap for how to make such decisions, but has instead provided mixed messages." DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen wrote a response letter to Randall, the legislative auditor. "We're pleased that this is the second recent independent review that did not find statutory or grant compliance issues," Strommen wrote. The letter said recommendations in the report "generally align with areas of improvement DNR independently identified and is actively addressing." The commissioner highlighted the "continuous improvement action plan" she called for. It was initiated in September 2023 by three division directors and should close out by the end of May 2026, the commissioner's letter said. Asked by a reporter at the hearing why it has taken the DNR so long to address the issue of commercial logging on WMAs, Strommen said she's given very clear direction to the agency's division directors on how to carry out the necessary work. "The work is ongoing," she said. 2025 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The common dolphin is the most abundant cetacean in the world. Credit: Observatoire Pelagis, France Common dolphins are among the ocean's most abundant mammals, but they are living shorter lives in the North Atlantic, according to a new study published in Conservation Letters. The research team, led by the University of Colorado Boulder, discovered that the longevity of female common dolphins has declined by seven years since 1997, an alarming trend that the authors say threatens not only the species but also the marine ecosystem it helps maintain. "There is an urgent need to manage the population better," said Etienne Rouby, a postdoctoral researcher in the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR). "Otherwise, there is a risk for decline and, ultimately, extinction." About 6 million common dolphins roam tropical and temperate oceans around the globe. They are the world's most common cetaceans, a group that includes all whales, dolphins and porpoises. The Bay of Biscay in the Atlantic Ocean off the French coast is a popular destination for dolphins in winter, because its warmer, nutrient-rich waters attract smaller species of fish like anchovies and sardines that dolphins eat. But those same conditions also make it one of Europe's fishing hotspots. While dolphins are not the target of fishing, many of them end up in nets by accident, also known as "bycatch." Most dolphins caught as bycatch die. Some studies estimate that in 2021, fishing bycatch was responsible for the death of 6,900 dolphins in the bay, from a winter population of 180,000. Despite those numbers, traditional abundance monitoring methods previously suggested that the dolphin population in the bay was stable. Conventionally, scientists have estimated dolphin numbers by tallying individuals spotted from survey ships and planes. Because dolphins are constantly moving in and out of a region, this approach can miss population changes until drastic shifts occur. For long-lived animals that only produce a few offspring in their lifetimes, such as dolphins, recovery may not be possible once population declines are significant enough to show up in general counts, Rouby said. He and his team set out to reevaluate how well these cetaceans were surviving using a new approach they developed: counting and analyzing deceased dolphins stranded on beaches in the bay. Dolphins often come onto the shore because they are old, sick, injured or disoriented, and rarely any survive after being stranded. While stranded dolphins represent only about 10% of total dolphin deaths, changes in their mortality patterns over time can reveal broader population trends. The team studied 759 common dolphins stranded on beaches along the Bay of Biscay between 1997 and 2019. "We wanted to capture changes in the population's survival and fertility rates. These are more sensitive indicators of population health, and they enable us to identify the problems before they become irreversible," he said. By analyzing dolphin teeth, the team determined the age at which these animals died. The team found that female dolphins' longevity decreased from 24 years in the late 1990s to just 17 years two decades later. This decline has led to fewer calves born, the study suggests. The researchers estimated that the dolphin population growth rate has declined by 2.4% from 1997 to 2019. In ideal conditions, a healthy common dolphin population grows ideally at about 4% per year. This means if the population was thriving perfectly in 1997, it was only growing at 1.6% annually by 2019. 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. "The numbers are likely to be lower in reality," Rouby said. If the trend continues, the growth rate could dip below zero, a threshold that would signal population decline, he added. Since 2024, the French government has been closing the Bay of Biscay to fishing for one month every January to protect the dolphins. While some data has suggested the measure has been helpful, Rouby said a more flexible schedule could work better. Depending on ocean conditions, dolphins may arrive at the bay earlier or later than the set period in January, so timing fishing restrictions to match dolphin visits would better protect the animals. Other cetaceans in the North Atlantic, including harbor porpoise and bottlenose dolphins, may also be experiencing similar declines. Studying how well their populations are doing could improve current conservation policies, including the US Marine Mammal Protection Act and the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Rouby said. "Dolphins are the top predators in the Bay of Biscay, and they play a very important role in the ecosystem. Without these predators, fish populations could become out of control, and they would in turn consume too much plankton and vegetation until the system collapses," Rouby said. "As humans, we should make conscious decisions to protect the living and non-living things around us. Facing evidence of viability loss, we need to act before it is too late." More information: Etienne Rouby et al, Longevity Collapse in Dolphins: A Growing Conservation Concern in the Bay of Biscay, Conservation Letters (2025). DOI: 10.1111/conl.13142 Journal information: Conservation Letters 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: Apotectonia senckenbergae. Credit: Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance Earth's vast oceanic biodiversity remains largely unexplored, with only a fraction of an estimated two million total living marine species formally named and described. A significant challenge is the protracted delay, often spanning decades, between the initial discovery of a new species and its official publication. Ocean Species Discoveries was established to address this critical gap, offering a high-quality, data-rich publication platform specifically tailored for concise marine invertebrate species descriptions. This revolutionary approach can significantly accelerate the timeline for new species descriptions, a vital advantage given the escalating threat of human-driven biodiversity loss, which risks species becoming extinct before scientists even know they exist. The initiative is coordinated by the Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance (SOSA), a project of the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt aimed at facilitating global collaboration, offering technical support for species documentation, and promoting efficient taxonomic publishing. The second major collection in the Ocean Species Discoveries had over 20 researchers working together to describe 14 new marine invertebrate species and two new genera from all over the world, including worms, mollusks, and crustaceans. They published their research in a paper in Biodiversity Data Journal, a year after the project's pilot publication. "Our shared vision is making taxonomy faster, more efficient, more accessible and more visible," the team said in their paper. The newly established Discovery Laboratory at the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt proved critical help in describing most of the new species. The Laboratory offers access to integrative research methods such as light and electron microscopy, confocal imaging, molecular barcoding, and micro-CT scanning, making it easy for researchers to produce the high-quality data necessary for robust species descriptions. The animals studied in this project come from ocean depths ranging from 1 to over 6,000 meters. The deepest-living animal the researchers explored is Veleropilina gretchenae, a new species of mollusk that was recovered from the Aleutian Trench at a depth of 6,465 meters. It is one of the first species in the class Monoplacophora to have a high-quality genome published directly from the holotype specimen. Spinther bohnorum. Credit: Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance Ferreiraella charazata. Credit: Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance Myonera aleutiana. Credit: Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance A landmark achievement in this collection is the anatomical description of the carnivorous bivalve Myonera aleutiana, which represents only the second bivalve species documented in detail using solely non-invasive micro-CT scanning. The process generated over 2,000 tomographic images, providing unprecedented clarity on the bivalve's internal tissues and soft-body parts. This is the first study to offer detailed anatomy information on any Myonera species. Its description also marks a new depth record: it was found at depths of 5,1705,280 meters, about 800 meters deeper than any other documented Myonera individual. One of the newly described species honors Johanna Rebecca Senckenberg (17161743), a naturalist and benefactor who supported science and medicine, which contributed to the forming of the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research. The amphipod Apotectonia senckenbergae was discovered in a mussel bed at the Galapagos Rift hydrothermal vent fields at a depth of 2,602 meters. Veleropilina gretchenae. Credit: Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance Metharpinia hirsuta . Credit: Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance Laevidentalium wiesei. Credit: Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance Some of the deep-sea inhabitants have curious appearances: the parasitic isopod Zeaione everta exhibits distinctive protuberances on the female's back that resemble popped kernels of popcorn. The genus name, which derives from the corn genus Zea, reflects this resemblance. Found in the Australian intertidal zone, this species also represents a new genus. The paper also sheds more light on known deep-sea species such as the tusk shell Laevidentalium wiesei, found at depths of more than 5,000 meters. The researchers found out it was carrying its own secret hitchhiker, a sea anemone attached to the shell's anterior (concave) side. This is the first time an interaction of this kind has been reported in the genus Laevidentalium. More information: Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance (SOSA) et al, Ocean Species Discoveries 1327 Taxonomic contributions to the diversity of Polychaeta, Mollusca and Crustacea, Biodiversity Data Journal (2025). DOI: 10.3897/bdj.13.e160349 Journal information: Biodiversity Data Journal 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: Darryn Waugh, Johns Hopkins professor of Earth and planetary sciences, installs a weather monitoring station in a Baltimore neighborhood. Credit: Will Kirk / Johns Hopkins University "Baltimore is sinking, and the sea is rising," Benjamin Zaitchik pronounced on a drizzly, late-summer day in his office at Johns Hopkins University. A professor of Earth and planetary sciences, Zaitchik's brow furrowed as he talked about the state of environmental health research in an era of extreme weather. In a nutshell: It's not good. "In Baltimore, excessive rainwater pours into an aging infrastructure and underground water-flow channels that are, in many cases, unknown and complicated," he continued. "The soil doesn't stay frozen as long in January, and it rains much more than it snows." These conditions beget floods. And floods beget sewage backups and mold, which beget health problems, home-repair expenses, decreased property values, and stress. But Baltimore faces additional challengesmany of them representative of those seen in dozens of other midsized industrial cities in the United States, Zaitchik said. Among the challenges: a stagnant population, rising temperatures and heat, and water and air pollution. Remedies exist for these problems, and Zaitchik and his colleagues want to help devise solutions. They applied for and won a five-year, $25 million grant through the Department of Energy, one for which they teamed up with universities, utility companies, city agencies, and community organizations across the mid-Atlantic region to determine the best path forward. This past March, however, in the fourth year of their work, the federal government pulled back the funding. Like hundreds of environmental scientists across the United States, Zaitchik received news from the DOE that his grant had been defundeda brief phone call to say his work no longer aligned with the DOE's mission. The news didn't surprise him, considering the number of grants being canceled around him. "But it enraged me [to see] the disrespect for our work, the loss of opportunity for our students, and, most importantly, the signal that these communities shouldn't have the science they need to thrive," Zaitchik said. A troubling trend Zaitchik's project is one of countless federally funded environmental health research projects across the country that have been terminated or scaled back over the past nine months. Federal actions have also reversed a number of climate-related policies and programs created to protect the public from environmental health hazards. According to Columbia University's Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, which tracks such efforts, this includes: Putting out of commission (and no longer updating) several long-established data-gathering systems related to extreme weather, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's tracker of billion-dollar disasters Issuing an executive order directing the attorney general to prevent states from enforcing policies that address extreme weather, environmental justice, pollution, and related topics Rescinding policies that encourage the development of renewable energies like wind and solar Exempting coal-fired power plants, chemical manufacturing plants, commercial sterilization facilities using ethylene oxide (a toxin linked to neurological and respiratory symptoms and cancer), and certain iron-ore processing sources from national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants for two years The administration has also proposed canceling the finding that greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane harm human healththe so-called "endangerment finding" (2009) that enables the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate pollution from power plants, factories, oil and gas companies, cars, and other sources. If this finding were to be reverseda move that requires approval from Congresscompanies would be able to pollute as much as they want, without fear of fines and penalties. A move like this, scientists say, would increase the public's risk of heart and lung disease, as well as other ailments caused by pollutants. Moreover, these changes disproportionately affect people living in low-income areas, who are more likely to live near major roadways, ports, and factories, Zaitchik said. The trickle-down effect puts the entire field of environmental science at stake, with a legion of scientists being forced to eliminate post-doctoral positions and reduce graduate student enrollment. Zaitchik said many grants have been canceled simply because they included words or language previously mandated by federal diversity requirements. "Give me the chance, and I will write those words out of our project descriptions," he said. "But allow us to train the next generation of scientists and continue work already underway." Credit: Aubrey Morse / Johns Hopkins University 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 big unknown' How extreme weather affects urban areas "is currently a big unknown," said Zaitchik, principal investigator of the now-defunded DOE research project known as the Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative. Part of the DOE's Urban Integrated Field Lab, the overarching five-year project aimed to determine how extreme weather not just in Baltimore but also in Chicago; Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas; and Phoenix affects each region's energy, water, and economics sectors. These cities already experience pressing challenges and ensuing costs and health risks from extreme weather, and multidisciplinary teams were put in place to gather data and use what they learn to protect each region's communities. The teams span multiple institutions and organizations. In Baltimore, for instance, scientists and public health scholars from Johns Hopkins formed partnerships with teams from Morgan State University, Pennsylvania State University, Baltimore Gas and Electric, and the Baltimore City Office of Public Utilitiesplus other agencies and community organizations. In other regions, partners ranged from Chicago State University, the University of IllinoisUrbana-Champaign, and Northwestern University to North Carolina A&T University, the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, Arizona State University, and the University of Arizona, along with an assortment of utility companies, city agencies, and community organizations. For the projects in all four cities, the DOE defunded 75% of the grant's fourth year and 100% of its fifth year, essentially halting support for the work after investing in and putting in place the equipment, teams of people, and infrastructure to make it happen, Zaitchik said. Darryn Waugh, professor of Earth and planetary sciences at Johns Hopkins, works on the project with Zaitchik. He ventured across Baltimore talking to community members and installing and maintaining weather-monitoring stations at churches, recreation centers, schools, and other public places. His goal: collect data on everything from temperature and humidity to wind, precipitation, and pollutionand use it to learn how extreme weather and air quality affect the region's health, economics, and energy supply. Previously, only one weather-monitoring station existed in Baltimore, at the Inner Harbor, and "you cannot tell how heat and rainfall vary across the city from a single station," Waugh said. Without data to paint a clear picture of what's happening, cities can't prepare for the powerful hurricanes and storms, extensive rainfall and droughts, wildfires, and other weather-related events that are already upon us, Waugh and Zaitchik said. They can't conduct financial analyses to determine the most cost-efficient remedies, and they can't predict the energy demands that are already shifting in what science confirms to be an era of extreme weather. "Cities and states have budgets and can't fix everything," Zaitchik said. "They have to prioritize, and that can't happen in the dark." Waugh also serves as principal investigator of a three-year, $1.5 million NASA grant to study air pollution in Baltimore neighborhoods with heavy traffic. These neighborhoods tend to be low-income areas where residents neither own cars nor contribute to the pollutionbut nevertheless can suffer the health-related consequences, Waugh said. Unlike the DOE grant, which was defunded but not completely terminated, "we received a stop-work notice on the NASA grant because it involved an environmental justice angle to help communities of color and communities in need," he explained, referring to the federal government's executive order issued this past January to cease all environmental-justice-related work across the United States, regardless of the specifics. "We spent years planning the steps, building the systems and teams, and doing the rigorous work it takes to apply for and receive funding, only to have support for our grants up and ended, with no explanation or discussion," Waugh said. "I've worked at Hopkins for 27 years and never seen anything like this." Credit: Will Kirk / Johns Hopkins University A series of setbacks Canceled grants at Johns Hopkins also include a three-year Environmental Protection Agency award for work to identify the components of biosolids essentially "sewage sludge"used to fertilize crops across the country. "Biosolids are processed human sewage sludge, and they've been contentious forever because of the potential health risks," Keeve Nachman, a professor in environmental health and engineering in the university's Bloomberg School of Public Health, said. "Many of the chemicals in biosolids are both unknown and unregulated, and there are concerns that people being exposed to those chemicals are possibly getting sick." Workers who transport biosolids from wastewater treatment plants and spread them on farms experience the most exposure, Nachman said. But given that biosolids are used to fertilize the food we eat, and the food animals eat, and given that runoff from farms can get into our drinking water, most people are exposed at some level, he explained. And the risks and consequences remain unknown. Carsten Prasse, the grant's principal investigator and an associate professor of environmental health and engineering at JHU's Whiting School of Engineering, worked with Nachman and Sara Lupolt, an assistant scientist in environmental health and engineering, to interview employees of farms that use biosolids. Their biggest finding: Workers face a potentially high level of exposure to toxic chemicals through biosolids, but the EPA doesn't know how muchand hasn't factored workers into their risk assessments and safety guidelines on biosolids. This means, for instance, that farm workers use personal protective equipment inconsistently. And when the machines they use to spread biosolids get clogged with sewage sludge and break down (which happens routinely), they often resort to cleaning the equipment by handand risk direct exposure to harmful chemicals. Prasse and his team, including post-doctoral fellows, doctoral candidates, and other students in his lab, conducted a simulated experiment that involved growing crops on a plot of land and applying biosolids as a fertilizer. Next, they collected samples to determine the chemical makeup and conducted controlled studies to investigate the exposure level to biosolids on crops and workers. Funding for the work was terminated, however, right as Prasse started to identify and analyze the chemicalsin other words, right as his team inched toward their first results. "We use around 80,000 chemicals in our homes in household productsdetergents, cosmetics, personal care products, pharmaceuticals," Prasse said. "All of these things go down the drain, and most aren't really removed in wastewater." In the case of biosolids, he continued, "they contain not just bacteria but everything flushed down the toilet like prescription drugs, pesticides, and industrial chemicals like PFAS" that are known to cause health problems. "All of this sticks to the organic material of biosolids." The halt in funding is unfortunate for many reasons, Prasse said, including his team's unique ability to identify the array of chemicalsand the quantity of each chemicalin soil and plant samples. In his lab, Prasse uses high-resolution mass spectrometry, a state-of-the-art analytical chemistry technique, to measure the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) of ions with utmost precision and zero in on the elemental composition of compounds. Now, however, his use of the tool is being cut short, owing to the EPA's decision to stop funding the grant. Both Prasse and Nachman have had other environmental health-related grants descoped or terminated this past year, despite findings that their research can lead to cost-cutting measures and public health safety. "In the case of air pollution, every dollar spent on the Clean Air Act results in a $25 to $30 return on investment in terms of health preventions or in terms of disease avoidance," Nachman said. "I mean, that's stunning. How many programs do we have where we get that kind of return on investment? "This isn't money thrown away," he continued. "It's money that has high return and tremendous societal benefit." Zaitchik and Waugh shared similar sentiments, struggling to comprehend the rationale. After all, the grant cancelations and scaled-back funding coincide with a clear uptick in extreme weather, meaning that time is of the essence to gather the data and do the work needed to prepare, they explained. "It's strange to be rushing head on into these hazards and say, 'Well, we're just going to close our eyes [to extreme weather] and not try to get ready,'" Zaitchik said. "This will only hurt and cost more in the long run." 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: Aymara women harvesting coca leaves in Bolivia. Credit: Caroline Conzelman For thousands of years, people in the Andes have chewed the leaves of the coca plant to stave off hunger, treat altitude sickness, and sustain energy. Yet under international law, this ancient crop is treated as harshly as cocaine and fentanyl. Now, scientists say it's time to end that contradiction. A new international perspective published in Science argues that scientific evidence clearly supports the coca leaf as a benign, useful, and culturally paramount crop plant that should be removed from the list of Schedule I substanceswhere it currently appears alongside cocaine and fentanylunder the 1961 "Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs." "Coca's record of safe use and cultural importance stands in stark contrast to the harms of purified cocaine," said lead author Dawson M. White, Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard. "Recognizing this difference is essential for evidence-based policy and for aligning with the goals expressed by South American communities most affected by prohibition." The analysis arrives at a pivotal moment, as the World Health Organization (WHO) is currently reviewing the legal status of coca. An expert report compiled by the WHO confirms both the lack of harm from the coca leaf and the tangible harms caused by its prohibition. The WHO's Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) will meet in Geneva from October 2022, 2025, to formalize a recommendation to the United Nations (UN) Commission on Narcotic Drugs. "This meeting is a rare opportunity for the WHO and UN to correct a classification rooted in colonial bias and outdated science," said White. The authors draw on evidence from anthropology, evolutionary biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, economics, and the social sciences to distinguish the coca plant from its purified alkaloid, cocaine. The findings also point to the need for long-overdue reform of global drug policy, highlighting that coca has been cultivated for more than 8,000 years and safely used as a mild stimulant, medicine, and ritual element across more than 100 cultures. Amazonian coca leaf. Credit: Khoka Project The research also references a coordinated "pronunciamiento" from coca producer and consumer communities supporting petitions by Bolivia and Colombia. The documentsigned by traditional coca producers, Indigenous representatives, and allied organizationsurges the WHO to recognize coca's cultural, medicinal, nutritional, and social value; to reject its stigmatization based on cocaine use; and to recommend its removal from international control lists. "Efforts to reform coca policy must begin with the people who know the plant best," said Claude Guislain of the Indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund. "Indigenous peoples cultivate sophisticated knowledge systems that have used coca to sustain balance within their communities and territories for millennia. Our role has been to walk alongside themto amplify their voices and help ensure that international policy reflects the realities they live and defend." 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. "The coca leaf is not a narcotic, but a sacred and nutritious plant with deep cultural roots," said Ricardo Soberon Garrido, former President of DEVIDA, Peru's National Commission for Development and Life Without Drugs, which coordinates the country's drug policy and coca-development strategies. "De-scheduling coca would uphold Indigenous rights and align global policy with modern science." In addition, the paper reviews findings from the WHO's "Critical Review Report on Coca Leaf " (2025), which concludes that traditional uses pose no significant public-health risks. The study finds that removing coca from the list of controlled substances would correct a long-standing scientific and legal misclassification. "Such a change would recognize the rights of Indigenous and other coca-growing communities while allowing for evidence-based regulation informed by traditional knowledge," said White. The authors also note that de-scheduling coca could enable medical research on its diverse bioactive compounds and create new, sustainable economic opportunities in rural regions. They emphasize that the ongoing WHO review offers a rare and timely chance to align international drug policy with science, justice, and cultural reality allowing the global community to understand and benefit from the coca plant responsibly. Many of the co-authors first met at the "Wisdom of the Leaf" summit in Urubamba, Peru, hosted by the McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy, which released a short film from that meeting. More information: Dawson M. White et al, Scientific distinctions between coca and cocaine support policy reform, Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.aeb2948. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aeb2948 Journal information: Science 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: Scanning electron images of embryonic bonnethead shark skin show detailed denticle structure. Image A displays the raw scanning electron microscopy view; Image B highlights five central denticles used for morphometric measurements, which were averaged to represent the sample. Credit: Florida Atlantic University Have you ever wondered what makes shark skin so tough and sleek? It's dermal denticlestiny, tooth-like structures that cover a shark's skin. Made of the same material as teeth and shaped like small scales with grooves, these microscopic armor plates aren't just for show. Dermal denticles serve important roles in helping sharks glide effortlessly, and protect their skin, especially during mating. Although much is known, researchers still lack a full understanding of how dermal denticle shape changes across different parts of the shark's body as it grows and if there are differences between males and females. To solve this mystery, researchers from Florida Atlantic University turned to high-resolution imaging to examine bonnethead sharks (Sphyrna tiburo)the pint-sized cousins of hammerhead sharks. Using advanced scanning electron microscopy, they were able to capture detailed images of the sharks' skin, focusing on minute features like denticle shape, size and ridge patternsdetails far too small to be seen with standard microscopes. The team studied skin samples from 24 bonnethead sharks across various life stages. These sharks were an ideal subject, as their skin denticles undergo noticeable changes as they grow and show distinct features between males and females, especially in areas linked to mating. Findings, published in the journal Integrative and Comparative Biology, provide an ultra-magnified peek into the hidden world of shark skin, revealing how evolution fine-tunes this natural armor for survival and reproduction. Scanning electron images show four types of denticle shapes found in bonnethead shark skin, arranged from least to most pointed (AD). Samples come from juvenile and mature female sharks, revealing how denticle shape varies with size and maturity. Credit: Florida Atlantic University Results of the study showed that denticle morphology changes significantly as bonnethead sharks mature, supporting the idea that these changes improve swimming efficiency and skin protection. Younger sharks had fewer ridges on the denticles, less overlap between them, and smaller ridge angles compared to older sharks. However, the overall length of the denticles stayed about the same at all stages. These changes likely help sharks swim better and protect their skin as they mature. "Shark skin is far more dynamic than people realize," said Marianne E. Porter, Ph.D., senior author and an associate professor of biological sciences in FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. "Our study shows that as bonnethead sharks grow, their skin doesn't just get biggerit transforms in ways that improve swimming performance and provide greater protection. These changes help reduce drag in the water and strengthen the skin against physical challenges like predators or mating-related injuries. It's a remarkable example of how nature fine-tunes biological structures to meet the changing demands of an animal's life." Although previous studies found that female sharks often have thicker, tougher skin with higher denticle densitypossibly to protect against male bites during matingthis study found minimal differences between the sexes. The only denticle trait that showed sexual dimorphism was ridge angle, which was slightly larger in males. There were also no significant differences in denticle features across the dorsal, medial and ventral parts of the abdominal region studied. "This research is relevant because gaining an understanding of the developmental aspects of a shark's dermal denticles can provide extraordinary insights into their evolutionary role in facilitating survival locomotion and reproductive materials," said Hannah Epstein, corresponding author, a recent graduate of FAU High School and a current student in FAU's Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College. 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 can also apply these quantifications of shark skin to other fields, such as bioengineering, to specifically design materials that can help someone swim faster, just as denticles help a shark swim faster." The patterns observed in this study mirror findings in other species, such as Portuguese dogfish sharks, which have 11 different denticle shapes that appear at different developmental stages. Past research has also shown that juveniles tend to have smaller denticles than adults, a trend that held true for bonnethead sharks in this study. (From left) Janeisy Davila, an alumna of FAU; Marianne Porter, Ph.D., Hannah Epstein (seated); and Jamie Knaub, FAU imaging lab assistant and a Ph.D. candidate. Credit: Alex Dolce, Florida Atlantic University "The advanced imaging and analysis tools we have at the Marcus Research and Innovation Center were essential for this research," said Tricia Meredith, Ph.D., co-author, director of research for Florida Atlantic Laboratory Schools, and an assistant research professor in FAU's College of Education. "Using scanning electron microscopy and precise morphometric software allowed us to see and measure the tiny details of shark denticles like never before. This technology opens up new possibilities to understand how these structures function and evolve, giving us a clearer picture of shark biology and biomechanics.". Madeleine E. Hagood, a Ph.D. student of integrative biology at FAU, is a study co-author. More information: Hannah A N X Epstein et al, Zooming in on Bonnetheads: Quantifying Impacts of Maturity on Denticle Morphology, Integrative And Comparative Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaf115 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 study's data shows that modern, global sea level rise is happening faster than at any time in the past 4,000 years. Credit: Yucheng Lin A team of scientists led by Rutgers researchers has uncovered evidence that modern sea level rise is happening faster than at any time in the past 4,000 years, with China's coastal cities especially at risk. The scientists examined thousands of geological records from a number of sources, including ancient coral reefs and mangroves, which serve as natural archives of past sea levels. They reconstructed sea level changes going back nearly 12,000 years, which marks the beginning of the current geological epoch, the Holocene, which followed the last major ice age. Reporting in Nature, their findings show that since 1900, global sea levels have risen at an average rate of 1.5 millimeters (or about one-sixteenth of an inch) a year, a pace that exceeds any century-long period in the past four millennia. "The global mean sea level rise rate since 1900 is the fastest rate over at least the last four millennia," said Yucheng Lin, who conducted the research as a postdoctoral associate at Rutgers and is a scientist at Australia's national research agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Hobart. Lin studied with Robert Kopp, a Distinguished Professor with the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences in the School of Arts and Sciences. "Dr. Lin's work illustrates how geological data can help us better understand the hazards that coastal cities face today," said Kopp, who also authored the study. Two major forces, thermal expansion and melting glaciers, are driving this acceleration, Lin said. As the planet warms because of climate change, oceans absorb heat and expand. At the same time, ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are melting, adding more water to the oceans. "Getting warmer makes your ocean take up more volume," Lin said. "And the glaciers respond faster because they are smaller than the ice sheets, which are often the size of continents. We are seeing more and more acceleration in Greenland now." While rising seas are a global issue, China faces a unique double threat, he said. Many of its largest and most economically important cities, including Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, are in delta regions, which are naturally prone to sinking because they were built above thick and soft sediments. But human activities are making things worse. "We've been able to quantify the natural rate of sea level rise for this area," Lin said. "But human intervention, mostly groundwater extraction, makes it happen much faster." Subsidence refers to the gradual sinking or settling of the Earth's surface. It can happen naturally because of geological processes, or it can be caused by human activities, such as groundwater extraction. To determine how sea level rise will adversely affect China's deltas, the team examined a combination of geological records, subsidence data and human activity impacts across coastal regions, especially in the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta. These areas are home to several megacities. 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 Shanghai, parts of the city sank more than one meter (about three feet) during the 20th century because of excessive groundwater use, Lin said. That is orders of magnitude faster than the current global sea level rise rate. Delta regions are flat, fertile and close to water, making them ideal for farming, transportation and urban development. But their geography also makes them extremely vulnerable to flooding. "Centimeters of sea level rise will greatly increase the risk of flooding in deltas," Lin said. "These areas are not only important domestically, they're also international manufacturing hubs. If coastal risks happen there, the global supply chain will be vulnerable." Despite the findings, Lin's research offers hope, he said. Cities such as Shanghai have already taken steps to reduce subsidence by regulating groundwater use and even reinjecting freshwater into underground aquifers. "Shanghai now is not sinking that fast anymore," Lin said. "They recognized the problem and started regulating their groundwater usage." The study also provides vulnerability maps to help governments and city planners identify subsidence hotspots and prepare for future sea level rise. Although the researchers focused on China, lessons from the study apply globally, Lin said. Many major cities, such as New York, Jakarta and Manila, are built on low-lying coastal plains and face similar risks. "Deltas are great places, good for farming, fishing, urban development and naturally draw civilizations to them," Lin said. "But they are really flat yet prone to human-caused subsidence, so sustained sea level rise could submerge them really fast." The paper is an application of PaleoSTeHM, an open-source software framework for statistically modeling paleo-environmental data that Lin developed as a postdoctoral associate. Praveen Kumar, a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, also contributed to the study. More information: Yucheng Lin, Modern sea-level rise breaks 4,000-year stability in southeastern China, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09600-z. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09600-z Journal information: 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: Luyao Ma, an assistant professor at Oregon State University, uses a texture analyzer to measure the firmness of an avocado. Credit: Brian Horne, Oregon State University Researchers have developed a smartphone-based artificial intelligence system that accurately predicts the ripeness and internal quality of avocados. "Avocados are among the most wasted fruits globally due to overripeness," said Luyao Ma, an assistant professor at Oregon State University. "Our goal was to create a tool that helps consumers and retailers make smarter decisions about when to use or sell avocados." The research team, comprising scientists from Oregon State and Florida State University, trained AI models using more than 1,400 iPhone images of Hass avocados. The system predicted firmness, a key indicator of ripeness, with nearly 92% accuracy, and internal quality (fresh vs. rotten) with over 84% accuracy. The findings were published in the journal Current Research in Food Science. The researchers believe these accuracy rates can be improved as more images are added to the model. They also note that the technology has the potential to assess the ripeness and quality of other types of food. They hope to further develop the technology so that consumers can use it at home to determine the optimal time to eat an avocado, avoiding the disappointment of cutting into one only to find dreaded brown spots. The team also sees potential applications in avocado processing facilities, where the technology could be used to better sort and grade the fruit. For example, if the system detects that a batch is more ripe, it could be shipped to a nearby retailer instead of one further away. Retailers could similarly use the technology to determine which avocados should be sold first based on ripeness. Avocado stop motion. Credit: Kai Casey, Oregon State University These findings build on previous research that used images and machine learning techniques to assess food quality. However, earlier studies relied on manual feature selection [SN1] and traditional machine learning algorithms, which limited prediction performance, said In-Hwan Lee, a doctoral student working with Ma on the project. "To overcome these limitations, we used deep learning approaches that automatically capture a broader range of information, including shape, texture, and spatial patterns to enhance the accuracy and robustness of avocado quality predictions," Lee said. Ma chose to focus on avocados due to their high market value and high waste rate. She also noted a personal motivation: as a frequent consumer of avocado toast, she was often frustrated by not knowing when avocados were perfectly ripe and cutting into overripe ones. Luyao Ma, an assistant professor at Oregon State University, and In-Hwan Lee, a doctoral student working with Ma. Credit: Brian Horne, Oregon State University. Luyao Ma, an assistant professor at Oregon State University. Credit: Brian Horne, Oregon State University. Avocado in a lightbox used for research in the lab of Luyao Ma, an assistant professor at Oregon State University. Credit: Brian Horne, Oregon State University. The research addresses a major global challenge: food waste. About 30% of the world's food production is wasted. In response to this challenge, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency have set a national goal to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030. "Avocados are just the beginning," Ma said. "This technology could be applied much more broadly, helping consumers, retailers, and distributors make smarter decisions and reduce waste." Zhengao Lee of Florida State University is also a co-author of the paper. Ma and Lee are in the Department of Food Science and Technology in Oregon State's College of Agricultural Sciences. Ma is also affiliated with the Department of Biological and Ecological Engineering. More information: In-Hwan Lee et al, Explainable AI and mobile imaging for non-destructive avocado ripeness and internal quality assessment to reduce food waste, Current Research in Food Science (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.crfs.2025.101196 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: Felipe Cuevas Amador (left), ASU researcher Jesse Senko (middle), and Juan Pablo Cuevas Amador (right) measure a critically endangered East Pacific hawksbill turtle in Isla el Pardito, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Credit: Lindsay Lauckner Gundlock/Arizona State University Studies have shown that lighted nets can reduce bycatch of sea turtles and sharks, but the idea has faced many hurdles to adoption. The batteries are short-lived, expensive to replace and raise disposal concerns. The lights are too heavy and prone to snagging nets. Fishers find them difficult to work with. To get past these hurdles, researchers at Arizona State University collaborated with a team of coastal gillnet fishers to develop solar-powered lights that function as buoys, like any others threaded onto the float line of a fishing net. The LED lights flash on and off to conserve energy and can stay active for over five days with no sunlight. The net-illuminating gear is highly effective at preventing sea turtles from entanglement in gillnets, ASU marine biologist Jesse Senko and colleagues report in a new study published in Conservation Letters. In controlled experiments in Mexico's Gulf of California, sea turtle bycatch rates were 63% lower in the solar-powered illuminated nets compared to unlit control nets. And the lighted buoys did not interfere with fishing success. The researchers recorded higher catch rates of targeted yellowtail fish in the illuminated nets, although the difference was not statistically significant. "The results were pretty exciting," said Senko, an assistant professor in the ASU School of Ocean Futures. He said the study is the first to show the effectiveness of harnessing solar energy and flashing light to deter sea turtles from fishing nets. "It's a win-win in the sense that you're getting a light that lasts significantly longer, and it also seems to reduce bycatch just as effectively as lights that require replaceable batteries." Fishing gear entanglement is a primary threat to endangered sea turtles, along with climate change, pollution, habitat loss and emerging diseases. Despite signs of recovery among some species, current population numbers remain a small fraction of the total that once existed. "Sea turtles are important for maintaining healthy oceans, which are needed to sustain resilient fisheries," Senko said. "They have been around for over a hundred million years, and they fulfill ecological roles that no other species fulfill." ASU researcher and conservation scientist Jesse Senko, right, deploys a solar-powered illuminated net in the Sea of Cortez. Credit: Lindsay Lauckner Gundlock/Arizona State University Senko has made it a priority in his lab to work with fishers to develop ways to make fishing gear less harmful to sea turtles, sharks and other threatened species. The goal is to develop practical solutions that can be widely deployed to reduce wasteful bycatch while maintaining productive fisheries. In coastal North Carolina, where many forces have threatened the fishing way of life, Senko Lab members are collaborating with fishers to reduce bycatch in pound nets, bottom-anchored net systems that funnel fish into a trap. The ASU researchers are comparing the numbers of turtles, sharks and other species caught in nets on days with or without solar-powered lights. They are also gathering observations of sea turtle behavior never seen before using custom-designed underwater video cameras and data recorders. 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. Sustaining resilient fisheries Small-scale coastal fisheries provide nearly half of the world's seafood, Senko points out, and they are crucial to sustaining coastal communities with food, income, and livelihoods. The idea for integrating solar-powered LED lights into buoys came from fishermen in Mexico, brothers Juan Pablo Cuevas Amador and Felipe Cuevas Amador, who are co-authors of the new study. "They took us into account and gave us the freedom to give our opinions and make modifications," said Juan Pablo Cuevas Amador. "For us, it's important that it be done in collaboration because, with what they know and what we know, we can do quite interesting things." ASU marine biologist and conservation scientist Jesse Senko fishes a solar-powered illuminated net off the coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico. Credit: Lindsay Lauckner Gundlock/Arizona State University Senko said fisher-led ideas are "where the real magic happens; that's the meaningful innovation. Because their ideas went into it, they're more likely to want to use it and to share that information with their friends and their community and with neighboring communities." After completing the fishing experiments, the Cuevas Amador brothers asked Senko if they could keep the solar-powered lighted buoys. The gear made fishing easier because they no longer had to waste much time and effort removing turtles from nets. "When I heard that, I knew we were onto something," Senko said. "And they've been fishing with these lights ever since. As far as we know, they are the only fishers on the planet fishing with solar-powered lighted nets." Senko and colleagues are now working with a manufacturer, Fishtek Marine, to produce commercially available solar-powered lighted buoys for fishing nets. Senko said it's possible to make them available for purchase within two to three years. Research on their effectiveness could encourage conservation organizations and government agencies to provide grants or subsidies to help fishers buy them. The researchers are pursuing future studies to understand the behavioral responses of sea turtles to flashing lights, and use that knowledge to maximize the deterrent effects of net illumination. "A 63% reduction in sea turtle bycatch is a magnificent starting point. However, there's no reason why that can't be improved, right?" Senko says. "My goal is how do we get that 63% reduction to a 95% reduction." More information: Harnessing solar energy to reduce sea turtle bycatch, Conservation Letters (2025). DOI: 10.1111/conl.13151 Journal information: Conservation Letters 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: Examples of stone tools from the Ahmarian at Ksar Akil (a & b) and the Protoaurignacian at Grotta di Fumane (c) and Grotta di Castelcivita (d). Falcucci and Kuhn found that, despite similarities in the final forms, the technological processes used to produce these tools were strikingly different. Credit: Panels a and b are from the University of Tubingens stone tool collections; panel c is adapted from Falcucci et al. (2022) and panel d from Falcucci et al. (2024). An analysis of stone tools found in Italy and Lebanon indicates that around 42,000 years ago, modern humans in Europe and the Near East took different approaches to toolmaking. In their comparative analysis, Dr. Armando Falcucci from the Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology working group at the University of Tubingen's Geoscience Department and Professor Steven Kuhn from the School of Anthropology at the University of Arizona came to the conclusion that stone tool making technology developed independently in the two regions, and could not be explained by knowledge imported to Europe by migration from the Near East. Their study has been published in the latest edition of the Journal of Human Evolution. The Near East served as a crucial biogeographic corridor for the dispersal of our Homo sapiens ancestors out of Africa. For decades, researchers assumed that many technological innovations in Europe were introduced by early modern humans migrating from the Near East. Against this backdrop, the Protoaurignacian culture, which emerged across southern Europe around 42,000 years ago, has been widely considered a western extension of the Ahmarian culture of Homo sapiens groups located in the Levant. First quantitative analysis Although many scholars have noted cultural similarities between the Ahmarian and Protoaurignacian, no systematic comparison of their archaeological record had been conducted until Falcucci and Kuhn's quantitative analysis. To represent the Ahmarian culture, the researchers studied thousands of stone tools from the archaeological site of Ksar Akil, near Beirut, Lebanon, one of the Ahmarian localities closest to Europe. Protoaurignacian artifacts came from three key sites in Italy: Grotta di Fumane near Verona in the northeast, Riparo Bombrini near Ventimiglia in the northwest, and Grotta di Castelcivita near Salerno in the south. "Superficially, the stone tools from these different areas may look similar. But we wanted to look deeper, examining in detail how they were produced," says Kuhn. Falcucci adds that "when comparing the sites, we focused mainly on the production of stone insets for composite tools, carefully reconstructing how chert nodules were shaped to strike off regular blades with sharp edges." The analysis revealed striking differences in how Ahmarian and Protoaurignacian toolmakers produced their artifacts. In both regions, stone tools became progressively smaller over time, reflecting the development of complex composite implements. However, although toolmakers in both regions systematically produced small blades, they did so in very different ways. "Overall, the techniques of the Ahmarian and post-Ahmarian cultures in the Near East do not match those of the Protoaurignacian culture in Italy. The differences in flaking methods suggest that European hunter-gatherers developed their projectile technologies independently," says Falcucci. Map of the Mediterranean showing the geographic locations of the analyzed sites and the reconstructed sea level approximately 42,000 years ago. Credit: University of Tubingen 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. Reconstructing our earliest history "The common assumption that all Paleolithic technological innovations in Europe were introduced through successive waves of migration from the Near East needs to be re-evaluated," Kuhn says. "Increasing biomolecular and fossil evidence indicates that Homo sapiens began spreading across Eurasia at least 60,000 years ago, coexisting and interbreeding with local Neanderthal and Denisovan populations," adds Falcucci. "Our study adds to a growing body of research portraying modern human expansion into Eurasia as a complex, non-linear process. It underscores the importance of recognizing the often-underestimated scope of cultural interactions with our extinct relatives when reconstructing our species' deep past. The archaeological record provides invaluable evidence for this endeavor," he concludes. "Piece by piece, researchers are forming a clearer picture of the history of our ancestors and their cultural development, adding details or reporting surprising twists and turns. I am delighted that the University of Tubingen is also able to contribute to this process with new findings," says University of Tubingen President, Professor Karla Pollmann. NYC-founded and Headquartered Luxury Watchmaker to Introduce a 250th-Branded Timepiece NEW YORK, Oct. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Bulova, a pioneer in watchmaking since 1875, today proudly announced a partnership with Sail4th 250 to mark America's Semiquincentennial and the Company's 150th anniversary. Bulova has teamed up with Sail4th 250, the non-profit organization behind the 30-nation international Tall Ship parade and festival in New York and New Jersey from July 3-8, 2026. The Company will introduce a limited-edition timepiece created especially for the historic event. Bulova-Sail4th 250 Sponsorship News (PRNewsfoto/Sail4th 250) "This partnership has special significance for Bulova not only because we began in New York with our first retail store on Maiden Lane, right near the Seaport, but also because our first ad featured a clipper ship," said Jeffrey Cohen, president of Bulova. "This new exclusive co-branded, commemorative timepiece will honor the legacy and tradition of America's maritime heritage and our watchmaking expertise. We are proud to participate in America's 250th birthday." "Notably, timepieces have played an essential role in seaborne navigation since the sea clock was invented in 1736, enabling mariners to accurately measure their longitudinal progress with timely star-sightings," said Chris O'Brien, president of Sail4th 250. "Therefore, it is most fitting that Bulova, a leader in precision timekeeping and bold innovation, has joined in to celebrate America's Semiquincentennial with us. Bulova continues to push the boundaries of engineering and design to inspire the next generation of explorers and innovators." Bulova logos will appear on Sail 4th branded content and on hospitality suites and VIP viewing areas for the Parade of Sail and the International Naval Review. About Bulova Since its inception in 1875, Bulova has been synonymous with quality, precision, and innovation in the world of timekeeping. With a rich heritage of 150 years ago, from its early days in Lower Manhattan to its iconic status in New York City and beyond, and a commitment to exceptional craftsmanship, Bulova continues to create watches that blend classic elegance with cutting-edge technology. From the iconic Archive Series to the celebrated CURV and proprietary Precisionist movement, Bulova remains a symbol of excellence in the art of watchmaking. Today, it remains dedicated to bold design, pioneering innovation, and cultural advocacy, poised to inspire future generations with its timeless craftsmanship. Bulova is set to propel the heritage forward, continuously upgrading technology and engineering to reach new heights of excellence. For more information, visit www.bulova.com. About Sail4th 250 Sail4th, the New York and New Jersey component of Sail 250, a five-port consortium creating tall ship events in New Orleans, Norfolk, Baltimore and Boston, is the official high-profile international tall ship and government project formed to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States. As a major component of a nationwide endeavor, Sail4th 250 will host tall ships over the weekend of July 4, 2026. The six-day celebration will be the culmination of a multi-year platform of storytelling, events and diverse celebrations around the nation. For more information, please visit https://www.sail4th.org/, and follow the organization on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and X. Contacts : For Bulova: [email protected] For Sail4th 250: Peter Himler Flatiron Communications LLC [email protected] Mobile/WhatsApp: +1 516-729-6461 SOURCE Sail4th 250 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 Testosterone has long been linked to risk-taking, generosity, and competitiveness. But a new large-scale studythe biggest of its kindfinds that men given testosterone made the same economic choices as those given a placebo. The study, led by researchers at the Stockholm School of Economics in Sweden and Nipissing University in Canada, examined things like men's inclination to take risk, act fairly or compete with others. "Earlier studies, often based on small samples, suggested that testosterone might impact our willingness to take risk or compete in economic settings," says co-lead author Anna Dreber, Professor at the Department of Economics at SSE. "But in this substantially larger experiment, where we have also preregistered how we would do the analysis prior to observing the data to avoid bias, we do not find any effects of testosterone on economic decision making. Our findings give us strong evidence that short-term testosterone boosts don't meaningfully change men's economic choices." Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study included 1,000 men10 to 20 times more than typical prior studiesbetween 18 to 45 years old who were recruited between 2018 and 2023 at three locations in Canada. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a single dose of 11 milligrams testosterone or a placebo, both administered through the nose, in a double-blind trial. After waiting 30 minutes for the hormone to take effect, the participants took part in a series of well-known decision-making games and tasks used in behavioral economics. These tasks measured things like risk taking, generosity, willingness to compete and fairness preferences. The result showed no statistically significant effect of testosterone on any of the nine main outcomes. Men who received testosterone behaved, on average, the same as those who received the placebo. "This study is significant because it directly challenges the narrative that short-term fluctuations in testosterone explain why some people take bigger economic risks, reject unfair deals, or act more competitively in life," says co-lead author Justin M. Carre, Professor at the Faculty of Arts and Science at Nipissing University in Canada. That doesn't mean testosterone has no role in behavior. The researchers caution that their study tested only one dosage and timing in men. Different effects might also emerge under alternative dosages or during long-term hormone fluctuations. Also, women were not part of the trial, leaving open questions for future research. "Our findings underscore the value of replication with larger samples and preregistered designs. Findings reported from small experiments can vanish when tested more rigorously," says co-lead author Magnus Johannesson, Professor at the Department of Economics at SSE. More information: Anna Dreber et al, Investigating the effects of single-dose intranasal testosterone on economic preferences in a large randomized trial of men, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2508519122 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Provided by Stockholm School of Economics 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: Dominant vegetation types across Africa in Miocene climate simulations. Credit: Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adx6569 The uplift of East Africa during the Miocene epoch dramatically transformed the region's climate and ecosystems, promoting the expansion of grassland and reshaping habitats for mammals and early hominoids. This is revealed in a new study published in Science Advances by researchers at Stockholm University, ETH Zurich, and the Swedish Museum of Natural History. "Our results show that tectonic uplift, combined with declining CO during the Middle Miocene Climate Transition, substantially reduced forest cover and promoted grassland expansion across East and Central Africa," says Niklas Werner, now a doctoral researcher at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, ETH Zurich. He conducted this research during his master's thesis project at Stockholm University in 20222023. The researchers used the high-resolution Earth System Model EC-Earth3, coupled with a dynamic vegetation model, to simulate climate and vegetation responses to East African uplift across three key Miocene intervals (25, 20, and 15 Myr) under varying atmospheric CO levels. "These environmental transformations likely facilitated faunal dispersals and evolutionary turnover, especially among large herbivores and early crown hominoids," says Lars Werdelin, professor at the Swedish Museum of Natural History. "This work demonstrates the value of combining geodynamic modeling, climate simulations, and paleontological data to uncover how tectonics shaped ecosystems," adds Qiong Zhang, Professor at the Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, who initiated and led this research project. Early efforts to simulate uplift effects began in 2018 as part of a Bolin Centre integration project, using idealized elevation data. But due to limitations in topographic reconstructions, initial simulations were inconclusive. "The breakthrough came in 2022, when Niklas Werner took on this topic for his Master's thesis at Stockholm University, supported by improved model capabilities and better paleotopographic data," says Professor Qiong Zhang. This research stems from a long-term collaboration initiated by Professor Qiong Zhang at Stockholm University. It integrates high-resolution climate modeling with paleographic and fossil data to explore the co-evolution of landscape and fauna in East Africa. Werner, now a doctoral researcher at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, ETH Zurich, conducted the core analysis and visualizations, and led the manuscript writing. Professor Lars Werdelin, Swedish Museum of Natural History, provided expertise on fossil evidence and Miocene faunal transitions, and Dr. Zhengqian Wang, Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, contributed to configuring the EC-Earth model experiments. More information: Niklas Werner et al, East African Uplift as a Catalyst for Middle Miocene Faunal Transitions, Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adx6569. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adx6569 Journal information: Science Advances New partnership ensures long-term digital access for families at Southside View in Newark's South Ward NEWARK, N.J., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new partnership between Citizens Bank, Newark Fiber and real estate developer Adenah Bayoh is setting a benchmark for digital equity in Newark. At Bayoh's latest housing development, Southside View, every resident will receive free high-speed internet access for 15 years, thanks to Citizens' investment in both the building's infrastructure and ongoing service through Newark Fiber. The collaboration ensures that every household at Southside View has direct, reliable internet access eliminating a key barrier to education, health care, employment and connection in today's digital world. Citizens' contribution included the installation of a future-ready broadband system throughout the building and funding to cover residents' internet costs for the next decade and a half. "For me, building housing has never just been about bricks and mortar it's about dignity, opportunity, and creating pathways for families to thrive. Access to the internet is no longer a luxury; it's a lifeline to education, health care, and economic mobility. Through this partnership with Citizens and Newark Fiber, we are ensuring that every resident of Southside View is not left behind in the digital age. This project is about equity, it's about hope, and it's about rewriting what's possible for Newark families," said Bayoh. The internet provider at Southside View is Newark Fiber, a public-private partnership operated by Invest Newark, the city's economic development agency. Newark Fiber's mission is to expand affordable broadband access citywide, closing the digital divide that disproportionately affects lower-income households. Scott Kilpatrick, Vice President of Community Development Investment at Citizens, said the initiative reflects the bank's commitment to inclusive, long-term community development. "At Citizens, we're proud to invest in affordable housing that strengthens communities and expands opportunity. Our $13 million investment in Southside View, includes $500,000 to provide life-enhancing facilities and services by establishing a technology center and providing 15 years of free internet access, along with three years of after-school STEAM programming for school-age residents. These initiatives reflect Citizens' commitment to long-term, community-driven impact in partnership with Foya Development. We look forward to providing similar enhancements at Foya's next Newark development, Springview, planned for 2026." "Affordable internet access is a necessity for all, not just those who can afford it. Newark Fiber is proud to bring high-speed access to Newark residents in Southside View. The enhanced connectivity that Citizens and Adenah Bayoh have committed to is groundbreaking and a testament to what equitable development can achieve when we work together," said Aaron Meyerson, Chief Innovation Economy Officer and Director of Broadband at Invest Newark and the Newark Alliance. Beyond connectivity, Southside View represents a major investment in Newark's South Ward delivering high-quality housing, technology access and educational programming for families. With this project, Adenah Bayoh, a Newark Alliance board member, continues her mission of combining real estate development with opportunity-building for local residents. The project sets a new standard for how thoughtful, community-focused development can create lasting opportunity and equity for Newark families. ABOUT ADENAH BAYOH Adenah Bayoh is a New Jersey entrepreneur, real estate developer, and philanthropist. A refugee from Liberia's civil war, she built a portfolio of seven restaurants, including four IHOP franchises and Cornbread, a farm-to-table soul food brand with locations in Newark and Brooklyn. She also launched Brick City Vegan in downtown Newark. Through her development firm, Bayoh is leading major urban redevelopment projects such as 280 Park Place and 722 Chancellor Avenue. Her work has earned recognition from Ebony Magazine's Power 100, NJBIZ's Best 50 Women in Business, and the National Restaurant Association's Faces of Diversity Award. Visit adenahbayoh.com to learn more. ABOUT NEWARK FIBER Newark Fiber is a public-private partnership that offers Gigabit internet connections to over 50 sites including city and commercial buildings, parks and commercial corridors. Newark Fiber continues to accept applications for properties that are interested in offering connectivity as a service. Property owners and users that interested in adopting Newark Fiber can find out more at investnewark.org/newark-fiber/. ABOUT INVES T NEWARK Invest Newark, the city's Economic Development Corporation, propels economic growth by championing small businesses, improving internet access and facilitating real estate development. These endeavors lead to job creation and wealth generation, enhancing the overall welfare of Newark's residents. Distinguished by our unwavering dedication to equity and sustainability, Invest Newark stands apart as a forward-thinking development agency. Stay up to date on Invest Newark's latest news by following us on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit us at InvestNewark.org. SOURCE Invest Newark Kathmandu, Nepal October 15, 2025: Finance Minister Rameshore Prasad Khanal is currently in Washington, D.C., attending the annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). As part of his official engagements, Minister Khanal held separate meetings with senior officials from both institutions on Tuesday. According to the Ministry of Finance, Minister Khanal met with Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of the World Bank Group, and Bo Li, Deputy Managing Director of the IMF. The discussions focused on Nepals development priorities and ongoing collaboration with the two multilateral agencies. During the meetings, Minister Khanal underscored the Government of Nepals commitment to promoting good governance, enhancing accountability, and ensuring timely elections. He also expressed appreciation for the continued support from development partners and emphasized the importance of sustained cooperation in advancing Nepals economic growth and stability. The meetings are part of a broader effort to strengthen Nepals engagement with international development partners and mobilize support for key national initiatives. Date: October 1315, 2025: A grand three-day celebration was organized at the NCUI Auditorium, New Delhi, from October 13 to 15, 2025, on the auspicious occasion of the 94th Birth Anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, the former President of India, eminent scientist, and Missile Man of India. The event brought together a distinguished gathering of Indias leading scientists, spiritual masters, academicians, and youth leaders, making it an inspiring and memorable tribute to Dr. Kalams legacy of science, spirituality, and service to humanity. --- ?? Dignitaries and Distinguished Guests The ceremony was graced by several eminent personalities, including: Honble Raksha Nikhil Khadse, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India Dr. P. Veeramuthuvel, Project Director, Chandrayaan3 Mission (ISRO) Dr. Ningar Shaji, Project Director, AdityaL1 Mission (ISRO) Dr. A. P. J. M. J. Sheik Saleem, Co-Founder, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam International Foundation Dr. S. S. Agrawal, Eminent Scientist and Researcher Jagatguru Shri Shri Shri Jagan Swami and Samhitashastri Guru Arjun Prasad Bastola, renowned spiritual leaders Their presence added immense dignity and significance to the celebration. --- ? Dr. Pradeep Khanal Honored as World Spiritual Ambassador The most special moment of the event came when Dr. Pradeep Khanal was honored with the World Spiritual Ambassador Award for his extraordinary contribution to global spirituality, interfaith harmony, and international relations. Dr. Khanal has accomplished a historic pilgrimage covering over 450 sacred sites across six countries India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Tibet (China) within a single year. He was recognized as the first person since Jagatguru Adi Shankaracharya and Guru Nanak Dev Ji to undertake such a vast and spiritually significant journey in the modern era. Speakers lauded Dr. Khanals pilgrimage as a living bridge between India, Nepal, and the greater South Asian spiritual heritage, promoting peace, interfaith unity, and religious tourism across the region. --- ? Young Innovators and Students Felicitated Over 400 students and youth participants from schools and colleges across India actively took part in the three-day program. In line with Dr. Kalams vision of building a bridge between science and spirituality, several young innovators, researchers, and social leaders were honored for their contributions to science, innovation, and human welfare. --- ?? Special Discussion on Dr. Kalams Life and Vision The concluding session featured a special panel discussion on Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalams life, philosophy, and inspirational vision. Speakers emphasized his timeless message of integrating knowledge, science, and humanity and called upon the youth to carry forward his ideals in nation-building and global service. --- This grand commemoration not only paid heartfelt tribute to Dr. Kalams vision of empowering youth through knowledge and values, but also symbolized a new era of unity between science, education, and spirituality echoing his dream of a peaceful and enlightened world. EU Commissioner tours Puerto Morelos sargassum collection vessels Puerto Morelos, Q.R. Mayor Blanca Merari Tziu Munoz welcomed European Union (EU) Commissioner Jozef Sikela for a recent meeting. The pair met during his visit to Mexico to explore how sargassum can become an economic resource. Sikela is vising the country to learn how sargassum can be transformed into renewable and sustainable bioproducts that generate green jobs and circular value chains in Mexico and the Caribbean. She explained that this season was particularly challenging and involved an intensive fight against sargassum. To date in 2025, organized beach cleaning brigades collected more than 4,750 tons of the macroalgae in an effort to keep tourist beaches clean and suitable for visitors. The EU Commissioner and his entourage, who visited the Navy vessel ARM Natans, dedicated to collecting sargassum in the open sea, received a briefing from Captain Mario Alberto Barrera Navarro, who is leading the strategy against the algae. He briefed his European guests on the work being carried out on the high seas and in shallow waters with the support of sargassum barges to contain the macroalgae. He also reported that during this season, the Navy installed more than 9,000 meters of anti-sargassum barriers and deployed 380 personnel, 11 vessels and three ships dedicated to collection efforts. Guests also boarded the BSC 210 sargassum barge where they took a brief tour to learn how it works, as well as how the sargassum barriers installed in shallow waters. The visitors were also welcomed at the Fiscal Dock by the head of the State Governments Environment Secretariat, Oscar Rebora, and by Victor Manuel Vidal Martinez, head of the Mexican Institute for Fisheries and Aquaculture Research. From federal park problems to infrastructure: Government officials discuss Tulums main tourism challenges Tulum, Q.R. Federal authorities met with state officials Monday in Mexico City to discuss Tulums economic quandary. Governor Mara Lezama and Mayor Diego Castanon were part of a large group that met to discuss strategic actions. Josefina Rodriguez Zamora, center, led a meeting with Governor Mara Lezama and Tulum Mayor Diego Castanon Monday. According to the government report, the Mexico City meeting was held with the Secretary of Tourism of the Mexican Government, Josefina Rodriguez Zamora, to analyze strategic actions promoting tourism development in Tulum. At the meeting, authorities reviewed the main challenges and opportunities facing the destination, from the infrastructure and ground connectivity of Tulum International Airport to tourism promotion, planning and open access to beaches through Jaguar Park. Tulum is a source of pride for Quintana Roo and Mexico and deserves an orderly, sustainable and socially just development model that guarantees the rights of its residents and visitors, Governor Lezama said. Lezama reported that during the meeting, they also addressed the importance of enabling mobility options that facilitate the flow of visitors to local commercial areas, so that tourism directly benefits the people and the economy of communities. On Monday, Mayor Castanon reported I participated in a very productive roundtable with Mexicos Secretary of Tourism, Josefina Rodriguez Zamora, and our Governor, Mara Lezama, to strengthen tourism development in Tulum. The meeting was held after months of voiced concerns by local Tulum residents regarding a plunge in tourism. The situation has been further complicated by a management group operating the federal governments Jaguar Park. Overly expensive fees to enter the park enhanced by a lack of free public beach access throughout the municipality has been blamed for the lack of both national and international tourism. Other issues regarding high fees charged at the Tulum airport coupled with a lack of municipal infrastructure have contributed to the decline in flights at the states newest international airport. Mayor Castanon said he will continue to work with authorities on solutions to improve airport connectivity and ensure free beach access through the Jaguar Park. Together with federal and state authorities we analyzed solutions that promote an orderly, sustainable and socially just development model: from improving connectivity at the International Airport to ensuring free access to the beaches through Jaguar Park and strengthening mobility to local commercial areas. Tulum Mayor Diego Castanon at the Mexico City meeting Monday. I thank all the participating authorities for their support and commitment. We will continue working together and will keep you informed of every development that brings greater well-being to our people in Tulum and Quintana Roo. Suspects who shot up car traveling PDC highway charged with attempted homicide Playa del Carmen, Q.R. Two suspects have been charged with attempted aggravated homicide of a Playa del Carmen man. The State Attorney Generals Office reports that they obtained a double indictment against David Melchor N, alias Bimbo, for his probable participation in acts possibly constituting the crimes of attempted aggravated homicide and drug dealing. Likewise, Brayan N and/or Brayan Rodrigo N, alias La Perra, was charged only for his probable participation in the crime of attempted aggravated homicide. According to the investigation, on September 22 of this year, the victim was driving a white Volkswagen Vento on the Playa del CarmenPuerto Morelos federal highway when he was intercepted by a green Jetta carrying the suspects. The suspects fired their weapons at him, injuring him and damaging the vehicle. After the attack, the assailants fled, while the victim was taken to the hospital. More than 15 bullet holes were counted against the car. The investigation reveals that the suspects, now detainees, belong to a violent criminal group and that the attack stemmed from a dispute over control of drug sales in a beach area, where the attackers allegedly mistook the victim. At a hearing, the judge issued an order to bind both defendants to trial for the crime of attempted aggravated homicide, imposing preventive detention for two years. David Melchor N was also charged with simple possession of marijuana, stemming from his arrest in Puerto Morelos. The judge ordered him to be held in pretrial detention for one year or the duration of the trial. Affirming, expert-led mental health care designed for the LGBTQIA+ community accessible anywhere in California LOS ANGELES, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Clear Behavioral Health, a leader in comprehensive mental health and addiction treatment, announced the launch of its LGBTQIA+ Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), offering specialized mental health care for individuals needing more support than weekly therapy without requiring residential treatment. The program combines group therapy, individual counseling, and holistic approaches within a queer-affirming, trauma-informed framework that centers clients' voices and lived experiences in a validating, safe space. Clear Behavioral Health announced the launch of it's LGBTQIA+ Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program. Research shows that over 40% of transgender adults have attempted suicide, and LGBTQIA+ adults are nearly four times more likely to experience serious thoughts of suicide compared to heterosexual adults. The LGBTQIA+ Virtual IOP addresses this critical gap in mental health services by removing barriers that have historically prevented the community from seeking treatment. This program responds to the urgent needs of the community with personalized care that affirms identity, validates experiences, and empowers healing. "Clear Behavioral Health is proud to launch our LGBTQIA+ Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program," says Matthew Zubiller, CEO of Your Behavioral Health. "By providing this program virtually, we're able to reach people who may have previously struggled to access care that fits into their lives and is covered by their insurance. Our goal is to foster belonging, resilience, and lasting mental wellness for every individual who trusts us with their journey." The program is staffed by specialized clinicians, including LGBTQIA+-identified providers and allies, all extensively trained in queer-affirming and trauma-informed care. This multidisciplinary team understands the unique challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ individualsincluding bullying, family rejection, housing insecurity, and discriminationwhile recognizing and building upon the remarkable resilience and strength within LGBTQIA+ communities. "We are excited to expand access to safe, affirming care by building on the proven effectiveness of our clinical model and tailoring it specifically to the needs of LGBTQIA+ clients across all of California," says Lindsey Rae Ackerman, LMFT, Executive Director of Clinical Support Services for Your Behavioral Health. "We are proud to provide this dedicated support to the community." Clear Behavioral Health's LGBTQIA+ Virtual IOP employs evidence-based treatment modalities adapted specifically for LGBTQIA+ experiences. The program integrates CBT, DBT, and trauma-focused interventions within an affirming framework that honors each client's identity journey. Treatment addresses mental health symptoms alongside the impacts of minority stress, internalized stigma, and systemic discrimination. The virtual format ensures statewide accessibility, eliminating geographical barriers and providing a safe therapeutic space for those without local affirming care options. This approach also offers enhanced privacy for individuals who may not be out in all aspects of their lives. Clear Behavioral Health welcomes most major insurance plans, ensuring that high-quality, affirming mental health care remains accessible to the community. "Our LGBTQIA+ Virtual Program provides the validation and empowerment the queer and trans community deserves in order to feel safe and secure with themselves and the world around them," explains Logan Vournas, LGBTQIA+ Virtual Track Program Director, Clear Behavioral Health. Creating Life-Saving Spaces Research demonstrates that LGBTQIA+ adults with access to affirming mental health care report significantly lower rates of suicide attempts and improved mental health outcomes. Clear Behavioral Health's program builds on this evidence, creating an environment where clients can explore their authentic selves without fear of discrimination or judgment. The program takes an intersectional approach, recognizing how race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexuality, socioeconomic status, and ability shape everyone's experience. This culturally competent framework ensures that all aspects of a client's identity are honored in their treatment plan. Program Features Clear Behavioral Health's LGBTQIA+ Virtual IOP offers several services, including: Specialized groups addressing coming out, family dynamics, relationships, and identity exploration Evidence-based, trauma-informed care for individual and collective trauma Minority stress management and resilience building Family therapy and education for supportive family members Connection to LGBTQIA+ community resources Morning and evening scheduling options Insurance-accepted treatment Commitment To Inclusive Care The LGBTQIA+ Virtual IOP represents Clear Behavioral Health's commitment to humanizing the way we care by providing inclusive, personalized treatment. As part of Your Behavioral Health's comprehensive network, the program connects clients to a full continuum of care, ensuring sustained support throughout their wellness journey. This program goes beyond traditional treatment models to create a space where LGBTQIA+ individuals can thrivewhere their identities are celebrated and integrated into their healing process. Clear Behavioral Health recognizes that healing happens when individuals feel seen, heard, and valued for their whole selves. For more information about the LGBTQIA+ Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program or to schedule a confidential consultation, visit https://clearbehavioralhealth.com/programs/lgbtqia-virtual-iop-in-california/ or call 877-799-1985. About Clear Behavioral Health Clear Behavioral Health is a leading provider of comprehensive mental health and addiction services in Southern California. Our compassionate clinicians offer personalized, expert care for adults, teens, and families, supporting the unique needs of our patients todayand every step of the way. In-network with most insurance providers, Clear offers flexible, affordable, and convenient services at 14 Southern California locations and through virtual access. These services include detox, residential treatment, partial hospitalization (PHP), and intensive outpatient programs (IOP). For more information, visit clearbehavioralhealth.com. About Your Behavioral Health Your Behavioral Health is a leading regional behavioral health services organization dedicated to providing comprehensive, convenient, and affordable services for adults and teens across the continuum of mental health and addiction treatment. With state-of-the-art facilities throughout California, expert clinical teams, and a pioneering evidence-based, patient-centric approach to care, Your Behavioral Health offers specialized residential, inpatient, and outpatient programs for depression, anxiety, trauma-related issues, substance use, and other mental health conditions. Our family of brands includes Clear Behavioral Health, New Life House, and Neuro Wellness Spa. For more information, visit yourbehavioralhealth.com. For media inquiries: Emily Pedersen Vice President of Operations Your Behavioral Health (310) 489-7773 [email protected] SOURCE Clear Behavioral Health God at Work: Loving God and Neighbor Through the Book of Exodus, a new book from Anthony Bradley, Distinguished Research Fellow at the Acton Institute and professor of interdisciplinary and theological studies at Kuyper College, is not another contribution to the Faith and Work movement. Nor is it another contribution to the recovery of the Christian doctrine of vocation (as in my book of the same title). Rather, Bradleys book is a commentary on the Book of Exodus. But it, too, addresses how Christians are to live out their faith in the world. In the biblical account of Moses and the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, Bradley says, Well see a God who is deeply concerned about the suffering of his people, a God who acts powerfully to liberate them from oppression. The plagues by which God persuades Pharoah to let his people go are targeted judgments, systematically dismantling the political, economic, religious, and ecological pillars of Egyptian power. The Passover is the defining ritual of redemption, sealing Gods deliverance through substitutionary sacrifice and marking Israel as his protected people. And the crossing of the Red Sea is the ultimate demonstration of Gods power to save his people and judge their oppressors. Through it all, Moses and the Israelites must overcome their self-centeredness to put their faith in God. Afterward, in the wilderness, Gods people must learn to live in covenantal relationship with God and each other. According to Bradley, the holy living to which they are called includes promoting liberty and establishing social justice. And the whole story applies to Christians today in their personal lives, their life in the church, and their life in societyincluding their politics. This book is not, however, a typical exercise in Biblical exposition. In his introduction, Bradley says that his treatment of Exodus draws on four other perspectives: a Calvinist Bible scholar; a neo-Calvinist social thinker; a modern mainline Protestant theologian; and a psychoanalyst. Who are these thinkers? To begin, Gerard van Groningen (19212014) was a Dutch Bible scholar who stressed how Scripture is tied together by the themes of covenant, kingdom, and mediator. Abraham Kuyper (18371920) was a theologian and statesman who became the prime minister of The Netherlands. He is famous for saying, There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: Mine! Kuyper developed a thoroughgoing Christian social theology, including the concept of sphere sovereignty, which asserts that family, church, state, and other institutions each has its own unique but limited authority. Kuyper is well known to todays evangelicals for his emphasis on worldviews and his influence on Christian activists such as Francis Schaeffer. But his insistence on Gods sovereignty over everything did not mean the sort of theocracy depicted in The Handmaids Tale. Rather, Kuyper, whose ideas led to todays Christian Democratic parties in Europe, believed that biblical ethics require social justice. Christians are called to reflect Gods justice and mercy in every sphere of life, explains Bradley. For Kuyper, this means Gods people must be actively involved in promoting justice, caring for the poor, and ensuring that society reflects the moral order laid out in Scripture. Most originally, Bradley also brings to bear psychology on his treatment of Scripture. He does so, first, by drawing on the thought of the modern Christian realist theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (18921971). Human beings, Niebuhr taught, are finite and aware of their limitations; therefore, we are prone to anxiety. This existential anxiety can lead either to sin, such as pride and sensuality, or to faith, to dependence on God and love for others. Bradley goes deeper into the nature of anxiety with the help of Karen Horney (18851952), a German psychoanalyst who immigrated to the U.S. and broke with Freud, pioneering a cultural and relational approach to neurosis. The childhood fear of helplessness in a hostile world, she believed, creates a basic anxiety. Adults continue to struggle with such anxiety, and they cope with it in one of three ways: moving towards others (seeking approval or affection); moving against others (aggressively seeking control); or moving away from others (withdrawing emotionally). Bradley applies these four perspectives throughout his reading of Exodus. To give an example, here is how he discusses the rebellion of the Israelites in the desert: Having just experienced Gods powerful deliverance at the Red Sea, they are now thrust into the unknown wilderness, a place where basic needs like water and food are uncertain. This abrupt transition from the structured familiarity of Egypt to the uncertainty of freedom provokes a crisis of emotional security. The Israelites grumbling at Marah and in the Desert of Sin can be seen as expressions of basic anxiety. Deprived of stability, they begin to display anxiety-driven responses. Their complaints reflect a desire to regain some sense of control, even romanticizing slavery as preferable to present uncertainty (Exod 16:3). These are classic symptoms of the inner conflict Horney describedresponses to a loss of safety that can include blaming others, expressing hostility, or retreating into idealized past conditions. Rather than punishing this anxiety, God provides structure: daily manna, strict instructions, and the Sabbath rest. In Horneyan terms, this is a therapeutic response to neurotic anxietyoffering security through consistent, dependable provision. The anxiety of the Israelites that at first led them to sin now leads them, in Niebuhrs sense, to faith in God. Later, when the Israelites battle the Amalekites, they act in faith. Rather than reacting out of anxiety, they embody a mature responsetrusting in God while standing firm together. Most books about the Bible discuss the moral and theological significance of the biblical characters but few consider their psychology. This multi-faceted approachexamining the theological currents, the psychological depths, and the social implicationsis not merely an academic exercise, writes Bradley. It is a pathway to a more integrated faith, one that sees God at work in every sphere of life and calls us to respond to our whole beings. After Bradley describes these four perspectives in the introductory chapter, he begins his exposition of the first 24 of the 40 chapters of Exodus. He follows a rather unusual format, laying out 15 topical headings (e.g., Spiritual Insights: Basic Anxiety, Covenant Relationship and Faithfulness, Liberty, Justice, and Gods Kingdom). He then writes a paragraph on how the scripture passage under consideration addresses each of these topics. He goes on to use the same 15 headings to address the next scripture passage, working his way in the same manner through the first two dozen chapters. Readers may find this approach repetitive, but it allows Bradley to focus tightly on his themes. And it no doubt works well for Bible studies and personal devotions. It should also be noted that Bradleys is very much a Reformed, Calvinist take on Exodus, with its in-depth verse-by-verse attention to the themes he is expounding, reminiscent of a Reformed preachers expository sermon with much talk of sovereignty, providence, covenants, the cultural mandateand a this-worldly focus. Other Christians handle Scripture differently and with different theological assumptions. We Lutherans, for example, see the Scriptures in soteriological terms, as bringing us to repentance through Gods law and to salvation through faith in the gospel of forgiveness through Christ and His atonement. Thus, Exodus speaks to us of our deliverance from the slavery of sin, which comes from the sacrifice of Christ, the lamb without blemish whose blood protected Gods people from the Angel of Death. The Passover meal in Exodus anticipates the Passover meal in which Christ instituted the sacrament of His body and blood given for our sins. The passage through the Red Sea is a baptism. (Our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea [1 Cor. 10:12].) To be sure, that redemptive theme can be found in Bradleys reading, minus the sacraments, but it is somewhat overshadowed by the moral, social, and psychological emphases. But what all Christians should appreciate about Bradleys book is that it gives us the outline of a biblical way of thinking about political, social, and even psychological issues that offers a theologically conservative approach to social justice. This is not the social justice demanded by the left, predicated on the will to power and the conflict between oppressor groups and victim groups. Rather, this biblical social justice is grounded in the justice of God. This is not Marxist critical theory. This is Calvinist critical theory. And there is a big difference. The Singapore Customs is investigating a 25-year-old Singaporean man who failed to declare that he was carrying over $30,000 worth of Pokemon cards upon entering Singapore. The case was uncovered by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) at Changi Airports Terminal 1 on 10 Oct, ICA said in a Facebook post on 14 Oct. Disruptive and inconsiderate bus passengers are set to face penalties under new laws passed on 14 Oct. Speaking in Parliament, Senior Minister of State for Transport Murali Pillai said the Government plans to regulate passenger conduct to deter inconsiderate acts such as eating and drinking, as well as playing loud music and videos on mobile phones. 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Now, the brand is poised to re-establish itself in the United States as the mezcal of choice for discerning collectors, connoisseurs, and retailers. The Corte Vetusto Prestige Range: Every expression in the Corte Vetusto collection is small batch, single-sourced, and distilled to proof meaning each batch carries its own unique character and natural variation in ABV. For our Reserve expressions, second distillation occurs in ancestral clay pot stills, which imparts a remarkable depth, softness, and minerality that offers incredible depth and complexity in the agaves. Espadin Crafted from 100% mature Agave Espadin grown in the highlands of Oaxaca. A refined, balanced mezcal that reveals layers of roasted agave, cacao, and stone fruit with a supple mouthfeel and elegant minerality. Crafted from 100% mature Agave Espadin grown in the highlands of Oaxaca. A refined, balanced mezcal that reveals layers of roasted agave, cacao, and stone fruit with a supple mouthfeel and elegant minerality. Ensamble IV A limited-edition blend of equal parts Espadin, Tobala, and Tepeztate honoring traditional ancestral methods and showcasing extraordinary complexity with hints of tropical fruit, nuts, and a long, mineral-driven finish. Second distillation done in ancestral 70-liter clay stills. A limited-edition blend of equal parts Espadin, Tobala, and Tepeztate honoring traditional ancestral methods and showcasing extraordinary complexity with hints of tropical fruit, nuts, and a long, mineral-driven finish. Second distillation done in ancestral 70-liter clay stills. Tobala Produced from 100% wild Agave Potatorum. A silky and aromatic expression with notes of fresh agave, white flowers, and subtle earthiness, finishing with hints of citrus and spice. Second distillation done in ancestral 70-liter clay stills. Each release reflects Corte Vetusto's unwavering dedication to heritage, craftsmanship, and authenticity a true embodiment of prestige mezcal. The partnership with AIKO Brands marks a pivotal moment in Corte Vetusto's U.S. expansion strategy. With a proven track record of scaling premium labels such as Doc Holliday Bourbon, HanJan, and ClapBack Wine, AIKO brings a robust national infrastructure, key retail relationships with Costco, Spec's, and Total Wine, and a specialized sales team that will collaborate closely with AETHER Brand Group to elevate Corte Vetusto's awareness and availability nationwide. "AIKO's impressive track record of scaling premium brands makes this partnership a very exciting opportunity for Corte Vetusto and AETHER Brands as a whole," said Matthew Tarallo, Founder & Principal of AETHER Brand Group. "Their expansive network across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico provides an ideal platform for Corte Vetusto's North American expansion." "We are honored to welcome Corte Vetusto Mezcal into the AIKO portfolio," added Feliks Shekhtman, Managing Partner of AIKO Brands. "Corte Vetusto is not only one of the most acclaimed spirits in the world with listings in over 8 countries it also strengthens our luxury and prestige offerings, delivering tremendous value to our customers and distributor partners." Following strong global growth and successful 2024 rollouts, Corte Vetusto is now entering a new chapter in the United States. The brand will make its next high-profile appearance as an official sponsor of the Ferrari Club of America's Concorso event at The Club at Admiral's Cove on November 8th a fitting stage for a mezcal brand that defines luxury and exclusivity. Currently available in Florida, Georgia, New York, and Massachusetts, Corte Vetusto plans to continue its selective market expansion throughout 2026, prioritizing premier retail and on-premise accounts that align with its prestige positioning. Corte Vetusto mezcals are now available through the online shop and select local retailers. For more information about Corte Vetusto and its full portfolio of premium mezcals, please visit https://cortevetusto.com or follow the brand on Instagram , Facebook , and X . About Corte Vetusto Established in 2024, Corte Vetusto is the world's most highly awarded artisanal mezcal brand, crafted in small batches using time-honored methods passed down through generations. With a focus on authenticity, craftsmanship, and heritage, Corte Vetusto creates mezcals of remarkable depth and character that honor the ancient traditions of Oaxaca. About AIKO Brands AIKO Brands is a nationally recognized importer of premium alcoholic beverages, offering a diverse and high-quality portfolio to the U.S. market. With extensive expertise in ethnic market preferences and a tailored approach to diverse consumer segments, Aiko Brands provides a selection of fine beverages designed to satisfy even the most discerning tastes. The company's distribution network includes 127 partner organizations across 46 U.S. states, ensuring broad market reach and exceptional service. AIKO Brands sources products from South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, and has developed strategic partnerships with leading European manufacturers, securing exclusive import rights to some of the world's finest spirits and wines. By combining industry knowledge, consumer insights, and a commitment to quality, Aiko Brands continues to shape the future of the U.S. alcoholic beverage market. About AETHER Brand Group Launched by Former Global Vice President of Amazon for The Coca-Cola Company and Senior Vice President of Business Development of Reynolds American Matthew Tarallo, AETHER Brand Group is an Incubating and Operating Brand House in Adult Consumption Categories. A complement to RFT Ventures, which focuses on investments in early-state businesses and founders, AETHER Brand Group acts as a brand house for creators, owners, and operators while utilizing owned assets and strategic partnerships across ingredient formulation, a national fulfillment network and more. Both ventures are poised to complement one another with a focus around investing, consulting, incubating, and operating emerging consumer brands in the adult consumption categories. Media Contact: Huiru Guo, [email protected] SOURCE Corte Vetusto CCTV: Its reported that on Monday the U.S. State Department spokesperson in a statement said that the United States condemns Chinas ramming and water cannoning of a Philippine vessel in the South China Sea, and that Chinas sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea and its increasingly coercive actions to advance them continue to undermine regional stability and fly in the face of its prior commitments to resolve disputes peacefully. The statement also said the United States reaffirms Article IV of the 1951 United States-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft anywhere in the South China Sea. Foreign missions of the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Finland and the European Union Delegation to the Philippines issued separate statements urging China to cease its dangerous tactics at sea. Whats your comment? Lin Jian: Ive made clear Chinas solemn position on relevant incident at sea. All facts and evidence show that it was the Philippines who took infringement and provocative activities first. The Philippines is the provocateur responsible for triggering dangerous situation at sea and sabotaging regional stability. Turning a blind eye to the facts, the U.S. vilified and accused China over the legitimate and lawful measures China took to defend its sovereignty, and attempted to threaten China citing the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. Such moves once again exposed the U.S.s ill intention of deliberately stoking confrontation and destabilizing the South China Sea, and serve as yet another evidence that the U.S. is the biggest source of risks undermining regional stability. Let me stress that China stands firm in defending its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. We maintain that maritime disputes should be peacefully resolved through negotiation and consultation between states directly concerned. Any threat or provocation is nothing but meaningless attempt that will never succeed. Kyodo News: U.S. President Trump accused China of purposefully not buying soybeans from the U.S. and said he might stop trade in cooking oil with China in retaliation. Whats Chinas comment? Lin Jian: Chinas position on the economic and trade issues between China and the U.S. is consistent and clear. Tariff and trade wars have no winners and do not serve any partys interest. The two sides need to address relevant issues through consultation on the basis of equality, respect and mutual benefit. Telesur: Considering the U.S. yesterday announced attack on another fishing vessel near Venezuelas coast, which reportedly left six dead, along with the deployment of U.S. warships and a nuclear submarine in the Caribbean Sea, and Venezuelas activation of new integral defense zones, how does the Chinese government assess the risk of potential attacks also announced by the U.S. in Venezuelan territory, and what is Chinas position regarding unilateral military actions carried out without United Nations authorization? Lin Jian: China opposes the threat or use of force in international relations and opposes external interference in Venezuelas domestic affairs under any pretext. China supports the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace and the Declaration of Member States of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, and stands against moves that undermine peace and stability in Latin America and the Caribbean. China supports the effort of combating cross-border crimes through stronger international cooperation, opposes the U.S. unilateral and excessive enforcement operations against other countries vessels, and calls on the U.S. to engage in normal law enforcement and judicial cooperation through bilateral and multilateral legal frameworks. Bloomberg: The European Union is considering forcing Chinese firms to hand over tech to European companies if they want to operate locally. This is an aggressive new push to make the blocs industry more competitive. Would the Foreign Ministry like to respond? Lin Jian: Id refer you to competent authorities for anything specific. More broadly, China supports trade and investment cooperation between Chinese and European companies based on market principles and for win-win results. We oppose forced technology transfer against WTO rules, interference in companies normal operations, and protectionist and discriminatory practices taken under the pretext of enhancing competitiveness. The Paper: Its reported that the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) conferred the gold award for exhibition design among large self-built pavilions on the China Pavilion at the Osaka Expo 2025. This is the 17th time that on behalf of the Chinese government, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade brought Chinas pavilion to expos overseas and the first time that the China Pavilion won the gold award. The secretary general of the BIE said that Chinas pavilion not only showcased Chinas thousands of years of history and culture, but also Chinas solution for better development for the society in the future and its sense of responsibility. Whats your comment? Lin Jian: We congratulate the China Pavilion on winning the award. The China Pavilion is a window into the traditional Chinese wisdom in ecological protection, Chinas philosophy and achievements of green development in the new era, and the vision of countries jointly building a community of life for man and Nature. Its among one of the most popular national pavilions in the Expo. Fine traditional Chinese cultures are relevant in addressing current global challenges. In recent years, China has proposed the philosophy of building a community with a shared future for humanity, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, the Global Governance Initiative, and the Belt and Road Initiative. These visions vividly demonstrate how China, a peace-loving major country, stands up to its responsibility by embracing solidarity and inclusiveness and honors commitment and promotes amity in interactions with other countries. They also dovetail with humanitys common values and are recognized and supported by the international community. In a world with exacerbating deficits in global peace, development, security and governance, China will continue to contribute to the common good, shoulder its responsibility as a major country and offer its wisdom and solutions that are rooted in Eastern civilization to the questions of the times. Reuters: South Korea said it is in talks with China to minimize the impact of Chinese measures against its shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean and in particular its U.S.-linked subsidiaries. Could we confirm that talks are ongoing? What does China have to say in these talks? And any comment on what analysts are saying, including that the sanctions are more of a warning gesture? And also just a while ago, South Korean media reported that South Korea says that the sanctions may be linked to tensions between the U.S. and China over supply chains. Lin Jian: Competent authorities yesterday have issued remarks on that, which you may refer to. We once again urge the U.S. and companies concerned to respect facts and multilateral trade rules, abide by the principles of market economy and fair competition, correct the wrong practices as soon as possible and stop undermining Chinas interests. Bloomberg: European Union officials called for strong measures against China after Beijing imposed fresh export restrictions on rare earth minerals. Would the Foreign Ministry like to comment? Lin Jian: Competent authorities have made clear Chinas position on the export control measures on rare earths and related items. China took export control measures on relevant items in accordance with the law to better safeguard world peace and regional stability, and fulfill non-proliferation and other international obligations. The measures are consistent with international practice. We stand ready to enhance dialogue and exchange with other countries on export controls to keep the global industrial and supply chains safe and stable. AFP: Netherlands-based chip maker Nexperia said yesterday that the Chinese government has banned it from exporting goods from China. This is after Dutch authorities seized control of the firm citing concerns over national security. Can the Foreign Ministry confirm that China has imposed an export ban on Nexperia? Lin Jian: Id refer you to competent authorities for anything specific. Let me reaffirm once again that China opposes overstretching the concept of national security and discriminatory moves against companies in certain countries. The relevant country should abide by market principles and refrain from politicizing trade issues. China is firmly resolved in safeguarding its legitimate and lawful rights and interests. Reuters: Our second question is about U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. He said that whether the additional 100 percent tariffs on Chinese goods kick in on November 1 or sooner depended on what China does. He also said Chinese officials made contradictory statements about the latest rare earth export restrictions. How does the Foreign Ministry respond to this? Lin Jian: Competent authorities have made clear Chinas position on the export control measures on rare earths and related items. China took export controls on relevant items in accordance with the law to better safeguard world peace and regional stability, and fulfill non-proliferation and other international obligations. The measures are in line with international practice. Chinas position has been consistent and clear. It is the U.S. who asks for talks while threatening high tariffs and new restrictions. This is not the right way to deal with China. We urge the U.S. to correct its wrong approach as early as possible and address relevant issues through dialogue and consultation on the basis of equality, respect and mutual benefit. Reuters: A follow-up on the rare earth restriction. Has any foreign government or any embassies reached out to the government and departments for clarification on what these new export restrictions really are? Lin Jian: Id refer you to competent authorities. AFP: Prosecutors in the United States said yesterday that Ashley Tellis, a well-known U.S. scholar on India and the government adviser, has been charged with retaining classified information. Tellis also allegedly met multiple times with Chinese officials near Washington D.C. Does the Foreign Ministry have information on this case? Lin Jian: I am not familiar with what you mentioned. Reuters: About the news that came out overnight. Major Chinese airlines have urged the Trump administration to abandon a plan to bar them from flying over Russia on U.S. routes. They said that it would increase flight times, raise airfares and could disrupt some travel plans for passengers. Does the Ministry have any comment on this method? Lin Jian: We previously answered relevant question. For anything specific, Id refer you to competent authorities. The U.S.s planned restriction on Chinese airlines operation is not conducive to people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and harms the U.S.s own interests. We also noted that the restriction is met with strong domestic opposition from the U.S. public. We support Chinese companies in safeguarding their legitimate and lawful rights and interests. How to Do It is Slates sex advice column. Have a question? Send it to Jessica and Rich here. Its anonymous! Dear How to Do It, I am a man in my early 60s who has been suffering from erectile dysfunction for around a year now. Medications have been somewhat helpful, but the problem seems to be worsening. What hasnt helped is that my wife has been less than supportive. She has this bizarre notion that I am somehow doing this on purpose to deny her sex. Now shes saying that if I dont resolve the problem, she is going to get what she needs elsewhere. Needless to say, the threat of my wife cheating on me doesnt help the situation. How can I get her to understand that whats going on with me isnt my choice? Dead Dick Dear Dead Dick, From what you describe, this seems like a very outsized reaction. Is this behavior out of character for your wife? If so, Id question whether theres something deeper going on, with her emotions or her brain. In that case, you might enlist the help of family members or her medical team to evaluate whether she needs to see some type of specialist and figure out how to make that happen. If her reaction is fairly par for the course, know that you dont have to stay in the relationship. If you do want to stay married, its probably useful to consider any ways youve previously navigated similar scenarios. But lets say your wife shows absolutely no other signs of personality or cognitive changes, and shes never behaved like this before. Find a way to get her in front of the doctors youre working with on your erectile dysfunction. Ask the doctors, beforehand, whether theyre willing and able to help make your situation clear to her. Try to get her to see herself as collaborating with you on finding a way to mitigate the circumstances. If you can get through to her, and shes able to soften her stance, start working to understand whats most important about penetrative sex for her and how the two of you can scratch that itch without you having an erection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Get sex advicesubmit a question! Please keep questions short (<150 words), and dont submit the same question to multiple columns. We are unable to edit or remove questions after publication. Use pseudonyms to maintain anonymity. Your submission may be used in other Slate advice columns and may be edited for publication. Thanks! Your question has been submitted. Dear How to Do It, * Your letter signoff Your pronouns Your email (optional and confidentialplease include if you're open to How to Do It following up) Submit Dear How to Do It, My husband, Jake, and I have been married for four years. This is his second marriage and my first. Jakes previous marriage ended after he discovered his wife was having multiple affairs. Within the last year or so, Jake has become increasingly paranoid that I am cheating on him (Im not!). He goes through my phone, monitors my online activity, and will practically interrogate me if I dont respond to his calls/texts immediately. The other day, I stopped to talk with a neighbor couple while getting the mail at the foot of our driveway. When I got back in the house, Jake asked me point-blank if I was engaging in threesomes with them! I understand the pain and humiliation his exs cheating caused him, but I dont know how much more of being treated like Im guilty until proven innocent I can take. Should I insist we attend counseling, or at this point, would it be better to walk away? Wrongfully Given the Scarlet Letter Advertisement Dear Scarlet Letter, Personally, I would walk awaycautiously, carefully, and with an eye toward safety. Ive seen too much and experienced too much to take the risk that someone engaging in the behaviors Jake is displaying would escalate things further. Your dynamic with Jake does absolutely contain an element of being treated as though youre guilty when you arent, but I want to make sure youre seeing the fact that hes also treating you like a person he has a right to control. Without being there, its hard to say, but I worry its more like youre an object than a person. Thats where violence is a significant risk. Advertisement If you decide to give the marriage one last try, insist that the two of you attend counseling, and insist that Jake attends counseling on his own. A couples therapist is going to be focused on how the two of you relate, and he clearly needs some support in recovering from something that happened prior to your relationship, which is going to be outside the scope of work done as a pair. If only one of these things can happen at a time, Jakes individual therapy needs to be the requirement and priority. Advertisement Advertisement It would be reasonable to check your phone for any way he might be able to track you, gather your important belongings (identification paperwork, crucial electronics like laptops and phones, and anything of immense sentimental value), and remove yourself from the home before you either let Jake know youre leaving or that you require him to seek treatment. And if youre going the divorce route, consult with a family lawyer first. Send Us Your Questions About the Workplace! The columnists behind our advice column, Good Job, want to help you navigate your social dynamics at work. Does your colleague constantly bug you after hours? Has an ill-advised work romance gone awry? Ask us your question here! Advertisement Advertisement Dear How to Do It, My wife has gotten increasingly horny within the last year. We are both 43, and normally, we would have sex six to seven times a week. Now she wants it even more! Fortunately, we both work from home, so I can accommodate her. At first, I was thrilled, but now Im exhausted. Should I insist she get her hormone levels checked? Or is this sort of thing normal as women get older? Worn Out Advertisement Dear Worn Out, The hormone shifts that happen during perimenopause and menopause, and their accompanying effects, are incredibly ill-studied, often chaotic, and very individual. Theres also an amount of comfort with the self and understanding of desires that can contribute to women becoming more interested in sex in their 30s and 40s. Im really not sure, though, what insisting your wife get her hormone levels checked would do other than to frame the situation as a medical problem and risk hurting her feelings or getting so close to tired old patriarchal shaming of womens sexuality that she shuts down. Hormones are complicated, and theres a complex interplay between them. Its not as simple as estrogen equals horny. Is there a reason youd go for pathologizing your wifes arousal over, say, having a direct conversation about how youre exhausted? If there are other changes that signal something might be up, broach the subject, but keep the focus on your concern for her and have specific details to point to. Advertisement Advertisement As for addressing the amount of sex youre having, the direct route is more likely to open up discussions about your options. If the two of you are working together to figure out how to get her the sexual satisfaction she desires while preserving enough of your energy that youre able to handle the rest of your life, you can probably come up with a few functional solutions. This might look like less vigorous physical activity on your part, you refraining from ejaculating on some or most occasions, and her masturbating with or without you holding her or helping. Get back on the same team and get creative. Jessica More Advice From Slate Im a 41-year-old, fat, chronically physically and mentally ill virgin. Im nonbinary and bisexual, but out only to a few close friends. I was born into an extremely strict, overprotective, conservative family. I didnt even come out to myself until I was over 30, and living with my parents until their deaths, I didnt have any freedom to do anything about it anyway. I have one online friend with whom Ive been writing erotica inspired by various movie and TV characters since we were in our 20s Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is on quite a tear. Over the past month, shes been publicly trashing her colleagues over the Jeffrey Epstein files, health care costs, regulations for artificial intelligence, and funding for Israel. This week Greene took things up a notch during an interview with the Washington Post, where she criticized House Speaker Mike Johnsons government shutdown strategy, accused him of treating Republican House members who are women unfairly, and argued a lot of the men here in the House are weak. All this conflict with other members of her own party is a new twist for the conservative firebrand, who has generally kept busy pushing outlandish conspiracy theories and racist ideology. Now, Greene is coming out swinging against her partys policy platform and internal culture, while still not outright breaking with the MAGA movement and President Donald Trump . Even the president has noticed Greene is acting differently lately; according to two GOP sources who spoke to NBC news, Trump has been calling around and asking: Whats going on with Marjorie? Just last week Greene published a lengthy social media post declaring that she was absolutely disgusted over the fact that tax credits for health insurance premiums would be expiring at the end of the year, since Republicans did not include an extension in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law over the summer (the one that, you know, Greene also voted for). Greene made sure to caveat her post by adding NO FUNDING FOR ILLEGALS AND ANY BENEFITS FOR THEM. This week, Greene also provided a peek into her ongoing feud with Johnson in an interview with the Post. While publicly pushing Republicans to abolish the filibuster, Greene shared that she was also sparring with Johnson about it over text message. He told me they cant do it and its math, Greene said, adding that she pushed back and pointed out that Senate Republicans had just tweaked rules to confirm a bloc of 48 Trump nominees without Democrats consent in September. (Last year, Senate Majority Leader John Thune vowed he would not touch the filibuster.) Greene even went on CNN last week to push the GOP on the filibuster, also discussing her disagreements on health care premiums and the rising cost of living. Meanwhile, Johnson tried to downplay the conflict with Greene, telling reporters they had a good discussion as colleagues and friends. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Greene was far from done. She also went in on her partys treatment of women, accusing male GOP House members of being weak and afraid of strong Republican women. She pointed to New York Rep. Elise Stefaniks treatment as an example: President Trump pulled her United Nations ambassador nomination in order to secure the GOPs majority in the House, even though Stefanik lost her post as House GOP Conference chairthe third-highest-ranking House Republicanin the nomination process. Upon Stefaniks return to Congress, Johnson instead appointed her chairwoman of House Republican Leadership. Its a job thats mostly focused on party strategy and communications, which Greene characterized as some honorary bullshit role that is unbelievably insulting. Shes a woman, so it was OK to do that to her, somehow, Green told the Post. Greene also weighed in on her decision to join a discharge petition, alongside every Democrat in the House, that would require the Justice Department to release all information on the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. While acknowledging that she took a lot of heat for that, Greene doubled down on her choice. Its such a disgusting issue that were like: We dont care if we get attacked, she said, referencing her Republican colleagues Reps. Nancy Mace and Lauren Boebert, who also signed the petition. Advertisement Related From Slate Marjorie Taylor Greenes Horrific Comments on the Texas Floods Are Just the Beginning Read More Greene quipped that her male colleagues couldnt relate to her concerns about Epstein and dont want to get yelled at by the president or Johnson. Back home in Georgia, at least some of her constituents seem to be thrilled with this recent turn of events. I love her. I love how outspoken she is. She represents the heart of her people, not just her branch of government, Rhonda Smith, a Georgia resident in Greenes district, told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Another constituent applauded Greene for coming out against long-standing U.S. policy of funding Israels military. Greene herself doesnt seem too worried, either. My district knows I ran for Congress trashing Republicans, she told the Post. They voted for me because they agreed with that. My districts not surprised. Y Combinator-backed fintech expands into the region as remittances surge and launches Dirham and Egyptian pound payouts to serve North Africa's growing digital economy. SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Y Combinator-backed cross-border payments startup Grey has launched support for Morocco and Egypt, enabling users in the country to send and receive international payments with greater speed and convenience. Grey targets North Africa's $64 billion annual remittance market with instant local currency payouts. The expansion allows users in Morocco and Egypt to receive international payments in local currency within minutes. It targets thousands of students, freelancers, and remote workers who currently face week-long delays and fees of up to 7% through traditional banks. Remittances from Moroccans abroad hit a record of $12.8 billion in 2024, with Egypt recording $36.5 billion in international remittances between 2024 and 2025. Yet, most recipients still endure the same outdated banking infrastructure that has dominated the region for decades. "North Africa represents a massive untapped opportunity," said Idorenyin Obong, CEO of Grey. "We're seeing incredible demand from users in Casablanca and Cairo who are tired of losing money to outdated payment systems. The region is ready for modern financial infrastructure." He added, "Every week we hear from developers, designers, and entrepreneurs across North Africa building amazing businesses but getting held back by their banks. We're here to change that and to give them the same financial tools that other regions already have access to." The timing reflects North Africa's digital transformation, with growing numbers of freelancers, students, and remote workers in both countries still relying on costly wire transfers or informal money transfer networks. Grey's approach provides users with USD, EUR, and GBP bank account details, allowing international clients to pay in those currencies instantly. Users can convert funds to local currency in under 10 minutes at real-time exchange rates. The launch puts Grey in competition with traditional remittance providers, which typically charge 5-7% in fees and require physical pickup locations. Grey, which graduated from Y Combinator's Winter 2022 batch and serves over 2 million users across 50+ countries, now supports transfers to 170+ countries. The company holds money service business licenses in the US (FinCEN) and Canada (FINTRAC). Its goal is simple: to eliminate the barriers that prevent talented people from participating in the global economy. The expansion is part of Grey's broader MENA support strategy, with additional North African currencies expected later this year. Users in Morocco and Egypt can sign up at www.grey.co . The Grey app is also available for download on the App Store and Google Play Store. Grey's service also includes virtual USD debit cards, support for USDC cryptocurrency payments, and physical cards coming to the region soon. About Grey Grey is at the forefront of providing secure and convenient global banking solutions to meet the needs of customers and businesses. Grey holds a Money Service Business license from FINTRAC in Canada, and FinCEN in the USA, and our primary focus is emerging markets. Our range of services enables individuals and businesses to easily own and manage multi-currency accounts . This includes currency exchange , sending and receiving payments to and from over 170 countries, as well as access to virtual cards . Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2797332/GREY_Logo.jpg SOURCE Grey Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. Now, some people dont like me. Im very controversial, former Sheriff Joe Arpaio told me on the phone recently. This would qualify as an understatement, coming from the so-called toughest sheriff in the nation who oversaw a reign of racialized terror in the most populous county in Arizona for more than two decades. Now, years after his retirement following criminal contempt charges and a presidential pardon from Donald Trump, Sheriff Joe is claiming vindication for everything he did and thanking the Supreme Court. Tragically, he may have a point. Earlier this summer, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo on its shadow docket, a ruling that essentially legalizes racial profiling by immigration agents, the exact sort of race-based policing that Arpaio was penalized for. The complaint in Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo described the weekslong siege in Los Angeles as one of rampant racial profiling and excessive violence by masked agents: Individuals with brown skin are approached or pulled aside by unidentified federal agents, suddenly and with a show of force, and made to answer questions about who they are and where they are from. Some of the people cuffed and interrogated by immigration agents were U.S. citizens. Some have been assaulted and interrogated in this way multiple times. While many lawyers and advocates for immigrants have decried SCOTUS implicit permission for continued racial profiling, the 93-year-old retired lawman sees the 63 decision as a vindication of his aggressive and constitutionally questionable policing tactics in arresting Latinos. I was just cleared by the Supreme Court, Arpaio explained to me over the phone. Obama and Biden went after me for racial profiling. They went after me [and] the Supreme Court ruled in my favor last month. If it was not clear enough what Arpaio meant by this, he said it as directly as possible. I was using race as the reason to determine whether somebody was here legally or illegally, he said. Now, he says, the Supreme Court is just fine with that approach. I was vindicated by the Supreme Court of all this shit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related From Slate With One Damning Question, Ketanji Brown Jackson Defined the Supreme Courts New Term Read More In case you dont remember Arpaio, he was the sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizonathe states most populous county, which includes Phoenixfrom 1993 to 2016. During his tenure, he became famous for his attacks on the immigrant community. Specifically, Arpaio used the federal program called 287(g) as a justification to conduct his own immigrant raids, which often included tactics like parading arrestees in front of cameras. Advertisement During his tenure, Arpaio prided himself on racially profiling Latinos, stopping cars, invading workplaces, and scoping out churches in an effort to find people who might be deportable. As he once said in court, My program, my philosophy is a pure program. You go after illegals. Im not afraid to say that. And you go after them and you lock them up. In 2008, the Department of Justice opened an investigation into Arpaios rampant racial profiling. It was hardly a secret. Like the current presidential administration, Arpaio was boasting of his racial terror campaign frequently on television, once saying it was an honor to be compared to the Ku Klux Klan. In 2011, the Department of Homeland Security stripped Arpaios deputies of their 287(g) authority, and the next year, the Department of Justice filed its own lawsuit. Unsurprisingly, Arpaio continued to push for the arrests of people who were potentially deportable, going so far as to establish a hotline and to use confidential informants in his quest to find deportable immigrants. Advertisement Advertisement In the period between Trumps second election last November and his ascension into office in January, many advocates for immigrants, legal commentators, and people I knew through my work covering local law enforcement told me that they did not think Trump would revive 287(g) task force agreements because of the stench created by Joe Arpaio. 287(g) is shorthand for a federal law that permits local law enforcement to be deputized to do the job of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. While the two other 287(g) programs mostly allow sheriffs to send people to ICE who have already been arrested, the task force model allows local police to hit the streets doing exactly what ICE agents do. The administration did it anyway, in another vindication for Sheriff Joe. With Trump back in office, there are now over 1,000 287(g) agreements across the country, the most in the history of the program. Advertisement Advertisement At the end of the day, Arpaios prejudice and violence against immigrants was so conspicuous that the Maricopa County Sheriffs Office was found guilty at trial of racial profiling and had to submit to a court monitor and a series of benchmarks to remedy the racialized policing; the totality of Arpaios legal troubles have cost taxpayers over $100 million. Despite the expense, the Maricopa County Sheriffs Office has never hit those benchmarks. Even now, as the Department of Justice has turned away from worrying about corrupt or racist police departments, a recent report shows that the Maricopa County Sheriffs Office has inflated the costs of compliance with that order while not actually fully complying. Advertisement Advertisement After Donald Trump pardoned Arpaio during his first term in 2017Arpaio was facing potential jail time for refusing to comply with a judges orderthe relationship between the two was cemented and the redemption arc of Arpaio began. As Arpaio put it, When he pardoned me, he let every cop know that hes going to have their back. Arpaio has run for office since then, but has been trounced every time. Despite all this, he remains the most stalwart supporter of the president. At one rally, Trump kissed Arpaio on the cheek. Advertisement For many people, the story of Arpaio showed how the courts successfully restrained a would-be tyrant. But the Supreme Court is very different now. While there is no majority opinion in Vasquez Perdomo because the case was not decided on the merits, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote a concurrence in which he posited that it was perfectly constitutional and reasonable for immigration agents to stop people who appear to be immigrants based on a series of criteria like appearance, language spoken, and place of employment, which the justice determined to comply with reasonable suspicion. Kavanaugh tried to distinguish using race as a way to assess immigration status from racial profiling: To be clear, apparent ethnicity alone cannot furnish reasonable suspicion; under this Courts case law regarding immigration stops, however, it can be a relevant factor when considered along with other salient factors. This seems like a long way to say what Arpaio said: Race was a proxy for immigration status. The so-called Kavanaugh stops are remarkably similar to what Arpaio did by his own admission. Despite the lack of unanimity and the uncertain legal posture, federal officials are perfectly comfortable claiming the law supports their blatantly racist policing. The Trump administration has claimed the decision as a victory, and in a recent interview, Customs and Border Patrol Commander Op at Large Greg Bovino has said that his agents stop and detain people based on how they look. They arent called Arpaio stops, but maybe they should be. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. Is it racist to remedy racism? Thats the question at the heart of Callais v. Louisiana, which the Supreme Court heard on Wednesday. The case asks whether the Voting Rights Act gives Black Louisianans too much political powerand if so, whether the landmark law violates the Constitution. Unsurprisingly, the Republican-appointed justices seem eager to rule that it does. Throughout oral arguments, they suggested the VRA protects minority voters too effectively, dragging the government into race-conscious considerations that offend the equal protection rights of the white voters who sued in this case. And they floated various ways to gut what remains of the statute by twisting it beyond recognition or striking it down altogether. The result would be a windfall for Republicans, who stand to gain at least 19 seats in the House of Representatives if the Supreme Court frees them to gerrymander Black communities into oblivion. Such a decision would also devastate minority representation in Congress, eliminating up to 30 percent of the Congressional Black Caucus. In short, the consequences of Callais are staggering. But perhaps the deepest outrage is what this case would do to the Constitution itself: warping its guarantees of equality into weapons against the very people they were meant to protect. The 14th and 15th Amendments were ratified to establish an enduring multiracial democracy, explicitly empowering Congress to end the subjugation of nonwhite Americans. Through the Voting Rights Act, Congress used that authority to secure minorities equal voice in the political process. Yet now, once again, the Supreme Court looks ready to gut the law. In this opposite-day jurisprudence, the government is racist when it combats racism, and the nations most important civil rights law is a tool of racial entitlement that has outlived its purpose. Callais history began when the Louisiana Legislature drew a new congressional map in 2021. Republican lawmakers packed many Black voters into a single district, then distributed the rest across five majority-white districts. This outcome gave Black Louisianans, who make up roughly one-third of the states population, a meaningful opportunity to elect their preferred candidate in just one district, while white voters dominated the other five. Such racial targeting is a quintessential violation of the Voting Rights Acts Section 2, which requires that minorities have a fair shot to elect representatives of their choice. So a federal court struck down the map in 2022. The Legislature then drew a new one that created a second majority-Black district. A group of white voters then challenged the new district as a violation of the equal protection clause. A different federal court agreed, ruling that the map unconstitutionally discriminated on the basis of race. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Louisiana appealed to the Supreme Court, which heard arguments last term. But the Republican-appointed justices sounded frustrated by the narrow scope of the case. The court then, in a highly unusual move, scheduled Callais for reargument this termand broadened the question presented, asking whether the use of race to create an additional majority-minority district violates the 14th and 15th Amendments. As voting rights scholar Richard Hasen wrote in Slate, this framing allowed the court to take direct aim at Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by holding that it unlawfully requires the consideration of race in redistricting. Sensing an opportunity to kneecap the VRA, Louisiana flipped positions, declaring that its own map is unconstitutional because all race-based redistricting violates equal protection. If there was any hope for the VRA, it would have come from Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who joined a surprise 54 decision sparing the law two years ago. But Kavanaugh swiftly quashed any optimism that he might repeat this fleeting act of courage. As currently interpreted, he declared, the VRA entails the intentional, deliberate use of race to sort people into different districts. And, citing a series of cases that led to the recent demise of affirmative action, he repeated his belief that such discrimination must have an expiration datea time limit after which it is no longer constitutional. NAACP Legal Defense Fund President and Director-Counsel Janai Nelson, who defended the VRA, pushed back on this claim, noting (correctly) that the Supreme Court has never actually embraced it. Kavanaugh was not dissuaded, insisting that race-based remedies are permissible for a period of time but should not be indefinite and should have an end point. His obvious implication: Section 2s end point has arrived, and the court must prohibit any further consideration of race to protect minority voters. Advertisement Advertisement Related From Slate The Supreme Court Might Net Republicans 19 Congressional Seats in One Fell Swoop Read More The fundamental flaw in this logic, as all three liberal justices pointed out repeatedly, is the false equivalency between racism (oppressing people of color) and remedying racism (ending such oppression through race-conscious solutions). Since 1986s Thornburg v. Gingles, the Supreme Court has interpreted Section 2 as an exercise of the latterredressing racism rather than perpetuating it, in harmony with the Constitution. But todays Republican-appointed justices see no difference between these two things: They believe that consideration of race is always malignant and legally suspect, even if its done to safeguard minorities rights. Justice Neil Gorsuch mounted that argument during an exasperating exchange with Nelson, assertingfive times in a rowthat the deliberate creation of a majority-Black district intentionally discriminates on the basis of race. Nelson refused to accept the premise, insisting on the distinction between actual discrimination (by diluting minorities votes) and remedying discrimination (by increasing minorities political power). She reminded the court that this distinction comes straight from Congress, which amended the VRA in 1982 to preserve and expand minority representation. But Kavanaugh shot Nelson down: When were applying the equal protection clause, he told her, deferring to Congress is, I think, not what were supposed to do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Justice Amy Coney Barrett shared Kavanaughs Congress-skeptical attitude in a line of questions that reflect profound hostility toward the 15th Amendment. Barrett pointed out that the Supreme Court interprets that amendments to outlaw only intentional discrimination. But Section 2 of the VRA also forbids maps that have discriminatory effect, regardless of intent. So, Barrett, wondered, if Section 2 goes above and beyond what the 15th Amendment requires of its own force, is Congress allowed to choose the VRA as a remedy? Or is the law an improper exercise of congressional authority, because it is not congruent and proportional to the amendment its enforcing? Advertisement The problem with Barretts reasoning is that the Supreme Court has never required federal voting laws to closely mirror the 15th Amendment. Nor should it, since the framers of the 15th Amendment gave Congress vast discretion to decide how best to purge racism from the electoral process. Even Donald Trumps Department of Justice, which weighed in against the VRA, acknowledged that it is extraordinarily difficult to prove that a legislature acted with intentional racism. Thats why the Supreme Court has long deferred to Congress judgment, through Section 2, to forbid the dilution of minority votes, regardless of lawmakers proven intentions. Barretts evident desire to supplant that judgment with her own conviction that racism is a thing of the past represents the height of judicial hubris. Advertisement Advertisement Justice Samuel Alito was even more aggressive in his beatdown of the VRA. He offered one weird trick to demolish the statute: simply pretend that racially biased maps were drawn for the sole purpose of favoring Republicans, not disfavoring Black voters. If the objective is simply to maximize the number of representatives of a particular party, he told Nelson, thats seeking a partisan advantage. It is not seeking a racial advantage. A map that dilutes minorities votes, Alito said, might be targeting partisan voting, not racial voting, since these groups favor Democrats. And partisan gerrymanders are permissible thanks to the Supreme Court. Alito deployed this reasoning last year to uphold a brazen racial gerrymander in South Carolina. Now he wants to wield it as a cudgel against the VRA. Justice Clarence Thomas was not particularly aggressive on Wednesday, but he is an avowed foe of the Voting Rights Act and has already announced that he thinks Louisianas map is unconstitutional. Chief Justice John Roberts didnt say much, but tipped his hand when he sought to distinguish Callais from his own decision upholding the VRA just two years ago. Back then, he said, the court took existing precedent as a given, since no party asked for its reversal. Now, however, both the court and Louisiana have put existing precedent in the crosshairs, giving the majority a golden opportunity to overturn it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The three liberal justices pushed back hard against all this doctrinal gaslighting. But they didnt seem to convince their colleagues. Justice Sonia Sotomayor captured the perverse core of Louisianas argument when she pointed out that, under the states logic, the government can use race to hurt people, but not help them: Maps that diminish Black representation are fine, while maps that boost Black representation are unlawful. You can use [race] to help yourself achieve goals that reduce a particular [racial] groups electoral participation, Sotomayor summarized, but you cant use it to remedy that situation. Thats what you want us to hold. And that is what the court will likely hold, in so many words, though it may dress up the ruling in legalese designed to obscure its catastrophic impact. Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, and others mused that they could tweak, refine, or clarify precedent like Gingles by radically rewriting it to rid race from the analysis. The court could, for instance, hold that neither courts nor legislatures may ever intentionally use race to create more majority-Black districts, or even consider race to assess the impact of a particular map. Or it could strike down Section 2 altogether. All these outcomes would lead to the same place: an electoral bonanza for Republicans and hobbled voting power for Black voters in Southern states. For decades, the VRA has limited Southern states ability to maximize GOP gerrymanders by carving up Black communities. Once SCOTUS defangs Section 2, itll be open season on majority-Black districts; Southern states will be free to slice and dice them for partisan gain. The best estimates show that a far-reaching decision in Callais could help Republicans net 15 to 19 additional seats in the House of Representatives. This shift would make it nearly impossible for Democrats to win a House majority outside of blue-wave elections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Courts Republican appointees know this. They are also smart enough to know that in a state like Louisiana, a map can be both racist and partisan, helping the GOP by discriminating against minority voters. And they are perfectly fine with it. In 2013, when SCOTUS dismantled a different provision of the VRA, Southern states started implementing voter suppression laws within hours. The effect of Callais could be even more disastrous. As brutal as these cases are for the Democratic Party, it is a mistake to view them exclusively through a partisan lens. Yes, the conservative justices obviously enjoy advancing Republicans electoral fortunes. But they are just as committed to an even broader project: transforming the Constitutions guarantee of equality into a perpetuation of racial injustice. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. Thousands of pages of Telegram chats obtained by Politico laid bare what young Republican leaders talk about in private: They use racial slurs with abandon, they make vile jokes about rape and gas chambers, and they say they love Hitler. In another time, the leaked messages from leaders of young Republican groups across the U.S. might have constituted a major bombshell or a scandal for the GOP, perhaps even ushered in a period of serious self-reflection. Instead, the response has highlighted the ongoing tussle between MAGA and the increasingly weak Republican establishment over the soul of the GOP and whether normalized racism, antisemitism, and violent speech have a place in it. State Republicans in Kansas immediately deactivated their young republican organization after its chair and deputy chair were exposed by Politico as participants in the Telegram chat. The Young Republican National Federation, a 94-year-old organization catering to Republicans between the ages of 18 and 40, said it was appalled by the vile and inexcusable language and called for the resignation of the chat members. Many state chapters issued their own statements condemning the leaked chats. And some participants, such as the chief of staff for a New York State Assembly member, have since been fired. But the response from MAGA influencersincluding Vice President J.D. Vancehas so far followed a familiar script: peddling whataboutism, denying, downplaying, or shifting blame. Some even celebrated the chats: Not only am I ok with what was said in the group chat, those messages have my full endorsement, posted Alex Rosen, an internet personality who conducts sting operations against suspected pedophiles, to his 480,000 followers on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vance shrugged off the chats, characterizing them as idle conversations by college studentsdespite Politicos reporting that many of the chat members already work inside government or party politics, and one serves as a state senator. The vice president wrote that he refused to join the pearl clutching in response to the chats. Far worse, he said, was the text-messaging scandal involving Virginia Attorney General candidate Jay Jones. In those messages, from 2022, Jones, a Democrat, fantasized about a scenario in which hed kill thenVirginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert; he also mentioned his wish that Gilberts children would die and spur gun-safety legislation. (The underlying tribalism seemingly preventing Vance and others from condemning the young Republicans in the Telegram chats is perhaps not exclusive to the GOP. Even after Jones texts came to light, Democrats have largely stuck by him in his bid for Virginia AG.) Advertisement Vance doubled down on his position in an appearance on the network Real Americas Voice on Wednesday afternoon. Grow up! Focus on the real issues. Dont focus on what kids say in group chat, Vance said. The reality is that kids do stupid things, especially young boysthey tell edgy, offensive jokes. Thats what kids do. Advertisement We live in a digital world, he added. Were not canceling kids because they do something stupid in a group chat. Conservative commentator Matt Walsh struck a similar note, referencing the Virginia Democrats tepid or nonexistent response to the Jones text-messaging scandal and falsely describing the participants in the Telegram chats as college students. Meanwhile, a few college kids make edgy jokes in a group chat and conservatives are tripping over themselves to denounce and disavow and call for firings and resignations, said Walsh. Absolutely pathetic. Other conservative media types tried to suggest that left-wing group chats following the assassination of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk would have been far uglier. If it had them, do you think Politico would make graphics for a story about liberal group chat messages the day Charlie Kirk was assassinated? wrote Brent Scher, the Daily Wires editor in chief, on X. Hint: it does have them, because all the outlets are filled with young socialists and are in the group chats. Advertisement Advertisement Republican organizations that issued statements condemning the leaked chats were bombarded with angry messages calling them RINOs (Republicans in Name Only). When the Indiana chapter of the Young Republican National Federation wrote in a statement that it unequivocally denounced the chats, one MAGA activist responded: Pearl clutching. Total cowards. You show everyone why the state run GOPs are a clown show. All about the establishment. Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, College Republicans United, an organization affiliated with white supremacist livestreamer Nick Fuentes groyper army, pounced on the opportunity to recruit. Your cowardly remarks do not reflect the base of the party, the group wrote in response to Indianas Young Republican National Federations statement. Any [Young Republican] member who is persecuted should consider reaching out to us. We are willing to help you. Many others online suggested that the content of the leaked messageswhich included racist statements such as Id go to the zoo if I wanted to watch a monkey play ball in response to a question about the NBAwas no different from that of their own chats. Advertisement Lol theyre worried about these milquetoast chats? wrote Proud Boy chairman Enrique Tarrio on X. Wait till they see mine. Canadian groyper Tyler Russell expressed a similar sentiment on his livestream. There are thousands of group chats like this where gen z people talk like that, he said. This is how we talk. We shit post its just locker room talkget over it. Conservative journalist and activist Cassandra MacDonald wrote on X, I just reviewed my group chats and can confirm i will be burned at the stake if we dont start making an example of leaking traitors. Related From Slate This Republican Lawmakers Rant About Town Halls Is Really Something! Read More Many on the far right have been concerned less about the contents of the chats and more about how they came to be made public. Advertisement Peter Giunta, who was fired as New York State Assembly member Michael Reillys chief of staff for his active involvement in the chat (using racial slurs and making statements like I love Hitler), suggested to Politico that Gavin Wax, president of the New York City Young Republican Club, was behind the leak. Wax, who previously oversaw a Facebook chat that was rife with white nationalists and racial slurs, did not respond to Slates request for comment. But many on the far right had settled on a theory: Wax was feuding with members of the chat and ultimately blackmailed one of them into handing over access. Advertisement Literally everybody talks like this, Russell said on his livestream. Unfortunately, it can be weaponized if you have someone like Gavin Wax, who has political clout and wants to throw it around and dunk on his enemies. And Fuenteswhose long-stated goal, via his groyper army, is to drag the Republican Party to a place where saying slurs and making antisemitic statements are acceptablepraised Vance for his response to the leaked Telegram chats. He noted that the vice president had once defended him when he was banned on X. Now hes defending these young Republicans, and I never thought Id see it ever, but Republicans are finally learning to play the whataboutism game, and thats overdue, Fuentes said. He also went after Wax, highlighting his Jewishness and calling him a traitor to his generation, to young white men, to right-wingers, to free speech, all of it. Im not a fan of the guy, Fuentes said. At the end of the day, the guy is Jewish. MORRISTOWN, N.J., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Crum & Forster (C&F) is proud to announce that Anne Ellis, Vice President of Marketing, has been named to Ragan Communications' Top Women in Marketing awards class of 2025. The annual awards recognize leaders, changemakers, brand visionaries, and rising stars who elevate the marketing profession through innovation, strategy, storytelling, and results-driven work. Honorees will be celebrated at an event on October 22, 2025 in New York City. Anne Ellis, named a Top Woman in Marketing by Ragan Communications. Since joining C&F in 2022, Ellis has transformed the company's marketing function from a limited tactical operation into a strategic, data-driven team that drives visibility, engagement, and growth across business lines. Under her leadership, the marketing team has developed comprehensive multimedia campaigns, launched a digital asset management platform to streamline content creation and built an in-house video capability, to name a few. "Anne is a marketing leader who combines creative thinking with a strong business mindset," said Hallie Harenski, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communication at Crum & Forster. "She built our marketing function from the ground up and transformed it into a strategic driver of growth and innovation. Her leadership has enhanced C&F's reputation for excellence, and her impact can be felt across the entire organization." Most notably, Ellis spearheaded the "We Make Cyber Simpler" and "Better Cyber Outcomes" campaigns a cross-platform initiative that clarified C&F's cyber insurance value proposition for agents, brokers, and customers. The campaign achieved an 88% increase in engagement on C&F's cyber web pages, with social media posts averaging more than 2,200 likes, and email campaigns driving more than 13% of web traffic. "I'm truly flattered to be recognized among such an inspiring group of women in marketing," said Ms. Ellis. "This honor reflects the hard work and creativity of the entire C&F Marketing & Communications team. Together, we've built a foundation that connects our products, people, and purpose in new and meaningful ways." Ellis has more than four decades of marketing experience in the insurance sector. Prior to joining C&F, she held key marketing leadership positions at other insurance companies where she consistently delivered impactful, results-driven campaigns. Ellis holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Literature from Smith College and a master's degree in literature from the University of California, Berkeley. She also earned the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter designation. About Crum & Forster Crum & Forster (www.cfins.com) is a leading national property, casualty, and accident & health insurer, providing specialty insurance products through its admitted and surplus lines insurance companies. Founded in 1822, C&F is one of the oldest U.S. insurance companies, and today conducts business through a network of independent agents, brokers and wholesalers. C&F had $5.7 billion in gross written premium in 2024 and is rated "A+" Superior by AM Best (2025). To learn more, follow us on LinkedIn, X and Instagram. The C&F logo, C&F and Crum & Forster are registered trademarks of United States Fire Insurance Company. Media Contact Amy Whilldin AVP, Public Relations & Communications [email protected] SOURCE Crum & Forster The dream is real and it has arrived. Jackson Wittup, who has spent 50 of his 66 years at the track, used to wonder 'what if?' What if he would ever find the day when he would have horses in the two most prestigious harness races in Western Canada -- the Western Canada Pacing Derby and Century Casino Filly Pace -- in the same year? On the same day too. The day has come, said Wittup of this Saturdays historic races at Century Mile. Ive got Custard Dolce in the Filly Pace and Momas Work Of Art and Picking Rocks in the Derby. Not only that but Custard Dolce and Momas Work Of Art are both contenders. Contenders? Oh my, yes. Especially Custard Dolce, the most impressive three-year-old filly seen around these parts in many years who drew the trailing post nine in the draw conducted on Tuesday afternoon. I dont think thats bad, said Wittup. Once they get settled, hopefully shell be able to make her move. Its pretty exciting, said Wittup, a former long time racing secretary at Stampede Park and racing manager at both Century Downs and Fraser Downs. Its the long history of those two races -- especially the Derby. All the great horses that won the Derby. And the Filly Pace. Wittup retired six years ago from his management positions, which allowed him to do what he really wanted: own pieces of harness horses. I now own 10 per cent of 14 horses. It doesnt matter if I own 10 per cent or 90 per cent. Its just the thrill of being an owner. I know I cant afford any more. Thats even though Custard Dolce, bought for $26,500 at the Alberta Standardbred Horse Association Yearling Sale, has won $312,785 for himself and partners, trainer/breeder Jamie Gray of Sturgeon County, Max Gibb of Millarville and Derek Wilson of Heritage Pointe. And thats from just 19 races. This past Saturday, Custard Dolce won the Filly Pace prep by an easy-as-pie 3-1/4 lengths in 1:55.2. It was her 15th career win in those limited 19 races. All of her previous wins were in stakes races. A big, strong, powerfully built filly, Custard Dolce, who wasnt herself in her previous two races in August at Century Downs -- the Alberta Sires Stakes Princess elimination and final, finishing second and third, respectively -- was certainly back in top form this past Saturday setting her up nicely for the Century Casino Filly Pace. Getting away sixth, Custard Dolce made her initial move down the Century Mile backstretch before sweeping three-wide and into the lead around the final turn in a blink. Just like that, said track announcer Dylan Beardy. Now you see her now you dont. Shes so quick, said Wittup. Shes got such an explosive move that the other horses just cant keep up and get on her back. Never getting out of a tug with Phil Giesbrecht in the controls, Custard Dolce paced her last quarter in :26.4 and majestically and powerfully drew away as she pleased. Given four weeks off after those losses in the Alberta Princess leg, if there was any doubt about Custard Dolce being fit enough, it was erased by her second qualifying race back on Sept. 26 at Century Mile. Moving from last to first in the stretch, Custard Dolce paced that qualifier in 1:57.4. But that doesnt tell the story. What does is that she paced her last quarter in :26.3 as Gray blew out her pipes. On top of that, that was over poor track conditions with races that night eventually cancelled. And, remember, that was just a qualifying, non-betting race with no purse money. I never even pulled the [ear] plugs on her, said Gray, who was scheduled to drive her this past Saturday but scratched himself because he was violently ill. Either the flu or food poisoning or something like that, said Gray, who felt a lot better after Custard Dolces victory. Shes so quick. Especially for a three-year-old filly. She just jumps into gear. The horse to fear most in the Filly Pace is Mademechangemymind, who defeated Custard Dolce in both the Princess elimination and final in August. Mademechangemymind also beat Custard Dolce in the Shirley McClellan Breeders Stakes on June 21 by a nose on a very windy day with Custard Dolce doing something foreign - cutting out the pace with Mademechangemymind getting the perfect two-hole trip. Mademechangemymind drew favourably with post two in the Filly Pace with Mike Hennessy to drive for trainer Nathan Sobey. Other than those four races, it has been pure perfection for Custard Dolce. Rod Hennessy called Shark Week a freak. Well, Custard Dolce is the female freak, said Wittup, whose legacy is putting on the Nat Christie Memorial for 25 years at Stampede Park and never even once having to pay shipping fees. I will never forget Counterfeit Crown beating the boys in 1990. Gray knew Custard Dolce, a daughter of Custard The Dragon-Blue Star West, was something different before she even raced. Jamie is pretty conservative; he doesnt like to say too much, but he told me back in May of her two-year-old year that she was special, said Wittup. That was two months before Custard Dolce even raced. After finishing fourth in her maiden debut, Custard Dolce reeled off eight straight stakes wins, including the $70,000 ASHA Filly Pace at Century Downs by seven lengths in 1:54 flat, which is still her fastest mile. At threem her highlights have been winning the $50,000+ finals of the ABSS Diamond and Marquis, both in 1:54.3, and the $103,160 Gord and Illa Rumpel Memorial in 1:54.1 at Century Downs. Shes just so consistent, marvelled Gray of the three-year-old filly who has never been worse than third this year. Custard Dolce will race in Saturdays $104,490 Century Casino Filly Pace and next months $70,000 ABSS Super Final and then that will probably be it for Alberta, assuming she comes out of those two races well. The plan is to then take her east to Ontario. I think she deserves the chance, said Wittup. Id really like to thank the backstretch for all their support. They wish me well before the races and then congratulate me after her wins. Its very heart warming. Her entourage of fans gets larger every week, said Wilson, who met Wittup at the University of Calgary where they were both taking the same Economics class. She can just fly. Its pretty exciting. Its been a lot of fun. Jamie has done a great job; he deserves all the credit. Jamie and all the grooms. Custard Dolce can just fly, said Wilson, whose father Don and grandfather Forest were both heavily involved in harness racing with the likes of Native Stream and Time Stream with the former a dominant invitational horse winning 37 times and the latter winning the 1974 Pacing Derby with Forest -- at the age of 73 -- doing the driving. Derek also drove and trained Standardbreds, including Monkey Wrench, who won 29 times in the mid-1980s. Then theres the $123,880 Western Canada Pacing Derby, which is shaping up to be a real knockout of a race and where Momas Work Of Art will race. Two eliminations were held this past Saturday. Discontinued won the first elimination in 1:54.3 and Wash N Wax took the second in 1:55. Because of their victories, those two got the inside posts, with Wash N Wax taking the rail and Discontinued post two. Leading every step of the way, Discontinued set fairly easy fractions of :28.3, :58.1 and 1:28.3 before unleashing a wicked final quarter in 26 seconds flat, holding off the gritty Hands Off Harry, who moved three-wide midway around the final turn, by half a length. Moma Work Of Art finished four lengths behind in third. It was unexpected," said driver/trainer Brandon Campbell, who also co-owns Discontinued with Calgary's Raymond Henry and George Rogers. Hes been sick. He still had a bit of a throat infection on Saturday. Fortunately, I didnt have to work too hard to early, said Campbell, who drove four other winners on last Saturdays card. Saturdays Derby will be a different race. There won't be a 1:28 and a piece three-quarters. Theyll be pushing the issue. Campbell said, I feel like my horse is good right now. After going winless in eight starts last year, Discontinued has won seven of his 13 starts this year, including an easy win in the $90,000 Moore's Mile Breeders Stakes. The horse Campbell said he worries the most about is Hands Off Harry. Did he ever make a good move. But there are several other horses to be concerned about. Wash N Wax showed talent. Then theres Momas Work of Art. Its going to be a good race. My fingers are crossed and Im knocking on wood. Wash N Wax was winning his third race in his last four starts. Hes a nice horse and very well bred, said trainer/driver Kelly Hoerdt, who also co-owns the son of Cattlewash out of the A Rocknroll Dance mare Typhoon, along with Leduc's Blair Corbeil and Carole Dunbar of Richardson, Sask. Getting a pocket trip behind Telluride Hanover, Wash N Wax had to wait for the parked-out G TS Jukebox Jack to tire to make his move. When he did, he sprinted clear and then held off a hard-charging Outlawminutbyminut by three parts of a length. Off of that late charge, Outlawminutbyminut is going to be very tough too. We got a good trip, said Hoerdt. To get another trip like that in the Derby would be sweet. He isnt overly exerted going into the Derby. Hoerdt, like Campbell, fears Hands Off Harry. He had road trouble and had to come from a long ways back after a slow pace, Hoerdt said of Hands Off Harry, who drew post three. Hes going to be a big factor. Hoerdt also agrees with Campbell that the Derby is going to be a lot different than the elimination. Theres going to be lots of early action and lots of pace. Then theres Wittups Derby horses: Momas Work Of Art, who was boxed in during the first elimination -- only getting loose at about the sixteenth pole -- and Picking Rocks, who won the shake for the final spot after finishing fifth in the second elimination. Momas Work Of Art drew post five; Picking Rocks got post seven. Thats good too, said Wittup. Wittup, who owns his 10 per cent stake in Momas Work Of Art with trainer Shelly Arsenault and legendary Don Monkman Jr., both of Sherwood Park, said getting boxed in is just horse racing; it happens. The main thing was to qualify for the Derby final. The top four finishers in the two eliminations moved onto Saturday with a draw for the trailing spot taking place between the two fifth-place finishers, which went to Picking Rocks. Wittup owns longshot Picking Rocks with Gray, Wilson and High River breeder Jim Rhodes. Momas Work Of Art was last years Champion Alberta-Bred Two-Year-Old Colt. This year, he has won three of 10 starts along with four seconds and the third in the Derby elimination -- a race where he was favoured. His big win came in the $118,400 Ralph Klein Memorial at Century Downs on Aug. 2 when he defeated Hands Off Harry by a length and a quarter. He was so impressive that day. I thought good hes going to be second, but he just kept coming and coming, said Wittup. Wittup said Momas Work Of Art, who has the most money won of the Derby finalists (just under $200,000) has matured quite a bit from his two-year-old year. He can get a little 'rammy' but hes got a beautiful stride. Its a tough field. Its also an even group. Nobody has been dominant. Everyone is going to need a little luck go there way. To view Saturday's complete harness racing entries, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Century Mile. (Curtis Stock / thehorses.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: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain If you ask an AI service like ChatGPT or Google Gemini to recommend a destination for your next summer holiday, it will happily provide you with a list of attractive destinations. But many of them will be very familiar. Paris, Venice, Santorini and Barcelona are all likely to feature, because the AI algorithm is nudging you toward the same old places. The illusion of personalized advice is what makes people less likely to question itand why AI risks intensifying overtourism. And the use of AI for holiday inspiration is growing fast. A recent survey found it has doubled in the past year, with uptake strongest among younger travelers. Nearly one in five Britons aged 2534 now turn to AI tools to plan their trips. In my own research, I analyzed ChatGPT's travel recommendations and found that it gravitates toward the most visited destinations by default. Lesser-known or more sustainable locations only tend to appear when travelers explicitly ask for them. This could easily exacerbate the overtourism which is already testing the limits of many residents in highly visited places. In Mallorca, locals are demanding limits on flights and holiday rentals, while Venice introduced a day-tripper fee in an attempt to manage visitor pressure. AI will quickly add to that pressure if millions of holiday makers make plans using the same online filters and tips. These algorithms are trained on what's most visible onlinereviews, blogs and social media hashtagsso quickly focus on what's already popular. And if travelers simply accept the defaults, the result will be more of the same, and more strain on places already under pressure. But consumers aren't entirely powerless. With a bit more intent, AI research can yield different and fascinating destinations. My research suggests that discerning travelers need to start by asking better and more searching questions. Generic prompts such as "the best beaches in Europe" or "beautiful city" lead straight to the same results. Instead, try something like: "Which towns are reachable by train but overlooked in most guides?" Or maybe: "Where can I go in July that's not a major tourist hotspot?" Push the system, ask follow-up questions and scroll past the first few results. That's where the surprises often lie. You could also change your timings. AI tends to focus on peak season because that's when the most online reviews are posted and the most travel content is published. Asking about off-peak months is a simple way to beat this built-in bias, so perhaps specify the Italian lakes in October or the Greek islands in May. Or ask AI to dig a little deeper for its source material. AI draws heavily on English-language content, which favors international hot spots, but is also capable of finding independent travel blogs or local tourism cooperatives. Type in something like "Spanish-language blogs about Asturias" or "community-run agritourism in Slovenia" and you could unearth something rewarding and off the beaten track. This is the kind of thing that can really unearth the vast potential benefits of AI and its capabilities. The road less traveled It could also easily help you to compare the costs and timings of various travel options, and assess the carbon footprint of your journey. It just requires a little bit of digging to get past the surface layer. After all, these systems are designed to serve up the most obvious and well-documented suggestions, not what's diverse or sustainable. (Although the same technology could just as easily be coded slightly differently to show rail travel before air for example, or to prioritize locally run independent businesses.) So while the convenience of AI is seductive, it can also be predictable. If your holiday plans could be copy-pasted from Instagram, any sense of adventure can easily get left behind. Consider using AI as a starting point, not the final word. Guidebooks, local media and conversations with residents restore the unpredictability that makes travel memorable. By asking sharper questions, shifting their timing, checking footprints and seeking local voices, travelers can use AI as a tool for discovery rather than congestion. Every prompt is a signal to the system about what matters. The next time you ask ChatGPT where to go, make it work a bit harder. Test it, argue with it and use its extraordinary capabilities to find somewhere newor settle for the same crowded itinerary as everyone else. More information: Joseph Mellors, ChatGPT and the tourist trail: pathway to overtourism or sustainable travel?, Current Issues in Tourism (2025). DOI: 10.1080/13683500.2025.2522939 This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. TORONTO, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - EQ Bank today announces the five recipients of the 2025 Emerging Digital Artists Award (EDAA), Canada's leading award for critical experimentation in digital media. Launched in 2015 with EQ Bank, the annual prize champions up-and-coming artists from across the country working in a range of media, including video, animation, web art, game art, apps and immersive technologies, among others. This year's EDAA recipients in their respective categories are: Image (left to right): Cadin Londono (photo: Mariana Chajon Oliveros), Eva Grant, Alex Gibson (photo: Jonah Bayley), Kahani Ploessl (photo: Zoe Mar), and Laura Caraballo. (CNW Group/EQ Bank) Still Image Eva Grant, Exquisite Machines for Making Anything But Children (2025) Eva is a Queer, Statimc-Eurasian filmmaker, curator and new media artist based in Victoria, BC. Her world-building practice activates Land-based storytelling, research-creation and speculative design to prototype decolonial and capacious futures informed by disability justice, Indigenous ontologies and ecological sovereignty. Moving Image Alex Gibson , Untitled Passage (2025) Alex is a Barbadian Canadian interdisciplinary artist based on the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations (Vancouver, BC). They use images and archives as sites to examine queer spaces, temporalities and architectures. 2D Interactive Cadin Londono, El Cumbiatron (2025) Cadin is a Colombian game developer born in Chateauguay, QC and based in Tio'Tia:ke (Montreal, QC). His interest in coding began from a young age, watching his father code his own games in his free time. Extended Reality Laura Caraballo , No Me Demoro (2024) Laura is an interdisciplinary artist born in Bogota and based in Tiohtia:ke (Montreal, QC). Her work explores the use of technology to create interactive, sensorial physical and virtual spaces that represent and engage communities in meaningful conversations. 3D Installation Kahani Ploessl , Virtual Shiva (2025) Kahani () is a dimension-bending tech artist based in Markham, ON. Her work in generative, videogame, and installation art explores notions of the glitch and digital spiritualism. Guided by her Indian heritage, Kahani draws parallels between the cosmic philosophy of Hinduism and the pixelated manifestations of digital realms and avatar bodies. "Digital artists are redefining how we experience creativity and are unafraid to explore new mediums and question what art can be," said Chadwick Westlake, President and CEO. "As Canada's Challenger Bank, we share that same ethos driven by curiosity, innovation and the courage to think differently. Supporting the Emerging Digital Artists Award for more than a decade has been our way of celebrating the visionaries who continue to challenge expectations and move culture forward." The 2025 EDAA garnered over 130 submissions from emerging digital artists across the country. Submissions were reviewed and assessed by an impressive lineup of guest judges from the digital and contemporary arts communities including Lillian O'Brien Davis, Maxwell Lander, Rea McNamara, and Bomi Yook, alongside EQ Bank's curatorial team. The five recipients' works were selected for their originality, technical expertise and critical approach to their subject matter within the field of contemporary digital art. "We're thrilled to see the broadest geographic representation of recipients since the award's inception in 2015," said Shannon Linde, Senior Curator. "This year's artists reflect the incredible range of voices shaping Canada's digital art landscape today. I'm deeply grateful to our guest jury for recognizing such bold and original work, and excited for audiences to experience these pieces through our growing partnerships with arts organizations across the country." Each artist will receive a $5,000 grand prize, in addition to a one-year subscription to Pilot Art List. The five award-winning works will be featured in a touring group exhibition starting at Gallery TPW, Toronto, January 7 31, 2026, and travelling to Art Windsor-Essex March 19 June 28, 2026. The five works will also be included in a virtual exhibition produced in partnership with the MacKenzie Art Gallery in 2026. Lastly, one of the five recipients will have their work featured in BlackFlash Magazine in print and online. For full information about the 2025 recipients and their winning artworks, images and jury testimonies, please explore the 2025 EDAA press package here. About the EDAA The Emerging Digital Artists Award (EDAA) is Canada's award for critical experimentation in digital media, proudly presented by EQ Bank. Launched in 2015, the EDAA has awarded over $200,000 to 64 artists and celebrated a range of screen-based practices including video, animation, virtual reality, game art, and web art. To learn more, follow us on Instagram. About EQ Bank Equitable Bank has a clear mission to drive change in Canadian banking to enrich people's lives. As Canada's Challenger Bank and seventh largest bank by assets, it leverages technology to deliver exceptional personal and commercial banking experiences and services to over 761,000 customers and more than six million credit union members through its businesses. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of EQB Inc. (TSX: EQB), a leading digital financial services company with $137 billion in combined assets under management and administration (as of July 31, 2025). Through its digital EQ Bank platform (eqbank.ca), its customers have named it one of the top banks in Canada on the Forbes World's Best Banks list since 2021. To learn more, please visit eqb.investorroom.com or connect with us on LinkedIn. For artist-related inquiries, contact: Shannon Linde Senior Curator [email protected] Media contact: Maggie Hall Director, PR & Communications [email protected] 437-214-2442 Investor contact: Lemar Persaud VP and Head of IR [email protected] SOURCE EQ Bank 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: Architecture of the proposed MLP-CLM O approach. Credit: Energy and AI (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.egyai.2025.100596 Last year, wind energy accounted for 23.2% of all energy injected into the Spanish electricity system, according to data published by Red Electrica in its latest 2024 report. Although wind power leads national energy production, its dependence on weather conditions and its inherently intermittent nature present challenges. Therefore, fine-tuning wind speed prediction data for these infrastructures is a key task to optimize the management and performance of wind turbines. This is precisely what the AYRNA group at the University of Cordoba (UCO) has proposed, using artificial intelligence to help fill the sails of wind power, as it were. The team has confirmed two methodologies trained on over 13 years of data, capable of predicting extreme speeds with greater accuracy than traditional methods, using variables such as wind components at different altitudes, pressures, and air temperatures. The research is published in the journal Energy and AI. Both systems are based on artificial neural networks, inspired by the human brain, and ordinal classification systems, which categorize wind speeds from lowest to highest intensity, rather than predicting specific speeds. As explained by researcher Antonio Gomez, with the Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at the UCO, both methodologies have been trained to forecast four different wind speed rangeslow, moderate, high, and extremewith time horizons of 1, 4, and 8 hours. Each of these categories is associated with not only a specific wind speed range, but also an estimated range of wind energy production. While the first model performs similarly across all four wind classes, the second excels with more severe events, notes David Guijo, another author of the study. In fact, for gusts exceeding 20 meters per second, which fall into the extreme wind category, the system outperforms traditional methods and can predict speeds with over 94% accuracy. This is particularly valuable for anticipating extreme wind events, allowing turbines to be shut down to prevent damage or collapse. "Energy companies must periodically estimate the energy they will put on the grid, which underscores the need to refine forecasts for optimal predictions," emphasizes researcher Pedro Antonio Gutierrez. He notes that while both systems can be extrapolated to different wind farms with relative ease, the models were trained on a specific farm featuring particular conditions. Therefore, applying them to other settings would require retraining and validation. This work, conducted in collaboration with researchers in the Department of Signal Theory and Communications at the University of Alcala, is part of the national NEXO research project. The project aims to develop Artificial Intelligence models for applications to renewable energy, various meteorological events, and the field of medicine. More information: A.M. Gomez-Orellana et al, Enhancing wind speed prediction in wind farms through ordinal classification, Energy and AI (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.egyai.2025.100596 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: Federated Learning is a distributed learning method where multiple institutions collaboratively train a joint Artificial Intelligence model without directly sharing their data. Each institution trains its individual AI model using its local data (Institution 1, 2, 3 Data). Afterward, only the trained model information, not the original data, is securely aggregated to a central server to construct a high-performing 'Joint AI Model.' This method allows for the effect of training with diverse data while protecting the privacy of sensitive information. Credit: The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Federated learning was devised to solve the problem of difficulty in aggregating personal data, such as patient medical records or financial data, in one place. However, during the process where each institution optimizes the collaboratively trained AI to suit its own environment, a limitation arose: The AI became overly adapted to the specific institution's data, making it vulnerable to new data. A research team has presented a solution to this problem and confirmed its stable performance not only in security-critical fields like hospitals and banks but also in rapidly changing environments such as social media and online shopping. The research team led by Professor Chanyoung Park of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering developed a new learning method that fundamentally solves the chronic performance degradation problem of federated learning, significantly enhancing the generalization performance of AI models. The work is published on the arXiv preprint server. The Local Overfitting problem occurs during the process of fine-tuning the 'Joint AI Model' built through Federated Learning with each institution's data. For example, Institution 3 can fine-tune the joint AI with its own data (Type 0, 2) to create an expert AI for those types, but in the process, it forgets the knowledge about data (Type 1) that other institutions had (Information Loss). In this way, each institution's AI becomes optimized only for its own data, gradually losing the ability (generalization performance) to solve other types of problems that were obtained through collaboration. Credit: The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Federated learning is a method that allows multiple institutions to jointly train an AI without directly exchanging data. However, a problem occurs when each institution fine-tunes the resulting joint AI model to its local setting. This is because the broad knowledge acquired earlier is diluted, leading to a local overfitting problem where the AI becomes excessively adapted only to the data characteristics of a specific institution. For example, if several banks jointly build a "collaborative loan review AI," and one specific bank performs fine-tuning focusing on corporate customer data, that bank's AI becomes strong in corporate reviews but suffers from local overfitting, leading to degraded performance in reviewing individual or startup customers. Professor Park's team introduced the synthetic data method to solve this. They extracted only the core and representative features from each institution's data to generate virtual data that does not contain personal information and applied this during the fine-tuning process. As a result, each institution's AI can strengthen its expertise according to its own data without sharing personal information, while maintaining the broad perspective (generalization performance) gained through collaborative learning. The technology proposed by the research team solves the local overfitting problem by utilizing Synthetic Data. When each institution fine-tunes its AI with its own data, it simultaneously trains with 'Global Synthetic Data' created from the data of other institutions. This synthetic data acts as a kind of 'Vaccine' to prevent the AI from forgetting information not present in the local data (e.g., Type 2 in the image), helping the AI to gain expertise on specific data while retaining a broad view (generalization performance) to handle other types of data. Credit: The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) The research results showed that this method is particularly effective in fields where data security is crucial, such as health care and finance, and also demonstrated stable performance in environments where new users and products are continuously added, like social media and e-commerce. It proved that the AI could maintain stable performance without confusion even if a new institution joins the collaboration or data characteristics change rapidly. Professor Chanyoung Park of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering said, "This research opens a new path to simultaneously ensure both expertise and versatility for each institution's AI while protecting data privacy. It will be a great help in fields where data collaboration is essential but security is important, such as medical AI and financial fraud detection AI." More information: Sungwon Kim et al, Subgraph Federated Learning for Local Generalization, arXiv (2025). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2503.03995 Journal information: arXiv 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 Microsoft will supply its artificial intelligence technology to every public school district and community college in Washington next year, part of a nationwide campaign to spread AI training and usage. The Redmond-based tech giant announced the move this week as part of its Microsoft Elevate Washington initiative, the local effort of its commitment to spend $4 billion in technology-focused grants and free access to AI tools in education nationwide over the next five years. In Washington, Microsoft is not only providing access to AI tools and training to 295 school districts and 34 community and technical colleges, but offering $25,000 grants to help create and deploy AI tools. Up to 10 school districts and 10 community colleges are able to receive the grants. AI in education is already a debate. Proponents of the technology's use in classrooms argue that the workforce is already adopting it, so students had better be ready. Skeptics, wary of introducing more automation to classrooms, worry that AI could make it easier for students to cheat and harder to retain information. Microsoft's Elevate initiative shows the company is on the side of the proponents. AI is starting to reshape the economy, locally, nationally and globally," Microsoft President Brad Smith told The Seattle Times this week in a video interview. "There's a lot still unknown, but it seems more than likely that those who know how to use AI are likely to fare better than those who don't." Smith said the data Microsoft collects shows a stark divide between urban and rural counties in Washington, which is why the company is bringing its technology to all school districts. In counties with larger cities, like King, Pierce, Snohomish and Whatcom, more than 30% of the working-age population use AI. That usage drops to between 0% and 10% for some rural counties in Eastern Washington. "What we're seeing is not just a technology gap, but an opportunity gap," Smith said. Through the program, public school students in Washington will receive Copilot Chat, Microsoft 365 desktop apps, Learning Accelerators and Teams for Education for up to three years starting in July 2026. All community college students will receive a year of Microsoft 365 Personal, which includes a suite of Microsoft Office products, all equipped with the AI-powered Copilot feature. Microsoft is also providing AI-specific training to teachers, by working with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Washington Education Association. That training will include how to use AI in the classroom and how to teach AI skills. "For parents who have kids in high school, this is hopefully good news," Smith said. "It means the teachers and the kids themselves will have broader access to AI technology because they live in Washington state." Microsoft's offer to Washington's education system is another step in Smith's decades-long campaign to fashion the company as the state's benevolent corporate partner, but it has a vested interest as well. The success of Microsoft's long bet on AI is hinged upon widespread familiarity and usage. The broader initiative, Microsoft Elevate, is also a nod from the company that increased automation for AI can potentially disrupt the workforce. "We want to ensure that Washington not only remains a national hub for technology and entrepreneurship, but that our students are among the most prepared for the jobs of tomorrow, Smith said. 2025 The Seattle Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain OpenAI announced plans on Tuesday to relax restrictions on its ChatGPT chatbot, including allowing erotic content for verified adult users as part of what the company calls a "treat adult users like adults" principle. In a post on X, CEO Sam Altman said that stricter guardrails on conversational AI to address mental health concerns had made its chatbot "less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems." The stricter safety controls came after California teenager Adam Raine died by suicide earlier this year, with his parents filing a lawsuit claiming ChatGPT provided him with specific advice on how to kill himself. The US Federal Trade Commission also launched an inquiry into several tech companies including OpenAI over how AI chatbots potentially negatively affect children and teenagers. "Given the seriousness of the issue we wanted to get this right," Altman said Tuesday, arguing that OpenAI's new safety tools now allow the company to ease restrictions while still addressing serious mental health risks. OpenAI's plan includes the release of an updated version of ChatGPT that will allow users to customize their AI assistant's personality, including options for more human-like responses, heavy emoji use, or friend-like behavior. The most significant change will come in December, when OpenAI plans to roll out more comprehensive age-gating that would permit erotic content for verified adults. OpenAI did not immediately provide details on its age verification methods or additional safeguards planned for adult content. The company launched a dedicated ChatGPT experience for under-18 users in September, with automatic redirection to age-appropriate content that blocks graphic and sexual material. It also said it was developing behavior-based age prediction technology that estimates whether a user is over or under 18 based on how they interact with ChatGPT. 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: Credit: California Institute of Technology Introducing X1: The world's first multirobot system that integrates a humanoid robot with a transforming drone that can launch off the humanoid's back, and later, drive away. The new multimodal system is one product of a three-year collaboration between Caltech's Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies (CAST) and the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The robotic system demonstrates the kind of innovative and forward-thinking projects that are possible with the combined global expertise of the collaborators in autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, robotics, and propulsion systems. "Right now, robots can fly, robots can drive, and robots can walk. Those are all great in certain scenarios," says Aaron Ames, the director and Booth-Kresa Leadership Chair of CAST and the Bren Professor of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Control and Dynamical Systems, and Aerospace at Caltech. "But how do we take those different locomotion modalities and put them together into a single package, so we can excel from the benefits of all these while mitigating the downfalls that each of them have?" Testing the capability of the X1 system, the team recently conducted a demonstration on Caltech's campus. The demo was based on the following premise: Imagine that there is an emergency somewhere on campus, creating the need to quickly get autonomous agents to the scene. For the test, the team modified an off-the-shelf Unitree G1 humanoid such that it could carry M4, Caltech's multimodal robot that can both fly and drive, as if it were a backpack. The demo started with the humanoid in GatesThomas Laboratory. It walked through Sherman Fairchild Library and went outside to an elevated spot where it could safely deploy M4. The humanoid then bent forward at the waist, allowing M4 to launch in its drone mode. M4 then landed and transformed into driving mode to efficiently continue on wheels toward its destination. Before reaching that destination, however, M4 encountered the Turtle Pond, so it switched back to drone mode, quickly flew over the obstacle, and made its way to the site of the "emergency" near Caltech Hall. The humanoid and a second M4 eventually met up with the first responder. Credit: California Institute of Technology "The challenge is how to bring different robots to work together so, basically, they become one system providing different functionalities. With this collaboration, we found the perfect match to solve this," says Mory Gharib, Ph.D., the Hans W. Liepmann Professor of Aeronautics and Medical Engineering at Caltech and CAST's founding director. Gharib's group, which originally built the M4 robot, focuses on building flying and driving robots as well as advanced control systems. The Ames lab, for its part, brings expertise in locomotion and developing algorithms for the safe use of humanoid robots. Meanwhile, TII brings a wealth of knowledge about autonomy and sensing with robotic systems in urban environments. A Northeastern University team led by engineer Alireza Ramezani assists in the area of morphing robot design. "The overall collaboration atmosphere was great. We had different researchers with different skill sets looking at really challenging robotics problems spanning from perception and sensor data fusion to locomotion modeling and controls, to hardware design," says Ramezani, an associate professor at Northeastern. When TII engineers visited Caltech in July 2025, the partners built a new version of M4 that takes advantage of Saluki, a secure flight controller and computer technology developed by TII for onboard computing. In a future phase of work, the collaboration aims to give the entire system sensors, model-based algorithms, and machine learning-driven autonomy to navigate and adapt to its surroundings in real time. "We install different kinds of sensorslidar, cameras, range findersand we combine all these data to understand where the robot is, and the robot understands where it is in order to go from one point to another," says Claudio Tortorici, director of TII. "So, we bring the capability of the robots to move around with autonomy." Ames explains that even more was on display in the demo than meets the eye. For example, he says, the humanoid robot did more than simply walking around campus. Currently, the majority of humanoid robots are given data originally captured from human movements to achieve a particular movement, such as walking or kicking, and scaling that action to the robot. If all goes well, the robot can imitate that action repeatedly. But, Ames argues, "If we want to really deploy robots in complicated scenarios in the real world, we need to be able to generate these actions without necessarily having human references." His group builds mathematical models that describe the physics of that application to a robot more broadly. When these are fused with machine learning techniques, the models imbue robots with more general abilities to navigate any situation they might encounter. "The robot learns to walk as the physics dictate," Ames says. "So X1 can walk; it can walk on different terrain types; it can walk up and down stairs, and importantly, it can walk with things like M4 on its back." An overarching goal of the collaboration is to make such autonomous systems safer and more reliable. "I believe we are at a stage where people are starting to accept these robots," Tortorici says. " In order to have robots all around us, we need these robots to be reliable." That is ongoing work for the team. "We're thinking about safety-critical control, making sure we can trust our systems, making sure they're secure," Ames says. "We have multiple projects that extend beyond this one that study all these different facets of autonomy, and these problems are really big. By having these different projects and facets of our collaboration, we are able to take on these much bigger problems and really move autonomy forward in a substantial and concerted way." This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain Software giant Salesforce is planning to invest $15 billion in San Francisco over the next five years to strengthen the city's dominance in artificial intelligence. "This $15 billion investment reflects our deep commitment to our hometownadvancing AI innovation, creating jobs, and helping companies and our communities thrive in this incredible new era," said Salesforce Chief Executive Marc Benioff in a statement. The funding is the latest example of how the frenzy around artificial intelligence has been shining a spotlight on San Francisco, the home of major tech companies such as Salesforce and ChatGPT maker OpenAI. Benioff's remarks also came ahead of the company's Dreamforce conference in San Francisco, an event that runs through Thursday. The conference is expected to bring nearly 50,000 people to the city, generate $130 million in revenue for San Francisco and create 35,000 local jobs, Salesforce said in a news release. Last week, Benioff also told the New York Times he thought Trump should send the National Guard to help reduce crime in San Francisco after the president said Democrats had "destroyed" the city. Salesforce's multibillion-dollar investment will go toward a new hub on the company's San Francisco campus that will support workforce development and training. On social media platform X, Benioff also posted that the investment will help "build a greater, safer city for everyone." Salesforce, a platform that helps businesses manage customer data and track sales, is also making other commitments to San Francisco as the competition to dominate AI heats up. On Monday, the company also announced a $100-million investment in the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital and a $39-million investment to support AI education and readiness, including in the San Francisco Unified School District and Oakland Unified School District. Salesforce has also been promoting the use of "AI agents" that are capable of proactively doing work without constant input from a human. Some tasks agents can complete include responding to customer questions and generating marketing materials. The rise of artificial intelligence has also been fueling anxiety about whether technology will automate certain jobs, including in customer service and software engineering, amid job cuts. In September, Benioff said his company was able to shrink the number of people in support roles from 9,000 to 5,000 because AI agents are helping to automate certain tasks. He also previously said AI is doing 30% to 50% of the company's work. In July, the Brookings Institution called the San Francisco and San Jose metropolitan areas "superstars" when it comes to AI readiness. The report noted though that more AI-ready metro areas have to be wary about AI replacing jobs as technology reshapes the way people work. The Washington, D.C., think tank examined data such as venture capital funding, AI job postings and the number of computer science degree holders in certain areas. 2025 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.151128 Hydrogen is a promising fuel for developing sustainable industrial processes, but its use is hindered by hydrogen embrittlementa phenomenon that weakens metals and can cause sudden failure. Now, researchers from Japan have provided the first experimental evidence linking surface roughness to atomic-scale defects caused by hydrogen in iron. Using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy, they showed that rougher surfaces result in greater accumulation of defects, offering new insights into designing hydrogen-resistant materials through precision surface engineering. As the world strives to achieve carbon neutrality and slow down climate change, hydrogen has emerged as a promising fuel and energy carrier. Producing only water when consumed, hydrogen could help decarbonize industrial processes, power generation, and transportation. However, fulfilling this vision requires massive infrastructurefrom high-pressure storage tanks to dedicated pipelinesthat must withstand constant material stress due to the nature of hydrogen. One of the biggest obstacles is hydrogen embrittlement. This is a complex phenomenon where metals, including high-strength steels used to transport hydrogen, suffer severe deterioration of their mechanical properties that can lead to sudden failure. Over the past few decades, scientists have identified key factors contributing to hydrogen embrittlement. Hydrogen interacts with the metal's structure, promoting the movement of existing defects called dislocations. In turn, this leads to missing atoms (or "vacancies") in the material's crystalline structure. While the general mechanisms behind hydrogen embrittlement have been studied extensively in the bulk of materials, less is known about how this phenomenon occurs at the material's surface. Specifically, it is unclear how common metal manufacturing steps like polishing or grinding influence the atomic-level factors that ultimately lead to material failure. Now, in a recent study, a research team led by Assistant Professor Luca Chiari from the Graduate School of Engineering, Chiba University, Japan, has provided the first experimental evidence needed to bridge this knowledge gap. Their findings, published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy on September 24, 2025, clarify how varying surface conditions affect the atomic structure of hydrogen-charged pure iron. The study was co-authored by Kansei Yamamoto, also from Chiba University, and Dr. Koji Michishio from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan. The researchers systematically investigated how surface roughness influences the formation and size of various hydrogen-related defects. To this end, they prepared high-purity iron sheets with four different levels of surface roughness using standard mechanical polishing techniques. They then subjected the samples to mechanical tension while simultaneously charging them with hydrogen by exposure to an electrolytic solution and an electrical current, leading to the formation of hydrogen-induced defects. One of the study's key innovations was the measurement technique used to analyze surface defects: positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). This highly sensitive, non-destructive method uses the antimatter particles of the electrons, called positrons, as atomic-scale probes to precisely locate and measure the size of defects, such as dislocations and vacancy clusters, within the material. By using a slow positron beam, the team was able to probe defects specifically in the shallow near-surface layers of the iron samples, isolating them from those in the bulk of the material. The results of the experiments revealed that the size of the hydrogen-induced vacancy clusters grew larger as surface roughness increased. Simply put, clusters in the roughest samples were estimated to contain more missing atoms than those in the smoother samples. Interestingly, this proved to be a localized effect, with the size of the vacancy clusters in the bulk of the material remaining constant regardless of how the surface was polished. Therefore the researchers found that dense networks of dislocations caused by mechanical processing near the surface can create super-concentrated traps for hydrogen, leading to the accumulation of atomic vacancies into larger clusters right where crack initiation often occurs. These findings provide the first experimental proof that a macroscopic feature such as surface coarseness can directly dictate the size of atomic defects that ultimately lead to cracks in a hydrogen environment. The study could thus lead to an entirely new approach to material design and manufacturing based on precision surface engineering to combat hydrogen embrittlement. By accurately controlling surface roughness, engineers may be able to prevent the formation of these large vacancy clusters, leading to naturally hydrogen-resistant metals. "The results provide a fundamental understanding of the hydrogen embrittlement mechanisms and could help reduce the overall life-cycle cost of materials used in hydrogen technologies," remarks Dr. Chiari. Furthermore, the successful application of PALS holds wider implications for materials science and engineering. "Our work could position this technique as a new standard for material certification and in-service inspection, offering a new paradigm to ensure the integrity of the hydrogen infrastructure," says Dr. Chiari. This work is a major step toward fundamental guidelines for the design of safe and reliable materials, which are urgently needed for the transition to a hydrogen economy. More information: Luca Chiari et al, Defect analysis of surface-polished hydrogen-charged pure iron by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.151128 Journal information: International Journal of Hydrogen Energy "The Natural Choice" campaign highlights Costa Rica's sustainable production model. SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With the goal of positioning Costa Rican agricultural products in key European markets, the country brand essential COSTA RICA has launched the campaign "The Natural Choice" in collaboration with Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab. The initiative will run across multiple Amazon touchpoints in Spain, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Amazon Fresh Bags campaign in partnership with essential COSTA RICA. "The Natural Choice" showcases Costa Rica's signature exports including pineapples, bananas, cassava, and coffee as premium products cultivated under the highest ethical and quality standards. These attributes align with European consumers' growing interest in health, wellbeing, and sustainable lifestyles. The campaign, designed exclusively for European audiences, features hand-drawn illustrations with organic shapes and natural textures, creating a distinct visual identity that reflects the authentic, artisanal character of Costa Rican exports. This artistic approach offers a deliberate contrast to digital or AI-generated imagery, reinforcing the campaign's central message: making the natural choice. "Through The Natural Choice campaign, we are sharing not only our high-quality products but also a part of our country's story and essence," said Adriana Acosta, Director of the Country Brand essential COSTA RICA. "This initiative reminds European consumers that, amid so many artificial options, Costa Rica offers fresh, carefully cultivated products designed to promote wellbeing around the world." Starting October 15, the campaign will appear across Amazon touchpoints, creating an immersive brand experience that highlights the quality and sustainability of Costa Rican exports. Consumers in Spain, the United Kingdom, and Germany will encounter the campaign through the following activations: In Spain Fire TV Panoramic : an immersive landing page that invites viewers into the vibrant world of Costa Rica. Through a sweeping panoramic experience, users can explore the culture and stories behind the country's agricultural exports. : an immersive landing page that invites viewers into the vibrant world of Costa Rica. Through a sweeping panoramic experience, users can explore the culture and stories behind the country's agricultural exports. Amazon Brand Store : a digital hub that serves as the heart of the campaign, where visitors can discover recipes and wellness tips inspired by Costa Rican traditions. An interactive map guides users through the country's food culture, showcasing how pineapples, cassava, bananas, and coffee are grown and enjoyed across Costa Rica (available in Spain, the UK, and Germany). : a digital hub that serves as the heart of the campaign, where visitors can discover recipes and wellness tips inspired by Costa Rican traditions. An interactive map guides users through the country's food culture, showcasing how pineapples, cassava, bananas, and coffee are grown and enjoyed across Costa Rica (available in Spain, the UK, and Germany). Prime Video ads : 15-second animated video spots highlighting individual ingredients banana, coffee, cassava, and pineapple with consistent creative design across the Brand Store and other placements (Spain, the UK, and Germany). : 15-second animated video spots highlighting individual ingredients banana, coffee, cassava, and pineapple with consistent creative design across the Brand Store and other placements (Spain, the UK, and Germany). Amazon Lockers : decorated with artwork and playful headlines tied to the featured products, along with QR codes directing consumers to recipes and tips on the Brand Store (Spain, the UK, and Germany). : decorated with artwork and playful headlines tied to the featured products, along with QR codes directing consumers to recipes and tips on the Brand Store (Spain, the UK, and Germany). Amazon Fresh Bags : extending the campaign into homes through delivery bags featuring campaign messaging and scannable QR codes that link to recipes on the Brand Store (available in Spain & the UK). : extending the campaign into homes through delivery bags featuring campaign messaging and scannable QR codes that link to recipes on the Brand Store (available in Spain & the UK). Branded Alexa Experience: guiding users on how to choose, store, and enjoy Costa Rican produce, with facts connected to health, tradition, and sustainability. Users can activate it by saying: "Alexa, launch tips from Costa Rica" (available in the UK and Germany). Kate McCagg, Head of Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab, said: "I love that every detail of this campaign the colours, the illustrations celebrates the vibrancy of Costa Rica and piques curiosity, while the recipes inspire customers to take action and enjoy the flavours of its produce. All while building awareness for an inspiring model for sustainable tourism and business." Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2796473/costa_rica_fresh_bags_en_01.jpg